Player's Guide to Wizards, Bards and Sorcerers Update: Prestige Classes
Looks good and I will be getting it...when it eventually arrives.
I agree that the Shelzari Eroticist should have been in the Shelzar book, and I was really miffed that it wasnt. Why have an NPC that uses it if you dont have access to the material?
Enough bitching. Get these books published! (damn 3.5....)
I agree that the Shelzari Eroticist should have been in the Shelzar book, and I was really miffed that it wasnt. Why have an NPC that uses it if you dont have access to the material?
Enough bitching. Get these books published! (damn 3.5....)
JoeGKushner
First Post
All it needs to have for me is Blessed of Mesos. Can you dig it!
I look forward to the Bard material.
I remember something being mentioned about an attempt to at least give a nod to other companies published under the SSS banner. Is that still true? I'd love to see the variant bard & sorcerer get a nod and integration notes into the SL setting.
I look forward to the Bard material.
I remember something being mentioned about an attempt to at least give a nod to other companies published under the SSS banner. Is that still true? I'd love to see the variant bard & sorcerer get a nod and integration notes into the SL setting.
Nightfall
Sage of the Scarred Lands
Fevil said:
July my friend. Not much longer.
Joe,
I think there was some mention about they were including how to work stuff from Book of Eldritch Might series. I don't know about the varient bard or sorcerer,but I think there was some mention about that.
But I certainly can't wait to try out Blessed of Mesos. Uber sorcerer man. You know I love it.
Zelda Themelin
First Post
Hey, I want that book soon. Soon, do you hear.
Now, I shall whine. About things that don't do anything to do with this, mind you.
Anyway, I hope at least some of classes in those books to come are actually dared to made powerful, and not some nerfed boring classes I've seen in almost every book (exception maybe in some FR stuff, and few scarred lands ones), that seem both lacking in imagination and abilities worth it.
And I do hope Blessed of Mesos is not as lame, as all Mesos-spells are in statistical level. YMMV, but that's evalution in games I've played.
See, there are so many Prestige classes out there. And what I really need, are some that are actually interesting and with both original/useful abilities and some useful well combining ideas of already existing ones. I don't play low level games (well, expect for time being since I start around lv 1 to 3), and I don't really need any stuff that's repentetive, boring, weak (such that no npc/character would really bother around lv 10 to join the group/organization/circle of chosen ones).
I don't mean classes the would be munchin's dreams. And I can min-max with base classes just fine, what I am looking is usefullness/originality. I hate those with every ability being 1/day "neat naming ability" is actually spell fron Player's handbook or some boring skill focus. Both have their places, but there has to be something more to NEW class.
Oh, Just read Avatar's Handbook's base class "Avatar" (ooh, I hate the name, Holy Priest/ Temple Prophet would be more close to it). Cleric has always been this flail flinging combat priest, this is the actual priestly type. Cross between sorcerer/non-combatant cleric, with few special powers, mostly pretty lame and boring. Or maybe it's just because I hate the name. It's so out of place, it makes me shiver.
Interesting monsters, in that book still, spells were nothing special.
For record I liked Shelzari Knife Fighter. Haven't playtested it, fut I got a good feeling about it.
Now, I shall whine. About things that don't do anything to do with this, mind you.
Anyway, I hope at least some of classes in those books to come are actually dared to made powerful, and not some nerfed boring classes I've seen in almost every book (exception maybe in some FR stuff, and few scarred lands ones), that seem both lacking in imagination and abilities worth it.
And I do hope Blessed of Mesos is not as lame, as all Mesos-spells are in statistical level. YMMV, but that's evalution in games I've played.
See, there are so many Prestige classes out there. And what I really need, are some that are actually interesting and with both original/useful abilities and some useful well combining ideas of already existing ones. I don't play low level games (well, expect for time being since I start around lv 1 to 3), and I don't really need any stuff that's repentetive, boring, weak (such that no npc/character would really bother around lv 10 to join the group/organization/circle of chosen ones).
I don't mean classes the would be munchin's dreams. And I can min-max with base classes just fine, what I am looking is usefullness/originality. I hate those with every ability being 1/day "neat naming ability" is actually spell fron Player's handbook or some boring skill focus. Both have their places, but there has to be something more to NEW class.
Oh, Just read Avatar's Handbook's base class "Avatar" (ooh, I hate the name, Holy Priest/ Temple Prophet would be more close to it). Cleric has always been this flail flinging combat priest, this is the actual priestly type. Cross between sorcerer/non-combatant cleric, with few special powers, mostly pretty lame and boring. Or maybe it's just because I hate the name. It's so out of place, it makes me shiver.
Interesting monsters, in that book still, spells were nothing special.
For record I liked Shelzari Knife Fighter. Haven't playtested it, fut I got a good feeling about it.
Nightfall
Sage of the Scarred Lands
Starman,
Okay. Didn't realize that. But nice of you to say that, (the latter comment)
Zelda,
I'm pretty sure when Joe uses the word "uber" in a sentence, you can be darn sure it will be uber. So I'm betting Blessed of Mesos will cream a lot of arcane spellcasting powers without blinking too much. But we'll see about the rest.
Okay.
Didn't realize that. But nice of you to say that, (the latter comment)Zelda,
I'm pretty sure when Joe uses the word "uber" in a sentence, you can be darn sure it will be uber. So I'm betting Blessed of Mesos will cream a lot of arcane spellcasting powers without blinking too much. But we'll see about the rest.
SSS-Druid
First Post
Oi.
So many questions.
Oh, yes.
Mike Gill wrote a fine section on some of the unique instruments used in the Scarred Lands. We should even have illustrations for them.
Additionally, there are two areas where bards have the potential to get new "bardic music." Because my development mantra is "add, don't change," I refuse to allow my authors to tinker with the core classes.
(This, as an aside, is why we haven't changed any of the core D&D classes from the PHB, with the possible exception of arcane heat - I want people to be able to pick up our books and be able to use them in their home games without having to retrofit half the content.)
So, new bardic music comes from two places: Prestige Classes and the newly introduced Tradition Feat. Prestige Classes like the Shelzari eroticist learn to use dance to perform bardic magic, and their abilities reflect the strengths of that medium. Likewise, the rage-bringer learns to channel his bardic music into inciting barbarian-like rages in his allies, infuriating his foes to the point of detriment and the like.
Tradition Feats are unique uses for the bard's bardic music uses for the day. The Eroticist feat is one such, and most bardic traditions have developed their own uses, from the Hedradan Baerovian Chanters who learn a mind-calming chant to the Silver-String Tradition who use their alchemical silver-coated harp strings to play music that does Not Fun things to lycanthropes.
Basically, the Prestige Classes Appendix will begin with a section that tells you how to fit the prestige classes from various books into the Scarred Lands. First and foremost, we tell you where the DMG prestige classes go, from Dragon Disciples to Eldritch Knights to Horizon Walkers.
Then, we do likewise for Monte's Books of Eldritch Might. Let me give you an example:
Graven One
The tattoo-witches of the wood elven Ganjus may seem to share many traits with the Hellianns, but theirs is a power far more primal. With the ability to cause the beasts that decorate their very flesh to leap to life, as well as a deep rune-kenning, the Graven Ones of Vera-tre are as secretive and aloof as they are powerful. They share their knowledge only with those properly initiated into their Order of the Sigil, and speak in the strange patois that is their unique language ? made up of equal parts Draconic, Infernal and Celestial phrases. (See the Book of Eldritch Might.)
Starman, you very nearly cost me my keyboard. Mental Note: No drinking iced tea while reading EN Boards. Wandering Humor tables in effect.
I am very much a believer in this philosophy. In fact, I've been told that some of my prestige classes (such as the Helliann or High Astrologer from Relics & Rituals 2: Lost Lore) are too powerful.
I hunt for balance (one of my rules of thumb is to compare the given ability of a certain level with what sorts of spells an equivalent character level class might be able to muster), but I have no hesitation about rewarding specialization.
For the most part, prestige classes in my books are about focus. Additionally, they often stem from organizations that have been around a long time. I don't hesitate to make these guys just a touch more butch because such organizations have been around for a while. They have a history of exploration into their preferred area of mastery (whether the tattoo-crafts of the Helliann or the astromancy of the High Astrologers).
When you take a level in one of these prestige classes, you aren't just "leveling up," picking up some information here and there, and learning things off the cuff with experimentation on your own, plus a little luck. You are given access to (in many cases) centuries of training and perfection of these talents, and it should count for something.
And yeah. I hate boring prestige classes. From the Blessed of Mesos getting Arcane Devourer cohorts (see Creature Collection 2: Dark Menagerie) to the High Chorister's ability to literally tap into the memories of the titan Denev to the Voice of Sumara learning greater skills and secrets by listening to the ever-present voices of the dead in her mind, I am all about cool and interesting abilities.
So many questions.
Oh, yes.
Mike Gill wrote a fine section on some of the unique instruments used in the Scarred Lands. We should even have illustrations for them.
Additionally, there are two areas where bards have the potential to get new "bardic music." Because my development mantra is "add, don't change," I refuse to allow my authors to tinker with the core classes.
(This, as an aside, is why we haven't changed any of the core D&D classes from the PHB, with the possible exception of arcane heat - I want people to be able to pick up our books and be able to use them in their home games without having to retrofit half the content.)
So, new bardic music comes from two places: Prestige Classes and the newly introduced Tradition Feat. Prestige Classes like the Shelzari eroticist learn to use dance to perform bardic magic, and their abilities reflect the strengths of that medium. Likewise, the rage-bringer learns to channel his bardic music into inciting barbarian-like rages in his allies, infuriating his foes to the point of detriment and the like.
Tradition Feats are unique uses for the bard's bardic music uses for the day. The Eroticist feat is one such, and most bardic traditions have developed their own uses, from the Hedradan Baerovian Chanters who learn a mind-calming chant to the Silver-String Tradition who use their alchemical silver-coated harp strings to play music that does Not Fun things to lycanthropes.
Basically, the Prestige Classes Appendix will begin with a section that tells you how to fit the prestige classes from various books into the Scarred Lands. First and foremost, we tell you where the DMG prestige classes go, from Dragon Disciples to Eldritch Knights to Horizon Walkers.
Then, we do likewise for Monte's Books of Eldritch Might. Let me give you an example:
Graven One
The tattoo-witches of the wood elven Ganjus may seem to share many traits with the Hellianns, but theirs is a power far more primal. With the ability to cause the beasts that decorate their very flesh to leap to life, as well as a deep rune-kenning, the Graven Ones of Vera-tre are as secretive and aloof as they are powerful. They share their knowledge only with those properly initiated into their Order of the Sigil, and speak in the strange patois that is their unique language ? made up of equal parts Draconic, Infernal and Celestial phrases. (See the Book of Eldritch Might.)
Starman, you very nearly cost me my keyboard.
Mental Note: No drinking iced tea while reading EN Boards. Wandering Humor tables in effect.I am very much a believer in this philosophy. In fact, I've been told that some of my prestige classes (such as the Helliann or High Astrologer from Relics & Rituals 2: Lost Lore) are too powerful.
I hunt for balance (one of my rules of thumb is to compare the given ability of a certain level with what sorts of spells an equivalent character level class might be able to muster), but I have no hesitation about rewarding specialization.
For the most part, prestige classes in my books are about focus. Additionally, they often stem from organizations that have been around a long time. I don't hesitate to make these guys just a touch more butch because such organizations have been around for a while. They have a history of exploration into their preferred area of mastery (whether the tattoo-crafts of the Helliann or the astromancy of the High Astrologers).
When you take a level in one of these prestige classes, you aren't just "leveling up," picking up some information here and there, and learning things off the cuff with experimentation on your own, plus a little luck. You are given access to (in many cases) centuries of training and perfection of these talents, and it should count for something.
And yeah. I hate boring prestige classes. From the Blessed of Mesos getting Arcane Devourer cohorts (see Creature Collection 2: Dark Menagerie) to the High Chorister's ability to literally tap into the memories of the titan Denev to the Voice of Sumara learning greater skills and secrets by listening to the ever-present voices of the dead in her mind, I am all about cool and interesting abilities.
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