[sblock=CanadienneBacon]
1. I'd like to see a scan, if possible, of the page/s from Dragon 320 that contain the write-up for the dragon progression that you'll be using for this game.
Sent.
2. What are the racial ability score modifiers you're using? I note you've spent 15 points building your PC but don't detect racial modifiers.
Bronze dragons don't start with any ability score modifiers, though they do gain some later as a part their level advancement. The attribute bonuses are offset by the intermittent acquisition of hit dice, skill points, save modifiers and feats.
3. Please let me know how you've allocated your skill points. Dragon 320 pre-dates the beta ruleset, so I'm also wondering how you determined which "class" to use to settle on how many skill points with which to start play.
In keeping with the MM, dragons gain 6 skill points (plus their Intelligence modifier) for each hit dice. The bronze dragon monster class is consistent with that. So, 6 skill points for my first hit dice, +2 from my Intelligence and +1 for taking a level in my favored class: dragon. I purchased 1 rank each in Diplomacy, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (religion), Linguistics, Perception, Survival and Use Magic Device. Taran is a budding scholar.
4. What are the favored skills for a dragon?
They're listed in the their MM writeup on dragons. They are: Listen, Search and Spot (which are folded together into Perception in Pathfinder), Concentration (which is folded into Spellcraft in Pathfinder), Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge (any), Sense Motive, and Use Magic Device. Disguise, Swim, and Survival are considered class skills for bronze dragons.
5. How'd you arrive at four languages (Common, Draconic, Thassilonian, Varisian)?
Draconic is free. I took Common and Varisian as my 2 bonus languages for high Intelligence. I gained Thassilonian by taking 1 rank in Linguistics.
6. How'd you arrive at Bite +4? Base attack +1 and a +2 in Str seem to add up to Bite +3. I'm missing something here and need some input.
What you're missing is the +1 on attack rolls for being small-sized. I forgot to add it to my AC now that I think of it.
7. Not sure why Gather Information is listed separately from Diplomacy--I'd thought that the beta ruleset combined GI as a sub-function of Diplomacy.
You're right. It's an oversight on my part. I got confused by taking the
Child of the Streets trait which erroneously grants a +1 bonus on Gather Information when it should in fact be a +1 to Diplomacy. Since I no longer need to buy a rank in Gather Information I'll instead apply it to Use Magic Device. I'll review my trait selection. Edit: I believe I'll take the
Absent Minded trait instead of
Child of the Streets if that's okay.
9. Your background's got Taran making himself useful by chasing away marauding goblins...I'd like to work the adventure off the premise that goblins aren't in-town marauders and would be likely to be spotted only out in the wilds of the Hinterlands
The Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide makes mention of goblins rummaging around in the junktoss bellow Junker’s Edge in the rumors section.
"Don’t go down to the junktoss after dark: goblins steal the trash at night." I simply assumed that there was an element of veracity to that rumor. I can change it if you prefer.
10. What language are Taran and Risa Magravi using to speak together? Does Risa know Taran isn't a rough collie?
She's Varisian, so I figure they speak Varisian together. I imagined that Risa doesn't realize that she's speaking to anything other than a human since she's mostly blind. That was my reasoning in having her being the only person with whom Taran converses. Although he's somewhat evasive about himself I figure that he's allowed Risa to assume that he's a precocious Varisian local boy, perhaps an orphan, who simply enjoys listening to her stories.
11. I need a specific number, in feet, for how well Taran can see in low light. Got the 120 feet for darkvision, just need the lowlight vision stat to go with it.
Taran has a dragon's keen senses (Ex), which means he sees four times as well as a human in shadowy illumination and twice as well in normal light. An exact distance in feet can't be given because it's dependent on the source of light in an area; as it is for any creature.
Edit: I'm toying with the idea of Taran having crafted his own leather barding (cut into the shape of scales) out of discarded scraps found in the Junktoss to supplement his own nonexistent natural armor. I'd pay for the base materials out of his starting funds of course. It'd depend on a perceived need for protection though; which I suppose wouldn't have occurred if he'd never had any run ins with goblins.[/sblock]
