Why is it 16? My math is that she could only have max 10 altogether (cha 2 + max 5 rank + skill focus 3). What do i miss?
Why is it 16? My math is that she could only have max 10 altogether (cha 2 + max 5 rank + skill focus 3). What do i miss?
I don't have the magazine with me, but she may have synergy bonuses from Bluff, Knowledge (nobility), and Sense Motive. That would account for the extra +6.
Impressive
No kidding!
Seriously though it makes me feel better. It means that NPCs can get really good at one thing, their profession in most cases, and not need to be up in levels much. This makes far more sense in the world.
By a strict interpretation of the rules though, why wouldn't Lavinia be able to influence Solar Vark (may have the name wrong) with her insanely bonused self?
I am also very curious to see as we follow along if Lavinia starts gaining PC class levels as the joins the PCs on adventures... even if only tangentally. It will certainly be harder to keep her safe in later adventures otherwise.
Sean Mahoney
I wondered that myself, but then avoided the problem altogether by having Lavinia just arriving in town (with the PCs) and Kora Whistlegap having been the representative trying to get the ship.
Creative Director
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Even if she rolls a 20, Lavinia can only get a 36 Diplomacy check. Pretty good, sure, but not nearly good enough to hit a 50, which is what you need to make a hostile creature (like vark) helpful. Best she can do is make him friendly (and that requries a natural 19). The adventure assumes that she didn't roll a 19, and got chased off by his foul language. Plus, she's kinda pissed at him and would kind of rather see her new pet heroes go beat him up.
In the next adventure, we reprint Lavinia's stat block, and lo and behold she does indeed start gaining levels. In "The Bullywug Gambit," she's an aristocrat 2/swashbuckler 1. As the adventures progress, we'll update her stats periodically. I think her next upgrade isn't due until "Tides of Dread" in issue #143.
"Hello, I'm James Jacobs, newly crowned Editor-In-Chief of Dungeon magazine. That last post was '11 minutes ago,' and it is now after 2 a.m. Since my *first* response to this thread was @ 3 p.m. *yesterday*, that means that I have been involved in this topic for about *12 hours* today! Why am I reading the messageboards of my magazine after midnight every night? (*whispers*)...I'm the Editor-In-Chief, baby! I do what I want."
OK, he really didn't say that.
Just an observation... :)
heh can't beat an editor-in-chief :) thanks for the remark!