Scarred Lands: Ask the Sage [New and Improved!]

[Nightfall]

Glad I could help.

 

[NarlethDrider]

*chitter**scree**chitter* a narleth bump *chitter**scree**chitter*

 

[JoeGKushner]

Asaatthi questions

I'm in the middle of reading the Vigil watch, Asaatthi book, and had some questions that I hope the sage can help me with.

"Also discover tips for usingthese serpentfolk in any d20 campaign, from details on the creatures' culture and lairs to unique magic and prestige classes." Is it my imagination or is that advice never actually here and it's more along the lines of d20 crunch that you can rewrite to belong to any game system?

When looking over the races, none of them seem to have racial hit dice, skills, or feats. No challenge rating adjustments either. Just a ECL. Busting out my Creature Collection Revised, I see that they (standard atl east), do have racial hit dice.

The asaatthi are a customizable foe, like the drow, orcs, goblins and other humanoids that are basically characters. Is it my imagination or is there a massive dearth of sample characters? (Haven't finished it yet but...)

Any help would be appreciated Nightfall. I know that your keen eye, and that of the other SL fans, might've picked up something I missed.

 

[Nightfall]

I'm in the middle of reading the Vigil watch, Asaatthi book, and had some questions that I hope the sage can help me with.

Well you're in luck Joe. I got the book too. So I'll help as we go along.

"Also discover tips for usingthese serpentfolk in any d20 campaign, from details on the creatures' culture and lairs to unique magic and prestige classes." Is it my imagination or is that advice never actually here and it's more along the lines of d20 crunch that you can rewrite to belong to any game system?

Well there is something about the cultures in the swamps and Desert. I don't know if it will fit in EVERY world but I think the descriptions are an idea of how Asaathi culture. Plus you haven't checked out chapter 3 yet have you?
Regarding the unique magic I think they were speaking of the Loci feats which make the magics more...sorcerous in nature to degree. Plus the whole variant on Weapon Familiars along with Techniques try to make them a litttle more powerful over all.

When looking over the races, none of them seem to have racial hit dice, skills, or feats. No challenge rating adjustments either. Just a ECL. Busting out my Creature Collection Revised, I see that they (standard atl east), do have racial hit dice.

Yeah I noticed that too. I think for the "pure bloods" they have normal HD. The ones less tainted, the river ones, same. The others I'd give probably one or two HD hit but no feats to the Infiltrators, the Lowest one HD and the same for the last one. No feats however. That being said I'd probably use racial feats from CC Revised along with skills from that book. I know it's a pain but there you are.

The asaatthi are a customizable foe, like the drow, orcs, goblins and other humanoids that are basically characters. Is it my imagination or is there a massive dearth of sample characters? (Haven't finished it yet but...)

Yeah it's not your imagination. There no good examples but then Warrens didn't have any either. That being said I do think that's probably the book's biggest weakness there.

Any help would be appreciated Nightfall. I know that your keen eye, and that of the other SL fans, might've picked up something I missed.

No but I do think if you reread chapter Three you'll get a better feel for the Asaathi over all.

 

[Nightfall]

Bumping along...

 

[Brennin Magalus]

Nightfall,

I added a link to this thread in my gaming forum.

 

[Gez]

Hi Nighty,

I've a question about CC3. As I note in my first ENW review, it's sometimes frustrating how much it relies on other books.

More to the point, can you enlighten me on the Seraphic Engine? What is it, what was its role, who made it, etc.

 

[eryndel]

When looking over the races, none of them seem to have racial hit dice, skills, or feats. No challenge rating adjustments either. Just a ECL. Busting out my Creature Collection Revised, I see that they (standard atl east), do have racial hit dice.

The asaatthi are a customizable foe, like the drow, orcs, goblins and other humanoids that are basically characters. Is it my imagination or is there a massive dearth of sample characters? (Haven't finished it yet but...)

One caveat, my contribution to this book was the History section, two prestige classes, and a little bit of miscellanea (spells, magic items, language...) so this isn't an official answer.

It looks as if the Racial Hit Die was just left off for most of the subraces. Barring an official errata, I would give the pureborn, Sefutiisi, and Saahueti 3 racial HD (3d8) giving Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +3 (to match CCRev). This also gives them two feats.

The Lihueltessi and the Rrassek I wouldn't give any racial HD. The former are to be somewhat like the non-asaatth race (often human, elf, or orc) and would make them based off that race. The latter I think is an attempt to have an asaatth that could be played in a first level game.

I'll also note that it is my opinion (again not official) that if an asaatth takes a class in a spellcasting class similar to the inherent spellcasting it has, the effective spellcasting capability is the class level +3. For example, a pure born has 2 class levels of wizard. It is thus an 10th level character (3 racial hd +5 level adjustment + 2 class levels). It would cast spells as a 5th level wizard but have all the other special abilities of a 2nd level wizard.

Hope this helps,

Werner Hager

 

[Nightfall]

Hi Nighty,

I've a question about CC3. As I note in my first ENW review, it's sometimes frustrating how much it relies on other books.

More to the point, can you enlighten me on the Seraphic Engine? What is it, what was its role, who made it, etc.

Right I saw that Gez but I can't really offer any enlightenment on the Seraphic Creature Template. I have no idea who did it or anything else regarding that template.

Werner,

I think we can all safely say since you are an author for Secrets, that your opinion does count a lot more than mine. (Btw thanks adding that other stuff in there.) So thanks.

 

[Gez]

I'm not interested on who (real world) made the template, but on what is that Seraphic Engine and who (in Scarn) is responsible for it.