Monster Hunter, DnD 3.5 Style? (DM + Players Needed)

[Latooni Subota]

You can blame my friends for putting these ideas into my head. I've been interested in the concept of a character whose primary motivations were not to seek out legendary treasures or restore his/her lost kingdom to power, but simply to find and defeat the strongest and deadliest of creatures that are threatening the more peaceful folk out there.

As such, I think it would be interesting to play in a game where the group is primarily a bunch of hunters protecting a village/city/kingdom and slowly adventuring further and further out to try and take out progressively more dangerous creatures. Rather than traditional magical items, they'd have to bring back part/all of the corpses of those powerful creatures and use the bones/leather/etc to make stronger equipment.

Example: Regular leather makes regular leather armor. A Displacer Beast's leather would make +1 leather armor at least, possibly with Displacement/Blur effects on it. A sword made out of a Great Wyrm Red Dragon's fang would be ludicrously strong, deal damage to objects/DR as if it were Adamantine, and probably have cool Fire abilities on it.

There's lots of potential with the concept, and it could even lean towards a village/city/kingdom management game. Hunt down a bunch of monsters because there's a shortage of food. Need to gear the army for war? Clear a path to a mountain so minerals can be mined, or hunt down a clutch of young dragons or something to be able to make a decent amount of strong weaponry.

I AM open to other ideas for campaigns of course . . as long as I still get to play my character that prefers hunting down big monsters to fighting in arenas and rescuing princesses. :)

I DO request that the game start out as low level Gestalt though, and end up being small-sized. 3-4 characters at most, with level 1-3 Gestalt. Preferably level 1. Please? :3

More details can be worked on via discussion.

[BigBuckBob]

i express interest in this idea.

[grovercjuk]

           Interesting idea. So you would be looking to start as 1st level, always fun. I would be interested as a DM or as a player if some one else wishes to DM.

[avorae]

I am interested as a player as long as it is not IRC as my time does not allow for me to do that.

[Latooni Subota]

Yeah, doing it PbP is probably the best for most people. But it really depends on whether or not the DM wants to do it PbP or IRC. XD

[avorae]

Well Lord Grovecjuk what style of game are you looking to run PBP or IRC. Seeing as you are willing to claim the DM chair we players would like to know. ;D

[Geradine]

i am interested as being a player, mainly because the monester hinter games are awsome, and so is 3.5, so this is a no lose situation for me.

[NicciKotor]

Would this just be straight up adventure, or will there be included some romance and the more naughty side as well? Otherwise, I would be quite interested.

[ulthakptah]

This is relevant to my interests. I'll play

[grovercjuk]

         PbP would be the best option given that I am in the UK and others I guess are scattered across the world.

         As for romance etc that is up to the players, do or don’t as you wish.

                  So the next stage is for people to do their characters. Point buy or dice which is the general preference?

[avorae]

I personally like dice rolling as I am a sucker for taking chances as long as it doesn't affect me physically but I can go point buy if that is what the majority wishes. As for character concept I am thing maybe Barbarian/sorcerer or barbarian/druid.

[Latooni Subota]

Despite not being the DM, I did start the thread, so I'm going to suggest the following-
Roll 7 sets of 4d6 dropping the lowest and re-rolling 1's. Keep the 6 highest sets for your stats.

OR

32-Point Buy. Whichever of the two is higher.

Play by Post works for me, but if so then the number of characters should be limited down to three just to speed up posting a bit, which is perfectly workable since it's Gestalt.

As for romance/sex, that should be up to the individual players and such, as long as it doesn't end up completely bogging down the game because half the party is busy snogging in one room while the others wait for them to finish. XD

[grovercjuk]

      Well in that case close applications to anyone who has not already posted above your post  Latooni Subota/ 

               And don't forget those playing hide the sausage are unlikely to notice the Drow Assassin sneaking up with the sharp knife and nasty intentions. 

[Latooni Subota]

http://www.myth-weavers.com/showthread.php?p=3324169#post3324169

You're gonna hate me for the dice I just rolled for my character. 17 17 16 16 16 15   XD

Probably going to go Warblade/Druid. Fits the theme for monster hunter a bit, and lets me heal OR hunt.

Edit: Anybody want to take a crack and designing basic statistics for the weirder/cooler Monster Hunter-type weapons, like SwitchAxes and GunLances? :3

[BigBuckBob]

Working on Ranger/Rogue
17,13,13,13,12,12

[Katina Tarask]

The great Miss Subota has ordered me to apply, and I do believe this could be quite yummy.  That is, if the DM will allow it.  A little competition can do wonders for a game.

[grovercjuk]

No problem at my end.

[Latooni Subota]

Yes, Katina is the last applicant, because I already KNOW how good she is, and fast. XD

Massive concept changes for me. Warblade/Swordsage or Warblade/Battle Dancer . . . or Swordsage/Battle Dancer, since with those stats I can be a pretty darn effective tank/fighter for us.

Shall we stick with level 1 characters, or bump up the level to 2 or 3 so we can be slightly established hunters/have more money for cool MasterWork gear?

[Katina Tarask]

Alrighty.  I'm thinking possibly Factotum/Artificer, leading into Warblade at some point.  Or something.  I am, of course, the crafty sort, as is pretty much a must for the premise.  (Sure, it could go to an NPC, but I prefer this route.)  I'll probably be something of a cool big sis to the group, or at least Latooni's character's loving sister.

Oh GMly one, do you have some manner of instant messenger?  It could make chatter go much more quickly.  *Has AIM, YIM, and MSN.*

[avorae]

I tend to use AIM or AOL if anyone wants to get in touch with me. Just send me a PM and i will give you my name for either or both.

[NicciKotor]

I'm going cleric/fighter human. I actually did roll this: 15-18-10-12-18-15. Yeah, what is the starting level on this anyway?

[ulthakptah]

Shifter Ranger/Barbarian 14 17 15 13 13 17, with the warshaper and weretouched master prestige classes at higher levels, and I was hoping to use the shifter racial substitution levels for ranger if that's ok.

[Katina Tarask]

17 13 14 13 17 14.  Not bad.

Hm... with me and Latooni going with sisters, perhaps a third sister could be fun.

[Latooni Subota]

ulthakptah: Watch out! Turn into too-impressive of an animal, and you might get accidently hunted! :D

Teehee :3

All kidding aside: Shifting sorta makes half the premise useless, doesn't it? Hunters getting cool animal/monster parts to make shiny gear to help beat stronger monsters/support the village. Shifters have no need of that sort of stuff. :3

[Katina Tarask]

Eh, I'm sure he/she'll make a better bathmat anyways.

[ulthakptah]

ulthakptah: Watch out! Turn into too-impressive of an animal, and you might get accidently hunted! :D

Teehee :3

All kidding aside: Shifting sorta makes half the premise useless, doesn't it? Hunters getting cool animal/monster parts to make shiny gear to help beat stronger monsters/support the village. Shifters have no need of that sort of stuff. :3

True that I'll be using natural attacks more than weapons. I still will have need for better armor and accessory. Also Shifters pride themselves on being good hunters. In fact I'm planing on taking the wildhunt trait to have track and scent making hunting monster easier, like having the psychic ability in Monster Hunter.

[NicciKotor]

17 13 14 13 17 14.  Not bad.

Hm... with me and Latooni going with sisters, perhaps a third sister could be fun.

I could run with that no problem. Sounds like all the more fun!

[Latooni Subota]

No need for that. Triplets is not fun. At least not with such a small group. :P

[avorae]

As much fun as this game sounds it looks like I will have to back out as I seem to have overbooked myself. I am sorry about this and wish you all the best and hope that you all have a good time with it. :'(

[ff]

I could be interested in playing a swashbuckler / rogue.

[grovercjuk]

Anyone wants my IM drop me a PM.

Shall we say second level? Hard enough so one hit will not kill but not King of the walk.

And to give a flavor of what kind of campaign the first post is up.

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=74242.0

We can have the chars met in the village before they set out. 

[Tackyhillbilly]

Is this still open?

[Latooni Subota]

Okay, fine. From THIS POINT ON, no more new players applying to the game. Feel free to come up with applications that are epicly awesome (Like mine and VV's will inevitably be) and we'll see what happens. Maybe make the cutoff date . . I dunno . . Midnight Mountain Standard Time, Monday? Earlier if cool apps appear?

[grovercjuk]

Thats fine by me.

And in discussion with Kat we will set a limit of two feats and two traits, hope that is Ok with everyone.

[Latooni Subota]

Two flaws, you mean? But yeah, that sounds good to me. :3

[Tackyhillbilly]

I didn't notice the cut off, but thank you for extending it. One Bard/Warblade coming up!

17, 14, 14, 12, 12, 12.

Standard WBL for 2?

[ff]

Okay, fine. From THIS POINT ON, no more new players applying to the game. Feel free to come up with applications that are epicly awesome (Like mine and VV's will inevitably be) and we'll see what happens. Maybe make the cutoff date . . I dunno . . Midnight Mountain Standard Time, Monday? Earlier if cool apps appear?

So have we decided on a level (so that I can make my char sheet 'application'.) And is this is an existing campaign setting (Forgottean Realms, Dragonlance, etc.) - I tend to be able to mak very detailed and interesting character backstories for Forgotten Realms characters, and could happily suggest locations that cater to the plot you had in mind (and there are lots of maps and info on the web so that everyone can see what I mean.)

[Katina Tarask]

Second level, I'm assuming standard wealth, no defined setting yet.

[ff]

Thanks Katina.

Let me confirm I have gestalt right:

HD and HP: max of two classes
BAB: same
each of the three saves: same
number of skill points: same
class skill list: union of the two class skill lists
class features and spellcasting progressions: union/sum of the two, as if regular multiclass
general feats: as normal, one every three levels - where a level of each class counts as one level - ditto for ability score increases (1 per 4 levels) and max skill ranks (3 + level)

Although I don't think my choice will induce outright redundancy, is there a provision for it? i.e. Evasion from two classes (say monk-2 and rogue-2) grants Improved Evasion (wonder what Evasion + IE would be...)

Swashbuckler 2 is a lame level (you get +1 reflex saves, whereas a fighter gets a 2nd bonus feat) but I'll still go with it.  ::)

[Tackyhillbilly]

Argost Fortun

Warblade//Bard/Rogue

http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=221107

His backstory is pretty general, due to the lack of setting knowledge. If FF's suggestion is adopted, or somemore setting information turns up, I'll add to it. And if anybody would like to twine backgrounds, I'd be glad for the chance.

[Geradine]

i have applied for this way back, and haven't replied since because i've been racking my brain as to what gestalt meant. how does a ranger/rouge sound for some ranged support in this?

[ff]

http://www.myth-weavers.com/showthread.php?p=3324169#post3324169

You're gonna hate me for the dice I just rolled for my character. 17 17 16 16 16 15   XD

Probably going to go Warblade/Druid. Fits the theme for monster hunter a bit, and lets me heal OR hunt.

Edit: Anybody want to take a crack and designing basic statistics for the weirder/cooler Monster Hunter-type weapons, like SwitchAxes and GunLances? :3

I can design weapon stats. I usually do it by balancing them against existing weapons and making adjustments as per patterns in the table (i.e. increasing the average damage by 1, from say 1d6 to 1d8, or the  threat range by one number or multiplier, increases the size or simple/martial/exotic-ness a step). If you describe what a switch-axe and gun-lance are I can give you proposed stats. 

[ff]

I've written her backstory as if in the Forgotten Realms setting. I'm not trying to say we 'should' do that, it just tends to get my creative juices flowing (have DMed, read novels, and played games like Baldur's Gate, in FR). It'd be trivial to substitute or edit out the proper nouns.

Mechanically she's not very damaging right now, but will become better in one level (more sneak attack, swashbuckler's best class feature, and a very strategic feat). In the meantime she can at least be a skillmonkey, specifically scouting, locks, traps, and bluffing.

WotC-style plaintext stat block for now, will do mythweavers later:



Name: Aria
Class: Rogue / Swashbuckler
Bio: Daughter to retired adventurers who'd more or less bought their way into polite Luskan society using the treasures, skills, and reputations gleaned from their exploits, Aria grew to found herself nudged towards high learning. Her parents, it seems, hoped for a safer life for their daughter, and to their dismay her favorite subject seemed to be her fencing practice nonetheless. At least, unlike most of her friends' parents, her own seemed amenable to the idea of a daughter learning such things at all, perhaps because their careers had shown them what a dangerous place the world could be.

These teenage tensions boiled over into Aria learning how to sneak out and about at night, and she got herself into tatters of trouble, and eventually one scrap she'd not have survived from herself. Rescued from petty thugs of a Luskan pirate lord by a priestess of the Red Knight, Aria ventured out to visit her savior's temple on subsequent nights. She never lost her disobedient urge, but perhaps channeled it with more purpose.

She found companionship and learning of the sorts she'd longed for, which proved a bulwark against a dark part of her own nature: she discovered through the aggravating throes of puberty, and leafing about in her family heraldry, that one of her great-grandmothers just might've been an erinyes devil. This shared revelation renewed her priestess benefactor's attentions and concerns. So far, Aria has maintained a far loftier heart than her infamous ancestor's. The blood may've even contributed a disciplined and logical bent of mind which serves well one who would revere the Lady of Strategy.

(Will provide more of a 'coda' to backstory when I have a better sense of the RP's opening location/scene, i.e. why and how she got there.)

Aria , lesser tiefling, gestalt rogue 2 swashbuckler 2
Medium Outsider (native)
Hit Dice: 2d10+4 (22 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class: 19 (+5 Dex, +4 armor), touch 15, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+5
Attack: kukri +8 melee (1d4+3/15-20) or comp. longbow +8 ranged (1d8+3/x3)
Full Attack: two kukris +6 melee (1d4+3/15-20) or comp. longbow +8 ranged (1d8+3/x3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: lesser darkness 1/day, sneak attack +1d6
Special Qualities: darkvision 60', evasion, grace +1, resistances (cold, elec, fire 2), trapfinding
Saves: Fort +2, Reflex +9, Will +1
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 9
Skills: Bluff +6, Disable Device +8, Hide +12, Listen +6, Move Silently +10, Open Lock +10, Search +8, Spot +6, Tumble +10
Feats: Improved Critical (kukri), Telling Blow, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse
Alignment: Lawful good
Deity: Red Knight ('The Lady of Strategy', LN goddess of tactical and wisdom warfare) if Forgotten Realms setting; or closest analog of Athena if in another setting
Flaws: Frail (-1 hp/level), Weak Fortitude (-3 Fort)
Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven, Infernal, Sylvan
Possession: two mw kukris, mw comp. longbow (Str rating +2), mw chain shirt, quiver with 100 cold iron arrows and 20 silver arrows, 2 kukris, 2 throwing axes, 2 light hammers, 6 daggers, grappling hook and 100' of silk rope, thin bedroll and rain tarp, one tenday of rations, flint and tinder, 3 sunrods, two scout's outfits, one silk aristocratic gown, forest camouflage rain cloak (mw tool for hide), soft padded elven footwear (mw tool for move silently), map of the known world, canteen, light warhorse and military saddle, 100 gp

Darkvision (Ex): A tiefling has darkvision to a 60-foot range.
Lesser Darkness (Sp): Once per day, the tiefling may use an effect similar to darkness (caster level equals tiefling's character level), except that the radius is 5 feet. This ability is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell.
Skill Bonuses: A tiefling has a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Hide checks.
Resistances (Ex): A tiefling starts play with resistance 2 to cold, electricity, and fire.

Telling Blow (Ex): add sneak attack damage to critical hits. 

Sources: Complete Warrior: swashbuckler; PHBII: Telling Blow; Savage Progressions (Wizards site): lesser tiefling (i.e. LA +0 tiefling)

[BigBuckBob]

Geradine- If you haven't already started your rogue/ranger, you might want to reconsider. I just need to work on my background.
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=221058

[ff]

Nice sheet Bob. I think that our rogues will actually complement each other extremely well - your guy is the athletic, charismatic, and woodsy sort (gather info, handle animal, ride, swim, survival, etc.) and mine is the more indoorsy or urban sort (locks, traps, stealth, etc.). In battle we can try to help each other flank for the mutual attack bonuses and sneak attack damage.

[ulthakptah]

Bade Cabot Chaotic Neutral
Shifter
Ranger/Barbarian 2
Hp 25/25 AC 16 Touch 12 Flatfooted 14

STR 17 +3
DEX 15 +2
CON 17 +3
INT 13 +1
WIS 14 +2
CHA 11 +0

Base +2 Fort +3 Ref +3 Will +0

Skills:
Climb 5
Handle Animal 5
Hide 5
Intimidate 5
Knowledge (nature) 5
Move Silently 5
Survival 5

Language:
Common
Sylvan

Racial Traits:
Low-Light Vision
+2 Balance, Climb, & Jump
Shifting: 2/2 day, 6+con rnds
Beasthide: while shifting Natural Armor +4
Wildhunt: while shifting scent and +2 con

Flaws:
Shaky, –2 on ranged attack
Unreactive, –6 initiative

Class Features:
Fast Movement (Ex): +10ft
Rage (Ex): 1/1 day, +4 bonus to Str&Con, +2 morale bonus on Will saves –2 penalty to Armor Class.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex):
Favored Enemy (Ex): Magical beast +2
Wild Empathy (Ex)
Combat Style (Ex): two-weapon combat

Feats:
Track
Beasthide Elite
Shifter Ferocity
Extra Shifter Trait (Wildhunt)

Weapons:
Scimitar 1d6 18–20/×2 — 4 lb. Slashing
Kukri    1d4 18–20/×2 — 2 lb. Slashing

Worn:
Chain shirt +4ac +4dex Max –2check 25 lb.
Explorer’s outfit

Items:
Backpack
Bedroll
Blanket, winter
Canvas (sq. yd.)x3
Chalk x2
Flask x2
Flint and steel
Mirror, small steel
Rope, silk (50 ft.)X2
Tent
Waterskin
Whetstone

GP:722

Description:
Male 6'2" 193 lbs. long black hair, and hazel eyes.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/besrikarie/dnd/shifterbybeanclam.jpg

Bio:
Bade grew up in a small tribe of shifters away from most civilization. In his tribe there weren't many shifters in his age group so he spent most of his time hunting. Bade wasn't very handy with a bow so he had to chase down the animals and hunt them with his blade. Soon the Moonspeakers of his tribe decided that a shifter of his strength should become a ragewild shifter, a powerful warrior that protects all shifter tribes, and in order to do so he would have to leave the safety of the tribe, and start his new life as an adventurer. Before leaving, the elders bestowed Bade with a morphic tattoo that was the mark of his tribe but changes to an incomplete ragewild shifter tattoo when he shifts. Symbolizing his journey to become a ragewild shifter.

[grovercjuk]

Forgotten realms seems fine and to that end.
Greenwards where the adventure starts is a small village in Deepingdale. To the North is the Gleamril river, to the east is Dun Hills, to the south east is the Glaun Bog and to the south west and west is the Archwood. 

[Tackyhillbilly]

My character can help with that to some degree. Dragonfire Inspiration makes it so my Inspire Courage adds damage instead of attack rolls. Everybody in the party gets +1d6 Cold Damage from it, which is nice.

Sources:
Tome of Battle
Dragon Magic

[Latooni Subota]

Tremendously busy month it seems, forr me. Being that I'm going to be out of town and possibly without internet for the entire duration, I don't suppose we can delay this till the last week of July, can we? :3

[ff]

Whenever you are ready! Take your time.

[grovercjuk]

Not a problem on my end