You just gained a level in real life: 2023 edition!

[Shalist]

Another artificer level (-> sorc1/art7)
I might edit this post later with some build notes, though my free time always dries up around this time of year.

[bekeleven]

Boy, 2k XP is a whole ton. The only stuff I can make is +1 weapons and armor... But i can make multiple dozen. I'm not horribly butchering this math, am I? +1 padded armor costs 1155 gold, which works out to 46.2 XP. Then on the day I start crafting I pay that XP, meaning that I don't get XP for that day, which works out to an effective additional -5.48 XP. So basically, if I so choose, I can make 38 of these suckers?

That being said, if you're saying that I can't use Sanctum Spell for early then I'll either have to take two more levels of Wizard or some other feat combo, [...]

I think I asked this in previous years, but do we have some sort of supernatural ability to know how the big DM in the sky will rule on various issues? Because if we don't then it seems kinda like metagaming to change my build based on you telling me what will end up working and what won't.

You can always try to enter the PrC and, if you fail, take another wizard level. Remember that you get one free minor retrain per level, so you can trade the feat for another whose prerequisites you meet when you took it.

[Vizzerdrix]

We could set up a discord or something similar. Plenty of ways to trade information.

Name it The Arcane Order. That may be enough to Kickstart access to that particular PrC for people. It takes a few feats, but even a spont caster can make use of it, and with so few statted folks around, versatility will be important until we can secure our safety.

[Telonius]

I would also like to lodge a complaint- my disease immunity from my first level of Tattooed Monk has clearly not been working this past year, or I've been catching magical diseases.

Don't know about you, but the DM has also been kind of stingy for WBL over here.

[MinimanMidget]

Like a lot of us, I've ended up regretting some of my choices. I'm thinking I'll pivot to something along the lines of Troacctid's Unseenlock build - it'll take some retraining, but I'm reasonably well placed for it. I'll start by ditching my ranks in Sleight of Hand, with some regret, because it's one of my favourite skills, but it just isn't that useful (especially in the real world). That said, there's no way I'm not taking the Darkness + Blend Into Shadows combo I originally planned on - vanishing like a ninja is very important to me.

Human Psychic Rogue 1/Warlock 2
Str 9, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills: Autohypnosis 4, Concentration 4, Hide 6, Listen 5, Move Silently 5, Open Lock 4, Search 6, Spot 6
Powers known: Compression (no PP to use it with, though)
Invocations: Darkness, Spiderwalk
Feats: Able Learner, Blend Into Shadows, Point Blank Shot

[EndlessKng]

My build is all over the place, but really, it's all for fun, and I don't care if it's a crash-and-burn mess, I'm going to just go with it.

This year has brought some... changes. In my life and in my attitude and situations. And it's led to a new career that represents a shift in my talents - or perhaps, codifies ones I've had for a while.

So this year, I'll add Investigator to my build - specifically with the Empiricist and Sphere Investigator archetypes (They stack, as SI only changes Alchemy itself to limited alchemy, and Empiricist only changes the Swift Alchemy feature).

[thethird]

Another level, another Artificer level. Mostly enjoying my 5th level spells and looking forward to 6th level spells next year, planar binding is surely going to be fun.

[Peelee]

Favored Soul. I'll update the rest when I get around to it.

[VoltsofEight]

I missed last years, but Spheres of Power Sage again.

[Karmea]

Second mystic wanderer level and got my familiar. Maybe a dog to blend in. Turn it into a Good dog with that one cleric spell. Or a raven for the goodies, though I'd probably have to be more subtle with that one.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I figure I actually did gain a level over the last year and a half or so. Or maybe I retrained one, not sure. I think I might be a Ranger or a Bard or a Druid (or an Alchemist or a Factotum or some obscure class from deep inside Pathfinder that does some really specific things) now. I'm not actually sure, I don't know the new me well enough yet. It doesn't count for this thread as I wasn't a lvl 2 Expert in this thread, but it's been a pretty big improvement over being stuck in my dead end lvl 2 Expert career path. The extra feat at lvl 3 probably helps too. I'm not sure if my hit points came in yet.

Edit: you know what, I'll take the second level of Expert in case I decide I want to be inspired by next year's thread to think about my build again.

[Rebel7284]

Conjurer 2

[bekeleven]

I've decided to craft 2 items with my ability to craft (+1) magical arms and armor. First of all, as I said last time, special materials are tricky to get ahold of, so I'll be avoiding those for now. Second of all, I want to craft armor that makes any amount of sense for me to wear in an urban environment, which probably means it'll grab some padded suits as my raw materials and then craft padded armor. Due to how the numbers line up, I'll craft a second set, maybe out of a hoodie or jacket, for more casual engagements. The rest of my crafting XP will be spent on "+1 daggers" I can sell as kitchen knives.

Spoiler: Crafting

Show

Anyway, the best items for me to craft at this point would be +1 weapons and +1 armor. Also, the only items I can craft, given that you need a caster level of 3X the enhancement bonus. I'd love to use all sorts of special materials, from cold iron to shadow silk to ironwood to mithral to glasssteel to riverine to etc etc etc, but I imagine that on earth they'd be tricky to source. The same is true for some more "basic" materials like the magical leaf used in the blondleaf wrap. Luckily one of my friends is a real-life blacksmith and I can probably ask for his help with the basics.

The material most likely to be accessible, in my estimation? Starmetal. That exists on earth.

GP Costs for +1 Padded Armor: 1155
GP Costs for a +1 Dagger: 2302

XP Costs for +1 padded armor: 46
XP Costs for +1 dagger: 92

XP "deduction" for starting to craft an item: 5.48. (This is 1/365th of my annual XP, and represents the fraction of my 2k annual XP that I didn't earn that day.)

I'll craft 2 [Clean] padded armors and 19 +1 [Clean] kitchen knives. Total XP expenditure: 1955.

The most fun part about the past year has been my Call of the Beast invocation. I'm not sure I'll have it forever, since it's not a component of any epic warlock feats, but I'm not worrying about that for at least 10 more levels. In the meantime, I have the ability to speak with animals at all times, and a +4 on my rolls to influence them.

Speaking of those rolls, I currently have a +17 to diplomacy, which while not "nonmagical dominate person," is definitely getting into the "nonmagical charm person" territory. (Unfriendly to indifferent on a 1, or friendly on an 8). Combined with my +13 to bluff and many parts of my life just got significantly easier to navigate.

I have a question for future build reasons, and I know Troacctid is staying tight-lipped, so instead I'll throw it out to the people: Has anybody done something with their build that requires a deity? If so, it is a specific deity? Like could I take a "favored of a god" magical ability? How about "favored of Pelor"?

[Telonius]

I have a question for future build reasons, and I know Troacctid is staying tight-lipped, so instead I'll throw it out to the people: Has anybody done something with their build that requires a deity? If so, it is a specific deity? Like could I take a "favored of a god" magical ability? How about "favored of Pelor"?

Mine (Cleric/Warlock/Eldritch Disciple) doesn't exactly require a deity. For Domain selection, I could just worship a concept. The fluff (and class feature names) for Eldritch Disciple make reference to a "Divine Patron," so that might require somebody specific. My deity would be Olidammara. This version specifically if it's allowed; if not, the PHB description is laid-back enough that I'd be cool with it.

[Kalkra]

The most fun part about the past year has been my Call of the Beast invocation. I'm not sure I'll have it forever, since it's not a component of any epic warlock feats, but I'm not worrying about that for at least 10 more levels. In the meantime, I have the ability to speak with animals at all times, and a +4 on my rolls to influence them.

I think we'll stop levelling at 20, so no epic stuff.

[NCat]

I think we'll stop levelling at 20, so no epic stuff.

I see no point in stopping at 20? I think it could be cool if, by chance this does last 20+ years, the people have been here for decades get the prize of wacky epic stuff.

Plus, planning out your levels not just as to what benefits you now and in the present, but what might benefit you in decades is kinda fun

[Cruiser1]

I take a 2nd level of Cloistered Cleric, adding on to the 1st level of CC taken last year.

[Quertus]

I figure I actually did gain a level over the last year and a half or so. Or maybe I retrained one, not sure. I think I might be a Ranger or a Bard or a Druid (or an Alchemist or a Factotum or some obscure class from deep inside Pathfinder that does some really specific things) now. I'm not actually sure, I don't know the new me well enough yet. It doesn't count for this thread as I wasn't a lvl 2 Expert in this thread, but it's been a pretty big improvement over being stuck in my dead end lvl 2 Expert career path. The extra feat at lvl 3 probably helps too. I'm not sure if my hit points came in yet.

Edit: you know what, I'll take the second level of Expert in case I decide I want to be inspired by next year's thread to think about my build again.

Congratulations! What particular evidence convinced you of this?

I have a question for future build reasons, and I know Troacctid is staying tight-lipped, so instead I'll throw it out to the people: Has anybody done something with their build that requires a deity? If so, it is a specific deity? Like could I take a "favored of a god" magical ability? How about "favored of Pelor"?

Good point. I’ve been too lazy to bother*, but I suppose the “PF-based me” will start taking levels in “Cleric of me”, to help test your requirements.

* to learn pathfinder

[Wildstag]

Last year I started a 3PP version of using Spheres to take Transformation and Transformation (hybrid) to gain the forms of a werewolf with none of the downsides. This year, I'd progress that by taking a second level in Brawler. This would grant me a Bonus Combat Feat and Brawler's Flurry.

For skills, I'd advance Climbing, Perception, and Knowledge (Local), but also take Ride. Thus 2 ranks in Climbing, Perception, and Knowledge (Local), 1 rank in Ride and Craft (Woodcarving). FCB (Skill Rank) to put 1 in Intimidate.

Bonus Combat Feat seems like it'd have to be Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike). What with the low attack roll (only a +4 or +5), I'd want a bit of accuracy to shore up the penalties from Brawler's Flurry. Plus it builds into so many potential options.

[Kalkra]

I see no point in stopping at 20? I think it could be cool if, by chance this does last 20+ years, the people have been here for decades get the prize of wacky epic stuff.

Plus, planning out your levels not just as to what benefits you now and in the present, but what might benefit you in decades is kinda fun

To clarify, I think Troacctid said in a previous year that we stop levelling at 20. Of course, I could be misremembering, and things might change. Then again, once you get epic spellcasting things spiral out of control very quickly, so I understand the decision.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Congratulations! What particular evidence convinced you of this?

A broader set of (marketable) skills with improvements large enough that I'm looking for at least one case of either skill synergy, a feat or spell access kicking in, existing skills being honed and getting updated, not just significant but near miraculous better results on rolls to get hired, different treatment by other characters and significant increases in my weekly "take ten" results on profession/craft for income. Even after considering my age being around right for going up an age category (in at least some potentially applicable species) giving me +1 to my intelligence, charisma and wisdom modifiers it's a pretty noticeable difference. (My constitution did take a bit of a hit a bit over a year and a half ago, which might have been the age up moment, but I seem to have mostly recovered, which might be the extra HP from the level up.)

The bad news is that in this gritty campaign I'm in characters seem to max out at level 5 or 6 and most don't get to that hard limit at all, certainly not ones that start with NPC class levels, so odds are this is my final form. I'd better make the most of it.

So, anyone looking for an offensive support kinda henchman?

[Quertus]

So, anyone looking for an offensive support kinda henchman?

I’m basically playing a glorified TARDIS, making my cohort the counterpart of the Doctor, I suppose. And “offensive support henchman” sounds like a Doctor thing. So… maybe? (Although my Who lore suggests you may need to kiss my cohort to make it official… and that the retirement program is the worst.)

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I’m basically playing a glorified TARDIS, making my cohort the counterpart of the Doctor, I suppose. And “offensive support henchman” sounds like a Doctor thing. So… maybe? (Although my Who lore suggests you may need to kiss my cohort to make it official… and that the retirement program is the worst.)

I think we're on different planes then, time travel is mostly fictional here. But if you have a plane shift spell I'm up for putting in my one month notice and going on an adventure.

[TalonOfAnathrax]

Troacctid, is there a mistake on the Google Sheet ? I wrote that I took Durthan 1 last year, but it's written I'm a Sha'ir 4 instead of Sha'ir 3/Durthan 1. I wasn't using any early-entry cheats either.

What I take this year will depend on what I had last year so this isn't a definite choice, but it'll probably be Cloistered Cleric 1.

EDIT: If it's a deliberate decision to ban Durthan, please let me know. I'm not asking for justification or whatever, just confirmation.

[Troacctid]

II have a question for future build reasons, and I know Troacctid is staying tight-lipped, so instead I'll throw it out to the people: Has anybody done something with their build that requires a deity? If so, it is a specific deity? Like could I take a "favored of a god" magical ability? How about "favored of Pelor"?

I've probably pointed this out in previous years, but Eberron has every kind of divine magic, and the people there still can't agree which gods, if any, are real. The fact that clerics of an ideal can have all the same powers as clerics of a deity really complicates these questions.

Troacctid, is there a mistake on the Google Sheet ? I wrote that I took Durthan 1 last year, but it's written I'm a Sha'ir 4 instead of Sha'ir 3/Durthan 1. I wasn't using any early-entry cheats either.

What I take this year will depend on what I had last year so this isn't a definite choice, but it'll probably be Cloistered Cleric 1.

EDIT: If it's a deliberate decision to ban Durthan, please let me know. I'm not asking for justification or whatever, just confirmation.

Just a typo. I'll fix it when I get a chance.

[Crichton]

We could set up a discord or something similar. Plenty of ways to trade information.

A discord I could get onboard with, for sure. Anything more official... We'd have to see :D

[Quertus]

I've probably pointed this out in previous years, but Eberron has every kind of divine magic, and the people there still can't agree which gods, if any, are real. The fact that clerics of an ideal can have all the same powers as clerics of a deity really complicates these questions.

Ah, that’s why I hadn’t tested that yet. Makes sense.

[animorte]

I've been hunting with all my effort to encounter what suits my purpose most accurately. Alas, we have discovered the Jester.

I am proud to join this by taking on my very first level as a Jester (3.5e).

As a bonus, here's my character sheet.

I will likely edit this in the near future to include my visual adaptation via Hero Forge. Done.

P.S. After a good look through the spreadsheet, it looks like I'll be the class clown, the only joke... Nothing but pride.

Just for the record, I am serious. This looks really cool to me, and I put in the work

[Brackenlord]

Truenamer 3

Spoiler: Build

Show

Spoiler: Truespeak check

Show

DC 15 + 2 x CR

3 HD → 21
+6 ranks
+2 personal truename
+3 skill focus
+1 stats (INT 13)
= +12

Success: 9~20

STR 11, DEX 8, CON 12, INT 13, WIS 10, CHA 9

Skill Focus (Truespeak)
Able Learner b
Dream Scion *NEW*

Knowledge Focus (architecture and engineering)

Universal Aptitude
Word of Nurturing, Minor
Hidden Truth *NEW*

[Elvensilver]

I'll take another level of Bard. Second level spells for me, wow!

If retraining is allowed, I'd like to change my archetype to Studious Librarian. I'm sure if spend enough time together with books to qualify, and the sixth level ability is something to look forward to, especially if people here start swapping spells.