I've got the ideas for a few characters bouncing around in my head. I was going to wait for Demento to get a decent idea of their character and then build something to compliment it; most likely a Wizard or Bard. I was considering a LG Necromancer but after reading the bit you posted on funeral rites that might be difficult and cause some issues with in-game authorities.

Not to mention the majority of Necromancy spells are labeled "evil" in the SRD....

~SE++

While that's certainly true a spells alignment only applies if you are a cleric or druid; wizards care not for you petty morals! Also slapping the 'evil' tag on necromancy is pure BS. How is creating a skeleton innately more evil than creating a golem? How is draining a mans strength more evil than setting him on fire or altering his fundamental perception of reality so he has no option but to like you? Back in the day all Cure spells were necromancy (where they should be I may add) before some bright spark decided 'necromancy is teh evils' and changed it to conjuration of all things!

...sorry about that. The portrayal of necromancy in D&D really gets on my nerves.

Necromany is counted as evil because it's taking a soul / body laid to rest and ripping it from it's peace. As an example: Your wife dies, and immediately a necromancer raises her body and forces it to fight until it drops dead again. How do you feel about that?

~SE++

Oh I'd certainly be angry and sad and a whole load of other emotions I'm sure. But the necromancer is to blame here not the spell he used. You don't hate the knife a mugger wields you hate him. If a wizard used Dominate Person to force a man to kill him own family that spell doesn't suddenly become an evil spell so why does necromancy bear that stigma?

This is going to be less then elegant since I'm on my phone, but:

A spell like Dominate Person has many uses. You could use it to force someone to kill, which certainly would be evil. But on the other hand, you could cast it on someone who is about to commit an evil act and stop him, which would be good. You could cast it on a city guard to force them to save a life, and many other things inbetween. The spell isn't Kgood" just because it isn't "bad." Most spells have the possibility of either being used for good or evil. As you said, a fire spell used for killing isn't necessarily good or bad, but it's how it gets used. But necromancy is different, it is used to take the dead from their graves and force them into undead servitude. The only use of the spell is at the very least, partially evil because it takes a loved one from their burial and brings them back under someone else's control. What you do with the corpse may be good, but the act of the spell itself is evil.

~SE++

But that entire argument rests on the fact that corpses are for some reason an innately sacred thing rather than, say, a potential renewable resource. D&D exists in a universe in which death has about a much solemn impact as someone moving to another country; yeah your not going to see them much anymore but you can still pay a middleman to get into direct contact with them.

Also how is the act of raising a corpse innately evil regardless of intention but the act of completely stripping someone of there free will isn't?

Let me put it this way: Death is sacred in MY world, and necromancy is evil in MY world. Not everyone will accept my point of view, which is fine, but the world you'll be in won't share your view. Is that acceptable?

~SE++

My apologies. It wasn't my intention to get you to alter your world. I was mostly just arguing for the sake of discussing a subject I am interested in. But yeah this isn't really the place for that. I'm perfectly happy for your world to run that way.

On topic didn't you say your Wizards works a little differently? Something about elemental specialization or some such?

Wizards (and Magus) hail from specific cities and towers. Every city has a mage tower near its center, every tower specializes in a different element. The towers are: Air, Earth, Fire, Life, Necromancy and Water.

~SE++

Okay. Are you using any specific rules relating to the towers or is it just a thematic thing? Like all the Fire Wizards wear red and gold robes and love fireballs while all the Air Wizards were blue and white and really like jump and levitate and what not? I do know alternate rules exist in Pathfinder for elemental specialization rather than school specialization for wizards.

I'm also curious about the Life tower. Wizard can't really heal in the direct method. What's their deal?

No specific rules set, just roleplay stuff. The Life Towers aren't Wizards, they're clerics and oracles mostly.

~SE++

I'm working on finalizing the equipment for my character (and reconsidering my feats). To give you a sketch outline of my character's backstory, there is no real tragic past. Now his father (Orc) had some real issues, but they were mostly dealt with while Corinth was still a babe. His father was a firm disciplinarian and devotee of Jocasta, and while he trained Jocasta out in the wilderness some in his youth (His father, while not technically a fugitive, was not welcome in town) he directed him to enter into the discipleship of Jocasta at a fairly young age. He tackles cases with brutal efficiency and a dogmatic pursuit of the truth, which has given him a bit of a reputation among criminal networks.

Also, considering the Omen trait, he probably has some sort of distinct birthmark that is visible and could conceivably be tied to some long running prophecy, but Corinth finds this doubtful, although he has been known to use the additional aura of mystique to his advantage.

(By the way Squinty, do Orcs have a particular naming convention in your world, like descriptive names (Stonehewn) or tending towards certain syllables (Gargrath)? Corinth is named after his maternal grandfather, but his family name would be taken from his father (also, his father needs a name (and is not dead to the best of Corinth's knowledge))).

No real naming system for orcs, but as a general rule they are one to two syllables an have a fiarly gutteral sound. Not because they're low in INT, but because it sounds better to then on the battlefield. With that said, I wouldn't really care if you named your orc Steve.

~SE++

Sounds good, his name is now Corinth Hukgra, and his father is Hukra Gorgoth.

Okay if Demento is nearly finished I'll slap my character together. Sheet will be done either later tonight or tomorrow at the latest. Going to be a Wizards (Illusion specialist) from the Water Tower (because fog and mist seems the closest of the schools to Illusion). Race not quite decided on. Might play a Dwarf just because you don't get many dwarf wizards.

Water Tower Mages:

Personality: Think kinda like a hippie in many ways, they just go with the flow. Which is not to say that they don't care or don't try, but they prefer to go where the water takes them instead of fighting the currents.

Bonuses: +2 vs. Illusions during disbelief checks

Negatives: -4 to all d20 rolls (except attacks) when over 1/2 mile from a known moving water source

Familiar Options:

King Crab
Lizard
Otter
Toad
Turtle

~SE++

Do you have a username I can provide the referral to?

squinty_eyes, I think. Honestly, it's not a big deal.

~SE++

WIP - http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.p ... tid=763640