Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Harrow Blade 04-25-05, 03:19 AM	I was just crusing the boards when I was struck down by inspiration, now having climbed back into my seat and plugged my keyboard back in i am trying to write as fast as the ideas come so forgive me if it comes across as a little eratic. Borak is an Elan, he has been for as long as he can remember, he understands that for some reason he decided in a former life that things were not the way he wanted them to be. He also understands that he left his entire previous life behind, why else would a man with black skin who constantly feels cold be living in the frigid north. What he doesn't realise is that somehow his former life has not left him behind. for reasons unknown Borak has black outs after which he wakes up hours sometimes days later in strange places wearing clothes that he has never seen before. Some how his transformation into an Elan didn't erase his previous life it just suppressed it and began to write a new one over the top. Now aspects of his previous life are begining to surface and he has no control over them. That is the rough over view. I am thinking that I want him to be a Psion Shaper of about 6th level. At this point I am tossing up few ideas as to why this is happening. One is that some how this was not the only time that Borak has had the transformation into an Elan. Somehow he managed to trick his way into a second rebirth or duplicate the process in some other way and that has caused the problem with the memory. Another Idea is that when he recently created his psicrystal he didn't imbue it with a fragment of his own personality but rather his entire memory and personality of his previous life. The psicrystal is still functioning as usual but its dominant personality fragment changes occasionally (randomly) and when it speaks telepathicly it does so with Borak's voice but in a strange accent. Now it seems that something triggers a switch and the entire mind is swapped between body and psicrystal and the former life takes control. I was thinking that I would have the former life have been a mage of some variety to make use of the high intelligence but I a don't want to go down the road that the former life was an all powerful archmage and when he takes control,he has all his spells etc. Even if that was the case I wouldn't want him to be able to remember all of that as the memories are still hindered only allowing equal level to the current Borak. I am also thinking that the two personalities both fear the black outs as they are not aware whilst the other is in control and are constantly trying to figure out a way of staying in control. Each personality is trying to find out why they are in this strange predicament but more than likely will be unable to find out. Personality wise Borak (current) is a patient man who loves create beautiful things, working with jewlery and gems, kind and benevolent he is slow to anger. Borak (former) on the other hand is a driven and focused man who persuses arcane power. He is somewhat paranoid that other mages will come to steal his secrets in much the same way that he desires to take thiers. He does not seek power only for powers sake but some where in his past he lost a loved one dear to him and is afraid to love until he is sure he can protect them properly. In game mechanics the body remains the same so hit points and stats remain the same but skills etc will change. Well that's where I am at now so please give me some feedback, ideas or even just random smilies.
Sir Ringe 04-25-05, 03:48 AM	Random Smilies: :) :( :D :embarrass :mad: :eek: :cool: ;) Feedback: Cool concept! I've actually played in a game where one of the PCs was a scheizophrenic (sp?), where one side of her was a paladin and the other was barbarian, and at anytime the GM said so, she had to bring out the other character sheet and start playing that character. One thing I can recommend after playing through a session with her is to at some point, take Craft(Tattoo) (kind of like the movie Momento :) ) so your character can keep track of what happened. I don't know much about intelligent items rules in the DMG, but I know they have a tendency to take over their users on a failed check. Maybe the psicrystal with the embedded personality is sometimes taking control of the user because it's an intelligent item?
Ashianyl 04-25-05, 04:33 AM	Cool! May I suggest that you go for this build (subject to DM's approval) instead? Psion 3 / Wiz 1 / Cerebremancer 2 Rules wise, you can take Precocious Apprentice feat (Complete Arcane pg181) to qualify for the Cerebremancer. Flavor wise, that could fit in with your character concept. I would also suggest you not manifest Schism, lest the same side effect occurs. :P
Need_A_Life 04-25-05, 11:56 AM	I like it; but don't go with the second rebirth thing, please. I can't believe that someone would miss you being an elan at the "elan creation office", plus you'd be losing 4 Charisma.... but you might get more power points, now I'm torn... Oh, and maybe his former self has offended some (now highstanding) psions and they hold grudges (Don't you just love when that happens?).
Sir Ringe 04-25-05, 06:23 PM	You don't get anything from the previous life for becoming an elan a second time I think. The -2 Charisma and all other bonuses/penalties get wiped clean, you just get the exact same stuff as before. At least that's how I understood the rules.
Harrow Blade 04-25-05, 11:18 PM	Cool concept! I've actually played in a game where one of the PCs was a scheizophrenic (sp?), where one side of her was a paladin and the other was barbarian, and at anytime the GM said so, she had to bring out the other character sheet and start playing that character. One thing I can recommend after playing through a session with her is to at some point, take Craft(Tattoo) (kind of like the movie Momento :) ) so your character can keep track of what happened. I don't know much about intelligent items rules in the DMG, but I know they have a tendency to take over their users on a failed check. Maybe the psicrystal with the embedded personality is sometimes taking control of the user because it's an intelligent item? Having had a little more time to ponder the emerging character I think that I would want to play it as if they were two entirely separate characters and some thing(s) , that i will determine with the dm, trigger the switch of personality and it would be like taking out another character sheet and playing a separate character. I like the idea of the psicrystal being an intelligent item but I just don't know how to work it in. I also like idea Need_A_Life had of some powerful psions being offended and taking matters into thier own hands. It is possible that one or more working in concert have almost discovered the method of creating Elans or possibly forced the 'Elan Creation Council' into a transformation against Boraks will but to save thier concience they did it so that it would not totally wipe his memory. I saw momento, then watched it again just to try and figure it all out. Twas a good movie. However tattooing notes all over myself seems a little extreme when a note book in the back pack can do the same thing. However I think i would want to play a discovery period where neither personality is aware of the other until perhaps one starts a journal and the other finds it. Then somehow through a shared journal the two personalities come to realise they share the same body. What happens then I don't know. Perhaps they beging a bizzare struggle for dominace of the body or try to exorsize the other. Just a thought, what happens when a character like this gets mind switched, or magic jar'ed? I definitly think that Borak will be staying away from powers like schism for fear of another incident and another personality even if that was never going to happen. Another aspect of this is how are the other pc's going to eract to a party member that is randomly (or atleast seemingly ramndomly) changing personalities and going from casting spells to manifesting powers and back again. Could definitly make for some interesting roleplaying.
Ashianyl 04-26-05, 12:06 AM	Psicrystals are intelligent! They have opinions and give suggestions! They... Um, I think I'm too attached to psicrystals. :D Why don't you make the psicrystal a cohort? Tell the DM that it has its own will and may manifest its own abilities without you having to tell it so (maybe as to fulfill its own agenda). Subconsciously, your psicrystal may also 'force' you to share any power you manifest that could be legally done. Maybe that could be a trigger for you to switch personalities? Since you did hint that the psicrystal might contain the personality of the other consciousness. Or your psicrystal is made from Deep Crystal and can be charged with psionic energy to deal extra damage... except that on some occassions, it taps your psionic energy reserve to activate your other personality. The psicrystal can do this once a day. And finally, your psicrystal might contain both split personalities, except they are the opposite for whoever is wielding it at the time. The wizard, while it isn't legal for him to have a psicrystal, might make it a Familiar Construct (glanced through it in Unearthed Arcana so I can't be sure if this is legal). So there... more convoluted ideas to your convoluted ideas... :D
Sir Ringe 04-27-05, 02:12 AM	Another aspect of this is how are the other pc's going to eract to a party member that is randomly (or atleast seemingly ramndomly) changing personalities and going from casting spells to manifesting powers and back again. Could definitly make for some interesting roleplaying. As a party member of someone that used to have two personalities, the entire group decided to play a trick on the paladin and never told her that she would sometimes fly into berserker rage. After she blanked out, she would come back to being a paladin and wondered what happend. And we would all shrug. :D
Harrow Blade 04-27-05, 05:33 AM	This is how the story has evolved and grown, I applogise for the length but I get carried away with the story sometimes. Hopefully you will get an idea of where I want to take the character. I know I have changed the spelling of the character name but I made a typo whilst I was writing it and liked the look of it. I want to expand on the story as it stands but that will have to wait. Please let me know what you think. Boraak the Many Fated Boraak’s eyes shot open only to be blinded by the sunlight streaming down from overhead, he quickly became aware of the cool, dry stone beneath his back was as a soft breeze washed over his sweat dampened skin making him suddenly conscious of his nakedness. Sitting up he rubbed his eyes furiously trying to remember what had happened to him to get him in such a predicament, it was then he heard the scuff of a boot shifting on stone and froze. Slowly he turned to where the sound can from and as he blinked the last of the glare from his eyes he saw a human male in a non-distinct brown robe holding a battered leather satchel in his hands. The man’s eyes were soft brown and he smiled slightly embarrassed as he turned his head to the side holding the satchel out to Boraak. Cautiously he took the bag from the robed man and rummaged through the contents, one eye constantly on the other man, until he found a pair of breeches that he quickly threw on. Once Boraak had straightened the robed man turned back to him sorrow in his eyes, lines forming on his brow as he frowned. “I am sorry to have to this but it must be done.” “What?!” Boraak suddenly found his voice, “Who are you? Where am I? Why am I here?” he almost shouted as a thousand questions leaped to the fore all begging answers. “I cannot answer your questions Boraak. I cannot even let you remember this conversation yet it weighs like a stone on my conscience that I was a party to this. I have done all I can for you without putting you in further danger.” Dumbfounded wonder rolled across Boraak’s face as the man spoke. “Danger? What danger? What are you talking about?!” His voice soft with concern the man reached in the sleeve of his robe and pulled out a small pouch. “Take this and perhaps one day all will be made right again. Now we must both go our separate ways. I have planted the seed, you must see that it flourishes.” With that Boraak felt a slight pressure on the inside of his skull and then every thing was black. Rolling onto his side Boraak looked into the dim room, the coals of the fire barely glowing as the dream fled from his mind to torment him with that almost remembered feeling that had been haunting him for weeks now. Pulling the skins from his bed he wrapped them tight around him and padded across the cold floor to the fire place. Pulling the kindling from a basket he dug out a coal still glowing and blew it to life, carefully placing the scraps of wood on the pile as the small flames grew and he began to feel the warm glow on his face. It wasn’t until the fire was a merry blaze that he swung a pot over the flames to heat his wash water, before returning the skins to his bed. Two years he had lived here in the north and he still felt the cold as if he had stepped from the desert a day ago. But that aside he was not miserable, when he thought about his life before it seemed almost fuzzy and indistinct. Every time he thought about travelling south he would get a splitting head ache and then decide once the pain had receded that the cold wasn’t that bad. He had friends here as well as a small house and workshop and business was steady if not plentiful. He saw in the middle of shrugging on his third shirt when there was a pounding at the door, enough to shake the shingles on the roof. Swinging open his door Boraak was confronted by a blast of icy air and a giant of a man in nothing but a pair of leather breeches. “Boraak!” The man bellowed heartily as he swung his huge frame in through the door. “I bring you more wood, are you sure you’re not the spawn of some fiery demon little black man?” He said leaning down to look Boraak in the eye, a huge grin splitting his bearded face. “I swear by the great ice it is the middle of spring and by looking at you any one would think it was the heart of winter! But it matters not, after I gave my wife that trinket you crafted I am sure that there will be another son in my house before the end of the long dark! For that I will have a fire to rival the sun for you.” “Well that is wonderful new Ulfgung” Boraak replied glad that his dark skin covered the blush that crept into his cheeks. “I am glad your house flourishes but you must forgive me I have not slept well these past weeks, dreams that I cannot remember steal the peace from my slumber and harrow my nights.” “I see now that you are more grey than black today. You need to eat more meat and get a wife into that bed with you. There is nothing like a tumble with a busty wench to make you feel strong as bear. Just look at Ulfgung here.” He said pounding a fist proudly against his broad chest. “Surely that is your solution for everything my friend that cannot be met by a blade, but I fear there is something more to this than thin soup and a cold bed. Perhaps I will meditate on it later.” “Very well,” concern on the giants face turning mischievous, “but should you change your mind my youngest sister has not yet chosen a husband. She has seen the jewel my wife now wears and I think has a mind to get one of her own.” When Ulfgung had left having stacked the fire wood Boraak opened the workshop come store that was the other half of his house. Here he was happy to while away hours cutting gems and moulding gold into intricate jewellery to rival that of the dwarven gem smiths. Here in a converted blacksmith’s forge Boraak focused both mind and body on his creations using the talent he had been developing that allowed him to form objects even small constructs with the power of his mind, Boraak was a Shaper. Of all the projects that he had on the go, one in particular held his attention more than any other. Whilst cleaning his shop a few weeks ago he had come across a shard of crystal that he did not remember being there before, admittedly it was in a battered leather satchel in box he hadn’t opened since arriving here, but when he held it in his hand it had almost felt warm to the touch and had just felt right. There was no other way to put it, he had spent hours just staring into the depths of this crystal, following the veins that wove through it like a living creature. It was recently that Boraak decided to do something with this unique stone, yet study it as he might he could see no way to cut it into smaller sizes without losing the elusive quality that made it so special. Mundane methods exhausted Boraak had decided to do something different. Cradling the crystal in his hands he stared deep into the heart of the stone, reaching out with his mind he began to feel out every tiny portion of the matrix that composed each facet. As he slowly worked his way towards the heart it began to feel like he was floating in a river of energy that drifting inwards, easing his progress along the random twists and turns. With out warning it surged tugging at his mind, fighting the pull Boraak strained to be free of the current but it drew him on further the force unstoppable. Onward it dragged him sweat beading on his brow, eyes locked on the crystal panic written in his features. Adrenalin surging through his system he threw his entire mental strength against the force dragging him into the heart of the crystal. For a second nothing changed as he strained, then a slowing as he began to fight back focusing on escaping the crystalline trap. Boraak continued to fight straining against the current, his will flagging as the pressure built and built to over whelming. A sudden mental tearing ripped through his consciousness before everything peacefully went black. Boraak floated back into consciousness straight into a splitting headache, groaning he raised his hand to his head to find a lump the size of a child’s fist on his temple. “Stay your hands, friend.” The terse warning in a familiar voice drawing his attention to his surroundings. He was in his own bed, the fire glowing in the background and Ulfgung sitting nearby, eyes intent on Boraak. “Ulfgung?” Boraak groaned. “What’s going on?” “You do not remember? You came out of your shop shortly after I left yelling some gibberish running in circles. I ran to see what afflicted you when you waved your hands in the air and threw lightning at me.” As Ulfgung spoke Boraak saw in the flickering light of the fire that his friend cradled one arm against his side which looked blackened as if burned. “By the gods, tell me that this is a dream Ulfgung, tell me I did no such thing!” Boraak exclaimed rising to one elbow “It is true my friend. I was forced to hurt you after you began to hurl balls of fire and for that I am sorry” Genuine sorrow adorned Ulfgung’s face. Boraak slumped back to his bed, his mind racing. How could this happen? He wasn’t a mage or even a kinetisist to be throwing around fire and lightning yet here was his friend, burned and by all accounts burned by him. What was the last thing he remembered…the crystal! He almost leaped out of the bed before staggering past the startled Ulfgung into his workshop. Eyes searching for the crystal he had been working on, no, not working on trying to escape. There it was sitting on the bench he had been hunched over, looking the same as before. “There you are. I was beginning to wonder when you would wake up” The voice seemed to originate in his head, sounding very much like his own voice yet with a strange accent. Puzzled he spun looking for the speaker. “Ulfgung… did you hear that?” Boraak asked as his friend followed him into the workshop. “Oh come on!” the voice sounded slightly annoyed. “Surely you’re not that stupid. You do know what has happened here don’t you?” Boraak, still confused was cautiously looking around the shop with Ulfgung watching him bemused. “I can’t believe this is happening,” the voice muttered in his head. “Over here!” And with that the crystal on the bench seemed sprout 8 insubstantial legs of which six lifted the crystal while two began waving in the direction of Boraak. “By the Great Ice!” Ulfgung exclaimed “what a fantastic creature.” “You’re welcome Ulfgung,” he heard in his head “now if you don’t mind it seems I have some explaining to do to Boraak over here.” Both Boraak and Ulfgung stood mouths open, staring at the crystal that looked as if it was standing hands on hips. “All is well Ulfgung.” Boraak said realisation and wonder dawning. “I think that some how I have inadvertently created a psicrystal. A fragment of my self animating a single crystal, as you can probably hear it sounds like me but I have no idea where it got such a strange accent.” “If you say it is true then I believe you. I must return to my wife, it is almost the dawn of a new day.” Boraak turned to say something to Ulfgung but the big man stopped him. “Do not worry your self my friend. I will heal. Just assure me that you will go making any more of those sigh crystals. They make you funny in the head.” With that he left Boraak and his psicrystal alone. Days and then weeks went by as Boraak steadily resumed his life, he found that he rather enjoyed the company of his psicrystal, which he had taken to calling Bosigh, even though it tended to be a little sarcastic. He resumed the crafting and selling for jewellery however he began to have short dizzy spells at random during the day, just a few seconds a day but then the black outs started. Boraak would be doing something and then he would wake up sometimes minutes or even hours later in a completely different place in his house, outside once even in a tree a mile away. Each time Boraak awoke from a black out he did his best to cover it up and thankfully nothing had happened like the day Ulfgung had to subdue him. The only one he spoke to of it was Ulfgung and together they decided it may be better that he leaves the north and find someone who could help him with this problem. Thus it was that he paid for passage south, strangely without pain or headache that usually associated thoughts of the south.