The Romance of the River Kingdoms

[Theroc]

I'm going to have to go with the RAW as far as improved grab goes, I'm afraid. I can't see any precedent to do otherwise. If you wanted a monkish style based on grappling, though, I could work something out.

I hadn't really thought of the tlaxu as having any fighting styles in the Imperial sense, although the Mopendor tlaxu may well have developed some in response to Imperial ideas. However:

Some thoughts on a style based upon adaptability and minimal resistance:

1st level skill bonus: Tumble
1st level feat: Dodge
2nd level feat: Combat Expertise
6th level feat: Modify Combat Style
6th level bonus ability: May make an immediate AoO against opponent who misses, if you have used Dodge against that opponent.
Prerequisites: Spot 9 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks.

(From Arcana Evolved):
Modify Combat Style [General]
You can adapt your combat moves to counter an opponent’s style.
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +7 (ignore for monk bonus)
Benefit: The character spends a full round in melee with an
opponent, then makes a Spot check (DC = 10+ the opponent’s attack
bonus). If the character succeeds, she spots a weakness in the
foe’s combat style and modifies her own style to take advantage
of it. The character gains a +2 competence bonus to attack rolls
against the foe for the rest of that combat session.

Okay, as far as the improved grab argument, the only thing that came to my mind(as a relatively new player to D&D myself) was that logically crocodiles often drag creatures like zebra(not much smaller than the croc itself) into the water. Same thing with the Constrictor snake, and it seems non-sensical to me for a Leopard to be unable to rake a larger foe, as that would make it seem more logical for claw to find purchase. But that's more of a logic argument than a balance argument.

Monk Style seems good. Wondering though, would it possible for us to make a feat for my Tlexu to take that allows him to use his claws along with his unarmed attacks? (Dragon Magazine released a feat along these lines once; It can be found in Crystalkeeps feat area, under Shifter feats)

"Beast Strike
Req: Improved Unarmed Strike, BAB+6, Claw or Slam attack
When making an Unarmed Strike or Grapple check to deal damage, add your Claw or Slam damage" - DR 355 pg 76

Would it be possible for this feat to be available for my Tlaxu Shmonk?

Another question: Are Shaman limited to their Domains as far as spell selection is concerned?

 

[Dr Simon]

Shay: Annika should have 21 points of Health (Con, plus 3x Con bonus, plus 3x1). Grace would be 4 plus 2d4, which I can roll for you, to set things up properly.

I've added Loot to the first post in this thread. Looks like I need to hand more out...

Will consider options for keeping things. I think there's shapeshifter armour in Oriental Adventures, or perhaps Arcana Evolved, I'll have a look.

Theroc: That feat seems reasonable. I don't think it would fit the progression of that particular fighting style, but you can take it as a regular feat, or we can devise a variant style based upon the use of claws. Plains and Mopendine tlaxu tend to consider the use of claws to be distasteful and primative, mountain tlaxu always ritually purify them before fighting or hunting. Doesn't rule out the existence of a group that has made an art of using them, though. Could be an interesting angle.

Improved grab was probably meant for things with tentacles and/or giant mouths, so its illogical nature when applied to normal animals is probably a holdover from that.

Shamans can only cast spells from their domains, so they'd have a choice of four 1st level spells to cast from. They work a bit like sorcerers, really.

 

[Shayuri]

Arr, well, I'm more concerned about other items than I am about armor in particular.

Maybe something like a Wilding Clasp...or a special bag of holding that I can will my stuff into just before changing, and which will vanish while nonhuman or that the eagle can carry on a little harness or something... Basically, characters at higher levels tend to wear/carry a lot of stuff, and it'll make changing forms an incredible PITA if it just falls off onto the ground.

 

[Theroc]

Shay: Annika should have 21 points of Health (Con, plus 3x Con bonus, plus 3x1). Grace would be 4 plus 2d4, which I can roll for you, to set things up properly.

I've added Loot to the first post in this thread. Looks like I need to hand more out...

Will consider options for keeping things. I think there's shapeshifter armour in Oriental Adventures, or perhaps Arcana Evolved, I'll have a look.

Theroc: That feat seems reasonable. I don't think it would fit the progression of that particular fighting style, but you can take it as a regular feat, or we can devise a variant style based upon the use of claws. Plains and Mopendine tlaxu tend to consider the use of claws to be distasteful and primative, mountain tlaxu always ritually purify them before fighting or hunting. Doesn't rule out the existence of a group that has made an art of using them, though. Could be an interesting angle.

Improved grab was probably meant for things with tentacles and/or giant mouths, so its illogical nature when applied to normal animals is probably a holdover from that.

Shamans can only cast spells from their domains, so they'd have a choice of four 1st level spells to cast from. They work a bit like sorcerers, really.

Do Shamans have access to all Orisons? Or is a Shaman forced to weave their level 0 slots upward for more spellcasting?

Also, I hadn't intended to the Beast Strike to be used in the monk progression, it would be something my character himself develops as he goes along.

Also, you said we can multiclass without penalty: Does this also apply to the Portion of both Paladin and Monk that say they cannot go back to the class if they multiclass away from it?

 

[Dr Simon]

Shay, sounds okay to me. I would imagine that there was once a famous nai-nek-chai hero who developed something like that, or perhaps the volkolaki of Vaarta have such devices.

Edit: I rolled 2d4 hit points for Annika and got ... 3.

Do Shamans have access to all Orisons? Or is a Shaman forced to weave their level 0 slots upward for more spellcasting?

Shamans have the druid 0 level spell list.

Also, I hadn't intended to the Beast Strike to be used in the monk progression, it would be something my character himself develops as he goes along.

No problem.

Also, you said we can multiclass without penalty: Does this also apply to the Portion of both Paladin and Monk that say they cannot go back to the class if they multiclass away from it?

Yes.

 

[Neurotic]

When do we start?

 

[Shayuri]

...ouch. Annika is a fragile soul, isn't she?

Oh well. I'll try to keep her out of trouble.

 

[Dr Simon]

When do we start?

Well, waiting for Theroc, Tialis and Zenos to create their characters. I'm away over the weekend, so I'm going to say that people should have their characters ready for next Tuesday.

Looking at how little treasure has been handed out, I think to be fair I'm going to limit the amount of cash for the new characters to maximum starting gold plus 300 gp. (Convert remaining coins to yen by multiplying by 100).

 

[Theroc]

Well, Zenos is having trouble settling on a class. At the moment I think he's planning on taking up the caster role as a Cleric 1/Shaman 2 Fox nai-nek-chai.

Since he's switching primary focus on me, what I'm doing is somewhat up in the air.

I have been debating whether I should go with a more melee based Nai-nek-Chai(Probably with the Beast bloodline you mention). Also wondering about that beast bloodline. Any chance one of those levels gives the animals the "Powerful Build" as the Half-giant in the SRD? Psionic Races :: d20srd.org

I was thinking of a Monk/Rogue character Tlaxu, but looking at the BAB, I'm thinking I might have trouble hitting consistently unless I have some sort of bracer I can use to up my attack rolls... bear in mind, I haven't actually played D&D in any extended capacity, so my knowledge is theoretical and based on research on these boards primarily.

Character concepts at this point in time:
Tlaxu monk
His style is mostly based on flowing out of his opponents attacks and then flooding in to strike once he's found an opening to strike. Debating whether I want to multiclass atm. Know I will be taking levels in racial class though. He'll also be somewhat attuned to the idea of spirits, having heard rumors some of his people can see them plain as day.

Nai-nek-chai Concepts
Cheetah Nai-nek-chai Monk
Very effective sprinter, tends to favor helping an ally flank and trip up an adversary and generally harass.

Leopard Nai-nek-chai Rogue
This character would tend to want to pounce from stealth, opening combat up with a hopefully crippling blow early on. May want to reskin the animal to a tiger, but it'd be a purely aesthetic difference.

I have a question: I understand following RAW on improved grab, but if the Beast Spirit doesn't grant something akin to Powerful Build, would it be possible to make a homebrew feat to accomplish it? Something like:

"Greater Grab:
Prerequisites: Improved Grab, BAB +5, Natural weapon
For the purposes of Improved Grab, the character counts as a category size larger than they actually are."

Don't know how the BAB would work, but in any case there it is.

Anyways, Debating whether I'd want to take that Beast Spirit bloodline or a dragon one. Beast Spirit would definitely work well for my Nai-nek-chai characters, and for my Tlaxu depending on what benefits it bestows.

Is there any chance on fleshing out what that does at some point? I like dragons too, but not going to ask you to work out all the dragon bloodlines... that'd be mean.

Sorry if I seem indecisive, it's just this setting has so many choices I like, and seeing as my opportunity to select them is smaller than other such things(most campaigns are NOT set in this world), I am having troubles deciding. (Especially since Zenos can't seem to make up his mind and keeps switching archetypes on me, so I can't fill a gap since I don't know which is the gap.)

 

[Neurotic]

Take improved natural attack it gives you effective size increase and grab with natural weapons is also an attack. I don't think it to be too great a strecth to give size bonus for grabbing.