Islands in the Sky (Inactive)

Game Master avr

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The Orventian Empire has fallen at the hands of the Free Coalition. The Coalition didn't survive the end of the war either though; too many losses, a culture of secrecy which worked well in wartime but not for governance, and too many people who wanted the freedom that the 'Lition preached but never gave. Still, many warlords and polities have sympathies or philosophies aligned that way.

Around here in the Northeast there's not much room for those who don't sign up with one of the powers, and they're big on press-ganging and requisitioning interesting items. Someone expects another war. Your group grabbed a smallish ship, a Lancer, and made off rather than submit to effective slavery. It looks like you're locked out of any profitable trade. What are you going to do to survive?

For the way sky islands work you can read this, though you're in the Northeast fringe rather than the Northwest.

Character creation:
Open until the end of the 10th of August.

Character level 4, 25 point buy on attributes, humans, fetchlings or genie-touched only. The 'nonhumans' are humans touched by magic rather than distinct races.

I have no problem with Spheres, Path of War or Dreamscarred's Psionics, but none of these are required. If you want other 3rd party stuff ask. Systems not used by the PCs probably won't be in the game.

3 000 gp in items to start with, enhancement/resistance bonuses on items don't exist and automatic bonus progression is in use; the +1 armor or weapon attunement applies to any item you use. You can get a +1 equivalent weapon or armor without needing an enhancement bonus on the item. You do need to attune to use those. If you want a specific armor, weapon or wondrous item with enhancement or resistance bonuses and another ability ask me to work out the pricing.

Rather than alignments select three Loyalties. Empire and Coalition are possibilities but you need to make at least a couple of your own whether concepts, groups or desires of your character. Radiant and shadow are not loyalties but can be used as stand-ins for good and evil in character abilities. You can use and refluff deities but be aware that mass churches do not exist.

If you want to name and detail a couple of contacts feel free. Not required.

Background skills are in use.

Have a character sheet somewhere I can see, I don't much care where.

There are a few spot bans - meditative spells, mass dazzling blade and dazing spell mainly. No classes are outright banned, though some archetypes, feats and prestige classes may need refluffing. If you later look to be aiming at some horribly extreme character I may ask you to tone it down a bit but I have fairly broad tolerances and I don't think it's too likely.


Hi avr - would you care to look at the Savage class and see if it is:

A): fitting the campaign setting or
B): ok by you mechanically.

I read the linked sky islands piece, just trying to get a sense if there are less civilised folk inhabiting the sky isles, who might be on the run from the civilised post-war folk and an outcast from their own kind. Like for wanting to use a...pistol.

Actually - are there gunnes?


Dotted!


@Oceanshieldwolf: On a) yes, I'm willing to include an island which recently bobbed into the fringes with savage inhabitants. On b) looking at it now I'm willing to include it tentatively, if I change my mind it'll be within the next 2 days.

Gunnes? If you mean guns, yes. If not - what are gunnes?


dotting here, sounds really interesting and already have some ideas
also what about Variant multiclassing?


@Edward: VMC or normal multiclassing, not both on the same character. Otherwise yes, you can use it.


@Avr - sorry, just meant guns. Ok, I'll start putting together a character, most likely human - as for the Savage, I am the author of said class, so I'm happy to hear your thoughts/reservations etc, and am open to tweaks/caveats etc...

Can you give us any more flavor for the nature of the Orventian Empire or the interrelationships between humans, fetchlings and the other races - any info will help to create more integrated characters...


The Orventian Empire was a supporter of the arts and sciences and made great advances in both. It also heavily favored its nobility, artists and scientists. Others paid the taxes to support this - later in the war it ruined its tax base by selling patents of nobility for quick money. Subjugating or conquering smaller states was its previous means of keeping the tax books in order as all three groups increased in size and cost over time.

For the most part religion is a personal thing. The closest thing to an exception is the three Spirits of the Empire (Vision, Justice and Virtue), widely respected by those who respect the Empire, though no organised clergy exists.

Edit: Fetchlings and others are humans with unusual talents, changed by those talents. There is no relation between 'races' - they're only partly even heritable.


Definitely dotting!


Dotting to read later! Quite promising. Assuming the PF stuff that works only while you’re “onboard a ship” (like the Pirate archetype for rogue) work here :)


So I am considering a Captain or a First Mate character; I played a Warlord (Privateer) archetype in a Skull & Shackles game and it was too much fun. I'll have stats up likely tomorrow.


This seems pretty cool. I’ll have to brush up on auto progression, but it looks like fun.


few questions here,

1. how are we doing hit points after level 1?

2. how common are guns and at what level, (early or advanced, commonplace, or guns everywhere)? this will effect the price of the guns. (are there cannons?)

also, I read the guide you linked to, is there some sort of sky ship naval force? if so I am looking for something that may be akin to the Royal Navy is organization and influence.

I am picturing something like typical pirate times tech level (flintlock guns)


Hmm. Dotting.


Dotting


Dotting. I haven't gotten to try a couple ideas that could work well here, I'll narrow it down and post one soon, but my first idea is an Ifrit, either Skald or Unchained Rogue. His hobbies include being loud, and trying to substitute charisma for wisdom wherever he can.


Dot. This seems a very interesting thing. Pirates! I'm usually more ninja than pirate, but you need to try to compare, right? ;)


How do airships work in this setting? Are we talking zeppelins, or something somehow powered by magic, or something more exotic and/or setting specific, like the Flight rocks of the Edge Chronicles?

Also, my mind immediately wants me to make a character with a plan for digging down through a plateu to get safely explore under the chur, but that's besides the point.


Hi,

What skills are used to run an airship? are they a refluff of existing skills or new ones? or do you just need profession (airship sailor) or somesuch?

Edit: and what kind of technology level is the campaign? The existence of airships implies some kind of advanced technology/High magic, but is this the only area of advanced technology, and the rest is as per pathfinder? or are there possibilities for more technically advanced archetypes?


Ooh, lovely! I've always wanted to try a paladin in a game without alignment, so I'm thinking of making a fetchling virtuous bravo.


Dot


Plateus float too. Mostly. There are apparent islands which connect down through the churn, they're called peninsulas. Once identifed as such they're handy for navigation and tend to be abandoned - monsters crawl up, and occasional storms may send those choking clouds up to the top. And if they ever break free you don't want to be on them as they tumble into the sky.

I should describe the airships.They float by means of avorium, liftmetal, mostly hidden inside beams of the otherwise wood and canvas (with glass windows) construction. Military ships may have metal armor but the amount of avorium needed to counteract that makes it way noncommercial. Tricky magic can magnify the effect of the avorium but it tends to be hard to maintain without a good shipyard, and many of those were lost in the war.

They use propellers which can be powered by alcohol, or batteries in some cases. The batteries can be powered in shipyards mainly though a frontier charging system can catch wind or sun to do the same eventually. They carry enough charge to last more than mere physics suggest. Sails are emergencies only and not all ships carry them.

Guns are the usual for PF, emerging, though they were more common a few years back. The means of making advanced firearms haven't been lost exactly, but with factories destroyed and artisans killed, and the remaining new precision tools going more to shipyards you don't see a lot.

I plan to use the PF ship rules as much as I can so profession (sailor) and (siege engineer) can be relevant to have. Magic mainly supplants high tech.


Both the Coalition and the Empire had navies as do their successors. Grim and gritty with purely practical soldiers and engineering for the 'Lition, ships as works of art led by noble officers for the latter.

HP past first is roll or use the average, with halves adding up to a whole HP on every odd level. Your choice.


A bit of a long shot, but you allow Akashic Mysteries to be used? I realize it's a long shot as it's essentially a whole system you didn't mention up top.

How do Akashic Mysteries Work?:
As for what it does...effectively, Akashic Mysteries allows you to summon a semi real item to the same positions as you would magical items, created by magic. As standard they aren't too great, even if they are free - for example the Sword of Holy Justice veil creates a shortsword that deals half holy damage, and the wielder can use there Veil Weaver level instead of BAB to attack.

However, as you level, you can bind a Veil too, enhancing its power. The same sword as above, bound to a Hand slot, would for each point you put in, become a +1 sword and deal an additional d6 damage.

Obviously, some classes learn more Veils and get more Essence, so they can have more items at a higher level of power.

Dark Archive

Dot for interest...

Thinking... THINKING...

probably do something like an Undine. Yes I know a swimspeed inbthe sky is useless, no I don't want to swim....

Now I do have a Question, how do you feel about Tieflings and Aasimar? Do they exist in your world or is ir just those you've listed.
And what about the other humanoid races? Not like orcs or goblins, But Elves, dwarves, Ect?

Additionally I was thinking id suggest Vanara, as they seem like they'd fit the setting pretty well, being an inhabitant of one of the islands.


Very interesting game world. This just screams to play a grease monkey gunslinger type, someone who comes out blasting due to his engineering time being cut off.

Out of curiousity, how do you feel about the Multiclass Archetypes? Also, how much can the players modify the airship?


No other races, sorry.

I've tried before to get my head around what works and what doesn't in Akashic mysteries but I've put it back on the shelf. No, sorry.

Multiclass archetypes - I've looked at a few before and they seem wildly divergent. Unworkable to overpowered. Which did you have in mind?


I was thinking either Experimental Munitionist or Cunning Grenadier. If not that totally fine, I just like the idea of being more than just a gunner.


Bummer. If you have any questions about Akashik Mysteries, feel free to give me a shout since I have a reasonably solid understanding of the system. Not for this game, obviously (GM says no means no, after all) but in general it is a pretty cool system, and the idea that you can go from in your underwear to fully armed appeals to me greatly (the character idea was essentially that, someone who had been so mauled by life that they didn't trust equipment at all and most people even less, and so literally armed themselves with magic instead).

Hmmmm...I'd quite like to play Spheres of Mights Technologist, but I suspect a lot of other folks would too. It's the right kinda game for that. And I'll be getting the chance to retrain a character into that class soon anyway.

Would the somewhat unusual Summoner Archetype Mirrored Soul be OK? I know it's on the approved list as it's Spheres, but since this is a little...unusual...I figured I should ask.


Experimental munitionist looks OK, but you'll need to define what the 11th level deed actually does. The archetype doesn't. Approved pending that.

Cunning gadgeteer has spells which affect more than just the caster (unlike most of an alchemist's extracts) which can't be dispelled. Convince me this isn't a problem if you want to use it.


Hey, I'm back with my Skald, Surtur Eyvindur. I have some more gold to spend, but he's all set to make himself (Inspired Rage), his buddies (Same), and the ship itself (Siege engineer ranks) as deadly as can be. I'll write up a bit of backstory (Alias incoming as well), but the fiddly bits are all here.

I was thinking his home island could be a drifter that's said to have come from even further in the sky long, long ago (re: large meteor collided with something on it's entry). Does this jive with the setting? It isn't essential, but I thought it'd be cool.

Edit: Link should be fixed, and Alias exists.

That can work too. I'll see what I come up with in the next couple of days.


Mirrored soul looks OK.


Green Smashomancer wrote:

Hey, I'm back with my Skald, Surtur Eyvindur. I have some more gold to spend, but he's all set to make himself (Inspired Rage), his buddies (Same), and the ship itself (Siege engineer ranks) as deadly as can be. I'll write up a bit of backstory (Alias incoming as well), but the fiddly bits are all here.

I was thinking his home island could be a drifter that's said to have come from even further in the sky long, long ago (re: large meteor collided with something on it's entry). Does this jive with the setting? It isn't essential, but I thought it'd be cool.

The link doesn't point to anything.

Islands can drift in without meteors, but if your one has a large circular scar (or other damage) that's no problem.


avr wrote:


Islands can drift in without meteors, but if your one has a large circular scar (or other damage) that's no problem.

That can work too. I'll see what I come up with in the next couple of days. Link also in the alias for easy access.


Which specific 11th level deed are you referring to? If it's lightning reload, I think it just trims down the reload speed for the attachments like flamethrower/grenade launcher to a swift action, or any unique reload type. When in doubt, I say keep it nerfed down to prevent others from feeling overshadowed.

Dark Archive

Hmm... I was liking thw idea if a Vanara pirate.... Might make something like that for another game, but anyways!

I don't know what I'll do then, I'll give it some thought and if I think of something I'd like to do I'll jump in...


Howdy!

The idea of a frontier-pushing freewheeler is enticing to me. I've a few questions about the setting and crunch which would help me better tailor a submission for your realm though:

1. Not a world apart from Groundhog and Gavmania above, what is the level of technology in the world? I'm not strictly talking about guns. Consider this line from the source material: "A pair of cutters detach from the whole and glide over to your would-be salvage pile, blinking out a friendly signal, since your comms are clearly shot." Downfall of the empire's factories and experts in mind, there would be more than just comms and signals unless we're referring to Numenara-style technology. I ask not to be difficult on you, but rather to not put a scribe in a game where a block printing press is not only commonplace, but already going obsolete.

2. Perhaps I missed it, but the Northeast does not seem as fleshed-out in the guidebook as the Northwest. Places such as Hub and Summit are detailed well enough for me to have an idea of a character's roots were I to place them there (and a water-boss in the latter sounded like a swell idea!), yet I'm at a loss for elsewhere in this domain of land in the sky. Is there a map you could provide? What are the climate, flora, & fauna like in this region?

3. The vessel on which the party is to be is listed as having a complement of 6 - 36. I understand an escape isn't exactly meant to uphold every code, but would there be NPCs with the party initially to make sure we have at least most of the bones in the skeletal crew?

4. Speaking of crew, how many players are you looking to recruit? For daily posting?

5. How would control weather of the weather sphere interact with the unique atmospheric conditions of this setting?

6. Which themes are you looking/willing to explore in your game, and how deep do you like to go? Some prefer running a game which is strict "adventure", while others (myself included) prefer to see some type of developmental nature of the pieces surrounding the main story - dynamic characters, world politics, love & loss, etc. How does your preference point?

Many thanks for your attention to detail!


@Dalton:
1: The author is working with a lower level of magic than PF presumes. I'm using his work as inspiration and a base but mostly where there's a conflict assume PF rather than his world. Magitech will be more common than steampunk.

Though its not said explicitly his comms are definitely magic BTW.

2: To avoid running into conflicts as the author continues to write his story I moved the setting away. There isn't a map (yet) but I could provide some locations.

Climate is largely dependent on altitude in this world, as that varies faster than linear distance.

3-4: For that reason I'd planned on recruiting 6 players. If it goes lower as people drop out I won't penalise you on running the ship, though rerecruitment is likely if we drop too low. Initially I'll push for daily posting and then see what rhythm we fall into - from what I've seen in other games people who don't post daily can't be pushed into it in the long run.

5: It may become shorter-lived if you drop into the churn, or weaker if you go so high there normally isn't much weather, but otherwise unchanged.

6: If people make it clear to me that they'd like to explore such themes I'll have a go, but I hadn't planned anything beyond adventure and some politics. This is a sandbox to some extent.


This is Oceanshieldwolf's submission - Jale Raal, shipmate and lone survivor (as far as she knows) of her tribe's island - which met much the same fate as the islands formerly known as the Fates, and now known as the Dross. I was thinking perhaps the 'Lition forces were responsible for much of the plundering of her homeland(s) in much the same way the Orventian's brought about the destruction of the Fates.

Jale doesn't hold a particular grudge, as she was nominally an outcast before her tribe was (possibly) destroyed, but she does feel the 'Lition is lionised far too readily. Besides, Jale has a penchant for the finer things in life, and means to get 'em, rustic sensibilities and inability to talk proper notwithstanding.

I'm happy for you, avr, to describe her tribe and homeland, or I can create something I think is suitable and you can reign in whatever is beyond outlandish. Honestly, I'm happier with you providing broad brushstrokes for me to work inside of - I'm always wary of stepping outside of settings sensibilities, particularly where the genre is specialised.

As far as I thought it, Jale's folk were (are) matriarchal, semi-nomadic (both due to seasonal/altitude variations and movement of plateaus and mountains/effects of storms and the Churn below) with strong ancestor worship and a vague doctrine of whale and leviathan worship based on a very non-vague and quite extensively detailed caste system for the flying creatures coupled with some fanciful mutation-categorisation topped off with the usual hunter-heroes in the ancestral stories. All of which may now be Churning away in the down below, or perhaps they survived for later [plot]. Jale's heirlooms include a whale-toothed gunstock club and a whalebone boomerang.

Have not as yet included ABP gear, purchased a gun, nor spent any funds beyond basic 1st level equipment...


This is probably a dumb question, but what exactly is genie touched?

Also, I'll have my character fluff up by tonight, and probably some crunch.


I believe avr is talking about the element boys/girls: Ifrit, Undine, Oread, and Sylph.

EDIT: Also, I've finished up Surtur's backstory, I'm tacking on a bit of description now, and I've picked up a wand of CLW for those times we need some back-up healing. Other than that, I'm happy with him. Any questions (from anybody) I'll be happy to answer.


Plus suli, but Green's right.


Hmmmm...would you allow an Incanter with the Sorcerer Bloodline Specialization to take the Harmonics Bloodline? Obviously, it doesn't get the Arcana, Bonus Spells or Feats, and essentially gives a watered down version of Bardic Performance.

The idea here is to take the Tribal Rythm feat to allow a decent amount of first turn buffing, and continue from there with the Life Sphere, Time Sphere, Mind Sphere and Enhancement Sphere as I level. A buff and debuff character with some abilities as a Face and Healer, in other words, without directly attacking.

Sorry to flit around from one idea to the next - although I do still intend to do a Companion with this character for there offence, I'll be doing it in a different way.


Yes, you can take the Harmonics bloodline in this way.


This is Dalton again under the prospective alias of Felix Shadowshifter!

I'll compose his backstory in the coming days, but in short, Felix desires to be the driving force in the new world order to come in the aftermath of the war. To achieve this end, he elicits hope and dedication from those around him - sometimes to a level of obsequiousness.

Felix is an Eliciter with the mind and warp spheres. Links are in his profile if you'd like details about the abilities, but he's primarily a support in the mechanical sense.


Alrighty, I have definitely settled down upon an idea now. I'm thinking a former Imperial soldier, a special operative that originally worked in the shadows against the 'Lition. He didn't particularly enjoy his work though and when the chance to betray the Empire came, he seized it.

I'm going to be making a Dex-focused Warlord with the Steelfist Commando archetype. I'll be looking to be playing a good First Mate; excellent at shouting out orders and leading his fellows into combat. Not very strong but he knows -exactly- where to put those fists of his to make them hurt.

Question for you DM! Are you going to be doing Traits and Drawbacks at all?


Hawksw0rd here, with Miziande, the wrench wrench of the party. I'm planning a little short to extend more on her backstory, but that'll require me to inquire about farming and such on the sky islands.

In rough terms, here's her background. Born to a farmer, Miziande's childhood fascination with airships quickly spiraled into an obsession with all things mechanical, and improving said things. When the opportunity came to snag a airship, the tall stick like sylph was quick to engage in theft, and has happily made her home in the engine compartment. Her only goal-improvement and innovation.

Build wise I figured she'd operate similar to a crafting wizard with a touch of range dps. She'd pimp out the airship, and make sure it's got an exploding doormat for visitors, and give unique options such as grapple hooks or flamethrowers (Pending GM approval) to the team.


Dotting. I'm considering a Stalker character, something with a roughly similar background to KingHotTrash, though coming from the other side. He'd be a former 'Lition agent, specializing in clandestine action of various sorts, from scouting and information gathering to sabotage and assassination. They won the war, but it all fell apart anyway. He floats around for a while before helping steal a ship. And away they go.

That's the rough idea, anyway.

I'm picturing him as a Dex-focused melee sort of character who can provide scouting, stealth, front-line support, and a touch of subtlety to our merry band of sky-pirates. No idea if that's a viable thing here, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

Out of curiosity, how long ago in setting did the war end?

Assuming that's okay, I'll go ahead and throw together a stat block tomorrow.


Two traits, sure. If you don't abuse it by taking a drawback that can't affect your character then you can take a third trait for a drawback.

What about farming, Hawksw0rd?

@Redac: The war ended three years ago. None of what you're suggesting falls outside my character creation guidelines, and stealth/melee should be viable enough.


Still here, still mulling - pondering a melee type character, but I think I want to go unarmed and mobile - that way I have my hands free to hold on fast to the main mast and rigging :D

More to come soon.

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