The City Beautiful - (Over)

Elans were once humans (and only humans) There´s a council of elans that choose humans from a pool of applicants and make a ritual that makes them psionic beings. While the ritual erases past experience -class levels, skill points, and so on- they still have memories of their former self. (And that´s a bit odd, how they can remember going to school but don´t have memories of what learned there). Elans tend to blend with the human population and most pose as humans that don´t sleep, eat, or get old.

I´ve been thinking on a character concept for my psion telepath. The central point is that, forced by hus family, he´s been using his powers to push himself in the council´s politics, but that clashes with his ethics, born from his empathic powers -in game terms, since he´s able to manifest the empathy power and sense other´s feelings, he´s developed a strong lawful good ethic-

That would require: a bureaucracy, that rules under the various councils, large enough so there are families that work or depend on it, and a small cabal of psions that trained the character in secret. The cabal isn´t a problem, but I don´t know what do you think of the bureaucracy thing, but that´s something that could change (he could be a merchant, for example)
 

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With a city of this size buercracy is prolly a must, the concept sounds good. The coucils may consist of rich families, friends of he mayor, or pedlars of influence and clout (like chicago aldermen) or mixes of the above types. The elf on each council is supposed to be above the politics of the others, but probably isn't. Each council (of 4) governs 60k-100k people. What is the council your family works with like?
 

I was typing an answer for that, but think i´ll instead post the background -it´s coming soon- now that there are not really obstacles for what I was thinking on.
 

Someone said:
Elans were once humans (and only humans) There´s a council of elans that choose humans from a pool of applicants and make a ritual that makes them psionic beings. While the ritual erases past experience -class levels, skill points, and so on- they still have memories of their former self. (And that´s a bit odd, how they can remember going to school but don´t have memories of what learned there). Elans tend to blend with the human population and most pose as humans that don´t sleep, eat, or get old.

From the descriptions both you and Evilhalfing have given, the concept is interesting. I think I'm going to be inspired by Zaphoid... have brief flashes of me old self, but in general just be angry with a former self that decided to go through this process. Volunteer to have all your experience erased? No way! Life is for living, and even the bad stuff teaches. Giving up memories and experience would be anathama to the new personality. If he ever does find out about his former selfs aims and plans, he'll probably go out of his way to disrupt them (although not going so far as to harm his current self in the process).
 

Ok, lets see:
Code:
Name: Ozan Neub, a.k.a. Acleon
Class: Psion (Telepath)
Race: Human
Size: Medium
Gender: Male
Alignment: Lawful Good
Deity: ??

Str: 10 +0 ( 2p.)     Level: 2         XP: 1000
Dex: 12 +1 ( 4p.)     BAB:  +1         HP: 11 (4+1d4+4 Con)
Con: 14 +2 ( 6p.)     Grapple: +1      Dmg Red: -/-
Int: 17 +3 (13p.)     Speed: 30'       Spell Res: -
Wis: 12 +1 ( 4p.)     Init:  +1        Spell Save: -
Cha: 12 +1 ( 4p.)     ACP:   +0        Spell Fail: -

                Base  Armor Shld   Dex  Size   Nat  Misc  Total
Armor:           10    +2    +0     +1    0    +0    +0     13
Touch: 12          Flatfooted: 12

                         Base   Mod  Misc  Total
Fort:                      0    +2    0    +2
Ref:                       0    +1    0    +1
Will:                      3    +1    0    +4

Weapon                  Attack   Damage       Critical   Range
Dagger                   +1      1d4           19-20x2
Thrown Dagger            +2      1d4           19-20x2    10 ft

Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven, Hairfeet.

Abilities:
-Extra feat at level 1
-Extra skill points
-Favored class: Any.

Powers Known:
Level 1: Charm, Mindlink, Mind Thrust, Empathy, Create Sound.

Power points: 9 (base 6 + 3 bonus)

Feats: Enlarge power, Psionic endowment, Greater psionic endowment.

Skill Points: (2 psion +4 Int +1 Human)x4=28  Max Ranks: 5/2.5
Skills                   Ranks  Mod  Misc  Total
Concentration               5   +2          +7
Knowledge (psionics)        5   +3          +8
Psicraft                    5   +3     +2   +10
Bluff                       5   +1          +6
Diplomacy                   5   +1     +4   +10 
Sense Motive                5   +1          +6    

(misc bonuses:
+2 to Psicraft for having 5 ranks in Knowledge: psionics.
+4 to diplomacy for having 5 ranks in Bluff and sense Motive)                            

Equipment:                Cost    Weight
Dagger                      2gp    1    lb
Leather armor  		   10gp    15   lb
Explorer's outfit           0gp    -    lb
Backpack                    2gp    2    lb
--Flint and Steel           1gp    -    lb  
--Rations (1 day)         0,5gp    1    lb
--Sunrod [1]                2gp    1    lb
--1 CLW potion             50gp    --
--Waterskin                 1gp    4    lb

Total Weight: 25 lb  Money: 51 gp 5sp 0cp

                        Lgt   Med   Hvy  Lift  Push
Max Weight:             33    66    100  200   500

Age:    24
Height: 5´8"
Weight: 160 lb
Eyes:   Brown
Hair:   Black
Skin:   Tan

Ozan´s family, the Neubs, have served the merchant´s quarter council for 4 generations, with varying degrees of success. Since Ozan´s birth, it was clear that he was going to be another civil servant, and in the hopes of his mother, one that would climb where she and her retired husband couldn´t. So he spent his early years studying and preparing for that.

While the astral elves rule the city and he kingdom, it´s the councils and the underlying bureaucracy who do the hard work. The head of each council is a noble elf, with the power to elect the council –within a limited selection; in the merchant´s quarter, those must be the four principal merchant families- and veto any decision; most of the time, they don´t really care about the council´s decisions, and only use them as political tools. From there, a tangled web of secretaries, accountants, officers and scribes manage the city´s daily life. Those are –supposedly- chosen by their merits, without race or social class restrictions, though in practice it´s became a profession that passes from parents to children.

The Neubs were not the brightest family there; Ozan´s father was already retired, and his mother worked in one of the lowest ranks. Ozan wasn´t too promising: he seemed to lack ambition and was too empathic to ruthlessly climb the hierarchy. It wasn´t until he was 13 they didn´t understood the reason.

He had psionic talent. He was a natural born telepath. His changes in mood and understanding of other´s feelings were because an unrefined empathic psionic power. At first, it was a small dissapointment; were he a wizard, he could aim for a place in the prestigious Academy. But then, an idea started to mature: psionics were subtle, easy to conceal. They don´t have to mutter arcane words, or have their fingers stained with strange chemicals… they are ideal to use in public, and nobody would notice.

Ozan started to study with a small and secret group of psychics, the Cabal of Pure Thought, just at the same time he joined the ranks of the bureaucrats, and when he mastered his first powers, his family pushed him to use them to use them for his advantage. It was dangerous: the use of supernatural powers to influence the mind of others is a crime as dire as the use of them to damage property.

He was lucky at first. He could read the mood of others easily, and influence their minds, thoug he did it only whe he was sure he couldn´t be caught. He enjoyed it at first, and soon he was in a place of some responsibility.

As he was gaining maturity, however, his way of seeing things changed too. He could see how the system was unjust, how those rich and powerful had all the advantages and the poor and helpless were ignored by justice. What was worse is that he could feel that, the ignored sinking in desperation and the comtempt swirling around those powerful enough touse the system.

At first, Ozan tried to change things from within, but that didn´t worked, and worse, clashed with his bosses. His sudden stop in his career was a source of tension with his family. And the Cabal started to make demands to him; they were not a pacific group of study, but had an agenda on their own. It was too much pressure for the young Ozan, and decide the only way for him was leaving it all and start a new life, with a new name…
 
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Sparrow - Draft 1

Some fluff added, some feats changed... more to come.

Short version:
[sblock]
Sparrow, Neutral Good Female Elan Psychic Warrior 2; HD 2d8+4 (18 hp); Init +2; Spd 30ft; AC 19, FF 16, T 13; BAB +1, Grapple +3; Atk +3 melee (1d6+2, 18-20 x2, Scimitar) or +3 range (d8, x3, Longbow, 100ft Range); SV Fort +5, Refl +2, Will +2; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 10.

Skills, Feats & Languages: Autohypnosis +9, Concentration +7, Climb +1, Jump +0; Dodge, Mobility, Psionic Dodge; Common, Sylvan.

Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Psychic warriors are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Psychic Abilities: Power Points: 4 (Elan +2, PsyWar +1, WIS +1); Level 1 Powers: Metaphysical Weapon, Prescience (Offensive)

Race Features:
Aberration: Elans are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person.
Elans (unlike most aberrations) do not have darkvision.
Resistance (Su): Elans can use psionic energy to increase their resistance to various forms of attack. As an immediate action, an elan can spend 1 power point to gain a +4 racial bonus on saving throws until the beginning of her next action.
Resilience (Su): When an elan takes damage, she can spend power points to reduce its severity. As an immediate action, she can reduce the damage she is about to take by 2 hit points for every 1 power point she spends.
Repletion (Su): An elan can sustain her body without need of food or water. If she spends 1 power point, an elan does not need to eat or drink for 24 hours.

Possessions: Scimitar, Chain Shirt, Heavy Wooden Shield, Longbow, 20 Arrows, 2 gp
[/sblock]

Expanded information:
[sblock]
Description:
A short but athletic looking lady who looks to be in her mid to late twenties. None of her features are especially notable (brown hair and eyes, light freckling across her face) but her normal attire does stand out in a crowd. Sparrow can normally be found wearing a lovingly polished chain shirt, with her shield strapped to her back and scimitar in stealth.

Personality:
Sparrow is a mix of contrasts. She believes strongly in self discipline, with a fixed routine of meditation and physical exercise each morning and using her word as her bond. However, she also believes life is to be lived, and there is fun to be had in the living. When she lets her hair down, she dances with abandon, and will tease and play jokes with the best of them. She seems to feel no conflict between her carefully regimented training and carefree lifestyle.

While not outgoing with strangers, Sparrow cares strongly for people. She dislikes bullies intensely, and anyone who is interested in acquiring political power and/or ‘lording’ it over people gain her instant suspicion.

History:
?? To be added

Experience: 1,000??

Name: Sparrow
Gender: Female
Race: Elan
Class: Psychic Warrior
Level: 2
Alignment: NG
Deity: None

Stats
Str 14 (6 points)
Dex 14 (6 points)
Con 14 (6 points)
Int 13 (5 points)
Wis 14 (6 points)
Cha 10 (4 points, -2 Elan)

Saves
Fort +5 (Class +3, CON +2)
Ref +2 (DEX +2)
Will +2 (WIS +2)

Hit Dice: 2d8+4
Hit Points: 18 (8+6+4)
Initiative: +2 (DEX +2)
Speed: 30ft
AC: 19 (Armor +4, Shield +2, DEX +2, +1 Psionic Dodge (w/at least 1PP))
FF: 16 (Armor +4, Shield +2)
T: 13 (DEX +2, +1 Psionic Dodge (w/at least 1PP))
ACP: -4 (Armor -2, Shield -2)

BAB: +1
Grapple: +3 (BAB +1, STR +2)
MAB +3 (BAB +1, STR +2)
RAB: +3 (BAB +1, DEX +2)

Skills: (15 skill points)
Autohypnosis +9 (Ranks 5, WIS +2, Synergy +2)
Concentration +7 (Ranks 5, CON +2)
Climb +1 (Ranks 3, STR +2, Armor Check -4)
Jump +0 (Ranks 2, STR +2, Armor Check -4)

Feats:
Dodge
Mobility
Psionic Dodge

Psychic Abilities:
Power Points: 3 (Elan +2, PsyWar +1, WIS +1)
Level 1 Powers: Metaphysical Weapon, Prescience (Offensive)
[/sblock]
 
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Someone:
looks good - except your base will save is +3 not +2
I ment to say that there are 4 councils. Not that each has 4 human members - the number on each is probably 8-12. this probably doesnt change anything - just more families on the council

the points on your stats are labled wrong, but they come out to the right amount.
you start at 8 : so S-2pts, D-4pts, C-6pts, I-13pts W&Ch- 4pts each

Steve, Someone, Mavnn, d20Dazz, Lotuseater
thats 5 - waiting for concepts and/or characters

Edit Mavnn PSP +2 elan, +1 wis, +1 psiwarrior total 4
 
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Evilhalfling said:
Someone:

Steve, Someone, Mavnn, d20Dazz, Lotuseater
thats 5 - waiting for concepts and/or characters

I'm leaning towards an Elan monk. I'm still working on details for a concept, but the caracter could believe his soul has come back to empower humanity to fufill it's own destiny, and to "free" them from the elves. Alternatively, (for a darker character) he could be the reincarnated soul of an ancient one that wishes to emulate the fallen empire. Please let me know if this suits the flavor you want to give to your campaign.

Evilhalfling, would you accept an Elan to freely multiclass as a psion and a monk? If so, I'd do a Monk 1 / psion (egotist) and keep upping both classes.

Another concept I have is a human barbarian1 (or fighter 1, if it suits the campaign better)/warlock 1.

Can you let me know what you prefer?

Thanks and cheers,

SG
 
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