Skies of Arcadia Recruiting and OOC

[Sinfire Titan]

Can we play Frank and K characters?  If so, then a WHOLE BUNCH of groovy feats opened up . . .

Charisma can be KING in d20 - you just have to know what you're doing.  Evil characters, thanks to Elder Evils, are even slicker when charismatic, too. 

Seriously, though - can you give NON-DRUIDS some sort of helping hand?  Frank and K feats and classes from Races of War might be a start . . . As it is, Druids are WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too BUFF - even buffer than they normally are, which is still WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too BUFF.

Sigh.

I may implement the Shapeshift variant for druids. I've never read any of the Frank and K material, thus anything from them must be previewed, reviewed, and approved. But do feel free to use it if you think it will help out.

[Sinfire Titan]

That would happen next level.

On second thoughts, the build is so feat-intensive I can't realistically try it with anything other than a Human or Azurin.

Now, do I want Landshark Boots/Phase Cloak with Battle Jump, Girallon Arms/Sphinx Claws with Multiattack, or Threefold Mask/Worg Pelt with Improved Trip? They all get four attacks on a full attack at level 5+, but one needs high Jump and Leap of the Heavens, one just mauls people, but has low AB/damage, and one trips the opponent, but loses an attack if it doesn't.

Before I get too involved, am I going to be sidelined for fitting in the wrong nation/moon?

The problem with the Threefold Mask is that attacking with all three heads is a Standard action, not an attack action. As such, the only thing that allows for an additional attack is Snap Kick. The Landshark Boots are nice, but only work on a Charge, whereas the Girallion Arms work whenever you need them to (provided you have Pounce) and allow you to wield weapons 4-handed, all at the cost of a point of damage on average. The lower attack bonuses can be offset easily through Expanded Soulmeld Capacity.

As to fitting into a nation, Ixa'taka and the Lands of Ice all are natural settings. And Mid-Ocean has literally every possible class combination scattered throughout its small area.

[Sinfire Titan]

I have a preference for Yafutoma, two reasons : If I go with the Warblade/Chronomancer I was thinking about, I can have a Zen Swordmaster flair that seems really appropriate. Second : Tshern ! 

All right. I'll mark you down for Yafutoma.

[Sinfire Titan]

Sinfire: Which settings would you be porting/altering and bringing over? I have a warforged deep sky delver (Cleric//Totemist with the blackwater domain) that would fit into Mid-Ocean wonderfully, but if you're not bringing that one, I'll pick a different setting

Mid-Ocean and Lands of Ice are still going to be held on Faelmax, at least until the boards start acting up again (at which point they will be transfered ASAP). Valua, Ixa'taka, Yafutoma, and Nasr are all being transfered.

[Sinfire Titan]

I would love to join, but it just seems beyond my scope of capabilities to handle so much information all at once. 

That was one of the problems when the game first got started off on Gleemax. Not everyone wanted to read all of the info. The most important parts are in the second post, and you only need to read the little tidbit about the continent you want to play in to have all of the major info you'll need.

[Sinfire Titan]

I'm...not even sure what to make of this setting.  Somehow I have difficulty wrapping my head around it without visuals (and I never played the game).  It sounds like a lot of fun but right now I'm just experiencing information overload.  @_@

Most people did.

[Sinfire Titan]

Does "minimum 10 before racial mods" mean we start at 10, or at 8 as per standard point-buy rules?

8 per PB values.

[Sinfire Titan]

I'm just waiting on the ok for the echocaller. Sinfire, is there anything you wanted to change about it?

For that matter, to everyone else, what do you think would mesh well with it? I was thinking a monk or cleric, but my mind could be changed easily enough. Also, is there any way for a monk to get trapfinding?

Trapfinding Monks? Don't you mean Jackie Chan?

As to the Echocaller, the only things that need to change are the Future Echo, the Echoes of the Edge, and the Echoes of Future and of Past. All three need a recharge time, with Future Echo being 2 rounds, Echoes of the Edge being 1d6 rounds, and Echoes of the Future and of Past being 1 hour. Otherwise you are taking far too many actions each round for it to be balanced for Gestalt play.

But I'm fine with allowing the class.

[Sinfire Titan]

How does LA work with Gestalt?  I'd use it if I understood!

It literally replaces both sides of your Gestalt for a LA level. In other words, a Teifling Warblade/Swordsage with an ECL of 3 would be a Teifling Warblade/Swordsage 2. Some DMs allow you to replace only one of your two classes with a level adjustment. I don't.

[Sinfire Titan]

Oh for Pete's sake!  Arms race?!  Did you REEED the RUUUULZ?!   

This is GESTALT!  EVERYTHING is overpowered!  Half my builds don't even cast spells - how the hell are TEMPLATES going to make them "broken"?   

Sheesh.

Gestalt is actually more balanced than normal play, from what I've seen. As to templates, ones such as Anthro Bat, White Dragonspawn, and Half-Minotaur are off-limits. I've done this in the other games, I'm implementing it here.

[Sinfire Titan]

Sinfire, is a Feral (Savage Species) Diaboli (Dragon 327) okay?

If so, I'd like to ask to change the DIaboli from an Outsider to a Fey.  Not for power reasons (imo Fey is weaker than Outsider), but just for flavour purposes - I'd like to reflavour the race as fey, who have sprung spontaneously from nature/green moonstone as defenders of the wild.  Then I'd like to reflavour incarnum, no longer as souls, but as binding the raw power of nature to my command.  With the Fey Diaboli following an Animist religion, but focused on Magical Beasts instead of animals, so you would appeal to the Purple Worm Totem in order to bind Wormtail Belt, etc

IF that's okay then I'm thinking start as a Feral Diaboli Totemist 2 // Shapeshift Druid 2, with feats as Barbed Stinger (Serpent Kingdoms), Multigrab (Savage Species) and Greensinger Initiate (ECS).  Greensinger gives me some social skills and spells for some fun out of combat.

Then continue as Totemist 20 // Druid 20 the whole way (tempted to retrain to Wild Shape, in which case pick up Natural Spell and Share Soulmeld), and ending up with feats like this:

Flaws: Barbed Stinger, Multigrab
1: Greensinger Initiate
3: Shape Soulmeld (Mauling Gauntlets)
6: Bonus Essentia
9: Greater Multigrab*
12: Double Chakra Bind (Totem)
15: Planar Touchstone (for Incarnum Domain)
18: Expanded Soulmeld Capacity

* possibly move this to earlier in the build, but I will likely need magic items to get the Dex prereq

Customary Soulmelds being Girallon Arms and Muling Gauntlets for grappling purposes, Phase Cloak/Blink Shirt for mobility, and Sphinx Claws for pounce later on.  Also picking up the Mask of the Tiger and some Serpent Armour for Track and Combat Reflexes (with large Wild Shape forms).  Basically intended as a melee juggernaut and battlefield controller.

Personality wise, I quite like the base Diaboli description - in spite of his fearsome appearance, he actually has a heart of gold.  Probably a vegan, who would ideally like to be a pacifist if only the world would let him (if I had the feats spare I might go Exalted with VoP), meticulously polite, a truly beautiful singing voice.  Similar to Chumley in the Myth books.

I dislike the Feral template at this ECL. Best to wait until 9th or so then apply the template via Retraining. I'm fine with Diaboli, as I have the Dragon Compendium (and love both them and the Tibit). I'm fine with the Fey change, but you should be aware that I'm racist towards faries. This is displayed in my hatred for most elves.

My personal reflavor of Incarnum is that it is the residue of a living being's personality rather than actual souls. Same idea in that it draws power from the spirits of others, but different feel in that it is more based on the psychic "footprints" (for lack of a better word) that creatures leave behind. If you want to reflavor it, go ahead. But I need to see the Serpent Kingdoms' text on the feat Barbed Stinger, as most of Serpent Kingdoms can be broken wide open.

[Sinfire Titan]

the build looks good

I have never been a good combat optimizer, so now I definitely want to go Summoner Druid//X

Enclosed please find the Symbiotic template abuse, and let me know what you think. I think it is over the top...

I think the symbiotic template's major abuse comes from the type changes and from Eberron, but the major abuse there is the lack of LA on the Monster of Legend template. Looking at it, it seems to be far above what most characters can do, even when optimized. Furthermore, it seems to be built assuming LA is on one side of the Gestalt, which runs contrary to what I rule with. I'm not going to allow it, but it does look interesting.

[Sinfire Titan]

Hehe, Sinfire is gonna be SWAMPED when he checks this thread next

Okay, so I notice a lot of people are flavoring for Yafutoma, and to be honest, I'm having trouble thinking of a Yafutoma flavored build (even though it's one of the most fun places in SoA)... So I'm still in it, but I'd rather join another section of the game, either Mid Ocean, Ixa'taka, Valua, Nasr, or Glacia (in that order, probably)... So I'll just sit here patiently until Sinfire lets us know what other campaigns he's porting over. 


Also, as an aside, has anyone read the Gemini Dancer over on WotC, what're your thoughts on it?

Valua, Nasr, and Ixa'taka are the only other lands open for recruiting (at least until Faelmax goes down again).

I'd like to get a head-count of those who want into the Yafutoma game. All those who wish to join it, speak now.

[Sinfire Titan]

Unapproachable East; requires character origin from the Taer region, iirc

Then change the Taer to Yafutoma and you're set. Unless Taer is a desert or a jungle or a tundra, in which case use the other continents as needed. Campaign specific feats I'm fine with.

[Sinfire Titan]

I'm interested in joining...

While I wait for Sinfire's response on who is playing what, I will think on something to play (possibly his homebrew class and something else...)

And I don't know anything about the setting (besides the name  )

Oh yeah....

Sinfire: minimum posting rate expected?

Welcome to the cult. Drinks are on the table, suicide ceremony at 5 o'clock tonight.

I'd like at least 2 posts a week, more if possible. And keep it PG-13, as the storyline may get published as a children's book (wiht my grandmother's help, that is).

[Sinfire Titan]

Some further Yafutoma flavored ideas (most contain warblade, I want to slice things) :

Warblade/Feat Rogue -> Lockdown/Dominator style, with guisarme. Also works with Psywar but increases MAD. Lots o' skills, yum.

Speaker is a Bard/Crusader, wich seems to work given your indications on Yafutoma.

Warblade/Incarnate (Law) -> Works great, incarnate melds are sexy in Gestalt. Judge Dredd feel.

Something with Iaijutsu Focus. Unfortunately, only two somewhat crappy base classes have it (samurai and sohei), beyond the Factotum, and prestige classing is less attractive in this configuration. I'm thinking Cosmopolitan from FRCS, would you allow that, Sinfire ?

Warblade/Binder

LN Warblade/Incarnate with a level-dip into Cloistered Cleric is amazing. Getting Animal, Law, and Knowledge Devotions with Turning to fuel them along with other benefits for the 20th level of Warblade and Incarnate is pretty damn effective (not needed, but very effective).

[JanusJones]

Sinfire . . .

. . . d00d.

Yes, YOU can handle optimization.  Not worried about YOU!  More just wondering why the guys with the best stuff get MORE presents!   

This just damps down on the effectiveness of other characters, and yes, WILL make the Warblade/Egoist feel small in the pants next to pets.  In fact, the very fact that you say "they're not overpowered compared to a NORMAL CHARACTER" should make you wonder why one class should have the equivalent of a SECOND CHARACTER as a CLASS FEATURE - in ADDITION to being able to change forms and CAST SPELLS.  It was bad enough when Druids just got a free class feature that out-classed the Fighter in the party - once you add superior stats, feat control, and extra feats from flaws, you've got an ELITE, PC-level powered thing added on to the abilities of a class that already out-ranks everybody else in d20.

Thass juss WRONG, mang.   

Oh, and Druids are better suited to seafaring than, like, anybody.  EVAR.  What with the companions being able to be flying or floating, so to speak, and able to use the environment FAR more effectively than most characters, they are plenty able to adapt - more so than pretty much anybody else.  Flying?  Well, so does my companion!  Swiming?  My companion swims!  Wheee!

But hey, it's your bag.  I think the only reason I tweaked was that Druid are so superior to begin with, that adding rules that made them even MORE superior seemed . . . excessive.  It kind of cuts down on other characters' abilities.

I could use my infinite damage trick on a DFA Gestalt, if you let me.  That'd improve my mood just fine!  Heck, it only works if the target doesn't have energy resistance and is within 30 feet once I end my move . . .

 

I'll try to up my game a bit.  You've made me want to rise to the challenge!   

What did you think of my Know-bot?  Like?  I have loads of ideas, so think of him as only one of a HOST of possibilities.

[Ieniemienie]

the build looks good

I have never been a good combat optimizer, so now I definitely want to go Summoner Druid//X

Enclosed please find the Symbiotic template abuse, and let me know what you think. I think it is over the top...

I think the symbiotic template's major abuse comes from the type changes and from Eberron, but the major abuse there is the lack of LA on the Monster of Legend template. Looking at it, it seems to be far above what most characters can do, even when optimized. Furthermore, it seems to be built assuming LA is on one side of the Gestalt, which runs contrary to what I rule with. I'm not going to allow it, but it does look interesting.

The monster of Legend doesn't have an LA indeed because the symbiont isn't technically yourself at the time you apply the template The MoL does get Spellturning and 5th level cleric casting, which is way over the top indeed.
Is the Symbiotic template banned as a whole or only the Monster of Legend template? I have made this template abuse file you have probably seen already, but it is easy to cut the template out.

[Sinfire Titan]

I give you Vox, the Know-bot.

http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/view.php?id=62664

The character looks sound, though Unseelie has no listed LA and flight at this level is a bit much. If you don't mind, I'd like to limit the template down to a more Raptorian-level, with the Fly speed coming in at 6th level instead of ASAP. And the Magic Circle effect is having a duration change from 10 minutes/level to 1 minute flat. Otherwise it is allowed.

Finally, you assigned yourself FP. This is something you are supposed to do after you show me the build, as I have to assign them a modifier. The normal is 1d3, but depending on how optimized it is I add or subtract a small ammount (though the lowest FP I can assign is 1). Finally you also selected a character trait in addition to flaws. Traits are not allowed in the game, as I've never allowed my other players to select them. Sorry to disappoint you, but I do have rules to enforce. Oh, and you get both benefits from spending FP, not just the +2 to a stat (take this into account, as spending a total of 4 FP can double your HP and give you a +8 to one stat).

Your FP is 1d3, no bonuses, so your guess was correct. Either take the average or roll and link me to it, and then spend them as you wish.

[Sinfire Titan]

the build looks good

I have never been a good combat optimizer, so now I definitely want to go Summoner Druid//X

Enclosed please find the Symbiotic template abuse, and let me know what you think. I think it is over the top...

I think the symbiotic template's major abuse comes from the type changes and from Eberron, but the major abuse there is the lack of LA on the Monster of Legend template. Looking at it, it seems to be far above what most characters can do, even when optimized. Furthermore, it seems to be built assuming LA is on one side of the Gestalt, which runs contrary to what I rule with. I'm not going to allow it, but it does look interesting.

The monster of Legend doesn't have an LA indeed because the symbiont isn't technically yourself at the time you apply the template The MoL does get Spellturning and 5th level cleric casting, which is way over the top indeed.
Is the Symbiotic template banned as a whole or only the Monster of Legend template? I have made this template abuse file you have probably seen already, but it is easy to cut the template out.

Templates with no listed LA cannot be used, so MoL is out. The symbiotic template is allowed, though any effects that you try to apply must be legal for both parts of yourself (so no Rapidstrike unless both of you could qualify for it seperately). To prevent serious abuse, mind you. I've no problem with some templates or races, just when it gets unbalanced is when I step in.