Mesarunde OOC duscussions

[skreyola]

Tomorrow is good for me.

Talk about all out-of-character topics for Mesarunde here.

Character options available:
- Characters start at 5th level.
- Ability scores can be done ahead of time using a 32 point buy or at the first session using 4d6 - lowest.
- Hit dice: first HD maxed + 4, following HD can be rolled at first session or ahead of time using fixed hit points.
- Classes: Starting classes are limited to: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Wizard.
- Races: Starting races: Human, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Half-elf, and Halfling.
- Feats and other options: Anything from the SRD, other options on an individual basis with GM approval.

In-character events from last week's session never happened.

[Lil' Ragnaros]

Okay, here is my plan for the short-term for my Dwarf. Those marked with an * are pending approval.

6th level - Fighter 1-Wizard 5+
Skills: Continue putting skill points into craft and spell crafts + knowledges.Might digress and put some into Spellcraft.
Feats: Shield Specialization* and Craft Wand.
Spells: Displacement + Tongues/Suggestion

7th Level - Fighter 1 Wizard 5 Eldritch Knight 1+
Skills: " "
Feats: Shield Ward*
Spells: None gained.

8th Level - +to either fighter or wizard, to far into the realm of uncertainty. If fighter, will probably gain weapon finesse.

Short-Term Gear acquisition:
Dwarven Craft* Mithral Tower Shield
Dwarven Craft* Mithral Plate Mail
Bonus to Dex Items
Portable Forge* or establish an official one in-game that I can use.
Establish reliable method to transfer wealth to my clan in the mountains.

*Shield Specialization - Prereq: Proficiency with selected shield. Selected type of shield provides +1 more AC. Fig Bonus Feat, Can take multiple times, it's effects do not stack.
*Shield Ward - Prereq: Shield Specialization. You apply your shield bonus to touch ac and as a bonus to resist bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, and trip. Fighter bonus feat.
*Dwarvencraft: Item must be metal or stone. A Dwarvencraft item must be declared at the start of creation of the item. It cannot be upgraded to Dwarvencraft later. Dwarvencraft costs no more than the masterwork quality of the item. The Dwarvencraft part of the item has base DC 22 craft checks. Obviously must be trained in Dwarven smithing techniques. Item gains 2 Hardness, 10 hit points, and +2 bonus to saves. These effects stack with magic item bonuses if the item later becomes magical.
Certain exotic armors can only be made as Dwarvencraft items, many of which I probably wouldn't use.

*Steel Tower Shield- Steel tower shields function identically to the tower shields presented in PHB but are made of metal and slightly more heavier. As such, they react differently to heat metal/warp wood. Also, these shields lose the templates requiring the item to be made of wood but now qualify for templates that require the item to be metal.

I'll hold off on sending you the other spell's full details because I have got enough spells to fill out the 2 freebie spells I gain per wiz level.

[skreyola]

I'll allow shield spec. and shield ward, but shield ward cannot be used with a tower shield. They're too big to be moved around in a way that would provide the given benefits.
At the start of the game, you have not gained access to any dwarvencraft items. I don't think I'm going to allow them at all, but I'm leaving this open for further discussion.
I'd think that once you gained your prestige class, you'd continue in just it. If you needed more levels in a base class, I'd expect that you'd take them first before attempting the prestige class. As a PC, you don't go into a class because of the special features you gain at a certain level of the class but because you agree with their philosophy of war or their religious convictions or their associational benefits.

Per our discussion last night, I think you'll do better looking for long-duration spells rather than looking for spells without somatic components. Alternately, have you considered divine classes?

[rawrmine]

Hey Its charles i have my character made i found a character sheet but i dont have a pencil to transfer with i have a pen but im sure val will let me use a pencil

[pushaw]

Fixed hit points? Like midsection? (2 for d4, 3 for d6, 4 for d8 ecct.)

[skreyola]

Aug 11, 2011 12:12:41 GMT -5 pushaw said:

Fixed hit points? Like midsection? (2 for d4, 3 for d6, 4 for d8 ecct.)

Not exactly. See pg. 198 of the DMG. If you do not have the DMG, then yes, you can just use half the HD max. It won't make that much difference (10HP over 20 levels).

[pushaw]

Oh, ok. I do have another question. Do you mind if I take the feat Practiced spellcaster?
Pg. 82 complete arcane

General gist: Pick a spellcasting class. +4 caster level up to a maximum of your hitdice.

Edit: Interesting fact, the feat`s also on Pg. 82 of complete divine.

[skreyola]

As this feat only raises your effective CL for purposes of SR and scaling effects, and doesn't grant any other level based benefits, I'll consider it. But not for a starting build. You'd need to gain this in game through quest and RP.

[pushaw]

Ok, sounds good.

[Lil' Ragnaros]

Okay then I'll trade out my tower shield for a regular shield then. The -2 to attack rolls and encumbrance was actually becoming an issue.

Any particular reason you do not want Dwarvencraft items? Other than me being a very accomplished Dwarven smith already, I can't give any other good RP reason for me to have it. Mechanically it isn't that game breaking or changing.

Eldritch Knights don't get any special features that would constitute only taking a few levels in them. Also, reading the DMG introduction to them, it just says they are characters that prefer a balance of arcane and fighting. If anything I'd probably end up having 5 levels fighters, 5 levels wizard, and 10 levels Eldritch knight. Alternatively, with the leftover 4 levels, if I have enough spare feats, Dwarven defender is also a possibility.

I also need to add 4 hp to my character.

Oh and about spells, I'm never likely to take another wizard level so I don't get any new freebie spells.

To add to the list of items, I could use a *shield sheath.
It's a special pouch that fits in the back of a shield that can house a weapon. It's a free action to draw.

[skreyola]

I made a small retroactive continuity change. Spot was not at the dinner party. The story flows better this way, and nothing important changed because of this alteration.

Lil' Ragnaros:
The point is, you ask for a ton of stuff that, by your first words after being denied, is only an RP thing, but then when I suggest you just RP it, you admit it has mechanical effects... Moreover, everyone else has asked for one or two special circumstances, while you've asked for two or three for every one that anyone else combined has asked for. They total about nine requests, while you have over 30! Simplify. Decide which two or three things you really need to make your character concept work, and ask for those instead of asking for 30 things and waiting to see what sticks.

I mean there's no in-character justification for a level progression of Ftr,Wiz,Ftr,Wiz,Ftr,Wiz,EKt,Ftr,Ekt,Ekt. It would more likely go Ftr,Wiz,Ftr,Wiz,Ftr,Wiz,Ftr,EKt,Ekt,Ekt.
You get up to two base classes and up to one prestige. Any more than that, and you're not a valid character; you're just a twink build.

Noted.

Weren't you originally planning to play a guy who uses wands instead of casting spells in combat? And what I meant was a reset of your spellbook, since you haven't cast anything and therefore could have had the new spells all along.

Look for it in game.

[Lil' Ragnaros]

What am I going to do when I hit 16th level? I think you might need to review and rewrite your opinions on how characters should level up. I mean I understand you do not want me to dip into EK for that amazing fighter bonus feat I get and take it for the reason the DMG says the EK prestige class is for... If not for that reason then this one. Would you want the Gm telling you how you can/can't play your character? I mean how destructive is it to your game that someone wants to go wiz/fig/wiz/fig/wiz or whatever? You do not like how 1 person plays a class/race so you tell everyone they can't play that class/race. Eventually you're left with a vanilla game until you take that flavor option away.

The only thing I asked for that was an RP thing was Dwarvencraft items. I don't need it for anything. I can still take wands and poke people just as effectively without it. It does add flavor yes. At the same time, there needs to be an actual difference in-game that differentiates normal items from Dwarvencraft. What do Dwarves do differently to make their items superior to normal items? How do Elves do it differently? I've given the stats on what it does according to WOTC to save you the effort of making it up yourself because it is so much easier that way. But since you're adamantly opposed to it, then just forget I asked.
What is the point of adding different spices if they all give the same flavor?

Did the other people actually ask for 3 things or did they just approved for 3 things? I ask for 30 because I know 27 of them would get shot down. Besides, what have you actually given me? I count Unerring Strike and Wand Strike. You didn't give me Shield Ward. You gave me Lincoln's Shield Ward. But you do have a point. I got 2.5 things that I asked for as I suppose everyone else. I'll be content with it.

[skreyola]

If you manage to run through the prestige class progression before level 20, there are more options. You can continue in an existing base class, or we can talk about other options then. There's nothing that prevents that.

You're misreading something I said, because I'm not telling you you can't play a particular way you want to play (within the allowed options). What I'm telling you is that dipping into a prestige class for one level and then going back to the base class for a level before continuing in the prestige class doesn't make sense for RP. It makes more sense to get all the fighter skill (levels) you want before beginning your prestige class progression.

What is the point of having flavors that you can't taste?

Again, you're missing the point. I've asked you to give me a few things you really need to make your character, and you've brought me a laundry list assuming I'll shoot down 27 of them. Well, guess what? When you bring me a list that long, I can't give any of them the consideration they deserve. And half those I shot down were things you knew ahead of time (because we've talked about them before) that I would, so all those options did was waste time for both of us and consume my patience.

[Lil' Ragnaros]

I got everything I NEED. Everything else is icing. What I am seeking now is adaptability, survivability, and efficiency.

(Not having to buy 5 wands to cover all base energy damage types, having less worry that even though I won't probably make the reflex save against that fireball my items might, finding out which spells to put in wands and which of them will still be effective at higher levels,etc.)

[skreyola]

If it's just icing, stop giving me such a hard time about it. You're arguing for and about it as though it were critical to how you want to play your character. Don't tweak my nose just for the fun of it.