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Creating a Black Talon Druid
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Author:  Haakon_val'Ishi [ Mon Oct 31, 2016 6:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Creating a Black Talon Druid

[quote="Nierite"]Generally. . . poorly. Officially, the Matriach of the Black Talons would consider the Ghost Scales to be heretics from the Fire Dragon and betrayers of the Black Talon Clutch. While some individuals (especially non-priest males) might have a cordial relationship, the two groups would not combine well.[quote]

Yeah my Huge Black Talon Ss'ressessn Templar threated to eat the "little white lizard" when we first met. Some discussion involved the use of barbeque sauce... :)

That said I think Ryan should go rogue/assassin...or just thief...a Ghost Scale cat burglar could be hilarious. :lol: Which is funny since his Ghost Scale considers cats a delicacy. :shock:

Cody's right about trying to mix combat and casting. If you try to be a jack of all trades you will be a master of none. But it's still nice to have a certain skill set when you really need it. The question is will it be enough?

Author:  RexSplode [ Mon Oct 31, 2016 8:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Creating a Black Talon Druid

Nierite wrote:
I should point out that while I am fairly well informed to the history of the world, all my knowledge is unofficial and the below statements are based on extrapolations from published material.


Ty for all the answers, even if it isn't official I still appreciate the feedback. I was particularly curious about number 4. Thank you for clearing this up. I'll keep that in mind for future role play at the table if I meet a Black Talon Pc. Well now I'm trying to figure out what background combo for expert will work best. I want to be a ghost scale assassin / thief.

edit:

Haakon_val'Ishi wrote:
Nierite wrote:
Generally. . . poorly. Officially, the Matriach of the Black Talons would consider the Ghost Scales to be heretics from the Fire Dragon and betrayers of the Black Talon Clutch. While some individuals (especially non-priest males) might have a cordial relationship, the two groups would not combine well.
Quote:

Yeah my Huge Black Talon Ss'ressessn Templar threated to eat the "little white lizard" when we first met. Some discussion involved the use of barbeque sauce... :)

That said I think Ryan should go rogue/assassin...or just thief...a Ghost Scale cat burglar could be hilarious. :lol: Which is funny since his Ghost Scale considers cats a delicacy. :shock:

Cody's right about trying to mix combat and casting. If you try to be a jack of all trades you will be a master of none. But it's still nice to have a certain skill set when you really need it. The question is will it be enough?


Its not my fault those people left the village. Who knows what happens to pets when they are left unattended anyway! lol. Not to mention all their silverware.

Author:  val Holryn [ Tue Nov 01, 2016 1:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Creating a Black Talon Druid

I do play a character that fights and casts. Getting it "right" is possible. You need at least two ranks at start (3 or even 4 is better) and the ability to subsequently raise the important skills by 3 ranks per tier. The later is most easily done by taking Expert.

Shaman (and "wizard") is harder to work out than Initiate or Psion because their are no backgrounds that combine ranks in Arcanum (Shamanism) with ranks in combat skills .... against Initiate of the Gods and Awakened Psion (which are both great backgrounds). Ghost Scale works out somewhat better since the boy GS get a rank in melee (Black Talon also works even without this). You'll also get one from the Adaptable talent, and one from electives (3 ranks ... three is a magic number). If you take a side of "naughty cheese weasel" your Ghost Scale takes Pirate Isles as his "home nation" and you turn that into four ranks of melee (unarmed).

On the casting side you start with three ranks. One from the Adaptable talent. One from Shaman Initiate, and a third from elective. Presumably you also pick up Prodigy.

Stealth you get at least from Race & Elective. Depending on the nationality you take as a Ghost Scale you may get a third rank there too. Advance by 3 every tier and add in your GS racial bonuses and you are hard to find.

That's how the skills would work out. (The down side with the Expert Archetype is that your talents are ALWAYS going to be tight. But working out talents is a different post).

As a side note our Ss'ressen in Portland is exceptionally fond of rats. From the bar by the same name. And becomes "grumpy" when he isn't fed them in a module.

Author:  RexSplode [ Tue Nov 01, 2016 11:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Creating a Black Talon Druid

val Holryn wrote:
I do play a character that fights and casts. Getting it "right" is possible. You need at least two ranks at start (3 or even 4 is better) and the ability to subsequently raise the important skills by 3 ranks per tier. The later is most easily done by taking Expert.

Shaman (and "wizard") is harder to work out than Initiate or Psion because their are no backgrounds that combine ranks in Arcanum (Shamanism) with ranks in combat skills .... against Initiate of the Gods and Awakened Psion (which are both great backgrounds). Ghost Scale works out somewhat better since the boy GS get a rank in melee (Black Talon also works even without this). You'll also get one from the Adaptable talent, and one from electives (3 ranks ... three is a magic number). If you take a side of "naughty cheese weasel" your Ghost Scale takes Pirate Isles as his "home nation" and you turn that into four ranks of melee (unarmed).

On the casting side you start with three ranks. One from the Adaptable talent. One from Shaman Initiate, and a third from elective. Presumably you also pick up Prodigy.

Stealth you get at least from Race & Elective. Depending on the nationality you take as a Ghost Scale you may get a third rank there too. Advance by 3 every tier and add in your GS racial bonuses and you are hard to find.

That's how the skills would work out. (The down side with the Expert Archetype is that your talents are ALWAYS going to be tight. But working out talents is a different post).

As a side note our Ss'ressen in Portland is exceptionally fond of rats. From the bar by the same name. And becomes "grumpy" when he isn't fed them in a module.


Well ill keep that in mind but at the moment I've pretty much decided to drop casting. I've done two mock builds with martial and expert as the archetype and expert definitely gives me the skills I want, martial leaves 2 I can't get, but gives me more combat options .

Question, do sseressen always get armor pro with sseressen scale armor, or only if it is given by something, like milandisian nationality?

Author:  Nierite [ Tue Nov 01, 2016 12:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Creating a Black Talon Druid

Armorr Proficiency is granted by their starting nation, so if you are from Coryan you won't gain proficiency. I should stress, however, that wearing armour covers your camouflaging scales.

Author:  RexSplode [ Tue Nov 01, 2016 2:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Creating a Black Talon Druid

Nierite wrote:
Armorr Proficiency is granted by their starting nation, so if you are from Coryan you won't gain proficiency. I should stress, however, that wearing armour covers your camouflaging scales.

I dont have the book in front of me now, but I don't recall it explicitly stating that camouflaging scales doesnt work while wearing armor.

Edit:

Camouflaging Scales
[Foundation, Racial]
The Ghost Scale ss’ressen are well known for their ability to
blend into their surroundings.
Requirement: Ghost Scale ss’ressen
Benefit: With a moment of concentration (a Simple
skill action), your scales change hue to match the colors
around you, granting you a Die Bump to your Quickness
when performing a Stealth: Hide (Qu) Action Skill
Roll. Also, if you are naked and standing still after
matching colors of the area around you, you gain an
additional +3 bonus to your Stealth: Hide (Qu) Action
Skill Roll and do not require concealment to hide.

The secondary benefit doesn't work, while not naked.

I've got another question, why is it that ARG seems to not actually give the races many of their described abilities? It seems to me that most players have to buy their various racial powers with their talents or what not, rather than just having them. Is this intentional in the games design or just something that happened? I mean, sseressen have to "purchase" their own claws via a talent, despite the fact that they most certainly have them and should really just know how to use them considering they all try to kill each other shortly after birth.

Author:  Nierite [ Tue Nov 01, 2016 4:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Creating a Black Talon Druid

I cannot speak to the intention when the rules were originally made as I was not involved with them, but a large portion of it I think was to allow players to play at least somewhat 'unnatural' versions of their race.

Speaking as more of a modern rules apologist (:P), in terms of Ss'ressen do recall that the ss'ressen races are the product of selective breeding, which has created a wide variety of baseline strains. It is from here where Biological Adaptions occur. I do seem to recall that reptillian genes in the real world are a bit more. . . editable than mammals, which could also explain it, but that goes beyond my understanding of genetics (I am primarily an organic chemist and biochemist by trade, not a geneticist).

Other races have their special abilities granted typically by metaphysical powers like Infernal Heritage, Val Bloodlines, and the like, so they operate by more strange forces.

Author:  RexSplode [ Tue Dec 06, 2016 9:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Creating a Black Talon Druid

Nierite wrote:
I cannot speak to the intention when the rules were originally made as I was not involved with them, but a large portion of it I think was to allow players to play at least somewhat 'unnatural' versions of their race.

Speaking as more of a modern rules apologist (:P), in terms of Ss'ressen do recall that the ss'ressen races are the product of selective breeding, which has created a wide variety of baseline strains. It is from here where Biological Adaptions occur. I do seem to recall that reptillian genes in the real world are a bit more. . . editable than mammals, which could also explain it, but that goes beyond my understanding of genetics (I am primarily an organic chemist and biochemist by trade, not a geneticist).

Other races have their special abilities granted typically by metaphysical powers like Infernal Heritage, Val Bloodlines, and the like, so they operate by more strange forces.


So anyway, I almost forgot to come back and update this. Basically I've done a 360 on the character. I don't want to just remake a old character. So my ghost scale is pushing towards path of the tooth and claw. Mixing in assassin for fun and of course just because its cool.

He has now officially lived the majority of his life in Milandir, specifically Mil Takara. He, unlike most of his people wanted to see the open sky and see the many peoples that call this land home.. While also.. lining his pockets with whatever was in their pockets.. eating their house pets and of course being heroic. Exiled from Milandir he made his way to the pirate isles, to further see the peoples of this world, and tastes their many flavors.

I'm enjoying the role playing aspect of the character and the mechanics of his build thus far. I'm fairly happy with peripheral vision and what I can do with it at times. Its quite fun actually, lol.

As a new player its been a bit rough going from typical DnD, to A:RG, as the two systems don't entirely mirror each other. For one, while I enjoy waylay and murderous precision, I honestly miss sneak attack and how often it came into play during DnD games.

Waylay is a small bump on damage when I can get it, but working my stealth options into combats is difficult. Most box text for the vast majority of the encounters just assumes you want to stand in a line like your all avengers about to face each other down, lol. I of course do my best, usually annoying my Dm, lol. Though i'm happy I finally noticed that a tail bracer is not only a weapon that uses the unarmed skill, its also flexible! Which means tail tripping for the win.

Author:  mith [ Wed Dec 07, 2016 10:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Creating a Black Talon Druid

val Holryn wrote:
The Black Talons don't really like you (how much hasn't been hashed out, but I note one runs with BEAST so it certainly isn't shoot on sight).


Even if it WERE shoot on sight, they'd have to find me first. Ridiculously high hide for the win!

Besides, I converted to the Fire Dragon, so we good.

Author:  RexSplode [ Wed Dec 07, 2016 8:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Creating a Black Talon Druid

mith wrote:
val Holryn wrote:
The Black Talons don't really like you (how much hasn't been hashed out, but I note one runs with BEAST so it certainly isn't shoot on sight).


Even if it WERE shoot on sight, they'd have to find me first. Ridiculously high hide for the win!

Besides, I converted to the Fire Dragon, so we good.



But.. Herka the Rock Johnson loves you! Its heat gave you your very form! The Fire Dragon is a lie, ask the Ashen Hide!

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