BTH: Katrina Von Brandthofen

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Sorcerer could work very well. Perhaps this is a case where the conversion needs to stray form the original stats. It sure would explain her crappy spell selection with only detection spells.

(BTW there is a PrC called Divine Oracle which is accessible to arcane casters at CL5, needs 8 ranks either in Knowledge religion or arcana and lost of divination spells.)

On the one hand, she comes from a homeworld that seems very deistic, so that I wonder how much faith she really has in an active deity. OTOH, she's already a spellcaster, and she's associating with theists in RL. What would it really add to her character, though?

[Sylaire]

Sorcerer could work very well. Perhaps this is a case where the conversion needs to stray form the original stats. It sure would explain her crappy spell selection with only detection spells.

(BTW there is a PrC called Divine Oracle which is accessible to arcane casters at CL5, needs 8 ranks either in Knowledge religion or arcana and lost of divination spells.)

On the one hand, she comes from a homeworld that seems very deistic, so that I wonder how much faith she really has in an active deity. OTOH, she's already a spellcaster, and she's associating with theists in RL. What would it really add to her character, though?

I have no idea whatsoever what the PrC would contribute (3.5 mechanics = two editions past my died-at-2nd Ed. rules knowledge...Hey, my D&D rules knowledge is like Azalin's knowledge of magic, forever frozen in time!), but I would suggest that if she's genuinely Deist in her leanings she might consider divination magic essentially a perception of the great clockwork of the universe...i.e. just as a machine runs in a certain way according to certain rules, so too does the universe, and using divine magic for divination would be merely expanding one's knowledge of that.

Actually, come to think of it, a divine spellcaster with a Lamordian-culture background would be very interesting idea, someone with the same powers as the ordinary clerics of the campaign but with an utterly different perspective thereupon (not really applicable to Katrina, though).

Oh, and from a 2nd Ed. perspective, just in case you didn't know, "Diviner" was one of the eight Wizard Specialist classes (you got bonus spells and enhanced effects for spells of your chosen school, and were forbidden to use spells from the opposition school); other than the focus in a particular one of the eight schools of magic they were really no different than a generic mage. I'd suspect that as her character background went she studied arcane magic from a very academic, scientific-laws-of-magic perspective (given her cultural background) and that, if anything, her choice of specialty was driven by her early experiences--or, perhaps, by her desire to find her missing aunt.

[The Giamarga]

Sylaire, Diviner is still a specialist wizard it works almost the same way in 3E.

As for the Divine Oracle i think it would be overdoing it. She's not of a high enough level anyways and not inclined towards the divine. (needs know religion 8r and skillfocus (know religion), i was wrong about knowledge arcana...)

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Sylaire, Diviner ist still a specialist wizard it works almost the same way in 3E.

As for the Divine Oracle i think it would be overdoing it. She's not of a high enough level anyways and not inclined towards the divine. (need know religion 8r and skillfocus (knwo religion), i was wrong about know arcana...)

I totally agree. I think that her deist perspective could explain her preference strictly for divination spells, and I'd like to see her hyper-specialize in this. I'd like to see her push the envelope of what a non-Vistani diviner can reach in RL. Would she take the unseen scrying sensor feat?

Hey, could she form a bond with the Veiled Palm? A network of women diviners, all over the Core...their headquarters not far from Lamordia...what do you think?

[The Giamarga]

This could work what's known about the Veiled Palm?

As for feats I did consider Unseen Sensor, but also Second Sight, Portents, Tarokka Natural. Do her low-level spells even have sensors yet? She mostly has detection spells not scrying/location.

[The Giamarga]

On the one hand, she comes from a homeworld that seems very deistic, so that I wonder how much faith she really has in an active deity.

Deistic homeworld? How so?

[DeepShadow of FoS]

On the one hand, she comes from a homeworld that seems very deistic, so that I wonder how much faith she really has in an active deity.

Deistic homeworld? How so?

Extrapolation from discussion in other threads: Victor Mordenheim's homeworld seems very deistic. The gods are less involved in the matters of mortals, and mortals like it that way.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

This could work what's known about the Veiled Palm?

Just what's written about them in Gaz2: they are a semi-secret society of women with scrying powers headquartered in Falkovnia (Silbervas, I believe) and they often pass what they know to the forces of goodness.

EDIT: Their membership includes Liebhelden of the Door and Van Richten's old friend Hildegren as well. I'll see what else I can find.

As for feats I did consider Unseen Sensor, but also Second Sight, Portents, Tarokka Natural. Do her low-level spells even have sensors yet? She mostly has detection spells not scrying/location.

Tarokka natural might be hard to justify, but the others make sense.

I think I may have to work this woman into my sea monster material. She'd be a fun narrator.

[The Giamarga]

I didn't mean her to have all of the feats

I'll see if i can finish and post her stats next weekend or I'll pm you my unfinished stats for her.


WRT Veiled Palm: I remember thinking that one of the two NPCs you mention is a sorceress but i would rather have her be a psion(seer) due to the description of her powers.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Gaz2, p. 110

Founded by the mediums of Aerie, the Veiled Palm is a network of mediums and psychics who try to aid seekers of light and truth in need of their talents. With the aid of magic spells and items of communication, initiates of the Veiled Palm can swiftly send word should someone need a certain member's unique talents. The Veiled Palm's members all possess legitimate supernatural abilities and zealously guard the group and adventurers against frauds. The Veiled Palm counts just 30 members scattered throughout the Core.

So they are not exclusively female, nor are they headquartered in Silbervas. My bad.

Regarding the three major mediums of Aerie, we are told that Silva Winterhearst is an automatic writer, Hildegren is a sympathetic medium, and Liebheldin is a guide medium with a mazelike house that extends into the spirit world. No stats are given, so any of them could be a psion. Hildegren certainly sounds like one, but then she almost certainly has the Ethereal Emapthy feat as well.

Edit: Liebheldin is in the sidebar as an Exp1/Rog3/Sor4.

[The Giamarga]

Interesting. What a great secret society. I can see NPCs with one of the feats above (or Redhead, Haunted, or Reincarnated, Sympathetic Spell), low-level psion(seer)s and other wild talents, sorcerers, adepts, wizards/diviners, divine oracles or accomplished mediums. Some of course multiclassed as experts/charlatans. Drop in an NPC who is getting transpossessed or perhaps a monster in disguise (doppleganger?).

What might the Vistani think of them?

[The Giamarga]

So i reread GazII, p.110 too.

I got it mixed up from the beginning. Liebheldin is a Sorceress and Hildegren´s abilities from the narrative appear to be the Object Reading and Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions psionic powers. I´d probably make her multiclassed too.

Hildegren is mentioned in VRGttGhosts which has a chapter on Mediums and describes the different types. Liebheldin, being a guide medium should have spells dealing with the ethereal/astral. Unfortunately there are no low level ones in the SRD. I dimly remember 2E low level spells in Spells & Magic, mabye they were converted in the 3E Spell Compendium.

Their headquarters, the House of Doors sounds intriguing too.

[The Giamarga]

Anyways back to Katrina. Here are my jumbled conversion notes. I advanced her to level 5, and I´m contemplating advancing her even further.


Katrina Von Brandthofen
female human diviner 5
CR5; HD 5d4+10 (23hp);
AL LN;
SV Fort +1+2, Ref +1+4, Wil +4+3;
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 17

Skills:(40 skill points, max rank 8)
Concentration ++,
Craft (?),
Decipher Script +,
Knowledge (arcana) +++,
Knowledge (history) +++,
Knowledge (local) ++,
Knowledge (the planes) cc,
Profession (?) ,
Spellcraft +
Sense Motive cc ??
Spot 4r cc ???
Hide 6r cc ???

Feats: 1+1+1+2bonus
1 Scribe Scroll(B) ???
1 Portents(VRA) (augury 1/day)
1 Tarokka Natural(CoD) ??? use a mirror instead of a tarokka deck ?
3 Iron Will
5 ???

Unseen Sensor(CoD) [needs 6r in Hide?]
Second Sight(CoD) (needs 4r Spot and scry, gain +2 to scry and spot checks)
Flaw: non-combatant ?
Jaded ?

Spells: As a Diviner she is prohibited from learning spells of the Conjuration/Summoning schools.

Diviner spells per day: 6/5/4/2

0-detect magic, read magic, detect poison, detect...;
1st-comprehend languages, detect secret doors, detect undead, identify, ;
2nd-detect evil(source? now a cleric spell only), see invisibility, detect thoughts, insight(VRA);
3rd-arcane sight, clairaudience/claivoyance, immerse mind(VRA)
(4th-arcane eye, scrying, )

Possessions: Necklace of adaption (XXXgp) small hand mirror, bracelets.

Background: Katrina is Victor Mordenheim's niece by marriage. She is a hauntingly beautiful woman who wears clothing that accents her athletic figure. She has been looking for her aunt - her mother's twin sister - for years, hoping to find information regarding her past. She has failed to enlist the elusive Mordenheim's aid.

Sources: 1992 TSR Trading Card #424., Book of Crypts: "Bride of Mordenheim".

Notes: Madness effect (She was used as a receptable for her aunt´s soul.)

Instead of a familiar she gets one of the following class features:

Either from PHBII:

Immediate Magic (Ex)

As a spell-like ability usable 2/day as an immediate action she gains:
Glimpse Peril: You get a flash of foresight into the danger lying in your future. You gain a +2 insight bonus on the next saving throw you make before your next turn.

or from Unearthed Arcana:

Enhanced Awareness (Ex)

A diviner using this variant adds Sense Motive to her list of class skills. In addition, she gains minor benefits when casting certain divination spells.
She needs only to study an item for 10 minutes (rather than 1 hour) when casting identify.
An arcane eye cast by the diviner travels at 20 feet per round when studying its surroundings (rather than 10 feet per round).
Add +1 to the saving throw DCs of the character's divination spells. (This bonus stacks with the bonus from the Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus feats.)
A diviner using this variant permanently gives up the ability to obtain a familiar.


Perhaps she also uses the following option from UA:

Bonus Feat List

A diviner using this variant gradually grows in awareness and perceptive ability, but at the expense of her metamagic capabilities. The diviner may not select a metamagic feat as a wizard bonus feat (that is, those feats gained at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level). However, the following feats are added to the list of bonus feats available to her at those levels: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, and Skill Focus (Spot, Listen, or Sense Motive only).


From Quintessential Wizard she would use the character concept: Fortune Teller.

[The Giamarga]

So who taught her divination magic? Was she apprenticed to a Vistana? Or was her uncle a warlock? a seer? a loremaster?

I´m also thinking about giving her a level of aristocrat. This would be her first level before she got apprenticed to whomever taught her magic. It would explain her high 2E hitpoints without using the 4th level ability raise to increase her Con. That one would then go to her Int score. It would also give her access to a few useful skills such as Sense Motive, Gather Information, Diplomacy, and Spot.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Liebheldin, being a guide medium should have spells dealing with the ethereal/astral.

I'm thinking that the House of Doors provides that, with all its doorways into the spirit world. All she has to do is learn her way around.

Their headquarters, the House of Doors sounds intriguing too.

Indeed it does. Toss it out on the Bait This Hook thread and let's develop how it got that way!

BTW, does it actually say it's their headquarters? I thought it was just Liebheldin's house/channeling apparatus.