Borden Read |
Borden walks into the grey featureless room.
Awwww C'mon, he protests, not this dream again!
Interested to see if people think we need me to be a diplomancer/skill monkey - in which case I will stay Vanilla bard, or if a mystical-warrior type (sorta magus-y BUT obviously buffing you with Bardic performances instead) is a better fit for you guys. Read my character profile and get back to me and I'll read yours. NORMALLY I'm a 15pt build AP guy but I do enjoy those rare times I get to play with a 20pt build. I don't normally do bards but am working out of my square a little - if you have any insights into the arcane duelist, please share.
Also torn on the whole campaign trait thing too - wondering if I am better as a recovered addict and its +1 fort save or the +2 to my bull-shit skill
How free are we on the SECOND trait? Would it be possible to take the campaign trait of another campaign? I refer specifically to the Mummys Curse one that lets you find traps... why? It fits the character but ALSO in case we are minus a dude with Trapfinding
Borden Read |
I am going to go with an Investigator, I'll post with the character and details later on.
In that case I'll count on you for trap finding and knowledges. I'll re-jigger to Arcane Duelist.
Nevynxxx |
How free are we on the SECOND trait? Would it be possible to take the campaign trait of another campaign? I refer specifically to the Mummys Curse one that lets you find traps... why? It fits the character but ALSO in case we are minus a dude with Trapfinding
Very free. But the rules say only one trait of any given type, and campaign is a type.
Waiting on Peter and Death Keeper, then?
Yep
Borden Read |
Well, at least the dream isn't just me any more... but it DOES seem to be a bit of a 'sausage fest', Borden comments drily.
That said a trip to the store does seem reasonable - better make one myself
Nevynxxx |
Death_keeper, yeah, tweaking to friend isn't a problem.
Looks like we are getting somewhere.
Oh and what are you thinking of doing about healing?
You have skill monkey, some arcane, some buffing, but nothing much by way of healing yet....
Alex Stride |
dont know what to get for my other level 1 feat - suggestions?
"To be honest, I think a little extra training on the...diplomatic side, would help oil the wheels and let us move about a little easier" Alex's expression and inflection make it clear that his view of 'diplomacy' is too many people double talking to try to steal the gold out of each others pockets.
I'll take CLWs but Bandaid is hardly the role I want or am able to play
Alex stares across the murky atmosphere of the tavern and exhales a viscous cloud of smoke to add to the already polluted air"Well, playing as the 'Bandaid' of the group is the one part of the group that'd be most heavily protected, as it is I think that our siege weapon" glances at the sorceress, "takes that spot."
Yes, you're a sage, but Alex is not the 'politically correct' type
Askan "Fastfist" Rhodes |
Well I fairly obviously borrowed some things from Jason Todd in the making of Askan here, so that would be kind of hilarious. Though I guess the rapier makes someone like Zorro an equally likely source of inspiration.
Lazlo the Vigilante |
LOL, I won't lie there are some similarities, but if we are going by super hero comparisons I think Lazlo is closer to Rorschach or the Punisher. To his credit though Lazlo did try to solve the problem of crime in Korvosa through other means and at one point he did consider becoming part of a legal organization tasked with keeping the peace, but doors kept closing in his face and finally he found himself without wealth and resources...just him and the streets, so I'd say he would naturally lean to vigilantism. I don't know if I would call him a hero though, yes he cares about Korvosa and its citizens a great deal, but the lengths he would go to insure the safety of both are far, far from heroic.
Lazlo the Vigilante |
Characters butting heads on certain issue adds to the flavor of the RP in my opinion.
@Askan you're right, the rapier does make it seem like Zorro is an inspiration, but I mostly went with because I thought nobles who did not enter any sort of real martial training, still probably practiced with rapiers and had a dueling instructor.
Askan "Fastfist" Rhodes |
Oh, we are going to get along swimmingly. If we're all Marvel characters I guess Askan is Luke Cage, Borden is a poor magical Tony Stark, Alex is a bit like, I don't know maybe Moon Knight and that makes Vixen... Talismen?
Nevynxxx |
Helaman - Borden Read - Male Human (Absolom) Bard(Arcane Duelist)
Grand Moff Vixen - Wildblooded (Sage)
KakkarottoZ - Askan "Fastfist" Rhodes - Human (Shoanti) Monk
Wolfgang Rolf - Lazlo the Vigilante -
Death Keeper - Alex Stride - Human Ranger
Luke(?)
I still only have two of you hooked into OP too, would be nice to get you all in.
Nevynxxx |
Helaman - Borden Read - Male Human (Absolom) Bard(Arcane Duelist)
Grand Moff Vixen - Wildblooded (Sage)
KakkarottoZ - Askan "Fastfist" Rhodes - Human (Shoanti) Monk
Wolfgang Rolf - Lazlo the Vigilante -
Death Keeper - Alex Stride - Human Ranger (Urban Ranger)
Luke(?)
There you go, just for completeness....
Grand Moff Vixen |
Here's the thing about making a healer, don't make the character so it does only that. Read some of the class guides. Now I don't expect anyone to base their build solely off of said guide, but they do provide many insights that I have not invested as much thought in. They go purely by the numbers where as I go off of part numbers and part role-play potential.
Make a character that does more than just one thing. That's what the healer guides tell me when I read them. I personally like one of the oracle guides a lot for this. It still goes mostly off of a numbers perspective, but the author gives advice on other things to round out the character. If all you do is make a healer, then you will be standing around most of the time waiting to heal. Therefore, make a character that can heal well, but also do other things too.
It makes a lot of sense to me. Don't worry about skill overlap as there will be times when we need to use the Aid Another action. Depending on the specific action, that means a lot when getting more than one +2 bonus.
Luke_Parry |
I appreciate the suggestions, but as Helaman can attest, I have some small experience with character design ;-)
From a numbers perspective, being solely focused on healing means that you are on the back foot, as it were, from the get go - if all you are doing with your actions is undoing the actions of the opposition, you are not being proactive, and are fighting a losing battle - you will run out of spell slots, before opponents run out of the ability to swing their sword arm.
My favorite form of 'proactive healing' is to prevent the damage in the first place, by ensuring that the opposition goes down quickly and efficiently.
Now, I am not saying that I wouldn't heal party members in combat (since keeping melee fighters up helps with our DPR, for obvious reasons), but neither would I expend all (or even most) of my slots per day on healing - using buffs to prevent damage / ensure opponents go down faster (particularly as we get to higher levels) is more efficient, especially once the party can start to afford Wands of CLW for out-of-combat healing.
I just wanted to be clear, and up front about this, so people did not become annoyed later on.
Borden Read |
Coolio - I also like Oracles of Battle... They be mean.
And Luke knows his way around the system :)
As for poor mans Tony Stark? Faugh! Borden is his OWN hero!
Borden Read |
I think we'll be ok Lazlo - Oracle and Bard TOGETHER can cover the healer role just fine. Restoration, cure disease etc may be tricky but we'll cover that in due course.
Also moving back to Vanilla bard as I think we have the Melee sewn up well enough - thats NOT to say I don't want to mix it up in hand to hand but I think a Vanilla bard will be a better addition to the group and is closer to what I originally wanted Borden to be.
I really want to acquire a Mithril breastplate though...
As for some "core" bard skills? I'll get those at level 2.
Nevynxxx |
There are plenty of options, someone takes a cleric level, or you buy the healing you can't do yourself. You are in one of the biggest cities in the world for 90%+ of this AP, so it shouldn't be the problem that it would be in say RuneLords, where you spend time away from civilization.
We shall see how it goes, but for now I'm happy enough. The main thing is having someone who can bring people back from the brink to get them properly healed up later, and you have that covered with a bard and a cure wand.
Lazlo the Vigilante |
Okay lets clear up a misunderstanding here. I am not asking anyone to be a band aid, especially not in a game like Pathfinder. My idea of a healer in this game is pretty much what Vixen talked about a few posts ago. I don't think its a coincidence that most healers in the game have 3/4 BAB, can wear armor(In the Cleric's case Medium armor) and have access to a decent selection of weapons. If you are just sitting at the back and healing then you are ignoring a big part of your class.
Now that that is hopefully cleared up we can return to the topic, when I asked the GM to find us a healer, I was asking for what Vixen and I described. Yes the Oracle and Bard could cover the healer role, I am even planning to get the infusion discovery and start passing around healing extracts, but at the end of the day it isn't like having someone who is WILLING to heal, not be a band-aid but heal.
As for the GM's options; I am not taking a level in cleric, and it would unreasonable to ask someone to do so if they don't want to, buying the healing on the other hand means that we are cutting into our gear funds, so we are going to suffer for not having a healer one way or another.
Come to think of it, the GM doesn't even have to open a new thread he could just ask any of the people who wanted to get into the game but couldn't if they'd be interested in playing a healer.
Borden Read |
No need to be sensitive Lazlo. I'm cool. I'm not taking your words negatively. I do like the idea of having you with some infusions to pass around - that would be great.
Borden Read |
Pretty psyched to play... any suggestions on spell choice? Its CLW and grease but I am thinking Charm Person or something else may be a better THEMATIC choice.
I am happy with feat choices atm.
I have 25+ gp left... any ideas there as well? Think like a Pathfinder (thats what I am, albeit a 'failed' one).
I am thinking of adding a whip... its a fun weapon and I can try some combat maneuvers with it.
Nevynxxx |
Yeah, Laz, I really do think we are fine with what we have there. bear in mind that with 6 players, XP is getting spread thinner, which means I'll have to be putting a few side quests in to the keep you int he right place level wise, that will lead to extra cash to make up for any healing spend you may need.
That said, if yu are making extracts, you've already reduced that cost...
I'd never say "X you need to take a level in cleric" it's just an option out there if someone wants to take it.
It's good that we get this pinned down before we start, but I don't think there's anything more to worry about now.
Just get these final characters in, and then I'll kick off the main thread.