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View Full Version : Template for azurin Duskblade that survived a planar rift



true_shinken
2010-11-01, 01:52 AM
So... an old player is returning for my game and he wants to play his old character. Thing is, said character died - taking the big bad's Dragon with him - by creating a planar rift. We are thinking about explanations for how he survived and templates to add him for a 'look, I'm pretty cool, I survived a planar rift' feel - something at LA+2 at most.

Boci
2010-11-01, 02:00 AM
I'm guessing the type of plane wasn't specified?

true_shinken
2010-11-01, 02:01 AM
I'm guessing the type of plane wasn't specified?

It wasn't specified. We thought the character was gone for good.

Boci
2010-11-01, 02:03 AM
Any particular planes make sense looking back or it really any single one possible?

true_shinken
2010-11-01, 02:06 AM
Any particular planes make sense looking back or it really any single one possible?

Any plane would make sense. The area he was at had a lot of traffic into the elemental planes of air and fire, though.

The Shadowmind
2010-11-01, 02:11 AM
Flavor wise I think Spellwarped)(MMIII) might be a good choice, but it is a LA+3 template, you might reduce the benefit gained by spell absorption in half, and remove the type change, to make it a LA +2 worth template.

Psyren
2010-11-01, 02:19 AM
Maybe he brushed up against the Far Realm and got a bit aberration-y?

I'm no pro with templates though, so I wouldn't know the best one to model that.

Boci
2010-11-01, 02:25 AM
Half-vampire necropolitant for the negative energy plane. Or the standard celestial/fiendish.

Synapse
2010-11-01, 06:44 AM
Spelwarped and C.Arc's pseudonatural are one of the most flavorful for "things really messed up by magic going wrong". Spellwarped gives the feel for the generic "too much exposure to the wrong type of energy" while pseudonatural means he kinda met a star vampire and lived to tell the tale.


Dunno how you will deal with level adjustment, though.

GodGoblin
2010-11-01, 06:58 AM
I know your asking for templates but another option could be letting him prestige into the Gate Crasher prestige class without the reqs? Say he spent the time jumping from one plane to another untill he got home.

Or just randomly choose an elemental plane and give him the Half elemental template. Either way Crystal Keep is very much your friend

true_shinken
2010-11-01, 10:19 AM
I know your asking for templates but another option could be letting him prestige into the Gate Crasher prestige class without the reqs? Say he spent the time jumping from one plane to another untill he got home.

Or just randomly choose an elemental plane and give him the Half elemental template. Either way Crystal Keep is very much your friend

Gatecraser kinda sucks doesn't it?

The Glyphstone
2010-11-01, 10:25 AM
Give him Otherworldly as a bonus feat? Outsider type is pretty nice, and it'd let you spend those 2 levels on more delicious Duskblade.

GodGoblin
2010-11-01, 10:27 AM
Yeah its pretty rubbish but I love the class because of the picture :smallbiggrin:

Coidzor
2010-11-01, 11:31 AM
Consider giving him a couple of the Horizon Walker's abilities in exchange for an LA for having survived planeswalking for awhile.

Or just qualify for any planeswalking PRCs there are around you'd all care for.

true_shinken
2010-11-01, 01:40 PM
Consider giving him a couple of the Horizon Walker's abilities in exchange for an LA for having survived planeswalking for awhile.

Or just qualify for any planeswalking PRCs there are around you'd all care for.

The point of this template is to give him abilities witout disturbing (much) is build.

Pechvarry
2010-11-01, 02:40 PM
I assume this template will be "free"? As in, won't affect his effective character level or XP-learning rate at all? Because if so, I'd be hard-pressed to think of something I'd trade in 2 levels of Duskblade for.

subject42
2010-11-01, 04:17 PM
The point of this template is to give him abilities witout disturbing (much) is build.

Say that he ended up in the Plane of Elemental Donkey. Give him a donkey-focused quasilycanthrope template. DR 10/silver is nothing to sneeze at.

If you want to be more serious, do the same thing and say that he ended up stranded in the beastlands.

true_shinken
2010-11-02, 09:51 AM
I assume this template will be "free"? As in, won't affect his effective character level or XP-learning rate at all? Because if so, I'd be hard-pressed to think of something I'd trade in 2 levels of Duskblade for.
It's not free but it was the player's idea.

Pechvarry
2010-11-02, 01:37 PM
I'd consider simply handing him a handful of spells known. Particularly spells that aren't even Duskblade spells. Either planar spells from manual of the planes or the planar handbook, or simply spells that match some theme from his planar journey. Anticipate Teleport would be a fun start, for example.

I guess that doesn't sound like a lot of fun to someone dead set on a template, but I think an arcanist learning unique ways to channel energies from his journey from afar could be a lot of fun, while also playing to who the character is.

And if you don't like the idea, hey, you have some other fantastic ideas in the thread to choose from. :)

GodGoblin
2010-11-02, 02:11 PM
Perhaps just an LA+0 template? if hes dead set on using a template it would mean he wouldnt lose castery goodness.

The only +0 one I know of is Dragonborn but maybe just refluff it? The breath attack can be an energy discharge he can unleash now hes full of plane energy and other things along those lines for the rest of the abilities.

Edit- Another idea, the +2 con and -2 dex could represent the affect the different gravity has had on him

Darrin
2010-11-02, 02:30 PM
Perhaps just an LA+0 template? if hes dead set on using a template it would mean he wouldnt lose castery goodness.


I would use Pseudonatural (the Complete Arcane version) - this doesn't specify an LA, but doesn't add so many abilities that it'd be to terribly unbalanced. It would also let me work a little ambiguity into the background... did the Duskblade actually survive the planar rift, or is he some sort of twisted echo of reality spat out by the Far Realms that will eventually lose cohesion and dissolve into a puddle of gibbering goo?

Vemynal
2010-11-02, 03:18 PM
I'd say combine the efforts: Give him template but also throw him a couple spells he 'picked up while traveling' so its not as much of a hit.

also, if he's a good aligned character you could give him the 'Saintly' template from Book of Exalted Deeds (pg. 185). its freaking beastly. I don't think I'm supposed to quote verbatim but some of the things are:
~type changes to “native outsider.”
~Wisdom to AC bonus
~+2 to all save DC's
~Holy damage to evil creatures that you hit/hit you
~DR 10/ evil (scales with level, this is the strongest it gets, at level 12)
~Fast healing equal to half its HD
~Immune to a bunch of stuff and low light vision/dark vision
~uber strong protective circle constantly on him
~Stat buffs: Con +2, Wis +2, Cha +4
+2LA

Just came to mind because he 'sacrificed himself' as you put it. Maybe he was taken to a holy plane? This also comes with a multitude of RP options as well as his character having to keep being good or lose to template

Cieyrin
2010-11-02, 03:28 PM
I'd say combine the efforts: Give him template but also throw him a couple spells he 'picked up while traveling' so its not as much of a hit.

also, if he's a good aligned character you could give him the 'Saintly' template from Book of Exalted Deeds (pg. 185). its freaking beastly. I don't think I'm supposed to quote verbatim but some of the things are:
~type changes to “native outsider.”
~Wisdom to AC bonus
~+2 to all save DC's
~Holy damage to evil creatures that you hit/hit you
~DR 10/ evil (scales with level, this is the strongest it gets, at level 12)
~Fast healing equal to half its HD
~Immune to a bunch of stuff and low light vision/dark vision
~uber strong protective circle constantly on him
~Stat buffs: Con +2, Wis +2, Cha +4
+2LA

Just came to mind because he 'sacrificed himself' as you put it. Maybe he was taken to a holy plane? This also comes with a multitude of RP options as well as his character having to keep being good or lose to template

That does actually make some sense, as he's a Martyr of sorts. Saint has some pretty ridiculous requirements to get, though they could conceivably be handwaived if he ended up on the Positive Energy Plane or at the Bastion of All Souls. Being an Azurin would make me lean towards the second, giving the natural synergy with Incarnum.

true_shinken
2010-11-02, 08:02 PM
That does actually make some sense, as he's a Martyr of sorts. Saint has some pretty ridiculous requirements to get, though they could conceivably be handwaived if he ended up on the Positive Energy Plane or at the Bastion of All Souls. Being an Azurin would make me lean towards the second, giving the natural synergy with Incarnum.

The character is Chaotic Good bordering on Chaotic Neutral. Nowhere near a saint. I think Spellwarped should work.