Is there gun powder in this world? or is it more High Fantasy - less steampunk? =)No firearms, no gunpowder. Lots of high magic, wild magic, and other epicness, though.Roger that~ I had some gunpowdery stuff but I've removed it now. Still performing minor tweaks and cleaning up the character sheet in general. I'm glad we still have time to do that lol >.<;
That escort mission sounds like an awesome starting point but i'm down with whatever you want to do. I will roll with the punches until I get more settled into the world at large. Just to warn you though my character may take leadership at some point and start marshalling his own forces or creating a fortress but that will probably be way later on.
Okay, we'll stick with the escort mission premise for now, but if you come up with something else in the next couple days just lemme know.
Funny you mention "marshalling forces." One of the IRL gaming groups (who played tonight, as it happens) is currently leading an army of about 600 that they liberated from magical imprisonment in a cursed snowglobe. They're on their way to attempt to take back Manaus, the great river city, in northern Hallas, both of which are overrun by the Black Dragonflight. So but so yeah; I've no problem with armies and forts and whatnot. All in due time. :-)
Ahahahahaa! Man, two pages? Already?
Yeah, we're just that good. And I'm already working on it - sad that my dragon won't be able to bear me on its back until two levels from now!
Also, if you look at the summary I originally posted, it's a devious way, but I know exactly how it happened - and I think you're going to enjoy it.
Background in progress, will post again when I have more to ask/give.
2 pages~ nyarrr :)
Cursed Snowglobe~ thats awesome! Yeah I have a lot of idea's but they all depend on whether or not we survive for a long period or not >:). One last question and I hopefully should be good for now lol.
What do you think about using the Bodyguard feat when it comes to affecting your mount?
I pictured Min trying to deflect blows from Lindórievórea especially if they got bogged down in heavy melee. I was eventually going to take In Harms Way to show how much dedication their was between Min and Lindórievórea in protecting and fighting alongside eachother but the idea of Adjacent Ally may make that a bit touchy.
Its nice being in a large campaign world like this again, not trying to suck up~ I just enjoy a world that actually makes me interested and motivated. I've been looking at changing up the dragonrider some what and perhaps editing it a bit. Not that this will change anything in game its just my own silly project, mainly because some of the dragonrider progression doesn't give an increase to the character compared to some of the other classes.
Also the spell casting could use a little cleaning up. Since it's somewhat obvious it was copy and pasted somewhat ;), as a whole though the class isn't bad just some parts of it make feel as if it was... rushed and fell short of their full potential.
Mainly I'd like to come up with an arcane list and perhaps change it up between each of the dragon types so that depending on the dragon your riding your spell list could be entirely different compared to some of your abilities. Anyway it is definitely an idea that is a WIP especially since I want to avoid making this class overpowered =/.
One more REALLY quick question - would you allow Boon Companion to affect my dragon mount? It would help if I multiclass - which could give us more variety, and more benefits as a 'balanced' party, if you follow.
EDIT: I'm thinking Paladin, but it'd mean I'd need to take it about two times to get the most out of it. I'm willing to do it, but if we can find some sort of ground, I'd love it. Also fits my concept a bit, if you can see where I'm going...
One more REALLY quick question - would you allow Boon Companion to affect my dragon mount? It would help if I multiclass - which could give us more variety, and more benefits as a 'balanced' party, if you follow.
EDIT: I'm thinking Paladin, but it'd mean I'd need to take it about two times to get the most out of it. I'm willing to do it, but if we can find some sort of ground, I'd love it. Also fits my concept a bit, if you can see where I'm going...
Yeah, we're just that good. And I'm already working on it - sad that my dragon won't be able to bear me on its back until two levels from now!
Also, if you look at the summary I originally posted, it's a devious way, but I know exactly how it happened - and I think you're going to enjoy it.
Background in progress, will post again when I have more to ask/give.
Just curious - why can Min ride his dragon but you can't?
VERY IMPORTANT POST: Save this one, print it, whatever. I'll upload it as a .txt file tonight to a folder on one of my servers, but you still may want to have your own reference. What follows is all the stuff an adventurer like yourself would just know about The Explored Land. Feel free to ask other OOC questions but please don't use as meta info. Once you've looked this over, if you haven't chosen where you're from yet, feel free to do so and I'll grant a permanent +6 to knowledge checks about that one specific area.
Note that the way weather/geographic areas work in The Explored Land makes no sense at all, so don't try to parse it out using actual meteorology or earth science. :-)
The Explored Land is so ravaged by ley lines and wild magic that its weather and currents and geological phenomena are hopelessly twisted and deformed, perhaps never to recover. This is one of the reasons there are things like Ruinstorms, which are seemingly malevolent (some say intelligent) storms capable of producing flesh-removing precipitation so damaging and powerful it can pierce plate armor.
That being said, here are things your character would know about The Explored Land. Note I am not saying everything your character knows is true, just that they know it.
The Ocean and the Northwestern Shores - Though the dwarves of Van-Monnen lay claim to this area that butts up against the White Dragonhold, in truth it is mostly a wasteland of arctic tundra, broken up in the south by only the hardiest of conifers and grasses. Moss clings to the occasional outcropping of bare rock. This is a most inhospitable land, filled with dangers, lacking in resources, and largely unexplored.
The White Dragonhold - just as its name would imply, this area of The Land is inhabited, patrolled, and governed -- such as it is -- by white dragons. Also largely unexplored. Stretches all the way across the top of the world.
Van-Monnen and Van-Duriss (aka The Forgelands) - Home to the greatest kingdom of dwarves in the Explored Land, the Forgelands have the twin distinctions of being simultaneously one of its most resource-rich regions, and one of its most dangerous regions. Dragons from the white dragonhold regularly make incursions south for fresh meat and treasure, raiding merchant caravans, and the White Cliffs that line the shore are said to hold unspeakable secrets.
[Unclaimed Lands] - In the space between, surrounded by The Forgelands on the west, Iridian to the south, the Frost Kingdom to the east and the White Dragonhold to the north, are many old structures from civilizations past; giant walls, crumbled castles, ruined roads, shrines to gods long forgotten and some to gods still worshipped today. This area has insufficient resources for anyone to attempt to claim it and keep it, and is mentioned in conujunction with enough rumours of undead and fey monsters to keep most of the curious away.
Allemagh - A matriarchal barbarian kingdom composed of smaller fiefdoms, said by dwarves to contain tremendous pockets of unmined natural resources, left untouched due to the sheer inhospitableness of both the land and its people.
Warbane - (Protected by Van-Seletharius, Great Wyrm Silver Dragon) - The city of Warbane is home to the greatest fighters known anywhere. Living, as they do, in range of the dangerous Forgelands and the perilous White Cliffs therein, the Warbanians have developed an economy that relies heavily on mercenary trade, in that soldiers from Warbane, in the employ of various kings, cities, merchants, etc. will regularly send money back to their homeland to assist in its upkeep and the training of children in the ways of war. Most warbanians are very large and muscular; near the maximum size for a human, often towering over half-orcs.
Stormfare - (Protected by Van-Galazzan, Great Wyrm Brass Dragon) - As mighty as Warbane is, so Stormfare is intellectual. Built on steep hills and constantly under rain or threat of rain, the denizens of Stormfare are used to being indoors a great deal, and developed the greatest University in The Land essentially just to have something to do. Generally a cozy, avuncular, and pleasant place to be. Not surprisingly, the baristas of Stormfare are said to brew the best Coffee and Klah anywhere in the land, a fact the halflings of H'arun, in the Desert of Lop, dispute.
The Frost Kingdom - Another of the less pleasant places in The Land, this area is peopled by Giants, Golems, and dire beasts of all sorts. Interestingly, certain of the tribes of giants and ogres greatly value textiles and gems from the south, giving those merchants brave enough, or rich enough to hire powerful guards able to make mountains of money by trading silk and southern gems for rare and exotic jewels and furs from the north.
The Great Trackless Woods - Very little is known of this giant, ancient forest. There are a few rugged outposts of miners and frontiersmen scattered here and there, mostly in the south, but the primeval forces that are the true denizens of the woods keep any real civilization at bay.
The Western Coast - Generally a sunny, arid, peaceful place, the coastline is home to excellent farm country, great healing magic, and many quiet towns.
Iridian - A cursed land, often referred to as a "cancer" or "blight" on The Land. The last king of Iridian went insane and was killed in an uprising by his own army. Since then, Iridian has remained leaderless and empty. Iridian began its life as "Shelyn's Jewel," according to some sagas and histories, but little remains in the way of actual, physical evidence to lend any credence to this tale.
Plains of Bennalad - The greatest farmland in The Land, its breadbasket. Peopled entirely by farmers or similar, and protected mostly by monks.
Protectorate of The Lake - Home to Izmir, the city of light and knowledge, beloved of and consecrated to The Inheritor, Iomedae, and home to a mighty force of her Paladins. Izmir has a great library and university, centers of medicine, and is an orderly, clean, lawful place. Just less than a day's journey north is Varna, which is as debauched and rowdy as Izmir is calm and orderly. Varna is home to many people, mostly halflings and dwarves, and is the last known residence of the great brewmaster Erasj (pronounced like "mirage" without the "m"), who is half-mad, but is the last man alive who knows the secrets of brewing Ki Ale, which enhances the powers of monks and other Ki-using physical prodigies.
The Despair of Vestrille - Swampy land north of Rass-La, said to be on top of a great nexus of ley lines, which would certainly explain the immense power radiating from the swamps and trees and the very earth itself. Home to all sorts of undead. It is said just walking in the swamps of the Despair will cause one to enter a terrible melancholy, with some adventurers supposedly becoming so depressed they simply walk into the marshes and vanish.
The Old Woods of Grozcne - Said by some to be an outcropping of the Great Trackless Woods, but by others to be the last of the original forests of the world, and actually older than the Great Trackless Woods, the Old Woods are filled with wild fey, strangely animated plants, and many powerful woodland creatures.
Hallas - A lush and green woodland/farmland. Little industry or trade, mostly subsistence farmers. Generally peopled by gruff, hardy folk. Not heavily populated.
Rass-La - Once the southern half of a grand woodlands kingdom, the desert of Rass-La is now a sun-baked wasteland. It was created some 2,500 years ago in what has come to be called The Sundering; when the goddess Sarenrae, at the behest of an Enhathladi battle-queen named Luaera, took her flaming scimitar and carved a scar into the world for reasons no one knows.
Enhathlad - Enhathlad is a wind-blasted prairie/steppes region, sparsely populated by taciturn, nomadic, and curiously nonmagical elves. These elves are both revered and reviled for making the most brutally effective weapons in The Land, including things like armor-piercing and explosive arrows, and blades of black steel that are bound to a swordmaster's life force and lend the weapon strange powers.
Goreme - Home to farmers and monks, and an area in which some of the finest horses and other domesticated animals are bred.
Desert of Lop - A dangerous and large desert whose name in the local tongue means "You go in, but you do not come out again." The city of H'arun is the pride of Lop, a waystation for merchants taking the trade route from Katapesh north to the Frost Kingdom, or returning from same.
Tuatha - Lush and glorious woodlands, peopled by strongly magical elves, an ancient and proud kingdom.
Katapesh - This area is comprised of desert and jungle, and is home to a healthy trade center; the capital city that shares its name. Everything from legitimate goods to slaves to illicit substances pass through the ports and trade routes of this land.
The Old Land - Filled with strange plants and creatures from out of time and dotted with ruins of ancient cultures long-dead, The Old Land is a constant destination for adventurers and explorers. Its most curious feature, from which it takes its nickname, is the large quantity of criss-crossing roads, all in terrible disrepair and most ending abruptly, for no apparent reason, in the middle of a field, or at a lake, or a mountain.
The Empire of Mists - Despite a healthy and active trade relationship with the rest of The Land, little is known about the Empire of Mists.
Tiria - By far the most successful, wealthy, and populated area of The Land, Tiria is home to the walled city of Lesotho, beloved of Abadar and home to his greatest Paladins, which is also a Draconic Protectorate looked over by the great and ancient silver dragon Na-Selene, famed for her tactical mind as well as her thirst for knowledge. Like Stormfare and Izmir, Lesotho also houses a great university.
Tiria is also home to the oldest, largest city and port in the land; Mamban. Divided into five distinct districts, or "delves," Mamban is the funnel through which most trade is poured, and home to countless mysteries and magics, not least of which are the Center City, the Shadowborn, the Lost Fountain, and Old Ness' Bar on the wharf.
One more REALLY quick question - would you allow Boon Companion to affect my dragon mount? It would help if I multiclass - which could give us more variety, and more benefits as a 'balanced' party, if you follow.
EDIT: I'm thinking Paladin, but it'd mean I'd need to take it about two times to get the most out of it. I'm willing to do it, but if we can find some sort of ground, I'd love it. Also fits my concept a bit, if you can see where I'm going...
I'm fine with this. I'm starting to think we lost our Ranger anyway, so this is probably a good idea. Let me know when your revised build is done and I'll read it over again.
I'm not super familiar with Boon Companion, BTW, which book is that in so I can brush up?
VERY IMPORTANT POST: Save this one, print it, whatever. I'll upload it as a .txt file tonight to a folder on one of my servers, but you still may want to have your own reference. What follows is all the stuff an adventurer like yourself would just know about The Explored Land. Feel free to ask other OOC questions but please don't use as meta info. Once you've looked this over, if you haven't chosen where you're from yet, feel free to do so and I'll grant a permanent +6 to knowledge checks about that one specific area.
Note that the way weather/geographic areas work in The Explored Land makes no sense at all, so don't try to parse it out using actual meteorology or earth science. :-)
The Explored Land is so ravaged by ley lines and wild magic that its weather and currents and geological phenomena are hopelessly twisted and deformed, perhaps never to recover. This is one of the reasons there are things like Ruinstorms, which are seemingly malevolent (some say intelligent) storms capable of producing flesh-removing precipitation so damaging and powerful it can pierce plate armor.
That being said, here are things your character would know about The Explored Land. Note I am not saying everything your character knows is true, just that they know it.
** spoiler omitted **...
Added to my character profile! Thanks!
Yeah, we're just that good. And I'm already working on it - sad that my dragon won't be able to bear me on its back until two levels from now!
Also, if you look at the summary I originally posted, it's a devious way, but I know exactly how it happened - and I think you're going to enjoy it.
Background in progress, will post again when I have more to ask/give.
Re-read your BG, what's there so far works great!
Also, if there's a size/level thing keeping you from riding your dragon, we'll need to work around that. I need you flying. If I have to level everyone up to do it, so be it.
Hey Eldritch knight here I come!
Hey Eldritch knight here I come!
Ahahahahaaa, could be! Waiting for an answer from Sylsalitae...
He's probably at school so I will jump in for him~
White dragon starts off small until 8th level then they become a medium size dragon and then she would be able to ride it.
Edit 1: About Boon Companion~
I stole this explanation from someone else but it created as a way that if you did a bit of multiclassing into other classes say Dragonrider 4/Ftr 4 this feat allowed you to let you animal companion to gain up to 4 levels so instead of a Dragonrider 4/Ftr 4 while your Dragon steed is 4 levels behind. Boon companion would allow the dragon steed to gain the 4 levels he was missing. But no higher then your character level of course~.
I have updated my character's background. It is brief but explains a lot. I will gladly develop it further if necessary.
Due to his small size, Dolo became a rather scrappy fellow. He refused to back down to bullies and would often create elaborate traps and systems to stymie and harass his tormentors. Eventually, he was either respected and/or feared enough to be left in relative peace. He developed a reputation of extreme retaliation that brooked no arguments!
Dolo eventually captured the attention of the great and ancient silver dragon Na-Selene. The two seemed a perfect fit as both had a proclivity towards the search for more knowledge along with those things tactical.
Dolo begins to work under retainer for a Na-Selene. He was tasked with seeking out interesting and notable artifacts, books, and tomes to bring back to include in the vast library of the city.
Over time, Na-Selene saw in Dolo something special and it was she who taught him the ritual to summon a powerful draconic ally to aid him in his quest! The two – Dolo and his draconic eidolon – were joined both physically and spiritually. As one gained in power, so did the other. Together they travelled the breadth of the world in joyous service to the benevolent Na-Salene. His duties kept him on the road quite often, which was fine by Dolo as he had a constant companion in his draconic eidolon, who he named Glorfindel Ancalimë, elvish for ‘Spirit Companion’.
His latest adventure took him to Crystaldell. The professor leading the expedition is Professor Beryl Tanmos, an arrogant, womanizing, misgynistic blowhard who also happens to be the Land's leading scholar on the southern jungle and dweomersink region, and a first-class researcher. He is also my peer and colleague – in charge only because his fat butt is usually occupying a cushy chair near the university. I grew weary of Tanmos (rather quickly, I might add) in Crystaldell, and traveled to Izmir to do research on a particular set of inscriptions we discovered that may lead to secondary chambers below one of our dig sites (well, it seemed as good a reason as any to leave).
I was in Izmir very briefly when I was caught in the siege by the forces of the Black Dragonflight.
@Min: ah, thank you for all that! No wonder I wasn't familiar with that feat. :-) I have no problem with it being used, still. As for the "small until 8th level" thing, I think I will just invoke DM GOVERNANCE *thunderclap, flash of lightning* and say Syl's dragon is medium two levels earlier than most due to the superlative care it received in her homeland, far better than the meager scraps it would have had to subsist on in the arctic. Sylsalitae, is that okay with you?
Excellent! I love it! Thanks for doing the tweaks. Only one more thing you'll need to adjust, and there's no way you could have known this; rather than accompany Prof. Tanmos to Crystaldell (an elegant ruin of a city, built millennia ago by unknown artisans), a more likely explanation is he would have sent you -- possibly grumbling -- to Izmir to investigate certain errata and apocrypha while he led the expedition himself.
See, had you gone to Crystaldell, you would currently be trapped in the jungle, pursued by Delver servants of the Metallum Aeternum, Red Dragon Special Forces, and a multitude of retrievers, which is what my 3-person IRL group is currently going through with the good prof. and his hapless grad students and the four luckless paladine assigned to protect them all.
So! You went straight to Izmir, not knowing that both you and Beryl got trapped in sieges, just different sorts. Sound good?
Sorry, been doing work and preparing for school (my classes start in about two hours, and it takes about 30 mins to get there - plus I always get there early).
If you want to do that, that's fine with me - just need to adjust stats and all that jazz. I'll do what I can to get the dragon's statistics and the remainder of my background done by 1 AM EST. That way we can start tomorrow at the earliest from my part.
I also believe I'll go ahead and go with something that fits the story/concept, rather than the most ideal path. Dragonrider4/Paladin2 (Shining Knight variant, APG), to reflect the journey in her background, and give us our martial power back.
By the way - Ansrithar thanks you for making him larger. By the way, I hope you've kept in touch with the errata in the class on the site here, saying to ignore the Dexterity penalties in the PDF. That way they don't hurt as much.
I'm gonna give Terran until tonight to post here (haven't heard a peep since Sunday, and my limit is two days), and then I'll make a call in the original Gamer Connection thread for a new flyer, just to keep you guys in the loop as to what's going on.
@Min: ah, thank you for all that! No wonder I wasn't familiar with that feat. :-) I have no problem with it being used, still. As for the "small until 8th level" thing, I think I will just invoke DM GOVERNANCE *thunderclap, flash of lightning* and say Syl's dragon is medium two levels earlier than most due to the superlative care it received in her homeland, far better than the meager scraps it would have had to subsist on in the arctic. Sylsalitae, is that okay with you?
** spoiler omitted **
I have tweaked Lólindir Eledhwen's (Dolo's name translated to elvish) background per your direction. It makes better sense anyway.
I am all ready to go now!
Repeating Heavy Crossbow ready to roll!
@Min: ah, thank you for all that! No wonder I wasn't familiar with that feat. :-) I have no problem with it being used, still. As for the "small until 8th level" thing, I think I will just invoke DM GOVERNANCE *thunderclap, flash of lightning* and say Syl's dragon is medium two levels earlier than most due to the superlative care it received in her homeland, far better than the meager scraps it would have had to subsist on in the arctic. Sylsalitae, is that okay with you?
** spoiler omitted **
I love that feat its what makes Zero so awesome. Also very interested in how both of these games go, if me and Cyra weren't already in 4 games we would have tried for one of these.
My allies from my other games seem to enjoy popping in, Downright[epic]. I think it's just because this game is going to be that much fun - if not worthy of a story or a journal. I believe I really will make a journal for this game, and keep it updated as much as I can.
@Sylsalitae - Paladin seems a great choice with your background, IMHO. The lay on hands ability will be a nice boost in healing.
@Belisarius - Any chance one you took the Healing hex? Cure Moderate at 5th level...
I am using my UMD skill to use some healing wands.
No cleric in the group (which seems oddly ok) and healing is always a concern.
I completely agree - it also gives me the tie-in required to get in the game, and it fills out my role at mounted attacks, much like an actual white dragon would - voracious and quick to remove her foes. After all, if the dragons don't get you, the bitter cold always wins...
Sorry, been doing work and preparing for school (my classes start in about two hours, and it takes about 30 mins to get there - plus I always get there early).
If you want to do that, that's fine with me - just need to adjust stats and all that jazz. I'll do what I can to get the dragon's statistics and the remainder of my background done by 1 AM EST. That way we can start tomorrow at the earliest from my part.
I also believe I'll go ahead and go with something that fits the story/concept, rather than the most ideal path. Dragonrider4/Paladin2 (Shining Knight variant, APG), to reflect the journey in her background, and give us our martial power back.
By the way - Ansrithar thanks you for making him larger. By the way, I hope you've kept in touch with the errata in the class on the site here, saying to ignore the Dexterity penalties in the PDF. That way they don't hurt as much.
No worries! Ansrithar is a terrific name for a Dragon, BTW. And thanks for the heads-up on the errata, I actually hadn't seen that.
I'm still going to start the IC thread tonight, but it'll be a bit of a slow starter, so don't worry if you don't post to it until tomorrow. It's looking like your final party member is gonna be a latecomer anyway, regardless of who it is.
@Dolo: Everything looks great, thanks!
Thank you both so much for all the kind words, I am humbled and I really appreciate it. ^_^ (Min, I read your spoiler note to me up above.)
Syl if you end up journaling that would be extremely rad! But no pressure either way, of course.
I love that feat its what makes Zero so awesome. Also very interested in how both of these games go, if me and Cyra weren't already in 4 games we would have tried for one of these.@Min: ah, thank you for all that! No wonder I wasn't familiar with that feat. :-) I have no problem with it being used, still. As for the "small until 8th level" thing, I think I will just invoke DM GOVERNANCE *thunderclap, flash of lightning* and say Syl's dragon is medium two levels earlier than most due to the superlative care it received in her homeland, far better than the meager scraps it would have had to subsist on in the arctic. Sylsalitae, is that okay with you?
** spoiler omitted **
Oh hey, hi Tristan! I'm playing Thral in Severed Ronin's group 2, didn't know if you'd checked that or not. :-)
I know that's why I used this alias to post. :)
I know that's why I used this alias to post. :)
Then you also know I'm Luc in that game - this is my quota, and the last game I'm able to join until further notice.
I'm going through everything I'm working on, and I like my build that's shining through - enjoy what I can do in about twenty minutes of updates on my character.
I apologize but i will have to sit this one out. Thanks for the invite though. My time seems to be in limited supply lately, don't think i'll be able to keep up.Thanks again
I know that's why I used this alias to post. :)
Ha! Awesome!
I apologize but i will have to sit this one out. Thanks for the invite though. My time seems to be in limited supply lately, don't think i'll be able to keep up.Thanks again
Bummer. I liked your build. :-( Thanks for being straight-up with me, though, I appreciate it!
So, I'm making a cavalier to replace Terran.
12
That gives his stats 18, 18, 17, 12, 12, 9. 50 point buy, much better than Mokh'tar.
So, I'm making a cavalier to replace Terran.
Welcome Barcas! Nice to have you on board. I play Sho in your Star Wars game.
This game is going to be EPIC!
Will you be flying a Griffon, or something else?
Welcome back Barcas!
@Downright[epic] (Yep thats awesome~ >:) ) No problem, they've got a few free downloads on the paizo site that give you most of the feats/traits released in the various supplements. Although they are truncated some so they are not as clear as they would be in book form. It is still nice to have though~
Free Pathfinder Traits and Feats PDF Download
Yeah the errata is more in the dragonrider's forums from what I've seen so far, because people brought up the fact that as the dragon grew larger it didn't gain anything for a size increase it would just get a -2 to dex by the pdf's rules~ but the Genius Guide creator has been posting back and answering question which is neat. =)
They said they are going to be working on an official update for it, BUT no estimated time of release >.<;
Yeah, I think that he would be a griffon-riding lance-wielding soldier type. The teamwork feats and tactician feat reflect his military training well.
So I have spent a feat on Sable Company Marine in order to get a hippogriff/griffon animal companion.
Regarding lances: even though he is technically wielding it in one hand, does he still get the two-handed bonuses to Power Attack and such other feats?
@DM - Do you allow rolling HP for companions such as my eidolon? Some DM's only allow average per level in HP.
Here's the build outline.
@ Barcas From what I know about the lance is that you have the option of wielding it one handed while mounted or you can wield it two handed for the bonuses of said feats. I always believed the double damage with a lance while charging was their way of making up for not letting us have a ton of bonuses such as the two handed power attack and such.
They're is a fairly good discussion about it here: Lance & Power Attack
If you look past all the talking/arguing what they pull up out of the RAW and PFSRD makes sense~
Today I just saw that Haste was changed in the pathfinder spell lists, I thought it was the same as 3.5e but apparently I was dead wrong xD. I was trying to come up with some spell builds when I saw it was different.
What can you tell me about Izmir and its armies? I read the earlier post about its scholarly pursuits.
Does it have a real world analogue for culture?
So, because I like tracking things, let's sum up what I can see we have, and I'm going to predict combat a little, because it's something for me to jumpstart my mind with.
We have --
• A silver dragon-rider
• A white dragon-rider
• A summoner riding a draconic beast
• A witch who can fly
• A cavalier on griffon.
I see at least three of us are having lances, and I'm predicting a lot of charging/ride-by attacks, making mincemeat out of any non-aerial foe. It's a huge dynamic to work with, but I think we'll be fine when it all comes down to it (especially when we all do "readied action - charge when so-and-so charges" and watch the foe go splat).
Especially rough since Damian has the banner that gives allies +2 while charging. (+1 from base, +1.5 rounded down from human cavalier favored class)
I'm thinking of doing a hippogryph. Working the stats out right now.
MOUNT
Male Hippogryph
N Large Animal
Init +3; Senses Low-Light Vision, Scent; Perception +1
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DEFENSE
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AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, -1 size, +6 natural)
hp 48 (+18)
Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +3
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OFFENSE
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Spd 40 ft., fly 60 ft.
Melee
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
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STATISTICS
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Str 17, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 20
Feats Flyby Attack, Skill Focus: Fly, Wingover
Tricks Attack Any Target, Combat Riding, Come, Defend, Down, Guard, Heel, Seek, Stay
Skills Fly +13, Perception +5
Languages
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Devotion +4 (Ex) +4 Morale bonus on Will Saves vs. Enchantments.
Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save.
Flyby Attack You can take a standard action during your move action while flying.
Wingover You can turn in place while flying.
What would be a good fly speed? The CR 2 monster version has 100 ft fly speed. 60 feet would be more reasonable, I think.
It probably would, but a griffon seems better in other ways.
Using what you have...
Griffon
CR 4
XP 1,200
N Large magical beast
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +12
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size)
hp 42 (5d10+15)
Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +4
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., fly 80 ft. (average)
Melee bite +8 (1d6+3), 2 talons +7 (1d6+3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +7, 1d4+3)
STATISTICS
Str 16, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 5, Wis 13, Cha 8
Base Atk +5; CMB +9; CMD 21 (25 vs. trip)
Feats Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Acrobatics +10, Fly +6, Perception +12; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Perception
Languages Common (cannot speak)
This is the default griffon.
It's slower, but it actually has attacks that you can think about using should the opportunity come. I'm all for throwing ideas at you, since I checked the pegasus too. (120ft fly, sheesh...)
@Sylsalitae - Paladin seems a great choice with your background, IMHO. The lay on hands ability will be a nice boost in healing.
@Belisarius - Any chance one you took the Healing hex? Cure Moderate at 5th level...
I am using my UMD skill to use some healing wands.
No cleric in the group (which seems oddly ok) and healing is always a concern.
I am thinking if we level the healing hex might be a great addition to this character......
current hexes, evil eye, cackle, slumber and flight
current feats extra hex, weapon finesse (elven curve blade) and Deadly aim.........
I think putting flying stuff to sleep is a great idea!
I do love the healing hex, maybe the DM would let me trade deadly aim for extra hex feat (assuming we do not get to level up!)
So, because I like tracking things, let's sum up what I can see we have, and I'm going to predict combat a little, because it's something for me to jumpstart my mind with.
We have --
• A silver dragon-rider
• A white dragon-rider
• A summoner riding a draconic beast
• A witch who can fly
• A cavalier on griffon.I see at least three of us are having lances, and I'm predicting a lot of charging/ride-by attacks, making mincemeat out of any non-aerial foe. It's a huge dynamic to work with, but I think we'll be fine when it all comes down to it (especially when we all do "readied action - charge when so-and-so charges" and watch the foe go splat).
I plan on mostly buffs (party and eidolon) coupled with ranged attacks.
I do have a technical question - Can I cast Black Tentacles on an aerial opponent? I don't see why I can't but thought I would throw it out there. Imagine the tentacles coming from the saddle!
I picture a zone of otherworldly nonsense opening in the middle of the air and grappling as per the spell. A rift, in all words but one. But that's just me.
@DM - Do you allow rolling HP for companions such as my eidolon? Some DM's only allow average per level in HP.
Go ahead and roll HP - he's gonna need 'em.
Also, Dolo I have a LOT of info for you that you're going to need to get things going. I apologize for the large reading assignment. I've broken it into two pieces for you. This first chunk is the most important one, so please read and save. It's also the shorter of the two.
;-)
Things you as a scholar would know about the state of Telestari or "Drow Orcs" scholarship:
It is said they were "the first people" and that they "came across the endless black ocean in search of true wild magic" and, finding it here, stayed. What this means is a topic of much debate; some say the "black ocean" is a metaphor for interplanar travel. Others cite this as possible evidence to support the most currently in-vogue theory; that the Telestari were simply elves who came from across the ocean to the west.
There are numerous artifacts, structures, cities, etc. left behind by the Telestari, their architecture and language are both very distinctive.
One of the greatest curiousities of The Land is the archmage known as Marianasu. Said to be a Dark Telestari who used his race's secrets of wild magic and ley line manipulation for gain, Marianasu left behind 12 massively powerful, cursed magical items, called "Marianasu's 12 Abominations." You haven't studied them much, but you know that in the Hec Salazar Memorial Library at the University of Stormafre they have an actual, magicked copy of the legendary Fen's Omnibus, where it is said descriptions of all 12 items can be found, along with possible clues to their last known whereabouts.
Recently, Telestari paintings have surfaced, discovered on the Isla De La Mil Voces by a daring expedition, and in them are pictured color-coded Telestari wearing outfits of midnight blue, red, green, and white. No one has any idea what this means.
Telestari are typically depicted as very tall; 7 or 8 feet, and extremely slender. Their faces are never shown.
Professor Beryl Tanmos has a not-so-secret agenda to collect the Abominations and other Telestari magic artifacts.
Professor Edgar Lentry of The University of Stormfare is a well-regarded scholar of the Telestari.
Dolo: Aight, my friend, here's the other one.
History of Rassnynyankh
Rassnynyankh = "Great Kingdom of the Dead"
Chobansynyankh = "Great City/Citadel of the Dead"
The "-La" suffix is a sort of local shorthand to mean any of the following: missing, absent, invisible, or lost. Hence:
Rass-La = "The Missing/Absent/Invisible/Lost Kingdom"
Choban-La = "The Missing/Absent/Invisible/Lost City/Citadel"
Rassnynyankh was originally the home of the Drow Orcs [GM's note - there is a footnote at this point stating "See 'A History of Orcs' by Umbran and Grifs, Ch. 5, 'The Curious Case of the Drow Orcs'], and in its wild woods were many fey and undercreatures of prodigous strength and magic, occurring in much greater numbers than anywhere else. To this day the now-leaderless northlands are said to be home to Trolls so ancient and powerful they can actually speak common, to huge kingdoms of Troglodytes, to fleet and intelligent Dark Folk, and to Nymphs and Dryads so beautiful one's heart is said to near burst merely from gazing upon them. The dawn days of Rassnynyankh as a region were perhaps five or six thousand years before the current age, and the high time of the Drow Orcs was four or five thousand years ago, and lasted some while. At their peak, the Drow Orcs numbered perhaps in the hundreds of thousands, and had at least three cities they could call their own including the first great necropolis; Chobansynyankh, whose ruins still stand and are to this day used as an oasis for travelers crossing the desert of Rass-La. It is due to the high favor in which the Drow Orcs were held, and the frequent congress they had with all other races, that their tongue was melded with the region's two other dominant languages of Common and Undercommon to form the patois that is still, pace a fair amount of semantic drift and injection of words and syntax from uglier languages, still spoken in the north today.
Around the time of the height of Drow Orc culture (again, at least 4,000 years ago) merchants and explorers began pushing north, seeking trade in the wild and underdeveloped woodland villages, which were composed largely of Drow Orcs and human refugees from the religious persecution going on in the west, and the barbarian raids happening in the mountainous east. While most of the villagers were too poor and not materialistic enough to have any use for the fine cloths and spices that were the southern merchants' stock in trade, the dwarfs, giants, and wild humans of the far north had great interest in trading the gemstones and precious metals that were plentiful in the Frost Kingdom and Barbarian Kingdom for these rare, fine materials coming from the hot south.
As these trading and merchant parties began more frequently traversing the treacherous trade routes, there were calls to provide more protection against all the undead around Magas, the wild creatures and fey in the Old Woods of Graczne, and the many other dangers merchants found themselves encountering regularly along such a long road. At first mercenaries and adventurers provided the needed protection. This was a convenient and mutually profitable arrangement that benefited mercenary and merchant alike and which lasted for near a thousand years. Then, in the First War of the Black Dragonflight (begun some 3,000 years ago), need arose for a more organized and disciplined leadership. It was this need that drove a council of the leaders of Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes to come together and establish the First Kingdom of Rassnynyankh, so named because in the local dialect "Rassnynyankh" essentially means "kingdom of the dead," and since the greatest necropoli always lay within the bounds of the proposed kingdom, it seemed appropriate. Even today the greatest necropolis of the known world, Tiflis, is in the dessert of Rass-La, where the bulk of the population of the kingdom once was.
It is perhaps unsurprising that the initial attempts by other races to force new leadership upon the wild and chaotic but generally peaceful northlands were met with indifference at best, and furious resistance at worst. The pacifist Drow Orcs [GM's note - there is a footnote at this point stating "See 'Compendium of Pacifist Cultures' by Neregreb, Appendix A, 'Extinct or Near-Extinct Peoples'] were welcomed at the council, but since this was a matter of war their opinions were largely ignored, and they eventually boycotted the proceedings, believing that the whole endeavor to be foolish.
What happened next is one of the most terrible mistakes ever made by one race concerning another. The elven general named Aellon Cyredrae, placed in charge of defending the northern city of Pyatigorsk (which still exists, though now it is mostly a tumbledown ruin populated by refugees) sought to teach the Drow Orc a lesson. Why he did this is a matter of great conjecture and is still much-discussed to this day. The most popular theory as of this writing [GM's note; the book containing this info is fairly recent] is he was filled with a combination of deeply ingrained racial loathing of all orcs, even the Drow, and that this hatred coupled with severe annoyance at what he felt were pointless and time-wasting pacifist anti-war methods drove him to this monstrous act: at one point during the war there was a company of Black Dragonflight orcs camped not far from the city, and Aellon knew they intended to lay siege to the city. So, in order to as he put it "teach these peacenik buffoons a lesson," he ordered his men to stand down and let the orcs enter the city unhindered, where, upon seeing the peaceful Drow orcs as a funhouse mirror reflection of themselves and all that they weren't and would never be, the Dragonflight orcs flew into an insane rage and began raping, looting, and brutally slaying every denizen of Pyatigorsk they could find. When Aellon saw what was happening he realized what a terrible miscalculation he had made, and launched his soldiers into the fray, but alas too late. The city was saved, but only a handful of the peace-loving Drow orc remained alive. These last few survivors left immediately, ignoring Aellon's attempts at placation, and went down to Kutaisi, the second Drow orc city, and shortly after their arrival that city emptied itself. All the Drow then went to Chobansynyankh, their great necropolis, and after escorting all guests out they massively fortified the city, building walls higher and stronger than any had ever seen, with ingenious traps at the top to defeat siege engines and ladders, and they barred the gates, and were silent.
Eventually, of course, the first war ended, and an attache was sent to make reparations to the Drow orcs in their great walled necropolis, but when the gates were finally brought down and entrance to the city was gained, there was nobody there. 100 trackers, rangers, rogues, and other soldiers searched for 100 days but found nothing. No trace of the Drow orcs has been seen since, and since they mate slowly and rarely, reproducing at a rate less than any other intelligent race ever known, they are presumed to be extinct. The First War lasted 350 years, and in that time no food or supplies went into or came out of Chobansynyankh
I do love the healing hex, maybe the DM would let me trade deadly aim for extra hex feat (assuming we do not get to level up!)
Yeah, I'm going to keep you at level 6, so go ahead and do the trade. :-)
I do have a technical question - Can I cast Black Tentacles on an aerial opponent? I don't see why I can't but thought I would throw it out there. Imagine the tentacles coming from the saddle!
Heh. I think I'd rule that would work more like what Syl suggests in that they would appear out of the air. It's like a 20ft. radios, IIRC. So basically that's one you'd cast in front of an opponent and they'd fly into, and a successful grapple on the part of the tentacles would cause them to, uh, cease flying and start plummeting.