So last D&D session a may have gone overboard and bought up a Solar.
For context: Several sessions ago, 2 party members made a deal with a Hag, the hag gave info, in exchange for something belonging to the party.
The rogue lost stealth expertise and the Monk also lost a stat (I forget).
Last sesh, the rouge was asking an expert in all things magic how to get it back. Now in my world such hag dealings are difficult to remove. It ended with me saying they need the feathers of a Solar's wing. 1 for each cursed creature. The magic expert can then make a spell form these feathers to life the curse.
Now the players are currently level 15 and claiming.
I decided to just run with it and see what happens. The party like it. something to work towards. I'm curious, how to Play a Solar? I've stated that such feathers are among the most rare and valuable in the cosmos.
The expert said it will research how to summon such a creature.
1. How to roleplay a Solar
2. Ideas for summoning a Solar. What would be needed? Special ingredients? "Blood of a most holy man"
Knowing my party they MIGHT come at this being with hostility.
If you go with the official lore, there’s this in the solar description: It is said that only twenty-four solars exist. The few solars that are known are stewards of specific deities. The others rest in a state of contemplation, waiting for the time when their services are needed to stave off some cosmic threat to the cause of good.
So first would be, do you want a solar attached to a god? I’d think their personality would be very close to that of the god they work with. (Is there a good cleric in the party? Or a cleric of a good god, at least?) If you don’t want a god-related, you could do most anything. Maybe they’re a bit unhinged from being alone for so long. Or maybe their meditations have given them an unusual sense of peace. Or, maybe they are an avenging angel, full of righteous fury and excited to unleash it upon some evil-doers. A chance to stretch their legs like they do every few hundred years.
I don’t think you’d summon one, as much as you would beseech aid from one. First, they’d need to know its name, or nickname or title or something. Then some kind of ritual. I would not see a solar wanting the blood of a good person, they fight on the side of good people. They might respond to the prayers of such a person, however. If they want blood it will be from a demon, to prove you are on the side of good.
And I also wouldn’t let the party fight it. If the solar thought it was outmatched, it would leave, and take its feathers with it. I think, if the party has been particularly good throughput the campaign, it might recognize them as allies and just give them what they need. If they’ve been in the middle somewhere, it will require a service. Depending on how hard you be want it to be, the service might be a minor detour of something they were going to do anyway, or it can be at odds with the main plot line, so they have to make a choice.
Solars are lawful good and are either stewards of specific deity or rest in a state of contemplation, waiting for the time when their services are needed to stave off some cosmic threat to the cause of good. Their dealings with the material plane are solely to deal with such cosmic threats a request for a feather from the adventures is akin to a begger who singed his hair on a fire turning up at the Whitehouse wanting the the Presidents Tupee I think they would treat such a request with disdain.
If you did want a way out for them it is possible that the solar would be willing ot make a pact with one or more membera of the party. They can have the feather(s) providing they pledge to serve the Solar. Mechanically this could be either resetting their character as a celestial warlock or taking future levels in celestial warlock, though this probably wont work for a monk or a rogue. Alternatively it could just be a commitment to do as instructed.
If the party try to deceive the solar a solar knows if it hears a lie.
If it does get to combat the solar could treat them as not work fighting they fight cosmic threats not adventurers with ideas WAY above their station. Turn invisible and fly away at 300ft a round, if cornered it will fight intelligently (INT=25) knowing the party can heal and bounce right up again they will target the one with lowest constitution and try to take them out the game with their bow, reducing the number of enemies as quickly as possible. If the solar is cornered in a confined area the party will probably win but I would expect this to bring the wrath of the diety, do what you think will be fun but an execution squad with little chance for the party to win (maybe even with the God themself involved) would be realistic but probably not fun.
2.
An obvious route would be the gate spell. The magic expert manages to find the true name of a Solar and casts gate. One issue with this is "Deities and other planar rulers can prevent portals created by this spell from opening in their presence or anywhere within their domains." Which raises the question why is the opening of the gate allowed? The answer to this can be tied into what I posted above. The diety is aware of a cosmic threat and sees the party and a potential aid in defeating this threat. The party are charged with destroying this great evil and if they accept the feathers they can not back down afterwards. This would thren lead what would presumably be the final arc of the campaign.
An alternative with RAW is the magic expert obtains a forked metal rod tuned to celestia and either gives it to them or casts plane shift (if the later make sure they can get home with something like word of recall). This option is much more open, their are going to be lots of powerful creatures whereever they go they could try a stealth approach, or persuasion, or get into combat when they think I have found one on its own.
I'd make it clear how immensely powerful this creature is.
First, I'd forget about its statblock for non-combat purposes. So instead of the spells it has, I'd just go with whatever feels right. Miraculous stuff.
Maybe, if it wants to, it could just pluck one of its own feathers and lift the curse itself like it's a regular Tuesday. Then the plucked feather would regrow instantly, making them realize that it has access to the feather's magic too and it's insanely powerful. Maybe it could bestow upon them a Divine Deed of some sort. Replace the curse with mission that they must fulfill. So the curse is replaced with a herculean deed that they must fulfill. I'd do it like this, so that they don't have to go on an endless string of quests before getting back their skills.
So getting an audience with the Solar would be the quest. The encounter itself is rather straight forward .
How would I roleplay it?
It doesn't very much care about the players, but somehow it seems to know quite a bit about them without any checks. Unknown mechanics.
Time seems to mean something entirely different to it, maybe enforce this through describing but also the things it says. I might also describe how its mind seems to be fully present with them, but also gazing into other places at the same time.
It has it's own agenda in their world. Some sort of a good agenda. And as it doesn't really care about the players, but knows how strong they are, it decides to help them if they accept the Heroic Deed. Sort of like a Pact thing, but this being is good. It could promise them other rewards too, if they fulfill it. (Maybe an epic boon later)
This is a great way to motivate and link them to the End-Game adventure, because the enemies/threats at 15+ levels are definitely something a Solar could be interested in. And sometimes those are difficult to build. So this would boost their future adventures, whether you already have the end-game campaign going or not.
Now where do these extra abilities come from? If it can remove a powerful curse and even bestow epic boons. The players will never know. Maybe it has a patron/sire/god of its own and it can access that magic. Maybe it's just so powerful.
I'd make this creature feel like a god in every comprehensible way. Make it seem so powerful that it feels like an actual god in flesh - cosmic and divine and all-seeing. But then maybe hint towards it being just a soldier. A good way to blow the players' mind and go like whaaaaaat the heeee**. That thing is like a god... So what is an actual god?? *mind blown*
Depending on your worldbuilding and inner functions of the planes, you also might want to remember, that planar beings defeated outside of their homeplane, reform on their homeplane in x time.
For me, that means, if you want to take a Solar feather by force, you need to go to the homeplane of that Solar. This again means, you also have to deal with other denizens of that plane and maybe the gods themselves.
But that is just one take on the whole multiverse approach of D&D.
Depending on your worldbuilding and inner functions of the planes, you also might want to remember, that planar beings defeated outside of their homeplane, reform on their homeplane in x time.
For me, that means, if you want to take a Solar feather by force, you need to go to the homeplane of that Solar. This again means, you also have to deal with other denizens of that plane and maybe the gods themselves.
But that is just one take on the whole multiverse approach of D&D.
I don’t think the snap back to their home plane thing is universal for 5e; Fiends explicitly work that way, but if you got the one packet they did for Feywild Archfey are the exact opposite; if killed within their domain in the Feywild they reform at full strength in a few days, but if they die elsewhere it’s for keeps.
Depending on your worldbuilding and inner functions of the planes, you also might want to remember, that planar beings defeated outside of their homeplane, reform on their homeplane in x time.
For me, that means, if you want to take a Solar feather by force, you need to go to the homeplane of that Solar. This again means, you also have to deal with other denizens of that plane and maybe the gods themselves.
But that is just one take on the whole multiverse approach of D&D.
I don’t think the snap back to their home plane thing is universal for 5e; Fiends explicitly work that way, but if you got the one packet they did for Feywild Archfey are the exact opposite; if killed within their domain in the Feywild they reform at full strength in a few days, but if they die elsewhere it’s for keeps.
Afaik that works for the outer and maybe inner planes (I am not sure with elementals).
The Feywild and the Shadowfel are something different.
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So last D&D session a may have gone overboard and bought up a Solar.
For context: Several sessions ago, 2 party members made a deal with a Hag, the hag gave info, in exchange for something belonging to the party.
The rogue lost stealth expertise and the Monk also lost a stat (I forget).
Last sesh, the rouge was asking an expert in all things magic how to get it back. Now in my world such hag dealings are difficult to remove. It ended with me saying they need the feathers of a Solar's wing. 1 for each cursed creature. The magic expert can then make a spell form these feathers to life the curse.
Now the players are currently level 15 and claiming.
I decided to just run with it and see what happens. The party like it. something to work towards. I'm curious, how to Play a Solar? I've stated that such feathers are among the most rare and valuable in the cosmos.
The expert said it will research how to summon such a creature.
1. How to roleplay a Solar
2. Ideas for summoning a Solar. What would be needed? Special ingredients? "Blood of a most holy man"
Knowing my party they MIGHT come at this being with hostility.
Thank you
If you go with the official lore, there’s this in the solar description: It is said that only twenty-four solars exist. The few solars that are known are stewards of specific deities. The others rest in a state of contemplation, waiting for the time when their services are needed to stave off some cosmic threat to the cause of good.
So first would be, do you want a solar attached to a god? I’d think their personality would be very close to that of the god they work with. (Is there a good cleric in the party? Or a cleric of a good god, at least?)
If you don’t want a god-related, you could do most anything. Maybe they’re a bit unhinged from being alone for so long. Or maybe their meditations have given them an unusual sense of peace.
Or, maybe they are an avenging angel, full of righteous fury and excited to unleash it upon some evil-doers. A chance to stretch their legs like they do every few hundred years.
I don’t think you’d summon one, as much as you would beseech aid from one. First, they’d need to know its name, or nickname or title or something. Then some kind of ritual. I would not see a solar wanting the blood of a good person, they fight on the side of good people. They might respond to the prayers of such a person, however. If they want blood it will be from a demon, to prove you are on the side of good.
And I also wouldn’t let the party fight it. If the solar thought it was outmatched, it would leave, and take its feathers with it.
I think, if the party has been particularly good throughput the campaign, it might recognize them as allies and just give them what they need. If they’ve been in the middle somewhere, it will require a service. Depending on how hard you be want it to be, the service might be a minor detour of something they were going to do anyway, or it can be at odds with the main plot line, so they have to make a choice.
1.
Solars are lawful good and are either stewards of specific deity or rest in a state of contemplation, waiting for the time when their services are needed to stave off some cosmic threat to the cause of good. Their dealings with the material plane are solely to deal with such cosmic threats a request for a feather from the adventures is akin to a begger who singed his hair on a fire turning up at the Whitehouse wanting the the Presidents Tupee I think they would treat such a request with disdain.
If you did want a way out for them it is possible that the solar would be willing ot make a pact with one or more membera of the party. They can have the feather(s) providing they pledge to serve the Solar. Mechanically this could be either resetting their character as a celestial warlock or taking future levels in celestial warlock, though this probably wont work for a monk or a rogue. Alternatively it could just be a commitment to do as instructed.
If the party try to deceive the solar a solar knows if it hears a lie.
If it does get to combat the solar could treat them as not work fighting they fight cosmic threats not adventurers with ideas WAY above their station. Turn invisible and fly away at 300ft a round, if cornered it will fight intelligently (INT=25) knowing the party can heal and bounce right up again they will target the one with lowest constitution and try to take them out the game with their bow, reducing the number of enemies as quickly as possible. If the solar is cornered in a confined area the party will probably win but I would expect this to bring the wrath of the diety, do what you think will be fun but an execution squad with little chance for the party to win (maybe even with the God themself involved) would be realistic but probably not fun.
2.
An obvious route would be the gate spell. The magic expert manages to find the true name of a Solar and casts gate. One issue with this is "Deities and other planar rulers can prevent portals created by this spell from opening in their presence or anywhere within their domains." Which raises the question why is the opening of the gate allowed? The answer to this can be tied into what I posted above. The diety is aware of a cosmic threat and sees the party and a potential aid in defeating this threat. The party are charged with destroying this great evil and if they accept the feathers they can not back down afterwards. This would thren lead what would presumably be the final arc of the campaign.
An alternative with RAW is the magic expert obtains a forked metal rod tuned to celestia and either gives it to them or casts plane shift (if the later make sure they can get home with something like word of recall). This option is much more open, their are going to be lots of powerful creatures whereever they go they could try a stealth approach, or persuasion, or get into combat when they think I have found one on its own.
I'd make it clear how immensely powerful this creature is.
First, I'd forget about its statblock for non-combat purposes. So instead of the spells it has, I'd just go with whatever feels right. Miraculous stuff.
Maybe, if it wants to, it could just pluck one of its own feathers and lift the curse itself like it's a regular Tuesday. Then the plucked feather would regrow instantly, making them realize that it has access to the feather's magic too and it's insanely powerful. Maybe it could bestow upon them a Divine Deed of some sort. Replace the curse with mission that they must fulfill. So the curse is replaced with a herculean deed that they must fulfill. I'd do it like this, so that they don't have to go on an endless string of quests before getting back their skills.
So getting an audience with the Solar would be the quest. The encounter itself is rather straight forward .
How would I roleplay it?
It doesn't very much care about the players, but somehow it seems to know quite a bit about them without any checks. Unknown mechanics.
Time seems to mean something entirely different to it, maybe enforce this through describing but also the things it says. I might also describe how its mind seems to be fully present with them, but also gazing into other places at the same time.
It has it's own agenda in their world. Some sort of a good agenda. And as it doesn't really care about the players, but knows how strong they are, it decides to help them if they accept the Heroic Deed. Sort of like a Pact thing, but this being is good. It could promise them other rewards too, if they fulfill it. (Maybe an epic boon later)
This is a great way to motivate and link them to the End-Game adventure, because the enemies/threats at 15+ levels are definitely something a Solar could be interested in. And sometimes those are difficult to build. So this would boost their future adventures, whether you already have the end-game campaign going or not.
Now where do these extra abilities come from? If it can remove a powerful curse and even bestow epic boons. The players will never know. Maybe it has a patron/sire/god of its own and it can access that magic. Maybe it's just so powerful.
I'd make this creature feel like a god in every comprehensible way. Make it seem so powerful that it feels like an actual god in flesh - cosmic and divine and all-seeing. But then maybe hint towards it being just a soldier. A good way to blow the players' mind and go like whaaaaaat the heeee**. That thing is like a god... So what is an actual god?? *mind blown*
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Depending on your worldbuilding and inner functions of the planes, you also might want to remember, that planar beings defeated outside of their homeplane, reform on their homeplane in x time.
For me, that means, if you want to take a Solar feather by force, you need to go to the homeplane of that Solar. This again means, you also have to deal with other denizens of that plane and maybe the gods themselves.
But that is just one take on the whole multiverse approach of D&D.
I don’t think the snap back to their home plane thing is universal for 5e; Fiends explicitly work that way, but if you got the one packet they did for Feywild Archfey are the exact opposite; if killed within their domain in the Feywild they reform at full strength in a few days, but if they die elsewhere it’s for keeps.
Afaik that works for the outer and maybe inner planes (I am not sure with elementals).
The Feywild and the Shadowfel are something different.