Character Creation Q&A

[Steel Warrior]

I just wanted to bring up something I read about the repair feature.
Repair: A Tamed Machine does not heal on its own. However, as long as you have access to an Artisan's Toolkit or Engineering Kit, you may work to slowly repair the construct. You may spend an hour performing maintenance and then leave it inoperative in self repair mode. For every 8 hours it spends in this mode, it gains back 1 hit point per HD. You may more quickly repair a Tamed Machine using a Craft (Mechanical) with a DC of 15 plus the HD of the construct, and spending 100gp in materials per HD. This repairs 1d6 hit points per HD, and takes 8 hours of work.

It seems a bit steep if you think about it. 100 gp/HD to repair something.

There is the Field Repair feat, would this apply to the above?
I ask cause well, my character is obviously part construct 😛

Edited June 4, 2022 by Steel Warrior (see edit history)

[Paxon]

On 6/3/2022 at 2:31 AM, Arklytte said:

If I have a class feature that gives me a free MW weapon, would I be able to pay the difference between MW and GM (900GP) to bump it to Grand Master (or even Exquisite, if I can afford it)?  Or would I still have to pay the full price for the upgraded weapon?

 

Also, have you had time to sit down and math out whether or not the Beanbag rounds I proposed were reasonable/feasible?

 

Also also, the Scholar's Knack Trick Arrows - given the setting, could we use that Knack to turn our flashbangs into impromptu pistol/rifle/shotgun grenades and launch them with a gun? Or would that be too OTT?

Yeah, just deduct the cost of the 1st level MW weapon from the final cost

 

I haven't yet figured out exactly what the effect of beanbag rounds will be, but I would like to integrate them in some way. If you want to earmark costs there, using the cost of rubber bullets, we'll make sure to figure it out before we begin.

 

I think they would really have to be a projectile large enough to feasibly affix flashbangs to, so regular bullets don't really work. I would allow combo-ing them with beanbag rounds once we figure out exact effect, and they could of course be fired along with - or in lieu of - grenades. I could even see adapting them to be their own kind of rounds, but it might take a "reloading" action to get them in the gun, then firing them as you would any other attack action. 

10 hours ago, Steel Warrior said:

Sorry if I missed this question if it was asked earlier. Can we assume Retraining is an option?
If so, would the cost of retraining be different since wealth levels are different for this game?

Unless stated otherwise, retraining costs gp equal to 10 × your level × the number of days required to retrain.
So retraining a feat would be like 10x5x5 = 250 gp (10 x 5th level x 5 days for feats)

I was thinking of retraining some talents for 5th/6th level. Of course as long as I still meet the requirements of the talent.

 

I also did not see a siege weapon talent in the Spheres of Might equipment list.
I am thinking for equipment like larger cannons or even a big flame thrower that fire on the back of the tank. Or trying to escape another vehicle, we open the back hatch and then the barrel of a cannon is suddenly facing the enemy.

Finally, would something like Dragon Ball Capsule Corp gear exist. Drop a capsule and suddenly we got ourselves a small car or bike, cannon or gattling gun.
I am sure something like that would be in the tech sphere lol.

I'll have no problem with retraining and we can figure out a cost that is in line with the particular economy of this game. But retraining is simply for well into play, isn't it? There is no retraining to do now, since you just choose the options you want as you build your character right now. Or am I missing something there? I admit I haven't actually used retraining before.

 

For siege weapons, if you build something new onto the tank (accomplished through the technician class, and I'll make sure there are expanded custom options for that as we get into play), the crew will be automatically proficient with it. Outside of that, you'll need to take an exotic weapon proficiency feat for a siege weapon you want to use (from there you can take the Siege Engineer feat to be proficient in all.

 

That Dragon Ball Capsule is a good idea, I may steel it for lootable item 🙂 But not at the beginning of the game.

[Paxon]

9 hours ago, Steel Warrior said:

I just wanted to bring up something I read about the repair feature.
Repair: A Tamed Machine does not heal on its own. However, as long as you have access to an Artisan's Toolkit or Engineering Kit, you may work to slowly repair the construct. You may spend an hour performing maintenance and then leave it inoperative in self repair mode. For every 8 hours it spends in this mode, it gains back 1 hit point per HD. You may more quickly repair a Tamed Machine using a Craft (Mechanical) with a DC of 15 plus the HD of the construct, and spending 100gp in materials per HD. This repairs 1d6 hit points per HD, and takes 8 hours of work.

It seems a bit steep if you think about it. 100 gp/HD to repair something.

There is the Field Repair feat, would this apply to the above?
I ask cause well, my character is obviously part construct 😛

Well that cost is only for the fast repairing option. You can let it "heal itself" over time, like resting. 

 

The mechanic I listed there was only for these Wild/Tamed machines, and simply meant to be a solution around using mechanical animal companions but still treating them like machines. To get a cost like that, I checked out how expensive it was to repair something using the Craft Construct feat (pretty expensive).

 

For your PC, did you take an option that makes you officially a construct? If you aren't altered in that way according to game mechanics, healing will simply act as normal for you (healing your biological parts, and your mechanical bits take care of themselves though some latent nanotech or something)

[Niblooey]

Are modernized ring-bayonets an option? The sort that exists in Pathfinder are modeled off the older style bayonets, where you plug it up the muzzle, so it prevents you from shooting while it's on.

Bayonet Stats

Bayonet [https://aonprd.com/EquipmentWeaponsDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Bayonet]
Cost 5gp Weight 1lb.
Damage 1d4 (small), 1d6 (medium); Critical x2; Range —; Type P; Special —
Category Two-Handed; Proficiency Simple; Weapon Groups Light Blades, Close
Bayonets are close combat weapons designed to fit into the grooves or muzzles of crossbows and firearms. They allow you to make melee attacks with these weapons but render them temporarily useless as ranged weapons. Attaching or removing a bayonet is a move action.

Just to make sure, is Deft Maneuvers supposed to have the benefits of Improved Feint? Where you can use it as a Move action, but it grants no bonuses to Feint checks? You mixed it in with the combat maneuvers. Also, is the Firearms weapon group is still a thing, with Heavy Weapons as their own weapon group? Realized I was assuming that's how it worked when you never specified that. Would stuff like Weapon Focus (Heavy Weapons) also apply to handheld grenades?

I guess an idea I have for an Armor/Shield upgrade is one that negates the ACP for a single type of skill (or subset of one), like Climb or Stealth or Swim. Like the Buoyant enchantment, but generalized.

[Djacob91]

I was looking through the new equipment list and I had a couple of questions. Some of the items require batteries to use, and I was wondering if Tech Sphere Batteries would work or would you need to use the listed batteries? 

Would the Tech Sphere Generator be considered an acceptable power source? If yes, would it charge at the listed rate for the batteries or the rate listed for the Generator?

Also, what would it take to plug a battery into the tank directly? I would presume that we could rig up some kind of adapter from the tank's system to a normal battery.

[Arklytte]

11 hours ago, Paxon said:

Yeah, just deduct the cost of the 1st level MW weapon from the final cost

Sweet. Thanks!

11 hours ago, Paxon said:

I haven't yet figured out exactly what the effect of beanbag rounds will be, but I would like to integrate them in some way. If you want to earmark costs there, using the cost of rubber bullets, we'll make sure to figure it out before we begin.

No worries. Mostly I just wondered if it was plausible. Now that I know it's on the table, I'm definitely setting cash aside for it. 🙂

11 hours ago, Paxon said:

I think they would really have to be a projectile large enough to feasibly affix flashbangs to, so regular bullets don't really work. I would allow combo-ing them with beanbag rounds once we figure out exact effect, and they could of course be fired along with - or in lieu of - grenades. I could even see adapting them to be their own kind of rounds, but it might take a "reloading" action to get them in the gun, then firing them as you would any other attack action. 

More than fair.  I was thinking of them as sort of 'shotgun grenades'. A shotgun shell is a reasonable size for a flashbang; it fires with less velocity than a rifle round, so the simple act of firing it wouldn't obliterate the flashbang in the barrel; and it would be pretty easy to load/reload.

 

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

 

Speaking of guns/ammo, is it a requirement to have the Gunsmithing feat for making guns/ammo (mostly ammo)?  Or can it be done with Craft (Weapons)?  I know Gunsmithing lets you do it without a check, but couldn't you do it with Craft with a check?  I ask because I really want Doc to be able to make ammo, and I'm going to try and figure out how to make Alchemical shotgun rounds, dammit!   NVM, turns out that the Firearm Proficiency (Discipline) gives you Gunsmithing as a bonus. 🙂

 

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

 

Speaking of crafting, I took the Brew Stable Formulae feat (allow one to make Formulae from the Alchemy sphere that last til used, rather than 1 day).  I know we cant do normal pre-game crafting, but if I were to pay full price for them (rather than the lower Crafting price), could I be assumed to have whipped up a few before game start?

Edited June 5, 2022 by Arklytte (see edit history)

[PigLickJF]

General question here, and one that usually comes up especially in Gestalt games, are we using fractional BAB/save progression?

[Arklytte]

Since Crafting will be a thing for this game, and since it's unlikely that we'll have a whole week-long block of time to set aside just to Craft items, would you be amenable to using the Alternate Crafting Rules?

Edited June 5, 2022 by Arklytte (see edit history)

[Paxon]

On 6/5/2022 at 1:15 AM, PigLickJF said:

General question here, and one that usually comes up especially in Gestalt games, are we using fractional BAB/save progression?

Yes, fractional progression is in effect.

On 6/5/2022 at 5:43 AM, Arklytte said:

Since Crafting will be a thing for this game, and since it's unlikely that we'll have a whole week-long block of time to set aside just to Craft items, would you be amenable to using the Alternate Crafting Rules?

Yes, I think the alternative crafting rules are a good way to go for a game on the move. I'll likely alot a little bit of daily crafting progression while the crew is on-the-move in the tank, if it isn't through extra dangerous territory. I.e. if we fast-forward a day of travel, I'll let you know how many crafting hours you can reasonably apply.

 

On 6/5/2022 at 12:09 AM, Arklytte said:

Speaking of crafting, I took the Brew Stable Formulae feat (allow one to make Formulae from the Alchemy sphere that last til used, rather than 1 day).  I know we cant do normal pre-game crafting, but if I were to pay full price for them (rather than the lower Crafting price), could I be assumed to have whipped up a few before game start?

Yes, I think I gave a similar answer earlier in the Q&A around permanent crafted tech items, you can pay the full price cost to acquire an item at the outset of the game.

[Arklytte]

5 hours ago, Paxon said:

Yes, I think the alternative crafting rules are a good way to go for a game on the move. I'll likely alot a little bit of daily crafting progression while the crew is on-the-move in the tank, if it isn't through extra dangerous territory. I.e. if we fast-forward a day of travel, I'll let you know how many crafting hours you can reasonably apply.

Cool. 🙂  I dont know about anyone else, but Doc can make good use of downtime to keep the group well supplied with various Alchemical items.  Plus, I would imagine that most of the team will have Gunsmithing, so we can keep ourselves in bullets as well.

 

5 hours ago, Paxon said:

Yes, I think I gave a similar answer earlier in the Q&A around permanent crafted tech items, you can pay the full price cost to acquire an item at the outset of the game.

Sweet! Thanks. 🙂

[Arklytte]

5 hours ago, Paxon said:

Yes, fractional progression is in effect.

I hate fractional progression.  For some reason, I just cant wrap my head around the fractional rules.

 

And, since I almost never multiclass, but I do play a lot of gestalt games, I never know if it makes any sort of difference in my saves.

 

I'm playing an Alchemist | Scholar, 6 levels of each.  Alchemist gets +5/+5/+2 and Scholar gets +2/+5/+5, so I just put +5/+5/+5 on my sheet.  Is that correct?  If anyone would be willing to help me out, I'd appreciate it.

[Steel Warrior]

5 hours ago, Arklytte said:

I hate fractional progression.  For some reason, I just cant wrap my head around the fractional rules.

 

And, since I almost never multiclass, but I do play a lot of gestalt games, I never know if it makes any sort of difference in my saves.

 

I'm playing an Alchemist | Scholar, 6 levels of each.  Alchemist gets +5/+5/+2 and Scholar gets +2/+5/+5, so I just put +5/+5/+5 on my sheet.  Is that correct?  If anyone would be willing to help me out, I'd appreciate it.

For saves that is correct. Since you aren't actually multiclassing on one side or the other, you just get the flat best of the two.

I know I had seen some GM's double the good bonus  if both sides of the gestalt offered a good save or dual good BAB, but that may be overboard.
It would look like BAB: +3, Saves: +5/+8/+5 for example, while a Fighter/Barb 6 would look like BAB +8, Saves: +8/+3/+3

My character can help with some things. Craft Mechanical 10, Tattoos 10, Use Technology 7 and speaks 7 modern (2022) languages.

Now, when it comes to optimizing, I am not that great, I like making my character theme build, but I have seen players do some mean damage, like 1d4+15 at 3rd or 6th level.

Edited June 7, 2022 by Steel Warrior (see edit history)

[Arklytte]

Thanks SW. 🙂 I've seen people end up with higher than base saves somehow, when using the fractional rules, and it always confuses the heck out of me.  That's why I never use them in my games.  I appreciate the heads up though.

 

Since 'half' of Doc is a Scholar, he gets TONS of skill points. And he's primarily INT based, so, again, a crapton of skills.  I went with Craft: Alchemy (of course), and Craft: Leather.  Given the setting, I figure he can make trade goods from leather, clothes, armour, gear, even a couple weapons (whips, for example) etc, all from leather. Can even just sell stuff for 'cash', since leather is going to be a plentiful resource.  Plus I took the Harvest Parts feat, which lets him take resources directly from things we kill and use them for Crafting.  If wont make us rich, but it will definitely help offset the cost of making stuff.  He probably wont sell much of his Alchemical stuff, though, since I took the Oath of Offerings, I'm thinking I can make lots of basic healing stuff and give it away to villages we pass through, and that can count as part of his Oath, and also, just a good deed for him, since he's trying to atone for his rather awful past.  Plus, that helps with the Oath of Honour (Tanker's Code).  So, win/win/win.  😄

 

Having Craft: Tattoos is cool.  It's something he can trade for cash or goods as well.  And, of course, he can give us lots of cool tats to commemorate our battles and whatnot.  🙂

 

Heh...I dont actually try to optimize, but when it comes to Spheres characters, I know the system, and the various power/talent interactions well enough, sometimes I make my characters too powerful, completely unintentionally, just because there are some talents I just naturally take for every character, simply because they're that good.

 

With Doc, however, I dont know the Alchemy system at all...I've literally never used it for a character in the past, so it's all a learning experience.  His damage isn't crazy high...his best weapon is his Shotgun, which does 1d10+6.  He has a couple other options (flashbangs, poison, formulae), but we'll have to see how he stacks up against the other PC's.

[Steel Warrior]

To be honest, fractional rules are supposed to reduce pun pun.

So like Monk 1, Fighter 1, Ranger 1, Cleric 1, people used to add the +2 bonus every time they started a new class that a good save.
So the player would have Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +4.

 

Fractional Saves would be: Monk 1 (1/2), (1/2), (1/2), Fighter 1 (1/2), (1/3), (1/3), Ranger 1 (1/2), (1/2), (1/3), Cleric 1(1/2), (1/3), (1/2). You add the +2 Bonus only once per good save. It would look like this: Fort: 2+2, Ref: 1 2/3 +2, Will: 1 2/3+2

So Fractional would be more accurate Fort: 4, Reflex 3, Will 3

 

It also hurt classes with medium or poor bab.
Without Fractional BAB a Rogue 1, Cleric 1, Wizard 1, Sorcerer 1, would still have BAB +0 at 4th level without fractional saves.
 

In this case Fractional BAB is cumulative.
Rogue 1 (3/4), Cleric 1 (3/4), Wizard 1 (1/2), Sorcerer 1 (1/2) = BAB: 2 1/2 (2 rounded down) at 4th.

It was like that in D&D 3.5, until UA introduced fractional BAB and Saves.
 

Edited June 7, 2022 by Steel Warrior (see edit history)

[Paxon]

Sorry, I missed these ones before:
 

On 6/4/2022 at 3:54 PM, Niblooey said:

Are modernized ring-bayonets an option? The sort that exists in Pathfinder are modeled off the older style bayonets, where you plug it up the muzzle, so it prevents you from shooting while it's on.

Bayonet Stats

Bayonet [https://aonprd.com/EquipmentWeaponsDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Bayonet]
Cost 5gp Weight 1lb.
Damage 1d4 (small), 1d6 (medium); Critical x2; Range —; Type P; Special —
Category Two-Handed; Proficiency Simple; Weapon Groups Light Blades, Close
Bayonets are close combat weapons designed to fit into the grooves or muzzles of crossbows and firearms. They allow you to make melee attacks with these weapons but render them temporarily useless as ranged weapons. Attaching or removing a bayonet is a move action.

Just to make sure, is Deft Maneuvers supposed to have the benefits of Improved Feint? Where you can use it as a Move action, but it grants no bonuses to Feint checks? You mixed it in with the combat maneuvers. Also, is the Firearms weapon group is still a thing, with Heavy Weapons as their own weapon group? Realized I was assuming that's how it worked when you never specified that. Would stuff like Weapon Focus (Heavy Weapons) also apply to handheld grenades?

I guess an idea I have for an Armor/Shield upgrade is one that negates the ACP for a single type of skill (or subset of one), like Climb or Stealth or Swim. Like the Buoyant enchantment, but generalized.

Bayonets: Yes, perfectly acceptable to mount a bayonet under the barrel instead of in it. You can also modernize an axe musket or dagger pistol, using whatever combination of firearm and melee weapon makes sense, treating them as a double weapon for MW purposes as those do. 

Deft Maneuver Feint: No, deft maneuvers just adds +2 to feint like the maneuvers it's grouped with (I know feint isn't an actual combat maneuver and some DMs using EITR uncouple it again from deft maneuvers. I'm fine with it staying grouped with this set of maneuvers.) And Deft Maneuvers can act as a prerequisite for anything requiring Improved Feint. However, if you want to feint as a move action you'll still need to pick up Improved Feint feat or the Fast Feint fencing talent. 

Upgrade: Interesting idea, and not out of line with other masterwork upgrades in terms of advantage. I would probably be open to negotiating some custom upgrades as players start to craft things. 

 

 

On 6/4/2022 at 10:16 PM, Djacob91 said:

I was looking through the new equipment list and I had a couple of questions. Some of the items require batteries to use, and I was wondering if Tech Sphere Batteries would work or would you need to use the listed batteries? 

Would the Tech Sphere Generator be considered an acceptable power source? If yes, would it charge at the listed rate for the batteries or the rate listed for the Generator?

Also, what would it take to plug a battery into the tank directly? I would presume that we could rig up some kind of adapter from the tank's system to a normal battery.

Yes, you can use tech sphere batteries to power modern equipment that requires a power source. I used tech sphere batteries as a little bit of a basis, and also wanted to ensure tech sphere batteries were superior. You can charge the rechargeable batteries with a tech sphere generator, but they charge at their listed rate (so the generator is outputting charges much faster than stock batteries can take them). You'll be able to plug batteries into the tank directly. In fact, I would set up some Craft (mechanical/electronics) DCs to do so, but I'm sure enough PCs are going to have high enough scores in at least Craft (mechanical) and doing so would basically be a take 20 task, that it wouldn't even be worth throwing up that barrier. So yeah, you can rig it up for the stock batteries to recharge from the power the tank generates.