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A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
-
- Tags
- a song of ice and fire a sword without a hilt d&d 3.5 dungeons & dragons 100% high octane dragon fuel ave corvidae battle action dragon diplomacy best sister bureaucromancy delicious soul-stuff dragon dreams come true dragon ta'veren greatest uncle hubris is a coward's word in defiance of gods and men mammon's folly mutually assured mage's disjunction qm murderhobo top tier coatl
- Location
- ?????????
Probably. We wouldn't be hiring people if our fortifications were strong.
- Location
- France
Remember how other Dragons tested our strength? Well I'm expecting this guy to judge us according to that, but also according to our Fortifications.
Ah well, hopefully our strength will get us respect anyway.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Now to be fair, defending against the threat vectors we've got, the actual threat vectors, not mundane armies trying to force a landing, isn't easily done just by throwing up some strong walls and tossing wards at them until something sticks. Or we would have done it already.
And wouldn't be seeking another dragon's help. I'm pretty sure we sidestep the draconic social faux pas of "admitting you actually need someone to help you do something" by just baldly starting the conversation with "so yeah, I need ideas for good defenses", and then immediately following with "here's some nifty forbidden, rare lore that would make doing it tremendously easier for you, the person with immense knowledge of building those defenses. Isn't it great how we're both specialists? You fight defensive wars, and I fund them by being a better looter than the Lord of Minauros himself.
"I should know, I'm wearing him for a coat."
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Up to this point, our defense has mainly revolved around murdering threats before they can attack our holdings or threatening such with enough credibility and vehemence that threats decided to back the hell off.
Offense might not be the best defense, but it can work pretty damned well when you have a large team of powerful, well-equipped troubleshooters ready to throw down at a moment's notice and you yourself happen to be a Dragon Sorcerer.
Offense might not be the best defense, but it can work pretty damned well when you have a large team of powerful, well-equipped troubleshooters ready to throw down at a moment's notice and you yourself happen to be a Dragon Sorcerer.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
- Location
- United States
Duly noted. We'll be getting some nice Shadow Creature Horses for our Royal Stables.
Would you mind expanding a bit? Are we having Zherys and Wyla do a bit of research for us or something?
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
No, Volantis and Naath have a Scholarum branch or Mysterium as the case may be, both of which have dice for research actions independent of hero units. They can aid any body of research or just do an item independent of anyone else.
- Location
- ?????????
Put them on one of the books that need to be decoded? There are a couple.
Planar dragon I think. Not all fall under the main two.
Last edited:
- Location
- United States
@Crake, the following are loose actions that could be taken on independently by Scholarum branches. Not particularly difficult and not exactly secrets that need to be directly overseen by a hero unit.
- Location
- ?????????
- Location
- United States
Honestly I'm not sure why there's a research action for books beyond The Light of Creation.
Some of them like the Iron-Bound Demon Caller's Tome I understand since that's locked, but things like the Bronze Book of the Warg Kings we should pretty much have full access to. It's not locked, Viserys and Lya both speak and read in the Old Tongue in which it's written, and we could just ask Bloodraven and get a deeper source of lore immediately.
Unless there's something super secret about it I'm not sure why it was set aside as "to be researched".
- Location
- ?????????
I remember asking that question to DP himself. Hold on. I am going to pull it up.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
The Bronze Book contains methods to train Wargs, likely enmasse, to the point where they quickly become a strategic scale resource. Demon-caller tome for the reasons you pointed out--it's likely encoded and is actually locked up.
The former you have to remember is an issue because what might work for one person probably won't for another, so testing numerous methods to find the best one takes time, trial and error, and lots of subjects.
- Location
- Germany
Name: Zherys
Alignment:
Age:
Race: Human (Dragonblooded, Medium)
Class: Sorcerer (Focus Caster Abjuration) 5/ Cataclysm Mage 10
Flaws: Grudge Keeper, Insomniac
Feats7: Extraordinary ArtisanB, Draconic Heritage(Red), Rapid Metamagic, Draconic Knowledge, Draconic BloodlineB, Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Spell Focus (Conjuration), Spell Focus (Evocation), Empower Spell, Searing Spell, Craft Wonderous Item
Skill Trick: Swift Concentration
Class Features: Focus Caster (Abjuration), The Age of Dawn, Reign of Dragons, Promises and Temptation, Rise of an Empire, Ghiscari Secret, Doom of Rhoynar, Secrets of Flesh, Secrets of Binding, The Doom, Rising Tide of Magic
HP: 15d4 +15
Armor Class:
Movement: Ground (30ft)
Initiative: +0 (DEX)
Base Attack Bonus: +7/+2
Spell Save: DC: 10 + 5(CHA) (+1 for Fear or Compulsion) (+1 for Conjuration or Evocation) + spell level
Weapon Proficiency:
Immunities: Frightful Presence,
STATS:
9 (-1) Strength
10 (+0) Dexterity
12 (+1) Constitution
20 (+5) Charisma
14 (+2) Intelligence
12 (+1) Wisdom
SAVES (+2 against Sleep, Paralysis or Fire from Draconic Heritage) (+2 against effects from Undead or Cold Creatures) (+4 against Polymorph as well as directly harmful compulsion effects such as Confusion, Insanity and Feeblemind:
FORTITUDE: 4 + 1(Con) = 5
REFLEX: 4
WILL: 11 + 1 (Wis) = 12
SKILLS (90)
Diplomacy: 18 +5 (CHA) +4 (Syn) = 27
Concentration: 18 + 1 (CON) = 19
Knowledge (Arcana): 16 + 2 (INT) +3 (DK) = 21
Knowledge (History): 8 +2 +3(DK) = 13
Sense Motive: 10 + 1 (WIS) = 11
Spellcraft: 18 + 2(INT) +2 (Syn) = 22
Spells Known (Caster level 15) (17 to overcome a Fiend's SR):
Level 0 (9):
Level 1 (5): Comprehend LanguagesB,
Level 2 (4): DarkvisionB,
Level 3 (4): Protection from ElementsB, Dispel Magic, Greater Mage Armor, Ancestral Awakening , Battlemagic Perception
Level 4 (4): Lesser Planar AllyB, FearB, Spell Enhancer, Dimensional Anchor, Stoneskin, Black Tentacles
Level 5 (3): Mind FogB, Draconic Polymorph, Greater Blink, Firebrand
Level 6 (3): True SeeingB, Greater Dispel Magic, Greater Shadow Enchantment, Hellfire Ray
Level 7 (2): VisionB, Arcane Spellsurge, Bloodwish
Features:
Promises and Temptation (Sp): At 3rd level, you gain insight into the end of the rule of Dragons. Their slaves, trained in conflict between their masters, grew strong enough to recieve attention and aid from creatures fair and foul against the Dragons.
Once per day, as a swift action, you can ask for advice from great Outsiders taking interest in your development, gaining a +10 profane or sacred bonus (depending on alignment, or if neutral a choice each time it's used) to a single Knowledge, Craft or Sense Motive check.
Ghiscari Secret (Ex): The resistance of the Ghiscari Empire proved an exellent opportunity for the young Freehold to sharpen its many skills into fine tools of conquest and war. Now everytime you use an Evocation or Conjuration spell foes within 30ft of the targeted point or area have to make a willsave against the spell's DC or are Shaken for 1 minute. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Doom of Rhoynar (Su): Your study of Rhoynish wars allows you to copy a peace of the overpowering fury Valyria's Dragonriders brought to bear against the Rhoynar in their northwestern conquests. A 20ft blast-radius within 400ft of you and in your line of sight is affected by dreadful fire, dealing 5d6 +1d6 per level as Cataclysm Mage points of Fire damage that ignores Hardness of objects and reduces the fire-resistance of targeted foes by 10 points, or reduces immunity to 30 points of resistance, for 1 minute. The damage can be halved by a reflex save DC 16 +INT, WIS or CHA bonus, whichever is more advantageous for the caster.
This ability is affected by Ghiscary Secret as an Evocation spell.
The Doom (Sp): In study of the Doom of Valyria and consequently the decline of magic through the world the mage has gained the ability to replicate a tiny fraction of that dreadful event. Once per day the mage may speak a word of sundering, tearing apart magic itself around him. He creates a 40ft zone with the effects of an Antimagic Field. This field does not move with the mage, but stays in one location, shrinking by 10 ft every 10 minutes. Any Outsider, Undead or other creature reliant on magic for its existance in the radius when the word is spoken must make a willsave or flee in Panic for 10 rounds. This effect ignores resistance or immunity to fear or mind-affecting effects.
The DC is 18+ INT, WIS or CHA bonus.
Using this ability deals 2 points of damage to the mages main casting-stat, detracted only after the instant of the effect. This damage can be healed normally
Grafts:
Dragonwing
3/day swift action for spellcasting, price unknown?
Equipment:
Give him a Robe of Mysterious Conjuration for summoning and the Rainment of the Four for some lacking spells and it can work.
I mean, he is good at counterspelling, if he has to deal damage he can use the Rhoynar Doom and a Searing spell in the same round to ignore Immunity, and thanks to the Abjuration Focus he can targeted Dispel or Dim. Anchor two targets in one shot, or use Greater Mage Armor or similar buffs on a companion as well as himself.
If he needs any particular Metamagic, that's what Ancestral Awakening is for.
He can start on Archmage next level.
All said and done I think he's far from the strongest a Sorcerer of his level can be, but he's versatile for one. Do you think it works for his character that he's the guy who can do anything his subordinates can, if not quite as well?
I thought that works.
Alignment:
Age:
Race: Human (Dragonblooded, Medium)
Class: Sorcerer (Focus Caster Abjuration) 5/ Cataclysm Mage 10
Flaws: Grudge Keeper, Insomniac
Feats7: Extraordinary ArtisanB, Draconic Heritage(Red), Rapid Metamagic, Draconic Knowledge, Draconic BloodlineB, Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Spell Focus (Conjuration), Spell Focus (Evocation), Empower Spell, Searing Spell, Craft Wonderous Item
Skill Trick: Swift Concentration
Class Features: Focus Caster (Abjuration), The Age of Dawn, Reign of Dragons, Promises and Temptation, Rise of an Empire, Ghiscari Secret, Doom of Rhoynar, Secrets of Flesh, Secrets of Binding, The Doom, Rising Tide of Magic
HP: 15d4 +15
Armor Class:
Movement: Ground (30ft)
Initiative: +0 (DEX)
Base Attack Bonus: +7/+2
Spell Save: DC: 10 + 5(CHA) (+1 for Fear or Compulsion) (+1 for Conjuration or Evocation) + spell level
Weapon Proficiency:
Immunities: Frightful Presence,
STATS:
9 (-1) Strength
10 (+0) Dexterity
12 (+1) Constitution
20 (+5) Charisma
14 (+2) Intelligence
12 (+1) Wisdom
SAVES (+2 against Sleep, Paralysis or Fire from Draconic Heritage) (+2 against effects from Undead or Cold Creatures) (+4 against Polymorph as well as directly harmful compulsion effects such as Confusion, Insanity and Feeblemind:
FORTITUDE: 4 + 1(Con) = 5
REFLEX: 4
WILL: 11 + 1 (Wis) = 12
SKILLS (90)
Diplomacy: 18 +5 (CHA) +4 (Syn) = 27
Concentration: 18 + 1 (CON) = 19
Knowledge (Arcana): 16 + 2 (INT) +3 (DK) = 21
Knowledge (History): 8 +2 +3(DK) = 13
Sense Motive: 10 + 1 (WIS) = 11
Spellcraft: 18 + 2(INT) +2 (Syn) = 22
Spells Known (Caster level 15) (17 to overcome a Fiend's SR):
Level 0 (9):
Level 1 (5): Comprehend LanguagesB,
Level 2 (4): DarkvisionB,
Level 3 (4): Protection from ElementsB, Dispel Magic, Greater Mage Armor, Ancestral Awakening , Battlemagic Perception
Level 4 (4): Lesser Planar AllyB, FearB, Spell Enhancer, Dimensional Anchor, Stoneskin, Black Tentacles
Level 5 (3): Mind FogB, Draconic Polymorph, Greater Blink, Firebrand
Level 6 (3): True SeeingB, Greater Dispel Magic, Greater Shadow Enchantment, Hellfire Ray
Level 7 (2): VisionB, Arcane Spellsurge, Bloodwish
Features:
Focus Caster
A familiar offers companionship and, when necessary, an effective scout or spy. It does little for your spellcasting, however. This option presents you with a less generally useful item that instead enhances your spellcasting in some way.
Level: 1st (4th for hexblades).
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain a familiar.
Benefit: Instead of a familiar, you bind yourself to a masterwork item that acts as a focus for all your spells and that enhances the power of spells of one school. Once you have a masterwork item to bind to, you must perform a ritual that requires 24 hours and reagents costing 100 gp, much as if you were summoning a familiar.
When casting any spell, you must hold, wield, or wear this item (as appropriate), in addition to providing the normal components of the spell (even other foci). Your focus item is used in addition to the spell's normal components, not instead of. You are automatically considered proficient with your focus item, but you do not gain proficiency with any other item (weapon or armor) of the same type. For example, if your focus item is a longsword, you are proficient with your focus longsword but not with any other longsword, unless of course another feat or class feature grants you proficiency. When you cast a spell from the school to which your focus belongs, that spell is enhanced. At 7th and 15th levels, your focus grants additional abilities.
You may have only one focus item at a time. A specialist wizard may select only the focus appropriate to her specialty school. Bonuses gained from a focus item stack with similar bonuses gained from feats such as Spell Focus or Spell Penetration.
Your focus item grows tougher as you advance in level. The hardness of your focus item increases by one-half your caster level, up to double its normal hardness. In addition, your focus item gains additional hit points equal to your caster level, up to double its normal number of hit points. These bonuses are in addition to any increase in hardness or hit points the item gains for being made into a magic item.
If your focus item can be enhanced with magic, it costs you less XP to do so. When determining your XP cost for making your focus item into a magic item (or for upgrading it later), reduce the base cost by 10%. This reduction stacks with any other reduction you might gain, such as from the Legendary Artisan feat. Another character enhancing your focus item does not gain this reduction in XP cost.
If your focus item is destroyed, you must bind yourself to another masterwork item. You cannot bind to an item that is already a magic item. You can only bind to masterwork items. The item can be made of special materials (such as adamantine, cold iron, or darkwood).
The following items are typical foci for each of the standard schools.
Abjuration: Usually a set of bracers, a buckler, or a small shield (wooden or steel), your focus grants any nonpersonal abjuration spell you cast with one or more targets one additional target. The additional target is affected by the spell for half the normal duration. At 7th level, the additional targets of your spells receive them for the full duration. At 15th level, you may cast any personal abjuration spell as a touch spell.
A familiar offers companionship and, when necessary, an effective scout or spy. It does little for your spellcasting, however. This option presents you with a less generally useful item that instead enhances your spellcasting in some way.
Level: 1st (4th for hexblades).
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain a familiar.
Benefit: Instead of a familiar, you bind yourself to a masterwork item that acts as a focus for all your spells and that enhances the power of spells of one school. Once you have a masterwork item to bind to, you must perform a ritual that requires 24 hours and reagents costing 100 gp, much as if you were summoning a familiar.
When casting any spell, you must hold, wield, or wear this item (as appropriate), in addition to providing the normal components of the spell (even other foci). Your focus item is used in addition to the spell's normal components, not instead of. You are automatically considered proficient with your focus item, but you do not gain proficiency with any other item (weapon or armor) of the same type. For example, if your focus item is a longsword, you are proficient with your focus longsword but not with any other longsword, unless of course another feat or class feature grants you proficiency. When you cast a spell from the school to which your focus belongs, that spell is enhanced. At 7th and 15th levels, your focus grants additional abilities.
You may have only one focus item at a time. A specialist wizard may select only the focus appropriate to her specialty school. Bonuses gained from a focus item stack with similar bonuses gained from feats such as Spell Focus or Spell Penetration.
Your focus item grows tougher as you advance in level. The hardness of your focus item increases by one-half your caster level, up to double its normal hardness. In addition, your focus item gains additional hit points equal to your caster level, up to double its normal number of hit points. These bonuses are in addition to any increase in hardness or hit points the item gains for being made into a magic item.
If your focus item can be enhanced with magic, it costs you less XP to do so. When determining your XP cost for making your focus item into a magic item (or for upgrading it later), reduce the base cost by 10%. This reduction stacks with any other reduction you might gain, such as from the Legendary Artisan feat. Another character enhancing your focus item does not gain this reduction in XP cost.
If your focus item is destroyed, you must bind yourself to another masterwork item. You cannot bind to an item that is already a magic item. You can only bind to masterwork items. The item can be made of special materials (such as adamantine, cold iron, or darkwood).
The following items are typical foci for each of the standard schools.
Abjuration: Usually a set of bracers, a buckler, or a small shield (wooden or steel), your focus grants any nonpersonal abjuration spell you cast with one or more targets one additional target. The additional target is affected by the spell for half the normal duration. At 7th level, the additional targets of your spells receive them for the full duration. At 15th level, you may cast any personal abjuration spell as a touch spell.
Promises and Temptation (Sp): At 3rd level, you gain insight into the end of the rule of Dragons. Their slaves, trained in conflict between their masters, grew strong enough to recieve attention and aid from creatures fair and foul against the Dragons.
Once per day, as a swift action, you can ask for advice from great Outsiders taking interest in your development, gaining a +10 profane or sacred bonus (depending on alignment, or if neutral a choice each time it's used) to a single Knowledge, Craft or Sense Motive check.
Ghiscari Secret (Ex): The resistance of the Ghiscari Empire proved an exellent opportunity for the young Freehold to sharpen its many skills into fine tools of conquest and war. Now everytime you use an Evocation or Conjuration spell foes within 30ft of the targeted point or area have to make a willsave against the spell's DC or are Shaken for 1 minute. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Doom of Rhoynar (Su): Your study of Rhoynish wars allows you to copy a peace of the overpowering fury Valyria's Dragonriders brought to bear against the Rhoynar in their northwestern conquests. A 20ft blast-radius within 400ft of you and in your line of sight is affected by dreadful fire, dealing 5d6 +1d6 per level as Cataclysm Mage points of Fire damage that ignores Hardness of objects and reduces the fire-resistance of targeted foes by 10 points, or reduces immunity to 30 points of resistance, for 1 minute. The damage can be halved by a reflex save DC 16 +INT, WIS or CHA bonus, whichever is more advantageous for the caster.
This ability is affected by Ghiscary Secret as an Evocation spell.
The Doom (Sp): In study of the Doom of Valyria and consequently the decline of magic through the world the mage has gained the ability to replicate a tiny fraction of that dreadful event. Once per day the mage may speak a word of sundering, tearing apart magic itself around him. He creates a 40ft zone with the effects of an Antimagic Field. This field does not move with the mage, but stays in one location, shrinking by 10 ft every 10 minutes. Any Outsider, Undead or other creature reliant on magic for its existance in the radius when the word is spoken must make a willsave or flee in Panic for 10 rounds. This effect ignores resistance or immunity to fear or mind-affecting effects.
The DC is 18+ INT, WIS or CHA bonus.
Using this ability deals 2 points of damage to the mages main casting-stat, detracted only after the instant of the effect. This damage can be healed normally
Grafts:
Dragonwing
3/day swift action for spellcasting, price unknown?
Equipment:
Give him a Robe of Mysterious Conjuration for summoning and the Rainment of the Four for some lacking spells and it can work.
I mean, he is good at counterspelling, if he has to deal damage he can use the Rhoynar Doom and a Searing spell in the same round to ignore Immunity, and thanks to the Abjuration Focus he can targeted Dispel or Dim. Anchor two targets in one shot, or use Greater Mage Armor or similar buffs on a companion as well as himself.
If he needs any particular Metamagic, that's what Ancestral Awakening is for.
He can start on Archmage next level.
All said and done I think he's far from the strongest a Sorcerer of his level can be, but he's versatile for one. Do you think it works for his character that he's the guy who can do anything his subordinates can, if not quite as well?
I thought that works.
Vote closed.
- Location
- Germany
Dunno.
He's pretty Valyrian, so I saw no issue?
He can get Fireball from the same item all our casters get it from.
Aside from that, Scorching Ray or Magic Missile?
Sure.
Why?
- Location
- France
@Artemis1992 , in my opinion Archmage isn't even worth the feat cost to enter it in this particular situation. What will he really get from it in that build?
Nothing !
Here is a better use of those feats : Draconic Aura (energy) and Snowcasting (or a custom Firecasting). Draconic Aura keeps progressing with HD if you have the dragonblood subtype, which he does. That's a +3 to all his save DCs, and a nice leader-type ability.
Note that he already qualifies for Loremaster (which fits his fluff quite well). It would grant him the excellent "Lore" ability as well as some nice bonuses to saves + an extra feat.
Zherys would IMO be a perfect fit for the class, fluff-wise.
If you don't like that PrC, how about Mage of the Arcane Order? IMO it's a better fit than Cataclysm mage, and would give the Mysterium quite a unique feel and a reason to feel proud and powerful if their members all try to enter this amazing PrC at level 5.
Nothing !
Here is a better use of those feats : Draconic Aura (energy) and Snowcasting (or a custom Firecasting). Draconic Aura keeps progressing with HD if you have the dragonblood subtype, which he does. That's a +3 to all his save DCs, and a nice leader-type ability.
Note that he already qualifies for Loremaster (which fits his fluff quite well). It would grant him the excellent "Lore" ability as well as some nice bonuses to saves + an extra feat.
Zherys would IMO be a perfect fit for the class, fluff-wise.
If you don't like that PrC, how about Mage of the Arcane Order? IMO it's a better fit than Cataclysm mage, and would give the Mysterium quite a unique feel and a reason to feel proud and powerful if their members all try to enter this amazing PrC at level 5.
- Location
- France
The Valyrian themselves thought the Ancestral Awakening and Bloodwish spells were super rare. @DragonParadox, is Zherys of the right bloodlines to get them?
Low-level spells that could be amazing include Shield, Grease, and Wall of Smoke (nauseating is an amazing debuff). Then there is Reduce Person, Backbiter, Silent Image, Nerveskitter, True Strike, Benign Transposition...
All of those amazing buff or AoE control spells can be cast quickly in battle thanks to Arcane Fusion. He needs it. Arcane Fusion also combos very well with True Strike or True Casting.
Oh, and of course he will be taking Greater Arcane Fusion as soon as possible.
- Location
- Australia
