Okay, even among the gm team there have been mixed responses, this thread is simply a place to put those. The primary issue here is involving Gryphon Riders and Stormhammers.
1. Wildhammer dwarves are indeed no longer special profiles, no clarification needed here.
2. Stormhammers -can- be used by gryphon riders.
3. The confusing part, are gryphon riders considered prestiges or a variant that any Wildhammer can be?
Variant, I think. And, ICly, it's Thorim. Thor is the real life version.
The Thor part is a joke really.
Hmm? Stormhammers for life.
And in my opinion, Wildhammers should auto be able to be a Gryphon Rider, I say this because Gwydd was one to begin with and he was approved, it'd just be fair.
If possible would a few gm's post their opinion on this issue?
Quote:Most sacred to the dwarves is the enchanted forge that lies at the heart of each aviary. It is here that the magical weapons known as Stormhammers are fashioned. A Stormhammer, when thrown, strikes with the fury of lightning and the force of thunder. This destructive weapon, combined with the indomitable spirit of the gryphon riders, justifies their position as masters of the skies.[2]
The Wildhammer dwarves' signature weapon, this dwarven battle hammer is beautifully crafted, with a lightning bolt patter carved into the polished wooden haft and clouds and lightning etched into the faceted metal head. Even the leather wrapped around the handle is mottled to suggest clouds and rain. The wielder swinging the hammer can cause a copy of the weapon to appear and fly towards the target, allowing it to be used as a ranged weapon.[3]
[2] Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition Prima's Official Strategy Guide, 54
[3] Alliance Player's Guide, 93
I personally do not approve of the Stormhammer being used by just anyone. But I am just one person, expressing my opinion.
Yes, the Stormhammer as a weapon is incredibly over-powered for just anyone, so I guess you're right.
On this, I am not saying that my character is just anyone either. So no worries, not being an arrogant prick! lol
My Tauren got pwned by one earlier today.
They're just crazy weapons... they clone themselves, have a rippling chain-lightning effect, and explode and stun on impact. I mean hell, Mountain Kings use them as a signature weapon. Yeah, I guess they shouldn't be allowed to be used by just anyone I guess... just my opinion as well I suppose, but I never thought of it like that until now. So I was a bit of a hypocrite earlier.
Just imo it also depends on how you use it. If you use the whole chain lightning stun thing then I guess it really is kind of OP. If I recall I only used the duplication part.
I think playing a gryphonrider, meaning a dwarf who rides gryphons and perhaps fight from their back is Ok. Playing a Gryphonrider, meaning a dwarf who gains a "elite" skill at fighting from the gryphon as well as special abilities or powers (say, a hammer that shoots lightning and shurikens) isn't Ok, without a prestige training. I have a vague memory of this being stated elsewhere too, I'll see if I can't come up with where.
I shall share my opinion!
You would be able to be a gryphon rider as long as you don't go out of the abilities of what your class could possibly do. Like, for an example, if you were a gryphon rider as a warrior, you'd probably be able to hit things with weapons and throw a couple of things from the back of the gryphon.
I wouldn't give yourself any extra abilities though, that's changing your class.
Gryphon Riders use Stormhammers, that is what I believe is a major concern.
However, I am actually agreeing with Jeff and Aroes again, as long as it is done with moderation and you don't expect any perks, then I say go for it... no point in dulling it down if you don't get any perks from it and you're just doing it for the IC character development. Otherwise, I would be the biggest hypocrite, haha.