Diablo 2: The Lord of Terror (Inactive)

Game Master Groundhog

Seemingly out of nowhere, monsters have overrun Khanduras. Towns are sacked, fields lie fallow, and the stench of death and misery hangs like a mist over the lands. It is rumored that the dead rise in the footsteps of a Dark Wanderer. In the chaos, you've found your way to the Rogue Encampment. Here Refugees, Opportunists and Adventurers huddle together behind hastily erected palisade walls, under the aegis of the remnants of Sisterhood of the Silent Eyes. It is but a matter of time before even this meager sanctuary is overrun by the forces of evil.

System: Pathfinder.
Style of Play: It wouldn't be Diablo if it wasn't 98% hack and slash.
Allowed Material: Material published by Paizo for Pathfinder only. Setting-specific material may be refluffed.
Posting Rate: I'll update combat roughly every 24 hours. People who haven't posted by then will be botted. Outside of combat it's much more lax. I won't update combat saturday or sunday.
Number of Players: 4-6.
Creation deadline: A week from now, tuesday the 13th. So long as it's still tuesday where you are when you submit, you're good. I may end up extending this slightly, who knows, but that's the baseline.

Character Creation:
1st level.
25 point buy scores.
Max hp at first level. Roll at subsequent levels, but if you get less than half max, increase results to half max.
50gp worth of starting equipment.
2 traits. No drawbacks. All race traits are available, regardless of your actual race.
You are effectively human. That said, you may choose to take the racial abilities of any core, featured or uncommon race. Your type remains humanoid(human), your size remains medium, and if the race has abilities that rely on extreme physical features (more than two arms, wings, natural attacks etc.) you don't recieve them. You also lose don't get low-light or darkvision if the race would normally get these.
Generally speaking, you may ignore racial requirements altogether.
Feat-tax returns are used. Further, Improved Grapple becomes part of Improved Unarmed Strike. Swashbucklers lose their Swashbuckler's Finesse ability and gain Weapon Focus. Unchained Rogues gain Weapon Focus. Class features that would normally let you choose a single kind of weapon now instead lets you choose a single weapon group.

Other Notes: We will be following the storyline of Diablo 2 fairly closely.
Crafting feats are not allowed, with the notable exceptions of Brew Potion, Craft Wand and Scribe Scroll. Treasure will be esssentially random, and merchants will have limited, random stock of magic items. This means that you probably won't have as much control over your gear as you're used to in a typical pathfinder adventure. That said, I can assure you that there will be plenty of treasure for everyone.
Firearms are not allowed, although the Bolt Ace archetype of the Gunslinger is playable.
We will be using group initiative to make combat go faster.
We will use XP, following the slow xp track. Bonus xp will be handed out for combat attendance. Perfect attendance recieves 150% xp(effectively following the "normal" xp track), complete botting recieves 100%.
There will be Diablo-style waypoints, but no scrolls of town portal. Resurrection is likewise harder to come by - you'll have to pay for components and spellcasting services, at the very least.
We will keep track of light.
Interparty RP is good, as is combat RP. You don't need to go overboard on backstory, but please do provide me with a paragraph of it.
Bonus points if your character is recognisably a diablo 2 hero, but it's not a neccesity by any means.

I just got done putting the item generation lists together, so I'm ready to get started. All credit to Yass Queen for the idea - she'll also be running a game of it, although I understand that she'll be using a conversion of 3rd edition official diablo 2 material instead of just straight pathfinder.

PS: In leu of a player's guide, Rangers and the like will be interested in knowing that Undead, Outsiders(evil), Humanoids(corrupted), Monstrous Humanoids, Magical Beasts, Humanoids(giant) and Vermin will all appear.

Dotted for interest and cheers for setting this up. What do you think of a holy tactician paladin using teamwork feats to represent auras?

It's cool. You don't have to represent the classes 100% if you don't want to. Play a holy tactician paladin only if it actually appeals to you to do so, not out of desire to cater to my silliness.

No that's cool. Holy tactician it is. I'll get a build up in the next day or so.

This might be a helpful link for applicants. It lists the Diablo 2 classes and other info:

https://diablo2.diablowiki.net/Main_Page

I love Diablo 2, Really all Diablo games. I'm thinking Brawler, kind of a combination Barbarian & assassin.

I’ve got a Swashbuckler I’ve been wanting to play for a while. Think I’ll submit that. Built on a Sylph chassis, but the “mostly human” alternate race trait conveniently makes him basically a human anyway.

I think I'll go with a necromancer

Welcome around!

Just keeping track of interest.

Decimus Observet: Holy Tactician Paladin
Uthraed; Brawler (Barbarian/assassin inspired)
Ouachitonian; "Sylph" Swashbuckler
Yokaiboy; ? (Necromancer inspired)

Yeah! You want a ranged dps? I got a ranged dps!

Which makes me wonder... Are you going to manage ammo in some special way?

I can go Warpriestess of Zerae.Now to decide... Javelin, or Buriza? xD

I'm considering a human invested (unchained) monk.

Dotting, I'll work out something soon.

Dotting. I’ll come up with something fun to play. A RP-Light campaign should be a nice contrast for 80% if my other games.

What level do you expect this to go to?

@GroundHog

A quick question.

The holy guide archetype doesn't change smite evil, so it can be taken with holy tactician. But holy guide's teamwork feat ability requires expenditure of smite evil's, which holy tactician replaces with weal's champion.

Could I instead expend a use of weal's champion instead of smite evil to power holy guide's teamwork feat ability?

Yeah! You want a ranged dps? I got a ranged dps!

Which makes me wonder... Are you going to manage ammo in some special way?

I can go Warpriestess of Zerae.Now to decide... Javelin, or Buriza? xD

We'll work with carrying capacity. 20 arrows weigh a pound. If you want to use thrown weapons, you'll have to lug about appropriate amounts of things to throw.

Dotting. I’ll come up with something fun to play. A RP-Light campaign should be a nice contrast for 80% if my other games.

What level do you expect this to go to?

There's no reason save player dropouts that we wouldn't make level 20.

@GroundHog

A quick question.

The holy guide archetype doesn't change smite evil, so it can be taken with holy tactician. But holy guide's teamwork feat ability requires expenditure of smite evil's, which holy tactician replaces with weal's champion.

Could I instead expend a use of weal's champion instead of smite evil to power holy guide's teamwork feat ability?

That seems fine to me. Go ahead.

Dot. Can we do custom gods or are we sticking to the pathfinder pantheon? Looking to submit also a Paladin with Oracle levels

You can do custom deities.

Just for me to keep approximate tabs:
Decimus Observet: Holy Tactician Paladin
Uthraed; Brawler (Barbarian/assassin inspired)
Ouachitonian; "Sylph" Swashbuckler
Yokaiboy: ? (Necromancer inspired)
Jereru: Warpriestess (Amazon inspired)
"The Lucky Halfling": Invested Regent Unchained Monk
Teiidae: ?
Dαedαlus: ?
Johnnycat93: Oradin

I might submit a cleric/sorc/mystic theurge xD

Dotting. I am going to go with an Elemental Sorcerer (focused on Lightning).

Dotting for interest. I have the CDs at home... suddenly I feel like reinstalling the game and firing it up.

Do you want people to have character concepts that mimic the original Diablo 2 classes?

I really liked playing a necromancer in Diablo 2 and I wonder if that would be allowed here. This probably would assume that alignment concepts would need to be relaxed a bit. Also the concept depends on being able to get material components (onyx) for your animate spells.

If we pick a race that has an extreme physical trait or a special vision, do we strictly lose the trait, or can it be changed for an alternate trait that substitytes it?

Example:

Elves can get Behind the Veil instead of Low-light Vision. Would it be ok to pick Behind the Veil?

Dotting for a barbarian, my favorite diablo II class, using one of my favorite pathfinder classes.

Is there any way i could avoid using an unchained Barbarian? Im not fond of the unchained version at all.

dotting in with a ranger built as the iconic Amazon, wielding spear and bow... eventually, might be a little costly at 1st level with only 50 gp.

Also are we using Background skills?

HHHRNG! I'm not even supposed to be looking at the recruitment section, but Diablo is my white rabbit made of kryptonite.

I've got a character already built for virtually this exact concept, I'll just have to adjust him down to level 1. I'll have to get a more complete backstory written up, but I'll be submitting Rasmus of the Viz-Jaq'taar, a "halfling" ninja going straight Assassin. Traps, claws, and enough snark to down a Prime Evil.

Dotting for a barbarian, my favorite diablo II class, using one of my favorite pathfinder classes.

Is there any way i could avoid using an unchained Barbarian? Im not fond of the unchained version at all.

Go right ahead.

Dotting for interest. I have the CDs at home... suddenly I feel like reinstalling the game and firing it up.

Do you want people to have character concepts that mimic the original Diablo 2 classes?

I really liked playing a necromancer in Diablo 2 and I wonder if that would be allowed here. This probably would assume that alignment concepts would need to be relaxed a bit. Also the concept depends on being able to get material components (onyx) for your animate spells.

You don't neccesarily have to mimic a diablo 2 class directly. It could be fun, but you don't have to.

dotting in with a ranger built as the iconic Amazon, wielding spear and bow... eventually, might be a little costly at 1st level with only 50 gp.

A shortbow is only 30gp, though. And there's always javelins, if you want to start out with ranged str to damage.

But yeah, you start out pretty poor.

Also are we using Background skills?

No.

If we pick a race that has an extreme physical trait or a special vision, do we strictly lose the trait, or can it be changed for an alternate trait that substitytes it?

Example:

Elves can get Behind the Veil instead of Low-light Vision. Would it be ok to pick Behind the Veil?

You can shop around and exchange the racial traits you'd lose for alternate ones you can keep, yes.

I forgot to mention, the Craft Construct item creation feat is also allowed.

Just to throw some ideas out there, how much re-working would you allow a player to do to work the classes into the Diablo mold? For example, a necromancer could be a summoner (with an eidolon as a more permanent summon), or possibly take the Master Summoner archetype with summons that last considerably longer, but for the "army of undead" feel, you'd have to have undead (mainly skeletons I would think) added to the summon list. Would you be okay with an alternate custom Summon Skeleton spell that added new templates to buff up the skeletons at each level, or would you prefer to stick with the normal Summon Monster critters and just fluff them as being skeletal?

Thank you for the answers, GM.

I see how we start as if we were barely just created in D2 (I think you started with the most basic of weapons and that was that). When we start looting we'll improve. Being a bow user is a bit of a gamble (as usually they need composite bows with a proper Str bonus) but well...

Also, if you want to deal Str to damage at range from minute 0, a sling could be your choice. Didn't pick it myself because the bow seemed more amazon-flavour.

Lastly, some feats and/or traits I might rename as to get a bit more flavour (with proper links and/or explanations as to what they really are, of course).

Two questions:
How do racial FCBs work? Can you take it of any race?

Is the Synthesist Summoner allowed?

Still unsure as to what I want to make....

Two questions:

How do racial FCBs work? Can you take it of any race?

Is the Synthesist Summoner allowed?

Still unsure as to what I want to make....

Synthesist Summoner as werewolf druid! Do iiiiit!

EDIT: I would have added this onto my previous post up above, but it's past an hour :/

Would you be willing to let me grab the Finesse Training feature from Unchained Rogue and graft it onto the Ninja? Finesse Training has two features that the Ninja (being based on the vanilla Rogue) doesn't have: Weapon Finesse for free (which you're giving thanks to the Feat Tax Returns) and Dex to damage starting at level 3.

The Ninja is a very flavorful class that works great with the Diablo Assassin concept, but Paizo never did an Unhchained Ninja to go with the UnRogue. Dex to Damage as a design concept has been getting grafted onto the system in patchwork fashion (Fencing Grace/Slashing Grace are another example), but the older classes don't get quite the same level of support. There's an Unchained Ninja from a 3pp, but you're pretty clear on the Paizo products only restriction (which is totally fine).

Similarly, would I be allowed to treat the tri-bladed katars as ninja weapons? As written, ninja only get simple weapons plus specific Eastern weapons. The tri-bladed katars were added in much later; they're mechanically identical to punching daggers with the exception that they're martial weapons and they do x4 crit damage instead of x3. And they cost 6 gp and weigh 2 lbs instead of 1 gp and weighing 1 lb.

@Groundhog

What do you think of the Aasimar (or Tiefling) variant ability tables?

Would it be possible to swap out the aasimar/tiefling spell-like ability for either a roll on the relevant table, or an open pick?

Variant Abilities and Physical Features

GMs may customize their aasimar NPCs using the following chart, or allow their players to do so by rolling a d%. Players with a particular character concept in mind may consult their GM if they want to select a specific variant ability.

The abilities presented here replace an aasimar’s spell-like ability racial trait. Any abilities that grant spells or spell-like abilities are treated as having a caster level equal to the aasimar’s character level.

Two questions:

How do racial FCBs work? Can you take it of any race?

Is the Synthesist Summoner allowed?

Still unsure as to what I want to make....

Yes and yes.

Just to throw some ideas out there, how much re-working would you allow a player to do to work the classes into the Diablo mold? For example, a necromancer could be a summoner (with an eidolon as a more permanent summon), or possibly take the Master Summoner archetype with summons that last considerably longer, but for the "army of undead" feel, you'd have to have undead (mainly skeletons I would think) added to the summon list. Would you be okay with an alternate custom Summon Skeleton spell that added new templates to buff up the skeletons at each level, or would you prefer to stick with the normal Summon Monster critters and just fluff them as being skeletal?

I'd prefer not to change the classes around, honestly. Very small tweaks like allowing two archetypes that technically stack but contradict each other slightly is one thing, but mucking about with summoning lists I'd rather not.

Noted. If you're willing to allow slightly contradictory archetypes, would you allow me to take my first level in Unchained Rogue and then just take the rest of them in the normal Ninja class and let them stack? That might be a more elegant solution to what I proposed in an edit above.

Sorry for all the questions. Theorycrafting Diablo hacks with Pathfinder mechanics is something of a hobby. I still think the best way to do a real Diablo tabletop is just to homebrew the everloving love out of 4e, which is about the only time I've ever advocated for 4e.

@Groundhog

What do you think of the Aasimar (or Tiefling) variant ability tables?

Would it be possible to swap out the aasimar/tiefling spell-like ability for either a roll on the relevant table, or an open pick?

Quote:

Variant Abilities and Physical Features

GMs may customize their aasimar NPCs using the following chart, or allow their players to do so by rolling a d%. Players with a particular character concept in mind may consult their GM if they want to select a specific variant ability.

The abilities presented here replace an aasimar’s spell-like ability racial trait. Any abilities that grant spells or spell-like abilities are treated as having a caster level equal to the aasimar’s character level.

Honestly, I hate those tables with fiery passion. I'm very disinclined to allow picks or rolls off of them.

EDIT: I would have added this onto my previous post up above, but it's past an hour :/

Would you be willing to let me grab the Finesse Training feature from Unchained Rogue and graft it onto the Ninja? Finesse Training has two features that the Ninja (being based on the vanilla Rogue) doesn't have: Weapon Finesse for free (which you're giving thanks to the Feat Tax Returns) and Dex to damage starting at level 3.

The Ninja is a very flavorful class that works great with the Diablo Assassin concept, but Paizo never did an Unhchained Ninja to go with the UnRogue. Dex to Damage as a design concept has been getting grafted onto the system in patchwork fashion (Fencing Grace/Slashing Grace are another example), but the older classes don't get quite the same level of support. There's an Unchained Ninja from a 3pp, but you're pretty clear on the Paizo products only restriction (which is totally fine).

Similarly, would I be allowed to treat the tri-bladed katars as ninja weapons? As written, ninja only get simple weapons plus specific Eastern weapons. The tri-bladed katars were added in much later; they're mechanically identical to punching daggers with the exception that they're martial weapons and they do x4 crit damage instead of x3. And they cost 6 gp and weigh 2 lbs instead of 1 gp and weighing 1 lb.

In my estimationg, part of the reason that there's no Un-ninja is that they don't really need it. Ninja is one of a bunch of attempts at rogue-upgrades moving in different directions, another of which is the Unrogue.

Tri-bladed Katars are cool. Let's add them to the Rogue's list of proficiencies as well, while we're at it.

Honestly, I hate those tables with fiery passion. I'm very disinclined to allow picks or rolls off of them.

That's perfectly fine! Just checking.

Just to note that summoners can take a feat to summon skeletons

Just to note that summoners can take a feat to summon skeletons

Skeleton Summoner from Ultimate Magic. That's about as good as it's gonna get for skeleton summoning, I reckon.

@Groundhog Sorry, we seem to be leap-frogging each other on the ninja/rogue. I'll hold any further questions until we have a chance to get on the same page.

Necromancy Occultist is also good.

What sort of terrains would we be likely to encounter? I'm thinking the possibility of a Terrakneticist (but still not sure)

Also, what level of optimization should we aim for? I could do some crazy stuff with what we can do, but I'm not sure how much I should hold back.

Johnnycat93 wrote:

Just to note that summoners can take a feat to summom skeletons

Skeleton Summon from Ultimate Magic. That's about as good as it's gonna get for skeleton summoning, I reckon.

@Groundhog Sorry, we seem to be leap-frogging each other on the ninja/rogue. I'll hold any further questions until we have a chance to get on the same page.

I'd prefer to keep the ninja/U-rogue entirely seperate. What were you hoping to get out of the ninja? Couldn't you do something like U-rogue 3/Ninja?

What sort of terrains would we be likely to encounter? I'm thinking the possibility of a Terrakneticist (but still not sure)

Also, what level of optimization should we aim for? I could do some crazy stuff with what we can do, but I'm not sure how much I should hold back.

Whichever level you think is fun. I don't have any hard and fast recommendations here, except maybe try not to invalidate the entire rest of the party.

As for terrain, all of them are viable, excepting Cold and Water. Forest is also pretty rare.

Here is my submission. I went with Kineticist instead of sorcerer, mainly because it mimics the sorcerer class better (a limited number of skills that can be used an unlimited number of times):

There's no point blank shot due to the feat houserules: you can skip right to Precise Shot.

You also went over budget.

I'd prefer to keep the ninja/U-rogue entirely seperate. What were you hoping to get out of the ninja? Couldn't you do something like U-rogue 3/Ninja?

No worries. I like the Ninja better for the Diablo Assassin flavor. The ki pool is nifty and gives it a mystical feel that Rogue/UnRogue don't really have. The ninja tricks are more interesting than the rogue talents and seem to fit in a little better with the flavor. The Viz-Jaq'taar are an order of mystical martial artists that specialize in slaying rogue mages and the demons they summon. The ninja has that little bit of extra oomph to hang the fluff on. The only thing UnRogue has going for it over the Ninja (in this specific case) is Dex to damage. Well, and Trapfinding, but I've got a trait for that. Having Dex to damage would have been nice (and I guess I could still go for Slashing Grace down the line), but not having it isn't going to kill me.

Having found that Mystic Theurge is too hard to get to reasonable power levels (unless I go Wizard/Cleric, I woudn't even get 9th level spells), I've decided that I'll submit a battlefield control wizard (the best team player?)
...unless we already have someone who wants that job, in which case I'd like to try shenanigans with the community/protection domain to give everyone massive save boosts starting at 8th level xD

I'm looking at combining Holy Guide, Holy Tactician, and Warrior of the Holy Light into a non-standard paladin. No spell casting but able to give teamwork feat "auras" and using lay on hands to give buffs to AC, save and attack. For melee, looking at shield bash feats.

Full build to follow by tonight.

I am moving away from Paladin. I will be submitting a Fighter using a shield as his primary weapon.

Nioku the Amazon should be ready. I can expand the story more, if you want. I have also reflavoured the names a bit, pointing out what's the original PF name (and adding links for easy consulting).

Now, where's my Eaglehorn? :P

There is a revised version of the Elephant in the Room Feat Tax rules available complete with feat trees.

Here's the Crunch for Frank E, the Wizard.
If you want to see how I spent exactly 50gp, I have a spreadsheet XD
Also I'm not done with the backstory, but I realized it might not matter.
lemme know if you care to read a backstory xD