Current "final" version of Tarvak (young male Tiefling; eventually going to be a Ranged Fighter)
If anyone can spot any errors or omissions, please let me know - thanks!
** spoiler omitted **...
You have INT 9 [0]. Pretty sure that should be [-1].
Yep, you're right. Drat - have to fix my spreadsheet.
Ralf leaned over and whispered conspiratorially. "Hero Lab. Hero Lab. Hero Lab."
Anthony spent most of his time looking between Fix...
I realize that was just a typo of "Fitz" but it was a damn appropriate one, and I am so going to create a tinker/engineer type PC with that name at some point. What a great moniker for a mechanic! :o)
Funny thing, it's not the first time I've made that typo, just the first I apparently missed correcting it. I even recalling looking his name up to make sure it wasn't fix when writing that post.
Were you typing from a device that has auto-fillin or auto-correct?
No, my brain just auto-corrected it.
My health for the level... trying to think of what else I have for Anthony's leveling. XD
Edit: Turns out past me thought this might happen and made a list. He forgot to leave a way for future me to find this easily but I have it now! Anthony is now level 2! And his AC wasn't high enough at level 1 so I made it higher.
Edit 2: Hey DM! I hope it's okay that I'm flavoring some of Anthony's abilities as technological rather then martial in nature. I've got some small ideas like that for a lot of his feats and stuff, without changing the mechanics of course.
Just a double-check on how advancement affects background "skills". This is what is listed under 13th Age lists.
Background/Skill Advancement
All your skill checks increase by 1 when you level up. If you want even better skill checks, take the Further Backgrounding feat.
Further Backgrounding Feat
Adventurer Tier: Add a total of 2 points to backgrounds you already have, or choose 2 points of new backgrounds that make sense for your character. You still can't go over the 5-point-per-background maximum.
If you just want to move around the bonuses you already have to show how your character is changing, you can move one background point around among your current backgrounds each time you gain a level, or swap the point into an entirely new background, with the GM's permission.
I'm not thinking of changing any of my background points, but I thought I'd double check if this is correct.
Shane is leveled up. Not much has changed other than hit points, a couple of new feats (Evasion, Scorpion Style), an increase (+1) to his BAB, Fort, Ref, Will, CMB, and CMD. His Flurry of Blows to hit bonus is now +2. Other attacks are at a +3 bonus, Grapple +5.
The Scorpion Style feat affects the movement of an opponent who is hit by a single unarmed attack as a standard action. The opponent gets a fortitude save vs DC 14; if it fails, his movement is reduced to 5 feet for 3 rounds.
Oooh, those could be interesting. I do have a question of my own. How does the level up work in regards to wealth? Since our stuff is requisitioned, does that mean it's up to our characters to go into work and request items? What exactly are the limits? (I'm thinking about getting an Armored Kilt this level to help Anthony's armor out a bit more, for instance. And maaaybe get his shield enchanted? -shrug-)
Just to be clear on what Shane posted, moving skill background bonuses around is *independent* of the Further Backgrounding Feat? We can move points around at ANY level-up?
I really like the 13th Age idea of skill backgrounds, but having to spend a feat to ever get *any* more "skill points" seems harsh, especially since most classes don't get "unspecified" feats very often (that potentially makes the *Fighter* the new skills-monkey class instead of the Rogue!). So it would typically be the one-feat-every-odd level that you'd have to use. Does anyone else think that's harsh, or is it just me?
Ditto Anthony's question about items - when we level up can we just requisition items up to that level's WBL? What about "consumable" items that won't be returned, like scrolls and potions?
And especially "specialty arrows"? :)
Will spend the day leveling up Tarvak, getting his character on Paizo, and making his first-day post.
I don't know about moving bonuses around, but I think you add your level to your skill points when rolling, so that mitigates it a bit - you are automatically better at things as you rise in level, rather than "earning" specific skills with ranks. I believe that's what Shane was talking about with background/skill advancement.
I didn't know about the 5-point maximum, though. I guess if we never earn any more "background" skills it won't matter unless we take the feat...?
To me, it seems like you get a 'skill point' in every skill relevant to your backgrounds every level. Broader backgrounds cover more skills but seem less likely to allow for specialization (which is what I talk about next). Because our DM likes RP, we can also try and use our better Ability scores if we can come up with a good reason for how it ties into backgrounds.
Anthony uses Intelligence a lot for active perception, because he's all about puzzles and spacial observation being a 'Technological Investigator'. But I don't think that would apply to perception rolls when he's not actively searching or on watch because it's about focus. Someone who just has a broad background with perception in general might not be able to do this. But someone with... a 'Scout' background might be able to use Intelligence all the time, because of all their experience on the job. This isn't law by the way, just my interpretation of the Background skills so far, and some of the things it mentions, like how broad backgrounds are a little more varied but less flavorful/focused on telling a part of the character.
The background points we have are an extra bonus. They are akin to the class bonus, only as good or bad as we want them to be. The system lets you play without having to worry too much about how few skill points you get. It means that no one and everyone is the skill monkey. As a frontliner, I don't really have the spare feats for those feats either, at least not for a long while (10 levels?), so it basically means we're all on even footing with skills. Which I honestly prefer because, as a player who loves being on the frontlines, I'm used to being entirely useless outside of battle. Not very fun.
That's true, adding your level does automatically help with everything you've already got. Hadn't really factored that into my thinking.
Still, taking a *feat* to expand into new skill areas...
Woohoo!
I should have Aziel updated shortly.
I thought we take 3/4 of max HP for 2nd level...
Which leads to a question : I was Oracle for 1st level, so I took 8 HP. But I'm taking Fighter for 2nd, so I assume 0.75*10(Fighter max) = 7.5? Do I round up or down?
Karl, I did some math, and you'd get *exactly* the same progression of HP on average if you just assigned 3/4 max for every level, instead of (*1, *.75, *.5, .75 and repeat). Just FYI.
Karl - this is important - I "requisitioned" a +3 MWK composite longbow (700 GP) as a 2nd level "employee", please let me know if that's inappropriate.
Also (anyone) - I looked but couldn't find it quickly - doesn't every PC (regardless of race) get the +1 skill rank/+1 HP option? Which given 13th age skills, turns into +1 HP each level-up?
P.S. - first post as Tarvak! Picture sucks, but at least the skin is blue...ish...
Will get "short form" stats into a spoiler button sometime soon.
My sense is that there is no need to do anything changes to background with regard to skills at level up, since you get the level added to each skill roll. Considering how many skills can be affected by the backgrounds, this amounts to a much better average skill level than Pathfinder RAW.
The feat is in case you want to expand your background to increase what you've already got or add some new background to cover something the character has learned or improved beyond the usual skill increase due to level.
The movement of existing background points is limited to 1 per level up and must be justifed to the GM. For example, if Shane doesn't find he is using his background as a docker (performanc skills, etc.) he could drop that 1 point he currently has and increase one of his other backgrounds by 1.
All of this is my interpretation of the 13th Age rules. So Karl might have a different approach.
I don't remember the stipulation of the hit points being a set percent of the max hit die value. Would appreciate a reference or quote of how the new hit points are handled at level up. A house rule I use and like is to roll but he minimum value is 50% max round up. This way, you always get at least 3 to 6 new points, but you have the chance to get lucky and improve more.
Very first Discussion post by Karl (hidden by Spoiler button) :
"Full HP at level 1, then 3/4 of max HP at level 2, half at level 3, 3/4 at level 4, and start the cycle over again at level 5."
That what I was saying averages out to 3/4 of max over the entire cycle, which might be simpler to keep track of.
@Tarvak: third person is typically the way to go for RP. Reading your post in the first person puts me in the boots of your character (when I already have one of my own) and also tends to make it harder to keep track of pronouns for other people reading and replying to it.
Completely forgot about the fractional HP thing. Will adjust the HP accordingly. Admittedly going to miss that ten I rolled. Also, masterwork items. That might be worth looking into before trying to squeeze in an enchanted item.
I had 2/3 of it typed in third person, when I got bogged down talking with the "uniform" (was "him" Tarvak or the other guy?). I figured it'd be less confusing going to first person, but I was only going to do first person for the intro.
I can't speak for the other players but considering my experience with RP it was pretty disjointing to try and read. It's not like 'how dare you' but at the same time... -shrug-. Makes it more difficult to read in the context of RP for me at least.
As far as what you got bogged down with, that's going to come up. I run into things like that sometimes too, especially with longer posts. It usually means I need to restructure a sentence rather then find a better word.
Fixed. Only had time to proofread it twice.
Sorry, not trying to be rude about it or anything. I wasn't sure if it would be something you wanted to do all the time because you didn't know the norm or what, and I tend to be blunt rather then uh... subtle I guess. Bleh. Need more sleep.
Re: gold, all PCs receive 1,000 gp in salary/equipment allowance to purchase personal items or requisition equipment before the next mission. 'Requisitioning' items in between assignments is functionally the same as buying them- if they're expendable items and you expend them, you need to 'requisition' more with your next salary payout/stipend allotment. You might want to wait until you see the next assignment before you spend it, though.
Re: skills, Shane has it right. Your starting Backgrounds represent the breadth of your PC's studies/experiences and as such PCs do not receive new Background points to spend without using a feat. This should be mitigated by the fact that you add your character level to skill checks. If you have a compelling argument to make that your PC should be able to move Background points around, PM me and we'll talk.
Re: HP. I'd never noticed that before, and my math works out that way, too. So let's say PCs get full HP at level 1 and 3/4 full HP for subsequent levels, plus Con bonus and 1 for the favored class bonus.
Hey guys,
Lots going on. Just had the license plate stolen off of my car, so suddenly busy-ish fixing that. I'll have Jae updated and a post for her sometime tomorrow, I hope.
I looked but couldn't find it quickly - doesn't every PC (regardless of race) get the +1 skill rank/+1 HP option? Which given 13th age skills, turns into +1 HP each level-up?
Not sure of your exact intent with that question, but don't overlook that some get other options as well. For example: As a Vitalist, Ralf also has the option of picking up an additional power point. (But yeah, since we don't have skill ranks, if your only options are HP and skill ranks then I guess your only option is HP.)
Regarding "taking a *feat* to expand into new skill areas", you're not necessarily buying a skill with a feat. You're buying five, or 20, or however many you can justify to the GM that a new background would support. Or you're adding the equivalent of two skill ranks to each of the three or nine or however many skills fall under an existing background. Or... well, however you want to spread the boost around.
That doesn't seem too shabby to me. But if it still does to you, consider that there have always been both good feats and sucky feats. Just consider this one of the sucky feats... and don't take it. :o)
I "requisitioned" a +3 MWK composite longbow (700 GP) as a 2nd level "employee", please let me know if that's inappropriate.
Clarification: I assume you mean the +3 as the strength bonus allowed to add to the damage. Usually, putting +3 in front of a weapon signifies a magic enchantment. A composite bow with +3 strength bonus to damage is usually written MWK Composite Bow (+3 Str) or some such. That's probably obvious give the cost, but it helps to follow the conventions.
Shane's hit point total has been adjusted to the 3/4 value.
Ralf's level-up has been processed. Swapped out his leather for lamellar and picked up a CLW wand; no other gear changes. Alias profile updated.
OH... and we really ought to work out how we're setting up the Docker’s Jank, for those of us who have it.
Someone asked me about purchasing/requisitioning half-charged wands and I said that is fine with me. I figured the rest of you would also want to know.
Karl - got questions about the Spirit Medium ability to conjure a spirit to do something for you. The description reads
"The spirit appears in a space you choose within 25 ft. of you, and performs a standard action of your choice. Any attack it makes counts as having the Ghost Touch weapon property."
And the last line of Ghost Touch says "Essentially, a ghost touch weapon counts as both corporeal or incorporeal".
I take this to mean he can attack living creatures, even tho he's a spirit, yes?
So if we're in a fight, and after any bad guy has died, I can bring him back for 1 round to do anything I want (within a standard action).
-If he had a weapon, does it come back? If not, what kind of damage would he do? Just a punch (d3+STR), or what?
-He will have no problems attacking his (ex)comrades?
-Could he provide flanking for the 1 round he's around?
-If he can attack corporeal people, I would assume he could manipulate physical objects as well? Open/close a door, pick up a weapon and hand it to someone, etc.?
Just trying to get a feel for what this ability can do. Thanks!
Now I'm curious as to how Shane (or rather, Clebsch73) would solve the problem. Not using magic?
My initial idea turned out to be wrong, but I think the correct solution must use some way of invoking an extra dimension, either with an odd shaped platform (not flat) or some detour through an alternate dimension. That idea, of course, would not come to Shane.
I know this puzzle because I was nuts for topology as a kid (yes, I was a Martin Gardner fanboy), and this was used as an example problem for the Jordan's Curve Theorem. There are funky topological solutions, like doing the layout on a torus, or a basket hoop, or a Möbius strip with a surface-switching loop (sorry, it's been way too long for me to remember the correct topological terms). Those would be extra-dimensional if the 2D surfaces were representing a 3D universe.
But there's a simple "solution" that doesn't even require three dimensions; it'll work on a planar surface. You just have to think outside of the box. Veer more towards "bar bets" than "n-dimensional manifolds." :op
(That might not, however, be what the scenario wants for an answer.)
Shane, when I check to see if my PC knows something that I (player) know, I do the same thing, roll vs. my PC's INT. But the higher the PC's INT, the more likely he *would* know, so I figure if I roll UNDER my INT, the PC knows it. So wouldn't Shane know the solution? Or (from above) do you not know a correct solution at this point?
Ralf, couldn't you do the same, roll vs. INT (if you feel like it)? BTW, I read Martin Gardner too! But I don't remember the solution.
On the other hand, as long as the portal can be cast up in the air (like on the roof of the middle tower), I see no problems with Jaelynn's solution...
I agree regarding Jaelyn's solution. It's just a question of whether the scenario will allow it as a solution.
As for Ralf, I guess that'd be a GM call. I'm happy to have him step up (warning, he'll be grumpy). I just didn't want to "throw the game" by virtue of already knowing the answer.
Well, "an" answer. As I said, it might not be what the scenario wants.
(As for not remembering, maybe you never saw it. This was one of Gardner's books, not his Scientific American column. For a backwater rural school, we had an awesome library!)
-If he had a weapon, does it come back? If not, what kind of damage would he do? Just a punch (d3+STR), or what?
The spirit doesn't come back with a weapon. It will have the Corrupting Touch attack of a Ghost.
-He will have no problems attacking his (ex)comrades?
I'll say this will depend on how strong willed the dead NPC was and how attached they were to their comrades. For mooks, they probably won't have a problem attacking their former comrades.
-Could he provide flanking for the 1 round he's around?
No.
-If he can attack corporeal people, I would assume he could manipulate physical objects as well? Open/close a door, pick up a weapon and hand it to someone, etc.?
Spirits can attack living beings but cannot affect non-living matter.
Just trying to get a feel for what this ability can do. Thanks!
No problem. Sorry I missed your questions earlier.
Seems the puzzle was some sort of test of our willingness to attempt something that seems initially impossible. Foreshadowing?
Regarding the Intelligence roll, keeping in the spirit of the d20 system, higher is better. If Shane had an 18 Intelligence, for example, he would have added +4 to the roll, making the result higher. I just assumed a difficult geometrical problem would be challenging, which would put the DC somewhere between 12 and 16.
If so, his roll would have been about in the middle if his intelligence were 18. It wasn't required, but I wanted to roll it to keep from using player knowledge that character might not have. Shane's much more intuitive as reflected in his high wisdom and charisma.
I have since checked on line and the standard answer is to put everything on a torus (doughnut shape). The line that normally gets cut off from the last power supply can loop around under the other lines through the hole in the middle, so that's kind of extra-dimensional. Everything is on a 2-D surface, but the overall surface must be in 3 dimensions for it to work. I can see how a mobius strip might also work.
Well, if the puzzle is talking about magic portals you're not really limited to the typical 2D limitations. I liked Jaelynn's answer for that reason, though Anthony did miss his chance to add his own idea about putting the portal underground. (Nothing said the connection had to be unobstructed, just that they couldn't cross streams with other connections. XD). Guess that's what I get for not checking yesterday.
Anthony, it sounds like you were dancing on the cusp of the "bar bet" resolution. :o) Since I was claiming to know solutions, I guess I should pony up.
This was basically a reframing of the old "three utilities" puzzle. Three utilities, three houses, each of the latter needs a connection from each of the former, and no lines may cross. The torus, Shane, is one of the "extra-dimensional" solutions.
Another is the "basket hoop" -- imagine a traditional Easter basket with its handle, then cut the bottom of the basket out to make a circular hoop. Another extra-dimensional solution.
Here's a cool diagram of the "Möbius strip with loopback" solution. If you can't see how it would work, make one and trace it out for yourself, it's fun. :o) Again, this is extra-dimensional in this context.
The key to a 3D solution is to not think of the endpoints as... well, points. Houses take up space. Which means you can connect one line to one end of the house, another line to the other end of the house, and run a third line to the middle of the house and then continue it on to come out from beneath it on the other side. This shows two separate lines instead of a tee, and is the closest to the spirit of the puzzle as presented in the scenario (and the clearest diagram I could turn up with a quick search).
So, Ralf would have stretched out one of the lines, placed a tower on it, and then attached the other magnets on either end (and to one side). "Is piece of pie," as he would say.
As I commented earlier, more "bar bet" than higher math. :o) GM, can you say if this would have been an acceptable solution? With the "canal" wording, I wasn't sure if running under a tower would be allowed.
The mod was looking more for a willingness to think in more than 2 dimensions than for any particular answer. Anything that had the PCs showing an ability to think in other than straight lines was acceptable.
Clearly, the author had recently watched The Wrath of Khan. :o)
I'm having trouble finding the information I need to determine the cost of enchanting ammunition such as sling bullets and shuriken. For example, if I wanted a +1 Shuriken, how would I figure the cost. I seem to remember something about being able to enchant fifty units of ammunition for the same cost as a weapon, but I can't find it in the SRD. Can someone help me out with a reference? Thanks.
Here
Weapons table. (First table) Footnote 1. Not a direct "how to make them" reference, but related.
Okay, Aziel has picked up a MW pistol and converted her battered pistol to a MW pistol as well, stocked up on firedust and bullets (5 each), and picked up a buttload of potions to stick in her bandoliers. That should leave her with 22gp and change left.
I'm glad you guys are all "normal." Here's what happened when my blue (think "goblin") vitalist in another game brought a First Folk into his collective:
When Nagbur tries to enter Ama's mind he gets the feeling he's being watched by another being. Whatever is watching allows Nagbur's entrance into Ama's mind, but when Nagbur digs deeper he's promptly engulfed by a major force. The image of several hundred eyes shows in Nagbur's mind. They all blink, and a genderless voice speaks to the vitalist: "ไม่ขุดลึกเกินไปถ้าคุณต้องการที่จะอยู่ต้อนรับ นี้ไม่ได้โดเมนใจเดินทางของคุณ"
Sylvan:
"Don't dig too deep if you want to stay welcome. This isn't your domain, mind traveler."
Creeped. Me. Out.
By the way Tarvak, this is one of the few PbP games that uses past tense. Just bringing it to your attention.
Sorry for the sporadic posts guys. Was a long business-trip week, and I only had limited time/connection.
I'll have Jae's equipment list finished before the weekend. A half-charged wand of Mage Armor or Shield will be amongst it, and a few scrolls.
Any requests for support spells?
... any mundane (i.e.- non-magical, non-alchemical, non-weapon or armor) item that costs 10 gp or under can be requisitioned for free.
1) Is that one single item costing 10 GP or less, or any number of items each costing up to 10 GP? Because I'm thinking things like: A silk rope and a couple of grappling bolts in case we need more Passwalls than we have, a stick of chalk to mark our way through the sea cave in case it's extra-twisty, and so on.
2) If multiple items are allowed, do you want a list here, or is it okay to just quietly add things to the alias profile?
Thanks!
*keeps close eye on Ralf, due to sudden quietness... *