New OB Guild Proposal: Final Rest

The current Blackrazor campaign.
EvilGenius

Post by EvilGenius »

Ken, I resent the file to your nuketown address. Did you get it?
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NukeHavoc
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Post by NukeHavoc »

EvilGenius wrote:Ken, I resent the file to your nuketown address. Did you get it?
Yes. Haven't had a chance to mess with it yet.
EvilGenius

Post by EvilGenius »

A few more thoughts and questions on Final Rest before I post a write up.

Ken, I was thinking that Final Rest would actually be a current re-creation of an ancient defunct order, perhaps historically tied to Necros, or just fighting undead in general, (maybe Vecna?).

What I'm thinking is that Andulf found a few musty ancient tomes about a military order opposed to the undead, with notes on their methods and training, along with some historical accounts of battles against the undead, and some info about various types of undead and how to combat them, resist their abilities. Since it meshed with Andulf's interests, he has decided to re-create the order.
EvilGenius

Post by EvilGenius »

And when you get a chance, can you post the prestige class I sent you? :)
setanta14
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Post by setanta14 »

This is very similar to the background for the Suel Arcanamach prestige class from CA... either train from a master, or from ancient tomes.


EvilGenius wrote:A few more thoughts and questions on Final Rest before I post a write up.

Ken, I was thinking that Final Rest would actually be a current re-creation of an ancient defunct order, perhaps historically tied to Necros, or just fighting undead in general, (maybe Vecna?).

What I'm thinking is that Andulf found a few musty ancient tomes about a military order opposed to the undead, with notes on their methods and training, along with some historical accounts of battles against the undead, and some info about various types of undead and how to combat them, resist their abilities. Since it meshed with Andulf's interests, he has decided to re-create the order.
setanta14
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Post by setanta14 »

I have a few suggestions for historical references for Final Rest, combining Ken's Necros material with some of Erik Mona's from his Vecna's Realm article, and the compiled timelines from Oerth Journal 1.

The references to Vecna and Keoland are troublesome, since the OJ1 references are hundreds of years (~700+/-) different than the currently accepted Gazetteer dates.

I thought I had remembered something similar to what Bob proposed from an article I had read, so when I got home tonight I dug it up (see the bold red reference below).

Timeline:

Conversion: Common Year (CY) 1 = 5516 Suel Dominion (SD)

3847 to 4371 SD/-1669 to -1145 CY (per OJ1)- Rise of Vecna's kingdom in the northern Sheldomar/northwestern Nyr Dyv region, his battles with the Elven Kingdoms, fall of the great Grey Elven cities of old

4374 SD/-1142 CY (LGG puts this just prior to -368 CY, Sam Weiss specifies -357 CY in a Canonfire! article)- Vecna is destroyed in a titanic battle with Kas the Bloody-handed. Also around this time, the military-religious order mentioned by Erik Mona is successful in conquering the now-leaderless northern Flan.

For the above dates, I favor the latter ones associated with the LGG (and expanded upon by Sam Weiss, the enigmatic ex-Triad member)

4631 SD/-884 CY (per the Gospel of Necros)- The Suel necromancers who founded Necros are banished from the Imperium, and take refuge in what would later be called the Pomarj, and rule for 200 years.

5080 SD/-435 CY- Uhas of Neheli (author of A Chronicle of Secret Times) and his followers slay a number of Flan in the Suehenna Hills (Drachensgrabs, on the Pomarj), and are trapped within columns of stone (whom are later freed by the Blackrazors through Su-Quan's deception) by an unknown power (Earth Dragon?), becoming what is known as the Twisted Forest.

-368 CY- Founding of the city of Gradsul by nobles of House Rhola on the Azure Coast in what will become Keoland

-359 CY- Founding of the city of Niole Dra on the banks of the Sheldomar River by nobles of House Neheli

-342 CY- Founding of Keoland with the union of the Suel Houses of Neheli and Rhola who had fled the Rain of Colorless Fire, and the Oeridian tribe led by Keogh.

6106 SD- (current year, equivalent to 591 CY)


From an article titled Vecna's Realm, by Erik Mona:

"...when the armies of Keoland pushed northward in a seemingly futile gesture, they found little resistance. Vecna was dead, his empire shattered. The Flan tribes now warred against each other, a primitive rabble easily brought down by a military-religious order of knights formed to do battle with a lich. Compared to that service, settling the lands that would become the Gran March was easy."


From the Gospel of Necros:

"...the necromancers fled the Suel basin, heading east into the wilds of the lands controlled by the Ur-Flan tribes. They brutally pushed passed the feeble resistance offered by the indigenous population, and settled in the land that eventually became known as the Poor March of Keoland.. They arrived in 4631 S.D., took control of a local tribe at the foothills of the Drachensgrab Mountains and established a small, fortified city they called Necropolis, literally, City of the Dead. Although originally followers of the Suloise god of magic and death, Wee Jas, the necromancers found themselves drawn to a new, more powerful god of the people they had enslaved – Nerull.

Following the edicts of this god, the necromancers grew more powerful even as some of their leaders turned to lichdom and began to withdraw for worldly affairs Necropolis – which held nearly 4,000 undead, 3,000 slaves and perhaps 200 human masters – came to dominate the land 30 miles in every direction from the city. They called this "kingdom" Necros, and for nearly 200 years it held sway over the eastern reach of the Pomarj."
EvilGenius

Post by EvilGenius »

I like the background Nate. Thanks for looking that up. :)

I think Andulf will be sort of knowledgeable about this historical order, but will focus more on the here and now. That will leave some plot hooks to find out more about the historical stuff, and leave some room for development by you guys.
EvilGenius

Final Rest prestige class: the Gravediggers

Post by EvilGenius »

Final Rest
The Gravediggers – This is the strong right arm of the Order. Their focus is on releasing tortured souls for the misery of undeath, mostly through force of arms and strength of soul. With strong knowledge skills, saves and unique resistances to the power of the undead, the Gravedigger is a good choice for warrior and rogue classes, helping to round out their combat effectiveness.

Requirements:
BAB +5
Will Save +2
Fort Save +3
Iron Will
Special – Gravediggers must have fought at least one battle vs the Undead before taking levels in this prestige class. Additionally, they must fight against the Undead at least once per level in order to advance further in the prestige class.

Class Skills:
Heal
Knowledge – Undead
Knowledge – Local
Knowledge – History
Knowledge – Religion
Listen
Search

Skill Points per Level – 4 + Int Modifier

Weapon/Armor:
No Armor Proficiency is gained.
Gravediggers gain the following weapon proficiencies: Light Hammer, Warhammer, Light Mace, Heavy Mace, Flail.

Hit Dice: d6

Class Abilities:
Supernatural Blow – This is a feat from 3.0 Masters of the Wild. When attacking an enemy not subject to critical hits, if you roll a critical hit, you do an extra 1d6 damage. This feat allows you to add a ranger’s favored enemy bonus to damage against favored enemies who would otherwise be immune to critical hits (undead, constructs, oozes, etc).

Favored Enemy Bonus – Similar to a ranger’s favored enemy bonus, the Gravediggers gain a +2 bonus to hit, damage and certain skill rolls vs the Undead (bluff, spot, listen, survival, sense motive). At higher levels, this bonus increases to +4. This bonus stacks with a ranger’s favored enemy bonus if he already has Undead as a favored enemy. It does not increase bonuses for other favored enemies though (as if the ranger had gained more ranger levels).

Mettle – When the Gravedigger is subjected to a save that says Will Partial or Fort Partial, if he makes the save, the whole effect is negated (similar to a rogue’s Evasion ability with Reflex saves).

Bonus Feat – Great Fortitude or Blindfighting

Defy Death – This is a supernatural ability gained through long exposure to and countless battles against the undead. When a Gravedigger is subject to a special attack by the undead, the effects are halved to a minimum of 1 (this means that Gravediggers are not immune to undead who cause 1 negative level). Thus, a ghoul’s paralysis lasts only half as long, ability score drains only drain half as many points, a Gravedigger only gains half as many negative levels, diseases are only half as effective, etc.

Final Rest - Gravediggers who have achieved 5 levels cannot ever become undead. If they are killed by a method or attack which would normally cause them to rise as undead, they suffer death normally.

Lvl BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +3 0 +3 Supernat Crit, Favored Enemy Undead: +2
2 +1 +3 +1 +3 Mettle
3 +1 +4 +1 +4 Bonus Feat (Great Fort or BlindFighting)
4 +2 +4 +1 +4 Defy Death
5 +2 +5 +1 +5 Final Rest, Favored Enemy Undead: +4
setanta14
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Post by setanta14 »

Some other things to possibly include:

There is a spell from Complete Adventurer called Grave Strike, which allows you to sneak attack undead... perhaps use that in lieu of the Supernatiral Critical ability for rogues that take the class (or make a separate one for rogues)?

Perhaps describe the Final Rest ability as if the body of the subject were under a permanent Consecrate spell, which prevents the creation undead.
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NukeHavoc
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Post by NukeHavoc »

Here's the Excel spreadsheet. Sorry I didn't get it posted sooner, but I've been on daddy duty for the last few days, and haven't spent much time online.
EvilGenius

Post by EvilGenius »

I was just looking at the Gravediggers Prestige Class again. I like it. Good Stuff. :)
EvilGenius

Post by EvilGenius »

I was looking at some of the Final Rest Allies to use as alternates in case Andulf has some downtime (read "dirtnap") resulting from the upcoming expedition. :)

I'm going to bring in Osgood, the fighter. I created him at 9th level, so I'm bumping him up a bit since the new character guidelines are for 13th. For his 13th level, I'd like to start him on the prestige class I created, The Gravediggers, if that's okay with everyone.
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Post by NukeHavoc »

EvilGenius wrote:For his 13th level, I'd like to start him on the prestige class I created, The Gravediggers, if that's okay with everyone.
I like everything but the name. :) Just doesn't seem to inspire fear in the hearts of the undead to me.
"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
EvilGenius

Post by EvilGenius »

How about "The SunShiners"? :D :wink:
NukeHavoc wrote:I like everything but the name. :) Just doesn't seem to inspire fear in the hearts of the undead to me.
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