gyrfalcon's page

Not for me, thanks.

At this point, I'm working on a character inspired by Taliesin, a bard who I envision as having been present at the fall of Camelot, and is struggling to hold onto hope after the demise of that lovely experiment.

Mechanically, his highest stats will be CHA and INT, and he'll fit my image of a bard who is equal parts story teller/musician AND lore master.

One class will absolutely be Legendary Bard (adapted to Spheres of Power). Other options I'm playing with are Commander and Scholar (both Spheres classes) but I'm not 100% certain of those details yet...just that he'll be there to inspire and provide knowledge.

I like the idea that, while he serves to inspire and lead others, he's got his own gnawing doubts after the downfall of Camelot.

Likewise!

Ok let's use another L8 slot!

Just reporting in here to say I've submitted my character.

The Controller mentioned on PM that they'll kick this off once they get 1-2 more completed submissions. Anyone else still working on one?

DM Ray, when you get a chance, do you mind opening Gameplay for dot-and-delete?

I use my current campaigns tab to keep track of new posts in games.

Thanks!

Trenchcoat it is! ;-)

----EDIT----

In seriousness, yes, I think I'd make sense as either an employee of House Arvanxi or of the Darklight Sisterhood. Some organization that helps me mitigate the prejudice, at least when I've got official business, or am in a group.

OK great, I'm pretty excited. Tiknesr Th'th'th'th'slifp's first incarnation was in a homebrewed Worldwound game (started before WotR came out) and he was created at L10...but I like the idea of refreshing him with a new backstory, straight from L1.

Expect a Witch / Alchemist from me. It seems like a really great gestalt combo. By the way, I found the Sleep hex overpowered when I played him, so I'm inclined to houserule it to not exist...but let me know your thoughts. At any rate, he'll do his best to avoid the front lines, but will have a nice mix of hexes / bombs / spells to debuff and control the battlefield a bit. And the INT to master all the Lore skills...and being small and dextrous, he'll be able to tag along in a stealthy group without being too much of a nuisance.

Also...I assume we're starting at L1, but should ask that too!

Re Ratfolk: How common are they in your Cheliax? (Is there community of them in Westcrown's sewers?) I know there's plenty of prejudice in Chelaix; where are they in the social heirarchy?

Re motivation: He's mostly interested in gaining power and esoteric knowledge. Would want to join/start/eventually lead a coven. Like any good ysoki, Tiknesr understands that you die fast if you don't take care of your swarm-mates. He knows he's squishy, and wants to have less-squishy friends who count on him, so that he can count on them. It's possible he could begin with an inclination to help House Arvanxi, and perhaps is employed by the House? I'm quite sure he'll never be Chelaxian nobility...but perhaps running a powerful behind-the-scenes coven? Could certainly see him in the DLS as well.

This is all useful. Thanks both for the hooks and the background info!

Sounds like we'll be some variant of morally grey folks looking out for our own (and each others') self interests/power...and maybe also some/all trying to advance House Arvanxi.

Seem right?

Ray, any concerns about Ratfolk? It's not 100% crucial to my concept, but I have a morally grey ratfolk witch I've played and enjoyed before, who would be fun to revive/explore more. Would probably gestalt to alchemist, to get more mileage from my cauldron. ;-)

Also: any sense of build rules yet? Point buy, gold, HP?

Thanks!

Correction: that sweet $3.60 price is only as an *add-on* if you're buying a physical book from them.

- - -

Another couple Qs:

1) Do you allow the variant Tiefling and Aasimar heritages?
2) Would a Paladin be a bad fit here? If I played one, it might likely be a Rogue | Paladin of Chaldira Zuzaristan (who has an interesting code and certainly wouldn't play as Lawful Stupid...but still, I know there are some games/parties where a Paladin is a poor fit. If that's the case...no worries at all; I have several ideas I'm chewing on. Just wondering if this is one I should eliminate.

Edit, chatted with MG who said Pali is probably a poor fit here.

Hi Ray, thanks for offering to lead this game!

I'm considering it very seriously, and have a few Qs. I'd like to understand a bit more about what'll bring us together, and what kinds of motivations would(n't) be a good fit.

You mentioned that the AP usually assumes a good party, but that you can see other directions too. I'll go on record as someone who often has trouble getting excited in the long term for evil parties and evil goals. (I like the idea of the novelty, but in practice I find I often lose motivation). That said, I'm open to trying something with great folks.

New Paths Compendium *Expanded Edition*

By the way, I happened to notice that it's available for $3.60 right now, from the Kobold Press site.

4d6 - 1 ⇒ (6, 1, 1, 5) - 1 = 12
4d6 - 1 ⇒ (4, 4, 6, 1) - 1 = 14
4d6 - 1 ⇒ (4, 5, 1, 5) - 1 = 14
4d6 - 1 ⇒ (6, 1, 4, 6) - 1 = 16
4d6 - 3 ⇒ (6, 3, 3, 3) - 3 = 12
4d6 - 2 ⇒ (4, 5, 2, 2) - 2 = 11

Sounds like the right call from a balance perspective, but wanted to know. Thanks!

I hope your weekend travel goes well!

Whenever convenient, another Q: Can the standard from Amazing Initiative be used to cast an SLA?

as a free action on your turn, you can expend one use of mythic power to take an additional standard action during that turn. This additional standard action can’t be used to cast a spell.

This Reddit thread says Yes, they're two different things and so you can...but I could see it either way.

Thanks!

Report in is my personal lean, though i could go along with a cautious scouting mission too

I shared this a few weeks back but it's still my perspective:
We could certainly talk to the council and see if there's anything they can/would offer. We can also see if there's some scholar/library where we can learn more about Lizardfolk culture, or someone who knows more about how long they've been there. If we see a window, we can send a written message with an offer after we talk to the council. That's my tentative vote now, but I'm VERY open to hearing other suggestions.

Hey, another Q: are we using fractional base bonuses ?

Thanks again

Do the various bonuses granted by ABP function in an antimagic field?

I saw Mark Seifter (designer who worked on ABP) says

They're definitely not spells, but we left it intentionally up to you whether they are Ex or Su, based on the needs of your game and how you want to explain the source of the abilities narratively. The deflection bonus, for instance, could be because you instinctively block attacks, or it could be the strands of fate literally twisting reality in your favor, or it could be a magical deflection field. Your call!

Which basically sounds like he's saying "this is intentionally the DM's call"

One more Q:

1. Competitors may enter each arena with spells precast if those spells are permanent or have a duration of 1 day/level or greater.

2. Just prior to entering the arena competitors may cast spells which have a duration of at least 1 hour/level.

(my emphasis)

Does #2 mean folks have one round to case hour/level buffs before entering the arena? Or more than that?

Thanks again!

Hey Controller, are custom items allowed (e.g. using the standard rules to combine Muleback Chords + a Cloak of Elvenkind), or to create a skill bonus item (e.g. Eyes of the Eagle) with a larger bonus?

Hey Tark, good to see you again. Are you open to Spheres of Power / Might? Either the classes themselves or as archetypes on Paizo classes?

I'd suggested the Fantasmanauts, which means the Ghost Sailors.

That said, I think the Ghost Guard is at least as good.

...and I've really been overestimating my ability to get enough brain cells left after work and family to make a reasonably gameplay post. My apologies. I should have one tomorrow.

I'm excited to post again--and to react to Blacklock's leg!!

Life's a bit too overfull at the moment, but I'll be able to tomorrow, by evening if not before.

Nice work Bella! More that they've fled...do we want a wall keeping them away from us while we fight the worm?

I'm kind of inclined to... But want input first. Happy to do something else

wait sounds fine to me. I hope your trip and visitors go well!

Why does no one feel for the poor worm prophet??

Have a great time with family

FWIW Argonauts were named after the shipbuilder Argus.

So, Saltmarshnauts? Marshnauts?

You're on the Azure Sea, so the Azurenauts?

The ship is the Sea Ghost, so the Ghostnauts?

Cheers ;D

Greek for ghost is fántasma, so we could be the fántasmanauts

Probably won't be able to post til Thursday. Maybe tomorrow night.

By the way, i don't THINK Foresight helps me on this...but maybe?

It's possible we can get some of them to surrender as well, I'd we take down the boss and a few others

Grumbaki, good to hear from you and don't stress about the game at all!

Thanks, Blacklock!

I was hoping to get something in but I'm off to the mountains with my family for the weekend. Bot me if needed.

Hey y'all, I'm off to the mountains with my family for the weekend. Bot me if needed.

Hey y'all, I'm off to the mountains with my family for the weekend. Bot me if needed.

Hi GM Wolf, are you familiar with the Spheres of Might / Power? If so, would you be open to it in this game?

5d6 - 4 ⇒ (3, 5, 4, 6, 1) - 4 = 15
5d6 - 5 ⇒ (5, 4, 6, 5, 1) - 5 = 16
5d6 - 2 ⇒ (6, 3, 4, 1, 1) - 2 = 13
5d6 - 4 ⇒ (6, 1, 6, 3, 5) - 4 = 17
5d6 - 4 ⇒ (6, 3, 1, 3, 4) - 4 = 13
5d6 - 6 ⇒ (3, 3, 3, 4, 6) - 6 = 13
5d6 - 3 ⇒ (1, 5, 2, 4, 3) - 3 = 12

Hey, Star Love is finally done (with a few needed edits (finalizing skills, their automata/familiar, etc) noted on their sheet (which is linked from their profile).

That's good news for me!

Monkeygod, did you see my Qs above about mythic fixes, and about a light Body Technique?

Seb Where is an L15 gestalt T5 character in relation to a Praetor? Are they like Demon Lords? Deities? I'm wondering how little/big a fish my little mutant is, in his heretical opposition to them. Also, do you have an opinion about whether he's part of a small opposition (that he might lead) of phyrexian "race traitors" who've decided to side with Life? vs being the only anomaly that he knows about?

Hey Monkeygod, 2 Qs:

1) do you know what other mythic fixes we'll implement? In particular, are you doing the suggested change to stats from the page you linked?

2) LIght Body Technique is an optional Spheres of Might rule that grants some Athletics mobility for free to anyone using SoM. Can we add that in for SoM users who want it? (Fine with me either way, but it'll fit my Phyrexian Mutant so I thought I'd ask.)

BTW, I suspect that knowing what's in/out of bench press may not be trivial with builds this complex. I'll just go on record saying that if it seems like it'll improve the game to rebalance parties a bit (toning something up or down) after a bit of gameplay, I'm 100% down for that.

BTW #2, I THINK I've finally settled my classes: L. Kineticist (*Kinetic Lancer) | L. Alchemist (*Physician, Subtle, Etheric Mystic). My main element is Machine, with some Void and Water thrown in. Getting it done by EOD is a bit of a stretch, but I'll be mostly there.

I'm still in, and having a lot of fun building my Phyrexian mutant, who has tentatively taken on the name "Star Love", and whose second class probably won't be shifter...and might be either Legendary Alchemist or Legendary Cleric.

Maybe too much fun, as I really DO need to settle down on final build soon, but it keeps unfolding in interesting ways.

Looking forward to reading more builds.

Oh, and to answer Sethris, I'm definitely Team Good.

Hey Seb, when you have time, I'm curious to hear more about Phyrexia in your world. You said they have their own outer plane. Have they come to invited The The Material Plane (or whatever our realm is called)?

I imagine that, in the process of assimilating some of this world's living beings, my character (and maybe some other small minority of the Phyrexians?) has/have learned Love. How established is the Phyrexian invasion in this world?

Thanks!

SmooshieBanana wrote:

Sebecloki wrote:

I've decided another element of the setting is going to be the cosmology -- I'm going to include New Phyrexia from the Magic mythos -- so there will be cults of the different Phyrexian Praetors around as potential enemies, and the party may encounter Phyrexian technological foes of various sorts throughout their adventures.

Would these have a large influence, such as a city of cultists, or are their influences rather small, being just random scatterings?

New Phyrexia is an outer plane in this cosmology -- there are small cults devoted to the Praetors in different locations; perhaps there will be a nation that follows the White Praetor religion, but I haven't given much thought to it yet.

Alright, I've been going back and forth but this put me over the edge! ;-)

I'm building a Phyrexian Mutant (where their mutation is empathy for the living, causing them to turn good and rebel against the Phyrexian scourge). Inspiration drawn liberally from Marvel's Warlock.

Will most likely be a Kineticist (technokineticist/machine element) | Shifter(SoP).

Wheeee!

Q3: I don't think exactly in those terms. If you needed an answer, I'd say PG or R both work for me...but let me answer differently:

* I enjoy games where failure is a possibility, and characters sometimes die. (Not that I begrudge a game where the party always succeeds!)

* I've enjoyed games where all violence is elided, anywhere to ones with a lot of explicitly described grit and gore. In the latter, I think it's worth seeing if anyone has any "lines and veils" (in a very informal way, or more explicitly, depending on the group's preferences). For instance, I have a lot of room for things like death of loved ones, character death, gore, and necromancy...but I'd rather no sexual violence in a game (or at least have it heavily veiled). I think the conversation around slavery has been thought provoking too. I think that it can come up in an RPG, in a way that's respectful, or that explores issues the table wants to explore...but I think going forward as a DM I'd avoid slavery in my games without an explicit discussion first.

. . .

Aside, I'm loving the thoughtful and amusing discussion in this thread.

One Q back from me. You said "we are prepared to chat with folks for as long as it takes to find the right people". That seems very fair! Now that the conversation is underway, do you have a better sense of timeline/process on yall's end?

the reason I like the players working out strategies and reminding each other of bonuses, even 'ganging up' on the DM, etc. is because it strengthens relationships. Characters interacting builds bonds in game. Players interacting builds bonds across games. OK, getting off my soapbox now.

YES! You captured something I wasn't able to articulate. I think the "hard mode" has it's place in F2F games...but I think building those bonds is harder in PbP without something like this. (It's part of why I want Discord too. We can humanize ourselves a bit more there.)

EDIT : Ha! Choon, you said everything I wanted to say in reply. Thanks!

Hehehehehehe. I started pulling together some sample posts...and then wanted to answer the super rich Qs / discussion so far.

I'm looking forward to more!

Hey Ebon, hey stormraven! I enjoyed playing in Mott's Fire Over Blackcrag with you, back in the day. I was "Big Al", the halfling cavalier...and my most memorable scene there was When she died in the jaws of a mythic tyrannosaur (the drama starts with this post, and goes on as the party tries heroically to save her...ends with her being swallowed...and then miraculously--thanks to Nic/Ebon (and a healthy dose of DM Fiat)--Big Al is brought back to sail through the end of the adventure.

A few sample Player posts
I'm proud to have completed Rise of the Runelords on the boards, from start to finish. Here's an example post from it, at the end of a tough fight. ..and another when she got distracted in a fight, while sharing insight from a knowledge roll.

I'm currently playing in a WotR campaign that has some of the most marvelous RP I've experienced. I'm playing the clan-liege of a Sarkorian tribe from a hidden valley where dinosaurs live...or did until the Wound opened. At this Example post she has recently awakened from a hundred years trapped in ice, and is wrestling with her failure to stop the destruction of her people's village.

Here's me introducing a ratfolk witch (and his obnoxious man-faced ratling familiar named Aroden), as they joined an ongoing Reign of Winter campaign.

And finally, introducing a cleric of Abadar, who replaced a character I retired in a game.

I've done a bit of DMing, but none of it on the forums. I understand if that disqualifies me, but I believe that a setup like this--with other great players, who love to RP--would be a great first place for me to bring my DMing online.

Build Rules
I've really been impressed with the way Spheres of Might and Power enable cool concepts, without breaking the game. I'd give a plug for considering them.

I'm fine with gestalt, or not. My fave version of gestalt picks one side of the build for the Saves/BAB/Skill Ranks, so that we don't end up with a party full of full casters with full BAB and all good saves. If we go for full gestalt, my preference is to encourage folks to build around a theme and still leave weaknesses in their builds. I *like* depending on one another. It can be fun to play support, or a tank...but if noone needs defending, or boosting, then the game loses a bit of shine for me. (The thing I love with gestalt is concepts like "Cleric of the God of Thieves", that's hard to do generally...though I'll note that I think the latter is much more possible when single-classed with the Spheres system's flexibility.)

GM Qs
Alignment: I care less about "adhering strictly to their alignment" and more about players getting to breathe life into a character who has to make tough choices. I *LOVE* seeing characters grow through their faults, and change over time...or (for sadder arcs) lose their way, over time. Sometimes either of those leads to an alignment change.

I think there are many ways/expressions of being Lawful Good (or a servant of a particular god). I want players who serve a god to think about what that really means for their character...and if it doesn't fit alignment neatly, that's less important.

Morality: I've enjoyed both black/white and shades of grey. There IS a certain simplicity built into a world where everyone has an objectively measurable alignment, and that alignment has mechanical effects...but even within that there's clearly room to play. As with above, I love a world/game where folks can feel surprised and challenged, and where their characters can grow over time as people.

That said, I tend to prefer Good/Neutral parties, unless the player(s) playing Evil characters are very mature and committed to the game. I've seen it work well...but Evil characters are often selfish and untrustworthy, and that can make it hard to build a thriving party. (As I write, I realize a party that coordinates well and takes care of each other is a BIG motivator for me in PbP. I can enjoy some tension between characters--especially when it's planned/desired by both players--but mostly I want the party to grow to really work together.

Discord
100% in favor. My most successful games on the forums now use Discord, and I find it keeps things moving and also enables brainstorming between players.

A question from me: How do you feel about tabletalk?
I'm flexible on this. I've played a very "hard mode" in person game where the DM really wanted to model the mistakes we make under stress, so we disciplined ourselves not to remind each other about info during combat, and had a very quick time-limit within which to declare our actions. It was brutal, but very interesting. Many costly mistakes were made!...but he scaled encounters accordingly (and injected logical errors in stressed foes as well).

In PbP, I mostly play where it's fine for the players to keep each other on track, or share info freely...but I think it's good to decide what's on/off limits in terms of discussing strategy during a fight.

Cool. I'll look for ways to tune my numbers down. I'm sure I can! (Just wanted to see if we were going to tune down or

BTW, re adding a feat, maybe training is a good reference point?

Ok, I'm going with a trap launching, stealthy, thing-knowing Spheres Scholar.

@MG, I like the idea of sticking to a benchmark. I have to say, i think it'll be a challenge to not be blue+ for everything at L15, given current could rules (high rolls + custom races + gestalt + 3PP + high cash + ABP). I'm having trouble fitting under blue for much of anything, and from the builds i see, i think I'm not alone.

Some thoughts:
1) keep the L15 benchmark, and lower ability scores (and maybe some other things).
2) raise the benchmark to a different level (maybe L20, or even higher, if we don't time down bit power)

I think either way, I'd appreciate a ceiling for ability scores added to the benchpress (whether it's 26 or 40 or what not) since high key stats chance DCs and etc

Cool! I'll avoid Bender then. FYI, have you read the Legendary Kineticist? I highly recommend it.

-----

Edit : Waskally, who/what are the two Diplomancers?

What do applicants / ideas look like for the non-evil party?

I'm thinking of:
a) Stealthy, sniping and trap focused kobold (likely a spheres of might Scholar + Conscript or Legendary Fighter (Soldier)). Could also be a gnome.
b) Roguish priest of a Trickster god. (maybe Brandobaris or Garl Glittergold) Seb if you have particular lore related to one of them, or any another trickster god that fits well, please let me know.
c) Dwarven tank/defender/martial-battlefield-control, probably dedicated to Folgit. Likely build as Spheres Sentinel on one side.
d) A bender of some sort (Maybe just Earth, maybe many elements). Could be Legendary Kineticist + some Spheres class, e.g. Geomancer.

Does anyone applying for Team Good have their concept/crunch mostly nailed down already?

Hi Seb and MG, looks fun!

My preference would be to be on a Good/Neutral team, and not to have PVP. (I think it's so easy for it to go poorly, especially with builds like this.)