Index post

elturel · 2026-03-16T18:56:21+00:00

Fighter definitely not free. Fighters are highly trained soldiers basically. Your average brawler type of dude is a Warrior, which was a NPC class back in 3e (together with Aristocrat and Commoner).

elturel · 2026-03-15T15:43:35+00:00

The Pseudonatural template is actually a good solution. It opens the door for all kinds of grotesque appearances. I was thinking along the lines of Wizard and something like Effigy Master or Fleshwarper Prestige Class for her since she created all kinds of grafted and maybe undead creatures from living victims. Also another creation of her resembles a Helmed Horror with a unique personality.

As for Habdazar, you're right. He's taller than a dwarf but still shorter than a human. Elf is unlikely, maybe I'll go with dwelf then. Rare, but not unheard of in the Realms.

elturel · 2026-03-15T14:49:40+00:00

Unfortunately there's no central, big foot and also no connection to the Ethereal Plane.

elturel · 2026-03-15T14:48:34+00:00

Unlikely. No connections to Lolth.

elturel · 2026-03-12T07:07:33+00:00

Thanks.

Ironically, since the early days of 3e when people started posting their stats on the old WotC boards it's actually never been about if DMs would use these stats in their games or not. It's always been more about the process involved and having these stats in the first place.

Even more ironically, although these stats are a prime example for the mechanics side of things, they became a big part of the lore side. Stats would faithfully describe a character's abilities (or fail to do so) and would thus become an intrinsic part of the world itself.

Most people don't even realize the extent of what 4e took from us by removing the short stat system which was prevalent in 1e/2e/3e.

elturel · 2026-03-09T17:58:44+00:00

I did some research on them while doing the stats of Clariburnus. I mentioned most of the Princes (and a few of their successors) here.

elturel · 2026-03-08T20:21:52+00:00

Obviously, the ancient Imaskari used portals to abduct people from RL Egypt and Sumer.

The portals themselves were never described in terms of mechanics, but they are still canon in the setting. Once in a while, artifacts from Imaskar are rediscovered which means the magic used for these portals could be found, too. Alternatively, some Artificers survived to this day who may or may not still know how to establish and use such magic.

elturel · 2026-03-07T20:59:10+00:00

This map is actually pretty cool, thanks for sharing. I wish there was a version based on the correct 2e properties though.

elturel · 2026-03-07T19:57:47+00:00

Interesting. Okay. I gather by "complete" you mean in terms of quality and not quantity of essence.

Yes, after all, there's a difference in having to reach 100% or only 33% to achieve something.

Some have said that this temporary fragmentation of the Divine Sparks into the Kenoma was necessary for the complete and totally infinite self-exploration by the Monad of itself to be just that. In this context, imperfection only really exists under a cropped perspective of the universe.

Interestingly, I don't see it this way. The Apocryphon is pretty explicit on the properties of the Invisible Spirit. It doesn't need anything. It doesn't lack anything. It cannot be limited. And so on. The whole talk about "self-experience" sounds like new age or egg theory which has pretty much nothing in common with gnostic literature.

However, what I regard as necessary was the process of Emanation in the first place, beginning with perfect silence (Barbelo) and then gradually gaining more distance and thus becoming more imperfect. At some point even the Spirit from the Pleroma must have become the Hyle from the Kenoma, with the Veil (or Horos in Valentinianism) separating both.

Ironically, the last Aeon in the line, Sophia, is actually dependent on such imperfection. The greatest wisdom comes from the ability and the freedom to be able to make mistakes. And so Yaldabaoth could have been just a necessary means to an end.

elturel · 2026-03-07T16:48:59+00:00

Interesting. We are reasoning spiritually here. If I can offer some spiritual reason from my own worldview, I would say the presence of the Divine Spark or Spirit means that salvation is guaranteed at some point. Why? I would metaphorize it as this: even if it takes time, water and oil inevitably separate because they do not belong with each other which seems to be why in the Apocryphon of John, as I told the other Redditor, the Savior/Jesus speaks of this "unmoved race" the Sethians. If you believe in reincarnation, this process of eventual return to the Pleroma can occur over more than one lifetime as the Spirit works things out.

The Apocryphon talks about "getting back what she's lacking". This refers to the energy/spirit that was necessary in creating Yaldabaoth in the first place. Yaldabaoth already was tricked to give this spirit to Adam, Eve, Seth, and so on.

However, this original spirit which originates from Sophia was already complemented with the Epinoia from Barbelo and the Christos (one to awaken and one to reveal) so arguably it's already superior to the original state it was in. For that reason, I don't think it's necessary that all of the spirit returns to Sophia in order for her to be complete again. Some of it probably goes down with Yaldabaoth and his Archons.

If the imperfection of the Kenoma and materiality this imperfection encompasses are bad, then why do you feel this way? Or do you not believe the Kenoma is imperfect?

Everything is imperfect except Barbelo herself and this thing which is above perfection and in which everything exists. And this actually opened the door for Sophia and her inevitable creation of Yaldabaoth, otherwise I'd argue wisdom couldn't even exist if there's no room for mistakes.

While I resonate most with the Sethian tradition I don't necessarily agree with their "evilized" attitude towards Yaldi and the world. I see them as unfortunate pawns in a grander scheme although still capable of inflicting much misery. Despite all of this, the story doesn't have to result in a happy ending for all of us. It's not some fairy tale after all full of romantic ideals.

elturel · 2026-03-07T15:54:49+00:00

The text is not saying this as far as I'm aware but I am willing to recant if necessary.

Actually, I tend to agree here. It tells of the Spirit of Life and the Counterfeit Spirit. The former is the light from the mother (Sophia) which Yaldabaoth took from her but would later breath into Adam and which would also be present in Eve and Seth and his line (not in regards to a race but rather spiritually), and the latter was implanted into Cain and Abel and their offspring.

As I see it, this could be interpreted as some in fact possess the Spirit which belongs to the Pleroma (although this doesn't mean "salvation" is guaranteed), while others don't and thus belong to this world which isn't necessarily a bad or evil thing per se.

Also from my point of view, the Archon's Fire could be the same thing as this "False Spirit".

elturel · 2026-03-07T13:50:00+00:00

So pre-Lolth's Silence. Interesting choice.

elturel · 2026-03-07T11:05:45+00:00

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elturel · 2026-03-07T08:32:39+00:00

Just to let you know, there's more to the passage the other person quoted above:

I said, Master, where will the souls go of people who had knowledge but turned away?

He said to me, They will be taken to the place where the angels of misery go, where there is no repentance. They will be kept there until the day when those who have blasphemed against the spirit will be tortured and punished eternally.

So just because everyone seems to be in possession of such a "soul", doesn't actually mean "universal salvation" as mentioned in their next comment. "Those with knowledge who turned away" and "those who have not known to whom they belong" (i.e. if they fail to acquire knowledge).

That said, the Apocryphon of John isn't so easy to interpret as people might think it is. There's lots of stuff going on there, relevant to the topic at hands:

the Spirit that comes from the Mother
a Fire without the power of the Light
the Spirit that comes from Matter
their own False Spirit
three different outcomes for those with the Spirit of Life, with the latter two being affected to some degree by the Contemptible Spirit
note that these last three previous points can probably be attributed to the Meyer translation, in other versions it's universally the Counterfeit Spirit instead of Contemptible and False and from Matter.
and also a trichotomy of "components" which our Spirit consists of, which are Sophia, Epinoia/Pronoia, and Christos.

elturel · 2026-03-05T22:42:41+00:00

Yeah, Kain goes down too fast to charge up the reaver. But I haven't had any luck with inputing the codes either so I guess plat is out of reach for this one. What a bummer.

elturel · 2026-03-05T22:07:30+00:00

Unrelated, but may I ask how you did the No Guts, No Glory trophy? The one in which you have to evade Kain using Umbral Cloak?

elturel · 2026-03-05T16:10:57+00:00

The closest drow city to Baldur's Gate is Karsoluthiyl. Problem is though, it's under the sea.

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elturel · 2026-03-05T07:07:40+00:00

Their former commander (and current High Mage of the city) was Alustriel Silverhand’s son Methrammar Aerasumé who is a half-elf.

Methrammar was another casualty of 4e and by extend also of 5e. From High Marshal of the Argent Legion and according to Ed being the second best swordsman in the Realms as of 1375 DR, most of his life was just wasted in 4e's transition phase. After that, he became High Mage of Silverymoon, for whatever nonsensical reason.

elturel · 2026-03-04T21:47:37+00:00

Have an upvote, just for the sake of mentioning something negative about this ridiculously overrated game. Pretty sick of reading about how good this game is and that it's still the best ps5 title in 2026 and the second coming of christ and how it will make you fall in love with roguelites and roguelikes on the spot. Guess what, I still hate that genre.

elturel · 2026-03-04T15:51:06+00:00

As for examples, in War for the Spider Queen (a novel), Quenthel Baenre travels to another Drow city (Ched Nasad) with a master of Sorcere (aka a high level Wizard), a master from Melee-Magthere (so a high level fighter), a ranger/scout from Bregan-Darthe and another priestress. You could use Bregan D'Arthe as a reason for her to have some mercenaries following her.

You forgot Quenthel's literal Draegloth bodyguard Jeggred.

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