(Thanks to Wulf's book) Heroes of High Favor: A Dwarven Saga

[Wulf Ratbane]

Sheesh, cut it out already. I'm just this guy, you know?

I am still eagerly watching to see how you handle the Slayer. Like rangers, you're going to have to tread carefully where his favored enemy is concerned, lest he run roughshod over your bad guys!

It's a shame you didn't start the campaign around 6th level... I'm impatient to see ALL the PrCs in full swing!


Wulf

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Did you make all of your PrC Classes reachable at 6th level?

Sheesh, cut it out already. I'm just this guy, you know?

I am still eagerly watching to see how you handle the Slayer. Like rangers, you're going to have to tread carefully where his favored enemy is concerned, lest he run roughshod over your bad guys!

It's a shame you didn't start the campaign around 6th level... I'm impatient to see ALL the PrCs in full swing!


Wulf

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Did you make all of your PrC Classes reachable at 6th level?

More or less. I think the two arcanists might take a little longer.

 

[Rune]

Heh. The player of the Ranger/Fighter (drunkadelic) is sitting right next to me saying "Do it. Start the game at 6th level. Do it. Muahahahaha!"

But I'd really like to build up some background while the PCs are still relatively low-powered.

I think 3rd level will be a good starting place. They should advance fairly quickly, anyway.

...Because I don't really concern myself with balancing the encounters; I routinely set the PCs up against encounters that are a bit above the challenge level that most people think is appropriate--and they succeed in overcoming the challenges, if they're clever. My job is to make life difficult for the dwarves. I expect them to outsmart me frequently--that's their job.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Heh. The player of the Ranger/Fighter (drunkadelic) is sitting right next to me saying "Do it. Start the game at 6th level. Do it. Muahahahaha!"

Man, I have to tell you, there's a real "dark side" allure to that Slayer PrC!

All those juicy bonus feats... a cookie at every level... Quicker, easier, more seductive...

Having just taken the class myself I feel it calling to me, even though I have other classes I could use another level or two in, I just keep dreaming of another Slayer level.

Sure will suck if you never see your favored enemy though.

 

[Rune]

Sure will suck if you never see your favored enemy though.

Funny you should mention it...

He wanted to take Undead as a favored enemy and I really don't include undead all that often (makes 'em more scary and unnatural when they do show up--with modifications, of course ).

I've encouraged him to take something else, but I won't push it.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

On the bright side, unlike the standard ranger's +1 damage bonus (which is useless against undead), the Slayer has a lot of feats he can pick from that might actually be of some use against undead.

Be cool to see him Cleaving through zombies:

"Yer just gotta aim for the juicy parts, see..."

 

[AvarielAvenger]

Pffft. Wulf isn't a real Dwarf. You see, to truly be a Dwarf, you must meet certain prerequisites. If you fail to do so, you are not living up to the stereotypical view of a Dwarf, and as we all know, non stereotypical Dwarves are about as common as, say, the Dodo bird.

Behold the checklist of being a real Dwarf:

1. Have a Beard. This is vital. All Dark Sun Dwarves fail this test, and thus aren't real Dwarves.

Wulf: Passes.

2. Love Ale. No Dwarf has ever failed this test. Ever.

Wulf: Passes.

3. Love fighting. It is almost unheard for a Dwarf to fail this test, yet sadly, it has occured once or twice, the "Dwarves" that did this being immediately marked as false.

Wulf: Passes.

4. Wield either an Axe, or a Hammer. An Axe is preferred, thanks to Gimli, but you can make it with a Hammer, thanks to the forging image and many Dwarven Deities.

Wulf: Passes.

5. Frequently curse, and be at least halfway insulting to all other party members, particularly Elves. Precedent set by Gimli for the latter.

Wulf: Passes.

6. Have a general disdain for all other races and things that are in some way not Dwarven. All things not Dwarven are inferior, and must be mocked and ridiculed as such.

Wulf: Passes.

7. Be Lawful. This is vital. All Dwarves respect other Dwarves. All Dwarves are almost as organized and set in their ways as your average Formian. All Dwarves don't like Chaotics, like Elves, and Orcs. Because anything other than Lawful is a sin.

Wulf: Fails.

So as you can see, while Wulf passes six out of seven of the prerequisites for being a true Dwarf, he fails the last, and thus, at best, is a "psuedo-Dwarf", who appears to be a Dwarf, but upon close inspection is revealed to actually be a slight anomaly from the racial norm, and thus not really part of the hive mind.

If Wulf were ever to become Lawful, though, he'd meet all the prerequisites for being a real Dwarf.

 

[Rune]

On the bright side, unlike the standard ranger's +1 damage bonus (which is useless against undead), the Slayer has a lot of feats he can pick from that might actually be of some use against undead.

Except that he's not too likely to come across undead that frequently. It sure would be cool, when he did, true, but still...

Be cool to see him Cleaving through zombies:

"Yer just gotta aim for the juicy parts, see..."

But they're all juicy. Except for the parts that are crunchy.

 

[Rune]

Pffft. Wulf isn't a real Dwarf. You see, to truly be a Dwarf, you must meet certain prerequisites. If you fail to do so, you are not living up to the stereotypical view of a Dwarf, and as we all know, non stereotypical Dwarves are about as common as, say, the Dodo bird.

Behold the checklist of being a real Dwarf:

...snip...

So as you can see, while Wulf passes six out of seven of the prerequisites for being a true Dwarf, he fails the last, and thus, at best, is a "psuedo-Dwarf", who appears to be a Dwarf, but upon close inspection is revealed to actually be a slight anomaly from the racial norm, and thus not really part of the hive mind.

If Wulf were ever to become Lawful, though, he'd meet all the prerequisites for being a real Dwarf.

Nice list! When (not if!) you get a chance to take a look at Wulf's book, flip to the back and read about the seven dwarven virtues. They're well presented and thought provoking (and entirely independent of alignment). They show what dwarven society is made of and what happens to a dwarf (or dwarven society) when each of the virtues are taken to the extreme and become vices. Good stuff.