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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1450 Posts |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Feb 2022 : 00:02:28
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| Thanks for this. You one of the authors? Intrigued to see what they did with Thay for beyond 4e timeline/post second sundering. Also, if you know, I see they gave Ed top billing. How involved was he on this? I see he did the foreword (which I do enjoy the fact that he belittles Tam and goes into the everyday nature of the people of Thay). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 22 Feb 2022 00:26:26 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2022 : 01:14:35
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So, I jumped ahead to the rules section.
Weavebound Paladin - first fix. Weaver's Mantle lets you extend a field around someone and whenever they're affected by a spell they can then do arcane sustenance and restore a spell slot of a level no higher than your charisma modifier. So, person has a weaver's mantle, they're affected by a 1st level spell of the right type, your charisma modifier is +5, so you restore a 5th level spell slot. Needs a statement to limit the level of spell restored to no higher than the original spell.
I will add, I like the woven from faith mechanic for converting channel divinity uses to serve as expensive components.
Page 20, you may want to update the number of years passed, unless you are intending this to be in 1535
"Some 150 years prior to today, an event known as the Spellplague ripped through Faerûn."
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 22 Feb 2022 13:33:21 |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1450 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2022 : 01:27:11
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Thanks for this. You one of the authors? Intrigued to see what they did with Thay for beyond 4e timeline/post second sundering. Also, if you know, I see they gave Ed top billing. How involved was he on this? I see he did the foreword (which I do enjoy the fact that he belittles Tam and goes into the everyday nature of the people of Thay).
No I am not, but I've been seeing lots of tweets teasing this for months so I'm glad it's finally out. From those tweets, it sounds like Ed feels like this is supposed to be the rightful treatment that Thay deserves in terms of lore.
I believe this is one of the more involved books Ed has written for in providing lore (not just a blessing on the cover), but I cannot or haven't found a source to confirm that. I'll need to see if I can dig out some of his older promotional tweets for that. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2022 : 02:21:18
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| Yeah, I want to know what his involvement was, myself. He was listed on the Darkhold book, too, and it was not a tome that impressed me. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2022 : 02:34:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Yeah, I want to know what his involvement was, myself. He was listed on the Darkhold book, too, and it was not a tome that impressed me.
All Ed did for the Darkhold book was provide the Pereghost information and provide some Q&A. I wasn’t impressed either. But for very different reasons.
— George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1450 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2022 : 03:51:19
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My search through Ed's tweets came up with nothing definitive, except for Ed saying:
Anyway, I've shot him a question on Twitter which hopefully isn't too blunt for him to answer.
Looking at the page count from the table of contents dedicated to lore, I'd dare to say that Ed's involvement in this is pretty solid for at least the first 60 pages.
Also, keep in mind that this was made with the same person who did the AL-legal Border Kingdoms book, so I think that supplement would give a better indication and expectation of Ed's involvement than Darkhold. |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1450 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2022 : 04:14:48
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Question and answer from Ed: https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/1495972776221581315
quote:
@questinggm
Hi Ed, curious sages would like to know. How much of 'your' stuff did you put into this compared to, say, Darkhold: Secret of the Zhentarim? Are we getting an Ed tome, or just one approved with your name on the cover?
@TheEdVerse
I answered many lore queries, and wrote the raw lore of both tour sections, the architecture, compounds, interiors, recipes, "life" and the Laraer, ranks and heraldry (and yes, the foreword). We all went over the prose, tweaking. This was a team effort (but yes, an "Ed tome").
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Edited by - questing gm on 22 Feb 2022 14:20:42 |
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TKU
Learned Scribe
USA
158 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2022 : 04:24:01
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I have always loved Thay. Absolutely not a fan on modern Thay though. Still, a great and welcome resource for those who do game in the modern realms. I have been keeping an eye out for this one to get released for some time, might still get it if it turns out that it's usability for pre-spellplague Thay isn't overstated.
Weird seeing so many hirsute Thayans in the art. I thought the shaving/depilation thing was something that was widespread in Thay, and not just a Red Wizard practice? |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2022 : 17:42:29
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Yeah, I want to know what his involvement was, myself. He was listed on the Darkhold book, too, and it was not a tome that impressed me.
I suspect Ed may have done some of the stuff internally revolving around cooking in Thay. There were several pages that were just recipes. It seems an odd book so far, and while Ed was noted in the beginning as calling Tam a fool... much of the rest of the book I've seen so far dotes on him (for instance, he controls all circle magic performed in Thay now). Thankfully, I had a bunch of dollars (i.e. a whole 15... so not a whole lot) saved up from people giving me a quarter here and 50 cents there over the last few months, so it only cost me $3. So far, not exceptionally impressed, but I'm only like 25 pages in. For the price, I would want more, since a lot of the concepts are very derivative and just stating known things.
I will note that it does include NPC's from the 4e modules that were for Adventurer's League, which I'm fine with. I note so far there's only one tweak I may have to do to fit this in with my own work, and it won't be hard at all given HOW Yaphyll died. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2022 : 18:08:48
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quote:
Originally posted by TKU
I have always loved Thay. Absolutely not a fan on modern Thay though. Still, a great and welcome resource for those who do game in the modern realms. I have been keeping an eye out for this one to get released for some time, might still get it if it turns out that it's usability for pre-spellplague Thay isn't overstated.
Weird seeing so many hirsute Thayans in the art. I thought the shaving/depilation thing was something that was widespread in Thay, and not just a Red Wizard practice?
I will say as well that the artwork is good, though some of it I recognize from WotC works like the picture of Elminster. I think some came from Adventurer's League. Since I do make my own art, even if its not great, that's one thing that I have no idea to account for what might have been spent to get a piece made. As you hint though, a lot of them have beards, etc.... which I'm actually fine with even though it goes against the lore of them abhorring body hair of any kind. My own NPC's usually weren't anything more than shaven-headed |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Delnyn
Senior Scribe
USA
953 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2022 : 22:27:14
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| Were Rashemi natives rather hairy? At least those who had nothing to do with Red Wizards or tharchions? |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1450 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2022 : 22:39:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Delnyn
Were Rashemi natives rather hairy? At least those who had nothing to do with Red Wizards or tharchions?
From Dreams of the Red Wizard (pg. 10-12)
quote:
Traditionally, nobles of Thay disdain and abhor body hair (something of a trial for those of Rashemi descent)...Presumed Red Wizards have been seen outside of Thay with beards and normal body hair. Most of these are obviously of Rashemi descent (part of a program of proving their worthiness by taking on missions to foreign lands)...
There's implication that the Rashemi are hairier than their Mulani counterparts. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2022 : 01:08:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Delnyn
Were Rashemi natives rather hairy? At least those who had nothing to do with Red Wizards or tharchions?
Yes, and even those who were involved with them were hairier. That being said, slaves weren't allowed to cut their hair, so that it was easy to notice a slave because of having an unshaven appearance. Only when the length of their hair became a detriment to their working or a risk to their health did slaves get to cut their hair,beard, etc...So, that being said, I imagine many Rashemi kept a bald pate just to prevent the "he's an escaped slave" proclamation from happening. Having both a shaven head AND tattoos already in place on said shaven head makes it that much more likely that "No, I didn't just shave this off so I could pass amongst you five minutes ago, or have an unseen servant shave my head for me". |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 24 Feb 2022 01:10:20 |
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader
Colombia
2476 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2022 : 01:57:38
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| I wonder how much of 4e Thay this books preserves... |
Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world... |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2022 : 14:54:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
I wonder how much of 4e Thay this books preserves...
Well, I need to get back to it to see, but so far it's that his Zulkirs are mostly liches. The people aren't taking in a lot of slaves from elsewhere anymore, preferring to instead use undead as "slaves" (problem with that under 5e rules comes down to animate dead has to be cast every single day to renew control over a handful/single undead). This is why in my creation of Tam's special undead soldiers (name escapes me at the moment) I gave them the ability to cast animate dead, just so that an army can conceivably be maintained (i.e. you control the sergeants and they control the underlings).
So far.... and again, barely into the book, but its a book based more on lore and less about getting things to fit the ruleset (which isn't bad mind you, except when things get done that obviously aren't able to be done in a given ruleset). Unfortunately, a lot of the lore isn't directly usable or its just stuff that most people know already. But I'm only 25% through it.
That being said, for those who had never reviewed the Adventure League stuff, some of this may be very new to them (i.e. Darlon Ma as, apparently self proclaimed, Zulkir of Enchantment in Mulmaster for instance). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 24 Feb 2022 14:56:20 |
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Eldacar
Senior Scribe
438 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2022 : 15:19:32
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
(problem with that under 5e rules comes down to animate dead has to be cast every single day to renew control over a handful/single undead)
I don't have the book or anything like that, but usefully for a budding necromancer seeking to create hordes of undead to overtake the world, the 5e Finger of Death spell exists:
"A humanoid killed by this spell rises at the start of your next turn as a zombie that is permanently under your command, following your verbal orders to the best of its ability."
So it will create zombies that are permanently under the caster's control. I would expect most zulkirs and liches in Thay have access to it, as well. |
"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2022 : 20:18:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Eldacar
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
(problem with that under 5e rules comes down to animate dead has to be cast every single day to renew control over a handful/single undead)
I don't have the book or anything like that, but usefully for a budding necromancer seeking to create hordes of undead to overtake the world, the 5e Finger of Death spell exists:
"A humanoid killed by this spell rises at the start of your next turn as a zombie that is permanently under your command, following your verbal orders to the best of its ability."
So it will create zombies that are permanently under the caster's control. I would expect most zulkirs and liches in Thay have access to it, as well.
Good to note. Thank you, and I had never noted that previously. That being said, let's play devil's advocate for a second. That's a 7th level spell. Caster needs to be at LEAST 13th level. Caster does not get a 2nd spell slot of 7th level until they reach 20th character level. So, a necromancer DEVOTED to making an undead army would have to give up their 7th level spell slot every single day for more than 3 months straight to make 100 zombies. Which would imply they have no other use they might want to put that 7th level spell slot towards ever. I'll admit that I can see someone making SOME zombies that way, but I don't see armies or hordes of slaves, etc... I especially don't see slaves being made from zombies for the most part because of hygenic reasons (whereas skeletons at least are clean(er)).
Then just to put another view on that... 3 months of work to create... then sent onto a battlefield and most of them destroyed in seconds by a couple wizards hurling fireballs. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 24 Feb 2022 20:37:18 |
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Eldacar
Senior Scribe
438 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2022 : 21:42:54
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You can also use higher level spell slots to cast spells of a lower level. So if your average 17th level necromancer (most zulkirs are, I assume, there or higher) living in the sticks somewhere took the time, over the course of a month they could create an army of ninety undead. Over a year they would have a thousand (nine hundred and sixty technically, but who’s counting). That also assumes they don’t have any lesser spellcasters serving them to devote spell slots to it. Or the eponymous “coffeelock” build, among some other forms of loophole abuse to get more slots.
That being said, it is also worth noting that the system is designed for adventuring wizards. NPCs don’t play by the same rules (which is why they have different stat blocks and the like - while in some cases you can reverse engineer a NPC stat block into a player one, this isn’t always viable). |
"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2022 : 22:40:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Eldacar
You can also use higher level spell slots to cast spells of a lower level. So if your average 17th level necromancer (most zulkirs are, I assume, there or higher) living in the sticks somewhere took the time, over the course of a month they could create an army of ninety undead. Over a year they would have a thousand (nine hundred and sixty technically, but who’s counting). That also assumes they don’t have any lesser spellcasters serving them to devote spell slots to it. Or the eponymous “coffeelock” build, among some other forms of loophole abuse to get more slots.
That being said, it is also worth noting that the system is designed for adventuring wizards. NPCs don’t play by the same rules (which is why they have different stat blocks and the like - while in some cases you can reverse engineer a NPC stat block into a player one, this isn’t always viable).
Yeah, someone of higher than 15th level COULD give up all their higher level spellcasting to accomplish it in a month and a half instead of 3 months (and there may be some other methods to get another slot back, etc...). They're still destroyed with just a few fireballs. Point being... noone in their right mind is wasting all that magic for THAT. Making low level zombies that any low level adventurer can trash just isn't worth that kind of effort. Also, telling me that NPC's don't play by the same mechanics isn't exactly an endearing argument in my book. This is a glaring issue that they should address because that shouldn't be the case (and there's a lot of things like that that got nerfed and I think a lot of the greybeards who would have noted it long ago aren't actually delving 5e mechanics anymore, and they're assuming things work like they used to... and I'm one of them in many cases... comes from reading the same stuff 50 times with a word here and there changed).
But my main point was that the "lore" we're being told doesn't match the "mechanics" of the edition. Having and maintaining large numbers of undead slaves is not viable in 5e without some rule changes (some of which I've tried to implement, but I'll add that I haven't focused heavily on this either). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2022 : 22:41:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
I wonder how much of 4e Thay this books preserves...
Not so much if the description of Amruthar is anything to go by.
-- George Krashos |
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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Eldacar
Senior Scribe
438 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2022 : 23:59:33
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
(and there may be some other methods to get another slot back, etc...).
Far more than one slot if you are willing to “go ham” but that comes down to what the DM is willing to allow.
quote:
This is a glaring issue that they should address because that shouldn't be the case
No, it absolutely should. That is why things like Lair Actions, Legendary Actions, and Legendary Resistance all exist. Every edition of the game has given NPCs special powers or used mechanics that PCs do not have access to, all the way back to Elminster in FR7 and earlier. NPCs are not PCs. They are not designed the same way because their reason for existence within the structure of the game system is different. I don’t see Thay in this context as being any different to Elminster, or Larloch, or Drizzt, or whoever.
For example, Szass Tam in the Dead in Thay adventure has created a grand plan to suck power from Chosen and bootstrap himself into divinity. He can do this using no specified thing that the PCs could have. It isn’t a spell written in a spellbook that takes a spell slot and is cast using an action that targets all Chosen within X feet and that they save versus DC 20 to resist being sucked up like water through a straw, it isn’t an ability he has from being a Xth level wizard, it’s because he is an archmage who has developed a “powerful magic” that will do what the adventure says it does.
For another example, Larloch doesn’t even have a NPC stat block. His sole appearance in an adventure is “if you don’t escape he appears after 10 rounds and murders everybody present in whatever horrifying and grisly way the DM feels like describing”. |
"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2022 : 01:10:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Eldacar
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
(and there may be some other methods to get another slot back, etc...).
Far more than one slot if you are willing to “go ham” but that comes down to what the DM is willing to allow.
quote:
This is a glaring issue that they should address because that shouldn't be the case
No, it absolutely should. That is why things like Lair Actions, Legendary Actions, and Legendary Resistance all exist. Every edition of the game has given NPCs special powers or used mechanics that PCs do not have access to, all the way back to Elminster in FR7 and earlier. NPCs are not PCs. They are not designed the same way because their reason for existence within the structure of the game system is different. I don’t see Thay in this context as being any different to Elminster, or Larloch, or Drizzt, or whoever.
For example, Szass Tam in the Dead in Thay adventure has created a grand plan to suck power from Chosen and bootstrap himself into divinity. He can do this using no specified thing that the PCs could have. It isn’t a spell written in a spellbook that takes a spell slot and is cast using an action that targets all Chosen within X feet and that they save versus DC 20 to resist being sucked up like water through a straw, it isn’t an ability he has from being a Xth level wizard, it’s because he is an archmage who has developed a “powerful magic” that will do what the adventure says it does.
For another example, Larloch doesn’t even have a NPC stat block. His sole appearance in an adventure is “if you don’t escape he appears after 10 rounds and murders everybody present in whatever horrifying and grisly way the DM feels like describing”.
And yet the lore is wanting to have the average red wizards keeping undead slaves and the country considering doing away with having living slaves in preference of undead ones. Not Tam creating every single undead in the country. Yes there may be some things that legendary people can do that's different, but when they want it to become something that is more everyday, the rules need to match. That being said.... it can be a quick and easy fix. For instance, you don't want the party wizard having 500 skeleton soldiers, but you want the average 9th levl wizard in Thay to have a work crew of 30 skeletons? Well, take that mechanic for animate dead that it has to be renewed every day... and make it once a week. All of a sudden you've multiplied the number of undead by 7. A 9th level wizard using his 5th level spell slot every day to animate dead would affect 5 per day, allowing 35 under his control if he did it every day. In most other countries, wandering the countryside with 35 undead in tow would end up drawing unwanted attention, but in Thay... that's just a work crew. They might be able to keep a few hundred if they use all their high level slots to do it every single day.
In comparison, a 5th level caster in general would only be able to maintain 7 at once in general (14 if they use an ability to renew their highest level slot, etc..).
Ultimately, the idea behind most people playing a necromancer is to have undead minions. They may have other goals as well, but that's kind of the defining factor, and it can be fixed with some minor changes. Don't like those numbers? Well weekly renewal might just need to be every 3 days, etc.. That's one of the issues I have with this edition is just the math of things. It kind of needs to be gone over again with more of a fine tooth comb and less of an "use advantage for everything" approach.
Now, if a DM has a problem with their party wizard getting the bright idea of dragging 100 skeletons with him on an adventure into a dungeon... get creative. That dungeon has an invisible spell in place that removes the control created by animate dead, and now they're turned on the party. That dungeon has an area that is filled with positive energy, or a ward that prevents undead entry. Or simply make it hard for the party wizard to get ahold of a lot of bodies to animate (and he may have to do so as they kill things in the dungeon). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 25 Feb 2022 01:18:12 |
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Eldacar
Senior Scribe
438 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2022 : 01:47:01
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Yes there may be some things that legendary people can do that's different, but when they want it to become something that is more everyday, the rules need to match.
No, they don’t. A PC is designed to survive many encounters, utilise short rests and long rests, and will develop over time because of a player. None of this is true for NPCs. I suggest looking at this, for example, on designing NPCs and monsters for 5e encounters and why they are not built like PCs with class levels:
https://dumpstatadventures.com/the-gm-is-always-right/dont-give-your-monsters-class-levels
A Red Wizard necromancer has a crew of 30 skeletons backing him up because that is the encounter the PC’s are having and the skeletons are, along with a NPC Necromancer wizard, what they need to defeat because they picked a fight. Or got ambushed, or whatever. He is not a player character, and as a result he does not have levels, or gain trained skills from a background. He does not have XP requirements of “defeat 4 PCs to gain enough XP to level up and change statblocks”.
If the encounter is not one in which the skeletons are mechanically relevant, such as a non combat meeting with the wizard, then the skeletons don’t have statblocks at all and have no impact on anything within the boundaries of the game mechanics. They exist as generic background to the scene.
quote:
That's one of the issues I have with this edition is just the math of things. It kind of needs to be gone over again with more of a fine tooth comb and less of an "use advantage for everything" approach.
The math in this particular context is fine. Things made for a purpose should be designed to fit that purpose. |
"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster |
Edited by - Eldacar on 25 Feb 2022 02:06:17 |
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader
Colombia
2476 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2022 : 05:29:16
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quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
I wonder how much of 4e Thay this books preserves...
Not so much if the description of Amruthar is anything to go by.
-- George Krashos
So sad. I guess I'm one of the few who prefers Thay as was envisioned in 4e. And thank you, I was about to buy the book, but this makes me rethink it. |
Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world... |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2022 : 12:42:29
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quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
I wonder how much of 4e Thay this books preserves...
Not so much if the description of Amruthar is anything to go by.
-- George Krashos
So sad. I guess I'm one of the few who prefers Thay as was envisioned in 4e. And thank you, I was about to buy the book, but this makes me rethink it.
True, that place should be toast according to 4e lore, possibly tied to the artifact hinted at being buried beneath it in FRA (and possibly tied to the article George and Ed cowrote).
I'm one for moving things forward, not resetting them. Of course, the question is what year is this even slated for, because as I note in the above, this product dates the spellplague as "150 years ago" not "100 years ago".
from 4e FRCG
Burning Amruthar: Once an independent city within Thay, Amruthar bore the brunt of the land’s devastation. Earthquakes splintered it, lava and mud wrecked some parts, and a rain of rock and ash buried others. Deep chasms that formed within the city filled with molten rock that never cooled. Miraculously, the black ziggurat dedicated to Kossuth survived the ruin.
The high priest of that temple, the mummy lord Chon Vrael, maintains the place to this day and welcomes worshipers, defying the Thayan ban on deities other than Bane. Chon is a fierce enemy of Szass Tam. The priest commands a small army of fanatics and elemental creatures, including a tribe of fire giants, which helps him keep the city free of Thayan control for now. Some suspect that the Regent of Thay tolerates Burning Amruthar for his own reasons |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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questing gm
Master of Realmslore
Malaysia
1450 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2022 : 12:59:38
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Of course, the question is what year is this even slated for, because as I note in the above, this product dates the spellplague as "150 years ago" not "100 years ago".
Ed addressed this in a tweet:quote:
https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/1496629665305354243
Feb 24, 2022
@caverntrolls
It says in the book 150 years after the spell plague, does that put it at 1535 DR or was that over zealous rounding. I think Salvatores last book was 1490 DR. Decent into Avernus 1492.
@TheEdVerse
That's overzealous rounding. ;}
The book has to be set in 1497 DR, or a year or at most 2 years later.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2022 : 16:40:23
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Burning Amruthar: Once an independent city within Thay, Amruthar bore the brunt of the land’s devastation. Earthquakes splintered it, lava and mud wrecked some parts, and a rain of rock and ash buried others. Deep chasms that formed within the city filled with molten rock that never cooled. Miraculously, the black ziggurat dedicated to Kossuth survived the ruin.
The high priest of that temple, the mummy lord Chon Vrael, maintains the place to this day and welcomes worshipers, defying the Thayan ban on deities other than Bane. Chon is a fierce enemy of Szass Tam. The priest commands a small army of fanatics and elemental creatures, including a tribe of fire giants, which helps him keep the city free of Thayan control for now. Some suspect that the Regent of Thay tolerates Burning Amruthar for his own reasons
A mummy priest of the god of fire? Aren't D&D mummies slightly more flammable than gasoline? |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 25 Feb 2022 16:41:13 |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2022 : 18:11:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Burning Amruthar: Once an independent city within Thay, Amruthar bore the brunt of the land’s devastation. Earthquakes splintered it, lava and mud wrecked some parts, and a rain of rock and ash buried others. Deep chasms that formed within the city filled with molten rock that never cooled. Miraculously, the black ziggurat dedicated to Kossuth survived the ruin.
The high priest of that temple, the mummy lord Chon Vrael, maintains the place to this day and welcomes worshipers, defying the Thayan ban on deities other than Bane. Chon is a fierce enemy of Szass Tam. The priest commands a small army of fanatics and elemental creatures, including a tribe of fire giants, which helps him keep the city free of Thayan control for now. Some suspect that the Regent of Thay tolerates Burning Amruthar for his own reasons
A mummy priest of the god of fire? Aren't D&D mummies slightly more flammable than gasoline?
If I were a mummy priest, approaching the god that might give me fire immunity sounds like a right good proposition. But either way, that's been in the books since ... what 2008/2009? |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2022 : 18:15:47
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quote:
Originally posted by questing gm
quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Of course, the question is what year is this even slated for, because as I note in the above, this product dates the spellplague as "150 years ago" not "100 years ago".
Ed addressed this in a tweet:quote:
https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/1496629665305354243
Feb 24, 2022
@caverntrolls
It says in the book 150 years after the spell plague, does that put it at 1535 DR or was that over zealous rounding. I think Salvatores last book was 1490 DR. Decent into Avernus 1492.
@TheEdVerse
That's overzealous rounding. ;}
The book has to be set in 1497 DR, or a year or at most 2 years later.
So, then that makes the whole question of Amruthar pretty odd, since it goes from a ruined city with a fire mummy, to a pretty place with people living there in just... six or 8 years? No explanation even why. I haven't gotten around to the cities yet, but since Krash noticed this, I figured I'd look. Wonder about the area that was labeled "the High Desert" in 4e lore, or are we back to Thay being somehow fertile everywhere? Will have to keep that in the back of my mind as I delve more. Maybe they will have some sort of explanation buried in the book.... after all, the gaping pit that was the shaar got filled in (which I like). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2022 : 18:26:54
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
So, then that makes the whole question of Amruthar pretty odd, since it goes from a ruined city with a fire mummy, to a pretty place with people living there in just... six or 8 years? No explanation even why. I haven't gotten around to the cities yet, but since Krash noticed this, I figured I'd look. Wonder about the area that was labeled "the High Desert" in 4e lore, or are we back to Thay being somehow fertile everywhere? Will have to keep that in the back of my mind as I delve more. Maybe they will have some sort of explanation buried in the book.... after all, the gaping pit that was the shaar got filled in (which I like).
Urban destruction in the Realms seems to get undone very quickly. Zhentil Keep was rebuilt in 10 years; Myth Drannor was somehow rebuilt and cleansed of twisted magic and lurking baddies in just five years... Obviously, Realmsian construction companies are top notch! |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Thay Land of the Red Wizards
