[D&D-5e-2024] In the Shadow of the Dragon

[RossN]

Originally Posted by Admin Bhelogan

Ha ha! To be fair, I said the same thing. I didn't want to give WoTC any more money. But then... I couldn't resist getting a pre-order discount on the physical/digital bundle for all the core rulebooks. $ per hour spent with D&D still ends up being one of my cheapest hobbies.

I have to admit it was hard using just the free rules to come up with a PC and if selected I still might need to cave and buy the PHB (I don't see Tasmara as a Evoker!) Still they seem fairly okay.

[Aisede]

@jr1v3 @RossN @BurrowingOwl

I am definitely liking what I'm seeing. Rebellious youth, outcasts, and people with some real street smarts. I think the three of you would synergize really well.

Mira's less-than-hounorable soldiering adds some spice to the character. Makes her more than just a soldier, but one with a dangerous edge. Intimidating. And considering the reasoning behind her actions, it'd be difficult to really corrupt her. It's not about money, but principles, right?

Thomas Lancaster is, despite his looks, a paragon of virtue; as it reads, he never wavers from his belief in living a life love, and has made for himself a family. I suspect he will find family within the Opal Guard, as he did his fellow urchins.

Tasmara's tale sounds like something you would be told in a tavern over a cup of ale; the greedy rascal who takes her chances against a renowned mage. A failed endeavour, sure, but it speaks to ambition. A drive to make something of herself, even when the odds are distinctly not in her favor.

[purplerook]

Originally Posted by RossN

I have to admit it was hard using just the free rules to come up with a PC and if selected I still might need to cave and buy the PHB (I don't see Tasmara as a Evoker!) Still they seem fairly okay.

I gave up on crafting a character with the free rules. I wanted to see the list of origin feats, but also which spell did and did not make the cut.

[jr1v3]

@Admin Bhelogan, I hope mine will be in the medium length. Also, I didn't filled all the past from Thomas, there is a bunch of things to share about how he became the man he is. I wanted to add an personality description as well but I felt like too much. If you could give me the name of the region so I could put that, it would be great.

@purplerook, OH! man. So good to see you in the Player side. I hope we got the chance to play together, I feel we can make an interesting synergy in our roleplay. And I agree how great the Origin feat are, I love that it add an spicy to the mix.

@RossN, but I like the changes made to all classes and the changes made to spellcasting, I really love it. It seems more balanced and more prone to be easy to roleplay. The wizard is one of the one I wanted to play but I thought that perhaps a bard would fit well in this game and the versatility it could bring will make him a good addition to this party.

@Aisede, Thanks! That is exactly what I wanted to transmit. The true about Thomas is that look like a rascal on the outside but once you interact with him, You will find a virtuous person that was polished by the vicissitudes of fate and life to shine. He loves his town and working for it is almost like a prize for him. And yeah, Thomas will look the Opal Guard like a close Family!

[RossN]

Originally Posted by Aisede

@jr1v3 @RossN @BurrowingOwl

I am definitely liking what I'm seeing. Rebellious youth, outcasts, and people with some real street smarts. I think the three of you would synergize really well.

Tasmara's tale sounds like something you would be told in a tavern over a cup of ale; the greedy rascal who takes her chances against a renowned mage. A failed endeavour, sure, but it speaks to ambition. A drive to make something of herself, even when the odds are distinctly not in her favor.

Thank you! As for her attitude well... let's just Wisdom won't be her strongest suit!

[RossN]

Originally Posted by purplerook

I gave up on crafting a character with the free rules. I wanted to see the list of origin feats, but also which spell did and did not make the cut.

Yeah.

I know I'm going to cave sooner or later and just buy the book.

Originally Posted by jr1v3

@RossN, but I like the changes made to all classes and the changes made to spellcasting, I really love it. It seems more balanced and more prone to be easy to roleplay. The wizard is one of the one I wanted to play but I thought that perhaps a bard would fit well in this game and the versatility it could bring will make him a good addition to this party.

Oh it's not so much the changes to spellcasting in general as that I don't see Tasmara as someone hurling fireballs - she's more sneaky and tricksy.

Actually I had strongly considered making her a Warlock but we have several Warlock applications and the picture I found for her suggested 'Wizard'.

[Alemar]

Originally Posted by RossN

Yeah.

I know I'm going to cave sooner or later and just buy the book.

Oh it's not so much the changes to spellcasting in general as that I don't see Tasmara as someone hurling fireballs - she's more sneaky and tricksy.

So, an Illusionist?

[Aisede]

Can I ask why people try to avoid classes that others choose? It strikes me as a bizarre behavior.

I still remember playing Overwatch, watching as entire lobbies filled up with the same character XD And In FFXIV, I've been a part of little White Mage gangs. I find it humorous when everybody is the same class.

[purplerook]

@All, after all the Rogues, Orphans, Wanderers, etc., I figured the team needed a bureaucrat. Hence Claude's background as a Scribe. Being a Scribe, gives the Skilled Feat, which should make Claude even more of an academic.

@BurningOwl, I just read Mira's background and realized she is one of the Duke's daughters (estranged). If we both get picked, I'll need to swap Claude to work for the Baron to have PCs on both sides.

@jr1v3, I'm glad you found this game. Yes, I'm hoping I get picked so I can see how the new rules work out. Bouncing back and forth between the two sets is going to be interesting.

@RossN, I'm looking forward to seeing what an Illusionist can do at 3rd level. Minor Illusion is a Bonus Action for Illusionists, which makes it a game changer.

[purplerook]

Originally Posted by Aisede

Can I ask why people try to avoid classes that others choose? It strikes me as a bizarre behavior.

I still remember playing Overwatch, watching as entire lobbies filled up with the same character XD And In FFXIV, I've been a part of little White Mage gangs. I find it humorous when everybody is the same class.

People tend to pick different classes for a couple of reasons. One is the belief that a team needs a diverse skillset. A second is that a GM is going to try to pick a well-rounded team, which means different classes. Too many of one class reduces your odds of being picked.

It should be less about different classes and more about a diverse skill set. For social interactions, you need a character with good charisma and social skills (e.g., Persuasion and Insight). You need a character with wilderness skills (e.g., survival) to explore the wilderness. Similarly, skill with Thieves Tools is required if the group plans to break into places.

I've seen a few GMs run games where every character has the same class (generally Rogues).

Regardless of Class, I'm hoping that the players who are selected for this game do a bit of collaborating. There are some particularly valuable/powerful Origin Feats. For example

Musician - gives allies Heroic Inspiration on a Short Rest
Healer - take an action to heal a character for one of their hit dice.

Magic Initiate is a really powerful feat. My reading is that you can pick the stats for the spells. For example, taking Shilalegh would allow a Wizard to enchant their staff to use Int for to-hit and damage.

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by jr1v3

f you could give me the name of the region so I could put that, it would be

How about, you give me the name of the region instead?


Re-Team Composition: It's about the last thing I'll look at. I have no problem taking a party full of clerics, or bards, or whatever. I'm more interested in what characters I think will be interesting to run with.

[A7ice]

With so many applications, I imagine there will be ones for the same class. Still, the class is only one aspect that defines the character. There are basically infinite ways to make characters of the same class different based on just a few indicators required for the application.

IMHO, same classes are not a problem. The problem lies with closed characters, lone wolves, and individuals who are otherwise hard to fit into a larger group.

After all, the game is designed for a group of characters, and as long as the group is well-rounded, I see no problems.

[purplerook]

Originally Posted by Aisede

Can I ask why people try to avoid classes that others choose? It strikes me as a bizarre behavior.

I still remember playing Overwatch, watching as entire lobbies filled up with the same character XD And In FFXIV, I've been a part of little White Mage gangs. I find it humorous when everybody is the same class.

People tend to pick different classes for a couple of reasons. One is the belief that a team needs a diverse skillset. A second is that a GM is going to try to pick a well-rounded team, which means different classes. Too many of one class reduces your odds of being picked.

It should be less about different classes and more about a diverse skill set. For social interactions, you need a character with good charisma and social skills (e.g., Persuasion and Insight). You need a character with wilderness skills (e.g., survival) to explore the wilderness. Similarly, skill with Thieves Tools is required if the group plans to break into places.

I've seen a few GMs run games where every character has the same class (generally Rogues).

Regardless of Class, I'm hoping that the players who are selected for this game do a bit of collaborating. There are some particularly valuable/powerful Origin Feats. For example

Musician - gives allies Heroic Inspiration on a Short Rest
Healer - take an action to heal a character for one of their hit dice.

Magic Initiate is a really powerful feat. My reading is that you can pick the stats for the spells. For example, taking Shilalegh would allow a Wizard to enchant their staff to use Int for to-hit and damage.

[purplerook]

Originally Posted by A7ice

...
IMHO, same classes are not a problem. The problem lies with closed characters, lone wolves, and individuals who are otherwise hard to fit into a larger group.

After all, the game is designed for a group of characters, and as long as the group is well-rounded, I see no problems.

+1, although I think this is more of a player's perspective than a character's. A player can play a character that is a lone wolf. However, they need to operate as part of a group. For example, I play a Swiftstride Shifter (werecat), an Urban Bounty Hunter. I play her as an 'Ambush Predator' - preferring to attack from ambush. However, she closely coordinates with the rest of the group - who she considers her 'pride'.

For me, part of the fun in role-playing is having characters with a bit of natural friction—as long as it's between characters and not between players.

[Aisede]

Originally Posted by A7ice

With so many applications, I imagine there will be ones for the same class. Still, the class is only one aspect that defines the character. There are basically infinite ways to make characters of the same class different based on just a few indicators required for the application.

IMHO, same classes are not a problem. The problem lies with closed characters, lone wolves, and individuals who are otherwise hard to fit into a larger group.

After all, the game is designed for a group of characters, and as long as the group is well-rounded, I see no problems.

That's part of why Abigail is designed to be support; the idea behind her is that she wants to help everyone and everything indiscriminately, but tends to have a religious fervor that aligns wih these goals as well. Insight is one of her key characteristics, and she wants the team to get along, and find out how to cultivate cooperation.

I suppose here is as good a place as any to expand on the character concept: Abigail is inspired primarily by one character of mine. You could say she's "descended" from them. This character- Karakusa, I called her -suffered life-altering trauma at the very beginning of her adventure, and even more at the end. Adventure should be painful, and alter your perspective- but in both good ways and bad (Destruction and creation, huh?). Destroy the old harmful ways of thinking, and create new healthy ways of thinking. Kara's only goal in life was to help the people around her. To "relieve them of their suffering", as an influencial paladin in her life taught her. That experience really stuck with me, and I like to play characters like her. Build on that mindset.