Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 nicodemus_dup Jun 24, 2003 5:14:11	!This post contains spoilers of the War of Souls trilogy! I just picked up the ghostwalk campaign and I think the material is perfect to allow the PCs in a War of Souls campaign to play "souls" after they die. Unless the upcoming DLCS states something radically different I would go with the following : After the Chaos War, Takhisis held the souls on the material plane, denying them entrance to the True Afterlife. Now that Takhisis is defeated (dead?) the souls can again gain entrance to the True Afterlife. But the difference is that now the link with the material plane is greater than befofe and the souls get the choice to remain if they so desire. This brings up some questions ... - Would there be a city of Manifest? If so, it would propably be recently build or about to be build. Where would it be located? Neraka (temple of Takhisis, former doorway to the abyss) ? Near Sanction (where the souls of the dead were led by Mina when Takhisis was defeated)? Where would the Veil of Souls be located? - In the novels, some people can see the souls of the dead. A feat could allow this ability. What would the specific benefit of such an ability be? - The dead are capable of draining magic. this could also be turned into a feat and have one or more of the similar draining attacks from the ghostwalk campaign as prerequisites. How should this work? I was thinking of a concentration check when they cast the spell and that the ghost/soul should use the ready action. What should the DC of the concentration check be? - Dragons, draconians, ... should also be able to get the ghost template (restricted to humanoids in Ghostwalk) - Where would the dead go to after they pass through the Veil of Souls? Takhisis no longer rules the abyss and paladin also no longer holds sway over his realm. I could use some help to work his out.
#2 ferratus Jun 24, 2003 16:33:58	Originally posted by Nicodemus !This post contains spoilers of the War of Souls trilogy! I just picked up the ghostwalk campaign and I think the material is perfect to allow the PCs in a War of Souls campaign to play "souls" after they die. That is a cool idea. I looked at the Ghostwalk setting and that obvious paralell didn't even occur to me. - Would there be a city of Manifest? If so, it would propably be recently build or about to be build. Where would it be located? Neraka (temple of Takhisis, former doorway to the abyss) ? Near Sanction (where the souls of the dead were led by Mina when Takhisis was defeated)? Where would the Veil of Souls be located? My advice would be to use the city of Sanction since you have a map of that place (in the novel Clandestine Circle), and Nereka seems to be largely deserted. I don't know what the "Veil of Souls" is. Is that something from the Ghostwalk setting, or something I'm not remembering from War of Souls? - In the novels, some people can see the souls of the dead. A feat could allow this ability. What would the specific benefit of such an ability be? It depends on how long-term you want this to be. I wouldn't bother making it a feat if it was less than 5 adventures, because then the feat would be useless. I would simply make the characters able to perceive the ghosts as the result of a campaign event. ie. They have a terrible nightmare and upon awaking they see the souls of the dead drifting past. - The dead are capable of draining magic. this could also be turned into a feat and have one or more of the similar draining attacks from the ghostwalk campaign as prerequisites. How should this work? I was thinking of a concentration check when they cast the spell and that the ghost/soul should use the ready action. What should the DC of the concentration check be? Well, that would make it an automatic counterspell for anything a mage might want to cast. This is much too unbalancing to allow as a player ability. The solution though is very simple, simply say that the dead are (as of yet) refusing to follow Takhisis, and so are not draining magic for her. I presume there are rules in Ghostwalk for "finally passing on", so I would modify these to represent "finally giving in to Takhisis' demands". - Where would the dead go to after they pass through the Veil of Souls? Takhisis no longer rules the abyss and paladin also no longer holds sway over his realm. Well, the dead in Dragonlance appearantly do not go to the Abyss or the Dome of Creation but someplace known as "The Beyond". Of course, Takhisis has to be dead before they can leave for their final reward.
#3 nicodemus_dup Jun 25, 2003 2:25:46	Originally posted by ferratus My advice would be to use the city of Sanction since you have a map of that place (in the novel Clandestine Circle), and Nereka seems to be largely deserted. Manifest is a city build by and for the ghosts/souls. Using Sanction itself is perhaps a bit difficult. Perhaps within one of the volcanoes nearby? Or beneath the City? I think it would be difficult to completely use the city of Manifest as described in the Ghostwalk setting. I thought of using Nerake since a) it is indeed largely deserted, b) it holds a great importance to Takhisis, c) it used to be a link to the Abyss. I would think it a great place for Takhisis to 'hide' the Veil of Souls. I don't know what the "Veil of Souls" is. Is that something from the Ghostwalk setting, or something I'm not remembering from War of Souls? The Veil of Souls is a physical doorway that leads to the True Afterlife. It depends on how long-term you want this to be. I wouldn't bother making it a feat if it was less than 5 adventures, because then the feat would be useless. I would simply make the characters able to perceive the ghosts as the result of a campaign event. ie. They have a terrible nightmare and upon awaking they see the souls of the dead drifting past. Maybe that is indeed a better solution. Well, that would make it an automatic counterspell for anything a mage might want to cast. This is much too unbalancing to allow as a player ability. The solution though is very simple, simply say that the dead are (as of yet) refusing to follow Takhisis, and so are not draining magic for her. I presume there are rules in Ghostwalk for "finally passing on", so I would modify these to represent "finally giving in to Takhisis' demands". I looked a bit at the rules and if we consider it 'grappling' (only the target spellcaster is not aware he is being grappled if he cannot see the souls), the DC for the concentration check is 20 + spell level. Thus the soul would need to make the necessary grapple checks and the caster must make a concentration check. The feat would also require at least one other feat as prerequisite. Similar feats from Ghostwalk let the characters permantly drain ability scores or levels. I do not think it is that more powerfull than those but I could be wrong. I would like to keep the dragonlance War of Souls feeling by allowing the players (and NPCs!) to have this ability. Well, the dead in Dragonlance appearantly do not go to the Abyss or the Dome of Creation but someplace known as "The Beyond". Of course, Takhisis has to be dead before they can leave for their final reward. I think "The Beyond" can easily replace the "True Afterlife".