Post/Author/DateTime	Post
jennibert 10-14-07, 10:28 PM	The night is dark, the sky starless, and what can be seen of the moon is shrouded by clouds. The adventurers make their way through the mists, their stances wary, their eyes wide. All turn and jump as a scream sounds in the darkness, and then again there is silence, total and absolute. Your DM has informed you that you will be playing a horror themed game. Your group will be facing the ultimate in terror, and must be prepared to stop it....or embrace it. You will be building a 12th level character, with 88,000 gold to spend, with no more than 29,333 available for any single item. Welcome to Hero Craftsman #12. One special note for this competition: Due to the particular nature of the subject, we as judges would like to remind you that part of what your character will judged on is how well he or she interacts with a group. Contest Rules The following are rules for the Hero Craftsmen competition, and are subject to change at any time between competition periods. Do note that the Code of Conduct is in effect for all aspects of this contest, and those who break it will be disqualified, and their post will be reported. Character Creation Parameters Effective Character Level (ECL): 12th Ability Score Generation: 28pt. buy (DMG p.169) Character Wealth: 88000gp Max. Value of any single item: 29333gp 1) All entries must be submitted with a complete stat block of any format or length, (so long as the stat block is complete, including content like equipment, skills, special abilities etc.) accompanied by a character background also of any format or length. 2) All entries must be submitted by the date and time given by the Coordinating Judge; any entries submitted late will not be judged but they are still allowed to be commented on by other users/judges, and may provide a valuable resource to other players out there. The time given for any competition is likely to be within 2-3 weeks; the exact times and dates will be stated by the Coordinating Judge during the contest's start. 3) After submitting an entry, a 30-minute grace period is allowed to edit your work, in the case of mechanical or formatting errors, typos, and the like. Editing your work after 30 minutes is considered breaking the rules. Hence, we urge you to revise your entry thoroughly prior to submitting it, to save hassle. Making use of the preview button in the post window will help you catch most errors before posting. 4) One Entry Per Contestant, and that creator must be the submitter (meaning that all work has to be original, and not stolen from someone else.) Also, do not post an entry if you do not want it to be officially judged. 5) At the start of each competition, the coordinating judge will state a single theme around which to base your entry. There are no restrictions based on the character theme itself; it is merely a suggested guideline, but following it in a creative and interesting way will give merit to your entry. 6) There are other restrictions, however. Material in the three core books is allowed. Any material found in the following books is also permitted: Heroes of Horror, Lords of Madness, Libris Mortis, Complete Adventurer, Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, Complete Warrior, Complete Mage, Complete Scoundrel, Magic Item Compendium, Spell Compendium, Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords, and Expanded Psionics Handbook. The use of Psionics, Item Creation rules, Epic Characters, and anything else in the Official SRD (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35) is permitted. For this specific contest, no other material may be used, including any other variant rules in Unearthed Arcana. 7) Additionally, the character must be created with the recommended character wealth as discussed in the DMG (note that you may not spend more than 1/3 of your entry's total wealth on any one item), with average hit points per hit die (eg-2.5hp for d4, 3.5hp for d6, 4.5hp for d8, 5.5hp for d10, 6.5hp for d12; Max hit points at 1st level), using the 28 point-buy system, as discussed in the DMG pg169. For those who do not have access to the DMG, the following sample arrays of scores have been set up for your convenience: 18, 14, 12, 10, 8, 8 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10 8) One special rule regarding Crafting: When crafting a magic item from your character, you may pay the 50% gp cost and ignore the XP cost. However, your character must still meet all prerequisites in spells, minimum level requirements, etc., or account for the cost of hiring a spell caster to cast the spells for you. 9) Judges reserve the right to disqualify entries that do not follow the above rules, as they see fit. Scoring Points will be awarded for how well the judges think the character is made and expanded on. Entries from each of the judges will be added up to give a final score. The highest-scoring entry will win gold, second-highest silver, third-highest bronze. The judges may also give a single entry each one bonus point for whatever reason; this bonus point is merely to make out an 'honorable mention' of the competition, and is not likely to make an impact on the results themselves. The judges are expected to be very stingy about their bonus point, meaning that it is possible for no entries to get one in a competition. Special awards will be given to the entry that performs the best in each of the four categories (detailed below), determined by a majority nomination among the judges and/or the highest average score in that category. These awards will have no effect on the total score of each entry. Additionally, the judges reserve the right to post comments on entries, and any contestant may ask to have their scoring (and/or comments) sent to them via PM. Each entry will be scored according to four categories: Thematic Creativity (10 points), Background Content (10 marks), Rules Use (10 points), and Clarity (5 points), for a total of 35 points. -Thematic Creativity is a measure of how well the entry fits with the theme of the contest, decided by the coordinating judge at the start of the competition. It is also a measure of how creative the entry is when fitting in with the theme, meaning that taking the most obvious class for the theme may or may not be the best idea. -Background Content measures how well-written the background of the entry is, and how creative it is. Including plot points, events that shaped your character, and so on, will earn you high points here. -Rules Use is based on how well your character is made mechanically, as well as for how well your entry follows the RAW. Is his attack bonus correct? Has she spent all her skill points? Is all the gold in the sheet accounted for? And the like. Powerful characters will earn at least some points in this category. -Clarity is a measure of how well we can read everything. This includes correct grammar (No leet über txt), and legibility of the entry's stat block. We want to be able to find what we need to judge the entry. Hints to Help This is not a competition to see who can make the most optimized character. It is a competition to find who can create the most creative and interesting character; one that you would love to see played in a gaming group. Of course, optimized characters can still be creative and interesting, but optimization is not the sole focus of the competition. Please consider your format before submitting an entry. As judges, we want to know exactly where you got that +3 in Tumble, or how you've laid out your ability scores. If we are helped in this endeavor, it reduces the chances of us (as well as you) making mistakes, and points may be earned for Clarity. For example, you could lay out your modifiers to everything, from AC to Skills to Abilities. If your +3 in Tumble came from 3 ranks, 13 dexterity and a check penalty of -1, point it out to us. If your Strength score of 16 comes from a base of 13, a +2 racial bonus, and a +1 boost at fourth level, point it out to us. Also, gold is a big hassle, so if you show how much everything costs, it saves us the trouble of going IRS on you. Consider including a chart or something that shows the complete level build-up of your entry, in case of cross-class skills, stacking class features and other such stuff that would be otherwise difficult for us judges to detect. Backgrounds are very important in this competition, worth at least 10 points. While your entry's background doesn't have to be literary genius, you are advised to cover at least the basic stuff, like parents, friends, homeland, motivation, behavior, and at least one plot point that a DM can latch onto, among others. In this case, covering most or all of the aspects of a character is more advisable than simply focusing on one or two aspects in great detail. Don't worry, though, length is usually not an issue for us judges. The Leadership feat is quite often a wonderful choice. It offers characters a lot of power, and provides for some excellent background exploration. If you opt to give your PC the Leadership feat, we don't need a full stat block for the cohort or followers; all we need is the cohort's name, race, class(es), and level(s). You can provide the same sort of information for important followers. Note that you can provide more information - but doing so only increases your chances of miscalculating something, and therefore lowering your score. You are allowed to build characters with non-standard races, including Monster Races from the MM. However, please carefully consider this path before attempting it. You are creating a character of the appropriate ECL, and monster races have caused many contestants to stumble over the mathematics involved. Make sure you are prepared to walk this difficult road. It is also very helpful if you list the basic racial stats for such characters. Our list of Eligible Judges are Doopliss, TheChilliGod, Zherog, jennibert, JasonOrlandoHawk, Heros_Backpack, DarkKitsune, Mercurius, Haruspex, Kit_the_Odd, edwardsobel, and wrecan. The gold-medal winner of each Hero Craftsmen competition will be added to this list as a prize. Additionally, contestants who win multiple silver and bronze medals can also earn judge status. A contestant who earns 6 points worth of medals will also be added to the eligible judges list as a prize. (Medal point values: Gold: 6, Silver: 3, Bronze: 1.5) After each competition, we will seek volunteers for the next contest from the list until we have three judges. It is a voluntary thing, so if you (as a recent gold-medal winner) feel uncomfortable with judging, or just don't have the time, that's fine with us. Our judges for this contest will be jennibert, JasonOrlandoHawk, Heros_Backpack, and Haruspex. jennibert will be our coordinating judge. This contest starts when this post is posted, and is due to end at 11:59pm GMT on Wednesday, October 31, giving you just over two weeks to enter your characters. If you have any concerns or suggestions to consider for the next Hero Craftsman competition, don't hesitate to post your comments in This Thread (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=621823). Finally, best of luck to all entries...and Happy Halloween!
jennibert 10-14-07, 10:28 PM	List of Entries: 1. Saralinda Hamilton Conner (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14142814&postcount=76) by wrecan 2. Donovon "Elogy" Eulan (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14163536&postcount=85) by Far_Traveler 3. Wayland Orem (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14164034&postcount=87) by Cartigan 4. Xenril Wickebane the Vengeful (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14168138&postcount=90) by V1zharan 5. Farren Cronwing, the Shade of Strife (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14183053&postcount=110) by Farren Cronwing 6. Namme (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14184173&postcount=114) by CheeseMan 7. Albaddon the Liberator (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14193932&postcount=123) by Mercurius 8. Ferryn Starborn (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14202054&postcount=132) by Talisman 9. Tyrus of Ashmont (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14203699&postcount=134) by TheAlchemist 10. Andrinor Balisade, aka Malhavoc Shadowlord (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14208103&postcount=140) by Endarrion 11. Winter, Angel Born of Death (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14214303&postcount=148) by -Winter- 12. Professor Jacobe Idelion (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14215958&postcount=149) by Avalon? 13. Devon Sypes (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14217420&postcount=153) by FRRC Late entries (not officially judged) 1. Rhonas the Untainted (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14220001&postcount=164) by Dog_O_War 2. Greiz Kirstall (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14269144&postcount=188) by Dipteran_Legacy 3. Tarik Rhys (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14304951&postcount=210) by Kit_the_Odd The reason I separated judged and unjudged...I found the fact that we got thirteen entries on a horror-themed competition too funny to not share with everyone! :D
jennibert 10-14-07, 10:29 PM	Or, at least, the AQ...since most questions are not asked more than once.... You'll notice that sometimes I quote another judge directly, and sometimes I paraphrase. It depends on the answer really. If it's cool enough or complicated enough, I scroll down and quote, but if it's quick I just paraphrase off the top of my head. No insult intended:). 1. Is taint allowed? As it is in Heroes of Horror and a requirement for some abilities described in that book, yes. But be sure it's justified in your background. 2. Will characters be penalized for being evil in alignment and deed? As long as your character will work with the party rather than killing the other members for fun and profit (or similar problematical actions such as dominating them all) bring it on! 3. What's required in a background? Justify your Level: Convince the judges you're level 12. A character who heroically killed some kobolds last week wouldn't skim the surface of level 12, while a character who single-handedly defeated the Tarrasque and his 7 Balor overlords wouldn't be believable for a level 12 character. Skim the Monster Manual and look to see what sort of victories are appropriate to your level. Again, you don't have to spell everything out in detail. You can accomplish 12 levels of experience in a few sentences. "My adventures began when the horde of (relatively weak creatures) threatened my town. Later, I heroically saved my (generic important NPC) from a (roughly mid-level CR monster). Most recently, I barely survived a battle with (monster that would be appropriate to your level)." Generic Important NPC's (a.k.a.: Friends/Family): I hinted at their involvement above, but I should probably spell it out. No character is an island. Family. Friends. Old Military Buddies. Have a few such characters hanging around so that the DM has something to work with when he writes the game. Note: Killing off such characters in your background can make for nice writing, but don't kill them all off. For example, the Punisher watched his entire family killed, driving him into his profession. However, the Punisher still had friends who helped him, and that he stood up for. If the Punisher has generic important NPC's, so should you. Allies/Antagonists: These are critical elements of a good background. The ally is typically a slightly lower level character (possibly former adventuring companion) who provides a critical service for the character (i.e.: The fighter's mage friend who upgrades his magical sword). The line between Ally and Important Generic NPC can be a bit blurry (in the case of your old Military unit that provides supplies, for example), but the judges want to know what resources you call on for problems you can't handle. Antagonists are a big part of the background, and please take note everyone; one of the main things I will be watching in this competition. A good villain makes a story more interesting, and a good antagonist will make your character more interesting. Follow the rules of good horror writing in general. However, one thing I want to make very clear: make sure your antagonist is something that would actually give you a challenge. You're level 12. If you try to convince me that an unmodified minotaur is your greatest threat, I will laugh at you (and send out the mind flayers). Character Goals: This can be pretty simple, especially if you have a strong antagonist. However, make sure you explain why your character is still adventuring, rather than hanging up his sword & shield and retiring. Motivation, specific (kill the man who killed my father) or general (drive back the taint infecting my homeland), is a critical element of a character. I will add: make sure you use complete sentences. We had what was actually a fairly interesting background submitted in "crib note" form one time that was so hard to read that he got downgraded for it. 4. When counting taint, should I put down the drawbacks if my character is evil? I know it says undead and those with the Evil subtype do not get drawbacks but is my character eligible for the Evil subtype by way of the alignment? An evil alignment does not give you the [Evil] subtype. Generally, that subtype is reserved for creatures native to an evil-aligned plane, such as demons and devils. There's exceptions, of course (I can recall an elemental or two with the [Evil] subtype), but it's a good enough general rule of thumb. 5. Is this competition open to everyone? And do I post my entry here? Yes! Please play! We are glad to have anyone who would like to participate do so! All you need is a forums account (so you can post;)). And this is the proper thread for entering--try to limit it to one post, for the sake of the judges' sanity. 6. Are templates allowed? As long as they come from the books listed, yes. But remember that your total ECL, including race, class, LA, and template, needs to equal 12 when all is said and done. 7. How are we to handle prayer (spell) books? As far as I can tell, the rules for prayer books are exactly identical to spell books. That includes: Starting spells "prayers" recorded. Preparing spells. Spells added (for free) at each new level. Price to copy new spells. Some notes: It specifically says that an Archivist can only gain Cleric spells for free, but may copy other Divine spells using normal copying rules. In all ways, I will be judging such material around the premise that a prayer book is identical to a spell book. That means that spells use a number of pages equal to their level, that a prayer book has 100 pages, and that any misc. rules for spell books apply normally. 8. What about item creation feats? Is it better to create than craft? For Magic Item Creation rules, see #8 under Rules in the first post. Generally, it is to your advantage, in terms of coin, to use Item Creation feats. However, you will want to make sure you can account for the time/materials you've spent crafting those items. For example, if you're walking around w/ a 12,000gp item, but your background indicates that you've spent the last 8 years of your life running, day to day, avoiding that horrible evil death that is hunting you, I'll be inclined to say that, no, you didn't have the time or space to craft such a unique and helpful item (and that you, therefore, had to acquire it by the regular means of buy, steal, haggle, etc...). 9. When you say horror, do you mean gruesome monsters and the like? Or do you just mean generic horror, like serial killers? Pretty much, whatever you want to go with is okay. Just bear in mind that your character must play well with others. I don't know if you were intending to build a serial killer or just use one in your background, but if the former, they're usually not known for working in groups. 10. My character will be increasing his intelligence modifier at level 8, when he does so does he gain 1 extra skill point per level from then on? Yes. He will gain one extra skill point at level 8, and one for each additional level thereafter. However, he does NOT get to retroactively add skill points for levels 1-7. 11. Question about the Necropolitan: Do I account the Loss of level, and thus give it an effective +1 LA? what about for a cohort? Or should I handwaive it and keep it at +0 LA? The judges have ruled! (Yay!) We're going to go with the latter option: Assuming that you lost your level, but have managed to adventure to Level 12 anyway. Make it a +0. 12. If I made a magical item, like the amulet of health, that increases my con score. when should I apply the bonus hp? around 5th level when I could make the item or after that? Your Con bonus to hit points is just simply Con modifier X # of hit dice. It doesn't matter when or how your Con changed, it's always that formula. FRRC is also correct. Zherog was just a tiny bit more clear, so I quoted him:). 13. This is based on Heroes of Horror and while the character is completely based around fear, he doesn't actually use any material from the book itself(although I do have it). Will I get downgraded for not using the book, and instead just going along with the theme of horror/fear? By no means will you be downgraded for not using a particular book. The name of the competition is just because I couldn't think of a better one--it was not at all meant as a requirement. It is merely an option available. Over the course of these competitions, we've had plenty of "core only" entries, several of them winners. The important thing is that your character follow the theme. As long as you do that, it doesn't matter if you use all of the available books. (Just don't use any not listed!;)) The contest isn't really about incorporating this book or that book. It's about designing characters - both crunch and fluff; it's about making sure your crunch backs up your fluff, and your fluff backs up your crunch; it's about making sure your character is going to be fun for you, and fun for your group; it's about making sure your character has hooks for your DM, so he/she can personalize part of the game for your enjoyment. 14. Is the spellstitched template allowed? No. While it may be in one of the requisite books, it does not give a Level Adjustment, and thus the power level is impossible to adjudicate. 15. Just to clarify: can I use (for argument's sake) the Totem Barbarian variant class, because it appears in the SRD, even though it's originally from UA? No, because it's not in the official SRD. It's worded that way in the original post for a reason. The Totem Barbarian (and the rest of the UA rules on d20srd.org) is designated as Open Game Content, but it's not in the SRD. Since it's designated OGC, anybody can republish it as long as they follow the terms of the Open Game License (which generally means they provide the copyright information of the material). The reason the SRD link doesn't appear is because it didn't properly copy and I didn't notice. It is fixed now. And just to double clarify, here it is again (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35). 16. For a shadowdancer's Summon Shadow ability, would i need to fully stat out the shadow, or would 'see Monster Manual pg 221' suffice? That's fine. It's not really changed from the base, no real reason to reprint it all here where you might mistype something and get points taken from your score. 17. Most followers/cohorts/familiars aren't required to be statted out, correct? Or, should I actually build my character's cohort and/or followers as well? As stated in the first post, we do ask for some info, but there's no need for anything more than name, class(es), and level(s) for your cohort and principal followers. After all, the more stats you give, the more mistakes you are open to making. 18. If I were to create a lich, would I account for the cost of a phylactery? You would indeed want to account for the cost of a phylactery, which is 120,000 gold. You would also want to take into account the fact that a lich is an LA +4, and you have to be an 11th level caster to make the phylactery, yielding a total ECL 15. Since you can only spend 29,333 gold on any one particular item, and you must be at a total ECL 12, you really can't enter a lich for this competition.
jennibert 10-14-07, 10:35 PM	And we're open. Looking forward to getting an assortment of interesting and horror-defying characters....or maybe just horrifying:). Enjoy!
Seeking_Knight_of_Graves 10-15-07, 12:31 AM	Yay! A new HC. Big question here. Seeing how Heroes of Horror is allowed. May the characters be allowed taint or no? Thanks and this time I will enter a character. P.s. Somthing I noticed. I believe you ment to put FAQ two posts up and I believe you also ment Libris Mortis instead of Libris of Madness. Thanks.
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-15-07, 12:32 AM	And as a bonus feature of Hero Craftsman #12... ...Mind Flayers will devour the brains of all contestants who do not earn medals!!! :cheer: Anyways, looking forward to all the entries. I've been reading up on Lovecraft to prep myself for judging this competition. Best of luck!
Talisman 10-15-07, 01:25 AM	Hmm...intriguing. Methinks I shall enter this...
Endarrion 10-15-07, 08:03 AM	The only question I have is this: Will characters be penalized for being evil in alignment and deed? In my mind, certain evil characters could work well with a group, even a group composed of good characters (just because Jimmy knows I'm evil, doesn't mean Thork the barbarian does).
Haruspex 10-15-07, 08:47 AM	It's a Hero Craftsman contest. (A spoooooky Hero Craftsman contest). Hope to see a lot of contestants for this one. Actually, not really. More entries means more work.;)
Mercurius 10-15-07, 10:10 AM	:plotting: *Rubs hands gleefully together.* This is an HC I've been looking forward to for a while now. Time to bust out the Lovecraft and see what I can do. :evillaugh
Cartigan 10-15-07, 11:14 AM	I was thinking of entering but I can't be assed to write 2 pages of fluff.
Heros_Backpack 10-15-07, 11:26 AM	The only question I have is this: Will characters be penalized for being evil in alignment and deed? In my mind, certain evil characters could work well with a group, even a group composed of good characters (just because Jimmy knows I'm evil, doesn't mean Thork the barbarian does). As far as I'm concerned Evil is fine but Evil Stupid is not. As long as your character will work with the party rather than killing the other members for fun and profit (or similar problematical actions such as dominating them all) bring it on! :) I was thinking of entering but I can't be assed to write 2 pages of fluff. 1 page of fluff is quite acceptable - just make sure all the basics are covered.
Cartigan 10-15-07, 11:36 AM	1 page of fluff is quite acceptable - just make sure all the basics are covered. Yeah, point stands. And what do the "basics" count as.
Mercurius 10-15-07, 12:23 PM	Yeah, point stands. And what do the "basics" count as. Typically, a general justification for how your character got to be the appropriate level. You don't have to go and detail your entire adventuring career, but a good idea of some of the obstacles overcome, rather than just, "here's a 12th level character. He's been sitting on his bum for the past 5 years." Some amount of info about what your character's life before adventuring was like is also a bit of a help. Basically, how did your entry become what he is.
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-15-07, 01:45 PM	Trust me, spelling out the basics isn't as hard as you might think. In fact, keeping it simple is greatly appreciated by the judges (here's looking at you, jennibert). Seeing how many entries this contest will garner, the less we have to judge, the less inclined we are to send out the zombies to devour contestants. The Basics Justify your Level: Convince the judges you're level 12. A character who heroically killed some kobolds last week wouldn't skim the surface of level 12, while a character who single-handedly defeated the Tarrasque and his 7 Balor overlords wouldn't be believable for a level 12 character. Skim the Monster Manual and look to see what sort of victories are appropriate to your level. Again, you don't have to spell everything out in detail. You can accomplish 12 levels of experience in a few sentences. "My adventures began when the horde of (relatively weak creatures) threatened my town. Later, I heroically saved my (generic important NPC) from a (roughly mid-level CR monster). Most recently, I barely survived a battle with (monster that would be appropriate to your level)." Generic Important NPC's (a.k.a.: Friends/Family): I hinted at their involvement above, but I should probably spell it out. No character is an island. Family. Friends. Old Military Buddies. Have a few such characters hanging around so that the DM has something to work with when he writes the game. Note: Killing off such characters in your background can make for nice writing, but don't kill them all off. For example, the Punisher watched his entire family killed, driving him into his profession. However, the Punisher still had friends who helped him, and that he stood up for. If the Punisher has generic important NPC's, so should you. Allies/Antagonists: These are critical elements of a good background. The ally is typically a slightly lower level character (possibly former adventuring companion) who provides a critical service for the character (i.e.: The fighter's mage friend who upgrades his magical sword). The line between Ally and Important Generic NPC can be a bit blurry (in the case of your old Military unit that provides supplies, for example), but the judges want to know what resources you call on for problems you can't handle. Antagonists are a big part of the background, and please take note everyone; one of the main things I will be watching in this competition. A good villain makes a story more interesting, and a good antagonist will make your character more interesting. Follow the rules of good horror writing in general. However, one thing I want to make very clear: make sure your antagonist is something that would actually give you a challenge. You're level 12. If you try to convince me that an unmodified minotaur is your greatest threat, I will laugh at you (and send out the mind flayers). Character Goals: This can be pretty simple, especially if you have a strong antagonist. However, make sure you explain why your character is still adventuring, rather than hanging up his sword & shield and retiring. Motivation, specific (kill the man who killed my father) or general (drive back the taint infecting my homeland), is a critical element of a character. Other: Please make sure that all attempts to bribe the judge are done via PM. They should not be included in your entry. I prefer snickerdoodle cookies. [/jk] Best of luck!
Zherog 10-15-07, 02:01 PM	There are other restrictions, however. Material in the three core books is allowed. Any material found in the following books is also permitted: ... Libris of Madness ... Two things. 1) The book is Libris Mortis, not Libris of Madness. :P 2) The bolded verb should be "are" not "is." :P :P I was thinking of entering but I can't be assed to write 2 pages of fluff. I'd like you to show me where in the rules it says you need 2 pages of fluff, please. You need a stat block; you need a background. That's the extent of what you need. The length is up to you.
HamHam 10-15-07, 02:27 PM	No FCs? :( Oh well. Now I'm off to make something...
Seeking_Knight_of_Graves 10-15-07, 06:35 PM	Heh, sorry for sounding impatient but no ruling on if the taint rule is being allowed? I got everything set for my character except feats and equipment. Thanks again all.
jennibert 10-15-07, 08:54 PM	Two things. 1) The book is Libris Mortis, not Libris of Madness. :P 2) The bolded verb should be "are" not "is." :P :P 1) Yeah, I'm a moron. As you and Seeking_Knight_of_Graves pointed out. 2) The subject of the verb "is" in that sentence is material, which is singular. At least, as I read it. Also to Seeking_Knight_of_Graves: I actually did mean "AQ." Most questions don't get asked more than once, so they're not really "Frequently Asked." I was being silly. (And I did call it FAQ in the post title:).) Now that those things are taken care of...answers to questions! Seeking_Knight_of_Graves: I don't have a problem with taint. I'll probably expect some sort of reference to it in your character's background (not necessarily explicitly, but if your background is all "super happy puppies love!" and your character has taint, I'm gonna downgrade you;)), but Mercurius pointed out to me yesterday that taint is a requirement for some prestige classes in that book, so sure, go ahead. Endarrion: I agree with Heros_Backpack. In fact, I actually won a silver medal with an evil character one time:). Just make sure s/he plays well with others. Cartigan: I don't think I can improve upon what JasonOrlandoHawk said. In fact, I am going to shamelessly copy and paste his entire post into the FAQ except for where he references my habit of being excessively wordy. All right! Now to update my mistake and the FAQ!
CheeseMan 10-15-07, 10:58 PM	hurray, i get to finally compete again :) time to put that long-ignored dnd thinkin cap back on
Seeking_Knight_of_Graves 10-16-07, 11:31 AM	Thanks Jenni for you answers. But I do have one odd question, and if I need to go to Sage Advice or the Dm board i will. When counting taint, should I put down the drawbacks if my character is evil? I know it says undead and those with the Evil subtype do not get drawbacks but is my charcter eligable for the Evil subtype by way of the alignment? Thanks again. Peace.
Zherog 10-16-07, 12:59 PM	An evil alignment does not give you the [Evil] subtype. Generally, that subtype is reserved for creatures native to an evil-aligned plane, such as demons and devils. There's exceptions, of course (I can recall an elemental or two with the [Evil] subtype), but it's a good enough general rule of thumb.
jennibert 10-17-07, 12:08 PM	So, it occurs to me that HC #12 requires Level 12. And we didn't even do that on purpose! We're so good. :D Also, no entries yet? Y'all are falling behind. The past couple of competitions, we've had entries by 3 days in, if memory serves. ;)
Cartigan 10-17-07, 12:21 PM	I might consider running something together after I consider running up a new homebrew class for the classes section.
FRRC 10-17-07, 03:31 PM	Something quite strange that I've noticed, my Heroes of Horror is missing lots of numbers and letters. Alot of it I can make out, but what I can't see the HD for Death Delver or how many Ranks in Concentration I need. I assume, based on the character samples they give that HD is d6 and that Concentration is at tops 7 Ranks. Any help please? :D
Dog_O_War 10-17-07, 04:14 PM	I take it this competition is open to everyone? Also, do I post my entry here? Finally, are templates (from the list books ofcourse) allowed?
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-17-07, 04:27 PM	Something quite strange that I've noticed, my Heroes of Horror is missing lots of numbers and letters. Alot of it I can make out, but what I can't see the HD for Death Delver or how many Ranks in Concentration I need. I assume, based on the character samples they give that HD is d6 and that Concentration is at tops 7 Ranks. Any help please? :D Death Delvers have a d8 HD, and the following requirements: Base Will Save: +2, Concentration 8 ranks, Heal 2 ranks, Know (religion) 4 ranks, Special: Must have had a near death experience (HP < 0, and lived) The HD is listed right above the class chart, next to the words "The Death Delver." If you're missing that much text, you may consider returning the book for a replacement. I take it this competition is open to everyone? Also, do I post my entry here? Finally, are templates (from the list books ofcourse) allowed? You're more than welcome to compete. This competition is open to anyone who has a forums account. Post your entry in this thread, but please keep it to just one post in length (which, honestly, isn't hard to do at all). Yes, all such templates from legal source books are allowed. There should be a note on this in the rules/hints section, but just to reiterate, the ECL of your character is 12. Thus, after racial HD, template LA, & class levels, you should have a total ECL of 12. Edit: There should be a link to the Hero Craftsman feedback thread in the first post. That thread has links to every previous competition. Feel free to use those as a reference when creating your own entry.
HamHam 10-17-07, 04:30 PM	How are we to handle prayer (spell) books?
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-17-07, 04:37 PM	How are we to handle prayer (spell) books? As far as I can tell, the rules for prayer books are exactly identical to spell books. That includes: Starting spells "prayers" recorded. Preparing spells. Spells added (for free) at each new level. Price to copy new spells. Some notes: It specifically says that an Archivist can only gain Cleric spells for free, but may copy other Divine spells using normal copying rules. In all ways, I will be judging such material around the premise that a prayer book is identical to a spell book. That means that spells use a number of pages equal to their level, that a prayer book has 100 pages, and that any misc. rules for spell books apply normally. Does that help?
Seeking_Knight_of_Graves 10-17-07, 06:33 PM	Good news! I am just about done. Though I have another question. My character is gonna have item creation feats. I am wondering if it would be better to make all my armor and stuff outright then it would be to buy them. For money purposes. Thanks all for the responses. :D
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-17-07, 08:06 PM	For Magic Item Creation rules, see #8 under Rules in the first post. Generally, it is to your advantage, in terms of coin, to use Item Creation feats. However, you will want to make sure you can account for the time/materials you've spent crafting those items. For example, if you're walking around w/ a 12,000gp item, but your background indicates that you've spent the last 8 years of your life running, day to day, avoiding that horrible evil death that is hunting you, I'll be inclined to say that, no, you didn't have the time or space to craft such a unique and helpful item (and that you, therefore, had to acquire it by the regular means of buy, steal, haggle, etc...). Edit: Speaking of which, a general background hint: Remember that starting wealth represents what your character has, not how they acquired it. If you're using the crafting rules, obviously, you built it. However, if you're paying the regular price, it doesn't make an ounce of difference to the judges if you bought it from a local craftsman or inherited it as a family keepsake. You will not be penalized for including a little flair in your writing. (For those of you who may worry that "crafting an item" sounds too mundane, you can add quite a bit of flair to the process, including things like hunting for components or a comedic (or tragic) magical mishap during the creation process.)
AmericanYeti 10-17-07, 08:33 PM	When you say horror, do you mean gruesome monsters and the like? Or do you just mean generic horror, like serial killers (which I think are far more terrifying than any creation of any mind).
Far_Traveler 10-17-07, 09:44 PM	The essence of the competition is quite simple. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAFG1mWwzF4&mode=related&search=
jennibert 10-17-07, 10:01 PM	When you say horror, do you mean gruesome monsters and the like? Or do you just mean generic horror, like serial killers (which I think are far more terrifying than any creation of any mind). Pretty much, whatever you want to go with is okay. Just bear in mind that your character must play well with others. I don't know if you were intending to build a serial killer or just use one in your background, but if the former, they're not usually known for working in groups.
V1zharan 10-17-07, 10:38 PM	My character will be increasing his intelligence modifier at level 8, when he does so does he gain 1 extra skill point per level from then on? I know items do not add to skill points, but I am not sure if the rule applies to ability score increases from levels though. ~V1zharan~
Far_Traveler 10-17-07, 10:38 PM	Question about the Necropolitan: Do I account the Loss of level, and thus give it an effective +1 LA? what about for a cohort? Or should I handwaive it and keep it at +0 LA?
Far_Traveler 10-17-07, 10:42 PM	My character will be increasing his intelligence modifier at level 8, when he does so does he gain 1 extra skill point per level from then on? I know items do not add to skill points, but I am not sure if the rule applies to ability score increases from levels though. ~V1zharan~ I can speak from experience for this, I've made 3 wizards for this competition, and you DO get extra skill points from increasing your int by levels. (that level and onwards, not retroactively)
V1zharan 10-17-07, 10:50 PM	Thank you. :D ~V1zharan~
Mercurius 10-17-07, 10:54 PM	Question about the Necropolitan: Do I account the Loss of level, and thus give it an effective +1 LA? what about for a cohort? Or should I handwaive it and keep it at +0 LA? Necropolitan effectively has a +1 Level Adjustment, which accrues when the character dies and loses a level. So if you are a Necropolitan, you can have at most 11 character levels, for a total ECL of 12. I can speak from experience for this, I've made 3 wizards for this competition, and you DO get extra skill points from increasing your int by levels. (that level and onwards, not retroactively) To expound, you do not gain skill points retroactively. If, at level 4, you go from a 15 to a 16 INT, you gain an extra skill point at level 4, and each level thereafter. You don't get retroactive skill points from your prior three levels.
jennibert 10-17-07, 11:02 PM	Wow, so many questions! And so much posting! I'm seeing lots of new faces...err...avatars. Welcome all! Please compete, even if it does mean I'll have more work to do. Looking forward to seeing what we'll get....
V1zharan 10-17-07, 11:24 PM	I know skill points are not retroactive, I just wanted to know how they were affected by ability score increases. This is my first time participating and I'm feeling good about my character, just have to work out the spells and the finer details of the backstory and he is finished. :D ~V1zharan~
Seeking_Knight_of_Graves 10-18-07, 12:42 PM	Hello again. Ummm if I made a magical item, like the amulet of health, that increases my con score. when should I apply the bonus hp? around 5th level when I could make the item or after that? Thanks again.
FRRC 10-18-07, 12:56 PM	No matter your level or when you increase your Constitution, the bonus HP you recieve from Constitution is always: Constitution Modifier x Hit Die. For example: A Level 5 character with 16 Con (+3 Mod) has 15 bonus HP. If said character gains an Amulet of Health, adding 2 to his Con (18 Con; +4 Mod), he will have 20 bonus HP.
Seeking_Knight_of_Graves 10-18-07, 03:49 PM	Thanks FFRC. That makes sense. So from say...level 1-4 i have a con of 13 so that is 4 bonus hp. And I get the amulet around level 5 on. so I start the +3 from five to twelve? Which is a bonus 24 hp. am i right with my numbers? Ty
Zherog 10-18-07, 04:06 PM	No, that's not correct; nor is it what FRRC said. Any changes to your Con are immediate. If you're 12th level and your Con is 13, you have +12 hit points. If you then put on an amulet of health +4, your Con goes up to 17 and you now have +36 hit points. If you then take 2 points of Con damage from poison, your Con drops to 15 and you now have +24 hit points. Your Con bonus to hit points is just simply Con modifier X # of hit dice. It doesn't matter when or how your Con changed, it's always that formula.
FRRC 10-18-07, 04:08 PM	Zherog got it. Your Con bonus to hit points is just simply Con modifier X # of hit dice. It doesn't matter when or how your Con changed, it's always that formula. That's what I said ^_^
V1zharan 10-18-07, 04:28 PM	Ok, my build is nearly complete, just one question.... This is based on Heroes of Horror and while the character is completely based around fear, he doesn't actually use any material from the book itself(although I do have it). Will I get downgraded for not using the book, and instead just going along with the theme of horror/fear? ~V1zharan~
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-18-07, 06:18 PM	You won't get penalized for what books you do, or do not, use. In fact, several contestants have taken gold using just the core 3 books. I know Heros_Backpack and I both took gold just using Core Books. The extra books are just optional material.
Zherog 10-18-07, 06:34 PM	It's much more important to be sure your character fits the theme than it is to use any particular book. The contest isn't really about incorporating this book or that book. It's about designing characters - both crunch and fluff; it's about making sure your crunch backs up your fluff, and your fluff backs up your crunch; it's about making sure your character is going to be fun for you, and fun for your group; it's about making sure your character has hooks for your DM, so he/she can personalize part of the game for your enjoyment.
Return of the Flumph 10-18-07, 06:58 PM	Entry in progress. Statblock and fluff will be completed before Halloween. Race: Dwarf Class: Cleric (traded in Turn Undead for proficiency with Dwarven Waraxe) Abilities: Str 18 Con 16 Dex 10 Int 11 Wis 16 Cha 8
Heros_Backpack 10-18-07, 07:04 PM	Return of the Flumph, please don't post your entry in bits and pieces. To qualify, it needs to be in a single post and without edits more than 30 min after it's first posted.
Return of the Flumph 10-18-07, 07:24 PM	Return of the Flumph, please don't post your entry in bits and pieces. To qualify, it needs to be in a single post and without edits more than 30 min after it's first posted. It was going to be in one post, but the thing about no edits ruins that idea. Forget it, then.
Zherog 10-18-07, 07:33 PM	Just post it all in a new post when you're ready.
jennibert 10-18-07, 11:11 PM	Necropolitan effectively has a +1 Level Adjustment, which accrues when the character dies and loses a level. So if you are a Necropolitan, you can have at most 11 character levels, for a total ECL of 12. Due to screwy wording, the judges are discussing this answer off screen. Please hold off on your entry until we've reached a consensus.
MagicMouth 10-19-07, 07:45 AM	Wow, in previous competitions there used to be at least a few posted entries by now... Anyway, this one looks like it could the coolest yet. I´ll try to come up with something nice to honor your choice of theme. :D
Cartigan 10-19-07, 10:27 AM	I have a concept that I can work a story around (for all my hatred of creative writing, I'm generally decent at it when I bother), I'm just having problems trying to derive feats, spells, and equipment I want from the half dozen books or so.
CheeseMan 10-19-07, 10:43 AM	i'm looking at maybe using the Nightsong Enforcer/Infiltrator PrCs, could i legally ignore the fluff requirement for them? They've got an 'adaptation' section right in their descriptions saying that they don't need to be associated with the Nightsong Guild
Far_Traveler 10-19-07, 10:47 AM	Due to screwy wording, the judges are discussing this answer off screen. Please hold off on your entry until we've reached a consensus. Will do, While my character himself is not a necropolitan (although he might if you favor +0, his level is cruical), his follower is. I will hold him off (he's not near finished anyway), I was a little miffed when the ruling was put by a non-coordinating judge, although I generally respect Mercurius's judgement.
Mercurius 10-19-07, 12:16 PM	Will do, While my character himself is not a necropolitan (although he might if you favor +0, his level is cruical), his follower is. I will hold him off (he's not near finished anyway), I was a little miffed when the ruling was put by a non-coordinating judge, although I generally respect Mercurius's judgement. Didn't mean to upset, just meant to contribute. My answer is certainly not "official" for this competition, and it was still up to the actual judges to decide. I was just putting in my two cents. I supposed I should have prefaced it somehow.
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-19-07, 06:17 PM	No big deal, Mercurius. It's partially my fault anyways. I spotted the question, but I missed your answer, so I sent out a PM to every judge to see what they all thought. Then I realized that an answer had already been posted... Anyways, an official decision should be close.
Longtime_Lurker 10-19-07, 06:47 PM	I'm working on an entry (I had three done to the theme but they all used the "races of" or "players handbook 2" so I need to do some reworking). I like the "must play well with others" stipulation very much.
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-19-07, 08:27 PM	:confused: Third page and still no entries??? I'm about to roll up an entry at this rate... I'm working on an entry (I had three done to the theme but they all used the "races of" or "players handbook 2" so I need to do some reworking). Players Handbook 2? *goes and checks original post* :eek: I had the feeling we'd forgotten something. I'd say it's probably too late to include now, but originally, that was supposed to be on the list. Next time I guess. I like the "must play well with others" stipulation very much. As a DM, so do I. So do I...
jennibert 10-19-07, 11:43 PM	I meant to have th PHB2....I must have forgotten it in the list of things I was writing...this is what I get for not double-checking my work! Grr! Sorry guys!
jennibert 10-19-07, 11:52 PM	Will do, While my character himself is not a necropolitan (although he might if you favor +0, his level is cruical), his follower is. I will hold him off (he's not near finished anyway), I was a little miffed when the ruling was put by a non-coordinating judge, although I generally respect Mercurius's judgement. You've got to remember, most of what I know about D&D comes from Mercurius:). Thus when he gave an answer that sounded correct from what little I knew of the necropolitan, I went with it. Same with when I went with answer from, say, Zherog, who is not judging this competition either. I probably should have checked the wording myself first, but he explained it to me as he was posting, and it made sense to me...and I didn't realize how crazy the wording was.... Sorry! BTW, we're still working on that. One judge has yet to weigh in an opinion (and you know who you are;)). On another question (so as not to look like I'm spamming, what with the last post also being mine): On the Nightsong infiltrator: I don't have a problem with you ignoring the fluff, as long as the abilities still make some sense with what you're doing with your character's background. But that starts being a real personal call...we'll make sure no one else objects to that first:)
Haruspex 10-20-07, 01:05 AM	Whoops, I had no idea that my counsel was required. I've now added my opinion, so the matter should be settled by now. Sorry for the delay.
jennibert 10-20-07, 10:48 AM	Whoops, I had no idea that my counsel was required. I've now added my opinion, so the matter should be settled by now. Sorry for the delay. Mostly, I just wanted to know if you had an objection, or just hadn't checked your messages in a while;) Don't worry about it. Pursuant to that, the ruling is: LA+0. We're going to assume that you lost your level but have since adventured to Level 12 anyway. So have at it, Far_Traveler (and anyone else who cares...)
CheeseMan 10-20-07, 11:14 AM	On the Nightsong infiltrator: ... But that starts being a real personal call...we'll make sure no one else objects to that first:) i've decided to go with a different character concept, so dont even worry about it, but thanks anyway
Mercurius 10-20-07, 01:16 PM	Mostly, I just wanted to know if you had an objection, or just hadn't checked your messages in a while;) Don't worry about it. Pursuant to that, the ruling is: LA+0. We're going to assume that you lost your level but have since adventured to Level 12 anyway. So have at it, Far_Traveler (and anyone else who cares...) Good lord that's evil. *Goes back to character concept, trying to abuse as much as possible.*
Far_Traveler 10-21-07, 11:14 PM	At this rate, I'm going to be posting my entry first! I think i might get a medal for this one (and if I don't, I'm probably going to cry), because after all, emo poets are always fun.
Avalon? 10-22-07, 01:59 AM	Jennibert, would you allow the spelltitched template for this game?
jennibert 10-22-07, 09:38 AM	Jennibert, would you allow the spelltitched template for this game? <snip> (I don't know which book, and am on my way to work, so don't have time to look it up....) REVISION: Mercurius got up and looked it up for me, and says that, though it is in Complete Arcane, it has no listed LA. My gut reaction to that is probably not, but I'll check with my fellow judges....
Mercurius 10-22-07, 10:23 AM	:hides:
Zherog 10-22-07, 10:41 AM	Same with when I went with answer from, say, Zherog, who is not judging this competition either. Wait! people trust my answers? :evillaugh [non sequitur] Be sure to check out my article in Kobold Quarterly issue 2! :D [/non sequitur]
FRRC 10-22-07, 01:21 PM	I thought about doing Necropolitan/Evolved Undead when I started the comp. Seemed interesting.
Longtime_Lurker 10-22-07, 01:27 PM	I'm having real trouble with this one for some reason. I had some solid ideas but none of them are working out to my liking. Must break out some Lovecraft or something to get my brain working... Maybe tonight's game will inspire me.
wrecan 10-22-07, 05:03 PM	Right, I'm now editing my entry to reflect some of the comments I'm receiving. Those edits will be in boldface. Holy nuts, I'm first!!! Apologies to James Cameron Saralinda Hamilton Conner, Human rogue 3/sorcerer 6/arcane trickster 3 The hardest thing is deciding what I should tell you and what not to. Well, anyway, I've got a while yet before you're old enough to decipher the scrolls. They're more for me at this point... to help get it all straight. Should I tell you about your father? That's a tough one. Will it change your decision to send him here... knowing? But if you don't send Kyle, you could never be. Gods, you can go crazy thinking about all this... I suppose I'll tell you... I owe him that. And maybe it'll be enough if you know that in the few hours we had together we loved a lifetime's worth. It began eleven years ago. I was happy then, or I thought I was. I was the third child of a leather goods trader. Rich enough to be educated, too poor to get a good dowry. So when I was sixteen, I left home rather than be the wife of baker. I had some skills already, and I was good with a quill and a pick. I started adventuring for the kicks, you know. But I really lived for the time between adventures. The parties and the people. It was at one of those parties that everything changed. A… thing… I know now they’re called “inevitables”, but I didn’t know it then, crashed into the tavern. All nine hells broke loose. People were firing spells and shooting, and the mechanical man just wouldn’t fall. He was walking toward me. To me! And that’s when Kyle showed up. “Come with me if you want to live.” I don’t know why, but I believed him. Maybe it was because the alternative was being ground up by that monstrosity. We ran. And in running, we fell in love. You, John, are the product of that love. Kyle eventually told me the truth about himself before the inevitable turned him to snow. He was an elf, your friend. You are going to be a powerful sorcerer one day. And you’re going to create a spell that will send him back in time, but in the process he will be as fragile as a simulacrum, unable to be raised, and turns to snow at death. You’re going to send him back in time to save me from the inevitable, but in doing so, you sign his death warrant. The inevitable that we are running from. The one who is trying to kill me before I can teach you the secret of how to stop Mechanus, and I don't even know what it is I need to teach you. But I need to figure it out quickly. Because in ten years, the gates of Mechanus are going to open up on this plane and the entire Material Plane is going to be overrun and you, my son, will be the only one who can stop it. My entire life changed when I met Kyle. My carefree life was gone. Now I adventure, not for fun, but to learn new skills I can teach you so you will survive the impending apocalypse. I know you don’t like the company I’ve kept, the men I’ve had to be with. But what happens to me is not important. All that is important is what happens to you. You., John, are the future. When I met Kyle, my eyes were opened in new ways. That is when I began to manifest my own sorcerous abilities, which Oathbreaker helped me to channel. Oathbreaker. Watching you with that bow, it is suddenly so clear. The weapon wouldn't die, it would never leave you. It would never hurt you or shout at you or get drunk and hit you or say it was too busy to spend time with you. And it would sunder to protect you. Of all the would-be fathers that came over the years, this thing, this construct, was the only thing that measured up. In an insane world, it was the sanest choice. Kyle brought Oathbreaker with him from the future. I don’t know if you make the bow, or if the bow always existed. Thoughts like that make my head hurt. I’ll write more later. I have to go find another adventuring party. I have more to learn. There are only a few years before the gates of Mechanus swallow us all. Oathbreaker is Saralinda’s most obvious ally. It is an intelligent +1 anarchic composite longbow. It has taught Saralinda all she knows of magic. Almost all of the resources (bracers of lesser archery, gauntlets of ogre power) and feats she aquired since meeting Kyle (3rd character level) are dedicated to allowing her to use the bow effectively. The rest of her abilities and equipment are designed to help her avoid the inevitable (particularly the winged boots, as the inevitable cannot fly). She has not thought to wonder why Oathbreaker convinced her to become an Arcane Trickster. Oathbreaker has hinted that in the future, those skills are going to be crucial to her destiny. She trusts Oathbreaker so implicitly that she never thought to question it and it has never had to engage in an ego contest with her. Oathbreaker will not talk in the presence of others, communicating telepathically with Saralinda, and usually in slaad, in order to foil most detect thoughts usages. She does not let people know she has an intelligent weapon. John is her half-elven son, about eleven years old. He is too young (physically he is like a seven-year old human) to have acquired any class levels, but he already shows signs of being a potent sorcerer. Enrique and Jolanda. These two retired adventurers live deep in the wilderness. They watch John for Saralinda while she adventures. They don’t know her background – only that she is a kindred spirit. Arnegger, the kolyarut inevitable, has been relentlessly chasing Saralinda and Oathbreaker for eleven years. It will find her. That's what it does. That's all it does! You can't stop it. It'll wade through you, reach down your throat, and pull your bleeping heart out. When encountering Arnegger, her goal is first and foremost to flee. Often she'll even leave her allies in the lurch, so terrified is she of the Inevitable. Many of her abilities -- particularly sneak attack -- are useless against the construct. Peterman is a good cleric who has encountered Saralinda during her flight with Kyle. He believes Saralinda is insane. He suspects the bow is the cause of her madness. He prays for guidance on how to cure her. Kylereese. Kyle the simulacrum is dead, but the elf who formed the model of that simulacrum must be alive and well somewhere. If Saralinda’s story if true, in thirty years, John and that elf will be fast friends and John will send his friend’s simulacrum through time to save his mother’s life and to father John. What would happen if Saralinda were to meet the template from which her lover was/will be built? Yes, this is an obvious Terminator rip-off. I was thinking about horror tropes and my first thoughts were aberrations and undead, but I figured those had been done to death. Then I thought of Constructs as a horror trope and my mind went to the Terminator movies. So I translated the movies into D&D terms. Now she is surrounded by constructs. Her lover was a simulacrum, now dead. Her foe is an Inevitable that will pursue her to the ends of the earth, and her mentor an intelligent sword who may or may not be utterly warping her mind. I think that qualifies for horror, notwithstanding the lack of necromancy or Cthulu-esque monstrosities. It should be noted I left open the possibility that Saralinda is simply being misled. Oathbreaker is not good-aligned. It is chaotic. It is very possible that the Inevitable was never going after Saralinda, but has been going after Oathbreaker the entire time. Could this be a deliberate ruse, perhaps devised by the elf upon whom the Kyle simulacrum was based? If so, to what end? Why is Saralinda being trained to be an Arcane Trickster? Was John simply an accident or is he indeed the intended consequence of a very long-ranged plot? If Kyle and the Kolyarut are indeed from the future, could Saralinda stop the plot of Mechanus to conquer the Material Plane, as Sarah Connor thought she had at the end of Terminator 2? One more design note. This character is purposely unoptimized. I built her as if she were a straight thief going for Combat Expertise feats and a wide range of skills. As you'll see below, she needs a host of cross-class skills to get into the prestige class, and a mess of magic items to use the bow. Thanks to Oathbreaker's influence, she has no melee weapon and no spare bow. Her saves, BAB and attacks are all well below what she could have were she optimized. That said, she is a valuable skillbot for a party, with a plethora of skills she can use. And if she meets people who will help her fight the Construct, she will be forever in their debt -- and she might trust them enough tot tell them her dark secret. Medium humanoid (human), Rog3/Sor6/ATr3 SPEED: 30 ft. (fly 60 ft. good maneuverability) BAB/GRP: +6/+8 ATTACK: composite longbow +10 ranged (d8+3) (+1 attack/damage from less than 30’, ignore DR/chaos) FULL ATTACK: composite longbow +8/+8/+3 ranged (d8+3) (+1 attack/damage from less than 30’) HIT POINTS: 59 ARMOR CLASS: 22 = 10 + 4 (Mage Armor) + 3 (Dex) + 3 (ring) + 2 (amulet) (+1 when using Dodge, +2 when casting Cat’s Grace, +4 when casting Shield, +4 when moving out of a threatened square and +1 vs. traps). Touch 16, flat-footed 19. SAVES: Fort +6, Ref +11 (+12 to avoid traps), Will +8 ABILITIES: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 16 FEATS: Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run SKILLS (only shown if different from straight ability bonus): Appraise +3, Balance +7, Bluff +6, Climb +4 (+2 using ropes, +2 using kit), Decipher Script +8, Disable Device +15, Escape Artist +10 (+2 using ropes), Hide +5, Knowledge (arcane) +6, Listen +3, Move Silently +5, Open Lock +11, Search +9. Sleight of Hand +10, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft +5 (+2 with scrolls), Spot +3, Tumble +8, Use Magic Device +8 (+2 with scrolls), Use Rope +8 CLASS ABILITIES: Evasion, Impromptu sneak attack 1/day, Ranged legerdemain 1/day, Sneak attack +3d6, Sorcerer spells (per day: 6 7 7 6 4), Summon familiar (not used), Trapfinding, Trap sense +1 SPELLS KNOWN (8 5 4 3 2): ZERO Arcane Mark, Detect Poison, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, FIRST Feather Fall, Mage Armor, Protection from Law, Shield, True Strike, SECOND Cat’s Grace, Darkvision, Rope Trick, See Invisibility, THIRD Dispel Magic, Flame Arrow, Magic Circle Against Law, FOURTH Dimension Door, Stoneskin POSSESSIONS: Explorer’s outfit (whose pockets contain 12 uses of stoneskin components, 1 dose of antitoxin, masterwork thieves’ tools, 31 pp, 26 gp, 5 sp, and 10 cp), Cloak of Charisma +2, Oathbreaker (see below), 2 quivers w/40 arrows, silk rope (50 ft.) with grappling hook, component pouch, waterskin, sack (containing everburning torch, climber’s kit, one week’s trail rations, winter blanket, bedroll and 2 empty sacks), Winged Boots, Ring of Protection +3, Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Amulet of Natural Armor +2, and Bracers of Lesser Archery LANGUAGES: Common, elven, slaad ALIGNMENT: Chaotic good NOTE: Saralinda will cast mage armor and darkvision upon awakening and will keep those spells active as they expire if she has the spell points to spare. OATHBREAKER +1 intelligent anarchic composite longbow (Str +2), Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 15, Ego 11, AL CN, detect magic at will, faerie fire 3/day, bless allies 3/day, 60 ft. darkvision and hearing, communicate telepathically with the wielder, Lang Common, Elven, Slaad BY LEVEL BREAKDOWN Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Abl’y Syn. Magic TOTAL Class Rog1 Rog2 Rog3 Sor1 Sor2 Sor3 Sor4 Sor5 Sor6 ATr1 Atr2 Atr3 - - - Str (4) 12 - - - - - - - - - - - - - +2 14 Dex (10) 16 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 Con (6) 14 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14 Int (5) 13 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13 Wis (0) 8 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 Cha (3) 11 - - +1 - - - +1 - - - +1 - - +2 16 HP 6 3.5 3.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 +24 - - 59 BAB +0 +1 +1 +0 +1 +0 +1 +0 +1 +0 +1 +0 - - - +6/+1 Fort +0 +0 +1 +0 +0 +1 +0 +0 +1 +0 +0 +1 +2 - - +6 Ref +2 +1 +0 +0 +0 +1 +0 +0 +1 +2 +1 +0 +3 - - +11 Will +0 +0 +1 +2 +1 +0 +1 +0 +1 +2 +1 +0 -1 - - +8 Feats Dodge/Mobility Combat Expertise Point Blank Shot Shot on the Run Rapid Shot Skill Points 40 10 10 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 Appraise 2 - - - - - - - - - - - +1 - - +3 Balance 2 - - - - - - - - - - - +3 +2 - +7 Bluff 2 - - - - - - - - - - - +3 - - +6 Climb 2 - - - - - - - - - - - +2 - - +4 Decipher Script 2 3 - - 1cc - 1cc - - - - - +1 - - +8 Disable Device 2 - 2 - 1cc 1cc 1cc - - 1 2 2 +1 - - +13 Escape Artist 2 3 - - - 1cc - 1cc - - - - +3 - - +10 Hide 2 - - - - - - - - - - - +3 - - +5 Know. (Arcana) - - - 4 - - - 1 - - - - +1 - - +6 Listen 4 - - - - - - - - - - - -1 - - +3 Move Silently 2 - - - - - - - - - - - +3 - - +5 Open Lock 3 - - - - - - - - 1 2 2 +3 - - +11 Search 3 - 3 - - - - - 2cc - - - +1 - - +9 Sleight of Hand 2 - - - - - - - - 1 2 2 +3 - - +10 Speak Language - - - - - - - - - 2 - - - - - 2 Spellcraft - - - - - - - 1 - 1 - - +1 +2 - +5 Spot 4 - - - - - - - - - - - -1 - - +3 Tumble 2 3 - - - - - - - - - - +3 - - +8 Use Magic Dev. 2 - 3 - - - - - - - - - +3 - - +8 Use Rope 2 1 2 - - - - - - - - - +3 - - +86 TREASURE AND ENCUMBRANCE Location Wt Cost Item Back 3 29300 Oathbreaker Back 5 10 Rope, silk (50 ft.) Back 6 2 2 Quivers w/40 arrows Back, Rope 4 1 Grappling hook Belt 2 5 Component Pouch Belt 4 1 Waterskin Belt 0.5 0.1 Sack Belt, Sack 1 110 Everburning torch Belt, Sack 5 80 Climber’s Kit Belt, Sack 7 3.5 Rations, one week Belt, Sack 3 0.5 Blanket Belt, Sack 1 0.2 2 Empty sacks Belt, Sack 5 0.1 Bedroll Body 2 4000 Cloak of Charisma +2 Body 0 0 Explorer’s Outfit Feet 1 16000 Winged boots Hand, right 0 18000 Ring of Protection +3 Hands 4 4000 Gauntlets of ogre power Neck 0 8000 Amulet of Natural armor +2 Pockets 0 3000 Stoneskin components (12 uses) Pockets 1.44 336.6 31 pp, 26 gp, 5 sp, 10 cp Pockets 2 100 Masterwork thieves’ tools Pockets 0 50 Antitoxin Wrists 1 5000 Bracers of archery, lesser 57.94 88000 TOTAL Oathbreaker cost breakdown 600 Composite longbow (Str +2) 18000 +3 bonus (anarchic and +1 enhancement) 5000 Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 15 3600 Detect magic at will 1100 Faerie fire 3/day 1000 Bless allies 3/day 29300 TOTAL
jennibert 10-22-07, 07:57 PM	Yay! An entry! You are properly entered in the list, wrecan. Just so you know. Oh, and the name is terrible....:rofl:
Cartigan 10-22-07, 09:03 PM	Mine would be done if I could be assed to put together spells and maneuvers.
Haruspex 10-23-07, 02:44 AM	Apologies to James Cameron indeed. But, you are the first entry so I guess you deserve credit for that. Nice adaptation of the story by the way.
wrecan 10-23-07, 11:54 AM	I realize I forgot the bonus language Saralinda gets for 13 Int. That would have been elven, so that would have freed up a skill point at 10th level. I also forgot to note that +2 synergy she gets to her Use Rope skill when escaping rope bindings. Oh, well.
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-23-07, 11:54 AM	:gah: An entry!!! Now I actually have to start working!!! :hides:
jennibert 10-23-07, 06:54 PM	In response to the earlier question on the spell-stitched template: 3 out of 4 judges agree: No. And the fourth hasn't responded yet. The reasoning: No listed LA means it is not intended for PC or cohort use.
jennibert 10-24-07, 10:14 PM	So I totally didn't intend that to be a thread killer.... And seriously, at this rate, wrecan's going to win by default. And while I'm sure he wouldn't mind the gold medal, it's more fun to win by beating competition.... Less than a week left, people! Let's see some entries! :D
Mercurius 10-24-07, 10:33 PM	Most of my stats are done, aside from spending the last 17,000 gold or so... Then I've gotta actually write background. But, y'know, sometimes other things come up.
Far_Traveler 10-24-07, 10:48 PM	Donovon “Elegy” Eulon TN Human Necropoliton* Bard 7/ Dirgesinger 5* Age: 32 (necropoliton at 24) Deity: Evening Glory* Height: 6’2 Weight: 102 lbs Eyes: White (brown when alive/disguised) Hair: Grey (black when disguised/alive) Skin: Deathly Pale (tannish when disguised/alive) Str: 10 (2) Dex: 14 (6) Con: - (0) Int: 16 (6 + 2 hat) Wis: 14 (6) Cha: 22 (8 + 3 level + 4 cloak) HP: 95 (12d12+12) Initiative: +2 Darkvision 60ft Speed: 30ft Languages: Common, Draconic, Undercommon AC: 10 + 2 dex + 6 armor + 3 shield + 2 deflection + 2 natural = 25 BaB/Grapple: +8/+8 Saves: +6 Fort, +11 Ref, +14 Will, (3/6/9 base, 0/2/2 ability, 3/3/3 vest, +2 vs. Control Undead), +2 Turn resistance Attack: Masterwork Rapier +9/+4 (1d6/18-20) Feats: 1st: Lingering Song^ 1st(human bonus): Extra Music^ 3rd: Melodic Casting^^ 6th: Requiem* 9th: Undead leadership* 12th: Improved Toughness Class/template Features: Bardic knowledge (+12, 7 level + 3 int + 2 syn) Music: 16 times per day Fascinate/Suggestion (play) Inspire courage +1 (atk/dmg/sv(fear))(play+10) Countersong (play, max 10) Inspire Competence (+2 skill) Song of Sorrow (-2 atk/dmg/will, DC25, play+10) Song of Horror (DC25, 1d6 str/dex damage) Song of Bolstering (+12 turn resistance, play+20) Song of Awakening (temp. resurrection, play) Song of Grief (1 enemy confuse, play+10, DC 25) Unnatural Resilience (heals damage and ability damage as normal) +2 turn resistance Skills: 90 bard, 35 dirgesinger Perform (Oratory) 15 ranks Knowledge (religion) 10 ranks, skill trick “Collector of Stories”** Use Magic Device 15 ranks (20 pts, cc for dirge) Appraise 10 ranks Spellcraft 5 ranks Diplomacy 6 ranks Listen 15 ranks, skill trick “Listen to This”** Gather Information 10 ranks Knowledge (history) 5 ranks Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks Knowledge (local) 5 ranks Knowledge (nature) 5 ranks Knowledge (dungeoneering) 5 ranks Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks Total Modifiers: Appraise +13 (10 ranks +3 int) +2 fine detail, +2 weight Diplomacy +12 (6 ranks, +6 cha) Gather Information +18 (10 ranks, +6 cha, +2 synergy) Hide +1 (+2 dex) Knowledge (Arcana) +10 (5 ranks, +3 int, +2 book) +5 when identifying creatures Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +10 (5 ranks, +3 int, +2 book) +5 when identifying creatures Knowledge (History) +10 (5 ranks, +3 int, +2 book) Knowledge (Local) +10 (5 ranks, +3 int, +2 book) +5 when identifying creatures Knowledge (Nature) +10 (5 ranks, +3 int, +2 book) +5 when identifying creatures Knowledge (Religon) +15 (10 ranks, +3 int, +2 book) +5 when identifying creatures Knowledge (The Planes) +10 (5 ranks, +3 int, +2 book) +5 when identifying creatures Listen +17 (15 ranks, +2 wis) Can repeat anything heard flawlessly Move Silently +2 (+2 dex) Perform (Oratory) +23 (15 ranks, +2 book, +6 cha) Spellcraft +10 (5 ranks + 3 int + 2 synergy), +2 to decipher scrolls Spot +2 (+2 wis) Use Magic Device +21 (15 ranks, +6 cha) +2 for scrolls Survival +2 (+2 wis), +2 in aboveground natural, underground, and on other planes Spells: Known 6/4/4/2, per day 3/3/2/0, bonus 0/2/2/1, total 3/5/4/1 0: Prestidigitation, lullaby, ghost sound, dancing lights, detect magic, mending 1: Inspirational boost^, feather fall, Silent image, Identify 2: Tactical Percision^, detect thoughts, Magic Savant^^, mirror image 3: Haste, Speechlink^ Equipment (88,000gp): 3,000gp Fee (for necropoliton*) Cloak of Charisma + 4 (16,000) Headband of Intellect +2 (2,000) Vest of Resistance +3 (9,000)^* Handy Haversack (2,000) Ring of disguise (1,800) +2 Mithril chain shirt (5,250) +2 mithril buckler (5,165) +2 ring of protection (8,000) +2 amulet of natural armor (8,000) Night Caller* (7,000) Rod of Extend Metamagic, Lesser (3,000) Masterwork Rapier (320) 100ft. Silk Rope (20) Spell component pouch (5) Merchant’s Scale (2) Magnifying glass (100) 5 Wands of inflict light wounds (3750) Wand of Knock, 20 charges (1,800) Wand of Fireball, 20 charges (4500) Wand of Lightning Bolt, 20 charges (4500) Scroll of Scrying (700) Scroll of tongues (375) Scroll of allied footsteps (150) Scroll of Good Hope (525) Books: ‘Poems, Hymns and Prayers’ (100) (+2 perform (oratory)) ‘Unearthed Arcane, a Wayfarer’s Guide’ (50) (+2 Kn(arcane)) ‘Brief History of the World’ (50) (+2 Kn(history)) ‘Urban Legends’ (50) (+2 Kn(local)) ‘Rites, Ceremonies, and Legends’ (50) (+2 Kn(religion)) ‘The Great Wheel, Unabridged’ (50) (+2 Kn(the planes)) ‘The Ecology of the Deep’ (50) (+2 Kn(dungeoneering)) ‘The Circle of Life’ (50) (+2 Kn(nature)) ‘Poems for the Eternal Soul’ (15) (original poems) 10 vials of ink (80) 10 inkpens (1) 170 candles (1.7) 30 pieces of chalk (0.3) Everburning Torch (110) 25 sheets of parchment (5) Scholar’s outfit (-) Custom Carrying carriage (carried by two ogre skeletons) (100) Hourglass (25) Mirror, small (10) Listening cone^ (20) Remaining money: 18 pp, 37 gp, 26 sp, 40 cp Items carried on person (rather then in handy haversack): Scholar’s outfit (-) Cloak of Charisma (1) Vest of resistance (1) Mithril Chain shirt (12.5) Mithril Buckler (2.5) Rings (-) Amulet of Natural armor (-) Handy Haversack (5) Rapier (2) Spell component pouch (2) Money (3) Total Weight: 29 lbs, capacity: <33 light, <66 med, <100 heavy Score: 12 + 6 cha, +2 for undead, -4 for living Cohort(14th undead, 10th living, 10th max): Anna, 10th level TN Necropolitan* Favored Soul*^* of Evening Glory* Notable spells: (8/6/6/5/4/3) Summon undead I-V, Animate Dead, Prayer, Spawn Screen*, Desecrate, Protection from positive energy, Inflict various wounds, mass inflict light wounds, slay living Notable feats: Corpsecrafter*, Destruction Retribution*, Nimble Bones*, Hardened Flesh*, Bolster Resistance* Undead under Anna’s (not Donovon’s) control: 2 Hill Giant Skeletons (all corpsecrafter feats apply) Followers (50/5/3/2/1, all undead): 1 8HD Blue Slaad Skeleton, 2 6HD Minotaur Skeletons, 3 4HD ogre skeletons, no 1HD or 2HD skeletons/zombies maintained as followers Donovon has recently used his night caller whistle to reanimate a fire giant as a zombie. Donovon was born to a traveling poet named Cybia Eulon, who was commonly called to noble courts to recite her poems. His mother is unsure who exactly his father is, so he never knew him. As a result, he grew up with a love for romance, although he didn’t truly understand it. Or at least, he didn’t until he met Anna Geatlan, the daughter of one of the many nobles that his mother performed for. She was locked away for most of the time, her “Special Gifts” making her seem like she was touched by a dark god. But she was allowed some comforts, such as a view of the performance from her cell (which afforded her a good view of the court). Because of this, Donovon saw her and immediately became infatuated with her. Although his mother, when he told her about it, initially dismissed Donovon’s love as caused by reading one too many love stories, she was appalled at Anna’s treatment. She convinced the noble to throw a party and have her perform at it, so that she and Donovon could remain at the manor for a week. During this week, Donovon had managed to meet with Anna (with the assistance of his mother’s bardic magic) and court her. Due to her captive lifestyle, it was simple to convince her to cooperate with an escape. They traveled the courts for years, and although Anna’s absence was noticed, Count Geatlan only put a token effort into her search. After a few more years of travel with Ms. Eulon, Donovon and Anna went on their own adventures. At first, they did the usual adventuring tacks, got some companions, but it was apparent that Anna’s lack of healing magic was bothering the party. This was especially noticed when they started fighting a two-bit necromancer that kept controlling Anna’s summoned undead, ending the fight very messily. Donovon managed to escape with few injuries as he tended to avoid confrontations, but Anna got hit by a mummified* kobold, a ghoul, a slaymate*, pretty much any weak undead with a disease you can think of. Donovon managed to use a scroll found earlier to rescue her, and they escaped. However, the diseases that gathered within her gestalted into a powerful curse. She began wasting away, and perished, fortunately preventing herself from reanimating with her divine gift (who knows what kind of horror she would have arisen as). One resurrection spell later, Donovon was dismayed to find that the curse lingered even beyond such methods, and she perished again. It was at this point that Donovon’s poetry began to take a darker turn, and his musical gifts began to influence the dead and the living, making them as despondent as he was. But the studious Donovon managed to find out of legends that led him to the Ritual of Crucimigration. After finding a suitable location and necromancer (a Lich-preist of Evening Glory by the name of Dresden Belle, who after hearing the story and divining exactly who Anna was, was ecstatic to help) resurrected Anna and began to perform the ritual (and a wedding ceremony while she was at it) on both lovers. When they arose, Anna was purged of her curse (and actually seemed to be strengthened by it), and the both of them realized their true purpose: to cultivate and preserve eternal love. They deeply thanked Dresden Belle, and performed two score quests for him, including performing some Rituals of Crucimigration on other people. Their debt paid, they started to go out and fulfill their unlife’s work. Unfortunately, they didn’t come through the Ritual of Crucimigration unfazed; to be blunt they became insane, actually. Their love transcended all literary works, and they spread that love by animating those who they perceived needed eternal love, even if they in fact didn’t have love at all after the primitive animation methods, or even before the animation (which led to the rather odd animation of a blue slaad), they really just animated everything they could. Some time after becoming a necropolitan, Requiem noticed he could control large amounts of weak undead animated by his wife, freeing her to control stronger ones. The undead lose the augmentations given by his wife, but it is still a boon that he finds quite useful. Recently, however, most of their army (anything that had 3 HD or less) fell to a massive blast of positive energy by those who take offense to “true love” and they have achieved enough infamy for their “acts of benevolence” that they have made quite a few enemies, notable among them is the entire church of Pelor (they tend to frown upon undead in any form), anyone who heard of the “vile and villainous acts” of the Mad Lovers, their villain title. Because of this, they have begun to hearken back to their questing days (before and after reanimation) and gather some companions that they do not control and teach the world the secret of eternal love. Secret to Anna, however, is Donovon’s research into that disease that killed her several times, and to enact vengeance on the horrid necromancer that inflicted that disease by giving it to him. He hasn’t quite figured out how yet, but his research into the undead has yielded some interesting results. Keeping it secret from Anna has proved difficult, but doable if he takes his time. One big milestone has been achieved, the name of the Necromancer: Countess Rosetta Geatlan. Allies: Donovon and Anna can find among their allies most of the church of Evening Glory, particularly Dresden Belle the Lich-Priest. Also they have forged some friends in former adventuring companions, as they tended to be of the intelligent undead or necromantic variety. More notable are those they transformed into necropolitons, seven in all, ranging from Jason Enriq the Sorcerer, to Hi Tran the Monk, to Persus Liveds the Ranger. Finally, any enemy who has fallen is a potential ally, especially the ones who are animated with night caller, a whistle with the power to animate the dead. Recently, the undead minions (most fell, all but the listed undead survived barely, but that’s why I have so many wands of inflict) felled an Elven Cleric and his Fire Giant ally, Anna killed the cleric on the second slay living, Donovon reanimated him with Song of Awakening, and had the cleric commanded (with the spell greater command) the fire giant to fall prone. That was all the undead horde needed to finish the job. Afterwards, Donovon had the skeletons dig a grave for the fire giant and then that night reanimated the giant as a zombie. Enemies, again, consist mostly of members of the church of Pelor, but include some other beings, such as any other survivors of the tragic encounter with Countess Rosetta Geatlan (they didn’t check for any), who might see the pair as sealing their doom. Also, the Countess herself proves to be an enemy (although I doubt she even knows that the pair exists), although she may have multiplied in strength by now. For the books, I used Masterwork Instrument price for the perform bonus, Masterwork Tool price for knowledge bonuses, and blank spellbook price for the original poems (my own little touch, all bards should have an artbook) His love-inspired motivation seems to clash with his dirgesinger abilities, but I see it as him using poetics showing how hollow life is without love, losing love, etc. While Donovon is by no means optimized, I would like to think that he is not use-impaired, with various poems at his disposal and some wands to nuke stuff while he's reciting (his melodic casting feat allows him to use spell-trigger items while singing) *: Libris Mortis ** Complete Scoundrel ^Complete Adventurer ^*Complete Arcane *^*Complete Divine ^^Complete Mage (that’s a lot of books!)
CheeseMan 10-24-07, 11:45 PM	I've got stats done, i just need background, i should have everything done and posted sometime this weekend
Cartigan 10-25-07, 12:02 AM	Not that it is anything compared to other entries, I might as well post it since I wrote all this junk up Wayland Orem LN Human Archivist 7, Crusader of Boccob 5 Deity: Boccob Age: 27 Hght: 5'8” Wght: 160lb HP: 78.5 (7d6 + 5d10 + Con bonus) Mod: Stats: [+2] Str: 14 (10 +4 BoGS) [+1] Dex: 12 (10 +2 GoD) [+2] Con: 14 (13 +1 lvl 8) [+3] Int: 17 (16 +1 lvl 4) [+1] Wis: 12 [+2] Cha: 14 (13 +1 lvl 12) AC: 33 (Touch: 14, FF: 33) [Full plate, shield, GoD, RoP, AoNA] Language: Abyssal, Infernal, Celestial, Elven, Common Feats: 12: True Believer [Complete Divine] 9: Blade Meditation (Devoted Spirit) [Tome of Battle] 6: Draconic Archivist [Heroes of Horror] 3: Master of Knowledge [Heroes of Horror] 1: Diligent 1 (Human bonus feat): Investigator Skills: Appraise: 0+5 (+2 Diligent, +3 Int) Search: 0+5 (+2 Investigator, +3 Int) Diplomacy: 15+2 (+2 Cha) Gather Information: 10+4 (+2 Investigator, +2 Cha) Concentration: 12+2 (+2 Con) Decipher Script: 11+5 (+2 Diligent, +3 Int) Knowledge (arcana): 12+4 (+1 MoS, +3 Int) Knowledge (religion): 15+4 (+1 MoS, +3 Int) Knowledge (dungeoneering): 12 +4 (+1 MoS, +3 Int) Knowledge (history): 13+4 (+1 MoS, +3 Int) Knowledge (the planes): 10+4(+1 MoS, +3 Int) Spellcraft: 10+3 (+3 Int) Items: Boccob's Blessed Book, 1lb, 12.5k Heward's Handy Haversak, 5lb, 2k Belt of Giant's Strength +4, 1lb, 16k Spell component pouch, 5gp, 2lb Holy symbol of Boccob, Silver (25gp, 1lb) +2 Cold Iron Longsword 10,330gp, 4lb +2 Mithral Full Plate 14.5k, 25lbs +2 Heavy Mithral Shield, 5,020gp, 7.5lb Ring of Protection +3, 18k, 0lb Ring of Sustenance, 2.5k, 0lb Bedroll, 1sp, - (in HHH) Traveler's Outfit, -, - Hooded Lantern, 7gp, - (in HHH) 5 pints of oil, 5sp, - (in HHH) Amulet of Natural Armor +1, 2k, 1lb 5 tindertwigs, 5gp, - (in HHH) Gloves of Dexterity +2, 4k, 1lb 110pp, 6gp, 4sp, - (in HHH) (Leftover gold to be used to buy expensive spell components where needed and any other finances) Natural progression by level: 1) All 0-level spells, Divine Favor, Cure Light Wounds, Shield of Faith, Protection from Evil, Comprehend Languages 2) Hide from Undead, Bless 3) Cure Moderate Wounds. Aid 4) Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength 5) Cure Serious Wounds, Locate Object 6) Speak with Dead, Magic Vestment 7) Cure Critical Wounds, Divine Power Spells found through travels and studies in the archive of the Paladins of Herioneous: Magic Circle Against Evil, Prayer, Holy Sword, Owls' Wisdom, Dispel Evil, Death Ward, Dispel Magic, Longstrider, Barkskin, Owl's Wisdom Stances: Martial Spirit Tactics of the Wolf Maneuvers: Divine Surge White Raven Strike Revitalizing Strike Bonecrusher Foehammer Lion's Roar Mountain Hammer Not to say Wayland Orem's early life wasn't important, but it just isn't the stuff of legend and lore. Born to a poor, but good home, he was sent to the local temple as a simple worker – cleaning and acting as groundskeeper while the Clerics and Wizards in training to Boccob worked to prove they are worthy of the favor of the god of knowledge. Though he was never tapped to become a Cleric, he had time to peruse the archives of the temple and eventually was recognized as the Archivist referencing and retrieving materials for the researchers. After a few years, he decided it was time to leave the temple and seek new lore elsewhere in hopes of gaining new knowledge, and gold. Wayland Orem took with him what he learned in a temple of Clerics – healing spells. Though given no power directly, he knew that any person who can decipher a spell can wield its power. Thus he gained the power of the Clerics – carried with him in a book similar to that of the Wizard. This way he talked his way into adventuring parties by offering healing services cheaper than those of mercenary clerics. He only sought tomes and scrolls to expand his knowledge, knowledge he learned he could use to pad his adventuring resume by offering unique support against those creatures he had learned about in his studies. One day,while engaging denizens of a bar in conversation in hopes of finding any local ancient temples or other sources of gold and knowledge, he learned of a sect of Paladins of Heironeous who had collected many old and dusty tomes in their quests against the forces of evil by direction of their god. Orem talked his way into their castle and offered his services as an Archivist to sort through their library for those books that may help the fight against evil. He was inspired by their valor and unending fight against evil. Orem knew that knowledge was as dangerous as any weapon, probably better than anyone, and he felt that he too must do his part to help protect the world. He had to do more than just search for knowledge for himself; he had to fight for knowledge to keep it from the hands of those who would use it for wrong. Before leaving to begin his crusade, he came across information about an old tome – the Tome of Ancient Lore – a relic of Boccob, the god of knowledge, a herald to his young days in the temple. He knew that he must quest for knowledge in the name of Boccob, and that he did. I'm sure I screwed up something, meh.
jennibert 10-25-07, 10:19 AM	Ask and ye shall receive....yay for more entries! Both look like interesting additions... Way to go, guys!
Far_Traveler 10-25-07, 10:32 AM	Ask and ye shall receive....yay for more entries! Both look like interesting additions... Way to go, guys! "Yes, the noblemen recieve all they ask for. The finest foods, the most magnificant of musicians, the most outstanding orators. It's simply sickening.:raincloud " "Now Elegy, don't be like that.:( " "Quiet, I'm practicing my alliteration.:ahem: " "What's alliteration?":bigeyes: :doh:"Ugh, allitteration is when you say several sayings with similar starting sounds." :teach: :lightbulb "Hey, you just used it!" :rolleye2: "Yes, very good."
V1zharan 10-25-07, 02:26 PM	I finally took the time to get it all put down in a post... Xenril Wickebane the Vengeful Specialist Wizard(Illusion) 3/Master Specialist 4/Nightmare Spinner 5 Deity:none, he refuses to worship any deity, given that there was no divine help for his village, he also scoffs at the fact that Corellan Lorethian is supposed to be the "Protector of Elves" Hair: pale gold Eyes: violet Height:4'11" Weight:109 Skin: very pale Xenril was part of a somewhat small group of refugees. Their mountain home had been ransacked by a pair of liches with a hatred for elves. Xenril's family was able to escape and meet up with other families that had fled and they all settled in human lands, hoping to avoid the liches. Xenril was 98(12 years short of adulthood) at this point and had fled with his sister Lia, 78, along with their parents. A couple peaceful years went by and everyone in their town(about 50) believed that the danger had passed them by. It was about midday, everyone was going about their work, when fire rained down into the town, men in spiked armor ran into the streets, knocking people unconcious and killing if they resisted. In the space of 15 minutes 10 elves lay dead and the rest were tied up in the center of town. About 25 people stood around them, some in robes, some clad in plate armor with wicked weapons, others bearing heavy armor while waving about holy symbols. The attackers herded the villagers over to a cave a couple miles away and there the villagers were tortured day and night by both real torture devices and illusions. This went on for a month and during that time Xenril learned their captors were worshippers of Erythnul who were torturing them to please their God. At the end of the first month the worshippers started killing off the people of the village, 2 a day. On the 17th day of this the cave came under siege. Adventurers had heard about the fate of the elven town from a single elf that had escaped capture and it had taken them up till then to find the cave. The adventurers eventually killed off all the cultists, but by then only 6 villagers remained, Xenril, his sister, and a few elves Xenril wasn't familiar with. Xenril's parents had been killed the day before. Xenril had been learning arcane magic under his father and begged his saviors to take him and his sister with them so he could continue studying and so he could repay them. They agreed and Xenril learned quite a lot under the wizard of the party, Adomorn. This went on for near 10 years. The party traveled around, aiding those in need, uncovering plots of villians, turning back hordes of invading orc armies, if people needed help, they were there. When Xenril turned 110 he bid farewell to the group and went off with Lia to get vengeance on Erythnul and in general everything evil. During his studies under Adomorn he had shown deep interest in illusion, his reason being that to cause the most fear in a being you needed to make them believe their worst nightmare had come to life before their eyes, and he wished to use this against any and all evil he crossed paths with. When he split from the group he pursued the darker side of illusions, going from decieving the eye and mind to doing all he could to take down his enemies with their own worst fears. He sought out worshippers of Erythnul constantly so that he may get his vengeance for the torture and slaughter of his town, and in time seeks to become powerful enough to rip Erythnul right out of the pantheon. Allies Other than his sister he has no real allies but will accept help from any who offer it, so long as they work towards the downfall of evil and/or Erythnul. He has a reputation as cold and merciless but above those, he is considered a hero of Good, albeit a dark hero. His sister rarely speaks, and when she does only to Xenril. She is still too deeply scarred by the death of everyone close to her except her brother to really put effort towards gaining class levels, but she does seem to have a fascination with necromancy and, in time, will likely go into Dread Necromancer. Enemies Anyone who works against him is his enemy, along with all that is evil. Above all however, his enemies are any who associate themselves with Erythnul. Wizard(Illusion) 3/Master Specialist 4/Nightmare Spinner 5 str 6 (8-2 racial) dex 17 (10+4 gloves +1 level +2 racial) con 12 (14-2 racial) int 24 (16+2 racial +2 level +4 item) wis 14 cha 16 (12 +4 item) HP 43(12d4+12) Initiative +3 BAB/Grapple +5/+3 Speed 30ft AC 10+6 armor+ 3 dex=19 Languages Common, Elven, Draconic, Sylvan, Orc, Gnome Saves Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +16(base 3/3/11 ability 1/3/2 cloak 3/3/3 +2 vs enchantment spells or effects) Feats 1st Spell Focus(Illusion) Wizard-Scribe Scroll 3rd Retributive Spell 4th Master Specialist Skill Focus(Spellcraft) 6th Chain Spell Master Specialist Greater Spell Focus(Illusion) 9th Metamagic School Focus 12th Spell Focus(Necromancy) Class/Racial Features 1st Immunity to Magic Sleep Effects Low-Light Vision Elven Proficiencies +2 spot, search, and listen checks 7th Minor School Esoterica-Master Specialist 8th Immunity to Fear-Nightmare Spinner Inspire Fear(Su)-Nightmare Spinner 9th Nightmare Phantasm (Su)-Nightmare Spinner 10th Spirit Chill(Su)-Nightmare Spinner 12th Deadly Nightmare(Su)-Nightmare Spinner Skills 36 Wizard 24 Master Specialist 45 Nightmare Spinner +14 Bluff 11 ranks (4 cross class) +16 Concentration 15 ranks +22 Decipher Script 15 ranks +14 Intimidate 11 ranks (4 cross class) +22 Knowledge(Arcana) 15 ranks +13 Sense Motive 11 ranks (4 cross class) +25 Spellcraft 15 ranks Spells (11 caster levels, missed out on 1 first level of Nightmare Spinner) 4/6/6/6/4/3/2 prepared 0 Ghost Sound, Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Light 1 Backbiter, Cause Fear(2), Charm Person, Ray of Enfeeblement(2) 2 Phantasmal Assailants(2), Invisibility(2), Blindness/Deafness, Scorching Ray 3 Phantasmal Strangler(1 retributive, 1 unmodified), Shape of the Hellspawned Stalker, Shadow Binding, Fireball, Fly 4 Phantasmal Killer, Fear(2), Finger of Agony 5 Nightmare, Telekenesis, Form of the Threefold Beast 6 Illusory Pit, Phantasmal Killer(chained) Necromancy spells get +1 to the DC, Illusion spells get +2 to the DC and Illusion spells with a "Will disbelief" entry get an additional +2 to the DC. 88,000gp -16,000gp Gloves of Dexterity +4 -16,000gp Headband of Intellect +4 -25,200gp Mithril Fearsome +3 Chain Shirt of Easy Travel -25,000gp Cloak of Resistance +3(+4 Charisma improvement) -900gp 3rd level spell and 6th level spell added to spellbook -2,500gp Ring of Sustenance -250gp dragonhide spellbook w/ 100 vellum pages -5 gp Spell Component Pouch -10gp Tindertwig(10) -50gp Holy Water -150gp Scroll of Cause Fear(2)(crafted, caster level 6) -375gp Scroll of Fireball(crafted, caster level 10) -550gp Scroll of Nightmare Terrain(crafted, caster level 11) below is carried by Lia -350gp Everlasting Rations -2gp backpack -1sp bedroll -7gp lantern, hooded -5sp 5 pints of oil =650gp 4sp Armor 100gp Chain Shirt 15,000gp Fearsome(3/day aura of terror 20ft radius, each creature in area becomes panicked for 1 round, DC16 Will save makes creature shaken instead) 9,000gp +3(includes Twilight) 1,500gp Easy Travel(carries medium load as if it were a light load, so no penalties) 1,100gp Mithril +1 Twilight(reduces spell failure chance by 10%, bringing spell failure chance to 0%) no proficiency with light armor doesn't matter due to 0 check penalty Worn capacity--> <20/<40/<60 Spellbook 4lb Armor 12.5lb Gloves of Dex +4 0lb Headband of Intellect +4 0lb Cloak of Resistance +3(+4 cha) 1lb Ring of Sustenance 0lb Sack .5lb Spell Component Pouch 2lb Holy Water(2) 2lb Tindertwig(10) 0lb Scroll(3) 0lb Total:22lb medium load(treated as light load due to Easy Travel on armor) Both prestige classes are from Complete Mage. All item enhancements can be found in the Magic Item Compendium. I used the Item Enhancing table near the back of Magic Item Compendium to give my cloak +4 cha. Spells were taken from PHB, Complete Mage, and Complete Arcane.
FRRC 10-25-07, 02:48 PM	I've got my background all worked out this time, should have it by the end of the weekend. Hopefully, The Witcher won't distract me too much since it comes out tomorrow 0_o;
MagicMouth 10-25-07, 04:17 PM	I´ve started on the background as well, not sure when I´ll post the whole character though. I decided to skip the initial concept I had in mind, considering the basic idea a bit to clichéd even if I had a rather interesting setup. Hopefully my new idea will look good when it´s finished. Also, expect the background and fluff to be rather extensive. :D
Talisman 10-25-07, 07:51 PM	I just threw out my original concept entirely, since a new one hit me between the eyes today. Back to Square Numero Uno. However, I should have it in before the deadline...although how much before, I'm not prepared to say!
TheAlchemist 10-26-07, 05:04 AM	. . . . . and anything else in the Official SRD is permitted. For this specific contest, no other material may be used, including any other variant rules in Unearthed Arcana. Just to clarify: can I use (for argument's sake) the Totem Barbarian variant class, because it appears in the SRD, even though it's originally from UA?
Zherog 10-26-07, 10:13 AM	Just to clarify: can I use (for argument's sake) the Totem Barbarian variant class, because it appears in the SRD, even though it's originally from UA? No, because it's not in the official SRD. It's worded that way in the original post for a reason. ;) The Totem Barbarian (and the rest of the UA rules on d20srd.org) is designated as Open Game Content, but it's not in the SRD. Since it's designated OGC, anybody can republish it as long as they follow the terms of the Open Game License (which generally means they provide the copyright information of the material). edit: in the past, the first post had a link to the official SRD; I don't see it there this time. For reference, here's the page for the official SRD (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35).
Zherog 10-26-07, 10:15 AM	>>snip the actual post for space<< Do you know that you never actually say anywhere that your character is an elf? ;)
CheeseMan 10-26-07, 12:01 PM	for a shadowdancer's Summon Shadow ability, would i need to fully stat out the shadow, or would 'see monster manual pg 221' suffice?
V1zharan 10-26-07, 12:23 PM	I suppose I didn't. I spent hours and hours(literally, took me from about 8:30am to 1:30 pm cause Im very, VERY picky) just writing up the statblock, not even making the character, and after all that I missed putting down the race. :weep: ~V1zharan~
Zherog 10-26-07, 12:34 PM	I suppose I didn't. I spent hours and hours(literally, took me from about 8:30am to 1:30 pm cause Im very, VERY picky) just writing up the statblock, not even making the character, and after all that I missed putting down the race. :weep: ~V1zharan~ Don't sweat it too bad. You aren't the first one. I once never actually said my character was an elf, either. I had "Humanoid (elf)" at the top of the stat block, but that technically applies to all elves and all half-elves. If that's the worst mistake you make in your stat block (I haven't looked closely), that's really not bad at all.
FRRC 10-26-07, 02:43 PM	Meh, nevermind. always worried judges might read those.
V1zharan 10-26-07, 02:46 PM	I agree with FRRC ~V1zharan~
jennibert 10-26-07, 06:55 PM	for a shadowdancer's Summon Shadow ability, would i need to fully stat out the shadow, or would 'see monster manual pg 221' suffice? That's fine. It's not really changed from the base, no real reason to reprint it all here where you might mistype something and get points taken from your score. To FRRC: Crazy as it may drive me, I do try not to read those "no judges" blocks!
Mercurius 10-26-07, 06:59 PM	If I remember correctly, aside from the "Love Those Sidekicks" competition, most followers/cohorts/familiars aren't required to be statted out, correct? Or, should I actually build my character's cohort and/or followers as well?
jennibert 10-26-07, 07:06 PM	If I remember correctly, aside from the "Love Those Sidekicks" competition, most followers/cohorts/familiars aren't required to be statted out, correct? Or, should I actually build my character's cohort and/or followers as well? Some info would be nice (my cohort, Jed, is a 10th level fighter who has whirlwind attack, and I have important followers Jethro (an idiot bard), Ellie Mae (a pretty druid), and Grandma (a crotchety psion)), but you don't have to give stats. After all, the more stats you give, the more mistakes you are open to making. And while I do dearly love finding errors, I also like having less things to look for them in:)
Zherog 10-26-07, 08:04 PM	First post says you should mention the cohorts name, race, class(es), and level(s).
FarrenCronwing 10-26-07, 09:36 PM	Err... A quick question. If I were to create a lich, would I account for the cost of a phylacrity (sp?)? Thanks in advance.
jennibert 10-26-07, 10:26 PM	grrrr....stupid double post....and slow boards....will update questions and answer tomorrow when hopefully the boards won't be running like molasses in January...
jennibert 10-26-07, 10:28 PM	Err... A quick question. If I were to create a lich, would I account for the cost of a phylacrity (sp?)? Thanks in advance. You would indeed want to account for the cost of a phylactery, which is 120,000 gold. You would also want to take into account the fact that a lich is an LA +4, and you have to be an 11th level caster to make the phylactery, yielding a total ECL 15. Since you can only spend 29,333 gold on any one particular item, and you must be at a total ECL 12, you really can't enter a lich for this competition. Sorry....don't mean to sound mean or anything....
FarrenCronwing 10-26-07, 10:38 PM	Ah, thanks. Don't worry about being mean (I don't see how you were being anything but helpful), as I'd rather not of made the character only to have it disqualified. Thanks again. Edit: Oh, and I'll have my entry in soon enough.
FarrenCronwing 10-27-07, 02:38 PM	Farren Cronwing, the Shade of Strife Level 8 Rogue, level 2 Shadowdancer Human (Extraplanar [Shadow]) Farren Cronwing, NE level 8 rogue, level 2 shadowdancer, Humanoid (Human, Extraplanar [Shadow]) Str: 12 +1 . . . . HP: (8d6+2d8) 47...Speed:45 .Init:+7 Dex: 16 (+2) +1 . . AC: 10+8(Armor)+3(Dex)+4(Deflection)= 25 Con: 12+1 . . . . . . .Fort: 3+1= 4 Int: 14+2 . . . . . . . .Reflex: 6+3= 9 Wis: 10+0 . . . . . . . Will: 3+0= 3 Cha: 14+2 . . . . . . . .BAB: +7/+2 Weapons Sword of Subtelty (+1 short sword), 1d20+7/+2, 19-20 x2, 1d6+2 slashing, +4 on attack and damage with Sneak Attack (22,310 gold) +1 Keen Scimitar of Frost, 1d20+7/+2, 15-20 x2, 1d8+2 slashing +1d6 cold, (18,000 gold) Armor +3 Mithral Breastplate of Improved Shadows +8 AC +5 max dex -2 check penalty (28,000 gp) Bracers of Armor +4 (Deflection) Equipment Bag of Holding Type 1 - Trail Rations, 10 - Rope, Silk (50 feet) - 50 Gold Pieces - Smokestick, 2 - Waterskin Skills Basic: Balance 14, Bluff 15, Diplomacy 15, Disable Device 14, Disguise 15, Escape Artist 14, Hide 24, Move Silently 20, Perform (Dance) 13, Jump 10 Advanced: Balance 13 (Ranks) + 3 (Dex) -2 (Armor) = 14 (Total) Bluff 13 (Ranks) + 2 (Cha) = 15 (Total) Diplomacy 13 (Ranks) + 2 (Cha) = 15 (Total) Disable Device 11 (Ranks) + 2 (Int) = 13 (Total) Disguise 13 (Ranks) + 2 (Cha) = 15 (Total) Escape Artist 13 (Ranks) + 3 (Dex) - 2 (Armor) = 14 (Total) Hide 13 (Ranks) + 3 (Dex) + 10 (Improved Shadows) - 2 (Armor) = 24 (Total) Move Silently 13 (Ranks) + 3 (Dex) + 6 (Racial, Shadow) - 2 (Armor) = 20 (Total) Perform (Dance) 13 (Ranks) + 0 (Wis) = 13 (Total) Jump 11 (Ranks) + 1 (Str) - 2 (Armor) = 10 (Total) Feats Improved Initiative Quick Draw Dodge Mobility Two Weapon Fighting Special Ability Basic: Sneak Attack (+4d6), Uncanny Dodge (Dex to AC and No flanking), Evasion, Improved Evasion, Resist Cold 15, Darkvision 60 feet, Low Light Vision, Shadow Blend, Fast Healing 2, Plane Shift 1/day (Plane of Shadow only) Advanced: Uncanny Dodge- Farren maintains his Dexterity bonus to AC even while flatfooted, but not while helpless. He cannot be flanked except by a rogue four levels higher than him. Improved Evasion- If Farren has the ability to make a Reflex save, he takes no damage on a successful save and only half damage on a failed save. Low Light Vision- Farren can see four times as far as a human in dim light. Shadow Blend- Farren gains total concealment in any other conditions than full daylight. Not even the light or continual flame spell will cancel this, but a daylight spell will. Plane Shift- Once per day, Farren can use the Plane Shift spell as a spell-like ability, but only to the Plane of Shadow. Personality Farren Cronwing usually appears calm, cool, and collected, though he is sometimes pushed to pure rage. He is pleasant to his allies and friends, and merciless to his enemies. He prefers a subtle approach to his problems, though he is by no means weak in combat. He has a good grasp for strategy and tactics, and is oft leading a warband or gang. Appearance Farren is almost identical to an average human, aside from the fact that he is infused with shadow. He stands about 5"11, and weighs a mere 122 pounds. He is slender, but his appearance is not a very good measure of his strength. Farren's hair is barely visible amongst the shadows, but some have made it out to be an almost jet black. His eyes are constantly swirling with shadow, an unsettling feature. "I have stalked the planes for decades. I've slain countless monsters, battled every orc, driven a stake through every vampire. Yet, it keeps calling me back. I am driven by the need to hunt. I am like a wolf among sheep. I am but a... shadow of my former self. I know not why I am driven to kill. But I do know this: I am the ultimate weapon." Farren Cronwing is more or less himself. He is often mistaken for undead, but he is alive and well. His former master, Elthuane, taught him the arts of the shadowdancers. However, Farren was naturally drawn to the shadows, and he killed his mentor. At his death, he tossed away his old blades and took up Elthuane's. This was the start of his shunning of the light. But, it would be best to start from the beginning. His mother, a former Paladin, was still adventuring during her pregnancy. Sadly, she was slain protecting the village that she lived in from the shadow dragon Sue'tharne. The virtuous night was slain by wicked dragon, her life drained out of her by shadows. Her child lived on, however, and was taken in by the local church. His true nature didn't reveal itself until childhood, when the shadows that were infused within him came out to show his true blood. He had always aspired to be a paladin, just like his mother, but the church turned him aside when they learned of his heritage. His training, his life, were swiped away from him. The church would of slain him, but he was a mere child. They instead cast him out, leaving him to fend for himself. At first, he got on by using his shadowy powers to steal food and clothing. He got on like this through his teenage years, knowing only a life of solitude and despair. He soon became an expert, and took a liking to stealing more valuable items. He lived his life like this, surviving only thanks to natural cunning. Like all thieves, though, he was caught. He attempted to steal a master shadowdancer's coinpurse, but was easily caught. The shadowdancer's name was Elthuane, but rather than slay the adolescent, he instead took him under his wing. They both shared a similar outlook on life, and they soon became close friends. Eventually, Elthuane taught the boy the Shadowdancer's art, and Farren took to it easily. Farren became a hero among the villagers, stopping orcs and goblins alike. He was still shroud in shadows and mystery, however, and the villagers never got the chance to speak to him. They had a protector, however, and the town thrived. But, all was not well. The Shadow Dragon Sue'tharne returned with a vengeance. He had intentions on slaying the Paladin that had maimed him son, though he took up a new plan upon seeing the boy. When Farren went to slay the dragon, he was instead turned upon his people. Sue'tharne told him that it was the church that was corrupt, and that they had slain his mother. Farren was driven to the brink of insanity, and he slaughtered the church members and villagers alike. He then had the intent of slaying his master. He went into the abandoned auditorium where they lived, and confronted Elthuane. He and his master ended up in a battle of epic proportions, slipping through shadows and lunging towards eachother. Eventually, Farren slipped his dagger through his former master's back. He watched his master die. Farren now serves Sue'tharne as a trusted assassin, though his master's ghost haunts him yet. He is now looking for a group of adventurers with which to join, so that they may aid him in his quest to end his master once and for all. Only then will Farren finally be at peace with his shadowy heritage. I doubt this will win anything, but at least I had fun making it. And, for those wondering, Farren has the Shadow Creature template as described in Lords of Madness. Oh, and in the abilities section, those (+) in partenthesis are the amount of 4th level bonuses he put in that ability. I have to admit, this is a wide turn from what I had planned to do eventually. But rather than bore you to death, I'll end my entry now.
Zherog 10-27-07, 03:54 PM	Farren Cronwing, the Shade of Strife Level 8 Rogue, level 2 Shadowdancer Human (Extraplanar [Shadow]) ... And, for those wondering, Farren has the Shadow Creature template as described in Lords of Madness. You know, I was originally going to comment that you had two levels missing. Then I just happened to see your note at the end. I suspect the judges are going to hit you in the clarity score, because it's not clear about the template. Anyway, that was the very first thing that jumped out at me upon looking at your character. I haven't read any background info yet, nor have I looked deeply at any of the stats. Welcome to the contest, Farren. I hope you enjoyed building the character, and I hope that you get a chance to learn something as the process unfolds.
jennibert 10-27-07, 04:59 PM	Glad I was helpful, Farren. I was worried that I came off a little sharper than I intended. Your entry is now properly placed in the list on the first page, and the (F)AQ is updated as well. Yay for more entries! Only a few more days left, people!
FarrenCronwing 10-27-07, 05:42 PM	Oh... Well, darn. I could of sworn I included it up there. Thanks for telling me that BEFORE I got angry at my clarity score.
CheeseMan 10-27-07, 05:44 PM	i'm afraid i might have gone a little crazy with the fluff Namme Human Bard 7/Shadowdancer 5 Born in 11342 in the massive city-tower of Aigrosk, Namme was recognized at an early age for him musical talent. At the age of 10 he was sent to the city’s premier bardic college, the Syggrkyr Institute, where he spent a decade learning the bard’s craft. The institute would send in on all sorts of missions, both within the colossal city and without, with the many clients who sought aid from the college. On one notable occasion from this period of his life, another bard who’s toes he’d stepped on sent a rather hostile barbarian after him. Upon being confronted he managed to, with the help of his Glibness spell, convince the brute that he was a silver dragon in human form. Needless to say, that barbarian didn’t give him any more trouble, although Nejor, the other bard, still harbors animosity to this day. When Namme was twenty, a group of the college’s clients – a woman cleric named Hagen, a gnomish monk named Fitzl, and their leader, Pemp, a ranger – asked him to join their adventuring party after completing a mission with them, having enjoyed his company so much. He gladly accepted, and upon returning to Syggrkyr, he formally withdrew from their active roster. The first few months with Pemp’s group were standard adventuring fare, just a necromancer causing trouble in the city’s lower, but when dealing with a tribe of gnolls terrorizing a small town, Namme encountered the chieftain, a gnoll with rather unusual abilities. After the tribe had been defeated, he did a little study and surmised the chieftain had been a shadowdancer. Intrigued by their capabilities, he decided to learn more, and with some practice, he soon became a shadowdancer himself. A few years passed, and Namme continued to improve his skills as a shadowdancer, and eventually he even managed to summon a companion shadow, who he named Roi. On the whole, life was good for Namme and his companions. Unfortunately, good things never last, and a few months later, in the spring of 11366, all hell broke loose. Literally. They’d just returned to Aigrosk after a long fight with a pair of frost giants far to the south, and were enjoying a relaxing night at a pub when the party heard horrible screams. Fitzl peeked out the door to see a huge Cornugon leading an army of voracious Barghests into the tower’s main arcade through a portal. He turned back to the pub, “Great Gyndahein’s Ghost! …Where’s Pemp?” The ranger had disappeared. The remaining four (don’t forget Roi!), as well as the rest of the pub’s patrons made a mad dash for the back door. As the Cornugon – Phyrmet, as Aigrosk’s citizens would eventually come to know him as – was entering the arcade, a Kobold druid called Ssrit and his Lizardfolk lieutenant were crashing the far-off western gate into the city with hundreds of upon hundreds of dinosaurs. On the tower’s opposite side, some 30 kilometers away, a Half-Elf sorcerer named Vido, along with his human allies, a scout and a barbarian, had burst through the east gate with a rag-tag legion of various humanoids. The three forces had made their way to the city to destroy it, along with each other. For a short time, there was hope for escape, and doubtlessly a few people managed to get out of the city, but as the three-way battle began in the main arcade, a barrier encircled the tower, completely cutting its inhabitants off from the outside. ‘The Event’, as it’s come to be called, was two years ago. Two years of war ravaging the city. Two years that Namme, Hagen, Fitzl and Roi have spent running, hiding, trying to find a way out. What few safe havens remains are dwindling. Soon there will be no place even remotely safe, they have to find a way out. Ehlgrol, a contact of Namme’s, has told him some rumors he’s heard. Word on the grapevine is that this whole nightmare somehow involves something called an Eskes Engine and a man named Hanthrggamen. Now it’s up to Namme and his party to unravel the mysterious cause for their city’s hellish turn of events and find a way out, all while being hunted by barghests, dinosaurs, and warriors of every kind. Personality: Pre-event, Namme was always in a good mood, and always put those around him in a similar mood. His constant curiosity about everything would sometimes get him in trouble, but would just as often be a boon. In the years since the Event he’s taken up the mantel of party leader, and while he’s hardened a bit, he still has hope. Battle Tactics: Namme likes to use his stealth, spells, shadowdancer abilities, and Roi to misdirect and confuse enemies before they even notice him, while Fitzl and Hagen do damage. He’s also fond of using his spring attack and shadowdancer abilities for hit-and-run attacks (or having Roi do the same with his strength-damage attack). Aigrosk: A huge city built into a single tower structure. Roughly 30 kilometers in diameter at ground-level, tapering as it goes up. It stands about 90 kilometers high about ground, with another 45 kilometers below ground. Surrounded mostly by open plains, but its northwestern quarter is against the edge of a large tropical forest. Independent city-state. Syggrkyr Institute: The largest, most prestigious bardic college in the world. Often adventuring parties, or anyone else, in need of a bard hire a bard from the college. Nejor: True Neutral bard who was a member of the Syggrkyr Institute with Namme. Got served in a lute-off by Namme and sent a barbarian to rough him up a bit, but it didn’t work. Still has a grudge, but isn’t an actual ‘enemy’. Still alive and in the city. Hagen: A CG human cleric of Kord who’d been traveling with Fitzl and Pemp for 5 years before they met Namme. Primarily functions as a spellcaster (buffs and blasting). Fitzl: A LG gnome Monk 8/Drunken Master 4. Primary melee fighter, comic relief. Pemp: A ‘NG human ranger’ who was the leader of the party until his disappearance. Full name: Pempthagalygorian Hanthrggamen. Actual class(es) unknown, actual level somewhere in the 40’s (after LA), actual race is Rakshasa. Summoned the three warring armies to Aigrosk and put up the barrier with the Eskes Engine. Roi: Namme’s summoned Shadow companion. The rest of the party can’t verbally communicate with him, and he’s comparatively weak, but they still treat him (it?) like a fifth pary member. Phyrmet: A level 40-something Horned Devil who leads an army of barghests, along with some gargoyles. Ssrit: A level 40-something NE Kobold Druid who, with his Lizardfolk Barbarian lieutenant (name unknown), leads an ‘army’ of dinosaurs. Vido and party: A Half-Elf sorcerer, a human scout of unknown name and a human barbarian of unknown name, all level 40-something, who lead an army of classed humanoids. Ehlgrol: Leader of a small, hidden sanctuary within the city that Namme’s party once saved from Ssrit’s dinosaurs. Eskes Engine: who knows? Male Human, age 26 Bard 7/Shadowdancer 5 Neutral Good, No patron deity Height: 5’8” Weight: 135lb Eyes: Green Hair: Gray Skin: Very light brown Str: 11 +0 (3 pts) Dex: 20 +5 (5 pts, +1 at lvl 4, +1 at lvl 8, +1 at lvl 12, +4 Gloves of Dexterity) Con: 10 +0 (2 pts) Int: 14 +2 (6 pts) Wis: 10 +0 (2 pts) Cha: 24 +7 (10 pts, +4 Cloak of Charisma, +2 Ioun Stone) HP: 49 (7d6 + 5d8) AC: 24 (Base 10 +9 Armor +5 Dex), T: 15, FF: 19 Speed: 30ft Init: +9 (+5 Dex, +4 Imp. Init.) Saves: Fort: +3 (+3 Base, +0 Con) Ref: +14 (+9 Base, +5 Dex) Will: +6 (+6 Base, +0 Wis) BAB, Grapple: +8/+3, +8 (+8 BAB, +0 Str) Attacks: +2 Ghost Touch Short Sword: +15/1d6+2, 19-20/x2, Piercing Masterwork Dagger: +14/1d4, 19-20/x2, 10 ft, Piercing or Slashing Full Attack: Short Sword +15 (1d6+2), Dagger +9 (1d4) Armor: +4 Mithril Breastplate: Light, +9 Armor Bonus, +5 Max Dex Bonus, 0 Armor Check Penalty, 15% Spell Failure (ignored due to Bard class) Racial/Class Abilities: Human Traits Bardic Knowledge +11 (+7 bard level, +2 Int, +2 Knowledge (History) Synergy) Bardic Music 8/day (7 bard levels, 1 masterwork lute) Countersong, Fascinate, Inspire Courage +1, Inspire Competence, Suggestion Hide in Plain Sight Uncanny Dodge Evasion Darkvision Shadow Illusion 1/day Summon Shadow Shadow Jump 20ft Defensive Roll 1/day Improved Uncanny Dodge Skills: Balance: +17 (10 ranks, +5 Dex, Tumble synergy [+2]) Bluff: +22 (15 ranks, +7 Cha) Concentration: +5 (5 ranks) Diplomacy: +11 (+7 Cha, Bluff synergy [+2], Sense Motive synergy [+2]) Disguise: +12 (5 ranks, +7 Cha) Escape Artist: +10 (5 ranks, +5 Dex) Gather Information: +18 (9 ranks, +7 Cha, Bluff synergy [+2]) Hide: +20 (15 ranks, +5 Dex) Intimidate: +9 (+7 Cha, Bluff synergy [+2]) Jump: +2 (Tumble synergy [+2]) Knowledge (Arcana): +7 (5 ranks, +2 Int) Knowledge (Architecture): +3 (1 ranks, +2 Int) Knowledge (Dungeoneering): +3 (1 ranks, +2 Int) Knowledge (History): +7 (5 ranks, +2 Int) Knowledge (Local): +7 (5 ranks, +2 Int) Knowledge (Religion): +3 (1 ranks, +2 Int) Listen: +4 (4 ranks) Move Silently: +20 (10 ranks, +5 Dex, +5 Boots of Elvenkind) Perform (String): +22 (15 ranks, +7 Cha) Perform (Dance): +12 (5 ranks, +7 Cha) Sense Motive: +9 (9 ranks) Spellcraft: +9 (5 ranks, +2 Int, Bluff synergy [+2]) Tumble: +10 (5 ranks, +5 Dex) Speak Language: Common [automatic initial], Abyssal , Draconic [bonus initial] [B]Skills Breakdown 135 skill points (90 Bard, 45 Shadowdancer) levels 1-7 Bard: Bluff 10, Concentration 5, Disguise 1, Gather Information 9, Hide 10, Knowledge (Arcana) 5, Knowledge (Architecture) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (History) 5, Knowledge (Local) 5, Knowledge (Religion) 1, Move Silently 8, Perform (String) 10, Perform (Dance) 5, Sense Motive 9, Spellcraft 5 level 8-12 Shadowdancer: Balance 10, Bluff 5, Disguise 4, Escape Artist 5, Hide 5, Listen 4, Move Silently 2, Perform (String) 5, Tumble 5 Feats: 1: Dodge, Weapon Finesse – Human bonus 3: Combat Reflexes 6: Mobility 9: Spring Attack 12: Improved Initiative Spells: Spells/Day: 3/3/2/0 (Base) & 0/2/2/2 (Bonus) Save DC: 17 + Spell Level Spells Known: Level 0: Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, Message, Mage Hand, Ghost Sound, Resistance Level 1: Comprehend Languages, Remove Fear, Disguise Self, Detect Secret Doors Level 2: Tongues, Detect Thoughts, Mirror Image, Heroism Level 3: Glibness, Major Image Items(on person): (Gear Total: 87500 gp/38 lb) Light Load: ≤39 lb Medium Load: 39-76 lb Heavy Load: 77-115 lb Sack (1 sp /-) Masterwork Lute (100 gp/3 lb) [Comp Adv 126] Chalk (1 cp/-) Everburning Torch (110 gp/1 lb) Small Steel Mirror (10 gp/.5 lb) Waterskin (1 gp/4lb) Flint and Steel (1 gp/-) Spell Componant Pouch (5 gp/3 lb) Entertainer’s Outfit (free/doesn’t count) +4 Mithril Breastplate (20350 gp/15 lb) +2 Ghost Touch Short Sword (18310 gp/2 lb) Masterwork Dagger (302/1 lb) Potion of Gaseous Form (750 gp/.1 lb) Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds x 3 (900 gp/.3 lb) Potion of Reduce Person (250 gp/.1 lb) Boots of Elvenkind (2500 gp/1 lb) Cloak of Charisma +4 (16000 gp/2 lb) Silver Raven (3800 gp/-) Gloves of Dexterity +4 (16000 gp/2 lb) Ioun Stone, Pink and Green Sphere (8000 gp/-) Coins (109 gp, 17 sp, 19 cp/3 lb) Shadow Companion Name: Roi See Monster Manual pg 221 for full stat block
Zherog 10-27-07, 06:06 PM	i'm afraid i might have gone a little crazy with the fluff Nah - jennibert has done easily double that amount of fluff. For a lower level character. :P
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-27-07, 07:53 PM	i'm afraid i might have gone a little crazy with the fluff Stop trying to scare me!!! I read that comment and thought jennibert had a replacement in this competition!!! That was not nice. ;)
jennibert 10-27-07, 08:53 PM	i'm afraid i might have gone a little crazy with the fluff Yeah....don't worry about it. Much as I want to pretend annoyance at Zherog and JasonOrlandoHawk for their above comments....they're right. I'm the last person who can complain about length.
Avalon? 10-28-07, 02:44 AM	I still remember Haruspex's fluff for his entry in Hero Craftsman 5. Now that was epic. :shudder
Haruspex 10-28-07, 02:49 AM	I still remember Haruspex's fluff for his entry in Hero Craftsman 5. Now that was epic. :shudder Which one was that? The Dragon-themed competition? I do remember writing some fairly long backstories.
Avalon? 10-28-07, 03:17 AM	Yup. The dragon one. It could have taken up three to four hardcopy pages.
jareddm 10-28-07, 04:18 PM	I'm so mad at myself for not finding this thread earlier! I had just played a character who fit in perfectly for this competition. But it was at 5th level and I don't have the free time to design him up to 12th... I could post the character idea after the competition is over though. (I'm terrible when it comes to stats)
Far_Traveler 10-28-07, 10:42 PM	Yup. The dragon one. It could have taken up three to four hardcopy pages. That WAS an insane backstory, but I have fond memories of that competition. Only one in which I got a prize of any kind. (Dogma the Dragonguard shall rule all!)
Mercurius 10-29-07, 12:00 AM	Alright. Time to submit my character. Fear for your sanity, servants of false gods. For Albaddon the Liberator has arrived! The priests of Rhiannon fell back into the main antechamber, their guards and templars holding the line against the raging berserkers hot on their heels. Bolts of violet-black energy screamed past the guards, felling the holy clergy of the goddess of balance with uncanny accuracy. The cacophonous paternoster of the black robed elf echoed through the chamber sapping their will while spurring greater blood frenzy in their attackers. At last, the defenders repelled the wave of barbarians and the priests forced shut the iron doors, barricading them with a heavy steel bar. They fell back, tending to the wounded, certain the mad cultists were delayed for the moment. Suddenly, the sound of metal rending apart echoed through the chamber as a massive axe haft cleaved through the doors that were meant to be the salvation of the church. The howling of the berserkers breached the sanctuary's boundaries as the doors were sundered from their hinges, and the armoured figure entered the hall. Each step he took brought his steel boots down in an ominous crash on the flagstone floor. The chanting of the elf had not yet ceased, and the baying of the frenzied warriors behind the knight only amplified the aberrant chill of madness that crept down the spines of all the beleaguered defenders. Behind the knight, a robed woman came into view, her royal blue cloak billowing unnaturally in the still air. She began to chant and brought forth a disc of red, yellow, and blue spirals, but the knight shot out his arm, and she fell silent. "You have proven no match for me," the deep voice of the knight began. "It is your fate to die, and to die as your world and beliefs are torn down, screaming in agony and madness. Such is the will of the universe. But that day need not be today. Give us the books, and we will spare you. We may even accept you into our band." The templar-champion of Rhiannon charged forward, swinging his staff in a wide, deadly arc, and in a flash, pieces of the weapon clattered to the ground. As he looked on in stunned silence, the knight brought the axe back down, slicing cleanly through his opponent's head. "I am not a patient man. I will give you one minute to decide on a course of action before I grant you the oblivion that the Black Chaos promises all of your world." When the minute ended, the screams of the dying priests could be heard across the empty hills. History Born Utoma Kessenian, the man who would become Albaddon the Liberator was raised in Renmazuo, country of his birth. From an early age, he felt the pull of greatness, and his charm, wit, and physical stature spoke only served to reinforce his clear strength as a divine champion. So enamoured with the soldiers of his nation was he, that he submitted himself to the church of Miara in his fourteenth year for training as a paladin. He rapidly excelled in his spiritual and physical training, and it was assumed by many that he would eventually join the ranks of the prestigious knight order known as the Emerald Griffons. He joined the military proper when he finished his initial training at the temple, and none too soon. The diplomatic breakdown between the dwarves and Viergans quickly escalated into armed conflict, and Renmazuo's military had to act to ensure that the war between the two nations did not encroach upon their sovereign soil. Sir Utoma Kessenian fought in several minor engagements with both the dwarven and human forces, but did not see much full combat. He was even able to return home to his family - his mother, father, and younger sister - on several occasions. Perhaps this was why he joined Cecil Aonir's fight against the dark kin who attacked at the end of the War of the Beard - Utoma believed that his place was defeating evil and injustice, and his limited usefulness in the battle so far had frustrated him greatly. His natural charisma, tactical acumen, and strength at arms lead him to exceptional success on the battlefield. He fought the Lahk-Uru Warchief Graghya's forces in the Battle of Three Fords, lead a unit of soldiers across an open field to disable the eldritch war machines of the Shadow Lord, crept unseen through the occupied fortress of Utgardt Khel-dath, and single-handedly bested the dark elf crusader who had been granted the title of Anphisba'ena's Child. And throughout all of this, his strength and connection to his goddess continued to grow. When the fighting was over, and the dark kin and their erabaresi leader had been driven into the shadows beneath the earth once again, Utoma returned to his homeland, a man of great physical stature, his face and body honed by years of hard, rigorous campaigning. He received accolades and promotions, and was inducted into the order of the Emerald Griffon knights, granted a retinue of soldiers, and given his own region to help police. Some in the government even attempted to entice him to serve as a representative of the people, but he declined the offer. Perhaps when his body began to fail him and prevent him from adequately serving on the front lines, but he had no desire to join politics at that time. His years as a knightly lord were good to him. His retainers helped protect the people of Renmazuo from numerous monstrous incursions, and as the power of the Dark Hold began to grow stronger and mutated abominations spread throughout the land. He bested the Drinker of Souls in combat, sundering the aberrant warlock's sceptre of power with his great axe and spilling the foul diabolist's blood across the hills. Finally, after over a decade of scouring the country of the evil spawn of the Black Chaos in the Dark Hold, he had had enough. Marshaling together a force of soldiers, knights, and other champions, Utoma led an expedition into the heart of the Dark Hold, the long forsaken valley where the Creeper in the Darkness had first been summoned to A'Thea and the dark priestess Amethyst had drawn her last breath. Many soldiers fell in battle with the monsters that spawned in the shadowy valley where sun never shone, as the very trees attacked them with malevolent, tainted fury. Undaunted, Utoma continued deep into the blighted territory, seeking out the center of the cancer in his homeland. Surrounded by evil, even his ability to sense the malevolence of others began to become clouded, though he was so certain of his abilities that he never would admit it, even to himself. Finally, they came across the cliffs where once there had stood a simple wizard's mansion. Now, the air pulsed with veins of bloated magical energy, visible to the naked eye, and the very ground was pliable as human flesh. Fully half of the expedition had fallen by this time, and Utoma was determined to ensure that their deaths would not be in vein. The attacks from the inhabitants of the region had lessened, leading some of the already demoralized troops into a misguided sense of complacency. And then the final attack came. The beasts appeared human, though their bodies were oddly distorted, and covered in a thick, viscous fluid that seemed to pour from their mouths and eyes. They were on the soldiers in a flash, and the knights and conscripts immediately began to rally. The battle was a whirl of melee, and Utoma was forced to rely as much upon his magically augmented ability to see evil auras as his natural senses to discern friend from foe. And that was how he knew that his own soldiers were damned. The assailants were vomiting forth geysers of the same fluid that ran down their fronts, spraying Utoma's allies with the foul liquid. Through his magical sight, he saw their auras rapidly darken and twist, becoming the darkened black of true taint. And so, set upon by monsters and his own damned men, Utoma did what was reasonable - He killed them all. Each and every infected soldier, knight, and squire was cut down with the same ruthless efficiency as the creatures that had been birthed in this hell. He could not rest as long as this blight continued to fester in the heart of the world, and so his axe fell, and he continued to cut and hew, despite the cries for mercy, even as his vision became further and further blackened by the taint the region exuded and his own strength was depleted. As the battle ended, only Utoma remained standing, but he knew something was wrong. His connection to Miara, once so strong as to summon a celestial charger and capable of healing a dying man, no longer gave him succor. He felt a great emptiness in his soul, and he knew that Miara had somehow forsaken him, through no fault of his own. Had he not always sought to uphold the virtues of his maiden, to champion the weak and destroy the spawn of evil? Had he not just defeated the monsters of the Dark Hold, loosened the Black Chaos's grip on his country and world? So confused, exhausted, and enraged was the night, he failed to notice the black-red sludge drenching his armour and shield, or the dead bodies of his soldiers, looks of fear and bewilderment forever etched into their faces. The loss of Miara's blessing left Utoma drained beyond anything he had ever felt, and he collapsed. He awoke later, within a cavern. The walls were smooth, and gently pulsed in the flickering of the camp fire that gave him sight. The woman who tended the fire possessed unearthly beauty, her blood-red hair falling down her back and framing her perfectly round face. Her eyes were a deep magenta-blue, and her robes flowed in rhythm to the walls. She greeted Utoma, and introduced herself as Eranseivu Ultamia. She offered him something to eat, but he declined. The great emptiness within him burned hotter than anything, and rage at his goddess's unwarranted dismissal coursed within him. He swore that he would make Miara pay, that he would shake the heavens of Ahayym if need be to prove to her that she was wrong. Eranseivu listened, quietly, her otherworldly eyes boring into the fallen paladin, and, as he finished his rant, as his anger broke upon the shores of impossibility and he crashed, defeated, upon the makeshift cot he had awoken on, she uttered these simple words, "So, find a way." Staring at the mad woman in bewildered shock, Utoma knew the truth. There was a way. He had heard the stories - that the gods were immortal, but for the survival of Ahayym. Bring the divine realm down, and the gods would be swallowed into the madness incarnate of the Without, for which the Black Chaos was the messenger. And then he was aware. He knew, without knowing, that there were deeper chambers, deeper passages, and that the pulsing was the flow of air, as if some monstrous breath came from deeper in the abyss he rested in. "Show me," he commanded Eranseivu, and she nodded and rose, leading him deeper into the shadows. It is best not to dwell on the horrors that awaited the knight beneath the surface of that blighted land. The cries of madness, the swell of corpse-wind, the soft undulation of moistened, needy flesh - these are nothing compared to the horrors that resided beyond reason and sanity. Utoma Kessenian died that day, his sanity and soul sacrificed upon the altar of madness beyond reality so that Albaddon the Liberator could be set upon the world of men and gods. Marching from the Dark Hold three days later, the knight entered the world with Eranseivu in his shadow, and left only broken sanity in his wake. Since the fell knight's early days, his methods have grown increasingly complex. Using his former reputation, he has garnered esteem in the eyes of many in the government. Some believe that he may very well gain a position in the Hall of Representatives, especially in light of the tragic deaths of his mother and father that occurred so recently. And while Utoma navigates the halls of power, Albaddon leads his devoted followers against his enemies, sowing fear throughout the land as he seeks to gain greater knowledge of the planes and magic. Adventures Albaddon adventures for one goal - to tear down the world and feed it to the Without, the monstrous non-entity of inscrutable nothing that exists beyond Eirias's Gate. He will not do this by himself. He is more than happy to take the aid of others, to work with them towards ends he may pervert to his own uses, and to lead them with honeyed words to acts so depraved they have no recourse but to submit to the will of the Lord of Madness. Albaddon quests for long lost relics of bygone ages, for eldritch knowledge locked away from prying eyes, and for converts. He acts with a depraved code of conduct, giving quarter to his surrendered foes, inducting them with rights so unspeakable that none bear witness without having their sanity stripped from them. From these vanquished minds, he builds his army and retinue - berserkers, mad beyond reason, warlocks, who pledge their souls to the blackness to stave off their own damnation, dreamers who bring their twisted nightmares upon their families and friends. Albaddon is constantly on the move, waiting eagerly but patiently for the day when reality is nothing but a formless memory, and he is free of the gnawing emptiness where his soul once lay. Character Albaddon stands at roughly six-feet, his caucasian skin well toned and weathered. His eyes are a deep brown, bordering on black, and his brown hair is kept short and impeccably neat. When he enters battle, he does so in the armour of his knighthood, shined to perfection, and decorated with a violet and black tabard. He adorns his face with the tears of Miara, but he uses black paint instead of red. Allies and Enemies Albaddon has made quite a few enemies in his recent years, as well as some allies. Eranseivu Ultamia: Possessing unearthly beauty, Eranseivu is a potent cleric of the Black Chaos, able to tear open minor pockets in Eirias's Gate, bringing pseudonatural entities from the Without to aid her in battle. She is a creation of the energies of the Dark Hold, a human body host to the perverse unnatural powers of the realm beyond the material plane. Beneath her ever flowing robes writhe mottled violet tentacles, a physical manifestation of her insanity. Albaddon has taken Eranseivu as his lover, and is very devoted to her. She is a spiritual advisor for him. Mana and Woltaire Kessenian: Albaddon's parents were murdered shortly after his return from the Dark Hold, after Albaddon tortured them for several days, attempting to "free their minds" from the cage of the world. Frustratingly strong-willed, the pair never broke and accepted his made claims, and he finally tore them apart out of frustration. Their brutal deaths have helped Albaddon garner sympathy within the public eye. Ijora Kessenian: Albaddon's younger sister was not so lucky. After days of gruelling torture, and witnessing the death of their parents at his hands, Ijora's mind was broken completely. Taking advantage of her state, Albaddon and Eranseivu used their powers to open her mind to the true nature of the Without, awakening her to the powers of dream. Now, Ijora is a loyal, if somewhat unbalanced, agent of Albaddon's, using her perceptions of dream, mind, and the insanity that eats away at her to attack their enemies. High Exorcist Lucan Frostwind: A traveling deamon hunter for the church of Rhiannon, Lucan Frostwind has been doggedly hunting the assailant who has attacked so many of the temples to his goddess. The exorcist has begun to suspect that the dark knight leading the attacks is hiding within polite society, and is currently attempting to garner contacts with several representatives to hopefully ferret out his quarry. Marsalla Ruqliu: The wind elf bard had sought for years to find the true nature of dream and inspiration. He had prayed to Mahalath and Maborosi, studied with the greatest poets and musicians he could find, and had traveled much of the south in order to find his "muse." Taking solace one night at a church of Eirias, he encountered Albaddon and Eranseivu when the pair sacked the church. Seeing the blood, violence, and grace of the pair, he immediately devoted himself to Albaddon's cause. Marsalla's inspiration, it seems, lies in destruction and frenzy, and he is glad to find beauty in the chaos his master causes. Setting Information Again, here's some information that may or may not help make sense of my character, within the context of my setting. * The Planar cosmology of A'Thea incorporates only the elemental and transient planes. The outer planes do not technically exist, and are instead lumped into The Without, the realm of non-existence that surrounds the reality of A'Thea and its god-realm, Ahayym. The Black Chaos is an entity from the Without who gained entry into A'Thea during the Erabaresi Conflict, and has grown like a cancer since. Scholars assume that the god is actually a sentient embodiment of the Without itself, and seeks to return the world to nothingness. * Eirias is the god of time and the creator deity of A'Thea. He created the cosmology and isolated it from the all encompassing nothing, protecting it with "Eirias's Gate." He and Rhiannon, goddess of day and night, together police the world, and their clergy hunt outsiders and other reality breachers. They also are the only churches that maintain extensive libraries of planar lore relating to the world beyond the transitive and elemental planes. * Renmazuo is a republic that maintains a neutral stance with its surrounding nations. However, to help defend themselves from threats internal and external, they maintain a very efficiently run military. Albaddon the Liberator Chaotic Evil Humanoid (Human) Fallen Paladin (Miara) 1/Blackguard 10/Contemplative (Black Chaos) 1 (PHB/DMG/Complete Divine) Strength: 20 (+5) = 14 base + 6 Enhancement (Gauntlets of Strength +6) Dexterity: 10 (+0) = 10 base Constitution: 12 (+1) = 12 base Intelligence: 12 (+1) = 12 base Wisdom: 16 (+3) = 14 base + 2 Enhancement (Periapt of Wisdom +2) Charisma: 23 (+6) = 14 base + 3 level + 6 Enhancement (Cloak of Charismatic Elvenkind +6) Fortitude: +16 = + 2 Paladin + 7 Blackguard + 0 Contemplative + 1 Constitution + 6 Charisma Reflex: +9 = + 0 Paladin + 3 Blackguard + 0 Contemplative + 0 Dexterity + 6 Charisma Will: +14 = + 0 Paladin + 3 Blackguard + 2 Contemplative + 3 Wisdom + 6 Charisma BAB/Grapple: +11 (+1 Paladin + 10 Blackguard + 0 Contemplative)/+16 (BAB + 5 Strength) Initiative: +0 = + 0 Dexterity Armor Class: 24 = 10 + 0 (Dex) + 11 (+3 Full Plate) + 2 Deflection (Ring of Protection +2) + 1 Natural (Tunic of Natural Armour +1) Touch AC : 12 Flat Footed AC: 24 Hit Dice: 10 + 10d10 + 1d6 + 12 = 80.5 hp Speed: 20' = 30' Base - 10' Full Plate Attack Routines +1 Sundering Adamantine Greataxe +17/+12/+7 (1d12 + 7 Strength Damage + 1 Magic) (+4 attack, +1d6 damage when Sundering) Ranged Touch Attack (Melf's Acid Arrow) +11 +1 Mighty (+4) Composite Longbow +12/+7/+2 (1d8 + 4 Strength + 1 Magic) Tactics Albaddon typically tries to engage in melee at his earliest convenience, and often makes his first attack from horseback, though he does not want Cauchemar to die in battle (as it would be a great inconvenience to him). Against humanoids and other weapon wielding creatures, he opens with a sunder attempt, ideally against their weapon, but their shield if they have not drawn a weapon, taking at least -4 for Power Attack (offset by his Improved Sunder feat, and netting him a +8 to damage). Once his opponent's weapon is destroyed (he does 1d12+8+1d6 points of damage, ignoring hardness, to anything other than adamantine, and power attack increases this), his Combat Brute feat allows him to make a second attack at the same bonus against the item's owner. He prefers to flank in combat, so he can benefit from his sneak attack dice. If he must engage at range, he is at a disadvantage, but he uses his domain spell for an initial attack, then resorts to his bow. Skills {Class Skill max ranks 15, cross class 7.5, 56 Paladin^ + 4 Contemplative = 60 skill points total) Diplomacy (Cha) +24 = 15 ranks + 6 Intelligence + 3 Competence Hide (Dex) +7 = 7 ranks + 0 Dexterity + 5 Competence - 5 Armour Check Intimidate (Cha) +12 = 3 ranks + 6 Charisma + 3 Competence Knowledge (Religion) +15 = 14 ranks + 1 Intelligence Move Silent (Dex) +7 = 7 ranks + 0 Dexterity + 5 Competence - 5 Armour Check Languages Hellari (native language of Renmazuo), Celestial (bonus) Feats 1st Level - Power Attack (Sacrifice BAB for bonus to damage) - Improved Sunder (Do not provoke AoO on Sunder attempts, +4 bonus on Sunder attack rolls) [human bonus] 3rd Level - Cleave (When an opponent is successfully dropped, may make an immediate follow-up attack) 6th Level - Combat Brute (Tactical: Special bonuses when making Bull Rush, Sunder, or Charge attacks) [CW pg 110] 9th Level - Craft Wondrous Item (May create wondrous items - items so crafted are marked with a #) 12th Level - Leadership (Gain a Cohort and followers.) [DMG pg 106] Leadership scores: Base: 12 (level) + 6 (Charisma) -2 (Cruelty); Cohort: - 2 (Has a familiar, special mount, or animal companion) = 14 {10th level Cohort]; Followers: - 1 (Moves Around a lot) = 15 {20/2/1}) Possible +1 to all scores for "Special Power - Blessed of the Black Chaos (Contemplative levels)" Proficiencies All simple and martial weapons, armor and shields (but not tower shields). Spells 4/3/2/1 (Assuming Contemplative's spell progression advances Blackguard's spells/day, basing progression off of standard Blackguard spells (2/2/2/1) and comparing to Paladin spell list, taking next step) Save DC 12 + level Caster Level 11 1st Faith Healing x2 (SC 87) Golden Barding (SC 106) Strategic Charge (SC 210) 2nd Cure Moderate Wounds Zeal (SC 244) Melf's Acid Arrow (Slime Domain) 3rd Fangs of the Vampire King (SC 88) Unholy Storm (SC 227) Poison (Slime Domain) 4th Freedom of Movement Special Abilities +1 skill point per level [Human] First level bonus feat [Human] Favored Class: Highest level (Fallen Paladin) [Human] Aura of Evil Detect Good at will Poison Use [Blackguard] Dark Blessing (Charisma bonus to saves) [Blackguard] Smite Good 4/day (+6 to hit, +10 damage) [Blackguard + 1 Fallen Paladin Level] Aura of Despair (10' radius, enemies suffer -2 penalty to saves) [Blackguard] Command Undead (As rebuke undead by cleric level 8, 9/day) [Blackguard] Sneak Attack +3d6 [Blackguard] Divine Health (Immune mundane & magical disease) [Contemplative] Bonus Domain: Slime [Contemplative] Equipment +1 Sundering Adamantine Greataxe (11020 gp) (MIC 24) +3 Full Plate (10500 gp) Cloak of Charismatic Elvenkind +6 (20500 gp; 2500 gp for cloak of elvenkind, 18000 gp for self-crafted Cloak of Charisma) Boots of Elvenkind (2500 gp) Circlet of Persuasion (2250 gp)# Gauntlets of Strength +6 (18000 gp)# Ring of Arming (5000 gp) (MIC 122) Pearl of Power (1st level) (500 gp)# Healing Belt (500 gp)# (MIC 110) Ring of Protection +2 (8000 gp) Periapt of Wisdom +2 (2000 gp)# Tunic of Natural Armour +1 (2000 gp) (As per MIC 234 body slot locations) +1 Mighty (+4) Composite Longbow (2800 gp) Crystal of Arrow Deflection (Least) (500 gp) (MIC 25) Everburning Torch (110 gp) Masterwork Manacles (50 gp) Waterskin (1 gp) Traveler's Outfit (free) Silver Holy Symbol (25 gp) Spell Component Pouch (5 gp) Signet Ring (5 gp) 3 Noble's Outfit (225 gp) 3 Noble's Jewelry (300 gp) Backpack (2 gp) Grappling Hook (1 gp) 50' Silk Rope (10 gp) 3 Doses of Shadow Essence Poison (750 gp) (DMG 297) Carriage (100 gp) (pulled by a standard heavy horse and Cauchemar) Heavy Horse (200 gp) Bit & Bridle (2 gp) On Cauchemar Bit & Bridle (2 gp) Military Saddle (20 gp) Saddlebags (4 gp) Bedroll (1 sp) Winter Blanket (5 sp) Tent (10 gp) Whetsone (2 cp) Remaining Gold: 107 gold, 3 silver, 8 copper [b]Notes 28 point stat-buy STR: 6 points = 14 DEX: 2 points = 10 CON: 4 points = 12 INT: 4 points = 12 WIS: 6 points = 14 CHA: 6 points = 14 + 3 Level Levels and Skills: Albaddon reached 11th level as a paladin before falling. Already meeting the prerequisites, he immediately traded out ten levels of paladin, transforming them into Blackguard levels. As there is no real directive on how to retroactively fix this, I recalculated saving throws, but left skills as they were as a paladin. Therefore, he purchased his skills with paladin skill points, and was limited to a paladin's class skill list for 11 levels. His skills were purchased thus: Diplomacy 14 ranks (Paladin) + 1 rank (Contemplative) Hide 7 ranks (Paladin cross class) Intimidate 3 ranks (Contemplative) Knowledge (Religion) 14 ranks (Paladin) Move Silent 7 ranks (Paladin cross class) Crafting Items - Albaddon crafted items both before and after his fall. Therefore, he could have crafted items that required either a paladin or blackguard spell. I also used the Magic Item Compendium's rules about adding standard effects to other items - some of his stat boosting items were added onto other items. Fiendish Servant [b]Cauchemar, Fiendish Horse (Magical Beast, Extraplanar) (assumes Heavy Riding, as no specific type is given. I'd prefer a war horse) STR 17 DEX 13 CON 15 INT 6 WIS 12 CHA 6 Hit Dice 3d8 + 2d8 bonus (8 + 18 + 10 = 36 hp) Initiative +1 Speed 50' Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 Natural) (Often has additional +8 from Golden Barding spell) Base Attack/Grapple +3/+10 Attack Hoof +6 Melee (1d6+3) (not secondary attacks, creature is fiendish and intelligent) Full Attack: 2 Hooves +6 melee (1d6+3, magic damage), Bite +1 (1d4+1, magic damage) Space/Reach 10'/5' Special Attacks: Smite Good 1/day (+5 damage) Special Qualities: Low-light Vision, Darkvision, Scent, Empathic Link, Improved Evasion, Share Saving Throws, Share Spells, DR 5/Magic, Resist 5 Cold & Fire, SR 10 Saves: Fort: +11, Ref: +4, Will: +6 Skills: Listen +4, Spot +4, Intimidate +1 Feats: Willing Deformity (HoH), Deformity (Teeth) (HoH) Alignment: Chaotic Evil Cohort Eranseivu Ultamia Chaotic Evil Human Half-Farspawn Cleric 5 (Black Chaos)/Alienist 1. ECL 10 Current Followers 15 1st level barbarians, 3 1st level warlocks, 2 1st level clerics (Black Chaos), 1 2nd level human psion (telepath) (Ijora Kessenian), 1 3rd elven level bard (Marsalla Ruqliu) Rebuked Creatures It is quite likely that at any given time Albaddon has several undead and ooze creatures rebuked and under his command.
V1zharan 10-29-07, 12:25 AM	I realize that mine wasn't amazing or anything and that I probably wouldnt win 1st, but WHY Mercurius!? WHY did you have to crush me that much? :weep: ~V1zharan~
Mercurius 10-29-07, 12:35 AM	I realize that mine wasn't amazing or anything and that I probably wouldnt win 1st, but WHY Mercurius!? WHY did you have to crush me that much? :weep: ~V1zharan~ Because you stood in the way of true freedom. Now that I have shown you the light, join me, brother. Together, we shall usher in the end of the world that is a lie. :evillaugh Also, because I always do my best in these competitions. Not sure I'll win anything, honestly, but I've just gotta try. I love entering way more than judging.
Avalon? 10-29-07, 02:40 AM	:clap: Love the Warhammer 40k reference Mercurius. :clap:
-Winter- 10-29-07, 10:07 AM	I'm so mad at myself for not finding this thread earlier! I had just played a character who fit in perfectly for this competition. But it was at 5th level and I don't have the free time to design him up to 12th... I could post the character idea after the competition is over though. (I'm terrible when it comes to stats) I feel your pain. One of my favorite characters (and also my user name namesake) would fit in here beautifully, although finding time between work and study and sleep to post anything in time will be difficult to say the least.
Mercurius 10-29-07, 10:18 AM	:clap: Love the Warhammer 40k reference Mercurius. :clap: ? I'm going to assume you mean his name. While it's sorta based on Abaddon, Despoiler of Worlds, that's actually the name of an immensely powerful daemon that was summoned to the mortal realm and then successfully bound into a holy artifact years before the Black Chaos set foot into the world. But I was consciously choosing a bastardized version of the name for my entry. While Abaddon himself may not be able to destroy the world, Albaddon certainly might. And to the "late comers," now that you've found the place, even though you don't have time to enter right now, keep an eye out for the next Hero Craftsman. They're loads of fun.
Dog_O_War 10-29-07, 01:14 PM	To avoid the dreaded "wall of text" that I would normally just spew forth, how do I create the 'hide text' button? I've asked this question before in another thread, but have since forgotten.
Mercurius 10-29-07, 02:13 PM	To avoid the dreaded "wall of text" that I would normally just spew forth, how do I create the 'hide text' button? I've asked this question before in another thread, but have since forgotten. The Spoiler tags, like the ones that are in my entry, use the [sblock] code. Just like with italics or other formatting, you put an [sblock] at the beginning of the part you want in the menu, and then you put one that has a "/" at the end. :teach:
CheeseMan 10-29-07, 03:10 PM	if you want the button to say something, like 'mechanics' for example, use your mechanics text goes here , the entire list of codes with examples can be found here (http://forums.gleemax.com/misc.php?do=bbcode)
Talisman 10-29-07, 11:23 PM	Ferryn Starborn, wanderer "The bards lie. The twinkling stars herald neither beauty nor romance, but stark, cold terror." --Ferryn Starborn A male human, Ferryn is in his mid-twenties but gives the appearance of being ten years older. Of average height, he is lean but muscular, with skin deeply tanned from the outdoors and sporting a few minor scars. His hair is black and his face is charitably described as "hawkish," with piercing gray eyes and an unfortunately-sized nose. Ferryn wears rugged, sturdy clothing suitable for the wilderness, and rarely takes off his chain shirt. He often goes without bathing or changing his clothing for weeks at a time. He wears a great brown cloak in which he muffles himself when he wishes to remain relatively inconspicuous. Ferryn is quiet but watchful, his eyes constantly flicking around the room. He often appears nervous, and has an unfortunate habit of starting violently when surprised. He is never unarmed; although he may leave his sword and bow when necessary, he is never without his dagger, Blackling. Ferryn was born in the tiny town of Verge, nestled in the foothills of the Grayslag Mountains. With no mother (she died in childbirth) and a distant, neglectful father, Ferryn ran somewhat wild, often joining the other village children in hair-raising shenanigans. The one parent-figure Ferryn truly respected was his uncle Tolyn, a woodsman and hunter. A loner by nature, Tolyn took young Ferryn under his wing and taught him the ways of the wilderness. It was a decent life, if not a wonderful one, and Ferryn was well on his way to becoming one of Verge's professional hunters...until his fifteenth year. On a cool summer evening, the town of Verge witnessed what the elders referred to as a "Star Reaping"--a meteorite shower. Awed and not a little frightened by the eerie, greenish lights in the sky, the townsfolk ended their day early and locked themselves in tight. Except for Ferryn. He and a handful of other reckless teenagers--Boryc, a young warrior; Jaysin and Draysin, twin apprentice carpenters, and Amalissa, a farmer's daughter--snuck out just after sunset to watch the mysterious lights in the sky. They were both frightened and excited when one of the "falling stars" seemed to fall to earth not far away. Goaded on by recklessness and curiosity, they sought it out. The teenagers found the "fallen star" in a jumble of rocks on a hillside a mile or so from town. It was quite obvious, as it sat at the center of a small crater and smoked slightly in the cool night air. It was a disturbing-looking object, and appears to glow a very faint purple in the night. Farryn later found out that no one could agree on how big it was--it seemed no larger than a child one moment, the size of a bull the next. Curiously, the youths approached the star-born object. And then it opened. Ferryn's remaining memories of that night are mercifully blurred. He believes that something was inside the meteorite, but cannot say what, only that it was an unearthly color and an unholy shape. Strange sensations clawed at the inside of his mind, and he remembered the other children screaming, weeping, and--in Boryc's case--laughing horribly. There was a fight--he cannot remember why--and he remembers Boryc standing, still laughing, over the bloody form of Jaysin, a red-dripping axe in one hand. Ferryn ran. He lost himself in the woods, trying desperately to escape that scene of horror, the hideous feeling of something crawling inside his skull, and the memory of his friend's shattered skull and his other friend's maddened eyes. Eventually, he must have fallen from exhaustion, for when he awoke it was well past morning. Making his way back to Verge, Ferryn learned that the horrors of the night before--horrors he had been desperately hoping were the products of his fevered dreams--were all too real. Jaysin's shattered corpse had been found, and his twin brother Draysin was a babbling, mindless shell of a person. Amalissa, bearing a hideous wound across her once-pretty face, had lapsed into a stupor. Boryc had vanished entirely. And when Ferryn tried to tell the others about the mysterious star-stone, a visit to the site revealed nothing--not even bloodstains on the ground. Ferryn was terrified, amd managed to convince his uncle Tolyn that something fell was afoot. Ordering Ferryn to remain home and recover, Tolyn set off into the wilderness in search of the missing Boryc--and, hopefully, some answers. Two days passed before Ferryn violated Tolyn's orders and set out after him. He found the older man several miles from town: broken, bleeding, and barely alive. His flesh bore the marks of a viciously-wielded axe, along with what looked like sucker marks, and he gasped something about Boryc having "accepted the evil within." Before he died, Tolyn pressed his kukri, Blackling, into Ferryn's hands and told him the blade would protect him from the horrors of the night. His dying words were "They have come back...It's begun again...Get away..." Ferryn tried hard to convince the folk of Verge that they were in danger, but to no avail. Finally, the youth decided to trave south to the city of Aldamar. There, he hoped to find someone with knowledge of the threat he knew they faced. He was highly alarmed to find his skin seeping a clear, slippery slime like that of a frog or eel, something he kept hidden as best he could, and he hoped someone in Aldamar would understand what was happening. Two days travel out of Verge, Ferryn dreamed of unholy lights in the sky, and answering lights from the ground. Echoing through his dream was the chilling sound of Boryc's laughter. Ferryn awakened in a cold sweat, knowing with cold certainty that he no longer had a home to return to. Traveling ever since, Ferryn was horrified to observe his own body changing in strange and disturbing ways. Aside from the alien slime, his skin began manifesting random patches of what seemed to be chitinous scales, and he found himself less troubled by injuries that previously--the pain seemed more distant, and the physical damage less disabling. Recently, he has even caught himself thinking in unusual and nonhuman ways, and he knows this should utterly terrify him...yet, eerily, it does not. Terror for Ferryn wears the name Boryc. For his childhood friend pursued him, catching him on the road to Aldamar, and nearly slaying him with a monstrous obsidian axe. Boryc, whether slace or willing servant, apparently served the power from the stone, if the eldritch glow of his eyes was any indication. He babbled blasphemies as he tried to kill Ferryn, ultimately revealing a pair of tentacles growing from his hips, and membraneous wings on his back. Ferryn escaped through a combination of luck and trickery, and dreads Boryc more than anything else in the world...save one. Since then, Ferryn has seen Boryc twice, both times from a great distance. The axe-wielding warrior is able to speak normally when he chooses, and is apparently obsessed with finding and slaying Ferryn. More than once, he has hired others to perform this task; more often than not, Ferryn tends to assume that any difficulties he encounters were placed in his path by Boryc. Ferryn's goals are an odd dichotomy of agression and paranoia. He hates the star-spawned horrors that destroyed his home, corrupted his friends, and infected his very body. Therefore, he seeks out opportunities to hunt them down and destroy them, as well as searching for lore about the monsters from the sky, and for any with the power to aid him on his quest. On the other hand, Ferryn is terrified to the depths of his soul of the things he escaped, and would rather kill himself then fall into their clutches. He occasionally experiences fits of paranoia, seeing "their" minions in every shadow, and fleeing desperately to save himself. Ferryn is looking for strong allies, but he has some difficulty trusting them. He is likely to join any quest against aberrations of any kind, but is equally likely to hire on as a guide or tracker, seeking missions that take him far away from what he sees as dangerous locales. He seeks old lore, but can never quite believe the sages who hold it...they could easily be lying, or corrupted. A good person at heart, Ferryn desperately wants friendship and values other people. These are the traits that have kept him from falling into total, raving paranoia...he will not kill someone on suspicion; he would rather flee and seek safety. But every day brings him closer to the edge of sanity, from which there is no return... Boryc (CE human fighter 4/barbarian 12), once a close friend of Ferryn, has become his worst enemy. Whether his experience snapped his sanity or whether it merely brought his dark nature to the fore, the result is the same: Boryc willingly serves the fell power inside the star-spawned stone. In battle, he marries grace and raw fury, augmented by unnaturally long arms and slimey, membraneous wings. Sarmanthus (LG human wizard 7/loremaster 1), a professional sage and sideline magic item artificer, lives in the city of Aldamar. One of the few people who believes Ferryn's wild tales, Sarmanthus is hampered by his advanced age and his lack of political clout. He reseraches anything and everything relating to monsters from the sky, and offers Ferryn his magical abilities when possible. Snevis Skitterfoot (NE halfling rogue 9) is an unsavory criminal of the do-anything-for-money variety. He has spied on Ferryn and tried to rob him on numerous occasions, and Ferryn belives he works for Boryc. Snevis has a very high regard for his skin, and flees at the first sign of actual danger. Amalissa (NG human cleric 8 of Pelor) is an enigma to Ferryn. He has seen the scar-faced young woman several times, always acting as a cleric of Pelor, but he cannot force himself to confront her. He hopes that she somehow escaped whatever happened to Verge, but fears that she, like Boryc, has become corrupted. And yet, she remains his only living childhood friend...thus his agonizing indecision. Blackling: +1 aberration-bane ghost touch kukri. This strange weapon appears to be a normal dagger, melted and deformed by terrific heat. In fact, it is an oddly-shaped kukri that Ferryn acquired as a gift from his mentor, (18,308 gp) Steelfang: +1 keen longsword. This is Ferryn's primary weapon, simple, basic and reliable. He earned it early in his career, fighting a band of bandit hobgoblins. (8,315 gp) +3 chain shirt: Once he reached the city of Aldamar, Ferryn spent nearly all his gold commissioning this item from a local mage-smith, fueled by a justified paranoia. (9,250 gp) Glove of storing: Ferryn commissioned this item specially, using a false name. He uses it to store Blackling, and almost never takes it off (10,000 gp) Belt of giant's strength +4. Ferryn took this item from a hulking brute of a man who tried to murder him late one night. Ferryn believes the man to have been an assasin, send by Boryc or his masters, but does not know for certain. (16,000 gp) Ring of protection +2. This item was a gift from Sarmanthus the sage, one of the few people Ferryn trusts--and one of the few who believes him. (8,000 gp) Boots of speed: Ferryn earned these as payment for a job tracking a dangerous criminal into bugbear-infested mountains. (12,000 gp). 2 potions of cure moderate wounds (600 gp) Potion of invisibility (300 gp) Travel gear: backpack, bedroll, winter blanket, chalk (5 pieces), fishhook & line, flint & steel, lock (good quality), belt pouch, trail rations (5 days), silk rope (50'), tent, waterskin, whetstone, sunrod (5) (total 119 gp) Masterwork composite longbow (+3 Strength) (700 gp) 40 arrows (2 gp) Assorted gems and coins worth 1,000 gp Total gold used: 84,594 gp Ferryn Starborn, male human ranger 6/rogue 6 Alignment Chaotic good Hit Dice 6d8+6d6+24+8 (83 hp) Initiative +7 Speed 30' AC 24 (+3 Dex, +7 armor, +2 deflection, +2 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 24 Base Attack/Grapple +10/+13 Attack Longsword +14 melee or kukri +14 melee or longbow +14 ranged Full Attack Longsword +12/+7 melee and kukri +12/+7 melee or longbow +14/+9 ranged Damage Longsword 1d8+4/17-20, kukri 1d4+4/18-20 (+2/+2d6 vs. aberrations) Space/Reach 5'/5' Special Attacks Combat style, favored enemies (animals +2, aberrations +4), improved combat style, sneak attack +3d6, spells Special Qualities Evasion, trapfinding, trap sense +2, uncanny dodge, wild empathy +1, woodland stride Saves Fort +9, Ref +13, Will +9 Abilities Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8 Skills Climb +9, Diplomacy -3, Disguise -4, Escape Artist +19, Gather Information -5, Handle Animal -5, Hide +18, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +12, Knowledge (nature) +5, Listen +16, Move Silently +18, Sense Motive +7, Spot +16, Survival +10 (+12 underground), Swim +6, Use Rope +3 (+5 bindings) Feats Aberration Blood (slimy skin), Bestial Hide, Durable Form, Endurance (B), Improved Initiative, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (B), Iron Will, Track (B), Two-Weapon Fighting (B), Warped Mind Typical Spells Prepared 1st level (2, DC 12): alarm, pass without trace Hit Points 6d8 ranger = 30.5 (8 + [4.5*5] = 30.5) 6d6 rogue = 21 (6*3.5 = 21) +24 Con (2*12 = 24) +8 Durable Form feat (+2 hp per aberrant feat; 2*4 = 8) Total 83.5, rounded down to 83 Initiative +3 Dex plus +4 Improved Initiative Armor Class 10 base +3 Dex +7 armor (+3 chain shirt) +2 deflection (ring of protection +2) +2 natural (Bestial Hide; +1 natural armor per 2 aberrant feats) Total 24, touch 15, flat-footed 24 (Uncanny Dodge = don't lose Dex bonus when flat-footed) Attack Bonus Longsword: +10 BAB, +3 Str, +1 enhancement (-2 when two-weapon fighting) Dagger: +10 BAB, +3 Str, +1 enhancement (-2 when two-weapon fighting) Longbow: +10 BAB, +3 Dex, +1 enhancement Save Bonuses Fortitude: +5 ranger, +2 rogue, +2 Constitution Reflex: +5 ranger, +5 rogue, +3 Dexterity Willpower: +2 ranger, +2 rogue, +1 Wisdom, +2 Iron Will, +2 Warped Mind (+1 per 2 aberrant feats) Ability Scores Base: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8 4th Level: +1 Dex 8th Level: +1 Wis 12th level: +1 Wis Other Bonuses: +4 enhancement to Strength from belt of giant's strength +4. Skills At 1st Level (ranger): 28 ([6*4] + 4 human) Per Ranger Level: 7 (6 base, +1 human) Per Rogue Level: 9 (8 base, +1 human) Level 1: Ranger 1: Climb 4, Hide 4, Knowledge (nature) 1, Listen 4, Move Silently 4, Spot 4, Survival 4, Swim 3 Level 2: Ranger 2: Climb 1, Hide 1, Knowledge (nature) 1, Listen 1, Move Silently 1, Spot 1, Survival 1 Level 3: Ranger 3: Climb 1, Hide 1, Knowledge (nature) 1, Listen 1, Move Silently 1, Spot 1, Survival 1 Level 4: Ranger 4: Hide 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 2, Listen 1, Move Silently 1, Spot 1, Survival 1 Level 5: Rogue 1: Escape Artist 2, Hide 1, Knowledge (dunegoneering) 2 (1 rank), Listen 1, Move Silently 1, Sense Motive 1, Spot 1 Level 6: Rogue 2: Escape Artist 2, Hide 1, Knowledge (dunegoneering) 2 (1 rank), Listen 1, Move Silently 1, Sense Motive 1, Spot 1 Level 7: Ranger 5: Hide 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 2, Listen 1, Move Silently 1, Spot 1, Survival 1 Level 8: Rogue 3: Escape Artist 2, Hide 1, Knowledge (dunegoneering) 2 (1 rank), Listen 1, Move Silently 1, Sense Motive 1, Spot 1 Level 9: Rogue 4: Escape Artist 2, Hide 1, Knowledge (dunegoneering) 2 (1 rank), Listen 1, Move Silently 1, Sense Motive 1, Spot 1 Level 10: Ranger 6: Hide 1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 2, Listen 1, Move Silently 1, Spot 1, Survival 1 Level 11: Rogue 5: Escape Artist 2, Hide 1, Knowledge (dunegoneering) 2 (1 rank), Listen 1, Move Silently 1, Sense Motive 1, Spot 1 Level 12: Rogue 6: Escape Artist 2, Hide 1, Knowledge (dunegoneering) 2 (1 rank), Listen 1, Move Silently 1, Sense Motive 1, Spot 1 Synergy Bonuses, for having 5+ ranks in a skill: +2 Use Rope involving bindings (escape artist), +2 Survival checks when underground (Knowledge [dungeoneering]), +2 Diplomacy (Sense Motive), +2 Knowledge (nature) checks (Survival) Other Bonuses: +4 to Escape Artist checks from Aberration Blood (slimey skin) +2 to Bluff, Listen, Spot, Sense Motive and Survival checks when dealing with animals; from Favored Enemy (not factored in) +4 to Bluff, Listen, Spot, Sense Motive and Survival checks when dealing with aberrations; from Favored Enemy (not factored in) Penalties from Aberrant Feats -4 to Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Handle Animal, wild empathy. Feats 1st: Improved Initiative, Iron Will (human bonus feat), Track (ranger bonus feat) 2nd: Two-Weapon Fighting (ranger bonus feat) 3rd: Aberration Blood (slimey skin; +4 to Escape Artist), Endurance (ranger bonus feat) 6th: Durable Form (+8 hp) 9th: Bestial Hide (+2 AC) 10th: Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (ranger bonus feat) 12th: Warped Mind (+2 to Will saves) Aberrant feats are from Lords of Madness. All other material is strictly core, baby. Ferryn is not terribly optomized, but he should be a useful character. Most of his skills and abilities are defensive in nature, and reflect his paranoia and obsession with the horrors from the sky. His advancement represents his growing focus on aberrations and avoiding them, at the expense of the more traditional nature-oriented abilities. Ferryn does not have an animal companion. This is deliberate, as it fits his background. Not being as adept with animals as most rangers, and being constantly on the run, he has never bothered to befriend an animal. Additionally, he would probably grow paranoid about any animal that followed him around, suspecting it to be one of "their" agents. Ferryn would make a decent NPC support character, as he prefers to have others take the lead, and makes a useful scout and recon agent. The combination of his paranoia, low Charisma, and general air of the sinister make it unlikely that PCs will trust him very much at first. Ferryn is, however, desperately searching for people who can somehow help him fight the terrors from the skies, making it more likely that he will offer the PCs his trust. Note: All text in red has been edited post-judinging to correct rules errors and make Ferryn more of a team player.
-Winter- 10-30-07, 02:22 AM	Oh to hell with it, I am going to try make mine on time. I still have almost a whole day to do it in...
TheAlchemist 10-30-07, 06:10 AM	Tyrus of Ashmont Human Ranger3/Paladin2/Grey Guard7 The elf licked his dry lips, and tried to adjust his position. The ropes were bound uncomfortably tight, and his hands tingled from cut-off circulation. But that was the least of his worries. He eyed the big human warily. The questioning had started off reasonably enough, except for the human's uncanny ability to know when he was lying. The human was getting impatient, the peaceful questions were turning to subtle threats. "I don't know what you're talking about!" the elf protested feebly once again. "You lie." The human suddenly lunged forward, and grasped the elf's shoulder. "Tell me the truth or you will regret it!" A cold feeling spread from the human's hand, traveled throughout the body of the elf. He felt weak and sick and tired. "Tell me who you work for. What is his name? Where do you meet him?" The bulk of the human loomed above him, and the elf trembled at the force in the voice. "I don't know what you're talking about!" he squeaked in a high voice, a last effort at defiance. The grip on his shoulder tightened, and then the elf felt searing pain. He screamed, and pulled at the ropes, but the grip was unrelenting. When the human finally took his hand away, the elf told him all. Of the robberies. Of the bribes to the city guard. Of the kidnappings. Of the moving of vaguely body-shaped sacks from the various mansions to the warehouse. The human listened intently, asking a clarifying question or two. Finally, when the elf had nothing more to confess, the human unsheathed his two swords with a metallic whisper. With a cold, hopeless dread, the elf watched the human advance on him. "I am the Justice of St. Cuthbert. You have been found guilty of murder. Of bribery and corruption, and evil beyond measure. In the eyes of St. Cuthbert, you deserve to die." "May He have mercy on your soul." Tyrus was born in the village of Ashmont as the son of the village smith. Being third-born, the most he could have hoped to inherit would have been the mule's saddle (if he was really lucky, maybe the harness too), so, at 18, he left to make his mark on the world in the nearby city of Port's Landing. Having the strength of a smith's apprentice and the natural urge to help people, Tyrus quickly ended up in the city guard. Any illusions he may have held about city life were quickly shattered on his first assignment: night patrol of the docks. The only entry requirement into the city guard was to successfully complete a week's patrol of the docks; if you survived, you were in, if not, well... Unfortunately, this meant that the city guard attracted men who knew how to avoid trouble, rather than finding it and rooting it out. On the second day of his patrol, Tyrus came across his first body, floating serenely in the river. When he reported it, Bardolf, the captain of the guard, nodded perfunctorily and noted the incident down as an "accidental drowning". When Tyrus protested that he had found the body decapitated with the heart missing, the captain had leaned back in his chair expansively and said that the river current did funny things to corpses, and not to worry about it. Tyrus' further protestations were silenced by the captain's cold, unfriendly glare. Tyrus quickly learned to adjust to the realities of Port's Landing and the docks. He learnt to keep his eyes and ears open, sometimes to walk softly and other times to exert his full authority. He learnt the hidden short-cuts, and how to wield his swords in close quarter combat which was distressingly frequent. As the months went by, mutilated bodies continued to appear and people continued to disappear. The victims were not restricted to the poorest parts of the city nor to any particular race. A human beggar was found dead one day, and an elven merchant on the other side of town would disappear the next day, then a report would come in, of a dwarvish family all dead, without a scratch on them apart from the gouged out eyes... Tyrus tried to do what he could, but he was met with indifference and outright obstruction from the city guard. They were content to maintain the status quo. Tyrus' own private investigation led him to believe that the murders weren't random acts of violence by thieves, but were all connected. Captain Bardolf told him not to panic the city with wild, unfounded speculation, and had him reassigned to patrol other parts of town where, of course, no murders had been taking place. Despite Captain Bardolf's injunction for him to stop, Tyrus continued his investigation, and when his neighbour's eight year old daughter, Elia, disappeared, he devoted all of his energy to finding her. His search eventually lead him to the estate of one of the city's most influential lords. Rebuffed by the lord's private army of guards, Tyrus was forced to return to the city guard to request backup. Surprisingly, when Tyrus presented his case, Captain Bardolf agreed that there was reason for concern and he agreed to send several hand-picked men from the city guard to question the lord. When they arrived at the lord's estate, they were allowed into the lord's private study without question. The mindflayer's mindblast was as intense as it was sudden, and it drove Tyrus to the ground. Unable to move, he looked from the floor to the other city guards in mute appeal, but they looked back in complete indifference. Some coins changed hands and the city guards exited quietly, leaving Tyrus lying on the ground at the feet of the mindflayer. The mindflayer stared into Tyrus' unblinking eyes, then gestured. A servant brought out a struggling little girl. Elia. The mindflayer grasped the girl and moved its tentacles in what Tyrus could only surmise was an attempt at a smile. As Tyrus looked on in horror, unable to look away, the mindflayer lifted Elia to its mouth, and in one deft, well-practiced motion, sucked out her brain and then tossed her carelessly next to Tyrus. At that moment, there were sounds of fighting and armed men burst into the room, charging the mindflayer. But the last thing Tyrus remembered were the unblinking, accusing eyes of Elia's corpse, before he faded into the comforting darkness of unconsciousness. Tyrus woke up deep within the city temple of St. Cuthbert, his physical wounds at least, healed. The man attending him introduced himself as Sir Wilbert Hyll, a member of the Mace of Justice, a secret arm of the Church of St. Cuthbert, dedicated to rooting out evil and corruption wherever it may be found. Tyrus' investigation had uncovered the lair of the mindflayer they had been searching for, and had let them vanquish it. Captain Bardolf denied any involvement, but, Sir Hyll assured him, his time would come. Sir Hyll saluted Tyrus' bravery, but told him one man could not stand against such horrors, and the Order would be honoured if Tyrus would join them. Haunted by Elia's horrific death, Tyrua vowed in his heart to always combat mindflayers and all the evil they represented. Thus Tyrus was inducted into the order of the paladins of the Mace of Justice. In every city that had a temple of St. Cuthbert (and in many that did not), the Mace of Justice had a chapterhouse. Because the foes they battled often wielded enormous political influence, the very existence of the Mace of Justice was kept a strict secret. Because of the necessarily shady nature of the order, the paladins of the Mace of Justice have learned to compromise the strict creed of the paladin in the pursuit of the greater good. Upon the completion of his training, Tyrus received the amulet of the Mace of Justice, a plain looking amulet of St. Cuthbert (like the kind anyone would wear for luck) that was both a sign of the order, and a magic item that would hide his aura from prying eyes. Since then, he has served the order faithfully, been sent on many assignments in distant cities (his face had become too well known in Port's Landing) sometimes alone, and, on more dangerous missions, as part of a team. He is a good fighter, but is also an excellent negotiator (whether through peaceful diplomacy or harsh intimidation). He administers justice to evil-doers and law-breakers, seeking to destroy corruption by any means necessary. Tyrus is a large, imposing man; he is grim and rarely smiles. Not handsome in the conventional way, he nevertheless has a force of personality that leaves a mark on those around him. He will lay his life down for a friend, but is ruthless with anyone he perceives to be an enemy. He wears equipment that is used and worn, but a closer look reveals it is well kept and of exceptional quality: a clean, if battered looking mithral breastplate, worn but serviceable greaves, two plain, identical short-swords as his main weapons. He sports no visible insignia, and everyone takes him for a mercenary. Tyrus of Ashmont Ranger3/Paladin2/Grey Guard7 Male human, age 29 Lawful good follower of St Cuthbert ATTRIBUTES Str 18 = 14 (6 pts) +4 (belt of giant strength) Dex 12 = 10 (2 pts) +2 (gloves of dexterity) Con 12 = 12 (4 pts) Int 14 = 14 (6 pts) Wis 12 = 12 (4 pts) Cha 21 = 14 (6 pts) +3 (lvl) +4 (cloak of charisma) SAVES Fort 17 = 11 (base) +1 (con) +5 (divine grace) Reflex 11 = 5 (base) +1 (dex) +5 (divine grace) Will 14 = 6 (base) +1 (wis) +5 (divine grace) +2 (iron will) BAB: +12/+7+2 grapple: +16 speed: 30ft initiative: +5 = 1 (dex) +4 (improv. init. feat) HP 79 = 3d8 +9d10 + 12 (from con) AC 20 = 10 + 9 (+4 mithral breastplate) +1 (dex) touch 11 = 10 +1 (dex) flat-footed 19 = 10 + 9 (+4 mithral breastplate) ATTACKS Primary weapon +1 short sword, bane (aberration) Secondary weapon +1 short sword, bane (aberration) +15/+10/+6 and +15 (= +12 (BAB) +4 (str) +1 (sword) -2 (penalty for TWF)) damage 1d6 +6 = +1 (enhancement) +4 (str) vs. aberrations +17/+12/+8 and +17 (= +12 (BAB) +4 (str) +1 (sword) -2 (penalty for TWF) +2 (favoured enemy)) damage 3d6 +9 = 1d6 standard + 2d6 from bane ability +1 (enhancement) +4 (str) +3 (improved favoured enemy feat) Smite evil/chaos (4/day = 2 (from Pal + GrG levels) +2 (extra smiting feat)) add +5 (cha) to attack, +9 to damage (lvls of Pal + GrG) SKILLS (only those differing from straight attribute are listed; square brackets indicate bonus vs. aberrations) Balance +0 = +1 (dex) -1 (armour check penalty) Bluff +17 [+19] = 5 (cha) + 7 (ranks) +2 (persuasive feat) +3 (unbound justice ability) [+2 (favoured enemy)] Climb +3 = +4 (str) -1 (armour check penalty) Diplomacy +18 = +5 (cha) +7.5 (ranks, rounded down) +2 (negotiator feat) +2 (synergy from bluff) +2 (synergy from sense motive) Disguise +8 = +5 (cha) +3 (unbound justice) Escape artist +0 = +1 (dex) -1 (armour check penalty) Gather information +7 = +5 (cha) +2 (synergy from kn(local)) Hide +6 = +1 (dex) +6 (ranks) -1 (armour check penalty) Intimidate +19 = +5 (cha) +7 (ranks) +2 (synergy from bluff) +2 (persuasive feat) +3 (unbound justice) Jump +3 = +4 (str) -1 (armour check penalty) Knowledge(local) +12 = +2 (int) + 10 (ranks) Knowledge(religion) +10 = +2 (int) + 8 (ranks) Listen +7 [+9] = +1 (wis) + 6 (ranks) [+2 (favoured enemy)] Move silently +6 = +1 (dex) +6 (ranks) -1 (armour check penalty) Sense motive +14 [+16]= +1 (wis) +11 (ranks) +2 (negotiator feat) [+2 (favoured enemy)] Spot +7 [+9] = +1 (wis) + 6 (ranks) [+2 (favoured enemy)] Survival +7 [+9]= +1 (wis) + 6 (ranks) [+2 (favoured enemy)] Swim +2 = +4 (str) -2 (2x armour check penalty) Use rope +7 = +1 (dex) +6 (ranks) FEATS AND ABILITIES Improved initiative (lvl1, +4 bonus on initiative checks) Iron will (human bonus feat, +2 on will saves) Track (Rgr1, use survival skill to track) Wild empathy (Rgr1, can make a check (1d20+8) to improve attitude of animal) Combat style (two weapon fighting) (Rgr2, two weapon fighting penalties reduced by 2) Endurance (Rgr3, +4 bonus on saves to resist nonlethal damage) Favoured enemy (aberration) (Rgr1, +2 on bluff, sense motive, spot, survival and damage rolls vs. aberrations) Improved favoured enemy (lvl3, +3 on damage rolls vs. aberrations) Must obey code of conduct, must be lawful good (Pal1) Sacrament of trust (GrG1, if Tyrus has to break his code of conduct while carrying out his duties, there is no XP cost associated with the required atonement spell) Aura of good (Pal1, Tyrus has a moderate aura of good) Detect evil (Pal1, as the spell, at will) Divine grace (Pal2, add charisma (+5) to all saves) Negotiator (lvl6, +2 bonus on diplomacy and sense motive checks) Persuasive (lvl9, +2 bonus on bluff and intimidate checks) Unbound justice (GrG7, +3 competence bonus on bluff, disguise and intimidate) Smite evil (Pal1/GrG3) Extra smiting (lvl12, two additional smite attempts per day) Justice blade (GrG4, Tyrus can use his smite evil ability against creatures of chaotic alignment) Lay on Hands (Pal2, 45 points/day) Debilitating touch (GrG2, by expending 5 points of potential healing, Tyrus can use the lay on hands ability to sicken an opponent for 5 rounds) Devastating touch (GrG5, Tyrus can use his lay on hands ability to damage opponents with a touch attack at a rate of 1 point per hit point of healing given up. Non evil creatures can make a will save DC 22 to take half damage) SPELLS Tyrus can cast one first level spell per day (equivalent to a 5th level paladin) He will most likely have protection from evil prepared. magical +1 short sword of bane (aberration) x 2 (16,620 gp) +4 mithral breast plate (20,350 gp) +4 belt of giants strength (16,000 gp) +2 gloves of dexterity (4,000 gp) +4 cloak of charisma (16,000 gp) amulet of undetectable alignment (effect of continual undetectable alignment spell) (6,000 gp) Handy haversack (2,000 gp) Candle of truth (2,500 gp) potions: shield of faith +5 (900 gp) blur (300 gp) invisibility (300 gp) cure serious wounds (750 gp) neutralise poison (750 gp) mundane equipment (total cost 1017 gp, 6 sp, 3 cp) masterwork dagger masterwork crossbow (lght) 40 bolts traveller's clothes (free) bedroll blanket candle silk rope masterwork manacles torch x2 sunrod x5 tindertwig x3 waterskin money left over: 512 gp 3 sp 7cp
Zherog 10-30-07, 10:39 AM	What book is Grey Guard in? I'm not familiar with it - though I don't have several books permitted in this contest.
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-30-07, 11:48 AM	Grey Guard is in Complete Scoundrel. It is a PrC that has caused many ugly debates at my local gaming store b/c many people there respond poorly to the idea of "flexible" Paladin morality. Winter, go ahead and post. Even if it is rushed, you never know what might happen. My first entry (HC#2) was spur of the moment, and I only spent about 4 hours on it, and I ended up winning. You may be surprised. Same goes to everyone else who's interested. Post. Play. See what happens. Also, anyone who's working on an entry who runs out of time: Go ahead and post anyways. Most every judge will still offer comments and feedback. You may not be part of the official scoring, but don't just throw away your work. I always offer commentary, and most of the other judges do as well. Best of luck all around.
Zherog 10-30-07, 12:58 PM	Grey Guard is in Complete Scoundrel. It is a PrC that has caused many ugly debates at my local gaming store b/c many people there respond poorly to the idea of "flexible" Paladin morality. Huh. I have that book. Guess the class didn't make much of an impression on me either way...
JasonOrlandoHawk 10-30-07, 04:37 PM	Yeah, Complete Scoundrel p.40-44. I was dragged into the middle of a pretty heated debate the day CS came out b/c of the class, so I will probably never forget it. :nonono: Times I wish I hadn't gone to the gaming store... I will probably withhold my opinion of the class, and it's effects on a game, until after the entry time closes, since I wouldn't want to effect future entries. So, Z, are you posting an entry?
Zherog 10-30-07, 05:08 PM	So, Z, are you posting an entry? No. I have a writing project due Thursday. And while I was hoping to be done that early, I'm not.
Endarrion 10-30-07, 05:52 PM	Andrinor Balisade, aka Malhavoc Shadowlord Bil “Barrel” Nobar stumbled home through the dark alleys of Thorngoth, afraid for his life. Bil knew that the assassin Malhavoc Shadowlord was after him, his informants had gathered that much information before they were murdered. Bil had a plan though. At the end of a particularly dark alley, a fog suddenly formed. Bil stopped and sucked in a terrified breath. A figure appeared ahead of him, barely discernable through the fog. The figure was silent for a moment and then spoke. “Bil Nobar. I have come for you.” “So you have,” Bil tried to keep his voice from cracking. “I knew you would.” “Your informants?” Bil smiled, “Yes. They warned me that you were after me.” The apparition stepped a little closer, revealing the form of what Bil guessed was Malhavoc Shadowlord. “It won’t do you any good. Death comes to all.” “On the contrary, my friend.” Bil slipped a hidden flask of alchemist’s fire into his hand. “I don’t think I’ll be dying any time soon.” The apparition sighed, “Why must you fight, Bil Nobar? Accept your fate, give yourself to me and you will feel no pain.” A chill went up Bil’s spine. “St-stay back!” He drew his arm back and shivered again. Suddenly very confused, Bil looked down at his chest where a blade had come through his back, the tip pointing toward the shadowy form of Malhavoc Shadowlord. Bil stared hard and tilted his head, dropping the flask which was caught behind him. The apparition disappeared and a voice whispered into his ear. “I told you. Death comes to us all.” A tear ran down the face of Bil Nobar, and he saw no more. Andrinor Balisade a.k.a. Malhavoc Shadowlord name, NE Rogue 5, Assassin 7 Height: 5’11” Weight: 160lbs Deity: Languages: Common, Goblin, Elven. AC: 21 (5 armor + 6 Dex) 22 (dodge) Flat footed: 21 (uncanny dodge) Touch: 16 HP: 50 Speed: 30 ft Initiative: +6 Ability Scores Base Strength: 10 Dexterity: 15 Constitution: 12 Intelligence: 14 Wisdom: 10 Charisma: 14 Current Strength: 10 Dexterity: 22 (+3 levels, +4 enhancement) Constitution: 12 Intelligence: 14 Wisdom: 10 Charisma: 14 Attacks (sneak attack + 7d6) Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+8 Attacks: Sword of Subtlety +16/+11 (1d6 + 1/ 19-20x2) (+4 hit and dam on sneak attacks) Two-Weapon Fighting: Sword of Subtlety +14/+9 (1d6 + 1/ 19-20x2) +1 Deadly Precision Short sword +14 (1d6 + 1/ 19-20x2) (+ 1d6 extra on sneak attacks) Saves Fortitude: +8 (3 base + 1 Con + 4 resistance) Reflex: +19 (9 base + 6 Dex + 4 resistance) Will: +9 (3 base + 2 Cha + 4 resistance) Skills (137 points) Balance +14 (6 ranks + 6 Dex + 2 synergy) Decipher Script +7 (5 ranks + 2 Int) Disable Device +19 (15 ranks + 2 Int + 2 masterwork thieves tools) Disguise +6 (4 ranks + 2 Cha) Hide +21 (15 ranks + 6 Dex) Intimidate +15 (13 ranks + 2 Cha) Listen +8 (8 ranks) Move Silently +21 (15 ranks + 6 Dex) Open Lock +21 (10 ranks + 6 Dex + 5 lockpicking ring) Search +17 (15 ranks + 2 Int) Sense Motive +8 (8 ranks) Tumble +14 (8 ranks + 6 Dex) Use Magic Device +19 (15 ranks + 2 Cha + 2 masterwork tool) +21 w/ scrolls Feats CA109Force of Personality: Add Cha modifier instead of Wis modifier on Will saves. LM25Daunting Presence: Standard action, Will save DC 18 or become shaken for 10 minutes. Two-Weapon Fighting: Lessen penalties for fighting with a weapon in each hand. Weapon Focus (Short sword): +1 to hit with short sword. Dodge: +1 dodge bonus to AC against one opponent. Weapon Finesse: Add Dex modifier to hit instead of Str modifier with light weapons. Class Abilities Rogue Sneak Attack + 7d6, trapfinding, Evasion, trap sense +1 (+1 on reflex saves vs traps and +1 dodge bonus to AC vs traps), Uncanny dodge (retain Dex while flat-footed). Assassin Death Attack (DC 19 Fort save or death/paralysis, 3 rounds of study), poison use (no longer risk poisoning self), Spells, +3 saves vs poison, Improved Uncanny Dodge (no longer flanked, 16th level rogue to sneak attack). Spells Known 1st level (4), 4/day: ebon eyesSC, feather fall, obscuring mist, and true strike. 2nd level (4), 4/day: alter self, invisibility, spider climb, and undetectable alignment. 3rd level (3), 2/day: deep slumber, deeper darkness, and misdirection. Equipment Cloak of Resistance +4 (16,000gp) Gloves of Dexterity +4 (16,000gp) Healing BeltMIC (750gp) Lockpicking RingMIC (3,500gp) Sword of SubtletyDMG (22,310gp) +1 Deadly Precision Short SwordMIC (8,310gp) +1 Mithral Chain Shirt (2,100gp) Heward’s Handy Haversack (2,000gp) 5 scrolls of Major Image (1,875gp) 2 scrolls of Fear (1,400gp) 2 scrolls of Mislead (3,300gp) 2 scrolls of Evard’s Black Tentacles (1,400gp) 2 scrolls of Solid Fog (1,400gp) 3 scrolls of Hold Person (1,125gp) Wand of Magic Missle, 7th level (5,250gp) Masterwork Thieves’ Tools (100gp) Masterwork Use Magic Device Tool (50gp) LEFT OVER: 1,130gp TOTAL: 88,000gp Level Breakdown Feats: Human- Dodge 1st HD- Force of Personality 3rd HD- Weapon Finesse 6th HD- Two-Weapon Fighting 9th HD- Weapon Focus (short sword) 12th HD- Daunting Presence Rogue 1-5 Skills (44 at first level, 11/level afterwards) 1= 4 each in Decipher Script, Disable Device, Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Tumble, and Use Magic Device. 2= 1 each in Balance, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Disguise, Hide, Intimidate, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Tumble, and Use Magic Device. 3= 1 each in Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Search, and Use Magic Device. 3 ranks in Balance and Disguise. 4= 1 each in Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Search, and Use Magic Device. 2 ranks in Balance, Intimidate, and Listen. 5= 1 each in Disable Device, Hide, Intimidate, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive and Use Magic Device. 2 ranks in Listen and Tumble. Assassin 6-12 Skills (7/level) 6= 1 each in Disable Device, Hide, Intimidate, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, and Use Magic Device. 7= 1 each in Disable Device, Hide, Intimidate, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, and Use Magic Device. 8= 1 each in Disable Device, Hide, Intimidate, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, and Use Magic Device. 9= 1 each in Disable Device, Hide, Intimidate, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, and Use Magic Device. 10= 1 each in Disable Device, Hide, Intimidate, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, and Use Magic Device. 11= 1 each in Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Search, and Use Magic Device. 2 in Sense Motive. 12= 1 each in Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Tumble and Use Magic Device. The healing belt, lockpick ring, and deadly precision weapon quality can be found in the Magic Item Compendium. Force of Personality feat is in the Complete Adventurer. Daunting Presence feat is in Libris Mortis. Physical Description and Personality Andrinor Balisade is 31 years old and of average height but has a lithe, supple body. Never physically powerful, Andrinor always relied on his reflexes and quickness to help him. Andrinor has thunderous eyes and a voice like a knife in the back; he can quiet a room with a piercing stare and send shivers down the spine of any who hear him speak. His hair is gray - prematurely gray - and thin, so he keeps it cut short. He is clean shaven and has lines under his eyes and in his forehead as though he constantly frowns. A dour countenance through and through, he still has an air about him that forces others to pay attention to him. He dresses in dark blues, purples, and reds. He keeps his soft black boots oiled and as soundless as possible. He is almost never seen without his olive green cloak. No one has ever heard Andrinor laugh, at least, not recently. He is serious, matter of fact, and to the point. He can be eloquent when he wants but prefers a practical approach to most matters, and cares not if someone’s feelings get hurt because of his words. Andrinor believes that if one is so weak as to be hurt by words, then that person does not deserve to live. Andrinor spends most of his time reading and philosophizing. He often goes to public debates where he disguises himself, or at least doesn’t show up in all black with swords and daggers strewn about his person. Most of the populace at large has never seen Malhavoc Shadowlord, but many have heard the name whispered in dark alleys or seedy taverns. Malhavoc Shadowlord is Andrinor’s “working” name: he has never and will never give his true name to an employer, but if he were to meet people interesting enough to travel with, perhaps his shell could be broken. Background Andrinor started off as most children do; he was born as a single child to parents who loved him and raised him well. That was where the similarities to other children ended, however. His father was a burglar and his mother was a pickpocket. The family often moved from town to town to avoid notice, teaching their son the tricks of the trade, until one day when Andrinor was about 16 and his parents, crossing the street going back home from a successful heist, were run down by a stampede of horses in front of Andrinor’s eyes. He later found out that the horses broke down a rickety fence and escaped from their stable. The total lack of meaning in his parents’ deaths tore at him. Andrinor, bereft and guilt stricken over not being able to help his parents, wandered through different cities as a vagabond and trickster. Eventually he fell in with a small group of adventurers for a job. A dwarven warrior named Eberk, a human sorceress named Leila, and a halfling tracker named Darrin. Fighting side by side with these adventurers against the small horde of goblins made Andrinor feel true happiness for the first time since before his parents died. He enjoyed his companions’ company and became quick friends with the group. After defeating the bugbear leader of the goblinoid gang, the group decided to travel the land seeing what adventure could be found. Ever since his parents’ execution Andrinor had been sullen, but the finding of his new traveling companions had begun to turn his sour disposition. His spirits did not remain high for long however. During a particularly uneventful day on their way through a mountain pass, the group was beset by goblin raiders. The sheer numbers of the raiding party was enough to seriously injure Leila and Darrin, but the companions were able to rout the bandits. After the battle, while they were resting, an adult red dragon appeared and breathed fire on them from aloft, killing Leila. The group turned to meet the new threat and the dragon landed among them, too strong for them to defeat. The dragon tore through the already mangled party with little effort. Eberk and Darrin were killed and Andrinor was left dying. The dragon looted their bodies, not noticing or perhaps not caring about Andrinor, and flew off. Andrinor recovered very slowly in the mountains. A potion he had hidden in his clothing saved his life. He spent a week burying his comrades and recovering from the assault. That something so senseless could wreak so much havoc and lead to the deaths of people he cared about drove Andrinor mad with grief and rage. Eventually, he sunk into a deep depression coupled with a resurgent fatalistic attitude. First his parents, and then his friends; Andrinor accepted the fact that death and life were meaningless. Andrinor spent the rest of his time in Thorngoth selling his services as an assassin and mercenary. In the five years since the annihilation of his comrades Andrinor had brought death to many beings. He traveled to far away places and even to another plane of existence, but could never find anyone who could persuade him that his philosophy was not true. To this day, Andrinor waits for anyone who might be able to show him the error of his ways, but has yet to meet such a person. In the mean time, Andrinor’s professional life as an assassin (where he got his alias of “Malhavoc Shadowlord”) keeps him going. Andrinor would most definitely join an adventuring party, if only to prove his point that life, even the lives of the powerful or righteous, are meaningless. Friends and Enemies If no man is an island, then Andrinor Balisade is no man. Or at least a peninsula. Andrinor has few friends indeed, and certainly no one who would risk life or limb for him. One person who dares call himself friend to the Shadowlord is Aric Tannenbaum, a wizard and scribe who provides Andrinor with his scrolls; for a price, of course. He has many enemies, however. The countless assassinations, the heated debates, and the humiliation suffered by those who cower before his Daunting Presence; any number of people might want Andrinor Balisade dead. The only problem is no one has the courage to try. Tactics On assassinations, Andrinor likes to set up a major image, but if he feels as though stronger magic is needed, he uses a mislead scroll. He then spends time studying his target for use of his Death Attack ability. If that doesn’t work, simple sneak attacks or a deeper darkness spell (followed by ebon eyes of course) normally suffice. Explanations You might be asking yourself why Andrinor has no ranks in any knowledge skills since he is such a philosopher. My answer to this is that it does not take higher knowledge to debate his philosophy. I believe that common knowledge and life experiences are sufficient. Andrinor has a lot of scrolls, and he would have more if I could afford it. I gave him the scrolls and maxed out UMD to give him a mysterious edge in combat and dealings with others. He lets others think that he is some kind of wizard or sorcerer, which is obviously untrue. He likes to approach people wrapped up in his gray cloak so as to appear like a stereotypical cloaked wizard. Just another way to keep those he deals with off balance. Andrinor makes liberal use of his Daunting Presence ability. Again, it’s another way for him to keep people on their toes and to reinforce the idea that he is this incredibly frightening and powerful person.
jennibert 10-30-07, 06:18 PM	Only about a day left, people! Oh, and I know I asked this last time but I forget...how different is GMT from Eastern Daylight Time? Five hours? Six? Anyone know? I want to make sure I call time correctly...
CheeseMan 10-30-07, 06:30 PM	US eastern time zone is GMT -5:00
jennibert 10-30-07, 06:48 PM	US eastern time zone is GMT -5:00 Thank you! Good, I should be home from work by then:) Well then, by my count, 1 day and about 12 minutes as of this post!
Zherog 10-30-07, 06:49 PM	Nope. Four hours until this weekend, because of Daylight Savings time. After this weekend it will be five hours. For example, right now it's 6:50pm EDT. That's 22:50 GMT. Andrinor Balisade, aka Malhavoc Shadowlord You made the common mistake of never actually saying your race in your stat block. At least, not that I could find. The only way I knew you were a human was to see that you assigned a human bonus feat at first level. *shrug*
CheeseMan 10-30-07, 06:56 PM	so GMT doesnt do daylight savings? i didnt know that, i guess i learned something new today
Zherog 10-30-07, 06:57 PM	That's correct. GMT stays the same all year 'round.
Endarrion 10-30-07, 08:08 PM	You made the common mistake of never actually saying your race in your stat block. At least, not that I could find. The only way I knew you were a human was to see that you assigned a human bonus feat at first level. *shrug* Duh! I'm such an idiot. I even left the "name" part in the exact place where "male human" is supposed to go. Grrrr.
-Winter- 10-31-07, 12:32 PM	The inquisitor's wide grin of triumph vanished almost as quickly from his face as the wounds vanished from the white haired elven womans lithe frame. As she turned to face him with the slightest glare of annoyance, he had dispatched his Zombie quicker then expected, she waved a hand almost lazily to point at his chest. "azir et lanor" - with the incarnation complete she didn't even bother to watch as the mans heart was forcefully extracted from his chest by the magic, but returned to the fate of his comrade dying at her feet. "I can't wait to see your friends faces when the see you walking again." Black energy crackled across her fingertips and wracked the dying mans frame. When it stopped he rose to his feet staring blankly into space. "see those men over there? go kill them" The elven woman pointed vaguely at the melee barely 10 feet away, two men Hacking desperately at a large skeletal creature that was crushing a third in its arms. She watched for a moment before becoming bored with the hopeless struggle of the warriors, and Wandered into the melee herself. One of the men saw an opening and raised his sword for a viscious strike. Unfased The woman touched him gently on the arm and smiled as he collapsed lifeless to the floor. The final survivor turned to flee, hastily jumping over the bodies that littered his path. Narrowing her gaze some the elven woman leveled a finger at the fleeing mans head and shot a ray of deathly cold through his skull. "do come back" The man didn't fall, but he did stop in his tracks. before turning and shuffling awkwardly back towards the Elven woman. She looked at the three undead now standing before her, two new zombies and her pet bear skeleton. Another smile. Zombies wearing the colors of Pelor always made her smile. Winter. Neutral Evil Humanoid (elf), Dread Necromancer 12. Age 121 Patron: Farlanghan Height: 5’4” Weight: 87lb Eyes: Pale blue Hair: Pure White Skin: Pale. Str. 8 -1 (base 8) Dex. 12 +1 (base 10, +2 racial.) con. 14 +2 (base 14, -2 racial. +2 amulet of health) Int. 12 +1 (base 12) Wis. 8 -1 (base 8) Cha. 25 +7 (base 18, +3 level. +4 cloak of charisma.) using the sample array of 18, 14, 12, 10, 8, 8. Fort: + 7 = 4 base, +2 con, +1 resistance (amour enhancement) Relfex:+ 6 = 4 base, +1 dex, +1 resistance (amour enhancement) Will: + 7 = 8 base, -1 wis, BaB +6 Grapple +5 = +6 BaB, -1 str Initiative: +1 = +1 dex AC: 21 = 10 base, +7 amour (Mithril breastplate +2), +3 shield (mithril buckler+2), +1 dex, Touch AC: 11 Flatfooted AC: 20 Flatfooted touch AC: 10 HD 12d6 +24, = 68.5 Speed 30ft (base 30, light armor) Attacks. +5 melee touch, Charnel touch, (1d8 +3 negative energy damage or 4 negative energy healing.) +7 ranged touch, chill of the grave (4d10 cold) +8 ranged, masterwork light crossbow. 1d8 damage. +5 melee touch, as spell. +7 ranged touch, as spell. Skills: 2+int x15. = 45 Concentration: 15 ranks. Use magic device (cc): 7.5 ranks.(cost 15) Perform (dance)(cc): 5 ranks.(cost 10) Bluff 5 ranks. skill modifiers, concentration: +22 =15 ranks, +2 con, +5 competence (tunic of steady spell casting) Use Magic device: +17 =7 ranks, +7 cha, +3 competence (circlet of persuasion) perform (dance): +15 =5 ranks, +7 cha, +3 competence (circlet of persuasion) bluff: +15 =5 ranks, +7 cha, +3 competence (circlet of persuasion) Spot: +1 =-1wis, +2 racial. listen: +1 =-1wis, +2 racial. search: +3 =+1int, +2 racial. Languages: Common, Elven, Sylvan(bonus). Abyssal(pearl of speech) Feats: Elven weapon Proficiency's Simple weapon proficiency (Dread Necromancer) martial weapon proficiency - Battle axe (Dread Necromancer) Light amour proficiency (Dread Necromancer) Tomb Tainted soul. (1) Spell focus Necromancy (3) Fell animate (6) Greater spell focus necromancy (9) Forge ring. (12) Spells: Spells known - As Dread necromancer. Advanced learning. -Chill of the grave.(spell compendium) -Heart Ripper (spell compendium) -Delay death (spell compendium) Spells per day. DC 17 + spell level DC 19 + spell level for necromancy spells. =0/8/8/8/7/6/4 (level 12 dread necro: 0/6/6/6/6/5/3 + bonus from cha 25 0/2/2/2/1/1/1) Special abilities: Elven traits. (immune to sleep +2 vs enchantments, low light vision, +2 spot listen search) Class features: Charnel touch (1d8 +3 damage, or 4 healing) Rebuke undead Lich body (DR6/bludgeoning and magic) Negative energy burst 2/day (12d4, 5' radius, DC 23) Mental bastion, +2 vs stun, paralysis, poison, disease. fear aura. (5' radius, free action, DC 23) Scabrous touch 2/day (DC 23, as contagion) Summon familiar. Undead mastery. (Undead created get +4 str, +4 dex and +2hp/HD. animate dead limit increases to 132HD.) Negative energy resistance. (+4vs neg energy effects.) Light fortification 25% (as amour ability of same name) Enervating touch. (bestow negative levels with charnel touch. 6/day, DC 23 to remove.) Magic items: +4 cloak of charisma (16k) tunic of steady spell casting (2500gp) Circlet of persuasion (4500gp) ring of freedom of movement. (crafted - 20k + 700gp for scroll of freedom of movt) Deadwalkers ring. 2k (complete mage) (crafted 2000gp) amulet of health +2 (4k) Mithril breastplate: 4200 amour enhancement +2: 4000gp Mithril buckler: 1005gp. Buckler enhancement +2 4000gp, agility +500, stamina, +500, Crystal of arrow deflection lesser. 2500gp. Pearl of speech - abyssal 600gp Poratable hole 20000gp (complete with zombie collection) 4.5 k spare Winter is a young elf with fair skin, stark white hair and piercing blue eyes. Her slight build appears fragile, even for an elf, and if one watches closely enough, she barely seems to breathe. Never one for subtlety Winter's clothing is usually expensive and rarely bland, usually consisting of fine silks (particularly reds), and more then a few pieces of jewelry. And could easily fit into a noble crowd if it wasn't for the wickedly designed battleaxe that barely ever leaves her side (ironically this is usually the case in battle as well - barring the occasional coup de grace) Winter enjoys the attention of the common folk and often plays the part of a selfless heroine, Smiles for the crowds and slaying of monsters for a very fair price or none at all (which on occasion have been summoned or animated by Winter in the first place) have helped develop a hero's reputation. but for those who have seen her truly enraged and fight for real that image is shattered, Winter is easily consumed by blood lust and the aura of menace that seems to flow from her at times is frightening. Horrific dark magics and absence of mercy are underlined by a cruel streak that rivals some savage humanoids. Some of the more interesting creatures killed are collected as zombies. Although she places little value on life and can be reckless with her own, Winter considers it a point of pride that no-one around her dies unless she wants them to, that and her fascination with interesting and exciting people make her a valuable ally for those willing to forgive, or at least ignore, the dark magic and blood lust. Winter was born Laeryl Maidra, A name which translates roughly from elven to mean both 'flower of Winter' and 'life amongst death' Daughter to a pair of arcanists, one a sorceress the other a necromancer, and twin to a stillborn sister. although spoilt, Winter's parents would once every few years leave her in the care of distant relatives or occasionally home alone with naught but skeletal guards for company, while they traveled on adventures thinly veiled as important arcane research. Before her fifth decade of life her mother Linessa met her end at the hands of a Vampire while on a 'research expedition' with daddy. It is one thing for a Child to see her own mother buried, but it is something else entirely for a child to see a parent rise as undead... even for a child who has been a sibling to death since birth. Still, the nights spent asleep in the cool embrace of her mother sit fondly in Winters memories. With her mother absent during the day and a father Jaerl, now obsessively bent on discovering immortality for himself to ensure he could keep his family together forever, Winter lacked guidance when her own sorcerous powers began to manifest at puberty, and hid them as best she could, fearing abandonment from her group of peers in the loose elven and human settlement the Maidra Manor was closest to. That was until she met Emrikol. The brash young human boy with seeming boundless energy and an air of invulnerability, training to be a knight and the quiet elven girl were inseparable for a time. It was not to last, The young romance ended abruptly when a would be night of passion turned to disaster. Winter's touch unintentionally searing the boys skin black without flame, and leaving him nearly dead and disfigured for life. Winter ran crying all the way home that night. The Priests of Pelor that tended the barely breathing boys wounds when they found him in the morning, Immediately recognized the telltale burns of negative energy. It didn't take long for a young prodigy cleric, Talakos the just. to prove his worth as a candidate for the 'fists of light' an order of inquisitors loyal to Pelor. It was he who Pieced together the puzzle of events, and he who led a church sanctioned force to Maidra Manor to "Purify the corrupt with Pelors cleansing light" The battle that ensued was nothing short of carnage. Bone crushingly powerful necromancy against the divine power of the 'fists of light' left many dead or crippled before Jaerl Maidra took his last breath. Winter was little more then a spectator for the main battle but was able to kill a few church soldiers before she was captured for trial, and witnessed the incineration of her mother as Linessa's coffin was torn apart and her body exposed to the sun. The trail was short and pointless, forsaken and disowned by the elven elders and thus elven law, Winter was turned over to the churches laws and sentenced to be burned at the stake under the gaze of Pelor at midday, as one who consorts with undead and practices forbidden magics. As the flames started to gather, Young Laeryl cast aside her elven name and adopted the translation 'Winter' and swore vengeance. When the fire started to burn Winter became aware of another unfortunate fact... the energy that had come forth unbidden to scorch Emrikol, had another completely opposite effect on her own flesh. It healed. The Screams from the Pyre lasted longer and louder then anyone present was comfortable with. It hurt. Winter remembers little of her time dead. She remembers the pain. and she remembers the voices, thousands, like a cacophony of madness screaming and arguing for a part of her. Then she remembers emptiness. until slowly senses started to return, a searing pain followed by a chill then after what seemed like forever the sound of a heartbeat and the feeling of breathing and then light. Winter awoke aching and oh so tired, with a skeletal figure standing above her, eyes burning crimson. It didn't have to speak for her to recognize her daddy. It turns out the frantic years Jaerl Maidra spent questing for immortality had held. Now a lich, it was a small task for him to return his daughters soul to a newly cloned body. A perfect copy save for her hair, which had turned from a dark brown to stark white, a minor side effect of the necromancy involved. In the short years following her death and resurrection, Winter and her father relocated frequently. all the while her talents at channeling both magic and negative energy increasing at an alarming rate under the tutelage of an expert necromancer. It wasn't long before Jaerl deemed his daughter ready to experience the world, Her fascination with undeath was becoming worrisome to him and Winter was the subject of a long and detailed discussion about how one must live everything life can offer before entering undeath. With that Winter left, but not without some teary goodbyes. It wasn't long before Winter was slipping between adventuring parties as the whim took her, Finding it easiest to masquerade as a bard, or a priestess of farlanghan. the excitement of adventure and adrenaline rush of killing coupled with her exorbitant spending habits always brought her back for more. While adding to an ever growing collection of undead. It wasn't too long before Winter's past began to catch up with her, When a bardic troupe she had linked up with for a time reached the town she was burned alive in... it probably wasn't the wisest or subtlest thing to set the old church alight while mass was in session with newly created zombies barring the doors, but it sure was the single most satisfying experience of her life. The second most satisfying came after when the elven elders that abandoned her at her trial met their end at the merciless fists of their newly zombified loved ones. This event wasn't free of repercussions, the church of Pelor doesn't like its churches burned to a cinder. And Talakos practically threw himself at the opportunity to chase down the perpetrator. Still Winter's life continues much as before, Even if punctuated with clashes with Pelorites clashes which usually end in hearts and corpses strewn about the street, She is particularly fond of heroics now especially the kind involving all manner of vicious undead, even though she has no respect for the life of others and really couldn't care less about other peoples worries, she likes the songs bards have started to make about her and the adoration from the common folk after killing a fearsome beastie (even if said beastie suffered to its last breath). But for all the 'good deeds' completed, Winter isn't above lethal fits of pique and more then a few have died as a result of minor insults or refusing a demand. Most recently Winter has been attending some of the nobles functions, More to show off her most recent trophy then out of enjoyment, that being a dress made from the supplest of silver dragonscale. one of the side benefits of a recent quest to a dragons lair. The other being a new 'pet' zombie. -------- Emirkol Burnheart - Occult slayer. Nearly 20 years have passed since the fateful night that changed his life. A foolish childhood romance that cost him a career as a knight, and nearly his life. He still bears the scars where flesh died under Winter's embrace. and disfigured hands where he had held her. Still the ordeal didn't kill him and if anything gifted him with a burning resolve to destroy the un-natural. He has encountered Winter once since, she didn't recognize the aging human that silently watched her battle an inquisition member. It was only the shock of the woman from his past standing clearly before him that stayed his hand. Next time, he will be ready. Talakos the Just - Church inquisitor of pelor. Another face from the past, Talakos has been asigned to hunt down the Woman responsible for the Brewersbridge inferno. now with a multitude of men under his command he is waiting for enough evidence and the right opportunity to present itself. Some of his men have clashed with Winter in impatience, both times have been costly, he now waits patiently for the right moment. Jaerl Maidra - Lich - Necromancer - father. Winter's beloved daddy, although she has nearly surpassed him in raw power he still feels naught but pride in his only child. he has a less active role in his daughters life then in the past but is willing to offer advice and assistance when absolutely necessary. he still looks forward to visits as all parents do.
Avalon? 10-31-07, 04:23 PM	Professor Jacobe Idelion "Fear? All the things that you have experienced, fear you feel is not the true fear." Professor Jacobe Idelion Male Necropolitan (Augmented Humanoid) Sorceror 4/ Dread Witch 5/ Mindbender 1/ Nightmare Spinner 2 True Neutral Taint score of 12 (1/2 Cha +1 for being undead) = Moderate Taint Str 10 -- (2 pts) Dex 12 -- (4 pts) Con -- -- (0 pts) no con score due to being undead Int 14 -- (6 pts) Wis 14 -- (6 pts) Cha 23 -- (10 pts) 16 base +3 level +4 enhancement Hit Dice 12d12 Hit Points 83 (12 +6.5 +6.5 +6.5 +6.5 +6.5 +6.5 +6.5 +6.5 +6.5 +6.5 +6.5) AC 19 (10 base +7 armor +1 deflection +1 Dex), Touch 12 , Flat 18 Init + 3 (1 Dex +2 Insight) BAB +5, Grap +5 Speed 30 ft. (base 30 ft, load 19/33, light armor) Saves: Fort +7 (4 base +3 resistance) Ref + (2 base + Dex +3 resistance) Will +18 (13 base +2 Wis +3 resistance) [Will +24 against fear effects. (13 base +2 Wis +6 Cha +3 resistance)] +5 Melee, dagger, 1d4, 19-20/x2 +6 Ranged, dagger, 1d4, 19-20/x2, 10'r +8 Melee, +3 dagger, 1d4+3, 19-20/x2 +9 Ranged, +3 dagger, 1d4+3, 19-20/x2, 10’r Medium size, 5'10" tall, 192 lbs, 84 yrs old Hazelnut Brown hair, Emerald Green eyes, Fair skin (actually dry sunburnt skin when not in disguise) Speaks Common, Draconic, Undercommon Skills +18 Bluff (7) +6 Cha +5 Competence +19 Concentration (10) +6 Cha +3 Competence +17 Diplomacy (2 + 4cc) +6 Cha +3 Competence +2 synergy +23 (+25 to act in character) Disguise (4) +6 Cha +3 Competence +10 unnamed from the disguise self spell (+2 synergy to act in character) +28 Intimidate (7) +6 Cha +10 unnamed (from Dread Witch Master of Terror ability) +3 Competence +2 synergy +20 Knowledge – Arcana (11) +2 Int +5 Competence +2 circumstance +7 Knowledge – Architecture (0) +2 Int +5 Competence +7 Knowledge – Dungeoneering (0) +2 Int +5 Competence +7 Knowledge – Geography (0) +2 Int +5 Competence +7 Knowledge – History (0) +2 Int +5 Competence +7 Knowledge – Local (0) +2 Int +5 Competence +7 Knowledge – Nature (0) +2 Int +5 Competence +7 Knowledge – Nobility (0) +2 Int +5 Competence +11 Knowledge – Religion (2cc) +2 Int +5 Competence +2 circumstance +7 Knowledge – The Planes (0) +2 Int +5 Competence +8 Sense Motive (2 + 4cc) +2 Wis +16 Spellcraft (10) +2 Int +2 Synergy +2 circumstance +2 Listen (0) +2 Wis +2 Spot (0) +2 Wis Feats Heighten Spell @ 1st level Draconic Heritage (Silver)– human bonus feat Mother Cyst @ 3rd level Lunatic Insight @ 6th level True Believer (Wee Jas) @ 9th level Mindsight @ 12th level Unnatural Will – bonus feat from Dread Witch lvl 1 Corrupt Arcana – bonus feat from Moderate Taint Human Traits Medium size: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Human base land speed is 30 feet. 1 extra feat at 1st level. 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level. Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass human takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count. Necropolitan Traits Undead Traits Resist Control: Gain +2 profane bonus to Will saving throws to resist the effect of a control undead spell. Turn Resistance: +2 turn resistance Unnatural Resilience: Heal hit point and ability damage at the same rate as a living creature. The Heal skill has no effect on necropolitans; however, negative energy (such as an inflict spell) heals them. Sorceror Abilities Proficient in all simple weapons Summon Familiar Dread Witch Abilities Master of Terror: +1 to the save DC of spells you can cast with the fear descriptor. This bonus stacks with spell focus. Add bane and doom to your arcane spellcaster list as 2nd level spells. Gain a bonus to all intimidate skill checks equal to +2 per class level. Gain Unnatural Will (Heroes of Horror p. 124) as a bonus feat even if you don’t meet the prerequisites. Absorb Fear Fearful Empowerment - 2/day. Save DC bonuses from (Greater) Master of Terror apply to this spell. Will save DC 23 (10 base +5 class level +6 Cha +2 Greater Master of Terror) or become shaken for 1d4 rounds. Delay Fear Greater Master of Terror: Bonus to save DCs of all spells you cast that have the fear descriptor increase from +1 to +2. You are now able to affect individuals that are immune to fear such as a paladin. Only a target that whose HD exceed your caster level by 4 is immune to your mastery of terror. Horrific Aura – Will save DC 21 (10 base +5 class level +6 Cha) Reflective Fear Mindbender Abilities Telepathy 100 ft. Nightmare Spinner Bonus Spells – Gain one extra spell slot per spell level that can be used only to cast an illusion spell. Immunity to Fear Nightmare Phantasm – 9/day (3 +6 Cha) Spells Per Day 6|8/8/7/6/4 Spells have a save DC of 16 + spell level ( +2 bonus to spells with the fear descriptor) 0th- Acid Splash, Amanuensis, Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Predisgitation, Read Magic 1st- Cause Fear, Charm Person, Color Spray, Necrotic Awareness*, Ray of Enfeeblement, Shield 2nd- Glitterdust, Necrotic Cyst*, Necrotic Scrying*, Phantasmal Assailants, Scare, Whirling Blade 3rd- Anticipate Teleportation, Major Image, Necrotic Bloat*, Phantasmal Strangler 4th- Bite of the Werewolf, Necrotic Domination*, Shadow Well 5th- Mind Fog, Necrotic Burst* * Gained from the Mother Cyst feat Circlet of Persuasion 4,500 gp - lbs Crystal Mask of Lies and Languages 8,250 gp 1lb. As Mask of Lies and Crystal Mask of Languages. +5 competence bonus to Bluff checks Continuous Undetectable Alignment Disguise Self 3/day CL 5th Speak, read, and write Abyssal, Celestial, Ignan, Infernal, and Sylvan Ghost Shroud 5,000 gp - lbs. +3 Twilight Mithral Shirt 17,100 gp 10 lbs. Cloak of Charisma +4 and Resistance +3 25,000 gp 2 lbs. Gauntlet of Infinite Blades 6,500 gp 1 lb. Handy Haversack 2,000 gp 5 lbs. Infinite Scrollcase 2,800 gp 3 lbs. 2 scrolls of Arcane Lock 100 gp 2 scrolls of See Invisibility 100 gp 1 scroll of Whispering Wind 50 gp Scrolls of Uncertain Providence 8,000 gp 5 lbs. Nycoptic Manuscripts 2,500 gp 2 lbs. Spell Component Pouch 5 gp 2 lbs. Tiny Hourglass of platinum and crystal (focus for Anticipate Teleportation) 500 gp Masterwork Tools: Ars Magna, Generalis et Ultima (circumstance bonus to Know: Arcana) 50 gp 1 lb. The Black Rites (circumstance bonus to Know: Religion) 50 gp 1 lb. Daemonolatreia (circumstance bonus to Spellcraft) 50 gp 1 lb. 1,445 gold pieces Tattooed Spells: Call Forth the Beast (5th level corrupt spell) 1,000 gp – tattooed on both hands and left forearm Master’s Lament (6th level corrupt spell) 1,200 gp – tattooed on right forearm and upper arm Chain of Sorrow (7th level corrupt spell) 1,400 gp – tattooed on chest and part of abdomen A youth of barely two decades old enters a dusty old office lit only by a handful of candles barely larger than stumps. The walls are lined in all directions with tomes, manuals, scrolls and other items that seem to hint of things not of this world. At the center of it all is the Chief Librarian and Professor in the field of Folklore: Professor Jacobe Idelion. Noticing the open door and sudden draft, the professor sees the youth and motions for him to sit in chair in front of his desk. After seeing to it that his guest is comfortably seated, he begins to speak. “Master Blackstone, it’s been six years since you enrolled at Miskatonic. How has your education been? Has Professor Woods been treating you well?” “Actually, Sir, I have completed my studies and am planning to partake in an expedition.” “Excellent. May I inquire as to where your expedition will take you?” “To the deserts of Egypt.” Upon hearing these words, the professor’s hands tighten up to balled fists unseen by Blackstone. With a hint of anger, he rises up from his seat and dismisses the boy. “Thank you for visiting master Blackstone. I wish you the best of luck.” ******* He awoke to utter darkness. Panicking, Blackstone tries to rise but he is restrained by something that seems to be made of certain materials that seem to resemble those mentioned in dark tomes kept by certain fevered cults who worship nameless beings. Restrained in his current position, he begins to see horrors that could only come from his darkest nightmares. In the midst of his terror, he hears a voice. He tries to look for the source but it seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. He hears the voice again. It becomes more distinct and carries with it a dry tone that seems to come from beneath the earth and beyond the depths of time. “So you finally awaken eh? You are just in time then. You are young master Blackstone. Correct?” “Yes. I am.” “You are planning on traveling to Egypt to study ancient texts written by the mad priest Hetshepsu and profit from them. Correct?” “H-how do you know of my plans? I have told no one of them.” “I know of many things young one. You are not the first to embark on this adventure and I doubt that you will be the last. There are many things in this realm that are not meant to be known by the human race. ’ That is not dead which can eternal lie. And with strange aeons even death may die.’ “Th-that’s a quote from the Necronomicon! You have read of it?” “Yes I have, but I am of no concern. You, on the other hand, walk a dangerous path. Would you allow yourself to falter in the midst of things that would shake the very hearts of men?” As soon as the voice finished its speech, there came a shrieking, roaring confusion of sound which permeated his mind and the space around him. Trying to identify the sound, Blackstone finds that it was past all analysis to pitch, timbre or rhythm; but it seemed to hint of certain things seen in the visions of those who partake of certain opiates from the South Seas. A creeping fear took over him as the sound turned to a more somber tone. Then the voice came again. “There has only been one other who has dared ventured for this knowledge that who came from this land. In fact, he came about from similar circumstances as you did.” “He was born of a father who died at childbirth of insanity and a mother of proud, noble stock who was forced to live in poverty. For someone who was accustomed to finery and wealth, that was hard to swallow. She slowly withered away until her son reached 15 years of age when her soul finally left her body.” “With both of his parents dead, he had nothing left in this world save for some old, leather-bound tomes written in an unknown tongue and a certain spark in his blood. Hoping to make a name for himself, he traveled for many a moon ‘till he fell down exhausted by a river called the Miskatonic. He was found by one of the professors there and he was taken in and made a student.” “He quickly rose through the ranks of his colleagues until he became a professor himself one year later. He came to befriend another prodigy like himself called Arthur Premlyn and together they became some of the best researchers in Miskatonic University.” “One day he found a book in the library that bore the same writing as the one found in his books and it also contained notes on their translation by an unknown hand. He used those notes on one of his books and he found ancient arcane secrets that would enable the caster to do miracles and to make his wishes come true though his books and those of the university’s were only a part of the greater whole. The books hinted of other writings hidden in scrolls, manuscripts, stone tablets and in the fevered dreams of men driven mad.” “He sought to obtain these scrolls by any means necessary. He pleaded with his superiors to allow him to go on one of the expeditions that the university held each year to obtain more knowledge to add to the copious amounts stored in the vast library and storehouses. He joined one soon enough when a group of adventurers were hired to travel to an island in the Pacific to excavate some ruins found in the area that were rumored to be older than mankind itself. They reached the site without event but things started took a turn for the worse as they began their task. Shadows would move in opposition to the torch’s flame, strange sounds would be heard at all hours of the night, and there were even sightings of a beast that had the body of a man but with the limbs and face of a bloated toad.” “They retrieved five tablets made from copper. Written in the same script as one of the books in the university, they tried to read from it. First to read the tome was the party’s sneak-thief. As soon as he read the first character, the sneak-thief bled from all the openings in his body while muttering curses in five different tongues for several minutes until he expired. His death was not in vain, however, since his mutterings told of wealth enough to quench any man’s desire, of power enough for any dictator or despot, of knowledge unknown by even the most learned of men and of many other desires that lurk in the hearts of men.” “Tempted by these mutterings, the group did not turn back to the university but instead sought out other writings such as the one that had slain their sneak-thief. They traveled to certain islands lorded over by corrupt Iberians, to the lands once held by Frankish kings, and many more locales. All the while, they gathered many more cryptic and hidden writings such as the Liber Ivonis, the Cthäat Aquadingen, the Pnakotic Manuscripts, and more. The Necronomicon, the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, the Ars Goetia, the Testament of Carnamagos, and the Unaussprechlichen Kulten also numbered among their spoils.” “It was during one of these trips that they would meet their fate. They had traveled to the land of the god-kings who dwelt on the Nile. Seeking a safe route to the Pyramids, they hired a black man to be their guide. The journey to the pyramid of Khufu was several days in length and they rested each night in an oasis, if lucky, else hidden under a tent at the mercy of the uncertain desert winds. It was unfortunate though; that what would be their undoing would not be the desert or the elements but rather the man that they had hired to guide them.” “He awoke in a dimly-lit place bound and gagged by chords of great strength and thickness. Standing all around him were men clothed in tattered rags chanting prayers in the tongue of the ancients who dwelt on the Nile. They brandished cracked whips made from the hide of a beast that he couldn’t determine. They flogged him ‘till the flesh nearly came off of the bone. They then swabbed him with rags reeking of blood, sweat and human waste then left it to dry. Finally, the daubed his wounds just enough for him to live. They did this to him repeatedly until he lost all sense of time and most of his sanity.” “When he thought all hope was lost and when he longed for the sweet touch of death, they loosed him from his bonds and dragged him bodily to kneel before an ornate throne room blazing with light. Unaccustomed to such brightness after the near darkness of his confinement, it was a while before he came to recognize the figure sitting on the throne. It was his guide, the black man who was now garbed in the manner of an ancient pharaoh wearing brightly colored robes. The black man had him brought forward then said something into his ear.” “He brought forth to a great obelisk made of obsidian and slate that was situated on the top of the pyramid of Khufu. Once there, they bound him to the obelisk with chains then nailed his hands and feet to the monument with nails made of a dark metal that was darker than night. Pain wracked his entire body but death would not come. Incense was brought forth and men gathered around him and began to chant a prayer that would make even the gods tremble. Presiding over it all was the black man.” “A day and a night passed before the first fingers of sweet death crept over him. The black man saw this and began to chant along with the others. With the man’s dying breath, the black man raised his hands and spoke eleven words. ‘Ia, Ia Yog-Sothoth, I Nyarlathotep bind this man to life unliving.!’ A bolt of lightning then descended from the clear night sky and struck the man bound to the obelisk. He should have been dead but instead was turned into a mockery of his former self. He did not live but he also did not die. He was trapped in a state that belonged to neither life nor death.” “Many months later, a traveler arrived at Miskatonic University. He was greeted by Arthur Premlyn, now the head of the university. He recognized him as his old friend who joined an expedition and was presumably lost over a decade ago. Glad of his return, Premlyn gave him abode at the university and offered him a post in the place which the man gladly accepted. He now resides in the university which his secret unknown to all but one.” His curiosity rising, Blackstone then asked the voice a question. “Who was he?” A sinister chuckled was the answer. “You don’t know who he is? My, my boy, you are daft if you haven’t realized it yet. You have studied under him all this time and yet you never knew who he really was.” The realization of the identity of the man hit him as a familiar face appeared out of the darkness and began to remove his face showing the dried flesh and bone hidden beneath. It was the face of a dead but still moving Professor Jacobe Idelion “The man in the story was me!” Appearance: Professor Jacobe Idelion is never seen by normal people without his disguise. When they see him, they see a tall, average looking man who flashes them a calm, friendly and welcoming smile that gives the impression of a close friend. Those who can pierce the magic that makes his disguise see the same person but older and paler. Personality: A witty man who can make fast friends with others, Professor Jacobe Idelion is a clever manipulator of people. He plays people as if they were puppets moving to his every whim. He doesn't show this, though, but instead shows a warm and friendly personality. Even though he loves to toy with people to achieve his goals, he is extremely loyal to Miskatonic University and he tirelessly works to ensure that no harm will befall his beloved home. Goals: Aside from protecting Miskatonic University, Professor Jacobe Idelion still searches for the pieces of arcane literature he lost as well as others such as the Book of Iod, Celaeno Fragments, and the Dhol Chants. He is also looking for the whereabouts of his former adventuring partners. People: Gabriel Blackstone - One of Idelion's students, he harbors deep affection for the boy since their pasts are so much alike. Arthur Premlyn - Idelion's best friend. Only he knows of what happened since Jacobe Idelion went out on that expedition long ago. The Black Man/ The Black Pharoah/ Nyarlathotep - One of the outer gods and their faithful messenger, he takes on many forms. He was the one who performed the Ritual of Crucimigration and turned Professor Jacobe Idelion to what he is now. Professor Idelion harbors deep hatred for him and all who him because of what they did to him. Johnathan Carter and Aaron Cordoba - Idelion's former adventuring partners who where with him when they hired the black man. Presumably dead, Idelion has no idea of their whereabouts and the whereabouts of the arcane tomes they had collected since the books disappeared when they did when Idelion was captured and tortured. The books used in making this character (outside the core rulebooks) are: Complete Arcane, Complete Mage, Heroes of Horror, Libris Mortis, Lords of Madnes, Magic Item Compendium and the Spell Compendium. Some specific items of not are the following: Libris Mortis: Necropolitan template and Ritual of Crucimigration (p. 114-115) Nycoptic Manuscript (p. 79) Complete Arcane: Rules for Alternate Spellbooks (Tattoos) p. 186-187 Mindbender PRC (p. 54) Complete Mage: Nightmare Spinner PRC (p. 74) Heroes of Horror: Rules for Taint (p. 62-68) Dread Witch PRC (p. 98) Lords of Madness: Mindsight feat (p. 126) Magic Item Compendium: Rules for combining magic items and rules for adding common magic effects to items (p. 233-234)
Avalon? 10-31-07, 04:23 PM	Finally! I finished it!
jennibert 10-31-07, 07:10 PM	I should have read Zherog's post. What Heros_Backpack says below.
Heros_Backpack 10-31-07, 07:10 PM	Less than an hour left - if you have any last minute (literally) entries, post them now!
FRRC 10-31-07, 07:19 PM	Devon Sypes Devon Sypes Male Human Fighter 1/Paladin 4/Grey Guard 5/Death Delver 2 Lawful Good Medium Humanoid Diety: St. Cuthbert Language: Common Height: 6ft 6; Weight: 280lb; Age: 32 -------------------- AC 25 (10 + +1 Dex; +10 Armour; +2 Deflection; +4 Shield; -1 Warmace) Flatfooted 24; Touch 12 Initiative: +1 HP 128 Hit Dice 10d10+2d8+60 Saves Fort: +20 (+4 Con; +13 Base; +2 Divine Grace; +1 Morale) Ref: +6 (+1 Dex; +2 Base; +2 Divine Grace; +1 Morale) Will: +13 (+2 Wis; +8 Base; +2 Divine Grace; +1 Morale) Conditional: Immune to Fear and Disease Space / Reach: 5ft / 5ft Base Attack / Grapple: +11/+16 Speed: 20ft -------------------- Attack Warmace +2: +18/+13/+8 (1d12+7 Crit x2) Silver Longsword: +16/+11/+6 (1d8+4 Crit 19-20/x2) Devastating Touch (Touch): +16 -------------------- Special Attacks: Smite Evil 2/day (+9 Damage), Turn Undead 9/day (+4, 2d6+3), Rebuke Undead 9/day (+4, 2d6+4), Debilitating Touch (DC17), Justice Blade (Chaos), Devastating Touch (DC17) -------------------- Special Qualities: Aura of Good, Detect Evil at Will, Divine Grace, Lay on Hands (18HP), Aura of Courage (+4 vs Fear 10ft), Divine Health, Sacrement of Trust, Deadened Soul -------------------- Abilities: Str 20 (+5); Dex 12 (+1); Con 18 (+4); Int 10 (+0); Wis 14 (+2); Cha 15 (+2) -------------------- Paladin Spells (CL3) 1st- Divine Sacrifice, Protection from Evil Death Delver Spells (CL2) 1st- Hide from Undead (DC13), Remove Fear Feats 1 - Power Attack 1 - Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Warmace (Human) 1 - Improved Toughness (Fighter) 3 - Font of Life 6 - Extra Turning 9 - Spirit Sense 12 - Divine Vigour Skills Climb +9 (4 Ranks; +5 STR) Concentration +14 (10 Ranks; +4 CON) Heal +4 (2 Ranks; +2 WIS) Intimidate +4 (4 Ranks; +2 CHA) Jump +9 (4 Ranks; +5 STR) Knowledge (Religeon) +10 (10 Ranks) Sense Motive +9 (7 Ranks; +2 WIS) Spot +6 (4 Ranks; +2 WIS) -------------------- Equipment Weight Allowance: Light (<133); Medium (134-266); Heavy (267-399) Current Load: 95lb Warmace +2 - 10lb - 8325gp Silver Longsword - 4lb - 105gp Variable Heavy Steel Shield +2 - 15lb - 9,000gp Full Plate of Blurring +2 - 50lb - 10,650gp Tabard of the Great Crusade - 1lb - 5,500gp Cloak of Charisma - 2lb - 4,000gp Ring of Vengeance - 4,500gp Ring of Protection +2 - 8,000gp Amulet of Health +4 - 16,000gp Belt of Giant Strength +4 - 1lb - 16,000gp Talisman of Undead Mastery - 3000gp Everfull Mug - 200gp Everlasting Rations - 2lb - 350gp Cleric's Vestement Backpack - 2lb - 2gp Bedroll - 5lb - 1sp Holy Symbol, Silver - 1lb - 25gp 2x Holy Water - 2lb - 100gp (50gp each) Potions: Cure Moderate Wounds - 600gp 2x Eagle's Splendor - 600gp (300gp each) Barkskin +3 - 600gp 442GP, 9SP Level 1: 4 Climb, 4 Intimidate, 4 Jump Level 2: 2 Knowledge (Religeon), 1 Sense Motive Level 3: 2 Knowledge (Religeon), 1 Sense Motive Level 4: 2 Knowledge (Religeon), 1 Sense Motive; +1 Strength Level 5: 2 Knowledge (Religeon), 1 Sense Motive Level 6: 2 Concentration, 1 Heal Level 7: 2 Concentration, 1 Heal Level 8: 3 Concentration; +1 Strength Level 9: 3 Concentration Level 10: 3 Sense Motive Level 11: 2 Knowledge (Religeon), 1 Spot Level 12: 3 Spot; +1 Charisma References Complete Scoundrel Grey Guard Heroes of Horror Death Delver, Font of Life, Spirit Sense Complete Warrior Divine Vigour Complete Divine Divine Sacrifice Magic Item Compendium Variable Heavy Steel Shield +2 Full Plate of Blurring +2 Tabard of the Great Crusade Ring of Vengeance Talisman of Undead Mastery Everfull Mug Everlasting Rations Devon Sypes grew up in a city called Vreman. It had everything a city was supposed to have: Cathedrel, School, Market, Back Alleys, crime, poverty and some docks that had a never ending supply of drunks. But the thing that Vreman was most famous for was it abundance of monsters. The kind of monsters that would watch you while you sleep, kill you, steal your children, and then eat them. But no-one would leave the city despite this since the city guard always said "...under control!" or "...we have the murderer in our cells as we speak." which would then be followed by a hanging the next day. Life is ignorant in Vreman. Devon's family lived in the centre of the city in a two floored house, made from wood and tiles. There were three bedrooms: One for Devon, another for his Mother and Father, Celinda and Gerrard, and the last room for his older Sister, Kayla. Celinda worked at home while Gerrard adventured outside the city, and Kayla and Devon attended school. They lived their life day to day. Gerrard would come home after a few days adventuring bearing trinkets of other areas and monsters slain. There would be stories. Stories that would scare Devon. The scariest story for Devon the story of a town that had become afflicated with a curse that made all the town members go mad and begin eating each other. Gerrard said that he would see townsfolk running through the woods covered in blood, chewing on their own arm. He would always tell the story while they were eating bloodied steak. Devon asked for his well-done. Burnt, as a preferrance. Devon a stocky, short boy till he hit mid-puberty when he suffered a growth spurt and became giant. He was often picked on before this happened, and never picked on others after it happened. Often a bit of a coward, he chose to remain on the good side of people, avoiding conflict. When he was old enough Devon joined a school for Fighters. He was not the best, but he did pass the basics. To celebrate, his Father took him out on a adventure during the night. A Ghoul had been spotted in the graveyard. An easy kill in all respects. However, Gerrard was older now and didn't adventure as much. It was already past midnight when they got to the graveyard. It was a cloudy night, the moon was hidden. Gerrard and Devon walked through the graveyard slowly, making sure they don't get ambushed. They quickly found some dug up graves, the bodies inside had been devoured. Devon was peering inside one of the graves, when he was pushed inside. Dazed from falling, he was unable to get to his feet but he could hear the sounds of his Father and the attacker fighting. Devon layed in the grave, stunned and frightened, until he saw Gerrards face peer over the top of the grave with a smile on his face. He pulled Devon out. Gerrard was covered in scratches and had suffered from some bites. "Didn't get a good look, might have been a Ghoul. He was a bit too tough for just a carrion critter though. The git bit me though, better get it checked in the morning." Gerrard said as he was wrapping the wounds. Nevermind, maybe next time" he added with grin. Next time? Thought Devon. During the walk home, Gerrard became incredibly ill. He was turning pale and he was stumbling all over the place. Devon had to support him as they walked. Gerrard died after they got home. He had lost too much blood and the fever he suffered made it worse. He was buried noon time in the same graveyard they'd been in last night. During the funeral, Devon was approached by a local Paladin, John Thurn who was starting up a church school for Paladins and thought that Devon was a perfect candidate for a Paladin, and his basic knowledge of martial combat would be helpful in getting him past some of the other lessons. Devon gladly accepted, now that he had to look after and support his family. Devon spent many years training as a Paladin. Although he had no direct friends, he had developed some allies that he preferred to adventure with. Victor, a young Transmuter who loved to play around in different forms, and change the properties of the things around him. Caren, a Ranger was uninterested in adventuring for glory or treasure. Like Devon, she did so out of nessecity to survive. Both Victor and Caren were Devon's preferred choices when adventuring without the aid of the church. Devon, used the funds that he recieved for his services to support his family. It wasn't until in his late twenties before things turned bad. After a long session of adventuring outside the city, he arrived home to find his mother, Celinda, in a panic. While he was away Kayla was taken two nights ago, and no-one knows where. Apparently, there had been sightings of more Ghouls in the area and it was possible that they might have taken her. Immediately, Devon set out and rushed for the graveyard. It was already night when he arrived. He had never set foot in the graveyard since the funeral, and stepping in it now still brought back some bad memories. He slowly moved through the graveyard, weapon in hand. He could hear the howls and snarls in the distance. Devon could also see the nearby graves had been dug-up, their contents flayed all around. As he was taking a closer look at one of the graves, he was attacked by a group of ghouls, but his church training had prepared him. With a quickly show of his Holy Symbol, he destroyed the Ghouls. Under the holy power, their bodies twisted and cracked into tangled flesh before they turned to dust. Devon took a few breaths to allow himself to steady. He heard a scream from a crypt at the rear of the graveyard. It was the only crypt there, but was quite large and held lots of families. The door was open, so he burst through it shield raised. He stopped at the base of the stairs leading back to the entrance. Blood was trailed in various directions. He called for Kayla. There was another scream. Devon quickly charged off down a hallway towards the scream. The screams were getting louder. He burst through a door at the end of the hall to see his sister tied down to a table, with a Ghoul standing over her with a knife and fork in its hands. The Ghoul looked up and smiled. "Son" he said, "I was just so hungry. I've been watching you every night since I "passed", resisting the urge to feed on my family, but my Master said that families taste the best. He might have been talking in general, but I preferred the literal sense. Kayla tastes much better." It was at this point that Devon noticed the state his sister was in. Her stomach was open, her insides were hanging over the edge of the table. She was clearly dead. Devon collapsed, the shock overtook him. He couldn't take it. His father had become a monster who was currently devouring his sister. He had spent most of his life vanquishing evil in other lands, only to have it win at home. It was too hard to fight it all and too easy for them to win. At least doing it the "nice" way. He shook his head, gripped his weapon, and let out a furious scream. When he stood, he saw the Ghoul, his father, standing on the table Kayla was lying on, ready to pounce. The Ghoul leaped through the air towards Devon. On instinct only, Devon grabbed the Ghoul by the head, mid-air and slammed it into the floor. The Ghoul was thrashing at his arm, which was protected by the Plate-Mail. Devon slammed the head into the ground again, and again, and again. Blood, skull and brain matter covered the floor. The Ghoul was no longer moving. Devon let go of the head and ran over to Kayla. After staring at her for a while, he broke into tears. She had been dead for a few hours, feasted on slowly, as was evident in the missing organs. A thought crept into Devon's head. He stopped sobbing, and grabbed his mace. Who was screaming? At that point, a sword exited the front of his chest. His blood was dripping from the end. Devon went to turn, but fell into darkness. All that was left was the sound of laughter, like the killer was having fun. Devon awoke in the church he belonged to. Blood soaked bandages covered his chest. He quickly removed them to see that the wound had vanished. John Thurn, Devon's tutor, was standing beside him. "Our healers do good work, even if they are a bit rear-ended. Have to do thing their way", he rolled his eyes. He handed a letter to Devon. "It was too late to save your sister, I'm sorry. It had been too long. However, when I found you in that crypt, there had been evidence of a fight but it was just you and Kayla in there. Did you kill any of the gits?". Devon nodded. He opened the letter, it was from a group called The Society of Life. "It's very rare that one of us gets a request from the Delvers. They believe that in order to defeat death, one has to experience and master it, and thus truely live. They're a serious bunch, so I'd think carefully." After his recovery, Devon packed his things and headed off for the Society of Life. They would be able to teach him how to get those monsters who destroyed his family and stop them for good. Devon spent the next five years with the Delvers, learning first how to broaden his Paladin abilities to be more aggresive so that they could compliment his new abilities of Death. During this time, his mother had gone insane from the crazy things that had happened. Inbetween his training sessions, Devon tries to go adventuring with others to track down monsters in the area. Persons of Interest:- The Master, although mentioned in the background, this character is left open for DM use, hence no description.
jennibert 10-31-07, 08:12 PM	Okay, NOW it's over. No further entries will be considered for prizes, though you can still post them for comment if you wish. Thirteen entries....interesting....and mildly appropriate for the theme.... Now for the judging! :hides:
Dog_O_War 10-31-07, 08:22 PM	Man, that's bunk; according to the time on your post, I should still have 4 hours and 47 minutes....
Zherog 10-31-07, 08:31 PM	Man, that's bunk; according to the time on your post, I should still have 4 hours and 47 minutes.... You are entirely incorrect. This contest starts when this post is posted, and is due to end at 11:59pm GMT on Wednesday, October 31, giving you just over two weeks to enter your characters. 11:59pm GMT is equal to the following North American times: Eastern: 7:59pm Central: 6:59pm Mountain: 5:59pm Western: 4:49pm Jennibert actually posted her message 12 minutes after the contest closed.
Dog_O_War 10-31-07, 08:33 PM	...musta glazed over the GMT part. Still doesn't help me though...:weep:
Zherog 10-31-07, 08:34 PM	Post it any way. Seriously. You won't get a score, but you'll get feedback.
Kit_the_Odd 10-31-07, 09:07 PM	Yeah, post it. I'm going to post mine even without a fully fleshed out background. I really wanted to get mine finished in time, but my 4th child was born on Saturday morning - and there went my weekend. :D
jennibert 10-31-07, 09:11 PM	Yeah, post it. I'm going to post mine even without a fully fleshed out background. I really wanted to get mine finished in time, but my 4th child was born on Saturday morning - and there went my weekend. :D Congrats, Kit!! I'll refrain from lots of girly questions....much as I want to ask anyway....
Kit_the_Odd 10-31-07, 09:12 PM	Wow, I just noticed my signature still is a link to HC11. It is almost like something other than D&D has been occupying all of my time and thoughts. :D babycrybabysleepbabypoopbabyfeedbabycryt iredmommybabycry :surrender Go ahead and ask, jennibert. Use a PM if you prefer.
Mercurius 10-31-07, 09:13 PM	Lousy GMT always messes with my head on these.
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-01-07, 01:55 AM	Congratulations Kit! Here's to the utter lack of sleep you will suffer for approximately the next 18 years of your life. Just remember, these are the innocent years... (in all seriousness, best wishes & blessings) So... only 13 entries... (looks at calendar)... Oh well, not like I had a life anyways. Let me kick off my shoes from my rather uneventful Halloween Ghost Hunting trip, and I will get to work. For all late comers, as jennibert said, late entries will not be considered for prizes, but feel free to post them anyways. You will get feedback. Typically, my feedback for late entries comes about a week after official scores are posted. *Just remember Jason, only 13 entries... only 13 entries...* :twitch:
Dog_O_War 11-01-07, 02:46 AM	Rhonas the Untainted "Stand strong. Stand together. You will hold the line against the demon, or you will feel the wrath of my mace." "Doubt is a sign of weakness" "They are just children. FILTHY HUMAN CHILDREN!" Ur'Sakas Roared. "I know my lord, but the eldest, he -" Cedious stopped short his excuse as Ur'Sakas raised one of his clawed hands. "Cedious, need I remind you of our agreement. It was to be ALL the children." "Ye- Yes...." Cedious stuttered. Ur'Sakas pondered for a moment on Cedious and the agreement "Bring him to me; the eldest that has given YOU so much trouble" he commanded. Cedious bowed several times before stumbling out of the ruined castle's throne room, which for now was the demon's own on the prime material. Down in the basement Cedious hurried, quickly regaining his normally terrifying demeanor. "No brat will make a fool of me!" he thought. He was so wrapped up in his own pride he did not even realize that there was no crying coming from cavernous cell; the small rocky prison barred by a strong iron door run red with rust. He fumbled for his keys as he went to open the lock. Opening the door wide, the ample torchlight of the hall shone in - there stood the object of his beratement, the soon-to-be subject of his wrath, but then he froze. The child's wide eyes staring blankly at him; through him. Bloody hands... shirt... the rock at his feet... everywhere on the cell floor. Bodies of children - more than thirty, lay about the cell. All of them with heads smashed in. Even Cedious recoiled aghast at the scene in the cell. And there he was - the one that would seal his fate now, to ruin - standing motionless and emotionless in the center of it all. Grasping the child roughly around the wrist Cedious marched back to Ur'Sakas in fear. Too scared to run, he searched his mind frantically for a solution, which came to him as he approached the defiled throneroom - he would tell Ur'Sakas of this wicked child and of what evils he so readily commited; the perfect soldier. "This is good news, Cedious" Ur'Sakas smiled slyly. "Th-thank you my l-lord" Cedious grovelled. Ur'Sakas rose up from his black obsidian throne and approached Cedious, who was now bowing so low his face was pressed tightly against the cold granite floor. "Unfortunately..." Ur'Sakas said, his voice quickly rising in anger. "...It is Not Good News FOR YOU!" and with one fluid motion clipped the head of Cedious with one of his giant pincer-hands. "Now what do I d-" The door to the throneroom burst open as several men - all wearing white tabards symbolized with crosses, rushed in from a swirling melee going on in the halls. Quickly seeing that he was outnumbered, Ur'Sakas retreated back to his throne and sat apon it. The throne (with Ur'Sakas on it) blinked away in a flash of green flame. "How did they get here unnoticed and so quickly?" was Ur'Sakas' thought just before disappearing. Rhonas of Cuthbert; Rhonas the Untainted Male Human, Age: 34. Height: 5'10" Weight: 200Lbs. Hair: Brown, thinning Eyes: Blue. Alignment: Lawful Neutral Patron: St. Cuthbert. A stocky man, Rhonas is a fearsome individual. A stern look nearly always adorns his face; and when one does not - the face of rage stands in its stead. Rhonas looks to be a man in his 40's, though this age is artifical do to the horrors he has encountered over the years. He has brown hair that is thinning, and shows no signs of stopping. As he keeps cleanly shaven at all times, the scars he bears from many battles are readily visible; it is like looking at his life story, with each one a chapter. The most striking physical quality he possess are his piercing bright blue eyes; they hide both his greatest strength and his eternal sadness behind them. It is rumoured amoungst his church that the only time he smiles is when the eyes of a sinner show fear. "Thou Shalt Not..." "It was pre-dawn and the skies showed no signs of clearing from last night's rainstorm. Coming out into the murky gray strode our captain in his polished black armour and stained white tabard. I had heard the other men speak of his fearlessness, and finally got to see it yesterday at the tower of the dark wizard Torosh. We mached until noon to get there, through that fetid swamp even our horses wouldn't dare go. There at the foot of the Slimy stone spire stood Torosh himself, as if he were expecting us. With but a few gestures corpses - the living dead clawed there way out of the muck and assualted us. We formed up and prepared to charge when that blasted wizard spoke some awful curse which panicked more than half of us. I ran in unnatural fear from that necromancer, as did a dozen others. The dead under Toroshes' command quickly overwhelmed most of the troops, as well as Henzel the Pure... Poor bugger. Didn't have a chance. When my heart finally stopped racing, I watched that damned mage cast a black bolt of energy at Kurtus, Rhonas' right hand man. He then turned on Rhonas - fighting with all his might. Torosh laughed at him, thinking his plight humourous; I drew my bow. Rhonas just stared at Kurtus and uttered words I hope to never hear again. "Thou shalt not faulter in the will of St. Cuthbert!" he said, right before he smote him - Kurtus! That put an end to Torosh's cackle, but was only the beginning of Rhonas' rage at the wizard. He strode forward as that black-hearted mage threw spell after spell at him. He cast one last spell to no effect before falling to his knees at the feet of Rhonas. "Thou shalt suffer as those ye have made to suffer!" One swing of Blackwatch was all it took to send the head of Torosh flying across the battlefield. I was just about out of arrows then when the last of the undead were felled." "Falcar, saddle the horses. We ride back to Swiftriver in one hour!" "Rhonas calls me. Maybe if I'm back this way I'll tell you more of his exploits." The young man got up from his seat at the tavern bar and threw a few copper coins down. He placed three more down and said "the next one's on me." then he left. Blackwatch is the mace Cardinal Hersus gifted Rhonas after the purging of the plague infected town of Deep Hollow. Of the 30 clerics under the cardinals' command, not one would volunteer for this awful task. The chruch had no cure for these people, and instead of risking infection to the surrounding populace it would be up to a lone cleric graced with magical protection from the infernal plague, to put to 'rest' the blighted men and women of the hamlet. Hersus had volunteered another priest for this task, and while the small man was making pitiful excuses, Rhonas sighed and said "I will undertake this duty." It has joined him in every battle Rhonas has fought since. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" "You bastard! He was my only brother!" the young woman yelled. She was enraged; not a good look for someone so beautiful. Standing before the cleric of Cuthbert in the chapel of Swiftriver stood Kariena, a questing paladin of Heironeous. "I did what was required for the situation. I brought his body here as per his last request. It was not I whom failed in my duties, but him" Rhonas said sullenly. He was genuinely sad that he had to smite Kurtus, but his expression would never betray it. "I would smite you myself, if only to have you suffer my brother's fate!" Her words quickly went from anger to a cry as she welled up in tears. "Get out of my SIGHT!" she screamed. Rhonas turned and walked out of the small chapel. He rejoined his band, now on the way to the cathedral of St. Cuthbert in Mar'du Range. They were to get reinforced there, and Cardinal Hersus would surely be eager to learn of the band - who called themselves "the Blackwatch" after their leader's weapon - and what exploits they had performed over the last year. "Heresy grows in idleness" Growing up as an orphan in Mar'du Range's great cathedral of St. Cuthbert, Rhonas was given all the tasks none of the others - the potential acolytes of the cardinal - enjoyed. He was an orphan, they were not. This distinction alone was enough for the others to treat him like an outcast. It did not help that Rhonas had been through trauma at the hands of a demon, or that he remained silent for the first year since his village was destroyed. Growing up with only the scriptures - no commands - of St. Cuthbert as his only guidance, Rhonas soon found himself a cleric of the deity. This was to be a solid relationship as he now finds himself with strong sence of direction, justice, and resolve when it comes to the matters of morality. Never hesitating to take action where needed, Rhonas has slain many would-be threats to the region. Currently he seeks out the location of a demon reputed to be lurking in the eastern mountain range known as the Gray mountains. Rhonas, Cleric of St. Cuthbert 12. Domains: Destruction, Strength. STR: 14 +2 DEX: 11 -- CON: 14 +2 INT: 12 +1 WIS: 18 +4 CHA: 8 -1 Fort: +14 (8 base, +2 CON, +4 item) Ref: +8 (4 base, +4 item) Will: +18 (8 base, +4 WIS, +2 feat, +4 item) Feats: (H)Pure Soul (Heroes of Horror), (1st)Iron Will (PHB), (3rd)Extra Turning (PHB), (6th) Extra Smiting (Complete Warrior), (9th) Leadership (PHB), (12th) Glorious Weapons (Complete Divine) Skills 2+int(+1)X4=12 +4(human)=16 +4 per level (4X11=44)=60 skill points. Concentration: +17 (15 ranks, +2 CON) Diplomacy: +5 (6 ranks, -1 CHA) Knowledge (religion): +16 (15 ranks, +1 INT) Knowledge (history): +5 (4 ranks, +1 INT) Knowledge (arcana): +5 (4 ranks, +1 INT) Spot (cc): +5 (1.0 ranks, +4 WIS) Listen (cc): +5 (1.0 ranks, +4 WIS) Intimidate (cc): +2 (3.0 ranks, -1 CHA) Sense Motive (cc): +5 (1.0 ranks, +4 WIS) Jump (cc): -3 (1.0 ranks, +2 STR, -6 ACP) Climb (cc): -3 (1.0 ranks, +2 STR, -6 ACP) Gear Tabard of Resistance +4 (cloak slot; 16,000gp) Bears the symbol of St.Cuthbert Circlet of Blasting, Minor (head slot; 6,480gp) +2 Death Ward Banded Mail (armour slot; 9,400gp) +2 Commander Heavy Steel Shield (right hand slot; 6,170gp) Blackwatch, +1 Warning, Mighty Smiting, Adamantine Heavy Mace (left hand slot; 21,312gp) Ring of Protection +2 (left finger slot; 8,000gp) Ring of Feather Falling (right finger slot; 2,200gp) Periapt of Health (neck slot; 7,500gp) +1 Quick Loading Light Crossbow (ranged weapon; 8,335gp) 10 +1 Bolts (ammunition; 470gp) 1 Potion of Cure Serious Wounds (750gp) 2 Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds (600gp) 1 Wand of Cure Light Wounds (750gp) 33gp left over. Combat Speed: 20 feet (20ft armour) AC: 24 (+8 armour, +4 shield, +2 ring) Initiative: +5 (+5 item) Blackwatch +14 melee (9 BAB, +2 STR, +1 enhancement, +2 sacred); 1d8+5 damage (+2 STR, +1 enhancement, +2 sacred) Crossbow +10 ranged (9 BAB, +1 enhancement); 1d8+1 damage (+1 enhancement) May smite with a melee attack at +4 to attack and +12 to damage four times per day. May add a +12 enhancement bonus to strength for 1 round once per day. May Turn Undead 6 times per day(gets a +4 for having 15 ranks in knowledge: religion). May spontaineously cast Cure spells. May spend a turn attempt to grand himself and all allies within 60ft alignment(good) to weapons for 1 round. Spell Save DC: 10 + spell level +4 WIS modifier 0th (DC:14) 1st (DC:15) 2nd (DC:16) 3rd (DC:17) 4th (DC:18) 5th (DC:19) 6th (DC:20) Rhonas' enemies and allies include... Hersus Hendemhiem (LN cleric 14, ally) - Cardinal to the cathedral of St. Cuthbert in Mar'du Range. An older man who has grown accustomed to the benefits of station. He sees Rhonas as a faithful hound willing to do anything for the cause. Falcar Rodevin (LN fighter 7, cohort, ally) - He was the only one willing to fill Kurtus's position as Rhonas' right hand man. He is steadfast in his resolve (even more now after the Torosh incident), and sticks to Rhonas like glue in combat. He has a family in Swiftriver; he hopes one day to return to them. Kariena the Golden (LG paladin 10, enemy) - she will never forgive Rhonas for killing Kurtus, her brother. It is rumored that she seeks aid from her church in the form of an inqusition to oust Rhonas for the "evil son of a *****" (she thinks) he is. Due to his past deeds, she is slowly gaining support. Ur'Sakas (Glabrezu demon, enemy) - he seeks to gain control of many slaves of the mortal variety. As a Glabrezu demon, he often tempts such creatures with promises of power as long as they do his bidding. Rhonas has been questing to slay this fiend since he became a fully fledged cleric, and Ur'Sakas knows it. Rhonas leadership score is 13 for followers (12 base, -1 CHA, +1 special power, +2 base of operations, -1 moves around alot), but only 10 for cohort (12 base, -1 CHA, +1 special power, -2 Caused death of a cohort). This is was what I was going to enter. unfortunately I took my time though:weep: I am probably missing something somewhere, and the format may not be to everyone's liking. Also, I hope I got the encodings correct - otherwise this'll look real odd. Found out what I was missing (or at least one thing I am missing) Spells!
Zherog 11-01-07, 04:15 PM	Yeah, post it. I'm going to post mine even without a fully fleshed out background. I really wanted to get mine finished in time, but my 4th child was born on Saturday morning - and there went my weekend. :D Congrats! I'll ask the questions jenni is afraid to ask? Boy or girl? Baby healthy? Mom healthy? Weight? Length? hair? and if so what color? Eye color?
Heros_Backpack 11-01-07, 06:09 PM	Ah well, to work, to work. :whatsthis :ton: Let me see, where did I put that spade?
Mercurius 11-01-07, 10:49 PM	Guys, you're just making your jobs difficult. All you have to do is declare me as first place, and then everything's gravy. :D
Talisman 11-01-07, 11:00 PM	Ahh, Mercurius is just a big blowhard. That's why you should declare me the winner. Because I'm so humble and modest. Not to mention great. :P
Kit_the_Odd 11-02-07, 12:55 AM	Congrats! I'll ask the questions jenni is afraid to ask? Boy or girl? Baby healthy? Mom healthy? Weight? Length? hair? and if so what color? Eye color? Boy - Sterling by name Everyone healthy 9lbs 10 oz (4.4kg for the non-Americans) Quite a bit of dark hair for a newborn Same grey/blue color of his siblings 2 of which turned brown and one of which turned more blue.
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-02-07, 01:22 AM	Guys, you're just making your jobs difficult. All you have to do is declare me as first place, and then everything's gravy. :D :bored: Ahh, Mercurius is just a big blowhard. That's why you should declare me the winner. Because I'm so humble and modest. Not to mention great. :rolleye2: Seriously, seeing as neither of you bothered to send the customary bribe of snickerdoodle cookies, I'm afraid that I find your arguments lacking. As for the possibility of other contestants having remembered to bribe the judges... ...let's just say that it's probably a good thing that individual scores are not reported. Still, it is not too late. I would recommend contacting a judge by PM ASAP if you intend to instigate bribery. It is a well known fact that ego is not nearly as tasty as fresh baked cookies.
Mercurius 11-02-07, 11:36 AM	Unless you're an illithid!
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-02-07, 11:55 AM	Very true, but to reference my first post in this competition... And as a bonus feature of Hero Craftsman #12... ...Mind Flayers will devour the brains of all contestants who do not earn medals!!! ...it would then seem unlikely that I would want the two biggest egos in this competition to actually earn medals. Still bad luck for you. :coolcthul
wrecan 11-02-07, 01:52 PM	See, now that assumes I have a brain....
CheeseMan 11-02-07, 02:24 PM	With the thoughts you'd be thinkin' You could be another Lincoln, If you only had a brain how 'bout a little fire, scarecrow? :mage:
Talisman 11-02-07, 06:58 PM	Seriously, seeing as neither of you bothered to send the customary bribe of snickerdoodle cookies, I'm afraid that I find your arguments lacking. :eek: You mean the cookies never arrived? After all my hard work! That's the last time I use FedEx! :mad:
Far_Traveler 11-03-07, 08:08 PM	As it is time for judgement... We shall await the dawn... But as the sun slowly sets... Horror awaits us all. http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=1351991 I hit DC 25 on my perform check. Does that mean I win? (I'm really bored)
Mercurius 11-03-07, 09:12 PM	Are we done yet? ;)
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-04-07, 09:15 AM	Are we done yet? ;) I don't know. Are you helping us judge this round? :P
Zherog 11-04-07, 10:16 AM	So where's the scores? :P
FRRC 11-04-07, 12:50 PM	"Im in ur komput0rz, erasin' ur scorz!" - lolcats. Hehe, so evil.
Mercurius 11-04-07, 01:52 PM	I don't know. Are you helping us judge this round? :P I tried, didn't I? You guys just didn't listen. :D
FarrenCronwing 11-05-07, 05:40 PM	:cookie: to the judge who posts the scores.
CheeseMan 11-05-07, 06:27 PM	it generally takes 3-4 weeks for scores, or at least it has in the last 2 competitions, it wont do ya much good to get antsy this early. judges have lives too
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-05-07, 10:23 PM	As a frequent judge, here's how my time line usually breaks down: During the Competition: Make vow to stay up to date on judging. Subsequently decide to hang out with friends instead. Create fake, official sounding excuse for why I didn't get a head start. Previous Favorite: I want to be as fair, consistent, and balanced as possible when judging the entries, which means I should grade them as close together as possible. New Favorite: I want to be as fair, consistent, and balanced as possible when judging the entries, which means I should allow the contestants as much time to send bribes as possible. First Weekend After the Competition: Some judges do not have access to every book allowed in a particular competition, which means that they need some information to be able to judge. I am one of several judges w/ a sizable book collection, so I often provide details the other judges need. My first weekend is usually eaten up in the time it takes to type up the PrC's, feats, and assorted items that other judges need. [Edit: I am not the only judge who does this. Several judges try to be helpful. jennibert has done this quite a bit this time around, for which I am very grateful, or I'd be even farther behind schedule.] I'm slightly behind schedule b/c I only finished that task this afternoon. The Following Weeks: I copy the entries into Word Format, and arrange them alphabetically (so that I'm not judging based on who submitted a character first, second, last, etc...). I try to type up my comments as I go, so that I can copy/paste them over as soon as official scores are up. [As a teacher, I've had immediate feedback driven into my head to the point that it's reflex.] Sadly, this does slow down the process of judging for me. I typically judge 3 characters every 2 days. This is highly susceptible to the interruptions of life. Fair warning to all contestants, I am working on a Master's Degree and trying to rebuild a house I bought a month back... so life is hectic. Thus, while you wait for the judges, I highly recommend that you take the time to comment on one another's work. Critique. Suggest. Praise. You may earn a position among the judges, which means now is as good a time as any to practice what we do every HC. Hopefully, scores will be up in 2 weeks. [Edit: Hey jennibert, you might want to add Dog_O_War's entry to the master list w/ a "late entry" note. That way, no one has to dig it out of page 6 to comment.]
Dipteran_Legacy 11-06-07, 02:45 AM	hmm...I have an old character I posted on the char. dev. boards that would've been perfect for this contest. the game he was in ended at level four, but it wouldn't have been a big deal to raise him, but oh well... anyways, since the official contest is over, could I post just his story for feedback, or is a post only accepted even late if it's complete?
Zherog 11-06-07, 11:42 AM	We have no control over what you post. :) Note, however, that background and stats go hand-in-hand. One isn't separate from the other. So while you can certainly post just a background, it might be hard for people to give you a reasonable assessment of it without at least some basic stats to go with it.
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-06-07, 12:32 PM	I agree with Z, it's much easier to provide feedback on a complete entry. I am one of several judges who will provide feedback on every entry, even late or disqualified ones. Typically, I post comments about a week later than the comments I post on the standard entries. You're welcome to post, but a complete entry would be preferred.
Dipteran_Legacy 11-07-07, 01:57 AM	well then, just for the hell of it, here's my "entry". Greiz Kirstall “It’s always hard to live up to others expectations, son. Having a Grandsire as great as old Elestarch Kirstall means that others will expect more out of you than most. Now, I’m not saying you should always worry about what others think of you, but you need to learn to be strong. When life tries to break you, you just have to suck it up and keep on going”. Greiz thought on those words a lot. He had ever since his dad had first said them, when he broke his arm at the age of four, horsing around with his brother. He had bawled and bawled, even as his father told him those words. He felt like that now, looking down at his mother. She looked almost happy, and the priests told him she was in a better place, but he still wanted to cry. His big brother hadn’t even come. “mama’s dead, going to see her wont bring her back. It’s like rubbin’ salt in a wound. You go see her anyways, greenhead. You go see her and cry all you want. Me? I’ll stay right here.” His brother had spent the whole day out by the lake near their manor after they found Mama dead. He’d been out there every day since, just starin’ at the lake, like he wanted it to swallow him up. Dad was gone, and now Mama was too. Greiz felt like his whole world was collapsing, and figured Bran’s was too. Greiz still held on, though. No matter what Bran said, he still thought Dad was coming back. Just a few days before the illness took Mama, Bran said Dad was never coming back. He told Greiz he knew because of a dream he’d had, but wouldn’t tell him anything else. He’d made Greiz promise not to tell Mama. Almost everyone else had left the funeral, while Greiz had been caught up in his thoughts. “I…I’m sorry, Mama, I’m sorry I didn’t even tell you Dad’s gone too” he said, fighting with all his youthful might to hold back the tears. “Mama….are you really in a better place now? Is dad there? * * * “Hah! Laughed the old man as the two companions walked along a winding road that sliced through the grey landscape like a scar. The laughter rung out across the frost-bitten hills, echoing off distant mountains and dead trees. His companion, a sullen looking youth, gave a start at the noise, and almost dropped the heavy pack he carried over one shoulder. The old man looked half proper knight, and half uncouth brigand. He wore a suit of chain-and-plate that looked almost as ancient as he, but careful eyes could see that despite its obvious age and heavy use, the armor bore not a spot of rust. His Tabard was a light gray-blue, and bore the symbol of The Holy Triumvirate, but his skin was ancient as leather-its many scars, deep wrinkles, and weatherbeaten appearance made one wonder whether or not the man was as wholesome as his Tabard would suggest. The answer lay in his eyes. Bright, shining eyes of pale blue. They had seen countless sunrises, but were always eager for the next. The boy that walked by his side-apparently his squire-was both a striking contrast and a fitting cohort for the grizzled knight. A gaunt youth, that seemed at one with the gloomy atmosphere. His skin was somewhat pale, with a hint of gray, and his hair was a dirty-looking dark grayish-green. He wore plain clothes, dyed in blacks and grays and browns, and made from the roughspun material worn by the priests of the abbey they were walking away from. Despite this, something about him would make one doubt he was a priest. Saying that he would blend with a crowd was an understatement. He was such an unremarkable individual, he even almost blended into the landscape, like he wasn’t there. Something about the way he walked, the way he moved, made one want to forget him as soon as possible. He walked with a slow gait, dragging his feet ever so slightly, and with his left shoulder hanging slightly lower than the other. He walked like he was already dead. If one thought themselves to be mistaken about this, they simply had to look at his face, which held more pain and hopelessness than one could imagine on an thirteen-year-old’s face. He wore a large, billowing scarf, of the same color as the older man’s tabard. It masked much of his face, and much of the scar that ran all the way from his hairline down past his left eye. His gray eyes gazed down, at the ground, as if not willing to look upon the path laid out before him. His eyes were what put him in stark contrast with the old knight. Dark, hopeless pools that radiated no emotion, except for slight bewilderment at the older man’s sudden laughter. “So lad, you lived with those monks and priests for seven years, and didn’t learn more than a smidge about religion!? Well, I guess that would make you your fathers child”. The man touched the golden trident emblazoned on his tabard, almost subconsciously. “You’re father never seemed to care much for religion, no matter how often I told him of the majesty of the Holy Triumvirate. Said it had something to do with your grandfather”. When the youth still said nothing, the weatherbeaten crusader continued “now, that’s a subject! Did they tell many a tale of your grandfather at the abbey?” The sullen boy still said nothing, merely shaking his head. He didn’t pay too much attention after the rambling old man started off with “Elestarch Kirstall was a man’s man, what a true hero should be….” He’d heard many of the tales before, in his childhood. His mother had been fond of them, and would often tell them to him and Bran while tucking them in. His father had never liked the stories, though. Mother used to bug him, ask him why he never told any tales about his own father to his children, or better yet, why he never told any of his own. His father had never raised his voice to anyone, least of all his mother, but Greiz remembered one time when he had come home, a somber look upon his face, and found his wife glowing with delight. She had been in a playful mood, and insisted that he tell the children a story, even after he declined. His father’s voice seemed quite as a whisper when he responded, but the sheer sound of the voice struck terror into young Greiz’s heart. It was the voice of someone who had killed, the sort that bad men had in fairy tales. A voice as sharp and cold as an assassin’s razor. All Greiz’s father said was “you know I don’t talk about my father”. Greiz had rushed to his room, that voice had been so terrible. He didn’t believe it could be the voice of the man who picked him up and tossed him in the air, the voice of the man who played tag with him and his brother. He had never viewed his father the same after that. He still loved him, of course, but now he knew. His father killed for a living. He had always viewed his fathers armor and sword as things of awe, but now they seemed the instruments of a butcher. The other thing he gathered, both from that single conversation, and from little bits he heard when guests came to visit his father, was that there was something odd about his grandfather, something that had been omitted from the tales people told of him. In all his dull youth, pent up in that somber walls of the abbey, he’d never discovered what it was. When the priests mentioned him, it was only with utmost respect. “Your grandfather founded this abbey, you know! You should show more respect!” “you ungrateful rat, stealing from the kitchens! If your grandfather weren’t the blessed man he was, we’d have thrown you out long ago!”. It seemed even the few other children at the abbey- either the rich parents of nobles, or orphans taken in out of charity- knew more about his grandfather’s exploits than he himself knew, and it was something his brother never failed to exploit. He hadn’t cared, though. Even running around a gray landscape, climbing scraggly, barren trees and stomping through choked, muddy creeks was more fun than sitting in a musty old library reading about someone he was related to. Not that he didn’t enjoy reading, but he figured what was the point of sitting in a dark room on a hard bench, reading about his own grandpa, when he could be outside, having adventures of his own? When the wind was in his face and the Abbey at his back, that was the only time he could push his mother’s peaceful face from his mind, the look of resignation as she went quietly into the ground. The brash youth banged loudly on the rusty knocker that barely clung to the rotted wooden door. The door itself, as decayed as it was, sat firmly in the doorway of the most Decrepit tower Greiz had ever seen. When the man in black had come to the Abbey, to take his brother away, Greiz had envied him greatly. He had spent many a cold, uncomfortable night on his wooden cot, dreaming of his brother sitting in the lap of luxury, eating grapes fed to him by invisible hands, that did whatever you desired at the snap of your fingers. His brother had laughed at him, too, when it happened. “did you hear that, Greiz? Dad’s friend just told the abbot he wanted to see us, that we might have a great magic within us! Well, I’m sure I do, anyways, but maybe he’ll let you tag along, to clean my boots or something”. Greiz wasn’t even upset by his brothers words, this time. The man they had seen talking to the abbot had a creepy look to him. He’d been skinny- the skinniest person Greiz had ever seen, and he had funny pointed ears. When the two had been taken before him, Greiz had trembled a little. The man told them that their father was a very talented man, and that it was likely that at least one of his children had great magical potential within themselves. He told them that if they did, he would take them to his tower, and raise them not only to unlock that power, and become a mighty magician, but would also tell them the little he knew of what had happened to their father, and give them the resources and aid to track him down. Bran, looking defiantly up at the man, said “but our father’s already dead, you old fool!”. The man in black had smiled, and simply said “that is not the whole truth of it, child. Now, close your eyes”. The man’s voice carried an odd compulsion, and even his brother obeyed without a fuss. The man whispered something Greiz couldn’t understand, and his right hand began to glow a faint green. He reached down, placing the palm of his glowing hand against his brother’s left eye, and then simply said “now, open your left eye”. Strangely, a blue mark in the shape of an eye appeared on the back of the thin wizard’s hand. “what? What sort of stupid test is this?” His brother said. The man’s thin lips curled into a smile “It does not matter, you have passed”. His cold, dark eyes turned, focusing on Greiz. “now, you be a good boy, and do the same”. Greiz felt like a mouse caught in a snake’s gaze, and his eyes timidly snapped shut as soon as he heard the words. He felt the man’s hand press against his eye, and the man said the same words he’d said to Bran just moments before. It felt like there were lead weights attached to his eyelids, or as if they’d been stitched together with roughspun yarn. His eye didn’t seem to want to open, but after what felt like an eternity in darkness, laboring against it, he managed to open his left eye. He gazed out upon a lake of fire, another world. He saw strange, inhuman forms, writhing in agony amongst the flames, contorted into impossible positions and skewered at odd angles with metal bars. The flames rushed up to greet him, to pull him in. He didn’t know how long he spent there, a guest privy to all the services that the metal bars and sea of flame could offer him, but he knew he was still screaming when he awoke, and the cold darkness that greeted him seemed even worse than the horrible tortures his mind was already fast erasing - or, more appropriately, sealing away in a shallow grave. The preists came eventually, and told him he had passed out when the man told him to open his left eye, and his face had been split open running up to his hairline and down to his jaw. Though the preists magic had stopped the bleeding, a deep, ugly scar had remained. According to their story, the man had apologized for not telling the priests of the danger involved in his test, but said that he would never have dreamed that the son of a man of such great caliber as their father would bear such a horrible curse. When Greiz asked the priests what curse they spoke of, they said he was too young to understand, but that he should be grateful to even still have his life. He’d been out for a week, screaming in his uneasy slumber, and while he’d been suffering, his brother had been whisked away to a magical wizard tower. * * * Looking up at the crumbling heap of rocks the black magician apparently called a tower, Greiz could not help but grin a spiteful grin. Maybe his brother hadn’t had it as easy as he’d thought, but he still felt obliged to thank the black magician for the scar he’d left on his otherwise rather plain face. He tingled with a mixture of emotions, wondering what he’d do if his brother tried to stop him. He slammed his bare fist against the door, cursing under his breath. He felt a sharp rap on the back of his head. “don’t you use the name of the triumvirate in vain, boy!”. No matter how old he got, Sir Arstan was still always trying to tell him what to do, and how to do it, especially when it came to his “holy triumvirate”. Sir Arstan was a paladin who Believed in the teachings of the Golden Trident – a religious doctrine that said Pelor, Saint Cuthbert, and Heironeous were three brothers who governed over the heavens and the realms of man together, to put it in a short and simple way(which was very much the opposite of how the order of the trident liked to put it, Greiz was reminded every night). “Patience is one of the nine golden virtues! You’d do well to learn a bit of it. At least that way you’ll be on your way to learning one of the virtues!” In no mood to put up with the old man’s preaching, Greiz tried the door. It was unlocked, to his amazement, and he pushed it open. No sooner had he pushed on the door than the handle melted in his grasp, though. It turned into a caustic ooze, searing his flesh and bone as he shook it off, screaming in a mixture of pain and anger. Sir Arstan reached out, and a soothing energy touched Greiz as the older man rested a gauntleted hand upon the seared flesh. “may Pelor heal your wounds” he said. Removing his hands, Greiz saw that his hand was no longer bleeding or in pain, but was still flayed and mangled. “May you take the Saint’s judgement with grace” said the old man, looking upon the damaged hand. “and…” he said, removing his left gauntlet and offering it to Greiz, “may Heironeous aid you in smiting the deceitful bastard responsible for this trickery”. Greiz took the Gauntlet and put it on, to cover his mangled hand, and they entered the dark tower together searching for the suspicious man who had appeared at the Abbey so many years ago, claiming to know Greiz’s father. Sir Arstan had accompanied his father on many an adventure, and Greiz had seen him on occasion as a youth. He went with his father, on that last, fateful expedition when Greiz was four. He wouldn’t tell Greiz all the details of what had happened to his father, but apparently the two of them had traveled with a few others to some ancient, faraway ruins of the cursed city called Nemkampal. His father wanted to learn something, something he told Sir Arstan he’d been trying to find out for a long time, pertaining to his father. He’d promised everyone involved that there would be wonderful treasures to be had as well, and his father had always been a very charismatic man. His father had disappeared in those ruins, but apparently he had forseen his end. The night before he vanished, he asked Sir Arstan to raise his children as his own, and to make sure they were brought up properly-being taught the ways of knighthood, chivalry, and all else that the golden trident held dear. Others in the party had vanished before that, and only Greiz’s father had kept them there-partially through his charismatic personality, and partially because the others worried that he may very well stay even if they left. Sir Arstan had never heard of the man in black, and Greiz’s father had never mentioned him. When Greiz told Arstan of the magician taking his brother, they had set out to find where they’d gone. It had been four long years of traveling-always searching, doing good deeds for those they met on their journeys, and almost never sleeping with a roof over their heads. Greiz hadn’t minded, though. In some ways, he enjoyed being so free. It was a stark contrast to the years he’d spent pent up in the abbey, more like his childhood. The old knight had even grown on Greiz, over the years. He’d taught Greiz how to play the harmonica, and tried to teach him such things as chivalry, courtesy, and self control, but these things were mainly lost on him. Greiz did know how to fight, though. It came naturally to him. Even sparring with the old man, sir Arstan had been surprised at the vigor of the youth. When he got in to real fights, he was much more than vigorous. Sometimes it seemed like the old man was worried about him. After a battle he’d say things like “boy, I’m not so sure you’re going to grow up to be the type of knight your father was” His father had been a paladin, like sir Arstan. But even he had had shadows in his soul. Greiz would never forget how his father had sounded when he snapped at mother. He’d never forget how tired and miserable he looked when he came home after “doing the church’s bidding”. Even though he knew the old man worried about him, he just couldn’t see himself becoming that sort of knight. In contrast to the tired, miserable look upon his fathers face after battle, he only felt truly alive when fighting, like his entire life he’d gone about with a gray shroud over his face, blurring and muting everything, but when he was in battle, the shroud lifted. Fighting was-to him- a celebration of being alive. But nonetheless, he tried to heed the old man’s words, tried to work more technique and discipline into his fighting. Though he didn’t care much for the holy triumvirate of the golden trident, there were parts he found interesting-Pelor, though normally kind, also had a vengeful aspect, embodying the hot fury of the sun. Heironeous practically encouraged violence, as long as it was “in the name of good”. But Saint Cuthbert was the most interesting to him-once a mortal man, who had walked the world delivering judgement on the wicked, his credo was “an eye for an eye”. Greiz’s left arm had been broken by his brother, and never healed right. His left eye had been scarred by the Black magician, and now his left hand had been scorched and scarred by a devious trap, set by one or the other. As far as he was concerned, an eye was probably the least of what they needed to lose. The two searched the tower for any sign of the man in black, or of Bran, but they found nothing. Greiz often thought he heard voices whispering just out of earshot, and saw shadows moving on the edge of his vision, but ultimately, there was no one there. Paladins had a talent for rooting out evil, and even sir Arstan found no trace of them. They began to investigate the dank tower. It seemed much larger on the inside than on the outside-a full ten floors, all littered with magical notes, scrolls, and other such things. There were no windows, so he could not tell how far up they were, but from outside it had seemed little more than two stories, a crumbling heap of black rock. In the end, sir Arstan only took a few papers with him. “Best not to meddle with the trappings of evil, lad” he’d said when he saw Greiz starting to fiddle with a particularly painful-looking dagger that had been lying on a table in there. The two of them were back out on the road, with little more than they’d had before. Sometimes Greiz wondered if it was really worth searching for his brother. By the time he was twenty, Greiz had learned to temper his fury a bit, and had progressed considerably in his prowess. He’d still been no match for the gnolls, though. Maybe he was a bit too zealous, as sir Arstan had always said. Greiz was amazed he wasn’t dead yet-laying on his side, in a pool of his own blood, with his blade buried in the ugly beast lying next to him, even as it’s axe was still caught in his side. Sir Arstan was battling the last of them fiercely. They’d had another battle earlier in the day, though, and the knight seemed to have spent his prayers. The battle seemed to stretch out, agonizingly long for the helpless bystander. One gnoll went down, and then another. There was only one more, but it was the Packleader. Even from this distance, he could seen the sheen of sweat on the old man’s forehead. Arstans hair seemed wet with perspiration, and Greiz swore he saw little rivulets of blood leaking out from the old knights armor, near where the beast-men’s axes and flails had struck. The two battled, parrying and blocking every move the other made. The huge gnoll brought his flail down upon the knight, and though Sir Arstan’s shield was there to block the blow, the strike shattered the shield to bits. The old man fell back, jagged splinters buried deep in his shield-arm. The gnoll, however, was relentless in his offense, and blow after blow from that terrible flail brought sir Arstan’s blade arm down enough for the gnoll to come in, catching sir Arstan on the side of the head. In the twilight, Greiz saw something spray forth as sir Arstan fell, and dreaded to think what it was. His vision grew blurry as he watched the gnoll thrash the now-still form, and it buried it’s greedy maw in the remains. “this is it….I’m going to bleed to death while watching my mentor savaged by some sick beast he could have slain if he hadn’t been worn down from the earlier fighting”. But death was not quick, and eventually the gnoll sated it’s gluttony. Standing, it turned and looked at him “oh god….dear god! Anything out there that can help me, please! I don’t want to be eaten alive!” Greiz tried to say, but the words came out as an unintelligable whimper. The gnoll advanced, and the last thing Greiz saw before darkness took him was the gnoll towering over him-seemingly the size of a giant. It licked blood and gore from it’s greedy maw as a fiery delight burned in it’s eyes, and it said, in words quite intelligable, “YEENOHGU SENDS HIS REGARDS”. * * * Greiz awoke, his body still very much intact, and the axe that was buried in his side now lay on the ground next to him. He jumped with a start, and looked around feverishly before feeling his body for wounds. Though he could hardly see in the darkness that hung heavy around him, it seemed the huge monster was gone, no trace of it left, but the other bodies were still there. All the gnolls corpses had been spread out, disembowled, and pinned to the ground with iron bars pinned through the hands and feet, like giant nails. They were all mutilated in other hideous ways, too, but they all shared those two things. Nausea roiled up in Greiz’s stomach as he surveyed the carnage, and then he laid his eyes upon sir Arstan. The old man had a peaceful look on his face. Apparently the blow to his head hadn’t been as bad as it had seemed last night, though his stomach did look as though the Gnoll had savaged it. Choking back his tears as best as he could, he took an axe from a nearby gnoll, and used it to begin digging a hole at the top of the hill where the carnage had played out. He didn’t know how long it took, only that night did not relent, through the entirety of his task. He picked up the old man, who felt much lighter than he would have imagined, even with his armor, and dropped him into the hole as gently as he could. He tossed the splinters that were left of his shield in on top of him, as he’d always heard that a knight should be buried with his trappings. The old man’s sword came next, but Greiz kept his knapsack as it held food, coin, and some notes on their journey that the old knight wouldn’t let him see. He used the axe to toss dirt on the corpse of that great knight, trying to cover the horrible stomach-wound first, but eventually the earth consumed the Old knight in his entirety. The peaceful face brought back the image of his mother, and for a second he even swore it was his mother. As the first hint of gray touched the mist-shrouded hill, he piled all the gnolls on top of the grave, and set fire to them. He watched them burn, as a red sun rose over the snow-peaked mountains in the distance, but no tears ran down his frost-bitten face. When they had burnt down to ashes and bones, he marked the spot with a pile of stone, arranged in the shape of a trident, and looked out to the horizon. Half-expecting the gnoll, or his brother, or the Black Magician to appear, one thought kept running through his head “an eye for an eye”. * * * these are a few other shorts I later did that expanded the characters story more, through the forms of flashbacks in the middle of adventures After sir Arstans death, Greiz made his way to the nearby city of kensid. Sir Arstan and himself had been trying to get to nemkampal, the mysterious city where his father had disappeared. Sir arstan had reason to believe that Bran-greiz's brother, may be making his own way there, with the black magician. Unable to proceed alone, greiz figured he'd take up some mercenary work in kensid, while trying to uncover more clues relating to his father's disappearance and/or nemkampal itself. Greiz hooked up with a competent halfling wizard/rogue, interested in making a name for himself as an assassin for hire. though the two werent on the exact same moral ground, greiz recognized the halflings competence, and figured they could both benefit from hiring themselves out as a team. they were shortly approached by a city official, who hired them on to aid some of his own men in the investigation of a recent murder/theft incident. they then joined a group consisting of: an elven ranger a human cleric of boccob a human wizard and a human rogue, who came & went on frequent occasions the group left the city to pursue the theif, and were accosted by a couple of gnolls along the way. one was cut down by the marksmanship of greiz's allies, the other by greiz himself, in the middle of his fury. anyways; Greiz looked upon the corpse, huffing and puffing to catch his breath. There was a certain beauty in the way it lay, lifeless, and a perfection to the slash that had hewn it’s leg and arm off. The Elf ran up as Greiz began to regain his composure, and for a moment, Greiz worried The Elf might see the madness in his eyes, the bloodlust that took him when he became engaged in combat. But all the elf was worried about was the treasures on the Gnoll. Even as The Elf rifled through the gnolls belongings, Greiz was captivated by the gnoll. If only he’d been so good at killing when he was sixteen…. * * * He remembered the way the woman had gasped, the way she had pressed against him, struggling to pull his blade out of her belly. She’d come charging out of the woods just moments after the masked man on the road ahead had drawn his blade at Sir Arstan. Greiz had never actually used the short sword Sir Arstan had given him for protection, and only barely had it drawn by the time the woman reached him. He didn’t know whether he stabbed her, or she’d impaled herself on the blade, but she had gasped in pain, not uttering anything louder the whole time she died. His heart was pounding as she wrapped her hands around the weapon, and when he actually regained enough sense to pull the blade out, she held her hands up to her face. In the dim light he could see that they were slick with dark liquid. She stared into his face as she fell to her knees, and for the first time he really saw the woman. She was maybe a year or two older than he. In any other life, any other time, he could very well imagine himself laughing loudly with her in some tavern. She could have grown up with him in the monastary, whispering secrets to make him giggle when the preist was trying to teach them, or even mayhaps been Sir Arstan’s daughter…… But in this life, there was only death. His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his throat, it was pounding so hard. He could feel his pulse thrumming in his head, like a huge iron drum, as she collapsed, a wounded look on her face. Greiz felt nauseas. He crumbled to the ground, feeling bile creeping up his throat in tune to the drum in his head. He couldn’t pass out! What if there were more of the bandits!? He tried in vain to pull himself back up. His gaze was still locked on the girls face, twisted in pain and shock. He almost swore she said something to him, right before darkness swallowed him... Standing in the crisp autumn winds of Kensid, Greiz tried to force a smile to his face. He’d woken up with Sir Arstan wiping vomit from his face, as if he were some sort of babe. He was a man now, and he’d just slain a foul creature, not a young girl. He knew not why the sight brought that memory back to him. In general, killing came easily to him now. Sir Arstan had always warned that death should be avoided at all cost, even when wicked people were involved. Greiz had always claimed it was accidental when he’d taken the life of some foul goblin or worthless thug, at least in front of the old man. Deep inside, though, it was more like his heart had just grown too calloused to care. He didn’t like arguing over shades of gray. If a man was wanted dead or alive, best to get it done with quickly. A head is much more easily transported than a man, and it doesn’t try to get away. Looking down at the finely-crafted blade he now held-one Sir Arstan had had custom-crafted for him, with an elongated handle, as to easily be held in one or two hands, and a blade as sharp as any from Kensid’s master craftsmen- he wondered if when the time came, he could truly stay his blade from the neck of this man they were hunting… this is a bit later, when the party found the bandits we were pursuing in a cave, and already horrible murdered. the ringleader of the theft was still alive, but traumatized beyond speech, and we took him into custody. Greiz felt it was best to bury the one thief that wasn't strewn about the cavern walls, while his allies tied up the leader. Greiz slowly opened a small wound in the rich earth. By the time it was deep enough to fit what was left of the poor man, the sun was lazily climbing above the craggy peaks of the windmorn, dispelling the wisps of mist that still clung to the moist earth. Covering the man’s shallow grave, Greiz recalled the many funerals that took place at the abbey. People were always dying in the gray lands, and many sought to be buried at the abbey, like good, god-fearing people should. As a child, the small quarters given to Greiz and Bran had a small window, which overlooked the expansive graveyard that stretched out alongside the the church. He hated having that room. It made him think of his mother. Sometimes he’d dream that she’d come floating through the window, to tell him a bedtime tale. Those were the good dreams. More often than not, though, he’d awake in the middle of the night, swearing he’d heard his mother’s voice beckoning him out the window. Walking to the window and looking out upon the sad, Gravestone-littered plain, he’d often wonder if it was truly a dream, or if his mother was lonely, all alone in her grave. He’d close the window whenever he could, but this often got him into trouble with his older brother, who preferred the window open. Whenever Bran would come into the room to find the window closed, He would punch Greiz. One time Greiz had tried pleading with his brother, telling him that he heard their mom when the window was open. Bran had taken it upon himself to beat some sense into him, calling him stupid, that mom was dead, even as his blows rained down upon the curled ball Greiz had become. After learning that painful lesson-that the window shouldn’t be closed, if there was even a chance of his brother seeing- Greiz would often stare out the window, wondering about all the people buried there other than his mother. What had their lives been like? Had they been happy? Had they done anything important with their lives? Did anyone remember them, or were they lying, lonely and forgotten, even as the harsh winds scoured their names from the cold stones that summarized their entire lives… Greiz pondered what he wanted out of his own life. He knew he wanted to find out why Bran was following in the doomed footsteps of their father, but there had to be more to life than that, didn’t there? They would return to Kensid, their hostage in tow, and be rewarded for services rendered. That would be it. A simple “thank you, here’s your cash, have a nice day!”. Then Maurice and himself would be back in the bars, looking for another freelance job… His Grandfather had been a hero still talked about nowadays in the Gray lands, and even his Father had achieved a certain reputation….He, on the other hand, had left those frigid wastes at a young age, and no-one had really noticed him go, other than the priests, which were glad to be rid of him. He had achieved little and less in his time on this earth, and wondered exactly what one must do to be considered a ‘hero’. He placed the last stone on top of the small cairn he had made for the man, and stood, stretching his joints in the morning sun. He heard his companions call out that they would be leaving soon, and looked off across the distance, as if trying to divine his own future from peering at far-away lands hard enough. As he clambered back down the hill, he wondered to himself “will I be remembered when I am gone? Will anyone bother to dig a grave for me, or will I be forgotten, like that poor fellow nearly was?” The Black Magician-This gaunt, pale elf, whose name remains unknown, has garnered a large amount of support amongst the wizards residing in kensid, though the specifics of his whereabouts are unknown, as are the specifics of his exact goals and motivations, and even if he still works with Bran. BranThe older brother of Greiz Kirstall, Bran Kirstall displayed an immense talent for sorcery from a young age, and was tutored in this power by the Black Magician. His current goals, whereabouts, and frame of mind are unknown. Turim of the silver blades- Head of The white cross order, the small group of paladins that reside in kensid, Turim was an acquaintance of Greiz's father, and was even on that last, ill-fated expedition to Nempkampal. Greiz is aware of this, but has not had the opportunity to contact the man, as his life has become quite hectic since he came to reside in kensid Maurice-A fellow PC, and Greiz's most trusted associate. though the halfling has even less respect for human life in general than greiz, the two nonetheless trust each other with thier lives, amongst a group of adventurers in which trust is not a familiar thing.(long story there, lol) Gnowick the shieldbearer- This gnome now lives in a nearby gnomish village, and runs a prosperous inn there.At one time, however, he was the shieldbearer of Greiz's father, and has a soft spot for his former leaders son. He was discharged of service before the expedition to Nemkampal, but had the impression that Greiz's father never meant to return from his excursion there. he provides Greiz with free room and the most delicious board the house has whenever Greiz visits the small village The DM I was gaming under was allowing a few houserules +core, nothing from any splatbooks, and not even any prcs and such. I wanted greiz to have outsider blood flowing through his veins, but wasn't allowed to take aasimar or teifling, and in any case, I wanted the exact nature of his heritage to be a mystery that wouldn't be unraveled until later in the campaign. playing with such a basic, core set of rules gave me a tad more freedom in some ways- I used cleric levels to reflect his developing outsiders powers, and though the game ended just shortly after taking my first cleric level, it still worked fairly well. so keep in mind while perusing his stat block that while he technically has levels of cleric, he was played more as a warrior with strange powers, which often manifested in increased combat ability, and also in the form of healing. I'll present him as close as I can, at level four when the game came to an abrupt & anticlimactic end, and will also present a theoretical build for him at level 12 later in his career, though I dont have story covering up to that point, and I dont have acess to my splatbooks right now, so it will be a primarily core build, and therefore probably rather humdrum mechanics-wise, though still effective in his own fairly core way. Greiz Kirstall, male human Barbarian1/Fighter2/cleric1 Alignment: true neutral Hit Dice: 1d12+2d10+1d8+8+4(31 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 30' AC: 18 (+2 Dex, +5 armor, +1 buckler), touch 12, flat-footed 16 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6 Attacks: Longsword(mw) +8 melee or longbow(mw, composite) +6 ranged Damage: Longsword 1d8+3/19-20 or longbow(mighty +3) 1d8+3/x3 Space/Reach: 5'/5' Special Attacks: Rage, spells, strength domain, destruction domain Special Qualities:fast movement Saves: Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +6 Abilities: Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8 Skills:climb+3, intimidate+3, jump+3, listen+4, survival+4,swim+3 Feats:extra rage, improved toughness, power attack, weapon focus: longsword Typical Spells Prepared 0: light x 2, read magic 1st: enlarge person(strength), magic weapon, shield of faith Greiz Kirstall, male human Barbarian1/Fighter2/cleric9 Alignment: true neutral Hit Dice: 1d12+2d10+9d8+24+12(99 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 30' AC: 18 (+2 Dex, +5 armor, +1 buckler), touch 12, flat-footed 16 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6 Attacks: Longsword(mw) +8 melee or longbow(mw, composite) +6 ranged Damage: Longsword 1d8+3/19-20 or longbow(mighty +3) 1d8+3/x3 Space/Reach: 5'/5' Special Attacks: Rage, spells, strength domain, destruction domain Special Qualities:fast movement Saves: Fort +13, Ref +5, Will +10 Abilities: Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8 Skills:climb+5, intimidate+5, jump+3, listen+4, survival+4,swim+3 Feats:extra rage, improved toughness, power attack, weapon focus: longsword 0: 1st: 2nd: 3rd: 4th: 5th: Hit Points 12(barb at 1st) +2d10(11)(ftr) +9d8(40.5)(clr) +24(con) +12(imp.toughness) 99 Initiative +2(dex) Armor Class Attack Bonus 1(barb) +2(ftr) +6(clr) Save Bonuses Fortitude: 2(barb) + 3(ftr) +6(clr) + 2(base)=13 Reflex: 3(clr)+2(base)=5 Willpower: 6(clr)+2(base)+2(feat)=10 Ability Scores Base: strength 15, dex 14, con 14, int 10, wis 14, cha 8 4th Level: +1strength 8th Level: +1strength 12th level: +1strength equipment bonuses: Skill points + expenditures @level 1 barbarian(4)+human(1)x4= 20 Level 1: (barb 1) 3 ranks climb, 3 ranks intimidate, 3 ranks jump, 4 ranks listen, 4 ranks survival, 3 ranks swim Level 2: (barb1/ftr1) +1 rank intimidate(4 total), +1 rank perform(cc, 2 skill points) Level 3: (barb1/ftr2)+1 rank intimidate(5 total), +2 ranks climb(5 total) Level 4: (barb1/ftr2/clr1)+3 ranks concentration(3 total) Level 5: (barb1/ftr2/clr2)+3 ranks concentration(6 total) Level 6: (barb1/ftr2/clr3)+3 ranks concentration(9total) Level 7: (barb1/ftr2/clr4)+1 rank concentration(10 total) +2 ranks diplomacy(2total) Level 8: (barb1/ftr2/clr5)+1 rank (concentration(11 total) +2 ranks diplomacy(4 total) Level 9: (barb1/ftr2/clr6)+1 rank concentration(12 total) +2 ranks diplomacy(6total) Level 10: (barb1/ftr2/clr7)+1 rank knowledge:the planes(1 total) +2 ranks diplomacy(8total) Level 11: (barb1/ftr2/clr8)+2 ranks knowledge:the planes(3 total) +1 rank diplomacy(9 total) Level 12: (barb1/ftr2/clr9)+2 ranks knowledge:the planes( 5 total) +1 rank diplomacy(10 total) Feats 1st: extra rage, iron will 2nd: weapon focus: longsword 3rd: power attack; improved toughness 6th: extend spell 9th: craft magic arms & armor 12th: leadership I still gotta finish up equipment, and the skills in the stat block haven't yet factored in ability mods& armor penalties. there's probably a few other things I'm missing, but I'll get to 'em on thursday, I'm done for right now, and I have a full schedule tomorrow. I figure it shouldn't hurt anything anyways, since it isnt an official entry. in the meantime, all the fluffy stuff is thereat least; I think it's sufficiently horror-themed, but I may be wrong.
Far_Traveler 11-07-07, 03:49 PM	With the new, the future unfolds... Discipline, chaos, and gifts of the blood... What once was Glory, now obscured... The love of family left beside... Eternal Glory will take your side." "Where's the bodies of your family? We'll bring them back for you." "Yes, we shall. And we only wish for you to love and be loved for all eternity. Of course, we will require a fee of fifty gold pieces per relative, plus another fifty for yourself" Well? What do you say?
jennibert 11-07-07, 10:15 PM	[Edit: Hey jennibert, you might want to add Dog_O_War's entry to the master list w/ a "late entry" note. That way, no one has to dig it out of page 6 to comment.] Yes. Indeed I should. And if I weren't such a lazy person who'd been not bothering to do anything she should, I'd've noticed this comment earlier and fixed it. Sorry, Dog_O_War. But yours and Dipteran_Legacy's are now properly listed in the entries post! Now, off to make it look like I'm judging....err...off to judge!
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-07-07, 11:48 PM	Now, off to make it look like I'm judging....err...off to judge! :eek: Wait, we're supposed to be judging? I knew I was forgetting something!!!
wrecan 11-08-07, 09:15 AM	Take your time. As long as no scores are released, I'm still tied for first place!!
Zherog 11-08-07, 04:02 PM	Alternatively, you're tied for last place.
wrecan 11-08-07, 04:36 PM	Then there's no place to go but up!!
Mercurius 11-08-07, 04:47 PM	Or down... You're going down, Wrecan (werecan).
Talisman 11-08-07, 09:17 PM	Now, now. Play nicely. You're all tied for second, and second place is still very nice. Remember, winning isn't everything. (pats the other contestants on their respective heads)
Avalon? 11-09-07, 06:21 AM	:tantrum: But daddy, I want to be first.:tantrum:
FarrenCronwing 11-09-07, 07:53 AM	Sorry to tell you, but the judges have already selected me first. I've convinced (Read: Bribed with cookies) that my entry is first. So, nyeh.
wrecan 11-09-07, 08:56 AM	Sorry to tell you, but the judges have already selected me first. I've convinced (Read: Bribed with cookies) that my entry is first. So, nyeh. According to the second post of this thread, my entry is definitely and definitively first. Sorry, FC. List of Entries: 1. Saralinda Hamilton Conner (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14142814&postcount=76) by wrecan
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-09-07, 01:16 PM	Just as a kind reminder, there are multiple judges, so while you may (or may not) have bribed me with cookies, if you didn't remember to bribe the other judges, it may not do you any good. And please don't tell me you used Fedex as well Farren. And don't worry, everyone will have an equal opportunity to have their brains devoured by mindflayers!!! That's the kind of outstanding competition that we run here!!! :coolcthul
Talisman 11-09-07, 06:00 PM	And don't worry, everyone will have an equal opportunity to have their brains devoured by mindflayers!!! That's the kind of outstanding competition that we run here!!! Yaayy! :dancin: :whatsthis ...wait a minute... :blink: :mymy: :hides:
jennibert 11-09-07, 07:03 PM	I must say, I don't seem to have gotten any cookies....If I found out other judges have gotten cookies and I have not, then heads will roll! (Or possibly just squish...I'm not going to fight the mindflayers for them and will probably just get them after they're done...)
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-09-07, 08:34 PM	According to the second post of this thread, my entry is definitely and definitively first. Sorry, FC. To be honest, wrecan, jennibert just let you be 1st on that list b/c she knew how you would do when the medals were handed out. :P
wrecan 11-09-07, 08:44 PM	Fine with me. It's just an honor to be noticed. :)
Avalon? 11-09-07, 11:11 PM	How would my chances improve if I offer something more than cookies? Let's say for example brains?
Endarrion 11-10-07, 08:02 AM	How would my chances improve if I offer something more than cookies? Let's say for example brains? The brains of other contestants?! I'm on to you Avalon!:detect:
FRRC 11-10-07, 08:11 AM	Brains in other contestants? Good luck with that... :P
Avalon? 11-10-07, 09:16 AM	:incog: I said nothing! :incog:
Zherog 11-10-07, 07:42 PM	Of course not. You typed it. ;)
Kit_the_Odd 11-11-07, 02:18 PM	Between my 3rd son being born two weeks ago :D , and my oldest son breaking his leg on Friday :weep: I’m just going to post what I’ve got. Feel free to ask for clarifications. I wanted to add some more detail on some of the items (like the set bonuses) and a bit on the maneuvers from B9S, but I guess you’ll just have to look them up, sorry. I realize as an entry it still needs some work, but I’m grateful for whatever comments I get, especially on the general concept and build. Tarik Rhys Here’s the basics of his background. Tarik lives in a kingdom displaced into the mountains by a great evil that took over the fertile lowlands. He grew up knowing that he was descended from one of the heroes of the war that was lost – a half-celestial. He joined the army and became part of an elite force. His strength of personality and well-rounded nature led him to the leadership and support roll, rather than solely as a main combatant. (Bard levels with the Warblade, able to use wand of Cure Light Wounds and Inspire Courage) This force was charged with seeking ways to destroy the veil as well as protect the mountain retreat. During one of their recon mission his patrol was wiped out and he was captured after being beaten unconscious. He was tortured and saw others tortured, he was surrounded by undead of all kinds, twisted animals and people as the evil that had destroyed his country had come from some other place and ruined and twisted the things of this world into evil abominations of there former selves. Even to bringing the dead back in hideous and disturbing ways. Although he escaped the tortures he endued in prison and the horrors he saw in captivity and in the long trek home twisted his mind and he became obsessed with death. Some of the things he learned in his obsession helped him in his escape and those he brought with him, but they did make him morose and unhappy. This new sense of depression and hopelessness was noticed even during the celebration of his and his fellow escapees return. A short time after his return Tarik was visited by his celestial ancestor. He was praised for what he had done, honored for what he had endured, and chastised for what he was allowing it to turn him into. He was told that there was a purpose in life that could be his if he would embrace it. He had not been destroyed by the horrors and evils he had seen (although they might if he continued his obsession with death) and he could show others that it was possible to overcome them. Tarik embraced this new mission. He led those in need to overcome the evils that beset them. He inspired, supported, and brought out the best in people. During his escape he had stopped fearing anything because he gave up hope for anything beyond the next breath, now he was fearless in his faith of a better tomorrow and was able to instill some of that hope and fearlessness in those around him. Tarik continues his quest to save the people and hopes to one day find a way to finally defeat the foulness in the valley. Tarik Rhys Male Aasimar Bard2/Warblade3/Death Delver3/Paladin3 LG Starting Ability Buying: STR: 14 (6 pts) DEX: 12 (4 pts) CON: 12 (4 pts) INT: 14 (6 pts) WIS: 8 (0 pts) CHA: 15 (8 pts) Current Abilities (w/o gear): STR: 14 DEX: 12 CON: 12 INT: 14 WIS: 11 (+2 race, +1 lvl 8) CHA: 18 (+2 race, +1 lvl 4) Current Abilities (w gear): STR: 16 (+2 Gloves) DEX: 14 (+2 Boots) CON: 12 INT: 14 WIS: 11 CHA: 20 (+2 Helm) HP: 70 (6 + 1d6 + 3d12 + 3d8 + 3d10) AC: 25 (+9 armor, +3 shield, +2 Dex, +1 deflection) Touch: 13, Flat-Footed: 25 BAB: +9/+4 (Grapple +12, Melee +12/+7, ranged +11/+6) Init: +2 Fort: +17 (+0 Brd, +3 WB, +3 DeD , +3 Pal, +1 Con, +5 Divine Grace, +2 Resistance) Ref: +17 (+3 Brd, +1 WB, +1 DeD, +0 Pal, +2 Dex, +5 Divine Grace, +2 Resistance) Will: +15 (+3 Brd, +1 WB, +3 DeD , +0 Pal, +0 Wis, +5 Divine Grace, +2 Resistance) Speed: 20ft/x4 Attack: Morphing White Raven Crystal Echoblade with Lesser Crystal of Energy Assault (electricity): As Longsword: +14/+9 (+9 BAB, +3 Str , +1 enhancement, +1 Martial Disciple, +1 Weapon Focus), 1d8 + 3 Str + 1d6 elec, 19-20/x2 As Warhammer: +13/+8 (+9 BAB, +3 Str , +1 enhancement, +1 Martial Disciple), 1d8 + 3 Str + 1d6 elec, 20/x3 As Shortspear: +13/+8 (+9 BAB, +3 Str , +1 enhancement, +1 Martial Disciple), 1d8 + 3 Str + 1d6 elec, 20/x2 Notes: Weapon Focus can be changed to any of the forms with Weapon Aptitude. Add +1 sonic damage when using Bardic Music. Martial Disciple bonus increases to +3 when using a White Raven maneuver, and the Leading the Charge stance is almost always active. Example: Longsword while in Leading the Charge stance and using Inspire Courage - +17/+12, 1d8 + 3 Str + 1d6 elec + 1 sonic, 19-20/x2 Masterwork Composite (+3 Str) Longbow: +12/+7 (+9 BAB, +2 Dex, +1 MW), 1d8 + 3 Str, 20/x3 Feats: 1st: Battle Caster (CArc) 3rd: Song of the White Raven (B9S) 6th: Weapon Focus(longsword) 9th: Devoted Performer (CAdv) Racial Abilities: +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma Base Land speed 30 ft Darkvision 60ft Resistance to Fire 5, Cold 5, and Electricity 5 +2 Spot and Listen Daylight: Can use daylight as spell 1/day Favored Class: Paladin Class Abilities: Proficient with all armor and shields (except tower) Proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with whip Bard Spellcasting Bardic Knowledge – check 1d20+4 Bardic Music – 5/day, countersong, fascinate, inspire courage +1 Martial Maneuvers – Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon, Tiger Claw, and White Raven disciplines Battle Clarity – Int modifier as insight bonus to Reflex saves unless flat footed Weapon Aptitude – can qualify for fighter feats as fighter level = warblade level –2. Also, can change feats that apply to a single weapon to another weapon with 1 hour of practice in morning Uncanny Dodge – keep Dex bonus to AC when flat footed Battle Ardor – Int modifier as insight bonus to roll to confirm critical hits Death Delver Spellcasting Deathsense – as spell deathwatch at will, no cost, swift action Rebuke Undead – as cleric level = death delver level Deadened Soul – immune to fear effects of all kinds Spontaneous Casting – lose any prepared spell for a cure spell of same level Death Ward – as spell death ward, 1/day, 1 hour/level, standard action Aura of Good – moderate aura of Good Detect Evil – as spell, at will Smite Evil – 1/day +5 to attack, +5 damage if target is evil Divine Grace – Charisma modifier to all saves Lay on Hands – Can cure a total of 15 pts of damage per day, standard action, can also damage undead Aura of Courage – immune to fear, allies within 10ft gain +4 morale bonus against fear Divine Health – immune to all diseases, including magical diseases Bard Spells: 3/1, CL2 0th – Detect Magic, Ghost Sound (DC 15), Mending, Prestidigitation, Read Magic 1st – Expeditious Retreat, Inspirational Boost Death Delver Spells: 1, CL3 Select from Death Delver spell list – typical (lesser restoration or bless) Martial Maneuvers Known: Initiator Level 7 Stance – Leading the Charge (White Raven) 1st – Sapphire Nightmare Blade (Diamond Mind), Steel Wind (Iron Heart), Leading the Attack (White Raven) 2nd – Mountain Hammer (Stone Dragon), Tactical Strike (White Raven) Skills: Balance: +6 (+5 ranks, +2 Dex, -3 ACP, +2 synergy (Tumble)) Concentration: +15 (+14 ranks, +1 Con) Diplomacy: +18 (+11 ranks, +5 Cha, +2 synergy (Sense Motive)) Heal: +2 (+2 ranks, +0 Wis) Jump: +1 (+5 ranks, +3 Str, -6 speed (20ft), -3 ACP, +2 synergy (Tumble)) Know(arcana): +7 (+5 ranks, +2 Int) Know(religion): +6 (+4 ranks, +2 Int) Listen: +2 (+2 race, +0 Wis) Perform(vocal): +11 (+6 ranks, +5 Cha) Sense Motive: +8 (+8 ranks, +0 Wis) Spellcraft: +9 (+5 ranks, +2 Int, +2 synergy (Know(arcana))) Spot: +2 (+2 race, +0 Wis) Tumble: +12 (+11.5 ranks, +2 Dex, -3 ACP, +2 synergy (Jump)) Languages: Common, Celestial, Dwarven, Sylvan Non-Core Sources: Complete Adventurer (Devoted Performer – pg. 107) Complete Arcane (Battle Caster – pg. 75) Heroes of Horror (Death Delver – pg. 93) Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords (Warblade – pg. 20, Maneuver Descriptions start on page 47, Song of the White Raven – pg. 32, Martial Discipline Weapon Ability – pg. 148) Magic Item Compendium All prices in gp. Morphing White Raven Crystal Echoblade 20310 Crystal of Energy Assault - Lesser (Electricity) 3000 Mithril Full Plate of Speed 26500 Iron Ward Diamond - Lesser 2000 Heavy Mithril Shield +1 2020 Clasp of Energy Protection - Least (Fire) 500 Gauntlets of Ogre Power (Str +2) 4000 Boots of the Battle Charger & Dex +2 (+4000) 6000 Badge of Valor 1200 Helm of Tactics & Cha +2 (+4000) 6000 Horn of Resiliance 5000 Ring of Protection +1 2000 Vest of Resistance +2 4000 Healing Belt 750 HHH 2000 blessed bandage 10 everfull mug 200 everlasting rations 350 magic bedroll 500 Wand of CLW 750 Other stuff Candle 0.01 Map case 1 chalk 0.01 flask (empty) 0.03 Flint and steel 1 Hammer 0.5 mirror 10 Iron Pot 0.5 Silk rope (50 ft) 10 Hemp rope (50 ft) 1 Sack 0.1 soap /lb 0.5 shovel 2 tent 10 waterskin 1 whetstone 0.02 climber's kit 80 explorer's outfit free entertainer's outfit 3 Alchemical Items acid 10 fire 20 everburning torch 110 sunrod 2 tanglefoot bag 50 thunderstone 30 tindertwig 1 holy water Total 87433.67 566.33 in cash 1st – Bard 1 - Feat: Battle Caster – Skills: Concentration 4, Diplomacy 4, Heal 2 (4sp), Know(religion) 4, Perform(sing) 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Tumble 4 2nd – Warblade 1 – Manuevers: Leading the Charge, Sapphire Nightmare Blade, Steel Wind, Leading the Attack - Skills: Balance 3, Concentration 1, Diplomacy 1, Tumble 1 3rd – Bard 2 – Feat: Song of the White Raven – Skills: Concentration 1, Diplomacy 1, Jump 1, Perform(sing) 2, Sense Motive 1, Spellcraft 1, Tumble 1 4th – Warblade 2 –Charisma +1 - Manuevers: Tactical Strike – Skills: Balance 2, Concentration 1, Diplomacy 1, Jump 1, Tumble 1 5th – Warblade 3 – Maneuvers: Mountain Hammer - Skills: Concentration 1, Diplomacy 1, Jump 3, Tumble 1 6th – Death Delver 1 – Feat: Weapon Focus(longsword) – Skills: Concentration 1, Know(arcana) 2, Tumble 0.5 (1sp) 7th – Death Delver 2 – Skills: Concentration 1, Know(arcana) 2, Tumble 0.5 (1sp) 8th – Death Delver 3 – Wisdom +1 – Skills: Concentration 1, Know(arcana) 1, Tumble 1 (2sp) 9th – Paladin 1 – Feat: Devoted Performer – Skills: Concentration 1, Diplomacy 1, Sense Motive 1, Tumble 0.5 (1sp) 10th – Paladin 2 – Skills: Concentration 1, Diplomacy 1, Sense Motive 1, Tumble 0.5 (1sp) 11th – Paladin 3 – Skills: Concentration 1, Diplomacy 1, Sense Motive 1, Tumble 0.5 (1sp)
Zherog 11-12-07, 08:26 PM	Hope your boy is OK...
Kit_the_Odd 11-12-07, 10:15 PM	He'll be fine. But 6 weeks with most of his lower body in a cast won't be fun. Especially for a 2 year old. :weep: But in the end everything should be fine, no developmental/growth problems or anything. Thank goodness.
jennibert 11-13-07, 10:33 PM	He'll be fine. But 6 weeks with most of his lower body in a cast won't be fun. Especially for a 2 year old. :weep: But in the end everything should be fine, no developmental/growth problems or anything. Thank goodness. Glad to hear he'll be well in the end, poor little guy...my sympathies to you and your wife on dealing with him... On another note: Judging Update. One (overachieving! ;)) judge has turned in his scores. I haven't looked at them yet, not wanting them to color my own scoring...which is at least more than half done! maybe even 3/4! Which is to say, I've given everyone scores for Thematic Creativity and Background Content, and am about halfway through Rules Use...with clarity being judged largely on how easily I found everything I needed when judging your rules....
Zherog 11-15-07, 10:48 AM	Are scores done yet? ;)
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-15-07, 12:24 PM	Scores? :confused: What are you talking about? Actually, so everyone has fair warning, my scores will not be in before Thanksgiving weekend. My week went completely mad (nephew was in a car wreck, several sick at church, etc...), and it's not going to slow down before Monday. At my best guess, scores will be in next Saturday. Good news though, my nephew wasn't injured. His car... that's another story.
Zherog 11-15-07, 02:39 PM	Cars can be replaced; nephews cannot.
CheeseMan 11-15-07, 03:05 PM	thats right around the usual 3 weeks for judging anyway, no biggy
Kit_the_Odd 11-15-07, 08:47 PM	Cars can be replaced; nephews cannot. Although if you lived in D&D and had at least 5000gp worth of diamonds that wouldn't necessarily be the case. (raise dead) :D In all seriousness, I'm very glad to hear that he wasn't injured. Hope everyone at church gets well also.
jennibert 11-15-07, 09:21 PM	Two things: 1. I just noticed that I had forgotten to put Kit_the_Odd's entry in the entries post. Fixed now. Sorry, Kit! 2. I had originally planned to try to post scores this weekend, but unless someone has a severe objection, I'll probably wait until Jason gets his done as well. I think that car wrecks and illness qualify as acceptable reasons for score delay (though of course I'd have rather he get scores in on time because those things had not happened...) Oh well. Makes me feel less guilty about going shoe shopping tonight instead of judging entries. (It was very important shoe shopping, something all of you men would never understand;).) But I will try to finish as soon as possible, just to be ready. And to actually post comments for once. :)
Heros_Backpack 11-16-07, 07:44 PM	I'm beginning to think I need a Magic Circle of Protection from Murphy's Law to do my judging in. :( However, if nothing else comes up, I should be finished by tomorrow (Saturday).
jennibert 11-16-07, 09:54 PM	I'm beginning to think I need a Magic Circle of Protection from Murphy's Law to do my judging in. :( If you manage to make that, can you make a Magic Circle Against Procrastination next for me?
Mercurius 11-16-07, 11:11 PM	I'll get to work on that tomorrow... :whatsthis
Heros_Backpack 11-17-07, 04:46 PM	If you manage to make that, can you make a Magic Circle Against Procrastination next for me? Unfortunately the focus for that is a Round Tuit - I keep meaning to find one but somehow it keeps getting put off until next time... :P
jennibert 11-18-07, 12:13 AM	Unfortunately the focus for that is a Round Tuit - I keep meaning to find one but somehow it keeps getting put off until next time... :P Wow....that is a really terrible pun. I salute you, sir!
Zherog 11-18-07, 01:20 AM	I thought it was downright awesome, actually. You, sir, win the internet. :tiphat:
Heros_Backpack 11-18-07, 06:32 AM	You, sir, win the internet. Yes, but what would I do with it? And what's worse is that Round Tuits really exist. :blush:
Kit_the_Odd 11-18-07, 08:41 AM	Yup, my dad had a small stack of them when I was growing up. Wooden disks about the size of a silver dollar. Had a logo printed on one side and on the front was a coin like crest with "1Tuit" as the denomination. I'd love to find one of those again. Here's a couple of places you can get yourself one, none of them match the ones my dad had, but I suspect they will work just as well :) http://www.ituit.com/ http://www.quantumenterprises.co.uk/roundtuit/index.htm http://myrtlewoodgallery.com/get_a_round_tuit.htm A quick google search should find many others also.
jennibert 11-19-07, 10:24 PM	Scoring update! All scores save those of JasonOrlandoHawk (who was given an extension on the deadline--and yes, I did have a deadline!*) have been tabulated and assembled and e-mailed to myself so I will have access to them over the weekend. That being said, even if Jason were to get me his scores in the next hour, I still probably won't get them up before Thursday sometime due to working lots and holiday traveling. I'm going to attempt to post some general comments on some things I noticed overall, but individual comments will probably have to wait until I get back from my parents' house after Thanksgiving. Cause it's already late here....and aforementioned work/travel issues:). No pressure, Jason;) *Haruspex and Heros_Backpack met it. I didn't, but then, I knew I didn't have to, and so dawdled. I could never write papers until the night before they were due, either.
jennibert 11-19-07, 11:11 PM	Ok, some general comments.... Most of what I'm going to go into are rules issues. Generally speaking, most of you did pretty well with the theme, and backgrounds were almost uniformly very interesting. But there's a couple of sticking points in the rules that cost a lot of people points, and I thought I'd mention them. The biggest one? Leaving things off of your character sheet. Pretty much, I expect a character you could bring into the game, sit down, and play. Thus it is very important that everything about your character appear on said sheet. Languages were a big thing that a lot of people missed. A lot of you lost points for not having mundane items as well. It is important to note exactly what adventuring gear your character has. I mean, as a DM, I might be willing to fudge that a little, but the third or fourth time you say, "Can we say I just bought it at the last town," I'm gonna say no. Another big one: Armor. One thing to note: Mithral and other special materials already include the cost of masterworking in their cost, so you do not need to spend the additional 150 (armor and shields) or 300 (weapons) to make it masterwork. Also, mithral breastplate has a -1 armor check penalty, because, since mithral is automatically masterwork, the reduction of the armor check penalty by 3 does not stack with the reduction by 1 from being masterwork. Many people did not figure this into their entries. Finally, the decription for mithral armor says that it is treated as light "for purposes of movement and other limitations (for example, whether a barbarian can use her fast movement ability while wearing the armor or not)." I have always read this to mean that, for other purposes, such as proficiency prereqs, it is still medium armor. Meaning a lot of you should have been taking that -1 armor check penalty to attack rolls. Why is everyone so obsessed with mithral breast plate anyway? I can get the same AC bonus by adding up mithral chain shirts and rings of protection for a significantly reduced cost. For example: +4 mithral breastplate: 20200 gp. Armor bonus +9, Max Dex +5, Armor Check -1 +3 mithral chain shirt, ring of protection +1, amulet of natural armor +1: 14100 gp, Armor Bonus +9, Max Dex +6, no armor check, and your touch AC goes up by 1 because deflection bonuses are added to that. Alternatively, if you're using your throat slot, a ring of protection +2 instead of the amulet brings the total to only 18,100. Gives you better overall stats, and for less gold! And if the breastplate is a style thing, then still don't buy up only the enchantment on it! Rings of protection are your friend! Taking the earlier example, +3 breastplate plus a ring of protection +1 nets you a +9 AC bonus (and +1 to touch AC!) with only a cost of 15,200 gp. Heck, you could make it a ring of protection +2 and only pay 21200 gp. I didn't consciously take off for that, but I felt compelled to point it out. thus endeth the rant. We had the usual misaddings and skill point screwups, but those were the main consistent errors I noticed. Overall, a pretty good set of entries. Can't wait to see who the winner is!
Cartigan 11-19-07, 11:31 PM	I was just looking at mine and realized I left my bonus to Intimidate off and I can't add. I have no idea how I came out with that armor class. And somehow Archivist abilities. Oh well, didn't expect to win anyway lol
Ziggaraut 11-20-07, 11:19 AM	Whoops! see next post.
Far_Traveler 11-20-07, 11:26 AM	I can't believe I missed the mithril cost thing! Gah! I'm normally very studious about my equipment... Ah well, if the biggest one was leaving things out, I should be in good shape if my biggest error was accidentally adding 300gp of cost onto my armor/shield.
CheeseMan 11-20-07, 11:44 AM	i hate you mithril breastplate
Zherog 11-20-07, 12:02 PM	Finally, the decription for mithral armor says that it is treated as light "for purposes of movement and other limitations (for example, whether a barbarian can use her fast movement ability while wearing the armor or not)." I have always read this to mean that, for other purposes, such as proficiency prereqs, it is still medium armor. Meaning a lot of you should have been taking that -1 armor check penalty to attack rolls. The sage disagrees with you. Is a character proficient with light armor, such as a rogue, considered to be proficient with mithral breastplate? What about a character proficient with medium armor, such as a barbarian—is he considered proficient with mithral full plate armor? The description of mithral on page 284 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide is less precise than it could be in defining how it interacts with armor proficiency rules. The simplest answer — and the one that the Sage expects most players and DMs use—is that mithral armor is treated as one category lighter for all purposes, including proficiency. This isn’t exactly what the Dungeon Master’s Guide says, but it’s a reasonable interpretation of the intent of the rule (and it’s supported by a number of precedents, including the descriptions of various specific mithral armors described on page 220 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide and a variety of NPC stat blocks). Thus, a ranger or rogue could wear a mithral breastplate without suffering a nonproficiency penalty (since it’s treated as light armor), and each could use any ability dependent on wearing light or no armor (such as evasion or the ranger’s combat style). A barbarian could wear mithral full plate armor without suffering a nonproficiency penalty (since it’s treated as medium armor), and he could use any ability dependent on wearing medium or lighter armor (such as fast movement). The same would be true of any other special material that uses the same or similar language as mithral (such as darkleaf, on page 120 of the EBERRON Campaign Setting). >>side rant snipped for space<< One reason to do so would be to use your ring slots for something other than a ring of protection. If you already have two cool rings, your options are to go with the icky hand of glory (which I've seen a lot of people avoid, just on concept), or wait until epic levels when you can take a feat that allows you a third ring. that said, I tend to agree with you in principle. Another way to get the same level of protection for less money is to go with a shield. Even if you're not proficient in shields, a mithral buckler has no armor check penalty, so there's no harm in using one. Folks who need both hands (two-weapon or two-handed fighters) could consider going with an animated shield, and still come in at a slightly lower cost (and slightly better AC, since you have the shield bonus).
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-20-07, 12:07 PM	No pressure, Jason;) None whatsoever. :cool: I've got quite a bit of time tomorrow that I will be using to judge, but it is doubtful that I will be able to get my scores in tomorrow. I'm guessing my scores will be in Friday.
Dog_O_War 11-20-07, 12:17 PM	Hey, I know I'm not in the main contest, but does this mean that the critiques of us-late entries are comming in at the same time? 'Cause I reread my entry a few times over the weeks and saw numerous mistakes and mis-calculations; I've just been too lazy to fix them/add (spells) as I know I can't win. Should I do these things anyway, just so you can get a better feel for said characters' theme? Also, how often do you guys run these class contests? I'd like to be better prepared for next time.
Zherog 11-20-07, 12:22 PM	We request entrants not edit until scores are posted; that way, all the judges are comparing the same material. However, since your entry isn't being judged, I would say you're free to edit whenever you like. We generally run one once every 5-6 weeks. The original target was once a month, but the judging seems to stretch out to the point where we can't get a new one started within a month.
Mercurius 11-20-07, 12:54 PM	The sage disagrees with you. Yeah, but the Sage is also saying that, as written, there's no way to go, and that it's a "reasonable" interpretation. I'm inclined to go the other way, myself, because weight isn't the only factor regarding how you wear armour - the style and design of the armour is also a factor. That said, I also swear I heard a ruling to the contrary of the Sage somewhere, sometime. I can't find it, but I remember going "huh, I woulda figured the other way," when I heard that you had to be proficient with the heavier armour. One reason to do so would be to use your ring slots for something other than a ring of protection. If you already have two cool rings, your options are to go with the icky hand of glory (which I've seen a lot of people avoid, just on concept), or wait until epic levels when you can take a feat that allows you a third ring. that said, I tend to agree with you in principle. Another way to get the same level of protection for less money is to go with a shield. Even if you're not proficient in shields, a mithral buckler has no armor check penalty, so there's no harm in using one. Folks who need both hands (two-weapon or two-handed fighters) could consider going with an animated shield, and still come in at a slightly lower cost (and slightly better AC, since you have the shield bonus). Another way to get it is to add the Ring of Protection properties to another ring. Seeing as how you can do this at no additional charge (thank you MIC!), it's not even a problem if you really want a cool third ring...
Cartigan 11-20-07, 12:58 PM	Yeah, but the Sage is also saying that, as written, there's no way to go, and that it's a "reasonable" interpretation. I'm inclined to go the other way, myself, because weight isn't the only factor regarding how you wear armour - the style and design of the armour is also a factor. That said, I also swear I heard a ruling to the contrary of the Sage somewhere, sometime. I can't find it, but I remember going "huh, I woulda figured the other way," when I heard that you had to be proficient with the heavier armour. But like everything else, armor proficiencies are just a generalization. Leather armor and chain shirts are not the same thing. Full plate and breastplate are not the same thing yet they are in the same armor classes. If a mithral version of the armor allows more Dex bonus to be used, that is a way of saying that it is more flexible and easier to move around in than the standard type. It then makes sense that it counts as a generalized armor type one class lower.
Zherog 11-20-07, 01:07 PM	Another way to get it is to add the Ring of Protection properties to another ring. Seeing as how you can do this at no additional charge (thank you MIC!), it's not even a problem if you really want a cool third ring... What did the MIC do to change that?
Mercurius 11-20-07, 07:30 PM	What did the MIC do to change that? The designers recognized that characters pretty much have to avoid interesting magic items because they need the staple stat boosters, AC boosters, and save boosters that take up glove, ring, neck, cloak, boot, etc slots. So, as per page 233-234 "Adding Common Item Effects to Existing Items," certain effects, such as enhancement bonuses to stats or AC, don't cost any extra to be put onto gear. So, if you have a Cloak of Displacement but also want a Cloak of Charisma +2, you pay the price for a Cloak of Charisma +2 (4000 gold) as a boost to the Cloak of Displacement, but you don't pay any extra like you would if you had, say, a Cloak of Displacement combined with a Cloak of Arachnida. It's so PCs can have the cool magic items without giving up the pretty much requisite magical boosts or having to stuff them into odd slots (though it should be noted that there are still slots for each type of effect. Outside those slots, you pay more). I've used this ruling since MIC was allowed in Hero Craftsman to get the normal stat boosters without giving up cool stuff (see Albaddon's "Cloak of Charismatic Elvenkind +6"). It's much better than back when I had to opt for a different potential slot so that I could get a natural armor boost and a Wisdom boost, and got counted off for it due to different interpretations of body slot affinity. The Magic Item Compendium makes everything cooler. :D
jennibert 11-20-07, 10:14 PM	A couple of responses... to Zherog: Meh, I didn't really take off much for it. I don't think it'll materially affect the outcome of the competition. And I still don't necessarily agree, but whatever:) And as for the rant...some of the people in question did not have any rings;) I agree, I can see it if you have cool rings and whatnot, but I don't remember seeing anyone wearing +4 armor and more than one (if any) ring. Because I did check:) Dog_O_War: Ack! Forgot about the late entries. Will try to go over yours (and the others) after Thanksgiving. (Visiting my parents, who have the world's slowest dialup...) And to find the next competition (probably due out in about 2 weeks, give or take), check the Feedback thread. Link's in the first post. Zherog always puts links to the latest HC in the first post of that thread. You can also check out previous ones there, see what other sorts of theme we do.
Talisman 11-20-07, 10:24 PM	Yay! I avoided the "mithral-breastplate-and-no-ring" trap! :dancin: OTOH, I lost points for not specifying my guy's mundane gear :weep: Ah, well...I'll have to make it up with my sparkling personality :ayyyy!: Either that, or get some judges drunk...:pint:
V1zharan 11-20-07, 10:25 PM	I noticed this days after my entry but....I forgot a familiar:eek: . I was so caught up in my crafty illusions and backstory that I completely forgot about choosing a familiar. It just was so far off from the character concept to have a little bonded critter following me around that it just never occurred to me to choose one until days later. I think my equipment costs and such were all ok, I spent hours going over those and even made a correction in my calculations 11 minutes after posting my entry, so I'm confident there. Actually I completely forgot about adding the masterwork cost in, but considering I got mithril s'all good. :D ~V1zharan~
jennibert 11-20-07, 10:43 PM	Yay! I avoided the "mithral-breastplate-and-no-ring" trap! :dancin: OTOH, I lost points for not specifying my guy's mundane gear :weep: Ah, well...I'll have to make it up with my sparkling personality :ayyyy!: Either that, or get some judges drunk...:pint: I didn't actually deduct points for the breastplate unless it was actually done incorrectly. I just don't get it. ;) As for getting the judges drunk...what are you offering? :D
Zherog 11-21-07, 07:55 AM	I noticed this days after my entry but....I forgot a familiar:eek: . I was so caught up in my crafty illusions and backstory that I completely forgot about choosing a familiar. It just was so far off from the character concept to have a little bonded critter following me around that it just never occurred to me to choose one until days later. I think my equipment costs and such were all ok, I spent hours going over those and even made a correction in my calculations 11 minutes after posting my entry, so I'm confident there. Actually I completely forgot about adding the masterwork cost in, but considering I got mithril s'all good. :D ~V1zharan~ Familiars aren't required; not ever caster summons one, since they can also be seen as a liability. You'll likely receive comments about it, though.
Talisman 11-21-07, 05:27 PM	As for getting the judges drunk...what are you offering? :D How 'bout some pure Kentucky bourbon, fellow Bluegrasser? Or some wine from Huber's? :angelhide
V1zharan 11-22-07, 01:59 AM	Familiars aren't required; not ever caster summons one, since they can also be seen as a liability. You'll likely receive comments about it, though. Yay, I just sort of assumed familiars are required, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-22-07, 03:22 AM	How 'bout some pure Kentucky bourbon, fellow Bluegrasser? Or some wine from Huber's? :angelhide :confused: Another Kentuckian? Wow! There sure are a lot of us around here. What portion?
-Winter- 11-22-07, 08:38 AM	The 'mithril breastplate and no ring trap' theory doesn't hold in actual play i think... (or course for a competition such as this it does) Because even if at one point in time mithril is not the most efficient use of gold to boost AC, your mithril breast plate is a 'career item' which you'll likely carry untill you hit level 20, upgrading as you go... Where as a ring of protection is a fairly common item which can act as actualy useful loot if you happen to pick one up untill you get a chance to sell it off... (Unless you plan on having a vannila ring of protection for your entire career.) It just seems more wasteful to go from a +1 standard breastplate and ring +1, to the eventual mithril breastplate (and/or ring) when for a slightly larger investment you can grab yourself the armour you'll be wearing when you kill the BBEG. And your more likely to find a cool ring then armour that is just right for you. ... The MIC item add-on/stacking rules are interesting. My group is usually pretty conservative when it comes to stuff like that so i don't think i'll get to use it much if at all. And that stuff (if used) also discourages purchasing of rings of protection because investing in a ring of protection is wastefull when you eventually plan to get a cool 'career ring' and then pump it with protection power... (Just to illustrate differences in one-shot gp economy and campaign gp economy, I just hate buying items that i know i'll end up selling one day...)
Talisman 11-22-07, 11:17 AM	Another Kentuckian? Wow! There sure are a lot of us around here. What portion? Just outside of Louisville. Go Kentucky!
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-25-07, 10:25 PM	Care if I chime in on the conversations I'm not supposed to be reading? In regards to Mithral Armor, the Magic Item Compendium clears things up a bit. Check the subnotes for the Mithral Armor chart on p.6. For example, it notes that Mithral Chainmail and Breastplate are "Treated as light armor for the purpose of movement, proficiency, and other limitations." Thank you MIC for more clear wording! So, anyways, since I've obviously been reading conversations that I'm not a part of, that basically means I finally got my scores in tonight. I haven't heard from jennibert, so I don't know when she'll post the final averages, but it should be in the next day or so. My apologies for making everyone wait so long. That Magic Circle against Murphy sounds really good right now. Also, does anyone know where I can get some good golem-bane equipment? My entire family has been plagued with vehicle trouble, almost to the point of absurdity. My car is still down. :banghead: Anyways, sorry that it took so long. Good news: I should be able to post comments fairly quickly. I want to wait until the final scores are up, but they are ready to go for all the formal entries. For the late entries, I should get a chance to check your work and provide feedback sometime after Friday. Talisman, it seems while I meet several from our state, none are ever from around my home town, the bustling metropolis of Utica. (Basically, outside of Owensboro.) Jason
Mercurius 11-26-07, 07:45 PM	The 'mithril breastplate and no ring trap' theory doesn't hold in actual play i think... (or course for a competition such as this it does) Because even if at one point in time mithril is not the most efficient use of gold to boost AC, your mithril breast plate is a 'career item' which you'll likely carry untill you hit level 20, upgrading as you go... Where as a ring of protection is a fairly common item which can act as actualy useful loot if you happen to pick one up untill you get a chance to sell it off... (Unless you plan on having a vannila ring of protection for your entire career.) It just seems more wasteful to go from a +1 standard breastplate and ring +1, to the eventual mithril breastplate (and/or ring) when for a slightly larger investment you can grab yourself the armour you'll be wearing when you kill the BBEG. And your more likely to find a cool ring then armour that is just right for you. ... The MIC item add-on/stacking rules are interesting. My group is usually pretty conservative when it comes to stuff like that so i don't think i'll get to use it much if at all. And that stuff (if used) also discourages purchasing of rings of protection because investing in a ring of protection is wastefull when you eventually plan to get a cool 'career ring' and then pump it with protection power... (Just to illustrate differences in one-shot gp economy and campaign gp economy, I just hate buying items that i know i'll end up selling one day...) I'd gladly have a "vanilla" Ring of Protection any day, especially since it becomes quite handy far into my career as an adventurer, and boosts my touch AC, something a mithril breastplate doesn't. And, if I decide I want some sort of fancy ring later on, I just pay to have my plain-old, unassuming Ring of Protection enchanted to become said ring (assuming I'm buying it anyway). Same price as buying a Ring of Ultimate Kajingy and then putting Protection enhancements on it. No difference in price either way. I hate buying items I'll have to get rid of, but I'd gladly still go mithral chainshirt and ring of protection well before I considered buying mithral breastplate. I prefer the higher max dex bonus, cheaper cost, and lower AC penalty, even if I started at level one and went as long as I could (which, so far, has never even gone past fourth, though my own campaigns typically end no later than 10th...). Myself, I'm in KY just south of Cinci, which I gather is sadly still nowhere near anyone else in this forum except Jennibert.
jennibert 11-26-07, 08:39 PM	Okay, and now for what you've all been waiting for... :drumroll: THE SCORES!!!! First, for the category awards.... The nominees are Saralinda Hamilton Connor by wrecan and Winter, Angel born of Death by -Winter- It's a tie! Congrats to wrecan and -Winter-! The nominees are Donovon "Elogy" Eulan by Far_Traveler and Ferryn Starborn by Talisman. It's a tie! Congrats to Far_Traveler and Talisman! The nominees are Wayland Orem by Cartigan, Albaddon the Liberator by Mercurius, Devon Sypes by FRRC, Professor Jacobe Idelion by Avalon? Albaddon the Liberator! Congrats to Mercurius! The nominees are Saralinda Hamilton Connor by wrecan, Ferryn Starborn by Talisman, and Andrinor Balisade, aka Malhavoc Shadowlord by Endarrion Saralinda Hamilton Connor! Congrats to wrecan! And now for the big winners.... Professor Jacobe Idelion by Avalon? with an average score of 24.75 Ferryn Starborn by Talisman with an average score of 25.5 Albaddon the Liberator by Mercurius with an average score of 25.75 Congratulations to the winners! It was a really close on this time! As you'll see from the rest of the scores... Donovon "Elogy" Eulon: 24.5 Devon Sypes: 24.5 Winter, Angel Born of Death: 24.375 Xenril Wickebane: 24 Saralinda Hamilton Connor: 23.875 Namme: 22.25 Tyrus of Ashmont: 21.625 Andrinor Balisade, aka Malhavoc Shadowlord: 21.375 Farren Cronwing: 17.5 Wayland Orem: 15.75 Quite a competition this time, everyone! Congratulations to all of our participants! Sorry it took so long to get the scores up!
jennibert 11-26-07, 08:54 PM	Just outside of Louisville. Go Kentucky! I was actually through there today, on my way back to Florence from my parents' house outside of Nashville... As far as the mithral breastplate goes...I am enjoying the discussion, and am now understanding the reasoning. Like I said, no points were actually taken off for that, it was just something I wondered about. As far as actual play goes...I myself always start out at low levels, and a ring of protection is one of the first protective items I pick up....after my +1 armor, if I'm not playing a caster. To this point, I've never actually gotten high enough in level to worry about rings more powerful than protection (my highest level character topped out at 10th...after the campaign ended....). But I still wouldn't not get the ring. It's only 2000 gold. By the time it's not useful anymore, that's chump change;)
Cartigan 11-26-07, 09:02 PM	Last place for the win!
wrecan 11-26-07, 09:34 PM	Woo hoo! First place in clarity!!! Me right good!
Talisman 11-26-07, 09:39 PM	Yay! Silver for Starborn! This was a ton of fun, and I shall keep an eye peeled for future Hero Craftsman contests! I tip my hat to the other winners :tiphat: and encourage you to...find something else to do next time! :P
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-26-07, 11:24 PM	Congratulations everyone!!! I really enjoyed judging this contest... when Murphy wasn't giving me a headache. Now, for comments. I'm going to start with general, across the board comments, and then my next few posts will cover entries individually. Alright, first things first (most of you know what I'm about to say, but hey, it's tradition), I want everyone to understand that all comments/criticism should be taken as constructive, not degrading. As a judge, it is our job to nitpick, criticize, and otherwise point out every tiny error and inconsistency, and subsequently drag them to the surface for everyone to see. There will be quite a few slaps to the forehead, foolish errors, etc... to deal with. However, this is all done with the intent of helping you improve. Please do not take offense. We appreciate everyone who took the time to compete. Alright, time for me to get everyone mad at me. I deducted a lot of points from a lot of entries in this category. It was specified in the first entry, "your character has to play well with others." This was a Heroes of Horror competition, and that is exactly what I was looking for when I scored this category. Basically, I only asked one question: If I was DMing a horror campaign, would this character be a PC or a Villain? A lot of people wrote great stories, but a lot of people wrote great villains. I have a lot of bad guys for my campaigns now. Since the focus was a horror campaign, I wondered if you were scared or scaring people. If the second option won out, you got villain status. This should not be translated, "I counted off for an evil alignment." In this competition, I was more willing to accept evil alignments. However, I was looking for haunted, tormented, or "thirsty for revenge" concepts in those cases. I didn't accept evil when you were the evil threatening the world. Almost everyone scored really well here. Even if I thought you were a villain, almost every entry was top notch. There were even a few instances that sent a chill down my spine. Thanks. Mostly, if you lost points, it was because I wanted more details. A common problem was a poorly developed Antagonist. Who scares you? As always, I divide this into two different categories: Rules Use & Mechanics. Mechanics: Actual accuracy to the rules. HP totals. Saves. Etc... Rules Use: Power level of the character, as compared to the NPC charts found in the DMG. This also includes making poor use of spells, class abilities, etc... Overall, Mechanics was worth 75% and Rules Use was worth 25%. I would like to confirm something said by jennibert: There was a lot of missing information is several entries. This really hurt some people, who were otherwise fairly on target mechanics-wise. See individual comments for more details. All right, the teacher in me comes out here. "Red Ink"- A rough indication of the number of spelling/grammatical error in your entry. 1 pt. "Cite your Sources"- On any non-core source, I expect you to cite your sources. Book is fine, but page number is better. This ranges for everything from PrC's to spells to items to feats and more. 1 pt. -Formatting was worth about .5 pt. Very few people lost anything here. -Level-by-level breakdowns, skill breakdowns, etc... a.k.a.: My ability to check your work. Was it easy to back into everything you did? 2.5 pt.
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-26-07, 11:55 PM	Thematic Creativity: • This is simultaneously your greatest compliment and criticism: You have created an incredible villain for a Horror Campaign. • I particularly enjoyed your description of Utoma’s fall. Well done. • I would definitely use Albaddon as a villain, but I don’t know that I’d allow him as a PC. While Evil characters can be PC’s, Albaddon has antagonist written all over him. From his character goals and profound ego, to the use of Leadership and his various Command/Rebuke abilities to practically create his own adventuring party, I’m concerned that this character would simply clash with most groups, even evil ones. Background: • Now that I have stepped away from “Plays well with others,” I feel I should take some time to emphasize just how well written your character was. • As always, I enjoyed reading a few more pieces of your campaign setting. In particular, I liked reading your planar cosmology. I’m working on my own setting at the moment, and determining how to handle the planes is an interesting challenge. You’ve given me a few ideas. • Again, excellent fall. ‘Nuff said. • I liked some of your supporting characters, particularly the “creepy girlfriend” Eranseivu. • Your Antagonist, Lucan Frostwind, seems hastily added. You really don’t give him a place in the story, and he’s nothing more than a note later on. A stand off, a narrow escape, or him beating the daylights out of some minions would have made this character more integral to your story. This is the one place where I felt more detail would have been necessary. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Spells 1: [Summary]: There’s a lot to talk about in your Spell section, but the largest piece of advice would be this: clear things like this w/ the DM ahead of time. I really don’t think your spell casting is all that broken, but I would probably not allow Contemplative to advance your Blackguard spells. My main reason: at level 10, a Blackguard has the spell casting power of a 17th level Paladin. At Contemplative level 4, you suddenly run out of a guide to determine how many more spells you receive. • Spells 2 (a): [Mechanics: Spell Save DC’s]: Your Spell Save DC’s are 13 + level b/c of your enhanced Wisdom score. • Spells 2 (b): [Mechanics: Exception to 2 (a)]: Well, actually, the only spell that allows a saving throw on your list (Poison) uses a different formula, so the DC would actually be 18 (PHB 262). Side note: Poison is a really powerful spell for you. Good selection. • Spells 2 © : [Rules Use-Suggestion: Spell Selection]: As noted above, you only have one spell that requires a saving throw. However, considering your Aura of Despair, making opponents make saves while next to you is strongly to your advantage. While allies can account for some of this, I would recommend adding a few more spells that require a save to your typical spells prepared. In particular, the Inflict spells and Wave of Grief (SC 236) would probably work well for you. • Spells 3: [Mechanics-Typo?: Spells/day]: You an incorrect # of Spells/day for your 3rd level spells. It should be 3/day. However, you listed 3 spells as typically prepared, so I’m assuming this is a typo. • Spells 4: [Mechanics: Material Components]: Unholy Storm has an expensive material component, Unholy Water, which costs 25gp. This is not accounted for in your Gear. • Equipment: [Omission]: You need to list the Save DC and Damage on your Shadow Essence Poison. • Special Abilities: [Omission]: You need to list Rebuke/Command Oozes under special abilities. Side note: I assume that, for the Slime domain, you would use your Character level as your Effective Cleric Level (ECL- heh) for purposes of Rebuke/Command attempts, but I couldn’t find an official ruling. I wonder if anyone has seen an official ruling for such things. • Prestige Class: [Rules Use-suggestion]: As I said earlier, I probably wouldn’t allow Contemplative to progress a Blackguard’s spellcasting b/c of the difficulty calculating spells/day. As such, I would probably recommend rebuilding this character using the Divine Crusader PrC, a few pages over from Contemplative. You could easily trade Combat Brute, Craft Wondrous Item, or Leadership for Weapon Focus, and I think you would gain a lot more from the class. You would lose the ability to Rebuke/Command Oozes, but access to level 5+ spells, even if only 1/day, would be beautiful with this build considering the fact that Charisma is your core stat. Clarity: • Very Mild Red Ink. Neatly done. • Cite your Sources: Slime Domain? Good job otherwise on citation. • Cite your Sources-Typo?: The Sundering quality is found on MIC 44, not MIC 24. • You need to list your situational bonus to AC vs. Ranged Attacks near your AC section. • You need an Attack Options section underneath your Attack Routines section. I would spell out your Sneak Attack, Smite Good, and Poison options here for easy reference. Thematic Creativity: • You walk a fine line between Villain and Hero of a Horror Campaign. As your story progressed, it could’ve fallen either way. However, at the end of it all, I’d probably be more inclined to say that Andrinor is a villain. • Your character fell short of his potential, to be honest. Twice victim to “senseless” deaths of those he loved… and at the end of the day he’s running around murdering people for money. The sense of tragedy you had to work with fell flat, and the potential plot points/mysteries you could have created were allowed to run dry too soon. • This story reminded me of some of the stories surrounding Clan Lasombra in the old World of Darkness Vampire books. A new (unknowing) recruit to the clan would suffer tragedy after (seemingly) meaningless tragedy, which were all orchestrated by a member of the clan to give him the “right” (read: shattered, angry) mindset for when he was forcibly brought into the fold. These may serve as some good reading to help you flesh out Andrinor’s legacy. • Last note: Andrinor may consider joining a group to prove “that life, even the lives of the powerful and righteous, are meaningless.” If that’s the only reason you’d try and get along with a group, it stands to reason that this character does not, in fact, “play well with others.” Background: • Many of your shortcomings in Thematic Creativity apply equally here. You had a lot to work with, but fell short of a convincing story. • One more quote: “…any number of people might want Andrinor Balisade dead. The only problem is no one has the courage to try.” There’s not a single DM I know that wouldn’t disagree with those words. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Overall, let me say that you did very, very well in this category. This was a classic, but very usable Rogue build. This is a solid character. • Mechanics: Force of Personality/Will Save: I hate to call you on this, but the feat Force of Personality is poorly designed. Your will save bonus is actually +7 (+9 vs. [Mind-Affecting]). The problem with this feat is that the VAST majority of spells and abilities are [Mind-Affecting], but not ALL of them. (Ex: Slow and Telekinesis allow will saves, but are not considered [Mind-Affecting], and thus do not allow you to use your Cha. Modifier. In my games, FoP just affects all will saves, but RAW, you don’t always get that bonus. • Rules Use: Gear Issues #1: Listen, I know it’s a Horror themed game, but that doesn’t mean you have to run around naked. I know it’s scary to face off against a naked guy in a debate, but still, it can get cold outside. Please, consider a set of clothes. They are, technically, free at character generation. • Rules Use: Gear Issues #2: Seeing as Poison Use is a class ability, I would recommend Adrinor pick up a few doses to help him in his work. Always keep an eye open for ways to take advantage of everything a class gives you. • Rules Use: Skill Selection: I have to disagree with you when it comes to not taking ranks in Knowledge (or other skills) to represent your debating skills. From a strict mechanics perspective, your character could never hit a DC higher than 10. Sure, your character can talk about the basics, but if you stepped into a serious debate (against someone with training), you’re going to get every point you make shot down. At best, this character stands up, makes a point, gets shot down, and uses Daunting Presence to make his opponent feel like your about to kill him before storming off. You may scare your foe, but you don’t have the training to convince anyone other than common folk of your philosophy. • ????: ????: Let me say in advance, it’s completely legal, but I’m just having trouble wrapping my mind around the concept of “Masterwork Use Magic Device Tool.” I didn’t deduct any points, but this has left a burning question in my mind: What is a “masterwork Use Magic Device tool?” Clarity: • No red ink. • Good job citing sources. Page numbers would’ve been nice, but weren’t really necessary. • You did a good job spelling out Save DC’s for Daunting Presence and Death Attack, but you need them for your spells as well. Thematic Creativity: • Definite Hero of Horror. I really enjoyed reading this entry. • This character will, in fact, play well with others, but fits well in a horror campaign. Well designed. • The fight with your father was nicely done. Background: • I really liked your background, but it didn’t seem to mesh with your statistics. For example, your fight with your Father (in ghoul form) strongly argues for Improved Unarmed Strike and possibly even Improved Grapple. Additionally, I’d probably have chosen Sacred Vengeance over Divine Vigor, from how this character is presented in the story. Meanwhile, Extra Turning shows up well after the one use seen in your story, and Spirit Sense doesn’t appear at all. • Beyond feats, there is also the issue of your classes. You didn’t convince me that you qualified for Gray Guard. No mention of taking an oath for Sacrament of Trust. No mention of training. Just one line about not handling things the “nice” way. And, as far as I can tell, immediately after that revelation, you join up with the Delvers anyways. • Your background is excellent. In particular, there is just the right amount of DM usable material, unsolved mysteries, etc… that make this a proper Horror entry. I just feel as if it didn’t mesh well with your stats. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Mechanics #1 [Armor Check & Speed penalties]: You forgot to apply your Armor Check penalty to your Climb and Jump skills. The -5 penalty drops your Climb modifier to +4. On your jump check, you also suffer a -6 penalty b/c of your lower than normal speed, leaving you with a Jump modifier of -2. • Mechanics #2 [Clothing]: Under the Clothing section in the equipment chapter of the PHB, it notes that a character gets a free set of clothing at character creation, but Cleric’s Vestments are not one of the options. Thus, you have to pay the 5gp to purchase the vestments. Additionally, the PHB also notes that Cleric’s Vestments are ecclesiastical, not adventuring, clothes. You need a new suit. Clarity: • Red Ink was a bit of a problem. • Good job citing sources! • Your level by level was nice, but I would’ve appreciated a breakdown of your starting ability scores. Thematic Creativity: • I weep for the ultimate fate of this entry. I truly weep. • This was honestly one of my favorite entries. This entry had a strong “creepy” factor to it. • The problem: Donovon was clearly a villain, not a hero. Donovon (or a Donovon-esque character) may very well serve as a villain in one of my future games. Excellent villain!!! Sadly, this is a “hero” craftsman competition. Background: • Background was, of course, very solid. No complaints here. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Mechanics #1: Turning doesn’t allow a Saving Throw, which means that Turn Resistance is not a bonus to your saves. • Mechanics #2: Identify has an expensive material component (a pearl) which is not accounted for in your inventory. • Mistype? #1: Your Hide modifier is +2, but you left it at +1 for some indiscernible reason. All hail the typo! • Jason’s Rant #1: Yes, I know it’s completely legal (and no points were deducted), but I really hate point buy sometimes, and your character is one reason why. When you rolled up your character, you didn’t have to invest any points in Constitution. Why? Because you knew that Con would be irrelevant after you took on your Template. Which means, in the end, you really just have more points to invest in your other scores. I just don’t like point buy when you deal with characters who have non-ability scores. It may seem small, but it just doesn’t feel balanced to me. Clarity: • No red ink. • Cited Sources. • You need to list your Flat-Footed and Touch AC. Thematic Creativity: • Like so many other contestants, I really just felt like this character was a villain, not a hero. You serve a Shadow dragon as a loyal assassin. Farren Cronwing seems destined to battle, not aid, a group of PC’s. Background: • Your background felt rushed. It wasn’t bad, but I felt it ended before you could really flesh it out properly. • With the exception of Sue’tharne, all of your Important NPC’s are dead or gone, and with the exception of your former master, completely out of the picture. I would’ve liked some more allies & antagonists to work with on this character. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Mechanics #1: Bracers of Armor: Bracers of Armor provide an Armor bonus to AC, not a deflection bonus. Thus, they do not stack with your actual armor. While I think it would be a reasonable assumption to say that a Deflection bonus could be applied to the Arms (Bracers) slot (note: the Magic Item Comp. disagrees), it would cost twice as much as the same “Armor” bonus. Since you don’t have a price listed, I can’t give you the benefit of the doubt. • Mechanics #2: Make your own Magic Items: You have to account for the base piece of armor or base weapon in the price of any magic item you create. For example, the base cost of a masterwork scimitar is 315gp, which should be added to the final cost. The base cost of a Breastplate is 200gp (masterwork is not accounted for b/c that price is subsumed by the Mithral cost), which should also be accounted for in the final cost. • Mechanics #3: Saving Throw Bonuses: Your Base Saves are incorrect. Your Base saves from Rogue are 2/6/2. Your base saves from Shadowdancer are 0/3/0. Thus, your base saves are 2/9/2, with your final modifiers resting at 3/12/2. I would strongly recommend a Cloak or Vest of Resistance to bump your dangerously low Will save. • Mechanics #4: HP totals: Your final HP total is too low. It should be 49 rather than 47. (6 @ 1st level + (3.5 x 7 = 24.5) Rogue 2-8 + (4.5 x 2 = 9) Shadowdancer 1-2 + 10 Con = 49.5 (rounded down to 49)). • Mechanics #5: Jump modifier: Your Jump modifier is too low. You actually gain a +4 bonus b/c of your higher than normal speed. • Mechanics #6: Two Weapon Fighting: You don’t get a second attack with your off-hand from the Two Weapon Fighting. Instead, it just lowers the penalties associated with making the first extra attack. You need Improved Two Weapon Fighting to get the second attack with your off-hand. • Rules Use #1: Mundane Gear: I really like to see a more expansive mundane gear list than what you provided. Yes, I know magic items make the world go round, but never underestimate the power of a few simple mundane items. In your case, I’d start with some clothes (they’re free at character creation you know). I mean, I know you’re stealthy and all, but stark naked… Clarity: • Red ink. Again, this entry felt rushed. • You cited the source for the “Shadow Creature” template, but you probably should’ve listed the Template near the top of your entry by Farren’s classes. Thematic Creativity: • Excellent Hero of Horror. You did an excellent job convincing me that Ferryn is trying to survive in a maddening world. Well done. • You lost points for one reason: despite being an excellent Hero of Horror, you wrote Ferryn as not playing well with a group. Granted, it’s b/c he is severely paranoid, but as written, that paranoia would make him unable to function in a group. To make this character a PC, you would need to tone down the paranoia just enough that he could work well with others. Background: • This story appealed to me quite a bit. Very well done! • Excellent allies & enemies. All of them are well defined for DM (ab)use. • This character’s background and stats go hand-in-hand very, very well. You did an excellent job of convincing me of everything on Ferryn’s character sheet. • I do have one point of contention with your background. Killing off a character named “Jaysin” could be misconstrued as a stab at a certain judge… Rules Use/Mechanics: • First off, I disagree with your assessment that this character isn’t well optimized. I think this character is practical, and well built. But on to the errors… • Mechanics #1: Abberant Feats: I sincerely love Abberant feats, but they come with a penalty. They impose a -1 cumulative penalty on Diplomacy, Gather Info, Disguise, Handle Animal and wild empathy checks (LoM p. 178), which was not taken into account in your stat-block. • Rules Use #1: Animal Companion: Yet again, your paranoia has damaged your score. Seeing as the Animal Companion class feature is frequently described as “loyal,” and even gains an ability called “Devotion,” it stands to reason that of everything Ferryn has to be paranoid about, an animal companion wouldn’t be one of them. Honestly, considering your paranoia, I’d desperately want an extra set of eyes and ears to help ward off danger. Don’t handicap yourself unnecessarily. • Mechanics #2: Allies: I don’t think I’ve ever knocked off points for an inaccurate NPC before. Sarmanthus can’t possibly qualify for the Loremaster PrC at Wizard 5. Seeing as that is my all time favorite PrC, I can tell you he is most likely a Wizard 7/Loremaster 1. Clarity: • Minor Red Ink. • Cite your Sources: Even if I love Lords of Madness, people new to the game might not know where to find those cool Abberant Feats you listed. • Good, but kind of lengthy, stat breakdown. Thematic Creativity: • Dinosaurs, Barbarians, Giants, and a city disturbingly similar to Ptolus. This was an odd combination, to say the least. • Your character is definitely hero, not villain, material. • Honestly, I’m up in the air about this one. Played one way, this setting would be a fantastic horror game. Played another way, it would be slap-stick comedy. I don’t think you really picked a genre. Background: • From a purely background standpoint, you have a very interesting setting and story. Literally, Gygax would be proud. You could fill a $90 tome with adventure information. • Excellent allies. Excellent enemies. Excellent plot twist. (Never trust a man calling himself “Pemp.”) • Honestly, the only real issue is that you have thrown Namme into an impossible situation. All of your villains are Epic level encounters. If this were actually a Gygax-esque Ptolus campaign, that might not be too bad, but you’ve probably killed poor Namme off with these villains. Even escape isn’t a likely option. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Mechanics #1: Charisma Score: Your Charisma score should be 20. You have a base of 16, and you have a +4 cloak. Since the cloak and the Ioun Stone both provide an “Enhancement” bonus to your Charisma, you only get to use the higher bonus. Sell the stone and buy something else, such as a Circlet of Persuasion. Note, this has a drastic effect on a lot of your skills and spells. • Mechanics #2: Mithral Breastplate: The masterwork component of armor and Mithral do not stack. Think of Mithral as a sort of “super-masterwork” that overrides the previous bonuses. Because of that, you still have a -1 Armor Check penalty, which affects your movement skills. Also, Mithral costs absorb the “masterwork” cost, which means you paid 150gp too much for your armor. • Mechanics #3: According to Complete Adventurer p.126, a masterwork Lute makes you level 8 for purposes of determining the effects of your Bardic Music, but not for determining how many uses/day you have. • Mechanics #4: Since when did Bluff provide a synergy bonus on Spellcraft checks? Clarity: • Minor Red Ink. • When using special instrument rules, like the masterwork lute, it would be helpful to provide page numbers. • Good level breakdown, but your abilities section was sloppy. Thematic Creativity: • How very Lovecraftian of you… nice touch. • This character was not a villain, but still overall, the professor struck me as a creepy NPC contact in a horror game, not really a PC. Background: • The heavy Lovecraftian overtones helped and hurt you. • On one hand, you’ve pulled off the dark scholar angle very well, which is one of my favorite concepts. • On the other hand, sometimes Lovecraft is so historical that the fear factor is lost. “Look at all of my creepy books!!” (I was incredibly disappointed when Call of Cthulu was nothing more than a collection of newspaper clippings.) Rules Use/Mechanics: • I think I’m going to start handing out a “Most Headache Inducing to Judge” award. You managed to use an almost insane amount of material, and I’ll give you credit, it checks out pretty well. • Mechanics #1: Spells/day: Your spells/day totals seem off. I can’t tell if you forgot to account for bonus spells for a high Charisma score or your bonus illusion spells from Nightmare Spinner, but one or the other is unaccounted for in your totals. • Rules Use #1: Tatooed Spellbook: While I really like the alternate spellbook rules in Complete Arcane, what use does a Sorceror have for a Spellbook? • Rules Use #2: Counter Productive Multiclassing: Yes, this character is very powerful, but you should always be careful to make certain that your abilities aren’t canceling one another out. Nightmare Spinner and Dread Witch both focus on fear, but they can hinder one another. A Dread Witch becomes more powerful while afraid through the Absorb Fear ability. However, a Nightmare Spinner is immune to fear. Thus, unless you’re fighting another Dread Witch, you lose some of your most potent abilities. Clarity: • No Red Ink. • Cited Some Sources. Honestly, with this entry, you use a headache inducing amount of material. It makes sense that you’d miss some of your extra material, such as your non-core spells and feats. • Overall, this character uses a lot of material from multiple sources well, but I think you drew on so many sources that some of it got away from you. Simple builds can be just as powerful, and much easier to handle. Thematic Creativity: • So I read, “Come with me if you want to live,” and I misinterpreted it. I braced myself for a rip-off of a recent Samuel L. Jackson movie. I’m probably going to shoot myself if I here one more “Snakes on this plane… of existence” joke. • Needless to say, I was much happier when I saw that it was a terminator rip-off. Construct/Mechanus inspired horror was a refreshing break from Cthulu and Dracula. • You really did an excellent job portraying the frantic nature of a horror campaign. Good job! Background: • The main thing I liked about your background was that you left it open to two interpretations of who the true villain will turn out to be: Arnegger and Oathbreaker. Either plot hook is very usable by a DM. • I have a problem with Arnegger as your Antagonist. Solo, he is more than your match. The lack of Sneak Attack as an option really hurts you, and you’re doomed if he successfully closes. However, at CR 12, if you join a party, he will be lucky to expend ¼ your party’s resources before falling. For you, excellent villain, but for a campaign, he’d likely falter against a group. • Speaking of groups, the panicked tendency to flee automatically at the sight of Arnegger could potentially prove lethal to group members who aren’t aware of your foe. That can drag a campaign to a halt. Rules Use: • You frequently refer to Oathbreaker as using Telepathy, but he doesn’t have that ability. Oathbreaker’s stats would have to be higher, and he would cost much more. As it stands, Oathbreaker is only capable of speech. • You’ve added your Touch AC up incorrectly. • Rules Use: I’ve never liked using Sorceror levels w/ Arcane Trickster. While I think it works better thematically, you lose to many skill points. For example, you have an excellent Disable Device (+15), but with such a low search (+5), you’ll likely never make much use of the Disable Device skill. Intelligence based casters, such as Wizards, have an easier time meeting the demands of the Arcane Trickster PrC role. Clarity: • Very minor red ink. • All core material, so no need to cite sources. (Btw, this entry is a strong argument for not being too splat-book heavy. Nice work!) • Miraculously, your table copied over w/o too much error, which means everything was pretty strait forward. Thematic Creativity: • An average, but solid entry. I can see your character being haunted by Elia in the future. Background: • There is plenty of material to work with here, but I feel as if the entry was lacking in crucial details that could’ve made it much stronger. • Who’s Tyrus’ main enemy now that the mind flayer has been destroyed? Are there any rumors that Tyrus is following up on at this time? A few extra details would give the DM so much more to work with. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Mechanics #1: Imp. Favored Enemy: Your bonus to damage from this feat stacks with your bonus to damage from the class ability, leaving a total of +5 to damage vs. aberrations. • Mechanics #2: HP total: If, as your level-by-level indicates, you started with Ranger before progressing to Paladin & GG, then you have 78.5 HP, which rounds down to 78. • Rules Use #1: Amulet of Undetectable Alignment: Not a bad item, but there’s a much more effective item in the DMG. A Ring of Mindshielding protects you from detect thoughts, discern lies, and magical attempts to determine your alignment, all for only 2,000gp more than the cost of your amulet. • Rules Use #2: Primary Weapon: You have a very solid BAB, but I feel as if you stand to do too little damage in combat. Remember, with Two-Weapon Fighting, the bonus for light weapons only applies to your off hand. Pick up something heavier for your primary weapon. You won’t have a penalty to hit, but the extra damage may save your life. Clarity: • Red Ink. • Cite your Sources: Grey Guard, Imp. Favored Enemy, Extra Smiting • Your level-by-level was a little confusing. You may try something to the effect of: (1: Rgr. 1: Imp. Init, Iron Will [human bonus], Track [Rgr], Wild Empathy.) It’s more concise, easier to follow, and neater to look at. A guide for how you purchased your skills would’ve been nice as well. Thematic Creativity: • This was not a complete entry, from the stand point of a story or from the stat block, so I had a very hard time judging it. It’s like you got off to a really great start, and then stopped too soon. • Scholar of Dark Lore, trying to learn the secrets of evil. Cool concept. I really like bookish characters… so what did you learn? What sort of evil are you fighting? Who are you keeping the dangerous knowledge from? Background: • Keeping with my previous comments, you started well but stopped too soon. • Have you made any allies? Enemies? Do you have a romantic interest? Where do you call home? • You have a mysterious organization and a hastily left temple. Beyond that, I don’t have enough details to do much with this character. Rules Use/Mechanics: • You don’t have a complete Stat Block. BAB. Saves. Attack & Damage. Spells/day. Spell save DC’s. You really just left too much out. • Mechanics #1: Adding Spells to your Prayer Book: As I noted in one of my early posts, I treat prayer books just like spell books, in that you must pay to add new spells (PHB 179). I can’t tell you took those costs into account. If the rules seem too confusing, let me know and I’ll try to clarify them for you. • On the few stats you provided, you seem to be very on target. However, you just didn’t complete the Stat Block, and that really hurt you. Clarity: • No red ink issues. • Cited some sources, but forgot to mention Bo9S. • There are just too many mysteries left over from not completing this character. Don’t rush your entries. Take your time and double check them. Thematic Creativity: • I really liked the “Experience life before entering Undeath” twist to Winter’s philosophy. It’s a comforting sort of insanity. • My main problem with Winter, like many other contestants, was that she was clearly more of a “villain” than a “hero.” She may pass herself off as a “hero” to the common folk, but her attitude towards the life of others makes her a poor fit in an adventuring party. Background: • Very usable background. You pull off the undead-tale very well. Area of expertise, perhaps? • You have a lot of usable allies and enemies. • Good death scene. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Your description doesn’t mesh well with your item list. You have a “Wickedly designed Battleaxe,” but you don’t list it in your items. You wear expensive clothing, but it isn’t accounted for anywhere. In fact, you haven’t accounted for a single piece of mundane adventuring gear. Yeah, you probably have the money, but then again, I can’t be sure. For example, is your battle axe enchanted, or simply masterwork? Is it made from special materials? This affects the price and, consequently, how many nice outfits you can own. • Overall, you’ve made sub-optimal use of the Dread Necromancer class. You get a free martial weapon proficiency, but you waste it on a weapon that you admit you barely use. It’s a much more practical investment to be proficient with something you can actually make use of in combat. And if you must go for effect, go for a Scythe. Seriously, though, carry a weapon you can get some use out of. • Also, your skill selection is mediocre. No knowledge (arcane), knowledge (religion), or spellcraft? From a build perspective alone, you stand to have a lot of trouble. However, from your background, I really have a hard time imaging that someone grew up around two powerful arcanists and has faced off repeatedly with the church of Pelor, without picking up any of those three skills. Clarity: • Red Ink. • Average job citing sources: You forgot several of your MIC and Heroes of Horror references. • Your stat block was neat, but your background was sloppy and disorganized. Thematic Creativity: • Very solid entry. Escape from Torture. Thirst for Revenge. Very “Hero” of Horror. Background: • You adventure alongside someone with no class levels?!?! You are one Area of Effect away from never seeing your sister again. Take leadership and give that poor girl some class levels. • Your background is very usable, but lacks some detail. In particular, you could use a strong antagonist. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Your mechanics were very solid, but you left too much out… way too much. • Care to list your race? Your alignment? Your prohibited schools of magic? Your Touch and Flat Footed AC? The list of spells actually recorded in your spellbook? • Also, you apparently aren’t wearing any clothes… Clarity: • Red Ink. • Thank you for citing sources. • Very neat stat block, but sort of messy background. • Again, you left out way too much in your stat block.
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-27-07, 12:09 AM	And now... And as a bonus feature of Hero Craftsman #12... ...Mind Flayers will devour the brains of all contestants who do not earn medals!!! ...supper!!! :coolcthul Huh? What's that? The Hero Craftsman Judge Code of Conduct, Revised Edition? Article 1 (a): A judge shall... 3 (c): ...maintain a fair and impartial attitude... 4 (b): ...provide scores and feedback in a timely manner... 6 (e: ii): ...under no circumstances is a judge allowed to bring any sort of physical harm to a contestant, and in particular all judges are prohibited from "devouring" a contestant's brain... WHAT?!?! Who changed to Code of Conduct without telling me? :mad: Wait a minute. This may not be in effect... ...All articles of this Code of Conduct take effect immediately once Hero Craftsman #12 has been posted. :eek: You're safe for now... :schemes:
Talisman 11-27-07, 12:13 AM	• I do have one point of contention with your background. Killing off a character named “Jaysin” could be misconstrued as a stab at a certain judge… Ark ark ark...but, seriously, I didn't even notice this at the time. I was spinning out NPC names, and "Jaysin" sounded right. :P Thanks for the critique! :embarrass ...And I'm considered the rules-master of my group!
CheeseMan 11-27-07, 02:24 AM	re-comments • Dinosaurs, Barbarians, Giants, and a city disturbingly similar to Ptolus. This was an odd combination, to say the least. • Your character is definitely hero, not villain, material. • Honestly, I’m up in the air about this one. Played one way, this setting would be a fantastic horror game. Played another way, it would be slap-stick comedy. I don’t think you really picked a genre. yea i was trying to go for 'desperate fight for survival' kind of scary • From a purely background standpoint, you have a very interesting setting and story. Literally, Gygax would be proud. You could fill a $90 tome with adventure information. • Excellent allies. Excellent enemies. Excellent plot twist. (Never trust a man calling himself “Pemp.”) • Honestly, the only real issue is that you have thrown Namme into an impossible situation. All of your villains are Epic level encounters. If this were actually a Gygax-esque Ptolus campaign, that might not be too bad, but you’ve probably killed poor Namme off with these villains. Even escape isn’t a likely option. i was attempting to create a situation where defeating the bad guy wasn't a viable option, only escape was, but considering its 'gygaxian' description, it would seem i made it a bit too hard...crap, i knew it was gonna happen • Mechanics #1: Charisma Score: Your Charisma score should be 20. You have a base of 16, and you have a +4 cloak. Since the cloak and the Ioun Stone both provide an “Enhancement” bonus to your Charisma, you only get to use the higher bonus. Sell the stone and buy something else, such as a Circlet of Persuasion. Note, this has a drastic effect on a lot of your skills and spells. this is what happens when i don't figure out all my magic items at once :mad: • Mechanics #2: Mithral Breastplate: The masterwork component of armor and Mithral do not stack. Think of Mithral as a sort of “super-masterwork” that overrides the previous bonuses. Because of that, you still have a -1 Armor Check penalty, which affects your movement skills. Also, Mithral costs absorb the “masterwork” cost, which means you paid 150gp too much for your armor. not even gonna touch that one • Mechanics #3: According to Complete Adventurer p.126, a masterwork Lute makes you level 8 for purposes of determining the effects of your Bardic Music, but not for determining how many uses/day you have. • Mechanics #4: Since when did Bluff provide a synergy bonus on Spellcraft checks? brain farts, didnt even realize i'd made these mistakes, and in hindsight i dont know how i could have • Minor Red Ink. • When using special instrument rules, like the masterwork lute, it would be helpful to provide page numbers. • Good level breakdown, but your abilities section was sloppy. red ink's not surprising for me, and i'd lump page numbers with that (i thought i'd included them). you should've found the formatting familiar, i 'borrowed' it almost exactly from HC 11's clarity winner...i wonder who that could've been... congrats to all the other contestants on a job well done
Avalon? 11-27-07, 07:30 AM	Thematic Creativity: • How very Lovecraftian of you… nice touch. • This character was not a villain, but still overall, the professor struck me as a creepy NPC contact in a horror game, not really a PC. Background: • The heavy Lovecraftian overtones helped and hurt you. • On one hand, you’ve pulled off the dark scholar angle very well, which is one of my favorite concepts. • On the other hand, sometimes Lovecraft is so historical that the fear factor is lost. “Look at all of my creepy books!!” (I was incredibly disappointed when Call of Cthulu was nothing more than a collection of newspaper clippings.) Rules Use/Mechanics: • I think I’m going to start handing out a “Most Headache Inducing to Judge” award. You managed to use an almost insane amount of material, and I’ll give you credit, it checks out pretty well. • Mechanics #1: Spells/day: Your spells/day totals seem off. I can’t tell if you forgot to account for bonus spells for a high Charisma score or your bonus illusion spells from Nightmare Spinner, but one or the other is unaccounted for in your totals. • Rules Use #1: Tatooed Spellbook: While I really like the alternate spellbook rules in Complete Arcane, what use does a Sorceror have for a Spellbook? • Rules Use #2: Counter Productive Multiclassing: Yes, this character is very powerful, but you should always be careful to make certain that your abilities aren’t canceling one another out. Nightmare Spinner and Dread Witch both focus on fear, but they can hinder one another. A Dread Witch becomes more powerful while afraid through the Absorb Fear ability. However, a Nightmare Spinner is immune to fear. Thus, unless you’re fighting another Dread Witch, you lose some of your most potent abilities. Clarity: • No Red Ink. • Cited Some Sources. Honestly, with this entry, you use a headache inducing amount of material. It makes sense that you’d miss some of your extra material, such as your non-core spells and feats. • Overall, this character uses a lot of material from multiple sources well, but I think you drew on so many sources that some of it got away from you. Simple builds can be just as powerful, and much easier to handle. Thanks for the compliments Jason! As for your question about the alternate spellbook, the Corrupt Arcana feat allows me to prepare corrupts spells as long as I have access to a scroll or spellbook containing them.
Cartigan 11-27-07, 08:46 AM	• Have you made any allies? Enemies? Do you have a romantic interest? Where do you call home? My problem with this is that being forced to include it seems contrived so I pretty much left it out on purpose. I didn't realize I left out all the technical stuff until it was too late. And I left a good deal of platinum over for general expenses, which could technically cover spell prices. EDIT: Scratch that. It doesn't cost me anything - Boccob's Blessed Book eschews the prices of copying spells into it, that's why I took it.
wrecan 11-27-07, 09:14 AM	Thanks for the kind words, Jason. I don't disagree with most of your comments and am honored to have done as well as I did against such strong competition. I only have a few comments... I have a problem with Arnegger as your Antagonist. Solo, he is more than your match. The lack of Sneak Attack as an option really hurts you, and you’re doomed if he successfully closes. However, at CR 12, if you join a party, he will be lucky to expend ¼ your party’s resources before falling. For you, excellent villain, but for a campaign, he’d likely falter against a group. I meant to explain that Arnegger is not like the Terminator in one way: Inevitables are pretty darn smart. Arnegger would not attack the party at full strength, but would bide his time and wait for the moment to strike. I guess I sacrificed that in my prose. Speaking of groups, the panicked tendency to flee automatically at the sight of Arnegger could potentially prove lethal to group members who aren’t aware of your foe. That can drag a campaign to a halt. That's true, but what's a hero of horror without a phobia? Besides, it's not like she's afraid of the dark or closed spaces. It's just an unreasoning fear of one character. You frequently refer to Oathbreaker as using Telepathy, but he doesn’t have that ability. Yes, it does. As the DMG says, an intelligent items with 14/14/10 mental abilities (or better) "can communicate telepathically with the wielder," even though it doesn't have the ability to communicate telepathically with third parties. See footnote 2 in this table (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm#languagesSpokenByIt em). You’ve added your Touch AC up incorrectly. Crud. That was supposed to be 16! Rules Use: I’ve never liked using Sorceror levels w/ Arcane Trickster. While I think it works better thematically, you lose to many skill points. For example, you have an excellent Disable Device (+15), but with such a low search (+5), you’ll likely never make much use of the Disable Device skill. Good point. I did say she was not an optimized character. It's one of the things I liked about her. but her search skill should be higher. this entry is a strong argument for not being too splat-book heavy. Nice work! Gracias and I completely agree with you about keepign things splat-book light. Although I have a lot of supplements, I find that the Core materials can cover 99% of character concepts without too much trouble. I think too many people feel the need to use splat books because they invested the money in them.
Far_Traveler 11-27-07, 09:58 AM	Thematic Creativity: • I weep for the ultimate fate of this entry. I truly weep. There's a REASON that it's a DC25 will save to resist the song of dispair • This was honestly one of my favorite entries. This entry had a strong “creepy” factor to it. Thank you, Thank you • The problem: Donovon was clearly a villain, not a hero. Donovon (or a Donovon-esque character) may very well serve as a villain in one of my future games. Excellent villain!!! Sadly, this is a “hero” craftsman competition. I did have a bit of a problem trying to justify him as a hero Background: • Background was, of course, very solid. No complaints here. I am VERY proud of that backround. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Mechanics #1: Turning doesn’t allow a Saving Throw, which means that Turn Resistance is not a bonus to your saves. I figured that was the best place to put it, I know that it doesn't allow a save. Where else was I supposed to put it? • Mechanics #2: Identify has an expensive material component (a pearl) which is not accounted for in your inventory. D'oh! • Mistype? #1: Your Hide modifier is +2, but you left it at +1 for some indiscernible reason. All hail the typo! D'oh! • Jason’s Rant #1: Yes, I know it’s completely legal (and no points were deducted), but I really hate point buy sometimes, and your character is one reason why. When you rolled up your character, you didn’t have to invest any points in Constitution. Why? Because you knew that Con would be irrelevant after you took on your Template. Which means, in the end, you really just have more points to invest in your other scores. I just don’t like point buy when you deal with characters who have non-ability scores. It may seem small, but it just doesn’t feel balanced to me. I had considered putting points (2 or 4) in, but decided that it would harm me more then help Clarity: • No red ink. Woo! • Cited Sources. I was very careful about this • You need to list your Flat-Footed and Touch AC. D'oh! All in all, 4th place is something to be proud of, but if I had caught some of my mistakes, I could have a medal. Ah well. Time to add onto the Ego Pad, because I won on backround!
Zherog 11-27-07, 12:14 PM	Have you made any allies? Enemies? Do you have a romantic interest? Where do you call home? My problem with this is that being forced to include it seems contrived so I pretty much left it out on purpose. I'm the judge that really started the whole "who are your allies and enemies" thing. Others - such as Jason - have picked up on it as something to watch for when reading a background. So allow me a moment to chime in here and address your counter-point. Full disclosure: I haven't read your background. Everybody has allies and enemies; everybody has a place to call home. Romantic interest? Sure, that might not apply, but Jason isn't saying you have to have a romantic interest. He's saying your character is supposed to be a living, breathing person, and his background should reflect that. Allies and adversaries help your DM make the game more fun for you, because he/she can tailor certain encounters directly for you. An ally can conveniently be placed in town when you need a place to rest, or need help acquiring something. An enemy - even a comical foil - provides your DM with something to have the group do that directly effects you. He can take that NPC and work with it and create a scenario or an adventure designed with your background in mind. You grew up somewhere - even if it was on the streets or in the sewers or out in the woods raised by wolves. Did you have any friends going up? Was there a bully in your neighborhood? Do you have any family alive? (and a quick note there: if one of my players tells me he/she has no family, I consider it a personal mission to prove them wrong. Either somebody they thought was dead isn't, or they have an illegitimate half-sibling, or a parent has become undead. Something. "I'm an orphan with no family ties" is a cop-out in my opinion. /end side rant) You likely learned at least some of your skills from another person. Where did you learn to cast spells? How did you learn about Boccob? How did you learn all the languages you speak? You learned this sort of stuff from somebody. Is that person still somebody you could rely upon? If so, you have an ally; if not, you have an enemy. Why can't you rely upon that person? That sort of stuff is good story, and gives your DM material to help center at least part of the game on your character. In the end, that's the whole point of a character background - it gives your DM material. (as another side note: you seem to have too many languages, unless Crusader of Boccob has an ability that grants another language. being human gives you Common; your 16 Int at character creation gives you 3 more, for a total of 4. You have five.)
Cartigan 11-27-07, 01:59 PM	Allies and adversaries help your DM make the game more fun for you, because he/she can tailor certain encounters directly for you. An ally can conveniently be placed in town when you need a place to rest, or need help acquiring something. An enemy - even a comical foil - provides your DM with something to have the group do that directly effects you. He can take that NPC and work with it and create a scenario or an adventure designed with your background in mind. Loners don't have allies. Who is allied with the wandering bard? Where is his home? What about allies of the cloistered scholar? And why must there be a specific character foil? That is the most contrived part of it. A person can crusade for or against an ideal. Even the Cleric doesn't have to worship a god in order to gain his god given powers. Why would every individual person you come across have a named enemy of even remote importance? You grew up somewhere - even if it was on the streets or in the sewers or out in the woods raised by wolves. Did you have any friends going up? Was there a bully in your neighborhood? Do you have any family alive? (and a quick note there: if one of my players tells me he/she has no family, I consider it a personal mission to prove them wrong. Either somebody they thought was dead isn't, or they have an illegitimate half-sibling, or a parent has become undead. Something. "I'm an orphan with no family ties" is a cop-out in my opinion. /end side rant) Again, contrived. You seem to want everyone to be a creative writer. What is the importance of where you grew up? Unless the details, which is what you want, are of relevance to the current situation and the character's current actions and motives, why must they be developed beyond "I had a bad childhood and have not been in contact with my family for years?" If you, yourself, want to judge some one's creative writing ability, that should be your own score and category. I don't think the whole contest, or even the back story section, should revolve around whether or not each person is able to author a short story based around their character who has a Dickensesque back story. You likely learned at least some of your skills from another person. Where did you learn to cast spells? How did you learn about Boccob? How did you learn all the languages you speak? You learned this sort of stuff from somebody. The specific person you learned what languages you speak from is the quintessential unimportant detail. Is that person still somebody you could rely upon? If so, you have an ally; if not, you have an enemy. Absurd. What is this? A golden age comic? Where every character must be classified in black and white? Why would a character you no longer rely on devolve into an enemy? That sort of stuff is good story, This sort of stuff, quite frankly, is crap. It is the kind of things that literature majors sit around and make up. Everyone is not a literature major and does not find it fun, or worthwhile. and gives your DM material to help center at least part of the game on your character. If your DM is relying on your absurdly intricate back story so that he can have a game, he is a bad DM indeed. That isn't to say that taking advantage of a back story if it exists is bad, but relying on it to exist for further gaming content is bad. (as another side note: you seem to have too many languages, unless Crusader of Boccob has an ability that grants another language. being human gives you Common; your 16 Int at character creation gives you 3 more, for a total of 4. You have five.) I've been known to not be able to add, or to incorrectly parse stuff. I only half-assed this contest. I may try to commit more to the next one, minus all this Dickensesque intricacy for the sake of Dickensesque intricacy. Details for the sake of details do not add anything. If in my next entry I feel that fleshing out my childhood tutor is relevant to my character, I will do it. If not, I won't.
wrecan 11-27-07, 02:35 PM	You seem to want everyone to be a creative writer. Yes. That's where the "craft" part of "Hero Craftsman" comes in. The want you to write creatively. What is the importance of where you grew up? Unless the details, which is what you want, are of relevance to the current situation and the character's current actions and motives, why must they be developed beyond "I had a bad childhood and have not been in contact with my family for years?" Because there is no "current situation." You are submitting a character as if for a new campaign. The DM is to incorporate the background to the campaign world. The judges seek creative and evocative backgrounds that are well-written and can lead the DM to story concepts that allow you to further develop your character. If you, yourself, want to judge some one's creative writing ability, that should be your own score and category. I don't know what you mean. The rules on the very first post clearly state: Background Content measures how well-written the background of the entry is, and how creative it is. Including plot points, events that shaped your character, and so on, will earn you high points here. You should have known when you submitted the entry that failing to include "events that shaped your character" aren't going to serve you well. And the Hints section makes it even more clear: Backgrounds are very important in this competition, worth at least 10 points. While your entry's background doesn't have to be literary genius, you are advised to cover at least the basic stuff, like parents, friends, homeland, motivation, behavior, and at least one plot point that a DM can latch onto, among others. In this case, covering most or all of the aspects of a character is more advisable than simply focusing on one or two aspects in great detail. I don't think the whole contest, or even the back story section, should revolve around whether or not each person is able to author a short story based around their character who has a Dickensesque back story. I resent that. My character's background is clearly James Cameron-esque! :D Seriously, you seem to have misunderstood the criteria of the competition. Backstory, including one's origins are very important to the competition. Everyone is not a literature major and does not find it fun, or worthwhile. Not everyone should enter every contest. (Not that I agree that such stuff is "crap" or only for literature majors.) Details for the sake of details do not add anything. If in my next entry I feel that fleshing out my childhood tutor is relevant to my character, I will do it. If not, I won't. I don't understand the point of entering a contest while purposely ignoring the rules of that contest. But if that's what fun for you, go for it! Just don't be surprised if you do not score well.
Zherog 11-27-07, 02:37 PM	:uh-huh: You're totally missing the point, Cartigan... Loners don't have allies. Why not? However, note that true loners don't make very good PCs, because the PC is part of a group. Who is allied with the wandering bard? Spending all of 10 seconds thinking about it... The town where he performed last week before moving on The king (or prince or mayor or whoever) who has heard him perform in the past and keeps an eye on his progress The beggar he gave a hot meal to while passing through a town The young musician who has heard tales of his exploits and desires to live the same life What about allies of the cloistered scholar? Again, less than 10 seconds of thought: Members of a previous adventuring party, before he secluded himself from the world The dead spirit of his mentor, who whispers to him - granting him knowledge, but also driving him slowly mad A cleric of the God of Knowledge, who seeks out the scholar once a year so he may learn a little from him Of course, a cloistered scholar doesn't make a very good PC. That whole cloistered thing sort of precludes adventuring with a party. ;) A person can crusade for or against an ideal. indeed. No one has ever said every enemy has to be a named NPC. A character who seeks to eradicate slavery from the world likely has every slave trader as an enemy. More specifically, the slave market he hit last month - where he caused thousands of gold pieces worth of lost profit - now seeks to gain revenge, even though the character himself doesn't know it. Again, contrived. You seem to want everyone to be a creative writer. Nope, again you're missing the point. What is the importance of where you grew up? Unless the details, which is what you want, are of relevance to the current situation and the character's current actions and motives, why must they be developed beyond "I had a bad childhood and have not been in contact with my family for years?" You seem to be taking the examples I gave and deciding that those exact elements should be deeply interwoven into a dark and intricate background. And that's not what I said. A character's background is a tool for both the player and the DM. For the player, it helps define who the character is; it provides insights into the character's personality, which should aid roleplaying. Let's go with the dude who wants to end slavery. Working out that detail, you - the player - get a good idea how the character will react when he encounters a slave trader, or what he might do when he comes to a town that openly allows slaves, or even how he might react when encountering a former slave who has escaped and is being hunted by his former master. The DM, on the other hand, gets something different from your background. She gets plot hooks to use during the game, either as little side points to spice up a roleplaying encounter, or as major points to drive a major plot line for the entire campaign. Again, let's stick with the slavery guy. Your DM knows, from reading your background, that you have a hatred of slave traders. She desires to get your group to go to Town X, because it's there that you'll learn of the dastardly plot of the mayor to kidnap young children and sell them into slavery. She could just have you wander into town; that works just fine. However, she could also give you a bit of emotional investment to go to that town. Instead of having you just wander into town one day, she decides that you'll meet a woman on the road who tells you a tale about how her children and husband were kidnapped while in the town and sold into slavery; she'll tell you that nobody in the town was willing to help her, and they all turned a cold shoulder to her. She's desperate to get her children back safe, and needs help. In both cases, the same thing happened - you got to Town X, learned the mayor was an evil bastard who kidnaps people and sells them to slavers, and you solved the problem. By relying on your background, though, the DM was able to give you a little bit of emotional investment in that plot line.
Talisman 11-27-07, 02:50 PM	Cartigan, I disagree with you, but that's not the point here. This is a contest. Contests have rules and requirements. One of the suggested requirements for this one was a backstory including NPC contacts, allies, enemies, etc. Backgrounds are very important in this competition, worth at least 10 points. While your entry's background doesn't have to be literary genius, you are advised to cover at least the basic stuff, like parents, friends, homeland, motivation, behavior, and at least one plot point that a DM can latch onto, among others. In this case, covering most or all of the aspects of a character is more advisable than simply focusing on one or two aspects in great detail. If you don't like that, that's fine. Just be aware that the judges of this contest do like it. Its part of the contest.
Cartigan 11-27-07, 02:50 PM	Why not? However, note that true loners don't make very good PCs, because the PC is part of a group. A wandering bard can easily join a group for as long as it is convenient for him and work with the group and then go on again. The Incredible Hulk phenomena (the tv show). Spending all of 10 seconds thinking about it... The town where he performed last week before moving on The king (or prince or mayor or whoever) who has heard him perform in the past and keeps an eye on his progress The beggar he gave a hot meal to while passing through a town The young musician who has heard tales of his exploits and desires to live the same life Why are these relevant? Except maybe the royalty. Again, less than 10 seconds of thought: Members of a previous adventuring party, before he secluded himself from the world The dead spirit of his mentor, who whispers to him - granting him knowledge, but also driving him slowly mad A cleric of the God of Knowledge, who seeks out the scholar once a year so he may learn a little from him The second and third are character relevant. Which I made a point about in my last statement of my last reply. The previous adventuring party may be relevant, if he really made personal connections with them. indeed. No one has ever said every enemy has to be a named NPC. A character who seeks to eradicate slavery from the world likely has every slave trader as an enemy. More specifically, the slave market he hit last month - where he caused thousands of gold pieces worth of lost profit - now seeks to gain revenge, even though the character himself doesn't know it. That is a rather specific enemy. And character relevant. What about just fighting evil? There is no specific goal or enemy except to do good. People doing evil are dealt with as they come up but there is no active campaign against and ongoing certain people or groups. You seem to be taking the examples I gave and deciding that those exact elements should be deeply interwoven into a dark and intricate background. And that's not what I said. It is what you have seemed to have implied. A character's background is a tool for both the player and the DM. For the player, it helps define who the character is; A character can be defined without the kind of details you appear to want. I skipped the rest because it was already addressed. I will say it again - details for the sake of details do not add anything. They are rather frivolous and make the character feel more fake than the real person you want to assert it does. When I see a list of enemies and allies, just for the sake of listing them, I just think sitcom. If something is relevant to your current character and development, it should be weaved in seamlessly with the story. If you, as the author, feel that it doesn't, it should be left alone. Including the "who are your allies and enemies." A more generalist character background more easily leaves room for on the fly development. To Talisman: I know. I still feel it is wholly and entirely contrived and will only address what third-party characters I feel are specifically relevant. I felt none of that was relevant for my character, so I left it alone. I included motivation, purpose, and drive in my story, but left out specific characters which I felt no need for.
Zherog 11-27-07, 03:20 PM	When I see a list of enemies and allies, just for the sake of listing them, I just think sitcom. If something is relevant to your current character and development, it should be weaved in seamlessly with the story. If you, as the author, feel that it doesn't, it should be left alone. Including the "who are your allies and enemies." A more generalist character background more easily leaves room for on the fly development. I agree completely. I don't expect to see a list, even though a lot of people provide one as a sort of "synopsis" of their background. When I judge, what I expect to see are those sort of character defining people and events. Maybe your family defined who you were; maybe a previous mentor defined you as a person; maybe the fact that you seek out evil anywhere to bring it down defines you. And a gajillion other options, too. So you have a character whose life goal is to fight evil. Why does the character pursue evil so relentlessly, giving up life's comforts to fight the good fight? What sort of events happened early in his life that lead him down that path? Does he kill evil, or capture? Does he accept surrender, or does he mercilessly destroy whatever evil he encounters? Who, during his lifetime, has he hissed off? Is there an evil overlord rotting in prison somewhere? Is there a dead cleric of the God of Tyranny and Slaughter? Was there ever somebody he was hunting who got away? If you want to go with a big stereotype, is there a brother or cousin or best friend of somebody he hurt who seeks revenge? Who, during that time, has he helped? Is there a small farming town somewhere that he saved from slave traders? How is he viewed in that town? Is there a woman in the big city who he saved from a gang attack? Is there a church somewhere who gives him the tasks the paladins can't (or won't) do? You're right. Bulleted lists suck. They break the immersion that occurs when you're reading a good background. (and note - good does not necessarily equal "high literary content") They jar the reader out of the story and back into the real world. Intertwine those people into your background. Tell me the story of your character, and give me - the DM - something to work with when I plan my campaign. I want to immerse you in the story. I want my plots to revolve directly around the players. I want you, as a player, to become emotionally involved once or twice. All of those are easier for the DM when he/she knows your character's background, motivations, and goals. That's the point of including character defining moments.
CheeseMan 11-27-07, 04:06 PM	on a completely different subject, i'd never even heard of Ptolus until Jason's comment, but i just looked it up, and holy crap that's some eerie similarity wooh for gygax-level impossibility of survival! :evillaugh
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-27-07, 09:24 PM	I would like to resurrect two comments: 3. What's required in a background? Justify your Level: Convince the judges you're level 12. A character who heroically killed some kobolds last week wouldn't skim the surface of level 12, while a character who single-handedly defeated the Tarrasque and his 7 Balor overlords wouldn't be believable for a level 12 character. Skim the Monster Manual and look to see what sort of victories are appropriate to your level. Again, you don't have to spell everything out in detail. You can accomplish 12 levels of experience in a few sentences. "My adventures began when the horde of (relatively weak creatures) threatened my town. Later, I heroically saved my (generic important NPC) from a (roughly mid-level CR monster). Most recently, I barely survived a battle with (monster that would be appropriate to your level)." Generic Important NPC's (a.k.a.: Friends/Family): I hinted at their involvement above, but I should probably spell it out. No character is an island. Family. Friends. Old Military Buddies. Have a few such characters hanging around so that the DM has something to work with when he writes the game. Note: Killing off such characters in your background can make for nice writing, but don't kill them all off. For example, the Punisher watched his entire family killed, driving him into his profession. However, the Punisher still had friends who helped him, and that he stood up for. If the Punisher has generic important NPC's, so should you. Allies/Antagonists: These are critical elements of a good background. The ally is typically a slightly lower level character (possibly former adventuring companion) who provides a critical service for the character (i.e.: The fighter's mage friend who upgrades his magical sword). The line between Ally and Important Generic NPC can be a bit blurry (in the case of your old Military unit that provides supplies, for example), but the judges want to know what resources you call on for problems you can't handle. Antagonists are a big part of the background, and please take note everyone; one of the main things I will be watching in this competition. A good villain makes a story more interesting, and a good antagonist will make your character more interesting. Follow the rules of good horror writing in general. However, one thing I want to make very clear: make sure your antagonist is something that would actually give you a challenge. You're level 12. If you try to convince me that an unmodified minotaur is your greatest threat, I will laugh at you (and send out the mind flayers). Character Goals: This can be pretty simple, especially if you have a strong antagonist. However, make sure you explain why your character is still adventuring, rather than hanging up his sword & shield and retiring. Motivation, specific (kill the man who killed my father) or general (drive back the taint infecting my homeland), is a critical element of a character. I will add: make sure you use complete sentences. We had what was actually a fairly interesting background submitted in "crib note" form one time that was so hard to read that he got downgraded for it. Alright, first things first (most of you know what I'm about to say, but hey, it's tradition), I want everyone to understand that all comments/criticism should be taken as constructive, not degrading. As a judge, it is our job to nitpick, criticize, and otherwise point out every tiny error and inconsistency, and subsequently drag them to the surface for everyone to see. There will be quite a few slaps to the forehead, foolish errors, etc... to deal with. However, this is all done with the intent of helping you improve. Please do not take offense. We appreciate everyone who took the time to compete. No points were deducted from any entry for any reason not expressly spelled out in the early posts of this thread. Check the comments for other contestants and you will discover that many people lost points for the same reasons. Every entry was judged by the same standards. A background containing a certain amount of detail is one of those standards, and I think it is a good standard. I once ran a White Wolf Exalted where a guy rolled up a character, and didn't care an ounce about his background. I ended up giving him a background, and he still didn't bother to remember it. He couldn't figure out how to escape a BBEG when he had a list of allies and a well hidden manse, both resources recorded directly on his character sheet. A Background is a tool for the DM. It makes it easier to write plot hooks, stories, and adventures, not to mention placing painfully obvious clues when the party just gets confused. It really helps the game run smoother. You don't have to be a literary scholar to write a solid background: "Jason Hawk was raised in the village of Acitu by his parents Micheal and Bethany. He left the town at the age of 15 to join the military, but discovered very quickly that the military was corrupt and brutal. Low on cash, Jason had no way to return home, and was forced to accept a job as a bouncer at a local pub. He quickly learned to use his fists, wits, and his fascination with fire to maximum advantage. A few years later, Jason was arrested by the military (on false charges). In prison, he met Jarec, the warrior, Mara, the healer, and Rahzynn, the gambler. A rebel attack on the prison created chaos, and in the mayhem, Jason and his friends escaped, ultimately joining with the local rebel cell. It was during this time that Jason learned his fascination with fire was more than an obsession, but a magical trait. Jason had Sorceror's blood. The local military admiral, Na'ke-tu, discovered Jason's identity, and began to hunt him. During one of these confrontations, Jason left the admiral badly burned when he lost control of his powers. Na'ke-tu left the region, but not the vendetta. Na'ke-tu traveled to Acitu and butchered most of the town, including Jason's parents. With the help of a military defector, Andreus Martine, Jason managed to slip out of the region, along with his friends. They escaped to the the Desert Wastes, where Jason learned the truth about his home. His childhood sweetheart (who had been away during the attack), Jessica Lynn, found him and told him about his parents. Now, Jason is a major figure in the rebellion. An old friend of the family, Tcos'Bren, has trained Jason in the art of the Spellsword (though, to be honest, Jason is just as inclined to use his fists). Jason has led multiple raids, stolen critical information, and stopped more than a few ambushes. Through it all, his mastery of elemental fire has grown to (almost) legendary status. Now, newly married to Jessica, Jason has begun to train himself for a showdown, a showdown with the man who killed his parents: Admiral Na'ke-tu." You now have the Level 12 version of the background for my Screen name. Note: it fits easily into 5 paragraphs. I have allies, enemies, no family (but a teacher to replace them), a home (Desert Wastes), and a driving character goal (defeat the man who killed my parents). Not only that, but I even have another "vague" enemy that the DM can use: the corrupt military. This is by no means expansive. If you want expansive, I can show you the level 6 background for Jason's son Edmund Ross Hawk. (I turned it in as a Short Fiction in a college class and received the highest grade!!!) You don't have to kill yourself writing up a novel to enter the HC competitions. However, as a judge, it is my responsibility to do two things: 1) Judge everyone by the same standards. 2) Judge everyone by the standards set at the beginning of the competition. I believe that I was fair.
Zherog 11-27-07, 09:34 PM	My comments on your background, Jason, include: Red ink ;)
Talisman 11-27-07, 09:52 PM	Time for Ye Traditional Explanation of Various Goofs, Gaffes, and Blunders • You lost points for one reason: despite being an excellent Hero of Horror, you wrote Ferryn as not playing well with a group. Granted, it’s b/c he is severely paranoid, but as written, that paranoia would make him unable to function in a group. To make this character a PC, you would need to tone down the paranoia just enough that he could work well with others. Fair enough; in retrospect, I did overplay the "paranoid" bit. Reading Lovecraft'll do that to you. :hides: Rules Use/Mechanics: • First off, I disagree with your assessment that this character isn’t well optimized. I think this character is practical, and well built. Thank you! I never said he was useless; I just said he wasn't terribly optomized. What I meant was that he wasn't as poweful as I could have made him...I crafted his stats to fit a specific mental image, not to be super-efficient and powerful. I would have built him different had this been "Hero Craftsman #12: Teh Uber-1337. But on to the errors… • Mechanics #1: Abberant Feats: I sincerely love Abberant feats, but they come with a penalty. They impose a -1 cumulative penalty on Diplomacy, Gather Info, Disguise, Handle Animal and wild empathy checks (LoM p. 178), which was not taken into account in your stat-block. And this'll teach me to double-check all non-core rules I use. • Rules Use #1: Animal Companion: Yet again, your paranoia has damaged your score. Seeing as the Animal Companion class feature is frequently described as “loyal,” and even gains an ability called “Devotion,” it stands to reason that of everything Ferryn has to be paranoid about, an animal companion wouldn’t be one of them. Honestly, considering your paranoia, I’d desperately want an extra set of eyes and ears to help ward off danger. Don’t handicap yourself unnecessarily. I must respectfully disagree with you here. I am not one of those who considers a familiar/cohort/animal companion to be merely a class ability with hit points. An AC is an NPC of an unusual sort. You don't just suddenly acquire an AC when you hit 4th ranger level; you have to find and befriend an animal. Yes, having an AC would have been of mechanical benefit to Ferryn, but I stand by my statement that it did not fit his character. Ferryn is not the sort to go about befriending animals (witness his low Charisma, his low Handle Animal mod, his general paranoia). Had it been available, I would have swapped AC out for Distracting Shot from PHB2. • Mechanics #2: Allies: I don’t think I’ve ever knocked off points for an inaccurate NPC before. Sarmanthus can’t possibly qualify for the Loremaster PrC at Wizard 5. Seeing as that is my all time favorite PrC, I can tell you he is most likely a Wizard 7/Loremaster 1. :headsmack: 10 ranks, not 8 ranks. Poor Ferryn: sabotaged by one of the few people he trusted...:P Clarity: • Minor Red Ink. Drat; I'm usually an excellent speller. Any specific examples? • Good, but kind of lengthy, stat breakdown. :confused: I must plead ignorance here; a large point was made about "show your work" and "let us know where every modifier and every skill point came from." I thought I was doing exactly what was requested. What parts should I have left out or shortened?
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-27-07, 11:22 PM	...Boryc, whether slace or willing servant... I'm pretty sure most of your red ink was typo in nature, but it was still there. As for the lengthy stat block: I didn't need a full breakdown of your AC, especially since you gave me one w/ your AC in the stat block. Just add "(Uncanny Dodge)" to the end of your first AC entry, and the second breakdown is unnecessary. Also, I prefer one attack section that shows attacks and damage, all at once. For example, w/ Ferryn, I would be fine with something to this effect: Attacks Longsword: +14/+9, 1d8+4, 17-20/x2 Kukri: +14/+9, 1d4+4 (+2d6 vs. Aberrations), 18-20/x2 Longbow: +14/+9, I just realized you forgot your damage... Situational Modifiers: Two-Weapon Fighting, Sneak Attack +3d6, Favored Enemy (Animals +2, Aberrations +4)
JasonOrlandoHawk 11-27-07, 11:25 PM	My comments on your background, Jason, include: Red ink ;) Good job! You caught the secret exam I was giving the other people on this thread. Good catch! :tie: *I hope they fell for it...*
Talisman 11-27-07, 11:29 PM	No, no; I meant "slace." It's from the Auld Grummian...ah, nevermind :P Also, I prefer one attack section that shows attacks and damage, all at once. For example, w/ Ferryn, I would be fine with something to this effect: Attacks Longsword: +14/+9, 1d8+4, 17-20/x2 Kukri: +14/+9, 1d4+4 (+2d6 vs. Aberrations), 18-20/x2 Longbow: +14/+9, I just realized you forgot your damage... Situational Modifiers: Two-Weapon Fighting, Sneak Attack +3d6, Favored Enemy (Animals +2, Aberrations +4) Well, I disagree once more. I like my damage line separate; it's just easier for me to read. Not to say you're wrong, of course, but I do hope I didn't get dinged for this... 1) All entries must be submitted with a complete stat block of any format or length, (so long as the stat block is complete, including content like equipment, skills, special abilities etc.) accompanied by a character background also of any format or length. ...seeing as how Jennibert the Great said it was okay :cool:
jennibert 11-28-07, 12:46 AM	...seeing as how Jennibert the Great said it was okay :cool: Wow! I don't read the thread for a day and I get upgraded to "Great" status? Cool! So, Talisman, if you go into some previous competitions, you'll note that Jason has been known to ding me for exactly the same sorts of things. I tend to make my stat blocks too long--because I find it much easier to read. As for the discussion on backgrounds....I'll admit to a tendency to write Dickensian length backgrounds (in the dragon competition, judges threatened to kill kittens over the length of mine). However, I recognize that not every wants to do so. But, still, we want to know what your character did. Surely you didn't get to 12th level without fighting anything. You don't have to say everything, but some references would be good. Something like "I was a scholar but our temple was attacked by a blue dragon. We could have defeated it more easily if we had known more about it, but our library was inadequate, so I began to adventure to find out more about things we didn't know." Quick paragraph that gives a more concrete view on character aims, and also mentions at least one encounter that your character survived. And I agree with Jason and Zherog--names are good. Unless he's locked himself in a room for all of his 12 levels (and I'm not likely to believe he got to that level doing so), he's interacted with someone. When I'm DMing, I like to have my PCs interact with people they know from their background, and will use whatever is given to me. To date, I have not started making up connections for them,* but the PCs who gave me backgrounds and people tended to get a bit more spotlight time than those who did not, because I had something to work with. (The reverse is true in games I play--I tend to write more extensive backgrounds, and so got more spotlight time.) Finally, I will just say....you asked us what we expected and we told you. Jason's response (cited by him above) was posted in the FAQ two entire weeks before the competition ended. That is the sort of thing we expect in this competition, and we never said otherwise. *Well, except when the player asked me to. But don't think I wouldn't do it if I thought it would make the game go better!
Cartigan 11-28-07, 08:05 AM	That is why it feels contrived. Different people have different styles. It's like a generalist art contest but all the judges like modern 'art.'
wrecan 11-28-07, 08:54 AM	C'est la vie. You have to take the judges you get. This isn't an "official" contest, after all.
Zherog 11-28-07, 09:01 AM	That is why it feels contrived. Different people have different styles. It's like a generalist art contest but all the judges like modern 'art.' Why is it contrived to assume that a 12th level character has interacted positively or negatively with somebody at some point in their life?
Cartigan 11-28-07, 09:21 AM	Why is it contrived to assume that a 12th level character has interacted positively or negatively with somebody at some point in their life? It's contrived in that you are forced to develop that specifically whether or not you, as the creator of the character, believe it is relevant to the character and a necessary and relevant component of the story. Contrived: adj. obviously planned or forced; artificial; strained
Zherog 11-28-07, 09:45 AM	So... you can make a 12th level character who has never interacted with another person his/her/its entire life?
CheeseMan 11-28-07, 09:56 AM	it isn't contrived at all, because it is relevant to the character and is a relevant component of the story, regardless of who the character is or what their story is. every little action a character undertakes that involves someone outside their party will most likely result in an ally or enemy of some kind. just walking down the street and giving a begger a few copper gets you an ally, because when the town guards are chasing you under orders of a corrupt noble, that begger is someone who will help hide you, or aid you in a fight. all extraparty interactions are like that. allies and enemies dont have to be glaringly obvious for all to see, they more often than not are extremely subtle in their ally-ness (or enemy-ness), but they're still there. if your character is in a position where he's not accumulating those positive and negative links to other people, then he's certainly not adventuring, and your entire game session will be 'Elenar Darkwhear, my lvl 1 rogue (because there's no way his level will get higher), sits on the couch and twiddles his thumbs for 40 years' 'you fail your will save, Elenar dies from being boring'. so its not contrived at all to have allies and enemies be a required part of your character's background, because those are things that common sense tells us should naturally be there.
Cartigan 11-28-07, 10:17 AM	So... you can make a 12th level character who has never interacted with another person his/her/its entire life? Cheeseman makes the only argument I find acceptable, but I am ignoring it to respond to this. I can make a 12th level character who hasn't formed a lasting bond with any particular, specific NPC his/her entire life or to no one of any particular relevance. Which brings me to a reply for Cheeseman. Is the fact you gave some gold to that beggar, or that beggar's name, really important? There can be important figures you meet and there can be dismissible characters whose inclusion in the story is contrived. Assuming we are American here, how much do you know about George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? Heroes so to say, but do you know their allies and enemies? The beggar they gave a sandwhich to? Or better yet, Sherlock Holmes. Sure, his allies are Inspector Lestrade and Watson. His mortal enemy is Professor Moriarty. But what about the dozens of other enemies and allies he made? What are their names? We have the little street urchins that help him, but what are their names? They are just part of the story, not anyone specific. If Holmes didn't rely on the urchins, they wouldn't have been brought up at all. And often times they were nothing but a passing note in the story.
wrecan 11-28-07, 11:51 AM	I can make a 12th level character who hasn't formed a lasting bond with any particular, specific NPC his/her entire life or to no one of any particular relevance. And in this competition you would get penalized for it, and rightfully so, because the goal of the competition is not merely to make a character compliant with the rules but to make a character the DM can use to enrich his campaign world. A character who exists as an island, having amassed sufficient XP needed to get to a legendary level (and by legendary I mean someone who is a valid subject of a legend lore spell) may be feasible, playable and enjoyable, but it isn't helpful to the DM in his efforts to inculcate your character's background into his world. And in the end, that's what the contest designers designed the contest to facilitate. Is the fact you gave some gold to that beggar, or that beggar's name, really important? If the DM thinks it's important, then yes. Or better yet, Sherlock Holmes. Sure, his allies are Inspector Lestrade and Watson. His mortal enemy is Professor Moriarty. But what about the dozens of other enemies and allies he made? What are their names? Who cares what their names are. You're not required to give names. Look at the example in the FAQ. There are soem named NPCs and there are also unnamed categories of NPCs to serve as allies and enemies. In the contest I won, I had four named NPCs. Only two were directly relevant to his history. the others were examples of the sorts of NPCs that the character may have interacted with and who might be friendly and/or hostile. And then I included two groups of generic NPCs who might be tangential allies/enemies of the character. And by ally and enemy, I don't mean "would lay down his life" or "has made it their quest to destroy." I mean "met the guy a few times and might do him a favor" or "met the guy once and probably speaks ill of him behind his back." Would a DM use these NPCs? I don't know. Maybe not. The point is I put out the idea and the DM gets to decide whether to use the hook. When someone makes their character an island and does not mention what sorts of NPCs would even know this guy existed, you give the DM nothing to work with. You're not being a helpful player. You're not being a craftsman. often times they were nothing but a passing note in the story. But every so often, Doyle does incorporate the Baker Street Boys into the story. If that were a D&D character, and Holmes' player hadn't included it into the character submission, the DM (Doyle) would not have been able to include it and that would be a shame because they are a good contribution to the Holmes tale.
Dog_O_War 11-28-07, 11:59 AM	I think Cartigan has a good point, but still - allies were called for, and he has none. Thus the penalty.
Cartigan 11-28-07, 12:05 PM	And in this competition you would get penalized for it, and rightfully so, because the goal of the competition is not merely to make a character compliant with the rules but to make a character the DM can use to enrich his campaign world. Which is doable without having to handover a character background check with references. But every so often, Doyle does incorporate the Baker Street Boys into the story. If that were a D&D character, and Holmes' player hadn't included it into the character submission, the DM (Doyle) would not have been able to include it and that would be a shame because they are a good contribution to the Holmes tale. But, as I said, they are usually a passing note, even if a character appears. It would be like "Holmes often consulted a number of street urchins for information that only they could gather." And that is often all that comes up.
Seeking_Knight_of_Graves 11-28-07, 12:15 PM	I may not have entered this contest but I have to say that I have ran sessions against the loner character with no allies or enemies and it is very dull. I have to agree with the majority here that they are needed for a contest such as this. While Cartigan has a point that not every NPC be details, which also is dull, but highlights are needed. If I see an adventure who has x number of levels and no background, no matter the alignment, I figure he (or she) goes out and just slaughters everything for XP. And since he (or she) really does nothing else then people in towns would probably avoid or hide from said adventure to not becomg part of his XP list. Anywho my input.
wrecan 11-28-07, 01:09 PM	But, as I said, they are usually a passing note, even if a character appears. And a passing note is all that is required. Read the FAQ description. Here's the pertinent quote: Again, you don't have to spell everything out in detail. You can accomplish 12 levels of experience in a few sentences. "My adventures began when the horde of (relatively weak creatures) threatened my town. Later, I heroically saved my (generic important NPC) from a (roughly mid-level CR monster). Most recently, I barely survived a battle with (monster that would be appropriate to your level)." I don't know why you think "Dickensian" backgrounds are required. To bring it to your character's specific background, you basically have him gain levels 2 through 7 of Archivist with the following: "he talked his way into adventuring parties by offering healing services cheaper than those of mercenary clerics. He only sought tomes and scrolls to expand his knowledge, knowledge he learned he could use to pad his adventuring resume by offering unique support against those creatures he had learned about in his studies." Unlike the indented paragraph I as a DM would have no idea what to do with the "adventuring parties" with whom Orem adventured. Did he leave on good terms? Are they a resource he could call upon in times of need? Are they all dead? Do they resent him for leaving when the mission was complete? Does he have a reputation? You didn't need to put in a novel. But you should have included a few words so the DM knows how you the player conceive your character's relationship with his former adventuring buddies. I assume he left the paladins of Heironeous on good terms, because he admired them, but you could have spend a half-sentence on how they felt about him. And you covered five levels of Crusader of Boccob with "He knew that he must quest for knowledge in the name of Boccob, and that he did." How "did" he? Did he go back to his old adventuring ways? How did his former companions think of the changed, now idealistic, Orem? And who did he quest against? Servants of Vecna, god of secrets? You had the germs of these things in your entry. All it needed was a few more sentences to make these companions something a DM would know how to use in the campaign, if he so chose.
Cartigan 11-28-07, 01:15 PM	There is obviously in a gap between my style and everyone else's style of development.
Seeking_Knight_of_Graves 11-28-07, 01:46 PM	After reading the entry again I feel that there is stuff for a DM to use but it would take a lot of work on the DM's part. And not saying that it would be a bad thing but the holes the DM puts in may not be what the player had in mind.
Zherog 11-28-07, 04:27 PM	Or better yet, Sherlock Holmes. Sure, his allies are Inspector Lestrade and Watson. His mortal enemy is Professor Moriarty. But what about the dozens of other enemies and allies he made? What are their names? We have the little street urchins that help him, but what are their names? They are just part of the story, not anyone specific. If Holmes didn't rely on the urchins, they wouldn't have been brought up at all. And often times they were nothing but a passing note in the story. See, your example is perfect. Holmes has two named NPCs who are allies, and one named NPC who is an enemy. He also has the unnamed street urchins; their names aren't important at all. Just the fact that he has a gang of kids who do things for him. The fact that they're a passing note in some stories is fine. But other stories they prove to be more useful. Transferring it to D&D, it simply gives you and the DM a tool to use when appropriate. Aside from those, there's folks Holmes has helped, or foiled. It's been a long time since I've read one of Doyle's books, so names are escaping me at the moment.
Cartigan 11-28-07, 04:44 PM	But the thing with Holmes is those were relevant to Holme's character, especially Watson. He was pretty much a cohort. And until the introduction of Moriarty, there was no defined adversary for Holmes. There were bad guys but there was no actual enemy. No characters carried through except for the urchins, Lestrade, and Watson.
wrecan 11-28-07, 04:47 PM	until the introduction of Moriarty, there was no defined adversary for Holmes.By the time Moriarty was introduced, Holmes would not have reached 12th level. No characters carried through except for the urchins, Lestrade, and Watson. Yes, and if this was a contest for 1st level characters, not including an enemy would be fine. At 7th level including as an enemy "all the people Holmes has caught over the years" would be fine. By the time Holmes is 12th level, Moriarty is in the picture. People accumulate history with XP. That's what the "experience" is about. Rivals, adversaries, just people you ticked off, even unintentionally.
Cartigan 11-28-07, 04:55 PM	By the time Moriarty was introduced, Holmes would not have reached 12th level. Absurd arbitrary statement. Moriarty isn't actually introduced until the ultimate Holmes story (as in the last one relative to all others written before and after it). He is mentioned in a later story set earlier in passing instead of a direct adversary. I would think Holmes reached level 12 in the 58+ adventures in which he didn't oppose Moriarty directly.
Heros_Backpack 11-28-07, 05:09 PM	No characters carried through except for the urchins, Lestrade, and Watson. And the Baker Street house-keeper. And I seem to remember a lady secretary/governess who popped up in two or three of the short stories. The point is that I (as a judge and DM) am looking for connections I can weave into the campaign world. Casual references in the Miss Marple style (my nephew Raymond the writer, my friend I am staying with here, my other friend who recommended I go there, reminds me of so-and-so) are just as acceptable as major continuing characters in the Sherlock Holmes and Watson style. For what it's worth, in the first Hero Craftsman I won (HC3: Gladiators), I didn't include a single named character - but allies and enemies were still there for DMs to use. In Short: Mile long backgrounds are not essential. Excessively detailed lives are not essential. Named or major characters are not essential. Presence of contacts and relationships (both those willing to help and those wanting to hinder) are essential.
Zherog 11-28-07, 05:11 PM	But the thing with Holmes is those were relevant to Holme's character, especially Watson. He was pretty much a cohort. Indeed. Watson and the street urchins are probably best represented mechanically via the Leadership feat. I still contend it's not unreasonable for a 12th level character to have interacted with somebody - positively or negatively - during his/her lifetime.
wrecan 11-28-07, 05:24 PM	I would think Holmes reached level 12 in the 58+ adventures in which he didn't oppose Moriarty directly. In orde rof publication, Moriarty doesn't appear until The Final Problem. However, in a timeline of Sherlock Holmes' life, Moriarty first appears in The Valley of Fear, and it is clear that Moriarty has an interest in Holmes and his career (and is thus a proper antagonist) well before they actually meet. At any rate, as I said, there is no requirement for you to create a nemesis, just to include in the background some hooks of people the character has affected, and who might return, in the time it takes him to get to 12th level.
CheeseMan 11-28-07, 08:04 PM	enough is enough, you've been arguing this for a good page and a half now and i'm sick of it. cartigan, you didn't follow the rules. it's abundantly clear you don't understand why that rule is in place, despite our best efforts, but it's still one of the rules of the competition and it's one of them for a reason. can we drop it now and get to commenting on what a great job everyone did like we're supposed to? (my apologies if that came off as rude)
Cartigan 11-28-07, 09:23 PM	enough is enough, you've been arguing this for a good page and a half now and i'm sick of it. cartigan, you didn't follow the rules. it's abundantly clear you don't understand why that rule is in place, despite our best efforts, but it's still one of the rules of the competition and it's one of them for a reason. can we drop it now and get to commenting on what a great job everyone did like we're supposed to? (my apologies if that came off as rude) Being I havn't commented on any of the last three posts aimed at me, I think you are a bit late, and therefore rude.
Talisman 11-28-07, 09:36 PM	All right, I'll do it. The debate on character relationships and backgrounds is now officially over. Enough has been said by all. We all understand each others' positions. Let's start afresh, with no accusations either way. Thank you :tiphat:
Mercurius 11-28-07, 09:50 PM	Hmm... First place again, eh? I really wasn't entirely sure I would pull it off this time, but I guess that the world really will be dragged kicking and screaming into the abyss of nothingness now. Excellent :evillaugh: (Oh, and congrats to everyone else. Some very stiff competition, it seems.) I'll respond to JOH's comments in purple, because it's easier. Thematic Creativity: • This is simultaneously your greatest compliment and criticism: You have created an incredible villain for a Horror Campaign. Yeah, I'm pretty good at creating villains, really. I've had some darn memorable ones. Just ask Jennibert. • I particularly enjoyed your description of Utoma’s fall. Well done. Excellent. I was afraid it came off as a bit forced, honestly. It's sort of hard for me to really envision a noble paladin falling so far, so I was sorta hoping. • I would definitely use Albaddon as a villain, but I don’t know that I’d allow him as a PC. While Evil characters can be PC’s, Albaddon has antagonist written all over him. From his character goals and profound ego, to the use of Leadership and his various Command/Rebuke abilities to practically create his own adventuring party, I’m concerned that this character would simply clash with most groups, even evil ones. Yeah, he sorta swings both ways (not like that...). I sorta picture him pretending to be Utoma as he adventures, though that'd sorta prevent him from using most of his magic items and abilities. I do see this as a bit of an issue, though he does have a very good diplomacy score... He's not above working with others of similar power level - it's not easy to destroy the world by yourself, after all. Still, I'll concede he might not be the best teammate a group could hope for, but he certainly isn't about to just shank his companions in their sleep. He is full up on cure spells, after all. Background: • Now that I have stepped away from “Plays well with others,” I feel I should take some time to emphasize just how well written your character was. Thank you. • As always, I enjoyed reading a few more pieces of your campaign setting. In particular, I liked reading your planar cosmology. I’m working on my own setting at the moment, and determining how to handle the planes is an interesting challenge. You’ve given me a few ideas. Indeed, the xenophobic nature of my campaign setting is something that I have a fair amount of fun with. No other D&D cosmology seems to have anything like it, that I've seen. IMC, good priests of Rhiannon or Eirias frequently hunt down and banish typically good-aligned outsiders like celestials just as much as they do evil devils or demons, because none are considered a part of the world. Occasionally outsiders are used as messengers of the gods, but they have a task, they do it, and they go. • Again, excellent fall. ‘Nuff said. • I liked some of your supporting characters, particularly the “creepy girlfriend” Eranseivu. Yes, Albaddon has a tentacle monster for a girlfriend. Though calling her a "girlfriend" sorta makes it less creepy than intended...:coolcthul:inlove::twitch: • Your Antagonist, Lucan Frostwind, seems hastily added. You really don’t give him a place in the story, and he’s nothing more than a note later on. A stand off, a narrow escape, or him beating the daylights out of some minions would have made this character more integral to your story. This is the one place where I felt more detail would have been necessary. Guilty as charged. It occurred to me as I was writing his allies/enemies section that despite his very violent actions, he really didn't have any enemies... He had several allies, and his parents' ghosts could come back to haunt him (though they'd be little threat, considering their likely relative level, they could mess up his life in other ways). A crusading inquisitor seemed very likely, but I didn't really consider going back in and interjecting him earlier in the background. I'll admit he was more of an afterthought, though he does seem sort of necessary. He makes sense, he just wasn't as integrated as he should have been. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Spells 1: [Summary]: There’s a lot to talk about in your Spell section, but the largest piece of advice would be this: clear things like this w/ the DM ahead of time. I really don’t think your spell casting is all that broken, but I would probably not allow Contemplative to advance your Blackguard spells. My main reason: at level 10, a Blackguard has the spell casting power of a 17th level Paladin. At Contemplative level 4, you suddenly run out of a guide to determine how many more spells you receive. Yeah, he really does get sorta weird there, but, by gum, I just had to make him a contemplative of the Black Chaos. Honestly, I don't see him taking lots of levels of Contemplative - that one level might be it, but flavor-wise, it makes perfect sense. I also figured it could pose a problem with the competition, and it was going out on a limb. I'd be just as inclined to either assume it didn't advance casting or just gave me first level cleric casting, but either of those options sucks. And blackguad casting advancement for one level doesn't seem that powerful, IMHO. • Spells 2 (a): [Mechanics: Spell Save DC’s]: Your Spell Save DC’s are 13 + level b/c of your enhanced Wisdom score. I added my Periapt of Wisdom to my gear at the last minute, when I realized I could and decided to. I took it into account when listing my spells prepared, but forgot about it regarding save DCs and other minor things like that. • Spells 2 (b): [Mechanics: Exception to 2 (a)]: Well, actually, the only spell that allows a saving throw on your list (Poison) uses a different formula, so the DC would actually be 18 (PHB 262). Side note: Poison is a really powerful spell for you. Good selection. Handy that... Yeah, I was mostly concerned with utility spells for Albaddon. There were a few useful offensive ones, but I was more interested in ways to bolster his combat prowess, because that's what he's best at. • Spells 2 © : [Rules Use-Suggestion: Spell Selection]: As noted above, you only have one spell that requires a saving throw. However, considering your Aura of Despair, making opponents make saves while next to you is strongly to your advantage. While allies can account for some of this, I would recommend adding a few more spells that require a save to your typical spells prepared. In particular, the Inflict spells and Wave of Grief (SC 236) would probably work well for you. Good point. See above about my guiding thought process, but valid. I mostly figured his Aura of Despair helps with Eranseivu's spells, which is especially useful because she's not casting spells as high as she could be due to her +4 LA. • Spells 3: [Mechanics-Typo?: Spells/day]: You an incorrect # of Spells/day for your 3rd level spells. It should be 3/day. However, you listed 3 spells as typically prepared, so I’m assuming this is a typo. See above re: last minute stat booster addition. • Spells 4: [Mechanics: Material Components]: Unholy Storm has an expensive material component, Unholy Water, which costs 25gp. This is not accounted for in your Gear. Gorram it. :banghead: I'm pretty sure I've got the gold to cover it, but I totally missed that. Lousy superscript M... • Equipment: [Omission]: You need to list the Save DC and Damage on your Shadow Essence Poison. This is true, I suppose. I bought it, and didn't really think about that part. I seldom have to worry about what my non-magical gear does when I write these guys up. • Special Abilities: [Omission]: You need to list Rebuke/Command Oozes under special abilities. Side note: I assume that, for the Slime domain, you would use your Character level as your Effective Cleric Level (ECL- heh) for purposes of Rebuke/Command attempts, but I couldn’t find an official ruling. I wonder if anyone has seen an official ruling for such things. I thnk I'd use my Blackguard + Contemplative level, because those are my spellcasting classes. Ex-Paladin probably wouldn't help me, but I'm not entirely clear either. I think the main reason I forgot this was because I hadn't decided on which domain I'd take until I was already into the sheet pretty deep. I'd sorta wanted the Madness domain, but it wasn't very appealing for spells and ability, though it made more sense flavor-wise. *sigh* • Prestige Class: [Rules Use-suggestion]: As I said earlier, I probably wouldn’t allow Contemplative to progress a Blackguard’s spellcasting b/c of the difficulty calculating spells/day. As such, I would probably recommend rebuilding this character using the Divine Crusader PrC, a few pages over from Contemplative. You could easily trade Combat Brute, Craft Wondrous Item, or Leadership for Weapon Focus, and I think you would gain a lot more from the class. You would lose the ability to Rebuke/Command Oozes, but access to level 5+ spells, even if only 1/day, would be beautiful with this build considering the fact that Charisma is your core stat. He could potentially take Divine Crusader next, but considering the Black Chaos's weapon is the tentacle slam or great-club, weapon focus in either would really be a huge waste of a feat. I was sorta figuring going into fighter (at least for one level, for Zen Archery), and/or maybe Crusader/Warblade. Pious Templar could help, too, but, again, a huge pain in the butt with the lousy weapon focus problem. Barbarian levels might not be a bad choice, either... Clarity: • Very Mild Red Ink. Neatly done. • Cite your Sources: Slime Domain? Good job otherwise on citation. • Cite your Sources-Typo?: The Sundering quality is found on MIC 44, not MIC 24. • You need to list your situational bonus to AC vs. Ranged Attacks near your AC section. • You need an Attack Options section underneath your Attack Routines section. I would spell out your Sneak Attack, Smite Good, and Poison options here for easy reference. All duly noted. It occurred to me too late to list my AC vs ranged attacks, but I didn't really feel like my special abilities should be listed with attacks. They're all right there with my special abilities line, and listing them would pretty much just be rewriting my primary attack line with different add-ons, or would just extend my primary attack line by an inordinate amount, due to all the different situational effects. But I'll remember it next time. Okay, so, I'd love to see comments from other judges, too.
jennibert 11-28-07, 10:19 PM	Okay, so, I'd love to see comments from other judges, too. Yeah, someday I should get that together. Prob'ly not til Saturday. Darn work taking over my life....
Heros_Backpack 11-29-07, 04:07 AM	I'll try and get my comments up in the next day or so.
Heros_Backpack 11-30-07, 08:48 PM	First lot of comments - more coming tomorrow. General Comments There were quite clearly two different views about what a horror themed game meant in this competition. One side was set on fighting the horror, and the other was set on being the horror. I've seen both types played successfully in the past, so although I lean towards fighting the horror I was willing to give those that wanted to be the horror the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, most of those that went with being the horror also chose to be a lone horror - which did mean deductions. Also, when it comes to equipment, I want to see everything. Show me your prices, your weights, and all your mundane stuff. To steal a phrase, there were a lot of characters running around naked this time - and I had to wonder if they had reached into misc. mundane stuff and come out with a piece of chalk instead of a pair of trousers. In the interest of not repeating what's already been said, I'll keep it short. I'll start by saying that I haven't seen any of the Terminators, so I may have missed a few things. However, the constructs theme did make an interesting change from undead and abberations and you kept to that fairly well. Unlike Jason, your breakdown table didn't copy across to me very well, so I had some trouble working out what was taken when - that's always a problem with using tables. Overall - not bad. Definitely on the side of horror. Nice idea, interesting background. I'd like to point out that a headband of intellect costs 4000gp not 2000gp. I judged your point buy by RAW, so you weren't penalised for putting no points into Con, though with a Con of only 8 you were lucky you didn't catch the same disease as your cohort. It does provide extra power to the character though, which is why I have a house rule for my own campaigns that you have to pb a score of 10 in any non-score ability (10 having the same modifier as -)
Heros_Backpack 12-01-07, 07:05 AM	Comments cont. I won't go into background again - it's been hashed out enough. Your stat block felt half finished and the many acronyms just made it harder to read. 'Belt' would have worked as well as 'BoGS', 'gloves' as well as GoD, (especially since these create new words on the page to stumble over. It's also a good idea to keep all your costs in the same level of coinage. One item that reverts to sp in the middle of a stack in gp just creates something else to stumble over. Also, either I've missed something, or you've put down the wrong AC. I make it AC29 not 33. Nice solid concept, nice solid background. Remember that your first set of clothes is both free and weightless. You also say you're carying a sack, but you didn't list it amongst your bought equipment.
Cartigan 12-01-07, 08:39 AM	Your stat block felt half finished and the many acronyms just made it harder to read. I think it was, I will try to fix that. 'Belt' would have worked as well as 'BoGS', 'gloves' as well as GoD, (especially since these create new words on the page to stumble over. Good idea, seems easier. Also, either I've missed something, or you've put down the wrong AC. I make it AC29 not 33. Yeah I discussed that a few pages ago. No idea how I came out with 33.
Heros_Backpack 12-02-07, 06:49 AM	No idea how I came out with 33. I suspect that you added your shield twice.
Heros_Backpack 12-02-07, 07:47 AM	And more comments. Yes, I do need to know if you've used any templates, thanks for mentioning it in passing. You also need to list prices and weights for everything you own. Think about including something to wear and somewhere to sleep. Apart from spending quite some time hunting for your name (only to finally realise it was Namme), I enjoyed this character. You don't have the Two Weapon Fighting feat, so your full attack should be +11 shortsword, +6 dagger and you seem to have lost some money along the way. You might also consider picking up a bedroll to sleep in. Nice solid idea, nice solid build, wonderful background. Unfortunately he seems to make his own party rather than join one.
Heros_Backpack 12-03-07, 07:29 PM	And yet more comments. Definitely on the side of the heroes. I really liked the way each major item had its own little background and specified how he acquired it - though the mundane items could have done with more fleshing out - its always good to have something to wear and somewhere to sleep. Simple, solid and effective. A very workable character.
Mercurius 12-03-07, 07:55 PM	Yay! More comments! Honestly, just because Albaddon can subjugate weaker undead and oozes into followers doesn't mean he won't need equal ECL adventuring companions. Sure, I could have a few gellatinous cubes, summoning oozes, and/or maybe a wraith or something as servile minions, but my followers are all really low level and likely to die in a "fair fight." I'd need associates who could at least handle themselves, especially if I'm really going to take on the gods.
Heros_Backpack 12-06-07, 08:16 AM	Yay! More comments! Honestly, just because Albaddon can subjugate weaker undead and oozes into followers doesn't mean he won't need equal ECL adventuring companions. Sure, I could have a few gellatinous cubes, summoning oozes, and/or maybe a wraith or something as servile minions, but my followers are all really low level and likely to die in a "fair fight." I'd need associates who could at least handle themselves, especially if I'm really going to take on the gods. I see your point, but to me it feels as if Albaddon wants to control his companions rather than co-operate with them. Of course, that may just be me.
Heros_Backpack 12-06-07, 08:17 AM	(Kicks Murphy out of the way) Ok, last lot of comments coming up. You seem to have shorted yourself 6hp somewhere along the line nad you really could do with both some clothes and some bedding. You could also with other mundane things such as food and water. Spooky (but nice!) intro. If you describe an item in your background, you really need to include it in your items. As it is, I can't tell if your money is over or under the WBL. Also, if she is going to animate so many zombies and skelrtons, wouldn't she need a large bag of onyx? The professor fits into the horror theme, but he feels more like an employer or an NPC than a PC. You seem to be a few hundred gp short of the WBL total, and you don't actually say what race he started as. Most definitely fighting the horror! A nice simple concept and build but to me, he didn't really stand out from the crowd.
V1zharan 12-06-07, 10:38 PM	double post, despite me refreshing in another window to make sure I wouldn't....
V1zharan 12-06-07, 10:44 PM	I'll start by saying I'm proud of myself and stunned that I scored so close to the top 3(wow, only .75 difference between me and 3rd place....). I haven't been able to get on here because my computer decided to stop letting me access the forums about 2 weeks back, I finally figured out that its just at that house I can't access the forums. I'll be back in a couple days if any of you have ideas on how to fix that. Thematic Creativity: • Very solid entry. Escape from Torture. Thirst for Revenge. Very “Hero” of Horror. Background: • You adventure alongside someone with no class levels?!?! You are one Area of Effect away from never seeing your sister again. Take leadership and give that poor girl some class levels. • Your background is very usable, but lacks some detail. In particular, you could use a strong antagonist. Rules Use/Mechanics: • Your mechanics were very solid, but you left too much out… way too much. • Care to list your race? Your alignment? Your prohibited schools of magic? Your Touch and Flat Footed AC? The list of spells actually recorded in your spellbook? • Also, you apparently aren’t wearing any clothes… Clarity: • Red Ink. • Thank you for citing sources. • Very neat stat block, but sort of messy background. • Again, you left out way too much in your stat block. So far as the sister goes, I wanted to give her class levels, I really did, but after scouring all the allowed books I couldn't find a class to fit her. There just isn't really a class that fits the girl who wanders about in a daze, only talking to her big brother. Eventually I just played with her age so that she was too young to have class levels because I couldn't think of anything she might have bothered to take levels in. I realize my backround was a bit sloppy, but when I sat down to put it into the entry I had little more than a rough outline of how things were supposed to happen and turn out, and fleshed everything out as I typed. So far as my mechanics, when I created the character I made him in fits and starts. I would get near feverish and spend hours nitpicking, then I wouldn't feel like working for a day or 2. Working that inevitably leads to leaving stuff out, race I noticed soon afterward but I can't believe I missed alignment... I decided my prohibited schools and everything and if I checked my stats I wrote out before posting here I'm sure I'd find them, but I guess having my whole concept and everything figured out, then having to reformat everything into an entry just made me a bit impatient. :( Grrr, I can visualize myself laying around going through books to figure out spells and can picture the sheet I jotted my list down on, but apparently they failed to make it from paper to entry. :( Overall I'm proud of the score I earned for my first entry. I just hope I can match it when the next competition rolls around. Typically I can spin out great stories once I've got an outline, but coming up with the basis gives me trouble. It was a stroke of luck that I thought of the whole village thing. I would like to thank the judges for taking the time to...well, be judges, and I thank you JasonOrlandoHawk and Heroes_Backpack for the comments. I look forward to the next competition, unfortunetly horror and persuasive essays seem to be the only place my writing skill pops up, but maybe I'll be able to change that with some work. ~V1zharan~
Zherog 12-07-07, 10:22 AM	I'll start by saying I'm proud of myself and stunned that I scored so close to the top 3(wow, only .75 difference between me and 3rd place....). I haven't been able to get on here because my computer decided to stop letting me access the forums about 2 weeks back, I finally figured out that its just at that house I can't access the forums. I'll be back in a couple days if any of you have ideas on how to fix that. Start with the easy stuff -- clear you cache and dump your cookies. If that doesn't clear up the problem, my next guess would be a firewall issue. * So far as the sister goes, I wanted to give her class levels, I really did, but after scouring all the allowed books I couldn't find a class to fit her. There just isn't really a class that fits the girl who wanders about in a daze, only talking to her big brother. Disclaimer: I haven't actually read your entry. Any class works for that. Just because she has class abilities doesn't mean she has to use them at that time. Just as an example, she could be a sorcerer, with powers deep within her that have yet to manifest. The DM could take that plot hook and develop out from there, figuring out how to "cure" her and so on. At the very least, you could give her levels of commoner if all you really want to do is give her some hit points.
V1zharan 12-07-07, 09:46 PM	Wow, weird, I called a friend and told him my problem, tried to get on so I could tell him what was happening and it let me on. =) I'm not complaining though. =) I guess I should have given her class levels in SOMETHING, but keeping with the story part of how the events affected her it just didn't seem right for her to have gained class levels. ~V1zharan~
JasonOrlandoHawk 12-07-07, 11:40 PM	My main issue wasn't her lack of levels, but the fact that she is frequently in your company during adventures. If you wanted to stall out her gaining levels, it would've been better to have her safe somewhere, with you visiting occasionally. Then, when the levels show up, she's ready to join you.
Dog_O_War 12-12-07, 12:10 PM	Us late entries; any comments? They'd be helpful for this next contest here. I know I don't have a spell list, and have math wrong in other areas. I know I don't have any travelling gear, or followers with gear that I have provided; this is also bad, since I assumed that the church would provide for my accomidation needs as well as the foot-sloggers' stuff, but never say so. Beyond these things, I still like to get a critique, and I'm sure Dipteran_Legacy and Kit_the_Odd would as well.
Talisman 12-12-07, 01:53 PM	Also, any chance of seeing jennibert's comments?
Mercurius 12-12-07, 09:16 PM	Also, any chance of seeing jennibert's comments? I doubt it. She's notoriously bad about procrastination and forgetting things like that. I've reminded her a couple of times now, too. I'll have to bug her again when she gets home, hopefully that'll pull something off.
JasonOrlandoHawk 12-13-07, 07:56 PM	So, anyways, I probably owe you all an apology. I completely forgot to go back after I finished the main entries and look over your work. Until I saw the request, I hadn't even thought about it. Here are my late, and painfully brief, comments. Creepy, and well designed story. High compliments. You've already mentioned the multiple things you left out, so it doesn't bear repeating. There are a few red ink issues, mostly typo-spelling errors. Rules Use wise, the first thing I noticed was that you have a +1 Crossbow and +1 Ammunition. A ranged weapon applies it's enhancement bonus to it's ammunition, so the enchanted ammunition is useless to you. You sir, may challenge jennibert in the long-winded background department. Still, you have a natural flair for writing. It will serve you well. (Please do condense a tad in future competitions, as the judges do have a lot to read already.) Really can't comment on your Theoretical build, as your final stat-block isn't any different from your level 4 stat block. To be honest, when I judge late entries, I read the background closely, and skim the stat-block. Which is inverse to the focus of your entry. Just skimming the surface of your mechanics, everything looks solid. I'm curious if you accounted for the price of the base +1 enhancement bonus on your sword (it's not clear in your entry, and I don't have the energy to check everything). Overall, with an entry like this, my main comment would probably be: CITE YOUR SOURCES!!!! Things would explode if I had to hunt down that much material w/o references.
Dog_O_War 12-14-07, 11:58 AM	Rules Use wise, the first thing I noticed was that you have a +1 Crossbow and +1 Ammunition. A ranged weapon applies it's enhancement bonus to it's ammunition, so the enchanted ammunition is useless to you. I'm not entirely sure, but I thought that dispite the bonus to attack and damage, a +1 crossbow firing regular bolts could not penetrate DR/magic; It was the only reason I took magical bolts at all.
Zherog 12-14-07, 01:40 PM	I'm not entirely sure, but I thought that dispite the bonus to attack and damage, a +1 crossbow firing regular bolts could not penetrate DR/magic; It was the only reason I took magical bolts at all. If you're playing under 3.0's rules, this is correct. If you're playing under 3.5, Jason is correct.
Dog_O_War 12-14-07, 01:48 PM	If you're playing under 3.0's rules, this is correct. If you're playing under 3.5, Jason is correct. :doh: and yet another reason I should fully read the 3.5 books. Still can't bring myself to do it though; it's like re-reading a textbook for spelling errors. Eh, maybe one day.