Bell Curve Adventures (Inactive)

Game Master djdust

Welcome to the Bell Curve Adventures, where we will give the 3d6 a try.

This will be a relaxed, no pressure kinda game. A series of 5 Room Dungeons at levels 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20. A purely experimental game just to give this rules variant a try. Because of that, let’s keep the build rules simple:

-Core Races and Core Classes only.
-Paizo products only for class options, archetypes, feats, spells, equipment, etc.
-no multiclassing or PRC’s, this isn’t the place to try out your super cheese build, just keep it simple.
-20 pt buy
-2 Traits. No campaign specific traits/feats.
-Avg starting wealth by class. Wealth by lvl for lvls 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20
Other than that, standard stuff.

-One houserule. Most important. The whole point of us being here. We are using the Bell Curve Rolls Variant from 3.5. Read it, learn it, love it.

Because said rules have special rules for the Luck domain, I’d like to see a Cleric with that domain. Which brings me to...

-Setting: this is a non-campaign, so the setting isn’t too important. Let’s just say Standard High Fantasy World. But, let’s use Golarion Dieties, just to keep it simple.

If everyone who expressed interest joins in, that’s a party of 6.

Introduce yourself and what you might want to play. Go ahead and build for lvl 1. Please format your alias page as described here and post with your alias when you are finished. As simple a backstory as you need for a character concept is all that’s necessary. I’ll keep my eye on this thread over the weekend if there are questions.

As always, thanks for playing, and happy gaming!

This will by my GM alias.

Merddyn here checking in for a Monk. I realize the Core Monk already has problems with BAB and hitting, but that's kind of why I want to test it. It seems to be one of the spots this system might break and I'd like to see how that'd interact.

Alternatively, I could do pretty much anything if there's not enough interest in Arcane, Cleric or Skill roles or whatever.

I can take the cleric bullet if no one else wants to. Probably Desna with luck/travel domains. Otherwise I'm good with playing anything.

Hi!

checking in! ^^

I'm not sure what I'd like to play yet, though there's this amusing barbarian concept I've been meaning to find a place for, and this rather silly/foolish wizard/servant-of-shelyn I haven't gotten to try out xD

edit: (leaning more towards wizard 'cause he has the sexy 20th level capstone...)

Clerics are one of my two favorite classes (the other being rogue) so I'd be happy to play one.

Amendment: I am open to allow Unchained versions of Rogue, Monk, and Barbarian.

I can play whatever is needed.
I would like to try a monk though.

Amsheagar reporting. What are we currently lacking?

No one’s confirmed to anything yet but I see interest in monk, cleric, barbarian, wizard, and rogue.

I can't decide, Bar'Tard-barian with 7 int or a Wizard with 7 Cha and 7 Wis?
Mr. Stronk "Am Stronk" or the insufferable and commonsense-less wizard?

They'd both be so much fun to RP...
Since we have two guys that seem interested in becoming monks, how do you guys feel about insufferable teammates/PCs? xD

Teamwork feats? If that’s the case, I’ll be a ranger with a companion with teamwork stuff.

I could do insufferable teammates.
Or Merddyn could just have Monk. I would probably do a paladin if so.
Amsheagar if you want to do teamwork feats my paladin would join you.

Insufferable teammates is fine with me. Could be kinda fun. Maybe some kind of acrobat twins type thing.

Either way is fine with me.

@scegfOd: With a monk, paladin, and ranger with companion, I think we have melee covered, so perhaps go with the wizard idea. Who doesn’t love a good bumbling absent-minded professor?

Hmm, monk, paladin, ranger, wizard, cleric,and rogue?

Sounds like a party to me!

I have time tomorrow while my girlfriend takes a test when I can make the character.

I can probably have my paladin done by tomorrow evening.

@Amsheagar: So do want to do teamwork feat builds or not? Either way is fine with me.

With so much meat in the party I'm talking myself into a bard. I'd take a trait that will train him in disable device so we have that covered. @SodiumTelluride did you want to make the cleric?

Or use the Archaeologist archetype, if you like that.
Then we wouldn't have to ask for a campaign trait almost immediately after our GM said no campaign specific traits/feats :P
Though for that particular trait I could easily see an exception being made...

Teamwork feats? If that’s the case, I’ll be a ranger with a companion with teamwork stuff.

reading "Teamwork feats?" right after my post mentioning that my wizard might not be pleasant to hang out with makes me wonder if there is a Teamwork Feat called "insufferable teammate" or similar.

Changing topic back to my character:
After thinking about it last night and this morning for a little while, I'm glad ya'll like the wizard more. The 'Tardbarian works much better if acted out in person to get all the halting speech and idiosyncrasies to come across correctly xD

Also, I came up with a silly plan to reuse an old Alias:
Does anyone mind if my wizard is a diviner but has the title of 'conjurer'?
Instead of being raised by goblins, he can be named as part of a prophecy that got interrupted at the end xD
I haven't decided why he'd be "the Conjurer" yet, maybe just for lulz with no explanation? xD

Yea I'll commit to being a cleric.

Does anyone mind if my wizard is a diviner but has the title of 'conjurer'? 

Sure! I like it when people play fast-and-loose with their own class names; my halfling bard in PFS straight-up lies about his.

Yeah, I had a Wizard/Rogue/Arcane trickster that insisted he was a cleric. He spent the time after every battle "healing" everyone. And by healing, I mean casting Prestidigitation and cleaning them off. Our actual cleric was often frustrated with him. He eventually proclaimed himself the High Priest of his religion. It also happened to be a religion he created. . . . .

So essentially he was a cult leader.

I too feel that classes are purely ooc, although some classes moreso than others. My rogue calls herself an mercenary. My slayer is a bounty hunter. My sorcerer 'knows tricks'.

Anyways, this is such a non-campaign, i'm not gonna sweat the fluffy details.

With so much meat in the party I'm talking myself into a bard. I'd take a trait that will train him in disable device so we have that covered. @SodiumTelluride did you want to make the cleric?

hehe, you must be speaking of the Trap Finder trait from Mummy's Mask. We just had this conversation in another game. It's a powerful trait.

I hate to feel like I'm opening a can of worms, but I'll allow this one worm. Just this one!

Oh, and I just realized I posted without being 100% done, hope you don't mind xD

I'm now done except for skill points (spent 2/8 so far) and fluff (and maybe buying a piece of cheap gear?)
Anyone who takes a close look will notice that he is rather cheesy, but he'll mostly be using buffs, debuffs, and battlefield control to make the martial's jobs easier, so he shouldn't be too annoying (in combat...) xD

Oh, and one mistake that I just caught, dagger has a 15-18 threat range now xD
(BTW, something else I noticed: if the original range is 20, 19-20, or 18-20, you can just subtract 4 from the lower number to get the new lower number)

I was actually just talking about criminal which makes disable device a class skill and gives you a +1 to the check. There are a ton of traits that make skills a class skill, that was just the first one I found that did the thing I wanted. Its a social trait not campaign. As far as magical traps go we'd be S.O.L. There are other ways to deal with traps other than disable device though, finding them is the hard part.

@steffanio, sure. Gonna start working on mine noe.

My bard calls himself a cleric too, because "people trust clerics of goodly faiths." He casts real cure spells, and even sports a real holy symbol (though he switches them out periodically; I bought a wooden holy symbol of each of the 20 Core deities).

awesome xD

@Delmoth: Ah, I figured you'd save us from magic traps too, my mistake xD

Ladies and Gentlemen introducing Fred Junior, he goes by Junior, do not pay attention to the gold coin he's holding to his ear. And his story will be convey by poem.

There once was an ork from Cheliax
Insulting nobles behind their backs
They put him in chains
But he left through a drain
And now hunts nobles with an axe.

Here's Merddyn with Sindare Redtears, I went with a very simple backstory. He's a savage elf from the Wild Cliffs. He grew up in a tribe of elves, but is now out exploring the world and adventuring in a rite of passage before returning to his tribe (probably).

@Amsheagar: I was thinking either Outflank or Shake it Off.
@GM_Curvey: Permission to use alternate racial traits, specifically the dwarve's Seige Survivor?

Alternate racial traits are on the table.

Alternate racial traits are on the table.

I'm prolly gonna trade away the +2 bonus to intimidate then.

@Amsheagar: I was thinking either Outflank or Shake it Off.

@GM_Curvey: Permission to use alternate racial traits, specifically the dwarve's Seige Survivor?

I think “Shake it off” would work best. If it stacks with flanking, then have it on me, you and my pet.

While waiting to see what everyone else is picking for knowledge skills, I decided to play around a bit with Unk's backstory.

Btw, he'll have maxed Spellcraft and 5+ Knowledge Skills.
Which Knowledges will you guys pick?
Unk has no common sense and can just study random crap xD

Which Knowledges will you guys pick?

I can use all the knowledges but my mod is only +3. So I'd be a back up at best.

When you get the Take 20 as a Standard Action thing, you'll be able to be very good backup, even without ranks xD

BTW, I forgot to ask (not that it matters this level, since I got a potion of CLW instead of 4 level 1 scrolls...)

Can we craft stuff for half price? Is there a limit of time or money? (e.g. can I spend literally all my gold on crafting scrolls if I think that's a good idea for some stupid reason?)

I have Knowledge (Religion) covered but it is only a +4.

No knowledges here.

This is Steffanio with Uric Halvard!

Backstory: He grew up in the Dwarven Sky Citadel of Janderhoff. His parents were a paladin and a cleric, both of Torag. His mother was severely injured healing one of the city's defenders and died later that day. He left home soon after his mother's death because he is estranged from his father.

BTW, I forgot to ask (not that it matters this level, since I got a potion of CLW instead of 4 level 1 scrolls...)

Can we craft stuff for half price? Is there a limit of time or money? (e.g. can I spend literally all my gold on crafting scrolls if I think that's a good idea for some stupid reason?)

Downtime isn’t necessarily going to be a thing. If you want to take the Scribe Scroll feat to get more bang for your buck, that’s fine with me.

Between each adventure we’re jumping up in lvls, and you’ll have wealth per level to work with. So your only limiting factor on gear is wealth.

Well, as a wizard, I get scribe scroll whether I want it or not :P
(unless you're in PFS, there they ruled that you get to trade it for a spell focus feat or something like that)

It's more like, "Is it a useless feature like Scrying Adept is going to be?" xD

But if wealth is the only limiting factor, I might spend a feat or two on doubling the value I can get out of a bunch of different stuff...

Scrying Adept may not be entirely useless :)

SodiumTelluride here, with my Desnan cleric. Since the bell curve method makes bonuses and penalties so much more important, I chose my spells accordingly.

SodiumTelluride here, with my Desnan cleric. Since the bell curve method makes bonuses and penalties so much more important, I chose my spells accordingly.

This is exactly why I’ve been wanting to try this rules variant out. +1 bonuses just don’t seem worth the spell slots and the action when it is only actually useful 5% of the time. But with the bell curve, a +1 bonus is gonna make a meaningful contribution around 40-50% of the time.

Yeah, can't wait to see Inspire Courage in action xD
Also, it'll be actually tempting to use Diviner's Fortune in combat xD

Also it looks like no one wants any knowledge skills except for one guy with Knowledge Religion xD

I guess Unk will be getting knowledge skills on his +int item later :D

Sorry it took me longer than expected. Here is Ranger Wizzer.