The Noctuary (D&D 3.5e, Level 20+ Adventure)

[AvatarVecna]

This interpretation is a little problematic because, for instance, imagine a ship with a prismatic wall sitting on its deck, facing towards the stern. The ship is moving at 1 mph. A person on the deck is walking to the aft at 1 mph. From the wall's perspective, the person is approaching it, and thus subject to its harm. From the world's perspective, the person is stationary, and the ship is moving the wall to the person.

I'm half considering letting you ram with the prismatic stronghold walls. Part of it is really that... anything that would be vulnerable to this, wasn't really going to be a threat to the party anyways. Plus presumably you wouldn't be typically be driving the schoolbus around in general adventuring per the principle of staying in the background here. I'll think about this more when the game gets going.

I think it's not just a matter of physics but intent. If you're falling and someone with an Antilife Shell moves between you and the earth, technically you're approaching them and thus the spell should trigger...but they're the ones who are forcing a confrontation between you and the edge of their abjuration. It's a weird edge case where, at least IMO, the spirit of the rules needs to shine through in rulings on any weird ambiguous situations.

If you're fine essentially ignoring the rule, or just saying that it doesn't really apply to prismatic wall specifically, I can definitely live with that.

[kinem]

Here is Verik Karn, half-Drow sorcerer.

Of note, Verik was in the (never completed) Expedition to the Demonweb Pits game alongside Archmage1’s character Eilyra.

[chaincomplex]

So I noticed you've OK'd many of the rebalanced LAs from the reassignment thread. I was looking it up for my cohort, and they lowered her race from an LA of +7 to an LA of +1. Is that on the table? My cohort is not much of a combat threat and wouldn't be even with six extra levels, though she'd go from outright laughable to somewhere just shy of viable...

Go for it. I don't believe your cohort to be OP. Though, given your cohort is from Leadership, I note the same caveat as before: support/RP role unless special circumstances (e.g. I force them into an encounter).

The whip can attack anywhere within 15 ft.

It's worth noting the wording of the whip would, when combined with extending, include all ranges under its maximum range. "In addition, unlike most other weapons with reach, you can use it against foes anywhere within your reach (including adjacent foes)."

I would argue the text of the enchantment actually overrides the spiked chain specificity, making it threaten only at the given distance (and making this enchantment bad for spiked chains and whips).

My interpretation is that the given range is 10 ft. but the spiked chain has the special ability to strike at adjacent foes. So extending just pushes the range up to 15 ft. and does nothing to disagree with or override the special clause.

Just checking about bloodlines, what do you mean by "standard rules"?

Spend the XP like a buy off. Per the wording, you explicitly don't have this count as a level.

SACRED SCABBARD (MIC p183) 4,400 gp
A sacred scabbard can change shape to fit any dagger, sword, or axe touched to it, even making allowances for double weapons. The scabbard keeps any weapon carried in it clean and sharp.
Furthermore, three times per day, you can command it to produce a bless weapon effect on the weapon it holds as you draw it. This effect lasts for 10 rounds. A sacred scabbard functions only for good aligned characters.

All MIC material is automatic yes.

...

Added.

I think it's not just a matter of physics but intent. If you're falling and someone with an Antilife Shell moves between you and the earth, technically you're approaching them and thus the spell should trigger...but they're the ones who are forcing a confrontation between you and the edge of their abjuration. It's a weird edge case where, at least IMO, the spirit of the rules needs to shine through in rulings on any weird ambiguous situations.

If you're fine essentially ignoring the rule, or just saying that it doesn't really apply to prismatic wall specifically, I can definitely live with that.

It occurs to me the wording of abjuration's general rules specify that, from the perspective of the prismatic wall, it can't be moving forward to touch someone. So thus ramming is precluded—it would just cause the walls to wink out?

I'm not sure I can accept this ruling. A prismatic sphere flying through a swarm of flies should vaporize them, not lose the shove-fight.

Here is Verik Karn, half-Drow sorcerer.

Added.

[Yas392]

My interpretation is that the given range is 10 ft. but the spiked chain has the special ability to strike at adjacent foes. So extending just pushes the range up to 15 ft. and does nothing to disagree with or override the special clause.

Nice. Emmide is spiked chain except it's a quarterstaff.

Spend the XP like a buy off. Per the wording, you explicitly don't have this count as a level.

Does this mean we can buy off bloodline with XP?

[Taelas]

Go for it. I don't believe your cohort to be OP. Though, given your cohort is from Leadership, I note the same caveat as before: support/RP role unless special circumstances (e.g. I force them into an encounter).

Duly noted. The sheet has been updated, which should be the last adjustment I need to make (barring some mistake I've missed).

[Burning Spear]

I would like to point out the MIC variant is different from the A&Eg variant.
I requested the A&Eg for a reason, so I am taking that OK from the gm that variant is okay for my use.

Is it for the 2x Base Speed? That would actually be a good item for my Mummy, lolz.

I would just rework the looks of it to a cow's head with horns to fit Hathor's fluff..

[GentlemanVoodoo]

This one should be finished but the spells as required. But if not let me know.

Rhys of Watersdeep (Conjurer Wizard 5 / Zhentarim Skymage 5 / Dreadmaster 10)

[Burning Spear]

Matriarch-Lady Sobek-Nepheru the Ist
Female N.(g) Mulan Human Mummy , Level 15 (+4 La), Init 2, HP / , DR 5/-, Speed 20/ 40
AC 32, Touch 12, Flat-footed 30, Fort 0, Ref 2, Will 8, Base Attack Bonus 0
Hathor's Horn, Short Sword of Luck ( , )
+3 Lance, Charging, Impaling +12 (1d8+2d6+16, )
(+10 Armor, +2 Dex, +10 Natural)
Abilities Str 28, Dex 14, Con -, Int 20, Wis 26, Cha 32
Condition None

Sheet started, if you could add me to "The List".

(Cloistered Cleric 1/ Human Paragon 3/ Militant Rogue 4/ Divine Oracle 2/ Fighter 1/ Contemplative 1/ Mindbender 1/ Glorious Servitor 2/ +3 Mummified Creature/Evolved Undead+1)

[Burning Spear]

I think someone else has asked this before, but am sure it hasn't been answered as yet;

How much point buy for cohorts?

For the main scrub, I'll request the following flaws;
Code Of Arms (-4 on enemy with no weapon)
Living Faith (no turn or rebuke undead)

Just noticed, PrC requires Improved Turning, so I can't throw Turning away as a Flaw (I think), unless I can have that feat without the Turning class ability?

I will look for a replacement Flaw, just in case.

[droobles]

Just to make sure, for the epic material in the future, will it be only 1st party material? Will epic spellcasting be used?

[Ancient]

Osarin Mol, Favored Soul of Bane

Spoiler: Concept

Show

A perfectionist with an unquenchable ambition, Osarin Mol is the sort of despot that will squeeze a nation dry to further his quest for nothing less than total domination of known existence, and now, the Noctuary calls to him.

Spoiler: Quote

Show

If I worried about the ants I crush beneath my feet, I wouldn’t be able to walk.
I have long since come to see those ants as creatures in my way.
Obstacles to be ignored or destroyed in my relentless pursuit of power and glory.
Some may call it a cruel mentality, but it is a necessary one.
The weak call it cold and heartless, but I have seen the truth.
In this world there is no room for pity, no time for remorse.
Every being must fight, by tooth, claw, or spell, to shine in their brief twinkle of existence.
Or be left behind in the oblivion of mediocrity.
I will not be left behind.
I was born with something inside me that refuses to settle for mediocrity.
I am grateful for this.
I am a warrior, a conqueror,
A force of pure violence
And all I desire is the sheer glory of victory.
Mercy is for the weak.
Surrender for those lacking conviction
I am coming for world and all it has to offer.
Nothing will stop me
I care for nothing more than to see my name etched in the annals of history
and for the world to acknowledge my greatness.
Those that bow before me shall bathe in the glory of my wake.
Those that oppose me shall be known by the lamentations of their kin.
I shall shine so brightly that the gods themselves are forced to acknowledge me.
I am coming.
I am coming for it all!

[Burning Spear]

Whots with all these Evil Banite's popping out of the woodwork?

[Ancient]

Whots with all these Evil Banite's popping out of the woodwork?

Good taste? I don't know, I started will Favored soul, and then thought what sort of person would evolve from being infused with the essence of Bane? Interesting question IMHO, and the sort of person that would seek the impossible to gain ultimate power.

[Zarthrax]

@chaincomplex-

So, the basics of my character use binding and incarnum. Thanks to bloodline use, it allows me to multiclass the two without any support. Consideirng that going above 20 results in that(the no support thing) being a drawback, I'd like to request the following, despite it being homebrew. If you don't want to use it, that's fine, and if you want more time to consider it, that's also fine since it would only come in once the group hit epic level anyway.

Midnight Occultist Prestige Class


If it helps any, my vestiges I'd be running would be Ashardalon, Ipos, Chupoclops and Focalor, not counting any Bind Additional Vestige feats taken later.

[Burning Spear]

"Good" taste? I don't know, I started will Favored soul, and then thought what sort of person would evolve from being infused with the essence of Bane? Interesting question IMHO, and the sort of person that would seek the impossible to gain ultimate power.

Well, taste is subjective, lol. Sudden influx of L.E. app's is just surprising, 2-3 all seemingly "at once" makes me worry a bit,

Imo Bane is a trope that's been overdone, just like Cyric I guess, (I don't like Kelemvore either for that matter, heh.)

Bane is good for an overarching evil organisation, if I'd go for a player-evil, then I'd rather go with the likes of Velsharoon, Set, Sebek, (alternative War-god) Garagos anyday over Tempus, Abbathor if Dwarven or associated..
//tangent

Seems I forgot that +6 Tomes don't exist, dangit, are they epic items?, can we start with Epic items? or do we have to be above 20th lvl to be allowed to go that way?

I shuffled some points around, so no need persay for Epic Stats + items.

Isn't there an unholy Skull of some sorts that gives Desecrate centered on the person indefinately?

@Chaincomplex
DO we need to start with common as a bonus language? I feel it detracts from all the dialects that are part of Forgotten Realms tbh, and I hate common, lol. (as an Interpreter/ Translator, I am kind of a puritan when it comes to languages.)

I find that if one looks at the Languages mentioned in all the regions of Faeruhn, Chondathan is the most prolific.

Go with +2 LA.

Is there an Level Adjustment for the Mummy/ Mummified Creature? in those threads?

[samduke]

@chaincomplex
notation on page 1 you have gingers alignment as TN, I did end up changing that to NG

[droobles]

Well, taste is subjective, lol. Sudden influx of L.E. app's is just surprising, 2-3 all seemingly "at once" makes me worry a bit,

Imo Bane is a trope that's been overdone, just like Cyric I guess, (I don't like Kelemvore either for that matter, heh.)

Bane is good for an overarching evil organisation, if I'd go for a player-evil, then I'd rather go with the likes of Velsharoon, Set, Sebek, (alternative War-god) Garagos anyday over Tempus, Abbathor if Dwarven or associated..
//tangent

Seems I forgot that +6 Tomes don't exist, dangit, are they epic items?, can we start with Epic items? or do we have to be above 20th lvl to be allowed to go that way?

I shuffled some points around, so no need persay for Epic Stats + items.

Isn't there an unholy Skull of some sorts that gives Desecrate centered on the person indefinately?

@Chaincomplex
DO we need to start with common as a bonus language? I feel it detracts from all the dialects that are part of Forgotten Realms tbh, and I hate common, lol. (as an Interpreter/ Translator, I am kind of a puritan when it comes to languages.)

I find that if one looks at the Languages mentioned in all the regions of Faeruhn, Chondathan is the most prolific.



Is there an Level Adjustment for the Mummy/ Mummified Creature? in those threads?

It is not that a +6 tome would be epic, the limitations is that a +5 inherent bonus is the limit (without that, any wish chaining could get you higher numbers).

So +6 tomes just don't exist and I believe even epic spells can't give you a higher than +5 inherent bonus.

[Burning Spear]

Cheers for clarifying, Droobles

[Infernally Clay]

Well after seeing how bonkers some of these builds are I'm not sure I really need to worry about Divine Metamagic breaking anything so I'll note it down as a feat I'm willing to take off the character if the final line up is lower in optimisation.

So that's all her feats tentatively noted down. I've also jotted down a few items she might have too. Nothing particularly surprising yet but the basics are covered. I didn't realise how much AC a Druid can get without resorting to shenanigans.

[Auranghzeb]

I'm working on story and gear.
When I'm done with gear, I'll send you a spreadsheet with the breakdown of costs and items, mostly using MIC, but I picked a couple items from A&E Guide, I'll quote the page reference.

I had a question about transparency:
Do you consider UMD and UPD the same skill or should I buy skills separately?


I'm avoiding Persist shenanigans because I consider it one of the most boring gameplays. But I think Domo can hold his own, even without lvl 9th spells. But well, it is a door that is always open and I'm still a feat short.


Also, @Zhent, that Theurge Binder/Incarnum is my dream class, I didn't know it existed.

[chaincomplex]

Rhys of Watersdeep (Conjurer Wizard 5 / Zhentarim Skymage 5 / Dreadmaster 10)

Added.

Sheet started, if you could add me to "The List".

(Cloistered Cleric 1/ Human Paragon 3/ Militant Rogue 4/ Divine Oracle 2/ Fighter 1/ Contemplative 1/ Mindbender 1/ Glorious Servitor 2/ +3 Mummified Creature/Evolved Undead+1)

Added.

Just noticed, PrC requires Improved Turning, so I can't throw Turning away as a Flaw (I think), unless I can have that feat without the Turning class ability?

You cannot since the flaw is 1st level.

Just to make sure, for the epic material in the future, will it be only 1st party material? Will epic spellcasting be used?

As I've mentioned, there's a serious paucity of epic material, so I'm open to considering non-1st-party. Epic spellcasting will be an option, but I will be seriously nerfing some options, such as collaborative casting DC reductions.

Osarin Mol, Favored Soul of Bane

Added.

Midnight Occultist Prestige Class

Accepted.

Seems I forgot that +6 Tomes don't exist, dangit, are they epic items?, can we start with Epic items? or do we have to be above 20th lvl to be allowed to go that way?

No restrictions on wealth usage. If you want to drop money on epic items that's your prerogative.

DO we need to start with common as a bonus language? I feel it detracts from all the dialects that are part of Forgotten Realms tbh, and I hate common, lol. (as an Interpreter/ Translator, I am kind of a puritan when it comes to languages.)

I find that if one looks at the Languages mentioned in all the regions of Faeruhn, Chondathan is the most prolific.

No language restrictions: I expect a high degree of independence and problem-solving ability from 20th-level characters, so a language gap shouldn't be an issue. Speaking Chondathan natively rather than some trade language is fine. That said, if your character, a Mulan human, has lived on the surface of Faerun, they're probably getting Common as an automatic language.

@chaincomplex
notation on page 1 you have gingers alignment as TN, I did end up changing that to NG

Fixed.

Well after seeing how bonkers some of these builds are I'm not sure I really need to worry about Divine Metamagic breaking anything so I'll note it down as a feat I'm willing to take off the character if the final line up is lower in optimisation.

So that's all her feats tentatively noted down. I've also jotted down a few items she might have too. Nothing particularly surprising yet but the basics are covered. I didn't realise how much AC a Druid can get without resorting to shenanigans.

I've generally been OK with DMM. Worse comes to worst you can always DMM spells to the party's benefit rather than druidzillaing yourself if you are consistently overdoing them. As is usually the case with tier 1 casters, it's as much up to the player as it is to the DM to not play their caster as OP as they can possibly be.

I had a question about transparency:
Do you consider UMD and UPD the same skill or should I buy skills separately?

Separate, explicitly even under a maximalist transparency interpretation in XPH.

[Yas392]

Does this mean we can buy off bloodline with XP?

@chaincomplex Waiting for the answer to this. Or is the answer same as before?

[chaincomplex]

@chaincomplex Waiting for the answer to this. Or is the answer same as before?

Forgot to respond here. No, I misread bloodline rules on my prior look. There is no XP buy off. You just have to take a bloodline level.

[Yas392]

Forgot to respond here. No, I misread bloodline rules on my prior look. There is no XP buy off. You just have to take a bloodline level.

Alright then.

[Arael666]

Well after seeing how bonkers some of these builds are I'm not sure I really need to worry about Divine Metamagic breaking anything so I'll note it down as a feat I'm willing to take off the character if the final line up is lower in optimisation.

So that's all her feats tentatively noted down. I've also jotted down a few items she might have too. Nothing particularly surprising yet but the basics are covered. I didn't realise how much AC a Druid can get without resorting to shenanigans.

I also went with DMM, the good thing about it is that we can set the power level simply by changing the persisted spells, without needing to alter the character build at all

[Duqueen]

Forgot to respond here. No, I misread bloodline rules on my prior look. There is no XP buy off. You just have to take a bloodline level.

oh, that is sad

[Archmage1]

Bloodlines get... weird.
Because, well... they are basically LA, except not actually LA.

For example, a Major Celestial Bloodline takes 3 levels by the time you reach level 20.

It gives
+1 wisdom, Charisma, and Constitution.
+2 on Sense motive, concentration, listen, and spot checks.
Alertness.
Pro: Evil 1/day. Smite Evil 1/day.
Resist Electricity, Cold, and Acid 5.
+6 to social checks vs celestials.
Improved Initiative.
+1 NA.
DR 5/evil.

For 3 levels, which is not great. Not terrible, but not great. +4 to spot and listen, +4 to initiative, some resistances, some stats... it isn't terrible, but also probably not worth 3 LA.

For reference, the Half Celestial Template(3 LA, from the LA assignment thread)
Gives...
Str +4, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +2, Wis +4, Cha +4.
+1 NA
Fly speed
Daylight at will.
Smite evil 1/day
A laundry list of SLA's, including resurrection.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Immunity to disease.
Resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and electricity 10.
Damage reduction: 5/magic (if HD 11 or less) or 10/magic (if HD 12 or more).
A half-celestial’s natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Spell resistance equal to creature’s HD + 10 (maximum 35).
+4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves against poison.

Now, in defense of bloodlines, bloodline levels are better than LA. They do advance caster levels and anything else that calculates level based abilities. They do boost your max skill rank by 1(But don't give you any skill points).
They do boost your ECL.

That said? In a game with LA buyoff, they are definitely not worth it. Period. LA will get you a lot more benefits than bloodlines will, with a lower cost.(Take half celestial instead of celestial bloodline, half dragon vs dragon bloodlines...)

Might it be possible to treat major bloodlines as LA 3, intermediate as LA 2, and minor as la 1 for buying off levels, with the caveat that if you buy off the bloodline, you lose the boost to max skill ranks and caster levels? They'd still be kind of bad, but not totally terrible? Bloodlines can be pretty cool, and add a dimension to a character, but mechanically they're just not useful enough to be worth the cost.

Note: I'm not planning on taking any bloodlines.

[chaincomplex]

...

The buy off interpretation was my skim read. Not my first time ever going over bloodlines rules, but the first in recent memory. Wires got crossed and I assumed you were paying off an XP cost for these benefits, which made sense to me. Reading it again convinced me that this is definitely not RAW. Bloodline "levels" definitely aren't LA or levels that can be bought off.

That said, I don't feel strongly about following RAW here, and you're putting forward a decent argument for treating bloodline "levels" as LA. I'm mostly wondering about bloodlines advancing CL. Buying off levels that still count for casting seems like it could lead to situations like being a higher level caster than the number of actual levels in a caster class, allowing for early qualifications and similar tricks.

[Taelas]

A simple solution might be to say that CL can't exceed ECL? That way, even if you buy off the bloodline levels, you'd need to have dropped CLs somewhere to benefit. It's a small buff to any remaining LA, but not so much that it really affects anything (and if you were trying to cheese CLs, it's still an overall nerf, which is slightly mitigated by the LA).

[Burning Spear]

You cannot since the flaw is 1st level.

Yea, that's clear, I just have to find a different one.

As I've mentioned, there's a serious paucity of epic material, so I'm open to considering non-1st-party. Epic spellcasting will be an option, but I will be seriously nerfing some options, such as collaborative casting DC reductions.

No restrictions on wealth usage. If you want to drop money on epic items that's your prerogative.

Ok, probably not, but good to know.

No language restrictions: I expect a high degree of independence and problem-solving ability from 20th-level characters, so a language gap shouldn't be an issue. Speaking Chondathan natively rather than some trade language is fine. That said, if your character, a Mulan human, has lived on the surface of Faerun, they're probably getting Common as an automatic language.

I will try not to take Common, under the guise of a long dead person not being up to date with the "younger and newer" dialects, and a disdain for pidgin languages anyway.

Also, would you allow: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/alertness/
(So in our case +2 Spot/ Listen and Sense Motive?)
It's a crappy prerequisite for a PrC, hence my "interest".

Also, I want a Skull Plaque, but with a permanent Desecrate on it for the wearer?
Base item is 6.200 gp.

How much for a permanent lv 2 spell? (possibly only effective for the wearer?)