TheRonin wrote:
Going to bump this real quick.
Hi Guys, I am a GM and I have been thinking about running another newbie friendly game. Really enjoyed doing this in the past. It would be probably a Friday night early evening by west coast standards. Probably a one shot game, maybe a few sessions over a few weeks. Any to no experience is needed. Feel free to ask any and all questions, don't be shy. Message me at nissanguy24@gmail.com if you are interested. Or skype me at natsuronin and just say Hi, Interested in the game etc. Feel free to bring a friend. Thanks for your time or interest!
I ran a mythic campaign, homebrew not wrath, but ran into a lot of the same problems as the OP, anything that could survive the PCs for a round could usually kill the PCs. I resolved this problem by making the Advanced template mandatory for everything. Gave toughness as a free feat to everything, and then doubling to trippling the HP of every NPC.. 4x for boss type fights. The PCs were still powerful but things actually had a chance to fight them at this point.
Shiney wrote:
It doesn't sound like your group feels that way, It sounds like YOU feel that way and have browbeat the GM until he just gave up and let you have your way.
Haste is going to get use every combat. Fireball is more situation but dont make the mistake of never learning/preparing it, when appropriate it is REALLY good. (And its range is fantastic... who in the party is going to deal 5d6 damage at 800 feet? no one but you) Summon Monster has uses but summon monsters take a round to call. The first time a mook hits you with an arrow while you are summoning and you lose the spell you are going to wish you had fireballed the mooks so the melee can focus on the big guy. Summoned Monsters can also be dispelled. Thats no fun. Speaking of which Dispel Magic is a great one to get for level 3 too... Room full of mummies? You and your martials are going to be happy you prepared Fireball =)
Half-Axe beak template: These monstrous creatures are sired by male druids in taboo rituals or occasionally by outsiders such as incubus who have given up all standards. They have the muscular legs of axebeaks, often grotesquely attached to the torso of the creature the father was. They often have malshapen heads and large beaks, their bodies are decorated with tiny unusable feathers. +2 strength +2 dex -2 wisdom -6 charisma -6 intelligence Special: The creature loses its natural ability to fly if it had it, but gains 50 foot run speed and the run feat and improved initiative. If the base creature does not have a bite attack it gains one. About: Half-Axebeaks mature faster than the host species allowing the GM to introduce your deformed offspring as early as the next game session you sick bastard.
If you are looking for a live game we are looking for 2 more for our upcoming Crimson Throne campaign http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pdpw?Seeking-2-for-Curse-of-the-Crimson-Throne RP would be very welcome. We play with Skype and Maptools. Thats the GM's post right there. feel free to send her a reply.
Gallo wrote:
Indeed. I enjoyed the irony in your post for similar reasons.
Gallo wrote:
Now, to be fair that is more formatting than grammar.
Ishpumalibu wrote: Roberta, you obviously don't understand the concept that most communities, unless extremely large are going to have most if not all the thieves know eachother,, even if only by reputation. Also, using a different approach and being proactive is worth a try, your negativity is not. No, I think she gets that. She's saying the issue is the GM being vindictive, You can flay alive every thief you see, but the GM will still have unrelated thieves attempt it again.
My Bard is a singer, and i've come to the same issue. I've thought of a few things. Masterwork Pitch Pipes, Masterwork Tuning Fork, Masterwork Sheet Music (Hate this one) Masterwork Outfit (+2 to any one perform skill?). Any other ideas? She's a singer, she sings in every tavern she visits or tries to. The other thing though for a generic 'tool' shouldn't they be priced the same as a masterwork musical instrument to be fair?
Kyran and Edeldhur both drive their rapier's home critically injuring their respective reefclaws. Kyran's is driven directly through what passes for a head, and begins to die. In its death throws it goes into a frenzy. Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Edeldhur's is badly injured but still fighting and swimming.
As Trax casts Bless Sandara looks up and notices the Reefclaws. Henk is swimming towards Reefclaw2. Sandara swims to the surface and begins casting a spell. Kyran 21 Is gathering crabs
Reefclaw 2 Attacks Henk. 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17 to AC
If it hits Poison and Grapple:
poison (Ex) Claw—injury; save Fort DC 13; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d2 ⇒ 1 Str; cure 1 save. and Grapple: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24 if that exceeds your CMD you are grappled.
Reefclaw 1 attacks Kyran
If it hits Poison and Grapple:
poison (Ex) Claw—injury; save Fort DC 13; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d2 ⇒ 1 Str; cure 1 save. and Grapple: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14 if that exceeds your CMD you are grappled.
I am sure I just missed it but I am not exactly sure what Edeldhur and Kilarra are doing on this turn. You two basically go last anyways so feel free to take it after you witness the above. Then we can go the next round.
Kevin Morris wrote:
You aren't singing and dancing! You are manipulating reality and the hearts and minds of your allies with your very presence!
Kevin Morris wrote:
Check out the archetypes then, they are a great way to change the default flavor and pick up some new abilities along the way, and theres some great bard archetypes! Archeology, Arcane Duelist, Dervish Dance, Dirge Bard, Water Singer, Thundercaller and many others.
At the moment it will take at least two move actions for anyone to teach(sic) them (except Sandara) so keep that in mind Henk. * Reach! not teach! Reach them! Remember you can move half your land speed in the water as a full round action, or quarter as a move action. both creatures are about 20 feet away from the group and about 20 feet down on the surface. .
Lugo:
Trax and Henk get Lugo's attention, who feels its prudent to return to the surface. He uses his turn to do so. Kyran, Sandara, Edeldhur, Ornotck and Kilarra stay on the ocean floor gathering their crabs Henk and Trax and Lugo make it to the surface . Trax yells for the ship but its a bit to far for anyone to hear or respond. Round 3 -
Spoiler:
Reefclaw 1 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7 Reefclaw 2 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17 Kyran 21
The Reef claws seem to spot the characters on the ocean floor and they look like they are beginning to swim in the direction of the characters. Those on the surface won't be able to see this due to the glare.
Thank you all for the responses. I am taking them all under advisement. Next game session I am going to set them down and basically tell them straight up, that while this is an open ended campaign, and they can side with whomever they want... they need to do it as a group. I am going to have one of their NPC allies who has hired them demand they all follow up in a tip he received. And once that happens they are going to get hit hard. Several tough encounters planned. Not unwinnable, but tough. This city they are in (A homebrew kingdom in the southern river kindgoms) is about to have all hell break loose, and they can either hang together, or hang separately (to borrow a phrase).
Krome wrote:
I don't mind doing this, but the open and organic parts of the campaign are whats causing the most trouble because no one wants to do anything or interact with anyone. They seem to respond best when someone approaches them "I have a mission for you, you will get 200 gold for going here and dealing with X" To the point where when someone got a new lead, and decided to investigate something plot important another character didn't follow but instead went to wait by the sewers he was paid to investigate something in. Even though the person with the key to get in AND the NPC who paid him agreed it was better to follow up on the other lead and do the sewers after and even went to the other lead himself.
Thank you all for the responses. Some of the ideas I've also been thinking about. I will talk with them next game session too and sit them down. It's possible they just don't like the campaign, though I was pretty frank and up front with them originally about what they would be doing. Theres a few plot points coming up next session that should drive home exactly how much danger they are going to be in if they don't stick together so perhaps that will help too. One problem might be the very open ended campaign style might not be right for a few players. I know one guy is fairly new and may not feel confident enough to suggest things to do, I might talk to him privately and see if thats the case. A few times its very much been"Okay heres where you are, you guys meet back up at your base of operations, heres what you see there, *lists new people hanging out at the tavern* what are you going to do" *crickets*. Maybe I should give them some more obvious hooks for them to latch onto.
Hey guys, I am running a homebrew urban campaign and I am having a hell of a time keeping the party in any one spot with out them wanting to divide up and go in 2-4 different directions. Details:
Part of it is an issue of the characters not really liking each other (they just hit level 2 so it's pretty early). a big part is the campaign itself, I gave them all little side goals, hoping they would use their 'friends' to try to accomplish their goals. Instead they largely just want to run off on their own. The idea being there are a number of factions and those factions are using the players in their own ways. Its lead to a few silly things like a player ditching the others to run off on their own to meet with a shady assassin in their own on the assassin's turf. Or one player running off to meet with a plot critical NPC that everyone was supposed to meet, then not telling the other players/characters what she learned because she doesn't trust them. (They are supposed to be working on a mystery and no one is talking to each other). One player completely disregarding the original plot hook because his character was disinterested. I find I keep having to have NPCs show up and offer to pay them to go places together. I gave them an NPC cleric who was working on the case just so he could pay them to follow the original campaign hook. So far I have had a hell of a time getting the four PCs in any one place at one time because of it. Finally I decided to not pull any punches and tossed a CR 2 encounter they were all supposed to go up against, against two of them who were the least equipped to deal with it (though there were several outs there incase it went bad). They actually pulled off a surprising victory though, but I am hoping it drove home the danger they are in. There have also been several out of character conflicts regarding one character getting more spot light than another. All of which is bleeding into the game AND making it more difficult because I can't run four games at once, if they split up someone is going to end up sitting on their hands while the others do stuff. The group make up is... I think part of the problem. of the four characters one has only the slightest interest in the plot, another has her own agenda and does not care about the plot. Another is interested but his player isn't the kind to actually lead or take initiative when it comes to learning stuff. The other is interested and good at that but has been conflicting with two other players over various things and I think this is negatively effecting the group. So, that was rambly any advice on salvaging this group? TL/DR Players all want to do different things in a very non-linear campaign. And keep splitting up and not working together and its giving me a headache and I can't throw any of the bad guys at them with out fear of killing them.
Mine is Order of the Blue Rose. So the idea is the first round shes usually offering surrender terms. so it actually works out really well. First round approach the enemy and offer terms (or toss a 'tanto' (just a skinned dagger) at them, second round end the fight.... at least thats the theory! She spent her debute as an NPC rolling 1s!
We are on the second round (about to go forward) but Edeldhur is right, it's a round to the ocean floor, and a round back to the surface for all of you. I think Sandara can make it in a move action though because of the spell she cast. Remember swimming you move a quarter your move speed. I gave everyone random depths to the ocean floor but I think that still make it a full round or two move actions to reach the ocean floor for everyone. A few characters are electing to catch crabs instead of move to the surface because they are unconcerned with the threat or did not see it yet. But no one should be able to do both.
Phatbac is right on the will saves. Last thing you want to do is get dominated or something and roll max damage on an Iaijutsu strike on your buddy standing next to you. For my character I took dodge and toughness at level 1, as the Iaijutsu strike really leaves the character vulnerable. And even Samurai are relatively squishy at that level.
I built a similar character recently both as a PC for a Pbp and as an NPC for a live game I run. Inspired by likely some of the same concepts as you. One thing I decided was two handing a Katana with decent strength I really didn't need power attack that early. Because she already does plenty of damage for a level 1, especially with the challenge ability. Especially since you really really need to hit with your Iaijitsu strike. basically you hit a low level monster and its going down. However I love the equipment trick Idea and I am going the same route. It might be worthwhile to spend one of your bonus feats on "Catch Off-Guard" so you can use your scabbard, or scabbarded sword without a -4 penalty. I think mine will do that.
Knowledge(nature) 11 or Dungeoneering 11: Blood-red spines run the length of this frightening creature, which resembles a lobster in the front and an eel in the back. These are Reefclaws, resembling large shrimp monsters they are known for their large pinchers, they are quite aggressive Reefclaws are vicious predators. They possess greater intelligence than animals, but rely mainly on their strength and instincts to survive. They hunt fish, giant crabs, dolphins, and even land-dwelling creatures that come within a hundred paces of the water. In populated areas, reefclaws prey on beachcombers, divers, and fishermen, sometimes abandoning their usual solitary nature and coordinating attacks with other reefclaws. The creatures must be wary, however, because in some regions, these abominations find their way to the dinner plate. Brave fishermen troll bays and coastlines infested with reefclaws, baiting the creatures with fresh meat and then harvesting their powerful claws with axes. Reefclaws cannot speak, but the creatures understand the languages used by humanoids near their hunting grounds. They use this knowledge in order to avoid fishermen and coordinate attacks. Reefclaws keep no treasure, instead savoring the taste of flesh and crunch of bone and shell as much as a miser covets his gold. A typical reefclaw reaches approximately 3-1/2 feet long at adulthood and weighs 70 pounds. Females gather to breed once every 2 to 3 years, engaging in a predatory hunt for a male and leaving him shredded to pieces. They are also known for their Death Frenzy, a violent spasm they go into as they die.
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