ready for review Diphonus, Druid of Cormanthyr Greenwatch

[Kylia Quilor]

I would really appreciate it if you would ask questions in the questions thread, or at least in a new post here, so that I know there's new questions to ask. But I don't really grasp what was incomplete about my answers to those two questions.

Yes, you can use ant haul to carry someone. You can use Ant Haul to carry whatever your increased carrying capacity will allow you to. If you wanted to use Ant Haul to carry a 300 pound donut (assuming you could carry 300 lbs with Ant Haul and could find a 300 pound donut in Faerun, which to be fair, you probably couldn't), you could.

As for spell components, it's what I said. If it's not something that could feasibly be found in a spell component pouch, spend the money. I'm not going to ding the players for having not sought out and bought a diamond of sufficient value before they can cast a raise dead spell or whatever, as long as they have the gold to spend. Unless you're in a situation where you don't have access to your spell component pouch, or where perhaps all your components were recently robbed or whatever, I assume that you have whatever basic components you need, and if you have money, we can 'retroactively' spend the money on the more expensive stuff. I like to, where possible, streamline things that get in the way of players doing what they want to do - removing a lot of the administrative busywork, as it were.

Now, in answer to your questions, since you've asked them:

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Beast of the Society [Kylia, will this trait, refluffed, be fine? I actually do not intend to use wild shape to fight, but rather as utility during adventuring. Even if it is combat, it will likely just to be big to protect someone we are escorting but not really wail into the fray.]

Yes, obviously it needs to be refluffed since the Pathfinder Society doesn't exist in Faerun.

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Improvised Defense [Kylia, I imagine scenarios such as Diphonus picking up a broomstick without the strawhead to use as a means of stick-fighting to block strikes, does that stay consistent with the description?]

I see no reason why it would be an issue, no.

 

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Spontaneous Healer (Complete Divine pg 84) [Kylia, I was under the impression your campaign is really dangerous and I figured to make the druid the secondary healer to support the group, as intelligence agents are usually far in enemy spaces without much resources]

It can be dangerous, but I try to avoid being a Killer GM, so six of one half a dozen or the other. Healing is important, and as it stands the party has no healer at all.
 

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Note: should you permit this D&D 3.5 feat to be included, then I will need to take the Education regional feat to access Knowledge religion, unless you know of another way to do this without taking a regional feat, although there is also a non-regional feat called Education (Eberron Campaign Setting pg 52)

If it's your regional feat, go for it and he's from a region that provides it. But there are also traits that can make Knowledge religion a class skill, and the Eberron Feat is probably fine, but I'd need to check my copy of the book and I'm not physically at home right this second, so I can't. But if all it does is let you have a few more knowledge skills as class skills, it's fine

 

 

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Headband: Headband of Inspired Wisdom +6 (36,000 gp) [Kylia, this will be my key gear, to up various core abilities, may I purchase this?]

 

  

On 11/13/2023 at 1:58 PM, Kylia Quilor said:

Starting Wealth: 50,000 Gp. You can spend it all on one item if you really want.

Yes. If you really want to. I'm not sure why you need to ask.

 

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Head: Shawl of Shadowy Disguise (1,350 gp) [Kylia, I assume Diphonus face will be too rare, and become too conspicuous for espionage conditions?]

 

It could be, but there's no cameras or anything, so it would depend. But disguising himself might make the process simpler on himself, yes.

 

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Hand: Gauntlets of Twisting Vines (5,000 gp) [Kylia, does this item remain undamaged when enemies pry it apart, whether as failed or successful escape, and therefore become more of 'useful until destroyed' item?]

 

Generally speaking, It's safe to assume that if the rules don't say they'll be destroyed, they won't be. So no, they won't be destroyed by someone escaping.

 

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Body: Robe of Components (3,000 gp) [Kylia, my question about material components was to understand if your campaign needed careful inventory of them, so I will invest in this robe to ease my own bookkeeeping]

This item is wildly unnecessary in this game with the way I handle spell components. Anything it can create for you is something we could generally assume is in your spell component pouch.

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Eyes: Lens of Detection (3,500 gp) [Kylia, will we be having regular frequencies of needing to chase down, find, hunt, or rescue allies/enemies who are fleeing?]

I don't know. It depends. Do people get away or do you stop them? Will you kill enemies quickly or get distracted? It's possible, certainly.

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Chest: Vest of Surgery (3,000 gp) [Kylia, I admit I am not as familiar with Heal skill, will this item be necessary in your campaign?]

Is any item necessary? I hate to sound flippant, but I'm actually a little exasperated with the parade of questions here, especially ones that can't really have an answer. It's a once a day use of Lesser Restoration and means you don't need to stock healer's kits, but if you have enough potions and healing spells, you probably won't need the Heal Skill for most injuries. But the Heal Skill could be used outside of combat to save spells for combat (since the skill takes longer than just casting a simple spell) and certainly if the party suffered a lot of ability damage lately and burned through all their lesser restoration spells, it could be useful, but you can ask "will this item be necessary" for anything, including swords or armor.

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Neck: Hand of the Mage (900 gp) [Kylia, I saw the utility of this effect for espionage situations, and I was already planning to flavor it in a more naturey look, but will you allow me to refluff it as not the hand of an elf, since I am sure the kingdom will be horrified for various reasons?]

Not necessarily. if the elf donated his hand after he died, or maybe it's the hand of a murderer being put to use or any number of other things. But you could have it not be an elf's hand, yes.

 

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Waist: Heavyload Belt (2,000 gp) [Kylia, the question I asked earlier about the possible need to bodily carry either teammates, or people we rescue or capture and need to be hauled, since the Strength for Diphonus will likely be the lowest, and I rather the others be ready to fight]

You can carry whatever you feasibly carry with your carrying capacity.

 

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Pearl of Power 1st (1,000 gp) [Kylia, I have never used this item before, do I assume this is treated like another spell slot, except this sits in my pocket, or do I need to bring it out and call on it like those 80s fantasy films?]

I was born in 1992, so I don't know what you mean by "Those 80s fantasy films" without more specificity. But you do have to use the Pearl of Power to recall the spell, you don't have an 'extra' spell slot. It's pretty clearly laid out in the text of the item

"Once per day on command, a pearl of power enables the possessor to recall any one spell that she had prepared and then cast that day. The spell is then prepared again, just as if it had not been cast"

[Ensou]

32 minutes ago, Kylia Quilor said:

I would really appreciate it if you would ask questions in the questions thread, or at least in a new post here, so that I know there's new questions to ask. But I don't really grasp what was incomplete about my answers to those two questions.

It was not that your guidance was incomplete; the onus is on my part to have better capacity to understand. Sorry about that, your response was given in good spirit and knowledge.

32 minutes ago, Kylia Quilor said:

If you wanted to use Ant Haul to carry a 300 pound donut

I am quite sure you did not intend for this to be humorous, but the imagery certainly helped put me in my place. I understand better now, let me clean up the entry.

32 minutes ago, Kylia Quilor said:

I like to, where possible, streamline things that get in the way of players doing what they want to do - removing a lot of the administrative busywork, as it were.

Very kind gesture as a GM, thank you.

38 minutes ago, Kylia Quilor said:

Yes. If you really want to. I'm not sure why you need to ask.

Reading back, I realize the same thing. I am embarrassed to say it was a blunder.

39 minutes ago, Kylia Quilor said:

Is any item necessary? I hate to sound flippant, but I'm actually a little exasperated with the parade of questions here, especially ones that can't really have an answer.

You were not flippant, GM. I should have more confidence in my choices.

39 minutes ago, Kylia Quilor said:

Not necessarily. if the elf donated his hand after he died, or maybe it's the hand of a murderer being put to use or any number of other things.

You have given me a very nice idea to use the item list for more backstory, I will attend to that right now.

And thank you for still taking pains to help.

[Ensou]

 

I have chosen the region, deity and organization for Diphonus. His narrative origin is expanded to reflect those, and I have finalized the class, traits, feats and equipment as well.

I will roll the 6m5d6r1v2 setup in this specific post a little later:

13, 13, 17, 11, 9, 12.

(Replace 9 with 18)

13, 13, 17, 11, 18, 12.

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Strength 12

Dexterity 17

Constitution 13

Intelligence 13

Wisdom 18

Charisma 11

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Ensou (see edit history)