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Message: <blockquote data-quote="paradox42" data-source="post: 3230903" data-attributes="member: 29746">All right, here's my thoughts on how the new Invocations in Complete Mage stack up for the Alienoid Warlock. I'll do lists by Invocation "tier," each one in turn.Least:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> All-Seeing Eyes: Apparently Comprehend Languages on written material is equivalent to a +6 skill bonus somehow? I don't really have a problem with the Alienoid getting this just as the Fiendish one does, except that language comprehension doesn't really strike me as in-flavor for the Far Realm. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/laugh.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing    :lol:" data-shortname=":lol:" /> I could go either way on this one.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Call of the Beast: Animals like the character? Definitely not Alienoid. One thing that's been consistent about the Far Realm or related critters in every story where they've shown up is that animals fear and despise them, and usually give the protagonists a barometer (often ignored or unrealized Until It's Too Late) to judge proximity of the Horrors From Beyond.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Hammer Blast: Sure. Nothing about this is out-of-flavor.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Otherworldly Whispers: Looks like great minds think alike, or nearly alike- the Alienoid already gets Glimpse From Beyond which is almost the same thing. Glimpse allows one more Knowledge bonus, but simultaneously restricts what you can apply the bonuses to so it sort of balances out. Glimpse also allows the user to use the skills untrained, but I'd house-rule Whispers to work that way anyway.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Serpent's Tongue: Meh. I don't see this as really in-flavor for an Alienoid, though if one were to change the Invocation to make it grant, say, spider traits (assuming some of them have Scent) then I could see it. For now, this one's out.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Soulreaving Aura: Consume the dying at a distance. It's a bit more "necromantic" and "EEEevil" than the Far Realm is typically associated with, but it's not completely at odds either. I could go either way.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Swimming the Styx: Even if this were in flavor for the Far Realm, the name has got to change to be Alienoid. Okay, sure, there's Octopi and the Deep Ones for Cthulhu references, but the Far Realm isn't really Aquatic in nature. For me, this one's ditched.</li> </ul>Lesser:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Baneful Blast: A very interesting notion. I'm not sure how in-flavor for the Far Realm this is, since it doesn't typically concern itself with what the creature types of normal reality are (it consumes them all equally), but I could also see keeping this.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Cold Comfort: Alienoids already get Adaptation, right, and at the lower tier? Of course, this one also lets allies share the wealth, so it deserves its place in the list- perfectly positioned, too, since the lower version is self-only.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Crawling Eye: Mentioned before I even got Complete Mage as being perfect for the Alienoid- and my opinion hasn't changed. Eeeewww! But perfectly in-flavor. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Disembodied Hand: Another "detach-the-body-part-and-let-it-run-around" Invocation. What's not to like? Personally, I'd have my hand scuttling around like Thing from the Addams Family, but that's me. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/laugh.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing    :lol:" data-shortname=":lol:" /></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Mask of Flesh: Interesting idea. It's neither particularly in-flavor, nor out of it. So, I'd let an Alienoid have this.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Relentless Dispelling: "That spell's gone. No, really. It's gone. I insist." Fun idea, and since it's "pure magic" without any world flavor whatsoever the ALienoid has no reason not to have it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Witchwood Step: Another "back-to-nature" Invocation? These were probably put in the please the "standard Warlocks come from Fey" crowd. In any case, anything nature-flavored is almost certainly not appropriate for the Alienoid, given where his powers come from, and this one is no exception. Though, I suppose I could see it if you use some dimensional explanation for why the character can move unimpeded past all this stuff.</li> </ul>Greater:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Caustic Mire: Sticky Acid? Explain how this is not Far-Realm-y, and it'll come off the Alienoid's list. Until then, have at that glue, Pseudo-lovin' friends!</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Hellspawned Grace: Turn into a kitty-cat from a specific Outer Plane? Out. Kicked to the curb. Not comin' back. So far from the Far Realm it isn't funny. Now, show me one to shift form to- say, a Chaos Beast- and you might have one for the Alienoid.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Hindering Blast: Fun. We could even explain this for the Alienoid as wrapping the victim in a "slow time envelope" or "stealing time" from it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Nightmares Made Real: If there's a better three-word description for the Far Realm, I'd like to hear it. Obviously this stays, even if it is mainly illusion! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Painful Slumber of Ages: Not really sure about this one, but it can fit certain Far-Realm-y themes I suppose. "That is Not Dead Which Can Eternal Lie" and all that. For me, for now, it stays.</li> </ul>Outer: (Dark/Supreme)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Binding Blast: Okay, okay- I have been suitably chastised for insisting that Disorienting Blast stay where it was and what it was. But since I gave this to the Alienoid originally, even before I ever posted to ENWorld or Complete Mage came out, obviously the Alienoid gets this now.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Caster's Lament: Another "pure magic" one that works fairly well for eny old generic Warlock, IMO.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Steal Summoning: I'm a little leery on the how and the why of the Far Realm stealing control of something like an animal off the Summon Nature's Ally list, but really this works just as well for the Alienoid as for the Fiendish Warlock IMO.</li> </ul>Well! That was quite a mouthful, wasn't it? Any reader comments/debates on the above?</blockquote>

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