TRPG General Chat

BESW

00:00

Waaaait a minute. Warlord pixie.

somori

@BESW That's another option.

BESW

[shrill voice] "Charge, my hapless conveyance! Charge!"

My party is now working on building this at the lowest level possible for a one-off short campaign.

KRyan

00:20

@BESW how'd you do that monospace font?

BESW

@KRyan ` is the symbol; it's the tickmark under the ~ on the key to the left of the 1.

KRyan

@BESW ah, I didn't recognize it without the box it usually gets

oh sweet mercy he's maybe ending the class early I hope please please?

somori

Are you thinking of the tag formatting rather than monospace?

KRyan

I hate this class

so so much

@somori no, on SE itself monospace gets a gray box around it

BESW

@somori what's the symbol for that? brackets?

somori

00:23

You write [tag: and then put ] at the end

BESW

@somori I would've gotten that. Eventually.

(I'm currently on a hunt for what the symbol under the tilde is called.)

somori

@BESW backtick

BESW

@somori Or grave accent. Got it.

Novian

Ok Quick Question Time. Im gonna play a Psionic character for the first time. I have 2 feats. any Suggestions?

Brian Ballsun-Stanton

@Novian game?

BESW

00:25

@Novian System/edition, limitations?

mxyzplk

@BESW I understand that's an increasingly common approach, and think it's immensely sad and misguided.

somori

@Novian Depends on what kind of psionic character. Wilder, Psion or Psychic Warrior.

Novian

ah yes I seem to have forgotten those details

D&D 3.5 and Wilder

BESW

@mxyzplk To understand a system's base state so you know what you're changing?

somori

@Novian Having a high concept does help :P Presumably a big blast kind of wilder?

Novian

00:26

hmm Dont have a clue what they are capable. I just liked them overall compared to the Psion.

of*

Brian Ballsun-Stanton

go read a wilder handbook

somori

@Novian Might be a good idea to reread the fluff section of the wilder class then.

Novian

I just know they have a sort of at will ability that empowers their abilities with a drawback.

Brian Ballsun-Stanton

minmaxboards.com/…

somori

@Novian Also - Dan in Another Gaming Comic is playing a Wilder in the current plotline.

Novian

00:28

Im thinking of going with Kalashtar. they seem to be a good choice for race.

@somori half of why Im playing a psion. the other half being psion is the only archetype i havnt played.

I also liked Wilder. I just didnt care for psions BaB progression.

I dont like it

somori

@Novian Psionics is a power source, not an archetype. There's plenty of archetypes you can play with the psionics.

Novian

sorry i mispoke

somori

@Novian That's alright then :) So long as you don't think my favourite power source is all one thing :P

Novian

hmm.

Novian

00:44

what are Psicrystals?

somori

@Novian You have the book right there, don't you? The index is actually usable in the Expanded Psionics Handbook...

Novian

hmm.

I dont have a physical book and my PDF reader hates me.

Ill be back in a few minutes.

Before I write stuff down is it worth taking the feat?

somori

Depends on if you want a mobile rock for a familiar.

Novian

is that sarcasm or praise?

somori

Neither. A psicrystal is a mobile rock with a piece of your personality that acts a lot like a familiar.

If that sounds interesting it's worth taking, if it's not then don't bother.

BESW

00:55

@somori I think Novian is interested in the mechanical advantages of a psycrystal more than the flavor.

Novian

hmm...Ive used familiars before and they do have uses. Do they suffer that horrid drawback of XP loss on death?

BESW

At least, that seems to be what he's asking.

My 3.5 campaigns never explored psionics, so I've got nothing substantial to offer.

somori

@Novian Don't remember - here's the SRD version d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psion.htm#psicrystals

Novian

Im not seeing anything related to the destruction of the psicrystal

somori

@BESW I don't have many non-flavour based answers unfortunately.

@Novian Well, according to the SRD it doesn't have hitpoints so it can't be destroyed. I'd double-check the XPH if I was you.

Novian

01:01

it has natural armor adjustment.

somori

@Novian And that's a good signal the SRD is incomplete :P

Novian

page 207 has their stats.

tiny constructs.

they seem to not suffer from the flaw that familiars do

no XP loss.

lol -17 grapple.

immagine somehow that it could succede the check. How the heck would it grapple anything.

I dont see the need for them really.

somori

When they get mobility, they grow ectoplasmic legs.

Skill bonuses, power sharing, extra psionic focus.

Novian

what is psionic focus?

somori

And a piece of your own personality to talk to :P

Novian

01:06

I keep reading about it but cannot find it

somori

There's a search function in the SRD...

Novian

gives me the DC of the concentration check but not what it is

I assume it has something to do with psionic power.

the exact nature of which escapes me.

somori

That's just the first result. The other half of the puzzle is in the second.

Novian

..?

somori

When you search for things like psionic focus, not everything is necessarily in the first search result. Try looking at more than one of them.

Novian

01:20

I cannot seem to locate it.....

somori

google.com/…

In the second link down...

Novian

really?

its like taking 15?

on concentration?

Sounds like it can be abused.

KRyan

@Novian well, it can be kind of, but not through taking-15 on Concentration

"abusing" Psionic Focus is mostly about having more than one at a time

the main thing with Psionic Focus is you expend it to activate certain things, like a lot of [Psionic] feats, and all [Metapsionic] feats

Novian

hmm

KRyan

it's a full-round action to regain, so...

so Psionic Meditation becomes near-mandatory

but it can be painful due to the Wis 13 req

Novian

01:26

<----Wis 14

we also dont do point buy we roll 4d6 remove lowest.

not everyones favorite system i hear but it works for us

Besides no one rolls too high on their stats

somori

@Novian 4d6 remove lowest is fine. It's the reroll ones that skews you to an average of 14.

Novian

I almost never roll 1's

im good with D6's

besides its possible to roll 1's on those rerolls

we keep em if they do roll 1 a second time.

the lowest stat ive ever had was 7

somori

@Novian You realise that if you have skill at rolling, that's cheating right?

Novian

I have luck

KRyan

you don't

you have confirmation bias

Novian

01:30

I dont nessesarilly know how to roll dice better. its just 6 sides love me more than other die.

20's hate me.

D4's Loath me.

somori

@Novian Already taken into account. The skew is to 14.

Novian

Some D20's activly try to kill me

KRyan

you do realize that almost all dice are extremely nearly uniformly random, right?

there will be slight deviations due to manufacturing variations, but they'll be very slight unless they're weighted dice

Novian

tell that to 5 nat 1's in a row

5D20

Dice Service

17

4

15

1

14

Novian

01:34

thats better than last session.

KRyan

@Novian you wouldn't be able to tell anything from five dice

Novian

4d6

Dice Service

•

Novian

2d6

Dice Service

•

Novian

01:35

10 even

hmm.

sounds about right

KRyan

6 dice is not going to produce statistical significance unless they're like all 1 or something

that's slightly below average but not in a statistically significant way

you need (many) more rolls to do any real statistical analysis

Novian

it was 4 dice rerolling 1's

somori

And here's the analysis of the normal methods anydice.com/program/1992

Novian

0.0

0.o

KRyan

anydice is awesome

Novian

01:38

dont get it

KRyan

yay bell curves

somori

@KRyan Took me ages to work out the reroll 1s bit... but it was fun

KRyan

@somori yeah, I haven't really fiddled with it personally

I would have just written a C++ program probably

maybe Java if I had Eclipse open instead of Visual Studio

somori

@Novian NPC Distribution is the classic 3d6 only method

Novian

I might have written a Visual Basic Program to do that stuff.

KRyan

01:39

the only VB I've done is VBA in Excel

somori

@KRyan You need to do some more work with Domain Specific Languages then :) Martin Fowler has loads of interesting stuff on his site about that.

@KRyan Be glad. It's awful to work in.

@Novian The 4d6 drop lowest method which is the standard for PCs is distribution 2 and your method is distribution 3

Novian

ah

see that makes it simpler.

somori

@Novian The decimal number against each result is the percentage probability of getting that result using that method.

@Novian Your method isn't wrong. I just wanted to make sure you knew that it does create much higher average stats than the system expects.

Novian

Ill just see what my group thinks then.

KRyan

I despise rolling for any permanent statistic

I think it is absolutely atrocious game design for any system that assumes campaigns will go on for an extended period of time

somori

01:44

@KRyan Same. Point buy makes life so much easier on everyone.

KRyan

in Paranoia? totally ok

D&D? absolutely not

Novian

I despise point buy in D&D. it makes me feel weak and suck at skills.

somori

@KRyan Yeah, Paranoia is definitely impermanent.

KRyan

old-school, dungeon-crawling, random-arbitrary-death-is-a-feature D&D, well, if that's your thing then sure, why not

@Novian that's because you use a PB value much lower than the average for your rolling method

somori

@KRyan Although, random heritage tables are lots of fun.

KRyan

01:45

@somori don't know what those are and I'm dubious that they would be

somori

Legend of the Five Rings uses them - they give you stories about your family history and little nudges to your character.

Novian

Lo5r is kinda fun. we dont do it enough

KRyan

@somori I don't particularly see why that can't just get chosen

I mean, having those kinds of backstories is cool

Novian

gets kinda scary when your bow is possessed by your dead sister.

KRyan

don't see much need to have it randomized unless you're looking for inspiration

Novian

01:47

and you have an obsessive cleaning problem'

somori

@KRyan Because they provide for a little unpredictability and help build the game world up.

Novian

not knowing is a dangerous thing

KRyan

@somori I don't see any desirability in unpredictability in your character's past

I do like it for building the game world up, but again, it could just be chosen

somori

@KRyan It could, but there's a risk for reward element in that part. You pay for a chance to get something good.

KRyan

@somori see, I don't think gambling should be any significant part of character building

that's why I detest rolled stats

somori

01:51

Here's an example for the Crane l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Crane_Heritage_Tables

KRyan

it annoys me to see someone shafted, or godly, for the entire game because he got lucky rolling at exactly the right time

or unlucky as the case may be

somori

@KRyan You can't be shafted, these aren't like the stats which come up ALL THE TIME.

KRyan

@somori yeah, these look awful

Novian

hmm I just found a strange oddity in the ToB

KRyan

@somori permanent disadvantages with no corresponding points, when someone else gets a permanent advantage with no corresponding cost?

that's pretty serious

@Novian is it with the weapons, WRT, or IHS?

Novian

01:53

Martial Study allows you to gain a maneuver as an encounter power basically as long as you meet the prereqs which means that you can take a maneuver of any level as long as it has no prereqs

i thought that was weird

like for example a fighter could take Bonecrusher. which is a 3rd level maneuver at 1st level.

KRyan

@somori I'd probably simply tell the group that everyone's getting a Dishonorable/Undistinguished/Distinguished/Mixed Past

@Novian the level requirements are part of the prereqs

check the chapter on martial maneuvers where it describes the prereqs

the Prerequisites: line in the maneuver entries is in addition to the Initiator Level requirement

Novian

ah.

somori

@KRyan So, I can buy a challenge that gets me more spotlight time or a bonus that helps me overcome the challenges that I'll face? Sounds like a great deal to me.

Novian

@KRyan would I look under the selecting martial maneuvers section on table 3-1 "Highest maneuvers Known"?

seems to imply some sort of level as per what im looking for.

KRyan

@Novian well, those are the things, but I was referring to the section that describes what each of the entries in a maneuver's write-up mean

it explicitly defines the Prerequisites: line as being in addition to the level requirements

that table is just what the level requirements are

Novian

02:05

So if I want to learn a 3rd level maneuver with no other prerequisites I can learn it at 6th level through that feat?

I see....Psionic Meditation makes focusing a move action

it is nessecary

somori

@Novian Only if you need to expend it in combat. There are plenty of feats that are good while you hold it.

Novian

heh ill see what i come up with.

My race doesnt have common as a base language..... weird.

guess Ill just use my 1 bonus language for it.

somori

@Novian Kalashtar in Eberron are from a repressed state that have little contact outside of their continent.

Novian

I did read something about that.

I never play atypical people

somori

Does make it difficult to learn a language if you don't have much regular contact.

Novian

02:15

Im not your typical Kalashtar

once I understand more I can write up a backstory explaining why.

somori

@Novian Neither is any PC :P

@Novian Of course, if you're not on Eberron, it's a very different matter.

Novian

we are playing on Eberron

tis why I need to understand

new setting new countries and new political and racial backgrounds.

the neatest thing about Psionics is no ACF

somori

@Novian Really? What about the incredible power from discipline and the crystalline aesthetic?

Novian

@somori and like a dumb contest youve lost me.

a comliment and a statement all in one.

somori

@Novian The lack of ACF is a mechanical nicety. There's lots of interesting stuff in psionics beyond that.

Novian

02:23

I am new to it.

now the question is what do I want to do as a wilder.

4 powers and a number to choose from.

somori

@Novian Take a look at the disciplines. There's different directions you can take with the different powers.

Dan's Wilder is a psychokinetic with excessive energy bursts.

Novian

yes indeed.

somori

You can do a Jean Grey with a Wilder Telepath.

Novian

but i am not anarchic initiate though so I cannot play a Dan.

somori

@Novian It's a direction you can take, not something you have to copy.

Novian

02:27

I think people would complain if I went with a Dan copy.

Incinerating my loyal followers and enemies alike for the sake of the End

somori

@Novian Why? It's a valid direction to go in. Big energetic booms.

Novian

@somori jelousy

somori

@Novian That will last right up to the point you nova out.

Novian

hmm. I know 4 powers of a max of 3rd level powers....

somori

They can't all be third level.

Novian

02:34

no

I have to learn em in order.

somori

So, 2 1st, 1 2nd and 1 3rd

And, being a wilder, you want stuff that is easily augmentable.

Energy Ray is a solid 1st level choice. Multiple energy types (so you can hit resistances) and totally scalable.

Novian

how about energy burst.

seems good for a third level

somori

@Novian If you want to kill your friends, yes :P

Novian

if I understand Wild Surge correctly it is similar to augmenting the Wildsurged power by that many power points.

so Augment+wildsurge makes the power of such powers go up.

but with that drawback.

and you can manifest a power as many times per day as your power points allow correct?

hmm I think I get it.

if a power has a 120 ft range and a 120 line area what does that mean?.

somori

ENergy Wall or Time Hop are probably better.

Novian

02:45

does that mean I can manifest it within 120 ft with a line area of 120 ft?

somori

Those range entries are borked - no, the line starts from the caster.

Novian

ah

how do you tell what a power costs to manifest?

somori

@Novian What do you think? :P

Novian

Id say some sort of reference to its level

some powers do have defined power point entries.

somori

They should all have that entry.

If not, all the powers of each level cost the same.

Novian

02:50

really?

thats handy

it seems level 3 powers cost 5 points

somori

It's an artefact of the conversion between spell levels to psionic levels.

Novian

not bad to have a sort of concrete number involved

Energy Ray is nice.

Now the only thing I have to do is decide on some powers look up the max I can augment them and Record them.

I think for one of my level 1's Ill go with energy ray.

ugh my ac is trash

ive got no dex bonus.

....this isnt good.

somori

Inertial Armor is a wise choice. I think you can even get that permanently off a feat...

Novian

whut?

if you can find it id like to hear it

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