Dark Sun ala Fabian - To Save a Dying World (Inactive)

Game Master Fabian Benavente

I would have this telepath in petto

I'll have to brush up on my psionics but, at first glance, he looks powerful (lots of feats and traits, did you count right?).

More interested in the fluff at this time but I will look at 'crunch' if it's ready, just let me know.

BTW, I'm going to give you a character sheet to fill out so I have everyone's looking the same and it saves me lots of time when running combat and the like.

You can download the character sheet from here. Basha was my DS submittal. Once completed, please send it to fabian.benavente AT gmail.com.

Questions?

I won't be using summons a lot foreseeably, but it's one of the class's major features. And I will format my posts with them as pristinely as possible. I'll probably make a placeholder profile for them and make it clear, simple and straightforward for your convenience, I TOTALLY understand how messy that can get, being a GM myself.

Desert druid is an archetype which delays wildshape. Which is again the only reason why I'd need to retrain feats, I get wildshape at level 6, and would love to have natural spell and wildspeech at level 7, for tactical and logistical reasons.

I have most of the crunch laid out, some peripheral things I need to decide on, and I think currently I have a 9 somewhere in my stats. When I'm on my laptop with sufficient time I will go to Athas and become Reaubault. If I survive my stay I'll write down his story and quirks with all the details.

Death to the defilers.

Also, would you like our fluff formatted like the mummy mask pc's with the appearance, background, recent history, personality, npc/hooks, and portrait?

I would have this telepath in petto:

Plus you'd have to do something about that xephyr knife since it's an exotic weapon and xephs don't exist in this world. But I like the idea of a diplomatic mind-controlling telepath. It would add an interesting dynamic into the game for sure.

I would love to take some teamwork feats with your hunter (outflank would be amazingly useful), I'm just not sure how I would fit it into my build. This concept is already quite feat intensive. I'll take a gander and get back to you.

It kills me that I had to take medium armor to up my survivability. That 20 ft. movement speed really hampers my ability to flank.

@GM: Would you permit Valsavis to be proficient in Bard's Friend due to his background as a performer. Statistically it's virtually the same as a kukri (piercing vs slashing being the only difference) and I enjoy the flavor a lot more than plain old kukri. Plus, I think it fits well with Val's character as a whole.

Also, would you like our fluff formatted like the mummy mask pc's with the appearance, background, recent history, personality, npc/hooks, and portrait?

That would be great.

I hadn't had a chance to talk about NPCs yet but a couple of people whom you've had dealings in the past/present would be great.

Also 'my action' points are just 3 1d6 to add to any d20 roll per level (no accumulation)

Be warned that I will use and abuse these NPCs. :)

Game on!

@GM: Would you permit Valsavis to be proficient in Bard's Friend due to his background as a performer. Statistically it's virtually the same as a kukri (piercing vs slashing being the only difference) and I enjoy the flavor a lot more than plain old kukri. Plus, I think it fits well with Val's character as a whole.

I would think so. Where did he get it? Got a picture of it?

What was Valsavis as a performer?

Game on!

I started typing out some preliminary thoughts/notes for Valsavis yesterday, so here is what I have so far:

So that gives you some NPCs for Valsavis: Xaynon the half-elven ex-gladiator from Raam and current leader of Salt View who also happened to be Valsavis' trainer and mentor of sorts. And his mysterious (see below) father Travian who may or may not be alive.

You asking where he found the Bard's Friend gave me the idea that he found them after sifting through his father’s possessions (post-attack) leading him to believe that his father may have been more than the simple street performer he always believed him to be. I’m really loving this little hook!

I started typing out some preliminary thoughts/notes for Valsavis yesterday, so here is what I have so far

I like it!

And my plan is working to perfection. Ask a player questions and they'll come up with interesting stories. :)

So yes, you can have a bard's friend. In fact, the one you found is a masterwork item made from specially treated obsidian by an artist in Urik. Wait, did your dad have friends in Urik?

Do there exist any sort of trading outposts in the near-wilderness/outside of urbana?

So yes, you can have a bard's friend. In fact, the one you found is a masterwork item made from specially treated obsidian by an artist in Urik.

Can we make it two? Since I'm a two weapon fighter and all. I'll subtract their worth from my character wealth if you require.

Wait, did your dad have friends in Urik?

I don't know, did he? Hehehe.

Do there exist any sort of trading outposts in the near-wilderness/outside of urbana?

Lots! (for a desert area, anyway).

Each of the main merchant houses have forts/villages/outposts (or a combination thereof).

Athas is much more than the 7 city-states.

I know it's long bu the fluff that came with the 4th edition book (linked earlier) is a very good read (minus the 'extra' races).

Any area in paticular?

I'd set him near Tyr. On like, Saturday, I'll be reading both that link and athas.org...

The whole of them.

Fabian Benavente wrote:

So yes, you can have a bard's friend. In fact, the one you found is a masterwork item made from specially treated obsidian by an artist in Urik.

Can we make it two? Since I'm a two weapon fighter and all. I'll subtract their worth from my character wealth if you require.

Fabian Benavente wrote:

Wait, did your dad have friends in Urik?

I don't know, did he? Hehehe.

You can have two but only one is MW; you're looking for its 'sister'.

BTW, I don't believe in 'throwaway' weapons so I will upgrade your items as you go up in level so make them dear to you and describe them well.

I'd set him near Tyr. On like, Saturday, I'll be reading both that link and athas.org...

The whole of them.

Good, I think you'll enjoy that.

Be aware of the timeline though. Our campaign is in Free Year 2 and the Athas.org conversion is at FY 10-12 (lots of things happened in that period).

If you have any questions, then just let us know.

From what I read so far, the 4th edition is pretty good with regards to timeline and events (just delete the races).

I'll send you some specific trading outposts outside of Tyr later tonight.

If you want more meaning behind our weapons I could say that the bow he uses belonged to Shrasa, or is that taking the theme a bit far? I kind of like the idea of him wreaking havoc with the weapons of his fallen family members, but, again, I don't want to overdo it.

Cool. I'll definitely have the time on Saturday and can project to have him done probably by then.

There are three feats that come from being a human. With the conversion you want to use humans get 2 psionic talent for free...
Rest is just normal 1 from human, 3 from level, 2 from class.

Will be travelling today untill sunday, but post now and then.
Unsure if i can read all that stuff so fast at the moment.

I´m just asking for the teamwork feats, because if i take the hunter the animal companion would get those too.

@Reaubalt: Don't worry about the 'summons'; I do realize that it's a major feature of the class so we'll deal with it (it's still pain, though). :)

I look forward to reading about your PC.

@Hayato: I hope I'm not getting everyone confused. One extra feat comes from being human. Everyone gets to pick one psionic talent and two traits (same as PF).

So your 5th level human gets: 4 total feats (1 for human, 3 for level), 1 psionic talent, and 2 traits plus whatever he's due because of his class. is this better?

If you want more meaning behind our weapons I could say that the bow he uses belonged to Shrasa, or is that taking the theme a bit far? I kind of like the idea of him wreaking havoc with the weapons of his fallen family members, but, again, I don't want to overdo it.

Forget Shrasa or her weapons. In fact, her body looked like it was somehow shrunken, as if her very life force had been ripped out of her through her pores.

His bow was given to him by Xaynon, reinforcing the principle that Val should be a threat on the battlefield from both melee and from a distance.

Now i´m confused. Didn´t you say we should use the race write ups from that one document? The Athas to Pathfinder conversion?
That´s where i took everything from.

Now i´m confused. Didn´t you say we should use the race write ups from that one document? The Athas to Pathfinder conversion?

That´s where i took everything from.

I did say that (with the exception of the psionic stuff).

Did I contradict myself with 'So your 5th level human gets: 4 total feats (1 for human, 3 for level), 1 psionic talent, and 2 traits plus whatever he's due because of his class'?

However, if you're down for class tinkering, I would not be opposed to trading away spontaneous summons for getting wildshape at 4th or 5th level. It would make so many things simpler. I would love it as the desert druid archetype without the 2 level penalty.

Let me know if that sounds good for you, if not then this was just an idea.

However, if you're down for class tinkering, I would not be opposed to trading away spontaneous summons for getting wildshape at 4th or 5th level. It would make so many things simpler. I would love it as the desert druid archetype without the 2 level penalty.

Let me know if that sounds good for you, if not then this was just an idea.

Done! I never liked nature's summons anyway. :)

Desert druid should be default for Athas anyway.

Na not really. Then it´s 5 PP less for that guy, doesn´t make that big a difference.

Cool.

I'd set him near Tyr. On like, Saturday, I'll be reading both that link and athas.org...

The whole of them.

House Vordon

One of their facilities
Fort Amber: 75 employees, 100 slaves. Supply and storage point between Tyr and Altaruk. Also intended as a refuge for the household if the chaos in Tyr becomes too great, Amber is well stocked with supplies.

I just realized, the hunter gets summon animal spells too for free as a class feature...also not really interested there.

More companions means more flanking buddies, hehe. But I know they can be a hassle in pbp format.

Some yields of my notes, I think he's 3d at this point but I feel like something else is missing. Another internal conflict of sorts or moral quandary or skew on his worldview to make him really pop. All of this just needs to be plugged into Athas more, then I'll weave the backstory together. I imagine him living near the cliff of a massive gorge, tricking thugs to jump off of it, then transforming into an eagle, gliding down and eating the body and taking the resources present.

PERSONALITY
-INFJ
-Heart for beggars
-Contemplative, introspective
-Very solitary
-Curious mind, thinks at long about nature and what once was
-It's difficult for him to understand kindness, unless he remembers the beggars. Then he understands.
-hates having his mind read
-everything unknown is malevolent
-everything known is not safe
-will eat sentients; most of them are trying to eat him anyways
-healthy fear/understanding drives him to be solitary and hidden
-cautious spirit and overall jaded outlook on social interaction; causes him to distrust. In the wilds if a straggler needs help he will probably kill and eat him, out of preemptive self defense
-will kill and eat stragglers, take their resources, survive, and give the excess to his favorite beggars.
-patient, passive
-fear of large bodies of water
-loves his desert, talks to it as if it were his woman
-respectful
-discrete; discretion is literary the key to life
-has some small kernels of druidistic leanings and is definitely on their 'side', he knows not much of the old ways beyond what he was originally taught by the [flying viper] and his uncanny romance with his sands, and whenever he comes across another one, either in wilderness to talk, or in the cities, seeing them crucified, he doesn't feel much association with them, as if he doesn't fit in. However, his love for the land, his curiosity, the scenes he has witnessed against druids, and the many times he himself had been hunted by Templars has engendered in him hatred for the defiler kings.
-Druidic heretic: he hates the sorcerer kings and their cruelty, but loves the desert. He sees the damage the kings have caused to Athas, but doesn't agree with the druid agenda of trying to turn it all back. The desert is kind to him, and all else is unknown, and the unknown is malevolent.

NPC'S/HOOKS
-Father figure/mentor who is a beggar(not his real father)
-Outpost merchant he actually has some measure of trust in (relies on his business to get his needs be can't get it the wilds, especially when they are more cruel than usual
-druid teacher who is trying to get Reaubalt to follow the old path (forced indoctrination with promise of secrets)
-the desert herself: his love interest, he believes he has actually seen her manifest as a woman (perhaps in dream, perhaps something more.) Makes him wonder.

It's just too much in PbP. I eventually had to ask the druid and wizard in my game to rebuild to de-emphasize summoning. Six players and an animal companion is more than enough. Add in summons and a small army was needed to provide any sort of challenge. much more of that and I wouldn't have any hair left.

Really? I never had someone do a lot of summons in any game i played before, due to either the players being too lazy or the GM´s being very restrictive.

I heard that it would be easier in PbP though, because people don´t wait like in RL for your turn and you can do easier rolls and stuff.

That said, will we actually play with a map and battlemap?
I didn´t see one or didn´t look that deep into the mummy´s mask thread.
Would definately prefer some sort of map, even if it´s only something very simple for positioning and movement. Made mostly a better experience for me so far and avoids miscommunication.
Theater of mind can still go on greatly!

@That Other Guy: I like him but he may be too extreme and NOT play nice in a group. You may want to tone him down a little bit.

@DM Under a Dark Sun: Agreed. I'm more than OK with animal companions but summons are a pain to DM but I'll do it...(I just won't like it).

@Hayato: You're in luck. I do maps, keep track of expendables, abilities, hit points, loot...

Look at this Turn 17.

What do you think? Will this work for you guys?

That is quite impressive. It definitely works for me. My only problem is 99% of the time I am posting from my phone which doesn't allow me to edit google docs. Other than that little hiccup I am all in. :)

Edit: Also, just a heads up, I've got my son all day tomorrow and then I GM our monthly irl game Saturday, so I probably won't be able to contribute to the discussion in any significant fashion until Sunday at the earliest, but more likely Monday. I'll keep checking in when I get a spare minute, though.

That is quite impressive. It definitely works for me. My only problem is 99% of the time I am posting from my phone which doesn't allow me to edit google docs. Other than that little hiccup I am all in. :)

Edit: Also, just a heads up, I've got my son all day tomorrow and then I GM our monthly irl game Saturday, so I probably won't be able to contribute to the discussion in any significant fashion until Sunday at the earliest, but more likely Monday. I'll keep checking in when I get a spare minute, though.

You will not have to edit the document. You will post on the discussion thread.

thanks for letting us know about your lack of posting; I would have been worried otherwise. ☺

Stats are 95 percent done on Ala'a Dawnchaser, just need to fiddle a bit more with equipment. I've started sketching in some background and personality but will flesh that out this weekend. When I've got it all knocked into more or less final form I'll plug things into the Word character sheet for Fabian.

Background and personality are still a work in progress, but I found a plotline in the old Elves of Athas book I'm playing with.

* Raised among the Dawnchasers, a more traditional clan of herders within the larger, trade-focused Sky Singers tribe.

* Father the wind singer of the clan, which favors the worship of air as opposed to the fire focus of the larger tribe.

* Mother a senior scout among the herders. Ala'a spent her childhood with that part of the clan, learning to evade predators, hunt game and stalk the caravans of the slow races (slayer level)

* As a teen she selected to train among the clan's battle dancers, learning the ancient steps that would channel the elemental spirits into her body, harnessing their power

* Her father had hoped she would be bound to the air as he was. But when the time came for her initiation test, it was fire that found her. As she meditated on a rocky promontory, sunlight refracting through a glass bead in her hair ignited a bowl of incense she had brought to entice the wind spirits. Fed by Ala'a's breath, the flame set fire to the scrub brush clinging to the rock but the new fire dancer was untouched as seed pods popped and split open, ensuring new life could grow

* Quarreling with her father and with a full circle of fire dancers already in the clan, Ala'a set out on her own to wander the Tablelands and learn more of the fire within her; during this time that she meets the old preserver

* Returning recently to Nibenay, where the Sky Singers run a market, she finds that her mother was one of about a dozen elves mysteriously murdered while the bulk of the clan was absent from the city. Gathering her mother's armor (enchanted by her father) and bone sword, she heads back into the desert in search of clues about the killing. While answering the old preserver's call, she hopes to follow up on a possible connection between the murders and the Sky Singers' ongoing feud with Urik-based House Stel

* Her mother's sword, a clan relic, is made of fire-blackened bone, carved with an intricate design. Ala'a follows a specific ritual when cleaning it, first burning away any blood using her spark orison, then sharpening it with a whetsone

* Carries a shield of layered agafari left by her brother, an outcast and drunk she last saw smuggling spell components and mind-altering herbs with a crew of other outcast elves in Tyr

* Is filled by the spirits of fire in battle, unable to speak except in their tongue.Her eyes fill with flame when she casts spells in anger

* Personable and outgoing but willing to cheat the stupid as a matter of course; prone to impetuous action while relying on a quick blade and quicker tongue to help her out of trouble; a little hyper-active and stir crazy

* Never a particularly devoted student, she broadly skilled but not very focused; she's become practiced at lying, sneaking and observing others by doing those things frequently; she's just as good as she needs to be at most other tasks

* Pays lip service to typical elven prejudices, but as something of an outcast herself she's willing to give most individuals a chance to prove her wrong

I'll add some more positive/amiable layers in then. With him the darker stuff is mainly survival based; at worst he would not interact with the group much externally, but have internal passages and then interact with the group silently, either staying in snake form in a pocket of another PC or as an eagle monitoring them from the air. That's him in his darker tones. I could add something along the lines of've always keeps his word's and make it not cliche by makingit worth something in his background, that would keep him bound to the whims of the preserver he owes. I was meaning to play out more of his lighter tones than darker ones, mainly the curiosity, passivity, love of the desert, compassion for the destitute... and stuff. I'll keep cooking. :)

Stats are 95 percent done on Ala'a Dawnchaser, just need to fiddle a bit more with equipment. I've started sketching in some background and personality but will flesh that out this weekend. When I've got it all knocked into more or less final form I'll plug things into the Word character sheet for Fabian.

** spoiler omitted **...

I like her!

I got some good NPCs and potential hooks.

Thanks!

I'll add some more positive/amiable layers in then. With him the darker stuff is mainly survival based; at worst he would not interact with the group much externally, but have internal passages and then interact with the group silently, either staying in snake form in a pocket of another PC or as an eagle monitoring them from the air. That's him in his darker tones. I could add something along the lines of've always keeps his word's and make it not cliche by makingit worth something in his background, that would keep him bound to the whims of the preserver he owes. I was meaning to play out more of his lighter tones than darker ones, mainly the curiosity, passivity, love of the desert, compassion for the destitute... and stuff. I'll keep cooking. :)

Yeah, look into the character themes in the 4th edition book and also the druid write-up of the Athas.org document.

You'll see that druids are the 'paladins' of this world without any restraint in how they deal with 'evil'.

Be careful about making this PC (or any PC) into a 'silent' one. This just does not work for this type of game.

I don't mind PC with a mean streak but he has to 'play' within the group.

More questions?

Fabian going to start working on my character we still doing level 7 start?

(Alias of Karmic)

Hey Karmic,

Are you still with us?

I'll keep that in mind and should have him finished tomorrow. I got the docs and have started reading. This will be gr8

That´s quite cool. I mostly use ditzie.com or roll20.net directly.
You can find it in my campaigns.

On the road today and tomorrow mainly, so not much time.

** spoiler omitted **...

A lot of similarities with Val (family member dies under mysterious circumstances, weapons bequeathed by said family members) which I like. Synergy between character themes enhances group cohesion. Hopefully Al and Val (haha) can be friends.

Edit: And look what I just dug up!

Edit: And look what I just dug up!

Ha! I got you beat. I'll have to post a picture of my DS collection. I even have that crazy supplement with the 'windsurfing hobos'. Don't ask me too much about that because I will deny ever reading it. :)

All kidding aside, I found another DS campaign here on the boards (which hadn't popped up before). The DM Cronax compiled two files with character creation and equipment rules which do what I basically want (it keeps things PF and simple).

I modified them slightly and have posted the files in our campaign page. It provides all the rules we have been discussing in two files, which is great. Some things have changed so please review for your crunch.

Questions?

Game on!

Ouch. The change to racial abilities means Ala'a loses +2 Charisma, 10 feet of movement, +2 to Bluff and Performance, temperature resilience, desert craft and elf run, in return for +2 Int, desert runner and immunity to sleep.

Is there any way I could keep the +2 Charisma in exchange for the +2 Int? And/or trade in elven immunities for the bonus to Bluff and Perform and 10 ft. move? I'll make do either way, but my skills and/or spellcasting will take a hit.

Trading temp resilience, desert craft and elf run for desert runner looks fine, and is more stream-lined.

Also, a couple of questions on equipment: The new document says non-metal weapons have a -1 to hit and damage. Is that correct, or are we still using non-metal as the baseline? Also, do enchanted non-metal weapons and armor lose that penalty or the fragile quality?

Ouch. The change to racial abilities means Ala'a loses +2 Charisma, 10 feet of movement, +2 to Bluff and Performance, temperature resilience, desert craft and elf run, in return for +2 Int, desert runner and immunity to sleep.

Is there any way I could keep the +2 Charisma in exchange for the +2 Int? And/or trade in elven immunities for the bonus to Bluff and Perform and 10 ft. move? I'll make do either way, but my skills and/or spellcasting will take a hit.

Trading temp resilience, desert craft and elf run for desert runner looks fine, and is more stream-lined.

Also, a couple of questions on equipment: The new document says non-metal weapons have a -1 to hit and damage. Is that correct, or are we still using non-metal as the baseline? Also, do enchanted non-metal weapons and armor lose that penalty or the fragile quality?

Your elf girl will be fine! She's trained in the dancing arts, wields fire, and is deadly with that long blade of hers. :)

I hope you realize that I'm not doing to penalize anyone but to have everyone start off 'balanced'. Now that we have more PF like races, if you can find an alternate race trait that 'makes sense' then I'll probably let you have it.

With regards to weapons, here's what we have:

ALL weapons (unless magical or metal) have the fragile condition (roll 1 in 20 and gain broken condition (-2 to hit and damage)).
Those weapons NOT listed on the tables from the doc also suffer a -1 to hit and damage unless made from special materials (agafari wood, specially treated obsidian, etc.)

Other questions/comments?

Don't let me bump out any other players if there isn't room, but here is the idea I have:

Like most of his kind, Kax was born a slave. His mother, a dwarf named Lazra was one of the lucky ones, a house maid to one of Kalak's templars. His childhood was easier than most, but still harsh and full of work to be done. He never knew his father, and his mother never spoke of him.

Then came the day. Even personal slaves of his templars were to be culled. Kax did not know what was to come, so he kept to his studies as usual. At the noon hour, a strange human man came by the house. He had a hushed, hurried conversation with Lazra. Kax did not hear the details, but saw his mother become more and more agitated as she gestured his way.

Finally, it seemed that the argument was at an end. "My son, you need to go with this man. Follow him and do what he says." With a tone suggesting finality, she hugged him one last time and ushered him to follow the human. The man made a gesture and spoke some strange words. This was the first time Kax had witnessed magic. The man then told him to follow as he headed through the city streets and out of Tyr. At first Kax complained that his slave mark did not permit such a journey and that he would be arrested. The man simply smiled and told him to remain quiet.

Once beyond the walls, the man explained that he had used forbidden magic and asked if Kax was interested in learning. At first the young Mul was reluctant, but as they journeyed through the desert, the man taught him many things. When they finally arrived in Altaruk, Kax was placed in the care of a preserver cell to continue his training.

When Kalak fell, Kax returned to Tyr, to the house he grew up in. Investigation revealed that his mother had been taken by Kalak shortly after his departure.

(The implication is that the 'Benefactor is Kax's father', or at least knew him)

I'll manage ;) I'm still faster than all these humans and half-breeds thanks to Cinder Dance, just lamenting the hit to social skills.

Since 2E Dark Sun elves lacked any particular resistance to sleep magic, I'd like to trade in the Elven Immunities trait. There isn't really anything appropriate in the standard alternate traits section for elves. Would you be willing to let me trade Elven Immunities (2 Race Points) for Beguiling Liar (also 2 Race Points) from the Advanced Race Guide? That at least lets me make up for the reduction to Bluff and lets me keep up the racial reputation for beguiling and lying!

Don't let me bump out any other players if there isn't room, but here is the idea I have:

(The implication is that the 'Benefactor is Kax's father', or at least knew him)

I'm interested. It's always good to have more players than necessary because these games are notorious for turnover rate.

So, you are proposing a mul preserver?

Is the benefactor the preserver that took him away before he was to be culled? Did Kax's father know the benefactor? I'm confused where his father comes in to this?

I'd like to learn more about Kax.

I'll manage ;) I'm still faster than all these humans and half-breeds thanks to Cinder Dance, just lamenting the hit to social skills.

Since 2E Dark Sun elves lacked any particular resistance to sleep magic, I'd like to trade in the Elven Immunities trait. There isn't really anything appropriate in the standard alternate traits section for elves. Would you be willing to let me trade Elven Immunities (2 Race Points) for Beguiling Liar (also 2 Race Points) from the Advanced Race Guide? That at least lets me make up for the reduction to Bluff and lets me keep up the racial reputation for beguiling and lying!

That is very appropriate and yes, it's a deal. It should probably be an overall change to the race but in the spirit of KISS, we'll just change on a case-by-case.