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Quick question about fighter builds. I'm wondering if I should keep or replace "mercenary barbarian"? I realized there isn't a "swashbuckling prince" kit and thought that might be a better fit.
Mercenary-barbarians seem like conan-types thrust into a setting of Enlightened and graceful characters. Even with the traitor & matrud I'm making all the characters Enlightened (hence I dropped the kahin from the kit list, not to mention saving it for druid class release in PHB2). I wonder if there is a way to reimagine mercenary barbarians as members of the faith/society?
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Originally Posted by Hodag
In gray scale with your fancy smoke and Bodacious and Arno Reg fonts used
Adam, looks good. I think the smoke looks better in portrait layout. It's just something I found online. When summer comes I'll have a chance to design a really cool border layout with some smoke photography my friend does, then layer it with some calligraphy with fx in photoshop.
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Originally Posted by Jubelo
Scimitars Against the Dark was in Dragon 198. This is the article with the Sungazer and Priest-defender kits.
The Roof of the World was in Dragon 241.
The Complete Book of Necromancers is a standalone book, part of the Complete series for 2e.
Mercenary Barbarian always struck me as an interesting kit since it was the one 'foreigner' that really worked for the setting as anything other than a foreigner.
Now, we could wait till Barbarian comes out to do those guys, and I think that's a great choice. Though the original kit worked as well with rangers.
When it does get integrated I think it can work well to leave it as simply an example of how the 'Enlightened/Unenlightened' dynamic can get exploited in interesting ways. Maybe the Mercenary Barbarians are loop-holed in because their employers/owners insist that this working experience is helping them to become more enlightened. So you could play a Mercenary Barbarian who is either being exploited by unscrupulous twisters of the law, or you could play one who is honestly considering conversion.
If you want to make it cleaner - maybe some theologians recognize a category of unenlightened where they follow the law without recognizing it. A kind of people of the book thing.
Still struggling through fighter builds, but I did have a flash of insight and came up with the sahib(a), a prince/princess seeking adventure to escape from palace life.
sahib
Sahib(a)
By moonlight a shrewd observer may witness a cloaked figure slip from a palace window, vanishing into the perilous night. You are a prince (sahib) or princess (sahiba) who lives for the thrill of adventure, often evading your own bodyguards to seek it out. Whether delving into the sealed treasure vaults of a defeated king or braving bitter winds in a desert horse race, anything is preferable to the banality of palace life. When forced to put on airs at the palace, you find respite in swordplay, which you practice for hours a day, and the hunt, whether it be for elusive game with bow, or wooing foreign dignitaries with eloquent poetry. Among the people you travel in disguise, lest your royal family attempt to drag you back to court (there could be no worse a fate!). When faced with opposition that requires you to rise to your royal standing, will you succeed at courtly intrigue or resort to the scimitar?
Class Features: Combat Challenge, Combat Maneuverability*, Evasive Talent*
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Diplomacy, History, Stealth
Station: 12
Evasive Talent
When wearing light or no armor you gain a +1 bonus to AC and Reflex defense.
Combat Maneuverability
Add your Wisdom modifier as a bonus to opportunity attacks. If you hit on an opportunity attack provoked by movement, you may move along with the target as a free action. At the end of their move you remain adjacent to the target.
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Originally Posted by Dr. Strangemonkey
Mercenary Barbarian always struck me as an interesting kit since it was the one 'foreigner' that really worked for the setting as anything other than a foreigner.
Now, we could wait till Barbarian comes out to do those guys, and I think that's a great choice. Though the original kit worked as well with rangers.
Originally I was considering nixing the Matrud and making the Mercenary Barbarian a ranger build, and the more I think about it the more it fits. Matrud seemed a little too un-heroic for Zakhara, though I thought about recasting them as exiles yearning to prove their worth and rejoin the tribe/society.
Perhaps I'll just wait till Barbarian comes up to write them up. Hmm, that leaves me with room for one more fighter build...
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When it does get integrated I think it can work well to leave it as simply an example of how the 'Enlightened/Unenlightened' dynamic can get exploited in interesting ways. Maybe the Mercenary Barbarians are loop-holed in because their employers/owners insist that this working experience is helping them to become more enlightened. So you could play a Mercenary Barbarian who is either being exploited by unscrupulous twisters of the law, or you could play one who is honestly considering conversion.
Totally. An evil barbarian might fully understand the unique niche he fills, committing atrocities and feigning repentance afterward, "after all, me but ignorant oaf not know the Law."
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If you want to make it cleaner - maybe some theologians recognize a category of unenlightened where they follow the law without recognizing it. A kind of people of the book thing.
I've been looking for ways to include this concept with parallel deities (e.g. Kord - Kor, Selune - Selan, etc), and think it fits nicely with what you suggest.
I've been reading the old adventures to see how they might inform the developing story of Zakhara. Here's as far as I've gotten so far...
City of Delight
PCs thwart curses preventing the Grand Caliph from bearing a son
[BALQ 1_Golden Voyages[/b]
PCs recover lost treasure in Crowded Sea for Sultan of Gana. In the process they put the god al-Sartan to rest, and in Nada al-Hazan, Isle of Sadness escape from disbeliever's city exiled by gods. Later in The Steaming Isles they discover Madinat al-Mumin, “cosmological lynchpin of the faith”. These are the highlights, the rest is window dressing.
ALQ 2_Assassin Mountain
The PCs help Grandfather Marwan of the of Everlasting regain power by rooting out a traitor.
ALQ 3_A Dozen and One Adventures
The end result is that the PCs defeat the Sultan of the Brotherhood of True Flame.
Ruined Kingdoms
The PCs stop the rise of the Geomancers, proving themselves the Lions of Tomorrow.
Well, I dug out my indexed Dragon Archive on DVD and typed in "Al Qadim". Along with the other articles that have been mentioned, is a great review by Allen Varney in Issue 219 that covered the whole line, an article on the City of Lofty Pillars and Turkish Unerground cities in Issue 201, and of course Issue 189, which covered much interesting stuff on Africa and India.
Do you have the Complete Sha'ir's Handbook? It has a workup of the Ghul Lord, an Astronomer, Clockwork Mage, Mystic of Nog and Spellslayer, along with a couple other kits. It also has a few more mystic brotherhoods (enough to fill out the elements and a couple extra).
This is another standalone book in the Complete series.
Do you have the Complete Sha'ir's Handbook? It has a workup of the Ghul Lord, an Astronomer, Clockwork Mage, Mystic of Nog and Spellslayer, along with a couple other kits. It also has a few more mystic brotherhoods (enough to fill out the elements and a couple extra).
Yup yup. I have the complete AQ line including Reunion, as well as 90% of the 1e/2e Forgotten Realms stuff.
Finished a rough for the mamluk...so that brings the fighter builds to: Askar, Guard, Mamluk, Sahib... I'd like to include one more fighter build, but think I'm going to save the Mercenary-Barbarian for the Barbarian class.
Any suggestions for a new fighter build?
Mamluk(a)
Mamluk(a)
“Death follows on the heels of slaves.”
Sultans cannot depend on feuding amirs and power-hungry generals for their loyalty, and thus they turn to a cadre of slave-warriors with ties to no one. Captured in your youth during a raid or war, you are a mamluk, taken far from a home you barely remember, raised in the ways of the Enlightened faith and given intensive training in archery, horsemanship, and strategy. Your fierce facial tattoos are a sign of your honor – you owe a debt to the sultan who commands your loyalties and rewards you with position in the civil service. Rising through the ranks, you could even become a general one day; you find freedom from your lot in life as a slave in the meritocratic culture of the mamluks who value raw ability and tenacity. Should your sultan prove to be unworthy, will you stand by your office or overthrow the tyrant?
Class Features: Combat Challenge, Formation Tactics*, Fighter Weapon Talent
Class Skills: Athletics, Endurance, Heal, History, Intimidate
Station: 6
Suggested Feat: Mounted Combat
Suggested Skills: Athletics, Heal, History
Suggested At-Will Powers:
Suggested Encounter Power:
Suggested Daily Power:
Suggested Paragon Paths: Servant of Fate*, Slave of the Promise*, Swordmaster
Formation Tactics
When you flank an enemy, add your Wisdom modifier to your basic attacks. When you hit an flanked enemy on an opportunity attack, one ally also flanking the enemy gains an opportunity attack .
Finished a rough for the mamluk...so that brings the fighter builds to: Askar, Guard, Mamluk, Sahib... I'd like to include one more fighter build, but think I'm going to save the Mercenary-Barbarian for the Barbarian class.
Any suggestions for a new fighter build?
Maybe a Brawler/Thug/Gladiator type? Someone who's bark is worse than his bite, but his bite ain't bad? Have the kit emphasize the old 'weapon performance' rules.
Or, if you really wanted to go crazy, create a Harem Guard kit. Someone who looks very impressive, is actually pretty good at detecting and arresting threats, and who is, um, morally impeccable.
Hmm, "ayyarun" might fight the brawler/thug type, but I don't know how that fits into AQ's theme. I'll think on that one.
Harem guard seems to be covered pretty well by the Guard build.
Another build I'm contemplating is the Nadim (Warrior-Poet), who travels exalting love, faith, a wealthy patron, or the virtue of the hour. Actually "nadim" means "drinking companion", and historically referred to storytelling advisors to nobility, but I've appropriated it to reference an Arabian archetype of a wandering warrior with a natural sense of rhyme and rhythm, metaphor and drama. Unlike the Rawun who studies the tribe's history and makes a pact with Fate, the Nadim is less mysterious and more bravado. I only wonder if this concept is better represented by a Warlord? Perhaps it could replace "Sheikh"?
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Originally Posted by Dr. Strangemonkey
Maybe a Brawler/Thug/Gladiator type? Someone who's bark is worse than his bite, but his bite ain't bad? Have the kit emphasize the old 'weapon performance' rules.
Oh, I thought about "display weapon prowess", and here's what I came up with...what do you think?
Display Weapon Prowess
Every Zakharan fighter has the ability to put on a stunning display with their weapon, whether a traditional sword dance or splitting a melon with an arrow. Doing so requires both a standard and a move action, and allows the fighter to use their Strength or Dexterity (whichever is higher) as a modifier to an Intimidate check instead of Charisma.
I'm trying to come up with 8-9 campaign concepts for AQ4E - I'll flesh these out in more detail later, these are just the barebones ideas.
1. Heirs of the Caliph
The Grand Caliph must choose between one of his three sons as heir, but they are all unsuited to the task. The Shadow Caliph wages a terror campaign, driving the people to despair until her claim to the throne is recognized.
2. Holy War
The King of Muluk denounces the Law of the Loregiver, attempting to restore gods of long ago, and the Grand Caliph’s armies lay siege.
3. Kingdom of Ash
A curse falls upon Halwa, turning its people to mindless slaves, and its royalty to prisoners of demons seeking the destruction of the empire. The PCs must infiltrate the city-state and undo its curse before the Grand Caliph’s armies kill everyone within (or themselves are corrupted).
4. The Lost Scrolls
With the scrolls of the Loregiver stolen, there can be no reconciliation between competing sects and sectarian violence grows more common every day. The PCs track down the thieves and learn the true power of the scrolls.
5. Task of the Pearl
Sultan of Gana hosts an ancient competition to retrieve a most wondrous treasure – thus, the PCs set off to the Crowded Sea, learning of the hidden island Muminin and how the ruthless sultan will do anything to find it.
6. The Message
Pantheist League liberation prophet seeks to spread his faith throughout the empire, but his message is anathema to powerful caliphs, and both sides manipulate holy slayers to do their bidding…or is it the holy slayers who manipulate them?
7. Seal of Seven
Seven malevolent genies were released during the Great Unbinding, and they continue to wreck havoc on Zakhara. The PCs must confront and rebind each one, and hide the genie prison where it will never again be disturbed. However, a cabal of mages seek to stop them.
I'm still reading here, just haven't posted in a bit
With demons now related to the elements, maybe we can recast demon princes as unenlightened djinn?
You wanted some human adversaries.. I'm working on some hill tribesmen and will have them done within the next couple days.
I saw that you felt matrud didn't fit AQ's theme for players. Since they were described as foes of both the city dwellers and desert dwellers, why not use their name for evil criminals? For example, a matrud cutthroat or matrud thug?
Actually, I was working on those concepts as well.
Are there any particular kinds of human foes you were looking for?
Another campaign concept might be that the kraken that engineered the draining of the Jacinth Sea (Cities of Bone) has increased his influence with the jann of the Haunted Lands and must be stopped.
(I know that's not complete, but I'm on my way to work.)
I like the Nadim, but am not sure whether Warlord would suit it better than fighter. Perhaps writing up a blurb for him would make it obvious where he would fit?
With demons now related to the elements, maybe we can recast demon princes as unenlightened djinn?
I like that, though I always pictures even wicked jinn as more corrupters and less destroyers.
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I saw that you felt matrud didn't fit AQ's theme for players. Since they were described as foes of both the city dwellers and desert dwellers, why not use their name for evil criminals? For example, a matrud cutthroat or matrud thug?
Yeah, I see matrud as NPC foes, informants, or tenuous allies at best.
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Are there any particular kinds of human foes you were looking for?
Another campaign concept might be that the kraken that engineered the draining of the Jacinth Sea (Cities of Bone) has increased his influence with the jann of the Haunted Lands and must be stopped.
Whoa. I totally missed that one. Can't wait to see what you come up with!
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I like the Nadim, but am not sure whether Warlord would suit it better than fighter. Perhaps writing up a blurb for him would make it obvious where he would fit?
Ask and you shall receive...
Nadim
Nadim
“One day your life shall pass before your eyes – make it a life worthy to look at.”
What matter the great deeds of the warrior if his tales fall flat on children’s ears, or worse, are forgotten? You are a warrior-poet, a nadim, respected for your courage in combat, and your lyrical reciting after. Whether your origins are in the desert tribes or bustling cities, your poetic tongue transcends the class divisions of Zakhara. Love poems, praise for wise rulers, and eulogies for fallen warriors join the occasional political jab or call for justice in your repertoire. A hopeless romantic, you challenge the purity strictures of Zakharan society, and are quickly accused of being a hedonist or even a false believer. Yet your heart tells you that your deeds exalt life and your beloved…whether for life or for a night. When confronted with that which is beyond words, will your attempt to proudly capture it or let go with wild abandon?
The world is falling apart and you people are spending hours in front of a toxic screen creating more fantasy. Get f'ing productive. I can only guess what tyoe of people have this much time on their hands. Pathetic!
I'm trying to come up with 8-9 campaign concepts for AQ4E - I'll flesh these out in more detail later, these are just the barebones ideas.
I wonder if we should go the Exalted route and develop both traditional campaigns and then HUGE mystery campaigns that themselves could span several of the more traditional campaigns.
Exalted Examples were things like:
Play out the Realm Civil War
Play out the Advent of Autocthon
Undo the Great Curse
Al-Quadim strikes me as being close to that level of epic-ness and very close if we push it.
Here's some Possibilities:
Play out the Reformation of the Caliphate
Find, Bind, and Canonize the Lore of Fate
Reform the Genie Oaths
Save the Land from the Geomancers' Ancient Curses
Redeem the Ghul Lords
An evil barbarian might fully understand the unique niche he fills, committing atrocities and feigning repentance afterward, "after all, me but ignorant oaf not know the Law."
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