Ok everyone. I should be ready to get us going again. I've posted in the recruitment thread to see if there is a brave soul that would like to join y'all.
No nibbles so far. I'll make another post and if no one responds (people may well have their plates full with gameday coming up) we'll move ahead with a party of four. What's the worst that could happen?!?
Apparently there were several posts in the Recruitment thread that didn't show up as alerts for me. Not sure why. Please have a look and let me know what y'all think.
Two votes for the Bard (and I agree as well - having a full arcane caster seems like a good idea to me).
I'm open to adding a 6th PC as well (but not a 7th), so I'll roll randomly for the other two applicants unless I hear a strong preference otherwise (either a preference to keep the party size to 5, or a preference for either the summoner or the shifter as the 6th member).
What say ye?
|
They are both level 7 characters and both front-liners (if you consider a summoner's eidolan a front line filler) so its a bit of a toss up as far as party balance goes.
I'm leaning towards the summoner for versatility myself, and I like the whole angel on one shoulder and devil on the other concept.
|
I'm okay with six players, but...
Bear in mind that we already have two animal companions, yielding a party of 7 without any additional PCs. If we're dealing with tight spaces again, there's already going to be a lot of people waiting in the hall while the two people in front do all the fighting. Add more PCs and an eidolon, and we're up to 9 characters on the board. That's crowded, and will be disappointing for those at the back of the line.
That said, I like all the character concepts, so I'll enjoy RPing with whoever joins us. We just may have to communicate about taking turns in the marching order.
I'm not hearing a strong wish for a 6th player and I do feel that with more PCs it's likely to be too easy for you (as well as the crowdedness issue that was mentioned, which is likely to be quite relevant for most of the Spire), so we'll stick with 5. And I think there seems to be general agreement that the party's greatest need is the bard as a dedicated arcane caster. I'll let the three applicants know and we can move ahead as soon as everyone is ready.
|
|
Everything should be filled in and ready to go. Let me know if I missed anything.
Couple things to know, Azrael has The Banner of Ancient Kings and Three Reasons to Live so his performances have the effects of an 18th level bard, including +4 to hit and damage from Inspire Courage.
The banner also doubles the effect of his flagbearer feat and that will give a +2 to hit, damage, and saves vs fear/charm to anyone within 30 ft.
|
Hello GM,
a couple of points on Aaftaab and his Animal Companion.
I am using the Inquisitor (Sacred Huntsmaster) ability to share Aaftaab's teamwork feats with the animal companion.
Especially, Pack Flanking which allows to almost always flank and Precise Strike which allows to then add +d6 precision damage per hit. And Outflank that allows to increase flank bonus to +4 together with Paired Opportunist to get two AoO vs. an enemy every time Aaftaab or the animal compa confirm a crit.
Please note that the Int / Combat Expertise requirements are fulfilled due to the Kinetic Knight Kineticist Archetype.
PACK FLANKING (Combat, Teamwork): Prerequisites : Int 13, Combat Expertise, ability to acquire an animal companion. Benefit : When you and your companion creature have this feat, your companion creature is adjacent to you or sharing your square, and you both threaten the same opponent, you are both considered to be flanking that opponent, regardless of your actual positioning.
Precise Strike (Combat, Teamwork): Prerequisites: Dex 13, base attack bonus +1. Benefit: Whenever you and an ally who also has this feat are flanking the same the creature, you deal an additional 1d6 points of precision damage with each successful melee attack. This bonus damage stacks with other sources of precision damage, such as sneak attack. This bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.
PAIRED OPPORTUNIST (Combat, Teamwork): Benefit : Whenever you are adjacent to an ally who also has this feat, you receive a +4 circumstance bonus on attacks of opportunity against creatures that you both threaten. Enemies that provoke attacks of opportunity from your ally also provoke attacks of opportunity from you so long as you threaten them (even if the situation or an ability would normally deny you the attack of opportunity). This does not allow you to take more than one attack of opportunity against a creature for a given action.
OUTFLANK (Combat, Teamwork): Prerequisites : Base attack bonus +4. Benefit : Whenever you and an ally who also has this feat are flanking the same creature, your flanking bonus on attack rolls increases to +4. In addition, whenever you score a critical hit against the flanked creature, it provokes an attack of opportunity from your ally.
*
GM, also important is that Aaftaab as a Kineticist (Kinetic Knight) has the VOID Kinetic blade that hits TOUCH AC and does NEGATIVE ENERGY DAMAGE for the FIRST attack.
So Aaftaab cannot use this void blade for AoOs etc and has a Adamantine Kukri +1 for AoO attacks in his left hand and he also has two-weapon fighting.
So as Aaftaab has the teamwork feats mentioned above, when he is with his animal companion he is flanking.
*
So due to his Rogue levels he has +2d6 sneak attack and with precise strike that is another +1d6 total.
Two weapon fighting with kukri slashing attack and void blade negative energy TOUCH attack:
- Void Kinetic blade with outflanking & two-weapon fight +13, negative energy hitting touch AC (1d6+1+3d6; 20/x2) To hit: BAB +4, Finesse +6, Size +1, +4 Flank with ’Outflank’ -2 two-weapon fighting / Damage: d6+ ½ Con + 2d6 Sneak Attack + d6 Precise Strike Feat
- Adamantine Kukri +1 with outflanking & two-weapon fight +13, slashing (1d3+6+3d6; 18-20/x2), To hit: BAB +4, Finesse +6, Size +1, +4 Flank with ’Outflank’ -2 two-weapon fighting / Damage: 1d3+ 6 Dex Finesse + 2d6 Sneak Attack + d6 Precise Strike Feat
Everything should be filled in and ready to go. Let me know if I missed anything.
Couple things to know, Azrael has The Banner of Ancient Kings and Three Reasons to Live so his performances have the effects of an 18th level bard, including +4 to hit and damage from Inspire Courage.
The banner also doubles the effect of his flagbearer feat and that will give a +2 to hit, damage, and saves vs fear/charm to anyone within 30 ft.
Very nice! All you need to add is some singing steel armor or weapon for maximum bard shenanigans! :-)
Aaftaab, ok, sounds like some good shenanigans as well. I'll admit that I've never quite wrapped my head fully around the kineticist class, not to mention this particular archetype, so there will probably be things that I'll have to ask you about but no worries for now.
|
|
Very nice! All you need to add is some singing steel armor or weapon for maximum bard shenanigans! :-)Everything should be filled in and ready to go. Let me know if I missed anything.
Couple things to know, Azrael has The Banner of Ancient Kings and Three Reasons to Live so his performances have the effects of an 18th level bard, including +4 to hit and damage from Inspire Courage.
The banner also doubles the effect of his flagbearer feat and that will give a +2 to hit, damage, and saves vs fear/charm to anyone within 30 ft.
If only it weren't so expensive. 7,000 gp just for a buckler made of the stuff. Maybe after this floor.
|
|
Aaftaab, ok, sounds like some good shenanigans as well. I'll admit that I've never quite wrapped my head fully around the kineticist class, not to mention this particular archetype, so there will probably be things that I'll have to ask you about but no worries for now.
The blade is actually only a ‘use one time per attack’ touch attack with negative energy. I can’t use it for much more and burn is ignored as the archetype guarantees no burn for the kinetic blade. That’s it. ;-) I just have the archetype for ignoring combat expertise.
The charm comes into play when the animal companion also uses all the teamwork feats but with our bard here in the group I think the +6 to damage / hit … well it be crazy.
|
|
Kala also has Outflank (she and Stinky tried to use it a lot), as well as Ferocious Loyalty (bonuses on attack rolls when an ally with this feat threatens the same foe) and Coordinated Distraction (spellcasters face an increased DC to cast spells defensively). As a hunter, she automatically shares all her teamwork feats with her animal companion.
Hey everyone, when you get a chance please fill in your chronicle information here. Thanks.
Also, please check that your information is correct on slide two (saves, init, perception, etc.).
I'm so sorry for the long posting delay, everyone. I somehow noticed that Aaftaab and Sabz had posted, but then forgot, and so I didn't realize that it was my turn! Oops!
Hey everyone, I'm taking my kid to the beach tomorrow through Monday. My posting will likely be reduced until I get back.
|
|
YES! Have fun!!
~
So to your questions GM regarding if ride is necessary:
Let us start with this from the ride skill description:
"You are skilled at riding mounts, usually a horse, but possibly something more exotic, like a griffon or pegasus. If you attempt to ride a creature that is ill suited as a mount, you take a –5 penalty on your Ride checks."
So riding a velociraptor can be considered by GMs as illsuited so -5 to Ride is what I take into account usually but your call.
.
From the ride skill description:
"Typical riding actions don’t require checks. You can saddle, mount, ride, and dismount from a mount without a problem. The following tasks do require checks."
So riding usually does not require a skill check. The mount moves but you have to have one hand to ride the animal because there is a specific rule:
Guide with Knees: You can guide your mount with your knees so you can use both hands in combat. Make your Ride check at the start of your turn. If you fail, you can use only one hand this round because you need to use the other to control your mount. This does not take an action.
The DC for this is 5. Even if you would rule that a velociraptor is not suited as mount and give -5 to ride then that would be DC 10 and Aaftaab has +10 ride so auto-succeeds and thus I do not make ride checks as Aaftaab is always guiding with knees.
In case Aaftaab has a penalty (e.g. shaken) then I will always roll ride checks.
-
Then it is important that Sabz knows the Attack and Attack/Attack trick so it is combat trained.
From the ride skill:
"Fight with a Combat-Trained Mount: If you direct your war-trained mount to attack in battle, you can still make your own attack or attacks normally. This usage is a free action."
------
Now to handle animal. Normally commanding your mount is a move action but because this is an animal companion with LINK it is a free action.
"Link (Ex): A druid can handle her animal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if she doesn’t have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. The druid gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding an animal companion."
-
To handle an animal and give it a command for a trick that it knows is DC 10. If the animal is wounded or has taken any nonlethal damage or ability score damage, the DC increases by 2.
So the max DC to command my mount is DC 12 for a trick it knows.
My handle animal is +11 so Aaftaab auto-succeeds commanding. In case Aaftaab has a penalty (e.g. shaken) then I will always roll handle animal.
------
I hope that helps. ;-)
Yep, sounds good. I should really have remembered all of that since it's very similar to my mount-riding characters but I'm afraid I'm slowly losing some of my mastery of PF1 rules intricacies... :-)
Gosh everyone, I am SOOO sorry about how absent I've been. It's sort of been a perfect storm of real life responsibilities the past few weeks. The good news is that I expect to be able to return to normal on Tuesday. My sincere apologies!
Hey everyone, again with the apologies! I thought I would have time to catch up this past week but it didn't happen. The week ahead is shaping up to be pretty hectic and then I'll be offline Friday-Sunday next weekend. So I will just go ahead and say that we'll be on hiatus until after next weekend. Again my apologies to any of you who are frustrated by the (lack of) pace and my appreciation to all of you for your patience.
Hi y'all, just a quick note to say that I haven't forgotten about this game. Thanks again for your patience!