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SulDarkCompanion

Page history last edited by PBworks 17 years, 1 month ago

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back to Sul

 

ignore everything here; it is currently unapplicable, but I am leaving it up for the time being since I will probably need it for later

 

Due to various plot elements, and trading in my third ghost ability, my dark companion (Hexblade 4 variant, PHB2) is somewhat altered and much stronger than typical. It combines many aspects of the dark companion, as well as the shadow companion (from Shadowdancer).

 

Here is the mishmash of details:

- stats as a Shadow, advances according to Shadowdancer description, although per my character level (that is until Fil decides to do something wonky and it becomes a cohort)

- current stats (at Sul ECL 10) is pretty much exactly equal to that of a greater shadow

- still has the dark companion aura which generates a - 2 to AC and saves to all opponents nearby

- has a range of 100' from me

- undispellable

- morphable body (no real in-game effect other than for spooking people)

- shares my ghostliness, can manifest/go ethereal etc, although can not possess creatures

- my shadow companion represents a fragment of my psyche (formed from the more rational/lawful part of it, so Sul himself is "incomplete")

- anyone trying to detect thoughts on Sul or his companion will sense fragments; low level diviners will likely be confused or drum it up to error; higher level diviners will probably figure it out, or at the very least it will pique their curiosity

- currently does not communicate directly, not even to Sul, but understands well enough

 

feats (4): undecided, except for Empowered Ability Drain (LM), which means my shadow companion deals 1d8*1.5 Str damage per attack

- the other three might be the default: dodge, mobility, spring attack...

 

 

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back to Sul


 

Fil, assuming you eventually want to advance my shadow companion into cohort status, let me know how the hit dice/level adjustments factor in. Savage Species lists the Shadow with an LA +7, which is really quite atrocious. Personally, I think having a greater shadow with 9hd on one side of the gestalt is payment enough. Ghost HD are pretty lousy.

 


Totally random idea: going with the idea of making my shadow companion a cohort, then I could possess it. In fluff terms, that would be like merging the two halves of my mind (temporarily...?) to become a stronger whole, er, superghost. I think this is a cool idea; unfortunately, there's an odd quirk to it in that we aren't actually that much stronger (arguably weaker). We'd only be a single entity instead of the advantage of two (and thus two sets of actions), and I'd have lower HP and AC. Or maybe I could go the other way and have my shadow possess me? That might work. Fil, any way we could simply DM fiat that and just take the best of the hp/ac/etc? (since me and my shadow are technically the same "person") Or maybe combine the hp, and divide it up accordingly if/when I split back up.

 

Assuming the above worked, would my "combined" self then be able to possess someone?

 

other related question: Is my shadow companion capable of possessing? (or at the very least, capable of possessing Sul?) or allying/riding/etc?

 

 


 

Comments

 

fil here 1-22 the shadow does not advance in hd by itself. it remains a base shadow until you decide to go cohort with it.

of course, ecl only advances one side of the gestalt... so ECL7/whatever//whatever is a good cohort.

due to dark companion goodness, tack on an extra ecl+1

if you want it to possess, you'll need to take it as a cohort and tack on +2 ecl.. so it would then be ECL10/whatever//whatever/whatever

although ghosts, as undead, technically can't be possessed, this is an exception due to roleplaying/dm caveat.

 

^^Surreal Argh, it seems I lost an edit, so I'll have to retype.

Owch, that's an LA+10... and you forgot to include the shadow's hit dice yet. Granted, the abilities are decent and I really like the concept, but I'll have to mull that one over. I don't have a free feat for a couple levels yet anyways, so for the moment the point is moot.

 

When you initially suggested upgrading my dark companion into a shadow companion, you used the class feature of the Shadowdancer. Would my shadow advance as per those rules then? (+2HD per 3 class levels). If not, my shadow would be far too frail to survive any enounters (since it needs to get into the thick of things to impose its aura) and I'd be safer with a regular dark companion.

 

^^yep. base shadow only. that would be 3hd.. and good point... that bumps it to ecl13 gestalt as a companion. you may decide to leave that be until you can afford the feat at level 15, and have it fire up as a 13th level cohort immediately with the love and care package we've built. If it gets killed, you'd just have to resummon it... it wouldn't be gone and penalize yer xp like the shadowdancer... it is still a trumped up dark companion, not a special shadow.

 

^^Surreal Can I implement this option later? Because at the moment I think I'll just leave it as a dark companion since it'll be immune to damage. Waltzing around as a 3hd shadow is just too fragile. Once I get to level 15 though (maybe 12 if I plan it out), then I'll take Leadership and we'll re-institute everything we've talked about here.

 

Fil - your choice-- you may want to take the option and take advantage of the shadow goodness later, and just have a standard companion for now. I'm pretty sure dhraksis will have his possess one of his swords to do str damage each attack (yikes! 18d6 str damage each round.. take that co op board!)

 

Surreal - Ooh, you'd rule that possessing a weapon makes each attack with that weapon do Str damage? How about if it possesses a creature with multiple natural attacks, will each attack do Str damage?

 

^^fil here 1-22

caught you off guard on that one, eh? :)

if it was channelling, yes. all su sp and ex abilities are accesible by the host. IF the possessor possesses something long enough to access su/ex abilities, yes.

so you would theoretically be able to have it channel into you, and you into, say, a hydra, and do str damage with each bite... assuming you have the time needed to access su/ex abilities.

Or just shapechange into one. That's easier.

If you go the construct route, it's slams would do str damage too.

 

Obviously, controlling requires a long seige on the victim to access the really good stuff, while channelling makes em available right away. On that note, charm monster would work just as well... its all about the relationship.

 

man, ECS possession rules KICK ASS. I'd call em broken if I didn't know 15 different ways to neutralize that shit right of hand... but this kinda crap makes non casters potential contenders against casters. I say again, "TAKE THAT, CO OP BOARD!" my mega liberal rulings smite disproportionate power curves!


 

Surreal Fil, you pretty much figured out my eventual plan. At higher levels, I'd have my shadow companion cohort (with all sorts of passive Su auras) channel through me, and then I'd possess or channel into another beefy host body, possibly an astral construct for all the morphable goodness. I know I'd probably be stronger in the long run if I picked up casting or psionics, but I'd prefer to do wacky things.


 

Surreal - later on when I flesh out my shadow companion, I was thinking of mixing in as many aura producing effects as possible to expand upon the disabler role. One class I'd like to use is Blackguard, to get the Aura of despair. However, the prereqs for blackguard really make no sense for an incorporeal creature since I have no physical attacks with which to cleave or sunder. Can we work out a compromise here? Or maybe make the aura a feat or something?

 

Another question (related to above): You said that there is no incorporeality in the spirit world, so how do the fully incorporeal creatures (such as shadows, allips, spectres, wraiths, etc.) interact with things without Str? Maybe use Dex or Cha for everything?

 

^^fi here 2-6

Ouch. good point. I wasn't considering things that don't have the possession ability.

hmm. well, how about this then:

Your type of ghost is exotic because it is incorporeal on the prime, but exists in the edgeworld and beyond as a tangible spirit as well.

otherwis,incorporeality functions as normal on all levels of existece, most simply don't have the ability to cross planes. a spectre will always be incorporeal, either on the prime, edgeworld, or beyond... but it can't freely cross to either side. it's gotta find a portal or cast a spell or something.

so sul's dark companion will function as normal on all planes of existence. If sul wihes to be incorporeal anywhere other than the prime, then he's gotta find something that will let him like everyone else.

in the future if sul bonds with his companion, he will still be tangible in the edgeworld, since the companion has no ability to turn on or off incorporeality at will-- he's simply incorporeal period.

 

bear in mind, in edgeworld and beyond, although sul is tanglible, he still can possess other creatures by standing adjacent to them and channelling. They will have to accept him doing so as per typical channelling rules, though.

also, most critters in the beyond cannot be possessed/channelled at all. elementals, outsiders, undead, fey, spirits are all tangible spirits, like sul, and simply are immune to the effects. you'll have to find someone or bring something to channel into.

 

that should make it easier. That was my bad-- a;though I've tinkered with this world format before, we are exploring in areas I"ve never dealt with before. Thanks for bringing up issues like this.

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