Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Ice9

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5
1
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Interesting stuff in Pathfinder
« on: May 01, 2017, 05:43:45 PM »
Holy crap!  So, unlimited free potions of anything 3rd level and below? 
At 4th level it can even be from other class lists if you have access to it!

Somewhat odd thematically, but a Druid 7 with the Dreamed Secrets feat can make potions herbal concoctions of any Sor/Wiz spell.

Expect nerfs incoming, I would guess.

2
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Interesting stuff in Pathfinder
« on: April 13, 2017, 05:22:29 PM »
This one is a little specialized (requiring a bunch of minions), but here’s a method for charging yourself up with a very large number of 3rd level spells prepared:
1) Have a Holy Tactician Paladin or a Strategist Cavalier with the Bonded Mind teamwork feat.
2) Have another with the Share Spells teamwork feat.
3) Have as many Wizard minions as you can fit within touch range.
4) The teamwork guys share those two feats with all the Wizards and you.
5) The Wizards all cast Mnemonic Enhancer on you.
6) Repeat as desired; each round of enhancement takes ten minutes, so there is a limit, but it’s a pretty high one.

3
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Need some Pathfinder Advice
« on: April 07, 2017, 07:47:41 PM »
Militant is a strange feature for 19th level.  If you wanted to be using martial weapons, you probably picked up the proficiency much earlier.  And if not, you probably have some highly enchanted simple weapons / natural weapon enhancement that would be awkward to drop for new stuff that late in the game.


4
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Arcane Dilettante ROUND TWO
« on: February 15, 2017, 06:31:15 PM »
His CL is now 30 and he recasts Consumptive Field can takes "original caster level" to mean before the bonuses of the new instance. Per Same Effect More than Once in Different Strengths only the best one implies but Same Effect with Differing Durations really suggests you should pay attention to their duration separately, so a case is made that the one with the cl cap of 30 expires and the Cleric quickly kills some more using the newer Field's cap of 45 before it expires.
I don't think it works quite like that:
Quote from: Consumptive Field
Additionally, your effective caster level increases by one per death caused by this spell, to a maximum increase of half your original caster level, improving spell effects that are dependent on caster level.
It's not a cap of 1.5x CL, it's an increase of 0.5x CL.  Which matters since it doesn't stack with itself.  So:
Start: CL = 20
CF1: CL = 20 + 10 = 30
CF2: CL = 20 + 15 = 35
CF3: CL = 20 + 17 = 37
CF4: CL = 20 + 18 = 38
CF5: CL = 20 + 19 = 39

And it terminates there, since 39/2 = 19.  Now if you also use Greater Consumptive Field, and count that as a different effect that does stack, then it can go as high as you have spell slots, roughly +13 CL for each CF or GCF if your starting CL was 20.

5
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: alt Tiers definition (?)
« on: September 16, 2016, 07:58:16 PM »
Mystery Encounter
"Mongo not know where choo-choo go. Mongo only pawn in game of life."
Ok, I think these examples have already been addressed, but I have to call out this one in particular - what the hell is this?

No seriously, how is this - in any way, shape, or form - a way of contributing to a mystery situation?  If it's meant as IC dialog - ok, you just said something confusing to someone ... congratulations?  If not, what is it even supposed to mean?  You're accusing the DM of railroading?  Or is the "choo-choo" part coincidental and you're just declaring your helplessness and asking the DM to feed you the answers? 

The other examples have some issues, but this one doesn't even make sense.

6
Isn't the effect of "0 DC" a bit disputed?  I've seen it treated as "half the cost of DC 1", based on how magic items using Cantrips work.

However, I think that with the "additional participants" factor removed, it might be fine for those to be free; the examples in the OP seem fine with the cost just being "using one of your epic slots".

I'm assuming that this is in the context of already banning/changing Astral Projection though; otherwise you don't really have limited anything per-day.

7
Min/Max 3.x / Re: [3.5] 'Unlimited' Wizard, e6 'friendly.' Sorta.
« on: August 15, 2016, 04:00:27 PM »
Link's statement was a Sorcerer with Arcane Preparation is a Prepared Spellcaster and per the RC a Prepared Spellcaster cannot cast anything that's not Prepared.
That rule seems broken on first principles.  What exactly do they consider a Sorcerer/Wizard/UM as being?  Because that person is obviously both a prepared caster and a spontaneous caster.

That's all moot to Versatile Spellcaster though, because what it requires is simple "ability to spontaneously cast spells", which doesn't even have to come from a class.

8
Min/Max 3.x / Re: [3.5] 'Unlimited' Wizard, e6 'friendly.' Sorta.
« on: August 15, 2016, 01:30:44 PM »
Yes, Arcane Preparation's requirement is "Ability to cast arcane spells without preparation,". If it actually granted the Preparation the prerequisite cared about the Feat would null it's self and always be in an unobtainable state.
Hm?  That doesn't follow; the fact that you can cast arcane spells with preparation doesn't mean you've lost the ability to cast them without preparation.  Also, there are a number of things that are technically self-disqualifying, if ruled that strictly.

9
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: If you were DMing..
« on: July 28, 2016, 05:26:30 PM »
First off, I'm assuming that you mean "that the PCs have to fight/survive" - I see no problem with having the Tarrasque stomp past in the distance at L1, but having them stuck in a cave with it would usually be a dick move.

Even then, it depends on the monster.  Level 1 is so swingy and specific-character-dependent that I'd always eyeball rather than trusting CRs.  Like for example, I'd happily put them against this character (optimized for tavern brawling):

Dwarf Warrior 10 (CR 9)
Stats: 11/12/17/8/10/7 (standard array, ++ to Con)
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Close Quarters Fighting, Great Fortitude, Poison Healer
Combat: 85 hp, AC 11, hits at +10 for 1d3 damage. 
Also can drink anyone under the table and heal himself by doing so.

But not this one, unless I wanted something extra deadly:

Bone Creature Xeph Warlock 1 (CR 1)
Feats: Mortalbane, Point Blank Shot, Psionic Shot (extra feats from taint/flaws)
Combat: 11 hp, AC 18+cover, hits at +4 (touch) for 5d6, from 250' away (Eldritch Spear)

10
You Break it You Buy it / Re: Enter lore master @ lvl 2 in 3.5
« on: July 18, 2016, 09:27:13 PM »
So in theory you'd have the 910gp to pay for an Ability Rip through Spellcasting Services before the 3rd level to gain an Ethereal/Greater Doppleganger's identity ability for a couple hours. Technically it side steps both the entire multiple level gain & WBL limitations and allows you to obtain a copy of the abilities of say a Wizard 5 / Loremaster 10 / Archmage 5 or w/e.
That would be a fun thing to do with followers.  Thrallherd would be particularly thematic, but really any source would work.  They do need a supernatural ability to lose in exchange, but I'm sure there are LA +0 races that have those. 

Take one of your crappy minions, turn it into a 20th level caster for the day, and send it out to destroy your enemies as the most glassy of glass cannons.  And then watch them be confused when they do some divinations and find out the enemy archmage was "some blacksmith from Waterdeep who'd never even picked up a spellbook before". 

11
You Break it You Buy it / Re: Pun6
« on: July 18, 2016, 09:13:02 PM »
Wasn't thinking about actually being a Runescarred Berserker, but rather an Artificer/Archivist snagging, say, Divine Power as a 3rd level spell.  Not that that particular example would really change things, but I figure if you're going to explore what's possible in E6 you might as well go whole-hog and not leave a bunch of loopholes.

12
You Break it You Buy it / Re: Pun6
« on: June 29, 2016, 04:46:01 PM »
It depends whether higher level spells still exist or not, because there are various ways to get them before 6th level.  If you wanted a significant difference there, I'd do something like:

Exiled Spells:
A spell is exiled if it's 4th level or above on all lists it appears, or if it's 4th level or above on the Cleric, Druid, and Wizard lists.
Exiled spells have their body text replaced with: "This spell does nothing."

So you can go ahead and snag a Wish through various means, but casting it will have no effect.  The odd criteria are to deal with things like Runescarred Berserker.

13
General D&D Discussion / Re: D20srd.org acquired by BoLS Interactive
« on: April 29, 2016, 04:47:44 PM »
There are better ways.  Patreon and the like are the micropayments that Scott McCloud has been talking about for decades.
Really?  Personally speaking, I'd rather have some ads on the SRD than have to pay a monthly fee to access it.

And yes, it would have to be for accessing it - it's the SRD for a system that came out 13 years ago, there isn't going to be much new content for people to sponsor.  I mean sure, there's "everyone can access it for free, people just voluntarily donate", but that relies on there being enough big patrons to cover it, and that's by no means a guarantee.

I should add - in this case, it isn't even about the cost, it's about being able to, in the middle of a game, without having my computer around, ask someone to look something up there and they easily can.  So even if it was $0.25 a month, I would rather have ads.

14
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: Simple And Easy , discuss
« on: February 19, 2016, 02:18:27 PM »
I'd say that really, no martial class is going to be that simple to build, if you want it to be effective.  Even something like Warrior that has no internal decisions still has external decisions like feats and gear.  And since martial types gain their power by stacking a bunch of pieces together, you can't just ignore those.

Druid is an interesting one, because it's very simple to build in terms of minimal viability (take Natural Spell, ranks in Knowledge (nature) if you need it for Wildshape familiarity, decent Wisdom, done; even if you pick a lousy Animal Companion you still have power to spare), but simultaneously one of the least easy classes to fill out the details for (wild shape form stats, summon stats, spell list, companion stats, etc), and very time consuming if you do want to optimize it.

I think Wilder (DSP version) is easy to play, and almost easy to build.  You need to pick good powers known (and ideally, pick one of the surge types that doesn't lose you an action on failure), but that's it - feats and gear are just gravy.

15
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: Power's Tier List for Pathfinder
« on: February 04, 2016, 01:56:17 PM »
Every class can play rocket tag, in which case who wins is just initiative.  Tiers are trying to be about versatility and the ability to break the game outside of the easily achieved damage spam.
That's what T1-T4 is about, but at T4 you've already hit "one trick pony" status.  The difference between T4/T5/T6 is merely how well the class does its one trick.  And Gunslinger does its one trick very well, therefore T4.

Whether that's a useful measurement is up for argument.  It is at least fairly easy to measure, compared to something like "expected performance against both tactical and strategic challenges over the course of a campaign", so I can see the appeal.

That said, I would argue that as far as the significant majority of games are concerned, "having good enough numbers in social skills" gives as much or more versatility/screen time/plot changing ability than having weak (anything less than Bard, amount or versatility wise) spellcasting, which most tier lists I've seen don't take into account. 

16
Those methods aren't nearly as entertaining.  Plus, if you go the Strength route, you can use Stunning Irruption and be the Kool-Aid man.

17
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: Power's Tier List for Pathfinder
« on: February 03, 2016, 06:00:01 PM »
I don't understand that one at all.  Bolt Ace is just Gunslinger but uses crossbows instead of guns.  From a quick read, it seems weaker than normal Gunslinger, since it has to spend Grit to do touch attacks.  Is this assuming some sort of spell-storing bolt antics?  Or is one of their deeds deceptively good?

Also, Gunslinger being below T4 to begin with is dumb.  By mid-level, Gunslinger reliably kills most things that aren't specifically made to counter them.  Far away?  Deeds for that.  Miss chance?  Deeds for that.  DR?  Feat for that.  High touch AC?  Good fucking luck, you're going against someone with full BAB + Dex primary + enhancement bonus; Monk, for example, is not nearly enough.

Even some of the specifically anti-gun spells/items are woefully insufficient - 3-4 more points of AC won't help when the Gunslinger would hit you on a -5.  And Bullet Magnets won't last a single round, even if you make them out of Adamantine.

So is the rating based on "with no items" or "not at all optimized" or something?  That doesn't seem very useful.


Edit: On further inspection, what is up with this whole list?  How is the Slayer's ability to "do a bunch of damage" and "be good at skills" a tier higher than the Rogue's ability to "do a bigger bunch of damage" and "be good at slightly more skills"?  Same deal with the Ninja. 

Also, not convinced Investigator is T3; yes, it has extracts, but I've never seen a build that was very impressive for it.  And Unchained Monk is not T6, come on; it may be a Monk but it can deal damage moderately well, enough to hang out with Fighter and Vanilla Brawler at least.  And some of the Monk archetypes reach T4.

18
You can only hold one focus at once, unless you have Psicrystal Containment, which allows you to store a second focus.  There might be another way to get a second focus too, I haven't read all of the latest DSP stuff.

But note that you could do something like:
1) Expend Focus to use Quicken Power, manifest a Quickened power
2) Move action to regain focus with Psychic Meditation
3) Expend Focus to use Empower Power, manifest an Empowered power

To use your focus twice in a round, despite only holding one at a time.

19
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: When are level adjustments worth it?
« on: January 21, 2016, 04:18:15 PM »
Some LA is worth it.  Not a lot, but it certainly exists. 

For example the often-seen ones like Half-Minotaur, Mineral Warrior, Lloth-Touched, Feral, and White Dragonspawn.  Those are all in the +1 / +2 range, which makes it easier.

For higher LA, I think that Pixie and Ghost can be worth it for certain character types.  Not for a caster, but a Ghost Rogue works pretty well.

Black Ethergaunt is pretty nice.  Doesn't match up to the stronger casting PrCs like Incantrix, but it's a Wizard plus a bit more, which is plenty for most campaigns.

And of course, in Gestalt, LA is almost always worth it, assuming it only counts as one side.

20
You know, I hadn't looked that carefully at the Factotum before, so I hadn't realized that it wasn't just a 4E style encounter mechanic - ie., you can recharge IP with a few minutes rest.  If encounter is supposed to be meta, like an entire day of investigating crime in a city might be a single encounter, then ugh, that's terrible, it encourages stupid tricks to recharge.

Wizard: "I can't read this note, it must be in code.  Hey Factotum, do that skill mojo you do."
Factotum: "Can't, I ran out of inspiration back at noon."
Wizard: "Oh ... well, I'm just going to go have a smoke.  Wait here a minute."
* Wizard walks around corner, summons a Fiendish Badger, tells it to go attack the Factotum. *
* Factotum regains IP!  And easily defeats the badger. *
* Wizard walks back around corner. *  "How about now?"
Factotum: "Yup, I can decode it now.  Some random wildlife bit me and it really sparked my creativity!"

I mean yes, that example is blatant, but where do you draw the line?  There might be a legitimate reason that the PCs want to go investigate the shady bar (where they'll probably get into a brawl) before continuing the research they're doing.  Still dumb to make that the best course of action.

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5