Airwalkrr's Shatterscape OOC (D&D 3.5)

[hafrogman]

If we lack a cleric, I can also write up one of those character classes that cast cleric spells through a spellbook (name escapes me).

Archivist

Some interesting ideas floating around. If Arcanaman doesn't mind, I'd like to revise the Arcana Pact a little bit to make it between the elves and some other power. I kind of like not having any active gods floating around.

I think a Fey-based pact might work particularly well. The Sidhe/Seelie Court grant the elves power in exchange for extracting a promise to never use the magic to work against the natural order.

We could even combine the pact with Deuce Traveler's idea. During the time of the dreaming, a number of powerful dark elves were twisted into the drow. Their darks experiments went against the covenant, but they still possess their power, having struck a new bargain with darker fey powers that resent the alliance between the elves and the Sidhe.

This also creates a divide between the Drow, the race of evil elves; and characters like Lestrivius, who is still an elf, but has broken the pact and sought power from a new source. . . namely the devils in his case.

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As for characters, I was obviously considering an Akolite, which is why I bothered making it in the first place. But someone else expressed an interest, and I'm more than willing to step aside; as the whole thing was an excersize in creating a cleric that wasn't a cleric so that I could stand playing it. In general I prefer other classes anyway.

Maybe a dwarf. . . nobody has bothered to place them yet. . .

 

[GlassEye]

...If Arcanaman doesn't mind, I'd like to revise the Arcana Pact a little bit to make it between the elves and some other power. I kind of like not having any active gods floating around...

As for characters, I was obviously considering an Akolite, which is why I bothered making it in the first place. But someone else expressed an interest...

I like the refinement of the Arcanaman Pact that you've suggested Hafrogman. I, too, like the lack of (active) gods. I also appreciate the way things are intertwining.

As far as characters, if you want to play an Akolite then go for it. If you don't want to, then play what you want. You were the first of us to get involved so IMO you've got dibs on character choice. But I think groups (myself included!) get too caught up with filling required roles instead of just playing something that they think will be interesting and entertaining. Viva la Fun!

On that note, I'm feeling Arden as a character much more than I am Karyl. I'm working on developing her history, her current situation, and her stats. Rough rundown: Arden is a young woman who has developed an ability to shape chaos. This happened during an inexplicable sojourn into the dream plane which she doesn't understand, nor can she recreate even should she want to. She only survived by splintering off the fear that was incapacitating her (now her psicrystal which keeps up a panicked commentary on everything she does) and she only has the vaguest (bad) memories of the entire event. She has frequent nightmares. She could reappear anywhere within the world with no problem but I'm currently thinking a trading station, Brackwallow Landing, near the confluence of the Dyvvan and Dyne rivers chosen mostly because I have a feeling the Moorlands are gonna be one of the first destinations. Anyway, Arden feels this power she has and doesn't want is just striving to get out and cause havoc. Remembering stories of the Illene Mystics she plans to seek one out for aid. Crunchy bits so far: Psion (shaper) with Psicrystal Affinity, the Astral Construct power, and a plan to move to Illene Mystic (a sort of divine psionic/monk idea which I haven't even begun to create ). Commentary welcome.

 

[arcanaman]

That is a little more clear, arcanaman, but I still don't entirely understand what you mean when you say "necromancy was founded." We're operating under the core rule assumption that the eight schools of magic have always existed, even if they haven't always been recognized as formal schools of magic.

More good ideas, Deuce Traveler. I especially like the ideas behind the gnomes and their knack for illusory magic. An alleged tie-in between illusions and dreams is an interesting angle.

gotcha yeah before it was utilised by mortals then sorry

 

[airwalkrr]

So let me see if I can get our players and characters straight.

GlassEye: human psion/Illene mystic
hafrogman: dwarf akolite/cleric
arcanaman: elf wizard
Deuce Traveler: halfling rogue/archivist

Before you dive too deeply into character creation, let me offer up one other idea. I've never been too keen on the idea of multiclassing and prestige classes as written. However, I don't mind multclassing if you use gestalt rules and take an XP penalty (the XP penalty would vary depending on how complementary the gestalt combo is but is usually around 50%). And I don't mind reworking prestige classes so that they are just like any other 20-level class. Attached to this post are some examples. If any of you want to consider an option like this, let me know.

Edit: I realized there was an error in the eldritch knight spell progression. The document should be fixed now. If you had downloaded it before, check again to make sure they match up.

 

[Kenku17]

Hey if this is still recruiting, I am interested, and should have a character at least somewhat ready in a small bit....I already have some interesting ideas pertaining to him, among other things. As part of this I must quickly ask, are gods in play, or are we working with Greyhawks? (needed to know for a Clerical Order Im planning)

 

[Deuce Traveler]

airwalkrr, it looks like we might have a party healer, so I'll actually either go for a paladin or rogue. Most likely paladin since we will likely need a meat shield.

 

[airwalkrr]

Feel free to hop aboard, Kenku17. A couple more couldn't hurt. Thus far we have been pretty stingy about religion. The players have created one church (the Lawgiver) and rather than create different gods, there are different factions within the church. That said, while the area of the world we have devised so far predominantly follows this faith, you are by no means required to abide by that for your character. If you wish to create a patron deity for your character you are by all means encouraged to do so. Your character could simply be from another land where another religion is more prominent or be a member of a faith that has either fallen by the wayside or is up-and-coming.

I need more entries for the name of the setting, people. Every player ought to be able to think of at least one, even if you don't think it's very good, maybe it will spark someone else's imagination and they will come up with something good. Once I get a decent pool of setting names and world names, I'll make a short poll to see what we should call our setting. Then I will start putting these wonderful write-ups into the EN Wiki.

Updated party make-up:

GlassEye: human psion/Illene mystic
hafrogman: dwarf akolite/cleric
arcanaman: elf wizard
Deuce Traveler: paladin
Kenku17: cleric?

 

[Kenku17]

Umm...Im going to have to think on that then if I should make them set within the ways of the Lawgiver, or that of a chaotic god of the sky...but ill give you what I have thought on first, and if someone else wants to try to fit it in, be my guest.

[sblock=The order of the changing sky]
Within some of the larger cities of the great nation is a clerical/Wizardry order called "The Order of the Changing Sky". The Order of the changing sky follows the theories that while the future is always changing, with the right magic and guidance, a picture into it can be taken. They also believe that the sky is one of the easiest to predict, and have honed their skills on using their magics to help predict how the sky will change a couple days in the future, and have sometimes been praised for it. Such praise has unfortunately come with smite however, as there are times when a false forecast had caused for tragedies, and has caused many a time the hatred and death of thoes of the order. Thus the order is still very small, but do what they can for the cities they tend to.

Clerical Domains of the Order:Water, Air, Weather, Knowledge, Forecast(Ill have to think on this one...although I dunno if I will use it)[/sblock]

 

[hafrogman]

The Order of the Changing Sky:

An order of divinely inspired meterologists?

I could see them going both ways.

Under the Lawgiver, they are seen as making the ultimate sacrifice. Staring into the heart of chaos, and trying to impose laws and patterns upon it. However, they often seem a little bit touched by the chaos they court, and are often shunned for it, being the first to suffer when their predictions fail.

They would be a more scientific approach. Charts, records and math backed by predictive magic and prophetic visions.

As a heretical cult of Chaos, they would be those in a community who have touched Chaos far too deeply to ever return, now they flow and dance with it, as mutable as the very future they see. Normally they would be hunted down, but their predictions are beloved by the farmers, and thus their conspiracy with Chaos is looked upon with a kind of resigned benevolance.

This would be a more mystical order, they stare into the clouds for a moment, with eyes unseeing, and then utter their predictions for the coming days.

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Campaign Name:

The only thing that has come to mind is "Dreams Shatter". A sort of dual statement on the fragile nature of some dreams, and the destruction nature of others. I'm not very attached to the name, I just kind of like the sentiment.

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Characters:

Still kind of up in the air. Right now I've still got my idea for a human akolite, a son of a failing noble family who entered the Church as a route to power. Recently he's suffered a small set back, and is travelling to remove himself from the reach of his rivals, and to try and curry alliances in other areas.

My other thought is the dwarves, I have some ideas for what they're up to (suffice to say, they aren't doing better than anyone else), and thought a dwarven gladiator might be fun. Either a plain barbarian, or take another shot at class design, expanding a gladiator PrC, or making one from scratch. A flashy melee combatant with a focus on inflicting status effects over pure damage (bleeding, slowing, etc.), maybe some kind of perfom skill tie in as well.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Campaign name idea: Nightmares and Dreamscapes