Hello Scifibarbie,
Apologies on behalf of the Team for the delay in getting back to you about your application. We value our World Leaders and the application process and like to make sure each GM has a chance to offer their comments and insight on new candidates.
Your application has now been reviewed and thoroughly discussed by the GM Team. However, I am sorry to inform you that you were not approved to attempt a WLDQ with Abigail Firesteed at this time. I am about to send you a PM with more details.
We encourage you to apply again in two months time. Please take a look at the rules and guidelines below, so that you are clear on the requirements:
World Leader RequirementsOn a slightly unrelated note, but since it was mentioned in your application, we would also like to take this opportunity to clarify your lore question about Spellswords. (Please note, this in no way affected our decision regarding your WLDQ approval, but since many people enjoy reading the WLDQ applications we wanted to publicly set the record straight, so to speak, so there was no lingering confusion!)
A spellsword (Or spellstaff/spellmace/spellaxe) is someone who has learned to channel the Al'Noth through their weapon, and also to cast more effectively in armor. Spellswords are people who have learned to hone their combat abilities and their arcane magical talents (in whatever form those might come, be it sorcerer, wizard, bard), and to combine these two skills to best use both magic and armor. Some consider these individuals to have mastered the ideal fusion of magic and melee, and they are often regarded with awe or even fear by both other practitioners of the Al'Noth (because of their ability to cast effectively in armor) and mercenaries and common people (because of their ability to harness the power of magic).
Although like any Prestige Class, Spellswords should be considered somewhat rare and certainly less common than wizards, sorcerers, bards or even weaponmasters or duelists, they are not incredibly rare. There are a number of Spellswords (and spellaxes, spell(whatever)s, etc.) around, and there would be a number of NPCs in most cities with a high concentration of magic users who demonstrate these abilities, at the least. Spellswords are about as common as shadowdancers, arcane archers, shifters and skalds.
Furthermore, in case there was any ambiguity, a spellsword's abilities are learned rather than innate and manifested. One cannot be born a spellsword any more than one can be born a shadowdancer or an arcane archer or a skald--all are entirely learned skills, either through training or individual practice. Like any other learned ability, the spellsword may have characteristics that predispose them to being able to master imbuing weapons or casting in armor, such as their ability with magic and their skill in combat, their determination, their concentration, etc., but there is no spellsword gene.
We get the impression that you as a
player have a different view on the spellsword class than what is mentioned above. While characters may believe what they will based on what they hear, it is important that the player understands the OOC concept--in this case, that a spellsword's abilities are learned rather than innate and manifested and are not that rare. In fact, the spellsword can be seen as the melee representation of an arcance archer.
We hope this helps clarify any questions you might have had about spellswords. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask in the Ask A Gamemaster thread.