Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Drood 05-25-05, 08:54 PM	Hi guys I am new to the forums but I've been playing D&D for about 4 years now. My current group has been together for about 2 years and we've done countless campaigns in that time. Our current campaign has been the longest lasting, as we started from level 1 about a year ago and now we are level 15. I've had two characters, one of which has retired and the other was killed last weekend. I'll be up front and tell you that I am a powergamer. My two characters were a half-orc fighter4/barb6/champ of gwyn...2 (who used a spiked chain muahahha) and ahuman bard4/fighter1/ur priest 10. Both characters were extremely effective. The other players aren't nearly as effective at character building, unfortunately, and our DM had a hard time coming up with challenges for me that wouldn't wipe everyone else out. After the last session, in which my character was killed by about 15 paladins of heironeous, my DM asked me to create a character without prestige classes. Since the other members of the party are looking to be a rogue (our reluctant leader after my barbarian left), a ranger, and a fighter, one suggestion was that I be a druid since nobody in our group has EVER played one, including myself. I took this as a challenge and when I went to build my character I, at first, was more interested in creating a fun character than a powerful one. Then I rolled my stats (4d6 drop 1) 14 14 18 16 18 17. DRUIDS ARE RIDICULOUSLY POWERFUL. I soon found this out and after my DM told me that I could use TWICE the normal amount of money for that level (400,000 GP) I realized that this character would be more powerful than any I had ever run before. I also realized that since I would be the only spellcaster in the party I would undoubtedly be the center of attention. ======================================== ================== Here is what I have (keep in mind this is 3.0): Saeed Nasim Human Male Druid 15 True Neutral STR 20 (14 + Belt of Giant's Strength +6) DEX 20 (14 + Gloves of Dexterity +6) CON 18 INT 16 WIS 27 (18 + 3 level + Pearl of Wisdom +6) CHA 17 I bought wilding clasps (masters of the wild) for the pearl, gloves, belt, as well as my vest of resistance +5, bracers of armor +8, and boots of striding/sprinting. I also bought 2 rings of animal friendship and +5 wild hide armor of ease. Feats:Improved Initiative, Extend Spell, Persistent Spell, Natural Spell, Snatch, Flyby Attack, Blindsight My battle plan is to shift into a dire bear and cast spells. In that form I'll have 80ft speed, AC 36 (-1 size, +4 dex, +7 natural, +16 armor), 10 ft reach, and 37 strength. Next level I will gain elemental forms as well. My ace in the whole is my animal companion. Most of the time he will be in the shape of a tiny bird via an extended "Feathers" spell (lvl 4). When I really need him (fighting a really big creature or an army) I will telepathically (via helm of bonding also with wilding clasp) tell him to return to his normal form: Name: Massey Type: Dire Elephant Size: Colossal HD: 39d8 +390 (max normally is my level, 15, but rings add 24 hit dice) HP: 546 AC: 11 (but who cares) STR: 52 Trample for automatic gore damage (6d6+32) :eek: reflex DC 45 for half Now yes I know it is completely ridiculous (and I probably made a wrong calculation in there) but this character will definitely survive and the DM can't really complain. ;) ======================================== ================== What I need though, not for the DM, but for my own peace of mind, is some suggestions on a good background. I was thinking that he grew up in some kind of india-esque safari environment, but is traveling across the world to become one with all of nature's many aspects. Massey has no problem traveling with me as a bird because at my side he can go places he could never dream of before, besides everyone wants to fly. In addition to any suggestions you might give me, perhaps you can also answer a question: How many goodberries does it take to fill up a colossal dire elephant? Since he spends most of his time as a small bird, would he just need the nourishment that that size would require (less than one goodberry) or will I need to feed that tiny bird 10-20 goodberries every day as well as letting him drink from my decanter of endless water every few minutes? Thanks for your help guys and gals, I'll be looking forward to hearing your responses.
The Man from Uncle 05-26-05, 04:11 AM	It’s funny, I've just created a thread that is almost the photo-negative of this. I have a character but no build and you have a build but no character. Well, I'll offer what advice I can. I'd appreciate it, if you get the chance, of having a look at me and giving me the benefit of that number crunching mind of yours. OK, let’s see. (Whimpers slightly at how staggeringly powerful this monstrosity of a druid is). Well.....mechanically I certainly can't give you any advice. Your elephant/bird feeding problem should probably be house ruled by your DM. It seems impossible to me that anyone would believe that was just a bird if it was eating and drinking like an elephant, but I suspect that might be what RAW suggests. In terms of the background. Well you are SO powerful that anything less than a child prodigy just wouldn't be believable. How about that you were trained to be the next village chief. It was a primitive society and instead of a central city-like church or monastery, you had a secretive conclave where all those who showed potential were trained in the natures divine ways. You were the fastest, the strongest and the best able to handle natures magic. It was obvious by the time you were 12 that one day you would be the leader. You didn't have many close friends your own age but you did get along well with the senior holy-men who all placed great pressure on you. You were not only respected and even revered by everyone, even while still a teen, but you were their hope. Some even thought you were the reincarnation of some other long dead village chief. Your village, though quite large, was quite secluded and situated in a remote desert or jungle area. Few travellers or merchants came by and those that did were only ever met by a couple of the village elders who took care of all such affairs. You'd never met an outsider yourself. When you were still just 15 though disaster struck the village. A terrible hoard of creatures invaded the land. They plundered the outlaying farms and soon everyone was forced to take shelter within the village walls. Though safe for a while supplies dwindled and the enemy started becoming more bold. Soon they were at the walls every night and the strongest fighters and druids were taking casualties.....many were injured beyond the realms of any magic healing. After more than a week of nightly raids the responsibility of defending the village fell to the old teachers and young students. Though strong you were still no replacement for the more mature warriors that had fallen. On the 10th day they broke through and the village was ravished. You were one of only a handful of young survivors that retreated when the village was obviously beyond salvation. You wanted to take the village back, but your wisdom told you that there was nothing left and no survivors. You led your group of young disciples in the direction you thought safety might lay. But you were wrong. After 3 nights on the run you were ambushed by a small party of green skinned creatures...everyone died except you. But you killed your would-be assassins and buried your friend’s bodies in the way you were taught. That was 15 years ago. Since then you have learnt more and honed your skills the hard way. You learnt by surviving. Though you are not comfortable in more 'civilised' settlements, you have learnt to deal with them. You've learnt that people from these places can be both kind and cruel. You have also learnt that relying on yourself is not always enough. You have no sophisticated social skills and still have not mastered all of the subtleties of this more advanced world. You've teamed up with people who seem to be trust worthy (though you still don't fully trust anyone). Though it is now a distant memory you are now strong enough to believe that you can perhaps find some remnant of your civilisation. You followed rumours of a tribe that has similar characteristic as yours. You are still not sure though that you can face them. You still have shame about being the only survivor even though in your head you know that there is nothing you could have done. Anyway, that should give you a few ideas. As for the elephant.....I think a fairly basic rescue story should suffice. I don't mean pulling a thorn out of its foot, but maybe rescuing it from sinking mud of something. Hope that helps.
Nithendil 05-26-05, 04:32 AM	If the group is having a power balance problem, why are you creating a druid (arguably the most powerful class in the game) with uber stats? It seems you just made things worse, not better. Do the group a favor and reroll, so the game is fun for everyone. Your group seems to need a spellcaster or cleric, and if you play a cleric, are you able to hold back? Clerics can be one of the more powerful classes in the game as well. I recommend a specialized wizard with prohibited schools of conjuration and evocation. This should provide a challenge and who knows, you may enjoy it.
Gil Gwath 05-26-05, 05:05 AM	Here is what I have (keep in mind this is 3.0): Saeed Nasim Human Male Druid 15 True Neutral STR 20 (14 + Belt of Giant's Strength +6) DEX 20 (14 + Gloves of Dexterity +6) CON 18 INT 16 WIS 27 (18 + 3 level + Pearl of Wisdom +6) CHA 17 I bought wilding clasps (masters of the wild) for the pearl, gloves, belt, as well as my vest of resistance +5, bracers of armor +8, and boots of striding/sprinting. I also bought 2 rings of animal friendship and +5 wild hide armor of ease. Feats:Improved Initiative, Extend Spell, Persistent Spell, Natural Spell, Snatch, Flyby Attack, Blindsight My battle plan is to shift into a dire bear and cast spells. In that form I'll have 80ft speed, AC 36 (-1 size, +4 dex, +7 natural, +16 armor), 10 ft reach, and 37 strength. Next level I will gain elemental forms as well. My ace in the whole is my animal companion. [...] Name: Massey Type: Dire Elephant Size: Colossal HD: 39d8 +390 (max normally is my level, 15, but rings add 24 hit dice) HP: 546 AC: 11 (but who cares) STR: 52 Trample for automatic gore damage (6d6+32) :eek: reflex DC 45 for half hello there. i wanted to take a look at your build... ;) i know you play 3.0 and my advice is 3.5, but if your assumptions are right (and i doubt it) i think this could prove 3.5 is better *cough* than 3.0 1) in 3.5 Elephant is in the alternative animal companion list as a Druid level -12. So you get only +2 HD and +2 NA and +1 Str. in 3.5 the correct stats are the following: ELEPHANT Huge Animal Hit Dice: 13d8+55 (113 hp) Initiative: +0 Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares) Armor Class: 17 (–2 size, +9 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 17 Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+26 Attack: Gore +16 melee (2d8+15) Full Attack: Slam +16 melee (2d6+10) and 2 stamps +11 melee (2d6+5); or gore +16 melee (2d8+15) Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft. Special Attacks: Trample 2d8+15 Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +6 Abilities: Str 31, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7 Skills: Listen +12, Spot +10 Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Listen) 2) Bracers of armors and hide armor don't stack, couse they are the same (armour bonuses) 3) In 3.5 when you are in Dire Bear form you keep the animal Strenght, Dex and Con (look at the polimorph spell). So in Bire Bear form you have Armor Class: 25 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural, +8 armour [assuming you can retain it while wildshaping]) By the way i don't know what Snatch is.... I'm too lazy to look at 3.0 rules, but i guess you messed it up a little bit.
Drood 05-26-05, 10:13 AM	If the group is having a power balance problem, why are you creating a druid (arguably the most powerful class in the game) with uber stats? It seems you just made things worse, not better. Do the group a favor and reroll, so the game is fun for everyone. Your group seems to need a spellcaster or cleric, and if you play a cleric, are you able to hold back? Clerics can be one of the more powerful classes in the game as well. I recommend a specialized wizard with prohibited schools of conjuration and evocation. This should provide a challenge and who knows, you may enjoy it. Well I probably overexaggerated the power balance thing. The rogueish leader is pretty powerful as well, while the other two members of our group are pretty new at this. The guy playing the rogue is helping them to build their characters so they should be fairly decent. So you know, I don't plan to be the up-front fighter with this character. In fact, I may play him a bit like Yoda. I'll act weak and pathetic like most people think Druids are (at least in our group) and then when the shiaat hits the fan I'll whoop some arse. As for a cleric, my last two characters (one from this campaign and one from another we've been doing simultaneously) were clerics. They too were very powerful. My DM absolutely hates Implosion now (think spellcasting prodigy + spell focus (evocation) + greater spell penetration). Before that, I played a barbarian who during one session killed about 30 skeletons with a tower shield he had taken from one of them (HULK SMASH! That was a fun character too).
Drood 05-26-05, 10:18 AM	In reply to Gil's comments: 1. This is a dire elephant from Masters of the Wild. It has a base HD of 20 but can be advanced up to 45 (20-30 HD = gargantuan, 31-45HD = colossal). 2. Dunno about the armor, I'll have to double check that one. 3. As far as the dire bear form, I know that I keep the animal's strength, con, and dex and that's what I did. I did, however, add the +6 bonuses I get from my belt of giant's strength and gloves of dexterity. In Masters of the Wild there is an item called the wilding clasp (4000gp) and basically if you attach it to an item it can still be in effect even while you are wildshaped.
Drood 05-26-05, 10:19 AM	It’s funny, I've just created a thread that is almost the photo-negative of this. I have a character but no build and you have a build but no character. Well, I'll offer what advice I can. I'd appreciate it, if you get the chance, of having a look at me and giving me the benefit of that number crunching mind of yours. OK, let’s see. (Whimpers slightly at how staggeringly powerful this monstrosity of a druid is). Well.....mechanically I certainly can't give you any advice. Your elephant/bird feeding problem should probably be house ruled by your DM. It seems impossible to me that anyone would believe that was just a bird if it was eating and drinking like an elephant, but I suspect that might be what RAW suggests. In terms of the background. Well you are SO powerful that anything less than a child prodigy just wouldn't be believable. How about that you were trained to be the next village chief. It was a primitive society and instead of a central city-like church or monastery, you had a secretive conclave where all those who showed potential were trained in the natures divine ways. You were the fastest, the strongest and the best able to handle natures magic. It was obvious by the time you were 12 that one day you would be the leader. You didn't have many close friends your own age but you did get along well with the senior holy-men who all placed great pressure on you. You were not only respected and even revered by everyone, even while still a teen, but you were their hope. Some even thought you were the reincarnation of some other long dead village chief. Your village, though quite large, was quite secluded and situated in a remote desert or jungle area. Few travellers or merchants came by and those that did were only ever met by a couple of the village elders who took care of all such affairs. You'd never met an outsider yourself. When you were still just 15 though disaster struck the village. A terrible hoard of creatures invaded the land. They plundered the outlaying farms and soon everyone was forced to take shelter within the village walls. Though safe for a while supplies dwindled and the enemy started becoming more bold. Soon they were at the walls every night and the strongest fighters and druids were taking casualties.....many were injured beyond the realms of any magic healing. After more than a week of nightly raids the responsibility of defending the village fell to the old teachers and young students. Though strong you were still no replacement for the more mature warriors that had fallen. On the 10th day they broke through and the village was ravished. You were one of only a handful of young survivors that retreated when the village was obviously beyond salvation. You wanted to take the village back, but your wisdom told you that there was nothing left and no survivors. You led your group of young disciples in the direction you thought safety might lay. But you were wrong. After 3 nights on the run you were ambushed by a small party of green skinned creatures...everyone died except you. But you killed your would-be assassins and buried your friend’s bodies in the way you were taught. That was 15 years ago. Since then you have learnt more and honed your skills the hard way. You learnt by surviving. Though you are not comfortable in more 'civilised' settlements, you have learnt to deal with them. You've learnt that people from these places can be both kind and cruel. You have also learnt that relying on yourself is not always enough. You have no sophisticated social skills and still have not mastered all of the subtleties of this more advanced world. You've teamed up with people who seem to be trust worthy (though you still don't fully trust anyone). Though it is now a distant memory you are now strong enough to believe that you can perhaps find some remnant of your civilisation. You followed rumours of a tribe that has similar characteristic as yours. You are still not sure though that you can face them. You still have shame about being the only survivor even though in your head you know that there is nothing you could have done. Anyway, that should give you a few ideas. As for the elephant.....I think a fairly basic rescue story should suffice. I don't mean pulling a thorn out of its foot, but maybe rescuing it from sinking mud of something. Hope that helps. Thanks man! Those are some great ideas I can definitely work with. I'll see if I can find your post and help you out as well.
Drood 05-26-05, 02:22 PM	Well looking at the bracers of armor in the 3.0 DMG at least they work like Mage armor. Mage armor is an armor bonus while the bonus from +5 armor is an enhancement bonus. I do see, however, that the +3 bonus from wearing hide armor would not stack with this, so I would just take the better of the two. In that case, I'll save myself a bit of money and make myself a bit faster by wearing a lighter set of armor (like padded). My DM thanks you. :D Snatch is also from Masters of the Wild and it is essentially like Improved Grab except: If you get a claw on a creature 4+ sizes smaller you can squeeze for auto claw damage each round. If you get a bite on a creature 3+ sizes smaller you can do auto bite damage OR if you do nothing else that turn you do double bite damage. You can drop them as a free action or can fling them 10ft for 1d6 damage/size category greater than small you are. If you fling while in the air they take the greater of falling or flinging damage. It's pretty nice, especially useful in bird form with flyby attack (swoop down, attack, snatch, swoop up, drop).
Drood 05-26-05, 03:49 PM	Well I've decided how I'm going to play this character. All of my past characters have been the fight first, ask questions later types and due to my powerful builds that makes them extremely effective at that. Unfortunately, this tends to make the DM angry as creatures he designed to be tough are no match for us. I've decided I'm going to play this character quite a bit differently. Using my druid thousand faces ability I will assume the form of an old man in robes (I will be using a quarterstaff as my main weapon so this will look the part as well). I will be underestimated and probably completely misinterpreted as a wizard (with a sparrow familiar hehe) and I will let everyone, including my party members, make that assumption. I'll walk with a limp, and in combat I will sit back and cast spells and let the others be the up front fighters (like I said we have a rogue, fighter, and ranger so that will work out well). Only when I am in direct danger will I wildshape and as I said before Massey will only reveal himself in the most extreme situations. I love creating powerful characters and it will be nice knowing that I have the power but choose not to use it. It will be fun to hold back and I think this will lead to some interesting RP situations and a happy DM. ======================================== ================== Here's the background/personality I have come up with: Saeed grew up in a small secluded village nestled away in a desert oasis. All of the inhabitants of the village are savage human druids who protect the oasis with their lives. Living in the desert made the people tough-skinned and strong-hearted. When the boys in the village become of age, they are sent on a mystical journey across the desert to find their true walk in life. Some of these young men perish in the harsh desert winds, while others return to become leaders of the tribe. As a youth, Saeed was young and brash. He bested many of the other boys in games and tests of strength. He was very highly regarded by the village elders and was almost assured of becoming a tribal leader after his journey. When the day came for Saeed to leave, his parents and seven siblings bid him farewell on his journey. The days and weeks passed as Saeed traipsed across the desert. Water and sustenance were not a problem due to his blossoming magical abilities, but the heat was unbearable. After two weeks of wandering aimlessly across the sands, Saeed succumbed to the power of the sun. He awoke to a man's grizzled voice, but the glare of the sun burned his eyes. "Stand up," the man said, and Saeed complied. "Oh yeah this is a strong one, he'll do great in the mines." Saeed mustered up what strength he had left to fight off the men, but it was no use. They easily subdued him and tied him to the back of a camel. Before he passed out from the pain of being dragged across the hot sand, the young man wondered if he would ever see his family again. The Iron Men, as they liked to call themselves, were three brothers who had inherited an untapped iron mine when their father passed away. They were neither strong nor truly bright, but knew that it was better to have someone else breaking their backs in the mines while they took all of the profits. They hired mercenaries to find slaves and guard them, while they traveled around looking for places to market them. The work was relentless. When Saeed wasn’t hammering away with his pick, he was forced to rest on hard floor of the mine. It was nearly impossible to sleep with all of the noise and the heat, so the young man prayed. Not to a god, mind you, but to the earth herself. Saeed had been taught that nature was in everything, from the animals to the air to the ground we stand on. The guards though it was strange that he would speak to the rocks as he picked at them, but they figured he was just going crazy. Almost a year after he had arrived at the mines, Saeed disappeared. One minute the guard watched as he placed his pick aside and lay down on the ground and the next minute he was gone. He ignored the rat (they were quite common in the mines) scampering by him as questioned the other miners, who all seemed equally as confused. When it arrived well outside the mining camp, the rat grew back to into a human form. With no clue as to where he was, Saeed set off in search of his homeland. He would not find it, but he would find a mystical journey. After years of travel, Saeed is no longer the brash young man he once was. While he is quite powerful, he prefers to appear weak and allow others to underestimate him. He travels in the form of a robed old man with a limp to hide his great mental and physical strength. He usually keeps to himself but has developed good diplomacy simply by watching and listening to the right people over the years. He has spent time as a cat in the home of a royal family and as the noble steed of a valiant knight. Massey, a dire elephant whom Saeed rescued from a poacher’s pit trap, has remained at his side for almost a year now, usually in the form of a sparrow thanks to Saeed’s druidic magic. Even after spending time in nations across the continent, he feels uneasy in cities, and prefers the warm soil and a canopy of trees to an inn. He wants to be at one with nature but doesn’t feel a need to protect it or “keep the balance”. He still searches for his home but has realized that his path may never lead back there. Saeed has taken it upon himself to experience all that nature has to offer. Saeed is at a point in his life where he would like to start a family and perhaps form a druid circle of his own. However, he doesn’t feel comfortable enough with the common culture to know how to approach this. What do you guys think?
Keenath 05-26-05, 04:17 PM	To clarify the elephant vs. dire elephant issue that Gil brought up: In 3.5, druids have been toned down a little in the wildshaping and animal companion arenas. Even if you're a 3.0 player, I would strongly suggest using the 3.5 druid. In 3.5, rather than being given X hit dice of creatures as companions, you get a single animal companion, sort of like a paladin's warhorse companion. You pick off a list of animal companions at 1st level. Then you're allowed to pick a new companion if the first dies, but like advanced familiars, the better companion animals act as if you're X levels lower than you really are. For example, if you take a wolf companion, you get all the advantages of a companion for a druid of your level -- it gets evasion when you're 3rd level, multiattack when you're 9th, and so on. If you take an elephant, you subtract 12 levels to figure what your companion gets. So if you're 14th level and have an elephant companion, it has only Link and Share Spells, like a companion would normally have for a 2nd level druid.
Drood 05-26-05, 04:27 PM	Well we aren't using any 3.5 rules sorry. This is simply 3.0 and we like it that way :P . As for abilities like link and share spells, as far as 3.0 is concerned that stuff doesn't exist anyways. In fact, in 3.0 there is no animal companion section in the druid section of the PHB (just a small paragraph). Therefore I can take any animal that I can befriend via animal friendship up to my maximum alotted HD (my level, +24 for the animal friendship rings = 39) and I choose a 39 HD dire elephant. Honestly it's not that difficult in fact if I were the DM I'd prefer my player to have one creature that is rarely used but uber powerful than have a bunch of creatures running around causing havoc and hours of rolling dice (my other idea was stolen from these boards, something like 300+ sparrows <39 * 8, as they are only 1/8 HD> muahahaha).
The Man from Uncle 05-26-05, 10:47 PM	Well, you've got yourself a story there and a good one too. It's got a few semi-incontinuities, but nothing that hasn't been well accepted into the hollywood genre of reality (I refer of course to why the brothers hire mercenaries and not miners considering mercenaries cost more and tend to be less trustworthy). I like the idea of playing down your powers and only unleashing when you need to. I don't actually think you need to pretend to be an old man though. Deception brings mistrust, mistrust brings fear and fear brings anger. This way leads to the darksaide. I'd probably go more with a Kane from Kung-fu type thing, just a normal looking guy who uses the minimal amount of force to get done what he wants. I'm never happy seeing a druid who has no regard for nature, but that doesn't mean you have to protect every tree, just the general enviroment. If someone lets a fireball loose in the jungle...not good, but oh well....if someone has a bear skin rug, fine......but if something or someone is poisoning the land and water, killing everything for miles around....I would not be happy. As for the family things and starting your own conclave of druids, that sounds like a good aspiration that can give your druid motivation for doing things. He might see adventuring as preparation for the rigors of family life ;), or maybe its a means of establishing a reputation to attract other druids to form a circle. Plenty of ways to use this. Anyhow, well done. I think your DM will be pleased that you didn't go for the 300 odd sparrows. Can you imagine keeping track of their names? DM: (Rolls a dice) The archer shoots an arrow at one of your sparrows. You: Who? DM: Sorry, what? You: Which one? DM: Which sparrow? You: Yes. You were keeping track weren't you? DM: Er.....yes, of course....let me just check my notes.....he's hit....Ted. You: Hmmmm....(sceptical)....ok roll for damage.
Drood 05-26-05, 11:33 PM	Like I said, the brothers aren't the smartest tools in the shed (they're just tools). I am rethinking the old man thing as I agree that it will breed mistrust (especially with some of the evil characters that have graced the group in the past) and I like the "normal guy" idea. I've been reading some of the other threads and have begun to really flesh out the character. I renamed the elephant "Mr. Peanut" and have ditched the old man idea. Greatest Strength: Focus, control, confidence, outright combat ability, wisdom Greatest Weakness: Uncertain about his future, not very comfortable around “civilized” people, Spends more time hanging out with the trees than people, so some people may think he’s a bit off his rocker. Traits and Mannerisms: Would rather offer advice than a helping hand. Would prefer to travel without conflict, but realizes that conflict is part of nature. Will try to talk his way to peaceful situations before resorting to violence. In battle would rather sit back and appear weak until absolutely necessary, then use his full powers to obliterate his enemies. Doesn’t drink alcohol as he feels it destroys your mind. Smokes "questionable herbs" pretty regularly and has had more than his fair share of poisonous mushrooms. Thinks that the hallucinations he experiences are actually spiritual visions sent to him by Mother Nature. While smoking likes to carve wood (not from chopped trees but from fallen twigs) into useful objects, art, or toys, then later has no idea how he made something so beautiful (no craft skills). This only serves to strengthen his believe in the visions. Very open minded to new situations. Despises slavery (see background), torture and rape, and will unleash his full wrath on those who commit those crimes. Does not tolerate blatant attacks on nature (poachers, those who hunt for sport, pollution, etc). Because of his loneliness, has gotten into the habit of talking to Mr. Peanut out loud, even though Mr. Peanut does not understand, then acts as if Mr. Peanut responds to him. He has not shaven in quite a few years and has a long beard and long hair. He also has a brand on the back of his neck from when he was a slave. Modus Operandi: 2-fold: 1) Seeks physical and metaphysical power. 2) Wants to understand/enjoy and be at one with all aspects of nature.
The Man from Uncle 05-26-05, 11:53 PM	Fantastic. That character would be very welcome in my group (once we'd mod'ed him to 3.5, toned down that elephant and ruined your starting cash)
cryptictravler 05-27-05, 12:42 PM	Even in 3.0 you had to mishandle to rules to get that elephant: From the SRD: Animal Companion: A 1st-level druid may begin play with an animal companion. This animal is one that the druid has befriended with the spell animal friendship. Ring of Animal Friendship On command, this ring affects an animal as if the wearer had cast animal friendship. The ring wearer can befriend 12 HD worth of animals (see the spell description). If animal friendship is already on the character’s spell list, this ring allows the character to befriend additional animals. The character wins the loyalty of an animal. The spell functions only if the character actually wishes to be the animal's friend. If the character is not willing to treat the animal as a the spell fails. An animal's loyalty is natural (not magical) and lasting. The character can teach the befriended animal three specific tricks or tasks for each point of Intelligence it possesses. They cannot be complex (complex tricks require the Handle Animal skill). At most, the character can have animal friends whose Hit Dice total no more than twice the character's caster level (though the demands of adventuring generally restrict a character to half that number). The rings only allow you, since the spell is indeed on your list, to add extra creatures. So you cannot add your ring limit to your caster limit. Thus you get one 15 HD creature and two 12 HD creatures, not one 39 HD creature.
cryptictravler 05-27-05, 12:50 PM	You also misread the armor rules. From the SRD: Magic armor bonuses are referred to as enhancement bonuses, never rise above +5, and stack with regular armor bonuses (and with shield and magic shield enhancement bonuses). Mage armor (and thus the bracers) is not a regular armor bonus so the two overlap not stack.
Drood 05-27-05, 04:15 PM	No Mr. peanut? Are you saying that as a DM you'd prefer: 156 ravens/cardinals/sparrows/etc. 39 monkeys! :D 156 tiny vipers :P 78 weasels :confused: to one sparrow-polymorphed 39HD dire elephant? Hmm maybe I'll need to rethink this a bit more. 3 dire lions and 1 15HD elephant might work...
Drood 05-27-05, 04:38 PM	You also misread the armor rules. From the SRD: Magic armor bonuses are referred to as enhancement bonuses, never rise above +5, and stack with regular armor bonuses (and with shield and magic shield enhancement bonuses). Mage armor (and thus the bracers) is not a regular armor bonus so the two overlap not stack. Yea I figured that out yesterday. I was just too lazy to make the corrections here.