Assasins? Warlock Pacts? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Assasins? Warlock Pacts?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
ctaylor99
Aug 21, 2010 22:36:34 Can you play an assassin in Dark Sun? And what pacts can you use as a warlock? I was curious about the dark pact. And whether or not you can have shadow as a power source?
#2
Lord_Ventnor
Aug 21, 2010 22:45:27 Yes to the first question, all of them to the second. Dark Sun doesn't really ban classes (it strongly downplays Divine Classes, but that's neither here nor there).

Anyway, Dark Pact should be fine. You could play it up as dealing with some unspeakable horror from the Grey in an attempt to stay alive, or something like that.
#3
ctaylor99
Aug 21, 2010 22:51:30 Thanks so much for the quick response. :-)
#4
ian.thomson
Aug 21, 2010 22:52:36 I'd connect the Grey with the vestige pact. There is an Under-Tyr, so "stuff from the underdark" still works for the dark pact.
#5
Pennarin
Aug 22, 2010 1:01:07 Your best bet for a source of Shadow power is of course Dark Sun's Shadowfell, the Gray. No matter in what way it's different from the core setting's Shadowfell, it's still a place of darkness, death, unlife, and aimless souls.

Shadow is one source for necromancy as well, so it caters to the forthcoming Necromancer class and the existing Assassin class, one dabbling in the plane's more deadly or sinister elements, the other in the plane's connection to darkness.

One can invent any number of powerful, primordial-like beings that inhabit the Gray, which would serve for a Warlock's Vestige Pact, or the PC can exchange a small part of himself for the very substance of the plane, which allows a connection to the Shadow power source. (2e's Shadow Wizard kit and Necromancer kit had this very rule, exchanging part of themselves for a bit of the Black and the Gray.)
#6
seker
Aug 22, 2010 1:27:09 I have to agree with pretty much everyone else so far, assassins and all the warlock pacts are allowed in Dark Sun. (And Pennarin hit it right on the head for the shadow power source.)

Though in my personal games I might restrict some of them somewhat: (Meaning they need a real good reason for a PC to get them, I consider them like divine classes.)

Fey - honestly seems more like the elemental priest "pacts" and druidic "pacts" from darksun vs. arcane. Also the main people of the feywild that are PC's, the eladrin, are pretty anti arcane magic in DarkSun... so this is the one that I personally do not feel fits well with Dark Sun.

Infernal - As there are tieflings that mention ancient pacts with dark beings (I.e. devils), these would still fit. But if you use the concept some are floating around that the tieflings are the people from Ur Draxa, this pact can take on a whole more sinister look... pacts with the Dragon himself perhaps. (Makes the fire and life draining really appropriate.)

On the star, dark, and vestige those fit very very nicely in Dark Sun along with the sorcerer-king pact.
In fact the vestige pact works really well for explaining why warlocks that had a pact with SK's that are now dead still gain power... not to mention all the really cool characters from athasian history that would make great vestiges to link to... even including the dead gods.

Just a couple ideas to help get your creative juices flowing I hope.
#7
celticmutt
Aug 22, 2010 2:50:07 I think Andropinis is hinted at as having the Vestige pact for himself (relatively speaking). Or at least, some of his powers are vestiges.

I think Fey pact works fine - just because the majority of Eladrin have gone anti-Arcane doesn't mean they all have. It even mentions how some are exiled for using Arcane magic. I could easily see a scenario where an Eladrin community finds out that one of their own is an Arcane user, and he accepts exile rather than revealing his "teacher" was really another Eladrin trying to bring back Arcane magic that forged a pact with him.
#8
seker
Aug 22, 2010 3:46:17 As I was saying, I did not feel it fit well... but if player has a really good reason like your suggestion there of one being exiled to protect his teacher, then I would have no problem in fact I think that would be a fun character.

But then again, given the source of magic in Dark Sun even before the cleansing wars, creatures in the Feywild would be the least likely to have arcane magic... but the most likely to use primal.

After all arcane magic is from the flaw created from the death of the deities per page 208 of the DSCS. (Rajaat just mastered the energy of this flaw first.)
#9
ctaylor99
Aug 22, 2010 16:47:54 Thanks all for the great info. This is great. I wanted to play a assassin or a dark pact lock and now I know I can and I am really excited. And I am really looking forward to getting in a game and playing. Thanks again all.
#10
FlashbackJon
Aug 23, 2010 1:55:30 My primary group has both a dark pact warlock AND an assassin. I initially tried to tie both to the Gray, but I might actually do something with Under-Tyr for the warlock instead now.
#11
cnahumck
Aug 23, 2010 10:45:11 Actually, the Fey pact would work great with someone who had the Veilled Alliance Theme. Some powerful being for good, like a pyreen or a spirit of the land, or even Oronis, might invest power into someone if they are on the path to destory the SKs. after all, the avangions are stated to be seen by the spirits of the land as allies and powerful forces for restoration. I think that with the right theme and backstory, and the desire to avoid defiling, it might be pretty cool.

Plus, if you ever did defile with the fey pack, imagine who'd hunt you down!
#12
Pennarin
Aug 23, 2010 10:51:04 Are fey pact powers related somehow to nature, or just to all things fey?
#13
tavitin
Aug 23, 2010 13:38:40 An extremely cool concept is the Assassin Warlock Hybrid:

Keep putting shrouds and attack with warlock powers to use the curse dmg. When all your shrouds are in, release them with a assassin power. Then start shrouding again while using warlocks curse.

There's a feat for an "Assassin and Warlock" that gives you Shadow Walk. If you get Hybrid talent and Paragon Hybrid you can gather 3 FULL Class Features and 2 Hybrid Class Features.

On top of that you can go the Necrotic+Poison combo and Athasian Minstrel for quadruple the fun.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ctaylor99 Aug 21, 2010 22:36:34	Can you play an assassin in Dark Sun? And what pacts can you use as a warlock? I was curious about the dark pact. And whether or not you can have shadow as a power source?
#2 Lord_Ventnor Aug 21, 2010 22:45:27	Yes to the first question, all of them to the second. Dark Sun doesn't really ban classes (it strongly downplays Divine Classes, but that's neither here nor there). Anyway, Dark Pact should be fine. You could play it up as dealing with some unspeakable horror from the Grey in an attempt to stay alive, or something like that.
#3 ctaylor99 Aug 21, 2010 22:51:30	Thanks so much for the quick response. :-)
#4 ian.thomson Aug 21, 2010 22:52:36	I'd connect the Grey with the vestige pact. There is an Under-Tyr, so "stuff from the underdark" still works for the dark pact.
#5 Pennarin Aug 22, 2010 1:01:07	Your best bet for a source of Shadow power is of course Dark Sun's Shadowfell, the Gray. No matter in what way it's different from the core setting's Shadowfell, it's still a place of darkness, death, unlife, and aimless souls. Shadow is one source for necromancy as well, so it caters to the forthcoming Necromancer class and the existing Assassin class, one dabbling in the plane's more deadly or sinister elements, the other in the plane's connection to darkness. One can invent any number of powerful, primordial-like beings that inhabit the Gray, which would serve for a Warlock's Vestige Pact, or the PC can exchange a small part of himself for the very substance of the plane, which allows a connection to the Shadow power source. (2e's Shadow Wizard kit and Necromancer kit had this very rule, exchanging part of themselves for a bit of the Black and the Gray.)
#6 seker Aug 22, 2010 1:27:09	I have to agree with pretty much everyone else so far, assassins and all the warlock pacts are allowed in Dark Sun. (And Pennarin hit it right on the head for the shadow power source.) Though in my personal games I might restrict some of them somewhat: (Meaning they need a real good reason for a PC to get them, I consider them like divine classes.) Fey - honestly seems more like the elemental priest "pacts" and druidic "pacts" from darksun vs. arcane. Also the main people of the feywild that are PC's, the eladrin, are pretty anti arcane magic in DarkSun... so this is the one that I personally do not feel fits well with Dark Sun. Infernal - As there are tieflings that mention ancient pacts with dark beings (I.e. devils), these would still fit. But if you use the concept some are floating around that the tieflings are the people from Ur Draxa, this pact can take on a whole more sinister look... pacts with the Dragon himself perhaps. (Makes the fire and life draining really appropriate.) On the star, dark, and vestige those fit very very nicely in Dark Sun along with the sorcerer-king pact. In fact the vestige pact works really well for explaining why warlocks that had a pact with SK's that are now dead still gain power... not to mention all the really cool characters from athasian history that would make great vestiges to link to... even including the dead gods. Just a couple ideas to help get your creative juices flowing I hope.
#7 celticmutt Aug 22, 2010 2:50:07	I think Andropinis is hinted at as having the Vestige pact for himself (relatively speaking). Or at least, some of his powers are vestiges. I think Fey pact works fine - just because the majority of Eladrin have gone anti-Arcane doesn't mean they all have. It even mentions how some are exiled for using Arcane magic. I could easily see a scenario where an Eladrin community finds out that one of their own is an Arcane user, and he accepts exile rather than revealing his "teacher" was really another Eladrin trying to bring back Arcane magic that forged a pact with him.
#8 seker Aug 22, 2010 3:46:17	As I was saying, I did not feel it fit well... but if player has a really good reason like your suggestion there of one being exiled to protect his teacher, then I would have no problem in fact I think that would be a fun character. But then again, given the source of magic in Dark Sun even before the cleansing wars, creatures in the Feywild would be the least likely to have arcane magic... but the most likely to use primal. After all arcane magic is from the flaw created from the death of the deities per page 208 of the DSCS. (Rajaat just mastered the energy of this flaw first.)
#9 ctaylor99 Aug 22, 2010 16:47:54	Thanks all for the great info. This is great. I wanted to play a assassin or a dark pact lock and now I know I can and I am really excited. And I am really looking forward to getting in a game and playing. Thanks again all.
#10 FlashbackJon Aug 23, 2010 1:55:30	My primary group has both a dark pact warlock AND an assassin. I initially tried to tie both to the Gray, but I might actually do something with Under-Tyr for the warlock instead now.
#11 cnahumck Aug 23, 2010 10:45:11	Actually, the Fey pact would work great with someone who had the Veilled Alliance Theme. Some powerful being for good, like a pyreen or a spirit of the land, or even Oronis, might invest power into someone if they are on the path to destory the SKs. after all, the avangions are stated to be seen by the spirits of the land as allies and powerful forces for restoration. I think that with the right theme and backstory, and the desire to avoid defiling, it might be pretty cool. Plus, if you ever did defile with the fey pack, imagine who'd hunt you down!
#12 Pennarin Aug 23, 2010 10:51:04	Are fey pact powers related somehow to nature, or just to all things fey?
#13 tavitin Aug 23, 2010 13:38:40	An extremely cool concept is the Assassin Warlock Hybrid: Keep putting shrouds and attack with warlock powers to use the curse dmg. When all your shrouds are in, release them with a assassin power. Then start shrouding again while using warlocks curse. There's a feat for an "Assassin and Warlock" that gives you Shadow Walk. If you get Hybrid talent and Paragon Hybrid you can gather 3 FULL Class Features and 2 Hybrid Class Features. On top of that you can go the Necrotic+Poison combo and Athasian Minstrel for quadruple the fun.