Hawk

Rantraptor's page

71 posts. Alias of Syrus Terrigan.




I am in need of assistance. I have a 16th level human universalist wizard, and I need to get my equipment updated to address the needs of a long-haul adventuring sequence away from civilization. I'll outline my build and current gear list as quickly as I can, point out a couple of elements that are central to the character concept, and then leave it to this fine community to help me spend a sizable amount of coin.

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The Build
1) Class Feats: Reach Spell, Widen Spell, Cantrip Expansion, Counterspell, Steady Spellcasting, Bond Conservation, Quickened Casting, Magic Sense, Superior Bond, Effortless Concentration

2) Other Feats: Bon Mot, Multilingual, Assured Identification, Hobnobber, Cognitive Crossover (Arcana/Occult), Quick Identification, Magical Shorthand, Incredible Initiative, Discreet Inquiry, Canny Acumen (Perception), Clever Improviser, open feat slot (level 9) currently held by Multitalented --> Sorcerer Dedication (Imperial bloodline) but that should probably be replaced, Advanced General Training (Evangelize), Shameless Request, Unified Theory, Entourage

The Gear
1) Invested Items: Diplomat's Badge, Golem Stylus, Lifting Belt, Ring of Wizardry III, Greater Ring of the Ram, Stole of Civility, Ventriloquist's Ring

2) Consumables: Greater Bravo's Brew, Moderate Elixir of Life

3) Implements: Staff of Fire, Greater Staff of Impossible Visions

4) Cash on Hand: 5182.10 gp

The Concept
1) Multipurpose arcane casting -- battlefield control, damage output, team buffs, problem-solving; everything and nothing

2) The 'Party Face' -- plain and simple: this guy does the most important talking, but with subtlety

3) Third-Action Critical Aid King -- I have a generous GM who has kept the DC for Aid checks at 20, and so long as I can justify the attempt narratively, I can spam my +31 Arcana checks to help the rest of the team succeed.

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I've been running with Mage Armor as my primary means of defense, with occasional castings of Shield at critical junctures. I have no focus spells. My spellbook can be revised at the drop of a hat, simply because we're trying to make sure that everyone is having fun. I have no runes on any of my equipment, at all. My feat selection can be as fluid as my spellbook.

I have a little bit of trade value in the gear that I've kept and earned, and I have over 5000 gold I can spend.

PF2 continues to be a daunting system in terms of evaluating "best options" for me (insufficient time to do all the research), so I really need to crowdsource some ideas.

MY ONE CRITICAL ADDENDUM: Absolutely NO spoilers! NONE!! Please, and thank you.


We have launched a campaign in the spirit of those described by Professor Dungeon Master on the Dungeoncraft YouTube channel. We initially had four participants, but one has had to step away due to life and involvement in other games. Since the format was conceived as one with a rotating GM's chair, I have built characters for the campaign as well, with an eye toward the time I step away from serving as 'game operations director'. But Phntm, helaman, and I would very much like to bring in one or two more players to our perilous game!

Adventurers of Gladden Vale Campaign Info Tab

If this game seems like a good fit for you, post your interest in the Recruitment thread on the main campaign page. We're off to a good start in Gameplay, and we're at a point in the story where new players can step in with the greatest of ease.

The Gladden Vale is a lively place filled with good people, steeped in tradition and the "can-do" attitude of frontier life, and where dark, ancient threats will soon loom alongside new perils of terrible power.

We hope to see you there!


Near Cutters’ Wash, Day One

Daenara

With the bare rock of the mountains behind her, Daenara stows her cloak next to a change of clothes and a few days’ worth of rations. Closing the pack, she checks that her rope and climbing hook are still secured, and shoulders the burden once more. At least it’s warmer down here. A few more weeks, and warmer still! A practiced eye quickly finds the vivid yellow marker for the path toward town, and the youth sets a steady, leisurely pace along the way. My Naming!
As the morning sky brightens through the canopy overhead, the miles fall away with ease -- rolling hills, small clearings, and narrow creek beds just beginning to carry away the first trickles of snowmelt pass quickly. After a short break near midday for a light lunch, a quicker pace is called for to reach Cutters’ Wash before nightfall. But it isn’t too long before Daenara hears the braying of mules and the frantic crack!ing of a lash not far off the main trail. Pausing to listen, a voice wracked with sobs is easily discerned, but not so the words it garbles.

Albion / Blizzard / Allvin

It was quickly becoming unclear whose clothing was the more soiled -- Albion’s own durable alchemist’s robes, or the . . . uniform? . . . of the odorous, blithering drunkard that had just knocked him into the mud, vomited across his left shin, and coiled a sinewy arm about the apprentice’s waist. Peering about for the nearest clear spot, Albion begins gradually hauling the incoherent man toward the shade at the corner of Allvin’s father’s lumber mill. Older, stuporous, and heavy. And I still need to gather up the herbs I dropped, too. This is a bother. How can anyone be this drunk this early in the day, and out on the streets at the same time?!
Ummmm, Albion . . . what are you doing with that old man?
The drunken sot slips from his grasp as Albion turns to see Allvin quirking an incredulous eyebrow his way. With a frustrated sigh and palms quickly hoisted skyward, the alchemist-in-training says nothing and tells everything. The two teens rather roughly deposit their burden against the sawmill wall, and Albion gets his first good look at the man. That’s a King’s Rangers uniform, he mutters. What’s next? I've got a long walk ahead of me, and this isn't helping!
There’s no telling, Albion. I’ve hauled this one around a few times in the last couple years, Allvin quips. I hear that he’s been assigned a trainee recently. Feel sorry for that one! The young carpenter pauses. How soon do you want to leave for Three Waters?

Adric / Valentine

Salt-cured ham, eggs, and a bit of cheese served with watered wine made for a rather fine breakfast, Adric had decided. What was not so fine, though typical, was that Blizzard had once more not found his way to his small cot in their shared room. While tracking, forecasting the weather, foraging, and some weapons training were all part of the prescribed training regimen for a Ranger, Adric was gaining more proficiency at tracing his superior’s midnight stumblings through every community in the Vale than at anything related to woodcraft. Draining his mug and standing up from the table, Adric reasoned, The stable first. A bed of hay and horse manure would be his easiest lodging.
Nodding thanks to the innkeep, the recruit steps out into a cool, mist-wreathed morning warming to a pale golden sky and turns toward the stables. In only a few moments it becomes clear that both horses are exactly where he left them, and that Blizzard is not nearby. However, one horse is outside a stall, munching happily on the last small bales of hay near the shoeing station. Adric takes a pause and notices that the two rear stalls are wide open. Ha! He’s outdone himself this time! The useless man turned two horses loose just so he could look a fool again! The first stall turns out to be empty of anything except straw and clumps of pungent manure. The second, however, is also occupied by a collapsed form that is clearly not his trainer. And Adric’s first reaction is to think that foul play is involved . . . .
And I'm supposed to be leaving for the Trial today! Where is that ale-swilling fool?

Celia

Daenara hadn’t spotted her at the treeline. The turf was still damp from the rains two days past, and the leaves still wet. Moving through the underbrush without making a sound (that she could hear) had proven shockingly easy. I’m going to spook the soul right out of her, this time! Celia laughed to herself. I need a good laugh. There’s too little to do between here and Three Waters . . . .
Her friend’s lunch had taken a bit longer than Celia felt was necessary, but so had been her placid pace throughout the day. The aspiring cutter -- whether just purses or throats was undetermined -- is caught off-guard, though, when Daenara redoubles her speed after snacking. Not to be put off her goal of a test and a joke at the same time, Celia quickens her steps and stays within eyeshot of her target, and luckily keeps mistake-free. But she nearly misses the beat when her intended “victim” freezes on the trail, head tilted toward something in the wooded distance. A faint and incomprehensible murmur of disturbance reaches the young woman’s ears, and Celia grins in anticipation. Twice the people, twice the fun!

Gulsti

The dropped flask had been empty, just like the wineskin an hour before. Disappointed that there was no chance of a free drink while “working”, Gulsti resolves himself to fleece the blundering Ranger of every copper piece before rolling him down the riverbank to a bone-chilling bath. At least he’ll sober up quick, by the time I’m through. But this mark better be worth it -- I want the boss to set me for success before I leave town!
Gulsti glances toward his mark after stowing the flask in his belt pouch and grimaces as he sees the Ranger crash into a thick-robed youth. A small basket of wrapped, labeled herbal packets spills into the muddy street, and the unlucky bystander heaves a longsuffering sigh as he makes to pull the older man off the street. Gulsti curses his luck, but keeps watching, looking for a new angle to work -- getting someone else’s silver was all that mattered!

South Gladden Hills, Day One

Alice / Purity

Purity looks up from the arrow in her lap as a rider nearly pitches headfirst off a workhorse into the Waystation wall. Help! HELP!! The boy, no more than twelve winters old, drenches himself in a puddle as he tries to gain the doorway of the outpost. Fletching is quickly forgotten as voices crescendo from within, and Purity springs up, breath caught in her throat. She sees Alice, the young acolyte at the shrine across the road, poke her head out the daffodil-decked doorframe. Their eyes meet, and both young ladies know -- something has happened to Lady Ferren’s entourage.
Alice turns back inside, navigating the dawn-lit room more by memory than sight, and begins gathering her mentor’s kit. Poultices, needle, thread, splints, bandages all are tucked snugly into the worn leather satchel, and she scampers back toward the priestess’s quarters. Three loud knocks, and rattling snores keep their rhythm. Huffing a soft sigh, the acolyte pushes into the tiny room and shakes a woolen-socked foot. Ma’am. MA’AM! Something’s happened! I know not what, but the Count’s daughter is in trouble. They’ll be calling for you, Old Mother. Your bag’s ready. The blanket heaves and flaps about as she sits up, blinking, age-clouded eyes unsure in the misty light filtering through the thatched roof. Aye, girl, I’m awake. Surprisingly spry, though close to blind, the elder shuffles about, exchanging nightclothes for a robe and cloak, and cramming twisty old toes into a pair of boots. Alice, fetch me a cup of broth from the pot -- I do hope you kept the embers warm -- , and then go help Purity ready the infirmary for the injured. Don’t worry about the horse. I’ll knock him in the head on my own. You'll be needing to make ready for your own trip after the infirmary's readied.
Back across the road, Purity is stringing bowstaves and stacking quivers for the Rangers that are soon to ride out eastward. Her father had brought the family out here, as middle-of-nowhere as one could be in the Vale, twelve years past -- the same time her uncle, Blizzard, had gotten his commission with this outpost. The more she thought about it, it could only be a surprise that they had prospered so -- but she was glad they had. Now with the armaments laid out, she moved into the infirmary to prepare the beds, and Alice entered the other doorway a half-second later. Another meaningful look was exchanged, but the two girls set about the task without a word spoken . . . yet.


Alrighty!

One thing I do want to mention here is that we would benefit from using spoiler tabs as much as possible. It will help keep us from scrolling through acres of text to get to the parts most relevant to each of us, and it will just bring our thread's appearance up a notch. I know that I was #1 on the Forums' Most Wanted List for Thread Vandalism early in the Recruitment thread, but I totally blame my long absence from the boards and the associated rustiness for that.

I've made a rough outline of events and circumstances that will bring our characters at least toward one another, if not outright together. I'll probably spend a day or two more refining it, and I may have questions for each of you as I go. Any communication for our game will most likely be posted here in Discussion, but I will keep an eye on my PMs just in case.

I have an appointment with my orthopedist today (worker's comp case; busted up my knee in the midst of last month's Frostpocalypse), and I expect that I'll have the Campaign Info tab set up with the setting description and condensed character generation rules by the end of the day.

More later!


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Well, the thread I started and flagged in General Discussion hasn't been relocated yet, so I'm going to throw this out there anyway.

I am wondering if any forum PbPers would be interested in a gritty, grimdark-esque campaign that someone else would like to GM (or we could rotate stints as GM among the participants). I've had no luck selling the idea at my live table on Saturdays, so I want to find the lay of the land here. I've got some "far out" ideas about some mechanics that I'm interested in using, and they might not be too appealing for many or most gamers. Here's a rough breakdown:

1) Ability scores would be generated via six 3d6 rolls in order.
2) Characters would begin the story at 0th level with a rolled hit point value from a 1d4.
3) Since the previous two elements are so brutal, players would create three or four starting characters and the field of PCs would naturally narrow over the course of trying to survive to level one.
4) Generated characters whose HP results are negative would die in the opening scenes of the campaign. Generated characters whose HP results equaled zero would be incapacitated by injury, illness, curse, or some other misfortune, but could be awarded an HP reroll if some story award is unlocked. These ideas are intended to help drive an engaging narrative, rather than be arbitrarily punitive.
5) Upon reaching first level, all surviving PCs would be allowed to generate additional HP determined by the difference between the new class HD and the original d4 HD. So wizards would add 1d2, rogues 1d4, paladins 1d6, and barbarians 1d8 -- just laying out the pattern I've envisioned.
6) I would like to step away from Vancian spellcasting if at all possible. So much so, in fact, that I would like to see die rolls to determine success or failure for spellcasting. I know -- it's crazy. (As a mitigating factor, perhaps spell points could be used to grant "advantage" for spellcasting rolls, but after those are exhausted for the day, spells get much more risky!)

If you've watched the Dungeoncraft channel on YouTube, this will all sound very familiar to you.

Thoughts?


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I am looking for a group and GM interested in playing some sort of "hardcore" d20 game. I've been getting by with some PF2 live gaming, but I hate the bounded accuracy systems. I much prefer 3.x, PF1, and SoM/P.

Things I'm Interested In:

1) 3d6 stats
2) character funnel
3) rolled hp (even at 1st)
4) no Vancian casting; roll to cast
5) gritty narrative

So, yeah -- basically, if you've watched the Dungeoncraft YouTube channel, you know what I'm looking for.

Thoughts, folks?

EDIT: And I'll be forthright, here -- I have no business GMing a PbP. You can look at my profile and see my past failures. But I can play consistently, and actively, as evidenced by the Falcon's Hollow game I was in.


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Wow. Been a long, long while since I posted anything substantive here on the boards . . . . Anyhow -- to business!

I have been a fan of the M:TG Ravnica setting since the first set's release some 14 years ago. As an EDH player and a d20 gamer, Ravnica and its guilds have been a strong source of inspiration for me over the years. I have recently committed to GMing a game for my local crew set in Ravnica itself, and I'd like to hash out some concepts and suggestions about converting the M:TG guild mechanics to functional parallels in Spheres/Pathfinder.

Guilds, and Their Mechanics

Azorius Senate
-- forecast
-- detain
-- addendum

House Dimir
-- transmute
-- cipher
-- surveil

Cult of Rakdos
-- hellbent
-- unleash
-- spectacle

Gruul Clans
-- bloodthirst
-- bloodrush
-- riot

Selesnya Conclave
-- convoke
-- populate
-- themechanictheynevermade

Orzhov Syndicate
-- haunt
-- extort
-- afterlife

Izzet League
-- replicate
-- overload
-- jump-start

Golgari Swarm
-- dredge
-- scavenge
-- undergrowth

Boros Legion
-- radiance
-- battalion
-- mentor

Simic Combine
-- graft
-- evolve
-- adapt

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I'm just going to leave the list here in this initial post, and over the coming days I'll present my brainstorms on a per-mechanic basis. Until my next post, though, I would *love* to read about your ideas!


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Hello, all!

If you're reading this, welcome! And read carefully.

My three players and I are looking for some "new blood" -- at least one new member, or possibly two. We are in this position due to absenteeism on the part of two other players, and my own hesitation to "bot" characters. I began this game with an expected group of seven players, which quickly evaporated to five, but has functionally been three for most of the past 8 months. So, first things first: If you're willing to post every 1-3 days, you might find a game here. (More on this later.)

The 'rules system' we're using is a somewhat strange agglomeration of Pathfinder, Star Wars RPG (WotC) Revised/Saga editions, and interpretations/derivations from the KotOR games for the original Xbox. It is a bit wonky from some crunch to some crunch, but we're fashioning an effective narrative alongside it. But here comes the first curveball: We're using the OGL d20 chassis, but we're bringing in Drop Dead Studios' Spheres of Power and Might as our primary pool of abilities. And, yes -- there are caveats.

Our setting needs no introduction, essentially, but the *timeline* may be another matter: so far as the overarching SWEU chronology is concerned, we are in the year 3948 BBY. Yes -- four millennia prior to Episode IV. A familiarity with the events of the two Knights of the Old Republic games will serve you well; some things aren't quite the same as the "official" story has been told, but those who have played through KotOR II should feel quite at home.

I'm looking for story-driven, and story-driving, characters to be submitted. Some of the ideas that were cooked up during the initial recruitment phase include: Mandalorian orphan with Jedi heritage, "retired" Jedi old-timer headed back to the Republic in the wake of The First Purge, a Jedi-reprogrammed HK-50 droid, a Zeison Sha exile investigating the failures of the Jedi, and the bounty hunters, Jedi Knights, aspiring crime lords, and so forth. Sell me (and my players) a story for your character arc. We'll likely have to meddle with the backstory narrative to keep things plausible, but we can get to that later -- for now, focus on generating an engaging tale!

I have some recommendations concerning the metagame factors already present. These are only for your consideration, and do not constitute requirements for participation:
1) We have no full-BAB characters.
2) The Astrogation skill is necessary for plotting hyperspace jumps, and we're losing the two characters that have the capability. This isn't game-breaking, mind you, but navicomputers usually require two minutes of calculation to plot a jump -- a quick escape could prove . . . problematic. Just so you know.
3) We have a "politics-neutral" core group -- a trio of individuals primarily interested in avoiding Exchange difficulties while also making a few bucks in semi-proscribed fashion. As such, an inquisitor of the Sith Empire or an emissary of the Senate isn't going to be an easy introduction to make, much less sustain. A character with political leanings is interesting, but "declared extremists" will make wreckage of the story.

I'll establish more of the crunch a little later. For now, declare your interest, share your vision(s), and ask your questions!

I look forward to hearing from you!

P.S. -- Ah, yes. I am going to push to accelerate our rate of posting, but that's a discussion I'd like to have with a full roster.


*fanfare*

*theme music*

The Galactic Republic has endured for over twenty-one millenia, and is poised at the beginning of a golden age of expansion and prosperity. In the three years since the fall of the Sith Triumvirate, the Republic fleets have secured much of known space; more and more worlds are requesting Republic membership -- Onderon chief among them -- ; industry and innovation are progressing in leaps and bounds. It seems the time is right for the Republic to pursue its great destiny.

Yet all is not well in the galaxy. The Jedi Order still contends with the crisis of its losses at the hands of Darth Nihilus, Darth Sion, and Darth Traya -- their numbers have not been so few since the foundation of their storied tradition. Straggling remnants of the Triumvirate's forces still flit through the galactic void, leaving ruin and chaos in their wake. The greed of various corporate interests threatens to undermine the highest potential of this new era, but the galaxy turns on the Republic credit, and every being has its price. Challenge and danger alike are still alive and well in the spaces between the stars.

On the Hutt-controlled moon of Nar Shaddaa, the upheaval following the collapse of G0-T0's organization has made the Smuggler's Moon the most perilous place in the known galaxy. In the midst of the violence and treachery of Exchange dealings, risk and reward have come together for any being willing to take a chance. And in a small tapcaf in that nest of criminality, a gathering of destined individuals begins . . . .

*camera pans to Nar Shaddaa*


Well, people, here we are! Huzzah!!

Let's just do a brief check-in to make sure everyone was able to follow the link from the recruitment thread!

Sound off!


I have recently been encouraged by a good friend of mine to develop a campaign set in the SWEU. While I am certainly going to try to gather a face-to-face group for this endeavor, I would be very interested in getting feedback from any of you that would like to participate here on the boards.

DISCLAIMER: This game is still in early development stages, and likely won't crystallize till the beginning of 2018.

Frankly, I've been burned too many times by folks expressing an interest, and then not even getting a first gameplay post made. You can check out my two inactive PbP threads if you need any proof. In other words -- the legwork necessary for this to be a 'real thing' is already being done, but I would need to see a reasonable volume of traffic here in Recruitment first. I know -- we all have needs. :D

In any event, on with some tentative details/exposition:

1) This campaign will be set in the SWEU after the events of the two KotOR games from BioWare, and will borrow heavily from the repercussions of a light-side Exile playthrough. Yes, I'll be breaking from even SWEU 'canon'.

2) Considering the sheer scope of the SWEU, any effective campaign must needs be character-driven. Tying together an assortment of divergent stories to at least one pivotal moment in PCs' timelines would be my job, heavily informed/influenced by player input. As such, feel free to spitball just about any character concept that would interest you; just to throw out a caveat that might be critical -- the Unknown Regions are the Unknown Regions even 40+ ABY, so we're going to leave the Chiss, Vagaari, and "western" portions of the galactic map alone. The presence of the Chiss charric in the KotOR chronology does not mandate their individual presence in the campaign. Sorry, Thrawn fans.

3) Force-use in this game will be mechanically dictated via a strong revision of the Spheres of Power magic system from Drop Dead Studios. Those details will be forthcoming as made necessary by candidates' submissions -- likely through some extensive discussion in the next few months. For instance: Force Zombies are not a 'regular' thing, even for the Sith -- the reanimate (and attendant) power(s) from the Death sphere would not be a 1st-level-accessible power. Attainable, yes; readily available? Goodness, no! Nearly every sphere would require some amount of adjustment in order to be "properly" evocative of the SWEU. We can collaborate!

4) While mechanically 'crunchy' in execution, we won't be using grids or hexes. Though I'm a huge fan of tactical combat, I don't have the necessary tools to bring it to the fore as much as I would typically prefer. We'll be aiming for a more 'cinematic groupthink' narrative than a 'mathematic exploitation' program. Bear that distinction in mind, friends. If we are able to embark upon this quest together, know your character's capabilities, and use them, but be prepared for DM fiat to muddle your efforts. I will do what I will do in pursuit of a good story. Expect to be challenged!

That's all for now, I think. I hope to hear from many of you!!


Background:

cough

I know I was born in Taldor, but the enclave outside Triela is the only home I’ve ever known. I remember yearly trips to Oppara – not sure why my parents ever left, considering just how folks welcomed them . . . . Anyway, my parents moved there within the first year of my birth. They hunted, and I was supposed to learn. Well, . . . they caught plenty of food. History? Hah. Languages? Ha!! And don’t try to read my writing – you’ll just get a headache. When I used to ask them about why they did it, moving there, all they’d ever say was, “It was best for you, son.”

My closest friend, Ephren, was a joker, a clown, and a rascal. He always had some tricky plan to get stuff. I didn’t help him much with those plans, but I remember eating plenty of rolls swiped from the kitchens, or hams from the smokehouse. He even wrangled up some silver every once in a great while, and we’d sneak off to Triela’s little market instead of working the garden. Asked the brothers and sisters every crazy question he could, just to make a fuss. Lot of fun, he was. Haven’t seen him since midsummer, two years ago.

I’ve always loved magic – still do. I was about 11 years old when I saw my first real magic – weird, right? --; Ephren got hold of some “stick”. I found him out behind the barn waving the thing around, saying some weird word or another. All I saw was some faint, white flash, but I knew what it was. I wanted to try it out, but Ephren was having none of it. I haven’t mentioned that I have an amazing temper, have I? Well, let’s just say that me and Ephren weren’t close after that day – took six years, some heartbreak, and most of a barrel of ale to get things right between us again. I still have that wand, somewhere around here . . . .

huff

Oooooooh. Hm.

I don’t even remember just how it all went down that day. I got a new trinket, lost a friend, and there was a meeting. My parents, all the priests, and a couple of bookish types from town. And just because he said I scared him. But after that, it was doctrine in the morning, magic in the afternoon, and evenings free. I took to it pretty well. I got the silent treatment about the meeting, just like why my parents moved.

I bet it’s got something to do with the fact that I don’t even need that wand. I can just cast that spell, all on my own. Learned what it was good for, too. But there’s something else, too. It was just a little bit before Ephren and I got straightened out -- I broke my arm falling out a second-story window to get away from an angry father in Triela. She was beautiful, okay? When I got back to the enclave, I expected a quick “confession” and a fast heal. But, nope. I didn’t get an sings “AAAAaaaaAAAAAaaaaAAAAA” magic fix – I can use it, but it doesn’t work right on me. Just don’t understand why none of them would tell me what in the Nine Hells was going on. Still won’t.

So me and Easy Ephren got back to right after that – his girl left town just about the same time a town guardsman figured out I was seeing his daughter. And, while I was healing up, I learned something else – I’ve got a knack for medicine. Not sure why that took, when everything else didn’t, but I started helping out while I was on the mend. Got out of the doctrine classes half the time, started working with the healers the other half, still magic in the afternoons. So, for most of the past seven years, I’ve been wrapping broken ribs, stitching cuts, setting bones, making tinctures, and such. Even managed to meet lovers two and three that way. . . . Hey. Hey! I waited till they were out of the infirmary! Big difference between using advantage and taking advantage, okay?

hiccup

Well, six months ago, some thing or another got the priesthood stirred up. Another meeting about Kairon, without Kairon. Are you noticing a trend? Full stop on medicine, magic, and doctrine. The only thing a steel blanket is really good for is sweating under. Well, it’ll stop pointy, slicy, bashy things pretty well, too. All day, every day, getting my head beat by Brother Skayne. When he finally said that I was barely more dangerous to others than I was to myself with all that metal, I was ordained faster than anybody else I’ve ever seen, given some instructions, handed a letter, and . . . .

And I had to get my robes! That fireblasted tailor!!! He charged me the full 6 crowns for that rig. And he had known for a week that they were about to confirm my priesthood. Well, it’s okay. I burned his brightly-painted, brand new sign on my way out of town. Stuck-up deathspawn.

. . . and here I am, on a boat headed upriver, for no other reason than they said “Go”, and I’ve got no idea what it’s really all about.

gags

Excuse me while I go heave breakfast into the river . . . .

Kairon Daaltin:

Kairon Daaltin
Male human cleric of Sarenrae 1
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +1; Senses Perception +2
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10
hp 10 (1d8+2)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +4
Defensive abilities SR 6
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee scimitar +3 (1d6+3/18-20) or
. . morningstar +3 (1d8+3) or
. . longspear +3 (1d8+4)
Ranged fire bolt +1 rng tch (1d6 fire) (5/day)
Special Attacks channel positive energy 5/day (DC 12, 1d6)
. . disrupt undead 1/day (ranged touch, 1d6 vs undead, CL 1st)
Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +3)
. . 5/day - fire bolt 5/day (30' rng tch, +1, 1d6+1/2 level fire damage)
. . 5/day – blessed surgery 5/day (free action, roll twice on Heal check, take higher result; Heal checks requiring 1 hour or less take 1 minute)
Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +3)
. . 1st (2+d) — divine favor, shield of faith, burning hands [D]
. . 0 (3) (at will) -- light, create water, spark
. . D Domain spell; Domains Fire, Medicine
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 16, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 9, Wis 15, Cha 15
BAB +0; CMB +3; CMD 14
Feats Accursed, Combat Reflexes
Traits fiend blood (Intimidate), magical talent (disrupt undead)
Drawback Provincial (-2 to Diplomacy/Sense Motive vs differing religion/alignment)
Skills Heal +6, Intimidate +7, Spellcraft +3
Languages Common
SQ spell resistance 6
Other Gear scale mail, heavy steel shield, scimitar, morningstar, longspear, healer’s kit (6 uses), backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, waterskin (2), trail rations (5), chalk, iron holy symbol of Sarenrae, copy of The Birth of Light and Truth previously owned by Nuthor Calene, wand of disrupt undead (CL 1, 11 charges), wand of cure light wounds (CL 3, 5 charges) 1 gp, 8 sp, 9 cp
--------------------
Fire Bolt (5/day) (Su) 30', ranged touch, 1d6+1/2 level fire damage
Blessed Surgery (5/day) (Su) As a free action while using the Heal skill, you may roll twice and take the higher result; Heal checks requiring 1 hour instead require 1 minute at most.
Cleric Channel Positive Energy 1d6 (5/day, DC 12) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.
Spontaneous Casting You may convert a prepared spell slot to a cure spell of equal or lower level.


I'm no math whiz. In fact, I hate math, period. So I want to ask for some input from those of you who are "mathically"-oriented.

In a campaign where the general rule (few exceptions exist/will happen, but cannot be relied upon) is that every HD value is maximized (for both PCs and enemies), what general principles can be derived regarding combat doctrine?

1) Is Power Attack worth the feat slot and the reduction in accuracy in such a situation? How much difference would it make for a 3/4 BAB character, as opposed to a full BAB character -- if any?

2) Here's a link to the character in question. You'll notice this is not an optimized build. Given the ability scores (16/13/14/09/15/15 -- die rolls, not point-buy), the fact that this character is the party healer, and the fact that healing magic has not been modified in any way: am I right in not trying to take this character toward save-or-suck effects?

3) Am I correct in concluding that repeatable damage output (i.e., weapon attacks) will be even more important for party success than is normally the case?

4) Our GM has approved the Sacred Summons feat being allowed with the celestial template -- a huge boon. I plan on taking the feat at level 5, when it first becomes relevant. Is there a short list of the most combat-effective creatures for each level of summon monster?

5) I am tentatively committed to the "reach cleric" build. With that in mind, let's speculate about the best possible longspear I could build for this character. I would say that +1 fortuitous grayflame is the minimum standard; is that correct/reasonable? And: with those bonuses comprising a +3 weapon, what other weapon abilities should I tack on to the back end of the weapon, assuming that greater magic weapon will be used to make up for the enhancement bonuses?

Thanks for reading, folks!! :)


Here's the landscape: I have a NG human cleric (Sarenrae) 1 (Fire/Medicine) in a party with 5 others. Other members of the party consist of: human paladin (working toward worg mount), half-orc samurai (shogun), half-orc hunter, human winter witch (aiming for ridiculous cold damage), human efreeti-blooded sorcerer (burn all the things), and a halfling conjurer/teleporter.

Here's a link to the character: Kairon Daaltin

You'll notice that this build is far from optimized.

Factors to bear in mind:
1) Stats were die-rolled.
2) Characters (and foes) get max hp per HD.
3) Fire and Medicine domains cannot be swapped out at this point.
4) I like the Accursed feat (kinda), and the GM strongly recommended Selective Channeling. I'm . . . ambivalent toward the feats, but I may face some pressure to not change them.
5) I am the dedicated healer, both mechanically and narratively. That's unlikely to change.
6) The best part: The GM has pre-approved Sacred Summons with celestial template; given a few more levels, action economy won't be too much a problem.

Given some of this character's backstory, I am considering multiclassing into bloodrager. The movement boost, Acrobatics class skill, and morale stat bonuses appeal to me -- especially getting Acrobatics. Running with some hybridization of the "reach cleric" is likely to be best plan for this toon.

So, here's the real question: should I multiclass at all with bloodrager? If yes, how far do I dip? Or is there another class that a dip would provide more benefit?


Okay. Here we go again.

To the best of my knowledge, here's a list of our expected participants:

Vic Ferren
Evarias Shepherd
Sebastian Chavez
Jace Targana
Kingstain
Xorn Terel

I know we have more revisions and retouching to finish up on folks' characters, and this will be the place for it (or via PM).

I'm going to go ahead and get the gameplay thread up and running with a few summary posts. Don't post in it until we've all reached a consensus on where we left off. For the present, this will be our main "hub" for communication.


I've got a human cleric of Sarenrae in a PbP campaign, and the GM has given me a window to edit my character a bit, since we're just getting the game started. I've almost always gone with Fire/Healing with this type of character, but I opted for Glory/Medicine this time (Medicine was GM-approved). I'm not sure that Glory is the one for me; Medicine is a lock.

Relevant statistics:

Str 16
Dex 13
Con 14
Int 09
Wis 15
Cha 15

Feats: Accursed, Selective Channeling

Also, I took the +1 hp FCB, but it turns out that the GM maximizes hp for every HD -- for the "good guys" *and* the "bad". Bump a skill instead? Or should I go with the SR-beating bonus vs outsiders?

One thing I do know -- My character is THE healer. Backup frontliner (though I did get a longspear), and probably tertiary buffer. And we've got a group of 7 characters, total.

Suggestions?


This will be the spot for us to hash out character details, mostly. Post away, fellows!!


I'm opening this thread so that my now-scattered tabletop group may carry on the stories we've already started in my homebrew setting. This is a story that must be told, for my part, so here it is.

Please read the information below, everyone. Yes, that means YOU.

1) This is for an existing RPG group. As such, I am not actively recruiting players at this time. I am trying to establish this as a reasonable method of continuing our game, and so preliminary work helps build my players' confidence. There may come a time where I do announce that applicants are welcome -- that time is NOT NOW. Thank you for your cooperation and respect on this point.
2) This will be a slow-mover. I will not enforce a post limit for my "core group"; if I accept new players, that may change, but it will be explicated clearly if and when such a time arises. If you're looking for a rapid rate of exchange, this campaign won't be for you.
3) While I am a strong advocate of tactical certainty in terms of combat, it is likely that we will not use combat grids here. I will try to incorporate them into this game, but I cannot guarantee their presence. As such, I ask for a degree of latitude from my players when it comes time to smash creatures/objects/my dreams -- I will, as ever, try to be fair and cinematic.

If you have been linked directly to this post, I hope that you will create an alias in the Paizo community (if you don't have one already), and confirm whether or not you wish to participate in the Recruitment portion of the thread. Or, in the worst case, just send me a text message indicating that you are opting out. No matter which you choose, I hope you find a place on these forums where you want to contribute. I have only been here for a short time, but this is a good place to be, and I have been warmly welcomed.

On a technical note: You may want to create a more "generic" avatar first, and then make an alias with a name appropriate for the campaign. Those of you who know me, and know Syrus Terrigan, will quickly realize that I am offering this tidbit of info by virtue of hindsight.

Good gaming, all!!


The thread title says it all, really. I have a high-powered gestalt game going, and we're trying to make the conversion to Spheres of Power during a short-term hiatus from gaming. There are obvious difficulties in such an effort, primarily involving the challenge level the game can provide; I would like to kick around a few ideas with you great thinkers out there, and see what we can drum up.

Issue One: Sphere Access
If we simply mashed everything together, as we normally would with the Vancian-magic classes, we would wind up with conditions wherein a wizard/cleric could have 10 spheres/talents at level one. While this isn't necessarily a problem, per se, it does lend itself to similar difficulties as we've experienced in D&D 4E -- decision tree complexity. I am trying to avoid the "Which option is best at this moment?" dilemma as much as is possible; paring down on the range of options will help my players *focus* their sphere/talent selections from the outset.

Issue Two: Spell Point Tracking and Sphere Access
A pure stacking of the wizard and cleric classes would clearly point to two separate spell point pools, and restrictions of which sphere abilities could use which pool. While this most closely parallels the Vancian system, this method, to my mind, is effectively rendered obsolete as spherecasting enables magical effects at-will. Additionally, the bookkeeping burden this would entail would almost certainly drag in-combat turn progressions to an even slower crawl (My group typically engages in decisively-argued indecision every time a spellcaster has an action in combat -- and most of them are casters.)

Issue Three: Class Features
In some cases (the alchemist class being the most obvious, as I have a witch/alchemist player), certain class features will obviously parallel (or be superceded by) sphere abilities. In the case of the alchemist, the bomb ability can be emulated with the following:

  • Destruction sphere
  • Explosive Orb talent
  • Orb Expert feat
. . . and this can be attained at level one. And this trio of picks not only allows for endless "bombs" per day, but hits an even larger AoE. I have yet to find any other class features that run into this problem, but I'm sure they will crop up in the future.

And thus it follows: What do I do?

Proposal One
Just mash them up, as written, and watch the world burn (Spheres of Power).

Proposal Two
In light of the bokor prestige class, "cheat" by allowing both systems to exist. Let each player choose Vancian or Spheres for each character class in his/her build, but mandate, in the case of double-casters, that one class progress in spherecasting and the other in the traditional Vancian style.

Proposal Three
Have each player choose which class of the two is the "primary" class of the character, and use that class as the baseline for level advancement. Then, wherever class features are granted (or modified, per SoP) by the "secondary" class, add those features/gains to the character's abilities.

___________________

Have any of you tried to gestalt with SoP? What insights have you gained?

Thanks for reading!


Scenario: A character is magically able to fly with perfect maneuverability. What use, then, is the Fly skill?


Hello, folks. I just wanted some input regarding purchasing equipment for my 7th-level sphere sorcerer (standard WBL, 23,500 gp). Here's the baseline of the build:

Theldran:

"I am the storm."

Str: 9 -1
Dex: 14 +2
Con: 16 +3
Int: 10 --
Wis: 12 +1
Cha: 21 +5

HP: 55
SP: 21

Feats: Spellcrafting, Extra Magic Talent, Extend Spell, Orb Expert, Energy Specialization (Electricity)

Spheres/Talents:

  • Destruction (Focus Sphere) -- Electric Blast, Air Blast, Energy Sphere, Explosive Orb, Guided Strike, Extended Range
  • Protection -- Energy Resistance
  • Telekinesis -- Flight

Traits: Reactionary, Destructive Talent

Drawbacks:

  • Somatic Casting (x2)
  • Verbal Casting
  • Magical Signs
  • Focus Magic

Boons:

  • Easy Focus
  • Empowered Abilities
  • +2 SP (+1, +1/6 levels)

Build Summary:
This character is intended to be a blaster, pure and simple, at this point in the game. Orb Expert was taken in order to minimize the need for a high Dexterity score, so Theldran can produce an at-will 5'-radius burst of damage. Spellcrafting was taken in order to build defenestrating sphere -- my favorite 3.5 spell (for this character, anyway).

For further consideration: At 8th level, Theldran will take the Weather sphere, with the long-term goal of using control weather and the Energy Cloud advanced talent with Atmospheric Imbuement to eliminate the need for Spell Penetration and such like. Penetrating Blast will be taken at some point to more effectively combat resistance/immunity to electricity/nonlethal damage.

I welcome any and all input regarding any part of this, but I particularly desire input about how to divvy up my gp value.

Thanks, all!!


Ridiculous may be a misnomer -- "broken" will be close, if not too much an understatement.

Background: I'm running a homebrew PF/3.x gestalt game, and my players have recently advanced to level 3. The characters are transients in a large city in the mountains, and have already started earning a positive reputation in the low-/middle-class district in which they've found housing. I have opened up the beginnings of four major story arcs, but given the PC's capabilities, they haven't been able to shake much loose yet in getting them advanced/resolved. In the interest of helping them gain enough power to really start moving things forward and to give them a crisis that will help "gel" the party (so far, they've just been associated collaborators in events, more by convenience than purpose), I want to give them the gift of plutonium.

There's no way my seed concept can be fully realized without an artifact-level item. I am aware of the problems such a thing may entail; please don't belabor yourselves doling out the historical cautions -- they are taken for granted. If you are aware of a pre-existing item that satisfies the following requirements, please point me in the proper direction.

  • This item can function as either a heavy mace or a scythe.
  • This item can animate dead (not necessarily as the spell) with no limit on number produced, with no material components required (apart from relatively intact corpses), and increases the maximum HD of undead its wielder can control by some arbitrary number.
  • This item could function in a manner similar to the 3.5 "Weapons of Legacy", scaling its benefits as the wielder's character level increases.
  • This item will grant negative levels to non-evil wielders (likely at a ratio of 2:1 on the good:neutral range).
  • Use of this item will result in a scaling-DC alignment shift; it does not need to be intelligent (I am thinking of utilizing an "addictive" track to justify its ever-increasing use.), but it could be.

I think that's my baseline. Thanks in advance for your contributions.


Weather domain, storm burst ability -- is the -2 penalty to attack rolls automatic? Or is it contingent upon a successful attack roll?


Can anyone point me in the direction of work that has been done with the goal of reducing 3.5/Mathfinder to a base mathematical language? My good friend and I are trying to take the Pathfinder core, base, and hybrid classes (with few exceptions, most notably the vigilante -- how unbelievable is that class, right??!) and convert them to a "job" system similar to those found in the Ogre Battle and Final Fantasy systems. That is a "midrange" objective, but will eventually lead to the "ultimate" of a system rooted in the familiar territory of d20 but fully adaptable to a player's desired abilities.

A lofty and crazed goal, yes, I know. But that's the direction we're heading with this. Feel free to dismiss, decry, lambast, and derogate as you will, but do it somewhere else, please. I would love to read input from serious contributors who: 1) have insights to share based upon their experience in such endeavors, 2) know where someone has been willing to share the same, or 3) are willing to brainstorm here.

Now here is the catch (like it's isn't tricky enough already?): I am terrible at advanced mathematics. "On the eighth day, Satan said: Let's put the alphabet in math." I will circle x on test papers -- I found it! I can calculate DPR if I have the equation in front of me, and I've used Pythagorean theorem a time or two, but as soon as plotted lines start curving you may as well leave me in Flatland. Geometry I can kinda handle, algebra is the Devil's handiwork, and calculus clawed its way up from beyond the lowest toilet in the Abyss.

Anyone feel like LARPing Virgil to my Dante?


It's been three months or more since I played in a game session of Pathfinder, and the intervening time has been filled with Diablo 2, M:TG EDH, and more Diablo 2. Oh, and I played some Diablo 2 on the side, too. I've got a game session coming tomorrow night, and I have to reboot a character . . . .

I have no idea why I thought I could do this, but I had a level 7 paladin with Weapon Focus and the full Weapon of the Chosen feat tree in the initial build (this session is a resumption of a dungeon crawl). Which would be awesome, but only if paladins had spellcasting from level one, which would probably require ditching some of the better class features, which should never happen . . . .

So, anyway, I had a precursor Alzheimer's moment, or something, and made a great build that just can't happen.

I wanted to be the party's main frontliner, though I'm getting overshadowed by the tiger-formed natural spell druid oftentimes. Though I *did* turn a hangman tree from badaxx to splinters in about 4 rounds of smiting . . . with an illegal build. Sad face.

Anyhow, I'd like to reapproach the concept afresh and get some things straightened out, but I want to enlist y'all's help. First, is the notion of taking the Weapon of the Chosen feats at all good for the paladin? And if I'm going human from level one (gotta love that bonus feat!), what should I go with after Fey Foundling? Oh, yeah -- the Weapon of the Chosen feats were appealing to me because of how well they *might* dovetail with the Vital Strike tree . . . . I know, I know, it's a suboptimal series, but having the chance to swing for real, *meaningful* damage in a bad situation may spell the difference between a full attack response and no response at all . . . .

So, I think the stat array is 4d6x6, reroll 1s, drop lowest, and I'm going human. Fey Foundling, (feat), Weapon Focus (longsword) [?], Weapon of the Chosen [?], Vital Strike [?] . . . . Any recommendations would be welcomed. Thanks, people!!


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I *might* have made some low B's in trigonometry/precalculus back in high school, but I doubt it. I took *one* algebra class in college; that was 16 years ago. I am not a fan of mathematics, at all -- sometimes I can't even do division/multiplication properly.

That being said, I would like to gain a greater understanding of how DPR is calculated, so that I can run the numbers myself, and accurately. I think all I need is a formula, and the means to accurately and precisely arrive at the component variables for that formula.

I hope that some of you math experts out there are willing to help; please remember that I've got two decades, average grades, and some basic dislike for the medium. I'll try to be a good student.

Thanks!


So, party gets wasted due to obscenely stacked encounter and a handful of below-optimal decisions (APL 6 vs a CR 11+ encounter [ 9, 8, and thirteen 4s ], is that calculation about right?). Seems a great time to get the players more or less on the same page and build a better team, right? But, that was just *me* thinking, so that's for naught.

I've kinda committed to playing a paladin. I tested one out in a one-shot interlude, and I actually enjoyed it. The campaign we're playing feels like a great fit for a paladin. The Pathfinder conversion is so superior to the past versions in 3.0, 3.5, and 4th it's a bit earth-shattering -- for *me* to want to play a LG character is a thing not heard at a game table in over 20 years.

And I was looking forward to it.

There's a new player in the group who has undertaken to build all of his characters in direct opposition to mine. The last time that happened, my cleric of Rovagug poleaxed the LG samurai -- somewhat satisfying in a visceral sense, but no good for the group in the long term. His latest concoction is an evil-aligned half-orc scarred witch doctor that wants to build . . . carrion golems, I think? He has bragged about this character's 24 Constitution, and how everything ties to that stat . . . . Blah, blah, blah.

To be frank, I'm well past fed up with this whole thing. I tried to talk with the player last night to seek some sort of common ground, possibly find some other palatable solution than "The Shortly Expected Inquisition!!" No dice. It's a mechanics-based arms race with two of the smartest guys I know building characters that feed off one another and want little or nothing more than to work against me and my character. Not a recipe for disaster or disappointment at all.

I had planned to serve as the primary front-liner, and in order to help offset my notoriously low attack rolls (rolling 2s and 3s 80% of the time with a character making 4-6 attacks per round is PAR) I had elected to pursue the Weapon of the Chosen feat tree and Vital Strike. Not great, perhaps, but more effective for my customary degree of success. That whole bit is likely out the window, now . . . . Because I'm asking for a lot of help.

Here are the bare bones: 7th level, no traits, 23.5k gp, human, ability scores at 1st: 17, 16, 14, 14, 13, 10 (generated via 4d6 drop lowest).

What's the "best" possible build for a paladin to destroy two full casters with golems and summons as their bread and butter? I don't like it much, as I'd rather have a cooperative party that can be successful *together*, but I'm jonesing for a swan song event -- kill 'em all, and die in the attempt. Just a one-shot "Right back at ya!" and then bring in something different.

And this is just for the sake of the mechanical evaluation, people -- I'm probably going to co-opt the countermove with another cleric of lowdown and ruthless, just so we all can get along. I just want to know how y'all would build it.


I'm building a paladin for the first time, ever. I'm not too much a fan of LG, but I'm willing to help make sure that our party doesn't get TPK'ed again. I don't have the stats for TWF, but I still want to make use of a shield, just for defense, basically.

1) Is the Weapon of the Chosen feat tree as good as I think it is with the Vital Strike tree? Considering the fact that our GM *loves* set-piece encounters with lots of room for everyone to move, it seems a reasonable thing to me.

2) Is the loss of one point of AC (quick-draw light shield vs heavy) as worthy of the trade-off for two-handing with a longsword and the use of LoH? Our GM is a rules stickler such as I have never seen -- I've got to have clear and plain Paizo language to cover what I'm doing, and house rulings are nonexistent.

3) We're starting at 7th level, 23500 gp. I have 20 Str, 13 Dex, 14 Con, 10 Int, 14 Wis, 16 Cha. My tentative gear suite is: +1 full plate, +1 heavy steel shield, +1 keen longsword, +1 cloak of resistance, Str belt +2, Cha band +2, and then odds and ends. I'm planning for Weapon Focus, Vital Strike, and the full Weapon of the Chosen tree to fill my feat slots (yup, playing a human).

4) Is shield other viable? I've got 76 hp -- great die rolls throughout on this build.

Thanks, people!


This weekend, my playgroup is going to have a game session modeled after the Tomb of Horrors (at least in terms of PC fatality rates, according to the DM), and we've been tasked with building our characters with that in mind. I'll review the build restrictions/methodology, indicate the players' current thoughts, and then throw it over to y'all.

BUILD:

Modeled after the "heroic" method in the CRB, every stat starts at a value of six, and then may be modified on a point-for-point basis from a pool of 45 points. We may not multiclass. We may not use 3rd-party material. We cannot use traits. Standard WBL; gp *may* be pooled by party, no gp limit.

TENTATIVE PARTY MAKEUP:

1) Greatsword Fighter (backup archer)
2) TWF Slayer (primary archer, traps)
3) Chaos/Strength Cleric (wands, buffs, debuff)
4) Conjurer Craftsman (belts, headbands, cloaks, amulets; summon dudes, AoE status the baddies)

So far, there's been a focus on cold iron weaponry, mithral armors, initiative modifiers, high DPR, skill coverage (we know EVERYTHING!), and anvil/arm/hammer action economy. I have put in my two cents to stay away from the madness of a 64000 gp equipment bankroll and let each character spend his or her 16k, though we leveraged all the item creation we could.

Granted, those are vague descriptions, and I'm not trying to be cagey with the info, I'm just more interested in y'all's input.

TABLE DISCUSSION:

1) Should we roll the fighter and rogue elements into the slayer? If we did, what other full BAB class should be brought in?

2) Reach weapons as the primary means of melee engagements were abandoned due to their non-bo with sneak attack; was that a reasonable decision?

3) The fighter dumped Int & Cha; the slayer, Cha; the cleric, Cha; the wizard, Str & Cha. We can't talk pretty, but we're tough, strong, smart, quick, and wary. Pro play?

4) And so on.


Hello, people!

My brother is going to be making a guest appearance at the game table this weekend. He moved to another state, did some college, got a job, got married, . . . . You know. Anyway, he's basically been away from the rpg table for about 5 years, and has not played Pathfinder before. He would like to play an archer ranger -- a riff on a character from a campaign many years past. I've been trying to get the build ready for him to take it and run, but I wanted to check with you guys before I handed him a completed character sheet.

Here's what we've got so far:

Human
STR 16
DEX 20
CON 12
INT 11
WIS 15
CHA 11
Level 6
Gear value -- 16,000 to 18,000 gp
Legal source material -- all official Paizo publications; EXCEPTION -- no traits.

The single greatest element I need to focus upon is feat selection, I think. Considering the party is only level 6, it seems that the pincushion approach is the best, so a lot of the feats seem obvious: Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, Manyshot -- but what to do with the other two choices?

And, regarding the gear -- I'm guessing that a +1 mighty (+3) composite longbow is the most reasonable bow to use at this point? Or should I boost Str and go for mighty (+4) ?

Thanks, folks! Game on.


Do any of you DMs/GMs out there have a method you use to generate the population of your nations/provinces? For instance, I have generated a city I'm calling Greenstone, and I have its total population (11,760) and the boundaries of the region for which it serves as the baronal seat. What approach would you all recommend for determining how many people live in the lands governed by the Baron of the Eastern Reaches?

This is obviously an economics question, I guess, and I hate math (I've even got the t-shirt), but I'm willing to put in the time to build as specific a world as I can. If any of you have a systematic approach to this sort of thing, I would love to read about it. Besides, I've got 6 other baronies to populate just for this one kingdom, nevermind the other 9 significant geo-political powers I have already placed in this setting. I'm trying to crystallize a start-up point for this setting so I can tell a handful of central stories and then have a real, "lived-in" world in which to run any and all future campaigns. It's a huge project, but I won't rest until it's done.


Second verse, same as the first --

I have a wild and ridiculous question, folks: would a straight conversion of the old 3.5 scout with full BAB be too much? This feels like pipe dream material to me, but there's nothing I'd like more than to put skirmish together with full base attack . . . .

Beyond that, any and all links, suggestions, or comments on converting the scout over would be welcome!

Thanks!


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I am a fan of the marshal base class from the miniatures handbook that D&D put out a number of years back, and I even liked the warlord classes from 4th edition a little bit (though the whole problem with that system was that it turned *everyone* into a wizard . . . .). I would like your input regarding the idea of boosting the original class progression a fair amount, to pull it to more even standing with the Pathfinder core classes. There are a couple of people in my local playgroup who have expressed an interest in making use of the class, and I know i'll need a great deal of help to get it something like right.

Here are some of the ideas I am floating (and apologies in advance for the lack of precise language in places) :

1) Decisive Action (Ex) -- Once per day, the marshal may react to emerging conditions on the battlefield with remarkable quickness. As a swift action, the marshal may activate this ability and take either a move action or an attack action on the turn's current initiative count. A move action taken this way must involve tactical movement -- the marshal must move from his currently occupied square and end the movement in a different square; an attack action taken this way taken this way must be performed with a readied weapon and uses the marshal's highest base attack bonus. Due to the intense focus this requires on the marshal's part to execute, actions taken with the Decisive Action ability do not stack with extra actions granted by means of the haste spell or similar effects. The marshal gains one additional daily use of this ability at levels 5, 9, 13, and 17.

2) Lesser Aura Mastery (Ex) -- At 10th level, the marshal's ability to react to the fluid conditions of warfare improves. He gains a pool of tactical points equal to 3 + 1/2 his marshal class level beyond 10th that renew after an 8-hour rest. A tactical point may be expended by the marshal as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity to grant one ally within range of the marshal's aura the benefit of one inactive minor aura the marshal knows for one round, in addition to the active minor aura the marshal has selected.

3) Greater Aura Mastery (Ex) -- At 19th level, the marshal's ability to guide his allies becomes legendary. The marshal may now have two active minor auras and one active major aura at all times. This allows the marshal to use his tactical points to grant a third aura benefit to an ally per the Lesser Aura Mastery ability.

Those are just a few ideas; got a couple more coming, but I am at work, and taking the time to type this little bit up is frowned upon!


Hello, all. This is my first post here, and I hope that some of you will be willing to give me some input regarding my current Pathfinder character -- Attoraxx, a CN cleric of Rovagug. I've got so many directions I could go with him, and a few I "should" go with (likely) (oh, and note the "bunny ears" everywhere -- I'm not here for #DoingItWrong comments), but this is what it comes down to: I'm pretty uncertain about what course to take.

I've been playing RPGs for running up on 20 years, overall, and the sad fact is that this character is in the longest-running single campaign ever, in terms of level advancement. I've finally gotten third level spells, and I'm at the limit of my previous experience. While I've built characters in AD&D, 3.0, 3.5, 4th, and Pathfinder, mapping them all from 1st to 20th, I've never gotten a chance to PLAY THEM past 5th level. Sure, there have been a few one-shots in the 10th - 16th level bracket, but a single 5-hour-long combat encounter doesn't count for anything, really.

Here's what I've got so far, storywise -- oh, and I don't want ANY spoilers. NONE. -- : town of Sandpoint, fighting against the Thistletop goblin tribe and their allies to a decisive victory, and now embroiled in a murder mystery involving some nasty undead (anybody else hate ghasts??). For the previous 4 levels, Attoraxx was the only caster in the party, and being the self-serving jerk that he is, he leveraged that power to accrue most of the wealth. And in a party with 4 melee tanks and 1 caster, I had plenty of time for him to loot corpses while my "buddies" were mowing down the opposition farther down the hallways (And don't worry, I'll get to some particulars on the other 4 characters in the group in a bit, and *then* provide technical details on Attoraxx himself). Attoraxx has managed to even extort monies from the other players to pay for wands of cure light wounds ("My god doesn't let me do much healing, y'all"), he's been working as the party rogue ("Go grab that table from upstairs and set it over that pressure plate, then we'll all crawl over."), and wound up killing the LG samurai in self defense shortly after the win at Thistletop (and gaining 5th level . . . . y'all can fill in the blanks, just make sure you count about 600 gp worth of onyx and 50 gp of silver dust). I'm playing a character with a hate relationship with the deity of his own struggle with fatalism, who tries to live for the good things in each moment (took a break from a fight to hijack the best cut of meat from a banquet table), and who has a pragmatic approach to the idea of being the last man standing when *everything* falls apart.

And I'm loving every minute of it.

Now, regarding the mechanics: our GM told us to roll 4d6rr1s six times, and arrange as we liked. I mustered out with Str 17, Dex 11, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 16. I thought the party was going to be a bit more diverse than it turned out, and had planned on being a mid-ranker/finisher -- boy, could I not have been more wrong. We had an undead bloodline bloodrager spelleater, a samurai/fighter (for armor training 1), a tower shield/bastard sword sunder tank, and a tanking monk (who, no lie, insisted on spending feats for the +2 save bonuses -- he's kinda new, and didn't realize our ability scores were already past busted). The GM's very apt description of Attoraxx basically summed it up: "Whoo! Go team! Great job killing everything guys! Don't mind me while I scoop all the loot into my backpack, sacks, and pouches!!"

Here's where Attoraxx stands, currently:

Str 17
Dex 12 (+1 at 4th)
Con 14
Int 14
Wis 18 (+2 headband)
Cha 16

HP 40

Feats (in order): Selective Channeling, Channel Smite, Improved Channel, Craft Wondrous Item

Gear: Elven chainmail, greataxe, javelin, morningstar, mwk heavy steel shield, ring of protection +1, Sihedron medallion, wand of CLW (40 charges), various sundries for adventuring, savings in the neighborhood of 800 gp (I hoarded and sold EVERYTHING -- ant haul on a horse-drawn cart from Thistletop to Sandpoint -- we even got the bronze-gold alloy helmet the giant crab was wearing as a shell)

Domains: Destruction, Weather

I know that much of what you see here will get many sets of eyes rolling, ranging from "too overpowered", to "crummy feats and domains, dude", to "how come the whole party didn't kill this guy?!". So, here's my preemptory defense -- 1) I didn't pick the ability score method; 2) I was sold on the idea of a greataxe-wielding cleric that called down the lightning (yes, I like the 8th-level granted Weather domain power) and had a handful of "big gun" attacks per day, hence, Channel Smite; and 3) Everyone has a price, and LG samurai that choose to operate solo (very true to character, good dramatic elements) and roll 4 hours on a Gather Information check to dredge up enough evidence to chase after the suspicious cleric (who skipped lunch for 8 straight days to build the headband and a Str belt for the sunder tank -- remember the mid-fight snack break?) only to kick in the door of an hours-over desecrated animate dead on the bugbear, the wizard girl, her wannabe loverboy, and the fallen aasimar get poleaxed quite handily by failing a hold person save and getting the High Five of Death with a channeled destructive smite on an inflict serious wounds.

Here are a few things I know about, moving forward: I'm going to be taking the two Spell Penetration feats, Spell Focus feats in necromancy, and very likely Skill Focus in Spellcraft (to help deal with the pesky difficulties of crafting items with spells I can't know). I'm not sure about Reach, Extend, Empower, or Maximize spell (though I really like the idea of seeing a big battle coming and taking a day to maximize every variable spell I cast for the following day with incense of meditation). Command Undead makes sense (especially given how badly the sunder tank suffered from those shadows in the dungeon at Thistletop -- and he's Attoraxx's FRIEND), but may be too narrow, and I didn't want this guy to be a Necromonger knock-off at the outset.

And to complicate it all that much further, the samurai player came back as a CN skald (cutting off some of the angles with the looting advantage), and the monk (who multiclassed in shaman) wrote himself out of the story not long after he realized just how big a nerfhammer he had beaten himself with upon taking Vow of Poverty and wasn't qinggong or mystic, but brought back a different monk of the LE variety and splashed warpriest. So now I'm not the only caster, we still don't have a rogue, there's probably ANOTHER in-party showdown coming, I have a squad of loyal bodyguards who mostly stand around because they can't get to the front lines and don't have Precise Shot, and I'm trying to have this character actually make it to the end of the Rise of the Runelords story without wrecking the good thing our playgroup has going.

Thanks for reading, thanks for your input, and thanks for playing the game, all in advance.

So -- what does Attoraxx do next?!