[Ebberon] Heart of Darkness [Drow]

[Cyincal Lurker]

Ok, here goes: I've never gotten a chance to get the Saga Edition, so I'm winging a bit of this, and will likely continue to do so as we progress. So, keep thqat in mind; all of this is more guidelines than rules ATM.

First, a slightly condensed skill list (if a class has any of the skills in the condensed version, it has that skill - so if Listen is a class skill, you get Perception instead).

Balance
Bluff
Climb
Concentration
Craft (Forgery, Appraise)
Deception (Move Silently, Hide, Disguise)
Decipher Script
Diplomacy
Disable Device (Open Lock)
Escape Artist
Gather Information
Handle Animal
Heal
Intimidate
Jump
Knowledge
Perception (Listen, Search, Spot)
Perform
Profession
Ride
Sense Motive
Sleight Of Hand
Speak Language
Spellcraft (Use Magic Device)
Survival
Swim
Tumble
Use Rope


Secondly:
No skill ranks.

In most skills, you have a default rank(s) of 1/2 your level, with a +2 bonus if it's on your list of class skills. So, at 4th level, you have a default of 2 ranks in (almost) all skills, and 4 in your class skills.

Now, the 'skill points per level' from your class(es)? That is now the number of Trained skills you can have. You can tag any skills on yoru class skill list as trained, gaining a +3 bonus (effetivly making it +5 with the class skill bonus). So, at 4th, your trained skillls will be at 7 ranks.

If you mutli-class to a new class with a higher number of skill points than any other class you already have, you get to add more trained skills equal to the difference *HOWEVER*, you can only do this once. If you add a level in a 'smarter' class again, you gain no extra trained skills. This replaces the mutliclassing XP penalty.


Now, the 'group' skills (Knowledge, Craft, Perform, Profession), for the sake of saninty, work a tiny bit differently.

Profession - You can select 1 type to have ranks in and you have no ranks in all other forms, unless you add them as a trained skill (ie, you can start with any one profession, but have to train to gain any others).

Perform - Same as Profession; you can have 1 'free', but all other forms have to be taken by selecting them as trained skills.

Craft - You have ranks in all forms, but unless you select a form as trained, you can do only *very* basic things, such as general mantenence. So, unless you take Craft (Armor), you can never make armor, but can keep what you have in working condition.

Knowledge - As with Craft, you have the free ranks in all forms, but unless you take a form as a trained skill, you know only very basic, common information, given your race, class and such. A wizard who does not have Knowledge (the Planes) as a trained skills will still know more details about them than a Fighter with the same Int bonus.


Further, based only on common sense, some actions will only be practical if you have a skill trained. For example, Handle Animal. Untrained, you might be able to get a stray dog to calm down, but you'll never tame a wild horse without training in the field. Not that it's flatly impossible, but the DC simply be raised considerably without training.

SUch things will be ruled on a case-by-case bassis, but it should be pretty easy to see these situations.


Questions, Comments, Objections?

 

[WarlockLord]

And what weapon groups apply to a swordsage?

 

[Cyincal Lurker]

Lets say, same as fighter; Basic weapons, plus any other four.

As Drow, you can add any normaly exotic drow weapons to the approprate groups (So, for all of you, the Weapon Group (Light Blades) would also include the Drow Long Knife).

 

[EvolutionKB]

I'll probably have a character sheet and complete background up this weekend. CynicalLurker, your ideas for my background are fine with me.

 

[EvolutionKB]

Here are my rolled stats, including the 7th roll, for my character Zan'Kil: 15,15,14,14,14,12,11

Edit: I assume you have toned down the race to make it LA +0, basically just checking if we start with standard level 4 gold (5400gp).

 

[WarlockLord]

http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?a=show&id=1151311

The first six rolls, assigned as follows:

STR 13
DEX 15
CON 13
INT 13
WIS 18
CHA 10

The seventh roll:

http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=1151317

A 12, which I will use to replace the Cha stat. Thus, before racial mods, I pick:
STR 13
DEX 15
CON 13
INT 13
WIS 18
CHA 12

Tsabril should be up by tomorrow. How much XP do we get?

 

[doghead]

ooc - HoD

How does Int affects skills. For example, a barbarian gets 4 class skills. If they have an Int of 07 (-2), do they get 2 trained class skills?

And how do the attribute bonuses work when consolidated skills use different attributes. For example: Deception includes Move Silently, Hide and Disguise. The first two are Dexterity skills, the latter is a Charisma skill. Or are attribute bonuses not used?

I'm not making a character. Honestly. There is no Drow Barbarian lurking on my hard drive. I don't have enough time for another game. Really.

doghead
aka thotd

 

[EvolutionKB]

How did you want hp figured out?

 

[EvolutionKB]

[sblock=Zan’Kil]

Male Drow Cloistered Cleric 4

Str 14 (+2)
Dex 17 (+3)
Con 12 (+1)
Int 12 (+1)
Wis 18 (+4) +lv 4 increase
Cha 14 (+2)

Size: Medium
HP: ?
BAB: +2
Init: +3
Move: 30’ (Light load, 34/175, no ACP)

AC: 17 (+3 armor, +1 shield, +3 dex); DR: 3/-(or 2/- when crystal is out)
Saves:
Fortitude: +5
Reflex: +4
Will: +8

Attacks:
Melee: +7 MW Kama, 1d6+2, x2
Melee: +5 Dagger, 1d4+2, 19-20x2
Melee: +4 Club, 1d6+2, x2
Ranged: +5 Dagger, 1d4+2, 19-20/x2, 10’
Ranged: +4 Club, 1d6+2, 20x2, 10’

Feats:
Extra turning
Weapon Finesse
Knowledge Devotion(Sacrifice Knowledge domain for domain feat. Make a knowledge check when fighting a creature type, once per encounter. You gain a bonus on attack and damage as appropriate to your check. <15: +1, 16-25: +2, 26-30: +3, 31-35: +4, 36+: +5
Destruction Devotion(Sacrifice Destruction domain for domain feat. Once per day as an immediate action you activate this ability. Every time for the next minute whenever you strike an opponent with a melee attack that opponent’s armor or natural armor bonus is reduced by one to a minimum of zero. If an opponent has both armor and natural armor bonuses, they choose which to affect. If one bonus is reduced to zero, the other bonus is affected until the duration ends. At level 10 each hit reduces the bonuses by 2 per hit instead of one. After a minute bonuses return to normal. This ability can be used again if you expend a attempt of rebuke undead.

Skills:
Concentration +8
Diplomacy: +6
Heal: +8
Knowledge(arcana)+8
Knowledge(religion)+8
Knowledge(planes)+8
Knowledge(Local, Stormreach)+8
Knowledge(Nature)+8
Knowledge(Dungeoneering)+8
Knowledge(All others)+5
Perception +8
Spellcraft+5

Languages Known:
Common
Drow
Giant

Class Features:
Turn undead: 11/day; +4 on turning check; 2d6+6
Lore: +7, As bardic knowledge ability
Spells



Racial Features:
Immune to sleep
+2 on will saves versus spells
Low-light vision
+2 Search, Spot, Listen(included above)

Spells: (5/3+1/2+1) Domain: War, weapon prof and focus w/kama

0: Detect Magic, Light, Cure minor woundsx3
1: Bless, shield of faith, Cure light wounds, Magic weapon*
2: Cure moderate wounds, Cloud of Knives(PHBII), spiritual weapon*

Equipment:
Mithral Chain shirt +1 (10lb)
MW Kama (2lb)
Reliquary Holy symbol: Grants 1 extra turn attempt per each of the following: the extra turning feat, 5 ranks in knowledge religion, at least one divine feat.
Wand of cure light wounds
MW light wooden shield(5lb)
Iron Ward diamond, least(in chain shirt)
Crystal of Life Drinking, least(in MW kama)
Backpack(2lb)
Healing Belt(1lb)
Bedroll(5lb)
2 Belt pouches(1lb)
437gp
9sp
Waterskin(4lb)
Dagger(1lb)
Club(3lb)
[/sblock]

[sblock=background]Xan’Kil awoke, his heart pounding, the echoes of drums still alive in his ears. The visions have been with him nightly for at least the last cycle of the moon. They plagued him nightly during his meditations. Master Shac’Tor had said that sometimes visions were powerful portents of the future. When Master was told, he scoffed at Xan’Kil’s prophecy. He had said, “The Giants are crude, strong in body, not in mind. They were our former masters, but not now. Now we are dominant here.”
I was away in the forest the next day. I was studying some of the dangerous creatures that prey on the outlanders when they come to our land. The megaraptor started, then ran at the sound of the drums. I knew what fate would befall my kin, so I kept my distance. I stood in the shadows of the great trees watching the slaughter. I was surprised to see the giants using magic against my own kin. These giants were just as strong in mind as they were in body. I saw all my kin fall, I do not know what the purpose the killing was. After the killing was complete, they simply strode off into the jungle once more. They did not take anything, even slaves.
I was alone. The place called Stormreach was not far away, so I went there. Many of the outlanders were afraid of me, with good reason. The holy white tattoos that scour my body are an intimidating sight. There were others of my people in Stormreach, but I paid them little heed. They had been softened by their contact with the outlanders. Most of the time I simply watched and listened to people. I learned their habits, and more than once I saw them fight. Brawls and murders were common in the streets. When I felt I had learned enough, I sought out my people once more in the jungles. My family had been killed, but there were more families, ones that were willing to take on new members.
I found one. Nhalar’ik, it was a city of the giants. Aqueducts cross the city. As I walk into the city in the moonlight, I am stopped by guards. They question me, and they see the symbol of Vulkoor around my neck. They let me pass and tell me to see the holy one. Upon meeting the holy one, I tell him of my family, and the giants that came. He tells me of another, one that came as well, telling a similar story, also a priest. It was my previous master. I smiled on learning the news, he was the one that led to the death of my clan. After the holy one told me I was more than welcome in the city, I killed my former master. I had learned a lot in my travels after he had condemned our family to death. After passing through his small dwelling unnoticed I flayed the skin from his bones with my kama. He begged for mercy, but Vulkoor doesn’t allow it. He was as bad as the sniveling outlanders in Stormreach. I then took his dwelling and threw his body into an aqueduct. I had several of the Tha’lan build an addition to the house; that is where I meditate. The remainder I dedicate to Vulkoor, the bloodstains still mar the ground where I killed the faithless one; a reminder to those that would oppose us.[/sblock]

 

[WarlockLord]

Tsabril, outcast

[sblock=Tsabril's stats]
Tsabril
Male Drow Swordsage 4

STR 13 (+1)
DEX 17 (+3)
CON 12 (+1) (+ L4 ability increase.)
INT 13 (+1)
WIS 20 (+5)

CHA 12 (+1)

BAB +3
AC: 21 (Touch 18, FF 18)
Wound Points: ?
Initiative +4
Move: 30 feet
XP 6000?
DR 2/-
Attack: +8 (+1 shortsword, 1d6+4, 19-20 crit) or +6, (hand crossbow, 30 ft range, 1d4 damage, 19-20 crit)

Saves:
Fort +2
Reflex +7
Will +9

Skills: (only denotes trained skills)
Climb +7
Concentration +8
Deception (Move Silently, Hide, Disguise) +9
Jump +9
Perception (Listen, Search, Spot) +14
Sense Motive +12
Tumble +11

Feats: Shadow Blade, Weapon Focus (shadow hand), Weapon Finesse

Weapon Groups: Basic Weapons, Light Blades, Crossbows (I assume this includes hand), Heavy Blades, Polearms,

Maneuvers & Stances: (IL 4)
Boosts:
Burning Blade (1st)*
Cloak of Deception (2nd)*

Counters:
Moment of Perfect Mind (1st)

Strikes:
Flashing Sun (2nd)*
Drain Vitality (2nd) (DC 17)*
Sapphire Nightmare Blade (1st)
Clinging Shadow Strike (1st)*
Shadow Blade Technique (1st)
Mighty Throw (1st)

Stances:
Child of Shadow (1st)
Island of Blades (1st)

* denotes currently readied manuever

Languages: Common, Drow, Giant

Special: Low-light vision, Sleep Immunity, Insightful Strike (Shadow Blade) +5, Quick to act +1

Possessions:+1 shortsword, adventurer's kit, potion belt, bandoleer, +1 chain shirt, hand crossbow, 10 bolts, 2 tanglefoot bags, 4 potions of cure light wounds, 2 potions of cure moderate wounds, 1,395 gp
[/sblock]

[sblock=background]
Tsabril used to have a last name. Then his family angered the wrong people and were cut down in their sleep. His parents fought to the death, allowing the young boy to escape.

The boy was taken in by a master of the Sublime Way. He gravitated toward the discipline of the Shadow Hand, and began training toward the day he could hunt down his parents' killers, and watch them die at the end of his sword. In the meantime, he is a mercenary.
[/sblock]