[D&D] Recruiting: TotFIE

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 8:11 pm

A note on how we're doing skills. First of all, it probably makes more sense for the MC (that is me) to make most of the Spot, Listen, Search, and Bear Lore checks behind the scenes and just write successful bear lore checks into the narrative (You identified a wild Orc!). Also, let's get rid of a couple of skills.

Nobility Knowledge is folded into History Knowledge. Yes, that means you get a synergy bonus on Diplomancy from History Knowledge. Merry Christmas.
Dungeoneering Knowledge is stupid, and it's just being gotten rid of. Anything you need to know about rocks and slopes can be done with Engineering Knowledge. You can make Bear Lore checks for Aberrations with Planar Knowledge.
Spellcraft is folded into Arcana Knowledge. Yes, that means you can decipher scrolls with Knowledge Arcana. Merry Christmas.
Perform is reverted to its 3e incarnation, so you get an extra performance type for every rank. Merry Christmas.
Profession is handled in the Dungeonomicon. It has become unranked in the way that Languages are.

Whipstitch wrote:Speaking of which, we just rolling greyhawk style for gods?

Pretty much. The main arc of the campaign isn't much dependent on the gods, so I don't see why we can't just roll with Garl Glittergold and shit.

Whatever wrote:What languages are spoken across Derpistan?

The Lingua Franca is Common. Most people speak it. It is a language related to Old Derpian, the language of an empire that collapsed a few hundred years ago. There are also regional languages:

Thorigrad
Zund
Khorbalian
Alain

Sweland speaks a dialect of Zund. Llanaden and Lolthwyr both speak Alain, though people from either country can usually spot the other accent and regard people who speak the "wrong way" unfavorably.

Grek wrote:The Guide Shot spell from Complete Adventurer. It's a swift action "shoot a bow better" divination spell.

It's actually called "Guided Shot". I don't have a problem with it. It seems like a very Assassinish spell to get.

Assuming people want to start in Korbahl, I'll start an IC thread as soon as six character sheets are in.

-Username17

flare22 · Post by **flare22** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:34 pm

is it cool if i play the tome war mage Koumei created here?
http://www.tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?p=103905

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:55 pm

flare22 wrote:is it cool if i play the tome war mage Koumei created here?
http://www.tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?p=103905

No. That class is hilariously half assed and specifically doesn't give a fuck about having complete sentences or mechanics. But in this particular case, the ability to magic up a tonne of hardtack every hour for free forever is potentially unbalancing and I don't want to deal with it.

-Username17

flare22 · Post by **flare22** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 10:23 pm

in that case can i play the tome elementalist?

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 10:24 pm

Character is in progress here:
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.p ... tid=612631

What kind of skeletons are available to the necromantically inclined among us?

Technically, we could be running a warband of undead owlbears, but that's both really asymmetrically threatening and wouldn't be possible to steal from your average graveyard.

What about undead bugbears, ogres, and orcs?

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 10:25 pm

I like how we could potentially have enough controlled undead to be our own voting bloc.

"The zombie delegate from the nomadic city state of Murderhobotopia would like to approach the floor"

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 10:30 pm

I'm preparing at least 1 Snake's Swiftness, Mass. It's fairly nice just with a horde of undead, but if we have enough people capable of throwing scaling fire bolts as an attack action it will get downright devastating.

Grek · Post by **Grek** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 10:46 pm

Swapped out a level of Assassin for a 1 level dip into Monk. Also, Fairy Eater for Zen Archery. While this unfortunately delays access to Detect Thoughts until next level, it frees up my build a lot down the road.

E: For ghouls of CR greater than one, do we use the monster advancement rules or do we apply the Tome of Necromancy Ghoul template to some Warriors of the appropriate CR?

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 12:14 am

Used Omegonthesane's stat array.

Drovak No-face
M Neutral Aasimar (Tome) Druid 4, Level 4, Init +2, HP 34/34, Speed 30 ft.
AC 25, Touch 12, Flat-footed 23, Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +10, Base Attack Bonus 3
Club +3 (1d6, 20 / x2)
Magic White Dragonscale Shirt (Cold Resistance 8) Magic Force Shield (Bracelet) (Applies vs. Incorporeal) (+8 Armor, +5 Shield, +2 Dex)
Abilities Str 11, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 22, Cha 18

Drovak is a druid from the deep Khorbalian forest. His sect watches over a region long tainted by necromantic magic, to the point that undead have become part of the ecosystem. The price crash of raw materials could lead to unsustainable harvesting rates, and Drovak is one of several druids who seek to address this threat by bringing Balance to Derpistan's economic system.

Character portrait:
http://i2.minus.com/iBZ1nSWqfcsxo.jpg

Whipstitch · Post by **Whipstitch** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 1:36 am

Omegonthesane wrote: We might have a lot if I get in. Or I might have to revise concept.

Uh, yeah, I've been reviewing prc options in the off chance we make it beyond level 8 and I'm afraid pumpkin king has kinda become my default choice because needing one rank 4 cross class skill and body assemblage is about as close as it gets to a PrC falling right into your lap as a dread necro. Also, flavor-wise it works since I was already eyeballing feytouched anyway, so I'm grooving on the weird nature theme--I'd feel worse about this if you weren't an alternate, but, uh, yeah, you're an alternate. Sorry guy. If Grow Vines causes issues with pumpkin-based economies, I'd cheerfully be willing to pretend that part of the entry doesn't exist, although as a level 10 trick I doubt that it even qualifies as shenanigans, particularly since pumpkins are rather more perishable than hardtack.

Anyway, here's a sheet. It doesn't have all the mundane crap he'll likely need yet, but getting this much up should let Frank get a sense of it. But yeah, dread necro son of a nasty nymph set up to go Pumpkin King someday. Pretty self-explanatory and messed up nature spirits jibes well with what Avo's got going on.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 1:40 am

I worked up a plan for a city state University which has an economy based on magically grown pumpkins traded across the world through magic. I'll pull the notes out if we need them.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 5:43 am

Okay, if I grab 3 minor items I can probably spare ~800 GP towards necromantic creation components. That's 6 skeletons with 5 HD each, plus a little cash for acquiring the bones.

If I give up on starting with a fancy magic shield, I can budget 1750 GP for necromantic creation components, and pay 40 GP each for 14 5-hit-die skeletons to animate without breaking the bank. 4 controlled by the feat, and 10 by command undead spells cast in downtime. I'll fill my 5 1st-level slots with Command Undead every day, and have a decent decent safety margin for retaining control of team owlbear.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 5:43 am

flare22 wrote:in that case can i play the tome elementalist?

Sigh. Yes, you can have many tonnes of water at your disposal.

Avoraciopoctules wrote:What kind of skeletons are available to the necromantically inclined among us?

At character start, you can have "generic" skeletons and zombies of creatures with less hit dice than you for the price of making them. Your zombie options are Kobold, Human, Troglodyte, or Bugbear (3.5 Monster Manual, page 266), and your Skeleton options are Human and Wolf (3.5 Monster Manual, page 226). Your Ghoul "options" are simply Generic Ghouls.

Other, templated undead will have to be made in-game out of corpses that are available, with all the potential social ramifications of using local peoples' relatives if appropriate.

Grek wrote:For ghouls of CR greater than one, do we use the monster advancement rules or do we apply the Tome of Necromancy Ghoul template to some Warriors of the appropriate CR?

Once play begins and Ghouls are made out of available creatures that are more powerful than basic humanoid warriors, you'll apply the template.

-Username17

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 5:58 am

Thank you for the clarification, Frank. The starting body selection should keep things from spinning too far into crazytown at the start.

I'm probably going for a lineup of bugbear zombies, with armor to somewhat enhance their durability and maybe a few javelins and oil bombs for ranged combat. Then some skeletal skirmishers, which we'll be able to afford losing.

Let's see... Bugbear zombies will have 6 HD after the template's applied, right? That's a price tag of 150 each, so 4 consumes 3/4ths of my start-with-magic-shield budget.

Is there an economical way to give skeletons/zombies simple weapon proficiency? At that price, I might as well make more of an individual investment.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 6:19 am

Avo wrote:Is there an economical way to give skeletons/zombies simple weapon proficiency?

Zombies of humanoids with more than one hit die come with simple weapon proficiency by default. The weapon proficiencies of 0-level humanoids are less clear, but the Monster Manual treats them the same (the zombie Kobolds can apparently use spears or light crossbows, for example). The generic Bugbear Zombie is shown using a morningstar and javelins, although you'd have to pay for such equipment if you wanted them to actually start with it.

-Username17

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 6:33 am

Sweet. I'm looking at the stat block right now, and they might make fairly good longspear goons. I'll try posting minion stat blocks tomorrow.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 7:18 am

The Player Characters:

Drovak No-Face, Aasimar Druid by Avoraciopoctules

by Flare 22
Alexander Snapfuse, Gnome Assassin by Grek

by Korgan0
by Prak Anima
Silas, Feytouched Dread Necromancer by Whipstitch

Did I miss Korgan0, Prak, or Flare posting a character?

-Username17

Grek · Post by **Grek** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 7:20 am

That is the perfect picture.

flare22 · Post by **flare22** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 7:50 am

No ill be posting mine around 12pm

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 8:06 am

In case it affects things, in light of choices slight mod - going ClCleric with a trajectory of Lord of the Damned -> Master of the Seven Necromantic Mysteries, because shockingly Tome of Necromancy offered multiple PrCs with attractive flavour.

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 8:14 am

Damn, this looks interesting but all the slots appear to be well and truly filled. Guess I'll put my name in as an alternate in case like five people decide not to actually play.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 8:15 am

Mine should be done shortly. Went back and forth a bit between Half Orc and Aasimar with Orc parentage, but given that HO gives bonuses to two important social skills i think I'll stick with original idea (though I'm considering Product of Infernal Daliance)

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 8:47 am

As I may not be the only one taking up Knowledge skills - how wide does Knowledge (local) extend?

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 10:13 am

Here's Thane. I'll write up his backstory and buy his gear in the morning. As a note, he has Detect Thoughts at will through the Violation sphere and having Product of Infernal Daliance (Ba'atezu). Should be helpful to read minds in this sort of game.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:40 am

Omegonthesane wrote:how wide does Knowledge (local) extend?

Knowledge Local is the Bear Lore skill for Humanoids and Monstrous Humanoids. It also gives you a synergy bonus to Gather Information. It can also be used to give wiki facts about important people, places, laws, and things within Derpistan (including Eastern and Outer Derpistan).

Prak wrote:As a note, he has Detect Thoughts at will through the Violation sphere and having Product of Infernal Daliance (Ba'atezu).

Question: what version of Warlock are you wanting to use? There are like eleventy billion Warlock variants, and I'm not sure which one you're wanting to do.

-Username17