[OOC] The Galley

[Phil]

This is the thread for any table-side discussions, about the game or other matters. If you are going to be unable to post for a period of time, let me know by posting here.

[Nocturnal]

You need a full-body image which you'll shrink to 20 pixels high? I don't have one (yet, but if I find one it won't be very good or fitting for my character) - if it's to be that far shrunken, why not go with heads as tokens? I already have a good head picture and you wouldn't make anything out anyway. Here's just the head at 20 pixels tall x 25 pixels wide.

[Phil]

Originally Posted by Nocturnal

You need a full-body image which you'll shrink to 20 pixels high? I don't have one (yet, but if I find one it won't be very good or fitting for my character) - if it's to be that far shrunken, why not go with heads as tokens? I already have a good head picture and you wouldn't make anything out anyway. Here's just the head at 20 pixels tall x 25 pixels wide.

I was exaggerating a bit on the pixel count. It's around 100 pixels or so, in reality.

I like the looks of full body characters: it makes it feel more like a game of D&D to me. They may not be cast-lead minis painted with more love than talent, but it's the next best thing.

EDIT: here, an example. This is Steven Quinn, the ship's mage.

[Nocturnal]

I'll try to find something then, though it would have been nicer to have a token that looks kind of like my character. Gonna trawl the intartents for a while...

Oh, well you still can't see anything at that size so it doesn't matter. Here, already found something.

[Phil]

See? Look how cute that came out!

[Nocturnal]

I kind of like it. Nice photo-whatever skills!

[LupusRegalis]

LOL, nice job there Phil. Good choice too, Noct.

Phil, I've taken care of Tagus's items as requested.

[Lint of Death]

Wow, nice work, Phil!

I'll figure out (or make) something to give you as a digital figurine post-haste.

[Rodrigus]

Here's my image:

 

http://th01.deviantart.net/fs51/300W...grandanvil.jpg

[Lint of Death]

Here's my go at it:

[Nocturnal]

I'm working on my character and looked at your house rules, and I thought I might take your "Crippled" feat. Elran Jamboban is old and decrepit (He's 55! That's old for a medieval-fantasy human!) and I thought it might be a nice touch to have him doddering around slow and lame. I can't justify him being blind, unless he can see through the spirit's eyes when he's active, because that makes it pretty much impossible to act at all. Maybe if he could get truesight or something, I don't know. Anyway that doesn't matter, but being lame may be good flavor-wise and it works mechanically as well: he doesn't normally need to move very far, having very few attacks that he can make with himself as the origin. He does need to get to the battle sometimes for burst powers (like his heals, which are only burst 5 at all levels) but shuffling slowly over there could be a good challenge for me. I'd take the Strong-Arm Mobility feat since I'd need to be able to climb rigging and the like, and all your checks to be a mariner are based on Athletics, not Acrobatics (the Mariner background gives acrobatics presumably to balance on high masts or keep your footing on a rocking boat.) It makes sense that Elran would have become lame over the course of his adventures, since he is always risking his neck for others but has very limited ability to heal or protect himself. One of the peculiarities of shamans. Even his Spirit's Shield and Protecting Strike at-wills apply to every ally but not to himself. So is that all right?

If you wanted to make a feat about a non-functional arm that could work mechanically too, since shamans don't need both arms: he just holds his totem, and has no weapon attacks (won't even make opportunity attacks.)

Question: When I take attack penalties from being prone and the like (not ones that are inflicted upon me by powers), does this apply also to attacks that I make through my spirit companion who is standing across the battle? Cover between me and the target for example provides no defense against attacks from my spirit, who would be adjacent, from simple considerations of the attack's origin. Similar reasoning might apply. However being able to lie prone may offer me a defensive boost if I can keep outside of melee range.

Another Question: Does my spirit companion gain CA from attacks it makes when it's in a flanking position? I know it can't help others flank, but is it helped by others flanking with it when it makes melee attacks? Coordinated Advantage doesn't work for me (my powers are melee spirit 1) so there aren't many ways for me to get CA.

[Phil]

I'm working on my character and looked at your house rules, and I thought I might take your "Crippled" feat. Elran Jamboban is old and decrepit (He's 55! That's old for a medieval-fantasy human!) and I thought it might be a nice touch to have him doddering around slow and lame. I can't justify him being blind, unless he can see through the spirit's eyes when he's active, because that makes it pretty much impossible to act at all. Maybe if he could get truesight or something, I don't know. Anyway that doesn't matter, but being lame may be good flavor-wise and it works mechanically as well: he doesn't normally need to move very far, having very few attacks that he can make with himself as the origin. He does need to get to the battle sometimes for burst powers (like his heals, which are only burst 5 at all levels) but shuffling slowly over there could be a good challenge for me. I'd take the Strong-Arm Mobility feat since I'd need to be able to climb rigging and the like, and all your checks to be a mariner are based on Athletics, not Acrobatics (the Mariner background gives acrobatics presumably to balance on high masts or keep your footing on a rocking boat.) It makes sense that Elran would have become lame over the course of his adventures, since he is always risking his neck for others but has very limited ability to heal or protect himself. One of the peculiarities of shamans. Even his Spirit's Shield and Protecting Strike at-wills apply to every ally but not to himself. So is that all right?

Crippled it is, go for it.
EDIT: Athletics is important when everything is is going right on the ship. Acrobatics is important when things go wrong. You'll see.

Question: When I take attack penalties from being prone and the like (not ones that are inflicted upon me by powers), does this apply also to attacks that I make through my spirit companion who is standing across the battle? Cover between me and the target for example provides no defense against attacks from my spirit, who would be adjacent, from simple considerations of the attack's origin. Similar reasoning might apply. However being able to lie prone may offer me a defensive boost if I can keep outside of melee range.

Another Question: Does my spirit companion gain CA from attacks it makes when it's in a flanking position? I know it can't help others flank, but is it helped by others flanking with it when it makes melee attacks? Coordinated Advantage doesn't work for me (my powers are melee spirit 1) so there aren't many ways for me to get CA.

Your spirit is never technically making attacks, you are always attacking through your spirit, and to penalties for being prone would still apply: Cover doesn't apply because the origin of the attack is your spirit. Your attacks via your spirit don't gain combat advanatage when in a flanking position for the same reason.

[Phil]

Originally Posted by Lint of Death

Here's my go at it:

Honestly I'd prefer it if I did the shrinking and box-adding and whatnot: in the photoshop file I'll be using for the battlemap the box is a separate layer, for example, with it's own transparency, and it's position relative to you will change if you get knocked prone, it disappears if you mount something, etc. If you turn evil for some reason your box would turn red.

If you like, I have no problems taking one image's head and sticking on another image's body, swapping weapons, and colors, and things like that.

[Phil]

Nocturnal: in your backstory you indicated you'd be picked up en-route, but I'd prefer the team meet up in Rockport. Just wanted to make sure there wasn't a pressing reason you had wanted to join later.

I'll be putting up the starting thread presently. It's mostly for roleplay at this point, but let's get some character interactions going. You've still got some time to get your character sheets in order and whatnot.

[Nocturnal]

It made more sense to me to be picked up on the way, but it doesn't bother me if story-wise there's a need for us all to start that little bit earlier. If it's important enough Elran would have come in one of his tribe's own boats. Maybe King Jamus didn't trust messengers with exact instructions and wanted him to come personally. That makes sense too.

I've stacked up all the attack bonuses I could get my hands on (seriously, feats and items and whatever I could) so it shouldn't make or break me but it seems non-Panther shamans just can't get CA at all. Probably made up for in part by targeting non-AC defenses, though the existence of the Distant Advantage feat implies that wasn't enough. I do get CA for melee spirit attacks against prone targets though, I suppose, as they count as melee attacks? In most other cases we'd be considering targets who grant CA to everybody, so there isn't a question. It's fine since I've optimized to be pretty accurate.