umm, wow guys, this is pretty amazing for me. i've never played in a game like most of you are describing. i'm currently playing a level 3 operator daredevil (shut up, i know), and i've never declared that i'm doing a trick attack. i say something like, "i move over to here", and then once i've moved my miniature, i say something like, "i kick flip off the wall and do a backflip, and shoot mid flip at enemy x", then i roll acrobatics to see if i get a trick attack. and if something happens while i'm moving, say an AoO from an invisible enemy, i change what i was going to do. maybe target whoever took a swipe at me, or change where i was moving, and this has never been a problem, ever. is this not how you guys play? in your games, i have to say i'm doing a trick attack, and then if something happens to interrupt me, i can't react to it? i have to keep moving to my original goal? honestly confused here, because that seems very limiting, and not fun for anyone. also, to BNW's point, not supported at all by RAW. i would not play at a DM's table who did not let me react on the fly to what was happening, and forced me into some kind of a script, when i quite clearly have actions left to use as i see fit.
I'm just saying... guy with a horse and a gun can solo all of us. Except me. I can maybe waste a turn of his with Ear-Piercing Scream which might let the melee guys close in. Maybe.
Edit:
Well, out in the open maybe. And only right now. I fully intend to pick up a composite short bow as soon as possible, and while I may not be super suited to ranged attacks, that should be enough to prevent the scenario you describe. We just need equipment.
EDIT: ninja'd about equipment! And about geography, I am considered trained in all skills, though I only have a +1 bonus at the moment.
I'll probably stay committed to the trapmaking thing, though obviously it depends on how things go. Can't see taking a crafting feat for quite a while yet though.
Volnar wondered to himself how far the little kobold was going to take them down this tunnel. They needed to go the other way, and he was anxious to get to the spot Schwartz had sent them to. He felt his fingers idly stroking the handle of the pick as he contemplated just killing Greeter. He'd never killed a person before, but he doubted it would be much different than slaughtering any other animal. He eyed his companions, wondering how they'd react if he just attacked their guide.
Vuram, I think, would immediately understand what was happening. He might even approve. Lio would probably think I'd decided to make friends with Greeter and join in. Sithiliss, I have no idea. I wonder if all lizard folk are so... emotional. Gehuil, well, he seems like one willing and able to do what's necessary. Wings I haven't been able to get a read on. But if he's anything like the crows he resembles, gods help any that cross him. Ugh, no, better to wait. Let Greeter take us to wherever, then we can head back to our real destination.
Volnar plodded along, seemingly lost in thought. Fingers caressing the handle of his pick.
Listening to Greeter, Volnar realizes that they maybe should have split up Lio and Vuram before entering the mines. Hoping that the sound of their shared native language will lull the kobold a bit, he calls out to him in draconic,
draconic:
"Greeter, sorry about the fight between these two idiots yesterday. The rest of us have explained to them that if they continue to call down the guards attention, they are on their own. Keeping our heads down and our bodies healthy is the only way to stay alive. They seem to be getting it."
How exactly gnorcs came to be is a mystery lost in the mists of time.
What is known is that orcs and gnomes do not get along particularly
well today, and gnorcs exist almost exclusively as a fully integrated
part of gnomish society. About a quarter of the gnomish population is
actually gnorcs, and the orcish genes are so widespread, that
sometimes what appears to be a pureblooded gnomish couple will give
birth to a gnorc. There are even rare cases where a child appearing to
be fully gnomish grows to medium size, or a baby that appears fully
orcish will only grow to small size, and various combinations of such.
If there ever was any prejudice against gnorcs in gnomish society, it
has been a fact of life for so long that it does not exist anymore.
Combining the strength and tenacity of their orcish ancestors with the
fascination for tools and machinery of their gnomish side, gnorcs are
a valued part of gnomish society, and tend to gravitate towards
protective roles such as guards and soldiers, though they can be found
in pretty much any profession. The widespread influence of the orcish
genes have led to gnomish society being more assertive and willing to
use military force than on other worlds, and there are ancient legends
of a large gnomish kingdom full of fantastic contraptions that combine
magic and mechanics.
In appearance, gnorcs somehow manage to combine the features of both
races into a mostly pleasing appearance, though the orcish heritage is
generally obvious.
Gnorc Racial Traits
+2 Strength, +2 Constitution: Gnorcs are hardy, combining the best aspects of their racial heritage. (2 RP)
Gnorc: Gnorcs are humanoids with the orc and gnome subtypes. (0 RP)
Small: Gnorcs are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. (0 RP)
Normal Speed: Orcs have a base speed of 30 feet. (0 RP)
Low-Light Vision: Gnorcs can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. (1 RP)
Ferocity: Gnorcs can remain conscious and continue fighting even if their hit point totals fall below 0. Gnorcs are still staggered at 0 hit points or lower and lose 1 hit point each round as normal. (4 RP)
Keen Senses: Gnorcs receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. (2 RP)
Master Tinker: Gnorcs experiment with all manner of mechanical devices. Gnorcs with this racial trait gain a +1 bonus on Disable Device and Knowledge (engineering) checks. They are treated as proficient with any weapon they have personally crafted. (2 RP)
Obsessive: Gnorcs receive a +2 racial bonus on a Craft or Profession skill of their choice. (2 RP)
Languages: Gnorcs begin play speaking Gnome and Common. Gnorcs with high Intelligence scores can chose from the following: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Orc. (0 RP)
Alternate Racial Traits
Gnorcs may select one racial or alternate racial trait from the orc or gnome lists in exchange for traits from the above list whose total RP is equal to or greater than the chosen alternate.
Favored Class Options
Gnorcs may choose from the options on the orc list of options. For any class not on the orc list, they may choose an option from the gnome list.
Racial Archetypes
Gnorcs can choose from the orc dirty fighter or the gnome experimental gunsmith racial archetypes.
The Empire of Giantholm
Situated on a giant's large estate among the clouds, the mighty Empire of Giantholm's origins remain the stuff of legends. Some say that the giant left on an errand and will return some day. Others say he died. Or was banished. Or that somehow the founders of the gnomish empire managed to slay him. Whatever the truth, no giant resides there now, but the magics continue to function. At some point in the distant past, when the various kingdoms of small folk living like ants amongst the giant's cast offs felt the giant wasn't coming back, some began to resent the gnome's control of the magic garden and its bountiful harvests. Thus began a series of wars, lasting hundreds of years, that eventually saw the gnomes began to absorb those around them, both through military might, and eventually, as they grew, through treaties and economic supremacy.
The empire now controls an area roughly equivalent to the Mongol empire at its height, encompassing the garden, the rose garden, and much of the kitchen. And much like the Mongols, they believe in merit and ability over the circumstances of your birth. Thus the empire is about 37% gnome, 13% gnorc, and 50% a mixture of various other races, and the various branches of the imperial government more or less reflect that mix. The exception is the Imperial Army, where the proportion of Gnorcs and gnomes is roughly reversed. With the aid of their mighty airships, the empire continues a slow expansion, though the deeper interior of the giants castle seem to contain many strange and wondrous beings. Perhaps even the giant himself, taking what he considers to be a nap. And what will happen if the ants awaken him?
Ok, so, let me know what you think. If you like any of it, feel free to use even if I'm not selected. If you do like it, I was thinking of a gnorc fighter from a gnomish village within a few days travel of Barlily.
Volnar picks up the note covered in Lio bits, and reads it over before passing it around.
"Well, we should probably get Vuram up to strength and then get to work in the mines. I don't think we want the guards to think we're shirkers or troublemakers. I'm pretty sure Lio will be fine. Physically."
How far down is Vuram? Does he need additional healing?
Volnar watches silently as the guards drop off his unconscious companions, and then saw off the troll's ear. He wonders at the minds behind such behavior. He had no problem killing if necessary, that was just how life was. But torture? Mutilation? There seemed no point to it. It was just... wasteful. He followed along to the tents in case his assistance was needed.
Volnar slips into the crowd watching the end of the fight, mentally relieved that, unlike humans, nagaji don't blush. That was just a completely embarrassing attempt to be sneaky.
Not that he knows it, but Lio could actually have mostly gotten away with that, too... XD
(Thanks for taking the stealth risk, though!)
Yeah, I know. Volnar isn't really all that sneaky, but a troll tramping around human sized barracks really could present difficulties. Not to mention a Minotaur and a troll fighting makes a much better distraction.
And for the record, though he hasn't revealed it yet, Volnar can cast cure light wounds. So it seems like we're pretty set on the healing arena.
Volnar slips into the crowd watching the end of the fight, mentally relieved that, unlike humans, nagaji don't blush. That was just a completely embarrassing attempt to be sneaky.
Not willing to tempt fate, or risk pissing off the one guard that might be on their side, Volnar puts the note face down under the dagger and slips back out of the barracks.
stealth just in case it's needed again:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10 (also remembered to use my luck this time, not that it worked apparently)
As the commotion begins, Volnar whispers to Corrin, "How many guards total are there?", before edging into position as near the barracks as he can get without seeming suspicious. He readied himself to act once the guards were distracted.
preemptive stealth to dart inside when guards are distracted:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
Volnar looks doubtfully at the troll for a moment, taking in his great size, before looking speculatively at the rest of what he supposed were now his companions. With a mental sigh, he spoke.
"Lio, while I'm sure you're super sneaky, I'm quite positive that the barracks are designed for someone of human size. It might be difficult for you to navigate. I have spent most of my life in the woods, and learning how to move quietly is a part of that. While I don't relish sneaking in there, with some sort of distraction, I'm willing to try it. Unless anyone else thinks they're better at it. I have to wonder if a fight is a good idea though. Might they just kill them rather than break it up?"
Volnar watches the minotaur walk away, wondering what it must have been like. He couldn't imagine it, not really. He was starting to realize that he may have been better off staying in his woods. It's not like Rathin wasn't capable of taking care of himself. He sighed inwardly. Time to keep moving forward.
"I know something of traps, at least of the mechanical variety. If we're lucky, I can get us by them. And honestly, I was going to ask why we should trust this Schwartz guy, but at this point, will whatever he's leading us towards be much worse than dying here?"
Volnar comes back from scouting the camp area just in time to witness the troll disembowel himself. Being a hunter and trapper, the site of blood and guts does not move him, but he does find the circumstance to be more than a bit unusual.
"Anyone mind telling me what that was all about?" he says to the group at large, "and how much time do we need for what?"
"Oh I follow all right. Name's Volnar. I'm going to have a look around the camp and see exactly what sort of hell we've landed in."
Volnar is going to have a look around, just trying to get a feel for the layout of the prison. If any humans bother him while he's snooping around, Volnar will claim to be looking for the jakes, or latrine, or actually, what the heck would be the right word?
Volnar nodded slightly to Vuram with agreement, then turned back to Greeter.
"So how does this work? Do we work in shifts, have quotas or what? If we're going to not end up like those hobgoblins, we need to understand what's expected of us."
He glanced to where the hobgoblins had been shot down, and vowed that he would eat whatever he had to to keep up his strength and keep his head down, because he was not going to end up like them, and he was going to figure out a way to get out of here.
Volnar thought about some things Rathin had let slip during his various stories, and realized they might have more to worry about than just guards in this kind of situation. He was already sick of it, and determined to get out, but it would be hard to know who to trust. Probably none of the new people he'd arrived with were working with the guards, but a few of the prisoners quite possibly could be, including this Greeter fellow.
"Also, is there anyone we need to watch out for among our fellow inmates?" Volnar asked in nearly accentless common.
Volnar shook his head, still feeling like it was full of cobwebs. What in the nine hells was going on? One minute walking through the woods, the next crippling pain and then darkness. Rathin had mentioned that some humans were not overly fond of others not of their kind, but this was something else entirely. As the guard spoke, he took stock and realized that almost all of his belongings had been stripped from him, though they'd apparently missed the small knife in his boot, not that it was much of a weapon. Or perhaps they just didn't care. Looking around, he starts walking towards the camp, warily keeping an eye on his fellow "travelers", as well as those already in the camp.
Thanks! I guess the only thing I'm still a little unclear about, is are we starting with gear, or is it that we'll have the opportunity to get some rusty and broken weapons later?
Yeah, for sure de-stress before worrying about us. I'm sure if you don't make a decision right away we'll all just drown our sorrows in ice cream and beer. Potentially might do that even if you do make a decision right away.
No problem. Though I stole the idea from someone else his other recruitment thread. Just seems like a very convenient way to make sure you're not duplicating an already submitted concept. And I had the time, so...
If I don't get into your other game (which odds are I won't based on number of entries), I've got an idea for a nagaji archaeologist I'm kicking around. I'm curious about your e7 rules though, are those written down somewhere? I haven't played in an e7 before, so not sure if there's a standard rule set I should be looking at.
Alright, I'm a bit late to the party, but under the deadline. Details in the profile. Still tweaking languages and considering swapping out a skill or two.
And before anyone says it, I KNOW a strength based rogue is a terrible idea, especially with the unchained rogue practically trying to force you into maxing dex, but thematically it's the only thing that fits this guy.
easy, urban campaigns or underdark campaigns. why? favored terrain of course. let's take an urban campaign for instance.
once you hit level 12, good ol' camouflage (Ex) kicks in. duck into an empty alley and stealth. waltz out into the middle of the street stealthily, and guess what? someone could be standing right next to you and not see you. regular vision, dark vision, detect magic (as long as you have no magic or have used a nice nondetection), doesn't matter. they better roll a perception check to beat your stealth check.
+12 ranks, +6 skill focus, +4 stealthy, +3 class skill, +4 favored terrain, +5 dex* = +34 stealth check at level 12 without any magic items in play. AND YOU CAN DO IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET! WITHOUT MAGIC!
how awesome is that?
*i'm assuming a 20 dex from 15 to start +2 racial +3 levels
PS don't even get me started on hide in plain sight (Ex)
I would like to heartily disagree. The camel sucks, hands down. However, the ability to do a "ranged" sicken (10 feet is practically melee) once each round is all it really has going for it. Yes, there's no save, but there really shouldn't be. Sickened is one of the lesser status effects- it's a -2 to everything. Decent, yes, but you're getting this instead of a flanking partner and/or some decent damage. Unbalanced? Hardly.
Keep in mind that bards get a no-save fear effect to make enemies within 30' shaken, which is nearly the same condition as sickened (except no penalty to weapon damage rolls). Sure, they get it for a limited number of rounds, but they don't even have to roll to hit (there's no chance for failure). Also, anyone with the Dazzling Display feat can do this as well, sacrificing their whole turn to intimidate (make shaken) every enemy within 30' for 1+ rounds. Sure, they have to succeed on an intimidate check, but it shouldn't be too hard for most characters.
yes, but keep in mind, there are plenty of druid spells that require a save. a druid concentrating on spellcasting doesn't need a flanking buddy, but a free debuff that doesn't require an action on his part is nice.
and holy crap, i just looked at the camel. 18 str? 16 dex? at first level, camel animal companion gets a bite attack at +5 to hit for 1d4+6 damage plus a ranged touch attack debuff at +4 to hit? that's just sick, and totally does not suck.
advance the camel to a 3 int and have it take point blank shot, rapid shot, far shot, precise shot, improved precise shot, weapon focus spit. by lvl 20, the camel has a +20 ranged touch attack with no boosts or items from the druid. +18/+18 on a full attack. check the bestiary. the camel, with no help, no buffs, no items, can basically autosicken two enemies a round, at range, no save. that is pretty much the complete opposite of suck actually.
belt of str +6 18000gp
+1 falchion of speed 16000gp
+3 mithral chain shirt 5500gp
handy haversack 1000gp
amulet of natural armor +3 4500gp
ring of protection +3 4500gp
cloak of resistance +3 4500gp
headband of int +2 2000gp
6000 gp of whatever
Full attack with PA, Heroism (lvl 3), Keen edge (lvl 3), Greater magic weapon (lvl 3), arcane strike, false life (lvl 2), overland flight (lvl 5)
+2(+1) falchion of speed +15/+15, 2d4+21 dmg (15-20/x2)
irving is sitting at 40.56 DPR. +1 to hit is worth 2.6 DPR, +1 to damage is worth 1.56 DPR, an extra attack, though i have no idea how you'd actually manage to get it, is 20.28 additional DPR.
