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[Shoruke]

I find that encounters with lots of hp are only really fun when pitted against parties with high DPS. Against parties who focus on versatility (ours, for instance, with our batch of low-level rogues and the pack of psions), you want encounters that are quirky. You know, enemies that fly or make use of magical darkness or light sections of the floor on fire.

[King_of_the_weasels]

I can deal up to 1d4+2+2d6+1d6+1d6 damage... so 1d4+4d6+2... 7-30 damage... and that 1d4 is bumped to 1d8 if I use my long sword (which also bumps ups the 2 to a 3.) so... 8-35 with my longsword?  Damn that's a huge jump, and somewhat situational.

[Shoruke]

Hrmmm... Red, how do you feel about skill retraining? (PHB II, pages 192 & 194)
I might need to take some points out of UMD or something and put them into Gather Information to take any levels in Shadowbane Stalker any time soon (without sticking myself with a 20% exp penalty for awkward multiclassing, anyway...)

[RAM]

A 5th-level half-orc barbarian with a +1 greatsword and a +2 strength gauntlet can deal 2d6+1+(26/2-5)*1.5+5*2=25-35 but their attack bonus would be only nine.

[King_of_the_weasels]

A 5th-level half-orc barbarian with a +1 greatsword and a +2 strength gauntlet can deal 2d6+1+(26/2-5)*1.5+5*2=25-35 but their attack bonus would be only nine.

Not to mention I have nothing of magic that increases my damage or chance to hit, and i'm just puny human doing my damage with a tiny knife.

[RedWarrior0]

Hrmmm... Red, how do you feel about skill retraining? (PHB II, pages 192 & 194)
I might need to take some points out of UMD or something and put them into Gather Information to take any levels in Shadowbane Stalker any time soon (without sticking myself with a 20% exp penalty for awkward multiclassing, anyway...)

I have an alternative... However, it may cost up to 150 XP and 1030 gold (or appropriate substitute), depending on how many levels ago you spent the UMD skill points. I presume your first level was Archivist, in which case you probably put some points into UMD then...

[Shoruke]

Actually, my first level was in rogue (thus explaining why I had enough skill points to put a rank in so many trained-only skills =P).
I don't get where all the monetary cost comes from (probably from asking the manifester to pay experience, I suppose, but I don't know where that price calculation is), but if that's the only way to go through retraining, I suppose I should...

Also, we should get some teamwork training in when we get back to travelling using the wagon.
-Door Procedures can be situationally useful, and the requirements are easy to meet, but people tend to get annoyed by "hey come here I want to check this door"
-Friendly Fire Evasion is interesting, but it would require almost everyone to put a cross-classs rank in spellcraft, and- this is the key downside- involves shooting offensive spells at allies
-Group Trance would be AWESOME since we're apparently in danger of nighttime attacks; if we have one elf available, we can have the casters sleep for 8 hours while the fighters organize themselves into 2 shifts of four hours. (the problem is, we don't have enough warriors...)
-Infiltration would be good to have for situations just like the one we had last session, where we're all sneaking around an enemy base. And with the Dwarven clan wars starting up, that might just happen again.
-Invisibility Sweep could be useful, I suppose, if we end up fighting a lot of invisible enemies and someone is willing to take Blindfight... at least it has no prerequisites for membership.
-Massed Charge would be interesting if we had more characters who could do interesting things with charging actions... I suppose we'd all be doing a flanking charge, with Island of Blades stance on... but it requires a lot of ranks in balance, which a lot of people just don't have any spare ranks for.
-Search Team might be interesting for looking for loot very fast, I've got max ranks in search if anyone cares...
-Snap Out Of It is rather situational, but I think most of us have at least 1 rank in concentration, and it will help long-lasting mind-affecting powers that hit us...
-Spell Barrage would be more useful if we used more offensive spells/powers/maneuvers, and Red decides that magic and psionics are completely interchangeable here
-Superior Flank isn't too great for us, due to Island of Blades stance
-Team Rush would be somewhat useful if we had a monk or barbarian in the group (dammit Syelyi), or a PC horse with ranks in Survival...
-Team Shield Maneuver would be more useful if more of us had shields... I have a buckler, does that count? But someone would still need to take Shield Specialization, so... meh.

I recommend Group Trance, myself. Having everyone recover all their spells and powers every day is important.

[RedWarrior0]

I was using the price of a spell, since there is some small psi-magic transparency. Spell/power level * caster level/power points used * 10 plus 5 gp per XP point cost of the spell/power gives 280 plus a multiple of 125 up to your level.


EDITUS: Comments noted.

EDITUS SECUNDUS: Good quantity of exposition on the world that may or may not be relevant in the future. I don't know yet.

Spoiler: The Dwarven Battalions: Overview (click to show/hide)

Surprisingly, the armies of the dwarven nation in the north and the individual clans are quite small. Because the nation proper goes to war relatively rarely, a standing army would be wasteful, but some military is needed lest the dwarves be conquered. Thus, there are a number of dwarven battalions, which act something like mercenary companies. All of the battalions but the Crystal Guard of Fort Citadel have loyalty to one of the three clans in particular; some, such as Clan Sankis's Hundred Hammers of the Sky, deal exclusively with their clan; most, such as Clan Urist's Stone of Winter, provide the bulk of their service to their clan and in peacetime hire some off to other clans; a few, such as Clan Morul's Nightwatch, deal more or less equally among the clans, but will give their clan a discount. All of the battalions will serve their clan exclusively if the patriarch pays a price, determined each quarter century. There are ten major battalions, and about thirty lesser battalions.

Spoiler: The Battalions of Clan Urist (click to show/hide)

The three major battalions in service to Clan Urist are the Stone of Winter, the Blood Brothers, and the North Wind.

The Stone of Winter is composed of about 3500 dwarves; there are six divisions of 500 dwarves each, in employ of Clan Urist, and two divisions of 250 each who sell to Fort Citadel and the other clans. The Stone defends the cities of the Northeast dwarves; Two divisions guard Nist Akath, while the other four guard the other main cities of the clan. Its soldiers fight in defensive formations such as phalanxes and rarely use offensive magic or counter-siege weapons, preferring instead to wear down an opponent's will to press the assault.

The North Wind is Clan Urist's main offensive weapon in wartime. It fights with precision techniques and short skirmishes in which it aims to minimize its own losses and maximize the foe's. Its force of roughly 2000 offers services primarily to Clan Urist and is currently employed exclusively by them.

The Blood Brothers form one of the oldest, most elite dwarven battalions. Limited to three hundred and often far below that, they more than make up for lack of numbers with an incredible combination of discipline and skill. They are an expensive group which is rarely kept in employ for extended periods, instead being hired for more dangerous missions.

Spoiler: The Battalions of Clan Morul (click to show/hide)

Associated with Clan Morul among the major battalions are the Nightwatch, the Inferno, and the Dragonbreakers.

The Nightwatch is a fairly small battalion dealing mainly with "special activities" and, to a lesser extent, asymmetrical warfare. They recruit exclusively from a lesser battalion which specializes in unconventional warfare and guerrilla tactics. The Nightwatch borders on mercenary, giving token discounts to Clan Morul but accepting all contracts unless their price has been payed.

In high contrast to the Nightwatch is the Fiery Legion of Dragonbreakers, commonly known simply as the Dragonbreakers. They are not as few as the Blood Brothers, but they still comprise one of the best and most honorable of the major battalions. They were formed from the soldiers who recovered Copperblazes from its former dragon inhabitant and occasionally fight dragons, but their name does not actually reflect their line of work. They number roughly 1200, and serve Clan Morul primarily as shock troops.

Finally, the Inferno is the largest of the battalions associated with clans, numbering almost 6500, almost all of whom are in hire by Clan Morul. It is widely known to operate on a "strength through numbers" principle, doing its best to overwhelm its foes by suffering a lower casualty percentage; consequently, it has a disproportionately high amount of in-class healing with which it maintains its superior numbers

Spoiler: Battalions of Clan Sankis (click to show/hide)

The three major battalions loyal to Clan Sankis are the Roots of the Mountains, the Hundred Hammers of the Sky, and the Stormlords.

The Roots of the Mountains are masters of subterranean combat. In addition, they are one of a very few outside groups who know the locations of any Troll cities, and of the even fewer groups on peaceful terms with them. As such, their relatively lackluster 800 dwarf force is augmented by 50 Troll Shamans and 100 Trolls and is currently not in the employ of any clan.

The Stormlords are the undisputed masters of the seas among dwarfkind, for they are the only major battalion to truly care. They have five fleets: A fleet of Ironclads abroad, three fleets of wood ships (with an Ironclad per five to ten ships each) which are often hired out to the other clans, and the Adamant Navy, which guards the Dwarven Sea. All five fleets use the expensive compound we would call gunpowder in their ships.

The Hundred Hammers of the Sky form the last battalion and provide Clan Sankis an advantage none of the other clans have. This elite (and elitist) group trains its recruits for years before they can become full members. It often has about ten trainees at a time, the most veteran of whom are "called up" if the battalion suffers deaths. They ride gryphons into combat from above and sell their services exclusively to Clan Sankis.

Spoiler: The Crystal Guard (click to show/hide)

 The Crystal Guard of Fort Citadel cannot truly be called a battalion, but it is often considered one. It does not sell services to the clans or to others, but rather acts as the closest thing to a unified dwarven army. All members of the Crystal Guard must, upon joining, swear two oaths: one to forever walk as a member of the Guard, and one to utterly reject his former clan, life, and deeds.

[King_of_the_weasels]

I was using the price of a spell, since there is some small psi-magic transparency. Spell/power level * caster level/power points used * 10 plus 5 gp per XP point cost of the spell/power gives 280 plus a multiple of 125 up to your level.


EDITUS: Comments noted.

EDITUS SECUNDUS: Good quantity of exposition on the world that may or may not be relevant in the future. I don't know yet.

Spoiler: The Dwarven Battalions: Overview (click to show/hide)

Surprisingly, the armies of the dwarven nation in the north and the individual clans are quite small. Because the nation proper goes to war relatively rarely, a standing army would be wasteful, but some military is needed lest the dwarves be conquered. Thus, there are a number of dwarven battalions, which act something like mercenary companies. All of the battalions but the Crystal Guard of Fort Citadel have loyalty to one of the three clans in particular; some, such as Clan Sankis's Hundred Hammers of the Sky, deal exclusively with their clan; most, such as Clan Urist's Stone of Winter, provide the bulk of their service to their clan and in peacetime hire some off to other clans; a few, such as Clan Morul's Nightwatch, deal more or less equally among the clans, but will give their clan a discount. All of the battalions will serve their clan exclusively if the patriarch pays a price, determined each quarter century. There are ten major battalions, and about thirty lesser battalions.

Spoiler: The Battalions of Clan Urist (click to show/hide)

The three major battalions in service to Clan Urist are the Stone of Winter, the Blood Brothers, and the North Wind.

The Stone of Winter is composed of about 3500 dwarves; there are six divisions of 500 dwarves each, in employ of Clan Urist, and two divisions of 250 each who sell to Fort Citadel and the other clans. The Stone defends the cities of the Northeast dwarves; Two divisions guard Nist Akath, while the other four guard the other main cities of the clan. Its soldiers fight in defensive formations such as phalanxes and rarely use offensive magic or counter-siege weapons, preferring instead to wear down an opponent's will to press the assault.

The North Wind is Clan Urist's main offensive weapon in wartime. It fights with precision techniques and short skirmishes in which it aims to minimize its own losses and maximize the foe's. Its force of roughly 2000 offers services primarily to Clan Urist and is currently employed exclusively by them.

The Blood Brothers form one of the oldest, most elite dwarven battalions. Limited to three hundred and often far below that, they more than make up for lack of numbers with an incredible combination of discipline and skill. They are an expensive group which is rarely kept in employ for extended periods, instead being hired for more dangerous missions.

Spoiler: The Battalions of Clan Morul (click to show/hide)

Associated with Clan Morul among the major battalions are the Nightwatch, the Inferno, and the Dragonbreakers.

The Nightwatch is a fairly small battalion dealing mainly with "special activities" and, to a lesser extent, asymmetrical warfare. They recruit exclusively from a lesser battalion which specializes in unconventional warfare and guerrilla tactics. The Nightwatch borders on mercenary, giving token discounts to Clan Morul but accepting all contracts unless their price has been payed.

In high contrast to the Nightwatch is the Fiery Legion of Dragonbreakers, commonly known simply as the Dragonbreakers. They are not as few as the Blood Brothers, but they still comprise one of the best and most honorable of the major battalions. They were formed from the soldiers who recovered Copperblazes from its former dragon inhabitant and occasionally fight dragons, but their name does not actually reflect their line of work. They number roughly 1200, and serve Clan Morul primarily as shock troops.

Finally, the Inferno is the largest of the battalions associated with clans, numbering almost 6500, almost all of whom are in hire by Clan Morul. It is widely known to operate on a "strength through numbers" principle, doing its best to overwhelm its foes by suffering a lower casualty percentage; consequently, it has a disproportionately high amount of in-class healing with which it maintains its superior numbers

Spoiler: Battalions of Clan Sankis (click to show/hide)

The three major battalions loyal to Clan Sankis are the Roots of the Mountains, the Hundred Hammers of the Sky, and the Stormlords.

The Roots of the Mountains are masters of subterranean combat. In addition, they are one of a very few outside groups who know the locations of any Troll cities, and of the even fewer groups on peaceful terms with them. As such, their relatively lackluster 800 dwarf force is augmented by 50 Troll Shamans and 100 Trolls and is currently not in the employ of any clan.

The Stormlords are the undisputed masters of the seas among dwarfkind, for they are the only major battalion to truly care. They have five fleets: A fleet of Ironclads abroad, three fleets of wood ships (with an Ironclad per five to ten ships each) which are often hired out to the other clans, and the Adamant Navy, which guards the Dwarven Sea. All five fleets use the expensive compound we would call gunpowder in their ships.

The Hundred Hammers of the Sky form the last battalion and provide Clan Sankis an advantage none of the other clans have. This elite (and elitist) group trains its recruits for years before they can become full members. It often has about ten trainees at a time, the most veteran of whom are "called up" if the battalion suffers deaths. They ride gryphons into combat from above and sell their services exclusively to Clan Sankis.

Spoiler: The Crystal Guard (click to show/hide)

 The Crystal Guard of Fort Citadel cannot truly be called a battalion, but it is often considered one. It does not sell services to the clans or to others, but rather acts as the closest thing to a unified dwarven army. All members of the Crystal Guard must, upon joining, swear two oaths: one to forever walk as a member of the Guard, and one to utterly reject his former clan, life, and deeds.

You know what's relevant now?  Fixing the character sheet list, so I can figure out what people can do.

[RedWarrior0]

On that right about now.

[RedWarrior0]

I kind of need a character sheet from Barb...

[Heron TSG]

Did I miss a character creation? (As in for a one-shot?) I thought I'd given you a sheet before, if not.

[RedWarrior0]

Did I miss a character creation? (As in for a one-shot?) I thought I'd given you a sheet before, if not.

Nope, trawling through the thread I couldn't find one for Orrdus.

Also, a game today is unlikely. I'll try to do games 2 weeks out of every three, and we really need a D&D scheduling thread.

[RedWarrior0]

Okay, status update:
-This Friday will not work, because Robotics County Championship is Saturday. Saturday will work if shoruke doesn't have a game.
-Next week is Thanksgiving week in the US. I can host games on probably two or maybe even three of Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
-Friday after that (December 2) is a no-no, since I've got a dance to go to that night. Saturday is probable, though.
-Week of December 9 should be normal. Edit: Actually, the Friday is an off day. Huzzah!
-Week of December 16 through God-knows-when, I've got Christmas break and thus might be able to do two to three sessions a week.
After that, the big problems come up. FRC kicks off soon after I get back, so I have until January to make this game awesome.

[King_of_the_weasels]

If were talking schedules, I should  be free til on every day except holidays, and any time after Christmas because I'll be busy playing video games.

Unless one of these jobs i'm applying for works out then who knows.