Charles.Ulveling's page

While I don't let alignment constrict the way my PC's act, I do feel it is a waste in that so many rules are governed by alignment. Magic weapons and items which can only be used by such and such, spells which are evil and can't/shouldn't be cast by "good" PC's. These all seem so hokey to me. I also have just dropped alignment. As far as detect spells, see a couple posts up. I do almost the same thing. It just seems like something that needs a complete overhaul, or it needs to be removed.

Charles.Ulveling wrote:

Necromancer wrote:

The only time I use alignment is when my players want a villianous campaign (not evil PCs, but actual villains) or a goodly, bathed-in-light campaign (rare). Most of the time I aschew alignment in favor of either a virtue/vice system or a taint variant (two flavors of taint).

I prefer the WoD approach to roleplay, but I hate the game mechanics.

I'm curious: could you elaborate on some of these variant systems you use/have used?

Which one? Virtue/Vice or the modified taint system?

Both? But if I have to choose, make it the modified taint system.

The only time I use alignment is when my players want a villianous campaign (not evil PCs, but actual villains) or a goodly, bathed-in-light campaign (rare). Most of the time I aschew alignment in favor of either a virtue/vice system or a taint variant (two flavors of taint).

I prefer the WoD approach to roleplay, but I hate the game mechanics.

I'm curious: could you elaborate on some of these variant systems you use/have used?

Anyone else feel the alignment system as it stands is almost a complete waste? I've recently (within the past year) started playing in some nWoD games and the Morality/Humanity/What-Have-You systems are so good. The alignment system is.... not. How do you really play a NG character? It either comes out as being LG or CE most of the time. I think some serious changes to the alignment system are in order. Or am I totally off the reservation with this one? I mean, the Morality system just brings in more deep and meaningful RP'ing. It's what the system was designed to do.

Edit: This is not meant to start a flamewar. I am simply disappointed with the alignment system and would like some other opinions as to why or why not the alignment system works for you.

rofl at GCG

I can appreciate the inquiry, but if I asked my DM for Carrion Crown if I could chunk 2d6+Int modifier at 1st level and 3d6+Int mod at 2nd level (for gnome alchemist) I think I would have the table turned over on my head. Just saying.

Also, I realize text trumps tables, but if you look in the table it says bomb 1d6, bomb 2d6, etc. If you look under the rogue it says sneak attack +1d6, sneak attack +2d6, etc. /salute!

Yes! Perfectly stated. Simple yet concise.

/salute

A righteous assassin.

He feels guilt every time he squeezes the life out of a person's body,slices their throats with his poisoned blade...

but,still,he knows that the lives of his clan are more important to him than his targets.If he does not complete the assassinations to perfection,The Silent One won't just kill them.....he will reanimate them every day,then kill them again.

He has vowed one day to stop all the evils in the world.....but first,the Silent One must die.

I love it! What a great motivation to perform your gruesome task to perfection! Did you or your DM install any type of homebrew mechanic which shows how difficult this must have been for the PC? Insanity points, maybe?

arent paladins supposed to be immune to fear ? ;)

This is what I mean. There are certain preconceptions, whether be it race or class, that everyone falls into. Yes, Paladins are immune to fear, but Shiloh is only afraid of water. Certainly not game-breaking, and I know you didn't mean this. Just something different and unexpected.

Charles.Ulveling wrote:

voska66 wrote:

If it only does 1D6 as per the chart at 1st level then does that mean you can't critical with bomb ever but you can with Alchemist fire? That's seems kind of odd to me.

I think what they mean here is that the initial or base damage of 1d6+Int can be treated as a critical just like everything else, but the extra d6's you gain from levels in the class don't. Like sneak attack, if you're using a short sword, that 1d6+Str would apply to crits, but the +2d6 or however much wouldn't.

But the argument is there is no base damage. It's just bomb bonus damage which says it can't apply to a critical or vital strike.

I think the term "base damage" is a little misleading. From the way I interpret it, the "base damage" can be multiplied like a normal weapon or what have you. The incremental damage bonuses from levels gained do not count as multiplied by crits. Just as a rogue's rapier would have its damage multiplied, but not the crit damage. The argument is still whether or not the "base damage" is 1d6 or 2d6.

Bill McGrath wrote:

It does increase at level 1, from 0d6 to 1d6. Previously the character had no bomb damage, now he has 1d6 bomb damage. That's an increase of 1d6. Simples.

Technically it's already a 1D6, anyone can toss Alchemist fire for 1D6 plus splash, the alchemist just does it better. Just saying....

The main difference is the Alchemist doesn't have to pay gold for his bombs whereas a PC wielding a flask of Alchemist's Fire would have to either purchase or find the weapon. That's what makes it better. Well, that and the +1d6/odd level increase to damage.

So, let's hear some interesting character concepts that go against convention. I'll start off.

I played a human Paladin named Shiloh Moonshade. After accidentally drowning his sister and carrying her dead, waterlogged body back home from the lake 3 miles away, his parents blamed him for her death. Not being able to cope with the guilt, Shiloh left his small home and immersed himself in religion, deciding to try and do as much good as he can to cleanse the wrong he'd done.

However, this guilt was further magnified by the severe night terrors he had, of a seaweed covered girl crawling out of the lake and pointing an accusatory finger at the "righteous" man. 'Why did you let me die? she would cry out.

He awakes every night soaked in sweat, his heart racing. Never again has he been able to go near a body of water larger than a tub.

Hence, a Paladin with a phobia of water.

What are some of your interesting twists on classic race/class issues?

If it only does 1D6 as per the chart at 1st level then does that mean you can't critical with bomb ever but you can with Alchemist fire? That's seems kind of odd to me.

I think what they mean here is that the initial or base damage of 1d6+Int can be treated as a critical just like everything else, but the extra d6's you gain from levels in the class don't. Like sneak attack, if you're using a short sword, that 1d6+Str would apply to crits, but the +2d6 or however much wouldn't.

Look, the real game-ender here is the word "increase." You can't "increase" an ability you receive at 1st level. Regardless of discrepancies between chart and text, every single person who has a functioning brain and has played more than 20 seconds of D&D before knows the Alchemist would be throwing 1d6 bombs at level 1, with the damage increasing by +1d6 at every odd-numbered level after 1. It doesn't need to be written in. You just have to not be cheating, because that's what you're doing.

Also, in regards to the sneak attack post, you (OP) stated that the rogue's base sword damage is 1d6. This couldn't be more wrong. What about daggers? What about a longsword? The base "Rogue" damage, if you want to term it such, would be x. Just a variable. Then, the attacks would present like this:

Rogue Attack: 1x + Str/Dex + (Sneak Attack Damage)

Tiefling all the way. Not because of the stats, but because of the social stigma that goes with it. Yeah, there is an evil outsider in my bloodline, are you going to take the chance that I'm following in his foot steps?

I also love the Tiefling. If I'm not playing an elf, it's definitely a tiefling. Their muddled motivations can cause some really good group tension (not the end-of-the-world kind, mind you).

This is kind of a riff on the thread "Favorite Class." I was thinking about which class I most often play and realized that, while my "preferred class" tends to include a couple of choices, I almost always, without exception, play as an elf. I don't really know why. I think it's because of the alien-ness of them. They seem the most removed from standard society to me (barring the truly removed such as illithids and such). So, post your favorite race and why.