Welcome to Hero Artisan #4, the 4e contest where you make a character and get it voted on according to all its facets by our judges, to see who can make the best character! This time our chosen theme is the Elemental Chaos.
The required level for this competition is 23rd level. You're permitted to spend 1,600,000 gp on your equipment; you may purchase any combination of items you wish, though you may not purchase any items above level 24. As per page 143 of the DMG, you're permitted whatever standard adventuring gear you'd like without having to purchase it from your net worth. So, for example, if you want a backpack or bedroll, just write it on your character sheet and don't worry about the cost.
The following section contains the specific rules of the competition, as well as the standards for how the characters will be scored, and general tips to consider when creating a submission.
The Rules
Contest Rules
The following are rules for the Hero Artisan competition, and are subject to change at any time between competition periods. Do note that the Code of Conduct is in effect for all aspects of this contest, and those who break it will be disqualified, and their post will be reported.
Character Creation Parameters
Character Level: 23rd
Ability Score Generation: Customized Scores Method (found on pages 17-18 of the PHB)
Character Wealth: 1,600,000 gp
Max. Value of any single item: 24th level
1) All entries must be submitted with a complete stat block of any format or length, (so long as the stat block is complete, including content like equipment, skills, powers, etc.) accompanied by a character background also of any format or length.
2) All entries must be submitted by the date and time given by the Coordinating Judge; any entries submitted late will not be judged but they are still allowed to be commented on by other users/judges, and may provide a valuable resource to other players out there. The time given for any competition is likely to be within 2-3 weeks; the exact times and dates will be stated by the Coordinating Judge during the contest's start.
3) After submitting an entry, a 30-minute grace period is allowed to edit your work, in the case of mechanical or formatting errors, typos, and the like. Editing your work after 30 minutes is considered breaking the rules and is grounds for your entry being disqualified. Hence, we urge you to revise your entry thoroughly prior to submitting it, to save hassle. Making use of the preview button in the post window will help you catch most errors before posting.
4) One entry per contestant, and that creator must be the submitter (meaning that all work has to be original, and not stolen from someone else.) Also, do not post an entry if you do not want it to be officially judged.
5) At the start of each competition, the coordinating judge will state a single theme around which to base your entry. There are no restrictions based on the character theme itself; it is merely a suggested guideline, but following it in a creative and interesting way will give merit to your entry.
6) Any material from the following sources is permitted for this contest:
In addition, you may make use of the following material from DDI:
You are allowed to build characters with non-standard races, including monster races from the MM. Any other sources -- including other DDI, free web enhancements, and third party material -- are not permitted this time around.
In addition, you are welcome to use any homebrew material - anything from inventing a city or country name to reflavoring an existing power and even, should you choose, writing your own class or race. A few things to keep in mind on this point, though. First and foremost, you must be the creator of this matieral. Please do not use homebrewed material invented by others (for example, using a race that somebody else posted to the forums). Doing so will result in your entry being disqualified from the content. Second, your entire entry will be judged. So, for example, if you create a new paragon path for your rogue to follow, that path will be judged along with your character -- both the flavor and mechanics. If the judges find your paragon path to be poorly balanced, you'll receive a lower Rules Use score.
7) Judges reserve the right to disqualify entries that do not follow the above rules, as they see fit.
The following are rules for the Hero Artisan competition, and are subject to change at any time between competition periods. Do note that the Code of Conduct is in effect for all aspects of this contest, and those who break it will be disqualified, and their post will be reported.
Character Creation Parameters
Character Level: 23rd
Ability Score Generation: Customized Scores Method (found on pages 17-18 of the PHB)
Character Wealth: 1,600,000 gp
Max. Value of any single item: 24th level
1) All entries must be submitted with a complete stat block of any format or length, (so long as the stat block is complete, including content like equipment, skills, powers, etc.) accompanied by a character background also of any format or length.
2) All entries must be submitted by the date and time given by the Coordinating Judge; any entries submitted late will not be judged but they are still allowed to be commented on by other users/judges, and may provide a valuable resource to other players out there. The time given for any competition is likely to be within 2-3 weeks; the exact times and dates will be stated by the Coordinating Judge during the contest's start.
3) After submitting an entry, a 30-minute grace period is allowed to edit your work, in the case of mechanical or formatting errors, typos, and the like. Editing your work after 30 minutes is considered breaking the rules and is grounds for your entry being disqualified. Hence, we urge you to revise your entry thoroughly prior to submitting it, to save hassle. Making use of the preview button in the post window will help you catch most errors before posting.
4) One entry per contestant, and that creator must be the submitter (meaning that all work has to be original, and not stolen from someone else.) Also, do not post an entry if you do not want it to be officially judged.
5) At the start of each competition, the coordinating judge will state a single theme around which to base your entry. There are no restrictions based on the character theme itself; it is merely a suggested guideline, but following it in a creative and interesting way will give merit to your entry.
6) Any material from the following sources is permitted for this contest:
- Player's Handbook
- Monster Manual
- Dungeon Master's Guide
- Player's Handbook 2
- Martial Power
- Arcane Power
- Forgotten Realms Player's Guide
- Adventurer's Vault
- Manual of the Planes
In addition, you may make use of the following material from DDI:
- Playing Warforged (Dragon 364)
- Playing Gnolls (Dragon 367)
- Playing Minotaurs (Dragon 369)
- Playing Shadar-Kai (Dragon 372)
- Get Familiar (Dragon 374)
You are allowed to build characters with non-standard races, including monster races from the MM. Any other sources -- including other DDI, free web enhancements, and third party material -- are not permitted this time around.
In addition, you are welcome to use any homebrew material - anything from inventing a city or country name to reflavoring an existing power and even, should you choose, writing your own class or race. A few things to keep in mind on this point, though. First and foremost, you must be the creator of this matieral. Please do not use homebrewed material invented by others (for example, using a race that somebody else posted to the forums). Doing so will result in your entry being disqualified from the content. Second, your entire entry will be judged. So, for example, if you create a new paragon path for your rogue to follow, that path will be judged along with your character -- both the flavor and mechanics. If the judges find your paragon path to be poorly balanced, you'll receive a lower Rules Use score.
7) Judges reserve the right to disqualify entries that do not follow the above rules, as they see fit.
- Jeminaris, Demonslayer, by Nyarlathotep
- Giacomo Covielle of Commedia del’Arte, by Olandew
- Jitabata Suruna, by shinobicow
- Rour-ke, by Durendal_mn
- Umrigar -- The Unstable Sorcerer, by Veok (Silver Medalist entry, Best Of Clarity winner)
- Akioh the Autumn Lord, by Esperifiel (Bronze Medalist entry, Best Of Rules Use winner)
- Ash, by swgeek77
- Malagorn the Mad (aka Mad Malagorn), by Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi
- Nadira, by Dragoncat (Gold Medalist entry, Best Of Thematic Creativity winner, Best of Background winner)
- Q: Wait, The Elemental Chaos? What the heck is that?
A: The Elemental Chaos is part of the standard cosmology in 4e. For those who are familiar with 3rd edition or prior, you can think of The Elemental Chaos as the four elemental planes, Limbo, Pandemonium, and the Abyss rolled into one. Manual of the Planes describes the plane thusly:The Elemental Chaos is the raw material of creation, that from which the universe arose. Untouched by the stabilizing divine influence that formed the world into a more or less permanent state, the Elemental Chaos is a roiling tempest of matter and energy. At times, areas coalesce into coherent shapes and terrain, but much of it resembles a stormy sea of churning destruction. The Chaos is at once the foundation of the world and the greatest threat to its existence. By its nature, the Elemental Chaos seeks to pull the created world into its embrace, and return it to its component parts.
No traveler to the Elemental Chaos could mistake it for any other plane or world in the infinity of existence. The "ground" might be bare elemental rock, hardening magma, a smooth sheet of ice or glass, or a field of jagged crystals or crumbling ash. Above, mountains of stone drift through the air or float on currents of lightning, while storm clouds collide with sheets of flame. Not far away, the grounds comes to an end - a sheer cliff drops into an infinite abyss, or a river of magma cuts across the landscape. Another island might drift nearby, perhaps far below or just above - but sometimes on a collision course. The resulting cataclysm annihilates both landforms and creates something entirely new.
Hopefully, that helps. - Q: Does my character have to be directly tied to the plane? I don't like planar material!
A: No, not really. The topic is really rather broad, and with a bit of flavor tweaking you could probably make a lot of "standard" builds work for the theme. For example, a wizard who makes excessive use of fire-themed powers could easily have his background written in such a way as to hit the theme of the contest.
As always, we strongly encourage you to explore the theme however you like. We like creativity, and seek to do whatever we can to encourage it in the character concept developed. - Q: For the character sheets, do we need to write it up as we do for the [Real Adventure forum] games, or can we just use the Character Builder copy-paste function?
A: You can use any format you like; there's no "required" format for character sheets, as long as all the necessary data is there. It seems a lot of folks are in fact copy/pasting from the character builder. But not everybody is doing that.
Hm...
And of course the theme matches neither of the characters I've been wanting to develop. T.T
And of course the theme matches neither of the characters I've been wanting to develop. T.T
Sweet! That mind reading device works!
Sweet! That mind reading device works!
I told you it would be worth building. But nooooooo, "How could a machine possibly thwart Veok's every plan," you said. I knew Dragoncat wouldn't lie to us about something like that.
I told you it would be worth building. But nooooooo, "How could a machine possibly thwart Veok's every plan," you said. I knew Dragoncat wouldn't lie to us about something like that.
But my previously premade ideas don't work either.
Upon my own petard, hoisted.
Still, this should be fun. :evillaugh
Question: is fluff from other books available? I've got this wonderful idea for an Eberron related character and Kythri, the Churning Chaos (glossed over as the Elemental Chaos - not that it needs much glossing over. In 3.5 Eberron, it was the Elemental Chaos - before the Elemental Chaos was core). I've also got a brief allusion to the feyspires of the 4e Eberron Player's Guide. I'm only using fluff, no crunch.
A footnote explaining what they are at the end (sblock it, please) would be appreciated. If possible, include page numbers from the referenced source in your explanation. Pretty much anything is allowed in your fluff, but assuming we know what it is may not necessarily be a great idea.
No, this isn't a disguised bump. How dare you even suggest such a thing. :P
Having, in particular, the Adventurer's Vault, made gold use much easier and more interesting.
I look forward to seeing the entries.It seems a lot of folks are in fact copy/pasting from the character builder. But not everybody is doing that.
And this inspired me to finally try out the Character Builder. It turns I downloaded the trial version. So here's my question: where do I get the full version? My brief skim before my internet died didn't reveal it to me.
Somebody else can confirm, but I'm pretty sure you have to subscribe to D&D Insider.
Got that part taken care of. It's the rest of the navigating that throws me off. ...
And this inspired me to finally try out the Character Builder. It turns I downloaded the trial version. So here's my question: where do I get the full version? My brief skim before my internet died didn't reveal it to me.
Log in to DnDI, go to the Wizard's main page, click the DnDi tab, and select character builder.
Downloading the full version will net you the character builder with up-to-date info through the latest sourcebooks and magazine articles.
You don't need to continue to subscribe to DnDi to use the service, but you need to have an active subscription if you update it.
.......
"We're going to be dropped into the Abyss, dressed as githyanki. We're going to be doing one thing, and one thing only. Killing demons. Demons ain't got no humanity, and they need to be de-stroyed. Every man under my command owes me one-hundred demon scalps! And I want my scalps!"
..........That might mean a minor hit on the originality angle.
Jeminaris, Demonslayer
“There is no mortal conqueror, tyrant or force that is as destructive as the Primordials of the Elemental Chaos. They do not seek to conquer, they do not seek to force you to convert to their religion or idealogy. They only thing they seek is the destruction of all that there is. No force poses a greater threat to greater goal of bringing the light and harmony of civilization to all thinking beings. They cannot be bargained with. They cannot be reasoned with. They can only be destroyed or they will destroy you. That is why it is not enough to merely oppose them when I find them. That is why I have chosen to bring the fight to them. If I kill but one Primordial before I die, all the universe will be that much safer.” – Jeminaris to the Council of the Hestavaran Order.
History: Jeminaris was born the fifth child of a minor bureaucrat in the decadent city of Caldris. His father steered him toward service to the Church of Erathis at an early age and he took his initiate vows at the age of 13. Caldris’ temple of Erathis, The Church of the Golden Road, was overtly just another large temple dedicated to the goddess of civilization, but it was also a recruiting ground for a secret order of religious assasins, the Hestavaran Order. The Order was dedicated to slaying those who opposed the march of civilization or who would destroy its works. Early in his career, he came to the attention of High Acolyte Namvar, one of the Orders trainers, and Jeminaris soon found himself being trained not in the arts of the Cleric, but in the stealthy and deadly arts of the Avenger.
Early in his training, he learned of the Primordials, and their corrupted brethren, the demonic hordes of the Abyss. He identified them as a thrat but knew he wasn’t yet powerful enough to defeat the weakest of archons or any but the most minor of demons. So instead he concentrated on the more “mundane” enemies of his church such as marauding orcs and rampaging dragons.
Always, however, he studied what he came to regard as “the true foe”. He learned the languages of not only elementals and demons, but of their allies. He learned rituals to carry himself across the planes and to help him craft items of power to better enable him to fight them. He also became quite skilled in the art of killing
His first encounter with a demon was almost his last. Alongside a group of fellow adventurers sworn to the defense of the city, he tracked down and destroyed a group of cultists of The Chained God. Before the leader of the cult fell, he brought forth some Vrocks who tore into Jeminaris and his companions, killing two and grievously wounding Jeminaris before they put the beasts down. This experience only increased his resolve. He trained himself to resist the multitudinous ways that the creatures of Chaos could harm you.
He sought out and accepted any assignment that let him go after demons or elementals that the council which heads his order would give him. He constantly entreated the council to concentrate on ‘the true foe’ as he would often refer to his nemeses. He took oaths to destroy such creatures wherever they could be found. And destroy them he has. Numerous demons and elementals have perished on his blade over the years. And not only has he never doubted or wavered in his conviction that he is fighting the true enemies of his faith, he has been granted a spark of divine power to help him do so. A sign of favor from his goddess.
These days see him basing himself from the astral city of Hestavar. He has dedicated himself to the final destruction of the Primordial Heur-Ket whose essence still threatens that golden city, working alongside a group of adventuring heroes all of whom he fought alongside in his early days defending the city of Caldris. One of his companions, a rogue named Kiliara, has become infected with a sliver of Heur-Ket’s essence and they know it is only a matter of Heur-Ket consumes his friend or they find a way to destroy the primordial once and for all. No other outcome is possible in his mind. Finding the lore that will accomplish this requires routine excursions into the Elemental Chaos. Jeminaris doesn’t mind. He relishes every chance he gets to kill one of his hated foes.
Description: Jeminaris has a slight build and most meeting him for the first time think “scribe” rather than “deadly warrior” upon first meeting him. His face is almost elven in its narrowness and he keeps his red hair long, tied in a tail behind his back. He favors plain, loose fitting clothes.
Personality: Jeminaris is a thinker first and foremost. Though capable of decidedly deadly action, he prefers to plot and plan his foes demise in order to bring it about as quickly and quietly as possible. He is loyal to his church, to his city and to his friends in that order, but has a decided fanatical streak when it comes to elementals and demons. So far the two traits have never come into conflict, but it is only a matter of time.
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Jeminaris, level 23
Human, Avenger, Oathsworn, Demigod
Build: Isolating Avenger
Avenger's Censure: Censure of Retribution
Divine Spark: Divine Spark Wisdom
Divine Spark: Divine Spark Intelligence
FINAL ABILITY SCORES (Note: Human stat bonus put into Wisdom)
Str 10, Con 14, Dex 14, Int 24, Wis 26, Cha 12.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 12, Dex 12, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 10.
AC: 40 Fort: 32 Reflex: 37 Will: 39
HP: 160 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 40
TRAINED SKILLS
Perception +24, Religion +23, Heal +24, History +23 (Gained from Urban Background), Stealth +22
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +13, Arcana +18, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +12, Dungeoneering +19, Endurance +13, Insight +19, Intimidate +12, Nature +19, Streetwise +12, Thievery +13, Athletics +11
FEATS (*From PHB 2, all others from PHB1)
Human: Improved Armor of Faith*
Level 1: Human Perseverance
Level 2: Linguist
Level 4: Ritual Caster
Level 6: Guaranteed Retribution*
Level 8: Weapon Focus (Heavy Blade)
Level 10: Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade)
Level 11: Protected Isolation*
Level 12: Iron Will
Level 14: Lightning Reflexes
Level 16: Great Fortitude
Level 18: Devastating Critical
Level 20: Onslaught of Enmity*
Level 21: Mighty Enmity*
Level 22: Epic Resurgence
POWERS (All powers are from PHB2)
Avenger at-will 1: Bond of Retribution
Avenger at-will 1: Overwhelming Strike
Avenger daily 1: Renewing Strike
Avenger daily 15: Sigil of Carceri (replaces Executioner's Cloak)
Avenger daily 19: Temple of Respite (replaces Renewing Strike)
Avenger daily 5: Executioner's Cloak
Avenger daily 9: Temple of Shadow
Avenger encounter 1: Avenging Echo
Avenger encounter 13: Whirling Blades (replaces Halo of Fire)
Avenger encounter 17: Warding Blade (replaces Splinter the Formation)
Avenger encounter 23: Phase Duel (replaces Avenging Echo)
Avenger encounter 3: Halo of Fire
Avenger encounter 7: Splinter the Formation
Avenger utility 10: Channel Endurance
Avenger utility 16: Bulwark of Defiance
Avenger utility 2: Distracting Flare
Avenger utility 22: Indomitable Resolve
Avenger utility 6: Wrath of the Divine
Bonus At-Will Power: Radiant Vengeance
ITEMS (*From PHB, all others from AV)
Ritual Book, Chaos Weave Scimitar +5*, Robe of Defying Flames Efreetweave Armor +5, Symbol of Astral Might +4, War Ring (paragon tier), Boots of Stealth (paragon tier), Breach Bracers (paragon tier), Abyssal Adornment +5, Swimtide Harness (paragon tier), Foe Stone (paragon tier)
RITUALS
Comprehend Language, Seek Rumor (From FRPG), Magic Circle, Discern Lies, Enchant Magic Item, Raise Dead, Linked Portal, Consult Mystic Sages, Elemental Transference(From MOTP), Planar Sending, Planar Portal, Forbiddance
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ====
A brief note on fluff used from outside sources
Show
The city of Hestavar and the Primordial Heur-Ket are detailed in Dragon Magazine 372
Log in to DnDI, go to the Wizard's main page, click the DnDi tab, and select character builder.
Downloading the full version will net you the character builder with up-to-date info through the latest sourcebooks and magazine articles.
You don't need to continue to subscribe to DnDi to use the service, but you need to have an active subscription if you update it.
Thanks. That's where I got the preview version (valid up to level 3). I can't still can't figure out why I have the full version now after uninstalling and reinstalling using the same link... unless it was the matter of me choosing to update the character builder? Well, it'll be a lot easier now to create my character sheet.
:D
(But don't quote me on that)
full version = same 1-3 restriction before updating.
:D
(But don't quote me on that)
That would explain my observations...
(P.S. I quoted you on that. Right here, right now).
Does that mean he'll win gold, silver and bronze? :P
Not all three, but maybe we'd let him pick which one he wanted. :D
It'll at least mean that the judges won't be late. :D
I can hope, anyway.
I'm finding too many distractions, I need to set aside a time to work on my entry.
Same here. Plus I've been having a bout of stupendously bad luck that might put our judges to shame. I don't want to go into details, but friends who've heard the story think it an impressive show of mental stamina that I haven't had a nervous breakdown as a result.
...Also, I'm having a hard time figuring out how to explain this character as epic-level. Doesn't suit Eberron, and the story otherwise feels a bit off if I make it setting neutral. Still need to work that out...
Never annoy an Elder God.
If I win due to being the only entrant I will be annoyed.
Never annoy an Elder God.
Judges retain the right to deny the usage of Elder GodTM powers on a case by case basis. In the even of the unapproved usage of Elder GodTM powers, the judges retain the right to summon Yog-Sothoth for the express purposes of passing and executing sentence on the Elder GodTM in question. Y'AI 'NG'NGAH, YOG-SOTHOTH H'EE-L'GEB F'AI THRODOG, UAAATM.
Need more time to work on it, but in moving I am losing internet at home today and will have to do everything at work after hours.
The character I'm currently playing in a campaign would work VERY well for this I think. I'll try leveling him up some and get back to this thread. Shouldn't take too long for me to get it ready for this competition since much of my work is already done for obvious reasons.
I guess judging is going to be a lot simpler than my normal "Roll 1dX where X=the number of entries to pick a winner". This time I'll just flip a coin.
Heads = Nyarlathotep wins (his choice of the 3 medals)
Tails = Zherog wins (the task of making a new contest, with a theme of "Submit Something, ANYTHING, Please")
Just, whatever you do, please don't force feed Nyarlathotep all three medals. I don't think *anyone's* mouth is big enough to manage that.
Actually, with a name as hard to spell as that, maybe he has it coming.
I'd wager I'm maybe halfway done with the fluff.
This contest starts when this post is posted, and is due to end at 11:59pm GMT on Sunday, July 12th, giving you a just over 3 weeks to enter your characters.
There ya go...
In the past, everybody has been extremely patient with us judges as we've taken extra time to get these contests judges, and in every instance without complaint. We appreciate that you recognize stuff comes up. We also recognize that sometimes stuff comes up that waylays the best-laid plans.
For that reason, we're going to give a one week extension on the deadline for entries. Instead of ending tomorrow (July 12th) at 11:59pm GMT the contest will now end July 19th at 11:59pm GMT. We hope this extra week allows a few of you to wrap things up and get a character posted. We appreciate the effort required to write a background for an epic character, and sometimes that effort needs to play second fiddle to life's other details.
Cheers!
Thank you judges, one and all.
SWG
I'm hopeful an extra week allows us to garner a few new entries.
Auguries of destruction be a lullaby for rebirth
Consolations, be there
In my dreamland to come
The key to open the door is in your hand
Now take me there” - Key of the Twilight
Giacomo Covielle of Commedia del’Arte
Giacomo Covielle grew up as a traveling member in the Zanni Troupe. As he traveled through the land, learning of the many inhabitants that resided there, he began to witness the implications of gross amounts of magic on the realms. Years after learning of the arcane, the eldest Zanni, simply called Pierrot, began to instruct him on the art of misdirection.
One night, after having finished performing his acrobatic routine for the circus, Giacomo witnessed the fortune teller being murdered by a gang of thugs. Using the magic he had learned from Pierrot, Giacomo gave chase to the thugs. Having caught up with them, he tricked each of them into turning on themselves, attacking each other convinced that each was a traitor. As the last one stood there, quivering Giacomo demanded to know for what reason that random person was killed. As the bandit tried to explain himself, a deck of cards exploded from his back pocket and swarmed around him. The latent magic in the cards was activated by the magics that Giacomo exerted. As the cards fell to the ground, a mangled corpse of the bandit was all that remained. Giacomo then gathered them up to present to Pierrot. However, the city guard was hot on the trail of the stolen item, and Giacomo was now in possession of it.
Giacomo spent years on the run, trying to find his way to the Zannis and learn what the cards were for. With each passing year, he became more in tune with the magic of the deck, but he could feel a strain on his soul with each attacking monster that tried to take it from him. Curious as to why so many would be after the deck, he began to hunt down mages across the world to ask them as to why anyone would be after them. But, with each mage he encountered, the magic of the cards drove them to attack Giacomo.
After several years of searching for his master, crossing portals and realms and planes, he eventually found Pierrot again.
Pierrot saw the cards for what they were, a threat to the fabric of existence. However, he was unable to manipulate them. The elemental nature of the cards bound themselves to the voice of Giacomo, having been attuned to him through years of use. Only his death would release the bind, but only the cards destruction would ensure the safety of the world.
Now, Giacomo adventurers across the realms trying to find a way to destroy the cards.
Description: Giacomo Covielle is dressed in a loose fitting White tunic with black embroidery and pants. His face is covered in a mask with a massive nose. He fights with a steady grace of a dancer and wields his deck of cards as a light blade.
Flavor Notes: Giacomo uses a deck of cards as his combat mechanism. He either slashes with a drawn card, throws it with the force of a small blade, or imbues each card with the appropriate energy. The suites he summons are those of Bramble (Force and Thunder), Pyre (Lighting and Fire), Veils (Necrotic, Radiant, Psychic), or Rime (Cold, Poison). As he draws cards for powers, the suite reflects the spell, such as Storm Pillar is a Bramble Card, while using the daily power of the Fireburst boots counts as a Pyre Card.
In addition, Giacomo mastered teleportation in order to maneuver around to new sources of information. At his house, he has his own teleportation circle set up (costs accounted for, he has one less surge per day until the DM has determined a year has passed since it was set up). In combat, if things look to turn sour, he will throw down his Song of Trasposition and erect his portal.
STATS
Show
Giacomo Covielle, level 23
Half-Elf, Bard, Planeswalker, Sage of Ages
Bardic Virtue: Virtue of Cunning
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 20, Dex 14, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 24.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 14, Dex 12, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 16.
AC: 35 Fort: 34 Reflex: 33 Will: 35
HP: 142 Surges: 12 Surge Value: 35
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana 27
Acrobatics 18
Athletics 16
Bluff 27
Perception 19
Streetwise 25
Religion 22
Thievery 18
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Diplomacy 19
Dungeneering 18
Endurance 17
Heal 13
History 18
Insight 15
Intimidate 19
Nature 18
Stealth 16
FEATS (From PH1, unless noted)
Level 1: Heart of the Blade *
BARD: Ritual Caster
Level 2: Arcane Implement: Light Blade*
Level 4: Pact Initiate: Dark
Level 6: Sneak of Shadows
Level 8: Weapon Expertise: Light Blade*
Level 10: Advantage of Cunning @
Level 11: Versatile Master *
Level 12: Improved Cunning@
Level 14: Majestic Rescue@
Level 16: Arcane Familiar : Rakshasa Claw *
Level 18: Implement Expertise: Light Blade *
Level 20: Bardic Knowledge@
Level 21: Multiclass Mastery$@
Level 22: Robust Defenses@
$Retrain Heart of the Blade for Supreme Majesty and obtain Heart of the Blade and Initiate of the Faith
* Arcane Power
@ PH2
POWERS (All powers are from PHB2, unless noted)
At Will: War Song Strike
At Will: Viscious Mockery
At Will: Storm Pillar* (Half-elf Dilettante Power/Versatile Master Feat)
Encounter 1: Focused Sound*
Daily 1: Saga of Rivalry*
Utility 2: Moment of Escape*
Encounter 3: Entangling Opening*
Daily 5: Rhyme of Fire*
Utility 6: Synchronicity*
Encounter 7: Chillsong Stroke*
Daily 9: Wail of Anguish*
Utility 10: Word of Life
Paragon Encounter 11: Sequester $
Paragon Utility 12: Quick Portal $
Encounter 13: Song of Storms ( Replaces Entangling Opening)
Daily 15: Wracking Radiance* ( Replaces Saga of Rivalry)
Utility 16: Blink Zone
Encounter 17: Shout of Evasion ( Replaces Focused Sound)
Daily 19: Spring to Action* ( Replaces Rhyme of Fire)
Paragon Daily 20: Dimensional Cascade $
Utility 22: Song of Transition
Encounter 23: Chant of Bad Fortune* ( Replaces Chillsong Stroke)
Cleric: Healing Word 1/day
Swordmage: Swordbond with +5 Force Dagger
Warlock: Spiteful Galmor 1/encounter
*Arcane Power
$Manuel of the Planes
Equipment:
Standard Adventurer’s Kit, Light Steel Shield,
20,000 gp in Ritual Components
150,000 gp left in unspent value
Eladrin Weavemail +5
Gloves of the Healer (Paragon)
Ring of Wizardry
Belt of Vim (Heroic)
Fireburst Boots
Liar's Trinket +4
Force Dagger +5
Eternal Chalk White
Eternal Chalk Black
Eternal Chalk Blue
Eternal Chalk Red
Eternal Chalk Green
Eternal Chalk Purple
Eternal Chalk Yellow
Eternal Chalk Orange
Everlasting Rations
Scabbard of Sacred Might
Skeleton Key
Ritual Candle
Sextant of the Planes
Invulnerable Case
Elemental Prisim
Cli Lyre
Floating Lantern
Bag of Holding
Diadem of Acucity
Rituals:
Traveler's Chant
Disenchant Magic Item
Enchant Magic Item
Eye of Warning
Knock
Leomund's Secret Chest
Linked Portal
Make Whole
Passwall
Scramble Portal
Planar Portal
Raise Dead
Secret Page
Shadow Walk
Water Breathing
Water Walk
Comprehend Language
Cure Disease
Detect Object
Arcane Lock
Brew Potion
Arcane Mark
Analyze Portal
Seek Rumor
Shdow Bridge
Simbul's Conversion
Waterborn
Magic Map
Object Reading
History Revealed
Telepathic Bond
Whispers of Edifice
Create Teleportation Circle
Reverse Portal
Song of Restfulness
Half-Elf, Bard, Planeswalker, Sage of Ages
Bardic Virtue: Virtue of Cunning
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 20, Dex 14, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 24.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 8, Con 14, Dex 12, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 16.
AC: 35 Fort: 34 Reflex: 33 Will: 35
HP: 142 Surges: 12 Surge Value: 35
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana 27
Acrobatics 18
Athletics 16
Bluff 27
Perception 19
Streetwise 25
Religion 22
Thievery 18
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Diplomacy 19
Dungeneering 18
Endurance 17
Heal 13
History 18
Insight 15
Intimidate 19
Nature 18
Stealth 16
FEATS (From PH1, unless noted)
Level 1: Heart of the Blade *
BARD: Ritual Caster
Level 2: Arcane Implement: Light Blade*
Level 4: Pact Initiate: Dark
Level 6: Sneak of Shadows
Level 8: Weapon Expertise: Light Blade*
Level 10: Advantage of Cunning @
Level 11: Versatile Master *
Level 12: Improved Cunning@
Level 14: Majestic Rescue@
Level 16: Arcane Familiar : Rakshasa Claw *
Level 18: Implement Expertise: Light Blade *
Level 20: Bardic Knowledge@
Level 21: Multiclass Mastery$@
Level 22: Robust Defenses@
$Retrain Heart of the Blade for Supreme Majesty and obtain Heart of the Blade and Initiate of the Faith
* Arcane Power
@ PH2
POWERS (All powers are from PHB2, unless noted)
At Will: War Song Strike
At Will: Viscious Mockery
At Will: Storm Pillar* (Half-elf Dilettante Power/Versatile Master Feat)
Encounter 1: Focused Sound*
Daily 1: Saga of Rivalry*
Utility 2: Moment of Escape*
Encounter 3: Entangling Opening*
Daily 5: Rhyme of Fire*
Utility 6: Synchronicity*
Encounter 7: Chillsong Stroke*
Daily 9: Wail of Anguish*
Utility 10: Word of Life
Paragon Encounter 11: Sequester $
Paragon Utility 12: Quick Portal $
Encounter 13: Song of Storms ( Replaces Entangling Opening)
Daily 15: Wracking Radiance* ( Replaces Saga of Rivalry)
Utility 16: Blink Zone
Encounter 17: Shout of Evasion ( Replaces Focused Sound)
Daily 19: Spring to Action* ( Replaces Rhyme of Fire)
Paragon Daily 20: Dimensional Cascade $
Utility 22: Song of Transition
Encounter 23: Chant of Bad Fortune* ( Replaces Chillsong Stroke)
Cleric: Healing Word 1/day
Swordmage: Swordbond with +5 Force Dagger
Warlock: Spiteful Galmor 1/encounter
*Arcane Power
$Manuel of the Planes
Equipment:
Standard Adventurer’s Kit, Light Steel Shield,
20,000 gp in Ritual Components
150,000 gp left in unspent value
Eladrin Weavemail +5
Gloves of the Healer (Paragon)
Ring of Wizardry
Belt of Vim (Heroic)
Fireburst Boots
Liar's Trinket +4
Force Dagger +5
Eternal Chalk White
Eternal Chalk Black
Eternal Chalk Blue
Eternal Chalk Red
Eternal Chalk Green
Eternal Chalk Purple
Eternal Chalk Yellow
Eternal Chalk Orange
Everlasting Rations
Scabbard of Sacred Might
Skeleton Key
Ritual Candle
Sextant of the Planes
Invulnerable Case
Elemental Prisim
Cli Lyre
Floating Lantern
Bag of Holding
Diadem of Acucity
Rituals:
Traveler's Chant
Disenchant Magic Item
Enchant Magic Item
Eye of Warning
Knock
Leomund's Secret Chest
Linked Portal
Make Whole
Passwall
Scramble Portal
Planar Portal
Raise Dead
Secret Page
Shadow Walk
Water Breathing
Water Walk
Comprehend Language
Cure Disease
Detect Object
Arcane Lock
Brew Potion
Arcane Mark
Analyze Portal
Seek Rumor
Shdow Bridge
Simbul's Conversion
Waterborn
Magic Map
Object Reading
History Revealed
Telepathic Bond
Whispers of Edifice
Create Teleportation Circle
Reverse Portal
Song of Restfulness
I'll have my entry up later today. I have no other time this week to do it, what with going to see Harry Potter every 2 hours from Wednesday until Sunday night. I plan to see it several hundred times this week :P
Ok, back to the grind.
O, and i despise the fact that the first enty used all the same items that i wanted to use on a totally different character... makes me feel a little dead inside because i don't want to just copy some efreet armor... too easy :P
Woot, i get married and come back to find that there is a new one of these which has been delayed so that i can enter! thanks guys! you're awfully considerate
Consider it our wedding gift to you.
Consider it our wedding gift to you.
Does this mean i have to send more thank you notes? I don't think i can handle paying for any more freakin postage
Does this mean i have to send more thank you notes? I don't think i can handle paying for any more freakin postage
I think this post was sufficient. :P
I think this post was sufficient. :P
Woot!
Ok, well things got delayed a bit last night and i couldn't get it finished, but hopefully i'll have it done tonight though instead. Cheers ;)
Which is upsetting because I know others could do far better than I did.
Since there are so few entries, are you going to start the next competition soon after this one? it seems like the judging shouldn't take very long at least...
Does this mean i have to send more thank you notes? I don't think i can handle paying for any more freakin postage
You have to pay to post here?
Coughs uncomfortably.
I mean, yeah, of course. I do too... duh.
Ooops.
Wouldn't having to pay for your posts on forums suck. That would be like the worst thing anybody could ever force on the internet world. It would cut down on spam though... hm...
Ok, entry following this rediculous response post.
Multiple Elemental Personality Disorder
Jitabata Suruna
Genasi Wild Magic Sorcerer / Elemental Tempest / Primordian
By
Shinobicow[/CENTER]
Jitabata is a female Genasi who was born into slavery on the elemental plane and subjugated to a horrible life of torture and molestation at the hands of various wicked efreet masters in the City of Brass. Jitabata was traded many, many times. She was prized initially because she manifested her firesoul from birth and was thus believed to have incredible beauty among the fiery efreet society. She would be bought and sold time and again; used then thrown away.
As time went on, Jitabata began to lose her mind. The magic that dwelled inside her went wild with chaotic surges. In order to suffer through the excruciation of her slavery she would go to another place inside her mind, where she could mentally escape from her captive torment, but the magic insider her only grew more intensive and random. Through this reclusion, her personality and character began to splinter; she began to develop new personalities, but along with these new personalities, she began manifesting new elemental souls. Gradually, she would manifest all five of the known Genasi types: Firesoul, Earthsoul, Stormsoul, Watersoul, and Windsoul. Each of her different elemental souls took on a personality entirely of its own.
Eventually, Jitabata would escape her captivity, and attempt to maintain some semblance of order in her mannerisms, allowing her Firesoul to exist alongside her other personalities; she gained allies, and power and sought to free others like herself…but even in her most lucid of times, there was always a voice in her head, whispering to her, telling her things, trying to convince her to spread chaos and return the world to entropy. At first she tried to dismiss it, but it grew too powerful a force to ignore and through contact with a group of religious fanatacis she learned the truth of her lineage, that she was descended from the primordials that were the first to spring from the elemental chaos and were the creators of the world and that she was being hunted by the gods themselves.
Jitabata has yet to make peace with her lineage; the knowledge of her ancestry has been almost too much for her to bear and being on the run from the gods has caused her incredible paranoia, making her personalities even more unstable then they had been. She needs calming forces in her life, forces that could help to bring her personalities into order and help her to survive the war that she now faces against the gods.
Early Years
Jitabata was born in captivity. Her mother Alestra Sooroona was a beautiful Firesoul Genasi concubine to lord Bashamgurda, the ruler of the City of Brass and the mightiest of the efreets. Alestra was treated far better than all the other slaves and even allowed to eat alongside her master rather than in a separate room of the palace. She was nearly elevated to the level of an efreet within the society, her beauty was powerful enough to have this effect on her master. However things came to an end in a fiery cataclysm when Alestra fell in love with another Firesoul slave by the name of Jovan. Out of their heated passion, Jitabata was born, but not before Bashamgurda discovered the union and had Jovan put to death. Alestra was allowed to give birth before she was also beheaded.
Jitabata spent her childhood years in Bashamgurda’s Charcoal Palace and her beauty far surpassed her mother’s, but Bashamgurda was not keen to turn her into a concubine for his own personal use. He raised her to be gorgeous and beautiful and granted her every chance to develop her passion. He educated her in the ways of the world, much as one might educate a daughter; he often looked at her and thought of her that way, the cursed daughter that should have been his. When Jitabata had bloomed into a full, beautiful woman, possessed of every grace gifted to her fiery race, Bashamgurda took out his revenge.
Bashamgurda set up a public auction to sell his prized Genasi to the highest bidder. Those efreet which were invited were of the most disturbed of the efreet houses and had nothing but terrible plans for the Genasi beauty.
Her fate was sealed with one word – “Sold!”
Her Masters
From the day she was first sold by Bashamgurda, Jitabata was forever tormented by her wicked efreet masters. They would never be satisfied with her; most simply wanted her for a time before they would sell her off and hope to recoup some of the money they spent on a mortal play thing. Each time she was sold, her price would decrease and the nature of her torture would worsen. Although she was sold many times, used many times, and cast aside many times, there were four masters which were so vile as to cause her personalities to shift and draw out new elemental manifestations.
Vramlith – The 1st Master : Earthsoul Manifests
Vramlith was very near to Bashamgurda in power within the efreet society of the City of Brass. His armies were immense and his demeanor carried as much fierce mercilessness as did his elemental soldiers. He spent one night with Jitabata and one night only. It was horrifying and during the night, Jitabata’s entire form shifted as she manifested her second elemental soul – Earthsoul. Vramlith was disgusted by the form that lacked the promised fiery passion which he was promised. He sold Jitabata the following day to the efreet who had been next in line at the auction hosted by Bashamgurda.
Krogbern – The 2nd Master : Stormsoul Manifests Krogbern was intrigued by the Earthsoul side of Jitabata and the fact that she manifested this element when driven near to madness and out of a need to escape. He decided that he too would like to drive her to manifest new and greater powers. He experimented on her, performing various kinds of different tortures until he found that if he provoked her anger enough, she would manifest her shocking, lightning powered Stormsoul. The transition between her Firesoul and her Stormsoul was very powerful and caused a massive surge in energy which dealth considereable damage to Krogbern and his estate. He couldn’t afford to keep her around following her new manifestation and thus sold her off yet again.
Drogin – The 17th Master : Watersoul Manifests After having many masters which used her in various ways, Drogin came along to put them all to shame with his tortures. They were vile and through them, mostly from necessity, Jitabata manifested her Watersoul out of a need for survival. At this point Drogin became bored of her and sold her off yet again.
Calgrumhon – The Last Master : Windsoul Manifests
Calgrumhon’s tortures drove Jitabata nearly to the point of death. During the time she was with him her personalities flitted back and forth between various forms which could each take some of the punishment off of her now incredibly fragile mind. When her body and mind could bear no more, her final soul, her Windsoul manifested in a torrent of elemental frenzy in conjunction with her other elemental forms. In this new genesis her forms began to merge and through the combined elemental power she destroyed Calgrumhon in a furious blast of primordial energy. With Calgrumhon dead, Jitabata fled for her life and gained her freedom.
Exodus to Zerthadlun
Jitabata Suruna had escaped into the City of Brass and had, though unintentionally, killed her efreet master. Her life was now worthless. She would be killed on the spot. Out of necessity she fled and killed those in her way, taking what she could in order to survive. A hapless group of travelers at an in were subject to her elemental wrath when they stumbled drunkenly from their resting place. She stole several of their items in order to make her escape from the city.
News of the murder she committed traveled quickly through the city. Everybody seemed to be out to get her, but the speed of this communication was actually her savior. In the days following her escape, a group of Githzerai from Zerthadlun had come to the City of Brass in secret on a mission to kill an efreet which had been stirring up trouble and sending vast hordes of elementals to try and destroy the Githzerai bastion in the elemental chaos. They heard of Calgrumhon’s death upon their arrival and sought out Jitabata in order to use her power in the future. They smuggled her out of the city and back to their fortress.
Jitabata spent many years at Zerthadlun attempting to calm her troubled soul assisted by the monks, priests, and members of the religious order that held up the Gith bastion amdist the chaos. Many of the priests there became good friends with her and helped her to rest easy in her freedom. It was during this time that the priests of Zerthadlun taught her of the magic that resided inside her – her wild magical blood which bestowed upon her great power as a sorcerer. She would spend many years there honing her magical skill as well.
The End of Peace
One day, years after she first came to Zerthadlun, after she had begun to find peace within herself and the “elemental tempest” building within her had allowed both her firesoul personality and her other personalities to coexist properly, a group of travelers, brave warriors of the planes, came to rest at the Gith watch post.
Among these travelers, proclaimed to be brave warriors of the gods, was a dwarf wielding a hammer. He looked stubborn, but kind. Jitabata thought that he looked as though her was touched by an almost divine presence.
She underestimated him.
The dwarf was very much touched with a divine presence. He was a chosen exarch of Moradin, the dwarven god who played a critical role, along with Kord, and Bahamut in sealing up the original primordials. Jitabata had no idea that he, along with the other traveling adventurers were not in fact there to simply rest… they were hunting. They were hunting her.
That night, a voice inside Jitabata’s head, one that had stayed silent for years awakened with fury. The voice that she passed off as madness was alive and telling her to run.
Moradin’s fury passed through Zerthadlun like a purging wind with a misdirected target. Many Giths were killed that night trying to hunt Jitabata down. She managed to escape, taking with her some of her own belongings as well as items belonging to the fallen which she could grab as she fled.
By the end of the battle, many of her friends and allies had fallen, but more terrible to her, her personalities had fallen completely apart. Seeing the death of the only people she cared about at the hands of one she originally thought to be Holy, Righteous, and Good, drove her totally out of her mind. Her divergent personalities now mixed together and fought amongst themselves. No longer was it simply her firesoul that existed alongside the others, but now, the other souls would manifest two at a time. Stormsoul and Earthsoul; Windsoul and Watersoul. Her body became a mirror image of the chaos from which she was born.
The Worlds Must End
On the run, alone in the Elemental Chaos, Jitabata turned to herself for solace and comfort, but there was something with her, inside of her, an ancient energy which had slumbered since the dawn of time which was awakening.
In the wilds of the chaos, Jitabata gave in and began talking to the voice which disturbed and plagued her so. She gave into the madness. What she found was true clarity – She found the reason in the chaos; the reason in the madness; the reason she existed. Her purpose was to bring back the reign of the Primordials – Remake the world bigger, and better, and with more hope, brilliance and beauty than the repulsive, god-filled mortal world that existed now.
Jitabata was a primordial awakening. Within her dwealt every element which could be used to make, or unmake the universe and it was her destiny to fulfill that goal.
The worlds must be destroyed.
The primordial spirit inside her collided with her moral compass though. She didn’t wish to bring harm to others, she didn’t wish to kill, to maim, to destroy, but the world must be unmade and she was the only one left to do it. Her moral battle against her own nature wages on still; in her search for clarity, struggling with how she can achieve her destiny without killing, Jitabata secretly longs for support. She would never ask anyone for help; she has lost too many friends and allies and family already at the hands of the society of the Elemental Chaos. The efreets have claimed her sanity and the gods have claimed her friends. Jitabata now longs for companionship, but cannot bring herself to ask for it.
**NOTE – Please Read this first! I edited the Dual Manifestation power for Jitabata. Under the Elemental Tempest rules, when she manifests two different souls, she only changes appearance into one and doesn’t become a hybrid. That is lame. It is just so much cooler if she takes on the elemental appearance of both – So I got rid of that line. I didn't make any other changes, so i didn't bother reposting the entire fluff and rules changes for the paragon path...
Jitabata is possessed of a strange psychological disorder which not only affects her personality, but coincides with her appearance, making it almost appear like she is in fact many different people. Jitabata manifests 5 different elemental sides and she manifests them either one or two at a time. This makes for a total of 30 different personality and appearance combinations. Things can get rather confusing as her appearance is constantly changing – very much a reflection of the elemental chaos which she embodies. But, regardless of appearance, Jitabata is a sensual picture of elemental beauty and the chaos that abounds when the elements collide. She is modest in height, slim in weight, but other than that, her appearance changes readily. Her eyes take on different colors, her hair changes between crystal and fire and the lines on her body glow and shift as her elemental forms changes.
The general personality adjectives for each of her elemental souls is provided below:
Fire
Passionate, Easily Angered, Destructive, Violent
Earth
Dispassionate, Slow, Bored, Tough, Forgetful, Patient
Water
Whimsical, Mellow, Inquisitive, Self-Conscious, Caring, Helpful,
Wind
Quick-witted, Confident, Resilient, Selfish,
Storm
Rage Filled, Hateful, Spiteful, Raging, Productive, Impatient
**NOTE – If you want to play this character really fun, when rolling her wild soul power from her Sorcerer class roll 2d6 to determine her personalities as well. Use the following chart:
1 Firesoul
2 Stormsoul
3 Watersoul
4 Earthsoul
5 Watersoul
6 Roll Again
If you get the same result on both die, she manifests only one personality during that day, but since you are given the ability to manifest two, and gain the benefits for both, you might want to ask you DM if the case comes up where she only manifests one personality, that you could use the encounter power twice per encounter and increase resistances and such by a small set amount indicating that during that day her personality comes through very strong.
The Primordian is a redesign of the Demigod. There is a paragon path called the Primordial channeler, but no Epic Destiny that fits in with the primordial theme. The demigod should be about the right powers, but the fluff is all wrong. The flavor of the Demigod doesn’t suit well with a character which draws its power from the Primordials, which were in fact completely different from the gods, and were in fact destroyed by them – most were destroyed, some were imprisoned, some are still roaming free. The Primordians are those decended from the most ancient of powers, the primordials and who have lived through the eons, and have grown powerful enough to grasp that power and wield it for themselves.
*****
“You are descended from the forces of pure chaos that created the universe but would see it destroyed just as quickly. The blood that runs through your veins will be a challenge even unto the gods themselves…”
Prerequisite: 21st level
Unlike the pesky mortals that ascend to the ranks of the immortals through their acts during their life, your epic destiny was chosen at birth when you became a descendant of the primordials. Your ancestors, the first of the legendary immortal beings to rise up from the swirling madness that was the elemental chaos created the worlds, but wished its destruction. However, the primordials were halted by the gods and so the gods will seek to halt you as well as you progress on your path of chaos, for you will seek out chaos. It is your destiny. It is in your blood and your being. Entropy and Destruction are bound within your soul.
For Good or For Evil
Although you seek out total chaos and ultimate destruction of the world, it doens't necessarilly mean that you're evil... it just means you think you could remake the world better than it is now. What is a few lives lost when compared with a greater, more beautiful, more perfect world. Sacrificies must be made on the road to perfection and chaos is the only thing that can bring that perfection about.
Route to Immortality
Unlike many other adventurers, surviving long enough to ascent to immortality is your main task. Challenges will find you for the gods will stop at nothing to prevent the rise of a new primordial into the world. The chaos and destruction that you could cause would make for a totally new planar canvas. Should you ride out the coming storm, your apotheosis will be performed in fire, lighting, earthquakes, floods, and blizzards.
Primordian Features (carry the same benefits as those of the Demigod, but have different names and thus only objects which have had flavor changes are noted here).
All Primordians have the following class features.
Primordial Essence (21st level)
Primordial Resilience (24th level)
Primordial Power (30th level)
Primordian Power
Primordian Regeneration – Primordian Utility 26
You unleash the fury of your Primordial Bloodline to maintain your firm handle on combat.
This character was built using the D&Di Character Builder, but I added a lot to the stat block to increase the clarity with things like book sources and costs for items. I also expanded and added in some of the attack information as well as other expansions on previously accessible, but vague data, such as defenses.
level 23
Genasi, Sorcerer, Elemental Tempest, Primoridan (Demigod)
Build: Chaos Sorcerer
Spell Source: Wild Magic
Divine Spark: Divine Spark Charisma
Divine Spark: Divine Spark Dexterity
Quickened Spellcasting: Chaos Bolt
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 14, Con 13, Dex 22, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 26.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 11, Dex 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 18.
*Racial +2 STR, +2 INT; all increases are made to CHA and DEX
Defenses
10+1/2 Level = 21
AC: 32 – Armor/Ability +6, Enh +5
Fort: 27 – Abil 2, Enh 4
Reflex: 31 – Abil 6, Enh 4
Will: 36 – Abil 8, Enh 4
HP: 135 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 33
Resistances
Resist 20 Fire while Firesoul
Resist 20 Lightning while Stormsoul
Resist 20 Cold while Windsoul
Saving Throws
+1 Racial Bonus while Earthsoul
+2 Racial vs. ongoing damage while Watersoul
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +21, Bluff +24, Endurance +19, Athletics +18
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +17, Diplomacy +19, Dungeoneering +11, Heal +11, History +13, Insight +11, Intimidate +19, Nature +13, Perception +11, Religion +13, Stealth +17, Streetwise +19, Thievery +17
Senses
Passive Insight +21
Passive Perception +21
FEATS – *(Source)
Level 1: Extra Manifestation – Earthsoul (Forgotten Realm’s Player’s Guide)
Level 2: Extra Manifestation II – Stormsoul (Forgotten Realm’s Player’s Guide)
Level 4: Extra Manifestation III – Watersoul (Forgotten Realm’s Player’s Guide)
Level 6: Extra Manifestation IV – Windsoul (Forgotten Realm’s Player’s Guide)
Level 8: Elemental Echo (Forgotten Realm’s Player’s Guide)
Level 10: Two-Weapon Fighting (Player’s Handbook)
Level 11: Sorcerous Blade Channeling (Player’s Handbook 2)
Level 12: Arcane Spellfury (Player’s Handbook 2)
Level 14: Manifest Resistance (Forgotten Realm’s Player’s Guide)
Level 16: Dual Implement Spellcaster (Arcane Power)
Level 18: Stormrider (Forgotten Realm’s Player’s Guide)
Level 20: Wild Spellfury (Player’s Handbook 2)
Level 21: Ruthless Spellfury (Arcane Power)
Level 22: Quickened Spellcasting (Arcane Power)
POWERS – (Source)
Sorcerer at-will 1: Chaos Bolt (Player’s Handbook 2)
Sorcerer at-will 1: Acid Orb (Player’s Handbook 2)
Sorcerer encounter 1: Bedeviling Burst (Player’s Handbook 2)
Sorcerer daily 1: Chromatic Orb (Player’s Handbook 2)
Sorcerer utility 2: Elemental Shift (Player’s Handbook 2)
Sorcerer encounter 3: Spectral Claw (Player’s Handbook 2)
Sorcerer daily 5: Palest Flames (Player’s Handbook 2)
Sorcerer utility 6: Lightning Shift (Arcane Power)
Sorcerer encounter 7: Chaos Storm (Player’s Handbook 2)
Sorcerer daily 9: Ice Stalagmites (Arcane Power)
Sorcerer utility 10: Invert Resistance (Player’s Handbook 2)
Sorcerer encounter 13: Primordial Storm (replaces Bedeviling Burst) (Arcane Power)
Sorcerer daily 15: Prismatic Lightning (replaces Palest Flames) (Arcane Power)
Sorcerer utility 16: Avatars of Chaos (Arcane Power)
Sorcerer encounter 17: Thunder Summons (replaces Spectral Claw) (Player’s Handbook 2)
Sorcerer daily 19: Primordial Slime (replaces Chromatic Orb) (Arcane Power)
Sorcerer utility 22: Crown of Flames (Arcane Power)
Sorcerer encounter 23: Wildrift Burst (replaces Chaos Storm) (Arcane Power)
ITEMS – Source / Cost
Elemental Twist Dagger Dagger +4, PHB 2 – 125,000
Tooth of Chaos Dagger +4, PHB 2 – 125,000
Robe of Scintillation Githweave Armor +5, Adventurer’s Vault – 325,000
Ring of Wizardry (epic tier), Player’s Handbook – 225,000
Zephyr Boots (epic tier), Adventurer’s Vault – 525,000
Sextant of the Planes (paragon tier), Manual of the Planes – 17,000
Exodus Knife (paragon tier), Adventurer’s Vault – 13,000
Rope of Slave Fighting (paragon tier), Adventurer’s Vault – 65,000
Amulet of Material Darkness +4, Adventurer’s Vault – 85,000
Hat of Disguise (heroic tier), Adventurer’s Vault - 5000
Bracers of Iron Arcana (paragon tier), Adventurer’s Vault – 21,000
Flaying Gloves (paragon tier), Adventurer’s Vault – 21,000
Ring of Arcane Information (paragon tier), Adventurer’s Vault – 65,000
Remaining Gold – 3,000
Attack Workspace
Total / ½ Lvl / Abil/ Class / Prof / Feat / Enh / Misc
Melee Basic Attack – Elemental Twist Dagger = 2d4 + 7
+20 Bonus – 11 / 2 / 0 / 3 / 0 / 4
Ranged Basic Attack – Elemental Twist Dagger = 2d4 + 11
+24 Bonus – 11 / 6 / 0 / 3 / 0 / 4
Basic Attacks
20 vs. AC Melee
23 vs. Reflex Acid Orb (using Elemental Twist Dagger)
Jitabata has many enemies in her past – she would love to go back and destroy her previous efreet masters and her former masters, the living ones, including the head of the City of Brass would love to see Jitabata recaptured, and enslaved once again. The gods are hunting her to prevent the chaos that should would begin yet again. They would rather quell her power now, then see her become a truly great and powerful primordial. She has no living allies, but she is looking for people that would help her and keep her company in her quest to restore the worlds to total entropy.
“Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision. Their goals differed, but they all had this in common: that the step was first, the road new, the vision unborrowed, and the response they received--hatred. The great creators--the thinkers, the artists, the scientists, the inventors--stood alone against the men of their time. Every great new thought was opposed. Every great new invention was denounced… But the men of unborrowed vision went ahead. They fought, they suffered and they paid. But they won.”[/b]
Ayn Rand. The Fountian Head.
Ro-arke laughed.
He stood proudly wearing his armor and tabard, at the precipice of an endless cliff. A lake sat below him, distant to the eye, yet immediate in action. A great frozen, sleeping, explosion of stone jutted in a soaring arc to the sky over the quiet, still water. The lake appeared immovable, immutable, and unflinching, the stone flowing, rippling, rolling, and rife with action. The rock had the stillness, and subtleness of a single solitary moment in battle when fierce blades strike stout steel and the chaos and confusion are all held in brief stoic stillness, more out of respect than actuality. The granite growled with a ferocity, and a feeling of eternity.
The lake below was a glassy, icy field that allowed jutting rocks and granite to pierce through its steely surface by only the whim and grace of the pool below. The sky reflected the uncaring and truly selfish aspect of the lake and allowed everything else begrudgingly to exist beneath it. Yet the lake and the sky were all anchored and dominated by the presence and the stoic stance of Ro-arke.
Ro-arke leaned back against the tumultuous sky. He stood, rigid, and taut slowly rapping his great hammer against his worn left palm. His shoulders were drawn tight together, crushed and screaming with the strain of the weight of existence and the weight he placed upon himself. The wind blew his tabard and the flags of his fortress roared with a constant flapping, each second beating out the incessant hum and drum of his heart beat and the furious desire he carried.
History:
Ro-arke’s family and kin were slain by an assault by a good intentioned King Paeder Keatting’s army in an attempt to quell the disturbances caused by having a Hobgoblin fortress so close to his lands. Ro-arke being but a child at the time was spared, despite the complaints of many of the army’s personnel. Ro-arke and a dozen or so others were taken by their new masters to be raised as refugees within the binds and constraints of “civilization”. Shortly after their adoption Paeder Keatting was dethroned in coup d’etat. The refugees again were spared when they were hidden in an old abbey. It is here under the rigid thumb of the Clerics of Erathis that Ro-arke grew to become the man he is. An outcast from the other refugees as well as those children sent to the abbey for training and schooling in the arts of Erathis, Ro-arke grew with a bitter and full-fledged consciousness of who, and moreover what he was to become, and must become.
It was Father Toohey who first saw the difference between Ro-arke and other people. He saw and recognized that Ro-arke did not see things as completed objects, but the sum of their parts, constantly in majestic flux and flow. Ro-arke refused to accept the word of others, but instead stood out and acted out to show his stubborn will. Toohey saw in him a driven genius, a man who could claim the world and reality to himself. A man who would shape reality about himself, and not succumb to the whims of existence. Toohey took charge and care for the orphan and raised him sternly and tightly within the bonds and bounds of the faith of Erathis. Where Toohey failed is where he trained Ro-arke to be strongest, where Toohey was a success he challenged Ro-arke to be even greater.
Abruptly one day Ro-arke left the old abbey, saying no good byes, nor feeling any reason to say goodbyes he left and went out to build his world; the world he could see in the stone, the water, the ice and the people.
Ro-arke joined with many adventuring groups, his force of will and steadfast faith in himself and Erathis bolstering each group he joined. Each group left him behind, he was ridiculed and outcast. He conformed not to the role of the leader for any group nor as a supporter, but was instead ever the outsider confusing and confounding his allies until the time in which they left him, or he left them. Fellow followers of Erathis ridiculed his vision, disbarred him and defamed him. His concepts of building and creating society offended some, angered others, and bewildered the rest.
When finally Ro-arke began to feel himself succumbing to the fatalism of those about him he met two figures who realigned Ro-arke’s steadfast beliefs. Dominque a self destructive and reckless warlock heir to an elven barony, who set Ro-arke’s heart a flame more than anything but construction. She met Ro-arke as he pleaded with her Baron father for a position supervising his fortress’s defense. Wynard a Human bard with a penchant to sway his listeners against anyone who stands in his way became intertwined with the pair shortly thereafter . Dominque and Ro-arke fell in together with Wynard in an attempt to bring order to a small mountain pass ravaged by goblinoid menaces; and fell apart when Ro-arke refused to recognize the goblinoid threat as anything but an opportunity to rebuild and create them into a more perfect and regulated society. Wynard spent his influence trying to crush Ro-arke whilst Dominique followed Wynard into his circle of growing fame and power, submitting herself to his whims.
Ro-arke while searching for acceptance, found a place where his vision could truly be realized, recognized, and reality. He had stumbled upon a gate to the elemental chaos.
Ro-arke Found the chaos and began to realized his raison d’etre; to build the chaos, to create and design his perfect world; striking up from the chaos to refine its existence into that which could be. Ro-arke built a new following, and has now built a matrix of order throughout the elemental chaos, strongholds and roads carved out of the ever shifting, ever flowing lands of the Elemental Chaos. His force of will leads his allies and his workers ever on, they conform to the declarations of Ro-arke that there work is what all existence wants, and that his leadership is truest around. Together Ro-arke and his minions fight the Chaos itself and its denizens to bring forth the vision and order that only Ro-arke can see.
Description:
Roarke is a tall slim Hobgoblin, lean but muscular who wears his platemail and tabard proudly in all situations. His graying hair misleads many into believing him to be older than he is, a consequence of the great burden he sees as being on his shoulders. His steely blue eyes always seem to be looking out beyond and through everything, his gaze dismantling ever situation.
Personality:
Ro-arke Loves and hates chaos all at once; and what most people consider order he sees as an abomination. He is driven, unforgiving and steadfastly unapologetic. He seeks to find a “natural order” to all existence. A castle on a mountain is absurd, a Castle which rises from within the mountain is order. A society of stratus, and caste is folly, whereas a meritocracy wherein all behave true to themselves and not pressure from society is divine. Ro-arke does not rest, not does he stop thinking and pushing himself to complete his vision of perfection and order onto the world. He finds himself a man alone even when surrounded by his own people, the burden of their work is his burden, they are but tools he uses to complete it.
Allies:
Ro-arke leads a loyal and charismatically charmed group of people bent on fulfilling their leader’s wishes. The build and fight against the innate nature of the lands they call home to do their part to fulfill Ro-arke’s vision; despite the fact that by submitting Ro-arke’s will they offend him with their willingness to be subjugated.
Dominique the elven warlock heiress flirts with her connection with Ro-arke; she too is detached from the rest of the world. She loves Ro-arke for his strength of will and determination, yet sees a different world all her own. The two share a special bond of uniqueness and world view; they are drawn together due to their inability to conform yet still don’t come together due to their different views, which neither will compromise.
Ro-annoud is one of the original twelve Hobgoblin refugees that went with Ro-arke to the old abbey. He is now a loyal follower of Ro-arke and acts as his personal assistant and squire. Ro-annoud is tough, loyal, and a stalwart defender and aide to Ro-arke.
Antagonists / enemies:
Wynard the bard still seeks to defame and destroy the acts of Ro-arke. He uses whatever diplomacy and bargains he can muster to drive potential allies against Ro-arke. Ro-arke sees Wynard as a nuisance and disruption, but pities him for his personal subjugation to the those about him.
The Elemental chaos, its denizens and ever changing nature are the only enemy Ro-arke recognizes, and even that he sees as a challenge for him to over come rather than a foe to defeat.
Perhaps Ro-arke’s greatest foe is himself and his unwillingness to surrender or forgive himself for any faults in his actions.
“One can't love man without hating most of the creatures who pretend to bear his name.”
Ayn Rand. The Fountain Head
Stats:
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Ro-arke, level 23
Hobgoblin, Paladin, Justiciar, Demigod
Divine Spark: Divine Spark Charisma
Divine Spark: Divine Spark Wisdom
Background: Occupation - Scholar (+2 to Religion)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 14, Dex 10, Int 16, Wis 22, Cha 27.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 10, Dex 8, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 17.
AC: 40 Fort: 30 Reflex: 33 Will: 40
HP: 176 Surges: 14 Surge Value: 44
Resistances: 15 cold, 10 lightning, 10 thunder, 5 fire.
TRAINED SKILLS
Religion +21, Intimidate +26, Diplomacy +24, History +21
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +9, Arcana +16, Bluff +21, Dungeoneering +19, Endurance +11, Heal +19, Insight +19, Nature +19, Perception +19, Stealth +13, Streetwise +21, Thievery +9, Athletics +12
FEATS (all Feats are from the PH except as noted)
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Craghammer)
Level 2: Weapon Focus (Hammer)
Level 4: Weapon Expertise (Hammer) (PH2)
Level 6: Durable
Level 8: Toughness
Level 10: Jack of All Trades
Level 11: Back to the Wall
Level 12: Harmony of Erathis
Level 14: Great Fortitude
Level 16: Melee Training (Charisma) (PH2)
Level 18: Linguist
Level 20: Lightning Reflexes
Level 21: Epic Will (PH2)
Level 22: Indomitable Will (PH2)
POWERS (all Powers from PH, except Hobgoblin Resilience from the MM)
Racial Encounter: Hobgoblin Resilience(MM)
Paladin at-will 1: Enfeebling Strike
Paladin at-will 1: Bolstering Strike
Paladin encounter 1: Fearsome Smite
Paladin daily 1: On Pain of Death
Paladin utility 2: Astral Speech
Paladin encounter 3: Righteous Smite
Paladin daily 5: Hallowed Circle
Paladin utility 6: Wrath of the Gods
Paladin encounter 7: Benign Transposition
Paladin daily 9: Crown of Glory
Paladin utility 10: Cleansing Spirit
Paladin encounter 13: Entangling Smite (replaces Righteous Smite)
Paladin daily 15: True Nemesis (replaces Crown of Glory)
Paladin utility 16: Death Ward
Paladin encounter 17: Fortifying Smite (replaces Fearsome Smite)
Paladin daily 19: Corona of Blinding Radiance (replaces Hallowed Circle)
Paladin utility 22: United in Faith
Paladin encounter 23: Sublime Transposition (replaces Benign Transposition)
ITEMS (all items from PH except as noted)
Adventurer's Kit, Ioun Stone of Adaptation (epic tier)(MOTP), Ring of Dread (paragon tier)(AV), Ring of Vigilant Defense (paragon tier)(AV), Legion Plate Armor of Resistance +5 (cold)(AV), Cord of Foresight (paragon tier)(AV), Breaching Gauntlets (paragon tier)(AV), Dwarfstride Boots (paragon tier)(AV)(default boots), Boots of Swimming (paragon tier)(AV)(backup boots when needed), Diamond Bracers (paragon tier)(AV), Storm Shield Heavy Shield (paragon tier), Piwafwi +4(Dragon 367), Sacrificial Craghammer +5(AV), Symbol of Astral Might +4(AV), Sunrod (2), Rope, hempen (50 ft.), Journeybreads (10), Holy Symbol, Battle Standard of the Fiery Legion (paragon tier)(AV), Sextant of the Planes (paragon tier)(MOTP), 200 platinum pieces
All apologies to Ayn Rand for the bastardization of her work
Special thanks to John Jameson and Sons.
There's still a couple days to get an entry posted!
Ah well, what did I expect after throwing out 2 weeks of work on a swordmage after realizing that the backstory was just never going to come together. /selfpity
No promises on exactly when, but I anticipate an entry before the closure of this contest.
Umrigar -- The Unstable Sorcerer
History
Kythree Nightsong shook her head sadly. For the third night in a row, her favorite patron had neglected to appear. He had been nice enough to look at, charming Tiefling that he was, but it was the tips that made his absence felt all the harder. She sighed, and turned her damp rag over the polished countertops one more time.
Lord Mayor Nealdro frowned. His secretary, that pretty elf lass, (what was her name again?) hadn't been in in Pelor *knows* how many shifts, and as much as it irked him to consider it, the elf might have slunk off for good this time. It would be hard to find another so studious.
In the bowels of The Throttled Nine, one group of dockworkers was drinking especially heartily tonight. "To Linken, that that womanizing half-orc may grace us with his presence, and coin, again!!" chortled one drunken sailor. "Hear, hear!" came the uproarious reply.
And at the city gates, a lone, cloaked figure stalked mournfully into the night, leaving a ninth city in as many months to find a new residence, one not plagued with rumors of spell-mad wizards blasting shops apart in broad daylight.
Umrigar thought it had it all -- fame, wealth, influence. The Doppleganger, in its own words: "a Changling of caliber most high" was living pretty amidst the cultural elite, one more merchant-prince in the ancient city of Illum.
It wasn't until its thirty-fifth year of life that Umrigar decided it was unsatisfied with its lot in life. It had whatever it wanted, yes, but as things were, Umrigar was insufferably bored. Success had come so easily to it, and it found that it wanted, nay needed challenge in its life.
And so it was that "Fat" Pietro (Tiefling merchant of Illum and favored persona of Umrigar) called his personal arcanist, the Eladrin wizard Tyr Cerulis to his private chambers for a discussion about all things magical.
Tyr blinked. "You want me to WHAT?" "Fat" Pietro, hulking behemoth of a Tiefling that he was, leaned back in his massive chair. "I." began the merchant, crisply pronouncing each word in a way which suggested a lack of intellect on Tyr's part. "Want. You. To. Summon. A. Genie."
Tyr shook his head in disbelief. "I suppose the better question would have been, 'why?'"
"Fat" Pietro stared down at his arcanist. "I grow bored, Mr. Cerulis" came his deep, bass voice. "I want to experience something new, discover mysteries and solve secrets I didn't know existed. Can you think of any greater way to experience this than by speaking with an elemental being itself?"
Tyr could, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
"I also hear they grant wishes. Besides. The Summer Solstice approaches. That strengthens your connection to the elements, correct?"
"Sir, the Solstice means the Feywild is coterminous with our material plane, specifically the fey spirits of the summer cou--"
"Mr. Cerulis." Interrupted the Tiefling. "I care not for the mechanical subtleties inherent to your task. Just do it, please."
Tyr bit back several mechanical subtleties of his own, eventually gaining enough control to blurt out, "yes, sir"
When Umrigar's faithful underlings finally summoned the efreeti-lord Decimus into its private rooms, Umrigar was overjoyed. Finally! A creature who could make things more interesting! Against the advice of its arcanist, Umrigar ordered all of its servants from the room.
The efreet's eyes narrowed. "That was very foolish, merchant."
Umrigar ignored the statement, its face twisting as it sought to master its emotions -- excitement, enthusiasm, curiosity. Maybe even a little fear.
"Lord Decimus, was it? I'll not mince words. I am bored here in the city. I have heard that genies grant wishes, so I had you summoned here to grant one of mine -- make my life more interesting!"
The efreet said nothing for a time, merely staring at Umrigar's devilish appearance. After a great many moments, the efreet stirred. "You're actually serious, aren't you?"
Umrigar's jubilation dimmed a little as Lord Decimus began to laugh, a great roaring sound that reverberated off the marbled walls and sent gusts of smoke and ash billowing around the room. "W-what..." stuttered Umrigar, for the first time uncertain if this had actually been a good idea.
Decimus grinned, showing long, blade-sharp teeth. "The ignorance and foolishness of mortals continues to amuse me." He snorted, crossing his arms across his chest. "Very well then, Changeling..." (Umrigar gasped, astounded its deceptive veil could be so casually pierced) "I will do this thing for you. Make life more interesting you say? Yes. I think I know just what to do. Please, step into the summoning circle with me."
Umrigar, ill-at ease, let "Fat" Pietro's profile dissipate from its face, revealing the pale grey skin beneath, suddenly lithe frame now adrip with Pietro's silk sails (that had fit so perfectly well seconds before). It slowly closed the distance between itself and the efreeti-lord.
It was having second thoughts about all of this, but... no. It had come this far, it would stand strong.
The second its foot entered the circle, one massive hand swooped down, grabbing Umrigar and lifting it bodily, to dangle, a single claw-like hand clutching its skull. Searing fire filled its body, causing Umrigar to scream, a low keening sound that rose to a glass-shattering crescendo before Umrigar succumbed to blessed darkness. The last thing it heard before its body hit the floor was a cruel, mocking laughter.
Umrigar's servants came flooding into the room when the screaming began, finding neither their master nor the efreet he had been conversing with. Instead, writhing madly on the floor, uncontrollable arcane energy dripping from mouth, eyes, and fingers, was a pale, grey-skinned humanoid -- a changeling. While the servants milled about, confused and uncertain about what to do, Umrigar gathered what wits it had left and struggled out of the room, features bending and warping as it adopted the face of cloud its true form once more.
The efreet had given it magic! Even now, Umrigar could feel power, raw and untamed, flowing through its veins. Sparks snapped from its fingers at a thought, flames licked the backs of its hands at whim, and its breath misted, ice-cold and deadly, with every focused exhalation. Umrigar let itself smile -- tonight, after a visit to the slums to borrow a new face, it would set out for adventure and leave its posh (but so incredibly dull) lifestyle behind.
Within a week, as scandalous rumors surrounding "Fat" Pietro's death were just dying down, a human sorcerer known as "Rimguar", was setting out, the newest chartered adventurer under the Dusksteel Rampants.
Umrigar learned quickly, and within a small span of time was hurling magic like some wizards twice its age. It didn't care at all about the strange origins of its power, the new found ability to sunder foes and smite evil was enough to keep it satisfied. Umrigar was enjoying life as an adventurer, basking in the glories that always seemed to accompany bandit routing, dragon slaying, and princess rescuing. As Umrigar perfected its ill-gotten gains, the Dsksteel Rampants embarked upon their most dangerous campaign yet -- to rid the city of Stormbright of an infestation of vampires and liches.
Whether due to some foul aspect of the undead's magic, or simply because of the whims of fate, that was the last adventure undertaken by the majority of the Dusksteel Rampants. In a critical fight, Umrigar suddenly and inexplicably lost control of its abilities. It watched in horror as fire, lightning, and crushing sound burst forth from its hands, unwilled and unwelcome, to batter and sear many of the Rampants from behind. The undead seized the advantage, and it was only through the grace of the fickle Raven Queen herself that Umrigar and the two surviving Rampants made it out alive.
Shocked and confused, Umrigar could take no comfort from its fellow adventurers. One, a pretty she-elf cleric named Luriel, blamed it for the loss of life.The other, a goliath shaman named Lo-Kag did not blame "Rimguar", but neither did he care to travel aside the sorcerer. Despairing, (and just as confused as either of them) Umrigar made its way back to a city, where it once again borrowed a face and joined a charted band of adventurers. This time, Umrigar had traveled less than two weeks before its powers erupted again, just as unruly and uncontrollable as before. Though no one was hurt this second time, it made Umrigar's allies wary, and when it lost control for a third time, it was promptly excised from the group. Umrigar began a long journey then, traveling to arcane library after library, consulting aging wizard, crone, and priest, all in an attempt to regain control over its art.
Umrigar's condition became worse -- it was wont to vent pure elemental energy, as if ripped from the primordial chaos itself, at the least provocation. Umrigar drifted from town to town, vanishing without a trace when its powers reared their head, injuring (or at the least endangering) any it dared get close to. When it was unavoidable, Umrigar left in the middle of the night, off to visit a new city with a new face, like as not trailed and tracked by angry guards, hired investigators, or worse. It had gotten so bad that Umrigar took to keeping a slew of "backup identities" handy, such that if one were to suddenly immolate its surroundings with unleashed primordial energy, Umrigar would have several other previously-established personas to retreat to.
Eventually, after many months, Umrigar's thoughts turned to the source of its powers. It was not a natural sorcerer, and it finally admitted to itself that its inability to control the powers might be related to the efreeti's "gift". In most recent weeks, Umrigar has set about hiring arcanists and summoners in a mad bid to recontact Lord Decimus, all the while knowing that its powers, especially its terrifying primordial deluge, get fiercer and more unpredictable with every passing day.
Description
Umrigar is anyone and everyone. As a changeling, it feels no qualms about changing appearance, swapping race, age, and even gender as the need arises. Unlike other changelings who seem to "prefer" one gender over the other, Umrigar is wholly unconcerned with its own gender-identity, never referring to itself as distinctly one or the other. Generally, Umrigar prefers tall humans with darker hair and features, though this too is only a tendency, not a hard and fast rule.
In its natural form, Umrigar looks like any other doppleganger, lithe, grey-skinned, and androgynous.
Umrigar's personality has gone through recent changes. When it was "Fat" Pietro, Umrigar was the picture of arrogance and indulgence. As "Rimguar", it became wry and sarcastic. Its current need for rapidly changing appearances has affected its personality as well -- these days no matter what form it occupies, Umrigar is sad, stressed, and so very, very, tired.
Umrigar's Stats
====== Created (Mostly) Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Umrigar, level 23
Doppelganger, Sorcerer, Primordial Channeler (Arcane Power), Archspell (Arcane Power)
Spell Source: Wild Magic
Signature Spell: Primordial Rift
Note: For ease of reading and to reduce clutter, "standard" bonuses to scores / checks are omitted. This includes 1/2 level + ability mod for most checks, and 10 + 1/2 level + ability mod + enhancement bonus for defenses.
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 14, Con 14, Dex 24, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 24.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 12, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16.
(Note: I used the Changeling Stats of +2 Dex or Int, +2 Cha, from the Eberron Player's Guide since that can be checked by even those without access to DnDi simply by looking up the race in the compendium. Additionally, the Changeling entry itself is for some reason available to all at the moment : http://www.wizards.com/dndinsider/compendium/race.aspx?id=14 . For conveinence (and in case whatever has caused the link to be visible to all is replaced by the standard "Log into DnDi" schtick by the time of your reading this, I have not included any other "updated" Changeling abilities, such as their racial encounter power. )
BASIC STATS
Initiative: +18, Passive Insight: 28, Passive Perception: 21
AC: 36 Fort: 32 (+4 Epic Fortitude) Reflex: 35(+1 Dimensional Stride Boots, +1 Masterwork Anathema) Will: 36 (+1 Racial)
HP: 136 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 34
ATTACK MODIFIERS
Standard Sorcerer Power: +11 level, +7 Charisma, +5 enhancement, +2 expertise = +25
Primordial Rift: +11 level, +7 Charisma, +5 enhancement, +2 expertise, +2 Signature Spell = +27
DAMAGE MODIFIERS
Standard Sorcerer Power: +7 Charisma, +11 Chaos Power (Dexterity + 4), +5 enhancement, +5 dual implement off-hand enhancement = +28
SAVING THROWS
+2 vs. dominated (Chaos Shard)
ACTION POINTS
Dex Mod Damage (+7) to all enemies within 3.
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +19 (+2 Chaos Shard), Intimidate +23, Insight +18 (+2 Racial), Bluff +30 (+2 Racial, +5 Liar's Brooch)
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +18, Diplomacy +18, Dungeoneering +11, Endurance +13, Heal +11, History +12, Nature +11, Perception +11, Religion +12, Stealth +18, Streetwise +18, Thievery +18, Athletics +13
CLASS / PARAGON / DESTINY FEATURES
Chaos Burst (Wild Magic)
Chaos Power (Wild Magic)
Unfettered Power (Wild Magic)
Wild Soul (Wild Magic)
Primordial Manifestation (Primordial Channeler)
Overwhelming Elements (Primordial Channeler)
Signature Spell [Primordial Rift] (Archspell)
FEATS
Level 1: Disciplined Wild Soul
Level 2: Dual Implement Spellcaster *
Level 4: Implement Expertise (Light Blade)
Level 6: Weapon Expertise (Light Blade)
Level 8: Armor Proficiency (Leather)
Level 10: Sorcerous Blade Channeling
Level 11: Arcane Reach
Level 12: Resounding Thunder
Level 14: Arcane Familiar -- Raven, replaced with Chaos Shard at level 21
Level 16: War Wizardry ^
Level 18: Wild Spellfury
Level 20: Arcane Flexibility
Level 21: Ruthless Spellfury *
Level 22: Epic Fortitude
Feats marked with * are from Arcane Power.
Feats marked with ^ are from Forgotten Realms Player's Guide
Unmarked Feats are from PHB or PHBII.
POWERS
Sorcerer at-will 1: Chaos Bolt
Sorcerer at-will 1: Dragonfrost
Sorcerer encounter 1: Thundering Roar
Sorcerer daily 1: Dazzling Ray
Sorcerer utility 2: Elemental Shift
Sorcerer encounter 3: Swirling Stars
Sorcerer daily 5: Thunder Leap
Sorcerer utility 6: Arcane Empowerment
Sorcerer encounter 7: Shout
Sorcerer daily 9: Adamantine Echo
Sorcerer utility 10: Sorcerous Pulse *
Sorcerer encounter 13: Primordial Storm (replaces Thundering Roar) *
Sorcerer daily 15: Prismatic Lightning (replaces Thunder Leap) *
Sorcerer utility 16: Chaos Sanctuary
Sorcerer encounter 17: Thunderstroke (replaces Swirling Stars) *
Sorcerer daily 19: Prismatic Explosion (replaces Dazzling Ray)
Sorcerer utility 22: Shared Sorcery
Sorcerer encounter 23: Wildrift Burst (replaces Shout) *
Paragon Encounter 11: Primordial Rage *
Paragon Utility 12: Primordial Boon *
Paragon Daily 20: Primordial Rift [Signature Spell] *
Item Daily: Displacer Armor ~
Item Encounter: Citrine Solitaire ~
Item Encounter: Strikebacks ~
Item Encounter: Dimensional Stride Boots ~
Item Encounter: Ruby Scabbard (+5 Jagged Dagger) ~
Racial At-Will: Change Shape #
Powers marked with * are from Arcane Power
Powers marked with ~ are item-powers from Adventurer's Vault
Powers marked with # are from the Monster Manual
All other Powers are from PHBII.
ITEMS
Liar's Trinket +5 --- 425,000 ~
Displacer Anathema Armor (Leather) +5 --- 525,000 ~
Jagged Dagger +5 (Main hand) --- 325,000 ~
Magic Dagger +5 --- 225,000
Dimensional Stride Boots (paragon tier) --- 85,000 ~
Strikebacks (heroic tier) --- 5,000 ~
Solitaire (Citrine) (paragon tier) --- 9,000 ~
Ruby Scabbard (heroic tier) --- 1,000 ~
Total = 1,600,000 gp
Items marked with ~ are from Adventurer's Vault
All other items are from PHBI or II.
====== Created (Mostly) Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Umrigar, level 23
Doppelganger, Sorcerer, Primordial Channeler (Arcane Power), Archspell (Arcane Power)
Spell Source: Wild Magic
Signature Spell: Primordial Rift
Note: For ease of reading and to reduce clutter, "standard" bonuses to scores / checks are omitted. This includes 1/2 level + ability mod for most checks, and 10 + 1/2 level + ability mod + enhancement bonus for defenses.
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 14, Con 14, Dex 24, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 24.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 12, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16.
(Note: I used the Changeling Stats of +2 Dex or Int, +2 Cha, from the Eberron Player's Guide since that can be checked by even those without access to DnDi simply by looking up the race in the compendium. Additionally, the Changeling entry itself is for some reason available to all at the moment : http://www.wizards.com/dndinsider/compendium/race.aspx?id=14 . For conveinence (and in case whatever has caused the link to be visible to all is replaced by the standard "Log into DnDi" schtick by the time of your reading this, I have not included any other "updated" Changeling abilities, such as their racial encounter power. )
BASIC STATS
Initiative: +18, Passive Insight: 28, Passive Perception: 21
AC: 36 Fort: 32 (+4 Epic Fortitude) Reflex: 35(+1 Dimensional Stride Boots, +1 Masterwork Anathema) Will: 36 (+1 Racial)
HP: 136 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 34
ATTACK MODIFIERS
Standard Sorcerer Power: +11 level, +7 Charisma, +5 enhancement, +2 expertise = +25
Primordial Rift: +11 level, +7 Charisma, +5 enhancement, +2 expertise, +2 Signature Spell = +27
DAMAGE MODIFIERS
Standard Sorcerer Power: +7 Charisma, +11 Chaos Power (Dexterity + 4), +5 enhancement, +5 dual implement off-hand enhancement = +28
SAVING THROWS
+2 vs. dominated (Chaos Shard)
ACTION POINTS
Dex Mod Damage (+7) to all enemies within 3.
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +19 (+2 Chaos Shard), Intimidate +23, Insight +18 (+2 Racial), Bluff +30 (+2 Racial, +5 Liar's Brooch)
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +18, Diplomacy +18, Dungeoneering +11, Endurance +13, Heal +11, History +12, Nature +11, Perception +11, Religion +12, Stealth +18, Streetwise +18, Thievery +18, Athletics +13
CLASS / PARAGON / DESTINY FEATURES
Chaos Burst (Wild Magic)
Chaos Power (Wild Magic)
Unfettered Power (Wild Magic)
Wild Soul (Wild Magic)
Primordial Manifestation (Primordial Channeler)
Overwhelming Elements (Primordial Channeler)
Signature Spell [Primordial Rift] (Archspell)
FEATS
Level 1: Disciplined Wild Soul
Level 2: Dual Implement Spellcaster *
Level 4: Implement Expertise (Light Blade)
Level 6: Weapon Expertise (Light Blade)
Level 8: Armor Proficiency (Leather)
Level 10: Sorcerous Blade Channeling
Level 11: Arcane Reach
Level 12: Resounding Thunder
Level 14: Arcane Familiar -- Raven, replaced with Chaos Shard at level 21
Level 16: War Wizardry ^
Level 18: Wild Spellfury
Level 20: Arcane Flexibility
Level 21: Ruthless Spellfury *
Level 22: Epic Fortitude
Feats marked with * are from Arcane Power.
Feats marked with ^ are from Forgotten Realms Player's Guide
Unmarked Feats are from PHB or PHBII.
POWERS
Sorcerer at-will 1: Chaos Bolt
Sorcerer at-will 1: Dragonfrost
Sorcerer utility 2: Elemental Shift
Sorcerer utility 6: Arcane Empowerment
Sorcerer daily 9: Adamantine Echo
Sorcerer utility 10: Sorcerous Pulse *
Sorcerer encounter 13: Primordial Storm (replaces Thundering Roar) *
Sorcerer daily 15: Prismatic Lightning (replaces Thunder Leap) *
Sorcerer utility 16: Chaos Sanctuary
Sorcerer encounter 17: Thunderstroke (replaces Swirling Stars) *
Sorcerer daily 19: Prismatic Explosion (replaces Dazzling Ray)
Sorcerer utility 22: Shared Sorcery
Sorcerer encounter 23: Wildrift Burst (replaces Shout) *
Paragon Encounter 11: Primordial Rage *
Paragon Utility 12: Primordial Boon *
Paragon Daily 20: Primordial Rift [Signature Spell] *
Item Daily: Displacer Armor ~
Item Encounter: Citrine Solitaire ~
Item Encounter: Strikebacks ~
Item Encounter: Dimensional Stride Boots ~
Item Encounter: Ruby Scabbard (+5 Jagged Dagger) ~
Racial At-Will: Change Shape #
Powers marked with * are from Arcane Power
Powers marked with ~ are item-powers from Adventurer's Vault
Powers marked with # are from the Monster Manual
All other Powers are from PHBII.
ITEMS
Liar's Trinket +5 --- 425,000 ~
Displacer Anathema Armor (Leather) +5 --- 525,000 ~
Jagged Dagger +5 (Main hand) --- 325,000 ~
Magic Dagger +5 --- 225,000
Dimensional Stride Boots (paragon tier) --- 85,000 ~
Strikebacks (heroic tier) --- 5,000 ~
Solitaire (Citrine) (paragon tier) --- 9,000 ~
Ruby Scabbard (heroic tier) --- 1,000 ~
Total = 1,600,000 gp
Items marked with ~ are from Adventurer's Vault
All other items are from PHBI or II.
====== Created (Mostly) Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Yay! Five entries, with a little over one day left for more to appear! Make the judges work! Give us more entries!
War. War never changes. Since Dawn of Time, when gods crawled out from under the yoke of the Primordials, war has never changed. Kill or be killed. Drink of their blood, and grind the bones of the enemy beneath your heels. To the victors go the glory, and to the defeated, death. I have lived for half a thousand years, and have bathed in the blood of ten thousand souls. You speak to me of war? You might as well tell an ocean how it feels to be wet. I have drunken the truest ambrosia of immortals, drained their infinite rivers of blood, and still I thirst. You waste my time. Step away, or draw your sword.
APPEARANCE
Shadar-Kai, 6'2", 200 lbs., Middle-aged, Long black hair, Black eyes, Dark gray skin, Covered in old scars, No tattoos or piercings (unlike most of his race)
RECENT EXPLOITS
Akioh has spent the last fifty years based out of the Elemental Chaos, and in particular, the fabled City of Brass. Akioh had been hired to lead a large force assaulting the Demonweb Pits for an employer in search of an ancient artifact. They encountered a large efreeti warband from the City of Brass in search of the same artifact. His men were winning and had almost routed the enemy, when in a reversal of fortune, his foolish employer made herself known on the battlefiend and was summarily destroyed. As a mercenary warlord with no further purpose for the fight, Akioh negotiated a cease fire with the enemy leader, Talamathra Ibn'Qari. His men were free to go, and in exchange, Akioh would serve the noble house of Ibn'Qari for ten years as a captain in their army.
The City of Brass is a fabled city of efreeti nobles, a stronghold of the most ancient of elementals. The Ibn'Qari clan sat in the middle tier of the city's immense power structure. During Akioh's time of indentured servitude, the Ibn'Qari clan rose up nearly to the upper tiers of society, having deposed of half a dozen houses above them, through secret murder and open warfare. Akioh did not seem to mind being the executioner. The clan rewarded him as well as could be, and he was given the greatest freedoms a slave could enjoy. He thrived on conflict, and stoked the fires of Ibn'Qari greed with success after success over the years.
In his tenth year of service, he convinced Talamathra to commit his full forces on a surprise assault on House Wezari, one of the smaller upper tier noble houses. Unseating them would give the Ibn'Qari enough sway to finally move up to the highest tier of the city's noble houses. He chose a time of weakness to descend upon House Wezari, and the Ibn'Qari forces slaughtered the Wezari garrison, included many heads of House Wezari. Victory was upon them, when allied forces of House Al'Koor came to the defense of House Wezari. Flanked and surrounded, Akioh's forces were slaughtered, piled atop the corpses of house Wezari. In panic, Talamathra planned to flee, but Akioh magically restrained Talamathra and beheaded him on the spot. Knowing Talamathra had magical wards against such a simple death, Akioh took out a jewel given to him by Alesszra Ibn'Qari, one of Talamathra's lesser daughters. He held up the jewel and imprisoned Talamathra's soul for eternity, and Talamathra's soul gem was presented to House Al'Koor as part of the dowry for the marriage between Alesszra and Prince Hakar Al'Koor.
Hakar was an old friend of Akioh's, though they first met as enemies on the fields of Chaos, many years before his surrender to Ibn'Qari. Hakar had fought fiercely and bravely, and Akioh spared the child nobleman his life. Hakar returned the favor once he had heard of Akioh's plight. During the ten years of service to Ibn'Qari, Akioh also served House Al'Koor in secret. The houses Akioh crushed were enemies of Al'Koor. House Wezir was a dangerous ally. And Alesszra had captured the young Hakar's eye for many years, but Hakar's father would never approve of a lesser union.
Akioh would bring Alesszra and Hakar together, in exchange for handing both Houses Ibn'Qari and Wezir to Al'Koor -- in totality. A tempting House Wezir would be the fat worm on the hook for Ibn'Qari. After their complete defeat, Houses Wezir and Ibn'Qari were dissolved, Akioh became a slave of Hakar Al'Koor, and Al'koor immediately made Akioh a free citizen of the City of Brass.
For the past forty years, Akioh has worked out of the City of Brass and the demiplane of Sigil. His latest conquest: enslaving an Aspect of Orcus as a pet for a rich client. He is rarely home. Business keeps him busy. Presently, it's a killer market.
BACKGROUND
Akioh has lived far longer than most shadar-kai. He has not discarded his past or his heritage -- his clan of warriors and warmages died long ago, though the fire of the fight still burns in his blood. He likes to think that he has transcended the madness of his kind, the sickness that drives his people to foolish deaths. The secret of life is to take it by the throat. He does not fear death, but he resists it -- death is the ultimate loss.
Akioh has marched under a hundred banners in his time. He most commonly flies the flag of his own mercenary company, the Ashes of Autumn, which swells in times of action and disbands quickly after divvying up the spoils of war, only to reform during the following season of war. For irregular activities which require small groups, he bands with adventurers with whom he has fought beside in the past, often times former members of the Ashes of Autumn.
ROLEPLAYING
Akioh is a warlord in every possible sense. For hundreds of years, he has fought countless wars on every known plane. Sides do not matter -- personal gain does. He is a survivor, a mercenary, a leader, and a warrior. His bark is loud, but his bite is worse, though he can be humble and tactful when necessary. He has witnessed first hand the fall of gods. Little surprises him, but he is smart enough to know that he has still much more to learn. The Chaos is a painful teacher. He approaches every interaction as a complex conflict to be won. The cause is often irrelevant. What matters is the challenge.
COMBAT
Akioh is primarily built around never failing death saves and fighting around a bloodied state. He has a base +10 to Death Saving Throws, making failed saves essentially impossible. The Undying Warrior's Wounded Resurgence lets him take significant advantage of his 9 healing surges -- while bloodied, a surge can heal him all the way up to bloodied, effectively almost doubling the value of surges. At 136 HP, he can drop down to zero HP, make his Death Save, then be back up at 68 HP the next round. Without counting his extensive resistances and other healing powers, he can have the equivalent of 748 HP from healing surges alone. And even in the worst case scenario, he has Soulguard to protect him from absolute death, if he should be hit to -68 HP in one round.
He has a base +10 to Death Saving Throws (+6 for Flamebrow Commander, +2 for Periapt of Recovery, +2 for Shadar-kai) and cannot fail a Death Saving Throw without external death save penalties. His Survivor's Belt gives him two rolls, giving him a 79.75% chance of being able to get a 20 or higher on his first Death Save. He has a 96% chance of making a save by the second round. When he does save, his Acrobat Boots allow him to stand up from prone as a minor action.
Akioh is a leader with a very strong secondary defender role, and definitely can stand at the front lines. He's not only wearing scale and and a heavy shield, but Wyrmguard removes a crit, the Ring of Personal Gravity is a permanent immobilize, no save, the Diamond Bracers and Black Iron Nagascale Armor are ideal for Elemental Chaos enemies with elemental attacks, and the Cognizance Ring is his trump card against mental attackers.
In one encounter, he can use up to 6 healing surges on himself if needed: 3 Inspiring Word, 1 Second Wind, 1 Comeback Strike, 1 Citrine Solitaire. He can grant the use of up to 8 healing surges to an ally (4 healing surges to all allies): 3 Inspiring Word, 1 Girding Strike, 1 Renew the Troops (all allies), Inspiring Charge (all allies), 1 Defensive Rally (all allies), 1 Warlord's Banner (all allies), 1 Gloves of the Healer. In addition, the need for party healing is significantly reduced with Ghostly Rejuvenation, which grants any ally healed insubstantial until the end of the next round, and Call to Glory, which grants allies 12 temporary HP per attack that Akioh grants with warlord abilities like Commander's Strike and Brash Assault.
He is built around staying bloodied and giving opponents combat advantage. The Battlecrazed Bastard Sword gives an extra 3d6 damage while bloodied. Bold Spirit gives him temporary HP every time he's attacked. Heroic Effort gives +6 damage to all allies and grants Akioh 29 temp HP. Rallying Lure heals all bloodied allies 6 Hp per round. Bloodthirsty Advantage grants +2 to hit, +6 damage for the entire party. Boundless Endurance gives regen while bloodied.
When fighting, he will use his at-wills and make sure to keep temporary hit points up on everyone when possible. He will flank with the defender and melee striker, get to bloodied, then start unloading his combos.
SURVIVING THE ELEMENTAL CHAOS
When he is planewalking, Akioh takes every precaution. Akioh does not need to breathe, eat, or drink. He sleeps half as often as others, and from the safety of a hidden pocket dimension. His mount flies with protection from the elements. His rituals allow him to not only traverse the planes at will, but to deal with most every environmental obstacle to be encountered. He has extensive experience on the planes, with safe houses on every plane to which he can retreat when necessary.
INTRIGUE
When dealing with the denizens of the planes, he is more than prepared. He can appear as most every humanoid, if necessary. He is knowledgeable of matters arcane, and reads, writes, and speaks every known language.
Beyond warfare, his items and rituals are chosen to successfully be a planar guide, a courier, a spy or a bounty hunter.
STATS
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Akioh the Autumn Lord, level 23
Shadar-kai, Warlord, Flamebrow Commander, Undying Warrior
Build: Bravura Warlord
Commanding Presence: Bravura Presence
Student of the Sword: Student of One-Handed Weapons
Background: Birth - On Another Plane (Arcana class skill)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 22, Con 14, Dex 12, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 22.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 12, Dex 8, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16.
AC: 39 Fort: 34 Reflex: 30 Will: 32
HP: 136 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 34
TRAINED SKILLS
Intimidate +22, Arcana +19, Endurance +16, Athletics +20, Heal +17
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +13, Bluff +17, Diplomacy +17, Dungeoneering +12, History +14, Insight +12, Nature +12, Perception +12, Religion +14, Stealth +12, Streetwise +17, Thievery +10
FEATS
Level 1: Linguist
Level 2: Linguist II
Level 4: Student of the Sword
Level 6: Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade)
Level 8: Weapon Proficiency (Bastard sword)
Level 10: Adept Power
Level 11: Ghostly Rejuvenation
Level 12: Combat Commander
Level 14: Ritual Caster
Level 16: Armor Proficiency (Scale)
Level 18: Shield Proficiency (Heavy)
Level 20: Acolyte Power
Level 21: Bold Spirit
Level 22: Call to Glory
POWERS
Warlord at-will 1: Commander's Strike
Warlord at-will 1: Brash Assault
Warlord encounter 1: Luring Focus
Warlord daily 1: Fearless Rescue (retrained to Lasting Threat at Adept Power)
Warlord utility 2: Heroic Effort
Warlord encounter 3: Flattening Charge
Warlord daily 5: Stand the Fallen
Warlord utility 6: Tempting Target (retrained to Boundless Endurance at Acolyte Power)
Warlord encounter 7: Provoke Overextension
Warlord daily 9: Warlord's Recovery
Warlord utility 10: Defensive Rally
Warlord encounter 13: Headstrong Bravery (replaces Luring Focus)
Warlord daily 15: Renew the Troops (replaces Warlord's Recovery)
Warlord utility 16: Warlord's Banner
Warlord encounter 17: Girding Strike (replaces Provoke Overextension)
Warlord daily 19: Inspiring Charge (replaces Stand the Fallen)
Warlord utility 22: Bloodthirsty Offensive
Warlord encounter 23: Ringing Clarity (replaces Flattening Charge)
ITEMS
Periapt of Recovery +4, Survivor's Belt (paragon tier), Acrobat Boots (heroic tier), Ioun Stone of Sustenance (epic tier), Gloves of the Healer (paragon tier), Ring of Personal Gravity (paragon tier), Griffon, Impenetrable Barding (paragon tier), Black Iron Nagascale Armor +5, Wyrmguard Shield Heavy Shield (heroic tier), Battlecrazed Bastard sword +5, Diamond Bracers (heroic tier), Gloves of the Bounty Hunter (heroic tier), Hat of Disguise (heroic tier), Cognizance Ring (paragon tier), Exodus Knife (paragon tier), Solitaire (Citrine) (paragon tier), Scabbard of Sacred Might (heroic tier), Handy Haversack (heroic tier), Polyglot Gem - Elven (heroic tier), Polyglot Gem - Dwarven (heroic tier)
RITUALS
Soulguard, Planar Portal, Far Sending, Waterborn, Magic Map, Detect Treasure, Wizard's Sight, Status, Shadow Passage, Shadow Bridge, Remove Affliction, Raise Dead, Linked Portal, Analyze Portal, Wyvern Watch, Speak with Dead, Sending, Preserve Flame, Phantom Steed, Leomund's Secret Chest, Fey Passage, Duplicate, Disenchant Magic Item, Discern Lies, Deathly Shroud, Cure Disease, Object Reading, Hallucinatory Item, Travelers' Feast, Transfer Enchantment, Knock, Enchant Magic Item, Dark Light, Arcane Lock, Fool's Gold, Detect Secret Doors, Affect Normal Fire, Water Walk, Endure Elements, Unseen Servant, Tenser's Floating Disk, Silence, Secret Page, Purify Water, Gentle Repose, Create Campsite, Comprehend Language, Brew Potion, Arcane Mark, Amanuensis
LANGUAGES *(Speak/read/write every language)
Common, Abyssal, Deep Speech, Draconic, Giant, Goblin, Primordial, Supernal, Elven (gem), Dwarven (gem)
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======
Akioh the Autumn Lord, level 23
Shadar-kai, Warlord, Flamebrow Commander, Undying Warrior
Build: Bravura Warlord
Commanding Presence: Bravura Presence
Student of the Sword: Student of One-Handed Weapons
Background: Birth - On Another Plane (Arcana class skill)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 22, Con 14, Dex 12, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 22.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 12, Dex 8, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16.
AC: 39 Fort: 34 Reflex: 30 Will: 32
HP: 136 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 34
TRAINED SKILLS
Intimidate +22, Arcana +19, Endurance +16, Athletics +20, Heal +17
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +13, Bluff +17, Diplomacy +17, Dungeoneering +12, History +14, Insight +12, Nature +12, Perception +12, Religion +14, Stealth +12, Streetwise +17, Thievery +10
FEATS
Level 1: Linguist
Level 2: Linguist II
Level 4: Student of the Sword
Level 6: Weapon Expertise (Heavy Blade)
Level 8: Weapon Proficiency (Bastard sword)
Level 10: Adept Power
Level 11: Ghostly Rejuvenation
Level 12: Combat Commander
Level 14: Ritual Caster
Level 16: Armor Proficiency (Scale)
Level 18: Shield Proficiency (Heavy)
Level 20: Acolyte Power
Level 21: Bold Spirit
Level 22: Call to Glory
POWERS
Warlord at-will 1: Commander's Strike
Warlord at-will 1: Brash Assault
Warlord encounter 1: Luring Focus
Warlord daily 1: Fearless Rescue (retrained to Lasting Threat at Adept Power)
Warlord utility 2: Heroic Effort
Warlord encounter 3: Flattening Charge
Warlord daily 5: Stand the Fallen
Warlord utility 6: Tempting Target (retrained to Boundless Endurance at Acolyte Power)
Warlord encounter 7: Provoke Overextension
Warlord daily 9: Warlord's Recovery
Warlord utility 10: Defensive Rally
Warlord encounter 13: Headstrong Bravery (replaces Luring Focus)
Warlord daily 15: Renew the Troops (replaces Warlord's Recovery)
Warlord utility 16: Warlord's Banner
Warlord encounter 17: Girding Strike (replaces Provoke Overextension)
Warlord daily 19: Inspiring Charge (replaces Stand the Fallen)
Warlord utility 22: Bloodthirsty Offensive
Warlord encounter 23: Ringing Clarity (replaces Flattening Charge)
ITEMS
Periapt of Recovery +4, Survivor's Belt (paragon tier), Acrobat Boots (heroic tier), Ioun Stone of Sustenance (epic tier), Gloves of the Healer (paragon tier), Ring of Personal Gravity (paragon tier), Griffon, Impenetrable Barding (paragon tier), Black Iron Nagascale Armor +5, Wyrmguard Shield Heavy Shield (heroic tier), Battlecrazed Bastard sword +5, Diamond Bracers (heroic tier), Gloves of the Bounty Hunter (heroic tier), Hat of Disguise (heroic tier), Cognizance Ring (paragon tier), Exodus Knife (paragon tier), Solitaire (Citrine) (paragon tier), Scabbard of Sacred Might (heroic tier), Handy Haversack (heroic tier), Polyglot Gem - Elven (heroic tier), Polyglot Gem - Dwarven (heroic tier)
RITUALS
Soulguard, Planar Portal, Far Sending, Waterborn, Magic Map, Detect Treasure, Wizard's Sight, Status, Shadow Passage, Shadow Bridge, Remove Affliction, Raise Dead, Linked Portal, Analyze Portal, Wyvern Watch, Speak with Dead, Sending, Preserve Flame, Phantom Steed, Leomund's Secret Chest, Fey Passage, Duplicate, Disenchant Magic Item, Discern Lies, Deathly Shroud, Cure Disease, Object Reading, Hallucinatory Item, Travelers' Feast, Transfer Enchantment, Knock, Enchant Magic Item, Dark Light, Arcane Lock, Fool's Gold, Detect Secret Doors, Affect Normal Fire, Water Walk, Endure Elements, Unseen Servant, Tenser's Floating Disk, Silence, Secret Page, Purify Water, Gentle Repose, Create Campsite, Comprehend Language, Brew Potion, Arcane Mark, Amanuensis
LANGUAGES *(Speak/read/write every language)
Common, Abyssal, Deep Speech, Draconic, Giant, Goblin, Primordial, Supernal, Elven (gem), Dwarven (gem)
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======
doomed.
doomed.
Okay, not that doomed, but we would be cutting and running a bit after blasting their faces off.
Is it wrong that I look at the entries and am upset not at the fact that there are five people, but that there are five people and we don't really make a competent party. I know we could survive because we gots two leaders, but we also have two sorcerers. If we ever went to the elemental chaos, we would be doomed.
doomed.
doomed.
Okay, not that doomed, but we would be cutting and running a bit after blasting their faces off.
Nah, we have a leader (the bard), a defender (the paladin), and two ranged strikers (the sorcerers) and a melee striker (an avenger). All we lack is a controller but I think it could work.:D
Nah, we have a leader (the bard), a defender (the paladin), and two ranged strikers (the sorcerers) and a melee striker (an avenger). All we lack is a controller but I think it could work.:D
Controller incoming. ;)
Controller incoming. ;)
Better make it quick, the clock is ticking.
Also, list updated! I'm glad we decided to grant the extension; it really paid off! And I'm really happy to see so many new names!
Where the sky bleeds ashes, and treachery thunders,
The master’s servant shall incite its rage,
And bring about the Betrayer’s Age”
My name is Ash, nothing more, nothing less. I’ve been called many things in my life; hero, villain, sinner, savior, pirate, grave robber and scoundrel, but none have been more accurate than slave.
I was born in the City of Brass, the grandest city in all of the Elemental Chaos. My mother was a quartermaster on a spelljammer that crossed the wrong efreeti lord too many times. She gave birth to me while in captivity, and then she made her escape. No, she didn’t take me with her; she left me wrapped in a pile of dirty rags in a corner of the room.
For the next sixteen years of my life I was raised as a slave, paying off my mother’s debt by proxy. My life consisted of abuses that few could endure, both mental and physical. My master had a skill with the proper administration of pain and torment. As broken as my body was, my will to survive and escape that hellish keep focused my resolve.
I stole from my master, as often as I could. When I was caught I would pay in pain, but it was worth it for the knowledge that I gained. Caliph Aba Shen-rhazad had a thirst for knowledge and power, his library of books arcane was extensive, and I was a quick study.
I learned about primordials and gods, angels and devils, demons and dragons. I memorized esoteric formulae and forgotten schema for rituals. I learned about the dawn war and lost histories of the planes. I even found verses of the songs of creation, the songs the deities used to create mortal life.
When I performed the ritual I knew what I was doing. When she came to me I knew whose authority she spoke with, and what she was going to ask of me. Her skin was pale and her hair a burnt crimson. She smelled of ambrosia and sin. The diaphanous cloth she draped about her body left little to my imagination. The acrid tang of sulfur bit at the back of my tongue. She was there to seduce me, but not with carnal pleasures, her deal was more than skin deep, she dealt in souls. The deal was made, a piece of my immortal soul for a sliver of his infernal power, and sealed with a kiss from her seductress’ lips. With a word the door to my cell opened and the scent of brimstone and freedom assaulted my nostrils.
My escape was far too convenient to be mere coincidence. As I skittered from shadow to shadow, guards were mysteriously distracted by noises in the opposite direction. I escaped my master’s keep, finding myself deep within the Furnace. I knew I must be careful. I was still a slave, and one out and about without his master. I began a slinking retreat across the city.
As I nearly stumbled directly in the path of a group of Azers a tiny hand pulled me back out of the way. Apparently I had gained a shadow. A small Imp materialized in front of me. His tiny eyes glowed with a hellish green light, but were offset by the miniature pair of spectacles that rested precariously upon his nose. Russet red skin glistened in the shifting light of the Elemental Chaos. “Follow me if you value your life,“ he rasped in his nasally falsetto. His wings buffeted me with warm air as he lead me down alleys and side streets towards the Cindersweeps district of the city.
A planar portal laid waiting for us near the drydocks. Without hesitation I leapt through the portal, knowing full well that whatever lay on the other side was far better than what awaited me if I were to be caught by the Caliph. Landing on the opposing side left me standing in the center of an arcane library. I grabbed as much as I could; a book of rituals, a wand, an old suit of chainmail from an antechamber, and as much food as I could carry. I fled the tower as fast as I could with the bookish imp following behind me.
For years I traveled the middle world, joining various adventurers in their explorations. I robbed tombs, awoke ancient undead, thwarted secret cults, saved cities and kingdoms. The years swept by and always there was my master’s voice in my head, whispering secrets about the songs of creation, the dawn war, and ancient evils.
I found my way to the planes again, the Feywild, the Shadowfell, the Astral Sea and the Elemental Chaos. I have spent years in the Chaos now, from the fringes to the Abyss. My time here has changed me. I can see the ebb and flow of arcane energy in everything. I can tap into the energy of the Chaos; my magic strengthens me against similar effects. I am a master of all things arcane. I may be a slave, but the power I wield in the name of my master makes me more powerful than many who are free.
It is during this period of my life that I have uncovered the dark purpose my master has for me. Deep within the Elemental Chaos is the resting place of Azlcathalak the Inferno, a primordial of rage and destruction. My master covets his power. My duty is to sing the songs that will set the primordial free, then they will clash, and my master will absorb the primordial’s power and add it to his own.
I have gathered a crew and set sail across the planes in the Wicked Wench. Great heroes from across the planes stand beside me, shining beacons of hope. Together we search for clues as to the location of Azlcathalak’s prison, and the final verses of the songs of creation which will undo his prison. I strengthen their resolve and lead them onto even greater heights of heroism, all in the name of a false promise to rid the planes of a cataclysmic threat. When in truth our task will increase another.
My crew knows that we seek the primordial, that there will be a titanic battle that will save all creation from the potential tyranny of the raging inferno. What they do not know is that their lives are just as forfeit as mine in the final battle. My master shall be the victor, taking the power of the primordial as his own in exchange for my final release. By death or by deed I shall be a slave no more. Instead I will be remembered as one of the greatest betrayers in the annals of history.
Description
Ash is a middle-aged half-elf, he still appears young by human standards, but his once coal black hair is showing signs of graying at the temples. However, it has also gained a hint of red over the years. Eyes that once were a bright veridian green have changed with his mastery of magic. His pupils have disappeared entirely, and the irises have become reflections of the elemental chaos, swirling pools of red with sparks of lightning that flash across on occasion. Once pale skin now is covered with the azure glowing arcane verses of the songs of creation. His voice rings with a richness that few can forget, and the authority of his voice is undeniable.
Enemies
Caliph Aba Shen-rhazad: The powerful efreeti lord is still alive and seeking power. His arcane library is still the grandest in all of the City of Brass, and is sure to hold more clues as to the final resting place of Azlcathalak.
Several former accomplices of Ash still bare grudges against the half-elf. Any number of them could become a thorn in his side.
Allies
The Wicked Wench's current crew. The crew has been gathered from all parts of the planes, including the middle world, Feywild, Shadowfell, and the Astral Sea.
Show
Ash, level 23
Half-Elf, Bard, Planeshifter, Magister
Build: Valorous Bard
Bardic Virtue: Virtue of Valor
Background: Born on Another Plane, Arcane Agent (+2 Arcana checks)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 22, Dex 14, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 26.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 16, Dex 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 18.
DEFENSES (includes +11 (1/2 level) Bonus)
AC: 34 Fort: 31 Reflex: 32 Will: 34
HEALING
HP: 144 Bloody: 72 Surges: 13 Surge Value: 36
Vision: Low-Light
Languages: Common, Elven, Primordial, Supernal (familiar), Abyssal (feat), Deep Speech (feat), Draconic (feat)
ATTACKS
Charisma based: 11 (1/2 Level) +8 (Ability) +4 (Enhancement) +2 (Expertise)= +25
Constitution based: 11 (1/2 Level) +6 (Ability) +4 (Enhancement) +2 (Expertise)= +23
Basic Attacks:
Melee: 11 (1/2 Level) +1 (Ability) +4 (Enhancement)= +16
Ranged: 11 (1/2 Level) +8 (Ability) +4 (Enhancement) +2 (Expertise)= +25
TRAINED SKILLS {all include +11 (1/2 Level) Bonus and +5 Trained Bonus}
Arcana +24 (+26 with rituals, +30 with Travel rituals)(+2 Background, +2 Familiar, +2 Feat, +2 Ability)
Diplomacy +26 (+2 Race, +2 Feat, +8 Ability)
Endurance +21 ( -1 Armor, +6 Ability)
History +22 (+2 Familiar, +2 Feat, +2 Ability)
Religion +20 (+2 Feat, +2 Ability)
Streetwise +26 (+2 Feat, +8 Ability)
Thievery +17
UNTRAINED SKILLS (Includes +11 (1/2 Level) Bonus and +1 class bonus)
Acrobatics +13 (-1 Armor, +2 Ability)
Athletics +12 (-1 Armor, +1 Ability)
Bluff +20 (+8 Ability)
Dungeoneering +15 (+2 Feat, +2 Ability)
Heal +13 (+1 Ability)
Insight +15 (+2 Race, +1 Ability) (Use Arcana for checks)*
Intimidate +20 (+8 Ability)
Nature +13 (+1 Ability)
Perception +13 (+1 Ability) (Use Arcana for Checks)*
Stealth +13 (-1 Armor, +2 Ability)
(*Sorcerous Vision Feat, AP )
FEATS (sources noted)
Bard: Ritual Caster (PHB)
Level 1: Pact Initiate: Infernal (PHB) (Add Thievery skill) (Hellish Rebuke 1/enc, use warlock implements)
Level 2: Arcane Familiar: Book Imp (AP) (+2 Arcana/History {Passive Bonus})
Level 4: Bardic Knowledge (PHB2) (+2 Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Nature, Religion, Streetwise)
Level 6: Novice Power (PHB)
Level 8: Implement Expertise: Dagger (PHB2) (+2 to attack rolls with Dagger implements)
Level 10: Arcane Prodigy (PHB2) (+4 to damage with Arcane Powers 1/enc, use sorcerer implements)
Level 11: Versatile Master (PHB2) (dilettante power is @will)
Level 12: Linguist: Abyssal, Deep Speech, Draconic (PHB)
Level 14: Sorcerous Vision (PHB2) (Use Arcana when making Insight/Perception Checks)
Level 16: Expert Ritualist (PHB2) (+2 bonus when casting rituals)
Level 18: Improved Valor (PHB2) (+3 hp with Virtue of Valor)
Level 20: Lightning Reflexes (PHB) (retrained to Epic Reflexes at 21st level)*
Level 21: Multiclass Mastery: Heart of the Blade (AP){Endurance Skill, swordbond feature}, Student of Malediction (AP) {warlock’s curse feature 1/enc} (AP)
Level 22: Supreme Majesty (PHB2) (target 2 allies with Majestic Word)
POWERS (sources noted)
Bard at-will 1: Misdirected Mark (PHB2)
Bard at-will 1: Vicious Mockery (PHB2)
Bard daily 1: Stirring Shout (PHB2)
Bard daily 5: Song of Discord (PHB2)
Bard daily 9: Symphony of Misfortune (AP)
Bard daily 15: Menacing Thunder (replaces Stirring Shout) (PHB2)
Bard daily 19: Spring to Action (replaces Song of Discord) (AP)
Planeshifter Daily 20: Dimensional Cascade (MotP)
Bard encounter 1: Shout of Triumph (PHB2)
Bard encounter 3: Impelling Force {Novice Power: Fiery Bolt (Warlock 3)}*
Bard encounter 7: Theft of Life (AP)
Planeshifter encounter 11: Sequester (MotP)
Bard encounter 13: Song of Storms (replaces Shout of Triumph) (PHB2)
Bard encounter 17: Turning the Tide (replaces Impelling Force) (AP) {Novice Power: Thunder Summons (Sorcerer 17)}*(PHB2)
Bard encounter 23: Echoes in Time (replaces Theft of Life) (PHB2)
Bard utility 2: Song of Courage (PHB2)
Bard utility 6: Dramatic Shift (AP)
Bard utility 10: Veil(PHB2)
Planeshifter utility 12: Quick Portal (MotP)
Bard utility 16: Song of Sublime Snowfall (PHB2)
Bard utility 22: Mirrored Entourage (PHB2)
ITEMS (sources noted)
Ritual Books (5), Piercing Songblade Dagger +4 (PHB2), Pact Blade Dagger +4 (PHB), Shared Valor Forgemail +4 (PHB2), Healer’s Brooch +4 (AV), The Wicked Wench (Planar Dromond) (MotP), Handy Haversack (PHB), Bedroll, 2 weeks rations, Flute of the Dancing Satyr (PHB2), 70,000 in ritual components, 6,930 gold in liquid assets.
RITUALS (* is Bard only)(sources noted)
Comprehend Language (PHB)
Traveler’s Chant (PHB2)*
Arcane Lock (PHB)
Knock (PHB)
Disenchant Magic Item (PHB)
Enchant Magic Item (PHB)
Magic Circle (PHB)
Linked Portal (PHB)
Detect Object (PHB)
View Location (PHB)
Planar Portal (PHB)
Forbiddance (PHB)
Analyze Portal (MotP)
Create Teleportation Circle (MotP)
Elemental Transference (MotP)
Far Sending (MotP)
Plane Shift (MotP)
Scramble Portal (MotP)
Song of Sustenance (PHB2)*
Song of Restfulness (PHB2)*
Reverse Portal (PHB2)
RACIAL FEATURES
Dilletante: Acid Orb (@will)* (PHB2)
Dual Heritage: considered human and elf for feat selection and effects
Group Diplomacy: +1 to Diplomacy checks for allies within 10 squares
(*Versatile Master feat)
CLASS FEATURES
Virtue of Valor: Once per round, when any ally within 5 squares of you reduces an enemy to 0 hit points or bloodies an enemy, you can grant temporary hit points to that ally as a free action. The number of temporary hit points equals 1 + your Constitution modifier at 1st level, 3 + your Constitution modifier at 11th level, and 5 + your Constitution modifier at 21st level.
Song of Rest: When you play an instrument or sing during a short rest, you and each ally who can hear you are affected by your Song of Rest. When an affected character spends healing surges at the end of the rest, that character regains additional hit points equal to your Charisma modifier with each healing surge. A character can be affected by only one Song of Rest at a time.
Multiclass Versatility: may take more than one class-specific multiclass feat.
Skill Versatility: +1 to untrained skill checks
Words of Friendship (1/enc): You gain a +5 power bonus to the next Diplomacy check you make before the end of your next turn.
Majestic Word (3/enc): The target can spend a healing surge and regain additional hit points equal to your Charisma modifier. You also slide the target 1 square. 4d6 + Charisma modifier additional hit points.
Warlock’s Curse (Student of Malediction feat) 1/enc (+3d6 damage)
You can place a Warlock’s Curse on the enemy nearest to you that you can see. A cursed enemy is more vulnerable to your attacks. If you hit a cursed enemy with an attack, you deal extra damage. You decide whether to apply the extra damage after making the damage roll. You can deal this extra damage once per encounter.
A Warlock’s Curse remains in effect until the end of the encounter or until the cursed enemy is defeated.
You can’t place a Warlock’s Curse on a creature that is already affected by your or another character’s Warlock’s Curse.
Swordbond (Heart of the Blade feat)
By spending 1 hour of meditation with a chosen light or heavy blade, you forge a special bond with the weapon. As a standard action, you can call your bonded weapon to your hand from up to 10 squares away.
You can forge a bond with a different blade using the same meditation process (for instance, if you acquire a new blade that has magical abilities). If you forge a bond with a different blade, the old bond dissipates.
If your bonded weapon is broken or damaged, you can spend 1 hour of meditation to recreate the weapon from a fragment. (This process automatically destroys any other fragments of the weapon in existence, so you can’t use it to create multiple copies of a broken weapon.)
Study of the Planes: You acquire and master the Planar Portal ritual, even if you do not have the Ritual Caster feat or are of the appropriate level. You gain a +4 bonus to Arcana checks when performing rituals that have the travel category.
Planeshifter Action: When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you also gain an extra move action for that turn. You can use that move action to teleport 10 squares.
Location Mastery: You and allies within 5 squares of you cannot be teleported against your will.
Magister’s Knack: +2 Charisma
Magister’s Flow: Whenever you use an arcane encounter or daily attack power, you gain a +4 bonus to the defense or defenses that power attacks until the end of your next turn.
Half-Elf, Bard, Planeshifter, Magister
Build: Valorous Bard
Bardic Virtue: Virtue of Valor
Background: Born on Another Plane, Arcane Agent (+2 Arcana checks)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 22, Dex 14, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 26.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 16, Dex 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 18.
DEFENSES (includes +11 (1/2 level) Bonus)
AC: 34 Fort: 31 Reflex: 32 Will: 34
HEALING
HP: 144 Bloody: 72 Surges: 13 Surge Value: 36
Vision: Low-Light
Languages: Common, Elven, Primordial, Supernal (familiar), Abyssal (feat), Deep Speech (feat), Draconic (feat)
ATTACKS
Charisma based: 11 (1/2 Level) +8 (Ability) +4 (Enhancement) +2 (Expertise)= +25
Constitution based: 11 (1/2 Level) +6 (Ability) +4 (Enhancement) +2 (Expertise)= +23
Basic Attacks:
Melee: 11 (1/2 Level) +1 (Ability) +4 (Enhancement)= +16
Ranged: 11 (1/2 Level) +8 (Ability) +4 (Enhancement) +2 (Expertise)= +25
TRAINED SKILLS {all include +11 (1/2 Level) Bonus and +5 Trained Bonus}
Arcana +24 (+26 with rituals, +30 with Travel rituals)(+2 Background, +2 Familiar, +2 Feat, +2 Ability)
Diplomacy +26 (+2 Race, +2 Feat, +8 Ability)
Endurance +21 ( -1 Armor, +6 Ability)
History +22 (+2 Familiar, +2 Feat, +2 Ability)
Religion +20 (+2 Feat, +2 Ability)
Streetwise +26 (+2 Feat, +8 Ability)
Thievery +17
UNTRAINED SKILLS (Includes +11 (1/2 Level) Bonus and +1 class bonus)
Acrobatics +13 (-1 Armor, +2 Ability)
Athletics +12 (-1 Armor, +1 Ability)
Bluff +20 (+8 Ability)
Dungeoneering +15 (+2 Feat, +2 Ability)
Heal +13 (+1 Ability)
Insight +15 (+2 Race, +1 Ability) (Use Arcana for checks)*
Intimidate +20 (+8 Ability)
Nature +13 (+1 Ability)
Perception +13 (+1 Ability) (Use Arcana for Checks)*
Stealth +13 (-1 Armor, +2 Ability)
(*Sorcerous Vision Feat, AP )
FEATS (sources noted)
Bard: Ritual Caster (PHB)
Level 1: Pact Initiate: Infernal (PHB) (Add Thievery skill) (Hellish Rebuke 1/enc, use warlock implements)
Level 2: Arcane Familiar: Book Imp (AP) (+2 Arcana/History {Passive Bonus})
Level 4: Bardic Knowledge (PHB2) (+2 Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Nature, Religion, Streetwise)
Level 6: Novice Power (PHB)
Level 8: Implement Expertise: Dagger (PHB2) (+2 to attack rolls with Dagger implements)
Level 10: Arcane Prodigy (PHB2) (+4 to damage with Arcane Powers 1/enc, use sorcerer implements)
Level 11: Versatile Master (PHB2) (dilettante power is @will)
Level 12: Linguist: Abyssal, Deep Speech, Draconic (PHB)
Level 14: Sorcerous Vision (PHB2) (Use Arcana when making Insight/Perception Checks)
Level 16: Expert Ritualist (PHB2) (+2 bonus when casting rituals)
Level 18: Improved Valor (PHB2) (+3 hp with Virtue of Valor)
Level 20: Lightning Reflexes (PHB) (retrained to Epic Reflexes at 21st level)*
Level 21: Multiclass Mastery: Heart of the Blade (AP){Endurance Skill, swordbond feature}, Student of Malediction (AP) {warlock’s curse feature 1/enc} (AP)
Level 22: Supreme Majesty (PHB2) (target 2 allies with Majestic Word)
POWERS (sources noted)
Bard at-will 1: Misdirected Mark (PHB2)
Bard at-will 1: Vicious Mockery (PHB2)
Bard daily 1: Stirring Shout (PHB2)
Bard daily 5: Song of Discord (PHB2)
Bard daily 9: Symphony of Misfortune (AP)
Bard daily 15: Menacing Thunder (replaces Stirring Shout) (PHB2)
Bard daily 19: Spring to Action (replaces Song of Discord) (AP)
Planeshifter Daily 20: Dimensional Cascade (MotP)
Bard encounter 1: Shout of Triumph (PHB2)
Bard encounter 3: Impelling Force {Novice Power: Fiery Bolt (Warlock 3)}*
Bard encounter 7: Theft of Life (AP)
Planeshifter encounter 11: Sequester (MotP)
Bard encounter 13: Song of Storms (replaces Shout of Triumph) (PHB2)
Bard encounter 17: Turning the Tide (replaces Impelling Force) (AP) {Novice Power: Thunder Summons (Sorcerer 17)}*(PHB2)
Bard encounter 23: Echoes in Time (replaces Theft of Life) (PHB2)
Bard utility 2: Song of Courage (PHB2)
Bard utility 6: Dramatic Shift (AP)
Bard utility 10: Veil(PHB2)
Planeshifter utility 12: Quick Portal (MotP)
Bard utility 16: Song of Sublime Snowfall (PHB2)
Bard utility 22: Mirrored Entourage (PHB2)
ITEMS (sources noted)
Ritual Books (5), Piercing Songblade Dagger +4 (PHB2), Pact Blade Dagger +4 (PHB), Shared Valor Forgemail +4 (PHB2), Healer’s Brooch +4 (AV), The Wicked Wench (Planar Dromond) (MotP), Handy Haversack (PHB), Bedroll, 2 weeks rations, Flute of the Dancing Satyr (PHB2), 70,000 in ritual components, 6,930 gold in liquid assets.
RITUALS (* is Bard only)(sources noted)
Comprehend Language (PHB)
Traveler’s Chant (PHB2)*
Arcane Lock (PHB)
Knock (PHB)
Disenchant Magic Item (PHB)
Enchant Magic Item (PHB)
Magic Circle (PHB)
Linked Portal (PHB)
Detect Object (PHB)
View Location (PHB)
Planar Portal (PHB)
Forbiddance (PHB)
Analyze Portal (MotP)
Create Teleportation Circle (MotP)
Elemental Transference (MotP)
Far Sending (MotP)
Plane Shift (MotP)
Scramble Portal (MotP)
Song of Sustenance (PHB2)*
Song of Restfulness (PHB2)*
Reverse Portal (PHB2)
RACIAL FEATURES
Dilletante: Acid Orb (@will)* (PHB2)
Dual Heritage: considered human and elf for feat selection and effects
Group Diplomacy: +1 to Diplomacy checks for allies within 10 squares
(*Versatile Master feat)
CLASS FEATURES
Virtue of Valor: Once per round, when any ally within 5 squares of you reduces an enemy to 0 hit points or bloodies an enemy, you can grant temporary hit points to that ally as a free action. The number of temporary hit points equals 1 + your Constitution modifier at 1st level, 3 + your Constitution modifier at 11th level, and 5 + your Constitution modifier at 21st level.
Song of Rest: When you play an instrument or sing during a short rest, you and each ally who can hear you are affected by your Song of Rest. When an affected character spends healing surges at the end of the rest, that character regains additional hit points equal to your Charisma modifier with each healing surge. A character can be affected by only one Song of Rest at a time.
Multiclass Versatility: may take more than one class-specific multiclass feat.
Skill Versatility: +1 to untrained skill checks
Words of Friendship (1/enc): You gain a +5 power bonus to the next Diplomacy check you make before the end of your next turn.
Majestic Word (3/enc): The target can spend a healing surge and regain additional hit points equal to your Charisma modifier. You also slide the target 1 square. 4d6 + Charisma modifier additional hit points.
Warlock’s Curse (Student of Malediction feat) 1/enc (+3d6 damage)
You can place a Warlock’s Curse on the enemy nearest to you that you can see. A cursed enemy is more vulnerable to your attacks. If you hit a cursed enemy with an attack, you deal extra damage. You decide whether to apply the extra damage after making the damage roll. You can deal this extra damage once per encounter.
A Warlock’s Curse remains in effect until the end of the encounter or until the cursed enemy is defeated.
You can’t place a Warlock’s Curse on a creature that is already affected by your or another character’s Warlock’s Curse.
Swordbond (Heart of the Blade feat)
By spending 1 hour of meditation with a chosen light or heavy blade, you forge a special bond with the weapon. As a standard action, you can call your bonded weapon to your hand from up to 10 squares away.
You can forge a bond with a different blade using the same meditation process (for instance, if you acquire a new blade that has magical abilities). If you forge a bond with a different blade, the old bond dissipates.
If your bonded weapon is broken or damaged, you can spend 1 hour of meditation to recreate the weapon from a fragment. (This process automatically destroys any other fragments of the weapon in existence, so you can’t use it to create multiple copies of a broken weapon.)
Study of the Planes: You acquire and master the Planar Portal ritual, even if you do not have the Ritual Caster feat or are of the appropriate level. You gain a +4 bonus to Arcana checks when performing rituals that have the travel category.
Planeshifter Action: When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you also gain an extra move action for that turn. You can use that move action to teleport 10 squares.
Location Mastery: You and allies within 5 squares of you cannot be teleported against your will.
Magister’s Knack: +2 Charisma
Magister’s Flow: Whenever you use an arcane encounter or daily attack power, you gain a +4 bonus to the defense or defenses that power attacks until the end of your next turn.
Up to seven entries, with about 5 1/2 hours (give or take) to go! Let's get those last minute entries rolling in!
Like I said before, it must be that fact that its summer, people have a lot of stuff to do in the summer.
I've only been skimming (I don't have to judge ;) ) and there's some really cool ideas here! Kudos!
"Beware! The end is nigh! The Dark Lord Milkshake is coming! There is no fleeing - all shall fall to his frosty drinkable wrath! We are all doomed! What heroes can save us? Come, join me in the crusade against the Dark Lord Milkshake." - Mad Malagorn stops shouting, and the madness passes from his eyes. This doesn't happen much, or for long. - "No. That isn't right. Not milkshake. Dairy malt? No. It's a name. What's the name? This is important, Malagorn. Think! What's the name? *laughing* Malagorn the Mad. Malagorn the Mad I am. Mad Malagorn am I. Hiddle diddle high and little lily low. Stepped on a sunrise and it ate my toe. My bubbles!"
Malagorn the Mad was not always insane. Once, he was a hero. But the life of an adventurer is a dangerous one, and the price of failure can sometimes be worse than death. His current companions rescued him from the lair of a purple dragon, where he had been kept as a plaything for the nightmarish beast's depravities. [NOTE: The purple dragon appears in Draconimicon I: Chromatic Dragons, and a variant ability replaces the dragon's frightful presence with maddening presence. The dragon that held Malagorn prisoner delighted in breaking creatures' minds, and would keep people around just for that purpose.] Among his rescuers was Malagorn's sister and a Malagorn's previous companions. They keep him with them to keep him out of trouble, and with the hope that he may recognize them, and that those memories help him regain his sanity. It hurts to see him like this, but there does seem hope of recovery. There are times that he seems sane again. When this happens, he warns them that there's something important they must know - the fate of the world hangs in the balance. But he can't quite remember what it is. He'll start throwing out nonsense, trying to find the words he's thinking of. Inevitably, he descends back into madness, but sometimes he does get out something sensible first.
The truth that Malagorn knows truly does hold the fate of the world in the balance. The "Dark Lord Milkshake" he so often rants of is in fact Darius Caine, one of the three rulers of the empire's Triumvirate. Behind his human facade, Darius Caine is in fact a mighty catastrophic dragon and disciple of Ashardalon. [First described in the 3.5 Draconimicon, disciples of Ashardalon follow his example (though not his lead) and bind demons to their hearts for power]. Caine's own goal is nothing more than destruction for its own sake, and he readily has made deals with many demonic allies. He has leveraged these alliances to then gain subtle control of many younger dragon disciples of Ashardalon, and their cults in the process. Amazing - when a dragon binds a demon to its heart, that demon gains some measure of influence over the dragon. With some the proper alliance, Darius Caine now wields that influence. And with the proper rituals, that influence expands. Darius Caine effectively controls at least a dozen dragons (and, by extension, their followers), though they do not know it. However, Malagorn did know. He and his companions tried to bring an end to Darius Caine's mad schemes - no doubt tainted by the Elder Elemental Eye, Tharizdun. Malagorn and his companions were defeated, and Malagorn was the only survivor. Rather than kill him, Darius Caine gave him as a gift to one of his erstwhile allies to re-cement their alliance. That ally was the purple dragon who broke Malagorn's mind. The months of torment did more than break the ranger's mind. Living so long under a dragon's rule, tormented so frequently by its magic, Malagorn was infused with the essence of the dragon. As his mind broke and he lost all former identity, Malagorn has forgotten much of his former training. All that seems to remain of his ranger fighting style is his favoring of two blades and melee range - perhaps not the wisest choice for a spellcaster. But you cannot give madmen advice on tactics - at least not this one. But perhaps that's just some of the old Malagorn showing through.
Though Malagorn does not know it, Darius Caine has thrown himself in with the Elder Elemental Eye, Tharizdun, and the "demon" Darius Caine bound to himself is actually an avatar of one of the Princes of Elemental Evil.
Build:
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====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Mad Malagorn, level 23
Half-Elf, Sorcerer, Dragon Guardian, Dark Wanderer
Spell Source: Dragon Magic
Dragon Soul: Dragon Soul Poison
Guardian's Resistance: Dragon Soul Fire
Quickened Spellcasting: Burning Spray
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 22, Con 18, Dex 15, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 22.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14.
AC: 32 Fort: 32 Reflex: 28 Will: 35
HP: 155 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 38
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +17, Athletics +24, Endurance +20, Dungeoneering +16, Acrobatics +20
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Bluff +17, Diplomacy +19, Heal +11, History +12, Insight +13, Intimidate +17, Nature +11, Perception +11, Religion +12, Stealth +15, Streetwise +17, Thievery +13
FEATS
Level 1: Dual Implement Spellcaster
Level 2: Sorcerous Blade Channeling
Level 4: Warrior of the Wild
Level 6: Novice Power
Level 8: Toughness
Level 10: Adept Power (retrained to Improved Second Wind at Level 22)
Level 11: Draconic Spellfury
Level 12: Improved Dragon Soul
Level 14: Arcane Flexibility
Level 16: Agile Athlete
Level 18: Action Recovery
Level 20: Human Perseverance
Level 21: Ruthless Spellfury
Level 22: Quickened Spellcasting
POWERS
Dilettante: Twin Strike
Sorcerer at-will 1: Storm Walk
Sorcerer at-will 1: Burning Spray
Sorcerer encounter 1: Mists of Disarray (replaced)
Sorcerer daily 1: Dragonfang Bolt (replaced)
Sorcerer utility 2: Elemental Shift
Sorcerer encounter 3: Dancing Lightning (replaced)
Sorcerer daily 5: Corruption Orb (replaced)
Sorcerer utility 6: Chaotic Defense
Sorcerer encounter 7: Rimestorm (replaced)
Sorcerer daily 9: Prime the Fire
Sorcerer utility 10: Deep Shroud
Sorcerer encounter 13: Jaws of the Earth (replaces Mists of Disarray)
Sorcerer daily 15: Spitfire Furnace (replaces Dragonfang Bolt)
Sorcerer utility 16: Draconic Majesty
Sorcerer encounter 17: Poisonous Evasion (replaces Rimestorm)
Sorcerer daily 19: Baleful Gaze of the Basilisk (replaces Corruption Orb)
Sorcerer utility 22: Ultimate Resistance
Sorcerer encounter 23: Wyrmblight (retrained to Untamed Outburst at Novice Power) (replaces Dancing Lightning)
ITEMS
Paired Dagger +5, Counterstrike Guards (paragon tier), Death-Defying Cloak +5, Ring of the Dragonborn Emperor (paragon tier), Ring of Brotherhood (paragon tier; a gift from his sister so she can help keep him safe), Helm of Hidden Horrors (paragon tier), Bag of Holding (heroic tier), Belt of Blood (heroic tier), Gloves of Storing (heroic tier), Sandals of Precise Stepping (heroic tier), Instant Campsite (heroic tier), Voidcrystal Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing) +5
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
Mad Malagorn, level 23
Half-Elf, Sorcerer, Dragon Guardian, Dark Wanderer
Spell Source: Dragon Magic
Dragon Soul: Dragon Soul Poison
Guardian's Resistance: Dragon Soul Fire
Quickened Spellcasting: Burning Spray
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 22, Con 18, Dex 15, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 22.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 14.
AC: 32 Fort: 32 Reflex: 28 Will: 35
HP: 155 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 38
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +17, Athletics +24, Endurance +20, Dungeoneering +16, Acrobatics +20
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Bluff +17, Diplomacy +19, Heal +11, History +12, Insight +13, Intimidate +17, Nature +11, Perception +11, Religion +12, Stealth +15, Streetwise +17, Thievery +13
FEATS
Level 1: Dual Implement Spellcaster
Level 2: Sorcerous Blade Channeling
Level 4: Warrior of the Wild
Level 6: Novice Power
Level 8: Toughness
Level 10: Adept Power (retrained to Improved Second Wind at Level 22)
Level 11: Draconic Spellfury
Level 12: Improved Dragon Soul
Level 14: Arcane Flexibility
Level 16: Agile Athlete
Level 18: Action Recovery
Level 20: Human Perseverance
Level 21: Ruthless Spellfury
Level 22: Quickened Spellcasting
POWERS
Dilettante: Twin Strike
Sorcerer at-will 1: Storm Walk
Sorcerer at-will 1: Burning Spray
Sorcerer encounter 1: Mists of Disarray (replaced)
Sorcerer daily 1: Dragonfang Bolt (replaced)
Sorcerer utility 2: Elemental Shift
Sorcerer encounter 3: Dancing Lightning (replaced)
Sorcerer daily 5: Corruption Orb (replaced)
Sorcerer utility 6: Chaotic Defense
Sorcerer encounter 7: Rimestorm (replaced)
Sorcerer daily 9: Prime the Fire
Sorcerer utility 10: Deep Shroud
Sorcerer encounter 13: Jaws of the Earth (replaces Mists of Disarray)
Sorcerer daily 15: Spitfire Furnace (replaces Dragonfang Bolt)
Sorcerer utility 16: Draconic Majesty
Sorcerer encounter 17: Poisonous Evasion (replaces Rimestorm)
Sorcerer daily 19: Baleful Gaze of the Basilisk (replaces Corruption Orb)
Sorcerer utility 22: Ultimate Resistance
Sorcerer encounter 23: Wyrmblight (retrained to Untamed Outburst at Novice Power) (replaces Dancing Lightning)
ITEMS
Paired Dagger +5, Counterstrike Guards (paragon tier), Death-Defying Cloak +5, Ring of the Dragonborn Emperor (paragon tier), Ring of Brotherhood (paragon tier; a gift from his sister so she can help keep him safe), Helm of Hidden Horrors (paragon tier), Bag of Holding (heroic tier), Belt of Blood (heroic tier), Gloves of Storing (heroic tier), Sandals of Precise Stepping (heroic tier), Instant Campsite (heroic tier), Voidcrystal Cloth Armor (Basic Clothing) +5
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1. My Home
The sacrifice screamed.
Blood fountained forth from the goat's neck, splashing across the altar, the ritual dagger, and the front row of the assembled. The chanting figures reached a crescendo, their voices high and wailing across the dark cavern, faces obscured by thick robes of midnight. The leader threw his hands upward, and silence crashed down on the assembly, the dying gasps of the animal the only remaining noise.
The creature shuddered, then all was still. Silence reigned.
Far in the back, the smallest of the hooded figures reached upward to grasp the sleeve beside her.
“Mommy? I don't wanna be a cultist.”
2. My Treasure
Place the second black candle at exactly sixty-three degrees from the focal point...
The child's eyes slid closed, and her head lulled. Startling awake for the third time in as many minutes, the young tiefling frowned at the thick tome she had been assigned. Dull. Dull beyond words, beyond imagining.
Her eyes flew to The Drawer.
Placing the tome on her desk, she crept quietly to the doorway of her small room, peering out in the hallway for anyone around. Left, Right, then carefully sliding the door shut, easing the handle to prevent its telltale creak, then swiftly back to her desk, picking up her stuffed owlbear from his guarding position atop the Drawer, then easing it open, riffling through the leaflets, papers, and scrolls she had carefully dumped within to guard her treasure.
Her fingers curled about it, lifting it reverently from its hiding place. Ever so quiet, she eased it open to a bookmarked chapter.
The Common Waterdeep Blink Dog is well known for its illustrious coat, which, despite its magnificent sheen, requires very little care by the owner to maintain...
“Nadira?”
Mother.
Eyes wide with panic, she threw the thin book back into the drawer, scrambling to cover it with a protective layer of debris. She slammed the drawer shut, cursed in one of the few Infernal words she actually liked using as a scroll caught (Windmill, but it still sounded bad. Everything in Infernal does.), sliding everything in order, throwing open the tome, and...
The door creaked open. “There you are,” her mother said, smiling at the image of her perfectly studious daughter, well on her way towards becoming a great scholar of the arcane.
“Mother!” the child greeted, trying to sound as innocent as possible, peering up from the dusty tome. The upside-down tome. A shiver of horror crept down her spine.
“Now, dear, come with me for a walk. I want you to meet the new teacher who just arrived.”
Closing the book, grateful her mother had not noticed, the child was still confused. “What about Mr. Immot? Is he sick?” She liked Mr. Immot, an old man with a long, thick beard who taught them lore every afternoon. He was funny.
“No, child, Mr. Immot is...he's taking a vacation right now, visiting family.” There was something odd in her mother's tone, something Nadira usually heard whenever she tried to ask about people who were gone for a long time or went away.
“Anyway, come child, come on, you'll like your new teacher, I promise.” Taking her child by the hand, she began to lead her out into the corridor.
“Wait,” the young one called, running back to her desk to pick up her owlbear. (Lord Captain Archmittens the Bold went everywhere she went.) Retrieving her friend, she joined her mother and ambled down the hall.
3. My Hell
Something was wrong. People were running, shouting all throughout the coven, yelling at each other, calling for organization, arguing and muttering and stamping all over the place. Huddled in the library, the child watched the chaos from afar, wondering why on earth people were grabbing the decorative swords off the walls. They were decorative, right?
“Nadira!” Her mother called. Her voice was high and tense, almost shrill.
Around the corner she came, looking frantic, frayed, but oddly driven. As her mother caught sight of her, Nadira saw something in her parent's eye, a flash of inspiration, of something determined, possessive, strange.
“There you are,” her mother sighed in relief. Crossing swiftly to her child, picking her up a bit too roughly, she hugged her child to her like a precious glimmer of hope. Setting her down, yet still keeping a firm grip on her arm, she smiled downward. “Sweetling, mommy needs you to do something for her, okay?”
“What's going on?” the child asked, squirming at her mother's tight hold.
“Oh, don't worry about it, it'll all be over soon. Now, I need you to give me your hand, alright?”
Distracted for a moment by people running right outside, Nadira watched a group of armed cultists, blades drawn, rush down the hall. Turning back to her mother, she saw her holding a short roll of parchment, the sort of hastily drawn legal paper the adults always obsessed over, and a long, silver knife.
Even as her daughter's eyes grew wide, the mother continued talking. “It'll be just like play, alright? Just like the practice you've done in class. Now, give me your hand, and then press it onto this paper, okay dear?”
“Mother,” the child whispered, “What's wrong?”
“Nothing, dear, nothing!” Her mother smiled, but her eyes never changed. “Now, this will just take a moment...”
“Oww!” Nadira squirmed in her mother's grip as the knife slipped across her hand.
“Stop that, child, right now!”
“Mom, that hurts!”
“Quiet, dear, just hold your hand right here now, and--”
“Stop it, please!”
“Do as you're told, child, right now, or I'll--”
Four feet of cold iron speared right through her mother's chest.
The weapon was dark, twisted, wickedly barbed, and seemed to pulse strangely, as if more real than anything around it, existing both in the here-and-now and many other places, other planes. The weapon lifted, taking the twisting body with it, revealing its wielder. Terribly elegant, blasphemously refined, a being of fear, of cruelty, of nightmare.
“Silly little prey,” the devil chuckled, “Trying to save yourself at the cost of another. Such feeble means did not save your father, nor his mother, nor your great-grandfather, and they will not save you.”
Contemptuously, the creature kicked at the body, which fell lifeless to the floor. Still impaled on the weapon, however, was something ethereal, twisting in agony and torment. Frozen in terror, the child could only watch as the being ate her mother's soul.
Sated after a time, it turned to the little one. “Grow up big and strong, now, and try to put up a little more of a challenge, yes?”
And then the Hunter was gone.
4. My Other Book
Five hours. The time it took for cult members to find her, curled in a corner, staring through hands soaked in blood and tears into the still eyes of her mother.
Four days. The time it took for her to actually move on her own, to eat anything, to finally sleep, despite the night terrors.
Three weeks. The time it took for her to speak again. But it wasn't to the cultists. It was to someone quite different, someone met by an interesting and accidental turn of events.
It was a few hours before dawn when the small figure crept into the library. Slipping through a gap in the lazy guard's patrols, the shadowed interloper moved purposefully to a single section, more a display than an actual shelf. Lifting herself onto a stool, she strained to read the bindings of the ancient tomes before her.
A Res Transaction Alius Vos.....Pradium Per Vulgaris Balrogia....Paciscor Per Cthulhu.....Daemos Invito......
That one, sitting in the middle. It looked right, but....
A ray of lantern light broke into the room. Swiftly, she snatched the book and the cold iron key to its bindings and ran, barely a step ahead of the unaware guard.
The next day, a great clamor was raised about the loss of a certain, valuable tome. Not one usually associated with the cult, but one still quite important to their collection. It was fortunate, however, that the thieves missed the more important volume which sat next to the stolen item, a text concerning the summoning of the devils with which the cult dealt with on a daily basis. The disappearance of one orphan child, however, was overlooked.
5. My Odd Encounter
Within the Twisted Spire of the Third Merchant's Tower of the District of Blight and Misery within the Abyss's not-quite-central regions, Rajanya Shrikara was bored. Every day, another trader, another summoner, another mortal making a bid for power, for prestige, for might, all of whom were quite willing to sign away their immortal essence to the exceedingly helpful and charming raavasta. Certainly, they were good investments, and the damned souls were doing wonders for his portfolio, but it was all so cliché. A noble wanted dominance in court, a guild wanted wealth, a wizard wanted a bigger tower than his competitor (and a long staff with a knob on the end, whatever that fixation was about). All base, all trivial, all so exceedingly dull.
Ping.
His summon gemstone pulsed. He was being called.
“Bah, another damn mortal,” he muttered, stepping into the circle in his office. Straightening up, brushing off his robe, putting on his best business face, he allowed himself to flow across the planes.
“Greetings, honorable one, and salutations from the esteemed Rajanya Shrikara of the great family of--”
No one was there.
He looked left. He looked right. He put on his spectacles, wondrous things, but detected no invisible or veiled figures.
“Who are you?”
He looked down. Right outside the wards sat a small mortal, tiefling by the tail, horns just starting to grow in. He was no expert in mortal biology, but she looked...very young, to be doing this sort of thing. Below the age of immortal consent, even. (An odd law, but a necessary one. One of his uncles, centuries back, had tried to justify a soul transaction on the gurgled assenting noise of an infant. The results, particularly given the aforementioned half-dragon whelp's angered parents, one a brutal, malicious, fiery killing machine and the other a dragon, were not at all good for business. The key, then, lay in waiting until they were in their teens; old enough to sign away their soul, dumb and angsty enough not to think twice.)
“...Can I help you, little miss?” He asked quizzically. Not to be charitable, of course, but building up report never hurt in the trade.
“You're not it. Who are you?” The young one frowned, both puzzled and annoyed. She sat within a small chalk circle of her own, outside the rings that wound around the raavasta. Protective, summoning, binding....they were all crude, he could bypass most of them without a thought, but crude for a novice mage, one with only three or four years experience, and much older than a mere child. Most intriguing...
“I am,” he drew himself up, “The venerated Rajanya Shrikara of the Han'virash Family, Merchant Prince of the Twisted Spire, purveyor of the finest goods of every sort, peerless scholar of unfathomable lore, advisor to a thousand kings, expert in all negotiations demonic, and most importantly,” he bowed, “I am at your service.”
If asked, he would tell you that no, he had never, in fact, practiced that in front of a mirror. For an hour.
At a very important word in the abyssal being's speech, however, the youngster's eyes widened. Grabbing the thick tome that lay open beside her, she flipped it shut, staring intently at the cover. Daemos Invito, demon summoning, ahh, that brought back memories to the raavasta's mind. Fifth Edition, evistro-hide bound, masterfully scribed. Good condition, too, would be worth quite a bit in the right...
“It's the wrong book.” The child slumped, dejected. She let the tome thump to the ground and sulked, staring intently at nothing.
Feeling a bit out of place, Rajanya felt obliged to interject, “Er, is there anything in particular for which I have been called, little sayin?” he asked, lapsing back into the old honorific by accident.
The child looked back up at him, remembering he was there. Reaching forward, she put her fingers around the prime candle, the focus of the ritual. “Sorry, bye,” she said quickly, then pinched the wick.
In an instant, he was back in his office, wondering just what in the Prime Material just happened.
6. My Annoying Habit
Ping.
He sighed. Business as usual. At least the fiasco with that damn snake cult was over, soul handed over by some barbarian or other such brute...He paused. He knew this tone. Each summoning had a signature, an aroma, which was unique to the individual. And this one was familiar.
“Salutations, sayin,” he pontificated, stepping out onto the summoning circle, “from the Han'virash family. I, the illustrious Rajanya Shrikara--”
“Merchant Prince of the Twisted Spire?” the summoner finished for him, trying to suppress a grin. She had grown in the past few years, well on her way to becoming a young woman, though not quite there. More interestingly to the raavasta's eye, however, were the lines upon which he stood. Her technique had improved dramatically; the wards were intricate and refined, the summoning circle smoother, more efficient, and he even sensed contingent subtleties woven into the sigils, designs which took a decade of study for a normal mage, yet she had accomplished in four. Most interesting indeed....
“Ahh, I am honored to see you remember, sayin,” he bowed.
“It was....memorable,” the tiefling remarked, politely.
“Since you have summoned for my superior services once again, mylady, have you found yourself in need of the creative, cultural, curative, or conjurable capabilities of this most humble merchant?”
“Indeed, fine sir, I do. Mortal minds only stretch so far, it seems, thus I find a particular conundrum for which I need a little....extraplanar assistance. Are you interested in a little dealmaking?” the summoner grinned mischievously.
Allowing a smile of his own, he drummed his fingers together. “Ah, but of course, sayin. If you will permit me, allow me to call forth the necessities. Let us do a little....paperwork.”
….......................
“Item 84b, do you have any elemental allergies which may have any impact on extradimensional summoning, and if so, please describe them.”
“None,” the tiefling droned, rubbing her temples.
“You know, if you are bored, we can skip the paperwork and get right to the signing and sorcery. It is usually quite a timesaver for the mortal mind.”
“Yes, and I'm sure all the good stuff is in the back pages, far enough to never be reached, near enough to prevent skipping to the last page,” the tiefling muttered. “Keep going.”
“Damn,” he nearly muttered, then cleared his throat. “Ahem, 84c, have you, or do you plan to have any contact with denizens of the Far Realm during the duration of your summoning career?”
“No.”
“Is your personal supply of quintessence in good order, well maintained through a healthy lifestyle?”
“Yes”, she droned, eyes crossing.
“Are you a virgin?”
“Ye—wait,” she started, “Why do you give a damn?”
Scratching his head, the raavasta admitted, “Well, we don't really. For some reason, though, every mortal expects us to put it in there and pretend it's valuable. Not sure why, most of the abyss reproduces through fission or elemental essence, so we hardly care about mammalian reproductive and recreational habits.”
Propping her head on her hand, she stared up at him, “So, are you enjoying this quantitative quagmire as much as I am?”
He stared at the four hundred and seventy three sheets, all very, very, excruciatingly familiar. “Oh, to oblivion with it,” he cursed, and flicked his fingers, sending the paperwork up in flames.
“Right, then, little lady,” he rubbed his hands together. “Something a little more simple. Full access to ethereal, economic, and enchantment services, with the single stipulation of the full transfer of immortal essence ownership in the event of your mortal expiration,” so saying, he handed over a single document, a lone parchment which, despite its lesser wordcount, was infinitely more valuable.
Taking the paper in her hands, eyes flicking over a few choice sentences, she queried, “And how exactly do I access these services? I assume there is a better method than the summoning circle?”
“Most astute, sayin,” he spoke happily, eager for the catch. “The circle itself can be refined to no longer require expendable or consumable resources through the application of the following,” so saying, he drew a simple diagram, an improvement few summoners ever learn, let alone consider, “And when the ritual is focused through a particular device,”
“The extraplanar barrier can be unwound, rather than broken through,” the tiefling finished for him, eyes bright with comprehension, tail twitching in glee. Taking the diagram from the helpful malicious merchant and placing it beside her tome, she stood and bowed to the raavasta. “Thank you, that was most helpful.”
And ripped the unsigned contract in half.
“What—What are you doing?” he screamed.
“Sorry,” she spoke half-sheepishly. “I just needed an edge on portal magic, not interested in the rest. Bye!” she waved and reached out a foot, toes closing around that same damn prime candle.
“You'll burn for this, you---”
He manifested back in his office.
“--$@%@#%^&U*^%$” Shifted halfway through his outburst, the last primordial curse rang across the office, the floor, the whole damn building. Heads raised, eyes focus, fellow merchants dropped their conversataions. Rajanya Shrikara, esteemed merchant prince and master of mercantile, had failed, and in that one accidental shout, everyone knew.
Embarrassed, enraged, exasperated, he writhed. Damn her...
7. My Transaction
Ping.
Ping.
Ping.
“Are you going to answer that?” one of the yuppies asked. They were all grinning at him. They knew who it was, just as well as he. They'd plagued him about it for two years, the rumors and jokes spreading through the complex like a plague.
No more. No more laughter in their eyes, no more whispering behind his back. He rose angrily from his desk, slamming his office door, then stalked to the portal, passing through the planes.
“Do not test my patience, puny mortal, for I---” then his eyes focused on the paper held head-level in front of him.
Poking her head around the parchment, which contained such certain interesting passages as “lending of mental prowess and powers” “due exchange for services,” and “immortal soul,” the tiefling grinned up at him.
“What, no greeting?”
“Greetings are reserved for paying customers,” he grated. Reading further, though....
“Temporary exchange of soul?” he quirked an eyebrow.
“Just an idea,” Nadira nodded. “A less risky deal for you, more security, more guaranteed reward. In exchange, for every unit of time spent in service, you gain possession of my soul for a proportional amount of time before letting it pass onward on a five to one basis.”
Fascinating. He'd seen a few of these over the centuries, but few mortals used them; those who cared at all about their immortal souls rarely dealt with demon kind. Finishing the document, his eyes flicked upward and narrowed.
“Fifteen to one,” he haggled.
She sniffed, “Oh, please. What kind of person do you think I am? Seven.”
“We've already established that, sayin, now we just haggle. Thirteen.”
“I may not have principles, but I do have standards, thank you very much. Ten to one. Final offer.”
“Done.”
Drawing knives, the two cut a single line on their own right hands, clasping them together in agreement. The paper was formality, it was the blood bound binding that gave the deal power. And complete it was.
With predatory grin, the raavasta bowed. “And how, then, can I serve thee? Is it wealth you desire, or power?”
“Knowledge,” the tiefling stated simply, winding a bandage around her hand.
“Ahh,” Rajanya's eyes twinkled. “In many ways, the same thing. When shall we begin?”
“Tomorrow,” Nadira dismissing him curtly. Waving her hand, she dissipated the circle, and he was gone.
Humming to himself back in his office, Rajanya carefully folded the contract, sealing it with obsidian wax and his personal seal. He opened his office door, and as expected, there they were.
“Run this down to accounting, will you?”
The grins of the yuppies died a horrible death, their eyes widening at the black seal of a soul contract. Rumors be damned, he was back in business, and he'd rub it in all their faces for a decade.
Got her.
8. My Stereotype
Reverend Ezekial Adams rushed towards the crowd.
The mob had gathered around a single figure, cries of “Heretic,” “Blasphemer,” and “Cultist” filling the air. The young tiefling woman was standing her ground stubbornly, but the entire situation would soon tumble out of control.
Not on his watch, not while the Church of Erathis stood firm.
“Hold, brothers and sisters, and hear me!” His voice sang out through the throng, melodious and commanding. Spreading his arms wide, he did what he was born, bred, and destined to do. He preached.
“Hear me, my brethren. Why do you lift your voices in hatred, why do you break the most sacred peace of this sanctum of civilization when you should be speaking as one? Why do you create discord when there should be harmony, clamor when there should be song, chaos where there should be organization?”
“She's a demon caller!” someone cried out, and angry voices muttered in agreement.
“No, my brothers, do not give in to the prejudices of the blind! For too long have the races of the world spread lies and falsehood about one another, refusing to see the light of truth, that we are all as one in the crucible of society! These words you speak, the kind whispered by lawless men and petty fools, they only create division and fractures within our great community! Do not concern yourself with race or creed, it is the individual within the collective that is important! This young woman should be treated with respect, just as any of you should be respected, working in harmony with one another in this glorious civilization! If we all live in peace together, then the wheels of society can turn, and each can dwell happily knowing they serve the greater good! It is to that aim, my brethren, to which you should lift your voices, not to hatred and chaos, but to join together in harmonious song in the choir that is community!”
This went on for a while.
A significant passage of time later, after the crowd had thinned due to agreement with the reverend, short attention span, or disinterest in the lack of pitchforks and torches, the Erathian clergyman finished his speech. Moving through the remaining folk, exchanging a greeting here, a brief word there, he finally approached the young tiefling.
“I am very glad to see you well, young madam,” he said with perfectly pronounced politeness.
“Yes, well, thank you, I suppose,” she replied, emerging from her post-sermon boredom.
“It was a pleasure to assist. If I may be so bold as to make introductions, I am Ezekial Adams, Reverend Speaker of Most Holy Erathis. And you, madam? Your name? Your vocation in this fine community?”
“Nadira,” she replied offhand, looking for an exit. “I summon demons.”
As the clergyman's eyes widened in horror, she shrugged. “What? It's a living.”
“Discretion.”
“Shut up!”
“The quality of being discreet, especially with reference to one's own actions. See also prudence, decorum.”
“Shut up and keep running!”
“Technically, sayin, only you need to participate in the running. Incidentally, the mob appears to be gaining, especially the clergyman. Someone should inform him that hitching up his vestments to allow freedom of leg movement does occasionally expose his---”
“Less talking, more fleeing!”
9. My Problem With Dead People
“And this,” Nadira muttered, “is why I refuse to recruit a hezrou.”
The horrific odor of the undead was the worst part. The siege itself was fairly easy, the rotting corpses shambling slowly, wailing on bolstered barricades with abandon until driven back by radiant light. But the stench, it remained, creeping through the town, getting into homes, clothes, food, until the entire place simply stank.
“If I call anything, anything, it will smell decent. Or vaguely of brimstone, that's a given. But nothing that reeks,” she whispered to herself, trying to keep out of sight, out of mind. It seemed like a good idea at the time to make a supply run through the settlement, but the quarantine, foolish as it was with a zero casualty rate, was making things difficult. Fitting in with the locals was proving extremely tedious.
“Yep,” she said through the cloth pressed firmly to her nose and mouth, “We're leaving.”
“And are we to simply ask the walking corpses to let us pass, sayin?” The red eyes of Rajanya manifested out of nothing, now that they were out of sight. “Or shall we just grow wings and flit off into the night?”
“Actually, yes,” the tiefling stated manner-of-factly. Pyotrseryoga, more simply called Pyotr, should be fully healed. A diamond falcon found injured in a particularly dangerous depth of the Chaos, she was growing quite fond of the affectionate extraplanar beast. The fact that he could carry a fully grown demihuman was quite a nice bonus, though she honestly just loved having someone to summon who actually enjoyed her company, not her potential soul food.
Cracking her knuckles, stretching her neck, she said “Alrighty, one flight out of this hellhole in--”
And then she saw the skyline.
“........Really?” she muttered belligerently to the air, watching the wraiths floating down from above to set upon the hapless village. “Is that really necessary?”
“It would appear, my honorable ward, that your flight will be delayed.”
“Why, thank you, I needed to hear that.” She had been doing a lot of angry muttering of late. Side effect of knowing too many demons. “Right, discretion be damned, we're going to work.”
“Are you sure that is wise? We're not exactly inconspicuous when we hit the field.”
“We're not waiting, we're not risking being caught in the air with the undead, so we're breaking right through them. Besides, if we smash the horde, the priests can keep the wraith away from the townsfolk.”
“Heroics? Really, I never expected it.”
“Practicality,” she corrected him. Shoving aside the junior cleric who tried to bar her path to the barricade, she whipped out the tome from beneath her cloak. Pulling the key of cold iron from where it lay chained around her neck, she unlocked the fell bindings of the ancient book, which hurled open of its own accord. A dire glow lit up her face and her voice emanated primordial words across the planes.
A flash of horrific light, and undead flesh flew.
Ahrimani, Zvirnithyrkik, and Chevoyo burst onto the battlefield. Marilith, mezzo and shadow demon, respectively, they ached for the thrill of battle, of destruction. Swords and spears and deadly talons shone brightly in the moonlight, sharpened for the slaughter.
“Orders, sayin?” the sinuous half-snake spoke sensuously.
“Spare anything with a pulse,” the summoner commanded. “For the rest....have fun.”
Grinning madly, the demons did what they do best.
But far down the barricade, a certain Erathian clergyman caught sight of the strange slaughter...
10. My Return
“You know, the life expectancy of the average cultist seems incredibly low.”
Shifting through the rubble of the devil cult's fort, an interesting nostalgia creeping through her mind, Nadira was perplexed. Barely more than a decade and a half, but the entire band, deranged as they may be, was gone. All that was left of the sect were discarded items and dusty furniture. And dark red stains on the walls.
“It does seem a natural side effect of the job,” the red eyes glowed in the gloom, “When you make deals with people who only find value in your death, you tend not to survive long.”
“Yes, of this I'm well aware,” she whispered. Setting the tome down, she began sorting through a pile in the library; some books were badly burnt, others torn apart, but a few, a few were still readable.
“Well, ” she said in summery, “we've got a treatise on the habits of astral dreadnoughts, some very bad poetry about canoloths, and---” hefting the tome happily, “One collection of essays on barriers, wards, and protective enchantment techniques. Very nice.”
Whistling, she called forth one of her tiny minions, a little, bouncing blob of wicked mischief and flapping wings. Nix, she thought, although he might be Pix or Bix, they were all physically identical. Waving him over to the next pile of rubble where seven of his brothers currently worked, she placed the ritual book in the Pile Of Loot.
“Now, if we're lucky, we'll manage to find one book in particular. Check for anything bound in silver, about two feet high--”
“Ahh, I see corruption always returns to its source,” the melodious voice called out.
Light bathed the cavernous depths, searing eyes, sending minions fleeing. Reverend Adams, flanked by summoned angels, stood tall and proud, drumming his fingers atop the out-of-reach Daemos Invito. The focus of all her summoning.
“It would seem, then, that it is the fell knowledge that is the source of the taint in our fair nation. Without the depraved information in these tomes, even the insidious individuals who sow chaos without our domain would be unable to spread their foul ways towards the youth, depriving them of a bright future.”
Crossing her arms, tail curling up to her chin, Nadira glowerd, “Good evening, reverend. What the hell do you want?”
“Hell, child? That is precisely what I seek to avert. There is a sickness spreading through this country that I love, creeping into the minds of the children, the current generation blinding themselves to the glorious principles upon which this fine civilization was created--”
“I thought the empire was created when a warlord stabbed his brother in the back and crowned himself--”
“GLORIOUS PRINCIPLES! But you and your ilk are an infestation, a blight upon our shining community, and this I cannot allow! But without your knowledge, without your tomes, you summoners are useless, harmless. So that is the past I must take. Though it pains me to destroy knowledge and invention--”
Drip.
“The public must be kept safe from this foul creation--”
Drip.
“Thus rendering everyone save, and prevent foul conjurers from committing their terrible--”
Drip.
“terrible--what is that noise?”
Blood. Blood ran from Nadira's hands, sharp nails tearing into her scarred flesh, blood from her mouth, biting right into the edge of her tail. She whirled, slamming the running wounds into the ground in a perfect triangle, spinning exactly a hundred and twenty degrees...a perfect circle.
“By breath and bone and blade and blood,” she cried out the Primordial call, “all who are bound to me, come forth!”
It was crude. It was imperfect. But it was enough.
Demons ripped the planar fabric asunder, throwing themselves into the mortal world. The improvised call left them drained, but it would be sufficient. Glowering at the priest, Nadira pointed a single bloody hand.
“Take them.”
The demon band screamed in challenge, the angels roaring in righteous fury, and the battle was joined.
11. My Vocation
It did not, however, go well.
Searing light blasted into the already weakened horde, forcing the shadowy Chevoyo to do not but evade. Zvir was speared clean through by an angel of vengeance, his essence returning to the Chaos to be reformed another day. Ahrimani held her own, but the growing imbalance of numbers pressed upon her, her six arms divided between defending three sides. The two summoners exchanged bolts of fire and pain, more on principle that capable of actually hitting anything. But the battle was not in the tiefling's favor.
“Give up now,” the reverend bellowed, “we both know it's over!”
“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Nadira replied, opening a small gate to throw a few abyssal rocks in his direction. “Besides, there is one thing you have yet to account for.”
“Bah, what foul trick are you attempting to pull now, whelp?” he scoffed.
“I,” she grinned smugly, “get along well with birds.”
Confusion flickered on the reverend's face for a moment before two hundred pounds of diamond falcon flew straight past his head. Screeching in triumph, the elemental bird grabbed the Tome of Daemos Invito in its talons, tossing the book to its mistress, then soaring into the fray.
Grabbing the tome from the air, Nadira slammed the iron key into its bindings, throwing it open and invokes. Power surged into her bound companions, Ahrimani howled in triumph, decapitating one of the angels completely. Chevoyo grinned malevolently, seeping into the floor, lashing out in ropes of darkness to bind another. Pyotr fastened himself to soaring wings, dragging the angel down, pecking furiously.
Furious and spiteful, the reverend redoubled. “Even now, foul miscreant, you prove my point! Without your foul artifacts, these foolish trappings of your twisted craft, you are nothing! Only in the light of the gods can individuals flourish and be saved!”
“Your gods didn't save my people, they didn't save my mother, and they won't save me!” Nadira yelled, “But I will live! By my own strength, my own wits, my own path, I will save myself!”
“Don't waste your breath. Even now, your battles are fought by others as you squander your soul and stand there uselessly! Pretend to be the victim all you want, heretic, you chose this life, and there is nothing you can do to--”
Daemos Invito sailed across the room and slammed right into his skull.
Following right behind her improvised missile, Nadira tackled straight into the reverend, catching him in the solar plexus with her knee. The two hit the floor in a tangle, the enraged tiefling struggling to throttle the flailing invoker.
“Chose it?” She grabbed her tome from where it had fallen, battering away the reverend's hands even as he tried to fight. “CHOSE IT?!?” With each word, she brought the book down in a vengeful arc of pent up fury, “I...” *bash* “wanted...” *thwack* “to be...” *wham* “a...” *whack* “VETERINARIAN!”
With one final crack, the reverend's head bounced against the stone floor, and consciousness failed him. No longer bound by concentration, the angels faded out of existence, the demons left bloodied and bloodthirsty in the empty room.
For a moment, all was still.
Cursing a bit, Nadira rose, stretching her wrenched back, already aching. The assembled horde clustered about her, halfway impressed, half amused. A pair of glowing eyes raised a single smoky brow.
“Veterina--?”
“Stow it!” She retorted, picking up her tome. “Grab the loot and saddle up, we are leaving!”
“And what of the priest, sayin?” The marilith asked, already sharpening her blades.
“Leave him alive. That's an order,” Nadira called over her shoulder, already marching out. A chorus of angry mutterings and murmurings erupted, troops most unhappy. The tiefling paused, casually slipping the books into her satchel. Staring up at the ceiling, looking at nothing in particular.
“Oh, dear,” she mused, “it seems I forgot to give any orders about leaving him unhumiliated.”
Demonic grins lit up the darkness.
12. My Business
Pretending not to hear the strange noises behind her, Nadira prowled away from the chamber. The loot was decent, but what she needed wasn't here. There must be some reference, some hint as to where the cult move the book...
Red eyes flared in front of her, and the raavasta shifted onto the material plane, his fox-face twisted in a scowl.
“We talk. Now.”
Equally surprised to see him on the Prime as to witness the shapechanger's real self, Nadira stopped short and nodded.
“Very well, we talk. About what?”
“You should know, madam, that deception is often considered the modus operandi, something to be accounted for, assumed, even respected. I have seen many in my time, faced off with the best in the them, defeated most, learned from the rest. It made life, I dare say, interesting. But those are tricks, deceptions, bending the rules of the game, but still playing. At the end of the day, the exchange is still made.”
“Know this, Nadira. I do not abide oath-breakers.”
So saying, he threw down a shard of rubble, an old floor tile, ordinary in all respects except for a cloven print, burned from the foot of a being of horror, years ago. A single track, one left in warning, made to mark the terrain, the hunting ground.
“You're doomed.”
“Yes,” the tiefling replied casually, “That is the general result of contracting with demons, you know--”
“No, mortal, do not take me for a simpleton!” the raavasta spat, “Damned you may be, but before it, you were marked, you were doomed, you were quarry. Your soul was forfeit to a terrible fate long before we met, yet you bargained with it nonetheless! You traded without any intent to ever follow through on your end of the deal! Do you deny it?”
“Yes, and no,” Nadira replied, rather casually.
“Spare me your foolish insolence,” Rajanya snapped. “Explain yourself this instant, or we are done.”
“Yes to the damned, yes to the doomed, but never with false intentions,” the tiefling recited. “Hunted I will be, certainly. Since I was eight, I've known I was a dead one walking. That was the way life was, the way the game was written.”
“So I'm writing new rules.”
The raavasta scoffed, but his ears perked slightly, twisting forward.
Smiling a bit, realizing why the shapechangers so often took another guise, Nadira pressed on. “There are two laws, one of heritage, one of choice. The cards of the house, and the ones I have been dealt. One fate I will accept, and one which I will unmake.”
“So I stack the deck as best I can, sir, waiting for the moment when all debts are called. I'll honor my debt to you, to Ahri, to Zvir, to Chevoyo, all in turn, time to torment for each of you upon my death, but ending in my ultimate release, because the evil I know is better than the evil that will fight with tooth and nail to end my existence. When all the chips are down, I'm staking everything on one thing.”
“Demons don't like devils.”
Rajanya's expression flickered, a myriad of oddities across the vulpine face. Finally, turning his head to the side, he asked softly.
“Are you telling me that you plan to defeat an ancient evil, a fallen angel of unfathomable cruelty, a blasphemously powerful devil........through timeshare commodity fraud?”
Grinning with a touch of madness, Nadira laughted, “Well, you can't collect if it gets me, and I'm just fine with not being caught. So we all win, except the devils, and to hell with them.”
The raavasta shut his eyes, rubbed the bridge of his nose, exasperated. “That is....the stupidest, most inane, most idiotic plan I have ever heard in my entire career.” He paused for a moment, then straighted himself up.
“I'm in.”
Sighing in relief, having held her breath for a little while longer than comfortable waiting, Nadira chuckled. “So much for knowledge and careful planning?”
“I am a trader, sayin. If one of the most powerful evils in this world can be brought down, destroyed, or otherwise foiled through financial philosophy, and done so on my watch? I will laugh for centuries. Besides,” he flared the ruff of his sleeves slightly, “I protect my investments.”
The tiefling smiled. “Glad to here it. Now, we need to keep searching, there is bound to be--”
Rajanya held up a hand. “No, no, we are not yet done.”
“What else, then?” she asked cautiously.
“Well, it would seem that now I have an interesting position, for my companions might not be as interested in continuing with the underlying terms and conditions not immediately apparent,” his eyes narrowed, “And given no other incentive to disclose such information, it would be a pity if I happened to bring it up with them in the future.”
Glaring, Nadira crossed her arms stubbornly. “Blackmail? Really, Raja?”
“Demon,” he reminded her, grinning, conjuring a glass of disturbingly deep red wine. “Now then, I was thinking in particular of including a demand that--”
“You get one boon,” the tiefling said firmly.
“Now, now, sayin,” he said, taking a long sip, “a single stipulation is not--”
“Without limits, of your choosing.”
He nearly choked. Amateurish! A blank check was the stupidest error anyone could ever perform in--
“To be named only upon the complete end of all devilish intervention, IE the Hunter.”
The raavasta grinned, then threw back his head, laughing. “Brilliant! The perfect lure, so incredibly appetizing to never be worth passing up, yet finely hook, ensuring exactly what you want. Ahh, well done indeed, sayin, this is why I so enjoy our little game! Very well, amusing mortal, it would appear we have an accord.”
So doing, he reached out his hand, already cut, clasping her own sliced palm.
It was only then that he really looked at her. Slouching irritation, a twitch of desperation, eyes narrowed in bitter concentration. Victory. Shame. Resignation. Defiance.
The grin died. “You are going to regret this,” he whispered softly.
“I know,” she said simply, firmly. “But I will survive.”
Nadira,
Wizard/Bonded Summoner/Lorekeeper
Level: 23
Str: 8 Dex: 13 Con: 14 Int: 16 Wis: 13 Cha: 11
Str: 10 Dex: 15 Con: 20 Int: 24 Wis: 15 Cha: 15
AC: 38 = 10+11+7+8+2
Fort: 34 = 10+11+5+4+2+2
Will: 34 = 10+11+2+4+2+2+2
Ref: 36 = 10+11+7+4+2+2
HP: 143 = 10+con+(4xlevel)+15+10
Bloodied: 72
Surge Value: 36, 11 per day
Alignment: Unaligned
Initiative: +7 (+2 attribute, +5 gear- armor)
Feats
H) -Implement Expertise, Careful Summoner, Toughness, Skill Training: Bluff, Armor Prof: Leather, Skill Training: Heal
P) Improved Tome of Binding, Arcane Familiar, Second Implement Mastery: Tome of Readiness, Improved Tome of Readiness, two feats retrained
E) Vengeful Summoner, Wizard Implement Expertise, retrained Robust Defenses, retrained Arcane Mastery
Skills
Arcana +28 (11 + 5 + 7 attribute + 2 familiar +3 gear- ring of wizardry)
Diplomacy +20 (11 + 5 + 2 attribute + 2 gear- fragrance of authority)
Insight +17 (11 + 5 + 2 attribute)
Nature +17 (11 + 5 + 2 attribute)
Bluff +22 (11 + 5 (training from feat) + 2 attribute +2 racial +2 gear- fragrance of authority)
Heal +18 (11 + 5 (training from feat) + 2 attribute)
At Will
-Phantom Bolt
-Scorching Burst
Languages: Common, Primordial, Abyssal (background), Infernal (familiar)
Encounter
-Racial: Infernal Wrath
13-Mirror Sphere
17-Crushing Titan's Fist
23-Freezing Bolts
PP- Planar Gateway
Tome of Readiness: Phantasmal Bolt,
Daily
9-Summon Arrowhawk/Wall of Fire
15-Summon Chainbearer/Ball Lightning
19-Evard's Black Tentacles/Summon Black Devourer
PP- Summon Bonded Protector
Utility
2-Guardian Blades/Shield
6-Emerald Eye/Dimension Door
10-Arcane Gate/Repelling Shield
12-PP- Enduring Summons
16-Summon Diamond Falcon/Clever Escape
22-Time Stop/Wall of Force
Racial
+2 bluff, stealth
Bloodhunt
Fire Resistance 16
Epic
Lorekeeper's Wisdom
Gear
Tome of Forty Steps +5, 425,000 gp (Daemos Invito)
Feytouched Leather +5, 325,000 gp
Brooch of Vitality +4, 125,000 gp +10 hp
Boots of Quickness +2, 85,000 gp +2 reflex
Breaching Gauntlets +2, 45,000 gp
Circlet of Indomitability , 85,000 gp +2 will
Ring of Wizardry, 225,000 gp
Ring of Protection, 65,000 gp
Belt of Vim +2, 85,000 gp, +2 fort
Standard defenses, really. Nadira is rather fond of being well protected.
And, of course, she carries her trusty satchel. Elegant, practical, comfortable, chic, and extradimensional.
Handy Haversack, 5000 gp, which contains...
Endless Canteen 4200 (You only end up in the Elemental Chaos's Thirty Thousand Leagues of Dust once before you feel the need.)
Eternal Chalk 360 (Every summoner worth their circles realizes quickly that the sheer amount of chalk required can bankrupt the unwary.)
Floating Lantern 680 (Reading lamp)
Foe Stone 13000 (Know thine business partner)
Fragrance of Authority 13000 (Proper accessories for demonic dealings)
Gray Bag of Tricks 3400 (Minion portal device, not-at-all-used-for-trapfinding-no-sir)
Ritual Candle 9000 (Efficiency, always)
Generic Adventuring Kit, 100
Stuffed Owlbear Plush (Moral Support)
Rituals
Free for wizards
Comprehend Languages, 50, lvl 1 *
Create Teleportation Circle, 10,000, lvl 15 *
Forbiddance, 25000, lvl 20 *
Linked Portal, 680, lvl 8 *
Magic Circle, 250, lvl 5 *
Tenser's Floating Disk, 50, lvl 1 *
Unseen Servant, 50, lvl 1 *
Others
Analyze Portal, 800, lvl 8
Arcane Barrier, 3200, lvl 12
Cure Disease, 360, lvl 6
Demicache, 2,600, lvl 12
Disenchant Magic Item, 360, lvl 6
Elemental Transference, 2,600, lvl 12
Enchant Magic Item, 175, lvl 4
Endure Elements, 100, lvl 2
Far Sending, 4,200, lvl 16
Farsight, 9000, lvl 16
Planar Portal, 17000, lvl 18
Pyrotechnics, 50, lvl 2
Remove Afflictions, 680, lvl 8
Reverse Portal, 2,600, lvl 12
Rope Trick, 2,500, lvl 12
Water Breathing, 680, lvl 8
Wyvern Watch, 360, lvl 6-
Cost: 47265
Remaining gold: 86,260
Background: Raised by Cultists (Abyssal language*)
Familiar: Book Imp. *Note: Technically, there is a reversal. Her background should teach her Infernal because of the cult's bond with devils, and her bond with her primary patron, Rajanya, taught her fluent Abyssal. Because the raavasta's training and tutelage is angled more towards knowledge and information, however, the Book Imp is statistically more appropriate, yet gives the caster Infernal as a language. Ergo, her languages are reversed according to RAW as opposed to her history, but at the end of the day, she knows both languages she is supposed to.
Rather than being a technical familiar, demonic patron is a more appropriate term for the raavasta. Rajanya usually manifests as a pair of glowing eyes, which pulse slightly whenever he speaks. His power is fairly limited through the connection, but he can still use several of his mental abilities. He is assumed to be the source of Phantom Bolt, Mirror Sphere, Phantasmal Bolt, and Emerald Eye's advice, which fall in line with his mental attacks than Nadira's affinity for portal magic. This is purely flavor, however, and there is no mechanical change; Nadira is always considered the starting point for distance and line of sight.
Summons
Show
Ahrimani (Name: destructive force. Marilith.)
“A soul is like a fine steak. It is best served after great preparation and well marinated with experience.”
A warrior. Precision and power in pursuit of perfection, Ahrimani is surprisingly shrewd and strategically minded for a bloodthirsty killing machine, having learned necessary caution on her path towards supreme mastery of the blade.
Associated Powers: Summon Bonded Protector, Guardian Blades
Chevoyo (Name: monster. Shadow Demon)
“Can I kill that? How about that? Or him? Or it? Please?”
A bastard. Chevoyo is not one of the bound creatures of which Nadira is fairly, reasonably, or remotely fond. Small mammals seem to disappear around him when Nadira isn't looking, and the frequency of bird song decreases dramatically.
Associated Powers: Summon Black Devourer, Evard's Black Tentacles
Zvirnithyrkik (Name: gibberish. Mezzodemon)
“I found a wind, but then I ate it, which saddened the fish. Do you have pancakes?”
An enigma. Zvir is a strange, insectoid entity, and completely insane. Nadira pays him in conjured gold, cheap prestidigitations which fade away over time. Sometimes she wonders if he'll ever figure out that the gold he eats disappears, other times she suspects he already does.
Associated Powers: Summon Chainbearer, Shield
Pyotrseryoga (Name: Stone servant. Diamond Falcon)
A loyal friend. Nadira found the falcon injured within one of her few jaunts into the Chaos, and nursed the elemental creature back to help. Fiercely devoted, Pyotr is Nadira's favorite summon, perhaps because of his animal nature, perhaps because he is one of the few she can call who does not want to play pinata with her soul.
Associated Powers: Summon Arrowhawk, Summon Diamond Falcon
Qix, Pix, Nix, Stix, Styx, Vix, Rix, Plix, Tyix...
“Wee!”
A horde. The -Ix brothers, all one hundred and eighteen of them, are some of the smallest of the demonic beings in the Abyss. They are expert minions, quite willing and able to serve higher beings (which, given their diminutive nature, is quite a long list) in the hopes of becoming stronger.
Associated powers: Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Ghost Sound, Light, and anything else of minor magic.
“A soul is like a fine steak. It is best served after great preparation and well marinated with experience.”
A warrior. Precision and power in pursuit of perfection, Ahrimani is surprisingly shrewd and strategically minded for a bloodthirsty killing machine, having learned necessary caution on her path towards supreme mastery of the blade.
Associated Powers: Summon Bonded Protector, Guardian Blades
Chevoyo (Name: monster. Shadow Demon)
“Can I kill that? How about that? Or him? Or it? Please?”
A bastard. Chevoyo is not one of the bound creatures of which Nadira is fairly, reasonably, or remotely fond. Small mammals seem to disappear around him when Nadira isn't looking, and the frequency of bird song decreases dramatically.
Associated Powers: Summon Black Devourer, Evard's Black Tentacles
Zvirnithyrkik (Name: gibberish. Mezzodemon)
“I found a wind, but then I ate it, which saddened the fish. Do you have pancakes?”
An enigma. Zvir is a strange, insectoid entity, and completely insane. Nadira pays him in conjured gold, cheap prestidigitations which fade away over time. Sometimes she wonders if he'll ever figure out that the gold he eats disappears, other times she suspects he already does.
Associated Powers: Summon Chainbearer, Shield
Pyotrseryoga (Name: Stone servant. Diamond Falcon)
A loyal friend. Nadira found the falcon injured within one of her few jaunts into the Chaos, and nursed the elemental creature back to help. Fiercely devoted, Pyotr is Nadira's favorite summon, perhaps because of his animal nature, perhaps because he is one of the few she can call who does not want to play pinata with her soul.
Associated Powers: Summon Arrowhawk, Summon Diamond Falcon
Qix, Pix, Nix, Stix, Styx, Vix, Rix, Plix, Tyix...
“Wee!”
A horde. The -Ix brothers, all one hundred and eighteen of them, are some of the smallest of the demonic beings in the Abyss. They are expert minions, quite willing and able to serve higher beings (which, given their diminutive nature, is quite a long list) in the hopes of becoming stronger.
Associated powers: Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Ghost Sound, Light, and anything else of minor magic.
And I'm thinking we have a record for longest entry ever... ;)
Thanks to everybody who entered! You've really made this contest a success! Please feel free to share comments with one another as you wait for the judges to wrap up our side of things. Even if you don't want to get into detailed comments, just pointing out one thing you liked about each character is a plus. The point of these contests, aside from having fun, is to improve everybody's character building skills. So if you have feedback, please share!
I can provide you an average score in each category, though I'll run through my usual routines first to get actual scores posted as quickly as possible. So the average by category may or may not be in the post giving the rankings.
I've finished judging the thematic creativity and background sections. I'll hopefully be able to crank through the rules use and clarity judging before the weekend, but I've got some moving to do this week so it may not be done until next week.
She has judged! SHE HAS JUDGED!!!
*runs around screaming incoherently*
I thought this might be a good time to share some thoughts on the entries.
Jeminaris, Demonslayer (Nyarlothotep)- I really liked the Avenger versus demons backstory. I felt it worked really well, and fit the competitions theme. It also really fit the avenger fluff too. Like I said earlier, I really liked your opening quote.
Giacomo Cavielle of Commedia del'Arte (Oladew)- Great flavor! Dig the use of the deck of cards as your implement and weapon. I think your use of the Bard multiclass worked well for you.
Jitabata Suruna (Shinobicow)- Seriously, one of my favorite entries. I loved the use of the extra manifestation feat to symbolize the different personalities.
Rour-Ke (Durnedal-mn)- The use of a hobgoblin was a nice touch. I really liked the order from chaos approach that you used. Honestly the opening sequence with the earth rising from the calm water gave me a mental picture of a Salvador Dali painting.
Umrigar-The Unstable Sorcerer (Veok)- A changeling wild sorcerer seems perfect for the competition. I think it worked well for you. I liked your intro with all of the different people noting the loss of the individuals that were all Umrigar, nice touch. And you still got your touch of Eberron into your character.
Akioh the Autumn Lord (Esperifiel)- I was wondering if anyone would do a mercenary type for the contest, it just seemed to make sense to me with the amount of conflict associated with the Elemental Chaos. I believe you pulled it off well.
Malagorn the Mad (Omnirahk, halfrahkshi)- You're mad, Jitabata's mad, we're all mad here... Just kidding. It's kind of funny that two entries went the insanity route, but it is the Elemental Chaos, and a little insanity makes sense to me. I think memory loss explaining a mechanical feature (multiclass feat) was a nice touch.
Nadira (Dragoncat)- My favorite entry. Your story was perfect, I loved the comedic elements. The summoner wizard build is perfect for Tieflings, and I never even noticed it before. I liked how you named each of the devils/demons and linked them to different powers, well done.
Once again, best of luck to everyone. I hope the judging goes smoothly, but I think our judges have some hard decisions to make.
"s dubya" :P
She has judged! SHE HAS JUDGED!!!
*runs around screaming incoherently*
Hahaha
I've finished judging the thematic creativity and background sections. I'll hopefully be able to crank through the rules use and clarity judging before the weekend, but I've got some moving to do this week so it may not be done until next week.
I've got 5 of 9 entries judged for rules use & clarity; so far everyone has the same clarity score because they just took a Character Builder dump and added some notes.
My judgments are complete.
I've got 5 of 9 entries judged for rules use & clarity; so far everyone has the same clarity score because they just took a Character Builder dump and added some notes.
Clarity also applies, at least a little, to the fluff. Was it a wall of text or was it formatted with white space, for example?
Igor walking over to the other judges.
"Yesss, yesss masterrrs. I will do your judging toniiiiight rasp."
they just took a Character Builder dump and added some notes.
That sounds vaguely disgusting, out of context.
Aaaaand my scores are in.
My
It's a coordinate off between Wrecan and Zherog!
There were a lot of great entries this time, congrats to all the participants! If anyone would like my comments, feel free to PM me.
Ty: I'd prefer you shared your comments publicly, if you wouldn't mind. I think it's one of the great things about the contest -- the chance to see what the judges thought of other entries in the contest as well as your own entry.
As for a judge privately sharing scores... I have no control over what one person says to another via PM. ;)
I have no control over what one person says to another via PM. ;)
I do though. So flatter me whenever you send one.
I do though. So flatter me whenever you send one.
Can I just add "Johnathan_Vagabond is a god in human form," to my sig? Or does it have to be new flattery each time?
I'll have scores up today, since I now have all 4 judge's final numbers. Yay for being done within 2 weeks of the contest closing.
Ty: I'd prefer you shared your comments publicly, if you wouldn't mind. I think it's one of the great things about the contest -- the chance to see what the judges thought of other entries in the contest as well as your own entry.
As for a judge privately sharing scores... I have no control over what one person says to another via PM. ;)
I haven't been saving sent copies of my comments PMs; if people could reply/forward those comments back to me so I don't have to retype them I'd appreciate it.
I hear you have some comments pertaining to me. I want them.
Please? *proffers*
Thematic Creativity
A decent link to the theme, though it could have stood to be a tad stronger. A sorceror was pretty standard fare for this one, but making him a constantly shifting doppelganger who wished for a more interesting life was pretty creative.
Background
A really neat character, with a lot of roleplay potential. My concern is that the character might have a hard time fitting into a typical adventuring party, given his tendency to spontaneously explode. He also could have used a few more hooks (old enemies, allies, etc.) though this isn't as bad as his backstory makes it easy for any character to have a real axe to grind with him.
Rules Use
Just because the Compendium is inexplicably telling everyone all about Changelings doesn't really make it OK to use their stats, but it's not as bad as using a race from a banned source the judges can't look up. The Disciplined Wild Soul feat didn't seem like a very good match, and Weapon Expertise: Dagger didn't strike me as something you would get much use out of. Other than that it seemed like a decent build, though nothing really leaped out at me as a creative representation of your fluff.
Clarity
I'm not a fan of the Character Builder stat dump but you did a pretty good job of adding in more information. Ultimately I'd like to see all the math behind everything, the prices and sources for every item, the source of every feat, etc, but nobody really delivered on that this time and you were definitely above average.
How's this, then?
Edit: Weapon Expertise was definitely supposed to be Weapon Focus. Disciplined Wild Soul is in there because the PP only keys off of specific types of wild-soul resistances.
Heh. I was planning on using my lunch hour to pull stuff together. I forgot today was "shut the boards down at an inconvenient time for maintenance" day. ;) I'll still have them up today. The worst case scenario is I do it once I get home tonight, taking part of my scheduled writing time to get it done. But I'm still hopeful I can squeeze it in during the work day at some point.
If you get them up today, you'll still have beaten the XDMCs for once!
Minor technical glitch... one judge missed giving me scores for one entry. I'm sent him a PM and e-mail, and hopefully we can track down the missing scores quickly. Otherwise, I have everything just about done. Being done before the XDMC is a nice incentive!
Curse you and your suspense-building techniques, Zherog!
Minor technical glitch... one judge missed giving me scores for one entry. I'm sent him a PM and e-mail, and hopefully we can track down the missing scores quickly. Otherwise, I have everything just about done. Being done before the XDMC is a nice incentive!
Zherog. Coordinator. Community Lead. Complete and Total Tease. :P
edit: If I don't receive the missing scores by the end of the evening, I'll compute that entry's average based on the three scores I do have.
And in other news, I hate to be the bearing when it's bad, but Wrecan just posted scores.
Then again, that contest started 2 days earlier, I think, and ended a week earlier. I think we know who the *real* speedsters are.
But who's counting? ;)
Myrandomly generated numbersscores are in too!
You randomly generate numbers? Amateur. I have my cat look at all the entries while I'm holding down Ctrl-Tab, and when he looks away, whichever tab is open wins top score (and repeat for all the entries). That backfired this time, since if I hadn't decided to re-score things, Gmail would have won first place.
I think we know who the *real* speedsters are.
That would probably be me, since I'm a judge for both. ;)
Edit: Zherog has my scores.
There were a lot of great entries this time, congrats to all the participants! If anyone would like my comments, feel free to PM me.
I'd quite love to hear your feedback on my character, although I think I'll agree with Zherog that sharing them with everyone is just fine.
And with that bit of business out of the way, let's move on to the scores for HA4!
Coming in third place and winning a BRONZE medal, with a final average score of 27.375:
Bronze Medal Winner
Akioh the Autumn Lord, by Esperifiel
Akioh the Autumn Lord, by Esperifiel
I'll get you next time, ye elusive first place!
Grats to the other winners, and a major /tip of the hat to the judges.
I am so proud of myself.
At least I did not get a 0 in anything. XD
Aye, this was a lot of fun. Thank you very much to the judges, and congratulations to the other winners!
..........Wait. Does this mean....I have to do my time in the salt mines as a judge now?
Grats to everyone who entered, it was a great group of entries. Hope to see all of you next time around.
"S dubya"
P.S.-- Can't think of any entry that deserved getting a perfect 10 in background other than yours Dragoncat, it was perfect for the comp.
Oh well, next time for sure. Congrats to the winners
>.>
I was actually proud of getting last (look at the scores). Cause if you can't be the first, you might as well finish last. Plus, I did mess around with rules I normally do not touch (I typically DM so I never REALLY look at the character builder books). In any event, it was pointed out to me some of the story elements that make my guy not a good group player, which is good for when I finally get a chance to field him. In total, this was a VERY good experience, even if I got last (which I am proud of getting last cause... I like losing).
<.<
>.>
I was actually proud of getting last (look at the scores). Cause if you can't be the first, you might as well finish last. Plus, I did mess around with rules I normally do not touch (I typically DM so I never REALLY look at the character builder books). In any event, it was pointed out to me some of the story elements that make my guy not a good group player, which is good for when I finally get a chance to field him. In total, this was a VERY good experience, even if I got last (which I am proud of getting last cause... I like losing).
In that case, CONGRATZ!!!! I liked your character, hopefully I'll see you again in one of these comps.
<.<
>.>
I was actually proud of getting last (look at the scores). Cause if you can't be the first, you might as well finish last. Plus, I did mess around with rules I normally do not touch (I typically DM so I never REALLY look at the character builder books). In any event, it was pointed out to me some of the story elements that make my guy not a good group player, which is good for when I finally get a chance to field him. In total, this was a VERY good experience, even if I got last (which I am proud of getting last cause... I like losing).
By that logic, does that mean I actually did the worst? :P I was second to last. Eh, that'll show me not to switch ideas at the last second. The idea for Mad Malagorn came to me the morning that all entries were due, when I already had a different entry completely finished, except for magic items. I ran out of time to really consider holes in Malagorn's background. But I loved the basic idea, and I'll admit, I worked to make the concept fit the contest, rather than leaving the idea as was for a campaign. I don't know how well I captured it in my writing, but the real appeal to playing this character should be the moments it creates for the whole party. Think back to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crysal Skull or The Notebook. Think about how the loved ones feel seeing someone dear to them with an utterly broken mind, but knowing he wasn't always like this. Then really think of what it must have been like in The Notebook when he got her back, but always he loses her again. That's what it's like for Malagorn's party. That's the appeal of the character to me.
Anyway, I was also hoping to get a little credit for creativity, making a sorcerer for an Elemental Chaos themed competition and not going with the obvious choice of a chaos sorcerer.
Aye, this was a lot of fun. Thank you very much to the judges, and congratulations to the other winners!
..........Wait. Does this mean....I have to do my time in the salt mines as a judge now?
WHIPCRACK
"Less talky, more judgey! And put your back into it you riff-raff!"
