Author Topic: The Selesnya Conclave  (Read 6350 times)

Offline Ziegander

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 692
  • bkdubs123 reborn
    • View Profile
The Selesnya Conclave
« on: February 03, 2012, 12:56:15 PM »


The Selesnya Conclave

A quasi-monastic order whose members are zealously dedicated to keeping life in balance. The Conclave disapproves strongly of individuality, holding that the good of the whole is always more important than that of a single being. It is directed by The Chorus of the Conclave, a group of mostly ancient dryads. A preacher named Tolsimir Wolfblood is their champion.

The guild of Selesnya is one of peace, life, and community. Out of all of the guilds of Ravnica, it is arguably the one that can most easily be called "good". Of course, given recent events with the quietmen, it is clear that even they have an agenda.

Selesnya is composed mainly of dryads. The "guild leader" of Selesnya in the Ravnica: City of Guilds set is a collective mind known as the Chorus of the Conclave, with the top members of the guild as figureheads.

The parun of Selesnya was Mat'selesnya, a human female shaped elemental formed by the fusion of dryads. She now resides within Vitu-Ghazi, having offered herself to preserve order in Selesnya.

The main seat of Selesnya's power in the region of Utvara was Vitar Yescu, an enormous living tree that produced a pollen that served as an antigen to local plague. The head of Selesnya in Utvara was elven shapeshifter Wrizfar Barkfeather.

After the Decamillennial, the decimated Wojek League turned to other guilds' similar organizations for temporary help. Many Selesnyan ledev thus serves as "apos", i.e. auxiliary patrol officers, with the wojeks. After the Decamillennial, a new half-military suborganization was also founded - the Knight Order of Mat'selesnya.

The Selesnya Convoker


Alignment: Lawful Good
Hit Die: 1d8

LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial 0lvl1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th
1st+0+2+0+2Conclave Congregation, Lifelink, Wild Empathy53
2nd+1+3+0+3Conclave Senses64
3rd+2+3+1+3Convoke (Defense)65
4th+3+4+1+4663
5th+3+4+1+4Telempathic Reach664
6th+4+5+2+56653
7th+5+5+2+5Convoke (Vigor)6664
8th+6/+1+6+2+666653
9th+6/+1+6+3+6Telempathic Congress66664
10th+7/+2+7+3+7666653
11th+8/+3+7+3+7Convoke (Restore)666664
12th+9/+4+8+4+86666653
13th+9/+4+8+4+8Telempathic Transfer6666664
14th+10/+5+9+4+966666653
15th+11/+6/+1+9+5+9Convoke (Strength)66666664
16th+12/+7/+2+10+5+10666666653
17th+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Telempathic Salvation666666664
18th+13/+8/+3+11+6+116666666653
19th+14/+9/+4+11+6+11Convoke (Solidarity)6666666664
20th+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Clarion Chorus of the Conclave6666666666

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier): Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Jump, Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Perform, Ride, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, Survival, and Swim.

Weapon & Armor Proficiencies
A Selesnya Convoker is proficient with all simple weapons, the longbow, longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. She is also proficient with light armor and with shields (but not Tower Shields).

Spells
A Selesnya Convoker casts divine spells drawn from the Selesnya Convoker spell list. She has a caster level equal to her class level, she knows all 0-level spells on her spell list and two 1st level spells. As she gains levels she learns new spells at the same rate as a Sorcerer of her level except that she also automatically learns the Summon Nature's Ally spell of each level available to her. A Selesnya Convoker casts her spells spontaneously the same way a Sorcerer would.

The saving throw DC of any spell cast by a Selesnya Convoker is 10 + 1/2 her level + her Wisdom modifier. In order to cast a Selesnya Convoker spell she must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + spell level. A Selesnya Convoker may receive bonus spell slots per day for a high Wisdom modifier.

Selesnya Convoker Spell List
(click to show/hide)

Conclave Congregation (Su): Any creature friendly to a Selesnya Convoker may elect to join in her Conclave Congregation as a standard action. Once a creature has become a member, it cannot easily quit the ranks, requiring a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Selesnya Convoker level + her Charisma modifier), made as a standard action, to end the membership. If this save fails it cannot be retried until 24 hours have passed.

Any creature called or summoned by the Selesnya Convoker is automatically considered to be a member and will not voluntarily end its membership (although it automatically ends when the calling or summoning effect ends). Creatures charmed or controlled by a Selesnya Convoker will join her Conclave Congregation if she wishes them to.

A Conclave Congregation can only exist between the Selesnya and at least one other creature. Without other creatures to join her Conclave Congregation, she may not use any of her other class features (and avoids any penalties associated with them). She is not treated as a member of a Conclave Congregation unless at least one other creature has joined in.

Lifelink (Su): Whenever any creature that is a member of the Selesnya Convoker's Conclave Congregation is dealt hit point or ability damage, any other member within 30ft may sacrifice hit points or ability points in order to prevent a like amount of damage to that creature. A Selesnya Convoker decides when and if her called or summoned creatures sacrifice hit points or ability points in this way.

In exchange for this great boon, any member of the Conclave Congregation, other than the Selesnya Convoker herself, that is not within 30ft from another member at the start of its turn suffers 1 temporary negative level that lasts until it is within 30ft of another member. If it is not within 100ft of another member, then it suffers a second temporary negative level. At every 100ft beyond the first a member of the Conclave Congregation finds itself away from its brothers and sisters, that member suffers another temporary negative level.

If these negative levels are not removed within 24 hours, the affected member must make a Fort save (DC 10 + 1/2 Selesnya Convoker level + her Charisma modifier). Failure results in the affected member suffering permanent level loss of an equal number of character levels. Regardless of the member's success or failure the temporary negative levels are not removed unless it finds its way back to its brothers and sisters or ends its membership.

A creature is never slain or raised as a Wight as a result of gaining temporary negative levels, but cannot have more temporary negative levels than it has HD.

A Selesnya Convoker is herself never subjected to negative levels from this ability, although she may benefit from Lifelink as any other member of her Conclave Congregation can.

Wild Empathy (Ex): A Selesnya Convoker can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. She rolls 1d20 and adds her class level + 3 + her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.

The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.

To use wild empathy, the Selesnya Convoker and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

A Selesnya Convoker can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, or to influence a vermin, but she takes a -4 penalty on her check. Influencing the attitude of a magical beast with a higher Intelligence score must be done using Diplomacy.

Conclave Senses (Su): As a standard action, a 2nd level Selesnya Convoker can share the senses of any other member of her Conclave Congregation, hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching everything that creature does. This includes special extraordinary senses such as Scent, Blindsense, and Tremorsense, but not supernatural or spell-like sensory abilities such as Lifesense. She may end this ability as a free action, even when it's not her turn.

Convoke (Su): At 3rd level, a Selesnya Convoker begins to weave her Conclave Congregation into a well-ordered engine of harmony. Depending on her class level, members gain extra benefits and bonuses when they are within 30ft of one another.

  • At 3rd level, each member of the Conclave Congregation, including the Selesnya Convoker herself, gains a +1 deflection bonus to AC and a +1 resistance bonus to saving throws for each other conscious member within 30ft. A creature receives a maximum bonus from this ability equal to +1 for each of its HD.

  • At 7th level, each member of the Conclave Congregation, including the Selesnya Convoker herself, gains a 5ft enhancement bonus to land speed and 5 temporary hit points which stack with all other temp hp for each other conscious member within 30ft. A creature receives a maximum bonus from this ability equal to 5ft and 5 temp hp for each of its HD.

  • At 11th level, each member of the Conclave Congregation, including the Selesnya Convoker herself, gains Fast Healing 1 for each other conscious member within 30ft. A creature receives a maximum bonus from this ability equal to Fast Healing 1 for each of its HD.

  • At 15th level, each member of the Conclave Congregation, including the Selesnya Convoker herself, gains a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength for each other conscious member within 30ft. A creature receives a maximum bonus from this ability equal to +2 for each of its HD.

  • Finally, starting at 19th level, as long as there is one member of the Conclave Congregation within 30ft with more than half its total hit points remaining, each other member within 30ft cannot be reduced to fewer than -1 hit points.

Telempathic Reach (Su): Starting at 5th level, a Selesnya Convoker may target a member of her Conclave Congregation within 30ft with any range Personal or Touch spell regardless of her actual position or the spell's actual target.

Telempathic Congress (Su): Starting at 9th level each member of a Selesnya Convoker's Conclave Congregation may communicate with one another telepathically at any range.

Telempathic Transfer (Su): Starting at 13th level, as a standard action, a Selesnya Convoker may make a saving throw against any condition or effect affecting one or more members of her Conclave Congregation at its original save DC. If her save succeeds, then that condition or effect is removed from or ended for each affected member. If her save fails, then she succumbs to the condition or effect for the remaining duration. Regardless of her success or failure, she may only use this ability once for a given condition or effect.

Telempathic Salvation (Su): Starting at 17th level, a Selesnya Convoker does not fail saving throws on a roll of 1 as long as a member of her Conclave Congregation is within 30ft.

Furthermore, when the Selesnya Convoker and at least one other member of her Conclave Congregation is subject to the same spell or effect, if that spell or effect allows a saving throw and the Selesnya Convoker succeeds on her save, then all other affected members automatically succeed on their saves.

Clarion Chorus of the Conclave (Su): Starting at 20th level, creatures must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Selesnya Convoker level + Wisdom modifier) in order to attack the Selesnya Convoker or include her as a target or within the area of a spell or effect. Increase the save DC by 1 for every member of the Selesnya Convoker's Conclave Congregation that is within 30ft of her (to a maximum DC of 10 + 1½ Selesnya Convoker level + Wisdom modifier). Each time a creature fails this save its attitude toward the Selesnya Convoker improves by one step. If a creature's attitude is improved to Friendly in this way it must make a new Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Selesnya Convoker level + Charisma modifier). If this save fails, then the creature becomes a member of the Selesnya Convoker's Conclave Congregation and cannot attempt to end its membership until at least 1 week has passed.


Ravnica: City of Guilds
The Azorius Arbiter, the Boros Legionnaire, the Dimir Secretkeeper, the Golgari Graveborne, the Gruul Wildspeaker, the Izzet Mathmagican, the Orzhov Ghostwayman, the Rakdos Hellraiser, the Selesnya Convoker, and the Simic Visionary.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2012, 06:16:15 PM by Ziegander »

Offline Garryl

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 4503
    • View Profile
Re: The Selesnya Conclave
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2012, 01:26:16 PM »
Is the convoker a member of her own conclave?
What happens when there is only one member of a conclave? There's no one around to be within 30 feet of, so you're going to be taking the negative levels (two, to be exact, given the wording of  Lifelink, or possibly arbitrarily many, I'm not sure).
On one hand, 30 feet is pretty damn short range for a link with such disastrous consequences. On the other hand, if you have a familiar or something (or a pet rock, whatever) that you can carry with you and that is a member of the conclave, you'll always be within 30 feet of a conclave member, so all is well.

Offline Ziegander

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 692
  • bkdubs123 reborn
    • View Profile
Re: The Selesnya Conclave
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2012, 02:59:07 PM »
Is the convoker a member of her own conclave?
What happens when there is only one member of a conclave?

Good questions. I think I'll have to specify that a congregation can only exist between the Convoker and at least one other creature. Without at least one other creature, she cannot create a Conclave Congregation.

Quote
On one hand, 30 feet is pretty damn short range for a link with such disastrous consequences.

Which is why joining it is fully voluntary (at least until 20th level).

Quote
On the other hand, if you have a familiar or something (or a pet rock, whatever) that you can carry with you and that is a member of the conclave, you'll always be within 30 feet of a conclave member, so all is well.

A pet rock wouldn't work unless it somehow qualifies as a creature rather than an object, but yes, a Familiar or other companion will work just fine.

Offline Garryl

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 4503
    • View Profile
Re: The Selesnya Conclave
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2012, 04:39:47 PM »
Is the intent for the conclave to stay in one big group or just to never be completely alone? Because 2+ members of the conclave can, as written, split off from the conclave and go off on their own with no penalty as long as they stay together, even if the rest of the conclave is far away. From the way things are written, that doesn't feel intended.

How do the temp hp from Convoke (Vigor) work? What happens when they are lost? When are they regained once more?

How many negative levels does a creature suffer from Lifelink if there are no other creatures in the conclave around (such as off-plane, or temporarily not existing via Time Hop and the like)?

Offline Ziegander

  • Honorary Mod
  • *****
  • Posts: 692
  • bkdubs123 reborn
    • View Profile
Re: The Selesnya Conclave
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2012, 06:04:35 PM »
Is the intent for the conclave to stay in one big group or just to never be completely alone? Because 2+ members of the conclave can, as written, split off from the conclave and go off on their own with no penalty as long as they stay together, even if the rest of the conclave is far away. From the way things are written, that doesn't feel intended.

Well, the intent was that the conclave sticks together, but I actually don't think I have any problem with the conclave splitting into "lesser conclaves" and keeping the bonuses. Do you have an opinion on it?

Quote
How do the temp hp from Convoke (Vigor) work? What happens when they are lost? When are they regained once more?

Good questions. As written, I would think they last until they are lost. What happens when they are lost is actually the really nebulous question that I have no good answer for and need to redesign the feature until I do. When they are regained once more, I think, as written, they stack with themselves unto nigh-infinte temp hp, which is not intended. A redesign is definitely necessary.

I know I need the temp hp to last "up to" 24 hours, that way they aren't regranted every round after being lost, but I don't know how to word the way the temp hp should be automatically lost when more than 30ft away from the member that enabled them in the first place.

For example, let's say that there are 6 conscious members of the conclave within 30ft of each other. Each of them would gain 25 temp hp. Suddenly, two of them get knocked out by some rough beats. The four conscious ones that remain should have only 15 temp hp (at maximum anyway, they might have lost some of them). Or, maybe those two didn't get knocked out, maybe they just moved more than 30ft away. Same thing should happen (except those two would then have only 5 temp hp).

Quote
How many negative levels does a creature suffer from Lifelink if there are no other creatures in the conclave around (such as off-plane, or temporarily not existing via Time Hop and the like)?

All of the negative levels. Or at least as many negative levels as the creature has HD. Said creature needs to sever its link from the conclave or find its way back to the conclave or face some serious consequences.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2012, 06:13:57 PM by Ziegander »

Offline veekie

  • Spinner of Fortunes
  • Epic Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 5423
  • Chaos Dice
    • View Profile
Re: The Selesnya Conclave
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2012, 11:18:59 AM »
It does make sense to have greater and sub-conclaves, as long as you can at least pair off, you're cool.

Just got to go to the toilet in pairs.
Everything is edible. Just that there are things only edible once per lifetime.
It's a god-eat-god world.

Procrastination is the thief of time; Year after year it steals, till all are fled,
And to the mercies of a moment leaves; The vast concerns of an eternal scene.