Ranking Awnsheghlien

[geeman]

OK, here`s a somewhat long musing on something that most people probably

could give a DNA sample about, but I`ve been writing up a lot of these new

awnsheghlien and ersheghlien lately, and something has occurred to me that

I`m curious what the folks in the BR community think about it.



In Blood Enemies the terms "major" and "lesser" are used to describe

awnsheghlien, each category getting their own section of that

text. (Presumably, ersheghlien could also be so categorized.) There is

not, however, a lot to indicate what those terms mean. What makes an

awnsheghlien "major" or "lesser"? Here are four possible things that might

determine a character`s classification in either category:



1. Whether the Bloodform or Bloodtrait ability that makes them

awn-/ersheghlien is a major ability or a great ability might determine

whether an awnsheghlien is "lesser" or "major". Unfortunately, we have no

information on what the distinction is between characters with major or

great Bloodform or Bloodtrait abilities in Blood Enemies. Unlike other

blood ability descriptions, the differences between major and great

manifestations of these blood abilities is notably absent, leaving open for

speculation exactly what the difference is between a major and a great

manifestation of that blood ability. Presumably, it has to do with the

strength of the form transformed into (a character with Bloodform(major)

might transform into The Lion, while Bloodform(great) could become The

Sphinx) and/or the speed with which the transformation occurs or some

combination of those factors, but that`s open for speculation. (The 3e

BRCS Playtest does have a little section in each blood ability in which the

minor, major and great powers are extolled, but it is also silent in the

case of Bloodform and Bloodtrait on just what the difference might

be.) When it comes to classification, at least, this might serve as the

thing that determines which category the creature fits into.



2. Similarly, the categorizations might be based on the power of the

bloodline. Lesser awn-/ersheghlien might be those with tainted and minor

bloodlines, while those with major bloodlines or above might be major

awn-/ersheghlien.



3. Being a "lesser" or "greater" awn-/ersheghlien might be determined by

political prominence rather than bloodline. A greater awn-/ersheghlien

might be one that has a domain, so the difference between them could be

analogous to the difference between a scion and a regent.



4. The distinction might be drawn based on the relative power of the

character. As in, what their effective level might be. Characters of a

particular level might be described as major, while those who are still

relatively inexperienced might be lesser.



There are, however, things that indicate that none of these things can be

what determines which category the character falls under. Specifically:



1. Several of the creatures described in the "Major Awnsheghlien" section

of Blood Enemies do not have Bloodform(great) amongst their list of blood

abilities. The Banshegh, the Raven and Rhoubhe have Bloodform at major

power not great. As a matter of fact, Apocolypse, the Harpy, the Hydra,

the Kraken, the Leviathan, Maalvar the Minotaur, the Magian, the Siren, the

White Witch and the Wolf don`t have Bloodform at all. That`s too many to

really discount as typos or errors of omission, so it would appear that

having Bloodform or not has little to do with being a lesser or greater

awnsheghlien.



2. Again, several of the creatures described as major awnsheghlien do not

have very powerful bloodline strength ratings. Several even have

relatively low bloodline strength ratings. The Boar is tainted(16), the

Harpy tainted(18), the White Witch is minor(20) and the Wolf is

tainted(11). Conversely, the Swordhawk appears in the "Lesser

Awnsheghlien" section and he has a major(??) bloodline.



3. It also can`t be control of a realm that determines if a creature is

lesser or greater because several of the awnsheghlien described as major

(Apocalypse, Kraken, Leviathan, Seadrake) don`t control provinces or

holdings--though it is possible there is an aerial or underwater version of

the domain level that isn`t addressed in the books. A couple of other

major awnsheghlien (the Boar and the Wolf) don`t appear to actually control

the provinces they reside in. Though the provinces they dominate are

noted, both have text stating that the actual control of those provinces is

by another regent, and stats for RP collected/accumulated for these two

creatures is notably absent. Even if we do suppose that all those

awnsheghlien control domains per normal, however, there`s still a problem

in that the Swordhawk does control a domain--a pretty extensive one at

that--yet he appears in the "Lesser Awnsheghlien" section of Blood

Enemies. In fact, the Swordhawk`s realm, transformation and influence

would seem to warrant his own entry in Blood Enemies.



4. This last one is more difficult to gage because we don`t have stats for

many of the lesser awnsheghlien. However, the Vampire is 10th level, the

Banshegh and the Lamia are 9th level, while the Siren the Wolf are merely

6th (or, at least, they save as characters of those levels.) If the cut

off point is 6th level that`s pretty low for someone to get classified in

the same group that contains the Gorgon, the Magian and Rhoubhe. And

there`s still a problem with the troublesomely classified "lesser

awnsheghlien" the Swordhawk in that he is 18th level.



I`m curious about this for a couple of reasons. First, to try to figure

out if there`s some sort of means and method to the

classification. Second, because there tends to be things in BR (bloodline

strength, for instance) that have very little actual game mechanical

significance, but do relate to the bloodline system itself, and are

significant for purposes of theme, role-playing, etc. Lastly, there`s

nothing to say that one can`t have some sort of significance to the

difference between minor and major creatures.



None of the above classification methods necessarily work then given the

actual characters in the published materials, and there are too many

examples that refute the schemes to ignore. So what is it that classifies

some awnsheghlien as "major" and others as "lesser"?



Gary

[Osprey]

(The 3e
BRCS Playtest does have a little section in each blood ability in which the
minor, major and great powers are extolled, but it is also silent in the
case of Bloodform and Bloodtrait on just what the difference might
be.)

Check out the monsters section (later chapter, #?) where it describes how to make your own Awnsheighlien. I recall it mentioning that a Great Bloodtrait allows for a monster level to be gained every level of advancement, while a Major version of the ability allowed for something like every other level (don't quote me on that). Point being the great ability allowed for more rapid transformation than the major version.

I've always thought the great ability should grant more power per monster level gained - more "monster traits" if you will - which could result in a more powerful monster, ultimately.

As to your ultimate question of classification: don't you think the writers of Blood Enemies might just have used the lesser/greater descriptors as generalized categories? I know, I know, you break everything down into the exacting detail of a point system, but I'd never assume the writers did so. No doubt it won't be long before you have broken down all of the above factors (bloodline strength, Bloodform/-Trait level, regent vs. scion, and total character level) into a point system that gives you a net strength rating with appropriate denominators. ;)

Seriously, though, I doubt the writers were so logical...if you're hunting for that method in the seeming inconsistencies of Blood Spawn, you might go loopy trying to figure out a logic that was never very precise! :blink:

[Raesene Andu]

Perhaps we should such scrap the whole idea of Major and Lesser Awnshegh.

I personally would not consider the Boar or the Wolf to be major Awnshegh. Certainly they are powerful, but nothing when combared the the Gorgon, the Raven, or even the Swordhawk.

One thing to note is that all the lesser Awnshegh are either dead, Erhsegh, only blooded, or still undergoing their transformation. The Swordhawk falls into the last category, he has only just started becoming an Awnshegh (although he has been alive for at least 200 years, so he must also have the long life blood abilities).

If you take Blood Enemies as a book written by Daznig, then those who fall into the Major category are well know, their powers and abilities recorded, while those who fall into the lesser catergory are less well known, although they still may be quite powerful. Daznig was unable to learn anything more than vague rumours about them.

[Athos69]

Don't forget that we will need to seperate the Awnshegh from the realm if we are to get a true look at the poer of the Blood.

A good example would be Karl Bissel, the Swordhawk. If you look at him *and* Massenmarch, he is a very powerful opponent. Without his realm, He isn't nearly as tough as alot of the awnsheghlin out there.

[geeman]

At 02:39 PM 11/11/2003 +0100, Athos69 wrote:



> Don`t forget that we will need to seperate the Awnshegh from the realm

> if we are to get a true look at the poer of the Blood.

>

> A good example would be Karl Bissel, the Swordhawk. If you look at him

> *and* Massenmarch, he is a very powerful opponent. Without his realm, He

> isn`t nearly as tough as alot of the awnsheghlin out there.



The Swordhawk is actually relatively powerful in his own right in relation

to other awnsheghlien, particularly some of the "major" ones. He can`t

match up to the Gorgon, Magian or the Raven, but as an 18th level character

with a major bloodline he`s got some juice. The Wolf, by contrast, is 6th

level with a tainted bloodline, and probably the weakest awnshegh in all

the BR products. Exactly why he dominates three provinces while other,

much more powerful creatures can only control one (Rhoubhe, the Spider,

etc.) is a matter for conjecture. His "realm" is out in the boonies, as it

were, and his control over those provinces is marginal at best. Even

though the Wolf doesn`t actually control those provinces, though, his

influence seems inordinate given his actual character description.



Anyway, what I`m thinking right now in regards to this issue is that maybe

there should be three progressions for those with Azrai`s bloodline:



Corrupted: Any scion with Azrai`s derivation. Several awnshegh are simply

transformed by the corrupting influence of Azrai`s bloodline. The effort

to remain human (and good-aligned) is something that these characters must

constantly maintain, but their transformation is in many ways

inevitable. The power of Azrai is too strong for a mere mortal to fight

off forever.



Lesser and Greater Awnsheghlien: I`ve not really decided what the

differences should be for these characters, but if I can find some

commonality to the existing ones I`ll base it on that.



Gary

[geeman]

At 07:58 AM 11/11/2003 +0100, Raesene Andu wrote:



> Perhaps we should such scrap the whole idea of Major and Lesser Awnshegh.



I have a feeling something can be derived out of this, which is why I`m

bothering. The designation doesn`t mean anything at present--kind of like

bloodline strength didn`t mean much in the original materials--but that

doesn`t mean it shouldn`t. At the very least, however, I think there`s

some worth to the concept in that it conveys role-playing dynamics. Some

characters are "major" while others are "lesser". That can have an effect

on how a player or DM interacts with/plays those characters.



Aside from such role-playing issues, however, I think some game effects

might be appropriate. As in, major awnsheghlien have a bonus to various

effects, like their ability to intimidate, perform bloodtheft,

whatever. What if, for instance, "Major Awnsheghlien" is a feat that

grants effects similar to the blooded feats in the BRCS? The distinction

could be something as simple as that, and with relatively minor actual game

effects.



> One thing to note is that all the lesser Awnshegh are either dead,

> Erhsegh, only blooded, or still undergoing their transformation. The

> Swordhawk falls into the last category, he has only just started becoming

> an Awnshegh (although he has been alive for at least 200 years, so he

> must also have the long life blood abilities).



The amount of transformation is another possible difference between major

and lesser awnsheghlien. Several of the existing ones, however, would seem

to defy this method. The Siren, for instance, is not particularly

transformed. Others are kind of questionable. The Banshegh and the White

Witch may be transformed, or they may not. They retain pretty much their

human appearance, with notable and temporary changes which may or may not

even be tied to their awnshegh nature.



> If you take Blood Enemies as a book written by Daznig, then those who

> fall into the Major category are well know, their powers and abilities

> recorded, while those who fall into the lesser catergory are less well

> known, although they still may be quite powerful. Daznig was unable to

> learn anything more than vague rumours about them.



That`s certainly a working definition. "Major Awnsheghlien: those who have

a write up with background, character stats and other information in

BE. Minor Awnsheghlien: those who have at most only a brief

description." In the long run, though, I think I`d prefer something more

substantial :)



Gary

[geeman]

At 01:59 AM 11/11/2003 +0100, Osprey wrote:



>
(The 3e

> BRCS Playtest does have a little section in each blood ability in which the

> minor, major and great powers are extolled, but it is also silent in the

> case of Bloodform and Bloodtrait on just what the difference might

> be.)

>

> Check out the monsters section (later chapter, #?) where it describes

> how to make your own Awnsheighlien. I recall it mentioning that a Great

> Bloodtrait allows for a monster level to be gained every level of

> advancement, while a Major version of the ability allowed for something

> like every other level (don`t quote me on that). Point being the great

> ability allowed for more rapid transformation than the major version.



Ah, OK. I found it. Note to the BR Team guys: The section in Chapter 9

that introduces awnsheghlien should probably appear later along with the

actual game mechanics. As it is, the reference to that chapter is a bit

vague in that there`s two sections (the first on pp161-162 and the second

section starting on p174) in that chapter. Putting them together would

help the layout a bit.



> As to your ultimate question of classification: don`t you think the

> writers of Blood Enemies might just have used the lesser/greater

> descriptors as generalized categories? I know, I know, you break

> everything down into the exacting detail of a point system, but I`d never

> assume the writers did so. No doubt it won`t be long before you have

> broken down all of the above factors (bloodline strength,

> Bloodform/-Trait level, regent vs. scion, and total character level) into

> a point system that gives you a net strength rating with appropriate

> denominators. ;)



Heaven forbid.... We might end up having to dust off the abacus.



As for what the original BR writers had in mind, I can`t really say. The

BR texts were subject to a rather haphazard editing, which was pretty

common to all D&D products to be honest. I _think_ there`s something

worthwhile in this issue, however, so I`d like to bounce it off the folks

around here. For instance, I`m pretty sure we need a more generalized

system of creating awnsheghlien. The method proposed by the BRCS is a good

place to start, but in the long run it`s a bit abstract for actual use. On

the other hand, I think my own class system for awnsheghlien/ersheghlien is

too limited to reflect the varieties of the concept, since there are more

aspects to it than I think have really be considered before. In the long

run, I hope some exploration of the concept as a whole can be derived from

this basic point.



Gary

[Green Knight]

I think this is a pretty useless exercise. What is the point in

generalizing and putting things in labeled boxes?



I`d say this distinction is of purely meta-game interest, and even then

I cannot say I perceive any immediate benefits. If this is part of an

effort to formalize the creation of awnsheghlien, I`m all against it.

Awnsheghlien are unique NPCs that should each be master-crafted from

scratch to fit each individual campaign.



Cheers

Bjørn



-----Original Message-----

From: Birthright Roleplaying Game Discussion

[mailto:BIRTHRIGHT-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM] On Behalf Of Gary

Sent: 11. november 2003 17:24

To: BIRTHRIGHT-L@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM

Subject: Re: Ranking Awnsheghlien [2#2084]



At 07:58 AM 11/11/2003 +0100, Raesene Andu wrote:



> Perhaps we should such scrap the whole idea of Major and Lesser

Awnshegh.



I have a feeling something can be derived out of this, which is why I`m

bothering. The designation doesn`t mean anything at present--kind of

like

bloodline strength didn`t mean much in the original materials--but that

doesn`t mean it shouldn`t. At the very least, however, I think there`s

some worth to the concept in that it conveys role-playing dynamics.

Some

characters are "major" while others are "lesser". That can have an

effect

on how a player or DM interacts with/plays those characters.



Aside from such role-playing issues, however, I think some game effects

might be appropriate. As in, major awnsheghlien have a bonus to various

effects, like their ability to intimidate, perform bloodtheft,

whatever. What if, for instance, "Major Awnsheghlien" is a feat that

grants effects similar to the blooded feats in the BRCS? The

distinction

could be something as simple as that, and with relatively minor actual

game

effects.



> One thing to note is that all the lesser Awnshegh are either dead,

> Erhsegh, only blooded, or still undergoing their transformation. The

> Swordhawk falls into the last category, he has only just started

becoming

> an Awnshegh (although he has been alive for at least 200 years, so he

> must also have the long life blood abilities).



The amount of transformation is another possible difference between

major

and lesser awnsheghlien. Several of the existing ones, however, would

seem

to defy this method. The Siren, for instance, is not particularly

transformed. Others are kind of questionable. The Banshegh and the

White

Witch may be transformed, or they may not. They retain pretty much

their

human appearance, with notable and temporary changes which may or may

not

even be tied to their awnshegh nature.



> If you take Blood Enemies as a book written by Daznig, then those who

> fall into the Major category are well know, their powers and abilities

> recorded, while those who fall into the lesser catergory are less well

> known, although they still may be quite powerful. Daznig was unable to

> learn anything more than vague rumours about them.



That`s certainly a working definition. "Major Awnsheghlien: those who

have

a write up with background, character stats and other information in

BE. Minor Awnsheghlien: those who have at most only a brief

description." In the long run, though, I think I`d prefer something

more

substantial :)



Gary



************************************************** **********************

****



Birthright-l Archives:

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[geeman]

At 06:06 PM 11/11/2003 +0100, Bjørn wrote:



>Awnsheghlien are unique NPCs that should each be master-crafted from

>scratch to fit each individual campaign.



I`m all for customizing NPCs for an individual campaign, but that doesn`t

preclude guidelines for going about it, does it? As always one can ignore

such guidelines or use them as one likes, but having some sort of method

for going about master crafting such characters is a good thing,

particularly for something that is going to go out to a broad group of

people who can then have some common ground from which to discuss the

characters and come up with new ones.



Gary

[lordofallandnothing]

I actually like this idea of having a tier structure of the brood of azrai.
I would make the level 1 be just those with his blood whether they are good , neutral or evil.
Level 2 would be those that have actually transformed and all but do not have a realm of their own...yet :)
Level three would be those that transformed and had their own realm
And i would have a level 4 for those tha had their own realm and were transformed and were getting close to godhood-like the gorgon
Is all just my opinion though here.
Later all
peace

[geeman]

At 05:33 PM 11/14/2003 +0100, lordofallandnothing wrote:



> I actually like this idea of having a tier structure of the brood of

> azrai.

> I would make the level 1 be just those with his blood whether they are

> good , neutral or evil.

> Level 2 would be those that have actually transformed and all but do not

> have a realm of their own...yet :)

> Level three would be those that transformed and had their own realm

> And i would have a level 4 for those tha had their own realm and were

> transformed and were getting close to godhood-like the gorgon



One of the things that I think hasn`t gotten quite the attention in BR that

it deserves is not just the transformation of those with Azrai`s bloodline

and the optional transformation of those with other derivations, but the

requirement or access to that transformation for scions, and I`m thinking

that it is in this aspect of the bloodline system that I think we might

find a use for the terms "lesser" and "major" in regards to awnsheghlien

and ersheghlien. That is, scions of Azrai do not simply choose to become

awnsheghlien (though they might) they must fight off the transformation

into awnsheghlien.



I don`t think a lot of people have really recognized that in the original

bloodline system awnsheghlien are NOT required to have the bloodform blood

ability. Many of the major awnsheghlien, in fact, don`t have that blood

ability. Even the one for whom the blood abilities are speculated in the

BE text (Apocalypse) the writer of that entry, the fictional Daznig, does

not speculate that that creature might have the Bloodform blood

ability. Yet, he classifies him as a "major" awnsheghlien. Frankly, we

could have done without that particular creature`s description. He is

extraneous. He and several other major awnsheghlien are described as not

having appeared in Cerilia for many years. Yet there he is, misty face and

all.



So it still begs the question, what does major and lesser mean? Some

evidence that we might take into consideration.



1. Among the lesser awnsheghlien section are listed not just awnsheghlien

but ersheghlien AND simply blooded scions.



2. No ershegh is described as being a "major" ersheghlien.



3. In fact, ersheghlien fall under the "& other NPCs" section of the title

of that chapter of BE.



4. The transformation of scions into ersheghlien is described in BE and in

other texts as being a completely voluntary effort. Scions of other

derivations must choose to transform, where the transformation of Azrai`s

scions is involuntary, and sometimes even something the character dreads.



[When I write up an ersheghlien like "Ursus" or the upcoming "Nightbird" I

take pains to describe not just the personality of the creature in

question, but to give that character motivation for wanting to cast off

his/her humanity and change into some bestial form. Without such a

motivation the transformation into the ershegh form is somewhat

inexplicable--no matter how useful or cool that form might be. I`m working

on an essay I`m calling "A Guide to Birthright`s Mythic Monsters and

Legendary Beings" in which this issue and a few others are addressed.]



In the post that started off this thread I listed several things that might

be used to differentiate between lesser and major awnsheghlien, along with

examples of why those things didn`t actually work. I`m left with one of

two conclusions:



1. It`s a combination of two or more of those factors that makes an

awnshegh "major".



2. It`s something else entirely.



Right now I`m leaning towards the second option, and the thing I think

might make for the best explanation of what the categorization means is the

speed/requirement with which the transformation of the scion into an

awnshegh occurs. Every scion of Azrai can become an awnsheghlien, whether

s/he has the Bloodform ability or not. The powers of the transformation

might be more pronounced for those with Bloodform(major) and even more

significant for those with Bloodform(great) but the speed of transformation

need not necessarily be connected to that blood ability, or the difficulty

of resisting shifts having to do with their bloodline. Since all scions of

Azrai must fight the temptation of their blood there should be some process

for reflecting that.



Since we`re using 3e rules now (one could still use this in 2e, but it`s

easier in 3e IMO) probably the easiest way to reflect this is using a

template to reflect what being a "major" awnsheghlien means, and having a

system for characters to resist the pull of their Azrai derivation when

they level up. Let`s say, for instance, that a scion of Azrai must make a

will save whenever he earns a level. The DC of that save could be 5+ new

character level. If the save is failed then the character`s alignment

shifts one place towards neutral evil. A lawful good character becomes

lawful neutral, or neutral good, while a chaotic neutral character becomes

either neutral evil or chaotic evil. If the save is failed by 5 or more

the character must take a level in an Awnsheghlien character class rather

than a level in whatever class they would prefer.



Within that context, the template for a "major awnsheghlien" might be

something very simple. It`s either a template or a feat that they take

that gives some bloodline related benefit--a +2 to their Bld checks, an

additional blood ability, or whatever else seemed sensible. However, the

DC for their will saves made when levelling up are +5 higher than they

would be normally. Furthermore, scions of Azrai who have already taken a

level in an Awnsheghlien character class might also get a +5 to the DC of

their will save, as might those who are already lawful evil.



Using a system like that would not only explain what being a major or

lesser awnsheghlien might mean, but also would reflect the corrupting

effect of Azrai`s bloodline on characters like Rhoubhe (whose alignment has

changed) or the concerns of the Vos paladin Teodar Profiev (RoE p74) whose

bloodline will eventually force him to lose his paladinhood.



Furthermore, if one wanted to have "major ersheghlien" one could do that

too just by having them take that feat or apply that template. Their will

save might shift them more towards the alignment of their derivation and

require them to take levels in an Ersheghlien character class.



Gary

[OsricIlien]

Gary I think your right on here

There is a discussion very related to this one that is going on in the BRCS playtest comments and I know you have posted to it. I think that the differentiation between minor and major Awnsegh could be based on a set of ECL's. Minor could have an ecl range for their monster levels that is lower than the major ones.

I truthfully think we run into a wall when updating somethings that were never fully explained within the original material and when we encounter such things it may be better to simply begin from scratch and make changes. Now please dont shoot me for saying that but with the new rules somethings lend themselves to be completly refitted and retooled. This may be one of them.

:)

[geeman]

At 01:47 AM 11/23/2003 +0100, OsricIlien wrote:



>I think that the differentiation between minor and major Awnsegh could be

>based on a set of ECL`s. Minor could have an ecl range for their monster

>levels that is lower than the major ones.



Right now I`m leaning towards the pace of transformation as part of an

awn-/ersheghlien class. Characters who take levels in that class will

transform according to whether they just have the blood of Azrai, whether

they have the Bloodform/trait(major) ability, and whether they have the

Bloodform/trait(great) ability. Basically it just controls the pace of

their transformation and disadvantages.



Gary

[OsricIlien]

Thats exactley what I was thinking.

[Ariadne]

Originally posted by Raesene Andu@Nov 11 2003, 07:58 AM
Perhaps we should such scrap the whole idea of Major and Lesser Awnshegh.

Maybe we could create a system like the bloodline system based on bloodline srength and ECL.

Something like this:

Tainted Awnshegh (example: The Ghule)
Minor Awnshegh (example: The Wolf)
Major Awnshegh (example: The Basilisk)
Great Awnshegh (example: The Magian)
True Awnshegh (Example: The Gorgon)


Maybe we can create other names for the ranking to not confuse it with the bloodline...

[Ariadne]

Originally posted by geeman@Nov 11 2003, 06:43 PM
The Wolf, by contrast, is 6th level with a tainted bloodline, and probably the weakest awnshegh in all
the BR products.
I still question me, why the Wolf is an awnshegh at all. He has a tainted bloodline with Hightened Ability (int). That's all. There are blooded scions of Azrai, who are more Awnshegh than he is...

[ConjurerDragon]

Ariadne schrieb:

> This post was generated by the Birthright.net message forum.

> You can view the entire thread at:

> http://www.birthright.net/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=2084

>

> Ariadne wrote:

>
The Wolf, by contrast, is 6th level with a tainted

bloodline, and probably the weakest awnshegh in all

> the BR products.

> I still question me, why the Wolf is an awnshegh at all. He has a tainted bloodline with

Hightened Ability (int). That`s all. There are blooded scions of

Azrai, who are more Awnshegh

than he is...



Perhaps he is more than he seems to be?

After all Danzig has no perfect record of truth about every Abomination,

but only the descriptions of those who met him, which can be wrong partly.



How would a perfectly normal wolf with only a little more brain seduce a

female human being to become his mate and want to become a female wolf?

Perhaps he has some form of charm aura as well but it is not mentioned?

How does he, even with the wolf pack he leads, "control" more than one

province? Does he control more than one wolf pack? Can he control other

wolves, not just lead those of his own pack?

bye

Michael

[geeman]

At 12:58 PM 11/24/2003 +0100, Ariadne wrote:



>
The Wolf, by contrast, is 6th level

> with a tainted bloodline, and probably the weakest awnshegh in all

> the BR products.

>

>I still question me, why the Wolf is an awnshegh at all. He has a tainted

>bloodline with Hightened Ability (int). That`s all. There are blooded

>scions of Azrai, who are more Awnshegh than he is...



He is "large" rather than medium-sized for 3e wolves (they were "small" in

2e.) In 3e, of course, size can change for creatures whose hit dice are

advanced (even though there doesn`t appear to be much rhyme or reason to

the size increases in the MM) but back in the day only extraordinary things

changed the size of a creature, so it was more dramatic to have him grow to

horse-size.



It also may indicate the form his transformation is going to take. Other

animal based awnsheghlien seem to grow larger as much as they do transform

into monstrous shapes. Given that he`s such a "low-level" awnshegh the

amount of changes he`s gone through is probably relatively slight. At CR

8-12 he might be a size category larger, and his bite might grow more

dramatic. He could gain a bonus to his movement rate, a deafening howl,

more companions....



Personally, I`m starting to lean towards character descriptions including a

table that outlines the advancement from 1st through 20th level a la the

examples in the DMG. In some cases that`s overkill, but for many DMs I

think it would be more helpful than the "scaling the adventure" standard

that Dungeon has adopted.



Gary