Character creation rules

[spiral]

Let's get Japic in from the start!

You're not incapable of tweaking to suit a slightly larger party are you Si? =)

half-celestial
the bear
rogue/shadow dancer
max'd spikey chain fighter d00d
healing battery

we have no wizard. maybe I should do that? but then we have no rogue..

perhaps we don't need the bear *and* the max'd fighter?

[Wicksy]

OK, Japics in. You guys can play anything you want. Certain classes arent nessacary, but certain bits may be difficult without certain classes. However, since everyone here seems pretty resourceful, i'm sure you can all get round the problems faced.

[Japic]

In my experience, a good rogue or something to fit the role is usually good to have. I remember hearing/reading about a party of adcenturers that took to carrying a log around and it was their trapfinder. It was heavy enough to set off pressure plates, and when banded with steel and such was tougher than any trap (magical or not) could dish out. Though if the DM let himself be foiled by that device, I'd say he needs a little help on how to kill PCs. I could see either a high level mage or rogue being benifitial to the party. The battery can be built in one of two ways. As an intellectual full of holiness, or as a tank, full of holiness.

The question becomes which function would he be filling for the most part? If we've got combat monsters, then the intellectual full of knowledge, spells and skills would be more benefitial than a fighter based one. Lemme know which kind of healer this party would have gathered unto them during their time together. The OOC building of a team is ok here because we're expected to have known one another and carefully chosen our allies. If you have to find a healer, you'd pick one that fits the group best.

Am I the Tank Battery or the Intellectual Battery?

[Wicksy]

DM hint #1:[/u] Dont forget - leadership feat. A high charisma character... Decent follower. Also, i'll create a little base of operations for you. Much like the friendly arm inn in Baldurs Gate. Not owned by you, but where you all stay when not adventuring. However, xp is split with the other guy. Also, you are likely to attract hirelings. I will create ahead of time people to follow you - for a price that is. Discuss what you want with the others and come to me.

BTW, any follower by way of the leadership feat is made with a 28pt buy. This is because if he were the same as you lot, he wouldnt be a follower.

[spiral]

I vote intellectual battery

"battery!!" >

[Fangor the Fierce]

So as it stands, we have a monk/half-celestial, a possible Polarbear Tank, and Japic's Utimate Healing Battery.... This sounds interesting!!! Makes me rethink my character choice.... I had a cool guy in mind. He's from the home campaign I was playing in but that group has not gotten back together since the DM got married. He's a level 10 Fighter/Barbarian, with some weird abilities.

Feats like Jotunbrud, Power Attack, Extra Rage, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Some feat that makes Tumble a Class Skill, Exotic Weapon Prof (Spiked Chain), Hold the Line (Complete Warrior or Complete Adventurer to gain AoO from a charging foe), Cleave, and I think one more feat. He's pretty much an oversized human/half-giant, with rage, and the tendendcy to allow foes to charge him, while he trips them... then he lets them try to get up, while hacking at them. I was thinking of throwing in the new feat from Complete Adventurer, Leap, or something like that where he can get a bonus to POwer attack if he jumps at his target... Big, Bald, Brusier, that pretty much what he is...

But, with the two other melee fighters, I might have to rethink this.... we have no magic user, but then again, maybe it would be fun to have some pure fighting force, and one healer. Any opinions?

[spiral]

I do think we'll need some real magic in the party. There will be problems we can't handle with muscle alone.

Fangor it seems you and I need to fill the rogue and wizard slots. Which one would you prefer? if I get rogue, I'll multi-class into shadowdancer and be quite happy. If I get wizard, I'll just go straight level 10 wizard...

[Althael]

Wicksy, for the leadership feat, what are we doing with the 'modifiers'?
Like the 'Special Ability' +1Point (Which I hope I have) and the like?
If we follow the SRD:

Great renown  	        +2
Fairness and generosity	+1
Special power   	+1
Failure 	        -1
Aloofness       	-1
Cruelty         	-2
Has a familiar, 
special mount, 
or animal companion  	-2
Recruits a cohort of 
a different alignment 	-1
Caused the death of a 
cohort 	                -2
Has a stronghold, 
base of operations, 
guildhouse, 
or the like       	+2
Moves around a lot 	-1
Caused the death of 
other followers 	-1

[/size]

Lvl 10+1Cha = A great score of 11.
I think it is justified to add 'Special power' for a +1
As you mentioned, a base of operation +2
Fairness and generosity (Eww.. I'll have to work on that.) +1
Great renown ?

Anyway, it doesn't change a lot of things, he'll be lvl 8. Do we take in charge the followers ?
If so, I'll have 20 lvl1, 2 lvl2 and 1 lvl3. With a score of 15.


Japic-
Intellectual Battery all the way.
We'll have tons of muscle. Some brain juice wouldn't be bad too.

Fangor-
We could use a rogue/assassin or the like. An other spellcaster wouldn't be bad either.
If the healer get down, the 'pure fighting force' might have some hard time.
Though it might be interesting to have a bunch of melee fighters.

[Lin]

Ok, I'll post the important Bear stats hear. The awakened polar bear isnot really an option, after number crunching the level adjustment would definately place us over level 10.

Urskan
Large Monstrous Humaniod (Note: Long, not tall so does not have reach)
5 Hit Dice
Level Adjustment +4
Str +14 Dex +2 Con +10 Int +2 Wis +2 Cha +2
+5 Natural Armor
Natural claw attacks (2): Primary d8
Natural Bite Attack: Secondary 2d6
Proficient with Steelclaws (Weapon, pair, raises claw damage to d12)
Powerful charge, Troll Minotaur (2d8 +Str*1.5)
Rend, Like Troll (2d8 +Str*1.5)
Scent
SureFooted: +4 Racial bonus to blance on ice or snow. Does not get slowed down walking on snow or ice.
Skills: +8 to Hide when unamored on snow or icy terrain
Move Speed: 40 ft
Swim Speed: 40ft
Darkvision
Low Light Vision
Immunity to Cold
Vunerability to Fire

Other thoughts: In my personal opinion, leadership is not an option. It just strikes me as lame. My character was going to take track, but with leadership I can instead just take a ranger cohort with skill focus survival to track AND be an extra body? Sharing XP is a downside too. If one person takes leadership, would xp be shared from the person who took leadership or the group as a whole?

The bear is probably was going to take these feats:

Track
Power Attack
Imp. Bull Rush
Imp. Overrun

Now, if we are going to have a second battle controller (Spike chain dude) and no wizard, I'm not sure who exactly we are protecting. The spike chain and the bear will synergize like crazy, we just need the rest of the part to fit in the scheme. With a flying monk to bum rush casters (good), a healer to help our tanks win attrition wars with baddies. Last slot is tough. The cleric can beat some traps (Dispel magic, summon monster, find traps, etc.), the rogue can capitalize big damage with our battle controlers (AoE from bullrush and prone Sneak Attacks) and the most realiable means of trap handling. Now, a Druid gives us more utility spell slots for beating traps (spontaneous summon natures ally among others), some blasting and melee power. Wizard/sorc gives us real blasting, the best utility spell selection, and great save-or spells. The last option is bard, who can cover all those knowledge skills, summon monsters, do minor healing and buff the party like whoa. With leadership, though, the bard is to me a no brainer for the cohort, not a fully geared PC.

Personally, I hate druids and clerics, but the advantages are obvious.

So long as the bear gets approved, I'm playing it and will handle to general tank role. Dwarven Defender and Ogre Barbarian are options too, but "polar bear fever" is swinging righ now.

I'll throw this one back at you now.

[Fangor the Fierce]

I've never played a sorceror or wizard. I have played Rogues. Let me look up some info on sorcerors/wizards and see what I can come up with. Yes, there are some nasty combos I could pull with a rogue/sorceror.... sneak attack spells.... yes, it's possible...

[Fangor the Fierce]

Ok, looking at the two classes, Sorceror and Wizard, I would like to know your opinions on pro's and con's. I think I like the Sorceror best, as I don't have to prepare daily spell lists, although I am limited on which spells I know. I don't have any books with me, so I am strictly adhering to the online SRD for my information while in South America. With that being said, I am keeping to the basics on character generation, unless someone has info for me to use.

A level 10 Sorceror would be cool to try out.

Spells per day:
0 lvl -6
1 lvl -6
2 lvl -6
3 lvl -6
4 lvl -5
5 lvl -3

Familiar would be summoned, I was thinking of taking the Improved Familiar feat, so that I can get a Pseudodragon. Reason is, it has 60' Blindsense and communicates Telepathically. Simple enough.

So, is sorceror ok with you all? Or do you wll prefer wizard, and if so, why?

[Fangor the Fierce]

Lin, on your bear, I see that it's ECL is 9, so does that mean you will be taking a level in another class? That surely looks like a cool warrior.

[Althael]

Sure, go ahead with sorcerer.
I haven't played much spellcaster (Itucal being the very first), so I can't say a lot.

For the cohort, here's my idea, if anyone have any, go ahead.
Spiked Felldrake ECL 8 (Draconomicon)
Aasimar Monk? Or rogue.. Though, 2 monks might be too much for nothing. I doesn't have lots of experience with these either...
I was thinking about a dragon, but every ones that might be available(the few of them) are tiny and wouldn't have any class level. So it'll suck at the only thing he'll be able to do, melee combat.
Half-Radiant dragon *something* fighter or something...

Or, should I use the cohort as our rogue?

[Lin]

Yeah, Fighter 1 is the plan, which gives access to the always killer tower shield as well as a feat.

Wizard is usually considered better then sorc because of the spell book. Being able to ultra-customize your list day to day is awesome, particularly since you just don't have all the spells known to get the variety of ultility spells. At level 10 as a sorc, you'll have 1 level 5 spell. Teleport? Wall of Stone? Passwall? A sorc can be very good is the party needs a specific role (and thus a spell list to match the desired role), so if you think you can fill a niche we're missing, do for it.

[Lin]

Althael: My suggestion was bard for the cohort. Give our attakers inspire courage (+2/+2 or +3/+3 if you take Song of the heart from Eberron, I can send you the info) and with that much enchancement, we really won't need a blaster so long as someone has a bow that can hit with it. That free's up Fangor to go with utility and save-or spells (along with one or two good blasting spells for back-up. Elf Rogue with Skill focus (Disable Device) could be really useful to ease our trap fears, but we should have it with our spellcasters.

[Wicksy]

Lin - i'll approve the polar bear. Looks pretty good. 5HD is low though. However, you look nails, so you should be ok.

Althael - yes with everything. However, if you want to be known for generosity, you best tithe a fair whack of that starting gold. I'll allow one character to have leadership. They'll only get an 8th level character though. And i dont know about great reknown. Maybe locally. Doesnt matter.

[Althael]

Sound good.
Any idea for the race?
Aasimar might be good with the +2Cha, if the bard ability depends on that skill. I never really looked at it.
Or would it be better to have a lvl 8 bard ?

[Althael]

Wicksy-
What? I have to divide my money to my cohort? Doesn't he have his own wealth or something?

[TheZebraShakes™]

Leadership sucks,
Druids suck,
POLAR BEARS RULE THE WORLD!!!

[Fangor the Fierce]

Ok, if I had a 10th level Sorceror, here's his/her Familiar:

Pseudodragon - Familiar

Size/Type: Tiny Dragon

Hit Dice: 1/2 of Master's
Initiative: +2
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares), fly 60 ft. (good)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Armor Class: 23 (+2 size, +2 Dex, +9 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/-5

Attack: Sting +9 melee (1d3-2 plus poison)
Full Attack: Sting +9 melee (1d3-2 plus poison) and bite +4 melee (1)

Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft. (5 ft. with tail)
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., immunity to sleep and paralysis, low-light vision, spell resistance 19, telepathy 60 ft.

Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +8

Abilities: Str 6, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10

Skills: Diplomacy +2, Hide +20*, Listen +9, Search +6, Sense Motive +7, Spot +9, Survival +1 (+3 following tracks)

Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse

*EDIT*
He also gains from Familiar Table: Speak with like Animals, Deliver Touch Spells, Improved Evasion, Share Spells, and Empathic Link

A pseudodragon has a body about 1 foot long, with a 2-foot tail. It weights about 7 pounds. A pseudodragon can communicate telepathically and can also vocalize animal noises.

Poison (Ex)
Injury, Fortitude DC 14, initial damage sleep for 1 minute, secondary damage sleep for 1d3 hours. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Blindsense (Ex)
A pseudodragon can locate creatures within 60 feet by nonvisual means (mostly hearing and scent, but also by noticing vibration and other environmental clues). Opponents the pseudodragon can’t actually see still have total concealment against the pseudodragon.

Telepathy (Su)
Pseudodragons can communicate telepathically with creatures that speak Common or Sylvan, provided they are within 60 feet.

Skills: Pseudodragons have a chameleonlike ability that grants them a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks. *In forests or overgrown areas, this bonus improves to +8.