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Converting Farrow from "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil"

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Mon, 2005-03-21 09:13
#1
Nemui
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Converting Farrow from "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil"

I've been thinking about writing up Farrow for PW.com, the shadow elf NPC from Uncaged with the multiple personality disorder? Some questions:

1) Are there shadow elf conversions for 3E on the web? If there aren't, I don't have the Mystara books, but I could probably stat them using the Uncaged text only.

2) How should I handle the shifts between his multiple personalities? In Uncaged, he changes completely, class abilities and all, but this seems a little too much. He's already changing his appearance and personality, why should he change HD, skills, feats, etc.? It would be like 15 completely different NPCs. I'm thinking about making it a "mostly cosmetics" change, where he would remain a 6th-level rogue, but think and act like a mage or fighter. Thoughts?

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Mon, 2005-03-21 10:03
#2
Krypter
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Converting Farrow from "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil"

I think the authors' intent in writing Farrow was to show that obsessive belief *can* alter reality (and hence the game rules were broken). Realistically, it doesn't make sense for Farrow to change HD but it certainly fits into the Planescape idea of belief changing facts. At the very least you should change his skills. MPD sufferers do hold down different jobs with different skill sets and can have quite variable attributes (dexterity, charisma) as well.

Mon, 2005-03-21 10:04
(Reply to #2) #3
jordarad
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Converting Farrow from "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil"

Part of the individuality of the Farrow write-up was the fact that he changed physically as well as emotionally. I would put the other personalities in as "bare bones" stats, otherwise you may have a bit on your hands.

Par example:
(Male/Planar/Human/Sorceror1/Fighter7/Bleak Cabal)

Mon, 2005-03-21 10:07
(Reply to #3) #4
eldersphinx
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Converting Farrow from "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil"

My recommendations on a Shadow Elf racial description, drawn from information at the Mystara 3e conversion site, are as follows:

- Start with the standard PHB elf writeup.
- Remove bonus weapon proficiencies - Shadow Elves lack the martial bonuses of standard elves.
- Add the ability to cast daze, detect magic, and prestidigitation each once per day, as a 1st-level arcane caster.
- Replace low-light vision with darkvision 60 feet.

As for the personality shifts, it might be interesting to make a 3e version of Farrow something like a Ftr1/Wiz1/Rog5 or so, with access to full martial weapon proficiencies and ability to use arcane wands and scrolls, but no actual interest in using them unless his active personality is of that type. So a 'fighter' Farrow would remember how to use a battleaxe or greatsword and might apply such weapons, while a 'mage' Farrow would refuse to use anything larger than a quarterstaff but would have no problems picking up a wand and blasting with it. And with the multiclassing, a Farrow who behaves in a way that rogues wouldn't normally act has at least some of the class abilities to back up his talk.

Mon, 2005-03-21 20:12
(Reply to #4) #5
Kaelyn
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Re: Converting Farrow from "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil&quo

"Nemui" wrote:
He's already changing his appearance and personality, why should he change HD, skills, feats, etc.?

Because he really becomes fifteen different people. The changes are not just cosmetic - they're total. As Jordarad noted, that's the point: he convinced himself he was fifteen different people, and it came true. Belief changed reality, not just his appearance and personality.

This wasn't, however, enough to give him fifteen seperate bodies, or to actually create fifteen seperate families and places of birth out of nowhere.

But if Farrow convinces enough people, someday those things will also happen.

Mon, 2005-03-21 23:32
(Reply to #5) #6
Fell
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Re: Converting Farrow from "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil&amp

"Kaelyn" wrote:
This wasn't, however, enough to give him fifteen seperate bodies, or to actually create fifteen seperate families and places of birth out of nowhere.

But if Farrow convinces enough people, someday those things will also happen.


For on that someday... we may see a small cult rise based entirely around the now real and separated alternate Farrows and their families. They would likely use their places of birth as areas for cult gatherings.

Tue, 2005-03-22 12:40
(Reply to #6) #7
Nemui
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Converting Farrow from "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil"

All right, full change it is.

"eldersphinx" wrote:
- Start with the standard PHB elf writeup. - Remove bonus weapon proficiencies - Shadow Elves lack the martial bonuses of standard elves. - Add the ability to cast daze, detect magic, and prestidigitation each once per day, as a 1st-level arcane caster. - Replace low-light vision with darkvision 60 feet.

And their light vulnerability? Uncaged mentions physical damage from light spells, should I perhaps turn this into a drow-like "light blindness"?

Tue, 2005-03-22 16:00
(Reply to #7) #8
Kaelyn
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Converting Farrow from "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil"

oD&D and 2e AD&D information on shadow elves and their cousins the Shattenalfen can be found here: http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads

Those downloads (under Mystara) cover pretty much everything.

Wed, 2005-03-23 15:32
(Reply to #8) #9
eldersphinx
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Converting Farrow from "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil"

"Nemui" wrote:
All right, full change it is.

"eldersphinx" wrote:
- Start with the standard PHB elf writeup. - Remove bonus weapon proficiencies - Shadow Elves lack the martial bonuses of standard elves. - Add the ability to cast daze, detect magic, and prestidigitation each once per day, as a 1st-level arcane caster. - Replace low-light vision with darkvision 60 feet.

And their light vulnerability? Uncaged mentions physical damage from light spells, should I perhaps turn this into a drow-like "light blindness"?


I wouldn't. "Damage from light spells" isn't part of the 0e or 2e shadow elf racial description, so if it was included at all it'd be unique to Farrow himself. Not having a copy of Uncaged to hand, I can't speak to whether this trait is something important, or just something thrown in by a meddling editor who couldn't realize that shadow elves are not drow.

(Ahem. </Mystara fan>. Sorry. Eye-wink )

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