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Coidzor
2010-07-29, 01:37 AM
What do I need to know that is different/disallowed by the nature of Ravenloft? Clerics are messed up, right?

I know you can't access the planes at all, without it being part of a quest/dm loophole.

Right now I've got a friend that wants to be a feytouched Bard that'll enter into Swiftblade...(Bad idea? Can't quite tell, but a hunch says I should be leery of what happens to that character), a friend who is interested in a "Joker" Bard(more of a an evil jester sort of thing, a crazy character, fate obsession sorta like Wanda Firebaugh from erfworld, need to help him with it since he's pretty new to the game), another player who is an unknown, myself who is still deciding upon things maybe an archivist archer or something or a multi-dipping meleer, and a possible other player who is as yet unknown whether he'll be there or what he'll play.

So... what sorts of bards would you recommend to introduce the new guy to? He's played a bit of 4e and a very little bit of 3.5 but not more than a short level 1 session or two. Or an alternative...

Some of it is in his direct words, some of this is paraphrased of his conception:

The Character was the jester to someone who ended up in Raenloft, may not know who anymore. Possibly involved in the fall of his particular dark lord. With a certain amount of glee. Rather crazy.

I'm sorta... ???? about what I should play myself. Gonna have fun deciding by tomorrow night. Oh, having the DMs decide what they're doing at the lastish minute.

Olympus
2010-07-29, 09:27 AM
In your party you should have a Cleric.

I've played through this game and my Cleric saved the party too many times to be counted.

Be a Cleric and as soon as possible switch Radiant Servant of Pelor (Complete Divine). You'll want Divine Metamagic (a feat from Complete Divine) and if you can afford them Nightsticks (an item from Libris Mortis).

Use all your money and feat slots not devoted to metamagic to make your Turning more powerful. Here's a list of feats you may want (in no particular order):
-Quicken Turning (LM)
-Divine Metamagic (CD)
-Disciple of the Sun (CD)
-Extra Turning* (PHB)
-Maximize Spell
-Quicken Spell
-Sacred Vitality (LM)

Bold = Required for RSoP
* = You should almost certainly get

There are many other feats, but these are just a few you may want.


Domains:
You'll want the Glory domain (Spell Compendium and possibly another source), and Sun domain (there are better domains out there, but Sun domain is required for RSoP).




Feel free to disregard all that, it's just my 2-cents.

Coidzor
2010-07-29, 03:58 PM
mmm, I was considering our lack of divine power... Guess I can try out another cleric, but I've been one the last three games.

Not sure if this is Expedition to Castle Ravenloft or a game set in the Ravenloft setting... DM sorta out of communication right now. Was sure clerics were messed up in Ravenloft somehow, but couldn't remember how.

Might do Cleric 5, Divine Oracle 1...

Maybe Cloistered Cleric 5, Divine Oracle 1.

Helping someone new to the game come up with a character based on their conception of it is annoying though, I must admit...x.x

babson99
2010-07-30, 12:17 PM
In the 3.5 Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (black hardcover, Strahd on cover), clerics work just fine. A cleric in general, and a radiant servant of Pelor in particular, will be a big asset.

Coidzor
2010-08-02, 04:59 AM
So, I thought it was the dimensions of dread and went with that sort of thought even though I really should've gotten the clue you all gave me. x.x

As a result I let my boredom with being the one stuck playing cleric lead to PrCing and gear selection inappropriate for an undead heavy game. Cloistered Cleric 2/Church Inquisitor 3/Divine Oracle 1. Should've just gone straight cleric for better turning HD. ack well.

Whatevskies, I still have full casting, right.

Only I've got a TWF straight elf ranger, a bard who wants to go swiftblade next level, and a newbie playing a beguiler who managed to blow through his spells per day after 3 fights for companions, so the usual thing of laying out a bless and helping out with tanking is out due to, well, being a cloistered cleric without DMM Persisted Divine Power to give me Full BAB(at least, I think divine power gives full bab even to cloistered clerics). I chose a crappy main fallback weapon as well, a heavy crossbow, so as ranged support I'm meh.

Bringing a net along in my kit helped in the first fight we ran into though. Should do this more often with my characters, them or lassos.

So I'm having to think more caster supporty, but having difficulty seeing I what's effective against undead... or isn't blasty. Ended up blasting for the last two fights I was in. :/

As an aside, I got into an argument with another one of the players about whether zombies automatically dust upon being destroyed or if they leave a corpse behind. I'm pretty sure that's only what happens when they're destroyed with a successful Turn Undead. Any light that can be shed on the matter would be appreciated.

Surprised to learn that undead aren't immune to cold damage as a type thing. Pleasantly, since the ranger is using a cold enchanted weapon and a fire enchanted one. Good to know since Ice Axe is a 2d12 touch attack of cold damage that lets me fight in a pinch...