A "What if you're stuck with Golden Wyvern?" thread

[erf_beto]

I see them less as taxonomic descriptors than as 'techniques' perhaps passed down from master to student.

Presumably, the techniques themselves are so ancient that their origins are lost in legend and myth.

I imagine that names such as Iron Sigil and Emeral Frost are invoked in similar fashion as the obfuscating esoterica used by alechemists and mystics (e.g. 'Tears of the Red Dragon', "The Black Sun's Fire', and 'Vesica piscis')

Exactly. GWA looks like a form of metamagic, a Spell Secret discovered by an arcane order. If I don't like the fluff, I'll probably say these orders were eradicated from the world centuries ago, but the references in spell books and dusty old tomes remain. It will be flavor, just like 'bat guano' (I never tracked spell components, ever)

 

[Epic Meepo]

My question: how do you explain why he uses these names.

They're the names of the towers where he studied magic at the local Hogwarts campus. Duh.

 

[Oldtimer]

I don't need to explain the names. I'll throw that stuff right out of my PHB!

 

[The Little Raven]

I don't need to explain the names. I'll throw that stuff right out of my PHB!

But... but... but... you can't do that! According to some groups of anti-4e people, if it's in the PHB, you have absolutely NO CHOICE but to use it...

...didn't you get the memo?

 

[KingCrab]

Who taught the Wizard his magic?

Their master was a "Golden Wyvern Adept", obviously. He may learn from other schools of magic - but that's later.

It's the name of the Order his master belonged to.

I very much hope that's not the case. It implies this specific order exists in every campaign setting. With a bunch of other feats with fancy names, they may have to be well over a dozen orders assumed to be in every campaign setting . (Of course you could change the names of these orders to whatever you like but this is time consuming.)

It would be much better to assume the name refers to a secret ability (like a secret martial arts move) that wizards of any order might learn. This means whatever the orders (if any) of wizards are named, you wouldn't really have to change the name of the feat if you didn't want to.

 

[BryonD]

But... but... but... you can't do that! According to some groups of anti-4e people, if it's in the PHB, you have absolutely NO CHOICE but to use it...

...didn't you get the memo?

link please?

 

[The Little Raven]

link please?

Sure thing.

Which means every campaign world and homebrew is going to have Golden Wyven Adepts, and Emerald Frostian Wizards, and Lightning Panther Strikers.

http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=3912205&postcount=6
http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=3912307&postcount=12

Irda Ranger claiming that since the wizard traditions are listed in the PHB, they HAVE to be in everyone's homebrew campaign setting. He uses Dark Sun as an example in the second post.

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=212785

There's also that thread, which has a good number of people that seem to think that because halflings are described as river/swamp dwellers that they are somehow forced to use them in that way.

 

[Stogoe]

There's also that thread, which has a good number of people that seem to think that because halflings are described as river/swamp dwellers that they are somehow forced to use them in that way.

Exactly. My halflings (in my campaign's starting region, anyways) are distrustful shepherds. It remains to be seen what foreign halflings will be like once the party moves beyond their hometown.

 

[Cadfan]

link please?

This is not actually true. I myself receive a small but pleasant stipend from Wizards of the Coast (TM) for breaking the occasional knee in the alley behind my Friendly Local Gaming Store (TM). We get official D&D (TM) tire irons.

I'm not supposed to tell you that, but the last time their lawyer tried to enforce the D&D (TM) Non Disclosure Agreement against me, I broke the guy's knee.

http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=3912272&postcount=220

 

[captaincursor]

Obviously you make it the mascot for the boarding house within the school that the wizard attended when they were taught magic.

I use Griffendoooooo....errrr I mean GOLDEN WYVERN ADEPT strike!!!!

And I'm only partially kidding when I say that.