Revenants in Dark Sun - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Revenants in Dark Sun

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Pennarin
Dec 12, 2009 3:51:22 I believe it can be done. Check out the DDI article.

As Karum finished intoning the ritual’s words of power, the faintly luminous gray pale above the now unwrapped corpse burst open into a gray flame shooting into the corpse’s mouth, completing the ritual and casting the immediate patch of ground into near darkness. As Karum’s eyes slowly adjusted to the feeble starlight, he saw the corpse’s back painfully arched backwards, limbs flailing, the breathless form coming back to a semblance of life. Cracks appeared on the skin from which small gray flames burned and writhed. As Karum watched, the burnt furrows hardened and cracked and crevassed until from the sooth Tanis’ features emerged out of a stranger's. And from this corpse, obtained from the mortuary not an hour before, a wordless scream erupted, echoing against the dunes.

Karum bent down to restrain the born again man: “Do not despair, friend Tanis, for the fires of the Graybirth are short-lived”, and indeed within moments Tanis settled down again. “I have found your murderers, my brother, they are still in the city so confident are they of your demise. And out of your second chance and their complacence together we shall exact revenge.” At this utterance Tanis’ fragile, pain wracked frame became very still, yet from the depths of his eyes a furious gray light rose to meet the night.

A revenant is born.

#2
ViolenceJack
Dec 13, 2009 7:56:16 Yup, it'd certainly work at my table. Any number of means could be worked out, depending on what he player wanted out of the character. Could have come about through a psion who was too bad-ass to die, or through ritual... whatever. So long as it feels right for the setting, it's good.
#3
Pennarin
Dec 13, 2009 15:18:42 As per the rules revenants are meant to be selected as your race at 1st level, but nothing's to prevent a DM from allowing a preexisting character from coming back to life as a revenant, either with the same powers or, better, with some of the memories and personality but all new powers. You die a level 5 human wizard, you come back a level 5 revenant assassin, for example.

For a while the DM has the player roleplay the character as being without any powers, then coming unto new powers, his or her new destiny. As you in effect rebuild your character from the ground up, you may decide to keep a legacy of your former self in the form of race-specific feats or multiclass feats relating to your former class.

Some weird rules pitfalls might befell an unprepaired DM if the revenant is allowed to come into being with experience already accumulated instead of starting at 1st level, but nothing an open discussion between DM and involved player won't prevent.
#4
DoctorBadWolf
Dec 27, 2009 23:25:42 I like this.
I may steal this at some point if my DM allows for a character we're planning to kill right now.

Hmm...
#5
commieclone
Dec 29, 2009 23:47:19 Vengers (from city by the silt sea) are basically just dark sun's take on revenants.
#6
Pennarin
Dec 30, 2009 11:09:29 I don't agree on vengers. They were marketed as rather mindless zombies, or guys so obsessed with revenge they couldn't see clear, can't remember which. A bit like undead elven runners...who just run all the time.
#7
mouthymerc
Dec 30, 2009 14:29:27 Much of this is touched on or even discussed in the revenant article. Revenants can come back with some, none, or even all memories. When I first read the article I immediately thought of someone losing a beloved character and, in games of past, would basically recreate the same character again. This was an option with good story-telling potential that would allow them to do just that. They also bring up the TPK scenario. Through bad luck or bad choices, the group is wiped out. They can come back as revenants, if they so choose. As for Dark Sun, I think revenants fit very nicely considering the preponderance of undead.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Pennarin Dec 12, 2009 3:51:22	I believe it can be done. Check out the DDI article. As Karum finished intoning the ritual’s words of power, the faintly luminous gray pale above the now unwrapped corpse burst open into a gray flame shooting into the corpse’s mouth, completing the ritual and casting the immediate patch of ground into near darkness. As Karum’s eyes slowly adjusted to the feeble starlight, he saw the corpse’s back painfully arched backwards, limbs flailing, the breathless form coming back to a semblance of life. Cracks appeared on the skin from which small gray flames burned and writhed. As Karum watched, the burnt furrows hardened and cracked and crevassed until from the sooth Tanis’ features emerged out of a stranger's. And from this corpse, obtained from the mortuary not an hour before, a wordless scream erupted, echoing against the dunes. Karum bent down to restrain the born again man: “Do not despair, friend Tanis, for the fires of the Graybirth are short-lived”, and indeed within moments Tanis settled down again. “I have found your murderers, my brother, they are still in the city so confident are they of your demise. And out of your second chance and their complacence together we shall exact revenge.” At this utterance Tanis’ fragile, pain wracked frame became very still, yet from the depths of his eyes a furious gray light rose to meet the night. A revenant is born.
#2 ViolenceJack Dec 13, 2009 7:56:16	Yup, it'd certainly work at my table. Any number of means could be worked out, depending on what he player wanted out of the character. Could have come about through a psion who was too bad-ass to die, or through ritual... whatever. So long as it feels right for the setting, it's good.
#3 Pennarin Dec 13, 2009 15:18:42	As per the rules revenants are meant to be selected as your race at 1st level, but nothing's to prevent a DM from allowing a preexisting character from coming back to life as a revenant, either with the same powers or, better, with some of the memories and personality but all new powers. You die a level 5 human wizard, you come back a level 5 revenant assassin, for example. For a while the DM has the player roleplay the character as being without any powers, then coming unto new powers, his or her new destiny. As you in effect rebuild your character from the ground up, you may decide to keep a legacy of your former self in the form of race-specific feats or multiclass feats relating to your former class. Some weird rules pitfalls might befell an unprepaired DM if the revenant is allowed to come into being with experience already accumulated instead of starting at 1st level, but nothing an open discussion between DM and involved player won't prevent.
#4 DoctorBadWolf Dec 27, 2009 23:25:42	I like this. I may steal this at some point if my DM allows for a character we're planning to kill right now. Hmm...
#5 commieclone Dec 29, 2009 23:47:19	Vengers (from city by the silt sea) are basically just dark sun's take on revenants.
#6 Pennarin Dec 30, 2009 11:09:29	I don't agree on vengers. They were marketed as rather mindless zombies, or guys so obsessed with revenge they couldn't see clear, can't remember which. A bit like undead elven runners...who just run all the time.
#7 mouthymerc Dec 30, 2009 14:29:27	Much of this is touched on or even discussed in the revenant article. Revenants can come back with some, none, or even all memories. When I first read the article I immediately thought of someone losing a beloved character and, in games of past, would basically recreate the same character again. This was an option with good story-telling potential that would allow them to do just that. They also bring up the TPK scenario. Through bad luck or bad choices, the group is wiped out. They can come back as revenants, if they so choose. As for Dark Sun, I think revenants fit very nicely considering the preponderance of undead.