Questions for movement: Summon Bone Spirit

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Sharkforce
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Re: Questions for movement: Summon Bone Spirit

Post by Sharkforce » Mon Dec 30, 2019 2:40 am

i didn't say focus exclusively on ranged spells. i said if i was going to have a backup plan with higher damage, it'd involve ranged combat. you get most of the same benefits you're talking about with a bow after all. that way you could sit back and start pelting enemies with ranged attacks from the very start of the battle, and maybe turn the tide sooner.

though really, it is starting to sound more like what you need is perhaps some hired help or allies of some sort. have you considered that you have an ability to control shrieker bats and shadowmants in your arsenal? honestly, i'd almost suggest that someone in your group ought to multi-discipline into beastmaster (or shaman if you have the book) so that you can build up a small army of animal companions to cover your flanks... alternately, a couple of hired mercenaries with the same skills as you would presumably do the job almost as well as you.

edit: that said, at melee range you can use chilling circle now and use an extra thread (in an enhanced matrix) to remove your allies from the list of targets as another option... step 9 damage isn't great, but your typical cultist is probably only rocking a couple points of magic armour, tops... and it'll be hitting a whole bunch of them, round after round, while slowing them down.

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Mataxes
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Re: Questions for movement: Summon Bone Spirit

Post by Mataxes » Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:17 am

Yeah, having looked over this thread I think part of the issue is the small group and selected Disciplines. With only one physical combatant and two magicians, it's not surprising the Swordmaster goes down and you find yourself falling back into a more close-combat role (and taking abilities to help out in that regard).

I'm not intending to assign blame or anything. Balancing encounters can be difficult, and doing so for a small, generally squishy group is even tougher. I obviously don't have all the details, but I have to echo Sharkforce's suggestion of finding some way to boost your group through allies or mercenaries. The first thing I might look to as a GM is changing the rules on spirit summoning, and perhaps use a guardian spirit (ED4 GM, page 380) to fill a role similar to an animal companion.
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Lamoron
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Re: Questions for movement: Summon Bone Spirit

Post by Lamoron » Mon Dec 30, 2019 2:42 pm

Mataxes wrote:
Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:17 am
Yeah, having looked over this thread I think part of the issue is the small group and selected Disciplines. With only one physical combatant and two magicians, it's not surprising the Swordmaster goes down and you find yourself falling back into a more close-combat role (and taking abilities to help out in that regard).

I'm not intending to assign blame or anything. Balancing encounters can be difficult, and doing so for a small, generally squishy group is even tougher. I obviously don't have all the details, but I have to echo Sharkforce's suggestion of finding some way to boost your group through allies or mercenaries. The first thing I might look to as a GM is changing the rules on spirit summoning, and perhaps use a guardian spirit (ED4 GM, page 380) to fill a role similar to an animal companion.
This is why I created the thread in the first place. The Bone Spirit seemed like a good way of getting some more boots on the ground without turning to multi-discipline or making house rules, but the "tether" issue sort of ruins it. I'll give your ideas some thought.

Edit: We were six players to begin with, which is why our discipline selection is weird. The Warrior, the Beast Master, and the Thief have quit due to RL complications :D

Slimcreeper
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Re: Questions for movement: Summon Bone Spirit

Post by Slimcreeper » Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:35 pm

I don’t have much to add except that sounds like an epic rpg moment that you’ll be talking about for years.

Slimcreeper
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Re: Questions for movement: Summon Bone Spirit

Post by Slimcreeper » Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:39 pm

well also that you can acquire a spirit that is an ally, not just an ally spirit, without bending any rules.

Lamoron
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Re: Questions for movement: Summon Bone Spirit

Post by Lamoron » Tue Dec 31, 2019 9:47 am

Slimcreeper wrote:
Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:35 pm
I don’t have much to add except that sounds like an epic rpg moment that you’ll be talking about for years.
I find that combat is rarely the thing people remember 20 years later, unless it was silly (both good and bad). I DM DnD and have done so for twenty odd years now, and at parties only four combats ever get brought up, when people get nostalgic.

1. That time the ranger shot a Goblin, with a blunt arrow, to capture and interrogate it, and his facial expression after I told him that his 80 damage crit not only killed the 5 hp Goblin, but also the tree behind it, despite being blunt.

2. That time two Goblins saw their buddies get massacred, and instead of fighting they grabbed two of the Clerics adamantite throwing hammers, ran away, and started a Goblin nation with their magical weapons.

3. That time they intentionally made life Hell for an old mayor of a small village, and just kept pushing until he snapped. Sure he was old, four levels lower than the party, and arthritic, but he was also a frenzied Beserker and rolled three crits in a row, and downed the overpowered Cleric that nothing had taken down before.

4. That time fifteen kobolds attacked the lone Rogue... at level sixteen (how would they know he was a God compared to them). He brought one home, and the Sorcerer kept it as a pet.

I play five different groups with about fifteen different people (some overlap), and surprise, fun, or WTF moments is needed for someone to remember a fight in my groups 😊

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Kosmit
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Re: Questions for movement: Summon Bone Spirit

Post by Kosmit » Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:44 pm

This thread is tl;dr but I recommend Nethermancer/Staff aster discipline combo :D

Lamoron
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Re: Questions for movement: Summon Bone Spirit

Post by Lamoron » Mon Apr 20, 2020 3:23 pm

Where do I find the Staff Caster?

Telarus
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Re: Questions for movement: Summon Bone Spirit

Post by Telarus » Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:33 pm

A "Staff"-master is a Swordsmaster-Adept who specializes in pole-arms. ;)

Lamoron
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Re: Questions for movement: Summon Bone Spirit

Post by Lamoron » Tue Apr 21, 2020 10:12 pm

Telarus wrote:
Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:33 pm
A "Staff"-master is a Swordsmaster-Adept who specializes in pole-arms. ;)
Alright, what exactly does this bring that makes it so great? :D

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