Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

Or goetic master, or Demonologist. Whatever.

It´s on the line of my near-base pretenders. This one is on the lines of the Mictlanese-Early Smoking Mirror pretender: AKA it´s not pure "base" (costs more than 30 points. Maybe 50-60), but has two paths (in this case, blood and astral), and has a minor innate reinvirgoration-regenerative ability, and heals like the pangea units. The idea is that it´s encouraged to bring him along your army as even if he receives wounds.

I´m trying to think of any other stuff that could supplement-replace those. I am also willing to accept name suggestions. Any ideas?

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon

Here's the Wiki on King Solomon, who was described in legends as being the master of demons and spirits, among other things. It might give you some ideas, and there's some really interesting/entertaining stuff here.

Also, as much as I'd like it to be different, I can't see any thematic reason for a diabolist/summoner to have the healing ability. It just doesn't obviously fit. Immortality, possibly, but it would require a good backstory, to make me believe it :)

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

Pact with the devil wouldn't work. How could the devil be able to collect your soul if you're immortal?

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

Exactly lch. If you can't outsmart the devil, how can you expect to ever become a god?

Selling your soul to the devil, and then becoming an immortal, that's basic 1st year god stuff.

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

Perhaps instead of making a pact with the devil, he has made a pact with the dark lord Zoamelgustar!

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

There are magic sites with a conjuration bonus. Can that be given to a unit? Just a thought. It would make a nice addition to a Master Summoner.

I find that the immortal switch (the phoenix looking icon) does much toward making me want to use my god. It feels thematicly logical. Use him to help protect his provinces, but dont let him stray beyond the strength of his domain. He must remain inside the light of his dominion where he is strongest and safest.

There are also pretenders who summon either each turn or in combat. Tying all of those together would make a really cool Master Summoner god.

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

hmmm... immortal could do it. You see, I was going to include the "demon" tag as a pretender flaw, but I didnt want to generate "permacripple" situations as with the Moloch, so I was going to add the regen+recover stats. But immortality would work just as well.

I´d like to add a conj bonus (or a blood magic bonus, for that matter), but I am not sure it´s doable. I dont want a #summon through, as it tends to be rather limiting (I´d rather have my pretender casting high level blood spells than "summoning allies"). Entering combat with a swarm of imps like the moloch would do, but I´d rather do something new. Maybe throw in a blood vengeance, or a horrormark to attackers (maybe combined with autocast hellpower as to give the pretender increased combat magic, but make him prone to horror attacks. Hey, it is a limitation, but not such a bad one, being immortal)

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

Yes Ive always rather liked the immortal thing. Makes it handy for defense and when you are getting squeezed or rushed. But it holds back on the offense-SC thing.

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

I was thinking on something around the lines of "unnatural vigor due to blood magic", leaving it vague as to whether it is due to having been changed by it (like that early-age Jomon hero which is a sorcerer with the demon tag), or having been changed by eating demons (like the OTHER early jomonese hero).

I´m thinking on combining the Solomon legend with the knack for occultism the Habsburgs had (particularily Rudolf II and his cousin Philip II), and make it a "King-with-a-knack-for-occultism" pretender, maybe limiting the avaiability to Ulm and Marignon

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

Almost done with the prototype. I even have a pic (a modified theurg). Basically: it´s an immortal pretender, with one dot in blood and another in astral, but has the demon tag (can be banished), and increases unrest by 8 each turn (he tends to neglect PR time in favor of his sorcerous pursuits)

Tentative name: Witch King (I REALLY want a better one. Please suggest away).

Restricted to MA and LA Ulm and Marignon.

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

Infernal Sorcerer? Demonic Theurg? Infernal Supplicant? Demonic Master? Horror Caller? Crazy Old Fool?

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

Demon Courtier? Lord of the Silver Tongue? Lord of Mysteries (as in the Greek "mystery cults")? Lord of Lies?

I'm reminded of LOTR's Wormtongue, and when Sauron was among the Númenóreans, when he could still "take on a pleasing form". A Pretender that rules behind the scenes as a sort of "worm at the core of the apple", that nonetheless inspires his people--but in the way that the serpent inspired Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden.

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

It´s not exactly a corruptor, at least a delliberate one, through he *is* a corrupting influence. It´s a combination of several models, really, but the basic idea is that he has a thing for sorcery, to the point of either neglecting his duties as a ruler, or overtaxing the peasantry to fund it (either or both will do. Both would result in unrest). Thematically speaking, this guy would be the head of the Illuminati circile in Ulm (or however they are called), or alternatively in Marignon, a Monarch that relies on the Goetic Masters a lot, and rides them to power.



The corruption is not really a delliberate attempt to screw up his realm (çuite the contrary, in fact, as, for example, in DomCanon the Goetic Masters play an important part in keeping the realm safe and powerful) ; rather, any resulting corruption is a result of the kleptocracy that those priviledged groups establish around the monarch. But he DOES foster it, first, because he doesn´t particularily care as long as it doesnt hurt his personal power(IE: attempting to coup him, or replace him, or whatever), and second, because he does care about keeping his blood mages happy, both because he is as fond of performing creepy rituals as they are, and because in no small measure he is relying on them as his personal army (in a way, they are riding each other to the top).



To put it another way (somewhat ICly): Pretender needs the goetic masters because they help him with his experiments, they keep his realm powerful and safe (and thus do provide a public benefit after a fashion), and personally support him against political enemies, so if now and then go to some peasant family, steal their gold, and kidnap their daughter to sacrifice her to some Tentacle Hentai Beast From Hell, well, **** the peasants. He needs blood mages far more than he needs inbreedous goat-herding simpletons. (needless to say, this kind of policy does not make him popular among the lower classes. And the high classes might ignore it normally, but wont be too thrilled either if at some point he rules against them to help his favorites)


There is one literary example I can think of, althrough it doesn´t stick l00% it´s close enough: Kaselyn of the Gire in "The Second Chroniçues of Thomas Covenant".

(BTW: and off-topic: I did not like TSCoTC, but I just remembered that character, and is a good example)

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

I think 8 unrest is a tad too much. I think 4 unrest would be enough.

Call him Wizzard, give him mapmove 4/ap 30, and morale 10 instead of the 30 most pretenders have. Discworld reference FTW!

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

This game does have a regrettable lack of Discworld references.

Re: Pretender Idea: Master Summoner
 

your pretender is a male?if not "la vecia" could be a good name.
la vecia is in italy(veneto especially) the name for an old woman that came from the night with hers demon and minions.
She bring fruits to good children,coal to the bad one and bring away with her the baddest to exchange it with satan.
Every year, the 6 of january she's burnt but she come back in the body of bad girls.