Setting Iconics?

[333 Dave]

How do you feel about the concept of Iconic characters? For, say, a setting book? Do you think it would be enhanced with Iconic characters? Or would they draw the attention away from the setting? Would it be interesting to see how the settings author portrays characters in his world? Or would you be afraid of Elminster esque munchkiness? Even if the characters were first level?

 

[Lazarus Long]

I like Iconics. I sorta wish they were used more to explain rules and stuff- especially in other situations than combat (though combat is the most important use for them, imo).

Especially if you're going to be making a new setting. Iconics can really be used to introduce your readers/players to unique concepts.

 

[reiella]

Hmm, using iconics to explain new rules or such, good.

Also using iconics to give an example of a 'balanced'/'average' party for setting, good.

Not too sure what else you could use them for in a Settings book however. Need to be careful and try not to make your iconics a focus point of the campaign (see Elminster, Drizzt, etc).

I don't fear Regdar being any more powerful than Iuz myself , but I'm also at a lose of how to deal with an iconic party in a setting book.

 

[Regdar]

Bah, Iuz is Regdar's b$%ch

Regdar fully supports Iconics.

 

[Moon_Goddess]

Re: Bah, Iuz is Regdar's b$%ch

Regdar fully supports Iconics.

Looking over Iuz in Dragon, I don't think even 40th level Regdar can take him. Not alone at least.

That divine stuff looks powerful dude.

 

[NiTessine]

I like iconics. They are a fun idea, and can really be used in different rules examples, like combat, or clarifying classes, races, skills, and feats.

In fact, I think there should be more of them. You know, Regdar and the folks can do only so much.
Hence, this thread: The Oriental Iconics
By no means do I mean Regdar, Mialee, and the others would be incapable of doing their jobs. Their oriental colleagues would just bring more diversity to the troupe, both racially (no offense, but their current setup is just a lawsuit waiting to happen) and ruleswise, with the new classes and races.
*Sits down, waiting to be strangled to death with a keyboard.*

 

[Moon_Goddess]

NiTessine, your post got me to thinking. I don't think every setting should have Iconics, but when they are settings like Oreintal Adventures, with entirely new core classes to fit the setting, I think it should.


I hope the guy who makes the Nambya book sees this thread. We need African Iconics.

 

[333 Dave]

Ok, we've had some goods and some don't cares. Anybody think its a bad idea?

 

[Jhamin]

I think Iconics are bad if they drive the world or are better than the PCs can ever be. The various Dragonlance characters were Iconics before the word existed and the whole world was pretty much set up for them to have their adventure in. Elminster and Drizzt are basically Iconics and the bile that has been released against them is mind-boggling.

On the other hand, if Iconics are just there to add personality but not to actually one-up the PCs, then I don't think they take anything away. I think they add a lot.

 

[RangerWickett]

I like them. Whenever I write a prestige class, I have in mind an iconic member of that class, around whom I can base all the examples in the text. Similarly, in Wild Spellcraft, we had one iconic wild spellcaster, an iconic pandaemonicist, and an iconic sculptor of chaos. There were used in all the art in the book, and I made sure to include sample stats for them, in case the DM wanted to just toss in a wild spellcaster and see how the players react. Having them around even helped me envision a few new crunchy bits, since I wanted to give some of them their own spells or magic items to fit the iconics. The iconic Pandaemonicist even got his backstory fleshed out into a sample setting in the print version.

So yeah, I like iconics. I'm kinda surprised we didn't see at least one spell like, "Mialee's Vermin Bane" (stops nasty- ugh! spider) or "Nebin's Nimbus Nostrils" (illusory floating nose that acts like the classic mine canary to sniff out bad air), or "Hennet's Leathery Embrace" (a huge ball of leather straps and buckles appear and wrap around the target, squeezing it for damage each round). That'd be kinda fun.

Though, yes, I wish the PHB had included at least 1st level stats for all the iconics.