[OOC] Come, sit with us by the fire.

[Frostburn]

Discuss your most recent brush with death, wonder about the amazing new things you've encountered.

I trust you won't let out-of-character factors and discussions affect your character's performance.

Questions, comments, complaints or congratulations? This is the place for that.

[Frostburn]

Everyone, pease welcome Morakai, an old friend and D&D companion, whom I've cajoled into joining the site to tag along and help me with the homebrewing of this setting. He's been a great help in creating this game and as a methuselah of dungeoneering and role-playing, I'm happy to have him along.

He's your +1, as it were, so be gentle with him. Sometimes, he can even be nice if he makes a real effort (or he rolls a 20 on his Bluff check).

[sammichweasel]

Oi oi, welcome and cheers.

Not sure who else got in yet, but I'd like to introduce the oddity that is Nikolai. I look forward to developing him as we progress, especially since we made up his class to accommodate non-spellcasting spellcasting. He'll be your healer and support man.

Also, I'm decidedly excited for the historical component here! I'll try to keep the Kievan Rus' references to a minimum ^.^

[Morakai]

*takes a bow*

We've had our brief introduction in the advertisement thread. As said, I go by Morakai.

I've been playing PlayByPost games on forums for a good 10-12 years now and regularly play and DM several systems of pen and paper roleplaying, most notably d&d 3.5, V:TM, and the occasional dash of Pathfinder.

I'll be joining the game as Surtr Thorvaldsson, of whom I'll be adding a brief writeup in the Character thread shortly.

[GZtzu]

Welcome!

Eric will smash the indigenous life with his family greatsword and then some.

I too started pbp about 12-13 years ago. Trying to get back into it now

[Whispers]

Hi everyone.

I am really looking forward to this game and its endless potential. I think we are going to have a blast...until Frostburn kills us all off anyway.

How are we doing HP? Max at first and roll for level 2?

[Morakai]

Personally, I think we'll have a blast *and* have Frostburn kill us off... Then, we'll roll up more characters and have another one!

[sammichweasel]

Okay, going to throw the class in a spoiler, take a look if you like. I've built classes before, but input is always welcome! Also, any other eyes that could scour the 1st level spells for things that could be done via misdirection, suggestion, or chemical action would be greatly appreciated ^.^ The Rituals component has been the stickiest point so far!

 

Alignment :: Any

Hit Die :: d8

Starting Wealth :: 3d6x10 (average 105)

Class Skills :: Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (Mysticism, Nature, History, Local, Religion), Linguistics, Perception, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Survival

Skill Ranks/level :: 6

Table: Shaman

Level	BAB	Fort	Rflx	Will	Special
1	+0	+0	+0	+2	Herbalism, Communal Skills
2	+1	+0	+0	+3	Herbalism Talent, Ritualism 1
3	+2	+1	+1	+3
4	+3	+1	+1	+4	Herbalism Talent, Communal Skills
5	+3	+1	+1	+4
6	+4	+2	+2	+5	Herbalism Talent, Ritualism 2
7	+5	+2	+2	+5	Communal Skills
8	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	Herbalism Talent
9	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6	Ritualism 3
10	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Herbalism Talent, Communal Skills
11	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7
12	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Herbalism Talent
13	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Ritualism 4, Communal Skills
14	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9	Herbalism Talent
15	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+9
16	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Herbalism Talent, Ritualism 5, Communal Skills
17	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10
18	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11	Herbalism Talent
19	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Communal Skills
20	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Herbalism Talent, Ritualism 6

Herbalism :: By performing an extended Survival check (DC set by DM according to available flora and fauna), you can treat a wounded ally's wounds with the gathered ingredients. Alternatively, if you add 5 to the DC set by the DM, youcan attempt to use stored ingredients to perform the check as a Standard action. If you meet the set DC, you restore 1d6+your level HP (max +5) to the target.

This can only be attempted once on any given creature during any given 24 hour period, due to the potential to overwhelm the target's organs with foreign substances.

Communal Skills :: Each time you gain this feature, pick a skill that is trained by one or more creatures you have had extensive contact with since you last gained it (consult your character background for the 1st level instance). You gain a +2 class bonus to this skill, even if you do not have it trained.

Ritualism :: You can learn rituals from the Ritualism list of the appropriate tier. These rituals cannot have the listed performance time reduced. There is no limit to the number of rituals of a given tier that you can learn, nor no hard limit on the number you can perform in a day.

To perform a ritual, spend the listed time concentrating, and then make a DC 15 Knowledge (Mysticism) check. On a success, the ritual takes. On a failure, nothing happens. If you fail the DC by 5 or more, the DC of your next ritual check before your next rest is increased by 3. Regardless of success or failure, the DC of your next ritual check is increased by the tier of the ritual. All increases are cumulative until you can rest for 6 hours.

Save DC, if any, equals 10+INT+Tier.

Herbalism Talent :: Select a talent from the following list and gain it as a class feature. These typically modify your Herbalism class feature, or modify your skills. Each has a required number of skill ranks as a prerequisite.

Antivenom - 1 rank Heal, 1 rank Knowledge (Nature) - When making an Herbalism check as a Standard action, you may also grant the target a bonus to his or her next save vs poison equal to your INT+WIS modifiers.

Quick Gather - 1 rank Survival, 1 rank Perception - You may make a non-Standard Action Herbalism check in half the usual time.

Poultice - 1 rank Heal, 1 rank Craft - You may make an Herbalism check to create a poultice that can be used by anyone as a Standard action, rolling for restored HP and other effects when used. This use automatically increases the DC of the Herbalism check by 5. You may only have one Poultice prepared at a time.

And more! Basic examples to give you an idea of what I'm looking at. Some higher level Talents will also add to the HP restored, or I might put a clause in Herbalism that adds dice of healing for every 2/3 Talents gained.


Tier 1 Rituals (mostly as per the spell of the same name, with the listed modifications. Most listed tokens represent something appropriate, like a puff of sparkling powder for Hypnotism)

[Morakai]

Hey Sammich,

Looks like an interesting character. For spell list purposes, I would personally think of looking at a limited version of the Druid spell list, perhaps coupled with some of the Extracts from the Alchemist. That way, some of your spells are "spells", and some are poultices, extracts and ointments that improve certain things. For example, the Alchemist can create an Extract that is the equivalent of the Jump spell, giving +10 to acrobatics for 1 min/level. That could easily be a salve that the herbalist makes, a balm that soothes and loosens the joints and muscles, giving that same bonus.

Some other things I was curious about. I see you've got the d8 Hit Die for the class, and the medium BAB progression, that puts you roughly on par with the druid. What are you looking for in terms of weapon and armour proficiency? The Druid has light and medium armour (with that pesky no-metal restriction), will you be using the same? I'm guessing since your "spells" won't be spells per-se, you would probably not be subject to Arcane spell failure.

The rituals, I'm guessing, are going to be the spells that you pick out would fit the class? Or is this something pre-existing?

[Frostburn]

Originally Posted by Whispers

Hi everyone.

I am really looking forward to this game and its endless potential. I think we are going to have a blast...until Frostburn kills us all off anyway.

Hehehe

Originally Posted by Whispers

How are we doing HP? Max at first and roll for level 2?

I've updated the Mechanics thread. You get max for both levels. You'll need it.

Originally Posted by Morakai

Personally, I think we'll have a blast *and* have Frostburn kill us off... Then, we'll roll up more characters and have another one!

That's the spirit!

[sammichweasel]

Yeah, the Rituals feature is his "spellcasting". Basically, taking spells and making them take a 10 minute prep time, repeatable but with a limit based on an increasing skill check.

Armor and weapons... probably just simple and light, no shields. Maybe one chosen "ritual" martial weapon? Does that make sense? I'm hoping the class is painting a picture of itself, so if anything I'm suggesting doesn't jive, I'd like to know so I can clean it up, refine the class.

[sammichweasel]

Ooh! Had a thought about Rituals that seemed pretty fun. Each gets an associated skill that I check against instead of doing just one specific skill, but the DC stays at 15 with the same escalation procedures (+ tier per attempt on failure or success, fail by 5 or more and add +3, all increases stay until next 6 hour rest).

Disguise Self - Bluff
Endure Elements - Craft
Keen Senses - Perception
Infernal Healing - Kn: Mysticism
Obscuring Mist - Kn: Nature
Charm Person - Diplomacy
Hypnotism - Craft
Calm Animals - Kn: Nature
Charm Animal - Kn: Nature
Read Weather - Survival

Make sense? Too complicated? Even interesting enough to consider?

[GZtzu]

Actually, I think that class looks good. I really like the mechanic of spells not being automatically cast but you having to take a check based on how many spells you've tried to cast already. Lots of spellcasting leaves you exhausted.


I expect to need a lot of poultices.

[sammichweasel]

Yeah, I made a couple different Herbalism Talents, but as soon as I spit out Poultice, I knew it was the first I would be taking >.<

[Skligg]

Hey guys! I'll post my character soon, rather busy it seems,...