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View Full Version : [3.5] Some RP and mechanic questions



Sliver
2009-07-04, 01:15 AM
I'm playing a human swashbuckler 4/sorc 1. We houserule that level 0 spells can be cast without limit, as a free action once a turn(but can't be used instead of a move, but standard is fine). Anyway..

1)At first I gave it 16 Cha, 14 Dex 13INT 12 CON 10 STR 8 WIS. But I'm going to switch and have 16 DEX, 14INT, 13CHA, 12CON, 10 STR and 8WIS.
Or maybe I should switch something? tips?

2)If I will keep with 8 Wis, can you give me tips about RPing an above avarage Cha and Int with below avarage Wis? I want to RP my stats...

3)My main course of action at battle at the moment is, I start with a scroll of true strike, maybe acid splash and move to position so rouge can sneak attack. next turn I goad so the enemy will strike at me and attack defensivly so I have about +22 (+20 true strike, +2 flanking and other bonus goes away) and about 26 AC against that opponent (18 normal AC, +2 dodge, +2 defensive, +4 combat expertiese). From then on, I was thinking about using improved trip, so I AOO and the rouge more sneak attacks. I went with scrolls of true strke cuz the wizard can just scribe them for me, so I gave up the wands.. I took as my normal spells silent image and enlarge person.. But I don't think now that enlarge helps me a lot.. it gives me +1 extra damage, and my rapier becomes a bit larger, and less AC (and attack no? -to dex and -to attack >+STR) so what should I take instead? And maybe more tips for fighting?

4)Can you give me tips about some tricks I can do with the cantrips and maybe some items? I have a bag of tricks (the basic one) so I can throw small animals at caster (and commoner) faces, and maybe if I fail at move silently (obv if I step on a branch and throw out a bat someone is screwed, but what was I doing sneaking around anyway?). Can you give me tips about uses for what I have and what I can get more?

Thanks for any help!

Hat-Trick
2009-07-04, 01:36 AM
Snip

1)At first I gave it 16 Cha, 14 Dex 13INT 12 CON 10 STR 8 WIS. But I'm going to switch and have 16 DEX, 14INT, 13CHA, 12CON, 10 STR and 8WIS.
Or maybe I should switch something? tips?

2)If I will keep with 8 Wis, can you give me tips about RPing an above avarage Cha and Int with below avarage Wis? I want to RP my stats...

Snip

rouge

Snip

Thanks for any help!

1) Depending on how far you want to go with Sorcerer, I'd suggest at least the fourteen in CHA.

2) The 3.5 Player's Handbook has a sidebar about how the mental states might some out in personality at the end of the abilities chapter.

3) Rouge?

Gaiyamato
2009-07-04, 01:39 AM
Swasbuckler 2/Rogue 3/Sorcerer 1 (With versatile spellcaster feat)/Arcane Trickster x would work well.

Use the feat that stacks swashbuckler and rogue levels and it would be cool. :)

Oracle_Hunter
2009-07-04, 02:53 AM
Sidenote: doesn't your house rule grant all spontaneous casters unlimited healing via Cure Minor Wounds?

Curing 10 HP/min minute for free shouldn't be sniffed at. And the free 1 HP/round during combat is pretty nice - it's not even a Swift action!

arguskos
2009-07-04, 03:11 AM
Sidenote: doesn't your house rule grant all spontaneous casters unlimited healing via Cure Minor Wounds?

Curing 10 HP/min minute for free shouldn't be sniffed at. And the free 1 HP/round during combat is pretty nice - it's not even a Swift action!
I have a similar houserule, minus the free action bit, and I merely removed Cure Minor. It doesn't really hurt anything to lose Cure Minor.

Sliver
2009-07-04, 03:56 AM
We agreed to limit the heal/repair to 5 uses per day, no problem there..

Coidzor
2009-07-04, 04:39 AM
Use the feat that stacks swashbuckler and rogue levels and it would be cool. :)

What feat is that, pray tell?

ericgrau
2009-07-04, 05:02 AM
1) Focus on physical stats for a mostly physical character. Mental stats should be secondary even when you can use them, unless playing a focused mental character. Even with RP reasons I'd question putting #1 focus on a secondary purpose. No matter how much RP you have, you still swash buckles first, hit on dames second. EDIT: Unless, as mentioned, you plan on taking sorcerer (a mental class) a bit farther.

2) Don't. Not the 8 anyway. That's still pretty close to average. Heck, if it involves something your character is focused on, I bet an score of 8 is still smarter/stronger/etc. than you at that particular thing. RP a 14+. That doesn't mean a 10 in a mental stat can't be witty, friendly, observant, etc., etc. Your average person can be that. Just not a genius, politician (or other uber manipulator), etc.

3a) You'll usually get more hits attacking twice than true striking and attacking once. Be smart with TS usage: save for a prep round, a hit that really matters, etc. Most opponents don't actually fall for goading if you think about it. You can RP it if you know the guy, and maybe it'll fool him once, but most enemies you don't even know that well.

3b) You are correct about enlarge person and combat bonuses. But while it almost evens out on combat bonuses, it adds up to a +5 on brutish special attacks as you might expect. These also tend to combine well with the 10 ft. reach you get. See combat section of PHB.

4) Resistance each round for constant +1 to saves. Detect magic as an endless NPC / treasure radar. Open/Close for quick escape or other travel. Prestidigitation for versatile tricks. If you're in a drow-heavy campaign, flare each round. At low levels, daze everything.

Coidzor
2009-07-04, 08:01 AM
bag of tricks: Flanking partners?

AslanCross
2009-07-04, 08:02 AM
What feat is that, pray tell?

Daring Outlaw. Rogue and Swashbuckler levels stack for the purpose of Sneak Attack progression and the Grace class feature, if I'm not mistaken.

Devils_Advocate
2009-07-04, 11:47 AM
2)If I will keep with 8 Wis, can you give me tips about RPing an above avarage Cha and Int with below avarage Wis? I want to RP my stats...
raw Cha = persuasiveness
raw Int = smarts (memory, pattern recognition)
raw Wis = common sense

By "raw" I mean "not added to anything else." If you want to know your character's willpower, for example, look at its total Will save. Similarly, your Diplomacy modifier is how likable you can be if you try. Etc. In lots of cases, your ability score modifier doesn't make that big of a difference compared to the other stuff that gets added to a roll.

Are you familiar with the webcomic Girl Genius (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20021104)? Your character won't be anywhere near as... exaggerated as a spark, but that might sort of give you an idea.

The bottom of p.10 of the PHB talks a bit about how mental stats may fit into a character's personality. Remember, "Intelligence is how smart you are, Wisdom is how dumb you aren't." The stereotypical cunning, charasmatic, unwise, Chaotic swashbuckler would be a bold and impulsive risk-taker, I think.