Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

Why does everyone hate people raising corpses and tries killing them despite their best judgement? Is it RP-ing superstition and being good-aligned?
Is it meta-gaming and they're just looking for some easy kill? (usually meta-gamed the part where they just assume the undead is your doing just because it's not red)

And another thing;
Doesn't raising the corpse just reanimate it with negative energy and does nothing with the soul of already departed? Do people get so upset just over the use of negative energy? Why not when I cast negative energy ray or another necromancy spell?

And another thing;
Would it be possible to RP an undead you raise on the PW as being powered by a golem power source if the one doing it just happens to be a master transmuter and golemancer? *wink wink*

Slunko wrote:Why does everyone hate people raising corpses and tries killing them despite their best judgement? Is it RP-ing superstition and being good-aligned?
Is it meta-gaming and they're just looking for some easy kill? (usually meta-gamed the part where they just assume the undead is your doing just because it's not red)

And another thing;
Doesn't raising the corpse just reanimate it with negative energy and does nothing with the soul of already departed? Do people get so upset just over the use of negative energy? Why not when I cast negative energy ray or another necromancy spell?

And another thing;
Would it be possible to RP an undead you raise on the PW as being powered by a golem power source if the one doing it just happens to be a master transmuter and golemancer? *wink wink*

All good questions.

Necromancy as a magical art is viewed as evil. Now, necromancers or those who raise the dead can make logical arguments to state that what they are doing is not in fact evil, like in some of your arguments. While I agree that undead zombies and skeles are soulless/mindless they once were living creatures that did have souls (ok we can argue this one, but bear with me) and reanimating their bodies for whatever purpose is viewed by good-aligned characters on a sliding scale from "distasteful" to "moral outrage" depending on who they are and what they believe in. On our server I don't think that anyone who animates the dead, for any reason, would ever be viewed as doing something "good" by having a zombie follower/squire/butler/body guard, etc etc.

With regards to casting other necromantic spells, remember that not everyone has spellcraft and will know the exact nature of the spell you are casting. Even other practised casters might not recognize the magic or what it does. You can be persecuted by a distrustful barbarian (if RPed properly) for casting basic magic spells, as you could by an epic level wizard who just doesn't like the look of you too... Again this falls onto the alignment continuum for what characters will tolerate - a LG pally might not want to be partied up with an evil or neutrally aligned player regardless of their background (ie being a necromancer) while a CN thief might have no issues with a necromancer creating undead or using negative energy magic. CG or NG characters might be able to tolerate some level of necromancy but there might be limits to what they would be willing to see/do in a party. What is viewed as good and evil is subjective to the characters, the situation in terms of who else is there, and the geogrpahy that you are standing in. Having an undead follower summoned to your Drow party in the UD might be viewed as normal, so to speak, while at the FAI not so much.

Finally to the end-round question (I love these ones guys.. how can I bend the rules without breaking them and how far can I take it... love it!) I would say that you could totally RP a way to animate dead and say it is the same magic that goes into making a golem so as to fool people, but you would have a hard time trying to convince anyone with and INT of 10 or more who would see it as evil; that it was anything but a reanimated corpse... "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." This question opens up whole realms of others: what if I put a skeltal arm inside of clay/stone/iron and THEN animated it so that you didn't see it (i.e. Helmed Horror type of undead) In PnP D&D I think you could do a lot more rule bending. Here if the thing looks like a zombie, smells like a zombie, groans llike a zombie, it's a zombie. If you have a zombie that you are RPing has been made by golem-creating-magic and not necromancy, you will do a lot of explaining over and over and over again to people who might a) not believe you, or b) not care and bash it anyway.

Great questions - keep them coming!

Here's something someone asked me the other day - when was the last time you had really great news, and what was it?

My daughter got a call last night and she has a summer job lined up.

Hidennka wrote:Hey Ark, I'd be interested on hearing your thoughts about Druids and alcohol. I've heard varying opinions as to whether or not a druid who has reached level nine in that class is able to get drunk or not. Some people have argued that alcohol is a poison and therefore a druid is immune to it after this level, while others have said it only applies to venom and the like and that they shouldn't be affected.

Curious to know your viewpoint.

I did a little research and consensus seems to be that alcohol is a poison for the purposes of a druid's immunity. I think it is important to look at two word here: what is poison, and what does immunity mean. Because alcohol is generally not used maliciously, i.e. the drinker does not intentionally set out to kill themselves by drinking, we tend to view it as being something we like rather than as a poison so logically we'd like to argue that because the effects of alcohol are desired (in terms of getting yourself drunk) that it is not bad for you, therefore not poisonous, therefore druids can get drunk. I think that is a stretch.
When it comes to immunity there are two, medical types: innate and adaptive. With druids we want to argue that it is innate as it is a feature of that class, but because it is only confired at 9th level it shows us that it is adaptive. Over time, as a druid levels up, their resistance to alcohol would grow stronger, and at 9th lv have no effects whatsoever. I wouls say to correctly RP a druid who drinks, that if they really wanted to be a drinker and have he alcohol get them drunk, that they shouldn't advance to 9th level unntil they have dealt with their problem... lol!
I also read an article arguing that alchol is a disease for the purposes of DnD and not a poison and therefore druids can get drunk. Alcoholism is the disease, alcohol is a poison. Interesting discussion.

hello Arkanis what job did you re daughter line up to iam sure it havent to do in a store of DnD right but iam so you well have love if it if it was a store of DnD hehe

DM Arkanis wrote:Alcoholism is the disease, alcohol is a poison.

This gives interesting ideas for RP. Imagine a druid who drinks a lot of alcohol and likes getting drunk. He pretty quickly becomes a proper alcoholic. But at the same time he also progresses as a druid, and upon reaching level 9, he is immune to the effects of alcohol. But he's still an alcoholic. Must be annoying. You can no longer achieve what your addiction makes you crave. Best alcoholism cure ever.

Lockonnow wrote:hello Arkanis what job did you re daughter line up to iam sure it havent to do in a store of DnD right but iam so you well have love if it if it was a store of DnD hehe

LOL! Oh my friend, in my daughers eyes I am a reall nerd/geek in some ways. She is into Steampunk in a big way and if there were a store here she would work there in a minute, but not DnD... she isn't there yet...

Deathgrowl wrote:

DM Arkanis wrote:Alcoholism is the disease, alcohol is a poison.

This gives interesting ideas for RP. Imagine a druid who drinks a lot of alcohol and likes getting drunk. He pretty quickly becomes a proper alcoholic. But at the same time he also progresses as a druid, and upon reaching level 9, he is immune to the effects of alcohol. But he's still an alcoholic. Must be annoying. You can no longer achieve what your addiction makes you crave. Best alcoholism cure ever.

EXACTLY where I was going... lol! Suffering from any addiction is not funny, but I can only imagine the carnage one who had magical powers could create when they discovered that alcohol no longer did anything for them... oh my word...

DM Arkanis wrote:

Deathgrowl wrote:

DM Arkanis wrote:Alcoholism is the disease, alcohol is a poison.

This gives interesting ideas for RP. Imagine a druid who drinks a lot of alcohol and likes getting drunk. He pretty quickly becomes a proper alcoholic. But at the same time he also progresses as a druid, and upon reaching level 9, he is immune to the effects of alcohol. But he's still an alcoholic. Must be annoying. You can no longer achieve what your addiction makes you crave. Best alcoholism cure ever.

EXACTLY where I was going... lol! Suffering from any addiction is not funny, but I can only imagine the carnage one who had magical powers could create when they discovered that alcohol no longer did anything for them... oh my word...

That's it, I'm becoming a druid!

Is this IC information most Tyrrans are aware of?


Tyr came to Toril in -247 DR in an event known as the Procession of Justice. Bursting from a gate near modern-day Alaghon in Turmish, he led a force of 200 archons across the Vilhon Reach in an effort to pacify the remnants of ancient Jhaamdath, which had fallen to lawlessness and brigandage following that empire's destruction at the hands of its elven enemies. In the ensuing battle, Tyr's host slew Valigan Thirdborn, a lesser deity of anarchy whose rise in -269 DR directly coincided with the ascendance of the bloodthirsty Exarch Thelasand IV, who spurred the Emperor into greater conflict with the elves.
Tyr's actions and sacrifices during the Procession (which lasted until -238) attracted the attention of the previously obscure Ilmater, who joined forces with Tyr in -243 DR. Years later, long after the Procession had ended with most of Tyr's servants banished or killed and the deity himself taking interest in Toril at large at the expense of his initial, highly targeted campaign, Torm joined up as the Just God's war leader. Together with Ilmater, the deities become known as the Triad, by which they are still referred to this day.
Over the more than 1,600 years since his arrival, Tyr has expanded his dominance over the whole of Faerun-few are those who do not know his name or the enthusiastic ideals he represents. His is a civilizing voice, urging the construction of moral and legal codes and the administration of fair justice of sentient creatures in every land. In this regard he is both progressive and regressive, representing a force for cultural development in lands with corrupt or no legal systems and representing a stern defense of the status quo in nations with well-established codes of law.
Tyr's relatively short time on Toril has gained him a host of enemies. He fiercely opposes deities dedicated to tyranny, evil, or lawlessness, and bears particular enmity toward Bane, Cyric, Mask, Talona, and Talos.

Good morning Arkanis,

Do you know of any FR lore that mentions elven Paladins? I cannot recall any FR novel with a Paladin in it. I am assuming the lawful alignment is not something familiar to elves. Kinda like with monks. Would it be considered snowflake?

Hitman Hard wrote:Is this IC information most Tyrrans are aware of?


Tyr came to Toril in -247 DR in an event known as the Procession of Justice. Bursting from a gate near modern-day Alaghon in Turmish, he led a force of 200 archons across the Vilhon Reach in an effort to pacify the remnants of ancient Jhaamdath, which had fallen to lawlessness and brigandage following that empire's destruction at the hands of its elven enemies. In the ensuing battle, Tyr's host slew Valigan Thirdborn, a lesser deity of anarchy whose rise in -269 DR directly coincided with the ascendance of the bloodthirsty Exarch Thelasand IV, who spurred the Emperor into greater conflict with the elves.
Tyr's actions and sacrifices during the Procession (which lasted until -238) attracted the attention of the previously obscure Ilmater, who joined forces with Tyr in -243 DR. Years later, long after the Procession had ended with most of Tyr's servants banished or killed and the deity himself taking interest in Toril at large at the expense of his initial, highly targeted campaign, Torm joined up as the Just God's war leader. Together with Ilmater, the deities become known as the Triad, by which they are still referred to this day.
Over the more than 1,600 years since his arrival, Tyr has expanded his dominance over the whole of Faerun-few are those who do not know his name or the enthusiastic ideals he represents. His is a civilizing voice, urging the construction of moral and legal codes and the administration of fair justice of sentient creatures in every land. In this regard he is both progressive and regressive, representing a force for cultural development in lands with corrupt or no legal systems and representing a stern defense of the status quo in nations with well-established codes of law.
Tyr's relatively short time on Toril has gained him a host of enemies. He fiercely opposes deities dedicated to tyranny, evil, or lawlessness, and bears particular enmity toward Bane, Cyric, Mask, Talona, and Talos.

I would think that the general information here would be known to the leaders of the church of Tyr but most likely not by most noivices, or those who didn't worship him (and have some scholarly ability, learning, etc.) and have knoweldge of the god on a deeper level other than he is a god. The fact that Tyr has enemies would be pretty much a given, for example. The very specifics of -247 DR may not be all that well known.

TheKai wrote:Good morning Arkanis,

Do you know of any FR lore that mentions elven Paladins? I cannot recall any FR novel with a Paladin in it. I am assuming the lawful alignment is not something familiar to elves. Kinda like with monks. Would it be considered snowflake?

I found this at http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Paladin

"Many paladins are human or half-elves, whose sense of ambition and purpose makes the two races excellent champions of an ideal or the divine. Dwarves are in some ways, due to their cultural tradition of discipline and religious devotion, well-suited for the life of a paladin, though it means putting ideals before family and clan, which can be hard on dwarves. However, shield dwarves make uncommonly good paladins in many cases. Dragonborn also make good paladins, but because few are truly religious, their numbers are small. Elven and eladrin paladins are also relatively rare, partially due to the chaotic tendencies of both races. Among other races, paladins are far rarer still, with the exception of strongheart halflings. Paladins can also be found widely in the regions of Cormyr, the Dalelands, Damara, Impiltur, Silverymoon, and Waterdeep. Before the Spellplague many also came from Luiren and Mulhorand."

It says RARE for elven pallys but not completely out of the question. The rest of the article has great information about pallys in general.

Ark

I'd just like to add that a Sun Elf would probably be the best fit for an elven paladin, as their sub-race is the one that takes religion the most seriously. Wood Elves, who consider gods to be distant forces and eschew clerics in favor of druids, would probably be the least likely to follow that path of worship.

Anything is possible if you can come up with a good, interesting reason though.