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Last edited by Torzeng on Thu, Nov 12 2009, 15:20 PM, edited 3 times in total.

So You Want to be a Salandran?

I actually realized that a rather long email I sent off to a player asking about Salandra's temple could be modified and...made to this!

I've done some editing and review hoping this is clear to the main points.

I also need to point out I'm no DM. So any DM's who see something they don't like, er, let me know so I can fix it? :oops:

This is meerly from my own perspective of what may be helpful.

Advice below, now join us!

Last edited by Torzeng on Thu, Nov 12 2009, 6:06 AM, edited 2 times in total.

Part 1:

Well, there isn't a big set basis to what it means to be a Salandran. It always starts as:

"As a Salandran, I will heal anyone to the best of my ability if they ask for it."

Which, yes, I will tell you now that it means healing both the good guys and the bad guys.

Once you make some progress though, you learn where your wiggle room is. Is it a necromancer asking you to aid them as they pass into the wilderness, calling undead left and right beside you? No Salandran can truly tolerate this. But it won’t force you into PvP either. A very fair escape to those situations is “You’re clearly strong enough without my help; others are in greater need of my skills.” If you so choose.

I'm hoping this gives you an insight that a new Salandran PC is always a little tricky feeling, it may even seem difficult. And, I guarantee you; there will always be the skeptic who will challenge you "if you heal the bad guys, you're only making the situation worse for the good guys!" Don't worry about that confrontation, it will happen. All factions face issues after all.

A lot of the fun as a new Salandran is working this out: what your PC will believe in more strongly, what they'll tolerate, or what they’ll speak out against.

Last edited by Torzeng on Thu, Nov 12 2009, 5:55 AM, edited 1 time in total.

Part 2:

Do they fight, those Salandra's followers know so well for their peace, their healing, their pacifist ways?

Yes. Undead, constructs, and elementals are all (to best my knowledge) considered open to being destroyed by a Salandran. Undead are unclean, constructs are non-sentient, and elementals that are hostile, when destroyed, return to their planar and are not actually killed. (As I understand it from in-character).

Yes. A Salandran may learn to fight in self-defense. After all, they have the Templar Guards and Battle Surgeons who specifically train to work on a battlefield to keep themselves safe while getting critical patients stabilized. On the open road you may fight to protect yourself or possibly have a summoned creature as a guard.

No. A Salandran will be talked to if they are the aggressor of combat and attacking a sentient living being. Although this is always case-by-case, and any issues of this will be addressed in-character if they come up.

Will your Salandran fight?

I advise: Put your early focus on being the Healer. This is how most Salandran PC's are already viewed and treated. By starting this way, you'll find it generally easier to go around with hunting parties hanging back and healing the others or casting buffs on them. This can apply both to a clergy and a templar Salandran as you’re working out the time to develop how your character feels about combat situations.

Last edited by Torzeng on Thu, Nov 12 2009, 15:09 PM, edited 2 times in total.

Part 3:

Ranks:
Temple Mother/Father (DM Approval) and Divine Oracle (DM Approval)
Priest or Priestess (Clergy) and Battle Surgeon or Undead Hunter (Templar)
Acolyte (Clergy and Templar)
Noviate (Clergy and Templar)

What Classes do Salandran's tend to be?

All Classes will be better if they invest in the Heal Skill!

Cleric - You are a healer, the greatest of Salandra. They tend towards being clergy.

Champion of Torm (Salandra) - You may be clergy or templar depending on how you prefer to RP the better of your skills.

Paladin - You may be clergy or templar depending on how you prefer to RP the better of your skills.

Fighter – They tend to be templar.

Other Classes – Evil-alignment classes won’t work (good deity), Salandra doesn’t support druids/shifters magic being a non-nature deity; rangers-ask DM. Monk or rogue you might be using for feats or skilldump. Wizards/Bards/Sorcs could work as buffing group-supports but wouldn’t be clergy (non-divine magic). About all I can think of to point out.

In short: Pure Cleric is the easiest to learn with In My Opinion. If you find you don't like it as much, you're always welcome to work with the DM's to class change, or make a different Salandran PC (whatever is your style). A Pure Cleric has all their healing spells which double for destroying undead. Can do buffs/protective magic, will never use "dark necromancy". Domains: Protection, Healing, Good are Salandra's portfolio for the Pray bonus.

Last edited by Torzeng on Thu, Nov 12 2009, 6:08 AM, edited 2 times in total.

Part 4:
Generals

1) RP will find you on some days, especially as expected to be a healer (if by spell or heal skill). You're often easily welcomed to parties because of your support to keep all the fighting PC's alive. Using the Group Finder is a good trigger too when people see 'Salandran' in the name.

2) Colors are Red and White. Noviates wear mostly red. Acolytes a mix. Highest ranks nearly pure white. Temple Mother/Father Pure White.

3) Any Salandran PC is asked to refrain putting 'Salandran' in their name until after RP of being recognized by a member of the church, or DM controlled NPC. We do have a widget to bind your home point to Salandra's Temple one the portal rod's 2nd slot for faction binds.

4) There are no job system expectations, although I wouldn't advise being a Salandran 3rd rank Burglar or Mercenary, ect.

5) We're very small right now. Things are very relaxed. A Salandran is played mostly because you find to enjoy the RP and interactions; there is very few politics being such a peaceful faction. Although just about every server plague ends up on our doorstep to cure. Just about.

6) Once you're recognized by the temple, anything that happens 'questionable' is dealt with In-Character unless we really need to do something OOC with it. You're not going to be kicked out easily, we really want to help new players to a Salandran learn what's going to be okay and won't be okay.

7) You'll be fully allowed to heal members of factions all you like and prefer to be around; as long as your PC follows Salandra's tenets. Currently, Salandra's temple is only allied with Kohligen and the Triadic Knights.

8 ) Things are really lax. If you don't know the tenets yet, don't worry! You'll get an in-game book on that and formal temple robes. You don't always have to be in colors. You could, if you really wanted to, have an intimidating look to your armor (might get questions In-Character).

As long as you go by: "I heal anyone who asks for it," you'll learn the rest by playing. We want to help you learn the rest while playing too.

Last edited by Torzeng on Thu, Nov 12 2009, 15:18 PM, edited 2 times in total.

Questions?

Previous Questions:

Dark wrote:

<snip>... I know you mentioned there's only a few people now, etcetera, but, do they (the Salandran's) interact often with eachother? Or just off healing others?

We try to interact with eachother. If we cannot do it in-game, we are part of the Northern Alliance forum as well. This can be as casual RP like anything else, or such as teaching. I've had some fun RP actually when I required my PC was taught prayers before he could use some spells.

Uh...?

I don't really have many questions.. I'm pretty sure you answered most of.. everything there. Although I did want to say good job, and that it kinda makes me want to go out and make a Salandran.
Actually, I know you mentioned there's only a few people now, etcetera, but, do they (the Salandran's) interact often with eachother? Or just off healing others?

You all need an ass kicking.

Bring Jack back. Someone kidnap git.

One note: rangers don't need a nature patron. (Several discussions about it before, but this seems the likely conclusion and the one enforced on Amia.) Therefore, Salandra is as capable of granting spells to rangers as any other deity.

When did we decide that, Iron? DM links, not general ones.

Think it was during the discussions about the Diety System. Not sure what was decided but I remember this thing being an issue.

I did not say the DMs explicitly decided it (though we may have). I said it was a likely conclusion, and the one enforced on Amia. Which it is, de facto, whether it was ever decided out loud or not. We have never Fallen rangers of other deities, and we have almost certainly approved ranger special characters who did not worship a god from the nature deity list. (I do not know if this is the case, but I'm 90% sure I can find you an example after some digging.) The Deity System also supposes this, whether intentional or not. Moreover, it is not even something that requires a decision: we go by canon lore until DMs explicitly announce otherwise, and canon lore seems to agree with the above. It's not an "Amian exception," it is what careful study of all the relevant material suggests. Until you're told otherwise, you are obviously free to assume canon Forgotten Realms rules and lore apply. In a case where two interpretations are possible, pick the one that suits you. It's the same with everything, and always has been.

It may or may not have been decided, but it is nonetheless how it is.

Dark wrote:

I don't really have many questions.. I'm pretty sure you answered most of.. everything there. Although I did want to say good job, and that it kinda makes me want to go out and make a Salandran.
Actually, I know you mentioned there's only a few people now, etcetera, but, do they (the Salandran's) interact often with eachother? Or just off healing others?

We're small right now, so it's a little harder to have a lot of interactions with eachother. But our RP is beyond just always healing others.

I have tried to engage in some teaching RP with other Salandran PC's before; although I'm still learning how to do that. The interaction is nice to have, so we try to have some.
Plus, it counts favorably if you actually can meet other PC's of the temple. I realize this isn't possible all the time with time-zones, as I know of at least one former member I met in game all of about 3 times over a few months.
And we are in the Northern Alliance forum. If we cannot meet in-game all the time, we do letters there as important and a good way to plan times if we want to get together.

Selvec Darkon wrote:

You all need an ass kicking.

Bring Jack back. Someone kidnap git.

I think you're volunteering.

Jack could always use an upstart trying to take his place.

EDIT:

Rangers I put as "ask DM" because I'm not sure on that now either.

I know plenty of rangers who aren't of a nature deity on the server. Hell, I have one. Though Urogalan can be argued as one, being god of Death and Earth. My point is, he doesn't support Druids and doesn't have "special roles" that are specified in FR books for Rangers, etc.

Anyway, from what I recall from all the Ranger/Druid debates, it's commonly agreed that Rangers should have a deity, since they're divine casters, but the deity need not be of nature. I would strongly suggest, from a personal stand point, that you should keep the Ranger class away from gods like Velsharoon and Kiaransalee. Undeath + Ranger = Wrong, IMO.

Torzeng wrote:

Other Classes Salandra doesn’t support druids/shifters magic being a non-nature deity.

shifters dont have to be druid IC, and need no tie to a nature deity so then they could become one I think.

Last edited by Delarwyn on Thu, Nov 12 2009, 21:44 PM, edited 1 time in total.

Dark wrote:

I don't really have many questions.. I'm pretty sure you answered most of.. everything there. Although I did want to say good job, and that it kinda makes me want to go out and make a Salandran.
Actually, I know you mentioned there's only a few people now, etcetera, but, do they (the Salandran's) interact often with eachother? Or just off healing others?

As far as I know, Salandrans interact with each other, with the Ilmatari and triadic knights and with all the people needing healing or something. It can be a very rich type of RP and honestly Weston, Amenia and the Salandran played by Qualiz are very good characters to RP with and the players are very nice people to deal with. It has great potential if people really engage in the faction.

IronAngel wrote:

I did not say the DMs explicitly decided it (though we may have). I said it was a likely conclusion, and the one enforced on Amia. Which it is, de facto, whether it was ever decided out loud or not. We have never Fallen rangers of other deities, and we have almost certainly approved ranger special characters who did not worship a god from the nature deity list. (I do not know if this is the case, but I'm 90% sure I can find you an example after some digging.) The Deity System also supposes this, whether intentional or not. Moreover, it is not even something that requires a decision: we go by canon lore until DMs explicitly announce otherwise, and canon lore seems to agree with the above. It's not an "Amian exception," it is what careful study of all the relevant material suggests. Until you're told otherwise, you are obviously free to assume canon Forgotten Realms rules and lore apply. In a case where two interpretations are possible, pick the one that suits you. It's the same with everything, and always has been.

It may or may not have been decided, but it is nonetheless how it is.

You don't need to be a dick about it, I just asked for a post, damn.

I seem to miss the problem with Iron's answer. It seems rather sensible?

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