Giantslayer Clan Style (Inactive)

Game Master Chainmail

I am inspired by the face to face marathon session of Giantslayer Book 1 to have a 'marathon (tag team)' PbP Giantslayer game. Link to marathon Giantslayer AP game

Standard Character Creation Guidelines: Characters will be adult characters built with the 15 point standard buy and of core races as the APs are designed. Characters will have average wealth and max hp at first level. The four characters will fit each of the four ‘traditional’ roles: martial, divine, arcane, and skilled. Google documents will be used for maps, and players will be given access to the map and expected to move their tokens (or give enough detail for me to do so). I will stick to the Giantslayer AP as much as possible, but may move quickly through encounters that do not translate well to the PbP format.

Some things will be different than your typical PbP AP. I will be selecting four characters and not players, with the person creating the character getting to play that character first. If a player misses a daily post, that character will be transferred to another player. That will allow me to select players without an established posting history as they can be replaced quickly. To make this quite easy, I will maintain the character sheets in the campaign tab for all to access. I will even put my money where my mouth is: if as GM I miss a daily post, another GM may take over and keep the momentum going.

This campaign will have a dwarfish flavor. Dwarfish PCs, or PCs with ties to dwarves will have an advantage. This campaign will also have a retro flavor, Core classes will be favored over newer classes, and there will be no guns. The fighter class and the rogue class will be given improvements over the Pathfinder baseline. If you feel these classes are powerful enough without being improved, you play them as is.

For this AP to be a PbP marathon it will have an accelerated pace (I consider once a weekday posting rate an accelerated pace). The minimum will be one post a weekday, and if you have a real life event or miss a post, do not worry, the story will continue with another player. I will advance the story as quickly as the format will allow and try to avoid ‘doors’ that create too many delays in the action. I will encourage roleplaying to happen AS THE ACTION GOES ON.

What have I completed here on the boards over the last two and a half years? A homebrew, N1 Cult of the Reptile God, Intrigue in Taldor (WGM 1 Border Watch translated to Golarion).
What do I have ongoing? A group of Mummy’s Mask and a Core only group adventuring around the Keep in the Borderlands (B2) at level 3.

What has folded due to the inability of a few players to post once a weekday? Too many to name including a Mummy’s Mask AP that had three trips to the board for recruiting and would have required a fourth to continue before the characters reached level 3.

Background is important, I suggest you read the Player's Guide before coming up with one. One of the characters will be a dwarf survivor of a brutal giant massacre getting an adventuring group together, sort of similar to a recent set of Hobbit movies.

Also understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the PbP format is vital, and the definitive thread on that is linked here.
Link to Painlord's thread

Recruitment should last until 25 April.

To throw another wrench in the process and help with background, please describe what personality type your character is from the Myers-Briggs scale.

Sixteen personality types:

High-Level Description of the Sixteen Personality Types

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ISTJ - The Duty Fulfiller

Serious and quiet, interested in security and peaceful living. Extremely thorough, responsible, and dependable. Well-developed powers of concentration. Usually interested in supporting and promoting traditions and establishments. Well-organized and hard working, they work steadily towards identified goals. They can usually accomplish any task once they have set their mind to it.

ISTP - The Mechanic

Quiet and reserved, interested in how and why things work. Excellent skills with mechanical things. Risk-takers who they live for the moment. Usually interested in and talented at extreme sports. Uncomplicated in their desires. Loyal to their peers and to their internal value systems, but not overly concerned with respecting laws and rules if they get in the way of getting something done. Detached and analytical, they excel at finding solutions to practical problems.

ISFJ - The Nurturer

Quiet, kind, and conscientious. Can be depended on to follow through. Usually puts the needs of others above their own needs. Stable and practical, they value security and traditions. Well-developed sense of space and function. Rich inner world of observations about people. Extremely perceptive of other's feelings. Interested in serving others.

ISFP - The Artist

Quiet, serious, sensitive and kind. Do not like conflict, and not likely to do things which may generate conflict. Loyal and faithful. Extremely well-developed senses, and aesthetic appreciation for beauty. Not interested in leading or controlling others. Flexible and open-minded. Likely to be original and creative. Enjoy the present moment.

INFJ - The Protector

Quietly forceful, original, and sensitive. Tend to stick to things until they are done. Extremely intuitive about people, and concerned for their feelings. Well-developed value systems which they strictly adhere to. Well-respected for their perserverence in doing the right thing. Likely to be individualistic, rather than leading or following.

INFP - The Idealist

Quiet, reflective, and idealistic. Interested in serving humanity. Well-developed value system, which they strive to live in accordance with. Extremely loyal. Adaptable and laid-back unless a strongly-held value is threatened. Usually talented writers. Mentally quick, and able to see possibilities. Interested in understanding and helping people.

Click here for a detailed description of INFP.

INTJ - The Scientist

Independent, original, analytical, and determined. Have an exceptional ability to turn theories into solid plans of action. Highly value knowledge, competence, and structure. Driven to derive meaning from their visions. Long-range thinkers. Have very high standards for their performance, and the performance of others. Natural leaders, but will follow if they trust existing leaders.

INTP - The Thinker

Logical, original, creative thinkers. Can become very excited about theories and ideas. Exceptionally capable and driven to turn theories into clear understandings. Highly value knowledge, competence and logic. Quiet and reserved, hard to get to know well. Individualistic, having no interest in leading or following others.

ESTP - The Doer

Friendly, adaptable, action-oriented. "Doers" who are focused on immediate results. Living in the here-and-now, they're risk-takers who live fast-paced lifestyles. Impatient with long explanations. Extremely loyal to their peers, but not usually respectful of laws and rules if they get in the way of getting things done. Great people skills.

ESTJ - The Guardian

Practical, traditional, and organized. Likely to be athletic. Not interested in theory or abstraction unless they see the practical application. Have clear visions of the way things should be. Loyal and hard-working. Like to be in charge. Exceptionally capable in organizing and running activities. "Good citizens" who value security and peaceful living.

ESFP - The Performer

People-oriented and fun-loving, they make things more fun for others by their enjoyment. Living for the moment, they love new experiences. They dislike theory and impersonal analysis. Interested in serving others. Likely to be the center of attention in social situations. Well-developed common sense and practical ability.

ESFJ - The Caregiver

Warm-hearted, popular, and conscientious. Tend to put the needs of others over their own needs. Feel strong sense of responsibility and duty. Value traditions and security. Interested in serving others. Need positive reinforcement to feel good about themselves. Well-developed sense of space and function.

ENFP - The Inspirer

Enthusiastic, idealistic, and creative. Able to do almost anything that interests them. Great people skills. Need to live life in accordance with their inner values. Excited by new ideas, but bored with details. Open-minded and flexible, with a broad range of interests and abilities.

ENFJ - The Giver

Popular and sensitive, with outstanding people skills. Externally focused, with real concern for how others think and feel. Usually dislike being alone. They see everything from the human angle, and dislike impersonal analysis. Very effective at managing people issues, and leading group discussions.

ENTP - The Visionary

Creative, resourceful, and intellectually quick. Good at a broad range of things. Enjoy debating issues, and may be into "one-up-manship". They get very excited about new ideas and projects, but may neglect the more routine aspects of life. Generally outspoken and assertive. They enjoy people and are stimulating company. Excellent ability to understand concepts and apply logic to find solutions.

ENTJ - The Executive

Assertive and outspoken - they are driven to lead. Excellent ability to understand difficult organizational problems and create solid solutions. Intelligent and well-informed, they usually excel at public speaking. They value knowledge and competence, and usually have little patience with inefficiency or disorganization.

Link to test of Myers Briggs

If you want, take this and answer as your character. It will tell you what type your character is.

I recommend, if you don't know your personality type, do it for yourself. It is very insightful.

dotting, very interested in playing a skilled character in this AP,

Some questions about the "playing Characters" and "switching Players" but the short answer seems to be If I post every day I have nothing to worry about. Would the players in the game play the character for me? Or would a totally new player take over and I'm out until he misses a day and then can get back in?

The latter. It would be hard to find replacements if I can't tell them the character is now effectively theirs.

I'm thinking dwarf fighter or ranger. What enhancements would the fighter get?

Fighters will probably be a 3/2 Bab class, getting +2 Bab at even levels and their first iterative at level 4.

Dotting for later! I've been wanting to get into a Giantslayer game. I'm thinking barbarian. Are you going to be allowing achetypes?

Dotting in with Dolygrym Giantfoe will need to make sure he conforms to your creation specifications.

Thinking of Agghhh the Unclean, dirty dwarf wizard.

GM Tribute, have you considered what enhancements the rogue would get? also curious about archetypes, will they be allowed? would two be allowed?

Here is the crunch of Aggghhh

Rogue will get a +1 / lvl untyped bonus to both perception and stealth.
Two would be allowed, but I would be careful about giving up trapfinding.

I think I can come up with a dwarf!

I would be interested, but I can't seem to find the character creation guidelines.

Standard Character Creation Guidelines: Characters will be adult characters built with the 15 point standard buy and of core races as the APs are designed. Characters will have average wealth and max hp at first level. The four characters will fit each of the four ‘traditional’ roles: martial, divine, arcane, and skilled. Google documents will be used for maps, and players will be given access to the map and expected to move their tokens (or give enough detail for me to do so). I will stick to the Giantslayer AP as much as possible, but may move quickly through encounters that do not translate well to the PbP format.

Since I evidently can't read the recruitment post well enough, you won't miss me.

cheers

Rogue will get a +1 / lvl untyped bonus to both perception and stealth.

Two would be allowed, but I would be careful about giving up trapfinding.

as the skilled character I was thinking either a rogue archetype "burglar" or a ranger with the archetypes "trapper" and "deep walker" depending if the party needed a face more (rogue) or someone a little more hearty (ranger). Would either of those be acceptable or does "I would be careful about giving up trapfinding" ixnay the Idea of a "trapper" ranger?

Okay added in some fluff for possible character direction

I'm going to dot interest with this character alias. He was created for another Giantslayer game, so I need to adjust the points (I think theirs was a 20 point game), but he's pretty complete aside from that.

For Adrian's Meyers-Briggs type, I would say he's definitely iNtroverted, Sensory, and Thinking; I'm up in the air as to whether he's a Perceiver or a Judger, but given his more active role as a knife master, I'm thinking probably the latter.

wow, not a lot of action here, GM Tribute would you permit a ranger to use "trapper" archetype or should I go rogue?

Not much action.

Trapper ranger will definitely work for skilled. Trapper also can stack with infiltrator or other archetypes.

Since we are pursuing the dwarf angle, gnomes and people who want to use the adopted trait will fit in too.

People may not like the idea that they could lose their spot if they can't post. I'm still going to give it a shot. Working on a dwarf fighter. I have the basics but still need the background, figure out my type, and get equipment.

AGamer70, I think you are right, It doesn't matter to me I believe I've posted everyday since I started playing pbp. I was thinking a skill character, it would be easy to do a dwarven cleric instead. I still have some time to mull it over, eleven days worth of time so no hurry.

Do you already have a group picked out? I play another game with robert and wouldn't mind one that is a bit faster for PBP, I can post every weekday no problem. I can also fill any role with some dwarfish loving, but which ones are getting less love? I see robert would like to be skilled. I could easily do a dwarven priest. He could be an executive doer (on the myer scale). No-nonsense, obnoxious upper management type, but prone to attacks of prophetic insights which both embarrass and trouble him.

I would go for a Dwarven Barbarian, but I need to change the background info (I created him for an homebrew game set in the Dragon Age universe)

Hello! I'm Tchukk. Yea, yea, I know. Dwarves aren't suppose to be wizards, but, HEY, I'm smart... I'm not that strong... and since I was just a wee lad, I've been harnessing me magik to help Ma around our home.

Tchukk is from a build I did for another campaign that I didn't end up playing in. I think he can work as a dwarf with a few tweaks. I'll fix his profile and write up a backstory for him.

Auggh will wrestle you for the wizard spot.

New background ok, I'll be able to update the rest in a few hours

Well, I want to keep momentum. I may have players earn a one day pass with enough posts in a row.

I have seen too many drops with no notice.

hey, Evandariel, go for the priest, good luck!

GM Tribute, I love the idea of a "required" post a day, so many GM's ask for a post a day but folks don't and don't explain why. I'll apply either a rogue or ranger for the skilled position. Thanks!

This is Robert Henry’s rogue: archetype “Burglar” he is a Halfling raised by Dwarves with the personality type: ESTP “the doer” I will finish his background, appearance and personality soon.

Tchukk is definitely INTJ - The Scientist.

Still working on his background

Also intrigued. But the "each day or lose spot" thing definitely seems harsh.

E.g. I KNOW that in about 2 months, i will be on a camping holiday in deep nature with family, no signal, no computer, nothing.

May I put forward a suggested revision of your rule?

#1.: If someone misses his daily post without further notice, his spot is forfeited and passed on to someone else(may have a one-day pass with enough posts in a row).
#2.: If a player informs the group and DM of a planned absence, another player can be nominated to "babysit" the character during that absence, making decisions for it and running it until original player returns or the time of the announced absence is over(in which case refer to #1).

Naturally it's all your game, your call, but i would imagine that people will be more involved with it and their characters if they don't know that an eventual needed break will take it from them(wether a weekend holiday, serious illness, work-related, ...) and i suppose that is also in the games, and thus your interest.

And another suggestion regarding Rogues. The flat untyped + to perception and stealth obviously makes godlike snipers when the campaign progresses, but I would also like to make a different suggestion that would open interesting character options:

Give them Solo Tactics and the Extra Teamwork Feats of Inquisitor.
Quite a lot of the Teamwork Feats are awesome for Rogues(boni on flanking, AoO on several occasions, etc), while adding a meaningful option of where to go with your character(and not encouraging to just stack on skill focus(stealth)/sneaky/shadow armor)

Applying with a Rogue/Scout fitting in as

He is capable of sneaking around and taking potshots at enemys, but he's happier right in the middle of the brawl.(Planning on taking advantage of Scout Archetype/Spring Attack to get (where possible: flanking) sneak attacks). There's a good chance he will Dip ONE level of fighter for the armor/shield/weapon proficiencys to take advantage of race features, and go into battle with Shield, Dwarven Battleaxe and Full Plate(thus also providing a flanking partner for martial/backup protection for arcane/divine). His self-understood role is that of an "Army Scout". He takes care of traps, he scouts ahead, he climbs/swims/cartwheels to get in position.
(Also would have liked a proper "ranged" weapon for sniping, e.g. a crossbow for firing from prone but alas, starting money was not sufficient. Just saying he's also planning to do THAT if he can get sneak attacks of in surprise round, not going pure melee/throwing.)

As for the background fluff, I will take your advice and check the players guide before writing it up. There's still quite some time left for recruitment.

Crunch ready!

Now I just need to add personality and appearance. I have a pretty good idea on how Yarask should be (he used to be pretty easygoing but now he's taciturn and apparently unfriendly. He cares for Trunau and wants to defend it, yet he's also got a darkness in him, a desire for revenge and the need to express it through rage. I don't know if there's a personality type that fits this exactly, the one that seems to fit best is probably "The Guardian" as he rediscovered the value of community and wants to preserve it.

As for his role, initially he will be your typical beater, raging and swinging his earth breaker at enemies and engaging them as soon as possible, later I plan for a more calculating approach. As I understand this is not fully core, so he should have access to totem powers, right?

Tchukk's crunch, background, description and personality is updated in his profile, although I may still make a few tweaks to the crunch, especially the gear.

I also swapped Gnome out for Elvish in his initial languages given his background story if that is ok with you.

Alternate Favored Class Bonuses:
Choose a weapon from the following list: sling, dagger, or any weapon with “halfling” in its name. Add a +½ circumstance bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls with that weapon (maximum bonus of +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.

Does this mean that if a rogue chooses this alternate favored class bonus for a weapon with “Halfling” in its name that he also becomes proficient with that weapon? Or does he need to be proficient with it first?

Since Boram has an intelligence of 8 and will only start with common and Halfling, may he replace the language “Halfling” with the language “dwarf”?

That alternate class bonus does not make you proficient. So a rogue can't choose a martial or exotic 'halfling' weapon and be proficient.

I have had some well reasoned response about absences for vacations and other events. I agree we may have times where we can not post for vacations or business trips that get hectic with no internet. With advanced notice we can try to make things work.

So, if you can get someone to replace you while absent, you can resume your character when you get back. But, if I run a recruitment to find a player to play a character for one week, I will not get a response. It may be difficult enough getting someone to take over a premade character, many want to make their own character.

My goal is to both (1) have a system where I can select newer players and survive their 50% drop rate and (2) keep a steady once a day posting rate.

Once a day weekday posting has been an ideal and not a requirement in all my other games.

Thanks GM Tribute, that's what I thought, so instead Boram will take his Favored Class Bonuses as a skill and pick up linguistics solving the Halfling/dwarf language conundrum.

Rogue will get a +1 / lvl untyped bonus to both perception and stealth.

GM Tribute,I have not added these to Boram's skills, if selected I will. Ok, all the fluff is done, not sure I'm keeping this icon but it makes me laugh. If you have any question please post them or PM me. Thanks for your consideration!

Haven't forgotten about this. Is average wealth per class, so 175 for a fighter? Also, would you accept taking a 3rd trait if I take a drawback?

Yarask's description and personality updated. He's ready to go.

Withdrawing my application. I'm in another campaign and don't want to stretch myself too thin. Thanks and good hunting!

Well, it is the wee hours of the 25th, good luck everyone!

Tegnar would be The Duty Fulfiller

I'll create an alias if selected.

Thanks for your consideration.

Hmmm, so, are we going to need a cleric for this to happen? Because I really enjoy games that move quickly I would be willing to assemble Dolgryn the Dutiful, cleric (Crusader) of Torag, personality “the Duty Fulfiller” sent from Glimmerhold in a dream to help the fine people of Trunau.

No news on who's been picked yet?

Looks like still no cleric. I can roll up that anal retentive dwarven warpriest if needed.

I mean, the other rogue dropped out, so Robert can run either a rogue or cleric and I can do either other one to fill the spot. I have no preference but wouldn't mind a game that is more fast paced. Let me know if you already got a group so I don't have to waste time making a cleric or rogue just to not get picked.

Or rather I just noticed there's another rogue applying I think? Let me know either way if there's still time to throw in an app.

I would like to run a Halfling burglar if we have time for evandariel to put together a cleric, either way I'm good to go.