A DnD Log

[InfestedKerrigan]

So a buddy hit me up last week wanting to know if I wanted to play DnD on roll20.net with him and a few others. It's been probably 12 years since I've played, but it sounded fun. We're supposed to start tomorrow evening. I'm working on my character right now. We rolled my stats earlier. From lowest to highest; 9, 13, 15, 15, 17 and 18. I'm planning on being a Gray Elf (+2 Int, +2 Dex, -2 Con, -2 Str). I plan on becoming a Planeshifter (Manual of the Planes) when I get to the appropriate level.

Where I'm running into a standstill is my class. I was thinking a Wizard makes the most sense on a very basic level. The realm we're starting in is very backwater, no(or limited) knowledge of the planes. I was thinking I'd have my character be obsessed with summoning and believe that the creatures come from other realms rather than being "magiked" into existence, as the rest of his world tends to believe.

The other class I've been considering is a sorcerer. I don't always enjoy the paperwork involved with the Wizard. The wider access to spells is preferable over the Sorcerer, but the paperwork..... The other thing, for myself, is I enjoy Combat Mages. Using the Sorcerer and building a Final Fantasy style Dragoon is something I've thought about doing for some time now. I imagine it would be a Meta-Magic Feat heavy character. Spells that allow me to jump really high, throw a javelin, feather fall and return javelin to my hand. If I could eventually BAMF into the air and throw the jav, that works great. BAMFing could be my characters introduction to the planes and why he starts pursuing knowledge of them and eventually Planar Travel.

 

Any thoughts, suggestions, comments or otherwise?

[generalripphook]

You could always be a sorcerer and have your bloodline be from a creature that exists outside of the plane you live in.

[InfestedKerrigan]

That's a good idea, I'll mention that to him later today.  Then I wouldn't have to level so high as a Wiz/Sor to be able to cast Planeshift.  Being Extra-planar by birth would allow for him to develop a way for someone searching for us or recognizing us as such.  Then I could spend more time as a fighter for their feat progression.  Oh, I decided upon a a Psionic Warrior for level 1.  Burst as my Psionic power and Up The Wall as my Bonus Feat.  My Level 1 Feat is Battle Jump.  I think this will do a lot for establishing the character as a Dragoon.  I need my wisdom at 15 to get the 1 Psionic energy I need to be able to use Up the Wall (works as long as I don't spend the energy on Boosting my speed).

 

If I multi-class to wizard, I'll go Str 15 Dex 15 Con 13 Int 20 Wis 15 Cha 9.

If I multi-class to sorcer, I'll go Str 15 Dex 15 Con 13 Int 11 Wis 15 Cha 18.

If i multi-Class to fighter, I'll go Str 16 Dex 17 Con 15 Int 15 Wis 15 Cha 9.

 

Keep in mind, I get a Str-2 Dex+2 Con-2 Int+2 from my race, already included in the above.  

[generalripphook]

Personally I'd go wizard because a wizard that can plane shift and cast spells from anywhere seems pretty cool, especially if you have a fly or levitate or feather fall spell in place

[Marcalla]

I'd go with a dex based warrior instead of str based. IE taking weapon finesse. Also adding in 1, 3, or 5 rogue levels for the crit hit was always  a nice way to augment the lost damage bonus from lower strength.

 

I'd also go with Sorc over Wizard. But then I really really am biased against the stupidity of having to prepare spells. And the whole mechanics of DnD/d20  spellcasting in general. I like the freedom of being able to use the spell I need when I need it. But I digress.

 

Another to consider is going Sorc/Cleric That gives you some fighting skill and armour and also plugs you into some healing and the ability to turn. Though with rogue levels you could just cast cleric scrolls instead and wizard ones for that matter.

[Guest]

Is this an RP heavy roleplaying game, or is it just hack and slash? Is the idea to come up with the best combination of character abilities, or just to play a character that the group will have fun with?

[InfestedKerrigan]

Well, it's the DMs first time DMing and he hasn't played since Second Edition.  There are just two of us players.  I haven't played since 3.5 and the other player has only played in one campaign.  I imagine it's going to be a bit more / n \ than RPing.  The DM asked that we mono-class this campaign so he can get used to the dynamics and rules.  I find it amusing that he is letting us choose non PHB races/classes with these other restrictions, but hey, it works for me.  So, unfortunately, I can't play the Dragoon that I wanted to in the fashion I wanted to as I was going to need to take some levels in PsiWarrior, Rogue, Sorcerer and one or two others if I planned on PrCing (monks bonus movement would be great, as well).  

 

My characters motivations haven't changed, though.  I'm still going to play a gray elf.  As much as I don't want to deal with the bookkeeping, I'm going to be a Wizard instead of a sorcerer.  What I've came up with for progression so far is:

Str - 13

Dex - 17

Con - 15

Int - 20

Wis - 13

Cha - 9

 

FEATS

1 Cloudy Conjuration (CM 40)

3 Eschew Materials (PHB 94)

5

6 

9 Quicken Spell

10 Spell Mastery

12 Craft Contengint Spell (CA 77) 

15

15 

18

20 

 

At fourth level I'll boost my constitution to get that additional HP per level, followed by Dex at 8th.  

Keeping with the motivations listed in OP, I'm going with a specialized Conjurer with Evoc and Enchantment as my forbidden schools.  The other player is playing a Hexblade I think.  Arcane Cleric, basically.  I'm not going to power game, but I expect I'll be carrying most of the weight, so I do plan on some optimization.  Cloudy Conj will grant me cover for a round, which will help a lot in early levels with my low HP.  At Third level I'll get Alter-self and be able to give myself AC buffs if needed.  I don't plan on exploiting any Infinity Loops.  

 

As sad as I am about not getting to play my Dragoon, on the plus side it allows me more time to fine tune the Dragoon and it's progression.  

[InfestedKerrigan]

So I renamed the thread. The biggest...Erhm....only factor in this comes with last weeks session. My Wizard, who was at level 3 at that point, our level 5 cleric and our level 5 Wererat/Hexblade were fighting a flesh golem. The Flesh golem killed our cleric before the wererat took it down with two Crits back to back with his crossbows. Now, in hindsight, there were a lot of things that weren't played properly in that battle, but I feel the net result would have largely been the same. After I failed in my attempt to stabilize the cleric, the Hexblade got pissed and went to attack me. I teleported to the other side of a portcullis and started the trek back to town with my remaining 5 hit points. The rat decided to shoot me. He rolled crit for a third time in a row, and damage totaling 15 points...exactly enough to instakill me. So, we lost two party members that session.

 

The clerics player has decided to play a Halfling Rogue. I'm playing a Human Psychic Warrior. I have a few complaints about this step, the biggest of which was how the dm decided our income.....Starting gold x5. I have 450 gold...5% of what the DMG says a fifth level character should have. I voiced my complaint, but Helen Keller don't listen. So, I've done what I can to cheese dick my Psychic Warrior within the constraints laid before me. One of the players was saying the class sounded like it was ripped from anime. I decided, by the end of character creation that I was going to look like Cloud Strife just to piss them off. I didn't roll as goo

d of stats as I did on The previous character, but my lowest stat is 11 so I can't complain too much. So, the way my character works, I can make a jump attack and deal 12d6+8 damage with my first attack of the round. Subsequent rounds will be 8d6+8 when jumping and 4d6+4 when doing a regular melee attack. That's with my Large Greatsword that I carry strapped to my back. I also have a war hammer, a scimitar and 2 daggers. I took monkey grip to be able to wield the Large Greatsword. I have Expansion, which lets me increase myself and all my belongings one size cat, making me large and my Greatsword Huge, granting it the 4d6 dmg. At 7th level, I'm taking Psionic Keen Edge, allowing me to double the crit range of my weapons. Well, of any weapon within 40ft of me, really, and it'll last 70 minutes at that point. But honestly, I don't see my character casting it on the other guys weapons, and really, It's going to be most effective on the scimitar, giving it a 15+ crit. The Greatsword would be 17+ which is decent. I don't see spending my limited power point reserve on other weapons, mine or the rest of the party. Tomorrow is the first session with the new character. I haven't decided if he's lawful good or lawful neutral yet. Or perhaps he's chaotic evil. I don't know. I left that blank on the character sheet, and we'll see how he interacts with the world.

[pretre]

Thanks for the report. Can't believe he PK'd you though. Lame.

[generalripphook]

Wow that is crazy....seems like some intense inner party conflict too. Was he playing his alignment when he attacked you? I mean that just seems like an oppertunity to go on a guest to reincarnate him.

[InfestedKerrigan]

Yeah, he's Chaotic Neutral, and his character is very rash, acting without thought to consequences. He's kind of like Tyrion Lannistar, the black sheep of his Royal family. They sent him off in hopes that either he'd mature or get killed in the process. I was honestly shocked that he decided to shoot me. The initial attack was expected, but that arrow through the heart was not. The dm and I discussed the Ghost/resurrection route, but I am fine with building a new character. I'll be taking over the DMs chair sometime after I get to Tacoma, and the campaign will be heading to Planescape, so Kormai will be a petitioner there, and have ample opportunity to do anything that needs to be done at that point.

 

 

It's still pretty freaking ghetto that he shot me in the back.

[pretre]

Yeah, CN is not an excuse to be a dick. D&D is a cooperative game.

[generalripphook]

When do you guys play?

[generalripphook]

Also you know it requires negative constitution modifier to kill you right?

[InfestedKerrigan]

"Dead

The character’s hit points are reduced to -10, his Constitution drops to 0, or he is killed outright by a spell or effect. The character’s soul leaves his body. Dead characters cannot benefit from normal or magical healing, but they can be restored to life via magic. A dead body decays normally unless magically preserved, but magic that restores a dead character to life also restores the body either to full health or to its condition at the time of death (depending on the spell or device). Either way, resurrected characters need not worry about rigor mortis, decomposition, and other conditions that affect dead bodies."

 

I was reduced to -10 hit points by his attack. We play Tuesday nights. I'll give a write up of last nights events when I wake up, it's bedtime for me now, 3rd shift and all.

[generalripphook]

Sorry sorry i just noticed your 3.5 tag in the post name, they changed death in pathfinder.

[InfestedKerrigan]

Gotcha, no worries. I figured it was an edition confuddlement.

 

Harry Littlebottom and myself are commissioned by the Merc group we work for to obtain a stolen book for an eccentric Mage. The book is necromantic in nature. It was stolen by a gnomish thief. We've been tracking him for weeks, his trail zigzagging seemingly without rhyme or reason across the empire, always a day or two behind him. Following him north, we come across a Wererat who turns out to be the unwanted son from a kingdom to the south. Littlebottom convinces him that he can cure his lycanthrope, if he helps us obtain the book. Just before that encounter, 2 purple beams shoot into the sky, one emanating from a tower I'm familiar with, the other from the mountains to the northeast. As we set off in the morning for the last town we believed the gnome to be heading,traveling through the woods, we see in the distance a robed figure and two large beasts. Littlebottom scouted ahead and reported back 3 robed figures, a living chimera that appeared to have been dead for some time, and a griffon in similar condition. He also over heard them say something about activating a third tower. We continue north on the trail of the gnome, paid contracts come before strange inquiries, eventually coming to a road that leads back to the capital, where we started our commission, and west to a summer hamlet for gathering wood for the kingdoms winter. Seeing travelers coming down the road, wave them down and inquire about gnomes, informing them that he stole something of value to my Family. They mention a couple gnomes and a half Orc showed up at the hamlet to few days earlier. I thank them, giving them a few silver pieces for the information and continue on our way to the hamlet.

 

Once there, the Rat, in human form, goes to the blacksmith. Littlebottom and myself head to the building clearly marked as the pub. Upon entering and surveying the wretched hive of scum, I take note of two gnomes to my left drinking and conversing at a table, and at a table to my right sits our target with the aforementioned Halforc and the other gnome. A few human patrons are spread out at other tables. The thief recognizes me as I go sit down beside him. We exchange curt greetings, as I inquire to the book. He insinuates that he no longer has it and will sell us the information. I inform him, quite bluntly, that the price we'll pay for the information is allowing him to live. He laughs while drinking his ale. I prompt him one more time, as he makes jokes concerning the book and his life, looking at the halforc. I stand up, unsheathing my scimitar and the half Orc charges me. By the end of the encounter, I decapitated the thief and the half Orc, and captured one of the other three gnomes. The rat mauled one of the gnomes, and they took the second one captive. The gnomes shot one of the townsfolk. My party members booked it out the back as a mob approached the front door. I'm still standing in the bar, with my gnome roped up with a bag over his head, and the other living gnome. That's where session ended. I'm planning on talking to the mob, and getting them to lend me a cart to get the two gnomes to the Merc group for "questioning"

[generalripphook]

With roll20 its online right? are you looking for anymore party members?

[InfestedKerrigan]

Yeah, it's online, and we are all getting reacquainted with everything, lots of rules questions come up, but things are going smoother now. It's kinda more of an evil campaign than a good campaign. I'll check with the dm and let you know. We play Tuesdays at 7 PST. 3 of us our in EST currently. The three players actually lol