Vatazin

[reverend keith]

So, the PCs in my game are now 18th level, and given the fairly epic feel of the game right now, they have discovered that a one of their mysterious allies for the light is a Vatazin. They discovered who he was, he performed the "wise man affirming the champions on their heroic path" role, and then departed to parts unknown. I stronly implied that the Vatazin are servants of the light, in the same vein that darkfiend servitors follow the exarchs, so there was a strong "angelic" feel to the scene. Surprisingly, it really went off well during the game and especially resonated with the light-aligned Vata'an and Vata'sharan in the game. It's a long involved story (which I'm sure will probably bore everyone if I continue), so I figured I'd skip right to the mechanics.

I fashioned the character sheet for the Vatazin NPC with the True 20 Bestiary, using the Fey subtype and adding the half-celestial template to it. Given that the Vatazin appear to have a deeper connection to magic than mundane humans, I decided to use the True Sorcery system for his arcane talents rather than using the standard BR arcana system.


Payzhaan
Role: 25th level Vata (Half-Celestial Fey - Native Outsider)
Stats: Str 1, Dex 1, Con 1, Int 3, Wis 4, Cha 6
Saves: Toughness +11, Fortitude +9 (+13 vs. poison), Reflex +15, Will +18
Attack: +11 Defense: +12 Reputation: +7
Skills: Bluff +34, Concentration +29, Diplomacy +34, Gather Information +34, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (Arcana) +31, Knowledge (Geography) +31, Knowledge (History) +31, Knowledge (Local) +31, Knowledge (Nature) +31, Notice +32, Sense Motive +32, Speak Language, Spellcraft +34 (+66)
Feats: Defy Time, Fortune's Favor, Wellspring Adept, Wellspring Master, (Student of Magic, First Magnitude, Second Magnitude, Third Magnitude, Fourth Magnitude)
True Sorcery (DC28): +66 Spellcraft checks
Innate Powers: Cure, Cure Poison, Cure Disease, Detect Magic*, Dominate, Imbue Life, Prestidigitation*, Purifying Light, Summon Outsider
Light/Shadow Nature: Patient / None Conviction: 15
Notes:
· Supernatural Resistance +35
· Damage Reduction 4/supernatural
· Resistance to acid 4, cold 4 and electricity 4
· Natural weapons are treated as supernatural weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
· Speed: 60' fly (feathered wings), 30' walk
· Darkvision (60 feet)
· Immunity to all diseases.
· Smite Evil (1/day): +20 extra damage to any undead creature or outsider with the vice subtype.

[nephandi]

I once mused what the vatazin would have looked like, stat-wise; I figured they'd have all the Arcane Talent feats, low light vision, and +2 on recovery checks (similar to the vata'an). Additionally, I thought they would have some weakness that would help explain why the lich-kings were able to genocide them; maybe -4 on all saves against Sorcery.

[ElectricPaladin]

As for myself, I've removed the vataspawn from my setting altogether. What interests me the most about new species is the new cultures, the new ways of seeing the world, and the way it interacts with other cultures and ways of seeing the world. The vataspawn are randomly born of human families - they don't have a culture or a way of seeing the world. Thus, they are, for me, next to meaningless.

The fact that the vata are *cough cough* elves and the vataspawn are *cough cough* half-elves doesn't endear them to me, either. The only thing that stops me from boiling the setting down to Humans, Rhydan, and Sea-Folk is that the Night People at least have a culture, and they test Aldis's accepting nature, which is cool.

Anyway, the upshot is that I'd like to hear about how you used the Vata and the vataspawn, because I'd like good ideas about how they fit into the rest of the setting.

[Stareyes]

Funnily enough, both the vata characters in the game I ran in Summer '05 were from mixed vata-human families, so the appeal was as a different 'human' race, rather than something unusual, like a rhy'dan. Donovan was a vata'sha Roamer foundling who was originally born in Jarzon (and I'm starting to think that 'Vata'sha born in Jarzon and driven out/abandoned' is a prevalent archetype in Blue Rose), and a strong part of his character was tied to the circumstances of his birth (it lead to a lot of in-game conflict with the Jarzoni PC). Parisa was an Aldin vata'an, but her player noted that she had strained relationships with her human sister, and was much closer to her deceased vata brother (and eventually lead to Donovan adopting her as his 'little sister') . (When I was running, I specifically noted that humans, vata, and seafolk could all interbreed, but that offspring would pick out one dominant set of traits and that a vata/seafolk/human child could show up in an otherwise non-whatever family, as long as there was some ancestry somewhere back in their family tree.)

Now I'm wondering if vata'sha and vata'an have ever attempted to create their own culture and/or rediscover vatazin culture. Or attempts to 'purify' any of the races by anyone involved. Or rivalry between vata and non-vata mages.

You could get a lot of interesting threads from them, if you treat them as a variant of humanity, rather than having a non-human outlook.

[Khantalas]

The fact that the vata are *cough cough* elves and the vataspawn are *cough cough* half-elves doesn't endear them to me, either.

No. Vata are half-elves, while vatazin are elves. There are no "vataspawn" as you would put it.