Character Creation Q&A

[dalamb]

Tanya is Conscript 6 | Scholar 6 but is going with Scout rather than Alchemy. Scholar's medical class features make her a backup for Doc; I didn't want to overlap too much but it's inevitable. Conscript give a lot of talents, and I've been having some trouble figuring out what I want with the last few, and also with the feats, but I hope to get things resolved by Sunday night.

[Arklytte]

Doc is a specialist healer, with a majority of his focus on Healing (and harming) with Alchemy and the Heal skill.  Having someone who's a backup healer (basically a nurse to Doc's...erm...doc) is definitely not a bad thing.  For one thing, if Doc is the one who gets grievously wounded, he'll need someone to stitch him back together.  For another, being able to work on multiple patients simultaneously is a good thing too.  🙂

 

Doc's got some Scout skills, but they're definitely not a focus.  So we kinda back each other up.  😄

 

One thing Doc is most definitely NOT is a main line fighter.  He can fight, and he carries around a shotgun (which he can use quite well), but he's going to be more focused on buffing/debuffing, and, to a lesser extent, crowd control.  It'll be up to ass kickers like Tanya to take out the majority of the baddies.

Edited June 11, 2022 by Arklytte (see edit history)

[dalamb]

I'm about a level 3 Spheres user - fairly familiar with a few spheres, ignorant of many others. I've taken a few talents I understand, but am exploring the Warleader shouts and think I've picked some useful ones (2nd message in my thread) - but a look by someone who is more of an expert would help. I have from 1 to 6 talents left depending on how many Conscript bonus combat feats and general feats I dedicate to Extra Combat Talent.

 

Is anyone using the Tech sphere, or, are there Tech talents they don't have that it would be useful to the team to have?

[Djacob91]

Martin is fairly invested in the Tech Sphere. I don't have long range comms or the various forms of enhancement bonus that you can pick up. Although, being a Technician (Rigger) I can pick up talents in a Marial Flexibility like fashion, though the timing is 15mins to grab something random.

[dalamb]

Is there something you'd like Tanya to take that you don't already have?

[Djacob91]

I have a couple of thoughts on talents to pick up. Of course, these are mere thoughts/suggests so feel free to ignore/disagree as you see fit.

 

Out of the Tech Sphere, the two in particular that could be useful would be Tutor and Auto Injector. Tutor would give you a +6 bonus to one skill. Auto Injector allows you to put in something potion like, which includes Alchemy Sphere stuff, in advance and then use it as a Swift Action later. Comm Set and Extreme Distance Communication wouldn't be a bad idea for someone to have, but I can fake it out to medium range so not a needed thing.

 

Out of the other spheres, Archery Bash or Gun Kata out of the Equipment Sphere can give you a melee option in case you feel the need for it. From Warleader, I'd probably pick up some Tactics, mainly because they use Move Actions, which tend to be easier to spend as Spheres in general is very Standard Action heavy. The trio of save boosting talents, or the AC one, could be nice if nothing else.

[dalamb]

Thanks! A lot of the tactics looked very melee-oriented; I guess I should ask: how much do we expect to be out of the tank?

[Paxon]

2 hours ago, dalamb said:

Thanks! A lot of the tactics looked very melee-oriented; I guess I should ask: how much do we expect to be out of the tank?

That may be up to individuals a bit, as I expect a lot of battles will have the possibility of staying in or stepping out of the tank. But you'll definitely want to account for combat out of it. I'm going to try to run a good mix of encounters. Some, staying inside the tank will clearly be best option. Some, you will have to exit the tank and take care of things on-foot. Others will be mixed unit tactics. My best guess is going to be about 60/40 balance of combat turns outside/inside the tank (and again, results will vary based on your build and position you tend to occupy). 

[Djacob91]

Actually, interesting point of clarification, the Tank counts as an ally for the purposes of abilities and such as I understand it. So, things like Warleader Tactics should work on it as an ally, right? Presuming that we are driving it of course. 

[Paxon]

4 hours ago, Djacob91 said:

Actually, interesting point of clarification, the Tank counts as an ally for the purposes of abilities and such as I understand it. So, things like Warleader Tactics should work on it as an ally, right? Presuming that we are driving it of course. 

In general, yeah. For the most part, the PCs make the rolls anyway, the tank isn't making many rolls for itself so those kinds of bonuses don't do much for it. I'll also limit it to effects that seem reasonable. The only one I see off a quick initial glance that might be problematic is something like Shieldbrothers, for which I wouldn't give the tank an AC bonus for being adjacent to a PC (they're always technically adjacent, or rather, inside, but it doesn't make sense for a PC to provide the tank an AC bonus in that way). I would probably allow it if it was next to an allied vehicle though, or I would probably allow the PC to receive the AC bonus being adjacent to (and outside of) the tank. I'll be a bit stringent on giving the tank AC bonuses through Aid Another as well. But giving the tank a speed boost through Courier's Dash seems reasonable, for instance. 

[Demented]

Using maintenances on the tank would be interesting.  I don't know if it counts as an object for the purposes of of Heavy-Duty reinforcement, but the hardness boon would be amazing.  Armor Maintenance is another that would be nice, but I don't know if it would technically work.  Sharpen Weapons is an obvious choice, but since I don't think the machine guns count as weapons, only the main gun would benefit.  Cobbling would be good for going cross-country.

 

Would you allow a Profession (Raider) to ID traditions and spheres like soldier or bodyguard?  It fits my backstory better, and it's basically like a soldier without as much respect for property rights.

 

Also, by RAW non-siege ranged weapons do half damage to objects.  The anti-armor rockets and grenades should have a full damage to objects clause put in their descriptions or else be stunningly ineffective at their intended roles.  Maybe the heavy sniper rifle too, since it looks like it's supposed to be a .50-caliber anti-materiel rifle, although it might need to be balanced by adding a requirement for support or a high STR score to fire.

[Paxon]

On 6/12/2022 at 12:26 PM, Demented said:

Would you allow a Profession (Raider) to ID traditions and spheres like soldier or bodyguard?  It fits my backstory better, and it's basically like a soldier without as much respect for property rights.

Yeah, that makes sense, I would allow that and similar profession rolls appropriate to the setting.

On 6/12/2022 at 12:26 PM, Demented said:

Also, by RAW non-siege ranged weapons do half damage to objects.  The anti-armor rockets and grenades should have a full damage to objects clause put in their descriptions or else be stunningly ineffective at their intended roles.  Maybe the heavy sniper rifle too, since it looks like it's supposed to be a .50-caliber anti-materiel rifle, although it might need to be balanced by adding a requirement for support or a high STR score to fire.

That also makes sense, at the very least the rockets/grenades should do the full damage. I'll make sure that is added into the description. I'm going to have to consider the heavy sniper a bit. It may need to be paired with a special ammo type (for game balance, not reality exactly) in order to do so. Of course there is also a Sniper sphere talent that does that.

Edited June 13, 2022 by Paxon (see edit history)

[Steel Warrior]

Note: I wasn't made aware of this until this morning.

New Sphere-Specific Drawback

 

Tank Focus

You may take this drawback related to any martial sphere. This sphere and any talents in it are not available for personal use by your character. Instead, you may only use this sphere when interfacing with the tank (as when you are using the Crew's talents). You gain an extra combat talent in the sphere you apply this to as normal. You may take this drawback for multiple spheres. 


I am curious about the above. I understand the wording that allows players to take this drawback to gain 1 extra combat talent that only applies when operating the tank, but I do think it should be limited by level perhaps. Like have it works similar to Combat Training. Proficient, Adept or Expert. So if you tell us, you can use Tank Focus Expert: 1/character level, Adept: 3/4 Character level, or Proficient: 1/2 character level.
It's a thought, since you already allow us to use our current talents while working the tank, this is just icing on the cake.

Edited June 15, 2022 by Steel Warrior (see edit history)

[PigLickJF]

The way it's worded, it's not just the extra talent that can only be used while interfacing with the tank, it's the entire sphere. The Tank will of course be the primary focus of the game, but he's recently mentioned a roughly 60/40 split for tank vs. non-tank activity, so losing an entire sphere for roughly 40% of the game activity is a pretty significant limitation.

[Steel Warrior]

Ah, so pretty much you not only spend one of your normal talents, it can only be used for the tank, as a 2:1 exchange
guess I won't be using it then.

My character's focus is for outside the tank, protect/deal with other ground forces the tank may not have an option to, or other vehicles for multiple targets etc.
Got my movement speed up that allows me to do so easily.

Finally we are new recruits, are we not? Not all of us would assume we would actually end up being in a Tank team.

Although that might make for good RP during gameplay as we learn how to use the tank

Edited June 15, 2022 by Steel Warrior (see edit history)