Valcrim Flinthammer's page

I love the attitude of "as a CN character, this should be irrelevant to you".

Because yeah, those two letters on the character sheet will define exactly how you react to every situation and CN equals apathic.

Your alignment is a consequence of how your character acts and thinks, not an exact definition of your personality.

Chaotic Neutral?

It's a pretty ridiculous argument that a fighter is "balanced" because he never runs out of resources, when most every other class does. A party is only as strong as the weakest member, and when the casters are depleted, the party is weak. The fighter cannot make up for their shortcomings. It does help a little if the party is conservative with their resources for an extended dungeon crawl, but it has been an age since I last participated in one of those campaigns.

This is why I hardly ever play fighters, preferring paladins as my go-to martial class. You are awesome about as long as the casters with your lay on hands and smites, and when you are dry, it is time to camp.

Knowing stuff has always been part of the D&D stat "Intelligence" in every incarnation. There is no real mechanic in the game for reasoning. No skill, no check. You know, or you don't. The closest thing I have seen is what they do in Shattered Star, where you do Linguistics for word puzzles, which becomes a flat int check if you do not have linguistics.

Knowing stuff is KINDA part of real life intelligence, if you think of intelligence as your reasoning/acquiring ability. The more you know, the more stuff your brain can compare stuff to, and build upon. But there is an inherent intelligence that is different in people, which I think is what people consider "Real" intelligence. The kind that makes you consider someone "gifted" rather than "educated".

That said, the interpretation of what the numbers mean in PF is up to the individual. Even if we all come to agree on the definition of the word, what does the number mean? Int 7 is the lowest possible stat for a character with a class that sets him above 90% of the world and makes him effectively a super hero past a certain level.

With that in mind, I am reluctant to consider Int 7 as barely functional.

I built a caster that could gate in CR 25 monsters. Timestop allows me bring in more than one. It was for a level 20 pbp tournament. The GM dropped out so I ended up running it. My caster was not going to lose to a level 20 party that knew they were coming.

@ the OP...If you want to know how the 20th level martial takes on the 20th level caster or lich from an in-world(no game mechanics involved), it is called GM Fiat, or because the author of the story said so. If you involve game mechanics, he will lose that fight if he does not bring help.

Note:This assumes the caster is ran by a competent player.

Pure martial, like fighter, rogue, monk or barbarian, and I am prone to agree that the caster is going to win by default, even if we are going "Martial seeks out caster, caster is prepared for him" route that inevitably is used when comparing a caster and a martial.

Versus a paladin or ranger, however, I think the chances are slightly less in full on favor of the caster. Because they have their own spells to fall back on, the paladin has high enough saves to resist half the spells coming his way, and both have magic to find and hunt down the caster. Still less than 10% chance of victory for the paladin or ranger though. Unless the caster is evil, then the paladin has a 20-30% success rate.

But again, this is hardly set in stone. Certain types of casters are less effective against certain martial characters. And if we assume that there is no previous knowledge of the fight on the side of the martial or the caster, then it comes down to initiative, really. Any martial worth his dump-stats is going to be able to full attack from the get-go, and do enough damage to bring down a caster. And there is no self-buff that lasts long enough to invalidate the martial anymore.

Assumption and result:
- Caster is prepared to fight martial, martial is not prepared to fight caster (aka default "I <3 wizards" mode): Caster wins, no question about it.

- Caster is not prepared, and the martial is prepared (aka be vewy vewy quwiet, I'm hunting wizzadz" mode): Initative decides, favoring martial.

- Both are unprepared for the exact opponent (aka Arena Mode): Initative if prebuffs are not allowed. Caster if buffs are allowed.

- Martial separated from his party (aka "Cinematic death" mode): Caster, as martial is dependent on others to even the playing field.

Yeah, unless the casters are played by selfish jerks, or inexperienced players, most every character in the party will have at LEAST resistance 30 against the common elements, spell immunity to the worst save or sucks, and means to engage most anything from level 12 and onwards.

Ever since we started playing 3.0, this statement has held true in every high level group in which I have ever played/been the GM. To assume that a fighter is without magical aid and protection is to assume that the party is flawed.

I think what people inadvertently or intentionally do here is use words that are... inappropriate to describe the level of function a person with limited stats can achieve.

A person with Int 7 can never be a MASTER of anything that has to do with intelligence. He can be ADEQUATE, heck, he can even be GOOD with sufficient investment. But the MASTER is one with max ranks, relevant feats AND the good Int score.

Cha/Int7-12 fighter will never be a master of anything int/cha related. Without heavy investment, they will fail level appropriate DCs when skills are called.

Cha/Int 14+ fighter can be good, but still lacking due to his choice of class. He will be adequately skilled to be relevant at trained skills in which he chooses to focus (intimidate, engineering etc), but his class still limits his trained skills and potential to build on skills. So they will not be MASTERS of any skill without heavy investment.

But if you really want to be a MASTER of a skill, you play a class and have stats to support the claim. You can make a PASSABLE combat rogue or monk, but no monk or rogue will hold his own in melee with a well made fighter. (inb4 example builds of monks with "good" AC and 'what if the rogue has this or that item, is this or that race, its dark, underwater, upsidedown and the stars are aligned?' situations. Everyone damn well knows to what I am referring)

As for the "Fighters makes better strategists/tacticians". Sadly, that is not the case. They have no skills or class abilities that even imply that they have a higher understanding of combat on a larger scale than "my pointy end goes in enemy". Cavaliers on the other hand, have class abilities to imply skill in tactics, due to having a class ability called 'Tactics'. And yes, a dumb cav makes a good leader, mechanically. Because mechanics. There is no mechanics in PF to determine strategy or even tactics in terms of planning. So that point is kinda moot.

In the end, I am for the dumb fighter coming up with the solution. It is good comedy. Like Gourry from Slayers realizing stuff to everyones surprise, and have them facepalm for not seeing the obvious solution staring them in the face. Dumb people tend to go for the more obvious solution, and smart people have a tendency to overthink.

Betcha not a lot of people want to chastise the Int22 wizard for finding the simple answer, yelling "PLAY YOUR INT, OT GTFO!"...

Ilja wrote:

"The rules doesn't say I can't" is an immature response to give seriously in an actual social scenario, kinda like the obnoxious kids in my junior high going all "the air is free! the air is free!" while pushing their hands a centimetre in front of my face.

Sure, I can't force you to roleplay a certain way. But I am free to tell you "sorry, this doesn't fly at our table. Find somewhere else to play.".

Likewise, your players are entitled to say: "Hey, we disagree, let's talk about this or we'll just find someone else to run the game".

I am not holding up the extremism DM forcing banner that many have suggested, but your (collective, to a few posters here) unwillingness to even be open to the concept is quite unnerving.

Again, I don't approve of dump stats, heck I don't even use the attribute allocation system, but I don't think low scores should make some "handicapped" character such as a trained Fighter class character that can't figure out what flanking is.

Wolves use pack tactics, which implies flanking. Int 2.

If I had a fighter flank, and a GM were to tell me "Play your Int 7!" at that point, I would bring my trolling a-game. I would require people to help me open my cans at the table, not move unless another character told me, have my character poo and pee his pants and run around town having conversations with animals and start hoarding sticks and shiny stuff. He would spend all his money on turnips, pick up a club, because hell if he can understand the complexities of wielding a SWORD, which is among the most complex weapons to take to a fight. Derail the game, yell at inappropriate moments when NPCs are talking, and so on.

If we are just talking fighters and barbarians... then none of this matters. Because the Int/Wis/Cha 7 dude is likely never going to be in a position where his word matters unless the GM sets him up to fail just on spite. He is there to tear stuff apart, and withstand the damage of other things that would crush his more eloquent and intelligent friends. That is his sole purpose.

How many characters have any of you played that do not into social stuff, and then step up and speak for the party? How many times have your progress been halted because your melee monster does not have knowledges? Or if we flip the coin, how many Str7-8 wizards have you played that insist on going melee?

If you feel there is some manner of need to punish someone for min-maxing, then don't allow it. And if someone is playing their character with knowledge beyond their scope, then request a relevant skill check. But if you open that can of worms, prepare to require that check from EVERYONE who comes up with an idea, regardless of point buy configuration. Some of the most intelligent people I know regularly gets stumped when confronted with a problem outside their field of interest/education.

An int 7 likely starts out with relatively few skills, and usually have a very low chance of succeeding in any field where intelligence applies due to his low score. But as he levels up, he can learn to overcome his shortcomings with skills, feats and magical items.

A cha 7 starts out with relatively few friends, and usually have a very low chance of influencing others due to his low score. But as he affects the world around him, he can earn true and loyal friends because saving someones life counts for more than being "a pretty cool dude".

As long as you do not argue those two, I have no problem with you portraying people however socially or intellectually backwards you want.

I just want to ask if 10-11 is average and if you had a 7 int then your %30 less intelligent then average. So by that your are Dumb by what most people would say. I am not saying that you cant be skilled but you are dumber then the average person. So a rogue with a 7 int would have 6 skill points and a rogue with a 10 would have 8 skill points. Now thats not to say that the fighter with his 3 skill points with a Int of 12 is dumber then a rouge with 7 int but the fighter is less skilled with noncombat skills (like feats). We need to remember that skill points do not show how smart you are just how skilled you are. But your Int dose show how smart you are. and brian now what else adds to damage with melee attacks then str?

Back in the 2e example I brought up "Knowledge" was part of the int sub-stats. So I will argue that your education comes into play. NOT going to argue that all people who complete an education are intelligent. But there is a whole lot between "Smart" and "Dumb".

Also, 30% is just one interpretation. Which is a valid one. Another valid one is 10% dumber, as those are the mechanical consequences. But the main reason I am a fervent believer that 7 is not "hurr durr, imma gonna eats me an rock" is because by the same reasoning, int 13+ would imply a godlike intellect. Also like to add that in the same way, I do not have people chase the cha7 dude with pitchforks, nor do I have them throw their unmarried daughters at the cha14+ bard.

As for melee attacks: Magical bonuses, weapon specialization, power attack, class abilities, buffs etc all factor in. My Jade Regent bard typically hits for 1d8+16 with his longsword (in two hands). Only 3 of those are from strength. 2 are from Arcane Strike, 2 is from inspire courage, 2 is from Good Hope (usually open combat by inspiring and casting good hope), 6 is from Power Attack, and the last one is the weapon enhancement.

Also, before I am misquoted, I will also add that "Not being terrible" does not imply that I am saying that they are GREAT.

A rogue with int 7, maxed ranks and skill focus (disable device) will only be AS GOOD as a rogue with int 12 and maxed ranks.

Almost every check in the game are equations in which ability scores play a part. Very few things are governed by ability scores alone.

If you have a combination of things that imply you are inept in a field, like playing a class with only 2+int skill points, very few (if any) trained skills, and no means to justify higher function, then I would think it bad form to play your character based off your own knowledges or reasoning level.

A barbarian with 7/7/7 for mental stats and no ranks in any knowledge skills should not be the one to suggest altering the abjurations on the summoning pentagram (arcana) to ensure that the unique fiend Gygaxifer (planes) cannot open a Gate to the abyss upon his prophesied arrival (history). That is just bad form and a flow-breaker.

I want to go on the record and remind people that there is a huge difference between saying you CAN play int 7 as the stereotypical slack-jawed idiot... and that you HAVE TO play int 7 as a stereotypical slack-jawed idiot.

There was a book I really enjoyed back in 2e that covered suggestions on how to roleplay interesting combinations of stats. Where one was a person with low int and good cha, that was able to SOUND very intelligent and articulate, but anyone knowledgeable on the topic would be able to see through his facade.

Kinda like the Eddie Izzard stand-up bit about the "Ich bin ein Berliner!" speech, which is grammatically incorrect, but since it was delivered well by a person that looked good delivering it, that was completely overshadowed.

So, yeah. How dumb IS a character with int 7?

I say "Tell me more about this character."

Heaggles: There are nuances that should be addressed. Like how Str alone does not determine how HARD you hit, Int alone does not determine everything related to knowledge and intelligence. You can have a good vocabulary, justifying it by having ranks in diplomacy and linguistics. You could have a good education by playing a class with lots of skill points. Your base potential alone is just one number in a bigger equation.

Valcrim Flinthammer wrote:

littlehewy wrote:

Are you claiming that Intelligence =/= intelligence?

Do you think the game designers meant for that stat to be a metric for intelligence?
If not, why did they use the word?

My 2cp: Because that is what they did in D&D, AD&D, 2E, 3E, 3.5?

An interesting note is that in 2E Players Option: Skills & Powers, you were given the option to partition Intelligence into TWO substats: Reason and Knowledge.

Reason governed your deductive reasoning, your ability to think abstract, solve puzzles and so on. Knowledge determined your level of education, governed you bonus languages and additional proficiencies, which today you translate to skillpoints.

Simplicity and backwards compatibility seems to me to fit more when applying Occam's Razor, rather than intent.

Also, back in the day, when the game was designed, there was NO mechanical difference between someone with Int 3 and int 8. The table even read "Int 3-8: 1 Bonus proficiency, no spellcasting". So for all intents and purposes Int3 = Int8 in the old days, when the game was made, if your character did not take any int based proficiencies.

Saying that a stat is more than what the table of modifiers imply is strictly up to the interpretation of every player and GM. There was a time when we were so spoiled with ability scores that we considered anything below 15 worthless. Because according to 2e tables... that was true.

You answered the last question (and thus implicitly the second I guess), but not the first. Care to?

I guess it might be a bit of a cop-out, but I think my answer would be "Depends on how you see it."

I have seen a ton of interpretations through my 20-odd years of playing roleplaying games, and I find that the textbook definition of intelligence encroaches on Wisdom on more than a few places.

Personally, I think that int and wis combined form the amalgam of what we consider to be intelligence IRL.

Are you claiming that Intelligence =/= intelligence?

Do you think the game designers meant for that stat to be a metric for intelligence?
If not, why did they use the word?

My 2cp: Because that is what they did in D&D, AD&D, 2E, 3E, 3.5?

An interesting note is that in 2E Players Option: Skills & Powers, you were given the option to partition Intelligence into TWO substats: Reason and Knowledge.

Reason governed your deductive reasoning, your ability to think abstract, solve puzzles and so on. Knowledge determined your level of education, governed you bonus languages and additional proficiencies, which today you translate to skillpoints.

Simplicity and backwards compatibility seems to me to fit more when applying Occam's Razor, rather than intent.

Also, back in the day, when the game was designed, there was NO mechanical difference between someone with Int 3 and int 8. The table even read "Int 3-8: 1 Bonus proficiency, no spellcasting". So for all intents and purposes Int3 = Int8 in the old days, when the game was made, if your character did not take any int based proficiencies.

Saying that a stat is more than what the table of modifiers imply is strictly up to the interpretation of every player and GM. There was a time when we were so spoiled with ability scores that we considered anything below 15 worthless. Because according to 2e tables... that was true.

Feeling better today. Managed my normal workout set, and have not had any significant pain. Hopefully, wife will stop worrying so much, so we can get this show back on track.

Around, but been sickly of late. Had a bit of surgery done, and they kinda messed up, leaving me prone to infection and fevers. Ironic, considering my character is a Fort-save monster :P

Valcrim drinks deeply from his mug and mutters a phrase in dwarven, none too cheery sounding.

He looks up at Koya and smirks "I'll heed yer love fer theatrics, little sister." then nods to Joya and Broderus "Och aye! Tha lad be smithin' words finer than ye'll see me smith steel. He may be a wee half-pint, but it be nae tha size o' yer flagon that matter most, when ye got quality brew!" he chuckles and lifts his mug "AMEIKO! A round fer tha new heroes, o' yer finest, darkest ale! They be lads no more, an' proper men drink proper ale!"

I am talking about the wakizashi, not the cold iron longsword. The weapon that nobody has relevant proficiency... seriously, my main complaint about this AP is that AFAIK most of the gear found is useless in the hands of 90% of the character classes. Should be a huge sticker on the front of the Players Guide: "PLAY A SAMURAI OR NINJA, OR YOU'LL NEVER HAVE ANYTHING NICE!"

Part saying he was going to fix it, and part being the dwarf that is not slowed down no matter how much stuff he hauls, and thus gets the position as party mule, I'll go out on a limb and assume Valcrim carries the sword.

Valcrim produces the twice-dead samurai's magical blade and tosses it to Joyabraund to present, not wanting to sour his performance by taking any of the spotlight.

"All warriors be startin' as boys. Like all blades be startin' as unshaped ore. Tha trials be tha hammer, an' tha danger be tha fire." Valcrim retorts before taking a swig "But with nae guidance an' drive, a blade cannae be forged from ore. Ye sell tha role as mentor short, an' forget tha fact o' me bein' yer senior by a few years yet." the dwarf chuckles to the fortune-teller.

"But ye dream o' more darkness?" he asks with a more serious mien.

Valcrim gets to caught up he even forgets to drink, mesmerized by the gripping performance, before clapping at the end "By Torag's beard, lad! Ye tell tha tale better than we lived it!"

The term Valcrim should have used is "Strike while the iron is hot". I really should not post at 7 in the morning, when stressing to get out the door."

Valcrim chuckles with the excited halfling "Aye, lad. Tha hotter tha steel, tha better ye can work it. First order on me part will be ta get tha taste o' goblin swamp outta me mouth! Lass, a stein o' yer strongest brew, if ye'd kindly!" he calls to Ameiko.

Then he settles by Koya's table. "Good ta see ye, old friend. Yer guidance in me priestly trainin' may be part o' tha reason some o' tha young'uns be standin today." he smiles and lifts his glass in a toast "A share o' tha glory be rightly yers." he insists.

"Let's go then. Hopin' tha taste o' hops an' barley'll wash away tha taste o' swampgas from me throat." Valcrim chuckles "An' give tha sheriff me regards, lads."

Valcrim strokes his beard "Tha forge or tha Dragon? Work or ale?" he looks at the rest of the group "Reckon we should celebrate tha safe return and success o' our task, nae? An' tell tha lass o' tha letter."

"Agreed. Tha stinky shacks be kneelin' an' 'bout ta crumble. Senseless ta risk our hides."

Chengar Qordath wrote:

Interzone wrote:

There is no limit on attacks with manufactured weapons as long as you have the limbs to wield them.

However, spending evo points on limbs and money on weapons is a limiting factor of it's own when it comes to spamming manufactured weapons.

Which doesn't really matter because a normal Summoner's Eidolon can use them too. Here is a list of what currently posters have shown a Syth can do that a Summoner cant.

1. More Freely Stat Dump (and a Summoner doesn't need Str either). So great... he saved a few points on Dex.

2. He gets Evasion at 2nd level. Great. Saves him 25k on a ring to do the same.

3. He has alot of HP. So what. The Summoner can do the same with Life Link and Life Bond.

And what does he give up in return?

1. 8 Feats and Multiattack
2. 60+ Skill Points
3. Bonded Senses (Free Scouting)
4. Maker’s Call and Transposition (ouch)
5. And the Big DADDY of them all... He is reduced to one action a round. No Pouncing and casting at the same time. No Attack while the Summoner heals you. No Summon Eidolon followed by using your SU Summon abilities.

And just to kick em in the nuts a little bit more... the Summoner gets Merge Form at 16th level (so you become a Syth for a short time) and at 20th he gets Twin Eidolon (two Syth at the same time).

Am I missing something? Please show me what I am missing.

Most of the post, I agree on. I think it might be interesting to play this just to be The Guyver :P

But: Level 16 rarely kicks in, and lv20 never kicks in, during actual play in my experience. The furthest we have gotten since we started playing PF (beta testing) was 17. GMs generally dislike running high levels, and most adventure paths end on 16-18, where we are so tired of high level play that we long for the "fun" levels (1-12). So those abilities doesn't really matter.

Also, anything even slightly optimized at levels 13+ breaks the game in my experience, and leads to the most draining phenomenon in gaming: PC vs GM escalation, where the non-optimized PCs become obsolete, and game is not fun for anyone.

Valcrim sniffs the air and shakes his head "Lookin' even worse in than out. 'Fore tha dump decides ta entomb us, I say we cut a couple o' wrist thick trees an' make some supports fer tha saggy rafters, fore we rummage through tha hut." he frowns "Or just leave this sorry dump ta be taken by tha swamp." as he starts doubting that there is anything worthwhile in this sorry mess of a shack.

Assume that I do not need to roll an engineering check to be able to tell that the place is about to kneel?

Perception:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Valcrim raises an eyebrow as the hut shakes at his touch "Cripes. Ain't no dwarf tha' built this sorry shack." he mutters and tries the door, not having found anything sinister on his initial inspection.

One would think that characters have gear that is appropriate for their size. If you are 4'1", you don't want to use gear designed for someone who is 6'10". It would be combat ineffective.

"Stay behind me, lads." Valcrim insists and moves towards the door, whispers a short prayer of guidance before studying it cautiously for movement inside, or defensive contraptions, holding his shield ready, as he approaches.

Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Then, unless something is spotted, knocks on the door.

"Do we knock?" Valcrim half-jests "This place nae be lookin' too invitin'. Treygan, ye sense any evil?"

Wow, talk about reading comprehension. I completely missed that it is a new day. Derpasaurus Rex. Well, scratch Valcrim's concern. He just suggests defending front and rear to ensure adequate defenses then.

"So, let's do this then. We be nae gettin' back nor ta tha next place by standin' round talkin'. Got no more healin', so we need ta be careful. Broderus, if ye take tha front, an' Treygan or me cover our rear, tha lightly armored lads be nae such easy prey." Valcrim suggests, and hafts his hammer, so his hand is free to cast, throw javelins or draw the hammer anew, not knowing what the road ahead will bring.

"Me reckons tha decent thing ta do be returnin' ta town ta tell o' our victories, an' be tellin' tha tavern lass tha news. But if tha remainin' spot be on tha way, ye'll find nae quarrel from me." Valcrim offers "But be knowin' tha' me powers be low, havin' spent most me blessin's ta fight tha undead. So we'd be takin' a risk..."

Valcrim shrugs "Yer tha outdoorsy expert. Wisdom trusts experience." and starts packing up the loot so he can haul it.

"In tha heat o' battle, under tha blows o' yer enemies, ye shall be tempered." Valcrim recites, and looks firmly at Treygan "Fer a man ta carry tha burden o' defendin' tha lives o' his allies, his body need temperin'. It be me duty as a smith o' Torag ta offer me healin' so ye all can stand stronger fer every fight ye leave bloodied." he solemnly declares, then clutches his holy symbol.

"If ye feel tha urge ta get back home, I got eyes fer darkness, if'n Broderus finds me a road ta follow."

Valcrim nods in agreement "Durned right. Tha affairs o' dead kin falls ta tha remainin' blood. Family-" Valcrim grunts and frowns "should be loyal to their own."

He turns and regards the entrance. "Should consider restin' so we be good fer meetin' tha dangers on tha return ta Sandpoint. If we keep guard, this place be an excellent defensible position. One entrance, natural echo ta let us hear intruders, shelter," he turns and smirks [/b]"Us dwarves favor tha underground fer a reason."[/b]

Saving Final as my next spell. (WHich seems like an AWESOME support spell for a group like ours.)

Also known as "ALL OF MY LV1 SLOTS!" for my current bard character. The only other spell I cast with any frequency is Feather Step, because the GM looooooooves his difficult terrain. (So much I took to calling his version of Serpent Skull "Difficult Terrain" as I kept forgetting the actual name of the AP).

Since GM says I can: Take 10 on craft to identify relevant items for the Appraise 20 check

Valcrim studies the armor and sword with a serious mien "Tha distribution o' weight..." he mumbles, tugging at the links "an' sheer craftsmanship in this chain shirt be somethin'..." he grins "Given a day at me forge, it'll easily be refitted fer any o' ye, if ye be likin' tha lighter armors." he muses before lifting up the sword with a nigh reverent look in his eyes "Torag's steel beard. THIS! This be tha real treasure. Deep iron, wrought while cold. Effective fer killin' all manner o' unnatural buggers. Balanced too. Mmm... sharp... aye, this sword be a good one, an' should serve one o' ye swordwieldin' lads well!" he concludes with a deep approving grunt.

Sense Motive:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Valcrim observes Broderus as the experts go through the hard won spoils, stepping up and giving him a silent, yet firm pat on the back as Seiji translates. "Well fought, friend."

Cannot contribute much in terms of own skills, but will gladly cast Guidance, so you all get +1 on skill checks.

There are 7 charges left in the wand. Caster level 1.

Valcrim chuckles "Aye, ta all points, I reckon. Let's take tha box, as I reckon we be findin' nae greater treasure in here. An' aye, spiders do dwell in tha dark." he nods and pats the halfling on the head "That be why we dwarves be so hardy an' resistant ta poison. We get bit all tha time. After a while, ya get used ta it." he jests.

Valcrim gives a gruff scoff "This wand be old and tired. Been with me since I was a fresh young boy o' mere 40, learnin' tha ways o' Torag. Barely got any magic left." he sighs and offers it to Joyabraund "If ye know how ta invoke healin' magics, I'd like ye ta carry it, fer use when I be busy bashin' our enemies, so it does nae sit in me belt unspent when others be bleedin' on tha floor."

Then he turns to Treygan and cracks his knuckles "No worries, Seiji. Mendin' both flesh an' steel be me strong suites.", and casts his final spell for the day that is not tied to a domain as a spontaneous cure.

Cure Light Wounds on Treygan: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

"Hah! Ye were right, lad. Wands be nae me strong point." he chuckles and offers Treygan a hand to help him on his feet.

Perception? I can see Profession. A lot of the more scholarly professions should logically benefit more from book learning than savvy. And a lot of crafts are more about patience and "feeling" the materials than know-how.

Cross synergy is a good thing in my book. Some skills should have the option to be based off multiple stats. Like Perform (Dance) should be allowed to go off Dex as well (some might argue 'instead of') as Cha.

I am for it, not just because it is good for my character, but because craft/profession skills are considered widely useless, and ranked as "fluff" skills and cannot be used to "break the game".

Level-up:
HP: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
Skills: 1 rank Weaponsmith, 1 rank Heal, 1 rank Knowledge Religion

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

"AN STAY DOWN, YA NASTY PILE O BONE!" Valcrim huffs as he tugs his hammer free from the remains, before raising his eyebrow "Huh? Tha sword made a hollow rattle..." he hums and inspects it, blinking dumbfounded at the scribbles "Think this might be some manner o' wizard script. Sure make nae sense ta me." he shrugs and hands it over to Joyabraund, being the party bard, before drawing his wand and muttering a line of dwarven to invoke the magic within.

Cure Light on Treygan: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Jeez. Another one then: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

OH COME ON!

Oh snap! Was late last night, did not see that one.

Confirm: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
If hit: 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (4, 1) + 4 = 9 in addition to the first 5

AoO: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Damage if hit: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Since Joyabraund is before me, and aiding me, I guess I will alter the deflection aura to an attack:

Attack:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 (2+2aid+2flank+1high ground)
If hit: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Dunno if that hit, but should at least have his attention, I hope.

Valcrim casts a glance to see if the box will support him, stepping onto it for flank and eventual higher ground if he deems it worthy.

Perception:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Then he uses his domain ability to grant everyone +2 deflection bonus to AC until the end of next round, focusing on protecting and helping Treygan.

Valcrim took a 5-foot step into melee, to take up Treygan's spot, remember?

Attack of Opportunity: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

World of good that did though... Anyway, on his turn, Valcrim steps into flank, to help Broderus, and channels to heal, to top off Broderus and hopefully get Treygan on his feet.

Channel Positive Energy:1d6 ⇒ 5