[NCHS] or [NCES] Sigil Prep / Dungeon Crusade

[Katina Tarask]

Reading up on the Artificer would involve having to download an Eberon book, and Eberon never gave us anything I liked. And from what I've gathered, the Artificer is kind of lame as a base, but has the strength of "flip through all the books to find loopholes to drive trucks through", and I don't want something that has the choice between being crappy and being utterly broken.

So I'll have to say "no artificers". If you want to make stuff, just play a Wizard or whatever and take craft feats or something.

Actually, even just on its own merits, the Artificer class is pretty badass.  It doesn't become too much more broken through super super digging that the Wizard (read: It becomes really fucking broken), and even with light skimming, you can do some really cool and effective stuff.  It's definitely still Big Five, and if you really do your homework, it could well be the strongest of the Big Five, but the distinction does become fairly meaningless, and you need a degree in accounting to really squeeze 'em for all they're worth.

But then, I'm of the school that Eberron is filled with more awesome and win than every other setting WotC has ever put out combined.

Anyways, is there still room hereabouts?  This seems like one of the few places where a werepenguin might actually be appropriate, so I may as well try my luck.  May take some fiddling, since penguins are an absolutely godawful base form for a lycanthrope.

Edit: And more importantly, would you consider the Carnal Blossom discipline and Ecchinobi?  Perhaps giving up all weapon and armor proficiencies for Unarmed Strike progression, a la Monk/Unarmed Swordsage?  Or perhaps just tacking the discipline onto the Swordsage and swapping Swordsage abilities over to charisma, perhaps at the cost of a feat, and perhaps in exchange for one of the other Swordsage schools, since I'd rather have Carnal Blossom as a lighter supplement than go full-on tentacle-rape-fu?  That may include a shift to some other race besides werepenguin.  Maybe catfolk.  Or even something mundane.

[kongming]

Okay, I've received enough interest in the past few days that I'm going to foolishly run it for two groups. At the same time. I won't have this spread into a giant free-for-all, but I can swap people around from time to time, at least.

So, with that in mind, Katina, there is now room. Even if I disagree with you on the value of Eberron.

You can take the Echinobi and swap the proficiencies out for unarmed, or you can take a Sword Sage and simply swap one discipline out for Carnal Blossom. Either works for me.

As for were-penguin, I'm not sure how well that'd work. Perhaps it'd be better to just go Hengeyokai and have a penguin form, as that's basically the same (given other Henge options are similar creatures that won't eat your face) and won't cost you any levels.

[Katina Tarask]

Fun times, fun times.  I'll just go with Silverbrow Human (Dragon Magic) now that naughty-fu's been approved; I want the bonus feat.  Though a penguin would just involve taking the werepenguin from Frostburn and using it as the base creature for lycanthropy.  It gives absolutely no stat bonuses and is perhaps the worst possible lycanthrope form in the game (well, actually, crazy-high ECL forms are probably worse).  But it's funny.

Silk's sheet is coming along.  I didn't get word on whether it's alright to shunt Swordsage abilities over to charisma (possibly at the cost of a feat); the sheet currently assumes 'yes,' but of course, the sheet can change.  It's not really much of a benefit; it's just more appropriate.  And, if I can shunt Swordsage abilities over to charisma, would that include things like the save DCs for my Shadow Hand maneuvers?  I plan to have some of those be a kind of extension of the naughty fu in their implementation.  Like Strength Draining Strike functioning through inappropriate touching.  Then again, her normal unarmed strikes are based on inappropriate touching.

And I dropped Setting Sun to get Carnal Rose.  I also swapped out their discipline skills, removing Sense Motive from my list and adding Perform (Sexual Act).  I trust that's alright.

Since Silverbrow Humans are descended from silver dragons, and silver dragons are icy, any objection to Silk's Burning Blade (and any future Desert Wind maneuvers she might take) dealing cold damage instead of fire?

Custom magic item request!  Mighty Wallop's from Races of the Dragon and increases the damage of a bludgeoning weapon (like, say, unarmed strikes) by one size category.  Standard magic item rules for a continuous effect are 2000g*CL*SL, double on a minute/level spell, so for a continuous Ring of Mighty Wallop, that's 4,000g and gets me from 2d6 to 3d6 unarmed damage.  Is that alright?

Do we have to worry about basics like rations or anything like that?

[Lilian]

Hello. >.>  I just wanted to state my interest in playing this game. Erm, if anyone could suggest some interesting books.. I'm going to check out the gaming den. I'm far from being a stranger to 3.5 D&D, I've just stepped away from it for quite a while!

Just wanted to, you know, get my foot in there. Still trying to imagine a character of sort.

I'm also sort of used to the more vanilla races and classes, for the most part - it seems that people are throwing around some very interesting terms. @.@

[Katina Tarask]

So many totally awesome feats that I want... makes me wish I could go Fighter gestalt.  Oh, well.

Anyways, Lil, looks like we have a favored soul, a swordsage, a potential cleric, a drug pusher, and a few more.  Since magic is fun, I'm gonna suggest magic, with a side of (possibly homebrewed) naughtymancy.  The Book of Erotic Fantasy, Nymphology, and particularly the GUCK would be good places to look.  Her DMness seems quite generous in the creation of races that are actually playable, and earlier encouraged modding monster races into sexy monster girls, so you could crack open any monster manual and look for something that would be kinda cute if it weren't a fifty-story monstrosity oozing with pus.  A couple folks are playing PC-ized versions of very high-level outsiders.  Succubi are pretty much par for the course.

Perhaps something like a PC-ized mephling mage (Tantrist) for a little size-play fun?  For more fun, add in a mephit familiar/lover.  Like, maybe her failure twin sister!  I'm sure the sheer awesomenity would be enough to knock down the minimum level to get a mephit familiar by one.

Alternately, a warforged tantrist is never a bad decision. :P

[kongming]

Warforged anything is always a bad decision.

Katina: swapping to Cha is fine, including DCs and stuff. No problems with changing Fire to Cold. No need to worry about rations and stuff, and yes, you can have a worn item of always-on Mighty Wallop. Maybe they're boxing gloves, maybe they're "Spank Me" knickers.

Oh, and mephits are awesome and cute.

Lillian: yeah, run any ideas past me.

[Katina Tarask]

Hm... Mind if I shuffle item slots?  Boots of dexterity rather than gloves, hand wraps for the Mighty Wallop effect, and that ought to do it.

And I'd also like a masterwork tool for Perform (Sexual Act).  Basically, a little charged strip wrapped around her finger that vibrates in fun ways when Silk channels her ki just right.  Also, comfy panties as Hide tools and nice socks as Move Silently tools, if that's not too silly. :P

And with that, the sheet should be pretty much done and ready.  I also added a 'disciple' who very much enjoys 'training' in Silk's 'techniques.'

[Lilian]

Okay, I have six ideas.. I havent gone into classes yet, this is just ideas.

Also, 'animated clothing'. Does that have any reaction to anyone? I saw three strips of silk slip off a person I played with once.. well, they went back in somewhere and did _AMAZING_ things.


Well, I've.. no idea what you all are talking about. Favored soul? Warforged Tantrist? Who's doin' what with the funny bunny now? XD

I do ever so love monster girls, too. I was thinking about playing some sexy orc or goblin, maybe even a halfling. Being a high school, I'll have to alter the idea a bit to be more.. uh'm.. anime/hentai?

What sort of spellcaster would be useful, though? All these characters sound like they'll be warming nuts than casting fireballs. XD

[Jefepato]

What sort of spellcaster would be useful, though? All these characters sound like they'll be warming nuts than casting fireballs. XD

It only seems that way because the phrase "drug pusher" doesn't adequately convey that my character can also shoot lightning in a variety of flavors.  Every character currently in the works is fully capable of dishing out violence (or will be if appropriate spells are chosen).

If you're looking to play a spellcasting class no one has already taken, druid or wizard are your best choices -- if kongming is crazy enough to allow something as broken as the druid, that is.  :P

[Chloe Milev]

Okay, I have six ideas.. I haven't gone into classes yet, this is just ideas.

Ideas are good.  Mechanics can always come later to back them up.

Well, I've.. no idea what you all are talking about. Favored soul? Warforged Tantrist? Who's doin' what with the funny bunny now? XD

Well, if a Cleric is like a divine Wizard who prepares spells, a Favored Soul is like a divine Sorcerer, who just has this natural, spontaneous connection to their deity.  And I get bonus spells for being pretty (well, Charismatic).

What sort of spellcaster would be useful, though? All these characters sound like they'll be warming nuts than casting fireballs. XD

Well, I think we've got blasting, healing, and some fighting with me and the Swordsage, so I don't think we're in particular need for anything.  So you could do anything you're interested in.  I suppose something with rogue skills could be good for field trips to dungeons, but we can always blunder into traps instead.  A Beguiler from Player's Handbook 2 has some skills, as well as being a very manipulative person at school.

Of course, I could always be wrong about what we need.  You can just do whatever sounds like the most fun.

[Katina Tarask]

Wow, Lil, you are out of the loop. ^^U What books do you even have?

Favored Soul is essentially a spontaneous, charisma-based Cleric, as Chloe said.

Warforged are sentient PC constructs from Eberron.  Basically magical robots.  They are totally awesome, despite KM's distaste for all things Eberron. :P

A Tantrist is a class from the Book of Erotic Fantasy.  They learn and cast Wizard Spells, but their bodies are their spellbooks and they recharge by having sex.  The joke being that Warforged aren't generally equipped for such a recharge.

And orcs, goblins, and halflings aren't exactly what we're talking about when we say 'cute monster girls.'  Think more along the lines of a PC-ized minotaur or naga or barghest or mephit, adapted to PC status and sexified as a monster girl.

I'd suggest something more exotic than a goblin druid or something, though.  That's just kinda boring for Sigil Prep.  Maybe a PC-ized nymph Druid, probably with casting shunted over to charisma?  Or crack open Magic of Incarnum or Tome of Magic for something out there, like a Totemist (weird, complicated, and totally awesome) or a Binder (magic through making pacts).  Or, since there's nothing wrong with two Sorcerers, the mephit sisters.  Or a PC-ized rakshasa Wizard.  Or something more extraplanar and/or weird.

Then again, there's not really a true Rogue type, near as I can tell.  Crack open Complete Adventurer and Ninja (it's a ninja) could be fun.  Shunt abilities over to charisma and trade something for unarmed strike progression and she could be a rival for Silk.

There's plenty that can be done, but it'd help to know what you like and what sources you even have access to.

@Jefe: I can't find a link to your character sheet, so 'drug pusher' is really all I had to go on.

[Lilian]

I played a lot of games over OpenRPG, hon. If it wasn't PHB, then PHUCK JOO GET OUTTA MAH REWM! So I didn't have a lot of chances to explore out of the basic sets.. and everything else I've ever done has been far more freeform, or improvised in system.

I have an awesome picture of a very sexy minotaur woman, yes. And I do ever love nagas. I've played a couple of gargoylesses. I'm probably not going to be amazing when it comes to all the planar stuff - I only had basic access to it. Mew. And that was.. what.. 2nd Edition?

As far as resources go, consider me "None now, but I can dig up what I need" if pointed in the right direction for references.

Ninjas are fun.. hm..

[Katina Tarask]

Ninja/Warblade minotaur who sneak attacks with a large platinum fullblade!  Yeah!

[CirclMastr]

Why do I have the feeling that I'm going to be playing the only human in the game?

[Katina Tarask]

Silk's mostly human.  With some silver dragon blood.

[CirclMastr]

I'm going to have to resist the urge to say "Want a little human in you?"

Of course, given the PrC I'm going to take, some people won't have a choice in the matter.

[Jefepato]

My character is human as far as subtypes are concerned, and that's what counts   >:)

[Katina Tarask]

Isn't someone playing a succubus?  If not, maybe Silk should be one.  Or perhaps part-succubus.

[Jefepato]

Isn't someone playing a succubus?

I thought DeviantMunster was, but she hasn't posted in a while so I don't know what's going on.

Also, the 1/8 of my character that isn't human is succubus, not that it actually matters.

[Delta Echo]

*peeks in, curious*

This sounds totally awesome, and I'd ask if there was room, but I feel I'd be totally outclassed by the RPing and character-awesomeness quality of the people here...

[Katina Tarask]

Hm... it'll hurt losing the bonus feat, but succubus is tempting.  *Checks the stats from earlier.*

Oh, glorious GM, is there any chance we could tack a racial bonus to Perform: Sexual Act checks?  I doubtt suppose Combat Indecency and the shunted-to-charisma Swordsage AC bonus would stack, but I'm checking anyways (and I wouldn't pick it up this level, and maybe not even at level 9, anyways, since flaws are out and there are so many other must-have feats).  Any chance of getting a Succubus feat that applies charisma to AB, in lieu of Weapon Finesse (a la Intuitive Attack from BoED)?  Perhaps to the effect of...

Alluring Touch
It's easy to hit when they want you to touch.
Requirement: Succubus, +1 BAB
Benefit: With unarmed strikes and natural attacks, you may use your charisma modifier instead of strength on attack rolls.  If you carry a shield or wear armor, its armor check penalty applies to your attack rolls.

[Lilian]

Okaaaay, so I'm prolly thiiiinking, maybe a minotaur wooooman.. XD  Probably a fighter, though some crazy ninja or such would work, too, if you'd ever fancy such an idea. And to help in the process.. a piccie!


http://h1.ripway.com/Vacuusimago/1186805862465.jpg

[Katina Tarask]

Word from the wise.  Core D&D hates melee.  If you're ever going to mid-levels, then 'Fighter' really means 'Warblade,' because Tome of Battle classes actually scale and get better abilities with level (ignoring the scant handful of Fighter builds that do advance meaningfully).  If you need help working out how Tome of Battle classes work, talk to me.  I can walk you through it.  It's not particularly complicated.

I'm not sure what the DM's going to do for a PC minotaur, but I'm pretty confident in guessing a strength bonus will be involved (and I hope Powerful Build is involved), so with a +2 item, 22 strength is perfectly reasonable, which is on the order of 'a lot.'  So I'm also going to suggest getting ready for a specific prestige class.  Complete Warrior, page 30.  Exotic Weapon Master.  You can't take it until level 7, but one level of it can get you 2x strength damage rather than 1.5x when using... pretty much a bastard sword or a dwarven waraxe.

So, I suggest a level 6 Warblade (Tome of Battle), with Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Dwarven Waraxe (or bastard sword if you prefer, though an axe probably fits better), Weapon Focus: Dwarven Waraxe, and at least three ranks in Craft: Weaponsmithing to qualify for Exotic Weapon Master.  That leaves one feat open, plus your bonus feat (probably Improved Initiative).  For that, I suggest Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Platinum Dwarven Waraxe.  I'm still looking for where platinum comes from, but it's a weapon material that requires Exotic Weapon Proficiency to actually use, but increases damage by one die step (so, 1d10 to 2d8 for a dwarven waraxe).  It also costs an extra 7,000g, IIRC, but if you take full ranks in Craft: Weaponsmithing and maybe pick up some masterwork tools, you can cut that to a third by making it yourself.

That should get you one pretty badass beater.