New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Halfling in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2009

    Default Rolling a Favored Soul

    I'm trying to roll a Favored Soul, not sure how to do it though. I've only ever done Sorcerers and one Knight before. How do you go about it? Do you have to select spells from your God's "portfolio"? What exactly is a portfolio?

    Flavor-wise, I'm shooting to play a religious figurehead/pawn. Incredibly powerful magic-wise and through the grace of her god (Homebrew god), but physically a weak host for it all. Taking a major negative on Con... not sure if that's too foolish. The idea is that personal short comings complicate the fulfillment of her Favored Soul duties within her culture. Will I stand a chance with that sort of con? Are there feats I can take to help it?

    Lv 3 w/38 point buy
    Str 14
    Dex 16
    Con 8
    Int 10
    Wis 18 (+2 Lesser Aasimar)
    Cha 18 (+2 Lesser Aasimar)
    Last edited by Alsc; 2010-02-28 at 07:49 AM.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Hiding and fleeing.

    Default Re: Rolling a Favored Soul

    Quote Originally Posted by Alsc View Post
    I'm trying to roll a Favored Soul, not sure how to do it though. I've only ever done Sorcerers and one Knight before. How do you go about it? Do you have to select spells from your God's "portfolio"? What exactly is a portfolio?

    Flavor-wise, I'm shooting to play a religious figurehead/pawn. Incredibly powerful magic-wise and through the grace of her god (Homebrew god), but physically a weak host for it all. Taking a major negative on Con... not sure if that's too foolish. The idea is that personal short comings complicate the fulfillment of her Favored Soul duties within her culture. Will I stand a chance with that sort of con? Are there feats I can take to help it?

    Lv 3 w/38 point buy
    Str 16
    Dex 16
    Con 6
    Int 10
    Wis 18 (+2 Lesser Aasimar)
    Cha 18 (+2 Lesser Aasimar)
    Low Con is always a bad idea, regardless of class. Low strength would be better. If you're planning to go into melee it won't work too well either way, but with low strength you can take Weapon Finesse and/or use magic to bolster yourself. If you really want Con 6 Improved Toughness (Complete Warrior), being something without a Con score and/or getting Unholy Toughness (or something, available via Dry Lich after finishing the Walker in the Waste PrC, Sandstorm) will be a great help.

    On the spells, I'll take a look and be back (activate Ninja Ward!).

    Back. Right you need to look at the Spells Known table and find out your spells known for your level (just like a Sorcerer must), you then choose the correct number of spells for each level from the Cleric spell list. Didn't look hard but it seems you don't get Domain spells or anything. Cleric has a good list anyway.

    Cha and Wis are your casting stats. Wis determines save DC, Cha for everything else. If you only want self buffs you can dump Wisdom if you wish. I'd say keep Wis and pick up spells with as many unique effects as possible (e.g. paralysis is rather hard to inflict bar through casting, Animate Objects is a spell with a rather rare effect (go to town with caster level boosts and watch your DM's face when you declare you're animating a house). Basically look at staple Cleric spells (mostly for the role you wish to fill, but make sure you have some capabilities outside that), if they only need to be cast occasionally get a scroll or wand, if you're bound to cast them almost every day then they're probably worth picking up.

    According to a calculator I just looked up your numbers are off BTW. It's a 40 point buy with the most favourable reading. Also your scores in point buy are normally 8 minimum. I would suggest:
    Str 12
    Dex 14
    Con 14
    Int 10
    Wis 16 (+2 Racial for 18 total)
    Cha 16 (ditto)

    Or something along those lines. It may not quite match the fluff but you can always roleplay your character as being physically weak but having enough resolve to keep on fighting (explains high hit points, ability to keep going despite fatigue and high Fort save fairly well). Con 6 is not a good idea, Exhaustion or Fatigue (can't remember which) gives a -6 penalty to Strength and Constitution. I'm fairly sure you wouldn't die from 0 Con caused by a penalty but it's best to be safe. Besides which with 6 Con poisons would be anathema to you. They're better for enemies anyway without a -2 to your Fort save, when average Joe has +0, and when even one instance of Con damage is likely to kill you and the minute later effect is just a bonus for your opponents whether they survive or not.
    Last edited by ScionoftheVoid; 2010-02-28 at 07:39 AM.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Halfling in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2009

    Default Re: Rolling a Favored Soul

    That's really helpful, thanks. So I have full run of the different cleric spells? Neat...

    I'm waffling on whether or not it's playable without melee firepower... The cleric spells arn't geared towards spell slinging like I'm used to with Sorcs... Though animating houses does sound nifty.

    To be clear: the Cha modifier added to my damage rolls and the Wis mod is added to my to-hits?

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Hiding and fleeing.

    Default Re: Rolling a Favored Soul

    Quote Originally Posted by Alsc View Post
    That's really helpful, thanks. So I have full run of the different cleric spells? Neat...

    I'm waffling on whether or not it's playable without melee firepower... The cleric spells arn't geared towards spell slinging like I'm used to with Sorcs... Though animating houses does sound nifty.

    To be clear: the Cha modifier added to my damage rolls and the Wis mod is added to my to-hits?
    No.

    Sorcerers get spells known which they pick from the Sor/Wiz list. Favoured Souls get spells known which they pick from the Cleric list.

    Charisma determines your bonus spells-per-day, whether or not you can cast spells of a certain level and, I think, is your "main casting stat" for spells like Telekinesis. Wisdom determines your spells' save DC's (the number your opponent has to equal or beat with their save when you cast, for example, a Sleep spell). No bonuses to damage or to-hit.

    The Cleric list lends itself more to wading into melee and crushing/piercing/slicing some skulls, using buffs on yourself and hitting enemies with the occasional hold person (if you think this sounds like what you want your character to do, try Str 15, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16 (+2 from Aasimar), Cha 16 (same) or the above with Str 16, Int 8). Alternatively you could put some of these buffs on the Big Stupid Fighter (or other melee combatant) and hit people with Hold Person and friends from further away (in this case the scores in my previous post should do, maybe lower Str and Dex a bit to pump up one or both of your casting stats).

    Slinging direct damage spells, while viable, is best done by a Sorcerer or Wizard. As I always say, "everyone can do damage, but casters can do so much more". Oh and animating a house requires being level 12 (to pick up Animate Objects in the first place) at least, plus a pretty big caster level to animate something of that size. Probably worth trying for if you ever get there though. An Orange Ioun Stone and one of the Karma Beads should get you started for caster level boosts, IIRC.
    Last edited by ScionoftheVoid; 2010-02-28 at 07:58 AM.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Halfling in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2009

    Default Re: Rolling a Favored Soul

    Really? I thought there was a stat mod for spell dmg, guess I've been playing melee too much lately.

    Hrm, thanks for the break down. Melee doesn't sound too bad actually... a divinely powered fighter... I could could live with that... and alter the fluff...

    What did you mean: "your "main casting stat" for spells like Telekinesis"?

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Dogmantra's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    With Uncle Crassius

    Default Re: Rolling a Favored Soul

    For Favoured Souls, I believe Cha determines bonus spells, highest level spell you can cast, that sort of thing, and Wis determines the save.
    BANG → !
    OH LOOK AT HER/.../YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN/YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN/YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN MEAN/RICHARDS

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Hiding and fleeing.

    Default Re: Rolling a Favored Soul

    Quote Originally Posted by Alsc View Post
    What did you mean: "your "main casting stat" for spells like Telekinesis"?
    The "Violent Thrust" application of the Telekinesis spell allows you to aim at something with an attack roll equal to d20+caster level+casting stat with the example of Cha for Sorcerers and Int for Wizards, IIRC. I'm not sure if something similar is in another spell or if Telekinesis is on the Cleric list, so I added that just in case (I also wanted to get three things for Cha, Rule of Three and all that).

    If that turns out to be complete nonsense and there is no such thing in Telekinesis it's because I couldn't be bothered to go on the SRD and check.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Thurbane's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Terra Australis
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Rolling a Favored Soul

    You could always dump WIS, so long as you stick to spells without saves.

    ...and to echo the above: never, NEVER use CON as a dump stat.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •