[OOC] Dark Sun Burning Chat

[Davion]

Welcome all to the new game thread.

Here is what I currently have going on and on my short term to do list.

* Character Creation & Rules (Any additional information about character creation and rules you may need to be aware of as we move forward. For the most part, character creation is standard. I will be allowing everyone to make a 4d6 x 6 drop the lowest and if you are unsatisfied with that, you can use the point buy system, standard.)

* We will need to work out who is doing what types of characters. Whether or not your party is balanced is up to you. I will not sway that outcome.

* Starting Story & Information: I moved that one information page about the trading fort over here. I will try to get any more intro story up soon if necessary. Most likely you will all know each other and have established the need to work together for the common goal of survival. If you develop your own reason for being together, that's great, we can work that into the story.

* We will probably spend a couple weeks in this stage of things, getting characters created, making sure I understand them and everyone is on the same page. I will have the tavern open early for in game RP discussions, etc, so everyone can get a feel for each other, present descriptions and RP while everything else gets taken care of.

With that, welcome!

[Olorian]

Looks awesome so far. Thanks again for doing all this, Davion.

Regarding classes: the halfling dune trader I have in mind could be something else than rogue, if hvg would like to play a Thri-Kreen sorcerer (which I think is a great idea and fits the untapped/uncontrollable magic perfectly!) and if we'd like to have all roles covered. I do think I'll go for a martial character (though perhaps primal is still an option) and am not too fond of leader classes myself, so it'll probably be a rogue, fighter, barbarian or warden. At this moment I imagine a lazy, fat, ugly guy who sits on the back of a camel-like animal (I have to delve into DS fauna later), ordering people around, knowing how to survive by misuse of power given to him by one of the merchant houses (or elven traders), and bluffs his way out of danger, for he actually is quite a coward. A sling-wielding ranged attacking rogue could suit that image well.

But like I said, this is open to change, depending on my own whims as it develops, and on your stories/plans. I have a few thoughts for how someone could be connected or known to my character and will post them here later.

[Dalinen]

Great stuff!

This is always a fun and fast stage, with ideas popping around and the creative juices overflowing. For my own part, I hope to pour through the books some more over the next couple of days and finalize my character concept. I'll be leaning towards a leader or striker role. The information about Altaruk will prove useful. Cheers.

[Lint of Death]

Hooray!

I'm traveling right now so I have no access to my books, but thought I should mention a couple things:

My most likely class is the shaper psion - picture an artist who uses his or her powerful mental powers to make the imagination manifest in the real world. Battlemind and ardent are possibilities, but less likely.

Regarding the houseruled magic missile: the power has been errata'd (see the latest errata compilation on the Wizards website) so that it always hits and does a set amount of damage (2+int at heroic). In addition, it is/will be further revised in the Red Box and Heroes of the Fallen Lands so that it can target one or two creatures.

Regarding weapons - were the changes made with the Adventurer's Vault weapons in mind? (The superior crossbow and fullblade specifically)

Last thing: everyone should know that Dark Sun introduces a ton of new weapons - 17 new, plus the net and whip - along with power-swap feats that let you perform weapon-specific moves. Since such things could very well define a character or at least its image, I thought it important to mention. You can attach extra blades to your wrists and fight with a grappling hook!

[hvg3akaek]

Hello all!

Davion - do you want us to create a thread in your "Rules + Character Creation" folder for each of our characters, and explain choices etc within it?

I've created a basic thri-kreen Primal Guardian Storm Sorcerer.


And now, a few rules comments

Originally Posted by Lint of Death

Regarding the houseruled magic missile: the power has been errata'd (see the latest errata compilation on the Wizards website) so that it always hits and does a set amount of damage (2+int at heroic). In addition, it is/will be further revised in the Red Box and Heroes of the Fallen Lands so that it can target one or two creatures.

All true apart from the two targets thing. It's only going to be one target, says the Heroes of Fallen Lands previews.

Originally Posted by Davion

On a critical failure, the check automatically fails, and you take a –5 penalty to checks with that skill until the end of your next turn. In a skill challenge, add one extra defeat to the tally.

Just wanted to point out that this is decidedly nasty. I know you've changed the skill challenges from always having 3 failures to having 3+ failures, but it is effectively a double-slap. What could have been an auto-pass is now not only a fail, but *two* fails...?

Also, as you seem to have missed the errata to Magic Missile, have you also missed the errata to Skill challenges in general? Specifically, the DCs were all lessened to match the rising complexities (something that will be needed, if there's more ways we can fail!)

For example, DCs for 1st to 3rd level challenges are now:
Easy = 5, Moderate = 10, Hard = 15.

one last one:

make a saving throw to avoid breaking. 1-10 = BREAK 11-20 = NO BREAK

just wanted to note that "saving throws" are typically done against a DC of 10 (so 1-9 = fail, 10-20 = pass). Was this a typo, or did you want this save to be different from the rest?

[hvg3akaek]

Originally Posted by Lint of Death

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome hvg's Sorcerer-King. We are at your mercy, Lord Defiler.

Hrmm... now do I take the [17, 15, 15, 14, 12, 8] that I rolled, or the [16, 16, 12, 12, 10, 8] that I can get in point buy? It all depends on how long this game can go for!

The first set is clearly "better" purely by mathematical standards. However, when you consider bonuses, it is no better than a [16, 14, 14, 14, 12, 8] array. And yeah, for some builds, that would be preferable to the pure point-buy, but the sorcerer really only cares about two stats, with the others coming in somewhere behind those.

So, we have [17, 15], which is effectively [16, 14]; or [16, 16]...hrmm.

If we can make it to 4th level, then the rolled set shines. However we are playing online. These games tend to take years to get levels, if they are maintained for that length of time.


hrmmm....

[Lint of Death]

Originally Posted by hvg3akaek

All true apart from the two targets thing. It's only going to be one target, says the Heroes of Fallen Lands previews.

What, really? Now I'm just confused. Everything I've seen from the Red Box suggests that magic missile can hit two targets. I'm not playing a wizard so I have no vested interest, but, for example: if you look at the pregens released for the Red Box game day, the wizard reflects that change. Well, anyway, the Builder should provide a definitive answer when the update comes out in a couple weeks.

[hvg3akaek]

Originally Posted by Dalinen

What of really low values? I don't think 6 is even possible in normal rules.

I'd assume you either take the really low score, or you use point buy? It's part of the fun of using random rolls!

Just make sure the 6 (it's not that low, really) is paired with a good alternate stat. For example, 6 int with a really dexterous character won't really matter much.

Originally Posted by Lint of Death

What, really? Now I'm just confused. Everything I've seen from the Red Box suggests that magic missile can hit two targets. I'm not playing a wizard so I have no vested interest, but, for example: if you look at the pregens released for the Red Box game day, the wizard reflects that change. Well, anyway, the Builder should provide a definitive answer when the update comes out in a couple weeks.

Apparently, the red box should be pretty much ignored as far as rules are concerned. It also has the thief character starting out with at-will attack powers, whilst the actual thief has none (instead, he gets at-will move powers, and attacks with basic attacks).

The RB is in effect, a warm-up run at DnD. Once you are up to speed, you put it aside, and ignore it from then on. (Other reports say that the only character creation elements to the game are in the "Choose your own adventure" style game...you cannot create a Red Box character *without* going through the game!)

[hvg3akaek]

Originally Posted by hvg3akaek

Specifically, the DCs were all lessened to match the rising complexities (something that will be needed, if there's more ways we can fail!)

For example, DCs for 1st to 3rd level challenges are now:
Easy = 5, Moderate = 10, Hard = 15.

Well, right after I write this, WotC release new skill DCs!

Not sure how much of that article is "free", but in short:
Easy = 8, Moderate = 12, Hard = 19

Again - easy is *meant* to be easy. Only the untrained or inept should have good chances of failure. And trained folk should be able to automatically pass (ie, "natural 1 = fail" breaks skill challenges )

[Dalinen]

After having read through a lot of the options, I'm now leaning heavily towards a thri-kreen wilder/stone-fist monk. If it's looking like there's no leader in the party, I could reconsider, but this one appeals to me. We may have to come up with a background story for our growing clutch! At the very least a hunting party of younglings. Perhaps they are on a coming of age mission for glory, or perhaps a sandstorm has separated them from the pack. Of course we could play more into the outpost setting. The monk could be interred/training at the local monastery while the others could be venturing there to pick him up and bring him home. Any takers?

[Davion]

Ok.. trying to catch up here.

HVG, Yes.. I am behind the game on my errata's. I had just copied over some house rules from a year ago. (Time to do some catching up!) So thanks for pointing those out.

Davion - do you want us to create a thread in your "Rules + Character Creation" folder for each of our characters, and explain choices etc within it?

Yes please. ** Actually I will make private threads for everyone for this purpose.

It all depends on how long this game can go for!

My last big game went 2.5 years before I was forced to stop.. it spanned character levels 5 to 11 ish.

The character creation page has been updated, wild talent table is up.

[Davion]

Again - easy is *meant* to be easy. Only the untrained or inept should have good chances of failure. And trained folk should be able to automatically pass (ie, "natural 1 = fail" breaks skill challenges )

I just thought of a house rule for that...it is up for voting purposes. (Ie, everyone throw in your .02 cents.)

How about, if your total skill plus all bonuses is enough to get past the easy rating, you auto succeed the easy even if you roll a 1. Your particular challenge might need a medium/hard so the roll is still needed but if the overall rating is so low that the easy would be automatic then should critical failures be possible in that case?

[Davion]

Avatar selection is available in character creation thread.

[Davion]

Private character creation / discussion threads up in character generation folder.

[Olorian]

Regarding classes, it seems we have 3 people planning to be a striker (Dalinen monk, Hvg sorcerer, me rogue). I do think a little healing would do a party well. I have been looking at it, and for my character it wouldn't be out of character if I made him a hybrid rogue/warlord. But in terms of healing this only means 1 surge + 1d6 HP only once per encounter. (Ps. Davion, currently your summary says I want to be a thri-kreen monk - it's a halfling rogue/warlord now )

Would anyone else be willing to go hybrid with a taste of leader? Perhaps one of the other strikers could take Hybrid Ardent (since you both have a thing with "the Way", be it full emersion (the monk) or "can't grasp it, must defile it" (the sorcerer))? Does anyone know what class Godfearer wants to play? Does anyone know when he/she is going to check in to join the pre-game?

Ps. this website I found when trying to find the looks of a Dejada (probably going to be my character's favored weapon). It has some nice pics.