[Interest Gauge] Pathfinder/Shadowrun 4th ed over RPTools

[Ulminati]

As I'm still only a beginner, I'll choose one of the classes that's simpler to develop and use. I'm guessing Paladin or Fighter, maybe a Druid.

You don't need to worry too much about picking the most OP choices. For one, we're running a published adventure designed to be playable by everyone. Also, if the group is having severe difficulties or encounters turn into a walkover, I'll adjust the challenge level accordingly.

If people have any character classes/concepts they'd like to run with, I'll gladly give opinions, tips and advice on good/bad choices of feats/spells/skills/abilities/gear etc.

A Paladin of Racial Purity would be an ideal codexian choice, I believe.

Enh... It's up to the players, but I would discourage paladins. While they're flavourful and all, they can often be a source of tremendous butthurt from other players when they try to impose their alignment on the rest of the party. I'm assuming we're trying to create a group of adventureres that is actively trying to work together. Not backstab and explode in an orgy of violence and lulz.

 

[lightbane]

A Paladin of Racial Purity would be an ideal codexian choice, I believe.

Theoretically you can have that, a Lawful Evil Anti-paladin (if the GM agrees) can be quite codexian while at the same time he IS NOT a cartoonish villain that's unable to socialize.

EDIT: Nevermind, Antipaladins can only be Chaotic Evil, so they're much more challenging to play.

 

[Quilty]

Okay, I'll take that into consideration. Maybe a Druid would be cool? I've never played one so I'm not sure how much they can contribute to the party. Can they actually do any melee fighting or are they just a useless combination of a weak fighter and a forgettable magic user? I do like the idea of having a companion. Could provide some lulz.

 

[Ulminati]

Okay, I'll take that into consideration. Maybe a Druid would be cool? I've never played one so I'm not sure how much they can contribute to the party. Can they actually do any melee fighting or are they just a useless combination of a weak fighter and a forgettable magic user? I do like the idea of having a companion. Could provide some lulz.

Level 1-3 they're mostly spellcasters (although you can grab a weapon and thwack stuff with it as well). Once the druid hits level 4 and gains access to wild shape, they become a somewhat competent melee combatant.

Druids (and monks for that matter, but that's beside the point) do require a little optimization if you want to do a melee build. They're still decent casters (comparable to clerics) but if you try to make them both main casters and melee powerhouses one of the two roles is going to feel lacklustre because of MAD. (Multiple Attribute Dependencies).

As an aside, if people are looking to roll fighter-types, I would like to take this oppertunity to point out that rangers are pretty badass in pathfinder. They don't get weapon specialization and reduce move speed penalties in heavy armor. But they have the same hit points and attack bonus as a fighter. They also have better saving throws, 4 extra skill points every level, favoured enemy, spellcasting (eventually) and combat style feats. The neat thing about combat style feats is that the ranger ignores prerequites when selecting them, bypassing steep requirements such as 2 additional feats (point blank shot, precise shot) to get improved precise shot, the detxerity requirements on 2-weapon fighting feats and so forth.

Pathfinder rangers paticularly excel as archers or "switch hitters" with a 2-handed weapon and a bow. Since 2-handed weapon fightign doesn't require too heavy a feat investment and archery tends to have a lot of bloat, they can use their regular feats on stuff like power attack/cleave and their combat style feats on manyshot, improved precise shot etc. It also allows them to keep their dexterity low (ish) and their strength high so they can pile on extra damage with composite longbows.

 

[Ulminati]

Also (and I know I've said this a few times already) we're running a oneshot for the first session. If you discover whatever class/race/whatever you went with doesn't work for you at all, there's time to reroll if need be. Same if you pick a feat/feature and realize 2-3 sessions later that you're not using it, I don't mind players retraining feats during level up.

Don't let a class scare you off just because it seems complex BROs.

 

[Quilty]

Thanks for the brotips, I may just try my hand at playing a ranger.

Btw, Ulminati, could you pm me your info that I can use in pidgin to connect with you? I'm not sure if I'm supposed to register my nickname, I just added my info into the program.

 

[lightbane]

Same request, I'm using mIRC, but I mostly forgotten how it works, I know I have to search for the channel's name (that is, write /join #TBD), but I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly... Sorry if I sound like a noob.

 

[Mrowak]

Thanks for the brotips, I may just try my hand at playing a ranger.

Btw, Ulminati, could you pm me your info that I can use in pidgin to connect with you? I'm not sure if I'm supposed to register my nickname, I just added my info into the program.

Yep, how are we going to contact each other (beside the chat in MapTools). Do you have any specific IRC channel in mind, Ulminati?

Goddamn, I don't yet know who I am going to play. I am thinking of going rogue this time around. On the other hand, summoner seems so tempting, but I don't quite know how to build effective one. In the end I may go with a classic wizard...

Apart from that, I 've been reading new rules for some time, and got quite a bit lost in some dissimilarities (epecially with some spells and skills). :dizzy:

 

[Ulminati]

I guess we're using the same IRC as fair codexia.
server: irc.gamesurge.net
port: 6667
channel: #larpfags

updated my journal I added the irc info to the main thread as well

Thanks for the brotips, I may just try my hand at playing a ranger.

Btw, Ulminati, could you pm me your info that I can use in pidgin to connect with you? I'm not sure if I'm supposed to register my nickname, I just added my info into the program.

Pidgin is a multiclient application. I use it to host both my MSN, my IRC, my google talk, my ICQ and my AIM accounts. I guess you could use either of those messenger services

 

[Quilty]

I've linked my MSN account to pidgin, but I don't know how to connect to the server you mentioned in the main thread.

 

[Ulminati]

Pidgin->accaunts->manage accounts

Add new account

Protocol->IRC
Username->whatever
server->irc.gamesurge.net

That should set it up. Then when the IRC window pops up, type /join #larpfags

 

[Mrowak]

Pidgin->accaunts->manage accounts

Add new account

Protocol->IRC
Username->whatever
server->irc.gamesurge.net

That should set it up. Then when the IRC window pops up, type /join #larpfags

Remember not to have any spaces in username or server name. I've wasted 1 hour wondering how is it I cannot connect to irc.gamesurge.net but have no problems with all other servers. Mindless copy/paste FTW!

 

[Quilty]

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I just can't connect . Pidgin just tells me it timed out and that Quilty@irc.gamesurge.net disconnected. I didn't copy/paste the server name, I typed it, just like my username.

 

[Breaking Axe]

Just posting here to express my interest in being on the reserve list. The starting time is rather early for me but I can do it with prior notice. GMT +10

 

[Random]

Huh, thanks for the compliment Vaarna. Well, when we finish CTech I might be willing to GM something drawing from the Codex as a player pool.

 

[lightbane]

So, what about this week? Will we do the session this week if everything it's ok? What about the others?

 

[Mrowak]

So, what about this week? Will we do the session this week if everything it's ok? What about the others?

I guess so. I have already reserved my time for it.

 

[Angelo85]

Aye. Same time, same place. Don't know about the session after that though (regular schedule would be the 31st December).

Regarding voice: does Skype feature a push to talk option yet? If not I'd prefer that we use Teamspeak or some other program with push to talk. Because my headset speakers broke down on me and I have to listen over regular speakers.
If the program doesn't support push to talk you would have to suffer through echo - or I would have to keep my mic on mute and manually switch it on everytime I would wanted so say something. Push to talk is much more convenient.

 

[Ulminati]

Yeah, I'll find time to get everything in place for saturday. Same bat time, same bat channel.

The session after that... Enh, we'll have to figure something out. Following saturday is christmas, then newyear.

As for voicechat. That's really mostly something you guys wanted, not me. so you'll have to sort that out between yourselves.

 

[Quilty]

I'm all set for next session.

As far as voicechat goes, I'm not sure that's such a great idea. I see nothing wrong with typing. I think our text-based session actually went pretty well, with minimal overlap and very few occasions where I wasn't sure what was happening. In addition to that, if a session gets prolonged, i.e. after 10 p.m., I won't be able to use voice chat since it would disturb others in the apartment.

In addition to that, I think most of us aren't native speakers, so it might be distracting to have to focus on our pronounciation so that others can understand us. This might also prove to be an unnecessary distraction for the GM, who should definitely have the final say in such matters.

 

[Angelo85]

What a shame. As if Uni was more important than playing DnD with some random Internet dudes *pff*. Priorities root, priorites!

So BlackCat you up for the challenge, or do you still shun the Codex?

 

[Kimagure Majo Yousei]

Sure, I'm in. Just let me download the pathfinder bookies again, I just had to format my PC thingie and I hadn't enough space on the Nyautilus' holds for that piece of loot.



Edit: Erm, I mean, that's what she would say if she were here. Sure, that's it.

 

[Mrowak]

Remember to submit you character sheet in the following thread:

http://rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=67117&start=30

 

[Ulminati]

Sure, I'm in. Just let me download the pathfinder bookies again, I just had to format my PC thingie and I hadn't enough space on the Nyautilus' holds for that piece of loot.



Edit: Erm, I mean, that's what she would say if she were here. Sure, that's it.

Welcome aboard, person who totally isn't black cat!

Let me know if you need any of the books. I got them all in my dropbox public folder, so I can paste some URLs that'll let you download them at your leisure.

Also, be sure to skim the first post in the main thread here: http://rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=67117

Knowing your preferences, I would caution you against the witch base class. She's sort-of fun to LARP, but a friend of mine played a witch when we were players in the campaign we're running and was constantly complaining there was nothing he could do. The spells on the witchs spell list have a lot of cool flavour text, but it's easy to paint yourself into a corner where none of your spells are useful several encounters in a row. (Plus pathfinder witches have spells that make them vomit up spiders!)

It's up to you of course

 

[lightbane]

What about the Summoner class? The concept is awesome: Being able to conjure a fuckton of creatures to do your will is awesome, plus you have your own Pokemon Digimon Persona demon Eidolon as a special summon (with feline appearance if you want) that follows you everywhere