[Bo9S] Notes on swordsage in play

[jasin]

When you figure in Dex, you have less stat points and/or less money to spend elsewhere.

 

[Krafen]

If by transliterations, you mean equivalent JP names for the maneuvers/etc, a fair amount would probably sound similar to their English counterparts Diamond Nightmare Blade would be Dai-mon-do Naitomea Buredo or something along those lines, though Dance of the Spiders could be something like Kumo no Mai. Not sure how many of those would actually transliterate well, but then again, I'm hardly an expert in Japanese myself.

Well, I would probably translate Diamond Nightmare Blade as "daiyamondo no akumaken".
For those who are interested, that is pronounced dah ee yah mohn doe no ah koo mah kehn.

If someone wanted to actually do the translations, the thing to keep in mind is the English names were chosen for style more than meaning. Simply finding the equivalent word in another language is insufficient. You need to look at the connotations and emotional connections of the words used and find those in the other language. Also, particularly if intended for English speakers to say and hear, it is important that is sounds good and flows well.

 

[kibbitz]

Well, I would probably translate Diamond Nightmare Blade as "daiyamondo no akumaken".
For those who are interested, that is pronounced dah ee yah mohn doe no ah koo mah kehn.

If someone wanted to actually do the translations, the thing to keep in mind is the English names were chosen for style more than meaning. Simply finding the equivalent word in another language is insufficient. You need to look at the connotations and emotional connections of the words used and find those in the other language. Also, particularly if intended for English speakers to say and hear, it is important that is sounds good and flows well.

No difference for Japanese, actually. A maneuver should sound cool and look awesome (effectiveness is always debatable. ) Much of naming depends purely on your sense of aesthetics and that of your audience. I used Kumo no Mai because I felt it sounded better. For the same reason, I used Diamond Nightmare Blade (and isn't Diamond no Akumuken too literal itself?)

 

[Nail]

..... Next session will be the start of the last module, where we'll be fighting Kyuss and his wailing dire ax. It's all fun and games round here.

Excellent! Thanks, hong. This swordsage breakdown is increasingly helpful!

 

[Nifft]

In Italian that sounds like "Time, stop!" (in the same manner you would say to an annoying kid named "Time" to stop playing around you).

I like it as an imperative.

Thanks, -- N

 

[hong]

Excellent! Thanks, hong. This swordsage breakdown is increasingly helpful!

One thing that's interesting is the relative power levels of the PCs. Eg everyone usually assumes that clerics and druids are the most powerful classes. We have both of these, but they play more of a supporting role. The wiz is more prominent, but he's still nowhere near the biggest hitter in the fights.

It's really down to the characteristics of the players. The dwarf is played by the best powergamer in the group, and you can usually bet that whatever he plays, it's going to be strong. The cleric and druid players are basically casual gamers who come along to hang out with friends, and aren't out to twink builds or hog the spotlight. The wiz player is more of a tactical/mastermind type; while he can powergame, it's not really his thing. As long as the character survives the encounters, he's happy; and usually he prefers to buff/support the tank than be the main damage-dealer himself.

 

[hong]

I just wanted to pop in and express my gratitude for the very detailed explanation of a Swordsage in play. I've been dying to play one, but haven't found a game yet that allows ToB.

Rather than simply say, "They suck" or "They rock", you've given extremely detailed descriptions of how you've been successful and how you've failed.

Thanks!

It's all part of my cunning plan to TELL YOU ABOUT MY CHARACTER.

HAW HAW!

 

[blargney the second]

It's all part of my cunning plan to TELL YOU ABOUT MY CHARACTER.

HAW HAW!

Dammit, I fell for it!

 

[jasin]

One thing that's interesting is the relative power levels of the PCs. Eg everyone usually assumes that clerics and druids are the most powerful classes. We have both of these, but they play more of a supporting role. The wiz is more prominent, but he's still nowhere near the biggest hitter in the fights.

It's really down to the characteristics of the players.

That has been my experience as well. I'd say that it's true that clerics and druids have the potential to be (among the) most powerful, but it's how you use the potential that counts. And that doesn't just mean character design twinkery; tactics in play are at least just as important.

I've been in a game with a single-class ranger with just a couple of non-PHB feats and a psion straight off the WotC minmaxing boards (full plated psion/illithid slayer polymorphing into a hydra with a feat to gain a Su ability), and it was the ranger that was considered the powerhouse of the group, while the psion somehow consistently managed to enter his uber combat mode exactly the round before the fight is over.

The wiz player is more of a tactical/mastermind type; while he can powergame, it's not really his thing.

Who is that?

 

[Piratecat]

Reading this is a delight. I've bought the book.

I just intend to use it for bad guys.