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GM Rednal's Mark of the Chosen (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

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​In the distant past, the world of Eleidia was ravaged by otherworldly forces that nearly brought an end to all life. Nowadays, however, the world is protected from them by the God-King Anax, who reigns supreme and alone from the heavens. The world isn't perfectly peaceful, but it's better than it was. You are a new member of one of Eleidia's trans-national organizations, and you have been sent to investigate the disappearance of a number of prisoners from the notorious Prison of Balareth, which hangs over a volcano and generally doesn't have escapees for that very reason.

But none of your allies could have predicted what was about to happen...

ABOUT THIS GAME: Mark of the Chosen is a homebrewed adventure I've been working on. The first two parts of the game are largely finished, and I have a good sense for how I want the rest of the game to proceed. If you're curious, I'm building it in Realm Works (a campaign management system from the people who made Hero Lab), and the ability to have a visual plotline REALLY helps. XD A number of optional rules will be in play, including some stuff from Unchained, Mass Combat, base building, and a sort of investment system. (This will make more sense later, don't worry. Point is, it's a LOT more than a dungeoncrawl or series of fights.) The game takes inspiration from many sources, including mythology, video games (esp. Dragon Age: Inquisition and this song), and various other things. This will be a solo game (just one character).

BEFORE YOU READ ANY FURTHER: I'm looking for a serious, long-term player. I'm not just trying to start this campaign, I'm trying to finish it. If you genuinely cannot see yourself being a stable and active member of the Paizo forum for the foreseeable future (at least two years), please do not apply. Additionally, as part of your application, please confirm in your own words that you can see this through.

Sourcebooks: Any Paizo. Psionics and Path of War allowed, Spheres of Power encouraged (I can help if you don't own it). Other 3PP available on request. I own some, but will need access to anything I don't already have.

Starting Level: 2 Tristalt (Note: Only 1 class may be a full caster type.)

Starting Gold: 1000 GP

HP: Max Per Hit Dice, +2 bonus HP per HD

Skill Points: +2 per level (this is in addition to Background Skills, as below - seriously, as a solo character, you need the buff)

Ability Score: 30 point buy, no higher than 17 in any stat after racial, and no lower than 10. (Yes, I'm totally mandating a fairly diverse spread. Trust me, it'll help.)

Traits: 2, one of which must be the campaign trait associated with your organization.

Alignment: Good preferred, Neutral allowed

Race: Human, Elf, or Half-Elf. Many less-common races exist, but for story reasons don't quite work for the PC.

Additional Rules:
-Automatic Bonus Progression
-Background Skills
-Combat Stamina and Skill Unlocks are available via feats
-Leveling will be done at certain points in the story.
-Mythic later. As with your classes, don't build for pure power - go for flavor and diversity instead, and both of us will have more fun.

Backgrounds:
This will be the single biggest factor in whether or not you're chosen for this game. I want to know who your character is, how they act, and in general what I can expect from them. Anyone can write up a character sheet - what I care about is how you'll PLAY the character. Write whatever amount you feel is necessary. I realize there's a limited amount of information on the game world, but assume it's a fairly standard fantasy setting, and most ideas can be worked in. XD So limit specific names and places, but feel free to describe in general terms. (The Kingdom of Blah-de-Blah is bad, 'their homeland' is good.)

Groups and Campaign Traits

Knights of the Newborn Moon:

-Symbol: An ovoid inside a crescent moon, looking like it was drawn with a calligraphy brush.
-Alignment: Lawful Neutral (leaning Good)
-Purpose: Occasionally called 'Noonies' (from "New" and the last sound "N"), the Knights of the Newborn Moon are a small but zealous organization that was created when a second moon appeared in the night sky thirty years before the game started. Its appearance heralded the arrival of strange new powers, and they believe it was a gift from the heavens in return for the devotion mortals had shown. The Church hasn't yet declared either way, so while the Noonies are viewed as at least slightly heretical, the lack of formal opposition has allowed them to get away with their activities and avoid a crackdown by the Inquisition. They currently seek to prove their beliefs by actively aiding the world around them and convincing others that strange powers are, in fact, a blessing.
-Members: All Knights of the Newborn Moon train in the martial arts, as well as either arcane or occult power. This is typically done with several levels in Magus or Occultist - on occasion, a Spiritualist, Battle Scion, Bard, or Skald joins the group as well. In addition to those called Knights, there are some Noonies who focus their powers in other areas, and have joined the group because of its beliefs. The Knights of the Newborn Moon have no divine casters.
-Campaign Trait: Initiate of the Newborn Moon: Though you've yet to fully prove yourself, you're working on it, and you've studied hard to understand the differences in powers. You gain a +2 bonus to skill checks for identifying magical powers and effects, even if the powers are unknown to the population at-large.

The Fifth Inquisition:

-Symbol: A many-pointed star behind an uppercase V, which is in turn behind an uppercase I. All parts are extremely elaborate.
-Alignment: True Neutral
-Purpose: Inquisitions are only called by the Church on an irregular basis. The Fifth Inquisition was called five years ago in order to root out growing heresy as strange events began to happen across the land. However, the decision to call it was made mostly by the High Speakers (the three leaders of the Church), and the Inquisition has struggled to gain traction and support from others. It is currently in the midst of trying to establish its true worth, and new members are frequently dispatched to prove themselves.
-Members: All members of the Fifth Inquisition have access to Divine Magic. This manifests in many ways, but the fact that they have divine power at all means they've been accepted by the God-King Anax, and that lends a certain credence to their actions. (On the other hand, Anax seems wholly unconcerned with how people use the magic, and more interested in simply being worshiped, so some people are a bit cynical about it...) The majority of members have class levels in Inquisitor, but this is not required.
-Campaign Trait: Initiate of the Inquisition: You're not yet seen as a true Inquisitor, but your faith guides you and you're determined to prove your worth. You gain a +1 Trait Bonus on Diplomacy and Knowledge (Religion), as well as a +1 Trait Bonus to Cast Defensively.

The Order of the Emerald Scorpion:

-Symbol: A scorpion held inside of an emerald. The actual symbol is used only by the Grandmaster of the organization - any combination of small insectoid creature within a gem also suffices as a symbol for this group (and many wear jewelry with an insect caught inside - amber is popular).
-Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
-Purpose: The Order of the Emerald Scorpion was founded eighty years prior by an old assassin who, upon seeing the state of the world, remarked that his kind had better things to do. Its statement is a simple one - that wealth holds power, and as such, those who have power are obliged to obtain wealth. As a secret organization, they're not well-known outside of their membership, and most of their members these days are well-trained individuals who used the wealth they acquired (often through unscrupulous means) to get a place of good standing in society. Notably, the Order of the Emerald Scorpion places a certain emphasis on 'civic duty' and a willingness to be generous with their wealth. (Or, some would argue, being EFFECTIVE enough with power to have so much wealth they can freely give a lot of it away. The end result is basically the same, so most people don't worry too much about it).
-Members: The Order of the Emerald Scorpion isn't too picky about who joins it, as long as they remain committed to the organization and never, ever betray another member. (Most are sufficiently dangerous enough in their own right to realize what a bad idea it would be to piss off so many other dangerous people) Despite the organization's CN alignment, they do have a strict internal code - honor among thieves, as it were. Many have levels in classes that grant stealth and/or sneak attacks.
-Campaign Trait: Mayfly: Your presence is fleeting - an insect not preserved forever by wealth, and so not recognized as a true member. You're hiding your connections to this organization and working as a mercenary for the Prison of Balareth, who have promised to reward you handsomely if you can put a stop to their problems. You gain a +1 Trait Bonus to Bluff and Stealth, and one of these is always a class skill for you.

The Order of the Spiraling Eyeball:

-Symbol: Four eyeballs, looking in all directions, on top of a spiral as seen from above.
-Alignment: True Neutral (leaning Good)
-Purpose: The Order of the Spiraling Eyeball loves acquiring knowledge. Their symbol comes from their members' common habit of trying to look at everything around them and learn as much as they can. They're more of a polite brotherhood (mostly of well-off noblemen, and the occasional noblewoman) than a true knightly order, but perhaps recognizing this fact, they require members to actually go out and demonstrate their knowledge on a relatively regular basis. The group itself has little interest in the personal desires of its members, and they don't ask each other too many questions unless it's related to acquiring knowledge.
-Members: The Order of the Spiraling Eyeball accepts members from all walks of life as long as they meet two criteria. First, they must prove their knowledge by accomplishing notable deeds. Second, they must own a library (that is, a room in their house primarily filled with books, large enough to sit down and study in), and must provide free access to said library when other members request it. Informally, members of the order tend to bring gifts (new books for the collection are best) in return for being hosted, and it's a bit of a faux pas to not do so.
-Campaign Trait: Feast Your Eyes Upon This: You have studied in the libraries of the Order of the Spiraling Eyeball's members, and now seek to prove your mastery of that knowledge by demonstrating its practical application. Choose two Knowledge Skills. Both of those skills gain a +1 trait bonus, and one of them is always a class skill for you.

Useful Skills: Most, really. You'll want to have a little bit of training in pretty much everything, but the following will be particularly useful.

​Acrobatics
Bluff
Climb
Diplomacy
Disguise
Escape Artist
Perception
Profession (Soldier)
Stealth
Survival
Swim​

GM's Character Building Advice: Tristalt characters are complicated. Trust me, I know - I've run games for them AND played them myself. For a solo game like this one, the ideal character is an all-rounder with at least some magic, some martial, and some skills. This does NOT mean you have to play a Fighter/Rogue/Wizard. It just means that being able to resolve problems in various ways is generally going to be more useful than over-specializing, and magic will not solve every problem for you. Basically, I'm looking for a well-balanced character - not a min-maxed one who does everything off of one stat or stacks a bunch of things that shouldn't be stacked. I'm not looking for an uber-ninja who will drive NPCs around stealth past every obstacle, or a caster who sees Scry-and-Fry as the ideal solution to every problem. (Doubly true on Stealth, by the way.) I want a character that seems like they'll stay within the system's expectations, not try to break it. Think of Tristalt as an opportunity to expand your character's options, not do the same thing better than before. This is one of the reasons why only one class may be a full caster (Spheres' Incanter is a good choice for that reason - lots of options, access to the full list of powers, and easy to match to the rest of your character). The better you can match these ideas, the more likely you are to be chosen. I will NOT pick characters that look excessively specialized or min-maxed. (Mind you, class synergy is fine. They should work reasonably well together. Just, y'know, don't create a monster. XD Be responsible! If you think it's too much, it probably is. Trust your instincts.)

Incidentally, while combat will happen, it's not always a big focus. In fact, I'm trying to limit combat to story-appropriate instances, with little or no random fighting. There are quite a lot of skill checks so far, though. Good mental abilities are Intelligence (for skills) and Charisma (for social issues), and I'd lean Strength over Dexterity for your main physical attribute.

Useful Notes:
-This game has a number of strong religious elements to it. Your character doesn't need to be unthinkingly dedicated to the divine force of the world, but you won't want to be a staunch atheist who disdains any and all greater powers, either. Being open-minded will definitely help.
-Don't expect much plane-hopping in this game. For reasons, events are generally confined to the game world.
-Ability checks are a thing. For optimum versatility, you'll want to be good in everything, rather than great in one or two things.
-This is not Golarion. The God-King Anax is the only deity the world knows (although there are many lesser Powers - which are sort of non-sentient representations of ideals that can provide divine magic to those Anax approves of).​
Dark Archive

dot

Throwing a dot in here. This sounds interesting.

Any idea on a deadline for characters to be submitted?

Trying to submit an Aegis (Aberrant)/Ranger (Divine Marksman)/Alchemist (Vivisectionist, Archaic Alchemist) half-elf-beast-man-from-the-sands.

Looking at Knights of the Newborn Moon
Dark Archive

Ravia is a devote follower of the God-King Anax. He lives in the Main Temple, where he spent most of his childhood. Ravia is an orphan and considers all the Temple staff as his family. Ravia is part of The Fifth Inquisition. He follows the orders of the Temple. Ravia spends his free time staying in shape, praying, and otherwise staying ready to leave and go wherever the Temple sends him.

Haven't figured out the classes all the way yet but was thinking Path of War Stalker/Warpriest or Inquisitor/and maybe Fighter or Monk.

@Trawets: I have no specific deadline yet, but am planning on a recruitment period of at least one week, more probably two (to let people have plenty of time to make their character and see this thread).

@DragoDorn: I know the Stalker is a 3/4 BAB character, but as with all PoW characters, it's pretty heavily martial (which is, of course, the point). Stacking Fighter or Monk with that probably wouldn't provide much added versatility, just power (especially Fighter), and that's what I'm very specifically trying to avoid. You may wish to reconsider that idea a bit.

(Speaking from experience here. XD Having played in and run multiple solo tristalt games, I can say very conclusively that things like stacking damage sources from multiple classes aren't nearly as useful as having a broad set of skills and giving yourself as many options as possible.)

Very interesting. Let's see if my muse grabs this one and runs with it.

Oooh, my muse likes this game. She came up with a great idea. But first a couple of questions.

For sphere casters - do they get the two bonus talents for each slot in the tristalt? I know many people do it, but I want to make sure before figuring out what I get.

For The Order of the Spiraling Eyeball, their trait gives them a knowledge skill as a class skill. Do you really expect a tristalt character who loves knowledge to not take any classes that give all knowledge skills as class skills? My suggestion is to give a +1 trait bonus to three knowledge skills, but they must already be class skills. Or a +1 trait bonus on all knowledge skills that are class skills and trained. This encourages people to have training in lots of skills and to have lots of knowledges as class skills.

-----

Now on to my concept.

Verthandi grew up on three continents. Her parents, Dina and Gavren, were archaeologists. They delved into ancient ruins to learn the secrets of ancient cultures and share that knowledge with the world. When her mother had to stay at home for the first few years of Verthandi's life, it almost split up the couple. For them it was easier to bring the young girl and teach her along the way.

But an expedition is like a family. Besides learning from her parents, she also learned from her Uncle Nuran, an academic and priest who made sure that her religious education was not neglected. She adopted Daniel as her big brother. He started out as a mercenary hired to help defend them as they traveled to far off locations. But as he heard all of these intricate discussions of magic and history he found he was fascinated by academia and started helping on the research as well as security. He made sure that young Verthandi could take care of herself.

So far I'm thinking Incanter/sphere bard (archaeologist)/mageknight.

hmmm... so your looking for only one person...?

Spherecasters do get the bonus talents at first level for multiple classes (although I might limit it to 4 bonus talents total, if someone goes for three Spherecasting classes, 'cuz that'd be plenty). I'll at least consider the thing for the Spiraling Eyeball. XD

@Fury: Yup. It's another solo game. XD (I find those are easier to run here on the forums.)

A tristalt game run by Rednal? That's quite exciting. But then I discover it's only one player and selections will be based entirely on background. While I feel like I'm fairly proficient at crafting characters, I'm no novelist. Only a single player getting picked makes it extremely unlikely to make it through.

What do you think of synthesist? It would make it easier to achieve decent levels in all the various stats while allowing for great customization in flavor.

Speaking of fighter/wizard/rogue I'm actually considering Warder/Wizard with either rogue or investigator. Given the preference for strength I assume unchained rogue is not recommended.

I wish there was a way to get profession (soldier) based off a different stat...

It would depend on how it's done. Synthesist can be done in many different ways - personally, I enjoy Natural Attacker, but it's not too far-fetched to imagine it as heavily support-based instead. XD It's also more fair for a game like this than it might be normally. I've actually done a character like that once - it was an android, and I flavored the Eidolon as a nanotech suit they wore.

Do note you'll have to consider where it comes from, though. o_O There, uh, aren't as many outer planes as usual. This world does not have a normal cosmology.

Dotting

(Incidentally, several paragraphs is a good length for a background. ^^ Longer, if you really want to impress me.)
Dark Archive
GM Rednal wrote:


@DragoDorn: I know the Stalker is a 3/4 BAB character, but as with all PoW characters, it's pretty heavily martial (which is, of course, the point). Stacking Fighter or Monk with that probably wouldn't provide much added versatility, just power (especially Fighter), and that's what I'm very specifically trying to avoid. You may wish to reconsider that idea a bit.

What class(es) would you recommend to help avoid being too martial with that concept?

The monk was for flavor and it was possibly going to be a Monk of the Four Winds and Qinggong Monk archetypes. The Stalker was chosen because I haven't got a chance to play one yet. The Warpriest/Inquisitor was chosen for the religious backstory elements and to have the character be able to actually fight for his god.

So... I want to go for a really unquie character build, and I'm going to request the 3PP Fighter Archetype, Chakrem Dervish

Just saying hi! (I don't want to monopolize too many of your games, but I'm happy to offer unsolicited opinions.

Synthesist: These get really sketchy when you actually need to interact with NPCs; basically, you're mostly only summoning your battle-suit in the wilderness, and can't do so in the heat of battle without casting Summon Eidolon. It's just something to think about.

Monk/Fighter: Thanks to Weapon Master's Toolbox, these have returned to their rightful place as the two most powerful martial classes in the game. If you gestalt one with Slayer and Warpriest, you've got three martial-focused classes, which is pretty intense. Stalker/Warpriest/Monk is actually not nearly as powerful a tristalt as it sounds, though; all three of those classes rely heavily on swift actions to reach their full power (the only classes more swift-dependent than Monk are probably Investigator and Inquisitor, the latter of which you're also considering), and you'll probably wind up just getting frustrated at how little you can actually done. (Especially Inquisitor; even pure inquisitors don't get enough swift actions, and try adding that to a ki pool and stalker arts).

@Dragodorn: Really sit down and think about what each class does and how it focuses its capabilities. Archetypes may also come into play for whether or not an idea is useful. The basic idea is that you'll want something with martial combat power (typically melee or close-range) for your normal damage dealing, something with a lot of skills and utility, and something with magic as a backup. It's up to you to figure out a combination of classes that works well with your character idea.

@Fury: Seems fine. ...Also like the sort of thing you'd want to get some sort of Called/Returning/whatever property on. XD

Yeah. Until I hit level 15 and get the Boomeranging Throw ability, I'm gonna really want to get called/returning. I was planning to take something like Soulknife/Soulbolt... but Soulknift requires you to be level 14 in order to throw your weapon multipule times, and the Soulbolt doesn't let you create two different weapons.

Unless... Rendal is allowing to make slight modifications...?

I'm not sure who this Rendal fellow is, but he'd probably say that he's not planning on making small edits to classes - Tristalt characters are complicated enough as it is without tweaking things to make them even better.

(Really, a bit of restriction should be embraced, not avoided. XD It helps you avoid accidentally breaking the system. Not something you'd look for in a normal build, but let's face it, the rules weren't exactly written to cover this kind of game. I GUARANTEE the game will be more fun at a moderate level of power, rather than going full-throttle on stuff.)

Hmmm, fair enough. I'll just go for Fighter then, skip the Soulknife and look elsewhere. Fighter gives me full BAB as well as plenty of feats... Stalker maybe? Gives me manuverers to use, and skills... through the Rogue gives me more skills... and then, A Sphere of Powers class maybe?

Honestly, I don't know what to add onto my Fighter currently... does anyone have any suggestions?

Stalker/True Professional Rogue (lots of feats and lots of skills - pretty solid add-on class, since you could dip into a lot of things)/Magic might be a good combination.

Jesus... True Professional Rogue gives you 10 Skill Points, before Int and everything. That is a LOT. Add on the free feats... and then I can use Path of War Expanded Hidden Blade Archetype, loosing Rogue Talents in order to pick up a weaker Manuver Progression...

Thanks Rednal! That really helps sort out my build. Now I just need to get home and look over my Sphere's of Power pdf in order to figure out what my 3rd class will be. Probably going to be Magic Knight if I remembered it correctly. That, or maybe the weapon focused class...

Only question is - do I get the Glory Rogue archetype or not?

I should note that something like that archetype should NOT be used to get your combat build's intended feats way earlier than a character is expected to have them. XD For the martial aspect, think of how you'd progress their feats if they were a SINGLE class and try to stick with that. This is the intended progression and what you should limit yourself to. True Professional Rogue would simply let you expand into other areas, diversifying and picking up feats you might not have ever picked up otherwise.

Yeah, I figured that was the case. Treat the class bonus feats as being for different characters with different roles. Fighter feats is for combat, whilst the True Proffesional feats is for skill use and flexibility. I getcha.

Didn't answer the question about Glory Rogue through. Seems like a good Alternative to Unchaind Rogue honestly.

I thought that was a rhetorical question. XD I'd say probably not in that case (since it doesn't actually interact that well with the True Professional - among other things, I think you'd have no Sneak Attack for the Ambush ability). It's functionally an incompatible archetype, so...

Actually, the True Professional specifically has an ability that replaces Ambush. +2 Skill Points.

Well, in that case, you're probably good to use it. o wo b

Ah, nice. Happy to know it!

Well Rednal in 4 months we will be at two years in the Forgotten God game. So I think you know my posting and ability.

What type of cultures exist? Are there northmen? I have a viking I built recently for a one shot that I would love to see where he goes. I can expand on his story and give him more depth if you have a norse type people. If not I will start fresh and adapt the build. Looking forward to throwing something together and writing for this. I always kind of liked we had two people on our table and then a third for a bit and now back to two, but was always a bit jealous as well that I had to wait on others to post.

Okay, here's Verthandi

History:

Verthandi grew up on three continents. Her parents, Dina and Gavren, were archaeologists. They delved into ancient ruins to learn the secrets of ancient cultures and share that knowledge with the world. When her mother had to stay at home for the first few years of Verthandi's life, it almost split up the couple. For them it was easier to bring the young girl and teach her along the way.

Growing up in the field was an education. Her parents taught her how to deal with obstacles and then expected her to succeed. They prepared ways to stop her from failing, but more often than not, they didn't need to use them. It was challenging, but they celebrated her successes and made her want to try new skills and explore her curiosity. Between them, they made sure she knew what they did and how they did it. Which also included the soft skills. Expeditions couldn't work without the support of wealthy patrons, and learning how to shine in high society is as much a requirement as identifying the inscriptions on an ancient tomb.

But an expedition is like a family. Besides learning from her parents, she also learned from her Uncle Nuran, an academic and priest who made sure that her education was not neglected. He covered the practical sciences and the theoretical. Nature and religion and of course magic. His favorite phrase was "The first step in creating knowledge is observation", and used it as the source of his teachings.

Faith was an important part of this teaching. Understanding Anax and the ideals he reflects are and important part of understanding the world. These lessons were both spiritual and practical. Ancient ruins were often protected by the dead. By understanding faith, one can let the radiance of our lord strengthen the living and harm the impure dead.

Daniel Evenfall was one of the mercenaries they hired to help their expedition through wild and violent lands. He was assigned to be Verthandi's bodyguard, but she adopted him as her big brother. She idolized him and had him teach her his skills in fighting and all the other parts of his life. While her parents were concerned, they also saw the usefulness of her learning martial skills. But this was not a one-way street. Daniel was a curious sort, and being around academics inspired him to learn more. Since he was to protect the girl, he was always around her lessons from her parents and Nuran. It was only a couple months before Nuran broke down and cried out, "Damn it boy! Don't hover. Either go somewhere else or sit down and take proper notes!"

As Verthandi was learning magic and martial skills at the same time it only made sense for her to combine them. She took these skills and began to teach Daniel magic. It wasn't the same way Nuran taught her - Daniel was less talented and focused on more limited forms. But it was a turning point as she started to become her own person. To not just listen, but to synthesize those lessons and come up with something new.

Recently, her parents retired from the field to settle in and begin the process of analyzing and interpreting all their findings over the years. They missed the work, but they wanted to pull back while they still had their health. On the last expedition, Nuran's old bones were truly feeling the pain and they knew he wasn't going out any more. But he found a church with a school where he could preach and teach and tell stories of the wider world. Daniel found a different destiny. An alchemist named Frissa. It was a whirlwind romance, a beautiful wedding, and a young girl in short order.

With this, Verthandi was set free from her life, a bit adrift but looking for something larger that she could put her skills to. Something meaningful to those living and those to come. Still, she had a good feeling, a premonition that she would be challenged and have the potential to test herself and rise above.

Crunch:

Verthandi Fargazer
Half-elf spehre bard (archaeologist) 2 / Incanter 2 / Mageknight 2
NG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Hero Points 2
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +12
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +1 shield)
hp 24 (2d10+4)
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4
Defensive Abilities uncanny dodge, resist magic (+1 save vs spells/SLAs/sphere effects)
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 40 ft.
Melee dagger +4 (1d4+2/19-20) or
. . machete +4 (1d6+2/19-20) or
. . whip +4 (1d3+2 nonlethal)
. . destructive blast +4 touch (1d6 force)
Ranged sling +4 (1d4+2)
. . destructive blast +4 touch (1d6 force)
Special Attacks archaeologist's luck 8 rounds/day (+1)
--------------------
Magic
--------------------
Caster Level 2
Casting Stat Intelligence DC 14
Spell Pool 15/15
MSB 2
MSD 13

Destruction Sphere DB: Energy Focus: Force
. . Base - Destructive Blast - 1d6 force
. . Base - Augmented Blast - 2d6 force, 1 sp
. . Extended Range - Medium range
Divination Sphere
. . Base - Divine Magic
. . Base - Divine Life
. . Base - Read Magic
. . Logos - Comprehend Languages 1 sp; 2sp tongues 1 hr/level
. . See Hazard - Detect hazards within 10 ft. 1 hr/level
Life Sphere
. . Base - Cure 1d8+2
. . Base - Invigorate, 2 Temp HP, not to exceed max HP
. . Base - Restore 1d4 ability damage and many minor conditions
. . Revitalize - Fast healing 1 for 2 minutes 1 sp
Protection Sphere DB: Limited: no ward; Protected Soul (self only)
. . Base - Aegis - +1 deflection AC 1 sp 1 hr/level
. . Energy Resistance - 12 resistance to specified energy
. . Spell Ward - SR 12, 2 sp
Warp Sphere
. . Base - Teleport Close, Medium for 1 sp, self or willing target
. . Unseeing Teleport - +1 sp, teleport without LOS
. . Extradimensional storage - full round or swift with sp

Incanter Specializations
Channel Positive Energy
. . 1d6, DC 14
Domain: Knowledge (Memory)
. . Recall (Su) 6/day With a touch, allow creature to reroll Knowledge check with +3 insight.
Domain: Sun (Revelation)
. . Guided Eyes (Su) +4 sacred bonus to see through disguise or spot hidden/concealed things
Domain: Travel (Exploration)
. . +10 ft land speed
. . Door Sight (Su) 6/day spend 1 minute to see what is on the other side of a surface 8 in thick.

Mageknight Mystic Combat
. . Resilience of Soul (Su) spend 1 1sp to reroll failed save

Bard (Archaeologist) Cantrips Known (CL 2nd; concentration +4)
. . 0 (at will)—detect magic, light, message, prestidigitation, scrivener's chant
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 14
Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 16
Feats Lingering Performance, Skill Focus (Perception)
Traits Order of the Spiraling Eye; nimble fingers, keen mind
Skills Acrobatics +5, Appraise +7, Bluff +6, Climb +5, Diplomacy +6, Disable Device +10, Escape Artist +5, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (engineering) +8, Knowledge (geography) +8, Knowledge (history) +11, Knowledge (local) +10, Knowledge (nature) +8, Knowledge (nobility) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Knowledge (religion) +8, Linguistics +7, Perception +12, Profession (soldier) +5, Sense Motive 56, Sleight of Hand +5, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +5, Survival +6, Swim +5; Racial Modifiers +2 Knowledge (history), +2 Knowledge (local), +2 Perception
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant
SQ bardic knowledge +1, clever explorer +1, elf blood, hero points, sophisticate
Other Gear mwk chain shirt, mwk buckler, dagger, machete, sling, sling bullets (20), whip, sleeves of many garments, bedroll, belt pouch, canteen (2), cards, flint and steel, ink (2), inkpen (2), journal (4), masterwork backpack, masterwork thieves' tools, measuring cord (10 ft.) (2), mess kit, paper (10), powder (2), scroll case, signal whistle, silk rope (50 ft.), trail rations (5), wandermeal (10), 152 gp
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Special Abilities
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Archaeologist's Luck +1 (8 rounds/day) (Ex) Gain Luck bonus to attack, damage, saves, and all skills.
Bardic Knowledge +1 (Ex) Add +1 to all knowledge skill checks.
Clever Explorer +1 (Ex) Half time to use disable device.
Elf Blood Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Hero Points Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
Lingering Performance Bardic Performances last 2 rds after you stop concentrating.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Sophisticate +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (history, local) and can use untrained
Uncanny Dodge (Ex) Retain Dex bonus to AC when flat-footed.

I'm thinking a Zweihander Warder/Occultist/Unchained Rogue or Slueth Investigator.
Super tough and cunning. More info later tonight. Are you comfortable with combining Vital Strike and Called Shots?

Got a concept in mind. Mulling it over.

@Ashe: I haven't actually made too much of the world past the opening area. *Coughs* However, there presumably IS a polar area of the world that people could have come from. (Note, however, that the usual Norse/North pantheon is not a thing. That's usually a fairly big part of their culture, and the idea would need to be adjusted accordingly.)

@Han Del: "A called shot is a single attack made as a full-round action, and thus can’t be combined with a charge, feats like Vital Strike, or multiple attacks with a full-attack action." I'm gonna have to say no on that one.

Red, need some clarification:

The Eldritch Scoundrel prepares, knows, and casts spells just like a wizard.

But spells per day is that of a magus.

Does that mean you can only cast up to 6th level spells? It's slightly confusing.

Paizo has been especially uncooperative today but I have managed to get my thoughts together into a decent submission regardless.

This is Johnnycat submitting my character.

Background:

Based on his age, Rondalo must have been born sometime around the appearance of the second moon above Eleidia, though the exactly when and where are difficult to say. He made his home in the desert wastes, only appearing to civilization at large once he was well into adulthood, somehow having not only survived but also garnered a wide range of knowledge and experience before then. Of course, his survival wasn't totally out of the question. After all, more than one settlement made its living off sand fishing - a practice of hunting the deserts large reptilian and insectoid inhabitants and whose use of sand skiffs and harpoons leads many to draw similarities to its ocean-bound counterpart. His apparent wisdom, on the other hand, was probably just a mixture of his ability to pick up on social cues and innate understanding of the things around him.

No, the most difficult thing by far for people, including himself, to come to terms with is his appearance. He's large, heavily built, beyond what most other men are capable of. His features carry a bestial mark: coarse fur, a square jaw and short, thick nose, elongated ears and sharper teeth all mark him as something more than human, elf, or even hybrid. Though is taciturn and calculating, even compassionate, Rondalo's appearance betrays something far more significant - be it curse or blessing.

Eventually this even drew that attention of the Knights of the New Moon as the burgeoning order could ill afford to overlook the possible significance of his existence. They offered hi membership, which Ronaldo subsequently accepted - partly because it served as a convenient means by which to explore the world and even do some good where he could. Mainly, though, he sees it as an opportunity to shed some light on his otherwise murky past. In this the Knighs and Ronaldo share a common goal. If Ronaldo were simply a mutant or, perhaps, some type of rare lycanthrope then his existence, while novel, is otherwise insignificant. On the other hand, if his birth bares any connection, even superficial, to the mystery of Eleidia's second moon then they have to pursue it. How exactly is another question entirely.

Statblock is in the alias but I'm still cleaning some stuff up and crunching numbers. Any comments/criticism/feedback is welcome and appreciated.

They're 6th Level casters.
GM Rednal wrote:
They're 6th Level casters.

Ok, sweet, that's actually what I was hoping for.

I'm thinking Human Investigator/Eldritch Scoundrel/Arcane Sorcerer. Member of The Order of the Spiraling Eyeball.

This gives him a fair range of spellcasting, skills, and some solid combat prowess.

Is the Unchained Rogue allowed? Pretty the ES is compatible.

Would you allow Rogue Genius's godling classes, in particular the mighty godling and the eldritch godling?

Improved and Greater Called Shot Feats:
Improved Called Shot

Prerequisites: Int 13, Combat Expertise.

Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on attack rolls when making a called shot. When taking a full-round or standard action that gives you multiple attacks, you can replace a single attack with a called shot. You may only attempt one called shot per round.

Normal: You can make one called shot per round as a full-round action.

Greater Called Shot

Benefit: Whenever you make an attack, you can choose to replace that attack with a called shot. You can make multiple called shots in a single round. Each additional called shot after the first made in the same round takes a –5 penalty. In addition, a called shot that deals half the creature’s hit points of damage (minimum 40) is a debilitating blow.

Normal: You can make only one called shot in a round as a full-round action. A called shot that deals 50 points of damage is a debilitating blow.

The called shot feats alter what kind of actions are needed for making them.

Wait, that did specifically call out Vital Strike... guh I keep wanting to find a way to make it useful.

Anyway, I'm working through my two builds, both are more or less for the same character but one is solid (Warder/Investigator/Rogue) and the other is weird and still being planned.

Cool. I agree on the pantheon, my though was just to treat Anax as the all father sort of thing. Hope to get some work done on this today.

@Ashe: Most notably, Anax simply wants to be worshiped. He's a bit disconnected from the world - he provides divine magic, and actively shows his face once a year or so to remind people that yes, he is definitely and unquestionably real, but he basically lets the church do its own thing, set its own doctrine, and generally operate independently. He's not interested in the day-to-day governance of people's lives. Very much a "do whatever you want as long as you still pray to me" sort of deity.

@TheWaskally: Fun classes, but for plot reasons, no.

@Monkeygod: "Sourcebooks: Any Paizo."

What is Anax's alignment? That will determine cleric alignment as well as whether paladins are available or not.

Would you allow me to use the Bruiser archetype for Unchained Rogue? It is third party and replaces the Finesse Training class feature with strength to fort saves and some bonus feats.

Rednal,

Are dragons a thing in this setting? Are they anything special and/or unique?

Asking specifically for historical reasons.

@Trawets: Anax doesn't actually have an alignment (for reasons that will become more-clear within the game itself), though he'd probably be Neutral if he did. This does not stop the existence of Paladins, who (unlike clerics) do not have to worship deities, and can either venerate a Power (idea) or simply go for goodness in general.

@Han Del: What weapon(s) are you planning to use with such a character?

Also, because of Paizo.com's unexpected slowness during the Humble Bundle Initiative, recruitment is being extended by at least one week, more if the slowness persists (which it realistically could).

Here is my submission:

Warren Connery:
Warren was born to William and Mary Connery. William ran a store catering to the needs of adventures and Mary helped out in the store and tended the home. The store was rather successful and attracted all sorts of individuals. Warren spent as much time in the store as in the house and came into contact with the customers and the employees.

Warren was extremely curious and would try to get any customers who came in to tell him of their adventures and what they saw. He learned a little bit of everything this way. From the wealthier clients he learned how to deal with others and fell in love with calligraphy and art that was in the beautiful books they came to buy. Some of the seedier clients and employees taught him about locks and finding traps. His favorite was the stories told by the adventures of the creatures they encountered.

It was from these adventures and the scholarly wizards that he fell in love with learning and magic. Warren can’t resist a mystery or puzzle and works single mindedly until he solves it. His first “mystery” he solved a six years old. He was wondering where nice Mr. Johnson disappeared to on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. He had to find out so he followed him, and found he spent that time with Mrs. Stevenson. Not understanding what was happening he asked Mr. Stevenson why Mr. Johnson was visiting. He never got an answer as Mr. Stevenson yelled and charged off.

Over the years Warren collected the books his father wasn’t able to sell and wrote some of his own to keep track of the information he learned from talking to the people in the store. Warren even illuminated some of the codices.

His time of learning came to an end when his parents store burned down with both of them inside. He is still trying to find out what happened. He earns a living by writing invitations and documents for the wealthy in town and through decorating manuscripts. He recently joined the Order of the Spiraling Eyeball and shares his library with those who ask.

I am working on his crunch. I'm planning on going Wizard/Invesigator/Warder(Dervish Defender). I'll need some help with spheres of power as I've never used it and don't have any of the sources for it. Comments are appreciated.

Probably going to use and stick with a Greatsword but may bounce around in the two handed weapon category in general depending on what is available.

The other two parts of this build are Zweihander Sentinel Warder and Psychic Detective Investigator so combat wise, I'm going as intelligent as possible. I'll probably be picking up the Kirin Style feats and Dirty Fighting. I might still try out Called Shots because they are a wonderfully flavorful fighting technique. If I have the bonus feats from Bruiser backing up my choices with more reliable options, I can focus the rest of the Rogue and Investigator class features on opening up as many useful skill monkey options as I'd like.

@Han Del: I think my concern here is mixing Path of War with the added damage from full Sneak Attack progression. Even if it's just from hitting enemies when they're flat-footed - and let's face it, PCs usually manage to do that - I worry that your character would have quite a lot of extra damage. Do you have a way to address this?
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