The Romance of the River Kingdoms

[Dr Simon]

[sblock=Rolling Man]
Jar'Thol han't heard of these *specifically*, but he doesn know that sometimes a place in the mortal realm has its echo in the spirit realm in the form of a single location. So Heartsflow is probably the focal point for the spirits of the Leng River (or perhaps even just a small stretch of the Leng River), and Salmon, Iris and Catfish are probably local spirits. Master Salmon, for example, is probably not the Celestial Minister in charge of all salmon, but simply either a local governer for all salmon in the Leng River, or even just the spirit of one particularly old and wise salmon.
[/sblock]

 

[Dr Simon]

[sblock=Blackrat]
So, Three Flowers is a descendant of Geese Flying South. Although he doesn't know it yet, he carries a heritage of the river spirits.

You have two options you can use, if you wish, or ignore if you don't. You can use the Bloodline rules for water elementals , but these are a bit lame in my opinion.

The second option is to use racial levels (as paragon levels) in River Spirit Folk. You take these as you would any other multi-classing option (they don't count against favoured class). There are 3 levels, with 3/4 BAB (+0,+1,+2), good Reflex saves and 4 + Int skill points per level. Class skills are Diplomacy, Heal, Hide, Listen, Profession (fisherman), Profession (boatman), Sense Motive, Spot, Survival, Swim.
Class powers: Level 1 - gain a 30 ft. Swim speed. Level 2 - gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against "water" spells and SLAs, plus the ability to speak with fish, 1/day. Level 3 - gain permanent water breathing effect.

It's an the choice is one or the other mechanic, or neither if they don't appeal.
[/sblock]

 

[Blackrat]

I'll think about that. I was also thinking of making White Lotus into a Heirloom Item. I just don't remember what book those were in, but I'll check it later. But I was thinking that it would have been Geese's originally.

 

[Dr Simon]

I did a quick search for Heirloom items... and they seem to be in Star Wars Saga (KotOR supplement)! However, on similar lines I direct your attention to the Bonded Item feat adapted from Arcana Evolved, which is somewhere near the beginning of this topic, I think. If not, I'll add it in. My thinking is that a ceremony involving 300gp worth of materials is enough to transfer the Ancestral Bond (and, coincidentally, cover the cost for a masterwork item that oddly enough gives the same mechanical effects....). You can then, however, invest your own XP into adding enchantments to the item as if you were able to use Craft Magic Arms and Armour, so the item "grows" with you.

Alternatively we could use the Scion rules (I've never run them before), or I'm open to other ideas if you have them.

(Ever since the original West End Games d6 Star Wars game allowed players to spend their experience on their *spaceship*, I've loved the idea of equipment that grows with the character).

 

[Shayuri]

Arr, signature items are staples of fantasy fiction and myth.

Many, if not all, iconic fantasy heroes and villains have some object or item that they perform their great deeds with the aid of, and becomes part of their legend.

 

[Blackrat]

Ah... Took me a while to find the feat I meant. It was in a book I least expected. Well close to least, Book of Vile Darkness would have been even more surpricing... Anyways, feat called Ancestral Relic from Book of Exalted Deeds. I realise that it wouldn't work exactly as written there but if you have the book, take a look and let me know what you think. It is basically like that Bonded Item, but you sacrifice items/money on enhancing its magic instead of XP.

EDIT: I decided to write it up in case you don't have the book. I don't know how infringing it is to post a complete feat but I hope it's ok, since I'm only giving out one...

Ancestral Relic

You own an ancestral heirloom and can invest it with increasing power.

Prerequisite: Any good alignment, character level 3rd.
Benefit: Choose an item you own. The item must be of masterwork quality, and it must be an item that once belonged to a member of your family. Alternatively, the item may have belonged to another person to whom you are somehow connected, such as another member of your religious order.
At any time, you may retreat to a consecrated or hallowed location and spend time in prayer in order to awaken the spirits in your ancestral relic. This requires a sacrifice of valuable items worth the difference between the market price of the magic item your relic will become and the market price of your current relic. This sacrifice does not have to be gold - you can sacrifice magic items or other goods worth the required amount, rather than selling your goods (at half value) to pay for the sacrifice. You must spend 1 day per 1,000 gp value you sacrifice. During this rime, you must spend at least 5 hours each day in prayer or meditation, not stopping to eat or rest.
For example, a 4th-level paladin has a masterwork bastard sword she inherited from her grandfather. She makes sacrifices worth 2,000 gp and spends two days in prayer and fasting in the temple of Heironeous. When she emerges, her devotion has awakened the magic inherent in the blade, making it a +1 bastard sword. When she reaches 7th level, she once again retreats to the temple for 6 days, sacrificing items worth an additional 6,000 gp to make her weapon a +2 bastard sword (market price 8,000 gp). When she reaches 11th level, she can make it a +2 holy bastard sword by making sacrifices worth 24,000 gp (the difference between 32,000 and 8,000 gp) and spending 24 days in prayer.
A character's level dictates the maximum value of his or her ancestral relic, as shown below.
No character may have more than one ancestral relic.


lvl Maximum Relic Value
3rd 1,350gp
4th 2,700 gp
5th 4,500 gp
6th 6,500 gp
7th 9,500 gp
8th 13,500 gp
9th 18,000 gp
10th 24,500 gp
11th 33,000 gp
12th 44,000 gp
13th 55,000 gp
14th 75,000 gp
15th 100,000 gp
16th 130,000 gp
17th 170,000 gp
18th 220,000 gp
19th 290,000 gp
20th 380,000 gp

 

[Blackrat]

Regarding the bloodline thing, I like those racial levels, and might take first of them in next lvl up.

 

[Dr Simon]

Regarding copyright, yeah, I'm not sure on that. For this kind of purpose its probably not too serious, I know I've posted huge chunks of the B5 2nd Edition RPG now! Since I don't have the Book of Exalted Deeds (although I've got Vile Darkness), thanks for posting that.

Feat looks fine to me - the only difference to Bonded Item really is the level limit set on the gp value, which makes sense to me. (The true Bonded Item feat actually just gives you a +1 bonus to using the item, none of the extra enchantment possibilities, but it kind of made sense.)

Probably not long until the next level-up.

 

[The Rolling Man]

Jar'Thol to lvl 3 !

Hey ! (see the title)

Once again, here's a list of the changes:
+4 grace points
+1 to health (for the lvl - so 25 hp is the new total)
+1 to BAB and all attacks
+1 to fort and reflex saves
+1 round for the travel domain power
+1 1st lvl spell per day
+1 to the following skills : Concentration, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Knw (Spirit), Knw (Geography) and Knw (Nature) (6 skill points)
Animal companion
1 Feat

I have a couple of question. First, I'm gonna pick a medium viper for Jar'Thol's companion. Snakes can climb trees (like Jar'Thol) and swim (there's lot of water in this campaign. It is the romance of the river kingdoms after all). For flavor reasons, I think it should be some sort of venomous aquatic snake. The way I see it, a snake spirit from Heartsflow will be compelled to follow the shaman without him consciously doing anything to provoke it. I see Jar'thol as a bit absent-minded when it comes to his powers. What I don't know is whatever you want to roleplay all that in the game. I also wonder if Jar'Thol will have to teach the snake any tricks or will it come 'prepackaged' with some.

Second, I don't know if you have access to the Complete Champion but I'd like to pick Imbued Healing for Jar'Thol. I think it fits him pretty well. I can pick something else if you don't have access to it or don't like it but, imo, there's just isn't much interesting feats for casters in the core game.

 

[Shayuri]

Here's my levelup log.

2 more grace
Roll Lookup
(I'm not sure how I'm doing Grace/Health. I think it's wrong on my sheet. I'll post it here.)
+1 Fort, +1 reflex.
+1 Bluff, and +1 Spellcraft
+1 1st level spell slot.
Additional 1st level spell known: Pyrotechnics
New Feat: Not sure yet
Increase in Familiar abilities (+1 natural armor, +1 Int, deliver touch spells)