[Mechanics] Game Mechanics and Serious Business

[Fil kearney]

skills:
characters have a preset amount of skill point allotted per level + int bonus...
Rogue = 8+int.
at level 1... the amount isn't 4xbase, it is still just the base points..
rogue:
level 1=8
level 2=8
level 3=8
level 4=8
level 5=8
level 6=8
Max ranks: 6.
IF points are put into a Class Skill, you get a bonus 3 ranks.
Class Skill Max ranks: 9 (6+free3)
Non-Class Skill Max ranks: 6 (6+nothing extra)
Skill Beyond Your Years increases the Class Skill bonus ranks from 3 to 6
Class Skill Max ranks: 12 (6+free6)
Non-Class Skill Max ranks: 6 (6+ still nothing)

Originally Posted by dirkoth

And yes, she's not spending everything she has. She's saving for something nicer.

I don't track acquired wealth. I just assume you can pay for anything relatively affordable regardless of how you explain your wealth. If it is of significant value, I will assign tasks for obtaining it.. basically characters have to barter their time and effort for anything significant that they want... so if you have things in mind you want to get, make me a list.

[Battlechaser]

But do we get additional skill points if we take classes beyond sixth or just the class abilities. I think I made a mistake there.

[Fil kearney]

Originally Posted by Battlechaser

But do we get additional skill points if we take classes beyond sixth or just the class abilities. I think I made a mistake there.

we only get 6 levels worth... Rogue is the best, so with no int mod, the most you can normally have is 48 skill points, with a 6 point spend cap for each skill.

If you need more skill points, you can take the feat, Open Minded to gain an extra 5 skill points. You can take this repeatedly, just like toughness.
Note, original e6 rules use the PHB/OGL rank system of cross-class skills = 1/2 rank per point... TrailBlazer adjusted skill system as noted above; 1 point = 1 rank... class skills get a 3 rank kicker.

[Eviltedzies]

I guess a better question is, do those free 3 ranks count as actual skill ranks for purposes of qualifying for feats and prestige classes or do they count as simply an "untyped bonus" to the skill itself.

[Fil kearney]

Originally Posted by Eviltedzies

I guess a better question is, do those free 3 ranks count as actual skill ranks for purposes of qualifying for feats and prestige classes or do they count as simply an "untyped bonus" to the skill itself.

Yes they do. Skill Beyond Your Years + 6 points spent = 12 RANKS. It specifically states this.
"Benefit: Pick a skill. Your max ranks rise from Level+3 to Level +6. "

note; if you had previously put points into a non-class skill that later becomes a class skill, you automatically get the +3 kicker benefit.

[Sir Alex]

I think we've talked about this, and extra 3 modifier for in-class skills does count, since the 3.5e skill requirements are designed around the concept that your max skill is "class level plus 3."

[Fil kearney]

definitely yes.
modding mods is the worst. I'm glad you are all compelled enough to endure the conversion process to actually participate in the game.

Other than casually dropping through to reply to stuff, my time to actually sit and compose material is fairly limited, so when I want to start a chapter or transition into a new setting, it takes a while for me to generate the text.
One of my goals today is to lay the initial opening post to the Actual Game so we can Officially Start.
Secondary goal is to get the Dancing Breeze layout resolved so you all have the technical details of your ship.
Tertiary goal is for me to go over the land masses and see what landmarks I've left intact to use and further modify each region as necessary, focusing on the areas of most current relevance like Thrane and Aundair, working out from there

A lot of my day is spent dodging work in the office and spending time here when possible
Most of my nights are spent painting with some goof-time alotted to the wife and then gaming as third seat.
I spend some time on saturday updating material for game (my Sunday Skype as well as here) so I won't likley have the Breeze resolved until this weekend, along with any other mapping.

So... again, actual game play content may be fairly slow rolling out, but I will remain involved daily here, and any in game conversation stuff not too intense I can update much more regularly.

[Grenadier]

Originally Posted by Sir Alex

- Only thing I'd question is your Swift Manifest and Immediate Manifest options, which you've listed as 7pp. I though the number of pp you could spend on a single manifestation (augmented or not) was limited by your caster level. So you could only spend 6pp on any one manifestation?

Using the Overchannel feat, I can expend a psionic focus to increase my manifester level by +1 in exchange for 1d8 damage. The Talented feat does away with the damage, and Psionic Meditation allows me to focus as a move action.

So I can manifester at seventh level, but only under limited conditions and only first through third level powers.

[Eviltedzies]

Just a quick update before we start. After realizing the way skills work I simply decided to use my floating feat to take a 4th level Warblade. I already have 3rd level Divine/Arcane casting. I might as well finish off having d12 HD and Full BAB

[Fil kearney]

groovy!

[Fil kearney]

I've just about got ship combat rules cobbled together. I'm leaning heavily on Stormwracked supplement for narrative combat, which makes the most sense to me in the setting, and with the 3 dimensional movement.
I'll get that written out under Ideas in the next 24 hours. It's VERY simple and pretty intuitive, so should flow well.

[Grenadier]

Stormwrack would be great. I don't have a lot of the setting specific information, but I do have Stormwrack so I am pretty fresh on those rules. Lets me put the Profession--Sailor to some use.

[Fil kearney]

Yeah.. I'm still ironing out some specifics but it will feel similar.

[Fil kearney]

Okay.. I've posted the rules for ships in the very first post of this thread

and they are duplicated here:

 

ship combat

ship design
material
crystal	--10/-DR,  120'mv, 10 defense,  -5 action mod
wood	-- 20/-DR, 100'mv, 15 defense, 0 action mod
metal	-- 30/-DR, 80'mv,  20 defense, +5 action mod
stone 	-- 50/-DR, 60'mv, 25 defnese,  -5 movement mod, +5 action mod
maneuverability
perfect	-- +10 movement mod
good	-- +5 movement mod 
average	-- no movement mod
poor 	-- -5 movement mod
clumsy	-- -10 movement mod
immobile	-- no movement allowed
fortification
light	-- +5 defense, -5 movement mod
heavy	-- +10 defense, -10 movement mod

naval combat
advantage as per stormwrack pg 25
advantage decides movement and action after opposition
advantage is contested when:
--combat begins with no clear advantage
--come about action is attempted
--ship with advantage loses maneuverability
--current commander does not spend a standard action to control ship
--ship with advantage fails to grapple, ram, or sheer
** a ship that becomes immobilized automatically loses advantage.

round is broken into action and move.. 
movement
open	-- create distance = mv+20'
hold	-- maintain dstance
close	-- reduce distance = mv+20'
action
come about -- apply movement mod or action mod to skill check to earn advantage
sprint 	-- add 20' to movement during movement to close or open
ram	-- action taken to damage and connect both ships after successfully closing witnin 0'
grapple	-- action to connect two ships after successfully closing  within 20'
shear	-- action to reduce enemy maneuverability by 1 degree after successfully closing within 20'
evade	-- apply movement mod  or action mod to defense and to oppose skillcheck actions and closing

attacking
with ranged/melee attack: to hit vs (defense+evade)
with balista or bombast: d20+bab+int vs (defense+evade)
with catapult or trebechut: 50% miss chance, d20+bab+int vs (defense+evade)

seige weapons
ram: hull damage = closing mv'/10 to target, 1/2 hull damage to attacker
light balista: d6 hull damage reload 2 men / round -- range 1500'
heavy balista: d8 hull damage reload 3 men / round -- range 1000'
bombast d10 hull damage  reload 3 men / round -- range 500'
light catapult d8 hull damage reload 2 men / round -- range 200' - 2000'
heavy catapult d12 hull damage reload 3 men / round  -- range 200' - 1500'
trebechut 2d6 hull damage reload 4 men / round -- range 200' - 1000'

This is a lot to chew on, I know. but hopefully it makes sense.
it's based off Stormwracked starting on page 25.
basically, each ship has a commander. the commander rolls sailorskill check vs enemy commander to perform movement and actions.
you spec your ship to see how fast it moves in combat and it's defenses and bonuses to apply to the movements and actions you will perform.
weapons are dealt with individually each turn when available to use, otherwise we roll opposing skill rolls to see who has advantage (unless one ship has advantage already) and then each round, the opposing ship declares actions, and then the ship with advantage will then decide what they want to do... After all other combat stuff is done, the ship commanders resolve the movement opposed roll (if contradictory) and action opposed roll (again, if contradictory).. if each ship chooses the same movement and actions, then they are unopposed and automatically occur without rolls.
like, both ships could choose to hold movement, and take action to evade that round while they lob siege at each other.


Here's the stat block for The Dancing Breeze
Tradesman class: 65 HD
Material: wood (100'/round movement, 15 defense, 20/-DR vs spell, melee, and ranged attacks)
Maneuverability: average (no movement mods)
fortification: none
weapons: (optimal crew: 7)
Light catapult (aft)
light balista (stern)
heavy balista (stern)


The scorpions you are facing off against:
material: metal (80'/round movement, +5 action mod, 20 defense, 30/-DR vs spell, melee, and ranged attacks)
maneuverability: average (no movement mods)
fortification: light (+5 defense, -5 movement mod).. so the defense of the ship is 25 9basicaly the same as ac25)
weapons: (optimal crew: 6)
heavy balista (tail)
heavy balista (aft)
grappling/sheer claws (+5 unique bonus)
ram
.. so these type of ships like to sprint in, sheer and grapple while punishing the crew and ship with balista fire, but they are slower ships, so they can be out-maneuvered.

I owe an in-game update, but won't be ready to do so for around 8 hours.

[Fil kearney]

No tactical map from me yet... there's really no need for one during ship skirmishes since the nature of combat mechanics are intended to be narrative. by the time we close within melee range, i'll happily have a scorpion and tradesman floor plan up on rol 20 for us to futz with.

I'm sure y'all hae questions, so be welcome. Since they have advantage, you'll tell me what you intend to do before you realize how they respond to your stance.