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Underrail: The Incline Awakens

Alexios

Augur
Patron
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Messages
444
Speaking of 2000 HP, what's with the Pulverizer in the arena having like 2200 HP on dominating? This seems like a ridiculously difficult fight just to progress past the first challenger. Especially since you only get 200 charons for killing him.
 

Parabalus

Arcane
Joined
Mar 23, 2015
Messages
17,432
Speaking of 2000 HP, what's with the Pulverizer in the arena having like 2200 HP on dominating? This seems like a ridiculously difficult fight just to progress past the first challenger. Especially since you only get 200 charons for killing him.

Bosses have 4x HP on DOM, gladiators are bosses.

It's a bit hard early, later on it's not as bad as you'd think with how damage ramps up.
 

razvedchiki

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May 25, 2015
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on the back of a T34.
Styg are you planning for the second expansion/next game to add some kind of tech skill where you either build mechanical sentries to follow you around and fight in your behalf or hack them to do the same.
always wandered why we couldnt use them in battle.
 

hell bovine

Arcane
Joined
Sep 9, 2013
Messages
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Secret Level
Styg

1. A hive that has been put into stasis still spawns locusts. Why?!
2. If you one-shot a hive, the few locusts that spawn next to the remains are somehow protected from aoe damage that turn. That is, you can target them, it just won't hit (tested with locus > neural overload). Why?!
 

OSK

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Styg are you planning for the second expansion/next game to add some kind of tech skill where you either build mechanical sentries to follow you around and fight in your behalf or hack them to do the same.
always wandered why we couldnt use them in battle.

Appropriate avatar.
 

Alphons

Cipher
Joined
Nov 20, 2019
Messages
2,557
Underrail is a shameless locust propaganda with it's depiction of ÜberHeuschrecken, race far superior to fragile human beings in every way possible.
 

Tigranes

Arcane
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
10,350
Underrail is a shameless locust propaganda with it's depiction of ÜberHeuschrecken, race far superior to fragile human beings in every way possible.

obviously they have already built an adcanced and prosperous society over all of overrail
 

Metronome

Learned
Joined
Jan 2, 2020
Messages
277
I've gotten back into this game after this thread reminded me of it. I am making steady progress, so I think this character is viable, but I have to reload a lot. This makes me feel like I am just "getting lucky" a lot of the time. I don't appreciate the character development much as a result. If I could make a character again I would do it differently, but for cynical/meta reasons. Combat seems really unpredictable. Usually I kill the enemy before they can make a move, or they do the same thing to me. That's not a bad thing on it's own, but it's pretty silly success ends up depending so much on a simple initiative roll. Here are my gripes in detail:
  1. Initiative shouldn't have been a roll at all I think. With 9 dexterity and 12 agility I am failing initiative rolls against gangsters in Core City. This seems to be be due to the random element which is a whole 15 points. In my opinion they should have made it a flat check or at least shrunk that down substantially. The developer could have also instead made higher stat totals exponentially more influential on the roll, such that there is a point when your guy outclasses slower enemies regardless of luck/circumstances. With how combat usually works in this game, stun or be stunned, they could have put a lot more focus on initiative during development in general.
  2. Considering how easy it is to reload, I think it would have been better if they kept the randomness applicable only to the middle of combat itself where you can't reload. They did this right in a few areas (hacking/lockpicking/speech have fixed checks) but messed it up in others. I resist the temptation to deliberately savescum but, since I usually die as a result, I end up reloading anyway. Getting lucky with a Molotov right off the bat is a pretty unsatisfying way to win a tough encounter.
  3. Persuasion and Intimidate don't have enough content. They could have been smushed together into a "speech" skill and still come up short. There are many situations where they would be obviously applicable but the option isn't given. Merchantile also gets dialog checks that should belong to persuasion. Mercantile has a use beyond dialog checks, so it seems like a waste. I saw that intimidate has a feat associated with it. In my opinion that feat should have been nerfed and made to be a function of the skill itself. Persuasion could use something like that as well. Maybe it could have been used to prevent or end combat in some way? I don't know but, as it stands, they are both pretty shitty investments.
  4. I have a grudge against the game's RNG. It seems wrong in some way I can't quite put my finger on. It's like the thing is very important in places it shouldn't be (see initiative or throwing) or not important enough in places it should be (like status ailments). The atmosphere of the game shows how rough and unpredictable life is for people living in the subway, I get this, but I shouldn't need a specific character build to get non-random results from combat. I get the impression my guy couldn't survive 5 minutes without all these miracles happening. There are a lot of cheap tricks I've noticed you can pull off too, but I am abstaining from them for now. I get a bad feeling the endgame will be a reloading festival without these though. Maybe I can expand on this later.
I'm still enjoying the game enough to spend many hours on it. There is a lot of content and obviously I am having a good time with it. But I don't appreciate the gameplay itself very much. Feels like playing a Bethesda game in that sense, but with more reloading. I am only at about level 14 so far though, so maybe my thoughts will change before the end. But I don't see how at the moment.
 

hell bovine

Arcane
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Sep 9, 2013
Messages
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Secret Level
  1. Initiative shouldn't have been a roll at all I think. With 9 dexterity and 12 agility I am failing initiative rolls against gangsters in Core City. This seems to be be due to the random element which is a whole 15 points. In my opinion they should have made it a flat check or at least shrunk that down substantially. The developer could have also instead made higher stat totals exponentially more influential on the roll, such that there is a point when your guy outclasses slower enemies regardless of luck/circumstances. With how combat usually works in this game, stun or be stunned, they could have put a lot more focus on initiative during development in general.
Except that you can boost initiative with paranoia, trigger happy, root soda and possibly gunslinger (though this one requires to be holding a gun), to the point where you'll be winning the draw all the time. Made a psi like that once, was kind of funny.
 

ItsChon

Resident Zoomer
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Երևան
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
  1. Initiative shouldn't have been a roll at all I think. With 9 dexterity and 12 agility I am failing initiative rolls against gangsters in Core City. This seems to be be due to the random element which is a whole 15 points. In my opinion they should have made it a flat check or at least shrunk that down substantially. The developer could have also instead made higher stat totals exponentially more influential on the roll, such that there is a point when your guy outclasses slower enemies regardless of luck/circumstances. With how combat usually works in this game, stun or be stunned, they could have put a lot more focus on initiative during development in general.
Except that you can boost initiative with paranoia, trigger happy, root soda and possibly gunslinger (though this one requires to be holding a gun), to the point where you'll be winning the draw all the time. Made a psi like that once, was kind of funny.
Indeed. Sheepherder made a post regarding his knife build on Dominating and his initiative was so high he was able to beat out pretty much anyone.
Considering how easy it is to reload, I think it would have been better if they kept the randomness applicable only to the middle of combat itself where you can't reload. They did this right in a few areas (hacking/lockpicking/speech have fixed checks) but messed it up in others. I resist the temptation to deliberately savescum but, since I usually die as a result, I end up reloading anyway. Getting lucky with a Molotov right off the bat is a pretty unsatisfying way to win a tough encounter.
I don't understand this post? First it seems like you're talking about RNG checks versus fixed checks, but there are no RNG based checks? Than you go on to talk about savescumming. If you're having to reload every other fight, you're build is either bad or you're playing wrong. Speaking of build, would you care to post it? Maybe we can take a look and see if there are some glaring issues?
Persuasion and Intimidate don't have enough content. They could have been smushed together into a "speech" skill and still come up short. There are many situations where they would be obviously applicable but the option isn't given. Merchantile also gets dialog checks that should belong to persuasion. Mercantile has a use beyond dialog checks, so it seems like a waste. I saw that intimidate has a feat associated with it. In my opinion that feat should have been nerfed and made to be a function of the skill itself. Persuasion could use something like that as well. Maybe it could have been used to prevent or end combat in some way? I don't know but, as it stands, they are both pretty shitty investments.
I mean, I agree with the sentiment that Persuasion and Intimidate need more more content, and even Mercantile as well, but Mercantile definitely isn't a waste. It becomes very important in higher difficulties when money gets tighter and you need specific items of set qualities to make a build work. But yeah, Styg tried to alleviate this a bit in the new expansion, and his additions helped, but it's something future expansions or sequels will need to work on as well.
I have a grudge against the game's RNG. It seems wrong in some way I can't quite put my finger on. It's like the thing is very important in places it shouldn't be (see initiative or throwing) or not important enough in places it should be (like status ailments). The atmosphere of the game shows how rough and unpredictable life is for people living in the subway, I get this, but I shouldn't need a specific character build to get non-random results from combat. I get the impression my guy couldn't survive 5 minutes without all these miracles happening. There are a lot of cheap tricks I've noticed you can pull off too, but I am abstaining from them for now. I get a bad feeling the endgame will be a reloading festival without these though. Maybe I can expand on this later.
You're build is probably fucked. At level fourteen, you shouldn't be having this much difficulty on normal. Post it, and we'll take a look.
But I don't appreciate the gameplay itself very much. Feels like playing a Bethesda game in that sense, but with more reloading.
:what:
What??? I think you were talking about the reloading, but even that doesn't make sense, because who the fuck needs to reload when playing Bethesda's easy ass games :D.

Probably just messed up somewhere.
 

Metronome

Learned
Joined
Jan 2, 2020
Messages
277
I don't understand this post? First it seems like you're talking about RNG checks versus fixed checks, but there are no RNG based checks? Than you go on to talk about savescumming. If you're having to reload every other fight, you're build is either bad or you're playing wrong. Speaking of build, would you care to post it? Maybe we can take a look and see if there are some glaring issues?

I'll post my build at the end. Anyway, I can see why my post is confusing to read. I'll try to clear some things up.

When you start combat, usually it begins with throwing a molotov or some other grenade at the enemies. Molotovs have the possibility of causing "fear" in enemies so they start skipping turns. Flashbangs can possibly incapacitate enemies so they start skipping turns. Finally the throwing skill increases the chances of you not throwing one of these at your feet for some reason. Basically either you are fucked right off the bat, or the enemy is. And this is based on just another random roll before combat actually begins. The problem is that status effects are so OP if they actually land.

I mean, I agree with the sentiment that Persuasion and Intimidate need more more content, and even Mercantile as well, but Mercantile definitely isn't a waste.
It's not a waste to invest in mercantile, it's a waste (for the game) to have mercantile dialog checks that could have been based on persuasion. Since persuasion is used so rarely.

Here is my build. If you're giving advice no spoilers please:
LV 14

Wearing:
Balaclava (15 stealth)
Insulated vest (24%/5 Mech)
Cavehopper leather Tabi boots
Pneumatic bladed rathound leather glove
The claw
High Frequency shield emitter

STR: 6
DEX: 9
AGI: 10
CON: 6
PER: 3
WIL: 6
INT: 3

Throwing: 60 (85)
Melee: 80 (113)
Dodge: 80 (134)
Evasion: 80 (134)
Stealth: 80 (149)
Lockpick: 80 (113)
Pickpocket: 50 (71)
Traps: 50 (79)
Persuasion: 80 (93)

Feat:
Nimble
Paranoia
Sure step
Dirty kick
Lightning punch
Deflection
Fancy footwork
Blitz
Combo
 
Last edited:

Alphons

Cipher
Joined
Nov 20, 2019
Messages
2,557
I thought that the game was pretty generous with the amount of Persuasion and Intimidation checks.

To be honest, I can think of only couple of instances (and in some cases I'm pushing limits a bit) where extra checks could be fitted:
  • more bandit shakedowns. Currently there're 2- Vince and his goons in Junkyard and unnamed bandits in Lower Underrail
  • First quest for Quicksilver could have an option to intimidate bandits to avoid shootout
  • ability to convince Oligarchs that you can be trusted without going through Arena
  • Arranging peace between Balor and Forge (Forge pays for protection while Ironheads focus on Railway Crossing, propably resulting in bad ending even if they got a train back?)
  • Getting the statue from Lunatics in the mall
  • Peaceful resolution for Protectorate/ Free Drones questline (kinda defeating the point that they're both brutal groups that will do anything to reach their goal).
 

Metronome

Learned
Joined
Jan 2, 2020
Messages
277
I thought that the game was pretty generous with the amount of Persuasion and Intimidation checks.

I might have missed a number of them. Actually I am counting on the important ones being clustered near the end of the game. But really it's more of an issue of utility than number. So far persuasion hasn't helped me much at all, despite eating up a lot of points for some paltry rewards. At best it has offered me a way to skip one or two easy battles.

Compare it to lockpicking or hacking. There are opportunities to use these constantly. I haven't beaten the game yet though, so maybe it will surprise me.
 

hell bovine

Arcane
Joined
Sep 9, 2013
Messages
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Location
Secret Level
When you start combat, usually it begins with throwing a molotov or some other grenade at the enemies. Molotovs have the possibility of causing "fear" in enemies so they start skipping turns. Flashbangs can possibly incapacitate enemies so they start skipping turns. Finally the throwing skill increases the chances of you not throwing one of these at your feet for some reason. Basically either you are fucked right off the bat, or the enemy is. And this is based on just another random roll before combat actually begins. The problem is that status effects are so OP if they actually land.
If you actually start combat from stealth, you go first, so I'm not sure why you were complaining about failing rolls against gangsters in your previous post? And yes, molotovs and flashbangs can be op against some enemies, just like they are useless against others, because they can be countered either by resistances or immunity. Imo the problem is not with the rng (you can counter it by utilizing the right items & feats), but in how easy it's to get the enemies closely clustered together for an aoe attack. Not every enemy on the map needs to run to the battlefield immediately. This is already in place in some instances, e.g. some enemies won't abandon their places even when lured with noise.

As for your character, it's not clear to me what the idea behind is? More dexterity would give you more attacks, and that would mean more stacking of bleeding wounds for example, so what is the strenght and will for? You have a stealth character with traps and sure step, are you utilizing poisoned bear traps & caltrops & melee for quiet kills? Because the downside to grenades is that they are very loud (only tnt is louder), which means you will alert all the enemies in the vicinity when you use them.
 

Alphons

Cipher
Joined
Nov 20, 2019
Messages
2,557
I thought that the game was pretty generous with the amount of Persuasion and Intimidation checks.

I might have missed a number of them. Actually I am counting on the important ones being clustered near the end of the game. But really it's more of an issue of utility than number. So far persuasion hasn't helped me much at all, despite eating up a lot of points for some paltry rewards. At best it has offered me a way to skip one or two easy battles.

Compare it to lockpicking or hacking. There are opportunities to use these constantly. I haven't beaten the game yet though, so maybe it will surprise me.

You'll be propably dissapointed as there's nothing comparable to say, convincing Master that he's wrong. There're some neat checks though that give you access to lore.

They're definitely not as useful as lockpicking/ hacking, but there're still some situations where they really help:
  • If you're going for all SGS outposts, a fight with that vagrant at the end might give you a slight problem (plus the rewards aren't worth it on Oddity). Pretty low Intimidation check (especially with balaclava) takes care of that.
  • You can save Buzzer without angering the Faceless in Railway Crossing.
  • Persuading the bandits in GMS allows you to skip fight with them and turn on the turret.
  • You can get the train back without having to deal with the bomb.
  • Arranging the truce between Rathound King and Camp Hathor gives you more exp than killing him.
  • Convincing Cathcart to launch an investigation in "Renegade Soldiers" gives you better rewards.
  • Getting through Protectorate warehouse is way easier with a disguise.
  • Getting through Gray Army base is a cakewalk with high Persuasion and Intimidation.
  • With high enough Persuasion you can convince pirates to let you through their territory.
There're also some more fight skips (Gangsters near the crawler, psi sisters, gangsters that corner you in transmitter quest, etc), as you mentioned they aren't worth the points if you aren't going specifically for them.
 

Sykar

Arcane
Joined
Dec 2, 2014
Messages
11,297
Location
Turn right after Alpha Centauri
Underrail is a shameless locust propaganda with it's depiction of ÜberHeuschrecken, race far superior to fragile human beings in every way possible.

obviously they have already built an adcanced and prosperous society over all of overrail

:prosper:
Cartoon-How-Locusts-Are-Incited-To-Swarm-1024x955.jpg
:prosper:
 

Sheepherder

Augur
Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Messages
657
I don't understand this post? First it seems like you're talking about RNG checks versus fixed checks, but there are no RNG based checks? Than you go on to talk about savescumming. If you're having to reload every other fight, you're build is either bad or you're playing wrong. Speaking of build, would you care to post it? Maybe we can take a look and see if there are some glaring issues?

I'll post my build at the end. Anyway, I can see why my post is confusing to read. I'll try to clear some things up.

When you start combat, usually it begins with throwing a molotov or some other grenade at the enemies. Molotovs have the possibility of causing "fear" in enemies so they start skipping turns. Flashbangs can possibly incapacitate enemies so they start skipping turns. Finally the throwing skill increases the chances of you not throwing one of these at your feet for some reason. Basically either you are fucked right off the bat, or the enemy is. And this is based on just another random roll before combat actually begins. The problem is that status effects are so OP if they actually land.

I mean, I agree with the sentiment that Persuasion and Intimidate need more more content, and even Mercantile as well, but Mercantile definitely isn't a waste.
It's not a waste to invest in mercantile, it's a waste (for the game) to have mercantile dialog checks that could have been based on persuasion. Since persuasion is used so rarely.

Here is my build. If you're giving advice no spoilers please:
LV 14

Wearing:
Balaclava (15 stealth)
Insulated vest (24%/5 Mech)
Cavehopper leather Tabi boots
Pneumatic bladed rathound leather glove
The claw
High Frequency shield emitter

STR: 6
DEX: 9
AGI: 10
CON: 6
PER: 3
WIL: 6
INT: 3

Throwing: 60 (85)
Melee: 80 (113)
Dodge: 80 (134)
Evasion: 80 (134)
Stealth: 80 (149)
Lockpick: 80 (113)
Pickpocket: 50 (71)
Traps: 50 (79)
Persuasion: 80 (93)

Feat:
Nimble
Paranoia
Sure step
Dirty kick
Lightning punch
Deflection
Fancy footwork
Blitz
Combo
You need sprint. All melee builds need sprint. And psi haste if you have Expedition. Fancy footwork won't help you on the first turn as you exit stealth, miss that 90% flash-bang and are left there sitting with 0 MP, 35 AP and 7 AP attacks. That's why you have to reload so much, no plan B for when RNG fucks you in ass.
So get sprint. And when you miss that grenade, you'll have 30 or 60 MP +AP to run away and kite enemies behind a corner. Don't rely on molotovs to proc fear, it's super inconsistent. I mostly use mk1 molotovs to fuck with AI pathfinding.
Grenadier is also good if you rely on grenades heavily.
You have no crafting skills and already have dirty kick, but I'd still advise you to get a tazer as imo its superior to dirty kick - doesn't need to bypass dodge, goes through most enemy resistances better than mechanical damage, works on robots, ignores that Mirror Image psi spell, costs 10 AP vs 15 AP dirty kick.
Also, you have stealth. Don't start combat from stealth by throwing the flash-bang or attacking or whatever. Press enter, then do the thing. Bypasses initiative.
For Fist weapon builds, Combo+pneumatic is not enough to deal damage. I imagine you do very little damage. You'd need crits, cheap shots+critical power, but your INT is too low for that. Maybe Heavy Punch too, to use it with on third attack, but your attack AP cost is too high to be able to invest so much AP into a single attack.
For now, get opportunist. Good when you proc stun with combo or dirty kick or w/e.
Also, because your INT is low, you can't get Expose Weakness for high DR/DT enemies. Very important.
Are you planning to get to 7 STR for Bone Breaker or Opportunist+Wresting? If not, why 6 STR? And Why 6 Will? Fight response?
 

ItsChon

Resident Zoomer
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Messages
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Երևան
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
When you start combat, usually it begins with throwing a molotov or some other grenade at the enemies. Molotovs have the possibility of causing "fear" in enemies so they start skipping turns. Flashbangs can possibly incapacitate enemies so they start skipping turns. Finally the throwing skill increases the chances of you not throwing one of these at your feet for some reason. Basically either you are fucked right off the bat, or the enemy is. And this is based on just another random roll before combat actually begins. The problem is that status effects are so OP if they actually land.
Again, this seems to be related more towards a weakness in your build and the items you're using, as well as playing out combat in a poor way, versus just pure RNG. If your build relies on a Moltov Cocktail fearing everyone to win the fight, you've fucked up. Sheepherder broke it down but it seems like you've mae a ton of mistakes regarding your stats and feat selections.
 

Metronome

Learned
Joined
Jan 2, 2020
Messages
277
If your build relies on a Moltov Cocktail fearing everyone to win the fight, you've fucked up.
That's not it. The problem I have with the fear thing is that if I am having trouble with a certain fight, on an attempt I may get fear on several enemies and it's a piece of cake. As a result, it's not a very satisfying way to win that encounter. I would have rather won through some kind of tactical decision than luck. But it's a win all the same. That's the issue with initiative as well. You can win or lose largely based on luck. In my opinion, if the enemy is faster than you, they should always go first. If you are faster than them, you should always go first. The point is you shouldn't be able to reload your way through a fight. I was just using Molotovs as an example of how you could.

I'll explain a few of my decisions and my weird build. When I started out, I picked 6 Will because I assumed it would improve my resistance to status ailments (particularly psionics, which I can't avoid at all without cover). But by the time I realized it didn't I was not in the mood to start the whole game over again. I also picked persuasion because of it's synergy with will. Really I should of left will at 3 and put those points into literally anything else.

Anyway it's not going great, but it's going. I'll think about all this advice, but I've just hit level 17 so it might be a while before I level up again. I'm thinking opportunist will be my next feat. At around Level 15 I killed Carnifex and his gloves have been unsurprisingly useful. Though I don't use them too often because The Claw still stacks contamination at a lower action point cost. The gloves work better against armor though. This lets me kill most enemies before they can react. The only problem is if I fail to stun, then I stand a good chance of being fucked. Evasion/Dodge do nothing most of the time. I got uncanny dodge recently which has helped a lot against melee attacks, the shield blocks most bullets, but psionics can still fuck me up pretty quickly.

I never used stealth much for combat. Losing all of my movement points made it seem worthless against multiple enemies. I generally treated it as a way to avoid combat or get into better positions to start combat from. What I usually do is throw out a lot of caltrops and hide behind a wall. Then I peek around the corner to get enemies attention. Either that or I throw a grenade at them. They come running over. Once they are close enough, I stun/punch them over and over. When one dies, I run for it. If I expect a lot of enemies, I litter caltrops everywhere. Sometimes I put traps too, but I've gotten pretty lazy with this part since, the caltrops usually do the job and, setting traps is tedious.

The game is still very fun to play. My posts probably seem more critical than I actually feel.
Even so, some RNG decisions are flawed in my eyes. I just wanted to see what fans thought about them.
 
Vatnik
Joined
Apr 10, 2018
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Mouse Utopia
Insert Title Here Strap Yourselves In
It's definitely too heavy on RNG with molotov cocktails, damage ranges and misschances being RNG are one thing but an AoE disable being RNG is a whole different ball game.
 

Tigranes

Arcane
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
10,350
Perhaps it's an outcome of fairly specific design decisions. You can throw Molotovs without Throwing, but they will just go literally anywhere. When they do hit, their effect is just as devastating.

With other such skills, you often can't use the skill without the corresponding investment, so nobody's throwing Psi fireballs and hoping it doesn't go to the other side of the screen. Or you might imagine a system where the grenade has a smaller range of misthrows, but damage/effects are compromised with low skill (to simulate your inability to hit the sweet spot).

It is of course also a problem you get with molotovs and such in Arcanum and Fallout. I honestly have great fun having my incompetent level 1 character make it out against the odds thanks to a suicidal molotov throw, but it is not exactly a triumph of tactical thinking.
 

hell bovine

Arcane
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Sep 9, 2013
Messages
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Secret Level
I never used stealth much for combat. Losing all of my movement points made it seem worthless against multiple enemies. I generally treated it as a way to avoid combat or get into better positions to start combat from.
At this point you are asking to change how initiative works to specifically cover the weaknesses of your build, though.

In UR you can have the fastest character by stacking initiative. And you can have movement points after attacking from stealth by picking up sprint. You went neither way and that's why you rely on rng.

High mechanical resistance is another issue you will run into.
 

Jason Liang

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Crait
Ok so I might give Underrail another chance since Modron said that Styg added katanas in the expansion. But I need some feat and attribute/ skill recommendations for my character build, because when I read the feat descriptions nothing really jumps out. I just want an rpg where I can play some version of my pet cyberpunk rpg character, Qinalo, a female cartel assassin. The original Underrail didn't let me do that so hopefully with the expansion I can do that and at least finish the game (or get to the Caverns). Yes I know that Underrail is not cyberpunk, so I realize that part of the problem is that I'm trying to play a cyberpunk character in a post-apocalyptic rpg.

Qinalo is inspired by Katherine Hart from Shadowrun and Shadow from the fighting game Eternal Champions.

Katherine Hart, aka Katherine Roe was a professional shadowrunner of considerable reputation in mid-2050s.

A beautiful elven woman with a taste for expensive fashion, Hart was an accomplished magician. Hart's partner was a feathered serpent dracoform named Tessien.

Yamoto was a corporate assassin working for the Black Orchid Corporation. Her job was to liquidate certain individuals whose activies were at odds with the group's international business 'objectives'. She continued in this line of work, never questioning the morals of her missions, until she discovered that failure to complete a task meant that another assassin would come looking for her, ready to eliminate her. Disillusioned, she resolved to expose the terrible corruption she saw all around her. Unfortunately, before she could do so, she was pushed from the 101st floor of a Tokyo tower block.

latest
th


This is a brief description:
Cartel Assassin for scifi/ WoD/ AoD - Qinalo (Alesio Qin, female, Latina/ Asian mixed ancestry, religious/ spiritual, drug addiction, Queen of Blood Diamonds, serpent themed). STRIKE HARD. STRIKE FAST. NO MERCY.

She is also based on real life female cartel assassins, especially La China (Melissa Magarita Calderon) and Claudia Ochoa Felix. She is also based on Magdalena Solis, the High Priestess of Blood, who lead a cult that worshipped the Aztec serpent goddess Coatlicue.

la-china3-770x470.jpg


china1-900x450.jpg


vcll-thumb.png


magdalena-solis-original.jpg


So I want skills and feats that you this think character would have.

I also use these illustrations to help define Qinalo:

fantasy-art-artwork-warrior-mythology-screenshot-fictional-character-313285.jpg


gun-women-fantasy-art-artwork-dark-hair-sword-warrior-Toy-Wet-Video-Game-screenshot-figurine-action-figure-112995.jpg


23e6201e2c0f27b1699cf2b2d8060fd9-700.jpg


Gregz said I should describe what Qinalo does in combat. Hart was a 1/2 mage adept, 1/2 physical adept who used magic to enhance her combat senses and her accuracy with sniper rifles and other long range items (so in Dragonfall terms, she was a self-buffing mage). Qinalo should have some viper-like abilities, such as poisons. For example, in Dragonfall, she had the cyberware lung replacement where she could breathe poison gas. In WoD she is a Setite cartel assassin with Mask of 1000 Faces and Majesty vampiric powers. She is not a sniper specialist, nor is she a very stealthy character (although she could be a little stealthy. But she's an assassin, not a thief). She's a vicious melee fighter who does not wear combat armor. An article describes La China's tactics here -
La China reportedly works with other women, specifically Gabriela Hulzar Lopez, or "La Gaby," to lure and kill their rivals, authorities told local news outlets.

In one documented case, which has been said to be their typical modus operandi, La Gaby pretended to be drunk outside of a bar, falling down, with her skirt nearly above her waist. When the intended target stopped to try to help the woman, La China emerged from the darkness, guns blazing.

So basically Qinalo uses disguise and distraction to get close and then uses guns or knives to quickly overpower and kill the target. She's probably not too different from Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, except her combat abilities are slightly enhanced by supernatural powers of religious or mythological nature (i.e. Santa Muerte or Coatlicue).
The Bony Lady has actually gained something of a reputation as a “narco-saint,” a patron for the drug lords who so often deal in death themselves. The men who make up some of the worst elements of Mexico’s criminal underworld are some of the saint’s strongest devotees. For narcos and thugs attempting to reconcile their lifestyles with their religion, Santa Muerte is the perfect object of their devotion.
Santa Muerte is popularly worshipped by those associated with the illegal drug trade, and the cult is popular within many prison systems. Drug houses have also been found with shrines to Santa Muerte. In 2012, eight people were arrested for performing human sacrifice in her honor. Many cartels paint themselves as messiahs for Santa Muerte, giving their foot soldiers religious reasons to follow them.
As Father Andres Gutierrez explained to one Catholic news organization, “If somebody is going to be doing something illegal, and they want to be protected from the law enforcement, they feel awkward asking God to protect them…So they promise something to Santa Muerte in exchange for being protected from the law.”

On Magdalena Solis:

Magdalena Solis never stood much chance at leading a normal life. Born in the 1930s to an impoverished dysfunctional family in Monterrey, Mexico, Solis became an underage prostitute to make ends meet. Her brother Eleazar was her pimp. This was her situation until 1963. Though she didn’t know it yet, her life was about to take a wild and violent turn.

Meanwhile, brothers Santos and Cayetano Hernandez, a pair of petty thugs, had struck up a scam in the nearby small town of Yerba Buena. It was a marginalised community of 50 poor, illiterate inhabitants. The Hernandez brothers had taken advantage of the local hicks’ naiveté and established a cult. The bumpkins worshipped them as High Priests of the powerful and exiled Inca gods, providing them with tribute in exchange for treasure supposedly hidden in the nearby mountain caves. For a while the Hernandez cult prospered. Santos and Cayetano kept the Yerba Buena people as sex slaves and held narcotic-fuelled orgies in the caves. Eventually though, the followers began to tire of the promised treasure failing to materialise and began to voice dissent. The High Priests had to do something.

They went to Monterrey to find prostitutes to join in on the scam and keep the ruse going. It was here that Magdalena and Eleazar met the Hernandez brothers. They joined them and returned with them to the cult. At the next cave ritual Magdalena appeared to the stunned cultists through a smoke screen. She presented as the reincarnation of the Aztec goddess Coatlicue. Eleazar became the third High Priest of the cult. The only problem was that the trick worked too well! Magdalena took her role too seriously and began to believe her own deceptions, developing a severe theological psychosis. She soon took over control of the cult and took it in an even darker direction, involving drinking blood and sadomasochism. She became known as the High Priestess of Blood.

Magdalena ruled the cult with an iron fist. When two cultists tried to leave the group, she summoned everyone else before her and the High Priests. She sentenced the two would-be deserters to death as punishment for their betrayal. The cultists, too afraid to defy Magdalena, obliged her by lynching the condemned pair. After that, any dissenting cultist became a human sacrifice in Magdalena’s honour. Her blood rituals involved the cultists beating, burning, cutting and maiming the sacrificed until they bled to death. Their blood was then collected in a chalice, mixed with chicken blood (animals were also sacrificed) and drank by all present to give them supernatural powers, eternal youth and immortality. All the while they smoked vast amounts of dope and consumed peyote. This continued for some time. Four more dissenters were butchered in this manner. By the end the bloodthirsty cult had perfected the art of dissecting the still-beating hearts of their victims before they bled out. One power-hungry cultist, Jesus Rubio, tried to join the inner sanctum of the High Priests, but was rebuffed.

Something happened in May 1963 that would turn out to be the beginning of the end for the cult. Attracted by the noises and lights coming from the caves, a local boy, 14-year-old Sebastian Guerrero stumbled upon the cult in the midst of a blood ritual. He fled to the closest police station and informed the cops that he had seen a group of murderous vampires preying on ecstasy and gluttonously drinking human blood. His claims were dismissed as that of a wild imagination. The next day officer Luis Martinez humoured Sebastian by returning to the cave with him before he was supposed to drive the boy home. The boy and the cop were never seen alive again.

Now police took the claims seriously. In conjunction with the army they descended on Yerba Buena on May 31. Magdalena and Eleazar were arrested at a farm in possession of a large amount of dope. Santos resisted arrest. The cops shot him for his efforts. Cayetano was assassinated by Jesus as retaliation for his earlier refusal to promote him to High Priest. The rest of the cult barricaded themselves in the caves and engaged in a shootout with the cops. Most of the cultists were shot in the fire fight. Those who were taken alive were eventually sentenced to 30 years for the murders. The Solis siblings were sentenced to 50 years each. Even now the cultists refused to testify against their leaders. The dismembered bodies of the 8 known victims were recovered, some missing their hearts (it is speculated that the actual number of victims is higher).

satabnico-pandemonium.png
 
Last edited:

Gregz

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Ok so I might give Underrail another chance since Modron said that Styg added katanas in the expansion. But I need some feat and attribute/ skill recommendations for my character build, because when I read the feat descriptions nothing really jumps out. I just want an rpg where I can play some version of my pet cyberpunk rpg character, Qinalo, a female cartel assassin. The original Underrail didn't let me do that so hopefully with the expansion I can do that and at least finish the game (or get to the Caverns). Yes I know that Underrail is not cyberpunk, so I realize that part of the problem is that I'm trying to play a cyberpunk character in a post-apocalyptic rpg.

Qinalo is inspired by Katherine Hart from Shadowrun and Shadow from the fighting game Eternal Champions.

Katherine Hart, aka Katherine Roe was a professional shadowrunner of considerable reputation in mid-2050s.

A beautiful elven woman with a taste for expensive fashion, Hart was an accomplished magician. Hart's partner was a feathered serpent dracoform named Tessien.

Yamoto was a corporate assassin working for the Black Orchid Corporation. Her job was to liquidate certain individuals whose activies were at odds with the group's international business 'objectives'. She continued in this line of work, never questioning the morals of her missions, until she discovered that failure to complete a task meant that another assassin would come looking for her, ready to eliminate her. Disillusioned, she resolved to expose the terrible corruption she saw all around her. Unfortunately, before she could do so, she was pushed from the 101st floor of a Tokyo tower block.

latest
th


This is a brief description:
Cartel Assassin for scifi/ WoD/ AoD - Qinalo (Alesio Qin, female, Latina/ Asian mixed ancestry, religious/ spiritual, drug addiction, Queen of Blood Diamonds, serpent themed). STRIKE HARD. STRIKE FAST. NO MERCY.

She is also based on real life female cartel assassins, especially La China (Melissa Magarita Calderon) and Claudia Ochoa Felix.

la-china3-770x470.jpg


china1-900x450.jpg


vcll-thumb.png


So I want skills and feats that you this think character would have.

I also use these illustrations to help define Qinalo:

fantasy-art-artwork-warrior-mythology-screenshot-fictional-character-313285.jpg


gun-women-fantasy-art-artwork-dark-hair-sword-warrior-Toy-Wet-Video-Game-screenshot-figurine-action-figure-112995.jpg


23e6201e2c0f27b1699cf2b2d8060fd9-700.jpg


Gregz said I should describe what Qinalo does in combat. Hart was a 1/2 mage adept, 1/2 physical adept who used magic to enhance her combat senses and her accuracy with sniper rifles and other long range items (so in Dragonfall terms, she was a self-buffing mage). Qinalo should have some viper-like abilities, such as poisons. For example, in Dragonfall, she had the cyberware lung replacement where she could breathe poison gas. In WoD she is a Setite cartel assassin with Mask of 1000 Faces and Majesty vampiric powers. She is not a sniper specialist, nor is she a very stealthy character (although she could be a little stealthy. But she's an assassin, not a thief). She's a vicious melee fighter who does not wear combat armor. An article describes La China's tactics here -
La China reportedly works with other women, specifically Gabriela Hulzar Lopez, or "La Gaby," to lure and kill their rivals, authorities told local news outlets.

In one documented case, which has been said to be their typical modus operandi, La Gaby pretended to be drunk outside of a bar, falling down, with her skirt nearly above her waist. When the intended target stopped to try to help the woman, La China emerged from the darkness, guns blazing.

So basically Qinalo uses disguise and distraction to get close and then uses guns or knives to quickly overpower and kill the target. She's probably not too different from Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, except her combat abilities are slightly enhanced by supernatural powers of religious or mythological nature (i.e. Santa Muerte or Coatlicue).

Two hard demands I'm hearing are 'katana' and 'no armor', so I'd start here:



You will be using swords instead of knives ofc.

https://www.underrail.com/wiki/index.php?title=Red_Dragon
 

ItsChon

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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Let me preface this by saying I've never done a knife or machete build, nor have I tried versatility, so this will definitely have to be checked by some people that have done more research and experimentation than I.

Jason Liang Right off the bat I'm thinking this character needs to use machete's (main hand), SMG (off hand), and also have the ability to use throwing knives with the various different poisons (throwing). The stat distribution I end up with is

Strength: 7
Dexterity: 10
Agility: 7
Constitution: 3
Perception: 3
Will: 5
Intelligence: 5


Strength 7 to get to decapitate and be able to use whatever machete you please, Agility 7 for Sprint and eventually fancy footwork, dump Constitution and Perception, 5 Will for Ripper, 5 Int for Cheap Shots and Expose Weakness. When it comes to skills, I'm thinking you forget about crafting weapons and armor and just focus on grenades and knives, as your main hand is going to be a Katana, and it's not worth taking crafting just for the SMG. Plus, Rathound Regalia and eventually Shadow Dancer are more than adequate, especially on normal difficulty. IDK how tough it'll be getting through the early game with an uncrafted sword, so you'll have to ask someone here who has actually played such a build. Also, since you talked about self buffing, Temporal Manipulation fits in nicely with everything you're gonna want to do. In the end, I came up with this at level one.

Throwing: 15
Melee: 15
Dodge: 15
Evasion: 15
Stealth: 15
Chemistry: 15
Bio: 15
Temporal Manipulation: 15

You can do a lot of min maxing with Chemistry and Bio. Getting enough chemistry to make MK III Grenades should be fine for a long while, and the Bio is really just for drugs and making different kinds of poison throwing knives, so it can also wait till later and one can stop at specific points. You could also opt to go into electronics just so you can make an okay taser. I left out traps, lockpicking, and hacking, because you said the character is more of an assassin not a thief, so I figure that would suit the theme of the build a bit better. Where things get tricky is the feats, and frankly someone else will have to help you with all that. Off the top, some vital or really good feats would be,

Versatility
Cheap Shots
Expose Weakness
Ripper
Decapitate
Sprint
Fancy Footwork
Recklessness
Nimble
Psycho Temporal Acceleration
Pinning
Fatal Throw
Split Spare
Opportunist

and to make the SMG work, I would think,

Spec Ops
Full Auto
Commando

and I'm sure I left out a ton of other shit. Good luck to whoever tries to fine tune this list of feats.

The way I'd assume this build would play out would be to stealth to where you want to be, and start combat off with a good grenade and SMG burst at a big group of enemies, keeping people crowd controlled with poison throwing knives + nets, and than finishing off the low health remnants with the sword. IDK how well this will actually work, but it's normal, so I figure it shouldn't be toooo bad. This is a rough idea, and I'd recommend getting some fine tuning and feedback from other people on the thread that have actually messed around with SMGs and Swords.
 

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