>>179531 → >My concern was that liberties were being taken - not specifically by players, but by game designers who don't know the irl mechanics of what theyre designing Who really cares though? It's fantasy. AC is an abstraction. HP is an abstraction. Just use what's fun and serves your goals. >>179535 → >Rosey's player has reason to feel put on, and Im a big reason behind it, but not cuz I wanna piss in their cereal. I have to say, it really did piss me off Maybe I'm not one to object because you've been playing for longer than me, but I was doing fine until last week. I had anticipated meeting up with the rest of the party for more than a year, but this has really sucked the enjoyment out of it for me. Idk how to put it into words; maybe I'm just breaking under the weight of my irl struggles, but this has to stop. Let's agree to stop the toxicity. >Meta/maxxfagging is fucking tedious. And no, new players should never have to. First of all "try this useful piece of armor from this book" is not tedious. If it were tedious, that would be Tenebrous's problem, not yours. Tenebrous expressed an issue with armor class, so I helped him. Second of all, "metafagging" is part of the game. It is part of the appeal of the game, and this particular edition of the game. I can avoid throwing math in your face, it ooc junk is your problem though. I can see how it would be annoying to have math break the immersion of roleplay, but I think I should be able to talk to other characters. >>179536 → >He doesn't have a lot of levels in monk so the effects of wearing it aren't severe, but are there any workarounds to wear armor as a monk while retaining all abilities? Yes, although resource cost is a question. How much do you really care about armor class? There are a lot of alternatives to armor too. Only low level characters care about AC anyway. Notice how the cost for +1 armor is less than that for a +1 weapon? It's because this system values defense less than it does offense: You avoid more damage by attacking. Whenever I buy armor enhancements, I go for the special abilities, not AC bonuses. >Maybe we could just rename those armor pieces to fit the setting? It doesn't really matter what you call them. They amount to "bracers" and "chestplate". >I think the whole concern around Posey arises from the fact that none of us, probably including the GM, took notes on her character sheet so we have no idea just what she's capable of. My character sheet has been public for a long time. https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets//?id=2789871 >makes it look like powergaming It really depends what you mean by "power gaming", but I never once denied power gaming. Power fantasy is part of the appeal of d&d. >>179538 → There are several ways for Monks to wear armor. https://dnd.arkalseif.info/classes/argent-fist/index.html Argent fist is the first one to come to mind, because I've played it. There are other options, but I don't have them off of the top of my head because they're suboptimal, and Armor Class is a tertiary priority for most characters (Tank Fallacy). Also worth noting that the Monk has many ACFs, which means most of its armor-restricted features can be traded away for something else. You can trade flurry for Rage or Decisive Strike, neither of which need be unarmored. You can trade evasion for Feign Death, Spell Reflection or Invisible Fist, none of which need be unarmored. This is recommended for Multiclass Monks. Flurry Of Misses is a meme anyway. https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/classes/baseCore/monk.html#decisive-strike Monk has a lot of features (most of which meh), which meant it had a lot of features to trade away for ACFs written in various books and magazine issues. Hunter Monk should be considered, for Multiclass Rangers. By combining Hunter Monk with Ascetic Stalker, you can increase your favored enemy progression faster than normal. >>179569 → >Lamilar is grossly underrepresented No it isn't. It's been in the game since 3.0 A&E. https://www.realmshelps.net/stores/armor/Lamellar This was the armor I gave to my Agire statblock, because I wanted a more eastern theme. Among medium armors, it's one of the better ones. Tied with breastplate, and cheaper too. Too bad it can't be dragoncraft. There's no shortage of avant garde armors in 3.5e. Some of them are good, most of them are meh.
>>179658 >Who really cares though? It's fantasy. AC is an abstraction. HP is an abstraction. This is true, but please understand that everyone needs to be on the same page with the numbers. We are not. That can be a problem.
>Only low level characters care about AC anyway. Why?
>I never once denied power gaming. Power fantasy is part of the appeal of d&d. Please understand that when one enemy encounters two characters, one who is very powerful and wants to be brought near death, and another who is only medium or low powered and does not want to lose their character, there can be an issue in game balancing. This is not a non-existent issue.
Also, for the love of God, please stop trying to show up every other player on how much more powerful your character is than theirs in out of character comments or minor PvP. It pisses me off to no end and makes it extremely difficult to take your statements about taking elements from various books being benign at face value
>>179658 >who cares, it's fantasy Yes, but. Brie's backstory is more or less structured to be among the the top 3 sneaky ninjas in the world. Now, there are mechanical constraints to that manifestation, mostly supplied by GM. When building him thence, I went with what made sense to the *already established mindset/build*. This includes a homebrew feat that allowed me to do something I could have done with another build but which didnt fit the backstory/character. Tl;dr, I could have 2 extra feats if I wanted to go with an optimal build. Everything my character does that is "cool" comes at specific and deliberate expense. Without having looked at this specific cbaracter, I admit to a prejudice to observing your (as a player) propensity to capitalize on racial/bonus feats, especially where flaws are offered in exchange. What I'm grtting at is that while GM has permitted me things that he needn't have, it is after I have detailed in thorough why it should be this way, how the rule designers were ignorant/nescient of these aspects, etc. and why he would be advised to tell me no. Other than such negotiations, I have only told him what I have chosen, and how those choices affect previous ones.
Idk if that helped. But anyway, I had this badass criminal bg and idfk what happened to my character sheet, did I ever have one? I think so, but fuck it, lets roll and a ... 6. .. . .... Fuck it, Ill make it work AND make sense, AND be the badass. Yes, I know, that 6 will hur skills,....
So when that happens and yoh try to suck it up and go with it, having someone else SEEM to be flaunting/gloating can have adverse consequences that I might be more adult about in the future?
>>179663 I apologize for that. It wasn't a threat to kill, but thats just semantics. I acknowledge A. That was a bad response even OOC, B. That what Brie would assume would kill Posey would probably be grossly insufficient, in an Alan vs. Tyrant sorta way, and C. if no "good" responses come to mind, I could have not posted.
>>179738 → What SHOULD have happened, having NOT descended from his 100' low altitude observation and NOT taken ANY further action (other than to declare an OOC intent to secure the rope WHEN GAMEPLAY COULD CONTINUE CUZ PLAYERS ARE PRESENT), saw the pony coming a mile away. I now realize I have to be exhaustive in my descriptions so to avoid unnecessary assumptions about what my character is doing, and only GM can carry the action forward from that point. I would have been fine with Brie going further onto the cliff if it makes the encounter easier/better but thats nowhere near what I had declared as action, nor was there any indocation that he was doing the other thing I had indicated he would. In future I will be entirely unambiguous about what my character is doing as well as being less accommodating to players trying to push things past where we reasonably stopped. Part of the problem is that GM will make sweeping decriptions of things happening - clearly putting time, effort, and care - but will neglect to directly address what I had posted, sometimes several times. I'm left not knowing whether the posts were even seen. This is exascerbated when other players engage in needless cross-posting, ostensibly what the OOC thread is for. The idea that "I was present right until" and "I should have known play was ongoing" is laughable for several reasons. 1. I expressly asked GM directly and the thread in general for advance notice for VERY specific reasons. There was no notice, egro I Assumed* that this was just horseplay and banter. 2. There were 2.5 (including me) players absent. >but you were there Not as a player. I was there, while watching YT, with music and distractions and lots of stuff you DONT do as a player. As a player I would have 1 window open, 2 books, a notepad, and the thread, and no distractions. I assumed* that the assurances I was given were not as flexible as they appear to be.
Lets take stock for a second: Brie - Me Silver - Silver Kira Rosey - Posey Tenebrous - Him Cavaliere - Amber's player Dust - Noodle appreciator
GM - Alot. Like, ALOT alot. How many players constitutes a quorum? 2/3 certainly, and 5/6 is debatable. 6/6 is ideal, but lets not kid ourselves about dnd schedules. To that end, I recommend favoring the newer players before seasoned ones, both in scheduling and in general.
>>179743 What should have happened part 2: The intent was NOT for Brie to have joined the fight; he could be said to be anywhere from 50-100'. What he would have done is signal/call-out something like: "Eyes on contact, 2 o'clock" or whatever specific direction appropriate, left the mass of ponies to ascertain/deal with the contact, while surveiling for any other approaching contacts. Brie isnt trying to be everywhere and do all the things I just want him doing the things I said so that he can at least contribute a situational awareness even if not actively engaging.
>>179742 It's not in the SRD. I told you it's in Arms & Equipment. A&E was printed before the SRD, but unlike the ELH, DD, and XPH, it didn't get the SRD treatment. SRD only includes DMG1, PHB1, MM1, XPH, ELH, and DD.
Anyway, Lamellar is a top tier medium armor. Would recommend it for Warblades, Barbarians, or Fighters with good dex that isn't maxed, if you wanted a more eastern look instead of breastplate. It's statistically identical to breastplate, except it weighs slightly less and costs 50 gp less. Costing only 150 gp also means that lvl 1 followers may be able to afford it alongside a horse and weapons. It is, however, partly composed of leather, which means that it would rot away overtime, making it not idea to place as treasure in the bottom of some ancient tomb, when a breastplate would last forever. There are workarounds to that though ("the leather lasts forever because magic and/or immortal monster skin"). Too bad it can't be Dragoncraft. Hide and Scale Mail are the only two medium armors that could be dragoncraft, which is probably due to their avoidance to referencing non-phb items in subsequent books. Lamellar is something like a cross between hide and scale mail, and were it made dragoncraft it would be a superior armor, being light with considerable AC bonus, and fitting for dragon-honoring oriental characters. Mithril is better than dragoncraft for Dex character, but dragoncraft lamellar would look so cool.
>>179658 >Yes, although resource cost is a question. How much do you really care about armor class? There are a lot of alternatives to armor too. It's not the most important thing, and this character won't wear armor anyway, but I was wondering on a conceptual level since monk is a class that eschews all armor by design. Thank you for sharing! >Only low level characters care about AC anyway. OOC, maybe, but in IC it depends on the character and what hit points are meant to be. If they're abstracted as "luck to not receive a deadly wound" then it's not a problem though it steps on the toes of AC. If they're actual health resilience, as they've been presented in the game so far, then aside from a sadist dread necromancer most characters would indeed prefer AC. It's a roleplay problem. If one's character gets shanked by a hobo, the player is not going to freak out because 1d4 damage is nothing for a level 5 PC. But the character still has to be roleplayed as freaking out because he was just shanked by a hobo, for crying out loud. This creates a dilemma where the optimal play is to just not care about getting hit, but where effective roleplay would have a character prefer not to receive another orifice. DnD 3.5e is highly generous in terms of hit points since party members are regularly fighting mythical creatures (and often dying to them), but in a grounded setting like OE then even level 5 has characters be absurdly tanky. We saw it in Silver's last dream sequence where he was fighting a war. You could design the campaign where there's a level cap (you mentioned 6e and I talked about it on the game thread) but even if you include more feats, you still lose out on powers, multiclassing, prestige classes, etc. I wish there was an easy solution to this but I don't see one. >It doesn't really matter what you call them. They amount to "bracers" and "chestplate". True. I wonder what the horse versions would be? >hunter monk >lose 1st level bonus feat It's tempting, but I like my feats. >>179745 I'm just curious as to how he would have called out the pony from a hundred feet away, without having a radio. Physically, he could do that by yelling loud enough, but that would be heard by everypony else 100' away. >>179746 >Too bad it can't be Dragoncraft. Hide and Scale Mail are the only two medium armors that could be dragoncraft, which is probably due to their avoidance to referencing non-phb items in subsequent books. Lamellar is something like a cross between hide and scale mail, and were it made dragoncraft it would be a superior armor, being light with considerable AC bonus, and fitting for dragon-honoring oriental characters. Mithril is better than dragoncraft for Dex character, but dragoncraft lamellar would look so cool. Officially, you can't, but it would be easy to homebrew it in for a character with a very high armor crafting skill. In OE it would just be awkward to wear in considering dragons have their own country and are capable of co-existing with ponies to some extent.
>>179747 >I'm just curious as to how In the scenario where he is 100' and looking for anything and thereby notices the approaching pony, he will likewise have a range of vision approaching 270' ground level before white-out conditions at the diagonal, including any other potential incoming. Therefore, he would be perfectly fine calling out to the ponies in 100' range, regardless of anyone else in that 100' range heard him, while looking for other inbound, in case of trap/ambush/etc.
>>179747 >Thank you for sharing! Anytime. I could talk about this all day. >IC it depends on the character and what hit points are meant to be Well, we are low level characters, so we care about AC. >If they're abstracted as "luck to not receive a deadly wound" That's how you're supposed to fluff HP. It says so in the DMG. >If one's character gets shanked by a hobo, the player is not going to freak out because 1d4 damage is nothing for a level 5 PC. Sounds like a good time to introduce players to Erebus, the god of beggars. Anyways, a lvl 5 hero narratively shouldn't lose to a lvl 1 commoner hobo with a shank: they should be good enough at fighting to avoid the attack or only be grazed by it, but also narratively their story wouldn't end like that. HP is as much of plot armor as it is physicality or skill at fighting, because players are supposed to win and Frontline fighters are supposed to tank deadly attacks. That's why HP exists. >This creates a dilemma where the optimal play is to just not care about getting hit, but where effective roleplay would have a character prefer not to receive another orifice. Optimal play is to kill your enemies before they kill you. This does remind me of an expert from the Rules Compendium though (pic related). >DnD 3.5e is highly generous in terms of hit points I actually disagree with this, especially when compared to other systems, but that's just me. >In OE it would just be awkward to wear in considering dragons have their own country and are capable of co-existing with ponies to some extent. Same thing is true in Forgotten Realms and Eberron, but that doesn't stop them.
>My character Amber is on the complete opposite end. I saw the world the DM came up with and wanted to create a character that typified an everymare, even one with many disadvantages. >My philosophy when playing Amber is to "go with the flow" and have her react realistically toward changing surroundings rather than trying to change the surroundings herself. Considering that Amber is a Bard, she should have all of the heroic potential as Pinkie Pie. Bards have the power to change the world with their words and songs, and their mere presence can turn the tides of battle. Even Pinkie Pie in S1E2, who could have been considered a lvl 1 Bard at the time, was able to guide her friends through the Eldritch horrors of Everfree. Bards aren't just warriors (although they certainly are), they're sages, scholars, and most importantly leaders, not grounded in any one place and spreading their inspiration wherever they go. Bards not only communicate with spirits, but with the emotions of others, and guide the struggling through turmoils both supernatural and mundane. In times of war, a Bard is what everyone needs. Perhaps Amber might not consider herself a warrior, but that doesn't mean she can't be a hero. She might realize that her role may come from supporting and uplifting others, with the power of friendship. >she'll soon be properly ready for real adventure but I am quite happy with her story and I think others are too. Well, if you ever want help with your sheet, I'm always available. Imo, Amber would make for a good Heartfire Fanner, Sublime Chord, or War Chanter. Perhaps she might even go through a sudden Spiritual Awakening, and become a Fire Soul, and inspire all those around her. https://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/firesouled.shtml It's +3 LA, but that doesn't really matter in milestone games, plus we have characters that can fly at-will (minimum +2 LA), so nobody cares. >despite being a generalist at technically level 3. You haven't seen me play Clerics or Sorcerers, either of which would have made for a more powerful version of Posey. I picked Dread Necromancer because it's a tier 3 class that's good at exactly one thing and one thing only (at lvl 8...), also because she's from the Dread League and therefore must select every character option that has the word "Dread" in it. Posey has high HP and enhancement bonuses to Str and Dex, but she's also maxed in those regards: she can't improve those with items. I spent two character levels and almost all of my starting gold gaining those traits, because they had to be applied in character creation.
>>179753 Amber is more dialogue and social to resolution of circumstances and concerns. Though, for a moment I did get Kira and Amber mixed up in my head
>>179746 Lamellar armor is pretty cool, you basically take a whole bunch of rectangular metal scale and tie them all together into large sheets. Unlike normal scale armor it only has a metal component to it, and requires no backing material like cloth. Kira's lamellar scales are made out of leather rather than metal to preserve lightness, but you can actually make it out of other non-metal materials including bone.
>>179746 >its in this book So not SRD, got it. I'm not the idiot for not knowing which of the half dozen non-srd lamellar's you may have been referencing.
>>179751 >Perhaps Amber might not consider herself a warrior, but that doesn't mean she can't be a hero. She might realize that her role may come from supporting and uplifting others, with the power of friendship. That's what I'm going with. She's starting with her coltfriend and he's uh, a work in progress. >https://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/firesouled.shtml I'll check these options out. Fire souled seems perfect for a Kirin character since kirins are already attuned with fire. One could bring up other inspiration from the show of actual ponies possessing this, like Twilight burning up in rage or a devout Harmonist becoming radical to the point of welcoming Daybreaker. Food for thought. >>179757 People also sleep on brigandine as an armor option.
>>179767 >Fire souled seems perfect for a Kirin character since kirins are already attuned with fire. One could bring up other inspiration from the show of actual ponies possessing this Becoming Firesouled requires initiation by one who has the template. A Kirin Bard (Autumn Blaze?) would be an ideal mentor for the bonfire ritual. Also, she's named Amber Sunset. You can't have that kind of name without doing something with fire/light. >>179771 Middle Age. Got it.
>>179771 That's younger than I assumed. I don't know why he was so obsessed with youth, but I'm not even close to that age myself. >>179773 I was going for a grain theme (because she is from a farming background) but maybe. >>179774 It's medium armor but also really cool.
>>179780 → Posey is a character who, if I am expected to keep Brie in a reasonably/respectable line (including not expecting other players/characters to care/accommodate) then it stands to reason,....
>I'm pent up from not killing Fuck off to ooc with it then
>>179790 >Posey is Super. That means fuckall to all not-posey. >is attacking an whatever NPC So you're gonna cool it when Brie threatens ponies? Carry on, if it means not getting second guessed and ankle-bitten all the time
>>179790 Nah, it's a fairly reasonable course of action. Personally I wanted to figure out what was going on after not only how weirdly he was acting but also what he is after what I guess was a strength roll with a +4 modifier, but I'm also cool with just straight up murder.
>>179819 → Posey was crucimigrated by her Mentor, who through the apprentice feat is an 8th level Dread Necromancer, therefore applying the Undead Mastery feature to her. I marked it as one of her limited favors from her Mentor.
>>179835 If a Master (8th level) Dread Necromancer creates an undead (in this case, Posey), they increase the undead's HP and also adds an enhancement bonus to Str and Dex. I'll do the same to you if I get to lvl 8 and I can convince you to die. >>179833 Then why do you care?
>>179839 >Silver's player, could you please post your ability scores? I really want to know. His original scores were: Strength - 16 Dexterity - 17 Constitution - 16 Intelligence - 7 Wisdom - 16 Charisma - 9
Imo, doesn't really reflect how he played, because Silver seemed a lot smarter and more charismatic than that.
>>179848 Intelligence is the only one that actually really got upgraded, and that's because I asked GM pone for it so Silver can actually have some skill points to put into Weaponsmithing and Armorsmithing. Mostly for flavor, but I do have plans for Silver to buy a workshop to turn into a smithy. Not only could it serve as a source of passive income to fund his...expensive newfound hobbies such as NPC collection, but he can use it to make better gear for himself and the various characters. I've already got plans for Silver to make a Titanium Breastplate for himself and a Titanium Chain Shirt for Kira. The rest of them were just some pretty damn good rolls during character creation.
>>179849 When you roll abilities and choose them, age penalties are applied afterwards. In the case of middle-age, which isn't so bad, it just nerfs your physical abilities in favor of your intellectual ones. >>179850 They are good rolls, but personally I think that increased intelligence should have needed a special quest for it (like that Tree of Life thing) or maybe a transfer of three ability points. I won't contest GM Pone's decision.
>>179886 He feels the need to punish you for caring to look at additional books. I dare say this isn't his first time derailing a campaign with his need to enact justice on another player rather than just letting the GM handle how they please. >>179893 I only have a 10 in int, but interdasting. I might just keep that in my back pocket
>>179854 So basically it's the idea of a Unicorn Warrior who is a fighting genius, and has developed a manner of fighting styles through knowledge of warfare, history, and experience. A Warblade that focuses on the Diamond Mind and White Raven Disciplines https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/classes/baseTob/warblade.html Three Fey Bloodline levels, just because a character who has been playing for so long deserves something. Unicorn is fey-adjacent anyway.
https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2957511 It's really unfinished. I originally left the Str at 16 because I wanted to qualify for feats, but then I didn't think of any feats that were really worth taking (Power Attack?)... Might swap if for Con, but he already gets Int to HP ala Faerie Mysteries Initiate. Still, it's bad to dump Con, because Concentration is pivotal for the Diamond Mind discipline. Could also roll it into Wis, although Keen Intellect replaces Wis with Int on both checks. Might swap the Str for the wis, then un-dump the con by applying the Arctic (+0 LA) template, and roll the Cha penalty from Arctic into a Wis penalty ala Magic Blooded (+0 LA). The combo gives some nifty SLAs too (Rat of frost, detect magic, read magic, magic aura), on top of resistance to cold weather.
Silver Tongue is just a fun feat that goes well with a White Raven Commander. Knowledge Devotion is good, and turns ranks in knowledge (local) into Damage vs humanoids. Weapon Focus enables entry into Eternal Blade. Not sure about other feats. Still working on maneuvers.
This build includes two house rules: 1: The ponyfinder Advanced Horn Magic feat is acceptable 2. Unicorn Counts as an Elf/Halfling (for Faerie Mysteries Initiate; Eternal Blade if lvl 11 ever comes). 3.5e Elves get all of the unicorn stuff anyway.
>>180004 → >axe to grind Nigger, it is (You) who has been shitting up the thread with your ooc spamposts, despite there being an entire thread for that.
I have not done anything remotely antagonistic to you today, but you have been nothing but hostile. What is your problem? Why do you have to be so toxic? You're sucking all the energy out of the thread. It's fucking gay. Notice how nobody else has an issue with me right now? The problem is (You).
And consolidate your posts, for the love of God. You don't need to make 50+ posts with half a sentence each.
>>179909 I forgot to reply to this earlier, but I think this sounds like a pretty neat idea! Bonus points if you manage to flavor the character like a Water Dancer.
>>180026 Oh, you mean for Silver? I'm not sure how much it makes sense for Silver, but I was imagining it for a different character using a rapier or other similar weapon.
>>180099 Maybe, but unlike d20 modern classes, we don't have a lot of skill points. Survival (tracking), Search (noticing stuff), Heal (how a creature died), and Gather Information (urban tracking) are the forensic skills in d&d.
>>180399 Post-racial stats Str 10 Dex 14 Con 10 Wis 12 Int 16 Cha 16
To whatever degree they may be so inclined, Ponies in and around Baltimare may be aware of a Bar, Grill, and Strip club that also offers prostitution and gambling called the Latex Saddle, owned and operated by one Lucky Roll and her cadre/stable of mares.
>>180402 I will assemble a selection of lewd ponies for atmosphere. For those with criminal sensibilities, her real source of wealth/power/income comes from.her network of spies and informants, and the high price of that information, as well as unserialized weapon trade (small arms)
I should probably get to work on my nightstalker... I was going to wait for Leadership, but it seems as though we can play multiples without it, so I'll get to work. I decided that my other two characters will be mares as well. Gloomy will be the only male among the four horsemen. >>180398 → >Just remembered that "Average Array" exists What kind of sadistic DM would have their players use stats where the highest one is 13? I always use high stats in my games: it makes things more fair to the MAD classes. My last one used 54 point buy.
When I came into the game, I intended to eventually run four characters through leadership variants: based on the four horsemen of the apocalypse. I intended to have a Nightstalker to represent Hunger and a Martial character to represent War. Originally they were to be pegasus and earth pony respectively, but I think I'll do Bat (ghoul) and Pegasus (semi-wight imitation) instead. Posey represents Conquest. She's a fearmonger charisma build with vampiric lineage. You all know Posey by now. My Black Horse is a ghoul arms dealer, smuggler and merchant: a horribly greedy and depraved creature who was executed for stealing the souls of the unborn in a maternity ward. Like Posey, she's a slave to the Masters of Magehold, and is being sent to the equestrian. Unlike Posey, who is supernaturally beautiful even in death, my ghoul would have a humanoid skin graft that lets her pass as a living thing, maintained by cure spells. Ghouls are associated with hunger and greed, so it makes sense to have a ghoul represent famine. Feats would be utility oriented, using Mercantile Background and Wanderers Diplomacy to procure hard to get items. Nightstalker is a somewhat inferior class, and I would probably be better off with a Multiclass Cleric/Rogue with Sacred Outlaw, but all Posey must remain superior. My Red Horse is a Pegasus, I was interested in a Shadowbane Inquisitor Blackguard build, with intent to eventually become a Death Knight. The build doesn't really work before ECL 8 though, as it requires fallen paladin mechanics. Could make it advance in Shadowbane Inquisitor ala Heretic Of The Faith though. I also considered Barbarian, Crusader, or Warblade, but IDK. In any case, I want it to be an energy-drain build. Gloomy is the pale horse. He represents Death. I had intended to magically age him and make him my cohort when Posey became a master at lvl 8, but idk if that will ever happen. >>180421 Even the DMG says to give any creature with PC classes the elite array. Average array is for lvl 1 non-elite, NPC-class canon fodder enemies.
>>180423 When I came into the game, I had wanted to run an anti-hero criminal inspired by Jarlaxle from Forgotton Realms, Raymond Reddington from the Blacklist, a dose of Guy Richie noir comedy, and a cup of batman. Creating Lucky is a sudden inspiration/determination in that it allows me as a player to have all sorts of reasons to participate in the social aspects of the game, through both her and Brie (I rly hope Vul doesnt object to my appropriation of her likeness, especially in a criminal context); the former because she's a proprietor and an excuse for more Addy cameos xp, and the latter for both business and pleasure :3 Her personality is structured after Jemnifer Garner in the Sherlock Holmes movies, with elements of Faye (Cowboy Benop), titties (Lupin III) and so on.
>>180428 >(I rly hope Vul doesnt object to my appropriation of her likeness, especially in a criminal context) Did you consider just making your own Bat OC? There's no shame in taking inspiration from pre-existing characters. My Nightstalker is a seductive Diplomancer build. A "civilized" , smooth-talking ghoul (like Cooper Howard) with even smoother stolen skin. Her mane style would probably like Aura (Frieren). I based Posey's appearance in part on Makima (Chainsawman). >>180427 I'm not bitching at you at all. I was just talking about how silly it is that the game lists making players use the Average Array as an option. Idk what kind of hypothetical GM would do that.
>>180436 → >So instead is the a class that transitions into another or have different modes and are there any that's specifically about changing their martial art style? Swordsage, particularly with Stance changes: https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/classes/baseTob/swordsage.html Swordsage know a wide array of maneuvers and fighting styles. It's also often referred to as a better version of Monk and Ninja (and most martial claases). It's why I recommend Shadow Sun Ninja.
>>180443 Yeah, that does seem more in line with what I was thinking of.
Though, I think, while I wouldn't refer to myself as new, I don't have enough, in game, experience with dnd mechanics as is so I think a normal monk might be just the right fit for me at the moment.
I think I just want to keep it mechanically simple and then add description to spice it up. To someone like me that's still kinda new and exciting.
Thank you again btw. I do really appreciate your help and enthusiasm. Feel free to give further suggestions, I do listen even if it might not seems so since I just shifted back to favor the monk class for my oc.
>>180443 But I can give you some description of the character I have in mind so far and, you can say what you think would be cool for the character if you like. Also, spoilers:
So Virgin Flame suffers immensely from regrets and numbs herself with alcohol. If she doesn't get alcohol, her self-hatred escalates and she goes a bit berserk. With alcohol, she's temporary at peace with the past. She's kind and confident. She whistles a melancholic psalm from her church in Equestria. If she's still in bad mood, she's more likely to cry rather than be violent while drunk than sober, were she's more like to hurt, herself.
>>180442 In the interest of NOT blatantly plagiarizing another's OC, I am amending the character from Lucky Roll to Lacy Row (as in, to fight). Further modifications/establishments to follow (Born into the Row crime family,....)
Those familiar with the Netflix animae series Kengan Asura will have insight into where I'm going with the "Row" family, with the comparative Kure clan
>>180423 I appreciate the enthusiasm for new characters, but let's take a moment to consider how any new characters fit within the wider context of the game. I mean this in how they would play out within party dynamics, how they fit with the goals of others, and how their power level fits with their roles as presumably lower level than the PC characters.
First off, Posey and her like are established as coming from the Griffonian Northeast. Arcturian Order, snowponies, and hill ponies. Bat ponies in EAW are indigenous to the Equestrian Southeast. They have since migrated en masse all throughout the Equestrian East, to a portion of the Zebrican north coast, and New Mareland, and can be periodically found throughout Equestria and Nova Griffonia. They are not found in the backwater parts of the Griffonian Far North.
But a bit more than that, I'm skeptical of evil characters more generally. When the game first started I was very welcoming of evil allignment, because to me, I thought that that playing "evil" meant a character that was maybe just a little bitchy, liked or aligned with the Nazi-coded factions, was maybe a bit sexually immoral, and had an idea of justice that placed much more emphasis on retribution than mercy. How very wrong I was...
There have been a couple villains who stood out as evil. One bought 10 year old foals as slaves, kept them in what is a basically a rape dungeon, and then invited friends over to sexually abuse these foals. They did the same with changeling nymphs, electrocuting them to coerce them into transforming into their favored sexual target. Another villain would tell immigrants he would smuggle them in past customs... Then rob them, chain them into a sweatshop and force them to work, have their life force drained from them by a captive changeling so they could extract the condensed love as changeling honey, and then finally have their drained bodies sacrificed to an evil god, remove their fur and try to sell it for value, make leather for books out of the skin, and then feed the bodies to gnoll minions. These villains are not supposed to be the average. They are supposed to stand out as uniquely evil even amongst antagonists within the setting. Fighting them is supposed to be non-controversial. It's supposed to be a goal that can be agreed on by the whole party, as kind of a break from fights and duties that mostly are about ideology or power politics and are not as agreeable. The goal here isn't to have a split-ideological party or campaign where one part is attempting to out flank these rare villains on the evil scale, or to normalize evil and make reveal scenes - like the foals imprisoned in the sex dungeon, or all of the skeletons thrown away in the garbage chute - less impactful.
You have the night stalker as "arms dealer, smuggler and merchant: a horribly greedy and depraved creature who was executed for stealing the souls of the unborn in a maternity ward." This is not the first time you've mentioned a night stalker character. When you mentioned it before, the night stalker was "a lawyer or barrister" named caligo, with that profession being kind of an explanation for, or tied to, a diplomacer style. I fell like this is a hell of change to go from "lawyer" to "Arms dealer but also merchant and smuggler and she steals the souls of babies from the maternity ward."
First off, is stealing the souls of babies just something level 3 or so characters can just casually do? Like stealing the catalytic converters off of cars, or shoplifting at Walmart? Do people need to guard their souls like they need to guard their pockets or purses so they don't get stolen. In the show, in the season 5 intro, there is a big reveal that Starlight Glimmer isn't using a magical artifact to remove pony's cutie marks - it's her own cutie mark magic. That power is unique and almost aberrant. No one else has that power in the whole series. But stealing babies souls is comparatively common?
I get that the character is likely intended to kind of be like Salem from the Sabrina the Teenaged Witch Series, forcibly depowered and eviler than the rest as a kind of deliberate contrast. But what is your intention with the character?
>>180473 >I dont watch anime at all Fair, Ill comprise an acceptably comparative parallel. For simplicity's sake, Im vying for Lacy to be a Neighponese mafia Boss' daughter.
>>180476 If I was GM and having to pull backstory out my ass, I'd say she and Brie FIRST met years ago in Neighpone, when Brie took on several of Lacy's older brothers single handedly,...
I just want to say that this character is unfinished and I haven't even decided on a name, so it's open to change. >>180473 >You have the night stalker as "arms dealer, smuggler and merchant: a horribly greedy and depraved creature who was executed for stealing the souls of the unborn in a maternity ward." This is not the first time you've mentioned a night stalker character. When you mentioned it before, the night stalker was "a lawyer or barrister" named caligo, with that profession being kind of an explanation for, or tied to, a diplomacer style. I fell like this is a hell of change to go from "lawyer" to "Arms dealer but also merchant and smuggler and she steals the souls of babies from the maternity ward." I believe I did mention the souls thing in the first draft of this character. It's admittedly a feat that can only be achieved with elaborate items and the assistance of casters. It's not really relevant to the character though, so I could strike that. >I'm skeptical of evil characters more generally. When the game first started I was very welcoming of evil allignment, because to me, I thought that that playing "evil" meant a character that was maybe just a little bitchy, liked or aligned with the Nazi-coded factions, was maybe a bit sexually immoral, and had an idea of justice that placed much more emphasis on retribution than mercy. How very wrong I was... I see. I thought you were okay with Posey having minions though, and ponies who follow her cause would logically be evil. >First off, Posey and her like are established as coming from the Griffonian Northeast. Arcturian Order, snowponies, and hill ponies. Bat ponies in EAW are indigenous to the Equestrian Southeast. They have since migrated en masse all throughout the Equestrian East, to a portion of the Zebrican north coast, and New Mareland, and can be periodically found throughout Equestria and Nova Griffonia. They are not found in the backwater parts of the Griffonian Far North. I imagined Magehold as a melting pot for necromancers and the living dead, with even it's leader hailing from Equestria. Most undead don't procreate well without the help of magic, so it makes sense that most of the residents of the Dread League were once creatures from living nations. Magehold imports slaves, spell components and talent from all over the world: it makes sense that an Equestrian ghoul would end up there. >When you mentioned it before, the night stalker was "a lawyer or barrister" named caligo, with that profession being kind of an explanation for, or tied to, a diplomacer style. I fell like this is a hell of change to go from "lawyer" to "Arms dealer but also merchant and smuggler Nightstalker is a rogue-like class with skills. Since this game involves interacting with creatures and avoiding exposure, all Dread League characters are basically spies. I thought of making a charisma character with the personality of a sleezy lawyer, like Saul from breaking bad. The symbol of the Black horse of Famine is a set of merchant scales, so that made me think of a lawyer-like character. >But what is your intention with the character? To round out my 4 horsemen gimmick. The third horse horse of the apocalypse is supposed to bring famine and economic devastation, so I thought a thief-like character, particularly a ghoul, would fit the archetype. >There have been a couple villains who stood out as evil. One bought 10 year old foals as slaves, kept them in what is a basically a rape dungeon, and then invited friends over to sexually abuse these foals. Oh look, Posey's childhood. >Another villain would tell immigrants he would smuggle them in past customs... Then rob them, chain them into a sweatshop and force them to work, have their life force drained from them by a captive changeling so they could extract the condensed love as changeling honey, and then finally have their drained bodies sacrificed to an evil god, remove their fur and try to sell it for value, make leather for books out of the skin, and then feed the bodies to gnoll minions. Business as usual in Magehold.
>>180473 >evil characters It is important to distinguish between evil characters, and neutral characters who without conflict do evil things on occasion. Brie is an evil character (who Im hoping to transition to Chaotic Neutral) whereas Lacy is pure CN. >electrocuting them to coerce them into transforming into their favored sexual target I had forgotten that detail. And y'all wondered why Brie fought the party to free the bois. >arms dealer, smuggler and merchant Is that a problem? Appreciating youre addressing another player, but thats most of the collective background of Brie AND Lacy >, is stealing the souls of babies just something level 3 or so characters can just casually do? As a ritual cast? Kinda
>>180486 >inb4 magehold is the origin for the next bbeg and Rosey has to weigh the merits of loyalty versus ambition in combatting an otherwise worldending tyrrany
>>180486 I'm not sure what you're getting at then. Posey's alignment is subject to change, but as she is she is unequivocally evil. I made a character that is uber-evil, but that doesn't mean I don't want to be the hero of this story. Posey is based on the antichrist, and I wanted her to be a false Messiah, liberating Equestria by exterminating the changelings, so it could eventually be hers to rule: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qgoTQOELMig Are you saying that you don't want me to be evil? I intended to still take on a heroic role in spite of being evil.
>>180489 >Are you saying that you don't want me to be evil? I intended to still take on a heroic role in spite of being evil. I want to be more careful with new characters, especially as I do not know the intent.
I'm not RPing serial killing. Posey has not done that, but I really have no idea what to expect
>>180491 The characters I mentioned above were supposed to be Posey's cohorts, and therefore bound to her sense of vanity and the necessity for subterfuge. The Red horse is mostly there to kill things that get in Posey's way. The black horse is mostly built to help Posey secure funds for her army, and roll Diplomacy when charm spells fail. It's Gloomy's job to bring the end of all days. >I'm not RPing serial killing. Posey has not done that, but I really have no idea what to expect No real point in doing that. I want to conquer Equestria and genocide some bugs, not butcher lvl 1 commoners for no reason. Murder hoboing is beneath Posey mostly.
I could make characters that are unrelated to Posey, but that would also be kind of tedious and bloat the story progression.
>>180496 >No real point in doing that Hey now, I wanted Wesley and Kerr to go apeshit on a pedo country club; theres plenty of reasons to RP serial killing, with proper background
>>180496 To be clear, I have zero problems with the way Posey is and has been played since at the least the time the party got together except maybe the vomiting being a bit over the top, which I can't say about everyone.
>>180501 >except maybe the vomiting being a bit over the top Noted. I only did it to be funnyfor the sake of everyone's enjoyment, and to demonstrate that Posey is not invincible but in fact a flawed character with weaknesses and the need to rely on others, but in the future I will tone down the frivolous displays of supernatural gore somewhat. >>180500 → You are not GM. The question was not for you. You have not made an in-character post here all week, so don't tell the rest of us how to RP. I am trying to lay the groundwork so that we'll be able to get to the good stuff once all the players are here. I'm not going to blow anything up until the rest i
>>180503 You are correct. I am not GM. Anything I posit is subject to GM whim, including line-item. This is not.my game: Any agreements and permissions are revokable at will Any characters adjacent (Brie, Lacy. And yes even Addy) are consodered to be of partial - if noy discretionarily in FULL - property and/or objects to be manipulated by 3xpress will of GM, in absence of (Me) >absence of me LOL
>>180506 >last saltycomment I dont have to sneak up on GM with alot of stupid reasons to have gibs. My mains are the Ryu's, who figure it out the super-hard way. My BGs are are more resourced, if limited in an immediate sense
>>180512 → >This player likes to drive action so they can capitalize No, I like to drive action, so the game moves forward, so we can finish quests and actually do things. Also, stop making OOC posts in the RP thread.
>>180517 >luxury of time >implying It takes the same amount of time to post in the ooc thread as it does in the RP thread. Also, Idk what your situation is, but I don't have a "luxury of time" >Ngl, this is gonna be tricky accommodating Tenebrous It's partly for Tenebrous's sake that the ooc thread even exists, so that he doesn't have to sift through off-topic spam to backread what happened in the thread.
>>180518 Compared to other players, by your posting habits, you have a comparable luxury of time versus Tenebrous and Cavaliere. Lets just resolve to not try to push the story forward artificially until they anf GM have posted.
>>180519 The story doesn't move forward unless GM says so, and we've avoided getting into combat. All we've done this week is search empty rooms. >you have a comparable luxury of time I work ten hours a day.
A quorum for combat is four players. Silver and Posey seem (mostly) available. Cavaliere less so, but he does communicate his availability. Dust is even less available, but still communicative. Tenebrous… kind of just falls off the face of the earth at times. I want to help him catch up as much as I can, but there’s only so much you can do when he doesn’t respond to messages. I don’t think we need a quorum to do thinks like search rolls.
And please stop the constant crossfire posting. It’s not pleasant for either of you, it isn’t pleasant for the rest of us, and definitely keep it out of the game thread
>>180521 Here's where the problem arises. When you give the most, consistent, and careful responses to your least disciplined players, you conditoon a lack of discipline. When you allow them to "oopsie, did I nudge?" information, action and nuggets when other players are absent, you condition them to not REALLY respect the time and schedules of other players, and you condition main-character syndrome. Lots of my posts - actual questions - go unanswered seemingly because they get bogged down with OOC posts and "should I blow this thing up? I wanna blow this thing up. Has enough time passed to do a"... and so on. I posed the question about a quorum on Sunday. I know that left to my own devices I will run roughshod over you and the other players, and I hope that others can be brought to that same level of self-reflection. Theres an OOC thread now, so that means ALL ooc posts belong here, correct? Excluding exchanges between GM and individual players, of course
>>180524 >Lots of my posts - actual questions - go unanswered seemingly because they get bogged down with OOC posts and "should I blow this thing up? I wanna blow this thing up. Has enough time passed to do a"... and so on. I posed the question about a quorum on Sunday. Okay, that's a fair sentiment. Nobody like their posts going ignored. My posts get ignored sometimes too, and I don't like it, but I try not to let it bother me because DM has a life too and can't always indulge my posting. Still, you also have to see it from our perspective. From the flurry of posts you made last weekend, particularly this one: >>180035 → , to anyone else it really looked like you had just ragequit at the time, and it came in context of a lot of other weirdly-cryptic posts that were quite frankly just spam. We would have preferred to have the rogue roll the search check to look for treasure, but you weren't there and we weren't sure you were coming back to begin with. If you would communicate a bit more clearly Not that I'm perfect either though, as I also seemingly ragequit last week, ghosting the party as I sunk into depression... But I also didn't mean to hold you guys up. Going forward, if I'm unresponsive, please don't be shy to play without me.
Anyways, we don't mean to exclude you. Most of what we experienced in the last week can be summed up by "whale bones, bloodstains, greedy griffons, diary entries of struggling whalers, there was a struggle, made king?, artifact crown?", basically foreshadowing for the next part. >Theres an OOC thread now, so that means ALL ooc posts belong here, correct? Excluding exchanges between GM and individual players, of course I made this thread for meta posts, arguing, tangents, and anything that might detract from the enjoyment of the actual roleplay thread. It's not set in stone, but I think everyone would appreciate if tangent posts stayed out of the roleplay thread. >>180521 >Dust is even less available, but still communicative. Tenebrous… kind of just falls off the face of the earth at times. I want to help him catch up as much as I can, but there’s only so much you can do when he doesn’t respond to messages. I want to help Tenebrous catch up too, as I really like his character and he seems like a friendly guy. I'm also detecting that you communicate with some of the other players off-board. It seems as though that doesn't apply to Tenebrous. >I don’t think we need a quorum to do thinks like search rolls. I would normally prefer to have the rogue around to search for treasure or traps, but i also want to keep things moving. Idk though. >And please stop the constant crossfire posting. It’s not pleasant for either of you, it isn’t pleasant for the rest of us I'm really not trying to be adversarial at all, and I'm trying my best to diffuse tension, but sometimes I do get annoyed. The weird flurry of standoffish spam that came after Posey asked for permission in m-character to finish the soldier last week kind of got on my nerves, because I was just trying to roleplay cooperatively. Basically: >hey, my character would totally just kill this guy because she's bloodthirsty, but I also know that we're part of a group, so I'll have her ask for permission so you guys can respond I really don't know how that came off as antagonistic to Brie's player, but if he has any other issues going forward I would prefer it that he clearly voice them in this thread. >definitely keep it out of the game thread I agree.
>>180528 Full transparency: That WAS a rage-quit, but I worked/structured it (after calming down/sobering up - more on that in a moment) so that rather than cutting off the head to spite the neck, Brie decided to put a little distance between himself and the party, in an "anticipating a squadron of commies to jump out of the woodwork" sense. He's hovering 80' overhead. But that aside, the PRIMARY reason I would like SOME degree of structure/schedule/officiation to the game is because I don't want to be hammered when the game is ongoing, and trust me (you actually know already) you don't want me to be either. Last weekend I was assured GM would be more or less unavailable, so I proceeded to enjoy the knockouts/finals of the 4cc. I currently have no reason to not anticipate the possibility of gameplay today and tomorrow, and will abstain until action/activity is more or less winding down to start. As far as spot/skill checks, GM has the only actual copy of Brie's sheet (in consolidated form, I have dozens of blurbs in several notepads) pinned in our discord DMs; his "10" spot check is an 18, and his search is a 21, for future reference.
IF there is gameplay AND I am unresponsive, GM is authorized (as is the nature of RPs) to commandeer Brie in a limited capacity especially as pertains to skill checks, and Brie is the sort who you call out something like "Hey creepy, where the fuck you at?" and he will swoop, appear, or whatever. I will go ahead and stipulate now that unless expressly doing something, Brie can be said to be actively listening/looking (alternating between listen checks +11 and spot checks +8) around for any changes or points of interest with hostiles/threats being the primary sought. He might get a penalty because of elevation, but he's still trying to see "bad things" before anyone else does, and provide the best advantage before engaging himself (an 80' drop can occur in a single turn, ostensibly with charge/momentum bonuses)
In any case, I have a registered/conditioned ready-action with the GM, so until that is triggered, 'silently' surveilling overhead is all Brie will be doing until called upon in some other capacity.
Y’all are greatly exaggerating the degree to which your posts get overlooked. I see all of them.
>>180528 >I also seemingly ragequit last week We noticed.
>I'm also detecting that you communicate with some of the other players off-board. It seems as though that doesn't apply to Tenebrous. I try to communicate with Tenebrous. He doesn’t reply
>I would normally prefer to have the rogue around to search for treasure or traps I tried to suggest Kira drag her deer-slave along to serve as a rogue skill monkey. He didn’t want to do that, and no one wanted to splay rogue. Even Brie is multi-classed with monk. There was an NPC that would go along in the past to be the party rogue, but she doesn’t make sense here. It’s only Brie.
>>180704 Its not the first time I've been inadverdently nerfed. Running a 6 lvl shadow monk, we come across some harpies on a cliffside at night, undetected. Kino'ren says "I've got this," knowing she can bamf 60' every turn in darkness as a bonus action (5e). Right before engaging, the Light cleric decided to be "helpful" and cast a sunlight spell above the what would have been ninja bloodbath, bathing the otherwise undetected ninja in daylight. *sighs*
Brie's early background is he was raised on the streets by a changeling of all things, at least early on. Knowing only the criminal underground for most of his early life - at the hands of a bug that eats off you from time to time - made him very sociopathic, but his skills are instinctual and basic, except for one time in Neighpone. He is a LITTLE stacked, but using conventional means, skills, synergy, etc.
>>180749 Its doable, but for meta/story reasons its best I keep his existing layout. He comes from nothing after all, though he was contemplating vying for the assassin PrC
>>180750 Alright, although note that the Swordsage can do a lot of assassin stuff too. The Hand Of Death Maneuver can paralyze its target. Assassin spells are great too though. I've played a few assassins. The spells are great if you use them right. Idk, I just thought Swordsage fits the ninja martial artist gimmick you were gunning for. Maybe I shouldn't stick my chef spoon in other people's characters though. Didn't mean to intrude. >>180757 >>180759 >>180761 >>180768 >>180769 >>180776 Is it your intention to keep deleting your comments over and over again?
>>180779 IDK where Brie is gonna go honestly, all the recent with Lacy gives me a whole lot of background and personal motivation to round/flesh out his character way more than ever before. I'm open to "innovative" ways to improve on, when the time comes
>>180812 → Her DR 2 is from her class. Her DR 5 is from her race (half-vampire) Also, she's undead. Crits don't affect undead, oozes, plants, or elementals, because they don't have vital organs.
>>180814 No, your character doesn't get fucking Damage reduction 5 on top of damage reduction 2. I said no to that bullshit when you pulled it out of your ass during a fight a year ago. It's still no. Why the fuck are you not satisfied with the highest HP, the highest AC, regenerating health, and Damage reduction 2?!
>>180814 You know what, fuck it. We can change it so that no enemies even bother to attack Posey so that she's immune to everything. I'll just have her unable to make attacks when its necessary for game progression. I have no idea why playing that way is more fun to you, but sure, I'll let you play the way you want to play
>>180819 >No damage reduction It's your game, but also note that I spent two character levels and almost all of my starting gold to become like this. Posey is level 4, while the rest of the party is 5-6. Posey has redundant damage reduction from three different sources (lich body, half-vampire, spellstitching); they don't stack, they just overlap. Do you want me to cut out all three of them? >>180820 I can tell that I have upset you. Can we work it out somehow? >I have no idea why playing that way is more fun to you Well, to me it's like playing a vampiric monster, which is fun to me. I don't want it to be unfun to you though.
>>180819 >I said no to that bullshit when you pulled it out of your ass during a fight a year ago. It's still no. I must have forgotten this, and I apologize. Posey would not have survived the Hydra fight if not for the DR5.
>>180749 >swordsage EWWW no. No offense, but you've seen how long progression takes in this game, I'm not waiting around while "Improved unarmed strike" tries to vie as a decent technique. I'm good.
So GM, I like to present my ideas for my character and make it work with your world. Basically, this is the gist of what I want for this character and decide what works with our world and what needs to be changed.
I'll put this in a spoiler, since I know some people don't like to be spoiled, however, I don't mind if you do. It's only for your benefit that I put it in under a spoiler.
Backstory and motivation: At Celestia's Sunny Sun orphanage/monastery or whatever I called the place, the Virgin had two fillies that she grow up with that were almost like sisters: Hope's Anchor and Pew Seat. They were all good friends, even though Virgin's and Hopes'es friendship was mostly through Pew Seat which was a filly so nice that you couldn't help but adore her. Hope's Anchor studied magic under the guidance of mother Justeney, the other unicorn at the place and a knowledgeable as well.
So since I don't know the lore, I'm just gonna give the events chronological order and you can tell me when and how they happened. But from what I get of the lore, here's my take:
1. Pew Seat gets abducted by changelings. (Did she die? I don't know. She could've if you wish. That's up for you to decide but both Virgin and Hope's assumes that she did.)
2. Hope's fights with what's essentially her surrogate mother (essentially all three's surrogates mother), Justeney. Hope's want to learn more dangerous and powerful spells but Justeney doesn't want to teach her.
3. Occupied Equestria happens and with the death/disappearance/or-whatever-happened of the Princesses, Hope's compltely disillusioned with the monastray and filled with hatred for the changelings.
4. She tries to convince Virgin of joining the Steel Hooves with her but Virgin can't forgive them for their part in Occupied Equestria_tm. Then she says something about how the Princesses were just mere mortals and they disagree.
5. In the end, Hope's leave and the last clue, maybe letter, ticket, or maybe she just said where she was going, leads to Baltimare.
6. For whatever reason, Virgin doesn't go after her immediately and is delayed perhaps with the war complications and stuff, or perhaps the wounds of what they said were too fresh. But now she's here in Baltimore, on this quest to find her and save her soul.
I would enjoy if you could fit her into the narrative in the world. I'd also liked it if she rivaled my character in power, like that she's a level 6 but instead of monk she's a powerful spell caster.
Past that and these things about her past, you have free reign to make her in whatever way you feel. Develop her skills set in anyway you want and so on. I trust you. ^^
So Virgin's goal is to find her but it shouldn't happened to fast. We gotta have some nice slow pacing for big reveal. ^^
But I thought it be cool if she somehow get embroiled in whatever the rest of the pc party is doing, or someone of these ponies. That way it could bridge the gap between the others and, well, me.
Just an idea. You do whatever you feel like. Just wanted to tell you what I would like. ^^
Also, these are Hope's colors: A bit of a retcon but I think I prefer the right most one to be her body/fur color and the other two colors being the dual colors of her mane.
I want to emphasize that there was absolutely no attempt to figure out what the tiara was, where it came from, what culture made it, what religion it belongs to, what it does, if it's intelligent, or anything about the tiara before placing it on. There was no knowledge: religion roll, no Arcana roll, no Appraise roll, no attempt to look closely at it to see if there was any written text on it, no attempt to identify the creature depicted on it, no anything. Just "lol a cursed item let me activate it!"
There was a disarm roll to remove it from Posey's hoof that was just ignored by Posey's player.
I would like it to be known that the tiara absolutely could have been taken home by Posey, studied, and yes, ultimately be safely made to wear and even to be something like a phylactery. All that had to happen was for her to not immediately put on the very obviously cursed tiara.
>>180926 That disarm roll was 19, from the yellow griffin, was targeted at Posey, and was before she put it on. It was accompanied by words in plain english that the crown was cursed and don't put it on. The disarm roll and the warning were both blatantly ignored by Posey's player, with no counter roll
I look forward to playing again. Feel no pressure or responsibility for that though. ;^P
>Any personality aspects of Hope's Anchor I should know about? Not that I can think of right now. What I wrote is basically, everything about her. I guess, her character so far boils down to an atheist spell caster with a hatred for changelings probably also some kind of ptsd from having lost her dear friend, Pew Seat, and mixed feelings for mother Justeney. The reason she carries the can of soda in her hooves in the flashback btw, is because she's sore from practicing her magic too much. I imagine the powerful magics she desired to learn from Justeney was like evocation spells but I don't necessarily want to her limited to that, I just think they fit the theme of "powerful spells".
I think I want to you to fill in the blanks for her character. If I come up with something cool maybe I'll add that in a flashback. However, I feel like I'd honestly like the idea of giving you this character. So, I'd run by you if I have a cool idea for this character and you can implement it if you like but ultimately you get the final say on the matter. That way it be an interesting surprise to see what happens.
Yeah, I like this idea. So I hereby declare that: Hope's Anchor is yours! ^^
>>180929 Yes! Now I know. I'll just tell you whenever Virgin has one of her flashback episodes with the character and you can just play her in those flashbacks. That's nice. Because I still wanted to have flashbacks regarding Virgin's time at the orphanage and it then makes sense to have scenes with the two of them. But then you can simply take over the wheel for her character in those episodes. Nice.
>>180921 Curses, this is what I was gonna do. Nicely done.
The following are my OOC-Meta intentions for Brie in THIS mission/segment: 1. Transition (cuz reasons) from Neutral Evil to Chaotic Neutral 2. Get his Cutie Mark (yes, he's a grown-ass stallion who still doesn't have his CM) 3. MAKE IT BACK ALIVE (he's having moments in his head where he's having to reevaluate and challenge many/most presuppositions, it's all very canonical)
He is evil, but he's coming to a point of realizing that there's a fine line between necessary evil (mafia shit that helps protect the community, and enforces a standard of decorum that prevents socially abusive lawlessness) and unnecessary evil (this cursed crown incident really helped). He's never been one to shy away from getting his hooves dirty (nor ever will), and has always always asserted/appealed to a sense of decorum even when being lawless. But his idea of "evil" is mundane, corruption, and nefarious conspiracies. Spoopy evil magic is well beyond his wheelhouse.
I'm not saying he's turning over a new leaf right NOW, but it's brewing. Where once he was looking at the world as needing someone to balance 'things', NOW he is starting to grasp what the world needs to be balanced 'AGAINST'.
And as a piece of advice for Posey (appreciating if it isn't desired, but I'm being quite forthright and sincere in this): Consider a calculatingly evil character. For example, I'm going with Arkhan the Cruel in Critical Role campaign 1. I'll spare most of the details.
Arkhan - an openly evil oathbreaker paladin devoted to Tiamat - never hid the fact that he was evil. He was openly and proudly and honorably evil. And he fought the good fight bla bla bla. But he wanted the hand of Vecna, so he hatched a very long and convoluted plan to orchestrate the surreptitious gaffling of the hand. His 'betrayal' of the party was so clean and surgical, that barely had the words "This was just business" escaped his lips, he was gone and escaped.
Rosey is well established to want things. But she is also conniving and calculating. Please, let her not be so quick to try to "ascend" right this instance, perhaps have her be gathering the means to and do so behind closed doors when no one is watching (and we're not still in combat).
>>180939 → It was a fair tactic, tbh. Most of us have good Fortitude saves or resistance/immunity to the spell. Brie, sadly, got screwed, but we still won in the end. A stunned character drops whatever its holding, and can't take any actions. Had the enemies not made splendid rolls, it could have ended the fight. Next time just give us a warning
>>180926 >There was no knowledge: religion roll, no Arcana roll, no Appraise roll, no attempt to look closely at it to see if there was any written text on it, no attempt to identify the creature depicted on it Yeah, I probably should have done that... >There was a disarm roll to remove it from Posey's hoof that was just ignored by Posey's player. I didn't ignore it though. Silver succeeded in knocking it off. >I would like it to be known that the tiara absolutely could have been taken home by Posey, studied, and yes, ultimately be safely made to wear and even to be something like a phylactery. All that had to happen was for her to not immediately put on the very obviously cursed tiara. Sorry...
>>180941 It was, and on a very real note it was an excellent opportunity for me to engage in strategies I'm developing to try and control my less socially-acceptable reactions to adverse situations. I don't regret it having happened at all, though it took a WHOLE lot of effort to not lose my shit.
I would like to apologize to everyone for my actions last night. I was tired and getting impatient to try it after waiting all week, but I shouldn't have done that. Even in-character, Posey would know better than to try on something before taking a free action to examine it first, because she's a professional. I just really wanted that crown, and I have fancy for cursed items, and I thought I had made my intentions to put it on clear at first. It was wrong of me to just do that without ample warning. I didn't see the disarm checks, I thought those were just attack rolls.
>>180946 Imo, as long as a lesson has been learned - and I say this being in the process of teaching myself alot of lessons - then the only thing you have to apologize for IMO is not posting the anonfilly/twilight version of that image
Not to belabor the point, but "realizing an apology is appropriate" is not the lesson. I can't really say what the lesson is, but if it were me it would involve taking stock of "what caused me to behave in the way I did, and how do I combat those impulses and proclivities going forward?"
>>180428 >>180465 >I rly hope Vul doesnt object to my appropriation of her likeness, especially in a criminal context You can just ask him. He's not hard to reach, just send him a message on Ponerpics. Why not drag him into the game and have him play as Lucky? She's not an adventurer (yet) so it wouldn't be a demanding role for him. It would be awesome to have him, but he's quite busy as an artist.
I get your conniptions about your characters being romantical with other players' PCs, but I'm not entirely keen on having one's own two PCs being in a literal or metaphorical circlejerk. I mean, it eliminates any mystery in how the other character will respond to indications, words, or actions, and at that point why not just write a self-contained FiM story? When playing Amber, the most fun interactions with her coltfriend Mustard Trim have not so much been the raunchy moments as much as the attempts to understand each other, which often fail. If her relationship were entirely platonic (which it could have ended up being) it would still be worthwhile because it is interesting in its own right. Silver and Kira are under the same player, and they are in the same quest, but they won't necessarily be maintaining close proximity after this quest. It sounds like Brie and Lacy Row will be, so a good part of their respective stories will be just monologuing with no outside input. I like the concept of Lacy Row and if this is the only way you will have her then go for it, but I prefer interplayer interaction. That doesn't mean either character has to go around kissing other PCs, but there's room to explore.
>>180449 So she's basically a dwarf. Also, protecc this mare, not just because she's especially cute (she is), but because without her virginity she would need a name change, and that is a bureaucratic headache.
>>180483 >I see. I thought you were okay with Posey having minions though, and ponies who follow her cause would logically be evil. You can have evil without being eviller than the average Western politician or Latin American cartel leader. In fact, fiction has no shortage of evil minions who aren't really that evil, or are loveable goofballs. Why not go for something like that? Gloomy is likeable as a character who was raised in a purely evil setting but who is not deliberately and maliciously evil. He's more of a character from The Addams Family. >I thought of making a charisma character with the personality of a sleezy lawyer, like Saul from breaking bad. The symbol of the Black horse of Famine is a set of merchant scales, so that made me think of a lawyer-like character. That sounds good >Oh look, Posey's childhood. >Business as usual in Magehold. You can see how that throws a wrench into the DM's atmospheric worldbuilding. If anything grimdark in the setting gets repeatedly outdone by a PC hailing from the grimdarkest corner of the world, it loses its impact. Mind you, it's a setting based on Friendship is Magic, which is supposed to be bubbly and happy and the existence at all of your "business at usual" implies something has gone horribly wrong.
Your ideas for how the game should go are both really cool, but they are at a loggerheads. At one point I wanted to make a serial killer evil character, but I'm glad I didn't because it would have led to problems like this. I don't want to discourage you, but you should expect some occasional pushback from the GM until it's somehow resolved.
>>180514 >>180516 >Keep OOC posts here. GM hasn't said that we need to. >It's partly for Tenebrous's sake that the ooc thread even exists, so that he doesn't have to sift through off-topic spam to backread what happened in the thread. Okay I respect that, and I hope he comes back to play.
>>180530 As a fellow enjoyer of alcohol, I recommend moderating your intake. This is coming from a happy sort of drunk. >IF there is gameplay AND I am unresponsive, GM is authorized (as is the nature of RPs) to commandeer Brie in a limited capacity especially as pertains to skill checks, and Brie is the sort who you call out something like "Hey creepy, where the fuck you at?" and he will swoop, appear, or whatever. >I will go ahead and stipulate now that unless expressly doing something, Brie can be said to be actively listening/looking (alternating between listen checks +11 and spot checks +8) around for any changes or points of interest with hostiles/threats being the primary sought. He might get a penalty because of elevation, but he's still trying to see "bad things" before anyone else does, and provide the best advantage before engaging himself (an 80' drop can occur in a single turn, ostensibly with charge/momentum bonuses) Thank you! >>180746 >5 rogue, 1 monk I know experience isn't being taken too seriously in this game, but that's going to hit your experience gain. Also, won't Brie's light armor affect his monk abilities (I ask, as Cavaliere used stunning fist while wearing a leather jacket classed as light armor)?
>>180785 >Lacy wants Brie's progeny Wouldn't that conflict with her job running a strip club? Brie's not likely to be a particularly good, or faithful father either.
>I can tell that I have upset you. Can we work it out somehow? GM Pone is upset because his world is grounded as a mix of FiM and a modern setting. There are some exceptional ponies capable of great feats, but fearful monsters are in decline and mass-produced weapons are easily capable of killing even hardened heroes. A shootout with even average gangsters is meant to be thrilling, and the heroes should have to avoid getting shot through tactics and stealth. Nigh-unkillable monsters are meant to be extremely rare and very difficult to deal with. I wasn't there when the party fought undead creatures in the catacombs but having read through it, it looked to be slog taking multiple trips and several close calls. The last undead were finished off with smarts rather than strength. Posey being the nigh-unkillable monster breaks all that.
>>180921 What are the steel hooves? I like her backstory! >color pattern The way I envision it, it doesn't look good. Also, what's her eye color? I recommend using a pony creator tool like this one: https://www.numuki.com/game/mlp-pony-creator/
>>180933 >Transition (cuz reasons) from Neutral Evil to Chaotic Neutral Doesn't the rulebook say a character can move only adjacently in alignment? Wouldn't he have to become Chaotic Evil or True Neutral first? >Get his Cutie Mark (yes, he's a grown-ass stallion who still doesn't have his CM) Blank-Flank! >I'm not saying he's turning over a new leaf right NOW, but it's brewing. Where once he was looking at the world as needing someone to balance 'things', NOW he is starting to grasp what the world needs to be balanced 'AGAINST'. Interesting!
>>180946 We all make hasty decisions sometimes when tired, it's alright. Only thing lost is time and some post numbers.
>>180952 >the issue of Lacy and Brie I can see your concerns, and outside of a particularly justifying context, Lacy is not intended to be a combat-oriented PC. If anything, Lacy's business will be her singular location that Brie might sometimes be found at. I'm not going to RP any dialogue between them that other PCs aren't present for, and while they are expressly romantic, that will all occurr "off camera" outside some cheeky one-liners. As far as inviting Vul, I'll consider it. In general I am amazed at his work (I had been unknowingly familiar with him previously) but I also admit that I can suffice with "Almost-Lucky" (appearance wise) who I can customize along specific lines. In alot of ways, Lacey justifies alot of character development I had always wanted for Brie, as well as giving all manner of context for his backstory and how he came to be the bat that he is. It's the kind of thing that I really hope to depict in game, but not - as you describe - a one-poster circle-jerk.
The intended dynamic between the two is that she is the privileged daughter of a traditional yakuza-style criminal family who cuz of many reasons decided that Brie belongs to her, in spite of overt refusal from her family. Lots of drama and possible story-arcs there. To Brie, she is a complete enigma, who is JUST bent in JUST the right ways that she's irresistable. Business partners at times, fierce compeditors at others, business always comes first, but they both can't stop playing the game. Through her lineage and upbringing, she has access to devastating traditional techniques, but physically (aside from lewd) there's nothing impressive about her, seemingly able to snap in a stiff breeze, and yet cunning and deadly and brilliant and,... she is gonna be a driving force for his increased participation back in and around Baltimare.
>>180954 That is a great explanation and you've won me over on this idea. >As far as inviting Vul, I'll consider it. Please do! He's even drawn Amber before >pic related
>>180952 >protecc this mare, not just because she's especially cute (she is) ^^
>>180953 >What are the steel hooves? I'm probably just wrong but I thought that was the name of the nationalistic pony military faction in Baltimare, but it was forever ago I knew. >I like her backstory! Aww, thank you. >The way I envision it, it doesn't look good. > I recommend using a pony creator tool like this one: I'll check it out but I do think that the color scheme look nice when I envision it though. ^^
>>180957 >I'm probably just wrong but I thought that was the name of the nationalistic pony military faction in Baltimare, but it was forever ago I knew. That's the Blackhooves, and they rule from New Baltimare (which is actually an ocean away). Their leader is Duke Haygel, but he and his advisors aren't directly relevant to the plot. >I'll check it out but I do think that the color scheme look nice when I envision it though. ^^ Pony Creator is great because when I used it way back when, I had an accessible way of depicting and posing Amber. It doesn't come close to hand-drawn art, but it's a good baseline to get a feel for the appearance of a character.
>>180957 >Really? Yeah. I have a habit of trying to keep my characters enigmatic with all kinds of lore and references (that no one ever gets because I never explain any of it), but I woke up deciding to give a better outline so that when I am depicting Brie, players can understand the type of "enigmatic" character that the other players can only guess at and react to. While it can be fun for all to surprise players with revelations about characters, without the proper background info it falls flat and is boring/uninteresting. I mean c'mon, I want people to know why I think what he is doing (and why) is so cool. :3
>>180952 Also, the strip club is a money-laundering front for her prostitution, smuggling, and information brokerage, that also serves as an embassy of sorts for her family's business ventures in the area. It's not so much that she wants Brie's progeny, it's that she wants to be able to HAVE Brie's progeny and NOT have them be taken/killed by the family, which is a difficult development to manage so far.
>>180958 I might make a detailed description of her, like I intended to do for Virgin. >It doesn't come close to hand-drawn art, but it's a good baseline to get a feel for the appearance of a character. Yeah, that makes sense.
>That's the Blackhooves, and they rule from New Baltimare (which is actually an ocean away). Thank you. Now, I know. Virgin is in New Baltimare, I realize now, or rather remember, I just didn't remember that there existed two Baltimares in this world.
>>180962 Question for the DM: Are strip clubs even legal in Baltimare? Although there is a prolific underworld, gambling is explicitly illegal and even conventional nightclubs (like the Club Maurice) are harassed by the law at times. Such places might still exist in secret though. >It's not so much that she wants Brie's progeny, it's that she wants to be able to HAVE Brie's progeny and NOT have them be taken/killed by the family, which is a difficult development to manage so far. Fair. Is her family in conflict with the Waterfront Gang? Iron seems to have stopped playing but the gang is still around.
>>180963 She is in New Baltimare? New Baltimare is the former Equestrian colony in Griffonia and is the seat of the Blackhooves's power. Regular (old) Baltimare is a city in eastern Equestria and is under occupation. All active PCs are based in (old) Baltimare.
>>180964 I expressly asked. Strip clubs yes, but not prostitution or gambling (yes, theres also gambling at her place; the only major vice she DOESNT serve is drugs). Her family isn't well fleshed out yet, and its chock full of Shounen stereotypes, but as far as official alliances/adversaries,... maybe?
>>180965 >Strip clubs yes Makes sense, given that there are no mores against nudity for ponies so this would be a legal loophole. Being aroused in public probably, but otherwise not. Will you be hosting gambling sessions in-game? GM Pone doesn't want to do it. It seems there will be a lot more politicking to look out for. That's always been a strong point of this setting so the inter-gang conflicts will be fun.
>>180967 Well to be clear, the door would be wide open for inter-gang politics if GM wanted to introduce those elements. Additionally, he has an entire framework to play with to do with the multi-family dynamics back in Neighpon that could spill over into Baltimare, that I would have no issue spearheading the creation of, assisting in, or being entirely ignorant of. It's a whole bunch of different categories that contextually just got added to his rolodex of future content, if desired to be explored. >gambling sessions I will have to think about it. Initially I want to say hard "no", but I suspect that something could be arranged. It would be far more story and RP related, and far less to do with basic dice rolls than one might expect, but that sounds like something that could be fun that Lacey would naturally be the Maitre' D for.
Oh curses, it's happening again. It suddenly occurs to me how ham-fisted it is to just retcon in a strip club, etc. While permissible in certain game styles, it would be far better to have a grand opening,....
>>180968 >Neighpon You keep bringing that up. I'm not sure if that country is in EaW, and if it is based off Japan it would be populated by kirins (who are a stand-in for Asians). How would a batpony be in a Neighponese crime family, in Baltimare? There's room for backstory there. >I will have to think about it. I ask because Cavaliere, although lawful good, is an avid gambler, and gambling is a good way to gather information from disreputable sorts. Plus, it's fun, and although I cannot speak for Silver's player he might enjoy it too. >it would be far better to have a grand opening I like that idea!
I wrote more than 1400 words about why Posey putting on the tiara pisses me off. I'm not sure I should post it, but it was definitely necessary for me to write it.
>>180968 Okay, so I haven' commented on the nightclub, but first off:
"Neighpone" is not a place in Equestria at war. You could probably insert it... somewhere, but I have idea where that is.
In Occupied Equestria, much like real life, organized criminal syndicates form mostly under ethnic lines by groups of immigrants. Baltimare's "Waterfront Gang" is actually kind of unique within the setting for being comparatively multicultural, and even then, it's lead by a native and has a clear relationship with Diamond Dogs as the main assistants. A random immigrant just walking in and taking over in a location where she is alien just seems... Unnatural.
Baltimare has a very firmly established monopoly on organized crime: The Waterfront Gang, lead by The Lady, and enabled by the Social Democrat Party. Any other operators of illegal gambling or whatever within Baltimare are going to be automatically at war with both The Waterfront Gang, and the Police.
Bat Ponies are not indigenous to "Neighpone." They are specifcally indigenous to the Equestrian Southeast. Whatever "neighpone" is, bat ponies don't come from there.
>>180970 >how, kirins? This is where my ignorance of EaW starts to shine through,... I sorta always thought of bat ponies as asians or stand-ins, like how ziggers and griffons,.... >>180971 Again, I'm increasingly appreciative about how the idea needs work,.... But uh, you see the direction I'm TRYING to go with it,....
>honestly always thought that since Neighpone is the "country" in /mlp/ OC lore that is the Japanese equivalent "why wouldn't that just carry over into EaW?" >honestly hasn't bothered to learn ANY of the EaW lore, and will be doing so promptly so can fix Lacey AND Brie's backstory to fit with the setting
>>180964 >New Baltimare is the former Equestrian colony in Griffonia and is the seat of the Blackhooves's power. I'm pretty certain she's there from what I remember from the first session with this character years ago. It also makes the sense for her character to be looking for her lost friend who presumably joined the Blackhooves at their seat of power, know that I think about it.
Thank you for your lore insights.
>>180959 >why I think what he is doing (and why) is so cool. :3 ^^ You mean like that others need proper setup to get the payoff? Yeah, it is a bit hard to know how to implement such story telling ideas into a game like this. Hopefully, our characters can entertain us.
>>180968 If you're interested in opening a business and not being an adventurer, consider the dragonlance Master class: https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/classes/baseDragonlance/master.html The Master class is basically a better version of the Expert NPC class. It lets you optimize certain downtime skills. It absolutely sucks in combat, but you won't care when you're making fat stacks of cash using the Profession skill. Then check the DMG2 rules for running a business, which involves a specialized profession check. This basically turns it into a business management minigame (pic related). Your lvl 5 starting gold is about everything you need to buy moderately sized building, as well as the supplies you need for your business. After you've established your franchise, you could even turn your establishment into a guild, using Favored In Guild, Leadership and GuildMaster.
>>180974 >>180976 There are a couple options for a Japanese-influenced character's origins. You have the kirin cultures, obviously, but there is a pony option out there, however odd it may be. Lake City, also known as Jezeragrad, is a pony country in the Riverlands (Eastern Griffonia) based loosely on Serbia judging from its language, but it also has a lot of Japanese flavor to it at the same time. A couple specific examples are a focus in its Princely Restoration path granting planes the ability to suicide attack (kamikaze), and the various manufacturing Guilds within the nation, including one guild named "Maresubishi". It wouldn't be too hard to develop other varied Japanese-inspired elements such as the Yakuza coming out of Lake City, or from Lakeish immigrants.
>>180971 GM, after a night of rest, I want to say that I apologize for my actions last night. What I did was stupid, inconsiderate, disruptive, broke character, and didn't even make sense in the context at the moment. I should have considered your feelings when I did what I did. As a DM myself, I should have known that DMs do a lot more work behind the screen than is obvious to the players, and that it can be really demoralizing when a player suddenly decides to do something profoundly stupid, especially when concerning a powerful artifact. A DM is a player too and deserves to have fun with the game, and to have their efforts validated. I'm sorry to cause you so much unnecessary stress.
I could explain the logic of what I did in a way that makes me look better, but it wouldn't change the fact that I was in the wrong.
I hope we can work out a way to resolve what happened (or didn't happen, because technically me neglecting to roll opposed disarm checks amounts to choosing to fail them), in a way that makes things better.
If you want to dump your angry rant, that's fine with me. I won't take it personally or get depressed like I did last week (I was dealing with real life trouble at the time and I was at a breaking point).
>>180974 None of the EaW races are completely 1-to-1 equivalents with real-life races. The closest we get to that is zebras = Africans and kirins = Asians. Other than that we get: Ponies = Americans and Europeans including British and French (Equestria), Russians (Severyanans), Sami (snowponies), Mesoamericans (southeast tribals), and Czechs + Ancient Greeks + Balkan Slavs (River Ponies) Changelings = German but Imperial Griffons are also German (don't ask why) Griffons are also a slew of other European nationalities Deer = Finns, Gypsies and Indians Hippogriffs = Americans Buffalo = Injuns Minotaur = Greeks Saddle Arabians = Arabs Oh, and batponies are some sort of stand-in for Afro-Americans because they are discriminated against and stay up at night, but otherwise have nothing in common.
Confused yet? You should be. The easiest way to learn the basics is to open the EaW map and tag switch to learn which country has which race and which culture.
>>180979 >>180981 Tbh, I'm really not fond of EaW world building in some ways. It's a good pony adaptation for HoI, but it's world-building leaves a lot to be desired. Imperial Japan was a major player in WWII, but EaW doesn't really represent Asia well at all, despite having equivalencies for other countries. When they added Kirin they made them part of the Zebra continent. As for languages, maybe we could consolidate languages into language groups? 3.5e doesn't account for humanoids if the same race having hundreds of different languages. D20 modern, which is based on real life, makes it much easier for PCs to learn new languages.
>>180981 Herzland Griffons are like this weird mix of Austrians and Byzantines, while Equus Changelings (not Greneclyf Changelings) are German Germans.
>>180975 → Unfortunately, I loathe HOI4. It took me 170 hours to realize I just don't enjoy it (with at least 100 of those hours being EaW). My autism is simply not alligned with map simulators. Strange, cause I fucking love Risk but I can't get into games like HOI4, Stellaris, or CKII.
>>180978 I'm not interested in ACTUAL values of money, I want the established pretense. I hate accountant shit IRL, I don't want to do it in game. Lacey WILL have an established character sheet, in anticipation of the possibility that GM someday decides "Ha ha, she's getting kidnapped and has to escape", or even something as mundane as her wee sexy frame deciding to give the bouncers a break and fuck up somepony causing a scene. She will not be INTENDED for combat, but she will be well suited to it. Though, I will admit to having bookmarked this one page that describes how to have absurd money at level 1, and then building her up to level 6 by comparison advancement in the DMG (which I found recently ^_^), so maybe I will get autistic and do that. Idk >>180979 Well, it wouldn't be terribly difficult to modify what I have to fit in as her family being tied to an existing Kirin dynastic family. Like, historically this family of bats could have been private ninjas or something, who in 'present day' have come to be involved/significant in some area of criminal underground? I want to keep the japanese style/motif, as well as the underlying theme of Brie having stumbled into a specific area of the criminal world that is normally reserved for elite families. Its tropey as shit, I know, but it makes me smile and it is exactly the sort of context that would motivate Brie to seek money and power. NGL, unless inspired I'm not big on the specific details; I don't have any specifics about her appearance yet other than "Looks like Lucky, and has a weird sclera effect for her family's eyes". Eventually I will be inspired to include details, and those details will always have been so. >>180981 Very confused. I've been pouring through one of the many, surprisingly many EaW wikis.
>>180980 I wasn't affected since I wasn't playing at the time but pat pat >>180982 >Tbh, I'm really not fond of EaW world building in some ways. It comes from a bunch of disparate headcanons being reconciled with each other and with an increasingly disjointed canon world. It could certainly be improved upon. >As for languages, maybe we could consolidate languages into language groups? 3.5e doesn't account for humanoids if the same race having hundreds of different languages. D20 modern, which is based on real life, makes it much easier for PCs to learn new languages. I'm totally in favor of this, but it's not something that's easily done on the fly. We really could use an official OE handbook to help with all this. A lot of good stuff from DnD Modern and other systems could be ported over.
>>180985 >I've been pouring through one of the many, surprisingly many EaW wikis. All of them are probably out of date >weird sclera effect If you really want it, go for it, but changeling infiltrators are singled out for having weird eyes so keep that in mind.
>>180985 It's not really all that complicated. It's just a few d20 rolls using your skill mod. If you can handle playing a rogue, you can handle running a fictional business.
>>180987 >>180988 While I can appreciate that that's all appreciable, for me that is the OPPOSITE of what I want to do. I just want the pretense of a modest business that covers for a very profitable and very illegal series of ciminal enterprise, under the auspices of a well established family of japanese-esque origins. Actual in-game money and valuables are of little interest to me as a player, just as long as my players have the "fine things" that their background and story would afford.
I've got plans for a business for my character(s), though that's more just for a little bit of passive income to help support my NPC collection addiction and to provide the facilities for crafting all kinds of equipment for all of the characters.
>>180929 Oh, I can definitely think of ideas for the character I hope I can do her justice.
>>180930 Hmmm... Well, for now, you control her, so I can see more of what your vision for her is. I suppose that if you want longer, interactive flashbacks, then we can do that, if perhaps a little later.
>>180989 Imo, the real draw of it is having rules for running your business and story events related to your business. Profit checks once a month are just icing on the cake. Suit yourself though. I just wanted to inform you that 3.5e has rules to accommodate all that stuff. I had intended to pursue that with Posey after she bought some land, it being a Criminal enterprise, with a Research lab (University) as it's front, with the University of Arcane Sciences as it's associated guild. >>180990 Passive income to support NPCs is probably the best use of it, aside from flavor. You only make a profit check once per in-game month. >>180929 Sounds like a Warmage: https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/classes/baseCarc/warmage.html Warmage is a class that is easy to play, and even easier to build: all of the spells are already chosen for you. I recommend it for new players who just want to blow things up. In my games, I typically use it for enemy spellcasters, since it saves me the trouble of having to build a complex character sheet every time. It's much weaker than Wizard or Sorcerer due to fixed spell access, but it gets all the good SRD evocation damaging spells, and more. https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/magic/spells/classSpellLists/warmageSpells.html
>>180993 I can see the merit for the structure and rules, especially as something of an element for a base of operations or a recurring campaign setting, et al. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, though I'm not sure I want to engage that level of detail. Better first to fix the freakin' backstory. That's another thing, I like to play fast and loose with the parts of backstories that will never get presented; dead relatives, being an easy example
>>180980 Well this makes me feel much better. You have no idea how pissed off I was. Seriously, for like 14 hours (including sleeping) I was fuming.
>I could explain the logic of what I did in a way that makes me look better, but it wouldn't change the fact that I was in the wrong. You know what, I would like to hear that.
From where I sit, I am aware that what the tiara actually does is immediately mind control whomever puts it on, makes them more powerful than they were before, and then makes them hostile to whomever is around them. Posey deliberately putting it on comes off as outright malicious, and in a self-destructive way that is impossible for me to understand except extreme dickishness.
I get that the tiara having that effect isn't immediately obvious, but it's definitely telegraphed multiple times. In the notes its described as "possessing" its wearer, the red griffin wearing it is described as "not acting on his own volition" when it's asked why he is immune to Posey's fear effects, the unseen servant is described as "repulsed" by it, when Posey picks it up it is described as feeling like it has a static electrical charge, and then when Posey attempts to put it on, all of the griffins who have experience with it become hostile, and two of them describe it as "cursed" in English and Norwiegen. I get that that's not quite the same thing as explicitly stating that it is the instrument of TPK that it is, but I think that that states pretty clearly that putting it on is not only inadvisable, but inadvised; that is to say, I'm telling you don't do it. Then posts like >>180853 → imply to me that you actually expected the result you got. Combined with the fact that there was no effort to try to identify what it did with Arcana, it's hard for me to interpret this situation as anything other than you explicitly hoping to derail the entire quest line for shits and giggles.
>>180944 What did you think that the situation was?
>>180864 → Where did this idea come from? Seriously, why would you believe this, and more importantly, why would you not attempt to confirm it in any way at all?
>>180843 → It's not even actually a crown. It's just a tiara
>>180995 >You have no idea how pissed off I was. Seriously, for like 14 hours (including sleeping) I was fuming. That makes me feel kind of bad... I'm sorry. >You know what, I would like to hear that. Well, here goes nothing. I'll start by saying that what I did came from a bad place, and nothing I say is to justify my actions. I was tired and trying a new ADD medication, and the result was me acting like an inconsiderate fuck-up. Anyway >why would you not attempt to confirm it in any way at all? >no effort to try to identify what it did with Arcana Well, for starters, in my experience of playing 3.5e, rolling arcana doesn't usually reveal the effects of an item. I thought it was same for this game, as my arcana checks didn't really reveal the functions of the hyena totem or mask I found last year. I figured the only real way to learn the effects of an item is to try to use it. >I am aware that what the tiara actually does is immediately mind control whomever puts it on, makes them more powerful than they were before, and then makes them hostile to whomever is around them. Well, I thought that since it was capable of mind-controlling it's target, it must have a mind of its own, be it and intelligent item, a demon possessing it, or an undead spirit possessing it. I believed it was an intelligent item, as any hostile intelligent item can be considered to be cursed. Because I believed amit was an intelligent item, I treated it as an NPC that could potentially give us information or be negotiated with, and that the best way to know what its deal was was to listen to it by trying it on. I actually thought of the crown to be something like a character foil for Posey: a evil item cursed by the nature of its making, trying to control others through power and fear, because deep down it's a lonely item that just wants to be treasured, adored and worn in all it's golden glory, since intelligent items universally wqnt to be used. I had typed out lines for what I would have said to it if it tried to communicate with Posey. I also believed that the item would have a passable saving throw, so I decided to take the risk. >unseen servant is described as "repulsed" by it, when Posey picks it up it is described as feeling like it has a static electrical charge >describe it as "cursed" See, in the moment, I was thinking reverse psychology here, and saw that as a challenge to experience the curse first hand, believing that there would be a detailed description awaiting me for the experience of the crown attempting to corrupt its wearer, kind of like the dream sequences in earlier threads. The description of it being cursed and evil only made it more attractive to Posey in character, and me out of character (I was curious). I know it's self-centered now, but since last week I believed that crown was an item made for Posey to try, even if doing so came with risks. Posey, in-character, believes in destiny, so she thought this was her moment. >I get that that's not quite the same thing as explicitly stating that it is the instrument of TPK that it is Well, the item didn't kill us when the griffon used it, so I didn't believe it was powerful enough to TPK us if Posey had it. Of course, Posey becoming a hostile NPC is a danger to the party, but Silver had a readied action to knock it off her head if she became possessed after I announced my plan to do it, so I thought we would be able to handle it easily while gaining information about the item. >I think that that states pretty clearly that putting it on is not only inadvisable, but inadvised; that is to say, I'm telling you don't do it. Yeah... That makes sense in hindsight, but my communication skills irl aren't great, and even worse through text. Instead of "don't do it" I read it as "Are you BRAVE enough to do it?" Pics related. >Then posts like >>180853 → → imply to me that you actually expected the result you got. I fully expected the item to try to dominate Posey (although I didn't expect it was so powerful that only a Nat 20 could pass it; that sounds like a deity-level major artifact), and I was prepared to face the consequences if it succeeded. I was also prepared to rely on Silver's readied action to knock it off of Posey's head as well. Silver rolled a Nat 20 to knock it off, and Posey would have been flat-footed and unable to oppose the check. >What did you think that the situation was? I thought they were attack rolls meant to be resolved after Posey's action, to help Silver disarm the crown if Posey became possessed. This actually made me consider the situation to be even safer, because several characters where there to intervene if Posey lost control. >Where did this idea come from? Books, lore, similar items I've seen in d&d. >why would you not attempt to confirm it in any way at all? Poor decision making on my part, combined with the above explaination, and foolish impatience to see what the item did to Posey. >It's not even actually a crown. It's just a tiara Well, a tiara is like a crown, only for a princess, which made me think even more that this would be Posey's princess moment.
But overall, it was just me being an impatient, foolish, inconsiderate idiot. I am in the wrong. I apologize.
For the tiara situation, there are two basic routes:
Continue more or less with how things happened, with Posey putting on the tiara, Silver knocking it off, the griffins becoming either hostile or at least panicked, and then the tiara being shot by mala thrice, then carried out and dumped in the ocean by Cavaliere or one of the griffins or... something
Or, a retcon. Either to never attempt to put it on, or to Posey having the tiara slapped out of her hoof by the yellow griffin.
>>181002 Well... That's much better than what I though
>>181007 I would really strongly prefer a path where the Tiara is still intact (also, RAW, a major artifact can only be destroyed in a single, specific way, so bullets really shouldn't hurt it), because I'm really interested in it and I believe it could be a source of amazing story or character development, but I also know that because I recklessly tried it on my opinion probably doesn't matter... >Either to never attempt to put it on Well, we could roll those Arcana/Religion checks.
>>181009 Ngl, Brie also wants to keep the tiara intact, even if it means voiding the badass rifle disarm Brie pulled. He doesnt want to use it, he wants to appraise it (hes good at that too). He sees potential value to,... well somepony like Rosie, and he would like a share in that value.
>>181009 >Noooo you can't destroy it with 12 gauge buck shot! Who said it was a major artifact? And in any case, you don't need to destroy it. Just throw it into the sea and it's gone forever.
>>181011 I wasn't sure how to handle it in the moment. My first instinct was to just say out of character "Are you sure about that?" Then I figured I could have the characters do it in game in character. When that was ignored, I figured any out of character "Are you sure?" would be equally ignored, so I went into just describing the "find out" portion of "fuck around." I guess the players were into it, but I wasn't, because at that point the whole session and probably more had been thoroughly derailed and I was just sick of it.
Well, on the one hoof, I know Brie's player wants to use this event as an opportunity for Brie's character development. On the other, retconning would let us find ways to safely make use of the crown such that we can profit off of it, such as dismantling it to sell.
>>181009 pet pet pet No, it matters, it's just...conflicted with GM pone's current feelings.
>>181013 I assumed that Rosey wouldn't be permitted to cause any irreparable damage, except to themselves, by putting on the crown. It is expressly what I would have done in your case (lit "Drop to 0 health"), but I'm not happy about your experience of it all
In any case, I can work with it whichever way we decide to go, but retcon seems the easiest for everyone so I vote that. The actual specifics of the retcon will only determine whether Brie has a rifle in his hooves, so I abstain on that
>>181021 One of Posey's few downsides is that, being undead, if she drops to 0 health she instantly disintegrates. There is no way to render her unconscious or incapacitated, which makes balancing danger more difficult. With a regular character, losing a fight isn't the end of the world but Posey tends to go ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK and there's no way to stop her without permanently ending her.
After Posey has tried on the tiara, with it knocked off on the ground, the griffins riled up, Brie holding the rifle, Mala attempting (failing?) to shoot it.
Here is my proposed resolution of this whole tiara debacle.
Lots of rolls to insist on, but the one I WANNA focus on was Silver's ready-action to slap the taste/crown out/off Rosey's face/head, nat 20.
I say we go with that, the crown is off and on the ground.
Idk where initiative is, but I would HOPE that being connected to and unconnected to phenomenally ebil magics would produce a 1 round stun effect, kind of like an ill timed sun grenade (sorry Dust, thats gonna be a thing).
Going from memory, that would allow 2 of the griffons to react to the crown being on the ground
If not moved before his turn, Brie would kick the tiara away, and if this could be said to be a free-action interim, then Brie would kick the tiara away from everyone and then return the disarmed rifle to the gay griffon
>>181052 >>181066 In the latter case, Posey would just immediately put the Tiara in her purse after snatching it off the griffon. This would delay having to deal with the Tiara until later.
Ill ammend my previous to offer a choice: 1. Posey puts the crown away - saying something about how "These types of magics must be studied in a carefully controlled environment, the captain is lucky to be alive." - and Posey can collaborate with GM on what will.occur with it later.
Or
2. The tiara is on the ground and Rosey is stunned.
>>181075 >1. Posey puts the crown away - saying something about how "These types of magics must be studied in a carefully controlled environment, the captain is lucky to be alive." - and Posey can collaborate with GM on what will.occur with it later. That does sound like something a smart and responsible Necrologist would say...
Not to discourage other player input here, Im speaking for myself, but am also drawing something of a line in the sand. As one of the most disruptive players in this game, I'm increasingly impressed with how easy it is to 'want' to spin their character in a particular manner that "makes sense". The problem is, while.plausible, the reactions that the player in the moment decides are one of 1000 actual options; its not inevitability, its impulsivity driving the actions.
Scenario 1 allows Rosey to reset and act the calculating pseudo-villain they seem to want to be.
Scenario 2 allows Rosey to indulge those fantasies strategically improperly and prematurely
As a GM, I HATE when players try to 'surprise' me with freak actions and shit. Im here for the shenanigens, but allow me to help YOU make it fun for everyone, while not disrupting all my hard work.
>>181071 Reeee it wasn't a grenade! It was divine zigger magical arts! Though now that I think about it I probably could have popped a thunderstone for similar effect without inducing eardrum bleeding.... Oops?
Ugh,I'm doing it again, sorry. Stealth killers rely on one or both types of stealth, auditory and visual. Impairing the hearing of oppnents can be exploited with certain skill checks, enabling a crafty ninja to land almost all strikes as sneak attacks, which Brie has at a 3d6
But back to the tiara Im seriously and deliberately trying to structure this in a particular manner.
The underlying theme of the scenario compromise that is being proposed is this:
Yes, Posey can have the tiara if she is going to be responsible with it, and we can consider what transpired as a flash image in Rosey's mind as she briefly contemplated putting on the crown but deciding better of the idea.
We should retcon Posey putting on the tiara and have the party deliberate over what to do with it. Silver could have an interest in giving it to Pear and her university for study. Posey who is ostensibly from another university could contest it.
>>181092 Once I have blind fighting, he'll only need smoke bombs. There was no other way unless we were supposed to take 2 feats at 1st level for some reason. He took weapon focus:dagger, to open up Advanced dagger mastery, and then weapon finesse. Advanced dagger mastery enables a character who is not a monk to do flurry of blows but only with dagger and dagger-like. It also grants quickdraw and a few other perks, but thats the main benefit. A little cheesy on its own, but more understandable since Brie has the 1 monk dip, which technically allows him to do that anyway EXCEPT when armored, which ADM would seem to not prohibit.
>>181024 That’s just expressway not what the tiara is and the function it serves in the story. In the story, the tiara mind controls a griffin, causing him to be a danger to those around him. (I mean, more so). It’s a danger to self and others device.
>>181079 Oh no, Posey explicitly stated “I’m going to wear this crown that I know has the effect of mind controlling people, giving them them extra powers, and making them hostile.” And everyone else was like “Nah, it’ll be fine.”
>>181080 You basically did throw a grenade in the room.
>>181081 Brie had one job: don’t explicitly give the friendly NPCs hosting the mission a reason to distrust you. Brie failed at this one job. So he didn’t get the goodies.
>>181095 Nono, my vote is retcon, I PREFER we let it play >but the whales and fishes Ngl, I was thinking it as well >it'll be fine Brie trusts Silver, more or less >you were bad and got coal in ur stocking Fair
>>181095 >What would Posey say? Something along the lines of that, followed by "trust me, I'm a professional" as she vows to bring it back to the cursed items department at the university where it can be safely disposed of. Or, that would have been the smart thing to say. Pic related >and making them hostile I thought there would be a saving throw to not be controlled by the item and to instead control it, but I guess I was patently wrong. You already saw my explanation. >pls don’t Rolling up and anthropomorphic (equipomorphic?) whale sea pony Bard character :3 just kidding unless...?
>>181098 One thing you and I as GMs have in common is an appreciation for cursed items, however I am more like GM (seemingly) in that I condition my players to NOT play with the obviously evil thing - at their own emphatic risk/consequence - without preventative measures in place, and ESPECIALLY don't let it out of your hands/sight, thats how you get eldritch-kaiju field mice.
>>181100 >I hate Ziggers and Jewelry That was exactly the vibe after the session on Saturday...
>>181098 I'm kind of falling in love with leviathans. I need to make them show up as monsters or background pieces or even as interactable NPCs/creatures.
>>181104 It's so pretty. The exquisite singularity and application of just one color invites an almost synesthetic depth, imbuing the piece with a warmth that transcends mere chromatic selection.
>>181105 Oh. She's an earth pony, right? I did figure she was white.
>>181107 >I'm kind of falling in love with leviathans. I need to make them show up as monsters or background pieces or even as interactable NPCs/creatures. I can link you third some edition resources related to Leviathans if you want. There's a leviathan in the MM2, which is basically a collosal whale. The MMII is not known for it's stellar monster editing, and I consider it's statblock to be a bit weaksauce for it's CR (no spells or ranged attacks), but the MMII leviathan is closest to the large whale you described. There's also also The Leviathan in Elder Evils (very good book), which is a titanic apocalyptic monster with am outline of a quest concerning it's awakening and containment; it also has less-apocalyptic-aspects that the party can fight. I believe there's also another version of Leviathans in dragon magazine that comes with its own article concerning its ecology. There's also the anthropomorphic baleen whale race in an index of Savage Species. Anthropomorphic animals are somewhat poorly written, but the baleen whale is one that I have played before. There are also many more leviathan-like collosal sea monsters in several other books that may fit your description, as well as several whale-like monsters (elsewhale, soarwhale, etc) and races. Several templates that can be applied to SRD monsters as well (aquatic template on a tarrasque, Kaiju template on a mundane whale, half-celestial/fiend/dragon whale, guardian monster, monstrous beast, etc). I think there's a mention of Leviathans somewhere in Stormwrack, the book for aquatic/naval campaigns. >>181105 Pretty. She shares Rosey Ring's color scheme.
>>181107 >I did figure she was no monkey >>181111 > She shares Rosey Ring's color scheme. The mane is the same but she had a light tan fur coat but she looked so good in white I decided against it. >>181111 Thanks. ^^ Sadly, she has a nine in charisma. >>181107 >She's an earth pony, right? Indeed, she is. >synesthetic Didn't know what that was before. The more you know. Also: ^^ >>181108 ^^
>>181123 >pic 1 related ^^ >>181118 >pic 2 related ^^ >Ill suggest 'slighly rude' I came up with something similar but I worded it more like clumsy with her words. She means well after all. It's essentially the same.
I'd vote retcon, mostly because we weren't thinking straight and as a result our characters were decidedly out of character, and if we were thinking straight then things would have turned out much differently and this whole debacle wouldn't have occurred in the first place. I'd want Brie to get that moment of character development that his player wants, tho.
One of the main conditions for the CM trigger is "genuinely fearing for his life", which I intend that GM will see to. The rest is more or less established, and will be detailed when the time comes.
It's been a long time. When Amber got that invitation to Club Maurice, was it Dark Denizen or another pony that Dark Denizen sent? I haven't looked at it but I'm certain it was a bat pony and probably Dark Denizen.
>>181208 >>181258 Aren't these hero-grade stats? When you roll stats for an average character you use three die instead of four, and you don't discard the lowest.
I usually just use elite array when I make NPCs. Rolling is more fun for some, but I try to minimize the trouble I go through to make a character that the party is probably going to kill in the third round of combat. Nice roll on the first one though.
>>181296 Also, GM isnt allowed to roll damage for me anymore, especially not together with everyone. Call me paranoid, but these dice can lick my balls.
>>181297 >He thinks that his feeble decrees can save him from Fortuna’s malevolent whims Darling. Bro. I haven’t rolled damage for you even once this whole game.
>>181123 So your oc can sell mine anything >>181226 and yours can turn her into a comfy footstool. Sorry, hoofstool.
Btw, GM I came up with few things that I'd like to run by you. As stated Hope's is yours so feel free to ignore these ideas if you feel like it.
Virgin Flame's character has continue to grow and I have come to realize that I'd prefer if she was more of bulky strong, hard-hitting kinda archetype. I like her best state to be str and I like her to buck hard that's why I was drawn to the barbarian class. However, I still want to keep the style of, well, her entire character but particularly the monk aspect. I still want her to fight unarmed for example. And while I know one can just used the aesthetics of a monk with barbarian with the feat unarmed, I like the idea of cross classing.
The idea is that during her time in the monastery, Vir was taught the monk ways but when she gained more independence due to different reasons, the her barbarian nature came out and she excelled in it instead.
Same idea goes for Hope's who was taught to heal, as in she gained levels in cleric before she later became a wizard or some other mage class of that kind.
So I was thinking something like this (1-2 lvl monk) + (5-4 lvl bar) for Vir and (1-2 lvl cleric) + (5-4 lvl wiz) for Hope's.
This could also be interesting for Hope's since she's an atheist now so it makes it interesting to see how she uses her cleric spells now or if that she's unable to use those spells (which is also interesting, I think).
Hehe, and Pew Seat could have been raised to be a paladin and then she returns as a death knight. ^^
>>181321 >Im very curious how that works It's in the SRD: >If a cleric is not devoted to a particular deity, he still selects two domains to represent his spiritual inclinations and abilities. The restriction on alignment domains still applies. Power comes from faith itself, not just from the gods. If you want specific lore, I can dig up examples from half a dozen books.
I actually considered making Posey a godless Cleric (Clerics are the best necromancers), but I chose Dread Necromancer because it has Dread in it, and also because u have powergaming tendencies so I figured I should avoid tier 1 classes in favor of a specialist tier 3 class. I'm normally not fond of godless Clerics though, at least in most conventional d&d settings.
>>181302 Hmm, actually. I haven't decided yet how I wish Vir to play. I'll think about it. >>181321 >Heals teammates by the power of God she doesn't believe exist. ^^ Yeah, Idk. Maybe, it could just be a level of exp that she doesn't use anymore, like for story purposes.
>>181322 >Power comes from faith itself, not just from the gods. Okay. I feel like I heard and extended diatribe about this topic but I don't remember it.
>>181322 >>181323 I know it can be done, Im just interested to hear this particular take. My favorite is faith in the divine essence of the self, but theres many ways to do it in rules or just in essence
>>181302 > I'd prefer if she was more of bulky strong, hard-hitting kinda archetype. What was she before? I mean, I think you made it clear in the petting scene that she was much larger and stronger than the already reasonably sized Heather.
I suppose if you want you can make a barbarian multiclass. Barbarian is kind of an odd class as it generally refers to a tribal character. Maybe a homeless alcoholic with PTSD can be like a barbarian? It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
When you mentioned Hope’s Anchor being a spell caster I assumed Wizard or sorcerer. I had contemplated an atheist cleric before for other reasons. However, because of the other discussion on that subject in the thread, I’ll abstain from comment for now.
>>181307 > he rerolls for himself, hoping for a better roll >only goes from an 8 to a 7 Hehe
>>181322 First of all, that isn’t atheism. That’s “I’m spiritual but I’m not religious” or “Non-denominational” or Prince Charlie’s “Defender of the Faiths.” That’s a very different thing from being an atheist.
>lore Darling. Bro. This world is, first and foremost, at its core, a recursive fanfiction of my little pony. A fanfiction of a fanfiction of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. This ain’t faerun. You can most certainly draw inspiration from that, but the reason I chose Dungeons and Dragons as a system was because I needed a system, I already knew dnd 3.5e, and the system was not important enough for me to justify the effort of finding and learning a new system. It isn’t because I wanted to be wedded to its lore.
Personally, I think it’s best to be creative with religion. Not every single fantasy religion needs to be I-Can’t-Believe-It’s-Not-Hellenism/The Vikings! It’s okay to have Pantheistic faiths. It’s okay to have faiths that believe in a single, non-personal god. It’s okay to have a faith that believes in a single, universal life force. It’s okay to have dualistic faiths. In fact, if you look at most civilizations that made it past the Iron Age, you’ll see that the vast majority practiced something other than what we’d recognize as European paganism. He’ll, it’s even okay in fantasy settings, I think, to have religions that believe in a, shock and horror, a single personal creator god. There’s so much more out there than just Odin and Zeus.
>>181325 To quote a D&D forum I visited years ago “Yeah, but immunity to wizard and resistance to fighter kind of makes up for it.” In this case it’s more like immunity to fighter and resistance to wizard, but it’s the same idea.
>>181331 → >As we are talking about it, Zigger went ahead and made a hippie cleric that doesn’t want to follow any kind of god but just wants those good feeling vibes. You know, without clearing by the GM first. Nigger are you for real?
>>181335 >When you mentioned Hope’s Anchor being a spell caster I assumed Wizard or sorcerer. Yeah, that's how I imagine her too, I'm just thinking that she could have a level in it as a vestigial feature or something. Its mostly that I think it fits that she'd be a cleric type, specifically life domain, since she learnt it from a nun. But again, I'm just throwing out ideas. Feel free to do whatever you want with her. ^^
>What was she before? I mean, I think you made it clear in the petting scene that she was much larger and stronger than the already reasonably sized Heather. Yes, but I don't know it it comes through in her stats, or rather, I might want to make her strength the core part of her character. There are other personality reasons too but i haven't decided yet.
>Maybe a homeless alcoholic with PTSD can be like a barbarian? It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. She prefer between homes.^^
>>181326 The Cleric class supports just about any type of religion/culture you can think of. Some Clerics have faith in gods, others in the elements, some in abstract esoteric forces, some in the planes themselves, some in philosophical concepts, acts of war, dragons, extraplanar masses of mana, sometimes even in themselves. Worth noting that although the default setting in 3.5e is Grayhawk, the Cleric class is meant for any setting, including settings where gods are complete absent (Dark Sun) or indeterminate/mystery/fictional (Eberron), or even irl-like (d20 Arcana) That being said, any Cleric should be a religious character. In most conventional mileau I, as a DM, and not fond of players who play "ideal" Clerics just to mix and match their favorite domain abilities without roleplay restrictions, because I see that as tasteless munchkinry. I've only encountered a handful though. It's the GM's choice for how he wants to treat Clerics in his mileau. >>181335 >First of all, that isn’t atheism. That’s “I’m spiritual but I’m not religious” or “Non-denominational” or Prince Charlie’s “Defender of the Faiths.” That’s a very different thing from being an atheist. You are correct. I was mistaken. An "atheist" Cleric would be something more like an Ur Priest. >This world is, first and foremost, at its core, a recursive fanfiction of my little pony. A fanfiction of a fanfiction of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. True. However, wouldn't the Harmonist Cleric we encountered who wasn't devoted to the princesses be the equivalent to an "ideal Cleric" in this mileau? >Personally, I think it’s best to be creative with religion. Not every single fantasy religion needs to be I-Can’t-Believe-It’s-Not-Hellenism/The Vikings! It’s okay to have Pantheistic faiths. It’s okay to have faiths that believe in a single, non-personal god. It’s okay to have a faith that believes in a single, universal life force. It’s okay to have dualistic faiths. In fact, if you look at most civilizations that made it past the Iron Age, you’ll see that the vast majority practiced something other than what we’d recognize as European paganism. He’ll, it’s even okay in fantasy settings, I think, to have religions that believe in a, shock and horror, a single personal creator god. There’s so much more out there than just Odin and Zeus. I totally agree. 3.5e has mechanics and lore to support all of those. Deities and demigods has a lot of tips on how to support various approaches to faith (monotheistic, dual theistic, completing pantheons, etc).
I think there are at least a couple actual deities in MLP FiM. Discord is an lesser-to-intermediate deity, easily statted as a great wyrm ascendant chaos archdragon (chaos dragons look exactly like discord). Celestia is something like a demigod, probably base her stats on a half celestial unicorn with divine stat array and several levels in Cleric and Radiant Servant. Same with Luna, except she'd be a Shadowcaster, and lower rank. .... But there's no real reason to make statblocks for characters that the party won't interact with...
>To quote a D&D forum I visited years ago “Yeah, but immunity to wizard and resistance to fighter kind of makes up for it.” In this case it’s more like immunity to fighter and resistance to wizard, but it’s the same idea. I'm not really sure what that poster means, but okay.
Btw, I was thinking, you have before expressed frustration with Posey's durability. I am open to nerfing Posey. Posey has 55 HP, which is admittedly a lot for a lvl 4 character in a low-op game. 8 of those Hit Points come from Desecrate, and 6 of those Hit points come from Undead Mastery (also the source of her enhancement bonus to stats): they are both functions of Posey being created by her Mentor, an 8th level Dread Necromancer that Posey had access to through the apprentice feat. When I made her as a character, I considered Posey's creation to be one of her limited favors from her Mentor. In the interest of balance, I would be open to eliminating both the 16 bonus HP and her enhancement bonuses to Str and Dex that she gained from her master, although I would like for Posey to be able to reapply those traits if she ever gets to lvl 8 one day. I could remove the spellstitching too, although tbh I like the ability to cast floating disk and unseen servant, and to buff the party with create magic tatoo.
Posey has three sources of Damage Reduction: Her class, (2/bludgeoning and magic; class), her inherited template (5/silver or magic; half vampire), and her applied template (5/silver or magic; spellstitched). These sources of Damage Reduction are redundant; I would strongly prefer to keep the first two, since they are Posey's class and racial abilities, the latter she paid two levels for, but it's your call.
To alter Posey in-universe, perhaps Posey's masters in the Dread League may have determined her to be a lackluster emissary for not having already conquered Baltimare in two weeks, and may have remotely taken away everything they gave her as punishment, telling her to become a master herself and earn her own powers.
>>181340 >I, as a DM, and not fond of players who play "ideal" Clerics just to mix and match their favorite domain abilities without roleplay restrictions, because I see that as tasteless munchkinry This really gets to the core of the issue. Actual IRL religions impose moral codes and restrictions on what you can and cannot do. They impose duties. There are rituals that have to be followed. They almost always have societal institutions with their own hierarchies and impositions and social relations. People who are “””spiritual but not religious””” want the “everything is permitted” of being an atheist but without the downer parts. They want the feel goody goodness of religion, and the cushy happy ending afterlife, without any of the obligations that religion imposes.
A cleric with a religion has a moral code they must follow. They have a deity whose word they must follow, whose favor they must maintain - and if the BBEG has the power to threaten gods - whose wellbeing they have an interest in preserving. There are rituals that must be performed and customs that be followed. There is an institution with a hierarchy that must be respected and interacted with. There’s a whole theology that adds lore and depth to the setting and campaign. And even besides all of this, there’s a general expectation that if a cleric hears “hey, the BBEG is burning down temples of your religion!” that cleric is supposed to care and react. Bypassing all of this is… well it’s not as compelling.
>wouldn't the Harmonist Cleric we encountered who wasn't devoted to the princesses be the equivalent to an "ideal Cleric" in this mileau? The character was a deliberate ass pull for Brie. A joke character that pokes fun at the people who stand on street corners and talk about Jesus. I do think he was based on a “””non-denominational””” Protestant. However, even this is a very specific form of a specific faith that follows a specific tradition.
>I think there are at least a couple actual deities in MLP FiM I don’t think that Discord is a deity. Yes, he is a god in almost every way, such as evidently being immortal and possibly timeless. He represents a force within the universe. He has the power to create things out of air. He is a pagan style deity - or even stronger - in close to every way. However, I do not remember a single instance in the show of any character, be it discord or any one else, using any kind of religious language in reference to him. It’s true that My Little Pony has been deliberately scrubbed of any kind of religious language in order to appease The Guardians, but you’ll still hear religious references to Celestia, like Twilight saying “don’t take Celestia’s name in vain.” The characters don’t seem to think of Discord as a god, so I don’t think we should. I think that the reason for this is that he is based off of a character (Q) from an atheistic setting where it’s understood that gods are just ancient aliens. Thus, Discord is never referred to as a god.
Celestia has religious language associated with her and definitely has something to do with godhood, though whether that means that she’s a god, an angel, a demigod, a buddha, or a paragon of harmony is up to interpretation.
I think the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic setting has one, clear, unambiguous, and ultimately powerful god: Harmony. It’s the source of all ultimate power, it has definite virtues in loyalty & courage, strength & honesty, laughter & hope, kindness & health, generosity & beauty, and friendship & magic. These virtues create magical power. It can spawn and power the elements of harmony, which can one shot even a super powered Luna or discord. And most importantly of all it took physical form and became sentient in the episode “what lies beneath” like a pony Jesus.
In my interpretation, Harmonism is a more or less pantheistic religion that proposes that “Harmony” is a spiritual force that pervades the universe and is the source of all life force. Harmony is associated with the familiar virtues, and these virtues literally create harmony magic and cause it to grow in power. The universe is has always existed, presumably in cycles. This is basically the theology Aristotle seems to propose in his works, with “reason” replaced with harmony, and thus logically “Armonia” and its highest subset virtue of friendship being placed above the non-moral virtues knowledge. Whether Celestia is an outright minor deity, a paragon, or anything in between, is a matter of interpretation that gives rises to the various denominations of Harmonism.
>Nerfing Posey This is very much appreciated, but at minimum it’s going to need to wait until I’m back at the hotel to address it.
>>181345 >This really gets to the core of the issue. I've only encountered it a few times, but it's also an easy issue to fix, imo, because I can at this point spot the difference between a person who wants to roleplay a different take on religion, and a tasteless munchkin. Dusty is the former. First time I detected a player who was only playing a godless cleric to mix and match abilities without roleplay restrictions, I just houseruled that godless Clerics could only choose PHB domains. To this day, how I treat godless Clerics mostly depends on how much I personally like the character presented. >Yes, he is a god in almost every way, such as evidently being immortal and possibly timeless. He represents a force within the universe. He has the power to create things out of air. He is a pagan style deity - or even stronger - in close to every way. This can mechanically describe a deity in d&d. He should statistically be an ascendant Chaos dragon though, because Chaos Dragons look just like him, and live in Limbo. >I do not remember a single instance in the show of any character, be it discord or any one else, using any kind of religious language in reference to him. Not all gods are worshipped like mortals, particularly the unknowable Lovecraftian kind of gods, or elder evils that have been sealed alway and forgotten. Discord definitely falls in the category of "Elder Evil who was sealed away and forgotten". >The characters don’t seem to think of Discord as a god, so I don’t think we should. Sure, but do you really want to eliminate the potential for "Chaos Cultists" in your mileau? They sound like they could make good villains. Also, 40k references are fun. With Discord unsealed, and evidently unwilling to intervene in these chaotic times of war, his cult may re-emerge as a faction of deranged cultists who only cares about spreading mayhem and madness. >Celestia has religious language associated with her and definitely has something to do with godhood, though whether that means that she’s a god, an angel, a demigod, a buddha, or a paragon of harmony is up to interpretation. If you're not interested in the cool demigod statblocks I was making for Celestia, and want to give her minimal power, you could probably just use a Solar for her statblock, with some abilities modified. >I think the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic setting has one, clear, unambiguous, and ultimately powerful god: Harmony. It’s the source of all ultimate power, it has definite virtues in loyalty & courage, strength & honesty, laughter & hope, kindness & health, generosity & beauty, and friendship & magic. These virtues create magical power. It can spawn and power the elements of harmony, which can one shot even a super powered Luna or discord. And most importantly of all it took physical form and became sentient in the episode “what lies beneath” like a pony Jesus. You could probably stat Harmony as something similar to the monotheistic deity presented in Deities and Demigods, of state the elements individually as deities in a pantheon that join together to become a super deity. I think Clerics who devote themselves to one of the elements over all of them could make sense. >In my interpretation, Harmonism is a more or less pantheistic religion that proposes that “Harmony” is a spiritual force that pervades the universe and is the source of all life force. Harmony is associated with the familiar virtues, and these virtues literally create harmony magic and cause it to grow in power. The universe is has always existed, presumably in cycles. Pantheism is a thing in d&d, particularly Eberron with the Sovereign Host.
To the issue of meta, the ability to sufficiently appreciate the potential of the crown would mechanically be based on a knowledge arcana check, probably high dc. 3 guesses what Brie's ranks are, trained only. The only things he knlws about magic items is how to sometimes get them to work (use magic), and a bunch of random tidbits. The odds of him knowing enough to really decipher what hes seen is very low, but he does know theres funny business hes QUITE keen to get to the bottom of.
>>181353 >the ability to sufficiently appreciate the potential of the crown would mechanically be based on a knowledge arcana check, probably high dc I rolled a 30. 30 is high.
>>181353 Through basic observation on its effects both before and after it was removed from the griffon's head, Silver could probably surmise that the crown has some kind of mind control power/curse and that it increases the natural abilities of its wearer. He has absolutely no knowledge of magic or the arcane (a result of being raised by a single Earth Pony father) outside of what his daughter White Light has told him in excited descriptions of her latest studies when she was a filly, and as such would have no deeper understand of how the crown actually operates than the next pony.
>>181354 Well, heres the thing. I WANT Brie to immediately grasp the significance of what he has so far detected, cuz I appreciate the significance of what he's seeing, but thats meta. In reality, Brie owes knowledge, insight, and a few other checks to put together what I already know, and several checks he should automatically fail. Im gonna leave it up to GM to weigh on how I can roll to be as prescient as I was trying to overreachingly have him be.
I'm not rolling for the vomiting OR the critical stab thats healed. I did roll to notice the stashing of the magic sword but willfully neglected to sense motive, the crown Ill voluntarily waive/fail, so sense motive on the spoopy obsessive behavior/emotes. [1d20+8 = (17+8) = 25]
K, so Brie can tell that Rosey is jizzing her pants at the crown but really doesnt want anyone to know. And, he cant know why she would be jizzing her pants, though she did claim profession,... but that captain summoned something, and these Griffons are talking mind control. More questions
>>181358 >>181359 Rosey and Silver were both calling the tiara "cursed" based off of the apocalyptic log of the whalers before shit went down, long before they went on that boat.
This is what happens when you quit for a week and miss part of the game...
>>181362 Even in spite of my tantrum, Brie would not have entered the buildings with them, he would have maintained an arial vantage. He came into this mission: 1. Thinking he had it already figured out, and it was military/commie/mercenary (conventional) 2. Thinking they could be walking into a trap It actually makes sense for him to fuck off for that portion, even though I was shitting my pants ^,_,^
>>181371 I'll grant that that bonus would be removed for the sense motive check (the penalty to charisma is precisely to account for his overall suspiciousness), but it would be harder to spot/easier to conceal tells that account for the perception of the bluff
>>181353 Posey already said out loud that it was cursed. The journals we read implied that it was cursed. Brie by now knows that it is a cursed items, and the cause of the Captain's aberrant behavior. >>181356 Even with her 30 on Arcana, Posey does not know the abilities of the tiara or even how it could be useful to her. She wants it because it is pretty, it is cursed (spooky = based), and it matches her color scheme: she sees herself in it. The crown as is not useful to anyone and is only a hazard to its bearer, but that isn't enough to deter Posey. >>181356 It should be common knowledge in this setting that magic items exist, and that cursed items can drive you insane if not handled appropriately. He might've heard a rumor of a situation in Ponyville (Knowledge: Local) a few years ago where such an incident happened with a certain blue unicorn who came in possession of a cursed amulet. >>181358 >>181359 >And, he cant know why she would be jizzing her pants, though she did claim profession,... Posey failed to hide that she is incredibly excited to come in possession of such a heavily cursed item. She is a huge curse geek, like an entomologist discovering a rare poisonous bug after getting stung by it. Pics related. It might be powerful if used in the right context. Who knows? >>181370 It's called a masterwork tool. They're not expensive. Buy one.
>>181387 >Even with her 30 on Arcana, Posey does not know the abilities of the tiara or even how it could be useful to her. It channels divine energy. Do you want like, specific spells?
>>181387 Yes, and one of the questions Brie intends to ask is "whats this about a curse? Like in fairy tales?" Brie knows magic exists, has even dealt with some useful ones, but has no comprehension and is, not suspicious of but more mindful toward. He has loads of question once we're 86 the freighter (kek)
>>181338 What are her stats? Have you factored in racial bonii?
I like that you're putting deep thought into what class to choose, and you can choose whatever justification you want, but you don't need to factor in upbringing if you don't want to. Choosing Amber's class as bard was very easy for me: I had a mental image of a farmer pony with a music-related cutie mark who wanted to learn music, and the party never had a bard before. She could've been any class (she isn't even very good at music yet) and with research I might have chosen something other than a base class. As for Cavaliere, I knew he had to be a ranger for gunslinger-related feats. He wouldn't have an animal companion and I wanted him to be very good at unarmed combat so I chose to multiclass into monk. I was close to choosing a rogue multiclass instead but that would work better for a different character concept. Like with Brie, the monk multiclass is for mechanical benefit rather than character lore.
The discussion on religion and clerics is very interesting!
>>181347 >Celestia is a Solar Actually that would make a lot of sense. >I think Clerics who devote themselves to one of the elements over all of them could make sense. Okay but where would the alicorns fit in? They also each represent a crucial aspect of harmony and life. Celestia represents the sun, warmth, and everything related to it. Luna represents the night, dreams, etc. Cadance represents love and family. Twilight is already the Element of Magic but also represents friendship and learning.
>>181392 Why wouldn't his weapon of all things be masterwork?
>>181404 >Okay but where would the alicorns fit in? They also each represent a crucial aspect of harmony and life. Celestia represents the sun, warmth, and everything related to it. Luna represents the night, dreams, etc. Cadance represents love and family. Twilight is already the Element of Magic but also represents friendship and learning. You could just start them as demigods and have harmonist priests who follow their teachings. >Actually that would make a lot of sense Just remove the shapeshifting ability and replace it with something else.
>>181404 One doesnt tend to deface the serial numbers nor possess illegally in commission of a crime such masterpieces (especially threading such a barrel!)
>>181477 4d12 + 6 (Bloodtouched Rite) + 8 (Desecrated on an altar) + 8 (Undead Mastery) Yep. The lvl 8 Warblade build based on Silver I made has twice that many hot points, wanna see the progress?
But yeah, its easy to forget that characters dont know to think/look for spoopy shit, when youve spent years playing characters who know - by background, sense, or both - to watch out for and know that shit
>>181489 You and I have a very different perspective of what broken means, tbh.... Notice how Posey has no Metamagic feats? That's because she's not doing any crazy Metamagic gimmicks, and by spellcaster standards she's low-op. To me, broken means using the writing of Warshaper's Morphic Weapons (technically has no upper limit for how many weapons you can grow) to grow unlimited/infinite crotch tentacles for infinite attacks. Or using Summon Elemental to summon Living Holocausts (technically, they're Small Elementals), at-will. Or using the Spelldance to persist every buff spell (Or really any use of Persistent Spell with Metamagic cost reducers). Or casting Wall Of Salt, and selling the salt (it's worth its weight in silver). Or buying a candle of Invocation, and doing literally anything with it. High HP has never been on my list of broken things. >>181502 I was interested in building a castle that stands on chicken feet.
>>181505 Okay, Broken may be hyperbolic. Spellstitching is kinda hax, and Im - in good faith no less - warning you now that the same concentration rules that apply to spells apply to spell like abilities
Some of the things Rosey has applied are kinda intended to not be used together (or worse, they were e_e) But, lemons and lemonade. Bring on the Leviathan *clap clap*
>>181507 I know this probably isn't helping, but I'm not even sure I'd describe her as unkillable. Exceptionally sturdy, sure, but she's already nearly died twice...or was it three times? I forget how that battle against the griffon paladin went. As for the current party - not saying anyone is currently planning anything hostile towards Posey because we really aren't - I can see a couple creatures actually posing a serious threat to her in battle. Defiant Dust absolutely could turn Posey to dust, and Silver could hold his own with the help of his sword.
>>181512 GM has explained multiple times that the design of the campaign is for a lot of mundane threats and a few eldritch threats that should terrify the PCs, but for Posey is "just another Tuesday."
>>181515 She's not unkillable by any means, but definitely really tanky.
>>181517 I know, Im trying to reframe. Rosey can be ridiculous, but that means being clutch ridiculous (and not 'yet' in a villain mastermind sense) 'for the time being'. I get it
>>181515 >Exceptionally sturdy, sure, but she's already nearly died twice In both of the encounters where Posey was substantially threatened (the fight with Luminous, and the hydra fight), she only barely won with single digit HP. >>181515 >I forget how that battle against the griffon paladin went. She had literally 1 HP left on the final round. >Defiant Dust absolutely could turn Posey to dust Also this. If he rolled high enough, he could instantly destroy her. Posey is also vulnerable to any of the other various spell effects that control or destroy undead.
And if she goes to 0 HP, she's just destroyed, not dying, and she can't be raised. And she can't benefit from conventional healing magic.
And also, she can't just go walking through machine gun fire in broad daylight in front of witnesses, can she? She's a spy, she has to keep her true nature secret.
>>181515 >>181512 Yes yes yes yes, I know, you an just infinitely inflate the numbers on both sides until fights are superhero fights where they punch each other and shoot lasers at each other and there is no visible damage.
>>181521 >And also, she can't just go walking through machine gun fire in broad daylight in front of witnesses, can she? Posey literally tried to do that after the Luminous fight
>>181521 In the fight with luminous, the only reason it was like that at all was because I told you No, there is not 5 damage reduction, and no, Posey is not immune to criticals. Remove that Critical - which, by your own rules for the character should not have existed - and that fight was not a single digit HP fight. Luminous got ridiculously lucky on a critical hit on a smite AND I told you to fuck off with immunity to crits AND fuck off with the damage resistance.
The hydra fight was just... Every singe round was calculating three or more different dice rolls for each attack. There were so many saving throws involved. I lost track of it because of how complicated it was. It was not fun. It was a convoluted slog.
>>181521 >Posey is also vulnerable to any of the other various spell effects that control or destroy undead. Okay, so she's completely immune to multiple types of harm, but vulnerable to enemies specifically designed to fight undead. Do I need to redesign my entire world around fighting undead?
>And she can't benefit from conventional healing magic. What does that matter when with her fast healing, she's back to full health in four and half minutes? Fuck healing magic that cost spell slots, just stand still for five minutes.
>>181524 >superhero Kaiju, please >>181524 Addy, who can be said to be in something of the background, suddnly starts busing herself cleaning, not in anybway cuz shes guilty of kinda the same thing
>>181506 My stat block for Chrysalis would had a level in warshaper>>181524 >Posey literally tried to do that after the Luminous fight No, she tried to use gaseous form to escape, but at the time I didn't understand the situation. >In the fight with luminous, the only reason it was like that at all was because I told you No, there is not 5 damage reduction I must have missed this, because at the time Posey had given Luminous her silver sword. > I told you to fuck off with immunity to crits At the time, I understood it as Luminous having a feature that let him crit undead, because paladins have access to several. >The hydra fight was just... Every singe round was calculating three or more different dice rolls for each attack. There were so many saving throws involved. I lost track of it because of how complicated it was. It was not fun. It was a convoluted slog. Oh... Well, I had fun. Sorry that it was so complicated for you though. >Do I need to redesign my entire world around fighting undead? That would be interesting, but I know your question is rhetorical. >Do I need to redesign my entire world around fighting undead Most of her healing comes from her Charnel touch, which is an active ability that takes actions.
Idk what to say though. Would you be satisfied if I cut Posey's bonus HP?
>>181524 >In the fight with luminous, the only reason it was like that at all was because I told you No, there is not 5 damage reduction, and no, Posey is not immune to criticals. Remove that Critical - which, by your own rules for the character should not have existed - and that fight was not a single digit HP fight. Luminous got ridiculously lucky on a critical hit on a smite AND I told you to fuck off with immunity to crits AND fuck off with the damage resistance. I understand your perspective, but I also would like to propose a counter point: players are supposed to win. I did enjoy that fight that ended with 1 HP, but is every fight supposed to end with me at 1 HP? If Posey had immunity to crits, that fight would have ended with her around ~10 HP. Isn't ending a fight with 10 HP fine?
I had neglected your DR ruling during the hydra fight: without the DR/Silver or Magic, Posey would have just died. She expended all of her spell slots, took a ton of damage, and was fighting an enemy underwater with only one way to counter it's fast healing (summoning amoebas). Was your intention for her to die in that fight? Posey, an ECL 3-5 character, was fighting a monster that would have been a hard fight for an entire party of her level. Was she supposed to just lose?
I'm not trying to be adversarial, but how do you want encounters to go in your game? What's the lethality level that you are interested in? As far as I can tell, none of the characters have died, everyone has ended their hardest encounters with around a quarter of their health. It didn't seem like high lethality was the intended atmosphere to me.
>>181527 Ngl, thats a very compelling argument. I dont have any issue with OP characters, I have issues with OP characters who vomit blood for a whole flight, go Smeagol around spoopy.magics, and generally express an intent to entertain themselves at the expense of the party, and I admit a.dying prejudice to that conclusion
Before I made Posey, I took this interaction into account: >>167499 → GM: >Most likely, the majority of enemies that Posey will face, and certainly the vast majority of enemies faced by the party so far, have been "humanoid" type enemies with melee or ranged weapons. Ponies, Changelings, Diamond Dogs, and Griffins with talons, machetes, and bolt action rifles. Sometimes, there are zombies or animals or monsters with teeth and claws. And sometimes, there is something more exotic, like machine guns, explosives, or combat mages who use deflective shields to bolster their submachine guns. Sometimes there is armor, or cover, or many enemies. But in all instances, combat is ultimately about dice rolls and modifiers. Chance of hitting multiplied by damage against health. It's all about math. I can balance things just by changing the numbers. > Spells, by contrast, tend to be more qualitative, and a bit harder to quantify. When Posie has a spell that I've actually worked with before like vampiric touch that does something like, let's say 2d6 damage, I can say to myself, okay, she's doing twice the damage of a knife, let's put her up against at least one diamond dog with a knife, or maybe even put her against a pony who has a pistol that does 2d6 damage. But if Posie has [spell that I can't remember the name of] that does [I have no idea because I couldn't even name the source book], then... what do I put her against? Four changeling drones who guard a fifth and a sixth with a machine gun? It's an apples to orange comparison, so I really don't know what to expect here. Either she is going to win and win very easily to the point that it's boring, or she is going to lose and lose massively to the point that it's frustrating. >I guess you can just post sources, or what these spells do. If the spells are too powerful I'm probably still going to be hesitant because I'd rather Posie be comparable in power to the other characters when she is alongside them. So long as she's in solo combat though, it shouldn't matter, as the enemies can be adjusted accordingly. There's also the danger that she could be too weak, especially as what are essentially MG42s have been used in combat before, although this is usually easily fixable by adjusting enemies. Me: >>combat mages who use deflective shields to bolster their submachine guns >That sounds like a pretty brutal encounter GM: >Yes.
I came into the game believing that there would be wizards with machines guns and changeling firing squads, but that Posey was supposed to win. I took into account the skepticism with spell balance, so I made Posey a character that was more focused on combat and less reliant on spells. That's why I didn't take any Metamagic. Of course, I did try that defiling thing at first, but I removed it on my own volition because it was too cheesy for my taste.
Maybe I misunderstood what the point of this game was going to be. I thought the characters were going to be fighting actual wars with machine gun Wizards, so I focused on durability. I would not have paid two whole levels of spellcasting for that durability if I didn't think it would be necessary.
And overall, Posey has only had between four and six serious encounters in this entire campaign: the equivalent to a single adventuring day. Isn't it a bit early to judge how "broken" she is?
I even voluntarily abstained from using any kind of firearm, just to handicap myself and follow the abysmal tech level of the Dread League. I played an inferior dread necromancer instead of a cleric, because I decided that delayed spell progression was worth the name. I could have cast animate dead on day 1, but I let it be 5 levels away. I spent all of my starting gold on becoming a monster, instead of buying items. I made my character all-but-die when she passed over running water, compulsively knock on door to forfeit surprise rounds, and
Am I really power gaming that hard? What problems have I caused with my build? What issues has Posey created (besides the crown which is irrelevant to her build)? Has her high HP, immunities, or DR ever been an actual issue before? Are there any fights that Posey has been involved in that should have gone differently than they did? Was she supposed to lose some of those solo encounters? What's the problem with Posey? Tell me what it is so I can fix it.
On a personal note, I have an unresolved issue with 'Gamer' culture in D&D (surely its been noticed). Theres a time and place for characters like Rosie - expounding the envelope- and this can well be one of them. But lets not pretend its really east to balance a bunch of reasonably squishies alingside a (cuz regen and DR) 4x more health (aline) undead powerhouse.
I was exceedingly proud of what I accomplished with the unadulterated rolls I made with Brie (>point buy, <low sperm [Xp]), and knowing that I got the budget build "in good faith" kinda sucks. I dont claim to fully grasp the spellstichjeedd necromicon in undead half vampire form with dread the fuck ever rituals and unholy nipply and clit piercings, but *aside from some oversight wrt spellstitched SLAs* actually seems not as - if justified (read combat) - can work really well for everyone
>>181535 >*aside from some oversight wrt spellstitched SLAs* The spellstitched SLAs are all utility spells: Posey uses them for unseen servant, floating disk, and otherwise really only really uses them to lift and carry things. Today was the first time she used it to buff her allies. I was going to give her Sleet Storm, Fireball, Shivering Touch, etc, but I didn't because I didn't want them to eclipse my actual spellcasting, and because I do in fact have some self-restraint with optimization. But yes, the spellstitching was excessive: it gives spell resistance, a bonus to saving throws, damage reduction (redundant for Posey), and more. I wasn't sure if it was appropriate for Posey to get it basically for free, but it's also the only part of my character that GM hasn't complained about, so I didn't mention that until now. I'll cut it away right now if GM wants. >I have an unresolved issue with 'Gamer' culture in D&D This is 3.5e. Look at every forum, blog, thread, and server that talks about it for the past 25 years: it's all "gamer culture". 3.5e is the nerdy, crunch-driven version of d&d; that's what people like about it.
All I want is to make a character that is effective for the story we're trying to tell, and nobody complains about. I want to make a character with interesting abilities that make sense for her background, and also not get nerfed mid-combat when I use them for the first or second time.
>>181535 More to the point on gamer culture is the proliferation of guides and build templates. Yes, I get wanting to main-character 'be THE BEST (Or observably trending toward.
The problem (as GM has illustrated and I hope Im not beating a dead horse,... kinda maybe preaching to the choir by now) is that when an observable but undeniable minority all flock to the "extra most bestest" class build, and most OTHERS are playing more or less mundane/minimally maximized if at all,....
It undermines the quality of playing not kitted/maxxed characters, or having to be okay with doing less than others are doing in a balnced risk-assessment/reward sense, neither of which is happy making,
>>181537 Most of the hactardedness of 3.5e is ppl overlooking rules or ignoring them.
Most bonuses DONT stack, if of similar type. You can ONLY concentrate on one duration spell (unless specified in description: Hallow) at a time, and so on.
3.5e is actually really decent AND balanced *if pne learn all the rules and what they mean* Rosey isnt balanced, but Im okay with that (fwiw) if she's gonna be the Golu who everyone rallies around to kill things. Im saying, do your evil when we've parted ways
>>181527 >Was your intention for her to die in that fight? I can't speak for GM Pone, but he had probably gotten irritated that Posey was both so strong and so reckless, and wanted to throw something at her that would make her pause and behave different. Unfortunately that's not in character for her, she's like a stereotypical Viking berserker. You can call it railroading, you can call it a "write a book already!" GM, but in a serious setting Posey acts unserious and there is no way for him to change that without outright killing her. >Posey, an ECL 3-5 character, was fighting a monster that would have been a hard fight for an entire party of her level. Yeah, she's very strong. >I'm not trying to be adversarial, but how do you want encounters to go in your game? What's the lethality level that you are interested in? >As far as I can tell, none of the characters have died, everyone has ended their hardest encounters with around a quarter of their health. It didn't seem like high lethality was the intended atmosphere to me. When I first started playing Amber I would insist to GM Pone, "don't pull any punches and if she dies I'll roll a new character." Since then Amber has grown on me more, and although I still like that hardcore attitude I would be peeved if she died. Amber's a very imperfect OC but she has become my permanent fixture in this campaign. The other players likely feel the same way, though there is less risk of a game-over when their characters don't immediately disintegrate at 0 HP. You probably feel the same way and don't want Posey to die, nor does anypony else.
>I came into the game believing that there would be wizards with machines guns and changeling firing squads, but that Posey was supposed to win. Well, there are and will be, but the power creep hasn't reached that level except in some dream sequences. We're barely past the "fight gangsters with knives and smuggled hoofguns" level.
>>181530 I do want to see her in serious combat alongside the rest of the party, but statwise she looks broken. Balance could be mitigated by having her take center stage with the rest of the party supporting her, but that doesn't match her roleplay characteristics. In previous quests it was Iron (earth pony fighter) and Silver filling that role, but they are extremely tough stallions. Posey is a lithe, bookish unicorn mare who is powerful because of her undead status, but is trying to hide that status (especially from the party members who lean good-aligned). It's paradoxical.
>>181533 I don't doubt your good faith in wanting Posey to be balanced. No one can reasonably pin blame on you except in regards to eagerly crafting an interesting character and initially misjudging the nature of the campaign. I legitimately don't know what you could do differently that doesn't involve changing Posey's behavior. >Has her high HP, immunities, or DR ever been an actual issue before? I don't think it actually has, mainly because Posey hasn't been in multiplayer fights yet. We're wringing our hooves over "what-ifs" regarding balance and I think you have a point in that we should just step back and let it play out. I'm just not convinced those issues won't bear out.
>>181535 This too. I never intended for Amber to be very powerful of a character, and Cavaliere is OK at what he does, but I won't conceal that I was a little disappointed that Silver got extra ability points for free (first by not having age modifiers, second by having his intelligence raised with nothing else adjusted). I like Silver and Silver's player, and those free points don't affect me or my characters at all, but just knowing about it changes how one views the game. If this can happen because of Silver who's been here from the very start, then Posey would of course affect our perceptions too. It's not malicious or particularly envious, it's just how we compare things.
>>181537 I like the spellstitched stuff personally. A floating disk following her everywhere is an odd visualization but a decently capable unicorn could do the same thing with a physical disk. The buffs for other players are nice too. Spell resistance has never come into play and saving throws aren't a concern unless if we're doing PvP (which we're not). I was only ever really shocked by Posey's incredible stats and skills which make her checks way more powerful than anypony else's. >This is 3.5e. Look at every forum, blog, thread, and server that talks about it for the past 25 years: it's all "gamer culture". 3.5e is the nerdy, crunch-driven version of d&d; that's what people like about it. It could be worse: it could be AD&D!
>>181539 Every handbook screamed that half-vampire isn't worth the +2 LA. The golden rule for caster optimization is "THOU SHALL NOT LOSE CASTER LEVELS!" But look what I did: I started two level lower than the party and gimped my spellcasting. I also have no Metamagic feats
Why did I choose the suboptimal half-vampire race? Because it was sexier. I wanted to justify not being a rotten corpse, because I was part vampire. My reward for that was DR/5, and a Charming Gaze that only works when the GM wants it to, at the cost of two whole caster levels. >Most of the hactardedness of 3.5e is ppl overlooking rules or ignoring them. Try that in a 3.5e discord server: the users will pick you apart. Ignoring the RAW for optimization is not tolerated. That will instantly disqualify you from any Iron Chef challenge. >Most bonuses DONT stack, if of similar type. You can ONLY concentrate on one duration spell (unless specified in description: Hallow) at a time, and so on. I know this. >3.5e is actually... balanced No it isn't, lol. Monk exists in the same book as Cleric.
>>181542 I dont mond spellstitched, its basically glorofoed daily use scrolls.
The problem with spellstitched is the perception that because it is a spell like ability, it doesnt require or bypasses concentration.
It very much does not.
It does bupass verbal, somatic, material, and focus components. But for example, Rpsey CAN NOT have an u seen servant, tensers floating dosk, and part ac buffs (excliding Brie e_e) at the same time
Everything I have askef GM for in my character is based upon a personality type I wanted to play before I knew what the mechanics, benefits, consequences, or possible layouts were (within reason, not.my first rodeo).
Rosey SEEMS to be a cut and paste of (no offense, but short of Pun pun) among the most broken of builds.
>>181546 I had a lengthy sales pitch, and knew why I SOULD be able to without breaking the indended balance ang guidelines of the game. Rosey doesnt come across that way. I am willing to see her mainfest as that kind of character, and I apologize if I go overboard in wxpressi g skepticism/criticism
>>181542 >wanted to throw something at her that would make her pause and behave different Earlier in the story, Posey expresses having always wanted to fight a hydra. That was her wish being granted. >she's like a stereotypical Viking berserker That's close to the vibe I was going for. >Posey acts unserious and there is no way for him to change that without outright killing her Is her acting unserious the problem? Am I not playing her as serious enough? I made her intentionally aloof and arrogant to make her cuter... >You probably feel the same way and don't want Posey to die, nor does anypony else. I don't mind it when my characters die... Well, unless my death is the result of my RAW abilities being nerfed mid-combat, then I get kind of ticked off. I don't mind character death so long as it feels like I could play my best game. >the power creep hasn't reached that level except in some dream sequences No, it has, I back read. There was a changeling wizard who cast mage armor, shield, protection from arrows, and then blasted the party with a machine gun that had three dozen shots per round. >Posey is a lithe, bookish unicorn mare who is powerful because of her undead status, but is trying to hide that status (especially from the party members who lean good-aligned). It's paradoxical. To me, that is internal conflict and roleplay restrictions that i willfully took on when making her. >I legitimately don't know what you could do differently that doesn't involve changing Posey's behavior. Except... I like her behavior. I like her throwing herself into melee and taking grievous wounds because she worships pain and is confident in her powers, like a vampire. It's been the main appeal to me. It's like playing a Barbarian. >I don't think it actually has, mainly because Posey hasn't been in multiplayer fights yet. We're wringing our hooves over "what-ifs" regarding balance and I think you have a point in that we should just step back and let it play out. See, this is my biggest issue here. It's all hypothetical. It feels low-key unfair, because idk what I could do. >it's just how we compare things. Well... If you want, I could help you build a better sheet, so that you won't feel jealous... >>181546 >Rosey SEEMS to be a cut and paste of (no offense, but short of Pun pun) among the most broken of builds. No. I reject this. You are wrong. Show me one Dread Necromancer build that took on +2 LA from half vampire, and has no metamagic. Nobody else has play a strength-based, half-vampire, sword-wielding Dread Necromancer like me. Everyone else focuses on the spellcasting. >>181544 >But for example, Rpsey CAN NOT have an u seen servant, tensers floating dosk, and part ac buffs (excliding Brie e_e) at the same time Why do you even care about unseen servant and floating disk? They are not combat spells. They're only good for carrying things. Is that a problem? I'll cut them, but why that of all things? You a talisman of the disk is only 500 gp, right? At-will floating disk.
>>181544 >But for example, Rpsey CAN NOT have an u seen servant, tensers floating dosk, and part ac buffs (excliding Brie e_e) at the same None of those are concentration spells, btw.
>>181548 >cast mage armor, shield, protection from arrows Another example that shouldnt happen >reee, you havent seen my final form! Dude, Im trying to be okay with how unfathomably broken Rosie is,... youre not helping >why do you care [I]Its one of the most basic functions of the game. Duration spells require concentration. U wanna not concentrate? Use a scroll. You want a scroll that regenerates every day cuz some asshole decoded he wanted to for his game and then told someone else and they eventually decided to sell their broken ideas to a pu lisher who said "fuck it why not',.... Oppsed. Concentration is a thing, and its not just a saving throw when taking damage.
On a different topic, I've imagine if Silver was ever somehow corrupted by dark magic into being evil, his name would change from "Silver Sword" to "Sundered Sword", and the sword in his cutie mark would change to appear broken in half.
>>181550 >Another example that shouldnt happen Why? >Duration spells require concentration No. You're confusing it with 5e again. Only spells with the Duration of Concentration require Concentration to maintain. >U wanna not concentrate? Use a scroll. .... Scrolls take Concentration to use just like any other spell. >Concentration is a thing, and its not just a saving throw when taking damage. I know how concentration works. You are mistaking it for 5e. Posey only has one spell with a Duration of Concentration, and that's Summon Swarm. >>181553 Sundered Sword sounds like a blackguard name.
>>181554 No, no, NO. Go. Read your pdfs, PHB. Look up under spells, Duration: read until the end of subset Concentration. Have fun, Rosey isnt nearly as powerful as you were convinced (still super powerful, ngl)
>>181555 I'm looking at it right now. Timed durations are not the same as concentration duration spells. You are wrong. I know this by heart, because I am in two other PBP games. Look things up before you talk out your ass. >Rosey isnt nearly as powerful as you were convinced It's not even relevant to that Discussion, because Rosey has never even tried tried to use duration spells at once: she had no buff spells, duration isn't an issue for her. The longest she maintained a spell was when she summoned her amoebic crawlers in the hydra fight.
>>181558 You're wrong. That's not how concentration works in 3.5e. You're thinking of 5e, where every ongoing spell costs concentration. You are wrong. You have fundamentally misunderstood how 3.5e spellcasting works. 3.5e doesn't have 5e's silly concentration restriction. 3.5e spellcasting works like THIS: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9Nqjz5R8LrU
>>181561 Ive never met anyone who actually played 3.5e in any contemporaneous sense who interpreted the rules that way. Maybe they were intended that way, maybe youre right. You disgust me, and this convo is over.
>>181562 >Ive never met anyone who actually played 3.5e in any contemporaneous sense who interpreted the rules that way. There's literally NPCs in modules who do this: a Cleric in Age Of Worms casts Bulls Strength and Bless before combat. Monsters with tactics: a Nightwalker casts invisibility and haste before combat.
>>181562 >Maybe they were intended that way, maybe youre right. You disgust me, and this convo is over. How is playing the game as intended disgusting?
And Posey hasn't done any of this at all. She has no buff spells. She has touch attacks, fear-based debuffs, and a handful of summons.
>>181563 My interpretation is the intended reading. It is a very clear reading. It is clearly published in the SRD. I have never encountered someone who said that unseen servant and floating disk are concentration and you can't have them at the same time.
Even in 5e, neither of those spells are concentration. You are talking out your ass.
>>181548 >Berserker, intentionally aloof and arrogant >internal conflict and roleplay restrictions >but also throwing herself into melee and taking grievous wounds because she worships pain and is confident in her powers, like a vampire. That's part of the paradox. Don't get me wrong, she's a fun character, but she breaks the vibe of major quests. If you've noticed GM Pone's tendencies when making quests, and what he's explicitly said, he loves interjecting both mundane consequences (like in a crime thriller) and Lovecraftian horror. Neither has much room for snarky remarks and suicidal ideation. Posey at times feels like the main character in a video game with wacky armor (a suit of armor made of bones) and the ability to act completely different from everypony else. That's besides the in-universe conflict between trying to appear like a science student or femme fatale and acting completely like a bloodthirsty maniac. As players we're rolling our collective eyes because it's so easy to see through Posey's disguise yet we have to pretend otherwise. A good spy would play the part of a pretty but weak mare and only in the face of an immediate threat would try to easily fold the enemy. Mind-controlled griffons or not, she wouldn't initiate fights. It's like that plane scene where she vomited an ungodly amount of blood, but we're taking a supposedly living mare into a combat zone because OOC we can't leave you out. It breaks our suspension of disbelief which is frustrating. >Except... I like her behavior. I like her throwing herself into melee and taking grievous wounds because she worships pain and is confident in her powers, like a vampire. It's been the main appeal to me. It's like playing a Barbarian. She has her appeal, but that disconnect is jarring. More and more I truly believe that the issue isn't with Posey's physical stats, but with her behavior. I don't know what it would take to have character development significant enough to fix that. >Well, unless my death is the result of my RAW abilities being nerfed mid-combat, then I get kind of ticked off. >I don't mind character death so long as it feels like I could play my best game. I agree completely. >Well... If you want, I could help you build a better sheet, so that you won't feel jealous... I appreciate it. Amber and Cavaliere are still level 5 so I have to figure out what to do when each of them levels up. 6 is an important level. Also, you still have my thanks for pressuring GM Pone enough to start leveling us up. >Nobody else has play a strength-based, half-vampire, sword-wielding Dread Necromancer like me. Everyone else focuses on the spellcasting. I know you are arguing about metas outside the game but no one cares about the meta in this game. The only real spellcaster we've had in the game was Spark and he didn't look to powergame. >I'll cut them, but why that of all things? I disagree with Brie on this. There's nothing wrong with these spells. Unseen servant is especially good because no player wants his character to have to dig through a latrine for some garbage clue. It's not worth arguing with him over unseen servant or floating disk.
>>181552 This is really cool! I forgot that goats are technically sapient in FiM. I'd swap them out in favor of kirins. It's also missing bat ponies.
Idk how this was even an argument. I asked for ways that I could voluntarily change/nerf my own character sheet to be more in line with the GM's intentions and fit in with the party, and it sonehow turned into a BS argument about Concentration spells because Brie's player can't fucking read.
Why does shit like this happen every fucking week? This is not fun.
>>181568 I know there's a temptation to reply to every single post directed at you but sometimes it's best to not take the bait. Brie's player is not a bad person to my knowledge but he is extremely autistic and autistic people will hyperfocus on minor details sometimes. Just acknowledge the post exists and move on.
>>181571 It turned/s into an argument cuz I read the character sheet, and MOST of the bullshit minmax sites he derived it from. (Im still behind on a few of his bullshit bonus feats cuz reasons). That he insist its 'perfectly fine' ("Im jus tryin to play a lil ol villain, uwu") is exactly the sort of harktardedness Im trying to indicate as making the game more difficult for everyone. Lets be clear. With the ability to daily-cast several spells with (primarily) no consequence raises a character CR far beyond "what the designers decided it does". The WHOLE PARTY would LIKELY LOSE if facing Rosey. But yes, I took the bait again. I know
With Posey's interpretation of spell duration, spells like Force cage, Gate, and a variety of other very demanding spells "dont require concentration". Im not on about ritual casts, theres an argument to be made there. Im talking about involved spells with very lasting/exacting effects that apparently you can just "set it and forget it". Thats just one issue, and one that very significantly affects party balance. Maybe I should have more faith in GM, theres a case to be made there.
Control Undead, 7th lvl sorceror/wis spell allowing control of multiple HD of undead for a number of rounds determined by caster level. Not a concentration spell.
Shall I go into Time Stop? Or shall I stop, with an admission that theres a glaring insufficiency in the concentration rules as written - if Posey's interpretation is correct - or that there is room for reevaluation of stacked spell effects, as I am asserting.
In conclusion, GM had expressed an interest that this game be "more /mlp/ and less D&D, excluding neither" (paraphrased). But also that 3.5e was a convenient/familiar system with lots and lots of optional add on material for consideration and integration with/without modification. 3.5e broke either because of liberal interpretation of the rules, or liberal implementation of rules. And, some players like breaking the game by CL and balance; ive seen players run full 18s for all stats, triple-classed from level 1.
The thing about DnD is, its designed so that every class has their own specific role to play that they specifically excel at, beyond others. Naturally if you have EVERY class in the party, there will be overlap, but still; a role for every class and every class in their role. But that assumes that the roles are effectivrly balanced against eachother.
Then we have 3.5e which is JUST THIS SIDE of a PERFECT engine but ONLY if the PLAYERS have the presence of mind to pccasionally say "Whoa, this doesnt make sense" or "they couldnt have meant that, thats absurd when compared to this", and so on.
Theres a concept in Law called "The Letter of the Law" and "The Spirit of the Law". The idea is predicated on the idea that the letter of the law can be to exacting, demanding, or harsh in particular circumstances or context; more generally it refers to how laws are intended to protect society and it's people, and that rigid and unwavering appeals to the letter of the law can be injurious to the society who structured those laws.
In a comparative sense, 3.5e D&D has lots of rules. So many rules that they tried to fix it with more rules, and when that failed and it was worse they said "well hey, they bought all these new rules, lets just sell them more rules."
The spirit of the Rule - like the spirit of the Law - assumes that the rules can, should be and already are broken. Because even before modules and supplements 3.5e was exploitable and breakable if the interpretation of the rules is not with a mindfulness toward all class types and fair play/balance.
>>181580 Bro, can you stop? I was trying to have a productive conversation with GM about how to alter my character sheet, and now he can't even see my posts about it if he clicks "last 50 posts".
>>181581 I was going to reply to your earlier post, but it doesn’t show in “last 50 posts”
At first I was going to go on a lengthy diatribe about the /5 damage reduction specifically, why I’ve never approved it, and using math to show why Posey is OP
However, you asked “why does it matter that Posey is OP?” and I like that way of framing the issue much better, so instead I will respond to that I have a lot to say.
It’ll take some time before I am able to write it all out, but first I would very much appreciate it if you read this post >>181567 as I whole heartedly agree with everything in it minus the “thanks for forcing GM to level us up. And when you’re done, read it again. When you’re done, read >>181542. It’s not quite as good, but it has many good points, especially in that first paragraph. The line “In a serious setting, Posey is an unserious character” is golden, if a bit harsh.
>>181583 >you asked “why does it matter that Posey is OP?” What I asked was what the problems I caused were, and how I could amend them. I asked how you expected combat to go in the game, and how my character sheet could reflect that. I already offered to cut abilities and HP from her sheet. >I was going to reply to your earlier post Please do... >“In a serious setting, Posey is an unserious character" Tbh, I originally meant for Posey to be to this game what the Dread League is to EaW: out of place and archaic, but also fun. She behaves the way she does because the country she hails from is a strange place. Posey is a D&D character in a d20 Modern game, and I did that by design thinking it would be fun and well recieved. I guess I was wrong...
Okay, so I’m going to start my “why Posey being OP is in fact a bad thing” series. I have three, or sort of four, different points. Please take these criticisms seriously. No, I am not claiming that every one of these criticisms applies to Posey all the time. I am not claiming that they apply to Posey even most of the time. In fact, I think it’s pretty obvious that Posey has been mostly fine, most of the time, and the situations where in there are actually problems are kind of rare.
Please don’t dismiss these concerns with just “oh, well that doesn’t happen very often” because I am aware of that.
First,
Because you want the game on hard mode.
When you mentioned liking instances of combat that have occurred this far, you mentioned two. The fight against Luminous, and the fight against the Hydra. You did not mention the first encounter with the gangsters. You did not mention the fight against the dire wolves, or the fight inside of the cavern, or any part of the combat against August. You did not mention the fight against the diamond dogs, or against the panther. You did not mention the first small encounter here against the intruder nor the last fight against the griffins. Why? You know exactly why. Because in those two fights. Posey’s health was reduced to a single hp (or something close to that, anyways) and that is an essential component of any ideal combat encounter to you.
>>181527 > Isn't ending a fight with 10 HP fine? For you, I don't think it is. I don’t care, but I do not believe that you would actually have been as positive about that encounter if Posey’s HP did not go that low.
You are a power gamer. And what do power gamers want? Do they want to dominate over all of their foes? No. Do they want to win? I don’t think they do. Power gamers want to lose. Or more accurately, to almost lose; to just barely pull out a victory.
This game (was) level 5. The threats in the world are more or less designed to match that. When it was just your level-7 equivalent character I could try to adjust the encounters to meet your character's power and desired level of difficulty. The problem is that now Posey is within a party of other players who made characters that are balanced for level 6 except Garv apparently, who wants to protest the move to level 6. And those players don't necessarily prefer the same level of difficulty as you. I can try to accommodate this by increasing difficulty and having enemies target Posey more often than most characters, but we know this won't be enough. Either you'll have to suffer an easier game, or Posey must be nerfed. Pick one.
When I wrote that 1400 word "Why Posey Putting on the Crown Pissed Me Off" essay, one of the points was that the incident looked like you expressing boredom with the previous encounter (where Posey was supposed to take like 10 damage, but because you claimed 5 damage reduction took almost nothing), and deciding to toss an apple of discord into the room because it was more fun to you. It's hard for me to imagine this is not going to be an issue.
>>181530 >Posey has only had between four and six serious encounters in this entire campaign: the equivalent to a single adventuring day. Okay, I just knew there was an issue.
You asked before how I feel about Diplomancers. There's a serious problem with resolving encounters by means of diplomacy, and that is that I know that every single time an encounter that is intended to be resolved by means of combat is resolved by means other than combat, it gets held against me. If I design a neat situation and have a set up for combat that makes sense in context (rather than just some ass pull "hey there's an outsider here") and then that situation gets resolved by diplomacy, then all of that time spent on that gets held against me, just "Hey GM why do you have so few combat encounters?"
You mentioned hating going three weeks going through a swamp with "no encounters." I very strongly suspect you're talking about when Posey encountered the ghosts. The ghosts were supposed to become hostile and attack Posey. Posey instead decided to befriend them and damn near pull a Silver. Then after that, Posey was supposed to walk along the road to circle around back to the destroyed bridge and get on a raft to go across. Along the way she was supposed to encounter giant bees, which I even foreshadowed with sound. But no, Posey wanted to just go the long way and backtrack. And was the conclusion of that section of the mission "hey, I'm glad I befriended these ghosts and Posey avoided more dangers on the road." No, it was "Why did GM waste my time for three weeks?"
Similar with the gnolls the first time that Posey went into the ghetto. This area was designed to be a high difficulty encounter area where significant, life-threatening combat could take place without doing too much to disturb the status quo of the factions in the region. I had this whole plan for an abandoned elementary school that had been turned into a strange kind of religious school for the Crocutta, and a larger battle inspired by the "Hornets Nest" mission of Modern Warfare 2 with little references to it, and ultimately drawing in the Anarchists and Occupier forces as well in a battle. But no, Posey did an admittedly pretty clever Ghostbusters shtick and felt sorry for the widow, so she never provoked anything, and ultimately decided she wanted to apparently try to befriend the gnolls. I'm sure that this is also counting against me, because I didn't force them to go hostile. Am I supposed to nerf the power of friendship in a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfiction? I'm trying, but setting up encounters that are actually sensible in the world is not easy.
>>181585 >She behaves the way she does because the country she hails from is a strange place. Bro come on, you know what he and I are talking about. No one is complaining that the character is silly. The problem is she doesn't respect the world around her.
>>181587 >“why Posey being OP is in fact a bad thing” I didn't really ask that. The only reason I need for that was that it upsets you. What I asked were what issues I caused, and how I could fix them. >When you mentioned liking instances of combat that have occurred this far, you mentioned two. The fight against Luminous, and the fight against the Hydra. I called out these two because they were my favorites, not because they were the only ones I liked. I liked all of these encounters. >Luminous The assassination of Luminous was the first fight that directly contributed to the cause of Posey's faction, and it actually felt like Posey had a sense of direction as an emissary of the league. It was also the first time that Posey had killed a Paladin, after the truce with August. >Hydra Posey mentioned that she always wanted to fight a hydra. Meeting one when she was underleveled came as a surprise, but also a challenge that she wasn't going to back down from because it was part of her equestrian dream, even though she couldn't actually make a zombie out of it. It was also one of the few actual d&d monsters Posey has fought. >gangsters I had fun with that too. It was a power fantasy moment, making them run away in fear, and being a monster that could be stabbed in the heart and ask for more was part of that fantasy. >You did not mention the fight against the dire wolves That was fun, but it only lasted like one round. It was actually more of a roleplay challenge to me, as Posey accidentally revealed her immortal nature to Luminous as a consequence for her DR and healing factor in that fight. >fight inside of the cavern I fumbled that encounter... I didn't understand the situation and ended up ignoring key parts of it, even though they should have been interesting to Posey. >part of the combat against August I've mentioned that before, haven't I? That was the setup for a recurring antagonist. >the fight against the diamond dogs This wasn't my proudest encounter because I felt like I made Posey break character there, entering a home* uninvited, in broad daylight, over a river... But I did enjoy making them flee in fear; it felt very villainous. However, sicking the ghasts on them as revenge for getting in Posey's way was really fun, even though Posey did not participate in that fight. >against the panther The panther fight was Posey embarrassingly losing grapple checks for three rounds against a cat before finally scaring it off. I do appreciate a good random encounter, but it wasn't exactly special. >the last fight against the griffins We just had it. We all experienced it. I didn't think it needed to be mrntioned It was fun, and it involved teamwork. Posey tanked 20 points of damage and disarmed the enemy. Silver took care of the dog after being informed by Posey's check that silver worked on it. Kira grappled rec so Posey could snatch the tiara. >Because in those two fights. Posey’s health was reduced to a single hp (or something close to that, anyways) and that is an essential component of any ideal combat encounter to you. Not really. I like fights that are memorable and give me a chance to use my abilities. I also like encounters that advance the story. Posey's main method of attack is Fear. Most of her spells are fear based. I like making weaklings flee in fear. And I know I didn't mention the less-intense fights, but in my defense they were a year ago. >I don't think it is It is though. That sums up the majority of my encounter experience in 3.5e. That's what the DMG recommends. >I don’t care Are you sure, because you sound like you care. I just offered to cut 16 of Posey's HP. Do you persony want that? I wonder do it if you don't actually care.
>I do not believe that you would actually have been as positive about that encounter if Posey’s HP did not go that low. No, that's not true. I liked those encounters because they were glorious, not because Posey almost died. I like slaying powerful foes, whether or not they go to low HP. >Do they want to dominate over all of their foes? Posey is a dominatrix: she is supposed to be dreadful and feared. I based her on the shite horse of Conquest. Dominating over all of Posey's foes is exactly what I want. I'm still waiting to enact changeling genocide. >Do they want to win? Losing is dying. I don't mind character death, but I do like winning, leaving up, and getting cool treasure. >Power gamers want to lose. Or more accurately, to almost lose; to just barely pull out a victory. I've met a lot of power gamers, and this isn't necessarily the best way to put it. Powergamers like to have their power vindicated, to crush enemies well above their weight because they played so well, but that doesn't mean they don't like regular encounters. Power gaming is about power fantasy: I know many gamers who get frustrated when the GM flubs monster stats to make them more challenging, because it gets in the way of their power fantasy (I'm not one of those powergamers, but I also don't really consider myself that high on the power gaming scale when it comes to the 3.5e community). >level-7 equivalent character A lvl 7 equivalent spellcaster would be able to cast animate dead... >The problem is that now Posey is within a party of other players who made characters that are balanced for level 6 except Garv apparently, who wants to protest the move to level 6. And those players don't necessarily prefer the same level of difficulty as you. This is a sentiment I understand and appreciate. This is why I offered to nerf her sheet and asked for specifics for what kind of combat you want. >Either you'll have to suffer an easier game I am actually fine with this. I thought it was you who wanted her to be nerfed. I'll take back the immunities and the DR too, if it wasn't your concern. My enjoyment isn't really an issue here. I made Posey with intent for her to take over the world: winning isn't an issue for me. >or Posey must be nerfed I only offered to further nerf her because you expressed discontent with her character. I was doing it to appease you, not because the game isn't hard enough. I don't even like the nerfs that already happened: I liked my undead traits. I liked my immunity to crits. I liked my immunity to mind-affecting. I liked my DR5 Silver or Magic. Playing the unkillable zombie was part of my fantasy; I have a foot in the grave irl, I like roleplaying the pseudo-vampire who doesn't fear death. The only reason why I offered to make more changes was because you sounded like you wanted me to. >Pick one. I'll gladly pick the former. I asked what it was that you wanted. >I know that every single time an encounter that is intended to be resolved by means of combat is resolved by means other than combat, it gets held against me That's not really how I meant it at all, I don't mean to hold it against you. There's lots of way to resolve encounters (all of which should give XP, but we're not using XP...) >Hey GM why do you have so few combat encounters? Well, I did think this was going to be a war game when I entered... >You mentioned hating going three weeks going through a swamp with "no encounters." You misunderstand. At the time, I was expressing frustration at the irl wait between the encounters. There were five encounters in that adventuring day, which is more then enough, but the irl wait between them kind of killed the hype. Tbh, it's not actually that big of an issue. I was just really frustrated at the time. >ghosts I'll be real with you: Posey is going to try to make every undead creature she encounters her friend. She befriended Baka, she befriended the ghosts, she'll try to befriend the ghouls. All dead ponies are frens. That's her thing. >hey, I'm glad I befriended these ghosts and Posey avoided more dangers on the road Actually, I am glad to have ghostly frens. >Gnolls Yeah, I'm sorry I skipped that... Gnolls are dog-like though, and Posey likes dogs, so Gnolls are frens. Also, I believed that Agire and the witch were allies of the Dread League, so their frens are my frens >I'm trying, but setting up encounters that are actually sensible in the world is not easy. Yeah, sorry. There's some urban random encounter tables for you to roll, if you're interested. >The problem is she doesn't respect the world around her. Posey also fucking hates the world around her and considers herself to be above it and that she is destined to destroy it all. I thought I made that clear when I made her. I could change her though.
You said you "feel like your character is not being taken seriously" because several of Posey's powers that you've sprung on me are things I had no idea her character was supposed to have.
Well I went through and reread her character sheet, and it is not easy to understand. I see that there is 2/ damage reduction. I see the stats. I don't see "immune to mind altering abilities" and "damage reduction 5."
I was fully aware of your character's HP, dark vision, charm, damage reduction 2, natural armor, and several other things, because these were talked about in thread, or were clearly readable on the character sheet. I am not bullshitting you when I say that when you mentioned damage reduction 5 for the very first time in one of the big fights - I think it was the fight against Luminous - I very seriously thought that it was you pulling something out of your ass in an attempt to reduce the difficulty of a very hard fight. Please remember that my immediate response was "Not just no, but Hell no." For this entire year and a half I have assumed the damage reduction was 2. When you claimed on Saturday, after the fight against the griffins had concluded, that she in fact has DR 5, this was my first time to learn about it in a year and a half.
I suppose what I'm supposed to do is to take every trait or feature, put it into bing, and hope that the articles that come up are relevant to what you're claiming? Are you aware that every time I type in keywords for whatever obscure thing you are talking about, I usually get three similar things that are not the same thing, and I just have to guess what you are talking about? This is not an issue I have with anyone else's character.
Like with your Nightstalker character. You said you wanted a "Night Stalker." What the fuck is a Night Stalker? So I searched it, and immediately I found an article with the exact class you were talking about. But I didn't just find that. I also found an article talking about Night Stalker as a type of vampire. And you didn't clarify that when you said "Night Stalker" that you were referring to a class and not a race. You didn't say it was a ghoul until later, so I did not know. I was very much not at all enthusiastic about the suggestion of any kind of literal vampire because 1. serial killing is a No for me, and 2. Blood drainage is a hard no for me because of my vasovagal reaction where literally just talking about it will literally reduce the blood flow to my limbs and probably eventually cause me to faint. So you mentioned a "nightstalker" character, and for some time I'm just left sitting and wondering if you were intentionally going to ignore a hard line I set in the game.
Part 2 of “why does it matter if Posey is OP?” In order for the GM to create a problem for the player to solve, the Player Character must perceive and react as if there were a problem
So something you must have noticed is the absence of traditional puzzles. I don’t think that Uncharted style puzzles are very realistic. And the amount of effort it would take for me to think of them is greater than the reward. So then, how do I make puzzles for the player characters to solve? Simple: Combat must itself be a puzzle, as well as non-combat encounters and elements that rely on potential danger to the player.
My best ever execution of this was with Silver in a flashback dream sequence: the battle of Vale. In that, Silver Sword had to destroy multiple fortified machine gun emplacements guarded by teams of changeling rifleman. So, how do you do that? Do you charge right into MG42 fire? Well, no. obviously not. You don’t charge right into machine gun fire in real life, and you don’t even do it in fiction. No, a machine gun emplacement is a problem. You have to get creative with the solution. In context this meant creatively going around to flank and surprise from another building, attempting to find grenades and get close, and using a mortar.
Basically, I create an obstacle, and the players must get around it. Think of walls in a labyrinth to direct the person using it. To do that, something must be impassable or otherwise stop proceeding. A locked door, a military check point or what have you. And especially in combat situations, this means some kind of threat that cannot be directly attacked without an unacceptable degree of danger to the character. The easiest way to communicate “try to find a different way” is for there to be a threat posed to the character. This entire process is as essential to the game as combat or roleplay, and basically forms a third core of the game.
So when Posey does not have any kind of sense of danger… It kind of makes playing the game impossible. When a character is both so resilient that not much threatens her it’s hard to make obstacles. And when a character is suicidal, she does not even perceive an intended obstacle as an obstacle. Like literally what am I as a GM supposed to do? How am I supposed to handle a character that does not perceive a problem that is intended to be solved as a problem? Like if I had an MG42 nest against Posey, she’d just attack it head on. She’d either destroy it or die trying. What she would not do is engage with the puzzle I have created for her. Posey would not acknowledge there was even a problem to be solved. She would think, first of all “Oh I’m invincible” and not acknowledge the threat. She would then think “Well why does dying matter anyways?” and not acknowledge the downside of losing. And if she won but almost lost, she would think “Well pain is good” and just not alter her behavior.
This is a trio of overlapping traits of Posey’s character that make her not really work with many types of puzzles. Arrogance makes her not acknowledge risk. Suicidal Ideation makes her not acknowledge downsides, which is a part of risk, and masochism means that she will not learn from mistakes. Imagine a mouse in a laboratory in in a maze, incentivized by electrical shocks. Imagine that mouse did not learn anything at all from the shocks, and barely perceived them. You might kill that mouse by slow electrocution. The mouse might just sit at the starting point. What is not going to happen is that mouse successfully completing the maze. Just as people who cannot feel pain are at serious risk of biting their tongues off or losing limbs to injuries, Posey might miss puzzles altogether.
This admittedly is not a character sheet problem. If Posey were impervious to the concept of danger, this would be a problem even if she were as weak as Brie, she’d just get herself killed. If Posey were as cowardly as Kira, even if she were as powerful as… you evidently intended her to be, this would be a complete non-issue. She’d just not die.
It’s not that Posey being cocky and fond of combat is necessarily a bad thing. I just want her to act like she thinks that there are some things in the world that she doesn’t particularly need to fuck with. And you can definitely play cocky and bloodthirsty well. Let me quote my original rant:
“The thing is, there are actually ways of playing your character’s traits that are not disruptive and actually rather compelling. Take the end of the briefing sequence. Posey is telling Shoal Water confidently that there won’t be any kind of issue, she can accomplish the mission. This is the product of her cockiness, and it works really well here. Brie, meanwhile, confronts Shoal Water about there being something he isn’t telling them, and then tells the other characters that there is some hidden danger. This is the product of Brie’s paranoia and cynicism, and it works beautifully. Both of you can play your characters basically in the way you envisioned them, without interrupting the whole flow of the game for everyone else”
My other point here is going to need to be a separate post.
>>181595 >You said you "feel like your character is not being taken seriously" GM, when I said that, it was an emotional response when I expressed exasperation about you seeming surprised about the immunities that appeared in the SRD: the crit immunity and the kind affecting immunity. I was exasperated at the time because you seemed surprised, when those immunities are listed under "undead traits" in the monster manual, and at the time I was frustrated because I was questioning if you knew what Undead Traits are in the core game. That emotion did not extend to anything else on Posey's sheet. I would never expect you to keep track of everything on Posey's sheet: that's my job. I only expected basic knowledge of PHB/MM materials, like the undead traits, not anything else. I wouldn't blame you for retroactively nerfing something from an obscure splatbook that you didn't know about, but at the time I was frustrated when you seemed surprised at the mind affecting immunity. I would understand your frustration when Posey uses splat abilities, but also you haven't really complained about any of the splatbooks abilities I have used. You did complain about the undead traits and the HP, which are a combination of core materials and my class. That was why I was frustrated at the time I wrote that. >>181596 So I see the issue is that Posey's play style makes it difficult for you to write challenges. I offered to cut abilities off of Posey and cut down her HP, but what you seem to express here is the product of who she is as a character: her gung-ho, brute force, archaic berserker warlord mindset. I could rewrite her as a character, if you wish. Posey is goal-oriented, she's all about conquest and domination. She'll do anything to meet her goals, but she's flawed because her mindset is an archaic, medieval one where brute force and magical power solves everything: that was supposed to be a flaw in her character that makes her not a mary sue. > Just as people who cannot feel pain are at serious risk of biting their tongues off or losing limbs to injuries, Posey might miss puzzles altogether. Posey is always looking for the big cheese. Her existence is inherently horrible, but she dreams of a higher destiny, one where she conquers Equestria. To Posey, she's desperate to meet that end, because her "life" is hardly worth living without it, which is why she's willing to risk total destruction to meet her goals. She does have her Gloomy to come home to, which is her one motivation to not throw her life away, although in reality Gloomy might be better off without the evil sorceress controlling his life... >So, how do you do that? Do you charge right into MG42 fire? Well, no. obviously not. You don’t charge right into machine gun fire in real life, and you don’t even do it in fiction. No, a machine gun emplacement is a problem. You have to get creative with the solution. In context this meant creatively going around to flank and surprise from another building, attempting to find grenades and get close, and using a mortar. This is how I handled it after the fight with luminous, after I realized that running through it wasn't an option. The only reason I even considered running through it was because I wasn't aware of the underground tunnel.
But all this aside, can I do to my character sheet for you to be satisfied? I offered to remove 16 HP and some abilities, but from the way you say it idk if that would fix anything. Posey with 16 less HP would still be Posey. I like Posey as she is, but I am open to change her. What do I do to her?
>This admittedly is not a character sheet problem. If Posey were impervious to the concept of danger, this would be a problem even if she were as weak as Brie, she’d just get herself killed. If Posey were as cowardly as Kira, even if she were as powerful as… you evidently intended her to be, this would be a complete non-issue. She’d just not die. So you're saying it's how I play her? What should I do differently? Make her act more afraid?
I'm really tired. I have a lot of cooking to do tomorrow. I have to sleep. I can't actually respond seriously because I have had almost no sleep for the past week, but I'm trying.
>>181598 First of all, you should sleep and take care of yourself now. I think that every player has had moments of anxiety regarding this game and what to do next. Don't let it wear you out.
>I offered to cut abilities off of Posey and cut down her HP, but what you seem to express here is the product of who she is as a character: her gung-ho, brute force, archaic berserker warlord mindset. I could rewrite her as a character, if you wish. >Posey is goal-oriented, she's all about conquest and domination. She'll do anything to meet her goals, but she's flawed because her mindset is an archaic, medieval one where brute force and magical power solves everything: that was supposed to be a flaw in her character that makes her not a mary sue. >Posey is always looking for the big cheese. Her existence is inherently horrible, but she dreams of a higher destiny, one where she conquers Equestria. To Posey, she's desperate to meet that end, because her "life" is hardly worth living without it, which is why she's willing to risk total destruction to meet her goals. >She does have her Gloomy to come home to, which is her one motivation to not throw her life away, although in reality Gloomy might be better off without the evil sorceress controlling his life... An easy solution would be to introduce character development to change some part of that. Character development, however, doesn't come out of the ether. What circumstances could arise in the game that would have her change her behavior enough that this issue isn't a problem? As of right now Gloomy's existence isn't enough to prevent her from throwing her life away, or at least it seems so.
Mechanically I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with Posey except that charming NPCs should be met with sense motive checks, or whatever check is relevant. Narrowing down this conflict to roleplay style makes it much easier to remedy and represents a good amount of progress. It's probably been stressful for you and felt like being on trial, but it'll get better from here.
>>181598 I could and likely ultimately will write another 1000+ words in what I perceive as a problem, but really, I only want one thing. Just one single thing.
I want you and your character to take certain, very specific, very high level threats seriously, and not treat them as jokes, because it’s extremely disheartening when you treat them as jokes.
A fortified machine gun emplacement one level up, 100 feat away, and with eight riflemen all with readied actions for a surprise round. The literal Swamp Fever from the show that spawned the entire “Infection UA” thing. A hand grenade exploding right in your face when this situation is easily avoidable and isn’t necessary. A curse of unknown and certainly ancient origins. I’d kind of like to add any kind of spell that has a small risk of exposing Posey’s secret to the Paladin and undead-hunting cleric in the room. That’s it. That’s all I want. I want these things to not be treated as jokes or not seriously. I want just a couple things in my world - just a few very specific things - to be considered seriously as something your character shouldn’t dance around with as “lol I don’t need to give a shot about anything because I’m invincible! Look at how irreverent I am towards the GM’s world building and scenarios! Isn’t that funny? Everyone laugh, it’s funny.” I just want these literally not even a half dozen things to be taken seriously. When they are treated as jokes, it’s extremely disrespectful, it’s extremely disheartening, and it’s extremely angering.
If the one and only way I can make you and your character ask themselves the question “do I need try to tank a hand grenade?” is by forcing you to play Posey with Brie’s level of defenses, then that’s what I will do. If I could get you and posey to just take my game seriously and not these specific things and things like them without any kind of nerfing, then I might be persuaded to not nerf, so long as you also stopped flexing on the other, weaker player characters out of character.
>>181599 >character development Asshole bat here, this is what Ive been working on, fwiw. When I set out to revamp Brie I was all "this is how he is, isnt it funny?" It wasnt funny apparently,.... and since then Ive been looking to trim off uneven/jagged edges. Unfortunately, the jagged edges that are more pressing seem to come from the player. Fpr Brie, it's not about ammending stats pr anything, it's about changing my idea of his personality so that hes NOT such an asshole, but IS still himself.
You wanna know how I would nerf Posey? Well here's the following
First, taking away the temp stats (the specific ones you mentioned) is a damn good first step. The HP specifically doesn't bother me all that much per se, but combined with damage reduction and an absurdly high AC, it is way too high
Second, I could write an essay on why 5 damage reduction is absurd, but if you want to cut to the chase, I think that 5 damage reduction is absurd. I have approved 2 damage reduction in the past and I stand by that
I think that Posey's AC is absurdly high. +2 Natural AC is overpowered and you know it. You know that natural AC is by far and away the best, as it stacks and has no penalty. I think the best way to nerf this is to say that Posey cannot wear a dastana, and cannot be said to be making use of any kind of shield that is never mentioned in roleplay and exists only when you're trying to claim that an attack does not land against Posey. I'm sure there's a good argument to be made for Dastanas to be allowed for Tenebrous or Brie or whomever, but they don't have +2 Natural AC. This reduces Posey's AC but allows her to keep her +2 Natural AC. Posey is only allowed to have the AC she gets from dexterity, the natural AC, her armor, and from spells, feats, and shields that are actually mentioned.
The spell resistance... you know that no one else has spell resistance, right? No other character has ever claimed spell resistance. Not Dark Star, not Brie, not Silver Sword, not Amber, not Virgin Flame, not Spark, not Garv, not Onyx, not Tenebrous, not Kira. Not even retired characters like Ash, Iron, Fantasy Play, or Midnight Lily. Are you really going to try to make me, every time a spell is used in combat, stop the game, go back to the wiki, try and figure out spell casting level, come back, roll for that, and then proceed to actually play combat? Combat is horrifically slow on PBP as it is, and it's bad enough that you have already overloaded your character with Initiative hax to basically ensure that you go first and everyone else has to wait; it's unfair to the other players to make them wait for this as well. I know the solution is that I should try to figure out all of that stuff before hand and have it ready, but that's a hell of a lot of prep to cater to a very specific hax you want. I have a job, I have some of my family still alive, I have IRL friends, I like to travel. I'd rather spend my prep time on this game doing something else that benefits the other players as well and is actually fun for me.
Critical hits - after thinking about it, I think the best way to handle this is to say that Posey is on notice that enemies that have training on the Undead - Paladins, specific kinds of clerics (like Defiant Dust), and pages and auxiliaries of Chruch Militant Orders - can crit Posey. No one else can.
Immunity to Mind Altering Enchantments - you know that Undead were intended to be enemies, right? They were intended to reduce the number of ways that Players could respond to them to force players to be creative. They were not intended to nerf GMs and other players engaging in PVP. I don't like this one at all. At. All. It goes.
Immunity to sneak attack - I'm going to say that Brie can sneak attack Posey just because it pisses me off that you are flexing on other player characters with "lol my character is entirely immune to literally the only decent attack feature your class has." Fuck you, don't mock my decision to let you play the character you wanted by mocking other player characters for following the handbook. I'm also ruling that rogues and assassins can sneak attack Posey if they know that she's undead and they have training from a Church Militant organization on how to handle undead. That's an extremely specific and rare circumstance, but I am uncomfortable with saying that it can't happen.
Posey's absurd bluff bonus - I'm nerfing this by saying that other party members get a +2 circumstance bonus to Posey's bullshit, because they have been around her for a while now and they see how much of a weirdo she is. This does not apply to NPCs (besides Mala).
>>181602 >sneak attacks While I appreciate the consideration, theres no reason I would want Brie to sneak/regular attack Rosey. I dont communicate well. Seemingly all this started when I reacted poorly to Posey trying to charm Brie early on, and Ive had a chip on my shoulder. Ive thought of a half dpzen ways I could have handled it better and hopefully I will have a comparable resolve if my jimmies get rustled in the future. I never wanted or want any actual actual pvp (though I do like the occasional RP scrap in character :3)
>>181601 applauds I like Brie much better now. >>181602 >spell resistance I'm fine with her keeping spell resistance. There are ways to make it go by faster, such as printing out the attributes of this spell resistance to have it on hoof, or keeping those tabs open. A core mechanic shouldn't be axed just because only one character is using it for now. Other characters might get items that provide spell resistance. Spells aren't even used in combat all that much. >I know the solution is that I should try to figure out all of that stuff before hand and have it ready, but that's a hell of a lot of prep to cater to a very specific hax you want. I have a job, I have some of my family still alive, I have IRL friends, I like to travel. I'd rather spend my prep time on this game doing something else that benefits the other players as well and is actually fun for me. Maybe Posey's player could send you a document giving you all the information needed? This is what should have been done when Posey was first conceived, and it's recommended in the Dungeon Master's Guide. I will be brutally honest and say that you dropped the ball when it comes to "A good DM will always know the following facts about the characters in his or her game." This ignorance stemmed from ignorance of source material and Posey's player should have just given you all the information. The guide also has good advice regarding balancing PCs, and resolving all this out-of-character should have been done a while back. >other nerfs They look reasonable to me, but let's wait on what Posey's player says. Behavior towards serious danger is the one crucial thing that must change. >>181605 Only if you know her secret.
>>181606 >Only if you know her secret To that end >>181588 The only way EVERYPONE doesnt die in 3 rounds ish, is if they know her secret and have the right spells. And thats without the crown on, where everyone more or less dies almost if not instantly. I kinda figured out what the crown does, thats why I deep dove into Rosie's character sheet. What I do know combined with what Rosie has listed is a party wipe. Thats why GM was so upset when Rosie went "Should I or shouldn't I, too late I did" I hail from the same school, Im not criticizing. Iut, thats also why I went ham on the letter of rules vs spirit, etc. There was something GM said in the previous that gave me an orgasm hearing it said nicely but effectively. I would have pointed it out but didnt want to interrupt. I cant find it now, likely for the best; suffice it to say GM has effectively addressed my last prevailing concern. I dont mind Posey getting nerfed, I dont mind them NOT. I'm cool with Posey using le ebil crown to become uberest of bliches later on in her own time, and coming back for a later mission hovering on a shimmering field of magical energy. All of my concerns (real or imagined) could have been solved by Posey partnering with GM on their personal shenanigens, so that GM can 1. Write it non disruptivrly to the ongoing story 2. Advise player about how to effectively do the thing, and if they can't, why 3. Veto anything that for whatever reason is unacceptable 4. Explain to me/others what is happening, why, and how we are expected to gp with it. As a basic example, being demanded to make a saving throw and being condescended is not a good way to start some tomfoolery, and not having GM already aware of what is happening so that he can indicate that in spite of appearances player ISNT just being a dick,....
The impression I get is that nerfing Posey would be functional in making things easier on GM, which Im in favor of. Otherwise, I would advocate for keeping things as is.
>>181608 >right spells Dust's whole build is undead killing. Spells, feats, etc. He's very efficient with it. Zeeb with just Kira I think could take her down pretty effectively. He might need Silver instead? Idk. But the real real question. Is she cold or is she using some funky magic to keep it warm inside?
The thing about Brie and the transitional intent behind this mission: When I first came back, I was proposing a scenario to GM where Brie was facilitating the Changeling boys going on a serial killing spree on the aristocratic pedos in government/politics, that the other players could murder mystery through. I assume thats why he later declared that serial killing was a hard hard:3 no. His response at the time was a paraphrased: "Uhm, how about this mission Im about to send them on...." Brie's asshole personality is a function of his upbringing, where being an asshole and getting under skin was essential for survival; but it isnt anymore, and its becoming more of a liability than an amusement/strategy. I'm actively seeding GM with ideas that he may be interested in introducing that may circumstantially assist, but as I learn/see the story develop I am increasingly impressed that I should just shut up and let it happen.
>>181609 When she seduced August Wreath she had to take a hot shower to raise her body temperature, so she is naturally cold to the touch.
>>181610 Serial killing probably would have been approved if it was directed at random ponies and lowlifes. When it starts affecting the whole region's government is when the chance for derailment is high. Don't get me wrong, I would love some Dishonored gameplay in here, but I can see why he decided against it.
>>181612 His limit is explicitly exsanguination. The scene at the sealers' camp has a shack with blood covering the floor. Regular portrayals of blood are fine, so are dead bodies. Vampire stuff is just a no-go.
>>181613 Well, I have several plans - beyond even the serial killing changelings idea - that involve Dexter-like scenes, but I'm gonna assume thats not gonna fly And when I say "plans", what I mean is "story elements, themes, and probable events based on temperment and likelyhood of circumstance". The only LEGIT plan is Brie getting his CM
>>181605 It makes you a necrophile, but it's only necrophilia as a condition if you know and are into it. Having fapped to skelenore with a fleshlight,... (I dont have the img anymore, though its somewhere in mixed nuts) >>181611 So its warm when she likes you (or wants something)
>>181606 Posey's spell resistance is known. It's 17. What varies is the specific caster level of every individual enemy. That must be calculated for ever enemy that uses magic, and then a spell caster roll must be made for the application of said magic against Posey with DC 17.
>I will be brutally honest and say that you dropped the ball when it comes to "A good DM will always know the following facts about the characters in his or her game." no u
>>181610 >I assume thats why he later declared that serial killing was a hard hard:3 no. That's not what I mean by serial killing. I basically mean murder hoboing or otherwise killing with murder itself being the goal and not as a means to an end.
>>181611 >Serial killing probably would have been approved if it was directed at random ponies and lowlifes. Actually it's pretty much the exact opposite.
I don't know why and I don't know how to explain it, but going into video games and killing random NPCs for the lulz has always pissed me off. A large number of adult cartoons think that killing people is intrinsically funny and I have no idea why; it's a mood killer for me. Death is not funny.
Having an "Assassin's Creed" style plot to kill off very specific members of the aristocracy who, may it be known, are all child rapists, is much more understandable.
>When it starts affecting the whole region's government is when the chance for derailment is high. Technically it's sort of a follow up to a plot line that was implied after the Comte and Blackwood Pier missions where the Blackhooves was looking to replace the SDP as the government of Baltimare. However, that plot point has since been on hold and things have remained mostly the same so far.
>>181613 >>181612 The primary trigger of my, or most people's, blood-injury phobia is hypodermic needles. I cannot stand IVs, I avoid needles as much as possible, and blood draws especially are a trigger. I' not a super fan of cuts or bleeding more generally, it is true. To use an example from the game that stood out, Posey bit her lip in order to draw blood Pony and human teeth aren't even very sharp, that's a lot of crushing. Gah under the theory it would be sexy to the Goat priest she was trying to seduce. It's not a trigger, but I can certainly say that however sexy it was to him (not enough apparently, she didn't make the DC 15 I set) it certainly wasn't for me.
>>181618 >>u dropped the ball >no u Not to glaze, but this. Theres more at play, and its not as simple as it seems. Suffice it to say, depending on how a character is presented to a GM, theres lots of room for NOT-bad-faith lack of oversight. >no unwanton murder esp of the less fortunate My man
For the audience, the Kerr and Wesley serial-killing would be specific to pedophile politicians in league with Comte (y'all remember, or will get the tl;dr). The purpose was to begin the process of replacing significant politicians with Changelings, but eventually something would go awry and there would be an unintended/reported crime scene
The potential for a/the party would be to weed through one or more "replaced changeling" politicians, leading inexorably back to Brie and the Boys. Ostensibly, Brie would sacrifice his freedom (through incarceration) to enable the lings to escape. Obvs this wont happen with Bries intended change of perspective, but its what I was gonna work toward when I FIRST came back
How are you people saying that Posey would TPK this party? You all have magic weapons: you can bypass her DR. All of her spells are debuffs or touch range melee attacks. Would, a lvl 5-6 party, not being able to handle a single Vampire Spawn? >>181600 So it's a roleplay thing then. I can roleplay differently. >so long as you also stopped flexing on the other, weaker player characters out of character I really only did that to discourage Brie's player from attacking me after he threatened to. I only mentioned that feat grenades are low damage to settle the argument over who got how many. >If I could get you and posey to just take my game seriously and not these specific things and things like them without any kind of nerfing, then I might be persuaded to not nerf More of this is a product of Posey's personality and detachment from the world than it is her build, tbh. I can fix that. >First, taking away the temp stats (the specific ones you mentioned) is a damn good first step. I'll gladly do that, because it's a product of her mentors meddling, although I would like to reapply them when Posey gets to level 8 so she can do it to herself. >>181602 >The HP specifically doesn't bother me all that much per se, but combined with damage reduction and an absurdly high AC, it is way too high I'm willing to cut off the 16 bonus HP Posey got from her mentor. I would really rather keep the Half Vampire DR, because it's something that I paid levels for, and it has been referenced in her roleplay quite a bit, such as with her aversion to silver and her wounds closing quickly. To put it in perspective, the majority of encounters that are legitimate threats are going to have attacks that bypass DR/magic. Posey's protects her from being stabbed by low level thugs without magic weapons. It's not serious, but consider the level cost I paid for it. Posey would be lvl 6 if not for her half vampire thing. >I think that Posey's AC is absurdly high. +2 Natural AC is overpowered and you know it. At the cost of 2 character levels, I really don't think so, tbh... Look at other races with high natural armor. Wouldn't removing the Dex bonus be enough? That would be -2 AC >You know that natural AC is by far and away the best, as it stacks and has no penalty. I would actually say that deflection, insight, dodge and luck bonuses are better, but that's just my opinion. >dastana Posey's dastana are made of the slave shackles that she wore as a filly, so I would be sad to remove them... >cannot be said to be making use of any kind of shield Posey is not proficient in shields, and cannot reliably cast spells when holding them. >The spell resistance... Yeah, I'll cut that. It has never been relevant, but I'll cut it. I'll cut everything she got from spellstitching, because tbh I would rather Posey pay the costs to spellstich herself at a later level. Losing unseen servant and floating disk would be sad, but maybe she could just do more tricks with her horn magic? >try and figure out spell casting level Ngl, that's something you should know even without SR involved. I'll still remove it along with the rest of spellstitching though. >Critical hits - after thinking about it, I think the best way to handle this is to say that Posey is on notice that enemies that have training on the Undead - Paladins, specific kinds of clerics (like Defiant Dust), and pages and auxiliaries of Chruch Militant Orders - can crit Posey. No one else can. Reasonable. Paladins and Clerics have a lot of feats, features and spells that let them crit undead anyway. >Immunity to Mind Altering Enchantments I'm actually more than willing to cut this, as it was one of the weaknesses I was considering adding to Posey to offset her LA. Also, it makes a Ghostly Visage familiar redundant. >Brie can sneak attack We could also just buy him some Deathstrike bracers, for when he has to fight over kinds of undead. I only "bragged" about it because I didn't want him to attack me and wanted to discourage such antics. >Posey's absurd bluff bonus - I'm nerfing this by saying that other party members get a +2 circumstance bonus to Posey's bullshit, because they have been around her for a while now and they see how much of a weirdo she is. This does not apply to NPCs (besides Mala). This is what we call a circumstance bonus. Tbh, I was sort of aiming for Posey's secret to gradually become a bit more apparent as the party grew to know her. Posey's whole stick is that she hates the world because she has never been loved or appreciated in her entire torturous existence. How would she change if she were accepted for who she is? >That's pretty much it I think I'm still going to cut the spellstitching, because now that I scrutinize it a bit more, I think I misunderstood the WBL requirements. Posey should have to buy it and apply it to herself. I'll also gladly cut the 16 bonus HP, but I would like for you to reconsider the Natural armor and DR which I paid very real level costs for.
>>181633 Yeah, its not just mind control. Its mind control, and spells, and spell levels, and other things specific to your characters things theyre good at.
Posey is good at alot of things.
Alot alot of things.
Now you have an ish perspective of why no no no to the no no
>>181629 Cavaliere doesn't have magic weapons (yet), neither does Brie. I don't know if any of Silver's weapons are magic, and I don't think Kira's bow is. Excluding Dust and Tenebrous, the party would probably win but it would be close if you didn't pull any punches.
Ill even go a step further to suggest to Posey (the player) that Posey's interest in it might be a cursed compulsion One that Rosey as a necrologist would detect and be mindful of
>>181603 Thank you and sorry. >>181605 Yes. But you've seen vampire romance stuff, right? Vampires are an inherently sexual trope. >>181606 >I'm fine with her keeping spell resistance I'll cut the spell resistance anyway, and everything from spellstitching. I want to spellstich myself at lvl 8. >Maybe Posey's player could send you a document giving you all the information needed? I can do something like this. >The only way EVERYPONE doesnt die in 3 rounds ish, is if they know her secret and have the right spells Silver could cut her on half in that many rounds. He has a magic weapon, and all of Posey's damaging spells are melee range. And that's assuming that Dust doesn't disintegrate her with a Turn on the first round. The only thing about her that could seriously threaten the party is Kelgore's Grave most, but just because it would debuff them for long enough to have to long-rest after living her. Could you not handle a vampire spawn? A regular vampire? You are a lvl 6 party. There's very little that Posey can do that similar CR monsters couldn't do. >All of my concerns (real or imagined) could have been solved by Posey partnering with GM on their personal shenanigens, so that GM can >1. Write it non disruptivrly to the ongoing story >2. Advise player about how to effectively do the thing, and if they can't, why >3. Veto anything that for whatever reason is unacceptable >4. Explain to me/others what is happening, why, and how we are expected to gp with it. As a basic example, being demanded to make a saving throw and being condescended is not a good way to start some tomfoolery, and not having GM already aware of what is happening so that he can indicate that in spite of appearances player ISNT just being a dick,.... I am okay with this. >>181609 >But the real real question. Is she cold or is she using some funky magic to keep it warm inside? Depends how much blood she has had recently. Worth noting that how lifelike a katane or vampire appears is proportional to their charisma score, and Posey has a lot of charisma. That's actually the reason why I chose to play a half vampire, before becoming undead. >>181611 >Serial killing Idk what the point of this would even be. I love random encounters, but killing lvl 1 commoners for no reason isn't fun. I want encounters with treasure and purpose and level-ups. Posey likes killing, but she didn't come to Equestria just to kill random noponies until she was eventually discovered and destroyed: she came for glory and conquest. >>181619 >Having an "Assassin's Creed" style plot to kill off very specific members of the aristocracy who, may it be known, are all child rapists, is much more understandable This is why I liked the Luminous quest so much: it's killing with purpose. Too bad there was no treasure. >blood-injury phobia Maybe I haven't been respectful of your triggers with this blood-obsessed character who likes to get stabbed in the chest. I didn't understand the severity of your condition. >>181620 >theres lots of room for NOT-bad-faith lack of oversight. The only thing that stood out to me was the SRD immunities that I expected DM to already know about undead, but were then mentioned as unacceptable mid-combat. >>181633 The griffon didn't mind control us. Why would Posey have been significantly more dangerous? >>181634 Posey is a fixed list caster. There are no surprises: https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/magic/spells/classSpellLists/dreadNecromancerSpells.html 90% of her spells do some variation of the same three tricks (inflict wounds, fear debuff, summon monster). Even her cerebrosis spells do that. >Cavaliere doesn't have magic weapons (yet) What did you spend your 5k WBL on? >Brie Brie has so many magic weapons that he gave away a +2 shortsword to an NPC. >Silver's weapons are magic Silver's sword is magic. Heck, if you want a magic weapon, you can borrow one of Posey's. She has two magic weapons. >the party would probably win but it would be close if you didn't pull any punches It's really only Brie that's vulnerable with his low Fortitude and Will saves.
>>181639 >the griffon didnt mind control us There A rube gained mind control And infernal(?) Powers He and his associates seem PANICKED at the idea that anyone would put on the crown
As a necrologist, by background (and Im building up cuz I know part of GM wants to go ha )
>It's not serious, but consider the level cost I paid for it. Posey would be lvl 6 if not for her half vampire thing. >I would really rather keep the Half Vampire DR, because it's something that I paid levels for Maybe I do need to post the math. Does she need to be 50% more resilient than the fighter? Is it not okay for her to be equal to the fighter?
>To put it in perspective, the majority of encounters that are legitimate threats are going to have attacks that bypass DR/magic. Posey's protects her from being stabbed by low level thugs without magic weapons. But that's what I want. That's exactly what I want. I want legitimate threats to be legitimate threats and minor threats to be minor threats. You're using a template that was designed to be used by Dungeon Masters as enemies against the party, not as player characters in relatively low level campaigns. These immunities and the DR make something like half of possible threats something she is immune to. That's not great for encounter design, especially in a party. It destroys diversity of encounters and the chance for encounters and enemies to arise diegeticly from the environment.
>At the cost of 2 character levels, I really don't think so, tbh... Look at other races with high natural armor. Wouldn't removing the Dex bonus be enough? That would be -2 AC Did you read what I said? I said she should keep the +2 Natural Armor
>I would actually say that deflection, insight, dodge and luck bonuses are better Why are you like this? Insight, Deflection, Dodge, and Luck are not relevant to this conversation or to my analysis. No one here has that. I'm not here to argue "ACsHaUlY this specific thing in this book, page 409." I'm not in a goddamn competition with you over who knows more about D&D. I'm comparing the sources of AC the characters actually have, which is Dexterity, Armor, and here, Natural Armor. Specifically in contrast to Equipped Armor, which is relevant, Natural Armor is better.
>Posey's dastana are made of the slave shackles that she wore as a filly I don't remember this being mentioned
>Ngl, that's something you should know even without SR involved Fuck off
>This is what we call a circumstance bonus. Yeah. Reread my words that you just quoted. I called it a circumstance bonus. Why do you have to sound like a redditor know it all who gets their corrections wrong?
By the time someone has put off the crown, the quest has gone off the rails and in a very unfun way. In a single player game, this is the point where I would reload a save. I never play these out to figure out what happens, I just know this is not the timeline I want to play on.
>>181647 Right now, I'm thinking monk 5 levels and the last one in barbarian. I kinda like the rage aspect. I have decided exactly, how yet tho.
But I'm pretty certain about those scores. Strength is her main strength. ^^ And, con and dex rounds her out well. Wis because she I don't like her to be appalling so neutral cha makes sense. Int could be an eight instead just for the sake of roleplay. But I'm still thinking about this and this: https://gameoutonline.com/difference-between-wisdom-and-intelligence-dnd/ I just find it hard not to say things while roleplaying that are a bit too smart for my character. I guess, I could have her stumble on her words but have great insight, and I might do that. So might drop her int from 9 to 8. We'll see.
>>181639 >What did you spend your 5k WBL on? The boat ride to Baltimare, a masterwork revolver which I plan on getting enchanted one day, nice clothes and an expensive hotel. Anyway the amount of starting money a character gets is down to what kind of character you play and what GM Pone approves of. Amber started with basically nothing except for the clothes on her back, but that's because I wanted her to start from the bottom.
>>181645 I don't think it's a strict requirement, but you're not going to roll for stats? That's part of the fun. >>181648 I know this game plays fast and loose with experience, but exp penalties are to prevent players from playing fast and loose with multiclassing. It's up to GM Pone to decide on this. I can just say that with Cavaliere I intend on following the SRD with his multiclass (3 ranger 2 monk right now, and I will probably level up monk next).
>>181658 ... You didn't take your full WBL? 3.5e characters need equipment to be functional, especially martials. >you're not going to roll for stats? That's part of the fun. It's fun if you roll high.
>>181660 Neither Silver nor Kira started with 5k to spend on equipment. I forget how much Silver started with exactly but it was definitely less than 5,000 Bits, all he had to start with in terms of equipment was a set of banded mail and a greatsword, both non-masterwork, and he didn't have a whole lot of money leftover to use on a room at the tavern. To be fair, this was back when I knew literally nothing about D&D, and I still don't know a whole lot since my entire knowledge base comes from the SRD and it's missing a lot of basic knowledge like what levels characters usually get feats at. Kira didn't have any Bits at all and instead came to Baltimare with a bunch of gold and jewelry to sell to get Bits, but she did start at least with masterwork studded leather armor, a masterwork spear, and a masterwork recurve bow with a +3 strength adjustment.
I'm thinking of wis 14, int 8, and con 12. I use this point buy calculator: https://chicken-dinner.com/5e/5e-point-buy.html But I haven't decided yet. >You mean move one score to 14? Yes, would that be okay?
>>181656 Ty for the help. I that helps me avoid multi-classing but I think that I'd almost want unnecessary multi-classing for story reasons. Like Vir learns to be a monk first and then a barbarian on her own. If she is a rage monk, then she's kinda learning to be an angry monk at first, it doesn't tie into her ptsd or character change.
>but you're not going to roll for stats? That's part of the fun. It probably is, fren. ^^
But I think it works best if you don't have a clear character concept in the head already because then the random scores can guide your character creation.
But if you're like me with a somewhat clear image for what I want point buy seems like the way to go.
>but exp penalties are to prevent players from playing fast and loose with multiclassing. Huh, haven't read this part. I'll try to look into it. Well, if I can top it of with a level in barbarian, then I'll simply have five ranks in monk till I reach level six.
>>181716 Ah, I see. Is there better point buy calculator out there that I could use? Do I have to use these other alternatives? Well, if I have to, I will. ^^
Heres my problem with the Dastana. Mages in DnD can be compared to people who draw perfect circles in a single stroke. Go ahead, try it for yourself. Now imagine that you spend so much time in study and practice - decades even - learning to draw a perfect circle with a single stroke. Now do that, with weights strapped to your arms.
>>181742 You need to be proficient in light armor to wear dastana, let alone cast in them. And they have arcane spell failure chance chance, just like any other armor. Also Mages wears bracers all of the time: they're called bracers of armor.
I had thought that I could understand your character simply by the discussions we had in the thread. As has been repeatedly and thoroughly beaten into me I was mistaken. The character sheet is a little hard to dissect. I see ability scores and then “temporary scores” that give scores that look to me to be officially unbalanced for a level 5 (now 6) game, and the sheet doesn’t immediately explain where these “temporary scores” come from. That’s just one example.
Could you please, please write out in this thread what you are proposing for Posey - not as she is now, but as you are proposing her to be, in such a way that I understand you without needing to constantly try to figure out which book you’re getting things from? Just write it out in English.
Could I get: Posey’s HP - a breakdown of where this HP comes from Posey’s ability scores - a break down of where these come from (since evidently the answer isn’t “that’s what I rolled) Posey’s AC - a breakdown of where this AC comes from Posey’s damage reduction - a breakdown of where this damage reduction comes from Posey’s saves - break down of where these saves come from Posey’s spells - a break down of where these spells come from The number of spells posey can cast per day Posey’s spell like abilities, SU’s, or whatever other spells or extraordinary abilities she has, and where these come from Posey’s total attack, and where this comes from Posey’s skills and skill modifiers, and where these come from
Please try to communicate all of this in plain English in a way that anyone reading this thread could understand without needing to do 2000 pages of research of various 3rd edition books. I am not trying to get in an argument with you over what the rules are. I just want to understand your character while I am limited to posting on my phone.
Let me put it another way that hopefully is less passive aggressive:
Could you explain your proposed character sheet in such a way that all of the players - who are not steeped into the esoterics of 3.5 - could understand it, and such that I could not misunderstand it?
>>181759 >Could you explain your proposed character sheet in such a way that all of the players - who are not steeped into the esoterics of 3.5 - could understand it, and such that I could not misunderstand it? I can try. I'll also lay it out in a way that isn't a convoluted mess on a myth weavers sheet.
>Posey’s HP - a breakdown of where this HP comes from Rosey Ring has a total of 55 HP, from a number of sources: Hit Dice: As an undead monster, all of Rossy Ring's Hit Dice are d12s. This gives her an average of 33 HP with 4d12s Desecrate (PHB): an undead creature created with the Desecrate spell (SRD) gains +1 HP per HD; doing this on an altar or beneath the statue of an evil deity increase this to +2 per HD. This gives Posey a total of +8 bonus HP. Class (HH): or, more specifically, another member of her class. Thtough the Apprentice feat (DMGII), Posey has access to a mentor/slaver/master who is an 8th level Dread Necromancer (Heroes Of Horror): an undead master. Master Necromancers gain the following feature of Undead Mastery: "Undead Mastery: All undead creatures created by a dread necromancer who has reached 8th level or higher gain a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Dexterity and 2 additional hit points per Hit Die." This gives her a total of +8 bonus HP. I counted Posey being created by her master on a Desecrated altar as one of her limited favors from her mentor. Favors are subject to DM abjudication, which is why I am willing to cut these features. The The Bloodtouched Rite (ECS): this is a ritual from Eberron Campaign Setting; it involves a bloodletting Sacrament where the blood-worshipping Necromancers and priests of the blood of Vol permanently decrease their Constitution scores in exchange for Charisma bonus to HP at lvl 1 only, and +1 effective level to Rebuke Undead. It's setting specific, but we also have a cult of blood-worshipping Necromancers in this setting. This gives her +6 effective HP.
Being undead, she has no Constitution score, and cannot gain HP through Con-boosting spells or items.
>Posey’s ability scores - a break down of where these come from (since evidently the answer isn’t “that’s what I rolled) Posey did roll high. Her rolls are public. She rolled the following array: 6, 14, 12, 17, 14, 14. She is a high-rolled character, although how much difference it makes is really minimal, because she really only needs charisma to function.
She also has ability mods from her race: Unicorn (homebrew): +2 Int, +2 Wis Half-Vampire Template (Libris Mortis): +2 Cha, +2 Str, +2 Dex Magic-Blooded template (DrM): +2 Cha, -2 Wis
She also has a +2 Str Bonus from a symptom of Corruption (HH): Bones Thicken.
She also has a +4 Enhancement Bonus to Str and Dex from Undead Mastery applied by her Master (as mentioned above in HP). I proposed cutting this.
She has +1 Cha, from getting to lvl 4
She has +1 Str, from major vampire bloodline
>Posey’s AC - a breakdown of where this AC comes from Posey has AC from the following sources: Armor (PHB): Posey is proficient in Light Armor and can cast spells freely while wearing it. At this moment she is wearing a nonmagical chain shirt, for +4 Armor Bonus to AC Dastana Armor Mod (Oriental Adventures): Posey wears bracers with her chain shirt, for additional +1 AC, but only while wearing leather (NOT studded leather, padded, or chain shirt). Race (LM): a Half-Vampire has +2 Natural Armor Bonus to AC. Dex: Posey's unmodified Dex score is 16 (+3), but with Undead Mastery it is 20 (+5). Since she is wearing nonmagical, nonmasterwork chain shirt, she only gets +4 Dex to AC. (I proposed cutting this earlier).
I also just realized that she's supposed to get +1 natural armor from her vampire bloodline (SRD)... But I never put that on my sheet.
>Posey’s damage reduction - a breakdown of where this damage reduction comes from Posey has two sources of Damage Reduction: Class feature: Lich Body gives her DR 2/Magic AND Bludgeoning. This is the lower score, but also the most potent because magical burgeoning isn't common. Race: Half-Vampire gives her DR Silver OR Magic. This carried her through the hydra fight, but magic weapons are common at this level. Spellstitching (Complete Arcane): DR Silver OR Magic. This is redundant with Half-Vampire AND I proposed cutting out spellstitching anyway. >Posey’s saves - break down of where these saves come from Posey's saves come from her class progression (Good Will, Poor Fortitude, Poor Reflex) Her ability scores (Dex; No Constitution Score; 12 Wis) The Iron Will feat And also... Spellstiching (CA), which gives +2 untyped bonus to saving throws. (I will cut this)
>Posey’s spells - a break down of where these spells come from Posey's casts spells from the Dread Necromancer spell list: https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/magic/spells/classSpellLists/dreadNecromancerSpells.html A Dread Necromancer is a fixed-list caster, all of the spells on her spell list are spells known, but her ability to learn new spells is limited. Rosey Ring gains a number of exclusive Cyst spells through the Mother Cyst feat. Rosey Ring gains a handful of aberration-themed fear-based debuffs and summons through the Cerebrosis feat (Dragon #330). By now you are familiar with Posey's "Puppies". Most of the Cerebrosis spells are nearly identical to similar PHB spells on the Dread Necromancer spell list, but they are also cooler. She gains Cerebrosis as a bonus feat by sacrificing Constitution for the Rite Of The Blot. Rosey Ring has the Necromantic Bloodline feat, which gives her a few necromancy spells, but these spells are all resundant. Through the combination of the Apprentice feat, she has swapped out some of her redundant spells for other spells, one of which is Disguise Undead, which is useful as it let Posey bring the ghast into the city without causing a scene. >The number of spells posey can cast per day From her class levels and ability score bonus, Rosey Ring has: 8 lvl 1 spell slots 5 lvl 2 spell slots For some reason, Dread Necromancers don't have any lvl 0 slot... Rosey Ring can cast lvl 2 spells, but through the Versatile Spellcaster feat, she can expend two of her lvl 2 slots to create a lvl 3 slot. This gimmick has saved her life on multiple occasions, as she likely would not have survived the fight with Luminous without creating a lvl 2 slot to summon her puppies, and she ABSOLUTELY would not have survived the Hydra fight without the source of acid damage from her puppies. >Posey’s spell like abilities, SU’s, or whatever other spells or extraordinary abilities she has, and where these come from Posey has spell-like abilities from Spellstiching: the spells she took are Unseen Servant, Tenser's Floating Disk, Create Magic Tattoo, and Wings Of Cover. It would be sad to lose Unseen Servant and Floating Disk, but I proposed cutting spellstiching.
Rosey Ring has the following SLAs from her Magic-Blooded template 1/day: Nystul's Magic Aura, Detect Magic, Read Magic.
>Posey’s total attack, and where this comes from Rosey Ring has a base attack bonus of +2, as Wizard. This, combined with high Str, has made her effective against humanoid enemies without magical armor. Posey is a sadomasochist (Book Of Vile Darkness), and has on multiple occasions relied on the bonuses from taking or giving certain thresholds of damage to carry her through combat (again, carried her through the hydra fight and Luminous), as it has helped her turn misses into hits against enemies that severely damaged her. >Posey’s skills and skill modifiers, and where these come from As a Dread Necromancer, Posey has 2 skillpoints per level, this bonus increases with her intelligence score. Half-vampires have a +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks. She also has feats that give her marginal skill bonuses, such as Stealthy. Posey's skills are distributed in a way to maximize synergy bonuses between them. She has +2 to Climb and Search from vampire bloodline She has several equipment bonuses
Sorry to nterrupt, but the racial adjustments I made for bats was +2 dex, -1 Con (hollow bones), +2 listen checks. If that is not correct, please advise.
>Could you please, please write out in this thread what you are proposing for Posey - not as she is now, but as you are proposing her to be, in such a way that I understand you without needing to constantly try to figure out which book you’re getting things from? Just write it out in English. Sorry, I misunderstood the prompt. I proposed cutting some stuff from her sheet: >Remove spellstitching (SLAs, save bonuses, spell resistance) >Remove bonuses from Desecrate (8 bonus HP) >Remove bonuses from Undead Mastery (enhancement bonus to ability scores, 8 bonus HP) All of these bonuses were things that were applied by another, higher-level character, so I'm okay with removing them all in spirit of her having to play gold and XP to apply them herself at lvl 8. In addition, I'm open to removing the following: >Cut immunity to mind-affecting attacks
I would like to keep the rest of her sheet the same, unless there's anything that stands out to you that I should cut.
>>181780 Ability scores >17 Str, 16 Dex, N/A Con, 16 Int, 12 Wis, 22 Cha >Total Attack Bonus (base plus relevant modifiers) +5 (2 BAB, +3 ability) in both melee and range +7 with a +2 weapon and no barding; +5 with a +2 weapon and no barding >AC as applied 20, when wearing full armor
>>181777 Okay, nice. Do you accept these scores of mine: >>181762 ? >>181776 >The thing about Earth ponies is they don't always have to be Big Mac sized, so its conceivable that the human template would be agreeable Yeah, that does make sense to me. That's why in a homebrew idea I had, I created this other pony race, called trojan horses that took on the more strength based archetype.
>>181781 *+6 with a +2 weapon and grotesque barding
Tbh, I should probably ask for approval for this: >Grotesque Barding: Crafted with horns, scales, and other body parts from devils and demons, grotesque barding is horrible to behold. An animal wearing grotesque barding takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls but automatically attempts to demoralize any creature it attacks, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus on the Intimidate check. This demoralizing check is made as a part of the animal's attack and requires no conscious choice by the animal, nor an additional standard action. Grotesque barding costs 50 gp more than ordinary harding of the same type and weighs an additional 10 pounds. Posey wearing armor made of bones served a functional role, not just fashion. I was mentioning it since day 1, but idk if that was understood to be mechanical. This is a feature made for animals and mounts, but I have used it for centaurs and other quadrupedal characters before.
>>181765 >>181764 That’s a very large amount of supplement book features to just give things for free, like ability scores and spells, besides getting free attack bonus from masochism. You really think that 22 charisma for a character at level 6 is appropriate and balanced?
I think I still have insist on no 5 Damage Reduction, because for Posey to take… I don’t know how much damage but definitely not much, in the same fight where Silver Sword takes 15 plus whatever the zebra did, is extremely unseemly to me. I’m also still unsure about the dastana, or whatever it is that makes her AC 20 rather than 19.
>>181784 Is she a cute, sexy pony, or is she an undead horror that’s incredibly terrifying? Because it seems wrong for her to be instilling so much fear in enemies while the cleric a few feet back just sits, contemplates throwing a grenade at the party, and says “this is normal.”
>>181790 Does the international council of zeeb relations have an address, because they are about to be served for not paying.
>>181792 >You really think that 22 charisma for a character at level 6 is appropriate and balanced? I mean... yes actually, imo. Even with SRD only materials, you can play a Water Orc barbarian with 22 Str at lvl 1. Also, half of the party can fly at will. I really don't consider my racial charisma bonus to be excessive by comparison. >I think I still have insist on no 5 Damage Reduction Oh, alright... I do want to stress the level cost I paid for the damage reduction though. If I lose abilities that I paid valuable levels for, I would like to level up soon. Also, a window dressing weakness on her sheet is that wooden weapons always bypass her DR. >I’m also still unsure about the dastana, or whatever it is that makes her AC 20 rather than 19. AC boosting really wasn't my priority anyway, so whatever. >Is she a cute, sexy pony, or is she an undead horror that’s incredibly terrifying? Can't she be both? Like Sparklemoon? Nightmare Moon? Chrysalis? Rosa Maledicta? Midnight Sparkle? Pre-Redemption Glimmer? The list goes on. She's a vampiric sorceress with : powerful and beautiful, and all around adorafying. >Because it seems wrong for her to be instilling so much fear in enemies 90% of Rosey Ring's attacks and spells are fear-based. She's a fearmonger build in a fearmonger class. >while the cleric a few feet back just sits, contemplates throwing a grenade at the party I could do that too, but it would be kind of rude. Rule #1 of playing evil characters: the party is not the target of your evil.
>>181792 I think the dastana is fine, as long as it provides a spell check failure chance. Posey is kisted as being unable to fail on a spellcast, not sure what thats about
>>181800 >Posey is kisted as being unable to fail on a spellcast, not sure what thats about I've explained this to you three times already. It's one of her class features: >Dread necromancers are also proficient with light armor, but not with shields. The somatic components required for dread necromancer spells are simple, so members of this class can cast dread necromancer spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. She still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells derived from other classes. In addition, if a dread necromancer wears medium or heavy armor, or uses a shield, she incurs the same chance of arcane spell failure as any other arcane caster if the spell in question has a somatic component (and most do). Dread necromancers get armor, like Bards. Dread Necromancers don't get Improved Mage Armor or Shield or Protection From Arrows or other defensive spells, so they need to wear armor. Note that even the Asian Lady who represents the sample Dread Necromancer in Heroes Of Horror is wearing bracers. >>181764 I forgot that Posey's Lich Body Damage reduction is supposed to be 4/Bludgeoning and Magic now. I neglected to add that when she leveled up. So yeah, I'll cut the Half Vampire DR and reduce her DR overall.
>>181792 >You really think that 22 charisma for a character at level 6 is appropriate and balanced? >>181764 >Dex: Posey's unmodified Dex score is 16 (+3), but with Undead Mastery it is 20 (+5). And: >Half-Vampire Template (Libris Mortis): +2 Cha, +2 Str, +2 Dex >She also has a +2 Str Bonus from a symptom of Corruption (HH): Bones Thicken. >She also has a +4 Enhancement Bonus to Str and Dex from Undead Mastery It seems like she has at least three scores >=20 if I'm understanding this correctly.
Is your character stronger than mine by the way, whose whole identity is about her massive strength while yours is a caster?
>>181804 I mean, now when I think about it. I don't really care if Poesy is a superior being to Virgin.
I don't wanna be like interrogating you or anything. You have always been friendly and offered me help in building my character and I appreciate it.
And I'm trying to not take sides here because I'm a layman pleb when it comes to DnD so I try to refrain from giving my opinions.
But I am curious of your vision for Poesy. Usually, I like the rule of a pro and a con. For example: Virgin is strong and good at melee but she's dumb as bricks and she's has no range attacks. It's not perfect yet due to her sheet not being finished but you get the idea. An archer is easy prey when you're on top of them but are in a position of advantage from range. This idea works for the, "Jack of all trades(pro), master of none(con)," too.
Sorry, if this feel like I'm patronizing you. That's not my intention at all, I just wanted to be clear with what I mean.
So to me, she seems almost like perfect being but with the drawback that she's weak to holy stuff that hurts undead stuff. Do you find that a fair assessment? Or did I miss something?
I'm asking this because, if I was a GM, I would like to know how I'd challenge or threaten Poesy and again, this might just be because of my lack of knowledge, but I can't figure out how to do that from what I have read. Though, what you have written here isn't the whole sheet either so that might be why I don't get it.
>>181806 I dont mind Rosey being OP one bit; I did mind the condescention. Ya see the bibliography on that shit? My bibliography has 2 listings: the PHB, and a single homebrew feat that allows you to basically do flurry of blows in light armor, but requires dagger focus as a prereq, so its kinda balanced. But anyway, Im not against the stacking, I just dont wanna die when the boss whos a challenge hits the party with Final Flash or some shit.
And, the ask on the Dagger mastery included a description about how alongsize improved grappling, he used neighponese (or whatever it is) jiu jitsu and the dagger mastery to grapple and stabby stab his opponents after removing their dex bonus (so sneak attacks). It made sense with what I wanted to do with the character and fit his story background (what I had established, and its only reinforced 3x by inclusion ofnLacey)
>>181850 Yes, but cuz dagger focus its technically a double feat, and it only really buffs something he can otherwise already do cuz the monk dip, excepting the armor. Which its self not great when you consider what a wise monk could do, but hes not wise,....
>>181855 I think I'd still prefer to spend my feats on Craven or sublime way resources, but you do you. >>181857 This is why I like Swordsage: just one level gives you +1 in all weapons of your focused discipline. Good for hitting prerequisites.
>>181860 Understandable. But given his humble street background, he would have limited exposure to super cool feats and abilities, and the ones he does have are based off having impressed members of an ancient traditional ninja-bat dynasty/house, traceable back however many number of years.
>>181864 >given his humble street background, he would have limited exposure to super cool feats and abilities Ngl, I really dislike this approach to character creation. I've seen it before. >I am humble so I wouldn't have access to nice things You are a hero. You can do cool stuff if you want to.
>>181867 Bleh. I appreciate the merit to your position/structure, but i am trying to appeal to an archetype as much as I'm trying to make his stats and abilities viable, and limitations are a part of that. For example. The idea is that he has vested monies/interests all over, and is famously profitable. But at a given moment, he only has (literally right now 200 notes (not sure bits or w/ever). He is assumed to reinvest to a degree that hes kinda fancy-broke, butbif his assets were liquid he could retire the whole party. And part of that amassing of wealth/power/influence is to leverage a specific interest increasingly emerging as part of his backstory and present story. Yes, it could be done other ways, but this current way makes sense especially with the specifics
>>181768 Earth ponies have +2 strength, +2 constitution. I don't think they get an extra feat, but I'm not sure. The thing about racial bonii is that they apply to averages. The average earth pony will be stronger and tougher than an average unicorn or pegasus of the same size. For example, Amber is fairly short but she is thicc and has effective strength/constitution scores of 14 with the racial bonus.
>>181764 >>181765 >The The Bloodtouched Rite (ECS): this is a ritual from Eberron Campaign Setting; it involves a bloodletting Sacrament where the blood-worshipping Necromancers and priests of the blood of Vol permanently decrease their Constitution scores in exchange for Charisma bonus to HP at lvl 1 only, and +1 effective level to Rebuke Undead. >She gains Cerebrosis as a bonus feat by sacrificing Constitution for the Rite Of The Blot. >All of her various racial modifiers, enhancement modifiers, etc. affect everything except for constitution. Good thing undead don't have constitution at all. All this feels very powergamey. And yes, I know it's not "meta" and could be beaten by a real powergamer, but a lot of us are new to DnD and haven't optimized our characters nearly so well. This is why saying "I'm actually lower level" is just salt in the wounds, considering she is objectively stronger than everypony else just by ability scores alone. Nopony else is playing a water orc barbarian with 22 str at lvl 1, and it shows.
>>181786 Balancing zebras is harder because they wouldn't have the strength of earth ponies, nor wings, nor a horn to cast magic with. They would probably get a bonus to survival and alchemy, but I'm not sure what else.
>>181806 If I were assaulting Rosey - assuming no.meta knowledge - Brie would start with grapples to eliminate all but light weapons. Then attempt a stabby stab. Strategy to follow based on result, ostensibly determining crits/sneaks dont work and prolly busting a smoke grenade
Fuck, I want Posey lewds now. Damn you sexy unicorn! >>181937 They gotta get something though, right? >>181940 >>181903 Both of you are the same color on my end, please allow me to be retarded.
Commissioning isn't hard if you have a specific idea in your head. I would recommend starting out with a simple picture of your OC first that has the basic body shape and look. This picture can be used to springboard other art and it will be a better reference for artists than whatever you make in Pony Creator. Make sure you're exacting on this first piece. You see all the other commissions for other artists? Every single one has Amber's mane cut far too short, and that's because this first one has that imperfection and it was used as the reference. It's a minor detail and otherwise the art is great, but it affects everything else down the line even if you tell the artist "pls make her mane a little longer."
Then you can get creative! There are lesser known artists I would recommend commissioning, especially if you like detailed scenes or landscape art. I have never commissioned a NSFW piece and I would like to, but I think in that case just pick an artist whose style you like and find contact information. NSFW artists look to be busier than landscape/scene artists and I don't know how to contact them without feeling like I'm sounding creepy.
It'll be expensive (for me) but maybe I could commission one art piece this holiday season. I have several of Amber already but none of Cavaliere. Which would you prefer and what scene should I choose? If you want to commission art too, what character and scene would you focus on?
>>182033 Can confirm, commissioning isn't hard when you have an idea in your head (and money to pay for it). Would share the commission I got, but I'm not sure how everyone would feel about something pretty gaey being posted here.
The simplest piece of advice I can give wrt comissioning an artist (aside from rrferring mine Xp) is be clear and upfront with your expectations as you can be, and you pay for quality. You're safer going with a known/established artist, theres a reason they have wait times. Exceptions exist, but it is better to wait on a superior product than to get an inferior one fast and/or cheap. Unverified artists try to pawn AI as their own work, never respond to solicitations.
On an unrelated note, if like me you have had issues finding out about EaW because every fucking site is the worst form of trash imaginable,... just ask ChatGPT. I actually have a growing functional understanding of it now. Brie might just join the Blackhooves (or rather,... no spoilers)
>>182069 Apologies, it was a different kobold then. This one took a flaw that reduced their weight, alongside some other shit, so they could magneto-around on tenser's disk. There werr other sploits, it was crazy strong
>>181335 >>As we are talking about it, Zigger went ahead and made a hippie cleric that doesn’t want to follow any kind of god but just wants those good feeling vibes. You know, without clearing by the GM first. >Nigger are you for real? Try asking Defiant Dust about some stuff after the mission. If you seem interested he might start blabbing a bit more ^:)
First, we should keep an eye on them because time will be moving forward while we search the island. The Stalliongrad marines will be searching the island for any intruders and this old encampment counts. The fact the griffons aren't a rescue party won't matter and they will be taken into custody or killed. The griffons are also very scared and the party suddenly abandoning them for hours might lead to them wandering off or doing something very foolish.
Second, we want to consolidate our resources and mission objectives. We want to rescue the griffons and we need to rescue the airponies. We're doing the same thing for these two groups so it makes sense to keep them together. Splitting them also adds unnecessary risk since it's more time and travel we need later on this hostile island. The airponies if injured might not have the time we would need to return to the griffons. It's very likely Stalliongrad is sending reinforcements to help the freighter so time is critical.
>but we need to keep them out of combat This is a stealth mission and we're trying to stay out of combat anyway. If we're getting the airponies the very same will apply to them. If we do end up in combat, four extra creatures can be useful as backup, even if they aren't great fighters. Plus, the griffons look like they're more willing to die than surrender to Stalliongrad so they will definitely stick with us.
>but the ship can be fixed We don't know if it can be fixed. The griffons certainly don't think it's possible in the narrow timeframe we have available. It's tempting to try because of our uncertainty with exfiltration, but it adds additional complexity since the ship will be slow, easy to spot, and dangerous at sea. If you want we could look one last time to see if the ship is repairable before we leave.
>>182055 I forgot this pic by AHorseofCourse I didn't commission this, and unfortunately her blaze coat mark is not too accurate. You can find other art he's made for other Occupied Equestria characters, so if you want a commission he is an excellent place to start.
>>182159 Okay, I phrased that poorly. Brie is uncomfortable with the increased liability of bringing them with us, preferring they take refuge in the village until the party can return
So for Lacey I wanted her to have a chain whip, but there is no srd for the chain whip. However, the spiked chain stats perfectly mirror what the chain wjip should be, except the picture is retarded. So unless advised not to, Im counting it as a rebranded spiked chain. Reach sneak attacks cuz move-action improved feint baby
>>182182 >>182181 The Rope dart is a piercing version of the meteor hammer. It's an exotic, finesse Monk weapon. As far as exotic weapons go, it is one of the few that is actually worth the feat.
>>182190 Much more consistent, though I want a piercing point at one end not unlike the rope dart, so she can be said to use it to stab when operating in a 5' interval space (her family taught Brie the stabby stab)
>>182192 Maybe add a RotW Close-fighting blade mod?
>Blade, Close Fighting: Elves love swordplay, but even elves recognize that a sword isn't always an ideal weapon. They developed the close fighting blade for times when they must fight in spaces too constricted for true swordplay. >A close fighting blade is simply a knifelike blade concealed within the hilt or haft of a one-handed or larger melee weapon. Pressing a catch in the hilt (a free action) releases the spring-loaded blade, which extends and locks into place protruding from the pommel or butt of the larger weapon. >A close fighting blade is the equivalent of a dagger in all respects, except that it is a bit more awkward to use. It is most useful in situations where the wielder is suddenly rendered incapable of using her normal melee weapon, such as when she is grappling or being swallowed by some hulking monster. >While a close fighting blade is extended, the wielder takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls, both with the close fighting blade and with the weapon that normally conceals it (which becomes more awkward to use). Retracting a close fighting blade is the equivalent of sheathing a weapon (a move action). >Even with the hidden blade extended, a weapon with a close fighting blade is not a double weapon. The user can employ either the main weapon or the extended blade, but not both in the same round. >A close fighting blade must be enchanted separately from the weapon in which it is housed. >Elves typically include close fighting blades in longswords or rapiers for their own use. Elf wizards sometimes carry quarterstaffs that contain close fighting blades. In some areas, elves fashion battleaxes, heavy maces, or similar one-handed weapons with close fighting blades, though these items are usually sold to other races. >Adding a close fighting blade to an existing weapon, or including one as part of a new weapon, costs 100 gp.
>>182202 +2 Strength (sneks are basically just one big long muscle) +2 to Hide, Move Silently, Listen, Spot, Balance, and Climb (basic snek stuff) -4 to Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, and Perform against anyone who isn't at least at a Helpful disposition (downside to being a snek, you scare almost everyone upon first contact and it makes it difficult to get creatures to do what you want them to do)
>>182204 I played a Yuan Ti Tainted One Chaos Monk / Shiba Protector / Ur Priest / Sacred Fist at ECL ~14-19, iirc. I used my psionics to polymorph into a dire snake, and then I'd use Righteous Might and Giant Size to buff my size mod. Took Gape Of The Serpent and Rending Constriction to swallow enemies after becoming Colossal+. It was probably the strongest Monk character I ever played. >>182205 What's your size though? Do you get Improved Grab? Construct? Venom? Natural Armor? I figured you were using something like a greensnake naga or constrictor naga as your base.
>>182206 Oh yeah, lamias also get Constrict. I had an idea for a "Tail Whip" natural attack which would work like a whip weapon, but I'm still not sure what GM pone thinks of it. Improved Grapple would make sense as a racial bonus since she's a constrictor. No venom or natural armor, though. There's been debates about her size. I'd prefer if she was medium sized so she can still be stealthy.
For Lacy: Looking at a Rogue 3, Monk 1, Assassin 2 layout. Similar feats to Brie; Dagger Focus, Advanced Stabby Stab, and Improved. So with her movement action she can feint (and remove dex bonus) allowing her to sneak attack from reach, or trip, or disarm.
Btw, I forgot monk gives weapon finesse for monk weapons, so gonna reassign that one for Brie.
Or use anthropomorphic legendary snake as your base, and then add a replacement tail graft to get back the improved grab and constrict attacks. It would be around +2 LA, which would be about the same as any creatures that flies at-will.
Could also apply some grafts/mutations. Yuan Ti and Naga's are all about fleshwarping. >>182211 You need 5 levels to qualify for assassin.
>>182211 >monk gives weapon finesse for monk weapons It only does that in 5e. Also, weapon Finesse costs a feat in 3.5e. There's a monk variant that gives weapon Finesse in place of a monk bonus feat though. >>182216 This is PHB material, m8. It's clear in the SRD. I'm letting you know now, so you won't have to change it later.
>>182218 No, monk weapons allow the dex bonus instead of strength on attack bonuses, ergo finesse. Reiterating my "back off my junk".
Im asking to take assassin at a slightly lower skill point than expressly written, to do with character bg. Im teyibg to also post more on the board and not be all up in GM's shit. If youre unwilling to honor that, fine.
>>182222 >No, monk weapons allow the dex bonus instead of strength on attack bonuses, ergo finesse No, you are mistaken. I'm looking at the Monk class in the PHB right now. It doesn't do that. Nowhere in the class description does it say that it does that. You are confusing it with 5e again. >Im asking to take assassin at a slightly lower skill point than expressly written, to do with character bg If GM wants to let you ignore prerequisites, that's his call. There's actually a variant rule for that in the SRD: https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/campaigns/testBasedPrerequisites.htm
>>182229 Wasn't you who just last week threw a fit about what you perceived to be my incorrect reading Concentration rules (Which turned out to be the correct reading)? You have been complaining about my character build and calling it "broken" for months now. This is my first time mentioning anything about yours.
I really don't care what your character does. I only spoke up because you mentioned something that was patently false.
>>182244 >didnt u shit the bed recently Yes, which is why Im not gonna say shit about what ur character is doing. >patently false Ive already made my argument about letter vs spirit of rules. Keep to your side of the road plz.
>>182231 Rosey Ring appears as a youthful mare with soft and elegant features. Her coat is a pristine snow white, and exceptionally fluffy. Her mane is a sanguine red-pink, and is soft, fine and silky, almost glowing with its vibrant. Her mane is exceptionally long, and usually done up in a braid or a war bun. Her body is slender and dainty, with generous feminine endowments. She has a calm and professional demeanor, and she comes off as mature, despite her apparent youth. When she moves, she seems to glide over the ground, with grace that seems almost supernatural. The spring in her step betrays a deceptively strong body. She trots with a regal confidence, puffing her fluffy chest out and holding her head high, and making eye contact with anyone within eyesight. Her elegant and courtly demeanor betrays an aura of absolute menace, a predatory supernatural hunger conveyed in her hypnotic gaze. She always seems alert and engaged, her ears swiveling like tiny satellite dishes. Overall, she is strikingly beautiful. She seems to radiate youth and vitality, but something about her supernatural appearance is... Unsettling. She seems almost more like an exquisite painting of a mare than a living thing, uncanny in her supernatural beauty.
Rosey Ring's eyes are like pools of gold, with hypnotic radial concentric rings. They glow with authority and give off a mesmerizing aura that demands submission. Staring into them too long gives feelings of unease and terror, but their commanding presence makes it difficult for any unfortunate souls who've caught her attention to look away.
Posey's Cutie Mark is a dark sun surrounded by a red flare. It also resemble a buboe from the black plague. It fills out her soft and rotund flank very well. The Dark Sun above a white sky is Posey's mark of destiny.
When dressed for war, Rosey Ring looks like something from another era. She wears archaic chain shirt barding, adorned with the bones and teeth of various monsters. Throwing-needles hold her hair into a tactical war bun, and she affixes a blade to the end of her braid. An elegant silver longsword lays at her flank, alongside a longbow, a coiled whip, and quiver. She brandishes an archaic halberd that crackles with electricity. Armored racers are fastened to her forehooves, dastana made from the shackles she once wore as a slave. It's clear from her fashion that she is a warrior from a bygone age.
>>182257 One of the original ideas for Posey was that she was a failed clone of Rosa, but I cut that idea because it didn't make sense in lore under scrutiny.
>>182286 See, I was literally just about to make a ghoul bat character with sunken undead eyes... Well, technically I already made one. She's ordered her third helping of waffles at the diner.
>>182294 You are entitled to whatever bragging rights I just want Lacey to be a lewd poni, with some circumstantially awesome ninja-combat sploits, but otherwise an un-classed diplomancer/negotiator. Nor intended for combat beyond GM whim, versed in 12 major languages for maximum guest accommodation.
>>182360 What deal? ,What does that mean? What is it that you're upset about this time? Why are you being so obnoxiously evasive with all these nonsense posts?
Im gonna revert to previous depictions of malice, willlful disregard, and attempted misrepresentation, in the forgoing disregard of this faggot and whatever theyre likely to say i. The foregoing timeframe
>>182365 You imply that posey is the one pushing for GM to resolve the situation. Cute. I have tried to avoid interaction witb Posey. The inverse is not true.
>>182372 I don't know what you're upset about. Is it the suggestions of rape that made you uncooperative? The described metallic object looks to be irrelevant and it should not take much time to find out what it is before moving on. There is nothing to gain by being cryptic to all the other players. Is there a tacit deal the other players don't know about where Posey and yourself have to avoid interaction?
>>182373 Let's get specific. Are you asking if I refused to go along with PF's (Posey's faggot) demands of me as a player/character? Yes, thats correct. If he, you, or anyone makes demands, three guesses what the response will be. If its important, maybe dont be a dick about it.
Theres this odd and prevailing attitude that other characters are stepping stones, or a means to another particular character's desired end. How about wwel all play our own characters?
>>182381 → When you have a problem with another player, can you just write out, in plain English, what the issue is? There are six other people here besides you and Posey.
None of the rest of us want to wade through 30 replies trying to guess what the issue is. And when you bury your own replies with more replies, if by some accident you do say what the issue is, that answer gets buried. Either say what the problem is or shut the fuck up and don't shit up my threads. If you're afraid that you can't articulate the issue, then please try, and we'll attempt to interpret it. And if you can't or won't do that, then please just don't post.
We are autistic and not paying attention to your tit for tats with Posey. We don't see subtext, we don't get context. Hell, even if you say it out loud and then bury that reply with 30 others we'll assume it's because that reply wasn't very important. If you don't want to say it then don't write 30 replies of nothing.
Don't write 30 one sentence replies. It's spam. It shits up the thread and disrupts everything. There are six or more of the rest of us besides you two who use these threads.
>>182376 >>182374 Can you keep it out of my game? This is disruptive to the rest of us. There are six of us here besides the two of you. We don't want our experiences ruined.
If you have something to say out of character, say it out of character, rather than this weird confusion between the two.
>>182321 → >>182323 → >>182297 → While Brie's player won't tell us what the issue is, I think there's a very fair bet that a big part of the reason is you telling him what he should do with his own character - and then still insisting on it 20 posts later. It's clearly not appreciated. Don't do it.
Also, making a one sentence reply to tell us how bored you are and imply that you want to sexually assault another player character who is a thousand miles away in game is not appreciated by me.
>>182356 >>182350 >>182358 >>182360 None of the other of us six people know what the deal you made is. Evidently neither does Posey. Can you just say what the issue is not force the other six people to sift through a half dozen posts on some kind of "deal" that is not explained and is secret? It's basically spam to talk about it here.
Having said, I think I know what the real issue is, if there IS a 'real' issue. I just got finished detailing it to Stix, ask him. I dunno what exactly to do if Im right, and I certainly dont know what if I'm wrong, but its something to go off of at least.
>>182384 Oh cause that's what we need, involving more people. Great, yippee, that will surely help and not just expedite issues further. Who even is that? It doesn't seem to be one of the other players. >>182382 Can you just let me know when we're actually playing so I don't have to keep tabs on the thread? I wanted to play a zeeb, not be a pawn in someone's surprise group therapy intervention.
>>182372 >resolve the situation What situation? >I have tried to avoid interaction witb Posey No you didn't. You made 30+ posts of evasive, cryptic bullshit, when you could have just said nothing. >>182373 >The described metallic object looks to be irrelevant and it should not take much time to find out what it is before moving on. There is nothing to gain by being cryptic to all the other players This. >Is there a tacit deal the other players don't know about Even if there were, I wouldn't care. >>182374 >Sweet, summer child >Cute Why are you always patronizing other players? It's not as cool as you think it is. >>182376 There is nothing to iron out. Just play the game. >>182378 What does this even mean? >>182379 >demands What demands? Is all of this about me suggesting that you roll a skill check? I literally don't care. The rest of us could roll. It doesn't matter. I was just trying to move the story along and settle the questions about your weird dildo so we could get to the light house. >Theres this odd and prevailing attitude that other characters are stepping stones, or a means to another particular character's desired end. Idk how you came to this conclusion. I suggested that you roll a skill check to appraise the item that you had already claimed as yours. The rest of us had already rolled checks to identify it, and I didn't want to linger on it. You don't have to roll if you don't want to, and you could have just said that you didn't want to instead of confusing people with your weird cryptic jargon. >>182382 >Can you please not shit up my thread with cryptic arguing? It's unpleasant for the rest of us. We don't want to wade through shit to get to the substantial replies. It makes it harder to backread. And it kills the thread more quickly. This. I'm sorry for participating in the spam. It's a waste of everyone's time. >When you have a problem with another player, can you just write out, in plain English, what the issue is? >if you can't or won't do that, then please just don't post. This please. >While Brie's player won't tell us what the issue is, I think there's a very fair bet that a big part of the reason is you telling him what he should do with his own character - and then still insisting on it 20 posts later. It's clearly not appreciated. Don't do it. Alright. I just got confused by the way he replied. >is not appreciated by me Noted. >None of the other of us six people know what the deal you made is. Evidently neither does Posey. Can you just say what the issue is not force the other six people to sift through a half dozen posts on some kind of "deal" that is not explained and is secret? It's basically spam to talk about it here. I didn't even know there was a deal. When I said "what's your deal" I meant to ask what his issue was, because he was doing the "stonewalling discussion with cryptic nonsense" thing again. >Your character can't even sleep. How could she hope to dream? Well, vampires sleep in coffins, don't they? There's also the whole dream haunting thing they do. It was a half-ironic shitpost to see how okay you were with the idea of adventuring in the dream dimension. I saw other dream sequences earlier in the threads, and I thought it would be cool to invade one if I invested in the ability to do so.
>>182387 >what situation There's two primary possibilities. The first is that Posey and I just rub eachother the wrong way, and all of our misgivings and conflicts have been entirely organic and unrelated to anything else. The second is that there's something unresolved between me and Posey such that they feel entitled to harangue me any time I'm disinclined to say how high every time they say jump. Ive tried to get along in a gaming group sense, trying to opt for less contrary positions and to admit when I start acting irrationally (and the many reasons why), and not only has that been thrown in my face multiple times in a most contemptible manner, but when challenged there's the little boy "I'm sowwwy, I didn't mean tooo", and then 2 days later hes back to diligently searching for a nerve to jump up and down on, typically because he wants to advance the story without GM and I'm usually the one insisting he not, or otherwise waiting on fucking clarification because GM doesnt have the energy to effectively respond to my post because he's responding to a dozen other "Posey is bored" posts. At least when I take the time to embellish and/or length post, it doesnt typically demand a response. And wouldn't you know it, every time Ive lost my shit I've has Posey all up in my ass. Might be a correlation there.
>>182389 I was asking about this particular situation. >The second is that there's something unresolved between me and Posey I have nothing to resolve with you. Maybe you think I have an issue with you, but I really don't. I don't know why you randomly get do antagonistic for some reason. I'll admit, for about a week after your "threatening to kill the party" thing, I was a bit wary of you, because I was prepared to treat you like a potentially hostile player, but I got over that a long time ago. It's over: I have no problems with you. I have only been trying to get along with you this entire game, but for completely undisclosed and uncommunicated reasons you don't seem to want to do that. Even last night, all I did was suggest rolling a skill check, because players generally like having opportunities to roll their skills so I thought I might remind you this this was the opportune moment to do that. I only suggested that because I would have appreciated it if the same was done to me. I wasn't trying to control you in any way. Maybe I came off as demanding, maybe what I said was offensive, but I had no way of knowing that because YOU DIDN'T TELL ME. Instead, you just spammed a dozen posts of increasingly adversarial and cryptic nonsense that accomplished nothing but frustrating and confusing everyone involved. All you had to say was "I don't want to do that." >just rub eachother the wrong way The only thing that rubs me wrong is your adversarial method of communication, or lack thereof. Why can't you just tell us what your issues are, instead of making 30-50 one-sentence snide remarks of cryptic nonsense? Maybe you think it's cool to flood the thread with cryptic posts acting like a druidic hermit who only speaks in riddles, but to the rest of us it's just frustrating and unfun. Last night was an example: if you didn't want to roll the skill check, why didn't you just say so? I wasted two hours of my time trying to interpret what your problem was from your nonsense spam. Another example was the fit you threw over me asking for permission in-character it Posey could finish Sea Stone: you made 70-90 posts containing one sentence or less, but in none of them you said what your actual problem was. Why can't you just say what your problems are in plain English? Have you learned nothing from the show? If you tell us what your problems are clearly, we can address them accordingly. If you instead spam the thread with cryptic nonsense, you just come off as adversarial and unapproachable, and your issues get ignored.
>>182390 >>182309 The subtext of this appears to be >Spend a week or two coming up with a whole framework for a character and theme did you? >Be a shame if someone made a character along the same lines Immediately afterward, you started (ahem) "being pushy" about the check in thread, and I felt you were being adversarial on multiple fronts. This is not the first time I have observed you do this, in fact while on the surface you claim the OOC thread is to contain unnecessary cross-talk, I can point to numerous instances where it appears to have been made FOR it. You'll posture innocently in one while taking shots in another.
At least, thats certainly what the evidence suggests to me. If I have to end every post with "Thats what Brie os doing, and I am going to decline whatever else is happening until I directly reference GM or another party member, I guess thats what I'll do. Brie had gone back to surveillance, and I was waiting on GM to.either carry the narration forward - something (you) seemed all to keen just before when Brie was trying to have a moment with what I hoped was something cool, and likewise when he was having his safecracker moment. Maybe Im hypersensitive, but during other player moments (or.maybe just mine) you come across like the "Can we GO now???" kid, who I'm.inconveniencing because GM is addressing me for a moment.
>>182391 >Be a shame if someone made a character along the same lines That wasn't adversarial. That was an ironic way to express the awkwardness of the situation of two similar characters potentially being introduced. I mentioned the nightstalker cohort last year, and I mentioned a ghoul bat months ago, I even started roleplaying her in the diner: I did not just suddenly made it up just to spite you. I was intending to work it out in thread, or just drop my character altogether. >second paragraph Idk what you're trying to communicate here. Are you saying that you didn't get enough time to roleplay your thing? What does that have to do with what I was trying to do? I thought we had already left for the lighthouse. GM was already describing the thick foggy environment.
And you didn't address anything I said or asked in the previous post
>>182396 → It’s not a trap. It’s a harpoon head that contains an explosive charge. It’s ammunition, like a shotgun shell. Sure, you could rig it to explode as a part of a trap, just as you could a shotgun shell. So I said there was no trap, because there wasn’t. The harpoon head was not rigged with a wire not any other device to detonate; it was not a part of a trap.
I suppose it makes sense that “trap sense” is a general “knowledge:explosives, bombs, and ammunition” roll, but that didn’t occur to me at the time.
Lay off of me. The party had no rogue for five years, and this is the first time I’ve ever had anyone use trap sense on something like this.
>>182394 I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. Just like I am not interpreted how I think I will be, you are not always easy to interpret, and the interpretations available tend to appear adversarial. So I'll say this: if you want to be helpful and indocate what GM has said and I may have missed, link the post. Otherwise, please give me ny space in game - including being at least seemingly patient when I'm doing something. Ever notice how when not doing stuff, Brie flies up and surveils (read: allows players/characters the chance to do things)?
Maybe this will help give perspective: Rosie's favorite moments have bern d escribed as clutch battle moments; those are always great. My favorite moments are scenes where my character interprets the situation and does something awesome; "If you're unfamiliar", Brie deciding to save the changelings and later getting a double nat-20 in both a griffon's eyes, after playfully dancing while being shot at, was one of my top 3 RP moments.
I dont need to almost die, I need to be able to envision something cool. Let me have my moments.
Oh, hey, spearguns are simple weapons in d20 modern, and they can load harpoons. That means any of us can use harpoons if we find a spear gun here. Harpoons are considered by some to be the strongest exotic weapon in 3.5e: they do just as much damage coming out as they do going in, and they can immobilize targets to prevent them from charging. http://dmreference.com/MRD/Arcana/Equipment/Weapons/Ranged_Weapons.htm >>182409 You should take it. Look around to see if you can find a spear gun to go with it. If you find a spear gun, take as many harpoons as you can carry as amo. Harpoon + sneak attack is great. https://www.realmshelps.net/stores/weapons/Harpoon
>>182410 >you should take it I'll actually consider it for later, as it bypasses Brie's aversion to firearms AND isn't 'just' a crossbow. As for the harpoon head in question, I'm fine with rolling it that Brie somehow didnt notice the explosive charge cuz harpoon, and offered it along to the captain who.it would seem it blonged to to begin with (and we may need his/their help)
>>182401 In finality, I am genuinely sorry. I appreciate that you comprehend my frustration, and I comprehend why you overlooked my intentions in the moment. >>182394 Maybe they can do mutually beneficial business with Lacey. I'm open to it. I have a "thing" planned to establish Lacey's establishment, a soiree where all of Baltimare (including the vagrants!) will be invited!
>>182412 Too bad mundane (and magical) crafting takes so long in 3.5e... I can never play an Artificer without multiple Dedicated Wrights crafting for me.
This is where Craft Points come in handy https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/craftPoints.htm Good variant if you want to have a lot of crafting in your game. Slightly abusable if you control a lot of intelligent minions (i.e. making a bunch of homunculi and having them spend their craft points), but balanced overall. It's a per-level resource, but unlike action points, craft points are cumulative.
>>182415 I've asked GM pone for a change to the crafting rules, he hasn't said no to it so I'm curious if he agrees: I'd want the checks to be done per hour rather than per week, as especially with a slower paced game like this one the normal rules mean we would never be able to actually craft anything. Per hour means that simple items like Cure Light Wounds potions or a simple spear or knife can be made in just a couple hours, while the more expensive and powerful items will still need anywhere from a couple days to a week to complete.
>>182419 You mention magic items, but it's questionable how XP mechanics would work in this game. 3.5e really isn't made for milestone games. That's why I didn't bother to take any crafting feats, despite having had virtually unlimited downtime before Posey met with the party. I did put Ritual Of Transference in though, so that I could have allies, minions and captured enemies to pour their XP into items for me, if the need arose. You can gain ritual of transference as a bonus feat if you participate in multiple rituals of transference or craft talismans of transference (backstory material), so I could give you the rest of we cooperate.
>>182420 Paying XP to craft magic items just feels kinda wrong to me. Magic items already take so much money to craft, and you have to have the skill points allocated to the Craft skills which take away from other arguably more useful skills, and on top of that you have to have a specific feat to craft magic items which takes away a feat slot from other more useful feats, adding an XP cost on top of that just feels like a way to discourage the entire practice. What's the point of taking this feat and putting all of these skill points into crafting if you're gonna be penalized for it? It's not like finding a magic weapon in a dungeon subtracts from your XP or anything like that.
>>182422 I wouldn't say I'd rather make them than find them? Like, finding cool stuff is always great, but it's also great being able to make your own stuff personalized and tailored specifically for you.
It's also great being able to make cool stuff for your other party members who don't have those ranks in the crafting skills. Like, genuinely I'd want to hear from everyone if there's anything they'd like for Silver to make them when he gets his smithy up and running, he's got plenty of ranks in Weaponsmithing and a few even in Armorsmithing. Kira's got some ranks in Bowmaking too if anyone wants a bow or arrows or somesuch.
>>182422 I have no craft feats, so I would rather find them. Silver seems really interested in crafting though, even if he's only going to use it to craft mundane weapons (suboptimal, but in-character and fun).
If I took Craft Wonderous Item, I would probably only use it to spellstitch minions. If I took ranks in a mundane craft skill, I would use it on Craft (Writing), to write reference books for the university.
>>182425 Also, it's not as if crafting magic items is out of the picture. Perhaps Silver can take the feat at a later level, or he can hire an enchanter for his smithy (basically just an NPC with the feat for crafting magic items, where Silver pays the cost for making the item, crafts it, then gives it to the enchanter to make into a magic item).
>>182428 >Perhaps Silver can take the feat at a later level >implying we'll ever make it to lvl 9 Lol, lmao even.
I would like that too though. Posey could provide select spells if Silver provides the feat. I want a set of Grotesque +1 Fearsome Feycraft spiked Chain Shirt, made out of hydra bones dipped liquid metal.
Silver has a caster level from his horn magic, so he should qualify for the feat. Other ponies would need to provide spells if he crafts anything other than +X weapons/armor though.
>>182429 >>182430 Actually getting super hyped for this idea with you guys being on board. Silver provides the tools, skills, and feat, Posey provides the spells, and Brie provides the components, and Silver will make all of the cool stuff you guys could want, like Posey's chain skirt, or maybe even special kunai daggers for Brie that he can throw and then recall back to himself.
>>182432 And I haven't forgotten about my loyal cohort Mala, who will most certainly want some cool stuff, too.
>>182432 >scrunch Gibe levels, pls And consider the craft point thing. >>182438 >what does Feycraft mean? It's a weapon/armor template in the DMG2. Interesting stuff here: https://bg-archive.minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=12795.0 The Artisan Crafter feats could be worth considering, if you want to do mundane crafting. Be warned, it's mechanically suboptimal, but also really cool.
Maybe consider taking that Ponyfinder Advanced Horn Magic feat, and ask if you can swap Unseen Servant for Unseen Crafter, so you can magically craft while adventuring. It would help to eliminate time costs.
>>182440 Ah, I was hoping for a quick description, but alright. So, here's a thought about Posey's armor: what about a Grotesque +1 Fearsome Feycraft Spiked Titanium Breastplate? We've got it figured that titanium would be this game's version of mithral, so all of the usual bonuses related to mithral armor would apply, including that a titanium breastplate would be classified as light armor rather than medium armor since that's a class restriction for Posey. Silver can also make it so that it looks like the hydra bones are physically bursting out of the breastplate, and he can even engrave some red jasper/bloodstone runes into the armor with Posey's direction.
>>182443 >>182444 Hey, none taken. Offer still stands, Silver just needs to know what Brie wants made (you know, once Silver actually has the tools and feat to make them).
>>182435 → >Stalliongraders in trouble Ooh, maybe they got attacked by a kraken. gasps Or maybe the griffons killing the Leviathan who was guarding these waters disrupted the balance of nature and caused the kraken population to spiral out of control! Controlling kraken population is the most important responsibility of the noble leviathans: they're some of the few sea creatures powerful enough to hunt kraken. Killing one would allow the kraken population to surge. gasps harder Maybe the absence of a leviathan had enabled a kraken to cultivate a vampiric Ixitxachitl Cult of Dagon, abyss-bent on taking over the seven seas? Perhaps the kraken cult is after the sea tiara to fulfill its evil plot? Perhaps they've summoned a Wastrilith with their cult magic. Perhaps the Wastrilith mated with the kraken to hatch a clutch of thousands of half-fiend Cthulhu-like flying demonic kraken spawn, ready to be unleashed on the world, all because the Leviathan wasn't there to devour kraken.
Pic related, a Kraken that according to the book has the same charisma score as Posey. >>182441 I considered Mithril Breastplate, but I think I would prefer chain shirt and dastana. It looks closer to the Kastnathi skeleton soldiers. Otherwise looks good. If I wanted perfect armor, Grotesque, Feycraft, Reinforced, Oerthblood, Segmented, +1 Fearsome Undead-Controlling Chain Shirt would be my ideal, but I would need to check to make sure.
>>182447 Up to you, it's your armor that Silver would be making, so all of the details are yours to decide upon. I'm definitely make a titanium breastplate for Silver and a titanium chain shirt for Kira. I'm also thinking of making Kira some tungsten (adamantine) bodkin point armor piercing arrows.
>>182446 Honestly can't wait to see Brie get his cutie mark.
>>182452 I imagine we could with most of us here in the game, but that doesn't mean they aren't entitled to want to remain anonymous or otherwise just play the game without their preexisting reputation attached to them. Plus it doesn't really make any difference in the long run if we know who a character's player is or not.
>>182456 >Mia It would be really shameful for me/Brie to bitch-slap the ahit out of you/Silver for that abysmally ridiculous and patently false statement. Jesus christ, y'all need algorythms to recognize eachother dont you?
>>182466 I appreciate your sentiment. It's all so tiresome. Some people just want to play without out of game drama spoiling their fun. It's not much to ask.
>>182401 If we want to adapt it from D20 Modern then adding the Demolitions skill might be handy for situations like this. All these extra skills demand more skill points as a consequence.
>>182424 A masterwork dagger is always an ideal gift (except when given to kirin).
>>182424 >>182425 Since we're talking about D20 Modern, you can add in chemicals and pharmaceuticals to crafting. Why not? Concocting useful chemicals and drugs to sell on the black market would be fun.
>>182447 >Maybe the absence of a leviathan had enabled a kraken to cultivate a vampiric Ixitxachitl Cult of Dagon, abyss-bent on taking over the seven seas? Perhaps the kraken cult is after the sea tiara to fulfill its evil plot? Perhaps they've summoned a Wastrilith with their cult magic. Perhaps the Wastrilith mated with the kraken to hatch a clutch of thousands of half-fiend Cthulhu-like flying demonic kraken spawn, ready to be unleashed on the world, all because the Leviathan wasn't there to devour kraken. Most Lovecraftian! >Pic related, a Kraken that according to the book has the same charisma score as Posey. would
>>182450 How about hollow-point bullets for extra damage?
In regards to anonymity: we are posting on an "extremist" imageboard for a game where there is intense violence, edgy humor and very detailed sex scenes with our own characters which could charitably be called "deviant." Even GM Pone reasonably wants his identity hidden from onlookers and most of us are the same way. Even if you could guess everypone's identities, I would prefer thinking of each character as an isolated entity with an anonymous player, rather than attaching each to a real person.
>>182474 >Demolitions skill might be handy for situations like this Yeah, but we'd need to spend skill points on it, which we don't necessarily have in excess. D20 modern classes generally have a lot more skill points at their disposal than d&d classes. >you can add in chemicals and pharmaceuticals to crafting We could also just roll that into alchemy. >would Agreed. >In regards to anonymity: we are posting on an "extremist" imageboard for a game where there is intense violence, edgy humor and very detailed sex scenes with our own characters which could charitably be called "deviant." Even GM Pone reasonably wants his identity hidden from onlookers and most of us are the same way. Even if you could guess everypone's identities, I would prefer thinking of each character as an isolated entity with an anonymous player, rather than attaching each to a real person. AGREED.
>>182474 >>182475 >Anonymity Yes. Let me just play my damn pony dating simulator game. I don't want to get doxxed and I don't want everyone else's personal drama seeping in
>>182447 >Or maybe the griffons killing the Leviathan who was guarding these waters Technically it was supposed to be implied that the griffins didn't actually kill it - they found a dead one. Also it was supposed to be implied if not outright stated that basically all of the marine mammals migrated south for the winter, hence the lack of seals. >Controlling kraken population is the most important responsibility of the noble leviathans: they're some of the few sea creatures powerful enough to hunt kraken. Oh they control so much more than just the Kraken But there's supposed to be tens of thousands of them
>Maybe the absence of a leviathan had enabled a kraken to cultivate a vampiric Ixitxachitl Cult of Dagon, abyss-bent on taking over the seven seas? >Implying the Cult of Dagon is not already firmly established throughout the bottom of the seas >Implying the leviathan and the cult haven't been at war with the cult for millennia >implying the sea tiara isn't one of many >Implying that army wasn't there already \
>Grotesque, Feycraft, Reinforced, Oerthblood, Segmented, +1 Fearsome Undead-Controlling Chain Shirt would be my ideal You only have eight adjectives on that Chain Shirt? Are you sure that's enough? Wouldn't you also like "water resistant" or "machine washable"?
>>182479 >Technically it was supposed to be implied that the griffins didn't actually kill it - they found a dead one. Ah, I thought they just finish it off when it was weakened after a fight. >Dragon lore Noted >You only have eight adjectives on that Chain Shirt? Those are just the ones off the top of my head. I played an Artificer recently and my head is still full of item stuff.
This character sheet is not finished but I'll put a first draft of it here.
---
Name: Virgin Flame Age: Twenty something. Alignment: Chaotic Good. Class: Monk level 5 + Barbarian level 1 (First level was in monk.) Level: 6 Ability Scores Explanation: First is the application of an elite standard array. str 15 dex 13 con 12 int 8 wis 14 cha 10
Then since she's past level 4, she got a +1 to an ability. I choose strength. More she's an earth pony, which means she gets +2 str and +2 con.
So the final score looks like this: str 18 dex 13 con 14 int 8 wis 14 cha 10
Skills explanation:
So the number of skill points for my character at level 1, (4+ int modifier)x4. So, (4-1)*4=12p. The next four levels of monk give us 4-1=3 each level, so 3*4=12p. Last level in barbarian we can wait with since different class changes what you can put whole ranks in. But it's 3p.
So for her monk skills(24p): (*) means that it's a class skill.
Social Skills (12p): Craft* 1 Listen* 1( It's not a social skill but I like to imagine that's how she learn it.) Heal 2p for 1 Knowledge (religion)* 3 Diplomacy* 2 Speak Langauge (celsetial)* 2p for 1 Sense Motive* 2 Descipher Script* 2p 1 ? =14p
Can I have a bonus on intimidate checks if she displays her massive strength in some way? Kinda dislike that someone who according to their ability score can break wood with their hooves is not intimidating in the least. Just a small bonus of 1-2, if you don't mind.
Feats:
So one feat at creation and one at every third level. This means I have three feat. ^^
Feats that come with the classes and levels:
Monk: 1)Bonus feat, flurry of blows, improved unarmed strike 2)Bonus feat, evasion 3)Still mind 4)Ki strike (magic), slow fall 20 ft. 5)Purity of body
Barbarian: 1) Fast movement, rage 1/day
So five "free" feats to chose. I'm still thinking about these. Proabably the three unarmed skills, run, power attack, and choice between them and combat reflexes nad more. I haven't decided yet. Endurence?
HP: 47 I used the hit point average rule. So 8+(5x4)+7+(2x6)=47.
>>182485 ^^ Our characters are probably more likely to have a competition in who can be the most polite than fighting. My impression of Amber, which is extremely limited I'll admit, is that she's a Rarity type character.
>>182486 Okay, yeah. I could see it, still weighing the alternatives. ^^
>>182487 I thought she only went for anyone with a dick but apparently not. What a faggot! ;^P
>>182488 Ididnt need one, jus sayin. nice dubs No offense, but there's no NOT being known. Whether its me or another asshole, ur number is already on a list. ^_~
>>182492 shut up faggot A government agency or dedicated P.I. might know us but that doesn't make privacy concerns moot. We could switch up writing styles if we want to but that's too much effort unless if a fag like you makes us want to. Try blackmailing us and you'll see it's a stupid, meagre threat.
>>182491 Amber is a mix of characteristics from the Mane 6. She has the tomboy frame of Applejack, some of the bookishness of Twilight, some of the peppiness of Pinkie, and a little bit of the shyness of Fluttershy. There's not much Rarity in her. Did I get her rendition wrong?
>>182481 If you're going unarmed combat, I'd recommend two weapon fighting feats, or weapon focus, or weapon specialization.
Nice sheet!
>>182480 >Ah, I thought they just finish it off when it was weakened after a fight. That's a valid interpretation as well. The point was that the leviathan isn't easy to kill and the POV character thought the source of the claim was unreliable.
>Noted Uh... well it isn't canon...
>>182485 Mhmmm There there, she still leads in Domestic Violence
>>182500 >The point was that the leviathan isn't easy to kill and the POV character thought the source of the claim was unreliable. Yeah, a monster that eats kraken for breakfast isn't going to be filled by some chump whalers at it's full strength. >Uh... well it isn't canon... Awww >she still leads in Domestic Violence I gotta up my game then.
>>182500 Monk grants binus 2-weapon fighting (unarmed cuz martial). 2nd level monk gets combat reflexes or deflect arrows. No way ur skills are right. Monk gets 4s in a bunch of skills u have unlisted. Hide, sneak, etc.
>>182520 Cavaliere's dexterity is 17-1, for an effective score of 16 and a modifier of +3. If I upgraded that he would still get only a +3 modifier unless if he found a way to reverse age like Silver. His intelligence is 14+1 for an effective score of 15 and a modifier of +2. Assuming middle age doesn't get removed, isn't it just better to increase a stat's modifier compared to increasing a stat without changing the modifier?
>>182537 In the long-term I would agree but does the long-term include level 9? Took us long enough to get to 6 from 5. It's a difficult question to answer.
>>182539 Idk, I entered this game thinking I would be at lvl 8 by now. If I can't get to lvl 8, my dreams of playing a Necromancer with Animate Dead turn to dust.....
As unrelated to anything as anything could get,....
If anypony can make one of those fancy knife belts where the knives automatically bamf back to the knife belts, Brie will have alot of money for you (so he can stop having to replace his masterwork throwers EEEEEEEEEE)
>>182561 Could work as altered Gloves of Endless Javelins. I had a set of those as a key factor of my Zeus-themed Cleric build. They're part of the Manticore Array.
+2 enhancement bonus would be a lot though. Gloves Of Endless Javelins create force Javelins with no enhancement bonus. Adding +2 enhancement would quadruple the price. You sure you don't just want a +1 returning dagger (baterang)?
>>182562 The bracers first appeared in Forgotten Realms (in novel, the daggers can extend into a pair of +2 sabres that can be maintained/dismissed at will), and could be reskinned as gloves, a bandolier, a belt, etc. That or the Belt of Returning/Blinkback Belt (also reskinnable) are really nice for not having to keep track of where the f#%^ing things landed
>>182563 >+1 Batarang I mean,... that would be a chaotic element,... could probably get a bonus on my bluff/feint checks to take away dex bonus,.... I do now,....
>>182564 Considering a normal +2 dagger would cost over 8k, the bracers might be a bit outside your budget for this level. Let me see if I can research something more affordable.
One perk of crafting: you can get items earlier. I always run Artificers with Extraordinary Artisan and Magical Artisan, to quarter the price. >>182565 You could probably barter one of your +2 weapons for a +1 returning weapon, for an additional trade fee. A +1 returning weapon costs the same as a +2 weapon.
>>182566 >+2 is too much One can dream >+2 weapons All of Brie's weapons are +1. He gave the +2 short sword to Mala (btw, he dropped it to show it wasnt cursed)
>>182567 ..... Why did you give your most expensive item to an NPC who is lower level than you? It's generous, but he would have been fine. Not criticizing, just wondering why?
>>182568 Honestly, for thematics more than anything. Advanced Dagger Mastery is worded such that it could be said to apply to short swords (it says daggers and dagger-like) so he could have kept/used it maybe. However, I like/want the aesthetic of matching fighting blades even though he never fights double-hooved (well, gun in one hoof maybe). Plus it was more of a Gladius shape, where I'm leaning into the Kiria/japanese aesthetics and theme. Also it was a way of incentivizing GM to give me something cool for my magnanimity :3 Fuck. Out loud? Again? Brie is not a klepto-style rogue, and only carries what he will use in the conceivable future. He went to the meeting at customs unarmed (except the teapot, it can be used as an improvised ceramic club)
>rogues can only sneak attack when they can see the opponent sufficient to hit vital areas Oh dear, that kind of rules out my smoke bomb method. I wonder if GM will let me argue for doing a sneak attack while engaged in a grapple, if blinded (with all the applicable penalties, of course)
>>182570 >smoke bomb method Acquire Blindsight. You could gain it through feats, through the Sublime Way, through items, or through d20 modern mutations (the Echolocator mutation). It makes sense for a bat to have echolocation anyway
>>182571 Yeah, thats next on his to-do list, however. Maybe he could get his visor enchanted,... blindsight is only 5' so it wouldnt be full on night vis, just enough to stabby stab in concealment/blinded
>>182568 Also to the why, cuz Mala is the party doggo, and doggos deserve nice things. He had a mundane scimitar (same damage, but heavier), so I thought he could benefit most (it was a toss-up between him and Kira, and Im not sure what style weapons Kira uses)
>>182573 You could also use Eggshell Grenades (Dust). They're cheaper than smokesticks (10 gp vs 20 gp). A direct touch attack with them blinds that target for 1d4 rounds (no save), and creatures within 5' of the target make a DC 10 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1 round. Posey has a couple. I'll give them to you. They're better off in the hands of a sneak attacker anyway (they were made for Rogues and Ninja in Oriental Adventures). They require a DC 20 alchemy check to craft though.
>>182576 >penalty Maybe a touch attack at a -4 penalty, like the Blinding Spittle Spell (Druid 2). Blinding Spittle Blinds the target until they find water to wash their eyes, but it also costs a spell slot.
>>182504 >>182505 Thank you. I thought the Barbarian starting pack got a lot of skills when I calculated it so I was suspecting something was amiss but didn't realize it. Also, didn't read the description on what bonus feat meant.
>>182594 Yw. Also, dont neglect the monk bonus feats: 1st level: Improved Grapple or Stunning Fist 2nd level: Combat Reflexes. You can take deflect arrows instead, but why?
>>182606 >monks can kill with allowances They can do so better with sources printed after the complete warrior. Idk, Monk Builds have always been gimmicky for me.
Today, December 3, is the six year anniversary of the start of Occupied Equestria. Six years since I started it. Happy Anniversary to everyone who is, and who has played.
>>182605 >>182609 My plan with Cavaliere was to pick up a third monk level. Will that suck and should I find a less obvious pick? There are a few prestige classes I've had an eye on. >>182624 Yay!
>>182647 Cavaliere is meant for dual-purpose. He is an extremely good gunfighter and is a capable brawler who should be able to win conflicts non-lethally and knock out enemies before they can raise an alarm. He can also resolve missions peacefully through a combination of diplomacy and intimidation, though he is above all known to be good at fighting. All that is hard to fit into a single DnD 3.5e character which is why I'm left scratching my head.
>>182648 This actually sounds a bit more like a Rogue to me. Could also be a Swordsage, or a Scout. Maybe even the d20 modern classes are worth a look. When it comes to combat, what do you want to specialize in?
Btw I noticed the biggest major difference between 3.5e and d20 modern is the massive damage threshold. In 3.5e, a Barbarian can take 40 points of damage to the chest, and ask for more. In d20 modern, a character can get crit with a gunshot for 14 damage, and instantly die if they fail the save. The massive damage thresholds are what separate high fantasy from military realism. It's only fun with action points though, which are the default in d20 modern.
>>182649 His specialization is in his revolver (using D20 Modern stats) and his fists. >>182650 I thought the D20 modern damage stats are low. Only 1d6 for getting shot with a revolver? I'm not sure how to remedy that.
>>182651 >Only 1d6 for getting shot with a revolver? Pistols average 2d6-2d8 in d20 modern. Lowest ones are 2d4. >I'm not sure how to remedy that. There's a dragon magazine article that suggests just increasing the damage of firearms by one size category as a variant rule. 2d6 is a lot for a base weapon though. I forget the issue. It's the same one with the Adamantine Dragon. System shock thresholds are much lower: your massive damage threshold is equal to your constitution in d20 modern, so if you take a crit from that 2d6 weapon, you could die if you fail the save even if you have 100 HP. That's probably where you want to spend your action points. >His specialization is in his revolver (using D20 Modern stats) and his fists How much are you willing to invest in either fighting style?
>>182653 Oh, duh, I'm stupid and should have read it. >System shock thresholds are much lower: your massive damage threshold is equal to your constitution in d20 modern, so if you take a crit from that 2d6 weapon, you could die if you fail the save even if you have 100 HP. The DM manual for 3.5e also proposes an alternative rule for instant kills where rolling a 20, then a 20 again, then scoring a hit, is an instant kill. I like the concept but on an extremely long campaign like this and in a setting with permadeath it's likely to end up being frustrating for an unlucky player. It's a 1 in 800 chance to instantly die from any hit. It's low compared to real life but in this game it might still be too risky. >How much are you willing to invest in either fighting style? Most of my feats are already dedicated to the gunslinger fighting style and I will probably put more towards that end since I want Cavaliere to be the very best in that role. Better unarmed combat is a good plus but if he can beat the average goon on his own then that's good enough. >>182658 Many thanks!
Not trying to relitigate mind you, just wondering. Like, it seems to me that without giving FULL credit, there may have been some degree of precipitation prior to OE, significant enough that players are still trying to distance themselves from,....
>>182664 >>182665 >>182666 Implying what? Some players have played DnD before Occupied Equestria, but this was my introduction. >>182671 That's not brain bleach. Brain bleach is something cute to keep bad mental images at bay. Also ew.
>>182674 At the time, the two main progressive movements were LGB (T hadn't caught on yet, and was still a punchline on sitcoms) and radical feminism. I domt have names of thats what you're asking for, but Id wager if I looked up the lames of people credited as staff, I'd find a bunch of leftism. Yes, thats prejudice on my part.
>>182675 >two main progressive movements were LGB (T hadn't caught on yet, and was still a punchline on sitcoms) and radical feminism Okay, but how is that reflected in 3.5e books? What does that have to do with the game? >I domt have names If you don't even know their names, how do you know they were "gender-confused"? >if I looked up the lames of people credited as staff, I'd find a bunch of leftism I really don't see any politics reflected in the old books. 3.5e was written before that was commonplace.
>>182677 >there doesnt seem to be any politics in 3.5e Agreed, but that doesnt mean that it wasn't simmering below the surface. One thing that people may not appreciate - with regard to GamerGate, Feminist Frequency, and all that shit - is that the left didn't 'infiltrate' games, comics, and so on; the left has always been a significant part of all those cultures. What has changed is the degree of radicalization, reflected in current products.
By the way, y'all hear that Elon is talking about buying Hasbro/WotC?? Expressly to save DnD. >what does that have to do with the game? OE? I mean, in a Kevin Bacon sense it could be said to be as relevant to OE as alot of posts here. Regardless, Ive made my point and need not continue
>>182678 Left-wing thinking has been pervasive in counter culture and pop culture since the 19th century–it still clings on despite this all flipping. Old DnD wasn't too bad but it did have themes of "racism bad" and women being equal in all aspects. Now that it has become overtly political it is much, much worse.
I hope Elon is not just meming and will do it. Buying out Hasbro could save ponies too.
>>182678 >that doesnt mean that it wasn't simmering below the surface. Why is that relevant though? 3.5e was written two decades before GamerGate. Before Hasbro acquired WotC. Back when California was a red state. It wasn't an issue. >y'all hear that Elon is talking about buying Hasbro/WotC?? Expressly to save DnD That's a topic I will gladly discuss with you, but in another thread.
What source for ranged increments should we use? D20 Past has much smaller increments for cartridge weapons than D20 Modern, but there's little in the way of technological difference. It hasn't come up much until now because all fights have been at short range, but this mission is in an open area with 100' visibility.
>>182692 I dont know GM's answer to that question, but a bit of theory: Range increments don't relate to the actual range limit of a weapon, it is a reference of how increased range makes the shot more difficult (and why certain feats negate/increase range increments, alluding to technique and expertise)
>>182692 >What source for ranged increments should we use? DM doesn't seem to own very many d20 books, so probably default to whatever is most readily available in the SRD. It's still a question worth considering though. >>182694 Range Increment is still an important factor to consider in 3.5e, as many feats, items, spells and class features only work within the first or second range increment of your weapon.
>>182695 Correct. Rogues can't sneak attack beyond 30', and all thrown weapons are limited to 5 increments, and all mechanocal (incl sling) has a limit of 10
Hey, I finally found the Seduction Rules. I had a feeling it was based on Bluff, not Diplomacy. It's in Sword & Fist of all places. I couldn't find it because they didn't put it in the Rules Compendium.
Meta: receiving a mysterious radio signal begging for help when we were already on our way to the light house feels like a classic hook in ttrpgs. Going to rescue them might be the more interesting route, with unforseen rewards.
>>182851 The option is there, and a couple PCs would be better suited for investigating the Kostromo as they could maintain stealth better. Our stealth/fighting-based characters won't be much help for medical aid to survivors at the airship.
>>182853 Splitting the party would divide GM's attention, and make things take more than twice as long in an already slow PbP game. It's not worth it. Not to mention the encounters planned are probably meant to be a threat for the entire party, and we have at least three more party-level encounters for the XP budget of this day, so you can expect us to face difficult combat again one way or another.
>>182861 I know that feeling. It's painful. Sometimes I'll spend weeks researching build options for exactly what I want to do, but then when it comes to actually putting stuff on my sheet I get impulsive and fill it with useless garbage just because I wanted to try something new. You could consider retraining/rebuilding though.
>>182870 → >Im fine with any use magic device checks also Oh good, you recognize the best skill in the game. I got UMD as a class skill through the Apprentice feat, but I didn't have enough skill points to rank it up.
>>182872 Ngl, I'm curious if I can even get the polearm to work. Brie simply doesnt 'get' magic (obviously), in the same sense that Han Solo doesn't 'get' the force. There are obvious applications - enhancements convenience magic and what not - but REALLY complicated magic is something he thinks is more of a fairy tale. For example, if Rosey were to just "say" her undead nature, Brie would first not believe her (in spite having observed evidence of her regeneration and the vomiting of blood) and would then have a breakdown realizing that sort of thing is very real AND right in front of him
>>182878 Most magic weapons work as you swing them. However, if the weapon has an unknown command word or similar trigger for a use activation, your UMD check should make it work, and reveal the activation method In case a bolt of lightning surges put it it... Just assume it's aimed at Posey and nopony else.
>>180954 Pertaining to your bat shopkeeper, or "Lacey", as you call her. Your character is in concept very similar to the character that I was going to make as my cohort: the ghoul bat, who represents the Black Horse of Famine/Inflation, specialized in the business side of d&d and smuggling. I understand that it is frustrating for someone else to make a character of the same race and similar class/archetype in the same party, so I will refrain from doing so.
Instead, I propose a compromise: what if we merged and co-owned the character? You said you wanted to roleplay a shopkeeper/smuggler, but you weren't interested in the mechanical aspects of running a business in 3.5e. I have an opposite situation: I was very much in dabbling with the mechanical side of 3.5e business management, but idk if I have the free time to commit to roleplaying multiple characters at once (also, the character I was going to make is ultra evil, and DM didn't seem to like it). So what if we, instead, co-owned the character as so?
You receive: >Full creative license for the character's personality and backstory >Opportunity to roleplay the character in and out of combat scenarios >Opportunity to roleplay the character in any scenario/emcounter rolled on the DMGII business development tables >Decision making authority for how to manage the business/guild >Suggestion to request mechanical abilities on the character sheet >Veto authority for egregious mechanical traits that break the character's theme >The majority of the profits from the business to spend as you see fit >Accounting services: no need to manage the character sheet or profit checks related to the business >Promise of cooperation: Posey and her undead minions will comply with the needs of your business, within reason.
I receive: >Opportunity to build a character sheet that is optimized for business management, shopkeeping, and general in-city roleplay support (class, feats, starting equipment) >Responsibility to manage the character sheet >Partial creative license to make suggestions for the character's appearance, ambitions, and development >Management of all rolls, tables, and accounting related to running a business in 3.5e >Roleplay benefits to my other character: we can share NPC contacts (I'll introduce you to Licorice for alchemy services) >A portion of the businesses's proceeds, representing the Dread League's connections to the criminal underground, as well as favors with smuggling black magic implements >The potential opportunity to turn the character into a Gravetouched ghoul and have them take up the mantle of Hunger, if and only if the character dies
>>182885 Oh, lets not get too hasty. Lacey is not intended to be a combat or even mission-invved character. Her establishment will it's self host at least one "mission"-type social event, but she is not intended to be one who goes out seeking wealth, she's designed to be somebat that others come to. So, if your intentions were to have a mission-based bat of similar personalitytheme, there still wouldnt be a conflict overtly. Additionally, there are alot of details to her background that GM is custom-fitting and contextualizing, such that I dont think that even on the off chance that your proposed character and Lacey were operating in a group, they would tend to compliment eachother by way of their shared skills and abilities. They might even appreciate having a comparably skilled specialist like themselves around. Friendship is magic and shit. Xp >Co-ownership o_o No
>>182886 Okay Just pls don't be offended if my ghoul comes off as too similar to yours. I just wanted to make a character that was specialized in smuggling, RP support and making money.
>>182887 Her colors are Off-white, Pink (around the eyes, ears, nose/snoot, hooves, the bones of her wings, and tail), and Burnt Cherry (the super dark shade, in her mane and the webbing of her wings/tail. She is intended to be of a particular variety of actual vampire bat, its self based on the white vampire bat pictured (notice the tail :3). At current, she is effectively a Lucky Roll recolor, but the odds that I'll get art commissioned is very high. And yes, Ive already admitted that without knowing/intending, I kinda made this one, at least on a semi-visual level
>>182885 >>182886 >no :`c b-but whyyy?????!!! I thought it was a cute proposal. I love coop!!!!111 It reminds me of that scene in a puffinforest vid, "Oh, I heard you were looking for slaves. Funny we should run into each other because we're seeking to become slaves ourselves. You guys want slaves. We wanna be slaves. Maybe, maybe we could work something out over here."
>>182886 >So, if your intentions were to have a mission-based bat of similar personality The opposite, actually. Posey is extremely diligent and mission oriented. I wanted to make another character that was different and focused on the economic side of things. The black horse of Famine's rider bears s set of golden scales, so I think it needs to be an economy-oriented character. Was thinking of a character with the following feats >Merchandise Background (good for buying/selling items) >Wanderer's Diplomacy (smuggling mechanic lets you track down and smuggle items, Diplomacy support) >Silver Tongue (more Diplomacy applications) >Business Savvy (bonus to profit checks managing business, Luck bonus to all skill checks and attack rolls in any encounters that emerge related to the business developments). Mercantile Background, Wanderer's Diplomacy, and Business Savvy all have mechanics that only kick in once per in-game month, so taking them all at once would be a character that's specialized to stay in shop and manage a business, making profit checks once per month. Not exactly good for adventuring, but incredible for downtime grinding. For class I was thinking of Master (business profession specialization), maybe Multiclass Rogue/Master. Idk. Alternatively, Nightstalker, or Multiclass Rogue/Cleric (high power alternative). For colors, sable coat is necessary for theme, was thinking purple bell-pigtails that hang on either side of her head affixed with gold bands, in a way that resembles merchant scales. CM is a set of golden scales.
Anyway, it was just an idea to consider. I'll make my own businessmare.
>>182891 No, but genuinely you can obviously decline whatever ypu dont feel like bu I did think the propsal was kinda neat and nice. But it's not my character so i get.
>>182891 Yes, it was adorable,... still no. >>182892 Depending on how flexible you are willing to be with certain more-but-not-immediate specifics (and I say that on GMs behalf, not mind) she might end up an equal partner/co-owner/executive. I would be willing to help structure that.
>>182892 I came into Lacey's character creation wanting to make a female counterpart to Brie. Eventually I settled on a very detailed, ostensibly reasonable ask, which GM said "okay, but can we tweak these few details, specific to Baltimare? If we do, I have something planned that will allow you to do exactly what you intend, in this specific context I'm already working around. Without spoiling <Ah fook off, Lacey' amoong th Wo'er froon' gang ... so theres plenty of possible reasons that Lacey and... yours might come to be in business.
>>182897 Well, if I'm building, managing, and roleplaying a separate character all on my own, I think I might just rather make a cohort that serves Posey and fits my biblical prophecy theme more precisely. Idk. I just wondered if you might be interested, so I could still have fun with the business management and profit check mechanics, without having to divide my/GM's attention so much with too many more characters.
>>182898 Understandable. Outside of the social, Lacey will be there to interact with other players (and npcs, in context) exclusively. I acknowledge that you want to do through the stats and rules what I want to do through theme, concept, and a bit of permissive scripting by GM, but not by actually calculating applicable skill points, feats, backgrounds, etc. There was already talk of Lacey being a/the General manager, on behalf of either the Waterfront Gang, her family, both and,.... It is generally themed to be "Her" business, but there may be partners/executives and investors/interests, and yiur character could be a part of that. I only 'know'what Ive told GM, and he has assured me that whatever does happen is effectively guaranteed to NOT happen by new year, and (no offense) knowing how this game can slow at interval, I'm setting a prospective deadline of June. Plenty of time to figure something out.
>>182901 I reserve the right to a shcindler's-esque list >>182898 Any decent business needs - aside from financing - an executive, an accountant, and a general manager. Lacey would ostensibly be the General Manager/COO. That leaves the accountant/CFO, and of course the CEO. Theres room, wherein they can be both Rosey's counterpart, AND formidable/positioned in their own right, which would befit an /4 horse
I receive >A Death knight ally: Darth Stellaris >Biblical prophecy theme fulfilled: Red Horse Of War >A manifestation of unbridled hatred unleashed on the world >Help with Total Changeling Death >Help with conquering Equestria >Your soul
You receive: >UNLIMITED POWAH >Lots of new abilities >Eternal life* >Your hatred vindicated >Citizenship in the Dread League >Position of general in Rosey Ring's army >Help with Total Zigger Death >One quarter of the conquered Equestria, of your choosing
For the rest, heres a crude Ponytown rendering of Lacey, including some accoutrement accents and inclusions. A glinty-gold pair of delicate spectacles adorns her face, held by a band of beads and fine crystals (which, a sufficient search check will reveal a hidden garotte wire).
The dress is obvious, though she wears fine/mundane stockings on her forelegs. Her dress is fine silk, and with a decent investigation check has hidden shurikens. Her fine silk purse (matching, of course) is equal parts. The purse IS a purse, but from a hidden zipper its a thieves it, and the chain strap is actually a disguised chain whip. She has a (hidden)bladed fan ar her waist, and she wears a really old, but seemingly repaired and embellished-looking martial belt (double-wrapped around her dress, of course)
And just when I had thought you two were finally getting along.
>>182998 No. No it isn’t “just a shit post.” Your character may have +14 to bluff, but you don’t. No reasonable person is going to look at a post saying “rolling to bite x’s cock off off.” And think that that post is anything other than an overt act of hostility against the other person to show publicly that they hate them.
>>183007 Ill be more careful about tacitly allowing players to be emotive
For fucks sake. Why would you even joke about that. Like seriously, I thought we were working toward a good place, but now youre just WEIRD. In your ass
>>183038 I hope I don't need to explain why threats of violence, especially out of character, towards people whom you have given no reason to give you the benefit of a doubt, and especially utterly bizarre threats of violence towards others, are not taken as jokes.
Like, if Brie said "rolling to cut off Gloomy's head and fuck it" or "rolling to shove a hand grenade up Posey's asshole" I seriously doubt you'd say "hey that's funny."
>>183047 >>183046 >>183045 >>183048 Okay, now is a good time to end discussion on this.
Please, we really don't need half of all posts to be you two having drama.
popping sound "Oh no! I accidentally sat on a frag grenade!" prances in place clenching butt "I'll just fish it out with my magi- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I ACCIDENTALLY PULLED THE PIN!" BANG! [3d6 = 10] rotten guts fly everywhere "~Ah! How embarrassing! Nopony look until I put everything back inside!"
"Watch how I can twirl this swor-" cuts head off and rolls across the ground "~Oh no! I cut off my head of and my body is running away like a headless chicken. I really do hope nopony takes advantage of me in this situation." feebly floats head with horn glow and chases after body
>>183058 Okay, I've said this before and I'll say it again. I don't know what source you're using that tells you that a fucking hand grenade only does the same amount of damage as three hacks with a machete by an ordinary-strength person at point blank range, but that isn't the damage die that I, or frankly and DM using 3.5 analogous HP levels, would ever use.
>>183066 >I don't know what source you're using I just checked the DMG, and it says a bomb does 2d6. D20 modern SRD says 3d6 for frag grenade. Oh wait, next page of the DMG says the frag grenade does 4d6. I think that's an appropriate amount of damage. Rest of the damage: [1d6 = 5] >the same amount of damage as three hacks with a machete by an ordinary-strength person at point blank range That would kill most people, three times over. It's still more damage than being hit with a shotgun. HP is an abstraction anyway. Taking any type of damage is also a lot more lethal in d20 modern, because their system shock thresholds are lower, as I mentioned above. Taking a crit from a gun that deals ~14 damage will kill you if you fail the massive damage saving throw in d20 modern. That one mechanic changed it from a fantasy game to a gritty realism game.
You can make grenades do whatever damage you want, but should a frag grenade do that much more damage than a shotgun? Having too much damage for a weapon that costs little could be unbalancing. 4d6 is already a decent amount of damage. Your call though. >Dark Star misses with his rogue evasion I think Dark Star would be best represented as a Mystic Urban Ranger/Scout multiclass, with Swift Hunter. His most prominent trait is his racism, so ranger makes sense. Could also be a rogue though. >Okay, this one just got weird... I was inspired by the guy who kept posting the weird decapitation fetish threads in the main board. >>183067 Posey is hugged.
>>183070 At 15 damage, the frag grenade up the butt took half of Posey's health. But let's say she takes double damage, which puts her at only 3 HP, with her newly reduced HP.
>>183070 >the frag grenade does 4d6. I think that's an appropriate amount of damage. From a distance, yes, 4d6 is pretty reasonable. From point blank? I don't think so. Point blank should be either fatal, or fairly close to it.
>Taking any type of damage is also a lot more lethal in d20 modern Which is exactly why we shouldn't just copy paste D20 modern. The system isn't 1 for 1 the same.
>>183072 Max of 4d6 is 24 damage, leaving her with 9 HP. Posey is thoroughly assblasted. How embarrassing. >If you survive, you're a metafuck Posey falls on her sword and takes 9 damage Oh no. I died out of character. >>183074 >Which is exactly why we shouldn't just copy paste D20 modern. The system isn't 1 for 1 the same. For everything except the one less d6 of damage of the frag grenade and the damage thresholds, it appears to be mostly the same. DMG says to refer to the d20 modern books for things concerning modern setting. Do whatever you think is appropriate for your mileau.
>>183075 Dude, I know you are mad, and what I did wasn't cool, but for the sake of other players keep it out of the RP thread. >>183077 No, actually. She'd just barely survive. But she would be all shredded up and embarrassed, and it would take hours for her to get her beautiful bum and soft tummy in good shape again. Quite the ordeal. >>183078 That's not really how splash damage works in 3.5e. It's usually something like automatically failing the save (effectively double damage).
>>183067 Rolling to tickle Kira up and down her long belly and blow raspberries on her tummy until she laughs so hard she lets go or reflexively squeezes and crushes me [1d20+5 = (13+5) = 18]
>>183070 >>183076 The limitation is with DnD 3.5e itself. If you want a modern-ish setting that is gritty and realistic you would need to split HP into discrete components of implied evasion/luck and actual health. That way characters won't seem too tanky without dying easily to even common mooks. You might want to add a mechanic for how easily a weapon can be aimed to provide a counterbalance to raw damage. Having PCs die in one hit to commonplace weapons doesn't mesh well with a setting with no easy resurrection and long playtimes needed to reach important character landmarks. Trying to combine both just makes the game frustrating.
>>183106 The limitation is players favorably interpreting rules to their favor HP is a scaling value. Hp damage is an RP attribute. Its all a game. Nonces. The game isnt "how super-ultra-mgazord-badass can I stack my character" The game is "How can I contribute to the game other players are playing?".
>>182937 The only reliable way I can think of to reliably turn Dark Star into a Death Knight require Posey to be lvl 8, so you might have to wait a while. We could try at lvl 6, but it would probably kill us both if it fails.
When a character is 1st level, a 4hp slash is " a deep cut along the forearm. Not immediately life threatening, but dont take too many" When a character is 12th level, and their fighting prowess has increased, that 4 hp slash is "A grazing strike, deflected mostly, leaving only a slight trace of blood". The "character" doesnt beclme "more durable" by way of increased HP, the context for damage that is sufficient to incapacitate has increased. Descriptively, theyre more seasoned to combat and more able to turn serious blows into opportunistic dodges, evasions, deflections, etc.
Also, a 6hp character that loses 3hp from a single crossbow bolt is as scared for their life as the 200hp paladin who just lost 100hp to a failed dex save
The DMG has like three pages of text describing the nuances of how to fluff HP >>183128 >When a character is 1st level, a 4hp slash is " a deep cut along the forearm. Not immediately life threatening According to the DMG, 99.99% of people are lvl 1 commoners with an average of 2 HP: being attacked with any kind of weapon by a proficient user is enough to put them in the dying condition, if not outright kill them. Even lvl 1 adventurers are inherently superhuman, not just in their physicality, but in their ability to avoid damage, as well as their narrative heroic luck to not be killed by scrubs and continue their story. The most powerful swordsman irl could still be killed by a rock thrown by a child, but not in d&d because he's the protagonist/antagonist and that's now how his story is supposed to end. HP isn't just how good you are at fighting or how much damage you can take: it's fate. It's a narrative mechanic that defines you as a hero. Earlier versions of d&d described Achilles as a high lvl fighter. Achilles was described as being both the best at fighting and supernaturally invulnerable, but he still died from an arrow to the heel when his fate (HP) finally ran out.
Same applies in d20 Modern, except d20 modern has more gritty realism because the lower massive damage thresholds make it so that being shot once can still kill you (because being able to shrug off a crit from a bullet with no consequences is immersion breaking in a story based on contemporary fiction). Even then, it enforced the heroic luck by using action points by default, so that players can spend their limited points per level to overcome those massive damage rolls. >>183130 Heroes Of Battle has Morale checks as an optional rule. Heroes Of Horror does too.
>>183131 This is all true, but it depends on the roleplaying of individual players. It's much easier to default to describing physical wounds from getting hit, and this what both the GM Pone and players have been doing from the start. The most egregious examples were Silver's combat dream sequences where he got shot a ridiculous amount of times but used medkits almost like a video game to keep himself alive. It strained suspension of disbelief.
Depending on roleplay is fine, but incorporating a better mechanical system is ideal because it means players don't have to way "evasion HP vs. physical HP" as much. I'm not sure how to do that. Constitution as a score boosts HP period, even though logically it would just help physical HP but dexterity would help evasion HP instead. In terms of game balance you don't want that, because dexterity is already a powerful stat and constitution needs to be important.
>>183133 >it depends on the roleplaying of individual players Yeah. You might notice that I prefer to fluff it as Posey taking direct hits, because playing an unkillable zombie/vampire is part of my fantasy for this character. It's also part of Posey's biblical revelation theme >one of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast For Posey, I specifically prefer the aesthetic of taking fatal wounds and miraculously not dying. I also fluff damage reduction as wounds that heal instantly >Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bounces off harmlessly (in either case, the opponent knows the attack was ineffective) It's specifically for Posey's undead antichrist theme though. With other characters I prefer to fluff it as evasion.
>>183135 You aren't playing any other characters in this campaign yet, and mine haven't taken any lethal damage. I'm describing how other characters have lost HP in combat so far, whether that be Silver Sword, Iron Hooves, or any of GM Pone's countless NPCs. Might this change now that there is talk about it? I don't know. I want it to change but it's on the others.
>>183136 >Might this change now that there is talk about it? The easiest way to change that would be to adopt d20 modern system shock, but it would also change the roleplay dynamic from fantasy combat to gritty realism, so it should only be done with Action Points. It might calm GM's worries about leveling up though.
>>183138 Let's say we do this and add action points. How would you go about mixing it into the homebrew? Would it allow characters to level up to 8 without making threats like gangsters inconsequential? That's the main concern GM has and it's a major problem with 3.5e. He started this campaign as 3.5e just for reasons of familiarity. It's now becoming increasingly necessary to come up with something new so don't be afraid of hare-brained ideas.
>>183140 One way to balance a restricted-xp game while allowing character advancement is through context-acquired feats, boons, and abilities. In doing so, a player is allowed to grow and expand a character's capabilities, while limiting the degree of increasing scale to the game.
Is anyone going to be offended if I give monk levels fighter Base Attack Bonus? I don't feel like I should be looking at Monk stats, and seriously wondering if fighter is better at unarmed combat.
In quick retrospect, I would argue against it, on principle that the Monk lack of increased BAB is complemented by their unarmed damage (which could do for a scaling up, imo)
>>183140 >How would you go about mixing it into the homebrew? I'm not really sure what the homebrew is, so idk. >Would it allow characters to level up to 8 without making threats like gangsters inconsequential? Bullets fo the same amount of damage no matter who fires them (unless they have specialist damage boosters, like fighters, rogues, scouts, etc). Guns should still be lethal. It really depends what the threats are supposed to be, and in what tactical context they're presented. >That's the main concern GM has and it's a major problem with 3.5e. Well, the 3.5e DMG says to refer to d20 modern for issues concerning modern mileau, so it might be a good place to start. I think the system shock discrepancy is the main difference between fantasy combat and contemporary realism. >>183144 Fighter is better than Monk at unarmed combat in certain builds, particularly Pugilist Fighter ACF. Barbarian too, with the City Brawler ACF, excellent if you specialize into fist of the Forest PrC. Ranger can be good at unarmed combat too if they take the There's also a martial artist prestige class in d20 Modern: http://dmreference.com/MRD/Characters/Advanced_Classes/Martial_Artist.htm It has full BAB Note that d20 modern has quite a few powerful unarmed combat feats, that become exceptionally powerful if combined with 3.5e feats and features. I wouldn't object to you buffing Monks, but imo the solution isn't to try to patch up the Monk, but to replace it with Unarmed Swordsage. Swordsages are good, despite having Monk BAB. They're favorwise very similar to Monk, except they have good features. Monk/Swordsage Multiclass is great, especially if you PrC into Shadow Sun Ninja. >>183148 Yes, this is the logic behind it.
If you take Improved Natural Attack and Superior Unarmed Strike, your punches will do more damage than howitzers at mid level. And that's just two feats; there are many more
>>183150 In fairness, it makes sense that way. Your average dedicated martial artist (monk) would get bodied by a specialized/precise aescetic (Ryu from Street Fighter)
>>183144 That came out of left field >>183146 I also would benefit. I don't know enough about DnD's balance to make that call, but monk is considered a weaker class in 3.5e. >>183150 >I'm not really sure what the homebrew is, so idk. None of it has been formalized just yet other than gun damage to match intended game balance, and a couple of races getting modifiers. >martial artist prestige class Another possible path for Cavaliere >Unarmed Swordsage I might just do that instead. Cavaliere could pick up fencing as a hobby even if swords are impractical for combat.
>>183152 The sample "Martial Artist" in the DMGII is either a Multiclass Fighter/Monk, or a Multiclass Rogue/Monk.
I've played a lot of Monks, usually as an entry to a better PrC. The Monk class itself is kind of bad, but it has so many swappable features that you can use it to do any kind of non-casting build you want. I moved my Sidewinder Chaos Monk Ur Priest Sacred Fist.
I once ran a campaign with a Monk who specialized into Shadow Sun Ninja: she was the most powerful character in the game, more powerful than the Wizard, Cleric or Sorcerer. Admittedly, it was because I gave her overleveled equipment, but it was mostly because of her good build that maximized unarmed damage (superior unarmed strike, improved natural attack from fanged ring, monks belt, heavy scorpion kama sword which in hindsight made her way too powerful), while adding sneak attacks (Assassin Stance + Craven) and tactical teleports (Sun School + Shadow Blink + Flurry Of Blows). She was like >teleports behind you >nothing personal bro >free action sneak attack that trips you >Flurry rushes you with seven more sneak attacks
>>183155 The 5e Monk Shadow style (3rd level focus) allows you to do similar at 6th level, bamfing 60'/round as a bonus action into/from shadow, auto-critting your first strike. Lots of fun ^_^
>>183156 >lots of fun Until the goddamn flame paladin decides to turn on a mini sun overhead, leaving you in the middle of a flock of harpies with no concealment
>>183154 >I might just do that instead I would strongly recommend it. Swordsage is good, and it multiclasses well with any other martial class. Mystic Ranger 10 / Swordsage 10 is great for melee
Mystic Ranger 10 / Scout 10 with Swift Hunter might be better for ranged attacks though.
I mention Mystic Ranger, because none of you have Animal Companions, and you could get a lot better ranged damage boosters from Ranger spells, like Hunter's Eye or Hunter's Mercy. >>183156 If you like 5e Shadow Monk, you would love a Shadow Hand Focused Swordsage / Sidewinder Monk / Shadow Sun Ninja.
>>183156 I while back I made this unfinished sheet when I considered what Brie might look like if he were a Sidewinder Chaos Monk / Swordsage SS Ninja. https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets//?id=2960519 I'd squeeze in a Ninja level too, if Ascetic Stalker works with Shadow Sun Ninja (advances Monk Abilities), and to get back the trapfinding ability alongside more benefit out of the bloodline bonus. Maybe Swordsage 2, Sidewinder Monk 3, Ninja 1, Shadow Sun Ninja 1, if the character were lvl 7. You always want Swordsage 2 for stances though, and this build would definitely want Assassin Stance.
I gave up after one hour of work, because I remembered it's none of my darn business making sheets for characters that aren't mine. Food for thought though.
>>183159 >food for thought Thank you. Flaws is an area I could look more into. If I read through them, I'm sure Brie qualifies as displaying a bunch of flaws, and if I can get feats for them, awesome!
I also made this sheet for my idea of Silver as an 8th level character, although I also gave up after an hour of work. https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2957511 It uses a ponyfinder feat to attack with Int. Also uses Faerie Mysteries Initiate, on the basis that a Unicorn can count as an elf. Wasn't sure how to distribute stats, it's based on the original 43 points distribution. Faerie Mysteries Initiate + Keen Intellect + Advanced Horn Magic gives the option to dump Con, Wis and Str, although idk because I wanted enough to qualify for feats and good Concentration checks. If craft points were available, I'd swap Silver Tongue with Craft Magical Arms & Armor.
Idk why I do this nonsense. It was just an idea that I had back when people were saying my sheet was too powerful compared to the party....
>>183112 Just say them in a different language. Thestrali - the native tongue of everfree bats - is mayan maori, so Ive taken to having him utter comments in that language, via google translate ^_^
https://youtu.be/qHKoRbtvLYg?si=RaRte5nj0Yaln8BC Posey’s player when you attempt to explain that having a real time conversation with someone in a language you don’t at all speak or understand, while trying to not be detected as not knowing that language, is a difficult task.
>>182768 I’ve been using “seduction” to mean a roll to see how receptive a target is to romance or sex. Manipulation is something different. If you’re going to roll for something, clarify what you’re trying to figure out. Is the roll for receptivity, or for manipulation?
Actually that’s just solid advice generally. Say what you’re trying to accomplish with a roll.
>>182856 > an already slow PbP game. Your vote of confidence is noted
>>182861 Do you want to change it? I’m okay with maybe changing things
Virgin Flame’s player made a post about a monk build, so yes, I’m thinking about monk builds.
>>183165 You clearly like making character sheets. Why not?
>>183158 >none of you have animal companions No, because Dark Star is playing an archetypal rogue, Garv is playing an archetypal paladin, and Kira is a monster.
>>183173 I think every social check needs a roll, because some verbal or facial tic might get in the way, or you might accidentally present yourself more convincingly to a particular character than you had thought possible. >Your vote of confidence is noted We have been stuck at the ship for well over a week now despite wanting to get underway, though to be fair that's due to different players (including myself) exhausting every available action. >Garv is playing an archetypal paladin Paladins get a mount but mounts don't make sense in MLP's setting. I don't have enough ranger levels for animal companion, but I don't particularly want one either.
>>183178 >We have been stuck at the ship for well over a week now despite wanting to get underway How many discord or in person games would have moved past the ship in one or two weeks where the GM is on vacation and everyone is working?
>>183178 There are some variant rules for paladins that make them better suited to settings where a mount doesn't make sense. I know one's called sword of celestia which I thought was funny.
If I may weigh in on the system conversation, I know 3.5e isn't perfect for the setting GM pone is trying to establish, but I'm not sure I'd be a super big fan for Modern's idea of action points. I don't find Silver' resiliency to bullets particularly immersion breaking, he's just a really sturdy pony. Obviously no one in the show got shot, but characters in the show have survived hits that would kill or at least greviously injure a regular person.
>>183171 >Neat! Is that a "I would totally play this" kind of 'neat', or a "Your obsessive compulsion to make sheets is fun and quirky", kind of 'neat'? >Posey will get the chance to say some cool one liners before you know it! I hope so. >>183172 I could say them in infernal, like I did with the yeth hound. >>183173 >Posey’s player when you attempt to explain that having a real time conversation with someone in a language you don’t at all speak or understand, while trying to not be detected as not knowing that language, is a difficult task. Sorry... >Your vote of confidence is noted Not really how I meant it. >You clearly like making character sheets. Why not? I thought it kind of came off as pretentious and rude... >No, because Dark Star is playing an archetypal rogue, Garv is playing an archetypal paladin, and Kira is a monster. This is usually why I as a GM ask players to describe what they want to play archetypically before recommending a build and class. Still, "Ranger" can still be used to describe all three of those archetypes. Dark Star could be an Urban Ranger variant who tracks with Gather Information. Plus his most defining feature is his racism, so favored enemy. Could Multiclass Scout with Swift Hunter to be a bit more rogue-like while also synergizing ranger abilities. The Ranger is also archetypically very similar to the Paladin. In earlier versions of D&D, it was virtually identical in concept: a high-rolled warrior with mystic powers because the gods love them, that had high stat requirements and required good alignment. For Kira, Ranger is actually very good for monster builds, particularly with some of the more avant garde ACFs. >>183178 >Paladins get a mount but mounts don't make sense in MLP's setting They're a lot of ACFs that you can swap the mount for. >>183181 This
>>183173 >video This isn't just rules lawyering, this is the rules Supreme Court. >ad for scented candles mentions lakes of urine many keks Posey's player is definitely a rules sage for the most part >so much is lost in written conversations and it can lead to misunderstandings, amplifying the problem ain't that the truth >>183180 You probably wanted the party to reach the lighthouse or another landmark during your vacation. I hope it was all enjoyable regardless. >>183181 >>183182 That's another thing to read. I should make a list. >>183183 It's a hard balancing act for the setting between being based on a kids' cartoon and being a gritty war story. Magic of friendship or no, ponies explicitly have physiology akin to their real-world counterparts and can take only so much punishment. I'd like there to be an injuries component to the game, but it's impossible to incorporate it mechanically without separating health and evasion/luck components of HP. >>183184 >I thought it kind of came off as pretentious and rude... Agreed >ACFs I'll look into one for ranger's animal companion unless if GM Pone finds a good thematic introduction for an animal companion
So, one of the interesting facts about lamias that Posey would have liked to learn about if she asked Kira about her people is that they have the belief that by eating a creature whole, all or at least part of that creature's soul/lifeforce remains with the lamia, granting them a portion of the creature's power. Lamia hunters also have to perform a rite of passage when growing up where they have to track, hunt, and subdue a creature on the plains on their own with no tools or help, and bring them back to the tribe for a ritual which concludes with the hunter eating their first prey whole and getting a necklace carved in the likeness of the creature as proof of their having proved it. Do you think a combination of those could be used for an ACF, or maybe some kind of special summon in place of the normal animal companion?
>>183191 Probably better represented as a combination of racial abilities and feats. If you want the most of playing a monster, you should consider devoting part of your class levels to racial hit dice and play a refluffed variant of Constrictor Naga, Anthropomorphic animal, or tauric creature.
You can trade the companion for a lot of stuff, several of which are appropriate for what you're trying to do.
If you play a variant of Constructor Naga or Anthropomorphic Legendary Snake with the Enlarged Form mutation, you could count as Huge sized and qualify for Snatch, Snatch-And-Swallow, and Gape Of The Serpent.
Whatever Kira is qualifies as a scaled one, so she benefits from any of the snake monster feats printed in Serpent Kingdoms.
>>183192 Not exactly what I was imagining for Kira, but the input is appreciated! I don't imagine her ability to vore creatures would have a whole lot of use on the battlefield, myself. It would probably take multiple full round actions to swallow a creature whole, maybe longer if they're not helpless or otherwise incapacitated, giving their friends a good chance to come to their rescue.
We're doing this? We're doing this. It's odd that pregnancy, abortion and miscarriage are lumped together. I'm fine with pregnancy but not with abortion or miscarriage being shown "on screen."
>>183199 If DnD was realistic then bows would be a strength-dependent weapon, since historically the power of a bow was limited by the user's draw strength. Most swords would switch to dexterity since technique is more important than raw power, but I digress. That checklist has "explicit" romance separate from sex and I don't know what it means, maybe kissing? It's concerning to think that some tabletop player out there is fine with full penetration but not with romance.
>>183207 D20 modern removes that cost for Compound Bows Good riddance, imo. I always hated how composite bows requires you to buy a whole new bow if your Str score changed.
>>183211 The way I give archers something to geek over is to put several different kinds of rare magic arrows in the encounter loot, so they can meticulously track when and where they use their unique special ammo. In my experience archer players just love that stuff. Sometimes I'll give them a single incredibly rare, epic-level arrows, but only one of them so they get to choose when to make a legendary shot.
>>183217 >not a big fan of consumables You've clearly never used a Splitting Alchemical Razorfeather Arrow on a Splitting Bow and cast Maximized Arrowsplit from a Wand, and cast Firetrap on the arrow from a scroll, and consumed a +1 Bow as a Metamagic component for True Strike on a Manyshot Build. Consumables are fun
>>183203 Someone watched Alien and thought, "You know, I want to be a xenomorph." By not posting your version of the chart are you saying you're fine with everything on it?
I wonder if enchanted bullets work like enchanted arrows.
Also,as a DM, I love consumables because it lets me give players cool stuff without accidentally breaking my game with overpowered loot. >>183223 >I wonder if enchanted bullets work like enchanted arrows. They work the same, iirc. >not posting your version of the chart are you saying you're fine with everything on it? I just don't want to edit an image rn. I'm fine with whatever. It's fantasy.
GM Pone, would it be alright for you if I retcon Cavaliere's three ranger levels for levels in "Champion of the Wild"? The only difference it makes is that he loses all spellcasting but gains a bonus feat if/when he takes a fourth level in Champion of the Wild. I do not intend for him to be a spellcaster anyway and I would like the bonus feat.
As for when he levels up to level 6, I'm torn on taking monk, swordsage or something else. If it's anything other than monk then I would have to pick that feat which lets you keep monk abilities.
>>183201 >some tabletop player out there is fine with full penetration but not with romance It's made for people who find thirst and earthquakes to be triggering, so yes, that might be exactly what it means.
>>183232 Forgot to mention if I do pick Wushu style I would be giving up stunning fist and combat reflexes for improved initiative and power attack, which I consider worth it. I'd also get +2 to tumble. To qualify I just need two more ranks in sense motive and one more in bluff, so that would have to wait until I level up.
>>183251 It's a lot easier to retcon a character to have a slight modification of his existing class than to try a total rebuild. Targeteer looks like a good choice but I won't re-spec that much. Thank you.
Cavaliere doesn't meet the prerequisites for Power Attack. Wushu style gives it as a level 2 feat. The page isn't clear, but would selecting this fighting style bypass requirements and let him use Power Attack, or would he be without the feat until he gets 13 strength?
>>183392 >would selecting this fighting style bypass requirements and let him use Power Attack, or would he be without the feat until he gets 13 strength? Yes. Check out Martial Monk, which lets you pick any fighter feat you want, including Epic Leadership, Weapon Supremacy, or anything you're cocky enough to cheese.
>>183456 >Well, that was much too easy It might've been a bit more challenging it the ayys used some magical or psionic abilities. >But on the plus side, we moved through it quick-ishly It was fun. I had fun. This encounter was much more along the lines of dark fantasy CoC-esque their that I fancy. Looking forward to the next encounter, solving the mystery, and sending The Traveller back where he came from. >>183459 Don't be such a worrywart. >>183460 Ikr. It'll be great. Finally an army to fight.
>>183464 Oh yeah, I absolutely had a lot of fun, especially since this was the first time Kira's actually gotten to shoot her bow at something in the game and Silver got to flex his powerful muscles with some power attacks.
>>183465 Kira really hopes the group can avoid that...
>>183506 → >>183480 → >>183474 → Rosey Ring has no ranks in dungeoneering, but she has rudimentary familiarity with aberrations because she's been to the edge of the far realm as part of the training that permanently scarred her mind and gave her Cerebrosis. She knows enough about aberrations to know that their minds are profoundly alien, and when they say things like "friendship" they're not actually being friendly, and instead want to distort, dominate, assimilate, mutate or consume you. Part of their perverse ideals of "friendship" may or may not have rubbed off on her... but she still doesn't consider uncontrolled beachgoers to be welcome in her realm. >OmnimanEarthIsntYoursToConquer.mp4
>When you place an everlasting feedbag around the muzzle of a horse, donkey, or other equine animal, suitable feed fills the bag and is continuously replenished until it is removed from the animal. Any uneaten feed disappears at that time. An everlasting feedbag can be used once per day.
>>183562 My homebrew "unlimited food" item is a pair of chopsticks in a sheathe. When you unsheathe and break, it pops into two sheathed chopsticks. One of those pairs of chopsticks, when unsheathed and broken, can be placed in any mundane bowl or cup, and be filled with ramen. The other chopstick sheath is as the original: waiting to be split into two.
I've thought of a way Dust can know Posey is undead without slaughtering her on the spot. It's a wild stretch, but I think it's valid enough to be fine character wise
>>183635 >beef jerky You're thinking of a mummy. Also, undead cannot have regeneration. Posey has damage reduction and situational fast-healing, but mostly heals from her charnel touch
>>183784 Yes, that's called a full-round action. Some things require that, including many types of spells. You do get a free five-foot "step" even with a full-round action.
For Cavaliere I think I have to take weapon finesse for unarmed on level 6. I should have realized sooner that unarmed attack rolls by default use strength as the modifier. Weapon finesse would let me use dexterity instead and gain +3 to attack rolls immediately. However this means I would have to take another level in monk, not swordsage or anything else.
>>183834 Even if I was ignorant of all possibilities when making Cavaliere, I believe it would be unfair to retcon and redo his entire build to gain a mechanical advantage. Therefore I have to stick by two levels in monk, and try to keep their advantages while growing stronger. If I pick swordsage or a good prestige class, I would have to take that feat (I think it's homebrew) to keep monk functionality. Since half of my character's offensive power is in unarmed, a single level in that class would have to not only beat out another level of monk but also +3 roll modifier to unarmed. Weapon finesse for unarmed is equivalent to two other SRD feats (weapon focus + weapon specialization for a +3 bonus). It's not game-breakingly powerful but, with wushu style, it would make unarmed viable for nonlethal takedowns of dangerous opponents. I realize the irony of saying all this right after Cavaliere shot a pony dead between the eyes
>>183843 >it would be unfair to retcon and redo his entire build to gain a mechanical advantage No, it really wouldn't be unfair. GM already said he was fine with it for Brie. You are new at the game, and you didn't necessarily know what you were making when you first made your sheet, so correcting mistakes is fine. It's called retraining/rebuilding. It's in the DMGII
>>183845 Yes but I want him to become a kung-fu student and that's a fighting style for monks which is also mechanically viable. GM Pone is also partial to buffing monks in some capacity and I hold a bias towards the core classes. Could you summarize what I would gain instead if I rebuilt with swordsage in mind? I do believe you have a good idea of what my character is about.
>>183848 >Could you summarize what I would gain instead if I rebuilt with swordsage in mind? For starters, you would get unarmed damage, like a monk. You would get weapon focus with a number of weapons. You would get six sublime way maneuvers, and a martial stance. These maneuvers are special martial arts moves and are very potent in combat. I think you would have access to maneuvers of at least 2nd level. You would get a bonus to initiative. Depending on what members you take, I think you may have a much better time than a level in Monk.
>>183863 I read about maneuvers and they are looking like attractive options. With wushu fighting style I get a bonus to initiative and the ability to power attack. Swordsage is more versatile but considering I am focusing on unarmed attacks the two options look roughly equal. Thank you for informing me but I will stick to this path.
>>183873 >power attack You don't want power attack it you're doing unarmed combat. Power attack is for two handed weapons. A lot of maneuvers do plenty of damage, and many of them assist with unarmed attacks.
Also note you can trade the swordsage's light armor for Monk style unarmed damage.
>>183877 You can use power attack with one-handed weapons. Rather than added damage being multiplied by two, it is simply added. Considering unarmed attacks are weak damage-wise it looks useful. Losing stunning fist is sad but a once-per-day special attack has limited utility when in-game days last months for the players. It is tempting, and I might just make an alternative character sheet in order to compare stats and abilities.
Since we're in a modern setting, with modern medicine, we should be using the d20 modern Treat Injury skill: https://d20modern.fandom.com/wiki/Treat_Injury Unlike the worthless 3.5e heal skill, it actually does something substantial, like the ability to heal 1d4 HP 1/day per character.
>>184111 The 3.5e heal skill doesn't really do anything. The treat wound skill is the only way to heal damage in most d20 modern games, but d20 modern games have a different dynamic as they're less combat focused altogether.
What is the balance regarding enchanted weapons & ammunition and EaW's own magical weapons? Should enchanting an ordinary weapon be more powerful because of the expense needed for a custom weapon (compared to magical weapons being mass-produced), or should magical weapons be more powerful because they are specialized to use magical crystals as ammunition? We seem to agree that enchanted ammunition is also good to include because it's single-use, but how does it fit on the totem pole? My headcanon is mundane weapon < enchanted weapon with mundane ammo/mundane weapon with enchanted ammo < enchanted weapon with enchanted ammo < magical weapon personally I think enchanted weapons are too cheap to produce in EaW, since if you've got crystals it's a no-brainer to give them to entire divisions Also I haven't been able to find a single piece of art featuring a magical weapon
>>184106 I agree. There are a number of things that should be brought in from D20 Modern and Treat Injury is a no-brainer.
>>184123 In d20 Arcana, enchanting a weapon of any kind is the same cost. Obviously, a magic gun is stronger than a magical crossbow, but altering the item economy of 3.5e could lead to unforseen consequences. >since if you've got crystals it's a no-brainer to give them to entire divisions These sound like Least Augmentation Crystals, the kind that only requires masterwork or greater weapons to buff. If they count as Least Augmentation crystals, then you could plausibly give them to an army, although it would still be expensive. A least crystal only costs 300 gp, iirc. https://holiviantales.wordpress.com/game-mechanics/magic/magical-devices/magical-weapons/weapon-augmentation-crystals/ >should magical weapons be more powerful because they are specialized to use magical crystals A lesser crystal can only be attached to a +1 weapon. A greater crystal can only be attached to a +3 weapon.
Alternatively, the crystals could be consumables, like variant potions (potions aren't necessarily liquid). If a crystal counts as a consumable potion of magic weapon, it could be affordable. >We seem to agree that enchanted ammunition is also good to include because it's single-use, but how does it fit on the totem pole? Enchanted ammunition is just fun, imo. It makes enemies more dangerous without increasing their treasure too much, and it gives ranged characters cool loot without adding too much treasure to an encounter.
The Magic Item Compendium has a lot of text concerning how to work with the magic in any particular game. D20 Arcana also has resources. Also, this MIC loot roller is good: https://paulmurraycbr.github.io/MICGenerator.html I like how it gives the option to reroll individual parts of the roll.
>>184133 >least augmentation crystals Most EaW magical weapons look like they would use a crystal of energy assault of some variety (probably fire), unless if you want to create a new version that uses raw arcane power for non-elemental damage. Anti-tank weapons would use the crystal of demolition. Assuming the weapon is made to be masterwork and fitted with a crystal, that's only +1 to attack rolls and +1 to damage rolls. That doesn't line up with how powerful they are in EaW. There haven't been many enemies with said magic weapons either, so GM Pone probably wants them to be stronger to be dangerous against a higher-level party.
>>184141 Yes. Dark Star enchanted his two masterwork revolvers. If you enchant a masterwork revolver and then use enchanted ammunition, it will be stronger than the Arcana-style magic weapon. Unless, if we swap the Arcana rules to apply to enchanted projectile weapons and come up with something new for EaW's magical weapons.
>>184143 >Assuming the weapon is made to be masterwork and fitted with a crystal, that's only +1 to attack rolls and +1 to damage rolls. That's ~600 go for functionally the same power as a +1 weapon, which costs ~2500 gp. It's not much, but it's a bargain. >That doesn't line up with how powerful they are in EaW. EaW is a different system from 3.5e.
Eberron handles mass buffing of weapons using Eldritch Machines, which are elaborate magical devices that create specific magical effects, such as casting Keen Edge on every weapon on the battlefield. Perhaps the weapon crystals sync to an Eldritch machine that buffs them.
Okay so I'm consulting my options for this upcoming fight and I don't quite like them. First off, I don't care what y'all say, I have to heal Bat and Grif at the very least. You can argue with me all you want, but if one of them goes down in combat that not only takes them out of the fight, but Dust as well as he has to help them. This then snowballs as two of the party's main damage dealers are out for at the very least one turn. That could end very poorly. I'm willing to compromise on healing Silver for now if he's okay with it. But I think before combat I should pop either magic vestment or aid on him. Magic vestment will make him just a little tankier which is better in a sustained fight, but aid will provide temporary HP and an attack bonus to make it so he can go in a bit harder. In this case I pop a lvl 2 heal and a lvl 1 heal on the squishier members of the party. Otherwise I stick with my original healing plan. I don't mind losing shield other at this point, cause unless I heal Dust it's not going to be as useful as it could be. But perhaps I'm wrong. Also, if we're gonna approach the enemy, I would prefer we do it quietly as if we catch them by surprise or start the fight on our conditions I can do a little more.
>>184160 It wasn't officially acknowledged by GM, but I rolled a 4 on the ostensible treat injury roll, so Brie probably only need 10 hp and not necessarily all.of that restored.
This latest combat emphasized the need to operate more conservatively and from range, avoiding fucking tentacle flailing. Mind controlled ponies can still be disabled through grapples and nonlethal strikes, going forward
>>184163 I found the post in which the potions were mentioned. It was noted Silver was given them, and it was four potions of cure moderate wounds. So we have those too, which'll be 2d8 cured
>>184163 Garv and Brie grt5ting ambushed is where most of Brie's damage came from, and he knows better than to stay in threat range of Starmie going forward, if an allly isnt otherwise grappled/vulnerable
>>184160 >Also, if we're gonna approach the enemy, I would prefer we do it quietly as if we catch them by surprise or start the fight on our conditions I can do a little more. >>184161 >This latest combat emphasized the need to operate more conservatively and from range, avoiding fucking tentacle flailing. Mind controlled ponies can still be disabled through grapples and nonlethal strikes, going forward
We have two Rangers and a Rogue in this party: there's really no reason for the enemy to see us before we see them. If we play our cards right, we should be able to Spot the enemy several hundreds of feet away and get a surprise round. If we meet the enemy 100-200 ft away, Posey could severely inhibit them in two rounds with Kelgore's Grave Mist.
That being said, it appears as though the Traveller has long-range telepathy, and if he has the Mindsight feat or a similar ability, stealth becomes pointless. >>184163 >Okay, so maybe the combat wasn't too easy... You know, I once ran a published adventure with several thousands of lvl 2 warriors as the enemies, and all of those warriors had two potions of Cure Moderate Wounds and a masterwork weapon on them. Lvl 1 NPC WBL is 500 gp: When fighting humanoids, it's easy to place convenient healing items in place of their standard treasure.
>>184175 If we don't have cover, neither do they. So long as our perception is higher, we should see them first. In a plains biome Spot checks begin 320 (6d6x40) feet away.
>>184168 >>184175 The problem with both of these is that the island has been described as covered in fog, a result I believe of the Traveler's influence. We can't see shit beyond close range, and while the fog does make us sneaky it's likely the Traveler can see through it a lot better than we can.
>>184180 I'm just speaking from memory. Not being critical, just sympathetic because encounter balance can be tricky. If you thought the encounter was too hard, maybe the next enemies might drop some healing items or something. It's usually the loot I would put on humanoid enemies.
I thought the encounter was fun, but my character also didn't really get injured/burned at all last fight, so maybe my perspective is different. Not that Posey can use potions anyway. >>184179 Oof, forgot about the fog. Encounters are probably going to start at point blank range.
>>184181 You have. You stopped everything to have a fight over a random feral livestock, causing an encounter that was supposed to take place as the party progressed along to instead basically get the ambush on them, which also limited my ability to describe or foreshadow the encounter, because everyone was so focused on the feral livestock
>>182249 There's actually more to this description, but I didn't post it earlier because I only wanted to reveal her outward appearance: >Posey's appearance is unnatural and supernatural, her vampiric heritage allowing her to appear closer to life despite being dead. Her appearance greatly depends on her mood: when cheery, her fur appears pristine and fluffy white; when less-cheery, her skin appears rotten and blotched, and her eyes glass over. When she's feeling especially nasty, she may briefly show bat-like or wolf-like traits as her monstrous nature makes itself known. Posey's appearance is a reflection of her own vanity and sense of of self (proportional to her charisma score): when she's confident, she's beautiful; when she's distressed, she appears more corpse-like. Her fangs are retractable. >Like most katane, Posey craves blood, but is not dependent on it. Taking in blood helps her control her stress levels, and thus also control her appearance. Rosey Ring has a lot of cosmetic mutations, and how corpselike or lively she looks depends on the situation and her mood. I tried to make that clear by describing her on her adventures, at times she's appeared glassy eyed, colorless, rotten, or had black vines pop to the surface. During the fight with Luminous the flesh fell off her bones as she approached low HP.
>>184205 Ergo, the function of your actions are secondary to the satisfaction of the behavior. What purpose you ascibe to doing things is irrelecant and consequential; The purpose is amusement. None of this is critical
Holy fucking celestia you want to know why I never know what in the fresh hell is going on? Cause whenever I show up again you two fucking niggers are going off about some semantical argument about rules or how you two talk to each other! Holy shit get over it you two or I'm going to find a way to fate bind your characters so when I beat the shit out of one the other feels it too.
>>184168 >If we play our cards right, we should be able to Spot the enemy several hundreds of feet away and get a surprise round. There is a dense fog with visibility of only 100' and it is getting worse. Soon it will be night as well, making it much harder to spot anything. Cavaliere unfortunately doesn't have a high listen modifier.
>>184241 You should do it just because it would be funny.
Anyway, I don't mind silly and whimsical moments in the party's downtime except it loses us precious minutes apparently (see the sheep and the first encounter). I am not considering the sheep talking as canon except for wishful thinking on the part of Posey and a paranoid delusion on the part of Brie. Can we let it rest now?
>>184243 >You should do it just because it would be funny. >Anyway, I don't mind silly and whimsical moments in the party's downtime except it loses us precious minutes apparently (see the sheep and the first encounter). We love silly moments, call me the Joker 2 the way I don't take myself seriously. >>184246 As a muon enjoyer, yeah. I wasn't gonna say anything though. It's really my faukt for being autistic enough to like this theme >>184248 Hmph
https://mlpol.net/vx/71158#71183 >Thought of a question regarding attacking: if a unicorn swings or throws a melee weapon using their magic, does the unicorn still add their Strength modifier to the attack bonus, or do they use a different ability? Was this question ever answered? How does DnD handle it with telekinesis?
>>184297 If there looks to be any gaslighting in a scene with Brie in it, just say so and we'll stop. Do you mean the joke about bad dice rolls is gaslighting? We can't read your mind.
>>184304 Some of us get frustrated and that's natural in a tabletop game. I've been frustrated with you, I've been frustrated with Posey, and I've been frustrated with GM Pone. I used to be a lot more sardonic and cracked jokes at players' expense.
Most of us have autism which makes it hard to read others to begin with, and on top of that there is this text format which can be interpreted any number of ways. If you ever have concerns or complaints, just say so in plain language. Brooding and posting vague statements is helpful to nobody, including yourself.
>>184306 I have been frustrating, and I will probably be frustrating. What I won't submit to (deliberate and telling emphasis) is being labelled 'the problem'.
>>184308 >>184309 Who has labeled you 'the problem' and when? Please always be specific. We have all caused problems for GM Pone so I think it would be unfair to single you out. >>184309 >Its difficult to explain without explaining exhaustively, to the degree that no one cares anymore by the conclusion The health of the game demands that we care. Let's sort this out right now. >>184310 >And moreover, its impossible to explain withoit violating confidence, decency, and politemess Obviously, if it has to do with drama outside of the game, or with player privacy, then that can be left out and you can be vague. Just do the best you can. GM Pone has handled such matters with tact while getting the point across.
>>184311 Have you ever played with people so long that it doesnt matter what handles, aliases, or characters they adopt, eventually you're like "Oh! Its been them all along!"? Keep that in the back of your head. No one has expressly insinuated to label me 'the problem', thats a very hyperbolic and loaded term I used deliberately to force the topic. What appears to have happened and be happening is - in being as non accusatory as possible - I don't appreciate nor feel it is necessary to play along with significant portions of content produced by other players and can be observed to react negatively/aggressively. I am.prone to belligerent outbursts, and this is known even without lengthy gaming history, its been on full display. But I dont go around looking to lose my shit, and most of the time I do I feel disgusted and exhausted afterward. Ill admit there are occasions where its life-justifying,.... The nature of anonboard posting is that we're shitposters so fuck (you). But that mentality - funny for anonposting - is toxic as shit for gaming. I guess the problem is I need a better sense of humor? If it can be said that the content is intended to amuse.
Put it this way. When a kid gets flicked, and wet willied, and badgered enough, in spite of the teacher's intentions/awareness, eventually somebody's nose gets broken, but who gets detention?
What I'm driving at is that in life, DnD/gaming, and a particularly noteworthy campaign, there often can be observed players who in the aftermath will admit to having been deliberately playing to upset/troll another player.
>>184316 >been deliberately playing to upset/troll another player I was playing this game for more than a year before you reentered it, m8. It's not about you.
I am going to let GM Pone talk this one out. Is the noteworthy campaign either Mixed Nuts or Kaverns & Kobolds? Those are the only other ones on the board I know of and I also know nothing about them.
>>184318 Idk what any of this has to do with either of those games, but I think GM and all the other players don't appreciate him bringing up unrelated games in conversation, especially when nobody else has done so. GM has said this before, and I agree with that sentiment. >>184312 >The nature of anonboard posting is that we're shitposters so fuck (you). But that mentality - funny for anonposting - is toxic as shit for gaming. Have you never played on /qst/? That's all it is, and it's still fun. Nobody takes anything personally.
>>184318 >>184319 I have expressly not named it. All that needs to be said is that going forward: I am not going to to allow myself to be repeatedly pestered, bothered, or otherwise messed with, to the degree that I become hypersensitive and start misintepreting innocuous statements as hostile. Ive seen one player do it to another, and its not gonna happen here. I never wanted to stop spot checking, I THOUGHT the sheep might be mission/context-important, moreso than spot checks. In the future, I will assume that no one is talking to Brie when the next demonic sheep gets loose.
>>184320 And just cuz of an autistic fixation for detail: Right BEFORE the sheep spoke old thestrali at Brie, GM DM'ed me to indicate that the following language was Welsh, intending it to be translated and implying that him freaking out was an intended outcome.
Don't bitch at me about "not doing spot checks, we got surprised cuz of you" when I'm responding to very specific context cues, seemingly custom-directed at my character, please. ^_^
>>184322 Because it made sense for him to in context. Maybe I'm overdoing it a bit, but this is very much an "Alice in Wonderland" (American McGee) sort of story/mission for Brie. Like, completely new to the supernatural. Oh, hes heard of it, and he knows magic is a thing, but most stories are just filly tales and the like. I am trying to affect his gradual realization of the wider world of sinister things.
I wouldnt have even responded to the SCENE if the GM didnt suggest it was something I should respond to
>>184319 >>184320 I will respect that. >>184321 >>184322 >>184323 It's just an autism moment. It's easy enough for people to say, "just get a better sense of humor" but if he is mentally unable to do that from factors outside his control then what is he to do? I'm not being condescending btw, I'm just listing the cause. Either we tone down the hijinks when Brie is around (sorry Posey) or we try to be better at giving context clues to indicate when we're serious or not. Even typing this is a joke might help.
And yes, mundane characters being introduced to the supernatural is part of the Lovecraftian theme of this game. Hallucinating that a sheep is responding to your rape threat in Welsh is not part of that. It's a joke because Welsh people are stereotypical lovers of sheep in the same way that bronies are of horses.
It would be like if you were hanging with your friends and a duck walked up. Quack, says the duck. But in your head you hear an old language you dont really know and havent heard since you were a child, talking about rape in some capacity
>>184328 Fair. I would be concerned in order: 1. Talking duck/voices in my head A. What the fuck.did it just say??? B. I havent heard anyone speak (that language) since my ex's grandfather 2. No one else noticed
>>184325 Really? I got that at face value. It's literally the shagging-the-sheep idiom. >>184324 >It's a joke because Welsh people are stereotypical lovers of sheep in the same way that bronies are of horses. This, lol. Also, considering how animals interact with ponies in the show, it makes sense for them to have some degree of cartoonish intelligence. >>184330 I was just thinking that too... I only sheared her because she looked neglected. I forgot it was winter. We should take the sheep home with us. Gloomy would love her. Let's have Kira roll to track her down once we're done with the mission. >>184327 I would go home and sleep it off.
>>184330 In summary: I now get why people were on about the sheep incident. I completely missed the context and thought it (the sheep its self) was more important to the scene. I also thought it was intended as an intro into how all 'this' is gonna cause Brie to have his moment of clarity, get his CM, and help kill the bad guy. That comes later, but its precipitated by Brie realizing that he is a small pony in a big world, since he has always seen himself as a big pony in a small world. Appreciating all this context: What appeared to be an antagonistic perception/demeanor toward my response to a seemingly intented element to the scene was in fact incomprehension as to why I was fixated on the shiny thing instead of watching out for nasty things.
I have also decided that I want to claim Mary as 2 gp of my share of the treasure. Orcus spoke to Rosey Ring through her, and I have decided that she will play a pivotal role in Posey's ambitions, alive or dead.
>>184337 If you still have it, I wouldnt even try and tally it. I assumed it ran off, but I would do the same with Rosie's background. If rope is required Brie would really like to not carry it anymore (10 lbs is alot for a sneaky/nimble)
>>184324 Just to redress this, don't feel you need to pull punches or tone things down on my behalf. This scenario has vee. A very interrsting clusterfuck of very plausible misinterpretation obscuring a much more nuanced situation than I appreciated. I'm sorry it happened, but it has illustrated some things to me about my behavior and why - even if the evidence SEEMS conclusive - I need to step away until I can articulate properly how the situation appears.
>>184374 >>184375 We haven't seen one in game yet, but mechanically speaking they should be two separate things. Magic rifles are also called "spell rifles" or "spark rifles".
>>184376 → >precision bonus Prevision bonus is already an established thing in 3.5e, and refers to the bonus damage from Sneak Attack, Skirmish or Sudden Strike.
>>184377 Though, since we've found ammunition for one on one of these soldiers, odds are somewhere on that ship is a magic rifle that the ammunition goes to.
>>184378 They would be very expensive. You would also probably need to find a proper fence for the weapon if you're looking to sell it as I imagine you couldn't just go into a gun store and sell a top-of-the-line experimental military-grade weapon like that.
>>184380 >Besides, it would be impolite to give Posey belly rubs. She's a lady. Ladies deserve belly rubs too. >And potentially unfaithful to Silver's girlfriends. >girlfriends plural >unfaithful Posey the Conqueress takes what she pleases. >>184381 >They would be very expensive. A +2 weapon costs as much as a mansion, and we have several. >you couldn't just go into a gun store and sell a top-of-the-line experimental military-grade weapon like that You can sell +2 magic weapons fit for Exalted hero-kings, why wouldn't you be able to see other kinds of magic weapons? So long as it's within the merchant wealth level of the settlement (a non-issue in a city as big as Baltimare), it should be sellable at 50% market price.
>>184384 It's less a matter about the amount of money the vendor would have to sell or how powerful the weapon is and more about the legality of selling the weapon. Within the setting, it's clear that firearm ownership laws are not particularly friendly even with basic firearms like revolvers and bolt-action rifles, and I can't even imagine how restrictive they would be with something military-grade like a magic rifle.
>>184385 >>184386 Are you saying that the next time we encounter some possessed soldiers, we should try rubbing their bellies to see if that fixes them?
>>184388 >It's less a matter about the amount of money the vendor would have to sell or how powerful the weapon is and more about the legality of selling the weapon. Within the setting, it's clear that firearm ownership laws are not particularly friendly even with basic firearms like revolvers and bolt-action rifles, and I can't even imagine how restrictive they would be with something military-grade like a magic rifle. Are we using d20 modern restriction access levels? >>184389 Run as you may. You will join the dead some day, and then we will be best friends.
>>184392 I haven't heard of any formal rules like that being implemented, but getting access to anything more powerful than basic firearms would probably require meeting with a black market arms dealer, smuggler, or someone else like that. Or having a good reputation with one of the factions who could give you access to that stuff, like the Waterfront Gang or the Black Hooves.
>>184396 >I haven't heard of any formal rules like that being implemented, but getting access to anything more powerful than basic firearms would probably require meeting with a black market arms dealer, smuggler, or someone else like that. I guess I really am going to have to make that smuggler cohort with Wanderers Diplomacy and Mercantile Background. >>184397 Why are you such a huffy fluffy wufflekins?
>>184399 That does sound pretty convenient. That way Posey could have access to both all of the body parts and all of the military-grade equipment she could ever need. Maybe Posey can make herself an undead army equipped with machine guns and bazookas.
>>184408 I'm going to assume that's a "no" since you/Posey would definitely remember finding it, but yes there has been a bone pit encountered previously in the game, filled nearly to the brim with the bones and skeletons of dozens of creatures, possibly even hundreds. It might still be around, assuming it hasn't been cleaned up by the authorities.
>>184411 Now I'm not saying where, as I imagine it would be a fitting reward for a vigorous search. It could be at the Catacombs. It could be somewhere else in the city. It might be somewhere you've already visited or could be somewhere you haven't yet thought of. But, Posey might like to find it, as she seems to be rather obsessed with bones.
>>184416 To be fair, everyone in this game has a bad habit of missing out on valuable loot and going after stuff that was never originally intended as loot. Like, there's a Belt of Strength that Silver missed out on, and instead he got the papers that turned into the house he's currently living in with his NPC household.
>>184417 >To be fair, everyone in this game has a bad habit of missing out on valuable loot and going after stuff that was never originally intended as loot. I really hate it when this happens. I've played and run so many games where this happened... >there's a Belt of Strength that Silver missed out on Then how does he know about it?
>>184423 On a healthy pony board, all negativity is reciprocated with cute pony pics. >>184424 Wondering how cheesy it would be if I started typing Ws as Vs to demonstrate Posey's accent....?
>>184425 I think it would be pretty cool. I already do something like that with Silver where I try to avoid using articles (a, an, the) in his speech whenever I can. Sometimes one slips by, but I succeed more of the time. It's also a bit like how Dust is committed to rhyming 100% of the time.
>>184433 D'awwwwwwww. Sometimes when I see an image, I'll end up on a completely unrelated train of thought from anything that came before. Like, looking at that image, I saw it as being like Posey hugging Brie but if their sexes were reversed. And that caused me to go onto the new train of thought: how much different would Posey as a character be if she were a stallion? Not different at all? Sorta different? Entirely different?
>>184434 Her background would be completely different if she were a stallion. Posey was a sex slave to vampires as a filly, and that affected her outlook on life. Not to mention that using her charms has been a survival method for her in the past, and she might've not gotten this far if not for that.
>>184436 You know, with all of the messed up stuff Posey had to go through growing up, I'm curious if part of the reason Posey brought Gloomy along for her super secret spy mission is because she doesn't want him to have to go through all that she had to.
>>184437 Gloomy has endured a torturous existence himself, being a subject of experimentation, but not so abusive much as Posey. He also wasn't bred from vampire stock like her. Posey brought him along because he is the only thing in the world that she actually owns. He was the most expensive thing in her starting equipment (commoner slave 100 gp).
>>184374 >>184377 The griffon commando who was training the communists in the first group quest had a magic rifle iirc. It wasn't used or taken.
>A +2 weapon costs as much as a mansion, and we have several. >You can sell +2 magic weapons fit for Exalted hero-kings, why wouldn't you be able to see other kinds of magic weapons? >So long as it's within the merchant wealth level of the settlement (a non-issue in a city as big as Baltimare), it should be sellable at 50% market price. It's a setting where housing is scarce and guns are plentiful. DnD cost tables aren't reliable because they are for a pre-industrial civilization. Gun control does drive up black market prices.
>>184392 >Are we using d20 modern restriction access levels? I think it's a good system and it works not just for guns but also chemicals, drugs, and magical components.
>>184404 >tfw the dock raid quest happens again but instead of communists it's Posey and undead
>>184440 >Lighten up. The 'tism keeps him from it. Even if it's silly, for his sake it would be best to stop the teasing.
>>184440 I'd like to see some heartwarming/sad scenes of Posey and Gloomy together as mother and son. I'm not sure if it's your intent with these characters, but I could see it being used as a way to build up empathy for your characters in the eyes of the people both playing and watching the game.
>>184442 Damn, more loot that we left behind. Also that sounds like a cool idea for a quest.
>>184442 >DnD cost tables aren't reliable because they are for a pre-industrial civilization. Gun control does drive up black market prices. The cost tables are from Cityscape, and they were in post-industrial magic-tech Eberron. As far as character WBL is concerned, they should be good enough. Magic item components are ambiguous, but what defines them is WBL balance. >I think it's a good system and it works not just for guns but also chemicals, drugs, and magical components. Depends if the GM wants to implement it. I think I would prefer just being able to buy/sell most things. >>tfw the dock raid quest happens again but instead of communists it's Posey and undead That's what I want, but I need to get to lvl 8 to cast Animate Dead. >>184446 >I'd like to see some heartwarming/sad scenes of Posey and Gloomy together as mother and son. I'm not sure if it's your intent with these characters, but I could see it being used as a way to build up empathy for your characters in the eyes of the people both playing and watching the game. That's what I want, but it's tricky to type out in a context that makes sense.
>>184451 Well, I don't know Gloomy as well as you do, obviously, but even if he's endured a torturous existence, he's still a young colt, and likely to encounter situations in Equestria among the living that will make him act a bit like, well, a colt. It could be that when they're out and about Gloomy will see various families out and see how the young colts interact with their mothers in a normal fashion, and might try to copy them with his own interactions with his mother.
>>184443 → At this rate, the game will turn from a 3.5e system with a heavy amount of homebrew into a custom system with 3.5e inspiration. GM Pone's complaint about the leveling and powerscaling system makes it necessary. >>184451 >Magic item components are ambiguous, but what defines them is WBL balance. True. My thought process is that at higher levels enemies will more often be elite troops with magic weapons. These will need to be a plausible threat. >Depends if the GM wants to implement it. I think I would prefer just being able to buy/sell most things. Silver and Blue Skies got high off confiscated changeling honey, which is implied to be extremely illegal (level 4). Even hard drugs like methamphetamine would be only level 3 (military) because of their usage. The restriction access level system is handy to show what needs more money or better connections to obtain. >>184455 This would be cute.
I could unironically see being in the land of Friendship and Harmony having a positive impact on Posey and Gloomy's life, especially if through the party's efforts they manage to help Harmony make a return.
>>184387 Stop intentionally antagonizing Brie. It may be funny for you, but it isn't funny for the rest of us.
>>184399 >Why are you such a huffy fluffy wufflekins? Okay, that was pretty funny
>>184441 Hey! That's my clip for Nadir on Halloween!
>>184384 >A +2 weapon costs as much as a mansion, and we have several. You would have been better off saying "Wow, we're so under equipped in terms of magic items for our level. GM needs to be less stingy with the loot."
Instead y'all are trying to pawn off magic items to each other or even leaving them behind deliberately.
Isn't Dark Star a 5-level ranger? How does he use his ranger spells without a horn? Do ranger spells work like bard spells and can be cast by any character of the appropriate level?
>>184476 I hope we can convince Shoal Water to increase our monetary reward since we're potentially saving the world and killing an interdimensional demon or what have you. Silver has a household full of NPCs to think about.
>>184492 >I hope we can convince Shoal Water to increase our monetary reward since we're potentially saving the world and killing an interdimensional demon or what have you. I already announced intent to do that. Fighting Cthulhu wasn't in the job description. We deserve a bonus. Hopefully the Traveller drops some good loot too.
>>184513 I guess I owe the other players an apology.
I'm sorry guys. I really was just trying to have fun, but when I feel like people are trying to restrict my fun, I have a reflex of doubling down on the trolling. It's a habit that has gotten me kicked from many a discord server (that and antisemitism). >>184514 But to you I am not sorry. I might've been sorry before the stunt you just pulled, but not anymore, because that was beyond the pale. >I threatened to doxx people over a handful of pony pics >I am totally NOT assblasted Stay mad.
>>184509 >>184515 This isn't a /bantz/ thread. This is a DnD game that just happens to be on an imageboard. When joining a game there are basic expectations of respect that players are owed, because they are giving their own free time to be here and they pick up their ball and leave if it ever gets unfun. These expectations include both OOC behavior and IC behavior. OOC behavior is the sort of behavior you would use around people in a DnD game irl. You don't have to be informal and cordial like you would your coworkers but unless if you know them well you would show restraint on banter and teasing, and you haven't done that. If OOC someone has a mental illness or phobia and asks to not be exposed to "triggers," you should not break that trust to provoke a reaction. IC behavior includes stuff like instigating PvP, sexually assaulting other characters or interrupting/touching a character in any way that doesn't help the party within combat. These things might be allowed but only if both players agree, and flouting those rules is also very bad. You have also broken those expectations. This clearly isn't your first rodeo because you know a lot about the game, mechanically. I can't say whether or not you got kicked out of previous games for this sort of behavior but either way you should know better, and should have stopped at the first OOC "stop." The campaign isn't your personal playground like a singleplayer game where you can toy with the characters endlessly. Go play Baldur's Gate or something if you want that. I've tried being charitable with my view on you, and in the past I personally asked the GM to give you some leeway, but you are making it very hard for me. >Stay mad. Go take a shower and sleep. If you still have this attitude in the morning I don't think you'll get any better.
>>184515 Youve been bent since before day one. Shall we go into it? Oh wait, doxxing is bad. I will not regret being absolved of your input. I was willing to abide for the game, but I figured a more elegant way that doesnt beleaguer GM. Have a nice life! Im sure you will be deloghtful to others as you have been to me!
>>184516 Tbh, maybe you're right. I've been overworked and frustrated these past couple weeks, and I have let some of that frustration leave into some of the PbP games that I've been playing lately. Idk why I even joined so many at once; I guess I just wanted to play more games, but didn't want to commit to sessions. I really need to think harder about how I want to spend my limited free time left on this realm... I do want to try Baldur's Gate 3... >>184517 Idk what this is trying to communicate, but I don't really care anymore.
>>184515 >when I feel like people are trying to restrict my fun Your fun? What is your fun? Finding out what triggers another player, pressing that button, trying to get him to sperg and to derail the thread? That's the fun you don't want restricted?
What the fuck is wrong with you?
>I really was just trying to have fun Intentionally antagonizing another player into a frenzy and derailing the game is not fun to the other six of us here.
Can we just like, all collectively drop this? Maybe for like, a day? Two? Maybe 30,000? Never bring it up again? Just have Brie and Posey ignore each other for the rest of time? Maybe have Dust disappear? Just a thought.
I know Brie's player is annoyed with how every time I chime in on a situation it's either "Brie's wrong" or "you're both wrong", but I'm trying to help you with what you've said in Test about wanting to do and be better, especially with regards to other people. Yes, Posey's player should have stopped earlier, but the way you were reacting was definitely not helping the situation. It felt antagonistic every time you told him to stop, even from the get go, and that antagonism just made him do it more and more and more. Again, he still should have stopped before it got to this point, but had you been a tad more diplomatic in your requests to stop, saying something like: "Hey, I don't mean to be rude but I'm really not having fun with this. Can we please stop?" would likely have resulted in a much more positive response from Posey's player. Just something to keep in mind for the future, you know? Antagonizing someone, even when they're antagonizing you, isn't always the best option.
Also no, threatening to dox people is never cool, even if you're just bluffing.
>>184523 >"Hey, I don't mean to be rude but I'm really not having fun with this. Can we please stop?" >would likely have resulted in a much more positive response from Posey's player. No it wouldn't have. First, Brie's player has some behavioral issues that I don't want to get into, but which hurts his ability to respond with clear logic. We saw that with the sheep joke. These issues pose a problem at times but he has been working on getting them to a manageable state. Posey's player is very much aware of these issues and has singled him out like he is a middle school bully and an autistic kid just showed up. Why do you think Posey has always been teasing Brie specifically and not Cavaliere or Silver she molested Dust a couple of times but not that much in comparison. Second, we all were telling Posey's player to cut it out, first as a gentle suggestion and then more firmly. He kept on with the joke for far too long until Brie's player bluffed a threat about "doxxing" and then focused on that as a further avenue to manipulate Brie and the other players. Finally, look at Posey's excuse of "I've been overworked and frustrated lately" which has become a calling card of internet lolcows who got exposed for something bad. It's all about "me, me me" in that post. "I've been overworked and frustrated" (don't think about the other players who are overworked and frustrated, especially the autistic guy who's had his fun ruined). "Idk why I even joined so many at once" (my problem is that I don't have a good schedule, not having a bad attitude). "I really need to think harder about how I want to spend my limited free time left on this realm..." (sympathy-baiting, and again no mention of fixing bad behavior). "I do want to try Baldur's Gate 3..." (When being told not to treat co-op sessions like a singleplayer game, mentions said singleplayer game but not the problem of treating other players like video game characters). I don't care about Posey's character being powerful and being sourced from different sourcebooks. I don't care about Posey's in-game antics like throwing up blood or worshipping a random sheep. I don't even care about Posey messing with other characters, as long it's not to trigger a reaction. What I'm not okay with is this sort of solipsistic rage-baiting which intentionally derails the campaign, and then narcissistic not-apologies to try to manipulate us to think it's okay. If it's not nipped in the bud it will actually kill this game because nobody wants to deal with this crap.
>>184522 >>184525 I really like Dust's character and I would rather you stayed. I know why you want to leave because this is infuriating, but the game has been going for years without this. Let's fix this issue and we'll have years more fun.
I'm not here to antagonize anyone. I know these last few weeks have been a wild rollercoaster (the ride doesn't end) and Ive been major part of it. Ive had to adjust my attitude more times than I can count and Ive cleared my schedule (my next therapy is gonna be a doozy) for further lessons. I wasnt aware pf how many triggers I have until theyve been tested, which was one of the purposes of returning to Mlpol (his idea, not mine).
I dont know how long it is going to take me to be able to fix all the shit I have going on and I'm sorry that I'm the sort of person who needs 'dealt with' in any sort 'particular' way. Any more, its just embarrassing, exhausting, and fatally resigning.
I want to be able to play along with all the jokes and games and lols, but one off-hand comment and "target-aquisition computers are calculating every possible vector of apporpach, which we've identified 5 active probable maneuvers, moving to intercept, engage countermeasures."
Brie was a character desogned to have an unmovable chip on his shoulder cuz IVE always had an umpvable chip on my shoulder. Anyone got a crowbar or a rock hammer or something?
Brie '86
Str 12 +1 Dex 18 +4 Con 10 Int 14 +2 Wis 9 -1 Cha 6 -2
I posted that so if you want a skill check or something, those are his modified skill adjustments and such. Thats what he is capable of. If Im not on, actively playing, or am shitting my pants for some stupid reason, you can have him do those. All those appraisals are still on deck, when we're "not in a hurry", and I wouldnt be offended if GM started a "Tap the bat to get a free appraisal/investigation/whatever" check system.
>>184557 >Kek ^^ >I love it I'm glad. To be honest at your drawing, I was getting a bit tired so I thought that I might have failed to do it justice.
I thought Brie was a bat >>184553 , this is meant for her but perhaps I'm wrong. After all, I drew Silver with a sword which he may not actually use that's how much I pay attention.
>>184565 >No Blue skies Lacking,... Im kidding, its amazing and awesome of you But srsly, a rainbowdash monochrome was too much Again kidding, much love and appreciation ^_^
>>184566 <No Blue skies Yeah. I actually agree with your kidding self. The sky should be blue. I had night-filter on at the time nad didn't want to turn it off as not to flash myself. However, if I had more forethought I would have realized that i could use the Oekaki color palette RGB number system to just pick on with 00X to get one with blue, or dark blue. Dark blue, to reprsentent a midnight sky with the moon in the background which was what the drawing was suppose to represent. >Im kidding, its amazing and awesome of you >much love and appreciation ^_^ Ty fren <3 c:
>>184568 Woah, that's actually a significant improvement. c:
I like how now the some of my mindless scribbles look like strands of hairs that fall off in all the speed of whatever action Dark Star is in.
Thanks for putting the effort into polishing it up. That makes me happy. <3
>Hoof thumb ^^ Though, how I imagined it, with just the handle, doesn't make much sense either.
I didn't realize it before but it looks like the leg of the "A" is dismembering his left hoof or stabbing into his body. ^^
I might redo Silver's one because that's the one that I'm least happy with. The snek is fine but with Silver I sometimes, even though I know which is which, can't tell between which two pairs of somewhat vertical lines that makes up his neck.
>>184574 >Thanks for putting the effort into polishing it up. No problem Fren thanks for Drawing it >That makes me happy. <3 <3 >Hoof thumb It must be tough to hold a revolver otherwise >I didn't realize it before but it looks like the leg of the "A" is dismembering his left hoof or stabbing into his body. ^^ Its fine, it seems like its behind him to me
The nice thing about revolvers is, you have to deliberately be undisciplined with brass, whereas an automatic can be a pain in the ass depending on the environment
Okay, I really, really, really, really didn’t want to resort to this, but I’ve exhausted all other options short of kicking players. Neither of you will stop when I tell you to stop. Henceforth, moderator action will be used to stop flame wars, thread derailment, and general unwarranted negativity.
No more back and forth spamming of posts that distract from the whole action of the thread. No more “cryptic nonsense,” no more clearly insulting posts, no more harassment. I’m done with it, and it will all be removed from the thread. This is the only option that I feel is at all fair to me and the other five players not involved in the drama. I’m ending this. The quest is themed around communism after all, so if going full Stalin is the only way forward, it will be the way forward.
You know we love you, and we want to keep you around. We understand that you have mental health issues, and among other issues this can cause aggressive behavior. I hope you have noticed that we are willing to extend tolerance and leniency to you that has not come to an end. To some real degree, I’m actually happy to have this game serve as a sort of therapy.
The negativity, and especially the spamming expressed in the thread, however, is coming to an end. No more cryptic nonsense. If you have a problem with a player or me, please make a single direct and to the point post in OOC that gets to the point. One post. Not three posts. Posts numbers two and three will be deleted with no warning nor explanation. Posts about it in the gaming thread will be deleted without explanation. If you think of something that you wished to put in the first post, what you should do instead is to abstain from clicking “new reply” for a minute, and then post what you wanted to say. I am not going to play 20 questions to figure out what Posey did this time. I am not going to lecture you on why we, a bunch of distracted men who are on the autism spectrum, do not understand your subtlety, do not understand the context of what is going on, and do not know what is on your mind. I’m not doing that. You either say what the problem is, or I will shut you up and continue with the game. I am ending the rollercoaster. I am ending the negativity. You can play the pony dating sim, or you can not. You of course have pretty much everyone’s discord DMs, including mine.
If you do not believe that the results of a spot check or other action have been acknowledged, please simply draw attention to the post, which has surely since been buried. I understand that much of your character’s actions are dependent on precise positioning, but we are not playing in person with miniatures and I’m not going to stop combat to force everyone to move figures on a digital map, at least not right now. If you want to bitch about a map, bitch to yourself, because I’m not suffering it. Ask questions about your character’s position.
I am shocked that any of the following needs to be said, but evidently I have to say it:
No threats of any kind will be tolerated and obviously will be deleted immediately. This includes an out of character threat to kill another player character, but obviously also threats of doxxing. Any actual attempt at doxxing will be met with immediate post deletion and a ban from the game and from the website. We’re not showing off discord handles here. This is my game, my game is anonymous. I don’t care if you can name people. We will not be doing that here.
I don’t care if you have longstanding personal grievances with whomever or long histories with people. The only digging up of ancient tombs, or unlocking of ancient evils that will be taking place here is what happens in character in game.
I don’t care about X, we are moving on and playing the game. All off topic negativity will be deleted, the end.
>>184515 I’m not going to respond to the disgrace of a post that was >>184519 because I don’t want to beat an (un)dead horse. All I will say is that I concur with >>184527. If you intended to quit the game because you didn’t like that another player had called you out on your harassment of another player, then you picked the absolute most inglorious hill to die on, and the horrific anti-apology you left out on makes you look worse than even the objectively far more problematic Brie, who actually felt bad and apologized. All you had to do was stop when Brie, and then later me, then Dust, and then Garv told you to stop.
Yes, Brie’s player has mental health problems that express themselves in especially annoying ways. I know this. You know this. Every player here knows this. Hell, even Brie’s player knows this. That doesn’t give you license to bully him until he spergs and derails the whole game for the night, and to do this every other night.
If you wish to continue, know this:
You have lost any kind of benefit of a doubt concerning “banter” with Brie. Any kind of “boop to find white nose disease,” “did you know that bat ponies have aids,” and especially “rolling to bite Brie’s cock off” will be deleted instantly, just as surely as Brie’s inevitable 20+ post rage about it that is going to follow. If targeting a mentally ill person to provoke them into sperging is your only idea of fun, then go to whatever games or discord servers have yet to kick you out, and do it there. Or better yet, go find a homeless person in real life to go poke. I hope he punches you, and you finally feel some real consequences to your actions. You’ve been kicked out of games before for your shitty behavior, and you are not welcome here if you think you’re entitled to do that.
>>184596 >If you intended to quit the game because you didn’t like that another player had called you out on your harassment of another player Oh, no, I wasn't doing that. Sorry if I wasn't clear. I just had relatives over this week, and decided to take a break from the game. I didn't see any posts about the journals, and people complained about me "relentlessly advancing the plot", so I figured I should just wait for other players or GM to advance it instead. >the horrific anti-apology you left out Yeah, that wasn't cool of me. I actually typed out a better reply to Amber's post, but I was in kind of a pissy mood after the doxxing thread and I never actually sent it.
>>184597 I will try very hard to move things tonight. Garv’s player is actually available and combat is feasible. Please understand though that I’m still at work m
>>184527 >Finally, look at Posey's excuse of "I've been overworked and frustrated lately" which has become a calling card of internet lolcows who got exposed for something bad. It's all about "me, me me" in that post. "I've been overworked and frustrated" (don't think about the other players who are overworked and frustrated, especially the autistic guy who's had his fun ruined). "Idk why I even joined so many at once" (my problem is that I don't have a good schedule, not having a bad attitude). "I really need to think harder about how I want to spend my limited free time left on this realm..." (sympathy-baiting, and again no mention of fixing bad behavior). "I do want to try Baldur's Gate 3..." (When being told not to treat co-op sessions like a singleplayer game, mentions said singleplayer game but not the problem of treating other players like video game characters). These are all valid points. I could break them down with more detailed excuses/clarifications/explanations, but it wouldn't make a difference. >Posey's player is very much aware of these issues and has singled him out like he is a middle school bully and an autistic kid just showed up. Yeah, I guess that wasn't cool of me, at all. But to put it from my experience, this is really how I've operated on chansites for my entire adult life. When someone seethes over posting cute ponies, my modus operandi has always been to respond with more cute ponies, because on my end, it's just posting ponies. Yeah, it's wrong, but I also find it hard to relate to someone who claims to have been on /mlp/ for years and is somehow triggered so much by bat pics that he resorts to doxxing instead of just hiding/ignoring replies. But I'm in the wrong. What I did was wrong. There's no two ways about it. >narcissistic not-apologies to try to manipulate us to think it's okay That isn't how I meant it, but I guess it's the impression that counts. >He kept on with the joke for far too long until Brie's player bluffed a threat Well, if you look closer, he actually made the threat immediately after the post where I conceded and said that was the last bat pic I was going to post. Second, it was not a bluff. It was an actual threat. You can see his post on /test/. He knows information about fellow players through history and moderation position, and he knows at least two other players by name. He walked back his threat because it was so egregious, but the part about it being a bluff was a lie. And I know my behavior was poor, but I also have reservations about roleplaying with someone who threatened to doxx people over a bunch of bat pony pics. Not just because it targets me, but because he is the kind of person who would threaten my friends in real life over being triggered by images of cute cartoon bats like some kind of 2014 era Tumblr SJW, instead of just closing the tab or hiding the posts like a civilized person. That admittedly makes me seethe with hatred. >Why do you think Posey has always been teasing Brie specifically and not Cavaliere or Silver Mostly because they're nice to me. >>184596 >I’m actually happy to have this game serve as a sort of therapy. I've been in multiple games like that, and from experience I would prefer it if people leave their mental health issues at the door. It's not my call to make though. >That doesn’t give you license to bully him until he spergs and derails the whole game for the night, and to do this every other night. We weren't playing that night. We were cuteposting about belly rubs in the OOC thread between sessions. I concede that it doesn't give me license to make fun of people.
>>184596 I understand >>184600 >I've been in multiple games like that, and from experience I would prefer it if people leave their mental health issues at the door. Of all the comments and responses I am contemplating, I am going to otherwise remain 'silent'; until I have sufficiently gathered my thoughts and I dont feel to be interrupting. Other than to say I agree with this sentiment, and don't feel that this game is an appropriate place for me to 'exercise the demons' so to speak; fwiw I'm making a physical list of every misbehavior (on my part), what caused it, how I can avoid it in the future, and what failsafes are available. It is tiresome; thats an explanation, not an excuse. You are right to not trust me after how I've behaved. I have the first name of one Anon, and a fair bit of info about another; without going jnto why, I would drive a state over in an emergency at a moment's notice for him. I'll conclude by saying - again an explanation - that while appearances may be deceiving (and with me, thats often deliberate) the idea that I would dox him is absurd. And the one name guy, I dont even know if hes in the same city anymore. I met him one time at a Waffle House and thats as much as I could ever tell about him. Yes, I have an encyclopaedic memory of past experiences related to discord handles 'and such', no they are not relevant.
>>184540 >returning to Mlpol (his idea, not mine). I really don't know what kind of mental health professional would recommend that their patient spends more time arguing on chansites... I'm not a psychologist, but I think it may be counterproductive. >I'm the sort of person who needs 'dealt with' in any sort 'particular' way You know, I am sorry for provoking you. But you also have to consider that it isn't our job to babysit you and stay wary of you "triggers". This is the first time I've heard the term "trigger" used unironically in the past decade, since I was trolling Tumblr SJWs in the GamerGate era. Did you do this on /mlp/ and /pol/ too? /mlpol/ is a site that's idealistically supposed to be more hostile to thin-skinned people than 4chan, but realistically the parent boards have a lot more rudeness trolls who will try to mess with your head. The same is true for /tg/ and /qst/. That's how chansites are. >one off-hand comment and "target-aquisition computers are calculating every possible vector of apporpach, which we've identified 5 active probable maneuvers, moving to intercept, engage countermeasures. You describe yourself like you're some sort of nuclear doomsday device, but you still want people to interact with you. How are we supposed to respond to that? On 4chan, if you act like that, you would just get memed-on until you grow up, leave, or become a lolcow.
You have to compromise here. You have to be willing to operate in good faith with at least a fraction of the edgy shitposting and trolling atmosphere that a chansite is supposed to have.
>>184600 > Second, it was not a bluff. It was an actual threat. You can see his post on /test/. He knows information about fellow players through history and moderation position, and he knows at least two other players by name. I think he’s talking about discord handles, which he does know. Being a moderator doesn’t give you magic knowledge. That’s not how it works. I do not think it was a legitimate threat.
He was making the empty threat because he thought it was the only way to make me and also the other players get you to stop deliberately targeting him.
> When someone seethes over posting cute ponies, my modus operandi has always been to respond with more cute ponies, because on my end, it's just posting ponies. Yes. He picked the absolute dumbest fucking thing to get triggered over. It was impossible to take him seriously at first.
I don’t believe that his reaction was actually because the cute ponies pissed him off. What pissed him off is that he already believed that you had been targeting him, and your behavior that night confirmed that you had to me, to Garv, and to him. I read back through the thread. He said “stop” in unambiguous terms, and then you continued through multiple posts.
> I also find it hard to relate to someone who claims to have been on /mlp/ for years and is somehow triggered so much by bat pics that he resorts to doxxing instead of just hiding/ignoring replies. > he is the kind of person who would threaten my friends in real life over being triggered by images of cute cartoon bats like some kind of 2014 era Tumblr SJW, instead of just closing the tab or hiding the posts like a civilized person. That admittedly makes me seethe with hatred. It wasn’t about the bats. It was becau you had previously done the “bat aids” thing. Because you had done the “bite Brie’s cock off” thing just three nights before. Because of probably similar instances that Brie had noticed that I didn’t. Just that same morning, when we told him to stop being fucking cryptic and say what you mean, Brie’s player came out and said that his problem was that he believed that you had been targeting him and harassing him. Then this happened, and confirmed it. You even outright admitted it; you were “trolling him.” He’s not pissed off about the ponies. He’s pissed off that another player is harassing him with impunity. He chose the nuclear option because he thought that if he didn’t force the issue to a head, it would never stop.
I honestly don’t think his intent was to threaten you. I think his intention was to get the attention of me and the other players, so that way we’d make you stop doing the thing you’ve been doing consistently and with impunity for weeks.
Also, as stated, any kinds of threats going forward will not be tolerated, including ones I’ve let slide so far like “I’ll kill your character.” So this is not going to happen again.
>I've been in multiple games like that, and from experience I would prefer it if people leave their mental health issues at the door. Allow me to rephrase. This will be an environment where he can have positive interactions with other people. This is not an environment where he can be hostile to other people. I’ll accept the good part of the manic. I will not accept the bad.
> We weren't playing that night. We were cuteposting about belly rubs in the OOC thread between sessions. But it did ruin the night for everyone.
>>184602 >You describe yourself like you're some sort of nuclear doomsday device, but you still want people to interact with you. How are we supposed to respond to that? He was talking about (You). You finding his buttons and pressing them. He was not describing himself there.
>>184602 I understand. I can offer you further explanation if you would like, but I feel I have said plenty already and would prefer to marinate on everything.
>>184603 Actually, no, he read that accurately. I don't mean it literally, but in a sense thats an accurate analogy. As you accurately describe, I felt he was being enabled to abuse with impugnity; I felt if he was being allowed to push my buttons, I was allowed to push everyone's. I could blogpost about how this is a conditioned self defense mechanism that A. Incentivized people that I was not 'the one', whether it was bullies/abusers or the people with either the social or literal authority to do something about 'this', and B. Created a negative feedback loop that quite honestly I'm glad to have had to experience because now I have the presence of mind to be aware of it.
>>184602 >I should be allowed to harass a specific player I don’t like because Chan culture is supposed to be about tough skin. Okay, first of all, you are the pussy little bitch that blinked and couldn’t handle it. Every insult you gave, Brie gave back five fold. Every time you escalated it, he took it further. You are the one who blinked because you couldn’t handle a doxxing threat. Don’t you know that people who participate in social media flame wars on Twitter or 4chan get doxxed? That’s the stupid fucking game you want to play? Well that’s the stupid fucking prize you win. You go be a dumbass on social media, you get doxxed. You get what you fucking deserve. Brie has thicker skin than you.
Second, (You) don’t get to be the gate keeper of actions here. I do. This is mine. And I say that we aren’t stopping everything because you two want to have flame wars because you think that’s what Chan sites are for. I don’t care what you allege is acceptable on 4chan and what you claim you haven’t been kicked or banned for doing. I have let you two go at each other like the Teumessian fox and Laelaps. It’s not fun for me. Garv, Dark Star, and Dust have complained about it. I’m ending it.
>>184606 >I should be allowed to harass a specific player I don’t like because Chan culture is supposed to be about tough skin That's not really how I meant it. >You are the one who blinked because you couldn’t handle a doxxing threat. Imo, that's the only appropriate way to handle a doxxing threat. It wasn't even a threat to me. He has no information on me. I was just pissed off, and decided I didn't want to interact with him, at least not until the RP thread was updated. I think that's a reasonable response. I had other PbP games to post in, my own content I'm writing, and even a book I wanted to finish before the year. Of course, I could have just doubled down and flamed even harder, like I was tempted to, but Dust's player was really bothered by it, so I decided to just fuck off. >You go be a dumbass on social media, you get doxxed. You get what you fucking deserve. I already said it wasn't about me, it was about my friends. >Brie has thicker skin than you. I disagree. >Second, (You) don’t get to be the gate keeper of actions here. I do. This is mine. I never contested that.
>>184606 >blinked The way you put it implies that walking away when a flame war turns ugly is a bad/cowardly thing. Is that really what you're saying? Was I supposed to double down? Threaten to dox him? Just continue flaming? There's a point when enough is enough. I decided that it wasn't worth my time.
>>184609 You knew it wasn't worth your time? Then why didn't you just stop posting, and I stead chose to involve other players personal information in your shitfit?
>>184607 >>184608 I’m saying don’t go up to someone, punch them in the face, and then act morally appalled when they pull out a knife. The game you so willingly play (the dumbass online trolling game) is not one that you get to referee or define the limits of. Jesus Christ. “He cries in pain as he strikes you” comes to mind.
>I have better things to do than to be here with you all Then do those things instead of intentionally posting things to cause Brie’s player to spreg, so that way we don’t have to suffer through the sperginh (again). Let us be in peace.
>>184616 >>184608 Flame wars are bad! Don’t fucking start them! Don’t start a damned fire and go “oh, it’s going to burn me now. Boy I’m so glad I have other play by post games that haven’t banned me for being the horrific, arsonist faggot I am yet. Better go over there now that I’ve ruined things here!”
While not speculatively accusing, its plausible if left unaddressed, "bites off Brie's cock" leads to later jibes about dicklessness; not hard to imagine, and thats only one set of 'shitposts' that make one player's experience turn very dark and mean real quick, and the people around still laughing and having fun gets hard to resent. I see how the pattern plays out even if no actual malice is intended. I know (ish) how to get through it without losing my shit. Trust me, its fucking embarrassing to be a grown ass man admitting to being triggered and having unironic triggers ESPECIALLY around here.
In any other context, I wouldn't care about a doxxing threat. You think I haven't had that before? I "blinked" because unlike you I have a sense of boundaries, and respect for Dust's player, who was very bothered by it. But of course you don't care about him. >>184613 >I’m saying don’t go up to someone, punch them in the face, and then act morally appalled when they pull out a knife. No, but I would be morally appalled if they used that knife to take a random grandma on the street hostage. >>184615 I literally don't believe you. >>184617 >it’s going to burn me now It wasn't going to burn me. He was threatening other players. I'm not afraid of him at all, but I don't like niggers who would take unrelated people hostage for their bullshit. >>184603 >I think he’s talking about discord handles, which he does know. Being a moderator doesn’t give you magic knowledge. That’s not how it works. I do not think it was a legitimate threat. >He was making the empty threat because he thought it was the only way to make me and also the other players get you to stop deliberately targeting him. He knows a LOT more about you and some of the other players than you might be aware of, a lot more than what you would be comfortable with if you knew.... I kno because he mentioned it me, despite my unwillingness to humor it, in DMs. DMs that I would have preferred to ignore, but it has been repeatedly brought up anyway despite my protests. >harassment You know, this really goes both ways... Months before he even joined, he was pinging me in DMs calling out my roleplay posts in thread, and trying to make me feel terrible about playing this game? Saying that he felt "betrayed" and "disappointed" in me from my participation, and taking it personally because he hates (You) and wanted to punish me by proxy. He would always randomly ping me for not contacting him, shame/goad me into oversharing information about my personal struggles, or give me unsolicited shitposts about the progress of his fursuit; and then he would act judgemental and mean spam-pinging me because I dared to play a PbP game on this site, or because he didn't feel appreciated that evening, or because he was drunk, or because a meme I sent in an attempt to be friendly didn't meet his artistic standards. And that's when he wasn't trying to drag me into another one of his passive-aggressive pissing contests with the site mods over stuff that still angers him from 7 years ago. I eventually just blocked him outright because his behavior devolved into the same sort of cryptic spam he shits up these threads with, where he gives vague mildly ominous suggestions of what he thinks, and then acts offended if you don't immediately understand what he's thinking. And then, after having told me that he was done with tabletop games forever, he joined this game, after shaming me for playing with you, and then started shitting up these threads with the same kind of cryptic spam and taking memes personally, bringing all that touchy unfun negativity with him. He's been obnoxious, unfun, and unapproachable since before he joined this game, going crazy if you try to interact with him, or if you neglect to interact with him. He also refuses to allow me to approach the game from an anonymous angle. Every single session he references things from DMs or prior games that nobody ever asked for. I have for the longest time tried to appease his schizoid persona, but I realized that that was a fool's errand with no way to win, so I just defaulted to treating him like I would treat any other touchy faggot on /qst/. And I know that's the wrong way to approach it, but I have my own problems that I'm working on.
>>184620 >unlike you I have a sense of boundaries That is not evident >I literally don't believe you. Anticipated, and the feeling is mutual fwiw, without any animus.
>>184620 > No, but I would be morally appalled if they used that knife to take a random grandma on the street hostage. Can you just not fucking start the fight that ends in the grandma getting shanked?
You start these fights and throw gasoline on them. They aren’t fun for us.
> It wasn't going to burn me. He was threatening other players. I'm not afraid of him at all, but I don't like niggers who would take unrelated people hostage for their bullshit. And I don’t like when you take my whole game hostage because you want to provoke him to start a fight
> He knows a LOT more about you and some of the other players than you might be aware of, a lot more than what you would be comfortable with if you knew.... Well that’s unsettling
> he was pinging me in DMs calling out my roleplay posts in thread That’s unsettling, but I can’t control discord. I would like to leave discord drama on discord as much as we can.
>I eventually just blocked him outright because his behavior devolved into the same sort of cryptic spam he shits up these threads with Problem solved
> He's been obnoxious, unfun, and unapproachable since before he joined this game, going crazy if you try to interact with him, or if you neglect to interact with him. He also refuses to allow me to approach the game from an anonymous angle. These are all fair. Please allow me to deal with them. Whatever you do, please don’t deliberately harass him. You make it worse. I am going to be more proactive than before.
> Every single session he references things from DMs or prior games that nobody ever asked for. I am ending this.
> I just defaulted to treating him like I would treat any other touchy faggot on /qst/. No. We are not going to do this.
>I’ve tried to appease his schizoid persona Please don’t try to be the bogey man to him. That isn’t fun for us.
>>184600 >We weren't playing that night. We were cuteposting about belly rubs in the OOC thread between sessions. Other parts of this post have been addressed, but I can tell you that we absolutely were. We had all the players lined up and we were waiting on the GM to kick things off. Then this popped off and it made the entire game unplayable. It's not just a danger to a single gaming night either. Both Dark Star and Sven have returned after a long hiatus and don't want any more drama. Dust has expressed that he gets physically ill from the drama. Brie is the deliberate target and is also back from a hiatus. Silver's player and myself seem intent on sticking "through thick and thin" so to speak, but that would leave only us and (you) to continue the game, in the midst of a group quest. I could not blame them for leaving either. Risking four out of seven players leaving isn't worth it for "le ebin trolling." >>184620 >DMs This is all stuff you should talk over privately with GM Pone. Obviously this gets too personal to share with the rest of us, let alone any casual reader.
>>184623 >> He knows a LOT more about you and some of the other players than you might be aware of, a lot more than what you would be comfortable with if you knew.... >Well that’s unsettling >>he was pinging me in DMs calling out my roleplay posts in thread >That’s unsettling, but I can’t control discord. I would like to leave discord drama on discord as much as we can. Just to clarify: I know factoids. I know what one of your jobs is. I know what another's field of study was, several years ago. I know how old another is. I know the TYPE of business one USED to work at. I know tiny bits about each - much of which is out of date - but not enough to even be able to get a sophisticated AI to figure out who anyone is. I wouldn't try regardless, but you can't 'know' that so I appreciate why it seems so effective a threat, and I will admit to have made the threat with conscious awareness of all of this. I acknowledge this to be highly toxic behavior. There is no justification.
>>184627 I hope to provide clarity/honesty at this point, most emphatically/expressly where the fault is mine, but am ready to kiss and make up (not trying/inviting making it weird e_e)
>>184620 One final thought, appreciating you don't/shouldn't believe me. It was your willingness to play and my inability to comprehend that was the Archduke Ferdinand catalyst that led to me currently being present for one, and in therapy with actual necessary medication, fwiw. Not that adderal is being made sufficiently available e_e, but a clinical diagnosis alongside a perception of 'normalcy' I didnt know existed has been gamechanging. That there exist medications that can grant me a sensation of calm control when I can't manage on my own is likewise, and having someone who is - while expensive - sufficiently qualified to address my list of overdue magazines while giving me the space to speak emphatically, justifiably, and comprehensibly to someone who ISNT a mind-virus, is doubly huge.
>>184631 Being that the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand kicked off WW2, what I at the time wanted to pretend was the assassination of the person I had anticipated you to be led to a whole lot of introspection that led me to a variety of conclusions, most namely how wrong I had been about y'all among a whole lot of other things, including the necessity to talk to a professional about what I am told is a personal background it is statistically impossible to not have unresolved issues about, and I trust that it isnt just profit motive when he says that.
>>184632 Also quick word. He didn't say I should go shitpost on chansites, Ive mentioned all of you in the context of online gaming. He had the presence of mind to observe... things I was allowing myself to overlook about how important y'all are, to so readily mention you so often, especially about times I was happy
>>184632 >I had anticipated you to be led to a whole lot of introspection ..........................! I said I would try, so I'm not going to post what I just typed now...
>>184634 Don't be such a huffy fluffy wufflekins. He's saying "The assassination of the person I anticipated you to be" lead him to introspection. Not that he thought that you'd be led to introspection. God forbid you learn that le ebin trolling doesn't make you a badass...
>>184650 Brie's player and Posey's player know each other on Dicksword, and you know Brie's player there. The three of you sorting it out in private is your best option.
>>184652 For reasons, its not. I am aware of ways that I have onus toward Posey that they are disinclined to discuss publicly OR privately. They may feel a way about any/all/more, but there are instances Im aware of that in his shoes I would feel a way about.
>>184657 I hope through cons that we meet one day. You dont have to identify urself, but Ill be obvious. I hope to make u soft tacos. Im sorry, otherwise.
>>184673 Is it because a part was inspired by a work of fiction and somepony recognized it? That's alright. I didn't read all the notes but they were interesting and tied in with Amber's dream.
>>184675 >Is it because a part was inspired by a work of fiction and somepony recognized it? That's alright. This. All GMs steal shit from other works. That's what d&d is all about. There's no shame to it. That's playing the game as expected. Even the publishers steal. I've seen the same "coffin makers shop" map in five different modules across four editions. I think they tied to Rosey's backstory too, as it's reminiscent of the Atropal who's flesh was implanted in her.
>>184677 Does it really matter that much that I recognized the story it was inspired by? I just vaguely recall the story of the village that vanished, particularly the dug up graves. It doesn't tell me anything about the potential encounters (undead, maybe?) or the rest of the plot. It's a mystery what happened.
In meta/advance of the journals being told to Brie - if (improbable) - he wouldnt grasp the whole dead wasp aligator thing, but he would be able to discern that whatever the thing IS, its playing a con game. The commies think theyre gonna use IT to spread communism, but IT is using the COMMIES to spread IT. If the account were told/given to him, be could precisely identify every leg of the con, specifically from this entry: >>184689 →
>>184687 → Alright. We are in an ayy lmaos story. The question is, what kind? Could it be a dormant kython king? A juvenile Neh-thalggu? Something Mindflayers cooked up? A Neogi bioweapon? An apocalyptic monster in the tier of the Hulks of Zorentha? Only time can tell. >The initial approach to the settlement revealed abnormality, as the village council was not there to great me as is custom. The village seemed normal, with chimney smoke and piles of firewood. Further examination revealed the entire settlement to be completely abandoned. Food was left on the table in one instance and in a boiled over pot in another. Beds were unmade and clothing occasionally strewn on the floor or even in the streets. Some doors were open, most were closed. One hut has burned down and was mistaken at a distance for a still burning stove. However, no sign of ransacking was noticed. What few valuables existed showed no signs of being removed, hidden, or searched for. There was no sign of packing for migration. Whatever this was managed to mobilize an entire village: very high tier mind control ability, possibly incredibly high CR challenge. It sounds like a regional it not global threat, which means that solving this might let us level up multiple times :D >a large black object suggestive of a bee, or insect larvae. It appears to have previously given off enough heat to melt the surrounding frost, which has since refrozen. Coming into close physical proximity with the object for extended periods of time was noticed to cause migraines, and looking into any of the several black orbs presumed to be eyes resulted in Yep. That's our Fellow Traveller. Sounds like a monster of unknowable power that has fallen into dormancy from its journey and the trauma of impact. Reminds me of Ragnorra. My hunch is that it is intent on returning to its full power or complete its metamorphosis by consuming the minds and bodies of its thralls, and it could grow into an apocalyptic creature if it isn't stopped now. It may possibly even be a quasi-deity, or even an Abomination. It mentions the ability to bend reality to its will. That may be a dressy way to fluff Psionics, or it may possess the ability to manipulate the divinely morphic nature of this realm, making it effectively a god. >Seemingly deceased Our Fellow Traveller is allegedly unfamiliar with the concept of death. This thing might be hard to kill. >>184689 → This part is just creepy... Fucking Posadists. Rosey Ring would have a shred of sympathy for it, as its ambitions seem somewhat similar to her own. However, that's HER destiny, and she was here first, so space ziggers can fuck off.
>>184720 Death may not exist as a concept in its original realm, but in this it made a mistake in coming to ours. Here, death is not just a concept, but a reality, an inevitability. All things must die. Let us show the Traveler what it means to die.
>>184720 I made a Tommyknockers joke/reference, GM didnt respond so not it. >all the rest about the traveler Unironic hook Sounds like a threat even to the Aboleth, which Rosey is a part of.
If you put ranks into a cross-class skill and later multiclass such that the skill becomes a class skill, are you refunded the skill points you used or do they stay as a sunk cost?
>>184796 That's fair, GM pone has been really forgiving for when you've made a mistake building your character or if you want to respec something or other. I'm really glad for it, myself.
I've made a bunch of conceptual level 6 sheets to see where I go from here for Cavaliere. Some of them involve no changes to existing levels while others require a complete redesign. All sheets involving monk use the Wushu fighting style (which may or may not be homebrew) to replace existing bonus feats and provide a +2 bonus to tumble. They all also have identical ability stats since this is functionally the same character.
Ranger 3, Monk 3 HP: 6d8 AC: 13 Initiative: +7 Saves: Fort 6, Reflex 9, Will 7 Melee Attack Bonus: 8 Ranged Attack Bonus: 8 Feats & Special Abilities: Simple weapon proficiency, armor proficiency (light), track, wild empathy, endurance, rapid shot, flurry of blows, unarmed strike, evasion, quick draw, precise shot, weapon finesse: unarmed, improved initiative, power attack, still mind (15 effective feats) Skill point count: 68 Other Pros: No retcon needed, monk rules don't require ascetic hunter (yet), no experience penalty, +10 speed bonus Other Cons:
Ranger 2, Scout 2, Monk 2 HP: 6d8 AC: 13 Initiative: +8 Saves: Fort 7, Reflex 12, Will 6 Melee Attack Bonus: 5 Ranged Attack Bonus: 8 Feats & Special Abilities: Simple weapon proficiency, armor proficiency (light), track, wild empathy, rapid shot, flurry of blows, unarmed strike, evasion, quick draw, precise shot, ascetic hunter, improved initiative, power attack, skirmish (+1d6), trapfinding, battle fortitude +1, uncanny dodge (17 effective feats) Skill point count: 74 Other Pros: Even level count means no exp penalties Other Cons: Requires a retcon, requires ascetic hunter for monk to work, scout skills have high overlap with ranger
Ranger 3, Swordsage 3 HP: 6d8 AC: 16 Initiative: +4 Saves: Fort 4, Reflex 9, Will 7 Melee Attack Bonus: +9 Ranged Attack Bonus: +9 Feats & Special Abilities: Simple weapon proficiency, armor proficiency (light), track, wild empathy, rapid shot, quick draw, precise shot, weapon finesse: unarmed, improved unarmed strike (9 effective feats) Skill point count: 74 Other Pros: Access to level 3 maneuvers, even level count means no exp penalties, good skill spread Other Cons: Requires a retcon
Ranger 3, Monk 2, Swordsage 1 HP: 6d8 AC: 16 Initiative: +8 Saves: Fort 6, Reflex 11, Will 9 Melee Attack Bonus: +4 Ranged Attack Bonus: +7 Feats & Special Abilities: Simple weapon proficiency, armor proficiency (light), track, wild empathy, endurance, rapid shot, flurry of blows, unarmed strike, evasion, improved initiative, power attack, quick to act, weapon focus (unarmed), ascetic hunter (or equivalent) (14 effective feats) Skill point count: 8 Other Pros: Access to level 2 maneuvers, optimal skill spread, no retcon required Other Cons: Requires ascetic hunter (or equivalent) for monk to work, exp penalty for uneven classes
Fighter 6 HP: 6d10 AC: 13 Initiative: +3 Saves: Fort 5, Reflex 5, Will 5 Melee Attack Bonus: +9 Ranged Attack Bonus: +9 Feats & Special Abilities: Simple weapon proficiency, martial weapon proficiency, armor proficiency (light, medium, heavy), shield proficiency, improved unarmed strike, point blank shot, precise shot, rapid shot, power attack, weapon finesse (unarmed), quick draw (11 effective feats) Skill point count: 36 Other Pros: Other Cons: Requires retcon, terrible skill spread, misses out on ranger and monk abilities
Ranger 2, Fighter 2, Monk 2 HP: 4d8 + 2d10 AC: 13 Initiative: +7 Saves: Fort 8, Reflex 9, Will 6 Melee Attack Bonus: +8 Ranged Attack Bonus: +8 Feats & Special Abilities: Simple weapon proficiency, martial weapon proficiency, armor proficiency (light, medium, heavy), shield proficiency, track, wild empathy, rapid shot, flurry of blows, unarmed strike, evasion, improved initiative, power attack, quick draw, precise shot, weapon finesse: unarmed, ascetic hunter (16 effective feats) Skill point count: 62 Other Pros: Even level count means no exp penalties, good skill spread Other Cons: Retcon required
Ranger 3, Martial artist 3 HP: 6d8 AC: 13 Initiative: +3 Saves: Fort 4, Reflex 9, Will 5 Melee Attack Bonus: +6 Ranged Attack Bonus: +9 Feats & Special Abilities: Simple weapon proficiency, armor proficiency (light), track, wild empathy, combat style, endurance, rapid shot, quick draw, precise shot, living weapon, flying kick, improved combat throw (12 effective feats) Skill point count: 65 Other Pros: Even level count means no exp penalties, decent skill spread Other Cons: Difficult to balance D20 Modern with 3.5e
There are tradeoffs for every build. I would like to have plenty of skills and feats, but of course other stats are important as well. I want to take wushu style mainly for free improved initiative but power attack should also synergize with a high melee attack bonus. It's not easy to create a character highly capable in both lethal ranged combat and non-lethal melee while also having skills to match an erudite background. Some of these combos stand out to me as winners but if you have any recommendations I'm all ears.
Okay, I see three distinct possibilities: 1. Face value: Remnant commie survivors, possibly the last we can hope to glean info from that we happened upon in the nick of time 2. Basic contrivance: the Traveler setup this scenario to see how we would try to handle the situation; reconnaissance 3. Much contrivance: everyone involved is mind controlled and bluffing, and this is an ambush
There are 2 stars we can see, and the big thingy which Kira can struggle snuggle even if it's huge. There is also the chance that the Traveler may have the capacity to fire spells through it's thralls, like a familiar, so we shouldn't just assume that there won't be new surprises to contend with. Unfortunately, the only way to try to get the traveler to expend its spells (assuming they arent sla's) would be to not rest ourselves which I'm not in favor of OOC but AM in favor of IC
>>184864 It seems to come down to how much you want to emphasize the gunslinger aspect (I'm reading that right?) and the monk/martial aspect. In this setting/context, the gunslinger side would seem to be more practical/versitile, but having some monk is also viable for combat reasons at the cost of armor in several cases. Having no idea to Garv's actual deepest lore, I cant comment on the wushu or any of that flavor and how it applies to his monk/fighting. If you mean retcon like where significant details need to change, I would avoid it unless theres a continuity or context error (like when I wanted a bat pony clan in Neighpone). If it is a retcon where you're filling in plrevious blanks or undisclosed details, thats perfectly normal. Functionally, I would go for one of the ranger/monk type spreads (incl swordsage).
>>184871 >Unfortunately, the only way to try to get the traveler to expend its spells (assuming they arent sla's) would be to not rest ourselves which I'm not in favor of OOC Unfortunately, we've hit a point where I don't think we can rest period, even to give Dust his one hour to regain spells. The second we hit this combat I think shit hits the fan and the traveller will make sure one party doesn't leave the island alive.
>>184872 I want to heavily emphasize the gunslinger aspect as fighting unarmed is more of a secondary bonus. That means I would want to emphasize initiative and high ranged attack bonus. From the list, dipping into swordsage is the most attractive option, but swordsage is a melee class and maybe I would be better served picking up a fourth level of ranger or one of scout for that skirmish damage. It would mandate using my 6th-level feat for ascetic hunter but the favored enemy bonus is decent if underwhelming. If I go level 4 ranger and use the Champion of the Wild ACF I get another feat which I could then spend on weapon finesse: unarmed. Time to make more character sheets because the choice is difficult.
I shouldn't worry about exp penalties from imbalanced classes but that rule is there for a reason. Many classes have good level 1 bonuses to keep them interesting at level 1 play, but what this means is that dipping is far more powerful than progressing normally. If there's no penalty there's no reason to not do it.
>>184873 >>184874 OOC, I don't know if GM Pone will penalize us for taking too long on a time sensitive mission. IC you already know my stance on this.
>>184864 I want to draw attention to the build with Scout Levels. There are two feats missing from this build: Flyby Attack and Swift Hunter. The Swift Hunter feat turns Ranger/Scout into a potent Multiclass, gaining the entire benefit of the Scout's damage bonus, and most of the Ranger's BAB.
As a flying creature, I strongly recommend utilizing Fly-By Attack. In fact, I would suggest considering every improvement of Flyby Attack on a skirmish Build, such as Improved Fly-by-Attack (take Expeditious Dodge in place of Dodge), Greater Flyby Attack, and Androit Fly-by-Attack, and Wing Expert. This would give you the most ranged damage you could reasonably expect on a gunslinger ranger build. It's better with Manyshot, but Flyby Attack would make up for it.
Mystic Ranger 3 / Scout 3 would probably give you the most out of each class. Note that Mystic Ranger requires nonevil, but you are nonevil that's fine. Mystic Ranger 10, Scout 10 would give you 5 levels of spellcasting, the most feats you'd need, and 5d6 Skirmish by level 20. It also gives you more skill points, speed, feats, and combat buffs. Mystic Ranger delays your Combat Style progression slightly, but the improved Ranger spells (Rangers have tons of subtle spells that buff combat) and the Scout bonus feats more than make up for that. Ranger spellcasting also creates the option to use a combo of Plant Defiance + Travel Devotion, giving you a Turn pool to fuel the Travel Devotion feat and allow you to Rapid Shot with your Skirmish while moving at Blinding Speed.
Of course, you also wanted unarmed damage. For unarmed combat, Swordsage is king, there is little that Monk buys you that Swordsage does not. Flurry Of Misses isn't worth it unless your deeply specializing into it. Swordsage Multiclasses very well, as half of your non-Swordsage levels contribute to your initiator Level for your max level of maneuvers.
Alternatively, you may not need Monk or Swordsage levels at all. You can gain Combat Martial Arts or Brawl as a bonus feat from a d20 modern Starting occupation. Possessing either of those feats gives you the option to simply make melee unarmed attacks with the damage bonus from Skirmish with Fly-By Attack, making you just as effective as melee unarmed damage as you would be at ranged damage with guns.
The Dead Eye feat can add your Dex bonus to damage on your gun, but only at close range, so it's preferably used in conjunction with Fly-by-Attack.
Improved Skirmish is also good, probably better than Dead Eye because of lack of prerequisites.
>>184876 It would seem to come down to what martial abilities/characteristics/feats you will want to have, and what side abilities you would pick, cuz theres lots of ways to do that, including a strong fighter dip, which would gove you a bunch of potential range, initiative, and other feats, which if the remainder was in monk could give unarmed and monk finesse, alongside the 1st/2nd level bonus monk feats. A 4/2 Fighter/Monk could be pretty cool now that I look, especially depending on stat rolls and layout
>>184876 >Champion of the Wild ACF Not recommended, imo, but just imo. I would actually recommend the opposite: Mystic Ranger delays feat progression slightly, but the faster spell progression makes up for it. Rangers have access to a lot of combat spells that can substitute for feats in many instances, Such as Guided Shot, Exacting Shot, Sniper's Shot, Hunter's Eye, Hunter's Mercy, Blades of Fire, Blade Storm, Swift Haste, Curse Of Impending Blades, Inspired Aim, Bane Bow, Arrow Storm, Lion's Charge, Foebane, Spear of Valarian, Find Gap, Primal X, Raptor's Sight, Hawkeye.... etc. Not to mention if you are nonevil, you can prepare Sanctified Spells, and if you're no good you can prepare Corrupt spells. Spells are a powerful and versatile feature, a feature that you is better leaned into than sacrificed. Mystic Ranger gives you more spell slots, which let you do any of those tricks more often.
There's also the option to wrangle in some bloodline levels (great for any Multiclass character), but those are pretty complicated and tbh idk if they're worth the XP cost in a milestone game. Idk if I'll ever get back the 3K XP I spent in character creation... In conventional 3.5e, XP costs are expensive, but ultimately worth it, because 3.5e XP is inherently self-correcting (the less you have, the more you get), but with milestone or level-independent XP idk how that works
>>184879 >scout benefits This looks very appealing. The only downside is that I see an either/or choice between scout and swordsage. I suppose I could take one level of scout at 6 and one level of swordsage at 7, but is it really a good idea to multiclass that much, assuming we get there? I don't want to replace existing levels because what Cavaliere has now is already viable and it would be unfair to the other players to redo him to make him more powerful (and if everypony does it, it'll get ridiculous). Ranger 4 is a good level too because of the animal companion (which I would replace with an urban companion as an ACF) and spells (or bonus feat for CotW). Scout is better for his primary area of expertise, while swordsage would be better for his secondary as well as skill spread (having intimidate as a class skill would be nice). >dead eye That is a tremendous benefit but ranger doesn't include the prerequisite feats (point blank shot and weapon focus). Improved skirmish is good, but it competes against Ascetic Hunter to keep my monk abilities (according to Da Rules) and weapon finesse: unarmed (to make unarmed combat better and synergize with power attack). >Mystic Ranger 10, Scout 10 would give you 5 levels of spellcasting, the most feats you'd need, and 5d6 Skirmish by level 20. None of my character strategizing extends past level 7 or 8 and I can forget about level 20. This game has been ongoing for six years and for almost all of that characters have been at level 5. There's more pressure to level up now, but GM Pone has repeatedly said that he's reluctant to make low-level mooks with guns completely non-threatening. You shouldn't give up hope of learning necromancy but you might have to get creative. At the bare minimum, leveling will happen "normally" but GM Pone will have to overhaul all these class levels to nerf them. I suppose this means I shouldn't worry about multiclass penalties for experience, since mechanistic means of giving exp aren't seemingly used.
>>184880 >4/2 fighter/monk Strong in combat but weak in skills. This balancing act leaves me wanting to have plenty of skill points for both essential class skills and miscellaneous skills. I haven't needed these skills that much within the group (but isn't an effective +9 in use rope handy?), but my character will later operate alone a lot of the time. Also I like to waste invest skills in miscellaneous areas like knowledge for the roleplay potential.
>>184881 >Champion of the Wild vs. Mystic Ranger I won't deny that Mystic Ranger is definitely more meta (and I will make another character sheet just to see by how much) but my character concept is one who is magicless and depends purely on his skill and wit. I have not mentioned it to anypony so far aside from GM Pone, but Cavaliere is an approximation of the protagonist from Have Gun Will Travel which is a western setting lacking any concept of magic. Because this campaign setting is Equestria at War, Cavaliere is aware of and even knowledgeable about magic (+5 arcane knowledge ranks) but having him perform it would be extra complexity from both a roleplaying and a mechanical perspective. Plus, although ranger spells are divine magic and griffons would be able to perform it, they are less magical creatures than ponies overall and I think it fits to not have spells.
>>184884 >Bloodlines That's an extra layer of complexity but there are some strong benefits. I'm not sure what bloodlines would be compatible with an Equestria at War griffon however. Dragons are never implied to be interbreedable with everything the way DnD dragons are.
>>184886 One thing Ive veeb meaning to mention as far as this being a low-exp/advancement game - to it's credit - is that it continues to allow GM an easier time having encounters that are threatening, without going to extremes of power levels and such. One compromise I would like to propose for GM to consider would be supplementing level advancement with context-gained feats. Another option would be retcon flaws for feats, where adopted flaws would be consistent would be consistent with observable character and personality defects. At the same time, I don't know how permissive GM has been with some of Brie's more niche asks (the batman suit in particular) so perhaps I should be thankful for what I have. Still, Brie is like, 1 feat or ability away from being devastating, and I havent even gotten jiggy with improved feint
>>184886 >I suppose I could take one level of scout at 6 and one level of swordsage at 7, but is it really a good idea to multiclass that much, assuming we get there? It really depends how much you want the Sublime Way maneuvers. In any instance where you would take Monk, Swordsage is probably better. >it would be unfair to the other players I don't believe anyone will complain. >to redo him to make him more powerful Only marginally. You'd still be leagues weaker than the Cleric. It's not a contest. Your power adds to the party's success. >having intimidate as a class skill would be nice You can gain it through a d20 modern background. >synergize with power attack You really only want Power Attack if you specialize in two handed melee weapons. There are better damage boosters for one handed weapons. >None of my character strategizing extends past level 7 or 8 and I can forget about level 20. This game has been ongoing for six years and for almost all of that characters have been at level 5. There's more pressure to level up now, but GM Pone has repeatedly said that he's reluctant to make low-level mooks with guns completely non-threatening. Don't remind me....... >Also I like to waste invest skills in miscellaneous areas like knowledge for the roleplay potential. Scout or Scout/Rogue (with Swift Ambusher) may be an option then, if you want to maximize skillpoints. >my character concept is one who is magicless and depends purely on his skill and wit In that case, you might just want to go full Scout. Ranger is very mystical in flavor, and the mystical abilities are the strongest features. Alternatively Scout/Swordsage. >Cavaliere is an approximation of the protagonist from Have Gun Will Travel which is a western setting lacking any concept of magic There are a lot of ways to fluff spells, especially the Ranger's subtle divine spells. Depending on the ones you prepare, you may be aesthetically indistinguishable from any other martial character. FiM is a very high magic setting anyway. Magic is integrated on every aspect of the world. >>184889 Alternatively, just use d20 modern Massive Damage thresholds, and then any lvl 1 commoner with a gun becomes a substantial threat.
>>184891 >You'd still be leagues weaker than the Cleric. Is Defiant Dust that strong? I know cleric is a good class in 3.5e (even base classes aren't balanced too well), but I was unaware of his power level. >Your power adds to the party's success. That is true, however… Although I would like to minmax my character, I should point out that none of the other PCs aside from Posey Glow are minmaxed in this way. Dark Star is a level 6 ranger. Brie is a rogue/monk multiclass and I'm not even sure if he has a fighting style different from default for the monk side. Silver is full fighter and Kira is full ranger. Virgin Flame is a monk/barb multiclass. Defiant Dust is full cleric. None of these characters are weak or structured poorly but they're basic compared to what you suggest, and none of them use the D20 Modern backgrounds as buffs to my knowledge. Suddenly retconning my character and switching over to classes from Complete Adventurer and Tome of Battle (which I had never read before) looks very odd in comparison, especially after my character has been introduced and participated in a group adventure. Even if GM Pone allows it, and every single other player is okay with it (which is a requirement for something as major as this) I think it sets a bad precedent and I would feel like a munchkin. Consider, that although becoming more powerful helps the party within the quest, the GM has to balance the quest around the power of the party. A single character becoming more powerful means encounters will be more powerful and the other characters comparatively less powerful. This was the issue with Posey Glow as a party member. This would incentivize everypony else to retcon their own characters and use more features outside the PHB to minmax (you probably know of many different ways for each of them). The party becomes more powerful, and (to GM Pone's irritation) encounters are more powerful to compensate. On the other hoof, new players jumping into the campaign who aren't so well-versed in 3.5e will find themselves at a comparative disadvantage, and minmaxing to keep up with the power level is a lot more work that might discourage them from joining at all.
Don't take this as me being ungrateful for your help. At the very least, it's a fun mental exercise and helps me learn more about the game. I want to make Cavaliere more powerful to fulfill my power fantasy better emulate his inspiration, but going too far could lead to negative consequences.
>>184895 I prefer using the D20 Modern damage table. There most handguns are a 2d6, the exception being a .44 magnum which is 2d8. Even going by the DMG table, a .38 would qualify as a "small" revolver and be 2d6. A medium-sized revolver, like what Cavaliere uses, would be a 2d8 according to the DMG but cannot be concealed. There's no single definitive source since the DMG, D20 Modern and D20 Past all have different statistics, but D20 Modern is what I prefer.
>>184896 I agree, 2d8 is too high for a .38sp, I would tink a .357 would be the lowest calibur for 2d8 >wonders how much a .500mag, or that .50 bmg pistol goes for <Dunnae fergit th' 30mm single shot ah almos'took me arm off with
>>184896 >Is Defiant Dust that strong? He's a Cleric. Even with PHB-only resources he's stronger than any of us. That's good though, because he's on our side. My point was that pursuit of inter-party balance is a fool's errand, especially in 3.5e. Instead of being jealous of your peers, you should focus on being your best self. >Although I would like to minmax my character The stuff I told you right now wasn't minmaxing (unless to invest every single possible feat resource into flyby attack), it's a balanced and versatile Multiclass build with powers split between unarmed and ranged combat, not specializing in either. >Although I would like to minmax my character Posey isn't even micmaxed herself. If she were minmaxed she wouldn't have wasted her spellcasting levels (which I might never get back) being a katane. She has no Metamagic. Minimaxing is more along the lines of uberchargers, DMM Persisters, War Hulking Hurlers. There's a difference between minmaxing and optimization. >I would feel like a munchkin I have met many munchkins. You are not one of them. >the GM has to balance the quest around the power of the party This isn't as hard as it sounds. It's the difference between three and four carrion crawlers. >This was the issue with Posey Glow as a party member. You might notice that Posey does less damage in combat than any other party member. Her main weapon is her fear-based debuffs, and half of the time those don't even work because enemies are inexplicably immune, or somehow succeed on every save I throw at them in a given round. She has no AoE spells, and she is not proficient in firearms: she's functionally a melee warrior who can't power attack and has no maneuvers or damage boosters. She is by no means leaps and bound more powerful than other party members. I nerfed her because DM determined that her high durability made me I nerfed Posey because GM decided that her durability made me act too cocky in combat. >This would incentivize everypony else to retcon their own characters It's called retraining/rebuilding. And imo, if someone isn't satisfied for their character sheet, I don't see any reason to lock them into it when they may have to play it for years.
It's your sheet though. I just made a suggestion because you asked for thoughts.
>>184912 The grey background actually kind of looks like dark fog, and that’s the background that they chose to use in contrast to the suit - because it’s bright colors pop out against a dark grey background.
Camouflage clothing doesn't give you concealment. It just gives you +2 circumstance bonus on hide checks. For actual Camouflage, see the Ranger class ability.
>>184914 I could argue that point, but okay. >>184916 I will argue that point. Concealment doesnt always mean "unseeable", it means undiscernable as what it actually is. Brie could be a bird flying overhead for all they know
Im not digging my heels in, this is just a discussion. I argue that an overcast sky with fog is as easy for a gryscale-camoflage to hide in as the shadows are for darks and blacks
>>184921 If a giant bird with a 10 foot wingspan were flying at a low 30 or 40 feet coming right towards me from my side, I’d both notice it in my peripheral vision, and turn to look at it.
>>184928 Moving objects are greatly prioritized by vision and the D&D rules reflect this
>>184930 At that point, it isn’t surprise. It’s initiative.
>>184932 Fine, we can go the solid snake route,... I just prefer the surprise death-from-above.
I have loads of other possible tactics that could be employed, and I dont know how to best describe them. I prefer to keep it simple, especially in appreciation/light that this isnt a minifigure chess game. Thats where they store the heroine of DnD and will phrase my questions as "Is it possible to do this sort of thing?" Instead of declaring an action and expecting it to be 100% intuited and shit.
>>184903 I'm really not that strong. Unless you're undead, then fuck you and the horse you rode in on. I'm sure if I actually understood anything maybe, but I don't feel like reading tbat much.
>>184989 I looked it up but it doesn't apply to initiative. It says, >For every 10 points of damage the caster deals in a given round while under the effect of this spell, she gains a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks in the next round. The more damage the caster deals, the greater the luck bonus. It's possible to get a luck bonus for multiple rounds if she deals damage in more than one round during the spell's duration.
>>185001 Interspecies relations is mostly frowned upon in society, and polyamory/prostitution definitely is. Don't let this discourage you from getting as high a score as possible, just watch out for STDs and pregnancy
>>185027 That's what he's making all of this money for. Characters like Posey are making money to become the most powerful creature in the world. Silver is making money so he can support his herd of NPCs.
>Griffons can't get pregnant from ponies, silly. Well, funny you should say that, it turns out there's this magic ring that Silver can find and wear on a particular extremity of his to make it possible. But the adventure to find that cum laters.
>>185027 Is this not what hippogriffs are? Am I gonna need to break out the crossbreading autism again? GM might kill me if I start talking about kirin breeding again.
>>185035 Hippogriffs are their own species but the origins of said species might be a topic of discussion for biologists. Also what do you mean by again?
If I can ever learn to cast Create Undead (Juju Zombie) or Unliving Identity (Thinking Zombie), I am going to introduce Dust to Rue Dumare and ship them. Bringing her back at her full power was on my bucket list of things to do anyway. >>185053 >Whatever results would be sad and infertile Nah. If Kirin are anything like dragons, they can breed with whatever they want. >impossible Nothing a little bit of magic can't fix. >>185055 She might still be able to breed now. She would need a lot of extra blood every day to sustain a pregnancy though. >quarter-vampire foal There are ways to mechanically support this.
I want to take over the world before I busy myself with any of that anyway. Posey already has Gloomy. >>185057 Her career comes first, for now.
I kind of want to create an unholy Scion though. I think Mary and the Artaaglith could help with that.
>>185060 >If Kirin are anything like dragons, they can breed with whatever they want. EaW dragons are different from DnD 3.5e dragons and I have never heard that they are able to interbreed with anything. But maybe the kirins did result from such a pairing, long ago. >Her career comes first, for now. Posey will end up an undead High Sewn.
>>185057 I understand, I would want to forget such displays of autism as well. >>185053 So I realized there's only 3 answers. Yes, kirins are ponies and thus can interbreed freely with no real complications or just offspring are sterile. As for what a kirin/pony mix would look like? No clue, I guess it would depend on earf, wing, or horn pone.
No, kirins are a type of dragon, not ponies. This means they are incompatible with ponies.
Yes, kirins are a type of dragon, not ponies. This means kirins can breed with any viable male of a differing species to produce solely kirin offspring. In this case they are no kirin males, just females. (I stole this from a clopfic)
3 is fetish bait, 2 is sausage because kirins are equids. Therefore we go with 1. Kirins and Ponies can interbreed freely and produce offspring. I will argue they are fertile because the alternative is boring but I guess would explain the social stigmas against crossbreeding. You've doomed your foals to a sad life all for some exotic pussy. However, this is too sad for MY technicolor horse land so I choose to believe they're fertile.
Kirins and ponies have different odds of producing pure members of one species or a hybrid depending on which parent is which species. Part of this is a more dominant set of kirin genes. What hybrid kirins are like depends on which of the three races the pony parent is. I can go on about hybrids too if people like me going full autismo.
Pony Stallion, Kirin Mare Pure Kirin > Unicorn Hybrid > Kirin with pony traits > earf hybrid > Pegasus hybrid > normal pony Kirin stallion, Pony mare Unicorn hybrid > kirin with pony traits > earf hybrids > normal kirin > pegasus hybrid > normal pony
So for Silver and Khoi, the foal is most likely to be a pure kirin, then a unicorn hybrid, a kirin with some pony traits (normal ears, pony tail, more normal mane, etc), then a pure unicorn. Obviously, a pegasus or earf hybrid can't occur.
>>185083 >Flails are pretty underrated imo Probably because there are better martial weapons in 3.5e. still good though. My last War Cleric used an Executioner's Mace. Great for hunting the undead.
Apolgies to everyone, I woke up on the couch 5 hours later having apparently nodded off waiting on the game. Not a criticism or indictment or anything, just an explanation. Insomnia on the back end is alot like narcolepsy.
For the record, Im not saying anything needs changing, redress, or fixing. Im simply autistic/irritated and trying to be as minimally destructive as possible about expressing it. Ive detailed this to GM but want it available for reference.
In case GM ever needs to fluff why Tenebrous disappeared or why he might suddenly reappear when his player returns, GM could pad put his WBL with a couple scrolls of Door To Great Evil: https://dndtools.net/spells/ghostwalk--94/door-to-great-evil--1384/ This the "Give me an encounter, NOW!!!" spell. It's one of the most interesting teleportation spells in the game, exclusive to the Paladin list, letting high level paladins fulfill the role of fantasy superheroes appearing wherever they are needed. I've used this before as a convenient excuse for why Sir Not Appearing In This Film appears as a Deus Ex Machina to save the party when they died in the first encounter of the adventure, and then promptly disappear.
pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet pet
>>185216 Why are in universe explanations for entirely out of universe happenings necessary?
On a TV show most or at least some people viewing it don't know that the reason a character isn't returning is because the contract wasn't renewed with the actor. But here, we all know what happened. We know why a player character isn't here right now. Do we need to drag that meta knowledge into the game? Can we not just be silent?
I could write a multi-paragraph essay on why that "in character nerfing" was not merely unnecessary but actually very wrong, but I stay silent on most things
>>185222 >Why are in universe explanations for entirely out of universe happenings necessary? They are not. I just wanted an excuse to geek out about this fun spell.
>>185222 >I could write a multi-paragraph essay on why that "in character nerfing" was not merely unnecessary but actually very wrong, but I stay silent on most things Oh, I thought it was a fun, creative sequence, but I'll refrain from doing it again if you dislike it. I also wanted to express Posey's relationships with her masters in the league, her position as a slave, the origin of her desperation to become a master (to become free of service), and looming consequences of failure. It's all been in my head so far, but the other players can't see that unless I express it somehow.
>>185136 I really liked this encounter. It's fun to fight more conventional monsters like Ettin(?) or Howlers, since it's closer to classic d&d. No complaints about the fight. Don't take my falling asleep as criticism; I was just sick and has to pass out.
It would be a lot more fun with level-appropriate treasure rolls though, since we have been consuming resources these past couple fights. I know summons don't drop treasure, but we have been fighting them in a context of general or summon traps, so perhaps there's other treasure in the vicinity. Everyone likes treasure.
>>185232 So as I understand that sequence, it was Posey’s masters being mad that she hadn’t made extreme progress in conquering Equestria. Basically because she hasn’t conquered Equestria (or seriously started it) in two weeks. This is just, well
1. I cannot believe that they sent Posey to conquer (immediately) rather than be a spy. I cannot believe that Dread League mages would expect a single apprentice slave with no outside support and almost no support at all was going to conquer the strongest and most magical continent on the planet quickly, and then would bow down and pledge her allegiance to the dread league masters, and expect this to happen without tipping off the other two continents that an undead invasion is going to happen and thus make the Dread League’s work vastly harder. The reason Posey was sent was almost certainly precisely because the dread league is aloof and isolated. They know this, they know it is a flaw, and want to try to remedy it. 2. Two weeks is nothing. Hearts of Iron 4 is by far the fastest pace of the Paradox games, measuring time by the hour, and yet still it takes 180 days to even get a war declaration. EAW forces you to take two to three years before you can start to gain war goals. The Dread League is by far and away the most extreme example of this. They can’t invade their first nation until five or so years into the game, and they can’t begin their black crusade until about nine years into the game, which is the end game for basically every other playable faction 3. Perception of time decreases with square root of age. The older you are, the less two weeks seems like a long time. I don’t now how old the Dread League leaders are, but I very seriously doubt they are significantly younger than the 40+ year olds that rule the other nations. Two weeks or even a year is nothing to them. 4. Premature ejaculation in Equestria hurts the Dread League Globally. As stated before, there’s like a 99.999% chance that a lone slave with no help is going to defeat all of the princesses. If and when that happens, it’s like a vaccine or inoculation for the rest of the world. Undead have vulnerabilities. Once everyone knows “oh, we have to fight undead” they prepare themselves for it. This makes the Black Crusade more likely to fail. If it were that easy, the Dread league would have done this a millennia ago. And then what if posey succeeds? Is she just going to bow down to her masters? No. Obviously not. 5. It reinforces posey doing exactly what I don’t want her to do. The logical conclusion is “I need to go faster! Pick up the pace faster! Do things faster!” Can we just not? 6. It defies very basic logic. If the problem is that she’s not conquering fast enough making her weaker will make the problem worse. 7. Premature ejaculation is bad for Posey. If posey did exactly what she planned on doing but, you know, waited until after the black crusade was in swing, then she could actually help the black crusade even if she failed, and she’d be infinitely more likely to succeed. Imagine if Posey’s first act of war were to destroy the navy of New Mareland or the Changelings on the eve of them entering the war against the Black Crusade? That would be infinitely more helpful than killing a bunch of civilians in the southeast, getting her ass kicked by whatever combination of factions it takes to kick her ass, and then the whole world throws money at whatever Paladin orders remain. 8. The way in which it was done was a little immersion breaking. It speaks by shouting through a floating, flaking seal skull inside of a flooded, cramped engine compartment in a small fishing vessel. The problem is that any of the other party members or the griffins may have been down there, or heard the skull speaking 9. HP is just numbers on a paper. I don’t think it requires a justification
But you got praise by at least one other poster for writing that. If you like it then good. I didn’t say anything because I’m not trying to step on your fun. I’m not here to tell you how to play your character or her relationship with her masters or her backstory or even her purpose in Equestria.
>>185253 >I cannot believe that Dread League mages would expect a single apprentice slave with no outside support and almost no support at all was going to conquer the strongest and most magical continent on the planet quickly Well, I meant this partly as a joke. Rosey Ring has an archaic, out-of-touch, medieval and belligerent demeanor. The idea was that her masters, being centuries older, would be several degrees more extreme. I acknowledge that it doesn't make sense though, and that they were giving her a mission with impossible standards, and were punishing her unfairly for not succeeding with flying colors immediately, to a nonsensical degree. She also let that Paladin get away instead of killing him, which is strong infraction as far as the league is concerned. I was inspired by how devils in the nine hells treat their generals, where even a single failure or lack of immediate victory is punished by immediate demotion. >6. It defies very basic logic. If the problem is that she’s not conquering fast enough making her weaker will make the problem worse. Well, I've only expressed it subtly since the beginning of the game, but Rosey's masters have no intention of helping her expand her powers, because becoming a master herself would mean that she no longer is bound to serve them, so they have no reservations against knocking her down a peg and retarding her actual progress with unfair tasks and punishments, when they weren't draining XP from her every day ala Ritual Of Transference after battle. >Imagine if Posey’s first act of war were to destroy the navy of New Mareland or the Changelings on the eve of them entering the war against the Black Crusade? Sounds like a lot of fun. I would very much love to move into the war game and mass combat aspect of this campaign.
All of your points are correct though. Perhaps it was too silly.
>>185253 >5. It reinforces posey doing exactly what I don’t want her to do. The logical conclusion is “I need to go faster! Pick up the pace faster! Do things faster!” Can we just not? I guess so. After I got some level-appropriate gold from this quest, I wanted to take some downtime. Acquire some land, start a business, make a few profit checks, etc.
>>185253 >The Dread League is by far and away the most extreme example of this. They can’t invade their first nation until five or so years into the game, and they can’t begin their black crusade until about nine years into the game, which is the end game for basically every other playable faction
>>185245 >>185246 The only reason I had Brie get shot at was because I wanted to make a point that flying leaves characters very exposed and as very obvious targets. Basically flying isn't safe.
You can ignore it if you like. I had no idea what brie would do on his second round
>>185249 Please let it be known that I can alter quests and encounters to accommodate your tastes
I'm trying to make the distribution of treasures make sense. Especially after the beginning of the quest when there was so much free stuff, and then how magic weapons have been far more abundant in loot than they really should be.
>>185250 You would have had less luck with the dice rolls and you know it
>>185256 >>185258 Again, I'm not trying to stop your fun. At least one other person - I'm pretty sure it was two people - commented to compliment the post.
I was just slightly annoyed because Posey the Spy/Posey the "I'll rule all of you in six years" is more in line with, well, the campaign as a whole than Posey the (imminent) conqueror
>>185263 <bites >flying is dangerous Which is precisely why defensive fighting (incur +3 dodge bonus in exchange for -4 to attack) is crucial. I grt your point tho >less luck with dice Possibly, likely even, though its preferrable that I be mad at RNGesus than players/(you), cuz at least this way he can fail with style. This is also why I was irritated about the stun grenade in the first fight. The attrition of careless damage can add up
>>185263 >Let me pet you! You can pet Posey. Posey likes pets. She won't bite probably >I'm trying to make the distribution of treasures make sense. I think regular soldiers carrying standard issue cure potions and maybe some magic ammo would make sense. Equestria is a high-magic setting, so militaries should have at least as many common consumable magic items as conventional guardsmen in d&d. These guys probably drank or mindlessly discarded their potions, but maybe the next ones will have some, along with the ~4k in treasure an encounter of this estimated CR would have. Least/lesser augmentation crystals are fun loot too. They attach to regular magic items and make them stronger. Maybe we might find a vault that contains the entire payroll of a fleet in gold. Rosey Ring is more interested in gold than anything else, since she's trying to acquire land, open a business and eventually raise an army. Or just utility items. Or shekels. Maybe just open the SRD or MIC encounter treasure roller, and reroll anything that doesn't make sense. >I was just slightly annoyed because Posey the Spy/Posey the "I'll rule all of you in six years" is more in line with, well, the campaign as a whole than Posey the (imminent) conqueror I'm fine with taking years, but I would like to make some progress as well. Maybe downtime/timeskips, if the other players can agree to it.
>>185264 >>185263 I appreciate the consideration. That - with the still-lame 6 roll for the potion - puts Brie at 26/30, which is a more comfortable place to be when running low on available healing stuffs
>>185266 Also, I'd still like to get to use magic item on the funny crystal, the totem mask, and the totem other thing, if that could be said to happen during transit
>>185263 I still really don't think magic weapons or any magic items have been overrepresented in the loot. I will say, so far some loot would be nice. Silver has a household of NPCs to think about. Also potions because we're starting to accumulate more damage than we've been able to heal, and we'll need them to keep up with future encounters.
Also, can we just say that we're taking pictures of these monsters as we're encountering them now? I'd really like to have some proof that we're fighting literal demons so we can get paid more by Shoal Water, and I don't think we're going to remember to do so OOC before every encounter.
Hey, if we present photos of every encounter, we can demand bonus payment from Captain Waters equal to the average treasure value for these encounters, which we can equate o the amount a mercenary would charge to kill these monsters. The last encounter was CR ~9ish (if the Starfish are CR 3), and average treasure value would be around ~4184.3 gold pieces. The last encounter was probably a bit less than that, although I'm not sure about it. >>185294 Wealth By Level. The amount of equipment you are supposed to have to be effective.
>>185296 I see... What should my wealth be? Cause all Dust's got is a sling, a great flail, and a set of splintmail. And I guess and assortment of a few alchemical items that I haven't hashed out yet.
>>185291 I'd really prefer it if a player RP'd taking pictures. The problem is that nobody wants to do it. Brie volunteered but hasn't done it, and Cavaliere has to worry about his carry weight. If no pony else wants to then we might as well make it automatic.
>>185286 I'm going to second what >>185294 says. You use a shit load of acronyms and half of the time i have no idea what they mean. This is especially bad when you use acronyms to name various add on 3.5 books that you know none of us have ever opened. You're at least doing better than Brie's player, who uses both acronyms I don't know and British slang words, but for all you complain about NPCs not speaking English, you don't seem to want to speak english yourself.
>>185291 I'm usually okay with saying "Oh yeah, that happens" but I feel like the camera is one situation I should put my hoof down and force it. This is for a number of reasons
1. Because taking pictures is high risk. It basically means a character can't attack in that round 2. Taking pictures is high reward. It gives the possibility of negotiating higher pay or other rewards 3. Because I don't like equipment and other little details being consistently overlooked, and at some point I kind of feel like players should be rewarded for detail and interacting with the environment versus not doing so
>>185301 You're asking a lot of us players to ignore the basic instincts of "see demon, must kill". If you're going to insist that we do it in character from now one, than I have to ask that the encounters we've been in already have had pictures taken of them. I don't want to put it up to a roll with our luck whether we get paid extra or not, it would be genuinely extremely disappointing to fight all of these monsters and get nothing extra for the effort.
>>185309 Unreliable/missing evidence is a classic trope, and we did kinda drop the ball especially last night. That all our monsters either vanish or arent mind controlled anymore, its kind of hard to assume we would be on it right away
>>185310 Please stop trying to undercut me, GM pone really, really doesn't need the help. He's perfectly fine of making arguments on his own, and I struggle enough as is.
>>185301 >Because taking pictures is high risk. It basically means a character can't attack in that round We had time before the surprise round to do it. >I kind of feel like players should be rewarded for detail and interacting with the environment versus not doing so Shouldn't there also be a standardized reward for winning the encounter at all? >acronyms Pardon. It's a slang term for Wealth By Level common in the 3.5e community. >>185306 > I don't want to put it up to a roll with our luck whether we get paid extra or not, it would be genuinely extremely disappointing to fight all of these monsters and get nothing extra for the effort. I agree with this, particularly since this is a milestone game and we're not getting to count our XP after battles. If there is neither XP nor treasure nor substantial reward, it kind of just feels like we're leaving every encounter weaker than when we entered it (taking wounds and consuming resources), when it should be the opposite with encounters contributing to our progression as heroes. Sure, combat is fun, but the feeling of advancement after battles is also part of the fun.
>>185306 It's already established that the quest giver won't pay out for the torch job unless there was photographic confirmation.
I don't think it's unreasonable for characters/players to have this tiniest of hoops to go through for what is probably thousands of bits.
>>185312 >It's slang in this community no one else here is a part of Okay, but we don't speak it
>Shouldn't there also be a standardized reward for winning the encounter at all? The quest rewards. I don't think that it's unreasonable that to add to that is using one round for one player to go click
>We had time before the surprise round to do it. And you didn't
Would you feel better if I just shortened the whole thing and reduced the number of combat events?
>>185315 >Would you feel better if I just shortened the whole thing and reduced the number of combat events? I mean, if it means getting to the next milestone so we can get our reward, level up, and make general progress, sure I guess.
I was going to recommend simply going around these monsters, but I thought the NPCs could be helpful to us.
>>185315 >I don't think it's unreasonable for characters/players to have this tiniest of hoops to go through for what is probably thousands of bits. The player of the character holding the camera wasn't present when we started the encounter.
>>185320 >>185315 Though reduced combat events means fewer pictures...
I'm fine with the normal combat encounters as long as we can maintain our stores of potions. We're pretty well banged up, and we'll only get more and more banged up over time.
>>185322 Sorry for undercutting, but so far every major ask Ive made has been precipitated by a lengthy explanation of why it makes motlre sense 'this way', and I feel the frustration of olayers ignoring plot hooks, potential rewards, and interactive content. Besides, there's still plenty to take photos of.
>>185326 Again, just to restate, I'm absolutely fine with the current pace of combat encounters if we get some potions to help us along. We're getting pretty banged up here.
>>185330 Without knowing what our crossroads decision will be it's hard to say, but ANOTHER common trope is the heroes getting fuckall for their troubles, in spite of saving the day countlessly. Look at Cowboy Bebop, its a gag how theyre always broke.
>>185330 I'm none to complain about the situation because Posey didn't take any damage, and because she has her own healing resources, but I can see other characters getting banged up around me and I can't do anything about it.
If I may add my two cents to the matter. DnD has always stood out to me as a combat focused game. Puzzles and such exist, but when I think DnD I think of combat encounters and strategies. That's not to say I don't think other goals and a more investigative campaign style is fun, but if I'm playing DnD and a freak of nature appears my first thought isn't to catalogue it. My first throught is generally to kill it. Maybe if this was something like call of Cthulhu where my brain associated it with a different style of play that mental disconnect wouldn't exist, but also I'm retarded so take what I say with a grain of salt. But for me at the moment, I am playing a warrior with an objective to kill and save others from death. I know for me, something like when a starfish first died, an offhand comment like "the body withers to dust, making it impossible to photograph for the mission report" or "as the body disintegrates, so does any hope of proving the creature's existence later" would have helped me to think about it. But like I said, milage may vary on the other players. However, I am what the french would call.... Les incompétents.
>>185335 >what the french would call.... Les incompétents. Pffft, Home Alone. Try something hard. Kidding/references aside, I agree. I understanf GM not wanting to.make it a minis-stratego hybrid, but flanking in 3.5e depends on 2 people being on opposite sides of an adversary, and I am okay with oekaki drawings of it will enable.me to better visualize what GM is trying to describe. And its not to begrudge the descriptions, its that I dont want to have to ask questions that will delay progress
>>185347 Is whatever is on the equine enemies, plus whatever is on the ship, plus whatever can be wrangled out of the quest giver, plus the artifact and other objects already found, not enough?
>>185354 The thing about GMs is, you dont always have to get the amazon overnight on your rewards. Sometimes they come in the form of well-stocked and permissive vendors
>>185320 Okay, so before this kicks off into a whole 'nother thing and derails the entire thread and game for another week, I'm just gonna come out and say stuff in my usual diplomatic way to hopefully help speed along the recovery process. GM pone is a bit upset with this post, he had a lot of cool stuff and encounters planned for this mission and I think saying you agreed with shortening the whole thing really made him sad and not want to continue today. Something tells me you don't actually want the whole thing shortened, so far the way Posey's been played it seems like you crave the challenge of combat and getting the chance to show off what Posey can do. My guess is that you just want to be able to level up so you can do cool necromancy stuff, and also maybe some money so you can buy and decorate your own personal lair.
Anyways, just coming out and saying it because I don't want this to spiral into another big issue and this is one of those situations where I think both parties just need to know what's actually going on to be able to talk and fix the problem.
>>185377 The pacing so far is great and I'm sad that he's upset by apparent dissatisfaction. I think the players are just frustrated from a combination of factors including the specificity of the camera (I know the GM controlled Brie according to how he thought Brie would want to act, but the onus is still on him for neglecting the camera like everypony else), the loot not being flashy for a natural 20 (seems unfair but we're among a ragtag group in a long-ransacked village, but he could've gotten a grenade or something), and running low on resources (personally I like the attrition aspects and loot will be available elsewhere). Saying stuff we don't mean because of this frustration can throw off an attitude of ingratitude.
>>185377 Allow me to paraphrase. I speak for no one. GM pone is more than upset with this post. Not only did it cast doubt onto what GM had going with player, it soiled his interest in involving with other players.
Having dkne simimlar and having length-ly addressed the causes and motiviations behind it - and explained to GM the etymology and everything including how not in future - allow me to suggest it in this case
>>185380 >you stalled yesterday lol [I]I fell asleep waiting to play cuz of the ame bullshit fucking distractions we've seen all.day!! Ask mr how I know! Its not rocket science, its diversionary awareness tactics. The question is whether its malicious or not.
>>185385 Again, not enabling. There's nothing enabling about explaining what the problem is to someone who might not even know there is a problem. We're all autistic here to at least some degree, and we all have problems at times picking up on the subtle social cues when there's an issue. When one crops up, the first and most important step in to solving a problem in the group is to ensure clear communication of the issue at hand, that way steps can be taken to fix it without it blowing up in our faces (again).
>>185384 Well for one, he did say he's sick so we gotta cut him some slack for not being here kinda like I'm about to cut myself some slack for being sick and go to bed. However, this is another stupid argument that we're gonna end up stalling the game even longer over. Kinda like every argument that ends up happening in this thread, but also I'm of the belief at this point that there is no thing as a good faith argument on the internet so maybe that skews my perception a bit. Regardless, you got your honesty and you called it enabling.
>>185390 I'm not saying he didn't do anything you troglodyte. It's obvious he's said something that's offended GM whether intentionally or unintentionally, and I think everyone can acknowledge that. What I'm saying is you're getting all in a stink because he isn't here to 1v1 you because he's probably asleep is in bad faith. I get that you're pissed, and I'm sure this definitely won't be the last time we hear that you are, but holy shit calm down for once instead of making a tonne of rambling posts for fucks sake
>>185392 >i'm not saying he didn't do anything you troglodyte. It's obvious he's said something that's offended GM whether intentionally or unintentionally, and I think everyone can acknowledge that. What I'm saying is you're getting all in a stink because he isn't here to 1v1 you because he's probably asleep is in bad faith. I get that you're pissed, and I'm sure this definitely won't be the last time we hear that you are, but holy shit calm down for once instead of making a tonne of rambling posts for fucks sake
You dont get it it. Its not that he feels entitled to belanor GM, its everyone else by proxy
>>185394 Really enjoying all the twenty dollar words. Mr. Grif said he couldn't even play tonight anyways, I don't think there really was an intention to play even if it wasn't for Posey. It's a Sunday night, and I know I at least have places to be tomorrow and I doubt I'm the only one. Now I'm going to bed, and I suggest everyone do the same
>>185397 My apologies, I must have missed that message. I just remember the one where you said you wanted to do combat tonight cause you couldn't play tomorrow. I suppose I have made the boob of myself. Good night, I hope you feel better than I do.
>>185396 >really enjoying all the $20 words Really? Are you enjoying the .20c excuses? Are you enjoying where some players bombard GM with shite and then fuck off when theyve had their fun? Cuz thats what just happened. One player got all the attention, pissed off GM and fucked off leaving everyone with their thumb up their asses.
>>185423 You're fine, just working out some kinks.
Btw, to answer your earlier question about how mares are desirable (adorable, sexy, ???) the answer lies in the attributes of the 3 fates 1 is young, vibrant and innocent. 2 is older, developed and sexy, and the last,....
>>185422 This game is my drug. >>185426 Lacey/Lucky Roll isn't a milf except for her proportions. She is more of the first fate, but I think you are onto something.
Inviting Vul to this game would be interesting. >>185430 I hope you feel better.
So then, to start things off, let me describe what it APPEARED happened last night. I'll be assessing my perspective and what I intuit to be GM's.
Friday, we didnt play. Why? By his admission, because Posey got distracted until another player had to leave. Saturday is entirely on me with one exception: when the group cant play, its kinda fucked up to play with your side characters, cuz that only delays when we can play. I fell asleep waiting for initiative, and better believe Id have gotten a shot of adrenaline if it had happened. In any case, in the aftermath of combat GM prompts me to do a search and I get a nat 20. Gm says "Ill go over this tomorrow". Now, I wont say I didnt post plenty; it would be inconsistent of me to NOT at this point. But in the early afternoon when all players declarrd availablility except for Posey, it was determined that since Posey couldnt play later that they could rp and do stuff during the afternoon. And so he and Silver got catered to for hours, virtually without interruption, while everyone else waited for GM to finish with you and then continue.
After all. it was fine playing without me, right? Right! But then, at the end, the ONE time GM says "no" specific to the camera and potential loot, Posey decides to cop an ungreatful and contemptible posture about not getting enough, what GM has struggled to present is whatever and disposable, and basically sour GM's experience sp that no one got to play.
Now, from MY perspective, its ALMOST like Posey was okay with me not playing, but wouldnt suffer NOT playing.
Meanwhile, GM who has dealt with the most incredible group of autistic assholes ever, bending over backwards and inside and out to try and be both reasonable but also firm. As I said, DnD is a hell of a drug. Theres so much neuro chemistey going on, its incomparable really. But its an intensive labor. To do that WHILE tard wrangling for the last month (that Ive been party to) while juggling real life and everything and then have the player youre trying expressly to please for hours basically spit in your face,... yeah. I think he held it together better than I would.
In conclusion: Was it malice? Honestly, probably not. I want to think so sure, but no its probable that it was just blatant disregard and a lack of consideration for GM, and the other players. After all, if it was important for GM to at LEAST feel validated, then one might think he would be if so minimally as to not shit in his cereal after he has just presented you with bowl after bowl after bowl.
Now, Im omitting a whole lot of past data that paints a MUCH less appetizing picture, and which removes any question of a pattern,... but we dont need to go there do we? I was being honest about not being able to doxx, but dont forget how long Ive been paying attention, and how many behaviors a ive seen some of you display. Its still archived in all these threads. ^,_,~
>>185436 >patterns The only pattern I've noticed is you killing two outta two of my campaigns with this same whining about other players, but hey what do I know.
One day I might be able to draw her for you but as of right now I can only describe her. I might do that later. In short Didn't get short anyway. ^^ she's a bigger than average mare with concentrated muscles on her body. Big trunk. *blush* White fur and wine-gummy (at least I think it was) mane and tail which had golden metal bars used as hairbands for many small bums. Wears tan cloak with two depictions of Celestia's cutie mark, one on the hood and one on the back.
>>185434 >>185435 >>185436 >>185437 Pointing fingers and causing drama is the LAST thing anypony needs, especially the GM Pone. Unfortunately he is the only one who should be digging into all of this, but it slows the game down more than anything (much more than sudden naps and playing with side characters!) >Meanwhile, GM who has dealt with the most incredible group of autistic assholes ever, bending over backwards and inside and out to try and be both reasonable but also firm. Frankly, I don't know how he does it. >>185438 Very cute! Is her cutie mark a human nun on fire? If you want to visualize her easily you can look up GeneralZhoi's pony creator. It was used to make references for Amber Sunset and Dark Star.
>>185439 >2 Eberron and,.... Or are you talking Kaverns and Kobolds and Red... what was it.... Hard to pin you with 3 posts, but I'll speak to any/all.
>>185443 Lets see,... the green haired gunslinger (name escapes) and Sonata Deline (So Not Adeline), a preliminary monk build with Addy's developing personality (still 'new') and Arizona's visuals. I liked the Eberron campaign, and I observed an inherent desire to extend a,... not fatherly or brotherly,... but idk uncle-y (not the creepy uncle) way to the alchemist girl. I was sad when B3w8 decided to fuck the party fighting a brass dragon cuz there might have been loot. Huh, sounds familiar.
>>185443 The same you're doing now. Insisting that a player was a miserable pile of it and they were why I didn't want to continue the campaign. No, I had legitimate scheduling issues at the time, but you wanted to assume malice and assume Ash's player had made me want to not run. I ended the game cause I got sick of this story and game I wanted to experience with my friends turning into a dramafest, cause that seems to be all DnD ever ends up being when I play. Good night sir
>>185444 >I was sad when B3w8 decided to fuck the party fighting a brass dragon cuz there might have been loot. That's not what happened and you and I both know it. That player made a reasonable decision based on my descriptions and you quit the game on the spot over it.
>>185446 Oh, thats very much what happened. The player who spent all the game bitching about challenges and wanting to build make and do all the things, when we were facing the boss said "nah,... maybe theres loot down this hallway". >>185445 I didnt say they were the reason you didnt want to continue, I said thats when they ruined it for me as a player, with 0 fucks to give cuz why should he? Its not like roleplaying is a shared story or anything.
Your grudges are old enough to be in kindergarten. Please leave them behind you and try to take MLP's friendship lessons to heart. Give each other the benefit of the doubt instead of accusing each other of ruining the game.
Do I react u reasonably to adverse stimuli? Yes, Ive been doing it for years and Im finally (ish) getting a handle on it. Has he been ruining it for others for years?
>>185450 If you really think it was deliberately sabotaged, you should privately tell GM Pone about it and never publicly accuse other players. This goes for meatworld games and online games. I personally don't think it was sabotaged; instead it's autistic miscommunications and longstanding grudges causing actual damage.
>>185456 I thought you all preferred anonymity here. Regardless, I wasn't cryptic. I am very clear. You are only showing the player Posey benefit of the doubt despite years' worth of examples that this is an actual problem. This isn't the first time this has happened, and you are pretending it is.
>>185458 The main problem is a failure of communication. We need to learn as a group to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and not jump to the immediate worst conclusion, or this will keep happening over and over again.
>>185447 I see you've made up your mind on what happened. I will be ceding from this thread for the present future. I came to play a game, not participate in OOC arguments. If anyone specifically needs me for something serious, please let the GM pony know. Otherwise, see you in game.
>>185461 I do not care about this feigned neutrality you have going on. There is no giving everyone the benefit when there is clearly someone you are saying is innocent and one person that is going too far. Just directly say it. You think Posey is doing things fine and Brie is not. This is retarded but at least state it.
>>185466 >feigned neutrality There's nothing feigned about it, it's a fact. We are all autistic here to some degree, we need to remember that and realize that sometimes how something appears isn't how it actually is in reality. I'm not even neutral in the matter, I made an entire post explaining to Posey's player what the issue is and how they made GM pone upset.
>>185464 >In an ideal world I would not exist Mood...
>>185458 >despite years' worth of examples that this is an actual problem 1) This is a game and bringing in outside drama is undesirable. Speaking from my own opinion, I don't think players should be barred or lambasted for outside behavior problems as long as they genuinely try to keep them under control here. Haven't we extended this courtesy to Brie's player too? 2) I for one don't know about said examples despite being an oldfag from 2017, and I don't think you should expect others to know either. I looked up Sonata Deline and Adeline and they're characters from Ancap's campaign and Mixed Nuts, neither of which I read through. You keep bringing up tidbits of the deepest lore from those games but I don't know anything about them and I don't think GM Pone does either. 3) These games ended years ago back when Occupied Equestria was still young. I am a very different person from what I was back then and it's fair to give someone a chance to demonstrate character growth. Holding onto grudges is the opposite of that. >>185461 Very much this. >>185462 This, and I'm sorry you were scared away, new ID. >>185464 I really can't tell if these are lurkers popping in or someone using a VPN. >>185466 No, that is not the implication. GM Pone has made it clear that he doesn't want drama in his thread and if you have any concerns you should reach out to him privately. Is Posey's player doing things perfectly fine? I don't want to make that claim. Is Brie's player causing trouble now by dredging up drama? Yes, and I want it to stop. It's not about sides. It's about keeping a healthy atmosphere around this game so new and existing players aren't scared away by all the infighting. If they're scared away we don't have a game anymore. Simple as.
>>185468 It is feigned because you are pretending things are equal in a situation where it isn't. Posey has repeatedly done these exact things that piss people off and here you are saying that it is a failure to communicate. No. It is direct action that is causing this. You saying that it is actually everyone's fault is not correct. Yes, independent of this situation people have each done things wrong. That is irrelevant to this problem.
>>185469 This isn't just some drama. It is game ending behavior coming from Posey that will eventually crash and burn this whole thing just as it has been known to happen before. If you can't be willing to hear this out, you deserve what is coming because this is not some shit that doesn't impact you. This will directly ruin your game, and you will be personally effected.
>>185464 Okay, I know how retarded it looks when I slide on a keypad by accident. I SAID 'I presented'. Ns, Os, Us, and Bs, and other letters get jumbled in when Im going fast. Im sorry, but fuck off its happening. In any case, to reiterate: >>185462 I said what it looks like, yes. >>185469 >undesirable drama Agreed, but it persists, and WHY it persists is because the potentiating behaviors persist. Like last night >courtesy to Brie's player Brie's player is on record with GM as to what he has going on. Do u wanna know? >oldfag c'2017 It was happening, if you missed it >Sonata, Adeline Yep, thats them. Good times, mostly. >Im a different person than then Ill come back to this one >idk if these are lurkers That was me while at walmart >dredging up drama Oh, no dredging, its just been underfoot where people have kept it
>Im not the same person A particular favorite, and very cliche. Andrew Tate is slinging this one after hundreds of millions in casinos and wecam whores. Everyone wants to have changed after they did the deed. But they did! And Diddy did. But, the point here is that youre never a different person from then. You may want to think it, you can argue its not true on a cellular-regenerative level, but you're always a later version. >but that version is different Yours may be, his doesnt appear so
>>185470 >>185471 Then why don't you write up a list of specific and documented examples to send to GM Pone by private means, instead of playing Town of Salem in the OOC thread? My argument (and presumably Silver's player's) has never been "stick your head in the sand" but instead "don't muddy up our game with public accusations and attacks." We probably won't get any more progress on the game tonight because of this unfortunately, because having to deal with a thread full of drama usually gets GM Pone out of the mood. What you're doing is personally affecting me too, so don't expect me to be sympathetic. I also can't help but suspect you of being Brie's player with a VPN, considering >>185464 is his post with a different ID. >>185472 >WHY it persists is because the potentiating behaviors persist. Like last night Last night had several players complaining, including yourself, with Posey's player's post just being the most grating. I don't consider it a malicious or manipulative post because Posey's player has always been open about favoring loot and fast progression over atmosphere, which is at odds with the GM Pone's view of the campaign. The way it was worded just made it seem dismissive which was a disappointment to him. >Brie's player is on record with GM as to what he has going on. Do u wanna know? No because I don't want this information to be public. >That was me while at walmart That answers that. >Oh, no dredging, its just been underfoot where people have kept it Yes, it's better underfoot than overt because nothing good can come of these arguments. Your assumption of malice and citing of grudges against Posey's player won't end because it's apparent your end goal is to get him kicked from the game. GM Pone clearly doesn't want that and if you're in private correspondence with him then your evidence isn't strong enough to convince him. By starting public drama you're either trying to force Posey's player into defending himself (which makes the drama worse) or to manipulate the other players against him. I oppose what you're doing.
I will leave it at that because this entire argument will be deleted which is the best thing GM Pone could do in these circumstances. I was looking forward to a possible session but I hope you're happy with yourself for ruining that chance.
>>185476 >better underfoot Thats been the problem the whole time. Unaddressed shit, and pretending to be nice and all so all could keep playing. Would that it could have, but Posey picked the wrong nigger. Here we are
>>185434 This last weekend was only ever likely to have one encounter. I had one planned, and then from that point would look and see to what the Players did or chose to do. There were/are after battle actions that require downtime, and that would have prevented a second encounter.
Scheduling issues are and have been a consistent issue. Every time it looks like we have everyone together, oh no, Garv is out. Or Dust is out. Or floof is out. Or Posey is out. Or you are out. This is besides me having family matters and a job. It's not uncommon for us to not be able to play because of scheduling issues.
Also, three out of five players in the Mended Horn group were/are physically ill over the weekend. That's not a small matter.
To be honest, I don't think you managed your time perfectly either. On Friday, you were the one who called it early. On Saturday, while I think the hold up was that we were waiting on floof, you had like six hours to declare an action on the surprise round and I never got a clear and firm answer. And then on Sunday, I don't know if we've ever had a full encounter on a Sunday. I go to church, go to eat with my parents for lunch, and do other things. I had to work today and most people here either had to work today or were too sick to work today. So very little happened on Sunday. Yes, Posey's player offended me on Sunday, and because of it I stepped away and played Stellaris while watching Dragon Age: Veilguard hate reviews, and the same thing on Thursday.
But could you like... Not make 50 posts talking about how much you hate Posey? Can we leave the drama behind, step away for however long, and get on with things?
>>185476 I already have made a list and told him. Last I checked, I never came out and told you guys this until you all are deciding to team up against the one guy that is trying to tell you, and you are pretending he is insane for stating the obvious.
>talking for someone else >don't muddy Then don't further fling mud by pretending you are not getting involved by directly getting involved here. For fuck sake, you are not being neutral by saying one person is directly wrong and to shut up about it.
>What you are doing is personally affecting me too How is me saying you are heading towards a cliff affect you? Do you want the joy of experiencing that freefall without the foreknowledge? I really hate that you have clearly deluded yourself by thinking anyone that points out a problem is your enemy in this.
>don't expect me to be sympathetic I didn't because I can tell you have none from how you are handling this. Neither do I want whatever brand of sympathy you have to offer if this is how you behave.
>I must be Brie with a VPN Clearly when I am faced with information that disagrees with me, I must be facing the one person I already have written off. How about you ask someone on staff to confirm I am not Brie because of my post history. Lotus can directly back that up, or Elway if you want someone completely non-biased.
>>185478 >I dont think u managed your time effectively No shit. I waited to be available for a game that pops off at random. It seemed about to.pop off any moment. Maybe if a greater degree of limitation were placed on other players trying to nudge their characters forward, such that players who try to wait patiently get neglected and discarded, ask Stix, can NOT feel neglected and discarded,....
>>185479 >I already have made a list and told him. Last I checked, I never came out and told you guys this until you all are deciding to team up against the one guy that is trying to tell you, and you are pretending he is insane for stating the obvious. I like this response: "But could you like... Not make 50 posts talking about how much you hate Posey? Can we leave the drama behind, step away for however long, and get on with things?" >Then don't further fling mud by pretending you are not getting involved by directly getting involved here. For fuck sake, you are not being neutral by saying one person is directly wrong and to shut up about it. But could you like... Not make 50 posts talking about how much you hate Posey? Can we leave the drama behind, step away for however long, and get on with things? >How is me saying you are heading towards a cliff affect you? You are really doubling down on this. First of all, I trust the GM to have a handle on it. Clearly you do not, because you expect us all to suddenly yell at him to kick Posey from the game and accept nothing less. I find your behavior unhinged and founded upon personal grudges which makes me less inclined to believe anything you say. Maybe I should backread all the Mixed Nuts threads to unentangle years-old personal beef, but is it really worth my time to do that? I would much rather make character sheets for when my characters level up, or roleplay as one of my two characters in the game. I don't like it when anypony keeps me from doing that. >Clearly when I am faced with information that disagrees with me, I must be facing the one person I already have written off. I just find it odd that some lurker who played the same game you did years ago would show up at the moment you're writing these posts. >>185483 Mental illness and insomnia don't go well together, as you're well aware. >>185487 That's the smartest thing any of us has done all day.
>>185497 No, you being a mod has no bearing on the goddamn conversation, it's you just trying to intimidate him into submission. If you want to avoid being samefagged, use the handy name field just a little bit above the message box.
>>185498 You are right. It doesn't have to do with it. I did something that Brie can't do to prove I am not the same person. Anyone can use two different names and still be a samefag. I just blew the allegations out of the water before they got worse.
>>185500 Huh, I recall someone saying "Who's Stix" a couple months ago, when Inwas first getting into it with Posey. >>185498 >>185498 >U being a mod doesnt matter Youre right! Being a WITNESS does
>>185500 Clearly, he didn't. He wanted to discredit me to at least himself if not others reading the thread, thinking that no one else knew either.
Like I already said, I have made these things clear to the GM. He is free to do or not do whatever. However, I am free to all you all retards for ganging up on someone that is in the right, despite coming across as rude to you. Posey has ruined the games I have been in before and if that offends you, sorry. I would have stayed quiet, but it is maddening to see all of you unite behind the wrong person in this fight, because it will not end well for the game and it will do everything you are accusing Brie of doing, kicking someone from the game because of a disagreement.
>>185499 >>185502 I don't blame you for doing that. However this is an OOC thread for a DnD game, not a courtroom. Backing up a player's allegations against another player for something that happened years ago is helpful if it were a private conversation with the GM. It's not, it's public airing of grudges to accuse a player of "sabotaging" an ongoing game. Could we just not do that?
>>185503 I want to, but every time Im assured/agreed the matter is resolved, something new appears. Again, not saying its the case, but its ALMOST like a person has used up their tricks and is trying at new things. It fits with the prevailing pattern
>>185503 I already said that I am just annoyed that you are all uniting against Brie when there is evidence that you should either sit out dogpiling him or at least hear what he had to say.
>>185507 see >>185476 >My argument (and presumably Silver's player's) has never been "stick your head in the sand" but instead "don't muddy up our game with public accusations and attacks." You might be completely right on everything you say about Posey, past and present. GM Pone has put his hoof down on that he doesn't want this game to be filled with drama and fighting, and (presumably) instead you should just give him all this information in private. I happen to agree with him on that. Would my inner gossipmonger enjoy reading all the juicy details that some internet autists have on each other? Sure, I guess. But I'd rather have one place on this website where I don't have to worry about politics or drama and where I can just play tabletop with cute ponies. tl;dr if you're worried about a player or another ruining the game then tell GM Pone about it, if you're right and he does nothing then that's on him but otherwise just play the game
>>185513 The moderator tag was to eliminate the attemt to disregard his position, thats obvious >maybe mot 50 posts Okay. Maybe not 59 posts from others. I tried to be patient. I tried to be a "good player" and let them do their thing. And I ended with a thumb in my ass. I dont like ending with a thumb in my ass, and Im sure as shit not gonna let it continue.
>>185512 I completely disagree that this is juicy gossip. This is a pattern that is being ignored to prop up the idea that Posey isn't doing anything worth complaining about.
>>185513 I already explained why I did it. If you don't agree, you don't have to worry. I won't be returning anyway. I just wanted the endless dogpiling to stop when it is not productive.
>>185514 At first yes. GM pone was upset when you agreed with the mission being shortened (though he seems to be doing better, at least on the outside), didn't want to continue after that, and Brie's player is mad that he stayed up to play and nothing came of it.
Something tells me you don't actually want the mission shortened, you just want to be able to level up and get money for a cool necromancer level.
>>185515 I am skeptical that this is a deliberate effort by Posey or anyone to fuck you or whomever over. This is just a fairly normal scheduling issue. See my post in >>185478
>>185517 >Im out I hope you dont mean that. Im not giving up >>185518 No no, Brie is mad that he posted extensively about insomnia, recording his awake hours for autists (including Posey) who will pretend to be unaware of - including the EXPLICIT post - watch, Im gonna pass out again cuz this is dragging on again - before I got some e energy drinks and stayed up until 4am fuming cuz this nigger couldnt say "Thanks Gnight"
>>185514 Your post last night >>185320 obviously disappointed the GM Pone and discouraged him from participating the rest of the night, but as far as I can gather the accusation is that you deliberately worded it to ruin the game for him. This is singled out among a number of posts by other players expressing some measure of dissatisfaction, and is one of two posts quoted directly by the GM Pone when he was evidently upset. >>185517 >dogpiling Fair enough. I just can't help but see Brie's posts as stirring the pot. >>185522 I was considering telling you at the time to not drink the energy posts and I should have. Saying goodnight is something most of us neglect anyway, and there have been multiple times where I played late into the night and stayed up an extra half hour awaiting another post from the GM.
>>185518 I don't care if the mission is shortened or not. Killing things is fun. Getting paid is fun. I just want to advance my character and the story. I saw someone, I think it was GM, suggest shortening it, so I said I was fine with it if it happened. PbP sometimes get streamlined for scheduling reasons; no harm in that if it's necessary. I'm pretty sure we only have a more encounters left in the XP budget for this adventuring day anyway though, so we might as well just do it all. Either is fine for me. Squash some xenos. I could do it all day. >>185521 I am sick. I passed out last night. I slept most of today. As soon as I am better, I am going to have to do overtime every single day this week. You can go ahead and play without me if you wish. Posey can't even talk to the NPCs, so she's basically just an attack turret for combat. I don't even care if she's severely wounded, but I would prefer it if she doesn't die.
>>185528 Exactly what I thought, it was all a matter of misunderstandings and communication failures. Again, I hope you get better soon, Posey! Same goes for everyone else who's sick right now.
>>185530 They just aren't. Why would TF go to all of this trouble to come back and anonymously play a D&D campaign they've already explained multiple times they do not like, with two people they absolutely do not like?
>>185525 Anypony would be cranky in those circumstances. I can see why you would blame Posey but you could blame Floofernoodle just as much for what happened.
>>185528 I don't think you picked up on it, but it was a rhetorical question along the lines of "I worked hard on this mission, the encounters, and the setting, do you really want me to rush through it?" and your response was "Yes." It doesn't surprise me that you responded with such since you are focused on different aspects of the campaign, but that answer still took the wind out of his sails because it felt like his hard work was unappreciated.
"The only unsealing of ancient tombs" we will be doing here is by our characters.
>>185525 >>185523 I really don't think he was trying to push your buttons. I think we had unfortunate scheduling. As stated, we were only going to have one combat encounter anyways.
I know you're bright and wide awake at midnight on a Sunday/Monday morning, but all of us either have work or are trying to not die of COVID/Flu. You are awake when we are asleep, and apparently asleep when all of us think we finally have everyone together. That's not Posey's fault.
>>185535 Yes, I know and disregard as silly, your opinion there. >I dont think he was trying to push your buttons Must we? Cant I just be resolved to a conditioned perception of bad faith cuz its proven out? >youre awake when Posey is asleep Yeah. So fuck off trying to bombard GM with what youd like to do next, and be a GOOD little blighter and ahut the fuck up until prompted yeh?
>>185536 >he can't even come up with a single point to argue Anyways GM pone has spoken, knock it off with the "Posey is TF" stuff, it shouldn't have any bearing on the game regardless.
>Its about making sure nopony "accidentally" ruins it fkr any/everypony EVER again Then stop shitting up the thread and drop the issue. It was just as I thought it was, a failure of communcation. Explanations have been made, an apology has been spoken. Your need to keep talking about it is what's keeping it alive and preventing us from moving on.
>>185536 >This isnt about prosecution though. Its about making sure nopony "accidentally" ruins it fkr any/everypony EVER again Logically speaking, the only way to do that would to kill each and every one of us. Can't ruin a game if there is no game, eh?
>>185537 I would be more amenable to your presumption of malice if it didn't express itself with what is probably literally a hundred posts between yourself and others on an off day.
>>185440 >Very cute! Is her cutie mark a human nun on fire? Yeah, you're kinda right. It's virgin one fire. ^^ >GeneralZhoi's pony creator. I have it up right now. Will try it.
Its the wee hours of the morning, so no one is going to object if I filibuster a bit more, yes?
Here's what really pisses me off about Sunday, aside from simply that I was rendered ultimately not able to play at all this weekend. The following is a mild and minimally shameless glazing.
One of the best things about this game beyond most Ive experienced is the descriptions. The transitional moments where action or new propmts emerge, shifting the scene to a slightly new context in sequence. GM does a better job at it than most, and I can point to where he isn't just visualizing in his head; he is drawing from personal experience and research when he describes intricate building structures. He applies his people-watching in how he describes casual pony behaviors. The airplane sequences are based off first hand visuals and skylines. Theres alot of love he puts into the game, and all of us know it. And yeah, hes been doing it for 6 years now. Fucking incredible. I'm probably the last person who should be talking about gratitude. I'll shut up now. ISTFG if another session gets ruined,... ill cry, but Ill act really angry on the internet
>>185548 >>185550 >>185553 This is the closest I could get with it. Also, every single one of the versions I tried were bugged in someway. *scrunch* But I'll admit that gives somewhat of a good base to work from. ^^
>>185564 Very cute! I havent looked over the character sheet yet, I assume it's in thread? >>185553 Not referencing this post, just activating the (you). I'm largely retiring Brie after this mission, except as a possible RP fixture (like Addy was in the intro/briefing). Lacey will be my exclusive player. He will still be 'there' in a 'physical'/interactive sense, and will be present largely at Lacey's bar if and when that gets established/developed. In story/context, it could be situated/developed that Brie might be a stakeholder in the business, allowing for a more direct (but no less subtly-adversarial/competitive) relationship. Whatever the case, Brie is not going to be going on any more missions.
Okay. We get it. You don’t like Posey trying to deviate in game actions. But we don’t need 75% of posts being you complaining about Posey. This is harmful to every single other player in the game.
>>185599 Not to leave anything unanswered: you're right, we dont need 75% of posts complaining, any more than we need 20% of posts trying to bump their place "in line".
Im still waiting on that nat 20 search, and I for kne will be OKAY with not getting what "I think I deserve"
>>185570 >Very cute! Ty. >I havent looked over the character sheet yet, I assume it's in thread? You can find it here: >>182481 however, that one is both flawed as an anon pointed out and also not updated, work-in-progress sorta deal. >The sent and deleted posts regarding Posey's player I'm not here to tell you off (I don't feel that I understand the situation to, in goof faith, give my opinion on it honestly.) but I want to give you my perspective. When you post critique of another player, kinda don't let, up and they don't respond; (Again, you might be right here for all I know.) you come off as the one causing trouble.
What I'm trying to say here is that my suggestion is that, since you clearly have some issue with Poesy's player's behavior, you should definitely bring it up. It's good to air our feelings, I think. However, you should probably approach it in a more formal-ish manner. In practical terms, my idea would be that you write all your issues into one or (2-3) posts that you have with Poesy's player and post it/them.
But maybe you have already done that. So yeah, maybe your posting like this because you have tried everything else already. However, what you're currently doing is having the opposite effect of you intent. Like, you might be absolutely in the right for all I know, but even I find it kinda, well not annoying but a bit like you're ruining the cozy atmosphere by your critical posts meanwhile, all Poesy has done today is fun post about her pc dancing. This dance might have some implications and so on but you see what I'm getting at.
>>185619 Also, I saw you mentioned me a few times. I'm not really sure how I came into it all but I appreciate you standing up for me, ^^ if I got that correctly.
The thing about collaborative storytelling, especially in a format like this where the players never see or hear one another or even see when one another is typing, is that it forcibly restricts all the other senses, causing the brain to hyperfocus on the words and description. This causes a MUCH greater level of imaginitive immersion, a literal waking dreamstate. And yes, in the right context means positive generation of ALL the best brain chemicals: Endorphins, Dopamine, Serotonin, and Oxytocin. It is naturally and productively addicting, because it excites the brain in all the ways we are wired to thrive under as social animals. It is therefore doubly important that players exercise care in what they say. In that there's no body language, tone of voice, or any of that, the brain has to race to ascertain what was just said. And since players and GM are all trying to be as quick and efficient as possible, the best way to do that is to mentally let down the safeguards and mental protections necessary to insulate one's self in greater society. So when everyone has their walls down, and is grinding in their mind to process, assess, and quickly respond to one another, an offhand shitty comment is like a virus to a computer with no firewall. Yes, it can be repaired (maybe, depending), but that comes after the sometimes lengthy frustration of scrubbing, restoring, etc. Im just as guilty as anyone, this isnt accusatory. These games require a level of trust, and I get that I have given players reason to not trust me, which is why I'm making arrangements so that that wont be an issue. Y'all got along perfectly well before I showed back up, and I dont want anyone to lose that regardless of my personal feelings/impressions.
>>185626 >It is naturally and productively addicting, because it excites the brain in all the ways we are wired to thrive under as social animals. Doubly so because we are autists who don't get much of this excitement normally ^.^ >So when everyone has their walls down, and is grinding in their mind to process, assess, and quickly respond to one another, an offhand shitty comment is like a virus to a computer with no firewall. Ain't that the truth. It's very easy to unwittingly give offense, and with thousands of replies posted with urgency to keep the game going it's bound to happen. >Y'all got along perfectly well before I showed back up, and I dont want anyone to lose that regardless of my personal feelings/impressions. I hope you don't leave the game. Drama aside, you have been fun to have around and you have been here from the very start of the campaign. Before you rejoined I had been asking GM Pone for months if you were coming back because it feels like the game is missing something with your absence. Plus, who would be the party rogue?
>>185627 Please, Im here forever. But I am restructuring how I play, particularly who I play and in what context. Honestly, Im more worried about other players leaving. I really think that wd can get through the remainder of the mission with good spirits, and I came up with a few checks and balances of my own to prevent me from jumping to conclusions and taking undue offense.
>>185629 Nature abhors a power vacuum, that will be an option. >>185627 The biggest problem with Brie is, he was designed as a character when I was probably at my greatest stage of 'unwell'. He wasn't designed to be played 'right', he wad intended to be a vehicle for me to express my contempt and frustration for the world. DnD is inherently psychological. For this reason, Brie will be effectively retired (assuming he survives) at the end of this mission, as far as engagjng in combat or non-story/rp purposes (open to exceptions, if GM gets an appealing scenario jn mind). No, Lacey is far better for everyone, because her game is finding a way where everyone wins/profits. She can stab, theres a family tradition, but its far better to prosper and make mlney, isnt it?
Sorry, geeking This is the nature of the existing tension between Lacey and Brie, is shes ALWAYS willing to renegotiate for better and more amenable terms of a developing agreement, especially if it avoids unnecessary bloodshed. Brie however is blood first, then check IDs. For Brie, she's at times unreliable and inconsistent. For Lacey, Brie is hard-nosed and uncompromising. If Brie survives, hes coming out of this very different, and I think some sort of (mildly contrived) scenario where he is taking a step back and maybe help.manage Lacey's agendas will be good for both characters, as well as all participants/GM
The thing that compels me about Lacey as a character is that her whole shtick is about making the best of a 'bad hand', but not in a tactical sense. Shes designed to have better assassin_rogue sneak-sploits than Brie, but thats her LAST move, as opposed to her first. One of my top 3 alltime RP moments was in that first mission in the burning warehouse, where Brie (in character AND out) dared a griffon/GM to try and kill him, not even using a dodge action cuz it was new again and I had forgotten alot of things. The dice said no, the griffon missed, and then the dice said yes, Brie grts a nat 20 on both thrown daggers, described as embedding in the eyes of the opponent. That was fine then. But aside from the face stabbing earlier, I dont want to ideate toward that mentality, and while "reforming Brie" is a good start, putting him on the backburner even if only temporary seems the best course of action. Y'all have already been more than patient with my shit. Lacey wont bite if petted, thouch she might still pull a cautionary blade.
>>185638 May I create 200 level 6 yak barbarians (all with unique and rich backstories and personalities ofc) whose gimmick is to solve every quest with brute force?
I had this idea for a Yakfolk-inspired Sha'ir years ago. Pact with the Dao, genie themed, etc. The idea was to use a half-minotaur template and refluff it.
>>185644 Cavaliere was approved, actually suggested, because of the very simple reason that I wanted more players to join the main quest, but he refused to send Amber (believing it was not consistent with her character). So I had him make a new character who would go.
Kubana Kirafiki was proposed in passing, then we talked about it for what was probably two months, coming up with details of lamia culture, lamia biology, and details about the character. We planned out how she would be introduced in Baltimare and much of her first day. I like lamias, and it helped that she was to be introduced along an NPC companion whom I could use to make jokes about vore, and also was just a fun character. Kira is also an easily likeable character, being bubbly, nice, and fun to have every NPC run from in unintended terror. I think you can see we did not over complicate the character sheet or make her exceptionally powerful.
>>185649 What does "Should I even bother making this sheet?" mean? I was under the impression you like to make sheets just because it's a fun little minigame. Are you asking if the character is guaranteed to be approved? Well no, I wouldn't approve any character without seeing a sheet first anyways.
I don't see any serious problems, although I will say that the alignment of "evil" and to a lesser extent, "neutral" is a nebulous term behind which much annoying behavior hides. Also note that Minotaurs are a thing in the show and EAW.
>>185644 >200 Necropolitan Artificers and Masters who craft cool stuff No
>>185655 My question concerned if you liked the Yak Diplomat idea or not. If you don't like the idea of Yak diplomacy, then the character is pointless.
>>185633 >sageing Quick follow-up In a weird sense, you could say that I'm trying for Lacey and Brie to be a darker version of Pear Butter and Bright Macintosh, but with an alladdin-esque trope thrown in. Like, I havent fully decided on her CM, but Im really tempted to make it be about him in some capacity
>>185678 → How much Dex would you say a pony character would need to be able to pull that off? Silver's probably flexible enough to put his hindleg behind his head like that, with his 18 Dex unmodified.
>>185679 Posey is a mutant, a zombie, and a masochist, and for her dislocating her joints or dismembering herself is just a mild inconvenience. She practices yoga to keep her undead body beautiful. I got the idea from the Nazi zombie contortionist in the Hellboy movie. When I wrote Posey, her enhanced Dex was 20. Her current Dex is 16, which would still be considered superhuman (10 being average).
I had an idea (or a couple of ideas) that I think would be pretty neat, but would also very likely increase the length of the quest, veyr possibly significantly. Is this going to be very badly received, or what?
>>185682 >Is this going to be very badly received, or what? Unless it results in some kind of permanent unavoidable debuffs (as in, the kind we can't avoid by fighting/evading), Idk anything that I would dislike.
My only requests/suggestions: >additional encounters/traps/puzzles/tasks that add to the XP budget of the adventure be rewarded with some appropriate treasure and/or levels, or otherwise contribute to character wealth/advancement/development (i.e. any kind of reward for winning, even if it's just a few coins or a random treasure roll) >be mindful of the other PCs who are low on healing resources, because their confidence will be affected by their health (this can be amended by adding a Healing Belt, Wand of Vigor, or potions to any loot rolls)
But even if those requests aren't met, I'm fine with whatever. I trust that whatever you throw at us will be fun. Posey is adventuring to expand her personal powers, so she sees any kind of challenge as an opportunity to level up and practice her craft so that she can become a master and complete her apprenticeship.
We could be swallowed by a leviathan, warped into the far realm, or get abducted by aliens for all I care. >>185684 Also this. I have a completionist mindset, so I want to exhaust every avenue of adventure on this island. Assuming the Marines don't freeze, but tbh they're marines and they should be able to take care of themselves.
>>185679 As someone with negative dex, it's really not that hard to throw a leg behind your head depending on how you do it. >>185682 Sure, I'd be game
>>185686 There are places to take shelter on the island, and Kira's Survival modifier is high enough that she realistically would have zero problems making a fire, so once the Traveler is dealt with we can stash the Navy ponies in a safe location with a cozy fire while we explore.
>>185680 >>185687 Hmm...Silver could probably do so, then. I should have him display his flexibility more.
Clarification: in EaW for HoI4, the everfree bar society still is steuctured largely around Nightmare Moon and her ideals. So, Brie knows that mentality. But, this is more evil even than Nightmare Moon, who was at least lawful in her evil. She didn't mind control ponies certainly, and aside from permanent night time never warped reality