RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
|
Yes, Energy Affinity (Fire) it is. FYI, Aubrey, that kelgore's fire bolt spell is in the PHB2, as Fakey indicated earlier. It is considered both an Evocation and a Conjuration, so it gains benefits from my specializations and Energy Affinity (since it's fire damage). It also allows the spell to still deal a small (1d6) amount of damage even if I cannot bypass something's SR.
I'm also intending to pursue the Master Specialist PrC. It can be found in the Complete Mage and basically just adds some extra feats and abilities to a specialist wizard. It's a pretty easy PrC to qualify for and I think I'll be able to pick up levels in it as soon as level 4.
|
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
|
Cool - a bard: so at least someone in the party can cast arcane spells that don't necessarily hurt. And I like the idea of annoying Fatey's character. With Vatters and Heathy potentially at eachother's throats too, this could be a real family affair.
Hehe. You know, if you're still interested in filling the 'non-explosive' arcanist slot, have you considered the Beguiler class? It'll provide us with someone who can do full casting (up to 9th level spells) and, since the Beguiler is mostly Illusions and Enchantments (my prohibited schools), there will be virtually no overlap. Plus, Beguilers get trapfinding too so we'll have a backup in case something happens to our rogue.
Naturally, this is just a suggestion. A bard could certainly be very useful in a party this size as well.
Hudak stands ready to tread the thrones of Varisia under his sandaled foot.
Hey, Vatnisse--tell me if you like the backstory, and I'll go with it.
|
Based on your background, even if you are from the same tribe he is likely to hate you. So don't worry.Ah, yes, there's that... I guess I won't worry, then. :DI'm thinking about it;...maybe the first wife your dad threw out was my mother, and she was pregnant wit' yours truly; that's what I've got so far.Hey, how about this - and he has come to Sandpoint to find his half-brother and kill him for the disgrace he has brought to the family, but get's caught up in the adventure, saving the world blah blah blah, and can't carry though immediately. Then they kind of get to like eachother, but honour demands.... Conflicted stuff - it's deep, like The Thornbirds. Well, maybe not that deep....
Not as deep as The Thorn Birds!!?? Why, thanks, buddy!
|
Very cool. Only thing is that if we both sailed on the Gulf of Varisia (my backstory), you might want to invest a skill point in Profession (sailor), just to get the fluff right. Of course, Alwyn still can't swim, so hey... But that's something I will correct once I take that barbarian level.
I was just thinking the climb and jump to reflect that; the ride is low cos he's been away from land so long. He ended up pulling the rope a lot when it was time to hoist sails and hoist anchors and whatnot.
|
|
I was setting you up with Drim the half-orc - so we could have a mini-Thornbirds with Rodergo as the tormented shagging priest of the Silver Flame.(lol) I was thinking of basing Rodergo in the other game on Richard Chamberlain for about 12 sec's.
Rachel Ward--schwing!
(lol) I was thinking about shagging the 1/2 orc just to give me ammo on those threads where everybody says, "I just can't see 1/2 orcs being so numerous. Who'd shag an orc?" Why, Rodergo, of course.
I always feel like saying, "you should meet some of the people I've met. I can see it." I just don't want to go there.|
|
I was just thinking the climb and jump to reflect that; the ride is low cos he's been away from land so long. He ended up pulling the rope a lot when it was time to hoist sails and hoist anchors and whatnot.
That makes sense, too - he's the unskilled labour/marine. Good stuff anyway - and it is also good that we probably won't need to start the first session with something like this:
Two Shoanti barbarians are standing a few feet apart on Sandpoint's Festival Street, glaring at each other. "Foul goblin-spawn", the taller one growls, "I should gut you like the yellow-bellied dog you are". "Bring it on", answers the broader one, "I've been in this town for an hour already; my sword is getting restless". Of course, it only goes downhill from there, which is why session one begins with the party in jail... ;P
As a side note, I once started a campaign by having the entire party wake up in the drunk tank, which was then attacked by goblins. Worked quite well, actually.
|
So here's what our party looks like at present for reference without flipping through the thread...
Heathansson / Unnamed - Shoanti Fighter
Vattnisse / Alwyn Agnarrson - Shoanti Cleric
Fatepsinner / Vethran Tallomane - Varisian Evoker
Dragonman / Lo'j - Chelish Marshal
Mothman / Elisile Starbrow - Elven (Ranger->Wizard)
Fake Healer / Unnamed - Dwarven Ranger
Stunty / Unnamed - Human Rogue
Ithuriel / Unnamed - Gnome Druid (or possibly Varisian Bard)I'm about to work mine out and finalize it.
Looking at this list, and what has gone between then and now, I think we are just waiting for Stunty's rogue, though I appreciate some characters need some polishing before they are ready to hit the mean streets of Sandpoint.
Update on timing - apparently, the official launch date of Pathfinder is August 29th. (I would rail here briefly about the unfairness of such long timescales, but I won't.) When it ships to subscribers, however, has not been made clear - it could be then, or earlier. When I know, you will know.
|
|
Hehe. You know, if you're still interested in filling the 'non-explosive' arcanist slot, have you considered the Beguiler class? It'll provide us with someone who can do full casting (up to 9th level spells) and, since the Beguiler is mostly Illusions and Enchantments (my prohibited schools), there will be virtually no overlap. Plus, Beguilers get trapfinding too so we'll have a backup in case something happens to our rogue.
I like the Beguiler, but I'm gonna stick with the Bard. I'll be heading towards Seeker of the Song- which I can only do with Bard. Also rather than back up Rogue, I'm your backup cleric. I won't have as many Illusions and Enchantments as a Beguiler but my Fascinate and Suggestion will be unstoppable. I'll be keeping Use Magic Device maxed also. Once it is good enough to mostly avoid mishaps, I can scroll cast any special occasion utility spells we might not have access to. And Elisile might not be able to cast all the way to 9th, but she'll cover some of the missing ground too.
|
|
The ogre hook is a seriously scary weapon. To my mind, it looks a bit weird as a 2-handed weapon, but couple it with a shield or off-hand blade... Man, I would run. Especially if the wielder was a giant.You know, I reckon the illustration is wrong. It should probably be a polearm with a big hook.
EDIT: look at the cover of the Hook Mountain Massacre - lots of ogres with hooks - and they do look like polearms a bit.
Um, yeah... Those look scary, too. Of course, those ogres would have scared me even if all they wielded was a Snickers bar.
|
|
Ok tested here and apparently you can't embed images into posts on these threads. Or at least not with normal html, or by replacing < with brackets. Too bad for us. What I was referring to a few pages ago was embedding the portraits of major npcs or landscape scenes that they include. Paizo has been known to slip a little quality into the mix so I was curious if we would be able to make use of that artwork here. I know you can on Enworld, but maybe not here.
Switched out a feat (Point Blank Shot for Big Game Hunter) to better match my background (still working on writing it up).
If I fight an ogre, or any other large or bigger giant, I get +1 to attacks and +4 to damage against them with Big Game Hunter and Favored enemy: Giant. Sweeeeet.
|
|
Hey guys. Wow, lots of discussion over the weekend!
Ok, I'm way late to Fakey's cleric ---> ranger discussion, and it seems like everything is set now, but FH, do you know about the Mystic Ranger variant class?
It can be found on page 105 of Dragon Magazine # 336, it’s basically a ranger with delayed combat abilities, no animal companion and increased spell casting progression.
They do not get proficiency with martial weapons (except ranged martial weapons); Do not get an animal companion; gain access to the favoured enemy, combat style and endurance class features at slightly later levels – BUT – they have a spell casting progression from level 1 including 0 level and 5th level spells, mainly drawn from the druid list. Oh, and Spellcraft is a class skill Otherwise, uses normal ranger rules, BAB, hit dice, saves, skill points etc.
Anyway, funny I should mention it, cos, with Aubrey’s permission I’m planning to use it for Elisile! If you need any more details to assess I can post them Aubrey.
Alright, I should have Elisile’s details posted sometime today, but in summary, I plan to start with a level of ranger, multiclass to wizard (transmuter specialist) for about three levels, then another level of ranger, a few more of wizard, then maybe eldritch knight.
I will mainly be concentrating on Transmutation and utility spells – between that, the blaster and the bard we should have arcane magic covered. Also, I plan to have decent hide, move silently and search, so should be able to assist the rogue in some areas.
Sound ok?
Ok, it's mostly there. I'm kind of going for the classic, old school elf who can fight, sneak, cast spells, good with a bow etc.
Still need to finish equipment, do background, description etc.
Hey Aubrey just to cover my bases here (I accidentally posted in your Eberron thread), if anyone drops out I'd love a chance to play in this RotRL thingy. Not that there's much chance but I just thought I'd put my hand up for the waiting list.
I'll even join in later if someone dies and doesn't want to keep playing...
DRAVITE'S BACKGROUND
---------------------
Janderhoff is where Dravite and his family were born and lived. None of his living family had ever left the dwarven fortress/city.
Until they decided to strike out as a family on an excursion to an ancient familial burial chamber in the Mindspin mountains to pay homage to their dead ancestors. The trip was to be a leisurely romp into the mountains taking no more than a week.
The giants struck in the dark morning hours of day 2. There were 3 of them, hill giants, Dravite would soon find out. They got an obscene amount of pleasure making his family members each watch as one of their number was taken and pounded into mush, legs first, by which ever of the brutes' turn it was. Paw was first, then Dravite's brother, Mica, then Mum, big sister, Aggie. When the giants drowned his little sister, Dorin, in a keg of vile giant brew, Dravite almost lost his mind. This episode took almost 2 hours.
As the giants were getting prepared to end Dravite's agony, several arrows came whipping down from the rocks above, dropping one of the murderers. As the creature fell, his gore soaked club smacked against the young dwarf's head, sending him spiraling into a deep, dark sleep.
When the young dwarf awoke he saw his savior clearly for the first time. A Shaonti Ranger by the look of him, enough came to Janderhoff to trade that they were a familiar sight to Dravite.
The man had bandaged his wounds and was in the process of building a cairn for his family, who were thankfully covered in some scrubs the ranger had cut. A quick glance showed that all 3 giants lay on the ground, each pierced by many arrows, dead. The dwarf grabbed a weapon from one of the dead giant's hand. A crude, bloody hook, with a length of cord-wrapped iron for a handle. The giant had used it in one hand to gut his big sister's smashed, yet still breathing, body.
A cold fury entered the dwarf, one that the ranger pledged to forge into a Killer of Giants. Dravite and the ranger (for the dwarf never asked and never cared to know his name) traveled together from the mountains, past Abken, skirted the Ashwood to Ilsurian, passed through the Sanos forest. The whole way was a hard, fast training session for Dravite. The Shaonti taught him how to hunt, and provide for himself, but more importantly, the ranger showed him how to kill his hated enemy. To hunt them down and slay them using a weapon of their own make. Every encounter with the evil creatures, the ranger forced the dwarf to watch, to learn by his example. After about a year, as they headed down the Yondabakari River, the ranger turned to Dravite and spoke, "You are ready. I have taught you what I could. You wish to kill giants, go and kill! Every giant slain is one less around to harm innocent folk. Go to Sandpoint. There are those there who may need one such as you, but my fate lies elsewhere. Your battle is not mine. Remember what I have shown you or you will die by the hand of such that slew your family, displaying your weakness.". And with that he was gone.....
Dravite traveled to Sandpoint, looking to kill. Looking to avenge. Looking to soothe his pain in a bath of the Blood of Giants.
|
|
Hard core, man. Of course, I expected no less... ;D
Incidentally - how much money is a cleric supposed to start with? Couldn't find it in the SRD, so I took 120 gold (which is what Aubrey told Fate to start with). I only lack about 20 gp to get a hide shirt instead of my scalemail, so everything counts.
|
|
Hey Aubrey just to cover my bases here (I accidentally posted in your Eberron thread), if anyone drops out I'd love a chance to play in this RotRL thingy. Not that there's much chance but I just thought I'd put my hand up for the waiting list.
I'll even join in later if someone dies and doesn't want to keep playing...
Sure Kahoolin - you are number three on the waiting list, I'm afraid, and I would probably not replace the first two or three drop-outs unless it affected the party's balance given its relatively immense size. Thanks for the interest - but I would encourage others to run a RotRL PbP themselves - I hardly own the setting.
|
|
Hey guys. Wow, lots of discussion over the weekend!
Ok, I'm way late to Fakey's cleric ---> ranger discussion, and it seems like everything is set now, but FH, do you know about the Mystic Ranger variant class?
It can be found on page 105 of Dragon Magazine # 336, it’s basically a ranger with delayed combat abilities, no animal companion and increased spell casting progression.
They do not get proficiency with martial weapons (except ranged martial weapons); Do not get an animal companion; gain access to the favoured enemy, combat style and endurance class features at slightly later levels – BUT – they have a spell casting progression from level 1 including 0 level and 5th level spells, mainly drawn from the druid list. Oh, and Spellcraft is a class skill Otherwise, uses normal ranger rules, BAB, hit dice, saves, skill points etc.
Anyway, funny I should mention it, cos, with Aubrey’s permission I’m planning to use it for Elisile! If you need any more details to assess I can post them Aubrey.
Alright, I should have Elisile’s details posted sometime today, but in summary, I plan to start with a level of ranger, multiclass to wizard (transmuter specialist) for about three levels, then another level of ranger, a few more of wizard, then maybe eldritch knight.
I will mainly be concentrating on Transmutation and utility spells – between that, the blaster and the bard we should have arcane magic covered. Also, I plan to have decent hide, move silently and search, so should be able to assist the rogue in some areas.
Sound ok?
I'd probably prefer not to use rules from Dragon, since they may be a bit unbalanced. And, frankly, it sounds a bit naff - you lose tons for a little bit more spellcasting. I'd prefer a straight ranger. On the PrC front, have you considered Arcane Archer (though it would bugger your spell progression)? How about plain druid?
EDIT: Oh, I don't know, it doesn't look too bad. If you want to go with it, you can. Though I'd frankly prefer people to go the other way and take the feat (EDIT 2: it's a class variant which gives you bonus feats instead of spells from the Complete Champion) that dispenses with rangers' magical abilities - it has never really seemed quite right to me, the spell side of rangerdom.
|
|
DRAVITE'S BACKGROUND
---------------------
Janderhoff is where Dravite and his family were born and lived. None of his living family had ever left the dwarven fortress/city.
Until they decided to strike out as a family on an excursion to an ancient familial burial chamber in the Mindspin mountains to pay homage to their dead ancestors. The trip was to be a leisurely romp into the mountains taking no more than a week.
The giants struck in the dark morning hours of day 2. There were 3 of them, hill giants, Dravite would soon find out. They got an obscene amount of pleasure making his family members each watch as one of their number was taken and pounded into mush, legs first, by which ever of the brutes' turn it was. Paw was first, then Dravite's brother, Mica, then Mum, big sister, Aggie. When the giants drowned his little sister, Dorin, in a keg of vile giant brew, Dravite almost lost his mind. This episode took almost 2 hours.
As the giants were getting prepared to end Dravite's agony, several arrows came whipping down from the rocks above, dropping one of the murderers. As the creature fell, his gore soaked club smacked against the young dwarf's head, sending him spiraling into a deep, dark sleep.When the young dwarf awoke he saw his savior clearly for the first time. A Shaonti Ranger by the look of him, enough came to Janderhoff to trade that they were a familiar sight to Dravite.
The man had bandaged his wounds and was in the process of building a cairn for his family, who were thankfully covered in some scrubs the ranger had cut. A quick glance showed that all 3 giants lay on the ground, each pierced by many arrows, dead. The dwarf grabbed a weapon from one of the dead giant's hand. A crude, bloody hook, with a length of cord-wrapped iron for a handle. The giant had used it in one hand to gut his big sister's smashed, yet still breathing, body.
A cold fury entered the dwarf, one that the ranger pledged to forge into a Killer of Giants. Dravite and the ranger (for the dwarf never asked and never...
Wow, heavy. I'm a bit surprised that, in a year, he didn't bother to find out his rescuer/mentor's name (though I guess dwarves are very private people - maybe it seemed a bit forward) but other than that - COOOOL!.
|
|
I'd probably prefer not to use rules from Dragon, since they may be a bit unbalanced. And, frankly, it sounds a bit naff - you lose tons for a little bit more spellcasting. I'd prefer a straight ranger. On the PrC front, have you considered Arcane Archer (though it would bugger your spell progression)? How about plain druid?EDIT: Oh, I don't know, it doesn't look too bad. If you want to go with it, you can. Though I'd frankly prefer...
I’m fine to change it if the Dragon mag stuff doesn’t sit well with you. The main reason ingoing for it was that I thought if fit my character concept pretty will, having that little bit of spellcasting ability (however minor) from level 1, despite taking a martial class.
Other advantages (to me) were that I kind of like the idea of NOT choosing your favoured enemy at first level (it can give an in-game reason to choose a hated enemy, and also gives you an idea of what a good choice for the campaign may be). In addition, the loss of martial weapon proficiencies wasn’t as much of an issue since I have the elf weapon proficiencies.
I agree in general with your thoughts on rangers and spells, though wasn’t aware of the class feature you mentiond (no Complete books either). If I was going straight ranger I’d probably do that, but increased spell casting seems to fit this character better.
|
|
I had a quick look at the Dragon article (after my knee-jerk reaction) and decided I wasn't terribly bothered. It is a sort of awkward half-way house between druid and ranger, but if you like it I can live with it - after all, it is only for a few levels, so you will hardly have terrifying magical puissance.
On the other hand, maybe you should consider druid. With the elven weapon proficiencies you eliminate one of the key druid problems - no decent missile weapon proficiency - and get some reasonably good spells. There is a PrC in Races of the Wild - forgotten its name, but something like Arcane Hierophant - which is a bit like Mystic Theurge but for druid/arcanists. And a druid's animal companion is actually worth having - rangers' companions are so feeble in comparison, one BBEG area effect spell and its curtains.
That said, I am happy for you to go with the mystic ranger.
|
|
Ok Fates-
Instead of Seeker of the Song, I'll shoot for Sublime Chord from Complete Arcane. So I'm still a bard for now, but I'll have spell progression all the way to 9th which builds on my bardic music. I'll pick up 'Spell Focus Enchantment' somewhere along the way and between that and the illusions we'll have all the bases covered. I'll probably take a lot of sonic spells for class flavor also. Only downside is that it eats up 5 of my 9 skill choices for a while (though I needed Perform either way) and most of my rogue type skills are no longer class skills once I switch to the PrC at around 10th or 11th. So I can no longer Hide or Move Silently, but I can now read your horoscope from the stars with a moderate rate of 'success'. : )
|
|
From Aubrey: Wow, heavy. I'm a bit surprised that, in a year, he didn't bother to find out his rescuer/mentor's name (though I guess dwarves are very private people - maybe it seemed a bit forward) but other than that - COOOOL!.
No he just didn't care to know his name, always just called him "human" or "ranger". He may have been told the ranger's name but never gave a crap enough about it to remember it.
The relationship between the ranger and Dravite is cold. The ranger saw an opportunity to create a giant-killing machine and the dwarf only cared about learning how to destroy the creatures that took his life from him. Personal feeling and emotions never entered into the equation, and when they parted ways it was a "you know how to kill them now, go kill them or die yourself" type of send-off, very distant and cold. Like releasing a trained animal into the wild to kill off a certain pest. No affection, no compassion.
|
|
Okay,
This will sound oddly like power gaming, but that isn't my intent. I am thinking that the Marshal seems somewhat broken with the aura ability.
I get the impression it is suppose to be me leading others to be better as a group then normal. But the aura ability is a constant. As in, since I only have 1 at first level, guess which one I will be using is obvious, so one swift action and it is up until i go to sleep (by choice or hp loss).
I was wondering if you would consider letting me know more Commands (I hate calling them Auras) in exchange for a duration limit, and a more intense activation cost (say a move action instead of a swift, 5 or 10 + CHA bonus rounds duration, and maybe what is on the table + CHA bonus as known auras)
If you don't want to, that is fine too...
OOH, had another thought, maybe the duration could be based of a diplomacy check, it would justify the skill focus: diplomacy bonus feat
|
|
Expect a no, but please give me specific details of what you intend, and why it isn't unbalanced. At the moment, I'm fairly unfamilar with the marshall base class as it is, so I probably won't be overjoyed with having a homebrew variant. If you really are unhappy, I'm of course perfectly content for you to change PC, or at least class (if marshall doesn't do it for you, maybe knight - then you can still use those letters and the PCs history, and have CHA-based abilities and so on).
|
|
Well my main beef with the marshal is that I wake up in the morning and say, (assuming second level) everybody, "be careful today, and if you can, try to get behind anyone we fight"
And everyone gets +1 AC and +3 damage when flanking, until i am dazed, unconcious, stunned, paralyzed, etc...
Which just feels wrong to me.
I am looking more towards, the aura expires after some period of time, such as Diplomacy Check -15 for minor and Diplomacy check -20 for major (minimum 1 round), and activating a minor aura is a move action, and activating a major aura is a standard action.
in exchange, instead of knowing n minor auras (per the marshal table) I am looking for n + CHA bonus, and instead of N major auras, N + (CHA bonus/2) seems right
I would still only be able to have 1 aura of each type active at anytime, just having more options.
I will deffinetly stick with the Marshal however you decide to run it... like i said it just seems odd that the abilities have no timer on them