Malacki's page

Sounded like a good game in concept. If you put it together let us know.

@ Loup

I understand. You have a couple days to get things sorted out. You need to give Malaki some good competition, don't want him to get the position to easily.

(I love how I'm making my job harder by doing this)

** spoiler omitted **

I actually saw this cheesy little comic called "Pimp my Chariot". One of those ones full of terrible jokes.

I just want to see what happens when the cleric I know brings in his undead dire bear to get pimped out.

With that I went through and read the spoilers and background for his character. :P

I assume we wouldn't be in the same campaign anyway, since we are both applying for the same position. So, no harm of out of character information.

With that said, I'm not making any changes to my character out of fairness.

Loup, best of luck. I think either would be a great character for the campaign.

I don't read anyone's back stories or your spoilers to them. I did read some of what people said they were applying for in the recruitment thread that was not under a spoiler.

I do this because it will help me play out the character not knowing the other PCs, if I am selected. I may go back and read them if not selected.

DM Wofguy,

Please see this complete version of Ilamin Davenish.

He includes a more detailed background and a completed character.

Thank you.

Should the characters be built expecting to travel or adventure? For example, should they have bed rolls, ropes, rations, etc or just what they would be in town with?

He is a worshiper of Achaekek and a member of the organization.

GM Poisonblade,

I noticed that you mentioned that these were short adventures and my concept was really meant to develop around 4th Level.

Do you mind if I change Firetop to a Barbarian and make a few other slight changes. Background will be basically the same but I'd make him quick tempered instead with a focus on the greataxe.

I'll be creating the alias shortly.

Thanks!

Please see Ilamin Davenish, Aasimar Inquisitor of Iomadae:

From your previous posts it seemed as though you did not want all the detail of the character but a more general build. If you need any more specificity on the build or the background for this be a complete submission please let me know.

Thank you.

DM Wofguy,

I've got a couple of other characters submitted for some other campaigns but I'd like to make a submission in this one as well.

I should note that I will be unavailable for about a week in December. If that will not disqualify me and you like the basic idea then let me know and I will try to flesh him out.

Thank you.

I'm sorry I didn't get to be a part of this one but thank you for the opportunity and consideration.

Correction to Last Post: The character's sense motive should be one higher from the betrayed trait.

For future leveling, how many points do scores over 18 cost?

How do you want HPs calculated?

I may add some potions and poisons with the left over funds, if selected and DM approves.

I've been preparing this off and on between other tasks today. I believe everything is accurate but I will certainly clean it up and double check it all if selected. I also need to select languages.

Let me know if you have any suggested changes. I'm open to other races if the Fetchling does not fit.

Malacki wrote:

GM Poisonblade,

I've never played in a Play by Post game and I was thinking about getting involved in one to see how it works but I do have about 15 years table top experience in various platforms, most recently Pathfinder. I will note that I would be unavailable for play for about 1 week in December.

I have not fleshed out the entire character because I did not know if the week in December would disqualify me.

** spoiler omitted **

** spoiler omitted **...

I like it so far, and I want to see more. What is Franklin though? Is he a mouse, a snake, a polymorphed great wyrm gold dragon? You see why I would want to know. IF he is something note worthy you may want to think ranger. Aside from that if he is like a rodent of some type he most certainly is a burrowing animal. I think gnomes have a racial ability or archtype that lets them speak with animals once a day or something. Why waste a feat when you get it for free.

For the holidays I will probably all but shut the game down. People would be allowed to post but not expected.

Put up some more crunch and we will get you on that list.

GM Poisonblade,

As far as Zatqualmie knows Franklin is just a weasel. If he is something more I'll leave that to you.

I considered the feat because I wondered if he wouldn't talk to Franklin more than once a day since they are such good friends but I chose a trait that gave him an extra use instead.

I might add some more gear. I'm not sure where the adventure starts or if we know where we are headed from here but if he has any ideas then he might make additional purchases based on that.

Let me know if you have any additional suggestions or if you see anything missing from this submission.

Thank you.

Submissions so far

Malaki - Red Mantis assassin - interesting, how were you planning to build him?

Nightingale - Bard (arcane duelist?) - your profile seems to be made up of more than one version of the character so im not sure what im looking at

Critzible - I like the concept but I'm not entirely sure that a tengu would fit well in my game

Bumble - blight druid - intriguing, how do you see your character working for a demonlord though?

DM - ARC,

I should mention, I will be unavailable to post for about a week in December. Let me know if this would disqualify me from joining the campaign.

If I am still in the running, do you treat Sawtooth Sabres as finesse weapons? They clearly used to be before the Inner Sea World Guide but the listing in the ISWG did not indicate that anymore.

Here is a post by James Jacobs regarding this:

James Jacobs (Creative Director): "If you like how sawtooth sabres used to work—that the exotic weapon proficiency allows you to treat it as a light weapon... do it. Trust me, it won't hurt your game."

Build wise, I'm looking at a Fighter 1/Ninja 4/Red Mantis Assassin 1.

I'll build the character out once I know about the finesse issue. Either way is fine with me, I just want to make sure I build it correctly.

Thanks.

GM Poisonblade,

I've never played in a Play by Post game and I was thinking about getting involved in one to see how it works but I do have about 15 years table top experience in various platforms, most recently Pathfinder. I will note that I would be unavailable for play for about 1 week in December.

I have not fleshed out the entire character because I did not know if the week in December would disqualify me.

If the week in December would not be an issue and you like the idea behind the character let me know and I will hammer out the rest.

Thanks.

EDITED BUILD CONCEPT.

I am new to the play by post system and I am interested in trying it out. I am not sure of the time commitment required but I will do my best to follow any posting requirements. In fairness, I should note to the DM that I will be unavailable for about a week in December.

I was thinking of a few different build ideas:

1) A Fighter/Cleric of Urgathoa heading toward the Holy Vindicator PrC
2) A Fighter/Oracle of Bones (No focus on undead armies)
3) A Oracle of Bones

Conceptually, the character would be worshiper of Urgathoa, since this appears to be a good tie in to where someone else left off, both in game and out of game.

I don't know the details of the campaign, beyond what is written above. Intentionally, I have not read what has already taken place in the campaign.

My initial idea would be that this character comes from the same cult or church as the previous player and is involved for a reason that the cult has directed. Perhaps for a particular artifact that the group is expected to locate or access to the ultimate end goal.

If this is something you would be interested in then let me know and I'd be happy to flesh it out further.

DM - Arc,

I'm interested in joining your campaign with a Red Mantis Assassin Character. I have not read through the other responses to your posts because I was not sure what was intended to be read by other players. I thought it might add a bit of the unknown if my character was joining the party late.

1 Where are you infamous?
Never by name but in the Stolen Lands between Pitax and Restov.

2 What made you infamous?
Cutting his teeth by killing upstarts at the expense of each other.

3 Who has suffered for your success?
Many upstarts who each thought they could rule the stolen lands. Little did they realize that their subordinates and others in the area had the same goals as well as the funds to keep eliminating each other.

4 What caused your downfall?
He was sent to the stolen lands in an effort to be stationed where he could gain no prestige within the organization because of his different way of thinking. He started spreading the word that the stolen lands could be easily taken over. He turned this in to a plan to create a reason to be hired for kills and making a name for himself. Eventually, those who sent him to this place to be ignored were irritated by the prestige he was receiving. Ultimately, they betrayed him and poisoned this rising star in the organization.

This is his impression anyway, it may have been because of his divergence from the fundamentals of the Red Mantis Assassins. Despite their rules he was willing to commit acts of thievery and espionage in addition to his worship of he who walks in blood.

Question 5: What do you as a player bring to this digital table?
I've never played a digital game before but I hope to bring my table top experience and carry it over to the digital world and see how it plays it out. I enjoy character building, character development, and inter party role playing and hope to carry this over as well. In all fairness, I will mention that I am not sure what the time commitment will be for this or how the rules fully work and differ from table top but I look forward to trying to make it work.

Question 6: Where do you see your character fitting into the grand scheme of things? (classic party roll as well as ambitions and such)
He fills the role of an information gatherer, scout, and silent killer. His ambitions and goals are to pick up where he left off. He wishes to seek vengeance upon those who betrayed him and build a better Red Mantis organization, one that not only focuses on assassination but also on other forms of espionage.

Question 7: How would your character deal with this situation?
A member of a powerful thieves guild is in possession of something you need and you only have two days to acquire it before he/she leaves the city and you lose your opportunity. How do would you find them and get it from them?

If you need any more or other details just let me know.

Alternatively, you could pick the Envenomed bloodline that let you do this from level 3.

(or at least steal the rules from there, as inspiration for how to handle it)

I missed the envenomed alternate bloodline. I think if there is a particular power that lets you do it then you probably shouldn't be able to do it without that power.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Now I imagine a serpentine sorcerer turning angrily on his friends, shouting "I will NOT let you milk me!" :p

That was how the conversation started... "How much would you charge me to let me milk you?"

"Depending on what kind of milking you are doing I may need to pay you."

"Milking your poison from your fangs ..."

"Oh..."

We had a question come up in our game about bottling the poison from the fangs of the Serpentine Bloodline Sorcerer and then applying it to weapons.

Seems like a slippery slope but I was wondering if there were any rules for taking the poison out of something poisonous and applying it to weapons.

The discussions that came up included:
1) Making the poison only potent the day it was produced
2) Requiring someone with craft(alchemy) to process it to an injury poison
3) Just saying it doesn't work like that

Any thoughts or official rulings?

What I have done is taken my Sorcerer, who focuses on fire spells (Red Dragon Bloodline), and worked the WoP in as a role playing aspect that he has more control over fire spells than normal spells. At 1st level he took the Experimental Wordcaster (Learning the 1st level fire word), then at 7th he is going to take it again (Learning the 3rd level fire word plus the 3rd level armor word).

The versatility on being able to make lines of fire, cones, bursts, and rays as needed has been great. The limited use of the boost metaword hurts a little but overall it is useful to be able to deal damage at whatever angle the character needs shape wise.

Seems like this thread should be in Advice, General or possibly Rules, but certainly not Suggestions/House Rules/Homebrew.

This was meant to be in "General." Apparently my first attempt at starting a thread on the message boards has failed horribly. Is there a way I can move it?

Malacki wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

Looks like you missed the last sentence of the Boost text under Selected. The above wordspell takes up a level 6 slot, and has a DC of 1 lower than a normal Hold Person, Mass.

Ultimate Magic, p166 wrote:

Level 0

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
A wordspell with this target word affects a single target
within range. If the wordspell deals energy damage, this
word creates a ray that requires a ranged touch attack to
hit, or it can be used as a melee touch attack with no range
(decided by the wordcaster when the wordspell is cast). If
it is used as a melee touch attack and the attack misses,
the wordcaster can hold the charge and try again with
subsequent attacks.
Boost: Instead

...

You are correct, sir.

This is part of why I wanted to start this thread. I skimmed through a little too quickly.

It appears that they all say raise the level of this effect word, except that one, which says "all of the effect words."

I suppose the rest should say "this target word" unless they are meant to raise the level of the effect words when boosting the target words.

I wanted to start a thread that people could build spells using the words of power system and share them. I figured we could use this thread to explore the system and have others check our work. I didn't see one that had already been started.

In my initial read through the system it seems like I could create the equivalent of Mass Hold Person as a 3rd level wordspell:

Target Word: Boosted Selected (Level 3)
Meta Word: Boost applied to Selected
Effect Word: Paralyze Humanoid (Binding) - Sorcerer/Wizard 3

School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting];
Level sorcerer/wizard 3
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one humanoid creature per level, all within 30 ft
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

The wordspell affects up to one target per caster level, no two of which can be more than 30 feet apart. The targets of a wordspell with this effect word are paralyzed and cannot move. They are aware and can breathe normally, but cannot take any actions. At the end of each of the creatures' turns, they can attempt a new saving throw to end the effect. Flying creatures that rely on wings to fly fall, and swimmers cannot swim and may drown. Wordspells with this effect word only affect creatures of the humanoid type.

You may be correct in it being an exception if so the wording should be a bit clearer to indicate that even though you're Boosting the Selected target word that the Boost affects the Effect words. Also Enhance Body is rounds not levels, but I'm used to seeing those spells kicked off right before or in the 1st round of combat so lasting rounds isn't that bad a deal.

I thought about it after my post. What you are probably trading off for minutes to levels is a single spell that can increase any chosen physical ability score not some major upgrade to mass.

If we read it that way, which to be honest I hadn't, then it makes boosting a lot more usable as you're no longer kicking out higher level slots to get the same effects as often. And you may be correct in that interpretation as I just noticed on my 4th read through that the example of Burst Fire Blast, don't laugh it's real, it says that if boosted it more closely resembles fireball. It does not mention it using a higher level slot than 3. I am inclined to say good eye sir, though I agree the wording on things is a bit complicated.

The flipside is it means that you can kick out a Boosted Selected Enhance Body with a 3rd level slot (5th level for prep casters 6th for spont). Which is typically the area of 6th level spells Mass Bull's Str and such, which you see around the 11th level prep and 12th level spont. That's a very sizeable increase. This is of course if we interpret that boosting a Target word only affects the Target word's level.

If Enhance Body has not changed from the playtest then it is rounds per level versus minutes per level for Bull's Strength. That might be a balancing factor. I will note that I haven't read the new rules so I won't chime in too much.

There's not one in the sidebar in the Words of Power chapter. However, it is not a difficult thing to just put in a feat that does just that. The way I've discussed it with my table is that the Experimental Caster feat, letting regular casters break into word casting, also allows that caster when they gain new spells to choose between a word or a complete spell. We're also putting in a feat that's just the reverse all it does is let a Word Caster learn some more "precise/refined" magical formula. We felt this would give it the greatest amount of flexibility and entertainment. Keep in mind that's just for our table, but I do not personally see how it could hurt to let a word caster learn a few regular spells with a similar feat to Experimental Caster.

In keeping with the discussion if people have interesting combinations once we're past the 18th I don't see why people don't share a few Word spell ideas here. I think that'll help us all reach a deeper understanding of the system and for those who may suffer from overload in regards to build-a-spell can have a little reference to see if A) they're doing it right and B) potentially steal/borrow/draw inspiration from the creations of others.

Robert, thanks for the response.

I was thinking the same thing. Once I got the book I was going to start a thread to suggest spells that could be made for the same purposes. I look forward to it.

For me, this thread has just turned more to a general discussion of the system. I am looking forward to getting my copy on the 18th when I can order the PDF.

Can anyone tell me if they kept the Versatile Wordcaster feat or some equivalent version of it? Some of what I read on the forums seems to suggest there is a feat for Spell Casters to use Words but not for Word Casters to use Spells. Is this correct?

Quote:

Small Line (Level 1) and Burning Flash (Level 1) would require a 2nd level spell slot to cast?

Nope, seems more complicated than this. If R.J made no mistake, it looks like a spell slot allows for precise combinations not totally depending from the equation spell level A + spell level B = spell level A+B.

->

Robert Jordan wrote:

For example a 5th level slot can use 1 5th level word, or a 3/3 4/2 combo so two 3rd levels or a 4th and 2nd, or it could use three 2nd level words 2/2/2 or a 3/1/1 split

He mentioned 1 5th level word being a 5th level slot and he did not mention any combos with 4 words.

I wonder if the Target Words do not enter the calculation.

Also, did they keep the Versatile Word Caster feat? I used that to fill some gaps in my character.

Just so I understand.

There are no more points. Every Target Word, Effect Word, and Meta Word still have a level value and you just add all their level values up to determine the level of the slot used?

Example:

Small Line (Level 1) and Burning Flash (Level 1) would require a 2nd level spell slot to cast?

Does that mean that the only spells that can be cast at 1st level are rays or touch spells?

Malacki wrote:

Rogue Eidolon wrote:

Malacki wrote:

Do they still have the Word Burning Feat or is that obsolete given the lack of points?

It no longer exists. The replacement for "a few spells per day that are more powerful than the rest" is done with meta words, which often don't cost you anything other than the fact that you can use few meta words per day (half your level, but +3 with a feat that I think most every wordcaster will take).

Can you give me the prereqs and name of the feat?

The Sorcerer that I am running under the playtest will likely be turning 5th Level before I can get the PDF. I want to see if I should leave that slot open or if I should consider something else.

Thanks.

It's immediately takeable. Here--it's pretty simple, and any paraphrase would just give it away anyway. See below:

** spoiler omitted **

Thank you. Anything else you feel like sharing about the change in the system? I am eager looking forward to seeing how this fleshed out.

Malacki wrote:

Do they still have the Word Burning Feat or is that obsolete given the lack of points?

It no longer exists. The replacement for "a few spells per day that are more powerful than the rest" is done with meta words, which often don't cost you anything other than the fact that you can use few meta words per day (half your level, but +3 with a feat that I think most every wordcaster will take).

Can you give me the prereqs and name of the feat?

The Sorcerer that I am running under the playtest will likely be turning 5th Level before I can get the PDF. I want to see if I should leave that slot open or if I should consider something else.

Thanks.

Do they still have the Word Burning Feat or is that obsolete given the lack of points?

I'm a little sad to hear that the system is disappointing. I've been playing my sorcerer from the play test for the past couple of months while waiting for this (Level 4 Red Dragon Bloodline).

Can you tell me how it is different from the play test? I felt like the play test gave sorcerers far more versatility as compared to prepared casters.

Can you tell us how words of power compares to the play test?

Malacki wrote:

I want to start out by thanking everyone who has posted answers to questions thus far (especially Dark Mistress).

I'm looking forward to downloading my copy of the PDF on May 18th but I am playing in a game this Saturday where I am playing a 4th level Red Dragon Bloodline Sorcerer using the Words of Power system from the playtest.

1) I was wondering if anyone could tell me if there have been any major changes to the system since the playtest?
2) Overall do the words cover the same broad spectrum of normal spell casting?
3) Any equivalent spells to vanish or shield?
4) Any meta words to extend duration of spells?
5) Any changes to the word burning feat?
6) How did they resolve the conflict in rules from the playtest as to how the duration of multiple effects are tracked?
7) Did they make it so Detect Magic can now be used as a 0-level instead of 1st level spell?

Thanks for any answers anyone feels like giving...

I haven't even looked at that section yet and I just woke up. :) I figure 5 hours is plenty of sleep.

Thanks DM. Whenever you get to that section any insight would be appreciated. I'm more curious if any of the words my PC is using have changed but I think it would be a bit much to ask you to compare the playtest version of the Words with the current version.

If I remember correctly the 5th book in Council of Thieves had a larger combat that it awarded points for the party defeating certain groups. It also awarded points for having allies assist you. I think it awarded points for achieving some tactical advantages as well.

There was a total point number you had to achieve to win the battles and have the remaining enemies flee. You could work out a system like that.

I want to start out by thanking everyone who has posted answers to questions thus far (especially Dark Mistress).

I'm looking forward to downloading my copy of the PDF on May 18th but I am playing in a game this Saturday where I am playing a 4th level Red Dragon Bloodline Sorcerer using the Words of Power system from the playtest.

1) I was wondering if anyone could tell me if there have been any major changes to the system since the playtest?
2) Overall do the words cover the same broad spectrum of normal spell casting?
3) Any equivalent spells to vanish or shield?
4) Any meta words to extend duration of spells?
5) Any changes to the word burning feat?
6) How did they resolve the conflict in rules from the playtest as to how the duration of multiple effects are tracked?
7) Did they make it so Detect Magic can now be used as a 0-level instead of 1st level spell?

Thanks for any answers anyone feels like giving...