King Mokknokk

Wyvurn's page

386 posts. Alias of Chainsaw.




Post your character sheet template, rolls, and any mulligans used here.


My group had a chance to test out some of the classes and provide feedback. Admittedly, we didn't get very far with some of the classes but hopefully some of this information proves useful. Apologies for any duplication of what already may have been discussed as I have not read through everything that has been posted to date.

1. Arcanist: We didn't playtest this. No one was interested in the class. It looks like it is getting an overhaul anyway, but my group seemed more interested in some of the other hybrids.

2. Bloodrager: High initial level of interest. In the test combats we ran, it performed well at all levels and did exactly what it was supposed to do--kill things. As others have already said, the spells were rarely used during combat and even given the chance to buff, my players mostly avoided it. This could be mainly due to their mostly offensive spell selection. The player commented that it was fun to rip off a lightning bolt and then follow up with melee but said it did not stack up with the loss of rage powers. Put more chocolate in the peanut butter for this one. This is an excellent concept, but my players would rather see a medium BAB with full spontaneous magus casting. Drop the DR and fast movement and put some rage powers back in. The bloodlines were cool (more please!) and my players thought bloodline unique DR through the bloodline powers would be much more thematic. Some of the bloodlines should also get the limited use per day unlimited at least eventually--looking at the elemental ones specifically as you can do this with rage powers. As a bit of balance, we thought that your bloodline should count as totem rage powers.

3. Brawler: Again, high level of initial interest. In play we could not see a real difference from a fighter/monk multiclass. The opposite of the bloodrager, there is too much chocolate in the peanut butter. Players rolled their eyes at having 'magic fists' with this class and would rather just have penetrating strike and greater penetrating strike or a version thereof as bonus feats. They also did not like the monk weapons and thought the concept is better realized with simple weapons, catch off guard, throw anything, and eventually improvised weapon mastery. We thought it would be cool to have the ability to use unarmed damage die for improvised weapons or get rid of unarmed damage progression and do a flat damage bonus to simple, natural, and improvised weapons like the master chymist prestige class. Oh...and please make an archetype that subs flurry for DR =)

4. Hunter: We got past it, but consider a different name. To us, the slayer is a hunter and the brawler as written reminds us more of Buffy. The hunter..well.. we just called it the WOW class. Anyway, considering that our group does not like pet classes, this one was a surprise hit. We really liked the teamwork aspect (we did not get too bogged down on whether an animal can perform the feats). The animal focus didn't get used too much though, and we would suggest something else that gets a little more ranger in the class like combat style feats to get more of a ‘hunter’ feel. As it stands, that seems to be really missing if you want to call it a 'hunter' (this is coming from a hunter if that holds any water at all). Maybe a favored enemy mechanic that you share with your companion and applies to spellcasting?

5. Investigator: This is the one I wanted to play the most. Our experience is the class works as intended but there was quite a bit of ‘paralysis by analysis’ with this class—not as bad as the warpriest but significant. One player asked ‘Can’t I just swap out bard casting with alchemical extracts on my archaeologist?’ and I tend to agree. Inspiration is neat, but overkill when it came to skill checks for us. The investigator was making them pretty easy without it. Our suggestion would be to drop it and give him the mindchemist’s perfect recall ability at 3rd level instead of keen recollection and just make skill focus an investigator talent. We liked the sneak attack and poison use is ok, but without access to some of the splatbook discoveries (celestial poisons) it became useless against the undead and demon encounters that turn up a lot at high levels. We’d love to have this class gain a grenadier like ability and be able to apply alchemical items to weapon attacks.

6. Shaman: We didn’t playtest this one due to time, but we did like it. The only suggestion was that we would like to see more of the existing hexes and revelations mixed in with the spirits. We thought that you could flavor some of the existing hexes like slumber to fit under Heavens since it had the stardust thing going for it.

7. Skald: We really liked this one but found that unlike the standard bard, the skald doesn’t have a go to performance. In other words, raging song isn’t for everybody all the time like inspire courage is. Casters don’t want it , and only pure melee characters wanted it all the time. The inquisitor in the group for our encounters got frustrated when he had to drop out to cast a spell. We would suggest that well versed go way and the skald get a delayed inspire courage or something similar. He needs something to do when raging song isn’t applicable to an encounter. It would also be nice to get some ‘skald like’ spells swapped out. Not a big deal but, we remember the 3.5 days when summon nature’s ally was subbed in for summon monster.

8. Slayer: This is the spell-less ranger one of my players has wanted for a long time. It delivers exactly as intended in our group. The only complaint is the limited number of talents. There isn’t much for a melee slayer. I am sure this will get addressed, but we would encourage talents like bleeding attack, pressure points, and crippling strike. It would also be cool to get some of the rogue archetype abilities like bravado’s blade and brutal beating.

9. Swashbuckler: Another hit. Loved it. A gun using archetype is in the works so no need to discuss that. We ruled that swashbuckler’s finesse is weapon finesse for the intended weapons and we don’t play society so not sure if it really is that big a deal with wording. Going one level to get weapon finesse was not a big deal because our group does not tend to completely dump stats. The only thing we would like to see is it opened up to all finesse-able weapons. Limiting it to just piercing seems unnecessary. Other cool archetypes might open up the abilities up to weapons not normally finesse-able.

10. Warpriest: We didn’t test this one. Not that we didn’t want too, but it was too much to get a handle on in the timeframe we had. I have a player that really wants to look at it more, but would suggest simplifying it some. This is just based on reading it over though. We have a wide range of system mastery in our group and this one isn’t for the casual players from what we have seen.

For the record we tested at 4th and 8th. We did some social encounters and some exploration along with combats against multiple opponents. The skill checks for the social encounters and exploration (traps) were easily made by the standard classes and the hybrids. The combats were managed with about the same ease. Our group is very tactical even when caught by surprise. We did not use any gear that did anything other than provide a flat bonus and all gear was the same for hybrids and non-hybrids (+1 armor, +1 weapons, +1 cloaks, etc.) . No real streak of good or bad rolling was noticed.

Hope this helps.


I had some questions about Knot Expert.

1. Do you suffer the -4 penalty for not grappling with 2 hands. Do I need greater whip mastery to alleviate this?

2. I assume this can be combined with Uncanny Grapple. Using a grappled opponent as a weapon, is it still considered two handed or just one handed if the whip is being wielded one handed?

3. Knot Expert also qualifies you for the Final Embrace chain so this should allow you to (at least for same size opponents) to get the constrict off without spending a swift action to grapple. Is this correct?

Thanks


I have been kicking around a concept for a while to make feinting viable. What I came up with is a little unconventional as it does not really need any of your standard feinting feats. Not exactly sure how to bring it together though, so any help is appreciated.

Basic ingredients: valet familiar, feint partner

Now this is really all you need, but isn't not very effective. Most base familiars don't threaten--do you need to threaten to feint?. They also have horrible charisma scores. But I suppose a monkey on your shoulder with a tiny longspear would work.

But if we build on this with a raktavarna familiar, things get interesting. So this would need improved familiar to work.

Picture the rogue advancing with a rapier in one hand and a jeweled dagger in the other. "Wait! That dagger is a demonic snake! You fooled me, Mr. rogue. By all means, stab away."

Horrible humor aside, this will get you one sneak attack per round but will allow you to full attack since the familiar is spending the action to feint, not you. Add in improved feint partner and you can do it on an AoO.

I am assuming this is possible when the raktavarna changes shape into a 'living object' although I am not quite sure what that means. Feinting can mean just about anything, so it should be able to do this.

But one sneak attack per round isn't all that exciting. If you add in improved feint partner and paired opportunists, now you might have something. Your attack routine would be for the familiar to feint, you sneak attack on an AoO, you feint as a standard provoking for the familiar and then taking another AoO (via paired opportunists) for another sneak attack.

To be on the safe side, I guess you'd have to add in evolved familiar so the familiar actually threatened. I'd assume you holding it wouldn't be enough. But what would that be for? Evolved familiar: point end of dagger? Here is where I am looking for some input on whether you need this or how it would work.

From here, we can add on whatever we like, but more teamwork feats would be fun: pack attack, seize the moment, team pickpocketing--though you'd need a free hand, etc.

From what I have found, vivisectionist does this the easiest (vestigial arm for team pickpocketing!), but can be done with eldritch heritage on a rogue of your liking. Carnivalist rogue and/or a dip in beast bond witch would make the improved feint/greater feint feats worth it and allow full round action sneak attacks, but I think you'd also need some fighter (lore warden) to take all of those feats and I am not sure the payoff is that great.

Excellent RP potential here as well, I think. The raktavarna are cool familiars anyway. The detect thoughts and shared senses are just gravy. You could even flavor it so the character thought it was just an intelligent weapon or something.

Any thoughts or input appreciated.


It seems to me that crane style would work pretty well with some of the teamwork feats the inquisitor gets. I am looking to play an inquisitor of Irori and came up with the following:

Race: Elf (any would work here, but this is what I chose for story and longsword proficiency.)

Feats
1st: Dodge, Improved Unarmed Strike (from Irori's favored weapon)
3rd: Paired Opportunists, Crane Style
5th: Combat Reflexes
6th: Broken Wing Gambit
7th: Crane Wing
9th: Outflank, Critical Focus
11th: Crane Riposte
12th: Precise Strike
13th: CRITICAL FEAT???
15th: Improved Critical,Seize the Moment
17th: OPEN
18th: Coordinated Charge
19th: OPEN

So the idea is to use the Justice Judgement to offset the attack penalty and use Broken Wing Gambit and eventually Crane Riposte to generate AoO's. He'll mainly use a longsword one handed so I am debating on the usefulness of fitting in Power Attack. I will focus on Strength but I could see this being better as a Dex based character--not sure how you'd fit in all the feats without multi-classing.

Here is where I need some help:

Domain or Inquisition? Not sure where to go here. The campaign is focused on ferreting out and hunting demons so I was thinking about the Revelation Inquisition

Feats? Any advice on the open ones or rearranging things? I'd like a good critical feat and might try and convince my DM to allow Accursed Critical through Mark of Justice. Maybe drop the critical feats altogether and force in the snake style feats and combat style mastery? Extended and Extra Bane? I have never played an inquisitor so I am not sure how much 'bane' is enough.

Thanks


Hi all,

As the title says, is there anything out there other than Yahoo or Google groups. Google is just about useless now and Yahoo doesn't always work the way we want it.

Are there other alternatives or should we just bite the bullet and host our own webspace for out group. If that is our only option, what does everyone recommend?

Thanks


Not really, but I'd like some input on how the scatter special quality interacts with the conductive property.

For example, an alchemist with a conductive blunderbuss blasting multiple opponents with bomb damage/effects.

Thanks in advance


So I'm handing over the DM reins and need to bring in a 14th level PC to our long running campaign. As much as I do not like building characters at higher levels, I decided to see what Ultimate Magic did for the gunslinger.

Turns out, it does quite a bit. For the investment of two alchemist levels, you can solve the reloading problem of using two pistols. Just take the vestigial arm or tentacle discovery--I'm kinda torn as to which one to go with. With Alkenstar next to the Spellscar Desert, it kinda makes sense that those wandering the wasteland might suffer a bit from magical mutation.

With that problem out of the way, it becomes clear that there are definite cutoff points to the gunslinger class. Every class has these, but it seems more pronounced with this one. For me, level seven is the magic level as startling shot with a vivisectionist alchemist (or rogue--but the alchemist solves the reload issue)gives you pretty reliable sneak attack damage. Coupling that with rapid shot and the two-weapon fighting chain, you can afford to send that first shot justa few inches wide of your enemies ear.

Throw in some of the new discoveries that make alchemists extremely hard to kill with the undead anatomy extracts, and you have an ex-surgeon turned gunslinger with a little Lovecraftian ick-factor throw in.

Anybody else try this or have comments?


The group I am dming is getting up there in levels and it's coming more and more apparent that they are really lacking a good arcane caster. Group consists of a cleric/holy vindicator, rogue, ranger, paladin, and magus.

To remedy this, they are trying to find an old companion to help them out with their current mission---a scry and die type surgical strike that they need to pull off quickly and efficiently.

The problems they have to face are that they are wanted throughout the world and that any allies they once had (they recently just got out of prison) are either dead or scattered to the wind. They are not in a location or have the means to hire what they need.

That being said, one of their previous adventuring companions was a witch that may or may not have been killed by their enemies. I want to give them a little side quest on this and I’m looking for advice on how to handle it. I’m thinking said witch who is going to be about 13th level used swarm skin to escape capture and execution but was not able to reform with his body afterwards. So he’s out there with his consciousness spread amongst multiple swarms.

What I’m looking for is opinions/advice on how the players would find this out and how they might bring him back. The witch had an imp familiar and I’m thinking about having the imp steal some of the bones and try and bargain something out of the PC’s with them. What ways could the PC’s track down this imp without having access to contact other plane or planar binding type spells? What clues would a fairly crafty witch leave behind to his friends to bring him back keeping in mind that said witch wouldn’t want enemies thinking he was still alive or anything? In other words, he'd take precautions against scrying but would somehow want to leave clues to his state of being to his allies.

Finally, I’m tinkering around with the idea that when they do bring said witch back, he’s not quite the same as before. Maybe they have to use some ‘replacement parts’ or being in swarm form for so long has had some effect on his being when he comes back together. In other words, he might not comeback human and might be a drider (if I choose to use spider forms for example) or something. Any ideas that might fit with other swarms are welcome.

I apologize for rambling and being so vague. I’m really just mining for ideas that make plausible sense given the PC’s limitations and the flavor behind the swarm skin spell.

Thanks