Miscellania

[Corwin]

Donald and his quest: He can leave on it as soon as he wants to.

Re: ongoing projects. I think you misunderstood my intent. I'm basically asking whether things can progress on their own, or if the only way for anything to change is for me to involve myself. Take the reclaiming of the Wastes for an example. Whenever I briefly check up on it, there is no change. Would it happen eventually? Or am I expected to follow up on my plan to try and open a gate to the plane of positive energy and conduct a ritual with the shard of life in our possession? And if it can actually happen on its own, am I expected to look in personally to find out the results? Or would someone let me know all on their own even if I don't show direct interest?

[Anastasia]

Depends. Most cases have people working on them but it takes time. For example EARTH is working on the wastes, Valar is trying to handle Kesse. Some of this comes down to your judgment. What makes a divinity personally intervene? You can always briefly check up on people if you like. (For example, EARTH is working well away from where you popped into with the wastes.)

[Anastasia]

House rules updated to reflect how skirmish and teleportation interact. Also quoting these for a new page, if you have feedback on them go ahead and give 'em.

Suggested new house rules, let me know if any feel off to you. Most of these are odds and ends I'm doing while I'm working.

5. Paladins gain Knowledge: Planes as a class skill.
9. Sorcerers gain eschew materials as a bonus feat at 1st level. They gain a bonus metamagic feat at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.
2. Fighters gain spot and listen as class skills.
2. Diehard is now a fighter bonus feat.
4. Endurance is now a fighter bonus feat.
8. Weapon Finesse loses it's prerequisite of BAB+1 and gains a prerequisite of dex 13.

Also, I have a banned spell list now. I just have a few on, let me know of any others I've nixed so I can add them.

[Anastasia]

House rule modifying Triadic Knight for Balmuria added.

[Corwin]

Okay, house rules stuff.

I still think Improved Favored Enemy [Epic] is pretty weak considering Improved Favored Enemy [not epic] gives a +3 boost versus epic's +2. Yeah, that one doesn't stack, but like you mention it's not really optimal to stack epic feats as is, and there are weapon enchantments that boost favored enemy damage and do stack with either feat. I can't really see any ranger take this epic variant.

Since I have clear interest there, I can't be particularly objective, but most of the rogue feats besides the basic +1d6 SA (which doesn't feel worth it to me as an epic boost, but that's another story) all require 10 levels of rogue or more, depending on what the rogue specialized in. For example, Lingering Damage. It does kinda make sense, but say take the Legendary Wrestler (or Righteous Strike, or other examples) right besides it. It's probably a monk feat (or a grappler build feat), but the difference is that any monk can get that prereq really early in their carrier, and so could any other character by investing a feat. Considering I'm not returning for 7+ levels of rogue at this point, it's a shame to me I'll never have this stuff as options.

Other matters close to my heart... the automatic meta feat line is neat, and doesn't really require more than the single example it has with Empower. Enhance should really get added, since right now only Sudden Enhance is there and it's weird not to have the normal one actually listed. It'd be cool to see other epic metamagic/spell-related feats for epic. And some draconic feats! I guess I could design a few, but it feels a bit sad to do that on my own. Something themed like the templar/hellreaver stuff that builds upon my options would be pretty fun to see.

[Anastasia]

Okay, house rules stuff.

I still think Improved Favored Enemy [Epic] is pretty weak considering Improved Favored Enemy [not epic] gives a +3 boost versus epic's +2. Yeah, that one doesn't stack, but like you mention it's not really optimal to stack epic feats as is, and there are weapon enchantments that boost favored enemy damage and do stack with either feat. I can't really see any ranger take this epic variant.

I boosted it up from +1 to +2. I think it's reasonably competitive, since it Improved Favored Enemy only raises damage, while the epic version(Mental note: rename feat to avoid confusion) raises damage and the associated skill bonuses. It's not that great a feat as it is, but it's respectable enough. I'd say it's on the low end of epic feats? It's not bad to pump up damage against your hated foes, though it's not great either. A lot of the class ability boosters aren't the strongest epic feats, but allow you to gain more power in a class ability without investing levels, or get ahead of the curve. That's what makes them worth epic feats. You're paying a feat to get better at a class power without putting in more class levels.

Since I have clear interest there, I can't be particularly objective, but most of the rogue feats besides the basic +1d6 SA (which doesn't feel worth it to me as an epic boost, but that's another story) all require 10 levels of rogue or more, depending on what the rogue specialized in. For example, Lingering Damage. It does kinda make sense, but say take the Legendary Wrestler (or Righteous Strike, or other examples) right besides it. It's probably a monk feat (or a grappler build feat), but the difference is that any monk can get that prereq really early in their carrier, and so could any other character by investing a feat. Considering I'm not returning for 7+ levels of rogue at this point, it's a shame to me I'll never have this stuff as options.

The rogue advancement epic feats are complicated that they're all designed for a rogue who has at least ten levels in the base class, since they build off the rogue's special abilities. There's no good answer to this for a multiclassed rogue, beyond making new epic feats to bridge this gap. I agree there's a design imbalance here, but it's such a fundamental one with the way non-epic rogue is set up that it's not realistic to alter.

Other matters close to my heart... the automatic meta feat line is neat, and doesn't really require more than the single example it has with Empower. Enhance should really get added, since right now only Sudden Enhance is there and it's weird not to have the normal one actually listed. It'd be cool to see other epic metamagic/spell-related feats for epic. And some draconic feats! I guess I could design a few, but it feels a bit sad to do that on my own. Something themed like the templar/hellreaver stuff that builds upon my options would be pretty fun to see.

By all means feel free to make some. I'm only one person, most of my epic class continuations are for classes I know will see epic advancement. Duskblade's next on that list. What you want will be addressed sooner or later with Amaryl.

[Anastasia]

Side note: I may level Abby up twice for being useful against the Destroyer. She's been levelled once right now.

Also Latha, Jessica and Amaryl need feats. Suggestions?

[Corwin]

How about Woodland Archer (Races of the Wild p154) for Amaryl? Knowledge Devotion is also a surprisingly good choice for her, I think, if she can learn the proper knowledges. Nemesis: Evil Outsiders might be pretty neat for Amaryl, too (BoED p44). There's always the boring but useful Improved Rapid Shot (CW p95). Steadfast Determination is also sort of nice.

Overall, I think Nemesis is the coolest option as is, and Woodland Archer after it. K:D would be neat but requires an investment of skills to really be of use.

[Anastasia]

Funny story, Eb suggested Nemesis for Antenora with that mist bonus feat. I didn't take it for her since it's redundant with Mindsight. Which favored enemy do you think she should take for Nemesis?

Woodland Archer is good and something she'll want one day. I was eyeing it for Polly and it works for Amaryl too. She couldn't take Knowledge Devotion, I generally enforce the part about the power you worship offering the domain to take a domain feat. She revers Waukeen, so. (This gets messier if she revered you and you offered Knowledge, but that would be in the future in any event.) Steadfast Determination isn't worth it for Amaryl, her con and wis are the same. Finally, Improved Rapid Shot isn't bad for her, but it is plain.

[Corwin]

Nemesis: Evil Outsiders

>_>

[Anastasia]

I'll just repost the edited portion of the above post here, since you just beat me to the draw.

Woodland Archer is good and something she'll want one day. I was eyeing it for Polly and it works for Amaryl too. She couldn't take Knowledge Devotion, I generally enforce the part about the power you worship offering the domain to take a domain feat. She revers Waukeen, so. (This gets messier if she revered you and you offered Knowledge, but that would be in the future in any event.) Steadfast Determination isn't worth it for Amaryl, her con and wis are the same. Finally, Improved Rapid Shot isn't bad for her, but it is plain.

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Okay, evil outsiders is fine.

[Anastasia]

BREAKING NEWS: I'M AN IDIOT, WAUKEEN DOES OFFER THE KNOWLEDGE DOMAIN! MORE AT 11!

[Anastasia]

(Mental note: Still need to upgrade Amaryl's sorc casting from 1 to 2. Nearly forgot, go me.)

[Corwin]

Yeah, it's one of her domains. I was eyeing Steadfast Determination for its 'you don't fail fort on a 1' clause, and partially because I expect Amaryl's con to rise above wis eventually, but like Improved Rapid Shot it's kinda plain.

Nemesis: Undead works really well thematically, but we face fiends a lot more, really, and they're our more serious battles. More to the point, undead could be an annoyance, but only fiends would be our true enemies. Arcanists is also useful, but it'd be creepy if I were to light up on her senses as an enemy.

[Anastasia]

I'll go with that then when I go to adjust feats.

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I'm thinking Donald will take 2 levels of Dragon Disciple then 2 levels of fighter to pick up shield ward and shield specialization. This is delaying finishing up duskblade, but I think this does him more good right now. Thoughts?