Let's take a look at the first quest Station of Starfinder Society Quests: Into the Unknown for example. You get to fight a ghoul and 3 mercenaries.
Ghoul has flight suit stationwear and azimuth laser pistol with battery (20 charges) and each mercenary has assault hammer, azimuth laser pistol with battery (20 charges) and credstick with 250 credits.
That is total loot of 750 credits, 4 azimuth laser pistols each with a battery, 3 assault hammers and stationwear flight suit. That is an amount of 154.66 credits per PC if there are 6 PCs and they sell all that looted gear (928/6=154.66). Yet, the CS for that quest alone gives 140 credits to each PC along with the access to azimuth laser pistol, assault hammer and flight suit stationwear. Seems like some money gets lost somewhere :D That is, if the PCs should sell all that looted gear and then buy something for that credits (and spend all or almost all cash in that process), at the end they would spend more credits during the adventure then they would get from CS.
Lets say PCs start with 0 credits each after they buy starting gear. Then they finish encounter and sell above looted gear for 10% of its original value during the adventure and every PC ends up with 154.66 credits. Now, every PC spends during the adventure 154 credits on serums of healing and something, and has 0.66 credits left. CS gives every PC 140 credits.
PCs can also use these four laser pistols including their batteries during the rest of the adventure?
Yes, the looted items (including batteries/ammo) can be used (and used up) during the adventure. Also, the credits looted can be used to bribe folks, buy a round of drinks at the bar, buy flowers for the lovely lady, or other 'transient' uses for $$ to garner advantage during play. And in the after-accounting, you still get the CS $$ credited to your character (even if everyone in the party spent every last credit on a crazed drunken spree, or lost it all in the casino, or whatever).
First - rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated. I'm not dead - simply being eaten alive by new job and new commute. Please accept my sincerest apologies for the dead air, I really hadn't anticipated the impact of the changes on my free time.
The good news is... I believe once the initial shock and awe have subsided, I'll be able to achieve a better balance, and get back up to my prior posting rate. I currently plan to do initial catch up to all my groups this Sunday (2/9). Thereafter, I'll be back up to speed.
this is one of my first PbP GM'ing experiences. I'd greatly appreciate any feedback, critique, or thoughts for improvement. You can either post here, or drop me PM.
I've greatly enjoyed the game - thanks much for the good game, and the patience!
Seasonal Affective Disorder, "Sad", Hortence "Sadie" Saddara
Core concept - Sad is a conduit for the power of the seasons. The particular expression (special effect) of the manifestation differs - at times the hectic growth of spring, the withering of autumn, the cold of winter, or the burgeoning life of summer. Regardless, she manifests a steed (stag, panther, bull, or goat), and a fetch/spy (swallow, swan, goose, and raven). How much of the spirit of the seasons shape her power, and how much her understanding of artistic symbolism shapes her manifestations.
Civilian - Sadie is an art history 'professional', stitching together part-time curatorial work at a local art gallery, lessons through an art school, and an aide position with a local elementary school. She is very open - wears her heart on her sleeve, with mercurial and unpredictable moods.
Powered - Sad channels the spirit of the seasons, with a fair degree of artistic symbolism and interpretation. She may be mistaken as several different heroes (Flora, Ceres, Pomona, Persephone), without careful observation of the commonalities of her power sets, regardless of their seasonal descriptors. In some instances, the effects can be tempered by particular celebrations - Flora's fetch is sometimes a (march) hare or (easter) bunny. Pomona is sometimes seen in the guise of a jack-o-lantern headed harvest spirit, rather than a mature lady in autumnal colors.
Power Level 2, 30 PP: Abilities 24 + Advantages 3 + Skills 3
Str: -1 Agi: 2 Fgt: 1 Awe: 2 Sta: 0 Dex: 2 Int: 2 Pre: 4
Advantages: defensive roll 1, ranged attack 1, languages 1 (latin)
Skills: expertise(art history) 1, expertise(legends and lore) 1, insight 1, intimidation 1, perception 1, persuasion 1
Complications: power loss - certain temporal effects can have detrimental effects on Sad's powers, and/or control of them.
vulnerability - each form has a vulnerability to an opposing descriptor.
quirk - Sad (and Sadie) is mercurial and the direction of her mood corresponds to hear most recent manifestation.
Powers -
a blaster, with additional descriptor (force, positive energy, negative energy, cold) depending on the particular season she's manifesting. utility powers (transportation 'mount', hands/eyes of a 'fetch/spy'). Some thematically appropriate miscellaneous utility alts.
@WhtKnt - BTW, if Ireland has super-powered 'faeries/fey/sidhe' and Africa has super-powered 'ancestor and animal spirits', then I'll know you've been cribbing my campaign notes.. :)
Since the question has been broached, I'll ask again:
Will this be set in real or fictional place, and should we go urban or rural? In this case, rural simply means a small town, where urban is a big city.
If a real city is chosen, let's start discussing which one. If a fictional city is preferred, I'll start working up a map.
I'm up for an urban center. Someone else pointed out a desire for a large university, and that works for both Ace and Gates. Gates also needs access to enough media to be famous (as annoying as that might be...).
I'm also up for either fictional or actual. Water features are nice (lake/river/ocean). Everyone's going to have some issue with regions... I went to school in Atlanta, and that's as far into Dixie as I'm inclined to get. I like snow in winter (and for GM plots & variety...) but I'm sure The Torch will object (particularly if he's still learning, and constantly burning away all his clothes...). Seattle might be nice - I mean, no one (important) lives there, so we can probably blow it up with impugnity...
Buffalo is Right Out.
One thing I've had some success with is repurposing cities. Somewhere like Vancouver can be quietly placed near, say, Cape Fear North Carolina, and declared 'Campaign City'. No one (important) will notice Vancouver is missing. And no one in the campaign will recognize Vancouver street names (or let on if they do notice, or.. you know, cheat by looking them up..). So the GM can lift all the maps and locations, pictures of city hall and the opera house and... and essentially allow the Canadians to do all that tedious city planning, and provide it all to the GM served up by the Vancouver tourism bureau. I also have personal experience that Jacksonville FL will not be noticed if it's misappropriated. Also Rochester NY.
A reminder: I will be choosing your powers. I am certainly open to suggestions or "wish lists," but ultimately, I am the final arbiter.
The powers will follow a common theme, but may be quite unique in how they are interpreted. (Yes, I have the Power Profiles series and will be making use of it.)
Ah - that sounds like an invitation to produce for the GM such a guide based on the specific character concept. Looking briefly through the Power Profiles books I have available, I don't see 'quick brick' or 'transfer wizard', though my Hero library includes 'ultimate brick', 'ultimate speedster', 'arcane adversaries', and 'strange magicks'. Some combination of those things should cook up power profiles...
With a little more background, I'm kinda torn between Ace and Gates. The problem with Ace is the challenge of avoiding duplicating Spartan. And of course Gates screams back to some combination of Dr. Strange and Rogue. Always a challenge to create a unique new character...
no cantrips. ouch. been playing a level 1 aasimar celestial bloodrager. I just ran the 6th level build, and the lack of cantrips was a sore, sore sore spot.
"Get your doom here! Lots of doom, on special today! Extra sides of mystery - two for one. Step right up to Bengar's Warehouse of Doom and Mystery! Everything must go, one day only!"
BTW, in a recent near-future game I ran, we had a mutagen kicking around that was 99% lethal (Wild Card virus, if anyone's familiar). One faction of folks tried to assassinate the Dali Lama with it, but the PCs jumped in, and the luck controller brought home that 1% chance. Last we checked, the Dali Lama was hanging with the Watchers and trading koans with them.
Another submission - though Terrence can also be yanked by the GM as a villian if he'd prefer... :)
Gates/Terrence:
Gateway Event, "Gates", Terrence Nardeau
Core concept - Anthropologist been doing fieldwork in West Africa, participated in a set of ceremonial rites of passage. The rituals and the narcotics gave him access to flows of energies (the 'channels') and their entry and exit ('gates') from people, places, and things.
Civilian - Terry Nardeau is a respected anthropology professor. He has published journal articles, several books, and a textbook. He leads seminars and gives guest lectures at diverse universities around the world. On a recent field expedition, he participated in initiation rites and experienced a hallucinogen-fueled mystic vision - one that struck home as no other altered state of consciousness ever had. Since that time, he has been pursuing the doorways and byways of the revelations. He has reduced his lecturing commitments, increased his narcotic intake, and expanded his research into arcane formulations. Terry is tottering - he could tip into a bad place with little effort. Or, he could find purpose and inspiration in exercise of his powers to combat evil in the world.
Powered - Gates is a wizard. He manipulates transitions and transfers. These gates and channels so far address only transfer of energies - vitality, types of powers, etc. - from one entity to another. Gates is beginning to experiment with transfer of matter, though initially the gates and channels for that capability run along uncertain and inconveniently placed ley lines. Eventually, he will come to command the gates between realities that he now runs afoul of unintentionally, and finally to understand that the only gate of perception is the soul.
Power Level 2, 30 PP: Abilities 14 + Advantages 6 + Skills 5 + Powers 4
Str: -1 Agi: 2 Fgt: -1 Awe: 4 Sta: 0 Dex: 0 Int: 3 Pre: 12
Advantages: Inspire 2, Leadership, Ritualist, Trance, Ultimate Effort - expertise(magic)
Skills: deception 1, expertise(anthropology) 1, expertise(magic) 2, insight 2, investigate 2, perception 1, persuasion 1
Powers: magic 2, force field 3, linked(weaken 2, enhance(awe) 2) (all limited(gestures, incantations), mystic descriptor)
Complications: accident - all 'spells' can backfire for localized drain/damage (escaped nasties); addiction - hallucinogens; fame - hosts a TV show; motivation: thrills - Gates is looking for an outlet
Powers -
a variety of transfer spells - particularly linked nullify and 'mimic'. bigger direct damage spells, greater defensive spells
Core concept - an ecosystem mapping robot/cyborg from a now-defunct alien empire, intentionally unaware of his nature.
Civilian - Paul Corkran is a 26 year old biological sciences field guide. He's not the scientist, but he supports the scientists with logistics, supply, transportation, and occasional film/photography. Although young, he has carved a niche in this particular area, and runs 3-5 projects per year. He's got a BS in field biology from UNC Wilmington, licenses for every form of transportation known to man (specifically light planes and boats). He's got his passport, stamped in about 25 countries, a network of college buds, and contacts with in-country guides and suppliers throughout the world.
Powered - Ace is a cyborg. He's been mapping and gathering ecosystem data on Earth for a Long Time. It's unclear whether Ace came to North America in the Clovis immigration, or with the early Vikings. His core programming (with a lock-out against self-introspection) includes a mimic feature - about every 30-50 years, Ace resets, taking on the local language, local appearance, standing up some new identity, and archiving his previous personality and memories. [Note: this is not a planned 'feature' power set, but intended as a plot mechanism. Maybe, many character points down the line, Ace will figure out how to bypass the inhibitors, and gain direct access to his mimic circuits and archived memories..]
Most recently, Ace 'reset' about 10 years ago, took two years stand up and adopt the Paul Corkran identity. Ace's identities consistently seek out exploration and ecosystem discovery roles, with all of the information fed into a vast database, waiting (in vain) for his alien masters to retrieve him someday.
Ace's robot form is powered by a temporal imbalance engine [Note: hand wavy pseudo-science alert! However, game effect distinctive features, for folks that can detect temporal anomalies...]. The basic chassis of Ace's robotic form provides physical robustness, broad life support (Ace doesn't need to eat, breathe, or sleep, though Paul Corkran doesn't know that...), some odd senses, and remarkable regenerative abilities. The self repair element of Ace's frame is important, because all of the original engineers and technicians are long gone and lost to memory.
Ace's temporal imbalance engine can also be used to create time-based effects. These include a variety of effects in accelerating his own time frame [Note: fast strikes, fast running, 'quickness' getting-things-done], and creating temporal distortions in his immediate vicinity [Note: force-field like defense, boosted damage to strikes, a small, short range blast, 'time tricks'].
Power Level 2, 30 PP: Abilities 20 + Advantages 6 + Skills 4
Str: 1 Agi: 1 Fgt: 2 Awe: 1 Sta: 2 Dex: 2 Int: 0 Pre: 1
Advantages: Benefit (Field Biologist/Guide/Pilot licenses), Connected, Equipment 1, Jack-of-Trades, Languages 1, Well-Informed
Skills: Close-Combat (unarmed) 1, Expertise (field biologist) 1, Investigation 1, Perception 1, Persuasion 2, Vehicles 2
Complications: social distance (aversion to lasting attachments), distinctive features (temporal anomaly), compulsion (eco system survey), responsibility (called away for field biology gigs), secret (scrubbed past - before college)
Powers -
durable recording instrument - some protection, immunity(life support), detect/sense/acute life/living systems
quick-brick - a little super-speed, fast movement, teleport-must-transit with big limits, temporal-distortion (force field, damage to strength, small blast, smaller area blast)
Kicking around a number of character concepts, I've sorta run up against the idea that the "self-made super" doesn't fit in with the campaign theme well. The idea, 'i've spent the last 15 years of my life dedicated to XYZ martial art', or, 'over the last decade my researches into the connections between alternate dimensions and ancient sorcery have led me to 25 successful magical spells', are pretty much right out. Does that hang together?
I'm looking at
- 'found an artifact' (magical amulet, powered suit with no directions, etc.) fits the theme.
- discovered a heritage (grandpappy was an alien/atlantean/whatever, i'm an alien but don't know it, i'm a mutant with powers) seem to work OK
- radiation accident! (radioactive spider bite, caught in the dematerializer experiment at work, voodoo priestess summoned a loa to ride me, etc.)
The whole 'i'm from the future/outer space/dimension Q, and i'm stranded/lost/here to help' also doesn't seem to work, without an element of amnesia of some sort.
One thing I've been looking for from the magus was a way to 'tweak' their spell list, ever so slightly. Maybe a feat to add a set of bloodline spells to the available list, or a feat to add a domain set to the list, or... something. Obviously there's a concern about folks cherry-picking one or two abusable spells - the thought would be to do something flavorful (like a bloodline or a domain), possibly with some associated cost (restricted school? minimum 1-rd casting time? something...).
I know this isn't really the forum for it, but I needed to vent. thanks!
matter assembly - by expending one point from the arcane pool, the arcanist can apply the Empower feat and improve the CL for any casting of a memorized transmutation spell with the save annotation (harmless, object), with no increase in spell level.
metamagic mastery - choose a metamagic feat which you know. You may expend points from the arcane pool to reduce the effective spell level to apply that metamagic feat to a spontaneously cast spell. You may also spend an additional point to offset increased spellcasting time for that spontaneously cast metamagic spell. If you also have an item mastery feat, you may apply the metamagic feat to a spell cast from the item, if enough arcane pool points to offset the increase in spell level. This talent may be purchased more than once, and applied to different metamagic feats.
item mastery - choose an item type for which you might otherwise qualify (you do not need to possess the feat). You may spend points from your arcane pool to temporarily add charges (or daily uses) to the item, if you meet the requirements (except the item creation feat) to craft the specific item. An additional point may be spent for each unmet requirement. The temporary charge lasts 1 minute, plus one minute per bonus for your DC-setting statistic. You may also spend points from your arcane pool, and draw off charges (but not daily uses) from such an item, and add a spell slot of a level equal to the number of charges (and pool points) drawn off
maker mastery - by expending one point from the arcane pool, the arcanist can apply the Empower feat and improve the CL for any casting of a memorized conjuration(creation) spell, with no increase in spell level.
Another analogy, because to me magic goes back to music...
Sorcerer - raw, unadulterated talent - prodigy
Wizard - classical performer and composer
Arcanist - Jazz improv. Themes, variations, riffs, fusion. Requires a solid grounding in any given genre (blues, afro pop, raggae). Can perform competently either as a classicist, or cut entirely loose like a prodigy.
With that analogy in mind, I recommend that we specifically MAD the class - concentration, willpower, courage to execute the themes - Wisdom for DCs and bonuses to dispel/decompose/consume magic, as well as spells cast-able per day. The inspiration and panache to modify, tease apart, redirect, riff on magic is from force of personality - arcane pool powered by Charisma. Every iprov artist needs structure and riffs - based on training and a broad repertoire, the arcanist has material to work with - bonus spells per day (and per-level free spells) based on Intelligence.
MAD is normally a problem for a class - in this case, it could be a feature - and explicit tradeoff of "you can't do everything well all the time".
INT + WIS - closer to wizard - more prep, less improv
INT + CHA - breadth, flexibility, not much 'oomph'
WIS + CHA - closer to sorcerer - flexible within narrow confines, hitting hard.
Arae, I was specifically referring to Markolius's statement, "I was hoping for new mechanics or a big twist on old mechanics," which implies there aren't any new mechanics or twists on old mechanics, or that he was expecting classes that are totally new... but that's not what we promised or planned for this book.
These classes do take features of two existing classes and integrate them into a new cohesive whole. If you're disappointed with the results, playtest a class or two, report back, and tell us how you think the play experience can be improved for them.
I think some of the hesitancy on the boards is about a high degree of complexity. There are a lot of new mechanics, with a lot of questions about interaction with existing mechanics. Much of it feels cluttered, without broad, cross-cutting ways of integrating, or much commonality.
I recognize the amount of effort that has gone in, and there are some diamonds - arcanist casting style, inspiration, bloodrager bloodlines. A lot of it feels like a disunited pile of features - warpriest blessings, swashbuckler deeds.
The kind of mechanical innovations that might be more integrative might include a single mechanism for warpriest blessings, rogue talents, ninja talents, ranger traps, swashbuckler deeds, and perhaps a few other things. Allow overlap between the lists. Allow feats or archetype class features to extend access - sanctified rogue with access to warpriest blessings? clever swashbuckler with access to ranger traps?
A unification/alignment of ki points, inspiration points, and blood points, possibly incorporating bardic rounds per day and rage round per day into a clear mechanic could be a positive contribution. Particularly if the way the mechanic is specified in class lists, and clear ways to stack, bump with feats/talents/traits, and potentially cross over in hybrid classes, was specified and expressed.
I was looking for clean, crosscutting mechanics. I was hoping for hybrid classes that are not easily achieved by archetypes, with specific flavor features.
Sean has stated in another thread that the outlines for ACG, 10 hybrid classes, August release, etc. are signed off, approved, locked. Part of what I'm hearing from the boards is that many folks - motivated and interested enough to participate in the boards on this playtest - are more devoted to the quality of the product and the integrity of the system than with the corporate internal commitments. I'm a software program manager, I understand deadline pressures, and the difficulties in falling back for a rethink. The feedback from the boards - particularly in which folks are providing specific reasoning and examples - may be a flag to consider such a rethink.
Definitely that - dump the extracts, add in trap and tinkering mechanics, maybe slow rogue talents (like quick trapsmith), and/or ranger traps. The Kobold bloodline has an interesting supernaturalish trap construct.
Feros wrote:
Hunter - Skinchanger: Replace Animal Focus with limited Wildshape.
Yep yep - i'm not a pet fan, but love me some wildshape.
I think PFS playtests of those classes will not be as useful in differentiating the classes from core choices until higher level, unfortunately. It's probably unlikely that any but the most avid players will actually level up their PFS characters high enough by the end of the playtest period to give feedback about the unique abilities.
Yeah, that's a shame. PFS feedback would probably be very valuable: standardized scenarios and rules and all that. But alas it's not to be.
But on a positive note, I'm glad it's the weekend and that we'll start to see more actual *playtest* feedback! :)
Noted in original thread this discussion. Just FYI.
He mentioned that playtesting the Skald and Hunter, we will hardly see any of the actual new class abilities until level 3 (since Hunter is basically just a druid until then and Skald doesn't get the Rage powers). In that vein, I agree, and I think PFS playtests of those classes will not be as useful in differentiating the classes from core choices until higher level, unfortunately. It's probably unlikely that any but the most avid players will actually level up their PFS characters high enough by the end of the playtest period to give feedback about the unique abilities.
As a note, this is from a playtest report in the ACG. They playtested ACG classes in First Steps.
I propose that *strictly for the purposes of playtest*, that PFS permit use of ACG characters at 4th or 7th level, as one would use pre-generated PFS characters, with set gp, pp, and fame levels typical for 4th and 7th level characters.
As for a pre-gen, chronicles for events using the 'playtest' characters would be usable either for 1st level characters, or for a character attaining the appropriate level. The playtest characters would not be available for play after the playtest, or for advancement during the playtest.
This would allow PFS testing of the advanced versions of these characters, to benefit both the playtest of the material, and assess their interaction with PFS rules and usages.
@Grundle - no worries, I'll do me some bloodrager, and you can point and laugh. but at least we'll see how it works :)
Has anyone seen any PFS commentary/guidance on playtest? I'd be really interested in running at 4th, so the builds can have some meat on the bones. Just not sure how PFS would regard that.
@utopia27: Are you saying you would rather not see the Magus but rather a Fighter Archetype that adds Casting and a Wizard Archetype that adds combat abilities?
I would rather have a variety of base classes with a few alternate classes that add new options for a base class that can be combined to create unique class combos for unique characters.
Heck instead of Hybrids I would sooner see a Pathfinderized Gestalt System...
Azaelas - my impulse is towards a construction system (including Gestalt - I also heard someone mention Template<Class>, though I haven't read it yet). I'm a CS/Math nerd, and my favorite non-fantasy system is Hero/Champions. I lean hard towards the lego-block kinds of systems.
I have come, over time, to recognize that our fantasy RPG systems really thrive on flavor and texture. In design and critique I'm evolving towards a lot of flavor and tightly controlled major mechanics, layered over a rigorous and predictable system of design that's visible to the designer, but not mechanically available outside the design studio. That direction seems to more reliably preserve balance, and prevent a lot of ticky-tacky 'pile-of-mechanics' classes (and thus, characters). It also creates more predictable combinations of races, feats, prestige classes, and other 'embroidering' or 'tailoring' options over time.
So... yeah. In this context, I'd prefer a continuum Fighter -> fighter/mage -> mage/fighter -> Mage, rather than a separate base class of magus. Current magus is essentially mage/fighter. Some of the archetypes from magus (and the new bloodrager) demonstrate a strong demand for a fighter/mage archetype. I'd rather see those as variations from the two bases (archetype mechanism, and to a lesser extent the 3.5 'alternate features' mechanism) really fit the bill.
(...) I would rather play Rogue 3/Ranger X to get the added class skills and combat style feats.
I'm grappling with this on a character I'm playing. My bigger problem is all of the cruft at ranger 4. The character's bent is trap monkey, spelunker, and rock climber, with light camping skills. Not so much with the 'divine connection to nature', and not so much with the 'peerless bambi slayer'. I just really can't find a good way to get that flavor - I'm trying to find ( 70% rogue + 30% (ranger - druid stuff)). Slayer is closing in on that pretty quickly, particularly if the skill points bump a bit.
I generally like the class, though I'd really look forward to archetype variations that trade out the alchemist & poison stuff for some alternative 2/3 casting (preferably 4 spont arc/spont div/prep arc/prep div). Each of those has an archetype, and is straightforward to write up.
I get the homage to Sherlock Holmes and his chemistry set. Really - I see it. I'm just far less interested in playing that than I am in playing Shadow Jack, or Dresden, or whats-his-name from Focault's Pendulum.
Personally, I'm a bit appalled at the number of new mechanics. Warpriest bleesing things, shaman spirits, bloodrager bloodline redefinition, blood focus points, etc. etc. Vast vast amounts of trivia attempting to be creative interpretations of straight mashups.
I don't want to be disrespectful of the effort - I see the hard work and thought that have gone into these, and the consideration for balance.
I don't think I agree with the direction. There are now quite a number of tailoring and variation features in the system - a breadth of existing core classes, archetype variations, prestige classes, and muliclassing. This proliferation of hybrid base classes feels like bloat.
I'd far rather see the core classes redesigned with cleanly 'pluggable' features, and a set of archetypes that cleanly 'hybridize' the classes from either direction - rather than magus, fighter-- w/ light spellcasting (c.f. myrmidarch, kensai), and wizard light w/ combat survivability (c.f. arcane archer, eldritch knight). There ought to be an underlying sensibility and systemization to this - visible only in the design studio. Each of the product classes and archetypes should be fully supported, fleshed out, and 'thematic'. Many of the 'pluggable' class features should be unique to the base class or archetype - ninja-only and rogue-only advanced abilities are a good example.
In the end, I'd be much happier to see this product evolve into 10 thorough, clean, and non-bloat-ey archetype variations on core classes that express hybrids of base classes.
GM: So what are you playing?
Player: A Human Slayer.
GM: Okay so what does you character have against humans?
Player: Huh? Nothing?
GM: ... then why is he going around slaying them?
Player: He's not.
GM: You just said you're playing a Human. Slayer.
Player: Slayer is the class! Im playing a Human who is a Slayer.
GM: ... oh.
New meaning to "Buffy, the vampire slayer". Or was that Dhampyr Slayer?
I think it needs to be made clear if they count as a Prepared Caster, Spontaneous Caster or Both for meeting feat or Prestige class Prerequisites.
My initial impression is that they count as both but I think that's something that is going to need to be written down to avoid arguments.
This. There are also entry requirements (somewhere) for 'spells in a spellbook' (or similar).
Each of these hybrid classes is going to need clarification of interaction with prestige class entry criteria and prestige class features. Also probably going to need a fair amount of clarification of interaction with feat/trait features.
Separate issue: prestige class 'spell caster advancement' - do prestige class levels benefit blood focus points?
First prestige class question - does Dragon Disciple bloodline stacking apply to bloodrager bloodline level? I'm guessing the answer is yes. This may even be the specific reason that the bloodrager special is specifically called 'bloodline'.
I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of bloodlines people choose for the Bloodrager...
Arcane: Bloodrager with a familiar? Hellz yeah!
Abyssal: CE demon-spawned tiefling bloodrager. The theme would fit perfectly, and he even gets +2 Str and Cha. It'd make a good villain for a Worldwound game.
Boreal: A brutal soldier of rage and frost. Would make for an excellent follower of Kostchtchie.
Celestial: CG Aasimar bloodrager, Azata or Angel born. A divine warrior of Elysium determined to strike out at the forces of evil and law.
Draconic: A red-dragon derived bloodrager, probably CN or CE. You might even qualify for Dragon Discipline.
Pestilence: He gets angry and makes people sick.
Protean: CN. A rampant, unpredictable berserker with the chaotic power of the Maelstrom coursing through his veins. Perfect!
Fey: Fairy-rager!
Orc: Excellent! It made no sense that a squishy spellcaster would use a physical power-themed bloodline, but this bloodline finally found it's class!
Stormborn: Thor. :D
Undead: Zombie-rager.
Verdant: As others have stated, TURN INTO A TREE!
Aberrant Bloodline - if your papa was a bear, and your mama was an owl, and you can't decide whether to hibernate or molt, you're going to have some issues.
Accursed Bloodline - grandma was an evil outsider hag, and you're still not over it.
Aquatic Bloodline - swirlies for all
Daemon Bloodline - eats souls and thrives on disaster and ruin? definitely thematic.
Deep Earth Bloodline - for that deep-down, down to the roots (cross-blooded verdant?) rage.
Destined Bloodline - born to be pissed.
Djinni Bloodline - definite Diva twist here. Djinni don't get enraged, they explode in a fit of pique
Draconic Bloodline - in honesty, this is the one for me.
Dreamspun Bloodline - you can't even dream about how torqued I am right now
Efreeti Bloodline - itty bitty living space
Elemental Bloodline - raging elementals.. i thought that was dragons
Infernal Bloodline - when are devils not enraged?
Maestro Bloodline - brutally metal
Marid Bloodline - infinite swirlies
Martyred Bloodline - I'm going to bleed all over you!
Oni Bloodline - more demonic-ness. Japanese style
Imperious Bloodline (Sorcerer; Human) - off with her head!
Kobold Bloodline (Sorcerer; Kobold) - junior dragon. cute. doesn't fit well with the crafty trappy-ness of the kobold line though
Rakshasa Bloodline - rampaging tigers, anyone?
Serpentine Bloodline - can't see this one. snakey is just not ragey
Shadow Bloodline - fade to black...
Shaitan Bloodline - more heavy-metal, stone cold evil outsider ragey-ness.
Starsoul Bloodline - rage comes in the cold, frosty, void-tainted variety as well
Serious questions - wildblooded and crossblooded bloodline types for the bloodrager? Inquiring minds..
I've been trying to find good mechanics for my shadow dragon dragon disciple - and a cross-blooded, wildblooded draconic umbral bloodline bloodrager would be just the thing.
Operative question - how enthusiastic is Faerunduil's familiar about arson? "Yeah boss, yeah - right there - that big pile of oil soaked rags. That'll do it! Flame on!"
