INTEREST CHECK: City of the Drow (reboot) 3.5 DnD [14/?? spots filled]

Started by Zaer Darkwail, September 29, 2011, 06:38:30 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Snake

Yeah that's what would work better.  Makes sense with how the society works.

Kunoichi

Quote from: Zaer Darkwail on December 06, 2011, 01:42:52 PM
Well, I only allow deep dragon as potential mount but they do get alternative form quite soon in age category, but considering it's both cohort and mount I only treat him as cohort with mount benefits without extra HD. As any HD advancement your mount gets is based on what level cohort he is than your levels as paladin. But your paladin levels determine the additional abilities otherwise.

><; The problem is, any age category of Deep Dragon that I could take as a cohort at this level isn't actually large enough to act as a mount.  If it got the extra HD, it would go up to the Young Adult age category and be Large in size, rather than Medium, but as it is, the most I can get is Young.

And that's without also including the extra +2 LA for getting Paladin's Mount abilities...

If I can't get the extra HD, then the only dragon I can find that would work as a mount at this level is the Red Dragon.  Which, admittedly, I'm willing to settle for, but I'll have to rework my concept a little and pretty much entirely discard this awesome manipulative Hex Dragon cohort/mount I was working up. ^^;

Zaer Darkwail

Ok, I allow mount levels stack in HD to your cohort then. So it's age category changes. But your choice is only deep dragon as any dragon would not able survive (or find eggs) in underdark.

Xerial

Damn my brain for having read this thread. I've got a Drow of mine I've been itching to play in some capacity for ages, but haven't had a venue for. I might have to stat him out again, see what I can do. That is if there's room for the owner of surface influenced tavern who happens to be an accomplished swordsman.

...and as I was typing this my brain went to another character, a Factotum... damn my brain twice.

Kunoichi

Quote from: Zaer Darkwail on December 06, 2011, 02:06:26 PM
Ok, I allow mount levels stack in HD to your cohort then. So it's age category changes. But your choice is only deep dragon as any dragon would not able survive (or find eggs) in underdark.

Would it be alright if I PMed you the details for the Hex Dragon?  It's got 'Underground' listed as one of its environments and it has a burrow speed, so I think it would fit in just fine in an underdark campaign.

Plus, being usually neutral evil in alignment and described as 'infamous for their love of corruption, betrayal, and decay', I don't think it would be too out of character for one to sell its own children on the black market in order to finance some scheme or other. ^^;

Zaer Darkwail

I prefer stick with deep dragon, I am bit itchy allow dragons which I am not familiar with. Deep dragons also have natural close relationship with drows so what is actual specific reason you want hex dragon over deep dragon? As their lores sound similar anyways. What is breath weapon of hex dragon or what sort abilities it gets?

Xerial, feel free roll a skilled drow swordsman who runs 'surface influenced' tavern :). He could fit very well as tavernkeeper in foreigners ghetto.

Kunoichi

The Hex Dragon is a variety of dragon known as an Arcane Dragon.  Basically, Arcane Dragons are dragon species whose abilities focus more towards their inherent sorcerer spellcasting, as opposed to their draconic cousins' more exceptional physical abilities.  All Arcane Dragons get Alternate Form from the Wyrmling age category onwards, all of them have a special trait called Graceful Flight where their maneuverability is always at least good, regardless of size (but their movement speeds are about half those of regular dragons), and all of them have a special trait called Physical Frailty where their reach with claw and wing attacks is always lowered by 5 ft if it would be at 10 ft or more due to size, and their natural weapons do damage as if they were a size category smaller.

In exchange, they get faster casting progression than regular dragons, and the two dragons in Dragon Magazine #343 also have ridiculously-increased spell knowledge. ^^; The Tome Dragon automatically knows all Conjuration and Divination spells off the Sorcerer/Wizard list of a level it can cast, while the Hex Dragon has all Necromancy and Enchantment spells.

Other abilities of the Hex Dragon at the age category I'd be getting one at are Deathwatch at-will, Suggestion 3/day, +4 to saves versus death effects, enchantment spells, and spells or effects that deal negative energy damage, immunity to disease and poison, a Retributive Curse ability where it can, once per round, force someone who deals damage to it to make a Will save vs 1d4 rounds of being Sickened or Nauseated, and a breath weapon that's a line of Con-damage Poison.

The main reasons I want the Hex Dragon over the Deep Dragon are the better maneuverability on the flight, the retributive curse ability, and the spellcasting.  Also, just for the record, while the extra spell knowledge is powerful, I don't think it will actually be overpowered, given the fact that the dragon will have the casting of only an 8th-level Sorcerer. ^^; The remaining bonus HD from the Paladin levels won't be enough to bump it up by an age category, so it'll always be 4 levels behind the drow spellcasters and 6 behind the half-drow spellcasters.

Zaer Darkwail

Hmmm, considering it's your cohort also I will allow hex dragon but as regular mount I would not allow it :P.

TheGlyphstone

So is there space for non-matron characters then, based on your answer to Xerial?

Kunoichi

Yeah, as a regular mount it would be pretty hard to justify. ^^; Admittedly, there is a list for draconic mounts in the Draconomicon, but it has a pretty restricted list itself, and is only for getting draconic mounts without use of the Leadership feat.

Anyway, moving on, one Paladin variant I'm considering is the Anti-Paladin, originally published in Dragon Magazine #312.  Most of the abilities are quite fitting for a proper knight of Lolth, but the Code of Conduct makes it pretty much impossible to play one as a Matron.

Would it be possible to rework it to be more fitting for the iron-fisted ruler of a Drow Noble House dedicated to military operations, or should I find something else?

Zaer Darkwail

There is room for non-matron chars yes.

Also Kunoichi; we can work the anti-paladin be more society friendly and be more paragon Lolth devout drow. Your case you must be extreme puritan Lolth follower, eschew any form of compassion and love or affection. Lust can be freely felt and satisfied as it's norm but also do so for sake breed more drow (and focus breed only pure blood drows but you can show dominance through sex with non-drow so long you do not become pregnant).

Also instead Contagion you get Poison spell as spell-alike ability.

TheGlyphstone


Kunoichi

Quote from: Zaer Darkwail on December 06, 2011, 03:23:14 PM
There is room for non-matron chars yes.

Also Kunoichi; we can work the anti-paladin be more society friendly and be more paragon Lolth devout drow. Your case you must be extreme puritan Lolth follower, eschew any form of compassion and love or affection. Lust can be freely felt and satisfied as it's norm but also do so for sake breed more drow (and focus breed only pure blood drows but you can show dominance through sex with non-drow so long you do not become pregnant).

Also instead Contagion you get Poison spell as spell-alike ability.

That works for me. ^^ Now, for house locations, I forget, is the Ghetto of Savages taken, yet?  If not, it should fit in well with the concept for my house as one of the more military ones.

Perhaps you'd care to join up, Glyph? ;D I'll certainly be needing a few PCs to populate my house, once I've got it all worked up.

Zaer Darkwail

I think NPC house had some control over there but so far as I know the 'necropolis' is taken and so is the scholar ghetto by PC ones. No one controls the outcaste one (as default). Foreigners and Savages and the Performance aren't taken.

But note; performance ghetto includes gladiator arenas also, perhaps more flashy style but Savages also works for military house.

Kunoichi

Yeah, I'll be taking over the Ghetto of Savages, then. ^^

Cohorts get PC-level starting wealth, right?  That would be... 88,000 gp for my dragon?

TheGlyphstone

Quote from: Kunoichi on December 06, 2011, 03:32:59 PM
That works for me. ^^ Now, for house locations, I forget, is the Ghetto of Savages taken, yet?  If not, it should fit in well with the concept for my house as one of the more military ones.

Perhaps you'd care to join up, Glyph? ;D I'll certainly be needing a few PCs to populate my house, once I've got it all worked up.

Most happily.

Zaer Darkwail

Quote from: Kunoichi on December 06, 2011, 04:16:08 PM
Yeah, I'll be taking over the Ghetto of Savages, then. ^^

Cohorts get PC-level starting wealth, right?  That would be... 88,000 gp for my dragon?

Hmmm, not sure which decision I originally made but I would say yes.

Kunoichi

Yeah, I checked over other cohorts and that's what seems to be the case.

Now then, hmm.  If I'm only allowed to have sex for the sake of satiating lust and making more drow...

...Perhaps my Matron character should start the game pregnant? ^^; Well, it's an idea, anyway, and not one I'm entirely sure on.

Zaer Darkwail

You could start but it's up to you. But no doubt you would have offspring or two, they could be NPC'ed but as they are babes so their raising matters you do need address on occassion.

Anyways as said you do sex for two purpose; breeding and for lust. You could manipulate someone via lust and it's okay. But real deal is not to never make half-drows or any half-drow spawns. Only allowed other breeding partner being Lolth blessed demons (which this case draegloth son/daugther is allowed to you also). But for sake of breeding your partner selection for that is far more complex. For lust even orc will do, but for breeding just any drow is not enough; you must get best possible partner. Also like with spiders and black widows you must slay your breeding partner as sacrifice for Lolth.

So for lust you can spare someone for second round but if you breed partner must die and you likely could ritually eat him (a ritualistic cannibalism). As after all as paladin you would try emulate habits of spiders but not neccesary extend like Phardril does. But you can go creative to add own ritual customs which elevate Lolth faith or her idealogy.

TheGlyphstone

Is there any reason in your DM eyes that a Drow couldn't be a druid? The Underdark does have a thriving ecosystem, and it's been a while since I was able to play an evil druid.

(EDIT: Found the Cavestalker, so apparently the canon answer is 'yes'.)

Followup question...do you allow early-entry tricks to qualify for prestige classes, like using Precocious Apprentice to enter a theurge-class with only one level of wizard?

Kunoichi

And for a question of my own, is it alright if I take the Dreadful Wrath feat? ^^; This matron and her dragon are going to be quite the fearsome duo, you see...

Xerial

I should ask before I commit myself to it in my class blending manner. What's the stance on Tome of Battle for this game?

And if ToB is kosher and I already have a level in Warblade, would it be alright if I applied Swordsage Discipline Focus ability to the Iron Heart discipline (which he would already know from Warblade, but does not fall under the six Swordsage ones). The reasoning I have is that, while the change in class would represent a shift in fighting philosophy, a true student of martial study never discards old learning outright when undertaking study in a new style.


Edit: This is shaping up to be one eclectic dip-happy build version of this character... and I'm loving it.

Kunoichi

Oo; I see...

*wonders what the final build will look like*

Anyway, in case anyone's curious, I've finished up the mechanical aspects for the Matron and her Dragon.  Still need a name and house stronghold design, though. ^^;

Zaer Darkwail

Damn, your working fast Kunoichi :P. Anyways Dreadful Wrath is okay.

TheGlyphstone: Druids are fine, some may be even respected for ability take form of spiders (check drows of underdark note about druids and druid variant class feature). However some clerics may feel class-racist towards druids divine spellcasting but you could be belong druid sect which reveres Lolth as 'mistress of the caverns'.

Xerial: Tome of Battle is kosher (okay to me), however altough I do like general twist for true martial adept never forsake the old tricks but being swordsage is indeed taking different life path and so you cannot mix in sword sage class features with school style which belongs specifically to other class. You could take Discipline Focus for Stone Dragon or Diamond Mind which is shared both by Warblade and Swordsage but not to Iron Heart. Also you refresh different way maneuvers gained with each class (and maneuvers known from other martial adept would not aid learning higher tier maneuvers from other class). I treat the situation same as being 9th level cleric does not help learn higher spells as favored soul.

Xerial

RGR. It sucks just a wee bit, because as I see it there's no reason a guy who has spent his entire life using a bastard sword as his primary weapon would suddenly focus on another weapon entirely, but in the end all I'd be losing out on would be Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword). It's a little thing, in the grand scheme (especially since Swordsage and Warblade are both low level dips for him), thematically fits, and the extra bit would be nice, but it's not a killer.

EDIT: And suddenly I'm seeing that Diamond Mind had the bastard sword on its list as well, so that might not be an issue.


EDIT2: Do you allow the use of Flaws for character builds?