PHBII Classes in Forgotten Realms?

[BadMojo]

Lately I've been pondering how the new PHBII classes fit in the Forgotten Realms setting. I know you can just drop the classes in to FR and pretty much leave it at that, but I was curious about the ways DMs and players have integrated the classes in to the setting.

I've mostly been thinking about the Duskblade. It seems like a perfect 20 level core Bladesinger but is missing a few of the flavor bits of the Bladesinger (perform ranks, longsword or rapier in one hand only) but that's nothing that can't just be roleplayed.

However, has anyone thought of any alternate uses for the Duskblade in FR? A martial order of Sun Elves instead of the Moon Elf dominated bladesingers?

An order of fighter-mages from one of the ancient human kingdoms presented in "Lost Empires", like the Raumathari Battle Mage?

I"m more inclined to fit the Duskblade in to a non-elven martial tradition since the Elves of Faerun seem to have more than enough of their fair share.

Dragon Shaman would seem to fit in well with the Cult of the Dragon or one of the Uthgardt Barbarian tribes?

I'm not entirely sure where Knight and Beguiler would fit in.

Just curious what others are doing with these classes in the Forgotten Realms setting.

 

[wayne62682]

I played a Duskblade in FR.. basically I decided they were an offshoot of the Bladesingers who focused more on offense than defense and were more aggressive.. essentially the "Sith" to the Bladesingers "Jedi". Background-wise, my DM and I decided that they were the Vyshaantar Empire's elite warriors during the Crown Wars, and the knowledge of them was considered "forbidden" for the most part but relics and information still lingered. That might push it a bit too evil for you, but the idea of being a "Dark Jedi" version of a Bladesinger was fun.

Knight could work relatively easy I think without really having to "justify" anything. Beguiler wouldn't require much additional work either, I'd wager, just a specialized mage/rogue hybrid. Not a clue on Dragon Shaman, however.

 

[BadMojo]

Knight could work relatively easy I think without really having to "justify" anything. Beguiler wouldn't require much additional work either, I'd wager, just a specialized mage/rogue hybrid. Not a clue on Dragon Shaman, however.

That's a pretty cool take on the Duskblade. Fits in very well with a lot of the Vyshaantar stuff that was in the "Last Mythal" novels.

I agree that the Knight is pretty much "plug and play". There are tons of kingdoms, petty warlords, etc. for a knight to be linked up with.

 

[Brakkart]

I think Knights would work pretty well in a place like Tethyr or Impiltur, places with a strong focus on feudalism, heraldry and military tradition.

Dragon Shaman would work well amongst the Uthgardt or perhaps amongst the tribes of Veldorn, Raurin, Vaasa, The Ride and such fringe areas.

I do like wayne's take on the Duskblade, which would make it a good class for the fey'ri to take levels in.

I'll admit I've yet to really read up on the Beguiler, so I'm stumped on that one!

 

[Vanye]

However, has anyone thought of any alternate uses for the Duskblade in FR? A martial order of Sun Elves instead of the Moon Elf dominated bladesingers?

I like that idea. I also like the idea of it being an ancient Raumathari tradition, though in my current conceptions of the Realms (and from what little I know of the class, not having Tome of Magic) I'm thinking of incorporating Binders as another ancient remnant of Raumathari magic. Fits in with my campaigns integration of the Companion Spirit rules in DM2 and the bits and pieces of lore that has been revealed of Hathran origins and Rashemi spirit magic.

I've incorporated hexblades as being the modern heirs to an ancient Nar fighting style as well (the whole consorting with demons thing the Nar had going for them meshes well, imo, with the master of curses image the hexblades have).

Dragon Shaman would seem to fit in well with the Cult of the Dragon or one of the Uthgardt Barbarian tribes?

As written, I don't think it fits well with any of the Uthgardt tribes. It could be made to fit, but it would require some extensive "fileing off the serial numbers".

I'm not entirely sure where Knight and Beguiler would fit in.

Knights I've got in Cormyr, Impiltur, and Tethyr, with a smattering in other areas of the Vast.

Beguilers work well in the southern Dragon Coast area, methinks (Vilhon Reach, Chondath).

 

[Kae'Yoss]

They all fit right in.

Duskblades work for elves. Limit them to use finessable weapons and add perform to their lists.

I also use them as the Shadovar's warriors. There's next to no regular fighters coming from the city of Shade, only duskblades. It's more or less the least magical you can get there.

Knights work well for Cormyr and other kingdoms (Waterdeep's more for swashbucklers, of course)

Beguilers are wherever political intrigue is to be found. There's quite a lot of that going on in the Realms.

 

[Nightfall]

Knights are a "cut and paste" fit in my mind but Corymr, the Cold Lands, (especially Impuliter), and a few other places.

Beguilers keep a low profile but around the Dragon Sea seems a good place.

Dragon Shamans, the North and areas of influence of the Cult of the Dragon.

 

[Nyaricus]

*rolls up sleaves* I know quite a bit about FR, so her's how I see it...

Beguiler - The Shades, the Telflammor Shadowlords and any gnomes [well, rock and svirfneblin, anyways]. I also see these guys coming from Tethyr, which has a tradition of Shadow Magic, worshippers of Shar, worshippers of Mask, Waterdeep and similarily populated areas, and also likely Thay. Perhaps also in any larger halfling group in a human city would hacve one or two beguilers - I know in my current game I have a halfling beguiler from Hlondeth, and it makes enough sense to me

Dragon Shaman - works with kobolds, since they are kinda crazy and think that they are the heirs of dragons. Also meshes well, sicne they like sorcerers but would rather be a DS than a Druid or a Cleric, IMO. Also works with the cult of the dragon, for a more 'insane cultist' who thinks he draws his powers from dragons. Might work in certain northern areas, like the Great Glacier or The North for white dragons and others that would be around. You could also tweak the flavor for the White Worm tribe on the Great Glacier to take the red dragon path and worship Remohaz's instead, since they worship them as gods or whatever

Duskblade - works for the War Wizards of Cormyr, Raumathari Battlemages or the various elven factions as more or less mentioned before

Knight - Cormyr with it's Purple Dragon Knights was the first thing I saw this fitting into, but it would also be likely common in the Silver Marches [The Silver Guard, or whatever that group is that guards silverymon], as a Gold Dwarf class [no penalty to Cha], and as a Thayan Gladiator class [knights challenge kinda sounds liek a cat-call you'd hear in an arena]. Also, any city with a group of highly profession guards would/could be Knight/Fighters.

That's all I got for now, but many of the other suggestions have been great

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Dragon Shaman

Completely forgot about those!

Well, kobolds are a no-brainer. Then there's the Cult of the Dragon, the church of Tiamat, the Church of Bahamut, several other organisations involved with dragons, a couple dragons ruling countries...

Duskblade - works for the War Wizards of Cormyr

I don't know. They're not War Wizards in the sense of eldritch knights or spellswords, but more War Wizards in the War Mage sense. The PrC gets to enlarge spells on the fly, and in the novels, they're usually portrayed as your average spellslinger.

 

[Quez The Lame]

Beguilers make great Harper agents (or respectively Zentharim spies) and thieves guilds employees.

Duskblades are too heavily armored to fit my picture of elven bladesinger types. I could imagine them as part of the halruaan military or the Lord's Allliance.