Adventuring in Undermountain, anyone?

[Rogue 9]

Okay, I was at Comic Quest with friends yesterday for Free Comic Book Day, and for the day they were running a 20% off sale on everything in stock. So I thought what the hell, I'll get something. I decided on Expedition to Undermountain.

Now, my group here is tied up in four campaigns at the moment, and introducing a fifth one would just be silly, so I'm going to wait until a couple of them have wrapped up before using the adventure presented therein (though I'm going to use the maps for the current adventure in one of my campaigns).

So I thought why not try it as a play-by-post instead? The campaign (obviously) uses the D&D 3.5e ruleset, and is intended to take characters from first to tenth level. I'm going to institute a couple of house rules to increase the survivability of first level characters, so don't worry so much about dying like flies in the early stages.

Post here if you're interested. I'm going to set the maximum player count at six, first come, first served. I'm not going to repeat the mistake of the last play-by-post I ran, which wound up with seventeen players.

Proposed House Rules:

Hit Points at First Level: First level HP is set at the maximum hit die roll plus CON modifier plus other bonuses as normal. In addition, add your Constitution score to HP at first level.

Race changes: Half-elves get one extra skill point per level (four at first level) like humans.

Half-orcs get +2 to Survival and Intimidate, +4 on saves against disease, and +2 on saves against fear. They also lose the -2 to Charisma, but receive -1 penalties to Gather Information and Diplomacy checks.

Classes: Let me know if you plan to play a fighter, swashbuckler, ranger, or paladin; I've got changes to make there that are too extensive for me to want to outline without need.

Characters

Rauri NicIomhair (Lady Tevar)

Etver Rothsan (B4UTRUST)

Kergan Mehrimat (Rhoenix)

Elias Ebenstein (Comrade Tortoise)

Therius Blackskull (Jason Firewalker)

Eralis Vidrian (General Havoc)

[The Grim Squeaker]

I'd love to join a new Online RP game :D. What's a swashbuckler?

[Rogue 9]

Main Entry:
swash·buck·ler
Function:
noun
1 : a swaggering or daring soldier or adventurer



More specifically, the D&D class by that name found in the Complete Warrior supplement. The default class is front-loaded in the first three levels, and then proceeds to get nothing useful again until level 18; this is no fun, so I use this rebuild instead.

[B4UTRUST]

A person who swashes buckles...

Really, though. Examples you might know...

Robin Hood, d'Artagnan, Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Zorro, Cyrano De Bergerac, Inigo Montoya

[LadyTevar]

Rogue? May I have a Warblade with Iron Heart focus?

[SirNitram]

Undermountain by post? That's asking for trouble.

[Rogue 9]

Undermountain is asking for trouble by itself, by post or no.

And Tevar, the changes to the martial classes I refer to in the opening post are mostly intended to make them on par with Tome of Battle classes, so you can certainly have a warblade. We might have to discuss Iron Heart Surge, though.

[LadyTevar]

And Tevar, the changes to the martial classes I refer to in the opening post are mostly intended to make them on par with Tome of Battle classes, so you can certainly have a warblade. We might have to discuss Iron Heart Surge, though.

Iron Heart Surge, 3rd level Boost: Remove Effect, gain +2 morale bonus on attacks.
Pffft. That's nothing. Remember, Warblades can take manuevers from Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon, Tiger Claw, and White Raven.

Diamond Mind -- Moment of Perfect Mind (Counter) Use Concentration Check in place of Will Save.

Iron Heart -- Steel Wind (Strike) Attack two nearby opponents (Resolve each separately. GM Nitram decided both were at normal attack bonuses, no penalties.)

Stone Dragon -- Stone Bones (Strike): Gain DR5/Adamantine.

Tiger Claw -- Blood in the Water (Stance): Gain +1 Attk and Dam. for each Critical hit you do. (Stackable, if one minute passes in game without a new Crit, effect passes until new Crit rolled)

White Raven -- Bolstering Voice (Stance) Allies gain +2 bonus on Will saves, +4 v/s Fear.

Those are just 1st Level. At 1st level, a Warblade knows 3 Maneuvers and 1 Stance. Maneuvers are Strikes, Counters, or Boosts. Gee... Diamond Mind for the Counter, Iron Heart and Stone Dragon for the Strikes. Then, I just have to decide between White Raven and Tiger Claw. I think giving my allies a Will Save Bonus is nice, especially since all I have to do is announce at the start of Battle "Hey, GM, I am in Bolstering Voice Stance throughout combat."
Shall we talk about the little dragon Torma learning Tiger Claw? Nitram thought it was 'scarily appropriate'.

[SirNitram]

Iron Heart Surge: Want to turn off an anti-magic field? Poof! That's what he's referring to, but it's silly literalist stuff. If I go in, probably heading for Anima Mage.

[LadyTevar]

Iron Heart Surge: Want to turn off an anti-magic field? Poof! That's what he's referring to, but it's silly literalist stuff. If I go in, probably heading for Anima Mage.

Oh...... I thought it was 'Effect' as in Fear, Paralyze, etc.

[Rogue 9]

That's the thing; as written, IHS doesn't actually do what it's supposed to, while it does do a lot of things that it shouldn't. For instance, you can't use it to throw off paralyzation or a hold person spell, because it requires an action and you can't take actions while paralyzed or held. However, you can use it to not die in the vacuum of space. It's just a case of poor design.

And I'm well aware of the power of ToB classes; I'm currently playing a high-level barbarian/runescarred berserker alongside a swordsage/Master of Nine wielding Unfettered, and... he's actually remotely close to my character's full-on, greater raged, divine powered, power-attacking-for-everything damage total. And he can pick up Rraskinar and throw him a solid sixty feet. Not that my character can't do the same without fancy maneuvers (brute rings are great for that), but still.

[SirNitram]

I am curious of the Paladin changes. Anything akin to my 'Gain Devoted Spirit and one other school' ToB variant?

[LadyTevar]

That's the thing; as written, IHS doesn't actually do what it's supposed to, while it does do a lot of things that it shouldn't. For instance, you can't use it to throw off paralyzation or a hold person spell, because it requires an action and you can't take actions while paralyzed or held. However, you can use it to not die in the vacuum of space. It's just a case of poor design.

Re-reading the rules on it now, hon.

First... I was wrong. It's not a Boost. It's not a Strike. It's not a Counter. It's got no text saying what it is, either in the Quick or the Full Description.
What the book says is:

IRON HEART SURGE
Iron Heart
Level: Warblade 3
Prerequisite: One Iron Heart Maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Personal
Target : You
Duration: See Text

(Snip fancy quote)

Your fighting spirit, dedication, and training allow you to overcome almost anything to defeat your enemies. When you used this maneuver, select one spell, effect, or other condition currently affecting you and withe a duration of 1 or more rounds. That effect ends immediately. You also surge with confidence and vengeance against your enemies, gaining a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls until the end of your next turn.

Now... what's an Initiation Action?

Page 39: RESOLVING A MANEUVER OR STANCE
Actions during a Maneuver: The Initiation Action line of a maneuver description provides the action required to use that maneuver. For example, the initiation action of the radiant charge maneuver is 1 full-round action. Thus, as part of your full-round action, you bring about the effect in the maneuver description. In this case, the maneuver allows you to make a charge attack with a number of additional bonuses.

So... to use Iron Heart Surge, I'd need to be capable of 1 Standard Action. In theory, only those effects that deny me that 1 Standard Action will stop this maneuver. What effects would prevent me from having that action?

Now... unlike some rules-lawyers who'd be munchkining this for all its' worth, I would myself to the 'simple' effects: Paralyze, Fear, Sleep, Charm, things that I would usually use a Will Save to block. Since a WarBlade's Will Save is not that good, it makes sense for IHS to work against the Will-based effects. While -in theory- poison could be included in that, I could see the GM saying IHS only blocks the effects temporarily, perhaps to the end of combat, and then I would start taking the damage from it. More a Delay Poison than Cure Poison effect.

[Rogue 9]

I am curious of the Paladin changes. Anything akin to my 'Gain Devoted Spirit and one other school' ToB variant?

Not quite. Better start reading. To sum up, smites go from per day to per encounter, the paladin gains additional auras at higher levels (though only one may be active at a time), lay on hands starts removing status effects at higher levels (replacing remove disease), and the paladin has the option of other specializations instead of a special mount. I change a couple things from that rewrite, including giving the class a medium Will save progression and 4 skill points per level, but it's mostly all there.

I've also considered changing smite evil from a flat damage bonus to +1d6/three levels instead, but I'm not sure on that yet.

[The Village Idiot]

Got a linky for what you have done to the fighter?

[Comrade Tortoise]

I am all up for it, especially now that the semester is Over... though granted I need to retake O chem, which puts my graduation plans off to the side for a while... still...

And you all know what I like to play... though the details will be a bit interesting.

[The Grim Squeaker]

Hmm, looks fun, but I'll take a Half-Orc fighter. I have some aggressions to work out, that are best done through blood and sweat. Well, mainly blood. donated by other people.

Got a linky for what you have done to the fighter?

Tevar - Wow, that's...nasty. And awesome. Tome of battle really did kick up the power level of your everyday PC, didn't it. A pity I haven't played a game in over 5 years... Well, there's no time like the present to start (Killing things).

[Rogue 9]

Fighter. Now, this one's a special case; the original fighter is still an option for people who don't want to deal with the boatload of abilities (mainly those who just want a couple fighter levels for the feats), but this fighter is actually able to do it's widely-presumed job, that is, protect the rest of the party. It's made a whole lot more mobile, so it's able to interpose itself between party members and charging enemies, for instance.

[The Village Idiot]

I like it, I like it alot really.

[LadyTevar]

Tevar - Wow, that's...nasty. And awesome. Tome of battle really did kick up the power level of your everyday PC, didn't it. A pity I haven't played a game in over 5 years... Well, there's no time like the present to start (Killing things).

The best thing, Squeakee? Fighters can take feats to get access to those abilities.

That is... unless Rogue didn't include that in his homebrew remake.

[Rogue 9]

Nah, that's all good. I allow pretty much anything, under the philosophy that if the players think it's fun, then I'll let them have fun; it is, after all, a game. And besides, the DM always outguns the players. Always.

[Rogue 9]

I didn't scare you guys, did I?

[SirNitram]

Starting level? If I can get away with it, Karsite Binder.

[Rogue 9]

Starting level is one, but see the relevant house rules in the OP. And yes, go for it.

[The Grim Squeaker]

What the heck's a Karsite binder? If it doesn't turn out to be nifty, then I'll stick with the Sorceror, Gnome (Dragon, Gold) variant we discussed over IM I think.