| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| KnightErrantJR |
Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 18:54:30
Okay, so its not just Faerun, but that's part of the issue 
Okay, we have already commented several times here at the keep that what amounts to an "adventurer archaeologist" PrC in Champions of Ruin, the Shade Hunter, is kind of strange in that you have to be evil to look for old Netherese magic and artifacts and take this PrC.
So along comes this month Dragon (347), and in the Class Acts section they have feats for "Archaeologist" type characters, and one of the feats, "Chronicle" seemed kind of cool, in that it lets you appraise an item's historical worth, allowing you to sell something for more than its worth if you find someone that is interested in the particular "historical bits" you discover. That sounds cool. Then I look at the prerequisites . . . I get the ranks in appraise and the intelligence thing, but "ability to cast arcane spells?"
To be fair, the feats appear in the "Arcane" section of Class Acts, but nothing about the feat ever mentions using magic or some kind of supernatural sense to tell the items history. It seems like they added the arcane thing just to fit with the theme of the article.
Still, I'm not trying to get too deep into this other than to say this:
If you have to either be evil or an arcane spellcaster to be a good archaeologist in the Realms, Indiana Jones would have a rough time in Faerun . . . |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Sanishiver |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 06:29:04
quote:
Originally posted by kalin agrivar
oh, just to add..that is why I ahve turned to d20/non-WoTC materials...they often have PrCs that are more general than the WoTC stuff...kinda sucks that it is not admissable here
Why wouldn't they be? I like to use D20 material in my own Realms campaign and would think many others do as well.
Heck, even if you're just commenting on them I would think that'd be fine. There's a strong tradtion of Realms DMs adopting good ideas/rules from wherever they can find them. No reason to stop now. 
.....
Looking at the article, I can see Knight's point. I'd cut that prereq out entirely and not substitute any other requirement for it. I think that feat should have more benefit to Bards and Loremaster types that can make class-based checks to 'know' something about just about anything already.
J. Grenemyer |
| The Sage |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 05:39:15
And now that I think about it, have we ever seen a 3e update for the "Lorefinder" kit presented in Demihumans of the Realms. I don't recall...
That passes for an "archaeologist" basis of sorts, that allows for any alignment type (though rarely evil).
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| The Sage |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 05:36:39
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
The protagonist from The Lost Library of Cormanthyr was an archeologist ranger. 
That was Baylee.
I'm still not sure I like the name. 
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| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 03:18:34
The protagonist from The Lost Library of Cormanthyr was an archeologist ranger.
I basically agree, you shouldn't have to be a mage to be interested in artifacts (much less evil!). |
| Conlon |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 00:42:23
Or Priests devoted to the accumulation of lore or artifacts.. |
| Ardashir |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 00:08:59
Just what basic character classes would make for good Faerunian archaeologists, anyway? I figure the list begins with the rogue, the wizard, and the bard. |
| Kalin Agrivar |
Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 20:01:28
I don't know that one...
In Mongoose's Ultimate Prestige Class series (book I and II) there are basic "tomb raider"ish PrCs for lore, treasure and trap making/defeating that are good (with some tweaking)
in line with archeology, I have also been a little disappointed with the Loremaster PrC...it really isn't much of a sage...I have had players use the Rogue class (and it's 8 skill points/level) with that feat that allows skill access to all knowledge skills to make better sages... |
| KnightErrantJR |
Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 19:54:21
I liked the "necrotheologist" from Malhavoc's Requium for a God event books. I could actually picture some of them roaming the Realms doing research on various "dead" gods, and they struck me as vaguely "archaeological" if on a planar level. |
| Kalin Agrivar |
Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 19:51:11
oh, just to add..that is why I ahve turned to d20/non-WoTC materials...they often have PrCs that are more general than the WoTC stuff...kinda sucks that it is not admissable here |
| Kalin Agrivar |
Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 19:34:58
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Okay, so its not just Faerun, but that's part of the issue
Okay, we have already commented several times here at the keep that what amounts to an "adventurer archaeologist" PrC in Champions of Ruin, the Shade Hunter, is kind of strange in that you have to be evil to look for old Netherese magic and artifacts and take this PrC.
So along comes this month Dragon (347), and in the Class Acts section they have feats for "Archaeologist" type characters, and one of the feats, "Chronicle" seemed kind of cool, in that it lets you appraise an item's historical worth, allowing you to sell something for more than its worth if you find someone that is interested in the particular "historical bits" you discover. That sounds cool. Then I look at the prerequisites . . . I get the ranks in appraise and the intelligence thing, but "ability to cast arcane spells?"
To be fair, the feats appear in the "Arcane" section of Class Acts, but nothing about the feat ever mentions using magic or some kind of supernatural sense to tell the items history. It seems like they added the arcane thing just to fit with the theme of the article.
Still, I'm not trying to get too deep into this other than to say this:
If you have to either be evil or an arcane spellcaster to be a good archaeologist in the Realms, Indiana Jones would have a rough time in Faerun . . .
I find there are is a lacking of PrCs of basic "professions" like archaeologist...or that they are too "fantastical"...
and old Dragon Magizine had two actually useful archaeology kits that I used...one for spellcatsres and one for non-spellcasters... |
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