Diablo 2 - The hack and slash game. [OoC3]

[sonofzeal]

Originally Posted by Jarian

Fair enough. I'll try to stop worrying about my 78 HP then.

Fear not, for the glorious Dragonlord Ryuu Tatsuhiro is with you! All shall tremble before him!

[peterpaulrubens]

Originally Posted by Ernir

The only thing about the build that has caught my eye is that you don't have the initiator level to know Pouncing Charge and Dancing Mongoose.

Oh FFS, I get it now. I need to stop looking at the handy reference cards for the ToB maneuvers, they say "warblade 5" and I take that as "warblade level 5" every time, rather than "accessible by warblades who can use 5th level manuevers". Blech...

I'll have to rethink some things then.

[Jarian]

Originally Posted by peterpaulrubens

I'll have to rethink some things then.

Are you specifically looking at getting ToB maneuvers, or are you looking at spending your feats on X thing?

[peterpaulrubens]

Originally Posted by Jarian

Are you specifically looking at getting ToB maneuvers, or are you looking at spending your feats on X thing?

Spending my feats on X thing. But, ToB offers.. a lot. I like Sudden Leap for its swift-action movement, moreso since Paavo will have a +27 to +47 Jump modifier depending on invested Determination. Without some decent manuevers though, I'm not sure it's worth it.

I'm currently leaning towards losing the second Martial Study in favor of Martial Stance. I can take Sudden Leap for movement, some Devoted Spirit to qualify for the Iron Guard's Glare stance, and then change the Path of the Juggernaut for Path of the Vigilant Defender. That'd give a rather solid -6 to enemy attack rolls on the rest of you when they're in my threatened space, and I threaten a huge (20' radius) area most of the time. With all-out Determination investment it'd be a -9. That change actually might go pretty far in keeping our healing needs to a minimum (well, at least for y'all... I still get screwed! ). And, that would keep me with Sudden Leap and a recovery method for it.

Other thoughts would be to grab Leap Attack for the damage as well as the awesomeness of being an actual D2 skill. It's something I'd wanted but ultimately decided against given that I wasn't going to have continuous access to Pounce. That'd be one feat and I could have two more to play with if needed..

Any thoughts?

[Jarian]

I'm not a fan of Leap Attack. As much as I admire Ernir's ability to balance encounters with so many people coming and going all the time () and all the shifting damage inherent to that, Leap Attack just gets absolutely crazy very fast. With even a little bit of effort, you can pulp most things in a single hit, which would either result in Ernir sending even more mobs our way, or ramping up their HP totals more.

IMHO, anyway.

ToB does offer a lot, and you definitely have some solid ideas there. However, there's a thread floating around the Homebrew section somewhere that has fixed Combat Form feats in it, each of which adds an interesting new dynamic to any character using them. (Combat Form feats are originally from PHB 2, but are, uh, bad.) I can't find the thread right now, but a bit of digging should hopefully turn it up. Worth looking into, anyway.

[peterpaulrubens]

Hmm. The combat forms don't really seem that interesting to me, and it looks like I dont qualify for most of them anyway. Thanks though.

I wish there was a feat that added damage based on the distance leapt without working on a charge, which opens up the pounce silliness.

If no one has more ideas I'll probably roll with what I have above.

[Jarian]

Originally Posted by peterpaulrubens

I wish there was a feat that added damage based on the distance leapt without working on a charge, which opens up the pounce silliness.

If no one has more ideas I'll probably roll with what I have above.

Spoiler

Powerful Leap
Prerequisites: Leap of the Heavens^PHB2, Power Attack, Str 15+
Benefit: Whenever you jump in combat, you deal an additional point of damage with all melee attacks for every 5 feet traveled, to a maximum bonus damage equal to your character level.

Forceful Leap
Prerequisites: Powerful Leap
Benefit: Whenever you jump in combat and cover at least 20 feet of horizontal distance, the next melee attack you make before the end of your turn forces your foe to succeed on a Fortitude save, DC 10 + 1/2 BAB + Str modifier, or be dazed for one round and knocked prone.

Eh?

[Ernir]

Originally Posted by Jarian

Assuming the caster level on the item is correct, 20 minutes for the Silence (or until dismissed) and 1 round for Gust of Wind.

Could be wrong though.

You're not wrong.

Originally Posted by peterpaulrubens

@Ernir: unless I specify otherwise, let's assume that I have the Feet, Arms, and Voice focuses active at the beginning of each fight, and that I have 3 Determination in the Path of the Mage Killer, Path of the Weapon Master, and the Path of the Peerless Athlete, and 1 in the Path of the Outnumbered.

Okay, but you seem to not have Path of the Outnumbered.

Originally Posted by Diarmuid

So am I correct in assuming that no one had issues with me nabbing that ring?

Doesn't look like it.

Originally Posted by Diarmuid

Edit - Also, while I'm here would it be difficult to get shield spikes added to my shield?

Nope, very easy.

[Jarian]

Ooh, Circlet of Persuasion. I think Ernir is trying to tell me something.

Imperious Command!

Edit: Switched out Creaking Cacophony for Otto's Imperative Ambulation (CMage 112). I don't have particularly high hopes of it working, but it might be able to prevent some full attacks.

[peterpaulrubens]

Originally Posted by Jarian

Powerful Leap
Prerequisites: Leap of the Heavens^PHB2, Power Attack, Str 15+
Benefit: Whenever you jump in combat, you deal an additional point of damage with all melee attacks for every 5 feet traveled, to a maximum bonus damage equal to your character level.

Since that specifically works with "all melee attacks" it just increases the incentive to go with charge + pounce + leap attack. It doesn't offer something good instead of pouncing.

Originally Posted by Ernir

Okay, but you seem to not have Path of the Outnumbered.

DOH.


OK, I made a few changes:

• I dropped Martial Study - Tiger Claw for Martial Study - Devoted Spirit
• I swapped Blade Magic Aptitude for Rapid Refocus
• I took Martial Stance (Iron Guard's Glare) instead of the second Martial Study
• I swapped the Path of the Imperious Commander for Path of the Outnumbered
• I swapped Path of the Juggernaut for Path of the Vigilant Defender
• I moved Paths and Focuses to the Spell area so I could more easily keep track of active focuses and invested determination

Also, questions about Arreat's Face:
- I assume it still works as the masterwork Intimidation tool it was originally?
- 3 HP healed max 10 is ... kinda odd. The last hit only heals 1 HP?
- does that stack with my Least Crystal of Life Drinking? Or does one trigger and then the next?
- once it's healed 10 HP, it becomes "inert until the following day." Is that just for the life drinking, or all of its properties?

[Jarian]

Originally Posted by peterpaulrubens

Since that specifically works with "all melee attacks" it just increases the incentive to go with charge + pounce + leap attack. It doesn't offer something good instead of pouncing.

Touché.text

[Ernir]

So, everyone ready to get back in?

Also, where do you intend to go?

Originally Posted by peterpaulrubens

Also, questions about Arreat's Face:
- I assume it still works as the masterwork Intimidation tool it was originally?
- 3 HP healed max 10 is ... kinda odd. The last hit only heals 1 HP?
- does that stack with my Least Crystal of Life Drinking? Or does one trigger and then the next?
- once it's healed 10 HP, it becomes "inert until the following day." Is that just for the life drinking, or all of its properties?

• Yes. Will note that.
• It is odd because I need to stop stealing verbatim from the MIC during the middle of the night. Should be 30.
• It doesn't stack.
  But yes, I suppose it's only fair to have one kick in as soon as the other runs out of HP healed. So it stacks for purposes of HP/day, I guess.
• That's just for the life drinking. Updated to use the same wording as Cathan's Sigil.

[Jarian]

We haven't yet done Sisters to the Slaughter, have we? Are we even eligible? It's been a while, both for D2 and keeping track of things that have happened so far.

I'm definitely ready to go whenever everyone else is, though.

Once we do that/if we can, I suppose we'd head on over to act 2? (At this rate, we'll manage to finish in 6 years. )

[peterpaulrubens]

It is definitely Cathedral Time. Ol' Nipple Chains herself awaits. I really hope we find Venom Ward before we find her, because I pretty much always found it as one of her drops. :

[Jarian]

If the party has some spare cash before we reach her, I can get several scrolls/a wand of Delay Poison if everyone wants to chip in.

...assuming Ernir doesn't add dispelling to her attacks. Hrm.

[Tavar]

I have a crapton of gold, so sure.

[Ernir]

By "going for the Cathedral", you will be going for the gate that most directly lies between the Outer Cloister waypoint and the Cathedral, then?

Originally Posted by Jarian

Once we do that/if we can, I suppose we'd head on over to act 2? (At this rate, we'll manage to finish in 6 years. )

Act 4 is kind of short!

But more importantly, going like this, we'll manage to finish.
And that's something, in a PbP.

[Jarian]

Originally Posted by Ernir

By "going for the Cathedral", you will be going for the gate that most directly lies between the Outer Cloister waypoint and the Cathedral, then?

I have no objection to this, though I don't remember the Sisters to the Slaughter quest well enough to say whether that's the best place to start or not.

But more importantly, going like this, we'll manage to finish.
And that's something, in a PbP.

I think that's mostly due to your persistence, but you have a point.

[peterpaulrubens]

http://classic.battle.net/diablo2exp/maps/act1.shtml

We either go to the Barracks -> Jail -> Inner Cloister -> Cathedral, or to take the Outer Cloister waypoint and charge the gate.

The question is whether we can mount an adequate assault on a fortification like the gate. Last time was rather dicey IMO.

On the other hand, the long way is probably a whole bunch of encounters.

Ernir, how high were the walls of the inner gate again?

[Tavar]

As fitting for my sig, I suggest the Frontal assault.

[Jarian]

I'm not entirely familiar with the Kellus Truenamer, but Gerrin has the ability to basically tunnel through walls and doors, right?

[sonofzeal]

I'm happy with either. On the one hand, going the long way is longer. On the other, it's the process that's fun, not actually finishing the plot, and we get that just fine either way. Given that we're lvl 9+ and still in Act 1, I can assume Ernir is advancing the monsters relative to us, not relative to the place in the plot. So I don't think it makes a big difference either way.

[Tavar]

Originally Posted by Jarian

I'm not entirely familiar with the Kellus Truenamer, but Gerrin has the ability to basically tunnel through walls and doors, right?

To a degree, yes. At will, I can open a passage way in material up to...I'd have to check, but I think I can manage 10 to 15 feet of material.

[Rausdower]

I'll give the vote for front door busting shenanigans. Also, Ernir, can I pick up an Efficient Quiver from a market in base camp?

[Jarian]

Since it looks like a frontal assault, Edmond will burn a charge of his Alter Self wand to assume the form of a Troglodyte before the gate-busting starts.

[Koury]

Originally Posted by Jarian

Since it looks like a frontal assault, Edmond will burn a charge of his Alter Self wand to assume the form of a Troglodyte before the gate-busting starts.

Ernir requires knowledge of the form you want to turn into and you don't have K: Local.

Ernir, any chance of Corretha informing her new ally about a useful form to take?

[Ernir]

Originally Posted by peterpaulrubens

Ernir, how high were the walls of the inner gate again?

40 feet.

Unless I've said something different before that I can't find, in which case it's that height.

Originally Posted by sonofzeal

Given that we're lvl 9+ and still in Act 1, I can assume Ernir is advancing the monsters relative to us, not relative to the place in the plot. So I don't think it makes a big difference either way.

True to some degree.

Most of the stuff I come up with just before the encounters, and I don't think I'm about to make a series of encounters that's impossible because you're underleveled, or a cakewalk because you're overleveled.
But some things I do have statted way in advance.

Ernir, can I pick up an Efficient Quiver from a market in base camp?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Koury

Ernir, any chance of Corretha informing her new ally about a useful form to take?

Sure, turns out it's kind of a useless limitation anyway.

[Jarian]

Originally Posted by Koury

Ernir requires knowledge of the form you want to turn into and you don't have K: Local.

Ernir, any chance of Corretha informing her new ally about a useful form to take?

...does Bardic Knowledge count?

Edit:

Sure, turns out it's kind of a useless limitation anyway.

Nevermind then. I'll stick with the slightly less useless Loresong.

[Ernir]

New IC thread!

[peterpaulrubens]

Originally Posted by Ernir

40 feet.

Unless I've said something different before that I can't find, in which case it's that height.

Excellent.

So, I can reliably jump up on top of that wall if I'm Determined to do so, even while carrying Fjodin.

We may want to take a look at going over the wall rather than through it. Ryuu can fly outright, I can jump, Edmond could Alter Self into something with flight, and Corretha could Polymorph into something with flight also.

That'd leave just Sern and Gerrin (who may have methods of flight already, I dunno!). Perhaps they can hitch a ride on Corretha. Otherwise maybe some potions of levitation or plain old rope...


Basically I'm wary of Kool-Aiding again. It seems ... unwise to keep using the same tactic. Going up and over may be much less expected.

Thoughts?


Edit: LOLZ. Day late and a dollar short it seems!