Elven Forest Keeper lifepath

[csjames75]

Hello all, I'm still very new to the Burning Wheel game but am fascinated by the open-ended nature of the system. I was hoping some of you more experienced players could help me balance a new lifepath I'm trying to develop to equate with a Elven druid.

In my mind it would go like this -

Born Wilder Elf 20 yrs 1 5 — Citadel 4 pts General; 2 pts: Singing, Read, Elven Script

Gatherer 40 yrs — 3 +1 Phy — 5 pts: Rhyme of the Gatherer§; Foraging, Herbalism, Orienteering

Forest Keeper 45 yrs - 10 +1 Men - 4 points: Song of Arbors, Summoning, Astronomy, Treewise, Animal Husbandry

Ideally, this character would be Keeper of the Wood, an elf who lives in the forest and communicates with the unnamed spirits of the land.

Any other suggestions for building this type of character?

[Drozdal]

You might check Lifepath Creation Guidelines (http://www.burningwheel.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=99) for some balancing and inspiration.. More feedback on your stuff later...

[csjames75]

Thanks Drozdal, very useful stuff. I think probably at least one trait point would be granted through the Forest Keeper lifepath according to those guidelines.

[Drozdal]

Thanks Drozdal, very useful stuff. I think probably at least one trait point would be granted through the Forest Keeper lifepath according to those guidelines.
Yes, and also you may try to develop some traits for those LP's yourself, just to add some color and help people understand nature of those characters better.

AFAIR Lp Creation Guidelines were developed with humans in mind, as you can see Elfs tend not to get as many trait points as humans, because they start game with quite a list ofcommon traits, that are very beneficial for them. But still you may give them 1 point per LP and list requied trait (that you have to pick up and pay this one point). For example:

Gatherer 1 trait point: Patient

[luke]

Hi James,
I think you're treading into dangerous territory giving Elves Summoning. For a couple of reasons: Summoning requires the trait the Gift. The Gift costs 5 pts. Most Elven characters don't get 5 trait points to spend.

Also, Elven magic centers on songs. Giving them Sorcery type magic and songs is incredibly potent.

Why not give the Forest Keeper a special song? What do you see the character doing with that ability? Sumoning a demon or two? ;)

=Luke

PS Revised lifepath creation guidelines can be found in the Monster Burner

[Kevin]

I would guess that he's looking to summon Nameless spirits as per the draft chapter from the Magic Burner? The idea makes some sense, but I can't help that think that forest spirits and elves should have a less adversarial relationship than the rules for Summoning imply.

Maybe elves could bargain rather than bind for the Nameless spirits?

[jc_madden]

Song of the Nameless SyllablesOb x 10

ob3 bid spirits to aid you: -1ob on foresty things
ob4 bid spirits detain your foes: spirits attempt to grapple and lock
ob5 bid spirits to send a missive: spirits whipser your message to anyone else in their forest
ob6 bid spirits to harbor your passage/protect you: spirits guide you to Tir Nan Ogg or the "land on the other side", you step "sideways" into an extradimensional space that is the hidden lands of the spirit people. You are unefected by time or space and cannot be located by any means from the living worlds save mediumship (time passes normally there is just no hunger or need to sleep for you). There could be a possible danger to staying in the spirit lands too long like having to stay forever or being bound to some service by the spirit folk.

Just a quick idea I had.

[csjames75]

Yes, I think you're absolutely right. What I want to accomplish with an Elven Forest Keeper can be done through the use of new songs, summoning isn't entirely needed. Something like what jc's Song of the Nameless Spirit is a good start. Probably best to stay within a single system rather than try to piecemeal through Elven songs and summoning. I'll just need to make the songs flexible enough to retain that animistic shaman feel I'm looking for, very open-ended.

Song of Arbors makes perfect sense and new songs could follow that mold.

Thanks so much for all your comments.

So what about a human Green Man type, a tribal shaman who communicates with spirits and enters the Otherworld? Would that be a candidate for summoning?

[luke]

So what about a human Green Man type, a tribal shaman who communicates with spirits and enters the Otherworld? Would that be a candidate for summoning?

I like jc's stuff a lot. It should be playtested and tweaked until it fits just right. The key to Elven Songs is to keep them subtle. No insane-blasto effects like Sorcery.


As for the Greenman/Druid type of character, you definitely want to use Nameless Summoning. If you want to talk about that, you should start another thread in the Magic Burner. Right, jc? (don't answer that!)

:roll:
-Luke

edited because i'm a dweeb

[jc_madden]

Hey thanks.