The City Arcana [3.5][Mature][Dark]

It has been a long time since Monkey has actually played. This sounds intriguing enough to jump into.

Hathanorgrimm Spellsmith, Grimm to his few friends, is a dwarven wizard whose only real ambition is to craft magic arms and armor worthy of being entered into the dwarven halls of record.

The war has, of necessity, put that ambition on hold. Grimm fights in the war because he must, to keep his dream alive.

My 3rd edition collection is somewhat meager, so I'm only using the PHB and the Spell Compendium for spells and such, plus the character will likely multi-class as a fighter and shoot for the Spellsword prestige class.

Stats to be edited into this post shortly.

I assumed, for the moment, that starting gold was average (75 gp for a wizard).

[sblock=Grimm Spellsmith]Basics
Race: Dwarf
Class: Wizard
Align: Lawful Neutral

Ability Scores

12 Strength
14 Dexterity
16 Constitution
16 Intelligence
14 Wisdom
06 Charisma

Combat Stats

HP: 7
Speed: 20
Initiative: +2
BAB: +0
Grapple: +1
Melee Attack (quarterstaff, wielded two-handed): +1; 1d6+1; x2 crit; bludgeoning
Ranged Attack (heavy crossbow): +2; 1d10; 19-20/x2 crit; 120 ft. range increment; piercing; full round action to load (AoO)

AC: 12 (16 with Mage Armor)
Touch AC: 12
Flat-Footed AC: 10 (14 with Mage Armor)

Fort Save: +3
Ref Save: +2
Will Save: +4

Skills

+3/+5 Appraise (+3 Int, +2r stone/metal)
+7 Concentration (4 ranks, +3 Con)
+7/+9 Craft (Armorsmithing) (4 ranks, +3 Int, +2r stone/metal)
+7/+9 Craft (Weaponsming) (4 ranks, +3 Int, +2r stone/metal)
-5 Jump (+1 Str, -6 speed)
+7 Knowledge (Arcana) (4 ranks, +3 Int)
+3/+5 Search (+3 Int, +2r notice unusual stonework)
+7 Spellcraft (4 ranks, +3 Int)

Feats

Point Blank Shot (1st level)
Scribe Scroll (Wizard Bonus)

Class Features

Weapon/Armor Proficiencies: club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, quarterstaff
Summon Familiar
Bonus Feat: Scribe Scroll

Racial Traits

No speed penalty for armor and encumberance
Darkvision 60 ft.
Stonecunning - Notice unusual stonework, intuit depth underground
Weapon Familiarity - Urgrosh and Waraxe = Martial
Stability - +4 to resist trips, bull rushes when standing on the ground
+2 saves vs poisons
+2 saves vs spells and spell-like abilities
+1 attack bonus vs orcs and goblinoids
+4 dodge bonus to AC vs giants
Favored Class: Fighter

Languages

Common
Dwarven
Goblin
Draconic
Gnome

Equipment

Heavy Crossbow/20 Bolts
Quarterstaff
Backpack
Bedroll
Blanket, Winter
Candles (10)
Chalk (10)
Flint/Steel
Grappling Hook
Ink
Inkpen
Rations, Trail (5)
Rope, Hempen (50 ft.)
Sack
Spellbook
Waterskin
Case, Scroll
Pouch, Belt
5 Silver Pieces
Spell Component Pouch

Spells Prepared

0 Level: Acid Splash, Daze, Detect Magic
1st Level: Mage Armor, Magic Missile

Spellbook

0 Level: All

1st Level: Color Spray, Expeditious Retreat, Grease, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shield

Vitals

Age: 57
Height: 4'2
Weight: 145
Appearance: Grimm is very practical in attire, tending toward drab colors. Despite being a relatively young dwarf, his hair is thin and mostly bald on top. His beard is full, however, being a dark blond in color. His arcane mark is a stylized Urgrosh and the dwarven runes for GRIMM, which he places on everything he crafts.[/sblock]

Race unknown, class unknown.

I dont play to many D&D games. But this is a eye/mind catcher.

Race unknown refugee after seen his local potion maker slaughtered by a squad of soldiers, cut to pieces and displayed at the local plaza. he or she is young and aware of his or her gift of magic. Leaves his/her home leaving a note to the parents talking about the wide world and its opportunities, hurting inside for telling lies. He/she makes it to Arcana by smuggling route (the city is somehow under siege maybe?) and starts the formal training in Arcana.
Uses the family tie/feelings as a manner to channel magic, may dream about his/her mother and awake with a burning pillow, not a big fire but fire all the same. The only thing that angers him/her more than his/her separation from his/her family is the fact that a someone will kill all magic. Had the old arcane magic and its bearers no right to the world of the living? Morality is something he/she likes to debate. Maybe magic was supposed to die out, maybe fate was involved or maybe not. The Gods haven't exactly interfered eighter.

Elements of rouge/soldier and arcana is what i want this concept to be about. I will have to think on it tomorrow when ive got me some sleep.

-DH

edit: Arcane trickster as prestige class maybe? A wizard/assassin? A bard/sorcerer?
Is there such thing as a assassin class in 3.5?

With a bit more thought, my concept ideas have diverged down two paths:

Depending on the prevailing attitude towards psionics, an elan pure psion is a possibility- this works best if either A. Psionics are rare enough that most people lump them in with arcane magic, and their practitioners are treated in similar fashion or B. Psionic abilities are rare and poorly understood- in this case some arcanists may be trying to develop psionic users as allies that are harder to recognize or combat.

As a second possibility, a 'human' warlock/sorceror blend, with an eye towards the Eldritch Theurge PrC (from Complete Mage). In this case, the idea would be that with destruction looming, some desperate arcanists have made terrible bargains with dark powers- this character would be the result of one such bargain (not that she had made the deal herself, but that she is the child produced by that bargain). Ideally, this would be closer to tiefling or Fey'ri in flavor, but 'mechanically' human, so LA +0.

crazy_monkey1956 said:

It has been a long time since Monkey has actually played. This sounds intriguing enough to jump into.

I assumed, for the moment, that starting gold was average (75 gp for a wizard).

Click to expand...

Thank you! I very much like the level of detail that went into your writeup. (Other prospective players, take note )

To avoid characters being underequipped due to low rolls, let's use average starting gold values.

Drowned Hero said:

I dont play to many D&D games. But this is a eye/mind catcher.

Click to expand...

Thank you.

Your backstory ideas are pretty much dead on - public executions, a state of siege, and rampant smuggling all exist.

There are epic magic wards around the City of Arcana, so siege doesn't occur in the normal sense of massive armies parked right outside - unpleasant things happened to armies that tried (soldiers turned insane, slowly converted to undead which then defended the city, etc.) But on a strategic level, Arcana is very much under siege.

Is there such thing as a assassin class in 3.5?

Click to expand...

Yes; it's a prestige class. If you don't want to wait to get your backstabbing and throat-slitting in, then you can consider rogue, or ninja, which is another base class (it appears in C. Adventurer.) I will consider Rokugani ninja if you can pull off an excellent backstory (the AED writeup - it is more powerful than ninja, but comes with a code of conduct.) There is also a "spellthief" class in C. Adv. which, come to think of it, might be an interesting class to play through this campaign - it's a caster/rogue with greatly reduced sneak attack damage that steals spells upon sneak attacking.

pathfinderq1 said:

A. Psionics are rare enough that most people lump them in with arcane magic, and their practitioners are treated in similar fashion or B. Psionic abilities are rare and poorly understood- in this case some arcanists may be trying to develop psionic users as allies that are harder to recognize or combat.

Click to expand...

Those aren't contradictory and in fact I'd say they are simultaneously true - non-arcanists lump them together (inborn power, after all, can be sorcery as well), but arcane scholars understand that there is a difference and are eager to learn more. If only there weren't this darned war in the way of progress . . .

Scott DeWar said:

just wanted to say that if i could spare enough time and mentle rescorces to play i would try to join. I think this is an awsome concept. good luck!

on another note i humbly and respectfully request permission to steal barrow the Mystic Knight class.

I also want to say that i will try to follow2 the story line for the pure entertainment of it.

S. DeWar

Click to expand...

Thank you. Provided that I am properly credited, you may borrow the Mystic Knight class with my blessing.

Wow! You certainly got people interested it seems . Well, I am already in a quite a few games so I'll withdraw from this in order to let others take preference.

I would love to play the Mystic Knight. He will probably be a human. I will have one stat'd up and everything on wednesday (works been crazy). I like the "coldly neutral" viewpoint, although I'm sure it will rub some people the wrong way. I doubt I take him into a PrC, since I would like to see how the Mystic Knight class plays out.

Work in progress

Hmmm. I like the Ninja concept alot, but i want to multiclass him with a sorcerer i think at some point. I want my character to have the magic spark within. Any recommended prestige class y can work towards?

In progress.......

Syut - Ninja

[sblock]Syut

Male Human Ninja 1
Lawful Neutral

Size: Medium
Height: 5' 6"
Weight: 200 lb
Skin: Tan
Eyes: Dark Brown
Hair: Black Wavy with Average Beard

Total Hit Points: X

Speed: 30 feet

Armor Class: 14 = 10 +2 [dexterity] + 2 [Wisdom]

Touch AC: 14
Flat-footed: 12

Languages: Common Elven Halfling

Human:

* Extra feat at first level (already included)
* Four extra skill points at first level (already included)
* One extra skill point at each additional level (already included)
[/sblock]

Hmmm.. this looks very interesting. If it is not too late I'd like to toss a concept out there.

Caldemar was the promising young apprentice of Maldegar the Owl; a well-known and respected diviner who had publicly served his brethren for more than two decades before the 'purge'. Far from physically imposing the man had earned his respect with his keen mind and a well placed ear. He knew things, both arcane and mundane. He had served discretely behind the scenes for various nobles and politicoes. Power that he used to protect his one and only love: magic. But in the end his discrete professionalism would be turned against him. Those that would drive the purge scapegoated him as a puppetmaster, using his dark magics to warp minds and fool the weak. This gentle old man was literally ripped to pieces by a mob whipped into a blood frenzy by the priests of <insert tyrannical diety>.

But Maldegar had not been called the Owl because of his bookish spectacles. He had well placed arcane and mundane spies and likely forsaw his impending doom. Unbeknownst to Caldemar he arranged to send his young apprentice on a bit of research to the Great Library of Arcana. Caldemar arrived with sufficient funds for an extended stay <and perhaps a trusted retainer or two - perhaps someone interested in playing the mystic knight class?> and copious notes and baggage ostensibly to help in his research.

Caldemar soon learned of his Master's death and immediately recognized the ruse he had used to spirit him to safety, well... relative safety. Since that fateful day Caldemar has been living frugally on the advance he had been provided. Slowly he is begining to recognize a hidden pattern or code within his Master's 'research'. There are also hints at other caches of knowledge he has secretly stored but details are frustratingly lacking. Frequently the old man would test his young pupil with crytic games. Caldemar expects this to be more of the same. One last grand game from beyond the grave, but the prize could be world-changing. And so he strives to decipher Maldegar's wishes and looks for his opportunity to strike back at the ignorant jealous powers that would take an old man's life and try to stamp out knowledge.

"Patience and wisdom are invaluable tools."

These are the words of Maldegar the Owl. And so his apprentice lurks and learns and eventually he will have his revenge.

The ninja stats are done...

Now what made me think was that undead thingy...

Another concept i find worthy is a converted to undead soldier, that with some divine intervention retains his soul and personality, and in some sort of way makes him understand that the magic has its place in the world, making him a fervent adept to the cause of magic.

I might find something useful in Libris Mortis i think.

Alignment would be a problem though.