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I've been looking into the mgambyan institute (for a possible character concept) and trying to get the lore/theme of a student of that school. One of the things is that they generally have a bonded mask (animal themed) and I'm looking for a potential mask to aim for. Considering their a head slot and would preclude a headband of int +x they seem a bad choice and I'm just wondering if anyone's used a mask what would you say the best general purpose mask for multiple situations would be? At the moment I'm thinking trying to craft one would be best just to get the + int option.
Goz mask is a lovely choice with various fog/cloud spells.
No, I mean using cloud spells to blind your enemy and not yourself. The party in my RotRL campaign has everyone equipped with a goz mask, or equivalent, and spams cloud spells all over the place, highly effective.
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Might have to look into this school. Sounds like an interesting concept if all the students have bonded items that are Masks.
It just seems to scream Illusionists to me :3
So Take the Item Hat of Disguise add in Nondetection and Misdirection enchantments to the mask. Could make for quite the amusements :3
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Might have to look into this school. Sounds like an interesting concept if all the students have bonded items that are Masks.
It just seems to scream Illusionists to me :3
So Take the Item Hat of Disguise add in Nondetection and Misdirection enchantments to the mask. Could make for quite the amusements :3
Honestly I got interested in it originally because it lets an arcanist if you take the archetype cast a few spells from the druid school if they meet specific criteria which included healing ones (my personal preference). Then I saw the 2nd ed (which I mostly ignore) AP strength of thousands which is all about players serving in the Magaambyan school from recruits to teachers (rapid advancement obviously as its an AP but you can stretch it out easily enough from what I can see).
Anyway the first book talks about the progression of students . . .
Initiate
First joined study lessons and serve around the campus as well as learning about the five branches and deciding which you want to join. . .
Rain Scribe: Explores the world and serves as a guide to others.
Tempest Sun Mage: Defenders and warriors.
Cascade Bearer: Magical research and development.
Emerald Bough: Studies the world (cultures, people and events)
Uzjanti: Gather and share stories.
Part of this stage is a period of public service helping others. You also get given beads as I think a sign of approval for that teacher (not entirely sure on this).
Attendant
When you've completed your period of service and satisfied your teachers your ready to advance you become an attendant. This is when you get a blank mask and materials to make a personal mask (usually if not always animal themed). This is done under the supervision of your teacher, and they may help you if needed. You attach cloth, beads, metals and feathers to a blank wooden mask that has transformative properties that allow it to not only be decorated but change and respond to your experiences and aspirations. Lorewise a bit of your soul goes into it during the shaping to make it transform from say a wooden mask with bits of fur stuck on to a wooden mask with professionally applied fur, boars tusk jutting up and other personal details of your own boar mask, this is also when it becomes your bonded object. That mask becomes associated with you and represents you for the rest of your characters life so other people may know you more by the mask than your actual face.
For example the character that got me looking into this has a fox mask with half white and half black colouring, golden bits of metal around the nose and eyes, red on the inside of the ears and to outline the mouth, 3 red whisker marks on each side of the face and red tasles with bells on it. That is my fox mask, another magaambyan may have a fox mask all red, with a sharper muzzle and ears.
Conversant
If you've satisfied the teachers you are dedicated and responsible enough you get promoted to this level and are able to represent the school e.g. a Uzjanti conversant might be sent to gather the stories and folk tales in fog shrouded Ustalav.
Lore Speaker
This is the final level when you have proven yourself enough to be appointed to an official teaching role in the school itself.
Personally I'm not entirely sure yet on the conversant/lore speaker distcintion (need more time to read the AP and see if I can figure it out). Still it seems like it can be easily shaped around your desires e.g. a 1st level character could be an initiate sent out to do their period of public service and not having a bonded mask yet (if your class gets arcane item later) through to a conversant out on an official task by the school. I'd probably not have a 1st level character be a lore speaker unless the story reflected that let them "retire" to that role later.
A cool bonded object mask could actually be an Improved Familiar. The Spirit Oni appears as a mask that can be worn by the PC the creature is bound to. While worn it grants a +2 Insight bonus to Perception. When not being worn the mask can float around independently, making Gore attacks or using SLA's.
Interesting and a possible option too given the flavour for you getting a bonded object is part of your soul going into it.
Lamashtu's mask called the Demon Mother's Mask.
No, I mean using cloud spells to blind your enemy and not yourself. The party in my RotRL campaign has everyone equipped with a goz mask, or equivalent, and spams cloud spells all over the place, highly effective.
I've been in a party where everyone had a goz mask and some way to ignore inhaled stuff. We wrecked everything with stinking cloud etc and a fighter with a reach weapon build for tripping.