Every time I start thinking about an alchemist, my head starts to spin.
Rangers are not bad skill wise and with decent damage. A switch hitting Corpse Hunter Ranger archetype might deal a decent amount of damage to some foes in this AP, if GM Nayr is not opposed to such an esoteric archetype...I wonder though if this makes the party too focused on the undead.
Not opposed at all
A Ranger is pretty versatile in other ways, so it might not be too limiting. Lots of other cool options out there, anyways. You've got a bit of time.
SubiculumHammer, it might also be useful for you to know that Zazaria intends to multi-class in Monk (Flowing Master archetype), once at next level and probably once every two levels after that (Wishful thinking: I should live so long!), as I see her as a not-quite Cleric, rather as a devoted servant of Pharasma who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty, so to speak, and able to take her place in melee when conditions and enemies are appropriate.
OK. Cool.
Sorry I'm here. I have been doing end of the semester junk in school.
Hi Crag! Understood buddy; you all good to take a brief break then start anew with fresh meat?
What do you mean?
We're adding 1-2 new players
Oh ok cool
Gerion, adding players; are you still in?
Been working on my character.
I get frustrated because I get in a loop of worrying about mechanics and I keep changing what class I want, but I am forgetting RP.
But Im getting closer
-SubiculumHammer
No worries! You have some time
I'm pretty set on an Empiricist Investigator with a 1st level dip into Swashbuckler to boost early offense on a Dex based character.not a meat shield but good dmg potential and skillset to help out the party, but more importantly, fits the type of character I'd like to run: A smart and skilled finder–then–killer of undead, not by using cleric-type powers, but with application of the mind, or a mutagen, and a rapier.
sounds great!
Dual Talented alternative racial trait for humans,, too cheesey? :) OptimalNacho.
Thought I'd (re)introduce myself to the players here.
I'm a 39 year-old husband and father of a son and two daughters in sunny California. Always wanted to try a RP out, but never really found a chance until GM Nayr's invitation. So far I've been having a blast...really enjoying the Skull and Shackles game, and looking forward to adding this one as well.
Skulls&Shackles has been great...
Nayr, I note that my plans for multiclassing as Monk don't really fly: I'm not Lawful (sigh). Chances are I will multiclass in something else, however: probably a Martial class of some sort. Mobile Fighter might be quite neat, and in keeping with Zazaria's 'flowing' theme.
Although that Corpse Hunter Ranger sounds neat, too.
Yeah Corpse Huntee dip for your Cleric?
seems like a not unreasonable idea...doubles down on my Undead-fightin' powers and gives me a bit more punching power in general!
But I ki d of was jesting. I hear multiclassing Clerics with a martial really gimps your casting. and I hear that straight Cleric is awesome against undead...
but if you are seton multiclassing..
I dont think you can multiclass with Battle Cleric, because its a hybrid of Cleric. But co sidee a one level dip with an Undead Scourge Paladin. Smite Undead all day.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/paladin/archetypes/paizo---pal adin-archetypes/undead-scourge
but then again..that's just optobullshite that I got infected with..Sorry.
Go with flavor. Much more important. For a while I was thinking:
BoltAce (Gunslinger archetype). Hand Crossbows vs Undead. Tons of flavor.
optobullshite is always tempting...but I try to look at it from Zazaria's point of view: as a Pharasmin Cleric, she is set against the Undead, but doesn't know the 'best' way to maximise her chances..and the Paladin doesn't dovetail with her own persona. She wants a certain level of freedom of action (she is Neutral Good) that Paladinhood would cramp. She also has an 'explorer of the world's wonders' motivation that Ranger might serve better.
I don't really envisage her as doing too much dipping at the cost of her Clerical powers - faith is at the core of her being - but she does want to be more effective at fighting (she actually quite likes it in her understated way).
Incidentally, looks like we'll be joined by an Elven Kensai Magus.
I was never opto; wish I could figure out some of the finer rules to do so some day.
Excellent! We'll be back up and running in no time
The plethora of options led me this way. Sooo many options I dont understand, so I do a search, but all the advice is about dmg potential and optimization...and there is an urge not to be a fool ( in their eyes).
But I do have a reason for playing an empiricist investigator. This AP screams Priest. But what about a character that believes in empirical evidence and a family tradition of killing the undead.
Surely even the empiricallt demonstrable existance of Gods and spirits does not preclude empirical examination...subject to the laws of the universe, howecer different from mine. Leeoliwas raised to kill thr undead, but to also understand them as a natural process...a disease that should be irradicated,not from moral abhorrence, but frompragmatic emptiness and survival.
that's a really good rationale SH!
I have to say, in terms of optimising characters, I'm not all that interested, although maybe when I have a bit more system mastery...as long as you're not letting your party down, and you're not into maxing damage or whatever, it's surely just preference. A good game and system should cater to any gaming approach anyhoo.
Yup, I completely agree. That's why I prefer to create games by invite only. I've gone the advertisement route before, and I rarely understand everything that the applicants are trying to do with their characters. It's often to just do the oddest thing they can find, when I'd rather have a vanilla fighter who writes well.
These AP's are built for whatever you want to be. I did run one game wherein a Co-DM and I made an alternate plane that was simply a massive arena and its surrounding grounds, complete with a market, housing, and it's own hierarchy of politics. It was pretty fun when we had a full roster, but most of them were optimizers who were just there to fight. Our political intrigue was lost on them.
As a GM I find that really annoying...you've sculpted a complex, intricate and hopefully beautiful creation, and some bozo just wants to CRUSHKILLDESTROY the important NPC with valuable info (and a potential ally), because they can.
Sigh...
Indeed; all that work for nothing...oh well...I'll probably try it again someday anyway
When I know the game better, I'll probably have a go at running my old Rolemaster setting here and see how it goes. I'm just too attached to my setting to run other people's stuff (I've been running it off and on for 20-odd years)
Cool!
Just reread my post earlier, and I confess that it was actually written on a phone in a movie theatre after a couple of strong beers...it didn't just read that way.
I certainly don't understand the optimization, but sometimes its hard to ignore the plethora of guides to do so. When I was just a kid I had Basic D&D.
Never got to play with anyone except my brother, but I loved rolling up some characters.
But the characters were easy to comprehend. Pathfinder is daunting.
MrApollinax had an interesting suggestion. Choose character's leveling path from the character's point of view...what motivates the character. What might the character know about becoming a more powerful cleric. Would tge character make wise career choices? It is an interesting perspective.
Basic was pretty straightforward...I liked it, although I suspect that after Rolemaster it wouldn't fly for me these days.
Yes, there are plenty of how-to guides, but I find them kind of annoying (although they're interesting and sometimes helpful). And yes, daunting. I prefer to blunder my way through the process! I get the feeling that the APs are not designed for massively optimised characters in any case, so hopefully we'll be OK...
One problem about guides is that every Feat and option is assessed through one lens, and by doing so dissuades people from trying non optimal options. Customization is pointless if there is only one right set of traits.
OK. You've convinced me. Il'l really avoid the guides...and go my own way after the first level.
Cool 3rd Party Trait:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/social-traits/hunter-s-blood
You didn’t choose the path of the hunt, the hunt chose you. You were born inside a family of those dedicated to hunting the undead. Since an early age you were taught the tools of the trade, how to hunt and kill your quarry. Be careful when using your family name – it’s better known than you are.
Benefit: You earn a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy when used to gather information, Knowledge (religion), and Survival when used for tracking when related to an undead quarry. Choose one as these as a class skill. The undead have a +1 bonus on any roll to learn about you, as your family’s fame precedes you.
This has so much flavor!
oooh that's really appropriate for your concept, and very cool to boot. I notice there's a lot of folks who grumble about 3PP, but I find some of it really good, and not particularly unbalanced, and often, where it is unbalanced, a tweak is all that's required to sort it out.
When I came upon Pathfinder last year, I didn't make any essential distinction between 3rd party stuff and Paizo stuff, so I just bought anything that looked interesting.
This trait was my original pick, but I hadn't realized it was 3rd party.
Asenath and you will get along famously
Wait. Is Asenath actually undead? hmmm.
Being raised by one's family to kill a party member is tricky rp.
But do not followers of Pharasma also detest undead?
Yes, they consider them to be abominations as they stray from the usual nature of things
Asenath is a Dhampir, a human with Undead heritage. Zazaria's attitude has been one of reserved fascination thus far. She's not quick to judge individuals - that's Pharasma's job, after all - and doesn't blame Asenath for her heredity. The presence of a Pharasmin Cleric apparently forebearing to act against Asenath (and cooperating with her!) might give Leeoli pause for thought before coming to any snap evaluation of the situation. That's down to you, of course: it might just make you suspicious of them both!
It is tricky RP but should be intriguing to work through!
My proposed character is done. I'll continue to embellish the backstory I added already. Let me know if this character concept fits. (In Profile)
Thanks!
Actually I still need to fill in the details of my relation with the late professor
Looks good thus far! I guess having a Dhampir cousin will make Leeoli more accepting of Asenath too...
Thanks...Mostly scratched out ideas, not yet written well.
Hi!!!
I am trying to re-establish sanity and get back into the game. I will try my best to post tonight.
I am really, really sorry!!!
Hi Sara and welcome back! No problem at all; I just had to take a few days myself.