Bloodline strenght

[Ariadne]

Hi, there's a thing I always wanted to know:

Is there a chance to highten your bloodline strenght above 100 (great or true is irrelevant) and what happens after that? Nothing, getting new blood-abilities or is your power so great that you even rise to godhood?? What power you must store to do this?

[geeman]

At 02:15 PM 6/26/2002 +0200, Ariadne wrote:

>Is there a chance to highten your bloodline strenght above 100 (great or
>true is irrelevant) and what happens after that? Nothing, getting new
>blood-abilities or is your power so great that you even rise to godhood??
>What power you must store to do this?

There are a several schools of thought on this sort of thing.

First of all, one can only raise the "category" of one`s bloodline strength
so much, if at all. That is, if you use the guidelines presented in the
Book of Regency, the category of bloodline strength (tainted, minor, etc.)
can be raised a single category per the section on Increasing Bloodline
Strength in that text. As you note, however, bloodline strength itself is
really irrelevant. There`s nothing to keep one from raising a bloodline
strength SCORE that starts from a "tainted" bloodline strength as high as
one likes, with 100+ being possible (or, at least, a score that high is
noted in the case of one particular awnshegh.) But what happens when BSS
gets up that high? There are several possibilities:

1. Nothing. You just go on as a scion with a 100+ bloodline strength
score. You get no new blood abilities (since those stop accumulating at
"80+" BSS on Table 12: Blood Ability Acquisition already) but have the
capacity to gain RP from a much larger realm than most anybody else in Cerilia.

2. You could change Table 12 (it never made much sense anyway) so that you
accumulate more blood abilities for every 25-40 points after 80.

3. You could enter a whole new level of "blood abilities" that are more
powerful than "great" blood abilities. Immortality instead of Long Life,
Shapechange instead of Alter Appearance, ability score increases of +4 to
+8, or other powers that represent abilities in the range of 7th-9th level
spells.

4. You could "transcend" and become an "outsider" for game mechanical purposes.

5. You might have the minimum BSS required to achieve demi-godhood, but
need to perform several "Herculean" tasks in order to actually
ascend/descend. (I`ve always imagined the task the Gorgon must complete is
to sit on the Iron Throne as Emperor of Anuire.)

6. You might enter one of the lower ranks of celestial (or infernal)
creatures, essentially beginning the path of demi-godhood on a lower
rung. Some sort of "archon" template or something could be applied to the
character.

I`m sure there are more possibilities, and several of the above
possibilities are not mutually exclusive.

I imagine the Epic Level Handbook might have some more indications of the
kinds of things that should be possible for characters who reach a
bloodline strength score beyond the "standard" levels supposed in the Rulebook.

Gary

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[Birthright-L]

On Wed, 26 Jun 2002, Gary wrote:
> 3. You could enter a whole new level of "blood abilities" that are more
> powerful than "great" blood abilities. Immortality instead of Long Life,
> Shapechange instead of Alter Appearance, ability score increases of +4 to
> +8, or other powers that represent abilities in the range of 7th-9th level
> spells.
>
> 4. You could "transcend" and become an "outsider" for game mechanical
> purposes.

Legends of the Hero-Gods?

> 5. You might have the minimum BSS required to achieve demi-godhood, but
> need to perform several "Herculean" tasks in order to actually
> ascend/descend. (I`ve always imagined the task the Gorgon must complete is
> to sit on the Iron Throne as Emperor of Anuire.)

Wouldn`t that be a great finale to a campaign? The PCs build up their
kingdoms for years, combatting the Gorgon, and boom, he swoops in,
conquors his way to the Iron Throne. Calls all the surviving dukes to the
throne room for his coronation, sits down, and ascends, with small or
large local effects depending on how you like your explosions... And then
you`re gaming in year one of the PG age, instead of Michaeline Reckoning.

> 6. You might enter one of the lower ranks of celestial (or infernal)
> creatures, essentially beginning the path of demi-godhood on a lower
> rung. Some sort of "archon" template or something could be applied to the
> character.
>
> I`m sure there are more possibilities, and several of the above
> possibilities are not mutually exclusive.
>
> I imagine the Epic Level Handbook might have some more indications of
> the kinds of things that should be possible for characters who reach a
> bloodline strength score beyond the "standard" levels supposed in the
> Rulebook.

ELH is for higher levelled characters, beyond 20. From reviews
I`ve read (at enworld, for one), Deities and Demigods would be more
helpful in this regard- characters with a high bloodline aren`t
necessarily higher levelled. It has stuff in it about questing to become
a divine rank 0 god, a hero type like Hercules. DR 1-5 is demigod, and on
up.
--
Communication is possible only between equals.
Daniel McSorley- mcsorley@cis.ohio-state.edu

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[geeman]

At 03:54 PM 6/26/2002 -0400, you wrote:

> > 4. You could "transcend" and become an "outsider" for game mechanical
> > purposes.
>
>Legends of the Hero-Gods?

Heh. Sure, why not? One could actually go toe to toe with one of the
dragons of Cerilia, the Cold Rider, etc. Sounds like a kick.

> > 5. You might have the minimum BSS required to achieve demi-godhood, but
> > need to perform several "Herculean" tasks in order to actually
> > ascend/descend. (I`ve always imagined the task the Gorgon must complete is
> > to sit on the Iron Throne as Emperor of Anuire.)
>
>Wouldn`t that be a great finale to a campaign? The PCs build up their
>kingdoms for years, combatting the Gorgon, and boom, he swoops in,
>conquors his way to the Iron Throne. Calls all the surviving dukes to the
>throne room for his coronation, sits down, and ascends, with small or
>large local effects depending on how you like your explosions... And then
>you`re gaming in year one of the PG age, instead of Michaeline Reckoning.

Or, I guess, the heroes might actually stop the process....

> > I imagine the Epic Level Handbook might have some more indications of
> > the kinds of things that should be possible for characters who reach a
> > bloodline strength score beyond the "standard" levels supposed in the
> > Rulebook.
>
>ELH is for higher levelled characters, beyond 20. From reviews I`ve read
>(at enworld, for one), Deities and Demigods would be more helpful in this
>regard- characters with a high bloodline aren`t necessarily higher
>levelled. It has stuff in it about questing to become a divine rank 0
>god, a hero type like Hercules. DR 1-5 is demigod, and on up.

I haven`t seen the ELH yet either, but I would think it would have some
sort of stuff in it that would parallel the BSS 100+ in the same way it
contains things for character levels over 20. The basic concept is
similar, so one could get some sort of idea what kinds of things a 3rd
level scion with a BSS of 120 might get as a benefit, as opposed to him
just gaining a third "great" blood ability.

Gary

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[Birthright-L]

On Wed, 26 Jun 2002, Gary wrote:
> > > 5. You might have the minimum BSS required to achieve demi-godhood, but
> > > need to perform several "Herculean" tasks in order to actually
> > > ascend/descend. (I`ve always imagined the task the Gorgon must complete is
> > > to sit on the Iron Throne as Emperor of Anuire.)
> >
> >Wouldn`t that be a great finale to a campaign? The PCs build up their
> >kingdoms for years, combatting the Gorgon, and boom, he swoops in,
> >conquors his way to the Iron Throne. Calls all the surviving dukes to the
> >throne room for his coronation, sits down, and ascends, with small or
> >large local effects depending on how you like your explosions... And then
> >you`re gaming in year one of the PG age, instead of Michaeline Reckoning.
>
> Or, I guess, the heroes might actually stop the process....

You let your players mess up your carefully crafted game? You are a brave
man.

:)

Actually, I was kind of thinking along the lines of- wouldn`t it be
interesting to run a game set in 2 Post-Gorgon, one of these days. Yet
another idea on the heap, someday I`ll get to run them all.
--
Communication is possible only between equals.
Daniel McSorley- mcsorley@cis.ohio-state.edu

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