Nerd Pride Radio

As Technomancer and tinkerer, I'm open for being Engineer or Science Officer as needed. Both positions can have multiples if appropriate (depending on the configuration of the ship).

Yeah, our ship will likely be equivalent to an Explorer (like the sample Pact World Venture from the book). It's a good Millennium Falcon/Serenity type thing. It's got room for 6 crew, and there will likely be two weapons on it. So... Captain, Pilot, 2 gunners, Engineer, Science Officer. Although 1 gunner can handle both weapons and put an extra person into Engineer or Science Officer if we're in an emergency and need to shift around.

Running with less than 6 (or even with 6), we can also have the "Captain" doing something else most of the time (but not piloting), and then he simply assumes the Captain role on any round where it might be helpful.

Speaking of the Kasatha operative, one of the things I love about the Kasatha is the ability to be always armed (no pun intended). I love the idea of having a laser rifle wielded by the two lower arms while one of the other arms carries a sword. Yes, you still only get one attack per round, BUT... you can switch modes without having to waste motion on stowing/drawing weapons. You can be there firing away with your big rifle, but if someone tries to run by you, you can still take the AoO and whack 'em with the sword.

Neither of these weapons is likely to be on a first level operative, but I still love this about the Kasatha.

I guess that begs the question of who the captain is?

Someone with Diplomacy, Intimidate, Bluff, Sense Motive... or three of the four... who isn't piloting. Most other positions, you can do without for a round. But pilot can't step away from the helm to do other things. Thus, Tahlvin will be our best mechanic for making repairs and upgrades outside of combat, but if he's planning on being the Ace Pilot, then he'll need me or someone else to actually do the engineering job during combat while he flies the boat.

If someone else has piloting skill though, we can switch off when needed. Because the Ace Pilot has every chance of also being our best gunner.

Well, I was planning on taking MYSTICISM as my last first round skill, but if I take SENSE MOTIVE instead it gives me this:

Bluff: 8
Diplomacy: 8
Intimidate: 4
Sense Motive: 4

And I can read people's minds once a day if they're within 30 feet... EDIT: make that 60 feet...

I'm rethinking my ability scores... I've chosen Yaraesa for my deity, and pretty much settled on the intellectual icon background, so it seems appropriate to go with this set of abilities scores:

STR: 14 (+2)
DEX: 10 (+0)
CON: 8 (-1)
INT: 14 (+2)
WIS: 10 (+0)
CHA: 18 (+4)

After all, I have my Solar Weapon, which relies on strength. I bought the most expensive armor I could afford as a young intellectual making my way out into the unknown. I think I could use the extra boost on those INT skills than the DEX, then I also get another skill point to spend!

Which takes these four to:

Bluff: 8
Diplomacy: 8
Intimidate: 8
Sense Motive: 4

Android Mechanic (Ace Pilot)
Lashunta Solarian (Icon)
Ysoki Technomancer (Priest)
Kasatha Operative
Shirrin Mystic/Human Soldier (either/or)

Stan, I suggest you pick whichever of those two you think would be coolest for you to play. I think we'll do great either way. The soldier could give us some heavier firepower which we could use, and the fighter style choices are pretty cool. If you choose to take Cure spells, the Mystic could be super useful as well. (Actually, even without Cure, a Mystic could bring a lot to the table.) But nothing is mandatory.

I'm leaning towards soldier so I can try the weaponry more.
I'll have decent dex so I can take ranks to be a backup pilot. I think I can fill in as gunner as well. With all the physical stats decent, my mental stats won't be - engineering and computers would be tough, especially as computers isn't a class skill for soldier.

Interesting that, instead of literal magic items, the really cool weapons have costs like magic items. I might have a simple slug thrower.

Languages I'm learning:

Common, Lashunta, Abyssal, Infernal

I get the first two for free... I figure I can telepathically communicate with all of you in common. I would study Abyssal and Infernal because those are the languages of some of the nastiest creatures that appear when we wrench open the planes in Drift. (One of the areas of study Shaeonn has been specifically interested in...) Speaking of which, I think I will be taking that Mysticism rank and leaving Intimidate at 4... The interplay between Mysticism and Physical Science... Yep... That's what she studies...

Always take Thassilonian!

That works out well. I'm thinking of ship roles, which aren't the most important things, but need to be considered.

Android Mechanic - Pilot, Gunner, Engineer
Human Soldier - Pilot, Gunner
Kasatha Operative - ?? Gunner/Science Officer/Pilot/Captain - depends on what skills she takes
Lashunta Solarian - Captain, Gunner
Ysoki Technomancer - Engineer, Science Officer

It's a good mix. Everyone will have at least two positions they'd be really good at, and each position will likely be covered by at least two crew members. We'll have a lot of flexibility there.

I'm very torn between ghost and hacker. The former is really cool, but if we're only going to run through a level or maybe two, no special reason to go that route. Hacker might be more useful right away, especially if our ship needs a computers person. What do you think?

If it helps choose, here's my . It wouldn't hurt to have two computer people. You'd probably have better rolls with the bonuses. (Though the Ghost does sound cool!)

Or three. Computers are a life skill. A hacker can do more than either of us though. Huge difference between having a skill and being a specialist.

With your charisma and social skills, you'll make a great face. But you'll be outmatched in most cases by actual envoys, because Solarians are good at that stuff, but their specialty is elsewhere. As a Technomancer, I make an awesome mechanic in a pinch, but I'm completely outshined by Tahlvin who will have feats and Mechanic class features to back him up.

So if we can get a real hacker on the team, I'm thrilled to let her have that spotlight, and I'll focus on my own cool shit.

Yay! Character sheets!

I was thinking about the dart gun thing. I am going to write up a generic drug that will let you inflict some of the basic conditions on targets - stuff like dazed or sickened. I'll read over them to make sure I'm not breaking the game.

There may not be too much more progress on my character over the next week, as I have to attend to my mother-in-law's funeral and all of the travel involved with that. But I'll get to it as soon as I can after that settles down.