Bhaalspawn Input [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bhaalspawn Input [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Gelcur
08-07-07, 09:59 PM I'm thinking of including a Bhaalspawn player in my campaign. I wonder if others have run a player Bhaalspawn before? Preferably using the Dragon #288 template.

Was the player allowed to pick special qualities? Both advantages and penalties? Were they assigned by the DM?

Did the player start as a Bhaalspawn or did his powers suddenly manifest, ie did you apply the template later or was it part of the starting character? Did the characters alignment change over time?

Just looking for other input from people that may have done something like this before. Not sure how over/under powered the Bhaalspawn might be or how much control this takes away from the player.
Neely
08-08-07, 04:09 AM I don't know the technical details of the bhaalspawn template from dragonmagazine and what it's LA is.
So I'll just give my thoughts on it.

If you, as DM, will determ whether a player will be a bhaalspawn it can be good to not tell it in advance and have the player advance towards it. It will keep things much more interested for the player.

Secondly, make sure that the other players will be fine with it. They will come to walk in the bhaalspawn's shadow, and not everyone likes that. Players tend to like to shine and rise on their own.

If you plan to go along with the bhaalspawn player, then maybe it could be fun to have something special for the other players as well. Maybe not a bloodheritage, anything else can work as long as it makes a player equally special.

Goodluck with it
Gelcur
08-08-07, 09:09 AM It is good to see that all the things you mentioned are things that I have considered. The player already has 6 levels that he has progressed through from lvl 1, over 2 RL years. His background already lends itself to being fathered by Bhaal since he never knew his father or his mother.

My only concern with advancing towards it is that the template in Dragon basically has two list of special qualities, advantages and penalties. And the number of qualities you have is based off your HD. So once his powers would manifest he would gain I think 4 advantages and 4 disadvantages.

Over the last month I have been asking the player questions and going over things with him. I don't want to ask him directly if this is something he wants but I want him to be happy. He has conveyed to me that he enjoys when he has direction, when left to his own means I think he is has no motivation. For example, if I tell him he is under the effects of a fear spell or he is on deaths door he RPs really well and enjoys himself. I think telling him he has killing urge inside him etc will do the same thing. The character is CG currently and questioning if he should be with the party I think this will bring around some great conflict RP within himself as opposed to conflicting with the party.

I don't think I have to worry about the Bhaalspawn overshadowing the players. His story will definitely become a large one but all the characters at some point will have such stories dedicated to them. And all will very likely have some sort of grand powerful feeling. Be it via similar templates or powerful PrCs or artifacts or something. This idea actually came to me as a good option for this character since I was missing one for him.

How would one give a template to a player mid levels aside from just doing it whenever it fits the story. If the template is ECL +2 maybe giving it to him when he should have leveled again this way its not as long of a wait and he is not too far off from other player ECLs?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Gelcur 08-07-07, 09:59 PM	I'm thinking of including a Bhaalspawn player in my campaign. I wonder if others have run a player Bhaalspawn before? Preferably using the Dragon #288 template. Was the player allowed to pick special qualities? Both advantages and penalties? Were they assigned by the DM? Did the player start as a Bhaalspawn or did his powers suddenly manifest, ie did you apply the template later or was it part of the starting character? Did the characters alignment change over time? Just looking for other input from people that may have done something like this before. Not sure how over/under powered the Bhaalspawn might be or how much control this takes away from the player.
Neely 08-08-07, 04:09 AM	I don't know the technical details of the bhaalspawn template from dragonmagazine and what it's LA is. So I'll just give my thoughts on it. If you, as DM, will determ whether a player will be a bhaalspawn it can be good to not tell it in advance and have the player advance towards it. It will keep things much more interested for the player. Secondly, make sure that the other players will be fine with it. They will come to walk in the bhaalspawn's shadow, and not everyone likes that. Players tend to like to shine and rise on their own. If you plan to go along with the bhaalspawn player, then maybe it could be fun to have something special for the other players as well. Maybe not a bloodheritage, anything else can work as long as it makes a player equally special. Goodluck with it
Gelcur 08-08-07, 09:09 AM	It is good to see that all the things you mentioned are things that I have considered. The player already has 6 levels that he has progressed through from lvl 1, over 2 RL years. His background already lends itself to being fathered by Bhaal since he never knew his father or his mother. My only concern with advancing towards it is that the template in Dragon basically has two list of special qualities, advantages and penalties. And the number of qualities you have is based off your HD. So once his powers would manifest he would gain I think 4 advantages and 4 disadvantages. Over the last month I have been asking the player questions and going over things with him. I don't want to ask him directly if this is something he wants but I want him to be happy. He has conveyed to me that he enjoys when he has direction, when left to his own means I think he is has no motivation. For example, if I tell him he is under the effects of a fear spell or he is on deaths door he RPs really well and enjoys himself. I think telling him he has killing urge inside him etc will do the same thing. The character is CG currently and questioning if he should be with the party I think this will bring around some great conflict RP within himself as opposed to conflicting with the party. I don't think I have to worry about the Bhaalspawn overshadowing the players. His story will definitely become a large one but all the characters at some point will have such stories dedicated to them. And all will very likely have some sort of grand powerful feeling. Be it via similar templates or powerful PrCs or artifacts or something. This idea actually came to me as a good option for this character since I was missing one for him. How would one give a template to a player mid levels aside from just doing it whenever it fits the story. If the template is ECL +2 maybe giving it to him when he should have leveled again this way its not as long of a wait and he is not too far off from other player ECLs?