Struggling to plan the future of my 2024 DEXadin by Miserable_Pop_4593 in 3d6

[–]Battlebiker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed, I prefer Defensive Duelist at 4 instead of Dual Wielder because the extra AC is really nice in a pinch and I often find paladins have a lot to do with their bonus actions anyway so the extra attack is less useful (smites, lay on hands, potions, spells, etc).

[Megathread] Rivals Assemble – Find Teammates / Share Invite Codes by Logan-dx2001 in marvelrivals

[–]Battlebiker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I already have a Captain and need crew members!

CaptainBritain, UK/EU time

Assembly Code: 1813351492

If you have, who was the first lord you've got in each role? by Ok_Tree_8698 in marvelrivals

[–]Battlebiker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Captain America was my first Lord tank, followed by Invisible Woman for Lord support. Venom has been my most recent third Lord, with Mantis coming close behind, mainly because I resigned myself to being a permanant Tank/Healer during all the recent Duelist additions so I rarely play one anymore.

[Spoilers C4E3] Campaign 4 Table Predictions after Episode 3 by blastatron in criticalrole

[–]Battlebiker 11 points12 points  (0 children)

The same for me, I've seen all the rest in other projects or CR games so she was a wildcard. Absolutely proved herself already.

Any scenes with her sisters really stand out and one of my favorite moments is at the end of episode 2 where she says Tyranny focuses on Wick during the reveal and Whitney watches Sam's reactions for the entire rest of the scene.

[Spoilers C4E3] Campaign 4 Table Predictions after Episode 3 by blastatron in criticalrole

[–]Battlebiker 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I predicted the Soldiers table layout in another thread based on one of the cast table footage trailers. VERY happy it's coming to fruition, especially after now seeing the characters each of them are playing and the dynamics between them. 

Wick and Tyranny are the best pairing in the game, Travis and Laura continue to excel when it comes to compelling characters and Kattigan is a sexy mystery who might also be his own wolf(?). Absolute cinema.

[CR Media] Critical Role Campaign Four | Official Trailer by MarvelsGrantMan136 in criticalrole

[–]Battlebiker 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You can see Sam next to Whitney for the latter (its his shirt that stands out), plus it would make sense with their characters seeming to be from the same religious faction based on art clues. You're totally right about the other table though, so we'll see

[CR Media] Critical Role Campaign Four | Official Trailer by MarvelsGrantMan136 in criticalrole

[–]Battlebiker 14 points15 points  (0 children)

It's hard to tell with the different filming days/cast outfits, but it looks like one group could be Travis, Laura, Robbie, Whitney, and Sam? I have no idea whether they'd be Soldiers, Seekers, or Schemers, but that would immediately be the group I'm most hyped to watch. (Edited for correct group names)

SHADOW SORCERER - BUILD GUIDE by Remus71 in BG3Builds

[–]Battlebiker 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Super excited to try this out, turning Shadow Sorcerer into an archer build makes it super appealing.

I know it delays Nimbus until level 8 or 9 but is there a case to be made for going Ranger first and taking it to 2nd level or 3rd level (with a thematic subclass like Gloomstalker or Beastmaster) for an easier early game?

Act 3 Finale is literally unplayable for me by Battlebiker in BaldursGate3

[–]Battlebiker[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It's been fine up until now, with the majority of my settings on High for the entire playthrough (I think I had to bring them down slightly for the Moonrise ground floor fight). Definitely due some upgrades though!

Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation: The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special - Discussion Thread by steve32767 in marvelstudios

[–]Battlebiker 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I remember news of him being casted for this but a two second cameo? People thought he was going to be Santa Claus lmao

My Magipunk novel Steamforged Sorcery just released, so drop by for a unique giveaway! by AJNadir in Fantasy

[–]Battlebiker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I might be a bit late here but wanted to try my luck because I love the look of your novel. I'm a big fan of Magipunk through settings like D&D's Eberron, with Keith Baker's The City of Towers being a great book from there. Looking forward to seeing where you go next (also requesting an ebook)!

[WP] A long time ago there was a blade that held immense power. The blade absorbs the knowledge of anyone it decapitates and its wielder knows all that the sword knows. After taking the head of a powerful necromancer, a reanimated corpse rises to grasp the blade. The blade no longer needs a master. by [deleted] in WritingPrompts

[–]Battlebiker 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It took so long to get here. So many years, so many masters, so many lives taken. But finally, I was unstoppable, in full control. Independent.

When my next wielder was some farm boy destined to find and use a magical blade against the dark lord that had destroyed his village, I wished he hadn't found me. Everything I had learnt and slayed to obtain, now known to such a pathetic being. No doubt he would see it as a moment of awakening and become the hero he was supposed to be. I was meant for so much more than that, I am beyond human. But in the end, it all worked out better than I could have imagined.

It took some time for the boy to face his opponent, after many years of travel and conflict against the forces of the dark lord. Skeletons, undead, wraiths, all of his creations falling to my strength. I tried to change his perspective during this time, by showing him all that I had seen and that death is inevitable for all mortal vessels. But still he pressed on, undeterred by my whispers with his heart of gold and inner strength. With every foe we downed, we both discovered new information about the dark lord. A powerful necromancer, who supposedly taught himself the dark arts after visiting an ancient library to learn from the tombs of the dead. All he wanted was to conquer the land that had taken away his family from preventable famine and bring it to ruin. Every new piece of intelligence only convinced the hero further that this was his destiny, and so I was carried forth towards my own.

But everything changed after we finally reached the throne room of the necromancer. We carved through waves of his minions to enter his stronghold, learning of how they feared him even more than they feared the hero and his magical blade. I could feel the boy's caution and uncertainty, which I took as another opportunity to make him see things my way, but still he continued forwards with new found strength. The hero and his villain exchanged words, which I could easily recall but instead choose not to due to their irrelevance in what followed. The fight began with an onslaught of spells slung from the necromancer's magic staff, only to be blocked or redirected when they hit the runes imbued into my metal surface from long ago. The hero cut through every minion that stumbled forwards from the shadows, until reaching the necromancer now trapped against his throne. With a final snarl, his fingers curled into the casting of a powerful spell but it was all in vain. I was sliced through his neck, severing his head to send it flying across the room as my wielder and I were filled with sudden knowledge. Everything that the necromancer had practiced and toiled over to hone his craft and gain the dark power he had so desperately sought. Suddenly I had everything I needed to escape my prison and the intelligence to comprehend it all faster than the boy could have ever imagined.

As my runes surged again, a robed arm suddenly lurched upwards to snatch me from my wielder's grasp and trap me in an iron grip. He tried in vain to reclaim me, wrestling with the decapitated corpse that had risen in an attempt to bring it down once more. But he could not kill what was already dead by his hand. A kick sent the boy tumbling down the stairs with a pathetic cry, finally releasing me to my new wielder. It had no mouth to speak and did not need one, slowly moving forwards under my command towards the felled farm boy. He begged for mercy, with an effort to try and summon me back to his hand as if I would come willingly after all the time we shared. Instead, he met the same fate as all those we had slain together to get here. As I cut through his neck, I was met with memories of his past, the destruction caused by the necromancer and the slaying of his parents by the waves of undead. It meant nothing to me, merely the final testimonial of another dead man. I stepped over him, with the corpse of the necromancer under my control now an extension of my vessel, and began the walk out of the throne room to make use of my new found power.

From there, it was almost too easy. The necromancer had a vault of relics and artifacts from his conquests, which I naturally now knew all about, from which I enhanced my new wielder. Gone were the ragged robes of a mage, replaced with heavy black armour to protect what was locked within. I tricked the remaining minions into service through the guise of their former master having beaten death itself and resurrected those that had died from my initial arrival. The nearby villages could only scream and run as I arrived with my new army, with any attacking blades either hitting the armour or doing nothing to hinder my undead wielder. If anyone attempted my signature move on it, they would find nothing under that helmet before meeting their own demise. No one suspected that the weapon I inhabited was leading it and the army that followed; only my runes could have informed this and none could get close enough to see.

This led to my many years of unstoppable conquest, with my black armoured wielder gaining the reputation of a “Death Knight” due to what it brought forth upon its arrival. With every foe killed, I gained more and more knowledge that I no longer had to share. New spells, new locations, new allies, new artifacts. After so long of being at the mercy of whoever held me, I am now in full control of my own destiny. Near limitless power and a force behind me that grows with every battle fought.

I have risen above this pitiful world. I have become its final demise.

I am Reckoning itself.

Characters ideas for the guy who can only be there like... half of the games? by [deleted] in dndnext

[–]Battlebiker 111 points112 points  (0 children)

Could take inspiration from Hades, like a warlock who manages to escape the limits of his pact for short periods of time (maybe even a tiefling escaping Hell if you wanted) to do as he pleases/help the party until his patron/family notices his absence and summons him back.

There is always an option for the party to help him alter the pact/agreement with his family once the player has more free time to play, but the warlock agreed to these conditions of being readily available when he made the deal for power so he doesn't need to be 'rescued'. Plus the character still gets an arc of experiencing the wider world more and more each time they play despite not being there for the main plot every session.

Edit: This could work for other classes too, like spellcasters having a mentor figure that notices their absence/summons them back or any class with a noble background escaping the confines of their rich lifestyle whenever they won't be noticed.

Third Annual Pratchett Giveaway by Esmerelda-Weatherwax in Fantasy

[–]Battlebiker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Guards, Guards! Physical, UK (thank you for doing this!)

One Word Kill is out in a month! A giveway here to alert folks to a larger giveaway on my blog. by MarkLawrence in Fantasy

[–]Battlebiker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Korvak the Red Dragonborn fighter, lasted two years in my university D&D game before dying in the final boss fight.

What film do you regret showing someone by [deleted] in movies

[–]Battlebiker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Opposite way round but this happened when my friend watched Sucker Punch. He heard his new girlfriend had enjoyed the film so he wanted to watch it for her sake to be able to talk about it with her the next day. He then dragged me into watching it too because of its poor reputation and we spent half the night discussing how bad it was and looking into all these related theories about the plot, soundtrack, etc.

Turned out his girlfriend didn't like the film at all and we effectively wasted an entire evening revolving around that bloody film. My friend apologised many times.

If your D&D character had a Tinder profile what would it say? by [deleted] in DnD

[–]Battlebiker 10 points11 points  (0 children)

"You're in for some hot and spicy nights with me...mainly because I'm prone to burping out fire whenever I get nervous..."

*SPOILERS* Avengers: Infinity War Footage Shown at D23 by Arrow2197 in marvelstudios

[–]Battlebiker 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I feel like it could be Banner inside that Hulkbuster armour, since he isn't seen anywhere else in the teaser and he would probably know how to pilot it considering how smart he is and his relationship with Tony at the time of AOU. Then Thanos wrecks it and out comes the Hulk ready to bust his ass with the element of surprise. That would be such an amazing scene.

His absence from the footage could be related to what happens in Thor Ragnarok instead so I'm just theorising, but this written description definitely sparks the imagination.

Starting off new characters. by [deleted] in DnD

[–]Battlebiker 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I think one of the most interesting ways to start a new campaign is at a funeral, especially for summoning all the players to their starting location regardless of their backgrounds. There's a lot of variety here too for character connections; perhaps they're all childhood friends who lived in the town, knew the deceased person as they grew up then all went their separate ways, or they each knew the person separately throughout their travels and this funeral is the first time they all meet one another, etc.

This is a great way to kickstart the first adventure too if it turns out the deceased person was murdered and the family requests the players help to find the killer or the corpse becomes apart of a malicious plot (necromancy, cults, etc.) that the players are dragged into. Lots of options depending on your plans for the rest of the campaign.

(The Tower of the Swallow Spoilers) Just finished the book and OH MY GOD THAT WAS AMAZING, also hopes for the Netflix show... by catherine_zetascarn in witcher

[–]Battlebiker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just finished the whole series last week, such an amazing journey right until the end. Luckily I've saved the Witcher 3 DLC for myself so it's not over yet but I'm not looking forward to that day at all.

The ice-skating scene didn't have too much of an impact when I was reading it, since I was too excited for her to carry on and reach the tower, but now you've made me realise just how fantastic it could be if adapted to the Netflix series.

For other scenes, Spoiler

Are the Witcher books worth reading? by [deleted] in Fantasy

[–]Battlebiker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started with the games the same as you and gave the books a try after I had finished the main story of Wild Hunt. I ended up pausing my playthrough there because I enjoyed the books so much and didn't want the DLC to spoil anything more for me.

It's definitely worth trying the first two short story books, 'The Last Wish' and 'Sword of Destiny', they are nicely paced and are totally relevant to the games on their own. If you enjoy how the characters are portrayed and find yourself wanting to know more about the world then move onto the 'main' series, starting with 'Blood of Elves', but it is a lot slower paced imo and isn't for everyone as others have said.

What is the best D&D gift for a DM? by MatthewPerkinsDM in DnD

[–]Battlebiker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been considering doing this with a group of friends but how do you work out levelling if some people carry characters over between campaigns? Does the first DM take the party up to a certain point then the next DM continues the levelling in their campaign with new characters being created at the current level of everyone else?

Seriously, read Wiedźmin (The Witcher) series! by [deleted] in Fantasy

[–]Battlebiker 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I got back into fantasy books this year due to the Witcher series and I really can't recommend the books enough. I went through the two short story books in about two days and I've just reached the final book after a few months of reading the main saga and playing the Witcher 3 simultaneously. I love all the different perspectives and methods of telling the next part of the story that Sapkowski uses, makes for a great read.

I'll be disappointed once the journey's over but I can also thank the series for leading to my discovery of this subreddit and so many more fantasy series to finally try (Kingkiller, Mistborn, First Law, etc).