How to make Tellah from FFIV?

[jaappleton]

For character inspiration, I often browse artwork until something strikes me, and I say "THAT is something I have to make!"

Well, I found maybe the most beautiful FF character artwork I've seen before.

https://68.media.tumblr.com/76499b0a993eed9888cf25cdbd40cce9/tumblr_ne11bomrcP1r5pjkqo1_500.jpg

The character itself is Tellah the Sage from Final Fantasy IV. Knew a ton of both 'White' (Healing, curative, buffing) magic and 'Black' (Destructive) magic.

Off hand, I'm thinking maybe Arcana Cleric. Light Domain kinda fits, too, since they get some decent offensive spells. Tempest as well, though the 'heavy armor' thing doesn't fit him (I can fluff that). Theurge Wizard, with Life Domain is another option, and likely the most fitting.

Any other suggestions or ideas?

[EvilAnagram]

A Favored Soul would work pretty well.

[jaappleton]

A Favored Soul would work pretty well.

Which version?

[Waterdeep Merch]

FFIV was the RPG that made me fall in love with the entire genre as a kid, kind of the gateway drug that eventually got me into tabletop roleplaying with 2e. It's near and dear to my heart.

As a white and black magic sage but quintessentially a wizard (forgetting his spells due to old age and then remembering them later was a major plot point), I'd say he has to be a theurgy wizard. As for domain, probably life due to matching his 'kit' best. He absolutely MUST get the spell meteor swarm- it was Tellah's ultimate spell, the one that got him killed in his fight with Golbez. Guess he cast it centered on himself to avoid hitting the rest of the party.

[jaappleton]

FFIV was the RPG that made me fall in love with the entire genre as a kid, kind of the gateway drug that eventually got me into tabletop roleplaying with 2e. It's near and dear to my heart.

As a white and black magic sage but quintessentially a wizard (forgetting his spells due to old age and then remembering them later was a major plot point), I'd say he has to be a theurgy wizard. As for domain, probably life due to matching his 'kit' best. He absolutely MUST get the spell meteor swarm- it was Tellah's ultimate spell, the one that got him killed in his fight with Golbez. Guess he cast it centered on himself to avoid hitting the rest of the party.

What you just described, about falling in love with the genre?

The same thing happened with myself. That's why when I saw that artwork, I knew I had to make the character.

I'm in agreement with you, Theurgy seems to be the best fit. Life Domain Theurgist seems to be pretty spot on.

[Waterdeep Merch]

What you just described, about falling in love with the genre?

The same thing happened with myself. That's why when I saw that artwork, I knew I had to make the character.

I'm in agreement with you, Theurgy seems to be the best fit. Life Domain Theurgist seems to be pretty spot on.

I play paladins more often than any other class because of Cecil Harvey. Every third character I create ends up on a quest of redemption, too.

A death cleric I just played a few months ago was basically dark knight Cecil post-Mist.

[Cybren]

For irony points (given his stance on a certain other character in that game) lore bard but replacing bardic inspiration and/or most of his magical secrets with a variant on his Recall (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Recall) ability from the original (and subsequent) version(s) of the game

[jaappleton]

For irony points (given his stance on a certain other character in that game) lore bard but replacing bardic inspiration and/or most of his magical secrets with a variant on his Recall (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Recall) ability from the original (and subsequent) version(s) of the game

I'm playing with a friend using a homebrewed Dark Knight archetype for Paladins....

That has proficiency in Performance, and has a Lyre.

This is coincidental, by the way. I didn't tell him I was making Tellah. So if he screws up something big, I DO get to refer to him as a 'spoony bard' :smallbiggrin:

[Waterdeep Merch]

I'm playing with a friend using a homebrewed Dark Knight archetype for Paladins....

That has proficiency in Performance, and has a Lyre.

This is coincidental, by the way. I didn't tell him I was making Tellah. So if he screws up something big, I DO get to refer to him as a 'spoony bard' :smallbiggrin:

Take Magic Initiate to get Shillelagh. You must!

[jaappleton]

I never noticed it before, maybe because so many of their spells are on the stock Cleric list, but the Life Domain actually gets some SOLID spells.

I'd be a Wizard with the Life Channel Divinity, Bless, Spiritual Weapon, Cure Wounds, Revivify... Pretty damn sweet.

[Waterdeep Merch]

I never noticed it before, maybe because so many of their spells are on the stock Cleric list, but the Life Domain actually gets some SOLID spells.

I'd be a Wizard with the Life Channel Divinity, Bless, Spiritual Weapon, Cure Wounds, Revivify... Pretty damn sweet.

Make sure to explain every spell you get on level up is actually you remembering it from your younger days. The fact that other wizards can't reproduce your cleric spells can be used as an indication that you were once an epic prodigy, before the Alzheimer's kicked in.

You should also have a soft spot for kids (Rydia, Palom, and Porom).

[Lord Il Palazzo]

I'd definitely go with Life-Theurge Wizard, though if I were starting Tellah from level 1 I might take my first level in Arcana Cleric to have some white/divine and black/arcane magic from level 1. The alternative would be to go variant human Wizard with Cleric Magic Initiate to get the mix of white and black magic from the beginning.

Either way, I wouldn't multiclass too deeply. Like Waterdeep Merch said, Tellah is just begging to be able to get up to 9th level Wizard spells to be able to cast Meteor Swarm. Once.

[jaappleton]

Starting at 5th level.

I also get one Rare item, one Uncommon.

I'm able to actually go with a "generic +2 spell focus" which will allow me a +2 to both spell attack rolls, and spell DC for my Rare. Or go Bracers of Defense for the +2 to AC.

Cloak of Protection for my Rare? Seems solid.

Going with both Bracers and Cloak means Mage Armor, 16 Dex, that's a 19AC.

Just because I'm looking to play Tellah doesn't mean I'm looking to croak before the final act :smalltongue:


EDIT: I named him Gilbert.

[Positiveimpact3]

Flavor wise - some multiclass wild mage sorcerer to try to replicate tellah's amnesia/random casting and strange/supernatural power over magic like being able to co-cast 'meteo' etc.

[jaappleton]

Flavor wise - some multiclass wild mage sorcerer to try to replicate tellah's amnesia/random casting and strange/supernatural power over magic like being able to co-cast 'meteo' etc.

I totally agree! However... For a mechanical standpoint... Point buy... I just don't have room for the Charisma, to be brutally honest. Had I been able to roll, and rolled well? Oh, absolutely!

I plan on working with my DM (assuming the character lives past a couple sessions, its a brutal game) to see if maybe I can incorporate the 'Recall' ability somehow as we go along.

For my personality trait, I wrote 'Hates spoony things'

[Unoriginal]

FFIV was the RPG that made me fall in love with the entire genre as a kid, kind of the gateway drug that eventually got me into tabletop roleplaying with 2e. It's near and dear to my heart.

As a white and black magic sage but quintessentially a wizard (forgetting his spells due to old age and then remembering them later was a major plot point), I'd say he has to be a theurgy wizard. As for domain, probably life due to matching his 'kit' best. He absolutely MUST get the spell meteor swarm- it was Tellah's ultimate spell, the one that got him killed in his fight with Golbez. Guess he cast it centered on himself to avoid hitting the rest of the party.

Actually what killed him was that Tellah used his life force to fuel his last spell. He was already low on mana before casting it and said "screw it, take my life as long as I end his."

[Citan]

For character inspiration, I often browse artwork until something strikes me, and I say "THAT is something I have to make!"

Well, I found maybe the most beautiful FF character artwork I've seen before.

https://68.media.tumblr.com/76499b0a993eed9888cf25cdbd40cce9/tumblr_ne11bomrcP1r5pjkqo1_500.jpg

The character itself is Tellah the Sage from Final Fantasy IV. Knew a ton of both 'White' (Healing, curative, buffing) magic and 'Black' (Destructive) magic.

Off hand, I'm thinking maybe Arcana Cleric. Light Domain kinda fits, too, since they get some decent offensive spells. Tempest as well, though the 'heavy armor' thing doesn't fit him (I can fluff that). Theurge Wizard, with Life Domain is another option, and likely the most fitting.

Any other suggestions or ideas?
With UA, Theurge Wizard is obviously the best, you get a class that totally fits thematically and gets the minimum healing required.

With only official books, mechanically Bard / Sorcerer would be your best bet, but it does not fit well thematically (I see the artwork with a "book", also "Sage" usually implies "studying" whereas Sorcerer has innate power and Bard supposedly spends his time performing/charming).

Loosely following would be pure Light Cleric so you get a few offensive, but it's still very unbalanced.

Otherwise, I think you'd be "stuck" with a multiclass: any Domain Cleric that gives some buff but no heavy armor proficiency, up to Revivify at least, probably Raise Dead, + a Wizard with the School that you think fits the best with the original character (I don't remember him so couldn't say).

[jaappleton]

I made him a Life Theurge Wizard, named Gilbert (Edward's name when he was disguised as a Bard and not a Prince).

Played him last night!

I played him as a very forgetful old man, who couldn't remember much of his adventuring days.

Someone cast Detect Thoughts, and they heard me trying to recall the spells I used to know. Our characters are level 5, but I mentioned Chain Lightning, Disentigrate, and other higher level spells.

I described him as moving very slowly, which was hilarious, because I rolled a 20 on Initiative while my Paladin friend rolled a 3.

"Pretty damn spry when I want to be, youngin'!"

I went VHuman and picked the Lucky Feat. As good as something like Alert is, it doesn't fit Tellah well too well.

[Unoriginal]

I made him a Life Theurge Wizard, named Gilbert (Edward's name when he was disguised as a Bard and not a Prince).

Played him last night!

I played him as a very forgetful old man, who couldn't remember much of his adventuring days.

Someone cast Detect Thoughts, and they heard me trying to recall the spells I used to know. Our characters are level 5, but I mentioned Chain Lightning, Disentigrate, and other higher level spells.

I described him as moving very slowly, which was hilarious, because I rolled a 20 on Initiative while my Paladin friend rolled a 3.

"Pretty damn spry when I want to be, youngin'!"

I went VHuman and picked the Lucky Feat. As good as something like Alert is, it doesn't fit Tellah well too well.

If UA are authorized, you could have picked a feat like Historian or another skill feat. Would have fit the character.

Dunno if you can change now.

Did you take the Sage background, or...?

[Yagyujubei]

this isnt particularly on topic or anything but I'm the same way about FF6. even though 4 was my first FF 6 was the one that really blew my mind, so I play "treasure hunters" all the time in games lol

[jaappleton]

this isnt particularly on topic or anything but I'm the same way about FF6. even though 4 was my first FF 6 was the one that really blew my mind, so I play "treasure hunters" all the time in games lol

I wanted to make Edgar awhile ago but couldn't make it work at my characters level. Gunslinger Alchemist is kinda close, treating it as Edgar's inventions. Ranger, with a crossbow and Hail of Thorns can replicate Autocrossbow fairly well enough.

Celes could be some sort of Ice Based homebrewed Paladin. The lv7 Aura of Ancients Paladin works well enough to replicate Runic.

[Yagyujubei]

yeah I've thought about making celes as well. getting runic to work exactly like it does in the game would be tricky though because the monsters are being controlled by the DM rather than RNG. It would be cool to have the ability to use your action to enter the runic stance until the start of your next turn and if magic is cast on you it gets negated and you regain a spell slot at the level of the spell cast though.

maybe it could be a custom subclass for fighter using eldritch knight as a guideline

[jaappleton]

Runic could be replicated well enough with a custom Reaction spell. Something like Absorb Elements, but applicable to allies within 30ft of you.

[Grey Watcher]

I don't remember the rationale, but when I tried to build Tellah in D&D 5E, I went with Wizard (Diviner)/Cleric (Knowledge). Of course, if you go the Theurge route then you have to put off getting actual healing until stupidly late levels.

Also, short if homebrew, I have no idea how to do it, but a key gimmick of Tellah's is having access to wide variety of magic, including some very OP options, but he's hampered by a hard 90 max MP, regardless of level. Even if you're sticking to more or less conventional-given-your-level spells, he's gonna be relying on Osmose to avoid running out of MP entirely. Short of a severely hacked Warlock, I have no idea how to represent that.

[jaappleton]

I don't remember the rationale, but when I tried to build Tellah in D&D 5E, I went with Wizard (Diviner)/Cleric (Knowledge). Of course, if you go the Theurge route then you have to put off getting actual healing until stupidly late levels.

Also, short if homebrew, I have no idea how to do it, but a key gimmick of Tellah's is having access to wide variety of magic, including some very OP options, but he's hampered by a hard 90 max MP, regardless of level. Even if you're sticking to more or less conventional-given-your-level spells, he's gonna be relying on Osmose to avoid running out of MP entirely. Short of a severely hacked Warlock, I have no idea how to represent that.

Life Theurge gets me the Preserve Life channel divinity, Cure Wounds, Mass Cure Wounds, and Revivify. I wouldn't consider that putting off healing until stupidly late levels.

As far as replicating Osmose, or the Recall abilities, I just don't think its possible without SEVERELY hacking the system, as you mentioned. I suppose Arcane Recovery is as close as I can get to Osmose.

And when you initially get Tellah, for his first stint in the party, he's incredibly powerful. During his 2nd stint, especially in the last dungeon you have him in, his limited MP is a massive issue. Again, tough to replicate without severely hacking the system. I could incorporate some sort of Overchannel type ability at the cost of spending spell slots, using a Warlock spell slot style progression so I'd be capped at 5th level slots and expend uses of Mystic Arcana to Overchannel the spells, but that's more 'Creating a new class for Tellah'.

This is much more of 'Let's find an existing option for Tellah'.

If I'd been able to roll stats, and multiclass, I'd say that Diviner / Life Cleric would work well, considering that when you get Tellah for his first stint, his spellcasting stats are so high that using Portent and the Lucky to give enemies poor saving throw rolls could be a way to replicate showing just how strong his spells are.

[Grey Watcher]

Life Theurge gets me the Preserve Life channel divinity, Cure Wounds, Mass Cure Wounds, and Revivify. I wouldn't consider that putting off healing until stupidly late levels.

Sorry, the way I worded my previous post is really misleading; I meant Theurge (Knowledge) would be putting off healing too long, since you have to get all your domain spells before you can poach the Cleric list freely.

[Cybren]

Runic could be replicated well enough with a custom Reaction spell. Something like Absorb Elements, but applicable to allies within 30ft of you.

I'd probably make it a custom counterspell, maybe like if you don't attack or cast a spell on your turn, you can use a reaction until your next turn to negate an enemies spell and regain N spell slots [n times] per [period]. It'd make them play really reactive which is fun, you can ready an action and use whichever reaction is better, or dodge to get full turtle mode going on, etc, rather than staying more faithful to how the game works, where you just give up any action to maybe runic something