This was my most time consuming game on smogon, both in the amount of time it lasted and the amount of time I committed daily to it. When I learned that the game had been running for 3 months as of its end, I was a little stunned frankly. The game ends just as commercial production of my virtual card game begins, so I hope you forgive the time it took me to get this postgame up.
The Philosopher's Stone War began as a board/card game. The idea was to have 8 players with different playstyles moving around the board trying to be the last one standing. The last prototype I tested was super shitty, and I've struggled to figure out a way to make this move beyond "cool concept" into "working game".
But I love this concept and wanted to see if it was even worth trying to expand on. So I used Pathfinder D&D as a template to thrust eight players into this situation.
The concept is very obviously inspired by Fate/Stay Night. FSN is a visual novel that could basically be summed up as "Wizard Highlander", but it's also possibly the most complex and rewarding story I've ever read. It changed the way I look at storytelling and is a major influence on every story I tell now. While my game isn't all that, the wizard highlander aspect is still an insanely cool idea. I changed the classes to be less weapon based, added the Monk and Cleric, and removed the Lancer.
Summoners
I figure the best place to start is with the individual classes but in that spirit I might as well talk about wizards in general first. The whole point of the wizard was a King character that could not be put into checkmate. Wizards were supposed to be hidden and performing support tasks. Order spells were really supposed to be for if your Wizard was alone and in danger. However, even at Level 10 Wizards in D&D are stupid unbalanced and could make serious impact with fireballs. This ultimately led a lot of players losing due to summoner death.
Lightwolf was the only player who realized that all champions had 10 Spell Resistance (meaning they resisted 50% of spells directed at them). Even then, a 50% chance to do 30 damage with a fireball that would also splash the enemy summoner was a good deal.
Part of the reason I even chose D&D was because it has the most complex and in-depth representation of spellcasting in gaming. This added a lot of flavor to the game but I seriously cannot allow Wizards to be this unchecked in the next game.
Question Time
Which of these would you rather see in future PSWs?
Option A:
I could personally go through all of the wizard spells and make a wide array of balance changes. These would range from halving the damage of things like Fireball, to getting rid of the permanency on things like Feeblemind. This is a good option because it keeps the flavor of the spellcaster in tact. However, there are so many spells I could overlook some. Also, it makes things much more complicated and harder to keep track of for player and GM alike.
Option B:
We could use Summoners instead of Wizards. This is a non-core class with a much smaller array of spells at level 10 (and no Fireball). This is a good option because it would be balanced in exactly the fashion I like. However, it offers players less variety and without schools spellcasting feels diminished.
The Cavalier
Quagsires
Human Wizard 10
Init +2; Perception 0
---Defense---
AC 17, Touch 17, Flat-Footed 15
HP 63
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +7
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Necromancy School (opp Enchantment & Transmutation)
Power over Undead
Grave Touch
Life Sight
Spells Prepared
4 5 5 4 3 2
---Statistics---
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 11, Cha 12
Feats Spell Mastery, Widen Spell, Dazing Spell, Sickening Spell, Pointblank Shot, Magical Aptitude, Improved Counterspell, Eschew Materials
Skills Appraise +8, Craft (alchemy) +10, Craft (armor) +7, Craft (clothing) +7, Linguistics +9, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (engineering) +7, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (history) +13, Knowledge (local) +13, Knowledge (nature) +7, Knowledge (nobility) +7, Knowledge (planes) +7, Knowledge (religion) +7, Sleight of Hand +4, Spellcraft +20, Survival +2
Genghis Khan
Heroic Cavalier 20
Init +2; Perception +8
---Defense---
Breastplate
AC 28, Touch 17, Flat-Footed 26
HP 197
Fort +16, Ref +14, Will +6
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +4 Falchion +28/+23/+18/+13 (2d4+10/18-20)
Ranged +4 Composite Shortbow +26/+21/+16/+11 (1d8+8/x3)
Special Abilities
Five Stars
Once per night, Genghis Khan looks up into the night sky to interpret omens. You may ask one specific question in your day plan.
Unicorn Mount
Genghis Khan can summon a Unicorn mount for 100 Mana per day.
Arrow Charge
At the cost of 250 Mana, Genghis Khan may make a charge attack but with his bow. You may fire any time within range, and need not charge into opponent so long as you are riding straight towards them when you fire. This charge attack gets a +4 attack bonus, deals triple damage, and if it crits the opponent must make a DC30 Will save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. If they succeed, they are instead staggered for 1d4 rounds.
---Statistics---
Str 18, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 11
Feats Mounted Combat, Trick Riding, Mounted Archery, Trample, Point Black Shot, Far Shot, Shot on the Run, Mobility, Dodge, Run, Endurance, Diehard, Heroic Recovery, Wind Stance
Skills Bluff +5, Climb +12, Craft (bowmaking) +8, Escape Artist +7, Handle Animal +18, Heal +13, Perception +8, Ride +20, Stealth +15, Survival +8, Swim +12
Unicorn
Init +3; Sense darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, Perception +20
---Defense---
AC 30, Touch 14, Flat-Footed 27
HP 154
Fort +13, Ref +6, Will +6
Immune charm, compulsion, poison
---Offense---
Speed 60 ft.
Melee Gore +25 (1d8+5), 2 Hooves +20 (1d3+3)
Special Attacks Powerful Charge (Gore, 2d8+10)
Spell Like Abilities
3/day Cure Moderate Wounds
1/day Cure Critical Wounds
---Statistics---
Str 20, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 11, Wis 21, Cha 24
Feats Multiattack, Weapon Focus (horn)
Skills Acrobatics +18, Perception +20, Stealth +18, Survival +17
SQ Magic Strike
A Unicorn's horn bypasses damage reduction.
Quagsires was the first player to die and it's really fair that he did. The principle of the Cavalier was that he was good at retreating and chasing. I was naive to think that just giving him a mount would accomplish this. Quagsires died before mid game buffs, where I would have given him inates to flee or chase better. Considering that he died because he failed to flee an opponent, he got the shortest straw this game. He also never really used his divination ability.
Quagsires himself was a Necromancy School Wizard, which I had high hopes for but he never got to use it. Agape tried to raise an army of zombies, but they sucked.
There's not much else to say about Quagsires. He got screwed in every engagement for one reason or another.
The Shaman
King Emerald
Human Wizard 10
Init +2; Perception +10
---Defense---
AC 17, Touch 17, Flat-Footed 15
HP 58
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +9
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Illusion School (opp Necromancy & Transmutation)
Extended Illusions
Blinding Ray
Invisibility Field
Spells Prepared
4 6 5 4 4 3
---Statistics---
Str 7, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 21, Wis 10, Cha 7
Feats Endurance, Diehard, Great Will, Great Fortitude, Fleet, Disruptive Spell, Persistent Spell, Decietful
Skills Acrobatics +12, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +12, Heal +10, Knowledge (history) +18, Knowledge (local) +18, Perception +10, Spellcraft +18
Charaka
Heroic Shaman 20
Init +2; Perception +4
---Defense---
Breastplate
AC 28, Touch 17, Flat-Footed 26
HP 166
Fort +16, Ref +8, Will +16
Fast Heal 10
---Offense---
Speed 35 ft.
Melee +4 Heavy Mace +24/+19/+14 (1d8+11)
The Doshas
Charaka gets +4 to two body stats, harmful effects last half as long, and he gains Fast Heal 10.
Anatomical Mastery
Charaka can aim any of his melee attacks at the cost of 100 Mana once per round. These attacks do 1d8 extra damage, and gain one of the following effects.
- Head
On a hit, the target is confused for 1 round.
- Arms
On a hit, the target loses 2 Strength. This effect can be stacked up to 3 times.
- Legs
On a hit, the target's speed is halved for 2d6 rounds.
- Weak Point
Your melee attack gains a critical hit range of 15-20.
Charakasamhita
At the cost of 100 Mana, Charaka can spread a disease through any area. This diseases spreads slowly, and can infect passerbys for several hours. To avoid infection, a DC20 Fortitude save must be made. The disease will cause 1d8 of damage in any ability you wish, and will persist until healed.
Spell Like Abilities: (from the Cleric/Oracle spell list)
Infinite;
Shield of Faith
Cure Moderate Wounds
Searing Light
Prepared;
3 Cure Critical Wounds
2 Hellfire Rays
Divine Power
Heal
You can sacrifice any other spell to apply metamagic to a spell.
---Statistics---
Str 20, Dex 14, Con 19, Int 9, Wis 19, Cha 9
Feats Persistent Spell, Endurance, Diehard, Fast Healer, Fleet, Persuasive, Deceitful, Self-Sufficient, Power Attack, Cleave
Skills Heal +31
King Emerald also died before mid game buffs, but I wouldn't have buffed him so its all cool. I'd probably give the Shaman more support spells next time, but it wouldn't have affected this game. Charaka functioned exactly as I wished, he was a hard to finish champion (so they just killed his summoner).
Charaka had a pretty cool kit and he made use out of all of it. He made a huge ruckus with his disease and always used anatomical mastery in combat. What he never used and should have is his Divine Power spell, it's seriously crazy good.
King Emerald didn't play bad but made enemies while allied with ipl. When the two stopped communicating, KE was tracked down without ipl's help to defend himself.
The Warrior
HD
Human Wizard 10
Init +1; Perception +7
---Defense---
AC 15, Touch 15, Flat-Footed 14
HP 68
Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +8
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Transmutation School (opp Abjuration & Divination)
Physical Enhancement
Augment
Perfection of Self
Spells Prepared
4 5 5 3 3 2
---Statistics---
Str 11, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 12
Feats Disruptive Spell, Intensified Spell, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Animal Affinity, Minor Spell Expertise, Major Spell Expertise, Spell Mastery, Spell Penetration
Skills Handle Animal +7, Heal +7, Knowledge (local) +10, Knowledge (nature) +10, Perception +7, Spellcraft +15, Survival +7
Herakles
Heroic Warrior 20
Init +2; Perception +1
---Defense---
Nemean Lion Skin
AC 30, Touch 17, Flat-Footed 28
HP 189
Fort +15, Ref +8, Will +7
DR 5
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +8 Athena's Golden Sword +32/+27/+22/+17 (2d6+14)
Special Abilities
Nemean Lion Skin
Nemean Lion Skin grants Herakles 50% concealment to ranged attacks.
Athena's Golden Sword
Athena's Golden Sword is poisoned with Hydra Blood, which causes 2d12 HP damage, 1 con damage, and 1 str damage once per round for 6 rounds. This is cured through a D20 Fortitude save.
Strength of Herakles
Herakles gains a +5 bonus to grapple checks, and for 500 mana can initiate choking finisher that causes (2d12+14) hp damage plus 1d6 dex damage. If the opponent's dex reaches 0, they suffocate. This can be done each round until the opponent breaks out of it, whereafter it can be reinitiated for 250 mana.
---Statistics---
Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 11
Feats Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Disarming Strike, Critical Mastery, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical, Improved Unarmed Strike, Punishing Kick, Intimidating Prowess, Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack, Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Focus, Penetrating Strike, Greater Penetrating Strike
Skills Acrobatics +12, Climb +17, Craft (armor) +15, Craft (trapmaking) +10, Intimidate +18, Survival +24, Swim +17
Herakles is another character I wouldn't change much, perhaps I'd give him two more feats.
Herakles could take a beating and dish out spectacular damage (also poisoning the opponent). He lost because he spent a great deal of time in fights trying to Punishing Kick (a bad feat) or sometimes he didn't press a certain victory.
I really wanted to see the Strength of Herakles kill someone, but the kit was never used right (you poison to make it easier to strangle).
HD did use his wizard's school more interestingly than anyone else. He transmuted himself to gain massive amounts of HP and become hard to kill. Sadly, he died due to being ganged up on.
The Wizard
Agape
Human Wizard 10
Init +2; Perception +9
---Defense---
AC 17, Touch 17, Flat-Footed 15
HP 83
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +6
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Universalist School
Hand of the Apprentice
Metamagic Mastery
Spells Prepared
4 5 5 4 4 2
---Statistics---
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 9, Cha 8
Feats Arcane Shield, Arcane Blast, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Dazing Spell, Quicken Spell, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness
Skills Knowledge (arcana) +17, Knowledge (history) +12, Knowledge (local) +12, Linguistics +10, Perception +9, Spellcraft +17, Use Magic Device +9
Isaac Newton
Heroic Wizard 20
Init +3; Perception +19
---Defense---
AC 25, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 22
HP 143
Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +14
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Special Abilities
Newton Telescope
At the cost of 100 Mana per day it is used, Newton has a telescope which allows him to scry indefinitely.
Newton's Apple
- Personal Gravity
Isaac Newton at all times decides how his own gravity works, allowing him to walk on walls, ceilings, or hover a foot above the ground.
- Increased Gravity
At the cost of 100 Mana, as a standard action Isaac Newton inflicts all nearby (30 feet) enemies with Increased Gravity. For 1d6 rounds, the opponent's speed is halved. If they fail a D20 Fortitude save, they are Staggered for 1d3 rounds. If they fail a D20 Reflex save, they are knocked prone and stunned for 1 round.
- Gravity Forcefield
At the cost of 100 Mana for 6 rounds, Isaac Newton creates a forcefield around himself that causes opponents to be repelled. On each round in which an opponent is within 15 feet, they must make a D20 Fortitude save or be forced back 10 feet. If they fail this save, they must make a D20 Reflex save or be knocked prone. In addition, Isaac Newton gains 35% concealment to ranged attacks under this condition.
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica
At the cost of 250 Mana, Isaac Newton may as an immediate action take 20 points on any d20 roll. This is done before rolling.
Spell Like Abilities:
Infinite;
Magic Missile
Scorching Ray
Prepared;
2 Fireballs
2 Vampiric Touchs
Ice Storm
Chain Lightning
Prismatic Spray
You can sacrifice any other spell to apply metamagic to a spell.
---Statistics---
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 20, Wis 14, Cha 8
Feats Archane Shield, Toughness, Spell Penetration, Improved Spell Penetration, Spell Focus (evocation), Improved Spell Focus (evocation), Spell Perfection (magic missile), Disruptive Spell, Quicken Spell, Maximize Spell
Skills Acrobat +6, Bluff +14, Disguise +14, Knowledge (arcana) +28, Knowledge (history) +19, Knowledge (local) +19, Knowledge (nature) +18, Knowledge (religion) +18, Perception +22, Sense Motive +17, Spellcraft +28, Stealth +13
Agape was possibly the smartest player in this game, and was given the most broken character. Now like I said, Wizards are stupid broken so I actually nerfed Newton quite heavily by giving him a scant few offensive spells. He still managed to be scarier than anyone and mid game it was hard to picture him losing.
His gravity powers didn't see much use until I allowed him to quicken them. This wasn't a buff, he actually traded for it. At his suggestion, I gave him this to take away his using multiple metamagics on a single spell. This started the mid game buffs.
Agape had so many plans set in motion that I justed hated for their ingenuinity. While he couldn't instant kill like he thought at first, he could auto-crit with vampiric touch. If this hadn't backfired, who knows how far he would have gone.
The Rogue
ginganinja
Human Wizard 10
Init +2; Perception 0
---Defense---
AC 17, Touch 17, Flat-Footed 15
HP 59
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +7
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Evocation School (opp Divination & Necromancy)
Intense Spells
Force Missile
Elemental Wall
Spells Prepared
4 5 5 4 3 2
---Statistics---
Str 10, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 10
Feats Diehard, Fast Healer, Magical Aptitude, Spell Mastery, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Intensified Spell, Craft Wand, Skill Focus (Spellcraft)
Skills Diplomacy +10, Heal +10, Knowledge (local) +16, Spellcraft +23, Use Magic Device +14
Robin Hood
Heroic Rogue 20
Init +5; Perception +23
---Defense---
Chain Shirt
AC 29, Touch 20, Flat-Footed 24
HP 132
Fort +8, Ref +17, Will +6
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +2 Rapier +18/+13/+8 (1d6+3/18-20)
Ranged +4 Composite Longbow +24/+19/+14 (1d8+5/x3)
Special Abilities
Sherwood Stroll
While in the outskirts of town, Robin Hood gets +10 to his stealth bonus and can hide in plain sight even under observation (at a -10 penalty). In addition, Robin Hood can have 35% concealment in the outskirts at the cost of 250 Mana per day (spent any time).
Triple Shot
For 250 Mana, when Robin Hood uses Manyshot he instead fires 3 arrows. The second attack gains half of Robin Hoods sneak attack bonus. If the shot misses, it may be tried again at the same attack bonus.
Steal From The Rich
Robin Hood can sense magic and gets +5 to perception checks to find Mana Founts. Upon finding one he can spend 15 minutes to tap into it, and at the end of the day the mana will go to his summoner instead of its owner.
Sneak Attack
When Robin Hood attacks an opponent who is flat-footed (surprised), or flanks an opponent, he gets +10d6 damage to his attack.
Trap Sense and Trapfinding
Robin Hood gets +10 to find and disable traps. In addition, he gets +6 AC and Ref to defend against traps.
---Statistics---
Str 13, Dex 20, Con 15, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 10
Feats Dodge, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Focused Shot, Sneaky Vagabond, Mobility, Shot on the Run, Rapid Shot, Manyshot
Skills Acrobatic +27, Climb +23, Craft (bowmaking) +26, Diplomacy +23, Disable Device +28, Disguise +23, Escape Artist +27, Knowledge (local) +26, Perception +23, Sense Motive +23, Sleight of Hand +27, Stealth +27
I didn't buff Robin Hood mid game because he functioned exactly as I wanted him to. He was a very scary striker that killed 2 summoners and was a good deal of the reason that Newton died.
ginganinja had very little confidence in his champions ability to kill others, which held him back. Also, ironically for a player that benefited the most from summoners being in the open he also was hampered the most by having his own tag along. He could never restealth which ended up being his downfall.
Though to be honest, as soon as he allied with Lightwolf I thought he would lose. Since he couldn't kill LW's summoner, it was a bad matchup.
The Monk
Aura Guardian
Human Wizard 10
Initiative +5; Perception +7
---Defense---
AC 16, Touch 16, Flat-Footed 15
HP 53
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +8
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Universalist School
Hand of the Apprentice
Metamagic Mastery
Spells Prepared
4 5 5 4 4 2
---Statistics---
Str 11, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 10
Feats Craft Wand, Empower Spell, Spell Mastery x2, Agile Maneuvers, Defensive Combat Training, Silent Spell, Improved Initiative
Skills Craft (alchemy) +12, Heal +11, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (history) +13, Knowledge (local) +13, Perception +7, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +11
Saint Anthony the Great
Heroic Monk 20
Init +3; Perception +30
---Defense---
AC 31, Touch 26, Flat-Footed 28
HP 172
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +15
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +4 Fists +21/+16/+11 (2d10+6)
Special Abilities
Saint Anthony's Fire
Once per hour, Saint Anthony can totally resist a negative effect at the cost of 100 Mana. He also gets a +5 bonus on any saves against negative effects.
Cave of Demons
When Saint Anthony takes the total defense option, after being attacked he may spend 250 Mana for a counter-surge of holy light. This stops the opponent's turn and deals 5d6 plus twice your wisdom modifier in damage (DC25 Reflex save halves damage). If the opponent fails a DC25 Fortitude save, they are blinded for 1d6 rounds. This ability may be used once per fight.
Silver and Gold
Cursed silver and gold artifacts are strown throughout town. When players find them, they believe the items give bonuses. In fact, they are cursed and reduce ability scores.
Monk Vision
Saint Anthony has permanent arcane sight.
Saint Anthony has the following Monk Class Features;
AC Bonus
Flurry of Blows
Ki Pool
High Jump
Wholeness of Body
---Statistics---
Str 14, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 11
Feats Improved Unarmed Strike, Agile Maneuvers, Blind Fight, Combat Reflexes, Combat Expertise, Deflect Arrows, Improved Disarm, Alertness, Endurance, Extra Ki, Stealthy
Skills Acrobatics +41, Bluff +7, Climb +20, Craft (alchemy) +25, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +7, Escape Artist +25, Heal +23, Knowledge (history) +20, Knowledge (local) +16, Knowledge (religion) +15, Perception +30, Sense Motive +16, Stealth +30, Swim +15
Lasting until the final battle, I had once bet on Aura Guardian to win. You see, when he was tearing up shit with Agape he was also getting a look at Newton's spells. In the end he was prepared to counterspell all but Newton's highest level spells.
It was actually very surprising how trusting and open Agape and AG were. They literally shared every detail about their characters and planned everything together. It was also Aura Guardian that based a great deal of his game plans around building items. This didn't really do much for him but then again I never got to see what their best laid plans were.
At mid game I gave St. Anthony "Monk Vision", as well as two more skills. In another PSW game, I would change the monk the most, but I'm not even sure how. I wanted the monk to be a utility class but Flurry of Blows allowed him to have damage on par with both fighters. I may nerf him while giving him a bunch of inates or more ki abilities.
The gold and silver items were also a ton of fun.
The Archer
imperfectluck
Human Wizard 10
Init +3; Perception 0
---Defense---
AC 13, Touch 13, flat-footed 10
HP 36
Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +7
---Offense---
Speed 35 ft.
Abjuration School (opp Enchantment & Necromancy)
Resistance
Disruption
Counterspell Mastery
Spells Prepared
4 5 5 4 4 2
---Statistics---
Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 19, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +5; CMB ; CMD 18
Feats Combat Casting, Dodge, Enlarge Spell, Fleet, Improved Counterspell, Lightning Stance, Quicken Spell, Run, Wind Stance
Skills Craft (armorsmithing) +17, Craft (bowmaking) +17, Craft (trapmaking) +17, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Knowledge (local) +17, Spellcraft +17
Languages English
Sun Shang Xiang
Heroic Archer 20
Init +6; Perception +33
---Defense---
AC 28, Touch 21, Flat-Footed 22
HP 148
Fort +14, Ref +18, Will +6
---Offense---
Speed 35 ft.
Melee +2 Chakram +22/+17/+12/+7 (1d8+2)
Ranged +6 Longbow +32/+27/+22/+17 (1d8+6/x3)
Special Abilities
Armed Handmaidens
Sun Shang Xiang begins the game with a 4 woman squad of Level 12 Fighters. If one dies, 250 Mana can be spent the next day to restore one to life. These minions cannot attack enemy champions.
Art of War
Each of Sun Shang Xiang's minions share her teamwork feats. In addition, she gains two bonus teamwork feats. Sun Shang Xiang's Charisma Modifier is added to her minion's Strength.
Riverland Sniper
Sun Shang Xiang, at the cost of 250 Mana, can make any attack from at least 80 feet away automatically crit. This can only be used once per round.
Favored Enemy
Sun Shang Xiang gets a +4 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival skill checks against other champions. In addition, she gets +4 on her attack and damage rolls against other champions. She also gains +10 on survival checks to follow or identify tracks.
Archer Vision
Sun Shang Xiang has 200 feet of Darkvision and See Invisible.
---Statistics---
Str 10, Dex 23, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
Feats Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Dodge, Wind Stance, Lightning Stance, Fleet, Run, Step Up, Following Step, Outflank, Lookout
Skills Heal +23, Intimidate +26, Perception +33, Ride +29, Spellcraft +20, Stealth +29, Survival +23
Handmaiden
Human Fighter 12
Init +2; Perception 0
---Defense---
Scale Mail & Light Steel Shield
AC 26, Touch 16, Flat-Footed 24
HP 100
Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +4
---Offense---
Speed 35 ft.
Melee Longsword +20/+15/+10 (1d8+10)
Special Abilities
Bravery
+4 on Will saves against fear.
---Statistics---
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10
Feats Fleet, Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Specialization, Saving Shield, Shield Focus, Greater Shield Focus, Shield Specialization, Greater Shield Specialization, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave
Skills Climb +18, Survival +15
I buffed ipl by giving him "Archer Vision" during the midgame, but I'll definitely nerf his base attack next game.
ipl had the most interesting kit in the game and almost never used it. He left the handmaidens for a time and only bothered to use some sort of formation after I had advised him to. He also used his snipining twice in the game, both times during the last day.
Once LW used his last order spell, I was certain ipl would win. All he had to do was order spell to the top of some building then use his mana to snipe LW to death.
I liked ipl's summoner strategy in taking a counterspell specialization. Now if only dispel magic didn't suck.
The Knight
Lightwolf
Human Wizard 10
Init +2; Perception -1
---Defense---
AC 16, Touch 16, Flat-Footed 14
HP 63
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Divination School (opp Abjuration & Necromancy)
Forewarned
Diviner's Fortune
Scrying Adept
Spells Prepared
4 5 5 4 3 2
---Statistics---
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 9, Cha 9
Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Spell Mastey, Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration, Enlarge Spell, Dazing Spell, Quicken Spell, Spell Focus, Silent Spell
Skills Craft (trapmaking) +14, Knowledge (local) +16, Knowledge (geography) +16, Sense Motive +3, Sleight of Hand +10, Spellcraft +16
Tyr
Heroic Knight 20
Init +7; Perception 0
---Defense---
Full Plate + Heavy Steel Shield
AC 34, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 33
HP 195
Fort +15, Ref +9, Will +12
DR 5
---Offense---
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +4 Longsword +29/+24/+19/+14 (1d8+9/19-20)
Special Abilities
Challenge of Garm
At the cost of 250 Mana, Tyr can challenge one foe to combat. This is a swift action that targets one enemy in sight. Tyr's melee attacks will deal 10 extra damage to the targeted foe. In addition, Tyr gains 5 Damage Reduction against the chosen enemy. A challenge requires concentration from both parties, as such, both characters have their Armor Class reduced by 2 when attacked by other characters. The challenge ends when the opponent is dead, unconscious, or combat ends.
Gleipnir
Tyr can use Gleipnir to bind one opponent in sight. A Will save can negate this ability, the difficulty being 25 + Tyr's Charisma modifier. Once negated, it cannot be used on the same enemy that day. Upon success, the opponent and all of their allies entire a peace agreement with Tyr
and his allies. Neither party may harm the other. The cost to maintain Gleipnir is 250 Mana per day, and in addition, each day the opponent may make a will save at -5 difficulty per attempt to break Gleipnir. Gleipnir may only bind one opponent at a time, and may not be used on the last opponent standing.
Sacrifice to Fenrir
After any amount of damage against Tyr is calculated, that damage is negated at the expense of Tyr's arm. This is a one time ability. All enemies in range must make a Will save of 25 + Tyr's Strength modifier, or be panicked for 1 round followed by shaken for 4 more rounds.
Knight's Cover
Tyr's summoner may not damaged when within 60 feet of Tyr.
---Statistics---
Str 21, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 11
Feats Combat Reflexes, Leadership, Toughness, Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Dazing Assault, Improved Overrun, Greater Overrun
Tyr's Bard
Halfling Bard 10
Init +4; Perception 12
---Defense---
Chain Shirt
AC 24, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 20
HP 61
Fort +5, Ref +11, Will +6
---Offense---
Speed 35 ft.
Melee Dagger +4 (1d4-3)
Ranged +2 Light Crossbow +12 (1d8)
Special Abilities
Whatever Bard has, I'm not writing all that stuff down.
Spells Known
6 6 5 4 4
Spells Per Day
X 5 5 4 3
---Statistics---
Str 5, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 9, Cha 16
Feats Arcane Blast, Expanded Arcana, Extra Performance, Fleet, Lucky Halfling, Spellsong
Skills Acrobatics +17, Climb +7, Disguise +16, Escape Artist +17, Knowledge (history) +15, Perception +12, Perform (dance) +16, Perform (Oratory) +16, Perform (string) +16, Stealth +17
Originally Knight's Cover just gave Tyr unlimited attacks of opportunity to protect his summoner. Of course since I had been super liberal with these anyway, it made sense to buff him during the mid game.
Everything about Tyr was very good. Gleipnir meant that going into late game his odds of winning just got higher and higher, so the fact that he avoided all combat until late game just helped him greatly.
Sacrifice to Fenrir basically killed Agape, albeit with help from ginganinja.
Lightwolf was another player that always doing something cool and always with the help of his Bard. The Leadership feat was possibly the best one in the game, and I worry about the possibility of every player taking it next time :p
K so I'm recalling everything from memory so I may be totally wrong and I'm only gonna recall important events but feel free to give your own perspectives.
Day 1
First of all, half the stuff "reported on" was Lightwolf's fault. Not because he did anything, but because his Bard went around spreading rumor. By Day 2 or 3 he also figured out an astounding amount about his enemy champions. There never was an alley rogue, it was an invention of LW's.
HD's bright idea was to obscure his house with a cloud of fog. This caused not one but two people to wonder why there was a big fog cloud in the middle of the street and check it out. The first was one of ipl's handmaidens, who was swiftly killed. The second was ginganinja, who blew a hole in HD's house.
Meanwhile, by chance ipl and King Emerald met in the dark alleyways. They formed the first alliance, and went after HD. This caused him to use an order spell to leap away, as noted in the update. He relocated in the southwest.
Quagsires decided to use the Abbey for necromancy, and part of his plan was to get rid of the people in it. This made him the game's first mass murderer, though not the last! After the hard work had been done, Agape showed up and kicked Quag's ass out.
Day 2
On this day Quagsires had more of his patent bad luck. He met ginganinja in the forest. He thought the summoner was alone and so attacked, only to have Robin Hood take his second order spell. Here the real battle started, with one of the players setting the forest on fire. Khan pressured Robin Hood greatly, but Quags made the wise decision to escape as Robin Hood had restealthed.
This was also the first appearance of vacationgape, my interpretation of the maniacal Isaac Newton. He set up an army of zombies that were quickly dispatched by KE and ipl. Newton repaid this however by destroying the handmaidens with a Prismatic Spray. This ended in a loss for Agape however when he crit failed his vampiric touch, forcing him to order out.
Aura Guardian actually joined this battle in the middle, but didn't really have an alliance until afterwards. Newton invited Aura Guardian into an alliance, which would bear fruit the next day.
Day 3
I believe that it was on this day that the alliance between ipl and King Emerald crumbled. Charaka purposefully set up a disease where ipl would meet him. Then the two were tracked down by AG and Agape. They offered to let one of them go if the other gave up an order spell, so ipl abandoned his friend.
King Emerald really went crazy with his disease today. A plague in the market district meant mass comas and injured players couldn't use the hospital due to it being full.
Otherwise not much had happened. LW's bard was hit by the disease and didn't return home. HD was switching houses each night which meant more murder so that was neat.
Day 4
LW's bard recovered and did some scouting. AG and Agape had set up shot in the hospital pretending to be government biology experts. LW ruined this by summoning animals in their lab.
This is when vacationgape returned. As crowds of people in the hospital looked on, Newton declared "NO WITNESSES" then burned down the hospital. The bard escaped with about 2 HP.
AG and Agape set up elsewhere using their time to build things like wands and tanglefoot bags.
LW's plan changed into one where he would set himself up as leader of a cult. At first this worked surprisingly well, because King Emerald had spread a disease targeting intelligence throughout most of the city.
Then on the road to Stonehenge, Quagsires encountered ginganinja again, becoming the game's first casualty.
Day 5
LW's plan backfired as Agape went into town to buy a truck. Why was Isaac buying a truck? Funny story. You see HD had this habit of casting Nightmare. When it successfully hit both AG and Agape, they decided to sleep 8 hours in the back of a moving truck. However, on the way to buy this truck Newton was accosted by the new cultists. He levitated and used Knowledge Religion to come up with the name Qaphsiel. So Agape effectively usurped the cult from LW.
More bad luck for HD too. The bard met up with ipl and followed his posse into the woods where they met HD. LW's attempts to play both sides was rather amusing. Anyway, when HD was low on HP he started transmuting to gain a ton of it, but then decided to run away instead of chasing Sun Shang Xiang.
Day 6
The day started off with AG and Agape waking up early, driving to King Emerald's house, and finishing him off. Well, this was partly because King Emerald wasn't sending in his day plans and only responded to me when I told him he had a whole in his chest. After using an order spell to heal it, he was then blasted to hell.
ipl had trackd down LW's house, but before he could ambush LW guess who showed up? Still on the warpath, AG and Agape knocked off one of ipl's order spells and someone ended up destroying LW's house. In addition, AG and Agape ended up commandeering ipl's house.
This caused LW to going camping. ginga was traveling nearby and saw HD heading up the road to Stonehenge. He took a wide way around to avoid being spotted, which caused him to spot LW's tent. He layed a book with a Sepia Snake Rune trap and then summoned a rolling ball of fire on top of the tent, but the exchange ended up diplomatic and LW got off his first Gleipnir.
Remembering he had seen HD, the two went north to finish him off.
Day 7
AG and Agape went to the mayor's office to get the city evacuated. Here is where the game really picked up speed. LW and ginga found them there, and the first major battle of the game began. ginga hid on the roof and took out one of Agape's order spells. So Aura Guardian used an order spell to jump all of his allies to a different rooftop. Then, LW used an order spell to bull rush up through that building to knock Agape off of it.
ginga ended up being severely wounded due to the Monk's furious blows, and so had to use an order spell and retreat. Or so it seemed. Meanwhile, Newton floated down and put up a gravity field to protect his summoner. He eventually crit vampiric touched Tyr, but Tyr activated his one use Sacrifice to Fenrir. This is when Robin Hood popped out of hiding again to knock down the health Newton had gained. Feared and low on HP, he was easily finished off. Aura Guardian escaped.
Aura Guardian then found ipl, and the two teamed up.
Day 8
Day 8 was advertised as the final battle but of course that didn't happen. ipl and AG tracked down LW and ginga. The fight started with Robin Hood being blinded by St. Anthony's counterattack. This basically removed him from the fight, and attempts to return while invisible were foiled by Monk Vision. It was miraculous how ginga escaped with his life, but ipl proved yet again how poor a teammate he is by teleporting away for no reason.
Day 9
Second verse, better than the first. Once again LW and ginga were tracked down, but this time ginganinja was killed. An injured Aura Guardian escaped, while ipl ran away refusing LW's offer for teamwork.
Day 10
This was a day of rest before the finale.
Day 11
And finally, ipl tracks LW down and becomes Gleipnired. When they ambushed Aura Guardian, he cast the ridiculous Feeblemind spell on LW. This made LW use his last order spell, and here is where I thought that ipl would win for sure. Aura Guardian was mercy killed.
Now the fight between ipl and LW began. ipl did not put distance between himself and Tyr, so he could not snipe. They exchange spells until both champions were knocked out. Then they had a fist fight to the death. Nah, the handmaidens would never have allowed that :( Instead, LW just finished off Sun Shang Xiang for the win.
Anyway, feel free to post logs because I never keep them.
