DragonShard "The Lhazaar Principalities, Part Two" problem? [Archive] - Wizards Community

DragonShard "The Lhazaar Principalities, Part Two" problem? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
EscherEnigma
05-30-05, 08:57 AM Hello,

I'm sure this has been covered before, but I can't find a search function on the forums, and searching by hand I found two threads on the dragonshard, but both were short and didn't address the issue I spotted.

At the end of the article (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20050516a) it says that Prince Koulton Brightwind is a dragon marked heir, but looking at the prestige class (I was thinking of designing a similar NPC) I noticed that one of the required feats is 'Favored in House.' For a pirate who has a price on his head I find it rather interesting that he could have this feat.

Possible explanations that I've come up with:

He's a pure Lyrander, but left the house when he stole the ship and built his fame from there, and is not a native to the principalities.

The class fits, even if the feat doesn't, so screw the feat, role before roll and all that.

Anyway, I'm mostly curious how other people have justified this discrepency. If it has been noted and talked to death I'd be more then happy to be directed to it, but like I said, my manual search didn't show anything up.

Later.
Gishsarath
05-30-05, 09:45 AM You can be considered to be a "dragon-marked heir" without having the Dragonmarked Heir prestige class. All the former term means is that he has a dragonmark.
Grimtide
05-30-05, 10:57 AM I think, having looked at the article again, that Prince Koulton Brightwind's past is supposed to be up for interpretation, including how he gained his levels in the Dragonmarked Heir prestige class. I don't think you can disregard the fact he has the Favored in House feat however, just work around it. He may have once held the family's favor, then lost it, or he may still in favor with certain parts or individuals in the House. Also it's not really laid out what role the feat takes in gaining the prestige class. Do you need it to gain access to special information or tutors? It's reasonable to suggest that he could have learned everything he needed to know years ago to gain the prestige class from the feat, even though now it is irrelevant.
Roxlimn
05-30-05, 12:28 PM I kindof thought that he's a Lyrandar who rebelled against his house. In fact, this whole Wind Whisperer thing strikes me as an elaborate ruse by the Lyrandars to have some representation in the Principalities that won't be run right off the Islands right from the get-go.

It makes sense. This small group is tweaking the nose of one of the most powerful houses, yet keeps alive. It's Prince has a huge price on his head but never does get caught. They're known for raiding or interfering with Lyrandar vessels - regular contact, feasible reason. It's brilliant.

Indeed, if Lyrandar could plunk down some manageable focus to manage its more uncontrollable minions, a fake rebellious group would be a good way to attract many of its real enemies.

It may not have been construed by the Lyrandars to begin with, but that toehold of an indigenous Khoravar population is too good of an advantage on too important of a location to ignore.

It fits the rep of the Houses, it's intrigue, and it's ticklingly complicated. What if one of Lyrandar's true enemies finds out the tenuous connection between the Prince and Lyrandar? Would it be better to eliminate the individual? Perhaps it's better to attack a Lyrandar vessel in earnest to dispel his doubts, and then remove him. What if it isn't the Prince who's pulling the strings in the operation, whether for Lyrandar or against it? In case of a Lhazaar power struggle, is it better to gun for Lyrandar interests and make the bosses happy, or against such interests to allay what must be substantial suspicion?
Edymnion
05-30-05, 12:38 PM I like Rox's answer.
Another potential way is that he still has some of his "contacts" within the house that still like him enough to lend him a hand when he needs it.

To use a real life example, lets say a policeman gets thrown off the force for shooting and killing someone that didn't have a gun on them. As far as the force is concerned, he's a loose cannon and not someone to be trusted. However, he may still have personal friends on the force that will let him in on whats going on, use the police resources to give him a hand (tracing plates or things like that), that sort of thing. Just with the attitude of "You know I'm gonna get fired if they find out I'm still helping you!", but they do it anyway.
Bluebrush
05-30-05, 01:45 PM You could work it as if he were once favoured in the house, got into the PrC and left once he gained his levels, invalidating his qualification, or that once he was taught the basics of how to improve the power of his mark (IE: took one level) he left and took what he learned with him, allowing him to continue to advance just by practice. Though the second might have a greater effect on the status of those who leave their houses.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
EscherEnigma 05-30-05, 08:57 AM	Hello, I'm sure this has been covered before, but I can't find a search function on the forums, and searching by hand I found two threads on the dragonshard, but both were short and didn't address the issue I spotted. At the end of the article (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebds/20050516a) it says that Prince Koulton Brightwind is a dragon marked heir, but looking at the prestige class (I was thinking of designing a similar NPC) I noticed that one of the required feats is 'Favored in House.' For a pirate who has a price on his head I find it rather interesting that he could have this feat. Possible explanations that I've come up with: He's a pure Lyrander, but left the house when he stole the ship and built his fame from there, and is not a native to the principalities. The class fits, even if the feat doesn't, so screw the feat, role before roll and all that. Anyway, I'm mostly curious how other people have justified this discrepency. If it has been noted and talked to death I'd be more then happy to be directed to it, but like I said, my manual search didn't show anything up. Later.
Gishsarath 05-30-05, 09:45 AM	You can be considered to be a "dragon-marked heir" without having the Dragonmarked Heir prestige class. All the former term means is that he has a dragonmark.
Grimtide 05-30-05, 10:57 AM	I think, having looked at the article again, that Prince Koulton Brightwind's past is supposed to be up for interpretation, including how he gained his levels in the Dragonmarked Heir prestige class. I don't think you can disregard the fact he has the Favored in House feat however, just work around it. He may have once held the family's favor, then lost it, or he may still in favor with certain parts or individuals in the House. Also it's not really laid out what role the feat takes in gaining the prestige class. Do you need it to gain access to special information or tutors? It's reasonable to suggest that he could have learned everything he needed to know years ago to gain the prestige class from the feat, even though now it is irrelevant.
Roxlimn 05-30-05, 12:28 PM	I kindof thought that he's a Lyrandar who rebelled against his house. In fact, this whole Wind Whisperer thing strikes me as an elaborate ruse by the Lyrandars to have some representation in the Principalities that won't be run right off the Islands right from the get-go. It makes sense. This small group is tweaking the nose of one of the most powerful houses, yet keeps alive. It's Prince has a huge price on his head but never does get caught. They're known for raiding or interfering with Lyrandar vessels - regular contact, feasible reason. It's brilliant. Indeed, if Lyrandar could plunk down some manageable focus to manage its more uncontrollable minions, a fake rebellious group would be a good way to attract many of its real enemies. It may not have been construed by the Lyrandars to begin with, but that toehold of an indigenous Khoravar population is too good of an advantage on too important of a location to ignore. It fits the rep of the Houses, it's intrigue, and it's ticklingly complicated. What if one of Lyrandar's true enemies finds out the tenuous connection between the Prince and Lyrandar? Would it be better to eliminate the individual? Perhaps it's better to attack a Lyrandar vessel in earnest to dispel his doubts, and then remove him. What if it isn't the Prince who's pulling the strings in the operation, whether for Lyrandar or against it? In case of a Lhazaar power struggle, is it better to gun for Lyrandar interests and make the bosses happy, or against such interests to allay what must be substantial suspicion?
Edymnion 05-30-05, 12:38 PM	I like Rox's answer. Another potential way is that he still has some of his "contacts" within the house that still like him enough to lend him a hand when he needs it. To use a real life example, lets say a policeman gets thrown off the force for shooting and killing someone that didn't have a gun on them. As far as the force is concerned, he's a loose cannon and not someone to be trusted. However, he may still have personal friends on the force that will let him in on whats going on, use the police resources to give him a hand (tracing plates or things like that), that sort of thing. Just with the attitude of "You know I'm gonna get fired if they find out I'm still helping you!", but they do it anyway.
Bluebrush 05-30-05, 01:45 PM	You could work it as if he were once favoured in the house, got into the PrC and left once he gained his levels, invalidating his qualification, or that once he was taught the basics of how to improve the power of his mark (IE: took one level) he left and took what he learned with him, allowing him to continue to advance just by practice. Though the second might have a greater effect on the status of those who leave their houses.