Nightflier's Midnight Game Thread

Game Master nightflier

So here's my unfinished post for my replacement for Sorok. I'm really angry because I just spent the last 3 hours finishing him only to try and save and have Paizo erase everything I just fixed/wrote. His backstory was pretty huge and when I write it again it probably won't be nearly so in depth or well explained. Grrrr.

This site is notorious for that. I highly recommend doing a quick "select all" and "copy" before attempting any post or character sheet update. That way if it gets eaten you can just try again.

Nightflier-

I can't open .docx files on my Mac (don't have Office, hate it, don't want it and all the converters want me to pay for them)

Can you put the documents in your profile in .txt format?

My character building is on hold until I have access to your new feats.

Try this link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40431871/Feats%20W.docx

Guys, there are some changes to skills that I have decided to introduce to the game. I realize that it is a bit late, so I'll allow you additional week to change your skills and adapt to them. In the meantime, if it comes to skill checks, you'll roll ability checks instead. Here is the link to the Skills document.

Feats Word 97

I've tried to translate the document into txt, but then all formating is lost.

Duncan, your bone powers:

4. Dragon Eye: You gain Darkvision 60'
5. Draconic Aura: You gain Draconic Aura as bonus feat. (Dragon Magic, pages 16 and 86)

Warrior's Way: TOWER SHIELD SPECIALIST

4th: Burst Barrier (Ex): At 4th level, a tower shield specialist can use his shield to screen himself from burst spells and effects, gaining a +1 bonus on Reflex saves against them while employing a tower shield. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels after 2nd (to a maximum of +5 at 18th level).

8th: Tower Shield Specialist (Ex): At 8th level, when a tower shield specialist employs a tower shield in combat, he does not take the –2 penalty on attack rolls because of the shield’s encumbrance.

12th: Tower Shield Defense (Ex): At 12th level, while using a tower shield, a tower shield specialist gains his shield bonus against touch attacks.

16th: Push Back (Ex): At 16th level a tower shield specialist gains a free slam attack with his shield, at his highest BaB. This attack must be taken before or after regular attacks.

Scranford, which archetype you decided to take for your warrior's way?

Guys, I plan to use these new and experimental rules for two levels. During that time, I would like to hear your thoughts and objections, as well as suggestions. After that, I'll probably do a revision of the feats, skills, classes etc. and change the things you don't like.

Scranford, which archetype you decided to take for your warrior's way?

I'm thinking Mobile Fighter...I like Unbreakable, but Mobile just seems to fit better.

I've actually got a day with nothing to do tomorrow, so hopefully I can get everything done and ready to play.

nightflier wrote:

Scranford, which archetype you decided to take for your warrior's way?

I'm thinking Mobile Fighter...I like Unbreakable, but Mobile just seems to fit better.

I've actually got a day with nothing to do tomorrow, so hopefully I can get everything done and ready to play.

Okay, you get first four Mobile Fighter's abilities at 4th, 8th, 12th and 16th level.

I'm not gonna give you any special powers right now, but something will awake in you during the game.

I'm starting to review the characters. Casters will be reviewed first.

I've added the 7 years downtime background as it was discussed with High Duke/Duncan on my character sheet.

I'll have a look at your skills rule tonight.

Duncan is completely updated and ready to go. Skills also adjusted to the new rules.

I think Sky is updated and awaiting review. Last seven years included.

I think Sky is updated and awaiting review. Last seven years included.

Sky, you have taken +1 HP per level as favorite class option, right?

Character updated with new rules.

All updates finished, BG has been updated (minus any tweaking...)

Gilian and Duncan are good to go. Although, your 7-year story should be more detailed if you want bonus feat.

Solvi is good to go as well.

Sky'tor Tu'kaleth wrote:

I think Sky is updated and awaiting review. Last seven years included.

Sky, you have taken +1 HP per level as favorite class option, right?

Yes. 60 for class, 5 for con, 5 for class.

nightflier wrote:

Sky'tor Tu'kaleth wrote:

I think Sky is updated and awaiting review. Last seven years included.

Sky, you have taken +1 HP per level as favorite class option, right?

Yes. 60 for class, 5 for con, 5 for class.

Then you are good to go as well.

Character updated with new rules.

You are OK, except equipment part. You can not begin the game with cloak and boots of elvenkind. Only perishable magic items and only those that you can make with appropriate feats and skills.

Your background is rather nice and you get a bonus feat for it.

What role have you envisioned for yourself? What are your goals? I need to know that in order to design your path. As an alternative, you can take a heroic path from Midnight books if you feel that is suits what you have in mind for the character better than what I could come up with.

By the way, the game starts tomorrow.

You are OK, except equipment part. You can not begin the game with cloak and boots of elvenkind. Only perishable magic items and only those that you can make with appropriate feats and skills.

Your background is rather nice and you get a bonus feat for it.

What role have you envisioned for yourself? What are your goals? I need to know that in order to design your path. As an alternative, you can take a heroic path from Midnight books if you feel that is suits what you have in mind for the character better than what I could come up with.

Right, equipment changed, feat gained. The role I had envisioned for my character was a heavy offensive unit, but not one that necessarily used right away. His strategy is either to wait in ambush until he finds the prime target in an opposing force i.e. Legates, obvious commanders and using his speed to rush passed defenders and attack until they're dead then escape, while using guerrilla tactics or he hangs back during combat awaiting enemy support units, usually archers or spell casters and hit them hard during the confusion of combat before joining the front lines. If he's forced into standard melee he usually attempts to escape to come back later using hit and run tactics.

His goals are to deal as much damage to the shadows army as possible, to restore the lost honor of the Dorns and their ancestors by slaying as many of the traitor princes as he can, then finally to meet the false king of Erenland, Jahzir, on the field of battle and slay him to spit in the eye of the dark god.

Since we are beginning tomorrow, I'll save you the trouble of creating me a Heroic Path and use the Quickened Path.

Guys, there are some changes to skills that I have decided to introduce to the game. I realize that it is a bit late, so I'll allow you additional week to change your skills and adapt to them. In the meantime, if it comes to skill checks, you'll roll ability checks instead. Here is the link to the Skills document.

That impacts me greatly since a large number of my abilities use skills like intimidat aand provide bonuses to specifc skills. Introducing one or two new things at a time makes sense, but overhauling too much and making everything experimental at the same time tends to bog things down as everyone tries to learn the differences and often ends in failure.

@Ilona

You are right. I haven't thought that through.

@all

I'm gonna need your opinion about the skills. I would like to keep Endurance and Knowledge (Warfare) from the new skills. What say you?

@all

The game is up.

I like new skills, and I think that Ilona should just apply her bonuses to the new skills that now contain old skills.

For some reason I cannot post in the game thread....Solvi rolled a '3' in that thread.

EDIT: OK I got it to go...whew

For some reason I cannot post in the game thread....Solvi rolled a '3' in that thread.

EDIT: OK I got it to go...whew

What do you think about the skills?

Solvistania Elghreah wrote:

For some reason I cannot post in the game thread....Solvi rolled a '3' in that thread.

EDIT: OK I got it to go...whew

What do you think about the skills?

Like Duncan said, I think we should just add skills, like the Knowledge Lore and Endurance skills and see how it goes.

I'm fine with most of the skills except the fusion between sense motive and bluff/intimidate. I would keep them apart at least from the sense motive as it contains more than reading people speech or innuendo. I would keep it wisdom dependant as before.

I'm fine with most of the skills except the fusion between sense motive and bluff/intimidate. I would keep them apart at least from the sense motive as it contains more than reading people speech or innuendo. I would keep it wisdom dependant as before.

Okay, I'm gonna wait for others to have their say, and then I'll make a ruling.

Muni, have you had the chance to go through the new feats?

I really don't care one way or another. I would have voted not to change before I updated my sheet, but now that I've done so either way's OK with me.

Honestly the skill endurance seems unnecessary. That's why we have things like fortitude and constitution checks. I agree with Gilian about the fusion of bluff/intimidate and the Sense motive, I'd vote to keep those separate. The rest is okay though.

Then we would have to have endurance back as a feat but either way is fine with me. Also sense motive should stand alone, that merger made least sense.

Also I'll be travelling the next week and a half. Should be able to post about every day, but mostly later in the evenings, so don't let me hold things up. If you need to DMPC character feel free to do so to move things along.

Muni, have you had the chance to go through the new feats?

Not all of them. Life is extra hectic right now. I was cast in a movie and the rehearsal/shooting schedule is nuts. It wraps on sunday, so I'll be able to catch up on anything by then.

I have most of the character done, I just need to pick those feats and I need the path stuff you talked about.

Okay, then. For now, I'm gonna use skills very lightly. I'm gonna call on you to make rolls modified only for appropriate ability scores, and then I'm gonna add the rest of modifiers. In the next day or two, I'm gonna review the skills and probably add at least two to the list: Herbalism and Charmcrafting. My goal is for those two to have greater value and impact than before.

Muni, your path will be done by tonight.

Back to the skills:

I like the idea of Primary and Secondary skills. Primary skills would be those of the greatest value to the adventurers, such as Perception or Heal. Secondary skills would be those that are really not essential for the game, but are nice to have for role play reasons; examples of those would be Perform and Profession.

In some ways, Knowledge skills may be considered to be Secondary skills as well. Same goes for Herbalism or Alchemy.

The standard skill system tends to be unfair towards some classes - especially wizards and other Int-based casters. They get 2 skill points per level, and they should be the repositories of ancient and obscure lore. In standard game that role is fulfilled by bards and Int-based casters have other things going for them anyway.

But in Midnight it's not so fun being a spellcaster. Also, there are no bards. The only skill-monkey class is rogue - but that is not exactly the ideal wise man/woman with answers to arcane and nebulous questions.

So, this is what I propose:

Skills will be restructured into Primary and Secondary skills. Essentially, those skills that require some down-time to be used will be designated as Secondary, and those that are applicable in the heat of the moment will be designated as Primary. Characters will get bonus skill points each level equal to their Int modifier, that can be used only for Secondary skills. Additional ranks in Secondary skills can be bought in normal way.

So, what do you think?

That idea seems very intriguing to me. I can't even begin to count the number of times I sat there with character and was frustrated because the concept I had wouldn't work well because the skill set I wanted to choose wouldn't work with the number of skill points I was given, or because of a low intelligence modifier. Pathfinder has helped curb that quite a bit, but it was a glaring problem for 3.5.

This will help with character concepts without sacrificing our effectiveness. I say let's give it a try.

@all

In case you were wondering why am I doing this: FFG doesn't plan to revive Midnight. They are too busy with their licensed games.

So, I've decided to create a compilation of all Midnight material in the form of one gigantic pdf file and print it for my gaming table, so that my players can have everything they need in one place.

On the other hand, a lot of Midnight specific crunch needs to be updated for Pathfinder. Now, I love Pathfinder - but there are some things that could be streamlined and there are many things that need to be adapted for Midnight. My goal is to create a comprehensive set of house rules that will cover all mechanical aspects of gaming in Midnight. That is a very long term project, but I think that the goal is worth the effort.

I'd like to hear your opinions of all the changes I've implemented. Hit point rules, classes, traits, races etc.

So far, these changes are looking good. I would like to see how they play out during the game so I will comment further as the game progresses.

So, this is what I propose:

Skills will be restructured into Primary and Secondary skills. Essentially, those skills that require some down-time to be used will be designated as Secondary, and those that are applicable in the heat of the moment will be designated as Primary. Characters will get bonus skill points each level equal to their Int modifier, that can be used only for Secondary skills. Additional ranks in Secondary skills can be bought in normal way.

So, what do you think?

I quite like your separation between primary and secondary skills. I'm as well often frustrated by the lack of skill points which is why I mostly play classes with high skill points.

So let's give it a try.

Muni, your heroic path. You have the option to take one from Midnight sources, if you don't like this one:

Muni, your heroic path. You have the option to take one from Midnight sources, if you don't like this one:

** spoiler omitted **

Looks great. I'm going to add it tonight. The feats will have to wait until monday though.

I've got a 15 hour day ahead of me tomorrow, so I won't be able to keep up my normal posting rate until friday.

I've got you covered if need be.

I've got you covered if need be.

Thanks.