The Maker's Crown [D&D 3.5 - Eberron]

[PhaedrusXY]

So, I got the basic done....

Question to mah party members: Do I take Stand Still or Combat Expertise/Imp.Trip? Also, is there any char evil aligned here?

I have Stand Still, but I guess that doesn't mean someone else shouldn't take it. I also have Thicket of Blades, and Expansion.

[Chemus]

My character Camlen, while still a WIP, is up. Anyone with suggestions for a Face/BFC please speak up.

First question: Summon Swarm or Cocoon of Refuse? The second is more controllable, entangling one target, than the first.

[VennDygrem]

Oh, sneak attacks can power ANY SLA, including dragonmark ones.   That's totally cool.

Hmm... I'm actually thinking of favored in house at sixth level, then using going into dragonmarked heir.  

Could I get a "practiced SLA-thief" feat brewed up for ninth level that would allow me to have dragonmarked heir levels progress my SLA stealing?

I tried just altering Dragonmark Heir to add progression to it, but no class features are really worth swapping for that which you would really mind giving up. So I'll say taking the feat "Perfect Spellblood" allows you to add class levels of any class that provides or enhances SLA's to stack with your Spellthief levels for the purpose of determining the highest level of SLA you can steal, and also to determine your caster level for your SLA's (otherwise it could be perceived that taking levels in Dragonmark Heir would stall the CL, even if it technically wouldn't due to my House ruling). Prerequisites are similar to Master Spellthief: character level 4th, 'Steal Spell-like Ability' class feature.

---edit---
Ok, I took a look at your char sheet and noticed something: While you don't need to worry about Cha to affect save DCs for SLA's you steal, you still need it for any SLA you have by virtue of your race, class, feats, etc. I think the issue was brought up earlier but sort of fell by the way-side.

My character Camlen, while still a WIP, is up. Anyone with suggestions for a Face/BFC please speak up.

First question: Summon Swarm or Cocoon of Refuse? The second is more controllable, entangling one target, than the first.

I've heard that Summon Swarm is more useful at early levels, but less so later on. But that's just hearsay. I will mention that you won't be in an urban setting at all times during the campaign, making Cocoon of Refuse slightly less useful.

Also, looking at your stats, it seems you've got 38 points in there, unless I'm missing something-- which could easily be possible, given the unfinished nature of the sheet. Just looking for a head's up on that, is all.

[Flay Crimsonwind]

Alrighty, my sheet will be done very soon, as soon as I know one thing; anyone have a suggestion for my fourth level? I'm thinking it's gonna be another level of sorc, which bites but what can you do, I'm starting off a badass vampire with the MotAO spellpool, so not so harsh. If that's how it goes, I just need to fill out my spell list some more.

Also, Ring of Sustenance is gonna make our trip a lot easier. No hunting for whores nightly.

How're we doing hp?

[Chemus]

...Also, looking at your stats, it seems you've got 38 points in there, unless I'm missing something-- which could easily be possible, given the unfinished nature of the sheet. Just looking for a head's up on that, is all.

Does the point buy include level up's (+1 Cha at 4th)? If so, I'll adjust accordingly.

[VennDygrem]

Here's an idea: everyone take at least one level of binder (or the feat which lets you bind vestiges). It's what brought the characters together.

No room for that in my build.

My character is mostly done

I do need to know how you're handling psicrystals, though. Do they get feats? What's their BAB? What happens if they die? Do psionic prestige classes advance their abilities? All that stuff... Here is the psionics FAQ which has the relevant interpretations and rules, if you want to brush up.

Also, can I retrain the psicrystal's alertness feat to Mindsight once it gets Telepathic speech?   The range is only 30 feet.

I forgot to address this:
Psicrystals are very much like familiars, but also like animal companions or lesser cohorts. For the purposes of this game, Psicrystals gain HD equal to the Master's for effects that the master's feats, class features, or other abilities rely upon, as mentioned in the creature entry in XPH. However, as they are more an extension of the master's force of will, personality, and psionic powers, they are not real creatures, and thus do not gain feats for increasing in HD as a normal creature would; One exception, however, is that the master may imbue the psicrystal with experiences and talents, granting the psicrystal one feat for every 6 character levels the psionic character possesses, to a maximum of 3 feats at level 18. They gain no BAB or skill points from increasing their hit dice, as their skill points and allocation are equal to the master's; However, for any ability in which a psicrystal requires an attack bonus, consider its BAB to equal its master's (as with a familiar).

Should a Psicrystal be destroyed, the master must craft a new one, as well as perform a special ritual in which the psionic character imbues the new crystal with psionic energy and its personality. This ritual costs 200 gp for each level in a psionic class the character possesses, representing both the cost of collecting the special crystal material for crafting the psicrystal, as well as other specially required materials. It takes 1 week to perfectly craft the psicrystal itself, and the ritual takes 8 hours to perform after that.
(I essentially lifted the familiar-death rules from Pathfinder- Anyone with a familiar essentially uses this rule as well).

Psionic PrC's advance the psicrystal's class abilities. Arcane PrC's (those classes granting an increase in caster level and spells known) also count toward the abilities of a familiar.

Altertness can not be retrained out, as it is a special ability provided by the bond between a psionic character and thier psicrystal. The crystal does gain a bonus feat now, though, for 6th level.
------------------

@Flay: You gain full HP at level one; each level's HD can either be rolled or an average can be taken, equal to 1/2 HD + 1 (so d6 HD would be 4, d8 would be 5, etc.)

If HP start looking a little low when I see everyone's final char sheets, I may issue bonus HP for level 1.

@Chemus: Of course, I forgot about that. nevermind what I said. I really need to pull things together and stop seeming to flake out. 

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Yeah, my cha is too low ATM, I was just trying to feel out the maximums for my other stats (18 int isn't really needed).  I'm probably going to end up with a cha of 14 or so - my save DCs are going to be mediocre, but my SLAs are going to be more of the no-save kind anyway.



EDIT: Yeah, given my -2 racial penalty, a starting cha above 13 is going to have to be enough.  I figure that should be enough to be able to cast up to third level stolen spells, and none of the SLAs I have now have DCs (except for shocking grasp, which is basically a single-use CLW potion), so I'll be able to use everything I can take until at least eighth level.  At 8th I'll be able to afford a cloak of charisma and be able to use stolen fourth and fifth level spells, or, failing that, just put a point in at level up.


Post race and levelup
Str:10
Dex: 14
Con: 18
Int: 16
Wis: 10
Cha: 13


So, normally I get masterwork tools for whatever skills I most use, but now I'm a skillmonkey, and probably will use them all.

So, since a generic masterwork tool costs 50 gp and weighs 5 pounds, can I propose this thing:

Thneed: Woven from the finest of truffla tufts, menacing with spikes of the truffala stuff,
A Thneed's a Fine-Something-That-All-People-Need!
As such, they act as a masterwork tool, granting a +2 circumstance bonus, for every skill.  They can even break off specific masterwork tools, although the bonus to that skill will not apply to the main section until the chunk is returned.
Price: 2500 gp
Weight: 250 pounds
Special: If a thneed is the only object inside a bag of holding, you can remove the relevant portion of it as a move action.

Basically I don't want to clutter up my character sheet with masterwork tools, and I figure I'm not going to make checks in 50 different skills over the course of the campaign, so it's not like I'm getting a discount.

[Chemus]

Also, Ring of Sustenance is gonna make our trip a lot easier. No hunting for whores nightly.

Heh. That's actually a really good item for the goody-two-shoes vampire! Angel, eat your heart out.

I'm torn between the Charm, Flee-the-Scene, and Humanoid Shape invocations. I'm taking most all of them eventually, but which right now?

I don't get much BFC yet, actually. Options include an uncontrollable summon swarm (that goes away when I cease concentrating, so still usable), the partially real wall of gloom, darkness, or darkness (aka fog cloud that only grants concealment.)

I can take one creature out of combat via charm, plus I can get real friendly with the natives.
-or-
I can take two medium creatures with me with the 40' D-Door (Venn, do they get to act if I take them with me? I read it that they do, but what's your call, or the known ruling?)
-or-
I can gain a climb (forestkith goblin), swim (numerous) or fly (raptoran, potentially avariel) speed, or even natural armor via Humanoid Shape (or a sneaky character who steals it from me can; it's worded so that for 24h, it's a standard action to change form, too!)

Other than the Wall of gloom (which for a little while has its uses, if I take it) I'm going to have most of those invocations later, when I get wall of fire or chilling tentacles. Any preferences?

[Flay Crimsonwind]

It's not goody-two-shoes, it's practical! More blood for empowering myself, and for emergencies. I wont have to tarnish my lips with your filthy blood when we get trapped in a cave.  

I dunno between flee or humanoid shape, but not charm. Fun, but not the best. For a mix of battle/social, either of those two are good though. I'd say humanoid shape would be marginally better, though I like flee better.

Anywho I'm pretty much done, and by the by, am I the only arcane caster (aside from our friendly neighborhood spellthief, who kinda does count)? I'm mainly taking debuffing spels like ray of exhaustion with escalating enfeeblement, but if there's something we need as a group, do let me know. I'm just taking the best debuff/control's I can. Also, I have 1850 to spend, and was thinking of a wand or two, if there are suggestions for one/other equipment.
My spell list thus far:

Shield (PHB)
Ray of Enfeeblement (PHB)
Silent Image (PHB)
Protection From X (PHB)

Escalating Enfeeblement (CM)
Mirror Image (PHB)

Ray of Exhaustion (PHB)

[Risada]

So, I got the basic done....

Question to mah party members: Do I take Stand Still or Combat Expertise/Imp.Trip? Also, is there any char evil aligned here?

I have Stand Still, but I guess that doesn't mean someone else shouldn't take it. I also have Thicket of Blades, and Expansion.

So, I guess I can take another feat instead, and my char will always stick close to you 

... Any ideas on what I could pick instead? My Font of Inspiration is running dry... are there any other debuffing feats I could take without dipping into other classes?

[PhaedrusXY]

Thanks Venn. The psicrystal rules look fair.

Will you allow odd numbered stat boosting items, like Gloves of Dex +1? I just realized I'm going to lose access to Combat Reflexes when I use Expansion...

[VennDygrem]

@Phaedrus: Sure, just use the normal magic item creation rules to get the price.

@Chemus: You're using the invocation by expending your actions. Anyone else acts simply as though a spell were cast on them, meaning they can act normally on their turn (assuming that they can act normally at all).

@TML: Sure, but you might want to call it a MW Multi-tool instead.
Knock a hundred lbs. off the weight, too. It's made efficiently so as to take up as little space as possible (as any other multitool is), though this has quite a few more tools at its disposal.

----
So far, it looks like we've got three characters focusing on debuffing. While debuffing is always helpful, do you guys need quite that many debuffs? Obviously the more the merrier, but feel free to coordinate. Even after paring down the list, we're likely to still have at least two debuffers in the group.

[Flay Crimsonwind]

Well, we'll get screwed by SR enemies, but we'll be able to nuke everything else to a helpless mess! In any case, I can't really specialize, so I've got a bit of a spread. Granted, I'm a vampire; if I CAN incapacitate something, I damned well will!   But yeah, got some other stuff, mainly good for subterfuge...

Also, give me a full round action (I know, kinda suck), and I can pull any wiz/sorc spell out of my ass (spellpool, but y'know...).

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Pick humanoid shape!  Humanoid shape!

I keep my electricity healing when I get transformed! 

[Chemus]

Done. (I wanted it anyway, but the mobility of teleporting through the door/wall blinded me...)

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Done. (I wanted it anyway, but the mobility of teleporting through the door/wall blinded me...)

I've got dimension door (once I fix my build to spellthief 5/dragonmark heir 1), so no issues.

[Risada]

While I have the debuffer build, I'm working into a Duskblade build to go Arcanamach later....

Question at Venn: if I'm an elf, would you be as kind as allowing me to be proficient into certain elven weapons (specifically the elven courtblade)? Could I, maybe, swap the standard proficiencies into this one?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

While I have the debuffer build, I'm working into a Duskblade build to go Arcanamach later....

Question at Venn: if I'm an elf, would you be as kind as allowing me to be proficient into certain elven weapons (specifically the elven courtblade)? Could I, maybe, swap the standard proficiencies into this one?

Complete Warrior lets you swap out one of your racial weapons for a different racial weapon.

[VennDygrem]

Sounds fine, especially given that it's backed up by official material. Also because Elves are generally kind of not so great by themselves.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

So, would it be looked down upon if I got a shock weapon and recharged my hp with it between battles?

The damage:healing ratio is in my favor if I use nonlethal attacks.

I suppose I could just stand on one foot (so I'm balancing, and thus flatfooted) and sneak attack myself with shocking grasp in the vitals as well, but that's a once/day thing.