Mike's Best Character Ever: Darago

Balazar is my first choice of character for Wrath of the Righteous!

I would love to hear from someone who has actually played Darago through an entire AP or the organized play season. I remember a lot of complaints about Darago's weapons and armor being limiting and it being very difficult to play him effectively.

This makes Balazar a top contender for picks in my group for sure!

Once all the designer favorites are revealed, are we going to get a playthrough video with each of you playing your favorite character?

I was thinking of playing Kyra but damn I am really liking balazar.

I would love to hear from someone who has actually played Darago through an entire AP or the organized play season. I remember a lot of complaints about Darago's weapons and armor being limiting and it being very difficult to play him effectively.

I've got Darago (w/ Lem, Olenjack, and Ranzak) at about 5.4 in RoTR, with the Wizard/Rogue decks mixed in. I struggled at first to figure out how to play him, but ultimately went with a daggers and clouds build. He's a bit more support-oriented than I had anticipated, but he's not squishy due to the armors. Since all the armors get banished (no proficiencies) you can usually go box-digging at the end of the scenario for something comparable if damage exceeded the reveal/recharge amount. Getting to use any monster for a buff, like Mike mentioned, is where D really started taking off. At this point I'm really only ever frustrated with Darago when he goes up against a summoned monster, since he can't put those in his hand.

I was thinking of playing Kyra but damn I am really liking balazar.

Making people pick a new character for Wrath each week is fun!

Once all the designer favorites are revealed, are we going to get a playthrough video with each of you playing your favorite character?

That's an interesting idea. I'm pretty sure it's not happening soon, or if it is, I'm the odd man out, but long term I'd be on board.

With regards to Balazar's Mancer power feats, which feats are prerequisites for each other? Is the ([] or add 1d4 to any check to defeat a barrier) a requisite for (or to any check to acquire a weapon, an armor, or an item)? If not, the second one doesn't include the die value so its a bit confusing.

If the close parenthesis of one feat touches the open parenthesis of another, you have to take them from left to right. So yes, ([] or add 1d4 to any check to defeat a barrier) must be taken before ([]or to any check to acquire a weapon, an armor, or an item).

If there are no words between two feats, you must take the first one before the second one.

Yeah, it's intentionally very costly to work your way down to the combat rerolls on the Eidolomancer. Of course, if you do go all in, Padrig is a real beast.

Yeah, it's intentionally very costly to work your way down to the combat rerolls on the Eidolomancer. Of course, if you do go all in, Padrig is a real beast.

ACTIVATE BATTLE CHICKEN!

We've got a Daragno in our Shield of Ranick game.

He definitely fails more combat checks than either Lini(RotR) or Arabundi(rangerC) but the player is really excited whenever he captures an undead.

We are currently in Deck 4.

At least you didn't claim Darago was the best character, like someone else we know. :3

I like the way you describe "fuel", Mike. I actually internalize that concept too when playing through. It combines with the concept of "exploration velocity" to when you spend explores (which often cost a card) to explore, then expend some other resources ("fuel") to make it through.

I probably read the Padrig text about thirty times and just dreamed.

Then I went through his role card and over the moon. He doesn't look like a first time character for me, but if his versatility is indicative of what Wrath's about, yum.

You may banish any number of monsters; ...

Best card ever. I guess they are supposed to come from your hand since no source is specified.

I now really want a rogue that can get barriers in his hands and deck. Who would not want to be able to ambush a monster or villain. Or trap him with the traps he is trying to use on use.

Now that sounds really interesting, brad2411.

Darago is a really cool character. I've been waiting to have an "evil" run-through of a campaign to put him to good use. Maybe I'll bump that up in priority soon.

This is absolutely awesome. Darago is one of my favorite characters. In one of my groups we are up to sc. 3 of deck 4 in S&S, and when we chose role cards, the "any monster" option was the very first one I picked - there aren't many undead in S&S and yes I get excited every time I pick one up.

At first he was slightly frustrating because of his armor, but once I picked up the Instant Armor spell, he is fine carrying a Magic Full Plate and a shield (and the spell has also saved the hides of some other characters more than once). As for weapons, I am trying to get the Animate Weapon spell so he doesn't have keep burying his firearms. Other than that he is holding his weight just fine.

I love the Mancer template. A few weeks ago I adapted it into a homebrew character I am developing in anticipation for WotR. Very much looking forward :)

I am glad that Mike chose Darago. If he'd chosen Balazar, he might have had a leg to stand on. Darago might acquire _many_ legs to stand on, but he's totally not the best character.

Balazar is really awesome and I considered him for my "best". My sole objection is that I really want to see and use all of the cards in my deck, and between gathering up monsters and putting cards on top of his deck his hand ends up a bit static. Mind you, lots of people like that: it's a hallmark of melee types.

Balazar is really awesome and I considered him for my "best". My sole objection is that I really want to see and use all of the cards in my deck, and between gathering up monsters and putting cards on top of his deck his hand ends up a bit static. Mind you, lots of people like that: it's a hallmark of melee types.

Not having seen all the characters yet: so far I think Balazar is my top pick for a WotR character. You raise an interesting point though; I rather like how dynamic Lem's hand is, for instance. I'm hoping there will be a card in WoTR like S&S's Captain, that recharges other cards to good effect.

Rules question on Balthazar & Padrig:

I noticed that his Eidolomancer role gives him the ability to use his strength skill in place of Con, Fort, Dex, and Stealth. Does changing the skill make it a strength check in this case? I assume so, since otherwise the power would be useless. I'm guessing this is effectively the same as RotR Sajan's Dex for melee combat power, which changed the blessings that affected it, but I wanted to make sure.

I'd say yes. It says you are replacing the skill. The statstones replace the die, which means it is still the same skill. But in this case, it is replacing the entire skill.

I am glad that Mike chose Darago. If he'd chosen Balazar, he might have had a leg to stand on. Darago might acquire _many_ legs to stand on, but he's totally not the best character.

Balazar is really awesome and I considered him for my "best". My sole objection is that I really want to see and use all of the cards in my deck, and between gathering up monsters and putting cards on top of his deck his hand ends up a bit static. Mind you, lots of people like that: it's a hallmark of melee types.

To be fair, Mike never says he's the best, just that he's his favorite (outside the title of course, which matches Chad's formatting from last time).

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Isaic, I'd say I agree with Hawkmoon (never hear those words around here).

I would love to hear from someone who has actually played Darago through an entire AP or the organized play season. I remember a lot of complaints about Darago's weapons and armor being limiting and it being very difficult to play him effectively.

I have finished RotR with Darago in the group (along with Zarlova, Flenta and Wu-Shen). I found Darago to be a "late bloomer" type of character. I felt he started off as a "jack of all trades but master of none". Once he gets rolling and accumulates some feats, he is pretty powerful. I didn't really find his weapons and armors to be a drawback. I know I'm in the minority on this but I prefer to have armors in hand for everybody. Weapons are fine since they can handle this smaller threats and save his spells for the bigger fights. I would say that you must have a focus for developing Darago and stick to it or else he will remain a jack of all trades but master of none. Whatever you do with Darago I'd say he ultimately functions like a hybrid between wizard and bard.

To be fair, Mike never says he's the best, just that he's his favorite (outside the title of course, which matches Chad's formatting from last time).

BEST. EVER.

Orbis Orboros wrote:

To be fair, Mike never says he's the best, just that he's his favorite (outside the title of course, which matches Chad's formatting from last time).

BEST. EVER.

As far as released characters go, he's by far the best in my opinion as far as his powers using his theme to be really unique. In terms of cool and playability though... nah, screw it, he might actually win there too.

BEST. EVER.

Yeah yeah Mike... Although there is one reason why Balazar is even better than Darago, and it has nothing to do with CharismaBasedArcana UberPadrig MonsterCollector SuperTyrannomancer. The one reason above all!

He is a GNOME.
Period!

Yeah I know it has nearly no impact on PACG but who cares about technicalities, it's all in the roleplay :-)

It would be kind of funny if one of his role cards allowed him to play attack spells.

"After you play a spell that has the attack trait, banish it ([] or don't, whatever)."

Orbis Orboros wrote:

To be fair, Mike never says he's the best, just that he's his favorite (outside the title of course, which matches Chad's formatting from last time).

BEST. EVER.

Oh. Well, then. Er...

Are you sure you and Chad are playing the same game? XD

It would be kind of funny if one of his role cards allowed him to play attack spells.

"After you play a spell that has the attack trait, banish it ([] or don't, whatever)."

The idea came up - though I think your writeup might have made a more compelling sales pitch :) We wanted Balazar to focus on his Eidolon and summons and not make yet another fireball slinger.

As happy as you are with Balazar now, start imagining the possibilities for a class deck ;)

Mike said "BEST. EVER." He did not specify a criteria for what he considers to be the best ever.

Besides, I want see Tanis' article about Flenta (with a Cat in the deck, of course).

Speaking of the "replace the skill", I have a question that I'll be posting in the regular forum.

I want this guy in a Mini, Reaper needs to hurry up and pump one out

Padrig wrote:

You may banish any number of monsters; ...

Best card ever. I guess they are supposed to come from your hand since no source is specified.

Yes—whenever you play a card, it comes from your hand.

(Balazar explicitly says "from your hand" because I didn't want people to read his power as "You may banish a monster you encounter to draw a card." But on Padrig, "any number of monsters" makes it pretty clear that it's not talking about things you're encountering.)