Dec 13, 2023 4:54 pm
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Dec 17, 2023 6:04 pm
Thanks! I'm contemplating respec-cing away from Clerical Training. I never used it, and with the action economy, it's hard to give up an attack to cast a spell. (Nothing I can cast that's worth a damn that doesn't take a full turn.) I also thought it would be helpful since it gives me that domain thing. But that takes a turn to cast, too, which is hard to do considering the action economy. Maybe it's better if we are preparing for a known fight? I think all of our fights this time were mostly ambushes, or I didn't think to cast ahead of combat.
Would it be possible to replace that power with something else? I may decide to keep it, but I wanted to explore some other possibilities first.
Would it be possible to replace that power with something else? I may decide to keep it, but I wanted to explore some other possibilities first.
Dec 17, 2023 9:14 pm
You can respect your character. Since you haven't used your invocation or cleric training, the story hasn't seen you use it and thus there is no precedent saying you already have them.
I will say, there are plenty of spells and invocations that work well. Feel free to respec if you want, but here are some thoughts if you want to keep the talents but adjust what you chose within them:
- Bless, Cure Wounds, and Shield of Faith are all quick action spells, so you can make a melee attack and still use them at the same time
- Spirits of the Righteous, while a standard action (because it doesn't say quick action, so default is standard), is a spell you can use on a nearby enemy, and thus might be good if you are dealing with flying enemies or don't want to spend an entire turn running up to someone far away
- If you keep with cleric training until level 3, you can switch to the Combat Boon spell, which is an at will spell that involves a melee attack that you'd already be doing
- For your invocations, you might consider the War/Leadership domain (Allies get +1 to hit against an enemy you attack, and one battle per day you can make the escalation die go up by 1 as a quick action)
I will say, there are plenty of spells and invocations that work well. Feel free to respec if you want, but here are some thoughts if you want to keep the talents but adjust what you chose within them:
- Bless, Cure Wounds, and Shield of Faith are all quick action spells, so you can make a melee attack and still use them at the same time
- Spirits of the Righteous, while a standard action (because it doesn't say quick action, so default is standard), is a spell you can use on a nearby enemy, and thus might be good if you are dealing with flying enemies or don't want to spend an entire turn running up to someone far away
- If you keep with cleric training until level 3, you can switch to the Combat Boon spell, which is an at will spell that involves a melee attack that you'd already be doing
- For your invocations, you might consider the War/Leadership domain (Allies get +1 to hit against an enemy you attack, and one battle per day you can make the escalation die go up by 1 as a quick action)
Dec 18, 2023 5:44 pm
Thanks, that's helpful. Part of the issue is that when I created the character, I just followed an online character build Pelgrane had posted. I didn't think about thematically how the choices would reflect my character concept. I now have a better handle on the rules, though, so I think I will respec slightly and get away from clerical spellcasting. (The reason being that Makasi's power comes from her ancestors, not from the gods per se. African legends tend not to emphasize "spell casting" per se but rather blessings from the ancestors and gods. So I'll lean that direction.)
To that end, I'll drop Cleric Training. I'll replace it with Fearless, I think. I've been debating Fearless or Implacable, as both could be justified by her One Unique Thing of having escaped the Afterworld. But ultimately it's a tossup between the two.
As for my Domain, I'm unsure about swapping out Domain: Life. My thinking was, again, her One Unique Thing about escaping the Afterworld. And if I'm planning to drop Cleric Training, perhaps it makes sense to keep an Invocation that just makes the entire party harder to kill. That said, some alternatives I'm mulling over:
Domain: Justice looks attractive. It makes my allies harder to crit, and it makes our miss damage higher on the Invocation.
Domain: Leadership is also attractive. As someone who may be fated to lead her community back from extinction, it is thematic. The Invocation is subtle but useful.
I like Domain: Trickery in theory. African spirits are notoriously tricksy. I'm not sure I understand how it's useful, though. Do I roll the D20 and then another PC can choose to take it as their roll if they like what they see? That might be hard to do in PbP.
I will definitely be picking up Domain: Knowledge down the road (but not yet). At this point, her connection to the ancestors is tenuous at best. But as her relationship with them strengthens, this domain will represent the knowledge they are providing her.
So, TL;DR -- I'll swap Clerical Training for Fearless (unless you convince me Implacable will be better). I'm not sure about Domain: Life. Maybe it makes sense to keep it, but there are a few viable alternatives.
To that end, I'll drop Cleric Training. I'll replace it with Fearless, I think. I've been debating Fearless or Implacable, as both could be justified by her One Unique Thing of having escaped the Afterworld. But ultimately it's a tossup between the two.
As for my Domain, I'm unsure about swapping out Domain: Life. My thinking was, again, her One Unique Thing about escaping the Afterworld. And if I'm planning to drop Cleric Training, perhaps it makes sense to keep an Invocation that just makes the entire party harder to kill. That said, some alternatives I'm mulling over:
Domain: Justice looks attractive. It makes my allies harder to crit, and it makes our miss damage higher on the Invocation.
Domain: Leadership is also attractive. As someone who may be fated to lead her community back from extinction, it is thematic. The Invocation is subtle but useful.
I like Domain: Trickery in theory. African spirits are notoriously tricksy. I'm not sure I understand how it's useful, though. Do I roll the D20 and then another PC can choose to take it as their roll if they like what they see? That might be hard to do in PbP.
I will definitely be picking up Domain: Knowledge down the road (but not yet). At this point, her connection to the ancestors is tenuous at best. But as her relationship with them strengthens, this domain will represent the knowledge they are providing her.
So, TL;DR -- I'll swap Clerical Training for Fearless (unless you convince me Implacable will be better). I'm not sure about Domain: Life. Maybe it makes sense to keep it, but there are a few viable alternatives.
Dec 18, 2023 6:28 pm
Any of those domains would be good. Go with the one you'd likely enjoy most that fits with what you imagine the character to be.
As for fearless vs implacable, unless you are hoping to fight a lot of demons or dragons, the main benefit of fearless is a +1 to hit rolls when soloing an enemy, so you'd need to make sure not to go up to the same enemy as Hrafe. Implacable only comes up if an enemy actually inflicts a save ends effect against your, but could save you from a round or two of damage or allow you to act without being held back (dazed for example) in the cases that actually comes up. Up to you. Fearless is good as long as you and Hrafe aren't both next to the same enemy.
As for fearless vs implacable, unless you are hoping to fight a lot of demons or dragons, the main benefit of fearless is a +1 to hit rolls when soloing an enemy, so you'd need to make sure not to go up to the same enemy as Hrafe. Implacable only comes up if an enemy actually inflicts a save ends effect against your, but could save you from a round or two of damage or allow you to act without being held back (dazed for example) in the cases that actually comes up. Up to you. Fearless is good as long as you and Hrafe aren't both next to the same enemy.
Dec 18, 2023 6:45 pm
Thanks for the feedback! OK, I think I'll do this:
Replace Cleric Training with Implacable.
Keep Domain: Life. Down the road, I'll likely pick up Domain: Lore and Domain: Vengeance. They all seem to fit my concept for Makasi.
Replace Cleric Training with Implacable.
Keep Domain: Life. Down the road, I'll likely pick up Domain: Lore and Domain: Vengeance. They all seem to fit my concept for Makasi.
Dec 18, 2023 6:58 pm
Sounds good to me. You ok keeping life domain? If so, I recommend saving the use of that invocation until the escalation die is +2 or higher and you know someone is suffering from a save ends effect. This dragon won't be able to daze again this fight so no need to use it this fight
Dec 18, 2023 7:06 pm
Ah, I didn't expect to have more fights on this game day, so I used it. The dragon has boss energy, so I figured we'd be headed for a rest after this. If I'm wrong, so be it. :)
Dec 18, 2023 7:11 pm
you'll get a full heal up after this fight as it is the last fight in the example adventure. after this we'll have a session 0 to see what we want to do with the rest of the campaign
Dec 27, 2023 10:30 pm
Just wanted to confirm something. You put the lich King as a conflicted relationship as well as the great gold wyrm.
I assume the conflicted lich relationship is due to him having power over death, so to some degree you owe him for holding the powers of death back to let you escape the underworld, a debt you owe but that you fear one day perhaps having to repay.
The gold wyrm is conflicted, but more an ally, as you aren't a champion of the wyrm but fight for him for protection from death.
Do I have that right? If not please add anything you think is important for me to understand and consider
I assume the conflicted lich relationship is due to him having power over death, so to some degree you owe him for holding the powers of death back to let you escape the underworld, a debt you owe but that you fear one day perhaps having to repay.
The gold wyrm is conflicted, but more an ally, as you aren't a champion of the wyrm but fight for him for protection from death.
Do I have that right? If not please add anything you think is important for me to understand and consider
Feb 4, 2024 5:25 pm
I wanted to check in something. I see on your sheet it says your AC is 25. What did you do to get to that number?
Here is my math. Base 16 (halberd requires 2 hands so no shield) + middle of 2/2/0 (so 2) + level (2) + 1 (from magic armor in chapter 1) to a total of 21
Here is my math. Base 16 (halberd requires 2 hands so no shield) + middle of 2/2/0 (so 2) + level (2) + 1 (from magic armor in chapter 1) to a total of 21
Feb 4, 2024 6:07 pm
I have no idea where that number came from. I've fixed it per what you just explained. Sorry for the mistake!
Feb 13, 2024 4:04 pm
Hey, wanted to ask a backstory question. You say Makasi is looking for her twin sons that died in childbirth with her, correct? How old would you say they would be? Is there any fate that is off limits (anything you would not want to have happened to them)?
If you are ok with anything, you can say "I leave all of that up to you", knowing that means I could do anything from making one or more twins work for a villain to still being infants trapped in some magical suspended animation
If you are ok with anything, you can say "I leave all of that up to you", knowing that means I could do anything from making one or more twins work for a villain to still being infants trapped in some magical suspended animation
Feb 14, 2024 2:36 am
Thanks for asking about all this. So, I had envisioned them as one boy, one girl, but they could both be the same sex if that works better for you. As for what happened to them, my original thought was that somehow the midwife must have saved the lives of the babies but not Makasi (the mother), so, yeah, they'd be alive now. How old they are can vary based on what works for the story. If they're children, they may be being raised by some villain (and need rescuing). If they're adults, maybe they've gotten in with a bad crowd and are, like you suggest, villains themselves. If we go the route of them being villains, I'd want to discuss it with the other payers to make clear that I'd be interesting in playing out an arc where Makasi tries to redeem them (or one of them if only one is bad) rather than kill them. Otherwise, I fear that Hrafe will just mow them down!
In other words, make them younger or older as it suits you, make them good or endangered or bad as it suits you. But I'd like Makasi to have the chance to "save" them -- whether from their captor or pseudo-parent, or from themselves.
Incidentally, the arc I see for Makasi more broadly is one of bringing her village back. As she levels, I'll be picking powers and backgrounds that represent more attunement to the spirits of her ancestors, so she's really a paladin for a people rather than an individual god. Hope that makes sense.
In other words, make them younger or older as it suits you, make them good or endangered or bad as it suits you. But I'd like Makasi to have the chance to "save" them -- whether from their captor or pseudo-parent, or from themselves.
Incidentally, the arc I see for Makasi more broadly is one of bringing her village back. As she levels, I'll be picking powers and backgrounds that represent more attunement to the spirits of her ancestors, so she's really a paladin for a people rather than an individual god. Hope that makes sense.
Feb 14, 2024 12:56 pm
Makes sense to me. Thank you for the answer. As this is PbP and early levels we'll see how long it takes for some of this to happen, but I will keep this all in mind