The Romance of the River Kingdoms

[Dr Simon]

Note on spellcasters

Under old Imperial law, spellcasters are required to register with the local authorities whereever they go, or risk execution. This law is continued, to varying degrees, in the former Imperial lands of the River Kingdoms.

There is no mechanical benefit to registering or not, but it sets the style of your character and the kinds of things that will happen to them.

Registered spellcasters are known as jiunsami. They have a passport which must be stamped whenever they arrive in a new settlement (finding who does this can sometimes be a chore in itself). In return, jiunsami are required by law to assist (if called) in dealing with any magical threats that the local authorities may be experiencing (pretty much standard adventuring fare, really).

Unregistered spellcasters are known as tabusami. If caught using magic they risk anything from fines to imprisonment and execution. Playing a tabusami is all about evading the law as long as possible.

Note that this usually applies to arcane casters, druids and shamans. Clerics are often exempt, depending on the local authorities. Bards are more often than not considered spellcasters. Rangers and paladins are generally not considered spellcasters.
The main criteria are:
1) Looking like a magician (pointy hat with Wizzard written on it)
2) Casting flashy spells in front of people
3) Casting harmful spells is the one that will bring on a death sentence

 

[Blackrat]

I'm trying to come up with background but can't make up much.

[sblock=Three Peach-Flowers In The Moonlight]A rich man had been blessed with a beautiful child. As perfect as "three peach flowers floating on a pond in the light of full moon" had the childs mother said. And everyone agreed. The word spread of this wonder and patrons of many merchant clans came to see their rival's beautiful child. Soon even the rulers of nearby cities had heard of the man and it brought him fame and with it even more wealth. The child grew and his beauty grew greater, but people soon forgot about him as people do.

One day a wise woman was travelling through the land and saw a child playing in a peach-garden. The beauty of the sight enamored the woman and she asked a nearby villager who was this child. She was told and though she soon resumed her journey she never forgot.

Years later a rich young man was practising his swordarm. Every slash perfected for elegance. Style was in his blood. Suddenly he was interrupted by clearing of throat. A messenger was standing behind him, and the man silently created a poem about his annoyance in his mind. But he took the letter with a smile and sent the messenger away. A day later he was already on his way, not knowing what to think about this mysterious letter.[/sblock]

 

[Dr Simon]

I'm trying to come up with background but can't make up much.

That would probably do to be going on with. I don't know if the Rec.Games.FRP.Advocacy Usenet group is still going, but there used to be long discussions about the relative merits of 'Design at Start (DAS)' and 'Design in Play (DIP)' characters, i.e. do you have a detailed background worked out or do you start with a fairly blank character and see where he goes? Either works for me.

 

[Shayuri]

Thanks for the info about spellcasting! That adds an interesting level of depth for my character.

When making sorcerors, I like to try to 'theme' the magic. For Nainekchai, I'm interested in their connection to the spirit world...perhaps making 'spirit magic' a theme. For an eagle, I can also see possibility in a "sun magic" theme, using light and radiance and fire spells...

Alternatively, air magic perhaps. And there's some room for mixing and matching, I suppose.

You do limit spell selection to SRD though, right? That would be important for me to consider when determining what themes would be appropriate.

 

[Blackrat]

Yeah I think I'll leave it at that for now. Both styles have merits and I'll go with more open background this time. So if you would check my sheet at RG for any possible mistakes. If it's okay I think I'm ready.

 

[The Rolling Man]

Thanks for the info on the shaman, I'll try to look at that and have my character done and posted by the end of the day.

 

[Walking Dad]

New idea/request: I thought Ape a bit of an martial artist. Can I swap out the Favoured x for Martial Arts feats?

1. Improved Unarmed Strike
5.?
10.?

It would be more for flavor than anything else.

 

[The Rolling Man]

Ok, a few extra questions about the shaman:

1. Do shamans have the same number of spell per day as a normal druid or do they have one more spell per day of each spell level they can cast like other spontanious divine spellcasters (as presented in UA) ?
2. The travel domain power includes gaining survival as a class skill (which druids already have). Could I get Knowledge (geography) instead ?
3. What about 0-lvl spells ? Domains don't list any.
4. I'm guessing 'spirits' creatures are pretty numerous in your setting ?

 

[Dr Simon]

Blackrat: All seems in order to me. Languages: Low Imperial (Common), High Imperial.

Shayuri: Yes, SRD only (mainly for ease of reference). Although I'm not averse to changing the spells a bit to team with a theme. Changing energy type, for example, of simply the non-mechanical FX.
Another possibility, that I've been toying with, is to allow access to clerical domains as a bonus spell list, via a feat. The spells alone are probably too weak for a feat, but with domain power maybe too strong (War would give a free feat plus extra, for example), so some other extra (minor). For Fire or Sun, for example, perhaps the ability to cast light at will.
A further idea that needs development is that of geomantic magic, perhaps with feats tied to the five geomantic creatures of Conclave. However, geomantic magic (The Path of Water and Mountains) is more a wizard thing, relying as it does on precise ritual and preparation. That said, the principles of Golden Crow (centre, sun, rulership) and Ruby Horse (west, hills, fire, artistic inspiration) may have thematic ties to your character (my avatar, BTW, is Bronze Porpoise)

Walking Dad: I'll allow it (maybe Improved Grapple at 5th?), but see how it goes. It has slightly more utility than Favoured Enemy in that it can be used for any encounter but if it doesn't prove to unbalancing then it should be fine.

Rolling Man: Thinking about it, it ought to be Spells Per Day as per the Sorcerer list (with Wisdom as the casting stat for bonus spells, save DC etc.) i.e. 5/3 plus bonus spells. No problem with the change in skills. 0th level spells as per Druid. 'Spirit' is a subtype that applies to many undead, outsiders, aberrations, magical beasts, dragons etc. so yes, they are quite common!

 

[Walking Dad]

Blackrat: All seems in order to me. Languages: Low Imperial (Common), High Imperial.

Shayuri: Yes, SRD only (mainly for ease of reference). Although I'm not averse to changing the spells a bit to team with a theme. Changing energy type, for example, of simply the non-mechanical FX.
Another possibility, that I've been toying with, is to allow access to clerical domains as a bonus spell list, via a feat. The spells alone are probably too weak for a feat, but with domain power maybe too strong (War would give a free feat plus extra, for example), so some other extra (minor). For Fire or Sun, for example, perhaps the ability to cast light at will.
A further idea that needs development is that of geomantic magic, perhaps with feats tied to the five geomantic creatures of Conclave. However, geomantic magic (The Path of Water and Mountains) is more a wizard thing, relying as it does on precise ritual and preparation. That said, the principles of Golden Crow (centre, sun, rulership) and Ruby Horse (west, hills, fire, artistic inspiration) may have thematic ties to your character (my avatar, BTW, is Bronze Porpoise)

Walking Dad: I'll allow it (maybe Improved Grapple at 5th?), but see how it goes. It has slightly more utility than Favoured Enemy in that it can be used for any encounter but if it doesn't prove to unbalancing then it should be fine.

Rolling Man: Thinking about it, it ought to be Spells Per Day as per the Sorcerer list (with Wisdom as the casting stat for bonus spells, save DC etc.) i.e. 5/3 plus bonus spells. No problem with the change in skills. 0th level spells as per Druid. 'Spirit' is a subtype that applies to many undead, outsiders, aberrations, magical beasts, dragons etc. so yes, they are quite common!

@Domain spell feats: Cool idea. Would it for example be possible to "learn" the spirt domain after learning from a shaman?

@Martial Arts Feats: Thanks Imp. Grapple at level 5 sounds good.

@Spells per day: Would this affect Ape, too? I would like to use it.

BTW: Is there a "druidic" language in the setting?