Characters

The Dwarven Imperative.
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EvilGenius
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Post by EvilGenius »

Sorry, Lance. Couldn't post until this morning.

I agree with Ken's assessment. Wands are great for lower level utility spells that are used faily often, like Knock, Mage Armor or Shield.

Scrolls are better for things like Comprehend Languages or Erase or Remove Curse; things you are unlikely to need more than once or twice on an adventure.

Rods are typically either too expensive or powerful to come up that much during a campaign. You won't generally have time & money to craft one during and adventure. However, with the metamagic rods, it's SUPER useful to be able to pay half cost for one (as if you had created it) for starting equipment.

Staves are awesome but very very expensive. So if you take the craft feat, it's mostly so you can get a lower cost on an initial item. That's not a bad idea, but often doesn't match the utility of a few wands.
erilar wrote:Advice on item creation feats. I'm considering wands, staves & rods. Which ones of these might one choose and why? (i.e. if I have craft staves, do I need craft wands, etc.)
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EvilGenius
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Post by EvilGenius »

Well, I can't say I necessarily disagree with what you're saying. But evolution of long standing culteral taboos doesnt' happen quickly. And in the last 10 years of campaign play, we've advanced the timeline in GH, what? 1 year? 2?

I did note that a dwarven paladin is something I'd allow on a one shot trial basis, much as you note here. It just seems to me that if a player wants to play a non-human race, it's an opportunity to play a different concept than the normal human perspective. If you want to play a paladin, making him a dwarf doesn't add much from a game mechanic standpoint that makes him (or the hypothetical her) different, so why not play a human or half-elf?

If you want to play a dwarf, why not take the opportunity to play a dwarven perspective and make it different than a human?
Jonkga wrote:I'll go on record and state that I have no problem with Dwarven wizards, or paladins for that matter. Sure, old-school greyhawk said they were not common, and in most dwarven societies either mistrusted (arcane spellcasters) or just absent (paladins), but to think that our campaign world is not evolving, and that the existence of dwarves alongside human cultures could not have caused their to be examples of these character classes among dwarves, even if whole traditions did not spring up (yet), is just short sighted, as far as I am concerned. It makes sense that traditional dwarves such as our friends in khelez-mar might not have a dwarf wizard or paladin among them, but a dwarf who grew up in OB and apprenticed at a young age to a wizard and eventually took up the trade, I would think that possible. And, that a dwarven fighter fighting giants alongside paladins in Geoff might begin to believe in the righteous power of Heironeous that fuels his companions enough to begin to follow the faith and become a paladin, entierly plausible.

That being said, Bob and Ken are certainly very... persuasive, and as this is Bob's campaign, and OB is obstensibly Ken's baby, I guess they get the last word.
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EvilGenius
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Post by EvilGenius »

George, this is all completely appropiate for the setting.

RE: Glorious Weapon. Also completely appropiate for a paladin, especially a paladin of Hieroneous. Problably won't be incredibly useful for these adventures. The main opponents will be Orcs, humanoids and magical beasts (chimera, wyvrens, bullette, that sort of thing).
T1Mirage wrote:That's a sample, please provide feedback on anything that may not be appropriate for the game.

I'm uncertain of the Glorious Weapon. It makes all ally weapons within range have the good descriptor... a blessing of Heironeous? I'm not certain if this will be used much.

Another option would be Combat Brute, which is to charge in and swing hard. It is a Complete Warrior feat. It seems like a paladin thing to do against Hextor and evils.
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EvilGenius
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Post by EvilGenius »

Cool! Make sure he still has his SoulStone. :)
erilar wrote:Okay - I'm leveling up Manansi for this campaign. He's an enchantment specialist - compulsion, domination, Hold, etc. etc. Please don't create Tritherionite characters...
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Post by NukeHavoc »

Jonkga wrote:I'll go on record and state that I have no problem with Dwarven wizards, or paladins for that matter. Sure, old-school greyhawk said they were not common, and in most dwarven societies either mistrusted (arcane spellcasters) or just absent (paladins), but to think that our campaign world is not evolving, and that the existence of dwarves alongside human cultures could not have caused their to be examples of these character classes among dwarves, even if whole traditions did not spring up (yet), is just short sighted, as far as I am concerned.
If we were playing a generational campaign, I'd agree with you, but as Bob notes, time just isn't passing that swiftly in Greyhawk. Since the campaign began, only six years have passed, game-time (starting in CY 586 and leading up to the current year of CY 592).

The Greyhawk Wars provide an excuse for evolving certain institutions within the demihuman races, but even if you were to add arcane spell casters and "paladins" to the dwarven mix, I'd still rather they be something unique to the race, with their own unique take on things. Allowing dwarven paladins into this setting as is dilutes both the concept of a dwarf (hey, they're just short, stocky humans right?) and paladins (they're just fighters with shinier swords/axes/whatever).

Now if we play Eberron, sure -- make all the dwarven paladins you want, but that's an example of what you're talking about, an evolved magical society. Greyhawk might get there in 20, 50 or 100 years (though in that case, magic will be either declining or dead) but not now.

That said, Obsidian Bay -- with its melting pot of adventurers, races, classes, etc. -- makes a good excuse to try out a dwarven sorcerer or (shudder) a dwarven paladin, but they would be outcasts, and in the case of arcane casters perhaps even abominations to be hunted down and punished by certain particularly paranoid dwarves. Great role-playing potential, but it's not the same as saying they're widely accepted. Heck, a dwarven mage might be the *only* dwarven mage in the Flanaess (or at least the only known one).
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Post by NukeHavoc »

btw, I was playing around with different character ideas last night, and I think I'm going to ditch the cleric/fighter and go with a barbarian/ranger wielding two axes (Luc-style, but without the nifty returning battle axe).

He'll be something of a wild-eyed mountain man, err, dwarf, come down from the Drachensgrabs to join his kinsmen after the liberation of Khelaz-Mar. He rarely stays long in the fortress, instead intent on hunting down and slaughtering monsters and orcs. So his interests naturally coincide with that of the party's. :)
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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EvilGenius
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Post by EvilGenius »

This will be a cool idea. The party will be able to use a ranger. :)
NukeHavoc wrote:btw, I was playing around with different character ideas last night, and I think I'm going to ditch the cleric/fighter and go with a barbarian/ranger wielding two axes (Luc-style, but without the nifty returning battle axe).

He'll be something of a wild-eyed mountain man, err, dwarf, come down from the Drachensgrabs to join his kinsmen after the liberation of Khelaz-Mar. He rarely stays long in the fortress, instead intent on hunting down and slaughtering monsters and orcs. So his interests naturally coincide with that of the party's. :)
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Post by malphas »

erilar wrote:I'm trying to choose item creation feats to take (or not). I'm considering wand, rod, and staff. What are the different reasons I'd take each? If I have staff, do I need the others?
craft wonderous is the most useful, followed by craft wand.
craft rod is cool but requires a lot of other feats to create the really cool meta-magic rods that every caster loves.
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erilar
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Post by erilar »

K, thanks guys. What's a meta-magic rod?? Just one where the spells are all maximized or whatever?
"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged into the depths, and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer
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Post by malphas »

erilar wrote:K, thanks guys. What's a meta-magic rod?? Just one where the spells are all maximized or whatever?
yes each type of rod requires ou have the meta-magic feat to construct.

of course if you took all of the most popular feats, you could make a lot of cash selling rods to every caster in the campaign
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Post by NukeHavoc »

erilar wrote:K, thanks guys. What's a meta-magic rod?? Just one where the spells are all maximized or whatever?
Basically. d20 SRD Entry:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/ro ... amagicRods
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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erilar
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Post by erilar »

FYI, guys. Heather has had some kind of virus the last few days. Headache, and feeling sick to her stomach. I haven't yet caught it, and neither has Zack.

Plus, Zack came home early from school today, supposedly with Pink Eye.

So, it's up to you whether you want to play at my house or not. I don't want to force you guys into the plague ward. Let me know.
"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged into the depths, and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer
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EvilGenius
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Post by EvilGenius »

Mmmmmm, sickness .......

Want to play elsewhere?
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Post by EvilGenius »

Okay. Why don't we plan on either skipping or relocating tonight's game.

Corey, is your place viable?
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erilar
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Post by erilar »

I sent txt msgs out trying to coordinate. Did you get them?
"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged into the depths, and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer
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