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Scarab wrote:Liking it, liking it...

so I'm guessing when we get there, there is the possibility of there frequently being variations on the characters natural magical ability if they're in certain places? If the whole idea is that the tree greatly influences magic in the area, that holds massive potential for there being HUGE variations in the magical nature of the location they're in, dependant upon this tree...

I bet that's one of the things we'll quest to discover, Scarab.

Now, to expand on what I was thinking of doing...

I'm currently leaning towards being an elven bard. Traditionally, bards are closer to rogue than anything else, but the fun part of being a bard is that I can develop in many directions. I was thinking, between needing to heal and thinking about a race with a penalty to Constitution, to focus primarily on buffing allies and attacking foes from distances. This would be generous use of bardsong (who likes receiving bonuses to attack and damage? All of us!) as well as customizing my spell list for curatives and abusing the inherent elven proficiency with longbows.

I'm currently pondering what feat to take early as well. Extra performance (an extra 6 rounds of bardic performance per day) is a pretty obvious option, and the Point Blank Shot line would be really useful to shoot at people engaged in melee with allies.

Rick Healey wrote:I bet that's one of the things we'll quest to discover, Scarab.

Now, to expand on what I was thinking of doing...

I'm currently leaning towards being an elven bard. Traditionally, bards are closer to rogue than anything else, but the fun part of being a bard is that I can develop in many directions. I was thinking, between needing to heal and thinking about a race with a penalty to Constitution, to focus primarily on buffing allies and attacking foes from distances. This would be generous use of bardsong (who likes receiving bonuses to attack and damage? All of us!) as well as customizing my spell list for curatives and abusing the inherent elven proficiency with longbows.

I'm currently pondering what feat to take early as well. Extra performance (an extra 6 rounds of bardic performance per day) is a pretty obvious option, and the Point Blank Shot line would be really useful to shoot at people engaged in melee with allies.

Hey while we're on the subject of creating your characters, I mentioned this to Jack but I wanted your input as well. I was considering have you guys start at level 2 instead of 1, mostly because I don't like the idea of having us start off with the really awful starting HP for everyone (could make things pretty tense at the beginning though), in my experience as a player I've liked it when we have a bit more survivability and leg room at the offset. Outside of stats and the related, you'd still be starting off with your class's base gold for equipment. What do you think?

Your other option is to give us Level 1 starting stats and equipment, but tweak the rules for how base HP is generated (say, twice the normal Level 1 amount). Might that work as well?

Is there any specific naming convention we should be following? Slash specific names/ types of names that go with specific races/ classes?

You put us at a different disadvantage if we're level 2 characters with level 1 equipment - the d20 system (which Pathfinder draws from) presumes wealth as part of the game balance. Level 2 characters with level 1 wealth aren't properly equipped for upcoming challenges.

However, there is the solution I used in my game. In addition to giving people max hit points for level 1, give each character their racial hit die - for all of the Core Rulebook races, that's 1d8. That can be either rolled or given at max, but the important thing is that it gives everyone extra HP early when it's needed, but doesn't throw off game balance later.

Rick Healey wrote:You put us at a different disadvantage if we're level 2 characters with level 1 equipment - the d20 system (which Pathfinder draws from) presumes wealth as part of the game balance. Level 2 characters with level 1 wealth aren't properly equipped for upcoming challenges.

However, there is the solution I used in my game. In addition to giving people max hit points for level 1, give each character their racial hit die - for all of the Core Rulebook races, that's 1d8. That can be either rolled or given at max, but the important thing is that it gives everyone extra HP early when it's needed, but doesn't throw off game balance later.

That sounds like a good solution, okay just do that

Sorry for the double post, but to expand on that, I mean give your characters max hit points for level 1, and max racial die (so +8)

Also, we'll be doing "Standard Fantasy" Point buy for our Ability Scores: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/basics-ability- ... ity-scores (there's a calculator if you scroll down, just click standard fantasy and start divvying up your points)

Right now, I'm looking at the array of, as an elf:

Str: 10
Dex: 14
Con: 10
Int: 15
Wis: 13
Cha: 14

Favored class will be bard, and looking to take my favored class bonus in skill points - I feel like that's where the most utility will be found.

I was planning on taking a skill-heavy rogue as well. Do you think a four-person party needs two characters like that?

Qara-Xuan Zenith wrote:Is there any specific naming convention we should be following? Slash specific names/ types of names that go with specific races/ classes?

I don't have any specific naming conventions for the three areas you guys can be from, but I know there are some naming conventions for like Elves and other races. I, however, am not familiar with those conventions. I usually just make up names as I go, never really thinking about stuff like that. As long as it sounds somewhat exotic, you usually can put it anywhere in a fantasy game <.< >.> (don't judge me harshly on this I am terrible with names)

But that's just me, I'm sure you can google stuff up on the naming conventions of elves or dwarfs or whatever.

JackAlsworth wrote:I was planning on taking a skill-heavy rogue as well. Do you think a four-person party needs two characters like that?

You goob. I talked about playing a bard in the second post; couldn't you have brought this up earlier?

For early game progression, I would get a hold of all the relevant Cure X Wounds spells, as they're bard spells as well. For later progression, should Adell want to keep doing this until we hit at least the mid levels, I can look at maxing out Use Magic Device so as to fake being a cleric with relevant magic items. After all, the prepared healer has a scroll of Raise Dead on hand... and what does it matter if said scroll is used by a cleric or someone with a sky-high Use Magic Device check?

That said, if you're really attached to playing a rogue, I can build a cleric.

I'm not so hell-bent on skill-based rogue as to miss the chance to hear your impersonation of Kermit the Frog. I'll adjust him so he's more suited for ranged combat.

JackAlsworth wrote:I'm not so hell-bent on skill-based rogue as to miss the chance to hear your impersonation of Kermit the Frog. I'll adjust him so he's more suited for ranged combat.

Just to add in my two cents, Scarab and Rick are already gonna be ranged (ranged magic, and bow respectively), not sure if you guys all want to leave qara alone on the front lines

Hmmm... I could scrap the rogue (or save him for later) and try building a monk.

JackAlsworth wrote:Hmmm... I could scrap the rogue (or save him for later) and try building a monk.

There's always the upfront backstabbing rogue :3

Although Monks are pretty much my favorite in pathfinder

Jack you could totally be a rogue without being ranged. WE CAN STAB THINGS TOGETHER

You could effectively be the ninja rogue - buff your AC to the stratosphere and never be hit (though not the ninja class - Adell isn't letting us have Ultimate Combat access, and ninja is inferior to rogue anyhow). The feats that augment this are Dodge, Combat Expertise, Improved Feint and Greater Feint (a successful feint removes their Dex bonus against your next attack - which means that you can use your bonus sneak attack dice without needing to flank), and the most fun of all, the Improved Trip and Greater Trip combo.

That said, all of the above can be done more effectively by a monk anyhow, as they get access to a ton of bonus feats that let them do that stuff earlier. Plus, they get access to additional buffs to their AC earlier.

Also, I do enjoy that the logic behind character selection is as follows:

A) What concept would be fun to play?
B) What concept would work with what others have in mind?
C) What would result in Rick singing "The Rainbow Connection" in his best imitation of Kermit?

I'll likely wind up going the ninja rogue route. (If the game goes on long enough, and Adell lets us even glance fondly in the direction of the prestige classes, I might consider building into a duelist.)

Rick Healey wrote:Also, I do enjoy that the logic behind character selection is as follows:

A) What concept would be fun to play?
B) What concept would work with what others have in mind?
C) What would result in Rick singing "The Rainbow Connection" in his best imitation of Kermit?

Pretty much. Somehow C) wound up being top priority, though.

JackAlsworth wrote:I'll likely wind up going the ninja rogue route. (If the game goes on long enough, and Adell lets us even glance fondly in the direction of the prestige classes, I might consider building into a duelist.)

Rick Healey wrote:Also, I do enjoy that the logic behind character selection is as follows:

A) What concept would be fun to play?
B) What concept would work with what others have in mind?
C) What would result in Rick singing "The Rainbow Connection" in his best imitation of Kermit?

Pretty much. Somehow C) wound up being top priority, though.

It would be pretty cool if we can manage to make the game go for that long, hopefully by then I'd have a feel for actually gming. Also Duelists are fricking badass. (Honestly most classes in Pathfinder are badass, I think that's why I prefer it over regular ole D&D)

Also, Also. If Rick DOESN'T have his bardic song be Rainbow Connection I will be disappoint.

Adell wrote:Also, Also. If Rick DOESN'T have his bardic song be Rainbow Connection I will be disappoint.

Well, it depends on what effect I'm going for. I don't think it'd work for Fascinate. I'd say what song I *would* use for that, but why ruin the surprise?

Rick Healey wrote:

Adell wrote:Also, Also. If Rick DOESN'T have his bardic song be Rainbow Connection I will be disappoint.

Well, it depends on what effect I'm going for. I don't think it'd work for Fascinate. I'd say what song I *would* use for that, but why ruin the surprise?

My character will be able to use ice and light to create light refraction effects that look like rainbows. Come on, that is too good a correlation for us to pass up.

With a Maestro bloodline, I would get Fascinate at... level three, I think it was?

You know, color spray is a spell available to level 1 wizards and sorcerors. It's a great spell to use on enemies.

If you're just looking for minor visual effects, that can be done with the cantrip prestidigitation.

Sadly, the Maestro bloodline isn't available in this game; that's in a third-party supplement.

Rick Healey wrote:You know, color spray is a spell available to level 1 wizards and sorcerors. It's a great spell to use on enemies.

If you're just looking for minor visual effects, that can be done with the cantrip prestidigitation.

Sadly, the Maestro bloodline isn't available in this game; that's in a third-party supplement.

I'll allow the exception, if it won't cause any major trouble.

Adell wrote:

Rick Healey wrote:You know, color spray is a spell available to level 1 wizards and sorcerors. It's a great spell to use on enemies.

If you're just looking for minor visual effects, that can be done with the cantrip prestidigitation.

Sadly, the Maestro bloodline isn't available in this game; that's in a third-party supplement.

I'll allow the exception, if it won't cause any major trouble.

I'm happy to choose something else if we have to limit to within the rules.