Character Building Challenge - Paper Shadow Wins!

Hey everyone, I'm going to be playing our system for the first time ever come Saturday. I was going to sit down and finally make my own character... But I figured that this would be a great time to bring things up for a fun challenge.

I'd like to see what you all come up with for the most impressive, powerful, cool and fun level 6 builds you can think of - using the tabletop combat system. Links will be included below for reference.

Interestingly, this will be your first chance to see the upcoming combat item expansion - which we're going to be playtesting in the tabletop first before converting to skype.

I'll review the entrants and choose my favorite build to try out on Saturday (going to go over them on Friday).

Interestingly, the group in question will have 10,000 gold to play with for their items, not the usual amount for a level 6 character.

I'm looking forward to seeing any entrants.


Tabletop Combat Talents

Tabletop Combat Items

Combat Item Playtest


As an aside, if you want to put together utility talents and attribute scores as well - go for it. The character I'm playing will be very good at Persuasion and will be rather mastermindy.

I would, but google docs is totally and utterly ANNOYING me right now >m> I can't look at any without an error.

I would but, I haven't read those rules because the chance of me playing this system tabletop style anytime soon (if ever) is approximately 0%.

@Logan - Try downloading them rather than viewing them online.

That'll work, but what about edits?

You can always re-download them if need be. Better than not having them at all.

Also! New wrinkle. We're going to reveal the upcoming combat item beta-test for this challenge. Rather than delaying it further while we look for time to polish it, we'll let those involved in the challenge try to use the items to break things for this contest. =)

Link included in the original post.


EDIT - Level 6, not level 4 now.

Not sure if your going to get ANY entries to something like this... I think a good deal of this forum don't care much for the tabletop because they've got little to no chance of ever getting people to play that version... Or even just playing the Living Legends version for tabletop and junk...

Yep, but I'm curious to see if I do get any entries and it's a good chance to see if people find wholes in the beta-test of the new items. If not, it's no big deal. If some people do enter, yay. Just like to give the forum a shot to participate.

Interestingly though, I've had quite a few people email me about them playing live campaigns with the tabletop system. There's six tabletop campaigns that I know of from PMs. Of course, not near as many as the skype version. =)

The more I think about those items, the more I think you are madman, and hate your own game's combat system you have made so you wanta brake it's simple game balance in half out of spite. Just wow... First thoughts at seeing those new items were they're cool and shiny, but now they're insane...

12 Resist FOR FREE is possible with that Shroud of Suffering if comboed with Dark Bargen... And that's just the first one that's been pointed out to me. I bet there are a HELL lot more in there...

*sighs*

It's posts like that which make me not want to share anything before it's fully ready for playtesting. All these items are still in development, haven't gone through a full polishing process.

1) Dark Bargain does not exist in the Living Legends Tabletop system yet. It was introduced in Art of War and many of the new talents haven't been added to the Living Legends system yet.

2) These items were designed before the new talents in The Art of War were added. As said, we haven't fully considered them yet - and certainly haven't with the new material that hasn't yet been added to Living Legends. That's why I opened this challenge, as stated, to get some more people pouring over the new additions to look for broken things - so they could be fixed.

Thanks for pointing out the eventual-combo that this would become. That's very helpful.

Yeah, I'm sorry I was a bit harsh with that post. It just... Well it was what I couldn't help but think and feel after that little broken combo was pointed out to me.

On the plus side of things. I see a look of VERY intersesting combat ideas on this list of items... Ones that look like they're worth trying out... Like Ring of Adrenaline, Tincture of Healing, Energizing Amulet, and Armor of Energy Storing are four that I'd like to see how they'd work in combat.

Finally back to the broken side of things: Blade of the Bloodrage gives you double damage... As a minor... With a +pip... The "drawback" of hitting both friend or foe if they're nearby doesn't balance it at ALL to me... Displacer Armor, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? It comes across as WAY too OP as is... Needs at least being a x/battle thing for it or something... I suggest 10/battle max...

Gambler's armor seems like too much of a gamble/risk for it's granted benefit... 6 resist is not much of an incentive to risk a whopping 13+ damage, at least not for a system where d8, d10 and d12 attacks are the usual "norm" as far as damage goes, allowing the resist to be easily overcome. The resist should be higher, and/or grant another benefit (e.g. letting it act like displacer armor 3/battle? Granting a large amount of regen?) to make up having a single attack be capable of bloodying you (and you can't take off the armor mid-battle so you're stuck with it).

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:Interestingly, the group in question will have 10,000 gold to play with for their items, not the usual amount for a level 6 character.

Question, does that mean the character we are making has 10,000 gold, or that he has a split of the gold, in which case, how much of that split does the character have?

Zarhon wrote:Gambler's armor seems like too much of a gamble/risk for it's granted benefit... 6 resist is not much of an incentive to risk a whopping 13+ damage, at least not for a system where d8, d10 and d12 attacks are the usual "norm" as far as damage goes, allowing the resist to be easily overcome. The resist should be higher, and/or grant another benefit (e.g. letting it act like displacer armor 3/battle? Granting a large amount of regen?) to make up having a single attack be capable of bloodying you (and you can't take off the armor mid-battle so you're stuck with it).

I have a hunch that players using this armor will combine it with other talents/traits/items that let them dodge some of the things that crack the resistance. However, it's very possible that the numbers of the resistance/vulnerability should be changed. After all, this is all pre-polishing. We'll definitely make a note of that. =)

Paper Shadow wrote:

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:Interestingly, the group in question will have 10,000 gold to play with for their items, not the usual amount for a level 6 character.

Question, does that mean the character we are making has 10,000 gold, or that he has a split of the gold, in which case, how much of that split does the character have?

10,000 just for the character in question. Every player has that much gold (they raided a nightmare dragon's hoard while the beastie was out).

Okay, I understand. They should really give that money back though...

I'll see what I can do...

Paper Shadow wrote:Okay, I understand. They should really give that money back though...

That isn't in their best interest if staying alive is the goal.

Combat:
[+3] Harrowing Curse - Standard Utility
Range: Ranged 20
Target creature suffers 1 ongoing damage (save ends).
[+2] Perfect Focus - Standard Utility
You gain resist 3 to melee attacks until the end of your next turn. At the start of your next turn, if you have not taken damage since you last used this ability, you gain 2 more pips.
[+2] Rampage - Standard Attack
Range: Melee
Deal 1d4 damage to target creature. If you are bloodied, deal 1d10 damage to that
creature instead.
[+2] Mocking Melody - Standard Utility
Range: Ranged 7
Target creature is subjected to your mocking melody (save ends). A creature subjected to your mocking melody suffers 1d8 damage whenever they roll a 4 or lower on a damage die.
[+2] Paranoia - Standard Utility
Range: Ranged 10
Target enemy makes an attack of its choice against a creature of your choice within the attack’s range.
[+1] Gather Energy - Standard Utility
On your next turn, you may take 2 standard actions. You cannot use this talent two turns
in a row.
[+1] Inspire Courage - Standard Utility
Range: Ranged 10
Target ally gains 1d12 temporary hp.
[-8] Family Recipe - Standard Attack
Range: Ranged 7
Target creature is dazed (save ends), weakened (save ends), immobilized (save ends) and suffers vulnerability 5 (save ends).
Crippling Strike
8: Target enemy within 7 spaces of you is blinded (save ends)
10: Target enemy within 7 spaces of you is blinded and weakened (save ends)
12: Target enemy within 7 spaces of you is blinded, suffers vulnerability 3 and 5 ongoing damage (save ends all)
Traits:
Sink Your Teeth In
When you subject a creature to ongoing damage, increase that ongoing damage by 2.
Dangerous
You may bring 6 Combat Talents into battle rather than 5.
Items:
Talisman of Unbearable Illness - 7000 Gold
Trinket
Enemies suffer a -7 penalty to saving throws against (save ends) effects that you bestow on them.
Dimensional Cape - 1500 Gold
Trinket
Once per battle, you may use the following combat talent.
[0] Hideaway - Minor Utility [1/Battle]
You cease to exist and can take no actions until the start of your next turn. You have line of sight and line of effect to no creature, and no creature has line of sight or line of effect to you. At the start of your next turn, you reappear in the space of your choice within 3 spaces of the space you left.

Added things: Get Dangerous and summon a wraith, and have an ally with something that lowers saving throws too, and you only save on nat 20s. o3o
Edit: How to play this: Get pips. Make them get 50 bajillion save ends.

Now that there's a future cannon weapon... I suggest you make a trinket that's nammed HEADCANNON!

One question, do push/pull count as moving for triggering? It isn't clear.

Forced movement doesn't count as the enemy moving away.

What about the Control Rod? It actually uses the appropriate terminology of 'move'

thematthew wrote:What about the Control Rod? It actually uses the appropriate terminology of 'move'

It's implied that the character itself has to move, not be moved in triggers involving "a character moves away from you". Otherwise it would be, "A character is moved away from you".

Should be clarified. Also, this makes me sad.

Anyway, for a melee/teleport build just for kicks, I give you Elothar, Warrior of Bladereach:

[+3] Sanctity of Faith - Standard Utility
You gain regeneration 2 (save ends).

[+3] Critfisher – Standard Utility
Choose one;
A) Roll two dice of your choice from amongst d8s, d10s and d12s (you could choose to roll both from one of these types, or a mix from amongst these types).
B) Pay 2 pips. If you do, roll five dice of your choice from amongst d8s, d10s and d12s (you could choose to roll all five from one of these types, or a mix from amongst these types).

[+1] Backstab - Standard Attack
Range: Melee
Deal 1d8 damage to target creature. Deal an additional 1d6 damage if the target is granting you combat advantage.

[+1] I Meant To Do That - Reaction Utility
Trigger - You roll a 1 on a d8, d10 or d12.
Flip a coin. If heads, you gain 2 temporary hp.

[0] AEtherstep - Move Utility
Jump up to 3 spaces

[-1] Whirling Blades - Minor Attack
Range: Melee
Deal 1d4 damage to target creature. If you roll a 3 or higher, the creature grants combat advantage to you until the end of your next turn.

[-2] Arc Rush - Standard Attack
Range: Melee
Deal 1d10 target creature, then teleport to a square adjacent to a different enemy within 10 and deal 1d10 to that creature

[-6] Lord of Battle - Standard Attack
Range: Burst 5
Pull any number of enemies in the burst 4 spaces then deal 1d10 damage to each enemy adjacent to you.

Be Prepared
8: Deal 1d10 damage to target creature within 7.

10: Target creature within 10 gains 2d12 hp.

12: Target creature within 10 gains Resist 4d8 until the end of your next turn. In addition, until the end of the encounter you and up to six allies may use any combat talent that you possess - even if you did not select it for this battle.

Defensive Blade - 1500
Weapon
You do not grant combat advantage to enemies. Ever.

Banded Guardian Armor - 3000 Gold
Armor
You have resist 4 against creatures that you are adjacent to.

Energizing Amulet - 3000 Gold
Trinket
At the start of your turn, if you have less than 4 pips, you may gain 1 pip.

Ring of Strategic Withdrawal - 1500
Trinket
Once per battle, you may use the following combat talent.

[-1] GAH! - Immediate Interrupt
Trigger - An enemy makes an attack against you.
Effect - Jump up to 5 spaces and deal 1d10 damage to the triggering enemy.

Flashstep Ring - 700 Gold
Trinket
When you would jump a certain number of spaces, you may add 1 to the number of spaces you would normally jump.

Traits

Duelist
You gain +2 damage on combat talents that deal damage to only one target.

AEthershield
Whenever you jump, you gain resist 2 until the start of your next turn.

Iron Will
You may make saving throws against being stunned and dazed at the start of your turn rather than at the end of your turn. You may even attempt to save against stun and daze effects that a saving throw could not normally end.

I Meant To Do That
Whenever you roll a 1 on a d8, d10 or d12; you may gain 1 pip.

I made a Minion Master. If you want, you could just hide in a corner spawning Wardens all day, but I threw in other options if that bores you. I also threw in Robe of Living Gates, so if you are caught out of position, you can conjure a Warden next to you and use Living Gateway to jump safely to another ally...

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Special Move:
Be Prepared
8: Deal 1d10 damage to target creature within 7.
10: Target creature within 10 gains 2d12 hp.
12: Target creature within 10 gains Resist 4d8 until the end of your next turn. In addition, until the end of the encounter you and up to six allies may use any combat talent that you possess - even if you did not select it for this battle.

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Combat Talents:
[+6] Grab For Power - Standard Utility
Lose 1d8 Pips.

[+3] Critfisher – Standard Utility
Choose one;
A) Roll two dice of your choice from amongst d8s, d10s and d12s (you could choose to roll both from one of these types, or a mix from amongst these types).
B) Pay 2 pips. If you do, roll five dice of your choice from amongst d8s, d10s and d12s (you could choose to roll all five from one of these types, or a mix from amongst these types).

[+1] Gather Energy - Standard Utility
On your next turn, you may take 2 standard actions. You cannot use this talent two turns
in a row.

[0] Animate Bone Mite - Reaction Utility
Trigger - An enemy falls to 0 or fewer HP
Effect - You conjure a Bone Minion in the fallen enemy’s space that has the following stat block.

Bone Mite - 1 HP
Size: Tiny
Speed: 6
Trait - Bloodhusk
When this creature dies, it deals 1d6 damage to target adjacent creature
[0] Burrow In Flesh - Standard Attack
Range: Melee
Target creature suffers 2 ongoing damage (save ends).
[0] Bloodfeast - Minor Utility
Sacrifice a Conjuration you or a willing ally controls. Target ally gains 1d6 hp.

[-3] Conjure Warden - Standard Utility
Conjure an allied Spectral Warden within an ally’s space. It has the following stat-block.

Spectral Warden - 1 HP
Size: Medium
Speed: Hover 5
[0] Warden’s Boon - Standard Utility
Range: Ranged 10
The Spectral Warden grants target creature 1d10 HP.
[0] Warden’s Duty - Interrupt Utility
Trigger - An enemy targets an ally within 5 spaces of the warden with a melee or ranged attack
Effect - The Warden moves to a space that is between that ally and the triggering enemy, or adjacent to both. The attack targets the warden instead.

[-4] Rise for Me! - Reaction Utility [Created by Silent Belle and Sunbeam]
Trigger - An enemy falls to 0 or fewer HP.
Effect - You conjure a Blood Skeleton with the following stat block.

Blood Skeleton - 10 HP
Size: Medium
Speed: 6
Trait - Open Grave
When this creature reaches 0 HP or less, it deals 1d10 damage to all creatures adjacent to it.
[+X] Cannibalism - Standard Attack
Range: Melee
The Blood Skeleton deals Xd12 damage to target ally. X cannot be greater than 5.
[+1] Bloodwrench - Standard Attack
Range: Melee
The Blood Skeleton deals 1d6 damage to target creature. Target ally gains 1d6 hp.
[-2] Protect The Master - Interrupt
Trigger - An enemy targets you or an ally within 5 spaces of the Blood Skeleton with a melee or ranged attack
Effect - The Blood Skeleton moves to a space that is between that ally and the triggering enemy, or adjacent to both. The attack targets you instead.

[-5] Conjure Spectre - Standard Utility
Conjure an allied Dark Spectre in a space within 5. It has the following stat block.

Dark Spectre - 10 HP
Size: Medium
Speed: fly 6 (hover)
Trait - Midnight Haunting
All enemies suffer a -1 penalty to saving throws.
Trait - Spectral Possession
When the Dark Spectre is destroyed, target creature within 5 spaces of the spectre is dominated by you until the end of its next turn.
[+1] Spook – Standard Attack
Range: Ranged 10
Target creature suffers a -2 penalty on its damage rolls (save ends).
[-1] Deathwish - Standard Attack
Range: Ranged 10
Target creature must attack the Dark Spectre on its next turn if able.

[-9] Conjure Fire Giant - Standard Utility
Conjure an allied Fire Giant within 5 spaces of you. It has the following stat-block.

Fire Giant - 40 HP
Size: Large
Speed: 6
Trait - Combustion
When Fire Giant is destroyed, it deals 3d12 damage to all enemies within 3 spaces of it.
[+3] Blazing Blade - Standard Attack
Range: Burst 1 within 2
The Fire Giant deals 1d8 damage to all enemies in the burst.
[-2] Chains of Fire - Standard Utility
Ranged 10
Target creature is subjected to the Fire Giant’s Chains of Fire until the end of the Fire Giant’s next turn. A creature subjected to the Fire Giant’s Chains of Fire suffers 2d12 damage whenever it attacks a creature other than a Fire Giant.
[-6] Meteor Smash - Standard Attack
Range: Ranged 3
The Fire Giant deals 4d12 damage to target creature.

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Traits:
Cutscene Immunity [Created by Zarhorn]
Your conjurations cannot be targeted by enemy attacks until the end of their second turn.

Special Summon - Free Action
Trigger - A conjuration you control rolls an 8 on a d8, a 10 on a d10 or a 12 on a d12.
Effect - Trigger your Special Move as though you had rolled the respective die.

Plan B (Second Chance) - Interrupt Utility [1/Battle]
Trigger - An creature rolls a die and you dislike the result
Effect - The triggering creature rerolls the die. You may choose which of the two results is used.

Dangerous
You may bring 6 Combat Talents into battle rather than 5.

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Items:
Energizing Amulet - 3000 Gold
Trinket
At the start of your turn, if you have less than 4 pips, you may gain 1 pip.

Robe of Living Gates - 3200 Gold
Armor
You may use the following combat talent.

[0] Living Gateway - Move Action
If you are adjacent to a creature, you may jump to a space that is adjacent to another creature that you can see and that is within 10 spaces of you.

Rabbit-Filled Hat - 3500 Gold
Trinket
Reduce the pips cost of talents you use to conjure creatures by 2 pips. The cost can’t be reduced below 0.

As a RL tabletop veteran with a limited side in PBP, helping develop the table top is very appealing to me. If college hadn't just started back up I would be all over this.