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[The Fool]

If I change the reason behind becoming a dragonborn can I keep the race as is? If so I'll make a backstory and post it with the feats to be approved.

[King_of_the_weasels]

If I change the reason behind becoming a dragonborn can I keep the race as is? If so I'll make a backstory and post it with the feats to be approved.

You have to come up with a reason that makes sense, and how you become one that makes sense.  Also I only don't let something in if they don't work in the world, you can make your character as broken as possible (as long as it isn't peasant rail gun style broken), I could care less about feats.

[The Fool]

Here is my first attempt to justify the dragonborn.

Spoiler: Reasoning behind the dragonborn (click to show/hide)

The original negotiators of the nation of High Tree were descendants of dragons. Every generation chooses a leader to govern over the army that protects the lands from bandits and raiders. The leader then is ritualistically polymorphed into a dragonborn as a symbol of dedication. This also make the leader obvious and harder to mistake for someone else. It also leads to draconic bloodlines scattered within High Tree from previous leaders.

I don't want to make a character broken to the point of unplayable party balance, but that doesn't mean it isn't tempting.

[King_of_the_weasels]

Here is my first attempt to justify the dragonborn.

Spoiler: Reasoning behind the dragonborn (click to show/hide)

The original negotiators of the nation of High Tree were descendants of dragons. Every generation chooses a leader to govern over the army that protects the lands from bandits and raiders. The leader then is ritualistically polymorphed into a dragonborn as a symbol of dedication. This also make the leader obvious and harder to mistake for someone else. It also leads to draconic bloodlines scattered within High Tree from previous leaders.

I don't want to make a character broken to the point of unplayable party balance, but that doesn't mean it isn't tempting.

Wait are you from High Tree or Frostfall?  Cause I though you were gonna be from Frostfall since they have the air domain that gives you like an extra 10 feet to fly speed, hence why you had wings.

Also what you described as a background for High Tree would make more sense if you were simply draconic, because draconic people ARE descendants of dragons.  but we could say they died out. Also while they're may be some bandits you wouldn't need an army to defend against them. Raiders are also unheard of.  So get rid of the general leader stuff and replace it with... I dunno. We could say, "oh it's just tradition" and that could work, but kinda lame.

Question is what is your base race?  Is that race the main race of high tree and the only one to become dragonborn?  Is there only 1 dragon born at any given time, does one have to die for another to be made?  How is the dragonborn chosen?  What happens and how long does the ritual take?


Yay cooperative world building.

[The Fool]

INTITIATE WALL O' TEXT.

Spoiler: History of High Tree (click to show/hide)

The High Tree was originally colonized by humans and gnolls working together in an attempt to purge the land of the fey. The Killoren living at the base of the High Tree were slowly pushed back, away from their homes during a bloody century long war. The gnolls forced their way into the tree and began to hollow out its roots and base to create makeshift caves to live in and store supplies in while the war raged on. After years of digging into the tree the gnolls and the humans carved new pathways up the tree to make room for their families without giving up their defensive position. When the Killoren found out what they were doing to the High Tree they decided that they had enough.

Not being strong enough to take on both the humans and the gnolls they decided to do something rash. They woke a green dragon, and with promises of a home under the High Tree, and a constant supply of food the dragon happily accepted the offer knowing that it could easily talk them into giving it more later. The Kiloren rode back to the High Tree on the massive green dragon's back. It's roar was as deafening as a thunderclap and even more intimidating than any gnoll. Within a day there was nary a gnoll that hadn't run away with their families in tow. Some members of both races remained after the dragon retook the High Tree, and thanks to the green dragon's persuasion they had to tend to the dragon as punishment. Any gnoll or human found even relatively close to the High Tree was forced into giving shiny objects to the dragon by the Killoren. Over time giving objects to the dragon became a sign of safe passage and even the Killoren sacrificed goods to the dragon, and after ten years since they came to the dragon for help the war had ended. No one wanted to risk angering the dragon living under the High Tree, but that isn't to say that the war didn't harm the High Tree.

The High Tree was dying from where the humans and gnolls carved their pathways and the dragon wasn't helping the situation. The dragon gnawed at the roots of the High Tree on slow days where sacrifices were few, almost as if it knew that it would anger the Killoren into feeding it more the next day. The tree was dying, but no one could do anything about it while the green dragon rested in its roots. When the dragon mysteriously died not a soul within the High Tree dared admit to the killing of the dragon. They hated the dragon, but it had brought peace to them after they lost nearly everything they had known, and by then even the gnolls were living peacefully among the Killorens. What happened next amazed the Killorens.

The High Tree started growing again. The dragon decaying at the tree's roots fed the tree just as the dragon had fed on the tree. The High Tree nearly doubled in size over the next one hundred years, and it was only then showing signs of slowing. The tunnels in the tree hadn't filled, and soon everyone began building onto the tree, creating platforms and buildings that jutted from the walls of the High Tree. The dragon had surely blessed them with the gift of life with its last breath.

When the races of the High Tree began to fight again the elder of the tree had an idea. Gathering the greatest sorcerers of the tree he had a representative of each race be polymorphed into a green humanoid dragon so that no race would be able to be bias during the negotiations, and that only a representative would know their true race. After the negotiations all three agreed that they would live their lives out in their new forms in case another conflict were to arise. When a representative dies another is selected to take their place.

This is based on information gathered from several D&D books. If it doesn't fit your vision of the world, please feel free to change it.

Base races of High Tree would be Humans, Killoren, Gnolls, and maybe the odd elven migrants.

[Vanigo]

So, what do they use for money if metal doesn't exist?

Also, have you given thought to what would replace material components and spell foci that normally require metal (typically gold or silver)?

[King_of_the_weasels]

So, what do they use for money if metal doesn't exist?

Also, have you given thought to what would replace material components and spell foci that normally require metal (typically gold or silver)?

They don't use money, they barter goods between regions. Goods are traded for other goods are services.  Think of it as every town works like a fortress pre-economy.  You get better stuff then others cause someone wanted you to have it or you were "entitled" to it, like an inheritance or heirloom.

Simply replace the component with anything else of equal "value". It's cost will determine how rare it is and if you actually have to trade for it.

[King_of_the_weasels]

INTITIATE WALL O' TEXT.

Spoiler: History of High Tree (click to show/hide)

The High Tree was originally colonized by humans and gnolls working together in an attempt to purge the land of the fey. The Killoren living at the base of the High Tree were slowly pushed back, away from their homes during a bloody century long war. The gnolls forced their way into the tree and began to hollow out its roots and base to create makeshift caves to live in and store supplies in while the war raged on. After years of digging into the tree the gnolls and the humans carved new pathways up the tree to make room for their families without giving up their defensive position. When the Killoren found out what they were doing to the High Tree they decided that they had enough.

Not being strong enough to take on both the humans and the gnolls they decided to do something rash. They woke a green dragon, and with promises of a home under the High Tree, and a constant supply of food the dragon happily accepted the offer knowing that it could easily talk them into giving it more later. The Kiloren rode back to the High Tree on the massive green dragon's back. It's roar was as deafening as a thunderclap and even more intimidating than any gnoll. Within a day there was nary a gnoll that hadn't run away with their families in tow. Some members of both races remained after the dragon retook the High Tree, and thanks to the green dragon's persuasion they had to tend to the dragon as punishment. Any gnoll or human found even relatively close to the High Tree was forced into giving shiny objects to the dragon by the Killoren. Over time giving objects to the dragon became a sign of safe passage and even the Killoren sacrificed goods to the dragon, and after ten years since they came to the dragon for help the war had ended. No one wanted to risk angering the dragon living under the High Tree, but that isn't to say that the war didn't harm the High Tree.

The High Tree was dying from where the humans and gnolls carved their pathways and the dragon wasn't helping the situation. The dragon gnawed at the roots of the High Tree on slow days where sacrifices were few, almost as if it knew that it would anger the Killoren into feeding it more the next day. The tree was dying, but no one could do anything about it while the green dragon rested in its roots. When the dragon mysteriously died not a soul within the High Tree dared admit to the killing of the dragon. They hated the dragon, but it had brought peace to them after they lost nearly everything they had known, and by then even the gnolls were living peacefully among the Killorens. What happened next amazed the Killorens.

The High Tree started growing again. The dragon decaying at the tree's roots fed the tree just as the dragon had fed on the tree. The High Tree nearly doubled in size over the next one hundred years, and it was only then showing signs of slowing. The tunnels in the tree hadn't filled, and soon everyone began building onto the tree, creating platforms and buildings that jutted from the walls of the High Tree. The dragon had surely blessed them with the gift of life with its last breath.

When the races of the High Tree began to fight again the elder of the tree had an idea. Gathering the greatest sorcerers of the tree he had a representative of each race be polymorphed into a green humanoid dragon so that no race would be able to be bias during the negotiations, and that only a representative would know their true race. After the negotiations all three agreed that they would live their lives out in their new forms in case another conflict were to arise. When a representative dies another is selected to take their place.

This is based on information gathered from several D&D books. If it doesn't fit your vision of the world, please feel free to change it.

Base races of High Tree would be Humans, Killoren, Gnolls, and maybe the odd elven migrants.

You didn't really explain what happened to the elves (I suggest they were split to the four winds becoming each of there counterparts *aquatic* and such), or why the humans and gnolls hated them.  Also I don't think a polymorph spell would work.  How about the place were the Green Dragon died became a sort of lazurus pit that rebirths anyone who enters into a green dragon born?  That way we get to keep the rebirth thing.  My only problem would be that it means that high tree would have 3 representatives, you being one of them. Hmm..

3 representatives from each area..  Each player is only 1 from each, wards being from the same "group"

The Three Dragons: High Tree
The Coast, The Shoals, and The Deep: The Great Sea
3 currently unnamed nomadic clans: The Sand
The Giants, The Dwarves, and The Snow walkers: Frostfall Mountains
The 3 kingdoms: The farlands (now an empire, but you don't know that yet, shhh)

edit- a few more ideas, how about replacing humans with raptorans? Humans are pretty much standard everywhere, it's kinda there thing.

[The Fool]

There doesn't need to be three representatives from High Tree, just three dragonborn. They're there to act as peacekeepers in High Tree. It would be a bad idea to take all three away in case a civil uprising happens. One of the three would be enough, and the ward would be someone else from High Tree.

It says in their entry of Races of the Wild that Raptorans don't like dominating others, so they can't replace humans in the story. They are territorial hunters, that dislike when people enter their territory for anything other than trade. I'd have them in the area, but not in and around the High Tree for everyone's sanity.

As for the elves I'm not sure where they fit in the story, but I was intending them to be migrants from another land.

[King_of_the_weasels]

There doesn't need to be three representatives from High Tree, just three dragonborn. They're there to act as peacekeepers in High Tree. It would be a bad idea to take all three away in case a civil uprising happens. One of the three would be enough, and the ward would be someone else from High Tree.

It says in their entry of Races of the Wild that Raptorans don't like dominating others, so they can't replace humans in the story. They are territorial hunters, that dislike when people enter their territory for anything other than trade. I'd have them in the area, but not in and around the High Tree for everyone's sanity.

As for the elves I'm not sure where they fit in the story, but I was intending them to be migrants from another land.

If were changing how dragonborns work, I think we can make Raptorans team players.  They can live in the branches up top while the gnolls live in the roots, and the Killoren's just kinda everywhere.

Or the Killoren's are more like a servant caste, not like slaves, but more of they're like, what are they called... those bug things that hang around the citadel in Mass Effect, but like sentient and able to leave.  So if someone played your ward, they "should" (not a forced thing but still) be a killoren (druid probably).  The third race could be.. wild elves? wood elves?

Also I've already grown attached to the idea of raptorans (and exchanged the animal domain for frostfall's air one.....), and 3 representatives from each area. (though only 1(2) players from each region)

Spoiler: my story/more like bullet points (click to show/hide)

• Killoren's are born of The High Tree.
• The Gnolls, Raptorans, and wild(or wood) elves fought over The High Tree, for some forgotten (can't think of one) reason
• All the bloodshed and fighting caused The High Tree to wilt, which worried the Killoren who had remained hidden deep in the soil caverns beneath it.
• The killoren summon a great wyrm green dragon named Ygseriial, to save the tree.
• Plan backfires like crazy, Ygseriial enslaves all four races, they treat him like a god for a great many a century, tree nearly dies, only kept alive by the will of the Killoren, who are basically a battery, many of which are permantly fused to the tree's bark and core, all but one (of the ones who had fused) have died.
• The killoren elder meets with 3 heroes, one of each race.  Graven the Gnoll, Alexia the (elf), and Ulmear the Raptoran bestowing them with great power.
• The ambush Ygseriial while he visits the Killorens in the soil at behest of the elder. They and there kin slay Ygseriial.
• Times get hard as they begin to fight over dwindelling resources since Ygseriial isn't there to man handle them into working together.
• Tree gets better do to the dragon's power seeping into it's roots
• Peace returns but is politics are a bit rocky.  The elder calls the heroes back for counsel and reveals that while the dragon was cruel, his power is what kept the peace between the races.
• They each bath in the Ygseriial pool and emerge, reborn as dragon born, and take their place as leaders of High Tree, and later their replacement became representatives in the High Tree Council.  Being impartial and fair to the causes and problems of all three races, with special care given to the Killoren since they are the "true" heroes of why there is peace and yadda yadda yadda.

[JackoftheBox]

Ok, I might have some interest in a game like this, but what really didn't occur to me is that, how is this game going to be played? IRC, Play-by-Post? (I might just be blind to not notice)

[The Fool]

Generally D&D is either IRC or MapTools. Play-by-Post takes a ridiculous amount of time when people aren't all online at once. I may be wrong though, I have seen Play-by-Post D&D once before.

Yeah. King didn't specify this.

[JackoftheBox]

Yeah, I agree that Play-by-Post isn't the way to play D&D, just had to verify. So it all comes to the day and time when to play and timezone problems etc. Had a few character concepts going through my mind for a nature-themed game.

[King_of_the_weasels]

I can literally play at any time, and it will probably be played on maptools, not sure which version, whichever more people already have.

Also you didn't say what you thought of my mythology, Fool.

[JackoftheBox]

Oh, I'm sorry for being rude... I really like the close to the nature/elements theme, there isn't that much mythology yet (as in gods/religion/culture stuff), but its heading on a direction not usually seen in D&D games, and I like the way its heading. Also like the countries currently presented. About the character slot I'd like to play is hmm... either High Tree or Frostfall ward, atm slightly in favor for High Tree, but definitely want to play a ward.

Also might have a problem as I am European and I do have a bad habit of working, so let's see if I can play when more people claim them slots and check a time from their calendar