[citansdnd] Re: Low Magic Campaign
- From: marbleminotaur@xxxxxxx
- To: citansdnd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:28:42 -0500
Yes, I did tell Casey this. It was the whole reason why when we reached level 6
I had Graham go on that little expedition to find himself that masterwork
Warhammer. I was able to enchant it to a +1 Magic Weapon, but that was as far
as I got. At that point I had already gained access to the Cleric Spell that
temporarily enchants weapons with a bonus calculated by Cleric level, so the +1
was only beneficial in the fact that I could temporarily enchant other people's
weapons instead of my own.
Another reason I bring this up is the fact that the Hungry Spirits Totem's
Daily Power will be badly needed for this large of a group to an extreme. The
exact description is on page 208 of the PHB2, and to summarize, its lowest
level incarnation is a +1 Implement that is level 2 and costs a mere 520 gp to
purchase. On a critical hit it does a +1d10 extra damage per plus, AND I can
move my spirit companion to a square adjacent to the target. But that's not the
reason I want it. I want it for the Daily, which is a Free Action that can
trigger when I hit an enemy adjacent to my spirit companion with a primal
attack power. It allows both MYSELF and an ally within 2 squares of the enemy I
hit to spend a healing surge. In this large of a group we will need as much
access to abilities that allow us to heal ourselves up as possible, and this
item will only serve to help me do my job AS the party's healer better. This
also gives ME access to healing which is important because although Shaman are
good at healing allies, they don't have a lot of powers that allow them to heal
themselves.
And yes, I showed Casey that this was one of the primary items I wanted from
the week before we even started playing. I had this item in mind before I had
even put the character to paper. Mostly because since I'm stuck with the Healer
role again, I'm looking for options that will help me play my part to the
fullest and best of my ability.
Lastly, if he goes with the option for low to no magic it will directly affect
the build progression I already have set up for my character. Yes, that
includes this current level we have JUST gained, so I need to know if he was
going for this before levelling up. It would also incredibly hamper the Ritual
Casters of the group (Currently only Ray, but I intend[ed] to take the Feat
down the line myself if only for the Raise Dead Ritual) because Rituals are
freaking expensive. The only way to raise someone from the dead is through
Rituals, and it's MUCH more expensive in 4th Ed than it was in 3.5.
It somewhat makes me glad that I chose Yeldroon instead of Wendell Carraway to
play though, because if Casey did go with this option, it would make the
Artificer an entirely useless class. The entire class is built around the idea
that they are going to make and create magic items for the party. Not to
mention that they get Utilities that revolve entirely around magic items and
Daily properties, namely being able to recharge them once per day at higher
levels. I would effectively just be writing up an entirely new character at
this point if that were the case.
On a completely unrelated and much happier note however, while looking up the
Hungry Spirits Totem I found something that addresses what we were briefly
talking about last week about Staffs being able to be used as Weapons. This is
good because the writers apparently realised that it was completely retarded to
have Staves the weapons and Staves the Implements be two completely different
items. On page 206, hidden away in the PHB2, it states:
"Using a Staff as a weapon: When you use a melee weapon power through a staff,
the staff functions as a magic quarterstaff, and you add the staff's
enhancement bonus to the power's attack rolls and damage rolls. You add the
weapon's proficiency bonus to the attack rolls if you are proficient with
quarterstaffs. If you score a critical hit with a staff when using it as a
weapon, you use the staff's critical hit effect."
And there we have it. Nice of them to hide it in a place most people won't
immediately notice it, though.
-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Bartalamay <lanzlo@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: citansdnd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, Nov 4, 2009 11:28 am
Subject: [citansdnd] Re: Low Magic Campaign
Wow... I didn't realize you felt that strongly, Matt. I can understand the
frustration, and Yeldroon is a great character. But I think you should have
addressed this a bit earlier. If you wanted an axiomatic warhammer for Graham,
did you tell Casey this? Say it was a character-appropriate item? Not that I'm
minimizing your frustration, but I'm sure Casey would have worked something out.
Again, I'll bring the information on a low magic campaign with me on Saturday.
There is a provision in there for items and implements (such as totems) while
providing compensation/treasure for the players.
We'll see. It's an option, and we don't have to take it.
On Nov 4, 2009, at 2:52 AM, marbleminotaur@xxxxxxx wrote:
Okay, here goes. I have been silent for years because I don't like to rock the
boat, and I apologize in advance if I come off as abrasive and mean, but I
really need to get this off of my chest. I have to vent and be honest here, at
risk of sounding ungrateful, but I really really do NOT want to see you go with
this, Casey. At all. Not in 4th Ed. It could be excused in 3.5, due to item
cheese, but I have to be honest and say that I was extremely disappointed that
I NEVER got to actually create that Axiomatic Warhammer for Graham in the
previous campaign. I had taken all those Item creation feats just for that ONE
weapon and I never even got close to enough gold to make it.
It had been on the top of my to-do list when I created the character at level
1, and I was only able to use those feats maybe twice the entire campaign. By
level 12 I had more or less just given up any hope of being able to enchant my
hammer and instead focused on trying to at least enchant a shield with a
character-flavored ability. I got close to the amount of gold needed for that
by about one thousand shy when the campaign ended. I didn't care if we never
fought one single chaotic-aligned enemy the whole campaign, but I wanted so bad
for Graham to have that lawfully aligned weapon because it was for the
character. I kept silent on how absolutely bothered I was by this because I
didn't want to gripe about it or offend you, but I really was, and now the idea
of low to no magic in this one is actually making me angry.
I feel as if this exact same thing is just going to happen all over again, and
I will go so far as to cut out my own left eye to make sure that it DOESN'T.
The trend is already starting, as we're already second level and haven't gotten
a single piece of treasure. And all I want THIS time is one specific LEVEL 2
TOTEM that I can periodically increase the enchantment bonus on as we level. I
also intend to take Ritual Casting as a feat, but if we never get money it
literally IS going to be the Great Graham Clanforge's Totally Useless Feat
Fiasco of 2004-2009 all over again.
Now, to rant about a semi-different topic, and again, I do not mean to offend
any of you or make you mad, but I feel my true feelings on this subject must be
breached because this has been burning in the back of my mind for a long long
time now.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed playing Graham, but he was only created because
the party lacked a sufficient Healer, as was the case with Ladsworth the time
before that (Although Ladsworth was created because I wanted to play
Ladsworth). I thoroughly enjoyed playing Graham, as I am currently now with
Yeldroon, but I am extremely annoyed that both last time and yet again this
time I have been shoe-horned into the role of Healer/Leader because no one else
was willing to step up to the plate.
Both times previous (Remember, the previous iteration of the campaign began
what, five years ago? This is how long this has been at the back of my mind) I
had created a character months in advance for the expected reboot of the
campaign, discussed him at length and in great detail with Casey only to have
to scrap him both times because NO ONE WANTED TO BE THE HEALER. And it's not
even a case where I could have taken that character idea to another campaign
because he was made specifically to fit within Casey's world.
So here I am yet again playing a character created only to fill the gap in the
party, and in 4th Ed you simply CANNOT survive without a Leader. Again, don't
get me wrong, Yeldroon is a character I have been wanting to play in a campaign
for many years, previously made impossible because of 3.5's ECL garbage, and I
am thanking God and his holy host that my dreams of playing Minotaurs has
finally come true, but he isn't the character I had created for this specific
campaign over five years ago.
FIVE YEARS.
I even TOLD you guys MULTIPLE TIMES prior to the previous campaign's ending
that I was NOT going to play the Healer role this time, and in fact had a
character already made. FIVE YEARS AGO even.
Thankfully, yelling at the walls and writing all this up has made me feel
better. Again, don't get me wrong, I am happy beyond measure that I am finally
able to play Yeldroon, but next time I will be playing the character that I
have wanted to play for more than five years now.
So yeah, that piled on top of the threat of yet again not seeing a single piece
of treasure for an entire campaign is making me an extremely angry little man.
--------------------
"Laugh…and the world laughs with you. Laugh hysterically, for no apparent
reason, and they’ll leave you alone."
Steve Bartalamay
lanzlo@xxxxxxxxxxx
=
Other related posts:
