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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 18:54:30
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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 . . .
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Kalin Agrivar
Senior Scribe
Canada
956 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 19:34:58
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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... |
Kalin Xorell El'Agrivar
- High Mage of the Arcane Assembly
- Lore Keeper of the Vault of Ancestors
- 3rd Son of the Lord of the Stand |
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Kalin Agrivar
Senior Scribe
Canada
956 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 19:51:11
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| 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 Xorell El'Agrivar
- High Mage of the Arcane Assembly
- Lore Keeper of the Vault of Ancestors
- 3rd Son of the Lord of the Stand |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 19:54:21
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| 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. |
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Kalin Agrivar
Senior Scribe
Canada
956 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 20:01:28
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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... |
Kalin Xorell El'Agrivar
- High Mage of the Arcane Assembly
- Lore Keeper of the Vault of Ancestors
- 3rd Son of the Lord of the Stand |
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Ardashir
Senior Scribe
USA
544 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 00:08:59
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| 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. |
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Conlon
Learned Scribe
Canada
132 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 00:42:23
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| Or Priests devoted to the accumulation of lore or artifacts.. |
My hopes are ashes, my dreams are dust. All my intentions mean nothing unless they are followed by action. |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 03:18:34
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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!). |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31772 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 05:36:39
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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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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31772 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 05:39:15
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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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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 25 Aug 2006 05:44:38 |
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Sanishiver
Senior Scribe
USA
476 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 06:29:04
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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 |
09/20/2008: Tiger Army at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. You wouldn’t believe how many females rode it out in the pit. Santa Cruz women are all of them beautiful. Now I know to add tough to that description.
6/27/2008: WALL-E is about the best damn movie Pixar has ever made. It had my heart racing and had me rooting for the good guy.
9/9/2006: Dave Mathews Band was off the hook at the Shoreline Amphitheater.
Never, ever read the game books too literally, or make such assumptions that what is omitted cannot be. Bad DM form, that.
And no matter how compelling a picture string theory paints, if it does not accurately describe our universe, it will be no more relevant than an elaborate game of Dungeons and Dragons. --paragraph 1, chapter 9, The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene |
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Archaeology and Faerun Make Strange Bedfellows
