Rules/Crunch of Eyros

Arkhandus said:

Rrahask Sshasaar was Epic-level before, but I toned her down to 20th-level with the understanding that she keeps losing XP every few hundred/thousand years when she confronts someone powerful and wears them down through fighting, dying, coming back, fighting, dying, coming back, and relentlessly whittling away at them, whether it takes hours or days..... None of the Epic druid feats are terribly worthwhile though, at least not until around 27th or 30th level, which is about the earliest point that many of them are available (note the required ranks of Spellcraft, Knowledge Nature, and such that many of those feats have). So Rrahask relies on the Shapechange spell moreso than Wild Shape, when it comes to taking on a foe in melee. Throwing boulders as a giant or dragon works too though....

Click to expand...

Don't forget that she gets the Dragon's Breath Weapon and more while Shapechanged now (Supernatural abilities). Ridiculous but true.

How do these look for the armor and weapon of Vajaros Dragonbane?

+3 Dragonscale Full Plate of Acid, Cold, Electricity, and Fire resistance, Greater.
+3 Reflecting Dragonscale Heavy Shield

+5 Keen, Dragon Bane Double Sword.

I like it. Mighty items but still in line with the level 17-21ish power that I was thinking for the Five Heroes. And with their added history, the PCs would be awed indeed to find one of these items, if they had heard the legends.

domino said:

Ah. I had forgotten about that thing. Which does make sense, given the rarity of dragons in the world.

Click to expand...

Right. I was trying to make dragons the super-powers, though all of them are innactive for one reason or another.

Both the ELH and the Draconomicon give rules for age categories beyond great wurm; the Draconomicon details a red dragon advanced 7 age categories. I picked ~950 years per category so I could put Alsixnivis at an even 60 HD, but the advancement for dragons is, as noted above, crazy. I used the weaker Draconomicon advancement (ELH is the same, except it gives out free Improved Spell Capacity feats), and Alsixnivis comes out to CR 41 (threw in some ad-hoc CR for being a Silver-White instead of just a silver).

Fair enough. I don't have the Draconomicon, so I didn't know about that one. And didn't think of looking in the ELH.

D'oh, that's what I get for getting bored of the Dragon PrCs, they throw that in on the same page as the Tiamat Ravager. I totally missed it. Either way, 41 CR is way way way too high. Conquers Twice is already a bit on the high end of power here (and he's also worshipped), so Big Al should only be significantly more powerful if he is the most powerful dragon out there, and 41 is still too high for that. After all, at least one dragon and Taufenacht (who commands dragons) were defeated by 5 17-21st level characters.

Edit: And I did make create the Al the Dragon Ascendant stat-block that is right where he should be on power level as a super-powerful being. Advancing to 41 CR is no longer a super-powerful being, it becomes an unbeatable being (unless we are playing heavy epic).

Eyros NPC: Orrukarn Ambassador

Drokarizaan mal-Viresshti Kaltremos Farizhuur, ambassador in Eyrdeyn
Male orrukarn aristocrat 3
Medium Humanoid (Gnoll)
Hit Dice: 2d8+3d8 (23 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+1 Dex, +5 mithril breastplate, +2 wooden shield),
touch 11, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+4
Attack: Masterwork rapier +5 melee (1d6+1/18-20) or dagger +4 melee
(1d4+1/19-20) or masterwork composite longbow +5 ranged (1d8+1/x3)
Full Attack: Masterwork rapier +5 melee (1d6+1/18-20) or dagger +4 melee
(1d4+1/19-20) or masterwork composite longbow +5 ranged (1d8+1/x3)
Special Qualities: Guarded vision, potent mind
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +4
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 16
Skills: Appraise +7, Bluff +8, Diplomacy +8, Gather Information +8,
Intimidate +6, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (history) +7, Knowledge
(nobility and royalty) +7, Perform (dance) +6, Profession (courtier) +5
Sense Motive +8, Speak Language 2
Feats: Negotiator, Persuasive, Skill Focus (Gather Information)
Environment: Any land, currently Eyrdeyn
Organization: Solitary or krr'itash (ambassador plus 2-6 honor guards)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +1

Description
Ambassador Drokarizaan mal-Viresshti Kaltremos Farizhuur is a gnoll from
the Independant Island-State of Orrukar, and he is the Orrukarn ambassador
in Eyrdeyn, capitol of the Sovereign Dominion of Eyros. The Orrukarn are a
race of enlightened gnolls unique to their island Orrukar, which lies east of
Ghalfaen, south of Indracca, and southeast of Eyros, separated from them
by the Pearl Sea. Drokarizaan is a young Orrukarn gnoll of highborn status
and formal upbringing, a stolid adherant to Orrukar's laws and traditions, but
also well-adapted to living in Eyrdeyn as his people's ambassador there. He
has been in Eyrdeyn for 5 years now, and is growing into his role well,
though he has ambitions in Orrukar that he wishes to pursue once he's found
a suitably experienced replacement for his office in Eyrdeyn.

The ambassador ("itash" in the Orrukarn's native tongue) is a very formal and
polite individual, like many of his kind, but also shares his people's hedonistic
tendencies, so he can often be found in raucous taverns across Eyrdeyn.
He frequently attends parties and other events in Eyrdeyn, sometimes those of
the middle class or peasantry for lack of any recent noble events. As an
Orrukarn he finds little difference between the nobility and peasantry of Eyros,
seeing them all as unenlightened, superstitious, petty, religious sycophants
who play at being civilized while wasting themselves and their resources on
religions. Like the rest of his people, Drokarizaan thinks that the lesser peoples
need to abandon their wasteful religious attachments and stop humbling
themselves before some ridiculous divinities that the Orrukarn doubt even
exist. Of course, voicing the athiest opinion of his people in Eyros would only
get him flogged or worse, so he keeps up the facade of his people treating the
other races as equals.

Ambassador Drokarizaan works constantly to make connections in the city,
accumulate favors, improve trade relations between Eyros and Orrukar, and
ensure that the Grand Monarch of Eyros does not threaten the Orrukarn. He
serves not only as ambassador to Eyros, but also as an informer to the leaders
of Orrukar about Eyrian activities, rumors, politics, and schemes. Drokarizaan
has a web of connections in the Eyrdeyn underworld and upper class as well,
but most especially amongst the merchant powers in the city. He works black
market deals as well as legitimate agreements, but is always careful enough to
avoid being ensnared. He is meticulous and methodical, patient but ambitious.
The ambassador is a fond spectator of the frequent Claw of the Dragon
tournaments for the orc-blooded in Eyrdeyn, and takes advantage of the event
to place bets, meet more of the city's movers and shakers, host parties for the
tournament's hopefuls, and generally improve his reputation and connections
amongst the upper class.

Drokarizaan mal-Viresshti Kaltremos Farizhuur is a tall and graceful Orrukarn
man, slightly handsome by Orrukarn standards though still somewhat odd to
the eyes of Eyrians. Nonetheless, the ambassador has a clean and sharp
look to him that speaks of his noble heritage. Drokarizaan has fur of sandy
yellow blonde, spotted black around the back of his neck, upper chest, and
lower legs. He is lean but slightly muscular, and his eyes are a sterling
blue-silver. He wears garb appropriate for an Eyrdeyn courtier, just distinctly
different enough to avoid offending actual Eyrians while still close enough for
them to not be distracted or unsettled. His armor and shield are likewise of
Eyrian manufacture, though custom crafted for him, while he keeps the
rapier, dagger, and bow that he brought from Orrukar. Thus the stylings of
his weaponry appear exotic and strange to Eyrian eyes, but beautiful
enough. Drokarizaan has little contact with his family back in Orrukar, but
does receive finances from them now and again, as they are a well-to-do
Orrukarn family of pearl merchants. Drokarizaan is the fourteenth child in
his family, and thus has very distant relations to his elderly parents and
his noble siblings. He somewhat resents his situation, but knows that
he still has a chance for wealth and prestige in Orrukar someday.

The ambassador lives in the upper floor of his people's small embassy, a
little above the middle tiers of Eyrdeyn. The embassy is a three-story,
round building 30 feet in diameter, with ceilings 10 feet high, and a small
cellar beneath. The middle floor is home to the honor guard, a small group
of warriors from Orrukar. They are replaced every 3 years as new guards
are rotated in from the Island-State, so only the ambassador himself has
to endure a long stay in Eyros. The embassy has only been occupied by
gnolls of Orrukar for about two hundred years, and was a merchant
household before.

Ambassador Drokarizaan carries a few magic items in one of his belt
pouches, though very minor. He keeps a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds,
an Oil of Magic Weapon, a Potion of Shield of Faith, a Potion of Cat's
Grace, and a vial of Silversheen, all created at the minimum caster level.

Drokarizaan is literate, and he speaks, reads, and writes Ar'kesh, Draconic,
Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Noble Eyrosian, and Vulgar Eyrosian.

Combat
Drokarizaan is a skilled young fencer in the Orrukarn tradition, and has
familiarized himself slightly with Eyrian fighting styles, but he's no prodigy
and he has no military aspirations. His training has focused primarily on his
role as an ambassador, advisor, and informer, so his combat ability is only
adequate for sparring and self-defense on the streets. As an intelligent
aristocrat, he knows his limitations in battle and will try to use his cunning
to win the fight, or at least escape.

He fights defensively at first, usually just blocking and parrying for a few
moments to see his opponent's skill, then darting in for an attack now and
again. He never charges in recklessly, and he isn't too prideful to withdraw
a short distance after being stricken to gauge his wounds. He often tries
feints and deceptive strikes, especially when fighting defensively.
Drokarizaan typically expects to win a fight by getting in a lucky hit to the
opponent's vitals, expecting a drawn-out fight to provide more openings for
just such a strike. In nonlethal duels he typically caps his rapier with a blunt
tip to avoid undue harm.

In battles that aren't one-on-one, Drokarizaan usually has his honor guard
present to fight for him in melee, while Drokarizaan tries to stay back and
take shots with his bow. If he can't avoid melee, or can't avoid hitting his
allies with arrows, he will reluctantly draw his rapier and move in to try
and flank enemies.

Other Details
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All simple weapons, all martial
weapons, all armors, shields.
Guarded Vision: Orrukarn gnolls are adapted to thriving in the
sunlight and enduring the bright rays shining through their crystalline cities.
They are not nocturnal like other gnolls tend to be, and they do not have
darkvision. Instead, Orrukarn receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws
against any effect that would blind, dazzle, stun, or daze them, but only
if the effect uses bright light to do so. Orrukarn also receive this bonus
on saving throws against effects with the Light descriptor.
Potent Mind: An Orrukarn gnoll receives a +2 racial bonus on
Will saving throws against mind-affecting effects. Orrukarn also receive
a +2 racial bonus on any caster level checks or manifester level checks
to beat a creature's Spell Resistance or Power Resistance. Additionally,
Orrukarn gnolls receive a bonus feat with their 2nd level of humanoid,
which can be any feat they qualify for, just like a human's bonus feat.
Favored Classes: Orrukarn and Sorcerer

Cool NPC! Are we going to see him as part of your next contribution on the other thread?

It might be a good idea to make some sort of double sword focused gladiator type, prestige class. Because every good (and bad) setting needs prestige classes.

I'd do it, but I have no idea how to.

I've made around twenty PrCs for my campaigns, so I can do it. I was trying to shy away from them for a while, since having too many often makes people angry, but one can't hurt ^^