It's between standing ground or hiding. I'd like to hear what another player says before jumping onboard a massive decision.
I think that makes sense. Give our two newer players (who are both traveling) a chance to be part of the decision. I don't want to lose momentum, but I'm not going anywhere, and I have confidence Bran and Tal'ariel are sticking around. So probably good to make sure the new players feel engaged even if that means waiting a bit.
Hey - I'm back and catching up now. Will make sure my $0.02 are in the post! (If you want to listen to a random newbie!)
Great! I will move things along tonight or tomorrow.
How big is the dragon? Sounds like it is large sized?
Smaller than Ozzy and Ozzy was Large IIRC.
Next round, I'd like to have Tal'ariel move to Hamailii, pop a CLW potion to hand using a Spring-Loaded Wrist Sheathe, and administer it to see if Hamailii can be revived. Is that legal?
I'll let you draw a potion while moving, but administering one to a fallen ally is a full-round action.
Trellara is out of 1st-level slots, but has some 2nd-level slots left she can use for CLW. She wasn't willing to risk bringing Hamailii back to positive HP with that archer flying around.
I didn't check if Tal'ariel had used her bonded item spell today, but she does have Obscuring Mist in her spellbook even if not prepared.
Already spent my bonded item spell on Expeditious Retreat, which really needs to make its way onto my normally memorized spell list given how much I've used it.
Does Fatigue from Adrenaline stack with Fatigue from Rage to create Exhausted?
Unfortunately, it looks like it does.
Burn out hard.
I have a Lesser Restoration potion which turns it just to Fatigue, considering using it.
A Page of Spell Knowledge (Invigorate) might be good for Trellara to pick up.
So the tactical advantage I mentioned - you guys all have Water Walk.
As soon as Tal'ariel figures out the targets, I'll resolve the Glitterdust and then the ogres will go. Bran is AC 21?
With Exhaustion and Enlarge he is 24 -> 21 -> 20 -> 19.
Yeouch!
For the glitterdust, leave out the ogre. I forget, did we previously decide that Glitterdust doesn't help against the Barghest blink? Or can it cut it down from 50 to 20%?
Shoot, didn't see this. I can go re-do the post if you want. But 2 blinded ogres give Bran an escape route. Want to keep it as is?
I think Glitterdust doesn't reduce the miss chance, because the dust would go ethereal with the barghest when it blinks.
Keep it. Not worth changing things.
I'm... Okay!
So what's the plan here? As much as I would love to fight on, I doubt I can deal with another set of attacks in my Exhausted state.
I can pull back and try to remove my Exhaustion with Lesser Restoration. but I'll be out for 2 turns doing so. My Bow is Composite so I cannot fire it effectively right now.
Bran should definitely fall back.
We all could fall back tactically. Seems like the remaining enemies can't pursue us if we're in the water. That buys us time to recover through channel energy and the like.
We could also fall back entirely. We've killed the dragon and lead goblin. It's not obvious to me that their new leader will be effective. The lizardfolk are probably no longer inclined to obey now that the dragon is dead.
Bran's potion of Lesser Restoration is 2 rounds to use (one to withdraw from combat, one to draw and drink potion).
The actual spell takes 3 rounds to cast, so the potion is the faster option.
Bran needs to get out. Gaius is under fly as well, so he can retreat from almost anywhere so I'll come over and help out :) Flame can finish the razorback for me :)
Should you win this fight, you will all get 6,240 XP (this includes the Chuul on the way to the lake).
That will put all of you at a new total of 26,389, so another Epic feat! You can start thinking about what you want and PM me with any ideas.
Any regular feat that you qualify for, OR
An Epic feat from the P6 Codex, OR
One of comparable power level (such as gaining a class feature that you would have gained at character level 7), OR
A Signature feat from the P6 Codex (or one of similar power level) IF you don't already have a Signature feat. Signature feats are mostly class abilities you'd gain at 8th or 9th, and very limited. Once you have ten Epic feats total (65,000 XP) you can take a second Signature feat.
The Codex isn't written for multiclass characters, but we can figure out something appropriate.
Does Bran's Leadership count as his Signature Feat (considering he cheated to get it)?
I'm still looking at Greater Grapple, though I feel its a waste of a special slot. An extra BAB is kind of boring but very functional however.
Hmmm...
I think it's hard to say no to Greater Grapple. Grapple as a move action seems so good!
Tal'ariel is inclined to take Twist Away to bolster her fortitude saves.
Twist Away and Cleave is always good. Can still use that Standard Action effectively, or cast spells.
The P6 Codex modifies Leadership; it does not count as a Signature feat.
Greater Grapple is fine.
Alternatively, you could look at class abilities from Brawler, Barbarian, Cavalier, or Darechaser. Anything you'd have gained at 7th if you leveled in that class could be an Epic feat; anything you'd have gained at 8th could be a Signature feat.
Or Power Attack. It would open up a lot of options for Martial Flexibility and also be a solid feat in its own right.
Tal'ariel could also look at Rogue abilities (like Uncanny Dodge as an Epic feat), or wizard ones (maybe an Epic feat to cast as Wiz4, then a Signature feat to cast as Wiz5, including both caster level and spell slots).
Hmm... I'm looking further down the line to Greater Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization and I'd like Grtr Wp Spec, but that's level 12 so I imagine that's well out!
Would Grtr Weapon Focus be a signature feat since it requires Fighter 8?
Presumably I could also have armor training since thats at Fighter 7?
Armor Training 2 is an Epic feat. Greater Weapon Focus is a Signature feat.
In addition to that, anybody can (once) take the feat Combat Improvement, which increases your BAB by +1. It's supposed to require BAB +4, but I think that would be unduly harsh for Tal'ariel.
It didn't occur to me that Tal'ariel could work toward learning 3rd level spells. That does seem like the strongest option, especially when we don't have a true wizard at the moment.
Also, thanks for the tweak on Combat Improvement. I was indeed saddened that I couldn't take the feat.
I should add, I don't think it's possible to ready a full attack, is it? I think usually readied actions are just standard actions.
The ettin delayed. Because of the way block initiative works, it looks similar to readying - but happens after the triggering action and can involve a full attack.
Got it, makes sense.
Does epic spellcasting increase caster level or is that set by one's actual class levels? Right now, Tal is caster level 5 and I want to know if it would go up or not.
Normally, there would be no way for Tal'ariel to increase her casting ability further. All of this is me making stuff up and trying to keep it balanced. So bear with me.
It would be my intention that she not achieve the same heights as a pure wizard could, since she has all those rogue abilities (and could get even more). I'm not interested in gestalt.
With three more feats, Tal'ariel could have the class features of a 6th-level rogue (Uncanny Dodge, Sneak Attack +3d6, Extra Rogue Talent).
If I allow two feats to give spells per day as Wiz4 and then Wiz5, but keep caster level at 5th, then she'd basically have the class features of a 5th-level wizard (with one more feat needed to make up the bonus feat a wizard would gain at 5th).
Meanwhile, a pure wizard would have no way to get Rogue abilities, but would have six feats to spare. He could have CL7, 3 extra spell slots that could be used as 4th-level (Wiz1-3 spells with metamagic), the 8th-level school power, and a ritual spell.
That seems fairly balanced. Tal'ariel would in most cases have the same spell access as the wizard, with the addition of Sneak Attack +3d6, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, +18 skill points, far better class skills, and 3 Rogue Talents. A lower CL, and no 4th-level slots.
Maybe I should allow the second feat to increase CL to 6; Magical Knack wouldn't give any benefit beyond that, since it is capped at HD. Spell Specialization is also an option to get up to CL8 for some spells.
Anybody have any thoughts?
I'm totally fine with that--just wanted to know how it works for purposes of selecting spells. I think adding spellcasting is powerful and I really never intended to get above casting level 2 spells, so I'm grateful for the boon you are providing.
It is powerful, but I think it's needed in the absence of a pure wizard. Haste in particular will be needed to keep you guys competitive in the later battles, and Clairvoyance might be really useful if you are trying anything other than a head-on attack. Dispel Magic and Fly are always good, but at least Hamailii can do those.
Of course you'll have the ability to get some scrolls in Brindol, so even without the expanded spellcasting you could still have access to some of these spells.
Could I get Pack Flanking as an Epic feat in order to bypass the Combat Expertise/Int 13 pre-reqs? If not its fine because I have another idea but saving myself a feat is not a bad thing! :)
You'll get tons of feats, so my inclination is "no." But, I would allow Dirty Fighting to count as the prerequisite. Then again, Combat Expertise might not be bad. You do have 13 Int. The party has numerous ways to boost attacks, but not so many ways to boost AC.
I assume Pack Flanking will be fine with Flame? Not an animal companion, but a mauler familiar is pretty close. :)
Oh yeah, that's fine.
Loot list from the Battle of Rhest:
Wyrmlord Saarvith:
+2 Small Longbow
Masterwork Small Greatsword
+2 Mithral Chain Shirt (Small, but re-sizes)
+1 Cloak of Resistance
37 gp, 11 pp, key to his chest
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds
Nurklenak:
+1 Chain Shirt
Masterwork Dagger
40 gp
Potion of Invisibility
Wand of Cause Fear (25 charges)
Wand of Disguise Self (25 charges)
Handy Haversack (full of torture implements)
Regiarix:
Amulet of Mighty Fists +1
Ring of Protection +1
Hobgoblin Bladebearer:
2 +1 Short Swords
MW Chain Shirt
More to come from searching the lair...
Yay team! That was an epic battle!
Was hell but we managed to do it.
Nice work everyone and great job keeping that pace going :)
Thanks!
I wasn't trying to softball anything, but I wasn't trying to slaughter you unfairly, either. Biggest GM calls were the timing of the waves of reinforcements. I tried to play that according to those reinforcements' own motivations. Seems to me like it came out exactly where it was supposed to in terms of the danger level.
But I shouldn't be too lenient, after all you do have that elixir of Reincarnate and wouldn't that be a fun d100 roll?
I apologize for the short notice, but I have a really crazy week of work that is happening. Please bot me. I'll be back next Wednesday.
Gaius will take those odds! :D As long as Flame still loves him when he comes back as a black dragon!
So, before Zelligar turns me into a kobold for real, what items do people want? :)
As he pointed out Gaius came with customised gear so I'm fine with just taking a share of the gold and people who need them more getting the items.
Flame can use that Amulet of Mighty Fists +1 unless someone else wants it. Those +1 Gauntlets will help me finally overcome DR *pleading eyes*.
Most of the other gear is casty bits for you all, but I would really like the gauntlets if possible. Since you're treated as armed unarmed, does the enhancement apply to Grapple attempts?