Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 9083892" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/RZgQ0L3.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />The original Dragonlance adventures. Curse of Strahd. The r/rpghorrorstories subreddit. Veterans of these tales are all too familiar with the concept of the DMPC, or an NPC ally who tags along with the party for an extended period of time. They receive much condemnation in the tabletop fandom, as all too often DMs handle them poorly. The most infamous cases make them the heroes of the story where they outrank the PCs by leagues and bounds. Yet they aren’t inherently bad as a concept; Azrael’s Guide to the Apocalypse takes this latter stance, partially incorporating DMPCs in the form of Elders and Heroes. During the campaign, the PCs have the opportunity to recruit one character from a list to accompany them on a lampstand mission, usually until the end of the chapter. Once that time comes, they pass on into Heaven for real and cannot be called on again for the rest of the campaign. Called Elders, these people are Christians and Jews drawn from history who committed valiant deeds in saving souls from the forces of evil. While they are allowed entry into heaven, they aren’t yet so willing to move on, and are thus permitted just enough time to continue helping before heading to their eternal reward.Much like Rise of the Antichrist, this section is detailed enough that I feel it deserves its own entry, and I’d rather do it now than at the end of the book. There are 14 such characters to choose from: 4 are entirely original characters, while the rest are based on Christian and Jewish figures from folklore and real-world history. All but 3 are available right off the bat, with the remaining ones only unlocking after completing certain chapters. A planned supplement, Heroes of the Heavenly Host, seeks to add more Elders to the roster boosting them to nearly 50! One thing all Elders have in common is that despite having different Challenge Ratings, most are built with the baseline of a 15th-level character, so their Proficiency Bonus is +5, or +6 in the case of Elijah, Gethsemani, or Moses. DMs who wish to create their own Elders are encouraged to use a CR 10 monster stat block as a reskinned baseline, or building them like a 15th level PC.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/JskGoPE.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benaiah" target="_blank">Benaiah</a> was part of the Mighty Warriors, the best soldiers serving under King David. He eventually became that monarch’s bodyguard and later on served Solomon when he became the next King. Some legends credit Benaiah with capturing Ashmedai and learning from him the location of the Shamir. His reasons for staying behind as an Elder were hearing of prophecies that the Antichrist would conquer Jerusalem in the future.Benaiah is only unlocked during Chapter 6. He is basically a roguish sniper, with Evasion, the Fighter’s Indomitable ability, a 4d6 Sneak Attack, and the Assassinate ability of the Assassin subclass. Along with being able to attack twice per turn and a large amount of hit points (152), he is first and foremost a martial character, specializing in hiding and ambushes to do large bursts of damage. However, he isn’t proficient in Perception, meaning he isn’t very good at scouting.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/mkOsuSL.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Cecilia" target="_blank">Cecilia</a> was a Roman noblewoman with a deep passion for music, and she and her husband were executed for practicing Christianity in secret at a time when that religion was illegal in the Empire. Even in the afterlife she is obsessed with music, accumulating many lifetimes worth of songs. In terms of stats she is pretty much a bard, using spells from that class as a 16th level caster, can grant a d12 Bardic Inspiration Die up to 5 times per day, has a custom guitar that adds +3 to her spell attack rolls and save DCs, can gain proficiency with any musical instrument if she spends at least 1 minute touching it, and has a selectively damaging AoE attack where she blasts a magical wave from her guitar. This last ability recharges on a 5-6 on a d6, and is her main offensive feature. Her spells are a powerful assortment, such as Irresistible Dance, Forcecage, Mind Blank, Dispel Magic, and Hypnotic Pattern. This makes her an extremely useful ally for most missions in the campaign.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/ubQPD1Z.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah" target="_blank">Elijah</a> is a famed miracle worker who lived in ancient Israel, and is most noted for being carried alive into Heaven by a chariot of fire. Prophecies claim that he will reappear in the Material Plane one last time to convert as many souls as possible.Elijah is first and foremost a spellcaster, drawing from the Cleric list at 17th level. His spells are  geared towards battlefield control with a preference for fire damage, but he has some beneficial spells like Greater Restoration and Resurrection. His unique abilities include shielding up to 6 creatures from the damaging effects of his AoE spells, being carried into Heaven on a chariot upon his death which blinds hostile creatures if they fail a CON save, and has a raven familiar who can deliver Elijah food whenever he’s hungry in addition to basic familiar benefits. He’s also immune to psychic damage as well as the charmed and frightened conditions, making it impossible to use a lot of mental-based attacks on him.Like Cecilia and Moses, Elijah is one of the most powerful choices due to all the different stuff he can do with high-level magic. That being said, quite a bit of his battlefield control spells require concentration, and fortunately he’s proficient in Constitution saves.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/OdczctT.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi" target="_blank">Francis</a> was born into wealth in medieval Italy, and after meeting a beggar was inspired to leave his privileged lifestyle behind in order to better commune with God by living in the wilderness. He received a vision from Jesus who asked him to repair his Church. At first taking the vision to mean repairing a church he found in disrepair, it soon became clear to Francis that Jesus meant restoring the Christian community by pulling it from the depths of ignorance and corruption. He spent the rest of his life during this goal, but one of his more notable deeds included commanding the monstrous Wolf of Gubbio to stop attacking a town, and the wolf became the town’s protector to make up for its past sins.Francis is another high-level divine caster, albeit he draws from the options of a 15th level Druid. His spells are a mixture of battlefield control and utility, such as Entangle, Conjure Animals, Commune With Nature, and Control Weather. Once every short or long rest he can summon the Wolf of Gubbio which uses Dire Wolf stats. Any creature summoned by Francis has 10 more hit points than normal and treats their natural weapons as magic weapons.Once again, Francis is a pretty good choice. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkFhSNvY39w" target="_blank">Conjure Animals is a very highly-rated summon spell,</a> and the Wolf of Gubbio is a unique summon that doesn’t require maintaining concentration. He isn’t as good of a direct damage dealer or healer like some of the others, but the spells he has can be put to creative use. Unfortunately Francis isn’t proficient in Constitution saves and has a meager 12 in that stat, meaning he’s more prone to drop concentration.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/k2Q0eet.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Gethsemani is not available for recruitment until she dies. Which is most likely in Chapter 7, when the Four Horsemen and Satan’s forces turn much of Earth into something resembling the Doom franchise. This version of Gethsemani uses a unique stat block more powerful than her other versions: she’s got a nice AC of 20 courtesy of her plate armor, can make three attacks with Redemption (+3 longsword), and has high modifiers in proficient skills including Athletics which makes her good for shoves and grapples. She is also immune to the charmed and frightened conditions, has Sacred Flame and Detect Evil and Good like the nephilim base race, and can AoE with a heavy machine gun. She can spend a reaction to divert an attack meant for an adjacent ally to her, and if that attack then misses her she gets a free weapon attack against the attacker. This last ability is called Never Again, a reference for Ari, and the stat blocks for Gethsemani’s stages in life also have this ability.Overall, Gethsemani is first and foremost a physical fighter. Her only real noncombat stuff are a high Deception, Perception, and Survival at +8 to +10, and Detect Evil and Good is something most spellcasters can easily do at this level. One cannot help but compare her to other martial Elders, particularly Joan of Arc. She edges out Joan in most things save hit points and being proficient in Constitution saves, whereas Joan can deal a lot more damage with her greatsword but doesn’t have a high passive Perception or a decent ranged weapon. All in all, Gethsemani isn’t a bad choice, but being a melee fighter makes her less broadly useful.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/Z9vuxoD.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jael" target="_blank">Jael</a> is a woman who helped lead Israel to victory against Canaan when she assassinated Sisera, one of the enemy commanders, by sneaking into his tent while he slept and stabbed a tent peg through his skull. While stealth and skullduggery have negative connotations, Jael came to realize that being an assassin can help save many lives. Sisera’s death prevented further bloodshed, whereas in conventional war many more soldiers would have fallen. She sought to serve as an instrument of death for the angels when engaged in spiritual warfare in the Veil.Jael is very much an Assassin Rogue. Her only weapon is her trademark dagger which can deal 6d6 bonus piercing damage if the target fails a Constitution save. Combine this with her base 8d6 Sneak Attack and Assassinate feature that can auto-crit surprised foes, and she has the potential to deal an amazing amount of damage. She also has Cunning Action and Uncanny Dodge to help round things out. Sadly, she isn’t as good as a real Rogue when it comes to skills, being proficient only in Acrobatics, Deception, and Stealth. With her 13 Wisdom and lack of darkvision she isn’t very good at detecting hidden things at a distance, although her blindsight of 10 feet prevents most people from creeping up on her. She also lacks any ranged weapons by default.Comparisons are invited between her and Benaiah. Benaiah has more than double her hit points but overall deals less damage on account of having a lower Sneak Attack and no equivalent to her special dagger.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/X7F4hLQ.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc" target="_blank">Joan of Arc</a> is one of the most famous figures in French history, a teenage girl who despite living in a patriarchal society managed to become a famed military leader in the Hundred Years War between France and England. Michael the archangel gave her a vision, inspiring her to take up arms and defend her people. When Joan was captured in battle she was tried for heresy and burned at the stake. Even in death she doesn’t waver, just as eagerly taking to spiritual warfare as earthly combat.Joan of Arc is pretty solidly a melee fighter. When wielding a Greatsword she deals a hefty 3d6+5 damage, and she can make three such attacks with it or her light crossbow which isn’t as impressive damage wise. The bulk of her features are drawn from the Champion Fighter, such as Indomitable, Second Wind, and Superior Critical. But her Rampage lets her spend a bonus action to move and make a melee attack whenever she drops a foe to 0 hit points in melee, and once per turn her Stumbling Strike can reduce a creature’s speed by 10 feet until the start of Joan’s next turn. She’s also immune to the Frightened condition and has high modifiers in Athletics, Strength, and Constitution saves of +10 each, and a decent +7 Persuasion and Charisma saves.Joan is a one-trick-knight in that her only useful skills involve stabbing and slashing people. It’s likely that her leadership abilities are outshone by PCs with equal or better Persuasion modifiers, and when it comes to social skills in general she is outperformed by Cecilia and Katherine of Alexandria. For these reasons she rates rather low among the Elders.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/1dlXSil.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Alexandria" target="_blank">Katherine of Alexandria</a> was a princess who converted to Christianity and inspired many more to the faith. An intelligent and charismatic woman with access to the most famous library in the world at the time, she had legendary debate skills which she put into practice against Roman authorities who sought to discredit her religion. When the emperor invited her to a 50-on-1 debate against the best philosophers of Rome, she won so decisively that she converted several of them on the spot.Katherine doesn’t easily map to any existing classes. She is first and foremost a silver-tongued brainy woman, with stellar mental ability scores and saves, a whopping +16 bonus to History and Religion and +14 to Persuasion, is immune to the charmed and possessed conditions, and can cast a limited number of spells which tend towards healing. Her Silver Tongue treats any Persuasion roll lower than a 10 as a 10, and as an action she can craft an infallibly logical argument to target one creature. If the creature fails an Intelligence save it is stunned for 1 minute but can repeat the save every round; if the creature fails to break free after that minute passes, it becomes friendly to Katherine.Katherine is first and foremost a noncombatant character, which is actually pretty debilitating for this campaign as it stands. Her sole means of damage is the Shatter spell which she can only cast three times per day, and her physical abilities and Armor Class are average by the standards of a Commoner. Which in PC terms is terrible. As a healer Katherine is outranked by other Elders like Elijah, Francis, and Moses. Given how combat-heavy this adventure is, the only real chapter in which she can shine is the one where the PCs need Two Witnesses to distract the Antichrist while debate-fighting him. Oddly enough she can be useful in talking some of the Four Horsemen out of combat, but this isn’t ordinarily something most parties would come around to trying, save perhaps for Death.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/DHAwDzd.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Li was a Christian woman in China around the turn of the 20th Century. The country was wracked with violent uprisings that caused many Christians to be targeted in the crossfire if not outright persecuted. Li gave shelter to Christian families looking for safety from vigilantes. When an armed mob assembled outside her house demanding they be turned over, Li refused, relying on nothing but unarmed martial training she learned from a Shaolin Monk to keep the attackers back. Sadly they overwhelmed and killed her, but she bought the families enough time to escape. Ever since, she’s wandered the Veil, learning from the spirits of other martial arts masters so that she may one day be called once again to sacrifice herself to protect others.As Li is an incredibly common Chinese surname and the book doesn’t mention any explicit event, date, or location, I am unable to find which particular famous figure this person is based on.In terms of stats Li is obviously a monk. She has high Dexterity and Wisdom, her unarmed strikes are treated as magical weapons, has a movement speed of 55 feet, is resistant to poison and psychic damage, and she has several monklike abilities such as deflecting ranged attacks (reduces damage by a whopping 25 points), can negate falling damage, and can attack three times per turn, with each unarmed strike imposing a different buff or debuff: pushing a target 10 feet away if they fail a Strength save, granting +2 AC to a target of Li’s choice within 5 feet, and the stunned condition on a failed Constitution save. When it comes to noncombat abilities she has a high Perception modifier of +9, and is pretty maneuverable with +9 Acrobatics and +5 Athletics, but besides that she is first and foremost a martial character.Li has far less hit points than Joan of Arc or Gethsemani, but being able to move faster plus Deflect Missiles makes up for it IMO when she’s fighting ranged attackers such as the Marked Taskforce. Her lack of ranged attacks is a bit of a weakness, and while not very damaging, her unarmed strikes can be helpful to the PCs in setting them up for ideal followup attacks.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/ImkzQIb.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses" target="_blank">Moses</a> is the most important religious figure in Judaism (besides God, of course!) and one of the most important in the Abrahamic faiths in general. I take it that the man needs no introduction to most readers here.Like Elijah, Moses is first and foremost a cleric-style spellcaster, and he and Elijah are the only such Elders who gain access to 9th level spells. Moses’ magic is a pretty diverse mixture, ranging from utility to healing and protection to battlefield control, with only two directly damaging spells being Pillar of Fire and Hail and Fire, both from Adventurer’s Guide to the Bible. He also possesses and is attuned to the Staff of Moses, a magic item also from that sourcebook which grants +3 to spell attack rolls and save DCs, and has 10 charges which can be used to expend a limited number of cleric spells such as Control Water and Globe of Invulnerability. Moses is also immune to the charmed and frightened conditions.Moses is an all-around great choice for much of the missions in Azrael’s Guide to the Apocalypse. He has less damaging spells than Elijah, but makes up for it elsewhere. He is best used in a supporting role, like protecting the party with Globe of Invulnerability, debuffing opponents with Divine Word, taking all the time he needs with Time Stop, and when in a tough spot can get the PCs back up to tip-top shape with Greater Restoration or Mass Cure Wounds.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/Xz6muJg.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_the_Black" target="_blank">Moses the Thief</a> isn’t as famous as the man he’s named after, but what they share in common is that they are both devout men of God. Moses the Thief was the slave of an Egyptian nobleman, cast out for stealing from his master and later finding a new home among a gang of violent marauders. He grew in infamy as a deadly fighter and thief of unsurpassed skill.His life changed for the better when he hid in a desert monastery while on the run from the authorities. Impressed by the morals and lifestyle of the monks, he joined them and was baptized into Christianity. Moses lived a long life into old age, and when rumor spread that a gang of marauders were about to attack the monastery he told his brethren to flee while he remained behind. He felt that as he lived by the sword, it was a fitting end to die by the sword.Moses the Thief is the third of our Rogue-like Elders. He has Cunning Action, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, and a 7d6 Sneak Attack. As a bonus action he can make a Sleight of Hand check vs the target’s Passive Perception+1 to steal an object off of them. He has a respectable +10 to Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth, so he’s more of a “pure sneak thief” than the stealth-archer fighter that is Benaiah or the highly damaging Jael. Once again, the linear and combat-heavy nature of this module means that he’s more limited than his counterparts.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/K9fOgzx.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Peter" target="_blank">Peter, Keeper of Keys</a> was one of Jesus’ Twelve Apostles. Born a simple fisherman, he was a down-to-earth man more comfortable using vulgar language and throwing hands in a tavern brawl, which came as a shock to many who knew him when he left his old life behind to follow Jesus of Nazareth. He became one of the great early leaders of Christianity, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial_of_Peter" target="_blank">although he still feels guilt for denying knowing Jesus three times when fearing for his life.</a> He hopes that staying behind as an Elder will help him find a form of repentance.Peter cannot be recruited right off the bat, but becomes an option when he is named Keeper of Keyes in Chapter 3, so it’s pretty early on in the campaign. Like Katherine, Peter’s stat block doesn’t map out to any particular class or archetype. He has advantage on Persuasion checks when sharing his faith with others, has three rather powerful innate spells he can cast once per day (Greater Restoration, Power Word Kill, Raise Dead), has the Tavern Brawler feat, any weapons he wields are treated as magical and deal one extra die of damage, can make Reckless attacks like a Barbarian, can attack three times with unarmed strikes, and with the Keys of the Kingdom ability he can touch any object that is locked or closed and automatically unlock/open it while maintaining concentration on it as though it were a spell. This effect also automatically dispels any magical effects that would keep the object locked or closed.Peter is all over the place and as such he’s rather hard to pin down. He’s not really a spellcaster, but the spells he does get are ones the party is unlikely to say no to; he isn’t a Roguish character but Keys of the Kingdom let him ignore most conventional security features. He can do quite a bit of damage with a weapon in his hands, and with 173 Hit Points he has the most health of all the Elders. But he only has unarmed strikes which deal 2d4 damage, so he’ll need to be given other weapons or conjure them out of the Veil. Weapons which he may not necessarily be proficient with given how NPC stat blocks work.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/koyAqm7.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Rodney “Beautiful Feet” Watts is another one of the original characters among the Elders. He was born in 16th Century England, an artist who loved to paint images of fantasy stories containing Gospel allegory. He lost his left leg when rescuing a child from an angry badger, having to be later amputated due to an infection. Acquiring a prosthetic leg inspired a new kind of creativity: Rodney painted on it, and when he replaced old prosthetics with new ones he would make a new image and thus a new story. Earning the nickname Beautiful Feet, he traveled to various villages helping out locals with whatever ways he could. He would eventually die in a plague stricken village, using his talents to help the afflicted find joy and hope.Rodney is a gish: he fights with a +2 rapier and can magically empower his prosthetic legs to either create an AoE attack of stunning light or transform into a projectile of pure light via a ranged kick attack. But as that last attack “consumes” the prosthetic, he can only do this three times before he runs out of spare legs and has to use his sheathed rapier as a walking stick. Sitting at 104 hit points with an 18 AC, he can hold himself well in a fight. As a reaction Rodney can inflict a “kickback” of damage to any enemy that deals necrotic damage to him, reducing the damage taken by 14 and dealing an equal amount of radiant damage.On the more magical side of things he has a Song of Rest and d10 Bardic Inspiration Dice, and he can cast a limited number of innate spells that range the gamut from utility, healing and offense, such as Greater Invisibility, Chain Lightning, Beacon of Hope, and Polymorph. Without a prosthetic leg or mobility device he risks falling prone whenever he Dashes and has disadvantage on Dexterity checks regarding balance.Like the typical Bard, Rodney is kind of a Jack of All Trades. Ironically he is a bit weak in the skill department, gaining large bonuses to History, Insight, and Performance which are of situational use. But he has some pretty powerful attacks like his ranged light kick and Chain Lightning, and Polymorph and Greater Invisibility invite all kinds of creative uses. Bardic Inspiration will be appreciated by most party members, but unlike a real high-level bard they’re limited to per-day uses rather than per short rest. Rodney’s overall a very good choice for PCs unsure of which Elder to pick.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/VZ6GoND.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Rodriguez is our final Elder and final original character. She wanted to be a pilot ever since she was little, and joined the air force of her home country. An accident during a training period left her paralyzed from the waist down, which caused Rodriguez to enter a dark period in her life where she questioned her life choices. Through this hardship she gained a newfound appreciation in faith, which inspired her to work for various charities. She used her talents as a pilot with a specialized aircraft to fly medical supplies to hospitals in remote places and evacuate people from dangerous places. She stayed behind as an Elder for what she imagines will be “the final air evacuation.”Rodriguez’s abilities don’t commit to existing classes but can be summed up as a tech-savvy pilot. In terms of physical abilities she has no personal weapons and an Armor Class of 9, meaning the party is encouraged to keep her out of direct combat. But where her strength lies is in a specially modified aircraft that uses the stats of a Marked Rotorcraft with one exception: the personalized vehicle can be remote controlled by a special display on her glasses. She can also use the aircraft to deliver an Air Strike up to 4 times per day, which is a 40 foot AoE attack with a range of 240 feet that deals 6d8 piercing plus 5d6 fire damage. Rodriguez is also a genius when it comes to vehicles and modern technology, and has a +13 bonus on any checks where this is relevant. Being a wheelchair user it costs her extra feet of movement to go through difficult terrain, but due to its designs she has advantage on saves against effects that would render her prone.Rodriguez doesn’t have any magical abilities, but she is unique among the Elders in that with her vehicle she can basically grant the entire party flight (Rotorcrafts have a capacity of 8 Medium creatures). And flight at a very fast movement speed that exceeds pretty much every creature in the core rules! The mounted rifle and air strikes are great means of dealing ranged damage, albeit they are still rather short range for modern weaponry and the Air Strikes are limited-use. Additionally, Stealth Mode is basically Pass Without Trace for the rotorcraft and its inhabitants, and when combined with Rodriguez’s already high +13 bonus she can help the party ambush enemies in most encounters. But given her lack of spells and utility potential that doesn’t involve her helicopter, Rodriguez is a bit situational rather than broadly useful, but can be made up for by a clever party. There’s also an error in her stat block, where she’s proficient with Perception at +8 but her passive Perception is 13.You may have noticed that two of the original Elders have physical disabilities. Well, I’m part of the Red Panda discord sever, and during their art showcase they had on one of their artists, Dale Critchley. Who just so happens to be the author of <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/401261/Limitless-Heroics-Including-Characters-with-Disabilities-Mental-Illness-and-Neurodivergence-in-Fifth-Edition-Full-Edition" target="_blank">Limitless Heroics,</a> an incredibly-detailed work on providing game mechanics for a wide variety of disabilities, congenital illnesses, and neurodivergence for 5th Edition. Critchly committed extra effort to consult with people who have such conditions as well as doctors and mental health professionals to ensure that the book’s content is both accurate and respectful. Rodney Watts was personally designed by Dale, whose inspiration from the character came from a variety of people he knows in real life, one of whom has a prosthetic limb.Azrael’s Guide also touches on disability in the afterlife. Basically nobody really knows what our forms will look like in the afterlife, but it’s reasonable to assume that they will be idealized versions of how people perceive themselves. While this can mean that people with disabilities will no longer have them, as it’s a personal reflection some may still have such conditions while in the afterlife. For the example of people using prosthetic limbs and mobility aids, they may view such tools as extensions of their bodies and an integral part of their identity.Thoughts So Far: Individually I gave my thoughts on each Elder in regards to their overall usability. As a concept the idea of calling upon famous figures in service to God to fight the Antichrist is awesome, and the “you can only use each one once” encourages PCs to weigh the pros and cons of using the more powerful Elders vs saving them for later. The parameters of each mission are vague, as God makes broad pronouncements that leave the party making educated guesses before they’re transported to the area, so this limits the idea of pre-mission scouting and information-gathering for most chapters. Barring Peter and the high-level spellcasters, most Elders are highly specialized in a certain field or role, meaning that it’s up to the PCs to fill in the missing gaps where possible. I also like the discussion on physical disabilities and the reflection of idealized forms in Heaven being one of personal perception, as well as some of the more novel abilities such as Cecilia’s damaging guitar, Katherine debating people into the stunned condition, and Rodriguez’s stealth helicopter.My main concern would be regarding the action economy. During the early chapters the PCs will have the aid of an Elder and Azrael, meaning a typical 4 person party will grow in size by one and a half. While the sourcebook encourages players to run Elders in combat like they are PCs and there’s an expansion planned that puts all their stats on nifty index cards, I’m still concerned with a rather cluttered battlefield. Particularly at the high levels at which this campaign operates!Join us next time as we fight a seven-headed dragon in the void of space in Chapter 2: the Woman! </blockquote>

Verification