A Defiler in the forgotten Realms [Archive] - Wizards Community

A Defiler in the forgotten Realms [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Amoun
06-24-03, 03:46 PM I originally posted this in the Dark Sun forum, but decided to post it here too as it is relevant

I was thinking of playing a defiler/psion/+dragon (A prestige class that goes into epic levels starts at tenth level and develops the character as both a psion and a defiler, eventually becoming a dragon) in the forgotten realms. It would provide an interesting role playing experience, not to mention interesting situation for the dm. Most people in Athas are athiests... since there are no gods. So my happy defiler would be an athiest who doesnt pay homage to any god and doesnt use the weave or the dark weave... in other words he would be a big problem for mystra and most other gods...

I've decided he wouldnt teach anyone the way of defilement and would just keep to himself and his megalomaniacal goals. What I ask is what do you think would occur in Faerun if someone so driven and so different were to appear. This is only hypothetical at the moment but I am pretty sure I am gonna play him since I talked it over with the DM and he seems eager for a chance to gobble this opportunity. It would be interesting because I would be a person used to being persecuted because of magic use and yet I would see magic use more blatantly used around me... Just want your input I guess.. see what you guys think of it. (This will be a once in a lifetime thing no more thousands of defilers overrunning faerun (I like faerun mostly the way it is)).

For those that do not know what Defilers are... they are wizards who use the power from plants to fuel their spells. After they use that power the plants turn to black ash and the land below him is made entirely infertile for a year. He would not use the weave at all... Something very intriguing since he is going to be in the Forgotten Realms.. And yes the greener the lands around him, the more powerful his spells are....

Basically it is a very interesting concept... One that I might end up writing a book about if it works and is interesting. Basically my guy comes from the World of Dark Sun. A scorched land, very harsh, and barren.... much the opposite of most parts of Faerun... The world is dominated by Sorceror Kings... Defiler/Psion/Dragons... and these beings are able to grant spells to certain clerics (templars) and not clerics... So my guy would be at around 30th level be able to do the same.

Imagine... a guy who is an athiest... who spits at the face of nearly all gods of magic, wields considerable arcane might because land is so fertile and great psionic powers. Someone able to grant certain followers actual spells like gods and stating that he is nothing like a god.... Think of it... Harpers would try to kill him cause he is very unbalancing to the world, Mystra's followers would try to kill him, Shar's followers would try to kill him, Red Wizards would try to capture him to learn about him, and he would be an all around feared and despised force on Faerun... I dont expect him to even reach 20th level heh, but if he does it should get really interesting. What he seeks is ultimate power (mostly because he believes there is no real competition in this very very lush world (at least comapred to Dark Sun)). Just imagine the impact this guy would have on the forgotten realms if he ever was able to begin his transformation to a Dragon (Dark Sun dragon not any type of dragon around... in demenear and evilness he is similar to red dragons I guess... But more slender and just creepy looking), ohh I quiver with joy when thinking about what he could accomplish if he survives hehe. Anyway I just want to hear your opinions and possible ideas of enemies out to get me so I can tell my DM (no matter how powerful) as I want this to be fair and realistic (well for Faerun that is). thanks for reading my babbling hehe
Puritan13
06-25-03, 05:29 AM What you have to remember is that your character, as a defiler, never touches the weave. You draw your magic directly from the surrounding plant life.

I did this very thing about 10 years ago. Around 15th level Defiler, I was brought in front of a representation of Mystra and the various gods of Nature. They told me that if I didn't become a preserver and stop killing all their plants, they would obliterate my existence. I thought up something better. During the next 3 levels I constructed a demiplane full of Trees of Life. The demiplane was about as big as the domain of Darkon in Ravenloft. I then shut the plane off from the rest of existence. The only person able to get in was myself. I then created a link that made all my energy gathering for spell memorization come from this demiplane. It takes me a little longer to memorize my spells, but I don't have p-o'd gods breathing down my neck anymore.

I was also instructed to never instruct students in the ways of the Defiler. I go off planet when I have an apprentice.
Amoun
06-25-03, 08:01 AM I think mystra would be more concerned with me not using the weave at all or even the dark weave of Shar... and I am pretty sure the gods would not directly interevene aka appear and say do this or die... because some gods would be very friendly towards me.... heeh Talos would love me... the destruction I cause great... also I believe 10 years ago the time of troubles did not occur, or wasnt written yet... or am I wrong? Dieties have a very different outlook on interevening directly nowadays... and besides hehe... I will run like never seen before if I see actual incarnations of dieties... lol should be fun... I can just imagine my character with his jaw dropping every time he sees platemail... so much metal lol (think I will horde it just for the hell of it)
Puritan13
06-25-03, 09:57 AM Mystra was concerned with my style of magic because it was just that, magic. Her portfolio deals with all magic, not just magic that utillizes the weave. Essentially what happened was all the nature gods noticed what was happening to the plant life. They noticed it first because it affected their portfolio in a negative way. They got together and approached Mystra with a "Hey, look at this" attitude. She agreed that the defiling, if it caught on, could be devastating (just look at Athas) and agreed to intervene. I was still a spellcaster, so I was her responsibility. I had participated in trading many different spells and creating quite a few of my own at that point, so she didn't want to just outright destroy me as I was doing exactly what she wanted wizards to do. Plus, the character was a better spellcaster than most could ever hope to be (he had a 20 Intelligence). So she decided that I needed to change. She wanted me to use the weave, but as I have already said, I found a better way.

On to the Dragon prestige class. I think that the requirements should remain 20th level Defiler and 20th level psion. Allowing a person to get the prc earlier kinda takes away from the accomplishments of the sorcerer kings. I've been working on my version for over 3 years now, and I have just finally created a version that isn't totally game-breaking. I'm still mid-way through typing it up, if you want, I can post it here when I'm done.

At any rate, have fun in your game. This one should be one to remember. Yeah, lots of metal, but what about the water? And what about the fact that most drinking water on Athas tastes like urine? Enjoy :)
ENHenry
06-25-03, 01:16 PM I don't think mystra would have a problem with it directly, but ever since the Time of Troubles, her good-leaning nature would probably make you a foe by dint of her friendly terms with gods like Silvanus and Chauntea.

Make no mistake: Chauntea, Silvanus, Mielikki, Nobanion, and Malar (yes, even him) would sense you destroying acres of plant life utterly, and probably make it no less than a Holy Quest to stop you. Mystra, and probably selune, would ally against you due to alliances with the good gods.

The Green Enclave and the People of the Black Blood would probably organize hunts against you, though not necessarily jointly.

Talos and Cyric might instead direct their followers to assist you, however, because of the devastation and power that you would represent, hoping to play you and control you.

But to say that you would cause major division and upheaval would be an understatement. Toril has no magic that could do what devastation you do.
Amoun
06-25-03, 02:09 PM hehe, yeah nature gods would hate me... including Malar.. and you are right... by all accounts I would be thoroughly hunted.. pretty much by everyone. And yes... I would definately drink a lot of water and create huge storages for it heh... This will prove to be a very interesting campaign to say the least... As for the Sorcerer kings being 20/20 would make them far too powerful compared to what they were... true they were powerful but they did not reach the power of dieties in Faerun (a 41st lvl character would... The Sorcerer Kings just remained very locked and gaurded, after all some of them were afraid that the populace would rise and do some damage... Either way we just disagree on that point but heh should be very interesting... I look forward to causing a major change in the forgotten realms lol... As I am DMin after this character and we always keep what characters did it should be interesting for me *shrugs* I love major change... keeps the forgotten realms so alive :D Anyway thanks for you input...
Tayris
06-27-03, 07:00 PM Sounds like a fun idea. Personally, I'm not that into evil, destroying characters. I've DM'd some, and I remember all to well some of the characters my players have played, Most notably Salazzar, Nicos, and Edwin Oddresseron. Very evil. But note, like some others have said, you will be hated and feared by most. I wouldn't be surprised if clerics and paladins from most clerics of good gods and nature gods hunt you down. hope your up to it. Though if memory serves, those characters were more than up to the challenge.
Amoun
06-27-03, 07:05 PM heh hey my characters were always very evil... and I was always remember to pull off the impossible... Remember Karg the mighty Tanarukk that gathered his horde... No one would DM that... BAH evil people... allowing me to reach such heights (giving me a very tough time, as it should be) and not letting me reap the rewards... BAH BAH... and heh I know you didnt like Salazar... he killed off the entire party and gave their souls to his dark Devil Master :) I love blackguards impersonating paladins

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Amoun 06-24-03, 03:46 PM	I originally posted this in the Dark Sun forum, but decided to post it here too as it is relevant I was thinking of playing a defiler/psion/+dragon (A prestige class that goes into epic levels starts at tenth level and develops the character as both a psion and a defiler, eventually becoming a dragon) in the forgotten realms. It would provide an interesting role playing experience, not to mention interesting situation for the dm. Most people in Athas are athiests... since there are no gods. So my happy defiler would be an athiest who doesnt pay homage to any god and doesnt use the weave or the dark weave... in other words he would be a big problem for mystra and most other gods... I've decided he wouldnt teach anyone the way of defilement and would just keep to himself and his megalomaniacal goals. What I ask is what do you think would occur in Faerun if someone so driven and so different were to appear. This is only hypothetical at the moment but I am pretty sure I am gonna play him since I talked it over with the DM and he seems eager for a chance to gobble this opportunity. It would be interesting because I would be a person used to being persecuted because of magic use and yet I would see magic use more blatantly used around me... Just want your input I guess.. see what you guys think of it. (This will be a once in a lifetime thing no more thousands of defilers overrunning faerun (I like faerun mostly the way it is)). For those that do not know what Defilers are... they are wizards who use the power from plants to fuel their spells. After they use that power the plants turn to black ash and the land below him is made entirely infertile for a year. He would not use the weave at all... Something very intriguing since he is going to be in the Forgotten Realms.. And yes the greener the lands around him, the more powerful his spells are.... Basically it is a very interesting concept... One that I might end up writing a book about if it works and is interesting. Basically my guy comes from the World of Dark Sun. A scorched land, very harsh, and barren.... much the opposite of most parts of Faerun... The world is dominated by Sorceror Kings... Defiler/Psion/Dragons... and these beings are able to grant spells to certain clerics (templars) and not clerics... So my guy would be at around 30th level be able to do the same. Imagine... a guy who is an athiest... who spits at the face of nearly all gods of magic, wields considerable arcane might because land is so fertile and great psionic powers. Someone able to grant certain followers actual spells like gods and stating that he is nothing like a god.... Think of it... Harpers would try to kill him cause he is very unbalancing to the world, Mystra's followers would try to kill him, Shar's followers would try to kill him, Red Wizards would try to capture him to learn about him, and he would be an all around feared and despised force on Faerun... I dont expect him to even reach 20th level heh, but if he does it should get really interesting. What he seeks is ultimate power (mostly because he believes there is no real competition in this very very lush world (at least comapred to Dark Sun)). Just imagine the impact this guy would have on the forgotten realms if he ever was able to begin his transformation to a Dragon (Dark Sun dragon not any type of dragon around... in demenear and evilness he is similar to red dragons I guess... But more slender and just creepy looking), ohh I quiver with joy when thinking about what he could accomplish if he survives hehe. Anyway I just want to hear your opinions and possible ideas of enemies out to get me so I can tell my DM (no matter how powerful) as I want this to be fair and realistic (well for Faerun that is). thanks for reading my babbling hehe
Puritan13 06-25-03, 05:29 AM	What you have to remember is that your character, as a defiler, never touches the weave. You draw your magic directly from the surrounding plant life. I did this very thing about 10 years ago. Around 15th level Defiler, I was brought in front of a representation of Mystra and the various gods of Nature. They told me that if I didn't become a preserver and stop killing all their plants, they would obliterate my existence. I thought up something better. During the next 3 levels I constructed a demiplane full of Trees of Life. The demiplane was about as big as the domain of Darkon in Ravenloft. I then shut the plane off from the rest of existence. The only person able to get in was myself. I then created a link that made all my energy gathering for spell memorization come from this demiplane. It takes me a little longer to memorize my spells, but I don't have p-o'd gods breathing down my neck anymore. I was also instructed to never instruct students in the ways of the Defiler. I go off planet when I have an apprentice.
Amoun 06-25-03, 08:01 AM	I think mystra would be more concerned with me not using the weave at all or even the dark weave of Shar... and I am pretty sure the gods would not directly interevene aka appear and say do this or die... because some gods would be very friendly towards me.... heeh Talos would love me... the destruction I cause great... also I believe 10 years ago the time of troubles did not occur, or wasnt written yet... or am I wrong? Dieties have a very different outlook on interevening directly nowadays... and besides hehe... I will run like never seen before if I see actual incarnations of dieties... lol should be fun... I can just imagine my character with his jaw dropping every time he sees platemail... so much metal lol (think I will horde it just for the hell of it)
Puritan13 06-25-03, 09:57 AM	Mystra was concerned with my style of magic because it was just that, magic. Her portfolio deals with all magic, not just magic that utillizes the weave. Essentially what happened was all the nature gods noticed what was happening to the plant life. They noticed it first because it affected their portfolio in a negative way. They got together and approached Mystra with a "Hey, look at this" attitude. She agreed that the defiling, if it caught on, could be devastating (just look at Athas) and agreed to intervene. I was still a spellcaster, so I was her responsibility. I had participated in trading many different spells and creating quite a few of my own at that point, so she didn't want to just outright destroy me as I was doing exactly what she wanted wizards to do. Plus, the character was a better spellcaster than most could ever hope to be (he had a 20 Intelligence). So she decided that I needed to change. She wanted me to use the weave, but as I have already said, I found a better way. On to the Dragon prestige class. I think that the requirements should remain 20th level Defiler and 20th level psion. Allowing a person to get the prc earlier kinda takes away from the accomplishments of the sorcerer kings. I've been working on my version for over 3 years now, and I have just finally created a version that isn't totally game-breaking. I'm still mid-way through typing it up, if you want, I can post it here when I'm done. At any rate, have fun in your game. This one should be one to remember. Yeah, lots of metal, but what about the water? And what about the fact that most drinking water on Athas tastes like urine? Enjoy :)
ENHenry 06-25-03, 01:16 PM	I don't think mystra would have a problem with it directly, but ever since the Time of Troubles, her good-leaning nature would probably make you a foe by dint of her friendly terms with gods like Silvanus and Chauntea. Make no mistake: Chauntea, Silvanus, Mielikki, Nobanion, and Malar (yes, even him) would sense you destroying acres of plant life utterly, and probably make it no less than a Holy Quest to stop you. Mystra, and probably selune, would ally against you due to alliances with the good gods. The Green Enclave and the People of the Black Blood would probably organize hunts against you, though not necessarily jointly. Talos and Cyric might instead direct their followers to assist you, however, because of the devastation and power that you would represent, hoping to play you and control you. But to say that you would cause major division and upheaval would be an understatement. Toril has no magic that could do what devastation you do.
Amoun 06-25-03, 02:09 PM	hehe, yeah nature gods would hate me... including Malar.. and you are right... by all accounts I would be thoroughly hunted.. pretty much by everyone. And yes... I would definately drink a lot of water and create huge storages for it heh... This will prove to be a very interesting campaign to say the least... As for the Sorcerer kings being 20/20 would make them far too powerful compared to what they were... true they were powerful but they did not reach the power of dieties in Faerun (a 41st lvl character would... The Sorcerer Kings just remained very locked and gaurded, after all some of them were afraid that the populace would rise and do some damage... Either way we just disagree on that point but heh should be very interesting... I look forward to causing a major change in the forgotten realms lol... As I am DMin after this character and we always keep what characters did it should be interesting for me shrugs I love major change... keeps the forgotten realms so alive :D Anyway thanks for you input...
Tayris 06-27-03, 07:00 PM	Sounds like a fun idea. Personally, I'm not that into evil, destroying characters. I've DM'd some, and I remember all to well some of the characters my players have played, Most notably Salazzar, Nicos, and Edwin Oddresseron. Very evil. But note, like some others have said, you will be hated and feared by most. I wouldn't be surprised if clerics and paladins from most clerics of good gods and nature gods hunt you down. hope your up to it. Though if memory serves, those characters were more than up to the challenge.
Amoun 06-27-03, 07:05 PM	heh hey my characters were always very evil... and I was always remember to pull off the impossible... Remember Karg the mighty Tanarukk that gathered his horde... No one would DM that... BAH evil people... allowing me to reach such heights (giving me a very tough time, as it should be) and not letting me reap the rewards... BAH BAH... and heh I know you didnt like Salazar... he killed off the entire party and gave their souls to his dark Devil Master :) I love blackguards impersonating paladins