Recent content by NorthSaber

Our group maximizes all damage done by both enemies and PCs, and so far we've been pretty happy how it works! Fights are faster and the abilities always feel fairly powerful when they hit. The only problem I foresee is with the Shaman's Spirit Companion - enemy attacks will more often "pop"...

Our group plays with all damage maximized, so this leads to quicker and more exciting fights. Still, I think solos are not very good opponents - at least solo - as the PCs simply have way too many actions compared to the solo.

I find that a druid can easily be a skill monster when it comes to things like Perception and Stealth, making her a really good scout. Skill Training, Skill Focus, and the appropriate wild shape feats combo really well. Then there are always the generic defense boost feats - you can specialize...

The issues are crystal clear now, thanks DracoSuave for the help! :)

This doesn't help bear/protector shamans much, who need Wis and Con as their primaries...

I have a question about this. I know that none of the three "checkpoints" mention cover in any way, but they do mention that the spirit companion occupies a square. Even though it is not an ally, it does block enemy movement, so does this qualify the spirit companion as an obstacle? Because it...

The Trollhaunt is a pretty easy adventure, in my opinion, designed for standard, non-min-maxed characters. I think that it's the DM's job to make sure encounters are appropriately challenging. If a single PC is unusually powerful, it's fine to put more challenging foes in the encounters - but...

Good catch! This is peculiar - they have some features of allies, but some features of creatures, and in some ways they're neither. If they're considered allies, they should provide flanking - which they don't. If they're considered non-allied creatures, they shouldn't allow allies to pass -...

chaotix42 pretty much covered what I was going to reply, and I agree. I think one of the most interesting questions is whether the spirit companion is considered a creature. If it is, enemies might be able to OA it, and it might be able to flank an enemy - or be flanked! CS answers seem to...

While this is true, it does feel unfair, because for most implement-users, the appropriate Weapon Focus is one of the best feats available. And even if it's only a +2 to damage, that's a +2 to all damage I'm ever going to do, and even if it's only a +2, all of those small bonuses come from...

So... What are Shamans supposed to do? I don't think Totems are a weapon group, and the variety of damage types dealt by Shamans is quite wide. (I'll probably ask my DM for Weapon Focus: Totems, but I don't think it's legal.)

I would also say that Wild Shape doesn't have a duration - it's a switch that makes an instantaneous change, but that change is then permanent until changed again. Black Harbringer adds an extra option for the duration of the encounter, but if you flip that switch before it ends, you can remain...

Wild Shape is a feature power, even if you acquire it through a feat, as far as I can tell. It would've been funny though. :)

Also note that you can "teleport" your spirit companion by taking two minor actions (dismiss and resummon) - or a minor and a free action, if you have the Nimble Spirit feat. :)

I'd like to note that for the cost of one feat, a Spirit Companion is still a pretty cool gimmick. You get a mobile blocker that restricts enemy movement, and if the spirit happens to get attacked and takes sufficient damage to get killed (10+1/2lvl), you take 5 damage less than that, and can...