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At the Adventurers' Table: Chapter Thirteen

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Kaerri's Man. =)
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Here we go again, friends! Pull up a chair, warm yourself by the fire, toss a cold one back, and have fun Sharseya-style! =)
 
Let us ponder our new Signature Ability. Since Nivirea and Luna are still cursed to be body switched, would the ability we pick stick with the body we are in, or stay with the essence of the person?
 
Essence of the person. I know how difficult Signature Abilities can be to choose for your own character. I'm not about to ask you guys and gals to select one for someone else's! =)
 
I know what I'd like for level 10 Luna . . . but I'm not sure if it would apply for level 1 Luna in the 2.0 system: Spell Penetration with fire magics to get through Magic Resistance. Since she already has her ability to switch elemental magics to fire types, and the extra powerful one where 1's count as 2's on the dice, it seemed a good fit for her. Thoughts or suggestions on this?
 
For Oreleth, I'd like to go with something to boost her Accuracy and/or Damage with the bow. Call it Deadly Accuracy, and have it give Oreleth a bonus of +2 to hit or damage? My preference would be to go for the bonus to hit, since it doesn't matter how much damage you can do if you cannot hit your target, right?
 
Hmm. I think the both of you are confusing Feats with Signature Abilities. Signature Abilities can be Feat-like, but they do not take the place of Feats (either in Pathfinder 1.0 or 2.0). Let me repost this from Shop Talk and save everyone a couple of mouse-clicks. Perhaps this will help.

One element I am adding to everyone in your team is a Signature Ability. This is a passive feat or feat-like ability, chosen at character creation, that stems from your character (as opposed to race, class, etc.). And it will serve you for as long as you play that character.

Examples include Kitrin (Kaerri's tenacious hobbit fighter). She will, despite her Small size, hit like a Medium-sized creature (short swords do d6 instead of d4 for her, etc.). Why? Because it is in her personality and training to do so.

Your hit-point-restoring person will have "Unbalance Opponent", a feat from Modern d20, that outright negates the Strength bonus "to hit" (but not damage!).

Signature Abilities come at no cost to the character. So, create one that tells something about your character. Maybe it's an ability born of background or personality or just plain something he has always been good at. In Conversation, page 1.

(Also... From Adventurers' Table #2543, page #102)

Signature Abilities... are a culmination of a character's skills, talents, and things the character has a penchant for. I take into account the overall character level, previous Signature Abilities, and (here's a big one) what that character practices (notice I didn't say "What they like..." but what they're naturally good at or have become good at).

I can see someone like Luna having Fire Resistance 5 (or maybe 10 down the road at the cost of one Signature Ability) if she starts working towards it. True, Luna has a natural influence and talent with that most unpredictable of elements, but up until this point her use of fire magic has been totally offensive in nature. As far as I can remember, she hasn't taken fire damage since we started the game (has she?). So why would she have a resistance toward it? That's kind of like giving Bria a bonus to damage. =)

I going to think out loud here. Wolf has a lifelong love of nature and its creatures. I felt it was only natural for him to have Speak with Animals at will. Same goes for Sabrefang. Same goes for Powerpaw's Immunity to Fear. It's something that's clearly and naturally part of that character. It makes sense for them to have (or earn).

Allow me to bring up an NPC I've had around for a few years. The character was burned horribly as a child (and worse), yet survived. As a result, he had a terrible phobia of fire. However, the right people took him in and as his growing years went by, he was taught the secrets of fire by those who took him in. He learned so much about what flame could and could not do (with the intent of losing his phobia and fortifying himself against flame) that he became fire-resistant at first, more fire-resistant later, and now, finally, after long years of practice, dedication, and sacrifice, he's only one of two characters in my entire game who has become completely immune to fire damage of any kind (magical or otherwise). He spent, if memory serves, three separate Signature Ability "slots" (if you like the term) and many, many burns making this reality. While he can still be blinded by a fire's light and is still subject to injury and death from smoke inhalation, etc., he can walk right through a Wall of Fire and take no damage.

And I think that's worth what he put into it. =)

Think along these lines when creating your own character's Signature Abilities.
 
Hmmm. Well, since the one idea I had is out, how about just increasing the Extra Powerful one to count 1's and 2's as a 3? A Fireball with that would certainly toast a few people.
 
I have a thought. How about a reduction of the armor penalty for Oreleth? Having her able to maneuver with skills like Athletics or Stealth without having to worry about the minuses from her defenses?
 
Here is another little rant about Signature Abilities.

Psychie, that sounds closer to what I'm trying to accomplish. You have invested lots of points into her stealth skills, and you've tried to role-play them when able.

If you think Oreleth is naturally stealthy, and this doesn't take the place of a Class ability or Feat, then I think this is a choice that moves in the right direction.

Put another way, these Signature Abilities of mine are designed not for class Improvement, or race improvement, or even level improvement, but for character development based on what you have created, and how you have roleplayed that character.

Your characters' Signature Abilities are something that you have helped create! We didn't just pull them out of a book somewhere.

Anybody can turn around and say, "Oh, Mister Dungeon Master, I want to add another +1to my e-peen!" To which I say, "Big whoop!" C'mon, anybody can do that. And once it's done, it just becomes a meaningless bonus. So what? Who cares, right?

But let's say a year from now, another player looks at your character sheet and asks you, "Hey! Where did you get that cool bonus from?" You can either say, "Oh, I think the DM just gave it to her. We did something; I forget what."

Laaaame.

Or instead, you could answer, "Well, it's something special that Oreleth can do. I made her to be this way and she developed her skills to the point she earned herself a neat edge in-game."

Which answer would you be more proud of? What past accomplishments in Sharseya are you proud of now?

See what I mean, Gang? =)
 
Ok, I think I am getting the hang of these Signature Abilities a bit better. Thanks for the feedback!

So, what level of noise reduction can I use with this? As a player, I naturally want all I can get, but when I put on my Storyteller hat, I understand that there are limits to what a player should be able to get away with. My bonus to Save vs. Fear is a +3; would removing 3 points of penalties to my armor check rolls be good?
 
+3? Maybe too good. And here's why.

As a longtime Dungeon Master, I've learned to think about things a little more deeply. A +3 to say versus Fear only covers that single condition. It does nothing against anything else in the game.

A +3 bonus to Armor Check Penalty covers every armor type a fighter can wear, including armor types she has not even worn in game (like heavy armor). In addition, Armor Check Penalty covers a wide range of skills (not just Stealth, which seems to be an Oreleth thing, yes?).

On top of that, in Pathfinder 1.0, Fighters (only) gained a bonus against Armor Check Penalty as a class ability. I do not recall if the same is true for 2.0..

So, what is a trait that Oreleth has, that she could use in game to a similar benefit? Well, she has been a Fighter since she started the game (except for her brief time as a rogue). She is naturally stealthy.

How about this? Any armor Oreleth is wearing gains the Quiet armor trait? This means that she suffers no penalties to Stealth rolls when wearing armor. It does not apply to the armor once she takes it off.

Does that sound like something useful? Something "Oreleth-y?" If it does, we'll need a name for it. If it doesn't, we'll keep going!

After all, part of the fun in role-playing is in the creating and the sharing!
 
Gang? I am a bit brain-fried from the day. I will attempt to post tomorrow morning when I'm fresh. =)
 
Heya! When I return home, I will edit the post properly for sound and atmosphere and subtract a charge from Bren's potent Chime of Opening. UPDATE: There. All fixed! =)

I hope you are enjoying your weekend, Gang, and I hope you are enjoying this adventure, too! =)
 
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Waiting to see if Wolf Rawrrr Wolf Rawrrr is able to respond tomorrow. If not, or if Nivirea has nothing to add, Bren will present the party's answer of "Flower."

Hope everything's OK with you, Wolf? We haven't seen you in a while.
 
The last time dear Wolf logged on was the 18th, a week ago. I hope he's all right, too.
 
Yay! It's a Wolf! Hey Wolf! Wish you were feeling better. Thanks for checking in!
 
Sorry to hear you're not in tip-top shape, but it's good to hear from you! I'll hold off Bren's post until after yours, then.
 
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