Savage Tide : Out Of Character

[Mardoc]

It probably got lost in the shuffle, but I believe I mentioned at some point I had taken the two key archery feats (Point Blank Shot and Rapid Shot) so I can fill that role as well, since I don't think we have any other archers. I have some sources of bonus damage (desperately needed for archers) not too far down the line that apply to melee and ranged, so I should be able to remain competent at both.

Ah, right. I'd been assuming that 'Blade' meant melee, but there's no particular reason for that. You'll probably be a good archer long past when Bacchus and I have abandoned it for spellcasting, since you can work your spells through it. And have better BAB.

but it still got a fair few things that the Druid haven't, so as long as you stay on 'your side of the fence' or make out an argeement where each other go, a Druid shouldn't be a reason not to go Conjuration

Honestly I'm not territorial when it comes to making the enemies dead. If we end up with both wolves and Celestial Dogs helping Mattimeo get his flanking, so be it.

Just, if you are making a coinflip between Summon Monster and something else, probably better to go for the something else.

Mardoc - Armor type is 'Light' Not Leather, your animal companion needs to be clarified by the sheet (is it a wolf, an eagle or what?)

I think I got those fixed.

Made a second sheet for Fluffybuns. Pretty much just transcribed the monster manual, but it'll be easier to keep track of him this way, especially when he starts getting bonuses from me levelling up.

http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.ph...tid=755740

@Sian: if you could make one of the early pages in this thread into links to useful things, that would be great. Like our character sheets and any maps you give us, pictures, etc.

[Sian]

Actually THH ... reading Duskblade closly ...

Arcane Channeling (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, you can use a standard action to cast any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your weapon with a melee attack. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. If the melee attack is successful, the attack deals damage normally; then the effect of the spell is resolved.

Empasis mine

unless of cause you spotted a combo in the spell list i haven't

[Bacchus]

Sian,

I took 28 points, then applied the Halfling racial boni to the abilities.

If swapping out Familiar for Jaunt and Scribe Scroll for ImprovInitiative is fine, I will take Cloudy Conjuring as my standard level 1 feat.

Re: split with Druid -- with no Evoke, I might take Orbs/Acid Arrow for damage dealing and Shadow Evoke later, I probably won't take monster summons at lower levels, as these would just double up with druid summons at this point. Mage Armor, of course, and Glitterdust. Do Druids get Grease?

Off to update the sheet with details.

[TheHumanHydra]

@Sian: Oh no, I know that. What I meant was the Knowledge Devotion feat and Abjurant Champion (prestige class) arcane boost ability I'm planning to pick up (with permission, of course) apply to melee and ranged combat, affording my character the archery damage boosts that are so hard to find, so I can be a competent archer as well as more traditional melee spell channeller. Thanks as always for double-checking, though.

On the topic of picking up things we don't have well-covered, I noticed I could make Diplomacy one of my Academy Graduate skills (always in-class) and put four ranks into it. I thought this made sense since as an academy graduate, and the way my backstory is taking shape, I'm probably going to be from a (minor) aristocratic house, so Diplomacy would be a reasonably natural fit.

[Lewwyn]

Sian,

I took 28 points, then applied the Halfling racial boni to the abilities.

Halfling boni is +2 dex, -2 Str. Via the invisible castle stat buy you are at 30 points. If you drop Wis to 12 you will have 28.

[Lewwyn]

I'm doing some work first, but I'll hopefully write up my background description later today.

[TheHumanHydra]

Okay, my sheet should be done now save the appearance details at the top. The Academy Graduate skills (Diplomacy and two Knowledges [for later]) are under "Additional Information" at the bottom. I RP-handicapped myself a bit by buying courtier's clothes (in addition to the free cheaper outfit you get automatically); I figured this would be pretty necessary for a convincing aristocrat. I also bought the most expensive item for a particular function I could find, sunrods instead of torches and silk rope over hemp, 'cause I figured that's what someone with disposable income would do. All this meant I had to buy cut-rate weapons and armour, though - longsword when I could use a greatsword. Weight limits actually forced me to ditch some stuff, notably the studs on my leather armour! All this is details, though.

I do want to note something/ask a question about spell selection, though - I ended up picking colour spray and magic weapon as my 1st-level spells. Colour spray was largely for flavour - the backstory I have in mind for my character really pointed to Lydia as her deity (incidentally, this in turn strongly pointed to her being a woman, hence that choice), and Lydia's holy symbol curiously enough is a "spray of colours from an open hand"; I thought that was kinda neat. I just wanted to point this out because Bacchus, I see you have picked colour spray as well; there's nothing wrong with that, since it's a strong spell I'm sure we'll both use, and I have no desire to monopolize it; I just wanted to make you aware of that minor redundancy in case it influences your choices at all. It by no means has to though.

The question is about my other spell choice, magic missile, and this just because Bacchus again mentioned above "the duskblade can do the debuffing" - should I take ray of enfeeblement instead? 'Cause I have no debuffing now otherwise. I like ray of enfeeblement; it's strong and I have the Dex to make it hit; I just thought we might need magic weapon in case we run across anything with DR/magic. What do you guys think? I can take the other at 2nd level in any case.

Anyway, enough about mechanics. What I've got in mind for backstory is that my character, Aliandra (I think that sounds sophisticated but still human), is a low-level aristocrat of House Meravanchi - so related to Zebula Meravanchi who's briefly detailed in the campaign guide, "a minor noble whose family's interests run to the decadent and extreme ends of entertainment." (I'm not sure in what way related yet because I don't know anything more about Zebula or his family - Sian, if this is an acceptable tie, you'll have to fill me in a bit.) Sounds like the good life, right? But Ali finds it stifling, since lazing around, gorging oneself on imports while watching poor theatre, gratuitous bloodsport, and the undulations of exotic dancers does precious little for the mind, or the soul. For this reason she insisted on attending a finishing school with a reputation for serious academic rigour, not just a place for noble youths to idle their days away in frivolity. But the knowledge she found there did not satisfy her - it impelled her to delve deeper, to the infinite complexity of the arcane, and, paradoxically, drew her gaze up from her books to the horizons beyond her city's gates. Wanderlust took her; she took up the practice of the sword and bow in preparation for the journey beyond she longed to make. This, for once, her family approved; they thought she was too serious, that if she continued in her course she would never be any fun at all - but swordplay she could pass off as merely another way to get the blood flowing, and that they understood. Still, the frowning glances behind her back, the "humphs" in the halls of Meravanchi Manor whenever a spell was heard to go off, these persisted. It was unseemly for a woman to stride about in pants, not a dress, to sweat in the practice halls, to show some intelligence in the pursuit of her studies, magical and mundane. Aliandra found solace in the teachings of Lydia, goddess of music, knowledge, and light, whose shrine was kitty-corner to the family estate. Lydia taught that learning was the key to self-enhancement, that true art was a treasured way to impart knowledge and meaning, and that all, man and woman, had equal right to these and to rise above a stifling or oppressive environment. Aliandra prayed to the goddess for an escape from the ennui of her family's excess, but, the priestess of Lydia said, this was a choice for her to make, to make her own freedom and set herself on the path to betterment, a meaningful life. So on this day Aliandra left the temple, strode out of the district to that of the Merchants, sold her jewels and her dresses, and bought herself the coat of stiff leather, the supple bow, and the gleaming blade she would need as an Adventurer.

(Huh, slipped into prose; backstory's half-written now anyway.)

Tl;dr: sheet's finished, spell question, proposed backstory and relation. Thanks to anyone who read.

Fresh link to the sheet: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.ph...tid=754226

[Sian]

If swapping out Familiar for Jaunt and Scribe Scroll for ImprovInitiative is fine, I will take Cloudy Conjuring as my standard level 1 feat.

hmm ... the Combat Wizard Variant might be what you're looking for, but you'd have to know that it replaces all the wizard bonus feats with fighter bonus feats, so take from that what you will ... if you can't accept that, then i'd have to say no.

Re: split with Druid -- with no Evoke, I might take Orbs/Acid Arrow for damage dealing and Shadow Evoke later, I probably won't take monster summons at lower levels, as these would just double up with druid summons at this point. Mage Armor, of course, and Glitterdust. Do Druids get Grease?

Grease is (by core) Sorc/Wiz + Bard only so ...

@Sian: Oh no, I know that. What I meant was the Knowledge Devotion feat and Abjurant Champion (prestige class) arcane boost ability I'm planning to pick up (with permission, of course) apply to melee and ranged combat, affording my character the archery damage boosts that are so hard to find, so I can be a competent archer as well as more traditional melee spell channeller. Thanks as always for double-checking, though.

If you feel you can make it work, knock yourself out

PMing a bit about your background

[Bacchus]

My debuffing comment was more regarding the future development, as I had to choose which school to give up and Necro has all the good debuffs, starting with yeah, the Ray of Enfeeblement. I don't mind the redundancy on colour spray, as you say, it's an absolute stonker. Moreover, we can have a nice little RP interaction, where perhaps Moshka learned the spell out of the books/texts stolen from the Meravanchi household. Not that they would be aware of the fact.

I should run through my spell choice too: I stayed away from damage, as we have the frontline guys to deal it, albeit I considered taking the fire orb for utility — always useful to be able to lob some fire around. Wall of Smoke (which is also a Druid spell) will be our fog/concealment tool, Mage Armor needs no introduction, Silent Image is probably the spell most open to creative use at level 1, and I like creative uses, Charm for general interaction purposes, but here it would be nice to have DM guidance. How do people look upon casting in social situations in Sasserine?

[Sian]

depends on what it is that's cast ... but offensive magic ((ability) damage dealing) has a blanket 'no-go' ... rest is a sliding scale depending on situation, from just as bad (other hostile stuff and inconveniencing battlefield control) over questionable stuff (Charm Person or similar is certainly in the gray box) to the more tame entertainment, such as certain uses of Silent Image, to generally acceptable (if eyebrow rising) buffing