Unfortunately not yet. :(

Ok I hope I got it this time.

In reply to Book of Days (msg # 29):

That got it!  Thanks!

Davtehprophet,still around?

Ok,seems we are missing a player already. Today is Sunday, if I do not hear from Davetehprophet until tomorrow evening GMT I'll open the game up for one or two more players.

Sounds good.  Let's do this.  Hopefully, DtP is OK.

Si I reopened players wanted and will post an add tonight. Chronic eye issues flaring up right now so I am a little slower than usual.

Not a rush on my part.  I'm glad you're back.  Hopefully you'll get to feeling better soon and we'll get a couple of enthusiastic new players.

So we have a few new players. I'll keep applications open though, because the Hinterlands are big enough to allow for several groups or solo players, and if this site is like other PbP sites I used to be on, a bunch will drop out later anyway and then we'll hopefully have at least one group left.

Hi everyone! Mysterious shadowy figure here!

Alright, questions!



Does this mean other characters just get teamwork feats from anyone who has them? Say I take Outflank, everyone who I consider an ally effectively has Outflank and gets its benefits as long as we're all fighting together?



So normally familiars don't really "level," but companions sort of do, but not through levels. An animal companion starts with two hit die, gains one at level two, and gains another at player level 4. Some features specify a companion levels at what is effectively your class level - 3, but others grant full progression.

At PLAYER level 3, say that someone is a druid or other character with a full progression companion. Is their companion...

- trapped at 2 hit die, as if they were still level 1?
- trapped at 1 hit die because that's level 3 - 2?

If someone is a ranger or other character at a class level - 3 progression, do they...

- suffer a -5 penalty total, meaning that a 6th-level ranger has a companion as strong as a 1st-level ranger would normally?
- only suffer a -2 penalty total, meaning any source that grants class level - 3 now grants class level - 2?

And how does this work for familiars? Familiars don't usually gain hit die at all, they just get bonuses based on their master. I see the "so improved familiar isn't available" part but it's written to suggest it follows naturally and I can't figure out what's meant to happen.

Yes, anyone fighting directly with you (flanking, back to back etc) will benefit from your experience and direction and thus share the teamwork feat with you, yes. Someone half the battlefield over will not.

Animals in the group are, de facto, complete characters getting HD and other stats from their animal type and dice rolls. The effects of their stats are, of course, depending on what animal it is. So if you'd end up with a mouse familiar with a STR of 18, it just means it is super super strong for a mouse and could thus,for example,drag something across the floor to you it would normally not have a chance against. Or it might do more than 1 damage in an attack, though a mouse would not normally attack unless in a swarm or fearing for its life. CON of 18 makes it a tough mouse indeed but as they only have a HD of 1/8 d8 if I remember right it could still be crushed easily enough.

Similarly,if the mouse has INT of 18, it would outsmart every normal mouse, follow commands really well,recognize symbols etc but still not be able to solve mathematics beyond what RL mice can manage (yes, science knows now that mice can count). Similarly, with CHA of 18, it would be a very very cute mouse and charm most anyone - someone scared of mice would still run.

The main reason for this change is that RL animals are way way smarter than many people give them credit for, and science finds out new skills all the time. They can also survive injuries in amazing ways. In almost any game animal stats are thus laughable.

With the exception of the stat increases, which the animal does on its own, the ranger would still give the abilities of their own level to their companion.

Hmm. I appreciate the clarification on teamwork; I am still a little confused about animals. Not about the "a mouse with Intelligence 18 is not as smart as a humanoid/aberration/fey/etc with Intelligence 18," I get that, but I'm still not sure what's mechanically happening.

Let's say someone is a level 4 druid and has a tyrannosaur or a giant constrictor or trumpet swan or whatever. I think you're saying, they roll for their stats rather than use their species base. The tyrannosaur might end up with Str 18, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 7, Cha 12 or whatever instead of its usual statline of Str 14, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10.

Is it still using the chart https://www.d20pfsrd.com/class...id/animal-companions found here to determine its bonuses from your druid level? Like...does it still have 4 HD, 2 feats, skill points appropriate to its unusually high Intelligence, an ability score increase et cetera? Or are you saying it'd be totally outside that system?

I guess I'm just not really sure what the "-2 levels from the bonded person" part means.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:05, Fri 25 June 2021.

I worry multiclassing and archetype are too easy of loopholes out of this and hurts the magus and swashbuckler on their normal attacks, not just their broken crit class features.

Small request. Can we change this to:

Crits are autoconfirmed EXCEPT for class features, feats, racial traits, spells, or traits that activate on a critical hit. You still have to confirm normally to see if such special abilities apply the critical effect.

This way normal weapon attacks aren't somehow less critty for a magus and swashbuckler than they are for a wizard or sorcerer and you don't get any other loopholes through archetypes from other classes that emulate some of the crazy crit stuff magus and swashbuckler can do.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:43, Fri 25 June 2021.

Yeah we can, makes sense.

Yay!

No,the only part of that chart still in use are the feats gained at the appropriate level of the druid or ranger. So, if the druid gets to level 3 the animal would get Evasion,as it is the master's level which counts, not the animal's. The animal would still stay at level 1 until such a time the druid advances to level 4 so it stays 2 levels below its master. Ability scores go up with the animal's level, and the animal levels up automatically once the master gets to level 4.

Likeways,the animal does not grow to weird proportions (like oversized wolves and some such).If it is not already grown it grows at the normal rates for its species.

And I forgot to mention, if it makes sense in the story anyone can get a companion animal, or familiar for magic types,and not much limit on species as long as it does exist in the area.

Ah. That is a bit unfortunate from my perspective, but I understand now, and thank you for the explanation. Just the one follow-up question, then:

For summons and minions that are not animals at all (or at least not built as familiars or animal companions) such as the Conjuration Sphere's companion or the 13093128 archetypes that use it as a base or Leadership cohorts or so on, do those use their standard rules?

We starting level 1?

What's starting gold?

Can I do custom character sheet?

We start at level 3 - I doubt very very much that the empire would send anyone with less experience. I've thought about it and due to the empire financing you, starting gold will be 5000 plus one minor magic item appropriate for your class.

And yes, anything not a natural thinking being including eidolons and such follows normal rules.

Magical beasts agreeing to serve as familiars or companions follow house rules.

Cohorts follow the level rules or Leadership, including magical beasts, so if you pick up a unicorn, at your level 17 the unicorn would be level 10.

There can be story exceptions, where you pick up beings who already have levels higher than if you create them yourself. So if the unicorn protector of the area decides to follow the druid, she will be higher than that.

Oh and yeah you can use any sheet you like.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:40, Sat 26 June 2021.

In reply to Book of Days (msg # 47):

That's pretty cool. I don't care much for followers but it'd be neat to have a cohort that is "my shadow" or something like that. Court that won't be available until 7th level for any class doesn't come with one.

I actually meant the Cohort Package of the Leadership Sphere (and I should have specified since...you know, the Leadership feat and cohorts from the feat also exist, that was my bad and I apologize) but it's no worries! You have answered the things I was wondering anyway, and I am clear on companions now. I think I'll be sticking to the unnatural kind.

What's everyone doing? I'm leaning towards a fey-aspected witch-knight of sorts, with a background loosely inspired by 4E Shadowfell stuff, or Exalted's Asphodel if you're familiar with that. Something dark but in a pleasant sort of way.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:43, Sat 26 June 2021.

Vyv is a finder, and trader of the rare, and the exotic.  On DM's approval, she is traveling with a strange purple cat like thing, and a bizzar horse drawn carriage that seems more a house on wheels than a normal carriage.

A human, shaman otherwise.

Greetings everyone, I just got added and read over this thread.  How many groups are there actually and who is in them and what race/class are you all taking?  I am open to playing just about anything.

It's just Vyv, and Hisspurr right now in a group.  I would love to have others in if we are allowed more than two in a group.