Eberron Bepop (3.5 edition DnD)

[Muse]

I've been workign with Luna.  We cranked out a full progression Wilder and Cleric of Dohl Arrah. 

I think artificers have a whole lot of collor.  It would be really neat to play one.  Also, if we don't have a rogue or spelltheif, the artificer makes a great trapspringer. 

[Kunoichi]

Attune Magic Weapon is a good feat.  What I'm asking, though, is what the group currently doesn't have.  I work a lot better when I know what gaps are left in the group.

Hmm.  We've got a Cleric, probably with feat and spell selections geared towards being a battle Cleric, then we've got a Wilder, a Gish, a Ghost, a Bard, and you were considering playing an Artificer, as I recall...

An Artificer would definitely fit right in. ^^ We've even got enough of our bases covered that you could build it however you like.

[Muse]

Here's Arslan so far: 

http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=654940

Arslan's extended family are the descendants of a small clan of Shifters who lived in a cliffside city on a mountain range for ages and ages.  Their domain was threatened at the beginning of the War and they took sanctuary in Sharn.  There they discovered that their head for heights made them naturals to construct, maintain, and repair the highest towers in the city. 

The companies in charge of these public works were corrupt and--while the Skywalker clan shifters earn more than a lot of people in Sharn, they're still hardly prosperous.  (IF they scrimp and budget, they can provide a home for their wife and children without their wife having to work.  But that's a stretch.) 

The old men in the Skywalker clan have developed a habit of taking one final climb up the highest towers when they grow too old to work.  They say they're climbing to the moons, but everyone knows that this is their way of facing their deaths with dignity, in a final challenge against the wind and the rain and the steel and the stone. 

Arslan never was satisfied with the life of a high steel worker.  After his father climbed to the moon, he'd had enough and enlisted in the army for the final years of the Great War. 

More to come: 

[kckolbe]

Basically, I'd just like if Rhaegar and Kunoichi could give me a brief idea of what they would bring to the group in and out of combat.  It would really help a lot.

EDIT:  My char so far http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=655221

[Kunoichi]

In-combat, I've got a few different options that I can bring to bear.  I can use Malevolence to take control of powerful opponents, for example, though that's a move best used on foes with a low Will save, such as Golems.  I can also bring the many and varied uses of a CL 12 Telekinesis spell to the fight, and I've got Improved Trip to help me make especially good use of the 'Combat Maneuver' part of the spell description.  Finally, I've got at-will Major Image at CL 3, which can have all sorts of uses.  Illusory walls, fake monsters...

Out of combat, the above abilities all also have their uses, and I can fly, go through walls, turn ethereal, and have a high enough skill check to be of some use in Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Perform (Sing), Search, and Spot.  I also auto-succeed on all Move Silently checks due to the Incorporeal subtype, and have Trapfinding, so I can find traps for the party in a pinch, though not disarm them.

[Rhaegar14]

Out of combat, I have Wizard spells, banned schools will probably be Enchantment and Necromancy. I haven't worked out exactly what spells I have yet, but it's a Tier 1 spell list. I can do anything.

In combat, I will primarily be a melee fighter when buffed, probably with some supporting blasting or battlefield control (control might be hard; I don't want to bring "I win" spells like Glitterdust). If we're ambushed and I don't have any buffs up, I'll probably be staying in the back like an actual Wizard.

[kckolbe]

Thanks.  I think I will lean toward melee, then, since that makes you, Muse, and sometimes Kunoichi ranged types in the case of an ambush.  Not sure about Lockepick's char.  Any thoughts on what to expect there?

[Rhaegar14]

Thanks.  I think I will lean toward melee, then, since that makes you, Muse, and sometimes Kunoichi ranged types in the case of an ambush.  Not sure about Lockepick's char.  Any thoughts on what to expect there?

Yeah, my 5 levels of d4 Hit Dice and +1/2 BAB haven't been offset enough for me to pretend I belong in melee without buffs on yet lol.

[Kunoichi]

Thanks.  I think I will lean toward melee, then, since that makes you, Muse, and sometimes Kunoichi ranged types in the case of an ambush.  Not sure about Lockepick's char.  Any thoughts on what to expect there?

With proper spell and item selection, Lockepick's character will be pretty good at tossing out buffs for the whole party, particularly with Dragonfire Inspiration giving several dice of bonus energy damage to attacks.  If Inspire Courage could be made to work on constructs, this would make for a pretty awesome combination with the 'lots of pet homunculi' type of Artificer, but I haven't managed to find anything yet.

[Rhaegar14]

Actually, after a bit of thought, I've decided that I'll be our mobility specialist. Alternative modes of movement, teleports, obstacle negotiation, things like that. It fits the character, and the Wizard spell list is great for it.

[kckolbe]

So a melee fighter that can "bounce" around the battlefield?

[Rhaegar14]

To some extent, yes. Though it's a rare moment that mobility spells are worth standard actions in the heat of combat. Still, things like Swift Expeditious Retreat and Swift Fly certainly aren't off the table.

However, I more meant out of combat. There will be times when we have to get across obstacles, and for whatever reason the ship will not be able to ferry us over. Or we'll have to fight something else that's flying and will need our own fly speeds. Stuff like that.

[Rhaegar14]

Biography Time! I'll put together his crunch and personality tomorrow.



Name: Demvarien D'Lyrandar, formerly Demvarien of Stormhome
Race & Class: Half-Elf Knight Phantom
Age: 51
Biography:

"I am the sword of Aundair. I am the first to arrive and the last hope when all seems lost. I saw the very worst of the Last War, and when the next one starts, I will see the worst of it too. I am one of the Knights Arcane's finest. I am a Knight Phantom, and if you face me on the field of battle, you will know what it is to fear."

Demvarien was born in Stormhome as a nephew of the current Matriarch of House Lyrandar, Esravash. Being closely related to the ruler of the House, Demvarien lived a life of comfort and luxury during his early years, and had the finest teachers gold could buy. Though he did not manifest a Dragonmark, early in his studies he showed a sharp intellect and a grasp of arcane knowledge. When the first Magewright was brought in to teach him the basics of arcane magic, the young Half-Elf took to spells like they were part of his blood. He was singled out by the Matriarch to be groomed for membership in The Twelve, and when he was old enough, Demvarien was sent to the University of Wynarn to receive magical training beyond what Magewright tutors could teach him. The year was 967 YK, and Demvarien was nineteen years old.

For a time, Demvarien was very happy at the University. Though many of its halls were empty of students, there were enough there for him to make friends and have a budding social life. However, one by one, his friends all left for the war, drafted in service of the crown. One by one, Demvarien received news of their deaths in combat. By his third year at the university, the young Half-Elf could take no more. He left his House in self-imposed exile, abandoning the name d'Lyrandar and calling himself Demvarien of Stormhome. Demvarien signed on with the Aundairian military as a battlemage not long after.

Many of his comrades saw Demvarien as less than a real Aundairian soldier, feeling that he could not so easily cut his ties to his Dragonmarked House. Rather than arguing with words, the Half-Elf argued with his actions, showing tremendous bravery and skill on the battlefield. He rose quickly through the lower ranks of the army, and it was not long before he was recognized by the Knights Arcane. Shortly afterwards, he was offered training and membership in the most elite order in the Aundairian military, the Knights Phantom. Demvarien eagerly accepted.

For two decades and most of a third, Demvarien fought ceaselessly for Aundair in the battles of the Last War. In the year 994, however, his military career came to an end.

In one of its many battles with Karrnath, Aundair sought to establish a foothold on the Eastern bank of the Scions Sound. Demvarien's unit of one hundred Knights Phantom was sent far ahead of the rest of the force to capture and hold a small ruin North of Rekkenmark, to serve as a temporary base for the expedition force into Karrnathi territory. The unit was well in advance of the main Aundairian force, in order to keep the Karrnathi from recognizing Aundair's true intentions and increasing their defenses appropriately. The Knights captured the ruin quietly enough in the middle of the night, but the defenders sent word before being overwhelmed. By the next morning, a force outnumbering their own many times over was gathered outside the small fortification to force them out. All they could do was try and hold on until the rest of their forces arrived.

For the first day, they held against the onslaught with minimal losses, their elite training winning the day. But the undead do not tire, nor do they run out of spells. By the end of the second day, with no time to rest and insufficient numbers to take turns refreshing spells, the Knights had lost more than half their number. On the dawn of the third day, when the Knights Phantom heard the horns of Aundairian reinforcements, there were only a handful of them left, desperately fighting for survival. When the reinforcements arrived, Demvarien, badly wounded, stood as the only survivor of the hundred Knights that had claimed the ruin.

Something inside Demvarien broke in the aftermath of that battle. His taste for bloodshed was gone, and he had no more stomach for war. The Half-Elf was granted the Aundairian military's highest honor, and his comrades received the award posthumously. Demvarien was removed from the front lines for the rest of the war, training prospective recruits in the battle techniques of the Knights Phantom. When the Treaty of Thronehold was signed, he was dishonorably discharged.

For a little while, Demvarien lived a civilian life, free of his House and the Knights Arcane. But despite his best efforts to hide it, the Least Dragonmark that had manifested on the dark day when he outlived his comrades had come to the attention of House Lyrandar. Demvarien was "persuaded" to rejoin his family, and assigned to work on the airship of one Bael'vanos D'Lyrandar as a bodyguard and mercenary.

[kckolbe]

Rhaegar: I love his eyes.  I think that the mobility abilities will definitely come in handy.  Thus far it seems that just about all of us have some support abilities (except possibly Muse, not sure about psionic utility spells).

Zaer: Not sure about a last name for my character, or if he would even have one.  I was thinking that he would not have proper House ties.  If I am not mistaken, each House has multiple families of different status.  Wherever your character's family is on that ladder, I was thinking that my character's family would be a couple of rungs below, preferably subordinate to your family.  So, where your character received his commission as a Marshal, mine was only able to manage a position supervising the handful of magewrights assigned to your character's unit.  Over the course of the war, both of our characters got promoted, with my character eventually breaking out of the magewright division and becoming a proper sub-commander.

So, with that idea, would he have a last name?

[Lockepick]

I'm going Bard 7/Captain 1. Taking Dragonfire Inspiration and dropping Inspire Competence to increase my Inspire Courage by 1. It's only a total of +2 right now -- but it'll go up to +3 when I get Bard 8. Not sure on spells yet, there are a LOT of sources to check for that. I'll be focusing on, in this order: Weather/Air spells (for the ship); 'Social' Spells; Buff Spells. Maybe Shatter for other ships...

[kckolbe]

Lockepick, sounds great.  I'll definitely need the +2 when attacking with my crappy BAB of 5 (I had to spend 9k to get it to 6 for a second attack).  Since Bards are pretty handy on skills, mind picking up open lock?  That one's cross class for me.  I wouldn't mind having someone assist me on disabling traps, either, but that only needs a DC 15, so isn't much of an investment.

As for my char, he is a melee type with acceptable damage (about 18-19 per swing), but slightly low attack bonus and lowish AC (19) for a front line guy, and while 57 health is pretty decent, it will go quickly.  In combat, just think of him as a 5th or 6th level fighter.  Out of combat, he is an expert at disabling traps and forging documents.  His UMD is good for scrolls.

Once I hit level 9 he'll be a very decent crafter.

[Muse]

 Arslan doesn't have much group utility, but he does have a telepathic power called Mind Link.  It's like Rary's Telepathic Bond on a sliding scale. 

  So if we start in a group, I can keep us in teleptahic comunciation at any range for almost an hour and a half!  :) 

[Teo Torriatte]

http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=655636

During the waning few years of the Last War, Reala went to war alongside her shield sisters from the Eldeen Reaches. They were engaging against a scout team from Sharn, when they were outmaneuvered and pressed into a gravely disadvantageous position. Knowing when to fight and when to cut and run, Reala and her sisters decided to run, but Reala tended to wear heavier armor and was much slower and a lot less stealthy than the other girls. She was lagging behind, but encouraging her sisters to leave her if they had to, if thats what it took for them to get away. And when the other girls looked back, Reala had vanished.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a man had dropped on top of her and shoved her through a thick growth of bushes, into a small clearing where they faced off. She shifted.. and so did he! They tussled for a moment in their bestial forms, and she was able to hold him off, but when they both shifted back at the same time, he had an even greater strength advantage and was able to overpower her. He was able to tie her up and left the field with Reala as his battle trophy.

To be continued...

[Kunoichi]

Arslan doesn't have much group utility, but he does have a telepathic power called Mind Link.  It's like Rary's Telepathic Bond on a sliding scale. 

  So if we start in a group, I can keep us in teleptahic comunciation at any range for almost an hour and a half!  :)

It's just too bad for me that I'm immune to that particular power. :P Ah well, one of the downsides of being a ghost.

By the way, I noticed on your build that you had to take a couple of Expanded Knowledges to get some of the powers that you wanted.  Might I recommend the Educated Wilder ACF for a few bonus Expanded Knowledge feats?

Also, I recommend picking up the power Ego Whip at some point, because that's going to be a very debilitating attack against a variety of foes. ^^

[Muse]

http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=654940

Arslan's extended family are the descendants of a small clan of Shifters who lived in a cliffside city on a mountain range for ages and ages.  Their domain was threatened at the beginning of the War and they took sanctuary in Sharn.  There they discovered that their head for heights made them naturals to construct, maintain, and repair the highest towers in the city. 

The companies in charge of these public works were corrupt and--while the Skywalker clan shifters earn more than a lot of people in Sharn, they're still hardly prosperous.  (IF they scrimp and budget, they can provide a home for their wife and children without their wife having to work.  But that's a stretch.) 

The old men in the Skywalker clan have developed a habit of taking one final climb up the highest towers when they grow too old to work.  They say they're climbing to the moons, but everyone knows that this is their way of facing their deaths with dignity, in a final challenge against the wind and the rain and the steel and the stone. 

Arslan never was satisfied with the life of a high steel worker.  After his father climbed to the moon, he'd had enough and enlisted in the army for the final years of the Great War. 

   Arslan never was very stealthy, but people always put shifters as scouts, so that's where he wound up.  Rather than ruin the silent movement of his comrades, he made a habit of taking to the trees and the rooftops, serving a lookout, sniper, and death from above ambush expert.  (It helped when the platoons artificer crafted him a magic crossbow of deep crystal and a magic chain shirt of mithril.) 

   Three years before the end of the war, Arslan and his troop wound up maneuvering against an enemy band of shifter scouts.  The running was hard and the fighting was harder.  The eneimes faked a retreat several times trying to lure them into ambushes.  He didn't even realize the group had really broken when he noticed a straggler in feminine armor beneath him. 

   Arslan had been cured of his awkwardness about fighting women during the war.  Hardening his body psionicly, he dropped from the tree with his dagger drawn and onto her back. 

   The girl managed to keep her feet!  As they both staggered, Arslan tackled her through some bushes, loosing her halberd and his daggers.  They both tumbled to their feet, unarmed.  The girl, Arslan could see now, was almost fully human.  If it weren't for the anamilistic light in her golden eyes he would doubt she was a shifter at all... 

   Then her muscles ripples and her head went almost entirely lupine and arslan had no further doubts! 

   The older man bulked up, nails extending into claws as he shifted as well.  They wrestled for almost a minute, occasionally gouging each other but both were too heavily warded for their wounds to endure. It was only when their shifts exhausted simultaneously that Arslan was able to overpower the smaller girl and bind her in silk rope to lead back to his army in triumph. 

   It turned out that their main force had suffered a crushing defeat that day and they had to move five miles extra to get to the new camp.  Arslan turned over his prisoner with the promise of 75% of the  ransom award, then ate, crawled into his tent, and snored. 

   The girl haunted his dreams.  She'd been young, with a fierce spirit and hopeful face. Barely old enough for love and surely too young for war! 

   Pained screams startled him awake in the morning.  Arslan dressed quickly and followed them the cries to the front of the captain’s tent.  The girl hung naked by her wrists, being stroked with a leather lash. 

   Furious, Arslan bellowed, “What are you doing to my prisoner?” 

   The captain glared at him, and he continued, “Sir, I doubt she'll be worth much ransome covered in scars!” 

   “New orders from the top, scout.  No more ransoming prisoners back to fight us again.” 

   Arslan growled as the lash was lifted again and strode up to the officers, who's garuds drew their swords, “Then by right of the laws of war, I claim her as my war bride!” 

   There were some gasps—not that he'd invoked the right to take a slave so much as because he'd defied the captain, who'd lost friends in the most recent battle, but he laughed and cut the girl down for Arslan.  “Enjoy her, boy!”

   Arslan carried the girl to his tent, lay her down on the bed, and began to wash her wounds...

[Muse]

It's just too bad for me that I'm immune to that particular power. :P Ah well, one of the downsides of being a ghost.

By the way, I noticed on your build that you had to take a couple of Expanded Knowledges to get some of the powers that you wanted.  Might I recommend the Educated Wilder ACF for a few bonus Expanded Knowledge feats?

Also, I recommend picking up the power Ego Whip at some point, because that's going to be a very debilitating attack against a variety of foes. ^^

Oh, that's awesome!  I'm pretty sure it's compatible with Shifter Wilder too. 

[kckolbe]

Wait, Muse, your char is a melee type as well?  I wish you'd said something earlier.  I listed you as a full psionic caster and you didn't correct me.

[Lockepick]

With the requirements for Windwright Captain + Social Skills + Obligatory Perform = I'm actually pretty tapped on skills. I managed to work in Open Lock, though.

I can drop Gather Information for Disable Device, in hindsight. GI doesn't work too well in high end, or PbP games, so it might be wise to drop it.

Other note: I took Spot -- but couldn't fit in Listen or Search. Figured Spot made sense for a pilot, but let me know if this is an issue.

I've also worked it so I'll have 'ranks' equal to half my Bard level in EVERY skill that a Bard can take -- even stuff that can't be used untrained.

I did just realize... Is 2/6 of the party members (Warforged and Ghost) not viable targets for Bardic Music...? That's sort of a bummer.

[Kunoichi]

Oh, that's awesome!  I'm pretty sure it's compatible with Shifter Wilder too.

Yes, it is. ^^ The Mantled Wilder ACF on the same page isn't, though.

I did just realize... Is 2/6 of the party members (Warforged and Ghost) not viable targets for Bardic Music...? That's sort of a bummer.

Actually, as Living Constructs, Warforged are viable targets for Bardic Music.  That said, I also don't think we have any Warforged party members among the submitted characters anymore, so it's a moot point.

[Zaer Darkwail]

Lockepick, sounds great.  I'll definitely need the +2 when attacking with my crappy BAB of 5 (I had to spend 9k to get it to 6 for a second attack).

Just note that if he uses dragonfire inspiration, he does not provide +2 bonus to attack and dmg rolls (he just provides +2d6 to dmg rolls via energy dmg suitable to his draconic heritage; which as forest lord means acid dmg). However Vandros provides +2 untyped bonus to melee attack rolls (he is intima-tank build wise).

Also Vandros Derram is not from dragonmarked house; he is commoner from Cyre who was trained in war academy to become a marshal. His family had connections to Cannith house (their crafted blades were exceptional even five nations wide standards), but besides that no other known contact or marrying to the house.