So I'm running a longer campaign set in the Skylord's Tears setting. Most of the players have played before, but none are optimizers. I'm still banging out some mechanical stuff I'd appreciate help on, plus willing to discuss flavor/tell stories.
The Party:
Hobgoblin Samurai 1/Fighter 2; A ronin and an airship pilot, a bit of a scoundrel with a broken nose and a stolen sword. A mercenary.
We haven't settled on an ancestral weapon but are leaning towards a longsowrd that looks like a katana.
Elf Druid 3 with Augment Summoning. Wants to heal the zombie wasteland. Working with the dwarves as a result of ancient treaty.
I'm leaning towards encouraging him to play the PHB2 shifter druid. Can that variant hold its own in Tome?
Dwarf Barbarian1/Cleric of the Sun 2. Raised by necromancers, captured nad converted by the god guys.
Player is aware this is nonoptimal but doesn't care. And hoenstly, at this level, the skills and the rage are pretty close to worth it.
??? Halfling Paladin 3 ???
I haven't talked to this player much. Nt sure quite what he's going for. Anyway, I have my doubts about the PHB paladin being able to compete, so I'm not sure how to handle this.
If Frank Trollman wants to bust out his Paladin remake, that would be totally sweet, though I'm not sure the player really wants a spellcaster. If he's attached to the iconic paladin abilities -- the mount and smites -- I could try a simple fix like extra smites and bard casting.
Actually, maybe a "Paladin" is just an LG bard with full bab and an animal companion. Alternately, I could try convincing him to play a Knight, cleric, or Knight/cleric.
Any advice on how to handle this would be appreciated.
Skylord's Tears -- The Game!
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Re: Skylord's Tears -- The Game!
shapeshifter variant in Tome really doesn't work.
PHB2 shapeshifter really does not have much power.
However, with that said, for a low level game, I don't think it might have too much of an impact if they use the shapeshifter variant or not.
PHB2 shapeshifter really does not have much power.
However, with that said, for a low level game, I don't think it might have too much of an impact if they use the shapeshifter variant or not.
Ancient History wrote:We were working on Street Magic, and Frank asked me if a houngan had run over my dog.
Re: Skylord's Tears -- The Game!
Reports from the front:
We started with a session of massive npc interaction, shopping, planning, etc. They were ooking for a wrecked airship, only ot find hier ship crashed as well.
I attackd them with a few dozen skeletons, including some troll skeletons and led by a pair of Janni.
Wow, turn undead is powerful. The Glory domain cleric and paladin made short work of that encounter.
Next session, they found the other wreck, but it orcs were camping there. The fighter got severely pwned by two orc ghoul rogues, but after he killed htem, nothing else could touch him. The conjurer owned a bunch of the lesser orcs and his summons distracted the orc monks. The paladin almost died after running into the thick of things, but with smite evil and TWF, cleared out enemies pretty quick. Everyone else was absent or largely ineffective.
The inside of the wrecked airship held some easily busted undead, and a set-up that lead to them fighting a ghost Illusionist, an incubus, and a janni simultaneously. Good times.
Most recently, they withdrew to a hidden safehouse, only to find it overrun by kobolds. (lead by elementalists and half-dragons, with monitor lizard mounts)
The samurai and the assassin snuck in through the basement, but caught caught. The samurai quickly dispatched the guards, and lizards, while the assassin snuck upstairs ot take out the bosses. Meanwhile, everyone else rushed in the front door. Lots of koboldswere shooting at them, but not hitting. hte half-dragons putthe hurt on the wizard, who got KO'd and revived. two animaed statues caused some consternation with their massive HP and hardness, until the players realised they have no damage output. I had to explain power attack to the players so they could actually kill the statues.
Now they have to go east and break into a vampire's house to steal his stuff. This will probably be the climax of the game. Right now I'm deciding what the treasure in the warehouse should be, to make sure everyone can contribute. Advice on that wouldbe appreciated. I'll post an accurate party list and thoughts momentarily.
We started with a session of massive npc interaction, shopping, planning, etc. They were ooking for a wrecked airship, only ot find hier ship crashed as well.
I attackd them with a few dozen skeletons, including some troll skeletons and led by a pair of Janni.
Wow, turn undead is powerful. The Glory domain cleric and paladin made short work of that encounter.
Next session, they found the other wreck, but it orcs were camping there. The fighter got severely pwned by two orc ghoul rogues, but after he killed htem, nothing else could touch him. The conjurer owned a bunch of the lesser orcs and his summons distracted the orc monks. The paladin almost died after running into the thick of things, but with smite evil and TWF, cleared out enemies pretty quick. Everyone else was absent or largely ineffective.
The inside of the wrecked airship held some easily busted undead, and a set-up that lead to them fighting a ghost Illusionist, an incubus, and a janni simultaneously. Good times.
Most recently, they withdrew to a hidden safehouse, only to find it overrun by kobolds. (lead by elementalists and half-dragons, with monitor lizard mounts)
The samurai and the assassin snuck in through the basement, but caught caught. The samurai quickly dispatched the guards, and lizards, while the assassin snuck upstairs ot take out the bosses. Meanwhile, everyone else rushed in the front door. Lots of koboldswere shooting at them, but not hitting. hte half-dragons putthe hurt on the wizard, who got KO'd and revived. two animaed statues caused some consternation with their massive HP and hardness, until the players realised they have no damage output. I had to explain power attack to the players so they could actually kill the statues.
Now they have to go east and break into a vampire's house to steal his stuff. This will probably be the climax of the game. Right now I'm deciding what the treasure in the warehouse should be, to make sure everyone can contribute. Advice on that wouldbe appreciated. I'll post an accurate party list and thoughts momentarily.
Re: Skylord's Tears -- The Game!
Frank's fixes wor; so well, in fact, that the underperformers are the exact opposite of the usual suspects.
This guy has consistently contributed, though not super-effectively. there's nothing wrong with the build, the player's just inexperienced. The party just hit level 5 though, and hopefully 3rd level spells will be all he needs to shine.
Hobgoblin Fighter 4 + (may take a level in fighter or half dragon)
The most consistently effective character. Good with a katana or a bow, especially when he gives himself PBS. Solid HP and AC keep him going. He recently picked up TWF to go with a pair of magic pistols, a cool but kind of wimpy attack; still, he's deadly with swords.
Dark Elf Samurai 5
This guy is the most lethal character in the group, bar none. At level 4 he had +11 to hit for 2d6+8, which is pretty good damage before Kiai! the samurai bonus feat also let him hack though crowds. His low HP are the drawback that keeps him from getting out of control.
He already has an ancestral weapon and magic armor, so figuring out what will help him is a little tricky.
Halfling Paladin 5
This guy has TWF and a double weapon, which brings some serious smiting to the table. But this only really puts his damage in the same level at the other warriors-- agaisnt nonevil targets, he's helpless. Still he definitely holds up his share of the weight, and his newly acquired Giant Eagle mount should help him along.
Dwarf Cleric 5
This player seems to be having a great time, though the character isn't contributing much. He uses a ranseur which earns him some AoOs, but his offense is extremely anemic compared ot the fighters. It doesn't help that he doesn't cast spells other than Cure and Consecrate. I'm thinking of giving him a spear with at-will burning hands to liven things up a bit.
Hobgoblin Focused Specialist Conjurer 5
This player is VERY new to the game, so this character doesn't always contribute a whole lot. Still, with now that he has third-level spells, he should be in position to shine.
Gnome Assassin 5
Really subpar. Opening battle with a death attack is nice, but often interferes with the group, and once battle is joined, her short movement and low attack bonuses are a problem. The player has a tendency to forget she has spells, not that they're usually that helpful anyway.
Seriously though, I think the characterneeds a little more lethality. the death attacks just isn't that scary. Right now, she can throw an acid flask for 8d6 -- or about 28 damage. That's *less* than a Kiai! hit and about the same as a round of smites from the paladin and mount. Plus buffs don't benefit her as much as the others. What can I do to make her a little mroe dangerous?
I'm thinking of giving her some poison, and posibly a time distortion crossbow as well. What else makes assassins god?
This guy has consistently contributed, though not super-effectively. there's nothing wrong with the build, the player's just inexperienced. The party just hit level 5 though, and hopefully 3rd level spells will be all he needs to shine.
Hobgoblin Fighter 4 + (may take a level in fighter or half dragon)
The most consistently effective character. Good with a katana or a bow, especially when he gives himself PBS. Solid HP and AC keep him going. He recently picked up TWF to go with a pair of magic pistols, a cool but kind of wimpy attack; still, he's deadly with swords.
Dark Elf Samurai 5
This guy is the most lethal character in the group, bar none. At level 4 he had +11 to hit for 2d6+8, which is pretty good damage before Kiai! the samurai bonus feat also let him hack though crowds. His low HP are the drawback that keeps him from getting out of control.
He already has an ancestral weapon and magic armor, so figuring out what will help him is a little tricky.
Halfling Paladin 5
This guy has TWF and a double weapon, which brings some serious smiting to the table. But this only really puts his damage in the same level at the other warriors-- agaisnt nonevil targets, he's helpless. Still he definitely holds up his share of the weight, and his newly acquired Giant Eagle mount should help him along.
Dwarf Cleric 5
This player seems to be having a great time, though the character isn't contributing much. He uses a ranseur which earns him some AoOs, but his offense is extremely anemic compared ot the fighters. It doesn't help that he doesn't cast spells other than Cure and Consecrate. I'm thinking of giving him a spear with at-will burning hands to liven things up a bit.
Hobgoblin Focused Specialist Conjurer 5
This player is VERY new to the game, so this character doesn't always contribute a whole lot. Still, with now that he has third-level spells, he should be in position to shine.
Gnome Assassin 5
Really subpar. Opening battle with a death attack is nice, but often interferes with the group, and once battle is joined, her short movement and low attack bonuses are a problem. The player has a tendency to forget she has spells, not that they're usually that helpful anyway.
Seriously though, I think the characterneeds a little more lethality. the death attacks just isn't that scary. Right now, she can throw an acid flask for 8d6 -- or about 28 damage. That's *less* than a Kiai! hit and about the same as a round of smites from the paladin and mount. Plus buffs don't benefit her as much as the others. What can I do to make her a little mroe dangerous?
I'm thinking of giving her some poison, and posibly a time distortion crossbow as well. What else makes assassins god?
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CatharzGodfoot
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Re: Skylord's Tears -- The Game!
I believe that the ideal base Assassin tactic was to use Expert Tactician to feint as an immediate action, spend the round studying, and then make a death attack as an swift action (Edge from Finesse) or AoO (Murderous Intent). This lets you make a death attack once per round. The target is already flat-footed so flasks usually aren't needed.
That's still just your ~8d6. If the assassin isn't using poison, she should be. It looks better when you throw in Save or Sleep.
And yeah, having a list of spells would be nice. She still has color spray or whatever else she picked.
That's still just your ~8d6. If the assassin isn't using poison, she should be. It looks better when you throw in Save or Sleep.
And yeah, having a list of spells would be nice. She still has color spray or whatever else she picked.
The law in its majestic equality forbids the rich as well as the poor from stealing bread, begging and sleeping under bridges.
-Anatole France
Mount Flamethrower on rear
Drive in reverse
Win Game.
-Josh Kablack
-Anatole France
Mount Flamethrower on rear
Drive in reverse
Win Game.
-Josh Kablack
Re: Skylord's Tears -- The Game!
8d6 a round would be plenty to carry her wait in this crowd, especially if she's making touch attacks.
She has Color Spray, Minor Image, Ray of Enfeeblement, Detect Thoughts, Blindness, and whatever she picks for level 5. Of course, Color Spray is reaching the limits of its usefulness, plus it's hard for her to get close enough to use it.
Still, if I remind her to enfeeble or blind big targets, she should get more useful.
She has Color Spray, Minor Image, Ray of Enfeeblement, Detect Thoughts, Blindness, and whatever she picks for level 5. Of course, Color Spray is reaching the limits of its usefulness, plus it's hard for her to get close enough to use it.
Still, if I remind her to enfeeble or blind big targets, she should get more useful.
Okay, we had the big finale today -- a fight through a complex full of ogre zombies, skeleton archers, invisible (enlarged) Janni and orc ghoul and drow vampire paragons.
Good times.
The bosses:
"The Warden," a Bearded Devil Conduit 1 (Fire) -- this guy tossed a fireball that seriously scared the party, then threw up a wall fo fire to cover his teleporting escape. Later his summoned lemures surged through said wall to take the party from behind, shredding the paralyzed giant eagle. They ran into him late,r where he popped off a scorching ray before falling.
"The Mistress" Aasimar Puppeteer 6. Her Vrock zombie put serious hurt on them, luckily they tanked it with a summoned bug. She got owned almost right off the bat by the fighter's guns and the assassin's crossbow. Bat wings didn't do her much good.
The drow vampires annoyed the players to no end with their grease, etc. But the best was "The Captain"
an Orc Vampire3/Monk3; He defended himself with Shield and an AC fighting style. The other ability? Disarm/Trip when attacked; with Enlarge Person, Juggernaut, Combat Looting, and Insightful Strike (for edge) he owned all the melee combatants. Switched to a stun style to beat on you while you're down.
How'd the players acquit themselves?
Samurai: like a rockstar, mostly. Got enlarged, to make the most of whirlind (which he ever actually used) and hordebreak (which he definitely did). Kiai for 6d6+22 made for some fun memories. Killed 5 lemures per round, shredded Janni, generally had fun. Got tripped by the vampire monk, then webbed by spiders, stunned, and finally killed by a power attack to his defenseless form. I wouldn't have offed him, but his player had quit and other players were running him.
Fighter: damn, the guns I gave him were good. He had asked if he could have pistols, so I made them 6-shot revolvers, one-handed d8 weapons. They wre more for looks than for awesome until he got TWF and PBS. IN the final fight he was enlarged, dual wielding magic pistols for 2d6+7 each. Yikes! He did most of the damage to the vampire. He never drew a sword the whole session.
Assassin: Finally came into her own, because nearly every fight opened with her making a death attack. While the enemies were marshalling thier forces on the other side of a door, she would do the following: make a Silent Image of a door, open the actual door, peer through the silent image of a door to study, and fire. Then roll for initiative.
Paladin: His eagle was grounded for much of the adventure (only taking flight in the great hall at the end) He had some bad luck, like getting owned by the Captain, but between him, his dog, and his eagle, he did plety of damage and buffing to carry his weight.
Cleric: died last adventure and came back as a revenant; the immunities really helped him along. He actually used buffs on party memebrs to good effect; that, and turn undead was aesome in this dungeon. He killed the BBEG with a Cure Serious Wounds.
Wizard: Summoned Huge Centipedes did some serious tanking; glitterdust blinded some bad-ass enemies. He popped a haste off just before the big climax, but it didn't help, as nobody ever got a full attack.
Good times.
The bosses:
"The Warden," a Bearded Devil Conduit 1 (Fire) -- this guy tossed a fireball that seriously scared the party, then threw up a wall fo fire to cover his teleporting escape. Later his summoned lemures surged through said wall to take the party from behind, shredding the paralyzed giant eagle. They ran into him late,r where he popped off a scorching ray before falling.
"The Mistress" Aasimar Puppeteer 6. Her Vrock zombie put serious hurt on them, luckily they tanked it with a summoned bug. She got owned almost right off the bat by the fighter's guns and the assassin's crossbow. Bat wings didn't do her much good.
The drow vampires annoyed the players to no end with their grease, etc. But the best was "The Captain"
an Orc Vampire3/Monk3; He defended himself with Shield and an AC fighting style. The other ability? Disarm/Trip when attacked; with Enlarge Person, Juggernaut, Combat Looting, and Insightful Strike (for edge) he owned all the melee combatants. Switched to a stun style to beat on you while you're down.
How'd the players acquit themselves?
Samurai: like a rockstar, mostly. Got enlarged, to make the most of whirlind (which he ever actually used) and hordebreak (which he definitely did). Kiai for 6d6+22 made for some fun memories. Killed 5 lemures per round, shredded Janni, generally had fun. Got tripped by the vampire monk, then webbed by spiders, stunned, and finally killed by a power attack to his defenseless form. I wouldn't have offed him, but his player had quit and other players were running him.
Fighter: damn, the guns I gave him were good. He had asked if he could have pistols, so I made them 6-shot revolvers, one-handed d8 weapons. They wre more for looks than for awesome until he got TWF and PBS. IN the final fight he was enlarged, dual wielding magic pistols for 2d6+7 each. Yikes! He did most of the damage to the vampire. He never drew a sword the whole session.
Assassin: Finally came into her own, because nearly every fight opened with her making a death attack. While the enemies were marshalling thier forces on the other side of a door, she would do the following: make a Silent Image of a door, open the actual door, peer through the silent image of a door to study, and fire. Then roll for initiative.
Paladin: His eagle was grounded for much of the adventure (only taking flight in the great hall at the end) He had some bad luck, like getting owned by the Captain, but between him, his dog, and his eagle, he did plety of damage and buffing to carry his weight.
Cleric: died last adventure and came back as a revenant; the immunities really helped him along. He actually used buffs on party memebrs to good effect; that, and turn undead was aesome in this dungeon. He killed the BBEG with a Cure Serious Wounds.
Wizard: Summoned Huge Centipedes did some serious tanking; glitterdust blinded some bad-ass enemies. He popped a haste off just before the big climax, but it didn't help, as nobody ever got a full attack.