Nilaisha the Neverborn, agent of Baator's Ministry of Mortal Relations, has been assigned to bring damnation to Exandria. Minor obstacle: it needs saving first.
Should I be doing this while I'm still in the middle of my first Quest on here? Probably not. Should I be starting this after a lengthy period of no sleep defined by extreme agony due to this tooth infection? Also no. But do I love myself enough to stop? Good god. Have you met me? No.
That said, if it turns out I can't handle two Quests, this will be the one that gets hiatused or dropped. Don't say I didn't warn you. Additionally, mechanics may be...fluid, here in the early stages, as I figure out what works and what doesn't, refine what I'm dealing with, and beat the numbers into line. Previous rolls and rulings will stand even after a later change.
Exemplar. It's one of those capital-letter words that has different meanings based on geography and context. In one kingdom of mortals, it might be a title granted to a great champion; in a text from another, it's a lower-case sort of word, simply denoting great skill. But in Planar scholarship, the Exemplars are those cultures of post-mortal Outsiders who embody and are embodied by the high tenets of their Alignments. To be an Exemplar is to be made of fundamentally Material things, to be sure - so often do people forget that the proper title is the Outer Material Planes - but a Balor is not made of the four elements the way a human or an elf is; the Balor is made of malecules and cruelectrons, of the substance of Chaos and Evil rendered into flesh, wearing its soul as its body. The names of these cultures are known through many, many Prime Material worlds; the benevolent Archons, the glorious Eladrin, the enigmatic Modrons, the confounding Slaad, the sinister Baatezu, the ravenous Tanar'ri, and even the nurturing Guardinals and their poisonous counterparts, the Yugoloths.
There are those who consider Exemplars the business of wizards and clerics, unrelated to mortalkind except through folly or divine blessing. But as one of these souls, reborn from death to advance your beliefs, you know better. Belief shapes the Planes, and the Planes, they can shape Belief.
We meet you as an up-and-comer, an Exemplar on her journey towards her next stage in spiritual evolution. Almost every kind of Exemplar goes through something like this (we don't talk about the Slaad, but, then, neither do the Slaad); the refining of the soul can be a long and arduous process, during which one deviates significantly from what might be found in, as a random, nonspecific example, some manner of bestiary which purports to describe all creatures of a particular type according to only their most baseline qualities. Your position amongst your peers is not new, but the responsibilities granted to you are, and they have been granted at least in part because your work on yourself has been noticed and appreciated by those who can guide you to new heights. It's an exciting time in your life; for the first time, you're being given leave to make independent, or at least mostly independent, contact with the mortals of the Prime Material Plane, the better to reveal to them the truth of your Beliefs and advance the great cosmic struggle over the reality of reality and its very nature. Yours is only one name amongst trillions, and yet this too is a truth of the Planes; there are no small victories or defeats, and at long last, those victories and defeats, those lessons and arguments, will be your very own.
Obviously you're a cut above your peers in that hypothetical bestiary, and in more ways than just one. But one talent stands out, gets your name in more useful bestiaries where summoners find it sometimes, it's the talent you're known for. So what is it?
Choose 1
[ ] Martial Prowess To be an Exemplar is to be a being of immortal magic and intrinsic divinity, but the gods of the Planes have never been above a good scrap, and neither are you. Service in immortal armies saw to your promotion, but it was your might and skill that ensured your soul survived to see that promotion.
Gain +1 Legendary Resistance, +4 Dexterity, & +2 Intelligence
Gain Expert Lore: Tactics & Expert Lore: Planar Tactics
Gain Advanced Battle
Gain Precocious Lore: Geography
Gain Legendary Action: Wall of Blades
[ ] Acclaim You have a closeness with your peers - now mostly subordinates, with the others still on their spiritual journey - that was noticed by your new mentor. Whoever said that if you want something done right you should do it yourself has never had to manage a project; your ability to delegate and handle the internal politics of your own culture is more valuable than your personal prowess.
Gain +4 Charisma, +2 Wisdom, & +2 Intelligence
Gain Expert Lore: Planar Law & Expert Lore: Conjuration
Gain Advanced Delegation
Gain Precocious Lore: Mortal Subcultures
Gain Legendary Action: Greater Summoning
[ ] Magic The path of magical prowess needs to be walked carefully, not out of mortal fears of corrupt power but immortal ones of arrogance. You've seen sorcerers older than worlds die from one careless mistake, and that will not be you. Assuming you're right, though, this path is one trod by the great and admirable before you, and you can join their ranks by learning from their example.
Gain +1 Legendary Resistance, +2 Charisma, & +2 Wisdom
Gain Expert Lore: Arcana & Expert Lore: Planar Libraries
Gain Advanced Thaumaturgy
Gain Precocious Lore: Mortal Sorcery
Gain Legendary Action: Counterspell
[ ] Merit This won't be your first time working with mortals, and it probably won't be your last. You've been summoned before, and your name is known in select mortal circles already. Your excellent work amongst the living has earned you the notice of those who have long enjoyed their afterlives, and they're looking to see what a taste of real responsibility might bring out in you.
Gain +4 Charisma, +2 Wisdom, & +2 Dexterity
Gain Expert Lore: Mortal Cultures & Expert Lore: Mortal Tactics
Gain Advanced Infiltration
Gain Precocious Lore: Adventurer Tactics
Gain Legendary Action: Cloak of Normalcy
Don't worry overmuch about what the mechanics mean just yet. Like the afterlife, it will all make sense after a little while. Now, Exemplar, who are you?
Writing shortly, I'm updating both quests at once due to poor before-bed planning and also trying to use this Domino's giftcard to, and don't die of shock, summon Domino's.
Congratulations, Exemplar; you have the respect of your peers and your immediate inferiors both, a hard currency to maintain in the Planes. After all, each of you is one of trillions, and while you are as unique and special as every other soul, the cold fact of the matter is people meet a lot of people, working within an Exemplar culture. Even Morwel and her Court of Stars is pretty big and fluid, after all; it can be hard to stand out. But stand out you have, and there are names you can speak which will come to your aid. More importantly, your skill in navigating Planar politics and cultures, to say nothing of inter-Planar law, may well be in demand by potential summoners and co-operators. Not that I'm telling you what to do, but this angle may well be appealing to magic-users, priests, and rulers. The first two might summon you on their own; access to the third can be...more difficult, even for the likes of angels (who are not Exemplars, and try not to forget it - Angels serve the gods of Good, not the Planes of it). Currently, you look like this:
Ability Scores
The raw capabilities of your post-mortal body and mind, refined both spiritually and through work. Ability scores are used for most rolls.
Lores
Broad categories of knowledge that you can definitely, usefully call on.
Expert Lore: Planar Law - You know about the agreements, laws, and responsibilities into which even Chaotic planar cultures can be drawn, with a keen specialty in your internal culture. You make related rolls with double your ability score modifier, and at advantage.
Expert Lore: Conjuration - You might not be much of a mage yourself (yet), but you could write the book on Conjuration magic and probably actually have, as a side project. You make related rolls with double your ability score modifier, and at advantage.
Precocious Lore: Mortal Subcultures - A hobby that has proven very prescient, you've done some reading - and experiencing - of the way mortal cultures splinter and divide even within what other mortals would consider cultural monoliths. You advance this Lore more easily, and use your full ability score modifier for related rolls.
Approaches
When problems need solving and knowledge alone can't do the trick, these are how you solve them. The workhorses of your character sheet; later abilities and items will modify these.
Competent Battle: You can beat the average mortal and maybe some above-average ones, but try not to get too big your your britches. You make Battle rolls with your full ability score modifier.
Advanced Delegation: Project management is a valuable skill, and you'll manage people until they fucking understand that. You make Delegation rolls with your full ability score modifier, and at advantage.
Incompetent Thaumaturgy: So maybe you've been neglecting this aspect of your heritage a bit, and struggle to solve problems with magical main force or, for that matter, magical cunning. You make Thaumaturgy rolls with half your ability score modifier.
Competent Infiltration: What you lack in formal training, you make up for in illusions; you've got a working understanding of stealth, disguise, and entering (or exiting) secure facilities. You make Infiltration rolls with your full ability score modifier.
Legendary Actions
The big guns. If the worse comes to worst, and you start hearing your boss theme playing while 4-7 mortals in very stupid outfits are preparing to kill you, these just might save you. They may also be useful elsewhere.
Greater Summoning: There are names you can speak which will be answered. More will be revealed about this ability later.
You've had a storied career in this incarnation of your soul so far, haven't you? So many adventures, and so many successes and failures. You've kept something, and it has become both like, and unlike, a badge of office; certainly people who have never seen your face might know you by this item instead. But what is it?
Choose 1
[ ] Twin Blades Notched, scarred, yet unbroken, the two-sword style sets you apart from your new peers and your previous ones alike, and their service in keeping you alive has stained them in the blood of Exemplar, mortal, and beast alike. They're almost part of you. No...they are part of you...even when it hurts.
- Battle modifier: Frightful Presence
- Battle modifier: Immortal Combat
- Delegation modifier: Famed Warrior
- Gain Legendary Action: Disrupt Concentration
[ ] Glass Manacles You've done your time in a wizard's dungeon and escaped his binds through both cunning and faithful service. These manacles, payment rendered in place of an immortal grudge, help ensure that you'll learn from your mistake. If you turn them this way, they'll show you your dreams...
- Delegation modifier: Do Your Time
- Thaumaturgy modifier: Unsummon
- Infiltration modifier: Wounded Deer Gambit
- Gain +1 Legendary Resistance
[ ] A Blessing A long time ago, when you were not as far along in your spiritual evolution as you are now, you did a favor for a minor god with few friends. That repayment has clung to you, and while the name of this god does not open many doors, one counts one's blessings. The relationship might be more valuable than the power.
- Improve your Thaumaturgy
- Thaumaturgy modifier: Unveil Glory
- Delegation modifier: Source divine items
Your past experience has left you with a critical failure. It still haunts you, and the need to make up for it is part of your driving personal ambition. You cannot ascend further up this path until it is addressed. What happened?
Choose 1
[ ] ...And your little dog too! Hostile adventurers put paid to an assignment you were being counted on for, and you suffered the consequences. But it also taught you a valuable lesson that many, from the lowliest Lantern Archon to the most terrible Balor, often fails to learn: tread lightly with adventurers, be they the righteous or the wicked, and handle them with care. Mortal things are not to be underestimated.
- Improve your Infiltration
- Gain +1 Legendary Resistance
- Delegation modifier: Contingency
[ ] Words in Anger You mouthed off to a superior, and paid the price in blood as a result. Time and distance has taught you a valuable lesson, and while revenge may not be conducive to your goals, you continue to watch their career with...interest. You needed to learn what they had to teach. They need to learn too.
- Improve your Battle
- Gain Legendary Action: Die Hard
- Thaumaturgy Modifier: Dispelling Strike
[ ] Tactical Failure Improper use of magical resources, misunderstood orders, and unexpected enemy movements led to your defeat on the field of battle. You barely escaped with your life, and faced the consequences. Your opposite from battle that day still remembers your face. And you remember hers. Oh, you remember.
- Improve your Thaumaturgy
- Gain +1 Legendary Resistance
- Battle modifier: False Weakness
Your first assignment to a Prime Material Plane does require one of those to be sent to, doesn't it? Where is it you're going?
Choose 1
[ ] Oerth A planar backwater with outsized historical importance, Oerth has been the birthplace of a few notable Planar figures, including the insidious archmage Tasha, and was the site of the "last" battle of the War of Law and Chaos, an event which it miraculously survived hosting. Though certain powerful mortals maintain an interest in the world, they are fairly tolerant of Planar meddling, provided one manages to avoid the Circle of Eight and their conception of 'balance'.
Difficulty: Medium. Oerth is a swords-and-sorcery style setting where morality is often flexible in every direction, and powerful players tend to stay hands-off; however, they do have FULL DEMONIC INVASIONS on the regular, so Joe Average Citizen is, shockingly, a bit of a badass.
Advantages: Corrupt political systems with plenty of room for you to insert yourself, relatively relaxed power players, gods who don't tend to interfere, access to legendary artifacts, broad pool of mortal recruits.
Disadvantages: You know the guy who invented Evard's black tentacles? He lives here and his hobbies are exactly what you expect from knowing this man invented a tentacle spell. He's the high bar on sanity and consistency from the local archmages too, don't even start me on fucking Mordenkeinan. In addition to the obvious wizard problem, other Planar factions will be taking advantage of the same free-market attitude Oerth takes to itself, and you'll run into them pretty fast.
[ ] Toril A planar metropolis home to every culture, god, and beast that cares to try and get a slice, Toril is an absolute fuckfest of a mortal world infested by legendary heroes and villains, powerful artifacts, and power factions, none of whom want the new kid on the block interfering with their business. Its gods are active and mighty, its schemes far-reaching and absurd, and its rewards beyond measure - if you can survive.
Difficulty: High. Toril is a highly contested, extremely active death world, and the righteous & wicked have been known to ally with each other if they think something might be apocalyptic. "New" can often be the same as "apocalyptic", just to be safe. And hey. You're new!
Advantages: ABUNDANT resources, easy access to sympathetic religions and cultures with which you can make alliances, and your true nature as an Exemplar, while unusual, is only about as unusual as like, a left-handed baseball pitcher.
Disadvantages: Look out to the horizon. See everything the light touches? That's all the people who want you to shut the fuck up and leave their world. Oh, and all those sympathetic religions have enemies, who can, and will, hate you on sight with no chance to negotiate for anything better than a cease-fire. Good luck.
[ ] Exandria If Oerth is a planar backwater, Exandria is a sinister village whose denizens are definitely sacrificing people in the basement. This world wasn't even truly on anyone's radar until pretty recently; it's cut off from its own gods (and all others), low on most exotic resources, and simply not populated enough to be worth it for the Lower Planes to drag it screaming into torment. Which means it might be perfect to shape to your will, if you think you're the equal of it. There's some big problems to solve first.
Difficulty: Medium. Exandria is an underdeveloped shithole most Exemplars, even the Archons, wouldn't stoop to spit on, but it's not without its own homegrown powers or its own homegrown problems.
Advantages: A highly ignorant populace, high internal strife you can hide within, extreme social problems you can exploit for recruits, and the gods cannot fuck with your business, for weal or for woe. They locked themselves out of their own world.
Disadvantages: Turns out gods are supposed to be involved in worlds for a reason because man, this one is fucked. Exandria will, legitimately, end if someone doesn't do something about it, and unfortunately if you want to do well on your assignment, that someone might have to be you. Additionally, you're going to have to deal with the QM fixing Matt Mercer's fucking worldbuilding, from the baseline presented in Tal'dorei Reborn and also encouraged in the same book.
Votes will be in plan format. Starting location will be selected after setting.
Plan: Blades of Light in a Dark F***** Up World
[X] Badge of Honor -[X] Twin Blades
[X] Mark of Failure
-[X] ...And your little dog too!
[X] Material Plane
-[X] Exandria
Okay, fun time. Idea here is to lean HARD into the ability to tilt scales over broad areas. Battles, factions, and countries are the forte.
[X] Everyone On Our Side
[X] Glass Manacles
Unsummon, Resistance, a Delegation bonus, AND an Infiltration bonus? Hit it!
[X] … And Your Little Dog, Too
More Infiltration, a second Resistance, and that most powerful of powers, Contingency.
[X] Oerth
This one was harder, it's more "not Toril." We can probably dodge some of the worst players until we are well set, but I do want access to planar things at need
[X] Plan Only The Best For The Diplomat
-[X] A Blessing
-[X] ...And your little dog too!
-[X] Exandria
I said that we want to use our Charisma to our greatest extent; I meant that. My first D&D character was a scammer Dragonborn Warlock called Vilthin and this build aims to resemble one of his many, many stupid cousins. Or more appropriately for a high level Exemplar, one of the stupid gods who he signed a contract with while running away from the elf oligarchy.
Blessing has been chosen because of the relationship focus, and little dog teaches our new Exemplar to lock the fuck in and value mortals. Meanwhile, Exandria has the benefits of an easy to manipulate recruit populace and "not being fucking Toril".
plan: [X] Failure is just a start.
-[X] Badge of Honor
--[X] Glass Manacles
-[X] Mark of Failure
--[X] Tactical Failure
-[X] Material Plane
--[X] Exandria
These aren't properly formatted. You need to add a dash to everything beneath the plan lines, otherwise they're going to show up separately in the tallies.
These aren't properly formatted. You need to add a dash to everything beneath the plan lines, otherwise they're going to show up separately in the tallies.
