Masters of the Fallen Towers (Inactive)

Game Master OmniChaos

1d22 ⇒ 18 It looks like I am playing some form of summoner

I will put something up to give you guys more of an idea as to the adventure in a bit. That way class picking wont be as blind xP

Nathmir the Sage

A drow mage of great power with in Zirnakaynin and even greater wisdom it is said. He is tied to no house but rather commands a mercenary company. Recently rumors of reclaiming a foot hold in Celwynvian upon the surface have involved his name. That along with his recent call for new mercenaries and payment of large slave shipments have all but assured the common thought that the Wovirl, his mercenary company, will be involved. Still their is an unspoken question as to why the great houses of Zirnakaynin would make use of the Wovirl at all.

Since Bungo doensn't mind I think I'll go ninja. One focused on throwing shuriken mainly.

Oh yeah you guys may want to check with each other as to who will be covering what. The party should have some social and utility skills among them sense it wont all be combat. Sometimes combat wont even be in the picture but I would not advise making poor combat types etheir cause vice versa will happen to. ;P

The Magus has some knowledge skills but little social...so as per Kal I will relying on the rest of you to talk our way through stuff. At least I know some stuff now...

We have a ninja, magus, summoner. It seems we won't be invading enemy dungeons so I will take the gamble and not target traps.

I will be handling the social skills, and be able to scout also. Combat ability is also something I expect to have.

edit:I am might even be the weakest combatant, but I still don't expect to be a slouch so we should be ok.

Some must have skills I would advise are Diplomacy, Knowledge (All), Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Stealth, and Survival. Breadth of Experience feat should help any knowledge junkies.

I can pick up linguistics. My knowledges are arcana and religion. I already have the other skills.

edit:I am going to go with the inquisitor(infiltrator archetype).

What god are you serving?

@ Damien - I asked for advice about how to optimize drow noble and someone said:

"I would go for a Inquisitor of Cyth V'Sug. His favored weapon is scimitar so that allows you to pick up dervish dance at 3rd level. Take the conversion inquisition so you can dump CHA and still be the party face. For feats take Combat Reflexes, Combat Expertise, Weapon Finesse, Dervish Dance and you will have a good AC and chance to hit. Throw in some buff spells, judgments and bane and you will be doing very good damage.

Skill wise you will have everything except maybe disable device, but even that is not a problem. If you really want to disable traps pick up the Vagabond Child trait. True you cannot disable magical traps but you have dispel magic for that.

Besides an Inquisitor seems to really fit a Drow noble."

I'm going to be stealthy, but also will have a high Cha and social skills. So we'll probably overlap a bit but that's okay.

@ Bungo - I was also considering Synthesist. With a 25 point buy it's perfect. I'm already playing one though, you can check him out here. They are extremely badass and fun to play. Actually my favorite class of all time I think.

@ Kal - Was in a game with a dervish dance bladebound magus who was also extremely badass. The super high dex of the drow noble really lends itself to that.

Okay. Done telling everyone how to play their characters now. Feel free to completely ignore me, I won't be upset. Just making friendly suggestions. My character will cover Diplomacy, Perception, Sense Motive and Stealth at a minimum.

There is a weapon enchancement that lets you use dex for dmg. I would take that over Dervish Dance sense it will not force me to use a single weapon not of my choice and keep my other hand free. Would rather have a shield or another weapon in that hand.

Edit- Your choice of god may effect things for you ;)

Edit edit- Noticed their is not a full caster in the lot, is that wise.

Most of my stats are updated in profile now to new character. Just needs gear and some little stuff.

To be official and all that.

If I missed anything or you have questions let me know.

@ Damien - I asked for advice about how to optimize drow noble and someone said:

"I would go for a Inquisitor of Cyth V'Sug. His favored weapon is scimitar so that allows you to pick up dervish dance at 3rd level. Take the conversion inquisition so you can dump CHA and still be the party face. For feats take Combat Reflexes, Combat Expertise, Weapon Finesse, Dervish Dance and you will have a good AC and chance to hit. Throw in some buff spells, judgments and bane and you will be doing very good damage.

Skill wise you will have everything except maybe disable device, but even that is not a problem. If you really want to disable traps pick up the Vagabond Child trait. True you cannot disable magical traps but you have dispel magic for that.

Besides an Inquisitor seems to really fit a Drow noble."

I'm going to be stealthy, but also will have a high Cha and social skills. So we'll probably overlap a bit but that's okay.

@ Bungo - I was also considering Synthesist. With a 25 point buy it's perfect. I'm already playing one though, you can check him out here. They are extremely badass and fun to play. Actually my favorite class of all time I think.

@ Kal - Was in a game with a dervish dance bladebound magus who was also extremely badass. The super high dex of the drow noble really lends itself to that.

Okay. Done telling everyone how to play their characters now. Feel free to completely ignore me, I won't be upset. Just making friendly suggestions. My character will cover Diplomacy, Perception, Sense Motive and Stealth at a minimum.

Looking at what everyone is playing I think my setup is better. I am bringing an animal companion to the table I am sure it brings more DPR than a dex based weapon, even if Dex is also doing damage.

I know about vagabond child, and if I can't deal with magical traps it is a waste of resources. I will just stick with dispel magic for magical traps. I was going to be stealthy, but I dropped it. I will still be able to see sneaky enemies though. I also think that if I am the man at the bottom of the totem pole when it is time to do damage the group is ok. I will focus on "making friends", and making sure we don't get jumped.

My deity is Gorzeh. Feather subdomain FTW.

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As for the lack of a full caster, that would be nice, but since I generally play my full casters as buffers and debuffers I decided to avoid it. My team has SR, and while most surface dwellers don't I am almost sure we will run in some drow later that don't like us.
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One more thing, we need someone with the disguise skill or we all need to buy hats of disguise. Drow don't exactly have a good reputation. Later we might be able to pitch in for an ioun stone to boost, just to get someone the disguise skill.

Irthos:How common are druids and animal companions in your gameworld? I don't the party to get in trouble because of my animal companion. I don't know what I will choose yet.

PS: Thanks for the suggestions, and I am glad we have two talkers. It might help us avoid a few fights. I had to drop stealth to pick up linguistics.

To be official and all that.

** spoiler omitted **

If I missed anything or you have questions let me know.

"Traits- 2 of your choice and 1 tied to your background to be approved by me "

Does that mean we get 3 traits or does it mean one trait must fit your background, and the other can be for purely mechanical reasons. Both of mine fit into my longer background which still has to be completely written out.

Elbennon Morosi how do you plan to throw shiruken without getting stabbed if a monster has reach or putting yourself in the front, which is not where ranged characters normally want to be at?

PS:I just realized I have never played a ninja so that answer might be obvious, but I am still curious.

Well Close-Quarters Thrower takes care of the AOOs. I'll also be frequently invisbile (via vanishing trick) or stealthed (via deeper darkness). I want to be within 20-30' of combat but avoid melee if possible. Once geared up my AC should be decent, but I'm still pretty squishy to be in melee. I'll probably grab a katana just in case, so I can at least provide flanking.

As for my suggestions about the inquisitor, I was just parroting someone else from the boards. Also, the DM makes a good point that at our level the agile weapon enhancement is pretty easily available to also take advantage of the Drow Noble's insane dex scores. I think 2000 GP is worth saving a feat, and not needing a hand free. I mean using a shield while weapon finessing would still apply the ACP to your attack rolls...but that's not too bad. Especially for a masterwork buckler which has no ACP.

Nice, I just wanted to make sure you were prepared. I had a player that loved shirukens, but they always got him in trouble. If I ever get enough players again, I can use your idea to help him out.

I don't like agile in this situation because it is is really 8000, not 2000. The weapon has to be a +1 weapon first. It also does not do 1.5 damage if I use two hands. If I use strength it does. Now if I were going with stealth and disable device I would sacrifice the damage, for the stealth and disable device, but with my SR in place I figure if I get in real trouble any cure spells are likely to not work for me anyway*. Actually by RAW any items also have to make the SR check so try not to get in trouble in the middle of combat.
The point I was making with not sacrificing damage was that if I kill the enemies fast enough I won't get in trouble, well ideally speaking anyway.

*Mathmatically it should only take two attempts, but I am that guy who always has to deal with a nat 1 at the worst possible time.

PS:I will be picking up a wand of lesser restoration. I also have drow sign language. It should allow us to communicate silently if we need to, if the rest of you take it.

PS2:Darkvision does not work inside deeper darkness. I also took the druid cave domain just so I could use deeper darkness, but the rest of the party would still not be able to see so I did not go that route.

his functions like darkness, but even creatures with darkvision cannot see within the spell's confines.

This is why if I ever run an underdark/darklands campaign I will use darkfolk to harrass the players instead. They can see in all forms of darkness. :) If I do run one I will let you guys know. I am waiting for a few other games to end before I make any official announcements.

edit:I am really thinking about dropping knowledge religion for stealth. My guy lives more by a philosophy than he does by religion.

If we are getting 3 traits I would change one of my traits out so I can make linguistics into a class skill, and have take another trait so I can use wisdom in place of dex.

I am mostly rambling by the way. :)

I think the rambling is over. I am just waiting to see how more dangerous animals such as tigers, dinosaurs or scorpions are perceived if they have a handler, along with the 3 trait confirmation. Then I can finish up, and post the character.

Yes you get 3 traits.

Animal companions are fine and while not super common they are not unheard of, just use your common sense and leave them outside towns if their considered dangerous by locals, but they are restricted to your location. For the purpose of backgrounds while you can have been to the surface you would spend nearly all your time in the darklands and in or around the drow city. So animals like tigers would not fit until after we started and I dont think their are any in that part of the surface sense they are more southern creatures.

I think SR only applies to non beneficial effects and sense none of you are undead cure spells should not be an issue, their range is touch for gods sake. If it says otherwise somewhere that is just plain silly in my mind and I am house ruling it because I am petty like that.

Lastly while I am not opposed to anyone taking the disguise skill or buying a hat of disguise. If your only reason for getting it is because you dont want to walk around on the surface as a drow. Save your skill points and money, it wont be to much of a concern due to in game reasons that you will find out. But if your getting it because your a spy type then by all means.

Well, it depends on the lighting level when you initially cast Deeper Darkness. It drops it by two levels, which means if it's already dim when you cast it darkvision goes out. But even if I'm also blind it still gives me the concealment I need to roll a stealth check, step out of the radius and then get 4 shuriken with sneak attack off (in some situations). That's not my main trick, just a nice addition since it's cast at will.

Main trick is getting off 4 shuriken with sneak attack. Whenever I can't manage that I will be thoroughly sub-par in combat. I guess we'll see how it goes.

Currently building my summoner. I think I am going to go synthasist and front line. Once I get to lvl 9, I will take the see in darkness evolution and rip things up.

Edit. Everyone keep in mind that if you want to speak common, you need to take it.

Yes you get 3 traits.

Animal companions are fine and while not super common they are not unheard of, just use your common sense and leave them outside towns if their considered dangerous by locals, but they are restricted to your location. For the purpose of backgrounds while you can have been to the surface you would spend nearly all your time in the darklands and in or around the drow city. So animals like tigers would not fit until after we started and I dont think their are any in that part of the surface sense they are more southern creatures.

I think SR only applies to non beneficial effects and sense none of you are undead cure spells should not be an issue, their range is touch for gods sake. If it says otherwise somewhere that is just plain silly in my mind and I am house ruling it because I am petty like that.

Lastly while I am not opposed to anyone taking the disguise skill or buying a hat of disguise. If your only reason for getting it is because you dont want to walk around on the surface as a drow. Save your skill points and money, it wont be to much of a concern due to in game reasons that you will find out. But if your getting it because your a spy type then by all means.

SR always applies, but thanks to your houserule it should not be an issue. :)

My traits are.
reactionary-I was in a theives guild during my years on the surface
one that will give me linguistics as a class skill-the surface years can explain that one also.
The third trait will most likely be one that boost my fort save.

As for the companion, I have had a tiger in a table top game, so I will go with something different this time. Scorpion or praying mantis, most likely if I choose an insect. If I choose an animal, then I will have to do some research.

Good catch on us not knowing common. I did not even notice drow did not get it.

What knowledges do the rest of you have if any? It seems that they will have to be split up among us. I know Kal has some. I can take religion and probably planes if I have too. We night not get all of them covered, but if we get most of them we can probably hire someone to get the rest of them. Yeah I know I said I was going to drop some knowledge skills, but it might not be a good idea.

Working on my guy. Have the basics sketched out, should have a more complete guy to post by tomorrow.

Breadth of Experience gives you access to all knowledge skills. But it will cost you a feat. Sense no one is int focused it would be wasted I guess.

I have all know ledges as class skills. List what you guys have and I will fill in the gaps.

I can take knowledge(religion). I guess I should take knowledge (nature) also though, since it fits my background.

I am assuming Kal is taking knowledge arcana. I don't know what else he is taking.

Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (planes) are the other class skills for the magus.

@Irthos, a few questions. First can I take leadership. Second, if I do, can I take a cohort with crafting. And third, can I have my equipment crafted. I figure that if I have a cohort, it will not be a drow noble.

@Bungo

No need to take leadership as I plan on everyone getting it at a certain point as a bonus. Second, cohorts will need to be gained the hard way by finding them and convicing them. Thats part of the fun I think. You can PM me what you would want in a cohort and I will set it up. Cohorts are NPCs controlled by me just remember that, sometimes ppl tend to treat them like second PCs.

Is their an important reason you would need one now?

Nope, just playing with character building right now. I will get another feat and get a cohort as part of game play.

I can take knowledge(religion). I guess I should take knowledge (nature) also though, since it fits my background.

I am assuming Kal is taking knowledge arcana. I don't know what else he is taking.

Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (planes) are the other class skills for the magus.

This is Kal, or was :], I will be taking all of those knowledge skills...

What is everyone doing about alignment. Are we tending to neutral or evil?

I am going to have to manually build my animal companion since Herolab seems to falter at certain area.

Bungo I forgot to mention that a thread within the past week or so was complaining about herolab's ability to make a synthesis summoner correctly also, so you might want to double check if you are using herolab.

I never sprang for the UC and UM packs, so I use hero lab to build summoner and Eidelon, then manually change to stat block to reflect to synthasist changes.

Let me know when your characters are ready to be looked over.

May want to look into some of the new drow feats. Shadow Caster, Spider Step, and Spider Summon look useable. Also drow have access to two mounts that pretty much no one else does which is the dire bat and the riding lizard.

This is Bungo or was. I was just going to ask about spider summon. Will you allow that to work with my summon monster SLA.

As far as I know it effects any summon monster or summon nature's alley. So yeah SLA fall into that.

I have my crunch up. I will have a back ground up by mid day tomorrow at the latest. My third trait for consideration is going to be

Strong Heart (Gorrum)

You can stand strong against even the most terrifying foes.

Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on saves against fear effects, and the DC of Intimidate checks made against you increases by +2.

@Brang'el

Did you modify the drow noble race sense I see Ancestral Grudge. Also I am guessing your Eidolon is incomplete sense its missing alot of stuff.

Yes, it replaces poison use. I need to update the skills to reflect those that change once I summon it. Feats are of course the same.

Oh yeah noticed something about your eidolon's attacks. They take the normal penalities for multiattacks, the -5 after the first. Their not supposed to use full for every strike.

Where is that from. All natural attacks are made at full BAB if they are primary and at -5 if they are secondary.

Brang'el is correct unless the synthesizer/summoner has another rules exception hidden somewhere. All 4 claws should have the same attack bonus.

PS:Of course Irthos might be referring to the unarmed strikes.
Herolabs always adds those. I normally put a space in between them and my regular attacks to the GM knows they are separate, from my normal attacks.

PS2: I would have Brang'el stats when he is combined, and when he is not combined, assuming you are still going to use the synthesizer.

Well without your evolutions I can only guess. But you can only have claws on limbs and guessing that you only have four limbs and your a biped. You can have two full attacks using your arms. Claws on the legs I would not count sense even dragons dont get to use their 4 claws (they use 2 claws and every other body part) during a full round action and they can support themselves on all fours. The unarmed attacks I dont understand where they are coming from. You should max out at 2 attacks a round as it seems. No matter what you should not have 6 attacks per round at your lvl.

Feel free to correct me or explain anything I did not get. But your right primaries do get full, I forgot the natural attacks thing.

Edit-Geez I am on a roll forgot your a synthesizer too.

It seems like Brang'el took linguistics, and I am glad he did. There is no trait to make it into a class skill with a trait. I am finishing up my character. I probably won't get the animal companion done until tomorrow though.

The Without a Past trait lets you take bluff or linguistics as a class skill.

I put in the changes in those skills that have a different bonus while I am in Eidelon form. I deleted the unarmed strike that Hero lab likes to put into to everything. I also detailed my evolutions, both the free ones from my base form and the ones purchased with Evolution points. I did buy an extra set of arms and claws. I am going for a sort of reverse drider while in Eidelon form.

@ Damien Yes, I wanted languages in which to communicate with summons, plus draconic and Drow sign. Someone suggested that we should all take that one and I think that is a good idea.

I replaced keen senses with Ambitious Schemer(from the ARG). It is a racial trait.

I will get the animal companion done tonight when I get off of work, along with creating a profile for the character.

Hehehehe. Synthesizer is something to play music with. Sythasist is nothing. It's synthesist :P I don't have time for a more detailed post at the moment, I was just amused by the changing name and spelling of the class as I went down the thread ^_^ I'll post my two cents on people's builds and finish up my own when I get home from work later.