The Shadow Council (Solo Game)

[Kaodi]

Ossul Sarhain (?)

Well, I've never played in a PbP, though I've been playing 3e and v3.5 since they came out. I'm on the internet a fair amount, though some days more than others. I've had experience on and off over the years with online gaming, and I've been playing in an IRL group for over a year now. I'll admit that I have never been much on PbP, though I've looked into it a few times... I have a hard time empathizing with the action when there are many people saying different things that don't quite jive with one another. That's why this thread caught my eye, because it's solo (or possibly with one other person, which I think I could live with...), and because it's Eberron.

Anyway, my character concept is of an ex-paladin of the Silver Flame who became lawful neutral, but ended up picking the path of the cleric after learning a few other skills. He would of fought in the Last War for Thrane, and perhaps became some kind of troop leader (since he's high level). He's looking to get back into the game, and is going to become an exorcist of the Silver Flame in a level or two. Later on, the possibility of atonement exists, but he'll never again advance as a paladin.

My board-fu is weak, so here is a rather rough look at his stats...

male human ex-paladin 3/rogue 2/cleric 4 (Silver Flame, Exorcism/Law), lawful neutral
str 16, dex 14, con 12, int 12, wis 13, cha 15
feats: silver smite, power attack, improved unarmed strike, mounted combat, scribe scroll
skills (unmodified by equipment): climb +4, concentration +11, decipher script +3, diplomacy +6, disable device +2, disguise +3, forgery +2, handle animal +6, heal +4, hide +5, intimidate +3, jump +4, knowledge (nobility) +3, knowledge (religion) +9, knowledge (the planes) +4, listen +3, move silently +5, ride +6, search +2, sense motive +3, spellcraft +2, spot +3, use magic device +3
magical equipment: +1 chainmail of silent moves, +1 spear, ring of sustenance, ring of protection +2, wand of dispel magic (10th) (5 charges), cloak of resistance +2, amulet of health +2, handy haversack, boots of springing and striding, 398 gp for mundane equipment

If you choose someone else, I won't be disappointed. I wanted to put out a character concept and a build most of all to see if you thought it would fit. Good night.

 

[Sidekick]

Me Ben changed concept. I was wondering what would fit this campaign for a stealthy warrior type.

Then it hit me. Be braced this is slightly cheesetastic.

A changeling ranger3/monk4/warshaper2.

I'd use versatile strike (PHBII), improved natural attack (ECS) and probably Aesthetic hunter.

In general a quick, stealthy, heavy hitting shapechanging servant of the Flame.

I'd play her as a LE servant of the flame. She likes the hunt, enjoys the challenge of a good kill and has no qualms about killing for the greater good. Raised from a young age by the Trust her training programme was cancelled and all members were eliminated.

Whisper got away, a new name & ID later she was a free-agent. She came to fight for the SF as their cause sparks something within her. Trained to kill and fight for the greater good of her homeland (Zilargo) she's more than willing to do the same for the greater good of all Eberron. The Silver Flame have a noble cause, their own as well as others must be policed. And Whisper is the perfect tool for the job.

Plus the pension and dental plan it good...

Ben

Here she is. The Mechanics (ie Skills, saves & equip) need to be ironed out.

Whisper: female Changeling. LE ranger3/monk4/warshaper2.

Death, death is my trade. Those that I kill do not fall for spite, nor for hatred, but out of necessity. The church is large, its enemies many, it’s foes within are not insignificant either. Just as the Flame itself burns away impurity and tempers iron to steel, so must I be the heat of the flame. Shaping history, making sure that we steer correctly down the annals of history yet to be written.

It is because of this that the child must die.

Whisper, atop the roof drops down taking the form of a household guard. She walks along the pathway, her clothing shifting into the uniform of a Deneith Defender blending perfectly with the other guards.

Into the childrens area. Here she must leave the mark and make it so the nobleman does not continue to flirt with the enemy. It is they who are responsible for the attack after all. In she creeps, over towards the sleeping human girl.

A minute later the task is done, the traces and cloth laid. Now all she needs to do is make sure that a commotion is made. Whisper shifts her hands back into the claws that have killed tonight, their palms facing outwards as instructed. She simply leaps upon the guard. Before he can react his throat is lying as open as his mouth, his life spilling away. She runs, jumps up and takes out another guard, this one is allowed to raise the alarm. Whisper then howls, then its over the walls and away.

Another successful mission and one more of Thranes noblemen who will no longer be tempted by the Demon’s of the Wastes. his eldest daughter a noble sacrifice in the cause of right.

--
Whisper is the codename and persona that the changeling Nivv uses. Born in Zilargo Nivv was raised by the gnomes as a tool. From the age of 3 she trained to be an assassin and hunter of the Trust. An agent capable of dealing with and impersonating the big people within Zil society. She learnt that Zilargo needed strong people to police it, that the betterment of society mean that some had to walk to path of shadows.

This path she excelled at. A proficient stalker and hunter, a skilled lurker and a fearsome unarmed combatant Nivv was truly the best student of her 10 strong class.

But then the Triumverate cancelled the programme, her nation no longer needed her, nor could they allow her and her cohort to live. In typical Zil practicality, the class were given a ‘graduation’ assignment. Kill two other members of the class. Of course the rest were to be terminated as well, but they would be worn out. But they underestimated the students. Of the 3 that succeeded in the task, Nivv made it out.

She fled to Sharn got a new name, new ID and went solo. She found mercenary work lacking. Her she was prejudiced against. Her skills not as sought after, simply basic assassinations were not to her taste – there was no need for them aside from greed.

And then Father contacted her, The Silver Flame needed people like her he said. The very fate of Khorvaire and wider Eberron depended upon the strength and resolve of the Church and its servants. She was easily won over, he need to further a good cause too strong.

Whisper will do anything asked if it means furthering the greater good. Killing, maiming, stealing are all acceptable to her. A master of unarmed combat, skulking & a capable archer Whisper is a sword of the Silver Flame a dedicated servant in the fight against evil, whatever its guise.

Appearance: Whisper, in her natural form is your typical changeling. She has a relatively featureless face with bright green eyes, grey/white wispy hair and flat features. She is lithe and petite, with wirey muscles all over her body (arms, legs, 8-pack, etc). She is in top physical condition. Typically Whisper takes one of two forms which are like her second skin.
• female human with black hair, green eyes and dark skin. This whisper is significantly curvier than the real one and she usually wears this skin when she wants people to underestimate her (Halle Berry‘esque).
• Female Khorovar. brown hair cropped short, green eyes and fair skin. Whisper wears this guise when around her fellow flamers and when dealing with the Father (think a ½-elven Riply from Aliens).

Clothing: Whisper wears a multitude of various pocketed vests, cargo trousers and the so forth. She prefers to walk around in a darkweave longcoat with a hooded top on underneath. When on mission she dons her flashweave, a suit of clothing designed to change appearance to match what she wants – every infiltrators best friend.

Quirks: Whisper smokes (Eberron is Noir after all) and tends to spend her spare time smoking and looking out windows, reflecting on all the people she’s killed. She tries to train for at least 6-8 hours every day. While she is not terribly devout in her worship of the Silver Flame she still goes to prayers at least 1/day. She is slowly becoming a believer in the Flame and its divine powers. To the Flame’s cause she is already a convert. To the Flames Divine power, well seeing in one thing, believing is another.

[sblock=Mechanics] MORE TO COME.

Abilities: Str: 12 Dex: 20** Con: 12
Int: 16 Wis: 12 Cha: 10

HP: 17+48=65 Size: medium Speed: 40ft APs: 9
BAB: Melee: ranged: bab+5

Feats: 1st: weapon finesse; 3rd: aesthetic hunter; 6th: versatile strike; 9th: improved natural attack

Ranger feature:
* Bonus feats: Track (1st), Endurance (3rd)
* Favoured enemy: humans. a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks & +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls.
* Combat style: Archery – bonus feat of Rapid Shot (2nd)
* Wild empathy: 1d20+3

Monk Features:
* Bonus feast: Improved unarmed strike (1st), Stunning fist (1st), Combat Reflexes (2nd)
* Unarmed damage: base 1d8. from feats and magic items boosts to 3d6
* Evasion
* Still mind: +2 to saves vs spells and effects from the school of enchantment.
* Ki Strike (magic)
* Slow fall (20ft)

Equipment: 32,000gp
Monks Belt (9000gp)
Ring of Sustenance (2200gp)
Goggles of Night (4000gp)
Wand of cure moderate wounds (2250gp)

[/sblock]

 

[Tyler Durden]

@Kaodi-Glad to see you're interested. As far as your character goes though, I'm wondering why exactly you include three levels of paladin. If it's just for flavor that's fine, but if it's for mechanical reasons, it seems like adding three more levels of cleric would be much more beneficial. Like I said before, I don't want this game to be just about mechanical advantages, but it is something that should be taken into consideration, and right now I'm afraid you're gimping yourself a bit.

@Sidekick-I've always been a fan of changeling Warshapers and it would definately fit in this game.

 

[Kaodi]

Gimping

Yeah, I can see where you might get the idea that from a purely statistical standpoint, the character is weak. However, I put in the levels of paladin for flavour. Perhaps because of what he does, his alignment goes downhill further, to lawful evil, but perhaps he moves back towards lawful good, takes up the code once again, and regains his paladin abilities, a small powerup at a critical time in the story... Besides, I've been reading into Wulfs sweet spot thread lately, and this character would get access to the cleric *game breakers* at high level... like level 17... and moral ambiguity probably works better when you don't have commune to answer the questions for you, or raise dead to fix your mistakes.
Also, the assumption in the setting is that most people, even many of those in power, are low level. So, a ninth level character would still be a powerful person, whether they were at the most powerful for their level, or not.

Just as as aside, base attack is +7, fort +10, ref +9, will +8. AC 20, full attack with +1 spear +11/+6 melee 1d8+5 20 x3. +2 initiative, +1d6 sneak attack, evasion...

 

[Sidekick]

I've updated Whisper. Will let you know when I finish her off.

 

[Tyler Durden]

@Kaodi-Well the one thing I would remind you of is that nothing says a Cleric 7/Rogue 2 can't be roleplayed exactly the same as an ex-Pally 3/Rogue 2/Cleric 4. While classes like Paladin put some RP restirctions on you, there's no reason why a cleric couldn't be played exactly the same way. He could start out as a righteous do-gooder, fall from grace, convert, and follow a different path now. The only real difference? He'd be much more capable than the ex-Pally version. I don't mean to stifle your ideas, but in a game like this, it's going to be really though to be an effective character with three "dead levels."

@Sidekick-Lookin good so far. Is there a particular reason for you to use the Archery combat style rather than TWF? It seems like your character is more focussed on melee attacks. If you're already happy with flurry and don't want to use TWF because of the penalties stacking up, that makes sense and having some ranged combat ability is never a bad idea. I'm just curious though.

@All-A few updates to character creation guidelines:

• Instead of gaining feats every three levels, characters gain them every second level (1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, etc)
• Instead of gaining one ability point every 4th level, characters gain an ability point every 3rd level.
• Instead of starting at 9th level, you'll be starting at 11th.

I made these changes because I whipped up a solid 9th level character the other day and pitted him against some of the challenges that will likely come up in the game and it seemed obvious that the challenges were better suited to a party of 9th level characters than one 9th level character. I figure it's easier for ya'll to make characters that are a bit more powerful than it is for me to scale back all the potential encounters I have cooked up, so enjoy the pre-game level up!

 

[ByteRynn]

9th level gold/gear or 11th level gold/gear?

 

[Kaodi]

Well, Since Your Changing The Rules

I guess since you are changing things around, I'll do something different... Too bad there aren't any cleric/rogue prestige classes, as least that I am aware of (and have access to). I'll post back later with a some new stats.

 

[Tyler Durden]

9th level gold/gear or 11th level gold/gear?

11th. Just pretend 9th level was never part of the plan...

I'll update the OP to reflect this.

 

[Ferrix]

Weee... I'll do my best to get something up in the next day or so.