Hey Folks,
I'm just getting back. I hope all is going well. Alaska is amazing! We saw glaciers, seals, and nearly a hundred bald eagles! We did lots of kayaking and hiking! What an awesome trip!
Glad you had fun. Now time to start preparing for the Con in Nashua.
Thinking of which, Bofus, you going to join us?
Yay
I will be soon. We took a quick trip up to Maine and I hope to be home tomorrow night. I am getting psyched for the next chapter! So what's the plan? Are you off to the Fortress, Brindol's Prison, to meet with Verasa Kaal?
Kaal her what you want, she is a dragon to Bofus and me.
LOL
Ok folks,
Before we continue, let's all level up your characters. You are all now 9th level! Congratulations! This will take place upon a full night's sleep. Please let me know when you have updated your characters and are all set to continue!
HP:
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Skill points: 8 (class) + 3 (Int) + 1 (favored class)
+1 in Acrobatics, bluff, climb, diplomacy, disable device, escape artists, Knowledge (Local), perception, sense motive, sleight of hand, stealth, UMD
+1d6 sneak attack
feat...not sure yet.
I'll take feat suggestions if anyone cares to give 'em. current feats are:
Improved Initiative
Weapon Finesse (from Rogue talent)
Fleet
Combat Expertise
Butterfly's Sting (from Rogue talent)
Skill Focus: UMD
Since you have Combat Expertise, there are some fun feats in that chain:
Improved Dirty Trick - seems like right up your alley, would be helpful if you had Agile Maneuvers or DMHW allowed Dex instead of Str for the CMB (which makes sense since you are throwing dirt in someone's face, or kicking them in the family jewels).
Gang Up - get flanking bonuses without having to be exactly flanking
Swift Aid - aid another for a +1 bonus as a Swift Action
Second Chance - lose your second attack to retry your first attack -- sound to me like just getting a +5 on your second attack, but definitely could be worth it
Improved Feint - I know you like Feinting
Really, you need Improved Critical, unfortunately it is a +8 BAB, so you need 2 more levels
Hit Points
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Since you have Combat Expertise, there are some fun feats in that chain:
Improved Dirty Trick - seems like right up your alley, would be helpful if you had Agile Maneuvers or DMHW allowed Dex instead of Str for the CMB (which makes sense since you are throwing dirt in someone's face, or kicking them in the family jewels).
Gang Up - get flanking bonuses without having to be exactly flanking
Swift Aid - aid another for a +1 bonus as a Swift Action
Second Chance - lose your second attack to retry your first attack -- sound to me like just getting a +5 on your second attack, but definitely could be worth it
Improved Feint - I know you like Feinting
Really, you need Improved Critical, unfortunately it is a +8 BAB, so you need 2 more levels
While I like the Butterfly Sting feat, I haven't gotten much mileage out of it *at all,* so I'm not sure I want to drop another feat into that bucket. Swift aid is nice, and improved feint is something I'd been thinking about anyway.
the reason i was asking for suggestions is that I los tmost of my electronic gaming stuff, among which was my progression plan for Bofus. :-(
Butterfly sting is a 1 off feat, that is the end of the chain for that one. Really, it is not you not getting the benefit. It is designed to work with Thordak and his x3 hammer. Or either of the other big hitters although they have higher crit 2x weapons. Most of your damage is precision damage, which is not multiplied on crits. Thus, gifting the high crit rapier pokes to another fighter is very helpful. The problem has been that we keep using really bad tactics. Thordak stays in the back firing his crossbow and Red and Mantooth have often attacked other enemies than you, spreading damage and making the butterfly sting rather useless.
Remember, a twenty giants with 1/2 their HP do just as much damage as twenty healthy giants. Ten giants on the other hand do a lot less damage. We have been really spreading our attacks out on many occasions rather than systematically taking down one at a time. This is why the Gang Up feat seemed good for you. Rather than you having to sneak (something you are good at) behind the BBEG, you just need 2 friends from between Thordak, Mantooth and Red to be attacking the same enemy, that way you will always get the 5d6 precision damage from your weapon and have a much better chance of gifting the crits to one of the other bigger damage dealers.
Thinking about feats, I am looking at metamagic Extend Spell feat. This increases a spell level by 1, and makes the casting time 1 round, but for short duration spells like Haste and Black Tentacles, it would double the duration. Since we have been in a number of 9+ round fights, this could be a very useful spell. Especially since as a sorcerer I have a decent number of higher level spell slots.
Thordak is all updated and ready to continue.
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Thinking about feats, I am looking at metamagic Extend Spell feat. This increases a spell level by 1, and makes the casting time 1 round, but for short duration spells like Haste and Black Tentacles, it would double the duration. Since we have been in a number of 9+ round fights, this could be a very useful spell. Especially since as a sorcerer I have a decent number of higher level spell slots.
My immediate reaction is "no" because in my experience combat doesn't last long enough to make it worthwhile--but you're right about *our* combats, they do seem to go on longer than I'm used to. I've never been a big fan of metamagic (mabye i just ain't doin' it right), so I still lean away from that.
I'd suggest (Greater) Spell Penetration or Focus.
Already have both Spell Penetrations. Could get a Spell Focus, question is which one. I do not do much conjuring, although I could grab Acid Pit or something like that. If I took Conjuration, then I could grab Augment Summoning later, if we are still hunting dragons at that point.
Extend is probably better just buying a Rod, only costs 3k for level 1-3.
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Everyone please check my profile under the Gropu Pot spoiler, Undivided Loot. If there are any goodies you want, claim it publically (or remind me if you've arleady done so) so I can take it off the "sell and divide" list.
Please note, DMHW, that we've got a sizeable amount of sellable loot. We're going to want to sell that and resupply before doing anything major, i'm sure, so we'll need to konw whether we can do that in Brindol or whether we should find somehwere else, given the recent war and all.
I will need some Knowledge, Local checks for you to find a merchant in Brindol who may be able to help you out. This campaign does not give a lot of free time for crafting and/or long excursions. Everything drives with urgency right to the final battle.
Hmm More Bard or Barbarian?
Sort of a crap shoot. Barb gives you more HP and BAB. Bard a few more spells and continues you on the track for Inspire Greatness and similar perfomances, although personally I would probably drop all the performances and keep Inspire Courage most of the time.
I do not know much about Barbarians, although since this campaign is only designed for 1 or 2 more levels, I think you would probably get more out of Barbarian and rage powers than a few more spells known. Really, the bard powers at this point do not excite me particularly.
Another option, with all the dragon themed stuff, might be to take a few levels of Dragon Disciple. Pretty sure you qualify. You lose a little in the BAB category, but get strength boosts which effectively cancel the BAB loss. Your HP are the same as a Barbarian, and you get increases in spell levels with some Natural Armor and other bonuses thrown in. I think you would have to drop a skill point in Linguistics to learn draconic. You may unfortunately be a few ranks short in the Know(arcana) though.
I suppose Eldrich Knight might also be an option. Keeps your BAB up and gives some free feats. You lose one level of bard casting, but otherwise stay pretty close to the Barb, just trading rage powers for feats.
Hmmm ok food for thought. 18hr work day today, so won't get time to read it up, but will tomorrow!
Hit Points
Character Sheet all updated!
Barbarian
HP
Yeh, I like Gang up. It is a great feat for a thief/ninja/vivisectionist as it eliminates the need to always be opposite, and frequently surrounded, to get the flanking bonus.
I will be gone through the weekend. However it is for a good cause. I will be playing Pathfinder all weekend at a local Con. Will be back on Monday.
Likewise, I will also be at the Con this weekend. Posting is unlikely Thursday night until Sunday night.
Woohoo - your home is like 20 minutes closer than Nashua where I thought we were playing
booking a flight to the UK in Dec, trying to hustle some stop overs... aiming for LA and New York...
That sounds like a great trip! Are you going to be doing anything Pathfinder while you are on your trip?
Happy Birthday to Tirion! Have a great one, my friend!
Hi guys,
Sorry to tell you this, but I am leaving for Cape Cod early in the morning. I will not be back until Friday. We'll continue on when I return. Have a great week!
Have fun - watch out for the Sharknatos.
Awesome!
Still trying to sort a travel itinerary... Work being difficult.
Think all the fun things will be shut in the us in December yeah?
Depends on your definition of fun.
Erhhh.
If you have to define it...
Shifty, it would be awesome to get you over for a PFS convention on your trip, but our closest are Killington, VT in November and Mansfield, MA in February. I guess we'll have to make the trip down under.
Ywah looking sketchy on picking up a us stop off in whst is apparently peak season in the us and the uk. It looks cheaper to actually book a separate trip to the us for a full blown holiday off season than a single city stop over at xmas. Might rethink that and aim for a major con or something... make it a huge trip where the plane homr is a welcome sight as you can finally sleep.
I'm thinking about Gen Con 2015. You would absolutely love it! Gen Con 2014 starts tomorrow and I am already wishing I was there.
I am hoping make it to GenCon 2015. Looks like my family might visit the inlaws in Chicago, and then I will drive down. So, that would give us a car, in case anyone wants to leave the Con for a few minutes.
Hey guys,
I've been in this campaign from the beginning and I've really enjoyed playing with all of you, but my life has gotten too busy. I have a thesis to complete this year and I will not be able to continue the campaign. I want to thank all of you for a great time, but I am going to politely retire Thordak. I may try and meet up with you at a PFS convention sometime, but I will have to see. Until then, I wish you guys all the best!
As I look at my own work schedule, I realize that I need to leave the campaign as well. This is no reflection on any of you. I've had a great time, but it is time for Mantooth to resign as well. Take care, folks!