subject42
2010-06-14, 09:24 AM
Those trees in whose dim shadow
The ghastly priest doth reign
The priest who slew the slayer,
And shall himself be slain.
In the campaign setting that I'm currently running, ascension to the pinnacle of Kord's priesthood can only occur through combat. One of my characters is a priest of Kord and may eventually end up challenging him for the title by the end of the campaign and I need to make sure that I have a credible threat waiting for him by the time that it happens.
Any advice or builds that you can offer would be appreciated. Details are below. I apologize in advance for the wall of text.
The Setting
I originally borrowed the idea from the Rex Nemorensis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Nemorensis) of Roman custom. For those of you who don't want to click, the Rex Nemorensis was an escaped slave or criminal who was granted full immunity from punishment by Roman religious law. As a result, people had a strong motivation to hold the office. The only problem was that you could only take the position by killing the previous Rex in single combat.
I took that idea and asked what would happen to a priesthood of glory and combat in a world where priests had perfect knowledge of both the existence of God and a glorious afterlife. The result was that dying in combat should be AWESOME, since it guarantees you a seat at Kord's table. Of course, winning a fight is more glorious than dying in a fight, so no one would really want to lose, either.
In the event that someone challenges the Rex, there is a three day festival of feasting, drinking, and contests of who can tell the greatest boast for either the Rex or the challenger.
At the following dawn, the challengers are lead to opposite sides of an enormous primeval forest. The forest itself covers tens of thousands of acres of land and contains several reasonably sized lakes, an extensive cave network beneath it, and the ruins of a previous religion's prime temple.
Both the Rex and the challenger may not leave the boundaries circumscribed by the forest. They may fly above it or travel beneath it, but they may not leave the forest itself.
From the point that battle is joined, it continues until one side is dead, or until one side accedes defeat. While allowed, the latter has never occurred in thousands of years.
The Player Character
The PC is a Wearbear (http://www.pathfindersrd.com/bestiary/monster-lists-and-details/-l/lycanthrope/werebear) Inquisitor (http://www.pathfindersrd.com/extras/advanced-player-s-guide-playtest/inquisitor---final-playtest-version) who hails from the faraway nation of Kard (think Russia).
The simplest way to explain him is as a Russian Viking Warrior Priest who is also a bear. If any of you have read Neil Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, Yevgeny the Raskolnik is a pretty close analogue.
He is extremely wise and cunning, but tends to at times lose himself in the heat of battle. He tends to fight with javelins (from Stormwrack) and a greatsword while relying on his high AC and lycanthrope traits to protect him from harm.
My Thoughts on the Rex, and The Wrinkle
The Rex will obviously need to have a measure of martial prowess, and at least a small degree of divine casting would be nice for flavor purposes. He should rely on more than simple, straightforward fighting; a strong arm might make you the Rex, but it's a strong, devious mind that keeps you there.
Given where the adventure path should end, I'd like him to be in the ECL 16ish - 19ish range, but that's not a requirement.
The Wrinkle
Recently the PC engaged in a short conversation with a caged devil who implied that the current Rex has made a deal with Devils in the past. The Rex may be tainted with [Evil], so the fight may not be fair. If that's the case (which is likely) and the whole party gets involved, it should probably be a CR 20 - 21 encounter overall.
The ghastly priest doth reign
The priest who slew the slayer,
And shall himself be slain.
In the campaign setting that I'm currently running, ascension to the pinnacle of Kord's priesthood can only occur through combat. One of my characters is a priest of Kord and may eventually end up challenging him for the title by the end of the campaign and I need to make sure that I have a credible threat waiting for him by the time that it happens.
Any advice or builds that you can offer would be appreciated. Details are below. I apologize in advance for the wall of text.
The Setting
I originally borrowed the idea from the Rex Nemorensis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Nemorensis) of Roman custom. For those of you who don't want to click, the Rex Nemorensis was an escaped slave or criminal who was granted full immunity from punishment by Roman religious law. As a result, people had a strong motivation to hold the office. The only problem was that you could only take the position by killing the previous Rex in single combat.
I took that idea and asked what would happen to a priesthood of glory and combat in a world where priests had perfect knowledge of both the existence of God and a glorious afterlife. The result was that dying in combat should be AWESOME, since it guarantees you a seat at Kord's table. Of course, winning a fight is more glorious than dying in a fight, so no one would really want to lose, either.
In the event that someone challenges the Rex, there is a three day festival of feasting, drinking, and contests of who can tell the greatest boast for either the Rex or the challenger.
At the following dawn, the challengers are lead to opposite sides of an enormous primeval forest. The forest itself covers tens of thousands of acres of land and contains several reasonably sized lakes, an extensive cave network beneath it, and the ruins of a previous religion's prime temple.
Both the Rex and the challenger may not leave the boundaries circumscribed by the forest. They may fly above it or travel beneath it, but they may not leave the forest itself.
From the point that battle is joined, it continues until one side is dead, or until one side accedes defeat. While allowed, the latter has never occurred in thousands of years.
The Player Character
The PC is a Wearbear (http://www.pathfindersrd.com/bestiary/monster-lists-and-details/-l/lycanthrope/werebear) Inquisitor (http://www.pathfindersrd.com/extras/advanced-player-s-guide-playtest/inquisitor---final-playtest-version) who hails from the faraway nation of Kard (think Russia).
The simplest way to explain him is as a Russian Viking Warrior Priest who is also a bear. If any of you have read Neil Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, Yevgeny the Raskolnik is a pretty close analogue.
He is extremely wise and cunning, but tends to at times lose himself in the heat of battle. He tends to fight with javelins (from Stormwrack) and a greatsword while relying on his high AC and lycanthrope traits to protect him from harm.
My Thoughts on the Rex, and The Wrinkle
The Rex will obviously need to have a measure of martial prowess, and at least a small degree of divine casting would be nice for flavor purposes. He should rely on more than simple, straightforward fighting; a strong arm might make you the Rex, but it's a strong, devious mind that keeps you there.
Given where the adventure path should end, I'd like him to be in the ECL 16ish - 19ish range, but that's not a requirement.
The Wrinkle
Recently the PC engaged in a short conversation with a caged devil who implied that the current Rex has made a deal with Devils in the past. The Rex may be tainted with [Evil], so the fight may not be fair. If that's the case (which is likely) and the whole party gets involved, it should probably be a CR 20 - 21 encounter overall.