New Class Options

[Osprey]

As for the Inscribe Rune ability, Osprey, I forgot to mention that inscribing runes on stones/gems would cost as much as scribing a scroll.

If you like the concept of making the Runecaster a prestige class, I suggest that you go on with some requirements in the line of requiring a runic alphabet to be known by the character. You could also make it so that other schools of magic, aside the aforementioned Enchantment, are not well suited for runecasting: Illusion (stationary illusions can be both good and bad ideas, according to their nature), Necromancy (except for a few spells that work like wards) and some Divination and Transmutation spells (like message) seem particularly out of context. Abjuration, Conjuration, some Evocation, and most Transmutation spells seem to be the key to such a class.

I think a class ability/feat like Rune Casting would probably cover the language aspect, as I would assume that dwarven wizards already know dwarven writing (which should use a runic script). The same would be true for Rjurik runecasters. However, the secret powers of runes and the ability to utilize them from is what is really entailed within the special abilities of such a class.

But a prerequisite like Decipher Script (5 ranks) might symbolize the work put into figuring out the runes' secret meanings.

Let me see if i can't flesh out a few basics for a prestige class writeup.

-Osprey

[Airgedok]

Originally posted by irdeggman+Oct 15 2003, 09:54 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (irdeggman @ Oct 15 2003, 09:54 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--Airgedok@Oct 14 2003, 09:23 PM
Just want to be clear on my position I&#39;m all for creating new classes so long as no race is excluded from any class including elves. That being said I&#39;m all for cultural concequences for various classes. i could see elves viewing any elven cleric as they would a necomancer. Perhaps its a subtle differance to some but for me its an important issue.

It is important to review the campaign setting definition material for Birthright. One of the things that separates it from other settings is the fact that there are no elven gods and that elves can&#39;t (normally) be clerics (or priests in 2nd ed). This is an important aspect that needs to always be kept in mind.

[snip]


[/b][/quote]
However the key word in your statement is "(normally)" Its a rather HUGE distinction from they can NEVER be clerics or Dwarves can NEVER be wizards. The idea that Elves would never accept a regent who embraced the human gods is one thing but to exclude a player in and adventure level game from EVER taking a cleric level just because he is an elf is a whole different kettle of fish. There is evidence to support the inturpitation that an elf could be a cleric if they wanted to worship a god and the god accepted such worship.

I&#39;m not advocating that the sidhe should be able to be clerics period. I&#39;ve advocating that ther not be a Racial prohibition but rather a cultural prohibition.

You start saying that X race can only be A, B & C for classes like 2E D&D and you will alienate a huge portion of the players. You have a paragraph explaining why culturely there are no clerics in sidhe lands and that a Sidhe cleric is as rare as being unique but possible for non-regents at least then you have a rule that is acceptable. This still keeps the spirit of the setting that as a whole elves have no priests but also keeps the spirit of the 3e rules that says no core class is excluded from any race.

[Airgedok]

Originally posted by RaspK_FOG@Oct 16 2003, 04:10 PM
One thing I never quite understood and many people still seem reluctant to approach is the real meaning of being a cleric. Allow me to explain...

(Let&#39;s just say that nobles are not the standard BR nobles, just any class that plays that role well; I, for one, prefer the noble from The Wheel of Time to that of BR, but that&#39;s another thing entirely.)
For all we no, a priest can be anyone who is versed in the theological issues and background of his particular church and can actually preach about them to the masses, but does not have to (as a priest, his role is to perform ceremonies) . If we want to be honest, a bard/adept or noble/adept, and, of course, a noble or expert with few cleric levels would be able do the above. What really differentiates the aforementioned example is that a cleric (the word is greek, and means "one who preaches/one related to preaching") is exactly that part of the clergy which is assigned to drawing new believers to their church.
(In order to avoid being clobbered, I must agree that I gave my class the name cleric to avoid having them confused for standard D&D clerics.)

Ah in D&D teh cleric is more a warrior priest than a evangalist and AGAIN not all religions are evangelical like Islam and christianity. Many are non evangelical. So you definition of what a cleric is is fundementaly flawed.

[Osprey]

RaspK,
I just figured out a way runes could use area effects: the runestone is activated, begins to glow with power, and the wielder throws it at his target. BOOM&#33; Grenade-like effect, basically. Figure runestones have a range increment of 20.&#39; (They&#39;re not very aerodynamic, usually small rectangular slabs).

-Osprey

[kari]

I woould say the elfs used to be clerics, usualy clerics of &#39;Azrai&#39; Before the battle. But now they value there fredoom, and have a mutual understandings of the works of gods. knowing thet if thay were to suport a god ever again, it would lead to the ruins of the remains of there people. No god can be above any elf. so even if a elf would rise to godhood. he would not exspect followers from his own race. and he would be exspected to veiw the other elfes as equales.

So begin a cleric of any god, and doing its seremonys, and biddings, would be blasemy to ther fallen bretherns. the ones thet fell in the war of gods.

the day the elfs turnd, thay turnd away from all gods. But before thay were the best of servants/ Clerics.

[kari]

Im thinking about, how to build a little campage, where the gods can be Pc&#39;s as well as any regents.

what can a god benifit from having followers. How sould tows rules work. what seremonys sould there be to gain acsess to the energy in the harts of people thet fule the powers of the god, how can a god grant spells, would there be a limit on how many clerics one god can have depending on his mana pool. granting a cleric acsess to higer level spells migth drain the mana pool of the god, and therefore not every cleric has acsess all of the time. and sometimes the manapool is emty.

me like to play a god

would be nice to have some discussion on this topic.

[irdeggman]

Originally posted by kari@Oct 21 2003, 09:40 AM
I woould say the elfs used to be clerics, usualy clerics of &#39;Azrai&#39; Before the battle. But now they value there fredoom, and have a mutual understandings of the works of gods. knowing thet if thay were to suport a god ever again, it would lead to the ruins of the remains of there people. No god can be above any elf. so even if a elf would rise to godhood. he would not exspect followers from his own race. and he would be exspected to veiw the other elfes as equales.

So begin a cleric of any god, and doing its seremonys, and biddings, would be blasemy to ther fallen bretherns. the ones thet fell in the war of gods.

the day the elfs turnd, thay turnd away from all gods. But before thay were the best of servants/ Clerics.

The problem with scenario is that the elves were around before they fell sway to Azrai&#39;s promises and then at the last minute they turned on him at Deismaar. Story wise and campaign material wise it just doesn&#39;t fit that cerilian elves were ever clerics

Why would they worship a human deity? Especially not the one soverign over nature.

If you really want to open the door for all races to be all things then the restriction on having to be blooded or of elven blood in order to be a wizard would also have to be removed since this gives a clear advantage to elves and half-elves.

When I said (normally) elves couldn&#39;t be clerics - what the 2nd ed books actually said was that they couldn&#39;t be clerics. I did a listing of the applicable excerpts from all of the 2nd ed sources (excluding novels) and basically pointed out the text wasnt really contradictory, it just had to be read as a whole and not taken as snippets. Elves could not be priests, although some followed the teachings of some of the human gods this didn&#39;t make them priests.

As I also tried to point out in 2nd this was a campaign definition issue since it was something that differed from the standard whereas dwarves not being wizards did not, since they could not be wizards in the 2nd ed core rules anyway.

The elves were at war with the humans before Deismaar and the main reason that they were &#39;defeated&#39; that was given was priestly magic which was totally alien to the elves.

[ConjurerDragon]

Airgedok schrieb:

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

> You can view the entire thread at:

> http://www.birthright.net/forums/ind...ST&f=36&t=2000

>

> Airgedok wrote:

>

One thing I never quite understood and many people still seem reluctant to approach is the real meaning of being a cleric. Allow me to explain...

...

of his particular church and can actually preach about them to the

masses, but does not have

to (as a priest, his role is to perform ceremonies) . If we want to be

honest, a bard/adept o

r noble/adept, and, of course, a noble or expert with few cleric levels

would be able do the

above. What really differentiates the aforementioned example is that a

cleric (the word is

greek, and means "one who preaches/one related to

preaching") is exactly that part of

the clergy which is assigned to drawing new believers to their church.

> (In order to avoid being clobbered, I must agree that I gave my class the name cleric to

avoid having them confused for standard D&D clerics.)

> Ah in D&D teh cleric is more a warrior priest than a evangalist and AGAIN not all

religions are evangelical like Islam and christianity. Many are non

evangelical. So you

definition of what a cleric is is fundementaly flawed.



In a game where the PCs are regents they will be expanding. Expanding

means either converting rival faiths followers to the own faith or

preaching to gain new followers and create a new temple where none yet

is. So while not all religions in Cerilia are evangelical (and certainly

Kriesha and Belinik will not bring good news) all major religions of

the different races are trying to expand. Haelyn had a hold over most of

the empire before it´s fall and lost most of his presence after the fall.

bye

Michael

[Osprey]

What really differentiates the aforementioned example is that a
cleric (the word is
greek, and means "one who preaches/one related to
preaching") is exactly that part of
the clergy which is assigned to drawing new believers to their church.

What cleric originally meant in Greek, and what it came to mean in the medieval church, were distinctly different. Although clerics were preachers in the medieval church, it really was a pretty broad term that seems to have been interchangeable with "priest." It was only monks that were a distinctly seperate breed. At least, that&#39;s as near as I can tell with my limited knowledge of medieval Christianity.

[teloft]

>Why would they worship a human deity?
was &#39;Azrai&#39; a human deity?

well, if you barracade them from using positive energy, or something of thet sort.

it could be ruled thet begin cleric of the older gods was somehow difrent. and yes. only clerics blessed by the grace of there deitys blood would be able to tap into there power to fule there deitys biddings. So the new way of using the godly powers were intruduced by the human deitys. &#39;Positive energy&#39; flow and healing spells.

Im not sure about this. but to call them clerics would be somehow flaed. Think of the Templar from Darksun, able to draw power from there dragonking.

h34r: