PDA

View Full Version : OA+ToB Campaign



Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 03:43 PM
Righto Playgrounders! This is an idea I've had floating around for a while: have an Oriental Adventures + Tome of Battle campaign. However, I see several inherent flaws here:

-I've never really been on the other side of the DM screen (as in, the side where you're God)

-I'm kinda bad at detecting when people are breaking their characters, which leads me to:

-I know ToB makes EVERYTHING broken.


So my general thing here is that I need some feedback from you guys. I have both the OA book as well as the PDF update for it, as well as the ToB. What I specifically need are:

-What classes are so good they're bad?
-What classes are so bad they're good?
-What classes should/n't be allowed? (I realize this is a bit of an odd question, since I'm already saying I'll allow ToB. On this note, I was planning on keeping it STRICTLY OA book + ToB classes.)
-What are some commonly exploitable holes?
-What things need to be fixed to keep it so that the power level of the game scales with the characters? (And I'm trying to keep it UNDER 9000.)
-Aside from the ones in the OA book, what other monsters would go well with this setting? I have access to MM1-4, as well as some FR and Eb stuff.

I realize this is a massive undertaking, but any help would be appreciated.

Also, a bit of further clarification:

Although I don't really want them straying outside of OA + ToB for their characters, but I'm willing to refluff a FEW other classes from assorted other books for this campaign, as well as items and whatnot.

Also, if someone plays a Yak-Folk, I'm going to have them just win. At everything. Forever. Because nobody ever thinks of Yak-Folk (no offense to Yakk).

Knaight
2008-08-31, 03:48 PM
Tome of Battle actually isn't any more powerful than spell casting classes, and the OA samurai can actually keep up to them(unlike some other samurai I can think of from books with "warrior" in their titles), the only thing in TOB to watch out for is Iron Heart Surge, the idea behind it is to shake off a personal effect, but the wording is kind of poor.

lord_khaine
2008-08-31, 03:55 PM
-I know ToB makes EVERYTHING broken.

normaly this would be wrong, since whatever you make with ToB still isnt as strong as the 3 core casters from the core book.

but if you only use ToB and OA, then i think there is a decent chance that the spellcasters wont steal the spotlight all the time.

still, to avoid the ToB chars outshining the monks and samurais etc from OA, then you should considder giving all nonspellcasting pc's limited access to ToB maneuvers, like fx 1 maneuver every 2 levels, with swordsage recovery mechanics.

Animefunkmaster
2008-08-31, 03:56 PM
Are you using anything from the Rokugan Campaign setting?

Good but not broken:
Iaijutsu makes a very handy tactic for anyone willing to put ranks in the skill. One thing to note is it can only be done with a bladed weapon that has a sheath, and quick draw does not let you quick sheath it.

Oslecamo
2008-08-31, 03:59 PM
1-NO ARCANE SWORDSAGE VARIANT RULE(regular swordsage is fine).

2-White raven is either decent or stupidly powerfull, depending if you can count yourself as an ally or not, due to several powers of this school only afecting allies.

3-The ToB classes are quite in the same power level, OA sees very little play so their classe's power isn't really known. Here are my 2 cents on the matter:

Samurai:Free magic weapons is very sweet, with some feat optimization can be quite powerfull.

Wu-Jen: the weakest arcane caster evar, is still quite strong whitout wizards or sorceror to overshadow him, and will probably play well with everybody else.

Well, it's all I can remember for now.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 04:03 PM
still, to avoid the ToB chars outshining the monks and samurais etc from OA, then you should considder giving all nonspellcasting pc's limited access to ToB maneuvers, like fx 1 maneuver every 2 levels, with swordsage recovery mechanics.

Isn't there a feat that does that? I mean, I'd be glad to let everyone take that feat, maybe even let them take it as a bonus feat without flawing, but yeah. I think that's good.


Are you using anything from the Rokugan Campaign setting?

Good but not broken:
Iaijutsu makes a very handy tactic for anyone willing to put ranks in the skill. One thing to note is it can only be done with a bladed weapon that has a sheath, and quick draw does not let you quick sheath it.

I...do not have the Rokugan campaign setting, oddly enough. It's one of the few that I don't posess.

And yes, I planned on reminding people about Iajutsu Focus. It's just too good to ignore.

One friend of mine whom I mentioned this to immediately jumped on Crusader, because of the fun he's had making them. Does the Crusader qualify maybe as too good to play? I mean, I can't EXACTLY see how it would fit in here...although then, "here" isn't exactly defined, so who knows.

EDIT:
1-NO ARCANE SWORDSAGE VARIANT RULE(regular swordsage is fine).

2-White raven is either decent or stupidly powerfull, depending if you can count yourself as an ally or not, due to several powers of this school only afecting allies.

3-The ToB classes are quite in the same power level, OA sees very little play so their classe's power isn't really known. Here are my 2 cents on the matter:

Samurai:Free magic weapons is very sweet, with some feat optimization can be quite powerfull.

Wu-Jen: the weakest arcane caster evar, is still quite strong whitout wizards or sorceror to overshadow him, and will probably play well with everybody else.

Well, it's all I can remember for now.

1- I keep hearing this, but I've never actually seen it. So no, I'm not going to allow it.

2- Yeah, I'm not going to count the person initiating the manouvre as their own ally. Unless maybe they're bipolar?

3- Yeah, I can forsee people going into Samurai, if only for 1st level to pick up the niftiness and then going into Crusader.

And if the Wu-Jen is their only arcane choice, if people want to play casters they're pretty much going to HAVE to be one. Which makes me realize, then, that I've got to open up Complete Arcane, since that's where the new Wu-Jen is.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 04:11 PM
Also, can Wu-Jen qualify for Sandshaper? Because if someone REALLY wanted to, I'd let them try to be Gaara, if only to kill them off later at my own amusement.

lord_khaine
2008-08-31, 04:12 PM
Isn't there a feat that does that? I mean, I'd be glad to let everyone take that feat, maybe even let them take it as a bonus feat without flawing, but yeah. I think that's good.

the power gap between a standart OA melee guy and someone playing a ToB char is to big, and you can only take the feat 3 times, and wont get enough feats to get all you need.

my idea was more that the OA chars should get the maneuvers for free, to reduce the difference in power between fx a samurai and a warblade.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 04:15 PM
the power gap between a standart OA melee guy and someone playing a ToB char is to big, and you can only take the feat 3 times, and wont get enough feats to get all you need.

my idea was more that the OA chars should get the maneuvers for free, to reduce the difference in power between fx a samurai and a warblade.

Now see, that's not so bad. If I just make it so that everyone gets manouvres, then what point is there to pick a ToB class anyway?

fractic
2008-08-31, 04:18 PM
Now see, that's not so bad. If I just make it so that everyone gets manouvres, then what point is there to pick a ToB class anyway?

That would be initiator level. Non martial-adept classes only give 1/2 IL per level.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 04:21 PM
That would be initiator level. Non martial-adept classes only give 1/2 IL per level.

Ah, right.


Well...

Perhaps as incentive for people to play non ToB classes, I could waive that?

Dhavaer
2008-08-31, 04:22 PM
Now see, that's not so bad. If I just make it so that everyone gets manouvres, then what point is there to pick a ToB class anyway?

To get more maneuvers and a refresh method.

fractic
2008-08-31, 04:23 PM
Ah, right.


Well...

Perhaps as incentive for people to play non ToB classes, I could waive that?

Sure you can. If you go with the idea of giving everybody some maneuvers then I suggest letting them pick 1 or 2 schools and give them a single smaneuver at every odd level and maybe a few stances along the way.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 04:29 PM
Sure you can. If you go with the idea of giving everybody some maneuvers then I suggest letting them pick 1 or 2 schools and give them a single smaneuver at every odd level and maybe a few stances along the way.


To get more maneuvers and a refresh method.

You know, I was actually tempted to make this campaign Gestalt, but I mean...I don't know. It might SERIOUSLY break it in half.

But if I made everyone take a ToB class and a OA class...things should be balanced, right? That way, all characters have equal footing, yes?

fractic
2008-08-31, 04:33 PM
But if I made everyone take a ToB class and a OA class...things should be balanced, right? That way, all characters have equal footing, yes?

I don't really know OA, but yeah I guess it'd be balanced.

lord_khaine
2008-08-31, 04:34 PM
Sure you can. If you go with the idea of giving everybody some maneuvers then I suggest letting them pick 1 or 2 schools and give them a single smaneuver at every odd level and maybe a few stances along the way

my original idea there was that each of the great Clans would have 2-3 schools that their Samurai draws maneuvers from, so fx the phoenix clan might have Desert wind and Diamond mind.

swordsages and warblades would then be the wandering swordmasters and warriors, who dont belong to a single school.

at the same time i would give ninjas access to the shadow hand dicipline only.

insecure
2008-08-31, 04:39 PM
Well, I hope you're a fan of anime.:smallwink:

It seems pretty balanced to me, but then, I'm not so much into OA.

Eldariel
2008-08-31, 05:05 PM
First, I wouldn't worry about breaking things up. As long as we're only talking about numbers, things are usually safe. Once we're talking about arbitrary large, untouchables and so on, we've got a problem. So as long as you're not allowing core casters, you'll be fine. The Rokugan casters are about on par with the ToB characters, and OA Samurai can actually keep up.

The world still has divinities, so Crusader is a fairly natural "divine warrior". Since the Rokugan divinities are more along the "spirit"-line, a more "nature"-oriented flavour. He can still get his maneuvers through divine inspiration and that's really the relevant fluff/mechanic clash in Crusader - otherwise it's quite mutable into whatever you want.


And Gestalt isn't a horrible idea - if you want for everyone to have both, Iaijutsu-related skills and martial maneuvers (they should mesh pretty well), do go with it. You shouldn't still be breaking anything - no Persist-buff abuse, no animal companions, no extra standard actions and so on should make it safe (keep an eye on any possible Ruby Knight Vindicators though - that ability to gain extra Swift Actions really multiplies in power when talking about Gestalt).

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 05:08 PM
Well, I hope you're a fan of anime.:smallwink:

It seems pretty balanced to me, but then, I'm not so much into OA.

It seems pretty great. I think this campaign is going to be fularious.

I do have one other thing though...


I was planning on instead of the standard "Ok, you kill this, you get this much XP" system, have it more of a "You have accumulated enough story to gain a level." As in, each time they tackle something particularly strenuous or taxing, they'll get a level. How do you guys feel on this? I mean, I'm doing this so that they'll focus more on the story, not on the "Oh, I wanna go out into the woods and smack stuff until I go *ding*." No powerleveling here. Although if they do happen to venture out that way to do that, I may use it to introduce something awful. Like...say...an invading team of Yak-Folk?


EDIT:
First, I wouldn't worry about breaking things up. As long as we're only talking about numbers, things are usually safe. Once we're talking about arbitrary large, untouchables and so on, we've got a problem. So as long as you're not allowing core casters, you'll be fine. The Rokugan casters are about on par with the ToB characters, and OA Samurai can actually keep up.

The world still has divinities, so Crusader is a fairly natural "divine warrior". Since the Rokugan divinities are more along the "spirit"-line, a more "nature"-oriented flavour. He can still get his maneuvers through divine inspiration and that's really the relevant fluff/mechanic clash in Crusader - otherwise it's quite mutable into whatever you want.


And Gestalt isn't a horrible idea - if you want for everyone to have both, Iaijutsu-related skills and martial maneuvers (they should mesh pretty well), do go with it. You shouldn't still be breaking anything - no Persist-buff abuse, no animal companions, no extra standard actions and so on should make it safe (keep an eye on any possible Ruby Knight Vindicators though - that ability to gain extra Swift Actions really multiplies in power when talking about Gestalt).

Yes, I'm thinking...even though Sorcerors are mentioned in the OA book, perhaps leave them out? I'm not sure.

And what about animal companions is so terrible? I know the Shaman class gets one.

Knaight
2008-08-31, 05:31 PM
Sorcerers actually aren't all that powerful, having only a slight edge over the wu-jen. Although the rune-staff introduced in the MIC does help them, and pushes them up a bit. Seeing as thats not allowed, its not a problem.

Eldariel
2008-08-31, 05:36 PM
The problem with Animal Companions is that it's effectively a second character in combat for just one class feature (if fully powered). A pumped, fully leveled Druid Animal Companion is around as good as a Fighter of the Druid's level.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 05:41 PM
The problem with Animal Companions is that it's effectively a second character in combat for just one class feature (if fully powered). A pumped, fully leveled Druid Animal Companion is around as good as a Fighter of the Druid's level.

Mmm. Which is understandable. Also, it's why I'm not allowing druids.

I think the only class that would be comprable to the Druid would be a Shaman with levels in Shapechanger. Which, to be viable, would take a good deal of effort.

Plus, there's always the fact of if the characters start getting too powerful, I just make the encounters more difficult.

Eldariel
2008-08-31, 05:53 PM
The problem with that is, you may overkill. Also, unless all the party members are of equal power, some of them may suddenly be totally unable to touch the opponents you need to use to challenge the tougher ones. But yea, I was just responding to why powerful Animal Companions can cause issues - I hope that part was clarified.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 06:06 PM
The problem with that is, you may overkill. Also, unless all the party members are of equal power, some of them may suddenly be totally unable to touch the opponents you need to use to challenge the tougher ones. But yea, I was just responding to why powerful Animal Companions can cause issues - I hope that part was clarified.

Right right. That's incredibly helpful, actually. I'll keep an eye out for that.

The way the campaign is looking is that I'm going to have it be Gestalt, with one class of ToB and one class of OA. It's going to be ECL2 (As in, 1 level in each class). I'm going to severely limit any other multiclassing, since not only would it really not make much sense to allow it in the first place, but the OA book says that multiclassing itself is quite uncommon. I'm having it with standard WBL, and requiring a backstory which I'll somehow shove into a campaign backstory as soon as I get around to making one.

I've got to figure out what monsters are good to have other than those in the books aforementioned, as well as perhaps some other items that might be helpful to have scattered around.
EDIT: This is not reasonable.

I've decided to go with an earlier idea of just giving everyone manouvres. I think this way, it may just bring it back down, and keep me from having to deal with Gestalt things.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 06:50 PM
Also, is there an updated version of the Yak-Folk? I just re-read the MM2 entry...and I'm a bit uncertain as to what needs to be done to bring it back up to 3.5. Like, Innuendo +10? What is this nonsense?

Sinfire Titan
2008-08-31, 07:44 PM
1- I keep hearing this, but I've never actually seen it. So no, I'm not going to allow it.

Because it was never printed. It is in the adaptation section of the Swordsage class, and thus has no rules other than a very poorly worded guideline that allows them to get 9th level Transmutation spells (and use their Recovery Mechanic with those spells to have infinite Polymorphs and such). Its so poorly thought out that it actually ends up campaign-breaking.

2- Yeah, I'm not going to count the person initiating the manouvre as their own ally. Unless maybe they're bipolar?

Not even in that case. THe only reason I can see an exception for is when Simulacrum or Dvati are involved, but even then...


3- Yeah, I can forsee people going into Samurai, if only for 1st level to pick up the niftiness and then going into Crusader.

If the classes are limited to just the ones in OA and Bo9S, you really shouldn't worry about them outshining each other (so long as the non-ToB characters keep their combat abilities up to par).


And if the Wu-Jen is their only arcane choice, if people want to play casters they're pretty much going to HAVE to be one. Which makes me realize, then, that I've got to open up Complete Arcane, since that's where the new Wu-Jen is.

Opening up Warlock and Warmage may actually be a good idea.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 08:01 PM
Opening up Warlock and Warmage may actually be a good idea.



Not a horrible idea. I might, it's just that I really want people to try out the OA classes. It seems like nobody ever uses them/ Except maybe Shintao Monk. Or Tattooed Monk.

Aneantir
2008-08-31, 08:03 PM
Not a horrible idea. I might, it's just that I really want people to try out the OA classes. It seems like nobody ever uses them/ Except maybe Shintao Monk. Or Tattooed Monk.

Unless they're REALLY desperate to be a caster, no one is going to be choosing Warmage over anything. The OA classes will see plenty of play in your setting.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-08-31, 08:05 PM
On the White Raven debate, there is a section in the PHB that says that for any effect that mentions "Ally", you count as your own ally. Also, I've run a WR Warblade and it wasn't game-breaking. WRT is much better for the Casters anyways.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 08:22 PM
On the White Raven debate, there is a section in the PHB that says that for any effect that mentions "Ally", you count as your own ally. Also, I've run a WR Warblade and it wasn't game-breaking. WRT is much better for the Casters anyways.

Wow...White Raven Tactics is kind of amazing.

But yeah. I'm going to try to encourage people to try and play lots of different things. And since I'm just running it as the classes + manouvres/stances, I think everyone should be happy.

If someone REALLY wants to be a caster, I'll direct them towards Warmage, maybe. I mean, I'll refluff it, I guess, but it wouldn't take much.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 09:18 PM
Also, does anyone have potential plot ideas?

The current idea I'm having is that the villiage is slowly being encroached upon by Yak-Folk who want the PC's villiage due to its utopia-esque nature. The overall idea is that the PCs will have to flee their villiage due to the massive onslaught of Yak-Folk, and must go out into the world to gain power (and phat lewtz, of course), saving people, etc etc, and eventually return home to reclaim their villiage. After doing so, they will then have to take on the main Yak-Villiage in the Southern Mountains.

Aneantir
2008-08-31, 09:26 PM
On the White Raven debate, there is a section in the PHB that says that for any effect that mentions "Ally", you count as your own ally. Also, I've run a WR Warblade and it wasn't game-breaking. WRT is much better for the Casters anyways.

It's not all that game-breaking... Unless it's past level 17 and you do something along the lines of:

Round 1: Avalanche of Blades/White Raven Tactics with Stormguard Warrior, hitting your opponent, say, 5 times wouldn't be unreasonable, netting you +25 damage on your next rounds attacks.

Round 2: Raging Mongoose, Time Stands Still. Due to the text on Time Stands Still, you take your full attack action + 2 from Raging Mongoose twice, giving you 12 attacks total assuming you're wielding a greatsword.

So, lets say you're in Punishing Stance, have a +5 Greatsword, and a total of 26 strength. You're attacking with the following:
+30/+30/+30/+25/+15/+10/+30/+30/+30/+25/+15/+10

So, with the above weapon/stats, and with your bonus from Stormguard Warrior, your damage for these attacks is 3d6+12(strength)+5(enhancement)+25(Stormguard), ending up, on average, 52.5 per swing.

Alright, so now if we say the average AC of a CR 17 critter is about 35, and you were to take the average on your attack roll, you'd be connecting about 8 times, so 52.5 x 8 is 420, also forcing a number of saves against massive damage.

So, in conclusion, thats 420 in a single round assuming your enemy is standing next to you at the start of it, not too much of a leap with things like Crushing Vise and White Raven Hammer. Keep in mind that that is horribly un-optimized. I can easily get the damage much higher, and increase the attack bonus, so it's completely possible to get the damage into the low thousands without too much trouble.

Sinfire Titan
2008-08-31, 09:32 PM
It's not all that game-breaking... Unless it's past level 17 and you do something along the lines of:

Round 1: Avalanche of Blades/White Raven Tactics with Stormguard Warrior, hitting your opponent, say, 5 times wouldn't be unreasonable, netting you +25 damage on your next rounds attacks.

Round 2: Raging Mongoose, Time Stands Still. Due to the text on Time Stands Still, you take your full attack action + 2 from Raging Mongoose twice, giving you 12 attacks total assuming you're wielding a greatsword.

So, lets say you're in Punishing Stance, have a +5 Greatsword, and a total of 26 strength. You're attacking with the following:
+30/+30/+30/+25/+15/+10/+30/+30/+30/+25/+15/+10

So, with the above weapon/stats, and with your bonus from Stormguard Warrior, your damage for these attacks is 3d6+12(strength)+5(enhancement)+25(Stormguard), ending up, on average, 52.5 per swing.

Alright, so now if we say the average AC of a CR 17 critter is about 35, and you were to take the average on your attack roll, you'd be connecting about 8 times, so 52.5 x 8 is 420, also forcing a number of saves against massive damage.

So, in conclusion, thats 420 in a single round assuming your enemy is standing next to you at the start of it, not too much of a leap with things like Crushing Vise and White Raven Hammer. Keep in mind that that is horribly un-optimized. I can easily get the damage much higher, and increase the attack bonus, so it's completely possible to get the damage into the low thousands without too much trouble.

Granted, you can do this without using WRT, but that actually involves you risking your own hide to get the damage through.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 09:33 PM
Broketacularness.


That...


Ugh. If I see someone starting to do that, I'm smiting them.

With a Tarrasque.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-08-31, 09:35 PM
That...


Ugh. If I see someone starting to do that, I'm smiting them.

With a Tarrasque.Why would that be a bad thing? Tarrasques aren't dangerous, and really, I can do a lot more damage easily at level 20.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 09:39 PM
Why would that be a bad thing? Tarrasques aren't dangerous, and really, I can do a lot more damage easily at level 20.

Oh, no, you misunderstand.

It's not that I'll make them fight a Tarrasque. They will be hit with it. By someone much larger than them or the Tarrasque. Perhaps Thor? No, no, it's been determined on this forum he deals with "purple lazors."

Better idea.


I smite them with a Fiendish Dire Undead Half-Damn-Crab Tarrasque.

EDIT: And so help me if they start summoning Anti-Osmium.

Sinfire Titan
2008-08-31, 09:42 PM
Oh, no, you misunderstand.

It's not that I'll make them fight a Tarrasque. They will be hit with it. By someone much larger than them or the Tarrasque. Perhaps Thor? No, no, it's been determined on this forum he deals with "purple lazors."

Better idea.


I smite them with a Fiendish Dire Undead Half-Damn-Crab Tarrasque.

EDIT: And so help me if they start summoning Anti-Osmium.

Umm, 420 points of damage is standard for level 17. Hell, we've been able to get damage values into the trillions before, and without using an infinite loop. 420 damage is actually not much of a problem. By level 10, most melee characters should be doing 100 points of damage with ease.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 09:50 PM
Umm, 420 points of damage is standard for level 17. Hell, we've been able to get damage values into the trillions before, and without using an infinite loop. 420 damage is actually not much of a problem. By level 10, most melee characters should be doing 100 points of damage with ease.

Ah, excuse me. I neglected to put together the part of this where 17 is almost 18, which is in turn almost 19, which again is almost 20, where epic level starts.

Now, my previous statement will only apply if they figure out how to do that nonsense at our starting level (which I believe will be 3).

Sinfire Titan
2008-08-31, 10:08 PM
Ah, excuse me. I neglected to put together the part of this where 17 is almost 18, which is in turn almost 19, which again is almost 20, where epic level starts.

Now, my previous statement will only apply if they figure out how to do that nonsense at our starting level (which I believe will be 3).

Not possible without Stormguard Warrior or another source of massive damage bonuses. Level 3 is fairly tame, and they don't have access to WRT until level 5 anyway.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 10:12 PM
Not possible without Stormguard Warrior or another source of massive damage bonuses. Level 3 is fairly tame, and they don't have access to WRT until level 5 anyway.

Oh, we're fine then.

So back on track, then...

I think we've pretty much established that I'm using Yak-Folk as a main enemy. What other monsters are there that fit well?

Also, does anyone know where I can find this Rokugan Campaign Setting?

InkEyes
2008-08-31, 10:22 PM
I don't think anyone answered your question from the last page, so here are updates to some of the 3.0 books on this (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20030718a) page, including the Monster Manual 2.

Sinfire Titan
2008-08-31, 10:22 PM
Oh, we're fine then.

So back on track, then...

I think we've pretty much established that I'm using Yak-Folk as a main enemy. What other monsters are there that fit well?

Also, does anyone know where I can find this Rokugan Campaign Setting?

Cow-People that posses anything they want, right? Not sure what would complement their abilities, but off-hand I'd say any minions of Baphomet would work.

Rokugan is a 3rd party book, but is widely accepted as official OA source material.

Person_Man
2008-08-31, 10:42 PM
This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88633) or this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4666858&postcount=5) might help. Look under combos on the Haberdash thread.

Deth Muncher
2008-08-31, 10:45 PM
UPDATED PLOTZ (and no, I don't mean that's an update on falling over): First, generic mission or something to get them used to the world, then the introduction of the Yak-Folk and the Oni. What I was planning on is with the Yak-Folk, have them posess a band of barbarians from the Northern Wastes at some point (perhaps the Shadowlands mentioned in the book?) and start laying seige to the PC's town - although, not too badly, as they want to have this utopian villiage for their own means. Basically, the Yak-barians start attacking the villiage, the PCs realize they'd better get out whilst they still can, and out into the world they go: Specifically, into the Eastern Jungles, where they'll meet Velociraptors. And hopefully be smart enough to run away from them. They should emerge from the jungle out into a beach, eventually finding a port-villiage. From there, this will be their new base of operations, doing...stuff. Need more thoughts.


Edit!:


This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88633) or this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4666858&postcount=5) might help. Look under combos on the Haberdash thread.

Not bad at all. I likes.

Samakain
2008-09-01, 01:28 AM
One of the more interesting concepts in OA is the corruption value in there, been a couple of years since i read it but i know its there, had a couple of PrC's tied to it as well.

So far your plot relies on PC's running away from things...word of advice is that PC's in my experiance tend to be more along the line of charge first, bleed second. And flee in and of itself is maybe the 10th option on the list, right after "make nice" and "offer it cookies"

you want to lead them to your port village, give them someone to escort or a theif to chase. make it personally viable for them to go there, either for reward or reclaiming there property.

also give em a couple of yaks to slaughter on the way so they get the taste of cowardice out of there mouths from running :P.

Port village being controled by some brain controlling sea slug thinger,

Have it mutating the populace into an aquatic red and black poisonous frog people,

Its doing this by corrupting the guardian spirit of the village. its a rather large theme i've noticed in most eastern stuff i've read, watched, played is the idea of smaller, personal spirits.

Have the slug attach itself to the spirit, using the power to turn the people into mutant frog people, who are also ninjas, with a posionus barbed tongue.

Also have it that if they kill the frogs, there killing innocent villagers who know no better, and they have to the next full moon to find some way to view the astral plane to find the spirit and get the leech removed.

*Edit* the spirit can reside in some type of half sunk temple off the coast filled with alllll manner of shiny things *edit*

After that tie the leech to come local bad guy they can go stomp.

Regards.

Deth Muncher
2008-09-01, 02:18 AM
One of the more interesting concepts in OA is the corruption value in there, been a couple of years since i read it but i know its there, had a couple of PrC's tied to it as well.

So far your plot relies on PC's running away from things...word of advice is that PC's in my experiance tend to be more along the line of charge first, bleed second. And flee in and of itself is maybe the 10th option on the list, right after "make nice" and "offer it cookies"

you want to lead them to your port village, give them someone to escort or a theif to chase. make it personally viable for them to go there, either for reward or reclaiming there property.

also give em a couple of yaks to slaughter on the way so they get the taste of cowardice out of there mouths from running :P.

Port village being controled by some brain controlling sea slug thinger,

Have it mutating the populace into an aquatic red and black poisonous frog people,

Its doing this by corrupting the guardian spirit of the village. its a rather large theme i've noticed in most eastern stuff i've read, watched, played is the idea of smaller, personal spirits.

Have the slug attach itself to the spirit, using the power to turn the people into mutant frog people, who are also ninjas, with a posionus barbed tongue.

Also have it that if they kill the frogs, there killing innocent villagers who know no better, and they have to the next full moon to find some way to view the astral plane to find the spirit and get the leech removed.

*Edit* the spirit can reside in some type of half sunk temple off the coast filled with alllll manner of shiny things *edit*

After that tie the leech to come local bad guy they can go stomp.

Regards.

That...wow. That's not half bad. I like that.

The whole way I was going to get them to the Port is that it's the nearest allied villiage, so going there would pretty much be a no brainer.

And on the subject of frogs, I was just talking about if one of the PCs is a shaman, i'd let them take a Giant Frog because it amuses me. So if they do, then thier frog might be able to alert them to the fact that these frogs aren't as they appear...

And the brain-leech on the local spirit isn't half bad either. I may, in fact, use this as the preliminary mission, just to get thtem into the swing of the campaign, but I may use it as a sub-mission as they're running away from their villiage, who knows.

EDIT: Also, I was reading through the OA book again, and I stumbled onto the Plague Oni. Since at least one of my players plays WH40k, I now have to put Nurgle in here somehow...

Deth Muncher
2008-09-05, 07:57 PM
So! Here's how it's gone so far. The characters are still being firmed up, but it's looking like we're going to have a Vaanara Monk/Ranger, a Vaanara Shaman, a Nezumi Shaman, a Human Samurai?, a Human Shugenja (who will be around not incredibly often, so he'll probbably be a DMPC for a good portion of the time), and...well, basically Alphonse Elric (an Aspect of a nature spirit of the area which posesses a suit of Great Armor). I know the Vaanara Shaman wants to take a Poison Toad familiar (I'm having the Animal Companion basically scale like the 3.5 Druid). The disembodied spirit basically has all the Construct traits except the line in the MM with the immunities to crits and the rest of that entry, as well as having 50% vulnerability to Cold/Lightning. The other guys I don't know.

Possibly Bad Guys:

A posessed Oni Armor: 10 levels of Crusader, maybe? Or maybe refluffed Samurai.

The Yak-Folk, in conjunction with the Oni, including that one Shadowlands beast that kinda looks like a Yak-Folk (and its name means Horn, as I recall. Starts with a T.)

Awakened Velociraptors.

Hordes of Fire Toads.

Yetis 'n' such (all the icy monsters in the book).

At some point, I'm going to have them venture into the Shadowlands for...something.