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It's an awesome conversation, lol
Frank and K are my design idols for the whole d20 engine. Those guys really, really understood how the game is played, and how the rules could be used to drive the narrative.
Their Jester is my favorite example of class design ever. It's genius.
I would like to try sometime my "Homebrew only" campaign, but my two page design doc got eaten by the computer fairies.
For example, I find this below (and Paladins, and my Force of Personality), to be a band-aid to a problem systemic to D20 as a whole.
"Laugh It Off (Ex): Fate protects fools and little children, and Jesters certainly adopt the role of fools. At 2nd level, a Jester may add his Charisma modifier as a morale bonus to his saves."
Any hard CC effect with a duration longer than a round or two is effectively save or die, and even losing one turn is super harsh, especially if the stun is a rider on other effects. An optimized blaster can probably blast through your entire health bar or close enough in one failed save if you don't have the proper resists.
So, there are a few responses- Give everybody crazy saves, in which case casters resort to no save or effective even if saved spells, or give everybody hard CC and optimized blasting, hi Path of War! Or the one default Pathfinder uses, of don't give those abilities to most monsters and give real monsters super high SR.
In my home games, I've said, "homebrew only", and we design spells that have a progression like this..
Failed the save by 6 or more: You're pretty hosed. (Stunned or Dazed, say)
Failed the save by 5 or less: You're hindered pretty badly. (Staggered/Slowed, maybe)
Succeeded the save by 5 or less: You're minorly hindered. (Shaken or Sickened)
And then we do away with Evasion/Stalwart, because that mechanic is built into the game. And we can do away with "You must have a 80% or better chance of passing all saving throws or you can just go home now."
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Hmm. You can swap Str and Int, though I'm going to say no point buy for the harpies.
Devilbound creatures require actual boons from hell itself, so Illia- can't create one. But your good friend Ambassador Phistophilus definitely can! (And could "bind" your harpy to the ability set of any of the devils youv'e currently got in your city)
I'll get on the gameplay thread now.
It's been a crazy week, but so far my hour-long lecture to a room full of pre-meds went over well, I got paid $150 to sing for 5 minutes at a university 200 miles away, and I just got a phone number from possibly the most amazing woman I have ever met, so I'm riding a bit of an adrenaline high right now.
Niiiice.
Awww.. So you're ruling that despite the bonuses granted being dependent on the devil issuing the contract, that devil has to use higher ups to involve in the contract and can't draw straight from Hell's power without other intermediaries?
In that case, what do you think about the Suzerain Template? I think it's a bit overpowered for CR+1 Template, but I'd be happy to spend 2 CR on it (as, without the ability to direct point buy for CR, I don't have much else to do with an odd CR spent on templates, though a Con Boost to put it more in line with other CR2 temps so she doesn't die to the first AoE would be nice, current builds are ending up with like 65 HP... >_> <_<). Fluffing it as Illia- finding a Harpy who, like herself, had great potential to lead, but lack of confidence and raw martial ability prevented her from ascending in the ranks.
Naturally, Leadership as a bonus feat for a cohort doesn't make a great deal of sense, so could that be spent instead on some leadership related feat? (Such as the great ruler thing that gives you +2 to your ability mod for Kingdom building.)
And, for the Abilities that say "you've gotta have people who view you as a leader" would those still work considering the harpies would consider her second in command?
Also, this below is absolutely crazy. I intend to make a campaign about Japanese schoolchildren using it to defend against aliens and monsters now.
Lost my post, but in short:
Flesh warping looks interesting. I may do that with my next feat.
Hmm.
1) Illia-, you *could* use your power as a talented devil to let your cohort draw power from Hell directly. Asmodeus does not like this sort of thing, and may send some very bad things after you, as well as causing a diplomatic spectacle.
2) Suzerain is absurdly powerful. But flavor-wise, it's also a little iffy; why is a creature born to lead willing to serve as cohort to someone else's every whim and travels?
1) Excellent!
2) No longer an issue!
Harpy CR 4
+1 Natural Armor, 60 ft Darkvision
Fort +2/Ref +5/ Will +5
Speed 20 ft/80 ft average fly
Captivating Song
4 Feats
7d10 HD Climb, Craft, Fly, Intimidate, Perception, Ride, Stealth, Survival, and Swim 28 skill points
Captivating song, all non harpies within 300-ft spread DC 10+1/2 HD+Cha Will or be captivated. Must move towards harpy via most direct manner, receiving second saving throw if it's dangerous. No actions other than self defense (will not defend against harpy). Sonic Mind effecting. Lasts as long as harpy sings and one round afterwards.
Str 7, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 17
Devil-Bound(Erinyes) CR 2
+2 Profane AC
SLA- At will Minor Image, 3/day Charm Monster, 1/day Greater Teleport (self plus 50 lbs only), charm person.
Constant- True Seeing
Immune Fire and Poison
Resist Acid 10, Cold 10
+4 Str, Dex, Con, Cha, +2 Wis
Zealot 4 CR 4
+4 BaB, 4d10 HD, +4/1/4 saves, 16 skill points, Autohypnosis, Bluff, Diplomacy, Heal, Intimidate, Know (His, Marital, Nobility, Psionics, Religion), Profession, Sense Motive.
2 Feats, Cha + 1
Prof Simple Martial, Armor, shields (- Tower)
Disciplines- Eternal Guardian, Golden Lion, Piercing Thunder, Sleeping Goddess, Solar Wind (Swapped for Phantom Storm)
IL 7, Maneuvers Known 7, Maneuvers Readied, 4, 2 Stances, 5+12( from Cha) Power Points. (No ML by the way)
Maneuvers recovered by using the aid another action as a standard action (Regaining Cha Mod maneuvers).
Collective (Su): Standard action, join up Cha mod + Zeal (6) willing targets into psychic collective. Removing or leaving the collective is free action. Moving out of range loses collective. Zealot can sense if each member is still part of the collective (aka, knows when someone dies/moves out of range). Zealot can initaite maneuvers through collective. If a Zealot maneuver specifies one or more willing targets (or is harmless) and has a range greater than personal, he can initaite it on any member of collective regardless of range of maneuvers. Also works for manifesting powers/casting spells, or non-zealot maneuvers.
Zeal (SU): Whenever the zealot hits an opponent with a strike maneuver, all collective members gain +1 morale bonus on attack rolls for one round (nonstacking). Zeal also activates on aid another (regardless of success).
Compartmentalized Aid (Ex): May use aid another on himself. May aid another with ranged attacks within first range increment.
Burning Contemplation (Ex): May use Cha instead of wisdom fo rqualifying for Psionic feats.
Commitment (Su): May aid another anyone within collective.
Telepathy (Su): All willing collective members can communicate telepathically. Psionic creatures may share powers known (Yeah Inubrix, share those powers with yourself!)
Echoes of Steel (Su): When activating a maneuver at least one level below maximum maneuver level know, spend 1 PP per maneuver level to grant a member of his collective the ability to use this maneuver once, or until the Zealot recovers it, echoes a different maneuver, or a minute passes it.
Conviction : Not Chosen Yet.
Martyrdom (Su): Once per round, redirect up to 5 points of damage per zealot to self as a free action from an ally in collective. May pay up to 1 PP per zealot level to negate 3 points of damage per PP, to a minimum of 1 damage.
Eternal Rebirth (Su): While maintaining psionic focus, all healing spells directed towards members of the collective are treated as Breath of Life (if they are dead, but you heal them on the round after they died, they can come back with 1 Temp negative level, Death Effects ignore this). May expend psionic focus as a free action to heal a member of the collective for 4 points per PP, once per round.
Heading to the woods for the weekend. My internet might be spotty. Feel free to bot if you need to move the story along.
Psh. Couldn't fly anyway.
Host Corpse Alchemical Fast Zombie Harpy full of a Carapace Skeleton Hellwasp Swarm, now that's exciting.
Huh, I was thinking about buying a Hellwasp Corset..
I think we should make a build queue based on overall priority. I don't know the settlement rules well enough to do so, but a list would be useful. It'll let us know when, for example, my HQ/mansion/temple is built.
Aw, but if we do that we'll be able to argue about whose stuff should come first, when we could just blame the fact that it's taking so long for our stuff to get built on the bureaucracy fairies!
A lot is considered to be roughly 750ft on each side and a temple takes up two lots.
We can totally build you a temple this turn. To whom will it be dedicated to? One sole deity? Several?
Also, Dapper, do we need to tunnel through the impassable hexes to reach the forest near us? Want to build a sawmill.
You can reach the forest. The hex you think is impassible is actually just dead forest (you can see it if you zoom in). Feel free to add markings to the map, etc.
So: hex claim, sawmill, temple. You still get to build one "free" (still costs BP) housing/discounted building
The main temple will be to the watcher, but other (smaller) temples to other deities will be permitted elsewhere.
Shouldn't we build like the biggest thing we can because our BP income is ridiculous? Isn't there like a cathedral that's bigger than a temple?
Can we claim a hex?
Could be a fun little side-quest for us.
As for discount building, we've hit diminishing returns on every other stat, so give us economy. Aka, Library.
Doesn't Mere want a mansion? I don't think we built that yet.
A cathedral is 58 build points, which I'm not sure we actually have just yet and we're limited to one per settlement so I would rather not build one till we decide who/what is the official deity/deities of the city.
Doesn't Mere want a mansion? I don't think we built that yet.
A cathedral is 58 build points, which I'm not sure we actually have just yet and we're limited to one per settlement so I would rather not build one till we decide who/what is the official deity/deities of the city.
Mer wants everything. I just want a base of operations to work from. Temple was suggested to me because it does something positive for the city. I'm happy with whatever.
Why not both? Lol the mansion is a free build in that it doesn't count against our build limit.
Note that you can have a cathedral shared among multiple deities (see: the Pantheon)
So: you can't actually afford a cathedral this month. The party makes a LOT of BP a month (you're looking at an income of around 20/month right now), so that's still not bad. As a NE settlement, churches/cathedrals give bonuses to economy instead of loyalty.
Current breakdown:
-40 BP
-24 LBP
Temple: 16 BP, 16 LBP
Sawmill: 3 LBP
Mansion: 5 BP, 5 LBP
Hex Claim: 1 BP
So this leaves you with 18 BP and the ability to construct one more terrain improvement if you want.
Ok, so a mansion this month that's mine. And then start a polytheistic cathedral which will act as neutral ground between the religions.
Can we use the extra bp to start construction on a more expensive thing and apply it as surplus to next month?
I think that's kind of represented by saving up BP over multiple months to buy something all in one goal at the end, if I understand you correctly.
Yep, that's what it represents.
I'll just assume that we're continuing the aqueduct as the second improvement, to keep the game moving.
End of Month 2
-Aqueduct (plains, 1 LBP)
-Sawmill (3 LBP)
*Buildings (1) (16 LBP, 16 BP)
-Temple (16 LBP, 16 BP, 2 lots)
*Housing (1) (4 LBP, 6 BP)
-Mansion (4 LBP, 6 BP, 1 lot)
*Hex Claims (1) (1 BP)
Spending: 21 BP (and 24 "free" LBP)
Unrest before building: 2
Unrest after building: 0 (Temple -2)
Treasury before taxes (includes mines, etc): 23 BP (23 +3 income -4 consumption -21 building +2 tribute)
(Any last-minute edicts can be made before)
Control DC: 25
Unrest before withdrawals: 0
Treasury before taxes: 23 BP
Economy: +47
Loyalty: +33
Stability: +39
Floating Leader Bonuses: +13 (Jiator), +6 (Drisquar)
I'll withdraw one more BP for research, as having a cohort in the coming month will mean the pair of us can actually use it all up.
Okay yeah so I rolled random backgrounds for Illia- and Drisquar before they became outsiders, got some unusual rolls, and the results are 100% AMAZING. Going to have to think of a way to incorporate these now.
Cool!
I'm excited :) I will get those rolls up shortly. I'm posting via cell as I'm too poor atm to have my internet turned back on :(
Anyway, is there a nearby(relatively consideing our resources) that we could raid and add to our growing kingdom??
Hmm, not really. You guys are in a very unpopulated area, with nothing for hundreds of miles in any direction.
Hmm, not really. You guys are in a very unpopulated area, with nothing for hundreds of miles in any direction.
But we can get around. :-)
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Anaxian swims though his small horde of BP like Scrooge McDuck.
Hmm, not really. You guys are in a very unpopulated area, with nothing for hundreds of miles in any direction.
Depends on how much we like eating Vegepymies.
Well, presuming my skeleton isn't somewhere else in the wreckage, I really didn't expect to be a dragon. Nifty!
I rolled a d100 for race. 1-5 was "roll again on unusual race table" (76-100 was "born an outsider"). For Illia-, I rolled a 2 and then a 1, so I decided to roll on the *really* unusual race table.
I think Meredian is going to start raiding merchant ships on the other side of the world. Her people need stuff and she bored easily.
I'm gonna be Illia!
This is officially the weirdest game I've ever been in.
I'm gonna be Illia!
This is officially the weirdest game I've ever been in.
I thought you could only possess draconic skeletons?
Correct. Did you read the latest gameplay posts?
Correct. Did you read the latest gameplay posts?
Illia found a dragon skeleton. I get that. Maybe I'm confused, that's not Illia's original body somehow is it?
That's what it looks like, yeah.
So yeah umm when your random background generator gives you "LG bronze dragon from Taldor who died in a crusade" you kinda have to go with it...
Taldor... I wonder if I had a beard.
Correct. Did you read the latest gameplay posts?Illia found a dragon skeleton. I get that. Maybe I'm confused, that's not Illia's original body somehow is it?
Yeah it turns out you can't make dragon zombies because they've got too many HD. So when Tar-Baphon reanimated the victims of Omox's battle with Ozem's fleet, only the big corpses stayed at the bottom of the lake. History!