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Need Help with an Faction i'm creating

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 5:24 pm
by Nightbreeze
I'm creating a faction for my character in the game i'm currently playing, The idea of the faction is a Ranger/Mages Guild called The Nightwardens. Basically they're a group of Monster Hunters that work through the Churches of Eilistraee, Corellan, Selune, and Mystra, meaning the only way someone can hire them or even contact them is through those particular churches.

My question is does this sound like something feasible? Would/Could a faction such as this exist?

Re: Need Help with an Faction i'm creating

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:03 pm
by Orin
I think so, very much actually. It's pretty unique as far as I can tell, as rangers and mages are an unusual partnership. That being said, because of the nature of how you are connecting the groups, through the disparate but allied churches, it works perfectly. All of the religions you mentioned are nature or magic based or both, OR are connected to both in some way with respect to Eilistraee herself.

All of those churches are also pretty friendly and communicative with one another - I mean, I dunno much about Correlon's church, but Eilistraee's his daughter, drow or not, and I think that members of both of their churches would jump at the chance to work together in the way you're describing. Think of it, in creating this faction you've, in a fashion, brought a father and daughter closer together. That's pretty cool.

Another interesting wrinkle is the concept of communication within the faction. You're talking about nature AND arcane magic in unison, so the sky isn't even the limit for how they could keep in touch. You would still need to go through one of the churches, but that might be ALL you'd need to do. As each of them have cool and convenient ways to contact one another.

I was actually just this morning reading about a method that the Eilistraeeans use involving a feather pen that writes in silver and stores its message inside itself. When the user whispers a name, the quill flies off like an arrow and seeks out the person who's name was spoken. Cool, right? You could use that and say that your character received on of these arrowquills. You also seem pretty creative and could likely come up with another more personally satisfying method I am sure.

Names pretty bitchin' too.

Re: Need Help with an Faction i'm creating

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 7:12 pm
by Nightbreeze
One more cool aspect of the faction is Rangers who join have the option of exchanging two spells per spell level with a spell of equal level from either the cleric or wizard spell list, and Wizards can exchange the same but from the Ranger or Cleric spell list.

Re: Need Help with an Faction i'm creating

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 8:52 pm
by Orin
[quote="Nightbreeze":2yexnu87]One more cool aspect of the faction is Rangers who join have the option of exchanging two spells per spell level with a spell of equal level from either the cleric or wizard spell list, and Wizards can exchange the same but from the Ranger or Cleric spell list.[/quote:2yexnu87]

That's a cool and pretty handy perk for joining. It gives the factions followers a distinctiveness. This gave me a thought. You could have all of the wizards (and/or sorcerers if there are any) use the variant rule that gives them an animal companion rather than a familiar. This fits more readily with your theme and is a really cool visual component. The picture of a powerful arcanist with a bear or tiger as their companion is rather striking.

Re: Need Help with an Faction i'm creating

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 9:31 pm
by Nightbreeze
[quote="Orin":24w0j628]That's a cool and pretty handy perk for joining. It gives the factions followers a distinctiveness. This gave me a thought. You could have all of the wizards (and/or sorcerers if there are any) use the variant rule that gives them an animal companion rather than a familiar. This fits more readily with your theme and is a really cool visual component. The picture of a powerful arcanist with a bear or tiger as their companion is rather striking.[/quote:24w0j628]

That's also a really good idea. As for the sorcerers , No, only Wizards and Rangers are allowed to join the faction. You can't just join the Nightwardens you have to have the acolyte background and be a member of one of the four churches that fund the organization. Rangers have to have taken the Hunter, Monster Hunter or Horizon Walker archetypes and Wizards can be of any arcane tradition except for Necromancy.

I also came up with a symbol, that is either worn as a badge, a cloak clasp or hung around the neck on a silver chain.

[b:24w0j628][i:24w0j628]A blue full moon ringed by seven silver stars with two diagonal swords overlapping, one pointing up and one pointing down.[/i:24w0j628][/b:24w0j628]

Re: Need Help with an Faction i'm creating

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:34 pm
by Orin
[quote="Nightbreeze":z6ex1cbp][quote="Orin":z6ex1cbp]That's a cool and pretty handy perk for joining. It gives the factions followers a distinctiveness. This gave me a thought. You could have all of the wizards (and/or sorcerers if there are any) use the variant rule that gives them an animal companion rather than a familiar. This fits more readily with your theme and is a really cool visual component. The picture of a powerful arcanist with a bear or tiger as their companion is rather striking.[/quote:z6ex1cbp]

That's also a really good idea. As for the sorcerers , No, only Wizards and Rangers are allowed to join the faction. You can't just join the Nightwardens you have to have the acolyte background and be a member of one of the four churches that fund the organization. Rangers have to have taken the Hunter, Monster Hunter or Horizon Walker archetypes and Wizards can be of any arcane tradition except for Necromancy.

I also came up with a symbol, that is either worn as a badge, a cloak clasp or hung around the neck on a silver chain.

[b:z6ex1cbp][i:z6ex1cbp]A blue full moon ringed by seven silver stars with two diagonal swords overlapping, one pointing up and one pointing down.[/i:z6ex1cbp][/b:z6ex1cbp][/quote:z6ex1cbp]

I like that you have to be a member of at least one of those churches, it means their membership is across a broad spectrum, but not just anybody can get in. I also like the exception to necromancy, though I love that school of magic.

You're faction symbol sounds cool and it sounds like you were trying to include each of those faiths in it's creation. Well done.

Re: Need Help with an Faction i'm creating

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:44 pm
by Nightbreeze
I'm actually thinking of perhaps adding Mielikki and/or Solonar to the list, do you think that would be too much?

Re: Need Help with an Faction i'm creating

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 11:35 pm
by Orin
I don't think so. I mean, Mystra doesn't REALLY have a nature aspect, so it would be nice to balance out the roster with Meilikki. Solonar has a connection to Eilistraee, as he was said to be romantically linked to her, so I don't see why you shouldn't do both.

Re: Need Help with an Faction i'm creating

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 11:57 pm
by Bhaern Quel
Mystra may not have a nature aspect that would appeal to rangers, however as a deity of magic rangers clearly would honor that aspect.

Also of course Eilistraee and Mystra shared a Chosen in QiluƩ.

There might be a reason to include that faith for the Magic and shared Chosen.

As for a church of Corellan, I was under the impression that he paid little attention to having worshipers. That worship from his underling deities was enough. That in effect there is not or at least was not an organized church for Corellan.

If one exists he did like his daughter best of his children.

Re: Need Help with an Faction i'm creating

Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:24 am
by Nightbreeze
Then perhaps I could change swap Corellan for Solonar.

Re: Need Help with an Faction i'm creating

Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:05 pm
by Shae
I vaguely recollect reading about a Mystran ranger order somewhere that might have some kernels of ideas relevant to what you're doing. I did a brief google and think this might be them: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/O ... oting_Star

You could see if there's anything there you could use for how to fit your original faction into the various churches' frameworks, at least the Mystran one anyway.