Khamal,
Isn't that a bit against the idea?
My understanding is that a spirit haunts a place, and you must go to their haunted place, or some other place important to them, inn order to channel them. So bringing a few items around wouldn't really bring a place with you. That's my understanding anyway. (i.e. a gladiator would haunt the arena they fought at but might be found at the burned out house where their spouse was murdered, or where they defeated their spouse's murderer. That sort of thing.)
So, what would the story be for carrying around a practice yard, and why would that connect to a particular legend?
On the other hand, if you only channel the fiend you keep, a bit like Naruto, wouldn't you be the favored location?
Khamal,
Isn't that a bit against the idea?My understanding is that a spirit haunts a place, and you must go to their haunted place, or some other place important to them, inn order to channel them. So bringing a few items around wouldn't really bring a place with you. That's my understanding anyway. (i.e. a gladiator would haunt the arena they fought at but might be found at the burned out house where their spouse was murdered, or where they defeated their spouse's murderer. That sort of thing.)
So, what would the story be for carrying around a practice yard, and why would that connect to a particular legend?
On the other hand, if you only channel the fiend you keep, a bit like Naruto, wouldn't you be the favored location?
1) Is Khamul the favored location, as he is a fiendkeeper? RAW, no, there is nothing about dispensing with favored locations, despite the "flavor text": "A fiend keeper serves as the vessel for a powerful evil spirit that fights and bargains for dominance. The legends a fiend keeper channels are all aspects of this evil presence."
2) Isn't that a bit against the idea?
Perhaps. The problem is the Medium is completely crippled sans seance... You are a less capable expert. They really didn't think about this when they wrote the class. Look at the list of spirits, and then consider say a 2 day trip to Magnimar. Day 1, you started in Sandpoint and can find a location to seance. Day 2 you wake up halfway to Magnimar, in the wilderness.
Consider the following list of locations:
Archmage Favored Locations: Arcane redoubts, areas of unusual magic, libraries, schools.
Champion Favored Locations: Arenas, battlefields, places of violence, practice yards.
Guardian Favored Locations: City walls, forts, gates, keeps.
Heirophant Favored Locations: Altars, churches, sacred groves, shrines.
Marshal Favored Locations: Council rooms, stages, theaters, throne rooms.
Trickster Favored Locations: Alleys, mazes, taverns, trap-filled locations.
You have literally nothing you can seance (barring the Gm saying 200 years ago this was a battlefield...). Thus, they wrote a FAQ saying you can set yourself up to do a seance.
I know nothing about Mediums, and not much about Occult Adventures also, so can't really pipe in with much. Though I would think finding a place would be more interesting than 'being' the place? :D
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I have been reading through the gameplay and noticed you guys have a partially charged wand of Magic Missiles to sell. Since Grenz can use it, and it would actually be a good ranged option for him in case of need, I was thinking maybe he could be the one buying it?
Not sure in which shop you guys are going to sell the wand, but maybe Grenz was also there looking for odds and ends? And he could grab it directly from you (or from the shop right away?).
I still have some gold to spend and I think that might be a good purchase. And you guys would still get the gold to split among yourselves.
Could also be a good way to break the ice.
What do you guys think? Too much of a stretch?
I think it's a pretty nice way to meet us, Grenz.
I think it's a pretty nice way to meet us, Grenz.
Agreed.
As for the portable dueling ring, the idea is interesting, but as Zarque pointed out, most spirits are tied to a place and thus to find them, you need to go that place. The thing is, where you are standing in Sandpoint, there are lots of areas that have seen combat, not only recently, but over the last few decades since its founding. It would not be difficult for Khamul to find a spirit nearby or even in the wilderness. There are plenty of hidden places where death and fighting has occurred in the Sandpoint Hinterlands. While it may take you a bit out of your way to find them (read: story ideas), they are there.
That said, I take the FAQ to read that the medium sets up a location by planning and performing an act that recreates the necessary scene. If you wanted to channel Champion, for instance, you could simply go to the town square in Sandpoint, as that is where the recent goblin raid happened, or if you are in the wilderness, start a duel with someone and see what comes along. The act is what draws them to you. It is an arbitrary thing, but if you can make it sound reasonable in game, there really isn't much of a limit. The archmage may take a bit of doing in the wilderness, but I'm sure you could come up with something along those lines.
If you still want a portable dueling ring, all you really need is some length of rope and four wooden poles. 5 gp, tops.
As for the current old veteran players, the responses to my questions in the Recruitment thread are in. Here are my choices, in order. I would like to know yours as well:
1. Caprice
2. Kejal
3. Beetly
I will keep my thoughts to myself then :D
I think Kejal has potential for interesting rp with Zarque, given certain similarities of character perspective. Zarque also doesn't do good for the sake of good, but rather has other motivations. This potential point of connection brings Kejal to the top of the list for me (otherwise he'd be tied with Caprice).
Caprice and Beetly gave interesting concepts, but I think Beetly is the bottom of the list for me, as his presence would be more problematic to pull off, narratively speaking, especially given the current point of the story.
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I like Grenz's idea for meeting with us.
I would also suggest the newcomers as already being a group, they can build some interesting backstory on how and why they know each other, and then meeting Grenz could easily pull both groups together pretty neatly.
1. Caprice
3. Kejal & Beetly. While I prefer Beetly from an RP perspective, I agree that it wouldn't really work as a practical matter. I have concerns with Kejal from an RP perspective, but (once the technical character issues are resolved) the crunch is probably fine.
My vote would be closer to Milah's than to the GM's. The result is the same, though.
Added a portable ring to the equipment list. A question, should I read the backstory (game thread), on the assumptions that the current PC's will catch Khamul up on all of that?
Depends on your ability to not meta game. Some of what we just did is not known to outsiders and unlikely to be shared unless relevant (and Zarque is very capable at keeping her trap closed about such things, and absolutely won't tell). However, the fight for Sandpoint and the events around town will likely be heard in every tavern/inn for quite some time and thus the tales of the heroes of Sandpoint will heard by you.
If you'd like a quick synopsis, I can post one.
Depends on your ability to not meta game. Some of what we just did is not known to outsiders and unlikely to be shared unless relevant (and Zarque is very capable at keeping her trap closed about such things, and absolutely won't tell). However, the fight for Sandpoint and the events around town will likely be heard in every tavern/inn for quite some time and thus the tales of the heroes of Sandpoint will heard by you.
If you'd like a quick synopsis, I can post one.
Synopsis works
Alright, unless I'm counting wrong, the vote is the most in favor of Caprice. I'll post the winner and get her started right away.
As for a synopsis, looks like Zarque has it covered. You would hear most of what happened via rumors and such through town and possibly by talking to one or more of the heads of the town: Mayor Deverin, Sheriff Hemlock, etc.
The only backfire to Zarque's plan about starting them together is that Khamul only just arrived to town and may not know anyone. That being said, it could be possible he knew them in the past and that is one of the reasons for his arrival.
After the internet blackout, I've ninja'd by an hour! Has to be a record. :)
There are a few gaps in my player knowledge, but according to the general run of town gossip,
During the festival celabrating the start of autumn, there was a goblin attack. Several indivuals stood ground and helped the guard fight them back. This attack was bad because the goblins got inside the walls before anyone knew of the attack and many rumors abound of someone letting them in.
Rumors also abound about strange events at the glassworks, which is under quarantine. The heroes of the festival also were imbroiled in whatever happened at the glassworks, so the thoeries of what they fought there abound, everything from demons to whomever let the goblins in.
Lastly, the heroes and that strange kobold bagmaker went out of town and returned, presumably goblin hunting.
There are also several, obviously crazy, conspiracy theories, including one about how the town leaders allowed the attack for various reasons and sent the heroes to pay the goblins for their part of the attack.
Dot!
Hello, thanks for letting me in.
I've got a few parts of my build left open. Is there anything in particular the party would like me to be able to do? With the Spheres system, having a feat and a talent left over means I could get just about anything with enough finagling.
Welcome aboard Caprice - I think I already said it but... My knowledge of Spheres of Power is close to zero.
I am not familiar with the group's capabilities neither, so I guess I will go for some wishful thinking - where do we stand as far as buffs/debuffs and crowd control goes?
I'm a joat with magic, some healing, some dmg, utility and mobility. The entangle of my blast is my only cc.
I'm moderately familiar with the original SoP (similar to what I'd been doing for years), though clearly there are some secondary asoects of it I've missed.
If I used the feat and the talent together, I could throw out some Deflection Bonus buffs, +3 for 2 hours, which isn't bad for a 4th level character, especially for the frontliners.
As far as capabilities - Milah is a face (+14 Bluff, +13 Diplomacy, +11 Intimidate) and an agile/critical fighter (+11 Acrobatics, next level she'll get Improved Critical (rapier) for free). She'll do what she can as far as positioning/flanking, and has the ability to demoralize single opponents as a swift action via menacing swordplay - I really need to remember to do that, btw - but not much else as far as buffs/debuffs.
My knowledge of SoP is also essentially nil. I would certainly appreciate additional buffs/debuffs - Inspire Courage, Haste, etc., are all extremely useful to a melee fighter - but the question, really, is what you want to do?
I will note that we have a method to get additional AC/saves via Drek'Thar's sustaining vitality, but apparently we have to be injured first.
Drek'Thar is a Life Sphere savant. He heals, gives some minor buffs and delivers some minor debuffs.
-He can give the Exhausted or Nauseated effect.
-He can give an ally a small boon, a chance to execute a very quick action immediately, out-of-turn. Choices are a single attack, a move, or equivalent.
-He can cure some minor conditions and also hit points from close range.
-He can give a +2 boost to AC and saves (it was +4 before the nerf T-T). The injured requirement is to make it without spending SP.
-From now on, those he heal will get DR 2 for 2 rounds.
So, not much buffing for now, more healing and some debuff. Will improve when more talents are put together.
Wow, thanks for the breakdown guys.
It feels like there is a lot of versatility and options, so that is very good in my book.
Grenz is supposed to come together as a melee bruiser - I hope to make him mobile and hard hitting (with other options thrown in via monk abilities and magic wands here and there).
Martial Versatility will also allow some additional options (which I still have fully to explore).
Bottom line, there are many directions where he could head into. I usually avoid overspecialized characters - on the one hand, because I like being able to do different stuff with them, and on the other I get the feeling if you focus too much on a single, very strong aspect, the game and challenges may start to unravel.
In a pinch, he can also work as a buffer/debuffer with wands (for example, he has a wand of Mage Armor if anyone wants a zap every once in a while) :P
Key skills will most likely be keyed off Wisdom - stuff like Perception, Sense Motive, Survival, etc.
Khamul is (in champion mode) a combatant - ranged preferably, but he can do melee no problem. He's a sneak and capable of finding and disabling traps. He's got minor general buffing (shared Seance - everybody who participates gets at +2 to non-spell damage), and some minor self buffing (cantrips, 2 first level spells, dark communion). He also contact outer plane in his back pocket for information gathering.
Downtime (other spirits from seance), he can potentially do nearly any skill and can go digging for obscure spells.
I will note that, with the bell curve rules, we will get more benefit overall from bonuses to those rolls that have target DCs (attack rolls (and, conversely, armor class), saves, skills) than we necessarily would with d20. Or, rather, they will be more helpful more often. Dependent on the bonus, they might even be more helpful than rerolls; not sure about that yet.
Drek is looking for a Vest of Surgery, but he doesn't have money enough. He will probably ask for a Wand of CLW, unless someone else has one, and I'm interested in knowing whether there would be an object which allowed extra Spell Points, same as a Pearl of Power allows extra slots.
@Downtime: Are you allowing retraining? If so, Drek would retrain Precise Shot (honestly, I can't remember what was the plan by taking it), instead losing it for a 1st level feat to exchange for an Incanter Specialization (a Domain). Would that work?
khamul could put 150 gp towards a team fund for wands of CLW and so forth (raise dead, etc)...
Let's see... the Vest of Surgery you would have to go to or have Voon ship from Magnimar, but yes, it is pricey.
, Sandpoint Cathedral happens to have one available for purchase.
, adds 1 die type to your power point pool. price: 1000gp. There is one available at Feathered Serpent.
Retraining: 200gp and 5 days to retrain that, per the Rules, you will train with Ilsoari Gandethus at Turandurok Academy.
Thank you, DM, I will rp that.
So, upon talking with everyone, I think this is a build that everyone would find fairly handy to have in the party. I take Alchemy to represent mystical paints as part of the Vigilante Disguise, buffing my personal defense (I didn't realise Potent Pigments didn't apply to others, so it's not as good for other people, but still fairly nice), then I grab the Time Sphere instead of the Protection Sphere because people asked about Haste, and yes, Haste is very good.
Spheres of Power:
War Paint - DC 15 Craft(Alchemay) check to create, apply as a full round action, no one may have more than 1 War Paint on them at a time. May increase DC by 5 to increase effect by 2 hours.
Silver- +1 Deflection Bonus to AC (+1 per 5 ranks in Craft (Alchemy))
Yellow- +5 Competence Bonus on Perception Checks, (+1 per 4 ranks in Craft(Alchemy))
Feat:
Potent Pigments - Treat the effects of any War Paint you apply to yourself as you having 5 extra ranks in Craft(Alchemy). At 10 or more ranks in Craft(Alchemy), treat this as an additional 10 extra ranks in Craft(Alchemy).
Spheres of Might:
Trait:
Gift for Magic- +2 CL with the Time Sphere, up to a maximum of HD.
Drawback:
Altered Time - Lose the Slow ability, in return gain Improved Haste.
Alter Time:
All alter time effects require a standard action to activate (unless otherwise stated) and have a range of touch, and are subject to spell resistance. Effects that target an area are centered on you. Effects maintained through concentration require you to remain within close range of the target or location after placing the effect.
Haste
You grant the target increased speed. The target gains a +10 feet enhancement bonus to all forms of movement, as well as a +1 bonus to attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. This increases by +10 feet per 5 caster levels, and a +1 bonus per 10 caster levels. You must concentrate to maintain this effect, but may spend a spell point as a free action to allow it to remain for 1 round per caster level without concentration.
Improved Haste
When you use Haste on a target, that target may either make an additional attack at their highest base attack bonus when making a full attack, or make additional attacks of opportunity during the round (+1 attack of opportunity, +1 for every 5 caster levels you possess). The target may only benefit from one such benefit per round; if they make a full attack with a bonus attack, they do not gain additional attacks of opportunity that round. This effect is not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided by the haste spell or a speed weapon, and taking a full attack with a bonus attack from such a source counts as choosing that option for Haste for that round.
I can't cast proper Mass Haste yet for a few levels, but I do have the Time Sphere in case we find a Spell Completion item of it. If we do somehow come across a Scroll of Summoner Haste, I could cast it right now even without a failure chance. But even regular Wizard Haste I'd only fail on a 1 on a d20.
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All this would use up the Feat, Talent, and Trait I left blank.
Yes.
Oooh, fun, I've never used them before. I'll give them a look over.
** spoiler omitted **
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So the economy bonus would apply to capital generation rolls?
Guys, apologies for the flurry of posts - you know how it goes when you start fresh in a game, right?
I'll pace myself a bit more. Promise.
If we're assuming that the meet and greet happened at the Rusty Dragon off screen, I'd be happy to just fiat that Khamul and Idun talked at some point about his project to build a scriptorium, and Idun would be happy to call in a few favors to help (aka 3 of the Labor she just earned).
Or, if you'd rather RP it out, I'm sure we could just spoiler it as a little side convo.
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No one has commented on me completing my build as I mentioned, as far as I can see, so I'm assuming I'm in the clear and will start adding it to my Profile.
As a note regarding our current mystery (this guy pummeled to death), if we get really desperate for clues, Khamul has a few tricks in his bag - but they will take time, as he will need to use a different seance which will take at least a day.
Ok, quick mechanical Q's. Milah "took 16" on a skill (perception) at the crime scene.
Is that the 3d6 version of "take 20"?
If so, how long does "take 16" take ("take 20" uses twenty times more rounds than a normal skill check)?
I have been assuming that "take 10" still exists in this system, does it?
The rules are linked in the campaign tab.
Take 16 takes 10 times as long and
take 18 takes 100 times as long.
Rules for taking 10 remains unchanged.
Zarque has it correct.
Would it be a realistic Downtime goal to try and incentivize a Knight of Coins to come to Sandpoint and start using their economic bonuses to help the town? It's what I would think would be a rare paladin archetype that can use their lay on hands to grant people economic boons.
If such an option existed, I'd expect any reasonable mayor or other high patrons of the town to spend quite a bit of time doing those very type of things. If you as player wanted it to happen, I'd expect you to need to do something to accomplish it that most people are not capable of, such as using personal contacts.
Not really sure how our particular gm feels about it, but I'd expect that having some reason why you can do something that couldn't be done before would be a very good thing to have in making your case.
Hmm. True. We'd need some way of convincing them that Sandpoint could become economically important or have a personal connection. Hum. I'll think on it.
If you can make it work in story, then we can see about making that happen. There are probably a thousand reasons why they have not sent a Knight of Coins there, most likely because Magnimar already has a temple to Abadar and would possibly have one posted there already. Possibly.
@Captivating Caprice: I have one question - why would you want that, RP wise? :D
Ah yeah, it would make sense for Magnimar to have one.
I dunno, Grenz. I'm just trying to think of things I could be helpful to the party with.
I get that of course - was just curious how that idea fits with the character ;)
Hey guys, apologies for the delays on my end - over the last two days got hit pretty hard by high fever and some other messed up symptoms.
In current times... It causes some apprehension on top of the sickness itself. Trying to get back at it, if I can.
Take lots of vitamin c, magnesium, and zinc.
Also, don't worry about covid, even with the inflated numbers it is less dangerous than normal flu (and milder symptoms too). What is happening is entirely a political ploy and has nothing to do with the virus itself.
Thank you Zarque!
@Caprice: How do you manage to lift 350lbs? :O