Nikolas of the Mists wrote:The problem is that elves do have a lifespan greater than that of a human, coupled with a legacy of remembering their family and past. Their similarities and characteristics to Eladrin would simply not be overlooked, especially given the scholarly bent of many inside the demiplane of dread.
One thing that I would like to explore would be to use a break in the elven lineage not unlike the seelie/unseelie courts split. A tale of the progrenitors if you will for Ravenloft elves that may or may not reflect their actual origins. The woodland elves and Eladrin could have a (possibly false) racial history not unlike the legends of the Vistani origins.
The Sithican elves already have a perfectly sound history and moreover one that postulates that they have been cut off to a significant extend from 'real' nature as opposed to what Ravenloft provides. How that could be built upon in 4e is not for me to say or guess.
The Darkonese elves are a more open question as their history within that of Darkon is largely if not entirely undefined.
Mix Arak, Tepest and the Shadow Rift into the equation, and there may or may not be the elements for developing something coherent.
Here's an interesting tidbit from the july previews, regarding the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide.
Classes: An entirely new class and new multiclass-only class (available to characters who have a spellscar, a mark that is the corroded echo of spellfire twisted by the disaster that was the Spellplague), as well as new paragon paths and an epic destiny.
I mention this because I was thinking about how best to make a Dhampir in 4E. Would that be a good way of creating a Dhampir PC in 4E? Basically my idea is this:
A Dhampir would be equivalent to a base race. Maybe with bonuses like +2 Str, +2 Dex, a +2 bonus to Perception and Stealth, and so on. And like other PC races, you'd have access to Racial Feats, to further define your race.
But unlike the other PC races, there would be a Dhampir multiclass-only class, which one can go into to make their Dhampir into a more supernatural creature, by trading in their class powers for racial powers associated with vampires. In essence, the base race would be like a weaker version of the Half-Vampire from Libris Mortis. After purchasing Racial Feats, you can probably beef it to be about on par with that. But through the multiclass-only class, you can put it closer to the Dhampir from Denizens of Dread. Just one thought. Can't wait til the FRPG comes out so I can check out this 'multiclsas-only class' (not to mention that I'm itching to get my hands on the Swordmage).
Man lives in the sunlit world
Of what he believes to be reality.
But, there is, unseen by most, an underworld,
A place that is just as real,
But not as brightly lit.....
A DARKSIDE.
Jester of the FoS wrote:Changing the magical plus of a weapon is pretty minor. If you're going to update someone as a PC they should follow the same rules.
Honestly I feel the character building guidelines for characters (or npcs) higher than level one in 4E were good for quickbuilds, but really lacked the wide range that many people like to use for itemization. I almost always enjoyed having a myriad of more versatile items than a couple giving a huge bang.
My solution was that I summed the gold value from the DMG [magic items by character level] and spent it in the way I felt the character would. This could also include possessions and holdings other than magical items.
"I wouldn't worry too much about the Vistana with the pistols --
If he wanted to kill you, he'd have done it already."
True, but there's also far, far, far fewer mundane generic items.
Maybe when the big time of magic items is released, but then it's easy enough to house-rule that.
Come on! They gained their powers through contracts with dark-if not nesscarily evil-entities, most of their powers revolve around a curse, and they have "WITCH" written all over them in underlined italics. How much more Gothic can you get?
I am The Archangel of Night.
I am the Guardian of Shadow
I am the Vindicator of the Unknown
I am..Leliel.
Hoping to see some time this weekend to wrap up 2 Ravenloft short stories, and the "4E Warlocks in Ravenloft" segment I have been working on.
Other works in progress are "Lycanthropy in 4E Ravenloft", and some various odds and ends like some common Ravenloft specific feats, and a final revision of my firearms stuff. Yikes, I hope I have time to sleep at some point.
"I wouldn't worry too much about the Vistana with the pistols --
If he wanted to kill you, he'd have done it already."
Hey new to the boards, but am greatly enjoying what I am seeing. Ravenloft has been one of favorite settings next to Dragonlance. Thant being said, I would Keep Dragonborn the way they are and make their home domain Sithicus (forgive spelling) and then assign them some sort of equivalent of an outsider score when they leave that domain. I am probably going to be ran off the boards for saying it, but I love 4e, and I love the Dragonborn. As I saw in the write up above they could be viewed as Draconians in Siticus by the elves and residents of the land.
To learn the truth about your life you must look to the shadows. To write about the truth of your life you must live in them.
I liked the 2nd edition idea in which each class had its own Fear, Horror and Madness. That being I will use on my 4th edition campaign something like that. The check would be an attack vs the defense (fear, horror, madness).
The classes bonuses would be:
Cleric: +1 Fear, Madness
Fighter: +2 Fear
Paladin: +1 Fear, Horror, Madness
Ranger: +2 Fear
Rogue: +2 Horror
Warlock: +1 Horror, Madness
Warlord: +2 Fear
Wizard: +2 Madness
Each defense is affected by one attribute: Intelligence for Fear, Wisdom for Horror, and Charisma for Madness.
Courage, Jaded and Open Minded feats would be Heroic tier feats that give +2 feat bonus to his appropriate defense, increasing the modifier to +3 at level 11 and +4 at level 21.
I am stuck on how to determinate the severity of the Fear, Horror and Madness. Counting by how many points the attack surpassed the defense would be an easy conversion. I was thinking on adapting something like the death saving throw or the petrification saves, each failed save after the attack increases the severity, but that needs lot of work and playtest.
If you liked 3rd edition better, and just want make a attack vs Will, thats your choice. I dont want to start a flame war on which makes more or less sense, or which one is simpler or better. I just want some tips and feedback.
Ok time to beat a dead dragonborn... or horse... or dragonhorse...
I think I came up with a good idea to include dragonborn in ravenloft, by adding a new island domain...
Domain: Arkhosialoft (Name it what you will)
History: In the times of the Arkhosian empire the city of Arkhosialoft was created over a dragon cementery by dragonborn followers of bahamut to guard the remains of the now full cementery.
And in this time there was also a human follower of bahamut who had the honor in the time of dragonborn supremacy to become a paladin (or any divine class) of bahamut. For whatever reason you like he came to hate the dragonborn (they looked down on him, disregarded his skill or just called him names) and decided the time of the Arkhosian empire was over as their race was unworthy.
Long story short he raised a human army and took Arkhosialoft as the first city to resist the "dragonborn tyrants", betraying his god, church and beliefs in the process not forgetting to mention desecrating a huge and important holy site. He didn't notice the smoke from all the fires across the city was acting strangely (that is: the mists) when the city was pulled into Ravenloft.
What he did notice was that as his army settled in the city, it and the land around it were isolated from the rest of the world and that every human other than him had turned into a dragonborn... except he was the only one to notice! Why, because as part of his own curse he also cursed his followers transforming them all into dragonborn hidden beneath a glamor making them look human to all except him.
As the people couldnt see beyond the glamor, they didnt know the change had happened and kept living their normal lives (not even knowing their children were born dragonborn as well) or at least as normal as they could as they were plagued by ghosts and poltergeists. This gave to them a fear of the dragon spirits in the land who came to corrupt and damn them all.
The paladin meanwhile couldnt understand what happened, his nights where plagued by visions and threats the ghosts of those he murdered and of the draconic spirits buried beneath his city, who sometimes even spoke through the living always threatening to devour his soul in vengeance, and of course, no one noticed but him.
Through this visions he learned the extent of his curse:
*When he died he would be reborn in the next child born of dragonborn parents in his domain and would be human not dragonborn (a form of immortality).
*If ever there were no more dragonborn in his domain then at the time of his death his spirit would be devoured by the enraged dragons beneath the city.
*If he ever was thrown to the "spooky bottomless pit of the draconic maw" hidden in the city his spirit would also be devoured.
So he would have to live along the race he despises and take care of them forever or be devoured by angry dragon ghosts. (As all dark lords there should be a way to redeem himself but he doesnt know it)
But back to the people which is what we care about here.
As they are transformed into dragonborn by a hereditary curse, all the descendence of these humans will be dragonborn, even if also the son of a noncursed human or an elf or anything a human can mix with, even if looking as the race that "should" be born of the union.
Not knowing their true race few have ever even thought about breathing fire (or whatever their energy type is) and so even less has tried. But here's the catch, several have discovered it by accident in times of stress or just by random luck. What's the catch? using their breath weapon also consumes their glamor for one minute, making them look as beastly as they really are. What ussually happens? Arkhosialoftians hunt them as witches and warlocks in league with the dragon spirits which want to harm them. Those who survive ussually try to flee the domain, but a few have remained and made a "dragon cult" resistance with the guidance of the ghost of the dragonborn high priest before the city was taken by humans to find and destroy the darklord.
The darklord meanwhile on each live grows to power once more and ruthlessly tries to crush the resistance and find a way out of his curse by sacrificing and experimenting on those who displease him, but always needing to make sure the rest of the domain prospers so he may be reborn.
Foreign arrivals have brought the religion of the morninglord to this land, which opposes the many ghosts in the land, here's a twist, a dragonborn ghost no longer enjoys of his glamor, further growing the locals fear of the dragonborn.
So what have we have left? Dragonborn who look like humans or half-elves as long as they dont use their breath weapon. The DM can make them as common or rare as he wishes as they can breed with the rest of the humans in ravenloft and doesnt even need to tie them to one domain.
You just want to be a dragonborn? be a fugitive from Arkhosialoft; you want to be a dementlieuse dragonborn? be the son of a fugitive from Arkhosialoft who settled in Dementlieu. You might even start not knowing your "heritage" and be as shocked as your party when it comes up.
The reaction of the general populace at someone breathing fire and suddenly have fangs and be covered in scales shouldnt be that different from the reaction of watching a doppelganger cast fireball... or anyone cast fireball... that is "Get the ptichforks!" so the character wouldnt just need to be a little more cautious that a wizard, being totally playable race.
Think I ranted for a while about the domain, but I feel it's necessary to explain an origin for the ravenloft dragonborn to work, what do the patrons of this fine locale think of this?
We both may be ghoul meat tonight, but I'll catch your people before the flesh eaters find me Vistana!
