Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bandido 06-20-03, 06:52 AM	Hello, boys, girls, and WizOs! Back from the dead, it's the underdark thread! :bounce: This thread, in case you haven't guessed, is to suggest underdark denizens for the world, and to detail regions of the underdark. Anything underdark related is welcome on this thread, from a D&D feat enabling surface dwellers to live underground to an Magic card representing some weird and wonderful underground creature. The underdark, in case you're unfamiliar with the concept, is an underground system of caves which are inhabited by a variety of creatures. In D&D worlds, they are common, and are inhabited by some of the iconic D&D races - drow, mind flayers, and driders to name a few. However, there is no reason why we should accept all these usual races when we have the chance to create something truly original. AFAIK, underground civilisation has not been done before in Magic, so at least there we have untrodden ground. Please, post anything that comes to mind! The more, the merrier!
Bandido 06-20-03, 06:57 AM	And here is a race which lives in our world's underdark. The mischievous Shalendae, normally called the dark fairies, who live underground, and rise out of the caves at night to 'forage' above ground, raiding surface settlements nearby to feed. Dark Fairy (Shalendae) The Dark Fairies' innocence, combined with their love of sharp knives and their disregard for consequences makes them at best a pest, and at worst a menace to the civilised races. http://www.strike9.com/file.aspx?path=/Liay/fullsize/dark_fairy.jpg A dark fairy Personality: The dark fairies are fickle, selfish, mischievous, lazy, hedonistic, and curious about everything. They have the minds of children, and the responsibilities of adults. Their magical gifts, received by virtue of their being fey (although the lowest of the fey), are all that have kept them alive through the ages to annoy the people of today. They are often said to be evil, but in the vast majority of cases this is not true - they simply don't care if they hurt others, as they don't understand. Only the wisest of Dark Fairies are capable of empathy or sympathy. Physical description: Dark Fairies stand about 3 1/2 ft tall, are slender, weighing about 40 lb. From their backs sprout two feathery wings, usually white, but sometimes mottled brown, and they have an overall wingspan of around 6ft. Facially, they resemble young humans, but often have slightly pointed ears. They grow no facial or body hair. They dress in clothing which allows their wings to be free, which often means the males go topless, and the females wear off-the-shoulder, backless tops (I can't remember what you call them :blush: ). This suits the dark fairies, as they like being unrestricted. It is unheard of for a dark fairy to wear armour. Relations: Dark fairies do not really get along with anyone, but gnomes, who are also very curious and tricky, are able to put up with them the most. Humans and halflings find them endearing to begin with, but their utter amorality and constant mischief soon begins to wear. Elves hate them, and dwarves have been known to send armies out to wipe out their colonies, with very little success. As for the dark fairies themselves, they get along with anyone who'll let them do whatever they want, whenever they want and they won't get along with people who try and stop them from doing whatever they want, whenever they want. Alignment: Dark fairies are chaotic almost without exception, and tend towards neutrality. Thise found outside dark fairy settlements are likely to have left because they couldn't stand the total irresponsibility of their kin (Chaotic Good), or were cast out for being too destructive (Chaotic Evil). Dark Fairy Lands: The dark fairies live in moderately large settlements (up to 1000 fairies) in underground caverns, which are often difficult to enter for those who cannot fly - the dark fairies know the value of a refuge. They live in buildings which appear similar to ceramic trees. In fact, these houses are trees, grown with the dark fairies' magic and infected with an underdark fungus which turns the wood into a ceramic material, hollowing out the tree in the process. As the fairies grow little of their own food, their settlements are usually located near to wildlife-rich areas where they can hunt, or an easily-raided surface settlement. http://www.strike9.com/file.aspx?path=/Liay/fullsize/darklands.jpg A village of Shalendae Religion: The Dark Fairies are not known for being devout. A few revere nature, and a tiny minority become druids. Those who like their knives a bit too much sometimes worship Drakhma, God of Blood, and become his clerics, but these terrors are (thankfully) rare. Otherwise, they pay lip service to whatever deity(ies) are worshipped in the region in whih they live. Language: Dark fairies speak Clinestra, a language distantly related by that used by other fey. To others, it sounds flowing, due to its rapid pace, and its use of many l- and n-sounds. It has a written form, a much simplified form of that used by fey, and many scholars clamour to learn it. Most dark fairies do not - less than one in a hundred can read or write. Names: Most dark fairies change their name at least three times a year; some much, much more. Their names can be anything - a phrase in their native language, an orc battle cry, part af a drow ritual, a human curse, a collection of random syllables - it depends on what the fairy had heard recently when he chose his name, what mood he was in, and what day of the week it was. Adventurers: Adventuring dark fairies are rare, and are normally motivated by that which motivates all dark fairies - curiosity. Their flight makes them useful scouts, and this suits them, as they like to explore. Their sharp knives also come in handy. Dark fairies rarely aspire to any form of heroism - it's simply not a concept they can easily understand, and anything which is not easy for a dark fairy doesn't get done. Dark fairy racial traits: +4 Dexterity, -2 Strength, -2 Wisdom: Dark fairies' slight builds are weak, but capable of incredible feats of agility. They are fickle, and incapable of sustained effort, or resisting temptation. Small size: Dark fairies receive a +1 size bonus to all attacks, a +1 size bonus to AC, and a +4 bonus to Hide checks, but they have to wield smaller weapons than medium-size characters, and their carrying and lifting limits are three-quarters those of medium-size characters. Dark fairy base speed is 20 ft. Dark fairy base flying speed is 40 ft, with good manoeuvrability. Darkvision: Dark fairies can see in the dark up to 60 ft. This vision is black and white, but otherwise functions the same as normal vision. Fallen Fey: despite being described as fey, dark fairies are humanoids, and subject to all effects that affect humanoids. Sharp Knives (Ex): All slashing weapons wielded one-handed by dark fairies are automatically assumed to be keen (their threat range is doubled). This does not stack with the keenness of a keen magical weapon, but will stack with any other threat range-increasing effect that would stack with a keen weapon, i.e. the feat Improved Critical. Slippery Mind (Ex): This extraordinary effect represents a dark fairies innate individuality and curiosity, which is almost impossible to suppress. Whenever a dark fairy fails a save against an enchantment, he gets to reroll the save in the following round. This ability can only be used once per enchantment effect. +2 racial bonus to Move Silently and Hide checks: Dark fairies are as sneaky as practised raiders and pranksters usually are. Plant Growth (Sp): Due to their fey heritage, dark fairies have a connection with nature which they have honed into an ability to grow plants underground, for both housing and food. Ten dark fairies working in concert for an hour can grow a single plant to maturity, cause it to grow fruit with another hour's work. This is a spell-like ability that only works underground. Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds a dark fairy for one round. In addition' dark fairies suffer a -1 circumstance penalty to all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light. Favoured Class: Rogue. The abilities of the rogue class, and its wide selection of skills, allow a dark fairy to satisfy his curiosity about everything, much to the annoyance of the people who live nearby. Level Adjustment +1: Dark fairies are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than the standard PC races. So, whaddaya think? Comments are welcome. Any feats/PrCs/Magic cards based on the above would be much appreciated.
Bandido 06-20-03, 07:04 AM	Some more underdark denizens - this time, a race of colonial mammal-insect crossbreeds called the Akharen. They live in deep caverns, and grow various fungi to feed themselves, and to provide themselves with materials. The Akharen http://www.strike9.com/file.aspx?path=/Liay/fullsize/colorthing.jpg An Akhare The Akharen (singular: Akhare) are bizarre hybrids of mammal and insect that live in the deepest reaches of the underdark, in clonies ruled by a King and a Queen. Peaceful by nature, they have been forced into an eternal war by the attacks of the fire elves. Personality: Akharen live in castes, and the personality of an individual Akhare will depend greatly on which caste it belongs to. However, in general, Akharen are friendly, hard-working, stoic, and persevering. Many surface-dwellers who encounter them think of the Akharen as child-like, but this is only due to their asexuality and openness - in fact, Akharen are just as intelligent as, and more responsible than, the average human. Physical descripion: Normal Akharen (Aka-Akharen) are vaguely humanoid in shape, but covered in purple fur, with antennae, compound eyes, a distinctively shaped head, an a tail which splits into three. Warrior-caste Akharen (Vidas-Akharen) have a similar torso to Aka-Akharen, but have four insectile legs, extremely large eyes, and no mouths. They are mute, and unintelligent, except for a few who are 'generals.' The King of a colony looks like a Vidas-Akharen except he is bigger, and has shinier fur, and a mouth. The appearance of the Queen is not known to outsiders, although she is without doubt the power behind every Akharen colony. Relations: Kabūri use Akharen as outlets for their malice, as they are the easiest targets in the underdark. Consequently, Akharen detest fire elves, and kill any they come across. Dark fairies sometimes raid Akharen colonies, making them pests, and any raiders are killed without mercy. Akharen get on tolerably well with the <insert metal-skinned race name here>, and trade with them. When Akharen encounter dwarves, they are suspicious of each other, but will trade. These meeting are not frequent, as dwarves seldom delve deep enough to encounter the Akharen. Alignment: Akharen are typically Lawful Neutral, as they obey the orders of the Queen and her servants without question. They tend more towards good than towards evil, as they like to have a structured society that provides for everyone. Chaotic Akharen are rare, and tend to leave the colonies, unable to cope with the extremely ordered existence there. http://www.strike9.com/file.aspx?path=/Liay/fullsize/little+thing.jpg A baby Aka-Akhare...isn't he cute? Akharen Lands: Akharen live far down in the underdark in colonies of several thousand individuals. Each Akharen is given a task to perform, a job, which he is expected to undertake for his whole life, barring any accidents. They feed on fungi that grow on the waste of the Akharen, and the plants and moulds which feed of the geothermal energy so far down. These fungi are grown into fanciful shapes by the Akharen, and are used to make fabulous textiles, building materials, and even weapons. Sometimes, magical creatures, like golems, are made from the mushrooms in a feat of cultivation unrivalled by any other race. The size and shape of Akharen dwelling varies greatly from colony to colony, although two designs are common: small, hemispherical buildings housing 6-12, or large rectangular dwellings housing 100-200. There is always one vast dwelling in an Akharen colony - the palace. All of these buildings are made out of rock and preserved mushroom. Religion: Akharen are not religious. They believe that day-to-day necessities outweigh any need to ponder the great mysteries of life. A few Akharen venerate their ancestors, while some revere nature, but such behaviour is not common. Language: Many Akharen speak no language, as they can communicate telepathically with each other. However, Aka-Akharen are perfectly capable of speech, and many learn to speak languages. Names: Akharen are not given names at birth, but instead 'designations' such as 'mushroom gatherer 78', but they are not clones, and soon their friends label them with a name. As they are telepathic, this name is not a word, but a 'stream of consciousness', a picture or concept. When dealing with speaking creatures, they call themselves by a word that represents this concept to them. Adventurers: Few Akharen adventure. Those who do are usually those who could not cope with the restrictions in the colonies, or those who were given a task they hated. Akharen adventurers are more likely to be chaotic than usual, but even the most chaotic still require some kind of structure and routine in their lives. Akharen racial traits: Aka-Akharen: +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Aka-Akharen are possessed of profound insight and acute senses, but colonial life does not foster a strong sense of self, nor does innate telepathy encourage the development of interpersonal skills. Medium-size: As medium-size creatures, Aka-Akharen have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Aka-Akharen base speed is 30 ft. Darkvision: Aka-Akharen can see in the dark up to 120 ft. Darkvision is black and white, but otherwise functions the same as normal vision. Scent: Akharen have the special ability 'Scent' described in the Monster Manual. Their antennae are probes which function in much the same way as a nose. Prehensile Tail: An Aka-Akhare may use his tail to manipulate objects as though it was a third hand. It cannot support much weight, and can only carry a light load for a creature of the Aka-Akhare's Strength. The Aka-Ahhare may use his tail to carry a third weapon, which must be at least two sizes smaller than the Aka-Akhare. This is treated as a standard off-hand weapon. +4 racial bonus to Climb checks: The prehensile tail can be used a another grip when climbing. Telepathy: An Aka-Akhare can speak telepathically to any other Akharen within 60ft (but to only one at a time). Pheromonal messages: An Aka-Akhare can send any of the following messages to all Akharen within 120 ft as a standard action - danger, run, fire elves near, protect the Queen, come here. These messages can still be detected 12 hours after they were first emitted, but from 5 minutes after the message has stopped being emitted, any Akhare will know that the message is not current. Akharen are not obliged to obey any orders given by the pheromonal messages given by Aka-Akharen. Favoured class: druid. Aka-Akharen have an inherent respect for nature, and this sometimes manifests itself in a following of the druidic path. LA +1: Aka-Akharen are more powerful than standard PC races, and consequently gain experience more slowly. http://www.strike9.com/file.aspx?path=/Liay/fullsize/thing3.jpg An Aka-Akhare guarding his colony. Vidas-Akharen: +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -4 Intelligence, -4 Charisma: Natural warriors, Vidas-Akharen are strong, flexible, and incredibly robust, and have keen senses. However, they are not bred for intelligence, and are hardly personable. Large size: As large creatures, Vidas-Akharen get -1 size penalty to armour class and a -1 size penalty to attacks. They also have a reach of 10 ft. Vidas-Akharen base speed is 40 ft. Darkvision: Vidas-Akharen can see in the dark up to 120 ft. Darkvision is black and white, but otherwise functions the same as normal vision. Scent: Akharen have the special ability 'Scent' described in the Monster Manual. Their antennae are probes which function in much the same way as a nose. +4 natural armour. +4 racial bonus to Search and Spot checks: Vidas-Akharen are often used as guards, and as have the senses to let them excel at this. Endurance: Vidas-Akharen automatically gain the benefit of the endurance feat. Telepathy: A Vidas-Akhare can speak telepathically to any other Akharen within 60ft (but to only one at a time). Pheromonal messages: A Vidas-Akhare can send any of the following messages to all Akharen within 120 ft as a standard action - danger, run, fire elves near, protect the Queen, come here, charge, retreat. These messages can still be detected 12 hours after they were first emitted, but from 5 minutes after the message has stopped being emitted, any Akhare will know that the message is not current. Akharen are not obliged to obey any orders given by the pheromonal messages given by Vidas-Akharen. Favoured class: Fighter. Vidas-Akharen are bred to be fighting machines, and fulfil the role admirably. LA +3: Vidas-Akharen are more powerful than the standard PC races, and as such gain experience more slowly. http://www.strike9.com/file.aspx?path=/Liay/fullsize/thing.jpg An immature Vidas-Akhare - mature ones are more powerfully built. Well, there you go! Hope you like them! All comments welcome! I'm especially concerned about the Aka-Akharen, who appear to be a bit powerful for ECL+1. Any ideas on how to balance them? Many thanks and much respect to WizO_Iyala for the incredible pictures! EDIT: errors corrected, race altered to try and give the Aka-Akharen a more reasonable LA.
Bandido 06-20-03, 07:08 AM	Now for a third race, the Kabūri, or fire elves. Yes, I know evil elves who live underground have been done to death, but I hope I managed to put an original spin on them. What do you think? Kabūri (aka fire elves, fiery drow) Kabūri are rotten to the core. Violent, malicious, backstabbing, and out to claim whatever they want, and destroy everything else. They are a blight upon the world. Personality: The Kabūri are generally fickle, and cruel. They love to torture, maim, and destroy; their enemies, their allies, even their families are valid targets for their malice. They value one thing only: power, and the ability to impose their power on others. Everything else is a means to that end. Physical Description: Kabūri stand about 5 ft tall, are slender, and have shiny black skin, reminiscent of asphalt. As they age, their skin loses its sheen, and looks grey and powdery. Instead of wrinkling, their skin cracks, like the surface of a charred log. When they die, they crumble into a pile of ashes, and when injured, sparks fly from their wounds. Their eyes glow red like dying embers, and they emit small amounts of smoke from their mouths when they breathe out. Their hair is always black, and both sexes wear their hair long, although women tend to wear it loose, while men tie it back. Relations: Kabūri regard all other races as food. They like nothing better than to smother a screaming body in flames until it chars, and stops whimpering, before ripping it to shreds, and devouring it ravenously. Consequently, no one, from the noble to the nasty, from the benevolent to the barbaric, from the law-abiding to the lawless, will ever willingly treat with them. Other Underdark races either hate them, or are terrified of them. Many are both. Alignment: The fire elves live up to the fickle, destructive nature of their patron element, and are generally chaotic evil. They revel in spreading chaos and destruction to all they come across. A large minority are neutral evil, and are amongst the most despicable humanoids in existence. A tiny number want more order to enable their race to truly spread their destruction to all, and are lawful evil, but these are a tiny minority. Neutral Kabūri are rare almost to the point of non-existence, and are usually just as unpleasant as their evil counterparts to other races. While there may have good Kabūri in the past (who emulated fire as a cleanser, or a renewer), they certainly do not exist now. Kabūri Lands: Kabūri live underground, in the large underground caverns known as the underdark. They always make their home in caves which have some kind of magma feature - a magma pool, or a cavern that’s slowly being filled by lava. They revel in its heat. They build their houses out of an asphalt-like substance, but their houses are little more than huts. They grow no food, and this is because Kabūri can feed on intense heat, although they choose not to if there are living creatures to burn. They also need no water, and actually find it distasteful to drink. Religion: Kabūri worship fire as the destroyer. They want to emulate its chaotic, almost whimsical spread of destruction. All Kabūri clerics worship Fire the Destroyer, and have to choose the Fire domain, and one of Chaos, Evil, Destruction, and War. Language: Kabūri speak their own language, which they call Kabūri. It contains lots of harsh, throaty sounds, combined with a fair few flowing sounds. It sounds little like the other Elven languages, but it shares the same grammar and structure. Elves don’t like this being pointed out, as they would rather not be associated with the vile creatures. Names: Kabūri typically name themselves, as few take more than token care of their offspring - why should they, they think, when they don’t need to feed them? They might play with their baby occasionally, but otherwise they stick the baby in a lava pool and leave it there until it reaches puberty, which takes a matter of 5-7 years. At this point, the young fire elf is educated by its parents, or by anyone else who notices its maturity. The first lesson is not to ever cross the person who taught it, and it’s often a very painful lesson. After being taught, the Kabūri gives itself a name, and becomes a ‘productive’ member of fire elven society. Sample Names: Akhala, Alakhi, Anarhal, Enikhil, Ekirh, Irokh, Ilukhun, Khare , Khilokh, Khinorh, Orokh, Ororh, Rhonikh, Urhon. Adventurers: Kabūri ‘adventurers’, such as they are, are vile, sadistic murderers. Occasionally, they come to the surface, and work in groups to cause as much destruction as they can before they are forced to retreat. These sojourns, although rare, usually cost hundreds of lives. Kabūri outcasts sometimes come to the surface to work as assassins, a job which they enjoy far too much. Kabūri racial stats: +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution, -2 Wisdom: Kabūri are slight, and this makes them agile, yet frail. They have fearsome intellects and are impressive in person, but their innate chaos makes them weak-willed and fickle. Fire Subtype: Kabūri are immune to fire damage, and take double damage from cold damage on a failed save. Lava and magma deal fire damage to Kabūri. Medium size: As medium-size creatures, Kabūri have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Kabūri base speed is 40 feet. Darkvision: Kabūri can see in the feet up to 120 feet. Darkvision is black and white, but otherwise functions as normal vision. Kabūri may cast Burning Hands twice per day as a sorcerer of his character level. Sheath of Flame (Su): All weapons wielded by a Kabūri are coated in fire, and are treated as having the Flaming weapon quality (they deal 1d6 fire damage in addition to that normally dealt by that weapon). This ability applies to unarmed attacks. Spirit of Flame: When casting fire spells, a Kabūri’s caster level is treated as being 1 higher, and the DC of the spell is raised by 1. +2 to Search, Spot, Listen, Hide, and Move Silently checks: The Kabūri have naturally heightened senses, and see that which others do not. Over the years, they have developed methods of being able to hide from the advanced senses of their own race, making them accomplished sneaks too. Feed from Fire (Ex): Kabūri can gain nutrition from heat. For every minute they spend in an environment above 100 degrees Centigrade, they receive nutrition equal to that of one meal. This cannot make them obese - they never receive more food than they need from this ability. However long they spend in an environment above 100 degrees C, they will start to get hungry again in 24 hours Never Thirst: Kabūri never need to drink. Less sleep: Kabūri need to sleep for only 4 hours a night. Immunity to magic sleep spells and effects +2 racial bonus to all saving throws: Kabūri are inherently lucky, much to the disgust of those who have tried to combat them. Favoured Class: Sorcerer. A multiclass Kabūri’s Sorcerer class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty. Kabūri are born with magic in their souls, as would be expected for a race that is an elemental manifestation of nature, however horrifying a one. LA +2: Kabūri are more powerful than standard PC races, and consequently gain levels more slowly.
Bandido 06-20-03, 07:14 AM	Courtesy of kharn012000.1, we have the Shadowrats, a race of humanoid rats. Formerly just rodents, they were warped by Shadow Magic as they fed on the refuse from a thousand battles, and people's preconceptions of them as bringers of disease and causers of strife produced their current form. Shadowrats Rats have been known as carrion eaters for many years, and some have, over time, been changed by the shadow magic that battles produce. Shadowrats resemble large, humanoid rats that are covered with a variety of sores, bony protrusions, and mangy, matted hair, which is typically mottled brown and black. They are well known for their mastery of shadow magic, as well as the number of magic items they produce, powered by that magic. Game rule information Abilities: -2 Strength, +2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence: They are not very physically strong, but are durable and agile. They are not particularly intelligent, as they are in essence mutated rats. A shadowrat may not take the shadow template, as they all ready have it. Shadowrats have darkvision, 60 ft. radius. Shadowrats have one of the following abilities per 4 HD, minimum of 1 (round fractions down): +2 luck bonus to all saving throws Cause fear 1/day damage reduction 5/+1 Evasion Mirror image 1/day Plane Shift self to/from Plane of shadow 1/day Fast Healing 2 base speed 30 ft/round +6 bonus to Move silently checks, as they have an unnatural ability for silence +2 to Spot check, as they have sharp eyes +2 to Spellcraft checks, as they are a highly magical race low-light vision cold resistance 5+1 hd, to maximum 20 shadow blend(Su): In any conditions other than full daylight, a shadowrat can dissapear into the shadows, giving it 9/10ths concealment. Artificial light, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability. A Daylight spell, however, will. Small: Must use smaller weapons, gets a +1 to hit and AC, armour + equipment weighs less. Bonus Feat: if they meet the prerequisites, shadowrats gain the Craft Wondrous Item feat, as they are naturally adept at channeling shadow magic. Favored class: Sorcerer. Shadowrats are naturally adept at magic, because they are the direct result of shadow magic. Automatic Languages: Undercommon, Common Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Terran, Infernal, Dwarven, Goblin, Gnome, Orc
Bandido 06-20-03, 07:16 AM	Dream Spinner, could you repost your information on the Demortali, please? Thanks! :D
WizO_Iyala 06-20-03, 05:34 PM	*parties* Underdark thread!!! :D! I'm going to start a thread for the art of the World Creation Project. WizOs can post attachments to the boards so that will solve hosting problems when we're putting together information on races etc :) if anyone wants something posted for a race/location, we can put it up :) There is a limit to the size though and we don't want to overload the new boards when they're still so young ;) Seeing this thread come back and all the information here makes me really proud of all the work we've done so far :) Yay us :) also, we can now have polls on the boards so when we need to vote on stuff, we can :D
Dream Spinner 06-21-03, 12:51 PM	This is all copied, so it may seem a little weird. There is also no real order to it all. Also, there's a lot of info, mostly on culture. Okay, for the city, I guess a wide cavern, but with a low ceiling. In the center of the cavern are the following 3 buildings: a government center, a temple to Being, and the Hall of Being. These buildings would be arranged so that the gov. building and the temple is facing each other and the Hall of Being is between them. Like a U, sort of, where the Hall of Being is the bottom part. From the opening is a stone road, with their riches, they could pave it with gold or something, but that would be like our paving our roads with bread or chocolate. The road goes from there and spirals outward until if finally reaches the cavern wall, where it circles all the way around. Aloung the cavern wall are the cave homes of the people and aloung the road moving outwards to the wall, there are business buildings and the like. For them to reach the Hall, they would have to walk aloung the spiral road around and around for a while. This isn't that much of a problem for adults, because of their endurance. The children because they just pass through to the center. The Hall is the center of activity. There, there are areas designated as public recreation areas where children run around, there is a big stage where everyone gathers to listen to speeches or watch plays, and there are the big halls, where people just stand around talking or whatever. Also, right after the main hall, after the entrance, is the Food Hall. Here, the people gather for their dinner. Families may sit together or children with other children while parents eat with parents. Whatever. The Government building is where the people go to to vote and it's also where the court is. The government is sort of a democracy, where the people would all vote on an issue(including minors, though only in some issues). Beforehand, though, there would be a debate, and anyone is free to join, either to say or ask one thing or to go on stage and participate greatly. Suggestions for other solutions are always welcome. After voting, a group will count up the votes and another group will check it afterwards. Once the votes are finalized, the result is announced in the Hall of Being the next day, or earlier, depending on urgency. Court affairs, lawsuits (rare) or criminals (even rarer) are tried before an annually elected jury of 3, plus 4 more random citizens, with a total of 7 jurors. Cases are fought as the two sides see fit, though one side may object to the tactics of one side and the 3 elected jurors will decide. If in favor of the objecting party, they will rechoose the other 4 jurors and retry the case, if the tactic went too far. If it was mild, the disfavored side isn't allowed to continue in that manner and all jurors are instructed to disregard the previous tactics. The Temple of Being is the temple to the creation god. Temples to other gods would be next to this temple, aloung the spiraling road. Aloung the cavern wall, the opposite point of which the spiral meets the wall is the opening to the outside Underdark, where the people leave to the mines or whatever. About a 2 hours or so before the biggest meal of the day, the miners return with the metal and they carry it to the Hall for preparations of meals. This may seem like not a lot of time spent on mining, but in truth, there are always expansive stored metals and these miners would have worked tirelessly that day, producing a lot more metal than a team of humans of the same size would in that time. These are suggestions and stuff for D&D stuff, etc.: -The kids have +X(I guess, 2) on Dexterity (I think) and -X on Constitution, whereas the adults have -X on Dexterity and +X on Constitution. All of these people get +Y on Charisma. The kids, being incorporeal, are obviously less sturdy, but more agile. The adults are very sturdy and have high endurance, but their metallic bodies slows them down. All of these people are naturally kind, even towards peculiar strangers. Only hostile advances causes these people to respond in a hostile manner. -The kids are Incorporeal and the adults have Ghost Touch (I think that's what Bandido said), but only towards their own young. -They all have Darkvision. -The kids all float slightly above the ground, about a half-foot without any focus. They can move in any direction without any pause or thought. They move in that direction by simply wishing to move that way. -The kids all have Absorb Metal, which lets them absorb metal into their bodies by "touching" it by will. About 5 cubic centimeters per 15 seconds. I don't know how long a round is, so I can't tell you in terms of that. Moving the absorbed metal away from the child would stop the process. If a predominantly metal item is subjected to the child's Absorb Metal long enough that at least 40% of it is absorbed, the item will be rendered unusable in most cases. -Adults have Metal Skin, which protects them almost completely from wooden weapons, and metallic/stone weapons' total damage would be reduced according to the weapon's hardness compared to the skin's hardness. Metal Skin also makes them recieve more fire damage. Rusting spells deal damage to them while spells that "derust" something can heal damage, but only damage dealt by rust spells. -Kids and adults share Metal-Based Body. This makes it so that as they eat/absorb metal into their bodies, they heal damage. -Teenagers, or children going through puberty, have the properties of children, but may spontaneously change so that it has the properties of an adult for 6d20 minutes. Checks for the change is done every round (I still have no idea how long's a round) and the check is done by rolling a d12. The change takes place if the rolled number is from 9 to 12. If any part of the teen is within a solid object when she takes on the properties of an adult, that part is stuck within the object, as if it were stuck in a hole in the object. Nothing other than discomfort is done to the teen because of this. I guess about several dozen different families per city. Each with about 7 people in them, um...250-300 people in each city. That would be about 180-200 votes usually. But including kids and teens, that would be about 245-280 or so, as babies can't vote. Although that might seem a lot, it really isn't. You have a team of about 7 and they each only have to look at a person's vote and mark it down. That takes like what, 3 seconds? Repeat the counting and the people would probably be done by the next night. And it's not like there's that much to vote on. Cities would be kinda rare because the people themselves aren't that common. Cities would be spread apart widely because they wouldn't want to intrude on each other's mining sights. If the metal is eventually completely emptied from the region, the people would either break up into different groups that go to different cities, or they all migrate to another city and stay there, or they all go to another city near an uninhabited area and slowly build another city by digging out the cavern and gathering the stone to build the homes and such. In that instance, the people not working on the new city would help their host city in return for the temporary homes. The Demortali's average adult height is about 5 feet, 10 inches or so. They don't range in height as much as humans do. Their body form is exactly like a human's would be, but hairless. Except for the longer hair on heads, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Their hair colours are mainly bronze, silver, or gold, though there may be mixes in hair colour. Their hair isn't actual metal. Eyes have a base-colour the same colour as their skin and their irises range in the same colours as their hair does. Pupils are a dark golden colour. Demortali skin colour are all the same-a strange silvery gold colour. The colour begins to darken to a deep golden colour as they become seniors. Demortali men usually wear their hair shoulder length and tied back, while women hair are longer and usually reach halfway to three-quarters way to their waist and are unbound. Men wear loose, plain tunics and pants casually; dark simple uniforms for mining; and have metal-coloured tunics and pants with an elaborate robe (not the stereotypical wizard/witch kind, the kind that opens in the front) over it for formal events. Women wear either simple dresses or a tunic and skirt casually; and elaborate dresses for formal events. Children look like children versions of the adults. Nothing about them makes people unfamiliar with the Demortali suspect that they can pass through walls. Their floating is hardly noticeable, especially with the dim lighting underground. Children wear basically smaller versions of adult clothing. The only difference in hair styles is that boys tend to have have short hair, eventually letting it grow when they get older. In battle, the Demortali wear simple clothing. Women may join battle, but as the government and Hall duties mostly lay on them, plus the need to continue mining usually forces them to stay behind. The Demortali soldier's clothings are made from gold threads. This is because the soldiers may find themselves lacking food and may start eating their clothing to avoid starvation. Also, as eating metal regenerates them, quickly biting off a part of his own uniform may make him heal any small wounds a soldier may have gotten. Some enemy soldiers may actually strip a dead Demortali for their golden clothing. Weapons the Demortali usually wield are either their powerful fists, stone weapons, or (if the city can afford the loss of food) metal weapons. Demortali are capable of becoming mages, especially powerful with spells that use metals as components. Demortali spellcasters often either cast spells that have some effect on or from metal, or cast spells having to do with the dead, though not in a necromancer way. These spellcasters don't resurrect the dead, but commune with them or call forth spiritual weapons (such as using calling forth his/her ancestors to form an explosion of energy or creating a temporary sword made of willing souls). They almost never force spirits to do their will, but instead request their aid. Again, this is a lot of info and some of it may be a bit outdated (mainly the *'s are now Being, the name of the god). Later, I'll go over this and highlight the more important facts. (I love the updates!:D )
WizO_Iyala 06-21-03, 05:42 PM	Now the thing about this is that I just don't do elves. It's should also be pretty obvious from everything else I've posted that I also don't do feet/legs. So the fact that this is an attempt at a fire elf and she has feet does not bode well. *shakes her head in dismay* I'll be trying to draw a man next... Still, this is my attempt at a Kabūri, I know it's not very good and the fire is all added on the computer, which is more than I normally would do but I really have no idea how to paint fire. I tried this all just because I wanted to try it, I hope I haven't gone too far from the description of them. And I know the skin is more grey than black but otherwise I would have just scanned black paper (fast becoming known as underdark paper) with some red stuff on it :)
Bandido 06-22-03, 09:54 AM	Dream Spinner - Thanks. The long-awaited D&D Demortali will be up soon. Iyala - Thanx for the picture. Fire is apparently impressively difficult to draw, so the computer-effect was probably the best way to go. As for the skin colour, that's fine. She looks a bit ashy, so maybe she got cold and wet recently. :) What do you find difficult about drawing men compared to drawing women? :confused: Oh, and where did you get the Magic card maker you used to make the Shadow Dragon? I'd like to have a go.
WizO_Iyala 06-22-03, 11:13 AM	I just can't draw men. I've never managed to draw a guy that looks like a guy except in very cartoon-y format. There's something about the figures of men. Women are easier, so long as you get all the curvy bits in the automaticly look like women ;) The editor I used for the shadow dragon is Twan van Laarhoven's Magic Set Editor (http://members.lycos.nl/twanvl2/) which is very fun and easy to use. I'd also recommend MTG Editor (http://www.weikopf.de/mtglair/editor.html) by our very own Wollo, I think it's still in Beta testing but it's worth trying particularly because it has more flexibility in backgrounds, it has templates for colored non basic lands, which really helped with my swamp. They're both free and both have different strengths :)
Bandido 06-22-03, 03:28 PM	Demortali (I'll just do the stats, Dream Spinner, you fill in the blanks in a normal race entry if you want, but it's not really needed.) Demortalorum racial stats (The name 'Demortalus' appears to be Latin {certainly its plural follows Latin declension}, and demortalorum is the genitive plural, which is as close to an adjective as you're going to get) +4 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity: The metallic frame of the Demortali is extremely sturdy, but rigid, and often unmanoeuvrable. All Demortali are charming, and friendly. Medium size: As medium-sized creatures, Demortalorum have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Demortalorum base speed is 30 ft. Demortalorum base burrowing speed is 10 ft Natural weapons: Slap d6/d6. Dermortali have large fists that deal out forceful blows to their enemies. Natural Armour +4: The demortalorum hard metallic skin helps deflect blows. Ghost touch (Ex): the natural weapons of a demortalus have the special weapon ability Ghost Touch. The demortali are incorporeal before puberty, and this ability allows them to interact with their young. Darkvision: Demortali can see in the dark up to 120 ft. Darkvision is black and white, but otherwise functions the same as normal vision. Fire vulnerability (Ex): Demortali take double damage from fire on a failed save. Their metal skin conducts heat to their innards surprisingly well. Eat Metal: Instead of normal food, Demortali eat metal, and must consume 3 pounds of metal, or 6 pounds of unrefined ore, a day to avoid starving. When they eat metal, they heal 1 HP for each pound they eat. +4 racial bonus to Profession: Miner and Craft: Blacksmith. The denortali have much practice at finding, refining, and shaping metal. Damage reduction 4/metal: The metal skin of a Demortalus resists most blows, but their ability to incorporate metal into their bodies unfortunately applies to metal weapons too. Favoured Class: Fighter. The natural abilities of demortali allow them to excel in the front line. Level Adjustment: +2. Demortali are more powerful than standard PC races, and consequently gain levels more slowly. Hmmm, I'm really not sure about these. The LA...are they worth it? I'd hate to see one of these encounter a rust monster :D . I'll do the children later, but as a monster, probably. Iyala: Thanx for the links. I can't get the Magic set editor (I get told that I have to download it directly from his website, when I'm already there :confused: ) but the M:tG editor works fantastically! I've made some cards, so how do I post them here? Should I e-mail them to you so you can attach them? The IMG tag doesn't apppear to work here....
Dream Spinner 06-22-03, 09:08 PM	Originally posted by WizO_Iyala I just can't draw men. I've never managed to draw a guy that looks like a guy except in very cartoon-y format. There's something about the figures of men. Women are easier, so long as you get all the curvy bits in the automaticly look like women ;) Yeah, women are easier to draw so that it's easy to tell that it's a woman, for obvious reasons. Also, long hair goes easily with them, which I love. Long hair is a lot easier to draw (plus you can use it to cover up body parts you don't want to draw, such as, ugh, hands). But if you draw long hair on guys, people tend to assume it's a woman. Male lips are also difficult for me, they either end up feminine, weird, or nonexistant. Abs are absolutely horrifying.:razz: Anyway, Iyala, your drawing is good. And I need you to either come up with a pantheon for your faeries, or to simply give the job to someone else. And who's doing the Fire Drow as Uncle Mikey (I think that's who created them) had said he was leaving until we have like a firm base to this world or something like that. And whomever made the shadowrats need to make their pantheon, but I do see the shadowrats not really having a pantheon.
WizO_Iyala 06-23-03, 03:26 AM	Yeah and women can wear skirts which means that you can often avoid drawing feet :D I hate feet :( And I'll have a think about the pantheon for the fairies, it'll probably be small, I don't see them as a particularly religious race. Maybe there should be a god of the really sharp knives ;) Would the fire elves have a pantheon? I can imagine them being a fairly secular society, the idea of a religion seems to imply that they think of others or would bother with observing riturals. I'm not sure what religion would have to offer such a totally ruthless race out for nothing but their own gain. Even worshiping a god of power/fire/greed would suggest that if they didn't worship the god they wouldn't get the power/fire/stuff and they seem a little too motivated to be superstitious.
Leaves 06-23-03, 03:37 AM	Originally posted by WizO_Iyala Would the fire elves have a pantheon? I can imagine them being a fairly secular society, the idea of a religion seems to imply that they think of others or would bother with observing riturals. I'm not sure what religion would have to offer such a totally ruthless race out for nothing but their own gain. Even worshiping a god of power/fire/greed would suggest that if they didn't worship the god they wouldn't get the power/fire/stuff and they seem a little too motivated to be superstitious. Giving them a strongly atheist culture would also serve to distinguish them more from the drow, a definate plus since they look so much like the drow, people might be inclined to get them mixed up. Oh, and I love the dark fairies. I haven't read through them completely, but they are a cool concept.
Dream Spinner 06-23-03, 12:22 PM	Originally posted by WizO_Iyala And I'll have a think about the pantheon for the fairies, it'll probably be small, I don't see them as a particularly religious race. Maybe there should be a god of the really sharp knives ;) Would the fire elves have a pantheon? I can imagine them being a fairly secular society, the idea of a religion seems to imply that they think of others or would bother with observing riturals. I'm not sure what religion would have to offer such a totally ruthless race out for nothing but their own gain. Even worshiping a god of power/fire/greed would suggest that if they didn't worship the god they wouldn't get the power/fire/stuff and they seem a little too motivated to be superstitious. Since cultures can share some or all gods, we could have the fire drow worshipping Ycevil, the Demortaluron(:confused: ) goddess of pretty much everything the fire-drow stand for. She doesn't require any worship or anything like that, simply fear of her. The Demortali also call her the creator of the shadowrats, fire drow, and your dark faeries. (Note that in reality, she didn't really.) For your dark faeries' god(s), they could simply be agnostic, slightly respecting Gaia, but with no myths about her because then she would be pulled into the whole war of the pantheons thing. Note that with no faith in their own gods, they may be easy for other gods to swoop down on.
Bandido 06-23-03, 03:02 PM	Originally posted by Dream Spinner Since cultures can share some or all gods, we could have the fire drow worshipping Ycevil, the Demortaluron(:confused: ) goddess of pretty much everything the fire-drow stand for. She doesn't require any worship or anything like that, simply fear of her. The Demortali also call her the creator of the shadowrats, fire drow, and your dark faeries. (Note that in reality, she didn't really.) For your dark faeries' god(s), they could simply be agnostic, slightly respecting Gaia, but with no myths about her because then she would be pulled into the whole war of the pantheons thing. Note that with no faith in their own gods, they may be easy for other gods to swoop down on. Yes, but I expect that most gods wouldn't want such fickle people as the dark fairies as their worshippers, as they'd just start worshipping other gods within a couple of days. I'd prefer the fire elves to have no particular gods, but just to worship fire, as in the Heart of the Universe myth. That's not to say that individual Kabūri couldn't choose otherwise - in fact, Ycevil appears to be a perfect choice for the typical fire elf - but that it wouldn't be common. And, as Leaves said, making them generally agnostic would separate them from typical D&D drow. I don't particularly mind though. Oh yes, Demortalorum is what the genitive plural of Demortalus would be if it was a Latin word. It literally means 'of the Demortali.' I put that down because the name 'Demortalus' and the plural 'Demortali' follow Latin declension rules, and are very Latin-sounding, but as the Demortali gods' names aren't Latin at all, it sounds wrong. :blush: If you don't like it, just change it for an adjective you think fits better.
WizO_Iyala 06-23-03, 05:39 PM	Oh I've got plans for my fairy religion now :D And a possible addition to the Shalendae: The Very Sharp Knives that characterise the race are actually a status symbol. A young fairy might be given their first knife by an older sibling or cousin at their coming of age. It would be fairly plain and simple to start with, additional blades, edges and points would be earned through increases in status, capturing of trophies, winning of battles etc. during the course of their lives. The tradition is largely symbolic now, after their first few decades the fairies would earn enough staus to create very elaborate and deadly weapons but beyond this they would earn sacred runes and adornments for their blades. Although all this would be an unwritten rule of the society, anyone attemting to carry a blade they had not earned would be forced to prove themselves in combat against one of equal rank. It would be a very disorganised system in practice, often ending in brawls but each fairy would be fiercly proud of their own Very Sharp Knives. Anyone have any thoughts on this? I know the idea of a weapon as a status symbol is a bit over-done but I love the thought of this chaotic society that doesn't really care about much else being totally hung up on how many points a knife has :)
Bandido 06-23-03, 09:30 PM	It's not bad. Certainly, all these knife fights would explain exactly why they're so unpleasant when they venture on to the surface. Fighting for the right to wield a particuar type of knife.... As it stands, it is a bit overdone, but it is a good idea. I like the idea of them fighting over different points, edges, and runes to add onto their blades, but I'm not sure if I like the idea of definite ranks. Perhaps if an obviously inexperienced Shalendae came along with all the bells and whistles on his blade, more experienced Shalendae would quickly challenge him to 'duels' and strip him of them :D. Hmmmmm.... I'll have to think about this. I like it. :)
WizO_Iyala 06-24-03, 03:33 AM	Originally posted by Bandido I've made some cards, so how do I post them here? Should I e-mail them to you so you can attach them? The IMG tag doesn't apppear to work here.... Sorry, missed this part of your post :) I'll attach a few if you want but if we're going to be making a lot of cards we don't want to upload too many, I'm not sure how much the boards can take ;) Let me have a few and I'll put them up :) Maybe we could have a shared account on an image hosting site so we can all put up any stuff we have? I've been using strike9.com since UnCon and other than occasional gltichy-ness it's not too bad :) Okay, now I see the problem with the IMG tag, that is beyond weird. I've not come across that on any other forum, I'll ask Dox about it, I doubt it's something intentional :)
Dream Spinner 06-24-03, 01:57 PM	Originally posted by Bandido I'd prefer the fire elves to have no particular gods, but just to worship fire, as in the Heart of the Universe myth. That's not to say that individual Kabūri couldn't choose otherwise - in fact, Ycevil appears to be a perfect choice for the typical fire elf - but that it wouldn't be common. And, as Leaves said, making them generally agnostic would separate them from typical D&D drow. I don't particularly mind though. Oh yes, Demortalorum is what the genitive plural of Demortalus would be if it was a Latin word. It literally means 'of the Demortali.' I put that down because the name 'Demortalus' and the plural 'Demortali' follow Latin declension rules, and are very Latin-sounding, but as the Demortali gods' names aren't Latin at all, it sounds wrong. :blush: If you don't like it, just change it for an adjective you think fits better. About the Heart of the Universe one, it's not the actual thing, so Fire as a divine being doesn't exist. Unless they worship one into being, but I think you're going with just worshiping the element of fire, but not personifying it. Because if they do, no matter what you do, eventually a divine fire being will rise. About the adjective form, I don't really care. And on Being, Being is translated from the Demortalorum language. The other names have no real translation.
Bandido 06-25-03, 08:10 AM	Originally posted by Dream Spinner About the Heart of the Universe one, it's not the actual thing, so Fire as a divine being doesn't exist. Unless they worship one into being, but I think you're going with just worshiping the element of fire, but not personifying it. Because if they do, no matter what you do, eventually a divine fire being will rise. I know the Heart of the Universe doesn't actually exist, but I was saying that they were users of fire magic, and didn't worship any particular gods. They aren't personifying the element. I'm not sure whether worship is the right word; they just want to emulate fire's destructive nature, and they respect it, but they don't pray to it, or anything like that. They see fire as a role-model, sort-of.
Dream Spinner 06-25-03, 12:07 PM	Originally posted by Bandido I know the Heart of the Universe doesn't actually exist, but I was saying that they were users of fire magic, and didn't worship any particular gods. They aren't personifying the element. I'm not sure whether worship is the right word; they just want to emulate fire's destructive nature, and they respect it, but they don't pray to it, or anything like that. They see fire as a role-model, sort-of. Oh, okay. That'll work to make them agnostic. They'd be sort of druid-y then, wouldn't they? Now, in the Underdark, there would be nonhumanoid species, wouldn't there? Like monsters and stuff? So we get to make up those too?
Bandido 06-25-03, 01:26 PM	Yep! :) Anything underdark related. Monsters would be good. I think I'm going to do something Starveil-related, if Iyala doesn't mind. Iyala, do you mind?
WizO_Iyala 06-25-03, 02:40 PM	Of course not :) Though the fact that Starveil is underground makes it pretty much an underdark thing though the fact that I had no idea what an underdark was when I thought it up means that it would probably be a little less... well... dark than the underdark stuff we've got so far. Maybe that would be a feature of Starveil, being so close to the true underdark it would always have to fight off the influence of those people and the inclination to become more like underdark races, it would make the Starveil people very wary of other underground races and a little paranoid. Something really great that has just occured to me is just how much more I know about D&D, general RP stuff and things like underdarks than I did when we started out on this. That's pretty cool :) Idea for an underdark beastie: What if there was a creature a bit like the pigs that hunt for truffles but a rock version? It would very slowly bore through rocks and if it had been properly trained it would seek out certain minerals in the rockallowing people to mine it. They've be sort of like turtles, small and rock-like but they might munch through the rock somehow. Wow I need to drink way less coffee :twitch:
Bandido 06-25-03, 03:24 PM	Originally posted by WizO_Iyala Of course not :) Though the fact that Starveil is underground makes it pretty much an underdark thing though the fact that I had no idea what an underdark was when I thought it up means that it would probably be a little less... well... dark than the underdark stuff we've got so far. Yay, thanx! :D Starveil was actually what gave me the idea for the underdark thread, because I wanted to know what else was there. :) Originally posted by WizO_Iyala Idea for an underdark beastie: What if there was a creature a bit like the pigs that hunt for truffles but a rock version? It would very slowly bore through rocks and if it had been properly trained it would seek out certain minerals in the rockallowing people to mine it. They've be sort of like turtles, small and rock-like but they might munch through the rock somehow. Wow I need to drink way less coffee :twitch: Sounds good. :) Maybe it could have no eyes, and sense things only by smell and by sensing the vibrations. The Starveil druids would use them to locate the roots which they sell as commodities, and to much through the rocks to find them. However, they could be the babies of a much bigger monster, which eats so much rock that it is in danger of collapsing the tunnels in which the druids live.... And coffee's bad. Drink tea instead. :P
WizO_Iyala 06-25-03, 06:20 PM	Originally posted by Bandido Yay, thanx! :D Starveil was actually what gave me the idea for the underdark thread, because I wanted to know what else was there. :) Mwahahahaha! I inadvertantly spawned the epic underdark thread :D I'd imagined the beasites being used by a non druid-y type race, somewhere deep in the underdark where there would be no point in living except for access to metals and gems they could sell. I like the idea of the creatures being babies of bigger things. They could be trained up from when they're little and used until they get to a certain age at which point they go feral. If you don't get rid of them before that point you'll start losing limbs. I'm not sure they could be used to find roots because if the rock got munched away you'd be left without much of your home after a few generaions. So I guess it would be a nomadic underdark group, living in an area not populated by many other races. The little beasies would burrow to the point of finding gold or diamonds and then, if they were trained right, return. Originally posted by Bandido And coffee's bad. Drink tea instead. :P Coffee is gooooood. Tea doesn't bestow the same super human powers of being able to survive a US site on a european time zone ;) We do need more nasties for our underdark, I think a lot of these races would thrive best in the face of a bit of teeth-y opposition. Not sure how it should look though. I keep having this image of flying snakes but that's just too odd even for me to think through.
Dream Spinner 06-26-03, 02:50 AM	Originally posted by WizO_Iyala Maybe that would be a feature of Starveil, being so close to the true underdark it would always have to fight off the influence of those people and the inclination to become more like underdark races, it would make the Starveil people very wary of other underground races and a little paranoid. Hey! The SBUR (Society for a Better Underdark Reputation) resents that! What about the Demortali? And I like the twitchy smily. :twitch::D
Dream Spinner 06-26-03, 03:07 AM	Originally posted by WizO_Iyala Mwahahahaha! I inadvertantly spawned the epic underdark thread :D Okay. Originally posted by WizO_Iyala Coffee is gooooood. Tea doesn't bestow the same super human powers of being able to survive a US site on a european time zone ;) Actually coffee contains that super-substance caffiene that ends up slowing your metabolism rate thingy. :teach: Originally posted by WizO_Iyala We do need more nasties for our underdark, I think a lot of these races would thrive best in the face of a bit of teeth-y opposition. Not sure how it should look though. I keep having this image of flying snakes but that's just too odd even for me to think through. Great! :smirk: Okay, first, how about some undead: Demortali Husks. These undead are the Demortali whose bodies have not been given their proper funeral rites. Consisting only of the outer metal layer of skin it had when living, the Demortali Husks' legs are often weighed down by bones and any un-decomposed flesh while their upperbody is very light. These unholy creatures are simply frightning at first, but they soon develop an dark aura that warps their body into sadistic shapes. With their newly formed blades, spikes, etc. the Demortali Husks attack all Demortali they encounter in its uncontrollable rage against its former nation that denied it proper rest. They are unnerving to all, completely silent but for the rattling bones and sloshing leftover organs. Shalendae Banshee. These malevolent shades are the restless spirits of the Shalendae who had died on a quest of curiousity, such as a Shalendae that'd died trying to figure out what kinds of bones are those floating in the pool of flesh-devouring liquid? These spirits will endlessly try to accomplish its goal, whether it is made easier by incorporealness or made impossible. These spirits will screech at anyone who dares to bother them, the screech eventually causing the blood vessels of anyone listening to burst. Once the goal is accomplished, the banshee will dissapate into whatever afterlife the Shalendae goes to.
WizO_Iyala 06-26-03, 06:27 PM	Those are really great, Dream Spinner, way better than common or garden zombies :D "mmmm... brains..." it's so done :D I love the idea of such really creepy wraiths, especially the curious Shalendae spirits. It makes me wonder whether an entire ghostly race would be interesting. Not to step on the toes of the Demortalus kids. Well, maybe not a race. What I'm picturing is not really an entity but the remnants of a spell cast by an extinct race. I can imagine a species that once inhabited the underdark regions might have proection spells or enchantments set in certain regions. If exploring uninhabited areas, travellers might triger the ward and be met by either an insubstantial guide or guardian. I don't know if this could count as a form of trap within D&D or whether this sort of thing is something that's been done to death. I just like history in the worlds I think and write in and a long dead race makes for great history, myths, relics and strange happenings.
Dream Spinner 06-27-03, 04:38 PM	Thanx. I like your idea, work on it some more. And here's a creature from the Xanth novels: Diggles. Looking exactly like a giant earthworm, these creatures can reach up to lengths of five feet, with their girth increasing porportionally. These creatures are completely unhostile and are actually useful for travellers in the Underdark, as they have the ability to turn all soil, rock, natural metals, etc. around them insubstantial, which is how they travel through their earthen homes. They enjoy music and are willing to help anyone who'll pay by making any moderately good music (singing or otherwise) while the diggle carries him/her and his/her companions through the dirt. It is practically impossible to starve diggles, for they draw their nutrients from the soil that they turn incorporeal.
WizO_Iyala 06-27-03, 05:33 PM	Ancient Guide Guides are normally found near sacred sites (either existing areas that may have been adapted to new uses or old areas that have fallen into disrepair) or isolated areas where travelers might get lost. More often than not they are deactivated if they are in populated areas though very pwerful mages may be able to educate them to be ueful in the modern world. The guides are a form of enchantment set into the rock of the underdark itself. The most basic guides take the form of voices from the rock though at their most complex they form patterns and even humanoid forms in the rock walls. Their range is limited, again relating to the power of the original enchantment. The most simple guide would be an audio signpost and the most complex might take the form of its creator to talk a traveller with the correct password through a series of deadly traps. However they can never leave the rock. At their most poerful they may have very limited influence over objects in their location. Guides are sometimed invoked by a chant, a password or the presence of a charm however some are triggered simply by the proximity of a person. Their presence will normally be marked by a rune in the rock. Certain spells / artifacts exist which can summon the nearest guide within a certain distance however their knowledge would be greatly decreased. Ancient Guardians The Guardians are the dangerous cousins of the guides. They are somewhat less common due to the greater power of magic required to set the original enchantment. Guardians are located at sites of importance to their creators, most of which have now been abandoned. A guardian will always need to be removed from an inhabited area however this is a vastly more difficut process than removing a guide. Guardians generaly have a shorter range than guides however they are capable of physicaly manifesting in the form of poltergeist-like spirits. Their direct physical power is limited however they are closely attuned to the underdark and will hurl rocks or split the ground beneath travellers if challenged. Guardians will, as a rule, have a word or charm that will deactivate them, this would have been needed by the race that originaly set them in place. Some of these codes have been recorded, others are lost with the records of the reace that created the guardians and those are very hard to evade/deactivate.
Bandido 06-27-03, 08:02 PM	Hey, sorry for not being here, but I've been doing this. I hope you can appreciate it in some way - I know you're not hot on D&D stuff, but maybe you could give it the once-over, and see if it fits flavour-wise. I'm just annoyed because I spent half an hour writing up flavour text for this, only to accidentally delete it. :( Oh well, I can rewrite it. Here is the Starveil druid! ....And some other stuff. Underground druids Living underground,the Starveil druids have little use for some of the boons that other druids receive, that apply mainly to forests. For a starveil druid, or other underground druid, change the following abilities: Bonus languages: remove Sylvan from the list. Add Clinestra and Kabūri. Woodland Stride: becomes Underground Stride. Applies underground, and allows the druid to negotiate tunnels without being impeded by the rough ground and stalagtites/stalagmites. This does not apply to magically changed terrain. And now for a prestige class, based on Starveil (a prestige class in D&D is a class which characters can join later in their careers - it represents the joining of an organisation, or a specialisation in a particular technique, and results in a narrowing of your character's focus in exchange for slightly increased power). Starveil Druid The Starveil druids are a unique group of druids who, centuries ago, retreated underground, and currently reside in a series of caves. They tend the roots of plants that grow in the centre of a great desert. While the farmers on the surface eke out a living from the scarce resources of the island, the druids use their powers to find the roots of great plants under the earth, which they sell as delicacies. During their careers as druids, the inhabitants of Starveil abandon the usual routes that druids explore to hone strange skills. Hit die - d6. Requirements: Knowledge (Nature): 7 ranks Wilderness Lore: 7 ranks Knowledge (arcana): 3 ranks Feat: Craft Wondrous Item Special: Must be trained as a druid in Starveil Special: Must not have the Wild Shape ability Special: Must not have an Animal Companion Special: Ability to cast 2nd-level druid spells Class Skills: The druid's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intuit Direction (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), Spellcraft (Int), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). Weapon and armour proficiencies: Starveil druids gain no proficiency with weapons or armour. BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities 1. +0 +2 +0 +2 Plant Domain, Extra Spell 2. +1 +3 +0 +3 Speak with Plants 1/day, Detect Plants 1/day 3. +2 +3 +1 +3 Plant Growth 1/day 4. +3 +4 +1 +4 Draw Water (Ex) 5. +3 +4 +1 +4 Immunity to poison (Ex) 6. +4 +5 +2 +5 Darkvision (60 ft) (Ex) 7. +5 +5 +2 +5 Speak with Plants 5/day, Earth Domain 8. +6 +6 +2 +6 Plant Growth 3/day, Detect Plants at will 9. +6 +6 +3 +6 10. +7 +7 +3 +7 Roots of Stone (Su) 11. +8 +7 +3 +7 Speak with Plants at will 12. +9 +8 +4 +8 Darkvision (120 ft) (Ex) 13. +9 +8 +4 +8 Root Form 14. +10 +9 +4 +9 Plant Growth at will 15. +11 +9 +5 +9 Move through Stone (Ex) Spells per day/spells known: At each Starveil druid level, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in druid.She does not, however, gain any other benefit a druid would have gained (Wild Shape, etc). Plant Domain: At 1st level, a Starveil druid gains access to the Plant domain. This gives her an extra spell of each level with which to memorise a spell from the Plant domain, and also gives her access to the granted power of the Plant domain. For any level-based variable of a domain granted power, a Starveil druid may use her combined druid and Starveil druid level. Extra Spell: At level 1, the spell Evard's Black Tentacles is added to the druid spell list as a 4th level spell. This spell functions exactly the same as the wizards spell, except that it can only be cast underground, and summons roots to crawl out of the earth and grab people, rather than creating black tentacles. Speak with Plants (Ex): A Starveil druid can use her formidable affinity to plants to speak to them. This ability acts in exactly the same way as the spell, except that it is an Extraordinary ability. A Starveil druid may use this ability once per day at level 2, five times per day at level 3, and at will at level 11. Detect Plants (Ex): Starveil druids have to be able to find roots underground, and this ability helps them in this goal. This ability functions in exactly the same way as the spell Detect Plants and Animals, except that it may only detect plants, and it is an extraordinary ability. A Starveil druid may use this ability once per day at level 2, and at will at level 8. Plant Growth (Ex): Starveil, situated as it is in the middle of a large desert, sometimes needs more than nature's bounty to grow. This ability functions in exactly the same way as the spell Plant Growth, except that it is an extraordinary ability. A Starveil druid may use this ability once per day at level 3, three times per day at level 8, and at will at level 14. Draw Water (Ex): Emulating the roots of their home, this ability allows a Starveil druid to take water from the ground. For each hour a Starveil druid is barefoot, and her feet are in contact with bare earth or stone, she can go without one-eighth of her normal water requirements with no ill effects. Immunity to poison: At level 5, a Starveil druid becomes immune to all poisons. Darkvision: As a Starveil druid adapts to her subterranean environment, she gains the ability to see in the dark. At level 6, she gains 60 ft darkvision. At level 12, the darkvision improves to 120 ft. Earth Domain: At level 7, a Starveil druid gains access to the Earth domain. This allows her to memorise Earth domain spells as domain spells, and also gives her the granted ability of the Earth domain. For any level-based variable of a domain granted power, a Starveil druid may use her combined druid and Starveil druid level. Roots of Stone (Su): At level 10, a Starveil druid learns to emulate the plants that live in Starveil, and reach deep into the earth for stability and water. When a Starveil druid uses this ability, she becomes immovable; her Dex drops to 0 (-5 AC), and she canot perform any action that requires movement. She opposes any attempt to move her with a Wisdom check modified by 3 timed her class level (so a L4 druid/L10 Starveil druid would add +30), and gains damage reduction 15/- while this state persists. She also gets her entire water requirement for the day from using this ability. This ability can be used once per day, and lasts for 1 round per level. It can be dismissed. Root Form: The Starveil druid, formerly only able to emulate a root, now effectively becomes one. At level 13, a Starveil druid permanently becomes a plant creature. Her type changes to plant, and as a result she gaind low-light vision, is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, and stunning, and is not subject to critical hits or mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, or morale effects). She no longer suffers penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any aging penalties he may already have suffered, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the Starveil druid still dies when his time is up. Move through Stone (Ex): Now, the Starveil druid undergoes her final transformation, and can dig through the rock, deeper and deeper. At level 15, the Starveil druid gains the ability to move through earth and stone at her normal movement rate as if they were air. I'll comment on your stuff more in the morning. I really need to sleeeeep.....zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Dream Spinner 06-28-03, 02:39 AM	Wow. That's a lot of work. It looks good, or really good, I wouldn't really know. I like the slow transformation to a plant, which I believe is different from regular druids, because they slowly change into animals, I think. (There's no shrug smiley! :bigeyes: ) Good job. <Pats you on the back slightly awkwardly>
nick012000 06-28-03, 06:25 AM	druids don't become animals exept when the are using they're Wild Shape ability, during which they polymorph. At higher levels they can turn into elementals. Wow. a 15-level PrC. most are only 10. what happens if the Starveil druid decides to gain enough levels of druid to gain Wild Shape?
nick012000 06-28-03, 06:28 AM	what about the wiggles, whose young can travel through solid objects with ease, leaving tiny holes in them?
Bandido 06-28-03, 08:19 AM	Thanx, Dream Spinner! Originally posted by nick012000 druids don't become animals exept when the are using they're Wild Shape ability, during which they polymorph. At higher levels they can turn into elementals. Wow. a 15-level PrC. most are only 10. what happens if the Starveil druid decides to gain enough levels of druid to gain Wild Shape? If they gain Wild Shape before gaining Root Form, then they lose all abilities of the PrC. I did that specifically to stop people from taking one-level dips in this PrC to gain the Plant domain, and because I don't think transforming into animals fits the plant-based ethos of Starveil. After they gain root form, they gain the plant type, and therefore become immune to polymorph, so they can't gain Wild Shape anyway, and after that they can continue increasing their druid level with no repercussions (although there's not much reason to, as you're a minimum of level 17, and the Move through Earth ability, and the epic Starveil druid, beckon). I made it a 15-level PrC as it's supposed to supplant the usual druid progression rather than supplement it. Thanks for the comment! Now to read and comment on other people's stuff....
Dream Spinner 06-28-03, 01:24 PM	Originally posted by nick012000 what about the wiggles, whose young can travel through solid objects with ease, leaving tiny holes in them? Not only does it really not make as much sense as the diggle for them to be living underground, but underground, the effects of wiggles are practically unseeable for a long time. Underdark isn't a big layer of open space in the earth, but a system of tunnels and caves. The wiggles would take a while for them to finally have an impact somewhere, slowly jumping forth a few feet. Plus, I don't know how wiggles would interact with D&D magic. Xanthian magic, okay, it's simply weird (and getting weirder :twitch: ) and magic is completely soaked into all of Xanth. Everything is magic there.
Bandido 06-28-03, 02:25 PM	Iyala, Dream Spinner: neither of you are familiar with Dark Sun, are you? Some of those ideas seem very...familiar. They're not entirely the same, just similar, so there'd be no problems with plagiarism, but it's a little strange.... Dream Spinner: I really like the Demortali husk. I can just imagine seeing it howl silently, as you hear its innards slosh around inside it. I think it would fit if the husk was all rusty, and it caused all metal it came into contact with to start to rust, effectively giving the Demortali a disease while wiping out their food supply. How about this for an M:tG card based on it? Demortalus Husk :b: :b: Sacrifice a land: Demortalus husk gets +2/+0 until end of turn :b:: Regenerate 2/1 'Born from the earth's heart, and cursed to walk it forevermore....' The Shalendae banshee is interesting (if very similar to the Athasian Dwarven banshee), and I like it. I can’t think of a decent card mechanic, though. These would need to be templates in D&D, which I’ll do at some point. I’m doing races at the moment. The Diggles :twitch: They’re a little odd, aren’t they? The general idea of something causing the earth around it to become insubstantial I quite like, but I’m not so sure about the intelligence and the liking of music. That just seems twee. Iyala: Your idea is already used in several things – the guides crop up about everywhere, and are probably the quintessential ‘relic from an ancient civilisation’ in RPGs in general. Guardians are also fairly common as guardians of civilisations that no longer exist. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t use them in this, though – although everything uses them, they’re not clichéd, and are a fairly logical thing for ancient civilisations to have done.
WizO_Iyala 06-28-03, 04:15 PM	Dark Sun means nothing to me but it doesn't entirely suprise me that an idea like that would have turned up before *sigh* I'd imagined the guides & guardians might be a little unoriginal, they just seemed they might be somethign fun to play with in stories, particularly because after being abandoned for so long it'd be impossible to guess whether they'd still be sane or whether their powers might have twisted or improved. I'm trying to think how a more original spin could be put on them. Either way I think having previous civilisations in the underdark is something we should have. In order for the world to be authentic is needs to have a past and that should include dead races. Originally posted by Bandido Demortalus Husk :b: :b: Sacrifice a land: Demortalus husk gets +2/+0 until end of turn :b:: Regenerate 2/1 'Born from the earth's heart, and cursed to walk it forevermore....'Nice card, an interesting reflection of nantuko husk (and if you hadn't seen that before, I am very freaked out) And very well done on the Starveil druids, Bandido, I don't begin to understand it of course but it looks good :) And, due in part to the world creation project, I bought the D&D players handbook this afternoon so maybe in a few weeks I will understand at least part of it :D Now I just need someone to help me make use of it :(
Dream Spinner 06-28-03, 06:01 PM	I like the rust "disease" better than the warping blades and such. I have no idea what the "Athasian Dwarven banshee" is, but okay. I just figured: If the faerie died trying to figure out something, why would they just give up figuring it out just because she died? Keep trying until it accomplishes it and once it does, it fades into afterlife. FYI, unlike the Husks, these banshees aren't evil. They only scream at those who are bothering them directly, and even then, they do not know the nature of their screeches. The screaming is just to warn the botherer away. A crude idea of a banshee in M:tG terms: Curious Shalendae (1):u::b: Creature-Faerie Flying. :u::b:, :t:, Sacrifice ~: Name a card. Reveal the top 3 cards of your library. If one of the revealed cards is the named card, put it into your hand. If not, shuffle your library and put a creature token copy of ~ into play. In addition to any creature types it has, it is a Spirit. It is now black. 2/1 This doesn't include the scream-weapon part, but it does keep trying, possibly forever, to "figure out the answer". I can imagine the band of heroes walking, lost in the dark until they came upon what looked like a transparent Shalendae. They stare as it flies into a magically protected opening and get burned up into a mist. The mist comes back together as the faerie in front of the opening. And it flies into the opening again. And again. And again. After awhile, the constant screams of frustration/imagined pain in burning gets annoying. The band of heroes walks away, slightly disturbed. Yes, the diggles are odd. They were created by Piers Anthony. They'd be odd to be not odd. The working for a song is simply in the book. You can change it to whatever. But remember that worms don't really need all that much.
Dream Spinner 06-28-03, 06:07 PM	Originally posted by WizO_Iyala And very well done on the Starveil druids, Bandido, I don't begin to understand it of course but it looks good :) And, due in part to the world creation project, I bought the D&D players handbook this afternoon so maybe in a few weeks I will understand at least part of it :D Now I just need someone to help me make use of it :( Hey, I've read it! I don't know why I did or if I understood it, but I did! For example, Barbarians can go into a rage, which boosts their power, but afterwards, they get winded, at least until a certain level. Wizards are spellcasters that research magic and learns it, while sorcerors are spellcasters born with magic. Elves don't sleep, but they go into a trance. Dwarves get a Charisma loss because of their gruffness. And why I remember all this I don't know. :confused::twitch:
Bandido 06-29-03, 10:13 AM	Originally posted by WizO_Iyala And very well done on the Starveil druids, Bandido, I don't begin to understand it of course but it looks good :) And, due in part to the world creation project, I bought the D&D players handbook this afternoon so maybe in a few weeks I will understand at least part of it :D Now I just need someone to help me make use of it :( You bought the PHB!? A new edition is coming out within a matter of weeks! Check if it's the 3.5th edition; if not, take it back, as everything in it will be superseded in a couple of weeks at the very most! If you have a hankering to learn the rules of 3e, they're available free on www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd.html . Sorry if I was a little overexcited there, but I didn't want to see you waste money. As for needing someone to help you make use of it, you could always join a game online here in the Real D&D adventures forum, or look at your local games shop to see if anyone's advertising for a new person to game with. And, when we get a little more of this world done, I was thinking of running a campaign based in this world in RDnDA, and obviously both you and Dream Spinner would be welcome to join. :D I had seen Nantuko Husk at one point, yes. :) I like the idea of extinct races as well, but I don't think we need to define them that much. That would undermine their mystery. All we need is a vague concept, and a secret to go with the race, and a few examples of what the guardians/guides do (which we already have). Dream Spinner: I like the card. You just use the ability every turn until you have the card you want. The Shalendae scream could be a black instant or sorcery, a Dark Banishing, Terror, or similar. How about: Banshee Wail :b::b: Instant Choose a target creature. Flip a coin. If you win, destroy that creature. If not, destroy a diferent target creature. Impressive rules knowledge for someone who's never played the game, Dream Spinner. :)
Dream Spinner 06-29-03, 03:38 PM	Originally posted by Bandido Dream Spinner: I like the card. You just use the ability every turn until you have the card you want. The Shalendae scream could be a black instant or sorcery, a Dark Banishing, Terror, or similar. How about: Banshee Wail :b::b: Instant Choose a target creature. Flip a coin. If you win, destroy that creature. If not, destroy a diferent target creature. Impressive rules knowledge for someone who's never played the game, Dream Spinner. :) The card is pretty good. Capable of destroying any creature for 2 mana, although not exactly the one you want half the time. It might be better costed (2):b: or (1):b::b:. And extensive rules knowledge of what? M:tG? I never said I've never played the game. In fact, I do. D&D? Where do I show extensive rules knowledge?
Bandido 06-29-03, 03:43 PM	Originally posted by Dream Spinner The card is pretty good. Capable of destroying any creature for 2 mana, although not exactly the one you want half the time. It might be better costed (2):b: or (1):b::b:. And extensive rules knowledge of what? M:tG? I never said I've never played the game. In fact, I do. D&D? Where do I show extensive rules knowledge? Impressive rules knowledge of D&D, as shown in the post before mine. The card is good, but it's not as good as Terror, which costs 2 :b:, as you're not certain of destroyong the creature. It can be regenerated. It might be a bit much, though. Maybe I should make it a sorcery. Hmmm...will think. It probably should destroy only non-black creatures, though.
Dream Spinner 06-29-03, 04:30 PM	Oh, those are just things I remembered. I remember more, but that's all. (That last part doesn't make sense, does it?) The thing is that even though you might miss that one creature, it still kills another. Not exactly the worst lost coin flip in the world. Plus, to save his/her creatures against this card for sure, the player must shield 2 creatures instead of just one.
WizO_Iyala 06-29-03, 05:50 PM	Originally posted by Bandido You bought the PHB!? A new edition is coming out within a matter of weeks! Check if it's the 3.5th edition; if not, take it back, as everything in it will be superseded in a couple of weeks at the very most! It's not. It has "core rulebook 1" on the cover and I really don't mind, it's not like I have anyone to play with where the rules will matter. I just wanted to understand the concepts better. Plus it's the only one they had in the shop I go to. Unless the 3.5 thing is going to re-write everything and change the basic stuff I need to know for things like this and talking to the RPG WizOs :) I know what a class is now :D Originally posted by Bandido As for needing someone to help you make use of it, you could always join a game online here in the Real D&D adventures forum, or look at your local games shop to see if anyone's advertising for a new person to game with. And, when we get a little more of this world done, I was thinking of running a campaign based in this world in RDnDA, and obviously both you and Dream Spinner would be welcome to join. :D my "local" shop is a 40 minute drive away :p the countryside is a bad thing. I'm not sure playing online would be a good idea when I know so little about the game but if we ever finish this world and you do run a campaign I'd love to take part even if I muddle through rather clumsily :) When it comes to Bansee's Wail, it's an interesting card but it's red. Coin flip cards are pretty much entirely red. A more natural version would be: Banshee's Wail :r: :r: - Instant You choose a creature and target opponent chooses a creature. Flip a coin, the player who wins the flip destroys the creature they have chosen. The wording is wrong but that concept would be more in keeping with a coin flip card. If you wanted to take out the more painful aspect, you could change it so you both pick a creature they control, then if they lose the toss they have the chance to lose only their worst creature.
Bandido 06-29-03, 08:09 PM	Originally posted by WizO_Iyala It's not. It has "core rulebook 1" on the cover and I really don't mind, it's not like I have anyone to play with where the rules will matter. I just wanted to understand the concepts better. Plus it's the only one they had in the shop I go to. Unless the 3.5 thing is going to re-write everything and change the basic stuff I need to know for things like this and talking to the RPG WizOs :) I know what a class is now :D Well, it won't change that much, and you'll be able to download the changes, so I suppose it doesn't matter that much if you're not going to be playing a lot. Originally posted by WizO_Iyala I'm not sure playing online would be a good idea when I know so little about the game but if we ever finish this world and you do run a campaign I'd love to take part even if I muddle through rather clumsily :) You wouldn't be the first player who was taught to play on RDnDA - in fact, it happened quite recently, with someone who had only played D&D-based cRPGs before then. You'd need to be familiar with the rules, though. Not knowing all of them, but the basics. Maybe not just yet, but if you wanted to in the not-so-distant future, it wouldn't be a big problem. As for the eventual campaign, let me guess...you'll play a Shalendae shadow mage, right? :P Originally posted by WizO_Iyala When it comes to Banshee's Wail, it's an interesting card but it's red. Coin flip cards are pretty much entirely red. A more natural version would be: Banshee's Wail :r: :r: - Instant You choose a creature and target opponent chooses a creature. Flip a coin, the player who wins the flip destroys the creature they have chosen. The wording is wrong but that concept would be more in keeping with a coin flip card. If you wanted to take out the more painful aspect, you could change it so you both pick a creature they control, then if they lose the toss they have the chance to lose only their worst creature. Hmmm, you and Dream Spinner are right - as written, it was too powerful, and the wrong colour. Flavour-wise, though, it really has to be black, so I'll have to think up another mechanic, and we can use that one for another card. How about: Banshee's Wail :b: :b: - Instant Destroy target attacking non-black, non artifact creature. It can't be regenerated. Does that work, or is it still too cheap? It's not very interesting, but, then again, not all cards can be. It just seems to show the Banshee screaming in frustration when she gets disturbed (read: when you get attacked). Your mechanic would seem to fit a red card that had something to do with a volcanic geyser, or something similar. It would whoooomph! up out of the ground, but who would it hit?
Dream Spinner 06-29-03, 10:02 PM	Originally posted by WizO_Iyala my "local" shop is a 40 minute drive away :p the countryside is a bad thing. I'm not sure playing online would be a good idea when I know so little about the game but if we ever finish this world and you do run a campaign I'd love to take part even if I muddle through rather clumsily :) My local shop was infected by the modern need to beautify themselves. :mad: It was replaced by a hair and nail place. Right next to another hair and nail place. :( :twitch: And I would love to play too! Except I wouldn't be able to. I don't even have the player's handbook. Plus, there's the fact I have these bloody damned time limits!!!! At the most, I'd have 2 hours straight on the weekends, within a certain time period. :mad: :twitch: This isn't a very happy post, is it?
Bandido 06-30-03, 10:00 AM	Originally posted by Dream Spinner My local shop was infected by the modern need to beautify themselves. :mad: It was replaced by a hair and nail place. Right next to another hair and nail place. :( :twitch: And I would love to play too! Except I wouldn't be able to. I don't even have the player's handbook. Plus, there's the fact I have these bloody damned time limits!!!! At the most, I'd have 2 hours straight on the weekends, within a certain time period. :mad: :twitch: This isn't a very happy post, is it? My local shop closed down too, but I hated it, so I don't really care. What does annoy me is that now the nearest game shop which sells more than the basics is a 1-hour-and-twenty-minute train journey away! And I don't live in the countryside; I live in a town of 200,000 people, with many other medium-size towns nearby, 30-minutes' journey away from Europe's biggest shopping centre! :mad: You could play. You don't need to be online for long periods of time in a message board RPG - you just need to be on once a day, to make your post. And the rules are available free on www.opengamingfoundation.org, so that isn't a problem either.
Dream Spinner 06-30-03, 02:33 PM	Cool. I'd love to play, then.
WizO_Iyala 06-30-03, 07:53 PM	Originally posted by Bandido Banshee's Wail :b: :b: - Instant Destroy target attacking non-black, non artifact creature. It can't be regenerated. I really hate to say it but this is white :( except for the nonblack/artifact thing. White is the colour that hits attacking and blocking creatures hardest with cards like Unified strike and Chastise. How about "Destroy target tapped non black, non artifact creature". That'll hit attackers while boosting it's power a little and mirroring the effect of black's own Royal Assassin :) Flavour-wise it reflects someone doing something near the Banshee and bothering them, not even challenging them directly. If it's a little undercosted at :b: :b: throw on a minor drawback. Can't think of anything flavourful right now though. And yeah, I like the idea of that card being something volcanic. It might be good to bring up when we touch a bit on fire magic :)
Dream Spinner 06-30-03, 11:52 PM	Iyala's right. I ignored that, though, because the flavour fits well enought that there could be some leniency (sp?).
Bandido 07-01-03, 07:14 AM	:mad: Damn over-strict colour wheel! (;)) As for destroying target tapped creature, isn't there a Rath cycle card which does that? How much does that card cost? It shouldn't be any more than :b::b: otherwise it would be dreadful compared to terror. Oh, and, by the way, which colour do you think the Akharen are? EDIT: Death stroke. I knew it was there somewhere. :b::b: is therefore okay for destroy target tapped creature, so would 1:b: be okay for destroy target tapped non-black creature?
Dream Spinner 07-01-03, 03:36 PM	I'm guessing that Death Stroke is one of those exceptions-to-colour-wheel cards. Vengeance is a white card and does the same thing. It's like supposed to kill a creature did something to you (attacked or used a tap ability against you). I think that the "Destroy target attacking non-black and non-artifact creature. It can't be regenerated." is fine. It's not like it's red, which loves attackers. The "can't be regenerated" is black too.
WizO_Iyala 07-01-03, 07:47 PM	1 :b: might be pushing it a little. You can always balance these things up with a little life loss. Or even up the cost and add a random discard if you feel like it. Originally posted by Bandido Oh, and, by the way, which colour do you think the Akharen are? The Akharen are white/green in my opinion. Probably white. Although green has the druid-y plant tending stuff, that's oftem more with a mystical aspect to it or maintianing wild stuff. White has always had two sides, the soldiers and the farmers. That would seem to fit both the Aka-Akharen and Vidas-Akharen. Makes me wonder if I should start thinking about underdark basic lands :p
Dream Spinner 07-01-03, 11:18 PM	I don't think a hog-like creature, two undead creatures, and a single weird giant worm is gonna cut it for the creatures of Underdark. Gem Glimpser. This creature appears crystal clear. If not focused on, it becomes completely invisible, unless it moves, which creates a strange ripple effect. Although a solid creature, it may reform itself as a spirit-like creature and enter a gem. This leaves no mark on the gem and cannot be picked up by spells like detect evil. Only spells specifically designed to detect a gem glimpser will pick up on one inhabiting a gem. The possessor of this gem will begin to experience strange "visions". These visions are vivid enough to be believed to be true premonitions and the victim will listen to these visions, slowly becoming paranoid, for these visions show death, murder, and plots against the victim. The paranoia will slowly cause the victim to succumb to feelings of lethargy, hopelessness, and insanity. The gem glimpser feeds off of these feelings, draining the victim of vitality and mental stability. When the victim finally dies, usually from suicide, the gem glimpser goes into hibernation, slowly using up the deluge of emotions it had collected. Eventually, the gem glimpser reawakens to attack once again. Although the gem may be seen as cursed, spells that detect curses pick up nothing, so it is often dismissed as a silly legend. Though originating in Underdark, these creatures often jump into the first gem they find, and hibernating until it finally comes into possession of a sentient being. If the gem it is within is destroyed in some way, eaten or broken up, the gem glimpser either leaves the gem immediately, usually giving away its presence, or, in cases where the gem is simply broken, it retracts its entire self into the larger portion, unhurt as it is in spirit form and may be split in two or more pieces. The gem glimpser may wake up from great hunger, which is really rare for the gem glimpser doesn't need much, and find another gem which would be more easily found. Gem glimpsers rarely die from starvation, but may do so.
WizO_Iyala 07-02-03, 03:38 AM	Not entirely a creature but hey :) : Eyes in the night. Throughout the history of the underdark, the caves have been patrolled by creatures, the most cautious of which have never even been seen. Only the glowing, angry eyes appear in the darkness and, very occasionaly, the shadow of a large shape among the shadows. They lurk at the edges of society, only one has ever been seen at at any one time and legends tell that there may only be one creature. Explantions vary from an ancient dragon wandering the caves to a demon to a pack of wild beasts but no one knows for sure. If anyone has ever seen the creature they have not lived to tell of it. This would not be a creature as such, it would be more like an effect, striking terror into the heart of travellers and those caught unaware. D&D races with the see-in-the-dark thing would have a reduced effect if suddenly faced with these eyes however it's till the equivilent of coming face to face with an ancient terror.
Bandido 07-02-03, 10:11 AM	Basic underdark lands....Rock-covered plains :D Akharen are white? Okay then - I have to redo the Akharen cards I've done )shouldn't take too long). Vengeance doesn't sound or look white to me, flavour-wise - the whole revenge theme seems red...oh well, I suppose me and R&D will have to disagree. :) I like the gem-glimpser- it's very nasty. The eyes of the night are also quite good, but it's not a creature as such...would make a nice Magic card though. Eyes in the Night 1:u: Instant Return target attacking creature to its owner's hand. Does that fit? It shows someone fleeing in terror, and the eyes of the night would scare people regardless of whether they were good or evil. Or perhaps this is better: Eyes in the Night :b::b: Fear If Eyes in the Night attacks and is unblocked, the defending player must choose and discard from his or her hand. 0/1 That shows everyone fleeing in terror from the Eyes, and shows that that might panic and fluster people, and prevent them from thinking properly (hence the discard). Is it too cheap?
Dream Spinner 07-02-03, 02:29 PM	Vengeance is white because it punishes, a white flavour. Red may respond to something violently, but it is usually the one that provokes the response. White is law, which includes punishment, which includes vengeance.
Dream Spinner 07-04-03, 03:49 PM	:eek: The Underdark thread! Avarice Wisps are generators of valuable substances such as gold and gems. Shapeless spirits, they can wrap themselves around a rock or something like that to change it into gold or a gem. These wisps will then pick up the pieces with its weak brand of telekinesis that is incapable of handling anything over a certain size or animate being. They pile the pieces together in a random location, but preferring a skeleton or a corpse. Then, they lie down in the pile, waiting. Because the wait may be long, wisps would rather work with other wisps so that they may interact (how, nobody knows) while waiting. The pile often takes on a faint aura. The instant someone picks up even a single gem or piece of gold, the wisp(s) rises up and strikes the victim, whether they are truly greedy or not. The victim will find themselves entering an unconcious coma-like state. In this state, the person's soul is slowly extracted and eventually becomes an avarice wisp itself. The body is left behind to rot. The avarice wisp eventually dissipates into whatever underworld its religion had after capturing an unknown number of souls this way. The original avarice wisp is believed to have been a cursed thief of a wizard's vault. To make sure a passing person doesn't become cautious and avoid the gold, the wisps slighly smothers the memory of avarice wisps' existence in those nearby. Because free gold is too much of a temptation, most avarice wisps were actually not overly greedy in its past life. The other avarice wisps really don't care.
Bandido 07-05-03, 08:04 AM	How do you kill an Avarice wisp? :confused: Anyway, work is progressing on the Demortalus Husk template, and here is a possible gem glimpser card: Gem Glimpser 2:u: Enchant Creature During your upkeep, put a +1/-1 counter on enchanted creature. If enchanted creature leaves play, return gem glimpser to your hand. The gem glimpser drives its owner insane, only to be picked up another greedy fool who will suffer the same fate.
Dream Spinner 07-05-03, 01:03 PM	You can't, they exist until they capture X number of souls this way. It's like The Ring's video curse. Neverending cycle.
nick012000 07-05-03, 10:09 PM	you have to be able to kill it somehow, holy water, fire, acid, ghost touch weapons, something.
Dream Spinner 07-05-03, 11:41 PM	Why do we have to have a way to kill them? Can't there be impossible to destroy creatures. Well, not exactly impossible. There's always: 1)Travel back in time to find the supposed mage that cursed the original avarice wisp and stop him/her. 2)Divine intervention. 3)Use a Wish spell.
nick012000 07-06-03, 05:50 AM	wouldn't be a very good encounter. Player: "i'm walking through the underdark" DM: "you see a pile of gold" Player: "I walk over and examine it" DM: "you are attacked by an incorporeal wisp" Player: "i attack it with my +10 mega-sword of doom." DM: "you can't hurt it. you go unconcous."
Dream Spinner 07-06-03, 12:13 PM	Well, now the player gets to play as an avarice wisp! Yay! Fine, I guess I see how the wisp's invulnerability would could cause problems. You can't kill a wisp but if someone moves you out of the vicinity of the gold before your soul is extracted, you're saved. Better?
WizO_Iyala 07-09-03, 07:14 PM	I know it's been done but I want semi-sentient rocks. Pleeeeease? When I'm playing my Shalendae Shadow Mage I just need to be able to have a rock familiar. I can imagine they would be a largely stone-like creature in every way except for once every decade or so, when their slightly spikey and previously invisible legs would unfold and they would try to get back to their place of birth as fast as possible. A trained rock familiar would move around if coaxed/commanded by its master. They would make no noise and communicate telepathicly if generaly incoherantly. Please tell me I'm not the only person who thinks having a pet rock would be cool?
nick012000 07-09-03, 09:14 PM	you can have a rock familiar. now just go and talk to nice Dr. Psychiatrist over there...
Bandido 07-10-03, 07:38 AM	Psions in D&D have pet crystals! :D I expect the rules would be easy to convert if you had to have a pet rock. In one of my D&D campaigns, a character had a pet rock. It was telepathic. He used to throw it over walls in a sling and use it to see what was there. :)
Dream Spinner 07-10-03, 02:19 PM	That's neat, with the telepathic rock and the seeing. Whisperers of the Shadows. These creatures are indistingushable from any other rocks or stone, except these creatures don't break like rocks and if you were to try and smash one apart, it would roll away to another place. These creatures are powerful psychics, all of them having the powers of an telepath, empath, and a seer. Whisperers of the shadows aren't necessarily evil, in fact, they see themselves as benevolent. Using their telepathic abilities, whisperers share their visions with people around them. Because of their empathic abilities, whisperers' visions tend to gravitate towards having relevance to those around them, and therefore, it is difficult for travelers to ignore them. Although the whisperer is empathic, it doesn't care what effects its visions have on people, although if a smaller one is picked up and carried around, it may become grow attached to this person and will care for her. This person will find herself having pleasant premonitions and growth in awareness in a psychic sense. No one knows how whisperers came to be, but all know that encountering one is both unnerving and an experience not easily forgotten. (The name came from before the creatures were discovered to be actually stone-like, not spirits hidden within the shadows of the Underdark tunnels.)
Leaves 07-10-03, 03:28 PM	http://www.geocities.com/leaves_or/petrock.txt Pet Rock Tiny Animal Hit Dice: 1/2d8+1 (3 hp) Initiative: -3 Speed: 10 ft. AC: 19 (+2 size, -3 Dex, +10 natural) Attacks: Slam +0 melee Damage: Slam 1d4 -1 Face/Reach: 2 1/2 ft. Special Qualities: Blind, Tremorsense 10 ft. Saves: Fort +4 Ref +1 Will +1 Abilities: Str 8 Dex 4 Con 14 Int 1 Wis 10 Cha 2 Skills: Climb +4 Listen +5 Climate/Terrain: Any Underground Organization: Solitary or colony (6-12) Challenge Rating: 1/8 Treasure: None Alignment: always neutral Advancement: -- The so-called "pet rock" is not a rock at all but an animal distantly related to a sea urchin. It is normally a lethargic creature, but when motivated it can move at a steady pace on its tube feet. Pet rocks are completely blind. They see by sensing vibrations in the ground, allowing them to determine the location of anything within 10 feet that is in contact with the ground. Pet rocks are sometimes kept by wizards as familiars. They grant a +2 bonus to the constitution score of their master.
Bandido 07-10-03, 04:08 PM	Hehehehe, I like it. :bounce:
WizO_Iyala 07-10-03, 06:41 PM	Oh I love that so very much! *bounces* :D I knew I wouldn't be the only person who whould see the value in a pet rock :D Just cause I have to do it now: Pet Rock 2 Artifact :t: : look at a card from target opponent's hand at random 3 : Pet Rock becomes a 2/1 creature with first strike until the end of turn "Stay... Stay... Good rock!" - Elodea, Shalendae Apprentice
Dream Spinner 07-11-03, 03:24 PM	Again, I like the pet rock. Tunnel Throat. Tunnel throats are a semi-intelligent plant creatures. Their main body are bulb-shaped, about 60 cm tall and wide, and are a deep violet colour. This bulb is lined with swirls and jagged lines, like tribal markings of some sort. These markings are usually a bluish colour. A tunnel throat will find a fertile area and will sink into the ground as if it were quicksand. Once about a meter into the ground, the bulb will stop and from its bottom, the roundest side, it will release roots. Once it is settled, the tunnel throat's top, semi-pointy part opens up a little, creating a small hole about 10 cm wide. From that hole, a single vine grows out. It will divide and spread like roots, eventually becoming many more vines. These vines will spread in all directions. Eventually, the vines will have broken onto the surface, climbing up the walls and the ceiling. The ground, walls, and ceiling will have been covered with vines, the dirt barely perceptable. If a throat is not stopped, stalacites and stalagmites would have formed from vines, if not actual columns. The walls and floor may end up having a few layers of vines. The vines are sturdy and can handle a small group of people on it in any one spot, or a larger group spread out. The dangers of a bulb's infestation is that 1) if left alone, the bulb will eventually block out the tunnel, leaving travellers staring at a wall of vines, and 2) the bulb's vines eventually release a sweet-smelling pollen. This pollen is a defensive tactic for it causes anyone who breathes it in to become sleepy and slow to react. Anyone who breathes it in will be lulled into a deep sleep, and if one continues to breathe it in while in this sleep, she will probably continue to sleep while withering away. Therefore, this pollen is horribly frustrating to travellers, but is a pleasant, relaxing way to die for the elderly, fatally sick, or suicidal. The best way to travel through an infested tunnel is to burn away the vines and if one wanted to destroy the bulb, she'd have to dig it up and burn it. The throat continues its species by having its bulb rise up every few years and releasing a single seed. This seed is increadibly light and hard-to-spot, so it floats away by air or on a person to another tunnel, eventually dropping into the ground and growing to its mature size to dig into the ground.
Bandido 07-17-03, 10:01 AM	Here is a template for the Demortalus husk. Hope you like it! Husk "Husk" is a template that can be added to any demortalus (hereafter referred to as the base creature). The base creature's type changes to "undead." A husk that has cleric levels is now rebukes undead if he previusly turned undead, and has to choose his domains from the list available to clerics of Ycevil. It otherwise uses the all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Hit Dice: Increase to d12 Speed: Increases to 40 ft if it is lower AC: No change Damage: No change, except that it gains the Rust Touch special attack and the Rustspecial quality (see below). Special attacks: The husk retains all the special attacks of the base creature, and gains the following: Rust Touch (Ex): When the husk attacks with its natural weapons, in addition to its normal damage, 1d6 damage is dealt to the armour of the attacked creature if the armour is metal. This damage ignores the normal hardness associated with armour, but if the armour has an enhancement bonus, the bonus is treated as hardness for the purpose of this attack. If a demortalus is hit by a husk, it takes an additional 1d6 damage, and may contract skin rot (see below). Skin Rot (Ex): Whenever a demortalus takes damage from a husk's Rust touch, it must make a Fort save with a DC of 10 + the amount of damage dealt by the rust touch, or contract the disease Skin Rot, which has an incubation period of one day, a DC of 16, and a damage of 1d4 Con. If a demortalus is killed by Skin Rot, he rises the next day as a husk. Special Qualities: The husk retains all the special qualities of the base creature, and gains the following: Rust (Ex): Whenever a metal weapon deals damage to a husk, it takes d6 damage. This damage ignores the normal hardness associated with a metal weapon, but if the weapon has an enhancement bonus, this is treated as hardness for the purpose of this damage (a +2 Longsword normally has hardness 10, but for the purposes of this attack, it has hardness 2). If a weapon's hit points are reduced to 0 by this attack, the weapon crumbles into useless rust. A demortalus's fists count as metal weapons, and a demortalus will crumble into rust if reduced to -10 or fewer hit points by this attack. Saves: A husk has a +4 racial bonus to Fort saves. Abilities: Same as the base creature, except that a husk has no Constitution score, +4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, and -2 Wisdon. Skills: Husks get a +4 racial bonus to Intimidate checks. Feats: Same as the base creature. ------------------------------------------------------------- Climate/Terrain: Any underground Organization: Solitary, gang (2-4), or mob (7-12) CR: Same as the base creature +1 Treasure: None Alignment: Chaotic evil or neutral evil Advancement: By character class. Well, whaddaya think? :bounce: Dream Spinner: I like the tunnel throat. It would make a good magic card, stopping creatures from attacking, like Fog.
Dream Spinner 07-17-03, 03:06 PM	I thought Undead creatures in D&D lacked a score of some kind. Wisdom? Intelligence? Or maybe I'm confusing it with something else. Anyway, I like. :) Tunnel Throat :r::g: Creature-Plant Wall At the beginning of each upkeep, put a Vine counter on ~. Whenever a creature attacks, its controller flips a coin for each Vine counter on ~. If he or she loses any of those flips, tap that creature and remove it from combat. 0/2 It has white in it (stop attackers), but if I make it :w::r::g:, then it would be too expensive, plus too hard to use. Throat Pollen :w::u: Instant Tap target attacking creature and remove it from combat. It doesn't untap normally during its controller's next untap step.
Bandido 07-17-03, 04:43 PM	Originally posted by Dream Spinner I thought Undead creatures in D&D lacked a score of some kind. Wisdom? Intelligence? Or maybe I'm confusing it with something else. Originally posted by Bandido Abilities: Same as the base creature, except that a husk has no Constitution score, You thought correctly :) . Throat Pollen is bad IMO - flavour-wise it's good, but I can't imagine anyone using it. It's too expensive. Tunnel throat.....that card is extremely annoying. The third turn it's in play, if someone attacks with 7 creatures, that's 21 coin flips! That's completely insane! Once it's been in play for 8 turns, no creature can attack! (the world record for consecutive heads on a flipped coin is 8, and I doubt you're going to equal it in a game of Magic) That card really has to change. Maybe it should only apply to one creature per combat, and be a tapped ability, or perhaps it should only apply to target opponent and you, and there be a limit to the number of vine counters that can be on it. Or, as a third suggestion, maybe any player should be able to pay 2 during their upkeep to remove a vine counter from it - basically, they either can't attack or they screw up their mana progression. Any of those ideas sound good? I just don't think that card can exist as written without Magic players tearing their hair out.
Dream Spinner 07-18-03, 12:50 AM	I know. I was in a rush at the time. And the boards are so slow! We need fresh blood. Iyala, couldn't you like whip posters into coming here? Tunnel Throat :w::r: Creature-Plant Wall At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, put a Vine counter on ~ unless a player taps any number of untapped creatures he or she controls, where the total power must be equal to or greater than the number of Vine counters on ~. Whenever a player assigns attackers, randomly choose one of them. That player flips a coin for each Vine counter on ~. If even one is heads, tap that creature and remove it from combat. 0/2 Tapping is like the creatures are hacking away the vines. Same ability, except now the tapping ability is weird. I gave it to white because it's like the creatures working together to stop this thing. Plus, it stops attackers. Throat Pollen (1):w::u: Instant Tap each attacking creature and remove them from combat. They do not untap normally during their controller's next untap step. Definite boost in power.
WizO_Iyala 07-20-03, 07:47 PM	Okay, I'm going to quickly flash back to basics here and ask: Underdark: is that everywhere or only in select locations? For our world, would we want maps of a few major underdark locations/civilizations?
Dream Spinner 07-20-03, 09:19 PM	I don't know for sure, but I believe it is a system of tunnels spread through out pretty much everywhere, but areas of actual activity would be less. And sentient activity would probably be restricted to where cities are, and those are probably in the occasional cavern. YAY! Response! The loss of activity here forced me to explore. Found some pretty neat places, so I'm not entirely upset with the loss of stuff going on.
nick012000 07-21-03, 03:28 AM	yes, they are spread pretty much everywhere. sentient life is concentrated in certain areas, but there is the occasional villiage or tribe of nomads.
WizO_Iyala 07-21-03, 05:47 PM	But it would be networks of tunnels and caves rather than a sort of shell of land around the planet with bits of rocks holing it up? Perosnaly I think it would be dangerous to over-use the underdark, I think it has a wonderful, exotic feel to it. After all we're not going to spread one type of land all over the upper surface of the planet so I don't feel we should do it underground. I think the underdark races should be found in the proportions as the above ground races.
Leaves 07-22-03, 01:49 AM	After all we're not going to spread one type of land all over the upper surface of the planet so I don't feel we should do it underground. I don't think that statement's entirely applicable. I imagine there will be places in the underdark that are very hot, heated by geothermal sources or even open pools of lava, and places that are very cold and icey, places that are dripping wet and covered in mosses and slimey molds (underdark "swamps") and places that are bone dry (underdark "deserts"). 'Bought the only thing it'll all have in common is it'll all be dark. (Same as the only thing that all the "aboveground" has in common is it all has daytime! http://www.geocities.com/leaves_or/leafwink.txt) Anyway, I basically agree that it should be like a network of caves and tunnels. I think it's possible that some [surface] places might not have underdark underneath them, but the network should be very extensive, worldwide even. Not like on earth, where each cavern system is completely unconnected to all the others. I think the underdark races should be found in the proportions as the above ground races. Not sure what you mean. http://www.geocities.com/leaves_or/leafwmints.txt Mmmm, minty...
WizO_Iyala 07-22-03, 07:04 PM	I'm not sure what I mean either :D What I'm trying to say is that the underdak shouldn't become a seperate, aparallel world in all places I think. Certain continents I can imagine being riddles with underdark civilizations and other totally solid and empty. I completely agree with the different types of underdark land, it wouldn't make sense not to have damp parts, hot parts etc. but I still think it should not be absolutely everywhere. I hate the idea of developing what might effectively turn out to be entirely paralell worlds which rarely met up.
WizO_Iyala 07-30-03, 08:13 PM	I typed this up once and accidently closed the window :( I've been trying to decide which thread to put this in for a while, either the underdark or underwater but I think this race is probably better suited to the underdark. For a while I've had the idea for a race that would live in the deepest darkest areas of the underdark, in tunnels that would have been flooded, either by natural groundwater levels or by changes in springs or underground rivers and streams. The water would only be a little more than stagnant with a little flow through thte tunnels but most of the life coming from a very isolated ecosystem. They would be approximately human sized but more similar to an eel. Their bodies would be long and narrow, a cross section would show them to be roughly triangular. They would have a three liped mouth at the tip of a head shaped a little like the cap of a mushroom. From each "shoulder" they would have a sowr of wing-like fin shaped like a long thin curved leaf. the species would be capable of movinge very fast if they needed to by bringing out these "wings" and then bringing them rapidly back to their body, expelling the water to power them forward. Lower down their body would be lless rigid fins that were fairly similar, working mainly as an aide to guiding their swiming. They would be something like an unrealised evolutionary feature rather than being essential to them. The long bodies split into three tentacle-like sections near the end, with spiney fins along the edge. When thensed these fins would slow the creatures or they could be used as a defensive weapon if necessary. The creatures are a plcid race, more hunted than hunter, they feed of plankton in the water, ctching it in a thin filmy filter stretched between the "lips". At times when food was scare, the creatures could munch off chunks of plants or algae and hold them in their mouths until they were broken down to be digested. When threatened the creatures could expel a phospherescent ink from under the "wings" blinding other species in the very dark water but this would be one of their only forms of defence. The creatures would live in caves burrowed out in tunnels rather than the very large caverns prefered by creatures like the shalendae. They would live individually bus swarm together to eat and when travelling for greater protection. They would be able to survive outside water only in the same way a fish can - for a very short time, probably only long enough to wriggle from one system of watery tunnels, through a short dry passage and into another watery system if they had to. I realise the race may not appear immediatly useful in that it would not even interact with other underwater races very often or with characters but I think meeting them would make for a cool quest type thing and they're more of a flavour thing for the underdark. Any thoughts?
nick012000 07-30-03, 10:30 PM	there are stranger things in the deep ocean. must ask, though, how the algae they eat gets it's energy.
WizO_Iyala 07-31-03, 07:19 PM	Perhaps algae would be the wrong word, I'm thinking of an organism/plant type things that would cling to/grow on the rocks, probably (not to be too specific :blush: ) growing because of fertilizer-like elements in the water. The deep dark places need to be a self-contained system really because there will be very little water flowing in even though the network of tunnels might be large. That means there needs to be some sort of natural system for oxygenating the water and.. umm... processing debris from plants and animals in the water. It certainly wouldn't be light. There might be some underwater species that would be slightly luminous, I can imagine a weird sort of symbiotic insect which needs to be eaten in order to grow and breed. After spawning they would gather in the larger caverns, drifting and swimming around and glowing to attract the sort of fish/creatures that would eat them. Each cycle this would happen again and again as they grew larger, glowing more brightly each time.
Galen 07-31-03, 09:35 PM	Originally posted by nick012000 there are stranger things in the deep ocean. must ask, though, how the algae they eat gets it's energy. 1) Rotting organic matter(mostly carcasses) 2) Chemical compound coming out of underwater volcanic vents Most deep sea creatures use bio-luminance to attract prey/mate or to scare potential predator. P.S. Info courtesy of National Geographic. :D :D :D
the_one_true_shea 10-23-06, 06:23 PM	Thats right, this is the original underdark thread. There is not much in here that doesnt appear on other threads here in the WCP, but this thread is what I like to call "cannon" aka - "stuff people decided on before I got here" ;) In persuite of my summary I have pulled the individual races out and pasted them into new threads Shadow Rats (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=726302) Dimortali (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=726334) Shalendae (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=726297) Kaburi (Fire Elves) (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=726301) Arkharen (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=726298) Dark Merfolk (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=726399) As well as placing many of the monsters described in here into the more focused "Monsters of the New World" (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=496881) Thread.