User:ChristTrekker

This page holds my ideas and random thoughts.

units

falconer

Human. Loyalist or knalgan, both neutral at level 1. Basically a swordsman/ranger type (typical HP, damage, move 5) with a hawk for (numerous small) ranged blade attacks. Has a level 0 (yeoman falconer), also neutral. Level 2 (knight falconer for lawful loyalist, falcon master for chaotic knalgan) gets HP, faster (6), extra ranged attack, better attack odds. Level 3 (baron falconer, falcon lord) is mounted (move 8) gets more HP and even better with the falcon, but not melee.

Bonus at all levels is that he can "see" an area as if he had a 9/12 movement (50% better than normal) because the falcon scouts for him.

Alternate level 3 for knalgans is gryphon lord. Like gryphon master, but add ranged attack (bow). No sight range improvement.

Elven falconer as alternate advancement for ranger, instead of avenger. Ranged attack is (maybe) 9-4 blade. The 50% sight range improvement applies.

herbalist

Human. Loyalist or knalgan. Healing units are slow (elf shamans and white magi are 5), but this one is faster (6) with low terrain penalty. Ranged (blowgun, 6-1) and melee (staff, 3-2) attacks are relatively weak, HP similar to shaman/mage, heal +2, ambush (forests, marshes, grasslands—used to sneaking onto private property to hunt for ingredients). Level 2 goes to move 7, better HP, +3 heal, staff 4-2, blowgun 8-1, gains dagger melee attack (5-2, poison), healthy (normally a dwarf-only trait). Level 3 gains skirmish, better HP, +4 heal, cure, 5-2 staff, blowgun 9-1 poison, 5-3 dagger. Overall weak in combat (though poison is useful it's not fast), but a quick way to get some healing around the field and useful for scouting. Probably cheaper to produce than shamans.

mage initiate/dark initiate

A level 0 start for mage and dark adept tracks. Maybe already exist. Mage initiates designated "white initiate" or "red initiate" for plot reasons, though both advance to same level 1 "basic training" level before diverging again.

will o' wisp

A level 0 loyal unit (i.e. familiar) for white mages. Move 8, no terrain penalties except deep water, no attack(‼), low HP, resistance to most things, heal +4. Level 1 gains hp and skirmish (so it can't be trapped and killed so easily). Level 2 gains move 10, more hp, and cure or illuminate.

little sizzler

A level 0 loyal unit (i.e. familiar) for red mages. 4-2 melee fire, 6-2 ranged fire. Advances to level 1 fire guardian.

unicorns

Level 0 unicorn foal. Move 7, 6-2 melee pierce charge, heal +2.

Level 1 unicorn (unit from FoaP), but with 7-2 melee impact too.

Level 2 silver unicorn (unit from FoaP), but with 8-2 melee impact too.

Level 3 winged unicorn. Move 9, cures, heal +8, 11-2 melee pierce charge, 7-4 melee impact, 11-3 ranged arcane magical.

dwarvish runesmith

Level 0 is a scribal apprentice. Does 6-2 impact melee.

Level 1 is a scribe. Learning the basics, but runes are not yet able to invoke magical effects. Does 9-2 impact melee (nonmagical).

campaigns

Battle for Magic (working title)

Basic plot device has been used before: magic-users of different stripes must put aside differences to overcome opposing force that wants to eradicate all magic.

Sub-plot involves friendship between cousins, children of minor nobility in a small district, one whose family fell into hardship and became the black sheep.

Challenge: creating a mage-centric campaign that works.

"Rampaging monsters" will be a frequently-encountered theme, as well as "reach an objective in time to stop natural disaster". Leadership of the group rotates between them, depending on the scenario. Though mage-centric, very few traditional mages can be recruited, as they are all busy trying to save the world elsewhere—those available will be rogue mages (unit from Liberty/FoaP). Most recruitable units will be human.

characters

• Jaxon (lawful male white initiate, the "good son") (use recolored, modified follower sprite from FoaP)
• Dayle (neutral female red initiate, red-headed and hot-tempered but good-hearted) (use recolored child sorceress sprite from FoaP)
• Tiburth (chaotic male dark initiate, split loyalty between his family and his order)

story/levels

Jaxon, Dayle, and Tiburth are cousins of minor noble houses, second children all, and thus relieved of most responsibilities of being heir. The three practically grew up together, and sometimes felt closer to each other than they did to their own brothers and sisters. The families of Jaxon and Dayle had means to send them to the magical academy of Anduin. Tiburth's family lands had felt the brunt of an orcish incursion in the previous generation, and several years of bad crops left most very poor. Tiburth's father was well-meaning but unskilled with finances, and left the family not much better off than his subjects. Jaxon and Dayle promise to write their cousin about their studies to the extent they could, and Tiburth promised to keep them apprised of what their elder siblings were doing at home.

Unknown to Jaxon and Dayle, Tiburth seeks out training in the magical arts from less reputable sources out of desperation to help his family and homeland. While Jaxon and Dayle are still but initiates, learning the very basics of spellcraft, they are privy to information about a threat to the very fabric of magic in the world. The alterations to their script that come with writing magic, and nuances in wording and tone, were noticed in their letters home by Tiburth, who was learning the same things from his own teachers. When it became clear that the great mages of Anduin had no solution, and having heard rumors about the necromancers having similar struggles, Tiburth shared what he knew with his teachers...

1 Anduin

One evening in the academy, Luxorin (mage of light) and Heath (arch mage) are discussing the upheavals in the magical tapestry of the world. Anduin has had to deploy most of the senior mages in the world to stave off severe fluctuations of the ether and just hold things together. If magic should erupt uncontrolled, it could devastate the physical plane as well. Their attendants are Jaxon and Dayle. Suddenly a dark portal appears, and two shock troopers, four shadows, and a necromancer (Qaylöd) appear. Luxorin and Heath are surprised and start to react in defense, but Qaylöd announces he is just there to talk, and that since night is falling and experienced staff at the academy is diminished enough to make a direct portal like this possible, it would be best to listen. Luxorin and Heath acquiesce, and Qaylöd summarizes that the dark mages are seeing the same things the white and red orders are. With magic unsettled, they are at risk of become subjects of the dead if a rift should occur, rather than their masters. Since they don't want that, they seek an alliance to try to find the source of the problem, and resolve it. Luxorin and Heath ask how Qaylöd knew the white and red orders faced this problem, and she gestures to her attendant who had almost escaped notice so far: Tiburth. He reveals his secret training to his astonished cousins, and how he deduced certain things from the letters of Jaxon and Dayle.

No senior mages can be spared by either group, but Jaxon, Dayle, and Tiburth, as aides to the highest-ranking mages available, are assigned to seek out a solution, as their common history and kinship is seen as a benefit. Each is given an item to help them (to be determined). It is hoped that the ancient dragon Ghidsaurs (from FoaP) will have helpful info. The three set off by ship to the mainland.

They get there and find tentacles from the deep attacking the port (must defeat them, no recruiting but some help from sailors and town citizens). This is seen as further evidence of magical turmoil, as those monsters would not normally venture into shallow water and attack a major settlement. If one of our three adventurers kills the final monster, one woodsman becomes loyal (later advancing to bowman).

? some level

Orcs fighting saurians, and our adventurers are caught in the crossfire (survive). A few turns in, the witch doctor (a unit from FoaP) and oracle notice the odd party and halt the battle. They, too, have noticed the magical fluctuations, and when they realize our group is trying to find a solution, they allow them to pass.

? another level

On the way (to somewhere) they encounter a herd of unicorns (unit from FoaP) trying to defend against mudcrawlers commanded by a nightcrawler (level 2 chaotic variant) (defeat him). Since they have only pierce attacks they are not very successful until the adventurers show up. Jaxon volunteers to stay behind to try to stop the mudcrawlers from respawning again. The thankful herd sends a unicorn foal (loyal) with Dayle and Tiburth. (After the next scenario, Jaxon rejoins them, and more unicorn foals can be recruited, which gives greater access to healing.)

? meeting Ghidsaurs

Not sure what the challenge is, yet.

Upon meeting Ghidsaurs, they learn that the three of them do not possess the full spectrum of abilities needed to stop the threat. But Ghidsaurs cannot aid more than this, because the magical fluctuations have weakened him almost to death. He shares a bit of knowledge that enables them to summon loyal familiars (will o' wisp, little sizzler, and vampire bat). The appropriate type can hereafter be recruited by the scenario leader, but there's only one loyal one.

After some pondering what that ancient dragon meant (he has to fly away to a crystal chamber while he still has the strength, and they cannot ask him) since they have all three orders (colors) of magic assembled already, an passing comment about "no such thing as blue or green wizards" leads someone to think "what would blue or green magick look like if it did exist though". Maybe he referred to non-human magics. (Silly, arrogant humans!) Mermen, elves, and dwarves also wield potent magic, and are surely affected by this as well. All must be united.

? some level

Our adventurers, led by Tiburth, must actually aid some undead against villagers. These dead aren't being controlled by anyone and don't want to rise; they want to return to peaceful rest. (Defend lead zombie until he reaches his destination.) The magical fluctuations have awoken them unnecessarily, and the villagers are pre-emptively attacking out of fear. Here we learn that, though most dark mages crave power, Tiburth sees his embrace of this path as the only way to regain some measure of standing for his family. Thus his treatment of the dead is not solely to control them, but to be their caretaker, and to maintain proper relations between this world and the afterlife. (He may be chaotic, but he's not evil, as his cousins may have wrongly assumed.)

? three separate scenarios

We meet (and advance) a mermaid initiate (which I redefine as a level 0 name to correspond to others) advancing to ????, an elvish shaman initiate (Leaf, advancing to shaman), and a dwarvish scribal apprentice (advancing to dwarvish scribe). These are in similar situations as our adventurers, sent out to find the source of the problem, and have a small group (4-6 level 1) sent with them that we can recall later. We can't recruit more of those types though.

I like the idea of alternately having a wose (Anoak, with a magician level 3 alternative to ancient wose) instead of an elf. Maybe there could be an option in the story to decide which will go, which will stay and defend the forest.

? final

The six adventurers must assemble properly around an artifact (positive [Jaxon] across from negative [Tiburth], water [mermaid] across from earth [dwarf], wood [Leaf/Anoak] across from fire [Dayle]). They must all be level 3 or better by this time, or it won't work.