# Legends of Xen'drik, Chapter 1: Opening the Harbor (OOC)



## gabrion (Oct 6, 2007)

This is the OOC thread for my Xen'drik game.  Players plz repost your characters here and let me know some how when you think your character is completely done and ready for a DM examination.  I'll make an RG soon for the approved characters.

The more general purpose of this thread will be to discuss things out of character and to bring issues to my attention.  This last bit is important to me - I'm by no means a rules expert or an Eberron lore expert, so if anything in the game is rubbing you the wrong way, plz air it here so we can take care of it.  I find that addressing any issues that arise promptly can make things much smoother in a campaign in the long run.    Other than that, I hope you guys enjoy the game!

A few points of interest before we get too far into things here:

Plz advance to level 9.  I’ve already written much of the first part of this campaign and after reviewing it I feel like I may have been a tad low to have the characters start at 8.  Adjust your gold and XP accordingly (42,500 gp and 40,500 xp).
I plan to keep things running relatively fast when we get the IC thread up and running.  I enjoy RP as much as the next guy, but I encourage the players to act as well.  In other words, feel free to ask the NPCs pertinent questions, but plz don’t stand around for a week thinking you can recon an entire mission by pumping the guards for info.
Because PbP games are slow no matter how they are run, XP awards will be inflated.  If the game lasts, you should expect to gain at least a few levels, rather than being stuck in the same place for six months.
Along with that last point, I will give out extra XP for cool stuff in game.  Examples are good RP, clever planning, cool descriptions of attacks, or anything else I really dig.
Most of the treasure you collect after any given encounter in game will simply be a gold amount.  I realize this is not realistic, but it makes things easier for all of us.  The game will go faster if you aren’t running around pawning things or trying to split them up.  Sometimes you will get magical item rewards, but these will usually only be consumables that I think you could use, or quest/story items.
I would love it if you all could find character portraits that you think match your characters and add them to your sheets.  This isn’t required (and certainly don’t do it if you can’t find one you like), but I think it adds to the game.
Speaking of characters, plz add an sblock at the end of your character sheet explaining default actions in case I need to take him/her over at some point.  You can make these as complex as you like (and feel free to describe different actions for different situations).
I will mention this again when I start the IC thread, but it belongs here as well since it may apply to OOC discussions.  Do NOT read sblocks addressed to other characters.  Please?  I doubt it will ever ruin the game if you do, but I think it’s more fun sometimes to not know every detail of what’s going on.
Lastly, I realize the party I picked is not the standard mix.  It may be unclear who is "covering" which roles.  I did this partially on purpose (mostly cause I like the characters though).  I want to stress here, do NOT feel like you are forced into a role just because you may be the only one capable of it (for instance Shayuri healing, or stonegod adjusting to be an ultimate face man).  Play your characters the way you envision them, I'll try to make the adventure work for you.

Whew…ok so that’s all I have for now.  Let me know if you have any questions/comments.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 6, 2007)

*Damen Torralyn Lonadar*

Damen Moved to RG.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 6, 2007)

gabrion: Do you think Damen should invest in an _artificer's monocle_ to identify magic items? Some DMs are faster and looser w/ IDing things.


----------



## gabrion (Oct 6, 2007)

stonegod said:
			
		

> gabrion: Do you think Damen should invest in an _artificer's monocle_ to identify magic items? Some DMs are faster and looser w/ IDing things.




I think someone in the party should...and Damen probably makes the most sense having one since he likes to know things.  I don't mind the party having access to something like the monocle in order to ID things quick.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 6, 2007)

gabrion said:
			
		

> I think someone in the party should...and Damen probably makes the most sense having one since he likes to know things.  I don't mind the party having access to something like the monocle in order to ID things quick.



I'll look at shuffling equipment around.

Guess our druid is are blaster.


----------



## gabrion (Oct 6, 2007)

I added a few points of interest to the OP, so everyone take a look when you get a chance.


----------



## Shayuri (Oct 6, 2007)

*Name*: Maighan
*Class*: Druid 8
*Race*: Elf
*Alignment*: NG
*Gender*: Female

[sblock=Description]Maighan has the slim, fragile appearance common to elves the world over. It belies unusual hardiness though, from one who has passed grueling tests of fortitude designed by and for creatures sturdier than elves. She moves with uncanny grace, even for her kinsfolk, and her composure is seemingly unbreakable. By estimates of elf or human, she is beautiful, in a distant, ethereal sort of way. Fair, smooth skin, bright red hair, piercing green eyes. Despite her measured calm and gentle demeanor, there is a hint of wildness in her as well...of untamability. She wears distinctive armor made of the famed bronzewood leaves of Aerenal, treated alchemically to leatherlike protective quality, and then further strengthened by magic.[/sblock]

*Abilities*
STR 10 (+0)
DEX 18 (+4)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 13 (+1)
WIS 20 (+5) - +2 from item
CHA 14 (+2)

*Statistics*
HP 80/80
AC 17 (10 + 4 Dex + 3 armor)
Buffed AC 20 (+3 natural)
FORT +9 (7 Base, +2 Con)
REF +9 (5 Base, +4 Dex)
WILL +12 (7 Base, +5 Wis)

Speed: 30ft
INIT +4 (+4 Dex)

Melee +6/+1
Ranged +10/+5

*Feats*
1 Gatekeeper Initiate
3 Spell Focus: Conjuration
6 Natural Spell
9 Augment Summoning

*Racial Features*
+2 Dex, -2 Con
Low Light Vision
Immune to magic sleep
+2 save vs Enchantment
+2 Spot, Listen, Search
Detect Secret Doors
Weapon Proficiencies

*Class Features*
Animal Companion
Nature Sense
Wild Empathy
Woodland Stride
Trackless Step
Resist Nature's Lure
Wild Shape 3/day (Small - Large)
Venom Immunity

*Skills* 
Concentration (Con) +13 (11 ranks + 2 Con)
Handle Animal (Cha) +7 (5 ranks + 2 Cha)
Heal (Wis) +10 (5 ranks + 5 Wis)
Knowledge (nature) (Int) +6 (5 ranks + 1 Int)
Knowledge (history) (Int) (cc) +2 (1 ranks + 1 Int)
Listen (Wis) +9 (4 ranks + 5 Wis)
Spellcraft (Int) +6 (5 ranks + 1 Int)
Speak Language (cc) 2 ranks
Spot (Wis) +9 (4 ranks + 5 Wis)
Survival (Wis) +15 (10 ranks + 5 Wis)

*Languages*
Common, Elvish, Druidic, Sylvan, Terran, Auran

*Spellcasting *(Druid: Caster level 8, DC 15+lvl, +1 DC Conjuration spells)
Prepared
0 - 6
1 - 6
2 - 5
3 - 4
4 - 3
5 - 2

*Equipment*
Money 650

Weapons
Bowstaff +1, 4600
 - Staff +1/MW, +7 to hit, 1d6+1 dmg, can change into bow as mv action
 - Longbow +1, +11 to hit, 1d8+1 dmg, 100', Can change into staff as mv action.

Mundane Gear
Pending

Magical Items
Periapt of Wisdom +2, 4k
Vanisher Cloak, 2500 (MIC: 3 charges per day, spend as std action. 1 turns self invis 4 rnds. 2 self and 1 other invis for 3 rnds. 3 turns self and 3 others invis for 2 rnds. As Invis spell.
Ring of Mighty Summons, 14k (Complete Mage: Summoned creatures have max HP per HD, 3/day)
Bracers of Lightning, 11k (MIC: Swift action grants +1d6 elec dmg to all attacks for 1 rnd, works in wildshape, part of item set)
Wilding Clasp, 4k (connected to armor)
Leafweave Armor +1, 1750gp

-------
*Animal Companion*
8HD Dire Wolf +1 Str/Dex +2 nat armor Link, Share Spells, Evasion +2tricks
7HD eagle, +3 str/dex +6 nat armor Link, Share Spells, Evasion, Devotion, Multiattack +4tricks
8HD dire bat...

-------
*Background*
[sblock]From the start, Maighan didn't quite fit into the swing of things among the Aerenal elves. She was always faintly troubled by the Undying... At what point did they become so alien; so cut off from other beings, even elves, that they could no longer empathize? They were so removed from the world...neither eating nor drinking nor dying nor truly living. What troubled her the most though was their effect on young elves. How many of her childhood friends had envied the Undying so much that they felt as if life were a curse? That they felt trapped in their flesh before they ever really tried to appreciate it? These things, to the embarrassment of her family, led her away from the outright worship of the Undying Court...though she eventually made her peace with them non-ecumenically.

She fould too that she wasn't alone. There were druids in Aerenal...not many, and they lived quiet lives, careful not to attract too much attention. The druidic language was the one true sign of membership. Knowledge of it without spell or device meant one who had taken their Vows as a druid and steward of nature.

During her studies as a druid, she learned of the Gatekeepers...a sect in distant Khorvaire who had taken on the sacred duty of protecting Eberron from invasions by other planes. The histories only spoke of one such invasion, but it was terrible enough...it ended the goblin empire and cleared the way for the nation of Galifar...and even those consequences were because the war was WON.

The idea struck Maighan's interest. After all, nature faced foes both internal and external...but she was more interested in dealing with internal threats diplomatically. But to be a warrior of nature...a fierce and proud spear-carrier in the face of threats from beyond space and time...the romance of that appealed to her youthful nature. She began the difficult and arduous trip to the Eldeen Reaches.

Her adventures in going were great. Pirates and sea monsters...intrigue and politics...bandits, assassinations, and no small amount of fortune both good and bad dogged her every step it seemed. By the time she stepped into the druid circle in Eldeen, she was not the same person she was when she started. It was only because of those hardships that she was able to endure the orcish druid tests that qualified her as a Gatekeeper; a mantle she wears with  pride.

(insert stuff about Last War and previous adventures...haven't detailed yet)
[/sblock]


----------



## Shayuri (Oct 6, 2007)

stonegod said:
			
		

> I'll look at shuffling equipment around.
> 
> Guess our druid is are blaster.




Mew. I hadn't really built her with that in mind...I didn't take any Wis boosters or any DC increasing things...

Maybe I should re-think that ring of mighty summons...


----------



## gabrion (Oct 6, 2007)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Mew. I hadn't really built her with that in mind...I didn't take any Wis boosters or any DC increasing things...
> 
> Maybe I should re-think that ring of mighty summons...




Check out #9 in the OP.  Feel free to change around anything you like, just don't make the character into something she's not!


----------



## Shayuri (Oct 6, 2007)

Oh, I read 'em. 

And I'm not compromising the spirit of the character here. Druids have many options for combat. Attacking with spells directly is one. Summons is another. Companion another. Direct physical attacks yet ANOTHER.

Although things like feat choices and so on govern which of these approaches work best, any of them can be used with a day or so of notice. Right now, Maighan is 'specced' for Wildshape/Summoning combat, with her spellcasting being in a support healing/buffing capacity.

But I shan't ignore party needs either. 

Beguilers, for example, do quite well with buffing...not so well with direct attack spells. I can easily reduce my current emphasis on summons to get some DC boosts necessary to make druidic blasties at this level competitive.

Oh wait...we're going to level 9 now.

HMM...that may change things. That gives me Augment Summons now...and access to SNA V...

...

Earlier today, I was toying with having Maighan having taken an oath "Never to use magic to bring harm to natural creatures." Purely for fun, mind...since her spec was pretty solid in my mind as a buff/heal spellcaster.

Lemme take a look and see what blasties are available at level 9. What sources do you allow for spells?


----------



## stonegod (Oct 6, 2007)

Beguilers aren't supper great buffers other than invis and blur. And summoning is a great option---just remember you can do that spontaneously and flamestrike/call lighting still do good damage w/o the save. 

W/ the new level, Damen is looking into Cull Wand Essence from Magic of Eberron to get some big damage options (not a guarantee). So don't fret too much.


----------



## gabrion (Oct 6, 2007)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Oh, I read 'em.
> 
> And I'm not compromising the spirit of the character here. Druids have many options for combat. Attacking with spells directly is one. Summons is another. Companion another. Direct physical attacks yet ANOTHER.




Yep, you guys have a lot of options.



> Although things like feat choices and so on govern which of these approaches work best, any of them can be used with a day or so of notice. Right now, Maighan is 'specced' for Wildshape/Summoning combat, with her spellcasting being in a support healing/buffing capacity.




This is more what I was talking about.  You can be competent at a lot of things, but druids are often built around 1 or 2 strong points.  I just didn't want you to compromise that.  Since you aren't...carry on!



> Beguilers, for example, do quite well with buffing...not so well with direct attack spells. I can easily reduce my current emphasis on summons to get some DC boosts necessary to make druidic blasties at this level competitive.






> Lemme take a look and see what blasties are available at level 9. What sources do you allow for spells?




Most any book is fine (still don't have some new ones like dungeonscape, city scape, fiendish codex II, complete scoundrel, and complete champion though).  One thing I will ask is that when you add your spells to your character sheet, please list the source after each non-core one.

As for blasting spells, I don't think your 5th level spells will be better than your 4th level ones, since 4th level is ripe with ones like flame strike, arc of lightning, boreal wind, and blast of sand to name a few.  5th level does usher in baleful polymorph and choking sands though, which can be quite useful offensive spells.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 6, 2007)

Damen updated to 9th. Lost Magic Sensitive for Vatic Gaze at 9th, so his 6th level feat is currently Cull Wand Essence. To use the _monocle_ had to swap some skills around (lost a bunch of Decipher Script, which is okay as he has _comp. langs._). Gained a level in beguiler and chose _phantasmal killer_ as his advanced learning.

Might still futz w/ his 6th level feat, but otherwise looks to be good. Still spying/talking/sneaking guy.


----------



## Erekose13 (Oct 6, 2007)

```
[B]Name:[/B] Logran Hallis  - [url=http://www.rkpost.net/covers/ravenchron_fin.jpg]Pic[/url]
[B]Class:[/B] Warblade 9
[B]Race:[/B] Human
[B]Region of Origin:[/b] Cyre
[B]Size:[/B] M
[B]Gender:[/B] M
[B]Alignment:[/B] NG
[B]Action Points:[/B] 9 (roll 2d6)
[B]Deity:[/B] Sovereign Host 

[B]Str:[/B] 20 +5 	[B]Level:[/B] 9	[B]XP[/B]: 40500
[B]Dex:[/B] 16 +3 	[B]BAB:[/B] +9		[B]HP:[/B] 120 (9d12+36)
[B]Con:[/B] 18 +4 	[B]Grapple:[/B] +14	[B]Stat Increases:[/b] 4 - Str, 8 - Dex
[B]Int:[/B] 16 +3 	[B]Speed:[/B] 30'	 
[B]Wis:[/B] 12 +1 	[B]Init:[/B] +3		
[B]Cha:[/B] 10 +0 	[B]ACP:[/B] -X		

[B]	Base	Armor	Shld	Dex	Size	Nat	Misc	Total[/B]
[B]Armor:[/B]	10	+7	+3	+3	+0	+1	+1	25
[B]Touch:[/B]	14	[B]Flatfooted:[/B] 21

[B]	Total	Base	Mod	Misc[/B]
[B]Fort:[/B]	+10	+4	+6	--
[B]Ref:[/B]	+9	+3	+3	+3*
[B]Will:[/B]	+4	+1	+3	--
[B]Notes:[/B] *when not flat-footed

[B]Weapon			Attack	Damage	Critical	Range[/B]
Bastard Sword +1	+17/+12	1d10+8	19-20/x2	------
Bastard Sword +1 TH	+17/+12	1d10+10	19-20/x2	------
Shortspear (ranged)			+13	1d6+5	x2	20 ft
[B]Notes:[/B] +2 to hit w/ DM maneuvers, +3 melee when conf. crits, 
+3 dmg vs. flat-footed/flanked

[B]Languages:[/B] Common, Goblin, Elf, Gnome

[B]Abilities:[/B] Battle Clarity (+Int bonus on Refl saves when not flat-footed), 
Weapon Aptitude (switch weapon for weapon specific feats), Uncanny Dodge, 
Battle Ardor (critical Confirmation - +Int on rolls to confirm crits), 
Bonus Feat (Blade Meditation), Improved Uncanny Dodge, 
Battle Cunning (damage - +Int on melee dmg against flat-footed/flanked),
Bonus Feat (Combat Reflexes)

[B]Feats: [/B] Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), 
Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Power Attack, 
Blade Meditation - Diamond Mind (+1 dmg with Bastard Sword, 
+2 Concentration checks, +1 save dcs for DM maneuvers), 
Weapon Specialization (bastard sword), Vital Recovery (Recover maneuver: 
Heal 3+Lvl), Combat Reflexes

[B]Maneuvers[/B] 
[B]Known:[/B]
[I][B]1st -[/B][/I] Moment of Perfect Mind (Counter - Conc. check for Will save)
[I][B]2nd -[/B][/I] Action Before Thought (Counter - Conc. check for Refl save), 
Emerald Razor (Strike - touch attack)
[I][B]3rd -[/B][/I] Mind Over Body (Count - Conc. check for Fort save), 
Insightful Strike (Strike - Conc. check for damage),
Iron Heart Surge (Boost - remove one spell/condition)
[I][B]4th -[/B][/I] Ruby Nightmare Blade (Strike - Conc. check = double damage), 
Mithral Tornado (Strike - attack all adjacent enemies)
[B]Readied:[/B] Moment of Perfect Mind, Action Before Thought, Mind over Body, 
Insightful Strike
[B]Stances:[/B]
[I][B]1st -[/B] [/I]Punishing Stance (+d6 dmg, -2 AC)
[I][B]3rd -[/B][/I] Pearl of Black Doubt (Gain +2AC each time foe misses)

[B]Skill Points:[/B] 99	[B]Max Ranks:[/B] 12/6
[B]Skills		Total	Ranks	Mod 	Misc[/B]
Balance		15	12	3	--
Concentration	28	12	4	12
Know(History)	15	12	3	--
Know(local)	15	12	3	--
Martial Lore	15	12	3	--
Tumble		15	12	3	--
Listen		07	6	1	--
Spot		07	6	1	--
[B]Notes:[/B]

[B]Equipment:				Cost	Weight[/B]
+1 Bastard Sword			8335gp	6lbs
 - Martial Discipline (Diamond Mind) (+1 to hit/+3 when using DM maneuvers)
Circlet of Concentration (+10)		10000gp	-lb
Mithral Breastplate +2			8350gp	15lb
Darkwood Shield +1			1257gp	5lb
Amulet of Natural Armor +1		2000gp	-lb
Ring of Protection +1			2000gp	-lb
Guantlets of Ogre Power +2		4000gp	4lb
Belt of Health +2			4000gp	1lb
MW Shortspear (3)			903gp	9lbs
Arrows (40)				2gp	6lbs
Potions:
 - Cure Moderate Wounds (x4)		1200gp	-lb
 - Cure Light Wounds (x5)		250gp	-lb
Backpack 				2gp	2lb
Flint and Steel				1gp	-lb
Rope, silk (100ft)			20gp	10lb
Everburning Torch			110gp	1lb
Waterskin				1gp	4lb
Explorer's outfit			-gp	8lb
Rations, trail (x3)			15sp	3lb

[B]Total Weight:[/B]73lb	[B]Money:[/B] 67gp 5sp 0cp

[B]		Lgt	Med	Hvy	Lift	Push[/B]
[B]Max Weight:[/B]	133	266	400	800	2000

[B]Age:[/B] 38
[B]Height:[/B] 5'9"
[B]Weight:[/B] 180 lbs
[B]Eyes:[/B] Blue
[B]Hair:[/B] Bald
[B]Skin:[/B] Fair
```

*Appearance:* Logran is an aging hero. He has removed all his hair and keeps his head shaved bald.  He wears a cooler outfit having found his traditional Cyran clothes both uncomfortable in the heat and an unneccessary reminder to past glories.  His bastard sword though is kept finely honed and polished. He can even be seen polishing it while sitting around the taproom of the Chapterhouse.  

*Personality:* A loyalist to Queen and Country through and through, Logran has become quite depressed after the mourning.  Hated and forced out of Khorvaire where he is no longer wanted as a reminder of the Great War, he has come to Xen'drik as an escape.  Should something appeal to his sense of duty again, he'd be happy to free himself from the lethargy his exile has imposed on him. Generally given to telling war stories and harkening back to lost times, he likes to guide or teach through his tales.

*Background:*During the height of the Great War, Logran Hallis fought for his native Cyre. He applied his passion for the sword in devotion for his Queen and country, leading daring strikes against Thrane and Kharnnath. When the goblin armies of Darguun turned against Cyre, it was his team that struck back encouraging the goblin traitors to stay out of the rest of the war. On the battlefield against the elven Valenari forces he distinguished himself again and again.

And then the Mourning came. On the day of the mourning, Logran was out of Cyre on a mission in Valenar, hunting for a traitor against the crown. A Phairlani elf, named Phaeryn, had turned on Cyre and was traveling to the Valenar capital to relay critical information regarding the Cyran forces on the border. Logran caught up to Phaeryn and killed him, but it brought little satisfaction when he returned to find his country it covered in mist. He tried to pierce the mists a few times, but the horrors of the Mournland were too much to take.

Dissaffected and without a country, he travelled to Darguun and through to Sharn. The prejudice he found there, Cyrans living bowing to Brelanders, was too much for the Queen's man. He left the main continent on the next ship to Xen'drik to escape from the world that he no longer belonged to. He has taken up residence in Stormreach, a drunk, melancholy man who longs for the old days. He can often be found in the Chapterhouse regaling any who come calling with tales of Old Cyre and the glory of her Queen. Which of course makes him quite unpopular, though he tales of battle and war are a bitter reminder to those who are in Xen'drik from the same reasons as him.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 6, 2007)

Ooops! Realized Damen has no Concentration, which is bad for a front line caster. Will have to take a look.


----------



## Shayuri (Oct 6, 2007)

Hmm.

Taking suggestions for animal companions

Eagle is best scout.

Dire wolf is probably best war-pet. Plus, she can ride it. Downside...big. Won't always be able to come with us.

Dire Bat is a good scout, big enough to ride (while flying!), decent in combat. Sort of combines the dire wolf and eagle, but isn't as good as them at their specialties. Still too big to get into most human-sized dungeons.

Haven't statted the medium viper yet. Hm. 8HD medium viper...with Con boosts to increase poison DC...

HMM.


----------



## gabrion (Oct 6, 2007)

Those all sound like solid options.  One thing I would point out is that if you want a large flying creature that is a decent scout and combatant, a Dire Eagle (Races of Stone) probably does a bit better than a dire bat.

As a general note on fitting your companion into dungeons, I don't think I'll ruin the story too much by telling you that that won't be a big issue.  Most of the time size restraints won't really be a factor and even when they are, large creatures will usually be able to fit.  Of course enlarging them through magic might not work in a few select spots, but you'll know that when you're in such a position.


----------



## gabrion (Oct 6, 2007)

stonegod said:
			
		

> Ooops! Realized Damen has no Concentration, which is bad for a *front line caster*. Will have to take a look.




Well you do have three other people who will usually be staying between you and the baddies, but ya, a little concentration never hurt anyone.


----------



## gabrion (Oct 6, 2007)

stonegod said:
			
		

> Damen updated to 9th. Lost Magic Sensitive for Vatic Gaze at 9th, so his 6th level feat is currently Cull Wand Essence. To use the _monocle_ had to swap some skills around (lost a bunch of Decipher Script, which is okay as he has _comp. langs._). Gained a level in beguiler and chose _phantasmal killer_ as his advanced learning.
> 
> Might still futz w/ his 6th level feat, but otherwise looks to be good. Still spying/talking/sneaking guy.




These feats are fine, but I'm a bit curious about them.  Do you plan to use Vatic Gaze much to find out enemy caster abilities, or are you simply getting it for the detect magic to use with the monocle?  If its the latter, I would recommend investing in something else.  As the OP points out, there won't be a huge demand for identifying items because rewards will be in gold most of the time.  When you do need to ID something, you'll still have the monocle and your 0 lvl spells to use, which should be more than enough.

As for Cull Wand Essence, I've actually never seen that in play but it looks like it will add some firepower for you.  It may also mean you need to spend hard earned gold on wands, which is never fun.  If it were me I would focus on crowd control/charms/etc and let the warriors damage take things down most of the time (their attacks don't cost per charge after all).  Of course stick with what you like, but these were just some thoughts I had.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 6, 2007)

gabrion said:
			
		

> Well you do have three other people who will usually be staying between you and the baddies, but ya, a little concentration never hurt anyone.



A beguilier's abilities to add DCs depend on being able to feint or be hidden--the latter works once, the former requires once to be right there in the middle.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 6, 2007)

gabrion said:
			
		

> These feats are fine, but I'm a bit curious about them.  Do you plan to use Vatic Gaze much to find out enemy caster abilities, or are you simply getting it for the detect magic to use with the monocle?  If its the latter, I would recommend investing in something else.  As the OP points out, there won't be a huge demand for identifying items because rewards will be in gold most of the time.  When you do need to ID something, you'll still have the monocle and your 0 lvl spells to use, which should be more than enough.
> 
> As for Cull Wand Essence, I've actually never seen that in play but it looks like it will add some firepower for you.  It may also mean you need to spend hard earned gold on wands, which is never fun.  If it were me I would focus on crowd control/charms/etc and let the warriors damage take things down most of the time (their attacks don't cost per charge after all).  Of course stick with what you like, but these were just some thoughts I had.



Good points both. Still tweaking.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 6, 2007)

Okay, tweaked skills and feats. Added Concentration, juggled a few others around. Now has  Extra Spell (_phantasmal strangler_) and Spell Focus (illusion).


----------



## ShaggySpellsword (Oct 6, 2007)

Just saw I made it in.  Tweaking my character this weekend...hopefully be done by Tuesday.


----------



## Shayuri (Oct 7, 2007)

There's an item called a Veil of Allure in the Magic Item Compendium that's -perfect- for Beguilers. Give it a look. A little spency at 14,000...but just as good for Enchantment crowd effects as Maighan's Ring of Mighty Summons is for summoning. Better in fact, because the Veil isn't limited by number of uses per day.


----------



## ShaggySpellsword (Oct 7, 2007)

[sblock=Character Sheet]Name: Sir Drego ir'Corus, Fist of the Flame
Class: Paladin of the Silver Flame 4/Monk 2/Argent Fist 3
Race: Human
Alignment: LG
Age: 27
Weight: 185 lbs
Height: 5’11”
Gender: Male

HP: 94 / 94 (7d10+2d8+27) 

Abilities 
STR 16 (+3)
DEX _18_ (+4)
CON 16 (+3)
INT 14 (+2)
WIS _19_ (+4)
CHA 17 (+3)

Statistics 

AC 25 (+6 Armor, +1 deflection, +4 Dex, +4 Wis)

FORT +16 (10 Base, +3 Con, +3 Cha)
REF +12 (5 Base, +4 Dex, +3 Cha)
WILL +14 (7 Base, +4 Wis, +3 Cha)

Speed: 30ft
INIT +4 (+4 Dex)

Melee (+7/+2 Bab, +3 Str)
+14/+9 _+3 ki focus silver flame-touched iron longspear_ (1d8+7 dmg, x3 crit, reach) and
+5 _silver unarmed strike_ (1d10+1 dmg) or
+10/+5 _silver unarmed strike_ (1d10+3 dmg) or
+11/+6 _+1 Mighty Composite Longbow [Str 16]_ (1d8+4 dmg, x3 Crit, 110 ft.) or
+8/+8/+3 _silver unarmed strike_ (1d10+3 dmg) flurry of blows when not in armor

Feats 
Combat Reflexes (7 AOO/round-+2 competence bonus when attacking-_bracers of opportunity_)
Extra Turning
Knight Training (Monk)
Serpent Strike
Silver Smite
Stunning Fist (3/day, DC 18 (20 when combined with a smite))
Weapon Focus (Longspear)
Sacred Healing

Racial Features 
+1 bonus feat at 1st level
+4 skill points at 1st level and +1 skill point at every level after 

Class Features 
Aura of Good
Detect Evil
Smite Evil 1/day (+3 attack, +9 damage)
Divine Grace
Lay on Hands (12 HP/day)
Aura of Courage
Divine Health
Turn Undead 10/day (Turning Check +5 as Cleric 2)
Bonus Feat (1 Paladin; 2 Monk)
Flurry of Blows (not when wearing armor)
Unarmed Strike
Evasion
Ascetic Knight
Ki Focus
Stunning Smite (+2 DC to Stunning Fist when combed with Smite Evil)
Holy Armor
Ki Strike (silver)
Balm of the Silver Flame

Skills
Balance +6 (0 ranks, +4 Dex, +2 synergy)
Diplomacy +17 (12 ranks, +3 Cha, +2 synergy)
Heal +12 (8 ranks, +4 Wis)
Jump +13 (8 ranks, +3 Str, +2 synergy)
Knowledge (Religion) +7 (5 ranks, +2 Int)
Sense Motive +16 (12 ranks, +4 Wis)
Spot +12 (8 ranks, +4 Wis)
Tumble +15 (9 ranks, +4 Dex, +2 synergy)

Languages 
Celestial
Common 
Draconic

Equipment 34 lbs; 316.7 gp
_+2 flametouched iron longspear, +1 mighty composite [Str 16] longbow, +2 mithril chain shirt, +1 ring of protection, gloves of dexterity +2, periapt of wisdom +2, handy haversack, bracers of opportunity,_ 20 arrows, flametouched holy symbol of the SIlver Flame, ID papers with picture, traveling papers, belt pouch, bedroll, flint and steel, 50 ft. of silk rope, 2 sunrods, 10 days of rations, waterskin

[/sblock]

[sblock=Background]Given over by his noble family to be a squire to the famous Silver Flame Crusader, Alestair of the Silver Cloak, Drego's life has never been his own.  From a very young age he realised that he had only been given over to prove his family's devotion to the religous regime in Thrane, yet Drego never minded.  In fact, he went into the experience wide-eyed and excited to be so close to the Silver Flame's true work in Khorvaire: facing down the forces of darkness wherever they could be found.

Drego's assessment of his master changed over years of serving him.  In fact, Drego began questiooning his own faith in the face of some of the decisions the famous Alestair made.  Whenever faced with a problem Alestair would stare it in the face and boldly chrge towards it, eliminating with the mightiest force he could manage to bring to bear.  He frequently told young Drego that to do the Flame's work, you had to be more merciless than the demons you faced.  Horrified by this teaching, but unable to speak out against his master without facing heresy charges, Drego silently served, learned, and waited.

Eventually, he discovered in his master that the lack of mercy left him open to demonic influence, and that his master had been quite fallen for years now, serving the causes of the Lords of Dust rather than the true Flame.  Rather than tackle the problem head-on as his fallen master had taught him, Drego bided his time, and exposed his master's treachery in front of bishop of the church, freeing Drego from his servitude, foiling the plans of the Lords of Dust, and earning Drego his knightship.

Drego's first instincts were to lead a life similar to his master, traveling Khorvaire in search of evil to fight, but one knight, the Flame whispered in the back of his mind, "Listen to me, and I shall teach you my will."  Drego meditated, waiting for the voice to return, and saught out the help of some very spiritual advisors within Thrane.  Drego sold his fancy mount, fine sword, ornamental shield, and plate armor and gave the money to a war orphanage and spent a year and a day living on top of a mountain sacred to the Silver Flame.  There he claims to have seen many things, most that he is unable to clearly remember or reveal.  When he descended he was changed, clad in mithril chain armor and carrying a simple spear with a silvery head.  He spoke the church of his visions, and they agreed that they were a true calling of the Flame: Equipped with some magical artifacts they could spare, Drego should travel across the sea to Xen'drik and seek out a powerful piece of Knowledge that will empower the church of the Flame forever.[/sblock]
[sblock=Appearance/Personality]Drego ir'Corus is a handsome, thin, and well-muscled man.  He wears a silver shirt of chain covered by a simple red tabard, lined in cloth-of-silver.  On this tabard he wears a pin that has a fairly brilliant red crystal inlaid on it.  Around his neck he wears a fine silver chain with a pearl pendant.  He wears a footman's helm over his face, but when he removes it his face is revealed to be handsome, if unmemorable.  His eyes are so light a shade of brown, they sometimes appear orange when reflecting the sun, and his dirty-blond hair is kept cropped short.  On his belt he wears the symbol of the Silver Flame, set in silvery flame-touched iron.

Drego is determined not to let the brash, outward, and merciless point of view that was his master's downfall enter into his own personality.  He is determined to win friends to the faith through his actions, and rarely through his words.  He is also determined to never blindly follow his own impulses, and to always listen to that quiet voice of the Flame in the back of his mind.  He comes across as confident, competent, and calm, radiating calm to all of those around him.[/sblock]

I added my new level which comes with a considerable amount of healing skills.  I can Lay on Hands for 24 HP/day (with the Balm ability and my turning attempts), plus I can use 1 turning attempt to give us Fast Healing 3 for 3 rounds or 2 turning attempts to give us Fast Healing 6 for 3 rounds with my Balm of the Silver Flame ability.  Not all-out healer, but definitely makes me able to augment other healing.

Equipment updated and ready to go.


----------



## ShaggySpellsword (Oct 7, 2007)

NOt to be a stickler or nothin', but I was glancing over the character sheets, just taking a look at what we have going for us, and what sort of things I will be good at doing compared to the others in the group, and Erekose, I noticed that you had a mighty nice Longbow attack bonus...I just wanted to point out that Warblades don't get Longbow proficiency, so your attack would come at +9, not +13.

That said, darn are you going to be a whirling death-trap of damage!

I have AC and saves down pretty well, along with some athleticism, secondary melee, and secondary healing...I also should probably do the talking when we need diplomacy.

We have a great beguiler for lying to them though!  And between the beguiler and druid, our potential for non-damaging but effective random effects/tactical spells is VERY high.

This should be lots of fun!


----------



## Erekose13 (Oct 7, 2007)

Hmm, good point. I hadn't realized that it said melee only.  It would be not within the spirit of the rules to use Weapon Aptitude to switch feats incl. Exotic Weapon Prof to a ranged weapon when needed wouldn't it.  Bah that'd take 1hr anyways.  I'll just switch to 3 shortspears.  He really is the tank of the group. AC 25, huge melee, and very high saves (+28 concentration bonus).


----------



## gabrion (Oct 7, 2007)

Erekose I was also taking another quick look over your character (not the in depth final approval scan yet though) and was curious about something.  It seems like you have thematically chosen mostly Diamond Mind maneuvers, which is all good and well, but have you given any thought to Iron Heart Surge?  I think it's reputation as one of the best martial maneuvers (of any level, let alone 3rd) is well deserved - and even more so when you won't necessarily have access to stat fixing spells from a dedicated cleric.  If you'd rather stick with the DM theme that's fine too, but a reusable greater restoration/dispel magic/etc would be pretty tempting if I were playing a tank.


----------



## Erekose13 (Oct 7, 2007)

Wow you are right. I've not read through the entire book yet, I had spotted some nice synergies with DM maneuvers and Concentration checks and went that route. I've removed my White Raven manuevers in exchange for some Iron Heart just for that one. I might mess a bit more with my choices.


----------



## gabrion (Oct 8, 2007)

Just a heads up guys, I hope to do a pretty in-depth examination of your characters in the next day or so, and hopefully get the IC thread up shortly thereafter.  I may even post the IC thread tomorrow just because it will start with a bit of non-combat stuff for which minor stat errors won't be a terrible problem.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 8, 2007)

Damen's pretty much done unless someone has any other suggestions.


----------



## Erekose13 (Oct 10, 2007)

How's things coming Gabrion?  I'm really keen on seeing how well Logran fights   Oh the pic I posted in my character sheet looked quite appropriate for the whole group even. (Though races might not match exactly.)


----------



## gabrion (Oct 10, 2007)

Everyone – I made specific mention of it to Stonegod below, but everyone might be interested in this.  In the MIC there is an item called the healing belt which only costs 750gp and allows you to heal up to 6d8 hp/day.  It’s not a ton, but it’s a cheap source of in combat healing.  Also if anyone is interested in out of combat healing, wands of lesser vigor are the best bet there since they heal 11 hp/charge.  

Anyway, the characters were all pretty clean and I didn’t find any glaring errors.  I’ll try to get the IC thread up sometime tonight.  I’ve been especially busy these last few days so it may get pushed back one more day, but I hope not.  For now you all can move your characters to the RG.

Stonegod:
I see you have a few potions of cure mod wounds.  Potions are nice, but there is a nifty item in MIC called the healing belt that can heal you up to 6d8 hp/day for only 750 gold.  This is usually a better buy than pots.
Likewise, if your wand of cure light wounds is meant to be for out of combat healing, you would be better off with a wand of lesser vigor (CD), which heals 11 hp/charge rather than the average 5.5 from CLW.
Other than these minor suggestions, I don’t see anything that looks out of whack numbers wise.

Shayuri:
Your sheet still says level 8 at the top (even though it looks like you’ve actually updated most things to 9)
When you get a chance I would like you to add a standard set of prepared spells.  You can obviously change these any time, but I’d like to know what the default set is.
You don’t necessarily have to do it now, but when you chose a form and wild shape into it I’d like you to copy the stats to your character sheet so they will be there for future reference.

Erekose: Looks good

Shaggy:
Where can I find Serpent’s strike?  
I noticed you have Combat Reflexes but not a lot of generators.  Mayhaps getting an item to enlarge yourself (or even some potions) would help?  Alternatively Karmic Strike could be a big help, but it requires 2 feats and it looks like you’re very tight on those. Just some thoughts.


----------



## Erekose13 (Oct 10, 2007)

I've swapped out some of my potions for a healing belt, sounds like a cool idea. I have MIC but haven't had much time to dig through it all.  Logran also has Vital Recovery which allows him to heal 12hp every time he recovers a maneuver (1/encounter) which will help because he can do it often outside of combat.


----------



## ShaggySpellsword (Oct 10, 2007)

gabrion said:
			
		

> Where can I find Serpent’s strike?




Eberron Campaign Setting, page 60.  Makes the Longspear into a monk weapon



> I noticed you have Combat Reflexes but not a lot of generators.  Mayhaps getting an item to enlarge yourself (or even some potions) would help?  Alternatively Karmic Strike could be a big help, but it requires 2 feats and it looks like you’re very tight on those. Just some thoughts.




I guess I sort of figured that having a reach weapon was enough to get plenty of attacks of opportunity-also, it is on the rather brief list of Monk 2 bonus feats, which is why I took it.  I may look at some feats.


----------



## Shayuri (Oct 10, 2007)

* Your sheet still says level 8 at the top (even though it looks like you’ve actually updated most things to 9)

-- Oops! It's the little things that getcha.

    * When you get a chance I would like you to add a standard set of prepared spells. You can obviously change these any time, but I’d like to know what the default set is.

-- Yar...I was kind of waiting to see what the others were packing so I could plan my defaults. Will update shortly.

    * You don’t necessarily have to do it now, but when you chose a form and wild shape into it I’d like you to copy the stats to your character sheet so they will be there for future reference.

-- Yar, I usually keep a cheat sheet of my favorite shapes with statblocks predone. As soon as I get that finished I'll append it to my sheet. Out of curiosity, are there any limits you want to set as far as what animals are "known" for wildshape purposes? I'm sure Xendrick will have lots of exotic beasties, and it might be fun to say she can't change into them before she's encountered 'em. Adds a sense of discovery.


----------



## gabrion (Oct 11, 2007)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> -- Yar, I usually keep a cheat sheet of my favorite shapes with statblocks predone. As soon as I get that finished I'll append it to my sheet. Out of curiosity, are there any limits you want to set as far as what animals are "known" for wildshape purposes? I'm sure Xendrick will have lots of exotic beasties, and it might be fun to say she can't change into them before she's encountered 'em. Adds a sense of discovery.




Well honestly for this part I read the wildshape ability as imparting a certain amount of knowledge on the druid.  I know I said earlier I frown on players picking a list of five uber wildshapes (and this is still true to a certain extent), but at the same time I dont always play that a druid needs to encounter an animal in order to wildshape into it.  In other word, pick shapes you want to use, but just try not to go overboard.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 11, 2007)

I'm in meetings all day. Updates later.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 12, 2007)

Damen moved to RG. Bought healing belt and swapped potions for enlarge person and another darkvision and a wand of lesser vigor.


----------



## Shayuri (Oct 13, 2007)

Miaghan's up in the RG. Corrected/added some things.

Still trying to decide on an animal companion.


----------



## Shayuri (Oct 18, 2007)

Ping?

Been almost a week since I last heard from this.

Dead? Dying? Delayed?


----------



## stonegod (Oct 18, 2007)

Shayuri said:
			
		

> Ping?
> 
> Been almost a week since I last heard from this.
> 
> Dead? Dying? Delayed?



gabrion's MIA. 

You, Shayuri, whenever we both get in the same game, this seems to happen....


----------



## Shayuri (Oct 18, 2007)

...

I'm sorry, Stonegod...I really am. But you know too much.

*sound of action being pulled back*


----------



## stonegod (Oct 20, 2007)

Sent an email ping to gabrion to see what's what.


----------



## stonegod (Oct 23, 2007)

stonegod said:
			
		

> Sent an email ping to gabrion to see what's what.



No response. Sit and wait, I guess.


----------



## Shayuri (Oct 24, 2007)

Mew. No harm comes from waiting.


----------

