CHARACTER AUDIT - PART 2[/u]

And here are the notes for the followers.  It's looking like a great collection of characters (in all senses of the word).

In my home campaigns, what I generally do is have players pitch me their concepts (to whatever degree of complexity they like) and then I do a pass on their character backgrounds to take generalities and tie them into the specifics of the campaign world. This is also a time when I'll pitch anything I think might be interesting to add to the character (with, again, the goal being to tie them into the campaign world). Then my players say, "No, dude, that sucks and wasn't what I wanted." And it goes through a couple of revisions.

My plan is to start doing those tomorrow. I've pulled the details you've already posted to the thread here, but if you want to lay down more specifics before I take my first pass on it let me know. (And I know that I'll definitely want more details on Gileus and Haddon before doing a pass on them. Although I'm also fine if they want to wait to see how Lady Jastian's background firms up so that they can figure out how they fit into the picture.)

--AMINDA--

You need to pick 2 additional languages. Make one of them Draconic unless you are virulently opposed to the idea (I'll fill you in later).

--HASOR--

Looks good.

--CERTH--

You're short 4 skill points. I think you forgot to spend the bonus skill points from being human.

You should list languages (Common + 1 other).

Loving the custom magic items.

--HADDON--

You should have "Gnome" listed as a language.

Note Hide +6 (+10 in wooded areas) in your skill list (since you get a racial bonus).

And don't forget the racial bonus to attack rolls and the pass without trace abilities that you specifically get for being a forest gnome instead of a regular gnome.

Hmm, don't thrown weapons get the STR bonus and the Point Blank Shot bonus for thrown under 30'? Perhaps they don't stack and PCGen is wrong, which wouldn't surprise me.

I'm almost sad I don't have 3.5e books, because I think I can do this far faster with pencil and paper...

Quote from: Justin Alexander;598448--CERTH--

You're short 4 skill points. I think you forgot to spend the bonus skill points from being human.

You should list languages (Common + 1 other).

Loving the custom magic items.

Actually, I got those, but forgot about the extra skill points I acquired when moving from 3d6-in-order to the elite array (he was Int 11 before).  Ditto on the languages.  I took Celestial and trained 2 points in Profession(baker) and Use Magic Device.

Yeah, I think there's been a bit of confusion. Opaopjr doesn't have leadership, only Sir Wulf and I do. I believe Sir wulf's leadership gives him a cohort and 5 followers,while mine just gives me a cohort. While some players have been making level one followers, I think so far they're all technically Sir Wulf's, even if they work at the inn.

Castellen, I'm more than happy to leave my leadership feat open so that you can play your cohort. I can't really think of a feat that's more exciting that I'd want anyways.

I added the missing aura and languages and fixed the cross-class craft (misremembered that one...), tweaking the skills a bit.  She actually only gets 70 skill points: (4 +2 Int, +1 Human) x 10 (7th level).

Since...

a) I won't have time today for composing several inspirational recruiting speeches in slightly pompous and archaic English

and...

b) I'm not as charismatic as Lady Jastian anyway...

Please feel free to put words in her mouth when describing how your characters join the party.  She's recruiting a team to plumb the depths of the Sunless Citadel, offering a full share of treasure to veteran adventurers and half a share for less-experienced adventurers (the cohorts).  Inexperienced recruits will be offered rations, leather armor, a new dagger or spear, and funeral expenses (if needed).  Combat bonuses will also be given (but she'll avoid specifying these, since she'll depend on captured loot to afford them).

Hm I think based on Sir Wulf's last IC post that I misinterpreted, the goblins aren't the denizens of the Citadel?  Oh well, I will make sure Certh doesn't get left behind anyway. ;-)

Quote from: Opaopajr;598451Hmm, don't thrown weapons get the STR bonus and the Point Blank Shot bonus for thrown under 30'?

Right. But for example, here:

Ranged*dagger (thrown)*+7/+2*(1d4+2/19-20),*within*30*ft.*+8/+3*(1d4+2)

You've got the same damage listed for both "within 30 ft." and not within 30 ft. Unless I'm missing something, that line should read (emphasis added):

Ranged*dagger (thrown)*+7/+2*(1d4+1/19-20),*within*30*ft.*+8/+3*(1d4+2/19-20)

And there's a couple others like it.

Quote from: Josh;598478Yeah, I think there's been a bit of confusion. Opaopjr doesn't have leadership, only Sir Wulf and I do.

This entire thread of conversation confused the heck out of me until I went back and realized I had typed "Opaopjr" instead of "Josh", for which I have no explanation.

So, yup. Confusion all the way around.

But, yes, if Castellan doesn't decide to go with a cohort it would be your Leadership feat that could be swapped to something else. (Unless you feel really strongly about having a cohort or someone else feels strongly about switching from follower to cohort.)

Quote from: greyknight;598533Hm I think based on Sir Wulf's last IC post that I misinterpreted, the goblins aren't the denizens of the Citadel?  Oh well, I will make sure Certh doesn't get left behind anyway. ;-)

There are some goblins down there. I'll get the additional hooks laid down and thrown out there later today so that people can latch onto 'em or elaborate on 'em or ignore 'em as they see fit.

I would just like to observe that I wish my players jumped on plot hooks as well as we seem to be. Justin hasn't even set a single initial hook and we've all apparently decided that heading to the ravine/citadel is our character's main plan.

I will fix up Sgt Llewellyn tonight, as Opaopajr has noted, PCGen has a few quirks, the major problem of which is that it is written in Java.  

Quote from: Josh;598541I would just like to observe that I wish my players jumped on plot hooks as well as we seem to be. Justin hasn't even set a single initial hook and we've all apparently decided that heading to the ravine/citadel is our character's main plan.

I'm a fan of the game Feng Shui, which gives the players great power to make up their own details about the setting.  Part of its ethos is the idea that the GM and players share responsibility for hooking in the PCs.  

I was also under the impression that this adventure is supposed to be a bit "sandboxy", so I expected its hooks to be fairly low key.  As such, I figured I'd push us toward the adventure's "entree".  If Justin prefers to serve an appetizer first, I'm sure that we'll find out soon.

I'd love to turn Haddon from a follower into a cohort if it were offered, but I'd hardly say I'd insist on it. In any case, the other followers would get first pickings at the opportunity, latecomer that I am.

I don't know I managed to notice that forest gnomes speak elven but forgot their own racial language... I'll get those fixes in and shuffle around a few details of equipment and skills (I realized that Haddon would actually be completely unable to train Ashur, given his current bonus in Handle Animal! Whoops.). I made a belated decision that Haddon follows a taboo against possessing or touching iron, so I'll make that shift as well.

I expect to have this completed by this evening, and will then be able to hop into the IC thread to really get the guy going.

Quote from: Josh;598541I would just like to observe that I wish my players jumped on plot hooks as well as we seem to be. Justin hasn't even set a single initial hook and we've all apparently decided that heading to the ravine/citadel is our character's main plan.

To be fair, that particular "plot hook" is right there in the thread subject, so he didn't exactly need to vigorously apply the three-clue-rule or anything. :-P

Quote from: greyknight;598595To be fair, that particular "plot hook" is right there in the thread subject, so he didn't exactly need to vigorously apply the three-clue-rule or anything. :-P

For some reason, I'm reminded of a particularly aggravating player, a friend who inflicted himself on my games in a narcissistic quest to derail everyone else's plans.  If an adventure didn't revolve around his character, he would do his level best to hijack it and lead it into another direction...

"You're running The Midnight Abyss of Crom Dubh?  Heck, no!  My character is a claustrophobic hengeyokai paladin who wants to explore the Distant Peaks!  I refuse to go below ground!"

"But... We decided that we wanted to play The Midnight Abyss of Crom Dubh, a horror scenario set in my homegrown Iron-Age Celtic game world.  Why didn't you make a Celtic-style character?"

"The Irish had legends where wizards changed forms and hengeyokai are shapechangers, so they're appropriate."

"OK. (sigh...) What's his name?"

"DJ Mo Mo, the Mash Master"

He used to deliberately draw the party away from any plot hooks I provided.  Man, that guy used to irritate me.

Quote from: Sir Wulf;598619He used to deliberately draw the party away from any plot hooks I provided.  Man, that guy used to irritate me.

Did you try punching him in the nutsack?  

Quote from: StormBringer;598629Did you try punching him in the nutsack?  

I was an earnest young lad, innocent in the ways of nutsack-fu.  Now that I'm a wizened elder gamer, few would dare try such a stunt at my table.  Those foolish enough to consider such idiocy would discover that I picked up Skill Focus (Cutting Sarcasm) as a bonus feat when I leveled in the "Game Master" prestige class.