[OOC] Child of the Mourn

Gotcha. The Magic Items look good.

It is the Stealthy and Alertness feats that I am referring to. They are generally considered Suboptimal feat choices because they do not scale with level. +2 a first level looks good, but +2 at 15 level does not look so good. I will look to see what recommended fixes there are for them and we can give them a try, if you like.

You will want to add the +2 bonus from Stealthy to HiS. I think you are now 8 skill points over. perhaps I am not helping so much.

I will try to get a Rogues Gallery thread up some time today and I will try to get us started next week before the holidays roll around.

I will most likely start an Ecyclodaedia thread so you can keep track of some of the people and places that you encounter, as well as catalog your knowledge and other information too.

I was having difficulties with the feat selection. I could use Dodge or Two Weapon Defense, but I hate blowing feats just on an extra AC. I could do some complete scoundrel luck feats, but alas... if you have suggestions, I'm more than receptive.

I do understand about the 2 Weapon Defense. I do not have Comp Scoun. You can post the Comp Scound Feats if you want to use them.

How about:

Dodge and Mobility.
Practiced Spell Caster, Improved Initiative, or Imp Toughness, Combat Expertise, Power Critical (CWar)

ECS: Least Dragon Mark, Music of Making, Song of the Heart, Aberrant Dragon Mark (perhaps part of the reason you survived)

CAdv: Disguise Spell, Force of Personality, Versatile Performer, Quick Reconnoiter,

Magic of Eberron: Elemental Helmsman

Please post your character in the Rogues Gallery Thread.

How do these sound for replacements for Skill focus and the +2/+2 feats?


Skill Emphasis (General)
Benefit:

• Choose two skills. You gain a +2 bonus to each of these skills.
• When you have 8th ranks in each skill, and every 5th rank after, the bonus to each skill increases by +1.
• If these skills are cross-class skill for you, you may take ranks in them on a 1 for 1 basis, but you are still limited by your cross-class maximums.

Special: This is a replacement for the +2/+2 feats. This feat may only apply to a given skill once.


SKILL FOCUS (General)
Prerequisite: 5 ranks in the selected skill
Benefit:

• You gain a +3 bonus to this skill.
• You may Take 10 on this skill even under duress.
• This skill is always a class skill for you.

Special: You may take this feat multiple times, but each time you must pick a different skill.

I totally didn't even see you changed the thread title. Sorry for the lack of reply until now. That's my oversight. I'll take a look at the dragonmark feats tonight, see if any of them tickle my fancy. Otherwise I might take dodge/mobility, or improved initiative and one of the skill feats.

The CS feats mostly allow for a reroll for specific events, usually once a day for insignificant things. But they subsequently qualify you for more important rerolls.

Not a problem.
It sounds like you do not receive emails for thread updates then? I cannot live without them.

I am getting ready for the first post. I am thinking of starting you on a mission first prior to the Morning. How does that sound? That way you can take your spydom for a spin prior to having your world torn asunder.

I do subscriptions, but for some reason hadn't tagged this one yet. I'll do that now though. I think that sounds good, gives him some time to show what he's like in his 'natural setting'. And really, I built him to be a spy in an environment condusive to sustaining life, so that'll really become evident once the inevitable occurs.

A couple things of backstory, since I haven't formally written anything out yet. I was thinking of making him an assistant to the Brelish diplomat stationed in Cyre. So he'd have access to government and royal buildings, also his credentials as a writer, albeit not a very famous one, could grant him some ability to appear to investigate a little bit more closely and ask pointed questions, as he's had a couple articles published in the Sharn Chronicles* and that would be his cover for the most part. His use of dreamlily hasn't really affected him all too much except for maybe he's not as good a spy as he could be. We'll see though. I'm excited to get this started.

Personality wise, Oarsen has two very distinct sides, publicly he is engaging and charming, with a personality that draws others to him. As a young foreign 'diplomat' from the only quasi-cordial country, he makes friends easily. Privately he is brooding, even a little depressed. The dreamlily helps ease this a bit, laxing any anxiety as well. He also feels that he writes better when in this state.


*I forget the actual newspaper title at the moment, as I am still not yet at home.

I think that you are looking for the 'Korranberg Chronicle' if I remember correctly.

Character History
I would like a semi-detailed history including the adventuring group(s) that you have worked with or belonged to in the past, plus any family or other personal things that might be interesting, helpful, or useful. What articles you have written.

Being an assistant to a Brelish diplomat would tie you actions directly to Breland which might jeopardize your work and Breland in general. It probably best if your affiliation with Breland be left unknown. You will have a Citadel Safe House available (and where you will start) as well as contacts that can help give you access to those buildings if your cover does not currently give you access. You will most likely be given a cover for your upcoming mission. Being a writer does give you some great options and access that a normal agent would not. I think that you may find that useful.

You may also want to include how you became a Dark Lantern and how your Chaotic Neutral self fits into this organization. I would think that your alignment makes you out to be sort of a loose canon - rather unpredictable - which might a reason that they like you. You are sort of a not-so-newbie in the organization and have been on a few missions for them and this upcoming mission will be the mission that will really try your ability as a Latern. You have passed the trial period and are into the big leagues now - you have your license to kill and are working fully independent and left to your wild and honed Latern wiles. =)

The Dreamlily angle sounds like fun. You will want to decide when the urge strikes him for a hit and if he carries it on him during missions and so on. That may prove interesting.

Character Stats Stuff
You will want to flesh out the normal equipment a little bit. Perhaps find some signature equipment. If you have the money and you need something during a mission we will assume that you bought it previously (within reason) with your current funds.

You still have Survival as a skill listed.

Getting Started
It is going to take me a bit more time to get things started I have a lot planned over this holiday week, plus I have a lot more writing to do for this. I am hoping to get things started over this holiday time.

It would be interesting if he feels compelled to use the dreamlily for his missions, but I would want him to keep his senses sharp and not be diluted with euphoria. Mostly I envision him as being a recreational user, but when you're behind enemy lines on a constant basis, there really is no recreation. It will be interesting for him, trying to juggle his desire for success and his need to escape.

I am feeling that the writer angle is his cover, hoping to create a story to show the softer side of Cyre that the populous of Khorvaire can read and enjoy. If Cyrians are convinced Oarsen has their best interests in heart then he would be given more leeway, or so he would hope.

As for past adventuring, I hadn't given too much thought to this as of yet, but I would tentatively go along the lines that he travelled with a group as their bard, praising them, chronicling their exploits, but eventually became enmeshed in their activities, as much a part of them and not an outsider looking in. He developed more martial skills and wasn't concerned as much with telling stories.

For some reason or another (and I will get into that), the group disbanded, whether political alliegences, family issues, or other personal factors drove them apart, Oarsen became involved in the Brelish military, and while a capable soldier, it was evident his talents lay elsewhere. More than a mere bard and more than a mere weapon, his combination of talents and natural charisma lended itself to more specialized tasks.

As for his alignment, I chose CN for him because I do not feel that he is inherently good, and while he is self-serving, his is not evil and won't destroy people's lives to serve his own selfish purposes. What he does now, he does for country, albeit with his own prescribed methods. While his Citadel training has granted him necessary skills, he does what he wants/needs. I see his spying to be akin to a James Bond, in the sense that while he possesses all the trained and preferred procredures, he doesn't follow the book note for note, using his own instincts to get the job done.

But this could be like you said, the reason they like him. Oarsen could be more in line with doing the jobs where the book could be thrown out the window, where thinking "outside the box" is needed and one would need to improvise. But while an asset, he is also a liability, since he is not easily coralled.

I'll need to review his equipment and current money situation. He'll need some nonstandard equipment, and I'd loathe to have his carry his backpack around with him, but I'll have to see what I can do. I'll also look over his skill list. Bard and Ranger are 6+Int, right? Oarsen has a +2 Int modifier, and he's human, plus your additional +2 Skill points a level, that leaves him with 11. That's a total of 44 for first level, and 55 for the next 5 levels. Dark Lantern is 4+ I believe, so that's an additional 9. So, 108? I'm at work right now (obviously working very hard), but hopefully I'll have time to go over and review the skill selection. I want Survivor in some aspect, I don't want it gone, so I'll have to see what I might sacrifice in lieu.

ethandrew said:

I'll need to review his equipment and current money situation. He'll need some nonstandard equipment, and I'd loathe to have his carry his backpack around with him, but I'll have to see what I can do. I'll also look over his skill list. Bard and Ranger are 6+Int, right? Oarsen has a +2 Int modifier, and he's human, plus your additional +2 Skill points a level, that leaves him with 11. That's a total of 44 for first level, and 55 for the next 5 levels. Dark Lantern is 4+ I believe, so that's an additional 9. So, 108? I'm at work right now (obviously working very hard), but hopefully I'll have time to go over and review the skill selection. I want Survivor in some aspect, I don't want it gone, so I'll have to see what I might sacrifice in lieu.

Click to expand...

Sounds good. I did picture James Bond when I was thinking about your character.
That sounds about right. I have not taken a close look over your character again since the last time. You mentioned removing it and adding a skill that you forgot. That is really what I was referring to. I previously calculated 110, but I may have had Dark Lantern as 6 pts per level.