Well, it has been confirmed, but the DM isn't the person I thought it would be. The Power Gamer in my RL campaign has elected to run this one (an Eberron setting with two DMs). And I know this person well enough to have an advantage when making this character.
Here's the skinny: Stats are 4d6, Reroll 1's and 2's, and if you get 4 of a kind, you don't drop any of the dice. The special part is this: You have your choice of three methods behind stats. 1) Reroll your lowest ability score from two sets of stats, and choose the array that you like the most. 2) Change your lowest score to an automatic 18, but only get the single set to work off of. 3) Three full sets of stats to choose from, to maximize the odds of a 4-bagger.
I choose the 4-bagger, and ended up with the following sets:
15, 15, 12, 15, 14, 14
14, 14, 15, 16, 15, 15
16, 15, 16, 13, 12, 12
I will be using the second set unless I get three or more people who tell me to use the third. The first set is strictly inferior to the second, and the second and third are very even, and both usable for a Skarn Totemist.
The build will be nothing but Skarn Totemist 20, and I will be giving a review of each Soulmeld and class feature that comes into play. Any items I will use (or will want miserably) will be mentioned as well, but only the ones that help me out.
So, with a starting level of 1st, I planned on assigning the stats as follows:
What part of FL? I'm in Gainesville.
Vero Beach, in Indian River County.
Heh, when do you guys game?
Sporadically. Usually, Friday, Saturday, and sometimes on other days. PM me your number, and I'll send you the address we play at if you feel like joining in the game today.
Why not CON 15, INT 14?
Because I want to have some sentience behind the character. I view 14 as the "Stupid" range of Int scores.
Because I want to have some sentience behind the character. I view 14 as the "Stupid" range of Int scores.
;) cheers
Taking this into consideration, we ended up with two CG characters, an LN character, an LE and NE character, and soon will be having a LE Swordsage (who plans on taking a variant of Shadow Sun Ninja after a few levels of Tattooed Monk).
The party is as follows:
Me (CG Skarn Totemist) (Worships the Traveler)
Midge (CG Dwarven Warblade) (no deity yet)
A Spellscale LE Mountebank (from Dragon Compendium) (Worships Grazz't)
A Half-Elf NE Ranger (with Valenar Double Scimitar as his weapon, and no spellcasting via CC) (Worships Grazz't)
A LN Human Binder (who is played by the person I said was probably going to play a Shadowcaster) (Unsure of his deity)
So much for a heroic party. Oh well.
How it breaks down:
- DM likes to take the RP and combat slowly, as he is just now getting used to DMing a 3.5 game
- PCs who are Evil have a tendancy to plot and formulate their own goals out loud, and my little brother metagames on this waaaaay too much
- I need to get into character more, as I have never played a Totemist in any campaign
- No Action Points, which hurts, but only a little
- And my best friend was rolling nothing higher than a 7 today for 20 minutes of solo combat
Anyway, let's get to the good parts, the combat.
1st Combat
The fights start off with a tip from the town's mayor that there is a rat infestation (woot, useless ability I have gets to see play). We find out only later that they are Ash Rats (MM2), and thus capable of TPKing the entire group, sans the Binder and myself. Everyone has to take on a small group of Ash Rats solo, so no one expected to live until they found out that the Ash Rat only has 5 HP, and an AC of 16.
First up was the Mountebank, who breezes through the combats with a Scythe and his gaze attack. Seriously, most of this party is capable of melee, and we have no spellcaster at all. This may prove to be a problem later on, and may encourage me to consider an Alignment Shift and playing a Sapphire Heirarch. Something I want to avoid with this particular character.
Next was the Ranger, who uses TWFing with next to no effort to slaughter the rats. Nice. His build is fairly weak, but he did show TWFing to be a decent option at this level. He cheated a little though, taking it as a feat at 1st level instead of waiting until 2nd like a normal Ranger would have to.
Third, was the Binder. And boy did he get shafted in the first fight. Three of them against him and Savnok. He was unprepared for the Ash Rats, but every fight afterwards was easy as hell due to Expel Vestige and Aym having Fire Resistance. He almost bit the big one at level one.
I was 4th. And I got the short end of the proverbial totem pole. Not a single rat was in my section of the maze (yes, the DM used a maze to separate us). SO no combat for me, but the DM was generous and allowed me to level with the party after the whole ordeal was said and done.
And last was my 15-year old brother. And let me say this: He is half-blind. He can't see the dice worth a damn (and he even uses translucent dice sets), much less his own sheet or maneuvers. Also, he can't roll higher than a 12 without loaded dice. Which we have caught him using before. The only reason he is even playing is because my house is the largest and most-readily available to play at, and I am currently living with my mother, as I can't move in with my father and still get to my college classes until I get my driver's license.
So, he wiffs several times, the DM has to fudge rolls to keep his character alive for the session as the rats get him down to 1 HP with their fire damage. Woot, except for the part about him sparing my brother from making a new character, as it would have taken him the rest of the night and a good portion of next week to do so. Oh, and have I ever mentioned that my brother is Chaotic Stupid IRL, and has no clue how to play any of the alignments? And that he has no common sense or creativity whatsoever? And that he is very gullible? No? Well, now you know that I have to put up with a spoiled brat who has bitten his school teachers on multiple occasions and not been kicked out of school for it, has to take meds he hates, and has a grudge against both the DM and myself.
And maybe Desert Punk afterwards.
Sunabouzu!!! *Ehem* I mean great report! :D
Sunabouzu!!! *Ehem* I mean great report! :D
One of the players in our group has never seen the series, and I have the entire box set (6 disks of comedy gold).
BTW, I thought skarn were only reptilian - doesn't that disqualify you from taking draconic soulmelds?
That's what Dragontouched is for.
The Swordsage was introduced to the party, and the alignment isn't LE, its SE. All three of the Evil characters openly declared their alignments and two of them declared their worshiping Grazz't to the party. While I do feel I am an optimized character, I do not feel capable of taking on three PCs simultaneously. As such, my character will be alerting the guards to their demon-worshiping asses very soon. For both the sake of this character, and the sake of party cohesion.
Anyway, moving onto the matter at hand: Combat!
Encounter 1
I start this day off buying the Shapesand I wanted in Moonshadow (Valenar city), and started laughing maniacally inside. For those who don't know, Shapesand can turn into any normal item of the wielder's will, with a DC 16 Wisdom check. No where in the text does it mention that it cannot be a magical or alchemical item, and as such, I now hold in my hands endless potential. While I didn't get to use it right off the bat, I will be able to turn it into virtually anything once I get enough of the stuff.
The first combat we came across was two more Bloodhulks. And I yet again roll horribly for Init. However, we still won the fight with ease.
It opens with the Ranger charging in with his Double Scimitar. Swing, hit, hurt the enemy.
Warblade's turn, charge, swing, and call it Critmas, as he fumbled the roll and nearly pegged the Ranger due to his percentile roll. I and the rest of the table laugh at Midge mockingly. Then at the Ranger's player for having an AC of 17.
Mountebank's turn, and the character repeats what the Ranger's actions were.
Swordsage: Initiates a Shadow Hand strike, hits with both of the attack rolls, deals 3d6 damage.
Binder's turn. He goes invisible and ends.
Bloodhulks make their attacks, nailing Midge and the Ranger. No big deal, but they get max damage against Midge. He has 23 HP. He will be feeling it in the morning.
My turn. I can't charge due to ally's placement. So double-move into a suitable position, and end with a mock tear. These hulks will never know what hit them when I'm done with them.
Back to the top, Critmas likes to come twice a session here, and in spades this round.
Ranger: Attack, Crit Threat, and normal hit. Crit was wasted on the undead.
Midge: Crit threat with Steel Wind twice, cries as he realizes they are immune to Crits, and b****es for the next hour until I hand him a plate full of chicken tenders. Which took 9 minutes to make.
Mountebank: Attacks, Critmas strikes again, this time nearly sundering the scythe the Mountebank is using due to the Fumble.
Swordsage: Nearly decapitates self with a double scimitar. We laugh our asses off at the luck.
Binder: Blows his invis, swings, and hits. This entire session, out of the 15 attacks he makes, only one of them that hits does more than 7 points of damage aside from the crit he gets. He threatens a crit against the bloodhulk, and mocks Midge before rolling his damage.
Bloodhulks: Again, they attack Midge and the Ranger. Miss the Ranger, drop Midge down to 3 HP with a Crit. More laughter then ensues, as Midge starts shouting at me to shut up (I made a dirty joke about his Warblade liking the punishment).
Me: Now comes the action! Attack with Spines. Note: My Essentia in my Totem Avatar puts my attack bonus so high, that I need a 3 to hit them. I never miss a bloodhulk this entire session. 1d6+7 damage from a natural weapon with a 2nd level character is a nice thing to have.
Back again to the top, and Critmas never seems to end. Over the course of this two-day campaign, I doubt more Crits and Fumbles have ever been rolled. And I never got a single one.
Bloodhulks are getting their asses handed to them on a silver platter. Midge? His platter is Black, Blue, and red all over, as his character has nearly died twice in the past two sessions. I love it when a game goes the way I want it to.
So, back to me and my awesome Skarn. Init rolls back around, and I do something that drops me to 8 HP from my normally safe number of 25; I provoke two AoOs to trip one of the bloodhulks. I moved over to the furthest one to help save the Ranger (as I didn't know he was evil IC yet), taking one from the one I had been fighting, and taking a fresh one from the other one for the trip.
And it is my +4 Str against his Dex as I hit a Touch AC of 9 with a 20. Waste of the 20, but I get a 14 to his 6 on the opposed check. Down falls the undead beast.
With that, he stands back up. DM calls for us to roll off to see who gets to hit it when, and I again get a two-did git number to clench the combat. I roll my AoO, and get max damage from all of my pitiful 2d6 slashing damage+4 Str, dropping the prone Bloodhulk into the undead Twilight Zone of 0 HP. And I laugh my ass off as it is my Init next, and I drop the other one with another wasted Crit threat. Twofer with one character. God, I am in love with this class.
...is almost cheesy (to put a pun on A7X's new album's best song).
You know the best song on the album is "Scream", right?
Also, I am enjoying this thread thoroughly, as well as the handbook you made. Kudos to you. Kudos.
This thread and your Incarnum Handbook have inspired me to try out a Totemist somewhere in the near future. I'm working on the character at the moment
Greetings,
Bowen
I still don't know how Totem Avatar is boosting your attack roll, though.
Binders don't do that much damage at low level, and take some work at high. If he has a high Str, though, its all about that morningstar 2-handed, though.
I still don't know how Totem Avatar is boosting your attack roll, though.
Whoops, missed that. I thought it said Enhancement Bonus, not Morale bonus, so I more or less ignored the rest of the text. I'll be fixing that on the sheet now.
Still, I have yet to notice the low BAB.
Also JWM: We will be playing in my campaign if you wish to join us tomorrow. Not this one, but a 9th level campaign going by Expedition to Demonweb Pits. If you do join us, starting XP is 1/2 way to 10th, stats are 4d6, reroll 1's and 2's, and two sets of stats. You get to reroll your lowest stat in each set until it is higher than the first. The alternative is you use a 43 PB, which none of my players used.
That party consists of a Dragonborn Warlock/Enlightened Spirit (planning on Hellfire Warlock and using a fixed version of ES), a Human Crusader/Swordsage, a Human Druid with Fleshraker and Dragon Wild Shape (via early prereqs), Midge and his Rogue/Swashbuckler with Daring Outlaw, and then an Azer Fighter (the weakest of the group). So come prepared.
House Rules for that are the Negative HP rule from the 4E preview, all races have no stat penalties (so elves have the +2 Wis and Dex, while Humans get +2 Con and +2 to any mental score, and Dragonborn add +2 Con and Cha), and the critical rules from the 4E preview as well (max damage on crit, no need to confirm a threat, but fumbles are Dragon Compendium rules).
Indeed kudos, SiFir.
This thread and your Incarnum Handbook have inspired me to try out a Totemist somewhere in the near future. I'm working on the character at the moment
Greetings,
Bowen
I sign this one as well, I am eagerly trying to find a low-level game in which to try a Totemist. Never played anything related to incarnum in anyway before. Thanks for the good diary.
You know the best song on the album is "Scream", right?
Also, I am enjoying this thread thoroughly, as well as the handbook you made. Kudos to you. Kudos.
I dislike the way half of their albums sound. They have great potential, but they lack rhythm on virtually every other song. Critical Acclaim, Almost Easy, Unbound, and Gunslinger are the songs I like on that album, and Scream just doesn't do a damn thing for me.
A7X is an ok band by my standards. But I listen to bands like Demon Hunter, DevilDriver, and In Flames more than I listen to A7X.
And thanks to everyone who has commented on the Diary and Handbook. I'm still working on what I can manage, so progress will be slow, but I can complete it before they take down the 3.5 Boards.
I'd join you guys, but my GF is recovering from a bad cold. Also, we found out today that she snapped two of three tendons completely in her right middle finger, which, while entertaining (since it keeps her flipping off everyone), is going to require surgery. Can't really make this week. In fact, it may have been a bad idea for me to suggest it, really (3.5 hours in travel, when the best vehicle I have only gets 18 mpg). I'd be down for a weekend one- or two-shot, though.
Damn. Oh well. Its hard for me to get new players here, as this city is almost nothing but old people who have a hate for DnD.
I would recomend looking at the Spinemeld Warrior PrC if I were you. That will let you give your spines that enhancement bonus you love, in addition to being able to rend with them (you should probably look at taking the two weapon fighting feat to attack with both of them). Even better, it still nets you essentia.
One of my friends is making a Totemist 2/Fighter 4/Spinemeld Warrior 3 for a 9th level game. Due to Girallion Arms, Improved Multiattack, and SuS, he has 10 attacks. 2 Unarmed Strikes, 4 Claws, and 4 Spines.
I know how dangerous it can get, but I have my goal set for Totemist 20. I want to see what is worth it, and what I can live without.
The thing is? I've yet to roll higher than a 10 on my Init. This is getting to be annoying, but I can deal with it. The DM handed out treasure from the Ogre Magi.
And we got a CL 11th scroll of Heal. :D Now that will be coming in handy later on!
When I said that to the party, I had no idea how right I was.
1st EncounterStill us working off of the same day, we find and fight two more Bloodhulks. I'm starting to smell Vol written all over this, even if the DM doesn't realize it.
Again, I roll a 5 on my Init, and I'm dead last.
Fairly standard. Midge got to try out the Mountain Hammer for the first time, and the DM made a mistake about the positioning on the map (which resulted in 5 HP worth of damage being shifted from the Binder to me, as I was between him and the Bloodhulk).
I was still binding my Totem Avatar at the time. And it didn't help as much now that I realized that it doesn't provide the enhancement bonus to attack rolls.
So this combat goes by fairly standard. And yet again, it seems like Critmas all over again. Nowhere near the record of last session, and every one of them wasted on Bloodhulks.
One question about the Totem Rager though, ST. Is it worth it to delay entry to 8th level in order to pick up your crown/feet/hands chakra binding a little bit sooner?
Something like Barbarian 1/Totemist 5/Warblade 1 instead of Barbarian 1/Totemist 4/Warblade 1 ...
Greetings and good luck with your beast,
Bowen
Yeah, Sinfire Titan's recaps have inspired me to try out a Totemist as soon as I get a new game going.
One question about the Totem Rager though, ST. Is it worth it to delay entry to 8th level in order to pick up your crown/feet/hands chakra binding a little bit sooner?
Something like Barbarian 1/Totemist 5/Warblade 1 instead of Barbarian 1/Totemist 4/Warblade 1 ...
Greetings and good luck with your beast,
Bowen
I was considering that heavily. In the end, if you finish Totem Rager by 16th, you will most likely end up getting them at 17th, barring other PrCs (seriously, who wants to see a Bear Warrior Totem Rager?). So it really has almost no impact on the build.
I'm not sure about adding in the Warblade level though. It does look very tempting, but you never get the 9th level maneuvers, at least not without bloodlines. And the fact that you won't get Uncanny Dodge does hurt you.
I'd debate it heavily before I would try it. If you want, start up a new thread so we can. I've got some work to do, so I can't take time to start the debate up myself. But I will participate in it if you want to do so.
I'm quite new to Incarnum, but I think the combined insight of the CO boards should be able to help me decide wether earlier entry is worth the wait for you crown/feet/hands chakra binding until level 10.
~Bowen
I think I'll do that then, but I figured I'd ask here first
I'm quite new to Incarnum, but I think the combined insight of the CO boards should be able to help me decide wether earlier entry is worth the wait for you crown/feet/hands chakra binding until level 10.
~Bowen
The fact that you don't get a new Bind until 6th is what makes me hesitant on it. Getting the Chakras is nice. Getting no new binds to it for another two whole levels after I sink two levels into Barbarian is what makes me stop and scratch my head.
Normally you'd get the chakra binds at level 10, with delayed entry that would only be improved to level 9, right?
So you get to bind to your chakras one level earlier in exchange for delaying Totem Rage and an Extra Rage.
Decisions, decisions :P
Anyway, I created a new thread for this, so I won't hijack this one any further ;)
~Bowen
The DM and I were talking just a short while ago, and he let me in on some major info. As soon as the party hits 5th level, the party will be guided gently (railroaded) into a tournament of 32 people. Only two players will not be participating, and even then one of those two are debatable.
Here is the thing: The Swordsage in the party is my primary threat at the time, the Binder and I have a somewhat loose alliance together that will prove its usefulness here. While I stated that I was not worried about several of the PCs, I do have reason to want to own this particular PC in combat should the need arise.
Just as fortune would have it, the very curse I have of having to live in my parent's house coupled with my extensive (but far from all-encompassing) collection of books means that I am the one in charge of character sheets, which gives me a distinct (if unfair) advantage in this fight. I have the Swordsage's entire sheet (but to be fair, I will be posting only maneuvers and stances I have seen the player use during the character's existence, to leave some surprise to it) and will be using this info to make the most of my prep time.
The first thing that strikes me is the fact that the character is actually an Elf! This means lower Con score, and bad Fort saves... which means one of my more nasty tricks may just be to ambush the character outright with the Gorgon's Mask on and use the 1/day BW and hope that a mediocre +3 bonus can't match my DC 16 Fort-based SoD. Alternativly, I can try the Basilisk Mask to get the upper hand in combat if only for a round...
The other thing I noticed is the Swordsage's AC is abysmal. Only a 19! I hit that 50% of the time with my Claws, and 45% of the time with my spine attack. With only 35 HP max, I can easily outlast the character without my Rage Claws even shaped!
For what I know, the Swordsage has Shadow Blade Technique, Burning Blade, and a few others. The character has TWFing, and a total attack bonus of +3/+3 when making a full attack. With my base AC of 17, the Swordsage only hits on a 14+. I can easily make this much harder for the player by shaping Wormtail Belt over my Disenchanter Mask.
I'm not sure what Stances the player took. I've never seen it come up. But I know for a fact that the character doesn't have Adaptive Style, and must rely on the Full-Round reload of the Swordsage to even do a blasted thing after a few maneuvers have been expended.
The Swordsage has Endurance, Improved Unarmed Strike (unarmed SS variant), Educated, and TWFing for feats.
So, I need a think-tank for strategical advantages. With Girallon Arms, I have the Grappling advantage through Essentia alone. With Wormtail Belt (didn't think I would need to go back to that meld) and Lammasu Mantle I can pump my AC up to 22, well out of the Swordsage's reach. My higher Str and better Con score with a total of 61 HP at any given time means that I will have the edge in straight-combat, and can even grapple to shut down as many maneuvers as I can if need be. What more, I can out damage the character with 4d4+1d6+(5xStr)+(4xInvested Essentia in Girallon Arms) to really lay down the smack, so melee is not an option for the SS.
Also, at 5th level I will be taking my first level of Barbarian. This gives me a major advantage over the other PCs, and narrows the gap considerably between me and the Binder.
Add in the fact that I can make any item I need for the battle to come via Shapesand, and I will be able to get a serious advantage over the character.
So, is there anything someone would like to suggest for options? RIght now, the only thing that concerns me is the SS's 19 Dex score. This means my Init is pathetic compared to hers, and may likely be the ink to write Eisin's will with. I know there are Alchemical items that boost Init, I just need to know what they are in order to get things done right.
Don't hold back now, I have a whopping 430gp to spend to win this entire match
. This really does come down to tactics, as this person can dominate once he finds an effective strategy. Eisin is no slouch though, I've all ready got this combat firgured, I just need a means to clench the match without even trying.What needs to be kept in mind is that I cannot retrain or swap characters for the sake of this single fight. I need to keep Eisin for this CO Diary, and swapping out means I will be forsaking my own goals.
If the SS and I fight in the arena, the Mountebank will have no reason to challenge me IC. And even if it does happen, it will likely be well after the fight, when I am healed up and ready for action. This isn't something I am worried about. Even with the Ranger's help, the Mountebank can't get more than one Beguiling Stare off on me before I Pounce her head off. The Ranger also has a pitiful chance of hitting me with either attack he makes, so I do have an edge when I need it.
The Binder and Midge are not an issue. If I have to fight either of them, it will probably be for sport and not even be a lethal match. So, I leave the rest in your capable minds and fingers to help out.
Brief thoughts on alternate approaches (Lycanthromancer's spreadsheet may help in conceiving some new tactics, or just confuse you):
- Landshark Boots for sheer win; also, would elevation bonus to attack rolls apply to attacks made with hop/pounce attack?
- Phase Cloak for Climb and Con poison. If the arena favors it, climbing could let you outmaneuver the SS; regardless, the poison should chip away at her weakest point by reducing her already-low hp. Throw in Dread Carapace for more damage.
- Kruthik Claws for sneakiness & making sunder attacks.
Depending on how willing you are to dump your stash of gp, a potion either of enlarge person or mage armor (or perhaps both, if you are willing to gamble on being able to drink each before combat) should solidify your advantages or shore up your AC nicely.
While I appreciate that you have found a soulmeld combo that works, it seems as though you have been paying a good amount of attention to the SS's tactics - could the same be said for him/her/any other party member? It might be worthwhile to construct a secondary strategy that you have not used before, so as to catch a similarly-prepared opponent off-guard. Pessimism leads me to assume that the swordsage might not be your opponent, or even your only opponent - bear in mind that you are surrounded by self-serving demon-worshipers, who (if they are role-playing) will more than likely have given at least a little bit of thought to potential ins and outs of taking you down.
I've taken this into consideration. If all three teamed up on me, I would be dead in a matter of rounds due to the Mountebank's Beguiling Stare having a shot at taking me out for a round. If I plan on fighting only one at a time (easily done with the coming tourney) then I can get the advantage easily. The Tourney will be strickly 1v!, where I will excel at combat.
Brief thoughts on alternate approaches (Lycanthromancer's spreadsheet may help in conceiving some new tactics, or just confuse you):
- Landshark Boots for sheer win; also, would elevation bonus to attack rolls apply to attacks made with hop/pounce attack?
- Phase Cloak for Climb and Con poison. If the arena favors it, climbing could let you outmaneuver the SS; regardless, the poison should chip away at her weakest point by reducing her already-low hp. Throw in Dread Carapace for more damage.
- Kruthik Claws for sneakiness & making sunder attacks.
The problem with the Landshark Boots is that I have a very poor Jump modifier (no ranks means a 5ft jump is a little harder to pull off) and prefer the Girallon Arms (more damage overall, as I will be getting Pounce and Rage at 5th level).
The Phase Cloak is a good idea, but I can use Shapesand prior to the fight to get the extra poison damage on 5 attacks, which may very well be the killing blow.
Depending on how willing you are to dump your stash of gp, a potion either of enlarge person or mage armor (or perhaps both, if you are willing to gamble on being able to drink each before combat) should solidify your advantages or shore up your AC nicely.
Chain Shirt says Mage's Armor is worthless to me. But potions of Enlarge Person are a great advantage for me. Thanks for that one.
The problem with the Landshark Boots is that I have a very poor Jump modifier (no ranks means a 5ft jump is a little harder to pull off) and prefer the Girallon Arms (more damage overall, as I will be getting Pounce and Rage at 5th level).
Ah. Unfortunate. Pegasus Cloak offers a small boost, but probably is not enough to make it a reliable option.
Chain Shirt says Mage's Armor is worthless to me. But potions of Enlarge Person are a great advantage for me. Thanks for that one.
In that case, a potion of shield of faith might be worthwhile instead - especially since enlarge person will beat up your touch AC for its lunch money.
I hate how good some of the soulmeld combos are; I always seem to fall one chakra bind short of what I want to do.
Ah. Unfortunate. Pegasus Cloak offers a small boost, but probably is not enough to make it a reliable option.In that case, a potion of shield of faith might be worthwhile instead - especially since enlarge person will beat up your touch AC for its lunch money.
I hate how good some of the soulmeld combos are; I always seem to fall one chakra bind short of what I want to do.
Shield of Faith is a Deflection Bonus. Lammasu Mantle all ready provides me with one, of equal value to a basic Shield of Faith potion. If I want to conserve on Soulmelds, then I would use it. But I'm more cash-constrained than Soulmeld-dependent. Shield, however, is a nice AC bonus for me, and very viable at this level.
If only the Open Chakra feats worked the way they are worded.
Just wondering, because it wasn't clear, which melds would you recommend using at first level?
Rage Claws and either Wormtail Belt or Dragon Tail, depending on feats/race.
Almost immediately after we finished off the three Bloodhulks the DM puts us in a 12'x12'x12' white room. Players of Pokèmon, get the groans ready. We were back up to full HP, and had a full night's rest to refresh ourselves with. We also got caught up in the WBL chart, as the DM allowed us to go shopping (somewhat) for whatever we needed. And I got to retrain out Cobalt Charge for Dragontouched. Yay!
Also, a new player joined the group. And whenever this happens, we have to play Through the Fire and Flames on the speakers. So, we did.
After the player made his Warforged Cleric (CN, no god) and the Binder and myself finished shopping, we left the White Room. I leave with a Healing Belt, and an Eternal Wand of CMW. And about 2000gp. The Binder? I have no clue what he bought, if anything. Vestige Phylacteries are ungodly expensive, as are Incarnum Foci.
So we meet up in front of a hallway again. A large iron door blocks the path ahead, and the Binder decides it is time to send in the Raven to investigate. It dies horribly at the hands of the BBEG of the game, the DM's old character from another DM's campaign. I almost throw the MoI at him for it, as what he thought was an original name was actually a biblical reference, and the reason why the character was hated while we played under that DM.
A bit of conversation, and the DM points out that the Warforged is there, being held captive with three human Commoners (not sure what they really were). The Binder (IC name is Will, for future reference) and Eisin both bargain for the freedom of these captives, eventually giving away half of the party's wealth for the freedom of a 5th level Cleric (DM started him out higher, as he felt it would give us an edge in the coming fight, which it didn't really matter).
Except for Midge. The stubborn idiot tries to pull a fast one on the DM, by throwing his gold to the ground at his feet and claiming that he has none on him, and thus doesn't have to pay up.
Note that Midge has been constantly interrupting a LE character, and the entire party, with his loud voice. He is also not very bright about thinking on his feet.
The DM sees through the charade, and the party gets ticked off. Will (Binder) and the Ranger both attack Midge, and only the Ranger hits for any damage. Then the BBEG steps in, puts Midge's character in his place, and spares the entire party (25th level Wizard, I would hope so!). Sadly, he doesn't kill Midge's character. Next time SiFir, next time...
Anyway, we pay up, the BBEG leaves, and the Cleric is home-free. Or so we thought.
You guessed it, more Bloodhulks. And this time, it is a CR 12 encounter.
Encounter 1, and the only oneIt opens up with a pre-Init action from the Cleric to cast Bear's Endurance on himself.
Init as follows:
Mountebank
Ranger
Swordsage
Midge
Eisin (me, on a freaking 20!)
Will (Binder)
Bloodhulks (two mediums, one Huge)
Eisin, being the smart bastard he is, knows that a Large Bloodhulk hits like a ton of bricks with a rubber ducky between himself and the undead to soften the blow, and can thusly conclude that a Huge Bloodhulk must be the Charged Particle Cannon of all Bloodhulks.
But I have new Soulmelds shaped, and I'm at full HP, raring for a fight like this.
Mountebank charges in, and attacks one of the smaller Hulks with the scythe with Deceptive Strike (Mountebank also now has Alter Self at will with the Dragonblood subtype, but didn't use it this time around). Crit hit, wasted on the undead SOB.
Ranger's turn, and he nearly takes Critmas to a whole new level. He fumbles miserably. And nearly decapitates the Mountebank, but thankfully missed the attack against her too.
Swordsage decides between Hatchling's Flame and Burning Blade, going with Burning Blade. Moves, attacks, crit hit, and injures the Huge one. I get the feeling this is going to be ugly...
Midge's turn, and he metagames the living hell out of the fight by avoiding the entire melee reach of the larger Hulk, readying his action the same way I did in the previous session. Why? Because he says it deals 3d6+10 damage on a single attack, in front of the DM.
I know this too, OOC. I've read the MM4 cover to cover. But Eisin doesn't know it IC, so I keep it in my head unless the DM asks me a question about any of the abilities. Midge? He is a blundering fool of a player.
Me, on the other hand, I am at least smart enough to have a plan of attack. And I did this time around, and it was a looloo to try out.
I have the Blink Shirt shaped! And a shiny Incarnum-forged tail slap attack thanks to Dragon Tail+Dragontouched. Did I forget to mention Girallon Arms is still my prime meld? And that I still have the Rage Claws in case of emergency? And that I can survive max damage from that Hulk?
And that the DM allows us to make repeated Knowledge checks if we are trained in the particular skill, as a free action once every 1d4 rounds, and doesn't realize what the word Pazuzu means?
I'm sure some of that has come up, but the rest of it is fair-game. And Eisin needs a 16+ to get the DC for Pazuzu (25, IIRC). I fall 2 short, with a 14 on the die.
I let out a string of curses that would make Nurgle wretch in horror. I'm ******, because I wanted to summon a Demon Prince to fight this battle on my behalf (at least OOC).
Oh well, I simply ready my action for when one charges me, taking a single 5' step to move into better charging range.
Binder decides to not get hit this combat, and sits back for a round by going invisible with his Vestige.
And now, the Bloodhulks. And I get the sweet sense of victory as the stupid one on the right charges me. Oh, did I say he charged me?
I meant to say, he took a double-move to attack an empty square. I use my Swift action and invest my Essentia into Dragon Tail, Blink Shirt, and the rest into Girallon Arms. I mean business this time people.
The mountebank gets hit by the smaller one though. And the Swordsage?
She gets smashed into the ground Looney Toons-style. But lives to tell the tale.
Back to the top, and the entire first round is almost repeated. I'll highlight some of the differences:
Midge moves into melee with the big one.
Will (Binder) charges smaller one that I tricked into swinging at air.
Me? I charge that one too. Take down the minions before the BBEG, because Ankle-Bitters suck so hard.
And the Bloodhulk Grandè decides to make a pulp out of the Ranger. He is now sitting comfortably at -9, and I decide to ask the DM a very pertinent question. Namely, if the DM is using the 4E preview's Negative HP variant. I hear a yes, and all of a sudden, the Rage Claws make me happy in the pants. I'm never going to unshape them now...
Mountebank's action, and she blows a CLW charge from the wand on the Ranger. I ask the DM if we are using the 4E preview for Negative HP. He says yes, and that means Rage Claws just shot up in value for me. Oh, and the Ranger is conscious again. Not that it really matters, if he stands up, he will die outright.
Ranger's turn, and his player declares that he wishes to make a new character anyway. So, the Ranger stands up, dies, and goes out to make a new character. What a nice way to waste a charge.
Swordsage uses Clinging Shadow Strike to try and buy time. It goes off without a hitch.
Midge's turn, and he Mountain Hammer's the big one. But he forgets to switch into Punishing Stance, so the damage isn't that great.
Me? I make the small one cry with 6 attacks. 4 hits, two misses, and every hit was Piercing damage. Oh joy, I am about to show off what this character can really do! With a Spine damage of 2d6+4, and Claw damage safely at 1d4+1d6+7 per claw, I can easily assume I know who this Bloodhulk will be attacking on its turn.
Binder's go, and his damage pales in comparison. No biggie, at least it is focusing on me for the time being.
Bloodhulks take another turn, and I get interrupted by my mom coming back with Outback Steakhouse sirloins galore. But my instinct told me the truth, I did take 8 points of damage. Ha! Smiting shall come for you, dead man!
Skipping ahead, let's get to the important part. The big one. the BFZ (Big Freaking Zombie).
It strikes out at the Swordsage again (on a randomly determined attack too) and fumbles. Ladies and gentlemen, all of you complaining about Fumble charts should STFU right now. That Fumble just won the encounter for us.
It falls prone.
And it has 5 people adjacent to it (Will moved over to it after I eviscerated the smaller Hulk, Mountebank moved over too, and the Cleric was standing there after hitting it with CMW).
And I still am a good distance away. Curses!
Killing off the Hulk in front of me, I 5' step closer to the action, and watch as the behemoth takes it in the ass from 5 people.
Back around to me again, and I 5' step closer, now I am within range of the Blink Shirt's effect. And I plan on using it to the max. I ready the rest of my turn for after the larger one attacks.
It does, hitting the Mountebank. And dropping her to 1HP in the process.
I teleport right on over to his big ugly ass, and watch him spill a single tear of blood as the DM realizes just how much damage I will be doing to this thing.
Another round later, and his fears are realized. Even though I fumble one attack (saving myself from going prone with a Nat 19, the only thing I can even hope for in that situation) I still end up dropping the bastard in one full attack.
The other one dies to my minimum damage, so the DM concludes the encounter and session there.
I really am relieved that we now have a Cleric in the party. And he is even my favorite race (Warforged).
That being said, I know what the Mountebank's build is going to be.
Mountebank 4/DFA2/Ur-Priest 4/Thrall of Grazz't 10
I've suggested Divine Power and am seriously debating DMM (Persist)'s place in the build. It would require a larger feat investment than the Mountebank can afford. Not that it matters, in the long run the character will be dead well before I need to worry about her.
The Swordsage has confirmed Tattooed Monk as his build, something I am having mixed ideas about.
The Binder is sticking with it all the way into Epic. And when he does, I will be showing him the Epic Binder progression and abilities (and he will love it!).
The Ranger's player is making a Ninja. Just what we need! Another melee character!
Midge? I'd rather just have this quiet hope that he is only a figment of my play group's caffeine-addicted (and Kidney Stone infested, for one of us) minds. I know I am deluding myself, but at least this way we will have some control over him in case he gets the entire team TPKed.
what makes this even more ridiculous is the fact that I've got drunken master in there for charging hilarity. but it's a gestalt arena.
Ninja 2nd Update:
[...]
The Ranger's player is making a Ninja. Just what we need! Another melee character!
My current party has a pair of dvati ninja who have been absolutely devastating as ranged attackers. They've just become able to go ethereal, and with bracers of murder and the greater versions of the anti-undead weapon crystals from the MiC, they can do a lot of sudden strike damage from the ethereal plane, without worrying about being hit in return. Might be worth considering (though with all the infighting in your party, maybe helping him create a build you can't hit in melee isn't a good idea.)
I'm already looking forward to the next one. ;)
Unfortunately I've already submitted a swordsage for my next campaign which starts next week, but I'll definitely play a totemist as my next character after that one, either if something happens to the swordsage or in the campaign that should be taking off after I finish my RHoD campaign
*Sigh* Still a month till that one kicks off and I can start eviscerating with 6 or so attacks per round though
~Bowen
playing a totemist in an arena, one things I have found to be fairly effective is with the girallion totemist bind for extra the grapple check, and believe it or not the feet chakra bind of Dread Carapace. First round, I activate the speed boost, and then the rest of the match is on my terms. If you win initiative, it's hard to loose the fight.
what makes this even more ridiculous is the fact that I've got drunken master in there for charging hilarity. but it's a gestalt arena.
I find that very funny, but for this campaign we may not be fighting all that much that is our size.
Another great recap, Sinfire.
I'm already looking forward to the next one. ;)
Unfortunately I've already submitted a swordsage for my next campaign which starts next week, but I'll definitely play a totemist as my next character after that one, either if something happens to the swordsage or in the campaign that should be taking off after I finish my RHoD campaign
*Sigh* Still a month till that one kicks off and I can start eviscerating with 6 or so attacks per round though
~Bowen
We are working on when the next session will be held.
My current party has a pair of dvati ninja who have been absolutely devastating as ranged attackers. They've just become able to go ethereal, and with bracers of murder and the greater versions of the anti-undead weapon crystals from the MiC, they can do a lot of sudden strike damage from the ethereal plane, without worrying about being hit in return. Might be worth considering (though with all the infighting in your party, maybe helping him create a build you can't hit in melee isn't a good idea.)
Phase Cloak>Dvati Ninjas. If I am going to lose to some cowards who can't fight on my terms, then I am at least going to bring the fight to them! Totem Binding the Threefold Mask will allow me to get 3 attacks after moving, which is nice.
Here is how it worked out:
We get back to the capital of Valenar and find a sign declaring that there will be a week-long celebration in Sharn. During this festival, there will be a tournament where every match is a fight to the death. The payout? 50,000gp only to the last man standing. Eisin, upon hearing this, signs up. As does the Binder and Midge. Oh, and for some reason we now have an old friend playing a Mummified Yuan-ti Monk. Really.
Anyway, we hop onto the Lightning Rail, pay the fee, and go to Sharn.
After signing up, we find out the pairings. It ends up with me, Midge, and the Binder all in the same bracket, with me and the Binder facing off in the first round. Midge? Has to fight a Succubus.
So I get to test out my shiny new level of Barbarian, the Lion Totem, and my full attack all in PVP mode. Oh Joy! Bad news? The Binder is the last person I wanted to fight, if only because of RP reasons. Midge's fight goes by quickly, with the DM playing the Succubus so wrong it drops win two rounds.
Binder VS TotemistWe skip every other match there is just to get to the good fight. Eisin and Will both have a strong resentment about being paired off at the get-go. I tell him that Eisin wouldn't hold back, and would try to end it quickly (the rules are that the winner has to kill the loser, so I can't avoid it. This is just the DM showing that he has no regards to the fully established campaign setting sitting in front of him) just to show some mercy.
The Binder has Paimon bound. And that is what clenches the victory for me. If he uses it even once, it means I get a second charge, and I can try out the Pounce all over again.
Inits:
Me: 19
Him: 8
Needless to say, I've got this one in the bag. And the Binder knows it after the first charge. I rage, charge, and try to murder him quickly. All but the spine and tail slap hit him, and I get a solid amount of damage in from just the claws. He throws in the towel immediately after hearing how much it does, and I get my second full attack, which finishes the match.
Good news: My next fight is against Midge, and it won't happen for another 24 hours.
Bad news: The good guys are about to be in the hole two players. I know Midge can't survive two rounds with me. And I just killed the second strongest PC at the table. Easily.
What about a potion of mirror image? Or greater mirror image, if you can somehow get it into a potionlike form (being 4th level and all), would be even better. Spellstoring weapon stored with Shivering Touch, maybe? Perhaps spellstoring ammo wielded as melee weapons, so you get 50 of them (or less for a corresponding price decrease, if you have a nice DM and a friendly wizard to cast the spell into multiple arrows/bolts/sling bullets/etc.)?
The potions are a solid choice. Displacement+Mirror Image=Hard to kill. Shivering Touch, while the most potent offense there is, is a problem. We don't have Frostburn. As such, I can't use the spell. Despite how much I want to wreck the DM's couch on this entire tourney.
The potions are a solid choice. Displacement+Mirror Image=Hard to kill. Shivering Touch, while the most potent offense there is, is a problem. We don't have Frostburn. As such, I can't use the spell. Despite how much I want to wreck the DM's couch on this entire tourney.
Hmm...that does put a damper on things. My mind is blanking right now...are there similar spells in other books you have access to that do Int, Wis, or Cha damage, as opposed to giving penalties? Whites aren't awesome in the mental stats, only slightly better than in Dex, so...
Also, if you can get Heart of Earth on somehow, that'd help...Heart of Fire too, given that it's a white. Or store Ray of CLumsiness in the weapon/s instead...perhaps maximized via sudden maximize, since it doesn't increase the spell level (not sure if that would allow a maximized one to be stored in a spellstoring weapon or not)?
Hmm...that does put a damper on things. My mind is blanking right now...are there similar spells in other books you have access to that do Int, Wis, or Cha damage, as opposed to giving penalties? Whites aren't awesome in the mental stats, only slightly better than in Dex, so...
There is one in the Spell Compendium. Not sure which one it is though. I think Ray of Stupidity (Int). But even then, I can only use 4 at a time, and drawing them provokes an AoO. And the fact that the DM can and will knock me out for doing this gives me a major problem with using spell storing items (and they are a bit out of my price range, due to being +3).
There is one in the Spell Compendium. Not sure which one it is though. I think Ray of Stupidity (Int). But even then, I can only use 4 at a time, and drawing them provokes an AoO. And the fact that the DM can and will knock me out for doing this gives me a major problem with using spell storing items (and they are a bit out of my price range, due to being +3).
+3? Hmm...d20srd.org lists spellstoring as a +1 bonus. Well, potions still... There's always the feather token (tree) trick, I suppose, though that's dependent on the DM (although I suspect that if you can get the thing to eat said token and activate it inside its throat/stomach/etc., a 60 ft. tall, 5 ft. diameter trunk suddenly popping into being would seriously ruin its day
).+3? Hmm...d20srd.org lists spellstoring as a +1 bonus. Well, potions still... There's always the feather token (tree) trick, I suppose, though that's dependent on the DM (although I suspect that if you can get the thing to eat said token and activate it inside its throat/stomach/etc., a 60 ft. tall, 5 ft. diameter trunk suddenly popping into being would seriously ruin its day
...I now have three items on my character sheet that cost 450gp. And every one of the is a tree.
I want to fight that dragon now!
...I now have three items on my character sheet that cost 450gp. And every one of the is a tree.
I want to fight that dragon now!
*snickers* Yeah, I like that trick myself. Here's another - find as much alchemist's fire as you possibly can. Now, I'm not sure how big a flask of alchemist's fire is...but I imagine quite a few would fit into a 10 cu. ft. area (which is what a casting at minimum caster level would get you). Just make sure to have an alchemist empty them all into one giant tub or something so it counts as 1 item, not a bunch. Let's see, a cold subtype creature suddenly having 10 cu. ft. of alchemist's fire unshrunk and burning on it. Hmm...I can't imagine how that would be unpleasant.
*sigh*
Congrats on the eviscerating, SiFir, and good luck with the dragon, and the rest of the campaign. Judging from your posts you'll need it ;)
As for the dragon, Wraithstrike will make sure you hit, that was a great idea.
As for Shivering Touch, can you use it if you can find it online? (Crystalkeep, I'm looking at you)
As for some other useful spells (you probably thought about most of them already, but just in case ;)): Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Barkskin, Shield, Enlarge Person, Fly, Haste, Blur, Displacement, Mirror Image, Heart of Fire/Earth, Nerveskitter and Cat's Grace for Initiative...
Just some basic suggestions, I'm posting this from uni and don't have access to any of my books at the moment.
Take care,
~Bowen
~Bowen
Because I want to have some sentience behind the character. I view 14 as the "Stupid" range of Int scores.
*REWIND NOISE*
Hold it right there. 14 in the 'stupid' range? According to the 10 per point approximation (which makes perfect sense to anyone who is even remotely familiar with the iq system), that's 140. Higher than Einstein had (~135).
On modern-day Earth, that is considered genius (or near-genius, depending on the deviation/measuring system/test) intelligence, and is very rare (anything above 120 generally falls into the 'gifted' category). I don't see a single reason why a fantasy world would be any different.
So no, 14 is nowhere near the 'stupid range.' Most of the people you see in the streets have an int score between 8 and 12. The difference between 120, 130 and 140 is quite noticeable.
The only problem I see with using tokens is that your DM will reply with "Oh, you throw something down its throat? It breathes. You and your trinket take 7d6 cold." Although I suppose that having three of them circumvents this.
*REWIND NOISE*
Hold it right there. 14 in the 'stupid' range? According to the 10 per point approximation (which makes perfect sense to anyone who is even remotely familiar with the iq system), that's 140. Higher than Einstein had (~135).
On modern-day Earth, that is considered genius (or near-genius, depending on the deviation/measuring system/test) intelligence, and is very rare (anything above 120 generally falls into the 'gifted' category). I don't see a single reason why a fantasy world would be any different.
So no, 14 is nowhere near the 'stupid range.' Most of the people you see in the streets have an int score between 8 and 12. The difference between 120, 130 and 140 is quite noticeable.
And I'm used to playing Wizards with an 18 Int. When you play something like that 90% of the time it sets a very high standard to meet.
Regarding the Potion of Wraithstrike, I thought Potions can't be made of Personal Range spells?
Ocular Spell plz. Trust me, I'm getting that potion, even if I have to turn into a BLT to do so. Nothing is going to stand between Eisin and that 50,000gp for more than 30 seconds.
It seems as though you have been focusing on potions; perhaps some oils would set you in good stead? The dragon is going to have DR 10/magic, so magic fang or greater magic fang is probably going to be a must (unless each of your natural weapons counts as a magic weapon already?), and magic vestment can boost your AC.
The only problem I see with using tokens is that your DM will reply with "Oh, you throw something down its throat? It breathes. You and your trinket take 7d6 cold." Although I suppose that having three of them circumvents this.
Soulmelds are innately magical, and as such overcome DR/Magic automatically. Trust me, if they allow SR, they shouldn't allow DR/Magic to interfere with their effects.
As to the Tree tokens, I may not use the idea, but I'm going to have at least two on me. It always pays to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Soulmelds are innately magical, and as such overcome DR/Magic automatically. Trust me, if they allow SR, they shouldn't allow DR/Magic to interfere with their effects.
I'm inclined to disagree:
Spell resistance is effective against any soulmeld used to affect a creature other than the meldshaper.
I would argue that the girallon arms soulmeld, as an example, affects only the meldshaper - granting natural attacks and skill bonuses exclusively to the totemist with the soulmeld shaped. Because natural attacks are an Ex ability, not spells or an Sp ability, they should not be subject to SR. Then again, I am drawing a line in the sand as to the degree of causality involved.
Even if you (or your DM) do not agree with me on this, your spines could probably do with magic fang anyway ;).
I'm inclined to disagree:I would argue that the girallon arms soulmeld, as an example, affects only the meldshaper - granting natural attacks and skill bonuses exclusively to the totemist with the soulmeld shaped. Because natural attacks are an Ex ability, not spells or an Sp ability, they should not be subject to SR. Then again, I am drawing a line in the sand as to the degree of causality involved.
Even if you (or your DM) do not agree with me on this, your spines could probably do with magic fang anyway ;).
However, both Girallon Arms and Dragon Tail can receive and enhancement bonus from the Essentia invested, identical to the bonuses granted by a magic weapon. Any weapon with at least a +1 or better enhancement bonus overcomes DR/Magic, no questions asked. So I do not need the Greater Magic Fang for 5 of my 6 attacks, provided I keep Essentia invested in them.
But the spines do need the bonus, you are correct on that part.
Also, look into that cursed item, I'm serious ;) :P
~Bowen
Any idea yet about what the dead guys are gonna be replaced with yet or what the cr9 is you'll be facing next round?
Also, look into that cursed item, I'm serious ;) :P
~Bowen
The Binder's player is making a Wu-Jen (he's actively trying not to optimize the character, otherwise it would be just me and him playing with our
He's making a Soulknife 3/Incarnate 2. I s*** you not. He is doing it for the Psycarnum feat that improves the Mindblade's damage, and he is multiclassing for more Essentia.
And I know. Dust of Choking and Sneezing is on the list of buy items. Kinda odd that adventuring parties purchase a Cursed item designed to screw them over isn't it? Just goes to show that the designers had no clue how powerful that Save or Lose was.
By the way, are you taking bets about how long it'll take for Midge to get himself killed again? ;)
~Bowen
Girallon Arms: This is just plain stupid! Bound to the Totem Chakra, it just makes me unstoppable. Also, due to the wording on it, I get my full Str modifier on all of my natural attacks, not just the primary one.
Are your sure about this?
The text reads "these secondary attacks have a -5 penalty on the attack rolls and apply half your Strength bonus on damage." for the Totem Chakra bind. It differentiates between the primary attack at full bonus and full strength in one sentence and the secondaries in another.
Hey there, I'm reading through this as I may end up crafting an NPC for a campaign I am running to hunt down and terrify my players. As such, I ran into this here.
Are your sure about this?
The text reads "these secondary attacks have a -5 penalty on the attack rolls and apply half your Strength bonus on damage." for the Totem Chakra bind. It differentiates between the primary attack at full bonus and full strength in one sentence and the secondaries in another.
Hmm? Never noticed that part. Doesn't really matter, most of the damage will be coming from the Essentia (the Str bonus can be halved, I don't really care). I'll correct it myself, but I'll talk to the DM about my mistakes in the past. He won't be that ticked, but it will slow me down a bit.
Yeah, it's really more like a Save-and-your-still-boned instead of a Save-or-Lose.
By the way, are you taking bets about how long it'll take for Midge to get himself killed again? ;)
~Bowen
Yes, we are. I have another bid on him ticking off Eisin (he has all ready declared his NE alignment, and says he will be openly displaying his devotion to the dark forces via TWFing with the Incarnate Weapon and Mind Blade). I personally have money on either the Wu-Jen that shows up being his demise, as the Binder's player prefers CN for the freedom from Good and Evil, or the Warforged Cleric axing him personally.
But I'm not against offing him for Monopoly Money!
I have another bid on him ticking off Eisin (he has all ready declared his NE alignment, and says he will be openly displaying his devotion to the dark forces via TWFing with the Incarnate Weapon and Mind Blade). I personally have money on either the Wu-Jen that shows up being his demise, as the Binder's player prefers CN for the freedom from Good and Evil, or the Warforged Cleric axing him personally.
But I'm not against offing him for Monopoly Money!
Amusing as ever, ST. My money's on four sessions for Midge. By then, your DM will have found ways to "challenge" (i.e. try to kill) the character; and if the DM doesn't do it himself, someone else in the party can off him after a battle. He can't have much in the way of HP; see if you can talk the cleric into casting an inflict spell instead of a cure spell after a fight. I've always wanted to see that, and I doubt Midge's character has Spellcraft ranks...
Amusing as ever, ST. My money's on four sessions for Midge. By then, your DM will have found ways to "challenge" (i.e. try to kill) the character; and if the DM doesn't do it himself, someone else in the party can off him after a battle. He can't have much in the way of HP; see if you can talk the cleric into casting an inflict spell instead of a cure spell after a fight. I've always wanted to see that, and I doubt Midge's character has Spellcraft ranks...
The Cleric did choose Rebuke over Turning. Knowing Midge, he will be putting ranks in the Knowledge skills as he gets ticked off when he can't make the roll, and spamming Detect Good for everything he is worth.
This campaign is slowly turning into a "Who is the more Evil" contest. Whoever wins it though, has a serious problem on their hands: Me. I know I can take down the entire Evil parade with my Spines tied behind my back (well, at least tied down), and even if the Mountebank gets the Beguiling Stare off on me, I can survive a full round's worth of attacks from the SS and Ninja. Though in a 1 on 1, I'll just use the Basilisk Mask's Totem Bind and have an Adamantine Dagger for the Auto-CDG on the Mountebank's statue.
*REWIND NOISE*
Hold it right there. 14 in the 'stupid' range? According to the 10 per point approximation (which makes perfect sense to anyone who is even remotely familiar with the iq system), that's 140. Higher than Einstein had (~135).
On modern-day Earth, that is considered genius (or near-genius, depending on the deviation/measuring system/test) intelligence, and is very rare (anything above 120 generally falls into the 'gifted' category). I don't see a single reason why a fantasy world would be any different.
So no, 14 is nowhere near the 'stupid range.' Most of the people you see in the streets have an int score between 8 and 12. The difference between 120, 130 and 140 is quite noticeable.
Einstein was a bit over 160. 149 is the limit for Mensa, which 2% of the population exceeds.
On a totally unrelated note, you have a friggin' awesome campaign! Totally an optimizer's dream; CR inappropriate encounters en masse, PvP, no stupid resurrections and all sorts of awesome. Seriously, it feels like home for a level 2 party to be fighting CR 8s and a level 4 party fight CR 12s. I mean, the CR system sucks anyways; you haven't fought against anything with unhandleable DC saves, so it's all good.
I have no advice to give for the battle that hasn't already been given; broken spells and items are the way (Candle of Invocation for things-gone-bad?), but with the advice thus far, it looks like you'll have a fine chance of winning anyways. So, good luck and take the head.
Any weapon with at least a +1 or better enhancement bonus overcomes DR/Magic, no questions asked.
Yeah, I realized that that was the bonus for investing essentia into girallon arms a while after I posted.
He's making a Soulknife 3/Incarnate 2. I s*** you not. He is doing it for the Psycarnum feat that improves the Mindblade's damage, and he is multiclassing for more Essentia.
EDIT: He might be able to get that up to decent by shaping necrocarnum weapon onto an Orc Double Axe Mind Blade with Mind Cleave, but I would still bet against it.
Yeah, I realized that that was the bonus for investing essentia into girallon arms a while after I posted.
EDIT: He might be able to get that up to decent by shaping necrocarnum weapon onto an Orc Double Axe Mind Blade with Mind Cleave, but I would still bet against it.
Knowing him, he will screw this up just like the Chain Tripper Warblade.
Einstein was a bit over 160. 149 is the limit for Mensa, which 2% of the population exceeds.
On a totally unrelated note, you have a friggin' awesome campaign! Totally an optimizer's dream; CR inappropriate encounters en masse, PvP, no stupid resurrections and all sorts of awesome. Seriously, it feels like home for a level 2 party to be fighting CR 8s and a level 4 party fight CR 12s. I mean, the CR system sucks anyways; you haven't fought against anything with unhandleable DC saves, so it's all good.
I have no advice to give for the battle that hasn't already been given; broken spells and items are the way (Candle of Invocation for things-gone-bad?), but with the advice thus far, it looks like you'll have a fine chance of winning anyways. So, good luck and take the head.
The DM gets the entire idea from the Binder's Player. That player happens to think that a good encounter is a TPK or at least a kill, and puts highly unbalanced enemies into a single combat. Only the DM uses 4 encounters a day more often than the Binder's player does, so we end up getting screwed a lot more often than we should.
I've seriously considered summoning Pazuzu to do just that. But I would rather rely on Eisin's own power than on that of a summoned creature (or infy loops). I'm fine with using items to buff him or debuff the Dragon, but Eisin is a brawler by heart and isn't going to hide behind another living being (save for Midge) to survive a fight. Especially not against some pathetic Mature Adult White Dragon.
Seriously, CR 12? Eisin alone is a CR 7 at level 3. This isn't going to be an entirely unbalanced match. I just have better odds of living to see that prize money than some White Dragon plucked out of the MM with no modifications whatsoever.
What can I say? I'm an optimizer, this is standard for one of our builds.
On a totally unrelated note, you have a friggin' awesome campaign! Totally an optimizer's dream; CR inappropriate encounters en masse, PvP, no stupid resurrections and all sorts of awesome. Seriously, it feels like home for a level 2 party to be fighting CR 8s and a level 4 party fight CR 12s. I mean, the CR system sucks anyways; you haven't fought against anything with unhandleable DC saves, so it's all good.
What he said. If I ever move across the Atlantic I'll make sure it's somewhere near you guys just for those crackpot campaigns :P
Ow, and before I forget, I'd like to put my monopoly money on 3 sessions for Midge's demise
~Bowen
Knowing him, he will screw this up just like the Chain Tripper Warblade.
At least a chain tripper is optimizable. Honestly, a soulknife, multiclassed to TWF with incarnate weapon? Ugh! The 'soulbound weapon' Psywar variant does the exact same flavor, and better!
I recognize that I am no great optimizer, but even I know a lame duck when I see one. It's the duck with one good leg.
Ow, and before I forget, I'd like to put my monopoly money on 3 sessions for Midge's demise
Uncle Moneybags approves of your capitalistic spirit.
What he said. If I ever move across the Atlantic I'll make sure it's somewhere near you guys just for those crackpot campaigns :P
Ow, and before I forget, I'd like to put my monopoly money on 3 sessions for Midge's demise
~Bowen
Marking it down. We will have a seat reserved for you, my friend.
At least a chain tripper is optimizable. Honestly, a soulknife, multiclassed to TWF with incarnate weapon? Ugh! The 'soulbound weapon' Psywar variant does the exact same flavor, and better!
I recognize that I am no great optimizer, but even I know a lame duck when I see one. It's the duck with one good leg.Uncle Moneybags approves of your capitalistic spirit.
Considering he could just do straight Incarnate 20 for the same flavor, and then be the right alignment to get massive damage on the attacks.
I'm actually holding a special PK in reserve for when I move out of my parent's house. One of Midge's characters is going to go out in style.
With Death By Awesome.
Considering he could just do straight Incarnate 20 for the same flavor, and then be the right alignment to get massive damage on the attacks.
I'm actually holding a special PK in reserve for when I move out of my parent's house. One of Midge's characters is going to go out in style.
With Death By Awesome.
Awesome, you say?
Awesome, you say?
Yes. Death By Awesome. He may not be worthy of it, but my father always told me that the smallest rocket always goes out with a bang.
According to the 10 per point approximation (which makes perfect sense to anyone who is even remotely familiar with the iq system),
Wrong!
I recognize that I am no great optimizer, but even I know a lame duck when I see one. It's the duck with one good leg.
Sigged!
Einstein was a bit over 160. 149 is the limit for Mensa, which 2% of the population exceeds.
As I said, it depends on the system used. There are several. I'm a member of said organization, with 156+ (or 135+ according to the new values -- unless I'm mistaken), which is the highest they measure in my country at the moment. I really don't feel like going to London to check the exact value, especially since the tests start losing precision at such high levels.
Anyway, that wasn't the point. I was merely trying to point out two things:
1) A 14 stat means 140. 140 is near-genius intelligence. That means very smart. Likely smarter than most players you're rolling with. Therefore, bolded, underlined not stupid.
2) Unless you have an iq of 180 or more, whether or not you play wizards with insane INT scores is irrelevant. You (in all likelyhood) do not possess the ability to roleplay an 18 anyway (no offense meant, speaking in general terms here). 14 is enough to represent a highly intelligent individual, so I don't really see why you'd want to get a higher number just to have 'some substance' behind the character. 14 is plenty of substance.
EDIT: And no, Einstein's iq was not that high.
Wrong!
Please elaborate.
Most NPCs would have scores between 9 and 11, which actually fits perfectly. Some argue that INT-buffed wizards exceed human potential, but there are quite a few real-life examples of people who have been attributed with iq scores of well over 200. And, as I said several times now, measuring becomes a problem after a certain point.
Also, this is a fantasy game. Not everything has to be super-realistic. As a rule of thumb, the 10 per point rule does work. I will not take this discussion, and the thread derailing as a whole, any further than that.
As I said, it depends on the system used. There are several. I'm a member of said organization, with 156+ (or 135+ according to the new values -- unless I'm mistaken), which is the highest they measure in my country at the moment. I really don't feel like going to London to check the exact value, especially since the tests start losing precision at such high levels.
I'm only familiar with the old system - as far as I understand, it follows the (Gaussian) Standard Distribution.
Anyway, that wasn't the point. I was merely trying to point out two things:
1) A 14 stat means 140. 140 is near-genius intelligence. That means very smart. Likely smarter than most players you're rolling with. Therefore, bolded, underlined not stupid.
2) Unless you have an iq of 180 or more, whether or not you play wizards with insane INT scores is irrelevant. You (in all likelyhood) do not possess the ability to roleplay an 18 anyway (no offense meant, speaking in general terms here). 14 is enough to represent a highly intelligent individual, so I don't really see why you'd want to get a higher number just to have 'some substance' behind the character. 14 is plenty of substance.
I disagree with none of that. They're in the smartest few percentages of the population even by the old system and way higher by this new system I've heard nothing of (that is, having 140 IQ on this system). So we'd be talking about someone probably outshining everyone he's in contact with.
EDIT: And no, Einstein's iq was not that high.
I'm just going by what's in my encyclopedia. Also, internet search on "Einstein's IQ" returns in multiple sources claiming a bit over 160. But agreed, enough of this in this thread. It really has not much to do with this.
I'm just going by what's in my encyclopedia. Also, internet search on "Einstein's IQ" returns in multiple sources claiming a bit over 160. But agreed, enough of this in this thread. It really has not much to do with this.
Just this one last response, I promise.
He never actually took an iq test, so it's a purely speculative matter. I just know he's widely regarded in some circles as the best example that iq doesn't have as profound an impact on achievement (scientific or otherwise) as people tend to believe.
I was simply trying to establish that a person of around 130-140 iq (by the 'standard' or 'old' measure, not to mention the new one) can still be considered highly intelligent (at least), and reach astounding breakthroughs in his or her chosen field (or devise complex and far-reaching plots that leave you with no choice but say 'pure genius).
Just this one last response, I promise.
He never actually took an iq test, so it's a purely speculative matter. I just know he's widely regarded in some circles as the best example that iq doesn't have as profound an impact on achievement (scientific or otherwise) as people tend to believe.
I was simply trying to establish that a person of around 130-140 iq (by the 'standard' or 'old' measure, not to mention the new one) can still be considered highly intelligent (at least), and reach astounding breakthroughs in his or her chosen field (or devise complex and far-reaching plots that leave you with no choice but say 'pure genius).
To hell with the argument! When it comes to DnD, anyone who plays a character with an Int under 15 is viewed as unintelligent to my characters. I don't think this about real people, only PCs and NPCs. Why?
Because in DnD we can get an Int in the 30s with ease. So having a 15 means you are halfway there.
To hell with the argument! When it comes to DnD, anyone who plays a character with an Int under 15 is viewed as unintelligent to my characters. I don't think this about real people, only PCs and NPCs. Why?
Because in DnD we can get an Int in the 30s with ease. So having a 15 means you are halfway there.
D&D Wizard: "7 days? Come on God...that's a whole week! I could've done it in a few rounds...and platypi? Platypi ? Int is not a dump stat!"
(Amusing (hopefully) anecdote not meant to be taken sacrilegiously.)
The Girallon Arms thing might be a serious problem for you, though. The half-strength bonus isn't the end of the world, but a -5 to hit isn't anything to be laughed at.
Guess what my 3rd level feat was? Multiattack. Screw that penalty!
But add in the Crit Hit rules from the Dragon Compendium, coupled with the Max Crit Damage rule from the 4E preview, and you have a slaughter house! Have I mentioned that this DM likes a lot of the stuff they are doing with 4E, and that he treats everything with the Dragon type as Magical BEasts (Dragon) for the purposes of spells and other effects?
No? Well, let it be known that my Wild Empathy could have influenced the Finals outcome in my favor.
Let's begin with the items, shall we?
Potion of Bear's Endurance: Yes
Tree Token: Yes
Amulet of Natural Weaponry (+1 Flaming): Yes
Potion of Ocular Persistent Wraithstrike: Yes
Dust of Choking and Sneezing: No. (Dammit!)
I can't believe he was serious about the Wraithstrike potion being ok. I now want 50 of them.
But there is still a problem: A CR 9 encounter the day before the match.
And what is it, you ask?
Encounter 1A turtle.
A Dragon Turtle.
I look at what Soulmelds I have shaped, and notice my Tail is on, and I have the Phoenix Belt on (due to a little "friendly sparing" from the Swordsage, I had shaped that today to get resistance against Burning Blade and Hatchling's Flame, looking back it was sheer luck that I did choose to shape it then).
Start of combat, and I go first with a 20 total. I rush the full-round Diplomacy, with the DM granting me a nice bonus due to 4 things: Dragonblood subtype, Wild Empathy, Dragon Tail being shaped (but forgetting that I only get that extra bonus when it is bound), and the fact that Eisin knows Dragonic.
First roll? Gets him to Unfriendly, but barely. It's all uphill from here.
He gets the Breath Weapon off on me. I get roasted, and drop to 23 HP (ITS EVERYWHERE). My go, try again with Wild Empathy, as he is still a Magical Beast with the Dragon subtype.
I roll it, and see the 2 almost decide to rear its ugly head this round. It doesn't. I instead get a 17, just short of the DC 20 check.
Another Breath Weapon Blast, as the Turtle rolled a 1 on the die, and it is back to me, with -7 HP. And constant Rage Claws bound. I get a 4 on the Stabilization check, and nothing happens because Rage Claws prevents me from going under. Rather than use my action and activate the Healing Belt (which I should have done now that I think about it) and healing 4d8, I go for another Wild Empathy, this time taking a Swift action to reveal Eisin's Girallon Arms, Tail, and the Phoenix Belt (with 1 Essentia invested), though also in retrospect I couldn't have had the Belt and Tail on at the same time, an error I correct myself on, but the DM let's it slide.
And it gets a 27 total. That's after the -10, but counting all of the bonuses. He shifts attitude again. That should do it.
Nope. Turtle let's one last breath weapon fly, getting me down to -21. Eisin has never been this far under. EVER.
One final try, and I nail it. He's friendly. I talk him into throwing the match and staging his own death, and thus learn that it actually had a grudge against the White Dragon due to last year's tourney. A quick barter later, and I have the Turtle's assistance. And best of all, he asked for none of the prize money!
I honestly got the feeling the DM pulled a little BS on this one. Not sure if Dragon Turtles are sentient off-hand, so nothing I can really do now that it is over.
Dragon Turtles have an Int of 12 and do speak draconic, so he seems to be playing it somewhat like it should have been. Although, usually you can't try a diplomacy multiple times, but hey, it sounded fun
I am glad that the Turtle is out of the way though. If I knew it was sentient from the get-go, I would have talked to it first, Wild Empathy second.
I'm also curious, where is Amulet of Natural Weaponry from? The only thing I can find that is comparable to what you've described is the Necklace of Natural Weaponry in Savage Species, and there is no way you could have afforded one to affect all of your natural weapons. The price is (600 + cost of enhancements) x Number of Natural Weapons affected. So your current amulet would have cost 8600 x 6 = 51,600gp (you have 6 natural weapons right?). Admittedly, you could have had some extremely high character wealth for your level, but 51,600gp does seem a bit outside of your spending at the time you obtained the amulet. If the Amulet of Natural Weaponry is something else that is much cheaper, please disregard this part of the post and point me to the book where I can find this awesome item.
Nice Diary by the way. It does an excellent job of showcasing just how amazing the Totemist class is. Good luck dealing with all the evil guys popping up every where.
The price is (600 + cost of enhancements) x Number of Natural Weapons affected. So your current amulet would have cost 8600 x 6 = 51,600gp (you have 6 natural weapons right?).
Isn't the cost for that calculated more like natural weapon types? I.e. 6 claws and a tail is 2 types.
Isn't the cost for that calculated more like natural weapon types? I.e. 6 claws and a tail is 2 types.
I believe you are correct.
Also, Sinfire, another great recap
As if there was ever any doubt about who would win those matches :P
I can't wait until Midge get's paired against something around that cr or until he pisses of the Wujen (hopefully within the next 2 sessions, so I can cash in my intarweb money ;)).
Cheers,
Bowen
Isn't the cost for that calculated more like natural weapon types? I.e. 6 claws and a tail is 2 types.
The entry for the Necklace doesn't say anything about types. It states that the cost is based on the number of natural weapons effected. I would interpret this to mean that each weapon, rather than group of weapons, counts as one weapon for the purpose of this calculation. So 4 claws = 4 weapons. I checked the FAQ and Errata pages for errata on this item and didn't see any, but if it is printed elsewhere with this different form of functioning I'm interested to know where.
Dragon Tail can't be used as a secondary natural weapon. Or at least, by RAW it can't. The soul meld is poorly worded. It states that you can make one attack with it each round as a standard action. This indicates that you must use a standard action to attack with it rather than using the usual format for things you can make primary and secondary natural attacks with.
I'm also curious, where is Amulet of Natural Weaponry from? The only thing I can find that is comparable to what you've described is the Necklace of Natural Weaponry in Savage Species, and there is no way you could have afforded one to affect all of your natural weapons. The price is (600 + cost of enhancements) x Number of Natural Weapons affected. So your current amulet would have cost 8600 x 6 = 51,600gp (you have 6 natural weapons right?). Admittedly, you could have had some extremely high character wealth for your level, but 51,600gp does seem a bit outside of your spending at the time you obtained the amulet. If the Amulet of Natural Weaponry is something else that is much cheaper, please disregard this part of the post and point me to the book where I can find this awesome item.
Nice Diary by the way. It does an excellent job of showcasing just how amazing the Totemist class is. Good luck dealing with all the evil guys popping up every where.
Who says I paid for it with the Girallon Arms and Dragon Tail up anyway? I could have very easily not shaped my melds until after I purchased it, thus setting the price based on one Natural attack (my Spine attack). Thanks for correcting me on the name though. So, what you are saying is my Amulet costs more when I am using all of my Soulmelds than when I bought it? Sweet.
I've all ready pointed out the poor wording in the Dragon Magic Soulmelds. The DM has house ruled them to be the proper wording. Same with the Wormtail Belt. I neglected the Threefold Mask due to it having two different wordings on it, and because by RAW Flyby Attack+Threefold Mask=3 attacks with movement. Its like Bounding Assault on steroids!
Who says I paid for it with the Girallon Arms and Dragon Tail up anyway? I could have very easily not shaped my melds until after I purchased it, thus setting the price based on one Natural attack (my Spine attack). Thanks for correcting me on the name though. So, what you are saying is my Amulet costs more when I am using all of my Soulmelds than when I bought it? Sweet.
Actually, no. As written, it can only affect a number of natural weapons based on how much you played for it. If you payed 8,600gp for a +1 Flaming Necklace of Natural Weapons it could make one of your natural weapons +1 and Flaming. If you payed 17,200gp for one, it could do this for 2 of your natural weapons. You can have more natural weapons than are affected by the necklace, but it can only affect the number of natural weapons you payed for it to affect. So if you want all 4 of your claws, your spines, and your tail to all be gain the +1 and Flaming properties your necklace would cost 51,600gp.
Actually, no. As written, it can only affect a number of natural weapons based on how much you played for it. If you payed 8,600gp for a +1 Flaming Necklace of Natural Weapons it could make one of your natural weapons +1 and Flaming. If you payed 17,200gp for one, it could do this for 2 of your natural weapons. You can have more natural weapons than are affected by the necklace, but it can only affect the number of natural weapons you payed for it to affect. So if you want all 4 of your claws, your spines, and your tail to all be gain the +1 and Flaming properties your necklace would cost 51,600gp.
Then I'll correct the stats. The damage has been done, however.
Just ask him if you can switch it for an Amulet of Mighty Fists. That gives a +1 enhancement bonus on all unarmed and natural weapon attacks, although I'm not sure if you can add flaming (I think you can, using the MIC or something rules, but not sure about that). 6K for a +1, 24K for +2.
It means that the Dragon didn't take as much Fire damage, and that Eisin should have bitten the big one.
Right, but if you only had the fire damage on 1 or 2 attacks anyway, it's the same result. And can't you enchant an Amulet of Mighty Fists like a weapon, with weapon properties? I seem to recall you can, but I don't recall whre the rule is. Similar to Bracers of Armor having armor special abilities...
That would be in the A&EG.
Just ask him if you can switch it for an Amulet of Mighty Fists. That gives a +1 enhancement bonus on all unarmed and natural weapon attacks, although I'm not sure if you can add flaming (I think you can, using the MIC or something rules, but not sure about that). 6K for a +1, 24K for +2.
I'm just fine with it being only on one of them. I can pay to have it affect my new Horned Helm too, it isn't like I don't have the cash to spare. Really, I only needed it on the Spines for the ability to overcome DR/Magic.
Due to both Midge and the Mountebank's players being out of town, we are unable to hold the game for another week. Also, due to my lack of a job, I may not be able to play or post for a while (my mom's upset that I am just sitting around, doing nothing to help us earn money). As such, if I up and disappear on you guys for a couple of weeks, don't worry about it. I'm just busy getting a job.
~Bowen