[D&D-5e] Ptolus: City By The Spire And The Curse of The Dying

[Gath]

Originally Posted by Zangul

Are apps still open?

Indeed! Should be open for another week or so, depending.


Just to reiterate, we are using official, published WotC material only please.

The only deviation from that is no to UA (if you consider that published) and no to the racial options of Tasha's.



Thanks and I look forward to more apps!

[Gath]

Originally Posted by Ermine

Hey, @Gath, would you allow a satyr to be reflavored as Jackalopefolk? I'll post a character in here so you know what I'm going for.

I believe that would be a harengon, not a satyr.

[Ermine]

I dunno, all the features of satyr (esp Ram, Mirthful Leap, and Magic Resistance) are closer to jackalope lore. Plus harengon are a) too punny, and b) not really my thing. And Satyrs are horned humanoid fey vs bunnies.

[Gath]

I'm a little confused. Jackalopes are jackrabbits with deer horns, while satyrs are elves crossed with goats..

I really don't see the connection you are trying to create other than you want the stats of a satyr but the skin of a bunny. To this I say that I have said no to too many people about reskinning races using Tasha's - which is an official published source - to be able to feel comfortable allowing a strictly homebrew race into the game.

I am sorry, but I had already set a precedent and I need to stick to it. You are more than welcome to play a satyr or a harengon, but I need to say no to crossing them into each other.

Thank you, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!



@ All - I have been a bit busy with work lately, but I will go back and revisit the front page to make sure that rules and faqs are up to date. Any new questions would be welcome so that I can address them there as well.

Thank you all for your contributions!

[Ermine]

I'm changing goat to jackalope. So I don't see your point, either. But I might as well rescind my application, rather than play a character I don't want to play.

[Ermine]

Actually, I could handle a faun (still antlers, instead of goat horns). If that's allowed (using satyr again, because again, it makes the most sense)

[Gath]

Satyr is the body of an elf on the legs of a goat with goat horns and goat hooves. All about the goat.

Harengon is all about the bunny. If you wanted to have a small set of antlers as a harengon druid I would welcome that and try to help you figure out how to justify the cosmetic antlers..

But you're trying to turn a goat person into a rabbit antelope creature and I just don't get it. I understand you like satyr mechanics and you want to apply them to your jackalope concept but it's not working for me. And that's a big problem.

Not a good reason to get upset, but it's certainly worth taking into consideration that the DM isn't into certain major elements of your concept and go back to the drawing board. I don't feel I'm being unreasonable or even obtuse. I think you're taking one thing way out of context and trying to apply it to something else which has no connection whatsoever in an attempt to create a stronger version of your idea.

Truth is that jackalope is fundamentally a rabbit with antlers. There's a perfectly awesome race in the same book as satyr called harengon that is literally an anthropomorphic rabbit that would fit perfectly. But you feel that satyr is a stronger race and so you're trying to reskin it as a rabbit.

This doesn't work for me because I haven't allowed other players to customize their races, so that's unfair to them. But aside from that I just don't agree conceptually with what you're doing.

Play a jackalope! Go nuts! But please don't try to create some rabbit goat antelope elf person cyborg when there's a perfectly fitting rabbit race already published.

You can have a small set of decorative antlers on the house.

[Ermine]

I strongly disagree on many points, but I'll just go variant human.

Zaria Deadleaf Name: Zaria Deadleaf Age: 26 Gender Identity: Transfemme Race: Variant Human (PHB) Class: Druid (soon to be Circle of the Shepherd, from Xanathar's Guide to Everything) Description: Zaria is of average height (5'7") and weight (she won't discuss the amount). Her black hair is tightly braided to keep it out of the way, each braid ending in a pair of ribbons tied with rat skulls. She also wears earrings of rat skulls and a matching necklace. These were all former pets, but rats don't live long lives, three years at the most. Zaria's dark skin is marked with scars and bites from her time on the streets. Her clothing consists of robes, primarily, but she hints that she's wearing more clothing and armor underneath in a very warm array. Hanging from her hips are a scimitar and a wooden shield, though the scimitar is in pristine condition. Character Background: Zaria was born to farmers as Zariel, on the outskirts of Phinothae, in the Deadleaf Farms, one of the predominant farms providing for the city. They did their best to raise her as a young woman, despite them not really knowing anyone else who was trans. She later moved to the city of Phinothae to get help to become more feminine. Possibly with magic. Preferably so, unless there was something that could be done with science. She lived on the street, but lived an honest life and earned enough money to move into her own home through the generosity and work of others. There, she took care of rats she had befriended on the streets, though they didn't live much longer than that, so she continued to befriend more. She used magic to communicate with them, and built quite the repertoire of secrets and knowledge. She used the rats to find answers to unsolved crimes, starting while she was still homeless, doing so enough times to warrant the title of Investigator from the city guard. Some were reluctant to call her that, but others viewed her as fighting the good fight alongside them. To the best of her knowledge, none of them came to Ptolus, staying behind to help the priests. But if one were to come along, it would be Guard Captain Inari L'mothe that she wished would be safe, so she'd have a chance of romance in the secluded life she was going to be living now, in Ptolus. When the Dying reached Phinothae, Zaria suspected her parents were already gone. After all, the only thing keeping them safe was a lot of farmland. And she had no need to help determine the source of the "deaths" of others; the cause was obvious. So she left. Her journey to Ptolus was dangerous, and though it was a much shorter than a trip from one of the more eastern cities, it felt like an eternity to Zaria. She found, and unwillingly fought, many who had already been taken over by the squids. She wanted to help them, but knew it was beyond her ken. Background Archetype: Investigator (Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft) Personality Traits: 1. Rats are better companions than humans. More honest. 2. I have quite the macabre aesthetic, and I know it. Ideal: Freedom. I want everyone to be able to live the life they want, unless it endangers others. Bond: Spirits seek me out to continue to their destined afterlife. Flaw: I don't trust other people easily.

Question 1 Can I start with my familiar already summoned? (I took the Magic Initiate feat to get it. I'll pay the 10g)

Question 2 Also I noticed this in the player's guide for Ptolus: To reflect this heritage, all players with spellcasting characters should name their own spells and be able to describe the appearance of their effects fairly freely. One wizard might know a spell called “magic missile” while another knows a spell called “Inoris’ slap of retribution” and cast it as a slapping hand made of energy, while still another wizard casts “daggers of death,” which causes white-hot daggers to fly through the air. And yet they are all basically the same spell. ^ Does this mean I could create a tidal wave of rats or rat spirits with tidal wave? I don't NEED it to, I just thought it'll fit her theme.

Question 3 Would the Infestation spell (modified to be rats instead of insects, of course) be an illegal spell in Ptolus? I assume yes, since it deals poison damage.

My application is complete enough (though I'll be making slight edits here and there, and will add stuff if you think it's needed), despite questions. These are for later.

[Hal Hammerhand]

I think I have a completed application.

Niklaus De Alfaro

[ElderOblex]

Withdrawing for now

[Treble83]

Any idea of when a selection will be made?

[Gath]

Originally Posted by Ermine

I noticed this in the player's guide for Ptolus:

To reflect this heritage, all players with spellcasting characters should name their own spells and be able to describe the appearance of their effects fairly freely. One wizard might know a spell called “magic missile” while another knows a spell called “Inoris’ slap of retribution” and cast it as a slapping hand made of energy, while still another wizard casts “daggers of death,” which causes white-hot daggers to fly through the air. And yet they are all basically the same spell.

^ Does this mean I could create a tidal wave of rats or rat spirits with tidal wave? I don't NEED it to, I just thought it'll fit her theme.

I have a shelved character in a table top game who is an eldritch knight. He wears armor and wields axes. In particular a battleaxe that he uses for melee. When he casts firebolt, I narrate that he throws a flaming axe at someone, which deals the same damage as the spell and has the same stats.

So yes, but the tidal wave is still water. It can perhaps be accompanied visually by a swarm of rats. But Tidal wave is still tidal wave, even if you add some writhing rats. You don't get to instead summon a rat swarm.

-

I'll be making invitations tomorrow. Wonderful apps everyone.

[Ermine]

I found another game to use a similar character in that I applied for, so, and I know this was a long shot, if you were considering me, you don't have to.

[Treble83]

I am going to go ahead and withdraw as well. Thank you for the opportunity.

[Gath]

Jazmin and Niklaus, please make your entrance here.

Read the last few pages and try to make it count. You will be starting inside the cavern - or for some reason you will be on the other side of a burning bridge trying to get in? Better be a good reason though.