Dungeon Master Forum

I've never heard of an "Aasimar", but Tieflings are in 4th edition so I'm familiar with those. It sounds like 3.5 has a much smaller choice of races/classes and just sticks to the "main" ones...Half-Orcs and Gnomes are in 4th but I think they're in PH2. I don't pay too much attention to which book something's from when I'm building characters, as long as it's not from Dragon Magazine (as that stuff is really overpowered), but there's only one race and class that is, I think.
Anyway...obviously the rules and stuff are gonna be different for the 3.5 version of a race/class compared ot the 4th edition version, because the rules are different - I suppose some things will be much the same, but just explained differently or whatever. It won't be difficult to come up with a reason as to my new character knowing Ameena, since she's travelled about enough that she could conceivably have met a huge variety of race/class combos.
Umm...are races restricted in 3.5 as to which classes they can be? For example, can a Half-Orc be a Wizard, can an Elf be a Barbarian, etc? What kinds of "monster" races are available (for example, in 4th ediiton you can play stuff like kobolds, bugbears, drow, orcs, etc)? I'll need to probably go through that website (the d20srd.org or whatever it is. the one we've been using for reference in Wuffy's game) and dig out the guidelines for character creation, since obviously that's different to how it is in 4th edition and besides, I always just use the Character Builder anyway so I don't mess up the numbers and miss stuff out .
I'll have to have a proper read through what all the classes do, since obviously it's not as simple as all your spells/attacks being listed as "powers", and there's all these extra rules and stuff. I suppose the good thing about having a much shorter class list is it'll take less time to look through and decide which I want to be. Do classes have different builds/types in 3.5? for example, in 4th, if you're a Rogue, you can narrow that down to being an Artful Dodger (specialises in leaping around, avoiding damage, and has high Charisma for the talking-to-people stuff), Brutal Scoundrel (the one I normally go for, you add your Str bonus to some attack powers and I think get something else as well), Cunning Sneak (hide in shadows and snipe stuff, I think), or Ruthless Ruffian (can use maces and something else as well to deck people round the head with). They give you different bonuses to stuff, and focus on different primary stats - so an Artful Dodger puts more emphasis on Charisma than a Brutal Scoundrel, who focuses more on Strength, though obviously both focus strongly on Dex as that is the Rogue's primary stat in general, for sneaking about, avoiding damage, and having good Reflexes and getting high Initiative, etc. It means you could have a party of all the same class but each one in a different specialisation, so they're all actually quite different. Hey, I wonder how well that'd work...imagine if you had the nukey-type Wizard blowing shit up, while the Controller Wizard debuffs all the enemies, slowing them down and stuff, and then another type of Wizard doing umm...whatever it is one of the other Wizard types can do. Okay so that wouldn't work too well since they'd have no means of healing...I suppose a group of Clerics might be better, especially versus undead - you could have the holy-smitey-smitey Cleric taking out the mobs while the healy-healy Cleric restores any hp the smitey Cleric(s) has/have lost whilst kicking loads of arse .
Hmm anyway, I think I'm distracting myself again...we've got a while before I need to really think about this anyway, since Wuffy's game has hardly finished yet anyway .

Yeah, I have all kinds of alternate rules to 'dumb chars down.' Seriously if someone wanted to play a young or very young dragon, I could make it happen by turning 'dragon' into a class and race at the same time. So you would gain levels in 'dragon' and get more of the abilities of your chosen dragon type as you leveled. So seriously, dont let powerful type chars stop you if you wanna play something weird. But for aasimar and tiefling, or ohter rcaes with a smaller LA, what id do is just discuss with you how you wana work it so they are the same level, or just take the LA, which I hate.

And WTF they took out aasimar but left tiefling?! /facepalm. *grumbles*. *glances at Beo who gives her a very stern 'No 4the bitching!' look*

Ameena- an aasimar is like a tiefling but with celestial blood instead of infernal.

Ahh okay. Bleh, then - I don't go for Divine stuff . What's "LA"?
Regarding the possiblity of playing a dragon, there's a race in 4th called a Dragonborn - they are descended from dragons somewhere along the line (not as distantly as kobolds though) and from the start they get a power called Dragon Breath (I think it's called) which is a close blast nuke which does damage of an element you choose at character creation and which remains the same throughout your character's existence (Fire, Cold, Acid, Poison, or Lightning I think are the choices, though I feel like I've missed one). I think Dragonborn even get to grow wings at higher levels, but as I've never played a high-level game I have no idea, so maybe I'm just making that up .
I'll have to find a decent list of races and have a look through once we get closer to the time of you starting your game, and see if I can find something I like the look of. I still fancy playing as a Rogue...especially one who'll not be averse to sticking a knife into any nearby backs which happen to look like they deserve it .

Ameena wrote:I still fancy playing as a Rogue...especially one who'll not be averse to sticking a knife into any nearby backs which happen to look like they deserve it

It's the perfect opposite of Ameena (the character)

Hehe, I didn't plan for murafu to be so pacifistic when I first create them - they just turned out that way but I still really love the species .

Ah, to re-roll a new, exciting character or keep the one you are fond of…a tough choice! Though if everyone is re-rolling I will do the same (I don't want everyone to have to be level 8 just because of me!)

Speaking of levels (sort of): beo, does the rest now count as a break for level up for Westian, Falkor and Aurek?

Blimey. After putting off reading Bika-culture for so long (I *will* catch up with it!), I can't imagine the fun, violence and verbosity Westian, Falkor and Aurek are causing as well!

Aha, so Ameena will play a character who doens't go "I love all life, all life is good and violence is bad unless your friend are in tro-HAHA DRINK FIERY DEATH UNDEAD! DRINK IT! DRINK THE DEATH! AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHHA!" ?

The plan for the last level up to level 8 is to do it literally right before the last big set piece(s). Currently, there is still some wiggle room created by your choices that both groups aren't quite there yet. For example, I had thought the next down time Westian et all had would be before the final push, but there seems to be one final step there now. Similarly, the main group seem to be one fireball/swird swing/undead fiery death drink away from stepping back from their own calm before the storm One and a half years down the line, and I still can't exactly predict where the story will go or what you guys will do. It's pretty cool.

But we are getting close. Very close. Oh yes. Unless we aren't getting close. Oh yes. I'll let you know in big bold letters when you guys are allowed the last leveling up, and when shit is about to get very very real and final

And yeah, it's scary that Falkor was split from the group so long ago (then again, Ameena stayed away for a good long while) and it's just as scary I only reunited Falkor and Westian (and Aurek) in Setpember! That's ages ago! They have indeed done alot of talking, alot of damage, and a lot of damage while talking since then. It's been cool to see, hopefully sometime you guys can look back on it!

Still, hopefully you guys will very soon be able to interract again. Soon. Ish. Unless you aren't. See my previous note about not being able to predict the story with your guys at the helm


Updates as soon as I've finished a few little chores.

Yes, sorry, I was not trying to rush you into giving us the next level up! It is just that we said that Westian and Falkor (and now I assume Aurek) would go from level 6 to level 7 when we got a breather! I was not sure if the current chat counts as a rest.

Time flies, it feels like Westian and Falkor just meet up a few weeks ago! Can't believe it was actually September.

You guys aren't level 7 yet? Woah, you should be! Sorry, that's what you were asking about (not the final 7 -> , darn. I forgot I put it off a little. I meant to boost you guys in the walk towards the King, didn't I? So you should have been level 7 badasses when facing the King! Since I pre-emptively suggested level up stuff for Falkor since he was a level behind, I forgot we hadn't levelled you up yet!

Got a few thigns to do (liek that frigging census I didn't have time for over the weekend), and these updates seem to be taking a hwile to work out, so I will get back to you maybe tomorrow on the levelling up. Oops! Thoguh if you can level yourself up, then I can obviously check it out quicker and get back to you!


Aww, I feel like a bad DM now!

For the main group:

Anyway, yeah, you guys are level 7, right? Right? I levelled you up after you all got back to the cavern, right?

So, about your update. Add reactions to the immediate first part of the update (probably applies more to Ameena and Haynuus) as normal. However, regarding the will saves, and all the unpleasant thoughts ahead of ther will saves:

- a) yeah, of course it's Dolo makng a move against you guys. Quite a strong one! Any will bonuses regarding Petal somehow protecting you guys or offering a buffer don't apply. However, other bonuses apply. So I think Haynuus gets a +2, as did Ameena, and I'm giving Ameena a firther +2 due to her experiences with the stone. I don't think Petal got any inherent bonuses against Dolo, did she? Please remind me if I have forgotten anything in this regard.

- b) Save DCs are as follows. DC 15 means you don't realise the compulsion isn't yours, but you can semi resist it as if it was one of yours. Just like Petal hasn't blasted anyone to pieces yet, or Deephold hasn't thunmoped Soorec with a mace. So if you think your character would not instantly act on strong compulsions (Haynuus and Deephold might not from their RP, Ameena and Petal might, for example) then act according to that. DC20 is for realising this is an external cumpusion from Dolo and breaking free of it. Anything less than a roll of will save of 15, and you guys need to work out how you'd act as if these were your urgent undeniable thoughts...

- c) Don't make any actual actions. Instead, can you post OOC here on in the story thread about what your character's instinct is to act. So if you fail the save, how you would try and attack, if you get the DC15, if your character would instantly do something or would wait and control themselves, and of you save then what your reaction to the realisation would be. Lots of stuffis going to happen at once, so I will basically be doing an update based on the potentail for everything happening, instead of letting you guys all act at once, and then have to sort through that and figure out retcons.


All sound simple? Cool. Trust your DM that this might not be about to blow up in all our faces. Unless it does. Good luck, us!

Damn Dolo the wanker...Will save results and resultant reaction given in OOC note over in the IC thread. I could sort of see this coming as soon as Soorec started mentioning him a whole bunch of times. Maybe he's got something that makes him immune to brain-getting-inside-of or something .

Or vice versa, his defense was people not knowing his true name, etc, and you guys have been compromised to hell and back for a while now, and know all about him. And perhaps Petal did something that removed the wonderful protection you lot enjoyed, so Dolo finally got his chance to mess with Soorec's head....

Whoooooo knows!

We had protection? Lol...missed that. Don't much care what happens to knobby little Soorec-the-wanker anyway, himand his horrible nasty grak-graks breaking the back of my character, boooo . She is gonna need counselling or something after this is all over, I can tell you . Well, you know, the murafu equivalent of counselling, which really is to get piled upon and sat next to and generally shown lots of attention and have loads of pairs of ears eagerly listening to what the problem is and loads of little murafu brains thinking up advice to offer...and offering it, of course. And generally being nice and accepting and comforting and all that. And giving lots of...well...murafu don't hug since it's not really somthing they can properly do due to their anatomical build, but you know...plenyt of the murafu equivalent of hugs, which is generally snuggling up close and stuff . I'd love to RP, just for a laugh, what happens when someone like Haynuus is brought to a murafu community and introduced (assuming I got to play all the murafu, of course, since I know exactly what they'd all do ) .
Oh and btw, yes we are level 7. Well, I am, anyway .

Oh crap. I knew I shouldnt have gotten pissed. Yeah, theres something weird going on in all the spoiler text me n beo have been throwing around. But dont read it unless you hate surprises or can avoid metagaming, as you guys are most likely gonna find out what it is in my campaign if beo doesnt reveal it sooner.

I've not been reading the spoilers since generally I prefer to know only stuff my character knows, in case it influences what I have her decide to do. Obviously in some cases I can't not know what something is OOC (for example any DM monster that comes our way, as I'm familiar with DM itself, so OOC I know that Chaos is part of the Grey Lord, for example, though IC Ameena just thinks he's a scary dark horned figure in a cloak who's gonna destroy the world if the party's mission fails). So I have no idea who it is Petal's been speaking to, really . Mind you, murafu-Ameena might never find out since it seems like Petal might be about to completely blast her to bits...unless she manages to wriggle free of Deephold first (are we stil running in Initiative order? I can't remember how well Petal did, only that I scored a 16), in which case I suppose she'll be crawling around on the ground instead, trying not to re-break her back as she tries to scramble away from everyone .

OOOOKaaayy, Will Save +2 special Beo bonus, +2 Wisdom modifier (1d20+4=24). Woo hoo! Super cool chicken

Oh good, at least someone managed to pass the bloody roll .

So, can Haynuus react as if he both knows who and how and why?... Will post in an hour or two

For the moment, I think, we just need to post actions for what happens before the Will save was asked for, and only post OOC what our actions after the Will save will be...so hopefully Haynuus can do a "Hang on a minute..." and stop Petal from nuking everyone. Well, you know, somewhere in between the time she lobs a spell (thereby dropping invis) and it hitting us and most likely blowing us all into tiny little bits .

Yeah, Ameena has it right, if you know what's going on, then announce your intentions as to what you would do immediately to informa or react to those around you - like say 'Hang on a minute", draw a blade, etc. Rather than launch in to a ten minute monologue with doplimacy checs to convince the others

You'll see why with my next update. Like I said, it's kinda focused on the immediate events,so I need to know where everyone is going at once, rather than let you all go in several directions at once and then have to resolve all these disparate elements

I'll post Haynuus's reactions to the mental assault after Beo's next update then

Wow, looks like Group A is having a tough time! First Soorec and a hell of a lot of grak-graks, and now mental attacks too. Good luck!

Beo, are the two groups roughly synchronised time-wise now? Not that it will have an affect on Westian's actions, just OOC curiousity.

Well Westian is probably on a beach somewhere enjoying a cleric conference or something meanwhile Ameena is having her spine snapped - ouch!

Yes, in case you have not been following the other thread Westian, Falkor and Aurek are having tea and scones, and afterwards they will all be dancing around a fire and playing uplifting music. Westian has hollowed out his snake staff to make a rudimentary, but perfectly functional, saxophone.

I knew it! Darn it, the NETA path was the way to go after all.

Bah, the main group don't have it so bad either. 'Back snapped' is so harsh, it was simply a non-theraputic back massage that employed an over zealous and beyond regulation amount of tension.

Yeah, Westian, Aurek and Falkor will notice a few time skips happening (they've already had a few vague ones during travel) in the next few updates. Basically they are currently about half an hour or so behind the main group. Something of that magnitude anyway.

ian_scho wrote:His sword is unsheathed and the pommel is smashed into his face a number of times as he instinctively knew that it was that twisted elven priest once more.

I almost fell off my chair laughing at this... good work Ian

Beating yourself unconscious may well be a valid defence against voodoo!

Now THAT'S funny!!!