| Post/Author/DateTime | Post |
|---|---|
| #1jack_in_the_boxJul 06, 2008 13:41:57 | The Aasimar A glorious and proud people of great potent and great extremes Racial Traits Average Height: 5'11" to 6'5" Average Weight: 150 - 200 lbs Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom Size: Medium Speed: 6 squares Vision: Normal Languages: Common, choice of one other Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 Insight Heightened Acuity: You grant allies within 5 squares of you a +1 bonus to Insight checks. Ferocity: You gain an additional +1 to attack rolls when charging, for a total of +2 Presence: You can use your Presence as an encounter power Presence - Aasimar Racial Power You focus the touch of divinity circling through you to wreath yourself in white-gold light for a moment Encounter - Psychic, Radiant, Charm Move Action Ranged Sight Targets: Yourself and any allies and enemies with line of sight to you Effect:Grant yourself and your allies a +1 to any one d20 roll; grant your enemies a -1 to any one d20 roll Proud, noble, leonine, vain, and honorable to a fault, the rare people known as the Aasimar seem a people of extremes. Many of their number are counted among the greatest heroes in history, but it is also from their people that some of the greatest agents of darkness arose. Play an Aasimar if you want...
Physical Qualities Aasimar resemble humans or half elves at a glance, but are distinct at closer examination. Aasimar are tall and statuesque, with a naturally noble bearing. Aasimar features are much more uniform than most races, with many members of their kin having similar strong jawlines and petite, straight noses with high cheekbones. They have a leonine air about them, with slitted pupils, catlike eyes, prominent fangs, and thick, full hair that grows into an impressive mane if allowed. Aasimar skin, eyes, and hair range the breadth of human tones, though gold and silver eyes and hair are as common as any other color. Aasimar are sometimes known as the "Golden Folk" and many hold them as the epitome of mortal beauty, even above the eladrin or elves. Playing an Aasimar The Aasimar are descended from a group of people -- often rumored to be an independent group of half-elves -- who strove to attain the highest ideals of honor and nobility. So powerful was their drive and conviction that the gods blessed them, transforming them into a unique race to better pursue their ideals. This blessing of divinity has enabled Aasimar to advance themselves to levels of glory and build a reputation as a race of heroes and nobles. They are an inspiring race, frequently and easily taking roles as leaders and movers of movements. Conversely, however, they tend to be savage and merciless with their enemies, and their noble bearing is often colored by cruelty to those they see as foes. Aasimar believe above all in the concept of honor. It is practically instinctual for them to craft a personal creed or code of conduct and live by it to the death. However, it is not uncommon or considered a fault to change one's code, and inflexibility is often regarded as a weakness. Second only to their honor is their pride, and they take great pains to ensure that any boasts are backed up. Discipline and rigor, particularly towards physical abilities, are high virtues among the Aasimar. Aasimar are often viewed as vainglorious, and they are prone to boasting of their accomplishments. Among their own people this is an accepted, even celebrated part of life. Other races, however, sometimes find such displays to be self-indulgent. Aasimar who spend much time around other races usually learn to wait until asked to talk about their exploits. Aasimar, despite their origin as a divinely-enhanced race, are much like humans in terms of religion. They range from extraordinarily pious to completely apathetic towards the gods. Those that do honor a god prefer Bahamut, Kord, and Bane, or any god that spurs them towards honor and glory. Their blessing by the gods, good though they were, does not necessarily cause any of their number to feel obliged to follow the path of good. Aasimar spend much of their time alone, and many are concerned with only themselves and how others perceive them. They have a tremendous focus, and any pursuit they undertake can become an obsession very quickly. For this reason they are just as likely to become paragons of good or evil, with a few even abiding by a philosophy of absolute neutrality. This tendency for a crusader-esque personality is balanced by a love of the game, and Aasimar are legendary for their competitive spirit and the many games of skill their kind have introduced. Races, relays, wrestling, and even simple ball games are favorite pastimes of the golden folk. Aasimar get along well with Dragonborn, who share a similar drive for accomplishments and honor, though the Aasimar sometimes see them as too primitive or savage. They relate well with Eldarin and others with similar high-minded ideals. A few Aasimar view the Tieflings as a sort of "cousin" race. Aasimar Characteristics: Aggressive, Alert, Boastful, Competitive, Confident, Cruel, Disciplined, Fierce, Honorable, Noble, Vain Male Names: Anarr, Banos, Fryen, Greth, Kull, Noren, Valan, Vias, Yender Female Names: Aleni, Bori, Cevara, Imi, Pasele, Messen, Nerrea, Werna The Blackguard Unfeeling, relentless, and merciless, the warriors touched by the dark god Bane are among the world's most powerful, and most fearsome individuals. Legends say that the first Blackguard was Valan Nor, an Aasimar paladin of Bahamut renowned for his stalwart pursuit of the agents of darkness. Noble and charismatic, he was heralded as a hero in his home kingdom after single-handedly slaying a beast -- a dragon or manticore in most versions -- that had laid waist to the fiefs surrounding his Lord's castle. For years he crusaded, facing the enemies of his Lord and fellow men. He was gracious, eloquent, and amicable, a fast friend to nearly all who met him. He was betrothed to a beautiful priestess, and for a time, life seemed idyllic to the young warrior. Winter came one year, harsher and more bitter than any before it. The kingdom, already suffering from the weather, was shocked when the priests of the temple to the gods were found murdered and the priestesses missing. A message scrawled in blood called for outrageous demands from the perpetrator, claiming responsibility for the harshness of the winter and threatening to destroy the kingdom through eternal blizzards if the demands were not met. Nor swore a solemn oath to find the perpetrator and end the spell, bitter rage seething in his heart as his love had been taken too. He prepared himself and set out into the blizzard surrounding the city, following leads to town after town until finally learning of a fell witch, a hag who sought to sacrifice the priestesses for her dark rituals. Nor hunted her down, destroying her minions as he went, relentlessly cutting down every foe that stood in his way. Between the bitter cold and the endless bloodshed, Nor was emotionally spent by the time he forced his way into the Hag's lair. There, to his horror, the paladin found the Hag and the priestesses working together to prolong the spell. Even his beloved was there, laughing as the hag taunted the paladin. The priestesses had long been working with the hag, determined to uproot the kingdom in order to please the dark gods they had secretly served. The weight of the betrayal struck the paladin to his knees. The Hag presented a choice to Nor, offering to let him join them. The impossible choice between his duty and his love cut deep into the paladin's soul, and he loosed a cry of grief. It was the dark god Bane that heard the cry. Ever watching those he considered worthy warriors, Bane reached down to Nor, and touched off a new emotion in the tormented Aasimar: Hate. Grief and duty gave way to the purity of grim, unfeeling hatred, and Nor stood slowly. Bahamut sensed his paladin's dark turn and tried to turn him, but too late. Bane laughed and granted Nor his fell blessing. Valan Nor fell utterly silent and savagely assaulted the Hag. Utterly caught off-guard, the hag and the priestesses fell beneath the grim, murderous onslaught as the paladin gave into the sweet rush of hatred and dark power given by Bane. In moments he stood over the broken corpses of the Hag and the priestesses, even his beloved. He returned to his kingdom, celebrated as a savior and hero. He tried to push away the dark blessing Bane had bestowed, but in doing so the pain of betrayal struck him fresh and anew. Over time, the once-bright and friendly knight became quiet, grim, and unfeeling. Devotion to Bahamut gradually gave way to acceptance of the unfeeling power that Bane offered, and Nor became distant and merciless. His services to the king became unsettling, destroying his enemies with such absolute apathy that even the most hardened of the kingdom's executioners were unnerved. His strength and swiftness were bolstered by Bane's dark blessings and he commanded powerful fell abilities to destroy his enemies. He left the kingdom, a solitary and emotionless destroyer. The first Blackguard was born. --- Blackguards are individuals, most commonly martial warriors of some sort, that sacrifice their pain, emotions, and, eventually, their humanity in pursuit of power. The dark god Bane is ever watchful for warriors who are pushed to their breaking point, offering them a seductive power to crush their foes and escape their grief and agony. Fueled by their hatred and empowered with Bane's own divine energy, they begin a gradual descent into murderous apathy. A Blackguard is not a class in the conventional sense, but rather a series of special abilities and feats that are granted through circumstance rather than level. Even the most glorious and just of holy warriors are susceptible to the pure release of power that Bane offers when they are at their weakest. As they progress down the dark path of the Blackguard, however, they become increasingly grim and silent, trading words for dark powers granted by the Fist of Bane himself. The DM takes the role of Bane, offering the initial feat Mark of Bane at an appropriate time to any character that is under extreme emotional duress. (Alternatively, for a different campaign feel, this can be available to players at any time as a constant temptation.) If accepted, additional feats are then available as normal feats, taken by level. In addition, actions in line with the path of a Blackguard earn dark points, known as "Marks," which signify the willingness to accept Bane's dark powers and grant additional feats and abilities separately from those available from leveling. It is possible to redeem oneself from this path through acts of dramatic heroism, as defined by the DM. Sufficiently selfless and good acts remove Marks and can even allow feats to be removed. However, all who start down this path retain a spiritual scar from it, and the Mark of Bane feat can never be removed. The power is always there as a temptation. Blackguard Abilities are known as "Powers," and most follow a fist or hand theme, following that of Bane. Blessing of Bane You have been touched by Bane, and his power is yours to use as you wish. You may use the power Grim Surge of Power at will. Special: This feat may not be retrained or replaced by any feat, nor can it be removed once acquired by any means. Grim Surge of Power - Blackguard Power You let yourself be taken up by the current of hatred inside you, letting your feelings fade as Bane himself empowers you to destroy your foes. At-Will Free Action - Personal Effect: Your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution all gain a +4 bonus and your speed increases by 2 squares. You become immune to all Charm, Fear, and Sleep effects. You become unable to speak and cannot use any skill that relies on communication, though you may still use the Bluff skill for purposes of feinting. This effect lasts until you chose end it. Special: You gain a Mark when you activate this power and for every subsequent 1d4+ Wisdom or Charisma mod (whichever is higher) Note:Grim Surge of Power is the lynchpin for the Blackguard, and most Powers will need to be used while it's active. Since most of these Powers will also grant Marks, a character who isn't careful can fall very far very fast, but will also be extremely powerful while it lasts. Behind the Scenes First off, this is still just a rough concept, and I've not had an opportunity to really test any of it, so feedback would be wonderful. Especially since I got none on my own board for two weeks. *Grumbles* I also realize that official versions of these concepts will probably be out before long. I was thinking about the Aasimar shortly after 4E came out. I never liked them much in prior editions. The goody-goody perfection that they were literally born into irked me, as did the general attitude of most players who picked them up. Pride and smugness seemed to always be the end result of knowing that your character was literally born as a paragon of good and light. As someone who likes edgier characters, seeing my companions act like they were infallible was frustrating to an extreme. So I thought about how the Tieflings were treated this time around and how a similar treatment would work for the Aasimar. Since pride naturally seemed to follow them, I made that their defining flaw. They're still a little too much like the Dragonborn or Eladrin for my tastes, but I'm working on it. Visually, I was inspired by the Witch's war outfit in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Since Tieflings have a distinct and uniform, somewhat reptillian look now, I thought a lion-esque look would fit the bill well, allowing a naturally noble and imposing appearance. Then I thought about the Blackguard. Most races tend to have a "hook" of sorts, usually a go-to class. Aasimar have always made good Paladins, so I thought that a fallen version would be perfect. There are few literary archetypes as resonant or tragic as the fallen knight. From Achillies from Greek mythos to Darth Vader and Arthas in modern fantasy, the concept of the high-minded idealist being broken and falling into darkness is compelling, so thought of ways to make that more accessible. Rather than the fanatic destroyer of 3.5e, I thought that the cold, grim, and unfeeling warrior would be a better fit. This way, not only are Blackguards more sympathetic than before, but players can even dabble in their dark sides in a very visceral way. And this way it's not just paladins, but really any class that would benefit from a massive boost in power. I tossed in the idea that Bane personally empowers these warriors, and that seemed to fit. It still needs a ton of work, I realize. Grim Surge of Power may need to be toned down or made into an encounter power or subject to Bane's [the GM's] will, or something to that extent. And, of course, the list of powers needs to be written. I'm just hoping for some impressions and feedback, especially since this is my first post here. Thanks for the time. (Work in progress, feedback appreciated) |