Not a bad idea at all. The 2 levels of paladin will certainly shore up Macaraia's blind spots, and fits the character well.
I take it that you will be going with Dirt Spattered Angel?
Oooh, that's zesty! NG can work for Pharasma, right?
Avowed, with the Pledge of Freedom.
Thinks that make it fitting:
-Macaria has been involved in a lot of combat recently, which justifies her martial training.
-Avowed Paladin is morally gray, which goes well with Macaria's Life/Death concept.
-Pledge of Freedom is closer to her way of thinking than Justice, Order or any other classical LG concept (I was looking for a Pledge of Compassion, but there isn't any).
-Pledge of Freedom also grants Athletics as class skill, which comboes with Unarmoured Defense.
-Avowed Paladin grants a talent per level, which can be martial or magical.
That's really cool. I love what SoP did with the Avowed.
That also looks cool! So one side of the gestalt is straight Soul Weaver, then the other is Cleric 1/Pal 2? I think if I tried doing more than 2 classes, I'd sprain my brain. :D
I'm perfectly fine with that. There are a few cool archetypes from that book, but I haven't put them on my website yet since it just came out a few weeks ago. The option I'd been going to suggest was the Paragon Sentinel from my website.
So the only open issue left from my level-up to 3 is what Magic Talent to take. I'm strongly inclined to pick up the base Nature sphere to start getting the whole Fire gig going. Torsten, Macaria, you see anyplace I'm going off the rails?
I eventually decided on the Nature sphere to get my Fire Geomancy going. I'll do some treasure bookkeeping later, give myself a 1/3 share of whatever we calculated above, including the sale of the wand, then take the 240 out of that. Gameplay post later as opportunity permits (probably tonight), but if GM has something to post with, don't wait for me!
That sounds like a good plan. I like when there are themes to a character, and Ril getting her fire theme going sounds worthwhile. I don't know if it is the most meta choice to make, but I think that she is doing well enough as is, and the selection won't hinder her.
That sounds like a good plan. I like when there are themes to a character, and Ril getting her fire theme going sounds worthwhile. I don't know if it is the most meta choice to make, but I think that she is doing well enough as is, and the selection won't hinder her.
Indeed, I figured that if the choice was going to have me pissing up the figurative rope (if you'll pardon the turn of phrase), GM would've said something. :) And as far as the question of, "But what do you do about fire-resistant or immune enemies," I plan to have a solution in place within a few levels from now (I'll be buying off the limitation that restricts me to Fire, and picking up another blast, I think it was Radiant).
Besides, it also plays into the new shop. In addition to tattoos, Ril also does fortune-telling, sometimes via pyromancy. :)
Quick question that occurred to me. Likely makes very little difference, but figured I'd ask.
The "attunement" bonuses, do they just let us "kept up with the math," or is an attack then considered magic? i.e. Will all attacks made after level 5 bypass DR of /magic?
I think you have to choose a weapon, which is then attuned to you and gains the enhancement bonus, but I could be making it up - I don't play with the abp system frequently enough.
That's how the general ABP system works, but IIRC, the GMs system is a little more wide open.
Good questions! I'm fine with the Nature option. Not everything has to be hyper-optimized, and there's at least one encounter where some fire manipulation can come in handy. Generally speaking, almost every Sphere/Talent has a use, so I honestly can't think of any bad choices (except the Tech sphere due to the flavor mismatch).
Regarding ABP, the attunement bonus applies to attack/damage/AC/CMB/CMD but won't make weapons/armor count as magic. That's a slight change from the general ABP system, but I changed it so DR/magic stays meaningful longer (the protection from arrows spell, for instance). The same thing applies to the various "high enough enhancement counts as special materials" things. It will likely make certain combats a bit more challenging on occasion, but it also makes those defensive abilities more relevant. A wendigo, for instance, has DR/cold iron and magic, but since it's a CR 17 creature, everyone in the party will almost-certainly have a +3 weapon by the time they face it, so those defenses would be completely meaningless otherwise.
Macaria is finally 3rd level! The Cleric part of the Gestalt went into a hyatus, instead going for a level in Paladin as we said before.
She has Unarmored Training now and the Athletics sphere, which brings some extra skill ranks.
Also, thanks to Channel Life, she can now add talents from the Life Sphere to her Channelings.
Due to Unarmored Training, she can't have a buckler or an armor anymore, but instead she now carries a quarterstaff! (not that she will use it much, but it gives her a Gandalfesque style).
Due to Unarmored Training, she can't have a buckler or an armor anymore, but instead she now carries a quarterstaff! (not that she will use it much, but it gives her a Gandalfesque style).
FWIW, nothing about Unarmored Training precludes the use of a buckler, so if you'd prefer to have the AC, go for it. I am, even though it gives me a 5% ASF chance that I'm just waiting to have blow up in my face (for me that comes from Casting Tradition, YMMV).
I actually had a reasonable doubt about having a shield with Unarmoured Training. The text in the talent states "When unarmored and unencumbered", exactly the same as the text in the Monk's AC bonus. Since it's the same text and usually Monks don't wear as mithral shield, I figured this case would be the same.
Also, Macaria wearing a shield seems way less cool than her carrying a staff.
Monk, however, explicitly calls out against using a shield, where Unarmored Training doesn't.
Also, Macaria wearing a shield seems way less cool than her carrying a staff.
However, this wins the day. Making the character that is who you see in your mind's eye is usually the most important concern (as Grumbaki has reminded me once or twice). Staff it is! :D
Gameplay post in a bit.
Post coming Monday.
Also the staff is visually cool. And you can always take the shielded staff style if a shield is needed.
Funny thing, when I googled that Shielded Staff Style, the first result it returns for images, of the woman with the spear and shield, her dress is quite similar to what I imagine Ril wore when she came out of Belkzen (not so much the leggings, I'd figure boots to be in order). She might have taken to more local style, but I wouldn't bank on it 100%.
Not everything has to be hyper-optimized, and there's at least one encounter where some fire manipulation can come in handy.
(some time later, after I've acquired the Wildfire talent)
"Now is my time, my destiny is here. I will burn Korvosa down to the bedrock..."(Torsten and Macaria look at each other, very alarmed.)
"I did not see that coming."
*retcons everything and everyone in Korvosa to have complete fire immunity*
XD
(realizes it's all the same except the story is now set in the City of Brass)
"Damn it!"
Mulling over some future planning...
Am I correct that the only access to Flight is via the Telekinesis sphere? It looks like there's a Drawback that limits TK explicitly to Flight, so it can be a single-talent pickup. Am I missing any other routes to the sky? :)
Alteration, Fallen Fey, and Nature (air or fire) have options as well. They all have their pros and cons, of course.
Ah, I missed the "Human Torch wannabe" option available with Nature (fire). I have to at least consider that! :D Thanks for pointing that one out.
Spheres/Elephant in the Room interaction question:
The Masterful Defense talent aids one in fighting defensively. Given that EitR makes Combat Expertise's benefits always available, does that change the effect of that talent?
I'm finding I like a lot of Fencing talents, way more than I have room to pick. Abundance of options is never a bad thing, except if you're as indecisive as I am. :D
The presence of EitR shouldn't affect that talent. Combat Expertise and fighting defensively can be used together. So, with/without Masterful Defense, the options would look like:
Normal
-1 attack/+1 AC (scales with BAB)
-4 attack/+2 AC (+1 if 3 ranks in Acrobatics)
-5 attack/+3 AC (scales with BAB; +1 if 3 ranks in Acrobatics)
Masterful Defense
-1 attack/+1 AC (scales with BAB)
-2 attack/+3 AC (+1 if 3 ranks in Acrobatics)
-3 attack/+4 AC (scales with BAB; +1 if 3 ranks in Acrobatics)
Okay, I guess I hadn't realized that CE could be used in addition to Fighting Defensively. I'll have to mull it over, see what's worth my time.
TIL, in reading the Spheres wiki, that martial focus can be spent to get an auto-13 on a Fort or Reflex save. /ponder
There's a way you can fly through Athletics Sphere's legendary talents. Costly, but nonmagical, which can be an advantage.
Also, you know, the staple combo Planar Heritage: Aasimar, Angel's Blood, Angelic Wings.
There's a way you can fly through Athletics Sphere's legendary talents. Costly, but nonmagical, which can be an advantage.
Also, you know, the staple combo Planar Heritage: Aasimar, Angel's Blood, Angelic Wings.
Or my favorite, a lvl7 occultist with transmutation implement, who can get 60ft fly speed for 1min/lvl.
The Aasimar thing has a 3-feat cost, and while I could probably justify it, I think it's less costly (and more in-character) to get it via a Magic Talent.
GM, unless something the priest says next changes things, I have nothing else to move the current scene forward. However, I absolutely have every intention of coming back when the shop is up and running to interview for an assistant...
As everyone is discussing builds...figured I'd share something which is probably the most broken thing I've ever seen in pathfinder.
this monk archetype when multiclassed
A water dancer monk gives Cha to AC...as a dodge bonus.
A lore oracle can take sidestep to replace Dex with Cha for AC, CMD and Ref
lvl 1 Feat Noble Scion of War gives Cha to Initiative
lvl 3 Feat way of the shooting star gives Cha to hit and damage with a starknife, and 3x startoss feats thereafter give +6 damage
Then take 2 level dip into elementalist shifter, for Wis to AC and +1d6 cold damage to attacks
Make the character a changeling. For the +2 Wis +2 Cha and 1/day mage armor as SLA.
-----
At lvl 10, with an oracle 1 elementalist shifter 2 and water dancer monk 7, you end up with a character who can have a kingly AC 40, so long as she has the usual items that a lvl10 character could afford. And on top of that? About +19/+14 to hit, doing 1d4+1d6+11 damage. Honestly, not the best damage...but it's more about getting Cha to AC twice. And doing 1d4+16+11 damage when you have Str (10) Dex (10) really isn't bad. :D
Plus lvl 11 it goes up to +13, lvl 13 it goes up to +15, and then you can finally get power attack at lvl 15. Which makes the damage shoot up to +23.
Anyways, I'll stop now, as you all get the idea. But it really made me do a double take when I realized what kinds of combinations became possible with that archetype.
I'm pretty sure the Nereid's Grace class feature is supposed to replace the Monk's normal scaling AC bonus but could easily be wrong. Paizo has a tendency to screw up verbiage on occasion, after all (just look at the oozemorph shifter, for a fun example). Even if not, though, it's definitely a fun build - but far from the most broken (that would be the painter wizard). XD
Paizo has a tendency to screw up verbiage on occasion, after all...
What was it (I'm going from memory here), that Feral Combat Training had broken wording for some crazy length of time, they finally fixed it, then introduced Ascetic Style using the same previously broken wording? :)
In the case of the Oozemorph, ooze form is a major handicap since your base form becomes a blob of ooze. However, there are two rather dumb fixes. 1) Be a kitsune - ooze form is a polymorph effect, and creatures with innate shapeshifting are therefore immune. 2) Teach someone Druidic - you'll instantly become an ex-Shifter and lose all supernatural abilities (like ooze form). However, you'll keep Compression and Morphic Weaponry because they're extraordinary abilities. XD
Can also get the oozemorph weapons with no drawbacks by being a Skinwalker Vigilante. It has amazing RP potential too.
Race: Werewolf Skinwalker (+2 Con as human, +2 Con/Wis/all saves as werewolf)
Social Guise: Human
Lvl 1: Songbird Lvl 3: Beast Speech Lvl 5: Beast Friend Lvl 7 + 9: Social Grace
Avenger Vigilante Guise: Werewolf
Lvl 2: Morphic Weaponry (Ex): The vigilante can shape his body into weaponry. This acts as the oozemorph shifter’s morphic weaponry ability, treating the vigilante’s level as his shifter level. The vigilante must have the shapechanger subtype to select this talent.
Lvl 4: Fist of the Avenger
Lvl 6: Shadow Sight
Lvl 8: Signature Weapon
Lvl 10: Lethal Grace
Feats to get: Feral Combat Training, Dragon Style feat chain
——
This gives you morphic weaponry, which is just stupidly amazing. And you get, by lvl10, +12 damage with all attacks from Fist of the Avenger, Lethal Grace and Signature Weapon. Add in Dragon Style’s bonuses, and you’re doing far more damage than an Oozemorph could hope to do. And with 10x more style!
I take the smurfdom as a badge of honor! :D
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The hell of it is that the water dancer looks kind of cool for what it does by itself, as an elementally-focused monk. I'd be willing to try it just on its own merits without trying to turn the character into a Cha-focused monster. :)
I intend to make a Gameplay post tonight, detailing Ril trying to tell Torsten that she agreed to take on one of the kids from Dawnflower House as an apprentice/Girl Friday. But that's for later, right now I'm on my way to help my sister clean out my dad's apartment. :-/
Barring that, I'm ready to move on. I figure Torsten and I can tag back to that conversation as needed.
Small bookkeeping note: assuming we sold the wand for 500, I did a little math, we each come out so far with 1,650 gp for all the stuff up through the encounter with Vancaskerkin. Torsten and I each have to deduct 240 from that for expenses in getting the new shop up, so I'm giving myself 1,410 gp, as should Torsten (Macaria gets the full amount).
I may well get the mithril buckler after all. I'll decide on that by today or tomorrow. Be nice to remove that lingering 5% chance of ASF. :)
#loot
I'll also deduct 240 (so we're all even) as a fund for the orphans. It will be used to provide food, shelter or formation. Anyone is welcomed to contribute (not now, guys, but when your business is set and running).
The next event starts with a lot of exposition, so I'll put it up now. Feel free to continue the RP you've started, though.
I'll chew that over and react to it as opportunity permits, but I will take a moment now to revel in the fact that I have outsmarted a rock.
Twice.
EDIT: I also did decide I'd like the mithral buckler, GM, so can I just deduct the gold and consider it purchased?
I'll chew that over and react to it as opportunity permits, but I will take a moment now to revel in the fact that I have outsmarted a rock.
Twice.
EDIT: I also did decide I'd like the mithral buckler, GM, so can I just deduct the gold and consider it purchased?
@Yhrrilka: That's perfectly fine. In PbPs, RPing out the item-buying process isn't necessary due to the time constraints. XD
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You remember when I was asking about that tracking ability I was interested in, and you asked what it would look like/how one would express it, and I got all guest-hosting-The-Chris-Farley-Show about it?
I'm not quite as crazy as I seemed then. I was just browsing the wiki when I stumbled across that. :)
Sounds good. Definitely appropriate for a magic talent.
I tell you what, I was just sitting there, I'd dropped the kids off at school, I was scrolling around while eating breakfast, just happened to be reading the Mageknight's page, I damn near spit burrito bits all over my phone.
"That! That's what I was talking about! So I'm not a crazy person! Well, not about this!"
Mageknight is pure love.