Canonfire!

Sat Feb 01, 2020 9:43 pm The Silent Ones are... Onomancers?

I know there's a history of them being written up as sorcerers and that there's use of the word in their descriptions and some legitimacy to the claim because of their obsession with bloodlines, but on reading through the Unearthed Arcana playtest subclass for wizards, it struck me that it seems to be a good fit for them.

I can imagine a scenario where their 'silence' has multiple layers to it, one of which is never speaking your true name after having it be revealed to you through study, meditation and perhaps even a ritualistic initiation ceremony (some light fasting, sensory deprivation, a 'mystic' journey of the spirit and voila! you 'know' your true name).

I like the idea of them being wizards even though I briefly entertained the idea of them being Tome Pact warlocks, but didn't feel as if any of the 5e subclasses really fit them until seeing his UA one. True name magic just feels 'right' to me.

Thoughts?
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In more modern times, only Delglath of Rinloru is known to have crafted any items from the stone of this atrocious place. Even masters of the dark arts such as Xaene and Karoolck would hesitate to follow.

Tue Mar 31, 2020 10:02 pm

I liked the idea of building up the Silent Ones as the antithesis of the Arcane Order from the 2e College of Wizardry sourcebook. Where the Arcane Order seeks to uncover the Language Primeval, the Silent Ones seek to keep silent those who would speak it. You can read the entire history of the Suel Imperium and Keoland as a conflict between those two factions.

With the Arcane Order allying with House Rhola, and the Silent Ones with Neheli.

Wed Apr 15, 2020 8:30 pm

I'm not familiar with these 5e sources, but for those interested in Onomancy, there is a d20 prestige class in Gary Gygax's Complete Book of Names