Planar High Men, the Book of Nifty Niceness

[DanMcS]

Tanarri have the Demon Princes, Daemons have the Oinoloth and the General of Gehenna, Baatezu have the Archdevils. Eladrins have the Court of Stars, guardinals have the 6 spiffy guardinal king guys (I don't remember what they're called). What do the devas, aasimons, archons, and solars have? Just really advanced solars, maybe with some class levels? Even the Modrons, Rilmani, and Slaad have some high-ups, why do the LGs get the short end of the stick?

I bought and devoured the BoVD, it's great. Corrupt spells are a personal favorite, and I think it might be neat to work those into a setting somehow, maybe all spells are corrupt a la Call of Cthulhu, and cause ability damage to the caster. And I like the archdevil and demon prince stats, though I'm disappointed that they left Lloth a goddess for the fanboys instead of returning her to her proper Demon Princess status and statting her.

What would a Book of Nifty Niceness need to make it comparable to the BoVD? Guardinals and eladrins that haven't shown up published yet. The 6 high guardinals and the Queen of Stars of the eladrins, and maybe some important solar kings. Some more good planar inhabitants or critters.

Prestige classes- the Beloved of the six Guardinals, the Star Touched, and the Blessed of the Solar Kings- like the Disciple and Thrall series in the BoVD. Plus generic Saint (allied with generic good in the same way diabolists are allied with 'devilkind'), um, Penitant (reformed evildoer, with bonuses for being a reformed blackguard), um, I'm running out of ideas, prestige classes aren't my favorite part of the system anyway.

There's a whole section of the BoVD that would be hard to mirror in a BoNN. Uses for souls, poisons, diseases, torture equipment. What's the good equivalent of these things? Kittens, cookies, and fluffy bunnies (unless you're Anya)? There's a quote I've read about writing stories, that when something bad is happening you can write about it for pages and pages, but good times in stories tend to be glossed over with 'and they were happy for numerous years, until...', because the bad stuff is the interesting stuff, it's the stuff with plot and action and conflict. So it is with campaign material, I guess.

I could see Martyr spells- like the corrupt spells, they do damage to the caster, but it's because he's sacrificing of himself for a greater good.

And why did Yugoloths get the shaft in the BoVD anyway? They hardly get a mention. There should have been some Baernoloths in that puppy.

Enough random ramblings. I should start writing this kind of stuff.

 

[DanMcS]

Prince Talisid, Lord of the Guardinals
Large-Size Outsider (Good)
Hit Dice: 36d6+216 (378)
Initiative: +7 (Dex, Improved Initiative)
Speed: 80 ft.
AC: 37 (+3 Dex, +16 natural, -1 size, +9 deflection)
BAB: +36, -1 size
Attacks: 2 claws +45 melee, bite +36 melee
Damage: Claw 1d8+9, bite 2d6+4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Roar, pounce, improved grab, rake 1d8+9
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 35/+4, SR 32, fire resistance 20,
protective aura, celestial qualities
Saves: Fort +26, Ref +23, Will +33
Abilities: Str 29 (+9), Dex 17 (+3), Con 23 (+6),
Int 27 (+8), Wis 36 (+13), Cha 28 (+7)
Skills: Animal Empathy +46, Balance +46, Bluff +46, Diplomacy +46
Heal +52, Hide +46, Intimidate +46, Jump +48,
Knowledge (the planes) +47, Knowledge (nature) +47,
Listen +52, Move Silently +46, Sense Motive + 52, Spot +52
Swim +48, Wilderness Lore +52
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Track, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Boost Spell-like Ability, Quicken Spell-like Ability
---------------
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 24
Treasure: Quadruple standard
Alignment: Neutral good
Advancement: --

Roar (Su): Talisid can roar at will. Each roar releases a blast in a 120-foot cone that duplicates the effects of a holy word spell and deals an additional 5d6 points of sonic damage (Fortitude save DC 30 negates).

Pounce (Ex): If Talisid leaps on a foe during the first round of combat, he can make a full attack even if he has already taken a move action.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Talisid must hit with his bite attack. If he gets a hold, he can rake.

Rake (Ex): If Talisid gets a hold he can make two rake attacks (+45 melee) with his hind legs for 1d8+9 points of damage. If he pounces on an opponent, he can also rake.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will-- detect thoughts, discern alignment, fireball, hold monster, polymorph self, wall of force; 3/day-- cure critical wounds, neutralize poison, remove disease; 1/day-- heal. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 20th level sorceror (save DC= 19 + spell level).

Protective Aura (Su): As a free action, Talisid can surround himself with a nimbus of light having a radius of 40 feet. This acts as a triple-strength magic circle against evil and as a major globe of invulnerability, both as cast by a 20th level sorceror. The aura can be dispelled, but Talisid can create it again as a free action on his next turn.

Skills: Talisid receives a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Hide, and Move Silently checks.

Talisid, prince of the Leonals and all Guardinals, resides on the first layer of Elysium, with the five companions, the powerful Dukes and Duchesses of the other five types of Guardinals. From that home, they direct celestial activity against the fiends, and watch over good persons and civilizations on the prime, assigning guardinals to tasks which promote the cause of good.

I statted him as a max-HD advanced Leonal (from the Manual of the Planes), plus some quasi-deity traits from Deities and Demigods. Base skill points 16 per HD, max rank 39, plus stat bonuses and racial bonuses. I boosted his special abilities a bit, too. A normal Leonal is CR 12, max HD is about a 15 they claim (you're supposed to multiply the experience times the HD multiplier, which gives about a +3 CR), quasi-deity is +9 CR for a 24.

 

[DanMcS]

Beloved of Talisid (prestige class) Version 1, this needs some work.

Talisid, wise and noble, guardian of good, watches over persons of similar disposition. Just kings, virtuous warriors, wise defenders of all types. One beloved of Talisid emulates his celestial superior, to justly defend good in his realm.

An aristocrat king is as likely as a paladin or fighter to be sponsored by Talisid.

Hit Die: d10

Requirements
Alignment: Any good.
Base Save Bonus: Will +5
Skills: Diplomacy +6, Sense Motive +6
Special: Talisid will send a disguised leonal to the potential cantidate to challenge him with a difficult quest involving a matter of justice. If he is successful, he can join this class at any time thereafter.

Class Skills
Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Heal, Intimidate, Listen, Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Spot

Skill points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: Class abilities
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Detect Evil
2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Roar 1
3 +2 +3 +1 +3 Divine Wisdom +1, Altered Appearance
4 +3 +4 +1 +4 Discern Lies
5 +3 +4 +1 +4 Divine Wisdom +2
6 +4 +5 +2 +5 Roar 2
7 +5 +5 +2 +5 Summon Celestial
8 +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Divine Wisdom +3, Altered Appearance
9 +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Summon Avoral
10 +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Roar 3

Class Features
Weapon and Armor proficiency: The Beloved of Talisid are proficient with all armor and all simple weapons.

Detect Evil (Sp): At will, the Beloved of Talisid can detect evil as a spell-like ability. This duplicates the spell of the same name.

Roar (Su): In a 30 foot cone from the character, does 1d6 sonic damage per rank (roar 1 does 1d6, roar 3 does 3d6, Fortitude save DC 15 negates). In addittion, has the following effects:
Roar 2: Holy Smite, as a caster of the character's Beloved of Talisid level.
Roar 3: Holy Word, as a caster of the character's Beloved of Talisid level.

Justice Mind (Ex): The Beloved of Talisid can add an enhancement bonus on certain Wisdom or Charisma-based skill checks. The bonus affects Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive.

Altered Appearance (Ex): At 3rd level, the Beloved one's hair gets blonder and shaggier, as a mane. At 8th level, his eyes have vertical slit pupils, like a cat, and he gains low-light vision.

Discern Lies (Sp): As the spell, 3 times/day, at the caster's character level.

Summon Celestial (Sp): Once per day, as summon monster 4, only celestial creatures. As a sorceror of the character's level.

Summon Avoral (Sp): Once per day, the Beloved one can summon 1 avoral guardinal. This functions as a summon monster spell cast by a sorceror of the character's level.

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Notes: In the mode of the Disciples of Archdevils or Thralls of Demon Princes prestige classes from the BoVD. This is kind of out of whack, and needs suggestions.

Aside: In the description of the Leonal in the Manual of the Planes, they have the spell 'discern alignment' at will. This spell doesn't exist that I can find, but I'm assuming it's just detect good/evil/law/chaos simultaneously.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

hey DanMcS! some comments on the Beloved of Talisid PrC (hope you don't mind)

"An aristocrat king is as likely as a paladin or fighter to be sponsored by Talisid."

based on the Will save requirement, a single classed fighter or paladin would have to be 15th level before entering this PrC

i think the roar ability needs a little honing. it does does 1d6 sonic damage per rank, so roar II would do 2d6 + 3d8 damage (holy smite does 1d8 every other level and the caster level would be 6), plus the blinding effect?

roar III does 3d6+(possibly) deafen, blind, paralyze and kill?

i also think the saves should increase for each roar (especially since holy word is a 7th level spell)

speaking of - if a fighter did take this class, what stat would the spell effects or spell-like abilities be based on? (discern lies, Will negates -- 10+4 (-th level cleric spell*) + ?)

*this is also a 3rd level paladin spell (maybe it should have a fixed save?)

and Justice Mind is called Divine Wisdom in the stat block

i really do like Prince Talisid, Lord of the Guardinals and look forward to more from the Book of Nifty Niceness!

 

[DanMcS]

"based on the Will save requirement, a single classed fighter or paladin would have to be 15th level before entering this PrC"

This is true; I was thinking that one's will save would also include the wisdom bonus. So a character with wisdom 16, +3 bonus, could hit that requirement at level 6. The Iron Will feat would hit it even earlier. Basically either the character is really wise, or has lots of experience, or something inbetween those two. I'll have to look into phrasing that better. Would just removing the word 'Base' clarify it, as so:

Save Bonus: Will +5

Re: Saving throws, roar mods, I'll have to ponder those when I'm more awake. Deep statistical/game-mechanical thought required.

The stat block error is a result of me realizing the skills I was picking out weren't really all wisdom skills and renaming things halfway

 

[Kalanyr]

You got anymore of these I'd love to see them.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

I really liked the PrC. I'm tempted to use it for the King of one of the larger countries in my campaign... hmm.

The requirements are a little wonky, though. Someone could take it for their 4th level, easily, which is a lot lower than most. I'd throw in a BAB requirement, too- +4, maybe. The earliest a PrC should be taken, the general wisdom goes, is 6th level, and this one's certainly good enough to have to wait until then; a BAB requirement of +4 would mean that the earliest anyone could take it is 7th. I think. I can't figure out a set of requirements that would let it be taken by fighter-types at earlier than 9th (darn cross-class skills!) and still keep Aristocrats out of it until 6th. Hmm.

Looking forward to more, anyway.

 

[Liolel]

Archon high ups are called Tome archons. There are only seven of them and they are detailed in the planes of law boxed set for planescape.