Discussion Thread for the AP
Dotting in.
Druid - Plans for spells as primary
Ranger - Switch Hitter?
Barbarian - Wall?
Hunter (Feral) - Plan for Archery focus early, but I can adapt . . ..
Inquisitor (Heavily modified towards Hunter) - Archer focus
Well, I'm guessing Survival and outdoor stuff's not going to be our problem.
Two companions out of the gate?
Possible third one later?
Two Wild-Shapers (when we get there)
Two with "Free" Teamwork feats (when we get there)
Three divine casters out of the gate
Possible fourth one later
Interesting. Plenty of opportunity to coordinate, it appears, once we know to, anyway.
Edit:
And of course: Thank you, DM jwert02.
Plan is to be a wall that hits hard as well.
I'm thinking of going invulnerable rager, and adding to it the stalwart feat line. Looking at 4 DR/- by level 4, and ~13 DR/- at level 11(hoping we get there)
I had also considered armored hulk, but, depending on how stealthy we want to be, it may not be the best choice.
Also, I'll go ahead and be greedy to ask... if the DM would feel charitable to allow the temp hp of a chained barbarian work like that of an unchained barbarian. If not no loss, just figured I would ask haha.
I'm also considering the possibility of going into the chernasado warden prestige class. I also plan on going for intimidate build + terrifying howl rage power for panick/crowd control.
I may be pushing my luck, but DM, would you be open to considering elephant in the room feat tax? the main premise is making things like power attack/combat expertise options for any character, and making it easier to be okay at combat maneuvers, while lowering "feat taxes" on silly things. It doesn't change much, and I've used it in my games. It really opens up a lot of build ideas/paths.
I went with a cha based archetype because I saw a lot of wisdom based characters. So Ryar can face if need be. Feyspeaker does also gain access to an expanded lost of spells which will hopefully fill out casting. They also get more skills which is never bad. Control spells and enchantment will be my casting focus.
Still deciding on an animal companion. Small cat, heron, mantis are all in the mix.
If you aren't against it, a Roc may not be a bad choice either.
I finder their con to be a pretty big liability in a wilderness campaign where healing may be unreliable. Other campaigns it is a top choice.
Grizzly Bear?
Badger?
One of the many megafaunas?
Boar?
Giant Skunk, maybe?
Any of the bird or giant bird options, though less as combatant, obviously.
Always so many options.
Where's Mantis stated?
Grizzly is a good new option. I have done the badger before. It is fun with half-orcs having them both rage. The giant owl and heron are the best bird but like you say the offensive options are weak. But, being cha based I can always take evolved companion and give them a little spark of fey magic for extra natural attacks.
Mantis is UM.
The various constrictors are rather good too.
I have 9-11 animal companions or familiars in various games or on pfs characters so it's also a matter of doing something new.
Oh wow, I can't believe I got in! This is great, I won't let you guys down!
So yeah I've got pretty specced to be an Archer with my eagle/Hawk for scouting and my animal companion (currently Wolf unless someone has a better suggestion) for back up melee fighter to help the front liners while also potentially tracking enemies. I haven't quite got them statted out yet, so if anyone has suggestions I would be very glad to hear it.
I also have 2924 Gold I haven't spent, given that we might not see a shop for awhile, if anyone has any suggestions on what to buy, I'd love to hear it.
EDIT: I just realised I hadn't purchased arrows (silly me) so I bought 100 of those, and I'm now down to 24 GP.
Dot.
I'll double check all my math later this morning.
Glad to be a part of the team!
Orimmath is planned to be a goblin & giant killer. Axe and shield (with thrown weapons or bow if it becomes neceaaary) and the TwoHandedWeapon Ranger feat line.
Hadn't decided on animal companion, but if something really convincing comes my way, bon companion at 5th level seems like a good idea.
For our archers cold iron arrows are cheap even at level 1 and can save lives.
As we will have a wolf (tripper), I have decided to go with the mantis, flying grappler, with the Unexpected Intellectual and Elemental archetypes and evolved companion on the PC. The DR adamantine 1 that scales will help with the low con.
I think it should have some fun utility without being too powerful.
Ryar will be ready to go tonight.
For our archers cold iron arrows are cheap even at level 1 and can save lives.
Fair enough, bought 60 of those. Never know if we run into the Fae in the woods I guess, or whatever else is weak to cold iron.
Any other suggestions guys? Got 18 GP left.
I splash weapons bugs live in forests. I will pick up some too.
Well, I went with 40 durable arrows. Costs 40 gold. Huge investment in a 150 GP budget.
If we find ourselves needing a BUNCH of Cold Iron, we can share. My Abundant Ammunition spell will help immensely in such cases. Well, as long as the spell duration holds out, anyway. Time spent casting and duration limit on the spell has a lot to do with why I went for durable arrows . . .. Waste as few combat actions as possible, right?
Bollum: 160 arrows carried? Dude!
We can pack extras on animal companions.
First off thank you all! So glad to be going on this and I can see already that the interaction will be great. Couple of things:
I've DM'd plenty, but PbP wise I'm still in my first year. If you see anything at all that I can improve or that would make play easier, please shout it our or hit me with a PM. I love the creative energy I see here on the boards and I'm always happy to emulate the best of us.
Second, don't be afraid to reach out with character goals, hopes and ideas for subplots. I have found AP's to be broad and we've got energy to explore the combined world. I'll try to minimize PvP intrigue, but happy to indulge creative additions for your character in the story.
Our sixth player will be a Brawler. He's finishing up his character and will have it up to join you tomorrow.
Arrack - Well you can always ask! I'm cool with the modification on the chained/unchained HP as I feel it's better. However, not with the feat tax. I understand the argument, but generally I go RAW so as to not further confuse my actions down the road.
How are we on starting? Do we want to try for Friday to get the gameplay going?
I will have the character done tonight. Also, as long as we don't start immediately in combat I'm happy to start intro rp whenever.
I avoid all PvP so that won't be an issue.
If you want to see the best combat tracking I have ever seen check out the rise of the rune lords book 6 game I played in. That gm killed it. I'm still working on running combat that well. You may already be there.
Thats both good and unfortunate, would have saved me a couple feats haha. If you'd like just making Power attack, combat expertise and deadly aim options for everone for free is what a lot of folk do. Doesn't change much, Since they seem more like innate abilities to most martials haha. Well, either way I'm happy with the HP, I've no doubt it'll save my life at least once over the course of the AP haha!
I should have everything finished by tomorrow morning. I'm ready to RP whenever you and the others are though Haha!
As for PvP, I'll partake in none, unless its all in good fun, (such as a duel or some such foolishness) but will certainly keep from starting aby. That said, Arrack will likely be more than a little "a!&*+$%ish" starting out, just want to point out that that will be entirely from his character. and not from me.
Thanks for the warning about a prickly character. You can never tell playing an @$$ from being one in pbd without warning.
Generally, the ability to distinguish between an unruly player and an unruly character comes down to providing OOC comments and Discussion notes to be clear about the distinctions.
I also dislike PvP shenanigans. APs are written with the assumption that we will be a cooperative unit, working together for common goals, and trying to make the best use of found resources possible as a group. Basically the complete opposite of PvP shenanigans.
I'm suspicious that our characters are similar enough across the board that we're going to have LOTS of people wanting the same loot, and everybody not caring about the same (other) things, too. That could make full, intelligent cooperation more difficult. Spreading the wealth could end up with less effective power/capability, but should keep everyone relevant, too. <shrug> Guess we'll see.
----
Character specifics: DM jwert02? Any comments/options/alternate Directions you want to request/suggest/impose on what I've got written in my Background Sketch? Seems something we should work together about to help keep the story on track.
I have a sheet that works pretty well for tracking loot (which I can post). It keeps things pretty fair and makes sure that people that can't use the found loot can get a bit more cash if they need it.
I also don't make a lot of claims on loot in APs. I have a level 8 wizard in another game that just has a headband (+2). As long as I can get a head band in time to cast spells I don't need a lot else. I try to make AP characters pretty gear agnostic.
An other option that I have seen work is players give a ranked list of top ten items they want. This is done before the game starts and that determine distribution. Then the only conflicts happen when 2 things are at the exact same level on two lists.
Bollum: 160 arrows carried? Dude!
I didn't know when we would be able to buy more and my character doesn't know fletching! So you think I should buy less?
I splash weapons bugs live in forests. I will pick up some too.
Splash weapons, good count. I'll try and get some alchemist fire or the like then.
First off thank you all! So glad to be going on this and I can see already that the interaction will be great. Couple of things:
I've DM'd plenty, but PbP wise I'm still in my first year. If you see anything at all that I can improve or that would make play easier, please shout it our or hit me with a PM. I love the creative energy I see here on the boards and I'm always happy to emulate the best of us.
Second, don't be afraid to reach out with character goals, hopes and ideas for subplots. I have found AP's to be broad and we've got energy to explore the combined world. I'll try to minimize PvP intrigue, but happy to indulge creative additions for your character in the story.
Our sixth player will be a Brawler. He's finishing up his character and will have it up to join you tomorrow.
Arrack - Well you can always ask! I'm cool with the modification on the chained/unchained HP as I feel it's better. However, not with the feat tax. I understand the argument, but generally I go RAW so as to not further confuse my actions down the road.
How are we on starting? Do we want to try for Friday to get the gameplay going?
Thanks for having me! Friday works fine, I should have everything ready by then.
As for character goals, Bollum doesn't actually know much about the Green Faith, as he's an Inquisitor more because he doesn't know the practices he should be following. It would be nice if the druid who taught him (who is now dead) had a connection to the town we start in, so I would have a reason to come to town. Maybe inform their loved ones of their death.
Is there any NPC who could work in that regard in this town? My mentor doesn't need to be an Orc, if another race works better.
Im.ready whenever you are, team.
Re: arrows. If you're tracking them, you can never have enough. Same goes for.most ammunition, in my experience.
Re: PvP, not gonna happen from me, so that's a moot point as far as I'm concerned.
Re: treasure, Orimmath is pretty well stocked from the get go. Weapon, shield, light/medium armor is probably his only "need" roll, everything else can come in time.
So, uh, anything you guys WANT me to modify about the character before we get started? Or anyone else, for that matter? Skill points we want to redistribute since so many of us are focused in the same places, or maintain the full duplication so that we better back ourselves up?
I have bluff, diplomacy, geography, nature, perception, spellcraft, survival.
I will be picking up sense movie later.
I can move some points around to help the group but druids don't have many class skills.
I will have the character done tonight. Also, as long as we don't start immediately in combat I'm happy to start intro rp whenever.
I avoid all PvP so that won't be an issue.
If you want to see the best combat tracking I have ever seen check out the rise of the rune lords book 6 game I played in. That gm killed it. I'm still working on running combat that well. You may already be there.
Ryar - Can you hit me a link for that campaign? Didnt quite find it under your aliases
Folks
I'm travelling a good bit tomorrow by plane so I hope to get my last review in and things organized to push in. I'll have first post up by Friday AM and we can get to it!
Clarification - I dont like PvP intrigue either, and was basically trying to say I'll discourage subplots that work that way. I'll be clearer moving forward.
Arrack has intimidate, climb, survival, perception, stealth, and either handle animal or acrobatics, likely acrobatics. As a charisma of 7 would hamper handle animal ranks.
My "planned" build atm looks something like this-
Feats-
1- CE, PA
3- intimidating prowess
5- (level of unbreakable fighter for endurance/diehard) and stalwart
7- cornugoun smash/hurtful
9- hurtful/cornugoun smash
11- improved stalwart
13- dreadful carnage
If we had got CE/PA as freebies, I'd have a little wiggle room for something like cleave or lunge, haha, as of now, things are spoken for.
Rage powers will look something like-
2: superstitious
4: reckless abandon
6: strength surge or intimidating glare or.. something else.
8: terrifying howl
10: eater of magic
12: come and get me ??
Wanted to try something different from the generic "pouncarian". I'm also considering renewed vigor and
Regenerative vigor incase of "uh oh" situations, though I think given the limitations of those two powers it would likely be a waste. I'm also unsure on the 6th rage power slot, seeing as surge is limited to 1/rage, and glare is a move action that would be a bit redundant once cornugoun smash gets picked up...
Acrobatics (more for jumping and leaping, actually), Climb, Knowledge (Nature), Stealth, Survival, and Swim.
Getting along in the wilderness and getting THROUGH the wilderness.
Obviously working from a Dex build. Planning to focus on Wild Shape feats, really, but the class feature Teamwork feats that are auto-granted to creatures I summon could become a big deal. Might should focus more on summoning as we level, I'm not sure.
This is the one I was talking about.
Hi DM, I was wondering if we were doing the age penalty rules? I was thinking of having Bollum being sort of older, like in his late 30s, maybe 40s, having only recently found faith after a long life of being part of the bandit encounter for low level adventurers.
I was just checking are we doing age penalties in this game? Because I noticed Half-Orcs get middle age penalties at 30, and old at 45. I was hoping to ignore that for Bollum. If you want to stick with it, I'm happy to say Bollum is younger, 28 or 29 instead.
Bollum are you using any familiar archetype? If not, based on you back story saga could work really well. Just a thought.
Bollum are you using any familiar archetype? If not, based on you back story saga could work really well. Just a thought.
Do you mean the sage archetype? I was tempted for my Hawk Familiar but I don't know how useful it will be since my Hawk can't speak languages, unlike say a thrush. Are Sage familiars able to speak?
I don't think I saw any archetypes for my wolf I wanted to take for him.
Sage get speak with master at level 5 it also stacks with figment for great skills through evolutions.
The animal companion ones are weak for an inquisitor as they typically give up share spell which is insanely powerful with the inquisitor spell list.
I'm not sure Figment works for my concept of my familiar.
I'm also a bit worried about our animal companions outside the bar not giving us a heads up hobgoblins were around. Hope they aren't in danger or anything. But if they're fine, we should be able to do a pincer attack on these two Hobgoblins.
Also I am starting to feel bad I didn't get stabalize at level 1 for poor Aubrin, although I don't know if that would have stopped the bleed effect.
DM are there any windows around? So we can see if our companions are ok?
EDIT: Sorry extra question, my wolf animal companion can have a maximum of 7 (6+1 bonus trick). Is it fair to say that, since I've had him for awhile and he's already pre-trained by my former master, that he has already learnt those 7 tricks? Or do you want me to start with just the single bonus trick, and have to spend weeks in the game teaching him those tricks?
Normally animal companions and mounts come stock with the max tricks, as otherwise, companions would be nigh useless. And depending on how GMs play it, tricks may or may not be needed. I know most GMs hand wave tricks away mostly, due to it slowing things down, but that's not the main point.
Bleed is "cured" by a DC 15 Heal check, or any spell that HEALS HIT POINT DAMAGE.
Stabilize doesn't do either.
One of those things I've run into a few times.
Hi DM, I was wondering if we were doing the age penalty rules? I was thinking of having Bollum being sort of older, like in his late 30s, maybe 40s, having only recently found faith after a long life of being part of the bandit encounter for low level adventurers.
I was just checking are we doing age penalties in this game? Because I noticed Half-Orcs get middle age penalties at 30, and old at 45. I was hoping to ignore that for Bollum. If you want to stick with it, I'm happy to say Bollum is younger, 28 or 29 instead.
Bollum - I'm ok with playing without the age penalty. Just keep it in the story narrative, so no long nights of drinking and bouncing back like he's 20 again. Wait or is that just me that can't do that anymore?
Normally animal companions and mounts come stock with the max tricks, as otherwise, companions would be nigh useless. And depending on how GMs play it, tricks may or may not be needed. I know most GMs hand wave tricks away mostly, due to it slowing things down, but that's not the main point.
Consider me in this camp. The point of having them is to expand your capabilities and the class build and it seems likely folks wouldn't hang on to them unless they were effective.
Bug flys in and attempts to grab the creature while 5 feet off the ground.
[dice=Grapple with lunge on Red]1d20+8-2
Are you having Bug attack the blue one inside with the longsword, or the red one outside with the longbow?
Also, did you add the icon for your companion? And if so, how do I add one for my wolf companion?
I tend to put the target in the dice tag, so red. Blue will be on its last legs so I'm less concerned.
Copy and paste a photo. Resize and crop square. That's all there is to it.
Ah fair enough. I wonder if you successfully grapple, that means my 9 might actually be higher, since we might also be flanking the gobbo?
Let's hope.
Clearly Romulon still thinks this is playtime, rather than fight time. ;p
as a player, I don't particularly care where we go first, I'd rather go to the shrine last, but as said, do not care that much. Arrack is much more opinionated on the matter though (IC).
Ryar won't abandon the group so he will follow along either way but his thought process is that he can call animals (like an elk or wild horse) minimizing the need for hunting; he can provide good berries and water; the forests are full of wood; Expeditious Excavation, Construction to aid simple structures. It all boils down to we can get more natural resources we can not get more people.
It may be a bad out of game decision, I don't know.
Do you want stealth rolls from all of us DM?