I'm guessing 2 swords: Exardes (Tarrnish) and Caedes. Unless the ritual transformed the flametouched iron sword into a dragonfang sword.
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OK, we have two possibilities: we can go with Exardes = Caedes, or Caedes =/= Exardes. These two alternative scenarios have two possible outcomes in terms of "recovering" your sword: one is a "simple" quest to recover your sword Exardes from the bone knights who hold it in Karnnath; or, a quest to "redeem" you (existing) sword from Caedes/"Tarnish" back into Exardes, which might be a more metaphysical journey of the soul (or maybe not - I can still envisage senseless carnage on the route to enlightenment). Which would you prefer as a player? (And any thoughts from the others would be welcome.)
And, to be honest, either scenario would probably have aspects of the other in it - for example, even if Haladon recovers Exardes he may still have to undergo atonement, so the choices aren't black and white.
Also, we have the slight issue of equipping poor old Haladon now he's decided to put aside most of his useful equipment. I can understand dropping the armour and sword, not so much the Ring of Force Shield (I don't see how that got tainted).
I've maybe got an idea about partly fixing the equipment issue...
Also, did you consider the Divine Defender archetype? I know Haladon already is stat-ed up as an Oathbound paladin but I just wonder if you thought about that archetype. Rolund was very, very strong in defence and I wonder if Divine Defender might sit better with the character's role in combat.
I checked the Divine Defender archetype but I'll stick with the Oathbound archetype. It gives me some armor bond without sacrificing my divine weapon bond at the cost of one mercy at 9th level.
As for the ring of force shield. I had envisioned a visible phantasmic shield with an onyx skull emblazoned on it when it was turned on. Hence, the need to turn in the ring.
AS for equipment issues, I still have some money in the bank of Kundarak - 5,260 gp to be exact; more than enough to get a masterwork sword, full plate, and shield. I can use divine bond and/or spells to enchant them as necessary until otherwise. Of course, there is the small matter that the letter of credit is issued in Rolund's name...
I think a "simple" quest to Karrnath to recover the item may be the excuse we need to swing by the Mournland to rescue/assist Lightbringer. There's also Ikar the Karrnathi skeleton I let loose in the Mournland to track and provide intel to us regarding Lightbringer.
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I’m on board with a plan that involves trying to rescue Lightbringer. It occurs to me that Haladon may run into trouble in Karrnath – apart from the possible (likely) annoyance / wrath of his bone knight order, he’s probably going to be in some sort of trouble from the military (as a deserter if he held a military rank, and/or a spy) and the government (impersonating a noble). Ezreal may be able to help smooth things over, though he may be little inclined to. Deception is probably out as an avenue of approach given the whole pesky paladin code of conduct thing.
It’s probably not as much of an issue, but Haladon also probably doesn’t have identity or travelling papers. I don’t know if this is a simple matter that can be sorted out at the Thranish embassy (or whichever one of the Dragonmarked Houses deal with law or long distance communication or whatever we need here), or whether we are going to need forgeries (is it a lie to use false papers that proclaim your true identity?). OF course, maybe Rolund kept around an old set of Haladon’s ID papers in case they ever came in handy.
Sorry, all. Just when I thought I could afford to be back in the saddle, I realized that I had overlooked a fairly major project for my class and down the rabbit hole I had to go.
This line of thought for Haladon sounds interesting. I'm impressed with GG's patience as he waited years, real-time, to get his character rebuilt. I'm game to let his story steer us for a while.
Indeed, Kazadar is amenable as well. If it helps the cause of good, that is good with him, if it helps the Host, so much the better.
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I don't think GG or I necessarily expected a wait of several years, but yes, his patience has been remarkable.
I've got some thoughts running through my head right now. I haven't decided yet whether the recovery of Exardes is literal or figurative, but I'm leaning towards the latter - i.e. the redemption of Caedes into Exardes.
Partly the reason for this is tone - basically, if the sword is in Bone Knight HQ, we are looking at a fortress filled with undead. We've kinda been doing that for the past two and a bit years, so a change of pace (and adversary) might be nice.
Secondly, haring off to Karrnath isn't what I had in mind for the next phase. I've been having discussions with Mothy about LB, and linking the two together might be helpful (if I can - my mind is turning over a number of possibilities, some LB-related, some (currently) not).
Thirdly, it means that Haladon doesn't have to throw away his sword along with his armour. While it might be wonderfully evocative of the character making a new start, from a purely game-mechanical perspective it's a real pain. Either I have to get him a load of expensive gear "out of nowhere" effectively (which might be tricky to justify in-game - I know, I know, it's never stopped me before from ludicrous plot twists, but it's still an issue) or alternatively his usefulness to the party would be restricted given the game assumes he will have magic items appropriate to his level. On that basis, the less he throws away, the better. He clearly can't continue to walk around wearing a dead guy anymore - that would be totally beyond the pale for a knight of Thrane - but keeping the sword and (hopefully) the Ring of Force Shield means that all I need to worry about is getting him some armour. (I know that there is the assumption that he'd want to get rid of the ring as it has a big skull on it, but it's not actually an evil item even if it is a bit outré by the standards of the Silver Flame. I'd really prefer if he could hang on to it - if necessary, someone (cough*Rod*cough) can RP talking him into keeping it.) Then all I need to do is worry about armour.
So... Two things present themselves. First - if we are redeeming Exardes, what does it turn into (well, in game terms a weapon of roughly equal value - maybe a little bit more now that Haladon is now a higher level)? Second, how do we get the ball rolling? Haladon will obviously need to go and atone. I suggest that, once you have handed over the shards and tidied up this part of the quest, Haladon (and whoever else wants to go too) heads over to abase himself before the Church at its cathedral in Sharn and see what they want to do about him. Haladon can suggest that himself - it's a fairly obvious move.
Thoughts/comments from the floor?
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Artificers are great for this. They have the Retain Essence ability:
This collection of reagents weighs one quarter of the original item and can be used by anyone that has the necessary item creation feats from the original magical or psionic item. These reagents never include talismanic components, like dragonshards or any part that is unique to a specific magical item.
For example, if an artificer with the Craft Wondrous Item feat recovers a Handy Haversack that he needs to convert, he spends 8 hours with the item to break down the item and recovers 1,000 gp worth reagents (the construction cost to make the item in the first place). Those reagents can then be used toward the cost of making any magical item, provided that whomever is making the item has the Craft Wondrous Item feat in addition whatever feats needed for the new item.
Attempting to salvage a cursed magical item can be done, but if the item is not identified as cursed before being salvaged, the artificer must make a Will save with a DC of 10 + the item's caster level or suffer a drawback (as per Corebook, pg. 538) and the cursed item is remains intact. If the cursed item is a specific cursed item, failing the initial Will save also means the artificer is wielding or wearing the cursed item, replacing whatever he might have been wielding or wearing at the time.
Magical items with Hit Dice can be salvaged using this class feature, but the item must be controlled by the artificer for the entire 8 hours, otherwise the item will automatically attack the artificer. Also, if the item is less than full hit points, the amount salvaged is less than it would normally be. If the item's hit points are less than full but more than its Hit Dice, the artificer can salvage 2/3 of the construction cost to make the magical item, rounded down. If the item has equal or less hit points than Hit Dice, but has at least 1 hit point, it can be salvaged for 1/2 of the construction cost to make the magical item. A magical item that is destroyed (either by conditions or 0 hit points) cannot be salvaged. Likewise, if destroying the item would be dangerous, like an Elemental Bound item, the artificer must deal with that situation at a randomly determined time during that process. Any combat that arises from a salvage attempt assumes that the artificer starts the first round of combat prone, but not surprised.
Artifacts (both major and minor), as well as magical items that do not have gold piece value, like living constructs, cannot be salvaged.
It would, in game terms, be a full reset of the item. You would take the old sword and leave the artificer's shop with a collection of reagents equal in value to 50% of the old sword (which is the price of enchanting a new sword of the same GP market value of the one destroyed).
All you'd need is an artificer of at least level 5 and willing to spend 8 hours of his time (per item to be destroyed). I would assume they'd want some sort of payment for these 8 hours of work.
THEN, you need only have the reagents re-enchanted into a new item. Kazadar would gladly do it. In addition to him simply having the feat Craft Wondrous Arms and Armor, he is also a cleric of the Artifice and War domains, and doing so would honor Onatar. Granted, this would take him a day per 1000gp in the market value of the new items, but he would do it for free, because to craft such a powerful instrument of good would give honor to Onatar.
At this point, the only costs would be that of the base masterwork items (which Kazadar is also able to create, but the rules being what they are, masterwork items take longer than even most majorly powerful wondrous items), the fee's for the artificer's time, and the time cost of the party waiting on these things to be created.
Somewhat blasé, but of course Haladon would still need to atone and maybe exorcise some powerful evil "sealing" the enchantment essences inside the blade. It just tidies up the mechanical side of things.
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I think Rod would be happy to act as Haladon's 'spiritual advisor' and is well placed to suggest a more practical approach to keeping some of the equipment. He could also assist with Haladon's atonement (in fact, he could cast an atonement spell himself I believe, although Haladon and/or the church may decide that some actual atonement - as in good deeds etc, rather than simply the spell - is also needed).
Keeping in mind of course that Rod is not the most orthodox Flamic priest.
The Retain Essence mechanic that Tenro describes above may be a good way to go with the sword (and in fact, perhaps in retcon that is how the Bone Knights turned Tarnish into Caedes in the first place?)
Another ritual to cleanse Caedes and return it to Exardes is fine by me. I'm not expecting for Hal's atonement to take over the campaign. Just a personal goal.
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You might enjoy this, though the singer is a bit dodgy. Totally safe for work, though maybe a bit too loud.
EDIT: I've been informed this probably won't work if you are outside the UK. Sorry about that.
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I'm using the Psionics Unleashed book from Dreamscarred Press. We haven't had a psionic battle since the battle with Karile d'Cannith and her secretary - and that was a LONG time ago.
Still working on it - sorry.
I've got the Occult book. Looks interesting. Once I get some more time (maybe never) I was thinking of resurrecting that idea for a Steampunk campaign. The Occult Adventures seemed good for a sort of late 19th Century sort of magic for some classes, relying on spiritualism and the like.
I'm playing a mesmerist in an IRL game soon and i played a fight or two as a kineticist. Wanted to try spiritualist.
But when people say it is psionic... ack. I guess i am too used to the DSP way of business that it just seems too forced for some of the Occult Stuff to be lumped with psionics.
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Yeah, I haven't had a chance to look at the Occult book in any depth, but I like the vibe of what I've seen so far. It does seem to draw more on 'real world' spiritualism and mysticism rather than the D&D tradition of psionics. I just finished reading Perdito Street Station again (which certainly has a bit of a steampunk vibe itself), some of the magic systems described in that may possibly gel with the stuff in Occult adventures.
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Only two of the classes really feel psionic. I'm lousy at the names, but the kineticist is one, and the other is the psion-equivalent class (which also has a point-based casting system). That said, I'm not sure if the actual spells really look much like psionics - some seem to, but others maybe not as much.
Kineticist seems more to me to be like the monk-people from the Airbender series.
where are you going on holiday?
No problem. I'm also under the weather. Seems I'm also in the same boat with you gents in regards to books. Can't seem to find the time to read them.
I've got the Hell's Rebels path and Hell's Vengeance to read, as well as Occult Adventures, Inner Sea Races, Bestiary 5, Hell Unleashed, Dirty Tactics Toolbox, Heroes of the Streets, Occult Bestiary, Black Markets, Distant Shores, Occult Origins, Occult Realms, Weapon Master's Handbook, Cheliax, Agents of Evil, Arcane Anthology, Darklands Revisited, and Blood of Shadows.
Not to mention third party books - Deep Magic, Primeval Thule, Pure Steam (still shrinkwrapped!), Gothic Campaign Compendium, Razor Coast, Ultimate Psionics, Psionic Bestiary, Mythic Psionics, Psionics Embodied, Seventh Path, Path of War, Freeport, The Tome of Horrors Complete, Midgard Campaign Setting, and others. <phew>
i'm still slogging through the Eclipse Phase tome when i am supposed to be working.
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Europe is nice on the vacation front. Even here I think the least number of days a person can have in a year is 22 before any days work might be closed for holidays. It doesn't go up too much from 22 but it's nice. I have 24. I'm unlucky in that my work place grants 0 holiday dates and it is difficult for me to actually take those theoretical vacation days, but Mrs Ith does a little better. Takes at least two holidays a year without me.
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20 days a year is the standard here; my industry tends to shut down (or at least slow down) over the Christmas and New Year period, and at every place I've worked it tends to be semi-compulsory to take 2 - 3 weeks vacation over this period (I don't think it's actually legal to enforce this, but you are 'strongly encouraged' to take leave). Some companies have rules that you need to use up at least half of your available leave each year.
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I'm not sure what the minimum is in the UK, but I work in banking which has tended to have quite generous benefits and holiday entitlements. 30 days a year (not including bank holidays) is not uncommon in banks - for me here it's 25, but you can (and I do) purchase another 5 days. Plus I've got some carry-forward from last year. But even the UK is relatively parsimonious in its holiday entitlements compared to places like France and Germany.
Anyway, thanks for asking - I'm off to the Isle of Wight for a week.
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Enjoy your holiday!
In Norway, everyone gets 5 weeks of paid vacation in addition to the fixed holidays (13 days - a couple days off during Easter, a couple days off during Christmas, 1st and 17th of May etc). The other Scandinavian countries have comparable policies. It's pretty nice.
By contrast, my wife got two weeks off per year plus five federal holidays, and those two weeks included sick time. Her current firm gives her three weeks (still including sick time) and observes a couple more federal holidays. Progress!
daaaaang, i need to get a job on that side of the pond! I get 30 days of paid vacation a year here in the US and that is highly unusual. Several friends of mine in various fields have to work one year before they even start accruing vacation days, and most get two weeks paid time off at best.
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Anyway, thanks for asking - I'm off to the Isle of Wight for a week.
Lucky it's not the Isle of Wights, sounds like a first edition D&D module. I hope you're packing your holy water.
Have fun!
daaaaang, i need to get a job on that side of the pond! I get 30 days of paid vacation a year here in the US and that is highly unusual. Several friends of mine in various fields have to work one year before they even start accruing vacation days, and most get two weeks paid time off at best.
Yeah, I hear you. I'm only familiar with my current employer's policy and I've been here so long, I've topped out, so I don't pay attention anymore. New folk get something the first year, but with my maximum, I don't have what they get in Europe.
I keep reading how Americans get less vacation than nearly anyone else and they feel more guilty for taking what they do have -- they end up not using it. Now that's crazy.
yeah that is somewhat true, in my experience.
for instance, I get 30 days a year and they roll over from year to year, but when the fiscal year changes over (Oct 1), anything I have saved in excess of 60 days is gone. So I have saved up the 60 days and now take the 30 a year because i will be damned if i lose my days that i accrued.
I can roll over 80 and my significant other has only just caught me on accumulation rate, so I have carried over the max for years. Because I really don't take off unless we are doing something together.
Last year's flurry of travel in the fall kind of remedied a lot of that, though.
Oh, and I generally donate two days for folks with insufficient leave that have had something catastrophic happen - family in the hospital or a lengthy period of their own. Because I wasn't using them, they might as well go to something good, right?
Yeah, we're crazy.
yeah, it is kinda odd that they don't let us donate days. though i imagine that they imagine we would be selling them to people instead or some other insidious purpose.
sometimes when a particular video game comes out i will just take leave to play it, but i tend to spend spare days by doing things like taking every friday off for a few months or things like that.
Yeah, no kids here, but a lot of my friends have that juggling going on.
We were limited to 16 hours donated and we had no say who got to use them to avoid shenanigans. They negotiated a different solution now. Now, unused hours that do not roll over to the next year go into a pool used for those folks needing it the most.
@Tenro - yeah, we try to take off at least a Friday every month. With the holiday season, we take two to make sure we have everything ready before the family gatherings begin.
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I have been unexpectedly buried by holiday work here a week early. Greek Easter is next Sunday and it is really a two week period preceding the day but it is overwhelming at the moment. I'll catch up as soon as I can, but don't hold things up waiting for me at the moment. After May 1st I'll be clear for sure.
why is greek easter a different date, if the holiday is based off of the same alleged event?