Here's the discussion board for KoolKobold's RotRL Campaign.
Dot.
I'm a bit busy, but I'll flesh out my crunch a bit and have my profile ready to go by tonight.
Dot. I should have my gear and familiar up tonight as well.
Oop! I'll have to change my feat. Net Adept isn't available until I hit +1 BAB. I'll have to go with something else...
Toughness is tempting, as it's something that would be helpful to me right now, as well as in the future. I could also pick Huntmaster, and have Jarro (that J is pronounced as a Y) be one level higher. That might be kinda awesome. I'd have to switch my skill point in stealth to Handle Animal, but that's easy enough. I'm not going to really use stealth all that much until I hit wild shape and can turn into small animals for scouting.
Oop! I'll have to change my feat. Net Adept isn't available until I hit +1 BAB. I'll have to go with something else...
Toughness is tempting, as it's something that would be helpful to me right now, as well as in the future. I could also pick Huntmaster, and have Jarro (that J is pronounced as a Y) be one level higher. That might be kinda awesome. I'd have to switch my skill point in stealth to Handle Animal, but that's easy enough. I'm not going to really use stealth all that much until I hit wild shape and can turn into small animals for scouting.
Ah, glad you caught that. Would've slipped by me.
Also, either one of those feats can be good choices. Whatever you want.
Another thing-we may be starting the Swallowtail festival tomorrow (or the day after Azzerix dots). I may not be able to get on tonight after 5.
Well. It looks like we're all here.
There's a chance we might be able to kick it off tonight.
I opted for Toughness since I had to take a dent in CON, which hurts a sorcerer big time - this way, it's effectively negated in the hit point department, and the kobold favored class bonus for sorcs gives them extra elemental damage, so I can't recuperate them their. It should help me survive until I reach Dragon Disciple levels, at which point my d6 jumps to d12 and I can enter melee with a little more confidence.
Huh. You plan to go melee?
Eventually. I'll have to augment it magically, so early levels I'll be relying on standard spells and stuff to fight from afar.
Later on, when I grab DD levels, I'm hoping to fight in melee with some degree of confidence using spells like Bull's Strength and perhaps a few wondrous items to boost my strength.
Unless I change my mind again. Which may very well happen, level 6 is a ways away. I admit, Azzerix went through a couple incarnations, and the one that nearly won out over this was having him descend from eastern water dragons, which would mean he had tiny antlers instead of the usual fringes. No less proud of his draconic power, but more from the east. I was going to have him arrive in Sandpoint as part of his final test from his water dragon mentor to become family guardian for the Kaijitsu family, given they have Tian roots, and utilize water spells exclusively (like a little waterbending kobold). He basically is sticking around because he's trying to prove himself as a proper eastern dragon and protect Ameiko.
Buuuuuut I figured with the lower point buy and the fact that would require a tiny bit of OOC knowledge, it would be an even longer shot, so I scrapped it ultimately.
Okay sorry guys, got done playing a game. We'll probably start with the Swallowtail Festival today then go into goblins tomorrow.
I'll also be able to participate as an "in a pinch" melee character around level five or so if I go weapon finesse and pick up an agile amulet of mighty fists. Alter self into a troglodyte lets everybody play a natural attacker... Not sure what kind of situation would make claw/claw/bite better than misfortune, but if we get swarmed by a million little dudes or something that's my plan B.
Hohum. Looks like the prospective bard got angry he wasn't selected.
To be fair, that is heart breaking... though I don't think optimization was the choice-making guideline.
It was rough, but there's a new game started almost every day.
True. I'm more concerned about what "party outfit" I should go with. Human kids have white hair, right? I'd go as a halfling, but it just wouldn't be as shocking to have a halfling turn out to be a magnificent dragon... and I'll be drawn and quartered before I masquerade as a dirty gnome!
I've played with that player in a few other games, and he's been a good player. The fact that he got angry is just proof that he's passionate about his character, which is part of what makes a good experience. I've been upset about not getting chosen before too, and all choices are made somewhat arbitrarily. But choices need to be made, and I do feel that the choice was made more on what the party needed than optimization standards. Also, this campaign can be brutal, so it does help if you have just four characters that all characters are reasonably effective. Having the animal companion is actually useful in this respect, as it gives us a third meat shield.
I'll readily admit that my character is not near as fleshed out as his is, but I will do my best to make him as awesome as I can, and I haven't had too many complaints about my ability in the past. I do optimize, and I have written several guides. But a concept is still paramount since characters can be effective but boring.
As it is, I still could have taken a few other options to be even more optimized. I chose the small cat, because it's actually less potent than the large cat, especially after level 7. It has high defense, which is useful to help the characters shine instead of killing everything before they get a chance to do something in combat. And the Firepelt is very appropriate to the area and to the AP at large. If it dies, I'll probably use a bird as a backup. A human is arguably a better choice as well, since a druid eventually will be gaining better senses through wild shape, and the extra skill point would be better so I could have more out of combat utility.
I made my choices to optimize my concept and there's nothing wrong with that, and is actually somewhat encouraged with a 15 point buy. It turned out well for me here, but it has not other places in the past. I have no apologies, but I also wish Ed much happiness and success in games where his characters are accepted, because those games are richer for having done so.
I just saw the bard, and I do feel bad for not including him in the campaign. It was honestly one of the things that kept me away from being a GM for quite a while.
But if he reads this, I didn't not include him just because I could. I legitimately had to think about who I wanted to choose for a good 3 hours-and both choices were good choices.
If I end up opening up another campaign on the site, he's more than welcome to go into that campaign's recruitment.
Yeah sorry guys, but what is it about the blue eyed girl? I'm sorry, I'm a bit confused. Is that Ameiko? Or someone else?
Azzerix has used his Disguise Self spell to change his appearance. He probably should have put that in OOC comments. I make it a habit to track all my uses of skills and abilities there so I don't mistakenly forget that I used them.
Azzerix has used his Disguise Self spell to change his appearance. He probably should have put that in OOC comments. I make it a habit to track all my uses of skills and abilities there so I don't mistakenly forget that I used them.
OH! I see! Alright then!
I've made many posts that I thought were awesome, and then everyone else was like "what's happening", so I had to clarify later.
I'm really enjoying Azzerix's character though. I can see a problem with how he'll communicate at first. Does anyone else know Draconic? Nope? We'll work it out eventually. :)
Ashleaf-Yeah, I'm starting to like Azzerix's character as well. Almost like King Julian from Madagascar, only reptilian.
Also, I allowed Azzerix to know Common as a bonus language. So no problem with communication-except maybe for his ego.
Also, yeah, sorry KK. Meant to put my use of Disguise Self in OOC.
I'm also glad he can entertain. Unintentionally.
It's fine Azzerix. Things are going great so far. Liking all of the characters' performances.
Sense Motive:
He's fairly perceptive today, it seems.
Apparently so.
Though, if it's okay with you guys, can you make the rolls on the gameplay thread? Just want to have all rolls kept on that thread.
Everything going good so far with you guys?
Well...we may have some trouble. Can't find any downloadable maps for encounters, and I'm not sure how we're gonna run the combat system without one.
Anyone have any ideas?
Sorry, tried to find it myself, but I'm not having luck.
We can look around for some. I know I've seen a couple. We could also make some more bland, basic maps using an editor (rpgbot.net has a good one, I think).
If all else fails, we can just use the theater of the mind.
Alright. Thanks Mighty Azzerix. I think I've heard that some GM's use Google Docs, or a map-making site (like what rpgbot.net appears to be).
We'll have to make the mind our very last resort-I'd hate for everyone to have to think/imagine where everyone is.
Pyromancers is also a pretty good map-making website for rough drawings.
Pyromancers, huh? I'll have to take a look at that.
I know it requires a bit of cropping, but perhaps this one might work? Here's the map.
Saw the image Azzerix; that'll work for the first encounter, and I guess I can mess around with Pyromancer's or rpgbot.net's map making tools.
I'll have to make some avatars as well. Perhaps I should ask some GMs how they do it. Think that's a good idea?
The forum is generally pretty supportive. Also, both artsy and technical people enjoy showing off, and map making combines both. You'll probably get good help if you ask for it.
Ah. Would it be a better question to ask in the Advice forum, or where?
I do know that some people accidentally post topics that are similar to older topics, so not sure how it'll work, but I'll try it.
I've also asked a GM here who uses Google Docs for his maps about how he uses them/where does he get them.
BUMP
Probably won't get back on tonight. I'll let the rest of you post your replies for tonight.
One thing I've run into with playing a witch on PbP is that it's a little tough on the narrative to cackle all the time. Could we reskin my cackle as a chant hex? It's what shamans get to do their hex extension:
A shaman can chant as a move action. Any creature that is within 30 feet that is under the effects of the shaman's charm, evil eye, fortune, fury, or misfortune hex has that effect's duration extended by 1 round. A shaman cannot select both this hex and the witch's cackle hex.
I wouldn't want to change anything mechanically, but it fits in well with the Shoanti backstory and saves me having to write about crazy laughter every round.
I don't see why you couldn't. I ran an oracle with the Haunted curse, but roleplayed it as him having summoned an undead familiar spirit. He functioned exactly the same.
I see no reason a simple chant can't replace the cackle. Would make more sense for, I dunno, a kobold or goblin to be cackling constantly.
@Tarnok-I'll allow that. I actually think that witches and shamans should be given the choice of either cackle or chant as a hex. Making one of them a class-restricted hex seems a bit unnecessary.
Hey, GM KK would you be okay with Jarro being trained for Hunting as a General Purpose? It would give me a fair amount of good commands to use for Jarro to see that he doesn't really get out of control.
That's perfectly fine, Ashleaf.
Does he have the double attack training?
On a side note, I hadn't looked at your companion's stats before. That dexterity is really something else.
It's really high. If I were a human Hunter with the Eye for Talent racial trait, we could crank that up to 25 at level 1. That might be excessive. The funny thing is that they lose some of that at level 4, unless you take the alternate ability increase, which is pretty tempting for the small cat.
Yeah, just noticed that Jarro's Dexterity is pretty high. Not a bad thing, just noticing.
Also, not gonna be on tonight-got some errands to run.
If you need to ask me anything, just post and I'll reply tomorrow.
Hey GM, you might not have noticed I already took the cougar off the stage. I kinda ninja'd your post.
Yeah, just edited it.
For some reason, whenever I reply, I seem to not notice your post until later. I'll try to keep an eye on it.
So far, this seems like fun. When I planned a RotRL campaign, I never expected this kind of interaction from the PCs.
EDIT: Trying to figure out the map situation; I think I'm just gonna make maps that are as close to the originals as possible.
But all I need is to make avatars...
EDIT #2: Okay, I need to ask you guys something-do you guys want me to wait until about 2 or 3 of you post in the gameplay before replying? I'm sorry for asking; I ask because I know that Rane is also focusing on another campaign's recruitment, and I know you guys can get busy at a minute's notice (trust me, it happens to me more often than not).
I think if it seems like a time when our characters might reasonably be just waiting and watching somebody else then just roll on. If somebody obviously needs to say something then maybe give us a little more time.
I'm with Tarnok on that. I think when something big is about to start or something, waiting might not be a bad idea. But if it's just piddly stuff, no worries.
Yeah. I'm okay with missing a little bit of input on scenes that are not 100% integral to the character.