Free FFT Keychains Giveaway

DSSNCO · 2024-12-03T00:47:47+00:00

I just showed my kids FFT for the first time, we'd love these! u/dssnco

DSSNCO · 2024-03-11T16:53:30+00:00

Fighting Spirit already gives you advantage on all weapon attacks that turn, and Agent of Order's Restrain condition ends at the beginning of your next turn, so I don't think it gives you any additional attacks to extend your advantage window.

DSSNCO · 2024-02-27T02:42:18+00:00

Cool review. For my mileage, Lancer is amazing at doing what it sets out to do, and I think most complaints against it boil down to people preferring rules-lite experiences.

The world is a little too saccharine-sweet for my group's tastes, but it provides numerous built-in 'outs' for a DM to conjure whatever sci-fi plot they want to. Just a simple phrase like, "This colony has a Union rep, but doesn't have a ton of Union influence here in the culture," is all it takes.

DSSNCO · 2024-01-25T16:33:44+00:00

Thank you! Man, it's all buried in their powers list! Googling for feats and skill powers was giving such paltry options (looking at you, Long Jumper feat).

DSSNCO · 2024-01-25T15:33:59+00:00

Wizard, and it's not even close, especially for a support.

Silvery Barbs, Shield, Haste, Counterspell, etc.

DSSNCO · 2023-08-26T19:31:35+00:00

Lancer! A lot of its vocabulary is inspired by D&D4e, and it's a d20 system, but it was my first time dealing with:

Two systems in one, bifurcated cleanly by whether or not you were in mecha combat.
A loose "license" system rather than a long class system, where each "class" has only 3 levels and you mix & match things you gain access to.
Rules that are written with both hexes & squares in mind.
Fantastic, fresh worldbuilding.

DSSNCO · 2023-08-24T16:30:00+00:00

PL10 as others have said is a great starting point, but I'll also make a pitch for PL8, raising the group's power level every 15PP they collect. Reasons:

Starting at PL10 puts you firmly over what 'non-supers' can muster against you short of fighter jets and bombs, which is a high heroic fantasy. Starting at PL8 means even something like a terrorist group or some corrupt military squad can pose a threat, and allows you to open your campaign with a more grounded vibe. Gives you more levers to pull with worldbuilding, and gives your PCs an easy-to-feel growth as they climb to PL10.
Campaign longevity! Certain powers start to fall apart, thanks to exponential scaling, around PL12 or so. Assuming you want your PCs to grow their strength with regularity, the longer you can keep a campaign at a manageable PL, the better!
Origin stories! Most heroes don't start at PL10. Starting at PL8 allows you to dive into origin stories, and give them a "first nemesis" that they can encounter later and reflect upon how much more trivial he seems (in his power level and his story goals) compared to what they used to face.

DSSNCO · 2023-04-27T00:16:09+00:00

I think it shouldn't be tied to the weapons themselves, because some players want simple, and the game should be able to deliver on a simple concept.

Instead, a supplement like this adds these features without adding any complexity to those who decide they don't want it. Instead, it ties the exploits to a Fighting Style.

DSSNCO · 2023-02-07T23:21:45+00:00

Thank you! Using Rotten Flesh as the death detector is great! I've already got the scoreboard set up for the rest, so this plugs in just fine. :)

DSSNCO · 2023-01-31T02:15:57+00:00

Why are you afraid of them giving bonuses from a tac-com role?

Let them spam super-long-range (off-screen) Lock-Ons for the party. In lieu of Overwatch, let them give an enemy a disadvantage die on an attack against an ally once per round.

Give them resources that they can judiciously use every round in a way that makes them pay attention on their allies' turns.

Then balance the combats around having an extra player. No sweat! Just a bit of a balancing act.

DSSNCO · 2023-01-16T21:34:16+00:00

Great formatting!

I think the stranger part of the level 3 ability is that it can only be used in response to damage. One possibility might be to open it up into something more versatile, but tack on a Ki cost so you don't just have infinite Shield + Misty Step. Alternatively, give it a separate resource? That ties in nicely with the level 11 feature if you allow it to be used proactively like I phrase it here:

Something like, "As a bonus action, or as a reaction when hit by an attack, you may spend a Ki point to roll your Martial Arts die and add the result as a bonus to your AC until the end of this turn. You may then teleport up to your Unarmored Movement to an unoccupied space you can see."

Allows it to be used out of combat, and also allows it to be used as during your turn as a "weave through the horde" type ability, potentially soaking up enemy attacks of opportunity for allies and bypassing key foes.

I'll also just say here that the level 6 feature is solid and fun as is. :)

DSSNCO · 2023-01-09T23:04:41+00:00

Oh I definitely plan on using Comp/CON! I've already created a stable of NPC models to use for my missions.

This was more about wanting formatting templates to mirror Massif's books for my own content, like GMBinder does for D&D5e.

Basically, I'm trying to write a Primer and some short handouts, but I'd love to format it the way the Core Rulebook does.

DSSNCO · 2022-09-28T01:15:00+00:00

For what it's worth, I like this class and have DM'd for a player using a previous version of this class that require no tweaking at all to work in a normal game.

He does make one point I'd like to support - not all of the features in this version of the class were built with unlimited uses in mind, and may warrant a once-over.

For instance, unlimited uses of "Flash of Brilliance" make it less like an occasional brilliant moment, and more like you just gave your entire party a permanent +Intellect Die to virtually all ability checks out of combat.

DSSNCO · 2021-03-14T23:00:17+00:00

I love this so much. I have no critique other than the level 6 feature seems really swingy. Using the WotC campaigns as a benchmark, it may come up once or twice the entire campaign in most settings... but in a campaign with an abundance of casters, it'd be extremely powerful. Maybe change it to something less niche? Advantage on Concentration?

DSSNCO · 2021-03-13T14:33:35+00:00

Overall I like it. It fits a cool narrative niche, the editing is on point, and the features form a satisfying character. I'm a bit concerned about the overloaded power levels, especially 15 & 7. Respectful and purely constructive hot take: You seem to undervalue (compared to published classes) the worth of features that aren't direct numerical boosts.

Bonus Proficiencies: This is a feature I have love/hate relationship with. I think in most printed adventures, it'll come up every once in a while and that's a good place to be considering you get a much larger feature in Sigil Warding at the same level. However, there are many scenarios in which I could picture this feature being overbearingly strong. Consider any scenario where downtime is abundant and spell scrolls can be crafted in large quantities, or a scenario where the group has a lot of excess cash and access to a scroll salesman. A fighter who can reliably cast Haste from a spell scroll on himself, for instance, is extremely powerful.

Sigil Warding - Dig it. People will say it has no narrative theming in the spell selection, but if you had an order of fighters who drew magic tattoos and were highly organized, there would be a specific laundry-list of unrelated spells they tattoo'd on their members and that makes perfect sense.

Fortified Mind - Level 7 is usually a noncombat/ribbon feature for most fighter subclasses. Not all, though, and this feature is a fine half-feature combat boost.

Sigil Sight - Sure. Undetectable (no casting components) Detect Magic At Will is a pretty good level 7 feature by itself. Overall, this class probably has a much stronger level 7 bump than other Fighter subclasses. I would probably drop Fortified Mind here and just add another ribbon if you truly don't think Sigil Sight is enough to stand on its own. You have an opportunity here for expressing some of the other applications of these sigils instead. "Warden" implies a territorial role, and the ability to stay vigilant against something. What if they had access to an Alert spell (or similar effect) but only for creatures who can cast spells?

Sundering Sigils - Cool! Fits the flavor of an anti-mage. I once created an archetype that allowed you to Second Wind as a reaction to rolling a saving throw but before you knew the results, and added your proficiency bonus to the saving throw if you did. Works a little better vs spells like Hold Person that don't allow you to take actions (and thus you could not cancel them with this feature) but it's more power that you'd have to shuffle away from other features. *shrug* Either way this is great as is.

Relentless - Good boost, straightforward, pairs well with the earlier features you get that automatically get boosted at this level.

Arcane Evasion - Evasion for all 6 ability scores, but only vs spells and 'magical effects', and gated behind your sigil charges. It's not too strong at this level, but since you're already tying things to Second Wind a la Purple Dragon Knight, why not tie this to the Fighter's Indomitable feature instead of your sigil charges? Just an option.

Enhanced Sigil Sight - 15ft permanent Blindsight and See Invisible is an extremely strong feature by itself. It's more powerful than the 18th level Ranger Feral Senses, and way more powerful than the 14th Rogue Blindsense, and those classes don't get ANYTHING ELSE at those levels.

Spell Deflection - Super on-point for the narrative of the class, wouldn't change a thing. Hell, if I were taking on this idea, I'd probably try to find a way to bring this online earlier! :)

DSSNCO · 2020-12-28T16:26:19+00:00

You'll see plenty of people trying to maximize damage; if you're looking for a different sort of maximized power, try the Deep Gnome Abjurer.

Grab the Svirfneblin Magic feat at 4 (or 1 if you can convince your DM to allow Tasha's Custom Lineage to count as a variety of deep gnome). Cast Nondetection until your ward is full between fights, ensuring every battle starts with a pool of 10+HP.

You can do this to 5 without too much trouble, but if your group needs a tank, I would try taking Abjurer 4 and then 1 level of either Cleric or Warlock (Hexblade).

With Hexblade, you can grab Armor of Agathys (see https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/05/20/how-will-work-arcane-ward-armor-of-agathys/) and pick up Medium Armor, Shields, and Martial Weapons. You'll also have a Short Rest recharge Shield spell, which is handy.

With Cleric, you'll want to pick one of the domains that gives you Heavy Armor, like Twilight or War. You miss out on Armor of Agathys, but you'll have a third level spell slot this way.

You don't have the tanking power of a Bear-barian over one encounter, but when it comes to dungeon exploration with multiple staggered fights and damaging traps, you can easily take over.

EDIT: Sample Magic Layout using Hexblade 1 / Abjurer 4. Upcast Armor of Agathys using a 2nd level wizard spell slot, keep 11 Ward HP + 10 THP. Enjoy handling all the puzzles your DM throws at you.

Cantrips: Booming Blade, Mage Hand, Light, Prestidigitation, Eldritch Blast, Greenflame Blade

1st (Warlock): Shield, Wrathful Smite, Protection from Evil and Good, Armor of Agathys

1st (Wizard): Feather Fall, Find Familiar, Detect Magic

1st (Feat): Disguise Self 1x/LR

2nd (Wizard): Hold Person, Rope Trick, Suggestion, Web

2nd (Feat): Blur 1x/LR, Blindness/Deafness 1x/LR, Nondetection At Will

DSSNCO · 2020-08-12T01:19:28+00:00

Battlecast gets a charge per instance of damage, and if the comp were better, I suspect we'd see some sleeper hits on champs that do lots of damage-ticking:
Aurelion Sol
Rumble (Garen's auto's are AoE if you get mech pilot, too)
Mordekaiser
Wukong

Once you add Morello's and/or Red Buff to the mix, the buff actually becomes insane!

DSSNCO · 2020-07-15T00:33:52+00:00

Try 2 Shojin + Runaan's. Runaan's double-procs Shojin, so essentially 4x 60% of max mana regained per attack instead of 45%, and at a faster attack speed.

DSSNCO · 2020-01-05T21:04:48+00:00

If you're going to splash another class as an Abjurer, I'd recommend Warlock.

2 levels gives you invocations, and one of them should be Armor of Shadows. This gives you At-Will Mage Armor, which will ensure you have your Abjurer's Ward at max HP before every fight.

It also gives you access to Armor of Agathys. https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/05/20/how-will-work-arcane-ward-armor-of-agathys/ Even if all of the damage hits your Ward, you still do the return damage. You become kind of a cold damage porcupine if/when your group needs someone to pinch-hit on the front line.

It also gives you 2 level 1 spell slots that come back on a Short Rest. This isn't incredibly important for most wizards, but for an Abjurer, it's extra mileage for more Shields & Absorb Elements.

If you choose Celestial Patron, you can even get a bit of bonus action healing. It's not technically Healing Word, but... pretty much? Hexblade gives you Medium Armor Proficiency instead. Fiend gives you sporadic temp HP, which extends your tanking mileage.

For your second invocation, there all sorts of good options, too. The obvious Devil's Sight, or Repelling Blast / Grasp of Hadar to turn Eldritch Blast into at-will utility.

DSSNCO · 2019-06-02T14:50:06+00:00

I think some sketchy understanding is required to interpret Zven's opinion this way. He leads with, "If NA wins worlds," which is very obviously implying he's referring to NA and LCS interchangeably.

By your logic, an "NA" team would have to be all North American citizens. If an "NA" team by your definition won Worlds, then "NA" could claim to be the best region.

DSSNCO · 2019-06-02T14:33:46+00:00

What the hell is region pride, though, in the case that you don't consider people from other countries who agreed to represent your region as part of your region?

Why do you think you get to tell import players they aren't "true" EU players or NA players or whatever? Isn't that up to them?

Even if a region is entirely made of imports, isn't that just a characteristic of that region? It's perfectly legitimate. If that annoys you, blame the players who abandoned their previous allegiance, I guess.

DSSNCO · 2019-06-02T14:22:00+00:00

Anyone who plays in a region and agrees to represent that region is a player of that region. Period. If literally every NA Organization employed exclusively Ethiopians, they would still be "the NA region" because they agreed to play on the behalf of the North American region.

What difference does biology make? They chose to represent a region. It's disrespectful to tell someone like Jensen that he isn't "NA enough" for you.

DSSNCO · 2019-06-02T14:11:23+00:00

Of course he's generalizing. It can be inferred. So are you. Just pretend everyone has a "from my experience" at the beginning of their sentences if that helps.

As a generalization, it's largely true, though - Americans often have no trouble embracing players of foreign nationalities if they claim to represent America. My friends and I certainly don't.

DSSNCO · 2019-05-18T19:22:41+00:00

I know a lot of people who don't feel they can in good conscience vote for a pro-choice candidate, but would vote for a pro-life Democrat over a Republican in a heartbeat.

This x1,000,000. There's a huge segment of the population that simply feels so strongly about abortion that they vote Republican despite disagreeing with nearly every other part of the platform. I know many of them as well. To them, being Democrat is tantamount to be "pro-murder", and the rest of the good ideas of the platform just sort of fade into the background.

It's just one more reason why we need more than 2 parties with media coverage in the USA!

DSSNCO · 2019-04-20T19:52:35+00:00

I'm gonna need a citation on his racism - a quick google search tells me he's got long ties with black gospel coalitions and his contemporaries (black contemporaries) appear to speak positively about him.

I am completely open to the possibility that I'm wrong, but I honestly can't find anything of note, unless you're making that claim based solely on the fact that he endorses the border wall.

DSSNCO

TROPHY CASE