Any suggestions ? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Any suggestions ? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ghislain Darkmoon
07-17-07, 02:56 PM Hi folks,
i´m asking for some dungeonmaster´s advice. I am planning on a mid- to high level campaign about an assassination attempt upon the royal family of Breland, i.e. King Boranel, his brother Kor ir Wyrnarn etc. Our heros will discover a major conspiracy of Dragonmarked Houses and/or Nobles to dispose the monarchy and establish an oligarchy/tyranny in democratic disguise or to start the wheels of war again to earn some profit.
Therefore they hire four of the best assassines of Khorvaire money can buy. Their aliases are: the Hunter, the Mask, the Neddle, the Mechanik. AND here comes the question: any suggestions about Class, Race, CR, Equippment et al ? Just a little brainstorming.
Thanx in advance
Nerdicus
07-17-07, 03:54 PM At a glance The Hunter would be a Half-orc scion of house Thurashk. THe Mask seems to fit one of the Pharlain or Thurani so that would make that one an elven rogue/beguiler cross. THe Mechanic seems likely to fit in with a human from house Cannith and the Nettle could be a halfling from house GHallandra, one of the Black dogs I believe they are called.

Are you going for the assassins to be house members?
OctaviusIII
07-17-07, 03:55 PM Classes: hunter: ranger; mechanik: artificer; mask: warlock; nettle: druid

races: hunter: human; mechanik: warforged; mask: changeling; nettle: eldeen gnome

CR: at the start, three levels higher than your group

Equipment: read through the DM's guide wondrous items index and write down what you think would be handy in an arsenal of master assasins. Then do that with rings, rods and enhancements. Whittle it down to 50k-100k gp each, and you're golden.
Rekko
07-17-07, 05:23 PM Here is what the name inspire me.

The Hunter: This Talenta halfling has travelled far from his homeland near the bladed desert. Living in a perilous regions of Khorvaire, he learned at a very young age to track its preys with great stealth and accuracy. He quickly became known for his great talent in hunting. Gifts were given to him so he'd bring generous meat back to the tribe. He turned greedy and would ask for more than the tribe could offer him. He brought several tribes in difficult famines, for he would not hunt for those who couldn't pay him tribute. Soon enough, fool thieves tried to sneak in the meat reserve of the greedy Hunter. These thieves soon got very sick for the Hunter had poisoned his stock of food. They died, and those whose health came back were tracked down by the Hunter and publicly murdered in barbaric ways. After this event, the Hunter decided to leave and travel through the warring world. It is then that he came across the Children of Winter. Very quickly, he loved their ways and joined their group. He became a fierce bounty hunter devoted soul and body to his cult with a hatred for this dying world that matches only the greed buried deep inside him. Classes that fits him: Barbarian1/Ranger3/Rogue/Assassin. Favored Enemy Breland for it is the nation that hold the city of towers where the decimation of the world seems to grow faster.

The Needle: Like a needle in a haystack, this changeling has many faces, multiple disguises, great number of relations, and numberous victims to his board. This Master of Disguise have come to this name for he is a dangerous murdurer who is as difficult to catch since he is always on the move and changing form. Even Lenses of True Seeing seems useless to find him, for the Needle possesses a powerful magic item that negates divination magic that would allow law enforcement to see through his disguises. Moreover, the Needle is a fine transmuter and illusionist. His tactics are subtle and carefully planned. He becomes friend (with charm spells and diplomacy) to his victims and betrays them when least expected. Most of the times he leave no trace of his victims using Baleful Polymorph, Disintegrate or Trap the Soul and takes their places for as long as necessary (either to gain information, manipulate events or to cover the murder). He is rumoured to work for the Cabinet of Faces. Classes that suits him: Transmuter (Evocation and Conjuration being prohibited schools while Illusions and Charms being other focused schools, Abjuration protects him from Divination, Divination and NEcromancy are always useful to him), Egoist. Note: you do not want to play hide and seek with the Needle. His work has bought him to work mostly in Breland and Sharn. His personal or group's goal is unknown.

The Mask: This murderer does not wear a mask as his name might make you guess. It is his victims who seems to wear mask after they die, for he meticulously alter the flesh of his victims to create artwork which he calls Horrific Visage (DM should create an 'undead' aberration around this). This mad-one is bound by two faiths. First he was a strongly devoted Seeker of the Blood of Vol and became a high member of the Church, high enough to work near high undeads such as ghast, liches, vampires and mummies. He got really involved in dark mysteries, though still ignorant of Vol's existance. He tried to seek out a way to truly become immortal. He ventured in dark places beneath Khyber where he met with powerful aberrations such as Mindflayers and Tsochar. He was granted his dire wish to meet the Fleshmaker, a powerful Daelkyr known to create diverse varieties of aberration monsters. The Mask now thinks that he needs to become half-undead half-aberration to overcome death. He is said to have grafted many undead and aberrant parts to his body, to use symbionts and that his victims are cursed. He is currently leading a growing sect mixing the deep and dark beliefs of the Blood of Vol and Xoriat/Daelkyr adoration. So why is he a bounty hunter, well his work is pretty twisted and weird, you should not ask yourself the whys and hows, but what could prove logical is that the Mask doesn't want his Cult to Xoriat paradise be destroyed because he sacrifices anyone to his Daelkyr lords. Classes that suits him: fallen-paladin, Fleshwarper (from Lords of Madness). The Mask originates from Karrnath, but most of the manifest zone to Xoriat are in Droaam and the Shadow Marshes, but these regions are to much near the Gatekeepers to make his Sect grow in number, so he established in Sharn, Breland. Any race could fit him, but I'd go with either Human, Dwarf, Half-Orc, Half-Elf, or Hobgoblin. Hobgoblin would be my second pick for he could eventually be turned into a Dolgaunt. Human my first pick for he could be turned into a Dolghast. To be turned into a Dolghast to this character would be receiving a very high honor, for Dolghast are aberration that resembles undead.

The Mechanik: This is not a warforged, for being the Mechanik requires complex understanding of engineering. This Rogue/Artificer is a death-trapmaker. There is not much to say from the Mechanik for he never killed someone with his bear hands, he always made his victims fal into his deadly traps, and leaving almost no clues to the authorities. Traps to inspire you, watch the Saw movies, where victims are confronted with death, tortured and killed slowly. He may be a Cannith member or Favored in House Cannith. And since your campaign is some sort of scheme from the Dragonmarked Houses to take over Breland I'd say this could be rather a good plug. Any race would fit this character human and gnome would be my first picks, but I'd also go with dwarf, goblin or kobold.

Hope it helps
Rekko
Ghislain Darkmoon
07-18-07, 04:14 AM Thank you all,
here are my first thoughts about the fearless four:

the Hunter (Warforged/Ranger in search of the meaning of the soul, while killing his victims from afar, he closes in to watch their last moments, to see if there is something people call a soul)

the Mechanik (Dwarf/Human/Artificer/Deathtrap-engineer, who kills by sophisticated traps and constructs. He was excruciated by house Kundarak for crimes unspoken.)

the Mask (Half-elf/Rogue/Master of Masks. A master of disguise, he/she is a stage magician, illusionist, spymaster and member of House Phiarlan).

the Neddle (NOT NETTLE, sorry) is a master of potions and poisons, and a gourmet chef, yes a chef. Race:Halfling Class: Rogue/Assassine/Blackdog who kills his victims by serving delicious meals and drinks.

As for the conspiracy, it would be far to obvious if all killers were of Dragonmarked Houses.

How do you like that?
mightyix
07-18-07, 06:08 AM Make the Mask a changeling. It's an underutilized NPC race from my readings of this board.

Alternately, make the Mask someone who doesn't try and hide their identity and doesn't fit with the moniker, Mask. Like maybe a Deneith warden who, while acting to protect the king is actually seeking to sidetrack the party.

Better yet, there were four hired, but there's a FIFTH one pulling the strings, expecting the four to fail, but by making sure that everyone knows that there are the four famous assassins, when they get killed or captured the king is safe.

But no, he's not.

I pose to you a question: Who is the greatest assassin to have ever lived on Earth.

The answer: We'll never know, because they don't advertise. :)
Rekko
07-18-07, 09:25 AM The Puppeteer: Fancy looking and very charismatic, when you look at this fellow, you would never think he is an evil mastermind. Even if he has strange habits, you think he behaves that way for he is an entertainer, an artist, and artists are seldom outcast minds in society though appreciated. His focused schools are enchantment, illusion and divination, for he plays with the minds of his hired men and manipulates people around him. The Puppeteer has an intelligent animated wooden monkey puppet (maybe a homonculus, maybe a familiar) that moves and speaks on its own even if the Puppeteer pretends to pull the strings and do ventriloquism. His skills of note are no doubt the ones focused on interactions or gaining information (Bluff, Diplomacy, Hide, Listen, Decipher Script). Build: Aurum (any race) Enchanter1/Bard or Beguilder. Wizard(Enchanter) for familiar (monkey puppet), a Spellbook, Scribe Scroll and the +2 on Spellcraft(enchantment).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ghislain Darkmoon 07-17-07, 02:56 PM	Hi folks, i´m asking for some dungeonmaster´s advice. I am planning on a mid- to high level campaign about an assassination attempt upon the royal family of Breland, i.e. King Boranel, his brother Kor ir Wyrnarn etc. Our heros will discover a major conspiracy of Dragonmarked Houses and/or Nobles to dispose the monarchy and establish an oligarchy/tyranny in democratic disguise or to start the wheels of war again to earn some profit. Therefore they hire four of the best assassines of Khorvaire money can buy. Their aliases are: the Hunter, the Mask, the Neddle, the Mechanik. AND here comes the question: any suggestions about Class, Race, CR, Equippment et al ? Just a little brainstorming. Thanx in advance
Nerdicus 07-17-07, 03:54 PM	At a glance The Hunter would be a Half-orc scion of house Thurashk. THe Mask seems to fit one of the Pharlain or Thurani so that would make that one an elven rogue/beguiler cross. THe Mechanic seems likely to fit in with a human from house Cannith and the Nettle could be a halfling from house GHallandra, one of the Black dogs I believe they are called. Are you going for the assassins to be house members?
OctaviusIII 07-17-07, 03:55 PM	Classes: hunter: ranger; mechanik: artificer; mask: warlock; nettle: druid races: hunter: human; mechanik: warforged; mask: changeling; nettle: eldeen gnome CR: at the start, three levels higher than your group Equipment: read through the DM's guide wondrous items index and write down what you think would be handy in an arsenal of master assasins. Then do that with rings, rods and enhancements. Whittle it down to 50k-100k gp each, and you're golden.
Rekko 07-17-07, 05:23 PM	Here is what the name inspire me. The Hunter: This Talenta halfling has travelled far from his homeland near the bladed desert. Living in a perilous regions of Khorvaire, he learned at a very young age to track its preys with great stealth and accuracy. He quickly became known for his great talent in hunting. Gifts were given to him so he'd bring generous meat back to the tribe. He turned greedy and would ask for more than the tribe could offer him. He brought several tribes in difficult famines, for he would not hunt for those who couldn't pay him tribute. Soon enough, fool thieves tried to sneak in the meat reserve of the greedy Hunter. These thieves soon got very sick for the Hunter had poisoned his stock of food. They died, and those whose health came back were tracked down by the Hunter and publicly murdered in barbaric ways. After this event, the Hunter decided to leave and travel through the warring world. It is then that he came across the Children of Winter. Very quickly, he loved their ways and joined their group. He became a fierce bounty hunter devoted soul and body to his cult with a hatred for this dying world that matches only the greed buried deep inside him. Classes that fits him: Barbarian1/Ranger3/Rogue/Assassin. Favored Enemy Breland for it is the nation that hold the city of towers where the decimation of the world seems to grow faster. The Needle: Like a needle in a haystack, this changeling has many faces, multiple disguises, great number of relations, and numberous victims to his board. This Master of Disguise have come to this name for he is a dangerous murdurer who is as difficult to catch since he is always on the move and changing form. Even Lenses of True Seeing seems useless to find him, for the Needle possesses a powerful magic item that negates divination magic that would allow law enforcement to see through his disguises. Moreover, the Needle is a fine transmuter and illusionist. His tactics are subtle and carefully planned. He becomes friend (with charm spells and diplomacy) to his victims and betrays them when least expected. Most of the times he leave no trace of his victims using Baleful Polymorph, Disintegrate or Trap the Soul and takes their places for as long as necessary (either to gain information, manipulate events or to cover the murder). He is rumoured to work for the Cabinet of Faces. Classes that suits him: Transmuter (Evocation and Conjuration being prohibited schools while Illusions and Charms being other focused schools, Abjuration protects him from Divination, Divination and NEcromancy are always useful to him), Egoist. Note: you do not want to play hide and seek with the Needle. His work has bought him to work mostly in Breland and Sharn. His personal or group's goal is unknown. The Mask: This murderer does not wear a mask as his name might make you guess. It is his victims who seems to wear mask after they die, for he meticulously alter the flesh of his victims to create artwork which he calls Horrific Visage (DM should create an 'undead' aberration around this). This mad-one is bound by two faiths. First he was a strongly devoted Seeker of the Blood of Vol and became a high member of the Church, high enough to work near high undeads such as ghast, liches, vampires and mummies. He got really involved in dark mysteries, though still ignorant of Vol's existance. He tried to seek out a way to truly become immortal. He ventured in dark places beneath Khyber where he met with powerful aberrations such as Mindflayers and Tsochar. He was granted his dire wish to meet the Fleshmaker, a powerful Daelkyr known to create diverse varieties of aberration monsters. The Mask now thinks that he needs to become half-undead half-aberration to overcome death. He is said to have grafted many undead and aberrant parts to his body, to use symbionts and that his victims are cursed. He is currently leading a growing sect mixing the deep and dark beliefs of the Blood of Vol and Xoriat/Daelkyr adoration. So why is he a bounty hunter, well his work is pretty twisted and weird, you should not ask yourself the whys and hows, but what could prove logical is that the Mask doesn't want his Cult to Xoriat paradise be destroyed because he sacrifices anyone to his Daelkyr lords. Classes that suits him: fallen-paladin, Fleshwarper (from Lords of Madness). The Mask originates from Karrnath, but most of the manifest zone to Xoriat are in Droaam and the Shadow Marshes, but these regions are to much near the Gatekeepers to make his Sect grow in number, so he established in Sharn, Breland. Any race could fit him, but I'd go with either Human, Dwarf, Half-Orc, Half-Elf, or Hobgoblin. Hobgoblin would be my second pick for he could eventually be turned into a Dolgaunt. Human my first pick for he could be turned into a Dolghast. To be turned into a Dolghast to this character would be receiving a very high honor, for Dolghast are aberration that resembles undead. The Mechanik: This is not a warforged, for being the Mechanik requires complex understanding of engineering. This Rogue/Artificer is a death-trapmaker. There is not much to say from the Mechanik for he never killed someone with his bear hands, he always made his victims fal into his deadly traps, and leaving almost no clues to the authorities. Traps to inspire you, watch the Saw movies, where victims are confronted with death, tortured and killed slowly. He may be a Cannith member or Favored in House Cannith. And since your campaign is some sort of scheme from the Dragonmarked Houses to take over Breland I'd say this could be rather a good plug. Any race would fit this character human and gnome would be my first picks, but I'd also go with dwarf, goblin or kobold. Hope it helps Rekko
Ghislain Darkmoon 07-18-07, 04:14 AM	Thank you all, here are my first thoughts about the fearless four: the Hunter (Warforged/Ranger in search of the meaning of the soul, while killing his victims from afar, he closes in to watch their last moments, to see if there is something people call a soul) the Mechanik (Dwarf/Human/Artificer/Deathtrap-engineer, who kills by sophisticated traps and constructs. He was excruciated by house Kundarak for crimes unspoken.) the Mask (Half-elf/Rogue/Master of Masks. A master of disguise, he/she is a stage magician, illusionist, spymaster and member of House Phiarlan). the Neddle (NOT NETTLE, sorry) is a master of potions and poisons, and a gourmet chef, yes a chef. Race:Halfling Class: Rogue/Assassine/Blackdog who kills his victims by serving delicious meals and drinks. As for the conspiracy, it would be far to obvious if all killers were of Dragonmarked Houses. How do you like that?
mightyix 07-18-07, 06:08 AM	Make the Mask a changeling. It's an underutilized NPC race from my readings of this board. Alternately, make the Mask someone who doesn't try and hide their identity and doesn't fit with the moniker, Mask. Like maybe a Deneith warden who, while acting to protect the king is actually seeking to sidetrack the party. Better yet, there were four hired, but there's a FIFTH one pulling the strings, expecting the four to fail, but by making sure that everyone knows that there are the four famous assassins, when they get killed or captured the king is safe. But no, he's not. I pose to you a question: Who is the greatest assassin to have ever lived on Earth. The answer: We'll never know, because they don't advertise. :)
Rekko 07-18-07, 09:25 AM	The Puppeteer: Fancy looking and very charismatic, when you look at this fellow, you would never think he is an evil mastermind. Even if he has strange habits, you think he behaves that way for he is an entertainer, an artist, and artists are seldom outcast minds in society though appreciated. His focused schools are enchantment, illusion and divination, for he plays with the minds of his hired men and manipulates people around him. The Puppeteer has an intelligent animated wooden monkey puppet (maybe a homonculus, maybe a familiar) that moves and speaks on its own even if the Puppeteer pretends to pull the strings and do ventriloquism. His skills of note are no doubt the ones focused on interactions or gaining information (Bluff, Diplomacy, Hide, Listen, Decipher Script). Build: Aurum (any race) Enchanter1/Bard or Beguilder. Wizard(Enchanter) for familiar (monkey puppet), a Spellbook, Scribe Scroll and the +2 on Spellcraft(enchantment).