Pre-game and "mother-may-I"s with the DM

[VennDygrem]

As natural armor is not listed under Change Shape, I assume the ability is mostly just there for Cosmetic purposes. However, that also means you get to keep the NA bonus provided by Doppleganger, which should more than make up for it, especially in the long term.

[Concerned Ninja Citizen]

NA isn't a big deal. Racial skill bonuses, though, would have been nice. I was hoping to fill a skill monkey role to make up for my lack of other relevant combat abilities but it looks like the party has pretty much everything covered at a +10 or so level and I can't do much better than that.

[ariasderros]

NA isn't a big deal. Racial skill bonuses, though, would have been nice. I was hoping to fill a skill monkey role to make up for my lack of other relevant combat abilities but it looks like the party has pretty much everything covered at a +10 or so level and I can't do much better than that.

I use the houseruled consolidated skills. You get 12 skill points per level, after Int. Methinks racial skill bonuses from Change Shape might be a bit of overkill anyway.

But, yes, I do agree that the combat abilities you have are pretty lackluster until you get to L5. At least you can assign Adapt to help out your combat abilities (+2-3 Str), so your slam deals 1d6+8 damage (using the round up the 7.5, due to you having Str 21, rule).

[geniussavant]

Yall think I should drop the druid acfs so I can use armor and shields along with spontaneous sna?

[Concerned Ninja Citizen]

Having read through the world info, character profiles, and team 1's IC thread, I think I'm going to go for a different character concept. The Doppelganger was an interesting idea but doesn't fit the world as well as I had thought it might. Also, if our campaign is anything like the team 1 campaign I don't see him being able to contribute meaningfully to the party.

However, reading the world info pointed me in some new directions. I like your take on Dragons in this world (very elegant way to incorporate the monster classes) so new idea:

Nuclear Dragon: Born to Red Dragon parents (but that's no guarantee of what hatches anymore.) Unable to use magic, like most Dragons nowadays, but finds he has a knack for something different and destructive. With no leads among the Dragons as to what this thing he can do is, and desiring to test himself and grow stronger, he journeys to human lands in search of knowledge and adventure, not necessarily in that order.

EDIT: Related rules question: Can I combine an attack with a manufactured ranged weapon with natural attacks the way I could with a melee weapon (assuming I'm in range with my natrual attacks, of course)?

Yall think I should drop the druid acfs so I can use armor and shields along with spontaneous sna?

How integral are the ACFs to your background and concept? Also, do you think you'll have more fun playing a raging, tracking, monking Druid or a more conventional Druid?

Mechanically, the standard features are probably more powerful (definitely once we reach 5th lv, Wild Shape is a big deal) but it's not like you'll be woefully underpowered as you are.

Also, if you drop Avenger you get your Animal Companion back, which is kinda like an extra half character. Is that something you want for your character?

[geniussavant]

I'd kind of wanted to play a blind character that summons creatures to fight. Originally, I'd wanted him to use vermin swarms, but the more I looked into it, the less realist it looked until high level. Given the pace of pbp, It's not practical.

[Concerned Ninja Citizen]

That concept sounds like it fits better with the regular Druid features than the ACFs. If you're blind and summoning you won't benefit much from increased movement, rage, or similar.

[geniussavant]

Any ideas as to the best way to be 'blind' without destroying my combat ability outside summons?

[VennDygrem]

Just wear sundark goggles until you can afford a blindfold of true darkness. *shrug*

[geniussavant]

You, my dear, are a genius

[ariasderros]

Nuclear Dragon: Born to Red Dragon parents (but that's no guarantee of what hatches anymore.) Unable to use magic, like most Dragons nowadays, but finds he has a knack for something different and destructive. With no leads among the Dragons as to what this thing he can do is, and desiring to test himself and grow stronger, he journeys to human lands in search of knowledge and adventure, not necessarily in that order.

EDIT: Related rules question: Can I combine an attack with a manufactured ranged weapon with natural attacks the way I could with a melee weapon (assuming I'm in range with my natural attacks, of course)?

kk

You'd provoke AoO's, as normal.

[Concerned Ninja Citizen]

That's what the new and improved Point Blank Shot is for.

[ariasderros]

That's what the new and improved Point Blank Shot is for.

Indeed.

[Concerned Ninja Citizen]

Having read through the latter half of this thread and encountered the "weird template aplications up to and including a Fire Unbodied are acceptable," I thought I'd push my luck:

I'm assuming a Water Nuclear Dragon is out ala the Water Fire Elemental (though Godzilla never seemed to mind the water).

How about an Arctic Nuclear Dragon (he lived on top of a mountain)?

A Proto Creature (my back story does have him being the first of his kind, of a sort)?

[ariasderros]

I'm assuming a Water Nuclear Dragon is out ala the Water Fire Elemental (though Godzilla never seemed to mind the water).

... Nuclear. Reactor. It uses the radiation to heat the reactor water. Steam turns turbine. Water cools off Water. Radiation re-heats the reactor water.
From my perspective, water and radiation are... kinda linked, a little bit.

How about an Arctic Nuclear Dragon (he lived on top of a mountain)?

I don't see why not.

A Proto Creature (my back story does have him being the first of his kind, of a sort)?

Only thing I have to say about that is mind:
That the Rage ability gets additional uses as if HD were equal to Barbarian levels, but it does not reference improving like a Barb does, therefore, it does not improve except in uses per day;
My ability to even review that template is based on the book being on scribd, as I do not have it.
Actually, see below

[Jackinthegreen]

If you'd like, I can copy the template from the pdf onto the board here.

[ariasderros]

I just realized something. Frakas, aside from being a capitol city, is also a port city. From there, many people go north to Whitefall, another port city in the same country (Frais). Whitefall is the closest port of harbor, geographically, on the main continent to the island of Litrixearenkssifisv (Litrix... LEE-Trix).

And this is where the dragon is starting the game. I couldn't have planned that better if I'd tried.


Anywho, just thought of something about Proto.

A proto-creature ... loses all supernatural and spell-like special attacks
...
A proto-creature ... loses all supernatural and spell-like special qualities,including spell resistance but not including damage reduction.

Your breath weapon, and a lot of your maneuvers are racially granted Supernatural abilities. You'd lose all of that. Not even remotely worth it.

[VennDygrem]

Protocreature's really only worth it for melee beatsticks without any special racial tricks.

[ariasderros]

Protocreature's really only worth it for melee beatsticks without any special racial tricks.

Depends on the tricks. If they're (Ex), then they stay. Osle's Tarrasque would not blink twice at this template before taking it. And that's a beatstick with a lot of tricks.

[VennDygrem]

Ok, you've got me there. But you know what I mean, no supernatural/spell-like special tricks, obviously.