alright. here's the concept. i need help in translating it to 3.5e dungeons and dragons. i dunno anything about d20 modern.
“We are sworn to keep a balance between good and evil. When there is no balance, chaos and evil rule and the universe starts to unravel.”
Soralis, The Harvester: Echoes of the past
"All your life you live so close to truth it becomes a permanent blur in the corner of your eye. And when something nudges it into outline, it's like being ambushed by a grotesque."
Stoppard, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead
Born out of terror and pain, the Shadowlords stalk the edges of society and dwell in the shadows where few care to tread. There isn’t a Shadowlord born who isn’t on intimate terms with evil and most were recruited from the various legions of hell itself.
They are grim specters, always wandering alone, fighting against the odds to keep the universe from unraveling before the appointed end. Those Shadowlords who aren’t immortal rarely live long, ten years at the most. Those who are immortal have the blessings of both a long life and the curse of knowing that they will eventually go up against something that can take them alive. And that fate terrifies them. But they still go on. They are the dogmen. The first in battle; the last to retreat. All too often, they are the first to die.
Due to the horrors of their pasts, Shadowlords can never fully be accepted by the powers of heaven, nor will they take the dubious pleasures of hell. For that, they are damned to an existence in shadows, feared by those who should be their allies and hunted by those who serve the powers of hell. Only a rare few have no previous connection to hell or its allies.
"Wasn't that the end?"
"You call that an ending, with practically everyone still on his feet? My goodness, no. Over your dead body."
--Stoppard, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead
For hundreds of thousands of years, the Shadowlords remained a myth. Yet, in the past hundred years or so, there have been whispers, rumors of beings who stalk the dark corners of the universe and are always one step ahead of the dread lords of hell.
They are divided into thirteen distinct ranks with the lowest serving as spies and information gatherers since they have only recently left the services of hell and can still be mistaken for wyrm-kin. The higher ranking Shadowlords are the fighters; the ones who go head to head with demons and their allies. The Thirteenth Circle is the ruling body of the Shadowlords and is also called the Grey Council.
Their rank determines the size of territory they oversee which can range from a single city block to an entire galactic arm. However there is one exception: Earth. Earth is protected by one and only one Shadowlord of at least the Twelfth circle, due to the fact that both the forces of good and evil have such a high interest in the place.
Essentially, Shadowlords are either ex bad guys who have nowhere else to go or people who have been hurt so badly by the forces of darkness they can’t ever be ‘normal’ again. They can’t choose heaven and won’t choose hell, so they go where they’re needed and wanted.
BANS:
Shadowlords can never actually ‘rule’ their territories. They are there to protect their territories and only protect them.
CONCEPTS:
Spies, detectives, vigilantes, mercenaries etc...
ALLIES:
Eclectic. They’ll ally with anyone who has a grudge against hell and evil in general.
PREJUDICE:
KINDRED: They can be the greatest of allies or the worst of enemies. Tread carefully.
Shadowlords? You mean those arrogant, crazy were-wolf bastards with the silver swords? Yeah we know them. Made great snacks too…
GAROU: They are only beginning to understand the threat of the true enemy.
Shadowlords? You mean those arrogant European prats who think they know everything?
MAGES: They delve too deeply into things they know nothing about. And we really aren’t too fond of those portals to hell they keep on opening.
Shadowlords? Ah. Um. I didn’t do it I swear!
Fey: They are our family, our friends. And our greatest enemies.
Shadowlords? Oh you mean those black were-wolves from Europe? No? Those Shadowlords. Never heard of them. Bye now.
WRAITHS: We walk in the shadows, forever damned by both the light and dark. We share a great deal in common with them.
Scary aren’t they?
THE CURSED (things cursed with true immortality): Sad creatures, all of them. But no sadder than us, I think.
They can’t help me die. So what use are they?
(HIGHLANDER) IMMORTALS: Actually, I think about a fifth of our number are immortals of one sort or another.
Yeah right. A bunch of demons, immortals and weird people defending the multiverse against the forces of evil. Like that’s gonna happen.
GARGOYLES: Not bad. Narrow point of view.
They make worthy allies
ADEPHI (Angels/Celestials): Bloody smug idiots. Don’t have any use for them.
Oh yeah, those guys. I think we recruited the first ones. Good job huh?
CENOBITES (demons): They die.
Run. Run! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
JEDI KNIGHTS: We share the same goals. Our methods are different that’s all.
Trust them we do not. Watch them we will.
ENEMIES:
Anything that irritates them off or wants to kill them.
POWERS OF THE SHADOWLORD:
Shield of Vakeris: A mystical shield that wraps around the shadow lord’s aura, effectively preventing others from determining how powerful he or she is or how she is ‘aligned’. They are essentially invisible to normal scrying attempts.
Shadow’s Friend: can manipulate the shadows around her, making the area appear brighter or darker depending on whether she contracts or dilates the shadows.
Shadow Walk: Can travel throughout the Plane of Shadow. At the fourth level, they can actually bring another person through, but at a loss of three health levels which can be regained through a lot of bed rest.
Other skills can be applied, depending on what the shadowlord was before the Shadowlords recruited him/her.
MERITS AND FLAWS:
Varies. Depends on the character’s background and storyteller discretion.
Ranking System:
Shadowlords are divided into thirteen separate ranks or circles. The lowest circles tend to be spies or information gatherers; while the higher ranking Shadowlords tend to be the actual fighters and planners. The Thirteenth circle is the actual ruling body of the Shadowlords. This circle is simple known as the Council.
* New recruit. You have just been rescued by an elder Shadowlord or dragged out of the darkness by one.
** Veteran. You know the ropes and can tell the difference between a real good guy and a true bad guy.
*** Experienced. The council trusts you with a small territory.
**** Bogeyman. The council trusts you with a planet sized territory.
***** Bane. The council trusts you with a territory the size of a galactic arm or Earth.
Notoriety:
* The forces of evil consider you a minor nuisance not worth bothering with.
** Sabbat vampires run from you in fear.
*** Minor demons avoid you.
**** You have garnered the attention of the First Evil.
***** You have garnered the attention of Heaven.
Epilogue:
Okay. Now I have said that Shadowlords can be anything and anyone. They can have any past, they can be any species. Yet, they were never meant to be munchkins or super-powered beings who go around beating up bad-guys for the sheer hell of it. These guys are guardians; simply because they know evil and have seen that evil in their own souls. Most tend to be redeemed dark lords or traumatized people who can never close their eyes to the filth that chokes the WoD. So, remember: Great power attracts great trouble
“We are sworn to keep a balance between good and evil. When there is no balance, chaos and evil rule and the universe starts to unravel.”
Soralis, The Harvester: Echoes of the past
"All your life you live so close to truth it becomes a permanent blur in the corner of your eye. And when something nudges it into outline, it's like being ambushed by a grotesque."
Stoppard, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead
Born out of terror and pain, the Shadowlords stalk the edges of society and dwell in the shadows where few care to tread. There isn’t a Shadowlord born who isn’t on intimate terms with evil and most were recruited from the various legions of hell itself.
They are grim specters, always wandering alone, fighting against the odds to keep the universe from unraveling before the appointed end. Those Shadowlords who aren’t immortal rarely live long, ten years at the most. Those who are immortal have the blessings of both a long life and the curse of knowing that they will eventually go up against something that can take them alive. And that fate terrifies them. But they still go on. They are the dogmen. The first in battle; the last to retreat. All too often, they are the first to die.
Due to the horrors of their pasts, Shadowlords can never fully be accepted by the powers of heaven, nor will they take the dubious pleasures of hell. For that, they are damned to an existence in shadows, feared by those who should be their allies and hunted by those who serve the powers of hell. Only a rare few have no previous connection to hell or its allies.
"Wasn't that the end?"
"You call that an ending, with practically everyone still on his feet? My goodness, no. Over your dead body."
--Stoppard, Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead
For hundreds of thousands of years, the Shadowlords remained a myth. Yet, in the past hundred years or so, there have been whispers, rumors of beings who stalk the dark corners of the universe and are always one step ahead of the dread lords of hell.
They are divided into thirteen distinct ranks with the lowest serving as spies and information gatherers since they have only recently left the services of hell and can still be mistaken for wyrm-kin. The higher ranking Shadowlords are the fighters; the ones who go head to head with demons and their allies. The Thirteenth Circle is the ruling body of the Shadowlords and is also called the Grey Council.
Their rank determines the size of territory they oversee which can range from a single city block to an entire galactic arm. However there is one exception: Earth. Earth is protected by one and only one Shadowlord of at least the Twelfth circle, due to the fact that both the forces of good and evil have such a high interest in the place.
Essentially, Shadowlords are either ex bad guys who have nowhere else to go or people who have been hurt so badly by the forces of darkness they can’t ever be ‘normal’ again. They can’t choose heaven and won’t choose hell, so they go where they’re needed and wanted.
BANS:
Shadowlords can never actually ‘rule’ their territories. They are there to protect their territories and only protect them.
CONCEPTS:
Spies, detectives, vigilantes, mercenaries etc...
ALLIES:
Eclectic. They’ll ally with anyone who has a grudge against hell and evil in general.
PREJUDICE:
KINDRED: They can be the greatest of allies or the worst of enemies. Tread carefully.
Shadowlords? You mean those arrogant, crazy were-wolf bastards with the silver swords? Yeah we know them. Made great snacks too…
GAROU: They are only beginning to understand the threat of the true enemy.
Shadowlords? You mean those arrogant European prats who think they know everything?
MAGES: They delve too deeply into things they know nothing about. And we really aren’t too fond of those portals to hell they keep on opening.
Shadowlords? Ah. Um. I didn’t do it I swear!
Fey: They are our family, our friends. And our greatest enemies.
Shadowlords? Oh you mean those black were-wolves from Europe? No? Those Shadowlords. Never heard of them. Bye now.
WRAITHS: We walk in the shadows, forever damned by both the light and dark. We share a great deal in common with them.
Scary aren’t they?
THE CURSED (things cursed with true immortality): Sad creatures, all of them. But no sadder than us, I think.
They can’t help me die. So what use are they?
(HIGHLANDER) IMMORTALS: Actually, I think about a fifth of our number are immortals of one sort or another.
Yeah right. A bunch of demons, immortals and weird people defending the multiverse against the forces of evil. Like that’s gonna happen.
GARGOYLES: Not bad. Narrow point of view.
They make worthy allies
ADEPHI (Angels/Celestials): Bloody smug idiots. Don’t have any use for them.
Oh yeah, those guys. I think we recruited the first ones. Good job huh?
CENOBITES (demons): They die.
Run. Run! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
JEDI KNIGHTS: We share the same goals. Our methods are different that’s all.
Trust them we do not. Watch them we will.
ENEMIES:
Anything that irritates them off or wants to kill them.
POWERS OF THE SHADOWLORD:
Shield of Vakeris: A mystical shield that wraps around the shadow lord’s aura, effectively preventing others from determining how powerful he or she is or how she is ‘aligned’. They are essentially invisible to normal scrying attempts.
Shadow’s Friend: can manipulate the shadows around her, making the area appear brighter or darker depending on whether she contracts or dilates the shadows.
Shadow Walk: Can travel throughout the Plane of Shadow. At the fourth level, they can actually bring another person through, but at a loss of three health levels which can be regained through a lot of bed rest.
Other skills can be applied, depending on what the shadowlord was before the Shadowlords recruited him/her.
MERITS AND FLAWS:
Varies. Depends on the character’s background and storyteller discretion.
Ranking System:
Shadowlords are divided into thirteen separate ranks or circles. The lowest circles tend to be spies or information gatherers; while the higher ranking Shadowlords tend to be the actual fighters and planners. The Thirteenth circle is the actual ruling body of the Shadowlords. This circle is simple known as the Council.
* New recruit. You have just been rescued by an elder Shadowlord or dragged out of the darkness by one.
** Veteran. You know the ropes and can tell the difference between a real good guy and a true bad guy.
*** Experienced. The council trusts you with a small territory.
**** Bogeyman. The council trusts you with a planet sized territory.
***** Bane. The council trusts you with a territory the size of a galactic arm or Earth.
Notoriety:
* The forces of evil consider you a minor nuisance not worth bothering with.
** Sabbat vampires run from you in fear.
*** Minor demons avoid you.
**** You have garnered the attention of the First Evil.
***** You have garnered the attention of Heaven.
Epilogue:
Okay. Now I have said that Shadowlords can be anything and anyone. They can have any past, they can be any species. Yet, they were never meant to be munchkins or super-powered beings who go around beating up bad-guys for the sheer hell of it. These guys are guardians; simply because they know evil and have seen that evil in their own souls. Most tend to be redeemed dark lords or traumatized people who can never close their eyes to the filth that chokes the WoD. So, remember: Great power attracts great trouble
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