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A lot of life is dealing with your curse, dealing with the cards you were given that aren't so nice. Does it make you into a monster, or can you temper it in some way, or accept it and go in some other direction? -- Wes Craven, director
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. -- obligatory Nietzsche quote
The monster was the best friend I ever had. -- Boris Karloff, actor
So, who wants to be a monster?
This will be a mostly-homebrewed campaign. I plan on using a conglomeration of rules from the Advanced Race Guide and the Eidolon building rules from the Summoner to allow players to create and advance their very own monstrous PCs. Players can either advance as monsters entirely, or use a base class with monstrous "build points" collected at each level to continue becoming the monster of their choice.
Interested? Then click here for the
Choose from: Magical Beast, Monstrous Humanoid, Outsider, Aberration, Dragon, Fey, or (maybe) Plant.
Use the baseline from the Eidolon creation rules to pick your form -- Biped (humanoid), Quadruped, or Serpentine. (Pick Aquatic if you dare.)
The only other requirement is a level of intelligence and a method of communicating with the rest of the party. Do you want to work toward a marilith? Go for it. How about a medusa or gargoyle? I'm game. Of course, I'll be looking for a good mix of creatures and abilities to fill out the "adventuring party".
I'll work with each player selected so he or she builds a character balanced with the others, and so that each character's progression is balanced as the game goes on. My initial idea is to grant build points per level, which can be spent on class levels, racial/monstrous abilities, or attribute increases. That will come after the party(s) is(are) selected from the submissions. I reserve the right to adjust build points, costs of certain abilities, and classes to make sure no one outshines the other players.
I'm also well aware that there are numerous third-party publishers who have created monster class progressions. If you want to point me toward one of those for your monster PC, I will certainly give it a look.
Prohibited class: Summoner (the monster you're creating is yourself)
Prohibited type: Undead. Too cliche. Really. It's my campaign, don't try.
Strongly discouraged class: Anything with a companion. Has the same problem as the Summoner. Familiars shouldn't be a problem.
Starting Gold: (really? You didn't give yourself a natural attack?) It depends on the initial submission, but it (probably) won't be a whole lot.
Traits: Hmm. Pick one. After picking the submissions, and knowing which way this campaign is headed, I might offer a selection of campaign-specific traits from which to choose.
I'll keep this open for submissions for at least a week, maybe longer, to give folks time to add a bit of polish to their submissions. I'll be checking in to read up on your monsters and to answer questions (no doubt there will be questions that I don't have answers for -- yet. So hit me with them!)
Okay, this sounds really really neat. Dotting for interest, already brainstorming.
Edit: Hm. I may have an idea, and I'd like your preliminary opinion before I really dig into it:
The fair folk, (or unseelie fey, as some would dare call them) are known to abduct human children, replacing them with their own offspring for humans to raise.
However, every now and then, the fair folk find that the child they took has a surprising amount of innate magic; of draconic blood, perhaps, or descended from another fey.
Thus was the fate of a young lad.
The queen of the Thistlefeather court, once found that the child her enforcers had abducted was in fact the descendant of one of her former children, whom had had several... carnal encounters with human women.
Unwilling to get rid of her own progeny, no matter how distant, the queen of the court decided she would let him wander the woods under the protection of her subjects, going to and from the nearby human villages as he pleased, giving her an unexpected spy upon their everyday action.
However, when the lad, now known as Shrike, proved to be far more in touch with his fey blood than she had expected, her plans changed. She chose to awaken his magical potential. With his own innate gift and the spark of his fey mother's own power, Shrike would grow to be a powerful asset to the Thistlefeather court indeed.
Shrike of Thistlefeather would be a young male, (I'd like to make him a boy rather than a young man, but I know that might be disruptive, so I'll leave that decision on hold for now) who is far more in touch with his nature as a "monster" than as a human. He would, of course, be fey-based and of biped shape, embracing his monstrous gift to the full potential.
I believe the young age wouldn't be too much of an issue because of his incomprehensible upbringing with the fair folk.
He could be swayed to either good or evil, operating on some rather odd terms of morality as the campaign begins. He's on the most extreme end of the embrace side of "embrace or oppose the change", short of wanting others to be changed as well. He would not opposed others seeking to cure themselves of their transformations, but would actively resist someone trying to return him to a normal human shape. He identifies as a fey and is loyal to the Thistlefeather court and its queen. (The queen and, by her influence, her court, is Chaotic Neutral, content just living their daily lives, having fun, and spreading their influence as they can, though their morals may come off as somewhat strange to outsiders.)
Stats and rolewise, I'd build him as a spellcaster and trickster; his "evolutions" would be axed mostly on stealth, mobility and innate magic to complement class levels in Fey-blooded Sorcerer.
More about the thistlefeather court: Strange fey they are, the fair folk of Thistlefeather have long wandered away from the gossamered wings of their distant kin. Rather, their wings are feathered, their eyes sharp, and their rapturous singing as melodious as morning birdsong.
Role in the party: Shrike would most likely stumble upon the party (or one member of it) through happenstance, seeing in them a source of curiosity and entertainment. Either sheer curiosity, or some odd twist of the Featherthistle Court's incomprehensible code would have him endeavor to follow them; he would follow the party's paths because they're the most fascinating people around, and he stands to discover a lot about himself and the world by following them.
That is... if they can keep up with the madness of a boy turned fey.
Two questions:
1. Are we likely to receive enough builds points to make a pure-caster progression viable while still getting to pick some fun monster traits?
2. To fit with the fey background, would you allow Shrike to use the variant of the eidolon used by the First Worlder prestige class, or some adaptation of the same to work with this stat system? (That is, 1d6 hp rather than 1d10, always Reflex and Will as good saves, different class skills and allowed to pick DR Cold Iron rather than an alignment based one.)
I've always wanted to play a monster-esque character. Some questions:
1. How much control did the character have over the monstrosity process? It's a hard question to ask, but the answer is somewhat akin to the idea of what levels in Pathfinder represent: character power. Higher level characters generally have greater influence over what goes on. A high-level mage, for example, might be his own creator while a novice arcanist might suffer some spellblight that taints her.
2. What sort of theme of play are you looking to do? I'm more a roleplay (as opposed to roll-play)-oriented person.
3. What do you think of the two concepts below (they are the main ones I'd be considering if I was taken aboard, though they are much abridged as presented):
A. A serf used as a guinea-pig, turned into a platypus-esque conglomerate of experimentation by an alchemist. Released and left for dead after tests were completed, the exile was resourceful enough to harness his new body to survive.
B. A naturalist seeking to be closer to nature was offered (or depending on level of power, initiated) the opportunity to merge with the flora of a land in both mind and body (this would be a plant type character). While his goal is harmony for man and the wild, creating such a balance is not always a harmonious process.
Devil
Lawful N or E
How, sin that's how, a truly evil life of power scheming, manipulation and cold hard ambition. Finely revolting in an assassination and a resurrection spell fueled by the souls of a 100 condemned men.
Would you allow the character to change type? As in start as a Monstrous Humanoid but shift to Outsider (Elemental) as time goes on?
The basic idea is for a character modelled after the Gorgons of MtG
The idea is that she is blessed by her goddess (not sold on who or what yet) but actually comes to regret that blessing as her shape twists. She could go both evil and good depending on her environment and how it plays in to her development while she deals with the blessing turned curse and it's ramifications.
Shape would be bipedal but I'd love for her to eventually develop the ability to turn her legs into a serpentine tail and back again.
She would have been a priestess before the transformation so I'd like her to have at least 1 level of Oracle, Cleric or Druid.
Listed hosts in brackets
Picture 1 (Deviant Art)
Picture 2 (Deviant Art)
Picture 3 (Blogspot/Googledocs)
Picture 4 (Wizards of the Coast)
Well, my mind immediately went to a cliche - mad scientist. As a human, was either an alchemist whose experiments went a bit too far and ended catastrophically, or a planar researcher who became tainted and warped by the secrets he discovered. Completely mad, of course.
Monster type would be aberration (obviously). Possibly looking at illithids for inspiration. I know none of this is particularly creative, but damnit, I love me some mind flayers.
@Dm Stalwart - are ACG Playtest or 3PP classes allowed? I undesrand class abilities/levels are only a part of the build points, but I'm still thinking in terms of some archetypal roles…
I would love to go with the Plant type.
Type: Plant
The Change - It was just a speck on her sleeve initially. A blood-… no… russet-colored dot, innocuous and fairly non-descript. More alarming was the rash that followed, and the yearning for sunlight, water and the musty embrace of cold clods of earth and mud. Meat became anathema, though sometimes she craved it and the horrifying visions that followed led her to believe she was possessed.
Later, she awoke to find her skin was becoming hard, bark-like and thorny. Whatever it was was not a run of the mill infection. This was a metamorphosis. And she knew there was no safe place to go, no understanding for her new condition. Only pain, suffering, opprobrium and… perhaps penance and atonement. She should never have wantonly slashed out at the beautiful, dire bulb that came into her vision that day. It had meant little to her all the while it bloomed, until the day she came across it in ire. The Ire Rose she thought of it now, stroking her "chin" with a sharp claw….
Visually/Physiognomic/Inspiration: Humanoid Plant symbiote.
Motivation - Power is the easiest motivation of this character. Looking to advance as a melee-based Witch, Shaman (ACG play test) or Oracle with Plant-esque Mystery/Patrons. Happy to dispense with familiars.
Later hoping for Large evolution
What do you think DM?
Can we play a construct?
I mean an awakened one of course.
Say my characters mind and soul was placed in the construct.
Ok reading It all I am still thinking
Type: Something like a lilin Devil [outsider] LE/LN
Looks: Her true form Her Human Form
In Three words: Beautiful, Brilliant, Machiavellian.
Origins: She was born a slave, sold to a courtesan house she schemed manipulated, assassinated and blackmailed her way to the Two,
Lord Dukes wife number 5, soon 4th 3ed 2ed then 1st.
Dos do this she made packs, deals with Hell's ranks. But every good run comes to an end, someone paid well, paid a lit to have her killed, the who she did not know. But you don't get to know that much about killing other and having them killed with out having a back up plan. A Dark Resurrection
paid with the blood of a 100s sinners. Hell give her life back and a whole new body with which to get more souls for the ranks.
Motivation: Souls, corrupting them and getting them to hell and in her book of the damned. More Souls she gets the higher up in Hell's ranks she can stand, when facing Chaos. To her money is nothing more than a tool to get souls, But one think moves her more, Keeping Chaos at bay, like all from the ranks of Hell they face off the hordes from the great beyond. Beings that care nothing for power but seek to end all that is because they can. This is what pulled her to hell in the 1st place, So called evil is just a means to force back blind Chaos in a more effective way.
Crunch : high speed, Looks and Smarts, shes all about brains over brawn.
On the plane where all elements exist in relative harmony, commonly known as the physical plane, one man had a vision to improve the world and alter life as we know it. This sorcerer sought to unite all the elemental worlds into one ultimate paradise shared by all.
The old man had long been conducting experiments and had no one left to him besides his great-grand daughter who would likely marry soon and leave the decidedly mad and very reclusive man alone. She wondered how long his magic would be able to keep him alive as he was pushing 130 years old.
A breakthrough in his studies of the planes and how they are joined, or rather, kept separate, was made. He knew how to open doors to other planes and had indeed spent some time in several. The problem was in weakening the barrier between all of them at the same time. He constructed a magical device to aid him which magnified the effects.
When all was ready and he was sure that he would succeed at changing the world, he called his great-grand-daughter to witness the birth of a new world. One he personally dubbed as the Allplane. Siestre watched from supposed safety as the elemental energies surrounded the old man, growing in frequency and power as his magic grew. It terrified her but she could not look away as eventually she could not see him any longer. She cried out to him and he answered, sounding completely alive and unharmed. He promised that everything was under control and nothing could possibly go wrong...
The large relic like device cracked. She could not see the crack, so tiny it was, but it almost deafened her. The spell energies became quickly unbalanced and sparked outside of the protective field. She screamed for him and ran unable to hear if he heard her or not. As she ran several holes were opening randomly, spewing forth the contents of their planes which she did her best to dodge. Explosions shut down her exit fire forced her back towards her main danger. There was no way out. Then she saw around a corner a strange swirling sphere of energy of many colours. Unsure if it was harmful or not she hesitated, looking back at the approaching danger. A random energy spike came out of nowhere at random and hit her. She was sure she would die as the force hurled her like a ragdoll down the short hallway straight into the scintillating sphere.
She left behind the physical world for a short time. The effects of the magical energy coursing through here and the hole in the planes were fast. She was propelled through each plane, staying in each for less than a second. Although unconscious she somehow remembers some feelings she felt during the journey. The blistering heat of the fire plane, replaced by a cool water. Then negative energy threatening to kill her and positive energy, then air, rock, darkness, light, evil and good. She remembers the feelings.
She awoke on the side of the hill near where the onderground experiment had taken place. It was a nightmare. Everything was blackened. The hill was almost completely gone. No sign of her great father or his relics. It was as if their home had been replaced by hell and destruction. The experiment had gone horribly wrong. Too much energy for him to control she concluded. Saddened she slept there out in the open that night not knowing what to do and without resources or clothes of any kind.
Siestre left the next day and was startled that it took her several hours to clear the destruction zone and find a tree that was still standing. She eventually came upon an abandoned farm and found clothes that fit. The former residents had likely fled after the explosion. If they survived at all. She could find no sign of bodies however. She travelled for days, finally coming to a city. In panic people fled into and out of it, unsure what the huge explosion meant. She could not stay. Several people knew her here and she would not risk any sort of conclusions or accusations leveled at her when it was found that her great grand father's place was near the center of this catastrophe. Now she wanders the world as strange things happen around her and abilities she discovers develop.
Type Elementalish sort of.(not sure what it would be really)
Origin Innocent victim of crazy magical experiments.
Motivation Discovering her new self. Figuring out if she will adapt. Reacting to the likely rejection she may receive from different individuals and races to her clearly strange and otherworldy abilities. Could be evil or good. Also could be a powerful being embracing her new self but still remaining good.(60/40 good/evil preference)
Crunch Ummmm... so I have a lot of ideas for her. Different strengths that manifests on different planes. Elemental abilities and attacks instead of normal damage. Mainly spellcasterish but can defend herself with some natural attacks. Elemental resistance. develop some immunities. ability to harness the power of different planes. Let's leave it there for now. I can expand later.
What thinkest thou most stalwart of GMs?
Sounds like great fun. I'll start trawling the bestiary for fun ideas.
Would you allow a lycanthrope? The advantage being that it would be quite easy to do character creation - follow the Skinwalker race and basically take normal class levels. A werewolf would interest me, but I'm also considering wereboar or werebear. It would work especially well if lycanthropy was exceedingly rare in your homebrew world.
What I'm imagining for a backstory is a fallen druid. In his hubris and vanity, he sought a way to combine the advantages of a wild shape with what he perceived to be the innate superiority and beauty of his own human form. He experimented with black magics, consorting with witches, to do so; and the spirits that govern the natural world were not pleased. Man was not meant to be merged with beast, and even attempting to do so cursed him. As a result, he's forever trapped in his shapechanged form, unable to ever look upon his treasured human features ever again.
Now, he seeks a way to break the curse and appease the nature spirits by slaughtering those who defy the natural order, as he once did. Nice thing about druids is that they're Neutral - my character could go evil or good and still be striving for the acceptance of nature, depending on his actions.
What do you think?
Lot of great ideas so far! Looking forward to piecing together a campaign for this.
You've got questions, so here goes:
@cydrius: interesting idea. A little against the grain, but I like the thought and world-building. 1. Yes, I plan to. For example, if you went sorcerer, you would still get some racial build points to make sure your monstrous-ness comes to the fore. And feats can be spent for more monstrous abilities. 2. You'll have to point out where that prestige class is so I can take a look at it. I don't plan to reinvent the wheel if I don't have to, so I guess my answer is "probably".
@Olcana: 1. You kind of answered it yourself. It's up to you and your backstory. For game purposes, everyone will start out as 1st level-approximate characters, but if you want to say your high-level mage caused this to himself, I've no problem with that. Sounds like a neat story goal, to get back the power he or she lost. 2. Absolutely role-play versus just roll-play. The thing I love about pbp is the ability for character immersion. I'd like to see this campaign grow through dynamic characters. 3. I'd say the first idea hews closer to the type of campaign I'm envisioning.
@Wombat: Really going evil, aren't you? Will she play nice with others in the party?
@Cuan: This campaign is about change, and evolution. So I don't have a problem with going from one type to another.
@Ronza: Clichés can be good starting points. Let me see what you've got.
@Wolf: I must admit I haven't looked at the play test this go. So I'm not sure. It depends on the product, but I'll consider third party materials, especially if it's about a monstrous class. Neat idea!
@Chillblame: I hadn't thought of that. Might work, so let's see what you've got!
@Repentance: I like the origin and the basic idea, but I'm not seeing the monster. And I'm worried that cramming too many elements and planes will result in a mishmash of abilities without a cohesive whole. But I give strong ideas and backgrounds a lot of weight, so I'd appreciate it if you can expand a bit on those concerns.
@Taco: I'm open to them, see my response to Chillblame.
Shrike of Thistlefeather
Type : Fey
As many fey do, the Thistlefeather Court loves to sneak into the nearby villages at night, doing the locals the great service of disposing of their mundane, ordinary young and instead gracing them with the honor of raising one of Queen Swandove’s own children.
One time, however, an unlikely twist of fate brought a boy back to the court who was anything but mundane. As usual wondering if there was something good that could be gained from the human child they’d so kindly taken away, she found that the baby boy was graced with a surprising amount of innate magic.
No surprise; he was the descendant of one of her children, multiple generations ago. Delighted that her descendance had kept so well, Queen Swandove reasoned that there could be something to make from this boy. She would grant him the name Shrike, that of a proud Thistlefeather lord, and awaken his true nature as a member of the Thistlefeather Court, and allow him to bloom as a true-blooded fey, much as he deserved for being her descendant.
It is these strange twists of fate that would soon unleash the teenaged Shrike on the world, and most likely on a very unusual group of adventurers.
More about the Thistlefeather court : Aligned Chaotic Neutral, the Thistlefeather fey are neither good nor bad. Rather, they operate on confusing morals centered mostly around curiosity and discovery. They could be swayed to either side by the promise of gifts, but are unlikely to make longtime allies to any other factions, preferring to be free spirits.
Motivation : Shrike considers himself a Fey, not a human. He would react with anger to implications that he is anything but a true fey, and would respond violently towards anyone trying to cure him. However, deep inside, he knows of his true nature and occasionally wonders what could have been. Seeing more of the human society may very well cause his heart to change and see things in another light.
Shrike is likely to follow the party out of curiosity, or due to some strange rule of the Thistlefeather Court. In any case, he would keep along due to being able to relate to their own transformations, and because of them being the most interesting people around for a long time. He could be swayed to both good and evil, depending on the circumstances. Anyone trying to sway him to either side, of course, will find that the bizarre morality of the fey makes a serious obstacle to it.
Crunch: Shrike will be a full-on spellcaster trickster. Taking levels in Fey Bloodling Sorcerer and developping evolutions primarily concerned with defense, mobility, and stealth.
Notes to GM: I’ve cleaned up the application, now that it’s not 1am in the morning. I’m not 100% sure what you mean by « against the grain ». Mind going a bit more in-depth on that? If it’s an issue, I’ll see what I can do to rectify it.
Also, on second thought, disregard the first-worlder archetype. It dawned on me that the eidolon is pretty much a straight nerf of the regular one.
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I am liking this ideal~ Let me whip up mai own info real quicklah~
Monster- Harpy
Class played- Oracle
Origins-
Wit the winged monsters closing in on her she did the one thing she had left to do. She prayed willingly to their lord, asking for protection, begging to do what ever he wanted if he would just let her live. And her prayers did not go unanswered. With a flash of light violent winds swirled around her just as the harpies burst into the room, but instead of trying to attack her they simply bowed at the statue and watched as the wind blew. And then there was darkness as Lilin passed out.
When she next awoke it was in a large bedding made up of straw and feathers. Getting upwards revealed something the back of her mind knew to be true, a pair of massive white wings stretched from her back, feathers running down her midsection until coating bird leg legs. When she ttried to yell and scream in rage it wasn't in the common she had practiced, but a demonic sounding tongue she had never heard before.
After she had calmed down her words returned, and other harpies gather round, referring to her as their leader, and blessed of Pazuzu. Understanding that her prayers had caused this, that they had indeed saved her life, but at what cost? Over the next few weeks she spent it fiercely refusing to accept her new nature, refusing to eat anything that wasn't a animal, refusing to let her self become completely gross and filthy. After a while she realized that this wasn't the place for her, and attempted to return to her home, before coming to the conclusion that, that too she would be ran out of.
Unknown what the demonlord had wanted from her she flew off into the world, hopping to find a place where she belonged once more.
Crunch- She would be more of a areal caster type, healing those that are injured out of her own good heart despite her current form (All the while trying to ignore instincts to do things the harpy way.) She would fall back on flying slash runs when cornered, as well as if trapped on the ground with nowhere to fly. Her curse would be of Tongues and her her power would be of the wind.
Notes to the Gm- Yes I know, What I have proposed could in fact be over kill, as harpies can fly, and flight can break the game, but combining the curse of tongues get's rid of the powerful voice weapon that harpies have, as by using it it would stress her out and it would be in abyssal.
Also if harpy is a no go, I'm fine with my back up monster, Lamia
@Cydrius: I meant that the theme is "human turned into monster" and a large part of the drama I had foreseen was the human mind coping with its new form, powers, and possibly instincts. The human grown up as fey and believing himself to be fey, runs a bit against that. I'm not saying it's a deal breaker, and plans were meant to change. I'm committed to this campaign, but I'm still waiting to see what kind of campaign it will be. :)
@Seiomi: I gotta say, I like it a lot.
Ah, I see. Hm. If much of the focus is going to be around that, then I will gladly fall back on alternate idea.
Here’s a second take on the idea, one which may fit the theme and focus a little better.
Shrike of Thistlefeather
Type : Fey
As many fey do, the Thistlefeather Court loves to sneak into the nearby villages at night, doing the locals the great service of disposing of their mundane, ordinary young and instead gracing them with the honor of raising one of Queen Swandove’s own children. The queen was rather attracted to humans, you see, and often chose to breed with passing human explorers. Her charms and gifts made this a rather alluring occasion for the occasional explorer who struck her fance. However, human children were so problematic until they bloomed into the true fey she could allow them to bloom into.
One of these children, Adrien, as his unwitting adoptive human parents would call him, would grow amongst humans, through no small amount of problems. He was scrawny and had strange, empty blue eyes. To his peers, this made him strange, and he was quickly ostracized, at first by his peers, but soon, as he began to show some strange magical aptitude, by the villagers as well.
Even his own parents, at times, could not help but wonder if their son had been replaced by… something.
One night, this would all change, when strange song whispered to Adrien from the nearby fores. He followed it, almost hypnotized, and found himself walking deep into the heart of the woods. Though he had often explored the forest, he soon found himself upon a trail he had never seen before. Strangely, he had been through this area quite often. It was as if the trail had come out of nowhere.
Even at night, the trail looked bright. Luminescent mushrooms dotted the forest and, even in the thick of night, songbirds flittered about, warbling magnificent musics.
Shrike would soon happen upon a clearing, where the figure of an elegant woman, draped in sumptuous feathery wings and bearing a heartwarming smile, greeted him.
« Ah, my son. You have grown into a fine young lad. Come to me, that I may give you the power you truly deserve. »
Never did fear or the thought of turning back strike the young lad. Whether it was because he had little of interest to return to, that he was curious as to what awaited him, or merely that the fey had easily enspelled him, Adrien marched forward, stopping before his mother. She smiled to him and planted a kiss upon his forehead.
« It is a pleasure to see you at last, my son. »
As the queen’s power surged through him, the revelation of his true nature coursed through his mind and heart.
I am Shrike of Thistlecourt, son of Queen Swandove. To the humans, I was Adrien. I was but a scrawny, irrelevant boy. Now, I can be so much more.
Was this truth or was it fey compulsion? Shrike could not tell. However, he knew one thing : He liked it. He liked this power, he liked his new mother, and he liked no longer being the village runt.
More about the Thistlefeather court : Aligned Chaotic Neutral, the Thistlefeather fey are neither good nor bad. Rather, they operate on confusing morals centered mostly around curiosity and discovery. They could be swayed to either side by the promise of gifts, but are unlikely to make longtime allies to any other factions, preferring to be free spirits.
Motivation : Having been mistreated and distrusted by the humans he has met, Shrike is rather doubting of them, perhaps even afraid. As thus, he has chosen to embrace his new nature as a fey unquestioningly. However, deep inside, he occasionally wonders what could have been if he had rejecter his mother’s gift. Contact with friendlier, more respectful humans may very well cause his heart to change and see things in another light.
Shrike is likely to follow the party out of curiosity, or due to some strange rule of the Thistlefeather Court. In any case, he would keep along due to being able to relate to their own transformations, and because of them being the most interesting people around for a long time. He could be swayed to both good and evil, depending on the circumstances. Anyone trying to sway him to either side, of course, will find that the bizarre morality of the fey makes a serious obstacle to it.
Crunch: Shrike will be a full-on spellcaster trickster. Taking levels in Fey Bloodling Sorcerer and developping evolutions primarily concerned with defense, mobility, and stealth.
Question : Is it an issue for the character to be relatively young? (13, 14 or so.) I figure it would be interesting to explore the transformation from the point of view of a character who has little experience of what it is to be a normal human, unaware of what he may be losing. This would allow him to contrast with more traditional transformations.
For the record, because the question is already coming up with Seiomi, I too would pick up flight if it were available.
Stalwart, just calling to your attention that I edited my original post. My edit went through pretty much as you were writing your previous post so I think you may have overlooked it, understandably so. :)
@Undead: Apologies. Thanks for pointing that out. Although I hope I wouldn't have missed it for long. I love the cursed aspect of lycanthropy, but its impermanence is problematic for this campaign. I'm much more partial to the "locked" form, so I appreciate your going that route.
Exactly, Seiomi - though at the point of character development he would be at the start of the campaign, my character wouldn't REALIZE that. He'd believe he could one day see his human face again, not an animal's - that's his deep-down motivation. For now though, he's stuck in were-form permanently.
So now, to decide whether I'd want to play a werewolf, a werebear, or a wereboar. They all have their advantages...but I think the role that my character would play would probably be front-line combatant. Maybe a barbarian, more likely a fighter, since his druidic magic was taken away from him. Maybe his former animal companion (who abandoned him when he was cursed) could even be a plot point for the DM to play with.
Can't wait to see what sort of characters come out of this.
Does my new take on Shrike fit the concept better, DM Stalwart?
It was this desire that drove her to eventually join one of the bigger temples to her deity. There she labored hard in hopes of eventually becoming a high priestess but when the time to pick a new high priestess arrived they simply chose the daughter of an already established high priestess, ignoring the country girl.
As time went by she was passed over again and again for someone who had close ties to the current high priestesses.
She prayed to her goddess for justice. She deserved to become a high priestess more than any of those wenches that were promoted. She got no answer. Every day she prayed again and again, requesting the boon of her deity. When, after months, there still was no response from her deity she instead demanded the blessing of her goddess. Her goddess agreed.
Solipha felt a surge of power flowing through her, filling her with the blessing of her goddess. When she looked down at her hands it looked more like a curse though. Her hands and forearms were covered in fine scales and her hands had turned to claws. Looking in the water bucket in her room she found her eyes had turned golden. Fearing the reaction of her peers she fled the temple and hid in the city.
Motivation: Solipha is very much distressed by her current state. She knows she has brought it upon herself by her demands to her goddess and she will have to deal with it.
I intend for her to eventually accept her new shape and actually revel in it. She will stay loyal to her goddess and hopes to make her proud. Initially she does this in the hope she can convince her goddess to undo the curse but she'd soon discover that it truly is a blessing.
She however still lusts for power and while she does her goddesses work it never comes without a price.
Development:
The idea is for the character to quickly go from Humanoid (Human, Reptilian) which she'd be at the start to Monstrous Humanoid and then eventually to Outsider. She'd also go from a bipedal base form to serpentine or perhaps get the ability to switch between legs and tail.
Like her deity she'd work with both poison and antidote, secreting a poison herself but also able to turn her poison into a healing extract. Eventually I'd like her to develop something similar to the Alchemist's Celestial Poison discovery.
She'd focus on the use of her claws and poison as well as her eventual fangs. By the time she develops a tail grappling and constrict would also become very interesting as would the Final Embrace line of feats from UC.
While she originally would be an Oracle or Cleric I see her become more of a Fighter, Monk or, if you allow the playtest, Brawler once the transformation sets in. Her ability to heal the debilitated would be an innate ability, not a class feature (basically she won't heal HP damage but will do things that fall under Restoration and it's ilk)
@Cydrius: Yes, lots better.
@Seiomi: I'm good with either way. If you go with the wings-as-arms route, that might bring some balance to a flying character so early. But I'm sure either way can be worked out.
@Cuan: Interesting idea! Curative poisons. Hmmm.
I'm changing the name because I've come up with one that I like better (and because it's not already taken as an alias. The young fey lad shall now be known as Peacock.
Re: Flying: Where I'm concerned, I'll pick flying at the level where it seems fair to you. There are plenty of flightless fey, so I could see Peacock picking it up only later on as his power grows.
(I am pondering finding another name for him, FWIW.)
I've taken the liberty of compiling the current applicants for our DM's convenience of perusal.
Cydrius : Fey – Trickster Spellcasting, “Peacock”
GM Capt Wombat : Devil – Brains over brawn
Cuàn: Gorgon – Melee with a small side of healing
El Ronza : Aberration
Oceanshieldwolf : Plant
Hustonj : Troll
True Repentance : Elemental-ish – Spellcaster with natural attacks
Undead Forum Slave : Lycanthrope – Melee combat
Seiomi Telanaa : Harpy – Spellcaster, healer, possible melee striker
Ought to make it easier keeping track.
If I've made any mistakes, feel free to copy the list over and update the issue.
@Seiomi - nice one! I unsuccessfully submitted a wingless harpy to a monster party. Glad to see there are more harpyphiles!
@Cydrius - thx for the list. I'm going for a melee-style caster.
@DM Stalwart - how do we proceed once you have commented on our concept?
If Evil Devil is a problem GM then I can go with my second idea of a transforming cursed dragon. The idea being that a dragon was made human and all it's memory's taken / whipped, Now that cause is fading, why she dos not know, but it's with some shock she must face her real form.
I am how ever thinking of a way so the Devil will play well with others.
My thinking is she's more lawful than evil, hunting Evil to take back to hell, not seeking good ones, a kind of hellish enforcer with a brain. Laws are every thing, contracts must be used. Thinking a kind of bureaucracy of hellish government, she"s died, been sent to hell and joined the lower ranks of that bureaucracy. She's now a case working bring in the bad for punishment.
Update:
Cydrius : Fey – Trickster Spellcasting, “Peacock”
GM Capt Wombat : Devil – Brains over brawn
Cuàn: Gorgon – Melee with a small side of healing
El Ronza : Aberration
Oceanshieldwolf : Plant - Melee-style caster
Hustonj : Troll
True Repentance : Elemental-ish – Spellcaster with natural attacks
Undead Forum Slave : Lycanthrope – Melee combat
Seiomi Telanaa : Harpy – Spellcaster, healer, possible melee striker
Where is the monster From the encounter she has 'evolved'. Her mind, thoughts and such are different. She is developing a sense of superiority. That she thinks herself now as above other humans and races. A higher being. She may decide that others should serve her or worship her. For now they are lesser and them dying for getting in her way is not an issue. Not a hideous looking or out and out murderous monster. But a subtle monster that would easily go for having her own sect or something like that. "I'm a higher being. Their lives are nothing compared to mine."
Work with other monsters that she deems as above other baser races would not bother her, especially if she sees their power as sort of equal to her. She would hope to be more powerful than them one day also butt hat is just her thoughts.
Avoid mishmash Perhaps this evolving is not complete and will get stronger as she levels up her abilities. A more powerful cohesive being. For first level perhaps she can have a number of 'planar templates' that affect her in different ways. So she has different "modes" that she can switch between depending on what she wishes to accomplish. Each one could also boost her spells. As is, fire mode activate(fire damage spells are cast at +1CL or something. Eventually being able to travel through other planes would be cool too.
Fire Bonus damage on natural attacks. Breath attack.
Water Breathe underwater. swim speed.
Earth Burrow. Tremor Sense.
Air Fly speed. Flying/gliding.
Positive Fast healing. Channel. Life abilities. Restoration.
Negative Draining/leeching abilities. Heals with inflict.
Shadow Stealthy. reach. Total concealment in dim light. shadow travel/step/blink.
Ethereal Incorporeal. telekinesis.
OK GM Second offering
If Devil is to hard to fit in group and may be a problem.
I also like this one more.
Type: Gold Dragon Kind NG
Looks: Her true form
In Three words: Beautiful, Intelligent, Remembering.
Origins: She was a bar maid, has been for year, now one ever said anything much to her, yes some of the locals got rowdy but she knew what to do with them. Beer mug on the head used to sort that kind of stuff out. Even when she liked the local lads they kept away from her, "odd" some would say, "she never got's old", "Been working at the Inn from the time of old Ned that was 5 generations ago" she had no clue as to why she always looked the same. She had no real memory's off her past, but she did remember seeing the Inn being built long long time before old Ned. But lately things had been changing, odd dreams. Dreams of flight and claws. She had been bigger, stronger, she she.. she it was always out of reach. Then the other day, yet another fight in the bar, she had been hit on the back. She had with out thinking spun around and then, breathed out, she did not like to think about it. She had just looked on as the Inn her home hand burned to the ground. What little she had she was carrying and looking down the road, she had set off into the night.
I night she could now see fine in. Some where someone would know what was happening to her.
Crunch : Intelligent Majesty,
@Cydrius: Thanks for the list!
@Wombat: I don't mind the evil, and now I see where you're going with it. I said in my opening post that I may make two campaigns if I get a lot going evil and a lot going with the struggle. We'll see how many submissions I get, and which directions they go.
@Wolf: Good question. I'll leave this open for at least through Friday, if not into the weekend, so the rough part is waiting for you early submitters. I will give more weight to the more complete application, meaning I am interested in learning about your human before the change. This also gives me a chance to see your writing style and your inventiveness. Furthermore, anything in your background is fair game for being used in the campaign -- something I've always enjoyed on both sides of the screen. So the more your submission sparks my imagination, the more likely you'll be selected.
EDIT:
@Repentance: I see where you're going with it now. Thanks for the elaboration.
I hope what I'm writing here all comes out as positive and encouraging. The last thing I want is to come across unreasonable and demanding. I've gotten a lot of great submissions so far and the wheels are already turning. And it hasn't been one day yet!
This looks like an interesting game that would fit perfectly with a character concept I came up with for a game that didn't get off the ground.
The idea behind Kane is that his mother was an adventurer, a monster hunter from a family of monster hunters. A necromancer hag managed to curse her with a subtle curse that she didn't realize she had until she gave birth to her first child.
This version of Kane uses a Stryx as his monster race, but I always pictured him being more along the lines of a gargoyle.
he doesn't quite fit your criteria because he's never been anything other than a monster, even though his parents are humans.
Let me know what you think of the concept.
Here I go with my construct.
Gretal Mystfriend was a cleric, assisting a noted creator of constructs in the capital. This creator, Magnus Hays had long desired the imortallity the form of a construct could bring. But he had to test it. After all to risk his exalted self could not be permitted. So he prepared his future form twice, once for the test and once for himself. As that form he chose an angelic guardian construct.
But who to test it on. Ah, that bumbling scholar Gretal. She would do, and if it didn't work, no great loss.
Gretal was having a good day. A nice breakfast of ham and eggs, with hot chocolate, followed by writing up her notes for master Hays, then back to the archives. She adjusted her spectacles and tucked her quill behind her ear. She entered her office and found Hays waiting for her.
"Master can I hel..."
The hold spell froze her in her tracks. Then everything went black.
A jumble of images, confusion, pain. Then coldness. But behind that, fury.
Gretal did not know how she ended up where she was, but the destruction she wrought when her new form escaped was terrifying to those that witnessed it. Hays claimed an evil spirit had posssesed the angel guardian and killed you. You don't remember what happened to your body.
Magnus Hays was still out somewhere. The kind, bumbling cleric, was gone. MYST would have revenge on Hays and the world that had allowed this to happen. But carefully. The opportunity for revenge may only come once.
Notes
Gretal was a cleric of law and good, mitra if using wotw.
She is now evil, but still acts with care and restraint.
She beieves her godchas abandoned her, so she turned to its opposite.
She may be redeemable.
Magnus Hays hurt her and stole her life. She wants not just to kill him but hurt him. Then kill him.
MYST sees herself as an angel of darkness
Is Gretal gone?
@Ravencourt: I took the liberty of reading your backstory. I like it, though you're right it strays away from the major theme. If you wanted, you could say the curse manifested at puberty, or when he was taking his vows, or even he activated a cursed item from his parents' spoils from their adventuring days. I'm not saying you have to go those routes if it's too outside your concept, but it might be something to consider.
@Chillblame: Nice! One thing about the construct, though, it doesn't grow and improve like a living being would. How would you want to address that? I can think of a few ways, but I'd like to hear what you would want.
Cool
if N or good
A Gold cursed old Dragon remembering who she was.
if evil
A Devil LE Hellish bureaucrat enforcer.
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@Dm Stalwart Making Backgrounds with enough hooks is one of my favorite things to do, and seeing as there was a ton of info to work with on harpies it was a cinch. I can totally see you using Pazuzu calling in a favor to force her to do something she reallllyyy doesn't want to. (Pm, btw did you know that his junk is just a poisonous snake? I don't know weather to laugh or cringe.) As well as her struggling to avoid doing things such as lure in prey with her song, or eat sentient beings; or not take baths.
@ Capt Wombat great, a Bureaucrat; What every team needs, the evil lawyer~
EDITED: @ Chillblame There is also the official pathfinder android race that explained it's growth by a semi-living nanite that flows through them like blood that could be used as a loose base.
@Ravencourt: I took the liberty of reading your backstory. I like it, though you're right it strays away from the major theme. If you wanted, you could say the curse manifested at puberty, or when he was taking his vows, or even he activated a cursed item from his parents' spoils from their adventuring days. I'm not saying you have to go those routes if it's too outside your concept, but it might be something to consider.
@Chillblame: Nice! One thing about the construct, though, it doesn't grow and improve like a living being would. How would you want to address that? I can think of a few ways, but I'd like to hear what you would want.
Hmmm
I recall that in 3.5 there was a construct that could level, used two rapiers damned if I can remember the name. But any way, if I was to build like an angel eidolen that would work I think. Make it a consruct type, but gian the fixed abilities listed in ultimate magic for an eidolen angel form.What do you think.
Well, inspiration struck, so here's version 3 (or is it v4?) of Peacock's origin. This should be the final one.
I'll update the list later.
Peacock of Thistlefeather
Type : Fey
One boy, Adrien Fletcher, snoozed quietly, withou a concern in the world. In the safety of his home, he did not need to worry about the children at school shoving and pushing him for being the "weird runt". He did not need to worry about the strange empty blue eyes only he bore. He didn't need to worry about the concerns of his parents when the village folk looked at him as some alien being because of that distinctive sign.
In his sleep, he dreamt of songbirds.
He was on a forest trail, walking along a sparkling stream. The trees were lit as though it was day, and yet the sky showed nighttime and bright stars.
The songbirds sang in unison, a harmonious chorus almost impossible in its perfection, as though a single being sang through each and every one of the small feathered creatures.
By all logic, Adrien should have been confused, scared even by the impossible scene. Yet, he felt at peace here in these lands. Soon, the trees grew dark as well, though the birds kept singing. Mushrooms now lined the path, luminescent, lighting the path at his feet, so as to say "Do not be afraid." Colorful thistles, all of bright pinks, grew on each side of the road, filling the air with a sweet scent.
Then, before he knew it, he stood before her. Queen Swandove of the Thistlefeather court.
"My son." the fey queen declared, rising from her flowering throne of thorns with a smile. She took a step towards Adrien, her bright mantle of ivory-white feathers fluttering behind her aas she did. "How you have grown. Come before your mother, that I may give you the power that is truly yours."
Adrien stepped back, frightened, until he saw them. Her eyes. Her empty blue eyes. His empty blue eyes. Could she truly be...
Other fey approached. Each of them draped in colorful feathers. Each of them curious to see another one of the queen's sons.
Had he been conscious of his actions, Adrien would have ran. However, in his dream, he stepped forward, as though it were the normal thing to do. Why would he want to disobey his mother?
Queen Swandove leaned forward and kissed her son's forehead.
"Peacock, my son. I am pleased to see you return. Now go forth and find yourself. It will be a long journey, but you must go through it, as each of us has done before. I will see you when the time comes."
"I... I don't understand... What do you mean, when I find..."
He awoke with a start. All was dark around him. He reached for the oil lamp by his bed, but did not find it. His mattress was feeling rather hard, as well. He opened his eyes, sat up, and was met by a most confusing sight.
He wasn't at home. In fact, he wasn't at the village at all. He was at the edge of the woods, laying on the ground, in his everyday clothing and not his pajamas. Frightened and lost, he rushed home, only to trip almost immediately. He looked down at his feet, and found a most disconcerting sight. His feet bore sharp talons, which had pierced out of his boots. As his eyes rose back, wide in shock, he noticed blue feathers draped over his back. A cloak of them, in fact, each broad, long, and marked with a pattern of colors. The shock of the sight made them unfold into a pair of dazzling wings. Trying to make them flap as he may, however, Adrien found that he couldn't achieve any kind of flight with them.
"What happened to me?" he asked, walking back to the village. "Wasn't it a dream?"
Sneaking under the gate in his usual spot, Adrien began the walk home, smiling as he thought of the sweet aromas that would be wafting from the Baker's house as he would walk across; a simple pleasure that, for an instant, brought his mind back to reality.
That is, until that illusion, too, was shattered. As the scent of the day's bread reached him, Adrien's stomach lurched and he nearly fell to his knees. "... No. Not that too. Am I... Did I really become a fey?"
He caught sight of his reflection in a nearby puddle, to the light of the waxing moon. Though it was his face he saw, it was different. So very different. His skin had turned a dazzling shade of blue, and glittering markings extended over his cheek and his once chestnut brown hair had turned a deep shade of navy. His ears were long and pointy, those of the creatures of the woods.
His hands trembled. His lip quivered. Adrien began to cry. "No! No! It can't be true!"
Alerted by the noise, the villagers lit their porches, and before long, he was surrounded.
"You shouldn't be here, kind one."
"Why is this beautiful creature in our village? Has it come for our children?"
"Why are the woods gracing us with this one's presence now?"
Adrien knew such sayings. One should never speak of the fey in harsh terms, but their expressions told all. They hated him, they feared him.
"No! Please!" He pleaded, as the men brandished blades of cold iron. "It's me! Adrien! Don't you recognize me?"
And then, at once, he heard that voice. His father. "... No. Not him. Not my son. They took you away..."
"Father! No! It's me! Your son! Adrien! I swear!"
"Liar!" Adrian's father roared, raising his longsword in the air. "You are no son of mine!"
The villagers gaped in horror as the man threatened one of the fey.
"You're a monster! Return my son to me at once!"
"W-why won't you believe me? It's me! Father, please! I beg of you!" Adrien gazed in his father's eyes, and found nothing but hate and rage. He looked to the door of his home, and there stood his mother, crestfallen and horrified.
"It was the eyes, Fletcher! We warned you about the eyes! They'd marked him, and now they took him back and sent this one to taunt us!"
"That's enough of these blasted fey! I think it's about time we took the war to them!"
With a mob in pursuit, armed with torches and iron, Adrien had no choice but to flee into the woods.
They... they didn't believe me. I'm just a monster to them.
Tell me, my son. Has it ever been so different? Were you not "Adrien the Runt" or "The child with the strange eyes"?
Adrien disappeared into the woods, lost and unsure of where to go. The village had been his entire life. Now, where was he to go?
As he ventured into the dark boughs, however, he found that he felt no fear. As he walked, the birds awoke and sang their melodies for him. They sang for Peacock.
Adrien recalled the glowing mushrooms and the bright feathers of his mother. He recalled the other fey that looked upon him. He recalled the strange familliarity.
Perhaps... could it be that Peacock was who he was meant to be?
Without thinking, Peacock snapped his fingers and lights appeared around him, lighting the path before him.
He smiled as he saw what stood there. A patch of bright pink thistle.
Go forth and find yourself...
The Thistlefeather Court : Aligned Chaotic Neutral, the Thistlefeather fey are neither good nor bad. Rather, they operate on confusing morals centered mostly around curiosity and discovery. They could be swayed to either side by the promise of gifts, but are unlikely to make longtime allies to any other factions, preferring to be free spirits.
Motivation : Peacock is conflicted on his true nature. He does not know whether he truly is of the fey, having been swapped for a human child to be raised by human parents, or whether the fey took him away to make him one of their own. His transformation came at a confusing time. Not only does he question his nature as a fey, but these changes were placed upon him at an age where he was still questioning what it meant to be human.
Being thrust into a new body when your original one was still discovering itself is a most disorienting experience.
He will likely follow the party as they are the rare few people who can relate to his state. He may, perhaps, seek with them advice as to who he is and who he could be. Only time will tell whether he seeks to reclaim his identity as Adrien Fletcher, the scrawny human boy whom life was never too kind to, or to fully embrace his newfound name and nature, with all the enigmas and mysteries it carries along.
No matter which choice he makes, however, it will be his decision, and his decision only.
Crunch: Peacock will be a full-on spellcaster trickster. Taking levels in Fey Bloodline Sorcerer and developing evolutions primarily concerned with defense, mobility, and stealth.
The DM has yet to say anything to the contrary so I'd say you're good to try.
@Dm Stalwart Making Backgrounds with enough hooks is one of my favorite things to do, and seeing as there was a ton of info to work with on harpies it was a cinch. I can totally see you using Pazuzu calling in a favor to force her to do something she reallllyyy doesn't want to. (Pm, btw did you know that his junk is just a poisonous snake? I don't know weather to laugh or cringe.) As well as her struggling to avoid doing things such as lure in prey with her song, or eat sentient beings; or not take baths.
@ Capt Wombat great, a Bureaucrat; What every team needs, the evil lawyer~
EDITED: @ Chillblame There is also the official pathfinder android race that explained it's growth by a semi-living nanite that flows through them like blood that could be used as a loose base.
I hadn't thought of the android, but that would be interesting. Ta
@Ravencourt: I took the liberty of reading your backstory. I like it, though you're right it strays away from the major theme. If you wanted, you could say the curse manifested at puberty, or when he was taking his vows, or even he activated a cursed item from his parents' spoils from their adventuring days. I'm not saying you have to go those routes if it's too outside your concept, but it might be something to consider.
@Chillblame: Nice! One thing about the construct, though, it doesn't grow and improve like a living being would. How would you want to address that? I can think of a few ways, but I'd like to hear what you would want.
Hmmm
I recall that in 3.5 there was a construct that could level, used two rapiers damned if I can remember the name. But any way, if I was to build like an angel eidolen that would work I think. Make it a consruct type, but gian the fixed abilities listed in ultimate magic for an eidolen angel form.
What do you think.
You're thinking of the Nimblewright. I don't remember it being able to gain class levels though.
There was an Awaken Golem spell though.
@Ravencourt: I took the liberty of reading your backstory. I like it, though you're right it strays away from the major theme. If you wanted, you could say the curse manifested at puberty, or when he was taking his vows, or even he activated a cursed item from his parents' spoils from their adventuring days. I'm not saying you have to go those routes if it's too outside your concept, but it might be something to consider.
Those are good ideas. Any of them would work. Any preferences that would work best with this story?
Expanding on my thoughts on doing this character, it could be played as an eidolan as I noted above, but instead of the angel template the devil one seems more apro.
Also it could be a living construct with a con stat.
If there was no con, just a straight construct traits, then maybe some damage reduction. Possibly. :)
Also like seiomi suggested it could be done as an android as a base.
Maybe a combination of the two.
Story time
When gretal went on her rampage, she had the abilities of the angel guardian, but was damaged. Slowly her capabilities will return. MYST will regain her power and more!