Post/Author/DateTime	Post
andrewknaut 08-15-07, 02:23 AM	Sorry, i didn't know if i should put this in here or the magic board, sorry if i put it in the wrong place. So I was reading the Five Nations book and I read King Kaius casts several spells to protect himself when he has a meeting, one is greater spell immunity(sun beam) or something like that. I read sun beam and it didn't sound like it created true sunlight, or having spell immunity would stop true sunlight from killing him. So how dose he survive, dose he only go out during the night, or do the spells he puts on himself really protect him from damage from the sun. Thanks a lot for your help.
Revvecor 08-15-07, 09:51 AM	Sorry, i didn't know if i should put this in here or the magic board, sorry if i put it in the wrong place. So I was reading the Five Nations book and I read King Kaius casts several spells to protect himself when he has a meeting, one is greater spell immunity(sun beam) or something like that. I read sun beam and it didn't sound like it created true sunlight, or having spell immunity would stop true sunlight from killing him. So how dose he survive, dose he only go out during the night, or do the spells he puts on himself really protect him from damage from the sun. Thanks a lot for your help. That is a good question, I believe that vampires are not as light sensitive in D&D as they are in White Wolf games. Thyis means that moving around in the light is not going to kill him rate away, allowing him time to get into his couch or what ever means of travel he may have. It has raised other questions to not just sunlight, but all everyday tasks.His repulsion to holy symbels, mirrors, and garlic mean that he is unable to go through most parts of civilized society which nobles do all of the time.
The_Gimp 08-15-07, 09:51 AM	It's easy, he puts on suntan cream, you know, the 100 one? Honestly...It's DnD...It's not real, it's a fantasy setting, everything's possible.
andrewknaut 08-15-07, 12:40 PM	Honestly...It's DnD...It's not real, it's a fantasy setting, everything's possible. Ya, but he has huge power (and its a quest hook) for, if i just make up some stupid reason, nothing. So he's got to have limitations or ways of going around these flaws. And i just read vampires in the monster manual, and they get disoriented when in contact to direct sunlight and die the next round if not out of it by then. The mirror thing is easy, since he just wont have any around him, and will stay 5 feet away from anyone holding a mirror and knows to use it against him. Getting into a house uninvited, no problem, hes the freaking king, people would bag to have him come into any place they want. The running water may be a small issue since Karrn river is right their, but as long as he doesn't go across hes fine. So ya, just the sun thing, since i would assume most kings hold court during the day. I guess he could have a room with no windows to hold court, but still, since royals are what the peasants talk about you would think some kind of rumorer is up about it. So just any help that anyone else could give, or what they do if they use Kaius in their game would be awesome.
Cavienn 08-15-07, 01:19 PM	From what I've understood of Kaius, he probably spends very little time doing such mundane things as holding court--he probably leaves a lot of those chores to advisors and underlings. When he does, I would imagine it's an a grand hall in the middle of the his castle somewhere where there are no windows--I doubt anyone would ask about that. And I don't think he would leave his castle very often at all, doing all of his work through others. After all, his only reliable food source is in the castle. And when he does have to go somewhere, he would just travel at night. Or in the winter, with a big heavy cloak. Just my thoughts.
RFrenchJr 08-15-07, 01:29 PM	Who says he holds court? Who says he's ever out walking around the city during the day? Maybe he's the reclusive, hermitic, people hating type of king stowed away in his castle high atop impenetrable cliffs. Maybe his vassal lords and nobles conduct all the business for him. King Kaius is not dumb. He's not going to go parading around main street in the middle of the day with nary but a spell to protect him from sure and sudden death, not to mention having it found out that he's a vampire. A simple dispel magic and he's toast (literally). So in the end I think it's probably a combination of things that keep Kaius safe, first his disagreeable personality, but if he absolutely has to go out in the light of day, he'll protect himself with numerous spells and magic items to keep him from poofing.
Alex_ 08-15-07, 02:51 PM	Well the easiest way to avoid people personally finding out your secrets is to avoid meeting them personally. I'd imagine that he's a very secretive individual who doesn't make many, if any public appearances, and spends much of his time sealed off in his room/castle. Impersonators would also make sense. He is essentially a shadowy dictator who has declared martial law. He's Castro or Saddam without the charisma. Almost like those caricatures of Dick Cheney- a man hidden deep in some bunker or room making harsh decisions we know nothing about for reasons we aren't even aware of that are carried out in the shadows.
Darth Syntax 08-15-07, 03:28 PM	I agree that Kaius keeps out of the public eye; it is both prudent and useful as it allows him to expend all his efforts on governance and not on the show of rule. As for how he explains his unusual behavior, I have posited that both Kaius I and Kaius III (the one who was replaced) suffered from a mild form of obsessive compulsive disorder. The current Kaius has let it be known that the stress of ruling Karrnath in these politically uncertain times has sadly aggravated his condition which has led to his increasingly eccentric behavior.
Cavienn 08-15-07, 04:10 PM	He's Castro or Saddam without the charisma. His Charisma of 23 would suggest otherwise. I'd say he's a very charismatic leader to those he meets with, he just doesn't meet with people regularly, except for his trusted advisors. It being a military dictatorship, I'm pretty sure people would generally accept the excuse that he's too busy with important things to hold court for minor nobles and commoners with little problems.
Vharuck 08-15-07, 06:23 PM	His Charisma of 23 would suggest otherwise. I'd say he's a very charismatic leader to those he meets with, he just doesn't meet with people regularly, except for his trusted advisors. It being a military dictatorship, I'm pretty sure people would generally accept the excuse that he's too busy with important things to hold court for minor nobles and commoners with little problems. That's what I think as well. Karrnath has always been a near-feudal country, with one of the highest titles being "warlord." That says something. I don't call the guy in charge of the state I live in a warlord. He's my governor. A warlord king is not suspicious when being very secretive, careful, and distrusting.
Alex_ 08-15-07, 10:15 PM	His Charisma of 23 would suggest otherwise. I'd say he's a very charismatic leader to those he meets with, he just doesn't meet with people regularly, except for his trusted advisors. A high charisma doesn't necessarily mean you're sweet or charming. It just means you have a great ability for getting people to do what you want. What I mean in terms of charisma (note the uncapitalized usage) is that he's not as gregarious or outgoing as Castro or Saddam. These are guys that, despite being dictators, regularly enjoy(ed) parties with friends, social gatherings, and other activities that give them some appeal and likeability separate from their politics. Kaius doesn't seem to have that. He's the ruler of Karrnath (a capable ruler) and little else in the eyes of his people. Especialy compared to someone like King Boranel or Queen Aurala. He has 25% more Charisma (in terms of stats) than both of them, but less "charisma", as in more people just don't like him.
andrewknaut 08-15-07, 10:25 PM	Ya, ok, the only problem I have with this is that nobility is normally treated like celebrities. I will give other things for people to talk about, but still rumors will run wild. As well, if hes going to have to meet others, what would he do then, such as one of the other Kings or Queens.
Alex_ 08-15-07, 10:58 PM	Ya, ok, the only problem I have with this is that nobility is normally treated like celebrities. I will give other things for people to talk about, but still rumors will run wild. Not EXACTLY like modern celebrities, but there do exist the equivelant of newspapers and tabloids in Eberron, and these are very important people who are very popular amongst the general populace, so I'm sure their exploits are followed in a manner disproportional to their proximity/relevance to the average commoner. Probably similar to how the person in the 1800's and early 1900's had a better understanding of what their rulers were up to than in the 1400's. As well, if hes going to have to meet others, what would he do then, such as one of the other Kings or Queens. He avoids it whenever possible. I'd also imagine that he prefers them coming to see him rather than personally traveling abroad. You try for weeks to get a private audience with the King, but he repeatedly refuses. However, he finally agrees. The meeting is arranged during dusk, dawn, or night and if you meet during the day, the King arrives in a very well covered carriage and enter under full cover and insists that all curtains be shut closed. He gets right down to business, finishes up everything as quickly as possible, and leaves. Sure it'll be weird, but you'll be more likely to consider him secretive, paranoid, and/or eccentric than a Vampire.
Shady314 08-17-07, 06:01 PM	The meeting is arranged during dusk, dawn, or night and if you meet during the day, the King arrives in a very well covered carriage and enter under full cover and insists that all curtains be shut closed. He gets right down to business, finishes up everything as quickly as possible, and leaves. Sure it'll be weird, but you'll be more likely to consider him secretive, paranoid, and/or eccentric than a Vampire. You can make it less suspicious than this. King Kaius doesn't insist the curtains be shut. His security detail insists rooms throughout the building have their windows blocked (not just closed for darkness but covered to keep out arrows, people jumping through etc.) to hide his position, make sure no one can spy and read their lips, shoot through the window etc. Then before he even arrives someone will double check the room and route he takes to get there to make sure he doesn't have to pass a holy symbol or anything like that. If he does they'll declare it less than secure and devise another route or place for him to sit. That same person can be his foodtaster and keep garlic away from him. Or he could claim a food allergy or just to really hate garlic foods. That's not too uncommon. There are people that do not like garlic. As for going outside I too would question Greater Spell Immunity: Sunbeam. When Kaius goes outside it should not be Kaius. It should be a changeling or transmuted person etc. from his security detail to make a speech or whatever and then hurry back. The reason of course is that Kaius is paranoid about assassinations and wants to focus on running his country not making speeches. Though most people would be totally unaware it's an impostor.
Wizardman 08-20-07, 06:09 PM	One wonders how common garlic is in Karrnath. It might be a problem when Aundairian or Brelish food is served, but Karrnathi food sounds stereotypically Germanic/Russian. The nobility is probably more cosmopolitan, but given the political climate I don't think that anyone would bat an eye if Kaius insisted on eating traditional Karrnathi foods as often as possible. In fact, that type of gesture could help endear him to his people. As a side-note, I don't think that even Kaius has his own foodtaster. He might have one that works otherwise exclusively for him but whose true loyalties are to House Ghallanda. And now I'm wondering how much of an inkling certain Dragonmarkd Houses would have of Kaius' true nature. Houses Sivis, Medani, and the Houses of Shadow are the likeliest, in my opinion, although they might not know the whole story. Well, except for House Sivis, because Eberron's gnomes are badass like that.
Alex_ 08-20-07, 07:23 PM	That same person can be his foodtaster and keep garlic away from him. Or he could claim a food allergy or just to really hate garlic foods. That's not too uncommon. There are people that do not like garlic. I especially love this one. :D
Remmster 08-20-07, 07:39 PM	Well, what's named here is already good stuff. And if all "mundane" and simply logical explainations fail you, there's always magic*! - you can always go and possibly give Kaius something out of the possession of the Blood of Vol. In a cult where the undead, vampires being among the more prominent and usefull kind of intelligent undead, are a vital element (no pun intended) it wouldn't be hard to believe to find one or two minor curiosities like a magic ring that enables a vampire to cross flowing water. Since Vampires still appear human to a degree, Vol herself, having tried to make Kaius into a servant through some weird ritual (not even the "classic" way!), will pretty much appreciate having handy little toys around that can make unliving agents move around less noticable. However, these things should be very special and rare and don't go overboard with the compensation, we don't want to get rid of all vampire weaknesses that easy, now will we. (And such an item in question might actually pose and interesting quest, hm) *can do anything, except lowering taxes
Kid SixXx 08-21-07, 06:50 AM	So how dose he survive, dose he only go out during the night, or do the spells he puts on himself really protect him from damage from the sun. Why does he need to go out at night? When you're the King you don't go out to the blood, the blood comes in to you. There are one or two members of the court that are aware of Kaius's condition (one or two are also undead) and probably assist the king when it comes to the bread & butter issues of being a vampire. I was under the impression that Kaius kept a number of concubines in his court to serve as blood dolls (to borrow a term from the old V:TM game) so that he didn't have to rely on "culling the herd" by feeding on commoners & peasants of his kingdom that might not be missed if they went missing. As far as sunlight / other vampire anthema go, I think the other suggestions in this thread are pretty good.
KnightArcanus 08-27-07, 02:30 PM	As was mentioned in an earlier post, Kaius was transformed into a vampire through a magical ritual, not the classic was food then lackey. Having said that, I would say that while he has many of the classic weaknesses, sunlight might not effect him the same way, sure its irritating but he doesn't turn into flambe when exposed. His granddaughter is another matter.
Vharuck 08-27-07, 07:47 PM	As was mentioned in an earlier post, Kaius was transformed into a vampire through a magical ritual, not the classic was food then lackey. Having said that, I would say that while he has many of the classic weaknesses, sunlight might not effect him the same way, sure its irritating but he doesn't turn into flambe when exposed. His granddaughter is another matter. He may have skipped the "food" stage of becoming a vampire, but he was a lackey for a few minutes. It was his raging, indominatable spirit that allowed him to break free of his cursed servitude to Vol. Vol, angered by this unwillingness to obey commands, set off his bloodlust magically and caused him to kill his wife.
KnightArcanus 08-28-07, 03:22 AM	He may have skipped the "food" stage of becoming a vampire, but he was a lackey for a few minutes. It was his raging, indominatable spirit that allowed him to break free of his cursed servitude to Vol. Vol, angered by this unwillingness to obey commands, set off his bloodlust magically and caused him to kill his wife. Again with the magic, almost sounds like it wasn't a problem tell she wiggled her fingers at him.
DarkWarriorKarg 08-28-07, 06:06 AM	Simple to avoid the sunlight: It's those rolling grey clouds that seem to appear whenever the evil vampiric mastermind lairs.
Darakhoranon 08-28-07, 07:29 AM	His granddaughter is another matter. Who? You´re not talking about Jaela, I know... :D But whom ARE you talking about?
Edymnion 08-28-07, 08:46 AM	I'm a big fan of changelings. Just because you see Kaius walking around in broad daylight with a rosey hue to his cheeks doesn't mean its actually Kaius. More than likely, its a changeling body double (Saddam had many such body doubles). If anyone finds out that one particular Kaius is a changeling, its just a matter of the court saying "We had credible evidence of an assassination attempt being plotted, so we sent a body double, just in case".
OctaviusIII 08-28-07, 04:30 PM	I'm a big fan of changelings. Just because you see Kaius walking around in broad daylight with a rosey hue to his cheeks doesn't mean its actually Kaius. More than likely, its a changeling body double (Saddam had many such body doubles). If anyone finds out that one particular Kaius is a changeling, its just a matter of the court saying "We had credible evidence of an assassination attempt being plotted, so we sent a body double, just in case". Saddam had changelings?! Forget WMD - where's the eugenics lab/portal to another world? :D
KnightArcanus 08-28-07, 07:46 PM	Who? You´re not talking about Jaela, I know... :D But whom ARE you talking about? Its the one posing as his Aunt, can't remember the family relation off the top of my head. She is the classic vampire, he is not.
andrewknaut 08-29-07, 02:15 AM	Its the one posing as his Aunt, can't remember the family relation off the top of my head. She is the classic vampire, he is not. Classic but devout to Kaius, not Vol.
Wizardman 08-29-07, 02:55 AM	Its the one posing as his Aunt, can't remember the family relation off the top of my head. She is the classic vampire, he is not. She's his granddaughter, but must pose as his aunt due to Kaius' replacing his great-grandmother.
eehamburg 08-29-07, 12:41 PM	She's his granddaughter, but must pose as his aunt due to Kaius' replacing his great-grandmother. Kaius is pretending to be his great-greandmother??? WTF?? Saddam had changelings?! Forget WMD - where's the eugenics lab/portal to another world? :D Now, we have Khan Noonien Soong in the picture??
OctaviusIII 08-29-07, 02:19 PM	Kaius is pretending to be his great-greandmother??? WTF?? Now, we have Khan Noonien Soong in the picture?? Life just keeps getting stranger in Karrlakton... And Baghdad.
OneWinged4ngel 08-30-07, 06:39 PM	He is essentially a shadowy dictator who has declared martial law. He's Castro or Saddam without the charisma. You've GOT to be kidding me. He has a freakin' amazing Charisma, at the sheer limits of extraordinary human potential! The kind that lets you launch a hundred ships with a word WITHOUT the authority. A charisma of 23 means that you'd need to take an 18 cha human, and raise it *every* level, until it finally hits 23 at *level 20,* where you're basically expected to be able to kill things taller than towers with rusty spoons. He has a better Charisma than most any real world politician. And you say he's without the charisma? What Eberron are YOU playing? EDIT: Sorry... somehow missed the response. A high charisma doesn't necessarily mean you're sweet or charming. It just means you have a great ability for getting people to do what you want. What I mean in terms of charisma (note the uncapitalized usage) is that he's not as gregarious or outgoing as Castro or Saddam. These are guys that, despite being dictators, regularly enjoy(ed) parties with friends, social gatherings, and other activities that give them some appeal and likeability separate from their politics. Kaius doesn't seem to have that. He's the ruler of Karrnath (a capable ruler) and little else in the eyes of his people. Especialy compared to someone like King Boranel or Queen Aurala. He has 25% more Charisma (in terms of stats) than both of them, but less "charisma", as in more people just don't like him. That makes some more sense, but your initial post was very misleading (since Kaius indeed has an extremely high Charisma).
Wizardman 08-31-07, 12:04 AM	Kaius is pretending to be his great-greandmother??? WTF?? ACK! Great-grandson. I meant great-grandson!
JeckAndon 09-01-07, 04:17 PM	I just use the vampire lord template, it explains everything. If you go the retired articles section its a template in Monster Mayhem.:cool:
Shady314 09-01-07, 05:21 PM	Personally I don't really like using templates like that. The fun is in creating a villain or hero that's overcome their weaknesses. Just making it so they don't have any is cheesy to me. I'd rather the players face a badass troll that is cunning and has a nasty rep than one that uses a template to be immune to fire and acid ya know what I mean. Though sometimes it is fun to figure out how to kill an "invincible" foe that can withstand your usual tactics. Anyways I think the OP was trying figure out how the canonical Kaius does who is a human fighter with the vampire template. Otherwise who even needs a template? Your DM just says Kaius is immune to sunlight. I don't need a template for that.
Yakman 09-02-07, 01:55 PM	He avoids it whenever possible. I'd also imagine that he prefers them coming to see him rather than personally traveling abroad. You try for weeks to get a private audience with the King, but he repeatedly refuses. However, he finally agrees. The meeting is arranged during dusk, dawn, or night and if you meet during the day, the King arrives in a very well covered carriage and enter under full cover and insists that all curtains be shut closed. He gets right down to business, finishes up everything as quickly as possible, and leaves. i imagine that kaius never, ever, meets anyone outside of his castle, on his own terms. i imagine that even then, meetings are brief and fleeting. people don't have time to spot any of the vampiric 'inconsistencies' that are obvious to anyone looking for them--they are rushed into his chamber, kiss his ring, and are rushed out. after all, the king is a very, very, busy man. as for showing up at your house, forget it. Kaius likely hasn't been seen out of the palace for years.
eehamburg 09-03-07, 06:30 PM	ACK! Great-grandson. I meant great-grandson! Ohhh .... well that explains it ... because I was getting this image of Kaius in a little old granny outfit that was really quite disturbing. :Shudder:
The Wilgar 09-03-07, 10:04 PM	Maybe Kaius has a Dayheart? Or maybe he wants one... oh I just got a good hook for an Eberron Ravenloft run :D .
eehamburg 09-04-07, 09:36 AM	Maybe Kaius has a Dayheart? Or maybe he wants one... oh I just got a good hook for an Eberron Ravenloft run :D . What's a dayheart?
Yakman 09-04-07, 03:41 PM	Maybe Kaius has a Dayheart? Or maybe he wants one... oh I just got a good hook for an Eberron Ravenloft run :D . Lame. VAmpires are only cool if they are played as vampires. When they start walking around in the sunlight, they lose what makes them interesting.
Darakhoranon 09-06-07, 04:56 AM	Unless they spend their time slaughtering other vampires... Then they´re at least amusing...
angelus_obscura 09-15-07, 02:36 AM	Honestly, I'd advance Kaius to the point where he can get another feat or replace one he already has with Endure Sunlight, a monstrous feat from Libris Mortis (ignore harmful effects of sunlight for 1+chamod rounds). Not only will this utilize his Charisma modifier (boosted with items and/or spells) to its maximum potential, but also, will enable him to make appearances outside in broad daylight. Also, isn't there a spell or item from Forgotten Realms that enabled a vampire to function in daylight without fear of being destroyed? I forget its name but that can be adapted to Eberron, but make it a minor artifact or a powerful custom spell. I like how Eberron protrays vampires, especially when one's strength of purpose and inner will can prevail over undead malevolence and hunger. The king is dead! Long live the king ... sorta. :king:
Burningspear 09-15-07, 01:17 PM	Having said that, I would say that while he has many of the classic weaknesses, sunlight might not effect him the same way, sure its irritating but he doesn't turn into flambe when exposed. :rofl: And btw, there is :lightbulb a spell in Forgotten realms :hides: , that makes a vampire immune to the effects of sunlight for the duration, and even when dispelled, 'evaporates' only slowly of its effect on the bearer of the enchantment. and that would be perfect to make into a permanent ring :king:
The Ubbergeek 09-16-07, 11:54 AM	You forget guys that vampires have many regional variations around the world - look at Shadowrun stuff for examples, like the philipan one who crave salt. Or the general asian variation who can become invisible. Vampire means a lot of things.