Arklytte

11 hours ago, Starhawk said:

Clamydia the Thrush

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

MEH, given how generic I made character creation, if you want to keep Martial Versatility, and still be a 'Tiefling', I'm totally fine with that. If you WANT to change him to Human, that's, of course, your call, but you dont need to for my sake.

10 hours ago, Keante said:

Prescient Dodger is the same thing as the Primal Ward feature from Avatar--that is, a monk-like bonus to AC. Can I just go straight into rogue talents instead of buying a redundant Prescient Dodger first?

Meaning you want to trade out Prescient Dodger for both access to the Rogue Talent list, as well as swapping PD out for another Rogue Talent? Sure, I'm down with that.

Swap Beastmastery, and any bonus Beastmastery talents you get for other Martial talents of your choice. I'd rather you didn't trade them directly for Magical ones, because that's almost always a pretty significant power leap.

10 hours ago, Boogie Woogie Wookiee said:

I'm guessing you were using an Apple product

God no! Do I sound like one of those pretentious, hipster types? 😝

Nah, using Windows 10 on a regular old Acer laptop. Honestly, it's probably just some Firefox weirdness...it's been getting squirrellier and squirrelier since about Rev 100.

10 hours ago, Boogie Woogie Wookiee said:

Both of these lines should look identical.
Both of these lines should look identical.

Nope, they're different. I checked, and I *DO* have Tahoma installed, but I've also got FF set to default to TNR...it's easier for me to read...old eyes and all. 😁

Regardless, whatever you did the last time works, since I can see everything now, including the statblock, and there's no overlapping text. The scaling & word wrapping is still just a bit off, but I think that's just because the site's interface is set purposely narrow...all that 'Mobile Friendliness' they keep harping on. 😝

10 hours ago, Llyarden said:

So I've had a bit of a mix-up with my mechanics so Valros may end up changing race (!), so I won't unprivate his thread until I've ironed that out, in order to avoid confusion. Fortunately, his race doesn't have very much impact on his character.

The potted summary is that Valros is big and imposing at first glance but kinda nervous and shy, and very inexperienced when it comes to adventuring (making up for his inexperience in combat mostly just through brute strength.) My preference would be for him to not know any of the others and just happen to be in the village at the time - he's not an Apsu paladin (despite the holy-symbol-of-Apsu dragonbane sword he uses as his only weapon) but he does vaguely pay some respect to its code, so he's kinda been wandering about a bit for the [insert time period here, probably just a few months] since he started adventuring. Failing that, I'd imagine he's probably the newbie of the group.

And yes, he is also a tailor (and jeweller), which came about because of him being a worshipper of the empyreal lord Falayna. Although neither of those two things would be obvious to a first impression.

That's perfectly fine, Llyarden. He could simply already be at the Inn, having gotten there the same day as the other PC's. I can easily bring him into the story, so long as he's at the inn.

3 hours ago, BBK said:

I think having met mid-heist would be hilarious. "Oh, you're here for the Couzan Tapestry? I'm here for the Gold Bangle of Lauramon. Oh yes, the tapestry is in the east wing. I tried that one first, so the security is already disabled. If you hear shouting from the west wing in the next several minutes, do me a solid in return and light something on fire or something for me. won't you? I might benefit from a good distraction at that point. Have a good evening!"

ROFL!!! 🤣 Like literally every great heist movie ever!! 😁

3 hours ago, BBK said:

As Lance spends an inordinate amount of time & money (about 15% of his starting gold lol) on both clothing and jewelry, either would be a very easy in with him as far as previous acquaintanceships go! A chance meeting at some point would be all it would take for Lance to keep Valros in his good graces - one simply does not spurn tailors or jewelers. They don't grow on trees, after all. :)

@Llyarden Or this. 😄 If Valros is already there, then him already having met Lance at some point makes it even easier to draw y'all together. However you want to play it.

8 minutes ago, Boogie Woogie Wookiee said:

Also, aren't you supposed to be sleeping or something, Arklytte? 🤔

Yeah. Insomnia and an internet connection is a shitty combination. 🥴

Anyway, y'all can work more on the details of how long you've been together, your partnership, etc. Use the general framework I put in, if you like, then feel free to modify it/fill in whatever details you feel are relevant.

You dont all have to be in one group, btw, if you dont want two. Even just getting two PC's together, with a specific reason to meet Humbert, is an easy way to draw everyone into the adventure. That said, I'm pretty much ultimately going to leave that aspect up to y'all. I'm happy to facilitate (as above), as needed. 😁

@Boogie Woogie Wookiee So, easy tie in for Killian. The reason he's come to Canismini is that he's been told there's a famous Sorceress named Kasin who's known to collect art from various races...and not always in the most ethical of manners. She's also highly reclusive, and difficult to find. She tends to send people who bother her to the outer planes, or into handy volcanoes. However, she's good friends (or maybe frenimies...the stories differ) with an Artificer/Wizard named Humbert who lives near Canismini. He's well known throughout the kingdom (and surrounding lands) as a kind hearted, if somewhat absent-minded, recluse who makes the most fantastic clockwork creations known all throughout the world. Killian was able to secure a letter of introduction to Humbert from (INSERT RANDOM HIGH RANKED NOBLE HERE), and he's come to present himself to the wizard in hopes of getting an introduction/safe passage to Kasin.

What do you think? Would something like that work for Killian?

@Starhawk I can easily see Lucrezia seeking some lost/esoteric bit of knowledge and being told that Humbert might either have access to said info (he's well known as a collector of rare lore, even though his focus for the last century or so has been on his clockworks...over the course of his rather long life, he's sought many different kinds of knowledge), or that he might be able to point her in the right direction. She could also have a letter of introduction, or could simply have met Killian at some point, and they two decided to travel together for mutual protection, however y'all want to play it.

Would that work for Lucrezia?

*************

I'll post some info on Humbert and Kasin when I have a spare moment. The two of them are both quite famous, being the two most powerful people in the region, and certain facts, as well as various rumours, are going to be known about both. I'll also get up some lore about the area you'll all be in (the forest, Canismini, etc). It might take a day or two, depending on how crazy things are, but I'll get it done. 😀

Gotcha

Heya Starhawk. There may have been some confusion in the wording of my post, but I need you to put this post/info in the Balance Thread. If you want to keep a copy here for reference or whatever, that's cool. But primarily I need it there for my own reference. Thanks! 😄

@BBK@Boogie Woogie Wookiee@Keante@Llyarden@Starhawk

I've posted a new thread in the Clockworkers section, titled Balance Thread. When you have a moment, please check it out, and make a single post, copypasting the form from the first page into a new post. Please only post once, until everyone else has posted as well. I use that thread as, among other things, a reference for your character's numbers, and it's easier to find things if I dont have to scroll through the whole thread. Been there, done that, got the mental scars AND the t-shirt. 😝

First off, credit where it's due. This form is copied, mostly verbatim, from something that @CactuarJedi put together for a game that I was a player in. I loved the idea and plan to use it pretty much every game I run from now on. I figure, if you're going to steal, steal from the best.

Until all five of you have posted your initial post, I would ask that everyone refrain from making any additional posts in this thread. I plan to use this as a reference document going forward with the game. Once everyone has posted their initial post, feel free to post any questions/comments/concerns at that time. In the meantime, please copy/paste this into a post as soon as you're able, then you can edit it as time permits.
 

THANKS!

That should be a good starting place. I may ask for more information as we go.

PLAYER LIST

• @BBK Playing Lance Warren: Telekinetic Thief...err...sorry...'Acquisition Specialist'
• @Boogie Woogie Wookiee Playing Killian Evanero: Psychic Paladin
• @Keante Playing Trellis: Living Clockwork Druid
• @Llyarden Playing Valros: Tiefling Tank, Terror, and...Tailor?
• @Starhawk Playing Lucrezia: Morally ambiguous Dhampir Sorceress

Ok folks, it's that time.

ANNOUNCEMENT

So, again, I want to start out by thanking everyone for their apps. A lot of hard work went into each character, and it was literally headache inducing to force myself to winnow the list down to just the final team. I appreciate the work though...it's what makes all this worthwhile. 😄

It's taken a little longer than I planned, but I finally made a decision. And, in typical me fashion, I got to the end of the race, and stumbled...as such, I couldn't bring myself to cut my final eight down to just four, so I'm breaking my own rule and I'll be taking five people on this adventure with me.

If you didn't get chosen, I'm sorry. The apps were stellar, and choosing was a bear (perhaps an owlbear?😁), but that's why I make the big bucks 😝

So, without further ado, to the following players, welcome to the game:

• @BBK Playing Lance Warren: Telekinetic Thief...err...sorry...'Acquisition Specialist'
• @Boogie Woogie Wookiee Playing Killian Evanero: Psychic Paladin
• @Keante Playing Trellis: Living Clockwork Druid
• @Llyarden Playing Calros: Tiefling Tank, Terror, and...Tailor?
• @Starhawk Playing Lucrezia: Morally ambiguous Dhampir Sorceress

Once again, thank you to everyone who applied!! I wish you all the best of luck in your future games, and I hope to one day game with each and every one of you.

To those chosen to continue, expect to receive invitations to the game, as well as Discord invites, shortly. I'll be setting up a few additional threads as we go forward, and I look forward to getting to know more about your characters as we begin our journey.

59 minutes ago, TeaLeaf the Smart said:

Alright. Thanks for letting me know.

Sorry TL, deadline came and went already. Hit me up next time though! You always make the most interesting stuff. 😁

I need to line up a few echoless, aquatic waterfowl, but after that, expect my announcement of the team shortly.

On 10/15/2023 at 6:56 AM, BBK said:

I spent dozens of hours on the app itself and dozens more just reading, making notes, and researching the unfamiliar systems. Then nearly a dozen hours of formatting because I may have a smidge OCD.

I feel this feel SO HARD, BBK. This is literally me any time I apply for pretty much any game. And, no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to break myself of the habit.

Apologies to all and sundry for the silence yesterday. We're expecting big storms over the next few days, so I spent all day yesterday taking care of the yard, and just sorta collapsed when I got done.

Middle age sucks! 😜

I've pretty much made up my mind, but I need to check a couple of things before I announce my decision. I'm at work now, but I'll post tonight when I get home.

Hope everyone's having a good day!

(mental note...swipe code for Killian's statblock/pic combo😆)

Just a heads up to all and sundry. I'm still reviewing apps. I've gone through all of them once, and I've narrowed it down to around half a dozen. Since my goal is, sadly, only four, I'm going to have to continue reviewing and pondering. Once I have a final selection, I'll post an announcement and send invites to the final four.

FYI, once the game is up and running, I plan to switch it over to Read Only, which means that anyone who's interested can (and is more than welcome to) read the ongoing game, but only the PC's will be able to post. I do that not to exclude anyone, but to keep things tidy.😁

Anyway, thanks again for your patience, your participation, and most of all, your patience. 😁

See y'all on the flip side.

Oh! The +2d6 is to Channels only? I misunderstood it as 'all attacks'. Nah, +2d6 to Channels is more than fine. Approved.

11 hours ago, Boogie Woogie Wookiee said:

I don't know what you mean about being bitter. 🙊 Though "frustrated" might be a better descriptor. 😆

Yep, frustrated. That's definitely ONE of the emotions I feel when I'm putzing around on this 'new & improved' site. 🤪

11 hours ago, Boogie Woogie Wookiee said:

And yes, if I knew the code was acting up that way it would have driven me bonkers as well. On the plus side, learning about it also forced me to come up with a solution for a similar problem that (could have) occurred on the actual sheet, so it was nice being able to fix both. My next iteration of the sheet should be a lot more clean, too.

Cool! Please, keep me in the loop. Because, seriously, I love how you put the sheet together, and I definitely plan to swipe it. I only steal from the best, after all. 😁

11 hours ago, Boogie Woogie Wookiee said:

Anywho, I've mostly finished both his fluff and mechanics pending any changes you wish to be made. I'll probably continue to tweak things a little, fix typos and grammatical mistakes, and things like that. But he's definitely ready for review.

Once I pick a team, we'll collectively go over mechanics a bit more in depth. I have a form I'll have everyone fill out that lists some different mechanics for your individual characters, which will allow me to see where everyone is at, mechanically speaking, and how you match up to one another. It helps me balance encounters, and also provides a handy reference sheet.

11 hours ago, Boogie Woogie Wookiee said:

That said, there are still have a few questions pending that slipped through the cracks. I'll try to be succinct with them, though that's not really a strong suit for me. 🤣

Apologies...I let a few things slip through the cracks, and that was one of them.😬

11 hours ago, Boogie Woogie Wookiee said:

1.) I took the liberty of assuming that it would be okay to give my character two subtypes instead of two types for his Origin. Humanoid (Elf, Orc) just seemed to make far more sense than, say, Humanoid (Elf)/Monstrous Humanoid or whatever. Was that all right? I can't imagine it not being okay, but it was worth asking since its officially a variant.

Totally fine. Especially since I gave everyone such free rein on their race/Origin. And given his backstory, it all fits together nicely.

11 hours ago, Boogie Woogie Wookiee said:

2.) Is Killian's familiar okay conceptually? I need to go back and double check his stats, but I'm more concerned about the actual idea of it and if it jibes with how you see familiars. He's a far cry from a combat machine; at best he's a RP tool and a source of invisibility. His little pop up can be found here: Perianwyr Perianwyr
CG Diminutive Dragon and Magical Beast (Familiar)

Peri is a fragment of Killian's ego made manifest; a sort of Jiminy Cricket to his Pinnochio. The faerie dragon wyrmling, the form in which his imagination took shape, possesses a large amount of his master's childhood innocence and curiosity. He's more apt to hide in the face of danger than to throw fists, preferring to disappear and—if he can get away with it—taking Killian with him.

While no one else can understand him due to the nature of his being, it doesn't take long for Killian's associates to discover that Perianwyr has a love for sweets, and a particular hunger for berries—strawberries most specifically. Offer him one and he'll do just about anything you ask him to short of bringing harm to his beloved Killian and anyone he calls friend.

Peri spends most of his time either perched on Killian's shoulder or curled away in one of his master's vest pockets taking a nap on his miniature hoard (a whopping 5gp in silver and copper, and whatever pretty things he finds).

Init +4, Senses Scent, Perception +9

AC 20 (Touch 20, Flat-Footed 14) (Dex +6, Size +4)
HP 20
Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +9
Immune None; Bonuses +4 vs. Fear (Aura of Courage), +2 vs. Paralysis, Petrification, Polymorph; SR —

Speed 10ft, fly 60 ft. (perfect), swim 50 ft.
Melee None
Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks None
Special Abilities Alertness, Empathic Link, Familiar Bonus (Stealth), Improved Evasion, Speak With Master; Convenient Appendage (Mouth), Estivation, Freeze
Spherecasting CAM Wis, CL 5th, Spell Pool 6, Somatic Casting I
Magic Spheres Illusion (Illusory Odor, Illusory Sound, Suppression; Disappearance, Obscura Mage)

Str 3, Dex 22, Con 8, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 10
Attack Bonus +7 (+5 BAB, +4 size, -2 Str), CMB -1, CMD 8 (4 flat-footed)
Feats Cantrips
Skills Acrobatics +11, Appraise +4, Artistry (Painting) +5, Bluff +5, Diplomacy +5, Fly +26, Handle Animal +1, Knowledge +0, Knowledge (Engineering) +4, Knowledge (History) +4, Knowledge (Local) +4, Knowledge (Nobility) +4, Knowledge (Religion) +4, Linguistics +0, Perception +9, Perform (Dance) +5, Perform (Sing) +5, Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Hand +7, Spellcraft +0, Stealth +25, Swim +10, Use Magic Device +6
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Orc, Sylvan; Cannot Speak

Origins - Form (7 Auxiliary, 2 Utility) Aquatic I, Convenient Appendage (Mouth), Developed Tolerance (Paralysis, Petrification, Polymorph), Developed Wings III, Estivation, Freeze, Glider, Scent II
Form Variations Arm-Wings, Defensive Familiarity (Stealth), Vestige of the Other (Dragon), Waterhome II.

Heh, cute!! At a (VERY brief) glance, his mechanics look fine. And conceptually/fluffily, I like it. My only real concern when it comes to familiars is that people dont treat them like walking (flying/swimming/whatevering) mechanical bonuses. Sure, they do give bonuses, and can do fun/useful mechanical things, but they should also BE CHARACTERS. I cant stand 'backpack/pocket familiars' that dont do anything in the game, and just sit in the character's pocket, granting a bonus, and literally doing nothing else interesting. It looks like you've got a cool backstory for him, and lots of hooks/opportunities for RPing, which is just about all I could ask for.

11 hours ago, Boogie Woogie Wookiee said:

3.) Here's my preliminary attempt at his code of honor. Do you see any problems with it? It's my first attempt at these rules and I was just using the established ones as a guideline and just sort of eyeballing it, lol. Code of HonorFindeladlara's Code of Honor
Convert a powerful enemy into a close friend or ally
Produce an innovative work of art (roll of 30 or higher on an Artistry check)
Reacquire and/or preserve a lost work of elven art
Protect an elven artist in need
Protect an artist of any other race in need
Defeat a known art vandal
Offer aid and shelter to an elf in need who would otherwise be your enemy
Offer aid and shelter to an elf in need and they accept
Become the inspiration for and/or subject of someone else's work of art
Defend a hospitable household from those who would do it harm
Uphold the elven way of life in some notable fashion
Attempt to disguise or show shame towards your elven heritage even in times of peril
Excessively brag of your accomplishments or works of art
Fail to protect or aid an elf in need
Fail to protect or aid an elven artist in need
Allow a close associate of yours to break the law of hospitality
Unwillingly destroy or vandalize an elven work of art (such as when charmed)
Break the law of hospitality
Willfully and knowingly destroy or vandalize an elven work of art+50
+25
+15
+10
+7
+5
+3
+2
+2
+1
+1
-1
-1
-2
-3
-5
-5
-10
-15 This code of honor is based on the teachings of the church of Findeladlara, the elven goddess of art. Her edicts include the creation and preservation of art and architecture, the sanctity of households, and the artistic inspiration of others.

Note also that the entries that refer to art and artists also refer to architecture and architects as appropriate.



It should also be noted that paladins of Findeladlara are more morally ambiguous than others. While cold-blooded murder and other crimes of that ilk are as abhorant to them as anyone, her champions are willing to bend the rules if the cause is just. For example, stealing for a noble goal is perfectly acceptable to them, and even aiding known villains and criminals in the pursuit of the greater good or to convert them to the light is not only fine by them, but something that they eagerly pursue to mirror their goddess's conversion of the succubus Nocticula. Not surprisingly, her followers share a close bond with those of the Redeemer Queen.. Also, I couldn't think of a cool name for it, so I'm just leaving it as is for now. If you have any ideas in that regard, too, that would be grand.

Looks good at a quick glance. If needs be, we can dive more in depth going forward. But on the whole, it looks like a good foundation, and any potentially necessary tweaks shouldn't be too tough to do.

11 hours ago, Boogie Woogie Wookiee said:

4.) Just to make sure I understood correctly, Insightful Strike doesn't have a limiter other than having martial focus to expend?

AFA I can tell, that sounds correct. It replaces Detect Evil, which is basically limitless for a Pally. Requiring Martial Focus requires you to invest resources if you want it to be a more than once/combat trick, which seems imminently reasonable to me.

Sure. That sounds like a reasonable equivalent. 👍

Also, sorry I never officially approved your Unified Tradition. But I just gave it a quick once over, and it looks good. 😃

9 hours ago, droobles said:

@Arklytte may app is complete, fluff and crunch.

Character is not supposed to be edgy or anything. 😅

Sounds good Droobles. Tag it with Ready to Review, if you get the chance.

13 hours ago, BBK said:

My Familiar has the Reaching Appendage origin talent. However, since it is Diminutive in size, and Diminutive creatures normally have a reach of 0' instead of the expected natural 5' reach, I just wanted to make sure that would give her a 5' reach rather than the 10' that is listed, since the talent is, I assume, intended to just add +5' to the subject's natural reach. Is that correct?

Yeah, despite the wording, the logical assumption is "+5", rather than a straight 10'.