D&D 4E Converting 4E to Al-Qadim

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

I actually think you could drop the sorceror completely and just have wizards.

But you could then introduce a series of feats that let wizards get elemental affiliation and say they couldn't have more than two.

Or that they get one initiate feat and then either a second initiate or a dedicated feat.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

How do you handle the desert warrior?

Produce something like a 'Superior Mounted Combat' feat?

 

[Kralin Thornberry]

Probably go with the Superior Mounted combat. Sorry been offline lately, nuked my computer by accident.

 

[Quickleaf]

I made a post over here about 4e Al-Qadim.

I'd follow the DMG's advice about running a swashbuckling game and give PCs a bonus to their defense (+1/5 levels) instead of heavy armor.

After looking over the kits, I realized a few things:
* Holy Slayers could be their own class (divine striker)
* Sha'ir fits as a warlock, though a new pact would be needed (perhaps one that doesn't involve killing your foe?)
* Rogues get a lot of kits in Al-Qadim, so I'd play up their differences with variant features/builds/available skills
* I'd save Rawun (bard), Kahin (druid), and Mystic (shaman?) for when those classes come out in PHB2.

CLERIC
I like Cryptos' "Channel Divinity" feats to differentiate Al-Qadim clerics, those are very evocative, though I wonder if they could provide a more interesting benefit than a bonus to skills. You might consider making up some tweaks to class feature/new power for the hakima. The old 2e hakima didn't have any combat capability - I'd instead design her as a cleric variant.

FIGHTER*
Askar
Mercenary Barbarian

PALADIN*
Faris

RANGER*
Corsair
Desert Rider

ROGUE
Sa'luk (Trickster Rogue build)
Barber (Trickster Rogue build)
Beggar-thief (Trickster Rogue build)
matrud (Brawny Rogue build)
Merchant-rogue (Trickster Rogue build)

WARLOCK
Sha'ir

WARLORD*
Mamluk

*any of these classes could be a desert rider, or even a corsair under the right circumstances

WIZARD
Ajami
Elemental Mage
Sorcerer

---------------------------------
Here's how a 4e Al-Qadim kit might look....

BARBER (Rogue)
Build: Trickster Rogue
Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Heal, History, Insight, Intimidate, Perception, Stealth, Streetwise, Thievery
Suggested Feats: ((make up some new ones)) Grooming, Ear to the Ground, Fascinate

Exploit Advantage (Alternate Rogue Class Feature)
Replaces: Rogue Weapon Talent
When you have combat advantage increase your weapon damage die one size. Against a flanked foe you gain +1 attack.





p.s. to shamelessly promote my book, you might check out Tales of the Caliphate Nights for True20. Lots of good ideas in there.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Tales is a good book.

And may end up being a pretty primary source for any Arabian Adventures I do. My copy of Al-Quadim is missing.

Fortunately, I still have the Sha'ir's handbook.

 

[Quickleaf]

Tales is a good book.

And may end up being a pretty primary source for any Arabian Adventures I do. My copy of Al-Quadim is missing.

Thank you

Not to resurrect an old thread, but I did some brainstorming about Al-Qadim and advancing the storyline 30 years or so for 4e.

Al-Qadim 4e
* The Grand Caliph is an old man, having secured peace throughout his demesnes. Now, his three sons are poised to take the throne, each with their own vision for Zakhara; mortal and djinni alike flock to their banners.
* Far away, in a nomad camp, a shepherd’s daughter uncovers a magic scroll which scholars reveal as a lost law of the Loregiver – a religious upheaval occurs over its meaning just when the scroll is stolen from the Grand Caliph’s palace.
*Rebelling against attempts of the Grand Caliph’s court to civilize the nomad people, the Ghost Tribes begin raiding, descending upon cities like a swarm of locusts only to vanish into the winds with the aid of kahin allies.
*Their stolen goods are traded at ports where fishermen and corsairs whisper of the return of the mighty kingdom of reef giants floating on the backs of island-sized sea turtles – their rajas defy the Grand Caliph’s legitimacy.
*New trade routes open to Akota, and emissaries cross the sweeping desert with wondrous goods, bringing new cultures and ideas with them; however, war looms on the horizon over a disputed territory, and rakshasa infiltrators exacerbate the conflict.
*The "Shadow Caliph" opposes the Grand Caliph's legitimacy, waging a psychological war of terror, manipulating holy slayers to do his bidding.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

I'm very happy to see it resurrected.

I had been thinking about moving the timeline up or over as well.


* The Choking Coast - Decades of Drought have crippled the cities of the Southwestern shores. In the Fall and Spring horrible dust storms accompanied by barbarian raiders shut down all communication between the cities. The populations beyond their walls have become refugees and the lands between them wastes occupied only by madmen and hermits living in fortified keeps and cool dungeons.

 

[Quickleaf]

I had been thinking about moving the timeline up or over as well.

Or...over?

[/quote]* The Choking Coast[/quote]
southwestern shores? The pearl cities you mean? I think the idea of a drought creating dust storms is great, but I wonder if that robs the pearl cities of some of their wonder? how would you reconcile "the choking coast" with the motif of the pearl cities?

What other major themes were there in Al-Qadim besides the Grand Caliph being unable to have a son? I seem to remember something about the Old Man of the Mountain, Grandfather of holy slayers. Anything else?

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Or...over?


southwestern shores? The pearl cities you mean? I think the idea of a drought creating dust storms is great, but I wonder if that robs the pearl cities of some of their wonder? how would you reconcile "the choking coast" with the motif of the pearl cities?

What other major themes were there in Al-Qadim besides the Grand Caliph being unable to have a son? I seem to remember something about the Old Man of the Mountain, Grandfather of holy slayers. Anything else?

Over, as in alternate.

Well, the Grand Caliph's infertility was a big one, but there were a number of others.

- Yakmen conspiracies
- The Elemental Wizard Cults
- Ghul Lord Threats
- The fate of various Unenlightened cults or hinterland Barbarians
- Intrigues in the Genie courts
- The Reemergence of the Geomancers
- The Possibility of Foriegn Invasion or Intervention

But I think the big ones were regional:

- The Political Instability of the Cities of the Heart
- The Decadence of Huzuz
- The Youth of the Pearl Cities
- The Growing Power/Moral Indolence of the Mamluks
- The Viability of the Northern Cities
- The Fury of the Cities of the Pantheon
- The Slumbering Dragon of the Cities of the Ancients
- The Wealth and Isolation of Afyal


For me the Choking Coast fits as an event in the Pearl Cities because they seemed to be disunified enough to be complicated in responding to a crisis, but not so diverse as to be incapable of unified response as with the Cities of the North.

Plus the Pearl Cities had the most mysterious interior.

 

[Quickleaf]

Well, the Grand Caliph's infertility was a big one, but there were a number of others.

- Yakmen conspiracies

The infertility was the yakmen's plan right?

- The Elemental Wizard Cults

The Brotherhood of Flame is the only one i recall, but their motives seemed undefined.

- Ghul Lord Threats

Did the Ghul Lords have an objective besides conquest & cannibalism?

- The fate of various Unenlightened cults or hinterland Barbarians

I recall the tension between tribes wanting (or being compelled) to civilize vs. those rejecting the lure of city-life (and possibly taking up arms). I imagine this would be an important theme in AQ4E, perhaps included themes of forced relocation of tribes.

- Intrigues in the Genie courts

Was there a specific big theme around this? I can't recall.

- The Reemergence of the Geomancers

That was the theme behind Ruined Kingdoms, right? What were the geomancers after?

- The Possibility of Foriegn Invasion or Intervention

While I always felt there was great potential for this, I never saw anything about it in the products. I think a Persian-inspired region and an India-inspired region would be great additions. What was Akota modeled on again?

- The Political Instability of the Cities of the Heart

Do you mean something else besides Hiyal's competition with Huzuz?

- The Decadence of Huzuz

It was always bizarre to me that Huzuz was both political and religious center of Zakhara. Both decadent and a pilgrimage site. Weird.

- The Youth of the Pearl Cities

Hmm. Your choking coast idea could be the formative event of the young cities - by surviving together a new sense of cohesive identity emerges.

- The Growing Power/Moral Indolence of the Mamluks

Perhaps they plan to secede or challenge the throne of the Grand Caliph?

- The Viability of the Northern Cities

If a foreign power were to invade, this would be the place to start, as the northern cities were fractitious. Maybe it is here, away from the eyes of heartland, that the nomad civilizing program is tested for viability throughout the caliphate?

- The Fury of the Cities of the Pantheon

I always pictured a common man's prophet rising from the region espousing a liberation theology and attempting to coerce the leaders into separating from the Grand Caliphate. Perhaps it was the prophet (and/or allies?) who summoned the drought upon the Pearl Cities?

- The Slumbering Dragon of the Cities of the Ancients

Whoa. Dragon?