Shadows of the Sword Coast (Forgotten Realms 3.5)

Started by Nicolae, October 19, 2013, 10:38:49 PM

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Zaer Darkwail

Aye, and with more info in investing K:religion ranks. But we are caster heavy and that provides in itself quite a lot challenges to GM handle all magic flying about.

But if we face golem, then besides conjure spamming minions and throwing orb spells party would be pretty screwed :P. So a cleric for healing/debuff removal (or buffs) would be very good filler and so would be some actual physical or ranged combatants (archery builds or throwing weapon builds which function vs undead, example rogue with undead slayer augmenting crystal on chakram would work well).

Just my humble opinions.

Blinkin

True, we have no ranged at all aside from spell casters. Admittedly, at these levels, the spells per day isn't insignificant, but spell selection may be a little more tricky.

of course, for fantasy groups on E, I have yet to see a party that wasn't a 2 to 1 if not 3 to 1 in favor of spell casters. My very first game that I was in on E had 1 melee character and 6 spell casters... and I was the melee guy. A group of goblins on wargs nearly mowed us down.
"I am a Southern Gentleman, which means that I'm a rogue and a scoundrel. When I'm not kissin' the hands of married women, I'm slipping off their wedding rings."
My Ons' & offs'
Absenses & Apologies (Updated 3/02/23)
Blinkins' Thinkin's (Story Ideas)
Yes, I really am blind.
Being Literate is the ability to read and understand a language. When you ask for literate, what you are looking for is Verbosity, which is the ability to use lots of words without actually saying very much... like politicians. I consider myself both literate and verbose.

Xanatos

Well a smart group of Spell casters can tackle just about anything that isn't packing spell resistance and or straight up immunity. Though, if using Spell Slots (which is highly inferior), they do have to prepare well as a team. I don't care what people say, Spell Casters using spell slots cannot possibly be broken as a GM can too easily play against what they are not prepared for.


Blinkin

I seem to recall, back in the 2nd ed High Level DM's Guide, that a suggestion was made about higher level characters who had either dealt with something before and "knew alot" about the creature that the DM was offering, or was dealing with some cocky characters to change things up... like giving a troll a ring of fire resistance or a bunch of goblins amulets of magic immyunity and wands.... either might upset a player's day, but it is also a point that if spell casters don't coordinate, you could find 5 wizards all with the same spells and in inopportune time for those spells. I miss the old fireball spells, even though I hated mages who used them after two parties got roasted in tight places from them. It was fun to slap the wizard on the back of the head and say, "How many times have I told you, no fire spells in airtight rooms!"
"I am a Southern Gentleman, which means that I'm a rogue and a scoundrel. When I'm not kissin' the hands of married women, I'm slipping off their wedding rings."
My Ons' & offs'
Absenses & Apologies (Updated 3/02/23)
Blinkins' Thinkin's (Story Ideas)
Yes, I really am blind.
Being Literate is the ability to read and understand a language. When you ask for literate, what you are looking for is Verbosity, which is the ability to use lots of words without actually saying very much... like politicians. I consider myself both literate and verbose.

Nicolae

@Blinkin: I'm going to be moving things along shortly, so that will keep things interesting. We can incorporate the new characters after the next upcoming event. Also, I've been "fixing" a few of the problems I've seen in DnD 3.5, and Called Shots are on the list of improvements I want to bring to 3.5. So far I've modified the Vampire/Vampire Spawn stats so that they Vampire Spawn become Vampires as they level up, and made rangers' Favored Enemy ability make sense in the context of a realistic fantasy setting.
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Blinkin

Coolbeans. They were probably, big word there, fixed in 4.0, but it just seemed to me that Rangers were gutted and left to rot when they could be the ranged class of the game but are so weak that it's not even funny.

I don't mind 3.5, I'm not familiar with it to be in dismay at this point, but I tend to think that Pathfinder fixed some of the short comings of 3.5, but not all of them and created some of their own. It's kinda like Microsnot and their habit of putting out half-finished software and then fixing it after the fact. ;)
"I am a Southern Gentleman, which means that I'm a rogue and a scoundrel. When I'm not kissin' the hands of married women, I'm slipping off their wedding rings."
My Ons' & offs'
Absenses & Apologies (Updated 3/02/23)
Blinkins' Thinkin's (Story Ideas)
Yes, I really am blind.
Being Literate is the ability to read and understand a language. When you ask for literate, what you are looking for is Verbosity, which is the ability to use lots of words without actually saying very much... like politicians. I consider myself both literate and verbose.

kongming

I'd be happy to go Cleric to help with the undead-smashing, but in order to make a Cleric really representative of Sune or Selune, or indeed, to make them sexy in play, you need to use a variant rule from a banned book (namely, the Unarmoured Defence Bonus from Unearthed Arcana). Whereas Arcane casters can wander around more or less naked without real penalty.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.

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Zaer Darkwail

There are feats which allow use charisma as AC modifier along with Dex and nothing stops getting bracers of armor instead wearing actual armor (or get ring of mage armor).

Xanatos

#358
Cleric's can't just go willy nilly on feats. An 8th level Cleric gets 3 feats (not including race). That's it. As for AC, its pretty pointless. Just about every monster in any of the MM's, can hit most players AC without the need for high roles. Its players who have the trouble hitting monster AC's (at least early levels).



Hey Calrond, could you give me and the others, an idea of what skills would be most useful for this campaign? That would save us, me especially, a lot of effort trying to figure out which skills not to take.

Nicolae

@Blinkin: That's pretty much my assessment of Pathfinder too. It fixed some things (and for those things that it fixed, I'd be thrilled to use the PF rule rather than the 3.5 rule) and the creators left some things alone that I think needed fixing. (Example, I HATE vampire spawn because they only exist for a mechanics reason, not a story reason.)

@kongming: I might be persuaded to do allow the Unarmored Defense Bonus, just as I have traits and flaws (also from UA, if I recall correctly). Let me take a look at it.

@Xanatos: Well, with the caveat that the adventure will go for the most part in the direction the players take it, I don't expect there to be too much call for Appraise, Handle Animal, Intimidate (until I fix it, a least; it's broken), or Survival. As for Gather Information, I'd rather see that handled in-character rather than with a roll. That may be all I can firmly say probably won't be used.

As for what will be very useful, Bluff is always great, Concentration if you're a caster (though keep off the front lines and you don't need it to be too high), Diplomacy is good, Listen & Spot will keep you alive, Knowledge is fantastic, Search is key (unless you think you'll always have time to take 20), Swim just depends on whether the adventures plan on going on a nautical adventure, though having a point or two in it could keep you from drowning.

Is that what you were looking for? The other skills will probably just be as useful as the adventurers want to make them.
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Xanatos

#360
Yes, that helps. Thanks Calrond. I suddenly had realized that many skills often go unused because it generally is the GM that dictates which skills get used or not - especially Knowledge skills. Now I can further narrow down my skill list.

I also find your caveat about Gather Information to be interesting. It should be interesting.


Oh yeah, how much is the Nararoot you mentioned? The link you provided doesn't work.

Nicolae

Nararoot (or nara root, either way is fine) is female birth control, 2sp per dose, and each dose lasts 3-6 days in tea form and 6-14 days if chewed/swallowed raw.

Cassil seed is male birth control, 1gp per dose, and each dose lasts 3-12 days. It leaves the user able to get an erection, but infertile.

There's another substance that renders the male user unable to get an erection, but I can't remember what it's called. It's in Swords of Eveningstar, and I haven't dug that out of one of my book trunks yet.
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Xanatos

Thanks.

Another question for ya.

I would like to take a feat out of the Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells. Its called Divine Defiance. Pg. 83. It allows for a Cleric to counterspell. Is this alright?

Nicolae

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Xanatos

Same here. I enjoy the book. Its a gives excellent info on the Devils. If only they made one for the Planes of Celestia. Alas.

Oh, heh. Another question. Would it be alright if I used the DMG rules for creating a magic item or two? Pg. 285. I don't plan on anything spectacular. I envisioned the item in particular as a gift given to Selena by the priestesses of Eilistraee, which I will get into the why of it within more of her background. Thus, the need to create a custom item. The item I am thinking of at the moment will have the following magical properties (how much of each, will depend on pricing and what I settle upon).

+ to Hide, + to Move Silently, + to Saves

Nicolae

Sure, just deduct the cost of it from your gold and we're square.
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Kimmy

So I finished up my character sheet & all I've got to do is type it up in forum code - but I've got a rather big problem. I have a very cool character - Barbarian Paladin of Sune, loves to dance & enjoys being herself. All very fun to play - but her tactics include being able to track & hunt, a lot of natural fear effects, she doesn't have lay on hands nor turn undead, She still a scary raging barbarian who actually is in control of her mind when raging which is pretty cool - but if this campaign is against lots of undead - then my dear Cheyenne won't be all that great against them. She can rage & fight, - but most of the paladin side of things won't work. And since undead are totally immune to fear effects...

Calrond, did you want me to work on a different concept? I mean I'll have fun with my character - but it will suck if every bad guy is just immune to all of Cheyenne talents. If there will be there regular people to scare, undead to track down & such it'll be great - but if we're spending our days dealing almost exclusively against the undead then I should rework Cheyenne... I've got an idea bouncing about my head for it.
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Nicolae

There will be plenty of non-undead enemies to fight too. Knowing what I know about the plot, I say that you won't be disappointed if you go with your current character concept.
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Zaer Darkwail

Aye, regular non-undead foes who are not immune to fear are also present. But undead will play central stage.

Xanatos

#369
Hey Cal, I would like your opinion on the wording of a spell. Its a bit ambiguous. The spell is Ebon Eyes, 1st level Cleric spell from Spell Compendium pg. 77. The wording has two obvious wording flaws, so I will list the whole text - excluding the last bit which if fluff. The two parts that are too vague or conflicting are bolded.

"The subject of this spell gains the ability to see normally in natural and magical darkness, although it does not otherwise improve the subjects ability to see in natural dark or shadowy conditions. The subject ignores the miss chance due to lack of illumination other than total darkness."

1st one - Okay the first part to me implies that since Human's can see normally to the horizon during the light, that I imagine this becomes the same in normal or magical darkness. Thus, the bold text seems to be contradicting the whole point of the spell. 

2nd one - The second one makes no sense. It says ignore miss chance due to lack of illumination but seems to contradict itself when it mentions total darkness. If the subject of the spell can see in normal or magical darkness, then there really isn't any chance of concealment/miss chance other than obstructions.

So what do you think?

Nicolae

#370
And I have been considering reworking undead. It makes no sense that an intelligent undead would be immune to fear if it knows that the fear is coming from something that can destroy it. A zombie? Sure, they are too stupid to have self-preservation instincts, but a vampire or a ghost should be subject to fear rolls (vampires area already repelled by some objects, and I know it's not quite a fear effect, but it's close enough).

@Xanatos: To me, the first part in bold means "You can't see better than how you normally would in those conditions." For the second sentence, it makes more sense with the bold section omitted, so that the subject ignores the miss change due to lack of illumination, period.
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greenknight

#371
Darkness no longer creates total darkness. It creates an area of shadowy illumination incurring a 20% miss chance and affects creatures normally able to see in the dark. The same goes for deeper darkness; shadowy illumination with a 20% miss chance rather than total darkness and the attendant 50% miss chance.

So, it does not grant darkvision, the effect of a Wiz/Sor2, Rgr3 spell of the same name. It simply allows the target to ignore the 20% miss chance incurred by darkness.
When you bang your head against the wall, you don't get the answer, you get a headache.

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Nicolae

@greenknight: That makes more sense. So it's basically a weaker version of darkvision that is effective against all but total darkness.
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Xanatos

The problem though, is that its still technically Magical Darkness (I think anyway). Devils can see in Magical Darkness without hindrance. Thus, the way the Darkness spell has been read to me, makes me think that Darksight (my name for Magical Darkness sight), is pointless now.

I did drink a little, and it makes me a bit sleepy, so I could be completely missing the point here. So bear with me, heh.

Basically I thought this spell allowed a character to see in Magical Darkness as the spell says in the first sentence. The rest of the spell seems to me to have convoluted the situation. Unless I am, again, missing the whole point. >.<

greenknight

Quote from: Xanatos on February 03, 2014, 12:57:20 AM
Basically I thought this spell allowed a character to see in Magical Darkness as the spell says in the first sentence. The rest of the spell seems to me to have convoluted the situation. Unless I am, again, missing the whole point. >.<
It does, but magic doesn't create total darkness. It only creates shadowy illumination. So, the low-level spell to counter doesn't work in total darkness, either.
When you bang your head against the wall, you don't get the answer, you get a headache.

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