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Topics - StreamOfTheSky

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I was just wondering if these combine like I think/hope.

Quote from: Enhance Wild Shape
...The next time you activate your wild shape ability (during the duration of enhance wild shape), this spell enhances your new form in the way you selected. The enhancement to your wild shape remains as long as you stay in that form (or until the spell's duration expires) but does not apply to your next wild shape form....

Losing the spell when you change form really hurts the toolbox-style applications, and at mid levels before I can get Ex qualities of any form 24/7 via Master of Many Forms, 4th level spells are very precious.  So, I see the Multimorph text (interesting parts bolded), and...

Quote from: Warshaper
Flashmorph/Multimorph (Su): ...If it casts the polymorph spell, has polymorph as a spell-like ability usable less often than at will, or has the wild shape class feature, it instead gains the multimorph class feature. Multimorph allows a warshaper to change forms multiple times during the duration of the spell, spell-like ability, or class feature that enables her to change form. For example, a wizard/warshaper could polymorph into a troll for 2 minutes, then change into a red dragon for 4 minutes, and then spend the rest of the spell's duration in the form of a hill giant. Each change requires a standard action, and only the first transformation heals the warshaper. If the warshaper changes into its natural form, the spell, spell-like ability, or use of wild shape ends.

Since Multimorph's changes are still within a single use of Wild Shape and don't heal you like actually using Wild Shape a second time would, does this allow me to make an awesome problem-solver who can get the Ex qualities of many different forms on a single casting of the spell?
Long term, I can get Ex qualities via Master of Many Forms anyway, but this would enable it much earlier, so it'd be cool if it worked.  Thoughts?

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Off Topic Fun / Buttons shrank but resolution unchanged....help!
« on: June 06, 2015, 01:55:44 PM »
A few days ago, all of my buttons shrank ~20% for no goddamned reason (the menu bar text also did, but I just changed fonts to help w/ that).  The ones in the top right corner to close/minimize/resize.  The post button for this very topic.  Even the start menu, the panels for recently used programs got shorter (less wide in the vertical dimension).  I haven't done anything to my computer in that time, and the only updates were some "optional" ones for Microsoft Security Essentials.  All the same KB# (KB2310138), just different definitions (some going far back).  I did a system restore a few days ago and all was well with the world.  But then a day later...the automatic installs stabbed me in the back.  Now it's back, and even going to a restore point only fixes the top right close/minimize/resize buttons in Firefox.  All other buttons, and even those in other programs like Adobe Acrobat or just regular windows remain shrunk.

What can I do to fix this?  It's really irritating.  I tried on the screen resolution the "make text and other items larger or smaller" link and setting it to 125%, but that just makes everything jumbo-sized.

I use Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

EDIT: Found the Caption Button size change option, now it's mostly better.

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Gaming Advice / 1 round cast spells and movement/threat
« on: October 27, 2014, 02:22:14 AM »
I had an interesting issue pop up playing in a game this weekend.  DM ruled one way, not sure I agree with it, but also not sure how I should rule it.
Basically...enemy caster began to cast something and didn't finish, though none of us got the spellcraft to ID and DM didn't indicate he wasn't finished (we assumed it was some buff spell or something else unnoticeable to us in effect).  My character killed the foe in melee with him and then used a move action to get into melee with the caster, but could not attack again, obviously.
Enemy mage's turn comes up, and DM reveals he was casting Sleep.  I ask, "Wait, if that's a 1 round cast time and I moved up to threaten between starting and finishing casting...doesn't he have to make concentration or I get an AoO?"  DM said no, I accepted it and moved on.  But...what is the actual correct answer?

a) As soon as someone moves in to threaten, he must concentrate to cast defensively or else suffer an AoO, if not immediately then when he completes the casting at the start of his turn.
b) Casting defensively has to be chosen when you begin casting; if he didn't he's screwed and the threatening creature gets an AoO he can't prevent.
c) DM was right; you have to threaten at the start of the casting, not at any point during it / at completion of casting.

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Gaming Advice / Polymorph: Don't gain qualities vs. gain (sub)type
« on: October 02, 2014, 02:58:09 PM »
Quote from: Polymorph
The subject’s creature type and subtype (if any) change to match the new form...

...It also gains all extraordinary special attacks possessed by the form but does not gain the extraordinary special qualities possessed by the new form or any supernatural or spell-like abilities.

Simple question, really.  Even though I likely won't go strict RAW on this, I would like to know what the RAW answer is.

I have always considered Polymorph spell to not grant *any* qualities of the assumed form, but it does mention that you take on the type and subtype, which inherently are PACKED with special qualities.  So...which statement wins out in the end?  Do you get Ex special qualities of the type(s) you assume, or just any Ex special attacks from it?

I'm also curious because I always hated that (in my view, before realizing this type/subtype thing) Polymorph Any Object, a much higher level spell where it's expected if you turn someone to a sheet of paper you can set the sheet on fire and it will burn up just like paper that...you also don't gain Ex qualities, since it defers to Polymorph's rules in that regard.  Doesn't make sense for PAO, but on the other hand gaining type qualities is overpowered for regular polymorph, IMO.

I will probably houserule it as such, if I even allow PAO at all, but please can someone tell me the RAW answer here?  And please don't start a debate about whether either spell is overpowered and so forth, there's enough threads on that already.

The reason I'm asking, if you're curious is below.  Slight spoilers for War of the Burning Sky campaign setting, MY PLAYERS STAY OUT, etc...
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Gaming Advice / Shapeshift Druid *AND* Wild Shape from another source?
« on: September 16, 2014, 11:06:44 PM »
Is there anything that prevents one from making use of the PHB 2 Druid variant Shapeshift while also being wild shaped by other means, such as Wild Shape Ranger?  Looks like it works to me...

Trying to make a gestalt Ranger --> Master of Many Forms build, but all the caster classes I want for the other side are already covered by other people, and Druid features staggering amounts of redundancy with ranger, especially the wild shape.  But all the other swap options are utterly horrible.

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Gaming Advice / Dismiss a spell faster?
« on: June 01, 2014, 01:12:53 PM »
Just curious.  Was there ever printed any way (feat, I'd assume) to let you dismiss one of your own spells with the (D) tag in duration faster than as a standard action?

EDIT: Or if there's a way to let a familiar dismiss it for you w/o it costing you actions.

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D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Help me houserule Forced March rules
« on: May 03, 2014, 10:43:23 AM »
I haven't DM'd much and it never case up as something to think about till recently, but I noticed that the Forced March rules are an utter joke.

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The DC starts low and scales gradually, that's cool.  The damage doesn't ramp up at all with each failure...I might change that.  The damage causes fatigue and is vague if it stacks to exhaustion (I think it should).  It mentions marching into unconsciousness but provides no rules for that.   :shakefist   But most annoyingly...basic freaking healing removes all the bad stuff.

I want it to be more severe.  I would prefer if it doesn't outright incapacitate a character for a long, long time, but I do want the penalties to be hard or impossible to remove w/o rest and I want them to be more harsh.  And preferably hurt casters, too ("Oh, I took a str penalty and can't charge?  Oh...darn...").  Has anyone ever tried houseruling forced marches?

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Basically, when the party's going through a desert, having some generic desert terrain maps with appropriate terrain laid out where ever would be nice.  When they're going through a forest, having a map w/ clear trails and thick patches of trees is handy.  And so forth.

I haven't had to bother finding many maps for terrains thus far, but that is going to become a bigger issue over time.  Right now, I use vgmaps to get screen caps of video game map images to load up on maptools, but the site is organized not only by game (hard enough already) but that itself is a SUB-classification beneath them being organized by console.  Yikes!

If I want to look for "mountain trail"...it doesn't work so well.  I have to go about my search completely backwards, trying to think of the games I've played that had mountain trails, what the name of the place was, and go from there.  There's gotta be a better way.  Right?  ....Right?

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Gaming Advice / How does one imprison a psion?
« on: March 04, 2014, 08:09:18 PM »
Other than an anti-magic/psionics warded cell?  Preferably something lower level/cheaper.  With a traditional caster, you can bind their hands/arms, take away their components and foci, gag them... and while some will still be able to cast, most will be shut down.  But psionics is inherently not subject to those sorts of limitations.  But it seems kind of crazy that it's impossible to keep a psion locked up, short of keeping him continuously beaten unconscious or in an insanely expensive cell.

Are there any other methods?  The party I'm DMing may or may not get thrown in jail at some point depending on their choices, and it got me thinking about how...I have no idea wtf I'd do about the psion PC.  I see crystal anchors in XPH, but those are way overpriced, only work against the active manifestation of a single specific discipline...and go above and beyond what I want.  I don't need permanent crippling.  Or something that drains pp to 0.
A device that say...attaches to the head and shuts down manifesting, but takes so long to attach that it could only be used on a helpless/willing victim and can be removed w/o too much difficulty given time / freed allies would be ideal.

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Off Topic Fun / ENWorld technical difficulties
« on: January 26, 2014, 05:26:18 PM »
Every time I try to post, edit a post, or preview an edit or post, I get a screen that only has the top and bottom bars with a thin "vBulletin Message" bar in the middle (and nothing beneath it) and it does not actually go through.  Anyone else experiencing this problem?  I'd attach a screen shot, but it looks like that's not an option on these boards.

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Play By Post / Looking for players for 3.5 Maptools campaign
« on: November 07, 2013, 12:17:38 AM »
Hi, I have an ongoing War of the Burning Sky campaign that is short on players.  We currently have a Warblade/Fighter, a Shaper Psion, and a wildshape-less druid, and some NPC tag alongs.  I'd like to recruit 1 or 2 more people.  Starting level is 3, with 2700 gp to spend as you like.  I will be handing out level ups at appropriate points rather than tracking xp, so please try to avoid concepts that require burning xp for spells or crafting (there won't be much down time, anyway).  A rogue type would be helpful, but not necessary.  I'm willing to make Trapfinding available as a feat if necessary, though if you lack the class skills, that won't be much help.
The campaign thread is here with more information.
If you actually see this in time and can build a character, we are planning to play tonight (Thursday) at 9:30 pm EST.  The normal game night is Mondays at the same time, I moved it just for this week to accommodate a player's schedule.  Please feel free to use any of my custom-made classes, or take the flaws I have linked (you're still limited to 2 extra feats from flaws).

Thanks for your interest, let me know if you have any questions.

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General D&D Discussion / "Boss" template?
« on: October 19, 2013, 11:55:20 AM »
Hi all.  As I start upon DMing for the first time in years, I find myself once again pondering whether or not to try and institute a "boss" template for important NPCs / major encounters.  Much to my chagrin, the players decided to go with a caster-heavy party of:

Druid
Beguiler
Shaper Psion
Fighter/Barbarian going Dervish

And I'm concerned about encounter-ending spells/powers doing...well, you know.  Once in a while I don't mind, but I don't want a significant amount of the big fights to (effectively) be over on round 1.  Especially since the adventure path I'm using has a humanoid empire and its forces as the primary antagonists and is supposed to somehow remain challenging through level 20, despite humanoids having a huge target painted on their backs when it comes to "spells that insta-jib you with pitiful ease  In fact, the evil empire has a force specifically dedicated to fighting mages....made up of humans and orcs....  Granted, they're clerics and eventually could just go "lol, AMF," but still.

So anyway.  I've long considered +1 CR template that mainly gives a truckload of unexplainable boss immunities as a quick and easy patch, but is that too "video gamey"?  If not, I could use help picking out exactly what the template does.  CR +1 is a significant boost, it should probably include some offensive or special abilities and not just passive immunities.  I'm also open to things that find a happy balance between not being protected from encounter ending spells (which I dislike) and playing right into 3E's absolutes one-upmanship game (which I also dislike, generally) as long as it isn't too complicated / long-winded.  Like, I once had an NPC who could feel fear, but like any good Shonen anime protagonist, fought through it.  Game effect: he could be shaken, but never panicked nor frightened.

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D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Help making E8 Caster for Pathfinder
« on: September 16, 2013, 03:48:12 PM »
Hi, I'm joining a group that's doing PF and E8 (no levels past 8, just bonus feats), with some odd houserules.  I normally like melee or rogue builds, but neither is viable here.  The former b/c the party is already melee-heavy, the latter...b/c it's PF.  I would be joining at 3rd level, current party is a Fighter, Barbarian, Bomber/Chirurgeon Alchemist (minor healer), gunslinger, and a "buffer" Inquisitor who apparently doesn't actually fight much himself.
EDIT: Also, "20 point buy for races 10RP and lower.  Races over 10RP subtract the overage from the point buy (ie, an Aasimar wound have a 15 point buy)."  -- Yeah, I know...using race points as an actual power measure...

So the party needs another caster, probably arcane, or divine if it comes with a good assortment of BFC and blasting.  The DM wants to keep combat moving fast and thus has banned all "pets" (familiar, animal companion, eidolon, you name it) as well as all summoning spells.  He also said Web is banned and certain others on a case-by-case basis that introduce "too many mechanics."  Inquiring further, apparently Black Tentacles, fog/cloud spells, Create Pit spells, and debuffs in general are ok, just...not Web and some others yet to be named.

What would be an interesting character build, do you think?  Party has strong damage dealing it looks like, so I'd like to keep true blasting to a minimum / just some area spells to clear mobs.  BFC is my favorite kind of spells, but the DM's stance worries me there.

What might be a good prestige class in PF, keeping in mind the 8th level cap?  Collegiate Arcanist is good, but stopping at 3rd level isn't worth it compared to just taking Fast Study.  Veiled Illusionist looks decent for a divine caster, though I struggle to use illusions creatively.

Just...any tips, please.  I prefer playing non-casters, and while I know how casters work (and break the game), it's hard for me to find a fun but still powerful (but not too powerful) build.  I do extremely hate spells that are all or nothing save or lose/die generally, so Witch is flat out.

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Off Topic Fun / Why are high home prices seen as desirable?
« on: August 24, 2013, 01:36:59 AM »
Read any news report or hear any political toolbag speak on the subject, and they'll basically all uniformly want/hope/squee over higher housing prices and treat falling prices as some sort of horrific calamity.

WHY?!!!!!!  Fucking why?!

Higher is horrible for anyone trying to buy a home (which includes most people selling a home, unless they already have more than 1 to live in, in which case they're loaded so who cares?), obviously.  It's also bad for existing homeowners because higher value = higher property taxes.  The only people higher prices seem to actually help (in my view) are those looking to sell their house in the next 1 - 36 months.  Which is most assuredly a minority of the populace.
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I've always wanted a house, I can't stand having shared walls and flushing money down the toilet on rent instead of actually working towards owning the place I live.  I've tried to save up as best I could but because apparently the U.S. housing market has no settings between high and off, and me being a solid 1.5 years or so from being able to afford the home I want (at today's prices) means I'm gonna get stuck in another housing bubble time period and forced to wait it out.  I refuse to end up like those poor saps in the mid 2000's when prices shot up like crazy cakes.  Not that they're actually much lower today, and climbing...

It doesn't even make sense.  Wages are stagnant or declining, and houses get older and have more problems, if anything prices should slightly go down over time for a given house...  I guess the mortgage rates are low now compared to years ago, but...they recently jumped an entire freaking % point and home prices kept climbing!  If the two aren't even going to be inversely proportional, then what the hell...?

So, rant aside... what makes housing so different from anything else people buy?  A car is a high priced item you buy and consider as part of your net worth and generally sell back when you move on to the next.  But...no one cheers when car prices go up.  Even if the 2013 model being more expensive doesn't directly increase the value of your 2010 model, being pricier makes buying your used 2010 model more attractive to a potential buyer compared to the new 2013 model if it hadn't jacked up in price, after all.  Seriously, WTF is with "our" priorities when it comes to home prices?  It seems so stupid and frustrating to me.

Links:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49495.html
http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/do-we-want-high-house-prices-or-affordable-housing-lessons-on-the-government-debt
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/housing-prices-cultural-assumptio/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2010/04/do_you_want_house_prices_to_ri.html (British, but same issue)

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Gaming Advice / Disguise, Wild Shape, Soulmelds, and you
« on: July 27, 2013, 11:36:47 PM »
I have some questions about soulmelds from Magic of Incarnum and how they work.

1. Can you "turn off" the meld and back on as needed, in any way shape or form?  Basically ALL of them have stark, very notable visual effects and in social/infiltration/disguise situations I would not want them on display.

2. If you can't turn them off temporarily, can they be hidden, covered up, etc...?  Either by magic or mundane means?

3. How do soulmelds work with wild shape, given that they are worn and take body slots like items, with the fact that wild shape makes all worn items meld into your form and become nonfunctional?

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Gaming Advice / Organization as a Favored Enemy?
« on: July 21, 2013, 08:37:18 PM »
Is there any way to take an organization as a FE other than the Urban Ranger?

Preferably something that is not an alternate class at all.  Because I need to keep normal ranger stuff for the variants I already plan on taking - Wildshape Ranger, Urban Companion, and (less important but still I'd rather keep it) Spiritual Connection.

I'm will be playing a Vow of Poverty Master of Many Forms in Eberron and would GREATLY like to take "Church of the Silver Flame" as a FE.  Both because I expect to fight them frequently and also because then I can take Nemesis (CotSF) and auto-detect any bastards that are a part of it within 60 ft at will, and through walls.

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Scout

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Class features by level

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So, PF basically destroyed the "skill user" niche with its class skills revamp, and the tumble DCs have made skirmishing type fighting styles suicidal.  Also, the base Scout class was a bit weaker than Rogue in 3E already, so this is my grand attempt to make Scout a decent and viable class for Pathfinder.  A bunch of new abilities, many original class features are gained sooner, and big bonuses on the key scouting skills.

How do you like it?

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Gaming Advice / Murky-Eyed flaw and Blind-Fight
« on: March 23, 2013, 07:02:45 PM »
Simple question.  If you have both, what happens?

Can you just treat them as negating each other?  RAW seems like you'd roll twice, if either fails you fail, but then you can roll twice again and if either fails you fail.  I'm not sure if that's the same as just having them negate each other or not, I'm sure the field of statistics holds the answer...

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Gaming Advice / Warshaper, Bear Warrior, and Druid questions
« on: March 19, 2013, 06:09:28 PM »
1. What happens if you are wildshaped and you rage to go into bear form?  Would you become some hybrid bear-whatever?  Would they not stack.  Keep in mind, for the "same source" argument: Wildshape is based on alternate form now, not polymorph (which bear form is).  Considering all the annoyance the wildshape errata is causing me, it'd be nice to get something out of it for once...

2. What if you are bear-raging and try to wildshape?

3. Would Girallon's Blessing allow you to retain a pair of hands to wield a weapon while in bear form?

4. What if you reach Warshaper 5 and qualify for BOTH Multimorph and Flashmorph?  For example, a Changeling Transmuter who can change form at will but also casts polymorph.  Do you get both?  Pick one?  One takes priority?

Trying to make a gestalt character with the size and str to use combat maneuvers well, and am running into these sorts of questions.  Thanks for your help.

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Soon I will finally get to play a 20th level martial adept, and one that knows and is optimized (speed 130; some sneak attack damage + craven and permanent total concealment w/ darkstalker) for using the very awesome Tornado Throw.  But...holy crap, is that daunting and kinda nuts to actually resolve, when you think about it.  Just...up to 26 throws, all with incrementally higher bonuses and scaling damage for trip result?  Seems like a total nightmare to actually use in a session!

Granted, I made it more complex than it would normally be w/ my speed, but even w/ a totally unoptimized dude w/ haste, that's 120 ft of double moved speed for up to 12 throws, still a lot to handle.

I actually requested a self-nerf that the DM excepted, to limit the throws on any given foe to the amount of iterative attacks I have (3).  Against mooks, the checks can be resolved quickly I figure, but I don't want to spend half an hour real time figuring out how many times over I just killed the boss on round 1.

I won't be using Warmaster's Charge, but that one also looks likes it could easily become a logistical nightmare.  Last game I ran, it ended prematurely, but I was *dreading* the leadership-using party leader from learning that one.  It completely fit w/ his character and I wasn't going to block him from it, but...wowzers is that a lot of people somehow charging into the same guy all at once.

Has anyone ever used these (or other) extremely complicated / long to resolve maneuvers in a game before?  How did you handle said maneuver?  Any tricks or short cuts you used to simplify things and speed them up, like some sort of excel equation or C++ program to quickly tally your running trip bonus?

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