Craft "mundane"? Barricades ETC

[EoNhOeKnOwS]

So we are starting a level 1 campaign, there is no magic left in the world, the gods have abandoned us and there are zombies. Lots and lots of "walking dead"-esc zombies and skeletons, I also hear there may be vampires and liches too (which I'm assuming are non magical smarter zombies and skellies). I believe all magic users and races left the material plane (or this plane) and/or died and whatever survivors dot the land were simply unlucky and left behind. Our campaign begins as we lose our encampment and the world has been zombie ridden for some years now. (So pretty much we are trying to survive the aftermath of that Elder Evil moon thing reaching the plane).

The zombies get 1 bite and 2 claw attacks, the bite causes con damage (and there is no magic to heal)
So we have to survive on survival checks and such to gather herbs or what have you to mayhaps not die a slow agonizingly awful death.

Also, since ability damage heals at 1 point per day, that means we'd be in the same spot for a few days, fending off either wandering zombies or hordes of them.

I'm gonna be a knight (we have higher than average skill points), so I'm gonna focus on getting AC and was hoping to create barricades or crude walls (even fence posts with barbed wire or just rope) to keep zombies at bay and mayhaps poke them to death (I mean, we are level 1 after all x.x)

Is there a guide or something that focuses on building things like such from collected scrap metal or parts? It's a regular era for dnd so nothing modern.

Mayhaps even a "non-magical artificer"

Thanks!

[daremetoidareyo]

are psionics available?

[flappeercraft]

Im pretty sure Gnome artificers (Its a class, not a gnome who is a regular artificer) are completely nonmagical while able to replicate magic effects without magic at all. That might help.

[Grod_The_Giant]

In your case, I'd something like Craft (Woodworking) or Craft (Masonry) might do. It's hard to do much without magic in D&D-- I'm not sure how much mundane crafting optimization you could really accompish... maybe a dip in Marshal for Motivate (Intelligence) to add two abilities to Craft checks.

If you're looking for things to make that Con damage easier to deal with, see if you can get everyone in the party to take Mind Over Body (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#mindOverBody). It's in the XPH, but it's not a psionic feat, and it boosts your ability damage healing significantly. Shape Soulmeld (Strongheart Vest) from Magic of Incarnum would be even better, preventing those 1-point nibbles altogether, but that's pretty explicitly magic (albeit a weird sort).

[EoNhOeKnOwS]

Thanks for the input! I don't think psionic is allowed, but "supernatural" stuff such as feats and class features work as well as monk's wholeness of body but not lay on hands, I think that feat from the expanded psionic would work and it sounds like a life saver lol, I'll check out this gnome artificer

Thanks!

Edit: the gnome artificer requires arcane spell casting
Edit2: lol so mind over body would work, except we take con damage from the bites so it would reduce the benefit of the feat

[Vizzerdrix]

Oooh. A campaign where Gond would become a prominent figure. Neat!

Is the skill craft alchemy available? I can think of a good few items that could help.

As for building, you would need a good size group to do it, but you could toss up a log building with trenches and a berm in a few days. It would be quite labor intensive and make a lot of noise.

You may want to look for other shelter instead. Maybe hammocks and tree tents? You could then use pikes to clear the ground when it is time to move on.


And gnome artificer requires the ability to cast 1st level spells of the illusion school. I wonder if we could find a way around that, that your DM would be okay with.

[daremetoidareyo]

Let Me start by telling you that 3.5 vehicle rules stink. But you can check out stormwrack for uses of the knowledge architecture and engineering for building vehicles.

[EoNhOeKnOwS]

Great! Thanks for the advice! I'll check the book for ideas.

The hammocks also sounds like a great idea! There's only 4 of us and considering the only reason we'd need to rest with barricades is if someone gets sick (from con dmg), we prob wouldn't have the man power to do it in a few days (besides by the time it's done it's time to leave the scrap material behind or take it down and bring with us) I assume we can craft alchemy since there's gonna be a lot of scavenging for herbs and such. While I don't think we can say "substitute this need for arcane spells" regarding prc, we (or towns that are more protected) have the ability to craft wondrous items (so instead of giving enchantment bonus to str, it's a "really good quality" item that increases your stats or abilities, so we can craft/buy/trade for a monk's belt, but not a beholder crown, since it produces magic effects) I'm also assuming scavenged items in the wild would suffice for ingredients, instead of spells (however rare they may be)

[Vizzerdrix]

Ah. If you can make it, look up shapesand then. You will need someone with a very high wis and a lot of the stuff, but it is a non magical way to create a structure. Also, I do recall seeing an alchemical item that headed a d8 hp. Not the best solution, but something to have in a pinch.

[flappeercraft]

Ah. If you can make it, look up shapesand then. You will need someone with a very high wis and a lot of the stuff, but it is a non magical way to create a structure. Also, I do recall seeing an alchemical item that headed a d8 hp. Not the best solution, but something to have in a pinch.

True, Shapesand is really useful and can even replicate the Gnome Artificer machinery but isn't it considered Alchemical and Magical? In case you're looking for it OP, its on the book Sandstorm. Also a good one with Shapesand is to replicate a Masterwork Antimatter rifle, it has a ranged attack with 120ft range increment IIRC, deald 6d8 damage and due to masterwork it has +1 enhancement bonus.

[Vizzerdrix]

Nope. Not magical at all.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Edit2: lol so mind over body would work, except we take con damage from the bites so it would reduce the benefit of the feat
Starting with odd ability scores helps. How much damage do you usually wind up taking?

[EoNhOeKnOwS]

I will be taking mine over body, that does help having an odd number lol crafting mundane items takes a very long time without magic. :( I'll use it on my next session, I'm relying on high ac and improved trip with spiked chain, so hopefully not much!

[ATHATH]

You might be interested in the Combat Trapsmith PrC.

[EoNhOeKnOwS]

That combat trapsmith is a great class for this campaign setting, I'll pass it along to my roguish counterpart, thanks!

[Slipperychicken]

Rather than barricades, consider making yourself some kind of raised platform that's totally inaccessible from the ground, perhaps using a rope ladder to get on and off, and retracting that when it's not in use. Kind of like a tower, but with enough DR to shrug off any damage the zombies might deal to it (any GM with a brain in his skull should rule a zombie's unarmed attacks and bites ineffective against thick stone barriers), and stable enough that they can't really tip it. Put wheels on it if you're feeling ambitious. Ideally keep said wheels and any draft animals inside where the zombies can't get them.

Then you can stand on/in your tower and poke zombies. Maybe put slits on the inside so you can stab that way too.

[Vizzerdrix]

DM will most likely add climbers, flyers, or start breaking trees. Better account for this with swings, zip lines, harneses, and tree stands. Also get in the habit of setting up a meeting point away from camp just in case.


In case of areas with no high cover, you may want to considder burrying yourselves.

[Slipperychicken]

Also focus on getting survivors together and training them to build barricades, do logistics work, and kick zombie ass.