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Let Me Tell You about My Character...

Monday, March 29, 2010

It seems like I’m the guy who usually ends up running the game, so when Sean announced that he was going to run a high-level campaign where all the PCs would be demon-worshiping drow nobles, I jumped at the chance to play. After all, high-level play, demons, and drow are three of my favorite things! You got a first look into the mayhem of our first session last week when Sean showed off his creepy black light, but today I’m going to tell you about my character. Like it or not!

Photography by James Jacobs

Alivorah Azrinae (CE female drow noble bard 7/demoniac 6) is something of a troublemaker, even in drow society. She's gotten in hot water with the Azrinaes many times in the past for cavorting and fraternizing with other houses—she thinks of herself as a spy, and loves learning secrets about other people and organizations. Her main problem is that she doesn't follow orders well and doesn't like divulging secrets without learning a secret in return—a trait that makes her not very helpful as a spy to anyone but herself. As a demoniac, she bears the mark of Abraxas on her right shoulder as a pale tattoo-like marking. Currently, she's a bit agonized by the fact that she actually knew a few secrets about the attack on the Azrinae family—had she divulged them, she could have possibly saved her house from being exiled. Her main goal now is to see that the Azrinae family gets to return to Zirnakaynin in a greater position of power than before. And if she gets herself a promotion in the family to a position of greater power, all the better!

The attached picture features the miniature I’m using for Alivorah, standing next to her entry on the family tree chart that Sean provided us. The mini (which was painted for me by the always-awesome Stephen Radney-MacFarland, who’s mini-painting skills are SIGNIFICANT) is one I originally used for Jason’s campaign a year or so ago, but since Jason quit running that game, I saw this as a great opportunity to use my cool drow mini again, even though she doesn’t really match the type of gear Alivorah carries. Also, those with keen eyes will note that Alivorah is the sister of Rob McCreary’s character, and that Josh is playing her uncle and Crystal her aunt. Should make for some interesting dynamics around the table!

As for that bit about being a “demoniac,” well... that’s a prestige class I’m taking the opportunity to playtest during this campaign. Originally presented as the 5-level demonic initiate prestige class in Pathfinder Adventure Path #15, this class is being upgraded to a 10-level prestige class and renamed to “demoniac” (the noun definition of which is “a person seemingly possessed by a demon or evil spirit”—it’s not a prestige class for characters who make smart decisions regarding the well-being of their immortal soul). Full details on the demoniac prestige class will appear in the upcoming Lords of Chaos: Book of the Damned Volume 2.

And for those readers who don’t care about my new character (you’re dead to me!), here’s a quick preview of some of the content I’m working on for Lords of Chaos—the beginning of Abraxas’s entry in Chapter 1: The Abyss and its Lords! (Note! The following hasn’t even been through development yet—some elements are certain to change by the time it sees print later this year.)

Abraxas

Master of the Final Incantation

Male demon lord of magic and forbidden lore

Cult

Temple libraries, reliquaries, vaults

Worshipers drow, sorcerers

Minions mariliths, xacarbas (see Pathfinder Bestiary II), serpentine creatures

Sacrifice spellbooks, magic scrolls, those who reveal secrets

Obedience Self-flagellate with a small whip or tree branch, punctuating each stroke with utterances of mystic words of power. Gain a +4 profane bonus on saves against written magical effects, such as sepia snake sigil or symbol of death.

Boons

1: Secret Lore (Sp) Gain one of the following spell-like abilities: identify 3/day, augury 2/day, or illusory script 1/day

2: Heretical Revelation (Su) Up to three times a day you can whisper terrible secrets to an adjacent target as a standard action. The target can resist with a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 your HD + your Charisma modifier). If the target fails its save, it is stunned for 1 round, then confused for 1d4 rounds, and then nauseated for 2d6 rounds. This is a mind-affecting effect.

3: Penultimate Incantation (Sp) You affect a single creature within 60 feet with a targeted greater dispel magic. Each spell or effect dispelled inflicts fire damage to the target equal to the result of your caster level check made to dispel the magic.

James Jacobs
Creative Director

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Tags: Bards Demons Drow Exiles of Zirnakaynin Miniatures Monsters Prestige Classes
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Drizzt clone.

;)

I kid.

House Azrinae rides again !
Dark Archive

And thanks for the preview James!
Liberty's Edge

This is why I buy from Paizo; you guys are total dorks. Using your blog to talk about your character?

... dorky ... but awesome ^_^

I feel comfortable here.

Penultimate Incantation is wicked cool - very appropriate for Abraxas!

Dang it! Leave it to James to inspire me. It sounds like a wickedly fun campaign. Feed us trolls more please.

Penultimate means "second best" so what's the Ultimate Incantation?

(Well, technically "next to last" but what's the Ultimate Incantation anyway?)
Paizo Employee Creative Director
Wolf Munroe wrote:

Penultimate means "second best" so what's the Ultimate Incantation?

(Well, technically "next to last" but what's the Ultimate Incantation anyway?)

That would be the "Final Invocation." Note Abraxas's title: Master of the Final Invocation. He's the only one who gets to utter this one, and it's baaaad news when he does. (I suspect it basically functions like Penultimate Invocation but works like mage's disjunction on multiple targets.)

hey James..was that the figure you used for Shensen when she was still a Drow?
Paizo Employee Creative Director
DM Wellard wrote:
hey James..was that the figure you used for Shensen when she was still a Drow?

Nope; that was actually the figure I used in Jason's Eberron game for Zulshyn.

Had a different mini that I've since lost (or more likely unconsciously donated to Jason Nelson's minis collection) for Shensen.

Painted minis with round bases look so cool.

Is there any reference you'd recommend for learning mini painting? Do you paint your own or have your own mini painter?

On one hand, I want to get into mini painting. On the other hand, I hate to do anything when I know I'm going to mess up.
Grand Lodge

That mini is pretty hawt! Where'd you get it?
Liberty's Edge
James Jacobs wrote:

2: Heretical Revelation (Su) Up to three times a day you can whisper terrible secrets to an adjacent target as a standard action. The target can resist with a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 your HD + your Charisma modifier). If the target fails its save, it is stunned for 1 round, then confused for 1d4 rounds, and then nauseated for 2d6 rounds. This is a mind-affecting effect.

"Psst! Ketchup is a vegetable!"

Contributor
Wolf Munroe wrote:

Painted minis with round bases look so cool.

Is there any reference you'd recommend for learning mini painting? Do you paint your own or have your own mini painter?

On one hand, I want to get into mini painting. On the other hand, I hate to do anything when I know I'm going to mess up.

I'd start by reading this thread:

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/community/gaming/gamerLife/paintingMin is

:)
Jon Brazer Enterprises
Sean K Reynolds wrote:
Wolf Munroe wrote:

Painted minis with round bases look so cool.

Is there any reference you'd recommend for learning mini painting? Do you paint your own or have your own mini painter?

On one hand, I want to get into mini painting. On the other hand, I hate to do anything when I know I'm going to mess up.

I'd start by reading this thread:

Link

:)

linkified

Dark Archive
poizen37 wrote:
That mini is pretty hawt! Where'd you get it?

The mini is now known as Lanyssa Ryssyll, Nyss Sorceress a Minions solo for Hordes. It was origianaly a part of Privateer Presses Ironkingdoms roleplaying miniture line. You can get it at any game store that stocks Warmachine stuff.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
Koresh wrote:
poizen37 wrote:
That mini is pretty hawt! Where'd you get it?
The mini is now known as Lanyssa Ryssyll, Nyss Sorceress a Minions solo for Hordes. It was origianaly a part of Privateer Presses Ironkingdoms roleplaying miniture line. You can get it at any game store that stocks Warmachine stuff.

...such as paizo.com!

Dark Archive
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

James, you know I'm down for making a mini for your character. Heck, I'd make the whole group, and release 'em as parts of a drow set.

Send a description for your character, and anyone else interested in having their PC immortalized in printer ink, to my e-mail, and I'll get on 'em ASAP.
Sovereign Court Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder
N'wah wrote:

James, you know I'm down for making a mini for your character. Heck, I'd make the whole group, and release 'em as parts of a drow set.

Send a description for your character, and anyone else interested in having their PC immortalized in printer ink, to my e-mail, and I'll get on 'em ASAP.

I will take you up on that!

Grand Lodge
Vic Wertz wrote:
Koresh wrote:
poizen37 wrote:
That mini is pretty hawt! Where'd you get it?
The mini is now known as Lanyssa Ryssyll, Nyss Sorceress a Minions solo for Hordes. It was origianaly a part of Privateer Presses Ironkingdoms roleplaying miniture line. You can get it at any game store that stocks Warmachine stuff.
...such as paizo.com!

As a huge fan of shameless plugs, I think that is *exactly* what I will do!

I take this blog post as tacit permission to corner James at cons and tell him stories about OUR characters.

Quid pro quo, Jacobs. Quid pro quo.
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Timitius wrote:
I will take you up on that!

Do it, Tim! E'mail's you(dot)swit(at)gmail(dot)com if you don't have it already.

Paizo Employee Creative Director
Damn Crab wrote:

I take this blog post as tacit permission to corner James at cons and tell him stories about OUR characters.

Quid pro quo, Jacobs. Quid pro quo.

How is that any different from the way the world worked BEFORE I made this post? :-P

James Jacobs wrote:
Damn Crab wrote:

I take this blog post as tacit permission to corner James at cons and tell him stories about OUR characters.

Quid pro quo, Jacobs. Quid pro quo.

How is that any different from the way the world worked BEFORE I made this post? :-P

It's like BDSM.

Once you have permission, you no longer have to feel guilty.

(And I'm pretty sure THAT comment would've been enough to win THIS
thread.)
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