Verold Reviews/Questions/Discussions

[dman11235]

Do you want the temp HP to Stack?  Or otherwise grow more than just 1?  You might change the mechanic to just grant temp HP, which can solve that hurdle, and bring it down in power a bit.  If you don't want to bring it down in power, just say that any extra beyond what you normally can have is counted as temp HP.  "Any hit points beyond your maximum are received as temporary hit point, which disappear after one hour."  Something like that.

[EjoThims]

Do you want the temp HP to Stack?  Or otherwise grow more than just 1?  You might change the mechanic to just grant temp HP, which can solve that hurdle, and bring it down in power a bit.  If you don't want to bring it down in power, just say that any extra beyond what you normally can have is counted as temp HP.  "Any hit points beyond your maximum are received as temporary hit point, which disappear after one hour."  Something like that.

I was confused by this response at first, since the ability already explicitly grants temp hp if druid is fully healed and they explicitly last only until the end of the druid's next turn...

Then I realized the awkward phrasing of "If the Druid is already at maximum health, he instead gains 1 temporary hitpoint..." Adding in "per 5 points of damage done" and a note that they do, in fact, stack.

[dman11235]

What if the Druid is at full-1 HP, and gets "healed" for more than 3 HP, does the Druid end up at full HP, or full HP and 2 temp HP?  That was the other half of the issues I brought up.  Hence my rewording to make it a single HP thing instead of a dual ability (first ability: heals you.  Second ability: gives you temp HP).  Or, if you want it to be actual healing, make it just be "Heals you for (whatever healing rate you use), and any HP beyond what you normally have is temporary HP that lasts (however long you want it to last)."  Probably needs a rewording, but basically you'll heal up to your full, and anything over that is temp HP.  This reduces it to a single sentence, and I think simplifies the rule a bit, only having to keep track of one thing (get HP), instead of two (get HP, get temp HP).

[EjoThims]

Or, if you want it to be actual healing, make it just be "Heals you for (whatever healing rate you use), and any HP beyond what you normally have is temporary HP that lasts (however long you want it to last)."

That's how it already works... But awkward to word from any angle, as you aptly point out. Reworded it a bit again to try and make it clearer.

[EjoThims]

Defending weapon property and some shield stuff up... Very rough chasis for Tiger Spirit Shaman up...

[EjoThims]

New Fighter Feats and a new class ability.

New Barbarian Feats, including a new rage... I'm not sure I like this style for more rages, but it seemed to clunky to mash it in the class... Thoughts?

New Druid Feats.

Feats page and Feats summary also updated.

Tiger Shaman still got me stuck.

[Nanshork]

I like the Druid feats, but I couldn't tell which fighter feats are new.

I also couldn't tell which rage is new, it has been awhile.  Fueled by Rage and Extra Rage have some overlap.

[EjoThims]

but I couldn't tell which fighter feats are new.

Follow Through is the first new Fighter feat. All the ones after that are also new. Mainly wanted a boost for each style so specialists could feel special since switching styles is so easy.

Combat Vigor is the new mechanic I added to Fighters. Just a passive heal when they actually use their weapon style.

I also couldn't tell which rage is new, it has been awhile.  Fueled by Rage and Extra Rage have some overlap.

The one listed with the feats, Mage Fighter Rage. Mage Eater is the other new feat.

And yea, I know Fueled by Rage also gives the extra, but Extra Rage itself now stacks up like FoI.

[dman11235]

Remind me to talk to you about your Vow of Poverty sometime.

The Fighter feats look pretty good at first glance.  Notes:

Close Quarters Shot has an extra word "to the damage you deal with." in the first sentence, you should drop that "with".  I'm also worried that it might end up being weaker than the others, especially since it doesn't work with all ranged weapons.

Deep Vigor is clumsily worded, and I'm not sure how to fix it.  Maybe get rid of the whole thing and replace with: "You heal an additional HP for each consecutive round you have been in Combat Vigor."

I'm going to echo the issue with Extra Rage and Fueled by Rage.  I think you might need to find a new thing for Fueled by Rage, or get rid of Extra Rage.  I don't really know why you need it anyways, since Rage is /encounter.

Mage Eater is probably not powerful enough, I'd mkae it straight 1 HP/class level.

I think the Extra Affinity feats need to do a bit more.  Make them scale, so that taking them gets you one of each level, and as you gain access to new levels you get a new affinity.  So take them early on, and you'll end up with two extra of each affinity at each affinity level.  That might be worth three feats.

[EjoThims]

Remind me to talk to you about your Vow of Poverty sometime.

Yo, dman... Talk to me about my VoP sometime...

 

The Fighter feats look pretty good at first glance.  Notes:

Close Quarters Shot has an extra word "to the damage you deal with." in the first sentence, you should drop that "with".  I'm also worried that it might end up being weaker than the others, especially since it doesn't work with all ranged weapons.

Whoops will take out that extra, and it works with all projectile weapons, which is all ranged weapons that the particular Fighting Style works with. Because Master Thrower.

Would it make more sense to give it 1.5 Str since most projectile weapons are 2-handed? And then just a special note that any 1-handed ones do 1x or .5x if used in off-hand? And no, don't ask me how crossbows add Str bonus... 

Deep Vigor is clumsily worded, and I'm not sure how to fix it.  Maybe get rid of the whole thing and replace with: "You heal an additional HP for each consecutive round you have been in Combat Vigor."

Done. How is the Combat Vigor mechanic overall?

I'm going to echo the issue with Extra Rage and Fueled by Rage.  I think you might need to find a new thing for Fueled by Rage, or get rid of Extra Rage.  I don't really know why you need it anyways, since Rage is /encounter.

Well, when you're using 3 uses at a time, then a use to use a calm, then entering another set... Some people will be burning through rages very, very quickly. I'd honestly rather make Extra Rage more powerful if the overlap seems that bad, but Fueled felt too weak without offering something else... Though I could simply combine the two and make Fueled stack up the extra rage each time you take it again...

Mage Eater is probably not powerful enough, I'd mkae it straight 1 HP/class level.

Done.

I think the Extra Affinity feats need to do a bit more.  Make them scale, so that taking them gets you one of each level, and as you gain access to new levels you get a new affinity.  So take them early on, and you'll end up with two extra of each affinity at each affinity level.  That might be worth three feats.

You don't think that letting it scale up after being taken would be too powerful?

[dman11235]

Oh jeeze, I hate that (crossbow strength bonus).  It just makes no sense!  But, balance is balance, so it must be.  Maybe they can over-crank it or something.  Or maybe pulling the trigger really hard makes it go faster?  I don't know, but making it that 1.5x would be nice.  Heck, make it that for all of them.  I think 1-handers are rare enough, and adding a little extra damage to them (making 1x to 1.5x) won't make them more powerful than 2-handers that get the same thing.

On the Vigor: I think it needs a touch more expansion, but I think right now it's all right.  The feat might not be too hot though, unless it's a prereq for something better.

On Affinity: I know we talked about this before, I just don't know.  It just seems weak to me, since those bonuses are so tiny.  It seems like a ton of feat investment for such a small bonus.

[sirpercival]

Hey Ejo, if I wanted to play as one of the Verold races in a different campaign setting, what do you think the balance point would be?  The Tiger or Coyote Clans would be absolutely perfect for a Nullblade...

[EjoThims]

Oh jeeze, I hate that (crossbow strength bonus).  It just makes no sense!  But, balance is balance, so it must be.

lol, yea... That's why I mentioned it.

On the Vigor: I think it needs a touch more expansion, but I think right now it's all right.  The feat might not be too hot though, unless it's a prereq for something better.

Well, considered that it scales up each round used, it may not be the best in combat unless you're running a prolonged battle, but it's incredible out of combat healing if you just spend time sparring or beating on a dummy...

I've been kicking around some ideas for expanding on it though, but I wouldn't be adverse to some inspiration... 

On Affinity: I know we talked about this before, I just don't know.  It just seems weak to me, since those bonuses are so tiny.  It seems like a ton of feat investment for such a small bonus.

Hrmmmm.... After reviewing it again I think you're right... Because each of the bonuses are weak for the level they are granted... Though there is some potential abuse for a Druid gish stacking a fuckton of size boosts on a bunch of natural weapons...

Speaking of the Aspects... Any more ideas for the missing Elemental ones???

Hey Ejo, if I wanted to play as one of the Verold races in a different campaign setting, what do you think the balance point would be?  The Tiger or Coyote Clans would be absolutely perfect for a Nullblade...

An interesting question... I'd guess +2, probably +3 if you included the ability to take animal forms and feats to allow hybrid form. Doing savage progressions for their use is something I've considered, but honestly I think the staggering of it would be kind of awkward.

Also, nice to see another face around my little nook here... If you have any other questions feel free to ask...

And if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. 

[sirpercival]

I got Coyote approved for my nullblade -- it's actually hilarious, he's going to be a pretend druid (animal companion, "wild shape" into a coyote, and a maneuver which lets me entangle).  Lol.

I could use some Coyote-specific feats

[EjoThims]

I got Coyote approved for my nullblade -- it's actually hilarious, he's going to be a pretend druid (animal companion, "wild shape" into a coyote, and a maneuver which lets me entangle).  Lol.

I could use some Coyote-specific feats

That actually sounds really interesting... I hadn't ever thought of that angle before, but it's a great spin on their racials 

And to be honest I haven't given much thought to Coyote feats yet. My first instinct is something to play off their dog companion, but I'm not sure what to do that would be worth a feat but not overpowered and isn't already covered by feats that they could just take anyway...

Maybe a feat to grant them a small heal as an at will or a slightly better one as a /enc that would then benefit from their boost to healing spells?

[sirpercival]

Kinda like a reserve feat?  That could be cool...

[EjoThims]

Kinda like a reserve feat?  That could be cool...

oOo, I had meant as an either/or but I like that...

Added this feat.

(click to show/hide)

Healing Touch [General]: Your skills with healing are even greater than most of your kin.
Prerequisite: Coyote, Wis 15
Benefit: Once per day, you can instead cast Cure Light Wounds as a spell-like ability. Until you have used this ability, you can cast Cure Minor Wounds at will as a spell-like ability.
Special: This feat benefits from your Heal racial ability.

[Nanshork]

I'm currently statting up a character using your barbarian so I should be able to give you some more feedback on it later on.

[sirpercival]

Hey Ejo, what about a feat to let their dog be a riding dog or some other means of boosting it?  You could also say that the companion is a coyote and to use the stats for a dog...

EDIT: By the way, here's the character if you're interested.

[EjoThims]

Hey Ejo, what about a feat to let their dog be a riding dog or some other means of boosting it?  You could also say that the companion is a coyote and to use the stats for a dog...

I've been pondering this, actually... But I'm not sure how awkward it would be to allow a medium creature to ride a medium creature, especially when I'm not sure how to balance the riding dog versus the standard...

The standard dog was chosen because it is strictly inferior to a wolf that a normal Druid gets, but not by a margin that would matter in the long run. The riding dog is superior to the wolf by the same margin, and while the difference between it and the normal dog stands out a bit more, I'm not sure if it's enough to warrant a penalty to the effective Druid level or the cost of the feat is enough of an offset.

I was also considering, as a follow up feat, giving the ability to ride them and allowing it to count as special mount or familiar, making it an alternate entry into super mount type characters. This would be, to those that could make use of it, quite strong imo for a single feat, but I don't know if I would want to reign in the power of the first feat to alleviate this...

I'm thinking too much. 

EDIT: By the way, here's the character if you're interested.

Very interested, and quite like how you adapted it to fit into a general setting. I also like how you summarized all the character specific pieces of the general information.

As the creator of the nullcraft template, do you feel that property counts as mundane or magical in nature for being incorporated into the animal form?

I'm currently statting up a character using your barbarian so I should be able to give you some more feedback on it later on.

oOo, I shiver with antici...

pation.

Both for the feedback and a read over of the character.