Min/Max Forum: Storm Shelter

Dak-Tharsh: The primarily-goblinoid nation of Dak-Tharsh has a history of butting heads with its neighbors. The expansionist Dragon Party has been growing in popularity in recent years after the ruling Manticore Party refused to involve Dak-Tharsh in the Second Dawnstar War on Antares. This unstable political climate has made its neighbors uneasy.

Killing enemies is expedient. Sparing them and giving them a chance at redemption or at least at giving up a life of preying on others in that particular area is more noble, but could qualify as "stupid good" depending on how realistic we play. Could there be some kind of option for non-lethal victory that isn't horrifically burdensome in terms of dealing with captives and only occasionally results in us having to fight the same dudes again (which can make for some fun story options)?

Team, are there certain themes that make you uncomfortable?  I tend to prefer the standard D&D module rated R violence, PG-13 sexuality. I know people can be sensitive about  religious/irreligious themes. Would playing an aasimar evangelisty true believer rub people the wrong way - this is of course assuming that he's got some tact? I thought it would be cool to try with the whole Luminous Order and Ebon Cabal thing.

One thing I'm sensitive about is violence toward children.  Please no graphic battles where we have to fight possessed kids or something.

I don't mean to make a big deal out of this stuff. It's just more fun for everyone if we have some kind understanding. Most of the time it's a non issue. It's just that I have played a lot of different games with a lot of different people...and sometimes it's weird...when with a little more communication it could be fun.

Nans, Strat, any opinion on invisibility vs encyclopedia?

• Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Warboss are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and light, medium and heavy armour, as well as shields.
  
• Horde (Ex): A Warboss is permanently surrounded by his horde, those goblins and orcs that have chosen to follow him to glory and riches. This is represented by the Warboss permanently controlling a total number of hit dice of goblins and orcs equal to his class level times two. No creature controlled through this ability can have a CR more than 1/3rd the class level of the Warboss. Thus at 1st level, the Warboss could have two 1/3rd CR goblins as his horde. As the warboss only has goblins and orcs available to him to make up his horde, it is sometimes necessary to advance them as the warboss gains levels (a warboss can choose to have a large number of much lower CR creatures, if desired). Orcs advance as fighters or barbarians, while goblins advance as fighters, shamans (clerics), or rogues. Creatures come equipped with gear appropriate to an NPC of their level and class, and use the normal array. Any creatures lost from this total are replenished one week later. Horde members act on the Warboss's initiative. No more than one in five creatures can be a cleric (minimum one).
  
• Cowardice (Ex): If the horde (excluding the warboss) takes damage equal to or greater than a quarter of its hit points (this is the sum of hit points for all creatures in the horde), every creature in the horde must make a Will save against Fear at 10 + encounter CR or become shaken. This effect lasts until the encounter ends, or the horde is healed above the total at which it was forced to save. Every quarter of the horde's hit points (so at 75%, 50%, 25%), every creature must save again. If the horde goes past two points from one attack or action (say, drops from 80% to 45% of their total hit points) they save twice. The effects stack.
  
• Bloodlust (Ex): A Warboss loves a good fight, and it's even more fun to get stuck in when it's all sticky and bloody. A Warboss deals additional damage and gains a bonus to attack rolls against any creature or object that has already been dealt damage this round. At 1st level, he gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls against creatures and objects that have been dealt damage this turn. At 3rd level this ability adds 1d6 damage to the Warboss's attacks. For every four levels after 1st this ability grants a further +1 bonus to his attack rolls. For every four levels after 3rd this ability adds 1d6 additional damage to the Warboss's attacks. Members of the horde also get Bloodlust, using their hit dice in place of the Warboss's character level.
  
• Get Them First (Ex): Every Warboss knows the value of a good charge. He and his horde can make turns during a charge and charge across difficult terrain. He and his horde deal an extra 1 damage per class level or hit dice of the horde creature if the charge hits. At 8th level, if the warboss or a horde creature hits with the attack at the end of a charge, all enemies within 10' who have the same or less hit dice than the foe struck must make a will save against 10 + 1/2 attacker's hit dice + attacker's strength modifier. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to this ability. This is a Fear effect.
  
• Fight You Cowards! (Ex): Horde creatures gain Diehard as a bonus feat, and at 9th level gains a bonus on saves against fear equal to the Warboss's strength modifier.
  
• Blood Magic (Ex): Goblin shamans get just as excited by combat as do the rest of the horde, they just go about entering it differently. A goblin shaman gains a +1 bonus to caster level for each point of attack bonus provided by bloodlust when under the effects of bloodlust. This replaces the attack and damage bonuses granted by bloodlust. At 12th level, this bonus also applies to spell DCs.
  
• Its Your Turn (Ex): Beginning at 4th level, once per round, whenever a Warboss is hit by an attack, the Warboss may make a DC 15 Reflex save to have that attack affect an adjacent horde creature instead. The attack is treated as though it had hit the chosen bodyguard instead of the Warboss, regardless of the bodyguard's Armor Class or any other defensive effects. A horde creature may not serve as a bodyguard if it is dazed, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to act. At 8th level, the Warboss, by making a DC 20 Will save, may have a spell that targets him and only him instead strike a bodyguard. The bodyguard need not be a legal target.
  
• Speed of Anger (Ex): A lust for combat spurs the horde into combat. They gain movement speed increase equal to 5' for every point of attack bonus provided by bloodlust when under the effects of bloodlust.
  
• Blood Fury (Ex): The warboss and his horde, when exercised by bloodlust, can shrug off some of the wounds of combat. They gain damage reduction equal to the attack bonus provided by bloodlust when under the effects of bloodlust.
  
• Bigger Hording (Ex): The horde now has a total number of hit dice of equal to his class level times three, and the maximum CR is 1/2 the class level of the Warboss.
  
• After Me! (Ex): A Warboss leads by example, which usually means straight into melee. Every member of the horde uses the Warboss's base attack bonus.
  
• Horde Fighting (Ex): All members of the horde gain Horde Fighting as a bonus feat.
  
• We Is Many (Ex): All members of an Warboss's horde now pool their hitpoints into a single great mass. None of them die until the pool is emptied, at which point they all die.
  
• Circle Magic (Ex): The Warboss has realized that maybe he can get a little bit more out of his shamans if he sticks them all in a big group. So he does. Shamans in the horde can now use circle magic, with the highest hit dice member of the horde treated as the circle leader.
  
• Huge Horde (Ex): The horde now has a total number of hit dice equal to his class level times four, and the maximum CR is 1/2 the class level of the Warboss.
  
• Mind Above Matter (Ex): Shamans amongst the horde have finally learned how not to hurt their allies. Took 'em long enough. The warboss and horde members in the area of effect of a horde member's spell can ignore the effects of the spell if they desire.
  
• Charge of Blades (Ex): All members of the horde, warboss included, gain pounce at the end of a charge.
  
• Armour? What's That? (Ex): The horde has figured out that sometimes, being big and tough just makes you easier to hit. All attacks from horde members ignore damage reduction and hardness.
  
• Inspirational Killing (Ex): It feels good to get a kill in once in a while. Like every couple of seconds or so. The first time in a round that the Warboss or one of his horde drop a creature below 0 hit points, all members of the horde (warboss included) can immediately either make one melee attack at their highest attack bonus or take a single move action. The horde creatures must be able to see and hear the horde member that struck the killing blow. These extra attacks are not attacks of opportunity.
  
• You Can Stop Running (Ex): Took long enough, but the horde finally realized it was scarier than whatever it was fighting. The creatures in the horde (warboss included) are immune to fear, and gain a bonus on all saves equal to the Warboss's strength modifier.
  
• Biggest Horde (Ex): The horde now has a total number of hit dice equal to his class level times five, and the maximum CR is 1/2 the class level of the Warboss.
  
• Eternal Fight (Ex): Permanently driven forward, the Warboss and his horde have the effect of Bloodlust even against undamaged creatures and objects.