T.A.O.R.U.'s page

T.A.O.R.U. hums thoughtfully.

"Your mother used to say something similar--that as far as she could tell from my face, I was the king of sarcasm."

Though no expression crosses his artificial face, his eyes brighten at the memory. "And then your father would reply that if I was the king of sarcasm, then your mother was certainly the queen. I did enjoy their banter."

"I certainly hope we are," says T.A.O.R.U.. "I get the feeling that the captain wouldn't appreciate us asking to turn around because you forgot to pack enough socks."

Alright, mostly I want an actual post detailing what exactly is going on right now, because I'm feeling super fuzzy on the details. From our last discussion, what I remember is that the Vanderboren parents went missing four years ago, and now Lavinia, as an almost-adult, has convinced myself and Vanthus to go investigate some clue about their whereabouts. And I'm supposed to have some kind of ulterior plan about what our business is. So, where is it that we're going, specifically? Are we on our way to meet someone? What's the clue that she's found that was solid enough to convince the family guardian to not only go with her to investigate it, but also bring along a 15-year-old?

I need more concrete details to work with, especially when it comes to setting and people. I don't know this world like you do.

Dot

I have an older version as well, I'd love to see the updates that have come along. Keep it up, Kirth!

Taoru draws and lights another sunrod, tossing it into the darkened hallway.

Taoru leaves the bars and heads down the hall to the right.

Taoru inspects the bars, testing their strength.

Taoru leaves the bodies where they lie and tries the door.

New players means a different game, Taoru thinks. Hopefully this won't over-complicate the mission. He checks the bodies for any equipment worth collecting before moving on.

Humans? As far as Taoru was aware, this was a Giantish installation. Who are the dead humans? He inspects both bodies for insignias, heraldry, or anything else of note.

New Chart
I took out everything but the exp/post columns. Should be a lot easier to navigate now.

Not my fault you can't read a spreadsheet or operate a calculator. Where did you even get 1,196? I honestly can't tell how you came up with the math for that. 1,196/23 posts is 52, which wasn't on the chart at all. The closest thing to that is the 5th level 1% chart, which would have been 50x23=1150.

[b]Taoru[\b] grunts and watches it go. Not a threat worth pursuing.

PBP Experience/Post

Taoru snorts in disgust, then launches a jab at the creature.

That can't be good.

Taoru lashes out at the ooze thing again. One threat at a time . . .

"Practiced Aegis

Prerequisites: Ability to manifest an astral suit

Benefit: You may count four levels in classes other than aegis for determining the effectiveness and uses per day of your craftsman, reconfiguration, and augment suit abilities, and your effective aegis level to qualify for customizations (i.e. an aegis 4/rogue 4 with this feat would be able to select customizations that require an aegis level of 8). This feat does not grant any of these abilities earlier than they would normally be available."

The three class features that I left out of this feat are damage reduction, customization points, and power points per day. I feel like this feat stacks up nicely against the Practiced Fighter feat that we talked about that allows multiclass levels towards bravery, armor training, weapon training, and effective fighter level for fighter feats. I would love for this to apply to customization points, but it would effectively give me five extra customization points over the eight levels that this feat takes effect, which is pretty massive. If I had the feat at this level I would have three more customization points than I do now, which would let me already have harness power stone and powerful build. Which would be sexy, but powerful. Anyway, let me know what you think.

Okay, so after the talk we had I did some research. Here's what I found:

In 3.5, the Drunken Master prestige class (which I would be eligible to take a level of at level 6) dealt his unarmed strike damage PLUS a flat 1d4, regardless of the weapon used (though a broken bottle is listed as the most common improvised weapon).

In Pathfinder, the Improvised Weapon Mastery feat implies improvised weapon damage of 1d4 for a light weapon, 1d6 for a one-handed weapon, and 1d8 for a 2-handed weapon, which increase when you take Improvised Weapon Mastery to 1d6, 1d8, and 2d6 respectively.

In Pathfinder, the Monk of the Empty Hand gets the ability at 5th level to increase his improvised weapon damage TO his unarmed strike damage.

What I would prefer (obviously) would be to deal at least my unarmed strike damage with improvised weapon, otherwise the option really isn't that useful to me. Let me know your thoughts on that, though.

As far as Monk v Rogue, I'm still pretty torn. If I added Rogue I'd probably go ahead and drop both Fast Learner and Improvisation, since the extra 4 skill points and expanded class skill list from the rogue would let me surpass the bonus from Improvisation fairly quickly.

In terms of damage potential:

At level 9 (monk 5/aegis 4), with superior unarmed strike, a monk belt, battlefist, powerful build, and the expansion power, unarmed strike damage comes to 6d6 (avg 21) damage per attack, full attack (3 attacks at +6/+6/+1, avg 63) damage on a full attack.

At level 9 (rogue 5/aegis 4), with improved unarmed strike, craven (feat that adds character level to sneak attaks), a monk belt, a battlefist, powerful build, and the expansion power, unarmed strike damage comes to 4d6+3d6+9 (avg 33) on a sneak attack, 4d6 (avg 14) on regular attacks, full attack (2 attacks at +7/+2, avg 67) on a sneaking full attack, and (avg 28) on regular full attacks.

And if I wanted to be really silly

At level 9 (rogue 2/monk 3/aegis 4), with superior unarmed strike, craven, a monk belt, battlefist, powerful build, and expansion, unarmed strike damage comes to 4d8+1d6+9 (avg 30) damage per sneak attack, (avg 18) per regular attack, full attack (3 attacks at +7/+7/+2 for 4d8+1d6+9, avg 91) on a sneaking full attack, and (avg 54) on a regular full attack.

I'd really like to alter Craven though. Adding character level to sneak attack is just plain hot, but I really hate the flavoring and the penalty to fear saves. I'd be interested in re-working the feat so that it was +1/2 character level as Improved Sneak Attack or something like that with no save penalties, or full character level but with a penalty to something else. Something like:

Practiced Sneak Attack

You excel at striking vital targets, but your training has left you less able to tackle foes head-on.

Prerequisites: Sneak Attack 1d6

Benefit: When making a sneak attack, you deal an extra point of damage per character level. However, you take a -2 penalty on all attacks that are not sneak attacks.

-2 is annoying no matter what level you are. and fighting against another rogue would be hell. Let me know what you think of that feat ASAP. I think I'm probably going to go ahead and do all three classes. Wild.

K, I want you to take a look at this:

"Redirection

Prerequisites: Dex 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +8.

Benefit: As an immediate action, you can attempt a reposition or trip combat maneuver against a creature that you threaten and that attacks you. If the combat maneuver is successful, the attacker is sickened for 1 round plus 1 additional round at 4th level and for every four levels afterward to a maximum of 6 rounds at 20th level, with a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + ½ your character level + your Wis modifier) to halve the duration. You gain a +2 on the combat maneuver check and the save DC of the sickened condition increases by 2 if the attacker is using Power Attack or is charging. The benefit increases to a +4 bonus and an increase of the saving throw by 4 if both apply. You may attempt a redirection once per day for every four levels you have attained (but see Special), and no more than once per round.

Special: A flowing monk receives Redirection as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. A monk may attempt a redirection a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk."

This is based on the Stunning Fist/Punishing Kick feats which the Redirection class feature for the flowing monk replaces. I don't know why this ability wasn't turned into a feat when they first released it, seeing as how it fits with the format of the other two and it would have been really easy to just say, "And the flowing monk gets these additional bonuses to Redirection," since that's what they did with the original monk and Stunning Fist. Sometimes I really wish that Pathfinder had just made class archetype abilities function like variant class features from 3.5. I know it would have taken up more space and allowed for more cherry picking, but I really hate not being able to just do certain things. Like Exploit Weakness, for the Martial Artist. It's SUCH a cool ability, and I love the idea of having non-magical monks, but you can't just dip four levels of monk to get it because its power is specifically based on monk level and not character level, and his other archetype abilities are so specific that its really just laughable, but why can't THAT ability be available in some form as a feat? For that matter, why aren't there other class abilities available in a lesser format? Superior Unarmed Strike mimics monk unarmed damage progression, Avenging Strike mimics the paladin's smite ability, there are feats and spells that allow players to enter a lesser version of rage, so why don't we have something that mimics sneak attack? Or something that lets you qualify for fighter feats (later, of course)? Actually, there IS something like that second one, it's just longsword specific, which wouldn't be hard to alter (you can qualify for fighter feats with x specific weapon as if you were a fighter of 1/2 your character level). So why isn't there one for sneak attack? Favored enemy? I'm not gonna lie, right now I'm feeling kinda restricted by the whole class ability system.

Whoo. Glad I got that out there.

Anyway. Redirection is something I'd like Taoru to be able to do once he qualifies for it. It fits with his defensive combat theme, and there are actually NO feats that include the flavor that if your opponent is being reckless (i.e. Power Attacking or charging) that it's easier to take advantage of his momentum and put him on his ass.

This feat version is less powerful than the class feature (the class feature lets you redirect an attack against an ally at 4th level, do both reposition and trip at 8th level, and redirect an attack from an enemy with reach at 12th level), which matches the way it works for the other two feats. The class feature's saving throw is based on Reflex, which I changed to Fortitude because it didn't make sense to me that a Reflex save would help combat the sickened condition.

Taoru glances over his shoulder to see what's behind him.

"Not this time, muck-bucket." Taoru scrambles to his feet before viciously stomping down on the sludge pile again.

Taoru attempts to slip to one side as the thing launches itself at him.

If Taoru could grin, he would. Still holding the bandolier, he begins stomping on the disgusting blob with abandon.

From the bandolier in his hand, Taoru draws a vial of acid and, clutching it in his clenched fist, slams his hand down through the creature and against the floor, crushing the vial as he does.

Taoru stomps down on the squelching mess and reaches for his chest compartment, drawing out his bandolier again.

"Organics. Disgusting."

Taoru launches himself at the abomination, throwing his weight behind a vicious right hook.

Taoru scrambles to his feet, whirling to face the mouth of the "tunnel".

Into the creepy little hole it is, then. Taoru returns to the cell with the tunnel, puts his bandolier back in its compartment to avoid accidentally crushing any of the reagents, and begins crawling through the hole.

Edit: Taoru checks the other two open cells.

Taoru reaches into his chest compartment and draws out one of his sunrods and strikes it on his leg, igniting it. He moves cautiously to the edge of the hole, tossing the sunrod through it towards the shadow in the hall.

Taoru begins checking the rooms, beginning with the second door on the left side.

Taoru eyes the shadowy doorway of the control room warily, but continues moving, heading to the end of the hall and down the stairwell there.

Taoru slowly replaces the tanglefoot bag, scanning the area for other possible threats. If nothing is immediately apparent, he turns back to the closed doors and attempts to open each one.

Ok, so there is a little bit of a question about the bandolier. It says if I have the restraints on, then it takes a move action to draw something out, and if I don't then it's "even faster". I assume that would mean a swift action, even though it doesn't explicitly say. And if I'm not drawing it as a swift action, then there's no point in me wearing the bandolier, because I can draw anything I want from my compartments as a move action that doesn't provoke. Also, I wanted to suggest an alternative for the current psiforged trait. In 3.5, psiforged meant you took a feat called psiforged body, which gives you a power point at 1st level and lets you treat your body like a cognizance crystal. I would like to either swap Wild Talent for psiforged body or trade one of my other feats for it, because I like the idea of being a cognizance crystal. Thoughts?

T.A.O.R.U. whirls, snatching a tanglefoot bag from his bandolier and bracing himself for an attack.

T.O.A.R.U. moves on, slipping down the hallway to the other open cell door.

T.A.O.R.U. moves forward cautiously, listening carefully for clues as to what might lie ahead. He approaches the wreckage of the shattered cell door and peers inside.

T.A.O.R.U. continues up the stairs.

K, I'm working for . . . Breland? Yes?

As T.A.O.R.U. moves stealthily up the stairs, he mentally reviews his mission briefing.

Anything you want me to read to get into the setting? More specifically, anything you DON'T want me to read?

. . .

What? No, it's solo, you can't just--

Yes. Yes it is.