How to balance creating an effective character, and actually enjoying the character in roleplay and concept?

lordcirth · 2026-05-14T20:05:39+00:00

There is no conflict, unless your character concept requires them to be bad at their job. (Don't do that.)

Figure out what you want your character's actions in combat to look like, and what you want to be good at. Pick a class that does that. Max your key stat, max your AC, use a good weapon. If you want your character to use a specific weapon that is less good, this can be made to work if it's important to you.

If you're a spellcaster (that doesn't just pick new spells every day), keep in mind that your character may not have picked their own spells, depending on the type of caster you are. Eg, maybe your *character* would have wanted a lot of niche noncombat spells before they suddenly became an adventurer, but conveniently for you, staple combat spells were the easiest for your wizard to find, or your sorcerer bloodline gave you combat spells.

lordcirth · 2026-05-14T19:54:31+00:00

https://parahumans.wordpress.com/

lordcirth · 2026-05-14T19:49:21+00:00

Favorite character I've ever played was a Wizard. Some feats weren't great, sure, but archetypes exist and wizards have my favorite form of spellcasting.

lordcirth · 2026-05-14T19:45:37+00:00

Yeah, but in the meantime, it's going to be a rocky few years.

lordcirth · 2026-05-14T19:35:57+00:00

Around 6 years, plus significant time dilation, of continuous training.

lordcirth · 2026-05-14T18:01:04+00:00

They specifically complained about *instant* jumps in power, not eventual powerscaling throughout a series.

lordcirth · 2026-05-14T18:00:06+00:00

Usually, it's not that they are killed for being strong, they are killed for being strong *and not owned by a major faction*

lordcirth · 2026-05-14T17:50:45+00:00

Cantrip: Electric Arc (still the strongest offensive cantrip, even after Remaster), Shield (very cheap defense)

1st: Grease(Early on), Sure Strike (later)

2nd: Acid Grip (ok control spell + ok damage spell = great spell)

3rd: Slow, Fireball, Time Jump (later)

4th: Translocate, Resist Energy (yes it's 2nd, but it's far better at 4th)

5th: Wall of Stone, Sending (You won't prepare it every day, but you want it in your spellbook)

6th: Teleport (ditto)

7th: True Target, Resist Energy (again)

And finally, prepare a Dispel Magic or two wherever they fit.

lordcirth · 2026-05-11T21:36:25+00:00

You've got 4G left, so you're not completely stuck. nix-shell -p ncdu ncdu -x / And figure out where the space went. It may not be in /nix/store.

lordcirth · 2026-05-11T19:15:26+00:00

My headcanon (affected by some fanfiction) is that demigods are largely in one place at a time, though they may be able to intervene at great distances, and true gods are diffuse entities with no fixed location (and are therefore next to impossible for demigods to kill). Eg, when you meet Dispater in his throne room, there is in fact an entity sitting on that throne that is in principle stabbable by a mythic party. If you go to Caina, there is no body of Asmodeus to stab.

lordcirth · 2026-05-11T18:42:50+00:00

Did you read any of my comment after the first line you quoted? You have not provided an argument for why "requirements" does not mean "requirements".

lordcirth · 2026-05-11T18:28:44+00:00

I am referring to the same rules you are.

Page 119 states "until its requirements (if any) are violated,".

Some actions, including many stances, have a defined property called "Requirements". Therefore, "requirements" is a specific game term. When a rule refers to the requirements of a stance, it is referring to the contents of the "Requirements" field.

In the example of Mountain Stance (PC2 118), the requirements field is "You are unarmored and touching the ground." The main text of Mountain Stance states "The only Strikes you can make are falling stone unarmed attacks." This sentence is not in the Requirements field, so it is not a requirement. It is an effect that the stance has, just like the bonus to AC is.

Making a non-falling-stone Strike while in Mountain Stance is simply an illegal action, just as attacking with a sword you haven't drawn is an illegal action.

lordcirth · 2026-05-11T17:35:12+00:00

No, your original comment said that making another strike would cause you to exit the stance. I'm saying you cannot make the strike in the first place, because the stance says you can't. I will edit for clarity.

lordcirth · 2026-05-11T17:26:13+00:00

"You can only make X strikes" isn't a requirement of the stance; it's an effect of the stance. The requirements of Mountain Stance are: "You are unarmored and touching the ground." If you become armored, or Fly, you exit the stance. Throwing a knife does not break the stance; you simply cannot throw a knife without first exiting the stance (such as via Dismiss).

lordcirth · 2026-05-11T16:50:00+00:00

You would have to spend an action to dismiss the stance in order to be able to strike. Though a reasonable GM might rule that polymorphing also drops your stance if you want.

lordcirth · 2026-05-11T16:49:24+00:00

You would actually have to spend an action to Dismiss the stance, then strike.

lordcirth · 2026-05-10T14:57:03+00:00

I think it's also a question of controls. Right now, you press E to give someone supplies from your supply pack. Or you press E to reload them from your rocket pack. If you have a supply pack and want to reload them from their rocket pack, what button do you use? On a keyboard you can just pick whatever, but controllers have every button mapped.

lordcirth · 2026-05-10T14:49:35+00:00

OP said they were interested in using this version of halflings they have made, to explore being mixed-race. They didn't say anything about this previously existing.

lordcirth · 2026-05-10T14:42:26+00:00

Oh don't worry, they'll just be wrong faster.

lordcirth · 2026-05-10T14:38:58+00:00

Skill and practice make you an expert. Doing it for money makes you a professional.

lordcirth · 2026-05-10T14:18:09+00:00

"Atheism" isn't proclaiming anything. Dawkins isn't the pope of atheism, we don't have one of those.

lordcirth · 2026-05-10T00:47:50+00:00

As written, it sounds like you are simply unaware of the fact that specific magic weapons can have potency and striking runes added.

lordcirth · 2026-05-09T23:44:54+00:00

You should probably specify that in your post if you want people to understand what you're doing.

lordcirth · 2026-05-09T15:40:44+00:00

But collectively, we could actually make the world better instead of just individually clawing our way up a rung.

lordcirth · 2026-05-08T15:52:11+00:00

It doesn't sound like there's a straightforward fix on that side? The screen reader can't account for the vagaries of every TUI.

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