DAardvaRK Sun DM I was wondering for the characters do you want a character sheet with the character or just concept and background on the character? Also which material are you allowing for the characters from pathfinder?
I would prefer prior to selection to just get mainly the concept and background. The exact details on the sheet can be ironed out in the discussion thread.
Mainly to make my decision I would like;
Class, Race, Alignment, Character background, and reason for being in Urik.
Kik'Laj'Ta is a scout from a destroyed clutch that were looking an ancient item from the Green Time in Kreen history rumored to be in the area immediately adjacent to the Urik region. They came across a monstrous scorpion creature, the size of a house. Kik'Laj'Ta was the only survivor as his clutchmate was able to draw the creature over a cliff to both of their deaths, leaving Kik'Laj'Ta the only survivor.
After the deaths, Kik moved into Urik with the idea of finding new clutchmates and also trying to find out about this item that may have been in the area.
Thri-Kreen Rogue, Lawful Neutral, looking for a new clutch or pack.
Okay thank you. Here is my character Averel a Mul Fighter he will be Lawful Neutral. The concept is he was trained as a bodyguard so I am playing on having him be able to bull rush enemies. Some of the feats if able to take them would be enforcer and the bodyguard line to better able to defend allies.
Averel was born as many Muls are born to slaves. His master Ezio was different from many others because he treated his slaves well so that he could have loyalty from them. Averel was born to be a bodyguard to his master. Many people knew the combat prowess of the Mul. Knowing what the Mul could do Ezio made it a point of pride to have only Muls keep his family safe. Averel was trained in the way of war since a young age. Once he was 15 he was deemed worthy to be a bodyguard. Since he was young and not yet ready to travel with the Ezio it was decided that he would watch over the Ezio's two children. Averel was two years older than the Ezio's son Aleron and four years older than the Ezio's daughter Alida. The children took to their new protector very well even though Averel tried his best to tell them that he was just a bodyguard.
Averel protecting Aleron and Alida lasted for another four years. Averel stopped kidnappers and killers no less than six times during these years. With defending Aleron and Alida with his life the two started to see Averel more as a friend than just a bodyguard. All this changed half way though the sixth year of Averel duty. Ezio's compound was attacked by an unknown troop of soldiers with a bloody claw on their armor. They came in the middle of the night without a sound. They killed everyone in their way without mercy while laughing and smiling. The bodyguards and gladiators tried their best to stop the enemy but they all fell like the others. Who ever these soldiers were they were unbelievable warriors. Averel hearing the yells and sound of battle wakes up than runs to Aleron room. He finds Aleron hiding after giving him a sword the duo sets off to find Alida. As they near Alida's room they hear voices and crying. Preparing for the worst they got ready to check the room. Seeing nothing wrong in the room they go into the room finding Alida hiding under her bed. After they got Alida they fled to the escape tunnels.
Once out of the tunnels they ran to Aleron's and Alida's Aunt Akilina's compound. They reached the compound four day later. Tired they met with Akilina to tell her what had happened. Akilina sent out some men to find out what happened at her brother's compound. When the men returned they came back with Ezio's body. They came back to tell how they found everyone in the compound was dead. Hearing this Aleron's face turn hard as stone and Alida starts to cry. A few days later Aleron and Alida came to Averel they asked him if he could help them found the people who did this. Averel knowing how hard both of them were hit nodded swearing to find these men. Aleron swore that he would find information on these soldiers. After a few months Aleron found a lead to who these soldiers were. This information led to Urik which was famed for having an unstoppable army. The soldiers who attacked were better than the bodyguards and gladiators they were very good soldiers. Aleron found out that they are a group of mercenaries that were hired often by people who traded and worked in Urik often. With this information Averel set out to Urik to see if he could find any more information on these mercenaries.
Reason in Urik is in back-story but if you missed it he is trying to find some information.
Gonna try to get an idea of what we have so far. Let me know If I miss anyone.
imimrtl - Kik'Laj'Ta (TK Rogue)
Mrdarknlight - Averel (Mul Fighter)
stardust - Agruun Nightrunner (Elf Psion)
scranford - ?? (Mul Barbarian)
AlanM - ?? (?? Preserver [?? base arcane class] or Psion)
Graynore - ?? (Dwarf Monk or Halfling Druid)
Balodek - ?? (Mul Ranger)
Caepio Alazario - rolls
KenderKin - ?? (Half-giant Ranger/rogue)
Luke_Parry - ?? (Inquisitor or PsyWarrior)
The Dorf - rolls
InVinoVeritas - K'z'k (TK Monk)
Okay, maybe not as many TK as I had thought.
@Mrdarknlight. What business was Ezio in that he had bodyguards and was murdered, one of the merchant houses or illicit activities? Where did these events take place, one of the other city-states or a small outpost (whereabouts was the outpost).
@imimrtl and InVinoVeritas. What is your opinion of the city-states and the other races. How are you with elves specifically?
@stardust. How are you about Thri-Kreen? What kind of tribe are you from, hunting, herding, or raiding? Are you a city elf of a tablelands elf? If you are a city elf, why?
I was thinking of him as a merchant who did not do illicit activities himself but helped those who did these activities for a piece of the pie. While trying to find Ezio's murders would lead to finding information to why Ezio was killed since the children and Averel had no idea about his less legal dealings. It was in an outpost near Balic.
Ezio and his children I tried to base on Romans from what I have read on Dark Sun Balic seems to be based on Rome.
Have Mul in the profile. I will try to get the sorcerer-kings/elements and domains/favored weapons done tomorrow.
stardust, I will look through my old accessories and see if I can find you some summary info on the Night Runners or Lone Moons if there is any in there. For base campaign setting, look for the "Ten Facts of Athas" or something similar. It has a neat breakdown of the world. Sadly, I can't find it, but then again I have bad search-fu.
Here is a pretty great Map of Athas
The City-state of Urik is roughly a little left of the top center. There are a lot of sandy wastes, rocky badlands, mountains, salt flats, stony barrens and scrub plains. If you do a search for any of these there are usually decent Wikis on all of them.
The one you wont find is the silt sea. It's like loose airy dust that doesn't pack, and bouys less than water does. Stepping into silt, someone falls straight through it, to however deep it is before there is stone beneath. Swimming in it is impossible. Some of the cities on its edges uses either magically buoyed vessels or large wheeled ones on known paths. Also some giants on the islands within know the wading paths, where the stone is close enough to the surface that they don't sink to the depths. Falling in silt, you take falling damage to how deep it is to the bottom.
The large mountain range to the left is the Ringing mountains. Very few can cross them, or know what is on the other side, due to their treacherous heights. The smoking crown, just northwest of of Urik, is a large volcano, and has the Urikite mines nearby. The dragon's bowl is believed by many to be where The Dragon (yes there is only one, and is the most feared creature in the world) crawled out from the earth. The ruins of Yaramuke, to the northeast, is an old city-state that Hamanu the Sorcerer-king of Urik destroyed when the former sorcerer-queen Sielba overstepped her bounds trying to take the smoking crown mines from Urik. That's pretty much what you will find in the area of Urik.
K'z'k has spent most of her life as a slave to a templar in Urik. She was captured as a nymph; her clutch was caught raiding a camp near Urik, and the half-giant soldier thought she would make a nice gift to the templar. The templar first considered the best thing to do with her would be to simply send her into the obsidian mines as a laborer. He was tired, however, and slept, figuring tomorrow would be soon enough to find out.
Inside her cage, with little to explore and no hunting to be done, K'z'k decided it would be best to lay out the events of her time before ending up in the cage, so that she would know where best to hunt. She gathered up some digestive juices, mixed it with the dust on the floor of her cage, and started sketching out times and places and how they relate, connecting events and places with solar movements and with lines and extending limbs into a cohesive whole.
In the morning, when the templar came to check on his little slave, he was suddenly impressed with the range of patterns traced all over the floor. He realized--no one else in Urik would be able to claim to have Thri-Kreen art. No one had even heard of Thri-Kreen art. He decided right then to make her into an artist slave, tasked with covering his abode with the designs.
K'z'k was kept well-fed, to keep her from attacking the city dwellers. However, she was given permission to roam the city for inspiration, and was instructed to keep painting those lovely designs, with stylized long limbs and shadow-patterns. She is not quite sure why her hunting diagrams are so popular, but she knows that her superior likes them, sells them for coin, and enjoys that his inner chambers contain carefully constructed patterns denoting the travel of prey throughout the streets and alleys of Urik.
K'z'k knows nothing of weapons, and relies almost solely on her hunting instinct for battle. She is not even particularly understanding of the idea that she could have personal property--that is what other people have, but they let her use their brushes and pigments to color the walls.
(I'm going to do some redesign to the character; not sure yet, but I may start as a fighter instead and I need to take skill in painting.)
Kik has not had much interaction with the other races of Athas. He is very curious about them and wishes to interact to see what sort of creatures they are and all of their strange ways. I hear they don't even have clutches! They all consider themselves individuals! What strangeness. As for the city-states he does not have much of an opinion about them other than what he was told. He knows that Kreen society is superior, obviously, but he believes that the other races do the best they can. As for the Elves, he has not had too much contact with them and would be interested in learning about them.
Ok, here is Xanyon:
Mul Ranger (Trapper)
Favored Enemy Humanoid (Humans)
Str 17 Dex 15 Con 17 Int 12 Wis 13 Cha 8
Xanyon was born a slave like much of his race. Trained as a scout and trapper for the armies of Urik, Xanyon proved a fine warrior but a poor soldier. During a slave recovery operation out of Makla Xanyon found his freedom, choosing to escape with the druids who had released the slaves.
Life in the wilderness of Athas is hard, and Xanyon has learned to become just as hard. Believing in freedom but realizing that he is a valuable commodity for Ulrik if he is ever recaptured, he does not take risks when attempting to free slaves on missions for his druid masters. The only exceptions he makes for this are muls and dwarves. Knowing how these races are treated in captivity he always attempts to free dwarves and convert muls to his way of life.
Having refined his skills in the months since his release, Xanyon is a skilled trapper. Though he will never be able to commune with the elemental powers in the manner of clerics and druids, he has an almost magical ability to craft traps.
Favoring a great bone sword and a bow Xanyon is adept at combat both up close and from a distance. His 6'5" frame is heavily muscled and scared, and his bald yellow pate is covered in tribal tattoos that run past his shoulders and onto his forearms.
kenderkin here
Half-giant ranger currently exploring the wild lands in order to learn the names of all the beasts and see all that is to be seen.
Often works as a caravan guard between city states prefering to wander than to stay in one place.
Is in Urik as he just arrived with a trade caravan.....
KenderKin, are you sold on the name Snafu Fubar? I would like to think my games to be a little more serious than that?
As far as background, where is he originally from and why is he a ranger? What will his favored enemy be and why? Why does he want to learn all the beasts names and see the world, and why does he prefer to wander?
Just keeping the list updated for my own tracking purposes.
imimrtl - Kik'Laj'Ta (TK Rogue)
Mrdarknlight - Averel (Mul Fighter)
stardust - Agruun Nightrunner (Elf Psion)
scranford - ?? (Mul Barbarian)
AlanM - ?? (?? Preserver [?? base arcane class] or Psion)
Graynore - ?? (Dwarf Monk or Halfling Druid)
Balodek - Xanyon (Mul Ranger)
Caepio Alazario - rolls
KenderKin - Grimm Freebonded (Half-giant Ranger)
Luke_Parry - ?? (Inquisitor or PsyWarrior)
The Dorf - rolls
InVinoVeritas - K'z'k (TK Monk)
wakedown - ?? (Halfling Fighter or Psion)
Thanks for the well-wishes Fabes. Rev said in my other game that she wasn't feeling well.
stardust a quick rundown on the Night Runners tribe and the Lone Moon clan.
The Night Runners specialize in activities that most consider covert, if not totally illegal. Espionage, theft, kidnapping, smuggling, assassination, and extortion are just some of the areas these elves work in....
...The Lone Moon clan, for example, specializes in thievery and mercantile endeavors. By training as legitimate merchants, they have an established cover for their thieving activities. Elves of the Lone Moon clan regularly steal from other merchants to stock their own stores, and they also take on special jobs that require their special touch.
So a background in faux merchant type things would be appropriate.
Are you going to have any campaign traits or just use standard traits?
Just use the standard traits. There's plenty enough, and I don't quite feel comfortable making my own for Dark Sun.
EDIT: Dropping the Autohypnosis as a skill. The only new skill added is Knowledge:Psionics. The skill will replace Knowledge: Arcana, for any class that has it but doesn't use arcane abilities. For example, Cleric will have Knowledge: Psionics, instead of Knowledge: Arcana.
Agruun Nightrunner of the Lone Moons Clan...
Born to a caravanserai of traveling merchants of stolen goods, Agruun learned the art of deception at a fairly young age. He learned the silver merchant's tongue, and helped his clan in their trademeets. The caravanserai traveled Makla to Urik to Silver Spring, across the Tablelands to Ranh and back to Urik again, plying their trade of merchandise redistribution.
Agruun, however, felt a natural bent more towards the sword than the abacus. While skilled in the ways of his clan, Agruun yearned more for the way of the blade, and Way of the mind that would allow him to prove himself to his people. It was not uncommon for many youths to feel this way, since the caravanserai required guards. But usually such warriors followed the ways of the blade exclusively or sought the path of the Psionic Warrior.
Agruun formed a more mystic bond with his elven curve blade, carved from the rib of a Meglaradon skeleton. By training himself with the blade in psionic focus, he learned the true powers of his body. He could heal the injured and the sick, walk across dunes of fine sands, and thanks to his clan, convince the unwary of the impossible. He had an eye trained for mercantile efforts. And this was even strengthened by his psionic focus on his newfound powers. But most of all, his skill with the blade grew the more he bonded to the forms of stance, attack, and defense. He still ran the deserts, but his mind strengthened his legs. He still served as merchant, but when it was necessary, his hand dealt death. He still brought things of value to his clan, but the powers he developed granted him that which could not be valued so cheaply: life.
Agruun has the traits Fast-Talker and Killer, and the feats Speed of Thought and Martial Weapon Proficiency (Elven curve blade) I'm not sure what version of the blade we're using: The PF version, or the Athas version. On my character sheet I have the PF version, but I can change it out.
Luke_Parry here, presenting Basil Kettering, a LN Human Inquisitor.
I have mocked-up a full profile for him, but will repeat his background information here :-)
However, all of that changed one fateful day when a pottery shipment destined for the Templar District was sabotaged by one of his father's rivals. The Templar were understandably furious with the potters shards that they had received, and demanded that the elder Kettering provide double what he had originally promised. When he was unable to do so, the Kettering family assets were confiscated, and Basil's father and older brothers were taken as slaves for the obsidian mines, whilst Basil, still too young to be considered of any use, and his mother, too old to worth anything as a house or pleasure slave, were forced to leave the city.
Eventually, the two of them were taken in by one of Basil's great uncles, who ran a large farming estate in the hinterland of Urik. Outside the city, life was a little freer, if more basic; Basil found that he no longer had all of the creature-comforts that he was used to, but he was free to explore the land around his great-uncle's estate, and he would occasionally take a kank out for a joyride. He would also often pester travels, seeking stories of the world outside Urik, and tales of adventure.
On one of his many forays into the surrounding area, he discovered a cave where a half-mad hermit was living. The man was clearly eccentric, but he had some interesting tales to tell, and Basil ended-up spending more and more time with him, enraptured by his tales of the Green, and the powerful spirits and elemental creatures that still existed in the wild corners of Athas.
Over time, Basil discovered that he, too, had developed a strong bond with the land, and when he came of age, he decided to strike-out on his own...
Over the years, he has learned more about Athas, and this knowledge, coupled with the special affinity he has for the dwindling elemental powers that still infuse the land, has given him a few... skills... which have made life easier.
Whilst he holds no grudge towards the Lion of Urik for what happened to his family (as it would be unthinkable for him to go against the rightful ruler of the land), he holds no love for the Templars who ruined his family, or for the rival who precipitated their fall, and would dearly love to see them all held to account, one way or the other (of course, he would need to find-out who they were, first...).
In his travels, he has encountered many of the commoner races, and whilst he has a healthy respect for most of them, there are a few... exceptions (such as the Elves, who any sane man is suspicious of, and the Halflings, whom he knows to stay as far away from as possible). Still, he is a realist; he knows that one must do whatever is necessary to survive...
updated for tracking purposes.
imimrtl - Kik'Laj'Ta (TK Rogue)
Mrdarknlight - Averel (Mul Fighter)
stardust - Agruun Nightrunner (Elf Psion)
Balodek - Xanyon (Mul Ranger)
KenderKin - Grimm Freebonded (Half-giant Ranger)
Luke_Parry - Basil Kettering (Earth? Inquisitor)
InVinoVeritas - K'z'k (TK Monk)
Any further information on any of the following applicants?:
wakedown - ?? (Halfling Fighter or Psion)
scranford - ?? (Mul Barbarian)
AlanM - ?? (?? Preserver [?? base arcane class] or Psion)
Graynore - ?? (Dwarf Monk or Halfling Druid)
Caepio Alazario - rolls
The Dorf - rolls
@stardust - So Agruun is more along the collect for resell than the actual selling? How well does he know the merchant aspect of his clan?
@Luke_Parry - Guessing you follow the Earth as a diety, based on the travel domain? How focused is he on investigating the rival? Also, why does he have skill focus: Arcana? Is there a reason he is studying the Arcane arts? Also, a reminder that I switched out Knowledge: Arcana with Knowledge: Psionics for any class that isn't an Arcane caster.
I will take 5-7 PC's, depending on how I feel about what the group needs, and what will make a good dynamic.
*nods* Yes, I decided to go with an 'Earth' flavored Inquisitor; I like the concept of the link to the land...
Investigating the rival is a motivating factor for Basil, but as it is something that has waited the better part of two decades, he can afford to be patient and methodical about investigating it... If he is too brash, and rushes things, all of his plans could come to naught...
(I want it to be something that is a focus for him, but would not preclude him from being able to function as part of a party.)
There is no particular reason that he would study the arcane arts, per se, so I am happy to swap it across to Knowledge(Psionics) :-)
Those of you that are done are all good to go as far as I can tell. I can't think of any more questions. I'm just leaving the recruitment open for the time I said I would.
If I don't get any more apps, it looks like it will be the 7 of you that are done. It will be a very melee heavy group, it looks like.
Ah, Athas....
= 10 (+0)
= 14 (+2)
= 13 (+1)
= 13 (+1)
= 15 (+2)
= 8 (-1) [dropped]
= 16 (+3)
Net Modifiers: +9 -- looks valid, though not as spiffy as some.
So, just to be clear, you're using PF rules and classes (so, for instance, there's no Gladiator class [so I should use the r7 version of the book?], and Templars are now Inquistors).
Do you have rules for preserver vs. defiler magic differences (the book seems to gloss over that.)
Actually, I think I might shift away and go Druid. Someone's got to clean up the mess those sorcerer-kings left.
DM:
Are we able to use things like craft in the pre-game?
What resources are limited? and starting wealth?
In your game do half-giants have either one of both of the following?
Darkvision: Half‐giants can see in the dark out to 60
feet.
Natural Armor: Half‐giants have a +2 natural armor
bonus to AC.
@Tilnar, Using the core PF books (Core, APG, and UM), and the Dreamscarred Press Psionics. Otherwise, no 3PP. I will post the changes to anything not in core. I think Gladiator doesn't need it's own class, any class (except poorly disguised arcanists) can be a gladiator. Stardust is correct that you can find the Psionic stuff on the d20pfsrd
For Preserver/Defiler, I will be going back to old school. All Arcane casters defile unless they actively decide not to do so. I will most likely use the old defiling tables, but add something to it to make it worth defiling (the cost of being hated by almost all, and visibly an arcanist).
@KenderKin, I dropped the darkvision and natural armor to give them back their size, and avoid having LA.
Start with average wealth. I will allow craft beforehand, but will want the rolls so I prefer that it wait until in the OOC thread. No one starts with anything metal, other than that, feel free to buy anything from the d20PFSRD (that isn't 3PP).
I also want to use the "swatter" or "Maul" from the Athas download...
swatter
Swatter 100 Cp 1d12 2d8 x4 — 35 lb. Bludgeoning
Swatter: The swatter is a popular name for a half‐giant
weapon consisting of a heavy spiked club made from
hardwood, with a bronze or lead core in the tip for added
weight. The swatter got its name from the tales of a halfgiant
soldier who reputedly used a similar weapon to
defeat an entire thri‐kreen hunting party.
Maul
Maul 25 Cp 1d10 1d12 x2 — 10 lb. Bludgeoning
Maul: A maul is effectively a very large
sledgehammer that crushes opponents to death. This
weapon is commonly used by dwarves, muls, half‐giants
and other creatures that value great strength.
I have selected a greatclub for right now, but would "love" to use more athas type of weapons.......
I will likely add some of the Athasian specific weapons, but mostly out of the Dragon #319 (when Paizo was doing Dragon, Dark Sun issue), and some that they carried over to 4E sourcebook. The more commonly known ones (Gythka, Chatchka, Cahulaks, Alhulaks, Carrikal, Dragon's Paw, Tortoise Blade, and others I can't think of at the moment.)
@DAardvark -- I'm liking the idea of being a somewhat feral "heal the land, burn the mages" crusading druid -- but I'm having trouble nailing this down. I keep wanting to make something interesting (like a saurial shaman with a trike or a steggy as a companion) but the part of me that hangs on the reality of the situation keeps (essentially) insisting that I make a Desert Archetype druid (and, to be fair, you almost have to in Athas, considering).. which then gets me into a vermin companion (like a scorpion or beetle). I would double-up on archetypes, but you can't stack a shaman over the desert archetype because both of them alter wild shape. Suggestions?