I've chosen to go for a dedicated healer. I know pretty much nothing about spheres, so I hope that doesn't leave me too far behind the power level of the other applicants. :P
Definitely going Life Oracle on one side of the gestalt, more than likely Pei Zin Practitioner archetype (or Divine Herbalist depending on your str of choice).
I had considered Cleric or Shaman on the other side since prepared casters will get Breath of Life at 9th level, while Oracle has to wait until 10th. I'd also considered scaled monk, because CHA TO ALL THE THINGS!
But then I remembered the level 20 ability of Monk of the Healing Hand. And that's just too beautiful a death, I have to use it now. :'(
That's where I met my first roadblock. I figured I'd name her "Amn," short for amnesia, but when I tried to make an alias it was already taken. So I need a different name, for a character who erased her name and all memory of herself from existence.
I also have a couple questions. The first being, would she remember anything about herself? I assumed not, but it's worth asking.
Second, how does the Deathwatch spell work? Probably going human anyway, but tiefling can get it as an at will ability, which is kinda cool for healer. But everyone is dead. :(
I think I'm driving myself insane at this point. I remember reading a funny explanation of the 9 character alignments, based on how each alignment would react to an old lady who needed help crossing the street, but I can't find it anywhere... I thought I bookmarked the page but I guess I didn't. Does anyone else remember something like this? I've tried googling it every way I can think to word it, but haven't found it yet.
I'd like to dot in, too! I would love to build towards the Souldrinker prestige class, and there aren't a lot of games where a NE character would fit very well. I think I could cook up a fun Witch/Mesmerist as the base, with a nice focus on debuffs, static penalties, and reasonable social skills. She also thinks cacodaemons are adorable. Just the cutest little murderballs in the multiverse!
How do you feel about the seducer witch archetype? It's the only way I know of for a witch to use charisma as her casting attribute.
Would a Possessed Shaman be alright? After all, sometime the voices are real... And with life spirit, serving as a decent primary healer type. Also, what are we supposed to do about familiars/spirit guides/ etc.? Do we just start with them like normal?
* A human cavalier or paladin and and a child-to-teenage strix. The knight struck down her parents thinking them evil, and afterward discovers he's orphaned the young strix. So he brings her along, intending to somehow atone for his mistake. Along the way he slowly learns how not-overwhelmingly-evil and misunderstood the strix race are. He must then also decide how well he's been conducting himself against his code of conduct, or whether his order provides him with the correct goals in life.
I wouldn't mind playing the Strix, if you're still looking for a partner.
I’ve had an idea kicking around for a while for an Apocalypse Oracle (wrecker curse) tainted by Groetus, who was taken in by a cult that believed she was an omen that the end times had begun, and that she would naturally play an important part in it. Her shtick is that she wants nothing to do with it, and tries to avoid/ignore the whole thing at all costs, and generally feels more like a bad-luck charm than anything else.
It’s just an idea so far, and I could definitely alter the idea to fit the campaign, like switching from Groetus to Rovagug. I’d love to give it a shot, but would someone like this be a good fit for the campaign?
I think it would be impractical for a spell like FOM to list every specific spell or mundane situation it affects. So adjudicating any situation outside those listed should use the listed examples as, you know, examples.
Magic can't impede me? So the Entangle spell fails.
Can't be grappled and can escape from existing grapples automatically? Well, even though the net doesn't use the exact rules it's the same principle. So a net would auto-fail to entangle you, and if you were already in a net when FOM was cast, you can auto-succeed your escape.
I'd even extend the grappling rule to using Dirty Trick to grant the entangled condition, making such an attempt auto-fail. Dirty Trick didn't exist when FOM was written, so of course it couldn't be listed as an example.
There are a lot of great options out there, and it looks like you've already made a solid choice with the orc witch; but if you do return to the drawing board, don't be afraid to keep things simple... Wizard, with the Transmutation/Shapechange subschool. You get to enhance an ability every day, scaling up to +5 to two abilities eventually. You can grow natural attacks as a swift action in an emergency, and can Change Shape as beast shape or elemental body (scaling at later level) a number of rounds equal to your wizard level starting at 8th.
You also get a familiar without having to jump thru hoops, and the bonus wizard feats @ 5th, 10th, etc., plus your free Scribe Scrolls. It's not much, but you'll want some feats to back up your melee potential, and you don't get bonus combat feats that the combat classes do. You can use these to select Arcane Discoveries as well. Multimorph could be handy in a pinch for you...but Time Stutter granting you a 1 round time stop 1/day at 10th will definitely help you prepare for combat a little quicker if you're ambushed (which sounds like something you're planning for).
It's not perfect, and it isn't as fancy as other options are, but it's pretty solid. :P
Have you thought about a level dip into Unbreakable Fighter? They get endurance and diehard at first level, in place of their usual fighter bonus feat. It won't hurt your BAB, it will only set you back a level on Bloodrager abilities.
I don't know as I'd consider it worth it myself, but it's a viable option. I think you'd need at least an 18 Con to make it worthwhile...and even then it's only two extra HP when you heal. At least if you buff up with a Bear's endurance it'll grant an extra 1 HP per heal as a side bonus.
The campaign sounds interesting, the monsters a little different than what is in the books, but there's something vaguely familiar about it all... Wait, what? Oh crap we're in Dark Souls!
Variations include campaigns based on books, movies, or TV shows. Note that I'm not talking about games really set in fictitious universes, but games that the GM insists are original despite being clearly ripped off from other media. Bonus points if the GM doesn't even bother to change the names of important NPC's, and acts surprised when anyone points out the similarities to said media.
Solution: Tell thew GM you cast "Alt-F4" and double click "Reader Rabbit Teaches Typing" instead.
You wake up naked in prison!
You're characters are all criminals! Maybe even falsely accused! You get thrown into an elaborate dungeon/maze/island/alternate dimension filled with monsters you have to fight oh and you start with no equipment oh and you get some rags to protect your modesty oh and the only weapons you'll find are bent rusty daggers oh and the place is full of monsters and traps and you have no thieves tools and...and...and!
Solution: Flip the table and run screaming from the room.
You should have known the barkeep was a retired Pit Fiend in disguise!
True story: our group was hired by a small town's council to kill some giant centipedes. Afterwards, the town tried to pay us with a horse instead of the promised gold. When we started to argue the council of level 20 wizards chain-cast maze to punish us.
That's just one example of the game where pretty much every NPC becomes the GM's pet NPC. Yes, the adventurers should not be messing with the townsfolk. The rogue shouldn't try to take the barkeeper's strongbox, the fighter shouldn't be threatening the mayor to get a higher reward, etc., etc. But that doesn't mean that every other NPC gets to be a high level retired adventurer or monster in disguise that happens to be way more capable and powerful than the PC's could ever hope to be.
Solution: Point behind the GM and shout, "Look, your Mom made us cookies!" and then grab your dice and jump out the window while they're distracted.
Our group has a wide range of experience. I started playing with AD&D 2nd ed, one of my friends started with 1st ed, and most of the others began with 3.5 or Pathfinder. Outside of D&D related systems, we've had a smattering of GURPS, White Wolf, Paranoia, Cyberpunk, WEG's D6, and a crap ton more.
I think a lot of times we talk about older systems and play styles with lots of nostalgia. That said, we aren't playing those systems now for many good reasons. :P
Pan pipe contest with a Satyr. I'll let him go first, look at him funny, then start banging on my pan with a piece of pipe and declare myself the winner.
Would you rather be invited to have dinner with a tribe of Ogres, or a tribe of Goblins? Assume the offer is legit, and you are not dinner in either case.
Depends on if NPC classes are in the mix. If so, knowing my luck I'd be a Commoner. :/ But if it's PC classes only I'd go for that...I either get spells, know how to use a ton of weapons I didn't know of before, OR some combination of the two!
Would you rather play in an all-Gnome campaign, or an all-Kobold campaign? By all I mean they're the only playable race.
34. You can have a black cat familiar, and monologue to it what you're going to do when you finally capture those Smurfs.
35. Evolved Familiar can give your weasel reach!
36. Improved Familiar can get you a Stirge!
37. Your Inquisitor can blow two feats to get a Scorpion for +4 initiative! That stacks with Improved Initiative! And the reactionary trait! And your Dex and your Wis! You can just go first every round! On a 1!
Gestalt can be fun, and it can be amazing... Or it can be a total pain in the rear if you play with people who want to multi-class both sides to hell and back. I've seen one guy practically do out a progression spreadsheet to make sure he was getting BAB and all saves increased at every level.
Roll stats...it feels more classic for me. <old fogey mode>When I started you rolled 3d6 and that was your Strength, then you rolled 3d6 and that was your Dex! Six stats, straight down the line, no rerolls unless you literally could not play anything (classes had min stat requirements back then). And we had to walk to gaming through forty miles of snow uphill both ways...and we liked it!</old fogey mode>
On that note... Would you rather game with a group of old fogies, or a group of new players?
Draw. I then use entagle and grease on him. Sucks for him!
Only if you had your holy symbol out for Entangle, and eschew materials to avoid needing components for Grease! I've always thought Draw was the most prohibitive action for that spell.
Tacticslion wrote:
Would you rather be targeted by a polymorph effect, or a mind-affecting effect?
Polymorph. I'd rather keep my mind intact.
Would you rather have an intelligent discussion with a Cleric of Calistria; OR sexytimes with a Cleric of Irori?
Monk to Paladin. Monks have a lot of limitations (no armor, only use these weapons, etc.), it would feel like I was gaining more options this way and losing options the other way.
Uh-oh! That enemy Cleric just cast Greater Forbid Action on your whole party, and everyone failed the save! Would you rather the Cleric choose Attack or Draw?
