Endarire
2014-08-25, 05:26 PM
Intro
Greetings, all!
My latest foray into the realm of solo campaigns (with me also as GM, like Curse of the Crimson Throne (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?325310-3-5-Soloing-Curse-of-the-Crimson-Throne-From-the-Start-Until-the-World-Opens-Up)) has me playing Shackled City, the book edition.
As an optimization expert for 3.5, I wanted the ability to play something I don't normally get to try - a Magic-Blooded White Dragonspawn Dragonwrought Loredrake Earth Kobold Sorcerer (phew!), going for the Web Enhancement's +1 effective Sorcerer level (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a). With LA buyoff (since White Dragonspawn is +1 LA in the materials I can access and I'm not looking to change it due to errata), that would put me at 4 effective Sorcerer levels ahead of my hit dice, or granting me a spell level-and-a-half advantage over an equally leveled Wizard.
The purpose of this post (or series of posts) is to gather opinions on what I should know as a PC and as a GM, preferably in a low-spoiler fashion, regarding my proposed character in this campaign.
Why Do This?
-As a PC, I've rarely played a Sorcerer as a main character. I regretted making one for a Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil campaign in 2004ish due to lack of flexibility and my general ineffectiveness. Also, my party didn't like me and eventually killed me off and banned me from playing with them. Ahem.
I have, however, played a Sorceress as a main character in the Baldur's Gate series and liked it. It felt cool and interesting once I hit BG2 and finally had the spell slots and resources to partake in magical duels, which felt like arcane puzzles to be unraveled in real time. (I also played with mods which upped the difficulty, so your mileage may vary.)
This is in contrast to the majority of characters I've played in earnest, which were, at their heart, Wizards. In 3.x, I've had my experience as at least one Cleric, Druid, Psion, Bard, and Hood (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2462.0), and wanted to play the spontaneous younger cousin of the Wizard. Yes, I've ragged on Sorcerers before compared to Wizards (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?269440-Why-Each-Class-Is-In-Its-Tier-%28Rescued-from-MinMax%29), but when I'm at least 1 spell level ahead of the curve and get a decent number of spell slots and abilities to play with, the ragging is reversed. Plus, I'm curious. So there.
-As a GM, this is a chance to tell a story to myself and perhaps the world. It's a chance to roleplay (and indeed, play) without the hassle of matching schedules with others, and without having to convince anyone else to let me play the way I want. Intraparty balance is much less of an issue when the player count is 1. (My Curse of the Crimson Throne (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?325310-3-5-Soloing-Curse-of-the-Crimson-Throne-From-the-Start-Until-the-World-Opens-Up) campaign allowed me to develop my main character's personality and story tremendously since it too was a story I mostly told myself.)
-As a person, I'm going into this adventure pretty much blind. (That is, inexperienced, not incapable of physical sight.) I've heard good things about this campaign (the book edition) and figure it would be a fitting challenge.
Additionally, the concept of "Why bother playing if you're both PC and GM?" comes up in question form on forums. My answer: To further understand this character, to have fun, and to create a custom story. My character's Knowledge checks (and my player's experience) will be able to cover a lot of what he should know.
Source Material
I'm not looking to incorporate Pathfinder material here unless I have good reason. I was considering it, but I realized how much of 3.5 I'm drawing from and found it better to stick to 3.5 all the way unless convinced strongly otherwise.
All of 3.5 (and of course, unupdated 3.0) is open to me. I'd prefer to stay away from homebrew and most magaine material (unless, again, there's good reason for it). Stuff I'm familiar with (like the Magic-Blooded template) I'd inclined to trust, but I'd prefer not to have to wade through a large amount of new material before I begin playing. Still, I'll take suggestions for anything that seems really cool or/and fitting.
House Rules
RACES
-A Venerable Dragonwrought Kobold isn't considered an epic creature merely because he's epic. He has to get there the normal way first.
-Bonus languages due to race are just suggestions. Any creature can get a number of bonus languages at level 1 equal to his INT bonus (plus misc. factors).
CLASSES
-Opposing a school as a non-Wizard means casting spells from that school costs 2 slots instead of one, Pathfinder style. This probably will only apply to my character due to the Incantatrix class.
-I'm nixing the Track feat prereq for Witch Hunter (http://dndtools.eu/classes/witch-hunter/). It's nonsense! Witches don't leave trails!
-Sorcerers in 3.5 automatically get the bonus feat Eschew Material Components, which allows them to ignore trivial material spell components. This functions just like the Pathfinder Sorcerer.
SPELLS
-No simulacrum. That's a large part of what ended the last campaign. At level 9, due to using lesser planar binding to grab a Mirror Mephit (Expedition to the Demonweb Pits) to make a cost-free version of himself who made simulacrums of Solars, there was very little reason to play.
-No free miracles nor wishes. Binding a genie for wishing purposes means paying 25,000G for a wish or 50,000G for three. A genie may choose to grant wishes by paying his own EXP for them, but this is something only the rare genie is both willing and able to do.
-No infinite nor nearly infinite loops. Repeatedly using a tactic is not normally a loop. Pun-Pun? A loop. Using gate to spam Solars who then use gate? Loop.
-The celerity spell line (Player's Handbook II) have a casting time of 1 swift action instead of 1 immediate action. (Immediate action? That's nuts!)
SKILLS
-I'm using the Pathfinder skills system with minor tweaks. Balance + Tumble is now Acrobatics (DEX). Spellcraft and Psicraft are the same skill, Spellcraft (INT). UMD and UPD are now the same skill, UMD (CHA).
FEATS
-A metamagic feat that reduces a spell's cast time, like Quicken Spell, doesn't increase the spell's cast time.
MAGIC ITEMS
-Knowstones from "Dragon" Magazine are in. Each costs (spell level squared * 1000) G, or the same as an equivalent-level Pearl of Power.
-Speaking of which, Pearls of Power (PoP or POP) work equally well for spontaneous casters. A first level PoP will, for example, recover one use of any first level spell that user has cast.
-Magic item body slot affinity is out. It probably won't matter, but I dislike this notion.
MAGIC & SPELLS
-Whenever a creature would get a bonus level 1 spell slot due to an ability score, he also gets a bonus level 0 spell.
-I've changed quasireality/shadow reality/that Shadowcraft Mage percentage to work as such:
For effects that heal/deal damage or deal raw numbers-based effects (like negative levels or ability damage/drain), multiply the damage by the percentage. Thus, a 20 damage ability at 60% reality will deal 12 damage instead.
For effects that aren't the above, the reality percentage is a bonus or a penalty to a subject's save. (Round down all percentages to the nearest 5%.) Thus, a phantasmal killer at 140% quasireality would inflict a -8 penalty on the subject's saves for that instance of the spell, while the same spell cast at 72% quasireality (effectively 70%) would be cast at a +6 bonus to the subject's saves.
If the above two clauses don't apply, the effect works as if it were 100% real, such as with a wall of force.
-Spells and abilities which alter one's form only grant spellcasting/manifesting if explicitly said so in that ability's description. No using shapechange to become a Solar/Modron and gaining its casting.
FEATS
-Abilities with a range of "touch" are considered persistable as per Persistent Spell and Persistent Power.
ALIGNMENT
-I'm not using alignment. Things that require alignment instead trigger off creature type, or just work in general, or are removed from the game. For example, protection from evil is now protection from type, granting the bonuses to one creature type or subtype chosen at casting time. Dictum and holy word (and similar) now have Will saves, and a subject's degree of failure on this save dictates the effects (not just the subject's HD). Detect evil is now detect type. Any plot points requiring the functionality of the old abilities will work as before.
FRACTIONAL BAB & SAVES
-I'm using fractional BAB stacking, but not fractional saves stacking.
Greetings, all!
My latest foray into the realm of solo campaigns (with me also as GM, like Curse of the Crimson Throne (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?325310-3-5-Soloing-Curse-of-the-Crimson-Throne-From-the-Start-Until-the-World-Opens-Up)) has me playing Shackled City, the book edition.
As an optimization expert for 3.5, I wanted the ability to play something I don't normally get to try - a Magic-Blooded White Dragonspawn Dragonwrought Loredrake Earth Kobold Sorcerer (phew!), going for the Web Enhancement's +1 effective Sorcerer level (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060420a). With LA buyoff (since White Dragonspawn is +1 LA in the materials I can access and I'm not looking to change it due to errata), that would put me at 4 effective Sorcerer levels ahead of my hit dice, or granting me a spell level-and-a-half advantage over an equally leveled Wizard.
The purpose of this post (or series of posts) is to gather opinions on what I should know as a PC and as a GM, preferably in a low-spoiler fashion, regarding my proposed character in this campaign.
Why Do This?
-As a PC, I've rarely played a Sorcerer as a main character. I regretted making one for a Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil campaign in 2004ish due to lack of flexibility and my general ineffectiveness. Also, my party didn't like me and eventually killed me off and banned me from playing with them. Ahem.
I have, however, played a Sorceress as a main character in the Baldur's Gate series and liked it. It felt cool and interesting once I hit BG2 and finally had the spell slots and resources to partake in magical duels, which felt like arcane puzzles to be unraveled in real time. (I also played with mods which upped the difficulty, so your mileage may vary.)
This is in contrast to the majority of characters I've played in earnest, which were, at their heart, Wizards. In 3.x, I've had my experience as at least one Cleric, Druid, Psion, Bard, and Hood (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2462.0), and wanted to play the spontaneous younger cousin of the Wizard. Yes, I've ragged on Sorcerers before compared to Wizards (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?269440-Why-Each-Class-Is-In-Its-Tier-%28Rescued-from-MinMax%29), but when I'm at least 1 spell level ahead of the curve and get a decent number of spell slots and abilities to play with, the ragging is reversed. Plus, I'm curious. So there.
-As a GM, this is a chance to tell a story to myself and perhaps the world. It's a chance to roleplay (and indeed, play) without the hassle of matching schedules with others, and without having to convince anyone else to let me play the way I want. Intraparty balance is much less of an issue when the player count is 1. (My Curse of the Crimson Throne (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?325310-3-5-Soloing-Curse-of-the-Crimson-Throne-From-the-Start-Until-the-World-Opens-Up) campaign allowed me to develop my main character's personality and story tremendously since it too was a story I mostly told myself.)
-As a person, I'm going into this adventure pretty much blind. (That is, inexperienced, not incapable of physical sight.) I've heard good things about this campaign (the book edition) and figure it would be a fitting challenge.
Additionally, the concept of "Why bother playing if you're both PC and GM?" comes up in question form on forums. My answer: To further understand this character, to have fun, and to create a custom story. My character's Knowledge checks (and my player's experience) will be able to cover a lot of what he should know.
Source Material
I'm not looking to incorporate Pathfinder material here unless I have good reason. I was considering it, but I realized how much of 3.5 I'm drawing from and found it better to stick to 3.5 all the way unless convinced strongly otherwise.
All of 3.5 (and of course, unupdated 3.0) is open to me. I'd prefer to stay away from homebrew and most magaine material (unless, again, there's good reason for it). Stuff I'm familiar with (like the Magic-Blooded template) I'd inclined to trust, but I'd prefer not to have to wade through a large amount of new material before I begin playing. Still, I'll take suggestions for anything that seems really cool or/and fitting.
House Rules
RACES
-A Venerable Dragonwrought Kobold isn't considered an epic creature merely because he's epic. He has to get there the normal way first.
-Bonus languages due to race are just suggestions. Any creature can get a number of bonus languages at level 1 equal to his INT bonus (plus misc. factors).
CLASSES
-Opposing a school as a non-Wizard means casting spells from that school costs 2 slots instead of one, Pathfinder style. This probably will only apply to my character due to the Incantatrix class.
-I'm nixing the Track feat prereq for Witch Hunter (http://dndtools.eu/classes/witch-hunter/). It's nonsense! Witches don't leave trails!
-Sorcerers in 3.5 automatically get the bonus feat Eschew Material Components, which allows them to ignore trivial material spell components. This functions just like the Pathfinder Sorcerer.
SPELLS
-No simulacrum. That's a large part of what ended the last campaign. At level 9, due to using lesser planar binding to grab a Mirror Mephit (Expedition to the Demonweb Pits) to make a cost-free version of himself who made simulacrums of Solars, there was very little reason to play.
-No free miracles nor wishes. Binding a genie for wishing purposes means paying 25,000G for a wish or 50,000G for three. A genie may choose to grant wishes by paying his own EXP for them, but this is something only the rare genie is both willing and able to do.
-No infinite nor nearly infinite loops. Repeatedly using a tactic is not normally a loop. Pun-Pun? A loop. Using gate to spam Solars who then use gate? Loop.
-The celerity spell line (Player's Handbook II) have a casting time of 1 swift action instead of 1 immediate action. (Immediate action? That's nuts!)
SKILLS
-I'm using the Pathfinder skills system with minor tweaks. Balance + Tumble is now Acrobatics (DEX). Spellcraft and Psicraft are the same skill, Spellcraft (INT). UMD and UPD are now the same skill, UMD (CHA).
FEATS
-A metamagic feat that reduces a spell's cast time, like Quicken Spell, doesn't increase the spell's cast time.
MAGIC ITEMS
-Knowstones from "Dragon" Magazine are in. Each costs (spell level squared * 1000) G, or the same as an equivalent-level Pearl of Power.
-Speaking of which, Pearls of Power (PoP or POP) work equally well for spontaneous casters. A first level PoP will, for example, recover one use of any first level spell that user has cast.
-Magic item body slot affinity is out. It probably won't matter, but I dislike this notion.
MAGIC & SPELLS
-Whenever a creature would get a bonus level 1 spell slot due to an ability score, he also gets a bonus level 0 spell.
-I've changed quasireality/shadow reality/that Shadowcraft Mage percentage to work as such:
For effects that heal/deal damage or deal raw numbers-based effects (like negative levels or ability damage/drain), multiply the damage by the percentage. Thus, a 20 damage ability at 60% reality will deal 12 damage instead.
For effects that aren't the above, the reality percentage is a bonus or a penalty to a subject's save. (Round down all percentages to the nearest 5%.) Thus, a phantasmal killer at 140% quasireality would inflict a -8 penalty on the subject's saves for that instance of the spell, while the same spell cast at 72% quasireality (effectively 70%) would be cast at a +6 bonus to the subject's saves.
If the above two clauses don't apply, the effect works as if it were 100% real, such as with a wall of force.
-Spells and abilities which alter one's form only grant spellcasting/manifesting if explicitly said so in that ability's description. No using shapechange to become a Solar/Modron and gaining its casting.
FEATS
-Abilities with a range of "touch" are considered persistable as per Persistent Spell and Persistent Power.
ALIGNMENT
-I'm not using alignment. Things that require alignment instead trigger off creature type, or just work in general, or are removed from the game. For example, protection from evil is now protection from type, granting the bonuses to one creature type or subtype chosen at casting time. Dictum and holy word (and similar) now have Will saves, and a subject's degree of failure on this save dictates the effects (not just the subject's HD). Detect evil is now detect type. Any plot points requiring the functionality of the old abilities will work as before.
FRACTIONAL BAB & SAVES
-I'm using fractional BAB stacking, but not fractional saves stacking.