Author
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Topic: Aiel
Asha'man |
natearcher
Member Member # 122631
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posted January 15, 2003 11:26 PM
I've only
just begun book six, so how this has been handled in the
novels, or even if it has been, I cannot say.
I cannot
figure out how to work a class around this idea. I know it
must be possible, because male channelers exist.
One
could assume that an Aiel who could channel would still
recieve warrior training (example: Aviendha, Wise One and
former Maiden of the Spear). But without multi-classing and
starting the character at level 4 or 5, there seems to be no
way to handle this type of scenario.
I would appreciate
any ideas on this. any way anyone may have thought of to
handle it within the rules... I can't think of
any...
peace be with you.
Nate
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Aldamir
Member Member # 113139
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posted January 15, 2003 11:56 PM
IIRC all
male channelers found with the aiel are immediatly sent to the
blight were they kill as much of the shadowspawn as they can.
They even consider it an
honor
-------------------- Sanity is just a weird
form of madness
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natearcher
Member Member # 122631
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posted January 16, 2003 12:29 AM
well, that
answers how it was handled in the series itself.
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Tam al'Moff
Member Member # 79189
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posted January 16, 2003 12:44 AM
That
doesn't rule out the possibility of an Aeil being forced to
the dark if he was captured.
-------------------- If
it aint broke don't fix it.
From:
Scotland | Registered: Apr 2002 |
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Jak Shadow
Member Member # 39941
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posted January 16, 2003 02:25 AM
True, and
with the coming of the Car'a'carn and the formation of the
Black Tower it's possible (although VERY unlikely) that some
male Aiel Channellers might go
there...
-------------------- "I'm not feeling
very well, it must be the anthrax." ~ Saturday night Delta
Green, GenCon UK
From:
London, UK | Registered: Aug 2001 |
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Tam al'Moff
Member Member # 79189
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posted January 16, 2003 06:00 AM
Perhaps a
meeting with Rand and his being such a strong Taveren might
convince an Aeil to be tested and then join the Black
Tower???
-------------------- If it aint broke don't
fix it.
From:
Scotland | Registered: Apr 2002 |
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JosephKell
Member Member # 99447
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posted January 16, 2003 11:10 AM
I believe
the biggest question is how would an Aiel qualify for
Asha'man? They don't use swords, so would aiel spear be a fair
exchange: yes and no.
Yes reasons: Medium weapon (so
hard to conceal) that does 1d6 damage (if peircing) that has
20/x2 crit threat/multiplier.
No reasons: Aiel Spear is
a simple weapon, so wilders would already have proficiency.
Algai'd'siswai get profiency and weapon focus, making this a
way to cut short (he he he, book joke) another feat to
purchase, and get weapon focus.
Other solution: Make
the Aiel Male Channeler(s) learn to use a sword, and wear it
not use it or not wear it and use a spear.
My thought
on why asha'man use swords is based on history: (Long) Swords
were typically only used by the elite and command squads. Most
other units in low tech armies used pikes/shields or (battle)
axes/shields. Long Swords were more effective at close combat
than axes (but axes, if lodged in, effectively give you
control of your very unhappy victim), and the Long Swords were
used to recover and fill the holes when Pikemen failed. Metal
was precious, and a weapon that was 90% wood with just a metal
head was easier to mass produce than a sword (which is
practically all metal, except sometimes the hilt). And this
doesn't even mention that many armies before the medieval
times didn't even have steel or iron (in Greece, copper was
used with zinc to make bronze for weapons like shortswords).
Finally, what is more Guardian like, a man in a clean
black suit with a shiny sword or a man in a clean black suit
with a shiny axe.
Book Joke: In the series the Aiel
were related to the Tinkers, and they cut a spear shorter for
a woman that wanted to go with the men, and that is where the
Aiel (short) spear came
from.
-------------------- Instant Message me @
JonERPG on the AIMer
Visit AielManSpear
-If you cast Meteor
Swarm to avoid wasting your REALLY good spells... -If your
character sheet is longer than the Player's Handbook... -If
you have a magic item that can destroy the world...with four
charges left... -If the God of Destiny asks you what will
have next... ...you might be a Munchkin.
From:
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Shadowkiller
Member Member # 110597
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posted January 16, 2003 03:46 PM
One of my
players wanted to be an Aiel Asha'man when we begun the game
but I told him it was impossible as there was no chance for a
male aiel channeler to even get far when channeling because he
would kill himself. This is what originally spawned my idea to
start 20 years after tarmon gaidon. In truth, Ashaman learn
the sword in order to defend themselves if they dont have the
One Power. As an Aiel already knows how to defend himself, why
shouldnt he be allowed in using on a spear, I'm sure he is
just as deadly with it.
-------------------- Children of
the Dragon ^My Website^
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natearcher
Member Member # 122631
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posted January 16, 2003 06:01 PM
all
interesting thoughts... Since Rand is goign to be fighting the
Dark One at Tarmon Gaidon, why wouldn't some of the Aiel
channelers want to go there instead of directly to the Blight.
They know that he brings change, and what sense says that this
isnt one of those changes?
but my question is not
whether they would not go to the blight. it is how to handle
one that wnated to go into the blight knowing what he's doing.
Common sense (even by Aiel standards) would say that you don't
go in to battle til you know how to use the spear.
but
how to get the character to be a Lvl 1 Asha'man, and still
have skill in the things he would have learned as an Aiel?
this is my question, if more elaborate.
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aleshandre
Member Member # 27286
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posted January 17, 2003 04:26 AM
For Aiel
Ash Aman, the only way to really handle it is by the
following: 1) Modify the requirements if the background is
Aiel - not requiring the sword proficiency. 2) In game
requirement the Aiel must be Siswai-Aman (all others would
likely go into the Blight). 3) Start as Alg, then
multiclass to either Wild or Init, then take the levels in
Ash.
There are other ways to do it, but this requires
the least tweaking.
-------------------- Stupidity
is not a crime, so you're free to go. Normal people
frighten me. I've never heard of freinds or relatives of
serial killers saying, "He was crazy, I knew he was going to
snap sooner or later and start killing people". They always
seem to say, "He was such a nice normal young man",
etc. Atleast with crazy people, you know to watch your
back! My web page, new & improved: http://geocities.com/aleshandre@sbcglobal.net/
From:
temple,tx,usa | Registered: Jun 2001
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Elsbon
Member Member # 25397
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posted January 17, 2003 10:33 AM
I think
aleshandre has it right there. This was actually my first
character concept that I had for our current WoT campaign. I
eventually ditched it because of how painful it is to come up
with stats for a decent fighter/channeler using point-buy (he
would have been marginal at both, and I'd already played a
jack-of-all trades in the game before).
From:
Ann Arbor, MI USA | Registered: Jun 2001
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Vish213
Member Member # 103622
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posted February 03, 2003 09:07 PM
Aloha. Its
been a long time since I've been online, but, I was just
talking about male Aiel channelers with my sister, and we came
more to this conclusion:
I don't think there would be
Aiel Asha'man, really. The Aiel kind of segregate themselves
from wetlanders. Their culture is different, and they don't
seem to want to 'lower' themselves by adopting wetlander ways.
Remember, they speak back ro Rand, recognize no kings, and all
that jazz.
What I DO think might happen, since I'm only
a third through book 10 right now, and don't know if this is
addressed or not, is that the male Aiel channelers will form a
society like the Maidens did, or maybe some sort of tradition,
like the Wise Ones. With the Taint gone, and I'm sure the Aiel
will find out with the rest of the world, male channelers
won't have to go to the Blight to hunt the Dark One and
die.
-------------------- Where The Shadow
Waits http://wot213.tripod.com/where_the_shadow_waits.htm
From:
Yonkers, NY | Registered: Aug 2002 |
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JosephKell
Member Member # 99447
|
posted February 03, 2003 09:09 PM
Ooooooooo... Men in Black Cabin'sor wiht shiny short
spears channeling at
shadowspawn...
-------------------- Instant Message
me @ JonERPG on the AIMer
Visit AielManSpear
-If you cast Meteor
Swarm to avoid wasting your REALLY good spells... -If your
character sheet is longer than the Player's Handbook... -If
you have a magic item that can destroy the world...with four
charges left... -If the God of Destiny asks you what will
have next... ...you might be a Munchkin.
From:
California | Registered: Aug 2002 |
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Lt.Cmdr.VaSuvik Member Member
# 55607
|
posted February 03, 2003 10:34 PM
I think a
plausible way this could work is if the Aiel started out as a
algai'di'swis (sp?) and was assigned to Rand's bodyguard for
awhile. What he has not realized is that he does have the
spark (either a potential wilder or undeveloped initiate).
Here you can go two ways:
1st: He channels for the
first time by accident during a battle (or perhaps when trying
to foil a gray man assassination). Rand sees this and orders
him to the Black Tower to serve the greater good at the final
battle.
2nd: While accompanying Rand on a visit to the
Farm, one of the Asha'man testers decides to make a point to a
new recruit about how the testing is specifc for channelers
and picks the Aiel out as a "negative control". Only it turns
out that the channel test comes back positive and he gets
recruited by the Black Tower.
Basically you probably
can't start out a channeler because the ones that are old
enough would already have been sent off to the Blight and even
the ones that are newly found will need the force of Rand
backing his Black Tower (and the argument of the greater
good/purpose) to convince the Aiel to break with
tradition.
As for the sword requirement, well
considering that the way I have described this Aiel, he is
already "behind" by at least one level in his channeling
ability compared to a straight wilder or initiate. That should
be "penalty" enough to compare with having to take the Martial
Weapon Prof.
Just an
idea.
-------------------- "the only thing you have
to fear is fear itself" - a wise man "oh yeah, well what
about fearing a fear of fear hmm??" - a wise ass
From:
Baltimore | Registered: Dec 2001 |
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aleshandre
Member Member # 27286
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posted February 04, 2003 07:11 AM
Lt, that's
the reasoning that I was using when I made my post above.
Though I figure that only channellers among the siswai
aman would even consider staying and becoming an
Asha'man. I don't think that any arguments for "the
greater good" would work, but if it was approached like: "Men
who can channel have toh to the world for the breaking,
now we must fill that toh by fighting the Dark One at
Tarmon Gaidon. No one man alone will be able to fill this
toh. It requires us all to work together...." This is
most likely to succeed in overcoming the belief that they
should go into the Blight alone. ![[Big Grin]](Wizards_Com Boards Aiel Asha'man_fichiers/biggrin.gif)
-------------------- Stupidity is not a
crime, so you're free to go. Normal people frighten me.
I've never heard of freinds or relatives of serial killers
saying, "He was crazy, I knew he was going to snap sooner or
later and start killing people". They always seem to say, "He
was such a nice normal young man", etc. Atleast with
crazy people, you know to watch your back! My web page, new
& improved: http://geocities.com/aleshandre@sbcglobal.net/
From:
temple,tx,usa | Registered: Jun 2001
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theSaj
Member Member # 96041
|
posted February 04, 2003 09:16 AM
See
Below
[ February 04, 2003, 09:22 AM: Message
edited by: theSaj ]
-------------------- "To
Die is to Live No More!"
From:
New Haven, Connecticut | Registered: Jul 2002
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theSaj
Member Member # 96041
|
posted February 04, 2003 09:18 AM
WARNING:
From someone who played exactly such a
character, this character has a tendency to be an
uber-character.
First off, let me address this
issue..."all male channelers found with the aiel are
immediatly sent to the blight were they kill as much of the
shadowspawn as they can. They even consider it an honor"
Note, this was because of the destruction that they
brought. Same as why the rest of WoT realms killed or stilled
male channellers. Since times have changed, the Black Tower,
etc. This greatly reduces the "de facto" state of behaviors.
Although I do agree with the above post that this option
should be available for "Siswai-Aman" only.
As for the
sword issue, I think it's fairly non-issue. The spear is a
good equivalent. And there are one or more classes that one
could take that give sword proficiency free as well. So that's
moot too.
Now, to give some background for my
character.
He was a Siswai'd'algai. Which as a
character class is quite powerful for combat, especially
stealth combat. I also rolled some good stats. 18 and 2
17's.
I then had him multi-class as a Wilder
(repsresenting his awakening abilities as a channeler). He
began a journey into the blight. It is here that he
encountered an "Ashaman" who essentialy began to train him as
an initiate. (multi-classed as an Initiate). Mentor was
killed...
But essentially I eventually had a level 2
Algai'd'siswai, level Wilder, and level 1 initiate. (Now
remember, you get the bonus affinity and talent. This made for
a strong channeller, I spent all my other featrs and "bonus
channelling feats" on affinities. And quickly reached all five
affinities giving me a +1 level affect on my weaves. That
combined with someone who after reaching a few more levels of
algai'd'siswai started to have an outrageous move silently
bonus.
The character soon became a bit too powerful.
Especially as the story had a cross-over into the Forgotten
Realms (note, look at the Forgotten Realms book and you will
see a part of the map that describes... "The Spine of the
World" or something to that affect.) But harden air was a
pretty potent spell so was a maxed out firball. We eventually
suicided the character (in claim of madness) in order to
restore game balance.
But it was a fun and interesting
character....
-------------------- "To Die is to
Live No More!"
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