A half-fiend in the Solamnic Knighthood? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

A half-fiend in the Solamnic Knighthood?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
orinkar
Dec 11, 2003 14:43:37 Greetings,

I've been running my Dragonlance Campaign for some six to eight weeks now. I posted my plot ideas earlier but I seem to have hit a bit of a snag. Perhaps someone out there can help.

The PC's were sent to a goblin stronghold to retrieve a special ruby for a wealthy, connected, and retired member of the Solamnic Knights ( really a secretly vengeful mystic that was a sort of "field medic" and physician for the Solamnics for many years ). The gem in question was used in a ritual that formed the draconians. I seem to remember reading a post how abishai were part of that particular process ( or the dragonspawn, can't remember which ). The "soul" of an abishai, or some sort of fiendish outsider had been trapped inside the gem.

The problem is, I originally intended for the demon/devil to "possess" whoever touched the gem, and they'd gradually take on the half-fiend template ( I used an article from the Savage Progressions section of the D&D site to do this ). I had hoped that since I placed it in a rather small shrine on an island in an underground lake that the gully dwarf cleric would retrieve it. I figured that since he's paranoid about arcane magic items he'd be careful not to touch it.

My players threw a bit of a curve ball at me, and the sorcerer shrunk the Solamnic Squire, and she blundered into to the shrine and took the gem from it's setting with her bare hands. So now there's a potential Knight of the Crown who's half demon. She managed to make two really high will and fortitude saves to keep from being evil (darn rangers).

They have made friends at Eastwatch during a brief stay there and will probably return there when she's ready to atain knighthood.

My question is, how would the Solamnics deal with a half-fiend who before her transformation was indeed a squire, and had met practically all requirements for becoming a knight? Her physical appearance has changed, but she's still the same person. My thoughts are that they might accept her as the evil draconians were made from good dragon eggs, perhaps a good knight could be made from a creature that's normally evil. I think maybe a test is an order, does anyone have any ideas?

-Aaron Evans
#2
zombiegleemax
Dec 11, 2003 14:50:18 A very long and involved quest. Have her become half-fiend after joining the knighthood, which puts the Solamnics in sort of a bind as to how to deal with it. My thought is that they initially cast the character out (giving you a nifty Rogue Knight), and she's forced to do a lot of questing to prove her goodness and purity to the Council. Meanwhile, they could potentially be hunting her down half-heartedly, many old friends still reluctant to attack a former knight. But make struggling with the demonic entity a very big thing, here.

Eventually, let the character complete her quest and prove, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she is good. Then she can come back in and be embraced as a Solamnic. And check it out - A hell of a quest to go through to get there.

But that's just what I'd probably do.
#3
zombiegleemax
Dec 12, 2003 13:41:32 Ouch! Didn't know there were any half-fiends on Ansalon! Well, now it seems there's at least one...I agree with Undajat. Test the candidate even harsher than a normal, humanoid candidate. Ultimately, the player should have to role-play and deal with inherent Solamnic prejudices, misconceptions, etc, while trying to prove they are still Order material.
#4
zombiegleemax
Dec 12, 2003 13:44:22 oops! I mean, I agree with the Udjat! sorry:embarrass
#5
orinkar
Dec 12, 2003 14:23:49 Greetings,

It seems like there's a large number of things not in Ansalon. I haven't seen much on whether half-fiends exist or not but it seemed the closest template to what I wanted to achieve. Also in the Dragonlance Campaign Setting it gave a list of monsters not in Krynn and half-fiends/celestials/dragons weren't on that list so I figure they're fair game. That and it said most everything in the Monster Manual were appropriate.

It's really not the normal half-fiend template either, more like an affliction/sybiosis. I've modified it a bit, gotten rid of most of the spell like abilities and added a few things so the level adjustment wouldn't be so high. The abishai in the Monsters of Faerun book have stings that do damage similar to the breath weapon of the corresponding color dragon.

I made a little table and decided randomly that she'd be partially black abishai, so she should get something to do acid damage with. I didn't like the sting, so she'll do 1d6 acid damage with her natural attacks (bite and claw).

For spell like abilities (can I post this???), I left the Darkness 3/day, Desecrate, Unholy Aura and Destruction abilities. I figured those would be fun and interesting. I may post the completed template on my website later since it's not real similar to the official half-fiend template.

She's slowly becoming a half-fiend but will probably be pretty far along by the time she's able to actually become a Knight of the Crown. The nearly impossible test thing sounds like a good idea. One question though. Can she be made a knight at Castle Eastwatch, or does she have to travel to Solamnia?

One last completely unrelated to Dragonlance thought (really unrelated to this post). There are imps, and quasits for devils and demons. Why aren't there any neutral evil yugoloths with a similar function? Also why is the lantern archon the only celestial type familiar that even remotely resembles a good counterpart to the imp? Do good wizards just not get intelligent celestials as familiars?

-Aaron Evans.
#6
kipper_snifferdoo_02
Dec 12, 2003 14:44:46 If it was my campaign the Knighthood would not allow her in with such an afflliction. I would give her a quest to "cure" herself. It may make her decide if she even wants to be a knight or not. You might also consider giving her a way to mask her changes, like with a hat of disgiuse or something. Then she would have to decide if it is even honorable to join the knighthood while living a lie.
#7
zombiegleemax
Dec 12, 2003 15:05:23 I think it'd be sweet if after questing and stuff she is brought fortyh before the Knight's COuncil and judged harshly. A ray of light beams into the building from above, a glowing light in the symbol Kiri JoLith. Her form purifies and her fiendish features began to twist and vanish. The blessing of the bison-headed god changes her fiendishness into celestial power.

I've never liked the lack of fiends in DL. SOemone had a good idea of creating a sea of Demiplanes around the planet, the home Demons and Devils and all sorts of other Outsiders and entities.

Yugoloths don't have any little retrievers, that's true. Hmm.... I dunno.
#8
cam_banks
Dec 12, 2003 15:10:11
Originally posted by Primus, the One and Prime

I've never liked the lack of fiends in DL. SOemone had a good idea of creating a sea of Demiplanes around the planet, the home Demons and Devils and all sorts of other Outsiders and entities.

There's great potential in this idea, which is why it's one of the ones I like to advocate. They would end up as places for the fiends and celestials to "slum" it without having to go straight to Krynn and worry about being caught.

Cheers,
Cam
#9
zombiegleemax
Dec 12, 2003 16:14:54 Hmm...it doesn't seem logical that there would be no fiends in DL- if I remember correctly, Raistlynn is tormented in one book by "fiends of the abyss". Also, in the few writings I have read that deal with things from the Dark Queen's p.o.v., it usually says things like she is surrounded by "fiendish servants", which seems to support the idea that there COULD be half-fiends in DL. Kipper, you have some sway- can we get an official verdict?
#10
kipper_snifferdoo_02
Dec 12, 2003 16:33:32 LOL, sway. The only thing I have sway over is my topknot. :D

The official answer (or as offical as I can give) is that in your game feel free to add them if you like them. Nothing in any book prevents it and nothing in any book advocates them. There are plenty of stories of wizards summoning demons so why not have them? If you feel you are still maintaining that "dragonlance" flavor, then all the better.
#11
zombiegleemax
Dec 12, 2003 16:38:11 When I said, "sway", I meant here, on the boards, and on the unofficial DL pages.
If I can have kender wandering around Cormyr, I see no reason why another DM can't have half-fiends in Ansalon!
#12
bohica
Dec 12, 2003 18:35:18 I seem to recall Demons or Devils (I can't remember which) being include in "Lord Toede" of the Villains Series. If this is the case there is no reason that you can't have a half-fiend.

Bohica
#13
talinthas
Dec 12, 2003 21:27:50 One of the first DL short stories ("A Stone's Throw Away, by Roger Moore) features a wizard summoning Demogorgon, and Lord Toade has tons of demons and such, and Legends references summoning fiends from the abyss, and the original draconian creation stuff involves Abishai inhabiting the bodies...

So yeah, i'd say that demons and devils exist, just not in the numbers that they would in other settings.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 orinkar Dec 11, 2003 14:43:37	Greetings, I've been running my Dragonlance Campaign for some six to eight weeks now. I posted my plot ideas earlier but I seem to have hit a bit of a snag. Perhaps someone out there can help. The PC's were sent to a goblin stronghold to retrieve a special ruby for a wealthy, connected, and retired member of the Solamnic Knights ( really a secretly vengeful mystic that was a sort of "field medic" and physician for the Solamnics for many years ). The gem in question was used in a ritual that formed the draconians. I seem to remember reading a post how abishai were part of that particular process ( or the dragonspawn, can't remember which ). The "soul" of an abishai, or some sort of fiendish outsider had been trapped inside the gem. The problem is, I originally intended for the demon/devil to "possess" whoever touched the gem, and they'd gradually take on the half-fiend template ( I used an article from the Savage Progressions section of the D&D site to do this ). I had hoped that since I placed it in a rather small shrine on an island in an underground lake that the gully dwarf cleric would retrieve it. I figured that since he's paranoid about arcane magic items he'd be careful not to touch it. My players threw a bit of a curve ball at me, and the sorcerer shrunk the Solamnic Squire, and she blundered into to the shrine and took the gem from it's setting with her bare hands. So now there's a potential Knight of the Crown who's half demon. She managed to make two really high will and fortitude saves to keep from being evil (darn rangers). They have made friends at Eastwatch during a brief stay there and will probably return there when she's ready to atain knighthood. My question is, how would the Solamnics deal with a half-fiend who before her transformation was indeed a squire, and had met practically all requirements for becoming a knight? Her physical appearance has changed, but she's still the same person. My thoughts are that they might accept her as the evil draconians were made from good dragon eggs, perhaps a good knight could be made from a creature that's normally evil. I think maybe a test is an order, does anyone have any ideas? -Aaron Evans
#2 zombiegleemax Dec 11, 2003 14:50:18	A very long and involved quest. Have her become half-fiend after joining the knighthood, which puts the Solamnics in sort of a bind as to how to deal with it. My thought is that they initially cast the character out (giving you a nifty Rogue Knight), and she's forced to do a lot of questing to prove her goodness and purity to the Council. Meanwhile, they could potentially be hunting her down half-heartedly, many old friends still reluctant to attack a former knight. But make struggling with the demonic entity a very big thing, here. Eventually, let the character complete her quest and prove, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she is good. Then she can come back in and be embraced as a Solamnic. And check it out - A hell of a quest to go through to get there. But that's just what I'd probably do.
#3 zombiegleemax Dec 12, 2003 13:41:32	Ouch! Didn't know there were any half-fiends on Ansalon! Well, now it seems there's at least one...I agree with Undajat. Test the candidate even harsher than a normal, humanoid candidate. Ultimately, the player should have to role-play and deal with inherent Solamnic prejudices, misconceptions, etc, while trying to prove they are still Order material.
#4 zombiegleemax Dec 12, 2003 13:44:22	oops! I mean, I agree with the Udjat! sorry:embarrass
#5 orinkar Dec 12, 2003 14:23:49	Greetings, It seems like there's a large number of things not in Ansalon. I haven't seen much on whether half-fiends exist or not but it seemed the closest template to what I wanted to achieve. Also in the Dragonlance Campaign Setting it gave a list of monsters not in Krynn and half-fiends/celestials/dragons weren't on that list so I figure they're fair game. That and it said most everything in the Monster Manual were appropriate. It's really not the normal half-fiend template either, more like an affliction/sybiosis. I've modified it a bit, gotten rid of most of the spell like abilities and added a few things so the level adjustment wouldn't be so high. The abishai in the Monsters of Faerun book have stings that do damage similar to the breath weapon of the corresponding color dragon. I made a little table and decided randomly that she'd be partially black abishai, so she should get something to do acid damage with. I didn't like the sting, so she'll do 1d6 acid damage with her natural attacks (bite and claw). For spell like abilities (can I post this???), I left the Darkness 3/day, Desecrate, Unholy Aura and Destruction abilities. I figured those would be fun and interesting. I may post the completed template on my website later since it's not real similar to the official half-fiend template. She's slowly becoming a half-fiend but will probably be pretty far along by the time she's able to actually become a Knight of the Crown. The nearly impossible test thing sounds like a good idea. One question though. Can she be made a knight at Castle Eastwatch, or does she have to travel to Solamnia? One last completely unrelated to Dragonlance thought (really unrelated to this post). There are imps, and quasits for devils and demons. Why aren't there any neutral evil yugoloths with a similar function? Also why is the lantern archon the only celestial type familiar that even remotely resembles a good counterpart to the imp? Do good wizards just not get intelligent celestials as familiars? -Aaron Evans.
#6 kipper_snifferdoo_02 Dec 12, 2003 14:44:46	If it was my campaign the Knighthood would not allow her in with such an afflliction. I would give her a quest to "cure" herself. It may make her decide if she even wants to be a knight or not. You might also consider giving her a way to mask her changes, like with a hat of disgiuse or something. Then she would have to decide if it is even honorable to join the knighthood while living a lie.
#7 zombiegleemax Dec 12, 2003 15:05:23	I think it'd be sweet if after questing and stuff she is brought fortyh before the Knight's COuncil and judged harshly. A ray of light beams into the building from above, a glowing light in the symbol Kiri JoLith. Her form purifies and her fiendish features began to twist and vanish. The blessing of the bison-headed god changes her fiendishness into celestial power. I've never liked the lack of fiends in DL. SOemone had a good idea of creating a sea of Demiplanes around the planet, the home Demons and Devils and all sorts of other Outsiders and entities. Yugoloths don't have any little retrievers, that's true. Hmm.... I dunno.
#8 cam_banks Dec 12, 2003 15:10:11	Originally posted by Primus, the One and Prime I've never liked the lack of fiends in DL. SOemone had a good idea of creating a sea of Demiplanes around the planet, the home Demons and Devils and all sorts of other Outsiders and entities. There's great potential in this idea, which is why it's one of the ones I like to advocate. They would end up as places for the fiends and celestials to "slum" it without having to go straight to Krynn and worry about being caught. Cheers, Cam
#9 zombiegleemax Dec 12, 2003 16:14:54	Hmm...it doesn't seem logical that there would be no fiends in DL- if I remember correctly, Raistlynn is tormented in one book by "fiends of the abyss". Also, in the few writings I have read that deal with things from the Dark Queen's p.o.v., it usually says things like she is surrounded by "fiendish servants", which seems to support the idea that there COULD be half-fiends in DL. Kipper, you have some sway- can we get an official verdict?
#10 kipper_snifferdoo_02 Dec 12, 2003 16:33:32	LOL, sway. The only thing I have sway over is my topknot. :D The official answer (or as offical as I can give) is that in your game feel free to add them if you like them. Nothing in any book prevents it and nothing in any book advocates them. There are plenty of stories of wizards summoning demons so why not have them? If you feel you are still maintaining that "dragonlance" flavor, then all the better.
#11 zombiegleemax Dec 12, 2003 16:38:11	When I said, "sway", I meant here, on the boards, and on the unofficial DL pages. If I can have kender wandering around Cormyr, I see no reason why another DM can't have half-fiends in Ansalon!
#12 bohica Dec 12, 2003 18:35:18	I seem to recall Demons or Devils (I can't remember which) being include in "Lord Toede" of the Villains Series. If this is the case there is no reason that you can't have a half-fiend. Bohica
#13 talinthas Dec 12, 2003 21:27:50	One of the first DL short stories ("A Stone's Throw Away, by Roger Moore) features a wizard summoning Demogorgon, and Lord Toade has tons of demons and such, and Legends references summoning fiends from the abyss, and the original draconian creation stuff involves Abishai inhabiting the bodies... So yeah, i'd say that demons and devils exist, just not in the numbers that they would in other settings.