Welcome guys.
To those i've not had the privilege GM'ing for yet.
I keep 1 a/day minimum of posts on weekdays, any in the weekends are a bonus, but not a must.
I generally have time for 2 a/day myself.
However, with specials being pretty combat filled, whenever you can post is great.
That said, let's have a fun one with this. :)
You've played f2f up until now with her, or going by GM credit?
As for what i'd like to see, is merely the general tagline stats. :)
Then again....a vid of a katana duel would be cool.
---------------
In regard to my previous post, my 2 a/day is on Mondays and Tuesdays, other days i have more opportunity to keep us rolling.
|
You've played f2f up until now with her, or going by GM credit?
Thusfar, GM and Pregen credit (WBG, WB4G, possibly more, I don't have my chronicle sheets with me at work). This will certainly be her first go "after level 2."
Semi-related, I ran this at GenCon in the 7-8 Subtier, so in the interest of total disclosure, there's that.
Yes you can. Nice job roll, btw.
If that is a bluff roll, as i suspect, you'd need an option that allows it to be. Otherwise bluff is not a job roll.
You'd better be fast with it. ;)
...and we've got gameplay to dot in.
Right...face 2 face games. :)
I've played mainly PBP, with 2 f2f games on a con a while ago.
As such..
Something a fellow GM used, which i think might work for a special like this, is a 'bot me spoiler' in profile, with the instructions of what the PC would try to do.
|
|
I can put one of those together.
Something like...:?
Hokuto's primary mode of positioning is to stay between enemies and friends- -cutting off charge lanes and the like whenever possible, even forgoing flurry attacks when better positioning would allow for better positioning. If she expects a fight, she casts shield of faith or divine favor before (or on the first round of) combat as appropriate.
Primary weapon attacks: +1 katana
[dice=+1 Katana]1d20+8[/ dice] for [dice=Damage]1d8+7[ /dice]
-or-
[dice=+1 Katana Flurry]1d20+8[/ dice] for [dice=Damage]1d8+7[ /dice]
[dice=+1 Katana Flurry]1d20+8[/ dice] for [dice=Damage]1d8+7[ /dice]
Hokuto fights at range if ground combat is impossible, or if an enemy is susceptible to cold iron.
[dice=Cold Iron Shuriken Flurry]1d20+4[ /dice] for [dice=Damage]1d4+4[ /dice]
[dice=Cold Iron Shuriken Flurry]1d20+4[ /dice] for [dice=Damage]1d4+4[ /dice]
Reactionary Stuff:
[dice=Fort Save]1d20+6 [ /dice] (+1 v. death effects)
[dice=Reflex Save]1d20+4 [ /dice] (+1 v. death effects)
[dice=Will Save]1d20+8 [ /dice] (+1 v. death effects)
[dice=Initiative]1d20+3[ /dice]
[dice=Perception]1d20+3[ /dice] (+4 v. disguise/+4 to find something hidden or concealed)
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20+3[ /dice]
[dice=Knowledge (Planes)]1d20+4[ /dice]
[dice=Knowledge (Religion)]1d20+4[ /dice] (+2 to identify undead)
That one is more thorough, but yes. :)
Though we've only found need for it when someone was short of posting opportunities.
|
I think I will go ahead and bring Archon for this one. His atrack block is there in his stat block in needed.
Generally speaking, he will try to position himself early on to make the most for his reach and AoOs, and try to protect the party when able. He tries to go out of his way to search for peaceful solutions, but I understand that as a Special, this is unlikely to happen. But, if its at all feasable, he will try.
|
Strategy
Unfortunately Velinov is hard to formulate a static plan for, as an illusionist tends to use the situation against itself. If the enemy is a single target or under control, Velinov will try to assist with the blinding ray ability. If the enemy can be divided, Velinov will try to separate them by casting silent image to divide the battlefield with some sort of "wall" or create illusionary monsters for the enemy to engage. Adjust with the wand of summon monster I (CL3) accordingly. I think that's the best instructions I can give...
|
|
Guinfa is a caster with few spells, if needed to be botted use only one for combat, then rely in intimidate his enemies.
As his Hynotic Stare is almost free he will use it in one opponent even if there's no clear benefits. If someone asks about a particular opponent Guinfa will stare that particular opponent.
Two more things, GM Chyro, how do you consider an illusion is interacted with? When it appears? When the enemy tries to touch it? My false flanker trick is more effective if the enemy doesn't roll just because it has just appeared. And surely Velinov's illusions would like it that way.
And to the group, if someone wants to act as a tank I can use the Meek Facade trick to force an enemy attack him, or nobody, if he fails an attack. Or I can use the false flanker trick if a 1 turn free flanking is better. Both had better use in a melee character than in myself.
And he's a liar. He will lie you about his raze, what he had done before, and whatever I think it can be done without hamper the mission. I don't want to make conflict with other PCs so I don't mind if you always know when Guinfa is lying, you had been advisen in the lodge to not trust always in his words or whatever. Is everybody ok with this?
|
|
While I wouldn't say I'm a "tank", if we could work together to force more foes to try to rush at me, through my reach, it could a good strategy, if the dice roller doesn't fail me.
I generally attempt to set myself up near the middle of enemies, and then rely on AoOs for damage while casting spells, channeling, etc...
.
.
.
|
|
Xukong is aggressive, but not suicidally so, and is conservative in spell use, usually reserving what few it has for worthy/difficult opponents. It very seldom uses its ranged weapon, but when it has reason to do so, it will spend an Arcane Point to enchant it.
Something I'd also like to establish UP FRONT (even if mine doesn't currently know it yet in character) is how does your character specifically react to my Channel Energy/Cure Spells.
What happens when you are in the area when I:
A.) Channel Energy to Heal the Living?
B.) Channel Energy to Harm Undead?
C.) Cast a Cure Spell on you?
Are you okay with me possibly hurting you if most of the party needs healing?
Guinfa,
I'd say interacted with, is when an action is taken in relation to it.
For example an enemy attacks the illusion, and then has to make a save to notice it as a fake.
Any who can do spellcraft and ID your spell as you cast, will obviously not believe it.
@ Archon, in relation to Xukong:
A) No effect.
B) Harms him.
C) Harms him, but he gets a save to 1/2 the dmg.
|
Are you okay with me possibly hurting you if most of the party needs healing?
Non-issue; certain rare special abilities (like the Warpriest's Major Repose Blessing) notwithstanding, whenever you're Channeling to heal, you're NOT Channeling to harm.
You should probably get the Selective Channeling feat if you don't have it already; not only can you use it to avoid healing enemies, but also to avoid harming allies.
Xukong carries its own healing supplies, and will point them out to you in due course. One of them is an infernal healing wand - can Good Clerics use that spell if it's from a wand (not that it matters too much if you can't; I can use it with no difficulty, and so can Quan Tai and Velinov)?
Incidentally, Xukong's essentially an "it" - it has a nice (if somewhat weird and 'dark'-looking) kimono kind of affair, a mask it never takes off, a whispery, inhuman voice, and an aversion to being touched, so its sex is one of the character's many mysteries.
Sounds like my alchemist.
Mask wearing, doesn't take it off. Save for a spell gone wrong, IC, leaving with a chorus of both male and female voices.
But the team automatically assumes my alchemist is male.
(I'm still keeping GN on that) ^^
Illusions don't threaten like normal creatures do, they'd not provide you a flanking buddy. Would be cool, but sadly..
|
|
@ Archon, in relation to Xukong:
A) No effect.
B) Harms him.
C) Harms him, but he gets a save to 1/2 the dmg.
The reason I'm asking is because there are Traits and Feats that can change the way the base Dhampir works. That and the wording for Negative Energy Affinity is very weird.
Non-issue; certain rare special abilities (like the Warpriest's Major Repose Blessing) notwithstanding, whenever you're Channeling to heal, you're NOT Channeling to harm.
You should probably get the Selective Channeling feat if you don't have it already; not only can you use it to avoid healing enemies, but also to avoid harming allies.
Again, just trying to make sure you didn't take an option to change the way it works for you, and these are the three potential ways I'm most likely to use Positive Energy.
I don't think I've ever taken Selective Channeling. To me, it's a wasted Feat. :P
It's generally too easy to either maneuver around the field to avoid including enemies or something I use out of combat, (or with the intention of healing fallen enemies I don't want to die, just be down). There are exceptions, but I think I can count on one hand the amount of times I wish I had that Feat, and it's roughly about equal to the number of times that if I did, and had chosen to use it, things would have gone much, much worse for the party in the end.
On the other hand, I know people that swear by it, so there are obviously different opinions on it. :)
|
|
Hokuto would certainly be appreciative of illusory flanks. I wouldn't call her a tank in her unarmored state, but she is selfless enough to accept if enemies are steered towards her.
She'll humbly request Velinov or Xukong's arcane skill to use it- -and if it's usefull to anyone else, feel free.
No worries there.
|
|
Illusions don't threaten like normal creatures do, they'd not provide you a flanking buddy. Would be cool, but sadly..
Is that explicitly called out somewhere? It would be good to know for future ref. Otherwise, the concept of flanking is that the other creature threatens the space. As long as the target thinks it's real, it's going to divert some attention to it, no?
|
|
Threatening Illusion (Metamagic)
You’ve mastered the art of making illusions that force foes to divide their attention in combat.
Prerequisites: Spell Focus (illusion), gnome.
Benefit: You can use this metamagic feat only on illusion (figment) spells.
A threatening illusion spell causes one target to believe your illusion is a threat. Choose one 5-foot square within the area of your illusion; that square threatens the target as long as it is adjacent. Thus, if you or an ally is on the opposite side of the target, it is considered flanking. Normally the area must contain an illusory creature of Small or Medium size. However, you can select one square of a larger illusory creature to threaten the target.
For example, an illusory Large ogre takes up four 5-foot squares; you select one square to be the source of the threat, and its other three squares do not threaten anyone. If the target has reason to believe there is an invisible creature in the vicinity, even an auditory illusion with no visual elements (such as ghost sound) is sufficient to convince the target that the selected square contains an actual threat.
As long as you maintain the illusion, you can change the location of the threatening square as a swift action. When you threaten a target with this spell, the foe may make a Will save to disbelieve (DC 10 + threatening spell’s level + your spellcasting ability score modifier). If the target makes this save, the threatening effect of this feat no longer applies to it.
A threatening illusion takes up a spell slot one level higher than normal.
Normal: Illusion spells do not threaten squares.
|
|
Illusions don't threaten like normal creatures do, they'd not provide you a flanking buddy. Would be cool, but sadly..
Mesmerist are a excepcion to that, as the false flanker trick states:
A duplicate of the mesmerist appears momentarily, as though he were fighting in tandem with the subject. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject moves into or begins her turn in a square where she threatens an enemy. An illusory duplicate of the mesmerist appears in any unoccupied space adjacent to that enemy. The duplicate disappears at the end of the turn during which the trick is triggered. This is an illusion (figment) effect, and a creature that interacts with the false flanker can attempt a saving throw to disbelieve the effect.
Also is a supernatural ability so no spellcraft checks, I think.
Archon, the problem with that is that Meek Facade works when you fail an attack check, so unless you plan to make a ranged attack and then pick your spear, it will not help you.
I can cast Meek Facade on myself and make attepts to trip enemies, I'll surely fail and then provoke it to come at me risking your AoOs.
I've not heard of that metamagic feat before, looks pretty neat. :)
|
The only reason I really knew about it is that I had a Gnome Illusionist in one of my games that focused his build around that Feat and a Gnome Trait that allowed him to maintain Concentration on two Illusions at a time. So we had a similar discussion about how to handle Illusions.
It can get complex, and Illusions are somewhat poorly handled in d20, with a large degree of their effectiveness being placed on how the DM handles NPCs around them, and even when they allow NPC's (or the party) to get a Save to disbelieve.
|
|
The problem with that sort of thing is players and DMs who do nothing but follow RAW as if they're all there is to the game. They aren't by a long shot (not even in PFS where the rules are understandably stricter), and that's critically important to understanding and - dare I say it? - playing the game right. Fear of/contempt for/failure to understand the art of roleplaying is not a "playstyle," it's fundamentally not knowing how to play the game (and lest we forget, "roleplaying" does not just mean "making small talk outside of combat"). It does take a certain amount of talent - just like any good game - and I've seen that fact start to get very badly treated over the course of the past decade or so, to profoundly deleterious effect.
All that aside, I have an Illusionist, and I enjoy him greatly - the opportunities for creativity are exceptional.
|
|
I'm not sure I agree fully with that. It can be pretty powerful and useful in both a "by the book" style of play as an RP focused one. I'd even say that in the case of Illusions, the RP or DM Fiat side can actually give the school a pretty significant boost in power level and versatility. A lot of the power for Illusions comes from the quick thinking and creativity of the player using them, as well as the circumstances involved in play.
If, sort of viewing the school as a whole from it's average usefulness (allowing for outliers), I'd say that on a 5 point scale,
RAW = a 2-3 range
Fiat = a 3-4 range
I don't think either approach is "Best", "Better", or "Right", nor is even a "Perfect" blend of the two. Both sides have advantages and disadvantages, and it really depends on how well the party as a whole enjoys these things in a particular group and game.
:)
Hey guys.
June 9th is closing in soon. I'll have an opening post up tomorrow, so you guys can get acquainted.