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Hey all,


I have a fairly new blog covering DMing tips for worldbuilding and campaign design, as well as prose campaign and character stories written in an episodic fashion.

If you would like to check it out, my newest post went up a couple minutes ago.


Here's the main blog link: The Wyrmling And Wyvern

I'd say that more automated crafting, on-par with some of the loot available, maybe up to the PNP limits of crafting (maximum EB of +10 from all properties) so that some loot outshines it, would be a big draw.  That of course would be more of a draw if there was some way to quest for crafting reagents, especially if said reagents were more than just "shard of ____".  In other words, it'd be a fun draw if say, making a flaming sword required you to find a red dragon scale, or similar.

There'd also be more of a draw for me, in a more soft-cap oriented xp system, which rewards adventuring beyond the basically meaningless gp you get after hitting the hard cap every level.  It'd allow people to make some progress instead of hitting a brick wall when they don't have the time to be around for long multi-hour quests or fair drips to get rp xp.

PMs sent to avoid derailing the thread any further.

To be quite blunt:  Special Snowflakes aside, half-fiends are evil unless the requisite alignment/subtype changing rituals for outsiders have been waived here.

And if they have, that should be posted, as otherwise, there is no way to change your alignment as an outsider (unless we're assuming -always evil- PCs lead a life of good pre-creation so that they don't have to work through a life's-worth of evil deeds).

Alternatively, maybe we really don't care about the limits of the setting, so long as our stories are compelling to someone.  But, if we're going to ignore some of the rules, where do we draw the line?


It would be quite nice to have a listing of rules that have been altered/eliminated/changed to fit the admins' view of the server.  Because, otherwise, those of us that play by the rules, come out looking like we're wrong all the time (we very might well be as the rules seem to not be hard and fast).

The heartbeat scripts are no bueno, which is why the suggestion wasn't to reenable the feat as-is, but to replace them with something thematic and more balanced.

This was in reference to characters which had already existed for some time in the game world, as otherwise, it would be a matter of about 3 days of hunting to equal out paladin and other levels.  

The situation which you surmise to be acceptable was exactly the kind of situation of which I was speaking, so I think...  everyone's on the same page.

Though to be fair:  All half-fiends are evil, and any paladin in need of a reminder should seek out clerical aid immediately.

That's what I assumed happened when people applied for the locked prestige classes, so I think we're on the same page.

But just to make sure, the order of events would be:
Request Permission to level in paladin -> Discussion of this particular case between admins, player and admins possibly too -> Decision is made -> level into paladin, or don't based on the decision.

So one could apply for gaining paladin levels without an instant rebuild sort of like the unlockable prestige class process?

Personally, I agree with this assessment.  I think it'd be better to leave the on-hit dispel off of Holy Sword and Holy Avengers in favor of an ability linked to the sword that is an area of effect greater dispel usable unltd times per day.  This is exactly what Holy Avengers do in 3.5, and if coded to only be the area of effect, would not allow people to target single casters.  It could even be worked so that the dispel only targets hostiles, though that might be more work.

The other thing that I think is pretty important is returning the Holy property of Holy Avengers to its 2d6 damage vs. Evil, as 1d6 Divine is lower even than tier 3 elemental and in some cases divine damage output.  Also I was fairly certain SR from a holy Avenger was 5+ paladin level, which should be at least 21, given that paladins on CD generally get Holy Avengers at 16th level or thereabouts.

Oh I meant like just enable extra hitpoints while mounted with mounted combat (to avoid combat engine work arounds).  I do agree that the AC is a bit over the top, however.

One could even give mounted combat as giving a flat AC boost based on ranks in ride, rather than making it a check each round.  It would likely be reasonable if say, 1 AC was given for every 5 or 6 ranks in ride, meaning you would (while mounted only) be getting a max of 4 or 3 to your AC pre-epic.  And given that people aren't mounted in dungeons except for the Moonsea exteriors really, it shouldn't be a huge balance changer.

I do have a question:  What if someone is telling a story in which a fighter, or other class, is working towards being a paladin?  Say the hypothetical fighter is level 12; he would not be allowed to take paladin levels, as he would end up being fighter 12/paladin 1 for a decent time, and would only balance out levels at 24th character level.  Would something such as this be allowed?  How would this be handled?

Or alternatively:  Keep the ride and feat requirements and re-enable Mounted Combat, even if it's just as something simple but flavorful, as knights were (and in Cormyr are) horsemen first, with combat ability being a close and important second.

That being said, some of the abilities are a bit lackluster, and could do with some changes.

I'm just going to say one thing:  For me, this really doesn't justify walls of text.  Stuff happened, people have their opinions, there are facts to the series of events, and it's over.  

As far as Ana's actions, if you are 100% sure you know her motivations and assumptions, by all means ascribe motives to her actions.  If you're not because you don't play her or interact with her often, then perhaps assumptions are not the best way to go.

That's not really the point I was making.  To each his own, it's just that people should understand that PCs may have had a lot of development and changes they never saw.  What seems statis when viewed through a lens of a short period of interactions may not be static when viewed as a part of the PC's lifespan.

As stressful as some of the old storylines were, I have to agree with Trylo, there are some PCs who may seem shallow and uninteresting to many players, especially newer players, because those characters poured their efforts into plots and relationships and stories which are at this point, just history.

I myself feel like Veir, my paladin, has very little in the way of means to get involved in things ever since the entirety of his original unit in the Purple Dragons has left the server, and there have been multiple reorganizations of the faction since, and also since the people who shaped his climb up to where he is are for the most part gone now too.

Jillian Goodbarrel, an old PC, was a decent influence on him, and shaped a lot of his early RP.  Tyrus, a mean green fighting machine, with a softer side; he and Veir had many conversations that were quiet and very divisive, but almost never hostile.  Even Victoria, crazy cleric of Torm, had an impact on Veir, and had a great deal to do with his story.  And who can forget the War Wizard that was basically his constant traveling companion.  And, to a man, they're all gone from CD now.

His biggest adversaries, they're also gone.  Lilly Trayl, in the beginning, was someone who was involved in some very organic RP with Veir, where they began as the most hostile enemies, and eventually became friends after a fashion.  An evil, man-eating werewolf, bane of many people's existence, had a big impact upon Veir's story too.

To many new players though, I'd bet Veir seems like the stereotypical old PC, with little in the way of depth, and little in the way of involvement in storylines.

My point, longwinded as it is, is that PCs, especially older PCs might not be involved with the newer storylines, and might not develop and change as much, because they've already developed and changed into the form they have settled into.  And that's okay, but it is a bit sad that the other PCs they put so much effort into building stories with are gone.