# Bo9S-themed homebrew gestalt game -- now recruiting!



## Autumn (Dec 13, 2007)

*Rambling Introductory Thoughts* 

 This is an idea I've been mulling over for some time, and I've decided I'll put it up here and see how much interest it receives. 

 I've loved the Book of Nine Swords ever since I first flicked through it, and have wanted to run a game revolving around the sort of flavor and style that it promotes. But it quickly became evident to me that I wouldn't be satisfied doing so in either of my usual two campaign settings, Eberron and Planescape. It could be done, of course - they're both very flexible and versatile worlds, and that's why I love them.

 But what I really wanted was a setting that incorporated a Bo9S mentality - though not necessarily all the original Bo9S fluff - from its conception. Which pretty much meant coming up with one myself, so that's what I've been thinking about off and on for a while now. I think my initial ideas are forming enough of a skeleton now so I can recruit some players to help me put meat on the bones. And hopefully play some fun DnD. 

 * * * 

*Some Setting Flavor*

 [sblock=sblocked for your convenience] _In this, the year 1000 of Astres, it is easy to forget that humanity’s hold was once so tenuous upon Valis. The first humans to land on that western shore with visions of eden in their imaginations found an intricate and refined society of labyrinthine plots and schemes, ever-switching alliances and emnities between the four Elemental Houses.

	It is not recorded which was the first House to see the potential of humanity, to make friendly overtures and to encourage the first half-bloods. In any case, it was not long before all of them had followed suit. Once established, the bloodlines spread with astonishing speed, and the Houses’ ranks swelled with genasi. The crossbreed population expanded exponentially, and their impact was correspondingly enormous. The great city states grew up around the established Elemental strongholds, melding the Houses’ esoteric architectural styles with the practical needs of quasi-human inhabitants.

	Human culture was all but eradicated in those times. Pure-blooded Humans became a subjugated minority, an underclass in the society of their Elemental lords. Of the heritage they had brought with them, they were all but stripped. This indignity was no fleeting thing, but the status quo of many centuries.

	This is the context within which we must consider the nameless Prophet, the future Astres. The vernacular, indigenous culture of humanity was all but extinct on Valis, bastardised and nearly eradicated by Elemental influence. Yet what remained produced one last great man, and that man became a god. That is Astres’s greatest and most enduring lesson to humanity. The truth of our potential.

He was humanity’s messiah, come to give us back our identity and pride. Our protector against the outside forces that had come to dominate their world. No more would humanity be a plaything, a tool in the petty power struggles between rival lords. It would become a force unto itself. Mankind would again be master of its own destiny. 

	That was his message. Is it any wonder that men and women came from across Valis to hear his sermons and unite beneath his banner?

The day came that He and his followers seized the city of Darjhas, overthrowing the Genie caliph and seating Him on the throne. Witnesses wrote that as He took his seat the room was suffused with radiance, so dazzling in its brilliance that the assembled crowd could see nothing for a minute or more. When the light faded away, He was changed. He had transcended His mortality. The pure celestial light that had flooded the room lingered on in His eyes, and no man could match that stare. His features were changed to a perfect vision of androgenous beauty, and His hair was turned to dancing red-gold flames circled by a shining crown of molten silver. 

	Astres was born on that day, and his capital city was claimed. The Astresian armies that would later be the fear and envy of all Valis began as a peasant militia, but they were fighting for something they believed in. They were fighting for their destinies. The caliph’s troops were expelled, and the city secured. 

	Valis was disparate in those days, a rough conglomeration of city-states united only through trade and riven apart by the squabbling of their petty lords. There was consternation, undoubtedly, but no coordinated response to the new threat. Perhaps its magnitude was not yet realised. Yet within a generation half a dozen more cities had fallen, and Astres had proclaimed the Sanction, debarring any further breeding between pure blooded humans and other races. The foundations of the Empire were in place. From those beginnings to its present glorious ascendancy has not always been an easy or straightforward road, but our steps have never wavered. 

	And they shall not. We stride onwards, ever onwards to our destiny._

      - Extract from the speech of Exarch Daltrim, delivered on the occassion of Somerthil Province’s millenial celebrations [/sblock]

 n.b. Astres is intended to be pronounced [Az-trace], not [Ass-trees] or anything similar. 

   * * *

*More Setting Information*

[sblock=Races, and a little on Religion]As you will have gathered from that extract, the dominant culture of Valis is human. The (large) continent is divided into imperial provinces - all are ostensibly part of the Astresian Empire. Nonetheless, some are more imperial than others. In some provinces, the main cultural influence remains one or more of the Elemental Houses. The Houses have accepted the Emperor's Sanction - no interbreeding with humans - and in return have won a measure of toleration. A score of city-states spread around the continent are still ruled by Elemental Lords, as imperial protectorates. 

 As such, the most prevalent PC races are Humans and Genasi.

 Other races and cultures do exist on Valis, pushed to the peripheries now but still clinging on. These consist of monstrous humanoids like orcs, goblins, gnolls, kobolds and so on, as well as some scattered tribal human societies. Some of them associate and interbreed with the monstrous humanoid tribes, and are little different from them in culture and outlook. A rare few have managed to maintain their integrity and their own pagan Druidic culture, despite centuries of Astresian pressure.

 Other PC races are not native to Valis. However, playing one is still perfectly possible... In the last two centuries the Astresian Empire has engaged in a great deal of oversees trade and expansion. This has led to a great deal of cultural exchange with other peoples, including other Human cultures who never experienced the same travails as the Astresians and have never had a taboo on breeding with other races. Hence half-blood races are viable player characters, though you should expect some prejudice from Astresians. Aasimars are particularly abhorrent, since Astresians are used to the idea of Celestials as manifestations of Astres's divine will. The idea of a Celestial contravening the Sanction is therefore a highly charged and subversive one.

 Note that there is no accepted distinction between the Astresian empire and the Astresian religion, just as there is no accepted distinction between Astres the emperor and Astres the god. That's not to say that everybody growing up in the empire is a pious Astresian by faith - many, particularly from the remoter provinces, could care less about the Astresian religion. Some even worship other deities, though such practices are heavily suppressed. The most vicious heyday of the Inquisition has been and gone, but life for apostates and heretics is still far from easy. [/sblock] 

[sblock=Classes]The Astresian Empire is highly martial in its culture, but it does not embrace all the disciplines. Desert Wind, Setting Sun, Shadow Hand and Stone Dragon are the traditional martial forms favored by the Elemental Houses (though not by those names), and are accordingly given short shrift by Astresians. Some of their maneuvers may, however, be adapted and used by Astresian adepts - in particular, Astresian crusaders have appropriated many Stone Dragon techniques for themselves. 

 Conversely, Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, Iron heart and White Raven are traditionally Astresian schools, and held in particularly high regard within that culture.

 The Tiger Claw discipline, meanwhile, is not a discipline at all according to most Astresians, but rather a loose grouping of savage techniques used by the primitive humanoid tribes that unfortunately still linger in Valis's farther reaches and occasionally harrass the citizenry. 

 Meanwhile many true masters would of course tend to forsake such narrow and parochial views in favor of a more rounded and holistic outlook. Despite the Empire's own martial bent, it has no monopoly over those who seek the Way.


 Arcane magic and psionics have traditionally been highly distrusted and even banned at various points in imperial history. At the height of the Inquisition, witchhunters rounded up and summarily executed thousands of 'heretics' based on evidence or suspicion that they practised the arcane or psionic arts. 

 Recent years have seen a shift towards greater tolerance for arcane and psionic adepts, in accordance with a more general move towards compromise and coexistence. Still, significant arcanists and psionicists do well to make a public show of piety or else keep their heads down. The empire remains understandably wary of powerful unaligned figures within its borders. 


 Divine magic, conversely, has a powerfully established place within society - as would be expected of a theocracy. The priesthood is a vast edifice commanding formidable power and respect in all aspects of life. In certain provinces it also commands a great deal of popular hostility, due to the corruption that tends to be more and more apparent as one moves further from the Capital and into the Provinces.[/sblock]

 * * *

*Game Details*

  The PCs will begin as the students of Master Carthis, a venerable man running a small school in the mountains of the remote province of Embria. It is not a particularly prestigious isntitution - in fact it seems unlikely that anybody beyond the immediate vicinity would have even heard of him. But for those born locally of modest means, it is the only real option if they wish to take their first steps on the Way. Those coming from further afield would likely only seek such a place if they had a desire for obscurity, or a lack of funds (Master Carthis teaches what he knows in return for work housekeeping, running errands to the nearby village, and tending his goats and his vegetable patch). It's also notable that unlike some Masters, he is not picky about his student intake. If he has political or religious opinions, he keeps them to himself. 

  From that starting point, I have the very basic sketchings of a campaign arc worked out. However, I want to stress that the game will be about where you, the players, want to go from that beginning scenario. I am very much the kind of DM who likes to chuck out some plot hooks and see which ones get bitten. I hope that this style of play can work in a PbP format; I haven't yet tested, but I am optimistic that with the right players it can. In terms of my DMing style, I'm flexible - I can accomodate anything from hack-n-slash action to high courtly intrigue, and ideally I like to mix those up with everything in between to create a nicely-paced and varied game. I think the only thing I can't really deal with is a wargaming style where roleplay is kept to a minimum. So if you're that kind of gamer, I would delicately suggest that this may not be the game for you.

 * * *

*Character Creation*

 Characters will begin at 1st level, with a 32 pt buy and max starting gold, using the Gestalt variant. One of your classes must be one with access to Martial Maneuvers - at 1st level that obviously means Crusader, Swordsage, or Warblade. Later on certain prestige classes can also fulfill that requirement.

  I'm hoping that the variant will give more room for inventiveness and individuality in the otherwise quite restrictive nature of a game where everybody is a martial adept. 

 Of course it will also make characters much more powerful. Obviously I'll be scaling the challenges you face appropriately. 

 *

 All planetouched races are houseruled to LA+0. 

*


 Any WotC sources should be ok when making your character - I have a lot of books, and I'm no stickler for exacting game balance. If I don't recognise something, you might have to email me the rules. 

 As an addendum to that 'no stickler for exacting game balance', however, I should add that that implies a certain level of trust in the maturity of my players. Hopefully nobody will make me reconsider my stance by doing anything outrageous.

*


 I'm looking for 4-6 players. Run a concept by me first - classes and a little sketch of personality and background - and I will make my decision based on that. I realise that people might have more setting-related questions for me in this preliminary stage. I've deliberately left many things somewhat hazy because I'm very happy to take player input on them, so if you have any ideas then run them by me and we can work something out together. Or if you're just confused about something, likewise, feel free to ask away.


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## Zurai (Dec 13, 2007)

I love Tome of Battle. I'd like to throw my hat into the ring with a character aiming at Jade Phoenix Mage. No base class stub at the moment, trying to decide.


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## Kaodi (Dec 13, 2007)

If I actually had Bo9S and CArc, I would be all over a Tiefling Shadow Hand Swordsage/Warlock, but I have neither. Good luck with your game though, Autumn.


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## EvolutionKB (Dec 13, 2007)

Interesting to be sure.  I've had a character concept for a while now.  The unarmed variant swordsage(shadow hand/diamond mind/setting sun)a former UFC type fighter, looking for glory in other areas.  I am unfamiliar with gestalt, so I'll have to do a little research, but the other side of the coin would probably be fighter.

Edit:  They are far from official, but seem cool and well balanced.  Sublime Marshal Sublime Ranger


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## Zurai (Dec 13, 2007)

Here's my entry.

High Concept: Maas Illian is a singularly focused individual. His single goal is to fuse the Sublime Way and the Mystic Art into a single seamless fighting style superior to all others. His focus makes him an excellent student of the Way and the Art, but his Elemental heritage, use of arcane magic, and infrequent interactions with the outside world leave his social skills lacking.

Mechanics: Maas will go Swordsage // Wizard until he qualifies for Jade Phoenix Mage (level 7 minimum), then take the JPM levels on the Wizard side of the gestalt. He fights with a rapier and keeps a couple shortspears to throw if something refuses to get into melee range with him and he's out of spells. His maneuvers are focused mainly in Desert Wind, Diamond Mind, and Setting Sun (with some Devoted Spirit once he gets levels in JPM), while his spells are mostly buffs or offensive spells which might be mistaken for Sublime Way maneuvers.

[sblock=rough draft character sheet]
*Maas Illian*
*Male Air Genasi Swordsage 1//Evoker 1* 
*Alignment:* NG
*Deity:* ???
*Region:* ???
*Height:* 6'3"
*Weight:* 160 lbs
*Hair:* Silver, tied into a topknot
*Eyes:* Brown
*Skin:* Pale
*Age:* 20
*XP:* 0

*Str:* 10 (+0) [2 points]
*Dex:* 16 (+3) [6 points, +2 race]
*Con:* 14 (+2) [6 points]
*Int:* 18 (+4) [10 points, +2 race]
*Wis:* 12 (+1) [6 points, -2 race]
*Cha:* 8 (-1) [2 points, -2 race]

*Class and Racial abilities:* 
Native Outsider
Darkvision 60'
_Levitate_ (CL 5) 1/day
+1 racial bonus on saves vs air spells and effects, +1 more per 5 character levels
Breathless (immune to drowning, suffocation, and attacks that require inhalation)
Quick to Act (+1 initiative)
Discipline Focus (+1 to hit with rapier, shortspear, bastard sword, katana, and trident)
Familiar

*Hit Dice:* 1d8+2
*Hit Points:* 10
*AC:* 13 (+0 Armor, +3 Dex) [Touch 13, Flat-footed 10]
*Init:* +4 (+3 Dex, +1 Quick to Act)
*Speed:* 30ft 

*Saves:*
Fortitude +2 [+0 base, +2 Con]
Reflex +7 [+2 base, +3 Dex, +2 familiar]
Will +3 [+2 base, +1 Wis]

*BAB/Grapple:* +0/+0
*Melee Atk:* +1 (1d6/18-20/x2, rapier)
*Ranged Atk:* +4 (1d6/20/x3, thrown shortspear)

*Skills:*

```
Balance			+7 (4 ranks, +3 Dex)
Concentration		+6 (4 ranks, +2 Con)
Jump			+4 (4 ranks, +0 Str)
Knowledge: Arcana	+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Knowledge: History	+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Knowledge: Religion	+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Martial Lore		+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Sense Motive		+4 (4 ranks, +0 Wis)
Spellcraft		+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Tumble			+7 (4 ranks, +3 Int)
```

*Flaws:*

*Feats:*
Scribe Scroll (Wizard bonus)
Adaptive Style (1st level)

*Languages:*
Common, regional, +4 others

*Spells Known:* Necromancy and Enchantment prohibited
0th - (Abj) _resistance_, (Conj) _acid splash_, _caltrops_, (Div) _detect magic_, (Evoc) _electric jolt_, _flare_, _light_, _ray of frost_, _sonic snap_, (Trans) _mage hand_, _mending_, _message_, _open/close_, (Univ) _arcane mark_, _prestidigitation_
1st - (Abj) _shield_, (Conj) _mage armor_, (Div) _true strike_, (Evoc) _persistent blade_, (Illus) _color spray_, (Trans) _feather fall_, _nerveskitter_

*Maneuvers Known:*
Strikes - Sapphire Nightmare Blade (DM), Shadow Blade Technique (SH)
Counters - Moment of Perfect Mind (DM), Counter Charge (SS)
Boosts - Burning Blade (DW), Distracting Ember (DW)

*Stances Known:*
Step of the Wind (SS)

*Equipment:*
rapier
2 shortspears
backpack
~bedroll
~winter blanket
~spellbook (22 pages used)
~small steel mirror
belt pouch
~4 fishhooks
~10' fishing line
~flint and steel
~whetstone
money pouch
waterskin
wooden holy symbol
spell component pouch

*Money:* 13.8

*Encumbrance:* 30.5 lbs (light load)
0-33 light
34-66 medium
67-100 heavy


*Familiar:*
*Podo*, ferret (using weasel stats)
*Hit Points:* 5
*AC:* 15 (+1 Natural Armor, +2 Dex, +2 size) [Touch 14, Flat-footed 13]
*Fort *+2 *Ref *+4 *Will *+3
*Str* 3 *Dex* 15 *Con* 10 *Int* 6 *Wis* 12 *Cha* 5[/sblock]


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## Shayuri (Dec 13, 2007)

Hahhaa...dang.

Well, I love gestalt, and I'd love a chance to try 9 Swords, since I bought it, but haven't used it yet...

Seems like everyone loves the mage/swordsage combo...and why not?

That swordsage/warlock idea though...that got me thinking. And that's never good. 

Hideous Blow. Swordsage. Tiefer.

HMMM.

Expect more soon.


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## Zurai (Dec 13, 2007)

The problem with Hideous Blow or Eldritch Glaive is that they're almost entirely incompatible with maneuvers 

And as for the ever-popular swordsage/wizard combo... well, the *original* idea was warblade//wizard. I couldn't get that to click right, though, so I shifted it to warblade//bard (still going for Jade Phoenix Mage). I had that almost fully statted out, then decided that JPM really didn't work very well at all for the concept and ditched it. Then I contemplated using an old swordsage//druid/nature's warrior concept I have laying around. Finally I settled back on the swordsage//wizard JPM build, though, because I've been dieing to play a Jade Phoenix Mage.


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## Shayuri (Dec 13, 2007)

*nods*

I didn't mean it as a criticism, mind...on the contrary, it's a very cool idea. So cool I wanted it, but failed to pitch it first. 

You have a point about the warlock powah...I'm starting to look at other possibilities. Ninja, perhaps, or Scout... Shadow Hand can use the dreaded Spiked Chain, which would be interesting...

But one cool thing about the warlock and Hideous Blow would be that it would give another combat option...apart from manuevers.

Or. Or! Beguiler/Swordsage? Shadow Hand and Beguiler...useful for that nice Feint ability they have...


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 13, 2007)

This sounds interesting.  I've always had a bit of a pet peeve with Bo9S because while the rules are cool, they never really seem to fit all that well with any given setting, and they've always seemed a little higher powered than other, previous stuff.  Conveniently enough, a game full of Bo9S characters in a Bo9S-themed setting would solve that 

I'm torn on concepts, but among my thoughts right now is doing a Fighter/Swordsage using the massive number of feats to qualify for Master of Nine.  I'll probably have thought of something else by my next post, though, so don't put too much weight on that.

As far as race goes, are you including planetouched from MM2 (the 3.5 conversion, of course) and FF?  It seems like everyone is going Aasimar or Tiefling, so I'd want to change it up a bit.


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## Autumn (Dec 13, 2007)

Cool, I'm glad to see some promising inital interest. 

*Zurai:* Looking good. I think the next step is to think a little about his background.
How much contact has he had with his elemental heritage? The Sanction has tended to polarise the genasi. Some have been drawn closer in to their elemental roots - the bar to breeding with humans to begin new bloodlines of genasi has obviously done much to change the elemental view of them as an infinite resource, and caused them to be valued accordingly higher. The official line among most elemental Lords is one of deep regret for the callous disregard with which genasi were once treated. To take a more cynical view, it's also true that genasi are now the only viable breeding stock to create _more_ genasi. 

 On the other hand, some genasi have drifted away from the Elemental Houses, feeling little interest in the games of high politics and intrigue played by their elemental forbears. These genasi are much more likely to breed true amongst their kind (among the genasi of the Courts, genies or half-elementals are often the favored match since the pairing strengthens the bloodline). They are still likely to receive overtures from the Courts, but tend to independence. 


*Kaodi:* Thanks for the well-wishes. 


*EvolutionKB:* Concept sounds cool. It's interesting that everyone is all about the Swordsages. 

 Those variants look very interesting. Haven't had a chance to look em over fully yet, but I'll definitely give them some consideration. A neat idea, at any rate.


*Shayuri:* Warlock/Swordsage is conceptually neat, but I agree with what's been said on the lack of synergy. Beguiler/Swordsage, on the other hand, sounds very nifty to me. 

 And of course you're welcome to roleplay the Beguiler powers as coming from an unsavoury source; the Warlock concept wouldn't necessarily have to change substantially. 

 Note that unlike Aasimars, there _is_ a native tradition of Tieflings. Since Astres proclaimed the Sanction, demons and devils have unsurprisingly made it their business to tempt mortals into breaking it. If the offspring of such a moral failure should make themselves known around Darjhas Province or any of the other more strongly imperial areas, the Inquisition would likely make short work of them. But in the outlying Provinces it's possible for a Tiefling to get by so long as they keep their head down, and especially if they could pass on a casual glance for human or genasi. Certain cults and sects across the Empire have a significant minority of Tieflings among their numbers - including, surprisingly, the pagans. They have proven willing to accept Tieflings and judge them on their actions, which makes paganism an appealing choice for those who may want to rise above their taint but don't feel able to do so within the rather restricting tenets of Astresianism. 


*Nac Mac Feegle:* Right, my thoughts exactly. 

 On planetouched: The FF is one book I don't have I'm afraid, but I don't intend on using planetouched beyond the four basic genasi and the aasimar and tieflings. My source for the genasi is the FRCS - I'm not sure where else they might have been printed. Were they in FF? If so then I think you can feel free to use them, I doubt they're too wildly different from my versions. If I see anything weird then I'll say. 

 I should point out, though, that actually we do have an Air Genasi submitted already, and no mention of an Aasimar, so 'everyone is going Aasimar or Tiefling' might be an overstatement.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 13, 2007)

New idea!  Are you allowing Magic of Incarnum?  If so, I might look into being an Incarnate/Warblade.  I've never tried Incarnum before, but it looks interesting, and those two classes seem like they'd have excellent synergy.


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## Creamsteak (Dec 13, 2007)

Sounds really fun. I'd love to test out a bunch of different gestalt Bo9S combos, but I'm full-up on games. Enjoy your run. Somebody should do the Crusader/Bard or Crusader/Cleric.


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## Autumn (Dec 13, 2007)

Magic of Incarnum is fine, yes. In fact orders of Incarnates and Soulborn have long had a presence within the Astresian church and military respectively. Most people have heard of incarnum, but only in the same way that most people in our world have heard of subatomic particles or somesuch. It's an esoteric and poorly-understood subject. So far as Astresian dogma treats it at all, it treats it as an extension of divine grace just like the power wielded by crusaders or clerics.


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## Shayuri (Dec 13, 2007)

Interesting...nice world background.

What are your feelings about 'fey heritage' feats from Complete Mage?


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## Autumn (Dec 13, 2007)

Glad that the world seems interesting to you. 

I'm definitely open to the idea of fey heritage. Fey on Valis fill pretty much their normal niche of elusive forest dwellers, though since the Astresian expansion they are perhaps even more elusive than normal (being naturally vary wary of an expansionist and authoritarian regime). It's rumored that the pagan tribes traffic with fey - such a liaison would be the most obvious root of a feytouched bloodline, though of course it may go back many generations now. It's quite possible that, for instance, a pagan cavorted with a nymph to create a half breed who was raised fey, bred with another pagan and had a daughter who seemed human - the fey heritage then gets passed down among the pagans, and at some point maybe someone converts and you end up with a good Astresian citizen having a feytouched baby and not knowing why.


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## Shayuri (Dec 13, 2007)

Hmm!

Well, my concept is of a sort of high-spirited swashy bucklery sort (sans buckler, of course), who gets by with a quick sword, quick wits, and when all else fails...quick feet. If you allow Complete Scoundrel materiel, it'd be perfect for this character.

It could work as either a tiefling or a fey...I'll have to throw some stats against the wall and see what sticks, mechanically...

Fey would be stronger in magic, tief stronger in melee, I think offhand...so what other people do could also influence my choice.


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## Autumn (Dec 13, 2007)

Great, sounds a lot of fun to me. Should be a nice antidote to stuffy Astresians and humorless square-jawed warrior types. 

  Complete Scoundrel material should be fine.


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## Kaodi (Dec 13, 2007)

Actually, my original conception was not for a hideous blow warlock, it was for a eldritch spear warlock. Nothing like a character that is built to own both up close and from afar, all day, every day.


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## drothgery (Dec 13, 2007)

I don't have genasi stats off-hand to let me know if this would even be viable, but how about a fire genasi warblade // warmage ? The idea would be a son of a high official in a frontier province that runs into a lot of trouble (bandits, foreign invaders, monsters, etc.) and so has his son trained in martial and magical skills to do something about it. Probably LN or LG, doesn't like the empire much, but likes the alternatives even less.


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## Zurai (Dec 13, 2007)

All genasi have -2 charisma. You can still do it (just like there are still warforged artificers and warlocks in eberron that do just fine), you're just gonna have to work a little harder at the warmage side of things. Fire genasi are +2 int -2 cha, so they are quite good for the warblade side of things.


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## Zurai (Dec 13, 2007)

For Maas' background, what other deities are there in the setting? I don't think he would be a devout Astresian, but he does have a little religion in him. Other than that, I was thinking of him as a Miyamoto Musashi-like figure, except skipping the troublemaker early years and going straight to the insanely focused swordfighter/philosopher stage. Let me ruminate on it a bit.


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## Autumn (Dec 13, 2007)

Other deities... the first thing to note is that as far as Astresians are concerned the answer is 'none'. Astres is the only true god. 

 Since the Astresians are pretty dominant, that means there are no other major religions on Valis. Nothing much above the level of a cult, except for paganism. The Elemental Courts all technically have a right to their traditional spiritual beliefs and practices by the terms of their treaties with the Astresians, but that's really a formality since the Elemental Courts don't _have_ any traditional spiritual beliefs or practices; genies are not religious by nature. 

 But the good news is that I'm very happy to work with you to create a cult that would suit Maas; just give me as much or as little detail as you like and I'll do my best to fit it in, should be no problem. 

 Did you see my earlier questions on his relations with the Air Courts?


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## Zurai (Dec 13, 2007)

> But the good news is that I'm very happy to work with you to create a cult that would suit Maas; just give me as much or as little detail as you like and I'll do my best to fit it in, should be no problem.
> 
> Did you see my earlier questions on his relations with the Air Courts?




These two things are kind of intertwined in the proto-background I have going for Maas. I think that he would have ties in his past to the Air Courts, but would either have forsaken them or been driven out for some reason. This could be tied into his interest in the arcane as well. Maybe a very small cult of arcanists (no priests at all) inside the Air Court that teach something counter to the way the upper echelons of the Air Elementals approve of? Perhaps something like a balance between all elements (Maas is going to take a pretty hefty helping of at least three of the elemental Sublime Paths, so that works well with his mechanics too)?

If he was driven out, that'd be a reason for him to seek out an obscure school like this, as well.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 13, 2007)

Alright, I'm currently split between doing an Incarnate/Warblade with a refined feel or a Totemist/Warblade who exclusively practices the more 'savage' styles.


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## drothgery (Dec 13, 2007)

Zurai said:
			
		

> All genasi have -2 charisma. You can still do it (just like there are still warforged artificers and warlocks in eberron that do just fine), you're just gonna have to work a little harder at the warmage side of things. Fire genasi are +2 int -2 cha, so they are quite good for the warblade side of things.




Well, -2 cha is bad for saves, but between level-based stat bumps and a cloak of cha he should be able to keep his Cha high enough for casting. And his primary attack spells are likely to be the orb/lesser orb chain on single targets (no save on the damage part); fireball and the like would mostly be used on large groups of mooks (likely with less than great saves). And +2 int helps with warmage edge as well as with warblade stuff.


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## Autumn (Dec 13, 2007)

Zurai said:
			
		

> These two things are kind of intertwined in the proto-background I have going for Maas. I think that he would have ties in his past to the Air Courts, but would either have forsaken them or been driven out for some reason. This could be tied into his interest in the arcane as well. Maybe a very small cult of arcanists (no priests at all) inside the Air Court that teach something counter to the way the upper echelons of the Air Elementals approve of? Perhaps something like a balance between all elements (Maas is going to take a pretty hefty helping of at least three of the elemental Sublime Paths, so that works well with his mechanics too)?
> 
> If he was driven out, that'd be a reason for him to seek out an obscure school like this, as well.





 Ahhh, ok, I see what you were driving at. My picture of the Elemental Courts is that they are pretty tolerant by nature; so long as you're on the right side, they don't care too much what you believe or what kind of martial styles you're interested in. On the whole there's no emnity between the different courts - rivalry yes, and hatred between individuals perhaps, but generally the Djinn lord of one court is pretty much as likely to squabble with the Djinn lord of a different court as with an Efreet or a Dao. There are exceptions within each House; fanatics who believe in advancing the plans of their Princes (all of whom have been apparently slumbering and entirely silent for two thousand years or more now). That's perhaps as close as the Courts get to religion - and it's very much the exception, not the rule. The lords are largely genies (Djinnis in the air courts, Efreeti in the fire courts, Dao in the earth courts, Marids in the water courts, a few Jannis scattered between all four) and genies are almost all more interested in advancing their own schemes and filling their own coffers rather than waging a war of elemental ascendancy.

  What all that means for Maas is that his exile probably isn't a matter of ideology. It's much more likely something pettier - perhaps he was just the victim of circumstance? Perhaps a lack of interest in politics led to him ending up unwittingly on the wrong side of some rift or minor coup.


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## Brian Compton (Dec 13, 2007)

This seems like a really neat game.  If you are still accepting players, would you consider an asimaar paladin/warblade?  He would likely focus on White Raven and Iron Heart maneuvers (which is why I want to go warblade and not crusader).  I'd like to try to figure out a way that he would be acceptable in the following of Astares, but you mentioned that pure-blooded humans could not cross-breed.


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## Zurai (Dec 13, 2007)

Autumn said:
			
		

> Perhaps a lack of interest in politics led to him ending up unwittingly on the wrong side of some rift or minor coup.




This fits in well, too. Maas is completely unconcerned with matters of politics. 

(Not that I want to dissuade you from running a political-themed game if others want to - I as a player love political machinations)

Any general information you can give me on a specific Air Court that I can incorporate into the background?


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## Autumn (Dec 13, 2007)

Brian Compton said:
			
		

> This seems like a really neat game.  If you are still accepting players, would you consider an asimaar paladin/warblade?  He would likely focus on White Raven and Iron Heart maneuvers (which is why I want to go warblade and not crusader).  I'd like to try to figure out a way that he would be acceptable in the following of Astares, but you mentioned that pure-blooded humans could not cross-breed.




 Indeed, I'm afraid it's somewhat key to my conception of the setting that Astresians are very much hung up on ideas of racial integrity. From my first post: 'aasimars are particularly abhorrent, since Astresians are used to the idea of Celestials as manifestations of Astres's divine will. The idea of a Celestial contravening the Sanction is therefore a highly charged and subversive one.'

 So I'm afraid that an Astresian Aasimar is pretty much out. 

 Hmm. A quick question - why an Aasimar? Not to seem to overbearing, but... what's wrong with humans? 

 I think it'd be cool to have at least one Astresian in the group - it'd make things much more interesting. It's also looking like a healer would be extremely handy - have you considered a Warblade/Cleric rather than Warblade/Paladin? Certainly I think Cleric has much more to offer, statistically, than Paladin in a gestalt with Warblade. And flavor wise I don't see it as a radical departure.

 Anyway, just some ideas to think over, not trying to dominate your choices or anything.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 13, 2007)

Alright, I think I'm going to try to 'noble savage' build, playing a Totemist Warblade.  I can see him either being a Skarn (from Magic of Incarnum) or human.  If you've got any nifty ideas about where Skarns could fit in your set-up, I'll go for that, if not I'll go with human.

Either way, he'll be a specialist in Tiger Claw primarily, with a bit of Iron and Stone on the side.


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## Autumn (Dec 13, 2007)

Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> Alright, I think I'm going to try to 'noble savage' build, playing a Totemist Warblade.  I can see him either being a Skarn (from Magic of Incarnum) or human.  If you've got any nifty ideas about where Skarns could fit in your set-up, I'll go for that, if not I'll go with human.
> 
> Either way, he'll be a specialist in Tiger Claw primarily, with a bit of Iron and Stone on the side.





 Well, to be completely honest, I'm not a massive fan of the 'let's add six new sentient races with every splat book' idea that WotC seemed to develop for their later 3.5 supplements. 

 So... if you're happy to go with a human, that sounds preferable to me. My only other thought is a half-orc - these certainly do exist among the tribes of Valis, and what's more I'd happily hosue rule them a bonus feat at 1st level so they're not quite such an unappealing choice.

 Either way, definitely seems like a promising idea to me.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 13, 2007)

Ooh, half-orc with a bonus feat, that could do me very nicely (and I totally agree with your sentiment, by the way.  AAAAARGH sums it up about right).  Who knows, if I get along in the levels I might take some racial paragon levels .

You want me to start working up a character sheet?


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## Brian Compton (Dec 13, 2007)

Autumn said:
			
		

> I think it'd be cool to have at least one Astresian in the group - it'd make things much more interesting. It's also looking like a healer would be extremely handy - have you considered a Warblade/Cleric rather than Warblade/Paladin? Certainly I think Cleric has much more to offer, statistically, than Paladin in a gestalt with Warblade. And flavor wise I don't see it as a radical departure.
> 
> Anyway, just some ideas to think over, not trying to dominate your choices or anything.




OK.  I can be persuaded- human cleric/warblade it is.  I'm thinking that he's semi-fanatical, but that it's a front for doubts about the separation of pureblood humans from mixed-blood.  

What domains would be appropriate for a cleric of Astres?


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 14, 2007)

You also might want to consider Cleric/Crusader.  A Cleric/Warblade suffers the unfortunate problem of really wanting all three mental stats high while also being a combat character, while a Cleric/Crusader can up Charisma for synergy benefits and take a Divine feat to really capitalize off the large number of turning attempts.


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## Brian Compton (Dec 14, 2007)

That's partly why I wanted to play an asimaar (Yay +2 bonus to Charisma).  I can live without the high Intelligence since I'm going to focus on only a few schools (Iron Heart, White Raven, maybe Stone Dragon).  Also I want to do Iron Heart, which crusaders don't get.


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## Zurai (Dec 14, 2007)

Yeah, while Int is _nice_ for Warblades, it's not really a must-have. The only really good adder it has is the level 1 int bonus to reflex saves and the very high level int bonus to damage while flanking. We're not likely to see that second, and the others are mostly very situational. So, dropping Int is doable. You also don't *need* a high Cha to be a successful cleric.


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## EvolutionKB (Dec 14, 2007)

When are you going to start making choices for the group?  Do you want character sheets yet or just rough ideas(manuvers chosen, feats ideas, and a larger background?)


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## drothgery (Dec 14, 2007)

Did the 3.5 treatment of Genasi change from the FRCS version? They're not in the SRD, and if I've got a 3.5 book with them statted out, it's not obvious which one to me (I don't have the Planar Handbook or the Players Guide to FR which would have been obvious places to look).


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## Zurai (Dec 14, 2007)

They aren't in the Planar Handbook, and PGTFR doesn't even have a Races section. As far as I know, the FRCS has the most up-to-date info on them; Crystal Keep doesn't even have Genasi listed in their 3.5 Races pdf.


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## EvolutionKB (Dec 14, 2007)

Here is a little more detailed stuff.

I would like to go the unarmed variant of swordsage(lose the armor prof but gain monk unarmed strike damage).  The other side would definately be fighter.  He would focus on unarmed UFC type combat.  His fighter feats would be mostly put to use to gain the various melee weapon mastery/bludgeoning type feats from PHBII.  He would focus mainly on shadow hand, setting sun, and diamond mind manuvers.

Korvin was an unwanted son.  His father was an underground streetfighter, fighting any challenger for money and glory, running from those that wished the illegal fights to end.  His mother was one the many women in his father's entourage.  When one of his father's rivals took things too far by murdering the mother of his son, Korvin's father wanted wanted revenge.  He offered to fight the man, and for many months Korvin helped his father train, watching his father's technique and learning.  When the day came for the fight, Korvin's father told the young boy, "if something bad happens to me, go to man who helped me learn what I know today."  As if already knowing what would  happen, Korvin's father was defeated, and fell lifeless to the ground, slain mercilessly by the rival.  Initially Korvin couldn't believe it, he held his dying father, as his father's murderer walked away, with cold eyes and a ruthless smile.  He did what his father said, and found the venerable teacher.  The boy grew to a man, and was a master of his father's chosen style of fighting, as well as the man who killed his father.


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## Autumn (Dec 14, 2007)

EvolutionKB said:
			
		

> When are you going to start making choices for the group?  Do you want character sheets yet or just rough ideas(manuvers chosen, feats ideas, and a larger background?)




  I'll give it a couple more days before I make any definite decisions on players, so I'm not asking for character sheets yet. I don't want to put people to the trouble of a full character sheet while there's still a chance they won't get into the game. For now I'm happy to talk things through on a conceptual level.




			
				Brian Compton said:
			
		

> OK. I can be persuaded- human cleric/warblade it is. I'm thinking that he's semi-fanatical, but that it's a front for doubts about the separation of pureblood humans from mixed-blood.
> 
> What domains would be appropriate for a cleric of Astres?




 Cool, sounds like there'll be some very interesting dynamics there. 

 Astresian Clerics pick from the domains of Good, Law, Protection, War, Inquisition (Complete Divine), and Purification (Complete Divine).




			
				Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> Ooh, half-orc with a bonus feat, that could do me very nicely (and I totally agree with your sentiment, by the way. AAAAARGH sums it up about right). Who knows, if I get along in the levels I might take some racial paragon levels .
> 
> You want me to start working up a character sheet?




 Glad that the half-orc idea suits you!

 See my above comments in this post concerning character sheets - tl;dr version is that you should probably hold off for now. In the meantime though, something to think about concerning his background - what kind of tribe does he come from? Those tribes with totemic/shamanistic beliefs tend to be more 'primitive' and tied to their monstrous humanoid counterparts (which fits well with your race) compared to the druidic pagans. At the most savage end of the spectrum are the marauding orc tribes who often don't bother to cook their meat once they've caught it, while at the most civilised end are those human pagans who have settled into self-sufficient farming communities. Have a think about where your character will fall on that scale, and what he'll think of his neighbours on it. 

 Of course as far as the Astresians are concerned, 'pagans' is a nice blanket word with which to bundle up all the recalcitrants who prefer to live in the wilderness rather than embrace their destinies. 



			
				drothgery said:
			
		

> Did the 3.5 treatment of Genasi change from the FRCS version? They're not in the SRD, and if I've got a 3.5 book with them statted out, it's not obvious which one to me (I don't have the Planar Handbook or the Players Guide to FR which would have been obvious places to look).




 I'm in the same boat as Zurai - as far as I know, FRCS has the most up-to-date stats for the genasi. Those are the ones I'm working with.



			
				EvolutionKB said:
			
		

> I would like to go the unarmed variant of swordsage(lose the armor prof but gain monk unarmed strike damage). The other side would definately be fighter. He would focus on unarmed UFC type combat. His fighter feats would be mostly put to use to gain the various melee weapon mastery/bludgeoning type feats from PHBII. He would focus mainly on shadow hand, setting sun, and diamond mind manuvers.




 That all sounds fine to me. Background looks good as well, in fact it has some rather interesting implications for plans I already had in place. I'm getting some ratbastardly ideas already. 

 One thing I wasn't clear on though - that last sentence makes it ambiguous, but are you intending that he will be still out for revenge on his father's killer as the game starts? If so then that works just fine.


 * * *


 A question for all my prospective players, something that was flagged up by Brian Compton's comments - do you feel a 32 pt buy is adequate? Or does the nature of the gestalt rules necessitate a higher point value? 

 I'm open to giving you guys more points to play around with, if it helps you to realise your concepts and feel better about your characters. Obviously it would mean a corresponding increase in your opponents' strength as well.


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## Shayuri (Dec 14, 2007)

Hee

Don't tempt. 32 point buy can feel a bit shy, since gestalt characters often suffer from MAD. 

BUT

Since they're getting the bennies from two classes, what it really means is that you need to pick a class to excel in, and just accept that you may not get full use from the other. For example, the teefer beguiler/swordsage I'm working on is like that. As a swordsage, I need Strength, Con, Dex and Wis. As a Beguiler I need Int and Charisma. 

Oops. 

My solution was to focus on Dex and Int...and plan on using feats and powers to make up for the fact that I'll be hitting like a little girl, and I'll be frail and not as persuasive as I might otherwise be.

Upshot: More point buy is -useful-, but not -required-. 32 point buy means you either need very high synergy between your two classes, or you have to make some choices about where and how to excel. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.


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## Shayuri (Dec 14, 2007)

Eee...actually, as long as I'm here, I'll pitch my concept. I touched on some basics before, but it's fleshed itself out now...

In years past, a fiendish cult of unusual size and power sacked a small village on the outer borders of the realm. Those they did not kill in ritual fealty to their hellish masters, they kidnapped and brought back to the deep mines and caves they had taken residence in.

----

Time ago, the Astresian Church responded to this threat with a mounted contingent of knights and paladins. They tracked the evil to its lair and found it well fortified. Astre was with them though, and they fought through the barricades and warriors. They fought through spell and trap. They faced unnatural fear, but their courage did not fail. They faced mighty illusions of magick, but they were not swayed. They slew the cult to the last screaming man and woman, and recovered the few townsfolk that survived.

----

One of the young women rescued grew round with child afterwards. She did not recall what had happened during her captivity, though the nightmares persisted to that day. Fearful of what the baby might be, she tried to sneak away to have it and kill it alone...but was discovered and a midwife summoned. The baby seemed perfectly normal, but the mother would not have it. The midwife, not knowing what else to do, brought it to one of the houses of Astre, in hopes that it could be raised with the blessing of God.

----

Thorn is an orphan, raised by the good nuns of an Astresian refuge for children in need of a family. Astre is, after all, the great Father, and He loves all children! Well...most children. Thorn earned her nickname from the longer and more accurate moniker 'Thorn In My Side.' Sometimes shoe. Embracing it as a badge of honor, her real name dwindled from neglect and has since vanished from all but early records.

She was reckless, feckless, uncontrollable, inconsolable, impious, disingenuous, and worst of all, contagious. Not only did she take perverse joy in wreaking of havoc, but she inspired other kids to help or do the same. Unable to simply kick her out due to her youth and their vows, the sisters did the only thing they could...kept ratcheting up punishments until Thorn finally felt obligated to make a dramatic escape. An escape aided and abetted by the nuns themselves, though subtly enough that Thorn never knew her daring midnight flight ("to be a pirate") was exactly what they wanted.

Out on the streets, Thorn was surprised at how hard things could be, and nearly went back several times. Each time though, despite cold and hunger, she managed to stick to her guns. She even came up with a plan. Using a bit of the magic she'd been so careful not to let the nuns know about, she disguised herself as a young boy...a role she played well enough to be taken on as a cabin boy on a ship.

The captain of the _Bountiful Voyager_ was a 'gentleman adventurer' by the name of Nigel Squireson. Unlike most adults Thorn had known up to then, he seemed to enjoy her wild streak and even encouraged her roguishness. Even when the jig was up and her true nature was revealed, he kept her on as cabin 'boy,' with the understanding that she'd maintain the disguise for the purpose of the crew. For her own safety and to assuage superstitions. Impressed with the moxie needed to have made such a pretense work for so long, he decided to take Thorn under his wing and teach her in the ways of sword, stealth, and trickery that were his tools on the high seas and ports.

In time, despite all she'd learned with Nigel, Thorn returned to the land and its comforts. Having mastered the dual arts of steel and spell, she felt ready to make her own way in the world, and was determined to do just that.


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## Avalon® (Dec 14, 2007)

Autumn, are you still accepting players?

I was thinking of having something like a warforged. Would they be acceptable?


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## drothgery (Dec 14, 2007)

Fleshing things out a bit, with something that might be totally nixed because I'm not sure Autumn would want a persistently... difficult province like Terrell in the Empire...

Those in the Imperial City always said Terrellians were difficult. The last to fall to the Astresians, and they never let anyone forget it. It hadn't surprised anyone, that. Five generations before Astres' rise to power, the Efreet Lord Ren Terrell had shocked his peers by taking the daughter of one of his human councilors not as a concubine, but as his wife. Historians in the Imperial capital made it a cynical gesture, as Terrell had desparately needed human soldiers to hold a province threatened by monsters and barbarians. Bards in Terrell still told epic love stories, though few told them elsewhere; Terrellian bards were no more fond than anyone else of Astresian prisons.

But whether motivated by cynicism or love or both, Ren and his heirs forged a true bond with the humans who had settled their last outpost of civilization. The humans of Terrell fought for their Lord -- Ren Terrell's genasi great-grandson -- when Astres' armies came, just as hard their planetouched fellows did. It was not until Astres brought a third army to bear -- two already having been broken on the walls of Terrell's capital -- that Martaan Terrell gave in to the inevitable, surrendered his city, and offically accepted the Sanction. He could not hold forever against both the Empire and the enemies that had always plagued his province, and appeasing the Astresians was possible.

And a millenia later, Deren Terrell still held to the same philosophy. He wished there was an alternative. But too few would rally to his father's banner if he raised it in rebellion. And the Astresians had never seen fit to deal with the barbarian and monster threats more permanently. If they feared Terrell would go its own way and discard the hated Sanction the second they no longer needed the Empire, well, Deren could not blame them; that fear was quite well grounded in many ways. But in other ways it was groundless, as Terrell _did_ need the Empire.

At least for now. Barten Terrell had sent his son to master the arts of war, spell and sword. Deren wasn't privy to exactly what his father wanted him to do with the skills he expected him to acquire. But he expected that Barten had a plan. Certainly their had to be _some _ reason beyond 'it will be good for you' to send him for training with Master Carthis in Embria rather than bringing a master to Terrell.

Deren Terrell
LN Fire Genasi warblade//warmage
Str 14 Dex 12 Con 12 Int 16 Wis 10 Cha 14
- will concentrate mostly on Diamond Mind and White Raven manuevers
- would use the Advanced Learning alternate class feature for warmages in PH2 to pick up a handful of non-blasting spells


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## Brian Compton (Dec 14, 2007)

I don't have a full idea yet, but here's what I'm thinking:

Cleric/Warblade.  The domains would be Protection and War.  The main Warblade schools would be Iron Heart and Stone Dragon.  Stat focuses would be on Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom, with Intelligence and Constitution being back up stats.

Bariel (pronounced bar-EYE-el) came to the faith of Astres when a visiting cleric came through his community.  He immediately caught fire when he heard the story of Astres, and the cleric encouraged him in the faith.  He also told him to learn the way of the sword in order to better deal with dangers.  I'll flesh this out later.

What would Astres favored weapon be?


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## Autumn (Dec 14, 2007)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Hee
> 
> Don't tempt. 32 point buy can feel a bit shy, since gestalt characters often suffer from MAD.
> 
> <snip>




 Mmm, you have a very good point. I appreciate your self-restraint. 

  Since nobody else has been clamoring for a raised value either, 32 pt buy can stand. 



			
				Shayuri said:
			
		

> Eee...actually, as long as I'm here, I'll pitch my concept. I touched on some basics before, but it's fleshed itself out now...
> 
> <snip>




  Looks great! A good old-fashioned swashbuckly background. 

 Minor nitpick - it's Astres, not Astre. 

 Only thing that needs a little expansion is how exactly she came to enter Master Carthis's tutelage. Hmmm. If you didn't have anything in  mind, it's possible that maybe she was caught in some minor misdemeanour by a local guard, who saw potential in her and considered it a shame to just throw the book at her and put her in a cell - so instead sent her packing to Carthis, hoping some simple living and physical labour would put her on the straight and narrow at the same time as her martial skill improved. 

 Just an idea of course - if you have other thoughts then go ahead. 




			
				drothgery said:
			
		

> Fleshing things out a bit, with something that might be totally nixed...




 No way. 

  Looks extremely well thought-out and interesting... and I love it when players flesh out their own niches in the setting. It all fits in perfectly with my own ideas, too. Good stuff. 

 Sorry for ignoring your first post by the way, I just now noticed it.   

 Glad I didn't lose your interest.




			
				Brian Compton said:
			
		

> I don't have a full idea yet, but here's what I'm thinking:
> 
> Cleric/Warblade. The domains would be Protection and War. The main Warblade schools would be Iron Heart and Stone Dragon. Stat focuses would be on Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom, with Intelligence and Constitution being back up stats.
> 
> ...




 Great, thanks for the info. All looking good. 

 The Astresian favored weapon is the Bastard Sword (katana). The original human settlers on Valis came from a culture that was Oriental in feel (Astresians tend to roughly Chinese or Japanese physical characteristics - yellow-brown skin, dark hair). Their culture has become Westernised since the rise of Astres, taking on many elements inspired by real world Judaism and medieval Catholicism; their architecture is something like an amalgamation of Imperial Chinese and Gothic styles. In their weaponry and armor, however, the old traditions have endured with little change.





			
				Avalon® said:
			
		

> Autumn, are you still accepting players?
> 
> I was thinking of having something like a warforged. Would they be acceptable?




 Still considering new submissions, yep. I'll make my choice of players over the weekend.

  Warforged are becoming something of a pet hate of mine, because of the tendency for _everyone_ to want to play one in any Eberron game. I have a sneaking suspicion that this might have something to do with the fact that they are significantly more powerful than any other LA+0 race I can think of. I'm not completely averse to the idea of giving them some kind of niche in the setting if you can come up with a really compelling concept, but otherwise playing one isn't something I'm gonna encourage.






			
				Zurai said:
			
		

> This fits in well, too. Maas is completely unconcerned with matters of politics.
> 
> (Not that I want to dissuade you from running a political-themed game if others want to - I as a player love political machinations)
> 
> Any general information you can give me on a specific Air Court that I can incorporate into the background?




  So sorry! Like drothgery's first post, this completely escaped my notice. Think it got posted at the same time as one of my replies, and I foolishly didn't check. Anyhow, better late than never yes? 

 Politics are likely to feature in my plot devices, but how far you engage with them and on what level you involve yourselves is completely up to you.

 As for information on a specific air court - I can detail one for you if you like, but my preferred approach would be to leave that up to you. Think scheming, plotting Djinnis locked in elaborate byzantine feuds with each other and you can't go far wrong. Half-elemental and Genasi lords are also not unknown, and anything with an [Air] subtype is a definite possibility as a player in the House of Air and could potentially be the lord of a court.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 15, 2007)

Zal'Gat (no last name/title because he hasn't yet completed the trials of manhood) was abandoned as an infant by his mother, who bore him after being raped as a tribe of orcs swept through her village.  Despite his unusual toughness, he surely would have perished had fortune not intervened.  The squalling infant was found by another, different roving band of orcs.  Initially taking him for an orc - so prominent was his heritage - they took him in and began raising him.

However, as he grew, despite his strength and toughness it slowly became clear that there was another race's blood flowing through his veins, and slowly he was accorded less and less respect, avoiding death only by his martial prowess and the fact that he was being trained by the tribe's shaman.  On the night before his sixteenth birthday - the day when he would normally have attempted the trials of manhood to become a full member of the tribe - the shaman came to him.  He explained that if Zal'Gat were to attempt the trials the following day he would surely be killed in the process.  He then offered the young warrior a choice.  He had spoken to the elders, and demanded the right to give Zal'Gat a different trial.

Zal'Gat was to go forth into the human lands and learn of their ways of battle, becoming a match for any soldier of Astres or minion of the Elemental courts, and only then would he return to the tribe.  If he had such powerful knowledge to teach the tribe, the Elders would have little choice but to accord him the rights of a man.  To this end, Zal'Gat began travelling into lands strange to him.  He learned a few tidbits along the way, but his true tutelage did not begin until he met a student of Master Carthis, who - impressed with the young barbarian's skill - sent him to the province of Embria with a letter of introduction to Carthis himself.


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## EvolutionKB (Dec 15, 2007)

> That all sounds fine to me. Background looks good as well, in fact it has some rather interesting implications for plans I already had in place. I'm getting some ratbastardly ideas already.




The last sentence is ambiguous on purpose yes, all to better the plothooks.  If I were chosen, I'd would submit a longer more detailed background to better define goals and such.  I am thinking at this point however that he would seek revenge on the one that killed his father, once he was confident that he was a capable enough warrior.  The killer's true identity is unknown thanks to wearing a heavy robe and cloak that concealed his face.


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## drothgery (Dec 15, 2007)

Autumn said:
			
		

> No way.
> 
> Looks extremely well thought-out and interesting... and I love it when players flesh out their own niches in the setting. It all fits in perfectly with my own ideas, too. Good stuff.
> 
> ...




Cool beans.


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## Brian Compton (Dec 15, 2007)

Autumn said:
			
		

> The Astresian favored weapon is the Bastard Sword (katana). The original human settlers on Valis came from a culture that was Oriental in feel (Astresians tend to roughly Chinese or Japanese physical characteristics - yellow-brown skin, dark hair). Their culture has become Westernised since the rise of Astres, taking on many elements inspired by real world Judaism and medieval Catholicism; their architecture is something like an amalgamation of Imperial Chinese and Gothic styles. In their weaponry and armor, however, the old traditions have endured with little change.




HA HA!  You fool!  Now you've played into my hands.  I get bastard sword proficiency without spending a base feet, as well as weapon focus! 

Here's a little more backstory.

Bariel was from Embria, the home of Master Carthis' school.  However, the school never held any appeal for him.  In fact, there was nothing that he felt at all passionate about.  He was going to stay in Embria all his days and live as a goat-herder in the mountains.  But that was before the coming of Osram, Prelate of Astres.

The faith of Astres was not very strong in the hinterlands; the imperial presence was minimal, and other than knowing Astres existed the people didn't think of him much.  And so Osram, a travelling priest and administrator, found very little foundation for his work.  He attempted to put life into the faith in Embria, but just didn't have much luck.  

Except for Bariel.

Something about Osram's stories of Astres and the ousting of the elemental lords kindled a fire inside the young man.  He had found a passion he'd never known before, and he could not contain it.  Osram knew that he had accomplished something- if even one zealot of the faith could come from this backwater, he was successful.  But he also knew that Bariel could not stay here and continue to grow in knowledge of the holy Astres.  Osram inducted Bariel into the mysteries of the faith, and then encouraged him to induct himself in Carthis' school to learn the way of the sword- Astres' way.

And so Bariel began his training.  However, he found it difficult.  Master Carthis did not discriminate in his choice of students, and so there were many violators of the Sanction amongst the classes.  But, Bariel could not find anything to hate about them.  If anything, he wondered why a loving god like Astres would exclude others as His own people had once be excluded.  This did not cause him to waver in his faith, but merely to pray and study more.  

In time, he grew in faith and strength, becoming both an acolyte of Astres and a swordsman of skill.  Now he is ready to set out and bring the faith to others- and see what this faith really means.


----------



## Zurai (Dec 15, 2007)

Brian Compton said:
			
		

> HA HA!  You fool!  Now you've played into my hands.  I get bastard sword proficiency without spending a base feet, as well as weapon focus!




Note that the War Domain only grants *Martial* Weapon proficiency, and Warblade can't change a MWP to an EWP, so you'll have to use that bastard sword/katana two handed or spend a feat still. Or take the -4 to hit penalty for a non-proficient weapon, I guess.


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## Zurai (Dec 15, 2007)

Autumn said:
			
		

> As for information on a specific air court - I can detail one for you if you like, but my preferred approach would be to leave that up to you. Think scheming, plotting Djinnis locked in elaborate byzantine feuds with each other and you can't go far wrong. Half-elemental and Genasi lords are also not unknown, and anything with an [Air] subtype is a definite possibility as a player in the House of Air and could potentially be the lord of a court.




Not a problem. I'll whip something up today or tomorrow and have it up before the end of the weekend.


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## James Heard (Dec 16, 2007)

My submission

Shin
Elan Warblade/Psion (Egoist)

Shin walked into Master Carthis' school one day as a small boy. No one could rightly say where he was from, and every attempt to keep the child away from the school was ultimately unsuccessful.One of the servants would put him out on the front step, and days later he'd still be quietly sitting there exactly where he was left. When he first came to the school he was quite mute, owing his name only to the single episode of violence in those years - when one of the Astresian cooks was finished lecturing him on the the refinements of Astresian religion the boy walked up to her and kicked her quite soundly, not stopping until the poor woman was in tears and proclaiming all manner of insanity about the child.

When Shin was about ten he entered the training area, picked up a blade and began training. When questioned directly about what he was doing he shrugged and simply said his first word ever uttered at the school: "In the distance, leaves fell without complaint."

Not knowing exactly what to do with that, he was allowed to join the training.

Eventually, Shin began talking more and less cryptically, though occasionally a shadow still crosses his face and he'll make a bizarre utterance of some sort. He's still set far apart from the other students, often working without sleep or complaint for weeks at a time on setting stones in colorful patterns in the courtyard or scrubbing the floors of the entire school on his hands and knees with an obscene grin on his face.

Physically Shin is a rather good-looking boy, if a little dull sometimes in his expressions. His straight black hair would fall to his knees if it weren't meticulous braided and attended to without complaint by some of the other servants in Master Carthis' school who more or less treat him as if he were some relation who had been born a little bit off. His steel-blue eyes peek out from underneath a strong brow contrasting with his smooth, nut-brown skin that he comes naturally by. Most people are a little distracted by Shin conversationally, as he rarely makes eye-contact and often seems to not be paying attention to them.

Str 13 Dex 13 Con 12 Int 16 Wis 10 Cha 10

I assume that most people at the school would probably recognize Shin as some sort of half-breed, but barring anything more forthcoming and considering his young age at the time the people at the school came to know him more they more or less shrug it off. Basically I'm looking for a "weird kid at the kung fu school" vibe in the interest of completing cliches  I'm not dead set on the flavor of psionics yet, and if this is all too weird or too much I've got another set of ideas that I've been wanting to play for some time that I could pitch too.


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## Shayuri (Dec 16, 2007)

_Looks great! A good old-fashioned swashbuckly background._

-- Hee, thanks. I figured I didn't necessarily want to -obligate- her origin to be a story element, but I'd leave it there in case you wanted to make it one. 

_Minor nitpick - it's Astres, not Astre._

-- Doh, sorry.

_Only thing that needs a little expansion is how exactly she came to enter Master Carthis's tutelage. Hmmm. If you didn't have anything in mind, it's possible that maybe she was caught in some minor misdemeanour by a local guard, who saw potential in her and considered it a shame to just throw the book at her and put her in a cell - so instead sent her packing to Carthis, hoping some simple living and physical labour would put her on the straight and narrow at the same time as her martial skill improved._

-- Oops...I somehow missed this starting condition. Depending on who exactly Master Carthis is, it's possible that when Thorn decided to end her seafaring adventures, Captain Squireson recommended Master Carthis as a good place to go next to continue her training. This would imply a connection of some sort between the two NPC's of course. It would be, from my perspective, a lot easier to use than the punishment one...since she'd constantly be looking for ways to subvert or escape a punishment, but would willingly endure great hardship if Carthis' tutelage was something she was intentionally seeking.

_Just an idea of course - if you have other thoughts then go ahead. _

Would it work then, if her former master had 'referred' her to Carthis?


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## Autumn (Dec 16, 2007)

James Heard said:
			
		

> My submission
> 
> Shin
> Elan Warblade/Psion (Egoist)
> ...




  Looks very interesting, and I have no problem with the psionics or general flavor of it. Works just fine for me. 




			
				Shayuri said:
			
		

> Would it work then, if her former master had 'referred' her to Carthis?




 Yes, that works fine too. Fits in quite neatly in fact. Lovely!


 * * *

 I'll have a think about exactly how many players I want to take, and which ones, over this evening. Expect a decision some time tomorrow. Lots of fine submissions, so thanks for your interest everybody and good luck.


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## Brian Compton (Dec 16, 2007)

Zurai said:
			
		

> Note that the War Domain only grants *Martial* Weapon proficiency, and Warblade can't change a MWP to an EWP, so you'll have to use that bastard sword/katana two handed or spend a feat still. Or take the -4 to hit penalty for a non-proficient weapon, I guess.




Curses!  Foiled again .  Oh well, I guess I'll take EWP and something else.  I still get the Weapon Focus feat for free, so I'll take what I can get.

As for stats, Str 15 Dex 14 Con 10 Int 12 Wis 16 Cha 10


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## Zurai (Dec 16, 2007)

Autumn said:
			
		

> I'll have a think about exactly how many players I want to take, and which ones, over this evening. Expect a decision some time tomorrow. Lots of fine submissions, so thanks for your interest everybody and good luck.




I guess I'll have to get that background banged out then! Expect something from me soon, now that my football game's over and my team won


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## Zurai (Dec 17, 2007)

Alright, I got Maas completed. Here's his character sheet again for reference so it's all in the same post...
[sblock=character sheet]*Maas Illian*
*Male Air Genasi Swordsage 1//Evoker 1* 
*Alignment:* NG
*Deity:* None
*Region:* Ustiyad's Court
*Height:* 6'3"
*Weight:* 160 lbs
*Hair:* Silver, tied into a topknot
*Eyes:* Brown
*Skin:* Pale
*Age:* 20
*XP:* 0

*Str:* 10 (+0) [2 points]
*Dex:* 16 (+3) [6 points, +2 race]
*Con:* 14 (+2) [6 points]
*Int:* 18 (+4) [10 points, +2 race]
*Wis:* 12 (+1) [6 points, -2 race]
*Cha:* 8 (-1) [2 points, -2 race]

*Class and Racial abilities:* 
Native Outsider
Darkvision 60'
_Levitate_ (CL 5) 1/day
+1 racial bonus on saves vs air spells and effects, +1 more per 5 character levels
Breathless (immune to drowning, suffocation, and attacks that require inhalation)
Quick to Act (+1 initiative)
Discipline Focus (+1 to hit with rapier, shortspear, bastard sword, katana, and trident)
Familiar

*Hit Dice:* 1d8+2
*Hit Points:* 10
*AC:* 13 (+0 Armor, +3 Dex) [Touch 13, Flat-footed 10]
*Init:* +4 (+3 Dex, +1 Quick to Act)
*Speed:* 30ft 

*Saves:*
Fortitude +2 [+0 base, +2 Con]
Reflex +7 [+2 base, +3 Dex, +2 familiar]
Will +3 [+2 base, +1 Wis]

*BAB/Grapple:* +0/+0
*Melee Atk:* +1 (1d6/18-20/x2, rapier)
*Ranged Atk:* +4 (1d6/20/x3, thrown shortspear)

*Skills:*

```
Balance			+7 (4 ranks, +3 Dex)
Concentration		+6 (4 ranks, +2 Con)
Jump			+4 (4 ranks, +0 Str)
Knowledge: Arcana	+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Knowledge: History	+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Knowledge: Religion	+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Martial Lore		+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Sense Motive		+4 (4 ranks, +0 Wis)
Spellcraft		+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Tumble			+7 (4 ranks, +3 Int)
```

*Flaws:*

*Feats:*
Scribe Scroll (Wizard bonus)
Adaptive Style (1st level)

*Languages:*
Common, regional, +4 others

*Spells Known:* Necromancy and Enchantment prohibited
0th - (Abj) _resistance_, (Conj) _acid splash_, _caltrops_, (Div) _detect magic_, (Evoc) _electric jolt_, _flare_, _light_, _ray of frost_, _sonic snap_, (Trans) _mage hand_, _mending_, _message_, _open/close_, (Univ) _arcane mark_, _prestidigitation_
1st - (Abj) _shield_, (Conj) _mage armor_, (Div) _true strike_, (Evoc) _persistent blade_, (Illus) _color spray_, (Trans) _feather fall_, _nerveskitter_

*Maneuvers Known:*
Strikes - Sapphire Nightmare Blade (DM), Shadow Blade Technique (SH)
Counters - Moment of Perfect Mind (DM), Counter Charge (SS)
Boosts - Burning Blade (DW), Distracting Ember (DW)

*Stances Known:*
Step of the Wind (SS)

*Equipment:*
rapier, 20g, 2 lbs
2 shortspears, 2g, 6 lbs
backpack, 2g, 2 lbs
~bedroll, 1s, 5 lbs
~winter blanket, 5s, 3 lbs
~spellbook, free, 3 lbs
~small steel mirror, 10g, 0.5 lbs
~dagger, 2g, 1 lb
belt pouch, 1g, 0.5 lbs
~4 fishhooks, 4s, - lbs
~10' fishing line, 1g, - lbs
~flint and steel, 1g, - lbs
~whetstone, 2c, 2 lbs
money pouch, 1g, 0.5 lbs
waterskin, 1g, 4 lbs
spell component pouch, 5g, 2 lbs

*Money:* 12.8

*Encumbrance:* 31.5 lbs (light load)
0-33 light
34-66 medium
67-100 heavy


*Familiar:*
*Podo*, ferret (using weasel stats)
*Hit Points:* 5
*AC:* 15 (+1 Natural Armor, +2 Dex, +2 size) [Touch 14, Flat-footed 13]
Fortitude +2 [+2 base, +0 Con]
Reflex +4 [+2 base, +2 Dex], Improved Evasion
Will +3 [+2 base, +1 Wis]
*Str* 3 *Dex* 15 *Con* 10 *Int* 6 *Wis* 12 *Cha* 5[/sblock]

And here's his background and characterization...

[sblock=Appearance]Maas, while a Genasi, doesn't betray his heritage as much as others do; the only true hints are his prematurely silver hair and the slight cool breeze that frequently circles around him. Otherwise, he appears as a thin human of above-average height. He wears his hair in a swordfighter's topknot and rarely does a smile grace his too-serious visage.










[/sblock]
[sblock=Personality]Maas devotes all of his energy towards what he believes is the ultimate in fighting techniques: a fusion of the Sublime Way and the arcanist's Art. In his mind, each is half of the perfect discipline. Since the age of 16, he has pursued this dual mastery to the exclusion of all else. He maintains only the barest social presence needed to ensure his place with a master of the Way, and he spends nearly two-thirds of every single day practicing the two paths. If forced into conversation, Maas is direct, blunt, and to the point - often rudely so. Given his choice, the only sounds he utters would be _kiai_ shouts or spell incantations.[/sblock]
[sblock=Background]Maas was born in the court of Sayed Sheikh Ustiyad al-Rashid ibn Mustad ibn Alamam al-Valis (roughly, Holy Ruler Ustiyad of the righteous path, son of Mustad, son of Alamam of Valis), a Cloud Giant swordmaster of great power, cunning, and cruelty, descended from a short but long-lived line of Cloud Giants that at one point held a significant portion of Valis in their dominion. Maas' birth was well-received in the court, for his parents (an Air Genasi mother and a Half-Air-Elemental father) were both powerful in their own rights and the match was favored by Ustiyad himself, who hoped to breed a new line of powerful - and loyal - Air Genasi. From his birth, Maas was treated well by the Court; given the best tutors and training, all his needs provided for, all his desires granted.
That changed when Ustiyad started to demand results from his decade-long investment. Maas was assigned a series of missions for the giant. Nothing dangerous or important to the success of Ustiyad's schemes, but still intricate and complex, requiring a high degree of effort from Maas - a degree of effort the young Genasi failed to show. For all his life, Maas had been pampered as if he was Ustiyad's own offspring, and he was soft and complacent in his role as Favored Child of the Court. Throughout the next several years, Ustiyad withdrew priviledge after priviledge from the youth as he failed to complete - or, in some cases, even begin - task after task. Enraged by what he saw as a betrayal, Ustiyad finally exiled Maas on his 15th birthday, having him branded with Ustiyad's personal sigil and dumped unceremoniously at the edge of his territory with nothing to his name but a plain set of clothes and a single, unremarkable blade.
The sudden and unexpected (to him) punishment sparked a change in Maas, and from that day he searched for a purpose, a goal to his life. He wandered Valis as a sellsword, participating as a mercenary in several border disputes between rival Elemental Courts, and even stealing food when he had no other choice. That all ended when he met Master Oah. Master Oah was an aged man who lived in a cabin by himself some mile and a half from the nearest village. At the time, Maas hadn't eaten in nearly a week and was half-delirious when he came across the lone cabin. Master Oah took in the teenager and nursed him back to health.
Oah's price for saving Maas was that Maas stay with Oah and learn discipline - either in the Art or in the Sublime Way, for Master Oah was, while neither a swordmaster nor an archmage, learned in both. He tested Maas for both paths and, to his surprise, Maas excelled equally in all the tests he could think of. Maas saw this as his chance, and begged Master Oah to initiate him in both paths. For the next three years, Maas followed Master Oah's every command, suggestion, and whim, growing rapidly in skill and passion for his chosen path. 
This idyllic time was limited, however, as even before Maas' apprenticeship, Oah was in ill health. He was ancient for a human and knew his time in the realm of mortals was limited. On his deathbed, he bade Maas to take up his spellbook and his blade and seek out an acquaintance of his named Master Carthis, who would help guide him further along the Sublime Way. Determined to succeed at his Master's legacy, Maas tracked down Carthis and, after relating the events of the last few years and dueling the Master, won a spot at Carthis' remote school.[/sblock]

The general sequence of the events for the background is how I'd like to keep things, but the flavor is pretty mutable if it doesn't match up with what you had in mind.


----------



## Ryfte (Dec 17, 2007)

Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> Alright, I think I'm going to try to 'noble savage' build, playing a Totemist Warblade.  I can see him either being a Skarn (from Magic of Incarnum) or human.  If you've got any nifty ideas about where Skarns could fit in your set-up, I'll go for that, if not I'll go with human.
> 
> Either way, he'll be a specialist in Tiger Claw primarily, with a bit of Iron and Stone on the side.




LOL, I was about to post a concept for a goblin totemist warblade when I saw your post Nac, lol!


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## Ryfte (Dec 17, 2007)

Crud... found this too late... well... don't have time until tomorrow night for fluff/details but...

If you don't pick before Tuesday morning... I'll have fluff and rough in place. 

How about...

Female, Earth Genasi, Jera Guller, Crusader/Fighter

Quick and dirty/basic fluff...

Earth Genasi - Crusader / Fighter
• Jera grew up playing in the stone quarries of Darga located near the main mountain range, the Black Teeth, in Embria.
• Her father was a section caller for Dunall's Grinders, a stone cutting group.
• She began working in the quarry with her mother at an early age.
• Having inherited an enormous physical strength from her father gave her an advantage and she was quite arrogant about her abilities.
• Jera in her arrogance took on the leverage rope for a slab that was too large for her to manage.
• Her mother Larau pushed her out of the way; sacrificing herself to save her daughter.
• Plagued with guilt and demoted to provisions suppliers for the workers Jera became depressed.
• Within a month she had become suicidal and her father, Dunall, consulted with a local priest.
• It was arranged that she leave the quarries and an enchantment was placed upon her which replaced the memory of what had happened to her mother with a similar one; her mother being caught in an accidental slide.
• Her new position would still entail labor but it would be away from the site of the accident and away from all those who knew of what had happened.
• She soon arrived at her new position working for Master Carthis and has been studying the way of the Crusader under his tutelage.
• A simple girl she is happy now that she has forgotten her mother's sacrifice and she is a dedicated worker both in the menial tasks assigned to her and her martial studies.

I've got another idea for either a Goliath or even Half-Ogre Crusader / Barbarian but figured I ought to start working this idea into enough detail for a decent submission. *shrug*


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## Autumn (Dec 17, 2007)

Ryfte said:
			
		

> Crud... found this too late... well... don't have time until tomorrow night for fluff/details but...
> 
> If you don't pick before Tuesday morning... I'll have fluff and rough in place.
> 
> ...





 You might be in luck there, cos I only just got back after being kept busy all day and now I'm pretty tired. I'll put off my decison till tomorrow. 

 Sorry for the slowdown, everybody. The end of term rush is killing me. But, tomorrow I'll have a decision for sure.


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## EvolutionKB (Dec 17, 2007)

Sounds good, fingers are crossed.


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## Brian Compton (Dec 18, 2007)

Here's the basic sheet for Bariel:

Name: Bariel Qua-min
Race: Human
Religion: Astres
Height: 5'11"
Hair: Brown, with a short beard
Eyes: Hazel

STR 15 (+2); DEX 14 (+2); CON 10 (+0); INT 12 (+1); WIS 16 (+3); CHA 10 (+0)

Fort: +2    Ref: +1    Will: +5   Init: +2     HP: 12

Skills: Balance 6, Concentration 4, Craft: Weapon 5, Knowledge: Religion 5, Tumble 6

Feats: EWP (Bastard Sword); Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword *); Shield Specialization (Heavy Steel)

Maneuvers: Steel Tornado (IH)- strike two opponents with one attack
                Charging Minotaur (SD)- charging bull rush does 2d6+2 dmg., pushes back   
                                                 opponent
                Stone Bones (SD)- grants DR 5/adamantine for one round

Stances: Punishing Stance (IH)- +1d6 to damage, -2 to AC

Typical Spell List/Day:  0- Detect Magic (x2), Guidance; 1- Bless, Divine Power, Magic Weapon (Domain)

I may go back and change the 12 to CON.  It seems silly to play a warblade and not get some use out of the INT based abilities.*


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## Autumn (Dec 18, 2007)

Okay. It's been a tough decision to make, because all the applications have been good. Unfortunately there's isn't room for all of you, so here's the line up:

 - Zurai: Maas Gillian, Male Air Genasi Swordsage/Wizard
 - Shayuri: Thorn, Female Tiefling Swordsage/Beguiler
 - Brian Compton: Bariel Qua-Min, Male Human Warblade/Cleric
 - drothgery: Deren Terrell, Male Fire Genasi Warblade/Warmage
 - Nac Mac Feegle: Zal'Gat, Male Half-Orc Warblade/Totemist
 - James Heard: Shin, Male Elan Warblade/Psion 

  Congratulations to you guys! You're in. Those of you who haven't yet posted any crunchy stuff, now's the time to work on that. Those of you who have, I'll now get around to looking properly at it. 

 You'll all have been with Master Carthis for at least a few months as the game starts, so you will know each other. Have a think about what opinions you're likely to have formed about your fellow advanced students (there are a dozen or so other students, but you six are the most skilled by some way). 

 Seeing as how we're now getting close to Christmas, I guess I'll be planning on getting the IC thread running around new year. It seems silly to try to get anything moving seriously before that, since many people won't be posting at full capacity for some or all of that time.

  Apologies to you others - you will be my first port of call for alts if we lose any players. As I said, all the applications were good.


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## Zurai (Dec 18, 2007)

Interesting. No crusaders, and only a single non-spellcasting gestalt class. 

I'll look through the other characters' backstories and get some initial thoughts up, although you can expect Maas to be pretty uniform with regards to how he feels about other people


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## drothgery (Dec 18, 2007)

Zurai said:
			
		

> Interesting. No crusaders, and only a single non-spellcasting gestalt class.




I think the wonky random readied manuever acquisition thing is difficult to accept.

I've got a first cut at Deren's stats almost @home, but since Tuesday's my tabletop game, they won't be up until late, or maybe tomorrow.


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## James Heard (Dec 18, 2007)

I think how Shin feels about the rest of the world in general should be pretty bizarre.
Zal'Gat: "Three cats barked, the last one silent. Which one sits in the lap of the Master?"
Thorn: "When the wind blows, the rain listens. When it stands still, everyone listens."
Maas: "When a Master announces himself the wilderness, who bows?"

Or maybe not, I'm trying to get a handle on mixing up my "koans are cool!" with "...but they're likely to tick people off eventually, and hamper normal communication" vibe. Anyways, I haven't really read everyone's blurbs yet, so I don't know _how_ Shin will accept anyone.


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## drothgery (Dec 19, 2007)

*Deren Terrell, Fire Genasi Warblade // Warmage*

[sblock=Deren]*Deren Terrell*
Fire Genasi warblade//warmage
LN Medium outsider (native) (kind of borderline LN/LG, but right now he's a bit too ruthless to be LG in my book)
Deity: none

*Init* +2 *Senses* Listen +1, Spot +1
*Languages* Common, Ingan, 2 TBA
[d][/d]
*AC* 16 (+2 Dex, +4 armor), touch 12, flat-footed 14, 16 when adjacent to ally and weilding WR weapon (adjacent allies also get a +1 to AC)

*hp* 13 (1 HD)
*Fort* +3, *Ref* +3 (+2 when flat-footed) *Will* +2
[d][/d]
*Speed* 30 ft. (6 squares) 

*Melee* greatsword +3 (2d6+3/19-20/x2)
*Melee* dagger +3 (1d4+3/19-20/x2)
*Ranged* thrown dagger +3 (1d4+3/19-20/x2)
*Ranged* ray +3 (crits on nat 20)

*Base Atk* +1; *Grp* +3
[d][/d]
*Abilities* Str 14 Dex 14 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 14
*Feats* White Raven Defense
*Skills* Concentration +5 [4 ranks], Diplomacy +6 [4 ranks], Knowledge (arcana) +6,  Knowledge (history) +6 [4 ranks], Martial Lore +6 [4 ranks], Spellcraft +6 [4 ranks]
*Stances* Leading the Charge (WR)
*Manuevers* Leading the Attack (WR), Sone Bones (SD), Steel Wind (IH)
*Spells*
All 0-level and 1st-level warmage spells
*Spell Slots*
level 0 - 5
level 1 - 4
*Possessions* 
greatsword, chain shirt, dagger, clothes, traveling gear
[d][/d][/sblock]

[sblock=Background]
Those in the Imperial City always said Terrellians were difficult. The last to fall to the Astresians, and they never let anyone forget it. It hadn't surprised anyone, that. Five generations before Astres' rise to power, the Efreet Lord Ren Terrell had shocked his peers by taking the daughter of one of his human councilors not as a concubine, but as his wife. Historians in the Imperial capital made it a cynical gesture, as Terrell had desparely needed human soldiers to hold a province threatened by monsters and barbarians. Bards in Terrell still told epic love stories, though few told them elsewhere; Terrellian bards were no more fond than anyone else of Astresian prisons.

But whether motivated by cynicism or love, Ren and his heirs forged a true bond with the humans who had settled their last outpost of civilization. The humans of Terrell fought for their Lord -- Ren Terrell's genasi great-grandson -- when Astres' armies came, just as hard their planetouched fellows did. It was not until Astres brought a third army to bear -- two already having been broken on the walls of Terrell's capital -- that Martaan Terrell gave in to the inevitable, surrendered his city, and offically accepted the Sanction. He could not hold forever against both the Empire and the enemies that had always plagued his province, and appeasing the Astresians was possible.

And a millenia later, Deren Terrell still held to the same philosophy. He wished there was an alternative. But too few would rally to his father's banner if he raised it in rebellion. And the Astresians had never seen fit to deal with the barbarian and monster threats more permanently. If they feared Terrell would go its own way and discard the hated Sanction the second they no longer needed the Empire, well, Deren could not blame them; that fear was quite well grounded in many ways. But in other ways it was groundless, as Terrell _did_ need the Empire.

At least for now. Barten Terrell had sent his son to master the arts of war, spell and sword. Deren wasn't privy to exactly what his father wanted him to do with the skills he expected him to acquire. But he expected that Barten had a plan.
[/sblock]

[sblock=description]
Age: 19
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 185 lbs
Hair: Red
Eyes: Grey
Skin: Fair, with a slight reddish cast

Deren's clothes tend to be simple and elegant, as in the style of most genasi, especially the high aristocracy. He's very tall and wiry, which isn't uncommon among fire genasi.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Abilities]
*Fire Genasi abilities*
+2 Int, -2 Cha
+1 racial bonus on to saves vs. fire
Darvision 60'
_Confrol Flame_ (sp)

*Warblade abilities*
_Battle Clarity (ex)_ As long as you are not flat-footed, you gan an insight bonus equal to your Int bonus (max warblade level) on Ref saves
*weapon aptitude (ex)* Treat fighter level as fighter level + (warblade level - 2 if warblade level >2) for purposes of qualifying for fighter feats; adjust weapon-specific feats with 1 hour training/feat.

*Warmage abilties*
_Armored Mage (light)_ Warmages can cast warmage spells in light armor.

_Warmage Edge_ Warmages add their Int bonus to the damage dealt by any spell that does damage. If a spell deals damage multiple times (frex, multiple magic missiles), warmage edge only applies the first time damage is dealt.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Equipment]*Equipment and Encumbrance*
cost item	weight lb
- carried, worn, or in backback
50 gp greatsword	8 lb
100 gp chain shirt	25 lb
2 gp dagger	1 lb
5 gp signet ring	 lb
free gp explorer's outfit	8 lb
2 gp backpack	2 lb
0.1 gp bedroll	5 lb
0.02 gp whetstone	1 lb
1 gp waterskin	4 lb
1 gp flint & steel	n/a
1.5 gp rations, 3 days	3 lb
0.8 gp signal whistle	n/a
5 gp spell component pouch	n/a

total cost: 168.42 gp 	total weight: 57 lb
gold on hand: 31 gp, 2 silver, 8 copper

*Carrying Capacity*
Light load: 58 lb Medium load: 116 lb Heavy load: 175 lb
[/sblock]

[sblock=Default Tactics]
Deren prefers to toss a few spells at an enemy, [fire] for preference, and then charge into melee. If at all possible, he'll try to position himself so allies can take advantage of his White Raven manuevers and stances.
[/sblock]

[sblock=NPCs]
Barten Terrell - Deren's father, a Fire Genasi noble who rules the province of Terrell, and may very well be plotting a break with the Empire
[/sblock]

[sblock=advancement]
Deren's likely to stay straight warblade//warmage, using the Eclectic Learning alternate class feature in PHB2 to pick up a small number of non-blasting spells.
[/sblock]

Deren's likely to be a bit opinionated about the others. He definitely has an agenda, and can have problems with those who he thinks have reasons to be opposed to it, or who he thinks should be full-on supporting it but seem wrapped up in their studies.

*Maas:* If we were all that indifferent to everything outside of ourselves, the Astresians would be right about us.
*Thorn:* She's exactly the kind of girl father warned me about. So of course she's my best friend here.
*Shin:* I don't understand that fellow. Good kid, and a lot tougher than he looks, but he's a strange one.
*Zal'Gat:* It would be easy to hate him for what he is. The orcish tribes have done more their share of raiding Terrell. Easy, but it wouldn't be right. 
*Bariel:* And even easier to hate Astres' priests than a half-orc. At least I can fight back against the orcs. But a genuinely good man -- which I cannot claim to be myself; much must be done in Terrell's name that a truly good man would disapprove of -- is not someone I can bring myself to hate.


----------



## Shayuri (Dec 19, 2007)

Gratefully accepted! Thanks.

I'll update with sheet soon.

Thorn is face-friendly...if a bit scheming on the underside. She tends to like people that she can get the advantage of, or that share her view of fun without overshadowing her. She actually kind of likes stuffed shirts, because they're a source of entertainment. She resents the traditional religious view towards magic however, especially shadowy sneaky magic like hers.


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## Zurai (Dec 19, 2007)

James Heard said:
			
		

> Maas: "When a Master announces himself the wilderness, who bows?"




"The wood bows to the blade, and the wind stirs the leaves."

I would absolutely love (as a player and even in character) if Shin used lots of koans. If Maas _has_ to talk, then philosophy, sword mastery, or arcane theory are the three things he doesn't mind talking about. The problem I see there is an OOC one - it's hard to converse _entirely _in koans. Shin'll almost have to talk semi-normally at least part of the time.

Maas' thoughts on the other PCs:

*Shin*: _An odd child, but a strong mind. Riddles within secrets with wisdom beyond years._
*Zal'Gat*: _More animal than man, relying on instinct rather than skill. Strong and tough but has no capacity to be a true Master._
*Deren*: _He walks the two Paths, but for base purpose. Never will the two paths become one Way for a mercenary_ 
*Bariel*: _He seeks to learn and judges not. A stout fellow, even if his eyes are closed to the true Way._
*Thorn*: _Another walker of the two Paths, but she lacks any discipline. She is too concerned with the world of flesh to master the world of spirit._
(Yes, I know Deren's not a mercenary by literal definition, but Maas sees him as doing nothing more than buying the skills to wage war)

The more I think about it and the more firmly Maas solidifies in my head, the more I think he should be LN rather than NG. With your permission, Autumn, I'll change his alignment officially.


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## Autumn (Dec 19, 2007)

Zurai said:
			
		

> The more I think about it and the more firmly Maas solidifies in my head, the more I think he should be LN rather than NG. With your permission, Autumn, I'll change his alignment officially.




 Go for it, this had actually occurred to me as well when I considered what you'd so far said about him.




			
				James Heard said:
			
		

> Or maybe not, I'm trying to get a handle on mixing up my "koans are cool!" with "...but they're likely to tick people off eventually, and hamper normal communication" vibe.




  There's definitely a balance there. But so long as you're aware of it, I'm not too worried. Just apply a little moderation. I certainly don't see a problem with expressing opinions like these ones in koans, in fact I think it's very neat.


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 19, 2007)

[sblock=Zal'Gat]*Zal'Gat*
Half-Orc Totemist/Warblade
CG Medium Humanoid
Deity: None (animist)

*Init* +2 *Senses* Listen +4, Spot +4
*Languages* Common, Orc.
[d][/d]
*AC* 16 (+2 Dex, +4 armor), touch 12, flat-footed 14.  14 when in Punishing Stance, +2 vs. evil creatures.

*hp* 15 (1 HD)
*Fort* +5, *Ref* +4, *Will* +0
[d][/d]
*Speed* 30 ft. (6 squares) 

*Melee* Greataxe +5 (1d12+6/x3), +1d6 damage when in Punishing Stance
*Melee* Handaxe +5 (1d6+4/x3), +1d6 damage when in Punishing Stance
*Ranged* Throwing Axe +3 (1d6+4/x2), 10ft range increment.

*Base Atk* +1; *Grp* +5
[d][/d]
*Abilities* Str 18 Dex 14 Con 16 Int 10 Wis 10 Cha 8
*Feats* Multiattack, Power Attack
*Skills* Concentration +7 [4 ranks], Listen +4 [4 ranks], Martial Lore +2 [2 ranks], Spot +4 [4 ranks], Survival +2 [2 ranks]
*Stances* Punishing Stance (IH)
*Manuevers* Sudden Leap (TC), Moment of Perfect Mind (DM), Steely Strike (IH)
*Default Soulmelds*
Rageclaws (No penalties when at negative hp, can stay alive at up to -10 – 3*essentia invested hp)
Lammasu Mantle (+2 Deflection modifier to AC vs. Evil Creatures)
*Default Allocations*
Rageclaws (1/1)
Lammasu Mantle (0/1)
*Possessions* 
Greataxe, Chain Shirt, Handaxe, Throwing Axe x3, Clothes, Traveling Gear
[d][/d][/sblock]

[sblock=Background]
Zal'Gat (no last name/title because he hasn't yet completed the trials of manhood) was abandoned as an infant by his mother, who bore him after being raped as a tribe of orcs swept through her village. Despite his unusual toughness, he surely would have perished had fortune not intervened. The squalling infant was found by another, different roving band of orcs. Initially taking him for an orc - so prominent was his heritage - they took him in and began raising him.

However, as he grew, despite his strength and toughness it slowly became clear that there was another race's blood flowing through his veins, and slowly he was accorded less and less respect, avoiding death only by his martial prowess and the fact that he was being trained by the tribe's shaman. On the night before his sixteenth birthday - the day when he would normally have attempted the trials of manhood to become a full member of the tribe - the shaman came to him. He explained that if Zal'Gat were to attempt the trials the following day he would surely be killed in the process. He then offered the young warrior a choice. He had spoken to the elders, and demanded the right to give Zal'Gat a different trial.

Zal'Gat was to go forth into the human lands and learn of their ways of battle, becoming a match for any soldier of Astres or minion of the Elemental courts, and only then would he return to the tribe. If he had such powerful knowledge to teach the tribe, the Elders would have little choice but to accord him the rights of a man. To this end, Zal'Gat began travelling into lands strange to him. He learned a few tidbits along the way, but his true tutelage did not begin until he met a student of Master Carthis, who - impressed with the young barbarian's skill - sent him to the province of Embria with a letter of introduction to Carthis himself.
[/sblock]

[sblock=description]
Age: 18
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 215 lbs
Hair: Blag
Eyes: Brown
Skin: Grey-green

Zal'Gat usually dresses lightly – apart from his chain shirt – considering the weather in Embria to be over-hot.  When going into battle, he is usually adorned with furs and hides of various animals.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Abilities]
*Half-Orc Abilities*
+2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha
+1 racial bonus on to saves vs. fire
Darvision 60'

*Battle Clarity (ex)* As long as he is not flat-footed, Zal'Gat gains a +0 bonus to reflex saves.
*Weapon aptitude (ex)* Zal'Gat counts as a fighter of level (warblade level - 2 if warblade level >2) for purposes of qualifying for fighter feats; adjust weapon-specific feats with 1 hour training/feat.

*Wild Empathy* Zal'Gat may make diplomacy checks with a +0 modifier to influence animals.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Equipment]*Equipment and Encumbrance*
20gp Greataxe, 12 lbs
100gp chain shirt, 25 lbs
6gp Hand Axe, 3 lbs
24gp Throwing Axes, 6lbs
Free Traveler's Outfit, 8 lbs
2 gp Backpack, 2 lbs
0.1 gp Bedroll, 5 lbs
.02 gp Whetstone, 1 lbs
1 gp Waterskin, 4 lbs
1 gp Flint & Steel, -
2.5 gp Rations x5, 5 lbs

*Carrying Capacity*
Light Load: 100 lbs Medium Load: 200 lbs Heavy Load: 300 lbs
[/sblock]

[sblock=Default Tactics]
Almost always use punishing stance, against a single powerful foe use Steely Strike and Power Attack to try to drop him quickly.  Against a group lead by a more powerful creature, do as above, but activate Sudden Leap to get away afterwards, and drop Punishing Stance.
[/sblock]


*Maas:* He believes he knows the only path to truth, and that is his weakness.  He will yet be mastered by that which he refuses to understand.
*Thorn:* Had she been born in another body, she would have made a fine member of the tribe.
*Shin:* Clearly one touched by the spirits.  To be accorded respect, but never trusted.  There may be something deeper hidden behind his madness.
*Deren:* A strong man, but one to watch.  Whatever beliefs he may profess, his father's soldiers still kill my people when they can. 
*Bariel:* His faith makes him strong, but also stiff.  He will learn in time that there are greater truths than his.


----------



## Zurai (Dec 19, 2007)

(Maas is male)


----------



## drothgery (Dec 19, 2007)

Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> Deren's likely to be a bit opinionated about the others. He definitely has an agenda, and can have problems with those who he thinks have reasons to be opposed to it, or who he thinks should be full-on supporting it but seem wrapped up in their studies.




I don't think you meant to leave this in when you copied the template I used for Deren...


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 20, 2007)

Oop .  I'll edit that out.  What can I say, I liked your formatting and I'm a shameless thief.


----------



## Shayuri (Dec 21, 2007)

Here's what I have so far for Thorn.

Finalizing inventory and attitudes. Might be slow over holidays.

[sblock=Thorn]Name: Thorn
Race: Tiefling
Class/Level: Gestalt Beguiler 1 / Swordsage 1
Gender: Female
Exp:

Desc: Pending

Strength (STR) 8
Dexterity (DEX) 18
Constitution (CON) 12
Intelligence (INT) 16
Wisdom (WIS) 14
Charisma (CHA) 12

Alignment: Chaotic
AC: 14 (10 + 4 dex)
Buffed AC: 18 (+4 armor)
Hit Points: 9/9
Movement: 30

Init: +5
Base Attack Bonus: +0
Melee Attack: -1
Ranged Attack: +4
Fort: +1
Reflex: +6
Will: +4

Race Abilities
+2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Cha
Native Outsider
60' darkvision
5 fire, cold, lightning resistance
+2 Bluff, +2 Hide

Class Abilities:
Armored Mage (Light)
Trapfinding

Quick to Act +1
Discipline Focus (shadow hand): Weapon Focus

Skills: 36
Bluff +7 (4 ranks + 1 cha + 2 race)
Concentration +5 (4 ranks + 1 Con)
Hide +10 (4 ranks + 4 dex + 2 race)
Martial Lore +7 (4 ranks + 3 int)
Move Silently +8 (4 ranks + 4 dex)
Spot +6 (4 ranks + 2 wis)
Listen +6 (4 ranks + 2 wis)
Sense Motive +6 (4 ranks + 2 wis)
Tumble +8 (4 ranks + 4 dex)

Feats
Shadow Trickster

Spells (Beguiler) - Base DC 13
Slots
0 - 5/5, 1 - 4/4

0 - Dancing Lights, Daze, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Message, Open/Close, Read Magic
1 - Charm Person, Color Spray, Comprehend Languages, Detect Secret Doors, Disguise Self,Expeditious Retreat, Hypnotism, Mage Armor, Obscuring Mist, Rouse, Silent Image, Sleep,Undetectable Alignment, Whelm, Ventriloquism


Manuevers
Known
Setting Sun
Counter Charge
Mighty Throw

Shadow Hand
Shadow Blade Technique
Clinging Shadow Strike

Diamond Mind
Sapphire Nightmare Blade
Moment of Perfect Mind

Readied 
- 
- 
- 
- 

Stances
- Island of Blades

Money - 

Weapons -


Armour -
	None

Gear -
	None


Magic -
	None


Background: 
	Pending[/sblock]


----------



## Zurai (Dec 21, 2007)

Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> Oop .  I'll edit that out.  What can I say, I liked your formatting and I'm a shameless thief.




Okay, you got one reference to Maas as female cleaned up. Only 4 to go!


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 21, 2007)

You people and your obsession with 'correct things'


----------



## Zurai (Dec 21, 2007)

Hey, Maas is LN now. I gotta get in character! 

@drothgery: On that note, I should also point out that Maas isn't even slightly self-centered. _He_ is not important, only the Way. The general direction of Deren's attitude towards him is fine, but there really is no mistaking that Maas really doesn't think about himself at all. He pushes himself past his limits regularly, only eats when reminded to or when he can't concentrate because of lack of food, hardly talks in any capacity and never about himself, etc. I fully expect everyone to have a fairly negative opinion of him (one of the reasons I kept his Charisma at a penalty), just want to be sure you have the _right_ negative opinion


----------



## James Heard (Dec 21, 2007)

Now that I'm only left with hoping that one more gift gets in before the holidays and I'm through with one bit of company for a few days before I have the "big push" for Xmas, I hope to knock out this character I've promised. I _was_ wondering if you'd have a problem with me playing around with the flavors of class (within a reasonable bit) I promised? I've still not really sat down and done any of the math, but I'm trying really hard to come up with a Shin flavored character without kicking my own behind with lack of synergy and such.


----------



## drothgery (Dec 21, 2007)

Zurai said:
			
		

> @drothgery: On that note, I should also point out that Maas isn't even slightly self-centered. _He_ is not important, only the Way. The general direction of Deren's attitude towards him is fine, but there really is no mistaking that Maas really doesn't think about himself at all. He pushes himself past his limits regularly, only eats when reminded to or when he can't concentrate because of lack of food, hardly talks in any capacity and never about himself, etc. I fully expect everyone to have a fairly negative opinion of him (one of the reasons I kept his Charisma at a penalty), just want to be sure you have the _right_ negative opinion




Oh, I think he does. Though it's probably worth noting that at least in Deren's mind, Maas's concept of 'the Way' is only in Maas' head, and so not outside of himself. Deren sees Maas as being so wrapped up in an idea that he barely notices the real world around him. And it bothers Deren that someone superficially so similar to him (i.e. planetouched with some connection to the Courts, studying swordsmanship and offensive magic under the same teacher) could think like that.


----------



## Zurai (Dec 21, 2007)

Okay, no problem then  

Although Maas is an Evoker, he doesn't really specialize in boom spells. I'm actually debating whether to leave him as an Evoker or not. His spells are going to be more focused on personal enhancement and special effects rather than blowing stuff up. I went with Evoker initially because he *is* a Genasi with strong connections to one of the Courts, so it makes sense for him to be using elemental spells. He can still use them just fine with another specialty, though. 

Actually, looking at it a bit more, I think I'm going to change him to a Diviner, and keep just Necromancy as a prohibited school. Only problem there is the _lousy_ selection of 5th level divinations - the 3 in the PHB are *it*, and none of em are very good for Maas. Spell selection for other levels is great, though, and the school fits in with his "seeker of knowledge" shtick as well, so it looks like a keeper.



So, with that in mind, here's Maas' finalized character sheet for approval:

[sblock=Maas Illian]*Maas Illian*
*Male Air Genasi Swordsage 1//Diviner 1* 
*Alignment:* LN
*Deity:* None
*Region:* Ustiyad's Court
*Height:* 6'3"
*Weight:* 160 lbs
*Hair:* Silver, tied into a topknot
*Eyes:* Brown
*Skin:* Pale
*Age:* 20
*XP:* 0

*Str:* 10 (+0) [2 points]
*Dex:* 16 (+3) [6 points, +2 race]
*Con:* 14 (+2) [6 points]
*Int:* 18 (+4) [10 points, +2 race]
*Wis:* 12 (+1) [6 points, -2 race]
*Cha:* 8 (-1) [2 points, -2 race]

*Class and Racial abilities:* 
Native Outsider
Darkvision 60'
_Levitate_ (CL 5) 1/day
+1 racial bonus on saves vs air spells and effects, +1 more per 5 character levels
Breathless (immune to drowning, suffocation, and attacks that require inhalation)
Quick to Act (+1 initiative)
Discipline Focus (+1 to hit with rapier, shortspear, bastard sword, katana, and trident)
Familiar

*Hit Dice:* 1d8+2
*Hit Points:* 10
*AC:* 13 (+0 Armor, +3 Dex) [Touch 13, Flat-footed 10]
*Init:* +4 (+3 Dex, +1 Quick to Act)
*Speed:* 30ft 

*Saves:*
Fortitude +2 [+0 base, +2 Con]
Reflex +7 [+2 base, +3 Dex, +2 familiar]
Will +3 [+2 base, +1 Wis]

*BAB/Grapple:* +0/+0
*Melee Atk:* +1 (1d6/18-20/x2, rapier)
*Ranged Atk:* +4 (1d6/20/x3, thrown shortspear)

*Skills:*

```
Balance			+7 (4 ranks, +3 Dex)
Concentration		+6 (4 ranks, +2 Con, +4 in a duel of wills)
Iaijutsu Focus		+0 (1 cc rank, -1 Cha)
Jump			+4 (4 ranks, +0 Str)
Knowledge: Arcana	+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Knowledge: History	+6 (2 ranks, +4 Int)
Knowledge: Local	+6 (2 ranks, +4 Int)
Knowledge: Religion	+6 (2 ranks, +4 Int)
Martial Lore		+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Sense Motive		+5 (4 ranks, +1 Wis)
Spellcraft		+8 (4 ranks, +4 Int)
Tumble			+7 (4 ranks, +3 Dex)
```

*Flaws:*

*Feats:*
Scribe Scroll (Wizard bonus)
Unnerving Calm (1st level)

*Languages:*
Astresian, Auran, Ignan, Terran, Aquan, Giant

*Spells Known:* Necromancy prohibited
0th - (Abj) _resistance_, (Conj) _acid splash_, _caltrops_, (Div) _detect magic_, (Ench) _daze_, (Evoc) _electric jolt_, _flare_, _light_, _ray of frost_, _sonic snap_, (Trans) _mage hand_, _mending_, _message_, _open/close_, (Univ) _arcane mark_, _prestidigitation_
1st - (Abj) _shield_, (Conj) _mage armor_, (Div) _true strike_, (Evoc) _persistent blade_, (Illus) _color spray_, (Trans) _feather fall_, _nerveskitter_

*Maneuvers Known:*
Strikes - Sapphire Nightmare Blade (DM), Shadow Blade Technique (SH)
Counters - Moment of Perfect Mind (DM), Counter Charge (SS)
Boosts - Burning Blade (DW), Distracting Ember (DW)

*Stances Known:*
Step of the Wind (SS)

*Equipment:*
rapier, 20g, 2 lbs
2 shortspears, 2g, 6 lbs
backpack, 2g, 2 lbs
~bedroll, 1s, 5 lbs
~winter blanket, 5s, 3 lbs
~spellbook (23 pages used), free, 3 lbs
~small steel mirror, 10g, 0.5 lbs
~dagger, 2g, 1 lb
belt pouch, 1g, 0.5 lbs
~4 fishhooks, 4s, - lbs
~10' fishing line, 1g, - lbs
~flint and steel, 1g, - lbs
~whetstone, 2c, 2 lbs
money pouch, 1g, 0.5 lbs
waterskin, 1g, 4 lbs
spell component pouch, 5g, 2 lbs

*Money:*
12 gp
7 sp
10 cp

*Encumbrance:* 31.5 lbs (light load)
0-33 light
34-66 medium
67-100 heavy

[sblock=Familiar]
*Podo*, ferret (using weasel stats)
*Hit Points:* 5
*AC:* 15 (+1 Natural Armor, +2 Dex, +2 size) [Touch 14, Flat-footed 13]
Fortitude +2 [+2 base, +0 Con]
Reflex +4 [+2 base, +2 Dex], Improved Evasion
Will +3 [+2 base, +1 Wis]
*Str* 3 *Dex* 15 *Con* 10 *Int* 6 *Wis* 12 *Cha* 5[/sblock]
[sblock=Prepared Spells and Readied Maneuvers]
0th - _detect magic, read magic, prestidigitation, mage hand_
1st - _true strike, mage armor_

Sapphire Nightmare Blade, Shadow Blade Technique, Counter Charge, Distracting Ember[/sblock]



~~~~~~~

*Appearance:*
Maas, while a Genasi, doesn't betray his heritage as much as others do; the only true hints are his prematurely silver hair and the slight cool breeze that frequently circles around him. Otherwise, he appears as a thin human of above-average height. He wears his hair in a swordfighter's topknot and rarely does a smile grace his too-serious visage.










*Personality:*
Maas devotes all of his energy towards what he believes is the ultimate in fighting techniques: a fusion of the Sublime Way and the arcanist's Art. In his mind, each is half of the perfect discipline. Since the age of 16, he has pursued this dual mastery to the exclusion of all else. He maintains only the barest social presence needed to ensure his place with a master of the Way, and he spends nearly two-thirds of every single day practicing the two paths. If forced into conversation, Maas is direct, blunt, and to the point - often rudely so. Given his choice, the only sounds he utters would be _kiai_ shouts or spell incantations.

*Background:*
Maas was born in the court of Sayed Sheikh Ustiyad al-Rashid ibn Mustad ibn Alamam al-Valis (roughly, Holy Ruler Ustiyad of the righteous path, son of Mustad, son of Alamam of Valis), a Cloud Giant swordmaster of great power, cunning, and cruelty, descended from a short but long-lived line of Cloud Giants that at one point held a significant portion of Valis in their dominion. Maas' birth was well-received in the court, for his parents (an Air Genasi mother and a Half-Air-Elemental father) were both powerful in their own rights and the match was favored by Ustiyad himself, who hoped to breed a new line of powerful - and loyal - Air Genasi. From his birth, Maas was treated well by the Court; given the best tutors and training, all his needs provided for, all his desires granted.
That changed when Ustiyad started to demand results from his decade-long investment. Maas was assigned a series of missions for the giant. Nothing dangerous or important to the success of Ustiyad's schemes, but still intricate and complex, requiring a high degree of effort from Maas - a degree of effort the young Genasi failed to show. For all his life, Maas had been pampered as if he was Ustiyad's own offspring, and he was soft and complacent in his role as Favored Child of the Court. Throughout the next several years, Ustiyad withdrew priviledge after priviledge from the youth as he failed to complete - or, in some cases, even begin - task after task. Enraged by what he saw as a betrayal, Ustiyad finally exiled Maas on his 15th birthday, having him branded with Ustiyad's personal sigil and dumped unceremoniously at the edge of his territory with nothing to his name but a plain set of clothes and a single, unremarkable blade.
The sudden and unexpected (to him) punishment sparked a change in Maas, and from that day he searched for a purpose, a goal to his life. He wandered Valis as a sellsword, participating as a mercenary in several border disputes between rival Elemental Courts, and even stealing food when he had no other choice. That all ended when he met Master Oah. Master Oah was an aged man who lived in a cabin by himself some mile and a half from the nearest village. At the time, Maas hadn't eaten in nearly a week and was half-delirious when he came across the lone cabin. Master Oah took in the teenager and nursed him back to health.
Oah's price for saving Maas was that Maas stay with Oah and learn discipline - either in the Art or in the Sublime Way, for Master Oah was, while neither a swordmaster nor an archmage, learned in both. He tested Maas for both paths and, to his surprise, Maas excelled equally in all the tests he could think of. Maas saw this as his chance, and begged Master Oah to initiate him in both paths. For the next three years, Maas followed Master Oah's every command, suggestion, and whim, growing rapidly in skill and passion for his chosen path. 
This idyllic time was limited, however, as even before Maas' apprenticeship, Oah was in ill health. He was ancient for a human and knew his time in the realm of mortals was limited. On his deathbed, he bade Maas to take up his spellbook and his blade and seek out an acquaintance of his named Master Carthis, who would help guide him further along the Sublime Way. Determined to succeed at his Master's legacy, Maas tracked down Carthis and, after relating the events of the last few years and dueling the Master, won a spot at Carthis' remote school.
[/sblock]


----------



## Zurai (Dec 21, 2007)

And of course, as soon as I post a "finalized" sheet, something else occurs to me:

K:Religion doesn't really fit Maas, but the Iaijutsu Focus skill from Oriental Adventures _does_. It's cross-class and he won't be taking any of the PrCs for it, so it won't get to the silly levels it can potentially reach in that setting, but he's going to fight very much in the Iaijutsu style regardless. Could I switch ranks in K:Religion (except for the 2 Maas needs for Jade Phoenix Mage, of course) for cross class ranks in Iaijutsu Focus? You said any WotC book, but it's both 3.0 and a setting book, so I figured I'd check to be sure.


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 21, 2007)

Eek.  Iajitsu Focus scares me


----------



## Zurai (Dec 21, 2007)

Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> Eek.  Iajitsu Focus scares me




Eh, Maas isn't built to abuse it. It only works on flat-footed opponents, requires a cross-class skill check, and only works on a single attack at a time. Maas only has Sapphire Nightmare Blade and a decent Initiative to get opponents flat-footed (until he gets _invisibility_ and _greater invisibility_, anyway - and IMO those don't work with the flavor of IF anyway and I wouldn't use it in when attacking from invisibility), has a penalty to the skill check because of his low charisma, etc. Yeah, with a character built for it, it gets scary.

That said, I'm fine with a "no" answer, too. I can work the Iaijutsu flavor in through maneuvers, especially since he's focused in Diamond Mind. I mainly want it for flavor and because I'm out of skills that really work for Maas.


----------



## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 21, 2007)

I dunno, I wouldn't think you'd abuse it, but even so, anyone who puts enough ranks into this CC skill to get a 10 on the check can get free damage in round one, so why would anyone not take it?


----------



## Zurai (Dec 21, 2007)

Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> I dunno, I wouldn't think you'd abuse it, but even so, anyone who puts enough ranks into this CC skill to get a 10 on the check can get free damage in round one, so why would anyone not take it?




Because you're putting points into a skill you _might_ use once per combat, if the stars align correctly, instead of something you can use every round of every combat like Tumble or (for spellcasters) Concentration? Remember, by default, it only works on the first round of combat, and _only if you win initiative_ on top of that. You have to *start the fight unarmed*, then get close enough to attack in melee, succeed on a cross-class skill check (which is by no means guaranteed, since you can't have 9 cross-class ranks until character level 15), _and_ succeed on the attack roll. All for +1d6~+5d6 (if you roll a 20 on the skill check at level 18+) damage on a single attack. Also, it has *absolutely no use outside of combat* unlike virtually every other skill in the game. For Maas with 10 skill points, it's an easy decision because he literally has no more skills that fit his character concept at all. For a warblade with 4 skill points like some in the party, it probably wouldn't even be worth it as a class skill.


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## Nac Mac Feegle (Dec 21, 2007)

Fair enough.  I'm willing to admit that some of my dislike is totally reflexive, and another part is definitely a general dislike of mixing 3.0 and 3.5.  Still, us discussing is only really idle conversation, seeing as neither of us is a DM here


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## Autumn (Dec 21, 2007)

James Heard said:
			
		

> Now that I'm only left with hoping that one more gift gets in before the holidays and I'm through with one bit of company for a few days before I have the "big push" for Xmas, I hope to knock out this character I've promised. I _was_ wondering if you'd have a problem with me playing around with the flavors of class (within a reasonable bit) I promised? I've still not really sat down and done any of the math, but I'm trying really hard to come up with a Shin flavored character without kicking my own behind with lack of synergy and such.




 That's no problem at all, of course I realise that elements of a character might shift about as you work on him. So long as the basic concept remains the same I have no problem whatever with any fluxes in the crunch. 




			
				Nac Mac Feegle said:
			
		

> K:Religion doesn't really fit Maas, but the Iaijutsu Focus skill from Oriental Adventures does. It's cross-class and he won't be taking any of the PrCs for it, so it won't get to the silly levels it can potentially reach in that setting, but he's going to fight very much in the Iaijutsu style regardless. Could I switch ranks in K:Religion (except for the 2 Maas needs for Jade Phoenix Mage, of course) for cross class ranks in Iaijutsu Focus? You said any WotC book, but it's both 3.0 and a setting book, so I figured I'd check to be sure.




 This is okay with me, yes, I don't see it as overpowered. I had a bit of a think about whether allowing it would make a samurai-ish flavor too dominant within the setting, but I came to the conclusion that it really wouldn't. It's one nice flavorsome option, but it's by no means more powerful than half a dozen other things that could be done with the first round of combat. So, yeah. No problem.


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## Zurai (Dec 21, 2007)

Autumn said:
			
		

> This is okay with me, yes, I don't see it as overpowered. I had a bit of a think about whether allowing it would make a samurai-ish flavor too dominant within the setting, but I came to the conclusion that it really wouldn't. It's one nice flavorsome option, but it's by no means more powerful than half a dozen other things that could be done with the first round of combat. So, yeah. No problem.




Thanks  Character sheet updated above. That _should_ be the real finalized sheet. I'm really eager to get this started - Maas is gonna be fun to play.


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## Brian Compton (Dec 22, 2007)

Do we have max gold for first level?  Once I know this I'll fill out my equipment list.


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## Autumn (Dec 22, 2007)

Brian Compton said:
			
		

> Do we have max gold for first level?  Once I know this I'll fill out my equipment list.




 Yep. Take max starting gold from whichever of your classes has the highest.


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## drothgery (Dec 22, 2007)

Autumn said:
			
		

> Yep. Take max starting gold from whichever of your classes has the highest.




FYI - there's no listed starting gold for warmages in either the Mini's Handbook or Complere Arcane. Though it'd probably be less than than the warblade's 5d4 x 10 anyway. That was a pretty common bug with non-PHB classes in 3.5, because they used the PHB class template, and starting gold was in the equipment chapter.


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## James Heard (Dec 23, 2007)

_OK, here's Shin. I'm still debating the wisdom of running through every iota of his money buying armor and a greatsword, but on the other hand for an Elan it makes a certain amount of sense I guess.
_
*Shin*
Male Elan Gestalt Warblade/Ardent 1/1
CG Medium Aberration
*Init* +1; *Senses* Listen +3  Spot +5
*Languages* Common, High Imperial
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*AC *16 , touch 11, flat-footed 15; + 1 dex, +5 armor
*hp* 12 (1 HD)
*Fort* +2, *Ref* +1( +2), *Will* +5
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Speed* 30 ft.
*Melee* +3 Greatsword 2d6 +1
*Ranged* +2 
*Special Actions* Enhanced Elan Resistance, Punishing Stance
*Base Atk* +1; *Grp* +2
*Combat Gear* Greatsword
*Ardent Powers Known* (6 PP, CL 1th, +2 ranged touch, +2 melee touch):

1st— (DC 14) _Mind Thrust, Offensive Prescience_
*Primary Psionic Mantles*: Conflict, Mental
*Maneuvers Readied*:Sapphire Mind Blade, Steel Wind, Steely Strike
*Maneuvers Known*: Sapphire Mind Blade, Steel Wind, Steely Strike
*Stances Known*: Punishing Stance
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Abilities* Str 13, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 8
*SQ* Battle Clarity (Reflex Saves), Naturally Psionic, Resistance (Su), Resilience (Su), Repletion (Su), Weapon Aptitude, Psionic Mantles (2)
*Feats * All Simple Weapon Proficiencies, Martial Melee Weapon Proficiencies, All Armor Proficiencies, Shield Proficiency (except for Tower Shield),  Enhanced Elan Resilience, Weapon Focus (Greatsword)
*Skills* Autohypnosis +7, Concentration +4, Sense Motive +5, Spot +5, Tumble +5
*Experience Points:* 0
*Possessions* combat gear plus clothes on his back.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Appearance*
Age: 19  Height: 5'4 Weight: 120lbs. Hair: Black Eyes: Blue
Physically Shin is a rather good-looking boy, if a little dull sometimes in his expressions. His straight black hair would fall to his knees if it weren't meticulous braided and attended to without complaint by some of the other servants in Master Carthis' school who more or less treat him as if he were some relation who had been born a little bit off. His steel-blue eyes peek out from underneath a strong brow contrasting with his smooth, nut-brown skin that he comes naturally by. Most people are a little distracted by Shin conversationally, as he rarely makes eye-contact and often seems to not be paying attention to them. All in all, Shin usually gives the impression of either being tragically confused or frighteningly perceptive.

As an Elan without proper control over his psionic metabolism, when Shin is wounded till he bleeds his blood is sometimes black and stringy and often moves in strange ways that have very little to do with physics or gravity. Sometimes his blood actually leaps off his opponents blade and back into his body before the wound reseals. Thankfully only Master Carthis and some of the past students have properly seen this happen, as it begins to happen even less often as he enters his Elan majority and that otherworldly creature begins to assert itself better.

*Background*
Shin walked into Master Carthis' school one day as a small boy. No one could rightly say where he was from, and every attempt to keep the child away from the school was ultimately unsuccessful. One of the servants would put him out on the front step, and days later he'd still be quietly sitting there exactly where he was left. When he first came to the school he was quite mute and somewhat broken in the head apparently, owing his name only to the single episode of violence in those years - when one of the Astresian cooks was finished lecturing him on the the refinements of Astresian religion the boy walked up to her and kicked her quite soundly, not stopping until the poor woman was in tears and proclaiming all manner of insanity about the child.

When Shin was about ten he entered the training area, picked up a blade and began training. When questioned directly about what he was doing he shrugged and simply said his first word ever uttered at the school: "The song parts the sunset."

Not knowing exactly what to do with that, he was allowed to join the training.

Eventually, Shin began talking more and less cryptically, though occasionally a shadow still crosses his face and he'll make a bizarre utterance of some sort. He's still set far apart from the other students, often working without sleep or complaint for weeks at a time on setting stones in colorful patterns in the courtyard or scrubbing the floors of the entire school on his hands and knees with an obscene grin on his face.

[sblock=Stuff No One Knows Yet]
Shin's real story is no less strange, and involves a tale of a desperate creature of the elemental courts wounded during an assassination attempt. Left for dead, the dying Elan made a deal with a young orphaned child to save them both. The resilience of the dying courtier kept them both alive, but the desperate and unprecedented nature of their joining at the boys young age has left them both a bit unbalanced. As the boy's body has grown larger and stronger though, the wiser of the two has began to finally have more room to establish itself. The two minds are both _more_ complexly intertwined than is normal for their kind and somehow less integrated. Soon will come the day when the magic is normally performed on young men and women though, and it is with both keen expectation and dread that the confused boy creature that appears so serene looks toward the day when his parts come to be whole.
[/sblock]

*Personality*
Shin's devotion to the blade is without parallel. Not only does he often devote incredibly long days to his martial studies, he does so without complaint or comment. Shin rarely speaks directly to anyone unless he is spoke to, though as his birthday draws near there seems to be some sort of radical personality change lurking behind his eyes and waiting to happen. To those who know him best it's often frightening and somewhat predatory, as if by reaching some arbitrary standard of adulthood a harsh burden might be laid upon his shoulders.

*Tactics:*
Shin tries to stay out of combat because taking damage confuses him still. When he does he enter combat he wades into melee with in psionic focus and with his Offensive Prescience on to increase his damage, using his psionic metabolism to reduce damage and avoid strange looks from others.

[sblock=Advancement]
*L1>Warblade/Ardent * HP: 12 (12+0) SP: +20 (5 maxed)
Class Skill List: Autohypnosis, Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Heal, Jump, Knowledge, Martial Lore, Profession, Psicraft, Swim, Tumble
Skills: Autohypnosis(Wis) 4 ranks, Concentration(Con) 4 ranks, Sense MotiveCC(Wis) 2 ranks, SpotCC(Wis) 2 ranks, Tumble(Dex) 4 ranks

1st Feat:
Languages: Common, High Imperial (or some other ancient, refined, etc language)


0000    traveler's outfit (one free outfit to hide naked adventurers)
0050    greatsword
0150    chainmail
----
0 GP
[/sblock]


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## Zurai (Dec 23, 2007)

Oh, I remember something I was going to ask:

What languages are available? Presumably all the standard PHB languages, but are there any campaign-specific ones our characters might know? I put "Astresian" on Maas' sheet in place of Common, for the record.


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## drothgery (Dec 23, 2007)

FYI - I'll be out of town next week (starting tomorrow), and I don't know what my 'net access will be like. Back on New Year's Day.


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## Brian Compton (Dec 24, 2007)

Equipment for Bariel:

Bastard Sword: 35 gp, 6 lbs.  Attack Bonus: +4  Damage: 1d10+2  Crit: 19-20/x2

Heavy Mace: 12 gp, 8 lbs.  Attack Bonus: +3  Damage: 1d8+2  Crit: 20/x2

Scale Mail: 50 gp, 30 lbs.  Armor Bonus: +4  Max Dex: +3  Armor Penalty: -4

Heavy Steel Shield: 20 gp, 15 lbs.  Armor Bonus: +2  Armor Penalty: -2

Spell Component Pouch: 5 gp, 2 lbs.

Silver Holy Symbol: 25 gp, 1 lb.

Backpack: 2 gp, 2 lbs.

Bedroll: 1 sp, 5 lbs.

Winter Blanket: 5 sp, 3 lbs.

Flint and Steel: 1 gp

Whetstone: 2 cp, 1 lb.

Hooded Lantern: 7 gp, 2 lbs.

3 pints oil: 3 sp, 3 lbs.

Money left over:  42 gp, 8 cp

As for how Bariel will relate to everyone, he'll be a little stand-offish, since he can't actively
preach the good news of Astres to half-breeds and non-humans, but he doesn't feel like such people should be excluded from his company.  He'll also defend them from anyone who would persecute them in the name of Astres.


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## Autumn (Dec 24, 2007)

Zurai said:
			
		

> Oh, I remember something I was going to ask:
> 
> What languages are available? Presumably all the standard PHB languages, but are there any campaign-specific ones our characters might know? I put "Astresian" on Maas' sheet in place of Common, for the record.





 I hadn't got around to naming the language, but I rather like the 'High Imperial' that James Heard put on his sheet. I think I'll go with that as the Empire's own tongue - used for religious ceremonies and high Astresian culture. Standard speech is in Common, the trade language spoken as neutral ground for all four elemental courts and the human settlers.


 Thanks for all the work you've put into the sheets guys, and sorry I'm being lazy about getting round to a full check. The house has been taken over by seasonal raiding parties of family and friends, so I guess I won't get a chance till after Christmas.


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## Autumn (Dec 26, 2007)

The game has a name, and a Rogue's Gallery thread. 

 Please post your characters there. It should make the checking process a little easier for me.


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## James Heard (Dec 27, 2007)

Thanks for approving the language venture. I was just going for a "well, he's got one, but he's obviously never had any inclination as Shin to have one so it must be from before - what would an alien parasite learn?" I figured I'd make something up and hope it didn't provoke a wtf response. Some language that's spoken more in the courts of the Genies and such rather than in some weird dojo.


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## Autumn (Dec 27, 2007)

James Heard said:
			
		

> Thanks for approving the language venture. I was just going for a "well, he's got one, but he's obviously never had any inclination as Shin to have one so it must be from before - what would an alien parasite learn?" I figured I'd make something up and hope it didn't provoke a wtf response. Some language that's spoken more in the courts of the Genies and such rather than in some weird dojo.




 That's cool, though note that High Imperial would probably only be spoken in the Elemental Courts with Astresian ambassadors and the like. Amongst themselves they would speak one of the four elemental tongues, with a whole complex etiquette in place around which of the languages is spoken between members of different Houses. But generally the rule is that you speak Ignan in the fire courts, Terran in the earth courts, Aquan in the water courts and Auran in the air courts.

 But if the alien parasite in question was a free agent moving between different courts and not tied to one House in particular, High Imperial is a good choice to represent a connection to that refined culture without picking one elemental House in particular.


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## James Heard (Dec 27, 2007)

That's it, especially since I don't have nearly enough language slots to grab four languages.


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## Zurai (Dec 27, 2007)

Updated Maas' character sheet to replace Giant with High Imperial.

Really looking forward to starting this game


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## Autumn (Dec 31, 2007)

Okay, I've done a fairly thorough comb-through of the characters. Sorry it's taken me a little while to get around to this. If you don't have an sblock below then congrats, everything looks good and I couldn't find anything to nitpick. 

 [sblock=drothgery] Just very minor stuff here.

- Looks like the note after your AC should read 17 (not 16) when benefiting from White Raven Defense.
- I believe your Reflex Save should be +2; 0 base +2 Dex.[/sblock]

[sblock=Nac Mac Feegle]- Looks like you've spent 34 pts on abilities instead of 32. Str 18 (10 pts) Dex 14 (6 pts) Con 16 (10 pts) Int 10 (4 pts) Wis 10 (2 pts) Cha 8 (2 pts) = 34 pts.

- I'm afraid you don't meet the prerequisites for Multiattack. There are Totemist soulmelds that give you Natural Attacks, yes, and I would allow those to satisfy the prerequisites... but they only give you those attacks once you bind them to your Totem chakra, and you can't do that until level 2. Sorry, but it looks like you'll have to wait until level 3 to get Multiattack. 

 - Sudden Leap requires one other Tiger Claw maneuver, which you currently don't have. Also note that with no running start Jump DCs are doubled, making it DC 20 to get 10' with a Sudden Leap. Since your Jump check is only +2, it's of somewhat dubious use to you. An extra 5' step is nothing to be sneered at, but the maneuver gets exponentially better as your Jump check goes up.[/sblock]

 [sblock=James Heard] - Looks like you've spent only 28 pts on abilities. Str 13 (5 ps) Dex 12 (4 pts) Con 10 (2 pts) Int 13 (5 pts) Wis 16 (10 pts) Cha 8 (2 pts)
 = 28 pts. It was 32 pt buy, so you have 4 more points to play with. [/sblock]

[sblock=Brian Compton] - Not that I don't know what they are, but you should probably note your classes somewhere on the sheet. 

- It'd also be nice if you could list your AC (with flat-footed and touch values as well) and the details for your attacks. Take a look at any of the other sheets to see what I mean. It's nice to have this stuff noted down for quick reference.[/sblock]


 Hopefully I can get the first post written and the IC thread up sometime tomorrow, while we iron out those last few creases.


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## Brian Compton (Dec 31, 2007)

Fixed my character sheet.  Hopefully everything looks good now.  Can't wait to start!


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## drothgery (Jan 1, 2008)

Autumn said:
			
		

> drothgery: Just very minor stuff here.
> 
> - Looks like the note after your AC should read 17 (not 16) when benefiting from White Raven Defense.
> - I believe your Reflex Save should be +2; 0 base +2 Dex.




Fixed WR Defense AC; clarified Reflex Save (when Battle Clarity applies, it's +3).


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## Zurai (Jan 4, 2008)

Autumn said:
			
		

> Hopefully I can get the first post written and the IC thread up sometime tomorrow, while we iron out those last few creases.




It's now a couple days after tomorrow  Any news on an IC thread?


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## James Heard (Jan 5, 2008)

Thanks for the bump in the subscription to remind me! I've finished my revision for the higher point buy (not that I have any clue why I did what I did first).


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## James Heard (Jan 10, 2008)

Bump?


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## drothgery (Jan 10, 2008)

FWIW, It doesn't look like Autumn's been to ENWorld since the 5th.


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## drothgery (Jan 14, 2008)

drothgery said:
			
		

> FWIW, It doesn't look like Autumn's been to ENWorld since the 5th.




... and that's still the case, but I don't want this thread to fall of the first two pages, so I'm bumping it.


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