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View Full Version : [4E] Cleric of Ioun... or so YOU think!



Duos Greanleef
2009-12-15, 03:51 PM
So I've had this character concept floating around in my head for quite a while now:
What if a devout cleric of Vecna infiltrated the church of Ioun (to gain their secrets and corrupt their devout) by posing as an incredibly enthusiastic and Hyper-devout cleric of Ioun?

For stat purposes...
I would think that all of my cleric radiant powers would become necrotic powers... It doesn't make a whole lot of sense that an evil, scheming cleric of an evil, scheming deity would be producing effects that grant hope (and whatever else is in the description for radiant damage).

Also, Turn undead would have to change somehow. Vecna is the god of undeath, and an undead creature himself. What would the playground suggest I do with that. Maybe the channel divinity power from the undeath or knowledge domains? Maybe I need a new channel divinity power altogether?

For RP purposes:
I have a few ideas on how to hide the fact that I'm a cleric of Vecna, that can't be TOO hard. I am an evil scheming cleric lying for the God of lies after all.
However, I'd like to hear the playground's suggestions on this one as well.

Thanks in advance.
--Duos

Aron Times
2009-12-15, 04:55 PM
Radiant != Good and Necrotic != Evil. You don't need to change anything, but if you really want necrotic powers for your cleric, just pick the appropriate domain feat.

Really, it's all a matter of roleplaying. What makes an evil character evil is not what he can do but what he does. Evil characters do evil things. Good characters can use "evil" powers to do good, and evil characters can use "good" powers to do evil. For example, a good-aligned infernal warlock can use his powers against the very fiends he got the, from, and an evil-aligned cleric can use his healing powers to blackmail people into doing what he wants (it helps if he establishes a monopoly on healing in town).

Hal
2009-12-15, 06:09 PM
You could always go Paladin rather than Cleric. The recent article about Paladins of the Raven Queen offered many powers which do cold or necrotic damage rather than radiant.

Sir_Elderberry
2009-12-15, 08:36 PM
Yeah, I'm pretty sure radiant energy is fluffed as "of the gods", whereas necrotic is...um...undead or shadow or something. (The Primordials aren't cool enough to get their own damage type?) So you don't have to reflavor unless you want to. Although if I were an Iounian I'd be wondering why your super-spy and my new acolyte was throwing around raw nastiness.

How flexible is your DM?

KillianHawkeye
2009-12-15, 08:55 PM
Well, it certainly makes sense for a cleric of Vecna to have a few necrotic powers, but that doesn't mean you can't also have radiant ones.

Artanis
2009-12-15, 08:58 PM
Think of radiant damage as being like lightsabers: they have "light" in the name, but that doesn't keep the bad guys from chopping you in half with them.

Asbestos
2009-12-15, 08:59 PM
(The Primordials aren't cool enough to get their own damage type?)

What would you suggest, 'Generic Elemental Damage'? Primordials get everything that isn't Radiant, Necrotic, Poison, or Psychic.

Sir_Elderberry
2009-12-15, 09:20 PM
What would you suggest, 'Generic Elemental Damage'? Primordials get everything that isn't Radiant, Necrotic, Poison, or Psychic.

Yeah, I realize that they're pretty much "do-anything" guys. I just thought it was interesting that in contrast to the Positive/Negative energy divide in 3.5e, 4e didn't really have the equivalent in radiant/necrotic.

Duos Greanleef
2009-12-16, 09:57 AM
Think of radiant damage as being like lightsabers: they have "light" in the name, but that doesn't keep the bad guys from chopping you in half with them.

Actually, that makes a ton of sense.
Thank you heartily.
:smallsmile:

So are there any ideas on how to change/replace turn undead?