Lesser Spirit Totem would definitely increase our damage output considerably! Lesser Celestial Totem would keep us safer, but I think we are all agreed that we have plenty of healing. The other powers in the Celestial Totem line are pretty good (invisibility purge and SR), but so are the Spirit Totem ones (miss chance and more damage). Which one is more appropriate to Junior, do you think? Just based on what I guess about how you're playing him, I'd say Spirit Totem is most appropriate, but I wouldn't be offended you didn't take my suggestions if you go with something else. :)
Benedic, I doubt that anyone in the party cares about a perfect GPV balance of the loot. What's good for the party is making the party as a whole stronger! Besides, Radiance is special and shouldn't even be listed with a GP value. I don't know much about WotR, but even I can recognize a story item!
The rage power can't use a standard action or rounds of rage to activate. Otherwise it's fair game.
Spirit totem is on my short list, it would key off my passible cha and BAB. So it would give a free attack at +5 to hit, 1d4+3 negative energy to anyone accepting the rage.
Right now lesser spirit totem is the best power because it increases the damage output of the party by 50% or more. But it won't age all that well. It would be in competition with lesser cult totem, which if I get that, cult totem, and unexpected strike you all will probably want to pick up combat reflexes at some point.
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Cult totem would theme with my vague plans to become a minor god.
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Benedic, I doubt that anyone in the party cares about a perfect GPV balance of the loot. What's good for the party is making the party as a whole stronger! Besides, Radiance is special and shouldn't even be listed with a GP value. I don't know much about WotR, but even I can recognize a story item!
This. And so long as no one feels especially left out.
I’m not familiar with cult totem but I am planning on taking combat reflexes, so that sounds like a decent option to me. Also, I enjoy that your plan is to become a minor god, lol.
I'd never looked at Cult Totem before, and while I agree it's thematic, Lesser Cult Totem is actually bad for us, because it will remove our morale bonuses to attack from heroism. Yes, it adds them to damage, but mythic heroism also adds to damage, which means it would just take away the bonus. Pardon my Hallit, but that sucks for a rage power! It also penalizes good hope too. :(
It's not even the craziest thing that Mythic lets you do. :P
For expeditious shopping: Neathholm's base value is 200 gp. I don't feel like rolling for availability, so assume any mundane item at or below that value is available. The same value applies to magical items, though bear in mind the only spellcaster in town is a 3rd level witch. I don't think anyone bought the +1 buckler or +1 ring of protection from him, so he still has those in stock along with his potions.
There are so many cool Teamwork Feats!
Anyone think which one fits Tristan most? I am torn between two; but, curious to see if anyone agrees...lol.
Lastwall Phalanx?
Definitely on my list; but BaB+2 at the moment.
I'd never looked at Cult Totem before, and while I agree it's thematic, Lesser Cult Totem is actually bad for us, because it will remove our morale bonuses to attack from heroism. Yes, it adds them to damage, but mythic heroism also adds to damage, which means it would just take away the bonus. Pardon my Hallit, but that sucks for a rage power! It also penalizes good hope too. :(
Don't use mythic heroism? Generally you want damage over to hit. Our last combats notwithstanding, it's really easy to hit a target, its harder to significantly damage them. Anyway point taken, I'll do another once over on the ones I qualify for and go from there.
I just read all the totems and I think I agree with Benedic about not being crazy about lesser cult. Also, I like the spirit totem chain but I had forgotten that it was negative energy, which isn’t necessarily the best thematic fit for our party. The solar totem, on the other hand, seems pretty cool, although the energy damage from greater might not accomplish much. The beast totem chain would also be helpful- the first one is situational but normal and greater are both very good. The spire totem seemed interesting too; the normal one I didn’t care about but lesser and greater both seemed useful.
I’m going to look at the blood powers next and then teamwork feats for Tristan.
Oh, but the obvious question should be what are you going to be a god of? That will (obviously) effect what powers you should take!
@Junior- I looked through the blood powers and the only one that seemed very good was elemental, but that would be a possibility (if you pick electricity eventually we could all fly around like Thor).
@Tristan- knowing how much you like to run around during combat, I’m guessing escape route is on your list? Although, given how much you love intimidating people, scarred legion looks like it must be in the running too? Other ones that I’d be looking at if I was you include: look out (since Selann always acts in the surprise round), precise strike (because there’s an abundance of flanking buddies for you), and shake it off (because the party’s big enough that you should be getting a good bonus from it as often as you care to).
Ferocious Loyalty is pretty nice, Tristan! Especially for an inquisitor, since Solo Tactics means it's always applicable.
Maybe Lesser Celestial Blood is a good choice for Junior? I know, it overlaps with Greta's own bloodline powers, but that just means she doesn't have to use her own bloodrage rounds. She can still use her better bonuses when accepting the inspired rage, and that means she could also use the rage powers that go with it, which otherwise she couldn't.
I don't know, there aren't many good options I'm afraid. Spirit totems are negative energy, true, but they aren't evil in any way so it would be kind of a quirky cool thing that Junior is providing shadowy bonuses that complement all our light, bright, positive bonuses. Also, Celestial Blood and Spiritual Totem stack.
Lesser celestial blood is cool and probably very useful for this campaign. I didn’t mention it on my list because it didn’t seem worthwhile going up the chain from there (although my opinion on that might be askew because a bunch of what the higher powers grant I get from my race already). If you’re not worried about picking something you can stick with though, it would be a very good option.
Oh, but the obvious question should be what are you going to be a god of? That will (obviously) effect what powers you should take!
Its going to be the other way around. But I have to grant the good domain so in that case I think I've settled on lesser celestial blood. I doubt it will go farther than that, and that's ok.
I won't be locked out of a lot of things because I will have flexible fury for all those rage power that I will wish I had exactly once.
Alright, so... taking VMC would slow down Greta's combat progress (ie, it is less powerful for her than just taking feats) but since she's already the outlier on damage output I'm actually thinking of that as a positive right now. Because of that, I'm going to go with VMC cavalier with the order of the star; the thematic fit is just so strong (and she already says little prayers in or before combat, now those will eventually have real game effect).
With that settled, here are my changes from leveling:
+9 hp; +1 BAB; +1 Ref and Will
+1 to all current skills
blood sanctuary (+2 to save vs spells cast by self or ally)
[VMC]challenge 1/day (+1 saves and +1 damage vs target; -2 AC vs non-target)
And, while we're in town I'll spend 300 of my gold on the reagents for Benedic's spell (and am changing my hammer to masterwork in my profile)
Moving forward my (tentative) plan is to probably put my +1 in Dex at 4th level and take combat reflexes at 5th. I get a bloodline feat at 6th which will likely be either iron will or weapon focus (depending on how much trouble I've had with saves), and then I won't have another feat to think about spending on power attack until 9th. If anyone is worried that I need to take my damage output more seriously to make up for a lack of other dedicated melees, speak now or forever hold your peace?
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Its going to be the other way around. But I have to grant the good domain so in that case I think I've settled on lesser celestial blood. I doubt it will go farther than that, and that's ok.
Nice! Everyone can use an extra 1d6 damage vs evil. Even Greta when she isn't raging!
I won't be locked out of a lot of things because I will have flexible fury for all those rage power that I will wish I had exactly once.
Nice!! Yeah, great for that one day we will need to be able to Swim. :)
Sounds good, Junior.
My profile is completely updated. In addition, when we went shopping, Greta sold off her old (starting) chainshirt and bought a handful of stuff that she thought would (mostly) be of benefit for everyone... a nice new backback to replace the tattered one that Junior was going to try to fix, 50' of silk rope, a grappling hook, a flask each of acid and alchemist's fire, and a cot with a pillow and blanket (so she's not grumpy in the morning).
All ready to go.
And, while we're in town I'll spend 300 of my gold on the reagents for Benedic's spell (and am changing my hammer to masterwork in my profile)
I'll mark off the spell, presumably he'll cast it in the morning. I might post some kind of interaction between us, it might be nice to have a somewhat positive experience together. :)
Moving forward my (tentative) plan is to probably put my +1 in Dex at 4th level and take combat reflexes at 5th. I get a bloodline feat at 6th which will likely be either iron will or weapon focus (depending on how much trouble I've had with saves), and then I won't have another feat to think about spending on power attack until 9th. If anyone is worried that I need to take my damage output more seriously to make up for a lack of other dedicated melees, speak now or forever hold your peace?
We've got lots of melees, just not so much BAB. ;) Not having Power Attack isn't the end of the world, since you do two-handed weapon damage anyway. And it also means you should hit more often because you won't have the Power Attack penalty.
Something to keep in mind is that when we get mythic tiers, you'll want to take mythic feats, and to take them you have to have the basic feat first. So assuming we might get mythic tiers before 9th level, is there another mythic feat you'll want to take? Like, is Mythic Combat Reflexes something you might want? There's also a 1st-Tier Guardian Path Ability called Ever Ready that can sub for Combat Reflexes if you want to conserve feats and take Power Attack sooner.
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I'll get things moving again tomorrow, assuming everyone's done leveling up.
And yes, a mythic tier by level 9 is a safe assumption. Unless things go drastically off the rails, anyway.
The issue with the mythic feat actually did occur to me too. Thankfully, mythic combat reflexes is awesome (especially once we get some enlarging magic). Lol, besides that, I might pick up one of the exceptions to that (like dual paths or one the ones that gives extra mythic points) instead.
Those are all on my list! Nice to see we totally agreed...lol.
Off the rails? Did I do that...lol.
I'm set to go :D
Ready!
@Selann- I don’t want to tell you your business but, just in case you’re unaware, there’s a feat you can take to up your sneak attack damage by 1d6... with it you can qualify for arcane trickster with just a 1 level dip in rogue. I don’t remember, maybe you’re trying for a rogue with a little magic instead of a roguish wizard, but minimizing your loss of caster level may end up being important not just for getting higher level spells but for overcoming spell resistance?
Yep! Accomplished Sneak Attacker. I plan to take that at 5th level so I can go AT at 6th. I have the Magical Knack trait so I'm not losing Caster level, just available spells per level. (and when I get the higher spells....) Second level as Rogue gave me Evasion, more skill points that I needed for now, and most important, the Rogue Talent so, along with the 3rd level Feat, I don't take -4 for firing into melee anymore!
Straight Diviner now until 6th level, then AT for 10.
This all helps me to be a little less like dead weight for now....
Way to go!
Tristan is ready!
I took Ferocious Loyalty
Junior's crafting would be significantly cheaper! Like, one-third the cost! Just to factor that in. :)
Lol it's fine. He's got his own family heirloom to work on.
@Benedic- I just remembered that this was a thing and thought I'd point it out, in case you were interested.
Oh wow, thanks Greta! I forgot that existed. It's probably the only chance I'll ever have to ever play one. There's good reasons to take it, particularly the aura of courage. Also getting out of charm effects, and the slight boost to BAB. On the negative side, I'd lose one of my precious feats for Iron Will, and I'd have to spend 5 precious skill ranks on Sense Motive. Plus my channels wouldn't advance for those levels. Hmm. I'll have to think about it more! :)
It would also bring your smite up to almost equal to your actual level, if that helps? Oh, and your channel wouldn’t gain any dice but it would still improve with that save reroll ability!
Here's this week's question, somewhat less heavy than the last one.
You're at a table for a very important dinner. It could be a formal banquet, a religious feast, or even simply the first time you're having dinner with your paramour's family. The meal arrives, and everyone around you digs in, clearly enjoying it. Even though everyone else seems to like this meal, you hate it. What food is it? Why do you dislike it so much? How do you handle this situation?
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Massielo didn't expect to be invited to dine with such important people. But the Rufflies were very thankful that he healed their son and wanted to show their gratitude. Still, Massielo would have never guessed that they would bring chelaxian caviar as an appetizer.
It reminded Massielo of his father's tales about the corrupt military officers, who bought the same caviar to show how little they cared about being caught. Every time it happened, Massielo's father Titus came home furious with the feeling impotence. It was something he could never heal, no matter how much he tried.
Now it is being put in front of him to eat, like some innocent prize for a job well done. It makes him think of how the Rufflies came to be so rich in the first place. To how many people or animals have they brought suffering to earn this wealth?
Massielo just looks at the caviar while all these thought go through his mind. It is a while before he realizes the family is looking at him funny. Still, his mother taught him how to be diplomatic. He puts as little as he can on a piece of bread and holds it like a glass of wine. He pretends to fumble holding the bread which falls on the floor. While the family acts concerned, the boy he healed looks at him with a scornful look, as though he is dying to make fun of the man.
Massielo doesn't eat anything else, during dinner. The Rufflies do not mention this, but they surely noticed. He is properly treated as no one objects him leaving early. On his way out, he notices the horse insignia, which the Rufflies have earned for being horse breeders for the crusades. Below the horse, a whip can be seen, to signify how they train their horses. Massielo closes his eyes as he leaves.
Selann had almost reached the completion of his schooling in Divination when the professor told him of his final assignment. He was confused to find that the "assignment" was a formal dinner at the Temple of Pharasma. When they found that he didn't have any "formal" clothing, (his professor had expected this, but it was still embarrassing!) they provided some. Selann hoped that he wouldn't have to demonstrate any spell casting though as the provided clothing was as uncomfortable as he imagined plate armor to be!
Selann also felt a little concerned because while he knew "of" Pharasma, the deity that he paid homage to was Nethys. He understood the differences between the deities and understood that many diviners readily accepted Pharasma as the Patron of Divination. But when he actually bent a knee in prayer Selann felt the God of arcane magic was the proper one for his devotion....
Luckily, the event had little to nothing to do with him, or anything about him. His professor introduced him to many priests and other functionaries, and fortunately Selann had an almost eidetic memory for names so he was able to hold a conversation with them. He was annoyed at the number of them that would barely glance down to him, and then turn away as if his lack of height meant that he wasn't worth a moment of conversation. But, after a bit of thought he decided that he'd feel free to ignore those that ignored him.
The dinner was also disappointing. Of particular note was the meat entree. Selann wasn't sure what it was, but he was glad that he had taken the smallest slice he could see to taste. He had to be polite so when he felt like choking and spitting, and felt his gorge rising, he forced himself to stop breathing and chewing. He was able to reach his glass of wine for a large "sip" to cover the taste, then forced himself to swallow the bite. Under the spices he was almost certain that he tasted dirt! Was the meat from a corpse of some kind? Maybe it was his imagination.... He carefully cut the remaining bit into tiny pieces and covered them all with an unhealthy amount of gravy, and a good deal more table spice than he normally would. Then he topped of a mug with water to wash down each bite and watched the others at the table as he forced himself to clean his plate. Shortly after he finished and worked to clear his palate again with wine he was disappointed to note that he was one of the few that consumed his portion. Maybe it was a test? And did he pass or fail by eating? He never found out.
Caliban sit down to dinner, knowing that his father had prepared the meal the night before the young elf was going to depart Kyonin. Ugh pork chops again?!? it was the only thing his father really knew how to cook, and took great pride in them, but Caliban had grown sick of the too-human food over the past century. Of course his parents didn't know this would be the last meal they ate together before he left, but it would stick in his mind.
Of course, he's eaten far worse since then, but the overly tough and dry pork was anathema to his tongue. Another forced meal to understand the humans as his father feasted more crusaders who would die hopelessly without the support of the elves. These rough men drank too much, and didn't care much about the texture of the meat, and now Caliban understood why.
Years later, Caliban would trade anything for his least favorite meal back home. But there was demons to fight, and the wishes of a young elf went unheeded in the conflict to return to simpler days.
Greta looked around the magnificently appointed table as the food was being laid out. She knew how out of place she must look. She was the only girl, and she was nearly a foot shorter and easily seventy or eighty pounds lighter than the next smallest person; her feet didn't even touch the floor as she sat in the large, ornate wooden chair provided for her. Still, her hosts were some kind of crusaders and this was the furthest she'd ever gotten towards finding a group to join.
She smelled it before she ever saw them... her all time least favorite food- lake crabs. She knew that many people loved them but she hated everything about them: the juice that dripped all over your hands when you cracked them, the subtle muddy flavor that you tried to mask with melted butter, that prickly feeling they gave you in the back of your throat...
As the various courses were uncovered, her worst nightmare seemed to be unfolding before her very eyes: a salad with boiled eggs, tomatoes, and crab meat; a crab and potato chowder; whole boiled crabs with melted butter; and a braided pastry stuffed with cheese and crab meat. She smiled politely and took the smallest portions possible of each dish as everyone else tore into the food with gusto. Friendly conversation provided some distraction while she picked at the crab-free bits of her salad, but eventually the others noticed she wasn't really eating much of the tiny bit of food she'd taken. "Well, if you let her join, at least it won't cost much to keep her fed," one of the burlier men teases through his brown beard that's dripping with butter and crab juice. Her face reddened as many of the others laughed.
I can't say nothing... I can't insult our hosts either though... ohhh, I've never been good at lying... just say something quick...
"Sorry," the small woman answered sheepishly, "this is the week of my moon-cycle and it sometimes spoils my appetite." An uncomfortable silence fell around the table as several of the men looked at her with a mix of shock and mild disgust. It remained awkwardly silent for a painfully long moment before the man with the dripping beard announced, "not even that information is going to spoil my appetite!" Laughter broke out as he began tearing into another crab, and Greta returned to quietly picking at her salad. Not long after that she excused herself and nobody protested her leaving. She walked back to the inn feeling defeated and bought a bowl of stewed goat to eat alone in her room while she cried.
I'd say its rather explicitly clear.
If the form grants a swim or burrow speed, you maintain the ability to breathe if you are swimming or burrowing.
As a GM I'd probably house rule it that the form assumed would need the ability to breathe water for it to work this way.
In any case if I get in serious trouble I can always use the scale again.
I have heard GMs make arguments against it before... personally, I'm inclined to agree with you, Junior; it seems pretty clear to me.
Here's this week's question, somewhat less heavy than the last one.
You're at a table for a very important dinner. It could be a formal banquet, a religious feast, or even simply the first time you're having dinner with your paramour's family. The meal arrives, and everyone around you digs in, clearly enjoying it. Even though everyone else seems to like this meal, you hate it. What food is it? Why do you dislike it so much? How do you handle this situation?
Tristan (having grown up in a prestigious family) had many the occasion where the culinary cuisine was not to his taste. From the age of 5, where he absolutely hated green peas; to the age of 12, where the smell of liver made his stomach turn, the proper young man devoured everything! Born to a higher standard then even his peers, Tristan de Lion learned how to sense which times demanded pure courage; and, which only a fraction of it.
Even to this day, our young Inquisitor would never breach etiquette!
I can see two sides to the argument, so for the negative....
Alter Self is a 2nd level spell that gives several possible benefits, including a shorter duration water breathing which is a 3rd level spell. A 2nd level spell shouldn't be doing the same thing (and more) that a 3rd level spell does.
Also, the spell specifically states: "If the form you assume has any of the following abilities, you gain the listed ability: darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, scent, and swim 30 feet." It doesn't state water breathing along with swimming. Swim 30' could mean that you are really good at swimming on the surface of water, or under water for as long as you can hold your breath!
That said, as a GM I'd allow it.... But I'm not the GM here!
Today and tomorrow will be quite busy for me.
The rule seems very clear to me as well. Swim speed via polymorph also grants water breathing. Appreciate the devil's advocacy, Selann.
Alter self is only viable in this situation because the caster level is high. Water breathing offers hours/level durations and can target multiple creatures, so I don't see a balance issue really.
You should carry a very long straw; just in case.