To make things simpler (and in line with the revised ranger), the Favored Enemy feat should have the same categories as the ranger's favored enemies.
Note: The "constructs and oozes" category actually requires more than one skill to get full use (for example, if you have only Spellcraft skill, not Profession: mining, then your bonuses apply against constructs but not oozes).
Creature Type (Prerequisite Skill)
Animals, magical beasts, and vermin (Survival)
Arcanists (Spellcraft)
Constructs and oozes (Spellcraft and Profession: mining, respectively)
Dragons (Knowledge: lore)
Fey and plants (Survival)
Giants and monstrous humanoids (Knowledge: lore)
Humanoids, civilized (Streetwise)
Humanoids, uncivilized (Profession: mining)
Outsiders, elemental and elementals (Knowledge: planes)
Outsiders, lower planar and aberrations (Knowledge: planes)
Outsiders, upper planar (Knowledge: planes)
Outsiders, other: native, astral, shadow, etc. (Knowledge: planes)
Undead (Knowledge: planes)
How does everyone feel about Kyrt-Rider's suggestion that each time you select the Favored Enemy feat, you gain a new favored enemy, and the bonus against ALL favored enemies improves by +2? Or maybe that mechanic should apply only to rangers?
Other ideas I'm kicking around in my head: for a cleric-archivist, give up domains in exchange for the ranger's favored enemy progression; for a wizard-archivist, take favored enemy feats at 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th for your bonus feats, instead of arcane feats.
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Knowledge devotion is a very good feat - probably too good the way it's written, as it's an automatic +1 to attack, even if you absolutely blow the knowledge check.
That said, I think you're comparing the archivist's skill to the wrong ability - you're comparing it to favored enemy, but I would suggest you also compare it to Bardic Music. He doesn't get the to hit bonus just for himself - with 1/2 BaB progression, that's worse than useless. He gives it to the entire party (knowledge devotion does not). It's a knowledge based buff, but in most other aspects it compares to bardic music.
I love Knowledge devotion because it lets me put Sheraviel's intelligence to work for her. Other than the rather minimal intelligence 13 requirement for combat expertise, not much of her intelligence can be used to help improve her fighting. I like the flavor of the KNowledge Devotion feat because it allowed her to user her intelligence to improve her ability to hit something. If it's gone, it's gone. Using a full feat slot to get a small bonus to attack and damage against one creature type is probably never going to be worth taking for any character I make, though. There's a reason I don't play rangers.
1. That said, I think you're comparing the archivist's skill to the wrong ability - you're comparing it to favored enemy, but I would suggest you also compare it to Bardic Music.
2. Other than the rather minimal intelligence 13 requirement for combat expertise, not much of her intelligence can be used to help improve her fighting.
3. There's a reason I don't play rangers.
1. Yes! Your comparison is correct, but alas, it directly contradicts on of the major design goals of the bard. The thing is, I really don't want bards to be quite so easily superceded again -- bardic inspiration is their big schtick, so I don't want to give it away to every other class for a feat or two (providing Marshal's auras as a collection of feats is one thing, but full casting + half BAB + bardic inspiration is just better than 3/4 casting + 3/4 BAB + bardic inspiration.)
2. Don't forget canny defense, for +1 AC per Int bonus as you level. But the main thing is that your spells, being based on Int, will directly and significantly influence combat as you level in Arcane Warrior. I think Sheraviel be doing fine on the balance, without also allowing her to spend one feat in order to pick up "all favored enemies" as well.
3. Hopefully I can still make them a viable class! I'm not sure that giving everyone else the equivalent of "all favored enemies on the list, for self and all companions" is the best way to do that, though. If a favored enemy is worse than a feat, I'm certainly interested in proposals to improve that ability... one idea is to roll in the AC bonus as well, for example.
IMPORTANT: All that said, I'm still open to suggestions!!! If anyone can come up with a way to change Knowledge Devotion and/or favored enemies so that the former isn't infinitely better than the latter, and/or to change Dark Knowledge so it doesn't supercede the entire bard class, I'm all ears. I'll keep thinking about it as well.
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Rangers provide a lot of bonuses against their favored enemy. Skill bonuses, damage bonuses, to hit bonuses. There are campaigns where this might be useful. But in general, I hate to have such a narrowly focused character. If you're living in the wilds where you're never going to leave and the greatest threat is those pesky goblins, taking ranger might make sense. In general, though, that kind of specialization isn't worth it to me. Part of this is just my preference. I think rangers are a niche class.
it's like the feat improved overrun. How often are you really going to overrun in combat? How often will it even be useful? Greater improved overrun is yet a further investment in something that is needed so rarely, I don't mind provoking an AoO to try it - I would mind losing that feat slot for something so trivial in both frequency of use and advantage gained by use. Disarm, sunder, grapple all give a significant penalty to the victim if successful. Bull rush is even capable of one shot kills, situationally. Overrun? Eh. Maybe if you're a rogue and you want to flank...but why not invest in acrobatics instead? Much cheaper! If Bull Rush and Overrun were combined into one feat for improved and one for greater, it might be worth taking. That's pretty much how I look at favored enemy. And as one of your limited feats, that you won'tbe able to afford full progression in (as opposed to ranger class abilities)? Ugh. Doubly not worth it.
The archivist's "inspire courage" clone grants only a bonus to attack, not to damage or saves versus fear. It's not going to be as steadt as a bardic check, and the top bonuses cannot match bardic bonuses on to hit ever after level 17. I will note that the check is a flat DC 15, which I don't like. I'd like to to act as normal knowledge checks, and scale with the monster's HD and rarity. That would balance it out very nicely
The next archivist's dark knowledge grants a +1, +2 or +3 bonus to saving throws against effect the creature throws at the party, given the same knowledge check results.
At 8th they get a +1d6, +2d6 or +3d6 damage versus the creature type.
at 11th, dazzle, daze or stun the creature for 1 round. Daze and stun are both powerful. Dazzle is a -1 to attack. Eh.
And then a +1, +2 or +3 to Armor class at 14th level. At that point,that ability is absolutely useless.
None of these effects stack - they're all separate. They're all significantly weaker than bardic music. There's a comparison here, but it's not one to one.
If you also include that the archivist cannot spontaneously cast cures and loses domain powers and spells, has wizard BaB and HP and only light armor, I don't think the archivist "beats" the bard or the cleric.
Other thoughts to consider: in 3.5, bards gained 1 Bardic music / bard level. Archivists gain 3 + 1/3 lvl Dark Knowledge uses - and bardic music wasn't limited in duration, while Dark Knowledge was limited to 1 minute / use (unless otherwise indicated, such as the dazzle, daze, stun power). If you want to switch to the PRPG rnds/day progression, Archivists start out with a nice base of rounds, but it doesn't grow much over their career. Maybe the same 4+mod (int) rounds/day, but growing at a rate of 1 round / level?
In general, though, that kind of specialization isn't worth it to me. it's like the feat improved overrun.
That's a lot of the reason I consolidated the favored enemies into much broader categories: all "uncivilized humanoids," for example, instead of humanoid (orc), humanoid (goblin), humanoid (gnoll), humanoid (reptilian), etc. Also, the more I think about it, the more I like rolling "favored enemy dodge" into the standard favored enemy package.
With regards to overrun, one of the things on the back burner has been combining some of the "Improved Maneuver" feats. I'd had in mind something like this:
And as for making Dark Knowledge not supercede the bard class, how about this. Specifically state Dark Knowledge stacks.
Stacking is a good point, since Dark Knowledge would provide insight bonuses, and bardic inspiration is a morale bonus.
I need to think about this stuff a lot more. Also, more suggestions/points of view are most welcome!
OKAY! Back by popular demand: the Knowledge Devotion feat, with the following adjustments:
Knowledge (lore): Dragons, giants, monstrous humanoids;
Knowledge (planes): Elementals, outsiders, undead
Profession (mining): Aberrations, oozes, humanoids (uncivilized -- orcs, goblins, gnolls, etc.)
Spellcraft: Constructs
Streetwise: Civilized humanoids (humans, elves, etc.)
Survival: Animals, fey, plants, vermin.
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OKAY! Back by popular demand: the Knowledge Devotion feat, with the following adjustments:
Each skill check is a move action.
Bonus by DC is +1 for DC 15, +2 for DC 25, +3 for DC 35, etc. (no maximum, except by total skill bonus).
Bonus is specifically listed as an insight bonus, so it doesn't stack with Dark Knowledge feats (which will also be retained in a slightly modified form).
Applicable skills, by creature type, are as follows:
Knowledge (lore): Dragons, giants, monstrous humanoids;
Knowledge (planes): Elementals, outsiders, undead
Profession (mining): Aberrations, oozes, humanoids (uncivilized -- orcs, goblins, gnolls, etc.)
Spellcraft: Constructs
Streetwise: Civilized humanoids (humans, elves, etc.)
Survival: Animals, fey, plants, vermin.
I think that's better, overall. I mean, as a player utilizing the feat, it's nice to have an automatic +1 for attempting a check, but from a balance perspective, that doesn't seem right - it's hands down better than weapon focus that way. This way you have to have at least some ability to identify said creature to get any bonus.
I mean, as a player utilizing the feat, it's nice to have an automatic +1 for attempting a check, but from a balance perspective, that doesn't seem right - it's hands down better than weapon focus that way. This way you have to have at least some ability to identify said creature to get any bonus.
I tried to balance it against the revised weapon focus (which is +1 at BAB +1, +2 at BAB +8, +3 at BAB +15). This bonus scales similarly, but since it stacks, the limitations are that some knowledge is needed, and that you have a move action activation.
Don't forget, folks -- no game this Monday :(
We'll re-convene on November 16th.
Yeah, you punks get a one-week stay of execution. Then it's time for the ax!
Yeah, you punks get a one-week stay of execution. Then it's time for the ax!
....hm....I don't have an ax....yet....
Fiachra's Hireling has my old Chain Shirt and I have a Chainmail +1 suit of armor. That gives me a 20 AC, but only 20 ft of movement.
Fiachra's Hireling has my old Chain Shirt and I have a Chainmail +1 suit of armor. That gives me a 20 AC, but only 20 ft of movement.
So 6 ranks in Endurance reduces your -4 armor check penalty (-5, +1 for masterwork) to -2, and leaves you with a speed of 25 ft. 12 ranks in endurance eliminates your armor check penalty and brings you back up to 30 ft.
Okay, with the Knowldge Devotion feat rescued, it seemed like a logical next step to use that as the first "rung" in a Dark Knowledge-like feat chain. The archivist is reborn! (Except you can be a cleric-archivist, a bard-archivist, or a wizard-archivist, for example). Tell me what you think!
NOTE: These feats are for personal use only. No copyright challenge or infringement of any kind is intended.
KNOWLEDGE DEVOTION (DOMAIN)
You can use your knowledge to exploit your foes' weaknesses and overcome their strengths.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (lore), Knowledge (the planes), Profession (mining), Spellcraft, Streetwise, and/or Survival 1 rank.
Benefit: Whenever you fight a creature, as a move action you can attempt a DC 15 skill check based on its type (as summarized in the table below), provided that you have at least one rank in the appropriate Knowledge skill.
Creature Types (Skill)
If this check is successful, you receive a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against that creature type for the remainder of the combat. The bonus increases by +1 for every 10 points by which your check succeeds (e.g., a DC 35 check grants a +3 bonus).
You can make only one Knowledge check per creature type per combat. If you fight creatures of multiple types during the same combat, you can make one Knowledge check per type, thereby possibly gaining different bonuses against different opponents.
Example: Sheraviel faces a black dragon, a vampire, and a beholder. She has the Knowledge Devotion feat and ranks in both Knowledge (lore) and Knowledge (religion). During the first round of the battle, she makes a Knowledge (lore) check with results of 26, granting herself a +2 insight bonus to attacks and damage against the dragon. The next round, she rolls a Knowledge (religion) check and scores a 20, granting herself a +1 bonus against the vampire as well. Since she possess no ranks in Profession (mining), she has no chance to gain a bonus against the beholder (an aberration).
Later, a half-dragon enters the fray. Sheraviel cannot make another check against it since she has already checked for the dragon type this combat, but she can apply the +2 insight bonus to her attack rolls and damage rolls against the half-dragon as well. This benefit is an extraordinary ability.
Special: A wizard can take any feat in the Knowledge Devotion feat chain in place of a standard arcane bonus feat at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and/or 20th levels. A bard can select Knowledge Devotion feats in place of bard talents.
A cleric with the Knowledge domain can relace the standard Knowledge domain abilities at 1st and 8th levels with the Knowledge Devotion and Foreknowledge feats, respectively. He or she can also give up the powers of his other domain in order to gain the Archivist and Dread Secret feats as bonus feats at 1st and 8th levels, respectively.
Source: Complete Champion.
ARCHIVIST
Prerequisites: Knowledge (lore), Knowledge (the planes), Profession (mining), Spellcraft, Streetwise, and/or Survival 1 rank; Knowledge Devotion.
Benefit: Your Knowledge Devotion bonuses apply to all allies within 30 ft. who can see and hear you. You can confer these bonuses a number of rounds per day equal to your highest skill bonus in any of the relevant skills (see above). For example, if Jazeel had Int 17 and 10 ranks Knowledge (lore) as a class skill, plus the Skill Focus (Knowledge: lore) feat, his total skill bonus would be +22, and he could confer insight bonuses using the Archivist feat for 22 rounds per day (divisible as he sees fit).
Source: This feat supercedes the Archivist’s “dark knowledge” class feature, from Heroes of Horror.
FOREKNOWLEDGE
Prerequisites: Knowledge (lore), Knowledge (the planes), Profession (mining), Spellcraft, Streetwise, and/or Survival 5 ranks; Knowledge Devotion.
Benefit: Your Knowledge Devotion insight bonuses apply to AC and saving throws against affected creatures, as well as to attacks and damage.
Special: If you have the Archivist feat, your allies also receive the benefits of this feat.
Source: This feat supercedes the Archivist’s “puissance” and “foreknowledge” dark knowledge class features, from Heroes of Horror.
DREAD SECRET
Prerequisites: Knowledge (lore), Knowledge (the planes), Profession (mining), Spellcraft, Streetwise, and/or Survival 11 ranks; Knowledge Devotion.
Benefit: As a standard action, you can pronounce a dread secret against a single creature within 30 ft. against which you would normally gain Knowledge Devotion bonuses. If you succeed at a relevant DC 15 skill check (see Knowledge Devotion), the target creature is dazzled 1 round (no save). If your check meets DC 25, the target creature is dazed instead of dazzled; if you meet DC 35, the target creature is stunned 1 round (if the target is immune to being stunned but not immune to being dazed, such as most undead, then the archivist can choose to daze the target instead of stunning it).
Source: This feat supercedes the Archivist’s “puissance” and “foreknowledge” dark knowledge class features, from Heroes of Horror.
To acquire 6 ranks in Endurance would make me a 6th level PC, correct? Also, what if any classes have Endurance as a class feat?
To acquire 6 ranks in Endurance would make me a 6th level PC, correct? Also, what if any classes have Endurance as a class feat?
Yes. Barbarians, fighters, monks, prestige paladins, and runeblades have Endurance as a class skill (it's no longer a feat).
Kirth, do we need to bring anything other than ourselves?
Nope (well, other than dice & character sheets)! Beer and soft drinks are stocked: I've still got 2 Shiners, 2 Newscastles, 3 Lhasas, and a Leinenkugel's or two and sundery others, plus two 7-ups, some ginger ale, and an ample supply (~6 each) of Sprite and Coke Zero.
See you this evening!
I'm going to bring my sunny disposition!
It'll take more than that to get you through this adventure alive!
Kullen, your disposition is equal to the heinous act I'm sure is the reason you draw breath.
Only I am allowed to insult my fellow travelers.
Consider that fair warning.
Ooh, yeah! Elf vs. orc throw-down! Classic stuff!
Now, if I could only gets some qullans involved...
I've decided that Jazeed is going to drop his 1st level Knowledge Domain ability to take the Knowledge Devotion (Domain) Feat. Knowledge Devotion, Archivist will have to wait, though. I like both of my other Domain Abilities.
I've decided that Jazeed is going to drop his 1st level Knowledge Domain ability to take the Knowledge Devotion (Domain) Feat. Knowledge Devotion, Archivist will have to wait, though. I like both of my other Domain Abilities.
Done! The archivist stuff can still be taken as feats when you get to 3rd, 5th, etc. level(s).
This just in:
Cleave is now an attack of opportunity, but the upshot is that Great Cleave is no longer needed, and can be eliminated from the list of feats -- Cleave + Combat Reflexes = Great Cleave. Likewise for Follow-Through and Improved Follow-Through.
Why? Well, several reasons, actually:
I has this many blankets!
::holds up three fingers::
When did Trog suddenly learn to count?!
Munchkin players, want their characters to be able to do everything...
Speaking of which, I've got a tentative minor revision to the monk. Instead of getting stuck with Purity of Bowels or whatever at the exact indicated levels, what of you got a "discipline" or "self-perfection" (i.e., monk talent) every other level, and could select off a menu? That way you can customize your monk, and it makes the class seem like less of a random mishmash of crap.
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When did Trog suddenly learn to count?!
Munchkin players, want their characters to be able to do everything...
Well, as Trog doesn't wear shoes, I believe she can conceptualize up to about 20. Then it becomes "lots".
Speaking of which, I've got a tentative minor revision to the monk. Instead of getting stuck with Purity of Bowels or whatever at the exact indicated levels, what of you got a "discipline" or "self-perfection" (i.e., monk talent) every other level, and could select off a menu? That way you can customize your monk, and it makes the class seem like less of a random mishmash of crap.
lol. "purity of bowels".
A question: I was told today that Trog will not be available for adventuring at our usual time, does that indicate that the party should plan on taking a day for sanity maintenance?
I notice that trog's email now rejects things that I send as well. Sorta leads me to wonder...
Andostre, Derek, what do you guys think? "To game, or not to game... that is the question."
Anyone...?
Bueller?
OK, that's two for a night off (Silverhair and Derek) and two no replies -- with one of the latter possibly a no-show as well... By majority decision, game night is hereby cancelled until next week.
Ah. Glad I checked in. Taking the night off sounds good to me, also.
(sob) Is it my DMing? (sob)
No, not in my opinion. It happens every so often that "life" intrudes into gaming. Especially at this time of year.
(sob) Is it my DMing? (sob)
Yyyyyyyyyno!
I'm just not on the internet as much during the weekends. (But feel free to call or text me if you ever have to get ahold of me.) Also, it seemed like the decision to skip tonight had already been made, so I agreed with the decision because I am agreeable. And handsome. But that last part isn't really relevant, I guess.
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I notice that trog's email now rejects things that I send as well. Sorta leads me to wonder...
Andostre, Derek, what do you guys think? "To game, or not to game... that is the question."
what? your emails aren't getting through?
sorry, I'm flying out in a couple hours to michigan, and my brother in clear lake stayed at my place overnight so we'd go out to bush intercontinental more easily in the morning.
See you all in a week!
what? your emails aren't getting through?
My mailer-daemon tells me that no email can be delivered to your address -- it's done that 2-3 times now. Guess we can worry about that when you get back.
In the meantime... Happy Thanksgiving!
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what? your emails aren't getting through?My mailer-daemon tells me that no email can be delivered to your address -- it's done that 2-3 times now. Guess we can worry about that when you get back.
In the meantime... Happy Thanksgiving!
Hm. I sent a bunch of large files to myself while testing some programming, it may have messed up the automatic forwarding or filled up the space I had. I would try again. If it bounces again, try my gmail account. it's the domain of my email at gmail dot com.
So, are we on for tomorrow? Is Jess still out of town? If so, are we going to play, or are we waiting for her to get back?
I vote to continue our adventure. I still have a bone to pick with Cullen. Besides, Jazeed has to get me out of jail first. At least he better if he knows what is good for him. He talks funny.
When are we going to get off our collective a**es and get back to work?
Sweet! We're on for tonight, then.
Virac: When Kullen gets out of the hoosegaw, he's sure to be gunning for you guys.
Rim: You've been traveling to the Keep on the Borderlands, to bring the news of the destruction of the Oracle to Lord Fenrift. Keeping him from killing anyone responsible (who is not in his employ or under his protection, anyway) is a full-time job, for the time being. He especially dislikes cursed relics. Especially teeth.
Aw shnit! I threw away my old tooth. Anybody got a Regeneration spell?
Anybody got a Regeneration spell?
There's this cantankerous priest of Cuthbert we ran into out in Elliston... dunno if he's high enough level for that... but watch out, the old codger packs a whallop!