Powers Checks

[Hell_Born]

You don't need to be so hard on Wiccy, to most rpgers the term "Undead Wizard" automatically mentally converts to "Lich", and Alhoon's with their secondary name of Illithilich are pretty easy to confuse as being liches, or at least lich-kin. I've made that mistake before myself .

Anyway, question about your Path of the Assassin; when the character reaches the 6th stage, it says that the first time they're exposed to light brighter than candlelight they melt away with no save, if this occurs are they dead or simply banished into the Penumbra (Ravenloft's part of the Plane of Shadows)?

[alhoon]

They
1. Either become banished shadow darklords in the Nightmares of the Domain's people (or the nightmare lands)
2. Die and only a true restoration can bring them back (to be promptly killed again by any light brighter than a candlelight)
3. Whatever the DM wants!

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

Alhoons are NOT Liches. Because in the Forgotten Realms Monster Manual they show alhoons as liches, doesn't mean it is right.
Alhoons:
1. Are 9th+ NOT 11th+
2. Most importantly have NO phylactery.
They are just undead mind flayer mages.

True, an undead mage can be something other than a liche, but the term Illithilich(e) does hint at lichedom, if only in name. So the term Mindflayer Licje is not incorrect, just not accurate

I have not read the FRMM (being a person who has never liked FR), my base comes from 2E releases, such as the Illithiad, Monstrous Compendiums/Annuals and so on. Bearing in mind that I have not looked at them in years lol. Hell, I was so impressed with the Illithiad when I bought it, I sold it for £1 (or some stupid price like that) to someone else in my group at the time, heheheh.

Also, I always thought the correct grammar was alhoon, not Alhoon?

lol.

I also have liches from my games that had no phylactory, so once the ywere destroyed, they were gone forever. Not all liches have phylactories, and in Ravenloft, nothing is standard, so deviation is encouraged. I'm sure an alhoon could have a phylactory if the DM desires it.

[alhoon]

You are mostly right, but the Illithiad states that alhoons aren't liches. Also IMO the liches in your games that never created a phylactery, aren't liches at all. They just say "I'm a lich" and the people say "It is a lich".
Lich is the undead that used spells to create a repository (phylactery) to store a fraction of his soul.

Of course anything can have anything (even +3, keen, flaming magical syringes ) if the DM decides it so.

And yes it is "alhoon", not "Alhoon", as you say "man" and not "Man".

[Hell_Born]

Actually, alhoon is your username, Alhoon refers to the undead Illithid mage. Does anyone have any idea when I could resonibly expect Tobias to post his completed Path of the Leech? I'm not in a big hurry, I'm just anxious to see it.

Say, alhoon, I made this little addition to the 6th stage of your Path of the Assassin, what do you think?

The creature is banished to the Border Plane of Shadow for 1D3 days, after which it returns to the material realm, unharmed and usually seeking vengeance…

I just wanted to know if it sounds flavourable...

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

You are mostly right, but the Illithiad states that alhoons aren't liches. Also IMO the liches in your games that never created a phylactery, aren't liches at all. They just say "I'm a lich" and the people say "It is a lich".

Not true, the VRG's state each time that there is no typical example of each type of creature, each axample is unique unto itself, so there is no rule cast in stone to state that Liches in Ravenloft must have a phylactery. In factm, there is no rule set in stone in any D&D setting I have read that says that a liche must have a phylactery, it is merely a guideline, like everything else in D&D.

[/quote]Lich is the undead that used spells to create a repository (phylactery) to store a fraction of his soul.[/quote]

If a liche has to bind its spirit to something, what is spotting it from binding its spirit to itself?

And yes it is "alhoon", not "Alhoon", as you say "man" and not "Man".

I thought it was alhoon, not Alhoon heheheh.

[Hell_Born]

How come no-one's posted anything here for so long? If no-one's interested in this topic anymore just let me know and I'll take it down... though I would appreciate if Tobias Blackburn would post his completed Path of the Leech first...

[Hell_Born]

Some time back, Wiccy of the Fraternity posted a Path of the Pyre Elelmental. I was wondering if anyone out there thinks they can come up with Terror Tracks for the other Dread Elelmentals (so that's Path's of the Blood, Grave and Mist Elemental) and post it here?

[Hell_Born]

Hey people. I know that no-one’s bothered to look at this topic for a while, but I’ve gotten inspiration for a Terror Track of my own. I don’t have the Psionicist’s Handbook (or whatever the name of the accessory for psychic powers is) so I can’t think of the powers the character gains from each step. I was wondering, if I post what I’ve made here, can people suggest the benefits for each stage?

Terror Track of the Illithid
For people who delight in using their minds to ruin their enemies.
Stage 1: the character’s body grows weaker, the character suffers –1 Strength and –2 Constitution. The character develops a bizarre birthmark some 5 inches in diameter on some part of its body; a writhing mass of tentacles (optional: wrapped around/flowing from a skull/brain) which is a deep purple in colour, this mark is cold to the touch; raise OR by +1 if this mark is discovered.
Stage 2: the character begins to have strange urges to feast on raw brains, if the character kills a sentient being it must make a DC 20 Will test or gorge itself on the raw brains, this is a Madness test for viewers and the character must make a Horror test after the first time it succumbs to the hunger. The character also loses a further point of both Strength and Constitution. The character’s hands and fingers twist into the form of an Illithid’s.
Stage 3: the character’s mark spreads across it’s skin until it covers a third of the character’s skin, the character is also more susceptible to heat; it suffers a –3 penalty on all Fort saves made to resist high temperature and fire. The character’s sweats disgusting, icy, semi-transparent mucus instead of sweat, increase OR by a further +2 if this is revealed.
Stage 4: the character’s eyes increase in size by 50% and film over, turning cloudy. The character suffers a -4 penalty on hit rolls and skill/ability checks made in full daylight and similarly powerful lights (such as the Daylight spell). Penalties of -2 and -1 are given for less powerful lights (like cloudy days/full moon nights and candle lights). Increase OR by another +1.
Stage 5: the character’s facial features alter to resemble those of an Illithid’s; growing the brain-extracting tendrils and the bone structure warping, though hair and body structure remain the same. Increase OR by +3. The character must now feast on the brain of at least one sentient creature a week or suffer the effects of starvation; regardless of how much nutrition the character eats, it must eat a sentient’s brain or starve. The character loses another 2 points of Strength and Constitution.
Stage 6: The character’s skin turns entirely purple and the character now resembles an Illithid almost perfectly, it retains it’s original height, build and gender but otherwise is a perfect example of an Illithid, a DC 35 Spot check will reveal differences in body structure though. Actual Illithids which encounter the character and pass a DC 20 Spot check (being more familiar with the way an Illithid should look) will instantly become hostile towards the character, seeing it as a hideous mockery and a blasphemy against nature. Though the character gains none of the benefits of being an Illithid (bar those received from this Terror Track), it does gain all of the weaknesses of being one.


Off-topic, I just want to know; what DnD accessory has the rules for Half-Golems in it?

[Nightalspirit]

Thanks to all that have posted new terror tracks, i love using them on my player and soon or later I will use also yours, maybe with only few changes (I keep playing 2nd edition, actually with of lot of fun, from 15 years).

Soon I'll post mine. (in 2nd edition standard, sorry)

Thanks again

[Brandi]

Off-topic, I just want to know; what DnD accessory has the rules for Half-Golems in it?

Monster Manual II.

[Bloody Morgan]

Hijacking this somewhat, but still on the topic of Powers Checks...

In my last game, the PCs were arrested for murder, having tried to sneak into a mine and ended up having to fight their way out. They killed a lot of people, though they didn't want to, and no-one lost the Powers Check. They were however captured.

Sitting in a jail in Vallaki, they are approached by Inajira, who is playing the part of the local magistrate. As the PCs are thorns in Strahd's side, Inajira offers them a deal. If he gets them out alive, they will continue to annoy the Dark Lord. And their souls of course go to him when they die. As the PCs are trying to rescue their families, who have been enslaved by the Barovian army, they really cannot allow themselves to die. The Good and the Evil PC agree quickly, the Neutral ones debate the issue and finally sign Inajira's tome. The arcanaloth casts Feign Death on the PCs, and their bodies are dumped outside the town. The PCs rise to fight another day.

Now in Gaz I it says that anyone making a pact with Inajira has to make a 10% Powers Check. I ruled that only the Evil PC, who jumped when Inajira offered strength and power to those who took his offer, deserved this fate. Would the gathered gamers here agree? The other PCs basically took the approach of self-sacrifice - if they die, then their familes will spend the rest of their lives as slaves. I don't think that this merits drawing on the darkness of the demiplane.

Opinions?

Bloody Morgan

[alhoon]

Crimes done for a good purpose can attract the attention of the DPowers. THe chance is half normal. 5% in this case. Remember the PChecks mean that the DP noticed you for your bad act, not that you are an evil criminal.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Selling one's soul to a demon should, in-of-itself carry some sort of corruptive transformation. A failed powers check naturally comes with the necessary changes.

As well, the PCs are evading justice - and though their cause is good, they are breaking the law for their own convienience. Should they not make soem ammends for breaking the law?

Other than that, selling one's soul is an inherantly evil act. They are willingly acting as the pawns of a fiend and if nothing else, they are juicing up an evil demon with their souls.

Though their ultimate motives are good, their actions remain evil. Just because someone is on a good errand does not justify them robbing someone for cab fare.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

The Dark Powers aren't shy about claiming those who commit evil deeds for "a good cause". If merely having 'good intentions' was an excuse, in their view, then Elena and Diamabel (to name a couple of well-intentioned darklords) wouldn't have domains.