Request a CRE8 Character!

[Draz]

One of the best ways to build up my system -- and to make sure it's as versatile as I want it -- is to have other people come up with character concepts, and check and make sure that they could be played in a game of CRE8.

So, bring 'em on ... basic, complex, or just wacky. I don't promise to be very fast at responding with suggestions of how such a build could work out, but hopefully I'll get to them eventually.

(And if I sometimes respond, "No, I just don't think that concept is within the scope that CRE8 intends to cover," then that will be valuable information as well -- both to me and to anyone looking into the system.)

Please number the concepts as you post them.

So ... what have you wanted to play in a fantasy RPG, that does or doesn't work in standard D&D?

[Draz]

So, I've talked to Ilklr off of the Forums, and clarified that I should treat his post as a request for a "bardic death knight" character: an arcane gish with particular passions for music and undeath (not focused on illusion/enchantment in his magic though). So here's what I've come up with.

This is the first high-level CRE8 character I've written out in detail, so it took me a while -- particularly writing the effects of spells, some of which still need to be added. Finally putting some of my magic item-related thoughts onto paper was surprisingly difficult too. But I'm pleased with the result.

This character tries to focus on many things (magic, melee, armor, buffing allies, undeath, necromancy, music), so he comes off as something of a jack-of-all-trades even at Level 6. He won't manage to even get the actual Bard kit until Level 7, and he certainly doesn't have the variety of e.g. auras that a dedicated party-buffer could have. But I think his flexibility will pay off too.

Without further ado ...
Bellamir, Bardic Death Knight
Level 6 Human

Show Spoiler

Heroic Bonus +3; Fighting Level 4; Caster Level 6; Coast Number 9
Fortitude +4; Reflex +3; Willpower +5; Defense +3
Speed 5; Armor Value 9; Reserve Points 4; Vitality Points 28
DC to Gain Momentum: 17

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Skills

Skill	Awesome	Athletics	Brawn	Charisma	Dexterity	Gadgetry	Knowledge	Nature	Perception	Stealth	Wisdom
Ranks	n/a	4	8*	8*	0	1	3	0	3	3	4
Skill Check	+10	+1	+8	+8	-3	+1	+3	+0	+3	+0	+4

---

Kits
Traits: Undead Resistances

• Human Paragon
• Fiendpact
• Spellblade
• Necrotic Disciple

Human Paragon : [Racial] Kit
Prerequisites: no other [racial] kits.
Benefits:

• Gain an additional Feat.

Optional Prerequisites:

Fiendpact : Kit
Prerequisites: Knowledge 1 rank
Benefits:

• Caster Level +1
• Vitality Points +1
• MP +2
• Gain one [seed] or [spell] Talent.

Drawback: You may be targeted by abilities that only affect tainted creatures.
Optional Qualities:

• Fire Seed
• Language (infernal); base Willpower +5; Charisma 8 ranks.

Spellblade : Kit
Prerequisites: Caster Level 2; Mage Armor talent or proficient with light armor; one [Spell] feat.
Benefits:

• Fighting Level +1
• Caster Level +1
• Vitality Points +2
• You may replace your Defense saves with Willpower saves against opportunity attacks provoked by your spellcasting.

Optional Qualities:

• Combat Casting talent.
• Fighting Level 3; Heavy Armor Proficiency talent.

Necrotic Disciple : [Heritage] Kit
Prerequisites: base Willpower +3; (Tainted or Death Seed).
Benefits:

• Caster Level +1
• Vitality Points +4
• Undead Resistances:
  
  • You may reroll Willpower saves vs. [charm] effects.
    
  • You may greater-reroll saves vs. [necrotic] attacks.
    
  • You may replace Fortitude saves vs. poisons or diseases with your awesome check.

Drawback: You either embrace or channel your Taint.
Optional Qualities:

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Feats

• Radiate Aura
• Smite
• Evoke Fortune
• Bestow Curse
• Call Ally
• Weapon Ward
• Toughness

Radiate Aura : Feat
Prerequisites: base Willpower +2; (Charisma 1 rank or Wisdom 1 rank).
Action: swift.

Effect: Activate an [aura] talent. This aura normally affects all your allies (or foes, as specified in some auras' individual descriptions) that can see or hear you easily. The aura effect lasts until you lose consciousness, activate a different aura, or spend a swift action to turn the aura off.

Benefit: Gain one [aura] talent.

Smite : [Strike] Feat
Prerequisites: Caster Level 1.
Action: standard

Effect: Expend momentum to make a melee attack with +1d8 damage.

Evoke Fortune : [Spell] Feat
Prerequisites: Caster Level 1; applicable seed.
Action: swift
Base MP Cost: 1 MP
Seeds: luck, mind, radiant
Target: one creature within 6 hexes

Base effect: Make a DC 20 Spellcraft check. If it succeeds, the target gains momentum.
Special: If your Spellcraft check fails, you regain 1 MP.

Augment:

Seed Effects:

Bestow Curse : write-up pending.

Call Ally : write-up pending.

Weapon Ward : [Spell] Feat
Prerequisites: Caster Level 1.
Action: standard
Base MP Cost: 1 MP
Seeds: death, earth, fire, frost, lightning, luck, metal, plant, radiant
Target: one touched creature
Duration: 5 minutes or until expended

Base Effect: target may replace a Defense save against a weapon attack with your Spellcraft check.

Augment:

• MP +1: You may cast this spell as an opportunity action. You must be the target of the spell. You may cast the spell after the attack to be warded is announced, but before its Impact has been rolled.
• MP +2: You may cast the spell without an applicable seed.

Seed Effects:

• Earth:
  
  • MP +2: If the target successfully saves against an attack using this spell, the target is not Clobbered by the attack regardless of its Impact.
• Fire:
  
  • MP +3: You may cast this spell as an opportunity action. You may cast the spell after the attack to be warded is announced, but before its Impact has been rolled.
• Luck:
  
  • MP +3: Instead of your Spellcraft check, the target may replace her Defense Save with your awesome check.

Toughness : Feat
Prerequisites: base Fortitude +1
Action: standard

Effect: Exert to heal an amount of VP damage equal to half your maximum VP.

Benefit: AV +1 [feat]

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Talents

• Light Armor Proficiency
• Language (infernal)
• Seed: Death
• Aura: Vigor
• Proficiency (axes)
• Combat Casting
• Performer
• Heavy Armor Proficiency
• Great Fortitude
• Seed: Madness

Light Armor Proficiency : 

Language (infernal) : 

Seed: Death : 

Aura: Vigor : 

Proficiency (axes) : 

Combat Casting : 

Performer : 

Heavy Armor Proficiency : 

Great Fortitude : 

Seed: Madness : 

---

Equipment

• mundane
• Songblade Battleaxe
• Skull Plate Armor
• Horn of Obscuring Fog
• logistics

mundane : 

Songblade Battleaxe : martial weapon; versatile; 1d8 slashing damage; peril: 2

First Attunement
All allies who are within hearing distance of you while you wield this weapon may replace their Saves (against [sonic] [mind-affecting] attacks or effects) with your Awesome check.

Second Attunement
This weapon deals an additional +1d4 impact against creatures who are vulnerable to sonic damage.

Third Attunement
Action: standard
Effect: Expend momentum and make an attack with this weapon. Instead of the attack's usual accuracy rating, your opponent must save against the result of your muscial performance check.

Skull Plate Armor : heavy armor; AV +4 [item]; Encumbrance -3

First Attunement
If you successfully Save and avoid all negative effects of a hostile Bestow Curse spell, gain momentum.

Horn of Obscuring Fog : Wondrous Item

First Attunement
Action: standard
Use: daily
Effect: Fill a 20-hex burst (centered on you) with ordinary fog, which lasts for one hour.

Second Attunement
Slot: neck
Effect: while you wear this horn around your neck and are in a foggy area, you are invisible to darkvision.

logistics : Wealth: +7
Encumbrance: rules pending

---

Combat Options
Battleaxe (melee): 1d8+2, accuracy 14/2

---

Magic Options
Spellcraft: +6; Magic Points: 8

[Utterdark]

Um... make a master of the Undead arts! Like, someone who would have a ginormous army of Zombies & Skeletons. Oh, and he should also still be able to cast spells acceptably.

[Draz]

Um... make a master of the Undead arts! Like, someone who would have a ginormous army of Zombies & Skeletons. Oh, and he should also still be able to cast spells acceptably.

I appreciate the request, Utterdark.

However, to some extent, I don't actually want such a character to be possible. Necromancers or Druids or Summoners who fill each combat with expendable critters tend to slow the game way, way down, and also hog the spotlight from their allies a bit (since their turns take so long). I don't intend to allow CRE8 characters to do that.

At some point I would like to make a good system for making monsters who represent Mobs or Swarms. Ideally, the mass combat rules in CRE8 will just be "normal combat, except with several Mobs or Swarms fighting each other instead of normal creatures." When I get to that point, I certainly intend to make a way for Necromancers to summon and control a single Mob of skeletons or zombies. Unfortunately, though, it will be quite a while before I get to working on Mobs and Swarms. (Normal monsters have to work well first. )

So consider your request tabled, Utterdark. If anyone (with a good understanding of the VP/Injury system) wants to help start brainstorming ideas for Mobs/Swarms, feel free to start a new thread on the subject.