Catullus64
2016-09-25, 11:04 AM
Greetings All,
A friend of mine is soon to begin running a 10th level campaign in a custom setting he's cooked up. I've been itching to try out the Bladesinger tradition since the SCAG came out, so that's what I'm playing. I was talking with my DM about the fluff regarding magic in general in this setting, and the idea came up that the Bladesinging feature could be interpreted as some kind of strange orgiastic trance. From that, I've come up with the following (DM-approved) character high-concept:
My character was, in his youth, a self-centered, brutal warlord. After his armies were overthrown, he avoided detection by conning a nomadic tribe of elves into accepting him as their spiritual leader. Over several centuries, however, he has grown into the role, genuinely becoming more of the honorable, compassionate, spiritual type that he was initially merely pretending to be. In the process, his magical powers have grown to reflect his mastery of the tribe's rich cultural traditions of animism and ancestor worship; in effect, he considers himself to be a divine spellcaster, since he uses his magic to help maintain the spiritual health of his people. My DM likes the concept, but I want to go more in-depth with it. I aim to come up with fluff behind my known spells, a explanation for the ritual function each spell performs: for instance, Confusion could be used to induce a kind of ceremonial orgy, or Protection from E&G as a placebo effect for the sick to ward off hostile spirits. Any other ideas for how Wizard spells could be used for ceremonies, festivals, and other practices of a religious nature? My spell selection is as follows, but feel free to suggest replacements with interesting RP potential:
Cantrips: Mending, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Booming Blade, Ray of Frost, Minor Illusion (High Elf)
1st Level: Shield, Feather Fall, Protection from E&G, Silent Image, Color Spray, Thunderwave, Detect Magic, Identify
2nd Level: Mirror Image, Invisibility, Suggestion, Locate Object
3rd Level: Sending, Haste, Phantom Steed, Dispel Magic, Counterspell
4th Level: Confusion, Arcane Eye, Fabricate, Wall of Fire
5th: Telepathic Bond, Mislead, Legend Lore
Please note that not every one of these needs religious fluff: something as utilitarian as Counterspell or Shield could simply be something he knew from his soldiering days.
A friend of mine is soon to begin running a 10th level campaign in a custom setting he's cooked up. I've been itching to try out the Bladesinger tradition since the SCAG came out, so that's what I'm playing. I was talking with my DM about the fluff regarding magic in general in this setting, and the idea came up that the Bladesinging feature could be interpreted as some kind of strange orgiastic trance. From that, I've come up with the following (DM-approved) character high-concept:
My character was, in his youth, a self-centered, brutal warlord. After his armies were overthrown, he avoided detection by conning a nomadic tribe of elves into accepting him as their spiritual leader. Over several centuries, however, he has grown into the role, genuinely becoming more of the honorable, compassionate, spiritual type that he was initially merely pretending to be. In the process, his magical powers have grown to reflect his mastery of the tribe's rich cultural traditions of animism and ancestor worship; in effect, he considers himself to be a divine spellcaster, since he uses his magic to help maintain the spiritual health of his people. My DM likes the concept, but I want to go more in-depth with it. I aim to come up with fluff behind my known spells, a explanation for the ritual function each spell performs: for instance, Confusion could be used to induce a kind of ceremonial orgy, or Protection from E&G as a placebo effect for the sick to ward off hostile spirits. Any other ideas for how Wizard spells could be used for ceremonies, festivals, and other practices of a religious nature? My spell selection is as follows, but feel free to suggest replacements with interesting RP potential:
Cantrips: Mending, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Booming Blade, Ray of Frost, Minor Illusion (High Elf)
1st Level: Shield, Feather Fall, Protection from E&G, Silent Image, Color Spray, Thunderwave, Detect Magic, Identify
2nd Level: Mirror Image, Invisibility, Suggestion, Locate Object
3rd Level: Sending, Haste, Phantom Steed, Dispel Magic, Counterspell
4th Level: Confusion, Arcane Eye, Fabricate, Wall of Fire
5th: Telepathic Bond, Mislead, Legend Lore
Please note that not every one of these needs religious fluff: something as utilitarian as Counterspell or Shield could simply be something he knew from his soldiering days.