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No posts. Organized Play character for Cameron Simons.



Grand Lodge

Currently my party is in Book 3 of Jade Regent. They have beaten the enemies of the tower, and are now rushing to Dead Man's Dome in order to defend against an undead onslaught. We aren't using the caravan rules, and I thought, instead of a quick fight, let's have this be a large, multiple(2) day battle. Plenty of undead to throw at them. The thing is, I haven't fully thought out all of the enemies, and I really need help with balance.

One more thing: Tunuak is still alive, and will participate in this fight. One of the players would also like to have a new character( a samurai), so I figured have Tunuak kill his character, and have the Dead Man that guards the tower arise to kill Tunuak and become the samurai he wants to play.

The caravan will defend half of the hill, using the carvan itself as a makeshift Barricade. The main name NPCs (Koya, Sandru, Shalelu, Ameiko, Ulf, and Spivey) will be there to hold the line. In the meantime, the PCs, with a much weaker set of barricades, will hold the other half. If the going gets rough, I might have the party get hit by a few channels, since there are currently 3 NPC clerics. Current party Composition (all 9th level): Magus, Gunslinger, Bard Archer, Rage Prophet (soon to be samurai).

Day one waves:
Most of these waves will consist of skeletal champions, Hoarfrost spirits, and the occasional frostfallen. I need helping mapping out balanced waves here, and deciding the time between them.
I also want to have a skeletal archer-squad mechanic, but I am struggling with the design. Basically I planned of give them a base low attack/ damage, and each round (during a wave) roll randomly on a d4 to see how many arrows are aimed at each PC. I would design a small portion of them to kill if a PC decides to destroy it, which would alleviate the pressure temporarily. This would consist of a small amount of redesigned skeletal champions, led by a Baykok (bestiary 3)
The final fight of the day will be larger, with a second wave coming shortly after the first. This will be the wave Tunuak appears, kills the Rage Prophet, and is summarily defeated.

Day Two:
The undead horde has lost it's main leader, but still attacks, led by the two undead general Dullahans (Bestiary 2, they know all the PC names but the samurai) and a graveknight
This will start with a morning attack where only one or two of the PCs will be prepared. It will again consist of mostly skeletons and frostfallen/hoarfrost spirits, but will also possibly include a Cold Rider (bestiary 3) refluffed as an undead (or a frostfallen Cold Rider?)

After a few more minor waves, there will be a large event. Breaking through from the other side of the camp is a large force of undead, an already destroyed frostfallen mammoth being what caused the gap in the line, led by the two duhallans. Most of the undead force will be fighting the NPCs, leaving the PCs to deal with the main boss.

After they have fallen, they will be a lull in the battle. The final fight will consist of a few moderately powerful undead, and the graveknight riding a frostfallen.

My questions to you (and please critique this as much as you like):
What creatures from the bestiary should I give the frostfallen template. About how many creatures should be in each wave?
How many fights per day? How far is too far in exhausting the PC resources?
Anything else you might think to add, as I'm a fairly green GM.

Grand Lodge

I'm looking to make an enchanter for PFS and I'd appreciate some build suggestions. I do have te Kitsune boon.

My initial plan is 1 oracle/11sorceror. The oracle level would give me access to Murderous Command, which I find to be one of the best low level compulsions, and the level would also give me charisma to AC and Reflex (presuming I go lore. This, combined with my first feat would allow me to dump dexterity pretty easily). I'd follow it up with Fey sorceror, grabbing hold person, confusion and the like. Favored class points are going into the sorceror +1/4 to enchantment spells.

Feats:
1: Noble Scion- Scion of War (Charisma for initiative not dex) flexible
3: Spell Focus Enchantment
5:Greater Spell Focus Enchantment
7: ?
8: Improved Initiative
9:?
11:?

How should I fill in the other feats. Should I keep Noble Scion? How do you suggest I distribute my stats?

Grand Lodge

Once I get my naga form, do I lose the ability to wild shape into other forms?

I'm not impressed with the form, and would prefer the other shaping. If I can't do regular wild shaping, should I do growth domain? I was planning on Feather domain if I could do regular shaping.

This is for a PFS legal build
For aspirant bond spells, my plan was:
1 shield
2 divine favor
3 mirror image
4 see invisible
5 displacement
6 Mage armor
7 divine power
8 dispel magic

The only feats I have planned are power attack at 3, boon companion at 5, and natural spell at 7

Grand Lodge

This is just an idea I had for a potential switch hitter. Sans the race for simplicity let's keep this PFS legal (and pray Mr. Brock loves me). I was wondering how to make this build better/more fun. Preferably this will start at minimum 5th level (if I were doing this for PFS I'd apply GM credits until then)

Three-Eyes the Goblin Sharpshooter
Musket Master 5/Alchemist until qualifying for Master Chymist X

Str: 10 -2=8
Dex18+4=22 (all level bonuses go here
Con 14
Int 12 (I plan on depending on headband to qualify for higher level alchemy)
Wis 8
Cha 6
Yes the wisdom and charisma are low, but I'm ok with that. I want him to have some serious personality issues (leading to the master Chymist dual-personality). He will be a relatively well read goblin gentleman cowboy. He will have a top hat, monocle, and straw in mouth. At times he will be the southern cowboy gentleman hero type, at others he may go on crazy murderous (within goodish alignment limits) rampages.

1: Goblin feat for Medium sized gun Rapid Reload
2:
3: Deadly Aim
4: Rapid Shot
5: Weapon Finesse
6:
7: Pirahna Strike
8:
9: PBS
10:
11: Precise Shot

I will need an agile AoMF by 7th level.

How should I modify the feats to make them better. What archetypes (Beastmorph, vivisectionist, grenadier) should I add?

Grand Lodge 2/5

Quick easy question. I applied the tiefling boon and used it before it was legal. Now it's fairly moot. Can I take it off and apply it to another character's xenophobia?

Grand Lodge

Helllo. Looking at the whirlwind attack thread in the advice section gave me a few ideas, but I'm not sure if they work.

Both of these questions come from the part in WWA(recreated below for convenience) where it is a full-attack substitution.

Whirlwind Attack:
When you use the full-attack action, you can give up your regular attacks and instead make one melee attack at your highest base attack bonus against each opponent within reach. You must make a separate attack roll against each opponent. When you use the Whirlwind Attack feat, you also forfeit any bonus or extra attacks granted by other feats, spells, or abilities.

First, mobile fighter:

Rapid Attack:
At 11th level, a mobile fighter can combine a full attack action with a single move. He must forgo the attack at his highest bonus but may take the remaining attacks at any point during his movement. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. This ability replaces armor training 3.

Does the rapid attack allow me to move and effectively whirlwind attack? If it forgoes the highest BaB attack, and all the WWA attacks are at highest BaB it forgoes them all? If I do whirlwind, do I just forgo an attack against one enemy? Can I attack everyone within reach as I move?

Second question, Dimensional Dervish:

Dimensional Dervish:
You can take a full-attack action, activating abundant step or casting dimension door as a swift action. If your do, you can teleport up to twice your speed (up to the maximum distance allowed by the spell or ability), dividing this teleportation into increments you use before your first attack, between each attack, and after your last attack. You must teleport at least 5 feet each time you teleport.

Since WWA is a full attack, I assume I can use it with dervish. Does that mean I can teleport into a group of enemies, WWA, then teleport to another group and WWA all in one round? Do I have to leaves one enemy of each group alive to keep the chain going? (AKA, always keeping an unattacked enemy within reach?)

Grand Lodge 2/5

I can't seem to find the old Willful Ignorance thread, and this is slightly different, so here's part 2.

I have a dilemma. In general, I am a rules lawyer. I try to be diplomatic about it. Unless the situation is egregious, I avoid pointing it out immediately, and more say let it fly for now but next time this, or something like that. I tend to try to avoid disrupting the flow of combat, but I must admit I do more than I'd like.

My problem is this: at some tables, I am pretty much told to not be a rules lawyer. So, in those cases, I simply ignore some rules. If an ally charges 60ft and draws a weapon, I ignore it. I notice these subtleties that can, in rare occasions, even possibly change the tide of a fight against us, but since I am discouraged from correcting the rules, I ignore it. I understand most of these are minutiae, but still, it's willfully ignoring the rules. Am I in the wrong?

Charge example used:
CrB P198: " You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward the designated opponent. If you move a distance equal to your speed or less, you can also draw a weapon during a charge attack if your base attack bonus is at least +1" It specifically says your speed or less, not double your speed.

Grand Lodge

We have just finished up book one of the Jade Regent AP. One of our players left early on, so another player took over the ninja. I haven't been too happy with a player playing more than their own character, especially since they are very new to the game. During the last session, the player controlling the ninja and barbarian pulled a last minute cancelation. I'd made some indications that at the end of the book I didn't want to keep the ninja around, but I wasn't clear how. I tried texting the player of my plans, but his phone was off. When the Amatatsu seal was revealed, I had the ninja (who was not temporarily knocked out) flee with the seal. I had ruled that the ninja was a secret undercover agent of the Five Storms oni. They others ended up catching the ninja and killing her after the interrogation.

Now the player is irritated we killed of his other PC, especially while he wasn't there. Did I overstep in modifying the ninja (who didn't really have a backstory at all) and making her a traitor?

Grand Lodge

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I know of few of these threads are already out there, but I'm adding some abilities I haven't already seen, and so I'm wondering what class combinations would be best. (this is for a PFS character)

In addition to the usual Helpful trait halfling

Spoiler:
Whenever you successfully perform an aid another action, you grant your ally a +4 bonus instead of the normal +2.
and Bodyguard feat
Spoiler:
When an adjacent ally is attacked, you may use an attack of opportunity to attempt the aid another action to improve your ally’s AC. You may not use the aid another action to improve your ally’s attack roll with this attack.
I have a few questions.

Will the Shadow Lodge trait Aid Allies

Spoiler:
When using the aid another action, you give your ally a +3 bonus instead of a +2 bonus
stack with helpful for a final +5 bonus?

I will most likely add the trip chain to increase my usefulness, as well as the Flagbearer feat.

Spoiler:
As long as you hold your clan, house, or party’s flag, members of that allegiance within 30 feet who can see the flag (including yourself ) gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws against fear and charm effects. You must hold the flag in one hand in order to grant this bonus. If the standard is taken by the enemy or destroyed, this bonus becomes a penalty, affecting all creatures that the bonus previously affected for 1 hour (or until you reclaim the lost flag).
Should I stick with Lore Warden, or should I add a few levels of MoMS to get Crane Style/Riposte (Wing won't be as useful since a flag in one hand and a weapon in the other won't leave me a hand free, but the two combined will give me a nice reduction of the fighting defensively penalty, as well as a boost to it)

On Crane Style: Crane Style/Riposte will lower the fighting defensively penalty and more importantly increase the AC bonus. I plan to combine this with Cautious Fighter

Spoiler:
When fighting defensively or using total defense, your dodge bonus to AC increases by 2.
and Blundering Defense
Spoiler:
Whenever you fight defensively or use the total defense action, allies gain a luck bonus to AC and CMD equal to 1/2 the dodge bonus you gain from the action you are taking. Allies only gain this bonus while they are adjacent to you.
.

Other things I have been considering is the first two feats of the Whip Mastery chain as well as the feat Butterfly Sting

Spoiler:
When you confirm a critical hit against a creature, you can choose to forgo the effect of the critical hit and grant a critical hit to the next ally who hits the creature with a melee attack before the start of your next turn. Your attack only deals normal damage, and the next ally automatically confirms the hit as a critical.

In the end, my question is this: Am I trying to do too much? How effective will this be? What should I take, and in what order?

EDIT: After consideration, I think Butterfly Sting will be better used with a better crit range weapon dual-wielding kukris to help out a very powerful x3 or x4 melee ally.

Grand Lodge

Under the in corporeal subtype on pg 312 of the bestiary it says

Bestiary 312 wrote:
An incorporeal creature is immune to critical hits and precision-based damage (such as sneak attack damage) unless the attacks are made using a weapon with the ghost touch special quality.
Ghost touch says
CRB p470 wrote:
A ghost touch weapon deals damage normally against incorporeal creatures, regardless of its bonus. An incorporeal creature's 50% reduction in damage from corporeal sources does not apply to attacks made against it with ghost touch weapons.
Here's my question: can a barbarian using Ghost Rager
Ghost Rager:
Ultimate Combat 27 wrote:
While raging, the barbarian deals normal damage to incorporeal creatures even when using nonmagical weapons. She also gains a morale bonus to touch AC equal to her saving throw bonus from her superstition rage power.

crit or precision-hit an incorporeal undead? They both ignore any damage penalties, hitting them normally (with nearly the exact same wording), and the incorporeal subtype was written this way before there was any alternative means of ignoring the damage penalty.

On a side note, does an ectoplasmic spell ray have a chance of critically hitting an incorporeal undead?

Ectoplasmic spell:
APG 158 wrote:
An ectoplasmic spell has full effect against incorporeal or ethereal creatures.

Grand Lodge 2/5

I was looking through additional resources and I couldn't find Second Darkness. I know it's not the only 3.5 AP, so is this an error, or is nothing from Second Darkness legal for play?

Grand Lodge

I've been considering making a melee combat oracle recently, but I can't decide whether to take the Battle or Metal mysteries. Metal gives the two very nice maneuverability revelations, but battle gives the options like sudden charge, the initiative one, and the weapon focus/imp crit etc, as well as perception as a class skill. They seem very close to me, so which is better? Maneuverability (possibly double if I'm in Mithril full plate with dance of steel and the other revelation) or a bit more combat effectiveness? Also, I'd appreciate some other suggestions like which revelations first. I was considering wielding a naginata and great sword once I get skill at arms, or should I ignore reach/combat reflexes?

Grand Lodge

First of all, this is for PFS, so 20 point by sticking to the PFS rules. It'll be starting at level two thanks to GM credits and working its way to level 12. It's more a rough sketch and a build that I need cleaned up.

I'm trying to make an unarmed swordsman. What I'm looking at is Kensai Magus for the int to AC, but for the additional defense a 1-2 level dip in MoMS is looking good too. I'm also wondering if duelist is worth it. The weapon choice is bugging me a bit too. Right now I'm using a temple sword, but the question is, do I crit fish as a Magus, or is the spell progression so weak I should go with Falcata? If I pick these, I can't go duelist. If I dervish dance with scimitar, I burn two feats, and can't piranha strike, and I'd probably lower strength more, and lose out on power attack.

So here's what I've got so far.

MoMS(2) Kensai (x) Duelist (?) Garuda-Blooded (Plumekith) Aasimar true speaker alternate ability.
Stats:
Str 15
Dex 16 (14 +2)
Con 12 (I'm ok with putting 10s on Con even, but unarmored melee character I'd like at least a 12, but the goal is to not get hit)
Wis 16 (14 +2)
Int 14
Cha 7 (yes I dump stats, especially charisma, but with something this MAD I need the points)

Feats: these are something I'm very unsure of, because I just don't know the feats.
Style feats: Snake and Crane are what I'm looking at. With a 2 level MoMS dip I get Crane Style and Crane Wing for the deflect an attack and possible fighting defensively. Snake style gives me the immediate action sense motive AC. If I wanted more offensive output I could get the retlaliatory feats as well, but snake is limited to unarmed strikes.
My big question for feats is what is the proper balance between offense and defense?

I'm sorry if this is long and confused. This is still a fledgling build that needs a ton of help.

TL;DR What do I add to the build and take feat/class-wise to make a cool, fairly effective unarmored swordsman.

Grand Lodge

I remember there being a rule that gives a range or attack role penalty for having ranged attacks like bows going completely or nearly vertical, and conversely giving a range bonus for attacking from very high groung. For clarification, this is referring to a character firing something like 100ft up or a character on the ground firing at the said flying character directly above them. I looked but couldn't find it, so it might have possibly been a 3.5 rule. Does this rule exist, and of so, where?

Grand Lodge

In the PFS scenario

Below the Silver Tarn:
there is a half-fiend water elemental. The half-fiend template specifies a living creature.
Is an elemental, who has no anatomy and is made of pure air, earth, fire, or water, considered living?