The iconic vestige

[Crake]

So I've dabbled here and there as both a DM and a player with tome of magic, or more specifically, binding and vestiges. In that time, I think I've come to associate one specific vestige with the notion of the "iconic" vestige: Naberious. If I ever mention a three headed dog devouring a crane with two of its heads, while speaking in a gravelly, regal voice to my players, they immediately know that binding is afoot. I think this is mostly because naberious is so useful at all stages of the game. Silver tongue has ended more battles before they started than any other ability I know of, the ability fast healing is so useful, as well as one of the few free ways to remove ability drain, which actually makes naberious binding vampire thralls a thing in my game, portable, endless food. Disguise self at will is also just so useful, and since all my games start at level 1, naberious has to be the most commonly bound vestige in my games.

I'd like to hear from other binders, what vestige would you associate as being your "iconic" vestige, and why?

[Zaq]

I’ve accidentally referred to a one-level dip in Binder as “taking a dip in Naberius.”

I mean, it was only an accident because I stepped on my own punchline in doing so (only one reason to take a one-level dip in Binder, right?), but yeah. I agree that Naberius is about as classic as it gets.

Paimon has an interesting appearance, Andomalius has one of the very best stories (he’s my go-to when explaining “so, just what IS a vestige?”), Zceryll is likely the most powerful on her own, and you can find tricks to do with some others, but Naberius is kind of in a class by himself. There’s almost no use for him that isn’t shenanigans on one level or another, but if you took that one-level dip, we all know why.

[noob]

Naberius also allows to manage the stat loss from exalted/sanctified/vile spells with ease and since it can be obtained with a feat it means that spellcasters who likes spells that means "I am so much not evil aligned I can create lantern archons" and stuff like that (or the reverse) then getting naberius is a tempting.

[Troacctid]

I tried out an experimental Anima Mage Warlock build and it was like, why am I even bothering to advance my soul binding? The only vestige I ever want to bind is Naberius.

[Nifft]

I'd like to hear from other binders, what vestige would you associate as being your "iconic" vestige, and why? Buer at low-OP / low-tier.

Paimon for players who enjoy melee.

Astaraloth (the unjustly fallen) for crafting during downtime, and for Naberius synergy.

Zceryll for the constant overlapping summons if the DM patches the holes in the rules in a particular way.

Dhalver-Nar for 1e Ghrog-Nar who remember the teeth; plus he makes you immune to Allips, which can be nice if you're in the middle of engineering an Allip-based apocalypse.



I tried out an experimental Anima Mage Warlock build and it was like, why am I even bothering to advance my soul binding? The only vestige I ever want to bind is Naberius.

You might advance your Soul Binding because at high EBL you can get better perks from Naberius -- his command becomes suggestion, and caster level improvement might be useful.

[Crake]

Naberius also allows to manage the stat loss from exalted/sanctified/vile spells with ease and since it can be obtained with a feat it means that spellcasters who likes spells that means "I am so much not evil aligned I can create lantern archons" and stuff like that (or the reverse) then getting naberius is a tempting.

It's worth noting that binding naberius via the feats doesn't actually give you the fast ability healing ability, it only gives you naberius's skills and, if you have the practised binder feat, silver tongue.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Naberius is #1, I agree. Tenebrous is another one that stands out for me, because it's a very vestige-y thing, being an empty, worn-out mantle of divinity, so to speak.

[Buufreak]

I tend to like Tenebrous because of course, but also Acererak as a nostalgic nod to Gygax and his tomb.

[Efrate]

Ashardalon becAuse of bastion of broken souls, and because Ashardalon Reborn by tempest iirc on the old wotc boards introduced me to binding.