Dungeons and Dragons 3.5e Campaign Interest Thread

[Serafina]

You know, i actually agree with that interpretation.
It's a bit cheesy, but the feat is pretty clear in what it says.

[Dark Hellion]

Its not actually that cheesy past like level 3 because binder vestige abilities lag behind full-caster spells by quite a bit. Plate armour is cool at first level but Wizard has mage armour and shield for the same AC, plus protection from MM, higher touch AC and he can still cast spells. With D8 hit dice tanking is a chore for him, were as Wizards can actually tank once they hit lvl 9 by using Draconic Polymorph into a war troll and then stacking defense buffs.

[Norade]

Ah, that was my own misreading of the feat then. Yeah you can bind it, I just hope you make the needed rolls.

[Serafina]

It occurs to me that that will limit us somewhat in regards to tanking. Eh, we'll see - if necessary i have to kill you off and raise you as an undead creature
Not that my druid would ever do such a thing - but perhaps i can use you to bait some animal that can tank for us.

[lance]

Was this going to be a play by post?

[Norade]

Yes, this is play by post.

[Norade]

The online roller I'd like to use, barring other suggestions, is located here.

EDIT: Did some tests and it seems easy to use and easy to link to.

[Hawkwings]

So we should register there then?

[Norade]

Yeah.

[Hawkwings]

So does our campaign have a name yet? And are you planning on running two separate in-character threads, perhaps leaving this one for discussion?

[Norade]

I never name my campaigns, but as players you can feel free to come up with a name.

As for how it will be run, this will be the OOC thread and there will be three game threads, one for situations where the teams meet, and one for each team. The game with start with both parties together each having found their way to start of the race. Again feel free to name them as otherwise it will be Campaign Thread: Party A and Campaign Thread: Party B.

I would also suggest working on an origin story for each team, has everybody just met, any previous relationships in the party? Things like that are really nice for a DM to see.

[Hawkwings]

Some background information on the contest, the organizers, and how it was publicized might be helpful in determining backstory, especially how our characters came to become involved.

[Norade]

Sorry was a bit busy today, I'll have some background info up tomorrow and the new start is Friday.

[Solauren]

Hey everyone.

Just to let you know, I haven't disappeared. I just haven't had the right 'mindset' to finish the character.

I should have it done by Sunday night at the latest.

If that's not quick enough, if someone PM's me with that, I'll try to get it done tonight.

[Serafina]

Hey everyone.

Just to let you know, I haven't disappeared. I just haven't had the right 'mindset' to finish the character.

I should have it done by Sunday night at the latest.

If that's not quick enough, if someone PM's me with that, I'll try to get it done tonight.

Sorry, but we actually wanted to start tomorrow.
I would be glad to be of assistance if you want to finish your character, i am usually quite good at character building.

I am assuming that this is your current character sheet.
My suggestions:

Lower Wisdom by one point to 16. Put the four points you get into Constitution to raise it to 14.
Lower Dexterity to 16 as well, as you have currently invested too many points into your character anyway.
For the same reason, lower Charisma to 14.
You have now attributes of 10/16/14/14/16/14 for a total of 40 points, which is still too much. If you drop Wisdom by another two points, you are now at 36 points - still four too much.
I would aim for stats of 10/16/14/12/14/12 for a total of 2+(6+4)+6+4+6+4=32 points. This is a good, legal build for an agile fighter with good mental attributes. You can switch the mental attributes around - get a 14 wherever you want.
You absolutely WANT to have a Constitution of 14, since that adds 2 HP at EVERY level, which is a HUGE difference.

Second, i would go for a Rapier instead of a Bastard Sword. It profits from Weapon Finesse, which Norade gives out for free if due to your high Dex. Otherwise, any Light weapon will do as well.

If you really want an Exotic Weapon, there is the Quickblade Rapier (+2Disarm/Feint) or Elven Thinblade (1D8 instead of 1D6 damage) OR the Elven Courtblade (two handed (!), still profits from finesse (!), 1D10 damage, 18-20/x2 critical (!).
You might not be able to afford the latter right from the start (150 gp), but it is an ideal weapon for you since you can't use a shield if you want to get the Wis-AC bonus anyway. I would just ask Norade for a few extra GP and just buy a standard armor and starting equipment, but no ranged weapons etc. for now (you can do that later, it's better than searching for a rare weapon).

If you want to use an Exotic Weapon, i would suggest the following feats:
Exotic weapon (duh) and Adaptive Stlye - the latter allows you to change your chosen Maneuvers in the midst of battle with only a single full-round action (!).
If you want to stick with a normal weapon, i would suggest Adaptive Stlye and Improved Initiative (because i am lazy and it's always useful).

You also have another 10 skillpoints to spend, assuming your Int is 12 ((6+2+1)x4=36) and can add a profession for free.
No suggestions there, just max your current skills and get one or two more.

Other than that, your character just needs stuff like clothing, backpack and food any you are good to go.
You are capable of doing that today just fine, and then you'll have a good character.

If you want me to select some good maneuvers and stances, just ask.
Regards
Fina

Edit: You don't need ImpIni that much, i am going to look for a better feat.

[Serafina]

Okay, here are some nice feats for level 1:
Desert fire: No prerequisite, 1D6 extra damage to Desert Wind Maneuvers if you move at least 10 feet. Replaces Dodge for benefits for other feats, classes etc.
Two-Weapon Fighting: Obvious necessity if you want to go for Two-Weapon Fighting. However, that mostly limits you to Tiger Claw maneuvers.
And probably more, but it really depends on your preferred fighting style.

Generally, you can choose from the following Combat Styles:
Two-Handed: Not that useful if you want to invest heavily into it. However, works well if you just want to get a little bit extra damage, but only with the special elven weapon. Would be interesting with Power Attack line, but you lack the Strength for that.

Two-Weapon fighting: Only Tiger-Claw strikes will be good with that one.

Stealth: Not that good unless you go for multiclassing into Rogue or some other class with Sneak Attack.

Defensive: Works great with Diamond Mind, where the Rapier is also a fitting Weapon. In that case, Combat Expertise would be handy.

Mobile: Works Great with Desert wind. Desert Wind Dodge is an obvious choice here.

You can actually combine the latter two to an extent, tough you will probably be short on feats if you do. Still, a mobile fighter who has access to good damage and defense looks very good to me. With four feats (level 6 if you don't go for an exotic weapon, 9 if you do) you could have Whirlwind Attack (Desert Wind Dodge, Combat Expertise, Mobility, Spring Attack) quite quickly - however, it will not work with Strikes, just like most other special abilities.
Then again, you need a full round to recharge Strikes, so you might limit their usage anyway.

Either way, if you need time to think, just go with Improved Initiative for now and swap it out later on.


Important Edit:
Adaptive Style might actually be interpreted as recharging all your strikes with a single full action, instead of just one.
Norade might want to rule otherwise on that, but it seems pretty clear (your maneuvers are recharged when you change their selection).

[Serafina]

Ghetto-Edit:
Here are some picks from WotC Q&A to support that interpretation:

Q3: The Swordsage seems to have an unusually long default recovery rate for regaining maneuvers in battle (a single maneuver as a Full-round action). Compared to the other classes, this seems positively glacial in pace. The Warblade can regain *all* of his maneuvers as a *swift action* and still make an attack the same round! I was curious whether this was indeed correct, and if so the thought behind it. The Adaptive style feat would seem to be an absolute must for the class.

A: It is indeed correct! Grab that feat!

From here, you have to click down the line of spoiler tags.

Q The Adaptive Style feat in Tome of Battle allows you to change your readied maneuvers as a full round action rather than spending five minutes to do so. Does this...

A) Allow a martial adept to regain and change all of their maneuvers with a single full round action

or

B) Allow them to change the maneuver that is readied in their unexpended "slots".

A Adaptive Style will actually let you perform option A) from your list. So as a full round action, you can choose a new set of readied maneuvers, and in doing so, reset all of your maneuvers. I hope that clears things up. Have fun and good gaming![/SBLOCK]Adaptive Style [feat] - multiclass adept maneuver Recovery

Q With the Adaptive Style feat, will it refresh all the maneuvers of a multiclassed martial adept (Swordsage/Warblade for example), or just one class's maneuvers?

A Yes, it refreshes all the maneuvers of all your classes

So it's pretty clear that Adaptive Stlye is a MUST-HAVE for you.

[Solauren]

Serafina:
I appreciate (and am going to use) the work you did for me. Real time saver.

We should trade Character creation notes one day (grin). You should see some of the character's I've built..
(i.e Gelsalt rules, purchase Skills + Feats with XP)

[Dark Hellion]

If you don't mind not being as swordsage-y there is an awesome rogue-type build you can do that ends up as a pretty nasty skill monkey/fighter/SAer/generic asskicker.

It goes Feat rogue 1/ Sneak Attack Thug Fighter 3/Swashbuckler 3/Feat rogue X/Other(s) X.

You get full sneak attack progression, better BAB progression, excellent dip possibilities and an assload of feats. You also get a dodge bonus, +init, +int to damage, a lot of skill points and better than average HP to boot. One of you random dips can be swordsage to get a few maneuvers and swordsageyness and you could also dip Cloistered Cleric and take Knowledge Devotion, Travel Devotion and time domain for +to hit/damage, swift action movement and free improved initiative, as well as adding cleric spells to your wand selection and getting orisons and a few first levels.

And while optimized it is a uniform flavor build. You are just some dude who is good at skillful fighting and sneaking around and ganking things. Plus it is mechanically simple. You just tumble and stab-stab-stab and then tumble away.

[Solauren]

And, should be done.
Could probably stand a proof-read.
Been a while since I made a level 1 human. Been a while since I made a level 1 anything actually....



Let's see how Swordsage 'plays out'. I've never run one as a player before in a not Gelsalt game, so I'm curious how to how it goes.

[Norade]

Okay, been a bit busy the past few days and I just got my PS3 back so I've been playing NHL10 again for the past few hours which also hasn't helped any, however it's time to lay some plot down.

---

Griffonclaw is a well supported fort on the edge of Valenar. It's population is somewhere between fifteen hundred and eighteen hundred but a good count is impossible to get because of the nomadic nature of the elves. This fort as well as the five others like it were built to defend the boarder along the Talentia Plains.

Being on the far side of the desert and away from most easy to travel roads the economy of the town is below average. Even with a quick tongue and a pocket full of gold you're unlikely to be able to find armor or equipment more valuable than splint or banded mail. That isn't to say that nothing more valuable exists in the fort, just that it is rarely for sale.

The fort is lead by, Kethatriam, a high ranking war chief, and he is regarded rather highly. However the most respected person in the fort town is an old lore keeper, Naruil, and Kethatriam himself is often known to ask him for advice before making any major decisions. Both are definitely respect full of law and customs and it would be hard to call either of the two good or evil.

Other notables about the fort are Verwyn the bard, an expert show woman who's skill with a lute is said to be able to calm the most enraged of hearts. Sikash a known rogue often appears in the city and is known for his many daring escapes from the law and his catlike grace. The last person truly worthy of being noted is Silsha the well digger a man known for finding water anywhere with his skill at divination.

Beyond that it is known that the full time soldiers and the civilian militia are well equipped with the average soldiers wearing a coat of chain over leather and being equipped with a small sword, a hunting bow, and a large metal shield. The conscripts have tough brigandine armor (studded leather) and can be found fighting with long pikes and slings. There is a small but elite cavalry force that have magebred steads and who can afford head to two plate armor as well as their choice of weapons which are likely to bear the mark of a high quality smith.

Adventure races are held one year out of every four. They are run in part because the Valenar revere long fallen heroes of Xen'drik and even a team that merely survives such a race earns respect and honor in the eyes of his or her peers. The other part is that it allows the king to recruit his champions from the bets of those who raced. On the other side, many outsiders run the race for the fame and fortune that a win would bring, as even a team coming in last will return with artifacts from the lost continent. This years grand prize is the deed to a thousand acre patch of fertile land as well as a sizable sum of gold.

[Hawkwings]

Alright, let's work on party backgrounds. I think it's far more interesting if we have at least SOME relations with each other prior to the start of the adventure. The whole "Oh hi, nice to meet you" thing isn't really fun.

My character is an outdoorsy kind of person (duh) and works (worked?) as a mapmaker. She's signed up for this contest for the promise of riches of course, plus perhaps even more riches and rewards for bringing back maps of this "recently discovered land" that I gather Xen'drik to be. So perhaps she has joined her particular group because a previous employer has informed her that some of his people are taking this trip as well? Anyone want to step into that role?

[Kheitain]

After the end of the Last War, the self proclaimed deity of war, currently going by the name Dol Dorn was put into indentured servitude in Karrnath. Slavery was not very befitting of a war deity, so he left. On his way out he stole his "owner's" camel, no real reason why aside from the fact that he had become fond of the beast while working in the blacksmiths shop.

Trecking across the Talenta Plains he found that the war was still being waged along the Valenar/Talenta border. He fought in a few small skirmishes for either side before heading south to find supplies for repairs. He picked up the necessary tools in Griffonclaw and heard about this Adventure Race in the bazaar. On a whim he decided to sign up, after all he had heard tales of ancient warforged in Xen'Drik, and that would only lend even more proof that the warforged are infact divine vessels.


There's a quick reason for me to be on the list, I could well have been a bodyguard or similar to a mutual employer recently.

[Serafina]

Well, my character is already on her way to explore Khorvaire and is interested in exploring Valenar (due to the elves there). This expedition looks like a good way to get across the desert, tough she only perceives it as a temporary opportunity for now.

That's pretty much it, just a random pick up - for now, of course.

[Dark Hellion]

As a dragon, my motivation is mysterious (gold) and of such arcane importance (more gold) that the fragile minds of your lesser species would not even grasp the most simple (even more gold) and basic (shitloads of gold) of reasons. Don't worry about it too much though, as lesser creatures I cannot expect you to comprehend but will give cryptic hints for a low price of 50 gp a word.