Hey guys,
I'll be running my Rise of the Runelords campaign possibly sometime soon and just wanted some feedback on what I've done to make Ven Vinder a battle worthy, Rage filled, fist swinging father and what I've done to Nualia, as I felt she worked best thematically as a multi-classed Cleric/Anti-Paladin.
I gave Ven a Character build and bumped up Nualia's level by 1. Thanks very much for taking a look and I'll look forward to seeing your responses. :)
AC: 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17
HP: 41 (4d8+2d10+6)
Alignment: CE
Speed: 20 feet (30 base)
Str 14
Dex 13
Con 13
Int 10
Wis 16
Cha 16
BAB: 5
Fortitude: 11
Reflex: 5
Will: 12
Note: +3 to all saves due to Unholy Resilience.
Unholy Resilience (Su): At 2nd level, an antipaladin gains a bonus equal to his Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
Celestial Resistance: Aasimars have acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, and electricity resistance 5.
Masterwork Composite Longbow
+1 Bastard Sword with Weapon Focus
+1 Breastplate (+6 Armour, +1)
Melee Attack: 2 from Str, 5 from BAB, 1 from Weapon Focus, +2 from +1 weapon = 10 (8 when Power Attacking)
Melee Damage: 2 from Str, 1 from +1 weapon = 1d10+3 (4 when Power Attacking)
Smite good adds: 3 atk bonus, 2 damage
Fury of the Abyss adds: 2 atk, 2 damage
Ferocious Strike adds: 2 damage (if it hits)
Note: She will always attack two-handed.
Ranged Attack: 8
Ranged Damage: 1d8/x3
Tactics:
Before Combat: If Nualia suspects combat is imminent, she casts Bull’s
Strength and shield of faith on herself.
During Combat: Nualia activates her Sihedron medallion as a free
action at the start of combat to gain false life and casts divine favor.
She prefers to fight her fights with her bastard sword, her face an
impassive mask save for her eyes, which blaze with anger. She saves
shatter to use on any weapon that seems to be particularly dangerous
in an enemy’s hands.
When casting spells: Nualia takes one hand off of her Bastard Sword, takes a step back (5 foot step), holds her fiendish hand up and casts through it.
Upon losing a third of her life: Nualia casts Smite Good against the character which poses the biggest threat.
Upon losing half of her life: Nualia performs a Fury of the Abyss, Ferocious Striking Power Attack and will perfom this action until her Domain Powers have depleted for the day (you may do this 6 times with this build).
Morale: Nualia fights to the death.
Domains:
Evil - Demon Subdomain
Fury of the Abyss (Su): As a swift action, you can give yourself an enhancement bonus equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum +1) on melee attacks, melee damage rolls, and combat maneuver checks. This bonus lasts for 1 round. During this round, you take a –2 penalty to AC. You can use this ability for a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Replacement Domain Spells: 1st—doom, 3rd—rage, 6th—planar binding (demons only).
Strength - Ferocity Subdomain
Ferocious Strike (Su): Whenever you make a melee attack, you can designate that attack as a ferocious strike. If the attack hits, it deals additional damage equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum +1). You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Replacement Domain Spells: 3rd—rage, 6th—bull's strength (mass).
Spells:
From Cleric:
Spells Prepared (CL 4th)
0—Detect magic, mending, read magic, bleed
1st—Inflict light wounds, divine favor, protection from good, Doom (Domain)
2nd—bull’s strength, death knell (DC???), shatter (DC???), Align Weapon-Evil (Domain)
From Anti-Paladin:
Evil Aura: Strong
Detect Good (Sp): At will, an antipaladin can use detect good, as the spell. An antipaladin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is good, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the antipaladin does not detect good in any other object or individual within range.
Smite Good (Su): Once per day, an antipaladin can call out to the dark powers to crush the forces of good. As a swift action, the antipaladin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is good, the antipaladin adds his Charisma bonus (if any) on his attack rolls and adds his antipaladin level on all damage rolls made against the target of his smite. If the target of smite good is an outsider with the good subtype, a good-aligned dragon, or a good creature with levels of cleric or paladin, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level the antipaladin possesses. Regardless of the target, smite good attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
In addition, while smite good is in effect, the antipaladin gains a deflection bonus equal to his Charisma modifier (if any) to his AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the antipaladin targets a creature that is not good, the smite is wasted with no effect.
The smite good effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the antipaladin rests and regains his uses of this ability. At 4th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the antipaladin may smite good one additional time per day, as indicated on Table 2–13, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
Touch of Corruption (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, an antipaladin surrounds his hand with a fiendish flame, causing terrible wounds to open on those he touches. Each day he can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 his antipaladin level + his Charisma modifier. As a touch attack, an antipaladin can cause 1d6 points of damage for every two antipaladin levels he possesses. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Alternatively, an antipaladin can use this power to heal undead creatures, restoring 1d6 hit points for every two levels the antipaladin possesses. This ability is modified by any feat, spell, or effect that specifically works with the lay on hands paladin class feature. For example, the Extra Lay On Hands feat grants an antipaladin 2 additional uses of the touch of corruption class feature.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th)
1/day—daylight
Lamashtu's Mark - Benefit: Your abdomen bears several ugly scars, as if your belly had been torn open by a clawed hand. Lamashtu’s Mark identifies you as favored of the Mother of Monsters, and if it is visible, you gain a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks but a –2 penalty on Diplomacy checks.
Once per day as a free action, you may invoke Lamashtu’s name as you strike a non-evil foe with any melee attack. As you do, you cause the creature struck to become deformed in some hideous manner
(cloven hoof, horns, forked tongues, and vestigal limbs like wings and tails are common deformities). The deformity imparts a penalty of 1d4 points to the target’s Charisma score for 1 hour; the target can resist this effect by making a Fortitude save (DC 10 + your character level + your Charisma modifier). The physical deformity vanishes as soon as the Charisma penalty fades.
Channel Negative Energy: You can use this 6 times a day at 2d6 damage. Creatures that take damage from channeled energy receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the cleric's level + the cleric's Charisma modifier (DC 15).
Special: When channelling negative energy, Nualia raises up her Demonic Arm and channels through her hand (which has Lamashtu's Mark seared into it).
Statistics:
Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Lamashtu’s Mark
(p 56), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bastard sword)
Skills (2 per level): Intimidate +11, Knowledge (religion) +9, Ride +4, Perception +8
Languages: Common, Celestial, Goblin
SQ: spontaneous casting (inflict spells)
Gear: +1 breastplate, +1 bastard sword, Sihedron medallion
(p 55), masterwork composite longbow with 20 arrows, gold
holy symbol (100 gp), 7 pp, 5 gp
LN Human Commoner
Level 7
Age: 42
HP: 31
AC: 14 (+2 for Leather Armour) (-2 Rage)
Str: 16 (+2 Rage = 20)
Dex: 14
Con: 12 (+2 Rage = 16)
Wis: 14
Int: 14
Cha: 9
Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven
BAB: 3
Attack Bonus: 6
Unarmed Strike damage: 1D4+3 x2
CMB: 6 (+2 Dex) = 8
CMD: 18
Fortitude: 3
Reflex: 4
Will: 4
Feats:
level 1: Armor Proficiency, Light
- Improved Unarmed Strike feat
Level 3: Scorpion Style feat
To use this feat, you must make a single unarmed attack as a standard action. If this unarmed attack hits, you deal damage normally, and the target's base land speed is reduced to 5 feet for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier unless it makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wis modifier).
Level 5: Alertness +2 bonus on Perception and Sense Motive checks
Level 7: Agile Meneuvers Use your Dex bonus when calculating your CMB
Skills: 2 + Int Mod + 1 per level for being human
Class Skills:
Perception (Wis) = 14
Sense Motive (Wis) = 14
Swim (Str) = 13
Climb (Str) = 13
Craft (Int) = 12
Sense Motive made more sense than ride for being a shopkeeper's class skill.
He'll be in a rage so won't realise his lack of improved grapple will in fact provoke an attack of opportunity.
As far as Vin is concerned. It's not supposed to be a combat encounter. It's purely a "make the PC sweat and think he's going to be turned into paste and he has to talk fast" encounter. Don't forget, the PCs are still only first level.
I know, but I figured it might be fun to GM an unarmed striking Ven, if one of the characters decide to pursue his daughter. :)
I could just take improved unarmed strike away, so he can only KO and instead, give him improved grapple. That way he can grapple without a problem. I wouldn't have Ven kill the PC's anyway. The idea was to knock them out, but improved unarmed strike was mainly there so he could choose non lethal damage and just not allow them to get an AoO.
As Sandpoint will be the PC's home for the adventure (and I really don't like GM'ing, but it's my turn), I decided I wanted to make any characters with optional actions, slightly more significant to give the illusion that the town's alive and normal dangers are present, as well as the threats your typical dark forces throw at the PC's.
Having a fisticuff session with a guy over his daughter is, in my opinion, a fun little thing for one of the PC's to do, while the others watch. :p
Who knows, maybe by some stroke of luck, the PC will win, but the idea is that they get a beating, get thrown out onto the street unconscious and when they come to, either the PC's have taken care of him or he wakes up fatigued for the day and learns a valuable life lesson.
I dunno, it's just something I wanted to do for character building. Giving Sandpoint more character can also effect the way the players interact with the world, so that's my excuse. :)
Ah yes, I forgot about the two handed damage rules, because I've only just recently found this build that I prepared ages back now and back then, I still didn't know the rules fully.
Still, I'm guessing she'd need two to three rounds to buff herself to this extent and it's looking like the party will be made up of two Barbarians (One Savage, the other Vanilla), a Magus and a Sell-sword Fighter.
Accompanying Nualia will be two Yeth (Hell) Hounds and at the beginning of the fight, assuming she'd hear their footsteps (DC15 Perception would probably be enough for that as you could easily tell the difference between Human and Goblin footsteps), she'd buff herself up and as a swift action, activate her Sihedron Medallion, giving her False Life.
This may not lengthen her life too much, but with the buffing, she should be dealing similar damage to that of what each level 1 or 2 Barbarian can deal.
As for Ven, I guess it wouldn't matter straight away. If I role instead of roleplay Shayliss' actions, I doubt she'd have a very high bluff score as she'd be too flirtatious and I feel that would come across strongly, but depending on player actions, I could wait for a later encounter before ven starts swinging punches.
If the PC's are rude however, I guess he can get angry straight away.
Thanks for the pointers! :D
In addition to what Douglas wrote, remember the fear attack of the Yeth hounds - with three people in your group having low Will saves this can turn out rather ugly rather quickly.
In addition, I like the Ven encounter as it is - having my PCs to think about something other than "I hit'im real hard" makes me smile, but with your martial group things might be different.
BTW, how are you/they going to compensate for the lack of a buffer/healer?
Ruyan.
I honestly have no idea. None of the people playing really like to be Clerics, so if it's really a necessity, then maybe I could do what I've just literally thought of and have a GM controlled Cleric who's a new assistant/apprentice of Father Zantus, learning the ropes and is sent out to aid the party.
Problem is, if I do that, I don't think things will be that challenging for the group and I as a player actually dislike the fact that most people think it's a necessity for every adventuring group to have a healer.
I'll make it so when the PC's return to town, Zantus or an Apprentice of his can heal the group for a small fee, but in combat, unless someone decides to be a healer, I think they need to carry each other with strategic gameplay. :)
I honestly do not know whether it's a necessity to have a cleric around - it just makes things easier.
I can certainly see it working out fine in the earlier levels, but later on with the monsters having ever more (magical) abilities, doing ever greater damage, recovering overnight might become an issue.
If none of your folks like playing that class, that's how it is. If damage output is high enough and you're style of play does not involve more than 2 encounters a day, things should be fine. I like to throw more encounters at my players to encourage ingame interaction between the PCs and challenge their strategic planning on resource allocation and expenditure.
If you're having fun that's all that matters.
Ruyan.
You can get by without a cleric. Be sure to award a lot of potions of cure (light/moderate/serious) wounds. If you have a bard, ranger, or paladin in the party, have them find a wand of cure light wounds. In similar games, I've introduced alchemical healing draughts that heal 1d8+1 hp upon a successful Heal check; you could make something like that available in your world.
As for your Nualia build: I didn't think antipaladin was an appropriate character class given her background; I made her a 6th-level cleric, and switched her iconic bastard sword for a falchion. But it's your game, it's your story, and you get to call the shots in how you want to interpret it.
If you're interested, my Nualia build is HERE.
Good luck!