Fantasy Craft Q&A Thread!

[Mister Andersen]

Are characters assumed to all know the "common tongue" or do they effectively have to always buy a second language?

[MugMug]

Are characters assumed to all know the "common tongue" or do they effectively have to always buy a second language?

"You start out with your native Language, a Study in your native culture or homeland, and 2 additional  Interests of your choice." [pg 61]

So long as all the characters share a common language you're good, otherwise you're blowing one of your additional interests on a second language (or having a hell of a time communicating).

Walter

[prototype00]

Does the animal partner gained from the animal partner feat increase in power as you gain more terrain feats (i.e. does it gain xp that it can spend on other NPC goodies), or is it a static aspect of your character? I ask because the vicious wolf I got at first level is going to be confetti against lvl 20 threats.

prototype00

Based on how things worked in SC2.0, the XP value of a Personal Lieutenant or Animal Partner rises as your number of appropriate feats ride. Also, remember that NPC stats scale with level.

With just the Animal Partner feat, we have 55 XP to play with... and convieniently he pack leader/riding wolf is 55 XP. Let's name him Spot.

Spot's attack bonus will be +2 at first level, and +16 at 20th. His bite does 1d8+1 lethal, with a 17-20 crit and trip. He also has the Wolfpack Basics and Mastery feats, granting him a +4 to hit and a die of sneak attack whenever he's flanking an enemy... and he flanks an enemy whenever you (or someone on your team) and him are both adjacent to the bad guy. So in effect his attack bonus ranged from +6 to +22 in the most common scenario. Oh, and when you're level 20, Spike will have 340 vitality and 12 wounds.

Confetti? Not so much.

So NPCs keep up with you, but in the event the XP scales, you can buy NPC qualities as you get more terrain feats? Like you could make Spot's attacks Bleeding or suchlike?

prototype00

[MugMug]

So NPCs keep up with you, but in the event the XP scales, you can buy NPC qualities as you get more terrain feats? Like you could make Spot's attacks Bleeding or suchlike?

If by "the XP scales" you mean the max XP value increases as you gain additional Style feats (or Terrain feats, in the case of Animal Partner), my read is "yes." Adding the appropriate feat adds XP value you can apply to the NPC.

The feat reads that "you control" an NPC of a certain max XP, not that you create that NPC at the time you take the feat.

Walter

[Rhishisikk]

So NPCs keep up with you, but in the event the XP scales, you can buy NPC qualities as you get more terrain feats? Like you could make Spot's attacks Bleeding or suchlike?

Er?  Provided that Bleeding isn't a quality that 'steps on' another character's spiffiness.  I forget exactly how the rules state it, but the intent is that NPCs are intended to suppliment the PCs, not replace or surpass them, nor to fill the role that none of the players wanted to. 

Personally, Bleeding Spot is less offensive than Venomous Firebreathing Flying Spot, but as GM I'd look at the sort of things PCs do to gain Bleeding (it may be a trick, but I'm WAY unfamiliar with the rules) before approving it.

[Krensky]

So NPCs keep up with you, but in the event the XP scales, you can buy NPC qualities as you get more terrain feats? Like you could make Spot's attacks Bleeding or suchlike?

Adding a second terrain feat would increase the max value of your Partner increases by 5 XP to 60 XP.

Giving the bleed quality to Spot's bite would cost 2 XP, bumping his bite to III costs 2 XP, and then boosting his Init to III uses the last one.

[prototype00]

So NPCs keep up with you, but in the event the XP scales, you can buy NPC qualities as you get more terrain feats? Like you could make Spot's attacks Bleeding or suchlike?

Er?  Provided that Bleeding isn't a quality that 'steps on' another character's spiffiness.  I forget exactly how the rules state it, but the intent is that NPCs are intended to suppliment the PCs, not replace or surpass them, nor to fill the role that none of the players wanted to. 

Personally, Bleeding Spot is less offensive than Venomous Firebreathing Flying Spot, but as GM I'd look at the sort of things PCs do to gain Bleeding (it may be a trick, but I'm WAY unfamiliar with the rules) before approving it.

I'll have to look at it again, but the impression I got was that NPC qualities were quite fairly priced. On the subject of supplementing PCs, if I'm a courtier, I'm going to build my Lieutenant NPC with as many *kill you dead* abilities as I can, while loading up on the style feats. I mean, if it requires it, I'll probably subject the poor guy to radical alterative surgery to get the results I want. *No not really, but thats a good hook for a bad guy lieutenant right there*.

If it turns out Spot has dragon blood in his heritage (or better yet, what you thought was a rather large wolf was actually a hellhound or winter wolf pup), I wouldn't mind him breathing fire, or ice, or what have you, but thats just me, I suppose.

prototype00

[Mister Andersen]

Bear in mind that what you want and what the GC will let you get away with are two entirely different things.

[Krensky]

In a D&Dish game, I'd probably allow any of those. Assuming the player mentioned it to me first. I might react poorly if someone levels up and then in the next fight Spot is breathing fire without any warning.

[MugMug]

Bear in mind that what you want and what the GC will let you get away with are two entirely different things.

Exactly. Note comments on natural spell (Wish III), which would cost only 9XP.

Walter

[Agent 333]

Bear in mind that what you want and what the GC will let you get away with are two entirely different things.

Exactly. Note comments on natural spell (Wish III), which would cost only 9XP.

Walter

I believe Aladdin would like a word with you.

[Agent 333]

I have a question regarding Priests, their free ritual weapon, and Upgrades. Can the Priests free ritual weapon be upgraded? Would they just pay the cost of the upgrades? Or would the upgrades be free as well (what I consider a bad solution)?
This is especially relevant to Drake Priests, who would need to upgrade their ritual weapon to even use it...

[Desertpuma]

Makes you wonder about Priests who have Unarmed as their Ritual Weapon

[Agent 333]

They get cheated out of 30 silver worth of free stuff! Oh noes!
I think that's a fair exchange for being completely undisarmable (unless you take the Jedi meaning of the word disarm...),.

[Krensky]

Well, I'd say it can be upgraded, with the PC paying for it. Still leaves a slight question about the replacement clause in relation to those upgrade, essences, or charms applied to it though. Would depend on the GM or setting I suppose.