[LPF] The Sword and the Fallen Angel [OOC]

[Scott DeWar]

With Heinrich, keep in mind that he not only needs the relative close range of 20 feet for the flame jett or 15 ft cone for the burning hands, he needs the way clear between him and his target. These flames like to consume what ever is in the way, they know not the difference between friend or foe.

 

[mfloyd3]

OK, so we should plan on Ausk continuing to use the flail, which is a good weapon in any case.

Garnet and Ausk are a good combo, but if history is any guide they are going to need periodic healing to stay in tough fights. Pari can provide some healing for himself and Tagawai. So maybe it would be better to use Garnet and Ausk to screen the casters, since that puts them close to Maia? Garnet and Ausk should probably start carrying some healing potions as well (I blew my wad on enhanced weapons and armor, and should have invested in a couple of Cure Moderate potions).

Also, does anyone think it might be worth investing in a second Cure wand? Pari could hold one, and Maia the other?

 

[Scott DeWar]

I had some back up potions, but they have been used, it seems.

 

[Shayuri]

To be fair, I was specifically looking for situations to use Color Spray in this fight...but that cone effect is very hard to pull off when there's allies in the mix. Then later on, I had to be wary due to the Big Bad's reach as well. The battlefield of this fight was chaotic enough that there just wasn't a good enough target to have Maia rush in the way Color Spray requires.

The GOOD news is that Maia has a Revelation that will boost Color Spray's usefulness later on, so it'll still be an option even after it usually phases to obsolescence.

As for combat role, I agree that Maia should have the curestick. She's pretty mobile in the back ranks, and I try to keep her with avenues to get to the fighting line fairly quickly. I'm actually planning on using feats to compensate for her Oracle Curse, meaning she won't be at a speed disadvantage too terribly much longer.

Honestly Maia, like a sorceror, is a character who's power should start to blossom at level 4 and on up. Via class abilities and access to higher level spells, her tactical options will increase quickly once that critical threshold is reached. I realize she's been kind of a drag until this...but when she can pop a Divine Favor and then a Spiritual Weapon or two...or three...then she starts to be more valuable.

Basically, at 4rth level her Cha goes to 20, she gets 2nd level spell, her BAB hits +3 and her starfire damage goes to 4d4. Then at 5th level I take Precise Shot as a feat (2nd speed boost is at 7th) and she's on her way to become a pretty good ranged damage/support character.

 

[mfloyd3]

I don't think Maia's been a drag. And her RP has certainly been a boost for morale!

But your point about using the cone, and Heinrich's about getting a clear shot, are very much on target. The melee fighters can't be scattered all around the field or we're denying our casters some of their best abillities. So, if the melee fighters start working in pairs and stay more conscious of giving the casters openings, we all get a lot more effective quickly.

 

[Scott DeWar]

the rp with Maia ia awesome!!!!!

 

[Shayuri]

Hee! Thanks! Maybe a 'drag' was overstating things. I just meant that, tactically, she hadn't been adding much to fights lately. Aside from some healing, which is never a bad thing.

I do anticipate that changing...heck even this level was a fairly big boost for her, with access to Divine Favor finally granted. But next level will be even bigger!

As for the RP, I'll continue to do my best. Thanks for the kind words!

 

[sunshadow21]

Ausk is open to being wherever the party wants him. Just point him in the right direction. Also, he has a wand of cure light wounds to help with healing.

 

[perrinmiller]

Q: The wording in pathfinder for trip attempts seems to imply that you can now trip with any type of weapon unlike in 3.5. If you do use a trip weapon the benefit seems to be that one can drop the weapon to if one fails by ten where a non-trip weapon would cause you to be tripped?
A: (James Jacobs 2/17/10) When you want to trip a foe, you don't normally use a weapon. Similarly, you don't normally use a weapon to bull rush, grapple, or overrun a foe. You just lash out with a leg sweep or whatever and try to trip the foe. Doing so is an attack, but that doesn't mean you need a weapon to make the attempt. Now... SOME weapons (not all) allow you to use the weapon to trip a foe, thus giving you a slight advantage since if you mess up the trip attempt, you can just drop the weapon to "counter" the trip that comes back at you. [Source]
A: (James Jacobs 3/5/10) If a weapon doesn't have the trip special quality listed on the chart of weapons on pages 142-143, you can't use it to trip foes. Whether or not we should have given this quality to things like spears or quarterstaffs or nets is a different topic-in order to trip a foe with a weapon, the weapon HAS to have the trip special quality. As to why we didn't give more weapons this quality, it all has to do with the way we decided to balance the rules for each weapon. Giving a weapon the trip special quality makes it better, which means it either has to become more expensive or less effective in other areas. [Source]

I found this looking for something else. According to the official FAQ, you need the trip property on a weapon to actually use the trip combat maneuver with a weapon.

 

[sunshadow21]

Another interesting bit on that subject.

If you want to make a trip combat maneuver, do you have to use a weapon with the trip special feature?
No. Note that when making a trip combat maneuver, you don't need to use a weapon at all--for example, you can trip when you're unarmed, even though unarmed strike isn't listed as a trip weapon.
There are advantages to using a weapon with the trip special feature (a.k.a. a "trip weapon") when making a trip combat maneuver.
One, if your trip attack fails by 10 or more, you can drop the trip weapon instead of being knocked prone.
Two, you can apply the weapon's enhancement bonus, weapon-specific attack bonuses such as Weapon Focus, and so on to your trip combat maneuver roll.
For example, you'd add the enhancement bonus from a +5 whip to your trip combat maneuver roll because a whip is a trip weapon. You wouldn't add the enhancement bonus from a +5 longsword to your trip combat maneuver roll because a longsword is not a trip weapon. In effect, there's no difference between making an unarmed trip attempt and a trip attempt with a +5 longsword because the sword doesn't help you make the trip attempt.
[Source]

—Sean K Reynolds, 03/15/11


Basically, trip attacks are considered modified unarmed attacks as far as bonuses to CMB are concerned; only certain weapons allow you to add any bonuses derived from weapons.