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Huzzah for survival!
I'm still debating about the theme. XD I'll take a look at Hephaistos and work on putting my build together. Let's see, I don't recall there being anything non-standard about the build process, right? I'm Almonihah on Discord as well.
All right, so, I should say more about my concept. A few decades after the Gap, a brilliant gnomish engineer decided to create a tribute to lost Golarion, a 'zoo' of robotic animals built to look like the native life of the lost planet. It was popular for a time, but as often happens with genius inventors, the gnome grew bored with his project, and with his waning interest the 'zoo' also began to lose its popularity. With time and wear the robotic animals broke down, sometimes repaired by their creator and sometimes canabalized for parts depending on the engineer's whims. The gnome had a friend, an elf that was a devout follower of Sarenrae and a Starfinder. When the gnome at last started talking about permanently closing his 'zoo', she asked him if she could have her favorite of his robot animals--the fox, designiation 15-0-10. The engineer agreed, and the elf took the robot with her on her journeys of exploration for the next several years. But life as a Starfinder is dangerous, and one of those dangers eventually claimed the elf's life. In her will she left 15-0-10 to her closest friend, a fellow human Starfinder and follower of Sarenrae, but said friend quickly found the old robot reminded her too much of the dead, and so she donated the robot to the Holy Angel of Flame cathedral on Abasalom Station. Not having much use for a rickety old fox-shaped robot, 15-0-10 ended up deactivated and left in a box, occasionally shuffled around over the years but largely forgotten. It was almost thrown away in the big shuffle in the church of Sarenrae after the discovery of the Burning Archipelago and the subsequent move to make the Radiant Cathedral the center of Sarenrae's worship, but one priest took a liking to the old thing and decided to save it. He kept saying he'd get around to fixing up and reactivating the thing--mostly every time he moved its box around after getting caught up in other things again--but he never did before he died. Only after this would 15-0-10 finally find new life, for next it passed to a young ysoki mechanic who had been an apprentice of sorts to the priest in his old age. This mechanic repaired and replaced many of 15-0-10's rusted, worn-out, outdated parts, finally reactivating it and using it as something of a workshop assistant and testbed for ideas she had. By now the old robot scarcely resembled its original form any more--all of its false fur had long since fallen out or been removed to access areas that needed repair, its ears, camera 'eyes', and limbs were mismatched, and even its casing was clearly made of several different materials of various ages. Its tail, once big and bushy, retained only a few stubborn patches of bleached false fur, and now ended in a trio of small manipulator tentacles, one with its own camera for detail work. The ysoki died in 307 AG, and her will turned 15-0-10 back over to the Holy Angel of Flame cathedral in memory of her old mentor. Not wanting to just throw the robot back in a box, a technically inclined android acolyte tweaked 15-0-10's programming and used it to clean back rooms in the cathedral. They even installed some small solar panels along its flanks, more in devotion to Sarenrae than for the tiny savings in recharge time they provided. It was a few years after this latest change of ownership that 15-0-10 found itself thinking. Somehow, after its long 'life', the old robot had finally attracted a soul. Not quite sure what to make of its sudden sapience, 15-0-10 kept up its appearances as a quirky old cleaning robot, but it soon found curiosity growing in its newborn mind. When unobserved, it took to exploring less-used corners of the big cathedral, and soon its surroundings. Its exploratory trips grew longer with time, leaving the few Sarenites who paid much attention to the old robot wondering where it vanished to at times. Eventually it found a disused little workshop, and started playing around with modifying itself during its expeditions. This was what finally clued in its supposed owner as to what was going on--showing up back in the Holy Angel of Flame with a second manipulator 'tail' was quite obvious, and when questioned the robot's new sapience rapidly made itself clear. What no one, even 15-0-10, anticipated was it suddenly displaying solarion abilities during the subsequent testing of its capabilities. Some of the Sarenites discussed this as a sign that 15-0-10's sapience was a miracle from their goddess, but 15-0-10 reported feeling no special connection to Sarenrae. Just in case, though, it *did* paint a couple Sarenite symbols on its casing. It requested and was granted a time of training and education as it learned to deal with its new sapience and tried to decide what to do with itself. Now done with its basic training, 15-0-10 has felt drawn towards the Starfinders, perhaps it's because of its old memories of its second owner, or perhaps it's simply because it doesn't want to be stuck dusting rooms on Absalom Station. Whatever the case, with a bit of starting gear given to it as a sort of 'graduation present' from those Sarenites who came to view it as a friend instead of a curiosity, it's set out to join the Starfinder Society and find its place in the wider galaxy. ****************** ...so why do I like this idea so much I would write so much backstory? XD * I always enjoy playing a small creature making its way in a world built for human-type beings. While 15-0-10 is a Small-sized SRO, and thus something like ysoki-sized, its quadrupedal stance makes it feel even smaller.
I'm thinking this will be a fairly unusual Solarian build--Solar shield manifestation with high dex, moderate int, and a bit of cha so it's not *completely* crippled when it comes to resolve. It will take advantage of attacking with the shield counting as an unarmed attack, which is an operative weapon and therefore can use dex to hit instead of strength, but it'll still be more defensively than offensively focused. Picture it as weaving in and out of the enemy, trying to draw fire and providing flanking and otherwise supporting the rest of the party in making their attacks more effective rather than doing a whole ton of damage itself. Good dex means I could get piloting, and I'm thinking engineering as well for modding itself. ...that's probably more than enough right now. XD Maybe I should just go ahead and build the thing instead of talking about it...
Hmmmm... looks like piloting might be missing? I think I have an idea coming together, but it's late and I should go to bed. XD
I mean, that's certainly a fun idea, kinda tempting, but I was playing around with a different idea. XD What's the party missing skill-wise? Any critical starship positions missing?
I'm playing with the idea of an SRO, so cookies wouldn't be an attraction anyway. (I considered joking about a kitsune, but decided against it.)
Hmmm, I should think about this...
I think it's safe to say I like these ideas. :D
You know me playing monsters. :D
Ooof, sounds like a real tight surprise deadline. :(
My plan for Myth is for her to be a Prodigy/Shifter (Apex Shifter), Mythic Gifted. Basically a constantly-shifting (in both form and capabilities) being, skilled enough at combat and versatile thanks to changing forms and being able to grab magic and combat talents. I'm working on her in a spreadsheet, I've got the easy part done and now I need to start picking talents and feats and such. XD On the Mythic/Hero Points thing, I'd point out the Amazing Initiative already lets characters take an extra action for the cost of a mythic point and the Bonus thing is basically a stronger version of mythic surge, so maybe cut those. (Though admittedly the bonus is more expensive than mythic surge, so there's arguably a place for it)
Oh, good to know. Well that makes a difference. XD So... 25 total?
Let's see, if I'm serious about building something for this game I should roll...
Hmmm... it occurs to me that Mthandihle aka Myth the catfolk being warped/corrupted by a Protean could fit this build well...
Oh yeah, I should roll a hit die
I'll see if a character idea bites me. :D All of my 2e games on the forums have dried up right now, and I want to have at least *one*.
Well... consistent, aren't we? XD
Sadly the one lower on the attack roll is going to spoil that max damage roll.
As much as I'd like to join a Zeitgeist game, I was taking a look at my current time expenditure and I just can't fit another game in right now. Have fun those who apply and get chosen!
Hope that's not one short
That's my assumption. My build for Brennus, the awakened raven arcanist, is coming along nicely. :)
All right, I'll see about a Brennus build then! :)
Ooo, seems fun to me! I've been known to wax a bit poetic with my characters myself. :D Speaking of my characters, I'm definitely leaning towards the awakened raven. I was thinking of either a Sphere Arcanist or a Theorist, or maybe a multiclass of the two--so some specialized spellcasting with some skil focus, too. Hopefully that wouldn't overlap too much with Gauntlet? I don't think it should, but he *would* have a lot of investment into Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft, so if it feels like too much overlap I could go with a different idea.
That's fine, take your time, we know it's a hard time for you.
Oh, I have many ideas of what I want to play. XD An awakened raven, who gained intelligence and magical power over the course of being a familiar to a wizard and then a witch, and now hungers for greater arcane power and knowledge. A huge lion-man haunted/semi-possessed by the spirits of four bloodthirsty monsters (the Sphinx, the (Nemean-style) Lion, the Chimera, and the Griffon), trying to channel their strength for good while fighting against their influence. A shape-shifter following dreams of a being calling itself "The Eye-Spotted Leopard", claiming to give her power to break every chain that would hold her back, including such things as gravity and conservation of mass. A displacer-beast-taur, the product of a mad wizard... who treated him as a beloved son, only to accidentally kill himself because he was, well, mad, and couldn't make himself follow proper laboratory safety procedures while experimenting, leaving his creation to find a place in the world. A minotaur oracle of metal, who took up mercenary work to pay for materials for his ever-more-elaborate pieces of metal artwork. I could go on. XD So basically I have an idea for any kind of party slot that needs to be filled.
Oooof, that's terrible. :( Definitely take all the time you need.
Oh, hey Shadow! It's been a while. Anyway, Way of the Wicked... not my favorite, but templates are tempting. :D Maybe I'll rebuild my one werewolf who considered himself a Hound of Hell?
Hmmm, with that background I'm not as opposed to Throne of Night. At least it sounds like the drow aren't as... well, stupidly self-destructive evil as the Forgotten Realms ones are.
I'd lean more toward War of the Burning Sky simply because I rarely want to play 'evil campaigns'. Drow in particular don't interest me as a possible PC.
I would be *very* interested in Zeitgeist, and to a lesser degree War of the burning Sky, but have no interest in Throne of Night.
@Almonihah: What form is the telepathy apparatus going to take? Just curious since you could potentially make it take some cool forms: an embedded cosmic gem, some kind of strange starmetal that lines the First Flame's feathers, or what have you. It's not really a huge deal or anything, I just found myself wondering about the visuals. I'm still debating to some degree. My first inclination was to make it some weird part of its anatomy--a heart made of electron-degenerate matter like a white dwarf, or something like that. I liked the idea of it having some part of it that reflects different stages in the life cycle of stars that would also be something insanely rare and valuable the unscrupulous might covet. But I just had an idea about how maybe The First Flame was voiceless when it came to be. The young gods of its universe didn't recognize it was actually a sapient at first because of this, until one inventor god realized just how intelligent it was and created a strange and wondrous device that, when fueled by the stellar phoenix's plasma, could attach thoughts and words to the light it shed. So I think I'm leaning towards some bizarre contraption made of celestial bronze tubes that's implanted in its chest.
I'm probably going to go with the Apparatus idea for the telepathy, I realized there's a way to make a Spheres of Power item an implant, so I could more-or-less make it an innate ability that way. Still going to cost a lot of gold, though. XD I'm just pretty settled on Holy, Advanced, and Titanic for templates. This is my calculation for the telepathy apparatus:
Cost: 128000 That said, I *think* I'm done with the build now. I just need to transfer it to a profile...
Okay, it was pointed out to me that I could buy some Wishes to boost The First Flame's wisdom, so I just need to figure out the telepathy thing.
All right, I have a nearly-complete spreadsheet version of The First Flame here. Still need to finish deciding on equipment, but other than that it's a complete draft. I'm rather pleased I was able to settle on a perfectly balanced ratio of Destruction, Life, and Light talents. :D It's pretty straightforward for the most part. If people need some healing, it can heal 12 creatures within 85 feet of it for 7d20+125 damage, and if it needs something to die it can throw out a ray of burning light that deals 224 damage which ignores spell resistance and fire resistance and does such fun things as blinding, setting on fire, or exposing the target to radiation. Or it can blow up a 85' radius area within 3500' range with that damage. It can also radiate light that gives a bonus against fear saves... or 50 damage a round. Oh, it can also bite you, but that's not really very impressive except for the fact it can add that destructive blast onto its attacks. Is it the most optimized damage-dealer? Not by a long shot. It feels like a gigantic sun-phoenix, though, and that's what I was really going for. Let's see, remaining issues... * I'd still really like it to be telepathic, but building a long-range telepathy aparatus was getting expensive. The Helm of Telepathy is not really how I want its telepathy to work, though. Ideally its telepathy would actually work through its Light--the concept I have is that it actually communicates through the light it sheds, but obviously there's not going to be anything for that in the rules...
It's almost like templates are intended to make brutish monsters suitable for slaying after a dramatic battle, while all paragons of goodness, cunning masterminds, and devout priests are assumed to be humanoids with class levels. :D It's a sign of the inherent humanoidcentricity of the rules! Down with speciesist systems! Full support for sapients without opposable digits! Err, anyway... I'll probably go with the idea of two +1 CR templates that add up to +8 Wisdom. So far that's looking like Advanced + Holy, though Holy is kind of iffy... The First Flame *is* neutral good, but it's a bit more Neutral than Good, dedicated more to the preservation of Life in the abstract and on the large scale. Oh, that does bring up a question. The Titanic template on its own (plus a +2 from ABP) gets The First Flame to 40 strength, so taking Advanced would break the stat cap. Should I just ignore anything that would take a stat above 40, does it mean I can't have another template that adds to strength, or some other option?
It's a species, not a template, but you can find it on the Spheres of Power wiki here!
I just realized there's no reason I can't just pick two +1 CR templates that add up to +8 Wisdom. XD I'd still be grateful if you could take a look. And thanks for the suggestions, Grumbaki. I might go with Holy + Advanced, but I'm keeping Titanic (look, stars are big, so it needs to be too :D). I was thinking I should write out my full backstory/description and design goals for The First Flame. It's going to be kind of long, so spoilers it is! :D Backstory & Description:
On one small material plane, the first creator gods got a little overexcited when igniting the first star. A flare erupted from its newly-burning surface when they ignited it. This flare split from its parent star, charged with the excess power of creation the gods had poured into the star, and formed great wings and keen talons, becoming the first and greatest of all phoenixes (for its plane, at least). The gods were a bit surprised by this, but it knew its purpose. It would go forth to bring light and warmth to the coldest and darkest corners of existence, and since that time it has flown the void, bringing its fire to those who need it most.
…or so one legend says of its origin. But legends about it are as numerous as its names: The Sunwing, The Beginning of Phoenixes, The Stellar Eagle. When asked, the name it gives for itself most often is The First Flame, but it acknowledges the others, as well. What is certain is that The First Flame is a being of great compassion, but also terrible wrath. At times they descend on a darkened corner of a world and bring hope to a dying people, using its power to rekindle life where it was almost extinguished. At other times their coming is marked by vitrifying entire swaths of land with its flames--sometimes because of an obvious threat, other times when no danger can be seen. Still other times it descends in its smaller, anthropomorphic form, to speak to and guide individuals or nations that were lost in metaphorical darkness. Also certain is its incredible age, having lived to see the cycle of life and destruction that stars go through, seeking in some way to emulate in itself the way stars are the ultimate source of all warmth and light in the universe, yet simultaneously the most destructive forces in existence... and how that destruction births new worlds and stars. It came to Hyraeatan recently, by its reckoning, meaning it's 'only' been in the city for a little under a century. It is officially a member of the Ashlords faction, though they are known to also have some ties to the Cocoon Pact, sometimes serving as a liason between the two factions. Its belief in the cycles of destruction and creation are well-suited to this position, though it does draw some suspicion from the more 'orthodox' members of the Ashlords. In its natural form The First Flame is a titanic mass of stellar plasma in the vague shape of a great eagle with a 400' wingspan, its plummage glowing in shifting hues of yellows, oranges, and reds, its eyes churning orbs of brilliantly-burning flame. While in Hyraeatan it more frequently appears in the form of a humanoid bird with the same fiery plummage. In either shape, it never speaks aloud, instead the very light it sheds seeming to form words or images in those it wishes to converse with. Build Goals:
The core ideas of The First Flame are, roughly in order:
* It combines the rebirth theme of the phoenix with the way stars can be formed due to the deaths of other stars
From these core ideas come some essential goals and some nice-to-have goals. Essential goals
* It needs to be capable of incredible destruction via fire. Current plan is to have a lot of talents in the Destruction and Light spheres to make it roughly capable of causing small nuclear explosions or simply radiating enough heat to incinerate its surroundings. * It also is a source of life. Current plan is a lot of talents in the Life sphere. * It must be immune to fire. This is where the Light Immunity from the Lightbringer deific talent comes in. * It must be able to traverse space, meaning it needs to be able to survive and fly in vacuum. Surviving vacuum means not breathing (probably via the Universal Mythic Path ability) and being able to resist any cold damage involved (note this means I do *not* want it to have the Fire subtype, as that gives cold vulnerability... and what kind of star is vulnerable to cold?). Starflight is harder--the only way I've come up with so far is to get Mythic Transformation so it can have a 'space form' that includes the Starflight ability from the Star-Spawn Body Alteration talent. Not my favorite solution. Nice-to-haves * Its mere presence should be able to cause positive effects, like how warm sunshine can be comforting and hopeful. Some Light sphere abilities will help here. * It should be dangerous in melee. It *is* a giant bird after all. Currently thinking of Mageknight abilities for this plus being able to use Strike talents. * Its presence should also be capable of causing great harm. Light sphere abilities here again. * It should be capable of long-range telepathy (preferably as its only method of communication). It's a space bird, it needs to communicate by something that doesn't take an atmosphere, and preferably at a longer distance than 60' or 100'. My current idea here is a very, very expensive Spheres of Power Apparatus. ...I'm sure there were some others I was thinking of, they'll come back to me probably. My current draft build is Titanic Holy Advanced Fenghuang Incanter 20/Mageknight (Sun Warrior) 20 Spheremaster/Guardian 1.
If there's any other template that gives +8 to a mental stat (preferably Wisdom, Charisma isn't my favorite pick for casting stat for The First Flame) and is thematic for a stellar phoenix, I'd be glad to not pick the exact same thing as everyone else. :D
That's painful for sure :( I was going to write this big post about thoughts for The First Flame, but it's late now. XD So I'll just say, I'm thinking of swapping templates, keeping Titanic but having its other template be Sublime, because I want to lean a bit into how stars in Pathfinder cosmology usually contain portals to the Positive Energy Plane. Also leaning towards its second Boon being Boon of the Apex Entity, picking up the Lightbringer sphere and the Cosmic Power and Immunity to Light talents. If I do go with a Radiance instead, the ones I was looking at were the Radiance of Light and the Radiance of Perpetual Life.
All right! And yeah, I thought there were some winged species out there that I could use, I just didn't know them off the top of my head. It'll save me a template, which will probably be used if I can find some +1 template that grants Spaceflight... Another question, if I picked Boon of the Legend-Wielder for the other boon, would a Radiance be an acceptable minor artifact? I'm sure I'll have more questions when I have time to sit down and actually work on the build. XD Edit: I'm probably also going to want to know about Spheres of Power Oaths, if that hasn't been covered already.
Oh, I hadn't seen this. I could probably build a version of The First Flame, my solar phoenix born from the ignition of a plane's first star, using this rules. Slapping Avian, Element-Infused (fire), and Titanic on a character should be able to turn pretty much any medium-sized PC species into a gigantic firebird. :D (Yes, this is me asking if that combo would be allowed--and I would make sure the character could be effective in more human-scaled surroundings, as well.)
That's not good XD
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