Designing Elric of Melnibone

[Garthanos]

If you wanted to give it a set of racial traits then I would suggest Revenant, for the virtual unkillability.

How does the revenant unkillability work? Warforged not failing death saves I get.

One issue on the model.. how do you attack stormbringer? does it simply have defenses as normal... and a whopping armorclass.
Stormbringer could certain be unconscious... weirdly enough and elric could warlord it awake (though unlikely anyone else could).

Does it have something which prevents coup de grace ;-)

 

[Ryujin]

How does the revenant unkillability work? Warforged not failing death saves I get.

One issue on the model.. how do you attack stormbringer? does it simply have defenses as normal... and a whopping armorclass.

I believe that the Revenant schtick works by letting you take an extra standard action when you drop to 0hp. Given how rarely Stormbringer would likely be targeted, that makes it a pretty tough kill. The +2 CON works too, though not so much the +2 DEX.

The Revenant's Dark Reaping (extra d8+CON necrotic damage if a foe within 5 squares drops to 0hp, as an encounter power) also fits quite well with my vision of the sword. Revenant just has the right feel for me though, whereas a better mechanical choice like Half Elf doesn't.

Yes, I'd give it a huge AC. It would have it's own WIL and FOR. Since Elric is wielding it most of the time I'd give it his REF. The NADs could be bolstered by an assumed "neck item" appropriate to it's level.

 

[Garthanos]

My son is reading the books... I am going to re-read them shortly.

I recall Elrics magics having a broader area of effect or reach than we seem to see with the spells in D&D.

Having rules in D&D which governed PC's gaining access to and control over minions could be appropriate to Elric...his minions were often the Elementals and aside from (at the beginning of the story ...prelude as it were ) the only time he gained access to melnibonean minions were when he had the help of another Melnibonean. Warlords buffing minions.

There was someone presenting houserules for another type of Warlord (though they built it as a fresh class - The Noble).

 

[Garthanos]

Yes, I'd give it a huge AC. It would have it's own WIL and FOR. Since Elric is wielding it most of the time I'd give it his REF. The NADs could be bolstered by an assumed "neck item" appropriate to it's level.

IF warforged.. it could integrate objects for things like oh.... pommel stones....

 

[Garthanos]

Stormbringer gets one attack based on its attack ability and Elric gets one based on his... the fact that Elric is wielding the blade is superfluous unless Stormbringer gets a form of boost from its ally... alah the warforged bonus for an adjacent ally?

And vice versi? for SB to enhance elrics attack it needs a power to influence his power.
Your having the blade absorb from other kills near by is not bad then the kill which is technically elrics works for both of them.

 

[Garthanos]

Stormbringer gets one attack based on its attack ability and Elric gets one based on his... the fact that Elric is wielding the blade is superfluous unless Stormbringer gets a form of boost from its ally... alah the warforged bonus for an adjacent ally?

And vice versi? for SB to enhance elrics attack it needs a power to influence his power.
Your having the blade absorb from other kills near by is not bad then the kill which is technically elrics works for both of them.

Even if one builds with cheddar there needs to be things like why SB is not very directly attack-able -- Wizards and Clerics using anti-demon magics are indeed rather likely to attack SB directly.

Stormbringer counts as a demon and and the Warforged classification.

 

[Ryujin]

My son is reading the books... I am going to re-read them shortly.

I recall Elrics magics having a broader area of effect or reach than we seem to see with the spells in D&D.

Having rules in D&D which governed PC's gaining access to and control over minions could be appropriate to Elric...his minions were often the Elementals and aside from (at the beginning of the story ...prelude as it were ) the only time he gained access to melnibonean minions were when he had the help of another Melnibonean. Warlords buffing minions.

There was someone presenting houserules for another type of Warlord (though they built it as a fresh class - The Noble).

I wonder if we might be approaching the 'summoning' aspect of Elric in the wrong way? I've tossed around the idea that he might be an Mage, Invoker, Sorcerer, etc.... but what I keep coming back to is that 4e simply doesn't allow for access to instant rituals until you hit Epic, and then only in a limited fashion. What if the elementals he summons were considered just the skin on existing powers?

Need a fireball? March a fire elemental around the field for a few rounds, while sustaining.

Thunderwave? Air elementals arrive and start tossing your opponents off handy cliffs.

Reskinning the powers for theatrics, rather than trying to find something that has the actual visuals stated, seems to be the most prudent option. In this way a classic 4e Wizard, even one who multi classed in from Paladin, can fit the bill quite handily.

 

[Garthanos]

Revenant just has the right feel for me though, whereas a better mechanical choice like Half Elf doesn't.

Wow that line needs explaining? -ie what half-elf abiities ?

 

[Ryujin]

Even if one builds with cheddar there needs to be things like why SB is not very directly attack-able -- Wizards and Clerics using anti-demon magics are indeed rather likely to attack SB directly.

Stormbringer counts as a demon and and the Warforged classification.

Well Stormbringer appears to be just a sword, and so wouldn't be directly attacked all that much. There were very few in the books who either suspected or knew its true nature. Even Elric was on the fence about it most of the time.

Area powers that would effect Stormbringer are many but it would have a rather large defence number, a pretty good number of hits for something that is rarely attacked, and a pretty good number of surges. Getting hit by such a power would likely explain the famous Stormbringer wail.

 

[Ryujin]

Wow that line needs explaining? -ie what half-elf abiities ?

Sorry, I meant attribute bonuses. Having +2 CHA and +2 CON from Half Elf would be more beneficial than just +2 CON from Revenant, but Revenant has a better fit.