Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Shei-Nad Apr 07, 2004 19:01:32	Hey, quick question, which will lead to other questions: What Divine Focus do your athasian clerics and druids use?
#2 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Apr 07, 2004 19:38:21	My clerics use a part of their element. Water clerics have vials of water; fire clerics usually have something burning; Earth clerics have a rock or stone; Air clerics need to be in open sky (not indoors); Silt clerics have a vial of silt; Magma clerics have a chunk of obsidian; Sun clerics need the sun bearing down on them (doesn't work indoors/at night); Rain clerics have a vial of rainwater, or need a storm present.
#3 zombiegleemax Apr 07, 2004 20:22:16	I've always used the amulets that were used as chapter headers in Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Or a vial of blessed element.
#4 Shei-Nad Apr 07, 2004 20:57:15	Originally posted by xlorepdarkhelm My clerics use a part of their element. Water clerics have vials of water; fire clerics usually have something burning; Earth clerics have a rock or stone; Air clerics need to be in open sky (not indoors); Silt clerics have a vial of silt; Magma clerics have a chunk of obsidian; Sun clerics need the sun bearing down on them (doesn't work indoors/at night); Rain clerics have a vial of rainwater, or need a storm present. Yeah, I did the same, and now I'm re-editing all my stuff. But the reason I asked is that doing this, you end up with having air and sun clerics unable to cast spells in some occasions (and sun clerics can't do anything about it actually), while none of the others do. I was thinking of requiring other clerics to hold their divine focus in one hand in order to cast their spell, while air and sun cleric didn't need to, which can be a bit useful. But moreover, I would make spells like daylight and gust of wind (or a new wind spell) not require divine focuses, which would allow those clerics to ''summon'' their element and allow them to cast spells for that duration. It would still require casting a spell just to cast other spells though... If not, what material could air and sun clerics carry around?
#5 nytcrawlr Apr 07, 2004 21:31:31	Well Caelum could charge himself, or his tatoo with Sun energy and use it sparingly while the sun is down I thought. Maybe something like that. Overall I like what xlorep is doing, but yeah, need to tighten up sun some and air just a tad.
#6 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Apr 07, 2004 21:42:07	YEa, I'll admit, I don't care for the sun/air method. Suggestions are most welcome.
#7 nytcrawlr Apr 07, 2004 21:57:45	On air, how bout saying that they have to have air surrounding them in order to cast spells. So basically if they are in some weird vacuum or underwater they aren't going to be able to cast spells. Sun clerics need the sun during the day, while the sun is down they can use rocks or other similar material that has been heated up by the sun. Stretching I know, best I can come up with right now. :D
#8 bengeldorn Apr 08, 2004 0:10:33	How about a piece of glass? It counts as one of the few materials which is clean since the sun can directly shine through it.
#9 zombiegleemax Apr 08, 2004 0:29:33	Caelum and Rkard had their tattoos, like someone said they could store some energy in that. Didn't they touch their foreheads whenever they cast a spell? As for air, look at Magnus. He sang, and that's like wind, so air clerics can generally have big lungs and the capacity to be really loud and blow lots of air, and need to sing to cast their spells.
#10 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Apr 08, 2004 0:41:48	Good points.
#11 zombiegleemax Apr 08, 2004 0:44:40	As for air, look at Magnus. He sang, and that's like wind, so air clerics can generally have big lungs and the capacity to be really loud and blow lots of air, and need to sing to cast their spells. Good lord NO! I'm not having my air clerics start singing, it'll only end in righteous laughter all around. Casting poisonous gale while softly singing "Wind beneath my wings", or somesuch nonesense.
#12 bengeldorn Apr 08, 2004 1:17:40	Originally posted by Cap'n Nick Caelum and Rkard had their tattoos, like someone said they could store some energy in that. Didn't they touch their foreheads whenever they cast a spell? I would say, that these tatoos aren't their focus, but they are used for their spell preperation.
#13 zombiegleemax Apr 08, 2004 2:02:49	Well air clerics could in general have like opera singer lungs and be able to belt out really loud and really well or just be kinda small but still be able to sing really well or just have the crazy man who more or less screeches to cast his spells. i like the singing, it could even just be like some tribal hymn or something. think like orthodox christian prayers being sung
#14 flip Apr 08, 2004 9:40:31	Originally posted by Cap'n Nick Caelum and Rkard had their tattoos, like someone said they could store some energy in that. Didn't they touch their foreheads whenever they cast a spell? Part of the point of a Divine Focus is that it can be taken away ... A tattoo is no good as a DF, because it's part of you, and can't be taken away. In effect, you become the DF ... at which point, the requirement means nothing.
#15 bengeldorn Apr 08, 2004 10:37:33	Originally posted by flip Part of the point of a Divine Focus is that it can be taken away ... A tattoo is no good as a DF, because it's part of you, and can't be taken away. In effect, you become the DF ... at which point, the requirement means nothing. Good point! So air clerics also need another DF .....hey what about those caps with a propeller on the top.
#16 zombiegleemax Apr 08, 2004 15:09:50	For Air clerics, how about a ventifact? It's a rock that's been shaped by the wind -- very distinctive shape.
#17 Kamelion Apr 08, 2004 16:33:20	Originally posted by Bengeldorn How about a piece of glass? It counts as one of the few materials which is clean since the sun can directly shine through it. What about a fulgurite (sp?) - those bits of glass made by lightning, like in the DS short story. It's unusual enough to be a bit special...
#18 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Apr 08, 2004 16:57:05	Originally posted by Kamelion What about a fulgurite (sp?) - those bits of glass made by lightning, like in the DS short story. It's unusual enough to be a bit special... I like that. Ok, so Fulgurite for Air. What about for Sun? If it's a stone, I'd make it something dark, red, and maybe something known for reflecting sunlight, yet also exotic.... ...just rambling.... ...oh, I'm also not keen on both Water and Rain having very similar DF's (vial of water vs. vial of rainwater). But, then again, Air and Magma will have similar ones (Fulgarite vs Obsidian - both are basically glass). Maybe something different for water? Or for Rain? Or just leave them the same?
#19 zombiegleemax Apr 08, 2004 17:10:37	To be honest, Xlorep, I'd just keep them the same. Really, the only difference is one falls from the sky and the other is already there. I'd say a vial of water works for both, or if they lack that than the water cleric can cast while near a body of water, while a Rain paraelementalist can do so in the presence of a rain storm. Both are rare enough, on Athas
#20 Kamelion Apr 08, 2004 17:10:57	Heh, I was thinking of fulgurite for sun because of the magnifying glass effect, but air is as good a choice. Rain, too, if the fulgurite came from a bolt from a rainstorm. Rain might instead require dried mud from a rainstorm (not just a mudflat). More rambling ;)
#21 zombiegleemax Apr 08, 2004 17:15:47	The fulgurite thingy could work for rain, since it was the result of a lightning strike, and the rain element is actually more of a storm element, and there be lightning bolts. Maybe that's just me though. For air, I know a DF should be able to be taken away or whatever, but what about a bound mouth or having your tongue cut out? How about a flute? Toot a little tune while you cast your spell. Or an ocarina. And it can be taken away until you can recover it or carve and consecrate a new one. Eh eh eh?
#22 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Apr 08, 2004 17:34:55	I'd say Fulgarite for Air because of heat lightning. Heat lightning can exist without storm clouds in an open sky. Plus, lightning is generally more associated with Air in D&D books. For Sun - what about a piece of gold? Gold is usually associated with the Sun in ancient Earth cultures (just look at the Aztecs, who worshiped the sun). I think leaving Water and Rain alone might be for the best - it's not like they are common enough elements that have a lot of clerics. In fact, it could make one attempt to masquerade as the other, for some reason...
#23 nytcrawlr Apr 08, 2004 17:41:01	Originally posted by xlorepdarkhelm I'd say Fulgarite for Air because of heat lightning. Heat lightning can exist without storm clouds in an open sky. Plus, lightning is generally more associated with Air in D&D books. For Sun - what about a piece of gold? Gold is usually associated with the Sun in ancient Earth cultures (just look at the Aztecs, who worshiped the sun). Works for me.
#24 Shei-Nad Apr 08, 2004 23:42:47	Ok, thanks for all your ideas friends. If we were not in Dark Sun, a fan (an oriental paper one) might have been good for air, but I really don't think it fits well. A flute could be interesting, but it woul dmake air clerics really stand apart from others. The piece of glass can work I guess, though I would associate lightning with rain more than air, as someone else pointed out. Hmm... As for Sun, though I do believe gold could be nice, it does bring two problems IMO. First, the other DF would actually be the elements themselves, but gold would only be symbolic. Second, gold, in almost any amount, costs waaayyy more than a vial of water, even athasian water! So I don't think it works well... Hmm...
#25 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Apr 08, 2004 23:44:58	How about sunburns?
#26 beyowulf Apr 09, 2004 8:31:05	Originally posted by xlorepdarkhelm How about sunburns? How about a glass lens for Sun Clerics?
#27 zombiegleemax Apr 09, 2004 8:49:22	Maybe for Sun, you could use any object which has stayed in direct sunlight from sunup til sundown and performed some little ritual on?