Explaining traditions to me.
Okay, that tracks. I'd prefer to buy "off the rack" where I can, but that doesn't look to be possible all the time. For instance, I like the look of the Dedicated Duelist tradition, but I have two or three weapons that aren't on that list I'd like to add, and (counts quick)seven on the list that I hadn't even sniffed at for Yhrrilka. Double chicken saber, I'm looking at you...
Is it acceptable to use the DD tradition, but swap out Duelist Training with a Custom list?
EDIT: (no reason for two posts there)
Can’t wait to see Macaria’s crunch. :)
Also noticed that Ril also has craft tattoos. Torsten approves!
The flame tattoos at the wrists, base of the skull, and chest are supposed to represent having the Burning Mother watch over all "deeds of hand, head, and heart." Everything else is just for funsies. :)
Next dumb question!
(topic: interaction between SoM and World is Square)
You may use your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier when calculating your melee attack rolls with light weapons and weapons with the finesse weapon special feature. You may take this talent a total of two times. If taken a second time, whenever you make an attack using your Dexterity bonus on attack rolls and your Strength bonus on melee damage rolls, you may also add 1/2 your base attack bonus (minimum 1) as a bonus on that damage roll. Associated Feat: Weapon Finesse.
Given that we all effectively already have the first benefit, does picking this talent the first time grant the second benefit?
Made changes to my character sheet. Decided that I wanted to keep the theme of tattoos only buffing himself. So (1) replaced Center of Power drawback with Regenerate. (2) Switched Crippling Strike and Steal Senses for Self Renewal and Deeper Healing. (3) Switched Lay on Hands for Arcane Bloodline.
I figure that this will be more fun as it opens up a second sphere. Plus it will really make Torsten able to care for himself regarding being on the front line and healing. :)
Re: Finesse Fighting: Yes, because if you look at the end of the paragraph it states "Associated feat: Weapon Finesse".
That means that
a) This talent counts as Weapon Finesse for any requisites.
b) When you get the Weapon Finesse feat, you may opt to exchange it for this talent instead.
Now well, Weapon Finesse doesn't exist anymore because using Dex is now a basic option according to Elephant Room rules, but I'm sure somewhere there it says that you count as having it for any requisites a well (otherwise it would be impossible to pick "X-grace" feats). We might say you "get" Weapon Finesse at the beginning of character creation automatically, so you just swap it for the Finesse Training talent and then buy it one more time.
Re: Macaria: Well, I've spent most of the morning skimming through Channeling feats. There's a fecking ton, I'm telling you. Then I realised extra feats from Incanter don't mention you can grab Channeling feats, so I'll have to think of another way to get more feats. Because I NEAD MOAR FEETS... :p
In the end, since I can't use them to pick Channeling feats, they're not as useful. Then if I get a class that gives me ordinary magic instead of Spheres, I won't need the extra talents either. Spheres are more flexible and allow you to do exactly what you want (you could cast Haste from 1st level!), but Vancian magic is way broader (there's no way a Sphere caster can duplicate the plethora of effects a 1st level Wizard has access to, even being limited only to the spells in her spellbook). So probably I'll just stick to Channeler Cleric instead of Incanter.
I'll have to find a way of not having two different casting attributes, though...
OK, that's comforting, then. Thanks. In that case, I might have the Practitioner side of Yhrrilka's sheet (mostly) nailed down.
For my next trick, I am attempting to nail down her casting schticks such that they look by-the-books as SoP does them. I have a total of 3 Talents, and I figure I'd want to definitely use one in Destruction to get a Fire Blast cooking. The other two, I'm not really sure. I'm open to ideas. Ideas under consideration were going for the Nature (fire) package (but that might get earmarked for later), something in Divination, or maybe Protection. Any help I can get turning those vague ideas into actual uses of a Talent, I am all ears and extremely thankful!
f you plan to be in close combat alot, you may want to consider this:
"Fire Blast (blast type, fire)
Your destructive blast deals fire damage. Any creature struck by the attack or that failed their Reflex saving throw if one was required must succeed at a Reflex save or catch fire. A burning creature takes 1d6 damage the following round, plus 1d6 per round until the flames are extinguished. Each round the target may attempt another Reflex save to attempt to extinguish the flames. Rolling on the ground or using a blanket to smother the flames (a full-round action) grants the target a +4 bonus to that round’s saving throw."
and
"Energy Strike (blast shape) [strike]
As a standard action, you may make a single weapon attack in conjunction with making a destructive blast. This casting cannot be reduced below a standard action, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity, unless as usual if making a ranged attack. If the target is struck by the attack, it is also struck by the destructive blast. If using a scatter weapon, the blast only applies to a single target, chosen at the time of attack."
and
"Searing Blast (blast type, fire)
Your destructive blast deals fire damage using d8 instead of d6 as its damage die"
So, at lvl 1...assuming that your finesse gives you +1 damage for using dex to hit and str for damage, and power attack:
To hit: +3
Damage: 1d6+4(physical)+1d8+1(fire) for a total of 1d6+1d8+5 damage that can cause someone to catch fire.
with the above, you are always doing a standard action to attack. That isn't good when you hit lvl 6. But with fencing sphere?
Fatal Thrust
Whenever you make an attack action or an attack of opportunity against a target that is within 30 ft. and that you are flanking, that is flat-footed, or that has lost its Dexterity bonus to AC (such as through a successful feint), you deal an additional +1d6 precision damage to the target. This damage is not multiplied on a critical hit. This damage increases by an additional 1d6 precision damage for every 5 points of base attack bonus you possess.
* Sneak attack damage? Nice damage boost.
Fast Feint
You may attempt to feint a creature as a move action. In addition, once per round when you succeed on a feint attempt against a creature, you may expend martial focus to move up to your speed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the target of your feint. Associated Feat: Improved Feint.
* This is great as you now have a move action to feint and a standard to do your blast+weapon attack.
Feint Strike
Whenever you succeed at a feint against a creature, you may make a single attack against them with any weapon you are wielding as a swift action. You may expend your martial focus to instead make this attack as an attack of opportunity.
* Now we are talking! Move action to feint, causing a swift action attack, and then a standard action blast attack. This is a load of damage!
All in all? Move to feint, swift to attack, standard to attack. No -5 to hit from iterative attacks. With a huge 2-handed scimitar covered in fire. This is a dex-heavy half-orc using skill with a blade to batter them down and set them on fire
----
Then you can consider feats like:
Fire God's Blessing: When in combat, if you deal fire damage to an enemy, you heal 1 hit point. You can only benefit from this healing once per round. Attacks that cause a target to catch on fire heal you each round the target takes fire damage.
And eventually Weapon Evoker Mastery, so that your attacks do +1d4 damage.
Or traits like:
Flame of the Dawnflower: You have been raised to view yourself as a blade in Sarenrae’s service, or you have taken on that duty for yourself. Whenever you score a critical hit with a scimitar, you deal 2 additional points of fire damage to your target. (Fits your background as a Saranrae worshiper)
And eventually, get a Fire Forged Weapon. Once your blasts can do 10 points of fire damage without issue, the fire forged weapon will increase the fire damage by 1d4.
-------------
Oh! If you can get it, an Elven Curve Blade would be really good as well. It is "Essentially a longer version of a scimitar, but with a thinner blade" so it fits worship of Saranrae well.
1d10 damage, 18-20 crit, "You receive a +2 circumstance bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever a foe attempts to sunder your elven curve blade due to its flexible metal. You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with an elven curve blade sized for you, even though it isn’t a light weapon."
So you can use dex to hit, and get +50% damage from power attacking with it. At lvl 1 you'd thus be +3 Hit and 1d10+1d8+6 damage. That is hitting pretty darn hard. Keep a regular scimitar or a dagger as a backup weapon. With automatic bonus progression you'll have 2 weapons which can get enhancement bonuses, so you'll have a weapon for all occasions.
alright.
First, I would consider picking the Cantrips feat. It gives you access to many of the archetypical cantrips/orisons a Vancian caster usually has. Covering these basic tricks only with talents would take you about half a dozen of them, so you're saving more than in Walmart for Christmas.
Then I'd start thinking a couple effects I's really want to duplicate as a core of the character. "I want him to teleport and hurl fireballs" is fine for now. Doing what a Vancian caster does is completely impossible, they have effects from all schools and completely diverse. They're limited by slots and power level, you're limited by diversity.
So I would pick the basic Spheres I want to use, in this case Warp and Destruction. Then pick the talents which give me the exact effects I want to replicate (maybe teleport as a move instead of standard, and using a fire blast instead of the basic blast - which, by the way, is your choice of slashing, bashing or piercing).
Once I have the core tricks of the character, I'd start expanding with another Sphere or two, at only basic level. Basic Spheres usually have very weak tricks, but at no cost, and that is usually dope. Warp basic, for example, grants teleport at close range and as a standard action - this is bad if you want teleports to be your core tricks, but as a secondary/tertiary ability for a rainy day is super - no cost, standard, and I can cross the lava stream, yay!
After that, it's just a matter of finishing touches, according to where you want to end. Remembering you'll never be able to do everything like a Wizard is important, but also having in mind that you can do things they'll never have access to (short of very high-power, costly spells, with limited slots to spend).
Unless the core of the character is "Fire in all its forms", I wouldn't spend talents in Destruction+Fire Blast AND Nature+Fire Geomancy, at least not yet.
As a last advice, I'd have a look at the SoP feats. Some of them require you to have two different Spheres, and bring a benefit that combines both Spheres effects into something new, or eliminate some of the restrictions allowing you to create new and crazy tricks to exploit.
Damage: 1d6+4(physical)+1d8+1(fire) for a total of 1d6+1d8+5 damage that can cause someone to catch fire.
Remember you can't apply 2 Blast Type talents to the same blast unless you also have the Admixture talent, and then the dice size might suffer (though not in this case).
Also, consider Divine Fighting Technique (Sarenrae's Mercy) on its advanced version (10th level required): if you deal nonlethal damage you're healed for 1d6, 2d6 instead if the damage comes from a scimitar (once per round). This and the amounts of temporary hit points and DR you could get from the Berserker Sphere would make a nice HP wall :P
Oh, another advice: When you pick a new sphere, have a look at its drawbacks. Sometimes it's worth having a drawback to get an extra talent (you can buy back the drawback later). Macaria, for example, will have the Death sphere but she'll never be able to control/create undead.
And with that I learned something new!
OK, so let me walk before I run here. :)
Of the three Talents I pick up at first level, I use one to get the Destruction Sphere. That gives me the base Destructive Blast ability. Then I could take the Energy Focus (Fire) Sphere Drawback. This limits me to using Fire Blasts (I cannot even use the base ability at this point? It's Fire or nothing now, correct?), and I get another Talent on top of that. I could then use that additional Talent to pick up Searing Blast.
After that's all said and done, I have a basic blasty-kind of move, and still have two Talents left to spend, am I right?
Some of those ideas from above are great mechanically, but seem a bit out of character (for instance, can't justify her using an elven curve blade, it's a bridge too far, awesome finesse weapon though it may be).
It ain't cheating if you haven't used it for profit yet, it's just bad bookkeeping. :)
That said, does my example read correctly?
@Redblade8: I'm typically fine with modifying traditions a bit to better suit your character's unique flavor. I just need the specifics run past me first. In your case, swapping Duelist Training with Custom Training is perfectly acceptable. As a general rule of thumb, (discipline) talents can be replaced with any other (discipline) talent when making a martial tradition. And if you'd prefer to wear armor, I'd even let you swap Unarmored Training (or Gauntlet Training) for Arcane Armor. XD
Regarding the Finesse Fighting talent: This came up in the Goblin game as well. Due to Elephant in the Room, you're considered to have Weapon Finesse already. As a result, you only need to take Finesse Fighting once to gain the damage bonus.
Regarding the Channel question from earlier: I did some research, and the pools unfortunately don't stack. Class features with the same name don't stack unless it's explicitly stated. One of the examples I found is a Gestalt Paladin//Cleric, as a matter of fact. The character would only have a single Channel pool (that scales with their Cleric level) but could still sacrifice uses of Lay on Hands for additional uses. Another example is a Gestalt Ninja//Rogue. That character would only have 1d6 Sneak Attack at Level One.
@Redblade8: You're close. XD The talent gained from the Energy Focus drawback counts as the bonus talent, so here's what you'd be looking at:
Costs 3 talents (Destruction Sphere, Fire Blast, Searing Blast)
Costs 2 talents (Destruction Sphere, Energy Focus drawback, Fire Blast and Searing Blast)
Costs 1 talent (Destruction Sphere, Energy Focus drawback, Fire Blast or Searing Blast)
@Redblade8: I'm typically fine with modifying traditions a bit to better suit your character's unique flavor. I just need the specifics run past me first. In your case, swapping Duelist Training with Custom Training is perfectly acceptable. As a general rule of thumb, (discipline) talents can be replaced with any other (discipline) talent when making a martial tradition. And if you'd prefer to wear armor, I'd even let you swap Unarmored Training (or Gauntlet Training) for Arcane Armor. XD
Regarding the Finesse Fighting talent: This came up in the Goblin game as well. Due to Elephant in the Room, you're considered to have Weapon Finesse already. As a result, you only need to take Finesse Fighting once to gain the damage bonus.
@Redblade8: You're close. XD The talent gained from the Energy Focus drawback counts as the bonus talent, so here's what you'd be looking at:
Costs 3 talents (Destruction Sphere, Fire Blast, Searing Blast)
Costs 2 talents (Destruction Sphere, Energy Focus drawback, Fire Blast and Searing Blast)
Costs 1 talent (Destruction Sphere, Energy Focus drawback, Fire Blast or Searing Blast)
Groovy, thanks so much! I think the five weapons I'd want in a Custom Training group are (gladius, kerambit, rapier, kukri, hunga munga). And actually I'm fine with the Unarmored Training; again, it fits how I see Yhrrilka in my head.
Wonderful news about the Finesse Fighting.
And the third option you list (that costs 1 Talent, taking just Searing Blast) is the one I'd had in mind. So I've got two more to go... And my read of Energy Focus was that I cannot even do the basic Desctructive Blast, right? I'm all-fire-all-the-time? Which, to be sure, I'm fine with. (I know, I know, right up until I can't either cut 'em OR burn 'em.)
Yes, that's correct. Energy Focus completely replaces your basic Destructive Blast. It's a drawback I'm very fond of when I'm building an elemental mage - especially since Ultimate Spheres of Power buffed it a bit. Originally, you were locked into a specific blast. Now it's a specific energy type, so you can get a little diversity regarding rider effects if you're so inclined. XD
In which case, that's great! I'll figure out some things to do with her other two Talents. One of them is almost certain to be Divination of some sort (that whole fortune-teller thing). The other I'm not sure about. Is Protection good for keeping oneself in one piece?
That's kind of its entire shtick. XD The base ability is an extremely-nerfed wall of force, and you can spend a spell point to increase your AC for 1 hr/level. Investing further buffs both abilities in various ways.
Just want to make sure that I'm getting this right.
Torsten is lvl 1, with Wis16 and a 5x general drawback casting tradition. So his spell pool is 1+3+1=5.
He is lvl 1, which gives him +3 talents.
He has 1x life drawback, which gets him +1 talent.
He has 2x enhancement drawbacks, which gets him +1 talent and natural enhancements.
Total of 5 talents to spend.
1: Enhance Sphere (enhance ability)
1: Deep Enhancement
1: Life Sphere (cure, invigorate, restore)
1: Self Renewal
1: Deeper Healing
----
We are ready to fight! Torsten casts Enhancement, giving himself +1 enchantment bonus to his fists. It lasts for 10 minutes/lvl due to deep enhancement. 4/5 spell points left.
During the fight he gets badly injured. He spends 1 point on healing himself and a second on self renewal to make it a swift action. 3/5 points left.
After the fight he is still injured. He heals himself again as a standard action. 2/5 spell points left for the day.
-----
Did I get this all right?
Spell points is correct.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
You start with 3 talents +1 bonus Life talent +1 bonus Enhancement talent + Natural Enhancements. It looks like your breakdown is correct.
Talent Spending breakdown
1 Enhancement Sphere (2 drawbacks)
- Deep Enhancement
- Natural Enhancements
2 Life Sphere (1 drawback)
- Self-Renewal
3) Life: Deeper Healing
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your action breakdown is correct. You also have the ability to give yourself 2 temp HP once you've been wounded if you're so inclined, as invigorate is an at-will ability and lasts for 1 hour. It's a good stopgap if you only have minor injuries and want to conserve resources. XD
Quick question: can Torsten only heal himself?
Second question. I have a tendency with my half-orc characters to use Russian for Orcish (usually straight lifts out of Google translate, so I might be lacking in context). This isn't bothersome/offensive to anyone, is it? I wouldn't think so but best to make sure up front.
Yup, only himself. Sorry...but it didn’t make sense thematically for his tattoos to effect anyone besides himself.
And no offense would be taken on my end. Heck...I once played a vampire whose spells were all in Yiddish. As an aside, it was a lot of fun.
Brainstorming: is there a Drawback that would allow for the target of a heal to be subjected to the effects of intense heat? I'm thinking, if Ril heals you, you feel like she jammed a piece of the sun where the sun normally don't shine.
Closest I see is:
“ Unnatural Remedy
Your healing magic may be cold, eerie, harsh, or pervasive. Whenever you use cure, restore, or invigorate on a target (even yourself), they reflexively resist (even while unconscious), and must attempt a Will saving throw against the effect as if they were an unwilling target. On a success, restore is negated and any healing or temporary hit points bestowed by cure or invigorate are halved. Targets cannot choose to fail this saving throw.”
If you're only healing yourself, the Painful Magic general drawback would be a good fit. Other than that and Torsten's suggestion, there isn't really anything. Unless, of course, you're only wanting the intense heat to be a flavor thing - in which case you wouldn't need a drawback at all. XD
On another note, I have no problem using other languages to represent in-game languages. I've been known to do the same in my own PbPs. XD My day job is an ASL interpreter, so I have a fondness for linguistics in general.
For now I'm gonna hold off on the Life magic option. When I do it, I will probably go with the Unnatural Remedy option to reflect that.
Second Talent was spent just taking the base Divination sphere, which by itself isn't super-useful, but will pay off down the line. (Considering starting with the Limited Divination drawback, then pick up another talent, probably Divine Future.)
Still figuring how to use the third Talent.
Also, guys, a small note on skills: I am planning on picking up the Sorcerer option that lets you use Cha for Knowledge checks, so a few levels in, Ril will be a little more functional for skill/Knowledge checking than you might otherwise think.
EDIT: GM, what pieces of info do you want to see in our headers?
Questiopn again: We're not allowed to lower a stat to get a boost, are we? Having Charisma and Wisdom as casting stats is breaking my heart :P
1) Select a race and gain the relevant attributes and abilities. You'll also get a free ability boost that can go anywhere except Dexterity. This can be used to eliminate one penalty if desired. If the race you want isn't listed on my website, feel free to run it past me. Korvosa is predominantly human, but there are a fair few dwarves, elves, and halflings. Other races are rather rare, but don't let that stop you. If you want to be the city's only Kitsune, for instance, that's perfectly fine.
Aasimar: Str (10) Dex (10) Con (10) Int (10) Wis (14) Cha (12)
2) Choose one of your starting classes and gain an ability boost in that class's spellcasting or practicioner attribute. Wizards use INT, Bards use CHA, Monks use WIS, etc. This ensures you're capable of using all class features at Level 1 even if you normally have a racial penalty. If you have a selectible attribute (like Fighters do), the ability boost needs to match.
Aasimar: Str (10) Dex (10) Con (10) Int (10) Wis (14) Cha (14)
3) Choose a Background and choose one of the ability boosts. You'll also get a free ability boost that can go anywhere except whatever ability you already picked.
Aasimar: Str (10) Dex (10) Con (12) Int (10) Wis (14) Cha (16)
4) Boost four stats of your choice.
Aasimar: Str (10) Dex (10) Con (14) Int (10) Wis (18) Cha (18)
That’s the best I could come up with under the rules. To cheese it alot, one could do this:
* Lvl 1 Feat: Noble Scion of War (Cha to initiative)
* Oracle Sidestep Secret (Cha to AC, Ref and CMD)
- Taken together it’s like having 18 Dex as well (just doesn’t help with skills or attacking)
- Lore Oracle can also get Cha to all skills. And will eventually get +5 Int to boot.
Without the oracle part, the character’s AC will really suffer. But at least she’d still have an 18 in both casting stats.
Edit: and just because cheese tastes so good. Lvl 3 take way of the shooting star and wear mule back cords. Now Str16 for carrying capacity, and use Cha for hit and damage with a Starknife!
Free boosts cannot go to a stat that's boosted in the same step. That was clarified a bit after that. Also, Aasimars here have a penalty to Int. Or can we use ordinary Aasimars? From the beginning I've always thought we were sticking to the homebrew versions.
In any case, I need to be human. There are whole trucks full of feats I need, and none of my classes is giving me extra (only the Glory domain, Pharasma be praised).
You'll see Macaria finished later today. Don't expect her to be top tier yet, the build needs some levels to kickstart.
To be clear, at first level we get a Background and a Feat (anyone), right? Not a Background feat... Because the absence of capitals in the word "feat" when you look at the table makes me wonder whether the typo is the capitals or the comma...
Ah, I see. That throws a bit of a wrench. into it. Can't wait to see how she turns out! Also glory domain is fun. I think I know what you are talking about for that.
Yes, my read of it was you get your Background, and the normal feat one gets at 1st level.
Ril is close to done, I just need to finish up here magic talents, and put some gear on her.
EDIT: I know the 1st level sorcerer bloodline power is usually not well-regarded, but no matter what you think, it loses even more steam in a Sphere setting where I'll have a stronger at-will option. Would the bloodline mutation "Blood Havoc" stack with my bloodline arcana to grant +2 damage/die to fire?
My wife has shamelessly taken over my to do her bidding :( I'll have to wait until the afternoon since I can't edit avatars from the mobile.
As I commented, Macaria at 1st level is just the skeleton of a full build, but later on the concept is that she can channel many times a day, and she'll be able to choose between damaging enemies (not only undead) with added debuffing, or healing allies and buff them or remove conditions. At 12th level she can even do both at a time (though that's a bit far away...).
My wife has shamelessly taken over my to do her bidding :( I'll have to wait until the afternoon since I can't edit avatars from the mobile.
As I commented, Macaria at 1st level is just the skeleton of a full build, but later on the concept is that she can channel many times a day, and she'll be able to choose between damaging enemies (not only undead) with added debuffing, or healing allies and buff them or remove conditions. At 12th level she can even do both at a time (though that's a bit far away...).
(I assume. Never actually saw a dedicated channeling build in action before)
As I commented, Macaria at 1st level is just the skeleton of a full build...
Few builds aren't "just the skeleton" at 1st level. It's like I said one time, at level 12, sure, you're Jason Bourne. At level 1, you're David Webb. :D
That gets me thinking...
CR 1: City Guard, Courthouse Guard, Foot Soldier. So most PCs are at about this level of power.
CR 3: Elite Cavalry, ex adventurer, Guard Officer, Knight.
CR 6: Knight Commander, Legendary Samurai, Holy Warrior
CR 8: Town Archmage, Red Hand Assassin, Gladiator Champion
---
After that, you don't really find any NPCs in "regular professions." You end up with things like "master assassin" and the like. To me, this shows that the world of Golarion is, for the most part, not that powerful. A trained soldier is CR 1, and CR 3 is a veteran. Hitting CR 6 is already reaching legendary status. Hitting 8 makes you a really big deal.
Which is why I suppose why countries don't send armies to deal with the situations that you find in APs. An army of CR1s, with elite CR3s, and led by a CR6-8...it probably wouldn't get very far. And yeah, hitting CR 12 would make you into a Jason Bourne or John Wick. :p
And yeah, hitting CR 12 would make you into a Jason Bourne or John Wick. :p
"Baba Yaga..."
Speaking of 1st level "just the skeleton" builds, I think Yhrrilka is ready. IDK if there's anything I missed, but I still have some gold to cover gaps (like, do I really need a ranged weapon, or can I skate by using just my Searing Blast?). If anyone sees anything I flat-out missed, I'm all ears!
EDIT: GM, I forget, I know Perception isn't a skill per se, how is that handled? Ditto whatever change you had for feints (I think there was one, yes?).
EDIT 2: Thanks for the catch! I haven't taken my trait yet. Fate's Favored is a strong choice, but I may forego if only b/c I've already done that on another character and I'd like to see if I like any other options better.
Did you take your 1 trait? If not, then Fate's Favored would be useful to turn your +1 luck bonus to saves into +2.
GM: The Dual Channeler states you can ignore deity allegiance when picking Channeling feats. Is it okay to extend this to Channeling traits? There's a Sarenrae trait which let's you reroll 1s when healing and that would be a nice addition.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
GM here, with an example of a properly-formatted profile. Yours doesn't need to be exactly like this (especially considering how complicated this character is), but it's a solid baseline. XD
------------------------------------------------------------------------
@Jereru: The general rule-of-thumb is two ability flaws = one ability boost. Therefore, you could take -2 to two additional stats to gain +2 to something else. If you're concerned about your DCs, though, as I told the Goblin Bard in my other game, maxing your casting stat isn't needed. You'll be fine starting with a 16 - especially considering how easy it is to boost DCs as you gain levels. XD And if you start as a Human and pick the right Background, you can start with both a 16 and an 18 in those two stats. In regards to your other question, it does extend to Channeling traits. Feel free to grab whichever one you want. XD
Regarding Aasimars, they're the only race without an ability penalty. Combined with their numerous racial abilities, they needed a slight nerf. The penalty doesn't necessarily need to be INT, but it seemed thematically appropriate as angels typically don't know a ton about the ways of the world. Alternately, a DEX penalty could work as angels aren't normally known for their agility. XD
You get a feat every odd level (starting at 1st-level) just like usual.
@Redblade8: swapping for a bloodline mutation is completely fine. I know what you mean about the 1st-level powers. I keep meaning to buff them but haven't gotten around to it. XD
@Torsten: You might enjoy reading THIS ARTICLE on DnD stats in real life. Short version, the real world caps out around Level 5. Past that, you enter the realm of the superhuman. XD
@Yhrrilka: Perception is simply (character level + WIS + any other bonuses/penalties). It's the most-used skill in the game, so I just made it a base ability. Since characters lose the +3 class skill bonus, I've lowered DCs accordingly.
Looks like we're getting close to being ready! I'll look over completed profiles after work tomorrow. That should give everyone time to get things finalized. If you're not quite ready by then, it's not a problem. Also, one of you still needs to roll for their starting trinket. XD
Awesome, thanks for clarifying that! I'll put Blood Havoc on the sheet, then.
Thanks to all of you for the feedback and help wrapping my brain around this stuff!
Still have to pick a trait, I'll get that done tonight.
Does anyone think I need an actual ranged weapon,, or is Searing Blast the hammer that makes every problem a nail? (I'm leery of that short range, but I can probably deal?)
I'll write up Ril's backstory tonight as well, including the intersection with Torsten that we discussed, G.
Pumped for this!
@Yhrrilka: Just realized I forgot to talk about feinting. I didn't think it was thematically-appropriate that a Bard 1 is better at feinting and demoralizing than a Fighter 5. As a result, both abilities are no longer skill-based but are instead considered Psychological Maneuvers. The bonus is (BAB + CHA + bonuses/penalties). It's opposed by a character's Psychological Defense (10 + BAB + WIS + bonuses/penalties). All feats/traits/abilities related to feinting or demoralizing apply normally.
To fend off a natural follow-up question, instead of free skill ranks, the Fencing and Gladiator spheres give a bonus equal to the character's BAB to the relevant ability.
Pumped for this as well! And will be reading that article. It's a topic I've long thought about, so it'll be interesting. :D
As for a weapon...I might not be the best person to answer this, as Torsten has 0 ranged capability (and currently movement 20). But I think that your Searing Blast is more than enough. Mostly because it is something that helps define Ril. Much more than carrying around a longbow.
And with the profile...I'll see if I can do that. Getting Torsten's up was not easy. Until I have the time to rewrite everything, I hope that it's easy enough to read as is.
Oh...and missed that perception is no longer a skill that we need to be trained with. That's great, as it means one more skill point to play around with.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
@Torsten: Your profile is fine. It's not formatted to my exact preference, but I can still find everything without much effort. No need to rewrite everything if you don't want to. XD
Regarding Ranged Capability: I'd suggest everyone has a ranged attack of some sort for emergencies, but I'll also remind everyone that CotCT is an urban campaign. With the notable exception of Book 4, the entire campaign takes place in either a city or various dungeons. As a result, most combats will start at a relatively close range.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
But I think that your Searing Blast is more than enough. Mostly because it is something that helps define Ril. Much more than carrying around a longbow.
That is, IMO, a freaking fantastic reason, with which I agree 108%. Leaving it alone.
Other stuff to come later tonight as mentioned.
(1) Thank you, I really didn't want to have to rewrite all of that. And I added a sling to Torsten. Inconspicuous to have around, 50ft range, and uses Str to damage. Seemed like a good choice.
(2) Read the article and loved it. It really increases my respect for the system and made me look at characters like Aragorn differently. Ironically, I realize that when I statted myself as a joke I might not have been that far off based on that article.
I might just lean into the Feint schtick for my Trait, get Dirty Fighter (an Orc/Half-orc Racial trait) for the bonus there.
Are we using Background skills? Sorry if this was answered before. Also, does Athletics go with Str or Dex?
Oh, another: I see some spells under the Cleric Spell list that I don't know. Sacred Bolt, etc. Where can we find those? Or should we just skip them?
Damn, I hope so, I already did that. :)
I don't typically do the free Background skill thing. Since my skill list is slightly smaller (and SoM gives a bunch of free ranks), it's generally a bit easier to assign points to the more flavor-focused skills. I'm also pretty flexible when it comes to skill uses. Checks related to specific Lore from your background can be made untrained, and I'll sometimes let Profession substitute for other skills when appropriate. Prof:merchant can be used instead of Appraise to identify valuable items, for example.
Athletics is a STR-based skill.
Regarding spells, you'll notice the same thing if you check the Wizard list. I have a TON of 3pp spell books and spent quite a while going through them to find ones that were both interesting and balanced. XD Sacred bolt is a Close-range damage orison. Regular ranged attack that deals 1d4 damage and is considered your alignment for DR purposes. If you have questions about any specific ones (especially if they're Domain spells), let me know and I'll send you the info. Or feel free to skip them. XD