Cliff's Notes version: don't plan cool futures, create an awesome present which can't help but become cool futures when the players poke it with a stick.
Do this by creating tension points that can't stay the way they are (rivalries, resource limitations, natural events, rampaging demons), and by including the kinds of feature you want to see included in the fallout (dirigibles, half-orc werecrocodiles, powerful artifacts).
(I may never use half-orc werecrocodiles again, but I will never be bored by the concept.)
This is about our behavior policy and how it relates to flagging offensive comments (and posts, I suppose).
Is it a violation of the behavior policy to insult another citizen, or to equate their actions on the site with serious offenses such as violent hate crimes?
In particular, should a "rude...
About a year or so ago, my friend and I were watching the TV show Merlin together and my friend brought up an interesting point. He said that vampires used to crave garlic, however, Merlin cast a spell on vampires to make garlic repel them. Is this true?
So, I was hoping to talk about one of my recent questions: http://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/36043/how-does-the-multi-weapon-fighting-feat-replace-the-two-weapon-fighting-feat
Most people seem to be of the opinion that option 2 is correct
However, no one has really addressed my main issue, which is the potential balance concerns that presents
Kryan stated that it was too expensive, of course, but never really expanded on that, so I'm forced to assume he was speaking monetarily in-game. Going under that assumption, I'm forced to outright call him wrong.
Well, without going into specific numbers, the main thing is that it allows a very large number of additional attacks each turn, at no penalties other than would be placed upon standard TWF. In addition, if option 1 holds true, all the options in the game that mitigate TWF's penalties would Also apply in equal parts to MWF
Going under the assumption that additional attacks at no penalty can only ever be a net gain, that would imply that it is Always better to use MWF over TWF
Aside: "Cost" may be referring to the rarity of feat slots and the difficulty of changing one's feat choices, making feats one of the most "expensive" features of the game.
The first is to be the new Kasatha race, presented in bestiary 4, which just Has four arms, at no negative, especially since the race's stats and abilities lend themselves well to the build
That is another part of this - you are spending feats to take MWP, and you are spending in-game time/money/energy to obtain weapons to use, and also extra arms (unless you are a monster-type - in which case it costs you ECL)
And the second is to apply them either to your Eidolon as a summoner, of if you're the right archetype of summoner, to add them to yourself with your 'outsider armor'
The "balance" comes from the fact that another character with the same level,time,money,energy,resources potential as you could go in another direction and make an equally powerful build.
Assuming your using the Kasatha race, and option 1 is correct, there is no negative, feat-wise, to being a MWF over a TWF, because it makes them the same
Going by gold, literally 2 gold will allow you the benefit of having the two extra arms, as the additional damage even basic daggers yield once introduced to the standardized build for TWF as just extra attacks makes it better than being a TWF
Even at first level, when gold is sparse, two gold is nothing
Now that I've said why MWF is just Better than TWF, let me continue: Assuming that all builds, once maximized for combat, are by-design approximately equally effective within combat, then if there is something that is just Better than one of those builds, it would stand to reason it is just Better than all other builds
@Inbar within combat, it depends. Both can, potentially, be very effective, if maximized towards that goal. However, in both cases, having 4 arms is just better than having 2
@Zach You are correct, MWF is better than TWF. But that doesn't make it unbalanced. A creature with more arms is better than a creature with less arms. Just like a creature who has SR is better than a creature with no SR when defending against magic. There are lots of factors here. The balance does not come only in relation to TWF. Of course MWF is better - but that doesn't make it unbalanced or overpowered in the game mechanics terms. It just makes TWF more robust by being able to...
Going under the assumption that TWF is a standardized build, one which the game's mechanics are made around, and that all other standardized builds are, by-design, approximately equal to it (excluding MWF, because it's Not standardized) within the context of combat
that would mean that MWF builds are just better than All standardized builds
And, by extension, better than the game's mechanics were designed to challenge
Meaning that using the build within a game where everyone is maximizing their characters for combat is the only option, because it's the best one, and there's no point in taking anything else, because it won't be as good
@Zach Listen. MWF is better than TWF. This is a given. But that doesn't make it unbalanced, or overpowered. First of all - simply look at the requirements of the feat itself - you need to have more than two hands. So already the feat itself has a higher cost than TWF. Now lets look at the cost of having more than two hands. Either a monstrous race (pay with ECL) or magic (more expensive than two hands) So already it is more costly than TWF - even if only marginally.
Secondly.... Characters who choose to go fully combat builds with multiple hands and taking MWF are not taking other things instead.
Again, not applicable. Being a maximized TWF is equally as harmful to other aspects of the game as being the same character with MWF. The only difference is that the second is better at combat
Are you asking if I take a character who has a privilege over another, but is basically otherwise the same, then deny him that privilege via denying him what he needs to use it, will he be the same? Well, obviously
1+1=2+(1-1)
However, assuming that he can actually Use his additional arms, even with basic weaponry, he'd still just be Better
It has 1 less feat. It also has darkvision, treats perception and stealth as class skills no matter what, has a bonus to both Dex, and Wis (a TWF human would only have an equal Dex bonus, if built right) has benefits when moving in specific terrain types, and is always counted as running when it jumps
The last one is a class feature you'd have to take monk levels to get
Like I said, in addition to having 4 arms, the race itself is geared towards being a good race for a TWF build
Giving it two extra arms just ensures it will be the best
Oh, I almost forgot
A free +2 bonus to its AC that stacks with all other kinds of bonuses
Look, if you want to bring optimization into this - then as I said earlier - another player with the same character creation potential could create a character with a completely different type of damage dealing optimization that could rival or be better than this MWF optimization.
The most maximized build you could originally go for, strictly speaking in terms of damage output, would realistically be a rogue/fighter multiclass, specializing in TWF... which is just Better if it's a MWF
D&D uses goblin dice specifically for that reason.
A character is not measured by a single action, but how that character manages over time and many actions to survive, and deal damage in the most effective way.
At best, if a 20th level wizard with the appropriate build used optimized delayed blast fireballs on the largest number of enemies possible, all capable of taking the maximum damage and not able to make the save for half, then yes, I could see That out-damaging the build
But the main issue with that is that you'll almost never see an instance where that occurs
@Zach My final word on the matter: I agree with you that MWF is better than TWF, there is no denying that. But MWF is not unbalanced or overpowered. And you have yet to explain how it is, so far you are only explaining how MWF is better than TWF - and that is something I have agreed with you on since the beginning.
TWF is a standardized build. When the author of the book made it, it was an obvious build path, and one such they would have used as a basis of scale when calculating things such as level of difficulty when defeating monsters, etc.
The big one would be off-hand wielding without TWF feat
-10
Speaking in Pathfinder terms
So: A medium creature, using a large-sized light weapon (wielding as one-handed){-2} it's not proficient with {-4}, in its off-hand without TWF {-10}, while wielding a Tower Shield it's not proficient with in its main hand {-10}, in armor its not proficient with {-7}, while fighting defensively {-4}, with maximized Power Attack and Weapon Finesse penalties {-12}, for a total of... -45
Assuming strength 10, you'd be hitting at a -25, as your BAB would have to be 20 to take the full penalties from power attack and weapon finesse
> Benefit: Spend 1 grit point while in combat to recover either 1 bullet and 1 dose of black powder or 1 alchemical cartridge from a hidden stash on your person that you had, until now, forgotten about. If the bullet and black powder or the alchemical cartridges are normal shot, you do not need to pay for the ammunition.
> Prerequisite: Grit class feature or Amateur Gunslinger feat, Sleight of Hand 1 rank.
Though, assuming you're not being particularly awesome that day, that's still only 5 shots a day, which at best are taking a -3 at anything your allies are in melee with
Well, I suppose that Chaika just showed them in a preview for the next episode...
@waxeagle My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, where one such dog was part of a trade sequence, and Chaika - The Coffin Princess, where there will be many chasing a vehicle in the next episode.
@Zach - MWF has significant gold costs above and beyond TWF. Additionally, it does not resolve the myriad issues with TWF; those carry over straight into MWF with no correction whatsoever, not the least of which is Mobility Problems. Last, but certainly not least, it doesn't resolve the accuracy issues whatsoever.
@Zach - Inform your DM that it won't be a problem, since your choices are essentially to either invest in just two weapons that will ever do damage (b/c DR and suchlike) so you can keep up on your defenses, or invest in all 4 weapons and die constantly
@InbarRose He's never really interested, I just figured I'd add another voice in case some unsuspecting innocent came along to the chat without knowing who he is.
@ThalesPereira I have no polite way of explaining this. Essentially, Zach and a group of other posters - hereafter defined as Anyone Who Has Ever Spoken To Him - have ongoing problems
His questions trend towards being worrying. His chat conversations are marked by asking for help, then adamantly refusing that help because it doesn't cleave to his narrow and extremely specific play style/worldview
Last time he wanted us to justify him telling his players how to play their characters.
The nicester thing to do is take the player aside and say "Hey, this is not how this game goes. If you want that, we'll see if that can be arranged, but this is not where you're doing it."
@Aaron - I am given to understand that you may be seeing Path of War material in a game you're running. Feel free to ask me questions or leave 'em on the Stack; I'll direct the other project leads onto the site so they can poke 'em for ya.
If I've got a question that really isn't a good fit for the RPG.SE format, is it useful to ask it here? It's pretty list-y, and I'm pretty sure it'd get closed on the main site.
So, there's a king with a bunch of palace guards. The king knows (somehow) that one of the guards is plotting against him. What kind of things could that guard be doing to make the king (and possible investigative players) think that he's being seditious?
I figure that the traitorous guard might be going to meetings involving other people who speak out against the king, and he may complain about the king to people, but after that I can't think of anything.
I'm specifically thinking of Tower of Secrets and the various things Sheymov did and didn't do in order to defect without suspicion...
If he's smart, the guard will increase his obviously patriotic and devoted activities, offering to help with volunteer work and propaganda.
A smart guard will make it look like he's invested in continuing in his position for some time, working to move up the ranks and establish lasting connections. A dumb guard will stop caring about those things.
A smart guard will setup someone else to take the fall by having him involved in discussions and meetings with questionable people, then have this intermediary report back to him in secret.
Plausible deniability and if all else fails... Just have the middle man murdered.
@Dane It's not really clear. Maybe because he wants to feel special, and the only way he knows how to do that is to defect? Maybe he isn't actually defecting, he's just collecting info on traitorous groups?
I mean, how bright and shiny is the king and his kingdom?
If you want to make things a bit more depressing and twisted all around, perhaps this seemingly good king is responsible for some secret atrocity that plagues the guard's conscience.
And what kind of sedition are we talking about? Putting a new king on the throne? Overthrowing the monarchy and establishing a theocracy? Helping an enemy nation invade?
If the guard seemed a bit less enthusiastic about his duties, that might raise the king's suspicion (since he knows the guard might know about the atrocity), but this wouldn't be evidence to the PCs.
@BESW I'd like to try to be pretty ambiguous about exactly what the endgame for what this guy wants is, but if there's stuff that he'd be doing for a particular kind of sedition, I'm willing to use any of it.
If the guard is a regular fighter-type, and if he has a problem with the atrocity, he probably knows that he doesn't really stand a chance of publicly standing against the king. So he's trying to find another way to off the king or at least help out a neighboring kingdom that seems better (if only because he doesn't know it as well).
I need help with building a sorcerer for my Fiance in a Pathfinder campaign.
I know how to build a vanilla sorcerer pretty well, but want to make something a little more unique as there is already another sorcerer in the group. Can anyone link or help me with ideas?
quick question, does it have to be a sorcerer? I know PF has simulation and cant really separate crunch from fluff, but couldn't she be another class that operated similarly but brought a different range of powers to the table?
@JoshuaAslanSmith possibly, she just said that she really enjoyed playing a sorcerer, but if it is an arcane class that doesn't requite spells to be prepared she probably would consider it.
I can't really assist with any 3.5/PF questions beyond parsing rules given to me or much more general RP questions that happen to occur in those systems
About a year or so ago, my friend and I were watching the TV show Merlin together and my friend brought up an interesting point. He said that vampires used to crave garlic, however, Merlin cast a spell on vampires to make garlic repel them. Is this true?
