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Thente Thunderspells
Seeker
USA
65 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Mar 2013 : 19:46:50
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Hi Scribes,
I'm running a game wherein one of the NPC's that the PC's are familiar with, is about to get a bump and nudge to make him her Divine Champion/Mouthpiece/chosen (I shy away from "chosen" because I'm of the camp that likes to keep Mystra's Chosen and other deities separate).
I've seen the lists of chosen around about here at Candlekeep and I have the templates for the more well known chosen (mystra, bane, deneir), I just wanted to get the keep's thoughts about what a Template for Waukeen would look like?
I'm imagining + to Charisma & Int (maybe Wis as well?), skill bonuses for social skills & Profession Merchant, maybe some Su or SLA's related to trade spells (think Merchant Prince spells)? LA?
What are some other scribe's thoughts?
Game is set in DR 1372, early Marpenoth
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The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
- Shakespeare |
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Mapolq
Senior Scribe
Brazil
466 Posts |
Posted - 04 Mar 2013 : 23:46:55
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I'm not great at balancing mechanics so I'll limit myself to giving you ideas...
First, if you'd like a real-world term for it, I might suggest "Cliens of Waukeen". Plural would be the "Clientes of Waukeen". Feminine "Clienta"/"Clientas".
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cliens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patronage_in_ancient_Rome
I'd spread the bonuses between Int, Wis and Cha, I think they'd all play a part for a "chosen" of Waukeen. It seems Chosen templates don't normally grant skill bonuses... maybe treat Appraise, Diplomacy, Sense Motive and possibly Bluff and Knowledge skills as class skills? I'd give the template Detect Thoughts or a more powerful version of it at will (but with the directive to use it "defensively" so to speak) and spells that aid in detecting fraud, protecting the mind, valuables, places and documents, and perhaps ones that aid in communication and transportation (only if you feel they need more abilities, I guess). I would add immunity to the effects of hunger, thirst, asphyxia and other basic needs, no need to sleep, as well as an Endure Elements effect (the idea being that at the very least, this person shall not feel deprivation). Top it out with a supernatural ability to create any nonmagical object from thin air 1/day like Major Creation, but permanent (well, actually instantaneous - can't be dispelled), with no size limit or a hugely increased one, can be used as material component for a spell and carries no need for a Craft check. The object is actually plane-shifted from the Marketplace Eternal in Brightwater, however, so it must be something that actually exists there (not invented by the person in that moment, and not "a planet" or something like that - common sense applies - but almost everything mundane will be available in Waukeen's domain), not a specific item (such as the dagger used to kill the king, or whatever), and of course abuses will be noted by Waukeen.
Hope you find the ideas useful! |
Never sleep under the jackfruit tree.
Tales of Moonsea - A Neverwinter Nights 2 Persistent World. Check out our website at http://www.talesofmoonsea.com and our video trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am304WqOAAo&feature=youtu.be, as well as our thread here at Candlekeep: http://www.forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12955
My campaign thread: http://www.forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16447 |
Edited by - Mapolq on 05 Mar 2013 15:27:49 |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 00:27:58
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Waukeen is actually near and dear to me in a behind the scenes way in my Forgotten Realms games. I use a lot of material from a gaming book called The Republic of Darokin (TSR Print 1989) in a behind the scenes manner to determine trade and such...however, there is a class in the book (which I don't use) that has some spells you may be interested in giving to your Champion of Waukeen; I won't go into detail of writing but some names:
1st level:
Clear Sight (long distance line of sight views)
Coint Coins (coint to the coin in a particular container)
Evaluate (spot shoddy work, but doesn't work against magic)
Ignore Road (counters overland penalties for bad roads)
Trust (useful for gaining trust, but not tricking at all)
2nd level:
Check Load (making sure cargo is secure and optimum space used)
Crowd Summoning (makes the merchant the "center of attention")
Detect Ambush (nuff said)
Silver Tongue (mislead others "This is the finest dagger in Sembia!")
3rd level:
Inventory ("Yep, everything on this list is in this warehouse!")
Smuggling (yeah...nice one)
4th level:
Accounting (books always perfect...or catch crooks!)
Check Caravan (hmmm...this one wagon seems to have a cracked axle)
Embezzle (anti-accounting!)
The class only had 4th level spells; but I think some of these are solid ideas for a Champion of Waukeen! |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Thente Thunderspells
Seeker
USA
65 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 01:02:48
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Thanks for the replies!
Good point on the skill bonuses Mapolq! Thinking more about it, the "Chosen" templates are usually just Stat increases with some constant and "X/day" Spell-like Abilities
Dalor, I too love me some Waukeen which is why I'm using her as the basis for much of the early behind the scenes action in my game! Thanks for the spell lists from that book... that is going back a LONG way, so I'll have to go digging to see if I have it or can track it down in some way.
Essentially I see the investiture of power making this NPC an almost "supernatural" trader. Sees through scams, negotiates the best deals to maximize their own profit, facilitates other's deals (for a price of course), well regarded and liked even by other merchants who are not benefiting from them, etc., but on a level that only the most experienced merchants can match (until this NPC 'gains enough experience' to surpass them as well!)
I'll look at the other Chosen templates again and see if I can come up with a nice middle of the road set of abilities to post here and get feedback on... still welcoming other ideas and comments though! |
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
- Shakespeare |
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Mapolq
Senior Scribe
Brazil
466 Posts |
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Andrekan
Seeker
65 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2013 : 02:26:32
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| Probably won't like Theaves (Mask) or Grazzt. Just a footnote as they are the only forces ever threaten Waukeen. I remember an adventure during the ToT, where we saved her from the Abyss. |
"Those two talk only of drink, riches, women, brawling, and magic, so ye've a one in five chance..." Quote from "Elminster in Hell" |
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Thente Thunderspells
Seeker
USA
65 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2013 : 23:01:09
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Here is a first crack at it. Let me know what you think Scribes!
Client of Waukeen
Speed: +10’ to land speed
Constant: Calm Emotions (emanation; DC: 10+½ Level+ChaMod; Can be raised/lowered as a free action), Endure Elements, Mindblank
Immune: Aging (Bonuses accrue, still dies of old age), Disease, Poison
SLA’s (Sp): CL=HD; At will: Appraising Touch (SpC), Easy Math (Song & Silence), Friendly Face (RoD), Instant Search (SpC), Scholar’s Touch (RoD); 3/day City Stride (RoD), Glibness, Listening Coin (SpC), Spymaster’s Coin (CS); 1/day Fools Gold (PoF), Hoard Gullet (DrM)
For Leadership/Epic Leadership: +10 to Base Leadership; (If Using Power of Faerun Influence rules +400 Influence score also).
Stats: +4 Int, +4 Wis, +6 Cha
Skill Bonuses: +10 Insight on Profession, Sense Motive checks
Thoughts:
Speed increase - to get around faster
Constant effects - Calm emotions is to keep the negotiations calm for trade, Endure Elements to ease travel, Mindblank is to keep the Champion free of tampering
Immunity: to keep the champion hale, and alive while conducting trade negotiations
SLA's: these are all "trade" related spells that could benefit a merchant and trader, to make them the best at licit and illicit deals!
Leadership/Influence: to help build a merchant house/guild/help the church
Stats: total of +7 to stat modifiers (Chosen of Mystra are +5 (+10 to Con), Deneier is +3 (+2 Int, Wis, Cha), Bane is +6 (+2 Int, +10 Cha), Malar is +7 (+4 Str, +10 Con), figured +7 is ok since they are "mental stats"
Skill bonuses: there is precedent for this, both the Chosen of Bane and the Chosen of Malar gain skill related bonuses/benefits. This is the pared down list after looking at the SLA's and which skills would be benefited from those already, these two skills were the only ones that didn't have an SLA kick to them...
I also wanted to give bonus feats: Business Savvy & Skill Focus (Profession), but couldn't find any precedent to give bonus feats from a chosen template.
Let me know what you think!
As to enemies, Waukeen is raising this person up (based on in game storyline) to help increase trade, thereby her power, as well as combating the Harlot Coin Heresy... so there will be some anti-Grazzt stuff going on. |
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
- Shakespeare |
Edited by - Thente Thunderspells on 12 Mar 2013 23:12:27 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11808 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2013 : 22:44:21
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| I'd take away the immunity to disease and poison, replace it with the spell like ability to purify food and drink. Then, since you've lost that immunity, I'd say a lot more skill bonuses. For instance, on diplomacy, gather information, knowledge (architecture and engineering), knowledge (geography), knowledge (history), knowledge (nobility and royalty), knowledge (religion), listen, open lock, sleight of hand. I'd specifically leave off bluff and appraise, since you're fulfilling that with giving them the glibness and appraising touch spell like abilities. While the friendly face SLA helps with diplomacy and gather information, its not substantial, but you may want to remove those from the list as well. Then, I'd allocate the person to be able to speak several additional languages (or use tongues). Finally, I'd say letting the person pick a few of those skills and making them class skills for them wouldn't be unwarranted, and whichever ones they choose are the ones they get special bonuses with. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Champion of Waukeen
