Help Salve My Conscience!

[frigidmagi]

What no buff spells?

[Comrade Tortoise]

What no buff spells?

Enlarge Person counts as one.

In general buff spells are less useful when magic items can replace them. Sorcerers can rotate out old spells for new ones and I image Xander had the spells Shield and True Strike at one time but replaced them with items as he could. Bull's Strength, for example, has marginal use over Gauntlets of Ogre Power, and any turn I spend casting a buff is a turn I do little else.

EDIT: lol, this is The Silence and I posting from Comrade's computer. I forgot to change the log-in.

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

For reference, trade bars are actually mostly in smaller sizes than those, which are fairly major. Fifty GP equivalent one pound bars seem most common.

These each weigh around 27.4 pounds, and are of the highest purity that's possible without magical aid (and is thus the standard currency) with a 'face value' of 1,370 GP (a nice round number, hence this particular weight; that’s my story and I’m sticking with it… ;) )

Netherese white gold trade bars are one inch longer, with a monetary value of 800 GP. They also have some collectors' value, though for understandable reasons, the market price of such bars stamped in the City of Shade has dropped considerably since it reappeared.

The currency officially produced by the treasury of Shade runs as follows (the names of all these would be in Loross, the noble’s language, rather than common Netherese, so they’d sound more exotic):

3,200 GP ‘Platinum Ingots’ – The same size as their white gold cousins, these ingots are a little lighter, but heavier than their silver cousins. Made of highly pure platinum. They are infrequently seen, save as payment for magical items, and are stamped on both faces, and inscribed on all sides.
400 GP ‘Platinum Slivers’ – At half the monetary value of a white gold ingot, these are the same size as white gold slivers.
800 GP ‘White Gold Ingots’ – 7 inch by 3 inch by 2 inch ingots, inscribed on the sides with place and date of creation, and date of inspection by the master of the measures.
100 GP ‘White Gold Slivers’ – Three inch by two inch slivers, point eight inches high, inscribed on the faces.
120 GP ‘Silver Ingots’ – These 20 pound ingots are the same volume as their white gold cousins, and made of somewhat toughened silver, and are stamped on the face to avoid confusion.
15 GP ‘Silver Slivers’ – Identical in size to the white gold slivers, these are the most common trade bars, weighing about three pounds.
2 GP ‘Face Coins’ – These large, thick white gold coins, these are stamped on one side with a treasury seal, and on the other are typically a depiction of some notable who’s being honored at the time of minting (who need not be an arcanist). Some people collect them.
Otherwise, you’ve a variety of white gold, silver, and cupronickel coins, of varying purity.

This informative rant brought to you by the Shade Coin Collectors Association.

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

The standard pay is Character Level² x 0.75 = 75 gold for tenth level characters.

In the field, it’s straight Character Level² per day.

Combat bonuses are equivalent to half of an equal share of the treasure of an encounter of equivalent level, per day. So a tenth level encounter provides 725 gold per character, with a total of 2,900 for four, equivalent to half of the standard treasure for such an encounter, which is of course, 5,800. This is in addition to whatever you can take off your enemies, though as noted, if you start randomly shooting foreign soldiers on the roads and looting their pockets, it comes out of your pay (at the very least). You'll also get paid the same (by the city at least) for talking your way out of situations as you would for dealing with them via shooting.

This is provided in arrears after debriefing.

For comparison, your cost of living would be around 35 gold per day. That said, I’m assuming you’re employing a valet (a well trained hireling, 3gp per day), renting at least three or four well-furnished and located rooms which include subscriptions for journals of interest, and other minor expenses, (~8gp) eating damn well (20gp). With high quality imported foodstuffs (mostly from Sembia) and wine (about a third of it laid down while still on the plane of shadow, and thus, very dark regardless of taste) which're typically cooked in the relevant apartment building (and transported via dumbwaiter), and come out of the rent, and paying a reduced rate of tax (4gp). You could make substantial economies, but as you can see, I expect a decent standard of living for tenth level characters.

There may, of course, be other costs, but a regular schedule of various public and private (I don't want to know! ) entertainments and diversions of high quality (if not the most exclusive in the city) would run to about 10 gp per day for a total of 45.

For mundane facilities in the city, such as restauraunts, dining halls, stables and other such things, you can likely count on an about five to ten percent military discount compared to the prices in the DMG.

[The Nomad]

Do you mean the various bonuses are provided after debriefing and the pay is separate, or the bonus and daily pay after debriefing?

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

Do you mean the various bonuses are provided after debriefing and the pay is separate, or the bonus and daily pay after debriefing?

The initial 75 gp/day is likely seperate, as it's a scheduled thing which would be issued at your lodgings every morning (including in your abscence, thankfully, theiving isn't something that's likely a concern), whereas the other pay is based on activity, and would be provided in debriefings.

So debriefings (which I don't plan on roleplaying unless they're particularly interesting) would involve being handed chits (something for which mage runes are useful) with the final amount on them, to then be collected from the paymaster. Who then provides you with lots of coins from a safe.

Mind you, I do have an idea for a magical debit card system. But, advanced as the Netherese were in that kind of thing, I don't think they'd have the incentive to develop it.

[The Silence and I]

*Bump*

Hello! Hellooo!? Come on people, post! We have a portal to step into and new lands to materialize within! Are you not eager to proceed with this venture? My weekend fades with the setting sun... soon I will have access but once per day at odd hours...

Seriously though, what's the hold up? Or am I just getting as impatient as Xander's feet?

[The Nomad]

Here we go here we go

I'll post my spell list soon... Must sleep first.

[rhoenix]

Also, Morjin's comment was accurate - most of the time, if he's casting spell, it's going to directly or indirectly involve hitting something with his greatsword. So, some of the more subtle uses of magic are beyond him.

[The Silence and I]

Xander is the same way, perhaps more so. His spell list includes, if memory serves, a single ranged spell and it is a cantrip...

Magic is a tool best used to enhance your ability to fight. Or at least, he's always thought that. New ideas are beginning to enter his head.

[rhoenix]

Awesome. So we're the tanks?

[The Silence and I]

Maybe? I'm not high in hitpoints (4 fighter, 6 sorcerer lvls add to a rogue's hitpoints) but I can hit things really, really hard.

EDIT: It is entirely possible for Xander to invoke the "Massive Damage" rule

[rhoenix]

EDIT: It is entirely possible for Xander to invoke the "Massive Damage" rule

You're not the only one, good sir. It would appear that my character has the most hitpoints - which reminds me, I should roll that.

[rhoenix]

Finally rolling for HP:

HP from war6(5d12+12+14 for 1st lvl(1d12+2)):

+

HP from dusk4(4d8+8):

[rhoenix]

87 - not bad.

[The Silence and I]

Finally rolling for HP:

HP from war6(5d12+12+14 for 1st lvl(1d12+2)):

+

HP from dusk4(4d8+8):

If I read this correctly, you have a Con Mod of +2. 5 lvls of Warblade then would give you 5d12 + 10, not 5d12 + 12. Yes?

EDIT: Also--I noticed that your character sheet says:

(clvl1) Power Attack (can take up to -5 to attack, add that bonus to damage; 2hand is 1.5x)

But according to the PHB the 1.5x should be 2x for 2hand weapons. Unless the Errata changed this and I didn't notice...

(clvl9) Arcane Strike (can sacrifice an Arcane spell as a swift action; gain +2 to attack and +1d4 to damage per spell level of the spell sacrificed)

Two problems here. One: the prereqs are a +4 BAB and 3rd lvl spells. You have the former but not the latter. Two: you gain a + to attack equal to the lvl of the spell sacrificed as well as +1d4 damage per lvl of the spell. It is not a +2 per lvl of the spell.
Again, unless the Errata changed this (it certainly changed Leap Attack!).

[rhoenix]

If I read this correctly, you have a Con Mod of +2. 5 lvls of Warblade then would give you 5d12 + 10, not 5d12 + 12. Yes?

Good catch - I'd missed that. 85 it is.

EDIT: Also--I noticed that your character sheet says:

(clvl1) Power Attack (can take up to -5 to attack, add that bonus to damage; 2hand is 1.5x)

But according to the PHB the 1.5x should be 2x for 2hand weapons. Unless the Errata changed this and I didn't notice...

Correct again - I'm getting embarrassed here.

(clvl9) Arcane Strike (can sacrifice an Arcane spell as a swift action; gain +2 to attack and +1d4 to damage per spell level of the spell sacrificed)

Two problems here. One: the prereqs are a +4 BAB and 3rd lvl spells. You have the former but not the latter. Two: you gain a + to attack equal to the lvl of the spell sacrificed as well as +1d4 damage per lvl of the spell. It is not a +2 per lvl of the spell.
Again, unless the Errata changed this (it certainly changed Leap Attack!).

And, correct a third time - I'll get another feat for him.

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

Heh, that's what I get for reading character sheets only looking for overpowered bits.

For anyone wondering, the current date is 29 Eleint 1374 DR (Year of the Lightning Storms) with nine days to go until Highharvestide, one of the major festivals of the year. It's roughly (in Northern hemisphere terms) around early October.

Also, on further reading of the novels including the City of Shade, it turns out Prince Rivalen, the city's high priest, is depicted as an ardant (nay, fanatical) coin collector. So I guess there actually is a Shade Coin Collectors Association.

[The Silence and I]

<snip>

Good catch - I'd missed that. 85 it is.

<snip>

Correct again - I'm getting embarrassed here.

<snip>

And, correct a third time - I'll get another feat for him.

I consider myself thorough and good with math yet I made several math related mistakes working on Ottar over in Vampire. These things happen.

[rhoenix]

I'll have Morjin make a Spot check, just in case:

Spot check:

[Academia Nut]

Knowledge (arcana)

Spot

[The Nomad]

Uh, I may look stupid for asking, but is there a dice roller software somewhere on this site?

[rhoenix]

Replace all the below with [ and ] instead of ( and ).

Attack roll: (dice)1d20+5(/dice)
Damage roll: (dice)2d6+2(/dice)

Which becomes:

Attack roll:
Damage roll:

[rhoenix]

I must formally withdraw my character from this game, due to reasons of personal time. May all of you enjoy.

[The Necrontyr Messenger]

Ouch, well, best of luck, with whatever it is you've got to do!