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I'm really thinking Wizard, might be fun to tie in with Smashthedean's character - maybe as his former apprentice? By the sound of things the adventure path will favor clerics and paladins more than normal by virtue of the typical foes, but I'm playing both already and I have not really gotten to grips with Inquisitor yet.
I imagine a ranger with favored enemy (undead) should also get good mileage.
I'd personally vote against two Wizards for balance issues and as Duron's background working with the storyline kind of hinges on him not knowing anything about his past at the beginning I'm not sure how the apprentice angle would fit. Ranger would indeed work though or a Witch/Warlock would be cool with the spooky setting if you're wanting to play something castery.
I don't mind "unbalanced" parties; though perhaps a different arcane class? Like the magus?
Actually, to expand on the prior statement, I find parties that are "unbalanced" more interesting in game terms. Obviously I don't mean unbalanced in a twinked sense, but unbalanced in terms of a sub-optimal class distribution.
A party does not need a cleric. Nor does it need a wizard. Nor does it need a tank. A party of 4 rogues is perfectly acceptable. An all-melee party is fine. A party of 5 paladins is a-okay too. Or a bunch of casters. It changes what kind of things are problem areas in the party - but on the other hand, other things become much less of a struggle.
Actually, to expand on the prior statement, I find parties that are "unbalanced" more interesting in game terms. Obviously I don't mean unbalanced in a twinked sense, but unbalanced in terms of a sub-optimal class distribution.
A party does not need a cleric. Nor does it need a wizard. Nor does it need a tank. A party of 4 rogues is perfectly acceptable. An all-melee party is fine. A party of 5 paladins is a-okay too. Or a bunch of casters. It changes what kind of things are problem areas in the party - but on the other hand, other things become much less of a struggle.
I agree. I like odd party class combinations. But alot of why I think thats more than okay is because being able to meet challenges isn't inherently a class only thing. All you really need is someone who can use a wand of cure light wounds, someone with an alright Diplomacy score, and maybe some access to utility spells. Combats are easier with at least one person capable of standing out front, but really its more about covering skill/talent sets than classes.
I'm thinkin of a Bard with the Detective archtype or an inquisitor of Iomedae. I'm thinking someone who'll come in from the rain in a heavy coat, grin through his wet tangle of hair and clap you in chains.
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I'm with Jemini, I've played in an all bard party - though to be honest we were all frightful power gamers and it was 3.5 with Sublime Chords and Crystal Echoblades galore - which was great fun.
There are few class combos that are truly unworkable imo, so generally speaking I favor the players being able to select their preference.
smashthedean: No worries if it doesn't fit it doesn't fit, I would like to see a few connections between characters though where they can be fitted in neatly without stretching credulity. Taisper and Verik's connection has made for some good RP, and it has certainly informed RP between them. :)
I agree with Verik, that having some bonds intitially is fun. I'd quite like if someone hired Aydan on as a hired sword. He's broke and desperate, and a damn big presence at 6'6" and 300+ lbs.
And it establishes a nice little link.
If we all had say some link to one other character, we could have a nice set of interactions, and reasons for the party to bond together.
Of course we'll need the Player's Guide to really sort anything like that out. I have a rough stat block and history written up though.
I intend to edit and alter him as time goes on. But the idea of problems and personal aims like Taisper's sociopathy are great seeds for a game like this where everyone roleplays intensely.
Hence he's a bit of an alcoholic. Its a counter to his usual strong will and common sense, the idea is that the drink makes him a different person.
haha - we'll be a regularly bunch of drunken misfits
Yup!
What's everyone planning at the moment?
Jemini/LoreKeeper: Dwarf Monk?
Zander/Smashthedean: Elf Wizard
Berrin/Sigz: Human Bard/Inquisitor
Verrik/Rellen: Spellcaster?
Taispar/Downrightamazed: ?
Tandlara/VagrantPoet(My real name is Eoin!): Human Fighter
Aydan looks good Eoin! (how do you pronounce that?) I fully agree that characters with issues are the best to roleplay. With Duron I'm going to be playing up his curiosity and desire to learn more about himself along with his total naivete about the world. Also, I'm thinking the whole buried alive bit will probably have instilled a good claustrophobia.
I guess I should clarify my comments about party balance. I probably would have been more correct by saying party variety. I'm sure that a party of six Wizards could theoretically work in a not all dying sense, but I think that with all of the different classes out there it is fun to get a little bit of everything in a party. Even if the party is a Wizard, a Witch, a Sorcerer, a Summoner, an Oracle, and a Magus it would be a more interesting combination than just six of the same class, for me at least.
As for forming connections between characters, I agree that this definitely can be a goldmine for RP purposes and am definitely interested in linking things up, but Duron's background pre-sleep doesn't really work for linkage I don't think. Now on the other hand if our characters were co-apprentices with a mage in Caliphas or knew eachother some way relating to that I could see things working out. And yeah, I fully acknowledge that I'm getting way ahead of myself with no player's guide out yet :P
I'm aiming for a drunken master. And I'm pondering using the sacred mountain archetype too. Monk of the drunken mountain. Or just drunken master.
I'd vote Drunken Master as they're pretty rad. I don't really think that Sacred Mountain thing you posted earlier is that beneficial since as a monk you're really not going to be wanting to mess around with Spring Attack so much as you'll be wanting to maximize those Flurry attacks.
It's pronounced 'Oh-in'. A good old irish name, that I am compelled to destroy. (Eoins are like highlanders.)
Drunk master would be funny with my characters alcholism.
I'm leaning towards a paranoid bard detective atm. Have you guys seen Sherlock Holmes as interpeded by Robert Downey jr.?
Question: As some of the bardic archtypes can disable magical traps as rouges, shouldn't disable device be a class skill for said archtypes?
There's bound to be a trait. And Downey jr's Sherlock is pretty damn kick-ass.
Ever since seeing Megamind I've wondered about creating a character based on that personality. There's something special about pronouncing it: "mAtrocity". Pity though, haven't been able to tie it to a sensible character build.
Vagabond Child (Taldor: Echoes of Glory, page 13)
You grew up among the outcasts and outlaws of your society, learning to forage and survive in an urban environment. Select one of the following skills: Disable Device or Sleight of Hand. You gain a +1 trait bonus on that skill, and it is always a class skill for you.
Gold Finger (Qadira faction, Guide to Society Organized Play, page 15)
Your family comes from a long, proud tradition of housebreaking and thievery. You are a strong part of that tradition. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Disable Device and Sleight of Hand checks and one of these skills (your choice) is always a class skill for you.
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Those would work, assuming DM Barcas is cool with it. But I would guess that setting books will not be generally available based upon this game - which is after all in the same Campaign World - which I think would be a sensible decision. Although to be clear I would certainly have no objection to those traits.
Perhaps renaming it and changing it's description but keeping the machanics would work?
Stalker: Obsessing over the life and well beeing of a celebrity in your society you spent many a night breaking into homes and going through theyr thrash cans. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Disable Device and Sleight of Hand checks and one of these skills (your choice) is always a class skill for you.
;p
I'm leaning towards a paranoid bard detective atm. Have you guys seen Sherlock Holmes as interpeded by Robert Downey jr.?
Yup. Its good Sherlock!
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Personally I feel that traits can actually restrict a character; they ought to be more mutable. Simply pick a skill to get a +1 trait bonus and have as a class skill, or get +2 Init, or +1 to a save, or 900gp to start, etc., and have a caveat that you must provide a reason for this in your background.
Rich Parents for example, should it matter if I inherited the money from my parents or from an aged husband who passed away, or if I owned a small business, etc.? Because by RAW you can only take it if you were born into a rich family.
Since I generated the next set of hexes already, I sent it to Jemini for uploading.
Since I generated the next set of hexes already, I sent it to Jemini for uploading.
Awesome!
Whooa - I think my dwarf will now have to be a bit less issuey. It's mentally painful to cope with a whole party of manics/emos/issue-ladden/misfits ;)
- Oh, regarding Disable Device. There is also Wisdom in the Flesh (from the APG) though it has its own quirks:
Select any Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity-based skill. You make checks with that skill using your Wisdom modifier instead of its normal ability score. That skill is always a class skill for you
It is getting a bit dark, thats more permissable given the nature of the campaign.
That said Aydan isn't sad. He's actually quite brash and boisterous. He never mentions his drinking, and doesn't acknowledge it. He has a sad story, but he won't be acting sad. He'll be roaring, spitting and swilling beer.
But he'll happily make discussion with people, he's going to be very polar in what side he picks, and often pick opposite sides to someone so he can have a good argue.
Yeah I'm imagining Duron will be a pretty upbeat guy. I'm looking for a change in pace after Zander so I'm going to try to keep things light with him if I can. He may have a bunch of baggage, but he doesn't know about it and is mostly just a real curious academic type with a bit of a disconnect from the modern world.
Because I feel remiss for not putting in my two cents on what I'd make for Carrion Crown...
In Rifts there's an OCC called "Rogue Scholar" that would be a lot of fun for something like this, or the "Nega Psychic" OCC would be cool as well, and I can think of a few different PFR mechanics that would justify such a build.
On the Rogue Scholar tip, thinking of either playing an older character who's been an academic his whole life, but has turned his attention to Harrowstone at the behest of a colleague whose offspring perished there. So it'd have to be some class with lots of skill points to spend, a high-INT character.
Alternately, for a Nega-Psychic, a tomb-raiding halfbreed atheist rogue who refuses to buy any of this 'haunting' nonsense and has alternate explanations for everything. Kind of a trope, I know, but one that doesn't get a lot of play in SnS games I don't think. MAN that would be fun to play as a Gunslinger, too. Another Alkenstar refugee who believes solely in the glorious power of technology, especially as represented by his beloved pistols, a real Indiana Jones type...
I finished a big final year project for my computational Physics model. So I'm going out to the Student bar for the first time in ages! I just posted, but probably won't get to again until tomorrow morning!
Enjoy!
I finished a big final year project for my computational Physics model. So I'm going out to the Student bar for the first time in ages! I just posted, but probably won't get to again until tomorrow morning!
Yay! Congrats! Have an awesome evening.
Having a gunslinger around would definitely be interesting for interactions with my character who would be pretty super-curious about new technology.
The only thing is, I don't really get how the Gunslinger works functionally yet, mostly because the firearms that have been presented so far are kind of crappy. Basically there are the ones in the playtest that are all single bullet, high damage guns that take quite a while to reload and then there are the ones in the campaign setting that are low damage and high capacity. I'm thinking they'll clear a lot of this up once the book actually comes out, but for now it just confuses me.
Way to go Tandlara! (Or dude-guy, whatever ;)
Problem with that is that neither Ultimate will be out when we begin, it will be at least a month and a considerable amount more for Ultimate Combat.
Eh. I'll keep my eye on it. They're already allowing those classes into PFS so I figure it must be kosher on all fronts.
As for the guns; I'm a little muddled on the rules as well, though I'm hoping for the long-reload-high-damage type to, if not win out, at least be available as an option. I like the idea of a "fire guns, then draw sword" sort of fighter who can also hang back for ranged support if that's more what's called for.
I'm putting in my application tomorrow for an investigative position. (We don't have a separate Detective rank.) Wish me luck! I think that I have a great chance of making it.
I'm putting in my application tomorrow for an investigative position. (We don't have a separate Detective rank.) Wish me luck! I think that I have a great chance of making it.
Good luck! If you investigate as well as you GM, you should be fine :)
Yeah! Good luck, sir! Sending good vibes your way.
Well bear in mind the same can - I believe - be said for the Magus at the start of this game and that was refused. So I would not get your hopes up is all I am saying.
Oh, aye. That's why I'm concepting two builds simultaneously. :-)
Well, I've got a knack for identity theft and check fraud, plus robberies too. It's a catch-all position, not specialized like most divisions. I think I'll enjoy it a lot if I get it.
Best of luck!
...and best of all: you'd have even more time to GM for us! ;D
Good luck on making investigator. Wish you the best :)
Good luck man! I wish you untold success!
Well, today's going to be a bit busy for me, so I probably won't get to post much at all until tonight.