[OOC] Ruins of Norn: Walking Apocalypse

[Lucius Cypher]

@Tangletail

While I don't mind you using kobolds, got some questionable stuff looking through this character sheet. I know that Jack of Trades lets you add half your proficency on skills you aren't proficient with, but how do you have +2 to your Strength and Constitution saves with a strength of 8 (-1) and 11 (+0)? Jack of Trades doesn't affect your saving throws. Ability Checks in this instance affects only things such as your skills, initiative, and tools. Your Intelligence save should be a +1 as well.

Speaking of stats, everyone is level 3 right now so you shouldn't be able to get a feat as a kobold. Additionally running your stats through a stat calculator, you're 29/27 for total point buy based off the numbers from you CS, even after subtracting the +1 to charisma you get from the Actor feat.

Also I'm assuming your background is some variety of the Entertainer background given your feature, trinket, and skills, I'm not sure how you're pulling two languages even if you had chosen to forgo proficiency for an instrument for a new language, which I'd allow, but only for one language. Being able to understand different languages will be important in this RP as many of the ruins are from different races, cultures, and so forth, with common really only be understood by those who come to these lands and not the assumed language of the natives.

Also improvised percussion is not a specific enough instrument for you to claim as a skill (Improvisation for performances will just be handled as a general performance check). Being proficient with drums would imply that you know how to keep a rhythm with percussion instruments. Improvised percussion instruments will, again, be a straight performance check unless their craftsmanship is well enough that they're improvised by material standards only (A drum made from dwarven flash stretched over a shield for example). And for the purpose of using such things as spell casting catalyst for bards as they can use instruments for such purposes, again you need proper instruments or at least be able to create a good enough approximation of the ones yours proficient with, not simply banging you hands or objects together and calling it music. Otherwise you may as well say clubbing a person in the head is sufficient enough for a bard to be preforming music, and that's why they had to make a subclass specifically so a bard can beat people with their weapons as instruments.

Also you put Suggestion and Warding Wind in your third level spell slots. Do note that as a level 3 bard you can only use 4 first level spells and 2 second level spells, and you should only know two cantrips. And do adjust your DC and spell attack bonus in accordance to your stats after you fix those as well.

[Lucius Cypher]

Also as for the Countercharm thing, that's fine with me. Though some might think it's a bit too good letting a bard have a bonus action advantage against Frighten/Charmed effects, frankly those sorts of things don't normally come up a lot that it'll matter... Though lets just say I'm being generous for this one. Also don't forget to include your Blade Flourish ability as a Sword Bard. You get that at level 3 as well.

[Tangletail]

@Lucius Cypher

I made a copy of the character sheet, and did it at 4 in the morning.
The Constitution and Strength scores are both left overs that I forgot to fix.
I'm not entirely sure what happened to the stats hitting 29. As I apparently correctly put the numbers into the skills.

Also as for the Countercharm thing, that's fine with me. Though some might think it's a bit too good letting a bard have a bonus action advantage against Frighten/Charmed effects, frankly those sorts of things don't normally come up a lot that it'll matter... Though lets just say I'm being generous for this one. Also don't forget to include your Blade Flourish ability as a Sword Bard. You get that at level 3 as well.

@Lucius Cypher

Eh, I don't know about that. They stripped out a LOT from their kit in this edition. Which I can kinda see what they were trying to do. But they kinda cut the bard's identity in half and just left it at the jack of all trades, master of none.

Oh... And the likely hood of countercharm coming into question is low as the paladin gets an aura that gives a devine bonus to saves

Also, looking at the saving throw. I am curious as this is my second 5e game Does that number ever reach a decent enough level that a monster has to roll better than a six? Or is that good? I legitimately do not know.

Edits made

[Lucius Cypher]

@Tangletail

Yeah they stripped a lot out of the characters in 5e, though they added stuff too. I was certainly surprised when the bardic inspiration because limited dice bonus instead of aoe small buffs, but I suppose that's because 5e wants to reduce the amount of number crunch. In any case I do agree, the countercharm as an action thing can feel pretty lack luster unless your big hitter is scared/charmed, or most of your party is. Fear effects are actually rather common but the charm not so much.

As for the saving throw question, it really depends on what saving throw your targeting and what monster your fighting. Generally speaking if it's not something legendary like a adult dragon or a mindflayer, they're guarantee to have one great save, one good save, and the rest are shit. As in, all they get is their stat bonus or penalty. The idea of a general save DC is also to allow low level spells to still have some use in higher level games, so something like charm person or burning hands will always be useful from level 1 to level 15. Plus since 5e does away with static bonus/debuffs, more likely than not your enemy may have disadvantage and be forced to roll the lower of 2 d20's for saves. That makes it much easier for them to fail saves even if they have a decent bonus.

In any case don't forget to add a +1 to your int save.

Also your HP is way higher than it should be for a bard. It's always max die at first level, but only the average every level after. So 8+5+5=18. You'd had your con bonus for each level too if you had a bonus.

Also just a formatting thing, but you can mark a skill as Expertise by selecting the circle next to it and typing "e". This will automatically double the proficiency for it as well as mark the skill as expertised.

[Riaxh]

Life Before Death, Journey before Destination.

@Tangletail

Hider

[Tangletail]

<Snipped quote by Tangletail>

Hider

@Riaxh

Someone caught it

[Tangletail]

@Tangletail

Yeah they stripped a lot out of the characters in 5e, though they added stuff too. I was certainly surprised when the bardic inspiration because limited dice bonus instead of aoe small buffs, but I suppose that's because 5e wants to reduce the amount of number crunch. In any case I do agree, the countercharm as an action thing can feel pretty lack luster unless your big hitter is scared/charmed, or most of your party is. Fear effects are actually rather common but the charm not so much.

As for the saving throw question, it really depends on what saving throw your targeting and what monster your fighting. Generally speaking if it's not something legendary like a adult dragon or a mindflayer, they're guarantee to have one great save, one good save, and the rest are shit. As in, all they get is their stat bonus or penalty. The idea of a general save DC is also to allow low level spells to still have some use in higher level games, so something like charm person or burning hands will always be useful from level 1 to level 15. Plus since 5e does away with static bonus/debuffs, more likely than not your enemy may have disadvantage and be forced to roll the lower of 2 d20's for saves. That makes it much easier for them to fail saves even if they have a decent bonus.

In any case don't forget to add a +1 to your int save.

Also your HP is way higher than it should be for a bard. It's always max die at first level, but only the average every level after. So 8+5+5=18. You'd had your con bonus for each level too if you had a bonus.

Also just a formatting thing, but you can mark a skill as Expertise by selecting the circle next to it and typing "e". This will automatically double the proficiency for it as well as mark the skill as expertised.

@Lucius Cypher

WHy do I add a +1 to intelligence save when the stat is 11 +0

Oh, and the macro for the skills was removed so I can include the jack of all trades bonus

[Lucius Cypher]

@Tangletail

Right, forgot that you had to change your stats. Scratch the int thing. That aside everything looks good. Welcome to the Ruins of Norn. You won't last for long.

[Tangletail]

@Tangletail

Right, forgot that you had to change your stats. Scratch the int thing. That aside everything looks good. Welcome to the Ruins of Norn. You won't last for long.

@Lucius Cypher

Well... you know what they say about cowards. Typically the ones who live to fight another day. I'll have a post up soon. Seeing that I happened to come in at a perfect opportunity to either metaphorically or quite literally drop in.

EDIT: Oh yeah... this is what a cheap dusack looks like. Perfect amount of crudeness for kobold weapons.



I'll have the link in the CS later.

[rush99999]

@Lucius Cypher

It seems people have skipped to morning despite the fact that Angus was still doing stuff. He went off looking for anything that seemed flammable to throw on the fire. Would his search turn up anything?

[Lucius Cypher]

@rush99999
Right sorry. So the backrooms appear to lead to office spaces on the right, and the left appears to be a store room. The office has old moldy ya les and chairs that you might be able to use as firewood, though that mold might cause some nasty fumes if you don’t scoure the wood throughly. The storage room has a bunch of empty crates, also moldy, though one does appear to be full of sacks. Even if you look carefully you’d find about twenty or so wool sacks.

[rush99999]

@Lucius Cypher
Good to know. Expect a post shortly.

@Searat
You might want to edit out that part about Roy saying Angus is missing. I'm pretty sure he'd be back before the morning.

[Tangletail]

@Lucius Cypher
Good to know. Expect a post shortly.

@Searat
You might want to edit out that part about Roy saying Angus is missing. I'm pretty sure he'd be back before the morning.

@rush99999

Derp... Guess I gotta edit my post too.

[Searat]

@rush99999
Fixed

[Tangletail]

Post has been adjusted

[Tangletail]

Also, anyone thought of rekindling the brazier on the alter

[rush99999]

@Tangletail

Angus will be doing that in the pre-dawn segment of my next post.

[Searat]

We are out of combat so I suppose we need to address the new PC encountering us and hopefully not cause a ruckus in the church, lest we gain the ire of that dark wraith.

[Tangletail]

We are out of combat so I suppose we need to address the new PC encountering us and hopefully not cause a ruckus in the church, lest we gain the ire of that dark wraith.

@Searat

Well! As long as no one tries to kill the kobold, he won't have a bone to pick with us~

And I actually went with the kobold for a number of reasons that makes this a little easier story wise. And added a bit of advantages for the group to have around.

1. A lone kobold doesn't last long. So while there will be trust issues. It's far more likely to accept the aid of a race it generally wouldn't like, if it means it can make it home alive. Which historically kobolds tend to quickly accept those who aid them.

2. It's a small creature with dark vision. Which makes it perfect for crawling through rubble to search for goodies. Or crawl through tunnels. Or chunking up to a high place so it can tie a rope to something secure and toss it down.

@rush99999

Oh yeah..... Angus would probably know the new PC else is there with them somewhere. I mean, lilt drug a dying kin through the halls. So there's probably blood smeared in several places. Or tomato sauce.

[Searat]

@Riaxh
What say you regarding our new arrival, paladin?