D&D 4e - The Earth's Upheaval - Recruitment

[Raganui Minamoto]

Got rid of the wagon and gained the gold from the tent, so up to 43. I figure that the saved gold can be spent later for if I require more components or anything else.  

[Kowsauni]

You don't mess with Tawny's miner's helmet. She'll fight you over it.

Tawny does synergize better with Aelgeirr's Commander's Strike, but Yvette does bring darkvision to an underground setting and a powerful range option.

As for the proposal for how to generate magic items, I just hope the items that are there will be at least somewhat relevant to the needs of the party, especially in cases of players optimized for specific weapons. What I've seen is that when things get totally randomized, it can lead to a lot of wasted loot that no one needs, or characters getting loot out of proportion to each other. It can take something fun (getting new loot) and make it frustrating and disappointing ("aww, this is worthless too" or "great, Bill gets a 3rd axe, meanwhile no one else has gotten anything"). I just think if loot gets used and everyone gets a piece of loot now and then, it's a lot more fun and engaging for players.  

[Rain Yupa]

It will spawn within reason. For example, if I randomize a battleaxe, then randomize ANOTHER battleaxe, I'd just reroll it.

Likewise, if there were no primal heroes, I might auto-reroll totem implements, because no one would utilize them ever.

However, if I randomize, say, a Magic Orb, which Raganui's wizard could utilize, I'd keep it. If he opts to not utilize it because it's not a staff, that's his decision. They have dual-implement wielding feats for a reason.

I also don't want to pretend certain items/weapons/armors don't exist because people feat up. Like, if EVERYONE takes Weapon Expertise: Flail (even the wizard), does that mean magic swords stop existing?

It's also why, as of like 6 months to a year ago, I decided for my characters I'm not taking weapon/implement expertise unless there's a good justification for it (swordmage using a sword, a fighter with axe-based powers, etc) because I want to be able to just pick up any magic weapon/implement a DM throws at me and use it right away without retraining feats.

But yeah, tl;dr, I'll try to make it at least relevant to the party, and if players are that picky that's your problem not mine biggrin

(Mind you, this is also independent of loot found adventuring)  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

Thork or Tor


Tor was supposed be a vampire/troll hybrid in Heart of the Monster, but issues came up, and I lost the original. The main thing different between this version and Heart's is one feat, Kow knows the feat...

Working on the backstory...  

[Kowsauni]

Hey Rain. If it is ok with you I would like to take this feet on Tawny in place of her Weapon Expertise

Avenging Resolution
Heroic Tier
Prerequisite: Avenger, oath of enmity power
Benefit: When you attack a target of your oath of enmity with a weapon attack, treat all rolls of a 1 or 2 on the damage dice as though the result were a 3 on the die.

Published in Dragon Magazine 382, page(s) 40.

Also, her background is from dungeon magazine 373. I picked it because it fits well with her being an Avenger, but if you don't like it I can switch it out for a different background the grants the same benefits.  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

Berserker, Defender/Striker Barbarian of Heroes of the Feywild

Is that an option?  

[Psychofish]

Usually Rain doesn't allow Dragon Magazine stuff or Heroes books, but it's not actually stipulated in his rules for this game. If it is, I might have to look into other feats, for something spiffier than my light blade expertise.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

... Backgrounds? Did I miss something?  

[Rain Yupa]

Psychofish

Usually Rain doesn't allow Dragon Magazine stuff or Heroes books, but it's not actually stipulated in his rules for this game. If it is, I might have to look into other feats, for something spiffier than my light blade expertise.

Yeah, with permission (see Kowsauni's post above and my response below) I'll allow some Dragon Mag feats. What will generally deter me is if something seems overpowered, vague enough to be abusable, or a little too off the rails in terms of silliness.  

[Rain Yupa]

Kowsauni

Hey Rain. If it is ok with you I would like to take this feet on Tawny in place of her Weapon Expertise

Avenging Resolution
Heroic Tier
Prerequisite: Avenger, oath of enmity power
Benefit: When you attack a target of your oath of enmity with a weapon attack, treat all rolls of a 1 or 2 on the damage dice as though the result were a 3 on the die.

Published in Dragon Magazine 382, page(s) 40.

Also, her background is from dungeon magazine 373. I picked it because it fits well with her being an Avenger, but if you don't like it I can switch it out for a different background the grants the same benefits.

Approved. Please include this in a part of the character sheet where it can easily be viewed later (such as session/campaign notes).  

[Rain Yupa]

Raganui Minamoto

... Backgrounds? Did I miss something?

Backgrounds were introduced in PHB2 (p178 ). Basically, it helps you design the background of the character, and gives you a little more wiggle room some some less important things (an extra skill to choose from for your trained skills, a bonus to a skill, an extra language... things like that).

I've never used them personally because I find them more restrictive, not less. I want to be able to design my backstory how I want to, not write it around a game mechanic. But I don't stop people from picking backgrounds for themselves if they are inspired by them.

To be honest, I'd much prefer a player to write a fluent background, and ask me 'does this qualify me for _______ as an option for trained skills?' rather than stick too closely to the book's examples. Odds are, I'll say yes if you put the effort in. For example, if you wrote for Isres's background that he was born in poverty and had to cheat and steal during his childhood to just barely survive and then asked 'Could my background get me a +2 to Thievery?', I'd approve it.

((Mind you, a background can only ever confer a SINGLE bonus, no matter how multi-faced it may be.))  

[Rain Yupa]

SCN_ Grey_fox

Berserker, Defender/Striker Barbarian of Heroes of the Feywild

Is that an option?

Is it an option for what? Thinking of un-paladining Thork?

Glancing at it, it seems okay enough.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Ah. Well, I actually finished up Isres's background. But I prefer that the GM decide to give something if he wants to than write around trying to get something.  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

Rain Yupa

SCN_ Grey_fox

Berserker, Defender/Striker Barbarian of Heroes of the Feywild

Is that an option?

Is it an option for what? Thinking of un-paladining Thork?

Glancing at it, it seems okay enough.

Yes, Something about Thork in Plate armor praying to a god(and a few smaller things) doesn't sit right with my idea of him.

Though, a Warden Thork... I could get behind that... Oh, and I don't ask, why the javelin instead of a spear or more damagey weapon...

Oh, and a thought, anyone else wants to chip in for a bag of holding to hold all the magic items we get, until we get someone with the disenchant and enchant magic item ritual caster(looks at Rag's Isres)? I mean their residuum could be more useful enchanting a new magic item, as the campaigns expands, than as gold.

Also, anyone want to pick up a tribal feat?  

[Raganui Minamoto]

I don't have much spare change, but we can definitely look into the bag as we go. And as soon as I get the level requirement for Disenchant, I'm taking it.