I am starting to think my monk/sorc/DG/DD build was poorly thought out from a mechanics standpoint. I don't really have the spells to hang back but I am also not great at being in melee either. Tis abit fustrating.
What's the full build you're aiming for? This one sounds close and seems pretty good.
I so far am 1 scaled fist/ 2 DG/ 2 sorc/ 1 DD. Mostly saw I could turn into a dragon and wanted to try and tear stuff up on the frontline in dragon form.
I think grabbing DG might have been a misstep, DH is a bit better if you want to Pally dip. But your Sorc is going to suffer regardless. Do you have respec enabled? If not, you might consider pivoting to Eldritch Knight or Eldritch Scion if you want to melee.
Also kinda floundering on trying to balance kingdom stuff and actual adventuring. Got the treasurer guy but could probally stand a few more melee people since most of my party is kinda squishy.
Who's in your party right now? Val/Amiri/You in the front, Linzi/Tristan/Jubilost in the rear?
I do have respec enabled, but it doesnt seem to play well wigh a mod that introduced traits. I am not super worried about casting aside from using it for buffs before going dragon. I just dont think its gonna hold up well as a melee fighter.
And my normal party is Me/Amiri/Reg as a front line and Linzi/Octavia/Ekundayo as the rear atm. I do tend to swap people out for specific quests if it seems like its rrlevant to them.
That's a perfect use case to pivot towards Eldritch Knight I think. What do your stats look like? Edit: I think you'll qualify for EK by 9 if you go Monk (SF) 1 / Paladin (Divine Guardian) 2 / Sorcerer 4 / Dragon Disciple 2? ...wait, shit, your goal is to hit DD10 right?
How's Reg holding up in fights? Also who is your healer? I'd drop Ekundayo for Tristan or Ek and Amiri for Harrim and Jaethal (if you can't stand Tris). Also also, if they're not already in your spell book, Lesser Restoration, Delay Poison (Communal), and Resist Energy (Communal) should be.
Yeah trying to hit dd 10. And yeah i should probally get a cleric in. I was using Jaethal for a long time. Why Tris over the other two?
Reg holds up pretty good. Buff him up and he is pretty hard to take down.
Yeah trying to hit dd 10. And yeah i should probally get a cleric in. I was using Jaethal for a long time. Why Tris over the other two?
Reg holds up pretty good. Buff him up and he is pretty hard to take down.
If you're shooting for DD10, go all in now. The quicker you get there the better, just don't be stingy with the buffs before you charge into combat. I'm assuming you're Dex heavy? Cat's Grace, Mage Armor, Mirror Image, Shield, etc. Anything to boost your Dex (and thus BAB & AC). Do you have Dodge / Crane Style / Crane Wing? If not, consider getting them and turn Defensive Fighting on forever.
Tristan is Good, so any spell he prepares he can cast as a healing spell instead. Which is pretty handy. Also he can channel heal, which is an AoE and thus super efficient for healing up your three front line characters. Jaethal is probably more effective overall, but doesn't have the healing capabilities to be your only healer. Plus, she front lines so she's going to have to walk out of combat first. Harrim works behind your main line (give him a reach weapon) or in the back, but he only has, like half the normal cleric spells. So you'll want a backup healer/buffer (hence Jaethal).
Yeah trying to hit dd 10. And yeah i should probally get a cleric in. I was using Jaethal for a long time. Why Tris over the other two?
Reg holds up pretty good. Buff him up and he is pretty hard to take down.
If you're shooting for DD10, go all in now. The quicker you get there the better, just don't be stingy with the buffs before you charge into combat. I'm assuming you're Dex heavy? Cat's Grace, Mage Armor, Mirror Image, Shield, etc. Anything to boost your Dex (and thus BAB & AC). Do you have Dodge / Crane Style / Crane Wing? If not, consider getting them and turn Defensive Fighting on forever.
Tristan is Good, so any spell he prepares he can cast as a healing spell instead. Which is pretty handy. Also he can channel heal, which is an AoE and thus super efficient for healing up your three front line characters. Jaethal is probably more effective overall, but doesn't have the healing capabilities to be your only healer. Plus, she front lines so she's going to have to walk out of combat first. Harrim works behind your main line (give him a reach weapon) or in the back, but he only has, like half the normal cleric spells. So you'll want a backup healer/buffer (hence Jaethal).
Huh?
ED: Also, Harrim can convert spells to healing spells, just like Tristian, and can channel the healing / undead damaging auras, as well. Which is one reason why you need to be careful with Jaethal and [Cleric] in your party.
ED2: @Sonelan Treat Tristian like you would a Wizard who just has an odd spell list (because that's effectively what he is).
I was a little disappointed by the double Cleric inclusion since Cleric is my fav class in 3.x. Especially since Tristian was very close to the build I myself wanted to make (Storm Ecclesitheurge buffer/nuker). Hopefully Wrath doesn't have one of those as a recruitable NPC.
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-Loki-Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining.Registered Userregular
I was a little disappointed by the double Cleric inclusion since Cleric is my fav class in 3.x. Especially since Tristian was very close to the build I myself wanted to make (Storm Ecclesitheurge buffer/nuker). Hopefully Wrath doesn't have one of those as a recruitable NPC.
They need one recruitable Cleric for healing. Otherwise everyone who doesn't want to play one is forced to use a mercenary and drop a companion.
But yeah Kingmaker didn't need two. Feels like the only reason Harrim needed to be a Cleric was there is a longish gap before you get Tristian.
I started this two days ago. Was really frustrated. Went to the swarm cave of course. Listened to the advice about Alch Fire, but managed to miss 6 throws in a row. And it only does half damage to them. When I got to the room with a bunch of them I just had to quit
Yesterday I got the turn based mod and went to some other places and managed to fill out my party and got to level 3 and now everything is much smoother
I started this two days ago. Was really frustrated. Went to the swarm cave of course. Listened to the advice about Alch Fire, but managed to miss 6 throws in a row. And it only does half damage to them. When I got to the room with a bunch of them I just had to quit
You don't need to engage the swarms at all. The berries you were sent in for can be obtained by hugging the bottom of the cave and working towards the back. You'll probably have to save scum the berries though since it's a Nature check to get them. Then head out the same way, turn in the quest, and make a note to come back at a higher level and clear it out.
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ExtreaminatusGo forth and amplify,the Noise Marines are here!Registered Userregular
I was a little disappointed by the double Cleric inclusion since Cleric is my fav class in 3.x. Especially since Tristian was very close to the build I myself wanted to make (Storm Ecclesitheurge buffer/nuker). Hopefully Wrath doesn't have one of those as a recruitable NPC.
They need one recruitable Cleric for healing. Otherwise everyone who doesn't want to play one is forced to use a mercenary and drop a companion.
But yeah Kingmaker didn't need two. Feels like the only reason Harrim needed to be a Cleric was there is a longish gap before you get Tristian.
Kingmaker has 3 if you count Jaethal, who has cleric spells. I think having Harrim and Tristian in the same game is fine. They fulfill two different roles despite being the same base class. Tristian your healbot cleric who can't wear armor because he's a caster with a different spell book, and Harrim is your more traditional buff and smash damage cleric who can also heal if he has to (but he probably fucking hates doing it). Also different alignments and blah blah blah. Every CRPG game should have two clerics in it.
Are Varnhold's Lot and the dungeon expansion worth getting? I just got to where the friendly baron invited me to visit and it reminded me of the DLCs I didn't get at first.
Are Varnhold's Lot and the dungeon expansion worth getting? I just got to where the friendly baron invited me to visit and it reminded me of the DLCs I didn't get at first.
I'm playing through Varnhold's Lot right now, and... it's ok? I haven't finished it yet, but apparently it'll tie back into the main plot if you play through the DLC so maybe.
The turn based mod totally changes the feel of this game. Actually progressing through it with satisfaction now, and very happy it will be a core piece of Wrath...
Are Varnhold's Lot and the dungeon expansion worth getting? I just got to where the friendly baron invited me to visit and it reminded me of the DLCs I didn't get at first.
Yes. Varnhold's Lot is a good side-story that moves along at a good clip (except for one mega dungeon that I thought took just a little too long) and provides some extra information on one of your neighbors in the main game. Some of the stuff that happens there gets reimported into your main campaign.
The dungeon expansion is great. In the main campaign, it provides an extra dungeon that you get to dive into 5-or-so levels at a time, gated by progress through the main quests. Then, it also acts as a Roguelite with 50 levels and permanent unlocks in the "village" at the top of the dungeon, and is a good way to play with characters you wouldn't otherwise use in your main game.
At what point do the DLC intersect with the main game? Just wrapping up Act 1....
After Act 2. The guide I'm following recommends you play Varnhold's Lot after Seasons in Bloom.
Re: Varnhold's Lot. Last (?) fight...
Holy shit, am I missing something is Marquis Immolatta supposed to be able to kill everyone in my party almost instantly? I'm buffed from here to hell, but the Magic Missile bursts just fucking wreck me.
Edit: turns out the Shield spells makes you immune to magic missiles.
I was a little disappointed by the double Cleric inclusion since Cleric is my fav class in 3.x. Especially since Tristian was very close to the build I myself wanted to make (Storm Ecclesitheurge buffer/nuker). Hopefully Wrath doesn't have one of those as a recruitable NPC.
They need one recruitable Cleric for healing. Otherwise everyone who doesn't want to play one is forced to use a mercenary and drop a companion.
But yeah Kingmaker didn't need two. Feels like the only reason Harrim needed to be a Cleric was there is a longish gap before you get Tristian.
Kingmaker has 3 if you count Jaethal, who has cleric spells. I think having Harrim and Tristian in the same game is fine. They fulfill two different roles despite being the same base class. Tristian your healbot cleric who can't wear armor because he's a caster with a different spell book, and Harrim is your more traditional buff and smash damage cleric who can also heal if he has to (but he probably fucking hates doing it). Also different alignments and blah blah blah. Every CRPG game should have two clerics in it.
On top of that
You lose Tristian for at least a bit at the end of act IV, and can lose him forever depending on the choices you make (all of which are at-the-moment choices, so don't freak out if something updates that makes you think you've lost your chance unless you're face-to-face)
At what point do the DLC intersect with the main game? Just wrapping up Act 1....
Shortly after the start of Act 4 is when you get to choose the savefile you want to import. There is a gap for kingdom stuff between it and Act 3, so as long as you do the DLC right at thar point you should be OK.
Is there like a dummies guide to D&D rules as they apply to this game?
I've played a lot of other D&D-inspired RPGs like Pillars, DOS, and so on, but I never played using a D&D ruleset. I started this game and made it to Ch. 2 using build guides on Steam but I don't really understand a lot of the basic concepts like AC, DC, roll to hit, and what not. I vaguely remember stuff like the latter from playing KOTOR ages ago and from looking at combat logs (e.g. your to-hit roll is based on your weapon, stat effects from buffs, and other inherent character-specific ones from feats, etc. and is then compared against the enemy armour class), but I don't really fully understand it all.
Most rolls are d20 + Bonuses - Penalties vs. a Difficulty Class; you have to meet or beat the DC to succeed.
The DC for normal combat is called Armor Class (and was actually around first )
Saving throws work in reverse: the caster or trap or whatever sets the DC, and the target of the spell or effect rolls against it
Bonuses of the same type don't stack (except for Dodge bonuses); so if you've got a +1 morale bonus to hit (from a spell) and a +3 morale bonus to hit (from a high-level bard singing), then you net out at +3
Other than that, ask away. Happy to help with any rules questions you have.
Made peace with the Mites and Kobolds. Now they worship my gloves
Then some ghost res'd the evilg gnome I just killed, so now I have to find him so I can kill him again
Thunder Call is insane at level 3. Just splatting everything every round
Is there like a dummies guide to D&D rules as they apply to this game?
I've played a lot of other D&D-inspired RPGs like Pillars, DOS, and so on, but I never played using a D&D ruleset. I started this game and made it to Ch. 2 using build guides on Steam but I don't really understand a lot of the basic concepts like AC, DC, roll to hit, and what not. I vaguely remember stuff like the latter from playing KOTOR ages ago and from looking at combat logs (e.g. your to-hit roll is based on your weapon, stat effects from buffs, and other inherent character-specific ones from feats, etc. and is then compared against the enemy armour class), but I don't really fully understand it all.
It feels like the Kingdom stuff takes forever.
The basics:
AC= Armor Class. Basically all the protections a character or creature has for avoiding weapon damage. Weapon attacks roll a d20 + any to-hit bonuses, and if they get a higher value than target's AC, it is a hit and can roll for damage.
DC= Difficulty class. Most spells and spell-like abilities give the target to make a save roll of d20 + their Fortitude/Reflex/Will (depending on the ability) to reduce or avoid effects altogether. The difficulty of skill checks are represented by DC as well.
Touch attacks= some spells still have you roll to hit, such as Shocking Grasp and Scorching Ray. Since only contact is required (rather than having to hit hard/accruately enough to do damage) they ignore many AC bonuses. This makes them effective against large and well-armored enemies, but less so against agile ones.
Flat-Footed= a creature is considered flat-footed at the start of combat before they make their first action, against enemies they cannot see, or when immobilized in some way. Flat-footed enemies lose Dexterity and Dodge AC bonuses and are vulnerable to sneak attacks, sometimes called precision strikes. Note that Barbarians and a few other classes can get an ability called Uncanny Dodge, which means they are only Flat-Footed if they are immobilized or otherwise phyicially incapable of dodging attacks.
Critical Hit/Miss= A natural 20 on the roll to hit always hits, and a natural 1 always misses, regardless of the actual bonuses or target AC. Natural 20s (as well as any hits that were made within the weapon's threat range) give the chance for a critical hit, which must be confirmed with another d20 roll to hit.
Little things to remember to make your life easier:
Penetrating DR (damage resistance): Most types of DR can be ignored if the correct type of weapon or enchantment is used. Sometimes it will get high enough that you'll want to use a weapon not as accurate as your main weapon to bypass the DR. Without spoiling too much, it would be smart to bring a Cold Iron weapon or two wherever you go.
Regenerating Monsters, Helplessness, and Coup-de-Grace: Monsters with Regeneration (which is different from Fast Healing) cannot be killed off for good unless the regeneration is supressed with the right type of damage. *However,* still-regenerating enemies who lose all their HP will collapse and become helpless, making them vulnerable to a coup de grace, which anyone can do. A coup de grace that hits is an automatic crit that forces the target to make a fortitude save based on the damage dealt or die, even if their regen is still up.
Potions and Scrolls: A proper stockpile of scrolls and potions can avoid many frustrations and make you feel badass for being prepared. Good ones to have are restoration (all types) Remove Blindness, Resist Energy, Delay Poison, Remove Sickness, and of course, cure wounds and Raise Dead. Scrolls, wands and potions of standard buffs (Bless, Prayer, etc) can also save you spell slots you can use for other things.
Buffing is very important in PF
Buffs have 'types' and only the highest of each type counts. (The exceptions are Dodge to AC, which stacks, and bonuses without type)
For instance, you can get a competence, morale, luck, resistance and sacred bonus to Saves
Attack Roll buffs are especially valuable. The spells that buff them (Bard Perform, Prayer/Divine Favor, Good Hope/Heroism, Haste(Also gives an extra roll, Smite/Judgement) should be around.
Barkskin and Shield of Faith are the 2 scaling AC spells.
Getting the right buff mix will help you past the harder fights.
I am not sure how I feel about Varnhold. So far it seems like theres less charecters to bounce off of? Since the only ones who seem to get to talk so far are the two co-founders.
I am not sure how I feel about Varnhold. So far it seems like theres less charecters to bounce off of? Since the only ones who seem to get to talk so far are the two co-founders.
That's pretty much it for party banter. Varnhold is much more combat-focused than the main game.
There is one or two other characters, and at least a couple times persuasion comes into play.
Also, somewhat (actually very) important thing to be aware of: you will not have Varn and Ceph for every outing, but you will have the mooks where ever you go, so make sure they + you can cover any skills and spells you'll need.
Man, the buffs are so annoying. I get that they're important but it's so annoying to have to recast them every few minutes / after every rest. D&D 5e made some choices I dislike, but at least Concentration reduces the amount of buffing your party does pre-fight.
But yes, as painful as it is, there are lots of fights that you might as well not bother trying if you go in without buffs.
Pro tip I figured out relatively early that made a lot of otherwise extremely tough fights almost trivial:
It's been mentioned a couple of times that Delay Poison: Communal is a necessity, so you should have it up regardless. But don't forget that it makes you immune to your own caster's poison spells, too. Drop a Stinking Cloud on a group of enemies and they'll probably never hit you while your party murders them with impunity. Likewise, Cloudkill is an even better one that can kill your enemies without even needing to send the party in to fight.
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-Loki-Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining.Registered Userregular
I save scum to avoid that. You don’t need to pre buff for every fight so I tend to not do it and save scum if I hit a fight that needs it.
I save scum to avoid that. You don’t need to pre buff for every fight so I tend to not do it and save scum if I hit a fight that needs it.
I find once you get to higher levels the "cost" for many buffs is low enough you can use them for pretty much every encounter. Bard songs with Lingering Song and Barbarian Rage are good examples. Also pretty much any buffs that that have a duration of minute per level once you get to 6+.
Also, for the advanced players, Tristian starts out with the Extend Spell Metamagic feat. Not all buffs are worth a higher spell slot, but double duration can help a ton for making a spell last several fights. You could also chuck out the cash for an Extend Metamagic Rod, though I think the infamous Crag Linnorm guards one.
Finally, for spells whose buffs do not improve with caster level, scrolls and potions are always a good option.
What let's some characters add their modifier to weapon damage?
You might need to be more specific. Are you talking in general, for non-Strength bonuses?
For the first, melee weapons and any ranged weapon with the "Strength" or "Composite" property automatically gain the character's Strength modifier for bonus damage. Apparently (not sure if this is TT rules or the game doing this) strength penalties are applied to bow regardless if they're composite or not.
For non-strength bonuses, those are usually conditional or class abilities. One example I know off the top of my hand is Rogue Finesse Training, which adds the Dex bonuses to one chosen weapon that has the Weapon Finesse property in place of any Strength bonus you would have otherwise gotten. I think there are a couple feats with similar bonuses, but are more restrictive (like being unable to have anything in the off hand)
Foefaller on
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PiptheFairFrequently not in boats.Registered Userregular
What let's some characters add their modifier to weapon damage?
You might need to be more specific. Are you talking in general, for non-Strength bonuses?
For the first, melee weapons and any ranged weapon with the "Strength" or "Composite" property automatically gain the character's Strength modifier for bonus damage. Apparently (not sure if this is TT rules or the game doing this) strength penalties are applied to bow regardless if they're composite or not.
For non-strength bonuses, those are usually conditional or class abilities. One example I know off the top of my hand is Rogue Finesse Training, which adds the Dex bonuses to one chosen weapon that has the Weapon Finesse property in place of any Strength bonus you would have otherwise gotten. I think there are a couple feats with similar bonuses, but are more restrictive (like being unable to have anything in the off hand)
Fencing Grace is a feat that adds your Dex bonus to damage rather than Str if you are using a rapier
the weapon mod Agile can do that with any weapon that can be used with Weapon Finesse
Posts
Yeah trying to hit dd 10. And yeah i should probally get a cleric in. I was using Jaethal for a long time. Why Tris over the other two?
Reg holds up pretty good. Buff him up and he is pretty hard to take down.
Yes, HARD HARD this. The level 20 bonuses for individual classes are fucking bonkers insane.
Take our good ol friend the Fighter.
"My crit chance on my specialized weapon goes up by 1x damage. Also I no longer need to confirm crits. Oh also you can't disarm me".
It’s really hard reaching level 20 in the Kingmaker campaign though.
Tristan is Good, so any spell he prepares he can cast as a healing spell instead. Which is pretty handy. Also he can channel heal, which is an AoE and thus super efficient for healing up your three front line characters. Jaethal is probably more effective overall, but doesn't have the healing capabilities to be your only healer. Plus, she front lines so she's going to have to walk out of combat first. Harrim works behind your main line (give him a reach weapon) or in the back, but he only has, like half the normal cleric spells. So you'll want a backup healer/buffer (hence Jaethal).
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Do you have a recommendation for using Tris? He seems kinda wimpy so it seems like i should keep him off the frontlines.
Huh?
ED: Also, Harrim can convert spells to healing spells, just like Tristian, and can channel the healing / undead damaging auras, as well. Which is one reason why you need to be careful with Jaethal and [Cleric] in your party.
ED2: @Sonelan Treat Tristian like you would a Wizard who just has an odd spell list (because that's effectively what he is).
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
class abilities from 7 onward become increasingly powerful
he is a divine buffer/healer/occasional caster
he exists to make the rest of the party better and to smash that channel button
They need one recruitable Cleric for healing. Otherwise everyone who doesn't want to play one is forced to use a mercenary and drop a companion.
But yeah Kingmaker didn't need two. Feels like the only reason Harrim needed to be a Cleric was there is a longish gap before you get Tristian.
Yesterday I got the turn based mod and went to some other places and managed to fill out my party and got to level 3 and now everything is much smoother
You don't need to engage the swarms at all. The berries you were sent in for can be obtained by hugging the bottom of the cave and working towards the back. You'll probably have to save scum the berries though since it's a Nature check to get them. Then head out the same way, turn in the quest, and make a note to come back at a higher level and clear it out.
Kingmaker has 3 if you count Jaethal, who has cleric spells. I think having Harrim and Tristian in the same game is fine. They fulfill two different roles despite being the same base class. Tristian your healbot cleric who can't wear armor because he's a caster with a different spell book, and Harrim is your more traditional buff and smash damage cleric who can also heal if he has to (but he probably fucking hates doing it). Also different alignments and blah blah blah. Every CRPG game should have two clerics in it.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Yes. Varnhold's Lot is a good side-story that moves along at a good clip (except for one mega dungeon that I thought took just a little too long) and provides some extra information on one of your neighbors in the main game. Some of the stuff that happens there gets reimported into your main campaign.
The dungeon expansion is great. In the main campaign, it provides an extra dungeon that you get to dive into 5-or-so levels at a time, gated by progress through the main quests. Then, it also acts as a Roguelite with 50 levels and permanent unlocks in the "village" at the top of the dungeon, and is a good way to play with characters you wouldn't otherwise use in your main game.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Re: Varnhold's Lot. Last (?) fight...
Edit: turns out the Shield spells makes you immune to magic missiles.
Edit: figured it out.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
The item says 20 Arcane spell failure chance, but when I wear it it still says 0 % Spell Failure Chance in my Spellbook
Does it matter if the value is 10, 15 or 20 if the percentage is still 0 or are they different things?
Bards ignore arcane spell failure for light armor and shields. Try that same trick as a Sorcerer or Wizard and you'd end up quite frustrated!
Bards get a thing that makes Light Armor not risk Arcane Spell failure IIRC. There's also a feat they can take to up that to Medium Armor.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
On top of that
Shortly after the start of Act 4 is when you get to choose the savefile you want to import. There is a gap for kingdom stuff between it and Act 3, so as long as you do the DLC right at thar point you should be OK.
I've played a lot of other D&D-inspired RPGs like Pillars, DOS, and so on, but I never played using a D&D ruleset. I started this game and made it to Ch. 2 using build guides on Steam but I don't really understand a lot of the basic concepts like AC, DC, roll to hit, and what not. I vaguely remember stuff like the latter from playing KOTOR ages ago and from looking at combat logs (e.g. your to-hit roll is based on your weapon, stat effects from buffs, and other inherent character-specific ones from feats, etc. and is then compared against the enemy armour class), but I don't really fully understand it all.
It feels like the Kingdom stuff takes forever.
Steam: CavilatRest
Yes, it's super critical that you do so!
Actually, it's not. It just affects the cutscene at the beginning of VL. So, it's a nice touch, but not required.
@finnith
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/ <- Basically the entire ruleset for Kingmaker, for free.
The key things to keep in mind are:
Other than that, ask away. Happy to help with any rules questions you have.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Then some ghost res'd the evilg gnome I just killed, so now I have to find him so I can kill him again
Thunder Call is insane at level 3. Just splatting everything every round
The basics:
AC= Armor Class. Basically all the protections a character or creature has for avoiding weapon damage. Weapon attacks roll a d20 + any to-hit bonuses, and if they get a higher value than target's AC, it is a hit and can roll for damage.
DC= Difficulty class. Most spells and spell-like abilities give the target to make a save roll of d20 + their Fortitude/Reflex/Will (depending on the ability) to reduce or avoid effects altogether. The difficulty of skill checks are represented by DC as well.
Touch attacks= some spells still have you roll to hit, such as Shocking Grasp and Scorching Ray. Since only contact is required (rather than having to hit hard/accruately enough to do damage) they ignore many AC bonuses. This makes them effective against large and well-armored enemies, but less so against agile ones.
Flat-Footed= a creature is considered flat-footed at the start of combat before they make their first action, against enemies they cannot see, or when immobilized in some way. Flat-footed enemies lose Dexterity and Dodge AC bonuses and are vulnerable to sneak attacks, sometimes called precision strikes. Note that Barbarians and a few other classes can get an ability called Uncanny Dodge, which means they are only Flat-Footed if they are immobilized or otherwise phyicially incapable of dodging attacks.
Critical Hit/Miss= A natural 20 on the roll to hit always hits, and a natural 1 always misses, regardless of the actual bonuses or target AC. Natural 20s (as well as any hits that were made within the weapon's threat range) give the chance for a critical hit, which must be confirmed with another d20 roll to hit.
Little things to remember to make your life easier:
Penetrating DR (damage resistance): Most types of DR can be ignored if the correct type of weapon or enchantment is used. Sometimes it will get high enough that you'll want to use a weapon not as accurate as your main weapon to bypass the DR. Without spoiling too much, it would be smart to bring a Cold Iron weapon or two wherever you go.
Regenerating Monsters, Helplessness, and Coup-de-Grace: Monsters with Regeneration (which is different from Fast Healing) cannot be killed off for good unless the regeneration is supressed with the right type of damage. *However,* still-regenerating enemies who lose all their HP will collapse and become helpless, making them vulnerable to a coup de grace, which anyone can do. A coup de grace that hits is an automatic crit that forces the target to make a fortitude save based on the damage dealt or die, even if their regen is still up.
Potions and Scrolls: A proper stockpile of scrolls and potions can avoid many frustrations and make you feel badass for being prepared. Good ones to have are restoration (all types) Remove Blindness, Resist Energy, Delay Poison, Remove Sickness, and of course, cure wounds and Raise Dead. Scrolls, wands and potions of standard buffs (Bless, Prayer, etc) can also save you spell slots you can use for other things.
Buffs have 'types' and only the highest of each type counts. (The exceptions are Dodge to AC, which stacks, and bonuses without type)
For instance, you can get a competence, morale, luck, resistance and sacred bonus to Saves
Attack Roll buffs are especially valuable. The spells that buff them (Bard Perform, Prayer/Divine Favor, Good Hope/Heroism, Haste(Also gives an extra roll, Smite/Judgement) should be around.
Barkskin and Shield of Faith are the 2 scaling AC spells.
Getting the right buff mix will help you past the harder fights.
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That's pretty much it for party banter. Varnhold is much more combat-focused than the main game.
There is one or two other characters, and at least a couple times persuasion comes into play.
Also, somewhat (actually very) important thing to be aware of: you will not have Varn and Ceph for every outing, but you will have the mooks where ever you go, so make sure they + you can cover any skills and spells you'll need.
But yes, as painful as it is, there are lots of fights that you might as well not bother trying if you go in without buffs.
Pro tip I figured out relatively early that made a lot of otherwise extremely tough fights almost trivial:
I find once you get to higher levels the "cost" for many buffs is low enough you can use them for pretty much every encounter. Bard songs with Lingering Song and Barbarian Rage are good examples. Also pretty much any buffs that that have a duration of minute per level once you get to 6+.
Also, for the advanced players, Tristian starts out with the Extend Spell Metamagic feat. Not all buffs are worth a higher spell slot, but double duration can help a ton for making a spell last several fights. You could also chuck out the cash for an Extend Metamagic Rod, though I think the infamous Crag Linnorm guards one.
Finally, for spells whose buffs do not improve with caster level, scrolls and potions are always a good option.
You might need to be more specific. Are you talking in general, for non-Strength bonuses?
For the first, melee weapons and any ranged weapon with the "Strength" or "Composite" property automatically gain the character's Strength modifier for bonus damage. Apparently (not sure if this is TT rules or the game doing this) strength penalties are applied to bow regardless if they're composite or not.
For non-strength bonuses, those are usually conditional or class abilities. One example I know off the top of my hand is Rogue Finesse Training, which adds the Dex bonuses to one chosen weapon that has the Weapon Finesse property in place of any Strength bonus you would have otherwise gotten. I think there are a couple feats with similar bonuses, but are more restrictive (like being unable to have anything in the off hand)
Fencing Grace is a feat that adds your Dex bonus to damage rather than Str if you are using a rapier
the weapon mod Agile can do that with any weapon that can be used with Weapon Finesse