NEW Immortals Handbook - Ascension thread

dante58701 said:

Why doesn't the darkness portfolio let you see in darkness? Shouldn't a deity of darkness be able to See in Darkness if they have the ability to see.

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All outsiders have Darkvision.

Incidently, I got Races & Classes and Elder Evils in the post this morning. Only cracked them open 30 minutes ago (as I slept most of today - working last night). The 4E art looks awesome, and Elder Evils is really well put together. I'll have more on both when I get a chance and hopefully a review of Elder Evils with an article on how to convert them to proper world threatening monsters as a bonus.

My current schedule for January is work 2 more days, off for 4, work 3 then off for the rest of the month. So I should have Ascension ready by the end of the month *fingers crossed*.

Upper_Krust said:

All outsiders have Darkvision.

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Magical Darkness doesn't get penatrate by Darkvision

Yea, Elder evils was nice, though there were about a dozen typos (mostly formatting) and a copy-paste error in one of the feats. Strangely, I wasn't too interested in the entities themselves, but I liked the other monsters and NPC ideas. Some of the Evils just didn't seem dangerous stat-wise. (Like Kyuss; Seriously, the Mindshard is the only monster whos' adventure path I noted actually says "If you fail, this thing kills the campaine setting", although it was a sentient Sphere of Annihilation )

Upper_Krust said:

All outsiders have Darkvision.

Incidently, I got Races & Classes and Elder Evils in the post this morning. Only cracked them open 30 minutes ago (as I slept most of today - working last night). The 4E art looks awesome, and Elder Evils is really well put together. I'll have more on both when I get a chance and hopefully a review of Elder Evils with an article on how to convert them to proper world threatening monsters as a bonus.

My current schedule for January is work 2 more days, off for 4, work 3 then off for the rest of the month. So I should have Ascension ready by the end of the month *fingers crossed*.

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God willing, I'll have gotten a paycheck by then.

I'm counting on you here, U_K, I really want to see this book! (Though having only been waiting for maybe a month or so, I'm clearly nowhere near as bad off as some of the loyal souls here!)

jedrious said:

Magical Darkness doesn't get penatrate by Darkvision

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Exactly my point. A god of darkness should get the See in Darkness ability as part of it's portfolio. Kinda like a god of fear gets a fear aura.

"I'm such a god of darkness...that I can't see in darkness."

How bout...

Single Portfolio...Blindsense (range = divine aura radius) and See in Darkness?

Double Portfolio...Blindsight (range = divine aura radius) and See in Darkness?

I've attached a PDF of a Psionics portfolio to replace the Science one

The psionics portfolio is close, except, for 5 details.

1. All your spell-like abilities become psi-like abilities? This should probably be...all your spells and spell-like abilities become psionic powers and spell-like abilities, because some individuals may use both spells and psionics.

Or it should be dropped altogether since psionics and magic aren't necessarily opposing forces, just two different ways of manipulating the cosmos.

Kinda like the difference between using open flame or steam to cook your food.

2. Becoming crystalline doesn't make much sense as psionics is all about transcending the limitations of the corporeal form. While a crystalline demi-plane makes sense, it doesn't make sense for you to be bound into physical. It would only make sense if your second portfolio was Mountain.

3. While divine [effects] are nice in their own way, it might be more appropriate to have force [effects] instead since it falls more in line with psionics anyways.

4. No damage reduction? WTF? Even most psionic monsters get damage reduction. Crystalline structures certainly get this as well. Although I'd make them incorporeal myself and strip them of their natural armor and damage reduction, since incorporeal beings don't get either normally.

5. The psi-like abilities are not really geared towards traditional mentalism (telepathy).

I'd probably make a separate Portfolio for each psionic discipline. It would make a lot more sense and add more variety. But ur definitely on the right track.

The psionic portfolios should oppose each other, rather than magic.

Telepathy (mind) would oppose psychometabolism (body).

Metacreativity (creation of new things) would oppose psychokinesis (manipulation of existing things).

Clairsentience (staying and learning) would oppose psychoportation (going and experiencing).


Telepathy...Cha draining attacks (makes victims more pliable).

Appearance:Incorporeality

Psychometabolism...Con draining attacks (makes victims weaker).

Appearance: Variable?

Metacreativity...Int draining attacks (makes victims less likely to think of new things to construct)

Appearance:Variable?

Psychokinesis...Str draining attacks (makes victims less able to move and lift things and resist your force effects)

Appearance: Pure Force.

Clairsentience...wis draining attacks (makes victims less able to understand what they are seeing)

Appearance: Floating Brain? "I know everything!!!"

Psychoportation...dex draining attacks (makes victims progressively slower and clumsier)

Appearance: Streamlined?

Perhaps the attacks can be blended...Force [effect] + Withering [Ability] [Effect] or some such nonsense. There is no set rule stating that it couldn't be some mixture.

Hey all!

Time to catch up with the latest posts.

jedrious said:

Magical Darkness doesn't get penatrate by Darkvision

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I'll sort that out. Thanks.

Hiya Ltheb mate!

Ltheb Silverfrond said:

Yea, Elder evils was nice, though there were about a dozen typos (mostly formatting) and a copy-paste error in one of the feats. Strangely, I wasn't too interested in the entities themselves, but I liked the other monsters and NPC ideas. Some of the Evils just didn't seem dangerous stat-wise. (Like Kyuss; Seriously, the Mindshard is the only monster whos' adventure path I noted actually says "If you fail, this thing kills the campaine setting", although it was a sentient Sphere of Annihilation )

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I have only glanced through Elder Evils at this point (will start to read it properly tonight) I took Races & Classes to work and read it during my breaks.

What I have gleaned from Elder Evils is merely the obvious, that it wasn't designed with epic anything in mind and thus is weirdly positioned as End Times bringing threats when juxtaposed with even the Epic Level Handbook.

That said, the basic ideas of the book (the titular 'Evils') are very interesting indeed, and the design of the book itself is excellent.

While most Elder Evils are between the CR 16-25 range, I think a proper world threat would be more akin to CR 32-50. Based on the assumption that 30th-level characters should be one in a billion and thus any true world threat would likely be intercepted by the worlds top heroes (or villains) who would be around that level of power.

So the main 'trick' isn't in coming up with more powerful Elder Evils (that bits fairly straightforward), but rather creating its minions as something more than a speed bump.

Howdy Ajoxer!

Ajoxer said:

God willing, I'll have gotten a paycheck by then.

I'm counting on you here, U_K, I really want to see this book! (Though having only been waiting for maybe a month or so, I'm clearly nowhere near as bad off as some of the loyal souls here!)

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I should get everything sorted during this time off (slightly over 3 weeks).