The Book of Exalted Deeds - It's Here! (merged - full ToC posted)

[Darrin Drader]

With that attitude we would never have had Sepulchrave II's brilliant story hour - the whole thing started with a paladin PC attempting to redeem a succubus.

Actually that's not at all true. There's a spell called sanctify the wicked, which goes along with the sanctified creature template. The purpose of these is to provide a way to redeem a creature that is normally inherently evil. This means that you can now have good red dragons, good demons, and good devils. Orcs and goblins can likewise be turned to good in this way also, if someone wanted to waste all those resources to making it happen. The creature must be willing, which is the catch, but it does allow for exactly this type of thing. Of all the things I contributed to this book, I think sanctify the wicked is the most important because it defines a resolution to an issue that had previously only been guessed at and wrestled with by numerous DMs.

Edit: When you look at the TOC, you'll notice that good is defined (to the extent that it was decided it should be defined) in chapter 1, which is all of 15 pages. It answers a lot of moral questions that arise, but it still leaves the DM room to make their own judgment calls on some issues.

 

[Gez]

Actually, the details of what is moral and what is immoral in the BoVD is the part I will never use.

I took the book for the fiends, archfiends, and more especially, all the various little options and suggestions like dark speech, vile damage, etc.

The things that allow to shape the world and flesh out the villains.

If the BoED does the same thing for the good guys, I'm OK with it.

If it's just a moral guide, sheesh, that's not the purpose of a RPG sourcebook.

 

[Joshua Randall]

The archons, guardinals, and eladrins have their rulers, leaders, and exemplars on the celestial planes where good holds sway. These celestial paragons share much in common with each other and also bear certain similarities to their archfiend counterparts on the Lower Planes.

The Celestial Hebdomad (Archons)
Barachiel, The Messenger (CR 22)
Domiel, The Mercy-Bringer (CR 24)
Erathaol, The Seer (CR 25)
Pistis Sophia, The Ascetic (CR 26)
Raziel, The Crusader (CR 28)
Sealtiel, The Defender (CR 29)
Zaphkiel, The Watcher (CR 32)

Talisid and the Five Companions (Guardinals)
Talisid, The Celestial Lion (CR 30)
Sathia, The Sky Duchess (CR 26)
Manath, The Horned Duke (CR 20)
Whara, Duchess of the Fields (CR 24)
Kharash, The Stalker (CR 22)
Bharrai, The Great Bear (CR 28)

The Court of Stars (Eladrin)
Morwel, Queen of Stars (CR 31)
Faerinaal, The Queen's Consort (CR 29)
Gwynharwyf, The Whirling Fury (CR 26)

 

[Nightfall]

I still think ToH Orcus could kick a few of these guys around.

Sorry random thought:

Any ideas on how to include stuff in other campaign settings? Or is it like BoVD they expect you to use it in GH type world?

 

[Joshua Randall]

Actually that's not at all true. There's a spell called sanctify the wicked, which goes along with the sanctified creature template. The purpose of these is to provide a way to redeem a creature that is normally inherently evil.

There are also rules under Mercy, Prisoners, and Redemption for convincing an evil person to become more good. You spend an hour each day encouraging the evil person to talk about his sins and describing the rewards of being good. You make a special Diplomacy check that sets the DC for the target's Will save (with his level as a bonus on the save). If the target fails his save for seven consecutive days, he moves from evil to neutral. Another seven consecutive days moves him from neutral to good.

Pretty cool, eh? Finally a use for your paladin's huge Diplomacy modifier.

 

[Trainz]

Oh this is brilliant.

Now, the question that many lurkers might want know (but are afraid to ask)...

How does this book makes the Paladin more powerful ?



eidt: slipelng

 

[Joshua Randall]

Any ideas on how to include stuff in other campaign settings? Or is it like BoVD they expect you to use it in GH type world?

Well, the book uses the D&D cosmology - e.g., Zaphkiel the Watcher presides over the seventh layer of Celestia, the Illuminated Heaven of Chronias. However, the D&D cosmology is fairly generic so you should easily be able to adapt the celestial paragons to your campaign world. As long as you have (a) heavenly-type plane(s), you're set.

I run my main campaign in Magnamund, the world of Lone Wolf, and I am already thinking of ways to adapt the BoED to that setting.

 

[Nightfall]

Well, the book uses the D&D cosmology - e.g., Zaphkiel the Watcher presides over the seventh layer of Celestia, the Illuminated Heaven of Chronias. However, the D&D cosmology is fairly generic so you should easily be able to adapt the celestial paragons to your campaign world. As long as you have (a) heavenly-type plane(s), you're set.

I run my main campaign in Magnamund, the world of Lone Wolf, and I am already thinking of ways to adapt the BoED to that setting.

Considering this is the Scarred Lands I'm talking about, I guess it shouldn't be THAT hard...just not sure I'd have room for celestials taking over for the gods.

 

[Joshua Randall]

How does this book makes the Paladin more powerful ?

Well, let's see:

* Many of the exalted feats can be taken by a paladin.
* The Sword of Righteousness PrC requires two exalted feats to get into, good alignment, and +6 BAB; it gives you back Good BAB, Good Fort/Will saves, and 3 bonus exalted feats. You can also freely multiclass it with the paladin class.
* There are new spells for everyone, including paladins. Check out call mount, which lets you call your mount even if you've already done so for the day. Or smite heretic, a +2 sacred bonus to attack and extra damage against evil spellcasters. Or glory of the martyr, basically mass shield other.

Psst... WotC's marketing department... I'll expect that check any day now.

 

[Pseudonym]

There are also rules under Mercy, Prisoners, and Redemption for convincing an evil person to become more good. You spend an hour each day encouraging the evil person to talk about his sins and describing the rewards of being good. You make a special Diplomacy check that sets the DC for the target's Will save (with his level as a bonus on the save). If the target fails his save for seven consecutive days, he moves from evil to neutral. Another seven consecutive days moves him from neutral to good.

Pretty cool, eh? Finally a use for your paladin's huge Diplomacy modifier.

That sounds a bit like the real world recruitment tactics of a few cultist ex-coworkers, or maybe the Movementarians from that one Simpsons episode. I'm not sure I like the new "Moonie mechanic".