Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 20 of 20
  1. #11
    Senior Member Trithemius's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Canberra, Australia.
    Posts
    408
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Azrai:

    > Who needs smokepowder if there are fireballs and mighty divine magic?



    Does it need to be said?

    Everyone who does not possess powerful magic, of course.



    I am personally inclined to limit the number of homicidally inclined wizards

    who are also so contemptuous of their own safety as to hang around on

    battlefields. Certainly there will be some, but not enough to go around.



    --

    John Machin

    (trithemius@paradise.net.nz)

    -----------------------------------------------------

    "Nothing is more beautiful than to know the All."

    -----------------------------------------------------

    - Athanasius Kircher, `The Great Art of Knowledge`.
    John 'Trithemius' Machin
    The Other John From Dunedin (now in Canberra)
    "Power performs the Miracle." - Johannes Trithemius

  2. #12
    Senior Member Trithemius's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Canberra, Australia.
    Posts
    408
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Anthony Juarez:

    > My taste includes a steampunk Cerelian setting where the borders

    > between

    > The World and the Shadow World are almost completely shattered by the

    > Gargon`s release of corruptong Dark Sources, the primary source of

    > arcane magic. Regency is the only thing that keeps the powers of

    > Steamcraft operational, giving man and dwarf alike the ability to help

    > drive off the Shadow Wilderness. The gods have once again intervened,

    > but Laerme`s avatar has been cleverly captured by The Gorgon who seeks

    > to exinguish Larme`s Flame of Hope from the world...



    Have you read much of the "Iron Kingdoms" stuff? For some reason, after

    reading your idea, I like the concept of an over-lithified Gorgon who has had

    to chop himself a bit and attach the bits to a giant steam-jack to move around.



    --

    John Machin

    (trithemius@paradise.net.nz)

    -----------------------------------------------------

    "Nothing is more beautiful than to know the All."

    -----------------------------------------------------

    - Athanasius Kircher, `The Great Art of Knowledge`.
    John 'Trithemius' Machin
    The Other John From Dunedin (now in Canberra)
    "Power performs the Miracle." - Johannes Trithemius

  3. #13
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    BR mailing list
    Posts
    1,538
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    > Have you read much of the "Iron Kingdoms" stuff? For some reason, after

    > reading your idea, I like the concept of an over-lithified Gorgon who

    > has had

    > to chop himself a bit and attach the bits to a giant steam-jack to move

    > around.



    Yeah, it`s a combination of Birthright and Witchfire. I got tired of

    waiting for the official Iron Kingdoms campaign release that was

    promised in 2001, so I decided to use Birthright. Works well, I think.

    ;)



    --Lord Rahvin
    NOTE: Messages posted by Birthright-L are automatically inserted posts originating from the mailing list linked to the forum.

  4. #14
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    883
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    John Machin schrieb:



    >Osprey:

    >

    >

    >> I think he`d be far less of a threat as a pure fighter...FAR less.

    >>

    >>

    >Possibly, but in 2e he could look at people and kill them once per round for

    >free. That`s pretty damn threatening if you ask me!;)

    >

    >

    Yes, but in 2E the simple 1st level wizard spell "Gaze Reflection" would

    have granted total protection against that ability.

    Now in 3E the protection against gaze attacks is less perfect with only

    50% protection AND it´s no longer 1st, but a 2nd level spell.



    >Exactly.

    >I don`t see anywhere the kind of career change needed to make the Gorgon the

    >equal of pretty much any wizard in Anuire (bar that Lichey Sidhe from PS:

    >Tuarhievel... no comment...). I like the idea of the Gorgon as a brutal tyrant

    >who plans well, but I do not see that means he -must- be a wizard. I think its

    >more interesting if he isn`t, and if he just has a cadre of wizards who are

    >trying to curry his favour (i.e. stay alive) and murder their rivals.

    >

    Aren´t two failed large-scale invasions of Anuire not enough reason for

    an intelligent being with lots of time having the long life

    bloodability to search for other ways to achieve it´s goal?

    bye

    Michael

  5. #15
    Senior Member Trithemius's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Canberra, Australia.
    Posts
    408
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Anthony Juarez:

    > Yeah, it`s a combination of Birthright and Witchfire. I got tired of

    > waiting for the official Iron Kingdoms campaign release that was

    > promised in 2001, so I decided to use Birthright. Works well, I think.

    > ;)



    The Iron Kingdoms "Monsternomicon" is pretty neat. Some interesting prestige

    classes, and a neat little system to help codify what the -characters- know

    about the capabilities and weaknesses of monsters. I like the neat fey-

    creatures too, some of them are really easily dropped into BR.



    --

    John Machin

    (trithemius@paradise.net.nz)

    -----------------------------------------------------

    "Nothing is more beautiful than to know the All."

    -----------------------------------------------------

    - Athanasius Kircher, `The Great Art of Knowledge`.
    John 'Trithemius' Machin
    The Other John From Dunedin (now in Canberra)
    "Power performs the Miracle." - Johannes Trithemius

  6. #16
    Senior Member Trithemius's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Canberra, Australia.
    Posts
    408
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Michael Romes:

    > Yes, but in 2E the simple 1st level wizard spell "Gaze Reflection"

    > would have granted total protection against that ability.

    > Now in 3E the protection against gaze attacks is less perfect with only

    > 50% protection AND it´s no longer 1st, but a 2nd level spell.



    Wizard`s have their own vulnerabilities, I am sure you will agree; especially

    when facing one of the most powerful warriors in Cerilia.



    > Aren´t two failed large-scale invasions of Anuire not enough reason for

    > an intelligent being with lots of time having the long life

    > bloodability to search for other ways to achieve it´s goal?



    Who says they were failed? It has been commented on that the Gorgon likes to

    treat the bloodlines of Anuire as vines - to be cultivated and then plucked

    when they are ready. Perhaps these "failed invasions" were just pretexts to

    draw out Anuire`s best and brightest so they could be killed by Ol` Stonebutt?

    Isn`t more worrying to contemplate the idea that they weren`t meant to succeed?

    Perhaps the reason that the Gorgon has not conquered Anuire yet is because he`s

    not ready to... not while there are still a few more Great bloodlines to be

    harvested...



    Smart, evil, powerful - the Gorgon is all these things. He`s doesn`t need to be

    a wizard to be them though.



    --

    John Machin

    (trithemius@paradise.net.nz)

    -----------------------------------------------------

    "Nothing is more beautiful than to know the All."

    -----------------------------------------------------

    - Athanasius Kircher, `The Great Art of Knowledge`.
    John 'Trithemius' Machin
    The Other John From Dunedin (now in Canberra)
    "Power performs the Miracle." - Johannes Trithemius

  7. #17
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    BR mailing list
    Posts
    1,538
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    > The Iron Kingdoms "Monsternomicon" is pretty neat. Some interesting

    > prestige

    > classes, and a neat little system to help codify what the -characters-

    > know

    > about the capabilities and weaknesses of monsters. I like the neat fey-

    > creatures too, some of them are really easily dropped into BR.



    One of my players loves its treasure system. Monsters don`t drop

    treasure; rather the monster entry suggests methods of getting money

    from the monster`s carcass. Stuff like "Niag`s eyes are useful in

    making alchemists fire. One eye is enough for half a year. They can

    sell for 4,000gp for a fresh, pererved pair." At least, that`s what I

    heard.



    Eventually, I`ll start doing that in Birthright. It`d be especially

    cool in any realm outside Anuire or Brechtur, I think. Right now I just

    do adventure hooks that way. "Help! Help! The siege engineers need

    Niag`s eyes!" : )



    But yeah, I think the Iron Kingdoms stuff mix well with Birthright.

    They are both very rich, wonderful settings with a very *real* flavor

    that is overshadowed only be a fanatical need to comply with unreal,

    literary flawed presumptions of D&D (any edition).



    --Lord Rahvin
    NOTE: Messages posted by Birthright-L are automatically inserted posts originating from the mailing list linked to the forum.

  8. #18
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    BR mailing list
    Posts
    1,538
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    > Who says they were failed? It has been commented on that the Gorgon

    > likes to

    > treat the bloodlines of Anuire as vines - to be cultivated and then

    > plucked

    > when they are ready. Perhaps these "failed invasions" were just

    > pretexts to

    > draw out Anuire`s best and brightest so they could be killed by Ol`

    > Stonebutt?



    Maybe it`s just the stereotypically villainness of it, but I prefer to

    think of the Gorgon as frustrated and more than a little desperate

    rather that having a grand plot that is all going according to the

    Master Plan. I don`t like to think of him as a strategic genius with

    long-range plans so much as an opportunist who is cunning and

    intuitive.



    What do you say we all compromise and give him Bard levels instead?

    (ducks!)



    --Lord Rahvin
    NOTE: Messages posted by Birthright-L are automatically inserted posts originating from the mailing list linked to the forum.

  9. #19
    Senior Member Trithemius's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Canberra, Australia.
    Posts
    408
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Anthony Juarez:

    > Maybe it`s just the stereotypically villainness of it, but I prefer to

    > think of the Gorgon as frustrated and more than a little desperate

    > rather that having a grand plot that is all going according to the

    > Master Plan. I don`t like to think of him as a strategic genius with

    > long-range plans so much as an opportunist who is cunning and

    > intuitive.



    Poor villains.

    I like to ensure my campaign`s key villain(s) are at least as clever as the

    players. Intelligence on the part of NPCs trumps "more power" nearly every

    time, in my opinion.



    > What do you say we all compromise and give him Bard levels instead?

    > (ducks!)



    To that I give a succint "no".



    --

    John Machin

    (trithemius@paradise.net.nz)

    -----------------------------------------------------

    "Nothing is more beautiful than to know the All."

    -----------------------------------------------------

    - Athanasius Kircher, `The Great Art of Knowledge`.
    John 'Trithemius' Machin
    The Other John From Dunedin (now in Canberra)
    "Power performs the Miracle." - Johannes Trithemius

  10. #20
    Senior Member Osprey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Posts
    1,475
    Downloads
    34
    Uploads
    8
    Poor villains.
    I like to ensure my campaign`s key villain(s) are at least as clever as the
    players. Intelligence on the part of NPCs trumps "more power" nearly every
    time, in my opinion.
    Agreed. There's nothing I love more than demonstrating to players how a smart opponent is the deadliest sort, especially because smart villains don't stick around and fight till the bitter end if things aren't going their way. Smart villains live longer and tend to pick fights on THEIR terms...as any PC group knows, good planning goes a long way, and a villain with a good plan and enough skills and resources to make it work is a very dangerous enemy...

    -Osprey

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
BIRTHRIGHT, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, the BIRTHRIGHT logo, and the D&D logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used by permission. ©2002-2010 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.