Celedon's page

Does a Sohei always get a surprise round even when there is no surprise or do they only get to act when there is a surprise round?

I'm somewhat confused... If my position were right, what would be the point of the sentence on page 141 of the core under double weapons which states that:

The character can also choose to use a double weapon two-handed, attacking with only one end of it.

The other problem I have with my position is it states that you suffer attack penalties as if wielding a a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. If it counts as a light weapon, then per page 179:

Wielding a Weapon Two-Handed: When you deal damage with a weapon that you are wielding two-handed, you add 1-1/2 times your str bonus. You don't get this higher Strength bonus, however, when using a light weapon with two hands.

If the off blade counts as a light weapon then even if it's still wielded with two hands the str bonus does not not go 1.5. Of course the double section says apply only the attack penalties and not damage penalties so it remains open for interpretation or clarification.

I'd really like some...

it's not really hotly debated unless you call ignoring the rules to get what you want a debate.

a doublebweapon can be

a 1 handed weapon and a light offhand weapon

it can be a 2 weapon

it can also be a 1 weapon held I'n two hands

or a 1 h weapon held I'n 1 hand if it's a weapon 1 size lower.

for one of the above it gets 1.5 PA. the important thing here is it is never more than 1 of the above at the same time. if you are using it as a 2h weapon you ate not twf with it. if you do anything else you do not get 1.5 PA.

unless you ignore this there is not actually a debate.

If your interpretation is correct... Please tell me the point of the Quarterstaff Master feat...

By employing a number of different stances and techniques, you can wield a quarterstaff as a one-handed weapon. At the start of your turn, you decide whether or not you are going to wield the quarterstaff as a one-handed or two-handed weapon. When you wield it as a one-handed weapon, your other hand is free, and you cannot use the staff as a double weapon. You can take the feat Weapon Specialization in the quarterstaff even if you have no levels in fighter.

A quarterstaff is a two handed double weapon, if RAW is it can be used one handed automatically with only one attack, well then why the hell is there a feat to let you do the exact same thing. No, the feat makes it quite clear that double weapons remain two handed weapons, and the one handed use language is strictly for oversized creatures using smaller two-handed weapons.

Edit: I see what you're saying, and that you would say the feat allows its use without go down a size, I just still don't agree...

The double weapons are three types in one. 2 handed when using one end with 2 hands, 1 handed when using one end in one hand, and Main Hand off hand when using BOTH ends.

If you're using it for TWF it is NOT considered a 2 handed weapon. It is considered 2 seperate weapons. This is backed up by the enchantment requirements, both ends have to be enchanted seperately.

Also, visualize these weapons in use. A 2 handed sword is being brought down with BOTH hands in that single motion. A quarterstaff is being swung right hand-left hand-right hand.

So, no, Double Slice doesn't grant you 2 handed bonuses.

Edit: You need to look beyond the listing in the weapon table. It's pretty clear double weapons are treated differently than other weapons.

I'm not buying it. Is there a quasi official opinion out there?

I see no difference visualizing power between a two handed sword and a double axe. You do not switch hands for the off hand you use both hands to bring the ends around. While RAW says you can use a double weapon as one handed, nowhere does it say using it with two hands makes it count as a one handed weapon for each side.

As for PA, if I get the 1.5 bonus for the two handed weapon, I get the extra damage for it from the offhand weapon. That's clear. If it counts as a one handed offhand weapon, you don't. Which brings us back to needing a ruling on two handed double weapons. If one exists...

Sorry to necrobump, but its better than starting a new thread...

What about the double slice feat?

The way I see it with Double Slice (which gives the offhand your str bonus for your attack), your two attacks get full str 1.5 damage. Your str bonus is in fact 1.5 for the primary attack because it is a two handed weapon.

These arguments above me saying a double axe is not a two handed weapon is absurd, it's listed as a two handed weapon. You can use it one handed per RAW (although I somewhat agree with the size limitation arguments, but that's not importante here) but when used with two hands, it's a two handed weapon.

As far as I'm concerned, with a double axe and double slice, I get 1.5 str damage for my primary and offhand attacks. Agree or Disagree?

Ravingdork wrote:

I'm still not seeing it. Can someone walk me through it?

The second ability of improved spell recall lets you use a swift action to prepare a new spell from your spell book. It costs lvl in ap instead of half but if you go hexcrafter it functions as getting spell recall.

It's actually better than just spell recall because it doesn't have to be one you already memorized and cast. It can be any spell...

2. Hexcrafter - I see the advantages, but after going through the hexes... I'm just not that interested. The flavor is cool, but I like spell recall too much as having that perfect spell back in a pinch is appealing to me.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but you still get improved spell recall. So your spell recall abilities are only delayed going Hexcrafter, not removed.

One of the things that hurt the first season of B5 was the belief among TV execs that an arc show couldn't work, so they had to play it episodic with ties to the arc at first. Once the ball started rolling in seasons 2 and 3 it really picks up, although you can see ties to the arc looking back all the way to the beginning. It is still my favorite Science Fiction show, largely because technology has neither solved most of our problems nor has it become some terror that is on the verge of destroying everything. That and the characters were so well done.

Totally agree, and don't get me started on what the TNT execs did to season 5...

Celedon wrote:

filler

You're so wrong it hurts. Soul hunter is a crap episode BUT it reveals delenn as being on the grey council and that Sinclair was abducted by them. Most of the ones you say are filler are important in character development for the focus of the A/B plots. Grail does some tiny subtle things like developing the Minbari and the mystery surrounding the Vorlons. Just because something isn't a main arc episode doesn't make it filler, it just makes it not an arc episode. If there's no arc plot development and no major character development, then it's filler. There's very little of this in B5 in general.

I guess we agree to disagree. Although, I like meeting fellow B5 fans! By season 2 and 3 the majority of the episodes were arc episodes and it rocked. When you have a great story arc, having to watch a meaningless story with one scene that ties to your arc is tough...

If it means anything, I think the new trend of arc shows agree with me. They tend to avoid filler altogether and just go from arc episode to the next: e.g., Battlestar; Stargate Universe (really not very good); Game of Thrones (could be my new best show ever); Spartacus; 24; Prison Break, etc...

Celedon wrote:

TarkXT wrote:

Fozbek wrote:

Saying otherwise is like saying Babylon 5 has no forethought and no real story after having watched season 1.

Babylon 5 got to the point. If it takes your series close to a hundred episodes to understand you're doing it wrong. Lot's of animes are guilty of this.

Eh, the first season was a lot of filler... They got to the point by the end of the first season. Best. Show. Ever.

Are you talking about B5 or Bleach here. The first season of B5 has virtually no filler, you just don't understand events' importance except in hindsight. Upon repeated viewing season 1 is possibly my favorite because of how intricately woven the story/continuity is and every single episode something important transpires for the characters and/or for the greater story arc.

B5. Don't get me wrong, I loved it and Season 1 was great because it was interwoven. But if people don't know it's part of an arc and that you're laying out pieces for later, it builds slowly...

Season 1, Episode 1: Midnight on the Firing Line
Original Air Date—26 January 1994
The Narn attack a Centauri colony, while Raiders attack transport ships. And Talia Winters arrives at the station.

-Great episode, lays out the council and the conflict between the Narn and Centauri, and lays out the Narn ultimately planning their demise. Good and connected to the arc.

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Season 1, Episode 2: Soul Hunter
Original Air Date—2 February 1994
A mysterious alien who steals the souls of the living arrives on the station putting Delenn's life in danger.

-Filler, any way you slice it and dice it.

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Season 1, Episode 3: Born to the Purple
Original Air Date—9 February 1994
Londo falls for a beautiful slave, whose owner wants to steal sensitive information. Garibaldi discovers that someone is using a restricted communications channel.

-More seeming filler. Sure the death of the Adira plays an important part later on but it's hardly an episode that will bring people to their seats and keep them there.

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Season 1, Episode 4: Infection
Original Air Date—16 February 1994
A living weapon wreaks havoc on the station.

- Obviously a great one in retrospect. More filler on first viewing. And even on subsequent viewings it aint all that great but it does introduce the shadow ships without anyone knowing it. I like this one, but my comment remains about it bringing and keeping people in the seats.

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Season 1, Episode 5: The Parliament of Dreams
Original Air Date—23 February 1994
A week long cultural festival is takes place on board the station. Catherine Sakai, Sinclair's old girlfriend, arrives on the station and G'Kar receives a death threat.

-Filler. Even worse then that because your bring in a character that later goes nowhere due to the captain shake up. (no way planned, but covered up and wrote around real real nicely.) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----
Season 1, Episode 6: Mind War
Original Air Date—2 March 1994
The Psi-Cops arrive at the station to capture Talia's old Psi Corps instructor. Catherine is warned not to survey a sector of space by G'Kar.

- Tough one, woulda fit in good to the arc but they ended up dumping Talia which makes it just a dangling plot thread that goes nowhere. Introduction of the first ones is cool in retrospect, but again not one that gives you any idea of that on first viewing.

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Season 1, Episode 7: The War Prayer
Original Air Date—9 March 1994
A pro-Earth group attacks a Mimbari poet and two Centauri lovers seek Londo's help.

-Filler. I'm sure theirs something in the episode that ties to the arc but it sure aint much.

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Season 1, Episode 8: And the Sky Full of Stars
Original Air Date—16 March 1994
Sinclair is kidnapped by people who want to know what happened when he disappeared in the last battle of the Earth/Minbari war, knowledge that even Sinclair does not know.

- Obviously, we're now beginning to get cooking...

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Season 1, Episode 9: Deathwalker
Original Air Date—20 April 1994
A war criminal scientist who is the last of the notorious Dilgars is discovered on B5 bearing an extraordinary medication that all the powers want.

-Damn, more filler. Good episode though.

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Season 1, Episode 10: Believers
Original Air Date—27 April 1994
An alien family refuses surgery to save their dying child.

-Filler, good episode!

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Season 1, Episode 11: Survivors
Original Air Date—4 May 1994
Garibaldi is blamed for an accident aboard B5, leading to his return to the bottle

- Other then the alcoholic thing, filler... I think Lise is introduced if I remember correctly. Same actress too, which king of impresses...

Season 1, Episode 12: By Any Means Necessary
Original Air Date—11 May 1994
The station's dock workers stage an illegal strike. G'Kar tries to take part in a Narn religious ceremony.

- Filler

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Season 1, Episode 13: Signs and Portents
Original Air Date—18 May 1994
Londo obtains a priceless Centauri artifact and a stranger visits each alien ambassador asking only one question.

- Great one. Introduction of Morden. What's not to like.

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Season 1, Episode 14: TKO
Original Air Date—25 May 1994
A disgraced boxer comes to Babylon 5 to compete in the Mutai, an alien fighting match. Meanwhile, an old friend visits Ivanova so that she can mourn the loss of her father.

- Filler. Good one though.

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Season 1, Episode 15: Grail
Original Air Date—6 July 1994
A man searching for the Holy Grail arrives. Ambassador Kosh may be behind a string of attacks on the station.

- Total filler, but I guess the start of the menbari war stuff is cool.

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Season 1, Episode 16: Eyes
Original Air Date—13 July 1994
A Colonel investigates Sinclair and his command staff for recent station actions.

- Eh...

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Season 1, Episode 17: Legacies
Original Air Date—20 July 1994
A Minbari military leader's dead body disappears on the station.

- Minbari character builder...

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Season 1, Episode 18: A Voice in the Wilderness: Part 1
Original Air Date—27 July 1994
One of Delenn's old friends arrives on the station when an extinct civilization is found on the planet that Babylon 5 orbits.

- Good one. Planet never really used to potential, but at least they used it.

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Season 1, Episode 19: A Voice in the Wilderness: Part 2
Original Air Date—3 August 1994
An Earthforce captain and an alien race both lay claim to the planet below.

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Season 1, Episode 20: Babylon Squared
Original Air Date—10 August 1994
B5's immediate predecessor, Babylon 4, suddenly reappears after mysteriously vanishing years ago.

- Great one obviously, doesn't really jibe with A War Without End with the captain switch, but he covers it up good enough.

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Season 1, Episode 21: The Quality of Mercy
Original Air Date—17 August 1994
Talia must enter the mind of a convicted murderer while Dr. Franklin goes to Downbelow to investigate a doctor who apparently is 'magically' healing people.

- Filler, alien healing machine obviously a plot object but still doesn't really make it a good episode.

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Season 1, Episode 22: Chrysalis
Original Air Date—3 October 1994
Garibaldi investigates a death on the station which leads him to a terrible discovery.

- And so it begins...

A lot of filler in there, a lot of plot lines that got rearranged between season 1 and 2, and not a lot of real grab me episodes. Don't get me wrong, like I said... Best show ever, but Season 1 did not get off to a real running start.

ciretose wrote:

Do you always give strangers a full uninterrupted minute before you move on to someone who seems interesting?

Yes, I do.

I sure as heck don't. But then, if they are trying to actively diplomacy me, they won't let me leave or will follow me and unless they chase me out of the area (unlikely), if they roll high enough, I just might stay.

Unless of course, I'm brutish and there charisma is so low that their attempt to pester me disturb me so I punch them in the face. I think that would have to be a diplomacy check though.

Fozbek wrote:

Saying otherwise is like saying Babylon 5 has no forethought and no real story after having watched season 1.

Babylon 5 got to the point. If it takes your series close to a hundred episodes to understand you're doing it wrong. Lot's of animes are guilty of this.

Eh, the first season was a lot of filler... They got to the point by the end of the first season. Best. Show. Ever.

This teleport argument is a red herring if I ever heard one... If a party wants to go to enough trouble to spy a target, so they can be properly scried, so a target teleport destination can be identified, and then they can teleport in bypassing all those delicious planned encounters.

...well, that sounds like a good adventure in it's own right. You can't just invent a place and teleport to it. You need to have seen it. I don't know about your characters, but mine have usually only been through each dungeon once.

I could scry the location if I know what creature to scry, but again lots of work. You need to find a creature, get enough to be able to scry him, and then hope he gets access to the inner dungeons and not the outskirts. Woopie, you teleported past the gate guards. I call that good planning and night of fun.

I know of no wizards I've played with that gimp themselves to go through each encounter. If we have fun skills to bypass things in a fun way, we do it. Our DM likes it when we keep him on his toes and doesn't hold it against us.

I'll chime in, can't resist...

I'm in the middle. Stats count. 7 is not that low, 5's better have severe consequences. I think you have a real problem though when you compare a human 5 intelligence with an animal 5 intelligence. The system is not designed for that.

Lack of intelligence or charisma should manifest itself in SOME way, but I don't think the 5 int barbarian needs to be a stuttering mental incompetent. He could just know nothing of the "civilized" world, and have it put in that context.

Things like down syndrome or retardation are not just about lack of intelligence, they are physical and genetic abnormalities that there is no reason to believe your character has based on a low skill score. As for the part about initial NPC reactions, I agree that's what Charisma is for, then diplomacy for initial reactions and the way the NPC will tend to react towards your personality, and then have that affected by their long term actions and personality.

However, a low charisma high diplomacy type of guy, may very well be able to get what he wants in situations (i.e., out of patheticness, wanting to help an obviously socially disfunctional but good hearted guy) but never want to be friends with him because his overall personality and charisma is just too maladjusted. I know someone like this, trust me they exist.

Celedon wrote:

Anyways, the reason I'm here... I know I've probably had some evil cleric strike me with blindness but I can't for the life of me see how the party is suppose to get into the Caves of the Mother. I assume it is through V19, but where is the top of the pit at V19 topside?

How is the party supposed to know it's there?

Check out area V2.

It is fairly central to the camp and it should be easy for the group to notice when they check out the area.

Thank you, I knew I must have been blinded...

Great start to an AP and am looking forward to running it. I really like open ended adventures like this but my group tends to need some direction or they all fight and go off on their own goals. It will be interesting to see what happens with this...

Anyways, the reason I'm here... I know I've probably had some evil cleric strike me with blindness but I can't for the life of me see how the party is suppose to get into the Caves of the Mother. I assume it is through V19, but where is the top of the pit at V19 topside?

How is the party supposed to know it's there?