The kits are the cerulean, the shadow wizard, and the necromancer kits. All of them enable characters to avoid the issue of defiling. All are able to turn into advanced beings, either Dragon or Avangion, which ever they choose. The matter of whether they are considered "defilers" or "preservers" is merely an ethical difference (meaning good or evil).
Here is a brief explanation from Defilers and Preservers of Athas, page 7.
In recent times wizards have emerged who have learned to draw energy from alternate sources. All of these new wizard types are simply character kits that are attached to either preserver or defiler classes. (All wizard kits are described in detail in Chapter 3: Character Kits.)
Ceruleans, for example, are wizards who can draw power from the forces
whirling within the Cerulean Storm. Few know much about ceruleans as they are as new to Athas as the storm they take their name from, are few in number, and are only rarely encountered. They alone among Athasian wizards seem able to draw power from this seemingly elemental source, a path usually denied to defilers and preservers but open to elemental priests. That ceruleans are able to use the great storm to power their spells indicates that the storm is not, in truth, simply an elemental force. The Cerulean Storm, born of magic and nourished by its connection to the imprisoned essences of Rajaat the First Sorcerer and Tithian of Tyr, isn’t just an elemental force. Cerulean wizards draw upon the storm’s spirit rather than its elemental nature. Because of the destructive force of cerulean magic, most ceruleans are defilers.
Necromancers, on the other hand, have been around for generations, but little
is known of them. These wizards draw their power from the plane of the dead, the Gray. Like ceruleans, their magic is powered by a different energy source. In this case, the energy they draw is negative, or anti-life energy. They tend toward defilement, as their spell energies are concerned mostly with death, immortality, and the undead.
Shadow wizards, too, aren’t especially new. Like necromancers, these wizards draw energy from another plane of existence instead of from living things. In this case, the planar source is the Black, that shadow dimension that separates everything that exists from everything that doesn’t. Besides drawing power from the Black, shadow wizards require light to utilize their magic, as shadows can’t exist in the absence of light.
Real life example: You learn to add/subtract before learning to multiply/divide and before learning algebra/calculus.
I also agree that preservers are not necessarily good and defilers evil. I don't even use alignment in my games - I use allegiance from d20 Modern instead. Works much better for my purposes.
Yeah, I use the prestige classes from athas.org. I like the idea that these sources have to be discovered by preservers/defilers before being adopted. That said, if I wanted to start a character out with such a class, I might consider using the Shadow Wizard (from Tome of Magic - I think that's what it was called) and that necromancer class from Libris Mortis (again, iirc, lol).
I also agree that preservers are not necessarily good and defilers evil. I don't even use alignment in my games - I use allegiance from d20 Modern instead. Works much better for my purposes.
Kamelion, are you talking about the epic PrCs from Legends of Athas? I see the shadow shifter. Otherwise I have checked athas.org and cannot find anything.
Kamelion, are you talking about the epic PrCs from Legends of Athas? I see the shadow shifter. Otherwise I have checked athas.org and cannot find anything.
No, I'm referring to the cerulean, necromant and shadow wizard prestige classes from Prestige Class Appendix I
.No, I'm referring to the cerulean, necromant and shadow wizard prestige classes from Prestige Class Appendix I
Thanks! Don't know how I missed that, especially as I have the PDF.
Still, I don't like the easy way out of defiling or preserving. What is to stop a sorcerer king doing the same and essentially stop being a defiler?
Still, I don't like the easy way out of defiling or preserving. What is to stop a sorcerer king doing the same and essentially stop being a defiler?
Fluff, of course
Defiling is superior to nearly every other form of "powers", psionics perhaps the exception.Mechanically, defiling gives advantages in some cricumstances (like lush terrain), worthwhile advantages, especially when coupled with PrCs. Alternate power sources, like Black, Gray, or cerulean, provide no advantages but no disadvantages either, because with those power sources, unlike for defiling, you do not have terrain modifiers thus cannot have a spell whose power is lessened due to bad terrain. Your spells are steady and unaffected by any terrain.
Fluff, of course
Mechanically, defiling gives advantages in some cricumstances (like lush terrain), worthwhile advantages, especially when coupled with PrCs. Alternate power sources, like Black, Gray, or cerulean, provide no advantages but no disadvantages either, because with those power sources, unlike for defiling, you do not have terrain modifiers thus cannot have a spell whose power is lessened due to bad terrain. Your spells are steady and unaffected by any terrain.
It still seems like an overly good deal to me. While I get the "Now I am more experienced and have tapped into other sources of energy" theme, now a defiler can say after tapping one of these sources, "hey, veiled alliance, I used to be a defiler but now I use a completely renewable energy source that doesn't even have defiling potential, while you people pull energy from plants, weakening them. You people have a nerve calling me a defiler when you take lifeforce from living plants. You are the defilers, not me!".
To me, taking power from alternate sources should be one off, like what happened to Sadira in the Pristine Tower.
To me, taking power from alternate sources should be one off, like what happened to Sadira in the Pristine Tower.
I guess it depends how you see it: people who aren't phased with the idea see it like it's no longer arcane stuff but becomes like elemental or psionics.
It's how I see it too. These guys are wizards by name and powers only. They no longer have a regular-themed wizardly impact on Athas.
No worries though, cerulans, necromants, and shadow wizards are very few.
And SK's use defiling because it is more powerful. And it doesn't have to take anything from plant life. athas.org's version of both the Champion of Rajaat template and the Dragon PrC allow for someone to take from animal life but not plant life. There was even talk once of a preserver who thought about the path of dragonhood but would only use willing life force for his advancement spells. End of the day, defiling is more powerful. The way I play dragons is with distant raze and the leech PrC. Con damage+ hp damage+ the spell i am casting centered all on you, and my buddy's can be next to me and not worry about it at all.