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

[RossN]

I ended up caving and buying the digital edition of the new PHB and now I'm not so sure. I still like the idea of Tasmara as a Wizard (and the Illusionist subclass looks fun!) On the other hand the Sphinx of Wonder familiar a Warlock can get is incredibly adorable and the College of Dance (!) Bard subclass is both hilarious sounding and very intriguing!

[jr1v3]

Originally Posted by purplerook

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.

I Was hoping to choose magic initiate (wizard) to get two more utility cantrip and a 1st level spell like magic missile o another utility spell like find familiar. But perhaps I feel tempted to pick musician feat to become in a full support role that take care of versatility of skills instead. Lucky combined with musician and bardic inspiration sound like a nice combination if you ask me!

[Kshnik]

I choose Guide for Magic Initiate (Druid) for my Fighter. Guidance plus Tactical Mind should allow a lot of good ability checks. Really can’t wait to play with handax and dagger for throwing and handax and scimitar for up close (eventually dual wielder, two weapon combo) Far range have bow but Starry Wisp has intrigued me. And Druid spell Goodberry to go with the Second winds. Need to see if Cartographers tools, from Guide, will allow me to make scroll of Goodberry.

So fighter 6 (battlemaster) for two feats to go with weapon choice. Once I get defense duelist I will stick with dagger, (drop two weapon for blind-fighting) and then pick up a few levels of monk (elemental). So reaction dagger +prof bonus to ac against melee attacks sound fun. A level of warlock for pack of blades.
So dagger different damage types, Unarmed strikes different damage types, and combined with a tavern brawler for some decent grappling and push actions. At level 10 now.

This is my thought process. Above concept in my app now.

[Admin Bhelogan]

Planned out to level 10! That shows some confidence that this game will run a while.

(Depending on how the game and stories go, we may do a time jump and skip some levels at some point)

I have run a character to to level 18 here (from level 1), but they was in City of Endless Areas, and still took several years.

[Aisede]

Originally Posted by RossN

I ended up caving and buying the digital edition of the new PHB and now I'm not so sure. I still like the idea of Tasmara as a Wizard (and the Illusionist subclass looks fun!) On the other hand the Sphinx of Wonder familiar a Warlock can get is incredibly adorable and the College of Dance (!) Bard subclass is both hilarious sounding and very intriguing!

Sphinx of Wonder? That sounds interesting

Originally Posted by Admin Bhelogan

Planned out to level 10! That shows some confidence that this game will run a while.

(Depending on how the game and stories go, we may do a time jump and skip some levels at some point)

I have run a character to to level 18 here (from level 1), but they was in City of Endless Areas, and still took several years.

How often do games last longer than a couple months?

[purplerook]

Originally Posted by Aisede

How often do games last longer than a couple months?

It depends on your definition of game. The West Marches has been running for over seven years. Adventures in the West Marches typically run for 4-6 months.

There are some Campaigns on RPGX that have been running for years.

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by Aisede

How often do games last longer than a couple months?

Looking at all the games I have run on RPGX, about half of them only last a couple of months. I've had 4 or 5 last over 2 years, one of them is still going (albeit slowly) that started in 2017.

[jr1v3]

Originally Posted by RossN

I ended up caving and buying the digital edition of the new PHB and now I'm not so sure. I still like the idea of Tasmara as a Wizard (and the Illusionist subclass looks fun!) On the other hand the Sphinx of Wonder familiar a Warlock can get is incredibly adorable and the College of Dance (!) Bard subclass is both hilarious sounding and very intriguing!

To be honest, the college of dance is like an artistic monk that uses bardic inspirations dice to get Flurry of Blows. But analyzing, it won't be as good in melee damage as a monk though and even if your dice damage increase with your bardic inspiration, you will be limited to one or two strikes if you use a bardic inspiration I think. The only good thing is the advantage in dancing performance and the unarmored defense.

I rather choose the glamour over it and among those and lore, lore is still the king. The thing I liked about glamour though is the ability to charm or frighten a creature after using an enchantment of illusion spell which is great if you ask me. You could cast a sleep spell and then any enemy left out, you can frighten or charmed. Another example, you use charm person and get an extra charm to another enemy for free. Also the mantle of inspiration got boosted as well with twice of your bardic dice.

The warlock seems interesting b the way and the invocations at first is a great thing. The pact of chain look nice to me now and Investment of the Chain Master gives the familiar an attack as a bonus action. An imp with a warlock that use true strike sound interesting.

[RossN]

Originally Posted by Aisede

Sphinx of Wonder? That sounds interesting

These guys:

Originally Posted by jr1v3

To be honest, the college of dance is like an artistic monk that uses bardic inspirations dice to get Flurry of Blows. But analyzing, it won't be as good in melee damage as a monk though and even if your dice damage increase with your bardic inspiration, you will be limited to one or two strikes if you use a bardic inspiration I think. The only good thing is the advantage in dancing performance and the unarmored defense.

I rather choose the glamour over it and among those and lore, lore is still the king. The thing I liked about glamour though is the ability to charm or frighten a creature after using an enchantment of illusion spell which is great if you ask me. You could cast a sleep spell and then any enemy left out, you can frighten or charmed. Another example, you use charm person and get an extra charm to another enemy for free. Also the mantle of inspiration got boosted as well with twice of your bardic dice.

Yeah those are good points, I was more focused on the coolness of the idea than how well it might work in practice.

[jr1v3]

Originally Posted by Admin Bhelogan

Planned out to level 10! That shows some confidence that this game will run a while.

(Depending on how the game and stories go, we may do a time jump and skip some levels at some point)

That sound reassuring! I would like to get PC so far, specially a bard of lore. When they get to lvl 10, the thing get interesting with them!

[Kshnik]

I find the 1 post a week games last the longest

[jr1v3]

@RossN, Yeah!, a warlock of a celestial warlock with the Sphinx of Wonder sound interesting. But If wanted to try an warlock in this new edition, I would go with a pact of chain with an imp, maybe an archfey one. Then, cast a darkness in and begin the party and at level 5, the combo of warlock and familiar attacking sound nice. Although the Great old one sound super amazing if you ask me.

@Kshnik, Yeah, It is perfect for most people with busy lives.

[BurrowingOwl]

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.

It's not really about class, so much as narrative role or "schtick." There's plenty of room for, say, two different fighters or two different wizards or whatever to be very different characters, with very different personalities, backstories, etc.

But... well, take something like Firefly, say. If one person rolls up with a character who's a wide-eyed waif with mysterious psychic powers on the run from shadowy government assassins, that's a cool concept. But if someone then shows up with another mysterious psychic fugitive girl? That's just kind of rude. There's only room in that cast for one River Tam, and everyone knows it. Applying with another is basically saying "I know the GM is only going to take one character like this, because it'd be silly to have two - and I'm directly challenging you for that spot." It's nicer just to respect the schtick someone else is excited about playing, and budge over a little to let them have that lane.

[jr1v3]

Originally Posted by BurrowingOwl

But... well, take something like Firefly, say. If one person rolls up with a character who's a wide-eyed waif with mysterious psychic powers on the run from shadowy government assassins, that's a cool concept. But if someone then shows up with another mysterious psychic fugitive girl? That's just kind of rude. There's only room in that cast for one River Tam, and everyone knows it. Applying with another is basically saying "I know the GM is only going to take one character like this, because it'd be silly to have two - and I'm directly challenging you for that spot." It's nicer just to respect the schtick someone else is excited about playing, and budge over a little to let them have that lane.

THIS! This is exactly what I think when I choose what to play. I could play the same class but with a different thing in mind but something similar is a NO-NO for me so I end picking another class or making a different character if other thought a similar choice even if the class is different.

[Aisede]

Originally Posted by BurrowingOwl

It's not really about class, so much as narrative role or "schtick." There's plenty of room for, say, two different fighters or two different wizards or whatever to be very different characters, with very different personalities, backstories, etc.

But... well, take something like Firefly, say. If one person rolls up with a character who's a wide-eyed waif with mysterious psychic powers on the run from shadowy government assassins, that's a cool concept. But if someone then shows up with another mysterious psychic fugitive girl? That's just kind of rude. There's only room in that cast for one River Tam, and everyone knows it. Applying with another is basically saying "I know the GM is only going to take one character like this, because it'd be silly to have two - and I'm directly challenging you for that spot." It's nicer just to respect the schtick someone else is excited about playing, and budge over a little to let them have that lane.

No idea who River Tam is, but I think you're misinterpreting my meaning.

Sharing a class doesn't mean sharing the same schtick. In my Goblin Queen game, we have two wizards. One is an elderly bearded guy in it to get money for his children. Mine is a lanky anxious girl who needs money to buy herself an education. Same class, entirely different themes.