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Eve of Mirkwood [Full]
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<blockquote data-quote="Dlsharrock" data-source="post: 4201258" data-attributes="member: 55833"><p>[SBLOCK=Fenris: ]Which variant class druid is this? Just the basic variant (swap Wild Shape for Swift and Deadly Hunter) or the avenger variant? I noticed in your background he's quite vengeful.</p><p></p><p>Personally I would make some adjustments in this respect. I think the game has enough fighters and warriors-on-the-make and he *is* a druid. My own take would be that, yes, he returned to Thranduil's halls but didn't fit in and chose to leave of his own volition, though he was probably 50% pushed out by the Elves and internal politics too. The Elves of Mirkwood can be pretty harsh (witness their treatment of the dwarves in The Hobbit) and even if he didn't speak of his treatment in Dol Guldur, they'd still sense the growing nugget of chaos inside him. Once back in the woods he'd still need to stay north of the mountains, where there are no orcs, and live empathitically, honing his druidic skills and lending his healing services to animals and birds. In the south life would be impossible. The woods are just too dangerous. To keep some elements of the vengeance idea, I'm adjusting his staff. See below!</p><p></p><p>Would he venture to Lake-Town or Dale? The Men of those towns are somewhat prejudiced against Elves, but he might be able to lend healing skills there. Why he'd do that remains to be seen. He'd have no need for money nor any compunction to help Men. So I'd suggest until now he's only used his healing magics and skills on animals and birds, which would also explain his low level in this class for someone 50 years of age <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />.</p><p>I would suggest dropping the vengeful roaming warrior idea and keep Thalion relatively passive. When his chaotic urges increase you can roleplay a more aggressive nature perhaps? However you see it panning out. I just think there are enough warriors to be going on with.</p><p></p><p>My plan is to bring Thalion to the logging camp in order to heal someone there. My original device for doing this was to create a friendship between Thalion and an NPC at the camp. Let me know what you think:</p><p></p><p>The NPC, Gellion, a pasty faced lad of 19/20, thin and nervous but with a great love for animals and the woods, would work regularly in an area of Mirkwood Thalion frequents. The Man, a keen animal lover but considered something of an oddball by the other workers in the logging camp, found an injured fox in the woods one day and tried to treat it. Usually wary of Men, Thalion watched this one caring for the injured animal and decided to step forward and help. The pair struck up a friendship and met often thereafter in the same spot to share meals and chat. Thalion probably identifies well with the ascetic nature of the NPC, their both being considered strange by their own people. When an injury/illness/poison etc occurs in the logging camp Gellion knows of the perfect person to call upon and fetches Thalion, somehow pursuading the shy druid to come to the camp and help. From this point on Thalion is known at the logging camp and respected for his skills, though many of the Men there are suspicious of him, just as they are of any Elf, but doubly so in his case because they suspect he's a wizard and are afraid of his staff. I would suggest he usually only comes when needed (twice a month on average I'd imagine?) but remains good friends with Gellion and sees him at least once a week in the woods.</p><p></p><p>In terms of the current game, Thalion is visited by an agitated Thrush, casts Speak With Animals and learns of the burglary in the logging camp. If the group are still at the camp the day after the robbery, he turns up there looking for Gellion, intrigued to find out what happened and wondering if his help is needed (he hears two of the burglars are wounded). If the group have gone into Mirkwood on the trail of the burglars he heads toward the camp with the same intentions and stumbles across the path of the group. Either way I'll integrate you into the game based on the bird's report. I intend to join Gellion with the group as a 1st level apprentice druid NPC minus the spells (he kinda looks up to Thelion <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />).</p><p></p><p>--</p><p></p><p>The rest:</p><p>I think his alignment should be CG</p><p></p><p>We're going with Hit Points as standard now there's a healer on board <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> So not Wounds or Vitality.</p><p></p><p>XP includes +6HD pts.</p><p></p><p><strong>Don't forget to include a reminder of your class abilities:</strong> Swift and Deadly Hunter, bonus to AC when unarmoured (AC+Wis and +1 bonus at 5th level then +1 increment at every 5th level thereafter: +2 at 10th lvl, +3 at 15th lvl etc. I see you've added the +3 bonus under Misc) Fast Movement (lvl 3 enhancement bonus as Monk), Favoured Enemy (which you have), Swift Tracker (move at normal speed while following tracks without taking normal -5 penalty and only takes -10 penalty instead of -20 when moving at twice normal speed) and Track, which you have.</p><p></p><p>Let's improve that staff a bit. I'll award a masterwork, +1 bonus and a magic bane weapon so the enhancement applies to attack and damage rolls and the staff casts spells with 1 charge that recharges indefinitely in 24 hours: spells include Warp Wood, Soften Earth & Stone and Tree Shape (in the case of this last the caster holds the staff in front of himself and he becomes part of the staff's own morphing effect). Command words are used with the staff. No bonuses on a critical hit. Bane effect applies against orcs, the staff having taken on the vengeful wrath of its owner, with enhancement bonus becomes +3 on attack rolls and deals extra 2d6 points of damage to all orcs. This isn't a set Bane, btw, and if Thalion becomes vengeful against any other type of creature I'll add that to the list. However, he has to have a good reason to be vengeful. He was captured, imprisoned and tortured by the orcs. He really really hates them. Just getting into a brawl with goblins and taking a bit of damage etc doesn't suffice the same level of wrath. He really has to despise the creature for the staff to empathise.</p><p></p><p>Stats/Abilities all look good, [edit] though as a more passive druid, perhaps more Int and less Str? Up to you though.</p><p></p><p>Hopefully the staff will soften the following blow: as Thalion is an elf of Mirkwood and has no use for gold, I'm not awarding him the standard 900gp for level 2. Whatever you purchased with the standard starting gold is his full compliment of equipment.</p><p></p><p>Thanks for the post about low magic/item compensation. I'll give it a looksee as soon as I can.</p><p></p><p>Consider Thalion approved and keep tabs on the game progress as I'll be trying to introduce Thalion at the nearest opportunity <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />[/SBLOCK]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dlsharrock, post: 4201258, member: 55833"] [SBLOCK=Fenris: ]Which variant class druid is this? Just the basic variant (swap Wild Shape for Swift and Deadly Hunter) or the avenger variant? I noticed in your background he's quite vengeful. Personally I would make some adjustments in this respect. I think the game has enough fighters and warriors-on-the-make and he *is* a druid. My own take would be that, yes, he returned to Thranduil's halls but didn't fit in and chose to leave of his own volition, though he was probably 50% pushed out by the Elves and internal politics too. The Elves of Mirkwood can be pretty harsh (witness their treatment of the dwarves in The Hobbit) and even if he didn't speak of his treatment in Dol Guldur, they'd still sense the growing nugget of chaos inside him. Once back in the woods he'd still need to stay north of the mountains, where there are no orcs, and live empathitically, honing his druidic skills and lending his healing services to animals and birds. In the south life would be impossible. The woods are just too dangerous. To keep some elements of the vengeance idea, I'm adjusting his staff. See below! Would he venture to Lake-Town or Dale? The Men of those towns are somewhat prejudiced against Elves, but he might be able to lend healing skills there. Why he'd do that remains to be seen. He'd have no need for money nor any compunction to help Men. So I'd suggest until now he's only used his healing magics and skills on animals and birds, which would also explain his low level in this class for someone 50 years of age ;). I would suggest dropping the vengeful roaming warrior idea and keep Thalion relatively passive. When his chaotic urges increase you can roleplay a more aggressive nature perhaps? However you see it panning out. I just think there are enough warriors to be going on with. My plan is to bring Thalion to the logging camp in order to heal someone there. My original device for doing this was to create a friendship between Thalion and an NPC at the camp. Let me know what you think: The NPC, Gellion, a pasty faced lad of 19/20, thin and nervous but with a great love for animals and the woods, would work regularly in an area of Mirkwood Thalion frequents. The Man, a keen animal lover but considered something of an oddball by the other workers in the logging camp, found an injured fox in the woods one day and tried to treat it. Usually wary of Men, Thalion watched this one caring for the injured animal and decided to step forward and help. The pair struck up a friendship and met often thereafter in the same spot to share meals and chat. Thalion probably identifies well with the ascetic nature of the NPC, their both being considered strange by their own people. When an injury/illness/poison etc occurs in the logging camp Gellion knows of the perfect person to call upon and fetches Thalion, somehow pursuading the shy druid to come to the camp and help. From this point on Thalion is known at the logging camp and respected for his skills, though many of the Men there are suspicious of him, just as they are of any Elf, but doubly so in his case because they suspect he's a wizard and are afraid of his staff. I would suggest he usually only comes when needed (twice a month on average I'd imagine?) but remains good friends with Gellion and sees him at least once a week in the woods. In terms of the current game, Thalion is visited by an agitated Thrush, casts Speak With Animals and learns of the burglary in the logging camp. If the group are still at the camp the day after the robbery, he turns up there looking for Gellion, intrigued to find out what happened and wondering if his help is needed (he hears two of the burglars are wounded). If the group have gone into Mirkwood on the trail of the burglars he heads toward the camp with the same intentions and stumbles across the path of the group. Either way I'll integrate you into the game based on the bird's report. I intend to join Gellion with the group as a 1st level apprentice druid NPC minus the spells (he kinda looks up to Thelion :)). -- The rest: I think his alignment should be CG We're going with Hit Points as standard now there's a healer on board :) So not Wounds or Vitality. XP includes +6HD pts. [B]Don't forget to include a reminder of your class abilities:[/B] Swift and Deadly Hunter, bonus to AC when unarmoured (AC+Wis and +1 bonus at 5th level then +1 increment at every 5th level thereafter: +2 at 10th lvl, +3 at 15th lvl etc. I see you've added the +3 bonus under Misc) Fast Movement (lvl 3 enhancement bonus as Monk), Favoured Enemy (which you have), Swift Tracker (move at normal speed while following tracks without taking normal -5 penalty and only takes -10 penalty instead of -20 when moving at twice normal speed) and Track, which you have. Let's improve that staff a bit. I'll award a masterwork, +1 bonus and a magic bane weapon so the enhancement applies to attack and damage rolls and the staff casts spells with 1 charge that recharges indefinitely in 24 hours: spells include Warp Wood, Soften Earth & Stone and Tree Shape (in the case of this last the caster holds the staff in front of himself and he becomes part of the staff's own morphing effect). Command words are used with the staff. No bonuses on a critical hit. Bane effect applies against orcs, the staff having taken on the vengeful wrath of its owner, with enhancement bonus becomes +3 on attack rolls and deals extra 2d6 points of damage to all orcs. This isn't a set Bane, btw, and if Thalion becomes vengeful against any other type of creature I'll add that to the list. However, he has to have a good reason to be vengeful. He was captured, imprisoned and tortured by the orcs. He really really hates them. Just getting into a brawl with goblins and taking a bit of damage etc doesn't suffice the same level of wrath. He really has to despise the creature for the staff to empathise. Stats/Abilities all look good, [edit] though as a more passive druid, perhaps more Int and less Str? Up to you though. Hopefully the staff will soften the following blow: as Thalion is an elf of Mirkwood and has no use for gold, I'm not awarding him the standard 900gp for level 2. Whatever you purchased with the standard starting gold is his full compliment of equipment. Thanks for the post about low magic/item compensation. I'll give it a looksee as soon as I can. Consider Thalion approved and keep tabs on the game progress as I'll be trying to introduce Thalion at the nearest opportunity :)[/SBLOCK] [/QUOTE]
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