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Tesunden Isles


Nolgroth

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

It seems that you have taken everyone back to everyone having the same speed. I am wondering the reasoning for it.
Speed of play. We have done a lot of combat with this campaign and the weakness of varied speeds really stood out. With MapTool, I tend to notice way more "drift" (lack of attention) than I would in a face to face game. If that drift were to be reduced to null, the Speed Chart could probably be used as is. I've seen it happen before. It just wasn't working for this campaign.

 

And though I capped everybody at 2 Speed, Lightning Reflexes still gives the chance for the faster characters to shine. As you've probably seen above, we are also experimenting with ideas to temporarily increase Speed so that the speed demons get a chance to really shine. Since the effect is temporary, there is less chance of the slower characters getting bogged down in the wait. At any rate, we are going to experiment with it and see how it works out. If it does not significantly change the quality of the game, we may switch back. Probably not though, as I allowed them to sell back Speed.

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

The greatest of great news. I figured out what was happening with the Attack macro. I forgot to change the value of one variable in the Calculate Defenses macro. So it was pulling Patch's hardened defenses and applying them alongside the target's defenses. NOW the attack sequence works. In order to facilitate range penalties, I am going to recode the Apply Damage macro to just calculate Damage Reduction. Sorry about the back and forth on this one but I think we are solid now. The overall sequence of events does not change. In fact, I am going to keep an Apply Damage around for those times when the Quick Damage button is used.

 

Also fixed the Apply Damage macro so that I can use it for those Undead with 0 STUN.

 

I took out Damage Doubling and replaced it with a Max DC of 12 (8 for Armor Piercing). Campaign Limit is 12 DC. Doesn't matter how you get there, you can't go over 12 (AP is a + 1/2 advantage so 8 x 1.5 = 12).

 

Campaign Limits Update: Defenses can go to 12 rPD/ 12 rED. I want DC and DEF to go hand in hand.

 

EDIT: Clarification on the two Extra Speed powers above.

 

No matter whether you activate it on Segment 6 or 12, the benefits do not apply until the next Turn (after Post 12 Recovery).

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

The greatest of great news. I figured out what was happening with the Attack macro. I forgot to change the value of one variable in the Calculate Defenses macro. So it was pulling Patch's hardened defenses and applying them alongside the target's defenses. NOW the attack sequence works. In order to facilitate range penalties, I am going to recode the Apply Damage macro to just calculate Damage Reduction. Sorry about the back and forth on this one but I think we are solid now. The overall sequence of events does not change. In fact, I am going to keep an Apply Damage around for those times when the Quick Damage button is used.

 

Also fixed the Apply Damage macro so that I can use it for those Undead with 0 STUN.

 

I took out Damage Doubling and replaced it with a Max DC of 12 (8 for Armor Piercing). Campaign Limit is 12 DC. Doesn't matter how you get there, you can't go over 12 (AP is a + 1/2 advantage so 8 x 1.5 = 12).

 

Campaign Limits Update: Defenses can go to 12 rPD/ 12 rED. I want DC and DEF to go hand in hand.

 

EDIT: Clarification on the two Extra Speed powers above.

 

No matter whether you activate it on Segment 6 or 12, the benefits do not apply until the next Turn (after Post 12 Recovery).

 

I have to make it more complicated. . .

 

AP is a +1/4 Advantage (max DCs 10)

Penetrating is a +1/2 Advantage (max DCs 8)

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I have to make it more complicated. . .

 

AP is a +1/4 Advantage (max DCs 10)

Penetrating is a +1/2 Advantage (max DCs 8)

Oh sure. Be that way. Easy enough to fix however.
[h, if (finalDC > 8 && Pen == 1): finalDC = 8]

Change the 8s in the AP block to 10s and I am done. So not that much more complicated.

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

guh, just lost a post. Now I have to rewrite it. . . and I'm tired. short version of the long version you never saw...

 

Patch is heading toward becoming a Priest of Khumarith - given some of the events of the last session. She has a dragon companion, and Khumarith is a Dragon . . . seems a natural fit. So what's needed to head in that direction?

 

Also, we have warriors, Patch has a slight aversion to fighting (despite her seeming ability to do so decently enough), so not a Paladin I don't wager. But I'd like to make any Priestly abilities not simply be "Magic, only we call them Clerics and they cast kinda different" ... but something more, interesting I guess. Unique really. Call them Miracles. Possibly non-combat effects more than combat abilities.

 

Thoughts on any of that? I mean, I could simply expand her Thieving skills - but they seem to be pretty up to spec for the group at the moment.

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Do you have any specific ideas on how this might be accomplished? Truth is that I sort of like the D&D style cleric, though I admit that the outright alternate spell list can lend itself to generic play.

 

Some ideas for miracles:

 

  • Very defined and limited abilities. Instead of having a buffet table of spells/rituals/miracles/whatever, the character has a limited number of pre-defined abilities. See the Paladin write-up in Fantasy HERO as an example.
  • Cordelia from Angel (the conduit for the Powers That Be to send messages to the party). Certainly useful for conveying information I want the party to have, but sort of leaves something missing from the repertoire of the character.
  • Perhaps the opposite of the first option, a VPP that is entirely No Conscious Control. Which allows for anything to be done, given that it is something the Khumarith wants done. All sorts of potential for either abuse or neglect (on my part).
  • Insert other ideas here.

Aside from just defining abilities (or lack thereof) being a priest(ess) implies some serious roleplaying changes in that your character will have an ethos that defines her actions a bit more. Some of them run contrary to being a "thief" (though that does not render those skills useless). In many ways, Patch's aversion to fighting might be tested more often, as her existing skillset makes her an excellent candidate to hunt down fugitives; especially in an urban environment.

 

Khumarith is a divinity of Guardians and Protectors. Some mistake his primary purpose as Justice, and for good cause, but he is just as often the one that takes the fight to those who would destroy peaceful communities. Usually this implies threats like orc invasions, undead, and even more traditional invaders.

 

He is sworn enemies with Ilmarith of the Ebon Scale, his counterpart deity. Wherever the servants of Ilmarith are, the forces of Khumarith are there to fight them. This is usually dangerous work, as Ilmarith employs denizens of the Underworld in his ceaseless plans to destroy everything that Khumarith holds dear. So far, the two have been in lockstep, but that usually means trouble for the mortals caught in between.

 

All of this implies direct conflict. I am sure there are more subtle ways to Protect or mete out Justice, but my tired brain is not picturing those ways. Send me some ideas. PM me if you want. E-mail me if you like. Just give me a few threads in which to weave this new story.

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

And a neat little macro update: I put in some code that allows us to see which weapon is in the Primary and Off-Hand Weapon slot. That way you can change it before you roll, if say, you are playing around with a hypothetical weapon or forget to load one into the Primary slot. The next thing I am going to do is go over the code to see how Dalt implemented the Off-Hand penalty. If I can figure out what he did, I have another interesting little upgrade. Nothing too difficult, but it will come in real handy for Gemini when we get there. Until then, I sleep.

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Quick Poll Question: I've noticed that the list of maneuvers is rather annoying to scroll through. Should I split the maneuver list into two lists; one for Standard Maneuvers and one for Martial Maneuvers. Should I try to create a quick list of five or so maneuvers that are readily visible instead of a list of all the others. Trying to keep thing simple for you guys. I hate insomnia.

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

guh, just lost a post. Now I have to rewrite it. . . and I'm tired. short version of the long version you never saw...

 

Patch is heading toward becoming a Priest of Khumarith - given some of the events of the last session. She has a dragon companion, and Khumarith is a Dragon . . . seems a natural fit. So what's needed to head in that direction?

 

Also, we have warriors, Patch has a slight aversion to fighting (despite her seeming ability to do so decently enough), so not a Paladin I don't wager. But I'd like to make any Priestly abilities not simply be "Magic, only we call them Clerics and they cast kinda different" ... but something more, interesting I guess. Unique really. Call them Miracles. Possibly non-combat effects more than combat abilities.

 

Thoughts on any of that? I mean, I could simply expand her Thieving skills - but they seem to be pretty up to spec for the group at the moment.

 

I am not sure if you caught it or not, but Celedron also wants to explore the cleric of Kumarathin option. She has no aversion to fighting, just to using HTH weapons. She has always had a desire to be "clerical" in the D&D sense. Having said that I mentioned the Paladin thing to her and she said definatly not. She did take the other holy symbol and signet ring. You mentioned Kumarathin as being protector of the wilderlands... this sort of dovetails nicely with Celedron's elven ranger background as well.

 

I think the Miracles idea is pretty cool. I would set the campaign clerical "spell" abilities somewhere in between with some common low level "defined" abilities, like perhaps simple healing, detect evil, blessing, holy aura (repel undead?), etc, and then a Cosmic VPP (uncontrolled, as in GM creates effects on the fly based on players/clerics "prayers" to create more powerful miracles. The amount of effect can be a reflection of both the players "roleplay" as an effective cleric, and the players dedication to the diety by investing XP in the VPP.

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

Quick Poll Question: I've noticed that the list of maneuvers is rather annoying to scroll through. Should I split the maneuver list into two lists; one for Standard Maneuvers and one for Martial Maneuvers. Should I try to create a quick list of five or so maneuvers that are readily visible instead of a list of all the others. Trying to keep thing simple for you guys. I hate insomnia.

 

I like this idea a lot. Terrie has a hard time with long lists, so breaking it into two lists, one for common maneuvers, and on customizable for martial/special maneuvers would make her a vary happy camper.

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

During his voyage across the great seas Damons' thoughts wander back to his life before the quest was set upon him.

Remembering the legends of his people as the guardians of the springs of life.....Of his home is the vast jungle of Kumasi......Of growing up learning to be a warrior- mage of Keshatar.

His thoughts remembers the great battles and how his peoples were reduced to a nothing by a the Nataka' and a curse was laid upon "the springs of Life".

Damon was watched by the village Shamon for the shamon had seen in a vision that Damon was linked to the two fabled scimatars of the Keshators, Keshata (sword of Fire) and Ka Ruk (Sword of water).

And now he was upon a quest to recover the lost swords and to reverse the curse on the "Spring of Life". For the gods of the Keshatar had place this upon him.

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

I am not sure if you caught it or not' date=' but Celedron also wants to explore the cleric of Kumarathin option.[/quote']

 

Didn't catch that at all. Hmm.. either two priestesses in the party, or I look into just how much I want to change Patch and explore something slightly different. I'll think on this tomorrow.

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

The GM's Commentary

 

The short list of maneuvers is going to have to replace the default maneuver set except for Basic Strike and Basic Block. Those two will have to remain due to their default nature.

 

Solron, love the idea.

 

Two priestesses vs one and something else is something that I am going to leave to the players. What I will say is that miracles can happen to anybody despite membership in a religious organization and there are more ways than one to demonstrate faith.

 

More later.

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Re: Tesunden Isles

 

The only thing I had in mind for Patch with this campaign is taking someone who is not quite selfish, but definitely not totally altruistic (she is a thief...) - and change her a great deal into an actual Hero.

 

I think, for now, I'll leave it at Patch becoming devout without becoming a member of the priesthood (trading one thieves guild for another?); and leave her advancement a little more fluid.

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