This is the first draft, just to let you know I'm interested, and to see what you think of the character.
Brunhin:
Two fellas are well known in the city, given certain frequentations.
Firstly, anyone who, with criminal intent, aspires to find himself in the company of a capable burglar (one who can make short work of any safe or lock) knows that among the best proudly stands the Nutcracker. This fella, of stocky build and always enshrouded in a dark turban, owes his name to the habit of leaving a cracked walnut shell in lieu of the goods he acquires from less-than-secure safes and lockboxes. Usually a lonely type who works on his own, occasionally accepts a job on commission.
On the other hand, any well-to-do gentleman in need of a professional to secure his fortune - from the unsavoury characters looking to unlawfully acquire said fortune – would be very wise to do business with Master Brunhin. No locks are better than those manufactured and sold at “the Doors of Duringard”. The comparison to the mythic fortress might be an exaggeration, but the dwarven locksmith really is a true expert.
The common folk, coming to know about these two characters, would think them natural enemies.
Imagine then if you will the shock and disbelief of Jackal, a petty thief safely resting just about at the bottom of the social order in Thieves’ Guild, who through a lucky accident (and no skill of his own) came to know that Brunhin and Nutcracker are one and the same.
Oh so quick was the scoundrel to inform Rascaro, local capo of the Thieves’ Guild! Rascaro, who already bore ill will towards the Nutcracker for being a thief operating outside of his organization! Rascaro, who had a professional hatred towards Master Brunhin, whose skill stopped many a thievery! Business in the city was becoming direr by the minute for the master of locks and keys!
And so we find our dwarven friend taking a vacation from his routine, forced by the thirst of vengeance of the scorned criminals. His business burned down, his face no longer welcome in most circles, the skilled locksmith and burglar now looks for a job as a treasure hunter, trying to employ his talents far away from the reach of Rascaro.
***
Brunhin, aka the Nutcracker, will be Hill dwarf rogue, with Guild Artisan background. Not very focused on combat, he’ll be a jack of all trades covering many skills (social and physical) and with a somewhat greedy and mischievous, but ultimately non-violent, nature.
I’m very sorry to say that, due to real life issues, I’ve found myself unable to follow PbPs over the last month or so, and I foresee that the current situation will last until June if not for the whole 2015.
I apologize to my GMs and fellow players, I had a lot of fun in the last 2 years playing on these boards; I hope not to disrupt the narrative of the great stories you’re trying to tell.
I’m very sorry to say that, due to real life issues, I’ve found myself unable to follow PbPs over the last month or so, and I foresee that the current situation will last until June if not for the whole 2015.
I apologize to my GMs and fellow players, I had a lot of fun in the last 2 years playing on these boards; I hope not to disrupt the narrative of the great stories you’re trying to tell.
I’m very sorry to say that, due to real life issues, I’ve found myself unable to follow PbPs over the last month or so, and I foresee that the current situation will last until June if not for the whole 2015.
I apologize to my GMs and fellow players, I had a lot of fun in the last 2 years playing on these boards; I hope not to disrupt the narrative of the great stories you’re trying to tell.
Don't worry dien. At least until RPGSS is over I think it's right for you to put aside PbPs.
Also when the game starts again, you'll have an awesome sticker by your name. Good luck with your monster!
Here I am! Barcas, since I'm working on my sheet, how do we regulate ourselves with equipment? Will you give us every technological device that a normal citizen possesses? I do not think that in Hermea there are "social classes", right? Everyone owns everything there is, there probably isn't even currency except for import/export with the continent.
Airon87: Being an actor in Hermea is an interesting thought. To what extent is the content controlled by the expectation that it should extol Hermean virtues? How much of it is propaganda, both outward and inward? What (mechanically) causes his issue with cold iron? Can Archelaos sing and dance as well? I like the dark, utilitarian decision to essentially merge Archealaos and his friend. It makes me wonder who might have made that decision (and plays well with Simeon's objections).
I would imagine that art performed on Hermea is stripped of any potentially subversive element. I envisioned Kalamnes' play as neutered of the moral doubts and, as such, void of the true engine of art. I think that Nikephoros tribunes and consul work hard to "politely avoid" anything that promotes values opposite to the Unity doctrine.
That is not to say that all art is propaganda: a beautiful painting of the sea or a play about two lovers would be allowed without any problem.
I hand-waved the cold iron issue. The accident could be retconned into the shock of his fey-touched part awakening, while his current distaste is just flavor, it has no mechanical effect.
I plan on giving Archelaos ranks in dance, sing and act starting from 1st level, as he has been educated as an all-around performer.
I left the details of the "merging" free for you to make up, being the secret he doens't know about. Would you like more imput on my part?
Presenting Archelaos ex-Nikephoros, who will be built as a straight-forward bard.
about my RPing experience:
I’m 28, I began tabletop roleplaying at 16. I now have a real-life group, we play about twice a month, mostly short (6-10 sessions) adventures of various game systems. I did a bit of PbP on an Italian (my native language) message board, then spent a year or so on Freedom City PbP, then 2 years ago ended up on the Paizo boards which I believe are the best for PbP with their integrated dice roller and the alias system. Most of the PbP's I've been in petered out after a while, the most successful one I’ve been in so far is probably this one (I played Telemakos). I tried PbP GMing but I can’t keep up with the workload. I usually play vastly different characters from one game to the next one.
The Background:
Pitch: a performer bred and built for maximum skill through any means necessary, loosing himself in his performance to shut off doubts.
Five background and concept elements important to Archelaos. 1)The Project. Archelaos is part the first batch of Hermeans conceived under the Càlina Project. The Epaphras scouts were tasked with bringing back a nymph from Avistan by the Rhodean gene-planners. Càlina, the unlucky fey, found herself mind-controlled in a beautiful pond terraformed to welcome her, enclosed under a stainless glass dome. Selected couples were encouraged to mate there, where Càlina would “willingly” become a sexual facilitator. The goal of the project was to give a touch of fey blessing to the batch of newborns.
2)Bred for art. The children from the Càlina Project had from an early age a tutoring aimed focused on creative and representative art. While some were deemed fit for other tribes, most children of the Project were destined for the Nikephoros tribe, made of artists and entertainers.
3)Early struggle. Archelaos developed a limber and quick body, perfect for the dance. However, his mastery over his voice and vocal cords was less than stellar, and Jubastus ex-Origines was worried about Archelaos not being deemed fit to join the ranks of the citizens. Archelaos ended up bonding with Hephaistion, a wonderful singer and skilled in mimicry, who faced similar problems due to his lack of physical stamina and grace.
4)The accident. While working in the fields between a lesson and the next one, Archelaos and Hephaistion were tasked to operate a piece of machinery for the harvest. In a stunningly unfortunate coincidence – one so dire that could almost be believed to have been caused by an enraged fey – the boys’ weakness to the cold iron that composed the machine manifested suddenly, stunning them on the spot and leaving the reaping machine uncontrolled to ravage the land. In the accident that ensued Hephaistion lost his life and Archelaos was hospitalized for weeks, a grievous wound on his throat and lower jaw who threatened to render him mute. After a miraculous recovery, his teacher Jubastus cleared him of any guilt and pushed him to succeed in his training, keeping the memory of Hephaistion alive, saying that his singing lived through Archelaos.
5)Kalamnes. After earning his citizenship and last name, Archelaos’s career focused on theater – currently his representation of Kalamnes’ Quest is much lauded and Archelaos seems to be having a bright future.
The tale of Kalamnes is one that tribune Homerus et-Nikephoros claims Mengkare himself told for the first time – that of an Osirian warrior of such bravery and valor that first made the dragon see the potential in humans.
Archelaos is completely lost in his performance – he does so to shut off the fears he is having about his heritage. See goal 2 and secret 1.
Two goals that are important to Archelaos. 1) Once perfected, Archelaos desires to bring his play across Garund and Avistan – he is constantly pleading with Epaphras officers to arrange for plays on the continent.
2) Archelaos is still having troubles getting Kalamnes’ struggle on stage. This is due to the fact the Kalamnes’ story is routed in doubt for authority and absolutes: to truly find the character, Archelaos will have to embrace the idea of an imperfect government. Archelaos will experiment in many ways until he is satisfied with his performance.
Two secrets about Archelaos, one that he knows, and one that he not yet aware of. 1) Fey are by nature capricious and indomitable, and Càlina can’t be kept a slave for long. The fey has already escaped a few times the mind-control of her caretakers and managed to send visions and dreams to her “children”. Archelaos seems to be particularly receptive of her messages, usually brief flashes of anger and pain – and a few astonishing moments where he spoke with a voice not his own. I was thinking that Càlina could be any kind of muse-like fey – even something way more mysterious and/or powerful than a nymph. 2) Hephaistion broke both of his knees and femurs in the harvesting accident, but didn’t die. Rather than having two crippled young men doomed to fail the trial of citizenship, the surgeons killed Hephaistion and transplanted his larynx, lower jaw and vocal apparatus in Archelaos’s body. With pharmacological bonding agents and healing magic the tissues were attached to his nervous system; Archelaos went on to enjoy a spectacular career, and the Rhodean tribe could report one more success for the Càlina Project.
Four people that are tied to Archelaos, three are friends and one is an enemy. 1)Ikatia ex-Lucarus is the first prospect mate for Archelaos. The two of them have been introduced for six months already – she is a skilled swordswoman who is teaching him the finesse of blade movements to better represent Kalamnes on stage. Their union still hasn’t produced a pregnancy after six months, but they are enjoying a relationship more friendly than romantic.
2)Jamides ex-Hagne is about the same age of Archelaos and a frequent observer to his performances. She is a young historian working on the Hermeans Ante Litteram – a collection of tales about great men who would’ve been worthy of Hermean citizenship but who lived before Mengkare founded Promise. She and Archelaos started talking about Kalamnes and ended up bonding as friends. If the relationship between Archelaos and Ikatia keeps on being fruitless, they will likely petition for a pairing in the near future. I don’t think historians fall into any of the assigned tribes, so I used an unassigned one – if historians would be Diocles, then let’s change her tribe. 3)Jubastus tal-Origenes is now a legate for his family, in small part thanks to his success in educating Archelaos. Jubastus is who stood by his side during his convalescence and the loss of Hephaistion and for Archelaos is the closest thing to a father he knows.
4)Aribbas ex-Nikephoros was the runner-up, and is now the understudy, for the role of Kalamnes. Aribbas is slightly older than Archelaos and does not come from the Càlina Project. He is envious and feels – appropriately – upstaged.
Four memories, mannerisms or quirks Archelaos possess. 1) Most visions he receives from Càlina are the nymph herself enraged, or screaming in frustration, or deeply despaired. Upsetting as they are, this shots of pure emotion are a gold mine for an actor, and even though he tries to keep them secret, are usually to the top of his mind.
2) Archelaos enjoys the spicy and spiced food of Garundi tradition – especially Osirian food – and is a teetotaler. The one time he had a drink… the visions and dreams were there waiting for him.
3) Archelaos is fond of quoting plays and poems – not so often to result annoying, but enough to be noticed.
4) He has a gut dislike of heavy machinery built with cold iron – something clearly just due to his past trauma.
“Use keep your wrist locked. Don’t flourish the move.”
“Don’t flourish it? It is for stage!”
“It’s unthreatening.” Ikatia mimics the blade rotation as Archelaos just did, then once again but this time faster, more precise, more elegant. Her fencer’s muscles swim under her skin-tight training shirt.
“That is more threatening.” admits Archelaos, nodding with a smile. He keeps practicing the rotation, stopping his blade just an inch before the mannequin.
“Your body knows when he is facing someone with proper structure.” The girl demonstrates once again and the actor can’t help but clinch his jaw and close his eyes for an instant when she stops just one inch from his forehead. “It knows when fear is an adequate response.”
Archelaos grimaces, disappointed in himself “Kalamnes should know no fear from a blade.”
Ikatia rolls her eyes and sighs “Oh believe me, I gathered that. No blade nor blunt nor blast…?”
Archelaos shakes his head smiling, takes a step back and sheathes his blade. He closes his eyes for a second, and when he gazes upon Ikatia again, he is Kalamnes.
He steps forward, owning the training field, filling the space with his presence “Through blade and blunt and blast, I shall walk calm, my heart steadfast. But for the bleeding hands of children, my heart will harden, in my chest a burden.” he recites. He is no longer facing his partner, friend and mate but the cruel General Ogodai, in the rousing end of the first act. Ikatia looks impressed “That is excellent, I think…”
“No words of malice, you fiend from Hell!” Archelaos pushes Ikatia, with grace and strength, a gesture so natural and quick that even the strong warrior is forced to take a step back “No more your chalice you will raise, nor toll a bell! For Kalamnes is here at last!” in one perfect motion he unsheathes his blade, the metallic sound reaching his high just over his last word. Archelaos brings his sword into the High Guard of the Falcon, then takes the last step towards Ikatia, rotates the sword – his wrist a slab of steel – and ends the movement with the blade in Ikatia’s face.
This time it’s her who flinches and recoils a bit “Good… that was…”
“Threatening?” and with a warm smile, Archelaos is back and the fury of Kalamnes Avenger is gone.
Ikatia shrugs and smiles back “I was going to say properly executed, but yes, in the end, threatening.”
“I guess you are a good teacher.” he kisses her on a cheek, then on the nose.
“I definitely deserve a reward then.”
Archelaos retracts and grimaces sarcastically “Uhm, I don’t know… your Ogodai could use some improvement...”
She pushes him hard, and he falls flat down on the grass. “It sure does, if it can beat up Kalamnes…”
Ok, Borgmurch the Exterminator is ready!
A Goblin Slayer with a lot more brain than his peers, he is a local ratcather in the Wharf District.
Mechanically, he is a slayer, and will be a good archer, trapfinder (at 2nd level I'll take the Trapfinding slayer talent) and all-around skilled character (I'll invest in Disable Device, Stealth, Survival, Craft (traps), Perception, and other "rogue/ranger-ish" skills).
Background & Personality:
For a coin some sewer rats!
Birds are two and so are bats!
If they bite I ask for more
Wolves will cost you three or four!
A bug too big, a juicy fee
I barking dog I do for free!
Borgmurch was born among the Ratskinners, one of the lesser goblin tribes living and fighting each other below the Calphiak Mountains in Varisia. Great Chief Ronk the Earmuncher the Eleventieth often told him and the other younglings about his great deeds of robbery and battle, when he used to sack human villages riding a giant worg named Bloodfang killing many men. Unfortunately, the other goblins didn’t really know how fearsome chief Earmuncher was, and kept waging war to the Ratskinners.
Borgmurch didn’t quite like living in a constant state of war. It became pretty clear that Bloodfang, Chief Earmuncher’s worg, wasn’t coming back to defend them. His others brothers and sisters were slow and dim-witted. Not at all like Borgmurch, who could in a single afternoon hunt up to eight rats! (once he hunted ten, actually. But goblins only have eight fingers so his record remained eight).
The young goblin trapper decided to leave, moving south, and after a few stops along the way he ended up in Riddleport.
Not knowing much about life in an urban setting, Borgmurch started doing what he knew best: hunting rats. A large, wet and dirty city, Riddelport was crawling with the little pests, especially the Wharf District full of warehouses and grog dens. City rats had different tails, but they were fatter and tastier than their countryside counterparts.
It took only a few weeks for the local residents and businessmen to notice a much welcome decrease in the rat problem around the neighbor. A very naive tavern-owner asked the Gendarmes to thank Overlord Cromarcky for it, and they, baffled, investigated and found little Borgmurch happily feasting with a dozen of freshly captured rats. After an initial moment of suspicion, it was easy to allow him to stay as an exterminator. Such a mighty title very much appealed to Borgmurch when he heard one the Gendarmes referring to him as such!
The goblin enjoys his job and newfound sense of accomplishment. He is a gratified goblin and a successful businessman now, hunting rats into town and giant spiders and other pests (and stray dogs. They’re the worst!). He is the proud king of gutters, hidden corners and sewers in and around the Wharf.
Ah! Suck on that, Chief Earmuncher! Beware, pests, for here comes the Exterminator!
Borgmurch is as happy as a goblin can be. He now lives in a large suburban mansion (a wooden abandoned shack in the Wharf District), and in addition to the shiny coins, food and equipment that the clients pay him, he also gets to keep what the rats he hunts for his own meals! That is a great deal, if you ask him. Usually you have to give what you hunt to the ones paying you, but humans aren’t quite as smart as everyone thinks, they still have to figure out how economy works.
He sees most goblins still living in the nature as poor underachievers who the mighty Barghest-gods didn’t bless as they did to him. He does not despise them nor hates them, but most likely pities them and acts condescending. He believes himself to be a part of society on even ground with humans, something that sometimes gets disputed by a human not quite happy with the goblin’s manners.
When he heard of the Golden Goblin, he just had to see it. Could it be named after another successful and civilized goblin? Maybe he’ll find a friend, or a co-worker, or another employer.
So, instead of coppers, he asked his last client to be paid with a necktie. He donned his best-looking coonskin cap and is prepared to enter the high society and see the Golden Goblin.
Appearance:
IMAGE
Borgmurch is a pretty standard goblin, with skin is the color of stagnant sewer water and eyes the color of black cherry juice. He keeps a mold-like stubble on his chin and cheeks and has large hairs growing out of his huge ears.
He would stand around 3 feet tall… but he doesn’t stand very often, he usually squats, lurks or hunches over. He may be a bit fatter than his nature-dwelling counterparts, the result of a steady diet of rats, vermin and plenty of high-quality garbage, but he is as fast as the best child of Lamashtu. With a nasty, never-quite-healed scar on his forehead (courtesy of many archways and gutter passages just a bit too low) and big, pointy teeth with healthy chunks of previous meals comfortably lodged in there, he is the perfect portrait of a successful goblin.
His clothes are of better quality than the average goblin: most of them were designed for halflings or gnomes. Over the course of the years they completely lost their color under mud and dirt, but the tough fabric still keeps them more or less together. Borgmurch carries with himself a variety of weapons, notably a bow and several blades. He also usually sports a trophy from his last job, like a necklace of dire rats’ ears or a fox’s tail tucked in his belt. This trophies never last for long, he usually ends up losing or eating them during his next assignment.
Character Sheet:
Borgmurch the Exterminator
Male Goblin Slayer 1
N Small humanoid (goblinoid)
Initiative +5 ; Senses Perception +7, darkvision 60 feet
================
Defense
================
AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+4 dex, +3 armor, +1 size)
HP 12 (1d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +1
Special defenses
Would a goblin be an acceptable race to play? The concept is a ratcatcher squatting in Riddleport, who just can't stand the idea of not seeing this "golden goblin" everyone talks about.
Are Martial Eastern Weapon easily available? A Nodachi is strictly better than a Falchion, but should a non-Tian character have a good background reason for using one other than "it's a better weapon"?
What level of challenge will we be facing? At 16th level, Pathfinder becomes so vast and full of options that really, the level of strength and versatility asked to the PCs varies hugely.
Do you expect optimization, or a less-than-perfect build could still shine? Will a straight-up melee fighter be outclassed no matter what without spellcasting?
Yes, especially 1 vs 1 in a square arena, no strategy, just hoping to roll in the double digits.
On a completely unrelated note... Can I just say that D&D 5th edition is great? I think they more than made up for the 4th edition. I suggest anyone who likes to check out new game systems to give it a read... very positively impressed.
This sucks, just as we started, but work right off the summer vacations has already picked up a crazy pace, a few days have already destroyed what relax I achieved during summer. Bleagh.
I hope things will stabilize in the next weeks, then I'll be able to keep my posting rate about 3-4 posts/week. For now, I apologize.
Tiny actions like opening doors, getting items from the backpack etc... are integrated into movement. Extremely adjustable system: you want to do something that should take a bit of time, the DM can go "ok, you can do that but you can only move 20 ft instead of 30". Like standing up. Fantastic.
Spellcasting: a great step towards destroying the "ok, new day, you saddle up, fighter and rogue can go to the bathroom/make coffee/text their gf while cleric and wizard prepare spells". Hated that, now there's much less of it.
Cunning action for the rogue, Extra attacks without sacrificing movement and Finesse weapons.
Backgrounds! Beautifully done, I would've liked a few more.
Modularity: Feats are optional, Multiclassing is optional, the new DM guide will introduce variations to make the combat more strategic, etc... but it's all optional. DM's guide will be pretty much like Unhearted Arcana for 3.5, I think.
CONS
I do worry that there will be less strategy in spellcasting. With only one buff/control active at the time, seems like casters will just be artillery. I don't really like that.
Very difficult, if not impossible, to pick up a skill you overlooked at character creation. True, it's still possible to attempt it with ability modifier, but I would've liked an "new proficiency" somewhere in the firts 6 levels.
Ok Darvin, I understand what you are trying to say, but I'm afraid I didn't explain clearly how powers work in M&M.
Each power is EFFECT based. This means you have to buy each effect separately. If you buy Environment [hamper movement] you can't use it to create barriers: you'll just make a patch of difficult terrain. If you are working with a few bushes, you can move them with Move Object, but you can't make them grow into barriers - you have to work with volume of vegetables present.
The system assumes that, because of control issues or limitations, you can't use the power to achieve that effect even if you logically should; it's the foundation of the effect-based system.
This is usually adressed with power stunts. When you wish to do something that you didn't buy the effect for, then Stunt it.
In this case, you are looking at a Create Object effect.
I do apologize for my absence. I took a two-day vacation where I thought I had internet but I didn’t, and then decided to extend it to a four-day vacation. Now I’m back, and I’m sad, but at least I can catch up with the game. Expect a post in the next 24 hours.
My bad, got mixed up with 2ed.
Animal Empathy allows you to use interaction skills on animals, so to make the ostich-horses cooperate I'd say Persuasion or Intimidate.
I thought distracting was the flaw? How should I list it than?
I think the best way is as follows:
Ranged Area [burst] Damage 10 (Extra: variable descriptor (fire/concussion); Flaw: distracting) LINKED TO Ranged Area [burst] Affliction 10 (dazed, stunned; Flaw: limited effect, distracting) [20+10=30 pp] combustion bending attack
Both powers need to be Distracting for them to be linked (it doesn't change much, it's just for the sake of being clear). I think you confused Side-effect with Limited effect (side-effect means that if someone resists your powers you get damaged, like a feedback thing some mind-controller have; while Limited effect means that your Affliction can't inflict a third-degree condition, Stunned is the worst).
Distracting on both means that when you Combustion-bend, you lose half your Dodge and Parry bonus for the next round (another reason to boost that Stamina a bit).
1) you don't have to pay for every AE in an array. You pay for the first power (30 pp) and then spend 1 pp for each Alternate Effect you wish to add. Talikriktug, Darvin and Kalden all have arrays on your sheets, check them out. You can add a couple more AE (do not exagerate).
2) Since you just discovered to have almost 30 pp more, you should invest in your defenses. Either raise Parry and Dodge (the 10 already in the sheet is the default, like the 10 in the AC in Pathfinder. It doens't count against Power level), or raise your Stamina to get a somewhat decent Toughness and Fortitude... +1 Toughness is abismally low, it's like having 15 hp at level 9.
3) your combustion-bending power still has the side-effect Flaw, which I think you removed (since we never decided upon the actual side-effect). The Affliction should list the Limited Effect flaw. Distracting should apply to both the Damage and the Affliction.
4) if you wish to be able to use fire control for utility, you need to spend one point on the Precise extra for your fire-bending array.
There may be some other issues, but since 30 pp just popped out of your sheet, I'll wait for you to choose how to spend them before sifting through it.
You will be pleased to know that the Gameplay thread is up! Happy gaming!
Darvin, even Power Stunts are limited by Power Level. Since you have a Fighting score of 6, this means that every melee attack has a +6 attack modifier. So your highest Damage rank can be 12 (12+6=18).
Ok, no problem. That's what I'd originally thought I had to do. I'll put up some power stunts then.
Ok, so, if I wanted to use, say, plant roots to take down a wall, you know, growing into the cracks, expanding, more growing in, etc, what would be the power stunt? A Damage? Or a Transformation (wall to rubble)? Or a Weakening (removing con from the wall)?
If I wanted to be able to make plants grow up in spikes at a distance (right now, all my attacks have to originate from me, and are either area of effect originating from me or are melee), that would be a Ranged attack? And would that be a valid power stunt, or would I need to work up a ranged attack in the array first?
Power Stunts are largely a product of imagination and ingenuity. If you can describe it convincingly, and it fits your descriptor, then it can happen. I see no problem in any of the power stunts you proposed. The spikes would probably only work in a place with thick vegetation, but other than that, no limits. No need for a “intermediate power” before you stunt crazy stuff.
The “roots breaking down walls” thing can be done by either Damage or Weaken (Toughness). Traditionally, the Corrosion power in M&M was built by having Damage LINKED Weaken (Toughness); but nothing stops you from going a different route.
Personally I think a Ranged Weaken (Toughness) would work great. You crack and break and cripple the wall until its Toughness is negligible, then a single blow from a teammate takes it down. Teamwork!
I'm sorry, I thought I had explained myself better, my bad.
Zanto:
an extra descriptor isn't just for extra flavor, the same way the Admixture Evocation subschool in Pathfinder isn't.
In your adventures you encounter things resistant or outright immune to something. A creature may be immune to fire, but even just a thick stone wall is.
By having the Variable descriptor extra you can circumvent such immunities. I suggested Concussive or Bludgeoning as another descriptor (in addition to fire) for Combustion-bending - to represent the force of the explosion in addition to the heat. A fireball won't damage a stone wall, an explosion will.
Darvin:
I'm afraid I complicated things with my last comment.
You Power-stunt from a single Power. Looking at your sheet, there's 2 powers (since the Knife is Equipment): Plant-senses and Plantbending array. It does not matter how they are built, if they are arrays or not, whatever: they are thematic groupings of effects with the same descriptor.
When you Power-stunt, you take the pp in one Power and re-arrange them in a new Effect. When you Power-stunt from an array, think about it as an extra AE: you don't need to stunt from a single pre-existant effect, you stunt from all the points in the array (20 in your case).
That's great!
I think I will put up the gameplay thread tonight already, or tomorrow - the first few exchanges should be void of dice rolls, so Zanto and everyone else can finish up their sheet.
Here's how I do posts:
Third person, present tense, "dialogue in bold" and thoughts in italics, then add an OOC part for dice rolls if needed.
---SAMPLE POST---
Looking around himeself, Zuko sees the prison guards approaching. They're just doing their job he doens't wish to hurt them, and won't use his firebending. Broadswords held strongly in his hands, he runs up to the captian "Let us go and I will not hurt you!". Without waiting for an answer, he feints with his right, then strikes the guard's stomach with the left sword's hilt.
_______________
Move action to get close to the captain. Standard action to attack his with swords (nonlethal).
swords attack:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29; Damage DC 22 if that hits
EDIT: that's a Crit! DC 27 then...
---END POST---
For the most complicated fights, I will use maps hosted on Google Docs.
Perhaps I'll even post in the Gameplay section the defensive stats for the opponents, so you can resolve your own actions (like rolling enemies' saves against your attacks, etc...). I don't know it yet, I've been GMed either way, I'll decide later.
The Gameplay section will have links on the maps, and a "NPCs met" section, and other kinds of useful tools.
It is mostly for your use, so put it where you are more comfortable with it. Its natural place would be either at the end of the sheet, at the end of the POWERS section, or even just in .doc on your hard drive; it doesn't need to be on your sheet at all, I just find it easier to consult if it's there with my characters, but you can do as you wish.
Also, Darvin, you Stunt from one power, not from one effect. Your Plantbeding array is a single Power, so you most likely power stunt from all of it.
I completely buy Zaheer's mastery of airbending.
We see some of the basic training exercises for airbenders, like passing through the spinning gates – something that does not involve airbending, just the correct stance and attitude. So if bending comes from a mixture of right state of mind and correct martial arts forms, than a true lover of Air Nomad culture like Zaheer could have easily become a master of the physical forms and enter the right mindset.
This guy was a national threat - not only his goals and methods, but his martial prowess - before being a bender. He gains a connection to the one element he studied, whose philosophy he embraces (although a bit twisted) and based his fighting style upon: yes, I can see how he can be a match for Tenzin or any other bending master.
Tenzin vs Zaheer, as any “climatic fight” on TV, will be won not by he who is better, but who has the best motivations and strongest conviction.
Difficult terrain would be cool, an interesting way to get some battlefield control in there. But I was looking more for destroying cover, like blowing up a wagon if somebody hides behind it.
That is not a problem! Damage, by default, works on anything - besides obvious immunities to your descriptor (such as a stone wall being immune to fire).
To differentiate your combustion from mere fire, you can add (through the Variable Descriptor Extra - flat 1 point of cost) another descriptor to the Combustion being attack.
I suggested Concussive, but it can be phrased as Bludgeoning or anything that seems appropriate - to represent the sudden air displacement of an explosion.
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FOR EVERYONE:
I've been suggesting a lot to reduce your arrays and use Power Stunts to add power. One useful thing you can do is to add a line "common power stunts" so that you already have them ready when the time comes.
Some Power stunts are immediate to create. From
Ranged Fire area (cone) Damage
Ranged Fire area (burst) Damage
it is immediate. Sometimes less so. So you might want to think ahead and already see what kind of Power Stunts you can do with ypour amount of pp to use.
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We seem to be almost ready to begin. Any final question about the game system, your sheets, or anything? Did I miss some problems along the way? If you are good to go, please say so that I know that when are ready!
As always, it depends on how big this flavor oomph needs to be. the destryed bit of terrain would be what, a few square feet of difficult terrain? It can be a LINKED power, just choose the effect, like a LINKED Weaken Toughness (limited to objects).
In addition to Power/All-Out attack, you can make combustion bending Distracting (see the modifier), thus saving pp, if so you wish.
The different area of effects needs to be bought separately, yes, but please remeber that you don't need every option in your array, just the more commonly used. The rest will be Power Stunted.
Kalden:
Sheet looks great. You can save one point by putting Leaping and Speed under the same AE – there’s enough room in the array for that.
Zanto
Putting most of your defense in an array( in this case, a Force Field as part of the firebending) is a bad idea. Most of the time in combat your array will be set on one of the offensive powers, and thus won’t provide you with protection.
So I’d suggest Force Field as a separate power. I’m going to have to ask you to put some limitations to it, though: a Fire Shield can’t stop rocks, in my opinion. We’ll go through this together.
Everything else is pretty straightforward. Utility Fire Control is easily done as I said in the above post, you can just apply Precise to your entire array to represent fine manipulation. Both Precise or a Utility AE are 1-point additions, so it’s up to you.
The attacks are easy, Ranged Damage, Ranged Area Damage (check out the Area modifier for shape), and Concentration Ranged Damage. Suffocation can be done, though it’s not very heroic and can be easily Power-Stunted in the rare occasions you need it.
All-Out Attack and Power Attack used together can represent the combustion bending in an easy way, yes.
I can move it around when I fill out the offense section (which I still need some help with). :)
like this:
"name of attack" +attack bonus, "range", "effect" DC (details)
DCs are 15 + rank if Toughness, 10+rank if another save
so
Unarmed +10, close, Damage DC 17 (15+2 Strength)
Battle knife +12, close, Damage DC 22 (15+5+2)
Plantbending, area (cone), Dodge DC 18, Damage DC 25 In case of the area effect you do not have an attack bonus, but rather a Dodge DC (the equivalent of a Reflex save DC in Pathfinder). The DC is 18 because, as always, damage and attack must average out at 9, so if your damage is 10, your bonus to the Dodge DC must be 8 or lower.
actually you go over PL with your battle knife, 12 and 7 average out at 9.5. Please reduce either damage or attack bonus by 1.
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Talikriktug
For Complications, dig deeper into your character.
Does he have a sworn enemy in pirates, a hatred for people polluting the water, a pet peeve versus penguin-otters?
Is there a lucky item for him? I saw you dropped the harpoon from your concept, but it can be anything, like Katara's necklace.
What about his personality? Too trusting, too headstrong, overzealous, control-freak...
Think about something that will apply to him and only him. The dehydration - loss of powers in deserts goes for pretty much any water-bender, just see the prisons they keep the bloodbender in Avatar season 3 or the no-arms lady in the new season of Korra...
Darvin, just pro forma, Equipment is an Advantage, not a Power. It changes nothing in your sheet, it's just so you know how it works - read it un Advantages and you'll understand.
I will spoiler the explanation for Zanto to avoid the wall of text, but everyone is welcome to read if they want to take a look at their array.
Zanto:
You are describing a lot of effects. It is usually a bad idea to have an array with more than 6-7 effects – most of the one-shot uses can be covered by power stunts. Still, let’s see.
First, a variety of attacks:
Basic Ranged Damage, like a firebolt, costs 2 pp/rank; assuming you want to be rank 9, this puts your Attack bonus with firebolts at +9. This means you have +9 to attacking with ranged fire attacks, and the Toughness DC to resist said damage is 24 (15+9).
Then you can have area effect, like a fireball. This is a Ranged Area Damage, costing 3 pp/rank. If you want your Fireball to hit only selective targets, then it’s 4 pp/rank.
A quick series of flame strikes is Damage (ranged or not) with the Multiattack extra. 2 pp/rank for melee Multiattack Damage, 3 pp/rank for Ranged Multiattack Damage
Utility is trickier. I created a fine-tuned effect
Environment [extreme heat] 3 (120 ft radius) + Perception Area [30 cubic feet, shapeable] Fire Damage 4 (Extra: Precise) (6 + 17 = 23 pp)
These are 2 powers: the first allows you to control temperature for a 120 feet radius around you, the second to create weak (rank 4 isn’t that powerful) but very precisely shaped fires anywhere in your sight. We could go higher with Environment control, meaning you could affect the temperature of a wider area, but that would put you among the most powerful firebenders ever.
Since PL effectively limits your damage cap, to represent the higher power of Combustion-Bending we can't really get a higher rank of damage, especially if you wish it to be an Area. Instead, we can go with a Linked Affliction; this means that whoever is hit by your explosions has to make a Toughness save vs Damage and a Fort save to avoid being dazed or stunned. The Area Ranged Damage costs 2 pp/rank, the Affliction (which has been limited) costs 1/pp rank. Linking them means you can’t use one without the other. They both cost a point than they should less because I added a Flaw, to represent that this power is "more dangerous". Said flaw could be Unreliable (meaning you fail 50% of the time), Side-Effect (meaning you take some sort of damage when your power is resisted), Tiring, or anything else we can cook up.
Ranged Area Damage 9 (Flaw: side-effect)
Linked
Ranged Area Affliction 9 (dazed, stunned; Flaw: side-effect, limited degree)
I don’t really get fire-shields. Fire can be used to block fire or water/ice based attacks: that’s a Counter action. But fire blocking rocks, or swords? How would you describe that?
Movement powers are usually better left outside of an array: just pick what you want.
In the end, your fire-bending array can look something like this:
BP=base power
AE=Alternate Effect
Firebending array (28 pp array; Extra: AE x 3) [31 pp] [fire, bending]
BP: Ranged Multiattack Damage 9 (Extra: Accurate) [28 pp] quick rapid firebolts AE: Ranged Area [burst] Damage 9 [27 pp] big fireball AE: Ranged Area [burst] Damage 9 (Extra: variable descriptor (fire/concussion); Flaw: side-effect) LINKED TO Ranged Area Affliction 9 (dazed, stunned; Flaw: side-effect, limited degree) [19+9=28 pp] combustion bending attack AE: Environment [extreme heat] 3 (120 ft radius) + Perception Area [shapeable] Fire Damage 5 (Extra: Precise) [6+21=27pp] utility fire-control
If you get your Ranged Attack Bonus with your fire-bending array up to +9, you'll be hitting offensive PL. Since your attacks are all ranged and you have such a high Dexterity, it is fairly unexpensive to do so.
I have assumed that you wish to avoid trade-offs, so your powers are rank 9 and I suggested to buy up your attack bonus to +9. You are free (encouraged, even) to shift in either direction (higher accuracy/lower rank for a more precise character, or viceversa low accuracy/higher rank for powerful but clumsy attacks. You even have different trade-offs for different effects).
Thank you guys for being so patient while I sift through your sheets - that's what I get for starting a game from different system than the one promoted by the board!
All characters look like great fun! For those of you who are a bit discouraged by the system, I can tell you that this is how M&M works: fine-tuned and complicated character creation and then it runs smoothly and cinemtically once the sheet is done.
Great, you’re the one PC whose powers are perfect from the get go! I find it a bit weird that Your swimming is an AE of your waterbending array – meaning you can’t use water-bending when underwater; but that’s a minor issue.
I’ll have to ask you to spell out both skills and defenses – I’m having trouble figuring out everything is in order. Can you please put in parenthesis how much of every bonus comes from the ability score and how much you bought.
Zanto: Power creation is effect-based. What flavors the powers is the modifiers and descriptors you give them. A wizard's Fireball and Iron Man's repulsor beam are built from the same effect, and yet they turn out completely different.
Try describing cinematically what you wish to be able to do. I'll guide you into translating your ideas into stats.
Powers could use a bit of work, otherwise, pretty good.
1) First, you lack any movement power – which for an airbender is weird and it’s not a good idea tactically.
2) Second, your air-bending is over-complicated. You don’t need to use Move Object as a base for every power: a damaging blast of air can be done as Damage effect, no need to use a Damaging Move Object, even if you’re moving objects to do it. Power names determine Effects, not flavor of the single power.
Now, about your tornado power, you’ll need to describe it more to me – I think I can build pretty much any power given a good description, but I can’t figure in my mind what you are describing. Does the tornado only goes up, or in front of you, is it directional? How wide is it? Can you trap more than one target in it?
3) Your Defensive PL 5.5 (average of Parry/dodge 7 and Toughness 4) – a bit low; ideally you should be PL 9 defensively, but at least put it up to 7. Also, you have Stamina 3 but Toughness 4, why?
Sheet looks good, thanks for sticking to the format. If you want to avoid the clutter, you can spoiler the whole sheet. A couple of things:
1) You deleted the Equipment from your sheet.
2) Why isn’t your spear Damage strength-based? Is it an oversight or a deliberate choice? Most weapon damage is Strength based, meaning you add your strength to the base damage of the weapon. Beware of PL when you go over this. Same goes for other weapons.
3) Throwing Mastery 2 increases your ranged damage with dagger and spear too.
4) You are severely undercapped defensively. Dodge 4 (even with Evasion), Parry 6, Toughness 6 puts you at low PL 6 defensively. You should invest in more Stamina, more Defensive Roll or more Parry/Dodge defenses.
Wait, you mean you might have to roleplay out convincing the other PCs to trust you and not tell the village that you're doing magic?! GASP! ;) (I tease, I tease.)
More seriously, as Rikka pointed out: everyone in the group is a bit of a misfit to some extent as far as being a proper, upstanding Ulfen citizen goes. So, while Eysteinn being leery and wary to use magic in front of the others makes perfect, in-character sense (and I'll greatly enjoy reading his attempts to surreptitiously get away with things), once the cat IS out of the bag due to some instance where he absolutely has to use his magic, I think that, as Joana says, the situation may be to a point where the others are willing to accept what he's doing.
But those sorts of concerns are exactly the sort of thing that I think will be fun to see played out-- and why I was happy to see Eysteinn with the arguably unconventional-for-an-alchemist stat array, since that plays well to him having to use skills beyond just his extracts.
FWIW, I would say that, of his extracts, only the Enlarge Person is really problematic in that regard-- it's hard to pretend you're doing anything but suddenly taking up twice as much space. But a Shield spell is invisible, the cure light wounds is easily passed off as just drinking some sort of healing tincture, and of course there's all sorts of fun options with the disguise. ;)
That's a great scenario you're painting. I like where this is going.
There are a few errors with the sheet, and one big “bad idea” not an error per se but something you may want to avoid.
1) Tactile senses are already Accurate and Radius by default; 3 points saved. Yey!
2) You are severely under-capped defensively: you have Parry and Dodge at 6 (they are like AC: the 10 is the default, what counts is what you add to it), and Toughness at 2. This averages out your Defensive PL at 4, when it should be around 9. You can have a below-average defense, but you really shouldn't go lower than 2 below PL (so 7) if wish to not be a burden.
Putting a lot of Protection power into the array is not really worth that much: most of the time you will be using your offensive powers, and thus not benefit from Protection. I’d suggest taking Protection out of the array: more expensive, but it will greatly improve your effectiveness.
3) Speaking of the array: try to group powers that make sense together. There is no rule about it, it’s just role-playing issues: I know it can be tempting to fill every pp worth of every AE with powers, but try to keep each slot of the array “thematic”. Comprehend and Communication definitely belong in the same AE, Protection does not.
4) The battle-knife: weapons in M&M are powers who can be lost and therefore cost less.
There’s two types of weapons.
Mundane weapons (such as Zuko’s dual broadswords) are Equipment: for every 5 pp of powers you spend on the item, you only have to spend 1 actual pp. So let’s say a common spear:
Spear (Str based damage 3; extra: improved critical, reach)
It costs 5 pp (3 ranks of damage, plus two 1-point Extras), but it is a very common item, you can buy it in any store: so it costs you only 1 pp (1 rank of the Equipment advantage)
Legendary weapons, artifacts (such a Sokka’s space sword) are Devices, so Powers with the Easily Removable flaw. For every 5 pp of powers you spend on the item, you only have to spend 3: so let’s say a tank-slicing, empowering sword:
You spent 15 pp of powers in the item, so it costs you 9 pp (3 for every 5 spent)
Equipment, contrary to devices, can be broken, stolen, abandoned, and their loss never grants you a HP. Equipment is limited: if something is above normal, it can’t be Equipment.
Devices are integral part of your character: if you lose them, you get HP, and they’ll find a way to get back in your possession. Also, they can be as powerful as you wish (Mjolnir is a Device, Iron Man’s armor is a Device).
A big-ass knife can be mundane Equipment built as
Big Knife (str based damage 5)
5 pp worth of powers, which means only 1 pp spent.
Ok, here's a little primer with the traps I usually see the novices of the system fall into. Chances are most of you already noticed them, but I want to cover my bases.
Spoiler:
POWER LEVEL
It is different from Pathfinder Levels. You don’t build up your character from your level, you build him down from your PL.
There is no stacking +1 and +2 and bonuses to get highest damage: Power Level effectively limits your Attack and Defense: the average of attack bonus and damage must be your PL or lower. A PL 9 character can have “unarmed attack +13, unarmed damage 5”, and “crossbow attack +7, crossbow damage 11” at the same time, but no attack can have an average higher than PL.
Same goes for defense: the highest between Parry and Dodge must average out at PL with Toughness.
EXTRA EFFORT and POWER STUNTS
Extra effort is the core of the game: by choosing to becoming Fatigued the next round, or by spending a Hero Point, you get Extra Effort. It can be used in a variety of ways common to d20 system (reroll a dice, take an extra action, etc…), but also to get a single Advantage for a round.
One of these advantages can be an Alternate Power for a power you have: this covers the “out of the box” uses of powers you often see in comic books.
Let’s say you have a character with electricity powers: he wants to use them as a defibrillator on a dying NPC. This a Healing effect, which normally isn’t included in an electricity-controller power set. The character can still do what he wanted, but becomes Fatigued next round or has to spend a Hero Point. Speaking of which…
HERO POINTS and COMPLICATIONS
Hero Points are common currency. On a fight lasting 5 or 6 rounds, there’s usually at least that many HP changing hands (that is, spent or gained by any PC). In a big boss fight, each PC usually uses 1 or 2 HP.
Complications are a great tool to personalize your PC and give hooks to your GM.
Responsibility and Hot-headedness are fine, but you can go more personal than that!
A common example is “Doesn’t know his strength”: “with the last punch you knocked the villain through a wall! He is defeated! Great… but wait, now the building is crumbling! You accidentally broke down a load-bearing-wall! here’s a Hero Point! Can you save the innocent inhabitants of the building?”
Complications can be lucky items (not necessarily powerful ones, but meaningful ones, whose loss would anger/sadden the owner: think Sokka’s boomerang rather than Sokka’s space sword), or inability to resist a treat, or anything that makes your character more of a person!
I am currently reading through your sheets and will have individual comments soon.
