Untitled Roles

[Lucius Cypher]

@Dark Light

Unless I have Great Weapon Master (which I don’t have and don’t plans to take), the heavy property isn’t useful on most weapons that don’t already have it, since being heavy isn’t going to increase the damage die. A heavy scimitar is still 1d6 regardless which of it’s properties I replace, which itself is the double-edge sword. Alter Armament only adds a property if the weapon doesn’t have one, such as the flail, warpick, or mace. Everything else needs a property swapped.

But yes, the strength of this spell is it’s versatility over its raw damage output. Truthfully, it’s main purpose for me is to apply the finesse property to range weapons, as Finesse gives you the option to use strength or dex. In the case of range weapons, it provides the ability to use my strength for something like say, the longbow, instead of dexterity, an range property that only exist with the dinky dart. Even so, this versatility is situational.

How would giving my glaive the thrown property be better than say, taking out my hand axe and throwing it? If I miss I’m now deprived of my main weapon and have to rely on weaker back up ones. At best it will allow new tactics and weapon arrangements for an hour, and only for classes capable of utilizing it. Yes, a sneak attack with a greatsword does seem like a lot of damage, if the rogue in question invested in levels, feats, or abilities to be proficient with the great sword. In which case why throw them a bone and give them a once-in-awhile opportunity to make use of it?

Finally not to mention, as an Eldritch knight I don’t have access to 2nd level spells right now and I only have two spell slots to work with. While I’ve intentionally chosen spells that I won’t actively need in battle, that still means I can’t just go into every combat casting Alter Armament without dwindling my already sparse supply of spells. I gotta make sure my spells have the most bang for their bucks like warlock’s, but unlike warlock’s I have low spell level progression and I don’t recover any on a shortrest.

[Lucius Cypher]

[quote=@Expolar]
@Lucius Cypher@Dark Light
Thanks for mentioning your concern on the matter. I was comparing spells Shillelagh and Magic Weapon, and I suppose I was thinking too much of the can trip. But if we were to make it a 1st level spell, what do you two think of the following:
[*]The weapon must have a property to allow it to change.
[*]Can only change one property at a time and requires a bonus action to alter that one changed property.
[*]Must be a non magical melee weapon.
[*]Last for a minute with concentration.
[*]No "thrown" property as I imagine this spell to change the mass and density, which causes the shape of the weapon to change.
[/quote]

By default the spell has to swap a property the weapon already has. It only adds a property if the weapon has none, which I think only three weapons have.

Also by default it takes a bonus action, and can only change more than one property if I cast at a higher level. The change also applies only once: once the property changes I can’t change it again unless I recast the spell. I assume that the property change occurs immediately when the spell occurs, having it happen on the next turn seems like a needless stopgap that even other BA spells don’t suffer from.

I’m hesitant to say if this weapon can’t affect magical ones, as it makes it quickly obsolete once we do get magic weapons, but I would politely request that it applies to all weapons, both melee and range. While I understand the “balance” of Range weapon’s being the sole domain of dexterity users, it’s not as if dex users are desperate for versatility, and it’ll be nice to have the ability to use strength for a dedicated range weapon that isn’t a 1d4 dart.

I’m willing to do concentration but I would still like for it to last an hour.

All weapons even without the thrown property can be thrown with a range of 20/60, they just become improvised and thus do 1d4. With magic, the spell effectively removes the improvise nature, and even than the thrown property is for more cinematic than practical value, what with the slew of problems thrown weapons already have.

[Expolar]

@Lucius Cypher@Dark Light

Alter Armament

Altered Armament
1st level Transmutation
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: Touch
Component: V S M (A Weapon)
Duration: 1 Hour

You alter the properties of a weapon. You may replace one of it’s properties with the following: Light, Finesse, Heavy, Thrown (20/60), or Reach. If the weapon has no property you may give it one. It also becomes a magical weapon if it isn't already.

When you cast this spell at a higher level, you can alter the property of one additional weapon for each level above one.

I think I may allow it still be a 1st level spell on the following conditions:

• It requires concentration and can last for an hour.
  For the caster to maintain the altered weapon, this must focus on the altered state or else it will revert back to normal.
• Must be a non magical weapon.
  The way I usually see enhancing an already magical weapon is by first removing that existing magic, then re adding the magic back along with the new magic. Since it takes a long amount of time to actually enchant an item, this spell won't be able to alter the magical weapon in such a short time of a bonus action as the existing magic would resist it. I'm basing this from spells like Magic Weapon (spell lv 2) and Elemental Weapon (spell lv3).
• Can only non magical melee weapons.
  Although the two spells mentioned before do not specify melee or range, I think to keep the spell at 1st level, I will keep it to only only melee. Thus it will be similar to the cantrip Shillelagh where it can only be cast on the wood of a club or quarterstaff. But this does remind me of a homebrew rule that I will mention below in the update.

@Guardian Angel Haruki
For the Najila's questions asked to Ralim:

Q: Can she go back home?
A: “No.” Would noticed that every time this is asked, he looked annoyed or simply looked away as denied the request.

Q: why was she exchanged?
A: “I thought you were smart kid. Your father somehow stumbled into my Cosmological Sanctum. So like anyone that finds their way inside, I gave him a tour and we chatted along the way. As we toured he saw all the valuables and wished for some kind of way if he could take enough back home to become rich. I recalled him mention that he has a daughter who would be interested in all of this and thought that another ever curious mind should suffice for the trade. So sent him back with some treasure and instructions of how to contact and summon me.”

Q: how her family was doing, and if she could see them?
A: “No, your father would probably just send me another mannequin for a free trade. My question is why do you care? Your father basically threw you away and your family doesn’t care with all that money that they have now!” He would appear a bit upset, and just begin walking away saying he needs some rest.

Q: what are his thoughts on other warlock patrons? Should Najila be cautious of other warlocks and their patron?
A: “Its like asking if you should trust or be scared of every stranger outside. But if you’re that curious, then do NOT trust a fiend or fey patron, especially if it’s a fey. Fiends you can expect something bad as they only seek something that greatly benefits them and little to you, and the likelihood of losing your soul. But fey, their wordings and reasoning behind such things are the most random and chaotic, and worse is their sense of humor when they pull off a deal, those little scam artists!”

Update:

• Thrown melee weapons:
  If a melee weapon has the thrown property, you can use STR or DEX mod for the attack and damage roll.

[Lucius Cypher]

@Expolar

I will concede for Alter Armament being concentration based and usable only nonmagical weapons (or alternatively overwrites any current magic enchantments), but I will still ask that it can be used on ranged weapons as well.

To be frank, thrown weapons are shit. The action economy for them makes than worse than crossbows which at least have an excellent feat which makes crossbows competitive. It requires your single object interaction to draw a weapon, which effectively means that once you get extra attack you can make at most two thrown weapons attack if you’re already wielding a throw weapon, and end that turn with no weapon. If you were not wielding a throw weapon you’ll need to drop it, draw your weapon, than attack, and that still limits you to just the one thrown weapon and one attack.

There’s also the issue of a sever lack of abilities that support a thrown weapon build. Strictly speaking, most of the thrown weapons (javelin, Spears, daggers, handaxes, light hammers, tridents) are not range weapons, and thus don’t benefit from things such as archery fighting style or Sharpshooter even when used as a thrown weapon. Conversely they still suffer penalties such as ranged attacks with a melee adjacent enemy. The only ranged thrown weapons are the dart and the net, with the dart being a vastly inferior dagger by virtue of being illegible for melee combat, and the net having a whole slew of problems requiring multiple feats and specific class combinations just to make it mildly viable. And neither of these weapons are very powerful. In fact the “strongest” thrown weapon is the spear, and only if you allow it to be thrown with two hands for 1d8 damage, otherwise it’ll be the javelin as it’s the only thrown weapon with the longest range (30 ft).

This word spew is to emphasis the importance of Alter Armament enable a strength based character such as Orchid having access to an actual viable ranged weapon that can operate further than her walking speed, as plenty of range weapons can be useful for any strength based character if they simply were able to have the finesse property. And again frankly speaking, most bows in real life relies far more on the archer’s physical strength than his agility, as longbows has very high tension levels. Your typical whispy high dex/low strength elves would never be able to draw an arrow on your average English longbow. This spell exist to introduce this factoid.

[Expolar]

@Lucius Cypher
You bring up a good few points on the matter, so sure, I will allow range weapons. That and being an eldritch knight, the pace that this campaign will go because of the play and post style, and wanting to see this spell be used.

@Dark Light
For Azzen's character sheet, currently it is not view able to the public. rush99999 already detailed how to make make it public by:
"To make your CS visible to anyone, click the 3 dots on the top right of the screen, hit the share button, and switch the 'who can view this character' setting to 'anyone with link'." Once to make it visible, please let me know.

[Lucius Cypher]

Thankye kindly boss! I'll made the adjustments accordingly. Excited to play.

[rush99999]

Happy to update if you link me your characters.

@Dark Light

Angus' CS

[Dark Light]

...

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

@Expolar Cool. Thank you for the answers. ^_^

I do have another question. Does Ralim like riddles? I think at some point, Najila would have hidden riddles around the Cosmological Sanctum for Ralim, or someone else, to find. Some written in common, but as she got older and developed a written code of her own, the riddles would get progressively more difficult and they would be written in that code.

[Dark Light]

Was there a home brew rule on hp?

[Dark Light]

To anyone who is making a character sheet, please also note the following rules that I would like to include so you know when filling out the your character sheet:

• Extra skill proficiencies
  Based on the INT mod, this will represent additional points that you can add to a skill, tool, or language. Expertise can be gained with an already proficient skill or tool.
• Increasing max HP
  At each new level after level 1, roll hit dice at advantage.
  Reroll if a 1 is rolled at any time.

@Expolar

Ooh, maybe add this to tho OP :)

[Expolar]

<Snipped quote by Expolar>

Ooh, maybe add this to tho OP :)

@Dark Light

Thanks for bring it up! They have now been added to the first post

[Expolar]

EDIT:
Accidental duplicated post xD
Oh how the many tabs that I always leave open have betrayed me lol

[Dark Light]

@Expolar my character sheet should be good for review now.
Think I’m all done

[Dark Light]

@Lucius Cypher Sorry, I just can’t gef over this spell.
It would be a waste for me not to take it so I’m interested in a bit more detail.

Like what actually happens?
How does altering the weapon take your strength and increase crossbow damage usually based on tension and accuracy. What magic is at play or what happens to the crossbow.
How does it give a knife a 10ft reach?
What happens to a reach weapon when it loses reach? Does it shrink? Is the end floppy?
Is there an actual weight change to an item made into the light category?
What’s actually happening beside stat benefits?

Thanks

[rush99999]

How does it give a knife a 10ft reach?

@Dark Light

Here's how.

[Lucius Cypher]

@Dark Light

“Magic” to put it simply. But for your specific instance previous details that went entirely absent become applicable, at least until the spell ends or the user chooses to utilize them “normally”.

The tension of a crossbow is indeed where all of the damage comes from, and crossbows that aren’t made with extensive mechanical systems still require much strength to operate. Perhaps not as much as say, a bow, but certainly not as simple as “load arrow, aim, shoot” that most people assume with crossbows. Also crossbows do have recoil, something most everyone neglects to notice or remember. So a strength based crossbow will be one that utilizes magic to draw out more force from a weapon but requires actual more physical exertion from its user, with an equally notable more recoil from the weapon. And unlike your usual range weapon woth the implication that you’re aiming your bolt towards a weak point in the enemy’s armor, the crossbow bolt will instead be launch with sheer penetrative force.

Effectively gives a knife a sort of light saber whip effect. If that seems confusing congratulations, that is exactly how such a spell can often befuddle an opponent who doesn’t know what the spell is, or even an ally who isn’t used to having their weapon capable of such a thing. After all most people are not designed around the abilities this spell can provide.

Conversely a reach weapon will end up shorten. Whips will be little more than a floppy club, and most polearms basically become a slightly weaker greataxe or particularly heavy spear in the case of the pike.

Light weapons who lose their light property become balanced very differently in a notable way to reflect whatever their new property would be. A dagger that loses its light property for reach is still one pound, but now it’s entire weight is being distributed on a weapon as long as a whip without nearly the same level of design or balancing, making it unwieldy for your usual two-weapon purposes despite no effective change in weight. Conversely, replacing a feature like say, the two-handed feature for the halberd first the light feature, still makes the halberd the same weight as before. In this instance the magic of the spell will being doing most of the work to make the weapon “feel” balanced for one-handed use, which again can be awkward for people who aren’t used to it but not to the point they suddenly lose proficiency.

What is actually happening is simply magic. I created this spell because the alternative of simply reintroducing things like compound bows or long spears meant to be used with shields have so far never been accepted whenever I propose them, despite whatever evidence that exist in real life which support them. “It uses magic” has so far been easier to approve of these basic weapon variants since the implications that surely these weapons don’t exist normally in these worlds, and if they do they’re not meant for players to utilize, otherwise they’re be ground breaking inventions that changes the whole meta, or other similar knee-jerk reactions to the established setting.

A guy with a eight-foot long spear and a shield goes back further than medieval times all the way to the classical era to the point most people associate that style with any Greek warrior who isn’t simply Hercules himself, but by raw mechanics that’s impossible for any player to replicate in game barring the divine intervention known as “homebrew”. Hell its easier to be Hercules, a demigod of Zeus, than it is to be a Spartan Warrior with a big shield and a long spear.

Every elf and their mothers have a dexterity bonus and an inexplicable talent to use a longbow, but rarely would any of them also have the fucked up skeletal and muscular structure real human longbow men had due to all of the core strength they’re practically raised to have in order to make the most out of those weapons, with the only explanation being “they’re elves” and “longbows use dexterity not strength”.

[Expolar]

Here are some general info of the names on the map of Asembia. There may be slight edits in the future, but will notify if there happens to be any changes:

Veteris

Before the empire, the region was under the claim of a cloud giant named Sky Sovereign, Elgin Torbikssen. He believed his people were chosen by the divine to rule over the devastated lands that became one after the Planetary Quake as his floating kingdom remained nearly untouched. However, he rule was oppressive as he claimed territory and severely punished those who went against his agendas. But as decades passed and he widened his claim of land, he stretched a bit too much as heroes how were became legendary figures, rose up to dismantled his claim on the land, slayed the Sky Sovereign, and taking advantage to defeating the remaining commanding cloud giants who were fighting among each other as they sought to take the empty throne.

With the Sky Sovereign and his influence of power gone, the heroes were praised, and over time with their other close allies, divided and led their people in the creation of small kingdoms. But after a few decades, each would find themselves fighting off various new threats like orchish warbands feeling confident with cloud giants gone, fiends corrupted those that are weak enough to be manipulated, the occasional dragon, each other over various reason, and etcetera. Not wanting a repeat of something similar to the Sky Sovereign and wanting to preserve what they fought so hard on, the rulers decided to unify as one nation to improve movement with a larger military force known as the National Guards fighting and defending where it is needed and allow future generations to easily stay cooperative together as one mind to fend off future threat. Additionally, resources would be distributed where necessary than throughout to assure enough people are given enough of their basic needs. The one that spear headed this unification was the leader of the legendary heroes, Viktor Veteris, thus creating Veteris Empire.

After centuries, the empire would have peace amongst themselves as they endured and subdued many conflicts and tribulations that would threaten them. Eventually, the empire would be the first nation to reach an industrial age as explorers have found ancient ruins to the far north and items and designs that they were able to recreate and advance the empire. The empire made a great advancement to further develop the capital city and towns nearby, carrying a bit of a steampunk theme. But the land itself began slowly became barren like that of the land where the ruins stood and new strange illnesses started appearing. As great as the magitech that they were creating, they would still need basic and exotic resources to maintain the influx people interested in living in and near the advancing city while also solving these illnesses. Thus the need arise to call for the outer settlements to increase in their production and sending resource to the inner section of the empire. But still after a decade, the demand would find itself increasing.

In year 1484, during Emperor Viktor XXVII's reign, would find himself in the empire’s most drastic event, that being succession. These successions began with the Queen Elise who said had grew tired of the empire’s supposes oppressive rule. With her, other outer towns and cities followed her lead of succession and became known as the Novus Alliance. Viktor XXVII wanting to try to reconcile and preserve the empire back to how it was, he tried to arrange a meeting, but news rose of a Novus Alliance town where rioting people were massacred by Veteris’s National Guard who reported the people becoming too violent. With each side accusing each other the Alliance sought to end the Empire’s centuries of protect rule, while the Empire sought to reunify and preserve its people as it once was. The skirmishes lasted only 5 years as a truth was settled and the border line drawn by the river that separates the two nations. But although there is the truth, tensions are still high as the empire people need enough resources to maintain itself. Meanwhile, fearing enemies of the past with take this opportunity of a severed empire with divided resources.

Novus

Initially the Novus Alliance was once part of the Veteris Empire. During this time, they would benefit from helping each other when one needed help. However, in the recent centuries, relation would become more distant with between the empire and the territories that would become the Alliance. Within these times, laws would be enacted that many felt restricted their sense of individual liberties, communication becoming more distance as response from them take longer, and low living standards compared to those in and near the capital. With these issues causing unrest for the people, the empire thought of sending the National Guards down to assist the people there. Although they would help in whatever causes, relations only soured more as the guards further exerted the laws and felt they were being extorted to give their goods to the capital.

Rumor of revolutionary ideas began to spread, but would quickly disappear as soon as they were truly talked about within a town. The nobles distant from the capital have tried reaching out to the capital, but their requests were responded with little to no results to the matter. Eventually, waning to resolve this, the highly esteemed and respected amongst the people, King Conrad travelled to the capital, only to be found dead. His wife, now widow, Queen Elise greatly mourned his death along with their people. Feeling that the empire could have prevented this, she decided to follow these rumors of a revolution, started secretly having meetings with revolutionaries and plotted the succession so her people and other leaders can stand together and be independent from the empire. Especially as they felt confident enough to defend on their own without the need of the empire’s protection.

As relations became worse with the empire and a supposedly friendly negotiation to try and resolve these troubling matters resulted in a massacre, succession began. Now revealing their army of drakes, wyverns, and spellcasters that they were hiding underground, the now Novus Alliance declared their succession, only for the Veteris Empire to demand them to cease and return to the empire. With no side agreeing, the war began as casters and draconic mounts battled against Veteris Empire’s magitech weapons and airships. It would take about 5 years for with the initial efforts to push the Empire’s forces out of the Alliance’s regions and the eventual stalemate at the major river that separated the two nations. This would lead to truth and border formed by the river that separated the two nations. Now in 1489, the Alliance has been enjoy its independence, but tensions are still high at the border as the people of the Novus Alliance feel the threat of the empire seeking to reclaim their missing territory with small groups saying that they should be dealt with.

Swivern

The jungles and swamps of Swivern are home to various kinds of denizens that call this home. Unlike most of Asembia where there is a clear leadership to represent the nation, most of Swivern’s inhabitants grow and fight each other in order to expand their tribe’s territory. Within Swivern consists of dangerous wilderness and lawless settlements, where many tribes have border conflicts with each other and the size of each of territories always changing.

The few settlements of Swivern that are a bit more civilized and have some sense of law reside on the edge of the country. Here many traders would visit to conduct exchanges for the variety of exotic goods found within Swivern’s sprawling ecosystem and ancient secrets hidden in ruins that once stood.

Amongst areas with enough law and order, the lizardfolks and bullywugs are seen as the most neutrally autonomous with their work, especially with negotiations and trades. Hobgoblins enforcing some sense of order amongst the wilderness in order to sustain their own dominance within their territory. This began when traders from Sansea traveled down to seek exotic goods and came across some Swivern prevalent and dangerous denizens. After a few decades of parley and general communication when passing through their territory, the natives found an interest in these communications. From the increase amount of people arriving and benefit that their exchanges have produced, they have found it to be more rewarding to secure a deal for continual trade for what they seek than killing on the spot and having to wait longer find goods of interest. With more people seeking opportunity of exotic trade and civil communications amongst Swivern’s denizens, there have been rumors of a new tribe of people forming and unifying the country under one banner.

@Lucius Cypher@Dark Light
To answer your question of a mage college for Orchid and as I feel it would relate to Azzen's knowledge being in a bard college. Within the Novus Alliance, there is a city that has the Magical Maginesium that focuses on the various schools of magic and helps different spellcasters in these studies with their facilities used as a hub for training and study of the arcane. In contrast, the Veteris Empire has their own mage college, but still hide the majority of their knowledge and only show to the few select individuals as they are the most fearful of what anyone could do to exploit magic. However, it is said that they may possess a vast well of magical knowledge and the world few greatest spellcasters.

About the spell that has been of discussion. If during the story I feel that the spell does become a bit too much, it can moved to higher than level 1. But for now I would observe how it performs once it is used in action.

[Lucius Cypher]

Ooooh, fascinating stuff. Reminds me of the civil war from Skyrim, cept with Skyrim actually succeeding from the empire. I’m not sure how Orchid would feel politically. I think on one hand, she thinks a United Empire would be stronger against the threats surrounding them, but at the same time she doesn’t approve of the empire’s oppression and current government. Verily, the Luna Sea likely operate within Novus precisely to avoid the iron fist observation of the empire, but at the same time Orchid probably isn’t too confident in Novus’ ability to stand as its own nation. Militaristically it can go toe-to-toe with the Veteris, but it still probably suffers from vast infrastructural issues and the various Noble houses Looking to capitalize on the regimen change.

Ultimately I think Orchid’s goal would be the Magical Maginesium. They seem more open for outsiders like Orchid to come and learn, as she doesn’t want to become beholden the a state just to access the archives in Veteris.

[rush99999]

Effectively gives a knife a sort of light saber whip effect. If that seems confusing congratulations, that is exactly how such a spell can often befuddle an opponent who doesn’t know what the spell is, or even an ally who isn’t used to having their weapon capable of such a thing. After all most people are not designed around the abilities this spell can provide.

@Lucius Cypher

Well I suppose that point of view can work with a little suspension of disbelief. Personally though, I think my interpretation of the matter makes a lot more sense.