Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Omnirahk_half-Rahkshi Oct 23, 2009 20:42:12	While I'm very fond of the idea of the star pact warlock, one part of its execution bothers me.  All of the powers call upon specific stars.  But as the mad astrologer class, shouldn't star pact warlocks draw upon constellations too?  But as of right now, there are no constellations in the D&D world.  Sure, I can make up some, but I'd like for there to be some real acknowledgement.  So any Wizzos out there, take this as a suggestion.  Moreover, think about constellations in the real world.  What are they?  Groups of stars that we've connected into a picture, a figure from ancient mythology.  In their original tales, heroes and monsters would be placed into the stars after the completion of their Destiny Quest or their defeat.  This is so appropriate for the world of D&D, and I'd like to see that happen. So I'm going to try to start things off.  I don't have any fully fleshed-out ideas, so I'm just here to brainstorm.  Obviously any powers invoking constellations should grant benefits to star pact warlocks, but I'm thinking they should also have a benefit to vestige pact warlocks.  After all, the definition of constellation I'm using makes them just a special subset of vestiges.  And I think that should inspire the general theme of constellation powers.  You invoke the myth of the constellation and embody the ideals it represents.  Daily powers in particular will grant a lingering benefit, usually for the encounter. Now there's the matter of constellations.  What would you all like to see?  Here's my ideas: the Hand of Bigby - maybe it acts as a guide, pointing in a specific direction.  But then it conflicts with whichever star has been described as a helpful guidestar that sometimes misleads people. Mordenkainen the Mage - but do we really need two mage constellations?) Krusk the Barbarian the Companions - two friends, fighting back to back surrounded by the Hoard, a dark nebula sometimes described as goblins, orcs, or undead.  In some ways, the Hoard is like a dark version of the Milky Way (at least as you can see it in dark enough locations.  Boo city lights...) the Hoard - as described above the Archer - obviously needs a name.  Some analog of Orion.  As a ranger, I could see him having an animal companion (making him even more like Orion, who is accompanied by Canis Major).  I suppose I could fold this into the Comanions, but I like having the Companions as an analog to Gemini, two people treated as a single unit, lacking any name except as a pair.  And I liked having the Companions two friends, always fighting side by side or back to back in the thick of it all.   That's the kind of story that would be remembered in the myths. Occlops, the Beholder - change the name if you will, but I demand this constellation.  Maybe Hadar the Ebon Hunger is the necrotic eyeball. the Dragon - I'll definitely need to come up with a name, but no doubt there's a dragon up there in the stars.  Hard to not immortalize them. the Primordial - rumored to be an actual Primordial caged in the stars.  Or maybe just his corpse transformed.  But the actual prison idea could make for a very interesting adventure.  And certainly fits the sinister side of stars in 4e. So, are there any other constellations you all want to see?  Mechanics can come later, but I really want to start with the fluff.
#2 dulsi Oct 23, 2009 20:55:24	They did a dragon magazine article on fantasy constellations (#340) during paizo run with 3.5.  I don't have the article so I'm unsure what is in it.  The images are available here and here.
#3 Omnirahk_half-Rahkshi Oct 24, 2009 15:10:44	They did a dragon magazine article on fantasy constellations (#340) during paizo run with 3.5. I don't have the article so I'm unsure what is in it. The images are available here and here. Thanks.  I knew that Dragon or Dungeon had done something on constellations back in 3.5, but I'd never known the details or seen the pictures myself.  I see they agreed with me that beholder and dragon both deserve a constellation.  But the lack of heroes bugs me.  I may wind up taking the dryad and unicorn (which might also do something for fey pact warlocks). As an interesting possibility, I could create two sets of constellations, each viewable from a different side of the world.  Knowing both sets of constellations would require far-reaching travel being written into the backstory - an interesting little hook.  Though maybe I shouldn't, as I'd effectively be mandating a backstory requirement to allow certain combinations of crunch.