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View Full Version : How do I melt faces? (help me emulate Shadow Priest in D&D 3.5)



Eerie
2007-12-05, 01:19 PM
Is there a way to build my beloved (now retired) WoW Shadow Priest in D&D?

Adumbration
2007-12-05, 01:22 PM
"I want to melt.. want to melt some faces, watching the peasants.. oh, what do they call it? Ah, grieve!" *In a sing-song voice*

Richard, anyone? :smallbiggrin:

AKA_Bait
2007-12-05, 01:27 PM
Is there a way to build my beloved (now retired) WoW Shadow Priest in D&D?

Love to help but since I have never played WoW and haven't the foggiest idea what a Shadow Priest can do perhaps you can enlighten me?

Corinthus
2007-12-05, 01:34 PM
Depending on taste, an evil cleric might do the trick. (spontaneous inflict spells). Also gives healing capabilities, and melee ownage.

AstralFire
2007-12-05, 01:44 PM
Shadow Priest is basically an Ardent with a custom augmentable AoE fear at short range (level 1 power), a variant Shadow version of Astral Construct that creates three weaker constructs at once, and a version of Leech Field that works when you force the target to make a save instead of you. I imagine a lot of the Stygian Powers from CPsi will be up your ally, though I can't say without the book in front of me. Pick up a few weak heals, and bam.

Azerian Kelimon
2007-12-05, 01:44 PM
Horrid wilting, most Evil spells, etc, could help with this idea.

Or you can play a guitarist who does a lot of solos and reveres shadow plane creatures.

Mr.Moron
2007-12-05, 01:45 PM
Love to help but since I have never played WoW and haven't the foggiest idea what a Shadow Priest can do perhaps you can enlighten me?

Priests in WoW tap into "sort of" divine powers "Holy"(Light) and "Shadow". They can more/less be thought of as Positive/Negative energy in DnD terms. Though, in WoW they aren't inherently good/evil just tend to be used a lot by good/evil respectively.

Shadow powers tend to focus on Life-Drain, Fear and spells that do damage slowly over time. Spells that slow or debilitate are also thematically appropriate.

The exact abilities a shadow priest tends to use are:


Shadow Word Pain: A spell that causes moderate shadow damage over a number of seconds. This takes no time to cast, it's an instant ranged spell effect.

Mind Flay: A spell that the priest must maintain concentration on for a number of seconds. While the priest concentrates, it deals heavy shadow damage and slows the movement of the opponent.

Psychic Scream: AoE Fear effect that causes nearby opponents to flee. It's effectively "Turn Living"

Mind Blast: Direct Damage blast of shadow damage. Has a cast time in-line with other moderate spell effects.

Silence: Does what you think it does. Makes a single target unable to talk to for a period of time.

Fade: Universal WoW Priest skill. In the game it fudges with the aggro mechanics. The net is effect is you go partially invisible, making you less noticeable to monsters.

Shadow Form: A buff that lasts until toggled off. Removes the priests abilities to use "Holy"(light) magic. In exchange increases the potency of shadow abilities.

Vampiric Embrace: Translates damage done with shadow magic into healing/restoration for nearby allies.

Shadow Word: Death: Direct damage blast of shadow damage, casts instantly unlike other effects of similar potency. however it has a backlash effect if it does not kill the target.



I'm not sure what all those abilities would transfer to in DnD, but that's the gist of them. The actual list of them can be seen here (http://www.wowhead.com/?spells=7.5.78#0+2+1) the descriptions are fairly straight-forward even if you aren't familiar with the WoW mechanics.

AstralFire
2007-12-05, 01:45 PM
Nah, you can't *really* do a Shadow Priest with Vancian casting. Half of the experience is "ZOMG WERE MY MANA?! INNERVATE ME DROOD"

...Or at least it was, pre-Burning Crusade, and a variant of Leech Field would still cover it.

Eerie
2007-12-05, 01:46 PM
Love to help but since I have never played WoW and haven't the foggiest idea what a Shadow Priest can do perhaps you can enlighten me?

Well, his iconic things are:

Shadow Form - he turns purple and transparent, gets more HP and shadow damage, but can`t heal.
Mind Flay - the FACE MELT. Ray of energy, makes damage over time and slowes the enemy, MELTING HIS FACE OFF!!!
Vampiric Embrace - shadow damage he do gives him HP

also:

Mindblast - strong shadow spell on short cooldown
Fear - short range AOE fear
Shield - HP buffer with a cooldown

Too lazy to write more... :smallamused:

AstralFire
2007-12-05, 01:48 PM
Shadow Form would just be a special version of Overchannel or Wild Surge. Yeah, let's go with Wild Surge, but make it a feat. Instead of dazing, you lose access to any powers you have which channel positive energy.

Fade is *totally* Mass Cloud Mind.

I did forget about Vampiric Embrace, but that would also be fairly easy to turn into a Power.

Rachel Lorelei
2007-12-05, 01:54 PM
A psion would indeed be pretty good for this: Vampiric Embrace sure sounds a whole lot like Hostile Empathic Transfer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/empathicTransferHostile.htm).

Mind Flay could be Crisis of Breath/Life/etc, Mindblast would be, well, Mind Thrust, Shield would be Vigor... Shadow Form? There's a Shadow Body (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/shadowBody.htm) power.

Getting Fear is a problem. You could go for the Dreadful Wrath feat or some other Frightful Presence type ability.

BCOVertigo
2007-12-05, 01:57 PM
While I appreciate your attempt to ignore the damn bubble, it really is an integral and tactically important part of the shadow priest experience.
Stupid bubble, eating most of my ambush, I'll show you. :smallannoyed:

Mr.Moron
2007-12-05, 01:59 PM
While I appreciate your attempt to ignore the damn bubble, it really is an integral and tactically important part of the shadow priest experience.
Stupid bubble, eating most of my ambush, I'll show you. :smallannoyed:

It's an important par of ANY priest experience. I'm not sure it's particularly representative of the "Shadow" priest so much as the "WoW" priest. While yes, all shadow priests are WoW priests that's not the point!

The point of the shadow priest is that he is guy in robes that uses his dark magic to pull you apart piece-by-piece while you're running in circles because of some horrible illusion in your mind.

AstralFire
2007-12-05, 02:01 PM
I can't believe I forgot the Shadow Body power.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/shadowBody.htm

It's not the same as Shadow Form, but it's thematically appropriate. Overchannel + this power is sufficient.


While I appreciate your attempt to ignore the damn bubble, it really is an integral and tactically important part of the shadow priest experience.
Stupid bubble, eating most of my ambush, I'll show you. :smallannoyed:

Power Word: Shield is pretty much an Inertial Barrier (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/inertialBarrier.htm). Make an augment version and you're gold.

AstralFire
2007-12-05, 02:02 PM
By the way, while we're on the subject, I've been meaning to stat Moonkin and make a Moonkin form PrC for the druid. :D MOONFIRE SPAM! *pew pew pew lasers!*

ghost_warlock
2007-12-05, 02:03 PM
In almost all respects, a psion with access to the appropriate psionic powers would work much better than your standard cleric for producing a WoW-shadow-priest-like character in D&D.

Mana can be translated to power points by changing the numbers a bit (mana pools in WoW tend to be much larger than the standard number of power points a psionic character has). There are at least a few psionic powers that drain hp or power points from the target and give them to the manifester, these would work well for emulating the two high-tier Vampiric spells in a shadow priest's aresenal.

Also note that shadow priests in WoW can only wear cloth armor whereas clerics and ardents can tank themselves out in armor/shields. A customized psion with access to the various stygian powers (perhaps through Expanded Knowledge) work maintain the no-real-armor flavor.

Mr.Moron
2007-12-05, 02:05 PM
By the way, while we're on the subject, I've been meaning to stat Moonkin and make a Moonkin form PrC for the druid. :D MOONFIRE SPAM! *pew pew pew lasers!*

I don't know. People are already distrubuted enough by owlbears. I'm not so sure how comfortable they'll be with magical, laser-shooting, tree-summoning owlbears that can fire green lightning and insects.

Eerie
2007-12-05, 02:05 PM
While I appreciate your attempt to ignore the damn bubble, it really is an integral and tactically important part of the shadow priest experience.
Stupid bubble, eating most of my ambush, I'll show you. :smallannoyed:

Oh yes, few were the rogues that could survive my bubble-n-fear spam, followed by some serious melting of the face.... :smallamused:

AstralFire
2007-12-05, 02:07 PM
I don't know. People are already distrubuted enough by owlbears. I'm not so sure how comfortable they'll be with magical, laser-shooting, tree-summoning owlbears that can fire green lightning and insects.

You forgot our wind control. :D

Cyclone! Cyclone! Cyclone! Diminishing returns! D:

I still say an Ardent would be more appropriate than a Psion, however. Ardents are Wis-based and have access to fewer powers (though more than Wilder), as well as being philosophically based. Psions are Int-based and would be more appropriate for a Warlock or Mage, I feel.

Mages are totally Wilders, though, except for that 'Cha' part... Hmm.

ghost_warlock
2007-12-05, 02:13 PM
I still say an Ardent would be more appropriate than a Psion, however. Ardents are Wis-based and have access to fewer powers (though more than Wilder), as well as being philosophically based. Psions are Int-based and would be more appropriate for a Warlock or Mage, I feel.

Heck since some of this is going to have to be custom anyway, just use the psion class info, probably a telepath (ala mind control) or egoist, but have casting based on Wis instead of Int. Besides, if you throw in all the different Discipline and Holy spells a priest in WoW actually has access to, I think a psion may do a better jot of emulating the assortment of priest spells.

Theodoxus
2007-12-05, 02:27 PM
Isn't there a WoW d20 book? Wouldn't the Shadow Priest be a built available in said book?

I honestly don't know, since I don't have it...

Theo

AstralFire
2007-12-05, 02:29 PM
Isn't there a WoW d20 book? Wouldn't the Shadow Priest be a built available in said book?

I honestly don't know, since I don't have it...

Theo

I've glanced through the book before. As I recall, they pretty much threw every class that had a similar name in D&D to the class whose name it matched, without significant alteration.

Mr.Moron
2007-12-05, 02:32 PM
I've glanced through the book before. As I recall, they pretty much threw every class that had a similar name in D&D to the class whose name it matched, without significant alteration.

Bah! See, talk like that just makes me want to take a shot at home brewing them then. Some of the mechanics could be rather interesting if actually adapted rather than trying to find an existing fit. This actually goes for some other classes, more so than priest...

Nerd-o-rama
2007-12-05, 02:36 PM
Love to help but since I have never played WoW and haven't the foggiest idea what a Shadow Priest can do perhaps you can enlighten me?
Shadow Priests are healers that refuse to do their job in raids and just spam overpowered offensive spells instead of keeping the tank alive.

Alternatively, they're priests below level 70, as it's almost impossible to grind experience as a healbot.

AstralFire
2007-12-05, 02:38 PM
Bah! See, talk like that just makes me want to take a shot at home brewing them then. Some of the mechanics could be rather interesting if actually adapted rather than trying to find an existing fit. This actually goes for some other classes, more so than priest...

Well, Druid isn't *too* off for the most part, probably because the concept of the D&D Druid has set the tone for other fantasy druids. However, while Druids can't do everything at once in WoW, they certainly can in D&D...

Fighter to Warrior doesn't work too well, Warriors have much more ToB type tricks - I would see a Warrior as having a counter-heavy discipline from ToB.

Mage definitely corresponds more closely to psionics, as does Priest and Warlock.

A Rogue can be done well by the D&D Rogue, but a counter-heavy discipline would also be appropriate for them.

Hunter to Ranger works very well, actually, especially with later supplements.

Paladin to Paladin is a disaster, and I can't think of any base class which models it well. Divine Mind is the closest, but it would need access to more offense.

Shaman transitions surprisingly well from a modification of the Duskblade.


Shadow Priests are healers that refuse to do their job in raids and just spam overpowered offensive spells instead of keeping the tank alive.

Alternatively, they're priests below level 70, as it's almost impossible to grind experience as a healbot.

Let's not bring that "Learn to Play" crap off of those boards. Especially since not everyone raids.

Illiterate Scribe
2007-12-05, 02:38 PM
I have to quibble with the grammar of this thread's title.

According to internets dialect, it should read:

'How do I melted face?'.

The answer to which, of course, would be 'i dunno, lol'.

I do agree, psionics is probably the way to go here.

Indon
2007-12-05, 02:39 PM
I've glanced through the book before. As I recall, they pretty much threw every class that had a similar name in D&D to the class whose name it matched, without significant alteration.

The Priest class in the WoW RPG (the newest version, not the 3.0 version) isn't the same as the Cleric. They have less armor, like you'd expect, and the spell list is largely different, more reflecting WoW magic.

Of course, casters still use a more vancian system than WoW does, so the power points of the Psion might still offer a better match, with sufficient power tweaking.

AstralFire
2007-12-05, 02:40 PM
The Priest class in the WoW RPG (the newest version, not the 3.0 version) isn't the same as the Cleric. They have less armor, like you'd expect, and the spell list is largely different, more reflecting WoW magic.

Of course, casters still use a more vancian system than WoW does, so the power points of the Psion might still offer a better match, with sufficient power tweaking.

I haven't looked at it closely. Didn't realize there were two versions of the book.

Mr.Moron
2007-12-05, 02:43 PM
I have to quibble with the grammar of this thread's title.

According to internets dialect, it should read:

'How do I melted face?'.

The answer to which, of course, would be 'i dunno, lol'.

I do agree, psionics is probably the way to go here.

Actually, the correct answer would be "in PvP" but unless it's an arena game, thats probably not such a bright idea in DnD.



Well, Druid isn't *too* off for the most part, probably because the concept of the D&D Druid has set the tone for other fantasy druids. However, while Druids can't do everything at once in WoW, they certainly can in D&D...
......<Stuff>
Shaman transitions surprisingly well from a modification of the Duskblade.


Well I suppose, but close isn't "Exact". Sadly my mind has already started translating the paladin (my most played class) into 3.5 mechanics.

Rachel Lorelei
2007-12-05, 02:45 PM
Let's not bring that "Learn to Play" crap off of those boards. Especially since not everyone raids.

I believe that the traditional response here would be "QQ MOAR, NOOB".

Nerd-o-rama
2007-12-05, 02:48 PM
Let's not bring that "Learn to Play" crap off of those boards. Especially since not everyone raids.
Oh, I'm kidding, trust me. Sometimes I wish people would err on the side of humor instead of everything being serious business, but this being the internet, I guess it pays to be cautious.

Anyway, I played WoW for three months, got to level 40, and got bored. I don't know jack crap about raiding, I just have shadow priest friends I like to mock.

AstralFire
2007-12-05, 02:49 PM
Oh, I'm kidding, trust me. Sometimes I wish people would err on the side of humor instead of everything being serious business, but this being the internet, I guess it pays to be cautious.

Oh, sorry. You have no idea how many people I've read or heard say those words in complete seriousness. I haven't even played WoW in 11 months, but some things still grate on me.

SpikeFightwicky
2007-12-05, 03:39 PM
I've glanced through the book before. As I recall, they pretty much threw every class that had a similar name in D&D to the class whose name it matched, without significant alteration.

Actually, the World of Warcraft rpg (pretty much the warcraft RPG updated to 3.5 standards) re-designed practically all the classes and created new ones. A shadow priest is actually doable using the revised rules. I can't remember the exact wordings, but most shadow priest spells are in that book (Lesser SWP, SWP and Greater SWP all do X amount of damage every round, will save negates, so on and so forth). The exact character build would be:
Class = Healer
Class path = Priest
Domain Choice = Death (I can't remember what gives death as a domain, but it's out there)

That should give an accurate 'shadow priest'. Unfortunately, D&D doesn't have class paths, so you'd have to adapt the spells to the cleric list (or create a 'Shadow' domain that gives a shadowform ability (it would likely be something like: You gain DR = to 1/2 your cleric level/Good, your necromancy spells are cast at +X caster level, and you cannot cast any Conjuration (Healing) or Good descriptor spells, and cannot turn undead or use any feats that require you to expend a turn attempt. Make it a 'double' domain like the planar domains for balance issues) and transfer the spells to that one).

Nerd-o-rama
2007-12-05, 04:32 PM
Oh, sorry. You have no idea how many people I've read or heard say those words in complete seriousness. I haven't even played WoW in 11 months, but some things still grate on me.
Yeah, but if I was being serious, I probably wouldn't have spelled that post nearly as well.

AstralFire
2007-12-05, 05:47 PM
Yeah, but if I was being serious, I probably wouldn't have spelled that post nearly as well.

Sadly, you'd be surprised.