Leif's Homebrew 4E, OOC1

[Leif]

There seems to be a dragon-y bent in the group (or at least a couple folks picked Sun Elf for the Draconic language.

Running with that idea, what if our House (and the Houses under it) are a collection of breeders or shepherds of various fey creatures - griffons, warwing drakes, unicorns - that we supply to the military or the nobility?

I came up with this trying to figure out a thematic Noble-based justification for taking Fey Beast Tamer (which I haven't gotten details on yet, so it may not be appropriate) AND trying to get warwing drakes into a game. Ever since I read this Dragon article with warwing drakes in it, I've been nigh obsessed with having a bonded warwing in a game. Is something like that possible? /drool

Warwing drake is a level 4 flying creature (think small rideable dragon). There's a ritual in the article that lets you bond the creature and - if really successful - the creature can speak!

I'm not sure how anyone else feels about having critter sidekicks/mounts, but I've always wanted to have a game that incorporated them.

DM's call of course. I can supply you with any information that you need.

I'll [try to] take some of the blame for the "dragony" feel here, because my threads at ENWorld tend to be havens for Wizards, and Draconic is the language of their calling.

I'm going to step in and put the kaibosh on the family breeding fey creatures for armies. That sort of military bent is not at all what I have in mind for this game. And I'm not even sure if I want the whole family involved in breeding fey creatures at all. Some is ok, but, please, not all of the family?

So far, I have not really DMed for characters who have animal companions, critter sidekicks, etc., but I guess there's always a first time, isn't there? But that's not at all the type of game I was going for here, really.

 

[Walking Dad]

Please note that the fey beast tamer theme just gives a blink dog that cannot even attack if my character uses his standard action for himself. It isn't nearly as a hassle as 3.x or pathfinder animal companions that come with all their own actions. Nor do you get the paladin's 'horse in a dungeon' problem. (Companion characters, like in the DMG are an entirely different thing).

And I took draconic because it is a sunelf and wizard language. My character IS a wizard.

 

[Sparky]

I posted a first-draft BG, please take a look and see if it fits. I've taken the liberty of inventing some customs, but I don't want them to be out of place or against the theme.

Is having a fey-i-fied warwing drake (for fey beast tamer) on the table? I can send you the stats of it as written, or I can stat it up and make it comparable to the critters in the Fey Beast Tamer background.

 

[Walking Dad]

Sparky, Shayuri, may Galinndan be Sulannus brother and the friend mentioned in Harnithael's background? Both having a knack for fey beasts would be a good connection.

BTW, Sparky, have you considered the Animal Master theme and just to reflavor the hawk or raven as something draconic? Less messing with rules, as Fey Beast Tamer lacks a flying beast option.

 

[Sparky]

Animal Master could work, but one nice thing about Fey Beast Companions is that they scale.

I'm statting up a Feywing Drake right now and trying to nerf him into something that doesn't overshadow the Blink Dog (although an aura of blinking is pretty freaking cool).

I went with a +2 to Will in the Drake's aura. He's all proud and fierce. The biggest problem at the moment is that he's Large. The Warwing he's based on is a Mount. And that's what I want him for as well. Hoping Leif approves.


My inspiration.

 

[Sparky]

Sparky, Shayuri, may Galinndan be Sulannus brother and the friend mentioned in Harnithael's background? Both having a knack for fey beasts would be a good connection.

Totally fine by me. When Shayuri approves, I'll edit my BG. So... what laid Galinndan up so that Harn had to fight on his behalf?

 

[Leif]

Backgrounds are coming along very nicely! Good work, but Scotley and Lou still need to be accounted for. Let them make the characters that they want without coaching or suggestions, please, and then once they get all finished you can all work to make the party into a cohesive whole.

Sparky, I'm gonna have to say 'no' to the Warwing Drake Feybeast Companion mount. If you want it to be a Feybeast Companion, it needs to be size M or S. At least, my initial thought is that a size L Feybeast Companion Warwing Drake would be a good, healthy step more powerful than the norm. Anyone else have some wisdom to offer on this situation? I'm trying to keep all the PCs on a fairly even basis. Am I being too harsh here?

 

[Walking Dad]

I think one of the reasons there is no sample flying fey beast, is that you can later get the opportunity to take an utility power to take it's shape, including the movement modes. The panther has IMHO worse defense that the blinkdog and the displacer beast because of it's spee8 climb 6.

 

[Shayuri]

Sparky, Shayuri, may Galinndan be Sulannus brother and the friend mentioned in Harnithael's background? Both having a knack for fey beasts would be a good connection.

BTW, Sparky, have you considered the Animal Master theme and just to reflavor the hawk or raven as something draconic? Less messing with rules, as Fey Beast Tamer lacks a flying beast option.

No objections here!

What class is your character again, Sparky? Cuz...a roundabout way to have a riding dragon is this:

1) Have an arcane class, or Multiclass into one.

2) Take Arcane Familiar feat. Select a draconic type familiar (there are several).

3) If you do not have Ritual Casting...take it. Then buy the Familiar Mount ritual.

Boom. Done. Costs some money and takes some time, but you can now turn your shoulder-dragon into a riding dragon whenever you wish. And it only cost 1 to 3 feats depending on what you got from your class!

...you know, Su could totally do that too.

HMMM...

Edit - Oh, and you have to be high enough level to cast the ritual, of course. But I think level 8 is high enough.

 

[Walking Dad]

Totally fine by me. When Shayuri approves, I'll edit my BG. So... what laid Galinndan up so that Harn had to fight on his behalf?

Not sure, but it should have been something important, so Harn (you can call Galinndan just Galin for short) will still consider them friends.

Maybe a romantic involvement with another court?
The one Harn fought was the twinbrother of Galin's (female) love interest and he made a fey oath not to harm him in this fight?