Boros-Themed PC

[Tokuhara]

I am going to buy a Boros deck for MtG, and I love the R/W theme. My question is how would you build a character who embodies what Boros stands for? I have access to all books in the current 3.5 as well as Dragon Magazine. I start at level 1, and am destined for eventual Epic territory

[Urpriest]

I'd probably use Champion of Gwynharwyf. Exalted and Rage seems to fit well with Red/White. Hellreaver also seems appropriate.

Edit: Also Ordained Champion for a slightly different direction. Quickened Flamestrikes and the like.

[Tokuhara]

I'd probably use Champion of Gwynharwyf. Exalted and Rage seems to fit well with Red/White. Hellreaver also seems appropriate.

Edit: Also Ordained Champion for a slightly different direction. Quickened Flamestrikes and the like.

So a Barbarian/Champ of Gwyn/Hellreaver/Ordained Champ?

[Urpriest]

So a Barbarian/Champ of Gwyn/Hellreaver/Ordained Champ?

Alignment conflicts mean you can't be both a Champ of Gwyn and an Ordained Champ, unfortunately.

[Tokuhara]

Alignment conflicts mean you can't be both a Champ of Gwyn and an Ordained Champ, unfortunately.

bummer... what about the Ordained Champion knock-off

[Godskook]

Sorcadin of Freedom(Paladin of Freedom variant, essentially)

Jade Phoenix Mage

Daggerspell Mage/Shaper

Favored Soul

Factotum + roleplay idealism

[Tokuhara]

Sorcadin of Freedom(Paladin of Freedom variant, essentially)

Jade Phoenix Mage

Daggerspell Mage/Shaper

Favored Soul

Factotum + roleplay idealism

hmmm... maybe

[Big Fau]

Probably Crusader 7/Divine Crusader X/Ordained Champion 5 (reflavored for your alignment). If you can use Faiths of Eberron, add in levels of Sovereign Speaker for more domains.

If you want, you can also use Seul Arcanamach to have Arcane casting instead. I recommend Jade Phoenix Mage levels if you do.

[Tokuhara]

Probably Crusader 7/Divine Crusader X/Ordained Champion 5 (reflavored for your alignment). If you can use Faiths of Eberron, add in levels of Sovereign Speaker for more domains.

If you want, you can also use Seul Arcanamach to have Arcane casting instead. I recommend Jade Phoenix Mage levels if you do.

okay, so when did the Boros Legion become a group of religious fanatics or gishes? Most of the Boros creatures (talking classics, including Akroma) are primarily martial creatures. Heck, they pioneered Doublestrike

[Big Fau]

okay, so when did the Boros Legion become a group of religious fanatics or gishes? Most of the Boros creatures (talking classics, including Akroma) are primarily martial creatures. Heck, they pioneered Doublestrike

It's heavily implied by the presence and importance of angels in the legion. They do act more like a planar-scale InterPol though.

Although anyone who's read the block novel will tell you that it doesn't really show.

[grarrrg]

okay, so when did the Boros Legion become a group of religious fanatics or gishes? Most of the Boros creatures (talking classics, including Akroma) are primarily martial creatures. Heck, they pioneered Doublestrike

Akroma is Mono-White and pre-dates Boros.
She is the pure-white creation of a pure-blue Illusionists god powered madness, inspired by a less awesome 'normal' angel.
Akroma has nothing to do with Boros.

Also, Boros did not pioneer Doublestrike. Doublestrike was introduced a good 3 sets/years before Boros.
I will concede that Doublestrike is a mechanic primarily found in Red and White however.


A little back on topic, especially for those of you less familiar with the source.
Boros are basically the Police force of the world of Ravnica. They are not normal cops however, because they tend towards Chaotic/Good. It's a successful day as long as they prevent more damage than they cause.
Don't mistake me, they are still cops, and they are still on the side of good.

[Etrivar]

If you go any route with spell casting, you could take the chain spell metamagic feat to mimic Boros's unique mechanic; radiance.

[Tokuhara]

Akroma is Mono-White and pre-dates Boros.
She is the pure-white creation of a pure-blue Illusionists god powered madness, inspired by a less awesome 'normal' angel.
Akroma has nothing to do with Boros.

Also, Boros did not pioneer Doublestrike. Doublestrike was introduced a good 3 sets/years before Boros.
I will concede that Doublestrike is a mechanic primarily found in Red and White however.


A little back on topic, especially for those of you less familiar with the source.
Boros are basically the Police force of the world of Ravnica. They are not normal cops however, because they tend towards Chaotic/Good. It's a successful day as long as they prevent more damage than they cause.
Don't mistake me, they are still cops, and they are still on the side of good.

I meant the Angel of Boros, not Akroma (even though in Legacy/Semi-Vintage, both of her incarnations are unbelivable in Boros)

I understand that doublestrike predates Boros, but it was Boros that first truly utilized the new mechanics of each block it has been present in (minus Scars Block, where it kinda failed to adapt :smallfrown: )

Well, the Planar Police analogy is excellent. Maybe Champion of Gwyn is smilar to the Borosian theme. I just don't really see Boros as caster-heavy.

[Othniel Edden]

If you were to do a spell caster of any sort I'd probably do a straight cleric with healing and fire motifs. Play them up as aggressive and reverent.

http://magiccards.info/scans/en/rav/152.jpg

[Elric VIII]

I had been playing Magic for a good 10 years before I was introduced to D&D (started 1.5 years ago) so I tend to think about classes in terms of M:TG.

Ordained Champion always seemed like a W/R class. If you look under the Adaptations section of the class it mentions that it can be altered for any martially inclined diety. Corellen Larethian or Kord are excellent choices for a CG vercion of Ordained Champion if you want to run it by your DM.

I have also allowed someone to play an OC as a divinely ordained paragon of an alignment in one of my campaigns.

[grarrrg]

I meant the Angel of Boros, not Akroma (even though in Legacy/Semi-Vintage, both of her incarnations are unbelivable in Boros)

Razia is the one you're looking for then.
Razia Boros Archangel is the card title.

[jguy]

Boros was always my favorite theme from that block. Passion, fervor, and power channeled and tempered by discipline and faith. Where else do you have legions who put fire elementals in armor and send them in as living bombs? Wow, saying that out loud made it seem very morbid. But Hey! Minotaurs!

I don't know whether to put them as Chaotic Good or Lawful Good...I think more like Lawful Passionate.

[grarrrg]

I don't know whether to put them as Chaotic Good or Lawful Good...I think more like Lawful Passionate.

Lawful Passionate eh?
Come up with that on your own did you? Or was somebody peeking at the archives?
Link (http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/askwizards/1106) Scroll down to the entry for November 16.

[Tokuhara]

I love Boros even though I never played Ravnica. Red and White have always been my colors of preference in MtG. My DM is even adding Ravnica as a country-city to the west that we cannot travel to (the block's story is taking place at this time). I plan on playing Jor Kadeen refluffed as a member of the Boros Legion. Barbarian is a great idea, but my issue is the fluff of barbarian: Savage warrior. If I could give Paladin of Freedom a rage-like ability (mabye call it something else?), Id go for it in stride. Paladin needs some awesome.

To me, the Boros Legion is like the Judges in Judge Dreadd. You are Judge, Jury, and Executioner, the most badass mofo in Ravnica. So on a Balance PoV, would giving Paladin of Freedom a "Righteous Wrath," that isn't anger, but passion fueling his combat prowess instead of spellcasting a fair trade?

[Urpriest]

You could just refluff your rage as passion-based, it doesn't have to be anger per se. Since some official sources support refluffing rage as a state of trancelike concentration, calling it passionate fury should be even more reasonable.

Really though, Ordained Champion and Hellreaver both work without rage, so it's not a huge issue if you want to avoid the rage.

[Tokuhara]

You could just refluff your rage as passion-based, it doesn't have to be anger per se. Since some official sources support refluffing rage as a state of trancelike concentration, calling it passionate fury should be even more reasonable.

Really though, Ordained Champion and Hellreaver both work without rage, so it's not a huge issue if you want to avoid the rage.

Hmmm... So Crusader/Hellreaver/Ordained Champion of X? Very Boros-y. What deity and weapon are similar to their ideals? I mean, Kord is a musclebound brute, so he's out (not a "Justice vs. Law" kind of guy) and Corellon is kind of a wimp (Come on, he's an elf. Maybe for a Green/White guild, but not Boros) Any ideas?

And for a Boros Legionaire, Barbarian as a whole would need a refluff. Maybe a new name and renamed features to match the Boros theme. Not asking for a new class, just a Barbarian with a "different paint job"

[Urpriest]

Hmmm... So Crusader/Hellreaver/Ordained Champion of X? Very Boros-y. What deity and weapon are similar to their ideals? I mean, Kord is a musclebound brute, so he's out (not a "Justice vs. Law" kind of guy) and Corellon is kind of a wimp (Come on, he's an elf. Maybe for a Green/White guild, but not Boros) Any ideas?

And for a Boros Legionaire, Barbarian as a whole would need a refluff. Maybe a new name and renamed features to match the Boros theme. Not asking for a new class, just a Barbarian with a "different paint job"

You'd want some spellcasting for an Ordained Champion. Crusader is a good choice, though. Perhaps you could use it to lead up to Divine Crusader, which would give you a domain worth of divine spells.

As for deities, Kord isn't that horrible (don't forget, the guy is Good-aligned. Even if he's not very law-focused, he'd be concerned with defending the defenceless and the like). I'd probably go with Hieroneous or St. Cuthbert if you want to go in the law direction, with Hieroneous conveniently requiring no refluffing and having a lightning and fist motif.

[Tokuhara]

You'd want some spellcasting for an Ordained Champion. Crusader is a good choice, though. Perhaps you could use it to lead up to Divine Crusader, which would give you a domain worth of divine spells.

As for deities, Kord isn't that horrible (don't forget, the guy is Good-aligned. Even if he's not very law-focused, he'd be concerned with defending the defenceless and the like). I'd probably go with Hieroneous or St. Cuthbert if you want to go in the law direction, with Hieroneous conveniently requiring no refluffing and having a lightning and fist motif.

My issue is there's no Lawful class that has "Rage"

[jguy]

Lawful Passionate eh?
Come up with that on your own did you? Or was somebody peeking at the archives?
Link (http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/askwizards/1106) Scroll down to the entry for November 16.

Actually I did come up with that off the top of my head. Mostly because I never read those archives and I wasn't playing D&D back when Ravnica came out so I wouldn't even know what they were talking about. I guess it was just a funny coincidence.

Question, how did you know the exact post that references it anyway? That post is over 5 years old!

[Urpriest]

My issue is there's no Lawful class that has "Rage"

Oh if it's just an issue of being lawful and you really feel like you need rage, there's actually a standard solution: Half-Orc Paragon gives rage and doesn't require a chaotic alignment. It's not that bad a class, and I could definitely see a Half-Orc being an interesting Boros character (especially given the Boros goblin card).

[Tokuhara]

Oh if it's just an issue of being lawful and you really feel like you need rage, there's actually a standard solution: Half-Orc Paragon gives rage and doesn't require a chaotic alignment. It's not that bad a class, and I could definitely see a Half-Orc being an interesting Boros character (especially given the Boros goblin card).

Doesn't the Half-Orc Paladin racial subs also give Rage?

[Urpriest]

Doesn't the Half-Orc Paladin racial subs also give Rage?

It's not actually a rage, it's a different ability called Righteous Fury. And if all you want is some sort of angry and holy state, Hellreaver already gives you something with that fluff.

[Tokuhara]

It's not actually a rage, it's a different ability called Righteous Fury. And if all you want is some sort of angry and holy state, Hellreaver already gives you something with that fluff.

Maybe both? More uses after all... And I may make it more cool with the Lion Legionnaire Lv. 3 & 5 Substitution class

[grarrrg]

Question, how did you know the exact post that references it anyway? That post is over 5 years old!


I knew there was an article or something on wizards.com that broke down the alignments of the guilds. And I found it through the ancient art of "Google-Fu".

[jguy]

Ah google-fu, the ability to find anything you ever need with a few key words. I love the internet so much.

[CodeRed]

My issue is there's no Lawful class that has "Rage"

SOHEI!!!! It's in Oriental Adventures. It's a Lawful-Only class that is sort of a monk/barb crossover with divine spellcasting like a ranger or paladin (Sohei's use the Cleric spell list). Their ragelike ability is called Ki Frenzy, it grants +2 Str/+2 Dex/+10 move speed/Flurry of Blows as Monk1 with the standard stipulations of what you can't do in a Rage. It would seem to fit pretty well the archetype your looking for as long as your DM lets you refluff to get over it being in Oriental Adventures.

[Tokuhara]

SOHEI!!!! It's in Oriental Adventures. It's a Lawful-Only class that is sort of a monk/barb crossover with divine spellcasting like a ranger or paladin (Sohei's use the Cleric spell list). Their ragelike ability is called Ki Frenzy, it grants +2 Str/+2 Dex/+10 move speed/Flurry of Blows as Monk1 with the standard stipulations of what you can't do in a Rage. It would seem to fit pretty well the archetype your looking for as long as your DM lets you refluff to get over it being in Oriental Adventures.

My DM is homebrewing a similar idea, combining Paladin and Barbarian. Kind of like a Righteous Fury Paladin. He's also letting me play a full-blown Aasimar (more for story reasons than for balance. The Backstory has be being a Boros Missionary)

Considering how this phrase has rarely ever been used, I have to say it:

How should I build my feats to amplify Smite Evil and Rage while keeping the Boros theme?