Templars of the Five Winds vs. Monk of the Four Winds

[Akumamajin]

Hello my fellow GMs

I started a new LoF campaign with my other RPG group and so far everyone is quite enjoying themselfs. The fun thing with this group is, that we are ultra elemental and plane-y, consisting of one Sylph, one Oread, one Suli, one Thiefling and one Gnoll; just perfect.

Ok, the thing why I started this thread: the Oread is a monk of the Four Winds, and when the party learned about the Templers of the FIVE Winds in the monastery, that immediately piqued his interrest and we was asking questions about Davashuum ever since.

I think that this offers some nice hooks for this campaign: I opens the potential for character development, should this monk learn something about the enigmatic fifth wind and encompass that into his fighting style, but it would also be quite the shock, when his favorite templer betrays Naveshti and turns into a bitter enemy.

So, community, any ideas what I could do with my little monk? The other four winds seem to be about the four classic elements, thats what the Monks of the Four Winds are all about, their Elemental Fist feat. What could be the fifths wind? Davashuum is described as 'the fury of winds from all directions' and being assassin and executioner, so this sounds to me like a sneaky git with the 'Dimensional Agility' feat chain.

Any other ideas? I plan to make every templers weapon into a weapon of legacy, not just tempest. I know, that this dilutes tempest impact significantly, but it helps that every player feels special and happy. So I could see Davashuum being a monk with his weapon of legacy giving him some nice dimensional hopping skills and stuff.

Thanks in advance.
Happy gaming.

[DM Dan E]

I have Davashuum as a Monk of the Four Winds, she (in my game) can switch things around and use different elemental attacks to get around their resistances. I'd match their weapon to one of the party members. Upping their involvement is a great idea I think.

My initial plan:

Was for her to act as a foil for my party monk. I had her already leave the Templars (I want the dead one alive to appear) and throw in with the div (allowing a way to build them in as they lack any involvement beyond the bestiary entries) who want the efreet to achieve his goal for their own reasons, the misery of humankind. That provides a natural reason for her to work with the efreet and allows her to make an appearance earlier.

Circumstances won't let that play out but I think its a neat idea. In your game perhaps she could even appear to and train your monk with the intention of turning him to the dark side. Makes for a great confrontation mid chapter 6.

[Akumamajin]

DM Dan E wrote:

I have Davashuum as a Monk of the Four Winds, she (in my game) can switch things around and use different elemental attacks to get around their resistances. I'd match their weapon to one of the party members. Upping their involvement is a great idea I think.

** spoiler omitted **

Thank you for your input. In my game I wanted Davashuum to be still loyal, but when the players get the map of Kakishon, he will try to take it forcefully from them, to he at long last the one who gives it back to Nafeshti. During the unfair fight Pazhvann intervers and gets killed. Moments later the real Nafeshti teleports in, stripping Davashuum of her wishcraft powers and cursing him. In disgust he leaves and later joins Javhul, to wish for his restored powers.

But I like the part with Davashuum training my monk PC at first. In this campaign the party managed, to let Kardsvan live and heal him from the deamons influence. I think, maybe he searched for Nafeshti, to tell her of this brave party and that Verdishal was active again. This is how Davashuum learns of the party and he comes to investigate, posing to be the wise teacher, but already showing subtle hints of his darker side.

Maybe he even murdered the returning Kardsvan, to prevent the others from hearing the news. This would be another of-camera-death, and because Kardsvan already left the templers, Nafeshti wouldn't come to investigate at once, why her link to one of her templers was broken.

I will wrap my head around this a bit more, but thanks for the input :)

Happy gameing.

[DM Dan E]

All fine options. The main thing I think is that Davashuum seems too good an adversary to leave to the start of chapter 6 and I personally love to have a party interact with enemies prior to the point they can reasonably hope to beat them. Interference from Nefeshti or Pazhvann can provide an out if it looks like they're going to slaughter themselves.