Sounds good to me. I was writing my character as what amounts to an accountant with a sword anyway. It would make sense that the founding of a country would warrant more than one or two auditors.
I have been designing my main character, a wizard, to help structurally build a society. This includes creating structures as needed and transporting what we need to do so. I'm already working on something to quickly establish a base of operations.
His wife, a cleric of Abadar, would be capable of helping with such projects while expanding the faith. I'm looking at making her capable of using diplomacy to help settle conflicts.
Do you have anything specific in mind that you would like to accomplish? Perhaps my characters would be able to lend assistance?
I was planning on playing the whole church of Abadar as a kind of Renaissance Vatican analogue, with massive amounts of money and a presence in every country but without direct allegiances to any one. I figure the new king wants a source of investment that isn't under the control of the Swordlords, since that is who he is making a power play against.
My character is an inquisitor who's been sent from his previous post in Andoran out to basically kick the tires. Make sure the country's being run competently, there are good resources within the territory, basically that there will be return on the investment should one be made and that the hitherto-untamed River Kingdoms will be that much less anarchic and uncivilized. His cohort will be a ranger whose duties are basically to determine if the frontier life problems (bandits, lack of roads, wild animals etcetera) are insurmountable or if the fledgling kingdom is going to be a risk worth taking.
While your kicking the tires, I would see the others as starting to create a base of operations to move forward from. The idea of bringing civilization to the wilderness is one that appeals to the Abadaran way. This in turn would give reason for why they might already be willing to make an initial investment in the region, not to mention the possibilities it might mean for trade. Not only does the land hold the capability of being used to create new trade routes, it also may hold resources that could be brought to market.
Both could be useful; both could be (very) disruptive. I would have to say offhand that the 'scoundrel' might be more useful, if they can manage to be 'not scum'. It does, however, sound like you plan on him being, for want of a better word, a Surtova lapdog (or weasel, however you want to describe him); that could be a problem for 'getting in', to be honest.
However, I'd have to review the entirety of the background and character crunch to make a definite decision in that regard. Meanwhile, I do recommend you yourself take a look at what's known of the King you'd be serving...
Everyone, understand and remember that you are 7th level, and are meant to possess some amount of fame. Fame, not infamy; you are asking a good man who is to become a king to take you along and allow you to rule a portion of his people and influence things in his land. You need, in short, to give him a reason to be able to say 'yeah, this person is better for my needs than that person.' So this isn't just a matter of writing up a good and interesting character concept; this is also writing up a history of being an upstanding citizen, whether that happens to come from following the laws (Lawful) or upholding freedom (Chaotic).
Ah! I think I got a little confused on just what was being looked for here, and I'd be totally fine altering and reworking my concepts based on that. I'll take a look at what I can find on Chalm and come back here with some changes, and hopefully more full builds.
Okay, I've got a backup plan for the Bonded Mind feat. It's closer to my first idea, which was a bit more complex, but I think I can streamline it....
(Though, I will say that the reason I had the idea for the whole overlapping-souls thing actually came from Distant Shores, where it said that The Iridian Fold was actually a method in which two souls would merge to become one, in two bodies.)
I do agree, I did think it was odd that Paizo suggested re-skinning a hawk, of all things, to use as a base for a falcon, but that's what the book said, so.... In any case, would you suggest using the peregrine as a familiar, or would it just cause too many problems with the nobility? This is the sort of thing that Sylvia would know, having grown up in Brevoy and knowing the general stance for having a 'noble' bird as a familiar, but I wouldn't know about.
I'm honestly still on the fence between using a hawk or a falcon, so I could go any way at this point.
(Also, I totally agree with your wannabe hobbies. Falconry looks amazing, and smithing is super fun, not to mention makes great gifts. If only it weren't so darn expensive....)
As for the feat, I misread the description. For some reason, I thought that Shift was a (Sp) ability, not a (Su) power. I really blanked there. (According to an FAQ, spell-like abilities can be used as a spellcasting prerequisite.) I'll swap that out.
Out of curiosity, though, would, once I got Dimensional Agility by being able to cast Dimension Door, would it apply to Shift as well, or would it stay unaffected?
Thanks
With a 17, you get 1 L4 follower. So, question would be, is this allowed to have a L4 follower, when our cohort is only L5? If so, what would equipment rules be?
It's important to note, from the description of leadership, that followers aren't your loyal/devoted servants the way cohorts are. They'll follow you, and help you, but they won't follow you into danger as readily as a cohort would, and they're designed to be small assistants who have their own lives/jobs but help when asked nicely, as opposed to the cohort who's at your beck and call all the time. So a higher-level follower might be better at smithing, hunting for food on the trail, etc., but the bump to their stats won't matter hugely at this point.
* * *
I do agree, I did think it was odd that Paizo suggested re-skinning a hawk, of all things, to use as a base for a falcon, but that's what the book said, so.... In any case, would you suggest using the peregrine as a familiar, or would it just cause too many problems with the nobility? This is the sort of thing that Sylvia would know, having grown up in Brevoy and knowing the general stance for having a 'noble' bird as a familiar, but I wouldn't know about.
I'm honestly still on the fence between using a hawk or a falcon, so I could go any way at this point.
As a biologist... hawks and falcons are pretty similar in size and hunting patterns (Whereas owls and eagles would be more similar to each other)—we're not talking genes here, just combat ability.
As for falconry, a peregrine falcon is both expensive and tinged with nobility. If your character *is* an aspiring nobleman or bastard from a major house, carrying a peregrine falcon might be making a bit of a statement, at the GM's discretion (to anyone with quite a few ranks in Know (nobility))—but otherwise, you might want to consider a Goshawk or Lanner/Saker Falcon (the latter two being far more eastern-european than a peregrine, appropriate for a knight, and far better hunting in forests/plains than the peregrine, which is a city/hills hunter)
Ok I can do that. I will get to work on that after I get back from my birthday movie.
I do agree, I did think it was odd that Paizo suggested re-skinning a hawk, of all things, to use as a base for a falcon, but that's what the book said, so.... In any case, would you suggest using the peregrine as a familiar, or would it just cause too many problems with the nobility? This is the sort of thing that Sylvia would know, having grown up in Brevoy and knowing the general stance for having a 'noble' bird as a familiar, but I wouldn't know about.
I'm honestly still on the fence between using a hawk or a falcon, so I could go any way at this point.As a biologist... hawks and falcons are pretty similar in size and hunting patterns (Whereas owls and eagles would be more similar to each other)—we're not talking genes here, just combat ability.
As for falconry, a peregrine falcon is both expensive and tinged with nobility. If your character *is* an aspiring nobleman or bastard from a major house, carrying a peregrine falcon might be making a bit of a statement, at the GM's discretion (to anyone with quite a few ranks in Know (nobility))—but otherwise, you might want to consider a Goshawk or Lanner/Saker Falcon (the latter two being far more eastern-european than a peregrine, appropriate for a knight, and far better hunting in forests/plains than the peregrine, which is a city/hills hunter)
The way I have my story set up, Darivan, my main PC, was noble-born, and Sylvia, his cohort, is the one with the familiar.
In any case, I totally agree. Biologically, falcons and hawks are similar. The problem is, the stat blocks are more attuned to their combat prowess, and falcons and hawks are far from the same combat-wise.In any case, I'm still deciding the exact bird that I'll use. I definitely want a flier, and I do think I'll find something that uses the hawk stats. Lanner falcon, eh? I'll look into that.
Alright. I've finally decided to submit a human barbarian. And the time to really hone it.
I'm taking myself out of the running for character submission. It has been a true labor of love making my human barbarian. I'm just stymed by the amount work I put into him, and then to create his cohort with equal measure, then create an elaborate backstory for them all. This must be the holidays talking, but I'm tired. Good luck to all submitting candidates!
Waskally - you have three weeks to finish. Take a week or so off / away, and come back to it. :)
Ok, another question (sorry, but too many things to consider here):
...
Special: This feat can be taken more than once, but at most once per 5 fighter levels.Special: Fighters that have the weapon master archetype can select this feat beginning at 4th level. The benefits of a weapon master's advanced weapon training options apply only to his selected weapon rather than all weapons in the same fighter weapon group, and he can't select the weapon specialist advanced weapon training option. A weapon master can select this feat as a bonus feat; if he does so, it doesn't count for the purpose of the requirement that it can be taken at most once per 5 fighter levels.
...
If I am a Weapon Master, does that mean that:
a) I can select this feat multiple times, ignoring the "1 per 5 levels" requirement, if I use a bonus feat slot? (That would mean selections at every even level from 4th onwards).
b) Apart from the above (a), I can also select this feat with my normal feat slots, 1/5 levels? (Thay would mean selections at 4th, 10th, 15th and 20th).
I'm inclined towards a)=yes and b)=no, but I thought it was important to ask since if b)=yes I'd have to think about it and if a)=no then probably this is not my archetype.
Thank you!
I don't know if the GM would want to actually use this, especially considering its another subsytem to learn and/or keep track of, however using the Fame table as at least a general guideline for our PCs might not be a bad idea.
Much like Leadership, Fame is your character level plus Cha mod. So, base of 9.
Look through the table, and pick out a few relevant and reasonable fame events that you could weave into your backstory.
Obviously, things like confirming two crits, or gaining a PC level make no sense, but consecrating a temple to your deity(or at least helping) or receiving a medal(and the story behind that) definitely would work as really interesting background elements.
This applies to everyone. I have used the Fame, Prestige, and Honor rules, so I'm reasonably familiar with them and their potential effects, both short- and long-term. Fame, from what I can tell, is baseline public Prestige. Join a Faction like the Pathfinder society - which, for those of you who are thinking of joining them, do not have a good reputation in the River Kingdoms - and you get additional ways to gain and spend Prestige.
AFAIK, the previous game only had one person who really would have possessed membership in a Faction. I am willing to open the floor to a vote on the use of the two rulesets - Fame/Prestige being one, Honor being the other. Please indicate your preference in the appropriate column of the tracking sheet. If you haven't put yourself on the sheet, you need to (and link your characters). Vote only under your primary character, please.
Also, I would strongly suggest crafting a ten minute background to help come up with various important points, themes, and hooks for your PC.
To be totally honest, while the 10-Minute Background is okay, it honestly serves best as a baseline to work from. You may not HAVE 'secrets', or a contact/opponent that would work for your character. I personally prefer a more prose background, but as I said, the 10-minute serves well as a baseline to build your actual one from.
Will do! (I'm not fully maxing out what a fighter can do, but certainly getting a lot of flexibility. If the other Swordlord is a few levels lower, that means he can also watch me for inspiration, which is cool)
And backstories where people are famous are the fun ones! Right now I've got "... recently won a duel against a Numerian tinkerer at court, drawing his sword fast enough to block a bullet from a mysterious contraption—an exhibition that eventually earned him a great deal of praise from the Swordlords, and a single second of laughter from the king..."
Careful what you write into your background. Make sure your character could actually do it.
... would appreciate any insight you might give us from your side The Wyrm Ouroboros.
'The' is a common, not proper, article in this case; it is only capitalized if at the start of a sentence, as standard. Also, if speaking to me (per se), use either 'Wyrm', 'Ouroboros', or 'Ouro'; 'TWO' is also appropriate as an acronym. (Also, punctuation note - if addressing someone, put a comma after the word before their name, so the above would, for example, read "... from your side, Wyrm.")
*** Church of Abadar stuff ***
It is recommended, before you start deciding what something not-your-character is like, to consult the GM.
*long look*
I will consider myself asked.
Because of the truly massive number of other very, very active faiths in Golarion in general, and in Avistan in specific, means that the Church of Abadar is never going to be able to hold quite the position that the Catholic Church did before the Protestant movement began. Reading the Wiki entry (I'll read the Faiths of Balance section a little later) strongly suggests that the Church is more like Saberhagen's Blue Temple - they never give money away, only make loans at 'reasonable interest'. (Which strongly suggests that money only really comes in - it only 'goes out' in order to bring back a few friends, i.e. interest.) They do not give out healing unless it is specifically for the public good; I'd interpret this as being something along the lines of helping to treat a plague, but not helping with anything less significant. In essence, while they'd lend a city the money to build a sewer to help with public health, they wouldn't GIVE the city the money - or build the sewer themselves. While this is not unlike the Catholic church on a grand scale, it is somewhat unlike them on a local scale. (It doesn't help that Abadar is LN, and thus can have, and doesn't particularly mind, LE followers.) Add into this the fact that the Church is not a unified thing, but focuses specifically on things at the local / regional / national levels, and you have something of a ... problem, shall we say, for your theories?
What it means is that your character does not, and will not until you establish and run your own local Bank Church of Abadar, represent the Church of Abadar. Unless you decide your character has borrowed money from the Church, they do not represent an investigation by 'the Church', or investment thereby; you will be an individual or group working towards the glory of their god, not the power of their Church. In short, you will be playing your characters, not 'my character with a powerful backer.' (Subtle difference, but important in the long run.) However, getting together with each other might prove to be a strong unification / group concept - something to the effect of:
"Well, we met at a meeting of several Bankers up in New Stetven a couple years ago, and the four of us had been considering the issues of the Stolen Lands ourselves, and so (your Majesty) we'd like to take part in your colonizing expedition as representatives of Abadar, looking to establish trade, law, and the general order of civilization within the Stolen Lands. If you permit it, we'd like to eventually establish a Church within your capital, and help foster trade between your new nation, Brevoy, and the River Kingdoms."
Everyone: Unless we play with the Prestige / Faction rules, and probably not even then, no matter your Faction or who your god is, you are entering into this under your own recognizance. Nobody except the other PCs are going to bail you out if you screw up; you have no hammer to use to threaten the other PCs into seeing things your own way.
So don't be a Richard.
As a bonus, however, if the two/three/more of you DO decide to get together as an 'Abadar contingent', I will consider you to not need an a big gonzo reputation as 'Good Guys Adventuring Party, LLC'; you'll get a pass on that, as you can, for the nonce, lean on your god's reputation.
Ah! I think I got a little confused on just what was being looked for here, and I'd be totally fine altering and reworking my concepts based on that. I'll take a look at what I can find on Chalm and come back here with some changes, and hopefully more full builds.
Pretty much what it says in the non-spoilered part of the first post. I'll extract:
... thereby does call for a body of reputable and experienced explorers and adventurers of acceptable social standing ...
... should they be of honourable estate, they shall receive patents of nobility from His hand as appropriate to their labours and station, and shall partake of the kingdom's largesse in proportion to the labour and effort with which they shall invest it.
SHOULD YOU PERCHANCE be of a company of venturers of reputation and honor ...
You'll find more about Chalm in his entry on the campaign info page; Chalm at least appears to be a far more stand-up guy than his cousin.
Okay, I've got a backup plan for the Bonded Mind feat. It's closer to my first idea, which was a bit more complex, but I think I can streamline it....
(Though, I will say that the reason I had the idea for the whole overlapping-souls thing actually came from Distant Shores, where it said that The Iridian Fold was actually a method in which two souls would merge to become one, in two bodies.)
Let me clarify - I don't mind the feat. Bonded Mind itself does not insist that the people are soul- or mind-linked, only that they're so used to each other that even the most subtle clues of expression and body attitude allow you to pass simple messages that can't be overheard. It's essentially a super-fast non-verbal version of the 'Secret Messages' usage of the Bluff skill. What I said was that I highly, highly recommend against (but do not forbid) the explanation above - overlapping souls. You can use the explanation, but you must consider yourself forewarned, and thus lose the right to OOCly b!tch about me gleefully abusing you.
I do agree, I did think it was odd that Paizo suggested re-skinning a hawk, of all things, to use as a base for a falcon, but that's what the book said, so.... In any case, would you suggest using the peregrine as a familiar, or would it just cause too many problems with the nobility? This is the sort of thing that Sylvia would know, having grown up in Brevoy and knowing the general stance for having a 'noble' bird as a familiar, but I wouldn't know about.
I'm honestly still on the fence between using a hawk or a falcon, so I could go any way at this point.
(Also, I totally agree with your wannabe hobbies. Falconry looks amazing, and smithing is super fun, not to mention makes great gifts. If only it weren't so darn expensive....)
(Hardest part of smithing is finding a decent used anvil.)
A familiar is a familiar; IMO, ICly you don't summon 'a peregrine falcon' to be your familiar, or some other specific thing, you summon a familiar, and what shows up the first time is what your familiar will likely be for quite some time. (Meaning at least 1 level, and probably more; you can't just dismiss the familiar and summon another one the next day, hoping you'll get 'something better'. Yes, oOCly you decide, but ICly you don't.)
Politically/socially it might cause something of an uproar, but ... were you really going to walk in with a razor-clawed needle-beaked predator on your shoulder? (Can your ear really hold up to those 'playful nips'?) Unless a familiar can hide beneath their robe, in their pocket, or slip in as being a common animal in that environment (e.g. a dog or cat in this sort of a social situation), most wizards would not be able to (or, quite possibly, be allowed to) bring their familiar with them.
Effectively, use the Hawk stats. Whether it's a red-tailed hawk (technically a buzzard, Buteo jamaicensis), a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), northern harrier hawk (Circus cyaneus), or whatever, it'll use the same stats. It's up to you what you want it to actually be; having such an incredibly-well-trained peregrine may, after all, boost your social standing more than it might depress it.
And no, I don't entirely parse Herutelthoron, though I've used Sindarin, Quenya, and others in the past. Yes, slicing into my bookmarked Sindarin bookmarks, it looks like 'Lord Elf Eagle'. :P :)
As for the (Dimensional Agility) feat, I misread the description. For some reason, I thought that Shift was a (Sp) ability, not a (Su) power. I really blanked there. (According to an FAQ, spell-like abilities can be used as a spellcasting prerequisite.) I'll swap that out.
Out of curiosity, though, would, once I got Dimensional Agility by being able to cast Dimension Door, would it apply to Shift as well, or would it stay unaffected?
'Shift' ... not being the Abundant Step class feature, okay. Let me take a look, here ... (The Wyrm has to hunt. This is why he likes abilities and such to be described in the character.)
*reads* ... right, Shift does not fulfill the prerequisites for Dimensional Agility.
In regards to whether or not the feat (once acquired) would apply, since shift is a (Su) ability and takes only a swift action, you effectively already have Dimensional Agility with it; AFAIK (and y'all correct me if I'm wrong), one can both a) use a Swift Action ability and a Full Round ability in a round, and b) use a (Su) ability and cast a spell in the same round. Can't cast two Quickened spells, but Shift (Su) isn't spellcasting, is it? Which, IMO, is the point of it being (Su) instead of (Sp) ...
1) I'm toying around with a Charisma-based character (specifically an Overwhelming Soul Aether-kineticist)
Sorry, doesn't look like you caught this.
No Psychics - races, classes, feats, anything.
So your Overwhelming Soul Aether-kineticist is not an allowed class. However, since the rest of your questions are appropriate ...
... and I'm finding it not terribly difficult at all to get to a 17 leadership score (17 base cha +2 racial +1 4th-level-increase +2 headband = 22 cha or +6 bonus; level 7 + 6 cha bonus + 3 leadership bonuses +1 for natural-born leader trait = 17 leadership score), but you only gave info for up to L3 followers. With a 17, you get 1 L4 follower. So, question would be, is this allowed to have a L4 follower, when our cohort is only L5? If so, what would equipment rules be?
I did mention that followers are a cut above standard, right? :) At least equipment-wise. A 4th-level character (cohort or follower) would have the following moneystuff:
Gold:
. L4: 6,000 gp
. . 1 magic up to 2,000 gp
. . 1 magic up to 1,000 gp
. . 3 magic up to 250 gp
. . 1 wand maximum, including healing.
. . 3 potion/scroll maximum, +3 healing potions/scrolls
. Unspent GP: as PC, but 90 gp break point.
It's important to note, from the description of leadership, that followers aren't your loyal/devoted servants the way cohorts are. They'll follow you, and help you, but they won't follow you into danger as readily as a cohort would, and they're designed to be small assistants who have their own lives/jobs but help when asked nicely, as opposed to the cohort who's at your beck and call all the time. So a higher-level follower might be better at smithing, hunting for food on the trail, etc., but the bump to their stats won't matter hugely at this point.
15 goes to 16, after all.
While the above is good advice, and while a follower isn't your Trusty Right-Hand Shieldman, they are much more than just 'small assistants who have their own lives/jobs but help when asked nicely'. Your followers are your cheerleaders, your farmers, your guardsmen, your accountants. They are your wainwrights and carpenters and stonemasons. They are your sages and mages, your advisors and spies. They aren't all each those things, of course, but the difference between the merchant in stall A and the merchant in stall B (who is your follower) is that your follower is not going to have to be bribed to give you what you need, is going to give you MORE than what you need, will always have a starting attitude of Friendly (and that's only if you've leaned on them too hard lately) if not Helpful. Presuming you treat them well (and we presume you do, hence 'fairness and generosity'), on the 'Make Request' table, you get an automatic +5 bonus to your Diplomacy, i.e. they'll reveal unimportant secrets and give lengthy/complicated aid without you needing to make a check, will give dangerous aid or secret knowledge with a Diplomacy (DC 5) rolls, or give aid that could result in punishment on a Diplomacy (DC 10) roll.
Followers ain't goin' dungeon-delving with you, 'cause let's face it you have to be crazy to do that sh!t, but if it's their job to do so, they WILL put their life on the line for you and get into their armor, pick up their sword or bow, strap on their shield or buckler, and step up to the battle line.
2) How quickly into the campaign can we expect to go Mythic? Will we be starting at Tier 1? I've never played Mythic before, but I've read that normally on average tier = level / 2, so I wasn't sure how that would work for entering Mythic at a later level.
At the end of the first adventure, you will be L8/T1 - Mythic Tier 1. I expect you to increase by 1 tier per 2 levels until about L14, after which I intend to accelerate the pace to 1:1. You should hit L20 and T10 simultaneously, though it may not quite work out that way.
3) With your Mythic Leadership feat, you are allowed to have a cohort equal to your level. How will this work with our existing cohorts? Will they automatically gain 2 levels to bring them up to equal with us when we take that feat?
This is one of the things I'd have to play around with. My initial intent is for their level to increase at an accelerated rate - essentially, for them to catch up to you after two or three levels. However, since I'm still finalizing when you can take Mythic Leadership, not to mention whether or not the feat kicks your cohort up to your level, or to Level - 1, I'd relax for a while.
For Everyone, In Regards To WbL and Magic Stuff:
My baseline rule for magic is 1 item up to 1/3 your WbL, 1 item up to 1/6 your WbL, and anything up to 1/12 your WbL. (L5 Cohorts got slightly stiffed on how high they could go, but made up for it on the 3x of the second rank. That'll balance out next level.) Followers are more clipped, in that their 'magic item' allowance doesn't really start kicking in until 3rd or so, their 'any' level is (and will remain) half standard, and their wands/potions/scrolls limits are reduced, but hey - they're still receiving significantly more than standard NPCs (and proportions will only increase as they go along).
This 1/3, 1/6, 1/12 proportion will hold true - but your estimated WbL is not going to remain equivalent to standard 3.5/Paizo. Being Mythic means you acquire/receive Mythic items ... and, for all intents and purposes, Mythic Wealth. (So do not despair that your Gizmo of Amazing Capabilities is less amazing than it should be at your level; that will soon chanage.) As a result, however, I imagine you will want to combine magic items; this is something you will need to discuss/ask about in regards to each item, for both permission and pricing. (In general, I will say 'yes'.)
Ok, another question (sorry, but too many things to consider here):Special: This feat can be taken more than once, but at most once per 5 fighter levels.
Special: Fighters that have the weapon master archetype can select this feat beginning at 4th level. The benefits of a weapon master's advanced weapon training options apply only to his selected weapon rather than all weapons in the same fighter weapon group, and he can't select the weapon specialist advanced weapon training option. A weapon master can select this feat as a bonus feat; if he does so, it doesn't count for the purpose of the requirement that it can be taken at most once per 5 fighter levels.
If I am a Weapon Master, does that mean that:
a) I can select this feat multiple times, ignoring the "1 per 5 levels" requirement, if I use a bonus feat slot? (That would mean selections at every even level from 4th onwards).
b) Apart from the above (a), I can also select this feat with my normal feat slots, 1/5 levels? (Thay would mean selections at 4th, 10th, 15th and 20th).
I'm inclined towards a)=yes and b)=no, but I thought it was important to ask since if b)=yes I'd have to think about it and if a)=no then probably this is not my archetype.
I would say that since it is a combat feat, you may select this feat with both standard as well as bonus feats - therefore if you really, really want to blow out your Advanced Weapon Training, you can throw everything at it from L4 onwards. However, a number of options (Combat Competence is one, Trained Throw another) are de facto not available (nor, of course, is Weapon Specialist for a Weapon Master), and all the others are applying exclusively to your single selected weapon. So by spending all your feats and fighter bonus feats on them, you can get all of them by L20. (Note that Versatile Training could only be acquired once, gaining the two skills from the weapon group that your chosen weapon belongs to - though I would definitely have to give thought as to whether if, should it belong to multiple groups, you could acquire that option the two allowed times, once for each group (or two of the groups) the weapon belongs to.
Thank you for the answer! I was just planning on picking 2 or 3 options, anyway.
Sorry, I had been thinking that Psychic was "person who casts psychic spells" rather than "anything in occult adventures", so I thought kineticist was OK. No worries, I was torn between that and a Zen Archer monk / Inquisitor, so you just made that decision easier!
Thanks for the detailed answers, that helps a lot.
*** Draconic Knowledge ***
Thank you for the insight, Ouroboros. I will take this as an opportunity to improve my writing capabilities.
I am currently working my way through the rest of the thread to further educate myself on what has transpired within it so far. With that in mind, I'll type up a more intricate post once I've finished and taken a moment to think things through a bit more.
Careful what you write into your background. Make sure your character could actually do it.
Absolutely! Cut from the Air lets you deflect (with some luck) arrows, bullets, and bombs, but not lasers. Deflect Arrows lets you deflect lasers as well, but not ray spells (which CftA does when you finish the feat chain). There's some fun Numeria threads out there debating the best way to protect yourself from ranged attacks as a melee character.
* * *
I did mention that followers are a cut above standard, right?
And it looks like I missed the full impact of this. Guess turbo cohort makes turbo followers more expected.
Let me clarify - I don't mind the feat. Bonded Mind itself does not insist that the people are soul- or mind-linked, only that they're so used to each other that even the most subtle clues of expression and body attitude allow you to pass simple messages that can't be overheard. It's essentially a super-fast non-verbal version of the 'Secret Messages' usage of the Bluff skill. What I said was that I highly, highly recommend against (but do not forbid) the explanation above - overlapping souls. You can use the explanation, but you must consider yourself forewarned, and thus lose the right to OOCly b!tch about me gleefully abusing you.
I feel "GM doesn't recommend it" can translate fairly well to (in my book, anyway) "should not do".
**Familiar Stuff**
Okay, given all of this, I think I will go with the peregrine after all.
Also, Herutelthoron can be *roughly* translated (It was incredibly hard to find a word that could directly translate to "of the," so I had to approximate) to "Lord of the Eagles," which is the name of the leader of the convocation that saved Bilbo and the dwarves midway through The Hobbit. It was a multi-layered (and tricky to translate, sorry about that) reference, and I tip my hat to you for getting so close.'Shift' ... not being the Abundant Step class feature, okay. Let me take a look, here ... (The Wyrm has to hunt. This is why he likes abilities and such to be described in the character.)
*reads* ... right, Shift does not fulfill the prerequisites for Dimensional Agility.
In regards to whether or not the feat (once acquired) would apply, since shift is a (Su) ability and takes only a swift action, you effectively already have Dimensional Agility with it; AFAIK (and y'all correct me if I'm wrong), one can both a) use a Swift Action ability and a Full Round ability in a round, and b) use a (Su) ability and cast a spell in the same round. Can't cast two Quickened spells, but Shift (Su) isn't spellcasting, is it? Which, IMO, is the point of it being (Su) instead of (Sp) ...
If this is the way you're ruling that, awesome. I just always assumed that, as the ability was modeled off of dimension door, that would include the "no further actions this round" portion of the spell, but I'm quite happy with your ruling.
(The Wyrm has to hunt. This is why he likes abilities and such to be described in the character.)
*Nervous laughter* Fixing that now. Sorry about that. Don't hunt me! ;)
Also, Herutelthoron can be *roughly* translated (It was incredibly hard to find a word that could directly translate to "of the," so I had to approximate) to "Lord of the Eagles," which is the name of the leader of the convocation that saved Bilbo and the dwarves midway through The Hobbit. It was a multi-layered (and tricky to translate, sorry about that) reference, and I tip my hat to you for getting so close.
Thorondor means "Lord of the Eagles" in Sindarin (Sorontor in Quenya). He was the King of the Eagles in the First Age of Middle-Earth. Understandable though if you don't want to just re-use a name. If you are going for an authentic Tolkien Elvish word, and if you want to use heru I'd recommend something like Herusoron so you aren't mixing Sindarin and Quenya together.
Is this still going?
... yes, yes it is. Are you wanting to jump back in with Dagit? (Note that you get a couple of extras, as well as a couple of restrictions, like 'really need to spend most of your money'.)
Cut from the Air lets you deflect (with some luck) arrows, bullets, and bombs, but not lasers.
Fair deal. As a character background note specific to you, you do not want to be 'oh, well, this would be my first adventure/venture into the dangerous world as a blind swordsman'; ICly, that wouldn't get you selected. Think of it as perhaps having been blinded around 3rd or 4th level, retraining then, and going into enough dangers since then to have a) gained 3-4 levels and b) proven that your skill isn't a fluke.
I did mention that followers are a cut above standard, right?And it looks like I missed the full impact of this. Guess turbo cohort makes turbo followers more expected.
Well, it's the money for the followers, really; they don't get standard NPC cash, or even Heroic NPC cash; they're getting full-blown PC cash levels. It makes them better equipped (which they should be), but they're still running Standard NPC attributes, etc.
By the by, for everyone - if you go over 5 followers of any particular level, the restriction on the number of Followers with PC levels (currently pretty much only enforced for 1st level) kicks in - only 1/3 of your followers of any particular level may have PC class levels. It basically becomes a good idea to only develop the first 2 as having PC classes until you get 8+.
I feel "GM doesn't recommend it" can translate fairly well to (in my book, anyway) "should not do".
Depends on how masochistic you are - and/or how important that concept is to your character. I personally have received just the sort of warnings I've given out, gone with it anyhow, and had the time of my life with the hell the GM put my character through. Disadvantages are, after all, not just disadvantages; they're ways for the GM to sink you deeply into the game world.
*** stuff about Shift ***
Shift is basically a peculiar/unique movement ability; since your max movement at 20th level is 50' as a swift action, it's a limited number of times a day (which number isn't going to increase drastically over the lifespan of the character) and right now it's at what, 15'? Interpreting it in this manner is not, IMO, game-breaking; my key reaction, really is twofold. One, 'as if' is not 'is' (pedantic, I know, b!tchslap myself *swack!*). Two, what I want to break up is the capability to progress on to Dimensional Assault / Dervish / Savant, the latter two of which are the serious butt-kickers. Yadda yadda, go to.
Sindarin and stuff!!
Even so.
With Gwaihir being the eagle that saves Gandalf from Saruman, and later carries him to rescue Frodo and Samwise at Mount Doom (and he saying that Gwaihir had now carried him twice), it is open for debate whether or not he is the same 'Lord of the Eagles' that rescues Bilbo et. al. from the wargs and orcs in 'The Hobbit'; I tend to think that it is, and that it was simply writer's error. OTOH, it may have been Gwaihir's predecessor, 'Lord of the Eagles' being a title of sorts.
That title, however, would have been the name of the first 'Lord of the Eagles', namely Thorondor (from Sindarin, thoron, 'eagle', and -taur, 'lord', which d/evolved to -dor, therefore lit. 'Eagle Lord'). While Tolkein's languages are wonderful and complex, when you're going for a name you want to get a bit, well, primitive. Eliminate articles and prepositions; switch the word order around in order to let it still make sense. (You can also do some whacking at it; language is flexible, even Tolkein's.)
Still, if you're looking for 'Lord of the Eagles', you'd probably want to use Thorondor straight out, or possibly Thoronrî if you're looking for 'Eagle Queen', if the falcon's a female. (With falcons, as with most natural critters, the female is the larger of the species.)
Is this still going?
... yes, yes it is. Are you wanting to jump back in with Dagit? (Note that you get a couple of extras, as well as a couple of restrictions, like 'really need to spend most of your money'.) :)
I really like the flavor of this trait for the Oracle. It would have been a mark that she got from her time with the Fey critters and be a possible clue. Would that be ok?
Sure.
Fair deal. As a character background note specific to you, you do not want to be 'oh, well, this would be my first adventure/venture into the dangerous world as a blind swordsman'; ICly, that wouldn't get you selected. Think of it as perhaps having been blinded around 3rd or 4th level, retraining then, and going into enough dangers since then to have a) gained 3-4 levels and b) proven that your skill isn't a fluke.
Oh! No, that was one of the other swordsman. Mine is the "trying to learn Baron Aldori's secret technique of blocking spells with a sword, but right now can only do arrows and bullets" guy. I should really finish writing all the stuff.
Ah, right, fair enough. (All you Aldori Swordlord sorts - hard to keep track of you all. ;) )
Good Morning! (here, I guess it's late evening there).
This is Jereru, presenting my leader character. I would like you to have a look at the fluff (spoilers after Gear) and check what things you think I need to change. Character is still under construction (equipment to buy, cohort to build, etc.).
Also, I'm quite new with the scaling items thing. I bought a scaling dueling sword, I have figured out that the price should be:
·7050 because that's the price of a scaling wonder item at level 7,
·300 for a masterwork weapon,
·20 which is the base price of the dueling sword.
For a total of 7370, right?
And then, do I get to choose how the sword improves as I level up, or do I need to set it in advance?
In general, the abilities of scaling items need to be set in advance. While I won't require that amount of effort to be put into the blade for an application, presuming you get in I will need to know at the very least how you would like / foresee the blade evolving - there being an 'evolution' every 3-4 levels, potentially involving mythic capacities as well. As GM, of course, I reserve the right to throw things into the mix which I think will make your life interesting*; we never get exactly what we want in exactly the way we want it ... ;)
The pricing is incorrect, however; 7050 is the price. As long as the weapon's standard pricing comes in at or under that value, then that's the value, so ... let's call it the 'Dueling Sword of the Twelve Masters', one of the twelve swords Aldori gave to his finest students. This might start out in your hand as a '+1 adamantine aldori dueling sword', the standard cost of which is 5,020 gp. However, because it's a scaling weapon, you're paying 7,050 gp, and you can expect another attribute or ability of the weapon (granting you, say, the 'Improved Disarm' feat if you don't have it, or a +2 to your CMB for the maneuver if you do) to activate within two to four levels. The 'gold value' of the weapon will scale up, always being worth approximately 30% of your wealth-by-level, but when that value 'crests' over the weapon's cost at a certain point, you gain the ability that's valued then.
Alternately, if it's a standard-enchanted-steel weapon, its base value is 2,320gp, originally acquireable by you at 5th level - which means you might be able to expect it to manifest a new ability (any +1 weapon ability, in essence) that values the weapon at or under 9,900gp the next time you gain a level.
TL;DR - 7050gp is the cost, not 7370.
* - In the 'Serenity' definition of the word - 'Oh god, oh god, we're all going to die.'
Is there anything more you require from Legacy players Wyrm?
7050, that is.
Since I believe once you add a special property you cannot remove it afterwards (i.e. no saying it's adamantine now and removing the adamantine property next level just to fit the price for a +2 enchantment), I'll keep it at +1 and try to provide at least some guidelines of its advancement.
As for the other thing, we're all going to die sooner or later, let's make it fun at least ;)
Even if you could remove properties afterwards, since adamantine is not so much a property but the actual material the sword is made of, I am assuming you would not be able to do that anyway.
Will you be capping followers like the leadership chart does or will you be expanding upon it?
I am looking into this but I got a couple questions,
A, where can I find story feats and do I really need to take one? I don't even know what these are (never was a big one for supplements myself).
B, in the 3.5 dmg there is an example witch spell list. Could I use that spell list with an otherwise standard sorcerer? Fits the the bg I currently have in mind better and I never liked the PF witch (which isn't allowed anyway, though since I don't know why, I don't know if a better witchy spell list would be bad).
Anyway, I figure on using the noble house Devilbane I created previously, but in this case a member of one of the branch families that doesn't get much, thus runs a mercenary/militia company of outcasts that aims to demostrate that not all individuals of certain races are evil (such as orcs, kobalds, etc. Tieflings of course because they are a major part of Devilbane history). The main character using her name and influence to get opportunities for her company to do good work and build a reputation of being honorable despite being a company with several traditionally outcast races.
The main pc seeing this as a chance to get all that should have come with her name as well as furthering the goal of her company.
Hi Wyrm, this is the half-elf treesinger druid I (deviousdevious) have been working on.
For story, I'm thinking I'd be a druid from a circle in either the Narlmarches -- or maybe the Thousand Voices -- who would have a vested interest in the elimination of banditry in the region via the desired 'update' to the sixth freedom, especially with so many raiding groups using the forests as hideouts.
Does this sound like something that would work and I could/should expand on? I'd be focused on melee via wildshape, and thematically be very 'resilient'. My cohort would probably be another druid or a ranger, but maybe more magic focused, or along the vein of a nature oracle. Regarding Mythic, I'd prefer to go Hierophant. Any thoughts?
I am looking into this but I got a couple questions,
A, where can I find story feats and do I really need to take one? I don't even know what these are (never was a big one for supplements myself).
Should Animal companions have max HP?
Should Animal companions have max HP?
This link will lead you to the post that I pulled the following quote from.
Animal companions, special mounts, familiars, etc. are equipped out of your gold, just like normal; buying gear that happens to be for them counts in regards to your magic items, so be careful there. They get max HP, but they are otherwise standard examples of creatures of their type. Remember that if you have an animal companion/etc., you take a hit to your Cohort Leadership Score, and if that dips low enough, your cohort may not be 5th level.
Should Animal companions have max HP?This link will lead you to the post that I pulled the following quote from.
Animal companions, special mounts, familiars, etc. are equipped out of your gold, just like normal; buying gear that happens to be for them counts in regards to your magic items, so be careful there. They get max HP, but they are otherwise standard examples of creatures of their type. Remember that if you have an animal companion/etc., you take a hit to your Cohort Leadership Score, and if that dips low enough, your cohort may not be 5th level.
Thanks man, I must have kept missing that tab.
Thanks man, I must have kept missing that tab.
Sure thing, there is a lot there.
Would the various nature themed characters like to have ties to each other?
Even if we don't land in the same group(assuming we're all chosen), Wyrm said having connections to the various players would be important, and I figure us nature folk having some history with each is a good start.
Btw, my cohort will be my sister, and a druid. Was thinking nature shaman, but I like her having wildshape.
Would the various nature themed characters like to have ties to each other?
A good point. Probably dependent on exactly 'where' we come from, but even still, I'd imagine we'd be at least predisposed towards each other, if not straight up aware of each other.
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With Draco his followers will be bards/artists. Essentially he is a traveling circus. His cohort will be a rouge arcane trickster. He will be looking for new lore and land to become famous and of course he will be the group's entertainment. In all honesty however, they are a network of sneaks and spys. Now Draco will be Chaotic Good, mostly because he tends to bend laws to his favor.
Remember that the Amulet of Mighty Fists does not need a bonus to grant weapon abilities; simply putting down the cost doesn't clue us (specifically me) in to what it does. Be specific; the GM loves specific, because it helps him understand what you're doing with your character.
That's the base price for just a +1 bonus. No other enchantments.
I forgot it can do that. Really not enough to justify its exorbitant price but it does affect three different attacks. So there's that.
I do not require the 'Fiendish Heritage' feat for alternate tiefling sources; you give up something to gain something else, just like every alternate tiefling ability. I also do not require you to roll for tiefling abilities; select three, and I will pick the one I feel is appropriate or interesting. Whether or not you go this route is up to you, but I did want to put it out there.
I was but wasn't sure I could take it at first. Because she doesn't know her heritage, I could pick what fits best mechanically. Div-spawn would have made Cha better and possibly saved me a few points. But I wanted my abilities to match the description. That she is still pretty despite the obvious signs of devil blood. So spending 5 points to hit the hard limit of 12 fits. Then I remembered archery is really strapped for feats. I'd have to give up rapid shot or deadly aim or take a few levels of ranger. I would like to be at least as relevant as the companion in combat.
I will do that. Changed to Asura-spawn. For abilities I picked the following three:
Once per day, you can use fog cloud as a spell-like ability. - Don't like Hideous Laughter so I'd like to change it.
You gain a +1 bonus on all Will saving throws. - Shore up some defense. What would this replace though?
You are aware of and can choose the result of any attempt to detect your alignment. - Sounds cool.
Maybe one of the at least 5 followers? :D
Or if someone just needs a horse?
I forgot about the +3 for Great Renown and Fairness/Generosity. Puts even my 12 Cha high enough for followers. Added a new section for leadership with followers and leadership score.
Also forgot story feats. Explorer was a no brainer for Lyda but Deneb was harder. Explorer fit two but I didn't want them being so redundant. Then I had an epiphany. Unforgotten. And better yet, they both complete their story feat with the same adventure. Win win. So both have updated character sheets to reflect story feats and leadership.
Would the various nature themed characters like to have ties to each other?
Even if we don't land in the same group(assuming we're all chosen), Wyrm said having connections to the various players would be important, and I figure us nature folk having some history with each is a good start.
Btw, my cohort will be my sister, and a druid. Was thinking nature shaman, but I like her having wildshape.
Mine are from east Gronzi forest, up near Stoneclimb.
I will do that. Changed to Asura-spawn. For abilities I picked the following three:
Once per day, you can use fog cloud as a spell-like ability. - Don't like Hideous Laughter so I'd like to change it.
You gain a +1 bonus on all Will saving throws. - Shore up some defense. What would this replace though?
You are aware of and can choose the result of any attempt to detect your alignment. - Sounds cool.
IIRC, each of these abilities replaces the racial SLA. So you get to pick *one* of them.
@thunderbeard:
TWO suggested Lyda pick 3, at which he'd pick one of the three for Lyda, preserving a bit of the suspense and random nature, but avoiding something totally useless RE: the build Zayne wants to play.
I do not require the 'Fiendish Heritage' feat for alternate tiefling sources; you give up something to gain something else, just like every alternate tiefling ability. I also do not require you to roll for tiefling abilities; select three, and I will pick the one I feel is appropriate or interesting. Whether or not you go this route is up to you, but I did want to put it out there.
I pick three and he picks one of those. ^Ninja'd
Variant Abilities and Physical Features: "The abilities and alternative physical features presented here replace the standard / default equivalent trait or feature."
What's the equivalent trait or feature for +1 Will. Doesn't say it replaces the SLA specifically.
What's the equivalent trait or feature for +1 Will. Doesn't say it replaces the SLA specifically.
Yes, it does. (I missed the bit about the GM picking one from a list of three, though, instead of the usual player picking).
In addition, you may roll on Table: Variant Tiefling Abilities three times and choose the most favorable ability.
The abilities presented here replace a tiefling’s darkness spell-like ability, with a caster level equals to its class level.