As horribly tempting as it is to explore some of those opened up class options, I think it is best if I stick with the Inquisitor. If it falls through or someone thinks a melee Alchemist or a Cavalier would be better suited, I'd be open to switching!
EDIT: Beastmorph Alchemist could be fun...
This is what I was thinking so far:
N Human Heretic Inquisitor of Abadar
Traits - Taldan Patriot, Eyes and Ears of the City
Travel Domain (No spells)
Str: 18 Dex: 14 Con: 12 Int: 10 Wis: 14 Cha: 8
Skills (6)
Bluff 5
History 5
Intimidate 4
Perception 10
Sense Motive 11
Stealth 8
Survival 6
Feats
1 Toughness
B Skill Focus (Sense Motive)
B Story Feat
2 TW
3 Quickdraw
B TW Precise Strike
5 Power Attack
6 TW Outflank
7
8 Skill Focus (Perception)
9
B TW ???
11
Thoughts?
Melee focus for sure, otherwise I suspect the bonus TW feats will be planned mostly with Akorian and our pseudo melee oracle. I have a vision of an Abadarian that wants Taldor to earn back its former glory, but is unhappy with the current way of things. To that end, he is willing to upend the laws/traditions he needs to for the betterment of this civilization. Crossbow as Abadar's favored weapon, maybe a sort of switch hitter might be good? He'd only need Power Attack and Quickdraw to not suck at it I think...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
If you asked me what class I wanted to play in a campaign set in Taldor one of my top choices would have been cavalier. However, in an urban intrigue setting the mount is going to be close to useless so I won’t bite. A bolt ace gunslinger would be tempting to try to build as a switch hitter..... but no... I will stay the course.
@Gummy - I like the idea of a switch hitter. Otherwise, I like your take on Abadar worship it should be fun.
I’d still like to make a go of it with four. I’d could be persuaded if someone is stuck in a role they don’t like and we recruit for that slot/role. However, I like the idea of it being more challenging with four. Just my thoughts.
I have a bunch of time right now.
Test post to see if I captured some of Mr. H's formating
*Edit - success. This is the start of my character. Some details in the profile but it's not 100% complete, waiting on some final input/approvals
|
I will add the spellbook tomorrow, it is late now, but here is what I came up with for the Story Feat.
Conversion of Conscience (Story)
Source Crisis of Conscience (Story) Champions of Balance pg. 5 altered by Andy Houghton
The pull of good or evil is very strong and your internal struggle is real but hidden deep within. The path’s before you have left you teetering on a knife’s edge between good and evil. You must choose which path you will make your own.
Prerequisites: evil or good alignment. Your alignment must start as either good or evil at 1st level or the last time you completed this feat (see Special).
Benefit: You confuse those who cleave to notions of morality as unwavering pillars that all are chained to. You project the habits and mannerisms those trying to read you expect. Whenever another character attempts to discern your alignment, loyalties, or intentions (including via magical effects such as detect thoughts, detect good, detect evil, or Sense Motive) you may roll a bluff in place of any Will saving throws to resist such effects at the same DC or to oppose Sense Motive. If you succeed you may alter the reading subtley. The result can not deceive by more than one alignment step or one level of alignment aura power, for instance you can not convince them that you are acting Lawful Good when you are in fact acting Chaotic or Evil, but you could increase or reduce the power of your aura of a detect evil by a step, or persuade someone that your actions are more from a sense of balance than good. A successful Bluff vs detect thoughts will give the reader the impression that you are behaving more or less ethically than you are in a manner of your choosing.
Goal: Release the chains of your original alignment with an act of decisive good or evil or several acts of moderate good or evil that is opposite of your starting alignment resulting in a shift to Neutral on the good/evil axis. Abandon your old ways, though the path to the other is not assured. Save others for no reason than they need a hero, or defile a church because it dared send one of it’s acolytes against you.
Completion Benefit: You are now so torn between good and evil you are now an open book to those who know you or study you. You can no longer manipulate Sense Motive, detect thoughts, or deceive detect good or detect evil spells. Detect thoughts returns a conflicted mess that reveals all of your secrets and struggles. Alignment damage now fuels you instead of harms you. You heal from Holy or Profane damage the way an undead heals from negative energy. The alignment damage sets your anger and hatred afire, but your mind internalizes that fire in a way that heals your soul. This does not affect negative or positive energy, they still heal and harm as they would any other creature of your type.
Goal: Resolve your conscience with an act of decisive good or evil that shifts your alignment accordingly. Acts of decisive good include dedicating your worldly wealth to a noble cause or charitable institution, risking death for the sake of others, or another notable sacrifice for a greater good. Acts of decisive evil include reducing a city to penury and starvation, murdering or terrorizing innocents, or other, darker deeds.
Completion Benefit: If your alignment changes from good to evil or evil to good, you know how to entice others down your path. While you retain this alignment, you gain a +2 bonus on Charisma- and Wisdom-based skill checks made to interact with a sentient creature of your previous (and now opposite) moral alignment. This bonus increases to +4 if success would cause the target to act against its moral alignment (at the GM’s discretion). If it does so, you retain this bonus when interacting with that target until its moral alignment is the same as yours.
If you return to your original moral alignment, you have gained deeper insight into your convictions. While you retain this moral alignment, you become aware of any action or item that could adversely affect your alignment or your standing with your deity (if you have one), including magical effects. You acquire this information prior to performing such an action or becoming associated with such an item if you take a moment to contemplate the act.
Special: If you’ve already completed this feat by changing to the opposite moral alignment you may take this feat a second time. You gain no additional basic benefits, but if you complete this feat’s goal a second time by crossing back to your original alignment, you gain additional completion benefits—you gain the third completion benefit, and can apply the first benefit against good and evil creatures.
I updated the skill list too. I plan on maxing our k.local with a smattering in dungeoneering, nobility, and geography. Also, I have the ability to make one knowledge check a day using my profession merchant ranks/modifiers.
As far as a story feat, how about the forgotten past? Perhaps a head injury during training left him without his memories before coming to. He could have pieced some things together from his colleagues and official records, but he wouldn’t actually know/recognize anyone from that time period.
As to playing now vs later, I’d go for now! I’ll get a real character sheet up and put skills into the sheet tonight (so most likely 12hrs from now).
Starting spell approval:
Deadeye’s Lore
Abadar’s Truthtelling
Hang in there!
|
|
Altered my character to increase Int to 19. Adjustments made.
acid splash, arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, light, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, resistance, touch of fatigue
1-Level
Burning hands, charm person, color spray, comprehend languages, disguise self, enlarge person, jump, mage armor, magic weapon, shield, sleep
@ GM - are we using the versatile profession rule you created?
All, I found this cool name generator link
With that Akorian is becoming Falx. My surname is locked in because of the Noble Scion feat.
I think I'm going to just recycle this alias! Sheet isn't updated, but putting the skills in now. Picture will change as well.
EDIT: What do the columns mean in the spreadsheet? I did my best, but idk what "direct" and "profession" mean here.
|
I don't actually have internet yet, but can use my phone as a hotspot (for now). Fingers crossed.
Some details in the profile but it's not 100% complete, waiting on some final input/approvals
Burning Assurance - approved
Sacred Tattoo - approvedDrawback - approved (FYI, creating a fire effect yourself would count as "An instantaneous fire effect adjacent to you")
Faith Trait - approved
here is what I came up with for the Story Feat
I don't like the idea of replacing a saving throw with a skill check, that makes success considerably easier. How about either:
A) a flat bonus on Will saving throws and Bluff checks to hide your alignment, loyalties or intentions
or
B) Adding an opposed Bluff check after the saving throw, in order to alter the information by one step
I like the idea of reversing your response to sacred and profane, but make it effects rather than just damage. For example, desecrate would provide you some bonuses, while consecrate would not.
As far as a story feat, how about the forgotten past? - approved
Deadeye’s Lore - approved
Abadar’s Truthtelling - approved
Altered my character to increase Int to 19. Adjustments made.
Spellbook should appear in your profile.
@ GM - are we using the versatile profession rule you created?
No, but players are encouraged to use their professions creatively. I will often allow non-standard uses.
I have some updating to-do, may tweak my stats ever so slight;
@Tiber and Falx; I may give up entirely on being effective in melee to start with a CHA of 17 and be that much closer to a higher score; I am a full caster and I should focus on that for options. I can still carry a weapon and provide flank sometimes?
@group: how does everyone feel about our start on the skill sheet? With a party of 4, I know we aren't going to cover everything, but we have some noticeable slots open in the Knowledges especially. Anyone have any tweaks to suggest?
I could move over to a melee alchemist. Being int-based, knowledges would make sense. Especially in an AP, I think knowledges are important and I don't expect the wizard to be the only one sinking ranks in them, especially when others can share the load!
@ Tiber - both inquisitor and alchemist are strong versatile choices. You can’t go wrong either way. For me alchemist edges out inquisitor.
@Wingnut - another versatile class with so many options. I don’t think there is a mystery that you can choose that will cripple our party. As far as stats go I agree with starting with at least a 17 but you could live with a 16. As far looking for something to do in combat other than cast spells look at the dual cursed oracle and the misfortune revelation.
|
|
here is what I came up with for the Story FeatI don't like the idea of replacing a saving throw with a skill check, that makes success considerably easier. How about either:
A) a flat bonus on Will saving throws and Bluff checks to hide your alignment, loyalties or intentions
or
B) Adding an opposed Bluff check after the saving throw, in order to alter the information by one step
I like the idea of reversing your response to sacred and profane, but make it effects rather than just damage. For example, desecrate would provide you some bonuses, while consecrate would not.
I realized in one of the edits I had struck the part about the save. The intent was on a successful save then the bluff check.
On the Good/evil Sacred/Profane I was trying to limit it, I know it may never come up, but I am turning a 2 step feat into a 3 and didn't want to much power involved.
I can absolutely tinker with that, I just was looking more for flavor at that point than power or crunch.
Altered my character to increase Int to 19. Adjustments made.
Spellbook should appear in your profile.
It will, I just wanted to be sure it was ok first.
|
|
You confuse those who cleave to notions of morality as unwavering pillars that all are chained to. You project the expected habits and mannerisms those trying to read you expect. Whenever another character attempts to discern your alignment, loyalties, or intentions (including via magical effects such as [detect thoughts, detect alignment, or Sense Motive you may roll a bluff after a successful Will saving throw to resist such effects at the same DC or to oppose Sense Motive. If you succeed you may alter the reading subtley. The result can not deceive by more than one alignment step or one level of aura power. For instance a successful Bluff vs detect thoughts will give the reader the impression that you are behaving more or less ethically than you are in a manner of your choosing. This can only adjust the readers interpretation by a single alignment step, for instance you can not convince them that you are acting Lawful Good when you are in fact acting Chaotic or Evil, but you could increase or reduce the power of your aura of a detect evil by a step, or persuade someone that your actions are more from a sense of balance than good.
On the Neutral Completion Benefit, I think part of it is the word "or" between Holy and Profane should have been "and." Think of it as torn between good and evil and read it with and in there.
Completion Benefit: You are now so torn between good and evil you are now an open book to those who know you or study you. You no longer can manipulate alignment or thought reading. You can no longer deceive detect good or detect evil spells, detect thoughts returns a conflicted mess that reveals all of your secrets and struggles. Alignment damage now fuels you instead of harms you. You heal from Holy and Profane damage the way an undead heals from negative energy. The alignment damage sets your anger and hatred afire, but your mind internalizes that fire in a way that heals your soul. This does not affect negative or positive energy, they still heal and harm as they would any other creature of your type.
Completion Benefit: You are now so torn between good and evil you are now an open book to those who know you or study you. You no longer can manipulate alignment or thought reading. You can no longer deceive detect good or detect evil spells, detect thoughts returns a conflicted mess that reveals all of your secrets and struggles. You are affected by Good and Evil effects as though you were the opposite of the alignment you started this feat with. If you were good Holy effects harm you as though you were evil and evil effects benefit you. This only affects holy and profane. Positive and Negative energy still work normally based on your type.
Spellbook added to profile
Ok, so as far as an alchemist, here is what I could throw together on the bus to work:
Human Beastmorph Alchemist
Str: 18 Dex: 12 Con: 14 Int: 14 Wis: 12 Cha: 12
Skills (4+human+int=7/lvl + free craft skill ranks)
Craft (Alchemy)
Nature
Perception
Survival
Heal
+3 skills, but will need to fiddle with traits before choosing
Feats
1 Toughness
B Skill Focus (Perception)
3 Weapon Focus (Claws)
Discoveries
2 Feral Mutagen
That’s all I’ve got time for. I envision him as an esteemed veterinarian with political ambitions and an alchemical curiosity. Does this cover more bases for the party than the inquisitor? Seems to have more skills that we didn’t have, but the switch hitting aspect is now more just straight melee with bombs when that isn’t the best choice.
@ Gummy - the alchemist will definitely bring more versatility to the party. Your stats are off, I don’t think you need to sell out for strength, your mutagen can bridge the gap. If you want to keep your strength high this might be one of the few instances where the alternate human racial trait dual talent would be worth it.
S: 16+2, D: 12 C:14 I: 14+2 W:10 Ch: 8
From you description he sounds like he may be better with animals to justify a slight dump in charisma and take a trait that substitutes Int for cha on one social skill.
Alternatively
S: 14+2, D: 13 C:14 I: 14+2 W:12 Ch: 10
Anyway, the only areas I see the Inquisitor being superior are social encounters, buffing, & healing others. An alchemist has to spend a discovery to share Extracts to be on par with the inquisitor on the last two points.
My bad, cha should be 7 not 12!
I do like having int and str at a 16, so I'll move the +2 from str into int instead. Latest build out:
Human Beastmorph Alchemist
Comprehensive Education (all knowledges are class skills, current class skills instead get +1)
Focused Study
Traits - Seeker, Precise Treatment (heal uses int)
Str: 16 Dex: 12 Con: 14 Int: 16 Wis: 12 Cha: 7
Skills (4+int=7/lvl + free craft skill)
Craft (Alchemy) 7
Appraise 7
Nature 8
Perception 8
Heal 7
Planes 7
Local 7
History 7
Feats
1 Toughness
B Skill Focus (Perception)
3 Weapon Focus (Claws)
5 Power Attack
7 Improved Initiative
8 Skill Focus (???)
9 Iron Will
Discoveries
2 Feral Mutagen
4 Preserve Organs
6 Wings
8 Preserve Organs
10 Mummification
At least for what I envision with the alchemist being a vet, the animals don't need to like him (obviously that helps in the real world, but we aren't playing vet simulator, right? ;P), he just needs to be good at doing it. His business model to date would be focused on saving Princess Fluff Ballington XI's life, rather than making sure she is comfortable coming back. To that end, he has good nature and healing. The rest in terms of skills fills out some holes we have, but easily could be related to his business or curiosity/prior formal education. I wanted some sort of social skill, but to get it off of int AND a class skill would have taken both traits.
In combat, he is going for natural attacks. That doesn't always age exceptionally well, but he isn't the only melee fighter and could always swing a weapon if needed. Discoveries improve his durability or make him better at what he needs to do. Feats are sort of all over the place, but with very little actually needed, I chose some useful but boring feats.
@Gummy - looks good. The only suggestion I would make is it my be a good idea to have a way for your bombs to do another type of damage. Fire resistance is common.
I just need to decide on where to place my skill focus or if I should go another direction and take something combat related. If I go skill focus I’m leaning toward disable device.
Thoughts?
Disable device can be quite useful. Do you have a way of dealing with magical traps too? Otherwise, depending on the AP, it might feel less useful. I've two characters that have invested in the skill without having the ability to disarm magical traps. Through chance, one was a complete waste of skill points, the other saw pleeeenty of use for it!
One possible work around is the spell Aram Zey's Focus, but would certainly need approval.
With all the feedback I've received, I'll get the profile set up and a backstory sent to the GM today! Then I will be ready to play.
EDIT: I'll actually wait for GM Granta to get a chance to look it over first.