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Pale Master Deathless Mastery
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:33 pm
by szabot
At level 10, a pale master gains the Deathless Mastery feat.
In the NWN HotU handbook, all that is written about it is "Immune to critical hits."
In Tome and Blood: "His body becomes partly mummified, and he is no longer subject to critical hits."
In Libris Mortis: "His body becomes partly mummified (though he is not truly undead), and he becomes immune to [long list - not gained in NWN]. He still needs to breathe, eat, and sleep as normal for his type, and he still ages normally."
The question is, then, what is entailed by being "partly mummified," especially given that he still needs to breathe and eat. Mummification involves the removal of organs, but breathing and eating require several organs, if not all. Lungs, stomach and intestines are the obvious ones, but the heart would also be needed. Also, presumably the pale master still has a brain (no jokes, please).
Another question: how does this occur? Is it like gaining the undead graft (some ritual the pale master performs)?
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:36 pm
by Eef
He still has his organs, only he keeps them at home in jars.
More seriously, perhaps he becomes desiccated like "natural mummies" sometimes found in really salty dry areas?
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:40 pm
by szabot
What I should have added, that makes this more mysterious, is that presumably what would make him immune to critical hits is having no vital organs. But he does have vital organs. What is it then that makes him immune to critical hits?
If desiccated, I'm not sure that would account for being immune to critical hits, and would probably make him vulnerable to fire...though, since mummies are vulnerable to fire, that makes some sense.
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:08 pm
by WrathOG777
I think where you are going wrong here is that needing to breathe, eat and sleep also means the PM still have organs.
Vampires need to drink and sleep. They can eat if they like too. They do not have any working organs other than their heart.
I would say, you are mumified, as stated, and thus did remove them organs.
You just also still need to eat and breathe. That need is not related to any organs, just like your undead graft still moves without muscles.
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:38 pm
by Naieth
WrathOG777 wrote:I think where you are going wrong here is that needing to breathe, eat and sleep also means the PM still have organs.
Vampires need to drink and sleep. They can eat if they like too. They do not have any working organs other than their heart.
I would say, you are mumified, as stated, and thus did remove them organs.
You just also still need to eat and breathe. That need is not related to any organs, just like your undead graft still moves without muscles.
This sounds like a good explanation to me
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 6:48 pm
by szabot
WrathOG777 wrote:I think where you are going wrong here is that needing to breathe, eat and sleep also means the PM still have organs.
Vampires need to drink and sleep. They can eat if they like too. They do not have any working organs other than their heart.
I would say, you are mumified, as stated, and thus did remove them organs.
You just also still need to eat and breathe. That need is not related to any organs, just like your undead graft still moves without muscles.
Ok...I think I'm just thinking about it too much, because, really, how can they eat, breathe or drink without organs? Where does it go? How does it get digested? How does it get converted to energy? And so on...
Is it just one of those things we have to forget about because of the magical, fantasy nature of it all?
It would still be good to have some sort of answer.
"Do you have organs?"
"No."
"But you need to eat."
"Yes."
"Why? How? Where does the food go?"
"Good questions..."
*uses deathless master touch instead of answering because he doesn't know what the answer is*
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:09 pm
by NCGrimbo
Just a guess on my part but, it could be that the skin is the only part that is mummified. This would make the skin extremely tough thus preventing the damage that a critical hit would cause.
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:12 pm
by Serineth Swiftpaw
NCGrimbo wrote:Just a guess on my part but, it could be that the skin is the only part that is mummified. This would make the skin extremely tough thus preventing the damage that a critical hit would cause.
That would be DR, not Immunity to Crits.
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:19 pm
by Vichan Lyonsen
Serineth Swiftpaw wrote:NCGrimbo wrote:Just a guess on my part but, it could be that the skin is the only part that is mummified. This would make the skin extremely tough thus preventing the damage that a critical hit would cause.
That would be DR, not Immunity to Crits.
Actually i agree with both of the above...however this particular effect does not mean you are undead.. so you require all your organs, you still need to eat, sleep, defecate what-have-you. So while yes the skin explanation would in all respects resemble DR.. lets keep in mind this is a fantasy setting and just assume this supernatural ability is manifested in an ability for your organs to simply not be affected by criticals....your mastery of death has somehow given your body this ability.
You are not suddenly wrapped in bandages.. your organs do not suddenly leap from your body into a canopic jar, to be somehow replaced by a resinous material
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:21 pm
by Nightshade
You know you play too much when...
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:22 pm
by szabot
Looked up a bit on Egyptian mummification:
First, one of the embalmer's men makes a cut in the left side of the body and removes many of the internal organs. It is important to remove these because they are the first part of the body to decompose.
Second, the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines are washed and packed in natron (a natural salt used to dry out dead bodies and internal organs in the mummification process) which will dry them out. The heart is not taken out of the body because it is the centre of intelligence and feeling and the man will need it in the afterlife.
Third, a long hook is used to smash the brain and pull it out through the nose.
Fourth, the body is now covered and stuffed with natron which will dry it out. All of the fluids, and rags from the embalming process will be saved and buried along with the body.
Fifth, after forty days the body is washed again with water from the Nile. Then it is covered with oils to help the skin stay elastic.
Sixth, the dehydrated internal organs are wrapped in linen and returned to the body. (In earlier times, when the internal organs were removed from a body they were placed in hollow canopic jars.) The body is stuffed with dry materials such as sawdust, leaves and linen so that it looks lifelike.
Finally the body is covered again with good-smelling oils. It is now ready to be wrapped in linen.
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:24 pm
by choraldances
I have just now officially lost my appetite.
Congratulations, that is hard to do.
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:26 pm
by szabot
Vichan Lyonsen wrote:lets keep in mind this is a fantasy setting and just assume this supernatural ability is manifested in an ability for your organs to simply not be affected by criticals....your mastery of death has somehow given your body this ability.
That could be the best way to go, and would explain how they can still need to eat, drink, breathe and are able to do those things.
You are not suddenly wrapped in bandages.. your organs do not suddenly leap from your body into a canopic jar, to be somehow replaced by a resinous material
No, it is not sudden, it is a grueling ritual.
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:27 pm
by szabot
choraldances wrote:I have just now officially lost my appetite.
Congratulations, that is hard to do.
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:28 pm
by Tangleroot
Who needs details, just rp something scary and horrible when shanked.
*Bleeds disgusting faintly blood-like fluid out of the wound and makes gurgling sounds* etc -> Awesome
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:31 pm
by Rain&Clouds
szabot wrote: Is it just one of those things we have to forget about because of the magical, fantasy nature of it all?
Sure! Why not?
"Do you have organs?"
"No."
"But you need to eat."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because otherwise I get hungry."
"How?"
"I put the food in my mouth and chew on it"
"Where does the food go?"
"Magic!"
Like Wrath pointed out, your bone arm also moves without any muscles... we just have to assume it's some of the palemasters magic
And the vampires could be some kind of curse... ever seen the pirates of the caribbean? They could eat but not taste the food
Maybe you can eat and not digest it at all, it just turns into energy and magical energy (the kind that moves muscleless arms
)
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:32 pm
by szabot
Tangleroot wrote:Who needs details, just rp something scary and horrible when shanked.
*Bleeds disgusting faintly blood-like fluid out of the wound and makes gurgling sounds* etc -> Awesome
Heh, I do try to emote something whenever I see "Sinomi Sii: Immune to Critical Hits" appear in the combat window. Or, at least, after the battle, I pretend not to notice that I'm wounded until someone says so. My emotes could get more creative, though. Maybe I'll use that one above sometime.
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:38 pm
by WrathOG777
szabot wrote:Looked up a bit on Egyptian mummification:
First, one of the embalmer's men makes a cut in the left side of the body and removes many of the internal organs. It is important to remove these because they are the first part of the body to decompose.
Second, the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines are washed and packed in natron (a natural salt used to dry out dead bodies and internal organs in the mummification process) which will dry them out. The heart is not taken out of the body because it is the centre of intelligence and feeling and the man will need it in the afterlife.
Third, a long hook is used to smash the brain and pull it out through the nose.
Fourth, the body is now covered and stuffed with natron which will dry it out. All of the fluids, and rags from the embalming process will be saved and buried along with the body.
Fifth, the body is now covered and stuffed with natron which will dry it out. All of the fluids, and rags from the embalming process will be saved and buried along with the body.
Sixth, after forty days the body is washed again with water from the Nile. Then it is covered with oils to help the skin stay elastic.
Seventh, the dehydrated internal organs are wrapped in linen and returned to the body. (In earlier times, when the internal organs were removed from a body they were placed in hollow canopic jars.) The body is stuffed with dry materials such as sawdust, leaves and linen so that it looks lifelike.
Finally the body is covered again with good-smelling oils. It is now ready to be wrapped in linen.
Bam! there you have it. They are mummifed, and put back in. So they do not get crited and such because they are mummified organs, but you still need to eat and breathe because they are still there and used.
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:42 pm
by szabot
WrathOG777 wrote:Bam! there you have it. They are mummifed, and put back in. So they do not get crited and such because they are mummified organs, but you still need to eat and breathe because they are still there and used.
Yeah, that could work: taken out, mummified, returned (and also reconnected). Still magically work and are required (since the pale master isn't really undead). Also, presumably, the brain wasn't taken out...don't know how the pale master would finish the ritual without a brain.
I think I'll work up a ritual that I could say Sinomi did to become partly mummified. A little too late to play it out now, unfortunately, but at least he can teach it to his minions, er disciples, er...
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 7:52 pm
by WrathOG777
the body is now covered and stuffed with natron which will dry it out.
You could do this part for the brain and heart. Make them eat it! Har har. Would you like some ale with that natron?
http://webmineral.com/data/Natron.shtml
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 8:14 pm
by szabot
Here's a go at it:
Becoming a deathless master:
First, the pale master makes a cut in the left side of the body and removes all of the internal organs. It is important to be well-rested and nourished before beginning the ritual.
Second, the liver, lungs, stomach, heart and intestines are washed and packed in salt, which will dry them out.
Third, the pale master stuffs his empty body with salt and waits for it to dry for at least 12 hours, preferably in a dry area with an abundance of negative energy.
Fourth, after sufficient time drying, the body is washed with water, then covered with oils to help the skin stay elastic.
Fifth, the dehydrated internal organs are returned to the body and reconnected with one another. The other organs are discarded. The remainder of the body is stuffed with dry materials such as sawdust, leaves and any linen used during the embalming process.
Finally, the body is covered again with good-smelling oils.
The pale master is now ready to create his army of undead and necromancers and take over the world.
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 8:25 pm
by Naieth
Nightshade wrote:You know you play too much when...
You write this
szabot wrote:Here's a go at it:
Becoming a deathless master:
First, the pale master makes a cut in the left side of the body and removes all of the internal organs. It is important to be well-rested and nourished before beginning the ritual.
Second, the liver, lungs, stomach, heart and intestines are washed and packed in salt, which will dry them out.
Third, the pale master stuffs his empty body with salt and waits for it to dry for at least 12 hours, preferably in a dry area with an abundance of negative energy.
Fourth, after sufficient time drying, the body is washed with water, then covered with oils to help the skin stay elastic.
Fifth, the dehydrated internal organs are returned to the body and reconnected with one another. The other organs are discarded. The remainder of the body is stuffed with dry materials such as sawdust, leaves and any linen used during the embalming process.
Finally, the body is covered again with good-smelling oils.
The pale master is now ready to create his army of undead and necromancers and take over the world.
Fucking A man
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 7:52 pm
by Li'll Divvil
man you guys are sick
Just assume it is a ritual in which the PM's organs are removed from his body and stored in phylacteries while remaining magically in connection with the PM's body. The fact that his critical organs are not IN his body makes him immune to critical hits.
Food ingested by the PM is transferred to the proper organs by the same magic that connects them to his body. Hence he can still eat and is technically alive.
You can all come up with a nice ritual to transform his skin into a tough leathery substance (like tanning, it doesn't have to be desiccated to become tough) so say he uses magically enhanced tanning solutions to toughen his skin and since his organs are not in his body this way he doens't poison and kill himself with the nasty chemicals.
my piece of Blah
Re: Pale Master Deathless Mastery
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 9:48 pm
by Krishna
szabot wrote:
In Tome and Blood: "His body becomes partly mummified, and he is no longer subject to critical hits."
Partially mummified, don't take it all the way is my advice.
For example, critical hits are largely because living organs can't take a certain amount of a trauma. So, your partially mummified organs require less blood, and heal with extreme ease because the cells that make up your organs are 'powered' by negative energy partially, let us say the mitochondria produce it or some such..
So in essence it is all still there, but your kind of 'dried out' on the inside, and your organs aren't really alive.
Natural mummification is really just the body drying out, this is what I think was implied.
My $.02..
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:40 am
by Zonr_0
szabot wrote:What I should have added, that makes this more mysterious, is that presumably what would make him immune to critical hits is having no vital organs. But he does have vital organs. What is it then that makes him immune to critical hits?
Didn't we go over this already? he removed his balls, remember?
