Out of Character Chat

[Powderhorn]

In any game, I'm generally recruiting players instead of characters. If people want to make a new character entirely, that's entirely fine. I'm not running this as a hardcore style game, where everyone has to start at level 1, and in truth, I'm of a mind that if people want to simply refluff their characters and do levels previously taken a bit differently, I'm not opposed to that either - I might suggest doing that as a "Down time" activity - particularly if everyone wants to lay low for the winter which is coming.

[thesloth]

This would have been great for old man Hinson. The logical part of my mind desires some sort of reason why this would not have been active from character creation.

Could we re-skin this to something in your make up let's you develop this ability with intense mental training? It definitely looks like it would help us even the odds.

[8w_gremlin]

6 hours ago, Vladim said:

For what it's worth-which I suspect is probably not much-I like Koji. I think he's proven pretty useful in the group (maybe more so than Iphigenia, lol :) ) but even more importantly for me, it provides a nice contrast and low-key conflict in the group with his idealism and faith vs. some others' lack thereof. Which may play into some interesting themes down the line, especially seeing the direction the story is headed...

That being said, if you make a new PC, I'm looking forward to meeting them!

Thanks @Vladim 

I do worry about that a little, and wonder If I play it too much. I think I'll stick with it for now, and see if a new level-up will give me any options to take.
 

[Powderhorn]

Good call on experience - we should be gaining 3XP for adventuring. Uncertain if that brings us to a level off hand.

Similarly, uncertain if there are mechanics already in place for developing magical talents. If there are, we can use that, and if there aren't, I wonder if we can write a Foci for it?

[thesloth]

One of the mysteries we have yet to unravel is how magic works in this setting. Maybe we do need one more visit to the chamber. We could also ask why the dead don't stay dead.

We are mid-summer now correct? Based on the last winter onset (which was tough as I recall) how many months does Karadoon think we have before venturing out would be too dangerous for our tropically acclimated characters?

[Vladim]

13 minutes ago, thesloth said:

One of the mysteries we have yet to unravel is how magic works in this setting. Maybe we do need one more visit to the chamber. We could also ask why the dead don't stay dead.

We are mid-summer now correct? Based on the last winter onset (which was tough as I recall) how many months does Karadoon think we have before venturing out would be too dangerous for our tropically acclimated characters?

Iphigenia actually asked a bit about that-because she was hoping to use the undead as allies-and got a semi-answer (well, a cryptic one at least).

She also asked about the draguns but the Oracle knew nothing about them (it only suggested to use them as mounts if we could). So the draguns must be a "recent" development.

I'll see if I can add the info in my next IC post.

[8w_gremlin]

Yeah, I was trying to find out about what happened, and how we should proceed, Koji not the brightest perhaps.

interesting about the Dragons, but what the war has been on pause for how long?

I think we're at 3rd level, so half way to 4th (9xp), is that right?

Edited April 22 by 8w_gremlin (see edit history)

[thesloth]

7 hours ago, Vladim said:

Iphigenia actually asked a bit about that-because she was hoping to use the undead as allies-and got a semi-answer (well, a cryptic one at least).

She also asked about the draguns but the Oracle knew nothing about them (it only suggested to use them as mounts if we could). So the draguns must be a "recent" development.

I'll see if I can add the info in my next IC post.

If you got undead answers don't be holding out. This issue has vexed Karadoon mightily.

As has the concept of sharks. Have you seen these things? They follow the boats around waiting to swallow up humans. The ocean is crazy.....

[Powderhorn]

Thinking out loud here, how do we feel about a Foci that looks like this:

The Dusting of Magic

Gain One Effort. Choose a magical tradition.
At Foci Level 1: Choose one art from your chosen magical tradition. Commit Effort for 1 day to use this art.
At Foci Level 2: Choose a second art from your chosen magical tradition. Commit Effort for 1 day to use this art.

 

[Powderhorn]

10 hours ago, thesloth said:

We are mid-summer now correct? Based on the last winter onset (which was tough as I recall) how many months does Karadoon think we have before venturing out would be too dangerous for our tropically acclimated characters?

We are late summer, and just about into early fall. It will swap over at the 90 day mark (figuring 3 months per season). Conveniently, a year in this setting is 360 days exactly, which someone should have thought of when they were setting up the meat space.

You probably have about a month and a half before it's likely too dangerous to travel. Mid-Fall -> Spring is not impossible to campaign in, but there would likely be a lot of survival-type rolls and the like to not get Valley Forged.

[Powderhorn]

21 hours ago, 8w_gremlin said:

Thanks @Vladim 

I do worry about that a little, and wonder If I play it too much. I think I'll stick with it for now, and see if a new level-up will give me any options to take.
 

I also rather like Brother Koji - but I am entirely OK with you refluffing some skills / abilities to more closely match what the campaign has become.

[matt_s]

i'm trying really hard not to use the phrases "cutting off way" or "with zeal and with bayonets only" in character hah.

but i will say the sacking of the outpost is a good in-universe example of "the cutting off way of war" - an isolated outpost is deliberately attacked and overrun by storm and destroyed, and the attackers retreat afterwards having created buffer space between their territory and "ours".

that Foci is probably fine, just might want to give a once-over the actual selections to avoid any weirdness and also avoid any level-gated arts. The expending effort bit is a tad weird as many arts to use them also require effort but those tend to be the potent ones like a spell like effect to stun the target or to grant the entire party temporary flight.

Generally speaking though one Foci pick is worth a lot more than a single art. If I decided that i hate spellcasters and i wanted to power game i'd just pick up nullfier and snap attack the casters aggressively every combat.

 

[Powderhorn]

No comment on the happenings in-game. Weirdly, I have that book right next to me as we speak...

The rough intent behind doing the foci in such a manner was to design a way to dip very gently, and at great cost, into the magic-user realm. That was why at best, you would have two arts (which are supposed to be less potent than high-magic spells), and you can only use one per day, full-stop. I don't think any arts are level-gated, but the intent would be to avoid any that happened to be that I'm not seeing on a quick look.

[matt_s]

7 minutes ago, Powderhorn said:

I don't think any arts are level-gated, but the intent would be to avoid any that happened to be that I'm not seeing on a quick look.

the mageslayer arts in the atlas splatbook (and the SRD) are, maybe some others.

Suppress Magic high mage art is basically extirpate arcana on an art.

I doubt there's anything too broken though because you can already go warrior/mage dual classing.

[8w_gremlin]

Which book should I be looking at / Not looking at?

Choose New Foci Finally, the PC might be eligible to pick an additional level in a Focus. At levels 2, 5, 7, and 10 a PC can add a level to an existing Focus or pick up the first level in a new Focus.

doesn't look like we'll be able to get a new foci until 5 which is a while away. were 3xp short of 4th

Edited April 23 by 8w_gremlin (see edit history)