Redclaw's Eyes of the Lich Queen (needs replacement casters)

[Redclaw]

The party's divine caster has gone MIA, and the arcane caster never made it to the IC thread, so I'm looking for replacements. The party currently consists of a duskblade, a crusader, a scout and a bard/crusader, so they really need a divine caster and could use an arcane caster with AoE capability as well. Please submit concepts with backgrounds that explain your presence in the jungles of Q'barra (you will start the adventure as captives of blackscale lizardfolk).


Character creation guidelines:
Level 5
Eberron setting
28 Point Buy
Races available: Core, Eberron core, Spellscale, Kobold (+ lizardfolk, for rerecruitment only)
Classes available: Core, Artificer, PHB II, Crusader, Favored Soul, Scout, Swashbuckler, Warmage
Starting Gold: 6,000 gp (yes, this is below average…but I’ll make it up to you)

 

[Bloodweaver1]

Sounds like fun.
I am thinking of either a favored soul or an artificier (are there any WF in the group?) if that is ok.
Standard Eberron divine rules?
What kind of magic items would the artificier be allowed to make with his craft reserve? (if at all)


-Blood

 

[Tyreus]

I have a gnome illusionist I've been wanting to play. If your allowing races of stone I could take the shadowcraft mage prc and become a decent AoE mage with the shadow evocation/conjuration spells.

Do you want players familiar with the Eberron setting? I have played a good number of Forgetton Realms games, but this would be my first Eberron game. I could just learn as I go or we could create a background story involving my character coming from an isolated area or even another plane of existence.

 

[Leif]

Average for 5th level is 9,000, which is why I promise to make it up to you.
The Spell Compendium is fine, although I don't own a copy so you'll need to give me the particulars, and I reserve the right to nix any spell I don't like. (I love the power inherent in being the DM. )
Complete Mage works, but since Complete Arcane spells made it into the SC I'd rather have you use the later versions.
As for Eberron, there might be a few extra challenges in not knowing the setting, but I bet you can get most of the useful info here. Pay special attention to action points and dragonmarks.

Okay. Acutally, as I was picking out spells, I pretty much filled up all my slots with just the PH. So no worries there. I was working up a Rogue 2, Wizard 3 if that will be ok? But, as I think about it now, I think that I'd probably rather go back and adjust him to Rogue 1, Wizard 4, or even just Wizard 5. (It's only 2 extra hp, after all, but all those extra skill points - especially for a rogue with a big int bonus - are hard to walk away from.) I was thinking of making him something of an amateur linguist, too. How's the party fixed for that?
Actually, I see now that you have interest from other players who seek to fill this slot. Will you make us all arm wrestle for it, or what?

 

[Leif]

I just read a little bit of your IC thread. Wow! As busy as I already am, I truly hope you pick me to join this group!!

 

[s@squ@tch]

I'd volunteer a PC from a campaign that never got off the ground, but I had really wanted to play -- a Wiz4/Sorcerer 1, headed towards Ultimate Magus PrC (C.Arcane).

He was a student at Morgrave University in Sharn, before his latent magical abilities manifested themselves. At which point, he decided that academia alone was not enough to fully satisfy his thirst for the underlying mechanics of magic. So he set out on his own, with his trusty raven familiar. He is just on the verge of something big, at least he thinks he is.

Personality wise, he is honest and dependable, but he is often caught preoccupied with some train of thought inside his head. He normally would prefer a musty tome and an easy chair to a loud, raucous tavern.

 

[Redclaw]

Bloodweaver--There are currently no warforged in the party, so some of the artificer's strengths would be less so. Still, with the use of magic items the artificer can be quite useful.
The favored soul is absolutely fine. The divine caster who I'm currently NPCing for his absentee player is a favored soul of the Flame.
Decide which you'd rather go with and pitch me the concept.

Tyreus--a gnome illusionist could be interesting. I think I'm going to say no to Races of Stone, as I don't own the book and am not a huge fan of what I know of the shadowcraft mage. That being said, there's no reason you need to focus on AoE, I had just observed that that was an area missing from the current party's repertoire.

Leif--Thanks for the positive feedback. I think we're all having fun with it so far.
The rogue/wizard combo is fine by me, but with the scout in the party already, you'd want to avoid too much overlap in your sneaky natures. The party isn't heavily languaged at this point, so that would be appreciated, I'm sure. They have a few, but are missing many.
As for how I'm choosing, it's about what I think is the best fit for the current party. I see the current players as my first priority, and therefore will do my best to select characters that will work best with the group as it currently exists. All else being equal, I also love a good concept/background. Since this is really a collaborative storytelling exercise, I want the players who are most likely to add interest and excitement through their characters.

S@squ@atch--I'm fine with the ultimate magus, and think the conflict between education and latent talent can be an interesting one, especially with a bard and a duskblade in the party representing the different sides. My only question is why someone with that much focus on melding the two magics together would leave his studies to go into the wild jungle of Q'barra.

 

[pathfinderq1]

I could put together a druid, if that would fit the bill for a divine caster. What is the outlook on the racial substitution levels from Races of Eberron? If they are in play, I'd probably go for a shifter druid, using the substitutions- most likely a Dreamsight shifter, angling for Moonspeaker (though it is unlikely this adventure would progress that far, as minimum level is 9); she would be on a visionquest as part of her studies.

If the substitutions are a no-go, I'd probably go with a halfling druid- with a riding dog companion/steed and Jorasco dragonmark. He would be working on the "frontier" to avoid having to go to work for the House.

 

[Redclaw]

Pathfinder--I'm fine with the substitution levels. Druids are, of course, perfectly viable divine casters, as long as you're willing to accept the role as the primary healer. Of course, a couple of wands will do a lot of the work.

 

[s@squ@tch]

I'm thinking that Hedowin has reached the glass-ceiling at Morgrave University. He recently had a breakthrough on his own, in which he could manifest minor magics without the aid of long, studious sessions in the library. Sorcerers are not uncommon in Khorvaire, but sorcery was seen as something inherent, and not compatible with hours of intense studying of arcane symbols and runes.

He advanced his ideas upon his teachers about the intermingling of prepared and spontaneous magics, which they wanted to hear nothing about. Instead, they instructed him to get back to his tomes and books, like a good wizard would.

He had practiced each day, trying to find any connection or bridge between his two talents, but so far has come up short -- much like feeling that the answer is there right in front of him but he cannot quite see it.

His studies now have been directed (in secret) to gathering more information on any reference in the old tomes to others who pondered the same questions he did.

After several weeks of sleeping in the library, he unearthed an odd reference to a "Sargeen", who was ostracized hundreds of years ago for advancing questions similar to his own. After successfully slipping past the wards put in place by the Masters, Hedowin was able to infiltrate the basement record room for the University. It took him several nights to track down the students history -- this "Sargeen" summarily was expelled from the University, was was rumored to head back to his homeland in Q'barra.

Now, Hedowin feels that there is nothing more for him to learn at the University, and is now preparing to set out into the real world in search of Sargeen -- although he is expected to have joined the Host many decades before now. Any reference, journal, or notes hopefully could help spur the breakthrough that Hedowin feels that is so close...