Happy Father's Day to any and all dads in our little adventure here!
This is my first Father's day as a (sort of) dad. Lil guy is still six months away from birth though. Happy Father's Day to everyone!
I'm sure Fisk would be angry with me, but I cracked up. "No matter how well anyone does, Fisk is not pleased. He is never pleased."[/b]
I'd like to join in by belatedly agreeing that this is a really fun game,... although things are moving kind of slow I think everyone is RPing much more than they otherwise would and I, for one, am having a great time.
As for the classroom rolls / cohort ranking. I think one reason that he haven't been focusing on that aspect is that its been a bit unclear what the inter-cohort rankings actually mean and the reward hasn't been very clear. (also we've got LOTS of other stuff to do!)...
I do, however, like the idea of having some kind of inter-cohort contest. Maybe the top cohort each week get a pin or special uniform which provides other benefits (better meals? more time off? cash?) and the bottom cohort gets some punishment (cleaning out the stables, washing dishes etc.) One way to implement this might be to have only one downtime action on each weekend day.. top cohort gets 2, bottom cohort gets none. Maybe also if you (as an individual) fail a classroom test you lose your free action for the day? (given extra duties or study-hall, or something?)
I think its worth making the classes mean something.
This is my first Father's day as a (sort of) dad. Lil guy is still six months away from birth though. Happy Father's Day to everyone!
December due date, then? We got really lucky with our older boy. Missed all holidays, kept clear of his uncle's birthday, missed our own anniversary, and still got into '09 for tax purposes. Talk about threading the needle. :)
Internet is/was down here yesterday. Hopefully will be up tonight
Grimold don't worry about the Scorpion scenee taking a bit longer. The whole Sczarni bits are tacked on to the overall plot now
You can blame Eolidh for saving you and yourself for tying that particular group into your background to all of it!
Great interactions so far, loving dming this game.
Hey, all. I've got a touch of free time at the moment, so I'm screwing around on Inkscape trying to make pictures of some of my characters in the style of Wind Waker. If you have art you like for your characters in this game, let me know, and I'll maybe make pictures of them. If not, I'll work off of description and what exists in the Gameplay thread.
By the way, when Zohruk is trying to use his "polite mode," my model/inspiration for that would be Elim Garak from DS9. Just, you know, more canines. :)
I had to look that up to see what you meant, Zohruk. Creepy!
Eilidh, that's awesome! I have no familiarity with Inkscape and just looked it up to see what it was. Pretty cool. Anything you do make for Eilidh or any of the characters/NPC's in this game, I'd love to see uploaded somewhere where I could link to them in the campaign tab!
A little OOC to help Zohruk with class selection too: the potions class teaches skills in craft (alchemy), master craftsman and create potion. Its the combat alchemy class that focuses on things like craft (alchemy), throw anything and alchemist's fires and their ilk as well as, possibly, mutagens. Demolitions deals with black powder, grenades, fireworks and firearms.
Not to say he does it as well as Garak, mind you. I'm sure Zoh still comes across a bit gruffly; a 10 Cha only gets you so far. :)
OK, so the classes pretty much track to my expectations. I'll try and figure out which classes Zoh could reasonably take without his brains leaking out his ears from overload. :D
I'm going to assume I'll never see that "polite mode" aimed at me?
EDIT: I intend to jam them on a GoogleDoc or something when I'm finished. It'll be a while yet.
Look at yesterday's post when Z & A are en route to the chapel; figure he's doing it the first time, doing it badly the second time, and is done by the end.
EDIT: also, figure Zoh's reaction when Allie rebuffed him at their first meeting was also said in that manner (or at least it was meant to be). Just, you know, don't expect it right now, as Allie's not just pushing his buttons, she's jumping up and down stomping on them. :-)
I'm hoping that at this point, Allie's at her worst, most b!~~*y. It should improve from here. Thanks for being a good sport about the RP stuff.
Sure, it's been a hoot. :-D
I'm half expecting these two crazy kids to just stat making out.
They certainly have chemistry. :P
Chemistry like Potassium and Water.
I think Elyssa's going to end up like, collecting hair and nail clippings from these two. Use them in conjunction with the usual components, she can probably empower her alchemist bombs.
These two interacting has been great! Eilidh's slow path of discovering the good in even the most evil misguided er...barbaric orcish of individuals.
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Hmn..damn. I made a continuity error in a post a month or so ago which makes a future reveal a lot less fun :(. I can't go and be all "Remember that one thing that was said as a background thing by that one nameless NPC? Yeah. That's this thing now! Surprise!"
So..when a thing happens in the future and I say that, pretend I was awesome and actually planned it out properly as it was supposed to go! There are so many tiny cogs turning and adding more cogs so every PC has at least one cog makes it even more complex. I love running this game haha.
I do that all the time. For instance, I sent an NPC on an 8-day journey in Kingmaker, only for her to be back at base as if she'd never left after six. It's just so much to keep track of sometimes.
So, Estella. Is she, like, High Priestess of the Chapel? Or just an avatar of Sarenrae?
Neither, simply blessed with above average attribute scores and blessed by the Dawnflower.
Yeah, I decided to work on Moonday. That plus class is all I get, I figured I could ask Comell while I did that. I'll probably wait until Sunday to work again, and prepare for the trials and challenges.
That works! I had thought that was it, but was confirming. Got a bit confused is all.
I still have a few more minutes before work/breakfast (its convenient the two are in rooms next to each other. This hotel is so much better than the last one!) so I'll get up a post for Toilday. The only thing left to resolve for Moonday is: Grimold/Kassie's check and (possible) encounter and if Zohruk wants to take an actual downtime action. If he hurries, he may make the throwing weapons class that is on Moonday.
Yup, that was in my plans, as reflected in my most recent Gameplay post. Now that counts in lieu of downtime action, right? /hopingigetthis
I think I may have the talkiest orc Belkzen has ever seen...
I'm fine with you and Eolidh taking a downtime action.
DM, is the mandela the orcish weapon you and I were discussing earlier this week?
Yes, sorry. I changed the name as I decided "Sickle-axe" was a bit too lengthy and..derivative. Mandela is the actual name for the weapon group hunga mungas are from. They are generally light curved weapons of some kind that can be used for throwing.
Awesome. I'd been trying out some orcish names; so far I'd been circling around "zhyrkul," but that works too! :)
Does your Gameplay post mean we're retroactively losing our Downtimes? I don't want to post a response to Daen if we're not actually there.
No! I don't like retroactively taking things away. That would suck and be lame. Its only for future stuffs! And don't worry, it'll come coupled with additional bonuses in that specific area/skill so its almost like getting a downtime action.
Glad you liked the suggestion... Not that classes tend to go very well for Kassie for some reason. Even when she has the relevant skill she seems to fail: Guess she's just not cut out for the classroom.
There are plenty of ways to reward those who fail, in a way. Traits, feats and skill ranks all boost skills!
Additionally, I liked tying it to the cohorts winning points each week. Instead of at the end of training but at the end of each month a reward will be given to the cohort with the highest point total consisting of gold and a few flavor things.
While talking about gold...
On gold, I've never liked that it is, in some ways, a second XP bar for players. I want magical items to be something fun and entertaining to pick from rather than "Which bonus do I need this time."
As a result, we'll use the automatic bonus progression from pathfinder unchained. However, there are a few differences. First, we'll push everything back a level. So a +1 resistance bonus is gained at level 2 and so on. Second, do not select a single suit of armor or clothes to gain an enhancement bonus with. This bonus simply applies to the character itself at all times. Third, when gaining attunement bonus to a weapon do not apply this to a specific weapon but to all weapons picked up by your character.
Fourth, ignore the purchasing rules. Rather, you may purchase any weapon (or armor) as normal but ignoring enhancement bonuses. So, for example, if you wanted a flaming scimitar you would pay 2,308 rather than need to pay 8,308 for a +1 flaming scimitar. Or a vorpal sword would cost 18,000GP instead of the 32,000 a +1 vorpal longsword would cost.
If an enchantment does not have a cost in +'s such as Glamored weapons or armor, then simply apply that cost.
The reason we are using this as the purchasing rule and not the one from the link is due to cost. Under the standard rules, enchanting your +1 scimitar with flaming would cost 6,000 gold. The other reason we are using it is to encourage using more than one weapon (a longsword on the hip, a mace on the other, a dagger up the sleeve and a longbow on the back!). These rules overall should give plenty of money that I expect to see used to expand breadth and use rather than numerical power (i.e. pouring all the bonus money into a keen vorpal flaming longsword) but picking up various potions, scrolls, wands, rods, ioun stones and strange magic items like ropes of climbing or gloves of reconnaissance.
What are your thoughts on this?
My home group has been using our own version of Automatic bonus progression for a few years now, and I can't say I'm a fan. But I will say this much. We've always been doing AP's and not so much of the homebrew, excepting for little variances here and there. Also, our Automatic Bonus Progression is less generous than Paizo's. So I'm willing to give it a shot.
Speaking of magical items, are you interested in us crafting our own once we get to the level appropriate for such things, or would you discourage that for a more action based game? The downtime rules have quite a bit to say concerning crafting, and I'd be interested in the possibilities, especially since you're looking for unique flavorful items.
For myself, I prefer automatic bonus progression because of the Christmas tree effect. Whilst I'll probably focus on one weapon primarily (seems to fit the swashbuckler concept), I do intend to have a couple of secondary weapons and I always like the interesting wondrous items that can pop up when there's less of a focus on just maximising combat abilities... Automatic Bonus Progression does go some way to encouraging more interesting magical effects.
I'm still debating whether or not to do ABP in the Kingmaker game I'm running. I have mixed feelings at the moment, for sure, but it's your game here.
I have no practical experience with ABP, but in theory it sounds great, not having to worry about "chasing gear" for those core items takes a lot of pressure off, and ought to allow for more esoteric gear choices. I hope so, anyway. :)
@Kassie: LET ME TELL YOU A SECRET I DON'T KNOW YET!
A little thought I've been mulling over, figured I'd toss it out to the party for feedback. On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad an idea would it be to take levels in Stalker when you've only got a 12 Wis? I can't help but think it could still put enough on the table to be worthwhile, as long as one is careful enough to avoid reliance on anything too Wis-heavy.
@Kassie: LET ME TELL YOU A SECRET I DON'T KNOW YET!
Pretty much... :)
Just seems like the sisters haven't interacted much for a few days so i've pre-emptively set up a time to chat. Hopefully Grimold and I find out something useful, otherwise I'll have to make up something important - a broken fingernail maybe.
I'm very enthusiastic about the opportunity to try out the automatic bonus progression. Ever since I started playing 2e I've thought D&D's magic system was stupid (especially the items). I don't care how many effects and descriptors you have on it, Excalibur is still way cooler than a +3 vorpal holy (axiomatic?) longsword. Cloaks of resistance? And the system definitely rewards over-reliance on a single weapon. So yeah, bring on the ABP!
As a side note, I also feel like they missed some real opportunity by restricting staves and wands to just being another way to cast stored spells.
Zohruk, it might not be optimal, but so far the DM seems pretty willing to run with the character concept and give you goodies to make it work. A question: what's the reason for stacking rogue and stalker levels instead of just going for stalker?
My home group has been using our own version of Automatic bonus progression for a few years now, and I can't say I'm a fan. But I will say this much. We've always been doing AP's and not so much of the homebrew, excepting for little variances here and there. Also, our Automatic Bonus Progression is less generous than Paizo's. So I'm willing to give it a shot.
Speaking of magical items, are you interested in us crafting our own once we get to the level appropriate for such things, or would you discourage that for a more action based game? The downtime rules have quite a bit to say concerning crafting, and I'd be interested in the possibilities, especially since you're looking for unique flavorful items.
I'd be interested to know what you didn't like about it since I haven't had a chance to actually play with similar rules. My feelings have always been as Grimold stated, a feeling that +X magic items are well...a bit boring. I'd rather have the flaming sword. The amulet that lets you turn invisible X/day. The belt that gives you rock throwing as an ability..something.
I am also (oddly) a fan of item crafting (including the custom item rules!) so it's perfectly allowable. Especially since it won't/can't be used to simply stack numeric bonuses. Its why there are classes to get master craftsman, craft magic arms/armor, brew potion, craft scroll and craft wand already out there :D.
Off to work, no time for more than a single post. I sort of like this pattern and may try to stick to it when I return home. I find showering at night allows for a ton of free time in the mornings. If I can manage it, I will probably post up once (for one character or group of characters) in the morning and then follow up with the rest in the evening hours. If only I had a laptop with wireless at work that I could post from during lunch...but alas I have only work PC's and will not use them for anything personal.
DM, if you can make evening shower work for you, salut.. Me, the shower and the first cup of coffee are essential components of the morning. :-)
Grimold, the in-character reasoning would be that the rogue levels sort of represent Zoh hanging on to what he knew, the "Urgir way," if you will*. Levels in Stalker would then represent him trying something else, and possibly even retraining out the rogue levels as he became more comfortable with it. I won't lie, this plan could have used more, well, more planning. :-D
*"That's the Urgir way, and that's how you get Grask Uldeth!" #untouchables
Okay, I'll share my issues with ABP.
1. If I'm playing a straight sorcerer or wizard, not wearing armor and not really using weapons, half the APB bonuses don't really apply to me. Also, monks who don't use armor or shields also are at a disadvantage. Since we don't have straight arcane or divine casters, this is kinda moot.
2. Our system did not have the added bonuses to secondary attributes. The system that Paizo came up with did fix this issue.
3. As a person who appreciates having options to create the kind of character I want (some may call me an optimizer, after all, I did write a couple guides), I like having options. If I go for a particular style or wanted to push for an item early rather than a stat booster, this system actually restricts me from doing so because it automatically allocates resources to certain attributes, and restricts my ability to have the choices.
4. It actually ruins the flavor and effectiveness of certain cool already in game items. The normal GM in my group who instituted the ABP system we have was actually glad when his character in another campaign received a Hammer of Thunderbolts that they weren't using the ABP system, because all of a sudden, his character was toting an artifact that had a huge impact (pun intended) on his ability to be effective in combat. Being a dwarven Magus, he struggled with being able to hit, and the extra bonuses mid-game like that helped balance his character with the potency of the other people in group.
5. The ABP system cuts down on amount of gold available. Because monsters and enemies don't have low level magical loot, we get much less gold, and characters who are actually looking to break the norm of (I must buy such and such an item) are penalized in the amount of time it takes them to realize their concept because they lack the funds to make or purchase alternate items in a priority over stat boosting.
Now, with this being a homebrew, pretty much all of my points can be easily overcome by DM Raven because he's making all this up as we go along. That's why it's easy for me to say "Sure, no problem". If you all want to give it a go. For AP's, it's a little harder for me to be excited about it, but it won't be a buzzkill or anything. I've just got a few minor annoyances with this particular ruleset, and admittedly they are based off of a similar system that was less complex and more disruptive since it was implemented in a campaign that wasn't suited for it.
The fact that you like the creativity and with all of the effort you have put into this. I'm certain we're going to have the kinds of experiences that make for a good and memorable game. After all, I had fun in 2e, with it's amazing flaws, as well as in other systems that made even less sense.
I'm actually a huge fan of optimizing, not minmaxing, but otimizing a concept to make it work very well. The paizo rules do allow for clothes to count as armor so it helps casters and monks. I feel full casters are good enough without caring if they can't use the weapon bonus.
If a certain concept is feeling weak, I prefer to throw free feats or inherent abilities at it rather than an item. This way, the character itself has the power and isn't relying on an item to be as effective as the others.
In our home game, I convinced the dm to give our rogue free quick draw and deadly agility since they wanted to throw daggers and were doing so poorly compared to the melee druid, bloodrager and stalker.
If there are any particular concepts or in game mechanics you would like your pc to play around with, never fear to ask and we can see what we can do. I'm all for player empowerment.
Thank you for sharing your thought! It's good to get multiple perspectives on something.
Another note is count all squares as 5 ft. No 10 ft. Every other diagonal. I don't like that rule even if it makes sense. We've played without it for years and it's yet to pose a problem.
Hasn't been a thing so far due to small maps but trial is intense.
Home..but there's a lot to work on. My cats have been distraught over me being away and apparently one has taken to peeing on things. Need to throw out a big stuffed chair and figure out if they'll do it again :(
If Zohruk makes it to Sato's class, are hand crossbows acceptable for use in today's exercise? The range penalty he'd take would be less than the nonproficiency penalty.
No, she's handing out light crossbows only. Also, the event with Daen won't take up a downtime, its simply one of the random rolls.
Eilidh and Grimold will discover that they rolled something too for this week :D.
Grimold, you can take assistance/help from the Sczarni for your Wealday event. Also, I LOVE the competing voices in his head.
I wrote up an actual story for Godmother of Death but left it at work (was a slow-ish day)..hopefully I didn't delete it and will post it up tomorrow night. Did I ever post up the storytale that describes where Grimold's name comes from? He suggested it could be a fun handle derived from an old Varisian folk tale and I wrote up pieces of one for fun.
Other note, for Daen, you can't ready actions outside of combat. It'll be the same as rolling initiative without any party surprised if a fight does break out.