Bialaska's page

So, I drool as I discover the new archetype for the Gunslinger in Advanced Class Guide. Ever since Gunslinger came out, I needed one version using crossbows.

I just don't understand why the class specialized in crossbows get Gunsmithing (and a free firearm) and proficiency with firearms. Shouldn't exotic weapons Firearms perhaps be replaced with proficiency with the exotic weapon crossbows? And Gunsmithing should probably have been replaced with something else, such as Rapid Reload?

The level 20 ability of the Arcane Bloodline, Arcane Apothesis allows you to spend 3 spell levels in order to fuel one charge, for instance in a staff.

Now Staff of the Master allows you to use Metamagic feats you possess by spending charges equal to the level of the feat you are trying to use.

So would this allow a high level Sorcerer with the Arcane Bloodline to fuel their metamagic feats by burning low level spell slots? So for instance the sorcerer would be able to Quicken a level 9 spell by burning 12 spell levels in any combination (such as using 3 level 4 spells)?

My best one was probably the Greedy but Lazy Dragon.

Basically a Red Dragon had gotten quite fat and lazy in my campaign. Fighting against adventurers was a bother, yet he enjoyed getting gold.

So he came up with this amazing plan (at least he thought so). He would find rich adventuring parties, disguise self as a rust dragon and then drop down within breathing range.

So suddenly the PCs are facing this reddish dragon and the groups wizard can recognize it as a Rust Dragon. He goes all "OH CRAP!" and warns the others about the breath being able to destroy their metal items.

"Give me 5000 gold coins and I shall let you pass. Otherwise I will breathe on you!"

Considering that the party had metal items worth a tens of thousands, they chose had a short discussion, ending up with them paying, rather than risk losing their metal items... So it was one happy dragon leaving them behind. :)

Generally Disguise Self is an amazing spell. Attacking the Green Dragon, having loaded up on Acid Resistances and Immunities, only to find that it is actually a disguised self Dragon of another colour, is a classic. :D

Bialaska wrote:

I really don't see the problem with giving up Flurry of Blows with the Master of Many Styles. Panther+Snake+Crane is amazing for getting extra attacks. Even at a low level you can easily have up to 8 or 10 attacks each round provided there are multiple enemies. Dragon and Vital Strike gives you the ability to deal with single targets.

As a GM I used a Master of Many Styles solo against my players last session. One level higher than the group, so he should have been quite easy. Except that he wasn't. He went directly for the poor wizard. Sure it provoked attacks of opportunity from everyone else, but against the high AC due to fighting defensively as crane, having mobility and using the swift ki action to increase AC, they missed on 90% of their rolls. And when they finally did hit, it was deflected by Crane and a counter was delivered. It wasn't until the two handed fighter hit, which was deflected and the Ranger followed up with a critical hit with his battle axe, all in the same round. In the end the party ended up using a LOT of resources against the dervish of destruction that the Master of Many Styles can become, unlike the normal monk, who might have been able to deliver a few attacks (since the wizard always fled out of combat), but wouldn't have the insane mobility and defenses of the MoMS has.

That's awesome! I bet the players were surprised that it was so difficult to take down a monk. I'm definitely liking the style feats; now monks can actually do monk stuff, rather than repetitive punches.

Still, even with the bonus feats, how many styles can a master of Many Forms reasonabley master?

At level 8 he had mastered two styles and just dipped into the third, but this didn't leave much room for other feats.

I'm personally a fan of the Drunken Master of Many Styles, using staggering around using the Panther Style + Snake Style. Add in a Dodge and a Mobility feat on top with sprinkles, just because....

First off you spend your swift action using a drunken ki pool to gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC.

Then you spend your movement action by moving around the enemies, weaving in and out between them in your drunken stupor, opening yourself for their opportunity attacks. It is for this reason you have Mobility, since this adds more AC against these attacks that you provoke (and with the +4 from ki pool, this is a +8 AC!).

Now wait, the enemies want to attack you? Well, due to the full Panther tree, you can retaliate before the enemies get their attack and you can deliver your wisdom modifier number of such attacks as free actions. Also note that these attacks are not attacks of opportunity. Now if you hit and deal damage, if only a little, the enemy takes a -2 penalty to both to hit and damage, making it even easier to miss you.

And now you add the Snake Style. Snake Style in itself is okay, dealing another type of damage is not bad and allows you more flexibility. Though Snake Fang is the real reason to get this style...

The enemies attack you, but fortunately you're hard to hit. And oh, if they miss? Well, you follow up with one of your attacks of opportunity. Don't use the imm. reaction attack though, you need that swift action next round to spend a ki pool.

After having done your drunken stagger, being too messed up to know what happens around you, but leaving a handful of enemies learning that a drunkard is a dangerous foe, you still have your standard action. Since you can feel the fog of alcohol is starting to leave you, you take another sip of your bottle, regain 1 drunken ki pool and return to your happy world of drunkeness.