Risada having declined, there is now one vacancy for a player, if there is one sufficiently intrigued. (MetroMagic has expressed interest; however, as he is in the related campaign, I feel others should first be given a chance to join, if relevant.)
Edit: this post now obsolete.
Hi all! PM from Quill: I’m in.
I sent him three possible character concepts, based on my own mistaken concept of what he was running. I came across this game in mid-creation, read a couple of backstories, and it seemed the characters had died… so I thought it was a game for dead characters
However, my mistake was inspiring, because a character immediately came to mind, mostly because: he’s dead {sound of headslap}; I’ve played variations of him as a dead character in games before. Immediately followed by two more characters that came to mind, all three having this in common: They were all killed out of games unjustly, at least IMHO, and deserve to be continued. I don’t mind if a character dies for justified reasons… well, I mind anyway, as do most of us, but… you get the idea.
So I wrote to Quill about joining, he set me straight, but I told him I’d love to join anyway. It’s a cool world to wander in. And maybe dead will work anyway for Quill and the rest of the party… see what you think after reading this.
I see you’ve all been sharing character concept ideas, so here is a quick recap of the three.
For any of them, their unrest has led them across the Astral Plane to seek a new existence in this world... not necessarily a live existence, just a new existence. All were higher level than L2 where we are starting, but that's easy to adjust. They'll need adjusting anyway because all were D&D 1.0 or 2.0 characters, not D20 based. But the main thing is to keep the character concept and story, and it's easy to say any of them were weakened by death and recovery will take a while.
The first is a human barbarian shaman. He had only one magic item: his sword, which is also his mentor and trainer. The sword too would need to be toned down, and rewritten a bit, but that's not a problem: in the original concept it's only as strong as its wielder. Alignment CG. Name: The Shaman; he lost his other names when he died. Sword's name: Sunshatter.
The second is a Duergar cleric of both earth and fire, which are holy to him. His cleric themes are what's important, for example his healing feels like it sears as it heals, not a pleasant experience. Alignment CN. Name: Dhogurregdin (have to double-check the spelling).
The third is a classic adventurer, an Elven ranger mage. His one oddity is an ability to change into a bird at will (and spellcast while in bird form if desired; but typical bird sizes, *not* for example, a giant eagle) and he speaks Avian besides Elven and Common - it's important to the character concept as part of his clan story. Alignment NG, I think. Name: Bluebird Aeyrieling.
It looks like FITS is playing a Dwaerrow; we don’t necessarily need a Duergar in the party. Unless *ale* is the objective, by the cask
And the Elven ranger mage seems tame for this party of interesting variants, so I’m inclined toward the Shaman, which was my first choice all along. I PMed this to Quill already and said I’d play any of them, for example if he didn’t want to deal with a dead character. While he thinks, and to give you and him something more concrete to think about, here is a quick rough build for the Shaman that captures the essentials of his story and concept, while adjusting for what I could do with 2 levels in 3.5.
Race: Human, standard PHB.
Template: Ghost, from Ghostwalk.
I looked at a lot of Ghosts, from SRD to Oslecamo to homebrew, and came back to this one for several great reasons involving (a) simplicity and (b) trueness to the Shaman’s story. First, in this template, this type of Ghost is NOT UNDEAD. The text makes it clear that unlike the Monster: Ghost, this ghost is simply a dead spirit. That is all. And it’s a great simplifier, because I don’t want to try to put an undead PC into the party or game for lots of very problematic reasons. And the Shaman is not undead, he’s just dead, so it’s perfect.
Ghost Trait: Sunshatter
Within the template, the PC has a Ghost Trait, something it wants to do all the time that is typical of its life. The Shaman’s is: keeping around his sword and mentor, Sunshatter. I’m spending a lot of character building resources to simulate the sword; you’ll see how this works. In game mechanics, the sword will come from the Shaman and will not be a separate piece of equipment (since we initially don’t have equipment); the rest is just how it’s all fluffed.
Here are relevant parts of the writeup pasted from Ghostwalk.
A summary of Ghost info from the Ghostwalk book
A GHOST IS NOT A GHOST
The Monster Manual describes a ghost as a restless spirit that for some reason cannot give up its ties to the living and haunts a particular location or item. These ghosts are undead creatures of many different types (humanoids, giants, magical beasts, and so on) and have many strange powers that make them incredibly dangerous combatants. Furthermore, killing them is usually only a temporary solution, for they rejuvenate and return to their old haunts.
The ghosts described in this book are not that kind of ghost.
Ghosts in the Ghostwalk campaign are merely the souls of living creatures (humanoids, with only a few exceptions) existing in another state. They are not tied to one site, do not suddenly gain a suite of fantastic powers, and—most important—are not undead. They are simply people with a slightly different shape.
GHOST (TEMPLATE)
A ghost is the semitangible soul of a creature that has died. Instead of a physical body made of muscle, bone, and blood, it has a ghost body made of transparent ectoplasm. Ghosts are not undead, although they are often mistaken for undead by the truly ignorant. They do not need to eat (although they can if they want to) or sleep as they did when alive. When a ghost is wounded, it leaks ectoplasm like a living creature leaks blood.
In general, a ghost appears as it did at the moment its physical body died, although some ghosts learn how to reshape their ectoplasm and alter their appearance. A ghost body is made of
transparent ectoplasm, and an alert observer can easily recognize the identity of the ghost and that the ghost is not a physical person.
Most ghosts try to get their bodies raised from the dead (which causes the ghost to merge with the physical body) or search for whoever was responsible for their death, while others become ghosts willingly to pursue some goal or escape some terrible punishment. They otherwise have the same memories and personality they did when they were alive.
CREATING A GHOST
“Ghost” is a template that can be applied to any living humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the character). The creature’s type changes to outsider (incorporeal). It uses all the character’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Speed: When incorporeal, a ghost can fly at a speed of 30 ft. (good).
AC: When incorporeal, a ghost gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to its Charisma modifier (always at
least +1, even if the creature’s Charisma score does not normally provide a bonus).
Attacks: An incorporeal ghost has no natural ability to affect material creatures. Certain feats can allow a ghost to manifest fully (and therefore use material weapons at the attack bonus it had as a character) or harm a material creature in various ways.
Special Qualities: A ghost retains all the special qualities of the character and gains those described below.
Low-Light Vision (Ex):A ghost can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. It retains the ability to distinguish color (in a limited fashion; see
Ectoplasmic Body, below) and detail under these circumstances.
Disembodied Soul (Ex): As a disembodied soul of a living creature, a ghost can be raised or resurrected if its physical body is present (this causes the ghost to merge with its physical body). A true resurrection, miracle, or wish spell can restore a ghost to life, even if its body is missing. A ghost counts as a living creature for the purpose of effects that affect living creatures. As an outsider, a ghost is subject to spells that affect outsiders and extraplanar creatures, such as banishment. A ghost’s native plane is beyond the Veil of Souls, and a ghost banished from the Material Plane is sent to the True Afterlife.
No Discernible Anatomy (Ex): A ghost has no discernible anatomy and is therefore immune to critical hits, sneak attacks, or bonuses such as a ranger’s favored enemy bonus that do not work on creatures without a discernible anatomy. It can be polymorphed, but a polymorphed ghost is still an ectoplasmic creature with no discernible anatomy. A ghost is unharmed by diseases or poison that would affect a physical body. Other diseases and poisons that affect only ghosts do exist. Ghosts do not need to eat, breathe, or sleep (although spellcaster ghosts still need to rest in order to prepare spells). Ghosts are subject to stunning effects that would affect living creatures.
Ectoplasmic Body (Ex):Because an ectoplasmic body is a poor imitation of a true living body, physical sensations for a ghost are somewhat muted. Ghosts cannot become fatigued or exhausted. Certain sensations, such as the taste of food or the feel of another person’s skin, cannot be detected by ghosts except in the most limited way, which drives many to find other ways to experience and remember the sensations of life. When killed, a ghost’s body reverts to raw ectoplasm, decaying into nothingness after 10 minutes. A gentle repose spell preserves a ghost’s body as if it were a normal corpse. A ghost’s body is the same temperature as its environment, unlike a physical body.
Incorporeal: A ghost has all the benefits and drawbacks of incorporeality as described in the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide. Some ghosts learn feats that allow them to manifest fully and interact with the material world in a normal manner.
Sense Physical Body (Su):A ghost can attempt an Intuit Direction check (DC 15) once per round to determine the general direction of its physical body. If a ghost doesn’t have the Intuit Direction skill, it can attempt a Wisdom check (DC 15) for the same purpose.
Ghost Weakness (Ex):If a ghost is hit by a sneak attack or a critical hit from a silver weapon, it must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or be stunned for 1 round. Other than this possible stunning effect, a critical hit
or sneak attack does not deal any more damage than a normal hit from that weapon.
Abilities: A ghost retains all of its original ability scores. When the ghost is incorporeal, it has no Strength score.
Skills: A ghost receives a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. Otherwise same as the character.
Climate/Terrain: Same as the character.
Organization: Same as the character.
Challenge Rating: Same as the character +1.
Treasure: Same as the character.
Alignment: Same as the character.
Advancement: By character class.
GHOST TRAITS
Although ghosts do not need to breathe, eat, or do most other things that living beings do, every ghost has an unusual attachment to one aspect of its former life. Ghosts feel strange urges to eat food they enjoyed when living, to visit people or places they knew in life, or to engage in the same recreational activities they did when living. These urges are not magically induced and are not a curse or a disease that can be removed with magic (although a calm emotions spell suppresses the urge for the duration), but simply an extension and exaggeration of part of the ghost’s actual life.
A ghost who does not indulge its trait at least once a week takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls, saves, and skill and ability checks. Upon indulging the trait, this penalty goes away and does not return until the ghost has gone without for another full week.
A ghost’s trait should be chosen by the Dungeon Master to reflect something in the creature’s life or nature. Rarely is a ghost’s trait something repulsive to it or against its moral character. For example, a good cleric is not likely to gain a scent trait for rotting meat, and a teetotaler paladin is not likely to gain a thirst trait for strong wine.
THE FACES OF DEATH
Because a ghost normally appears as it did when it was killed, those who suffered violent deaths are usually repulsive to look at. The ghost body of such a person still has all its pieces in place (even if the person was killed by decapitation, for example, although such a ghost would have a scar around her neck).
ADVENTURING AND GHOST LEVELS
A creature that is a ghost can adventure and acquire
experience points just like any living character.
VARIANT: FLEXIBLE GHOST ADVANCEMENT
Instead of requiring a ghost to take levels in eidolon, allow ghosts who gain a level to select a level in any class that is normally available. This creates a campaign in which some characters may remain ghosts for years, but continue to increase their abilities as clerics, fighters, and so on. Using this variant means that players don’t have to plan as carefully when advancing their characters and aren’t forced to continue to pay for raise dead spells in order to suit a character concept of a ghost character who advances in a Player’s Handbook class. It also tends to make being a ghost a more advantageous choice, since for many characters, there is no reason to remain a living creature.
ECTOPLASM
Rather than blood, meat, and bone, a ghost’s body is made of ectoplasm, a supernatural substance that, in its natural state, is a slippery or sticky pale-colored goo. When shaped into a ghost body, it has the consistency and texture of normal (albeit incorporeal) flesh. An ectoplasmic creature leaks liquid ectoplasm if it is cut, in the same manner as a living creature bleeds actual blood.
Ectoplasm is a type of ghost touch material. It can be picked up and moved by incorporeal creatures at any time. Essentially, ectoplasm counts as either corporeal or incorporeal at any given time, whichever is more beneficial to the wielder.
Ectoplasm is harmless in its natural state (often called raw ectoplasm) and can even be eaten safely by ghosts or living creatures. Ghost or other ectoplasmic beings that eat a 1-pound meal of raw ectoplasm once per day heal at double the normal rate, as if under the care of a person with the Heal skill (this effect does not stack with the effects of the Heal skill).
Ectoplasm that is not part of a creature’s body (including “blood” that has been separated from a wounded ectoplasmic creature) decays into nothingness after 10 minutes. Certain spells (such as gentle repose), magic items, feats, and an alchemical substance called ectoplasmic stabilizer can preserve ectoplasm beyond this time limit.
The ectoplasm from a creature has a recognizable smell to creatures that have acute senses (such as bloodhounds and other creatures with the scent ability). Of course, the 10- minute time limit before ectoplasm decays makes tracking a creature by scent difficult.
Certain feats and spells can create objects made of ectoplasm. Because ectoplasm has ghost touch properties, a weapon made of ectoplasm can be wielded by an incorporeal creature and works normally against an incorporeal creature (as with the ghost touch weapon property). Likewise, a suit of ectoplasmic armor can be worn by an incorporeal creature and counts toward the Armor Class of a creature being attacked by an incorporeal creature. Shaped ectoplasm has the consistency of whatever it is supposed to resemble (for example, ectoplasmic armor feels smooth and dry and is neither sticky nor slippery).
TRUE DEATH
When a ghost is reduced to –10 or fewer hit points, or otherwise destroyed, the ghost is said to have suffered “true death,” and the soul passes beyond the Veil of Souls. A slain ghost turns into a puddle of ectoplasm weighing approximately 1 pound.
The person can still be brought back from the dead in the normal manner (raise dead works if the body is still available, and so on), and spells exist that can bring a person back from the dead as a ghost rather than as a living person.
POSSESSION (I’m skipping this, not taking the relevant feats, because the Shaman does not possess other creatures.)
The template is still kind of powerful, especially the incorporeal subtype. So I’ve toned the character down somewhat in various ways. One is by spending two Feats on appearance instead of the usual things that make characters more powerful. These two Feats together counteract the usual “moment of death appearance” downside of the Ghost template, which don’t match the Shaman’s story as I have played him, but have mostly fluff value only:
Control VisageSolid VisageI’m spending two Feats (one doesn’t come till L3) in a chain to simulate the Shaman’s TK ability, which will also allow him to interact with the solid world. Other object and energy control abilities he had will have to wait; I can’t fit them in.
Ghost TouchPoltergeist HandOne Feat goes toward re-creating the Shaman’s Healing ability in 3.5:
Attune Node to
Positive Plane Ability: Infusion, Cure Minor Wounds at will as Swift Action (DC9, or healing is halved)
Classes:
Using the Flexible Ghost Advancement Variant rule in Ghostwalk puts the character’s classes back on the same track as everyone else. I’ll skip the details and just observe: Simpler. And once again, fits the Shaman’s storyline.
1 Level of
Dragon Shaman, refluffed to focus on Elemental stuff and the spirits in all things. I’ll be refluffing the dragon breath ability to simulate a little of Sunshatter’s elemental ability without having a “real” magic sword on hand. I would also like to trade out the “Source of Power” benefit and its Dragonblooded Template, which are at L1, and replace the two of them with these two class features from the
Spirit Shaman: Detect Spirits and Chastise Spirits, also at L1. When I looked at Shaman classes and variants, this was the closest mix to match my character, with better balance.
Dragon Shaman has some flexible party buff abilities that scale with Level; from what I’ve read in the OOC so far, it’s a good party role to fill, and it’s a way for an incorporeal character to interact regularly with the rest of the world.
1 Level of
Aetherforge also refluffed to focus on the spirits in all things. I think FITS is planning on an Aetherforge character; I think I have different directions to go in for the Shaman’s Forgings Known, so even though the Forging choices are restricted at L1, the characters will diverge as they level up, and the two characters will play very differently anyway, and even more so in how they’re fluffed {note to FITS, I’ll make sure that happens
}
Specifically, the Shaman would have these three:
Weapon of Aether – refluffed as a representation of his mentor/sword, how he’ll call it into being with no equipment - see the backstory below
Aetherfire Aura – fluffed to enhance the sword
Aether Probe – matches the Shaman’s story to sense the Magic spirits in things
All conditioned on Quill’s approval; none yet!!
So, what IS that story?
~ONE~
The rough blanket stirred, orange fringe shifting across broad brown and green stripes. A deeply veined hand clutched the boy's shirt. "Under my cot, boy. Get it out. Mind you don't slice off your thumb." The whispery voice stopped in a deep cough.
The boy tore his eyes from the ancient face and bent low, groping under the center of the cot. He sprang back, black hair flying, sucking blood from a line of nicks across his fingers, and even taller this month than last, banged his head on a thick, damp stalactite. "Pull it out by the hilt, not the blade! Even asleep he is sharper than a vulture's beak; I am the one who has gone dull and boring." The voice grew stronger. "You know you are not like your family. You are like me when I was fourteen, so you came up to my cave more often than to your family's tents in the valley. Now I will give you a little more truth, more than you are ready for, and more than was told me. I taught you small tricks, setting the hook in you like a juicy fish. I doom you as I teach you. He won't mind your blood, or most other's. Quick, now! There is little time. Lay him up here and finish unwrapping him. Reach under my feet."
The boy bent again, toward the end of the cot this time, and hefted out the long, bulky bundle awkwardly, gripping the thick black hilt with both hands. He finished shaking off the leather covering. Rainbows rolled in soft clouds of color under the mirror surface of the blade, casting cascading bands glittering against the veins of quartz and mica running across the ceiling. His breath caught as it had every time the old man slid the sword from its scabbard.
"Now I will teach you your doom at the end of my teaching." The veined hand gripped the boy's shirt again and pulled him close; they locked eyes inches apart, deep black into faded blue. The voice fell to a whisper and the hand fell away, strength spent. "You are the one who follows him now, whatever path you think your own feet take. You will not bore him to sleep. You will learn his name for yourself and wake him with it. Then you will find out how bad this can get." The boy waited for more. After a while, he realized he was staring into lifeless eyes.
~TWO~
Sunshatter led him into the high pass, a narrow gap where wind raced far above the valley floor from the warm plains on its way toward the distant sea, one of the few paths through the mountain range shouldering across the grasslands in early spring green haze below. "Sharp enough can cleave anything," came the harsh metallic voice. "Feel the wind split by my blade; hold me up and part its spirit around us. No, your hair is streaming in it. Again!" Two months later, the edge of his raised hand was sharp enough. Another two months, and the sharp focus of his stare was enough.
Then it was time to cleave fire. Much later, lightning.
~THREE~
Out of the jagged silver-gray hole in the sky, the otherworld spirit creature came against him. Advancement in his knowledge lay beyond its wrath. Sunshatter sang a screeching battle song as drops of green blood flew, and so the sword shaded its rainbows into black and green fire licking along the blade to match the fury of the attack.
The new knowledge would be more challenging. So would the next spirit creature be.
~FOUR~
The polished wood grain of the heavy wheel blurred as the croupier's hand spun it this way, and released the little silver ball bouncing that way across the red, black, and green numbers. "How is this game played?" An elegant man in a white coat looked him over, noting the ill-fitting black tailcoat far too tight across the shoulders and unbuttoned shirt collar stretched beyond closing, clearly borrowed from the House, gave a friendly smile and explained: Gold was placed on numbers and colors on the table's green board, and when the ball came to rest in the wheel on the same numbers or colors, more gold came your way. Silently he asked the ball spirit to land in the way his gold was placed.
As the evening grew late, his pile of gold grew high.
~FIVE~
Impossible luck had run with the dwarves to strike him down as his companions inexplicably stood aside in betrayal. After his refusal to accept the dwarves raising him from death to mete out their unjustice, all the otherworld creatures he had beaten to advance in knowledge came at him, in his weakening from death, all together at once to drag him to eternal torture and servitude. With Sunshatter to aid him, he made his own luck and beat them all again; the spirits earned eternal servitude to him.
His body and name were gone. He was free.
A Brief Description: Hot biker brute, big colorful sword.
The Shaman: A massively muscular 285 lb. at 6'4"; deep black eyes and a mane of shoulder length straight black hair held with a black leather band; strong, handsome features, square chin, and pale skin deeply tanned; smooth broad bare chest under a matte black leather sleeveless vest, with matching long pants, boots, belt and four foot scabbard, all decorated with heavy silvery studs; no tattoos, but a green streak through his hair, and a half-inch green dot on each cheek.
The Sword: Sunshatter; well over 4 feet from hilt to tip; metallic voice; often shining rainbows within his mirror blade, but he chooses his colors to suit his moods.
That’s a fairly detailed character build; the rest of the details won’t take long to put together, so I can catch up with everyone and be ready. If this is all OK with Quill
