Character Creation and Related Questions

Do you mind if i take a few levels of Dwarven Paragon out of Unearthed Arcana?

Dwarven Paragon is quite alright. When I mentioned that some things from Unearthed Arcana wouldn't be allowed, I meant rules changes like Gestalt.

Speaking of Unearthed Arcana, do you use the Fractional BAB/Saves rules, or is it just flat additions onto your current BAB/saves?

Flat additions. I find that that discretized BAB and Saves serve as something of a counterpoint to the bonuses generally gained by multiclassing.

A few questions:

1) I would love to play a Vow of Poverty Druid. Would that be allowed? (It is weaker than a standard druid but full of flavor... still I thought I should ask)

2) I would like to use the Ghostwise Halfling from Faerun as a race (purely for rp reasons... for the limited telepathy) is that ok? I am fine playing it as a "unique mutation" of a standard halfling if you don't want too many subraces running around

3) Which Monster Manuals do you have? This is quite important for the animal companion and wildshape forms

4) Can we choose our flaws from here? I find them well balanced and I like having a bigger list to choose from, but it is your call.

1. Sure, if you think you can make it work.

2. It's allowed, subraces I can deal with easier than entire races. Since you're looking at druid, it's easy to explain as you being from a distant and generally less-known tribe that has unusual abilities.

3. I have pretty much all of them, specifically I-IV and the Fiend Folio though if you wanted something else I could likely find a way to take a look at it. As a side note, Dinosaurs do not exist in the world. Most other animals do.

4. Tell me which you would like to use and I'll evaluate them, there are a few too many to do a casual search. Some seem to be about right, a few seem like they would rarely if ever come into play and are thus not detrimental enough.

Here's a question. I'm planning to make a smith-type character. Obviously, opportunities for smithing aren't exactly going to be abundant, but is, say, making a masterwork breastplate going to take five weeks solid work, as the rules suggest? Two other questions on the note of whether a smith actually gets things done: does the cost of materials figure into time (i.e., does mithril full plate take seven times as long to make as regular), and I forget the other question. Still, a dwarven smith who never finished anything would be a little odd.

EDIT: Ah, right. Skill focus. I'm considering doing the armourer thing and taking both armoursmithing and weaponsmithing... someone needs to know what they're doing, after all. I once had a DM who declared that skill focus applied to both if it was applied to one, so I've decided it doesn't hurt to ask. Then again, I once had a DM who combined the three metalworking craft skills, which is a little more unreasonable.

Pre-game crafting... any thoughts?

Shield specialization (PHBII): possible to add extreme (RoS) to the list?

On another note, is it possible to get a few more details about recent events, if there's anything notable beyond what's been covered already?

Also, do dwarves in this worlds have funny accents in general, or no?

Thanks. "Love of Nature" and "Wild" are the ones I like and fit my character very well.

I was mainly looking at dire animals in MM2 for future wildshapes. About Animal Companions... I love bears (in rl too... it is my favorite animal) so I will take a black bear flavored as a brown bear cub (so I don't need to swap animal as I gain levels, but just change the stats and say that he grew up)

would any of the you guys like to be the custodian of a press ganged goblin rogue?
his reasons for being on this mission is that they needed more expendable cannon fodder and he got the option of either the gallows or entering their service on a very short leash.

I have no problems giving some slight power-ups to flavorful skills like profession/craft. You can apply Skill Focus to both. The time required for you to craft things will probably be reduced somewhat; the material and XP costs will likely remain the same. It should take longer to work with Mithral but probably not seven times as long.

Pre-game crafting is allowed which will allow you to halve some costs. Just remember you'll have to spend any XP costs and deduct them from your total, which is currently 8000 (halfway between 4th and 5th).

Shield Specialization change is fine, it's a bit underpowered anyway.

As to accents... I hadn't really thought about it. Perhaps a touch as they'd likely be speaking Common as a second language, but not extreme to the level of misunderstanding. They might say "Nae" instead of "No" but they won't be mangling everything. That's just tiresome to write and difficult to read.

I can post more about recent events but just be aware that unless your character is very tuned-in politically you won't know about them IC.

Both are acceptable, as is your use of dire animals and a bear for a Companion.