Out of Character (Application Questions)

[Escheton]

The Fire Primordial states to add your con mod when dealing fire damage. It is rather generally worded, so I would like to run some situations to check. (take as much time as you need or deal with it as it comes up during play, really. The alchemist fire one is prudent, tho. Given starting expenditures.)

Direct Effect:
Hitting someone with a torch? (also, "1d4 bludgeoning and proficiency as a club, +1 fire dmg" or just 1 fire dmg?)
An Ascendant Dragon Monk using Draconic Strike to deal fire dmg with their unarmed strikes?
Hitting someone with a firebolt?
Hitting separate targets with a Green-Flame Blade cantrip?
Hitting separate targets with a scorching ray?
Hitting separate targets with a fireball?
Hitting separate targets with a summoned firewall?
Pushing someone into a bonfire?
A Dragonborn's breath weapon?
Summoning a bonfire cantrip in their space?

Damage over time
Lobbing an alchemist's flask at someone?
Creating a daylight effect that deals fire damage over time to specifically vulnerable targets?
Searing smite?
Setting someone on fire?

Deferred Agency
Casting and concentrating on Flame Arrows, which someone else shoots?
Having a summoned/called being deal fire damage?
Hitting separate targets with a summoned firewall?

Repeat offenders
Having a summoned/called being deal fire damage separately over multiple rounds?
Hitting separate targets with a summoned firewall multiple times over the spell duration?
Summoning a bonfire cantrip in their space?
Using a bonus action to deal damage with Heat Metal over multiple rounds?
Using your bonus action to move a Flaming Sphere to collide?

Edited February 6 by Escheton (see edit history)

[JubalBreakbottle]

Vathan is ready to review. May still buy some gear.

Would you please post guidance on languages?

thanks

[MidnightPoet]

2 hours ago, JubalBreakbottle said:

Vathan is ready to review. May still buy some gear.

Would you please post guidance on languages?

thanks

Sorry for the delay on content and the odd posting schedule. I’ve been out this weekend for vacation. I will be back to my regular posting schedule tonight.

[Rayth]

Been eyeing this game for a couple days, contemplating builds I'd want to make. My initial idea has, due to my own dallying, been claimed by another applicant, and I think it'd be gauche to compete for the same niche so closely. So instead, I've got a couple other ideas I'd like to throw out for input:

• A Changeling, Fiend, Charlatan, Eloquence Bard, who obtained their shapeshifting and spellcraft by beating another fiend in a game of chance or a competition, allying with the Society of the Occult for protection;
• A Human/Goliath, Giant, Beast Hunter, Rune Knight Fighter, who descended from the frigid north for glory or to hunt some creature, or as a show of cooperation between their homeland and the Baruch Empire;

For a while I considered an Armorer Artificer, possibly a Warforged who used to be Human, using their inventions to compensate for injuries sustained during a monster attack. But reading more about the setting, it seems much more low-magic than that, so I feel like that wouldn't work with the setting.

I hope to get more of an application up in the next couple days, but am happy to hear comments or discuss specifics.

[MidnightPoet]

18 hours ago, Escheton said:

The Fire Primordial states to add your con mod when dealing fire damage. It is rather generally worded, so I would like to run some situations to check. (take as much time as you need or deal with it as it comes up during play, really. The alchemist fire one is prudent, tho. Given starting expenditures.)

I recall you also asked about healing using the Water Primordial.

As a whole, I am more comfortable playing with healing and damage bonuses than with bounded accuracy. I like fast and intense combat, and I think healing generally yields poor return. I am also seriously considering adding a non-lethal version of the grievous wound house rule, which makes burst healing both valuable and a viable idea for a character build.

---

First, the added effect from your Primordial transformation is easily identified as supernatural. For example, if you add CON to your fire damage, it may appear as a blue flame (coldfire). This makes it great for slaying monsters, but less useful if you are working at the marketplace.

Second, I would let you apply the effect if the source of the fire is caused by you. For example, fighting with a torch or throwing alchemist fire is normal fire. You are not personally casting or adding anything into the fire. You might cast Control Flame using the fire as a source and add your power to it, turning it into coldfire. But that requires additional effort and actions from you.

This also opens up some fun edge cases such as, what happens if a Fire Primordial crafted their own alchemist fire potions? I would go the route of Persona 5 and lock that ability behind a NPC quest.

By sharing your secret and helping out an alchemist NPC, they learn to imbue your elemental essence into their alchemical fire. This allows this NPC to craft and sell alchemist fire that adds your CON to damage. Be aware, it is supernatural and will have the appearance of coldfire (a supernatural fire associated with the Beast); which would be a tier 1 crime if discovered.

Edited February 7 by MidnightPoet (see edit history)

[MidnightPoet]

1 hour ago, Rayth said:

Been eyeing this game for a couple days, contemplating builds I'd want to make. My initial idea has, due to my own dallying, been claimed by another applicant, and I think it'd be gauche to compete for the same niche so closely. So instead, I've got a couple other ideas I'd like to throw out for input:

• A Changeling, Fiend, Charlatan, Eloquence Bard, who obtained their shapeshifting and spellcraft by beating another fiend in a game of chance or a competition, allying with the Society of the Occult for protection;
• A Human/Goliath, Giant, Beast Hunter, Rune Knight Fighter, who descended from the frigid north for glory or to hunt some creature, or as a show of cooperation between their homeland and the Baruch Empire;

The Changeling on the run would be a fun idea, although I will ask you to choose one of the allowed races to claim as your canon lineage. You would also likely have a preferred form to take during your downtime. I can see a lot to do with using devil contracts in an information war.

As for the Human/Golaith from the frigid north, I would heavily recommend you look at Valika. They are a barbarian people that resemble Humans but each tribe has slightly monstrous abilities that allow you to combine with other lineages. For example, Tribe A has massive bodies and muscles as hard as granite (Goliath) while Tribe B worships an ancestor that grants them the ability to breathe ice (Dragonborn). These people also travel from their lands to the south as seafarers and merchants to trade, to complete a rite of passage such as a monster hunt, or as a diplomatic envoy.

Edited February 7 by MidnightPoet (see edit history)

[astronavigatrix]

While I'm still working on fleshing out the actual character, I had some thoughts re: weapons, especially after the update of advanced weapons earlier.

My intent was to give my cleric a spear or halberd with the martial weapon proficiency from twilight cleric and flavor it as a scythe.- really flesh out the horrifying church inquisitor vibe I'm trying to go for. Now I'm wondering- would it be possible to have the scythe swap between a single solid piece and the fighting chain+sickle from the Advanced Weapons based on different combat situations? I'd wager if things are advanced enough that there are guns, a little transforming weapon action wouldn't be too unreasonable. My thought was that, as chain weapons work, the haft end that separates from the blade end could work as either a weight or an off-hand blunt weapon, if that's at all anything that strikes your fancy.

 

Also, since we've got some P5 flavoring in here, does the team get cool code names-?

Edited February 7 by astronavigatrix (see edit history)

[MidnightPoet]

20 hours ago, Inquisitor D said:

So, now I've sketched out the basic idea of my main characters, I realized... I should check if one of these concepts is even remotely viable!

Okay, I know it's not an easy sell. But is there any possibility for a member of the Arcanist Inquisition collaborating with the Society of the Occult? I get that the most radical and faithful would never go for that, but there's gonna be different levels of faith within the ArcInq. That was at the heart of my pitch with Irata; someone who isn't in this out of religious duty and is kinda terrified at the prospect of having to do the work. But it kinda feels like even that may still be a bridge too far with the organization's basic precepts.

Mmm. I can rework Irata or concentrate on Mika, this isn't an end either way. Just want to be sure/take the temperature.

I like the direction you're going with the character. I have no problems with the Society having an Inquisitor in their ranks; so long as you do not intend to use that position to attack or threaten the party (which doesn't sound like Irata at all).

As far as lore goes, the Inquisition is not monolithic by any means. You might think about how the organization was just recently established in the city. There is a core group from the Castinellan Provinces who is devout enough to want to travel to a foreign land in the name of Empyreus, but they are relatively few in number. They would have hired from the local populace to fill out their ranks and to handle all the administrative work. Are you one of those local hires, or are you also a newcomer to the city, but from Liesech or some place removed from the church's power and belief structure?

[Inquisitor D]

4 hours ago, MidnightPoet said:

I like the direction you're going with the character. I have no problems with the Society having an Inquisitor in their ranks; so long as you do not intend to use that position to attack or threaten the party (which doesn't sound like Irata at all).

As far as lore goes, the Inquisition is not monolithic by any means. You might think about how the organization was just recently established in the city. There is a core group from the Castinellan Provinces who is devout enough to want to travel to a foreign land in the name of Empyreus, but they are relatively few in number. They would have hired from the local populace to fill out their ranks and to handle all the administrative work. Are you one of those local hires, or are you also a newcomer to the city, but from Liesech or some place removed from the church's power and belief structure?

Hehehe... Glad you like her! Thanks! And yeah, no way in hell is Irata threatening anybody. If she's accepted into the Society she's going to be as poilte and respectful as she possibly can, while being absolutely terrified of all her fellow members. ;)

*hums* I'd intended Irata to actually be Castinellan. She's not the most faithful or devout believer in Empyreus, but she is a believer. Just... more the sort who would try and talk a friend out of doing magic than throwing them on the pyre. The sort who'd at least consider bringing up earlier edicts about how magic users were supposed to just get locked up and devote themselves to higher aims, before she sees everyone glaring at her and bottles it.

And even that faith's been thrown into question by her group getting wiped out. Hard to trust in your Great and Noble Mission where the experienced, holy, Empyreus blessed are decorating the floor.

But yeah, that's why I was looking at her as Castinellan. If she's more local, she's in a better position to abandon the goal she was brought in for, or at least has other power structures she can turn to. As a foreigner... well, she doesn't know what killed her group or who she can trust. Which helps keep her isolated from other local Inquisition elements - what if they're in on it? ^^ With a secret mission, she's not sure what Hoenheim was investigating and is still trying to work that out.

The main thing holding me back from Irata is build uncertainty. I know roughly what I want from her: ranged martial type with a rifle, but I'm not really getting that 'aha' moment when reviewing class options. By contrast I've got multiple ideas for Mika that I really like: Plague Doctor and Alchemist play up her current role, while Armorer suggests some Enforcer training. Just being a straight up Wizard fits her story pretty well. But I do feel she's a bit of a weaker character as things stands - I skimmed her story at the Magister, and need a better handle on her if I do a full writeup...

Edited February 7 by Inquisitor D (see edit history)

[Escheton]

Alright, loving the new house rule additions. And the whole character is in flux again because of the new interesting options.

One of which I'd like to double check. The cumbersome weapon ability. Does that in fact allow for a strength based rogue? It qualifies for sneak attack by virtue of the blunderbuss and flame bellows being ranged weapons that, while scattering, do target one foe. Rogues don't by default have proficiency, granted, but that's worth a dip or feat investment I'd say.

How much leeway is there in tweaking official material? I've been struggling between the Light and Forge domains. If possibly, I'd love to basically cherry-pick the parts of each that work for the character. (primarily interested in Blessing of the Forge while keeping fireball, tbh)

Would a Kobold character be a small Dragonborn In-Universe or a mutated/transformed halfling or gnome?

For the Professional Background, could one sacrifice Talents, Holdings and Perks to buy off features from normal backgrounds? (Particularly interested in the Strixhaven/Ravnica backgrounds that add spells to your class list, as "Light Domain: Potent Spellcasting" specifies cleric cantrips at level 8)

Edited February 7 by Escheton (see edit history)

[MidnightPoet]

11 hours ago, astronavigatrix said:

While I'm still working on fleshing out the actual character, I had some thoughts re: weapons, especially after the update of advanced weapons earlier.

My intent was to give my cleric a spear or halberd with the martial weapon proficiency from twilight cleric and flavor it as a scythe.- really flesh out the horrifying church inquisitor vibe I'm trying to go for. Now I'm wondering- would it be possible to have the scythe swap between a single solid piece and the fighting chain+sickle from the Advanced Weapons based on different combat situations? I'd wager if things are advanced enough that there are guns, a little transforming weapon action wouldn't be too unreasonable. My thought was that, as chain weapons work, the haft end that separates from the blade end could work as either a weight or an off-hand blunt weapon, if that's at all anything that strikes your fancy.

 

Also, since we've got some P5 flavoring in here, does the team get cool code names-?

Yeah, it would be a customized weapon, but certainly doable. You should decide if you want a dwarf or gnome to craft it.

Yes, I will mention the nickname in the IC thread. You can also consider theme music you want. It’s purely optional, of course.

[Inquisitor D]

Theme music?!

Claiming Irata's now! Dunno if she's cool enough to get a codename. Probably not. ;)

[astronavigatrix]

33 minutes ago, MidnightPoet said:

Yeah, it would be a customized weapon, but certainly doable. You should decide if you want a dwarf or gnome to craft it.

Yes, I will mention the nickname in the IC thread. You can also consider theme music you want. It’s purely optional, of course.

Fantastic then! I'll probably go with dwarven craftsmen cause I'm biased due to LotR, so that's one thing down.

Also bold of you to think I haven't already been considering some options, lol!

[ResidualRose]

Copied from my WIP application thread, just realized this was also for related QnAs.

Basic concept so far: A duelist/gunslinger who meets a shadowy Eldritch entity after “nearly” dying as the result of a duel or a lynching after killing someone in a duel…and enters into a pact with the entity to return to life and occasionally fulfill occult-related contract killings from “Beyond”…pact breakers, stray monsters, downcast that get out of line, occultists/arcanists who get too hubristic/uppity…etc. Basically stuff that would usually line up coincidentally with the Society’s Targets, which is likely how they encountered each other in the first place.

Possibly the “nearly dead” experience has Transformed them into a undead/aberration via Spectral or Lich…base Human or Half-Elf.

Q: Improved Pact of the Blade invocation and its ability to “shadow craft” temp weapons of more complexity like crossbows. Could that also be used to craft black powder weapons like pistols or muskets as well? I imagine I would still have to carry the ammo around separately.

Another idea was a Human Lich Artificer, who’s lich body and “rite of dread” was more Frankenstein/mad-science/mad-alchemy-flavoured with forged reinforcements and the like, giving almost a half-golem or “medieval-flavoured cyborg”. However, the Lich requires 2nd level spells or an animal companion…would the Battlesmith’s Steel Defender count for the purposes of that last part, as otherwise Artificer would be waiting till level 4 to meet the spell requirement side.

•  

[MidnightPoet]

7 hours ago, ResidualRose said:

Basic concept so far: A duelist/gunslinger who meets a shadowy Eldritch entity after “nearly” dying as the result of a duel or a lynching after killing someone in a duel…and enters into a pact with the entity to return to life and occasionally fulfill occult-related contract killings from “Beyond”…pact breakers, stray monsters, downcast that get out of line, occultists/arcanists who get too hubristic/uppity…etc. Basically stuff that would usually line up coincidentally with the Society’s Targets, which is likely how they encountered each other in the first place.

Possibly the “nearly dead” experience has Transformed them into a undead/aberration via Spectral or Lich…base Human or Half-Elf.

Q: Improved Pact of the Blade invocation and its ability to “shadow craft” temp weapons of more complexity like crossbows. Could that also be used to craft black powder weapons like pistols or muskets as well? I imagine I would still have to carry the ammo around separately.

Another idea was a Human Lich Artificer, who’s lich body and “rite of dread” was more Frankenstein/mad-science/mad-alchemy-flavoured with forged reinforcements and the like, giving almost a half-golem or “medieval-flavoured cyborg”. However, the Lich requires 2nd level spells or an animal companion…would the Battlesmith’s Steel Defender count for the purposes of that last part, as otherwise Artificer would be waiting till level 4 to meet the spell requirement side.

 

Yes, you would need to be proficient in the weapon to materialize it though. You would also need to carry the ammo yourself. I will say that as a general rule, I only track special ammunition and assume you will have sufficient normal ammunition in a normal situation. Just be careful to protect your supply from both water and fire.

Yes, a steel defender would qualify for the lich phylactery variant.