[Eberron][CoC]Ex Oblivion, Eberron!

[Mark Causey]

argh! My book is on loan and I THINK the person who has it is in Greece right now. I'll know tomorrow and have my alt up as soon as I lay hands on it. (Not sure about some of the options or what things I want to try out for the UA book)

Tell me about your character idea, I can help you.

 

[KaintheSeeker]

Three Concepts

1. Sorcerer (most likely human) with a lot of the Dragonblooded Feats from Complete Arcane. completely distressed by the rising dragonlike traits coming up.

2. Catfolk Rogue. Lost and looking for her/his clan.

3. Gnome (would like to try whisper gnome from Races of Stone) with an interest in throwing weapons (most likely fighter/rogue towards master thrower.. not sure which class to start with)

 

[Mark Causey]

Three Concepts

1. Sorcerer (most likely human) with a lot of the Dragonblooded Feats from Complete Arcane. completely distressed by the rising dragonlike traits coming up.

2. Catfolk Rogue. Lost and looking for her/his clan.

3. Gnome (would like to try whisper gnome from Races of Stone) with an interest in throwing weapons (most likely fighter/rogue towards master thrower.. not sure which class to start with)

I like the first two the best. They give me easier hooks to work with. If I had to choose, I'd go with number 2 as it would be easier to 'find' you somewhere along the way if needed.

As for Unearthed Arcana, a dragon bloodline would work well for number 1, in my opinion, to really drive home that Draconic bloodline. I could even see you taking Dragon Disciple at the end.

The catfolk might take the Wilderness Rogue variant, also, to give it those unique Ranger abilities later on.

 

[Mark Causey]

Armor Class: 18 = 10 + 1 (dex) + 4 (chain shirt) + 3 (Class Defense Bonus)

Armor and Class Defense Bonus are mutually exclusive, unfortunately. Either you can wear armor or have the CDB, but not both simultaneously. If something were to happen (say, you shed the armor while drowning), then you'd still have your CDB when you reached land to fight the Carcass Crab. Just want to make sure everyone understands the concept ^_^

 

[Desdichado]

So, make a list of scrolls you'd like to have, we'll calculate the costs, and then you can make the rolls. Unless someone knows a better dice roller, we can use Nadaka's DiceBox.

The boards here also have a dice tool, apparently. Like so:
[dice]

 

[eabha]

Which technically means you can turn undead as well. How does everyone feel about that?

Hmmm. Always good being able to turn undead, though I am wholly unacquainted with that particular spell. Can it be put on a scroll?

Do we want to make it so that the Artificer has to make checks to 'know' certain spells? How do you feel about that, eabha?

Good question. ECS seems to say that Artificers can work with any spell: "An artificer can create a magic item even if he does not have access to the spells that are prerequisites for the item. The artificer must make a successful Use Magic Device check (DC 20 + caster level) to emulate each spell normally required to create the item."

So if I'm reading this right, the UMD check here is the check to see if she knows certain spells. Though it is not about knowing spells, exactly, it is? It's about emulating them. Aalin knows the effect she is going for and knows how to emulate the spell to get that effect, but she never knows the spell itself.

That said, you're the DM. You can institute any rules you like...no arguments from me.

In fact, I would say that Aalin would need to understand the effects of a spell and to do that, she'd need to have access to someone who can cast it. Or actually witness the casting.

Perhaps she can only use the ones Maril taught her? Maybe as she meets more people, she'll hear about other cool spells to emulate? Such as bone talisman.

Anyhow, just some ideas. If anyone else sees something about the Artificer that I've missed, let me know.

 

[Mark Causey]

The boards here also have a dice tool, apparently. Like so:

We'll, I'll be. Maybe we'll just use that, then. [ dice ] plus what text, exactly?

So if I'm reading this right, the UMD check here is the check to see if she knows certain spells. Though it is not about knowing spells, exactly, it is? It's about emulating them. Aalin knows the effect she is going for and knows how to emulate the spell to get that effect, but she never knows the spell itself.

I think we'll go with that interpretation, and the way we'll do it is this: you, as a player, will keep track of the spells you like and think you'll need. You, as a character, will feel for what you think you can and can't do, and will act naturally, trying to emulate what you need. As far as I can tell, this will only occur when you are creating items or using spell completion items. As such, you can construct whatever mental scenario as is necessary to describe how you felt out the item creation or discovered the mystic keys to using an item.

That said, you're the DM. You can institute any rules you like...no arguments from me.

That's not how I DM I'm the DM, and WE can institute any rules WE like, and you can argue with me I don't like bickering, but continuing to do something that you don't like (or dropping out altogether) will not be my modus operandi, I am not god and I am fallible. We'll discuss things so that we're all having fun ^_^

In fact, I would say that Aalin would need to understand the effects of a spell and to do that, she'd need to have access to someone who can cast it. Or actually witness the casting.

I might eventually give circumstance bonuses to reflect intimate knowledge of how a spell works, with training (an XP expenditure, I'd think).

Perhaps she can only use the ones Maril taught her? Maybe as she meets more people, she'll hear about other cool spells to emulate? Such as bone talisman.

Play it as you will, I think you'll do fine with whatever you end up choosing.

 

[Captain Tagon]

That's not how I DM I'm the DM, and WE can institute any rules WE like, and you can argue with me I don't like bickering, but continuing to do something that you don't like (or dropping out altogether) will not be my modus operandi, I am not god and I am fallible. We'll discuss things so that we're all having fun ^_^

So, can I get a gun then?

 

[ferretguy]

OK Adamantine fixed the alignment issue...(forgot to put it in when I finished my background, duh!)
All I have left is spending some cash and I'll do that tonight....

 

[nonamazing]

I believe I may be able to help clarify how the Artificer's item creation works. Whenever they create an item that is based on spells or abilities not on their infusion list, they rely on their Use Magic Device skill. But the skill doesn't actually give them access to those powers, it just lets them act as if they did, for the purposes of item creation only. So Aalin <i>can't</i> actually turn undead, but if there were an item that required a normal caster to be able to turn undead, she could 'fake it' long enough to make that item.

It helps if you think of the Use Magic Device skill as being similar to the Bluff skill. For example, a rogue might use that same skill in order to use an item that is normally for wizards only--the rogue doesn't actually become a wizard, he just fools the item into thinking he is. Someone skilled enough can even use items intended for other races, or for opposite alignments.

The Artificer fools the item into thinking that she has the abilities needed to create it. Well, that's probably a bad way of phrasing it, but that's essentially how it works. I perfer to think that the artificer is finding alternate ways to do the things she wants to do. Here's an analogy: consider a martial artist (the Wizard) and a scientist (the Artificer). The martial artist trains for years and learns to break boards with his bare hands. The scientist creates a robot that does the same thing. Same goals accomplished, different ways of going about it. The Artificer accomplishes with skill (the Use Magic Device skill in particular) what the Wizard does with spells.

Another thing to remember is that Artificers also have to make Use Magic Device checks to <i>operate</i> their items, not just to make them (unless the item uses spells that appear on the Artificer infusion list).