Ben F.'s page

Just thought of another question. Is there a diceroller that we'll be using? I'm wondering how to roll for my characters starting cash. Or should we just take a fixed number, like the average or maximum (since we're second level)?

Also, I'm contemplating a new idea for a contact, unless you liked one of the two possible ones that I mentioned in my background (feel free to use them separately, but I'm thinking each might be a little too much of a potential rival). This one would be an old elf that does some tinkering and that has become fairly wealthy inadvertently through long term investments in quartier marchand (not that he intended these as long term investments, just that as an elf he's working on a different time scale). He will own the house that Jan Hooft is staying in, and by connection Nicholas, and will be something of a slumlord, though through negligence rather than greed or spite. He is asking Nicholas to help him on various projects, I'm thinking the elf will be an inventor with a current obsession with diving devices, as payment in kind for helping to nurse him back to health after his shipwreck. This will explain where he'll get his training in craft weird science and some other fields, as well as give him a job. I'm imagining this elf as being the head of a clan, he's produced a lot of half-elf by blows over the years that manage his actual properties and fund his invention projects. He'll probably provide something like a bonus on craft or local knowledge checks, haven't worked him out completely. Mostly, he'll be a crazy old inventor type that lives in the slums despite being rather wealthy. He'll also have big dilapidated warehouses where he does his actual invention work, giving Nicholas access to someplace to do his crafting until he can afford his own facilities.

Also, can I take craft: gunsmithing or does it require a feat? Probably won't start with it but I see this character as a tinker. Within a couple of levels I'd like craft clocks and craft gunsmithing as well as perhaps a few other mechanically oriented crafts. Would craft steam engines (primitive) be viable, or would something else be more appropriate to represent primitive applications of that technology?

For now the transmuter bonus will be in strength since it's the only place it will do anything, later it will be dex.

I'll be going with arcane bond, in his background I had it as a ring now I'm considering an amulet since there are a couple of magical items particular to arcane bonds that are amulets. It's a small change so may go with this.

Since I don't have much else to spend gold on I'm considering purchasing a 1st level spell with some of my starting cash. I'm assuming that illusion/enchantment would be cheapest and easiest to find here. Is this a starting option and how expensive would a first level spell be?

Also, just for some background on magic, I'm a bit curious about how powerful wizards get around here. I'm assuming from the cultural attitudes not very. If any high level wizards were stomping around in coaches drawn by teams of iron golems in the shape of horses and waited upon by powerful demons forced to dress as butlers people wouldn't be so blase about it. Would it be safe to assume that most local spellcasters either cap our around 10th level or else are very secretive about it? And that spells above 5th or 6th level probably aren't available freely on the market, though they may be in the university?

Alright with four or five players I'll go with the wizard for sure then.

Unfortunately a pistol is still 250 g.p. and the max wealth for a wizard is 120 g.p. I could take the wealth background trait, but I'd rather have suspicious since it fits the character better. So I'll be waiting a bit for my first pistol, and throwing daggers until then.

My feats are still a hard choice since all three sets represent different aspects of the character, point blank shot represents his years as a pirate and his love of technology, the still/silent spells represent the shadiness of his mentor, and the spell focus and augment summoning would represent him being a bit of a magical prodigy by giving him bonuses with a second school. So I'm still having trouble choosing between them. I'll probably wait and see what I think would synergize best with the rest of the party since I'd be happy with any of the choices.

Here's a tentative character sheet:

Nicohlas DeSuis

I'm debating bumping the intelligence up two points and dex and con down two points and strength 1 point to pay for it.

I'm also reminded of another question. How difficult will it be to purchase new spells? I'm probably going to adjust my spellbook a little bit and would like to know how hard it will be to get any spells I end up getting rid of.

Sarti would be fine, I was just using the information I had available. Also, in case you haven't had time to look at it, I sent you a link on facebook to a more complete version of his background that details some things left vague above since that was all supposed to be common knowledge (like which countries he visited, he could have been elsewhere if there is another domain that you intend to have play a role in the campaign). Some bits of it may or may not have bearing on the campaign.

I'm still undecided about cleric or wizard, I'm leaning wizard but if none of the other players are social oriented I'll probably go with the cleric since that sounds absolutely essential. I like the direction I could take with either character so I'm not committed either way. I was also looking briefly at the Witch, but I haven't really looked over the spell list. I'm also unsure if it would make as good of an inventor/artificer as the wizard which is someplace I wanted to go.

Do we still have one more player or is it only going to be three of us?

A question for the other players. I'm having trouble choosing feats and was wondering what the opinion of the rest of the group was. Mostly it's a choice between being a dedicated spellcaster and having some ability to help out in combat after he gets a gun (stupid expensive guns and low wizard starting wealth).

I was thinking about giving him some combat support capabilities by giving him point blank and precise shot. His dex is good so he can hit the broad side of a fairly small barn, would this be meaningful support or would it be basically irrelevant to those more combat capable?

Alternately, I was considering going with still spell and silent spell, for a more social game being able to cast charm person with a gaze would be helpful in some situations where a charm person in a firm voice and wild gesticulations wouldn't be. Of course, those feats won't be worth much for a couple of levels, but I'll be taking item creation feats for the next few levels so it's now or around 12th level on these two feats.

The third option is spell focus and augment summoning. How useful have people found the summon monster spells in the past?

Any feedback? This is all for the wizard, I've got a good idea what I'd do with the cleric option.

Well, to get some discussion started, a brief introduction of my character.

Nicholas DeSuis is the adopted son of Alphonse DeSuis. It's widely believed within the DeSuis family that he is the son of Eloise DeSuis because he appeared in the DeSuis household about nine months after Eloise was raped. Eloise was married to Philippe Renier, Philippe blames the DeSuis for her assault because her sisters had lied to cover for her absence on the night she was assaulted, they believed she was having an affair and had wanted their help to cover for a rendezvous. Eloise died in childbirth, after that Philippe joined the order of Hala and has devoted himself to investigating her death, as well as nursing a grudge against the DeSuis. While the marriage was intended to help patch things up between the DeSuis and Renier, the end result was only to make things worse between the two families.

Nicholas was something of a childhood prodigy, showing an early facility for magic. Early in his life he was sent to boarding school and then on to Port-a-Lucine university. He left before completing, joining up with a ships crew.

The rest of the family isn't sure what happened to him next; he was away for a few years, being out of the country when the Night of the Long Knives occurred. He reappeared a few years later, rather the worse for wear. He said the ship he had been on was attacked and sunk, he miraculously washed ashore near Port-a-Lucine (to his knowledge he is the only survivor) and was nursed back to health by Jan Hooft, an old halfling retainer of the DeSuis (Jan is now old and senile, but was once an assassin and enforcer for Claude DeSuis).

I haven't decided if Nicholas is going to be a wizard or cleric yet. If he's a wizard he will be an inventor/crafter type and use firearms. He will focus more on deception/buffing spells than he will direct damage. He will probably be a transmuter, though conjurer is tempting as well.

As a cleric, he would use variable channeling to channel both positive and negative energy. He'll probably have the travel and protection domains and have good social skills, potentially being the face of the party.

In either case they will both make NPC allies, either mechanical or undead. Neither will be optimized for combat, both will focus on support skills.

I'm considering either a wizard or cleric. Leaning slightly towards wizard.