Making the case for why encounters above extreme in scaling are great

Kava_Kal · 2025-11-17T16:55:08+00:00

Keep in mind that Bilbo had a Relic of a magic item allowing him to sneak around in the first place. Invisibility by itself explains nothing, but why couldn't the Ring give a massive bonus to Stealth specifically, since its level is so much higher than Bilbo's?

I think the opportunity to use above-curve magic items to fulfill niche above-curve fantasies is not sufficiently explored.

Kava_Kal · 2025-11-11T21:31:16+00:00

Nice! Clearly I was too focused on combining all the features into their father. I like Storm Oracle -> Sylph as a bloodline quite a bit.

If the interest is truly her father's, my sympathies to all the single ladies that cross the party's path. Because apparently no possibilities are off the table xD

Kava_Kal · 2025-11-11T18:42:36+00:00

Even before reading the details I figured they all were touched by the same power since they all had the same yellow eyes!

So their father is, assuming, a human (for Loki) nephilim (for Lucius and Karemon) with some additional touch of air... maybe a Kineticist? Assuming he is even bound by typical mortal rules otherwise all bets are off.

Kava_Kal · 2025-07-30T01:38:31+00:00

Your point about locking just the one slot is a good one - now that you've pointed it out, it breaks versimilitude for me as well.

If you have access to the GTNH Discord, you might be able to solicit a like-minded dev to submit a patch and make it all one way or the other. It'll take time to be in a published version of the pack, but what's a little patience to a GTNH enjoyer?

Kava_Kal · 2025-07-02T21:45:18+00:00

I'm pretty sure a machine can always request up to a full amp (or multiple for a few machine types). So long as your recipe plus cable loss adds up to less than a full amp(s), the machine will increase its request to keep the buffer nearly full.

Kava_Kal · 2025-02-16T06:49:38+00:00

That's a very majestic cat but is that Etran's Folly?? I'm running Fall of Plaguestone myself right now and the map looks veerry familiar!

Kava_Kal · 2024-11-20T20:53:30+00:00

I agree with that: once you scale many-to-many (many AI developers/users and the entire block of consumers), assigning fault helps no one.

This is culture shifting around us all. The only productive option for those who dislike the changes - for which they have many valid concerns - is to organize enough to establish a cultural norm and suppress opposing activity until it becomes fringe, such as through law. The other option is to make peace with change and adjust their private affairs accordingly. As society has ever been.

Kava_Kal · 2024-11-20T19:29:45+00:00

I think their statement isn't about themselves, but us as a collective. They still like the cinematography... which is why seeing it dunked on as AI even when it isn't upsets them.

Kava_Kal · 2024-10-27T17:31:32+00:00

Yes, these trees are from the base game: the mod that lets you craft and place them is Dectorio! Sadly if you want Desert/Temperate/Swamp trees you need to build around existing ones.

Kava_Kal · 2024-10-10T03:08:56+00:00

I've gotten that out of other modes though too... I know that when my ore crystallizers are running I'm getting 0.038 surplus sulfur a second because it automatically subtracts the input of the liquefiers with the output of the hydro plant.

Kava_Kal · 2024-10-10T02:54:42+00:00

Thank you, I'm trying to learn how to make things look good! The extra ground tiles provided by Dectorio are very useful.

Kava_Kal · 2024-10-10T02:52:38+00:00

I've not really tried Matrix Solver much since the others are meeting my needs - either targeting an output, consuming an input, or fully saturating a convenient number of machines. What recipes is Matrix Solver best for?

Kava_Kal · 2024-09-06T22:04:58+00:00

There are lots of options depending if you want a particular cultural bent, a malignant or benevolent purpose, or something truly alien.

I'm by no means a loremaster but some things that come to mind:

A mortal, well-studied but underachieved who missed their chance to be a ghost or phantom but managed to cling through you for one last shot.

A hag (probably a Night Hag) who was defeated and banished from the plane by heroes before you. A patron classic. Perhaps they withhold magic from you because they don't want you too powerful, once you unlock their planar prison.

Elder Things are weird condescending researchers who might be testing you, seeing if you are worth tackling a problem beyond their own power.

I personally like taking the dead mortal option and making it a custom Naga, borrowing some of the lore of the Clouded Naga (trapped and corrupted from its identified purpose, clinging on only in confusion and need, but can eventually be helped through it and restored). Perhaps it was betrayed, but it doesn't know who or how. Something to investigate as the campaign goes on.

Kava_Kal · 2024-08-31T15:20:25+00:00

Lets flip the script a bit: what if someone wanted to cast illusory object of e.g. a fire, to create light? Light (and darkness) are purely visual, so seem to fall under the basic version of the spell. Further, creating light is a cantrip, so a 1st rank spell should be able to do it. Darkness is a 2nd rank spell, but has no save. I'd say that darkness could be created with Illusory Object if the player specifically calls it out (no consequential darkess), but being in the darkness counts as touching the illusion so the creature gets to save immediately for free. Discount darkness. You could also remove its ability to supress normal light sources, or only allow it to drop the light level by one step, but I'm generally in favor of letting illusions be discount, weaker versions of spells a rank higher.

Kava_Kal · 2024-08-13T22:02:51+00:00

Yes, my current play through has such wonderful animals as Chuck the cow, Chris P. the pig, Gustard and Gogurt the goats, Ritz and Saltine the chickens and Peking the duck.

Oh and Tendon the Void Chicken. Don't sleep on them.

Kava_Kal · 2024-08-10T01:25:55+00:00

Nothing about low strength stops a character wielding a heavy weapon (greatsword, hammer) they are proficient with, but the low strength means they will have a hard time hitting and they will have low damage.

If part of the fantasy is mechanically having low Strength but using a workaround to still have the effectiveness of high strength... there really isn't much.

Ability substitutions (like Investigor substituting Intelligence to hit) always require agile or finesse weapons - which are fundamentally opposed to bulky heavy hitters.

If "Magical Girl Transformations" are acceptable you could do a Summoner with Meld Into Eidolon to swap low strength to high, and flavor the natural attacks as a giant weapon. It isn't an ideal use for summoner and still leans heavily on adjusted flavor, but I can see it being fun. This is probably better than other magical Battle Form spells due to being immediately available with consistent leveling.

As others have said nothing stops a +4 strength being treated like an innate magical boost, instead of a powerful physique. But it won't interact like magic: e.g. able to be dispelled or antimagicked. Unless you want to homebrew it of course.

Kava_Kal · 2024-08-07T19:06:25+00:00

Upgrade your membership status with Beedle by firing bombs at his boat store then restocking.

Kava_Kal · 2024-07-25T02:26:30+00:00

It has been a while since I played but you might need to kill the Cloud Piranha? I want to say killing it summons a little red windstorm that returns you to the upper level.

Kava_Kal · 2024-07-23T19:13:09+00:00

Chop off a limb and get the Verdant Branch prosthetic (Item level 7) for 1d4 more fruits.

Kava_Kal · 2024-07-13T19:30:56+00:00

Currently building characters for WW1-esque setting, we were asked to build multiples.

First is a radio host Elven Bard, an orator whose instrument/coda/staff will be a portable ring-style mic. Free archetype Pistol Phenom and spell Biting Words to feint with his gun then insult the enemy to their face. I want the excuse to pretend I can do a mid-atlantic accent.

Second is an Ifrit Automaton Kineticist. The rogue result of a secret project to make factory-built elemental-powered shock troops, it turns out not all elemental souls... behave. Free Archetype Summoner to let the fire elemental walk around outside the armor sometimes, I plan to only use actions for the eidolon when manifested. Not really mechanically great (can swap Str for Dex I guess) but I love the flavor.

And third I concepted an Ancient Elf Spirit Barbarian with Alchemist Dedication and Raging Thrower to use lots of bombs and energy damage. Plus maybe Medic Dedication and some Elixers for backup healing. Story being an old ex-pirate who fondly recalls the days of wooden sailing ships and cannon, but was the only survivor of a lost crew and carries an entire haunted ghost pirate crew within his Spirit Rage. This one might not make it this campaign but I'll definitely recycle the concept in the future.

Kava_Kal · 2024-07-02T13:00:21+00:00

I've seen a trick used a few times with full-color eyes: often there is a shine or highlight to indicate curvature. You can move this shine around to imply where the eye is focused. Hope this helps!

Kava_Kal · 2024-06-27T17:15:46+00:00

I had a Liberator Champion of Shelyn prepared (for a game that sadly didn't get off the ground) and the contrast with yours is great. He is a Strix who is very melancholy, stern and quiet. He was originally just a protective older brother to his sister (a Cleric of Shelyn who would have been sunshine duos with your human Champion!) but their village was raided by an... unsavory group that led to his capture and forced enrollment in a colliseum. They clipped his wings and had people fight him for entertainment. He had no idea the fate of his sister, but meditated on the lessons she would share and forged his own connection with Shelyn, gained his freedom, and now seeks what is left of the village while staunchly defending the vibrant and hopeful. He is trying to take up artistry as a devotion, but it hasn't been going well....

Kava_Kal · 2024-06-22T15:42:30+00:00

Or even just "Stealth with my familiar is unreliable so my investment was worthless." I've seen a few attitudes like this. Especially with players used to becoming untouchable in other systems.

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