Mark of Death Trilogy - Bloodwing Symbiont [Archive] - Wizards Community

Mark of Death Trilogy - Bloodwing Symbiont [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ColtFlenn
03-14-08, 01:26 AM I am not quite sure that this is where this should be asked, but I thought since it was Eberron that I would try. In the Mark of Death Trilogy, the Changling who is working for Vol has a special symbiont that looks like a cloak until she wills it to turn into wings, now for game purposes, what would the stats resemble? Would it be similar to the Winged Cload for the Warforged with traits similar to the Cloaker from the MM? And what would the Fly speed be? What Level would the dealkyr half-blood be able to grow one? An answer to any of these questions would be most appriciated. Plus would that creature be copy writed, say if another author wanted to put that symbiont
TiwazTyrsfist
03-22-08, 05:31 PM Basically, I'd do the following.

At will, grants the ability to Fly as the spell fly.
However, Attaching the cloak deal 1 Constitution damage, and deals 1 more Con damage every day (so you are always 1 con down). In addition, the blood wings work for a base of 10 minutes per day. Once you exceed that, it deals 1d3 damage to the host for every 5 minutes total spent flying.
Iskandr
03-23-08, 01:08 PM While I'm sure that part would work for the symbiont special qualities,I don't think a symbiont would do one CON damage each day. Most only do damage when being attached or remove, so I would say it does 1 CON damage only for those actions.
If I remember correctly there were one or two points in the novels where the cloak resisted. What would it's ego score be then? Is it low because the changling (can't remember her name) was able to overcome it all most the entire time? Was it high and the changling just has a good will-save? Or was there an alignment conflict?

I would say due to its frail nature in the books, the hit dice on it is probably low. I would give it a high STR value just because it does have to carry people and round out the other stats, especially INT, WIS, and CHA, so that the overall EGO score plus bonuses from those three stats and its abilities would be around 10 giving the host a 50/50 chance of succeeding any conflicts. For alignment my guess would be as good as yours. It almost definitely would not be good.

I would also give it Telepathy(Su), and allow it to communicate with the host in one of the host's known languages.

As for when a dealkyr half-blood could grow one... definitely not until at least lvl 10, maybe even 15.
Moosh Nailo
03-24-08, 03:25 AM Nyet on the fly, Tiwaz. The cloak could only "fly" for a limited time, which leads to me thinking of a variation of the raptoran racial flight (the 5th level version).

You gain the ability to fly (I'd suggest 40ft). From Races of the Wild, p.68
-You can safely fly for a number of rounds equal to your constitution modifier (min 1). You can exert yourself to fly for up to twice as long, but are fatigued at the end of the flight. You are likewise fatigued after spending a total of more than 10 mins/day flying. You can't fly while fatigued or exhausted, or carrying a medium or heavy load.
Thats where the ability to glide kicks in; 20 ft of forward motion for every 5 ft of downward. So fly however you want for a couple rounds, then glide a bit to recuperate, then fly some more. While it is more limited, I think it both requires and inspires creativity in its use, and fits the bloodwing in the novels better.
*edited

Not 100% on those numbers, I'll double check come sunrise. [fixed]

As for what level on the growing, what level can wizards cast fly? Slap it into that category. (Thats about lev 7, right? Or is it 10? I don't play arcane casters) So for now I'll say at 10th level with the spellwurm and tentacle whip. You could always have weaker versions available earlier, such as one that allows only gliding, but grants a feather fall effect as the wings snap out whenever you fall, even if unconscious.
Iskandr
03-24-08, 09:16 AM Unforutnately dealkyr half-blood can't grow symbionts at lvl7. Past level 5 they can only grow symbionts at 10, and 15.
Moosh Nailo
03-24-08, 03:11 PM Why can't half-bloods grow symbionts at level 7? Just because there is no precedent on the chart doesn't mean we can't do it. So they ran out of symbionts, and most of them are grouped in even power levels. We should feel free to add our own symbionts. And if their power levels don't exactly match the others, then their availability shouldn't either.

But anyway, fly is a 3rd level spell, accessible at level 5 to wizards. So why not have the bloodwings availaible at level 5 for half-bloods too? Don't see that as unbalanced in any way; after all, fly is still stronger. Also, raptorans get this limited version of flight at 5th level.
TiwazTyrsfist
03-25-08, 02:11 PM So, I based the daily con damage (one point heals a day, one point dealt a day, for a permanant -1 point on Con while attached) on the Dex damage of the Tentacle Whip Symbiot from the ECS.

Also, to Moosh Nailo, you should note that I limited the flight. 10 minutes, then it starts dealing damage, as the blood wings feed off your blood to power themselves.
Possibly you could limit the flight time MORE, cutting it back to 5 minutes base, and dealing one point of damage every minute beyond that.

That's how I'd run them. But to each thier own.
Moosh Nailo
03-26-08, 12:02 AM There are two general schools of thought on symbionts and ability drain, that in the ECS and Fiend Folio, in which there is a small daily drain, and that in Magic of Eberron, in which the only drain received is when they are attached/detached. My thoughts are that since those in MoE are a racial ability of the Daelkyr Half-blood, they didn't want to punish the race with a continuous penalty, as half-bloods need to be attached to a symbiont to live. Whereas those in the ECS and FF are extra, symbionts that adventurers (or bad guys) seek out to gain their abilities, and a minor ability drain is the price to pay.

TiwazTyrsfist, I in no way meant to make you change it, or try to say your suggestion was wrong. You should feel free to keep it as a normal fly if that is what works for you & yours. I was just trying to keep it as true to the book as I could, and saw a constant fly effect as more powerful than how I interpreted the bloodwings to work.

It probably doesn't help that I'm a masochist, and like to do things the hard way :P Why have fly when your problems can be solved with a limited ability and some creative juices? Mental stimulation, as well as more of a challenge, are what this kinda stuff is about to me. Its like the idea that if perfection is attainable, then what do we have to strive for?

@ the OP, I may end up writing stats sometime soon, and if I do I'll be sure to post 'em.

Also, I've got an old symbiont creation thread in which a bunch of stuff was written up, anybody think I should copy that stuff over into a new thread and get the topic started again?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ColtFlenn 03-14-08, 01:26 AM	I am not quite sure that this is where this should be asked, but I thought since it was Eberron that I would try. In the Mark of Death Trilogy, the Changling who is working for Vol has a special symbiont that looks like a cloak until she wills it to turn into wings, now for game purposes, what would the stats resemble? Would it be similar to the Winged Cload for the Warforged with traits similar to the Cloaker from the MM? And what would the Fly speed be? What Level would the dealkyr half-blood be able to grow one? An answer to any of these questions would be most appriciated. Plus would that creature be copy writed, say if another author wanted to put that symbiont
TiwazTyrsfist 03-22-08, 05:31 PM	Basically, I'd do the following. At will, grants the ability to Fly as the spell fly. However, Attaching the cloak deal 1 Constitution damage, and deals 1 more Con damage every day (so you are always 1 con down). In addition, the blood wings work for a base of 10 minutes per day. Once you exceed that, it deals 1d3 damage to the host for every 5 minutes total spent flying.
Iskandr 03-23-08, 01:08 PM	While I'm sure that part would work for the symbiont special qualities,I don't think a symbiont would do one CON damage each day. Most only do damage when being attached or remove, so I would say it does 1 CON damage only for those actions. If I remember correctly there were one or two points in the novels where the cloak resisted. What would it's ego score be then? Is it low because the changling (can't remember her name) was able to overcome it all most the entire time? Was it high and the changling just has a good will-save? Or was there an alignment conflict? I would say due to its frail nature in the books, the hit dice on it is probably low. I would give it a high STR value just because it does have to carry people and round out the other stats, especially INT, WIS, and CHA, so that the overall EGO score plus bonuses from those three stats and its abilities would be around 10 giving the host a 50/50 chance of succeeding any conflicts. For alignment my guess would be as good as yours. It almost definitely would not be good. I would also give it Telepathy(Su), and allow it to communicate with the host in one of the host's known languages. As for when a dealkyr half-blood could grow one... definitely not until at least lvl 10, maybe even 15.
Moosh Nailo 03-24-08, 03:25 AM	Nyet on the fly, Tiwaz. The cloak could only "fly" for a limited time, which leads to me thinking of a variation of the raptoran racial flight (the 5th level version). You gain the ability to fly (I'd suggest 40ft). From Races of the Wild, p.68 -You can safely fly for a number of rounds equal to your constitution modifier (min 1). You can exert yourself to fly for up to twice as long, but are fatigued at the end of the flight. You are likewise fatigued after spending a total of more than 10 mins/day flying. You can't fly while fatigued or exhausted, or carrying a medium or heavy load. Thats where the ability to glide kicks in; 20 ft of forward motion for every 5 ft of downward. So fly however you want for a couple rounds, then glide a bit to recuperate, then fly some more. While it is more limited, I think it both requires and inspires creativity in its use, and fits the bloodwing in the novels better. *edited Not 100% on those numbers, I'll double check come sunrise. [fixed] As for what level on the growing, what level can wizards cast fly? Slap it into that category. (Thats about lev 7, right? Or is it 10? I don't play arcane casters) So for now I'll say at 10th level with the spellwurm and tentacle whip. You could always have weaker versions available earlier, such as one that allows only gliding, but grants a feather fall effect as the wings snap out whenever you fall, even if unconscious.
Iskandr 03-24-08, 09:16 AM	Unforutnately dealkyr half-blood can't grow symbionts at lvl7. Past level 5 they can only grow symbionts at 10, and 15.
Moosh Nailo 03-24-08, 03:11 PM	Why can't half-bloods grow symbionts at level 7? Just because there is no precedent on the chart doesn't mean we can't do it. So they ran out of symbionts, and most of them are grouped in even power levels. We should feel free to add our own symbionts. And if their power levels don't exactly match the others, then their availability shouldn't either. But anyway, fly is a 3rd level spell, accessible at level 5 to wizards. So why not have the bloodwings availaible at level 5 for half-bloods too? Don't see that as unbalanced in any way; after all, fly is still stronger. Also, raptorans get this limited version of flight at 5th level.
TiwazTyrsfist 03-25-08, 02:11 PM	So, I based the daily con damage (one point heals a day, one point dealt a day, for a permanant -1 point on Con while attached) on the Dex damage of the Tentacle Whip Symbiot from the ECS. Also, to Moosh Nailo, you should note that I limited the flight. 10 minutes, then it starts dealing damage, as the blood wings feed off your blood to power themselves. Possibly you could limit the flight time MORE, cutting it back to 5 minutes base, and dealing one point of damage every minute beyond that. That's how I'd run them. But to each thier own.
Moosh Nailo 03-26-08, 12:02 AM	There are two general schools of thought on symbionts and ability drain, that in the ECS and Fiend Folio, in which there is a small daily drain, and that in Magic of Eberron, in which the only drain received is when they are attached/detached. My thoughts are that since those in MoE are a racial ability of the Daelkyr Half-blood, they didn't want to punish the race with a continuous penalty, as half-bloods need to be attached to a symbiont to live. Whereas those in the ECS and FF are extra, symbionts that adventurers (or bad guys) seek out to gain their abilities, and a minor ability drain is the price to pay. TiwazTyrsfist, I in no way meant to make you change it, or try to say your suggestion was wrong. You should feel free to keep it as a normal fly if that is what works for you & yours. I was just trying to keep it as true to the book as I could, and saw a constant fly effect as more powerful than how I interpreted the bloodwings to work. It probably doesn't help that I'm a masochist, and like to do things the hard way :P Why have fly when your problems can be solved with a limited ability and some creative juices? Mental stimulation, as well as more of a challenge, are what this kinda stuff is about to me. Its like the idea that if perfection is attainable, then what do we have to strive for? @ the OP, I may end up writing stats sometime soon, and if I do I'll be sure to post 'em. Also, I've got an old symbiont creation thread in which a bunch of stuff was written up, anybody think I should copy that stuff over into a new thread and get the topic started again?