Welcome to the game!!@
question what dose this do to...
Or we each use 8 of our fame points and AND get a massive +220 to intim and +2 assist from each of you and we get the hoard to join our tribe `\_(^0^)_/'Hah!So is the plan to investigate the town, find the the Tomb all sneaky-like, report to Skreed and then go all Fame-Voltron (or as I like to put it: get your Lady Gaga on and form the Fame Monster) to steal the tribe, then attack the town and go in and raid the Tomb in the chaos?
Cause, I like that plan. That's a seriously kickass idea.
this plan?
Welcome to the game!!@
question what dose this do to...
this plan?Or we each use 8 of our fame points and AND get a massive +220 to intim and +2 assist from each of you and we get the hoard to join our tribe `\_(^0^)_/'Hah!So is the plan to investigate the town, find the the Tomb all sneaky-like, report to Skreed and then go all Fame-Voltron (or as I like to put it: get your Lady Gaga on and form the Fame Monster) to steal the tribe, then attack the town and go in and raid the Tomb in the chaos?
Cause, I like that plan. That's a seriously kickass idea.
yes. that plan
ya but we for now lost the fame the belongs to kraq...
Naw that goes into the pool. Not gonna punish u for a player having RL aggro. Meaning you guys can still use it as you wish. Consider it "tribe fame".
I didn't run away a, sorry. RL aggro.
Np dragon you just need to get yourself a tank to pull all that aggro of real life to the side ^_^
-Posted with Wayfinder
Yes! That always works
Yes! That always works
I'll heal.
Hey guys.
FYI I haven't had the chance to read much of the campaign threads yet. They go a long way back, and I'm not sure what is going on. But the fact that Ozak is a foreigner makes it logical in-character that he needs things explained. So I will appreciate it if you speak up about things that you think Ozak needs to know.
GM: Assuming I take 10 I make a Knowledge:Local roll of 15. What do I know about Trunau and the local situation? I am assuming I have just arrived.
Also: Updated character background to include a trip to Belkzen at the end. Also updated gear to reflect Orc Trail Rations, which we discussed.
OK, let me go through the list here to get an idea of how Ozak fits into the party. It looks like the party consists of (in no particular order):
Kraq Skysplitter, A wizard. Looks like mostly offense spells. Is he an Evoker? This is a fairly straightforward character. Okay, this is the guy who left, right?
Hakak, a druid with a dinosaur companion. Again, pretty straightforward. Wicked Crit with a scythe - looks like he is built as a frontliner.
Thoku The Bloodied One, a synthesist summoner... basically the incredible hulk with claws, as far as I can tell. Admittedly, from the profile I have no idea how his character works mechanically, but it looks impressive.
Kern Dead-Eye, a hunter with a warcat companion. Uses a double axe, like me. I don't know much about hunters, but it looks like this is an archetype of some kind that gives ranger combat style, since that's the only way I know of to get around the 15+ DEX requirement for TWF. He has the Outflank feat, it actually makes that look like a decent feat for me to get, unless Kern's feat only applies to his companion- not sure about that.
Shakraal Bloodscreamer, a witch/barbarian. I'm guessing the idea behind this character is to enlarge and then rage and go to town? Looks like it uses the pre-errata version which uses CON as the casting score. 18 CON plus Barb levels mean a ton of HP. Which is good, since it looks like her AC drops to crap with both raging and size penalties at the same time.
Choot Othul A cleric/sorcerer necromancer. Has an elf zombie pet. I suspect the sorcerer level was to grant the bloodline arcana and some versatility. Ability scores looked really low until I realized he was built as a full orc and bought up all his mental stats. As a half-orc he would be only a 15-point character, but I guess he wanted the full Ferocity ability.
Did I miss anybody?
* It looks like the whole party runs up and engages in melee, except for Choot. That's fine with me - it's what I would do, though I am half-decent with thrown weapons too. I throw Chakra when I can't get into melee.
* The many pets here means many potential flanking buddies, which is good. At 3rd level I will start getting sneak attack dice and will want to flank as much as possible.
* Looks like we don't have a "sneaky" guy or a skill monkey. I am not great in those regards (my DEX is only 14) but I am probably better than most of the party. If it is really important I could take trapfinding as a slayer talent... but I'd rather not. Being effective at TWF means a lot of feats, so I don't think I can fit it in for several levels.
* Ozak should have Dazzling Display next level, which will mean he can make all our enemies shaken. This will work really well with Choot's cause fear spells since fear effects stack. Ozak will have to use Dazzling Display first though because it can't make someone frightened if they are shaken already, whereas cause fear can. As it stands he can demoralize someone at +13, but only one person at a time.
* There are people who can cast enlarge person, which is good. Ozak will enjoy fighting when enlarged. Once we can make potions of it that will be even better.
Any particular tactics you guys like to use?
Welcome again Ozak - we'll let you know as much as we know as we remember to let you know what we know. Which admittedly, in my case, isn't a great deal - I'm one for not reading spoilers of other characters doing stuff when I'm not with them, so I have no idea what some of them found out recently while in Trunau.
Ehrmmm. you missed the central raison d'etre of Shakraal - which is to completely undermine Thoku's position as leader and one day drink his braingoop.
Oops. Did I say that out loud?
Actually she is mostly focused on saying really off-color things and threatening folk with her moody and completely dread masque. Plus she has giant blood in her - did you check out the available Campaign Traits - they may be useful - even if you're "not from around here".
You have the...errr...tactics right Ozak. But that isn't the really good stuff.
Hakak likes to roll low and never hit very much. The random number generator has 1 and 2 on speed dial just for him It frustrates him a little, but mostly we love him. And his cute lil pet.
Thoku is barkinger mad than a row fulll of deskulled brains on acid, which is handy because he never really gets what's going on in the basic sense, but can sniff weakness out in a multiplanar capacity.
Choot is incredibly cooler than the rest of us because he is actually an Orc in an "Orcs Only" Giantslayer. Plus his pet elfzombie is an elf who is now dead and carries things for us.
Kern is dread and mean and his warcat is like porn for animal companions. Secretly I'm not sure he is all that evil, but he sticks around because we have like 5 bazilion fame from winning super-duperly (not an Orcish term) at a big Orc Free-love festival that started the show.
Krak was cool, but he left. That is all.
Make sure to read the very initial post of the game because the DM likes to bore us with substandard fare he rips off the back of cornflake packets and retired Reader's Digest mail redirection notices.
"Other" Tactics we like to use:
* Smash victims to a pulp using very basic melee, while Choot does mystic-magicery stuff.
* We don't really practice a lot of "teamwork" or what is laughingly known as "synergy" beyond very basic flanking.
* Once enough of the good-guys are down, Shakraal threatens any remaining participants by offering to remove their manhood, and Thoku tends to rip a dying victim's spine out and wave it around Predator-style which gets better results than Shakraal's bedside manner. If the victim is an orc, Thoku delights in pulling out their tusks as a way of saying hello.
* What is a "potion"?
did you check out the available Campaign Traits - they may be useful - even if you're "not from around here".
Yeah... I took this one: Giantslayer Scion (Campaign): You grew up listening to tales of a famed ancestor’s mighty battles against giant foes.
Basically it will let me use Intimidate even against giants, which is cool, because normally you get a big penalty against people bigger than you. Since Ozak has a semi-legendary ancestor, it fits even if Ozak himself doesn't have much experience with giants.
@Ozak: Couple clarifications about my character, just FYI.
I... wow... I don't know why I thought I could take Two-Weapon Fighting. I must've totally forgotten about the Dex requirement, which makes me feel like an idiot LOL. @GM, is it okay if I switch out that feat for something else?
As far as Outflank, I only grant it to my companion, so I don't get the benefit with anyone else, unlike something like a Cavalier or Inquisitor.
I... wow... I don't know why I thought I could take Two-Weapon Fighting. I must've totally forgotten about the Dex requirement, which makes me feel like an idiot LOL. @GM, is it okay if I switch out that feat for something else?
Ah, I see. Yeah, I have wanted to play a double axe wielder for a while but aside from Rangers (and now Slayers) have never found a way to make it work. It's too expensive as a fighter since you need high STR and high DEX. I never wanted to play a ranger as I wanted to do it as a straight martial with no spells. But when the slayer class came along I thought "that is the thing."
Well, if you take power attack and use a greataxe or falchion or greatsword, your DPS will probably be about the same. More when you consider it doesn't drop when you move, whereas Ozak has to full attack to get the full benefit.
As far as Outflank, I only grant it to my companion, so I don't get the benefit with anyone else, unlike something like a Cavalier or Inquisitor.
Ah, too bad. Well, my feat build is fairly locked down anyways, so it's not a big loss.
@Kern, ya.... Do the rebuild. It's fine. I totally missed it too.
@Ozak: long and short of Trunau. It's the one human town in all of Belkzen. They teach their kids to kill themselves (and their friends) if they're ever captured by orcs. Because THATS better than fighting back or escaping. The town is sits atop Bloodmarch Hill which houses the final resting place of Hero Chief What's His Face. He was a giant who led a horde of orcs from Twisted Nail tribe (conveniently, you have a blood feud withy these orcs) and giants. He has some swanky magic artifacts that are essential to the plot and "will bring doom to the tribes of Belkzen and enslave th orcs under Twosted Nail rule". The humans are trying to get all 1930s Europe on the half-orcs of Trunau and get their Mr Clean on.
And thats what u should know about Trunau
Hakak likes to roll low and never hit very much. The random number generator has 1 and 2 on speed dial just for him It frustrates him a little, but mostly we love him. And his cute lil pet.
Well if it makes him feel better, he can always be the coup de grace guy. A typical CDG with that scythe of his should do 44 points of damage, on average.
I'll just switch to Weapon Focus, and once I get myself a belt of Dex I'll take Two-weapon fighting again. No problem there.
Hakak, a druid with a dinosaur companion. Again, pretty straightforward. Wicked Crit with a scythe - looks like he is built as a frontliner.
Hakak is a monster. He need only twitch and the lives reap themselves to spare themselves what he would do instead. You can tell by how he never hits anything. He finishes every battle naked, all of his gear in the hands of enemies, and covered in his own blood. It's only sporting.
Thoku is not crazy he just acts that way ^_^ and for the most part im a Knowledge monkey
I'll just switch to Weapon Focus, and once I get myself a belt of Dex I'll take Two-weapon fighting again. No problem there.
actually, this raises a good point. Ozak had asked when making his character if I was using background skills. I told him no, because you guys weren't at the time. Also, i'm in a game using wealth by level... and it works out pretty well.
how would you guys feel about using background skills and wealth by level? you're nearing the point when it would matter.
i dont know what background skills are...
Background skills system basically gives you 2 extra skill points per level but you can only use them on non-combat skills like Profession, Craft, etc.
Background Skills basically take the lesser used skills and say that they don't count for your class skill points. You get 2 free skill points per level to spend on the background skills. if they're a class skill, you still get the class skill bonus.
So, like knowledge (history) is great for info-dumps, but not so much for combat or. People tend to not take it. This gives them an incentive to take it without skimping on more useful skillz.
So, take Thoku. He has 1 rank in knowledge (engineering). That's a background skill. He spends 1 point on that and then uses the remaining background on knowledge (nobility). they're both class skills, so he gets the normal +3 bonus for taking the skill.
The 1 class skill point he'd spent on knowledge (engineering) he can use on another skill of his choice, be it class or otherwise.
Basically, it lets PCs do stuff other than just combat-monkeys.
I'm a huge fan of them, so I'd be happy to see us use the system. As far as wealth by level, I find that it can be frustrating to some players, who don't really get to keep the spoils of war, as it were.
I can flavor-text the gear so that you're "finding" your gear. Also, I can make the gear generic enough and u guys can just describe it how I want. Mostly, though, I'm thinking of it in terms of stat-boosting gear versus other fun toys.
If you guys want, I can just give u the star boosts by level and let u guys find gear as we go. Which seems like a happy compromise.
That's fine with me, also if I start to get to evil let me know sometimes I let a character get a way from me in my imagination and I can be brutal or too fun. I don't want to offend anyone
-Posted with Wayfinder
dude, you guys ate a baby to form your tribe. "too evil" went out the window a long time ago. And, i'm rather happy for that. :-p
but, yes, that brings up a good point. This is a very dark game. So, if, at any time, the skwick-meter is flicked on, PM me, and I'll deal with it and we'll tone it back. I want you guys to play your characters and have fun, not worry about eggshells and toes. That's my job.
Man I'm at the gym right now and I just busted out laughing when I read that first line of your post lol.. alright Dragon will do
-Posted with Wayfinder
dude, you guys ate a baby to form your tribe.
Is there someone in the tribe named Fat Bastard? :)
I'm a huge fan of them, so I'd be happy to see us use the system.
I like them too. It gives you points to put skills in things you "should" have because of your character background, but couldn't otherwise afford for many classes. When I play fighters I always feel like I need an INT of 14. It's the only optional rule from Unchained that I like.
As far as wealth by level, I find that it can be frustrating to some players, who don't really get to keep the spoils of war, as it were.
WBL is meant to be a guideline rather than a rule. It follows an assumption that most magic items found by players will be sold for 50% of their value. A party that is efficient and keeps everything (even if they aren't especially useful for their character builds) should end up with more cash value but will be less optimized. Also sometimes an adventure throws items at you that are tailored to be useful in that adventure, and you effectively get a "discount" by not selling them.
As long as nobody feels that they are not getting their fair share of stuff and the GM doesn't think that the party is overpowered with magic items then things should be fine.
you guys haven't really sold anything yet, but the 50% buy back rate really ticks me off. It pretty much punishes the party for not using the toys the game gives and wanting other toys the game gives.
as for the benefits to WBL...
I usually play warriors and i NEVER end up remotely close to where i should be wealth-wise. Ever. The GM has, literally, tailored the gear to my specific needs and wants, and I somehow still end up well below the rest of the party in terms of wealth. So, this option was better for me as a player.
When i play arcanes (the other type i typically have), it's less of an issue, but actually lets me play with cooler toys than i normally would. since i don't have to buy the headband of intellect or what not, and I don't have to worry about saving up for the staff of the magi.
as for power, you're fighting giants and other massively massive things of hit points, magic, and general kick-buttery... i can always make things harder if i need to.
as for power, you're fighting giants and other massively massive things of hit points, magic, and general kick-buttery... i can always make things harder if i need to.
If you use the recommended treasure amounts for encounters according to the CRB, you should end up with between 130% and 200% of WBL in raw treasure (you end up with lower amounts if you face lots of low-CR encounters rather than a few high-CR encounters). Some of this will be in sellable stuff and some will be in raw gold, gems, etc. So even having to sell half of this stuff for 1/2 price you should still end up OK.
A big issue though will be if we start to use item crafting. I am running a home game of RotRL and once one of the characters had Craft Wondrous and Craft Arms and Armor their wealth compared to WBL shot up considerably.
Edit: According to your Hoard page, the party (before Ozak arrived) had 7379 gp worth of stuff, which divided by 6 is about 1230 gp each, so you are slightly above the WBL for 2nd level at the moment. WBL for 2nd level is normally 1000 gp, but it does depend on how long you have been 2nd level... if you are most of the way to 3rd then you should be closer to the 3rd level value which is 3000 gp.
Not sure if that is significant.
Edit 2: Are we taking the 6 long swords, and 6 suits of studded leather from the bodies? That is 240 gp there (or sell for 120).
as for power, you're fighting giants and other massively massive things of hit points, magic, and general kick-buttery... i can always make things harder if i need to.If you use the recommended treasure amounts for encounters according to the CRB, you should end up with between 130% and 200% of WBL in raw treasure (you end up with lower amounts if you face lots of low-CR encounters rather than a few high-CR encounters). Some of this will be in sellable stuff and some will be in raw gold, gems, etc. So even having to sell half of this stuff for 1/2 price you should still end up OK.
A big issue though will be if we start to use item crafting. I am running a home game of RotRL and once one of the characters had Craft Wondrous and Craft Arms and Armor their wealth compared to WBL shot up considerably.
Good point. i've always been of the opinion that tools you don't use are tools you don't have. i like item crafts simply for the investment from the characters. So, how about this? You guys can have WBL and item crafts (if you so want) but, if things get too easy, i'll up the difficulty meter and feel less bad about doign things that turn off your toys for a bit. sound fair? :-D
Sounds good to me. Perhaps I'll be able to get that Dex belt right away and take TWF as my next feat. :)
Errkay - seeing as I have little to no understanding of whatever it is you guys are on about - what skill ranks do I get, and what automatic loot? Explain to an old grognard...
Ermmm
U get to skill points to spend on these skills.
Automatic loot and ability boosts happen at level 4, so you have some time yet. The important website is here.
So instead of spending cash on ability boosters you spend it on fun gear that doesn't get used so much because of stat boosting gear
Sounds good to me. Perhaps I'll be able to get that Dex belt right away and take TWF as my next feat. :)
Well, if we are going with Wealth by Level, you will need to wait until 6th level as a +4 DEX belt costs 16,000 gp which is the entire WBL for a 6th level character.
Or you put your next +1 bump at 4th level into DEX, then you will be able to make do with a +2 DEX belt to bring DEX up to 15. The +2 belts are only 4,000 gp, affordable for a 4th level character's WBL of 6,000.
Unless the GM lets you retrain your ability scores. It's really hard to balance a character that needs both high DEX and high STR though.
OH! Automatic BONUS PROGRESSION! I didn't realize that's what you were talking about! When you said "Wealth by Level" I thought you meant only letting us have equipment equivalent to the Wealth table. Okay, yes I REALLY like the Automatic Bonus Progression system. Like, a LOT. :)
I am ok with what the group wants for Progression and what not.
OH! Automatic BONUS PROGRESSION! I didn't realize that's what you were talking about! When you said "Wealth by Level" I thought you meant only letting us have equipment equivalent to the Wealth table. Okay, yes I REALLY like the Automatic Bonus Progression system. Like, a LOT. :)
ya... for some reason i keep calling Automatic bonus progression Wealth By Level... because that makes all the sense in the world... :-/
Sorry for the confusion!
So plan is...
1) Background Skills
2) Automatic Bonus progression
forget all the wealth by level crap...
So plan is...
1) Background Skills
2) Automatic Bonus progressionforget all the wealth by level crap...
Sounds like a plan to me!
Should we adjust our Avatars accordingly?
ya for background skills.
ABL, too.
ya for background skills.
ABL, too.
So we are doing automatic bonus progression. Ok. Are we also halving treasure drops and omitting the proscribed items, but otherwise filling ourselves up to the WBL per those rules or is other treasure going to be handled the usual way?
I am just a simple orc who wants to eat the manhoods of his enemies, or possibly serve them still on the vine to my dinosaur and/or a feral child I'm trying to manufacture. I flay my victims one inch at a time just like everyone else. I am confused and unsure. Please answer and in so doing unman my confusion and feed it to a dinosaur.
... Ok, now i'm confused.
Automatic bonus progression.--yes. As for gear, just buy what you want at every level.
background skills--yes.
AP-essential item drops--yes.
OH! Automatic BONUS PROGRESSION!
Oh, that is not what I thought you were talking about at all.
I'm not a huge fan, as the bonuses seem to come so late. What sort of TWF character waits until 8th level to get a +1 on their off-hand weapon? And you can never have more than two magic weapons?
If you work out the cash value of the stuff you are replacing with, it varies, but works out to about 60% of your normal wealth by level, so you gain about 10% over the normal WBL. But it also forces you to "spend" some of these resources on stuff you wouldn't buy if it was up to you.
I don't really care for the straitjacket it puts you in.
A better system would have been to just say that 1/2 of the expected wealth on the WBL table goes to things that provide enhancement bonuses to ability scores, weapons, armor, shields, and also to deflection and natural armor bonuses, and resistance bonuses to saves. The prices for these bonuses are already listed in the magic item creation section of the CRB.
The stuff about buying magic armor/weapon properties would still work in such a system.
That's my 2¢.
Is there a map of the town? Also, what is the date?
@ Thoku: I know you don't want the "new guy" to hear you and that's fine, but I would have no idea what you are talking about anyway.
BTW, I have updated the character sheet to include background skills.
I know but thoku is careful, you know I know your here to help as I player but with my character you might need to be treated as a potential enemy until I see otherwise. Either by proving you self or joining the tribe. At some point we will try to make you join as the end goal for my character is to unite all orc blood *_*
-Posted with Wayfinder
No, it's cool as it is in character but I still have no idea what is going on or where we are (aside from in or near Trunau somewhere).
I will give you a map to Trunau tonight. Apparently when i said "i'll update games to night" what i really meant was "i'll spend all night grading and writing budget requests." *sigh*
i fail as GM