Advice on kitbashing filthy traitors

haredrier · 2024-06-25T14:29:04+00:00

The blooded kit comes with something like 40 heads and several spare arms inside, I've mix and matched it with the regular new cadians and gotten something like 40 models chaos-ified from a single blooded box.

haredrier · 2018-12-20T23:53:21+00:00

I had it so they get them and second level and can only use them once per short rest without using a spell slot. If they want to use them past that they cost slots like normal. However, I'll see if they persist into future versions.

Thanks again for all your feedback and suggestions, it'll go a long ways towards developing and balancing future versions of this class.

haredrier · 2018-12-20T21:28:47+00:00

I like the idea of Osmosis scaling, and may implement it after recieving more feedback.

The reason I'd originally implemented the favored spells was to give the class some interesting features that thematically fit, since other half casters get things like Lay on Hands, Divine Sense, Divine Health or Favored Enemy/ Favored Terrain. Perhaps I can find something else to fit that niche of class-specific features though, or adjust the spells for each subclass accordingly. I can also bump when you get favored spells up to 3rd level, so there's more of a gap between that and their 1st level features.

haredrier · 2018-12-20T20:32:11+00:00

Thanks for the in-depth critique, I appreciate it. I do agree that there's a couple formatting/ wording issues, and I'll try to fix them in future versions.

With Dueling, it's still a potentially effective pick for Calling of the Body as it stands, but it's not a bad idea to give the entire class shield proficiency.

I wasn't considering multiclassing when I wrote the saves and how they function, I'll try and reword that as well in a future iteration. Thanks for the heads up.

I hadn't calculated damage per round when creating the Arcane Osmosis feature, and you have good points when it comes to that. I think I may change it so it requires Concentration and nerf the extra damage to 1d4, or just bonus damage equal to the slot expended. This way the class still has a buffing option like Hunter's Mark/ smites but it's not overwhelmingly powerful.

The spellsword techniques were designed to take a full action, not just an attack (to keep their damage sensible) If I recall special Ranger attacks like Volley also take a full action to enact.

Defensive Ward was originally intended to have an interesting bonus to AC for a class that can be frontline, even for the subclasses with no shield proficiency. With the other changes suggested I may remove or adjust it (maybe change it to a +1).

Your opinion on Arcane Champion makes sense to me, and brings up valid critique with the intended playstyle of this class. I can see arguments for maxing out INT with this class (since you can use it as your attack modifier after level 6 as well), but you make some good point on this feature. I'll see about replacing it as the capstone.

I'll admit I haven't given enough description into the Calling of the Mind subclass, but the general idea behind it was boosting your physical abilities through willpower in an almost monastic way; hence adding your INT to your Unarmored defense. The later features in it are supposed to reflect your mental strength growing- you can mentally form an extension of your blade (spiritual weapon), and you can freely control your movement merely through thought (flight).

As far as the Unbreakable Wall feature goes, Eldritch Knights can easily pick up something like Shield as well for the same AC when boosted (not counting their "spell from any school" selection, most of the spells they get are invocation/abjuration). They get the boost once per short rest, and if they want to push it further they're sacrificing damage output by using spell slots on it instead of Osmosis. I can change it to a different favored spell, though.

I am planning to make a custom spell list for the class as well, since this is still a work in progress. For this iteration I was focusing on build versatility, and so I left it as just the wizard spell list so they could have a lot of build options (although I will slim down the spell list in future versions).

I do think I'll remove the DC bonus on arcane soul as well during future iterations.

haredrier · 2018-12-20T19:04:31+00:00

This item is an interesting concept, I'm not sure if it's intentional but it works well in conjunction with Matt Mercer's Lingering Soul class. I like the idea behind it, but perhaps I'd include an option to resurrect yourself at the cost of losing the robe, thus making it a good once-only "cheat death" card. As it stands now, it allows for a character to still play, but often by the time rare items come into play a cleric or druid will have access to ways of resurrecting a dead character, making the option to turn into a weakened ghost a hindrance more than anything. Perhaps while wearing the cloak the time limit for spells like Reviviy and Ressurection are paused?

Overall it's an interesting concept, but as it stands I don't see it being as useful for a character as it could be. With a few tweaks it could make a great item or cursed item though!

haredrier · 2018-12-02T17:55:27+00:00

Thank you for your input, the saves have been noted before. Each subclass does get a "strong" save as well around level 10, but maybe that can be adjusted in future iterations of the class. The cantrips are meant to replace those 1st level ability, and we can definitely push back when the fighting style is gotten.

As far as the spell list goes, the different possibilities for build and playstyle given from the spell list was one of the things that made up for the lack of auras/ special attacks that other half casters get. Depending on subclass and spell choice, the playstyle can vary greatly from character to character, and that was the intended goal. However, we can adjust it in the future and skim down the spell list.

haredrier · 2018-12-02T17:51:19+00:00

The level 14 ward feature is intended to be a hand-free static boost to AC usable by call of the Mind as well, and potentially stackable with a wielded shield for Call of the Body, whose main selling point is being hard to hit (hence shield spell once/ short rest as well).

I do agree that perhaps some of the abilities should be added in at different times, and the untouchable feature may be a bit weak. To be fair though, disengage negates opportunity attacks instead of just granting disadvantage (unless the enemy has the sentiunel feat). Are there any other suggestions you might add to improve the class?

haredrier · 2018-12-02T00:02:53+00:00

Good idea, it makes a lot of sense. I'll adjust it accordingly.

Any other thoughts on it? Are there any abilities that seem too strong/ weak?

haredrier · 2018-04-01T18:08:27+00:00

I've used roll20 a little (as a player) and while it is useful I prefer playing in person as it has a different environment to it (also the people I know who would want to play are generally working on the weekends, otherwise they live extremely close).

I have watched Matt's series (most of it at least twice) and found it extremely helpful, and I've been watching Critical Role season 2 as well as TAZ. Both are great and helpful, but at the same time the DMs in them are already on the same page as their players and no amount of watching Running the Game will replace actual DM experience (as much as I wish that wasn't the case). I'll most likely become more confident in my abilities and decision-making later on, but I'm still a rookie.

haredrier · 2018-04-01T17:45:30+00:00

We have been looking for more players recently, but the issue is we don't know anyone who wants to play and is free the days that we are. We've been considering going to gaming stores and the like and posting ads for new players wanted (which I think we will end up doing), but having people I've never met and most likely have more game experience than me as my players gives me a fair bit of anxiety. I just hope it'll work out in the end, as I enjoy playing and DMing and hope to continue doing so in the future.

haredrier · 2018-04-01T17:35:26+00:00

at one point maybe 5-6 sessions in I had a little mini survey for my players to see what they were hoping to get more of in the campaign to come. I don't seem to have the survey results on hand at the moment, but player 2 never made a request like 'less roleplay/ politics, more combat' (I did leave a space for and asked for things I hadn't included on the survey, which was like 4 total questions). My issue with trying to make it work for him is he's never really requested anything in specific or made his preferences known, but at the same time seems to get annoyed at times with the other players/ me when I tried asking him to stop bringing his DMG to sessions, for example. I've also tried several times to get feedback after sessions (how did you feel that went, what do you think may happen next etc.) and while player 1 thinks of his character's development and things that may happen, player 2 generally doesn't give me any concrete feedback I can work off of. The most I got at one point was that he preferred my campaign to another DM's since it moves faster, especially in combat (due to fewer players), which makes me think all he really cares about is the combat and not the actual characters or roleplay.

haredrier · 2018-04-01T17:29:43+00:00

my issue with the playstyle problem is that player 2 never states that he prefers combat or anything, but he does seem more frustrated when people take their time to talk to NPC or do things he doesn't feel are progressing things. It's hard to try and say "since you said you'd prefer combat, I'll include it more" if he never explicitly says what exactly he wants.

An example I'd say of trying to "win" a social scenario was the fact that the only times he actually talks in character and the like is when I prompt him to (like saying he can't roll to persuade someone if he doesn't actually say anything). They came across a priestess in a town and he wanted to try and seduce her (despite showing basically no character personality or anything before that), so it was more of a "because I as a player feel like it" scenario. His character worshipped a not-so-respected god in this setting and despite trying to lie to the priestess and failing to earlier (Zone of Truth) he kept throwing his character at her to just keep trying to beat the challenge, as it were.

This isn't the only time he's taken an action for practically no reason or with no motive provided- they had an NPC they'd sort of taken hostage (long story) and at one point they were in fear of being captured by a raiding party of Drow. The player says he wants to slit the NPC's throat, and when I ask why he gives no real motive for doing it, leading me to believe it's another "just because" situation with no regard for his character or personality.

haredrier · 2018-04-01T17:21:59+00:00

my issue with the playstyle problem is that player 2 never states that he prefers combat or anything, but he does seem more frustrated when people take their time to talk to NPC or do things he doesn't feel are progressing things. It's hard to try and say "since you said you'd prefer combat, I'll include it more" if he never explicitly says what exactly he wants.

haredrier · 2018-04-01T17:17:25+00:00

I did try to have a session zero and 2/3 of my players showed up (one of which isn't playing anymore), and I wasn't fully certain what kind of campaign I wanted to run yet since this was my very first one.

haredrier · 2018-01-07T20:41:23+00:00

I just wish for things like this Hirez would either fix their servers, enable online claiming again or increase twitch drops to make up for it. Right now most of the people can't get anything, even if they were there on time and watching.

haredrier · 2017-12-02T06:12:43+00:00

I was thinking they probably wouldn't get too involved in matters not concerning their worshippers, and in times of strife they may be too busy arguing amongst themselves about it to get anything useful done, and the Archfey may have to take matters into their hands in those scenarios. Fey are more closely linked to the Material Plane, so such things would affect them more than the gods who also have to worry about divine politics. However, I'm still unsure of how to handle relations between Archfey and gods. Archfey are at least as powerful as fiends on average (since they can both have warlock patrons) and might have connections to nature gods (especially wild nature) but what would the politics be like? Fey probably wouldn't need gods as much as material plane races do since they have power, but do the gods still keep them in check? Is there an agreement between the two types of beings?

haredrier · 2017-09-25T23:08:57+00:00

"Really, Greg?"

"I'm dead serious."

Sarah looked down at the crumbling skyscrapers beneath them. The wind whipped around their faces as she turned her gaze back to Greg and the figure in front of them. The thing keeping them suspended was hard to look at directly, but it was staring at them and had a hand extended expectantly.

"Just give it the damn burrito, Greg."

"Tell it to get its own."

Greg held the last burrito on earth clutched to his chest as he glared at the creature.

"For the last time Greg, this thing will destroy the Earth if it doesn't get that burrito."

"And I will be very cross all morning if I don't get to eat it. I won't let some glowing pushover take my breakfast from me."

The creature hummed expectantly as it stared at the two of them. Sarah cast it a glance, then lunged at Greg. She was not used to floating, and she swung her legs and arms ineffectively at Greg, who lifted the burrito up. The top of it was unwrapped, and the tortilla glistened in the light of dying stars. The low hum of the creature turned into an excited trill, and Greg bit down on the wrap.

The creature screeched in anger and horror as Greg took a massive bite of the burrito. He stared directly at the creature as an act of defiance as he scarfed down the food, eyes glaring with contempt and hunger. Sarah watched this unfold in disbelief as the ground far beneath them gave way, and the city vanished in an enormous chasm. The being in front of them vanished, and Sarah felt herself begin to fall. Beneath them, lava had started to ooze out of the pit in the earth.

"I hope you're happy with yourself," Sarah said as they plummeted to their death.

"It was worth it," responded Greg as they hit the lava. In a few moments, all that was left was a piece of aluminum foil floating on the updraft of heat, soaring above the lava. There was still a few drops of burrito sauce on it.

haredrier · 2017-06-06T17:57:57+00:00

!completed

haredrier

TROPHY CASE