Help Salve My Conscience!

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

Yes, it is I, marching out of the abyss of time like the proverbial necron.

Today it occured to me that I have two entire sets of game books that I've never actually used: Forgotten Realms (3.5; various D&D games I've played, but Faerun specifically, no), and Babylon 5. (Actually, several more, but they're the ones with multiple books sitting on the shelf)

So, bold and terrible denizens of Librium Arcana, can I tempt anyone into a political, scheming play-by-post game set in either of these settings?

[rhoenix]

Hello, since we haven't met before.

I'd be down for a Forgotten Realms specifically or D&D3.5 in general. I've had many ideas swimming in my head in recent times, so I've a few interesting concepts.

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

Excellent! By the by, you may know me as NecronLord over on SDN, if you frequent that board at all.

[rhoenix]

Excellent! By the by, you may know me as NecronLord over on SDN, if you frequent that board at all.

Indeed I do. Hello over here then - I'm known by the same username there.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Yes. Yes I am, particularly B5 if I can get away with it. I have the necessary books, but have never found anyone to play with me

[LadyTevar]

No thank you

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

No thank you

Eheheh. Now that's a reply I wasn't expecting!

[LadyTevar]

No thank you

Eheheh. Now that's a reply I wasn't expecting!

I'm running one game and in ... 5? others

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

I'm running one game and in ... 5? others

More that you don't expect people to say no on the internet, just navigate away from any given page.

I heartily commend your politeness!

[LadyTevar]

I'm running one game and in ... 5? others

More that you don't expect people to say no on the internet, just navigate away from any given page.

I heartily commend your politeness!

You're a friend, so I'm polite

[General Havoc]

Fraid I know nothing of those systems, and have far too much on my plate in any event. Best of luck though.

[Academia Nut]

I could be up for a FR campaing, I need to look a bit more into the setting anyway.

[The Nomad]

I could be tempted by a FR campaign as well. Give some more details and appetizers

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

I could be tempted by a FR campaign as well. Give some more details and appetizers

Well, without wanting to give away too much, one campaign I have been considering revolves around the discovery of a more moderate element within the Shade Enclave, aside from the princes of the city itself. But I'm open to any ideas people have, and will probably adjust it to fit what people wish to play.

[Academia Nut]

I must admit to having an affection for shadows in fantasy settings, the whole "dark is not evil" schtick. If you did that would the materials for shadow magic from Tome of Magic be allowed?

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

I must admit to having an affection for shadows in fantasy settings, the whole "dark is not evil" schtick. If you did that would the materials for shadow magic from Tome of Magic be allowed?

I'd have to read up on it, but provisionally, I'd say yes.

Huh. I've just realised, either way, it involves shadows.

[rhoenix]

Well, I'm more intrigued - I'll tinker a bit, and see how things work. Any restrictions or special rules on character creation, specifically races, stats and such?

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

Not really, but I'd post your concept before doing the nuts and bolts character creation. Then we can see if there's any particular common region or organisation that makes sense. Mechanically, I'm thinking 32 point buy, starting level 10th, if everyone likes something around that level.

I'm likely to at least use as guidelines, the reputation system from Unearthed Arcana and the various materials in Power of Faerun.

[Academia Nut]

Nice. If you don't have Tome of Magic you should probably check it out, it has some nice stuff in there. Although upon further reflection, the shadow magic they have in there is a touch anemic. Shadowcasters get fewer spells per day than wizards, less selection than sorcerers, and don't get bonus spells for high ability scores. Although right now I'm leaning towards either a master of shadow (you control a shadow elemental) or a shadowsmith (make stuff out of shadows), I do have another idea.

Also in the Tome of Magic there is a section on binding magic, which is making a pact with an entity called a vestige that has somehow come unstuck from reality and is beyond the reach of the gods themselves. These alien minds drift in... wherever they are and they can grant special abilities to those who call to them in exchange for getting to peer back in to the normal world, essentially sending bits of themselves to ride along with others. They grant a wide variety of abilities, and the binder class is extremely flexible in that you can basically choose your abilities each day, even if you don't get anything quite as good as the more focused classes, you can still get some really nice abilities.

However, binders are also considered heretics as they draw upon powers that the gods can't account for, so they often face backlash from the pious. If they aren't sufficiently strong of character the vestiges they bind can influence their behaviours and bodies, leaving marks and signs on those that bind them.

Anyway, one of the possible vestiges is Tenebrous. The vestiges don't require any particular alignments to them, as they are now so far outside normal understanding that they will answer the call of anyone who who knows how to call upon them. Tenebrous' powers revolve around darkness, so it would be a good fit with the theme you have going, and by level 10 multiple vestiges (2) can be bound.

The idea I had was for a scholar in shade enclave to have come across some knowledge of these vestiges and began a pursuit of further information, eventually secretly becoming a binder. He is still a Sharran, but his views of his deity have been warped by the experience of running around with a bit of an alien entity in his head. He sees the losses the vestiges suffered to get them where they are now as part of Shar's grand scheme, and he has also taken up an irreverent look at life. He has a great secret that will get him killed if everyone finds out, but then again, doesn't everybody? And what does death really mean when there are so many beings beyond death?

How does that sound as an early concept? I will of course adjust or scrap it if you do not particularly like it, or feel uncomfortable with a character running around with abilities you can't easily keep track of.

[rhoenix]

Not really, but I'd post your concept before doing the nuts and bolts character creation. Then we can see if there's any particular common region or organisation that makes sense. Mechanically, I'm thinking 32 point buy, starting level 10th, if everyone likes something around that level.

I'm likely to at least use as guidelines, the reputation system from Unearthed Arcana and the various materials in Power of Faerun.

Oh dear. As I'm missing those books, I'll have to play it by ear.

Here are the character concepts so far, please let me know what you think of each:

1. Warforged Artificer.
The Artificer looks like a potentially very fun class, and playing a Warforged one (despite knowing little about Warforged beyond what I've read in the Crystalkeep files) looks like a very fitting choice.

2. (species not picked yet) Chaos-build monk
The Chaos build (found from the Crystalkeep files, evidently from Dragon Magazine) is Chaotic instead of Lawful, and trades Flurry of Blows for a random number of extra attacks, therefore removing some of the lameness of Flurry.

3. (species not picket yet) dual-wielding Duskblade
Perhaps with a few fighter levels for fun, this would be a tremendously fun fighter/mage character.

[The Nomad]

I'd be leaning more towards mage, though I guess it would mean I'd have to be a Shadow Weave user...

[The Silence and I]

I'm interested, although I know extremely little of the setting(s) mentioned. My knowledge of DnD 3.5 is limited to PHB I and II, DMG I, and the Complete Guide series.

Unearthed Arcana, Power of Faerun, Forgotten Realms, Tome of Magic, etc, are new to me (although I have heard of them). If the theme is one involving shadows, where might I best start my research to familiarize myself?

Anyway, I am thinking of running a human pole-arm using multiclassed fighter-sorcerer. His background would change depending on what the setting looks like, but mercenary is where I'd start.

[rhoenix]

I'm interested, although I know extremely little of the setting(s) mentioned. My knowledge of DnD 3.5 is limited to PHB I and II, DMG I, and the Complete Guide series.

I'm in the same boat, really - I frequently reference the Crystalkeep files, but they are at best a quick reference.

Anyway, I am thinking of running a human pole-arm using multiclassed fighter-sorcerer. His background would change depending on what the setting looks like, but mercenary is where I'd start.

I should point out that this is actually an excellent setup for a Duskblade, but you would be giving up a Sorceror's familiar, as well as the sheer variety of spells a Sorcerer has in exchange for casting spells in armor, and hitting something to release a spell if you want.

[The Silence and I]

Anyway, I am thinking of running a human pole-arm using multiclassed fighter-sorcerer. His background would change depending on what the setting looks like, but mercenary is where I'd start.

I should point out that this is actually an excellent setup for a Duskblade, but you would be giving up a Sorceror's familiar, as well as the sheer variety of spells a Sorcerer has in exchange for casting spells in armor, and hitting something to release a spell if you want.

I'm familiar with the Duskblade, the fighter-sorcerer I'm considering is very similar to those. I actually designed this build to do most of what the Duskblade does, without having to be a Duskblade. I guess you could say I'm a little irrationally "old-school" sometimes and I don't like classes that can cast arcane spells while ignoring spell failure from armor, and have other little things to make blending melee and magic 'easier'. So I challenged myself to build a fighter-mage that uses as few tricks as possible. I have conceded to using Twilight armor though, that was simply too useful to ignore

[rhoenix]

I'm familiar with the Duskblade, the fighter-sorcerer I'm considering is very similar to those. I actually designed this build to do most of what the Duskblade does, without having to be a Duskblade. I guess you could say I'm a little irrationally "old-school" sometimes and I don't like classes that can cast arcane spells while ignoring spell failure from armor, and have other little things to make blending melee and magic 'easier'. So I challenged myself to build a fighter-mage that uses as few tricks as possible. I have conceded to using Twilight armor though, that was simply too useful to ignore

Ah, alright - I just wanted to make sure you read through it. I deeply enjoy the class, as I've always loved making fighter/mages, but balancing it properly to accomplish both well is very difficult - usually, as with most fighter/mage builds, one has to "lean" one direction or the other.