And let me just say how excited I was when brvheart said he would consider taking us on. . Thought for sure that our adventures together were over. .
Now there is hope even if it lies at the bottom of a well.
I have a simple rule on sources that goes back 35 years. I have to own the source. I can't buy all of them! This allows me to get a better feel for them as a DM.
Core
APG
UC feats and some more
UM, limited
URG extremely limited
ACG limited
UEG most of it
Ultimate Campaign - have yet to find much of a use for it
I don't own the Unchained book as of yet. My initial reaction was very poor as an old school dm, but I may change my mind. I have been known to do such things!
I try and stay away from race that are either celestial or demonic in origin. I have no idea what a Kitsune even is! My wife says it is a Japanese fox. They are shape shifters which tends to not bode well with good parties. Also at present, I only use european races, classes and items. FG is working on the Asian part of the world but has not released it. Old 1E player when AD&D and Oriental Adventures were advised to always be kept in separate campaigns.
I own a lot of the small Paizo stuff but only use some of them, mostly things related to Pirates and the Shackles.
Hah, no problem. Let me see what I can cook up.
Ok, do we have an idea on how many players you still have? Would like to know if I am going to run one or two games here!
Five
Sorek
Koan
Lars
Aggrammar
Good Thomas
No work from Koayi? Five is doable. I am definitely looking at two parties here but you are all going to the same place so you may run into each other! Hey, this is all one campaign! Might have some high levels trampt through eventually! They are in Tsar and likely will be there for the next two years.
brvheart, is Evangelist an acceptable archetype (or only after level 5)? We seem to be well stocked already in frontliners, so I'm pondering alternatives - perhaps a ranged character, since we seem to have none :P
No, Koayi is no longer with us. She had to drop out for RL issues
Ok, let me know when I can look at your new characters. You want to go with five?
Is there some site which has all those deities listed with details? I need to know favored weapons and the like before I can pick one. I may well have to change alignment a touch (likely to another G, probably NG). Other than that detail, I doubt I need to change much.
I'm good with 5 as long as all our bases are covered.
What does everyone else think?
I posted my new character yesterday in a post at 920pm
Let me know if he's acceptable
If Lars is considered the divine support, we are likely going to be lacking (though with two of then, maybe we'll have enough).
@brvheart you know Rappan way better than any of us. . Is five enough or do you recommend or see any glaring weaknesses necessitating a sixth character.?
@lars even with with the 2 of us being warpriests I think we need a full divine caster.
You and I will be the frontliners and we'll need to use our fervors to quicken our buffs in combat rather than channeling.
The 2 warpriests will be able to provide minor divine support IMHO but our primary role is frontlining.
I actually think with one full divine and 2 warpriests that we'll be pretty good on the divine roles.
They are not quite that organized to have it on the website and are working on the Campaign setting book but Greg has some 230+ deities on his spreadsheet. I have details on the ones for RA and will upload it.
RappanAthukDeities
Still having one of my players look over Unchained, but I am not comfortable enough with it to run it at present. Perhaps further down the road. I like to know my sources.
Wabbithuntr your new character looks fine. What do you have for a rogue?
I'm having trouble finding a god for Lars in that pantheon. I can probably just build a slayer to take over the trap duties and let Agrammar build his fighter (for front line duty, I'd be more inclined to a ranged build). Still leaves us needing a divine caster.
He has over 200 deities. what are you looking for Lars? Those are just a few. Thyr and Muir are good possibilities to start. Oh, CG how about Pekko?
Pekko, God of Ale and Spirits
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Domains: Plants, Chaos, Good
Symbol: Beer barrel suspended from a pole
Garb: Brewer’s apron
Favored Weapons: Quarterstaff
Form of Worship and Holidays: Harvest Festival,
Feast of Fools, Brewers’ Fest.
Typical Worshippers: Most often revered by gnomes,
halflings, dwarves and humans.
Pekko takes many guises among his worshippers
often appearing as a gnome, human
or dwarf of portly girth, wearing
a leather apron and carrying a
beaker for measuring and sampling
ale. In all guises he carries a staff
in one hand and a barrel of ale over
his shoulder. Pekko may be boisterous
and emotional, laughing one minute, or
brooding and tearful the next but always
quick to recover and share his good mood
once again.
Ok, so far we have
Monk/warpriest
Warpriest
Inquisitor
Dwarf fighter
Dwarf cleric (evangelist)
Do I have that right?
A slayer won't have enough trap abilities for the very trap heavy RA. You will want a rogue or someone with those abilities.
So far we have
1 Sorek- Monk/Warpriest
2 Lars- Warpriest in search of a diety
3 Koan- asked about Unchained Rogue, but that idea is on hold. He is contemplating ideas, looks as though he is trying to fill the trapspotter skill slot
4 Aggrammar asked for feedback on whether the Evangelist archetype is ok for his Dwarf cleric
5 Good Thomas is filling the arcane slot with a completely new character likely a wizard. He hasn't presented the new character yet.
the is no dwarf fighter or inquisitor
are we using average WBL for magic items and equipment?
Didn't see Pekko before. That will work just fine.
Looking at the Archaeologist Bard to fill in as a rogue/arcane
Or any other recommendations to fill both traps and range or traps and arcane (arcane leaning towards buffing to alleviate some of that from the main arcane caster)
That'll work:) Evangelist is fine also. In the long run a wizard would be your best arcane. They are weaker early, but really outshine a sorceror by level 7. Me, I like evokers but that is me.
I've made decent slayer trap/ranged builds before, though I'm never one to complain about a bard for utility.
Be sure to consider Fate's favored for a trait.
DC's for traps here run into the mid 30's and up! Ok on the trait. Lars reminds me of one of my 1E NPC's Har Megiddo. Nice jewish boy.
@Koan have you looked at the Investigator maybe with the empiricist archetype
if the Unchained rogue is not available this might be the next best option
I've never played a bard before so any tips would be welcome, especially with an archetype like archaeologist.
Brvheart, is slayer even allowed? If that is the case, I may just go with that.
Biggest issue with slayer is alignment. They really need to be evil. I would prefer no evil characters, but understand your original GM ok'd them. I haven't played them much either. I play a lot of rogues:)
actually that archaeologist bard looks pretty good too
Why does a slayer have to be evil? There's nothing in the class focused on evil. Even master slayer (capstone ability) doesn't have to be used to kill if you don't want to.
I guess people just take the name as being too assassin.
Really a slayer is just a rogue/ranger (or in my way of looking at it, the way a rogue should have been built in the first place so as to be combat effective- though the unchained version is rather good).
You are slaying people in the home of the biggest slayer on the planet, think you are going to stay neutral very long? I can slayers more easy working for O&T. You would join evil or become Frog food.
I can see two possible non-evil archetypes for here: grave warden and pure blade.
Looks like I have 6-7 players for the other RA game. If I end up with 7, want me to send the last one in over here? He is a bard.
Just my two cents on the slayer topic ; slayer is a hybrid class of Ranger and Rogue neither of which are inherently evil. . I would feel differently if antipaladin or necromancer were a part of the hybrid.
Also the slayer Archetypes you mention both replace the slayer level 2 talent. That will prevent him from taking the talents
Trapfinder @level2
Which is what we desperately need and given the amount of traps that are said to be in Rappan his level 4 talent will probably need to be Trapspotter
So we have a ranger Rogue focused on finding and disarming traps to keep his friends safe. . "No evil here.. Please move along ladies and gentlemen" :)
Next topic
I don't mind adding a 6th player. I'm fine either way . But I would like to make sure this doesn't step on Koan or Aggrammars toes
Koan had mentioned the option Archaeologist bard as a possibility.
Aggrammar is an evangelist cleric and a bard will duplicate his inspire competence abilities
What six would you like? Since I am in recruitment over there I can look for one.
Per my qualification, your previous GM approved evil characters so I would allow it as a legacy character and not go out of my way to try and kill it. This is RA, I would have to go out of my way to NOT kill people! But I don't like TPKs as a dm either.
@everyone I'd like everyone else's opinion on whether we want a 6th and if so what you would like.
@brvheart the previous incarnation of my character was able to detect evil at will and made frequent use of that ability. . An evil slayer was going to be a problem once we got to a level where I could detect his aura . We had already begun to rp a relationship between Sorek and Koan drawing him to the good side or bare minimum neutral. .
Far be it for me to stand in the way of a redemption which is big in my campaign. If he wishes to stay and the group is backing him I think the group knows best.
Ok, sent the email to Paizo to inherit the game.
I've already decided on scrapping Koan due to him being a Kitsune and not making much sense in the long run. He's high on human disguise specifically and I just don't see that being useful in a setting like RA.
I'd like a sixth. I'm totally flexible with what I can play.
We have:
Good Thomas with a Wizard.
Sorek with a Monk/Warpriest.
Lars is staying with his drunken Warpriest.
Aggrammar with a potential evangelist cleric.
That's arcane, frontline, frontline, divine/frontline?
I can play the trap finder with archaeologist bard or a trapper ranger.
If I play archaeologist bard, he will be a Halfling. Combat won't be a forte, so expect high stealth and scouting.
Trapper Ranger will be more combat oriented, though I don't really see myself using the trap-making abilities much (which would make it useless other than for trap finding)
Just browsing around, I see Trap Breaker Alchemist, but it seems to be from a Player Companion source. It would've been nice, since it does away with poison use for trapfinding and alternate uses for bombs (explosive trap in the way? Blow it up! land mines!).
Crypt Breaker Alchemist also adds trapfinding, specializes in combating corporeal undead (which I assume we'll be encountering) by altering bombs, but the mutagen is switched out for +4 to perception and either Darkvision, low light vision or scent (with light blindness as a side affect). Source: Inner Sea Magic
Seeker Sorceror is an interesting one. Gains trapfinding in place of Eschews Materials. Seems to be from the PFS Field Guide which I'm pretty sure is a free pdf. Ive never played a Sorceror before so help would be needed.
Going back to that previous list, do we need ranged? I'd like to knock out two roles in one if possible, maybe even three. Of the classes I listed, which would best fit what we need?
Happens to be one I just approved as a source as I have that one. Dungeoneer Handbook.
Trying to get a handle on what you have done so far and where you are at. I see the spot on the map which is a good place to get going again:) This area map should prove helpful
And this is the map just to the north
Trap Breaker it is!
Sorry for being difficult, but...just.... Rogues, y'know?
(I love them, but i've been playing rogues IRL for too long and I'd like something new...ish)
I've got a brunch tomorrow with some gaming friends that I should rest up for. I'll try to get my character up by tomorrow night.
Ok we have a trap breaker looks like we have everything covered.
Melee tank Lars warpriest
Melee striker Sorek monk warpriest
Divine Aggrammar evangelist cleric
Arcane good Thomas wizard
Traps Koan alchemist
What does everyone think about a 6th player? . Yes no? If yes what would you want?
Koan would like a 6th. . I'm ambivalent. . Everyone else?
Brvheart has mentioned a bard, a zen archer but would try to recruit whatever we want
@brvheart you know Rappan let us know if you think we need a any particular role filed
I'd favor a 6th. RA doesn't get its reputation for being Candyland.
No, more like Chutes and Ladders in some places! I mentioned the Zen Archer because if we end up using the Unchained it invalides the Zen Archer archetype although I think someone has a third party supplement that may be possible.
I may mash up an Evangelist archer cleric later today, if you guys think we are set on the front line. If Good Thomas decides to go for something other than wizard, then I'll step up for the position with a blaster wizard :P
Dammit... That's it I can't take not knowing what works and what doesn't with unchained monk anymore.. When I get home I'm buying that unchained monk book. . No pressure on GM brvheart to use it.. It is a 3pp supplement after all.
But I love Monks and if unchained monk helps fix some of their weaknesses, I need to know.
@brvheart a common option on the boards these days is to make :
unchained monk an option
Unchained Rogue recommended
&
Unchained summoner required
It's like considering unchained monk to be an archetype.
This way a standard monk can play along side an unchained Rogue
If I used it the unchained summoner would be the only way I would consider that broken class again. Me, I have no issue with the rogue or monk as is or the barbarian. My Sergeant of Arms is buying the book and doing a good walk through of it this week. He is the power gamer of my group! He is like, if you think monk is weak you don't know how to play a monk. I am the same way with rogues. It is my favorite class:) There is a lot more to a character than just combat.
The Unchained Monk doesn't seem to work with any archetypes (or so Herolab thinks). It does seem to be a better class for general fighting now, but without the archetypes a lot of interesting options are gone.
I do think the new one is an amazing dipping class if you are willing to use monk weapons.
A fighter/monk or paladin/monk using a temple sword is quite good. You don't give up much and get a free attack(at no penalty) for a 1 level dip.