Ancients
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Ancients
Ancients are one of the oldest races known to exist. Their origins are unknown though it predates that of even the elves and possibly even that of the dragons (though that is a topic of some debate among scholars). Most people know little if anything about this reclusive race as they tend to isolate themselves within their cities where they study books and work to create powerful magic items. The cities themselves are usually found in remote areas such as in the middle of a large desert or a vast mountain range and are almost always shielded with powerful magic to prevent travelers from wandering into their city accidentally. For instance the city might be invisible to all those further then 100 feet away from its outer wall or it could cause anyone approaching the area of the city to be misdirected so that they are led around the city without ever realizing it.
Ancients look almost identical to humans though they tend to be slightly taller and thinner they are otherwise indistinguishable. An ancient spends the first 100 years of his or her life studying basics and growing up. Upon reach 100 years of age they take on an apprenticeship under another ancient of the appropriate type to learn their craft and master their innate abilities. During the beginning of their apprenticeship they spend time being schooled by both their master and various tutors (usually either bard storytellers or others of their chosen profession. As time goes on and the student learns more he begins rising in level. As he does so the time he spends with his tutors lessens and the time spent with his master increases until he rarely if ever sees his tutors. This goes on until the young ancient reaches 8th to 12th level.
Once an apprentice has reached this point his master sends him on a journey outside of the ancients city which usually lasts for 1d4 years. This journey serves several purposes. First it expands the apprentices horizons as he travels among the different cultures and learns all that he can. The second purpose is for the master to reap some benefits for teaching his pupil. While on the journey the apprentice must tithe a small percentage of all money that he makes to his master, the amount varies as explain below. After the predetermined time has elapsed the young ancient returns to the city (usually by magical means) and his apprenticeship is considered over.
Before being sent out on his journey several things must be determined. First an ancients spell book (if he is a mage or bard) will typically have 6 first level spells + 2 additional spells for each level of the ancient including first. Second he has at least one magic item of weak to medium power (for an ancient anyway), a stone of recall with one charge in it that has been magical enchanted so that only ancients can use it (When used it teleports the individual to a location near the ancient city), and 1d4 potions, at least one of which is almost always extra healing. Last an apprentice is geased to tithe 10% of all the money that he makes on his journey to his master.
In the above scenario the apprentice would be sent to explore the world for 2 years and upon returning give a full discourse of his travel show any interesting magic items found on those travels and lastly hand over any money remaining to be tithed to his master that has not already been magically sent. Note however this is not always the arrangement (just one of the most common examples). The arrangement is determined by both the master and apprentice and is usually altered in one of the following ways. First the apprentice often wants access to more magical item or more powerful magical items. Depending on what is desired the length of time for the journey and/or the percentage of the tithe can be increased accordingly. The exact arrangement should be determined by the player & DM using the above as a basis or starting point for negotiations. Note also that if the DM so chooses the journey can take the nature of an actual quest (usually to retrieve a particular item for the master).
Ancients have many innate powers which are developed as they rise in level and that tend to reflect their chosen path in life (class). However several things about their innate powers do not change. First they all revolve around magic items and the creation of magic items. Second, their are certain powers such as the ability to identify magic items which they acquire regardless of what class they are (though the level at which it is acquired may be different depending on the class). Lastly, all ancients regardless of level have the ability to use a magical items regardless of class restrictions and see and feel magical radiations allowing them to detect magic in much the same way as the spell of the same name can. The remainder of their powers are described under the characters class.
Ancients have a +2 bonus to their Intelligence & Wisdom but suffer a –2 penalty to their strength and charisma. Their charisma is primarily a result of their solitary lifestyle.
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this looks like ninja-speak… doesn’t sound like something i wrote
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Its a Ninja writeup, Onaga was asking about Ancients, and thats what i was able to find. We may have something more worthy of the new Manaverse, i just haven’t found it, or had time to write it.
Probably will need to rework it, for the 10E/Manaverse blend we are doing.
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seems like there was a brief Arg story about the ancients and powermasters, once upon a daerma… wunner where cloud hid that away to ?
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seems like there was a brief Arg story about the ancients and powermasters, once upon a daerma… wunner where cloud hid that away to ?
https://daerma.com/history-lore/arg-discusses-the-origins-of-the-power-masters-and-the-ancients/
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I should probably just shut down the main site. Or turn it into a feed oh here.
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ha !! just reread it - and in the story it talks about wolfgang finding the axe of the dwarvish lords for daren
what’re the odds ? -
Ohh yeah… there it is. That is some pretty amazing odds.
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From the SRD:
Wands: A typical wand is 6 inches to 12 inches long and about ¼ inch thick, and often weighs no more than 1 ounce. Most wands are wood, but some are bone. A rare few are metal, glass, or even ceramic, but these are quite exotic. Occasionally, a wand has a gem or some device at its tip, and most are decorated with carvings or runes.
Rods: Rods weigh approximately 5 pounds. They range from 2 feet to 3 feet long and are usually made of iron or some other metal. (Many, as noted in their descriptions, can function as light maces or clubs due to their sturdy construction.)
Staffs: A typical staff is 4 feet to 7 feet long and 2 inches to 3 inches thick, weighing about 5 pounds. Most staffs are wood, but a rare few are bone, metal, or even glass. (These are extremely exotic.) Staffs often have a gem or some device at their tip or are shod in metal at one or both ends. Staffs are often decorated with carvings or runes.
Dwarf i distantly remember something the Argopolis City Ancient designing wands that could attach together to form a rod, and likewise rods that could attach together to form staffs. Allowing him to do several different things, do you remember that? I thought it was the Argopolis City Ancient, maybe it was Arg…or someone else, i honestly am not sure. Regardless was that a Ancient thing, or something anyone could do?
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currently have no memory of that… try asking drunk me next time you encounter him - he seems to occasionally remember things that sober me has forgotten
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@halfgiant said in Ancients:
Regardless was that a Ancient thing, or something anyone could do?
This would make an item artifact level.
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@daermadm well I think it depends if you could theoretically attach two wands together (for the sake of argument say one was fireball and the other lightening bolt, and now you have a magical rod that can cast either fireball or lightening bolt. I wouldn’t necessarily say that is a artifact. Would have to see how that builds in a few more examples/combinations. They would still be governed by normal spell trigger rules. It just provided some flexibility in configuration.
I think the Ancient part was they could stack 3 fireball wands as a rod or staff (possibly more), and with one charge get all of them to fire plus trigger multiple charges…this part was the Ancient ability and how they magnified affects thru items. At least thats how i remembered it, not saying that is correct, just how i remembered it.
Now to get an accurate recollection, we will have to trick the Dwarf into drinking beer, so his brain gets properly lubricated to access those long lost memory centers.
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@halfgiant if putting them together like you are talking about still only let’s them be wands and shooting only one per round, no, that is not an artifact.
I was assuming that by jacking in a wand of fire and a wand of lightning you were thinking to Have a rod that casts some amalgamation fireball lightning bolt with a single charge from a rod cube that would be an artifact class combination.
Minor artifact, but artifact. Mostly because of the free form spell combine functionality.
