Mid-level Xen'drik Expedition (Recruiting Closed)

[gabrion]

This game is no longer open for new submissions

The Game
This is the recruiting thread for a game I will be starting soon that takes place in the Eberron Campaign Setting. More specifically, the game takes place on the continent of Xen'drik, a jungle land full of ancient ruins and historical sites from a time when Giants were the most advanced race in the world (other than dragons of course). I'm looking for four players (highly unlikely that I will accept more) who are adventurers recently arrived in the port of Stormreach in northern Xen'drik. All players have been hired by the Coinlords to take on certain difficult tasks in Xen'drik. You all know each other from the Air-ship voyage, but backgrounds before that are wide open (and encouraged to be detailed to some extent).

The game will be one of exploration, adventure, and a fair bit of combat. While the group will obviously have to talk to a few people here at there, don't expect much intrigue. Even more importantly, some of the material for the campaign (a lot actually) will be adapted from the game Dungeons and Dragons Online, so I hate to say it, but please don't apply if you have played that game. Lastly, I hope to keep this game going pretty fast - I would like players who can post at least 1x/day.

Chargen
Level: 8th (32,000 XP)
Abilities: Roll 5d6 seven times at invisible castle, dropping the lowest two dice from each roll, and also dropping the overall lowest roll. If you somehow manage to get less that +6 totally ability modifiers, reroll. Use "Gabrion Xen'drik" as the character name, and your forum name in the notes section.
Note: Because the "Roll Stats" option at Invisible Castle only lets you roll 6 stats, you'll need to use the "Roll Dice" option, setting the Number of Rolls field to 7 and the Dice field to 5d6.takeHighest(3)
HP: Max at first, 3/4 every level thereafter
Gold: 31,500
Sources: Any WotC material. This includes material from other settings (such as the realms), which will need to be adapted. All concepts need DM approval (see below). In the case that I do not have access to material you wish to use, I will need a full writeup.

What I need from you
To begin, pitch a character concept that includes a short background, race, and class/level breakdown (as well as expected class progression in the future). This only needs to be a line or two, as I will only be giving you a thumbs up or thumbs down. After that, I would like a character write-up with full stats and a backstory detailing some of your exploits (being 8th level is pretty powerful in Eberron, so keep that in mind when creating your backstory).

Deadline: At this point I plan to take submissions at least through Thursday night (the 4th). This is subject to change at any time, but I'll post updates here.

 

[Shayuri]

Argle!

I have two ideas that are fighting madly in my head!

One is a rollicking swashbucklery warlock with fey heritage, who's in it for fame, glory, money and...glory.

The other is a Gatekeeper druid, elf, who is interested in the details of how the giants did battle with otherworldly foes, as well as the ancient history of her own people and their liberation.

Both are unlikely to multiclass...though I'm curious as to what rules you use for wildshape and druidy things like natural spell and so on.

 

[gabrion]

Shayuri - thumbs up to either of those concepts.

I should make a note here to everyone though - while you are obviously free to experiment with as many concepts as you like, I will ask you to choose one as an official submission when the choosing time comes. If you want, you can ask me which one I prefer and I'll try to be honest with you.

Natural Spell is as good a feat as it has always seemed - it allows you to cast in any wildshape form, so no worry about not being able to speak or not having hands. If your question is about some other controversy I'm not aware of, let me know and I'll rule on it as I see fit.

 

[Delusion]

Ever since I started up my EverQuest game here on the boards, I've had a hankering for playing a not so evil troll fighter-type; in this particular situation, a troll trying to gain acceptance in a world without fellow ill-mannered and brutish trolls. Perhaps he got stuck in Eberron due to a very rare occurance in which the Material Plane of Norrath became coterminous with the Material Plane of Eberron and was noticed by the Coinlords due to his size, strength, and the ease by which he could be manipulated.

My other idea is a human Viking-type northman, possibly from another realm or simply from the frozen lands north of Khorvaire, exploring the land for his people and trying to gain fame, honor, and perhaps a bit of gold in the process.

 

[Shayuri]

The other controversy is wild shape itself. There's about...three different versions floating around, and everyone has their favorite.

There's the 3.0, where you pretty much gained all the "natural" abilities of the animal. So bats can fly and get blindsense. Wolves get Tracking. Etc. You take on the physical stats, but keep your own mental...etc etc.

Then there's early 3.5, where you don't get special qualities, but you do get Ex special attacks, so you can Pounce, or Trip, but you don't get Scent or low light vision. Otherwise similar to 3.0, and the changes were largely due to changes in Polymorph, which both were based on.

Then they decided Wild Shape was based on Alternate Form, not Polymorph. Consequently, it works a lot like early 3.5, only item melding got a lot more involved. Basically, before, items only melded if the shape you turned into couldn't use it. Which let clever druids use things like amulets and bracers and such in multiple forms. But with this change, doesn't matter...all items meld. This is the current canon, though some magic items are specifically written so their effects work in animal shape (are are noted as such in their descriptions).

THEN there's the Shapeshifter variant, in PHB II, where the druid can shapechange freely at will from level 1, but their abilities are determined by level, not by form. So you can look like a wolf or a cougar, but your Combat Shape always has the same stat adjustments and so on. Items, unless otherwise noted, still meld I believe.

Just wondering which you prefer.

 

[gabrion]

@Delusion - Troll would be fine, but in the case that you really want to play one I would probably have you as a native of Xen'drik (lots of trolls actually still live there) who became civilized somehow. Keep in mind though that Trolls have an ECL higher than the campaign level, so you would have to use the Savage Species progression to play this option. I'm not going to say it doesn't have a chance, but honestly I don't like this is a much as playing a character with class levels.

As for the Viking, the concept sounds ok but I would need to know what classes you are thinking of. Also keep in mind that a Viking might feel a bit out of place in a largely jungle climate. Not that he couldn't find himself there (and it would actually make for some good RP opportunities to be sure), but just something to be aware of.

 

[Voda Vosa]

I was thinking about one of the first warforged warriors built. After the big war, he was released, and started searching for a meaning to his existence, all he knew was the battlefield, he was built for that, but as years pass, he starts to see things different. Although, he still finds fighting a comfortable activity. As the excellent warrior he is, he travels the world in search of enlightenment, paying his trips as muscle for hire. More accurate will be to say, as metal for hire.

 

[gabrion]

The other controversy is wild shape itself. There's about...three different versions floating around, and everyone has their favorite.

There's the 3.0, where you pretty much gained all the "natural" abilities of the animal. So bats can fly and get blindsense. Wolves get Tracking. Etc. You take on the physical stats, but keep your own mental...etc etc.

Then there's early 3.5, where you don't get special qualities, but you do get Ex special attacks, so you can Pounce, or Trip, but you don't get Scent or low light vision. Otherwise similar to 3.0, and the changes were largely due to changes in Polymorph, which both were based on.

Then they decided Wild Shape was based on Alternate Form, not Polymorph. Consequently, it works a lot like early 3.5, only item melding got a lot more involved. Basically, before, items only melded if the shape you turned into couldn't use it. Which let clever druids use things like amulets and bracers and such in multiple forms. But with this change, doesn't matter...all items meld. This is the current canon, though some magic items are specifically written so their effects work in animal shape (are are noted as such in their descriptions).

THEN there's the Shapeshifter variant, in PHB II, where the druid can shapechange freely at will from level 1, but their abilities are determined by level, not by form. So you can look like a wolf or a cougar, but your Combat Shape always has the same stat adjustments and so on. Items, unless otherwise noted, still meld I believe.

Just wondering which you prefer.

Ooohhh....you were talking about the general controversy. I prefer the latest (alternate form) version. Keep in mind that when that change was first made, player frequently had to scab Wildling Clasps from the 3.0 Master's of the Wild, which was annoying because it was not 3.5 RAW and because "or similar item" was a bit vague. Post Magic Item Compendium though, Druids can use 3.5 Wildling Clasps on any items they normally wear. It costs a lot to get enough of these to really keep your gear with you, but I see it as an appropriate cost (even low) to have the power of being a wildshaped druid. Hope that answers your question.

 

[Shayuri]

Does indeed! Thanks for the clarification.

 

[gabrion]

I was thinking about one of the first warforged warriors built. After the big war, he was released, and started searching for a meaning to his existence, all he knew was the battlefield, he was built for that, but as years pass, he starts to see things different. Although, he still finds fighting a comfortable activity. As the excellent warrior he is, he travels the world in search of enlightenment, paying his trips as muscle for hire. More accurate will be to say, as metal for hire.

Sounds ok, but I need a class breakdown before I can give you the go-ahead to flesh it out.