Tywyll
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Posts: 217
Joined: Mon 30 Sep 2019, 15:08

Finding a Path of Death Teacher

Thu 11 Jun 2020, 00:29

How hard should it be to find a teacher for a Sorcerer, specifically for Path of Death? Though I gave my sorcerer player a legend of the Five Witches in Spire of Q, he went in the opposite direction. He's had potention opportunities to learn Path of Stone and Path of Elementalism and even Path of Blood from a desperate Revel, which he's turned down because he really wants to be a necromancer. I rolled a random village that has an 'evil sorcerer' ruler which to me sounds like Path of Blood/Symbolism, and he's trying to get to see her, but I figure he'll be disappointed when he finds out she isn't a Path of Death user. The character wouldn't learn it from a Rust Brother (though they are really too far north for many Rust Followers).

So I want to make sure I'm not just being unnecessarily difficult for him. I just kind of figure most such individuals would keep that shit under wraps (like he does) so finding a teacher would be difficult. Also I get the vibe that Sorcerers are not exactly out in the open in most cases (though maybe Elementalists and Path of Stone are a little more open about their practices).

Note, he has no interest in spending the triple xp to learn it in the absense of a teacher.
 
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Cathan
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Joined: Tue 25 Feb 2020, 17:52

Re: Finding a Path of Death Teacher

Thu 11 Jun 2020, 04:32

Maybe have him find the notes of a necromancer and have that count as a teacher. Give a little, get a little.
 
Tywyll
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Posts: 217
Joined: Mon 30 Sep 2019, 15:08

Re: Finding a Path of Death Teacher

Thu 11 Jun 2020, 09:23

Maybe have him find the notes of a necromancer and have that count as a teacher. Give a little, get a little.
That's actually my thought on if the sorceress turns out to not have Path of Death (I'm going to roll it randomly).

But I'm not asking how to provide a teacher, I'm asking if it should be rare and difficult or if I'm putting up 'unfair' roadblocks. I know GM perogative and all that, but I am looking to see how other GM's handled stuff like that. Also in light of the fact that I've given him opportunities to learn other magical forms besides his primary one (this player will play a necromancer in any game he's allowed to).
 
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Konungr
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Re: Finding a Path of Death Teacher

Thu 11 Jun 2020, 10:12

I think magic teachers across the board are rare. It's not that spell casters are not out there. It's that getting one to be willing to teach you is a difficult proposition. Magic is powerful and seems to be often a guarded secret of those with power. Nobody is just teaching anyone. The druids wouldn't just teach anyone and their magic is arguably the easiest to access.

The player wants to learn. Cool. But what is he offering any teacher he might find?
 
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Cathan
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Joined: Tue 25 Feb 2020, 17:52

Re: Finding a Path of Death Teacher

Thu 11 Jun 2020, 23:31

Sorry if I didn't explicitly answer your question. For me it does boil down to whether the player is enjoying some road blocks or if they serve to frustrate. I would provide a clear way to find a way to "level" any skill a player wants, but at the cost. The cost could simply be completing a msall adventure session around their goal. So in your case I would use my book example, but have them have to do something to get them or access them. Break in? Complete a quest and get a book as a reward? I'm sure I could come up with something on the fly that worked in with the over plot of my campaign.
 
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Ebrim
Posts: 468
Joined: Tue 30 Jul 2019, 22:51

Re: Finding a Path of Death Teacher

Fri 12 Jun 2020, 04:51

I mean he's also perfectly free to learn the skill for the higher xp cost too...

Recently, I had a sorcerer find a grimoire which they could use in place of a teacher, so yeah that's also an option.
 
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Konungr
Posts: 543
Joined: Mon 10 Jun 2019, 09:39

Re: Finding a Path of Death Teacher

Fri 12 Jun 2020, 07:44

Yeah. Have them fight a lich. (Death knight sorcerer) and if they survive they can recover his spell book.
 
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Brior
Posts: 934
Joined: Sat 09 Apr 2011, 10:59

Re: Finding a Path of Death Teacher

Fri 12 Jun 2020, 09:48

I'll treat you to a tidbit from the Aslene expansion that I'm currently writing. It might provide what you're looking for.

”In Aslene as well as in Ravenland it's not uncommon for deceased persons to keep walking about as restless dead. The Order of Egression is a loose gathering of necromancers who help the living pass into death. The so called egressors visit villages, where they are respected but feared. They sit during the nights, conversing with the restless dead in funeral grounds. They might also raise the already dead if they sense that something is left unfinished. These talks often result in the dead actually coming to rest, but sometimes matters first have to be concluded. The egressor might speak to the relatives about what needs to be done to put the dead to rest, and thus keep their anger from affecting the crop and happiness of the village. Egressors might also claim revenge in the name of the dead as needed. In cases of major, remaing injustice or evil, the egressor may actually take on revenge as a personal quest, sparing no effort in hunting down the perpetrators. An egressor often keeps a retinue of undead servants doing penance. As a rule, these are misdoers that the necromancer personally has brought down. It is believed that the souls of these penitents are held prisoner by the Vanth, demon night huntresses and daughters of the moon, who hunt them for sport in forests that the day never reaches.

The Order of Egression serve the Nightwalker in their deeds, but also honour the moon goddess Eor and Wyrm, who they call Eating Wyrm, as symbolized by the maggots that eat the flesh of the dead. Indeed, the egressors carry cans of maggots that they ritually sprinkle on the dead that they have calmed. The egressors often refer to themselves as psychopomps, which signals an ancient relationship to the Wyrm church. The Wyrm church does not recognize or even accept such a relationship.”
 
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Brior
Posts: 934
Joined: Sat 09 Apr 2011, 10:59

Re: Finding a Path of Death Teacher

Fri 31 Dec 2021, 02:09

Some musing on two books I've read and their use in my Ravenland fantasy writing.
https://erik-granstrom.blogspot.com/202 ... ssion.html
 
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Konungr
Posts: 543
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Re: Finding a Path of Death Teacher

Fri 31 Dec 2021, 03:58

Very cool Brior. Thanks for sharing.

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