The Faceless GM's Irrisen: The Realm of Winter Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master kamenhero25

Ah, option paralysis, my old foe, we meet again. A feat, a revelation, and a first level spell to decide on. Prophetic Armor would give a slight AC boost that would get larger if I kept buffing Charisma. Gift of Claw and Horn would give me a natural attack that would get more powerful on its own, but I already have 2 of those, I don't know if I need another; I can't hit anything as is. Moonlit Script would give me a divination and fits the character thematically, but I'm not sure how useful lit would be. And that's just revelations. Decisions, decisions.

My path is a lot easier. I don't get a feat, I get Well-Read Virgin (AKA Bardic Knowledge).
I get +1d6 Sneak Attack! (DAMAGES!)
I get +1 v. Traps (Ref/AC)
+1 BAB and Bad Saves.
I get lots of skills...

And I get to pick one weapon to deal damage via dex with rather than strength. :)

So, really, all I have to do is make sure I really want the skills I've already been ranking up. And I think I do!

Also. GOLD STAR IS MINE. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Aaah 3rd level. When things finally start to get juicy. Luckily, I've done my homework in advance re:Rage Power (going with Celestial Totem!), but I'm completely lost over which Feat to pick.

The competition is between:

Extra Traits (Ulfen Weapon Training + ?)

Weapon Focus (a bit too narrow though, I'd probably switch to Greatsword sooner or later since Mythic Arcane Strike would allow me to imbue it with the Keen property – and there are some very nice Marshal Builds for critical hitters out there)

Celestial Obedience very flavourful, usefulness debatable

Skald's Vigour always a solid choice

Power Attack probably the only must-have Feat for 2-H builds, though for the time being I'd rather hit things reliably than hit them hard(er)

Well, at least if you went with Celestial Obedience you'll be able to summon a moose at level 12. Think of the possibilities!

Mouse Level 3!
Still not stolen.

Statistics and Class Features:

+9 hp (8 HD + 1 Con)
+1d6 sneak attack
+0 trapfinding
+1 Danger Sense (1 AC and Ref v. Traps, Perception v. Surprise)
+ Finesse Training (Dex instead of Strength for Elven Curveblade)
+1 Bab, CMB/CMD
+1 Fort, Will

Feats and Skills:

+Feat: Variant Multiclassing Bard I (Well-Read Virgin)
+12 skill ranks (8 class, 1 Int, 2 background, 1 Favored Class)
+1 rank to: Disable Device, Stealth, Acrobatics, Perception, Perform(Oratory), K(Dungeoneering, Local, History, Geography), Linguistics, Lore(Heroes) and Art(Stories)
+1 Language: Unknown (Common, Elven, Sylvan, Skald, and Read Lips already known)

Spells:

Not applicable.

ABP Unlock:

Resistance: +1 to all saves!

******

Now with 50% more Mouse!

I vote Skald's Vigour. It reinforces your low-level 'Doesn't Afraid', and leads into 'Nobody Afraids' later. Being able to use rage rounds to heal the team is like a poor man's healing hex... though that comes later. :)

Well, at least if you went with Celestial Obedience you'll be able to summon a moose at level 12. Think of the possibilities!

I hope by that time I'll have enough ranks in Handle Animal to persuade Ashen not to eat them on the spot...

Jokes aside, I'll probably pick Celestial Obedience sooner or later, but since its main benefits are going to materialize at higher levels, I'm probably going with later rather than sooner.

Skald's Vigour is also a must, as its Greater version is quite powerful – but it's also very useful right here and right now.

It's 3/day, so one moose for eating, one moose for riding, and one moose for other moose related activities.

I'm open to any suggestions on what to take next level as well

I'll look into Oracle and your curses and stuff in a bit: I'm not really familiar with a lot of the newer stuff! But I'll be happy to make suggestions on what I think's awesome/appropriate once I have time. Sooo many things to do right now. :)

Caught me at sleep time and now I am off to work. Will respond as soon as I am able...

Take your time. Once everyone is leveled up, we'll move on.

Alrighty, Lunar is one of the harder ones to pick things from. Animal companion is the clear choice for an early pick (which you did!).

The most powerful, and arguably coolest is Moonlight Bridge. Creating a wall of force that must have one anchor point touching the ground has a lot of possibilities beyond simply bridging gaps. Like... blocking cave entrances and tunnels. Moonlight Bridge is the reason my character would go Heavens Oracle, probably.

Moonlit Script and Eyes of the Moon are perhaps the most fitting. Eyes of the Moon is less good because of all the stipulations. Moonlit Script gets bonus points for being an exposition tool for the DM. Eyes of the Moon because 'All the better to see you with.' :) Though I also plan to give Mouse Trueseeing!

Prophetic Armor isn't a very good choice for Eirikr right now. Look at it as a feat: Currently it grants you literally nothing. At around level 5, he'll be gaining 2 AC and Reflexes (and nothing prior). If you never put bonuses into dex from here on, and put all of your available bonuses into Cha, you'll wind up with +9 AC and Reflexes (6 Cha ABP, 5 Cha Levels, 5 Cha Mythic). This doesn't include spending a mythic tier for 2 more charisma. It -will- become very good later, on par with some mythic abilities all on its own.

Form of the Beast and Gift of Claws and Horn will also provide some really nice options later. Remember, extra primary natural attacks stack up to give you solid damage options (Full strength mod and multiple attacks before it's normally possible. Extra attacks with a penalty and half strength on a full attack if you wield a weapon, too.) Form of the Beast to become a wolf later is just a given, if you ask me. :)

I don't like: Touch of the Moon, Mantle of Moonlight. The former because '3+cha/day' is just ugh to me. I'm firmly in the camp that blasty cantripy class features should be usable an infinite number of times per day. They're almost always considered somewhere between fluff and less-optimal than nearly all of the other options... yet are always thematically cool. Mantle of Moonlight is just too specific.

Thank you, that's very helpful.

Hmm...were I to take Moonlit Script, could we run it as Eirikr talking in his speak rather than writing in his sleep? I actually took a class on dreams in literature in grad school, so I think that could be fun to run with.

Also, Morgraine, I hope Eirikr asking you that was ok.

Nathara Level Up
Class: +1 level Magus (Spelldancer)
Hit Points: 27 (Δ +9: 8 Class Magus + 1 Con Bonus)
Saving Throws: Fort 3 | Ref 1 | Will 3 (Δ Ref +1)
Base Attack Bonus: +2 (Δ +1) ⇒ CMD 18, CMD +5, Melee Attack +5, Ranged Attack +5

New Class Feature: Magus Arcana (Familiar)

Changed Class Features
Spells per day: 5 cantrips, 3 level 1 (without bonus, Δ +1 level 1)
New Spells: Blade Lash, Lock Gaze
Arcane Pool: 5/day (no change)

New Feats: Weapon Focus (Longsord)*
New skills:
1 rank in every existing, except Linguistics, instead Climb
Regular Skills: +1 Acrobatics, +1 Climb, +1 Knowledge (Arcana), +1 Knowledge (The Planes), +1 Perform (Dance), +1 Spellcraft, +1 Stealth
Background Skills: +1 Craft (Clothes), +1 Knowledge (History)

________________________________
* Not so sure about the feat... you suggested a particular feat via PM which would make a whole lot of sense, but that would require me to be level 5.

Evelyn Level Up

Hit Points:
Now 30 (+10)

Saving Throws:
Fort Now +1

BAB:
Now +2

Class Features:
• Bold Stare: (Timidity) The hypnotic stare penalty also applies to damage rolls.

• Touch Treatment: (Minor) Fascinated, shaken.

Spells:
+1 Level 0
+1 Level 1

Feat:
NEED FEAT

Skills:
+1 to all trained skills

Do remember that everyone gets their first Automatic Bonus Progression boost here as well.

Patent pending

Statistics and Class Features:

+10 hp (8 HD + 1 CON + 1 Favoured Class)
+1 Bab, CMB/CMD
+1 Ref
+ Rage Power (lesser Celestial Totem)
+ Song of Marching

Feats and Skills:

+Feat: ?
+8 skill ranks (4 class, 2 Int, 2 background)
   +1 rank to: Diplomacy, Knowledge (Arcana, Planes, Religion), Perception, Spellcraft, Perform (Percussions, Sing)

Spells:
+1 1st level spell/day
New spells known: Cantrip (?), 1st level (?)

ABP Unlock:

Resistance: +1 to all saves

Still conflicted about which Feat and spells to pick. Skald's Vigour is nice, but if I go for Celestial Totem + Path of Glory it seems... redundant. As for cantrips, Sift would be interesting... if only anyone had figured how it works.

Celestial Totem + Path of Glory is slightly silly, but awesome.

I think Sift is supposed to let you make a perception check to search an area as a standard action, so it takes less time. Not sure though.

Statistics and Class Features:
+10 hp (8 HD + 2 Con)
+1 Bab, CMB/CMD
+1 Fort, Refl
+1 Revelation: ?

Feats and Skills:
+Feat: ?
+7 skill ranks (4 class, 2 background, 1 Favored Class)
+3 rank to: Intimidate
+2 rank to: Perform (Flute)
+1 rank to: Survival, Perception

Spells:
+1 1st Level Spell Known: Divine Favor
+1 1st Level Spell A Day

ABP Unlock:
Resistance: +1 to all saves

Haven't decided on feat or revelation yet. Also I reformatted my statblock so it's easier to read now. Would what I asked about Moonlit Script be ok?

@Eirikr - either it didn't accept my other advice, or I'm just not seeing it. When it comes to feats, I'd invest in things like Power Attack or Combat Expertise. Either can be a good choice that broadens your opportunities with Martial Flexibility. Power attack isn't a very good idea, except in longer fights, though, given that you have to nom someone before it's reasonable to use it.

@Tiferet - ALL GLORY TO SONG OF MARCHING!

Sift allows you to move things around without being next to it. Turning pages in a book, sliding a cup out of the way, pushing dirt and dust and the like. It's a very specialized mixture of prestidigitation and mage hand, IMO.

Normally, you'd be in melee range for this... so if you happen to spring a trap by moving the chalice that opens a trap door, sift allows you to discover that while -not- standing in the death-square. :)

I'm still interested in finding out what people would think would be a good language. It doesn't even have to be something we could have picked up. Maybe Mouse secretly knows how to speak Infernal, but it just hasn't come up. :)

An outsider language will probably come in handy sooner or later. Dark fey allegedly speak Aklo, and so do linnorns, and it will come in handy if you ever decide to convert to worshipping a Great Old One and who wouldn't want to do that at some point?

@Eirikr: Moonlit Script will be fine. I think I know exactly how to make use of it.

@Mouse: You've honestly got most of the languages that are big in this campaign, so whatever you feel fits.

Aklo seems the most valuable, honestly. Draconic gets a special nod, because it's like the other language everything speaks. Finally, Giant feels like a good choice. Elemental languages certainly wouldn't be bad either. :)

Take Aklo, convince Cthulhu to eat Baba Yaga.

Revelation: Moonlit Script

Feat: Power Attack (alas, Eirikr is too dumb for Combat Expertise. Thankfully I can use Martial Flexibility to pick up Furious Focus while using it)...hmm, or maybe I should go with Weapon Focus (bite)? There's a lot I could potentially do with natural attacks, especially if I pick up gift of horn and claw later...ugh, so indecisive

Cool. Also, no! Cthulhu needs a nap before he gets cranky. :|

Also. Imagine Mouse taking Black Market Connections. We go to Irrisen. We walk into the local Tavern.

"Hello, do you have any milk?"

"We don't serve milk here, it's a bar."

"I believe you must be mistaken. I would like milk."

100% chance there's an underground gingerbread trade in Whitethrone, and Inire can get us in on it

Also, Morgraine, I hope Eirikr asking you that was ok.

Of course. It was always pretty inevitable that it would come out. ;)

Partway leveled:

HPs +10 (8HD +2 Con)
BAB +1
Fort +1
Ref +1

2nd level spells (1 slot, +1 ability score bonus)

Tongues as a spirit magic spell.

7 skill ranks:
1 Bluff
1 Diplomacy
1 K Religion
1 K Arcana
1 Spellcraft
1 Sense Motive
1 Perception

1 Background Rank K Geography
" " K Nobility

ABP: +1 Saves

Yet to decide:

Feat - Extra hex? Imp Initiative? Something else?
Favored class: Skill or human ability: cleric spell.

@Eirikr - either it didn't accept my other advice, or I'm just not seeing it. When it comes to feats, I'd invest in things like Power Attack or Combat Expertise. Either can be a good choice that broadens your opportunities with Martial Flexibility. Power attack isn't a very good idea, except in longer fights, though, given that you have to nom someone before it's reasonable to use it.

Usually I would recommend Extra Revelation as they tend to surpass Feats in strength and utility, but like Inire I find the Lunar Mystery one of the least obvious to pick Revelations from (still, I kind of like Gift of Horn and Claw, as it gives you an extra attack with no penalty when you're in Wolf Form, as Inire pointed out).

If you're going for the Guardian Path, you'll probably spend a lot of time into melee, so perhaps Combat Casting might not be that bad of a choice?

@Tiferet - ALL GLORY TO SONG OF MARCHING!

Prepare for Sergeant Tiferet to channel her inner Hartman. You will all be jogging through Irrisen singing

I don't know but I've been told
Queen Elvanna's [redacted] is mighty cold!

AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!

Sift allows you to move things around without being next to it. Turning pages in a book, sliding a cup out of the way, pushing dirt and dust and the like. It's a very specialized mixture of prestidigitation and mage hand, IMO.

Normally, you'd be in melee range for this... so if you happen to spring a trap by moving the chalice that opens a trap door, sift allows you to discover that while -not- standing in the death-square. :)

This is precisely the source of my confusion: does it have an embedded mage hand effect or not? Or can I simply peruse through the area without interacting with it in any way, like a radar scan? Or perhaps there's no telekinetic aspect, but it allows you to browse through books or read the content of sealed envelopes 'as if you were searching for fine details with the Perception skill', like some sort of mental zooming in?

I'm still interested in finding out what people would think would be a good language. It doesn't even have to be something we could have picked up. Maybe Mouse secretly knows how to speak Infernal, but it just hasn't come up. :)

Linguistics has some weird practical implications. One common house rules is that the ranks you put into it represent the maximum number of languages one could potentially learn, but he'd have to wait until he has a chance to actually study it to add it to his list of known languages.

Or we can just handwave that Inire has spent most of her time reading Infernal for Dummies: How to sell your Soul in 3 easy steps.

Cool. Also, no! Cthulhu needs a nap before he gets cranky. :|

According to their statblocks, it would be a terribly boring fight, as they'd both be immune to each other's strong suits. I'd give an edge to Baba Yaga as she could spend one use of Mythic Wish to replicate summon ship, though.

Also. Imagine Mouse taking Black Market Connections. We go to Irrisen. We walk into the local Tavern.

"Hello, do you have any milk?"

"We don't serve milk here, it's a bar."

"I believe you must be mistaken. I would like milk."

"But every cow in Irrisen died out thousands of years ago!"

"Excuse me I can't hear you over the sound of this delicious milk I'm slurping!"

In other news, I think I'm finally done levelling her up.

Statistics and Class Features:
+10 hp (8 HD + 1 CON + 1 Favoured Class)
+1 Bab, CMB/CMD
+1 Ref
+Rage Power (Celestial Totem, Lesser)
+Song of Marching

Feats and Skills:
+Feat: Additional Traits (Weapon Training, Indomitable Faith)
+8 skill ranks (4 class, 2 Int, 2 background)
   +1 rank to: Diplomacy, Knowledge (Arcana, Planes, Religion), Perception, Spellcraft, Perform (Percussions, Sing)

Spells:
+1 1st level spell/day
New spells known: Cantrip (Sift), 1st level (Expeditious Retreat)

ABP Unlock:
Resistance: +1 to all saves

Now that you've mentioned it, Sift does specifically state that there's no penalty for distance (though I thought there was). So it might simply be occupying this really odd space. You're able to use touch and sight, but it says you can only interact with what you can see. So you might be able to feel that the book is leather and has another name sunken into the cover, despite the fresh bold lacquer saying otherwise. Likewise, you could tell soft from hard, texture, lots of stuff. But at a penalty. It feels like the intent is to add an extra pair of senses that are slightly disconnected from you in the target area.

The spell could really use more information.

Also, it's probably a better fit for Tiferet to drive us forward with the drums of war. :)

I sort of wonder if Song of Marching works on a human-powered ship. If not, that's definitely a design space that could use it.

I dunno the source, but 'Oh E Oh. Ooooh.' :)

Oh yes. Everyone also regains their hit points and removes any debuffs, though you've still expended any spells or other resources that have been cast today.

Ended up picking saving finale and read magic in the end. The latter because I realised it's a must have, and the former because I noticed it can be cast as an immediate action (and allowing someone to re-roll a failed save can be a life-saver).

I think I'm going to end up going with Gift of Claw and Horn for now

Think I will go with extra hex: Evil Eye. Favored class bonus went to a skill point in use magic device.

It's a strong choice – the only drawback I can think of is that it doesn't stack with Eve's Hypnotic Stare. Still, anything that gives a penalty to saving throws is potent ability indeed.

As for the approach, Tiferet would like to cast Invisibility on Inire, giving her 3 minutes to scout the area – if she's all right with it, obviously.

Evil Eye can also target a different person, and can affect at least one other thing, for now. :)

She's fine with doing the scouty thing, but she'll want to make sure everyone's on the same page about the present situation.

True, though I had assumed that it was EE's-2 penalty to saves that would not stack with HS, but that Evil Eye's other uses (penalties to attack, ac, skills, etc) would still be applicable, just as you can stack evil eye with itself, so long as you are attacking different game statistics with each use.

I was assuming that this would interact with hypnotic stare much the same way, but I could be assuming completely wrong. I am not up to date with the occult book stuff at all. :)

@Morgraine: I believe your interpretation is correct ;) Not to mention, as Inire pointed out, there won't be shortage of foes in the foreseeable future.

@Inire: Yes, I'm also waiting for everyone to post before actually taking any initiative. Just suggested it in game so everyone can elaborate on it if they wish ;)

Sure, but also, Hypnotic Stare can affect things like hit if you take the abilities that do so. I believe the intention is that Evil Eye is a 'type' of penalty (which would not be hard at all to errata.), and that stare is intended to be that same sort of penalty, and doesn't stack with like-penalties.

So, Morgraine can Evil Eye someone and then if it was chosen, that wouldn't stop Evelyn from using her Stare on a guy to lower his Sense Motive through the Susceptibility Bold Stare. :)

I must confess I find dealing with rules the tedious part of role playing. A property of Pathfinder that I really like is that it appears to stick with established rules, Paizo does not have to overhaul the entire rule set every other year to make money from Pathfinder. Yet I find the possibilities of a game, which provides sufficient space to create a distinguished character with the core rules alone, sometimes a bit overwhelming, even though that development is inevitable, of course.

Well, anyway, I like to keep my characters simple in rule terms.

The way I interpret it is that if Morgraine uses Evil Eye to lower a foe's saving throws, Eve's Hypnotic Stare wouldn't lower his Will save any further (or only the greatest penalty would apply, as customary). If, conversely, Morgraine goes for AC, their target would suffer both and AC and Will save penalty, since there wouldn't be any kind of stacking in the first place.

So yes, I believe we're all on the same line on this one ;) Pity since generally speaking penalties, unlike bonuses, tend to stack, and a -6 Intimidate + Evil Eye + Hypnotic Stare malus would wreak havoc even against powerful foes.

EDIT: the thing I like about Pathfinder rules (but I already hinted at that, I believe) is that they've reached that critical mass when their interactions alone are enough to create a system which seems to have a life of its own, thus allowing many character concepts while making them all more or less mechanically viable. At the same time, its retro-compatibility assures that no option becomes infeasible with time, so you can play Occultists in rise of the Runelords or a Core Hell's Rebels if you wish. The drawback, of course, is that keeping track of every potential issue that may arise through an unforeseen interaction between different rules becomes more onerous as time goes by.

I'm going to a party soon so if a battle starts I might not be able to post. If possible, Eirikr will cast Bless and Divine Favor before the battle starts, and use Martial Flexibility to gain Blind-Fighting

Have fun!

Will do. Have a good time!

Also, somewhat worth noting - maybe. Probably.

After combats that Inire uses an alchemist fire in, she'll restock it, as long as we have some :)

Good catch! I believe there should be 5 left, and it would made complete sense to have carried at least a couple with us – considering we basically kept them in anticipation for this very battle (mostly).

I am kinda burning with anticipation. I wonder where everyone is? Somewhere hidden? On the other side of the portal waiting for some kind of signal?

Or high in the air and have been following us from above for a while now. Or a combination of the two things.

I've marked the magic tree as well. That's one foe identified. Now, where are the others? Hehehe.

Inire will stick close to Nathara, as stated, probably about twenty feet behind her. :) No need for me to keep posting that, I'm sure. Also, she stays away from the apparent death-tree.

and there goes our surprise attack. Damn it. We should have just went all in after all.