All Forums  Forgotten Realms Journals  Running the Realms  Some thoughts on ironing out Avatars/Aspects

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Screensize: 640 x 480 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 UserName: Password: Format Mode: Basic  Help  Prompt  Format: Font Andale Mono Arial Arial Black Book Antiqua Century Gothic Comic Sans MS Courier New Georgia Impact Lucida Console Script MT Bold Stencil Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana   Size 1 2 3 4 5 6   Color Black Red Yellow Pink Green Orange Purple Blue Beige Brown Teal Navy Maroon LimeGreen Message: * HTML is OFF * Forum Code is ON Smilies [quote][i]Originally posted by KnightErrantJR[/i] [br][b][u]Consolidated Aspect Rules/Avatar Status for Singular Outsiders[/u][/b] These rules are essentially a guideline to streamline and clarify the various definitions and rulings about aspects as well as what outsiders can and cannot do. Keep in mind, these rules will only be useful if you do not assume that the statistics for the various outsiders in the Fiendish Codex series, for example, are the statistics for the actual beings depicted. The original intent and definition of “aspect” in the game has become somewhat more muddied as well, and as such, the definition of aspects and the contrast to avatars will be clarified as well. Hopefully this will restore the original thought process behind the concept of aspects. [b]Planar Lords and Their Statistics[/b] Various power outsiders exist in the planes. Some examples of these creatures include the Princes of Elemental Evil, the various Celestial Paragons, the Demon Lords, and the Arch Devils, not to mention the deities themselves. Many of these outsiders, by nature of the fact that they are indeed outsiders, have a special tie to the planes that they exist on. All of these beings can be considered to be DR 0 by normal Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 rules, but there are also some exceptions to how this works. While these creatures can be considered DR 0 in most cases, when they are within a planar realm that they themselves control, they are actually treated as more powerful than they would normally be. Thus, when Asmodeus is in the hells in general, he might be considered to have a few more divine ranks, and in his own palace in Nessus he may even be treated as far more powerful than he would be at other times and in other places. In general, any planar ruler that actually has control over a specific planar domain may add a number of DR to his rank, but only where this would apply. For example, Asmodeus is ruler over all nine layers of Baator, thus, in Hell, no matter where he is, he has a DR of 9. In Nessus, where Asmodeus is the planar ruler as well, his DR is considered to be 10, and in his specific palace in Nessus, his DR is 11. Planar creatures that only hold a part of a plane gain a DR of 1 in their native region of that plane. If they also control the rest of the plane in addition to their own domain, they gain a DR of 1, for a total of DR 2. Graz'zt therefore is DR 2 anywhere in the planar layers he controls, and is DR 3 in his own personal domain on those planes. [b]Side Note on Divine Ranks and Planar Rulers:[/b] One of the reasons that various planar creatures strive for godhood is because of the stabilizing effect it has on their powers. Because of their ties to the areas they control, many planar creatures are virtually prisoners to the domains they rule, since as soon as they are outside of their area of control, their DR drops to 0, making them vulnerable, especially to all those enemies they have made while securing their planar realm. That having been said, some beings are so powerful within their domains, pursuing godhood is less lucrative. Asmodeus, for example, is quite powerful in his stronghold in Nessus, and it would take him a while to build up “legitimate” deific power if he were to become a true god. [b]Planar Powers and Avatars[/b] Normally only beings of DR 6 or higher can generate avatars (or in other words, gods that are at least lesser gods). However, outsiders that are singularly powerful and rule at least a part of a planar layer may draw upon the power of the plane itself to form an avatar, but in order to do so, they must actually create an artifact known as a soul object. This object connects to the forces of the plane itself, and allows them to tap into those forces to create a single avatar. This avatar is treated as DR 0 within the “base” creatures domain, and has no divine rank outside of the beings domain. In general, it is usually around 75% of the strength of the original, not including any powers derived from their divine ranks. If this avatar is slain outside of the domains of the planar lord, it takes a century to generate another avatar. If, for whatever reason, a planar lord is outside of its domain and slain (while it is a DR 0 creature), if it has an avatar in existance, the avatar becomes the “actual” planar lord as soon as the original form is slain. Thus, not only does this give the planar lord an “agent” to act on their behalf, but it can also act as a sort of “insurance policy” to keep the planar lord insulated from permanent death if they leave their domain. In general, the statistics for the various demon lords and princes, as well as the arch devils found in the Fiendish Codex series of books can be seen as the avatars of the planar lords that they represent. [b]Side Note on Planar Powers and Avatars:[/b] Over the years various planar lords have been noted as having been summoned, trapped, controlled, or banished from the Prime Material Plane. Many of these stories actually have to do with the avatars generated by the soul objects of various planar lords. [b]Planar Powers and Aspects[/b] Aspects are less powerful embodiments of powerful planar beings, generally tied to one particular aspect of their ongoing interests, which is why they are named thus. Therefore, an aspect of a given planar creature might not be concerned at all with the full range of the original being's interests, but will be narrowly focused on doing something that would advance one aspect of their interests. Aspects are created during upsurges of planar power, and are not automatically under the control of the planar beings that generate them. The interaction of the planar energy with some part of the personality of the original being creates the aspect, which is then created as an independent creature. Aspects are made of unstable planar energies, and as such, they rarely last a long time, but usually fade after a few days time. Aspects have some knowledge that their “core” being has, but this knowledge is always about the aspect that they represent, and is far from complete when compared to the base creature it is spawned from. Because they are independent planar creatures made from unstable planar energies, there are no limits to how many aspects a given creature has. Usually the base creature has nothing to do with the generation of an aspect. There are a few exceptions to the above. When a follower of one of these planar beings casts a Planar Ally spell, a planar creature can use the ambient planar energies stirred up by the spell to create an aspect to send as an ally to the spellcaster. Also, while most aspects fade quickly, a given planar being can cause a manifestation to last longer by expending power into the aspect, although this is usually done by gods rather than arch devils, demon lords, or the like. [/quote]   Check here to include your profile signature. Check here to subscribe to this topic.