Beloved of Valarian [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Sajiri

2013-12-19, 03:47 PM

I was skimming through the PRC tier list and noticed that Beloved of Valarian (http://dndtools.eu/classes/beloved-of-valarian/) was up one tier. When I first glanced this prc in the book I thought 'oh cute, it has a unicorn' and didn't pay much attention beyond that, the novelty of it was nice but I just assumed it wasn't so great. Looking into it more, I'm finding it more interesting, but I can't seem to find much on it online in way of builds, entry, playstyle and such.

I get that it's intended for rangers and druids, but it's prereqs certainly aren't limited to those classes. Unfortunately this is obviously wouldn't fit into my current pirate campaign, but I enjoy making characters that I may or may not ever use anyway, so I'm curious about some decent builds for this.

Also, I'm not entirely sure what gets done with the unicorn, is it just a mount?

cakellene

2013-12-19, 03:53 PM

Your new best friend that grants you immortality.

Sajiri

2013-12-19, 03:57 PM

Your new best friend that grants you immortality.

Oh right, that :p

Coidzor

2013-12-19, 04:07 PM

Your new best friend that grants you immortality.

Just don't get drunk and have sex with it. That's a bad plan.

cakellene

2013-12-19, 04:08 PM

Just don't get drunk and have sex with it. That's a bad plan.

Doesn't unicorn leave if you lose your virginity?

Craft (Cheese)

2013-12-19, 04:12 PM

Doesn't unicorn leave if you lose your virginity?

I believe the exact wording is the unicorn leaves you if you have sex "with any other." So by one interpretation...

cakellene

2013-12-19, 04:13 PM

I believe the exact wording is the unicorn leaves you if you have sex "with any other." So by one interpretation...

Just read it, says unicorn remains as long as you are chaste and good alignment. Considering vow of chastity is a prereq, would assume chaste in this context means virginal.

Sajiri

2013-12-19, 04:13 PM

Doesn't unicorn leave if you lose your virginity?

I think, technically, you're just not supposed to willingly have sex with a mortal or get married. Doesn't actually say you have to be a virgin to begin with, whether you can be with an immortal, and..I dunno what happens if it's unwilling. It's an exception or need atonement?

Edit: Oh, but vow of chastity yeah <_<

Red Fel

2013-12-19, 04:14 PM

First off, having a Unicorn means having a portable heal-bot you can ride. That's pretty useful.

Also, it's a living vessel of Unicorn Blood. Look up what that stuff does in BoED. Yeah, it's pretty nasty.

Also, Circle Against Evil.

Also, fricking Unicorn.

cakellene

2013-12-19, 04:15 PM

nedz

2013-12-19, 04:16 PM

I looked at building a Cleric of Valarian recently, mainly for the hilarious Fey domain, but this class is aimed at Rangers or Paladins. The Cleric build has fringe benefits too.

cakellene

2013-12-19, 04:16 PM

Sajiri

2013-12-19, 04:20 PM

A popular legend is unicorns can only be touched by female virgins, and think it was mentioned somewhere in BoED.

I'm at work atm so I can't actually read BoED so yeah :/ I might miss some stuff. I'm just going by what I read online, I think they specifically state it as willingly couple with someone so that if you get screwed over in the game and something happens out of your control, you have a way to fix it without losing your main class feature

Craft (Cheese)

2013-12-19, 04:23 PM

I think, technically, you're just not supposed to willingly have sex with a mortal or get married. Doesn't actually say you have to be a virgin to begin with, whether you can be with an immortal, and..I dunno what happens if it's unwilling. It's an exception or need atonement?

Edit: Oh, but vow of chastity yeah <_<

You lose the benefits of your sacred vow if you break it unwillingly, but you can use an Atonement spell to get it back.

Which has all sorts of horrible implications, really. So you get attacked (whether through compulsion spells or just the old-fashioned way), and you're the one who has to atone? Then again it's not called the Book of Exalted Dunces for anything.

Grod_The_Giant

2013-12-19, 04:24 PM

I believe the exact wording is the unicorn leaves you if you have sex "with any other." So by one interpretation...
This thread went to a weird place fast.

Phelix-Mu

2013-12-19, 04:25 PM

Unicorns also provide some low-level utility healing, magical transport (within the forest they live in), and some protection against evil beasties (and a nice free action, at will detect evil, which should always be active).

Finally, it's got some monster stats; 20, 17, 21, 10, 21, 24. That alone has to be worth something. Actually...that really is a crazy good array.

Then the unicorn becomes a celestial charger, and casts as a 7th level cleric.

If you could arrange for the unicorn to also be your animal companion or special mount, then this starts getting pretty useful and powerful (particularly if you can get Exalted Companion to work on the unicorn, treating it as an animal for the purpose of spells). Get you some UMD, and animal growth/nature's avatar away.

Sajiri

2013-12-19, 04:28 PM

Okay so, I get what the unicorn does now. And we've established (I hope) the intricacies of what happens if you get with someone <_<

Builds? I'm guessing with a DM's permission it could combine the unicorn with animal companion features, or would it be better to use some kind of variant ranger or druid that doesnt get an animal companion

Craft (Cheese)

2013-12-19, 04:36 PM

Then the unicorn becomes a celestial charger, and casts as a 7th level cleric.

It's kinda sad that your companion gets better spellcasting than you do...

Phelix-Mu

2013-12-19, 04:38 PM

I'm thinking a reasonable DM could be talked into a 7th level ranger entry getting you the Unicorn, and then later using Exalted Companion and Natural Bond to finagle the unicorn from BoV to count as an AC. That option might not be available until 11th, though.

Hmm. I seem to recall there being a Theurgic Bond or some such feat from Dragon Magz that allowed one to stack druid and ranger levels for AC. But druid loses a few BAB over the course of the 7 levels needed to enter the class at 8th. Hmmm. Maybe not worth it.

Trying to get the unicorn as a special mount may be better, but doesn't sound easier.

Do we think that Telepathic Bond class feature gets one access to Mindsight? Just wondering.

EDIT: Yeah, and the unicorn just got started making the character look lame. The charger has 24, 18, 20, 13, 27, 22 stats, which is absurd, and TURN UNDEAD. So go ahead and psy reform it, go DMM, strap some nightsticks to it's hooves, and watch as the unicorn helps becomes your character.

Coidzor

2013-12-19, 04:55 PM

This thread went to a weird place fast.

Sorry, I was reminded of the thread exploring whether they could actually sleep with their mount and if so, did that mean they were stuck with that one and couldn't replace it or what.

Sajiri

2013-12-19, 04:56 PM

I'd say 'how the heck could they sleep with their mount' but then I remember there was an alicorn race, and I probably don't want to know the details :smalleek:

Phelix-Mu

2013-12-19, 05:02 PM

It would be interesting to try to sell the DM on using the celestial charger as a cohort, so that it could gain more cleric levels. Not exactly efficient, but if you're already dumping so many levels into something with full BAB, optimization probably isn't a big deal.

Also, mass baleful polymorph? I've been wanting to find a way to get high-HD kitty cats for a while now, and I think this could be my hookup. Go somewhere like a giant village, where things have lots of HD and relatively bad will saves.

The very idea of mass baleful polymorph warms my heart.

Sajiri

2013-12-19, 05:05 PM

My current DM doesnt like dealing with 'pets' and we usually play pathfinder..I'm tired of converting classes but I'm hoping if we find a group to join with that uses 3.5 I can use this, hopefully the DM would be willing to go for some of that :p

Phelix-Mu

2013-12-19, 05:12 PM

Also looks like you can use the SNA V list at 15th level and on, with a ring of the beast, or whichever was the one that let's you pick off the next list. Might be wrong about that. You can definitely summon additional unicorns, though, which could be fun.

nedz

2013-12-19, 05:21 PM

I'd say 'how the heck could they sleep with their mount' but then I remember there was an alicorn race, and I probably don't want to know the details :smalleek:

Well you could enter as a Ranger using the Shape-changing ACF (UA p58); but IIRC your wildshape is limited to small and medium animals only. You do get to make some fast moves as well though.

You could be an Elf and take the Elf Ranger Substitution Levels (RotW p155) too; which would make you more skilful and give you an Elven Hound Companion.

Coidzor

2013-12-19, 05:26 PM

If you have leadership and special mount, you might be able to get it to count as a cohort and then use that to get it to qualify as your special mount. Which would then allow Devoted Tracker to kick in.

Paladin 5/Ranger 1/Beastmaster 1 > Beloved of Valarian > Halfling Outrider.

Hmm, no, probably not.

Well you could enter as a Ranger using the Shape-changing ACF (UA p58); but IIRC your wildshape is limited to small and medium animals only. You do get to make some fast moves as well though.

Donkeys are Medium. Horses + Donkeys = Mules.

nedz

2013-12-19, 05:58 PM

Donkeys are Medium. Horses + Donkeys = Mules.

I think Hinny is the word you are looking for :smallwink:

Chronos

2013-12-19, 08:06 PM

No, a cross between a male horse and a female donkey is a hinny. A cross between a male unicorn and female donkey is a horny.

ArqArturo

2013-12-19, 08:14 PM

We're dealing with dangerous things in this thread. Hilarious, but, a little odd o.o.

Also, Vow of poverty is doable. I mean, I usually don't worry about my characters have sex or not.

Edit: I meant vow of chastity, but I will not change it for hilarious reasons.

Phelix-Mu

2013-12-19, 08:19 PM

We're dealing with dangerous things in this thread. Hilarious, but, a little odd o.o.

Also, Vow of poverty is doable. I mean, I usually don't worry about my characters have sex or not.

This needs to be made into some kind of auto-response to the daily VoP-inquiry threads.

Q: Is VoP too strong?

A: As long as you don't have sex, it should work just fine.

ArqArturo

2013-12-19, 08:22 PM

Sex has a price :smallamused:, although there's no such thing like masterwork sex.

nedz

2013-12-19, 08:40 PM

Sex has a price :smallamused:, although there's no such thing like masterwork sex.

I'm sure it can be enchanted though.

Zanos

2013-12-19, 08:49 PM

Well you could enter as a Ranger using the Shape-changing ACF (UA p58); but IIRC your wildshape is limited to small and medium animals only. You do get to make some fast moves as well though.

You could be an Elf and take the Elf Ranger Substitution Levels (RotW p155) too; which would make you more skilful and give you an Elven Hound Companion.
You are a master wordsmith.

ArqArturo

2013-12-19, 09:56 PM

I'm sure it can be enchanted though.

Mostly enchanting.

Talya

2013-12-19, 10:03 PM

ArqArturo

2013-12-19, 10:34 PM

I've got a unicorn as an exalted companion on a fey druid i'm playing right now.

Beloved of Valerian just sounds so ... not fun.

It can be played, but certainly the notion of having certain constraints is not fun for most people. In a way, playing an exalted character by itself is hard. Unless it's the Fist of Raziel, which is a smite-happy camper.

Hytheter

2013-12-19, 10:46 PM

You lose the benefits of your sacred vow if you break it unwillingly, but you can use an Atonement spell to get it back.

Which has all sorts of horrible implications, really. So you get attacked (whether through compulsion spells or just the old-fashioned way), and you're the one who has to atone? Then again it's not called the Book of Exalted Dunces for anything.

Yep, I sure am uncomfortable with the idea of having to atone for being raped.

...which you seemed to have mentioned in the white text that I didn't see before I quoted you.

SoraWolf7

2013-12-19, 11:02 PM

Mostly enchanting.

And then I remembered the Necklace of Natural Attacks. Would that count? Cause then we get into weird stuff with Throwing and Returning...

Coidzor

2013-12-19, 11:22 PM

It can be played, but certainly the notion of having certain constraints is not fun for most people. In a way, playing an exalted character by itself is hard. Unless it's the Fist of Raziel, which is a smite-happy camper.

Mostly it's that the main draw seems to be getting a minion that doesn't scale but gets one bump up in power to have 4th level spells, at ECL 13 minimum.

Phelix-Mu

2013-12-19, 11:24 PM

Yep, I sure am uncomfortable with the idea of having to atone for being raped.

...which you seemed to have mentioned in the white text that I didn't see before I quoted you.

An easy way around this would simply be for the DM to rule that non-consensual sex doesn't brake the Vow of Chastity. Certainly in keeping with the tenor of the feat, and I think there are similar exceptions for VoP being mentally dominated into owning something or VoPe being dominated into violent action.

EDIT: And the feat's caveat about magical compulsion is stupid. Maybe if you gave in after being charmed or something, but domination is clearly another thing altogether. Meh, silly rules.

cakellene

2013-12-19, 11:47 PM

Sex has a price :smallamused:, although there's no such thing like masterwork sex.

You just haven't met the right Warforged yet.

Coidzor

2013-12-19, 11:50 PM

I've got a unicorn as an exalted companion on a fey druid i'm playing right now.

Beloved of Valerian just sounds so ... not fun.

Point. Heck, a 6th level Paladin can grab a unicorn as a special mount without a feat, though it's a bit hazier due to being in the DMG, unfortunately. Still, that's a plain old Unicorn with at least some scaling with leveling two levels earlier than Beloved of Valarian gets its non-scaling unicron.

Could even do a Unicorn Supermount instead of a drakkensteed or taking the Dragon Steed feat, IIRC.

Sith_Happens

2013-12-20, 01:23 AM

Mostly it's that the main draw seems to be getting a minion that doesn't scale but gets one bump up in power to have 4th level spells, at ECL 13 minimum.

Or dipping the first level for immortality.

(Un)Inspired

2013-12-20, 01:36 AM

To fulfill your vow, you must abstain from any sexual contact with any other creature.

Alright, is it just me or does it seem like BoED is specifically trying to hint that solo stuff is ok?