Bits and Pieces of Worlds & Monsters

[kennew142]

Worlds and Monsters also notes that despite the fact that the Shadar-Kai look like exiles from "Hellraiser," they're not automatically an evil race like the Drow. Of course, like the Raven Queen, this doesn't mean that they're automatically good, either.

I noticed the Hellraiser similarities myself. Horror is my favorite genre (and Barker one of my favorite authors), and I can use this new shadar-kai. They're cool.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm betting on Assassins as shadow strikers, and Necromancers as shadow controllers. But maybe they'll fit Illusionists in there somewhere, too?

All in all, this is pretty cool stuff.

If Assassins are Shadow Strikers I shall weep. Can't they at least call them "Shadow Assassins" or something. It's such a commonly used word in fantasy that making it into a wierd specific magical deal would seem a bit mmmmm annoying to me. "So he's an assassin?" "No an Assassin!" "But he's all about assassinating people?" "Well, he's more about using the powah of SHADOH to chop people up but yeah I hear he kills people for money too.". It just makes me roll my eyes. Can't Shadow Dancers (like the PrC) be the Shadow Striker?

I really think Assassin needs to be a 11-20 or 21-30 "path" or whatever they're calling it for Rogues.

 

[Remathilis]

If Assassins are Shadow Strikers I shall weep. Can't they at least call them "Shadow Assassins" or something. It's such a commonly used word in fantasy that making it into a wierd specific magical deal would seem a bit mmmmm annoying to me. "So he's an assassin?" "No an Assassin!" "But he's all about assassinating people?" "Well, he's more about using the powah of SHADOH to chop people up but yeah I hear he kills people for money too.". It just makes me roll my eyes. Can't Shadow Dancers (like the PrC) be the Shadow Striker?

I really think Assassin needs to be a 11-20 or 21-30 "path" or whatever they're calling it for Rogues.

Assassins have already been mentioned as a paragon path. However, there is PLENTY of room for a assassin-striker class. But it will be called Ninja, not assassin.

And I think Hexblade might be a good candidate for a shadow-defender. In fact

Shadow Defender: Hexblade
Shadow Leader: Necromancer
Shadow Controller: Illusionist
Shadow Striker: Ninja

Works well for me.

 

[Stormtalon]

I noticed the Hellraiser similarities myself. Horror is my favorite genre (and Barker one of my favorite authors), and I can use this new shadar-kai. They're cool.

I'm almost hoping Shadar-kai will have a stub of "use them as PCs" in the back of the MM like a few others (Gnome, Warforged) are expected to get. That would be nifty as all get-out. Dunno if I'd use 'em, but the option would ROCK.

 

[The Little Raven]

It's such a commonly used word in fantasy that making it into a wierd specific magical deal would seem a bit mmmmm annoying to me.

Well, 3e assassins were effin' weird. I mean... SPELLCASTERS?! WTF!?

If they were Shadow-source Strikers in 4e, it would just be an evolution of their "assassins aren't what you think they are" concept from 3e.

I really think Assassin needs to be a 11-20 or 21-30 "path" or whatever they're calling it for Rogues.

Yeah... I see no need for anything but the Rogue class (and maybe some multiclassing if you want to throw in some ranged assassination) to represent assassins.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

At a deeper level, I prefer fantasy worlds to have a fantasy 'physics' rather than a Vancian/Gygaxian magic-on-real-physics scheme.

The lightning rail, of course, doesn't have any kind of wheel, and works rather like a super-sized Tenser's floating disk effect - it's force holding the carriages up, and bound elementals providing movement.

Likewise, airships aren't powered by engines and kept aloft by wings; they're buoyed up by magically-light wood and enchantments, and powered by bound elementals. They're also clearly related to ships, not airplanes.

So I'm not exactly sure where your objections come from, except inasmuch as you might prefer huge magical beasts and golems to bound elementals and vehicles vaguely similar to trains and boats. Eberron's magical transport is pretty clearly based on existing (or easily extrapolated) D&D magical "physics".

 

[Stogoe]

I really see the Ninja as set aside for a Ki power source in a 4e Oriental Adventures, so no, I don't think Ninja is appropriate for the Shadow power source. I do think the Hexblade as Shadow Defender would be pretty sweet, though.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Well, 3e assassins were effin' weird. I mean... SPELLCASTERS?! WTF!?

If they were Shadow-source Strikers in 4e, it would just be an evolution of their "assassins aren't what you think they are" concept from 3e.

Assassins should have been Divine Casters, since the word Assassin comes from Hashishin an ancient Islamic order. I'm hoping that whatever the Divine Striker is, it turns out to be much like that concept.

 

[The Little Raven]

Assassins should have been Divine Casters, since the word Assassin comes from Hashishin an ancient Islamic order.

Well, if the Hashshashin are going to be the basis, then shouldn't their Power Source be Pot/Ganja/Weed/The Stick Icky/The Big Green/Doja/Grass/Puff/Smoke/The Crip/The Chronic or whatever it ended up being named?

I'm hoping that whatever the Divine Striker is, it turns out to be much like that concept.

I'm hoping for "Inquisitor."

 

[GreatLemur]

Well, 3e assassins were effin' weird. I mean... SPELLCASTERS?! WTF!?

If they were Shadow-source Strikers in 4e, it would just be an evolution of their "assassins aren't what you think they are" concept from 3e.

I dig where you're coming from. There is no sense at all in assassins wielding any kind of magic by default. Still, I could deal with the 4e Assassin being a "Shadow Striker" by rationalizing that the class just represents some kind of shadow warrior. Most actual assassins, therefor, wouldn't be Assassins, but Rogues (note the capitals for game terms).