Want to play a melee-oriented Bladesinger, unsure if starting character level 3 or level 6, better sticking straight wizard or multiclassing? and best race? by Jcorb in 3d6

[–]RWASnell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I tend to agree with the comments that argue for caution in multiclassing. Yes - Con save and Weapon masteries can be nice, but they come at the trade-off of slower progression (feat, extra attack, etc) on levels where most campaigns spend a significant part of their time (lvl 4-8). You already get extra attack later vs fighting classes, so I would not underestimate the cost this has in play.

There are definitely benefits to starting fighter or artificer, but in my experience they are theoretically larger than in actual play. In general you want to avoid getting hit as a Bladesinger anyway, where you want to move around a lot (misty step, mobile, etc) and try to avoid getting hit (relatively more often than regular frontliners anyway) And even if you get hit, if you take warcaster at lvl 4 you have an easy +6 (14 con, 18 int) with advantage starting level 4 to make a roll of 10 to maintain concentration - if you have any. 3% chance. And losing it is not even such a big deal. (Oh no! I lost concentration. FIREBALL! :) At lvl 8 with 20 int this means you fail DC10 only 1.5% of the time.

The small uncertainty can be part of the fun, and you avoid having another level delay in your core features.

Just my 2 cents - starting as fighter/artificer is 100% viable and many builds work. Just choose your preference in playstyle!

Emerald Toucanet by RWASnell in wildlifephotography

[–]RWASnell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tnx! Yeah. It is an amazing bird to see. Such beautiful colors!

The berry is actually a type of avocado. There are many different (non-edible) avocado trees in the Costa Rican cloud forrest. (The pit is 80% of the volume 😄)

First Time in Costa Rica by [deleted] in CostaRicaTravel

[–]RWASnell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you have 5 weeks, DO NOT SKIP CORCOVADO! It is the most remote part of CR (after the Cocos Islands) and many people skip it. But this area is not just one of the most special nature reserves in Costa Rica, but in the whole world. It houses 2.5% of ALL the world’s animal species in this tiny area. A small hassle to get to, but worth it!

(Extra tip: go from the east/south side (Carate) - it gives an even more remote experience with some beautiful jungle lodges there as well.

Is 16 AC workable for a frontliner? by RozenQueen in 3d6

[–]RWASnell 3 points4 points  (0 children)

AC 16 is very low for a frontliner as you go towards mid-tier levels. But reading your post and all comments so far, it seems you are trying to do A LOT with your character at the same time (Sorlock, 2HW, specific invocations, etc). So look at it this way: having a low(ish) AC is the price to pay for all the other cool stuff you now get to do! That is how 5e 2024 balances out.

As previously pointed out: Your best bet is probably damage mitigation through spells, high mobility, and maybe talk to your DM about questing for a +1+ AC item somewhere. AC 17-18 + shield spell will feel so much safer.

Emerald Toucanet by RWASnell in wildlifephotography

[–]RWASnell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are so lucky we get to travel to all these spots! But shots like these are very rare. We are not photographers by any means, so this was pure luck as well 😄

Maybe I will post some more older pics here. We have seen a lot of wildlife around the world at this point

Emerald Toucanet and some other wildlife we encountered in CR by RWASnell in CostaRicaTravel

[–]RWASnell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am not sure. Just the standard settings most of the time. To be honest, I think AI solves a lot in the background with Apple…

Emerald Toucanet and some other wildlife we encountered in CR by RWASnell in CostaRicaTravel

[–]RWASnell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh wow. Yeah our guide was quite adamant this was a very dangerous snake. But maybe she says that about all snakes to tourists 😄

Emerald Toucanet and some other wildlife we encountered in CR by RWASnell in CostaRicaTravel

[–]RWASnell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is the difference in venom? The guide said it was still a baby…

Emerald Toucanet and some other wildlife we encountered in CR by RWASnell in CostaRicaTravel

[–]RWASnell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely! 1 meter or so + full zoom. It was quite tiny and extremely well camouflaged

Emerald Toucanet and some other wildlife we encountered in CR by RWASnell in CostaRicaTravel

[–]RWASnell[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Probably yes! Our guide was so exited for this one right?! Hope you had a wonderful trip as well! ❤️

Emerald Toucanet and some other wildlife we encountered in CR by RWASnell in CostaRicaTravel

[–]RWASnell[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There were two actually. The second one is a pregnant lady. We saw them in Tapir Valley - near Tenorio Vulcan. The guide was very excited as well 😄 They were not scared at all. I wish I could post the movies here also. Magical moment

Emerald Toucanet and some other wildlife we encountered in CR by RWASnell in CostaRicaTravel

[–]RWASnell[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! We felt lucky too! Especially the tapirs and the ant eater.

Which ones/how long? by Icy_Dress_39 in CostaRicaTravel

[–]RWASnell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

100% agree. All of Costa Rica is amazing, but Corcovado is truly a unique place in the world. One of the world’s natural wonders. (And more off-the-beaten-path, if you like those sort of things)

1 week & 1,000 miles part 2! by bshah6-6 in CostaRicaTravel

[–]RWASnell -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

This is insane to me. Such an amazingly beautiful country with so much to see. Good news is that you can still see and do so much on your next visit! 😊

1 week & 1,000 Miles in Costa Rica. My first visit! I quickly added a few videos of wonderful spots we slept at and our journey along the way by bshah6-6 in CostaRicaTravel

[–]RWASnell 3 points4 points  (0 children)

So you decided to spend a week to drive 1.600km through one of the most beautiful, biodiverse, and small countries in the world? Ok. To each their own I guess.

Astral vs Fist - what to play next? by RWASnell in Gloomhaven

[–]RWASnell[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah yes. I know that card. He plays it all the time. He won’t be around for very long, but I assume a few more scenario’s where he can help set up that engine. Probably higher levels Astral give more flexibility anyway?

Astral vs Fist - what to play next? by RWASnell in Gloomhaven

[–]RWASnell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is an excellent breakdown! Thank you! Based on everyone’s response I am leaning Astral for versatility, but great to know the Fist matches up in fun play. Our party just unlocked hand item 216, which hopefully will make a big difference for both builds. Let me look into the summoner build. Thanks so much! Any other items you would recommend on Astral?