The Andoren government recently founded a joint expedition with the Bountiful Venture Company to organise another expedition to the ruined islands that were once the legendary continent of Azlant to try to gain a foothold on the shattered land. They first sent a small fleet to survey the westernmost of the rocky islands that jut from the Arcadian Ocean. One ship discovered an island with fresh water, thick forests with plenty of animals to hunt and plants to forage, and an easy landing. They named the island 'Ancorato' after the captain who discovered it and it seemed to be the ideal location for a settlement.
The expedition's funders put out a call for colonists to help build and populate the settlement. After a selection process that involved a lottery for general settlers and a more focused vetting process for the expedition's specialists, the first ship, 'Liberty's Herald', set sail to found the new colony, which was named 'Talmandor's Bounty'. Six months later, a second ship, the 'Peregrine' has been commissioned to follow and resupply the colony and bring new settlers. This is where the PCs' story begins...
==========
To the four players I've invited to join, welcome and let's have some fun! As I have mentioned to each of you, this game will not officially start until the second week of June. In the meantime, please feel free to post your concepts, ideas etc and ask questions here and on the discussion thread once I open it up. You may create backstory connections or you can be complete strangers - I leave that up to you.
Now, let's start with the character creation guidelines.
Creation Guidelines
• Starting at Level 1
• 20-Point Buy Build
• Allowable Races: Human, Halfing, Half-Elf, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, Half-Orc, Undine, Changeling, Gillmen.
• Allowable Classes: Core, Base (exceptions: Summoner, Vampire Hunter) and Hybrid. No Occult Classes or Unchained Classes, please. No 3rd Party Publishers. The Player's Guide has some great archetypes for this AP.
• Max die roll for HP at first level. From second level onward, average rounded up.
• Max starting gold for your class.
• No evil alignments or reverence of evil deities.
• 3 Character Traits (must match background) and one must be a Campaign Trait. No Drawbacks.
• Using Background Skills: 2 per level.
• No ability stat less than 9 (after penalties).
• Level Progression Rate: I'm of a mind that when I feel the players have done enough in game to warrant a level, they'll gain a level. I advise players when it's levelling time.
• Posting rate: At least 1 to 2 posts over the week days. Weekends we'll play it by ear as I'm generally tied up on weekends with family and carer duties. I'm on an opposite time zone to my players and am aware of this fact. My Saturday and Sunday is your Friday and Saturday. As I said, we'll work out a nice, workable posting rhythm. :)
• I do like a good backstory and will use elements from each player's story in game in some way. It doesn't have to be a novel, but give me something to sink my teeth into, please (a few paragraphs is good). ;) Can you also provide me with the age of your character, physical description and a personality blurb on your profiles.
---
• There's a Free Player's Guide found here: Ruins of Azlant.
• Note: A thriving colony needs a wide range of settlers and each character class will have something to contribute to this campaign. Ideally, classes that don’t rely on urban settings are encouraged. This doesn’t mean that they can’t survive this Adventure Path, but cosmopolitan characters won’t have as many chances to shine as they would in an urban campaign. Classes that are best suited to exploration and dealing with natural hazards can find great success in this campaign, and ones that can use magic or guile to eliminate some of the hazards and challenges can excel as well. Your characters are going to get wet during the course of this Adventure Path. Most of Azlant lies beneath the Arcadian Ocean, so be mindful of this when selecting skills and talents to aid your character and party. The main focus of this AP is exploring terra incognita, delving into ancient ruins, and uncovering strange and archaic magic that the world hasn’t seen in thousands of years. It is in your best interest to future-proof your character into being good at dealing with some of the restrictions of fighting underwater.
• Please try to minimise player vs. player conflict in game. Working together is a must in this AP. I do realise that not every character will immediately get along; however keep in mind that it has to be appropriate or constructive "drama" and add to the story. ;)
• I like using Group Initiative for combat as it keeps combat moving with less 'wait time'. Saves can be rolled by each player.
• I enjoy proactive players. It is good when GM and players can work together to propel a game forward and not let it go idle and die. I will do what I can, too, to help keep the game moving.
• During important moments in game or in combat, I will give a player 24 hours to post and then I will bot them. If players are going to be away for more than a day, please let me know on discussion (or via PM) and I can take that into consideration and not bug you via PMs etc. I like communication and it makes for a less stressful game.
• Please keep bulky OOC to the discussion thread. This just helps keep the main game board free of clutter and people can find posts and GM responses more readily.
• I like rewarding great role playing or effort in game. Those who know me, know I prefer role play over roll play. That's because I come from a writing background. If I require certain checks to be made, I'll ask for them specifically in game. If players want to make checks, of their own volition, to gain more information or solve a mystery, then please feel free to roll to your heart's content. I'll try and provide as much information as I can.
• I am relatively new to this GM role. I will make mistakes (although I will try to minimise this as best as I can). If you feel I have erred in a rule etc then feel free to send me a PM and we can discuss it.
• I don't want to get overly bogged down in rules to the detriment of the game flowing and affecting players' fun. Fun is a high priority for me.
• My style of communication is direct. I tend to just say things in a straightforward manner while remaining respectful. Please do not take any of my words as a personal assault - for I never mean them in that way. I believe in mutual respect and understanding.
• I prefer a medium paced game. My life is full and hectic and I suspect other peoples' lives are too. This isn't a race and I don't want anyone feeling as though they are being pressured to post/game when they have other RL responsibilities to attend to. As I mentioned earlier, if a player can't post for whatever reason, then drop me a line and that character will be covered for that period of time. If I am unable to post, then I will certainly let the players know. Common courtesy is easy.
• I use spoilers for private conversations, responses to individual players, GM screens and lengthy posts. If you're someone who enjoys reading other people's spoilers, please do not use the info found within them to meta-game. If a player says it's fine to read and act on information provided in a spoiler, then go ahead.
Campaign Traits
1. Athletic: You reduce your armour check penalty by a number equal to one-third your character level (minimum 1) for purposes of Acrobatics, Climb, and Swim checks, and you gain a +1 trait bonus to one of these three skills, chosen when you take this trait.
2. Azlanti Scholar: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), and Use Magic Device checks, and one of these skills is a class skill for you. In addition,you gain Azlanti as a bonus language.
3. Eagle Knight Recruit: You begin play with a breastplate, a longsword (or some other martial or simple weapon), and an additional 100gp of gear. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects.
4. Employee: You begin play with an additional 150 gp of equipment and know (at least in some capacity) one of the other company employees: Lyra Heatherly, Perrell Beys, or Ramona Avandth. Due to your association with the Bountiful Venture Company, your words and ideas may carry additional weight with the other employees
of the company. (Your GM can grant a +1 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks in regards to these people in certain situations.) In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks, and Bluff is always a class skill for you.
5. Expert Explorer: Choose one Knowledge skill when you gain this trait. You gain a +1 trait bonus to check with that Knowledge skill and Survival checks, and either that Knowledge skill or Survival is a class skill for you. In addition, you treat the machete as a simple weapon.
6. Following in the Footsteps: Whenever you use the aid another action to aid an adjacent ally, increase the bonus you grant your ally by 1. In addition, due to your positive and helpful nature, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks.
7. Healthy: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saves, Swim checks to prevent nonlethal damage from fatigue after swimming for more than an hour at a time, and Constitution checks to prevent fatigue. In addition, you can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to 3 times your Constitution score.
8. Pathfinder Recruit: You begin play with a standard wayfinder (see sidebar on page 11 of Player's Guide) and you gain a +1 trait bonus on initiative checks.
9. Resourceful: Choose one Craft or Profession skill when you gain this trait. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks with that skill. In addition, the time required for you to create a magic item is decreased. You require only 8 hours for every 1,500 gp in the item’s base price (instead of the normal 8 hours per 1,000 gp). You can create potions and scrolls whose base price is 375 gp in just 2 hours; potions and scrolls with a base price more than 375 gp but less than 1,500 gp take 8 hours to create, just like any other magic item.
10. Seasoned Hunter: Pick one of the following creature types: aberration, animal, magical beast, or vermin. You gain a +1 trait
bonus on attack rolls or damage rolls (choose one; once chosen it can’t be changed) against creatures of that type.
11. Set Mind: Once per day when you fail a saving throw against a charm or compulsion effect that would cause you to act differently than you normally would, you can immediately re-roll that saving throw as a free action. You must take the second result, even if it’s worse.
12. Skillfull: Once per day when you fail an Acrobatics, Climb, Spellcraft, Stealth, or Use Magic Device check, you can immediately re-roll that check as a free action. You must take the second result, even if it’s worse.
A machete is a light martial weapon that deals 1d6 points of slashing damage. Cost 10gp. This tool is a wide, single-edged blade about 2 ft in length and weighing 2 pounds. Most often used to hack through dense vegetation, it works equally well as a weapon. A character proficient with a machete gains a +1 circumstance bonus on Survival checks to get along in the wild.
====
If I've forgotten to include anything in this initial post, I'll cover it in subsequent posts.
Okay, it's time to create! :)
I'm headed out of town tomorrow for a christening and a birthday. I'll be able to check the boards in my evening and reply to any questions here and via PM.
Just a small addendum to the above: If someone is truly passionate about a certain race or class that isn't on the allowable list, then I am willing to hear them out and then make a decision whether to allow it or not. I won't make any guarantees, but I do want people to make a character they would enjoy playing.
I have opened the discussion thread for players to use as they brainstorm and such.
Bot
Cheers Ariarh for inviting me. :)
I'm thinking a Gillman, excited for the opportunity to explore and reclaim their ancestral homeland. Mechanically, one of two brothers:
* A sorcerer with an aquatic bloodline.
* A cavalier with the Oceanrider archetype, charging around on an orca.
Hey folks, nice to see a few familiar faces.
My original idea for this particular AP was a human barbarian 'moon cursed' archetype useing the were-crocodile curse.
Since there are four of us, and we will need to fill a couple of rolls, I don't know if he is the most suited or not.
Looking at other archetypes. I prefer playing combat or skill/stealth characters. Possibly something that could fill both, so slayer or ranger.
I'm hoping we can sort it out so we aren't missing any of the basic party needs.
Heyo. A slayer or ranger would cover those roles nicely. I'm still mulling over those two options I mentioned.
@Ariarh, a question. Would you be open to a cavalier taking leadership or monstrous mount feats for a replacement mount later in the campaign?
Is a lot of this adventure going to be underwater? I don't know the campaign very well; I had assumed it was more akin to something like Last of Mohicans? I vaguely remember reading through the game books; for clarification, is it heavily an underwater campaign, or just partially?
The style will play a large part of how I build my character at this time...
Hey Dain GM,
The players guide infers there is a lot of underwater exploration later. It recommends a lot of archetypes that involve swimming.
@Decimus: I'm fine with taking Monstrous Mount feat for a replacement mount later in the campaign. It'd be interesting to see if there will be a Hippocampus to be found, for example. ;)
@Dain: There is both overland and underwater exploration. I would suggest to all players to take both into consideration when building your characters. Swimming is certainly a skill worth investing a rank in, for example.
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• Air tank (1 gallon), 5 gp, 1/2 lbs
• Air tank (pressurised), 25 gp, 30 lbs
• Bottom-walkers's anchor, 5 gp, 50lbs
• Hippocampus, combat trained, 750 gp, 1,300lbs
• Hippocampus, common, 500 gp, 1,000lbs
• Jellyfish, luminous, 2 gp, 1 lbs
• Masterwork flippers, 50 gp, 1 lbs
• Poison sealant, 20 gp, - lbs, Craft DC 20
• Pressure pill, 75 gp, - lbs, Craft DC 25
• Scent salts, 1 sp, - lbs
• Sureseal bladder, mundane, 1 sp, 1 lbs
• Sureseal bladder, potion, 8 gp, -lbs
• Underwater goggles, 5 gp, -lbs
• Wet suit, 8 gp, 4 lbs
AIR TANK PRICE 5 SP/gallon
WEIGHT 1/2 lb./gallon
Tanks full of normal air don’t last long as breathing devices,
but a large air tank is excellent for ensuring a character has
a swiftly rising buoyancy, and a savvy diver can adjust her
air tank just enough to give her a neutral buoyancy, making
it much easier to explore underwater. Every 6 gallons of air
is enough to breathe for roughly 1 minute underwater; it
takes far less air for a Medium creature to achieve neutral
buoyancy unless it’s carrying a significant amount of metal
and other dense material.
AIR TANK, PRESSURIZED PRICE 25 GP
WEIGHT 30 lbs.
An air-breathing adventurer would need to bring over a dozen
tanks full of air with her to have enough to breathe for even
a single hour. Since this is impractical, alchemists developed a
technique to store greater amounts of air in a smaller volume
using pressure. Each pressurized air tank is a little smaller than
half the size of a tank, but it contains enough air for a swimming
character to breathe for 1 hour (the pressurized air itself weighs
7 pounds, so an empty tank weighs only 23 pounds). When
a small crank is manipulated as a standard action, the tank
releases just enough air for a breath, which the diving character
breathes in through a straw-like tube with a semipermeable
end piece that allows air out but not water in. The process of
refilling the air tank requires 5 gp of materials and a successful
DC 20 Craft (alchemy) check (failure destroys the tank) or the
services of a kineticist with basic aerokinesis.
BOTTOM-WALKER’S ANCHOR PRICE 5 GP
WEIGHT 50 lbs.
This dense anchor is attached to a sturdy but easily detachable
chain (removing the chain is a move action). Wearing a bottomwalker’s
anchor all but guarantees an undersea explorer a swiftly
sinking buoyancy, though it also increases her armor check
penalty by 1 and decreases her maximum Dexterity bonus by 1
(or sets it at +6, if the wearer didn’t have a maximum Dexterity
bonus). Compared to simply carrying plenty of dense items, it’s
unwieldy, but the advantage is that the undersea explorer can
detach the anchor in a hurry in order to float to the surface,
while unloading a number of dense objects might be a slow
process (and could deprive the explorer of valuable gear).
HIPPOCAMPUS PRICE VARIES
WEIGHT VARIES
Common 500 GP 1,000 lbs.
Combat-trained 750 GP 1,300 lbs.
Though somewhat rarer than horses on the surface world,
hippocampi are roughly as easy to train as horses, despite
being magical beasts. Even combat-trained hippocampi
rarely wear barding, and even then nothing heavier than
leather, as it interferes with their swimming
JELLYFISH, LUMINOUS PRICE 2 GP
WEIGHT 1 lb.
This tiny jellyfish has a crown roughly 4 inches in diameter,
and it glows with bioluminescence as brightly as a candle,
typically in a blue or green color, but various species allow
an array of possible colors (though generally this commands
greater prices). When trapped in a container with small holes
to allow in the plankton the creature eats, these creatures
can serve as living lanterns, especially for creatures with lowlight
vision. In some places, like Talasantri, they drift freely as
mobile light sources. A luminous jellyfish lives up to 1 year in
this stage of its life cycle before dying.
MASTERWORK FLIPPERS PRICE 50 GP
WEIGHT 1 lbs.
These sleek and aquadynamic flippers grant their wearer a
+2 circumstance bonus on Swim checks to perform complex
maneuvers underwater or swim through rough waters. This
bonus doesn’t stack with racial bonuses on Swim checks from
having a swim speed.
POISON SEALANT PRICE 20 GP
WEIGHT —
Applied poison generally washes off weapons underwater in
1d10 rounds unless the poison is contained inside the weapon
and injected, so undersea alchemists developed poison sealant
to circumvent this limitation. Applying poison sealant to a
poisoned weapon takes the same amount of effort as applying
a poison. Once applied, the sealant protects the poison from the
elements, keeping the weapon poisoned underwater. Poison
sealant dissolves in blood, allowing the poison’s delivery (and
also meaning that it doesn’t prevent accidental poisoning).
PRESSURE PILL PRICE 75 GP
WEIGHT —
When you swallow this marble-shaped alchemical pill as
a full-round action, it instantly adjusts your body to the
surrounding water pressure, though you take 3 points of
nonlethal damage for every 100 feet of adjustment necessary.
SCENT SALTS PRICE 1 SP
WEIGHT —
Stored in a waterproof pouch, these salt crystals dissolve
slowly in water, producing a pleasing scent in the nearby
water for roughly 1 hour.
SURESEAL BLADDER PRICE VARIES
WEIGHT VARIES
Mundane 1 SP 1 lb.
Potion 8 GP —
While potion sponges (Advanced Race Guide 177) are a
reasonable enough method for air-breathers like undines to
prepare to bring a potion underwater, aquatic creatures prefer
a solution that allows them to prepare potions, beverages, and
other liquids underwater to begin with. A sureseal bladder is
made of a thin membrane that won’t allow liquid through. By
passing a solid spout or tube through the membrane, you can
fill the bladder without allowing in any ambient seawater, and
the membrane seals behind the spout. Once the bladder is
full, the drinker can nip on the end of the membrane in order
to sip the drink at her leisure, slowly crumpling the bladder
for eventual disposal. The cheaper mundane sureseal bladders
hold about 2 cups of liquid and work best for enjoying a
favorite drink; the listed weight assumes the mundane
sureseal bladder is full. Potions rely on drinking the entire
dose, so potion sureseal bladders, while much smaller (just
large enough for a potion), are pressurized in order to expel
the entire potion at once without losing any of it, allowing the
drinker to drink them as a standard action just like drinking a
potion above the waves. Either type of sureseal bladder can
be used only once.
UNDERWATER GOGGLES PRICE 5 GP
WEIGHT —
These inexpensive, watertight goggles are essential protection
for land-dwellers’ eyes, particularly in salt water or water high
in particulates. Any land-dweller wearing goggles can use
visual Perception like an aquatic native.
WET SUIT PRICE 8 GP
WEIGHT 4 lbs.
This relatively aquadynamic wet suit is designed for surface dwellers
exploring the deeps, with waterproof pockets to
help keep important items dry.
Drowning is one of the most obvious dangers
of underwater adventuring. As creature can
typically hold its breath for a number of
rounds equal to twice its Constitution score.
Whenever a creature takes a standard or fullround
action, it expends 1 additional round
of breath, so practically speaking, if a creature
wants to fight or double move each round, it can
do so only for a number of rounds equal to its
Constitution score. Intentionally exhaling breath
expends 1 to 3 rounds for each exhaling action—
generally 1 round for a small exhalation, and 3
rounds for an extended exhalation like singing
a song or casting a spell. Certain magic, like the
suffocation spell from the Advanced Player’s Guide, can
expel all of a creature’s held breath.
Once a creature has used up these rounds
of safety, it lives on a knife’s edge between life
and death. Each round, the creature must succeed
at a Constitution check, with a DC starting at 10 and
increasing by 1 each round after the first. Once it fails this
check, the creature begins to drown, falling unconscious
(and dropping to 0 hit points if it currently had more),
dropping to –1 hit points on the next round, and dying on
the round after that. At any point, if the creature becomes
able to breathe (perhaps because someone dragged
it out of the water or cast a spell to assist it), it ceases
drowning but doesn’t regain any lost hit points. Note that
if a creature holds its breath in a situation where it could
normally breathe, it won’t fall unconscious if it fails its
Constitution check.
Because of the prohibitive limitations of holding
one’s breath, underwater explorers from the surface
use a variety of techniques to extend their ability to
breathe underwater. The most common is water
breathing, which is extremely long-lasting and
can protect an entire group with one casting. A
simpler, short-term solution is
air bubble from Pathfinder RPG
Ultimate Combat, which can
protect a single creature for a few
minutes—but not usually enough
for an underwater adventure. The
most powerful option is life bubble from
the Advanced Player’s Guide; while its
duration is half that of water breathing,
it also protects against many other
underwater hazards such as extreme
temperature and pressure. Those
who prefer a mundane alternative to
ephemeral (and dispellable) magic
tend to use air tanks to
store additional air, but characters
hoping to stay underwater find
that carrying around more than a
few extra breaths of air sets their
buoyancy to swiftly rising, almost
like wearing a giant life preserver,
so this solution is effective
only for a strong swimmer
or someone with access to
magic to alter buoyancy.
Cheers Ariarh.
What's tipping it towards cavalier for me is that my main idea for a Hell's Vengeance character is also a sorcerer, and the sheer novelty of a water mount. In a 3.5 game, I did have a shark animal companion but not as a mount.
So what I'm looking at is a gillman cavalier, an oceanrider and a member of the Order of the Waves, riding a giant seahorse so he can continue riding and charging underwater indefinitely.
His motivation? Like his sorcerer brother, he seeks to explore underwater and learn about the secrets lost to their people. And the colonists will surely face threats from the deep which he will do his utmost to counter.
I plan to have decent charisma and face skills along with both mounted and unmounted combat ability.
Ah - I guess what I meant to ask is more about "Theme".
So would the world feel more like something from Lord of the Rings, or (given the massive amount of water) more like Pirates of the Caribean? Or, would it feel more like something from the Disney movie "Atlantis" - (trailer found Here)?
I ask because - generally - I don't see having something like a Monk in something like Lord of the Rings; but I also don't know how well something like a grim barbarian might do in this world vs. something like - for example - a Swashbuckler?
Okay - any more details on "theme" would be great; I should have something soon, hopefully, though I have to admit that right now I am not doing my best so my posting may be a bit spotty for a day or so...
@Dain: I've mentioned some movies via PM, but you also know that's not how my mind works and I don't believe one movie will neatly cover the extent/essence of this AP.
Just keep this in mind from the Player's Guide:
While many of the character suggestions presented in the Player’s Guide bring up aquatic adventuring, know that this isn’t the primary focus of this Adventure Path and your character isn’t going to be thrown into the deep end immediately. The main focus of this Adventure Path is exploring terra incognita, delving into ancient ruins, and uncovering strange and archaic magic that the world hasn’t seen in thousands of years. However, that said, it’s in your interest to future-proof your character into being good at dealing with some of the restrictions of fighting underwater.
Looks like Robert is going for something like "Slayer/Ranger" and Decimus is looking at Cavalier/mounted combat...
With this in mind it looks like we could use either Arcane or Divine casting in the group. If Immrtl is playing I'm willing to be he'd be eager to do Arcane, and I've no issue with doing Divine.
However, those of you who gamed with me before know that - on rare occasions - I like to dabble in Multi-Classing - this game seems like one of the rare occasions in which I do that.
With that in mind, any concept I create is built to be self-sufficient; I do not typically "min/max" my stats to make "the best" healer, but (in this case) a healer that will help the party but at the same time one who can help in other ways.
With that in mind I will be focusing on not only healing, but also skills, melee combat and range combat, and probably some other things... possibly... but Healing will certainly be there on Level 1.
That said; what needs/niche's would you guys like me to focus on? As I said, I tend to cover most bases fairly equally for survivability - but I can focus more on one skill set vs. another.
Question for Ariarh
So the first part of this mission is that we're on an expidition looking to chart out an island and colonize it? From what I read about the backstory it seems like we're sort of like John Smith from Pocahontas or (if you prefer something more fantastic) Imagine Dragons from Radioactive :D
However, as we're colonists exploring an island my assumption is that we'll have to have a "base of operations" to work with. For now I assume it is our ship? But at some point we'll likely end up creating something like a fort and/or log cabins, watchtowers, palisade walls - basically things for explorers/colonists to survive in while exploring?
Of course, this is merely conjecture; we may not do that at all.
However, if we do any of that - do you know if we'll be making our ship the "base camp" to explore from, or make something on the island like a camp?
The reason I ask is that I'll likely take a secondary skill set for backstory purposes (perhaps Profession: Sailor, or possibly Craft: Carpentry or Knowledge: Engineering) to help make sure our colonists are safe while we explore.
Is there a specific recommendation you'd like to make for that? That is - will we even be making camps, or just sleeping in a tent and walking around? I'm not asking for spoilers, but I would assume the person in charge of the Expedition would be seeking those with certain skill sets for the mission and those skill sets would likely be telling us - "Yeah, if we could get some decent carpenters/smiths/farmers that would be great!" or - "We won't have time for building houses; this is a mission when we walk the islands, take notes on what we see, and record them in the log for the next crew to deal with later - so no need for folk who spend their time working a forge; there won't be one, except for the small forge we have on the ship to melt down crude iron for nails to fix the ship" - and so on.
Okay - that's all for now; when I know more I'll have more to offer.
Until then, I'll see you all soon!
Skills would be useful, and some means to find and disable traps. But the latter can be taken of through creative use of sandbags or summons. ;)
For in-combat healing, I find the "oradin" concept great, classically a combination of Oracle of Life and Paladin. The divine herbalist archetype is a way to do it without multiclassing as it gains a feature very similar to lay on hands.
so If I go Ranger or Slayer I will be able to deal with traps, survival/tracking and some knowledge. I won't go completely ranged, but dex. will be higher than str. I'm thinking ranger trapper to pick up an animal companion later.
With that in mind, any concept I create is built to be self-sufficient; I do not typically "min/max" my stats to make "the best" healer, but (in this case) a healer that will help the party but at the same time one who can help in other ways.
That makes perfect sense to me. I have difficulty with the idea of a character that is a 'heal-bot' or 'buff-bot' but that's probably just me. I have trouble imagining why they would be adventurers....
The players guide says that were aboard the second ship bound for the colony, so there is a 'town' there already, though it would be fairly remote and primitive. Of course when we are 'exploring' we will need the camp.
@ Dain: When the call for colonists was put out - those who funded the expedition were looking for laborers, farmers, soldiers, explorers, scholars, explorers etc - a wide range of settlers to grow the original settlement. So the PCs' particular skill sets could be very useful in helping to expand the colony of Talmandor's Bounty. For eg, tanners, blacksmiths, hunters, engineers etc could be useful to the emerging community.
Six months prior to the four of you answering the call for colonists, the original group of colonists sailed to Talmandor's Bounty and began setting up, building, establishing the first settlement there. The ship that is taking you to the island will drop you all off at the specified area and then turn around and return to Almas in Andorren. As far as you all know, there is a settlement there for you to make your way to and it could be your base. However, in saying that, if you do go to explore more of the island, then you will need to have gear and talents for such a purpose as it may take some time - as most of the island is still untamed wilderness (thick forests/vegetation, waterfalls, looming cliffs for eg). It helps to know what is on the island (a stocktake of resources and any pitfalls/dangers) if more people will be sailing here to live and work and if the four of you decide to stay and live among the community. So, my suggestion is prepare for anything. ;)
My original character idea for this grew up as a tanner, then became a pathfinder, then when cursed he retired from the pathfinders. Fear of the curse in civilization caused him to want to get away from civilization. I was going to use the original background skills in profession and craft.
I could go with a ranger who builds traps and tans hides, that way keeping the profession and craft background traits. The question becomes what 'craft'? Tanning leather would infer 'armor' that way we could make aquatic armor when the time came.
Before I decide ranger over Slayer, I need to go look at what animal companions will be available at fourth level and what archetype might be best. But I'm leaning that way.
What would help the party more on level 1 - someone who could heal, or someone who could fight?
@RH: I think Prof: Tanner and crafting armour from leather and/or hide works very well together.
Re animal companion, it says this in the SRD: A ranger who selects an animal companion can choose from the following list: badger, bird, camel, cat (small), dire rat, dog, horse, pony, snake (viper or constrictor), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the ranger may choose a shark instead.
Sea birds could work well, also in an aquatic environment, and I'd allow them: such as a puffin or you could re-flavour it and call it a 'diving petrel' (still using the puffin stats) since they're in the same family of birds or a seagull (using the raven stats).
And you could always re-flavour the snake into a 'sea viper' (using the viper stats). I'm fine with that.
Sharks are cool. However, the reason I mention the above is because they can be viable options for both land and sea. (Some species of sea snakes can survive on land for a time as they can breathe air and have scaly skin, so they won't suffocate or dry out quickly).
@ Dain, if we have a cavalier and a ranger then someone who can heal, I would think.
@ Ariarh, that's what I was thinking of as a 'tanner' Also I was looking at the possibility of hunting certain types of creatures to then make armor of their hides, that way working in the 'favored enemy.'
Darn, I was hoping for a giant squid
I think whether he goes with a land or sea animal companion, will depend on where we're at in the adventure on the fourth level.
I want to play him that he doesn't know he's aquatic until something odd happens. Maybe he's about to drowned or something like that. It could happen in game, or if it would be a distraction, it could have happened before he applies for the colony...
: Of course the archetype Beastmaster would allow both...
The almost drowning backstory angle and finding about his aquatic heritage sounds cool and organic. I like.
We can discuss the option of a giant squid. ;)
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Okay, I have been thinking about it and I'm happy to also allow the following third party - Tripod Machine - classes:
• Beastmaster
• Corsair
• Hunter
• Scholar
• Scout.
I'm not very familiar with a lot of 3PP, but at first glance those look cool. I will have to check to see if any of them combine animal companions and disable device like a ranger (beastmaster/trapper archetypes) would.
Okay, after some general discussion, I've decided to award everyone a straight, one-off +3 bonus to their hit points at first level. Upon 2nd level and higher, it'll revert back to average HP per class rounded up.
wow, thanks! I'm working on my ranger, should at least have the crunch done soon.
Sounds good to me :)