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I have to say this is a pretty interesting look at how they went from the Aasimar to the Deva, and how things like the changes of cosmology effected the development.
Devas that don't use the divine power source are most often defenders or leaders, protecting or inspiring their adventuring companions.
yet their ability scores (Int and Wis) fit them most perfectly for Orb wizards - the one area which is apparently least common - but which will probably end up being very common!
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"It makes as much sense as having Batman kill his parents and then go on to fight mutants from another dimension." - Rykion
I think, however, they'll make really great Avengers, which suits me just fine.
I think that they would make pretty good invokers, too. I can't wait to play Angel Summoner!
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Originally Posted by Plane Sailing
Quite funny that given the description
yet their ability scores (Int and Wis) fit them most perfectly for Orb wizards - the one area which is apparently least common - but which will probably end up being very common!
Yeah, flavor/optimization mismatch is one of the things that annoys me, too. Hopefully, there will be some really good Deva defender/leader feats to make up for it.
I found the idea that devas don't have much involvement with the temples of the gods as a default rather odd.
I think it's probably something akin to being a roadie for a rock band. You've hung out with the gods in their home, you call them by their first name, you may have fought alongside them in a past lifetime. With all that intimate exposure to the gods, there's no real need to join the fantasy world equivalent on an online fan club.
Kinda bother me a bit that they first worked Deva's appearance by the way its miniature should look "The first goal is to create a distinctive appearance that will be communicated clearly in miniatures, so when you have a celestial miniature it doesn't just look like a human paladin. The second goal is to communicate their essentially good nature."
Demon blood for tieflings and Celestian/angelical blood for Aasimars/Devas work better for me than "a chosen by gods" race.
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Yes. It's one thing I'm looking to combat by allowing a race to have one floating ability score.
I liked this idea and have tried it. You end up with a slightly higher power curve (since players are slightly more optimized), but players can play the characters they -want- with less of a "penalty."
The way I did it was to allow one +2 bonus to change to whatever you wanted, but the second one had to stay the same. So a half-elf could be +2 Str and +2 Cha, but not +2 Str and +2 Int, for example. Honestly I think it's pretty reasonable.
It's amusing that they say they're "equally competent with arcane and psionic arts". Though it makes sense as I'd pick them out as being good with divine, even though I think that Tieflings (and Gnomes) are better picks for all of the arcane classes. Though I think it's a good clue that psionics will be using Int and Wis as ability scores.
With all that talk of how difficult it was to translate the devas' look, I think it'd have gone much smoother if they had an in-house artist to illustrate all the steps. The easiest route would be to look at how angels look in D&D and apply some of those characteristics to a humanoid base.
I think it's probably something akin to being a roadie for a rock band. You've hung out with the gods in their home, you call them by their first name, you may have fought alongside them in a past lifetime. With all that intimate exposure to the gods, there's no real need to join the fantasy world equivalent on an online fan club.
I am giving you Xp just for that explanation.
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Originally Posted by Kobold Avenger
Though I think it's a good clue that psionics will be using Int and Wis as ability scores.
I hope that Psionics uses Con, too. I think a Psi class that's about changing your body would make sense to work off Con.
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Originally Posted by evilbob
The way I did it was to allow one +2 bonus to change to whatever you wanted, but the second one had to stay the same. So a half-elf could be +2 Str and +2 Cha, but not +2 Str and +2 Int, for example. Honestly I think it's pretty reasonable.
Yeah, that's what I intend.
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Originally Posted by Alt Boy!
I assume you give humans two floating scores then?
Yes.
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Originally Posted by Klaus
With all that talk of how difficult it was to translate the devas' look, I think it'd have gone much smoother if they had an in-house artist to illustrate all the steps. The easiest route would be to look at how angels look in D&D and apply some of those characteristics to a humanoid base.
Well. Angels now have no facial features, and no legs.
Well. Angels now have no facial features, and no legs.
... Yeah, I can see that working out well.
Hence my "some features". The first thing that sprang to my mind was deva shedding light through their eyes, and their bodies glowing dimly, as if they were lit by some unseen source (Dr. Manhattan?). Their hair would flow about, as if in a breeze, and faintly luminescent wings could be seen at their backs.
I'd even fold the illumians into the deva, and have each deva marked by a floating Supernal rune on their foreheads.
I'm a little confused as to why the deva flavor and optimization 'doesn't match?' They 'defend and inspire?' Alright, so with INT and WIS you've got the Swordmage as a Defender and either the Tactical or Resourceful Warlord as Leader. They're also the two most common rider stats, so they shore up secondary effects for the Fighter (especially the Pit Fighter), and to some extent the Ranger and Cleric as long as you're willing to have a clear dump stat somewhere else.
They obviously do not optimize well for strikers with the exception of a well-planned Ranger. Warlocks and Rogues? No. Paladins are too MAD and this guy has a +2 to INT which does nothing for the Pally. I don't have PHBII so I can't say much there.
Hopefully, there will be some really good Deva defender/leader feats to make up for it.
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