Character Builds

[paddyfool]

@Dhampire,

I was thinking something like that myself, although I wasn't sure if Ta'averen shouldn't be a Talent, and Fighter/Fencer/Something his specialty.

Whether Talent or Specialty, the ability I'd be most tempted to add with Ta'averen would be some kind of cheaper narrative control, for either or both of the referee and the PCs.  Something like:

At the start of each scene, roll a D6.  On a 1, the referee may employ narrative control for 1 less action die than usual.  On a 2-3, both the character and the referee may employ narrative control for 1 less than usual.  On a 4-5, the character may employ narrative control for one less than usual, and on a 6, for 2 less than usual. 

(And, of course, with multiple ta'averen in the same party, you'd roll multiple times).

[acseric]

That all seems very cool.

So how would you model Rands use of the one power.  I am not so much interested in modeling the specifics of the one power, but how would the lucky swordsman Rand gain access to magic?

Would he multi class into mage, or would he take spellcasting feats or skills?

Thanks,

Eric

[paddyfool]

Given the level of his casting, his class is clearly that of a straight caster.  Maybe Channeller, or Channeller/Rune Knight, or somesuch.  Above what these give him, his skill with a sword could also be covered by feats & specialty quite easily.

[acseric]

So for a pure hybrid (50% fighter type / 50% spell using type), it sounds like it might be easier to take a mage and add the fighty stuff as skills and feats.  Then maybe adding the rune night or other stuff as needed for the concept.

For a mostly fighter, with a smattering of magic, taking a fighting class, and adding something like the gift or something.

Does this seem like I am on the right track?

[spinningdice]

If you really wanted to do WoT (I gave up around book 9 I think), I'd be more inclined to do completely custom classes for it, I think Ta'averen (or however it's spelled) equates to "PC" or possibly "Villain", or that was the impression I had, reading the books, I'm sure it was stated in there that while Rand was the greatest Ta'avern, the other people he had following him around also had the trait.
The One Power should be modelled with classes unique to the setting, both falling somewhere between Mage & the Specialist casters. Possibly with a fair few feats to represent the lost techniques etc that Rand spent some time uncovering.

[Geek2theRight]

Dwarf Cultist

That's pretty sweet! The cultist background works, too, since if I get to play this char it'll probably be in a setting where religion's pretty important. I do have some questions:

1) Is there any advantage to boosting STR once you've got the Martial Art / Master's Art feats(I assume I'd be a CON-based martial artist since it's my highest score).

2) Also, stress damage is neat -- are there any tricks to get the most out of it? I know I'll have taunt, and eventually the elemental blast that also does stress damage(darkness).

But yeah -- I really like that build. Very evocative. 

[Sletchman]

1) Is there any advantage to boosting STR once you've got the Martial Art / Master's Art feats(I assume I'd be a CON-based martial artist since it's my highest score).

Carrying Capacity, Athletics checks (Grapple being the big one), and a few others.  It's not a super important stat, but I wouldn't min-max it, that's for sure.  You certainly could swap that 14 into Dex, Wis or Cha and have 12 Str if you wanted.

2) Also, stress damage is neat -- are there any tricks to get the most out of it? I know I'll have taunt, and eventually the elemental blast that also does stress damage(darkness).

With Cultist you already get the benefits of Terrifying Look, which is the big one for Stress Damage inflictors.  If your game has magic items get one that has Glint of Madness so you can threaten someone after defeating someone else - for futher synergy/madness.

[paddyfool]

If you really wanted to do WoT (I gave up around book 9 I think), I'd be more inclined to do completely custom classes for it, I think Ta'averen (or however it's spelled) equates to "PC" or possibly "Villain", or that was the impression I had, reading the books, I'm sure it was stated in there that while Rand was the greatest Ta'avern, the other people he had following him around also had the trait.

Yes and no.  The idea was that Rand and two other living characters (Mat and Perrin) warped the pattern of events simply by existing as Ta'averen.  And to have three Ta'averen walking around at the same time was unusual enough to be basically unprecedented.

[Krensky]

Sounds like Ta'averen translates as PC then.

[paddyfool]

Sounds like Ta'averen translates as PC then.

In a game with all the campaign properties which ramp up the Action Dice, it does admittedly come pretty close.

Now, if those were being played with, you could treat those three as the party, all other main characters as NPCs, Rand as a Fencer Channeller/Rune Knight, and the other two Ta'averen as an Artificer Priest (with a custom Wolfbrother path) and an Adventurer Burglar/Captain/Swashbuckler.  Or somesuch.

[Bhurano]

@acseric

I rolled around the idea of Assassin/Mist Dancer that you suggested as an example build. The best I could come up with was a Asssasin/Mage/Mist Dancer, because of the Spellcasting requirement. Be warned though, that this is my first shot at a Mist Dancer.

Also there are 2 similar builds without the Assassin, which I see as stronger than the Assassin/Mist Dancer combo... but then again I am in general a player who plays almost every time a magic user. On the other hand the Assasin could thanks to the Mist Dancer teleport around the battlefield and use his knive feats to deadly effect. It would also bring up the question if a teleporting character can surprise an enemy and if said enemy should count as flat-footed? But even so there is possible at least one team member who can distract the target, so that the Assassin/Mist Dancer can slash his target to bloody pulp, if need be.

The second is a Mage/Mist Dancer as is the third. But the first scales up to Mage 10/Mist Dancer 10 and the other to Mage 12/Mist Dancer 8. My preference would be the Mage 12/Mist Dancer 8 while some would disagree - because there's no Gamebreaker - I like to have as many Circle of Powers as possible and Teleport II (Circle 7) is just to good in my opinion. In general load any Mist Dancer up to the gills with Shadow and Illusion spells and those that grant mobility and you are golden. An awesome combo would also be Chaneller/Mist Dancer or Reaper/Mist Dancer. That would be sneaky little bastards who can open anytime a can of whoop ass.

The builds are in three different plain .txt included, for your convenience. Note: The links will likely expire in 7 days.

I won't try to build the other examples that you have given because there are just to many possibilities. Sorry.

http://www.filefactory.com/file/c36c680/n/Assassin_1.txt
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cd8f309/n/Mage_1.txt
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cd8f31a/n/Mage_2.txt

[Morgenstern]

So for a pure hybrid (50% fighter type / 50% spell using type), it sounds like it might be easier to take a mage and add the fighty stuff as skills and feats.  Then maybe adding the rune knight or other stuff as needed for the concept./

One idea that may help your adapting characters from fiction is that in Fantasycraft every class "fights". Being mono-classed as a Keeper won't stop you from being able to fight and fight well. Soldier and Martial Artist levels aren't for modeling fantasy protagonists that "just fight". They are for hardcore weapon masters, armored jugernaughts, and the greatest warrior sensei. They are overkill for just "and he fights" characters when you could be using those levels to handle all sorts of other specialized skills that drive the narative.

Now Rand I would say actually does have some dedicated ass-kicker... by the time he's 10th level. but even then I'd say its only 2 levels - 3 tops. The high bab, high vitality, and smattering of extra feats will really push him over the top of most other fighty characters in the setting. Don' tthink of those levels as the baseline, think of them as time spent in true specialization. The Soldier's second level ability is totally worth the loss of a little casting ability - fighty character get the snot pounded out of them in dramatic scenes and that is a lot of extra durability, espeically in a setting with so little armor. I'd also consider the Combat Focus feat as addressing about 70% of the cool stuff he does in fights in a way that is mechanically fitting (and pretty potent with an Origin like fighter pumping the number of uses). Far less costly than a large investment in the Sword B/M/S chain. Fortunate, leveraged by a cunning player will cover a lot of his Ta'averen moments, again at minimal cost.

I would probably apporach the Wheel of Time magic system with two new base classes (one for men, one for women) that taps the body of spells in Spellbound as a library of effects, but organizes them and accesses them in a way more in keeping with the source material. Little things like men and women using different Attributes to cast (Wisdom for men to seize saidin, Charisma for women to embrace saidar) will reinforce the flavor players who have read the books will be expecting from their own characters and others. It's a thread I'll look forward to launching on License to Improvise after I have a copy of Spellbound in my hot little hands .

[Sletchman]

One idea that may help your adapting characters from fiction is that in Fantasycraft every class "fights". Being mono-classed as a Keeper won't stop you from being able to fight and fight well. Soldier and Martial Artist levels aren't for modeling fantasy protagonists that "just fight". They are for hardcore weapon masters, armored jugernaughts, and the greatest warrior sensei. They are overkill for just "and he fights" characters when you could be using those levels to handle all sorts of other specialized skills that drive the narative.

This, so very much.

I've got one person in my group who back when we played SpyCraft / FantasyCraft would never contribute to a fight scene because "he didn't have a combat character" - this was when playing a Scout or Intruder or something.  I just couldn't get it through to him that every character can be amazing in combat without having to have levels of Soldier or Martial Artist - even after I actually played a Courtier that wrecked in the fight scenes just to (fail to) prove a point.  He even once said that Wheelman isn't a combat class, it's a driving class - I was too gobsmacked to even come up with a retort.

[paddyfool]

Incidentally, what Talents would you use for Rand, Mat and Perrin?

I'd go for Mat as Savvy (although I was tempted by Adaptable and Unpredictable), and Perrin as Methodical.  Rand... I'd probably go for Crusading, giving him +2 Cha, -2 Wis.  Not sure, though.

[MilitiaJim]

Incidentally, what Talents would you use for Rand, Mat and Perrin?

I'd go for Mat as Savvy (although I was tempted by Adaptable and Unpredictable), and Perrin as Methodical.  Rand... I'd probably go for Crusading, giving him +2 Cha, -2 Wis.  Not sure, though.

Sounds pretty reasonable for Rand, though he is pretty observant.  Maybe something to knock a few points off everybody's Int to cover for Never Sharing Critical Information.