Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Amaes_Drakon 08-01-07, 10:01 PM	'Allo. I'm seriously considering getting into the RPGA in order to play in the Xendrik expeditions - from several friend's experience with the Geoff LG campaigns they seem well put together and interesting campaigns. Everything I've read here and elsewhere leads me to think that XE is the same sort of gaming experience. At any rate, I plan on running a Warforged Artificer. As this is my first XE/RPGA character, I have several questions regarding character creation and the XECS: 1. Crafting reserve: per the XECS, you add 5x the crafting reserve to your EV, with a 300gp bonus at 5th level for Retain Essence. Does this mean you add that total to your EV at every level (cumulative crafting reserve bonus to EV) or only add the crafting reserve bonus from your highest level? At level 7, the cumulative crafting reserve, with Retain Essence, would total out to about 6,550gp to your EV. If the highest level only is used, your crafting bonus would be 1,000gp with no bonus from Retain Essence. Which is correct? 2. The XECS requires you to "unlock" spells or abilities from non-XECS core books before use, via expansion slots. However, artificers can mimic any spell via UMD checks for item creation feats and the first level infusion Spell Storing Item. Granted, Spell Storing Item limits the spell level possible to emulate, but does not limit the type of spell or specify a particular list of spells. Does this mean that I need to use an expansion slot to "unlock" a spell in order to emulate it via UMD, or do these abilities allow me to mimic them via UMD without requiring specific unlocks via expansion slots to do so? 3. Minor Schema: schemas are once per day use magic items from Magic of Eberron. They function essentially like scrolls that may be used once per day, with the addition that they can also be used for infusions as well as spells. As they are not consumed by use, are these subject to the consumables cost adjustment? 4. Minor Schema, part II: XECS states that unlocking an item only unlocks that specific item, unless the item has multiple pluses associated with it. In addition, it states that you cannot purchase an item that does not have a specific entry, without possessing the appropriate creation feat. Minor schema are available for arcane, divine and infusions, at levels 1-6, and have appropriate prices by level - but no specific Minor Schema are detailed. If I unlock Schema as a magic item via expansion slots, does this mean I may purchase a Minor Schema of any spell level 1-6 of any type? Am I required to unlock each specific variation of Minor Schema individually (i.e. Minor Schema of X, Minor Schema of Y, etc)? Can you purchase or craft Minor Schema of spells not in XECS unlimited sources without seperately unlocking the spell itself? 5. Minor Schema, part III: XECS also states that unlocking an item gives you unlimited access to items dependent upon it. The example given is that unlocking drow long knife gives you access to EWP (DLN), Weapon Focus (DLN), etc. Does this mean that unlocking a spell gives you access to the Minor Schema for that spell, as it is dependent on that spell (can't create a Minor Schema of Arrowmind without Arrowmind spell)? Or does the Minor Schema need to be unlocked as well? 6. Weapon Familiars: XECS places all intelligent items on the restricted list. However, Warforged Artificer substitution levels are allowed, and the Weapon Familiar is technically an intelligent item. Or is the Weapon Familiar considered a familiar for the purpose of being restricted or not? In addition, is there a limit to the number of Weapon Familiars you can create? 7. Spell Storing weapon enhancement (DMG): aside from the infusion, there is also the weapon enhancement version in the DMG. This +1 bonus equivalent allows you to cast a spell of 3rd level or lower into the weapon, which can then be used at a later time as a free action. Can artificers store infusions in a weapon with this property? Can they make a UMD check of the appropriate difficulty ala Spell Storing Item to emulate a spell to place in the weapon? Or do they have to use a consumable such as a wand or a scroll in order to cast the spell into the weapon in the first place? I think that's all I have for now. Thanks in advance.
Amaes_Drakon 08-01-07, 10:09 PM	Oh, that's right, a couple more questions. 8. Use Magic Device items: the XECS states that characters with item creation feats can create nonstandard items that are legal to create, even if they are no specific entries in the book. The XECS gives wands and scrolls as examples. Does this also apply to custom items created via DMG rules? For example, the DMG lists the cost of a skill enhancing item as bonus squared x 100gp. Does this allow the creation of items to enhance skills that have no current equivalent in the DMG or other source? There are multiple items enhancing Move Silently, Hide, Spot, etc - but none that directly effect Use Magic Device. Can we use Create Wondrous Item to craft Gloves of +5 UMD? If so, how do we go about determining the prerequisites as far as minimum crafting level? If not, why not? 9. Masterwork tools: PHB pg 130 lists masterwork tools, stating that it grants a +2 circumstance bonus to the related skill check. It also states that "this entry covers just about everything else" after giving examples such as disguise and healing kits. Does this allow the purchase of a masterwork tool that gives a +2 circumstance bonus to Use Magic Device as an unlimited item? If not, why not? 10. Crafting Homunculi: The XECS states that the cost for creating a Homunculus is increased by 100gp if the creator is unable to craft the body by taking 10 on the craft check. Given that artificers have a first level infusion to grant an enhancement bonus to any skill check, and given that we can create consumables or other items granting or emulating the Magecraft spell, are we allowed to include these bonuses in the above crafting check? If not, and given that ECS states several times that such things are at the core of Eberron crafting for those capable, why not?
Timlagor 08-02-07, 03:54 AM	1. XECS says it's not cumulative (doesn't make much sense to me but there you have it) 2. You do need to unlock them with one Eslot each (which means you can't get nearly as many as you'd like ..but doesn't stop you getting the really broken ones). You can then use them freely. 3. They are not consummables but Unlocking them so you can use without taking the Feat at level 10+ would be tricky/expensive in ESlots (if at all possibly) 4. If you have the Craft Feat you can craft Scemas for anything you can cast or emulate (not things that you haven't unlocked). Without the Craft Feat you would have to unlock each specific minor schema seperately (not remotely worthwhile imo with so many other things to spend your ESlots on) ..and since they aren't actually listed indivisually it's dubious whether you can do so at all -I'd have said you can't but there is a semi-official ruling by Factionmasters that you can Unlock Psionic Tattoos on an individual basis. 5. Minor Schema must be unlocked in some fashion.. think this is covered in my answers to 3 and 4. 6. Not sure. I think you can probably take a Weapon Familiar but stick it in the Questions/Answers Thread if you don't get an answer from a Factionmaster here. 7. The INfusion "Spell Storing Item" is not in any way related to the Weapon Enchantment in the DMG. You would need to use a consummable (or a spell storing item subsequently triggered into the weapon) to store a spell in a Spell Storing Weapon. Infusions are not spells and cannot be stored in a spell storing weapon. 8. You cannot make custom items 9. That one is entirely up to your GM at each individual table. Possible "reason" why not: - "that's silly" - "that would be an exploit" - "there is no specific item for UMD listed" - "that would be too powerful" - "what exactly is this item you are buying?" ..."that won't work" 10. Magecraft should work. I'd say yes to the Skill Enhancement Infusion if and only if you can keep it up for 8 hours a day, or the total time needed for crafting, whichever is shorter.
Amaes_Drakon 08-02-07, 07:44 AM	1. Wow, missed that one. It really doesn't make sense - yes the craft reserve resets each level, but items you made from CR earlier in your career should still be on hand. On the other hand, since you can only spend CR on items you can make, paperwork would be difficult at best (part of your CR has to be spent on scrolls, part on potions, part on wondrous items, etc). It also does prevent the Artificer from having 2-3 times the amount of gear a non-artificer receives at the same level though. 2. Yeah, it'd seem broken otherwise, which is why I wanted to make sure beforehand. 3,4,5. Disappointing, but there you go. I would have thought that since there are no specific schemas listed, and only a cost per spell level, that it would therefore allow you to purchase them for anything not locked or restricted that you have access to - especially since the XECS specifically states no non-standard wands, scrolls or potions. On the other hand, doing that would sort of make restricting the purchase of non-standard scrolls kind of pointless. 6. I'll definitely drop by the Q&A thread. I believe the intent is to prevent acquisition of spells/abilities/etc via intelligent magic items; weapon familiars are basically familiars in a different form from everything I can see. 7, 8. Pretty much what I thought. 9. I'm not sure I agree with this one. XECS states that all PHB items are unlimited, and the restrictions on purchase of items not specifically listed applies to scrolls, wands, and potions per XECS page 10. So it seems to me that there doesn't have to be a specific entry in the PHB since masterwork tools are unlimited, and there are no specific rulings in XECS that require a specific entry in a legal source to purchase unlimited items. Finally, if that was the case, the same argument could be applied to masterwork armor, weapons, etc - since there are no specific entries for individual masterwork weapons and armor, you can't purchase them, even though the entries specifically state they apply to all weapons - just like the masterwork tools entry applies to nearly all skills (artisan tools cover craft skills). 10. I could see Skill Enhancement not working for the reason you mention.
Amaes_Drakon 08-02-07, 08:22 AM	Actually I think I may have worded the craft reserve question incorrectly. At each level, the artificer adds 5x his craft reserve to his EV. He wouldn't add the cumulative craft reserve to his EV each time, as this would give him ridiculous amounts of gold very quickly. However, by adding only his level's allotment of craft reserve gold to his EV each level, by the time he's level X his craft reserve bonus to EV would be equal to his cumulative craft reserve bonuses. Unless, at each level, the artificer is required to subtract out from his EV his previous CR total, before adding back in his current level's CR total - and I don't see anything in XECS or elsewhere stating that. I also don't see anything that suggests previously earned rewards have to be removed from your EV over time, barring any particular story effects I'm not yet aware of. It may have been confusing since I'm focused more on creating a 7th level character from scratch, rather than leveling him up through play.
Skerrit 08-02-07, 10:07 AM	1) You recalculate your EV for every event. Your craft reserve bonuses are not culmulative. You take whatever your craft reserve is for your current level and multiply that number and add it to your EV. This might seem like Artificers get shafted here, but it balances out with not having to spend xp or other gold on items and the fact that a number of other campaign rules make them more powerful (such as having APs that refresh every mod). 2) What Timlagor said. 3) What Timlagor said. 4) & 5) This is a current imperfection in the rules that will be fixed with the next iteration that comes out before Gen Con. 6) They are familars, not itelligent items. They are not Restricted. 7) What Timlagor said 8) What Timlagor said 9) This is a clarification of a core rule. The campaign staff only clarifies changes to the rules necessary because of the shared play environment. Basically this a DM's call, though I know it has been argued over on the LG list before. At my table I would ask you what are your tools and then try to decide if they would help. I would likely rule against UMD tools at my table, but that's just me. Every DM is master of his own table. 10) What Timlagor said
Amaes_Drakon 08-02-07, 11:35 AM	Thanks for the clarifications Skerrit and Timlagor.. I can definitely see where having cumulative craft reserve could seriously imbalance the campaign. At 7th level, the artificer would be able to have an extra 13,000gp worth of magic items for free, or 26,000gp worth of arms and armor if you take the Warforged Artificer substitution levels. As much as I've been drooling over the possibilities, I do recognize the need for balance here. It does, however, make retain essence useless at any level other than 5. Per XECS, artificers no longer gain this ability at 5th level, and instead add a 300gp bonus to their craft reserve at 5th level. Since the craft reserve is recalculated at each event, this has no effect after 5th level at all. Would you consider giving artificers a bonus feat instead of Retain Essence or the craft reserve boost? Alternatively, would you consider giving artificers an adjustment to craft reserve for all levels from level 5 onward? The first route compensates artificers for the lost class ability without increasing the craft reserve or giving them additional items. The second route would need additional balancing but would more accurately reflect the nature of the ability, while making it useful at all levels after level 5, rather than being a single boost at level 5 only. There's also an impact to Tools of War substitution level, but given the balance issues I can see how that would be needed as well.
Skerrit 08-02-07, 12:49 PM	Once you reach 5th-level, you always recieve that +300 gp, as you don't loose old class abilities everytime you refigure your EV.
Amaes_Drakon 08-02-07, 02:00 PM	Ah, thanks. Wasn't clear from the XECS.
lseelba 08-02-07, 07:28 PM	9) I don't allow MW tools except those listed explicitly in the PHB. Otherwise you have things like rogues wanting to use 'Tumble Tools' and 'Balance Tools', Druid's using 'Handle Animal Tools', and Psions using 'Autohypnosis Tools'. I've got no reason to disallow any if I allow any, so I just say its not specifically listed and can't be bought per the XCS.