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Author Topic: GM Please for CDQ "counseling"  (Read 453 times)

SiliconMagician

GM Please for CDQ "counseling"
« on: January 23, 2010, 03:41:10 pm »
To whom it may concern,

I have now been a member of Layonara for about 3 months and have two chars that I'm actively working with.

My first char, Ragnar Ogresbane was a mechanically driven fighter.. and with him I learned all about RP as it's done on layonara and the lay of the land so to speak. Ragnar now has only 3 soul strands left, so I keep him out except for special quests or at the request of a friend who may want a good fighter by his side.

My second char, Githrin, is a far better char in my opinion, both in RP potential, storyline and build. He is a 7th lvl wizard(moving to 8 VERY shortly) and I would like to take the pale master class at lvl 10.

I have dilligently kept up on his CDT since his creation and if you look at it you will understand how important it is for this char to at least to attempt to achieve the PrC.

So.. to help ease the transition as this is my first PrC attempt, I would like a GM to review my CDT(the first thread is a repost of my submission bio btw) and offer an advice they might on how I may proceed with the transition to the pale master class.

I have examined the Pale master class in detail, and I understand that it is very different from a typical mage, for one being the ability to learn new spells on level up stops..however for wizards, the ability to learn through scrolls is still an option, making them very powerful pale masters. I have thought this through from the chars inception, and I would appreciate any advice that I can get on the CDQ process and getting him ready for the the transition.

Thanks in advance,

TSM


http://forums.layonara.com/development-journals-discussion/260322-githrin-twisted-mage.html
 
Above link to my CDT
 

Carillon

Re: GM Please for CDQ "counseling"
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2010, 06:39:43 pm »
Hi TSM,

I've taken a peek at your development thread and such, though please consider this rather informal, of course, and just advice for now.

First of all, as you probably know, the Palemaster PrC falls under the multi-step CDQ category of PrCs. This means that it would be two or more CDQs, or a WLDQ. You should be aware, there's been a precedent that the earliest people are generally approved to start on the CDQ path for a PrC is about one level before they qualify for it mechanically. I think you already qualify for the PrC mechanically, so balance the expectation that it will take more than one CDQ (and there is a 2 month waiting period between CDQs) with when you think you want to take it, and plan accordingly.

When you think you're ready to start on the first CDQ to Palemaster, you should post an updated biography (this is a short description of what's happened to your character since creation that has led them to that point) along with the request in the Character Submission forum, and someone will review it and any of your development then.

Informally, your CDT shows lots of support for an inclination to head toward palemaster already. What I am slightly more concerned about is that it leans pretty heavily evil. Watch this--you have to keep playing your TN alignment until you apply and are approved to shift toward evil, so you need to stick firmly in morally grey territory until then. Best limit the cackling, gleeful contemplation of "testing" out nasty spells on innocent bystanders, in other words. ;)

The other part that jumped out at me was this:

Quote
The man identified himself as a powerful merchant, with connections all over Mistone and Dregar. Wealthy and powerful. He had a proposition for Githrin.. Join him as his assistant.

The idea was intriguing to Githrin. He knew he needed an ally, someone to help him continue his research into the deathless arts.. and here might be the man to do so.

But there would be cost.. possible death not being the least of them. It was made very clear to him that should he accept the offer, failure would probably mean the end of him..

Githrin shrugged, had he failed before, he wouldn't have been standing in front of the man having this conversation in the first place...

The man gave him a week to think it over, and an address. Within the week, if he was interested, he was to present himself to the address with nothing but the clothes on his back and what he could carry in a sack...


Was this to do with a quest or GM interaction, or just something you invented? While there's no rule against writing NPCs and using them in your CDT, you can't use them to get around requirements for PrCs and such or to just write yourself a bunch of powerful allies. We prefer that people not just write receiving offers of training from powerful wizards/mages etc, invitations to join secret guilds, organization, etc. This is the stuff of CDQs. This has to do partially with balance--in a GM-run quest or situation, the GM is monitoring the risk and challenge to your character, and when you write it yourself, there's no real risk. As an extreme example, someone could write "I met a dragon and they taught me draconic". They might write it in beautiful detail, but that wouldn't be allowed because dealing with a powerful dragon would be something that would have to be controlled and mediated by a GM. This is the same principle as not writing encounters for existing NPCs that were not controlled by a GM at the time. For example, you can't walk up to the captain of the guard and write both sides of a conversation you imagined them having in your CDT, because the NPC's actions and responses should be determined by a GM.

Of course on the other extreme, it's rather silly to assume that the only people your character runs into are other PCs, so it's fine to colour up your CDT with interesting descriptions of commoners and villagers or even guards or other adventurers ... just all within reason. If it isn't something you are very certain your character would have encountered or seen at one point (like a starving child, having a villager scream and run from a monstrous race, watching guards training and wishing he were one of them, remarking on all those studious wizards in the Spellgard library, etc. etc.) then you should be very careful. If you're uncertain whether it would be okay or not, it never hurts to check first before posting.

Anyway, I hope that information helps. In summary, keep up the CDT but just keep an eye on the content and you should be in good shape for when you're ready to apply. After that, it's CDQ time, and whether or not you can take the PrC depends on the outcomes of the CDQs. One other thing you might do to prepare at this point is try to attend a GM quest or two if you can make one, or read through the CDQ threads and figure out what GMs have a style you like and can run your CDQ, so you know who you want to ask when the time comes.

Let us know if you have any more questions!
~Carillon
 

SiliconMagician

Re: GM Please for CDQ "counseling"
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2010, 07:39:14 pm »
This has been very helpful. I've heard alot of different things on this class from other players..mainly that it's very looked down upon as a class and extremely difficult to get and play..

I've thought all these things through and I do apologize if I showed a light shift into evil. It's very hard to know these things sometimes, I mean lets admit it.. it's a pretty hard thing to maintain a completely neutral stance on alot of these things.

As far as the piece of my CDT regarding the meeting with the powerful man..that is indeed another PC I am referring to. When I created Githrin it was with the intention of seeking out a powerful patron..a benefactor with whom he could serve and learn from.

I contacted Ravemore about using Stygian as the patron for Githrin.. the "powerful merchant and mage" described is Stygian Achnuman and the entire scene was played RP IG just as described. To maintain the flavor of the shadiness and secretness of the deal.. I hid Stygians identity in the story.

Understand please that anything I put in my CDT at least broadly happened IG in an RP environment because Githrin is extremely RP driven from the very beginning. I learned all I could about mechanics from Ragnar.. so now I'm exploring deep RP with Githrin.. and the pale master class goes to that.

and while Gith may occasionally have the thought in his mind to hurt people, he knows full well that the consquences of his actions would mean long term imprisonment, death or worse... since we all normally have these thoughts, its not so much OOC for Githrin to think such a thing.

As with all people, it's actions that count and nowhere will you find Githrin harming anything other than the NPC monsters that anyone else would. I think that says alot about his neutrality. Even the best moraled Paladin loves to kill the monsters.. Gith just has different reasoning for it, the increase in his personal power. I know this is a subtle point but an important one, because if you notice. Gith isn't enjoying the suffering of say..the mongrelmen in the forest.. he's enjoying the exercise of his power.

When gith went with a party intoe black dog moors, he had the chance to use vampiric touch, and used it and that triggered the next CDT thread where Githrin enjoyed more the fact that he had managed to pull it off more than the creatures suffering.. it took him closer to his goal. The creation of an undead minion.

If there are any other misconceptions I can clear up please let me know. It is very difficult sometimes maintaining the lore of the land sometimes and I hate it when I fudge the lines a bit.

Thanks,

TSM
 

 

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