Sleep mentions it specifically b/c for sleep it's an automatic success, which isn't how Aid Another normally works.
With any spell that doesn't specify how it works DIFFERENTLY, one must assume that it works NORMALLY.
and as for how is the wizard supposed to help? Have you never seen a movie / read a book where somebody's trying to fight off some form of mind control, and their friend is trying to talk them through it?
"This isn't you, get ahold of yourself. Remember the yellow crayon?" etc.
Granted that example is for charms/compulsions, but Hold isn't much different.
"OK listen to me, .. clear your mind, imagine the magic as a wall around your mind, focus your will like a sword.. you're good with swords remember? Now smash that wall!"
That doesn't work actually. Ray of Enfeeblement doesn't deal strength damage, it applies a penalty. There is no mechanism for it to cause a bigger penalty on a critical hit.
Since when can you not crit on rays?
You can only crit with something that deals damage. Ray of enfeeblement, as stated, is a debuff, so whether it's a ray/touch/whatever, you can't crit.
So I have to ask, are you wanting to actually make the role for roleplaying or personal reasons? Or is the end goal just to get the box marked off on the faction card?
As I mentioned before, you can spend 1 prestige point (equivalent to approximately 150-375 gold worth of value) to automatically complete any one faction goal (check one box) for the scenario. To me that seems much cheaper and more efficient than jumping through all of these hoops. If it's a pride thing or just a desire to actually complete the check instead of an auto success, then I think there are lots of good suggestions here.
I'll track down the text for the rule to spend prestige in a few minutes when I'm back at my computer.
It's from the faction journal cards season 8 sheet:
Some faction goals require a successful skill check commonly associated with that faction; however, every faction agent has a different skill set, and not all agents can accomplish those tasks unaided. In place of attempting a goal’s skill check, you can instead spend 1 Prestige Point to succeed through other channels (2 Prestige Points if the DC is 20 plus your character level or higher)
And thank you for mentioning that, I actually hadn't even heard of it until you mentioned it and i went looking.
Yeah, at strength 7 your encumbrance is so low that wearing a masterwork backpack costs your 4 lbs to gain 3.
Well to be fair, that's not just a problem at str 7.
8-9 only gains 4 pounds so breaks even.
9-10 is 3 again, so it's a downgrade there too
10-11 and 11-12 are only +5 pounds each, so minimal gain.
it's not till str 13 that light load carrying starts to increase by 7+ pounds per tick.
In short, MW backpack isn't actually worth it unless your str is already 12+
--
Sorry that was a bit off topic from OP, so to answer the OP:
We try to enforce it as much as possible around here, and even players will remind other players of things. Occasionally a player will obfuscate a bit.. not outright cheat, but just not bother adding their total b/c they "might" be close, and then they can just say they don't know.
Personally I always know my weight for several reasons, and I have played sessions with Medium or even Heavy Encumberance penalties.
A bit more expensive but useful for any number of things:
Four-leaf clover, Occult Adventures, 3750gp
3/day before rolling add +2 Luck bonus to ability check/saving throw/skill check
I would also second the Cracked Magenta Prism over the mulberry pentacle. Costs an extra 400 but the versatility is worth it. Though one thing to keep in mind with the "Change skills 1/day" is that they can be changed "At a time unique to each stone, typically sunrise or sunset". It's not a "1/day change the bonus when you need it", you have to plan ahead.
Also of Note: The Hiring services are cheaper than the scrolls/potions, and since Slavery is technically legal in Absalom, you can attempt that check in Absalom itself, meaning you have essentially full access to buffs beforehand. This is the good news.
The bad news is that You'd have to talk to the specific GM about which ones are viable, for various reasons, and I don't think most of those suggested are.
First off, keep in mind that you have to get the buffs (Hopefully all from the same guy or a group that's willing to stand together and cast at the same time so there's no travel time between), then get to where you're going, then find and gather a crowd of at least 20 who're willing to listen, then give a speech!
Personally as a GM myself, I would only allow any purchased buff with a duration of 10 or more minutes to be usable that way.
Even if you can convince the casters to come with you and cast right before you head up, I still would think the spell would need to last a couple minutes for a proper speech.
so lets look at the buffs:
Enhanced Diplomacy - 1 minute
Borrow Skill - 1 round! Besides that, it doesn't work b/c it transfers the skill TO THE CASTER, not to another target, so you can't hire someone to use it on you.
Telempathic Projection - 1 minute and doesn't give you a buff, it is a SINGLE TARGET spell, and if they fail a saving throw you get a bonus to checks against that target. This goal specifically requires making the check against a crowd of at least 20, so... Good luck getting 20+ people to stand there and let your army of hired mages cast spells on them before you give your speech...
Adoration - 1 minute
Shroud of Innocuity - 1 hour ! Finally we've got one!
Eagle's Splendor - 1 minute
So the only one for sure that would work is Shroud of innocuity.
If you've got an exceptionally friendly GM who's going to allow you to get from the caster to the speech (Or bring the caster to the speech), AND make the speech in under 1 minute, you could add Enhanced Diplomacy, Adoration, and Eagle's Splendor, but I wouldn't count on it.
Borrow Skill and Telempathic Projection won't be useful for this purpose at all.
So to your conundrum, for the examples from what's been put forward so far:
WORKS FOR EITHER:
Four-leaf Clover: +2, 3750gp
Cracked Magenta Prism: +2, 800gp
My personal Suggestion would be to go the perform route, buy the 140gp worth of perform items, spend the 800 on the cracked magenta prism, and end up with a +8 total bonus (+9 from items, -1 from your charisma). At that point, you have an even 50% chance, 75% if you use your reroll, and that's not counting allies assistance, such as aid another or bardic music.
Total cost 940gp, and most of that is from an item that you can also use to buff your day job checks AND whatever skill you think you may need during play.
I would suggest not allowing withstand damage, it essentially just makes toughness shifting even better because you can do it more than regular tradeoffs allow and choose how much each round.
Toughness shifting is already better than defense in all but a few uncommon and specific instances, and withstand damage just makes it easier to do and partially negates those few situations where defense matters, bc you can shift back.
If its allowed i would suggest all players get it, its more useful than any other single point power except luck.
Re : pictures vs art - I've always found myself picturing good characters by what actor/actress i imagine portraying them in a movie more than how they would look in a cartoon. Plus if you aren't an artist yourself its very difficult to get art that looks right unless you based your character off the art in the first place.
Re: experience - ive been playing fervently at the roninarmy boards since they went up, and for several years vefore that on atomic think tank.
ive GMd well over a dozen pbp m&m games and played in several dozen more.
before that i was an avid poster at ENWorld for over a decade, participating in well over a hundred d&d and several more m&m games since ~2000.
I also have been playing pfs, dnd, m&m, and occasional other rpgs on a weekly basis for the better part of the last two decades.
Re: character roll: Power gamer is a tactician & combat specialist. Basically captain America with energy cannon/sword instead of shield.
the character has morph to switch appearances between the two and has both personalities inside but the dominant one corresponds to the current appearance.
Well, Freedom City, much like the the Kirkman universe of Invincible, draws from the mainstream images and icons created by both DC & Marvel.
Now, I am the first to admit that I do enjoy Captain Marvel, primarily because he is one of the more consistently heroic superheroes, and has yet to be significantly damaged or tarnished by being drawn into gritty re-boot like some of the other iconic heroes.
My idea certainly pays homage to that archetype, with his backstory likely to involve an orphan from the Terminus Invasion being rescued and brought to Mt. Olympus, a mythical place rather than a geographic location, and essentially raised by the gods to represent them as an archetypical demi-god, or classical hero.
At least that's the concept at this point. I expect a fair amount of good natured ribbing, but I can take it. Also, that image is just too cool to pass up! :)
Just for the record, it wasn't criticism.
BTW, Does anybody want to start building some possible character connections?
Saves: 21pp
Toughness +4-8 (1 con + 3 defensive roll *+ equipment*), Fort +8 (7 base +1 con), Reflex +8 (6 base + 2 dex), Will +8 (8 base)
Skills: (64 ranks=16pp)
Acrobatics(+6/4), Bluff(+10/8), Computers(+5/3), Diplomacy(+8/7), Escape Artist(+5/3), Gather Information(+5/4), Knowledge: Math(+8/6), Notice(+10/10), Search(+5/3), Sense Motive(+6/6), Sleight of Hand(+6/4), Stealth(+8/6)
*Stealth +12 in Spy Suit.
*Bluff +14 in Evening Wear
Feats: 36pp
Accurate Attack, All Out Attack, Attractive, Assessment, Benefit (Wealth), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 3, Dodge Focus 10, Equipment 2, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative, Interpose, Leadership, Luck 5, Power Attack, Quick Change 2, Set-up, Uncanny Dodge
Powers: 66pp
Morph 1 (Brother/Sister): 1pp
Feature: Where did that come from? (Can carry gear around in an 'extradimensional space'.. how improbable!): 1pp
Complications:
Motivation: Doing Good
Motivation: Amends - The Twins feel like they have to atone for their family's misdeeds.
Wanna Bet: The Fortunes have a weakness for gambles/bets.
Enemies: The Fortuna Family and their allies
Alright, decided on a character. I'll be playing a luck/probability controller who's actually two people in one body.
here's the background. Will have stats up shortly.
Felicia and Felix Fortuna, AKA Fortune - PL 9 (150pp)
Background:
A scientifically inclined individual might say that the Fortuna family was blessed with a combination of luck and foresight, an ability to alter probabilities on a quantum level.. but for centuries the Fortunas have known their gift as "Chaos Magic". The Fortunas have spent generation after generation subtly (And sometimes not so subtly) using their powers to amass vast amounts of wealth and influence throughout their extended family.
When the twins Felix and Felicia were born in the early 80's, they had every luxury available to them as the heirs to the estate, but as they grew up they realized that they were more sympathetic than the rest of their family.
The Family was content to let them 'act out' during their teen years, expecting them to get over their good samaritan phases as they matured, but it never happened, and the twins continued to use their abilities to help rather than manipulate and control.
Eventually, the twins good natured heroism collided harshly with the family's plans, and one of their Uncles ended up in Jail. After this, they became persona non grata in their own homes, and over the next few years waged a covert war on their family, continuously and valiantly - but unsuccessfully - attempting to expose the Fortunas for what they truley were.
Finally, everything came to a head as it often does in a climactic battle with their Father, Grandmother, Aunt. Outnumbered and Outgunned by the far more experienced trio, the Twins would surely have been done for if not for the intervention of their Great Grandfather. Though he had long felt as the twins did, he had never had the courage to stand up to the family until inspired by them, and on the fateful day, he came to their rescue.
By the time the smoke had cleared, Great Grandfather lay dieing, Aunt and Grandmother had been transformed into harmless critters, and Father was unconscious. The twins had not escaped unscathed themselves, however. During the struggle they had been caught in a blast of chaos magic that left them both crippled and dieing. Great Grandfather told them how proud he was, and that they could continue helping people, but only together forever, then used his last breath to push the two of them into one body, using each others life essence to restore them to whole before he finally succumbed to his own wounds.
After the battle, the Twins took the combined super-name of "Fortune" as their father was imprisoned, and set about the task of figuring out how to live their lives as a dual entity.
I plan on submitting as well. At work now but thinking on which concept.
Im leaning towards an old hero with TK. He was an archeologist during ww2 when he hot his powers, (including longevity) and was active for decades before retiring. Now something brings him back into the game.
DC Adventures is essentially a reskin /subset of M&M 3E. Comparing it to 2e can be problematic b/c there's a lot of stuff that's similar, but a lot of stuff that's different.
Kinda like D&D 3.0 > 3.5 > Pathfinder.
The biggest difference is that 2e used D&D stats (str/dex/con/int/wis/cha), wheras DCA and 3e use a new but similar stat setup of Str/Sta/Dex/Agi/Fgt/Int/Awe/Pre
Honestly, M&M 2e is about halfway between D&D/Pathfinder and DCA/M&M 3e.
While I think 3e is more balanced and streamlined, I wouldn't mind some old 2e action.
Followed your link from the Ronin Army Forum. BTW, if Anybody here is interested in more M&M, it's pretty much all we do over there. Not trying to poach players from this, just putting the word out.
I used to spend all my time on ENWorld playing D&D, but then when I started M&M over the course of about a year I slowly migrated to the point where aside from PFS all I play now is M&M over there.
Anyways, as I said, I'd be down for this.
One point, btw: I've no problem with you running things through Hero Labs, but it is known to make some weird decisions and errors, so if it says something different from what somebody has listed, you may want to double check personally.
EDIT: Also, if anybody needs help with character creation, I've literally made hundreds of characters as both GM and Player, so I'd be willing to help.
Pathfinder Society GM. 21 posts (22 including aliases). No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 6 Organized Play characters. 