# (AU/AE) The 7th Age - The Age of Worms



## Cyincal Lurker (Jun 19, 2007)

> That which does not live may eternally lie, and over long strange eons even death may die...




For over 1,200 years the Dramojh, the Dragon Scions, consumed the land of Terrakal, till the comming of the Giants finaly returned peace to a devistated land, and has for more than 500 years since.

Dramojh were not the first evil of the world, however, and things long ago forgoten lay in wait, till the tide of ages turns again, untill the time is right to open the Age of Worms.


Ok, basicly, I'm looking to run the Age of Worms adventure path (level 1-20 path, relativly brutal), but modified to fit in the Diamond Throne setting presented in Arcana Unearthed and Arcana Evolved (and, no, I don't mean Unearthed Arcana).  So, you pretty well have to have/know the setting and it's alernate ruleset to be able to play.

On top of that, I'm working in some elements from Ebberon as well, but mostly as backstory elements and such.  So names and terms for the most part, though I may use Shifters and Changleings as PC races.

As for other variant rules, the main ones I like to use are Armor as DR, Vitaility/Wound Points and Action Points. I also really like the Bell-Curved Rolls system, but it realy changes the way the game works, so I probably won't use it unless most/all prospective players want it.

There are likely a few other minor things I'm forgetting off the top of my head, but we'll see what the interest is like before I lay out all the fine print.


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## Arkhandus (Jun 21, 2007)

I'd be interested in an Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved game.  I only have AU for that, though; haven't gotten the AE book yet or the Diamond Throne book, so I only have limited info on the setting, based on what's in Arcana Unearthed and the Children of the Rune anthology-novel.  I can check out the diamondthrone.net or whatever though, for any extra setting info I may need, probably.

What Action Points mechanic were you thinking of using?  I don't have the Eberron CS, but I do have access to some of the other stuff with Action Point rules.


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## Cyincal Lurker (Jun 22, 2007)

Having AE should be sufficent; I'm not 100% sure on the setting material chagnes, but the bulk of the difference will be susubmed by my own modifications to make the Age of Worms material work, so that's really a non-issue.

AU has alot of new options, but nothing so major you have to have it over AE as the core stuff is the same.

As far as AP, I'm not 100%, but the other material I know of with AP uses them just as in Ebberon; you can burn it to add 1d6 to a d20 roll, gain an extra usages of a limited class ability, emulate a feat you otherwise qualify for... and so on in that fashion.


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## figmike (Jun 24, 2007)

I'd be interested in playing an AE game.  What books do you have?  I've got just about all the AE books, but the main ones that I could use at Level 1, assuming that was what the characters would start at, would be Transcendance, Mystic Secrets, and Spell Treasury.  Would I have free access to those books for making a character?

The House rules sound fine to me, but you will have to explain which version of each you're using, as there seem to be a lot of Vitality and DR based stuff out there.

I don't however have any books for Ebberon.  And you might have to give a little more detail on the how a bell curve rolling system would work.

Thanks


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## Cyincal Lurker (Jun 24, 2007)

I only have AE and Transcendance myself (and I've really only ever skimmed over transcendance to be honest).  I'm pretty flexible when it comes to material I don't have - so long as you can get me the info I need to evaluate it and know what it does, I rarely have a problem with permiting it.

As for the rules, most of them you can find at http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/variantAdventuring.htm
I'm not planning any changes to them, but if I do anything it'll be relativly minor tweaks that really only affect the game at high levels.  I'll get into more detail on that kind of stuff when/if I get a few more interested folks.

And you don't need anything from Ebberon - I'm just using some Ebberon material for background info, and the bulk of that is pre-pre-history stuff.  Which really just means if you know Ebberon there will be some easter-eggs scattered around.

As for bell-curved rolls, they are in the link above as well, but in short, rather than roll 1d20 for checks, you used 3d6.  In that system, the odds of a natural 1 or 18 (which replaces the nat 20) only has about 0.5% each, while about 25% of all rolls will be a 10 or 11.  The net result is that the +'s and -'s from your stats matter far more than the results of a random die.

WIth a d20, all results have the same odds (5%), so rolling a nat 20 on an attack is just as likely as any other number, so it's somewhat of a relable event (statisticly speaking), but with 3d6 you just can't rely on that - if you can't hit a foe with a 10 or 11 on your attack roll, odds are you will not be hitting that foe.

As I said, it's a pretty drastic change to the underlying mechanics of the game.


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## Arkhandus (Jun 24, 2007)

Perhaps it would help to put (AU/AE) in the thread title (just edit your first post and you can change the thread title).


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## figmike (Jun 25, 2007)

I was going to wait until a few more players got interested in playing before thinking about characters.  But if this becomes just the two of us for a while, I'm ready to play the Draca or Gaint Warmain.  How many players do you want?  Two for any d20 always seems to few to me.


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## Cyincal Lurker (Jun 25, 2007)

4-6 is what the path is designed for, and that's the number I typicaly look for in a board game anyway.  Two would definaly be too few, both from lack of power and that if even 1 droped, the game would be dead.


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## Cyincal Lurker (Jun 27, 2007)

Hrm.

Since we dont' seem to be getting alot of interest here, I'll mention that I've also tried this same game on another site (http://unlimitedrpgs.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2944) and have gotten a few interested players there (though some are having to wait to get AE).

So, if you guys don't mind, please check out the link.  If we pool the interest, that's enough for it to run.


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## figmike (Jun 27, 2007)

I'll keep checking in from time to time, I just started up an Exalted Game here, so maybe taking a step back and not getting too involved is a good idea.  But I'll keep an eye out and if it looks like you need extra players, I'll jump in.


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## DrZombie (Jun 28, 2007)

I'm interested, got the AE sourcebook, but haven't read all details yet.


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## Olaf the Stout (Jul 3, 2007)

CL, I'd be interested in playing.  Is there enough interest for the game to go ahead?

As far as AU/AE resources go, I have the AE core book and the AE Spell Treasury.

Olaf the Stout


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## Arkhandus (Jul 3, 2007)

Now hopefully Cynical Lurker and figmike will notice....


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## Cyincal Lurker (Jul 3, 2007)

Hrm.  Well, 3 is at least enough to give it a go, I suppose.

Figures I'd get enough as soon as I had another idea, but that's life I guess. 

Ah well, here is some mroe detail; it's way to late for me to even be posting. 


Setting:
The Diamond Throne, modified with some elements of Ebberon to be incorporated into the history (no, it will not be an ebberon game in any form, I'm just using soem ebberon material to fill in some of the pre-history of the game and to name some undefinded areas).

The basic histories presented in AE/AU are unchanged, at least so far as you'll need to be concerned, unless you are a historian of some kind.  The current year is 1759, but in this setting the dragons never returned - they are content enough where they are, and only a few rogue wyrms have any real interest in these lands any longer.

Character Creation:
Use core AE rules save where noted otherwise.

Concept:
Give me a concept/background first. I'll likely be a while before this starts up, so I'd much rather have a chance to work with concepts before we get the numbers and such. Depending on how long things take, I may start out with a 'day-in-the-life' prelude using just the concepts (ie, RPing only), to establish characters and such.

Background:
In addition to concept, give me a quick, one-word background (farmer, miner, soilder), ect.

Stats:
4d6, drop lowest. However, roll a 7th time as well, dropping the llowest total (ie, you get one re-roll of your lowest roll). You'll need it.

And use Invisible Castles for the stat rolls. The only other option is for me to roll for you with my own dice.

Assign stats as you wish.

Race:
Any core AE races perminted, save for Spytes, who have to be 3rd level to transform, so they are not a starting option.

Classes:
Any core AE classes permited.

HP:
Max at 1st.

Gold:
Starting gold is 125.


Variant and House Rules:

Armor as Damage Reduction:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/armorAsDamageReduction.htm

Basicly, halve the AC bonus of any armor (rounding up), and the 'lost' AC becomes untyped DR (x/-). Shields are unchanged, is the bonus from enchantment.

Vitality and Wound Points:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/vitalityAndWoundPoints.htm

This supplants the AE death and dying threasholds.

I still call Vitaility HP; just easier to remember. In addition to normal HP, you have Wound Points equal to your Con score (modified for size), and are not at risk for death till you are at 0 WP.

Critical hits do not muliptly, but damage on a crit is applied directly to WP rather than HP.

Action Points:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/actionPoints.htm

Not much more to say, but that I do appreacate players being creative with AP.

Weapon Groups:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/weaponGroupFeats.htm

I'm not 100% sure on this, but I'll probably be using this, modified to fit with the AE weapons.

Side note - Bell Cuved Rolls:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/bellCurveRolls.htm

I like this system, but I've not found many other fans, so I'll only use it if the bulk of the players want it.

Aligences:
If you've used D20 Modern, you probably know this.  Basicly, it's an alternate to aligments in which you pick up to 3 moral/ethical/phylospical (it's late, I can't spell/personal areas that are highly imporant to your character.  They can be just about anything, really.  You can gain some bonuses to social skills with other characters who share alligences with you (provided you spend the time to learn they do), and, at my discression, may get bonuses to resist actions that would violate them.

You can have up to 3 alligences at any time, and can drop any at any time as well, but can only add a new one when you gain a level.  Having none is perfectly valid as well.

Skills:
Having read about the new Saga Edition for starwars, I've been rather keen on what I've heard about the skill system, so I may look at using something like that here.  However, I don't own the book, so me doing so depends on how much I feel like making the concepts I've read work.

The short of that is, if I do, some skills will be merged and there are no skill points; in that system you have a base of 1/2 level + ability in all skills, with a +5 bonus in the ones you select as trained skills.  However, some skill uses require you to be trained.

But that's still up in the air, and it's too late for me to be poindering it now (even though I am...)



Setting - The City of Diamond Lake:

On the edge of the Southern Wastes, at the edge of the direct rule of the Dimaond Throne, the small minning town of Diamond Lake lays in the Derenblack Hills, amid the ruins and cairns of the forgoten Vnaxian empire.

Three days to the north-east, the town of Gahanis is the last real outpost of the Giants, Diamond Lake is left to the excesses of corrupt mine managers and there goons. They prosper while generations break themselves in the mines in only slightly better conditions than when the Dramojh reigned.

It's a hell of a place, and anyone with the money to leave either has or is one of the opulent minority who controlls the place. It's a place where the common man hasn't the will to dream, and only the very young dare each other to enter the old carins that dot the hills...


It'd be best if your characters are local and in a situation where going after the hint of treasure in some old, trap-filled tomb actualy looks like a good idea.


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## Arkhandus (Jul 3, 2007)

Though, considering it's an Adventure Path and thus rather dangerous, 3 PCs alone of the normal suggested level is likely to be fatal.....thus why I'm hoping figmike will join in too.   

Considering the way Wounds/Vitality work (namely in terms of how much more critical hits hurt), this is one of the rare instances I would actually be in favor of the Bell-Curved Rolls variant, using 3d6 in place of 1d20. _(edited out a question that turned out to be answered by one of the links)_

I'm not in favor of using a Saga-esque skill system, though. :\


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## Arkhandus (Jul 3, 2007)

Hmmm....Preferred character concepts.
I never developed the specifics and deeper aspects of these characters earlier, as there's not much point until I'm able to use them in an actual campaign.     So, I have ideas in mind for them but nothing concrete written yet besides some basic notes on stats and gear, on my laptop (not my PC at present, which is what I have Internet access with).

Oh, and note to the others; important to remember that since it's an adventure path, chances of dying are _probably_ above average, so being able to get _Raised/Resurrected/Revivified_ is probably important.     And in Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved, that means ya have to get a Truename (IIRC, none of those spells in AU/AE works unless the caster knows their subject's Truename, so Unbound characters cannot return from the dead).

I'm quite willing to fill any role needed by the party, though I have a preference for warrior and warrior-mage types in AU/AE (normally more mage-oriented in D&D, though; I'm fine with playing rogue and healer types too, but just have less frequent desire to play such archetypes; and pure mages have some hurdles in AU/AE).

These character ideas are presented in no particular order, except I did group them together a bit by race.  Click on the spoiler block's button to skim them.

[sblock=Arkhandus' PC Ideas]*Vardagithan the Reaver* - Male Sibeccai, Truenamed, Greenbond
A strong, kind of tough and sneaky sibeccai, but relatively clever for his kind.  Vardagithan has developed a close bond with nature over the years, and it shows a bit in his wilderness affinity and occasional savagery in combat, much like the sibeccai of old before Giantkind enlightened them.  For this he doesn't quite fit in so well with his own kind or other cityfolk, though he's not really all that uncivilized.  In fact, Vardagithan is quite kind to those in need, and even a bit educated despite his rural upbringing.
*Concept:* Healer and secondary melee warrior, only a little social and a little scholarly, mostly a bit shady and violent though.  Likely to use some cold-themed magic, having some kind of affinity for winter, possibly a reflection of his cold ruthlessness toward enemies (Energy Mage - Cold as a feat).  Might be something of a hunter or vagabond.  Likely poor Dex and Cha, good Str and Wis, average or above average Con and Int.
*Background:* Vagabond.

*Sareigor the Bold* - Male Sibeccai, Truenamed, Warmain
A falchion-wielding brute of a sibeccai, but quite civilized when he isn't purposely trying to intimidate lesser folk.  Sareigor is gifted with a tall frame and thick bones, and is very fit.  A natural warrior, he's quite intimidating and exceptionally tough, lending him great bravado.  However, Sareigor also has a civilized upbringing and demeanor, so he is reasonably smart and familiar with social matters, despite little experience in actual debate, diplomacy, or manipulation.  His only social talents are in the art of intimidation, but he knows well enough when that isn't the right solution to any given task.  He's always focused on combat training, and has good teamwork skills.  He likes to fight, after all.
*Concept:* Meat shield and melee specialist, a damage sponge.  High Intimidate skill (Affinity with Skill - Intimidate, as one of his feats).  Likely poor Dex and Cha, great Con, above average Str, average or above average Int and Wis.
*Background:* Mercenary.

*Azrik Vossh* - Mojh, Truenamed, Magister
A reasonably fit and highly intelligent mojh, Azrik Vossh (he/it insists on using his/its full Draconic name since the transformation he underwent into a mojh) is resourceful and adventurous, bored with years of study in a stuffy tower with fellow mojh-aspirants.  He would rather continue his pursuit of arcane power and secrets in the greater world outside that isolated tower.  His exercise to avoid going stir-crazy has made him relatively strong and tough for a mojh, though still weaker than he had been in his former, human life.  His motto is that any good opportunity deserves to be taken and exploited, though he does retain some human scruples.
*Concept:* Primary spellcaster, limited scholar, and minor to intermediate melee support (at least at low levels).  Likely poor Cha, great Int, above average Str and Con, average Dex and Wis.
*Background:* Scholar.

*Xikxos* - Male Verrik, Truenamed, Akashic
A talented, scimitar-wielding verrik, Xikxos has a penchant for dabbling in both practical skills and scholastic pursuits, which consequently interferes with his mastering of swordsmanship.  Nonetheless, he's fairly fit in both mind and body, skilled in various weapons, armors, and shields, with a knack for avoiding harm through cleverness, good armor, and modest agility.  Xikxos has some minor problems with focusing one a single task or topic, but at least he's flexible and reasonably attentive when necessary.  It doesn't help that he occasionally gets lost in deep, philosophical thoughts that probably wouldn't make rational sense to non-verrik.
*Concept:* Jack of many but not all trades, especially focused on swordsmanship (Natural Swordsman feat) and defense, not very fast with his armor and other gear.  Capable but not exceptional rogue-type in skills.  Likely good Int, above average Str and Dex, average or above average Con, Wis, and Cha.
*Background:* Rogue.

*Qyrabi* - Male Verrik, Truenamed, Wood Witch
A strong and straightforward verrik, Qyrabi likes to solve his problems through violence or other quick, simple means, despite being fairly rational and insightful otherwise.  He just prefers to avoid wasting more time than necessary on any matter, and would rather avoid long, pointless arguments that are more likely to just frustrate people or favor whoever's most eloquent, deceptive, and manipulative.  He's honest and wary of any deception or ulterior motives, though just as mysterious and dismissive as any other verrik when questions about his own people are brought up.  Qyrabi enjoys the relative simplicity and stark qualities of living among nature to life among cities of noisy, selfish, scheming humanoid rabble.  He has a particular affinity for trees and plants, in their simple, austure existence and seeming agelessness.  Despite being somewhat abrasive, Qyrabi really doesn't mind dealing with other people if they're reasonable enough or just plain quiet.
*Concept:* Good secondary spellcaster, secondary melee warrior, and limited utility fellow.  Defensive orientation initially but with some offensive skill, and will likely focus more on offense and utility later.  Kind of tough, and inclined towards destroying offensive items or obstacles, so feats are probably Sturdy and Energy Mage (Acid).  Likely poor Cha, good Str and Wis, average or above average Dex, Con, and Int.
*Background:* Ranger.

*Rohkkath* - Male Litorian, Truenamed, Snake Warrior
An agile litorian hunter, Rohkkath has an unusual affinity for snakes and the aspects they embody as a totem spirit.  He is more of a loner than some of his kind, as a result, but naturally charismatic and better suited to traveling with non-litorians.  Rohkkath is fit but not as muscular or tough as some of his kind, and he's fleet of foot.  He has good skills as a hunter and scout, but lacks the instincts and deeper thought processes to be truly great at these things.  Instead he's learned to fight well and be a good survivor, especially since his talents and affinities have caused him to be alienated from his clan.
*Concept:* Nimble melee warrior and throwing-weapon user, decent huntsman and scout.  Wields a greater battle claw probably, as well as some javelins or the like.  Likely good Dex, above average Str, Con, and Cha, roughly average Int and Wis.
*Background:* Hunter.

*Toravha* - Male Litorian, Truenamed, Unfettered
A spikestick-wielding litorian vagabond, Toravha was one of the smallest fellows in his clan and coped with that status by building up his agility and finesse.  Toravha eventually left his clan and wandered among other folk for a time, never feeling quite at home amongst the clan and needing more practice with his techniques.  He became even sneakier and a bit less scrupulous, but is still trying to find his place in the world.
*Concept:* Nimble melee warrior and ranged weapon user, good athlete and acrobat, capable scout and sneak.  Essentially similar to Rohkkath but more combat-focused and sneaky, with different weapons, less social ability, more athleticism, and even more agility but less speed.  Likely poor Cha, great Dex, above average Str and Int, average Con and Wis.
*Background:* Vagabond.

*Akkhar Ul-Gorial* - Male Human, Truenamed, Mage Blade
A rapier-wielding human warrior and dabbler in the arcane, Akkhar was recognized for his magical talents and natural finesse at an early age, and spent many years training to become a mage blade at a small academy of sorts.  He studied and trained to improve his physique and raw toughness, while also improving his great agility and manual dexterity.  Unfortunately he had poor muscle development and little inclination towards truly difficult physical training; pain and punishment he could endure and grow tougher from, but too much effort was anathema to his natural laziness.  His short attention span only increased the amount of time he had to waste at academy to learn his skills, which really annoys him.  Although energetic when he needs to be, Akkhar prefers to lounge about or wander at a relaxed pace.  Akkhar is only energized when his future is on the line, though, so laziness rules him most of the time.  Still, he gets bored with any place after a while and is stricken by wanderlust.  Besides, while travel and daring adventures take a lot of effort, they can be pretty exciting and lucrative.  Sometimes he's a bit too lackadaisical, though.
*Concept:* Secondary spellcaster, secondary melee warrior, and decent ranged combatant, with minor utility capacity.  Likely poor Wis, great Dex, good Con and Cha, average Str and Int.
*Background:* Vagabond.[/sblock]


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## Cyincal Lurker (Jul 3, 2007)

A few notes on some slightly alterations I'll be making ot the variant rules:

Vitality:
I'll either have Wound Points track below 0 or have some form of con damage after 0 WP (and scale the fort saves for stability/dying on that), since, at high levels at least, things with a good fort save can be a nussance to finish off.  Which ever way I go, it'll be something with a minmal impact at low levels, since the problem only comes up at very high levels.

I once started a 20th level game, and the first fight was against a dragon.  Even after the PCs had it down to 0 HP/WP, they just couldn't do enough damage with coup de graces to raise the fort save higher than it could easily make.  So, I started to apply damage as con damage in order to finaly kill it and move on.

I'm just debating if using con damage would be too deadly for this setting at low levels.


Bell-Curve Rolls:
If we do wind up with these, I do two things differently.  To start with, I don't incrase the default critcal threat range of weapons.  The variant, RAW, keeps the odds of crits exactly the same, and I'd rather they be rare and as memerable as they are devistating, so I prefer to keep the default ranges the same on all weapons.

The other alteration has to do with action points.  At higher levels, when you can rolls 2 or 3 dice from an action pont and pick the best, with bell curves you can add all the dice.  Again, this is mostly something that affects high level play, but I find the results fitting with what high level characers aught to be able to pull off in a pinch.


Arkhandus:
All look like sound concepts to me.

In general, this AP favors the 'classic' part, pure fighter, pure cleric, pure wizard and pure rogue, so 'mixed archetype' characters can be at a disadvantage.  However, that said, so long as you understands the the weakness and limitations of such a character, there is no reason it won't work, you just have to work a bit more to ensure you play to your strenghts, whatever they may be.


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## figmike (Jul 3, 2007)

I’m down with playing.  My Exalted game is starting up and I’m still in Spycraft (though I haven’t posted in that game for a while now, hmmm.)  

I don’t have time to post up a well made idea today, but I’ll start thinking on it.  The thing about AU is that even though the classic Pure Fighter, Pure Divine, Pure Arcane, Pure Rogue is possible the classes are designed so that different combinations can do all the correct stuff.  

Team 1: Warmain, Magister, Greenbond, Akashic (rogue)

Team 2: Unfettered, Runethane, Wood Witch, Mage Blade

In both teams you have dedicated and secondary fighters, a scout, a traps smith, offensive and defensive spells, and multiple healers. It just that in one team, the Akashic has to take care of traps, scouting, and be second fighter, where in the other the Unfettered would be sneaking and the Runethane would handle traps.

What’s more important for us, in terms of team balance is to know which major skills we should think about.


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## Cyincal Lurker (Jul 4, 2007)

Yeah, that's one of the advantages AE has over core D&D.

So long as the party is 'balanced' internaly, it should be just fine, regardless of the specific classes used.

And one reason I like ot get concepts first, rather than stats, is that it's easier to adjust a concept to fit the needs of the group than it is to change a stat block for the same reason.  Once we know what everyone is looking to be playing, it's pretty simple to figure out who may want to focus on certain skills and the like.


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## Cyincal Lurker (Jul 5, 2007)

Diamond Lake is a small town of just over 1,000 perminate residence.  Nestled in the Derenblack Hills on the litteral edge of the Lands of the Diamond Throne and the Southern Wastes, it's very litteraly the last outpost of civilization, some 300 miles north of the Verrik lands beyond the wastes.

As in the time of the dramojh, Diamond Lake is a pit at the end of the world, a place where folk only come to as a last resort.  When the dramojh ruled, the place was something of a haven; too far for the dramojh to take an direct intrest.  So long as the mines produced enough iron and copper, the dragon scions had plently of other things to focus on.

Little changed when the giants first arrived.  Much as the dramojh, they were intrested in the metals produced and little else, as the location was of no stratigic value.  Litorian tribes to the south were no threat, and no allies of the dramojh, so the giants left only enough sibeccai to make sure the mines kept running to supply the war elsewhere.

When the war finaly ended, and the giants took up the role of stewards, the demand for the metals dropped sharply, as the giants were more keen to build with stone than steel.  Still, the mines produced some wealth, as well as the occasional veins of gold and silver, and so life continued.

As always, the distant lords remain concerened only with output from the mines, and slowly the town became dominated by corrupt officals and mine owners, the few decent folk were left facing a loosing battle agasnt increasingly ruthless foes, intrested only in how much coin they can squeeze from the town.


Diamond lake is predominatly a human town, with the only signifigant other race being the sibeccai, descended from those left to guard the place, now largly reduced to brute labor in the mines.  Dracha and Mojh are little more than myth and rumor here, and the last time a Giant was seen was when govenor-mayor Neff was appointed.  There are a few Litorians in the town, though there are a number of tribes that have always lived in the hills around the town, and are normaly only seen when they come to trade.  A fair number of Loresong Faen serve as clerks and accounants, while a lesser number of quickling faen earn a living on the streets and allyways.  A handfull of Verrik live in a small community not far from the city, in an issolated commune where they attempt to peer into the past of the civilzation that once thrived in the once-lush southern wastes.  Much as the litorians, they come to town only to trade, always with a highly valued 'herb' that's always in demand.


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## Olaf the Stout (Jul 5, 2007)

I'll have to take a look at the classes in my AE book tonight and get back to you.

Olaf the Stout


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## figmike (Jul 6, 2007)

Right now I'm thinking one of five possiblities.  

Litorian Totem Speaker (this is in the Trancedance Book)

human Ritual Warrior

Quickling Fean Bear Totem Warrior (because that's just too awesome)

Moji Runetrane

Verrik Mind Witch


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## Cyincal Lurker (Jul 7, 2007)

Quickling Fean Bear Totem Warrior?

You've just blown my mind. 

All good concepts, though the Mind Witch may, potentialy, have the highest degree of plot-synergy, just FYI.


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## Olaf the Stout (Jul 8, 2007)

CL, real life keeps intervening and stopping me from being able to sit down and read through my copy of AE.  I am still interested but I might not be able to come up with a character until next weekend.

Olaf the Stout


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## Olaf the Stout (Jul 16, 2007)

Still here and interested, but still haven't had the free time to sit down at home and read through the AE book.  I'll see how I go in the next few days.  Sorry.      :\ 

Olaf the Stout


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## Arkhandus (Jul 16, 2007)

Well, I'll see about posting a short summary of the classes and such.  I got started on it last week but then figured you'd probably just finish boning up on the class basics soon anyway.


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## Arkhandus (Jul 16, 2007)

A very quick rundown of the races (excluding mojh and dracha; the former were altered in AE to be more caster-centric and, IIRC, less effective in other or hybrid roles, so I dunno what exactly changed with them; the latter were added in AE and weren't present in AU, so I don't know much about them, other than they're more brutish than mojh and were created by the dragons or dramojh, and that dracha gain wings at some point if they pursue their racial class, IIRC):

[sblock=Races]Some races in AU/AE have a racial class they can choose to advance in, which functions just like a normal class except that it's very short (3 levels or so, I think AE expanded them to 5 or 6 levels?), and like a normal class they aren't required to take any levels in it, nor take them all at once if they choose to take any levels at all in their racial class.

*Humans:* Basically the same as in 3E/3.5E D&D.  Note that AU/AE doesn't use favored classes or multiclassing penalties, though, so humans lose their bit of favored class advantage in this.  Humans have no racial class available in AU (that may have changed in AE, for all I know).  On the other hand, humans have a minor advantage when it comes to Talent feats; a human character with a Truename gets 1 Ceremonial feat, 1 Talent or regular feat, and 1 other regular feat; an Unbound human character, that is, one without a Truename, gets 1 Talent feat, 1 regular feat, and 1 other regular or Talent feat.  Considering the likely dangers of an Adventure Path, though, Unbound is probably not the right way to go for us (given that Unbound characters can't be brought back to life if they die, generally).

*Faen:* Short, lithe people with some kind of connection to nature and an affinity for excitement.  Kind of a halfling, (toned-down) kender, gnome, and elf mix in theme/personality.  Faen are energetic but very small and thin compared to the other common races in Dor-Erthenos, the Land of the Diamond Throne.  Faen tend to live in isolated woodland communities, generally with a mix of different faen subraces together in each community.  They are divided into quickling fae, loresong faen, and sprytes.  Quicklings are more athletic and nimble, but also a bit thinner than loresong faen.  Loresong faen are smarter and more magically gifted, while sprytes are much tinier and have wings to fly, as well as more cautious due to their stature.

Sprytes are actually quickling or loresong faen that have chosen to undergo a natural metamorphosis into sprytes, which cannot be done until at least their 3rd character level (and requires forgoing a feat at the level they make the change, so it has to be done at a level where they would gain a feat or bonus feat).  Sprytes have a racial class that improves their flight, Dexterity, and magical talents, and levels in the spryte racial class stack with a spellcasting class (if they've taken any such class before) for purposes of spellcasting advancement.  Quickling faen and loresong faen have no such racial class (so they either undergo metamorphosis and thereby gain access to the spryte class, or they just stick with normal classes).

Faen and sprytes all have low-light vision.  Quicklings and loresongs are Small, sprytes are Tiny, with speeds of 20 feet and 10 feet, respectively.  Sprytes of course also get a flight speed, and they lose many of their former qualities as quicklings or loresongs.  Quicklings get Run as a bonus feat along with some sneaky and initiative benefits, while getting a Dex boost and Str penalty.  Loresongs are also kinda sneaky and get a Spellcraft bonus instead of an initiative bonus, as well as having minor spell-like abilities, while getting an Int boost and Str penalty.  Sprytes get an extra Dex boost and Str penalty, and change to having the Fey type.

*Giants:* Tall, often burly people that closely resemble humans, with strong values and civilized attitude, usually.  Current stewards of the lands they call Dor-Erthenos, in which they built the Diamond Throne and took over rebuilding humanoid societies after fighting off the dragons and dramojh to free the enslaved humanoids.  Giants originate in a land across the sea, and since defeating their foes in Dor-Erthenos the resident giants used ceremonial rituals to reduce their size and interact with local humanoids on a less threatening level.  They still have greater strength than humans, but are less dextrous due to their large size and muscular physique.  They have the Giant type (even though they're Medium-size now, at least until they choose to advance a few levels in their racial class to become Large again).  They have some social skills and are good craftsmen.  Their racial class makes them stronger, tougher, and wiser, as well as larger.

*Litorians:* Nimble lion-folk who generally live in tribes and rarely interact with other races.  They are great hunters and possess strong conviction.  They are more agile than humans but less wise.  Litorians possess various useful skills for hunting, and Low-Light Vision as well.  Their racial class improves their Str, Dex, and Con a bit, as well as making them faster and better hunters.

*Runechildren:* Individuals who develop a mysterious rune upon their person and exhibit strange powers and talents, often seen as having an important impact on history or their surroundings.  I won't go into runechildren here, as they're basically a template that incurs a level adjustment of sorts, and characters can only become runechildren after 5th-level or so.

*Sibeccai:* Unusual folks with a vague resemblance to jackals, with dark fur and a slightly odd disposition.  They were beasts until the giants transformed them, so sibeccai feel indebted to giantkind and feel duty-bound to serve the giants, while looking down their noses at the other, non-giant, non-sibeccai races.  They're still less intelligent than humans and prefer simple, physical pursuits rather than academic or otherwise intellectual matters.  Sibeccai tend to have a serious, no-nonsense, get-stuff-done attitude, with an affinity towards fighting and hunting.  They're tough and have more stamina than humans, as well as possessing Low-Light Vision and a few bonuses to social and sneaky skills.  The sibeccai racial class improves their physical stats and develops their hunting prowess a bit (annoyingly too-similar to the litorian racial class, in my opinion).

*Verrik:* Mysterious strangers from another land who tend to keep to themselves and don't speak much of their own kind, but possess unusual mental and magical talents along with being the originators of witchcraft and akashic studies.  Verrik look human but have wine-red skin and either white or black hair, with no facial hair.  They have unusual, short names and little in the way of any kind of religious concepts, with more of a personal, introspective, contemplative bent.  Verrik tend to think of matters in relation to the bigger picture, rather than thinking of each moment or event as individually significant, so they are much less brash than most of the other common races.  They are wise but not very personable, with an unusual ability to shut off their senses when needed, such as turning off their vision in order to avoid the danger of gaze attacks.  Verrik possess a few minor spell-like abilities that involve the power of their mind, and have access to more psionic spells when they advance in any spellcasting classes.  The verrik racial class expands upon their spell-like abilities, improves their Int or Wis at some point, and levels in their racial class stack with levels in a spellcasting class (if they have any beforehand) for purposes of spellcasting advancement.[/sblock]

A brief rundown of the classes, though not as brief as I'd have liked (and leaving out Ritual Warriors, as I only have AU and they were added in AE; my limited knowledge of Ritual Warriors is that they're kinda like the martial adepts from Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords, in that they use combat rituals for temporary boosts in every battle):

[sblock=A to G]*Akashic:*They sift through the akashic memory shared by all people, to supplement their own skills and knowledge.  A blend of rogue, fighter, and bard.  d6 hit dice, 3/4 base attack, Will as their strong save, 8 + Int mod skill points per level, all skills as class skills, and the same proficiencies as a fighter.  Int is the main score for their few abilities that require anything in particular.

1st-level they get a +2 bonus on any skill check once per day; useable 1/day/2 levels later on, and improves to a +6 bonus over time.  2nd-level their Int bonus to some skills is doubled.  3rd-level an ability similar to bardic knowledge.  4th-level onward they get special abilities chosen from lists, stuff like bonus feats (any feat, and no need for expensive ceremonies if choosing Ceremonial feats that way), sneak attack (only up to +3d6), skill focus (+4 though), temporary bonuses to attack/damage/AC, improved Disguise checks, and duplication of certain spells 1/day or so (generally divinations and memory-manipulation or memory-delving stuff).  At 12th or so they can duplicate a feat once per day, for something like 1 round/level.  At 20th they can duplicate any simple spell up to 7th-level once per day.

*Champion:* Warriors who are highly devoted to a particular cause or philosophy and gain limited magical abilities from that devotion.  A fighter/paladin blend, they sadly get no bonus feats but are pretty tough and get some small variation in their abilities.  d10 hit dice, full base attack, strong Fortitude and Will, average (not poor) Reflex, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a few class skills, and the same proficiencies as a fighter.  Constitution is the primary score, though a few causes grant minor Charisma-based stuff.

They select a cause to champion (AU/AE has Light, Darkness, Life, Death, Magic, and Freedom as choices, and AE added one more cause but I forget which), and gain a few abilities over time that reflect it.  1st-level they get the minor ability, such as Life's Healing for a champion of life (similar to lay on hands, but Con-based).  They get another ability every 5 levels in champion, each one predetermined by the cause they serve.  At 10th they can change their devotion to be a particular person, race, or location, which gives some different abilities.  Regardless, the champion's other abilities are also predetermined; at 2nd they can call a magic shield briefly, 1/day, and later they can call a magic weapon, each of which grows in enhancement over time.  Gradually they gain the ability to boost their physical power for short periods, and also a Charisma boost with it at middle and upper levels, along with temporary DR and SR.

*Greenbond:* They develop an affinity for nature and its spirits, receiving magical power from their association with nature spirits and "the Green", their name for the force of life/nature (positive energy).  A combination druid/cleric/sorcerer, of sorts, with less combat prowess than druids but more healing power.  d6 hit dice, 1/2 base attack, strong Will, average (not poor) Fortitude, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a decent number of class skills, proficiency in simple weapons and light armor.  Wisdom is their key ability score, though Charisma may be helpful for the Diplomacy checks they'll occasionally need to make for getting info from nature spirits.

They get full spellcasting progression, with access to simple spells and all plant/positive energy spells.  Only verbal and mental spell components, so no spell failure from armor/shields.  1st-level they get Nature Sense, similar to a druid, and a special ability to heal by touch.  The healing starts out at 1d8 + greenbond level, useable 1/day per point of Wis bonus.  Over the course of further levels it improves in the number of dice for healing, eventually up to 10d8 + level in HP healed.  They get Trackless Step at 3rd-level like a druid, but the rest of their abilities aren't copied from the druid.  Over time they gain the ability to see nature spirits, ask them questions (with a Diplomacy check, until 20th-level where they no longer need the check), sense the health of nature around them or the presence of disturbances/harm to nature, change his own creature type to Plant (but without the standard plant immunity to crits, sneak attacks, and mind-affecting stuff), and eventually become incorporeal for several minutes a day.[/sblock]

[sblock=M to R]*Mage Blade:* A warrior who studies magic and blends it to some extent with swordsmanship or some other fighting style, using a key weapon or "athame" that they mentally bond with and use as a focus for their spells.  d8 hit dice, 3/4 base attack, average base saves all around, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, and proficiency in all simple and martial weapons, light armors, and shields.  Charisma is their key ability score, though Dexterity and/or Strength is also important for attack rolls and/or defense (and Constitution of course, to a lesser extent).

They get spellcasting a tad better than a bard's (up to 7th-level spells, and at 1st-level they get 1st-level spells if they have any bonus slots from Cha).  Verbal and somatic components for their spells, but holding their 'athame' allows ignoring spell failure from armor/shields by substituting simple motions of the key weapon in place of complicated hand gestures.  Only access to simple spells, normally.  At 1st-level they bond with an athame (can be any bladed weapon) and it gains a free +1 enhancement in their hands.  The enhancement grows over the course of further levels, and after a while it gains a defensive strike against anyone else who tries to pick it up, then later it can be summoned to hand by the mage blade at will.  At 4th they can gain a deflection bonus to AC once per day, lasting 1 round/level, with the bonus dependant on their class level (starts at +2, eventually reaches +10).  Later they gain a few bonus feats from a decent list, get the ability to move full speed in medium armor, can ignore magical defense for 1 strike/level with the athame, and gain a few additional defenses against magic.

*Magister:* A dedicated spellcaster and scholar, known for wielding a staff that focuses their magical power.  Essentially a wizard equivalent, though with a broader variety of spells (since they can learn healing and revivification magic, etc.).  d6 hit dice, 1/2 base attack, strong Will, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a decent number of class skills, and proficiency with staves (quarterstaff, etc.), as well as proficiency in the sword-stave at 5th-level.  Intelligence is their key ability score for spells and such, but Dexterity can be very important too since many offensive spells in AU/AE require ranged attack rolls or ranged touch attacks.

Full spellcasting progression, with access to simple and complex spells.  Spells use verbal and somatic components, so armor/shields impose spell failure chances.  If not holding their magister's staff, the spells are a bit weaker and take longer to cast.  At 1st-level they gain a magister's staff, crafting it to be attuned to themselves and fairly resilient (it also grows in resilience as they gain further levels of magister, getting more HP and stuff).  They don't need a spellbook or anything, unlike wizards.  Magisters get a bonus feat every 5 levels, chosen from a small list.  Over time they gain a minor defense against enemy magic, a minor magical effect from their constant use of magic (nothing significant though), the ability to substitute Intelligence checks for Strength checks (and those to resist being grappled), and another minor magical boon (but one that has actual, albeit minor, game effects).

*Oathsworn:* A determined warrior who disdains the tools and armaments of less self-assured warriors, relying on their own strength and the subtle power that comes from devoting themselves to fulfilling important oaths.  A monk/fighter hybrid of sorts, using no weapons, armor, or shields, and wielding no overtly mystical powers (no teleportation or whatnot; just performing physical deeds that seem impossible for a normal person; which is because their oaths lend an unseen mystical power to their actions and bodies, one the oathsworn don't really tap into, so much as just incidentally acquire, from their extreme focus, dedication, and physical effort).

d10 hit dice, 3/4 base attack (but with iterative attacks from every 4 points of BAB, like the 3.0E monk), strong saves all around, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, and no proficiencies except unarmed strikes. Strength is most important to them, though Dexterity and Constitution are secondary in importance for defense (their only AC is likely to come from Dex and their oathsworn insight bonus, which is half their oathsworn level rounded up).  They get unarmed damage like a monk, and flurry of blows at 1st-level allows them to get an extra unarmed attack with any full-attack action by taking a -2 penalty on all attack rolls (akin to the 3.0E monk, again).  They get fast movement similarly to a monk.

They have to swear oaths though to make use of just about any of their class features; if they fail to fulfill their oath within a year or if they don't swear a new one upon finishing the previous oath, they basically lose all oathsworn abilities until swearing a new oath (and can only regain their abilities up to three times, ever).  Some oaths can just be renewed each year, if they're ongoing things rather than a goal.  Since they have to forswear weapons and armor and such, they don't multiclass well in most cases, although there is nothing preventing them from multiclassing (they just have that pesky 'no weapons/armor/tools/etc.' restriction; violating it makes them lose their oathsworn abilities).  They can use tools, weapons and such only in very limited circumstances (and cannot even carry them otherwise); after a few levels they gain the ability to throw objects effectively or (later) use them in melee (with the oathsworn's unarmed damage value), but only when necessary.

At 2nd-level they no longer need food, and can make an attack as a full-round action that ignores some amount of hardness/damage reduction.  Those abilities improve over further levels, so they gradually abandon the need for water, air, and sleep, as well as improving their ability to ignore hardness/DR (such as no longer needing a full-round action for a single such attack, and eventually ignoring even more hardness/DR than previously).  Similarly, over time they gain various immunities and resistances, such as immunity to poison, disease, fatigue, fear, aging ability score penalties, and various other things, and eventually gaining Spell Resistance.  They gain some minor recuperative, athletic, and environment adapatation benefits.  They become outsiders with DR 20/+1 at 20th-level too, like monks.

*Runethane:* Scholars who study magical runes and learn to harness their power, engraving or gesturing runes of power upon items and creatures for long-lasting or triggered effects.  Another sort of wizard-equivalent but more different than the magister, with reduced spellcasting and a variety of magical runes at their disposal.  d6 hit dice, 1/2 base attack, strong Will, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a good selection of class skills (they can even handle traps and locks, though Search isn't a class skill, so a bit of multiclassing into akashic or magister for more Search ranks would help), and proficiency in simple weapons.

Intelligence is their key ability score for spells and other class features, though Strength or Dexterity may be useful if they want to focus on certain attack spells (and the rune of affliction or similar, which at upper levels can be used on a weapon to strike foes without triggering on the runethane himself).  They get spellcasting like a mage blade's, so slightly better than a bard's, but runethanes don't get to use an athame to bypass somatic spell components; as such, runethanes suffer spell failure from any armor or shields they use.  They get access to simple spells.

The runethane also learns a rune each level, except they learn 2 at 1st-level; initially just lesser runes, then after a while they start to learn advanced runes, then greater runes, then runes of power, and finally the ultimate rune at 20th-level (which functions similarly to the akashic class' Spell Memory of 20th-level, duplicating a spell of 7th-level or lower, except it can be _any_ spell below 8th-level, and takes longer to inscribe whereas akashics use their ability at the spur of the moment, though the ultimate rune can be triggered any time after it is inscribed).  Each rune has some kind of magical effect, which resembles spell effects but few of them actually duplicate any particular spell.  There are half a dozen or more runes of each type (except the ultimate rune), ranging from summonings to blasting to armoring to sustenance to utility, etc.

The runethane can only have one rune per runethane level inscribed though, at any given time (so they can't just scribe a rune onto everything around them).  Each rune can only be used once per hour.  Lesser runes, the kind available at 1st-level, are similar to 1st-level spells in effectiveness.  At 1st-level the runethane also learns the Erase Rune ability, allowing them to attempt removing any magical rune with a caster power check (no check needed to erase their own runes, though; and distance is not a factor, they just need to know the rune's location).  Later on they gain the ability to sense runes, invest runes with more power, use a password to keep themselves or allies safe from triggering their runes, and the ability to make runes permanent with some investment of money and extra time.[/sblock]

[sblock=T to W]*Totem Warrior:* Wilderness-savvy fighters and hunters who derive blessings from veneration of an animal totem, using their animal spirits' guidance and boons to augment their own prowess in combat and survival.  They're reasonably simple, but have several features determined by their choice of totem, which makes them seem more complicated just by virtue of their choice of theme; totem warriors are basically fighter-ranger hybrids or barbarian-fighter-ranger hybrids, depending on totem.  d8/d10/d12 hit dice (bear totem: d12; hawk or snake totem: d8; shark or wolf or wolverine totem: d10), full base attack, strong Fortitude, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a decent selection of class skills (and some totems add a few extra), and proficiencies are determined by totem (bear or hawk or shark totem: simple and martial weapons, light and medium armors, and shields; snake totem: simple and martial weapons, agile exotic weapons, light and medium armors, and shields; wolf or wolverine totem: simple and martial weapons, light and medium and heavy armors, and shields).

As primary combatants, Strength is usually their most important ability score, but Dexterity is often of similar or secondary importance, and certain totem warriors rely more heavily on Dexterity than Strength (hawk and snake totems; wolverine totem is kinda half-n-half), while Charisma is of limited importance to a few totem warriors (snake totems gain a hypnotic ability at 12th-level with a Cha-based save DC; otherwise basically for Handle Animal checks, to make similar animals back down from a fight, which they get a bonus on when their animal companion is present).  Each totem warrior chooses a single animal totem to be their spiritual focus, providing a handful of benefits over time as well as an animal companion of that type; the default selection of totems (there are vague guidelines for devising additional totems) are bear, hawk, shark, snake, wolf, and wolverine, plus I think Arcana Evolved added another totem (I just don't remember what it is).

At some point in their advancement, each totem warrior gains the ability to assume the form of their totem creature for a short time each day.  Over time, the totem warrior even starts to look a bit like their totem animal while in their own, normal form.  At 3rd-level they acquire their totem animal companion, who advances in hit dice alongside the totem warrior, as well as gaining ability increases and Intelligence increases over time.  At later levels they strengthen the bond with their animal companion and their totem, gaining some more communicative abilities with them.  The totem warrior gains a totem power at 1st-level, and another every four levels, each one determined by their initial choice of totem animal.  The 1st-level abilities are, basically: bear totem - a natural armor bonus; hawk totem - a dodge bonus and Point Blank Shot; shark totem - a natural armor bonus and a Swim bonus; snake totem - a dodge and Reflex and Initiative bonus; wolf totem - a Will save bonus and a land speed bonus; wolverine totem - a Reflex bonus and the ability to grow claws on both hands at will.

Besides their totem powers, a totem warrior (they usually replace 'totem' in their name with the animal they venerate, like 'bear warrior' or 'wolf warrior') just gains a bonus feat at 2nd-level and every four or five levels thereafter, chosen from a good list of varied combat feats.  Each totem has different advantages and foci; bear warriors are especially strong and tough, with a melee combat focus and some extra reach at 8th-level; hawk warriors are especially dextrous, fast, and keen-eyed, with a focus on ranged combat and mobility, even gaining speedy flight for a few hours each day at 12th-level; shark warriors are very fierce and fairly tough, with a focus on aquatic combat and bloodletting, also gaining Scent at 12th-level; snake warriors are very nimble and quick to react, with a focus on being tricky and difficult to hit, eventually gaining immunity to poison as well; wolf warriors are swift-moving and wise, with a focus on keen senses, a bit of cleverness, and some teamwork, eventually gaining Scent and Low-Light Vision, as well as being able to summon a pack of dire wolves at 20th-level; wolverine warriors are fairly nimble, sneaky, tenacious, and savage, with a focus on melee combat and quickness, eventually gaining a tenacity like that of boars and wolverines to fight on when others would have fallen unconscious.

*Unfettered:* A nimble and clever fighter who uses his or her wit to help dodge attacks and strike at the opponent's weak points, relying on agility moreso than armor for defense.  Unfettered are basically a very simple mix of fighter and rogue, with some of a fighter's combat flexibility and all of their accuracy, but a rogue's agility and broad range of skills, though fewer skill points and less Sneak Attack.  d8 hit dice, full base attack, strong Reflex, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a good selection of class skills, and proficiency in simple weapons, martial weapons, agile exotic weapons, light armors, and shields.  As a primary warrior, Strength is important but their emphasis on light armor (their AC bonuses and evasion don't work in medium or heavy armor) and access to agile exotic weapons makes the unfettered more inclined toward using Dexterity and taking Weapon Finesse at some point, while Intelligence is also important for their AC bonuses and skill points.

The unfettered gets a +1 AC bonus at 1st-level and it improves every few levels, while also getting their Intelligence bonus added to AC against one opponent's melee attacks (but only up to 1 point of Int bonus per two unfettered levels can be added to AC, to a minimum of adding 1 point of Int bonus to AC).  They get a bonus feat at 2nd-level and every four or five levels thereafter, from a list of feats for swashbuckling, ranged combat, and crippling/tricky attacks like Low Blow and Bloody Strike.  Unfettered gain Sneak Attack of 1d6 per four levels or so, and eventually gain Evasion along with a few other defenses.

*Warmain:* A very strong and durable warrior, focused exclusively on combat prowess and sheer toughness, able to use hefty weapons and deliver powerful strikes.  Essentially a fighter with fewer feats, more hit points, and a focus on making better use of armor and melee weapons.  d12 hit dice, full base attack, strong Fortitude and average (not poor) Will, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a small number of class skills (though including a handful of knowledges), and proficiency in simple weapons, martial weapons, light armors, medium armors, heavy armors, and shields.  Strength is their most important ability score, and warmains have a strong focus on well-armored melee combat, so Constitution is second-most important, and Intelligence would be helpful only for boosting their meager skill points.

At 1st-level the warmain gains Sturdy as a bonus feat, which doubles their Constitution bonus to AC from that level (so if their Con is 16, they'd get +3 HP from Sturdy, while a warmain with 20 Con would instead get +5 HP).  They get a bonus feat at 2nd-level and every four or five levels thereafter, chosen from a list of offensive and defensive melee-combat feats, as well as armor-, shield-, and weapon-specific feats.  They get Weapon Specialization once for free later on, then eventually develop Armor Specialization and Weapon Mastery, while also gaining the ability to deliver a melee attack a few times per day that does critical hit damage automatically.  The warmain also gains the capacity to use larger weapons than normal, at upper levels in the class.

*Witch:* One who develops an innate talent for magic, partially tied to a particular element or force, improving that magical power alongside mediocre spellcasting and a bit of personal fighting skill.  Sort of the AU/AE equivalent of the bard, with witchery abilities in place of bardic music and such, though possessed of mildly better spellcasting like a mage blade.  d6 hit dice, 3/4 base attack, strong Will, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a good selection of class skills (and two extra class skills determined by their witchery focus), and proficiency in simple weapons, light armors, and shields.

Wisdom is the key ability score for many of their witchery powers and their spellcasting, but witches also need Strength or Dexterity in order to make any effective attacks (short of spending every feat on getting and improving decent offensive spells that don't rely on attack rolls), since many of their spells or witchery powers rely on making melee or ranged attacks, while Constitution will also be important for any witch that plans to enter melee with an attack spell or a witchery-manifested sword.  They choose one type of witch to be, either an iron witch, mind witch, sea witch, wind witch, winter witch, or wood witch (I think AE also added one more type of which, but I don't remember what kind).  This determines their witchery abilities, but does not affect their spell selection (though it does boost related subtypes of spells, at later levels).

Witches get spellcasting like a mage blade's, so slightly better than a bard's, but witches don't get to use an athame to bypass somatic spell components; as such, witches suffer spell failure from any armor or shields they us.  Witches also have to use material components, most of which at least are normally assumed to be in their witchbag (essentially a spell component pouch).  However, witches have the capacity to cast their spells without using all normal components, by extending the casting time for their spells.  If they forgo all the normal components, then they just cast the spell with the requisite mental component, and the spell is treated as having the Psionic descriptor when cast in that manner.  Witches get access to simple spells.

At 1st-level and every four or five levels afterward, the witch develops one form of manifestation for their witchery powers, chosen from amongst the blade, fire, song, storm, and word manifestations (the exact effect depends on the type of witch and the choice of form as I just mentioned).  So a mind witch might choose at 1st-level to gain the capacity to manifest a mind blade, or a mind cloud, or a thought chord, or a word of command, or mindfire, for example.  Most witchery manifestations have a limit on uses per day, or a similar limit, that is equal to their Wisdom bonus.  They tend to grow stronger as the witch gains more levels in the class, accumulating more damage dice, a better enhancement bonus, a longer duration, or whatever else is most relevant to the ability (frex, iron blade gets an enhancement bonus for every few witch levels, while ice song has a save DC based on witch level, while gust is useable once per day per witch level, while fire shield lasts one round per witch level, etc.).

The witch also gains one minor benefit from their witchery focus, at 1st-level, in addition to choosing a single manifestation to learn at that time.  That benefit is basically: iron witch - +1 AC versus weapons made with some iron; mind witch - half duration for any mind-affecting stuff that is used against them; sea witch - breathe water for a few minutes or hours each day; wind witch - takes less damage from spells and effects with the air subtype; winter witch - takes less damage from spells and effects with the cold subtype; wood witch - +1 AC versus weapons made with some wood.  Besides their witchery, they get a minor defensive boost against magic after a while, and the ability to read people's auras in a limited sense, determining what classes and levels other people possess.

Each kind of witch has a particular theme and focus to their witchery powers; iron witches manifest temporary items forged of iron, from weapons to (weightless, magical) armor to a blast of metal shards, and can repair objects with their witchery, as well as create tougher objects through magic and do more damage with earth-based spells, so they're primarily effective in melee combat and utility stuff; mind witches manifest emanations of mental power, communicating thoughts or minor compulsions to others, and blasting or slicing through foes with mental force, mostly dealing subdual damage, as well as dazing foes occasionally, while eventually tapping into all kinds of Psionic spell and becoming more resistant to mental influence; sea witches manifest masses of water and powers of the sea, blasting foes with acid, quelling or worsening hostile waters, creating mist, and cutting through foes and rusting objects with a blade of water; wind witches manifest bursts of wind and noise, using the wind to create gusts, deliver messages, cut through stuff, and create burning shields (how? I dunno, they're witches, so they make fire... ), eventually gaining various air spells and occasional flight; winter witches manifest temporary items of ice and bursts of freezing air, unleashing hail and icy blades, or freezing stuff in place, as well as harnessing all kinds of cold spell and influencing cold-related creatures; wood witches manifest items and shards of wood, as well as bursts of life energy, healing the living or harming the unliving, along with utilizing various plant spells and toughening themselves with bark.[/sblock]


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## Olaf the Stout (Jul 17, 2007)

Arkhandus said:
			
		

> Well, I'll see about posting a short summary of the classes and such.  I got started on it last week but then figured you'd probably just finish boning up on the class basics soon anyway.




Thanks for that Arkhandus!  Much appreciated.    

I've printed it out and will give it a read on the train ride home tonight.  One of the down sides to the beautiful AE book is that it is a little large to lug to work with me each day to read on the train.   :\ 

Olaf the Stout


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## Lobo Lurker (Jul 18, 2007)

If there's any room still... maybe a verrik eagle warrior or greenbond. A mojh oathsworn ot akashic also appeals to me.


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## Olaf the Stout (Jul 18, 2007)

Looking through the AE classes, what class is closest to filling the Cleric role?  From what I have heard, AoW is relatively undead heavy so a Cleric type role would definitely be needed.  Reading throught the classes I couldn't really see one class that stood out as a Cleric equivalent.  Also, is there still a Turn Undead mechanic in AE?

At the moment I am leaning towards the following characters:

Litorian or Sibeccai Unfettered

Giant Wolverine Totem Warrior

Human Akashic

Loresong Fen Magister or Witch (don't know which type)

Olaf the Stout


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## Arkhandus (Jul 18, 2007)

There is no turn/rebuke undead ability in Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved.

The most cleric-y classes are:

Greenbond (best healer around, and some of their positive-energy spells are effective at harming or destroying undead, pretty much the spells Transfer Wounds, Battle Healing, Revivification, Burst of Healing, Wave of Life, and Perfect Health, though some of those have multiple versions at different levels)

Champion of Life (some healing capacity and a strong warrior, can use their healing to harm the undead, can use just about any magic item that holds positive energy spells, after a while they get a bonus to attacks versus undead, and eventually becomes immune to negative energy spells but not other negative energy effects)

Wood Witch (can choose a healing witchery power that is almost as effective as the greenbond's similar class feature, has access to two witchery powers that are extra-effective when used to harm the undead, has access to many of the same healing/undead-harming spells that a greenbond does but witches have slower spellcasting advancement, has personal fighting capability somewhere between that of bards and clerics)

Besides those, the Magister, Mage Blade, and Runethane each have some healing magic and undead-harming magic.  Each of those has access to the same such spells as a Witch (so a bit less than a Greenbond, but close), while Runethanes also have a Rune of Healing at middle levels that can only be used once per day on any given creature (but any number of times per day otherwise) and is slightly less effective than the Wood Witch's healing ability.


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## Olaf the Stout (Jul 18, 2007)

Arkhandus said:
			
		

> There is no turn/rebuke undead ability in Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved.
> 
> The most cleric-y classes are:
> 
> ...




Thanks for the info Arkhandus!    

Olaf the Stout


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## Olaf the Stout (Jul 18, 2007)

I had a look at my Arcana Evolved book last night.

Add Giant or Litorian or Sibeccai Ritual Warrior to the list of possible character concepts for me.  The Combat Rites look like a very interesting concept.

Olaf the Stout


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## Arkhandus (Jul 23, 2007)

So, any of you guys figure out what character you want to play?


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## hero4hire (Jul 23, 2007)

I have AU but do not own AE.

Is there much difference?

Could I submit say; A _Champion of Magic w/ Blood as Power_ without too much difference?


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## Olaf the Stout (Jul 24, 2007)

Arkhandus said:
			
		

> So, any of you guys figure out what character you want to play?




I''m relatively open with what I play.  So far I have listed my character options as:

Litorian or Sibeccai Unfettered

Giant Wolverine Totem Warrior

Human Akashic

Loresong Fen Magister or Witch (don't know which type)

Giant or Litorian or Sibeccai Ritual Warrior

I'd be happy to play any of those roles to fill in any gaps in party composition.  At the moment I am probably favouring the Unfettered or Ritual Warrior roles to take the Rogue or Fighter type role.  At the same time, if everyone else wants those roles too I'd take one of my other options without a problem.

Olaf the Stout


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## Arkhandus (Jul 24, 2007)

Yep.  And as I mentioned, I'd like to play any of my AU PC ideas, so I figure I'll just go with whichever one best fits after the others have decided what to play.  I have no particular PC preference at the moment.

*hero4hire:* There is, basically, no difference between Arcana Unearthed and Arcana Evolved, unless you play a Mojh or something, as I think they were altered in AE to be even more caster-and-skill-oriented, since AE introduced the Dracha, dragon-scions that are kinda similar to the Mojh but winged and more brutish.  AE also has a bit of new material, like the Dracha race and the Ritual Warrior class, but it's basically the same as AU, just expanded.


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## hero4hire (Jul 24, 2007)

Arkhandus said:
			
		

> *hero4hire:* There is, basically, no difference between Arcana Unearthed and Arcana Evolved, unless you play a Mojh or something, as I think they were altered in AE to be even more caster-and-skill-oriented, since AE introduced the Dracha, dragon-scions that are kinda similar to the Mojh but winged and more brutish.  AE also has a bit of new material, like the Dracha race and the Ritual Warrior class, but it's basically the same as AU, just expanded.





Hmm I shall crack my books then....Thank you!


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## Olaf the Stout (Jul 30, 2007)

Is anyone else still interested in this?  No one seems to have posted anything in the last week.

Olaf the Stout


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## Arkhandus (Jul 30, 2007)

I am.  Cynical Lurker seems to have been inactive all week, and nobody else has decided what characters they'll play.  I'm intending to pick last or next-to-last, since I don't have any strong preference for one idea over another.


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## hero4hire (Jul 30, 2007)

Arkhandus said:
			
		

> I am.  Cynical Lurker seems to have been inactive all week, and nobody else has decided what characters they'll play.  I'm intending to pick last or next-to-last, since I don't have any strong preference for one idea over another.




Cyincal Lurker hasnt been on in 10 days and hasnt posted in this thread in over 3 weeks?

Call *me* _cynical_ but I get the feeling this one has gone the way of the Dodo.  

My Monte Cook books have been reshelved.


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## Olaf the Stout (Aug 2, 2007)

I think I am destined not to play in a AoW PbP.  So far 2 I have been in have died even before they started and I missed out due to numbers on a third one.  Of course, the one that I missed out on is actually running at the moment!

Olaf the Stout


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## Arkhandus (Aug 10, 2007)

So.......Cynical Lurker, have you fallen off the face of the Earth, or lost your internet access for a while, or just decided to skip out on EN World all of a sudden?  Been around 20 days now...... :\


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## Olaf the Stout (Aug 16, 2007)

He still hasn't reappeared.  Maybe something else came up in his life.

Olaf the Stout


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## Neurotic (Aug 17, 2007)

*New player*

If DM ever shows again that is.

I have somewhere UA and remember odd races of Diamond throne. Several other books (Way of xy) and monster manual I think. need to look for them though.


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## Olaf the Stout (Aug 20, 2007)

It's ironic that we now have more than enough players to start a game but now have no DM to run it.   :\ 

Olaf the Stout


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