TinyChat

Hope you and your wife get well soon! Good luck and take your time!

@Smiley hope you all feel well soon! Tell Mrs Smiley that we’ve always wished that a crystal princess would join us and soften Ishzu’s stoney heart.

FYI: You guys don't need to stay in Paphos and work for the expedition but it will remain the hub of ongoing stories. There are several nearby options/opportunities

Here's how things look from my perspective:
1) There is the underdark group that wants to go deeper and check things out. The core is Grin, Oliver, and Brewner, but anyone who wants to can join them. It'd be great if they get at least one more.
2) There is a Paphos group that has some setting-focused tasks to perform. Skeeve is kinda driving this, but he isn't dictating anything; just working to help New Paphos in whatever order the team wants to do it.
3) Do something different on your own, or as a third group. Psybermagi has created a setting with an absolute ton of loose threads, all waiting to be pulled on. A few have been addressed, like the Manor, Eldergrove, and the village with the Dark Fey, but there are many, many more left.

Anyone can do anything, except Skeeve can't do the Underdark. (Because I am DMing the Underdark and playing Skeeve. Can't mix that!)

questions:
-Can we convince the folks that mapping the underdark is also searching for matrix nodes? Would we get paid for that or would we become freelancers?

- while on a break, are we able to gain XP or train? I remember you saying we could take shifts with the Base folks but it sounds like there’s a desire for some trait development?

On the first question, it all depends on what you find. Find something important, get useful information, find a Matrix Node, and you might get a bonus. Find a Matrix Node and a reason to actually use it, and you will definitely get a bonus. Regardless, you will still be a contractor when you get back as you were not using up resources while you were gone. Come back empty-handed, and you'll need to do something to keep that contractor status.

So, no, going down to the deeper underdark won't force you into freelancer status directly. Do it multiple times with no results, and you will. (So, worst case, just intersperse trips to the underdark with missions useful to New Paphos, and it won't be a problem. Find something cool, and you won't even need the side missions.)

On the second question, that's a Psybermagi question ...

I'm ok with downtime training granting XP but I will need to work out the specifics. At the least it will require a specific goal and a teacher. It would only grant a 1 to 2 point discount per week of training.

Ex someone in the team has mastered the longbow and is at least a veteran. They can teach others. Or pay someone else who mattered what your are trying to learn.

I will try to get guidelines for this tonight.

Cool! Thanks GM! And if one PC decides to use their downtime to teach another, would they gain something too? Some XP? Like Arc teaches archery, and learns more about how others approach archery and then is a better archer as a result?

No. Teaching basics doesn't really help with you own skills much. That's why most teachers charge $$.

This is all extra anyhow. Helping others become weapon or armor proficient is one thing. Mastery and traits are another

Can Grin pay someone at the base to train him with the whip or a dagger so he can get proficiency? And how much would that cost him?

Light weapons are common so yes.
Working on it. This is House rule so needs consideration on cost and effect.

There is a package on DriveThruRPG that apparently contains pretty much everything ever published thus far for Tiny D6. It is $100.01 and is 91% off. If you have bought anything through DTRPG, that is credited in the purchase price. (So, for me, it would cost $55 or so.)

Not sure if anyone cares, but I thought I'd mention the bundle regardless.

https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/480884/The-Biggest-Tiny-Sale-Bundle-BUNDLE

Thanks for sharing!

I am still trying to learn the differences between proficiency, trait and mastery.

Is that 3 distinct levels? 1d6, 2d6 and 3d6? Is there anything needed other than enough XP to do it? Do you need proficiency to do anything, like armor, shields, light weapons, bows, etc...

I haven't had any actual plans for Ealdwig, I've just been going with the flow, so I don't know what is the best way to move forward with this? Can I corner myself and not be able to expand? How many proficiencies, traits and masteries can you have?

Since I started down the sword path, is it best to get more proficient with that, maybe add armor and or shields? I wouldn't want to lose my ability to use my acrobatic skills or become noisy. What's the point of a noisy halfling?

Using something you are not familiar with impose disadvantage. 1d6
Proficiency just removes that so it is a regular test. 2d6
Masters grants advantage. 3d6We have not done much with noise and armor, trying to avoid getting too complicated, but it might come up in some situations if someone was in medium or heavy armor. Similar for acrobat. However if you had a type of magic armor that could easily be ignored.

I gave an answer to the first part in your character thread. But Proficiency and Mastery are separate from Traits.

You can have all the base Proficiencies and as many Masteries as you wish with no limits.

You can have up to seven Traits, not including your Heritage trait and any Traits gained from magic items.

For your path on defense, I'd take Psybermagi up on the idea of getting a modified Shield Master Trait and going from there.

Sorry, I am a little slow with this, but I think I am getting it.

You're allowed 7 "traits" not including the two you get at character creation.

My traits listed are
Agility
Lucky : 1/week
thinking these two are the halfling traits so they don't count.

Nimble Fingers
Acrobat
Trapmaster
These three are traits that I have taken. So I have the option of seven more when I have enough XP.

Chromacloth flare
And this, although under traits is a magic item.

All of that correct?

How many weapon mastery's can you have? Right now the only mastery I have is with the goblin sword (2d6, or is that 3d6?), everything else is 1d6? My proficiency is in "light" so Daggars and my pole hit with 2d6, but the bow since it is ranged is 1d6 and I am not proficient with that, nor have mastery.

Am I getting this correctly?

Opinion, better to take another trait or gain a weapon mastery?

Your Heritage Trait is Agility. This doesn't count against the limit. Your chosen Traits are Lucky, Nimble Fingers, Acrobat, and Trap Master. So, that is four against you limit of seven. So you get three more Traits before you have to swap out to gain new ones.

Your only current Proficiency is in Light Melee. That means any light melee weapon you use attacks with a roll of 2d6. However, you also have Mastery in Goblin Sword (which really is just a short sword). So, when using a goblin sword or short sword, you roll 3d6 to hit.

For all weapons you do not have Proficiency in, you roll 1d6 to hit.

So, if you want to use your bow more often, I recommend getting Proficiency in Ranged Weapons. This will let you roll 2d6 to hit with any ranged weapon, including your short bow. That seems a good investment that will help with what you are trying to do anyway.

After that, you have lots of options, including getting Mastery in short bow, getting the modified Shield Master Psybermagi suggested, or getting Quick Shot to help with your bow usage.

Thanks I thought there were two heritage traits for some reason. I thought Agility was Halfling and Lucky was one you picked at creation so i didn't think it counted. So I already have 4 out of 7 traits? And now there are two more that I am eyeing, stealth and the modified shield master.

There seem to be a few "next level" traits. Do they take the place of one you already have like a prerequisite?

How much is a bow going to be used / needed on this next mission into the Underdark? Spend the 8 xp now for bow proficiency or just go all in on the sword?

What equipment will be needed for next mission into the Underdark, a climbing kit, anything else? I'll stop at the store during downtime and get outfitted with whatever is needed. Then I'll figure out how to pay for it.

You have the rope caster and your acrobats pole. A climbing kit wouldn't hurt but may be superfluous

You might want a light source. The expedition has some underdark minor magical aids they loan out but you will need to talk with (daryen) Valpip/Fiznik about those