5th level
Gestalt classes
Roll 5d6, keep the top three of five, repeat six times, toss the lowest.
official Pathfinder materials only
3rd party material allowed only with extreme prejudice.
More Rules and Template:
Anyways here are the rules for character creation, with an example below:
Name: Your name must include some sort of cool title to distinguish yourself as an epic hero.
Flavor Text: Include some sort of catchphrase, tagline, or character quote for a little flavor. If any of you have played Borderlands, think of the cutscene text that pops up when you first encounter a boss or npc.
Alignment: Non-evil preferred. If you want to play an evil character, use the villains from children's cartoons as a guidelines; they often coexist with the good guys just fine, and they never cause any lasting harm.
Races: All the Paizo Races are allowed, as well as custom races but you must explain why your race is different visually and the reason it has happened/done. If a new race all together give me some background on the race itself too. 10 point start.
Classes: We will be using gestalt rules, with the following addition: Whatever class you choose to receive your favored class bonus shall be considered your primary class, and must be taken at every level. Wizards are NOT required, and this is by no means a wizard centric campaign. Unfortunately, I am only going to be allowing Paizo classes and archetypes, as I don't want to have to deal with the sudden onslaught of class abilities that I've never seen before.
Ability Scores: Roll 5d6, keep the top three of five, repeat six times, toss the lowest. No scores below 7 or above 18 before racial modifiers, and remember to add one point for leveling up!
Identifying Characteristics: Age, hair, eyes, birthplace, etc. I'd image some 5th level characters (aka sorcerers) would have some cool physical features.
Crunch: basic character sheet (feats, skills, rogue talents, rage powers, etc). You can take two traits or a bonus feat, and if you want, you may take a Tragic Flaw to gain an extra feat. This page has some funny and serious (mostly funny) flaws, but I haven't read all of them, so I reserve the right to ban certain flaws. See below for some homebrew feats that are allowed in this campaign.
Equipment: First off, you should list some 'favorite' of your character's, be it a weapon, spell, or signature martial arts move. Then give me a list of some key equipment items. Under that list your remaining gold total as 'Assets'. Assets can include straight wealth or items that you forgot to buy or don't want to write down at the moment. The starting wealth for a 5th level character is 10,000 gp.
Backstory: background, what have you done? After all you are a 5th level hero! Allies, enemies, family, NPC Contact, etc.
Example (Yes, this is THE Fezziwick, and he will be in the campaign or not for he was the other DMs pet):
Headmaster Fezziwick, Really Powerful Wizard
He's not a wizard.
Male N Human Commoner 3 / Cleric of Barbatos 3
Age: ~36
Hair: Greying
Eyes: Blue
Birthplace: Varisia
Traits: Rough and Ready, Harrow Born
Tragic Flaw: Chicken Infested
Feats: Harrowed, Duck and Cover, Plot Essential, Quick Draw
Skills: Climb +7, Craft (shoes) +6, Handle Animal +11, Profession (chicken juggler) +5
Class Features: Domains (Devil and Travel)
Favorite Weapon: Trusty Quarterstaff
Other Possessions: Family Harrow Deck, Slightly Rusty Dagger, Headmaster's Robes, Academy Signet Ring, Fire-Resistant Boots, Wizard's Hat
Additional Assets: 1,500 gp
Str: 12
Dex: 14
Con: 14
Int: 11
Wis: 8
Cha: 20
Fezziwick was born in a traveling gypsy caravan, where he grew up learning the noble arts of traveling circus performer. However, Fezziwick always believed he was destined for greater things than juggling chickens and fixing the trapeze artists boots. He knew that within him lay the potential to become the greatest hero that ever lived, or even better, the greatest schoolmaster that ever lived. And so, after somewhere in the neighborhood of 36 long hard years of toil, he set of to create the finest wizarding academy in all of Golarion, "Fezziwick School for Really Powerful Wizards." Now all he needs are some actual wizards.
New Feats:
Hero of Legend
You begin play with one really awesome magical item (chosen by the GM) taken from the adventure path of your choice. You are considered to be one of the heroes who completed that adventure path.
Wild ast a spell, roll a d20 and consult the following table (the GM will handle the results):
1 :Spell misfires in a particularly amusing way.
2-3 :Spell goes off as normal, accompanied by a chaos burst.
4-17 :Spell goes off as normal.
18-19 :Spell goes off as normal, accompanied by a chaos burst.
20 :Cataclysmic version of spell is cast.
Really Wild Magic
Requires: Wild Magic
As Wild Magic, but instead roll a d10 and consult the following table:
1 :Spell misfires in a particularly amusing way.
2-3 :Spell goes off as normal, accompanied by a chaos burst.
4-7 :Spell goes off as normal.
8-9 :Spell goes off as normal, accompanied by a chaos burst.
10 :Cataclysmic version of spell is cast.
Really, Really Wild Magic
Requires: Really Wild Magic
As Wild Magic, but instead roll a d4 and consult the following table:
1 :Spell misfires in a particularly amusing way.
2 :Spell goes off as normal.
3 :Spell goes off as normal, accompanied by a chaos burst.
4 :Cataclysmic version of spell is cast.
The summoning has begun, many will come, conflict will ensue, then the power of the gods shall become evident.
The area is made up of wasteland and desert with some hills. No civilization can be seen upon the horizon. A patch of trees can be seen here and there where there is water to sustain such life. A massive lake of 50 or more square miles is the dominant break in the wasteland.
You can see a village of perhaps 25 buildings. They are all hovels with roofs that are fallen in and there is debris everywhere. There are many boulders and large chunks of rock strewn amongst the village and around it. The village is adjacent to the lake and is on a small peninsula, perhaps for protection. No walls are still standing, as if there were any in the first place.
This is where the campaign begins, but since it is an open world and the players will determine where we go for the most part. We shall see where you go.
Limitations? I have set you free to do as you wish, this is an absolute open world. I will just be facilitating and giving prompts.
Throne:
You feel as if you know more about it, though you know it is missing fuel, you can cast spells into the throne, and with that fuel it could start functioning properly.
Spells that can be activated from the Throne.
At will:
Arcane eyes
scrying
message
Throne has a well of 50 charges, each charge can be restored if you cast 5 spell levels into it.
Constants on the one sitting on or touching the throne (ally):
Magic circle against - good, evil, law, chaos
Shield of faith +5
Age resistance
Protection from scrying
Anchor
See invisible
detect magic, good, evil, law, chaos
campaign traits:
Legacy of Fire Character
Traits
Character traits are a way to encourage players to build a character background that fits into the world of Golarion. Think of character traits as “story seeds”—after a player picks a trait or traits, he’ll have a point of inspiration from which to build his character’s personality and history.
Alternatively, if a character already has a background, picking his traits can be a great way to quantify that, just as picking race, class, and ability scores quantifies his strengths and weaknesses.
A character trait is roughly equal in power to half a feat. In most campaigns, PCs select two traits at character creation, effectively gaining a bonus feat.
There are five trait categories: basic, campaign, race, region, and religion—each with several subcategories, as detailed below. A character can only have one trait from each particular trait category or subcategory.
This section details several new character traits, including some tailored for the region of Katapesh, Katapesh-themed race traits for several different races, religion traits for faiths common to Katapesh, and finally several campaign traits created specifically for Legacy of
Fire.
Basic Traits
Basic traits are divided into the four subcategories of combat, faith, magic, and social, roughly equating to the four basic character archetypes (fighter, cleric, wizard, rogue), but they aren’t tied to specific classes. It’s entirely possible to have a religious rogue, for example, or a magic obsessed fighter. Basic traits are detailed in the character traits online web supplement (see sidebar).
Region Traits
Region traits are keyed to specific regions. In order to select a Region trait, a PC must have spent at least a year living in that region. All of these Katapesh region traits should be available to new characters starting the Legacy of Fire Adventure Path.
Desert Child (Katapesh):
You were born and raised in southern Katapesh, in the rocky deserts that border Nex. You are accustomed to high temperatures and gain a +4 trait bonus on any saving throws made to resist the effects of being in hot conditions, and a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against fire effects.
Duskwalker Agent (Katapesh):
You spent a portion of your childhood working for the Duskwalkers, the guild responsible for policing and watching over all trade that takes place in Katapesh’s notorious Nightstalls. You have quite a bit more spending cash than most others of your age as a result, and start with twice the normal amount of starting gold. In addition, your reputation remains strong in the Nightstalls, and any transactions you make there are always beneficial to you; items you sell net you an additional 10% profit, and items you purchase there are 10% cheaper than normal. This
discount also applies to your starting gear.
Freed Slave (Katapesh):
You spent a significant portion of your childhood as a slave, but were freed from slavery several years ago by a benevolent master who purchased you from an auction after your previous master’s death. Yet while the memories of your difficult childhood still haunt you, the hard life did toughen you. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saves.
Merchant’s Child (Katapesh):
One of your close relatives was a gifted merchant, and taught you early in life how to see the innate value in any object. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Appraise checks, and Appraise is always a class skill for you.
Nightstall Urchin (Katapesh):
You grew up an orphan on the streets of Katapesh, and spent many years of childhood in the Nightstalls, Katapesh’s most infamous market. The strange and often horrific sights you saw there forced you to grow up fast—there’s little that can shock or unsettle you. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saves against fear effects, and when you do make a successful
save against a fear effect, the resulting rush of bravado grants you a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and all skill checks for the next minute.
Pesh Addict (Katapesh):
You spent several of your teenaged years addicted to pesh, a habit that you may or may not have kicked. Certainly, the habit consumed much of your savings. You start with only half of the normal starting cash as a result, but your knowledge of the pesh addict lifestyle grants you a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Knowledge (local), and Sense Motive checks. One of these skills (your choice) is always a class skill for you.
Pesh Dealer (Katapesh):
You worked for a pesh dealer, either by selling the drug on the street or helping to organize shipments to other regions, which involved a
certain amount of smuggling. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sleight of Hand checks, and Sleight of Hand is always a class skill for you.
Savannah Child (Katapesh):
You were born and raised in central Katapesh, among the rolling savannahs that dominate the nation’s interior. You spent many of your
youth exploring these vast reaches, and know much of the savannah’s secrets. Pick one of the following skills: Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), or Ride. You gain a +1 trait bonus on that skill, and it is always a class skill for you.
Uwaga Highlander (Katapesh):
You were born and raised in western Katapesh, in the rugged badlands and
hills of the Uwaga Highlands. Even if you were born in a city like Solku, you often had to travel the dangerous trails with your family. Predators, gnolls, and worse haunt the Uwaga Highlands, and you’ve become something of an expert at evading them. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. This trait bonus increases to +2 in hilly or rocky areas.
Campaign Traits
Campaign traits are tailored to a specific Adventure Path,
and give your character a built-in reason to begin the
first adventure in the new campaign. Some campaign
traits also grant teamwork benefits if you choose to begin
a campaign with your character having a preexisting
relationship with another PC.
Campaign traits assume a lot more about your character’s
backstory than other traits do, and those assumptions are
mostly about very recent events in your history rather than
formative childhood events. You have a certain amount
of leeway in adjusting or changing a campaign trait’s
expected backstory once you’ve selected which trait is right
for you, but get your GM’s approval before you run with a
modified backstory.
All of the following traits revolve around elements
that are important to the Legacy of Fire Adventure Path.
You can look at these traits to get a general, spoiler-free
idea about the types of foes and problems your character
might face at some point during the Adventure Path—
this is by design. Knowing that there are going to be
elements such as gnolls, genies, and the like should
help you build a character that fits more organically in
the campaign you’re about to join. The following traits
are geared toward your character’s joining of a ragtag
group of adventurers, mercenaries, freed slaves, guards,
and rapscallions under the watchful eye of a man named
Garavel. Garavel has traveled throughout Katapesh to
gather you and the other PCs to aid in the reclaiming
of Kelmarane, a remote village in northwest Katapesh.
This village once held the southern end of a trade route
between Katapesh and Osirion, but it fell upon hard
times and has lain abandoned for years. Said now to be
the home of a tribe of gnolls in service to someone called
the “Carrion King,” ruined Kelmarane represents a great
possibility to the Pactmasters of Katapesh. If the village
can be reclaimed and rebuilt, the trade resulting would
strengthen Katapesh’s western and northern reaches, a
region long plagued by gnolls, monsters, and worse.
Earning Your Freedom: You’ve been a slave your whole
life, and have passed from master to master more times
than you can count. Some of those masters were cruel,
others kindly. In all cases, you’ve yearned to be free. When
your most recent master fell on hard times, he sold many of
his slaves to the city government, and as luck would have it,
a recent opportunity to earn your freedom has manifested.
The Pactmasters of Katapesh are looking to revitalize an
old trade route to Osirion, and a band of mercenaries and
guards is gathering to go out and supplement forces already
in place near the ruined village of Kelmarane, now said to
be infested by gnolls. You’ve secured a place among those
mercenaries, under the watchful eye of Garavel. If you
help in retaking Kelmarane, you’ve been promised your
freedom. In any event, your life as a slave has toughened
you and made you more resistant to hardship. Choose one
of the three categories of saving throw; you gain a +1 trait
bonus on all saving throws of that type.
Seeking Adventure: The Pathfinder Society has long
intrigued you—tales of the exotic lands and strange
discoveries made by Pathfinders have enchanted your
dreams and fired your imagination since childhood. When
Pathfinders came through your village or neighborhood,
they immediately enthralled you with their stories
and knowledge. Yet at the time, you were far too young
to join them, and when they left for adventure you had
to stay behind. Now that you are of age, you’ve traveled
to Absalom to apply for membership. The application
process went well, and you’re now a full member. Your
first assignment is to accompany Garavel’s group to
Kelmarane—the Pathfinder Society has heard rumors
of several ancient structures in the area, including a
ruined monastery once dedicated to Sarenrae, and would
like to learn more about them. Even more pressing is the
mystery of what brought about Kelmarane’s ruin in the
first place—reports of which are vague at best. If you can
determine the cause of the village’s abandonment so many
years ago, you’re sure the Society would be impressed. You
begin the game with your own wayfinder, a loan from your
venture-captain. You’ve promised to pay your venturecaptain
500 gp for the wayfinder some day, but for now it’s
yours to use. A wayfinder is a magical compass that grants
you a +2 circumstance bonus on Survival checks to avoid
becoming lost, and can be commanded to emit light as
the spell (CL 5th) as a standard action. Further details on
the Pathfinder Society and wayfinders may be found in the
Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting (pages 194–195) or
Seekers of Secrets.
Reclaiming your Roots: Your interest in the village
of Kelmarane is more personal than most of the others
who are heading out to aid in the reclamation. You
aren’t seeking revenge against gnolls, glory, money, or
anything else—to you, this is purely a matter of honor,
as Kelmarane is where you were born. Your were forced
to flee the village when you were only a few years old, and
you didn’t discoverer this until a few years ago—perhaps
you found an old document that revealed the truth, or
maybe you learned the news from a relative. Both of your
parents are now dead, and from what you’ve been able to
piece together, one of your parents actually died in the
village when whatever happened there happened. Your
surviving parent spirited you away to safety to grow up
elsewhere, but never spoke of Kelmarane and always told
you that your other parent died when you were a child
in a horrific tragedy like a fire or a flood that swept away
the body. Now that you’ve started to uncover the truth,
you are convinced that your heritage remains hidden in
Kelmarane. Whether you just wish to find out what really
happened to your parent that died there or you want to
rebuild the village in his or her honor is up to you—but
Garavel’s caravan to the village is just the opportunity
you’ve been waiting for. When your other parent died
recently, among his or her effects was a single item that
once belonged to the parent who died at Kelmarane. This
item is your most valued possession—a piece of jewelry
worth 350 gp, any masterwork weapon or armor worth no
more than 350 gp, or a wand containing any 1st-level spell
(CL 1st) with only 20 charges remaining. If you ever lose
this item, your resulting depression imposes a –1 penalty
on Will saves for 1 year.
Gnoll Killer: You grew up in rural Katapesh, in a
region where gnoll activity was a fact of life. You killed
your first gnoll at a young age when a group of gnoll
slavers attacked your village, home, or caravan, and your
hatred of gnolls has only grown since then. Something
in your past fueled your hatred of gnolls even further—
perhaps your family was slaughtered by gnolls, or maybe
you even served a few harrowing weeks as a prisoner of a
gnoll tribe before a miraculous escape. When you heard
that Garavel was looking for brave men and women to
aid in retaking the village of Kelmarane from a tribe
of gnolls in the service of the notorious Carrion King,
you knew you had to be part of the group, and signed up
immediately. You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls
and weapon damage rolls made against gnolls. If you are
a barbarian and you’re fighting gnolls, your rage lasts
1 round longer than normal. If you’re a ranger and you
select humanoid (gnoll) as a favored enemy, your trait
bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls against
gnolls increases to +2. If you’re a spellcaster, you gain
a +1 trait bonus to spell save DCs for damaging spells
against gnolls.
Missionary: You’ve spent much of the last several years
serving your faith, and the conviction and dedication to
your church has impressed many. Perhaps you’ve donated
much of your personal wealth or time to serving the
church, or you’re the child of a powerful or well-loved
member of the church, an orphan raised by the church,
or a foundling with a strange birthmark that bears
more than a passing resemblance to your faith’s holy
symbol. The faith has long supported you, and you are
eager to repay the church in some way. In Katapesh, the
establishment of a new village is always cause for interest
to the nation’s churches, as establishing new temples in
villages is an excellent way to expand upon the church’s
resources and bring in more faithful. If the Pactmasters’
plans to revitalize and rebuild Kelmarane are successful,
the village will need a temple, and your faith is keenly
interested in being represented there. This campaign
trait is particularly suited to worshipers of Sarenrae, as
Kelmarane was founded near an old monastery dedicated
to the Dawnflower, and reconsecrating that monastery
is of great interest to Sarenrae’s church. Furthermore, a
temple dedicated to her once stood in Kelmarane itself,
but it has long since fallen into ruin; whispers among the
religion tell that the church’s old pastor may have fallen
from grace and may even have been part of the cause of the
hard times that befell the village. You’ve joined Garavel’s
band in hopes of helping to establish a new temple in
the soon-to-be revitalized village. You’ve been selected
for your dedication to the church and your strong social
graces—pick one of the following skills: Bluff, Diplomacy,
Intimidate, Knowledge (religion), Perform (any), or Sense
Motive. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks using that
skill, and it is always considered a class skill for you.
Finding Haleen: You never knew your parents—perhaps
they died when you were a child, or maybe you were taken
from them and raised elsewhere as a slave. You owe your
sanity and your life to a woman named Haleen. She could
be your sister or merely a childhood companion, but
whatever your relationship to her, she took care of you
and protected you. She’s always been a part of your life,
and although her temper often kept her from making
friends or keeping a job, she’s always been kind to you.
Haleen was instrumental in securing your freedom from
slavery or making sure you got a good apprenticeship or
job in society—but recently, she’d been growing strangely
morose and depressed. You and Haleen normally kept no
secrets, but whatever was bothering her wasn’t something
she shared with you. One night, she vanished, leaving
you a brief note, begging you to forget her and to get
on with your life, but something about the note
bothered you—something in the way she phrased
her words struck you as forced. You may be convinced
she’d been kidnapped, forced to leave against her will, or
even magically controlled, but you also suspect that she
left you to protect you from something—that was ever her
way. You’re now convinced that it’s time for you to step in
and protect her, but you had no idea where she may have
gone until recently. Several months have passed since she
disappeared, and you’ve spent those months searching for
clues to her location, and you’ve finally found a lead—a
mysterious note, a strange dream, the result of a back-alley
divination, or a report of a sighting of a woman matching
Haleen’s description has come to you, placing Haleen in
the vicinity of an old ghost town named Kelmarane. What
she’s doing there and how she came to be there makes no
sense to you yet, but the lead is the strongest one you’ve
had. This and Garavel’s advertisement for mercenaries
to accompany him to the region is all the omen you
need. You joined Garavel’s group and eagerly await the
day you’ll be leaving for Kelmarane. Although Haleen
chose to become a swashbuckling adventurer, she always
encouraged you to seek your own path, and her support
is the primary reason you chose the class you did at 1st
level. This class is always a favored class to you, and your
dedication to it is such that every time you take a level in
the class, you gain +1 hit point and 1 additional skill point
over and above what you would normally gain. If multiple
PCs take this trait, they should be siblings who were both
protected and raised by Haleen.
Antonius Moretti:
The camel driver and his wife have a friendly attitude toward you in future encounters. (Please remind me next time you interact with them) Despite a completely successful outcome, the camel driver is for the moment completely distraught, as his favorite goat, Rombard, has gone missing in the chaos.
Spoiler:
Once you have all introduced yourselves...]
The camp starts to act like a normal camp, but still picking up the pieces of a tragedy, one of their own has perished.
Almah pulls Garavel aside and asks Garavel to lead an investigation into whether or not the fire might have been set by someone in her camp. Then he collects the rest of you for a discussion of the investigation.
Garavel tells the group that the destroyed wagon belonged to Almah’s personal fortuneteller Eloais, a handsome man from Almah’s distant homeland of Varisia. Eloais’s specialty was a divinatory deck of cards known as Harrow, a few cards of which litter the ground outside the burned-out wagon.
Physical examination of the ruined wagon reveals sooty ashes, a few broken bottles or potion vials, a cracked nonmagical crystal ball, and several pools of melted wax where candles must once have stood. Eloais’s charred skeletal form remains near the center of the wagon.
A DC 20 Search check on the body reveals:
No signs of struggle or violence,
suggesting that the fortune-teller was killed by the fire itself or from inhaling the smoke the fire caused. charred skeletal form remains near the center of the wagon.
sleight of hand check, if you wish to steal from the burned wagon:
Sneaky characters searching the wreckage can harvest 55 gp in
assorted blackened coins.
Searching characters may make a DC 16 Perception check:
You notice the gnoll expert Dashki lurking a short distance away, watching them from behind the corner of a nearby wagon.
The group of people Almah has gathered to aid her in
retaking the village includes the PCs and (now that the
astrologer Eloais is dead) 16 other characters—Almah’s
major domo Garavel, an expert on gnolls named Dashki,
a cleric of Nethys named Zastoran, four soldiers, six
mercenaries, a pair of camel drivers, and Almah herself.
Almah Roveshki:
Almah is a beautiful young merchant
princess, the latest in a long line of wealthy agents of
the Pactmasters of Katapesh. Her family, originally
from Varisia far to the north, has dwelt in Katapesh for
several generations now. Unfortunately, her family has
been down on its luck for most of those generations as a
result of bad investments and the economic intrigues
of rival merchant princes, but Almah is ready to
steady the ship and rebuild her family legacy.
One way to do that is to rescue the village of
Kelmarane, which used to be in the
charge of her family ages ago. The
Pactmasters want it back, so they have
sent Almah to make it so.
Almah is a canny competitor
who knows that she will not get
a second chance to impress her
mysterious superiors. Thus
she has thrown everything
into this expedition. She
still manages to maintain the
luxury of her position (perfumed
accommodations, the finest silks,
well-paid mercenaries), but the
strains are starting to show, and the
hint of desperation has begun to
drive her decision-making. She
projects an outward atmosphere of control.
If the PCs ask Almah about Kelmarane:
She replies, “Long ago, the village was one of several in the Uwaga Highlands
of the Brazen Peaks situated around a battle market, a
huge arcade that attracted merchants, gladiators, actors,
musicians, and customers from throughout Katapesh and
neighboring Osirion. Then, about 20 years ago… it fell, and
the Pactmasters abandoned it to ruin. Rumors of plagues
and evil curses abound, but in truth no one really seems
to know why the village died. About 2 years ago, a pack of
gnolls called the Kulldis tribe inhabited the battle market
and claimed Kelmarane as its own. The Pactmasters want
the village back, and it’s up to us to deliver it to them.”
A DC 20 Sense Motive:
You get a hunch that Almah may know more about the doom that came to Kelmarane, but for now, she doesn’t wish to speak on the subject.
Garavel, Male human fighter:
With a lantern jaw
and short black hair, the dashing Garavel looks more like
a swordsman than an accountant and business expert, yet
it is he who oversees much of Almah’s personal business.
A strange metal bolt protrudes from the left side of his
skull, a sign of his direct servitude to the Pactmasters
and a magical method of keeping his emotions in
check while he engages in important business matters
on their behalf. He often hides this bolt by wearing a
plain white keffiyeh over the head—this metal bolt
is a Pactmaster’s favor, over the days of travel each of you have seen it at least once.
Dashki (Gnoll Expert):
Many members of Almah’s
party suspect that Dashki may have set the fire. He
has drawn attention to himself with his generally rude
attitude, his obvious attraction to the merchant princess
(who considers him so far below her league that she hasn’t
noticed, even if everyone else has), and his rough-hewn,
almost feral manners.
Almah hired the mangy, dart-eyed Dashki weeks ago in
Solku, while investigating the land granted to her by the
Pactmasters. Since Kelmarane was said to be under the
control of gnolls, she needed an expert who could explain
what she was up against and provide an edge in any
possible negotiations with the creatures. Largely due to
Dashki’s animated first-hand accounts of gnoll savagery,
Almah has given up on the idea of diplomacy, but she
keeps him around because she trusts his advice, despite
his eccentricities.
Anyone who spends any time with Dashki immediately
notices that his powerful body odor betrays a man with a
very loose relationship with hygiene. He dresses in filthy
rags and walks with a slight limp due to an old injury
(a gnoll once tried to chew off his left leg at the thigh),
propping himself up with a gnarled wooden staff.
A DC 10 Perception check during mealtime:
reveals that the gnoll expert ravenously shoves food into his mouth with his grubby hands, an animalistic display that grossly offends anyone of culture or refinement.
If the PCs can make Dashki at least friendly, he’ll
share his story with them, Diplomacy DC 20. :
“Almah hired me about a month ago to tell her all about
the gnolls living in these hills. Gnolls killed my mother and
grandfather when I was a boy. They put fire to our village
and slew hundreds. Somehow I escaped with my father to
the town of Solku, not far from here. It was a long time
ago, I’ve forgotten most of what I saw. Terrible things. But
I find it’s the sounds that stay with me. The shrill howls
and barks—hundreds of them at once—that sounded
deliriously close to an audience. Laughing at us.
“Father raised me to know everything about the gnolls,
their customs, their language. So as better to track them
down and wipe them out. All of them. Together we scouted
out their lairs, studied their tribes, listened to them speak
until we could understand what they were saying. They’re
not dumb animals, you know. Not like you might think.
In some ways they’re even smarter than us.
“Dad didn’t survive our first raid on a gnoll camp
of the Three Jaws tribe. I saw them fall on him
like hyenas on an abandoned kill, slathering
themselves in his blood and innards. I can
still hear the tear of his scalp and the sound
of his bones against frenzied teeth. Against
this scene I was forgotten. Ignored.
“I escaped, and I carry on the work of
my father.”
Father Zastoran, Neutral, Male old human cleric of Nethys:
Zastoran hails from the coastal capital of Katapesh. A cleric
of Nethys, the god of magic, Zastoran
joined up with Almah years ago
when she was just starting out
in business, and has been her
personal physician and spiritual
advisor ever since. Zastoran is a
friendly, chatty chap who misses
the comforts of his home city and
who naturally gravitates toward
good conversationalists
with interest in culture
and the arts.
Zastoran’s small wagon
contains an enormous chest
that holds dozens and dozens
of potions, an entire
stock of medicinal
supplements and
magical aids meant to protect Almah’s
band and the early settlers who will flock
to Kelmarane once it has been liberated
of gnoll influence. Despite this, he is
loath to give out his potions and treats
the loss of each as more serious than
the injuries that they heal. In such
cases Father Zastoran is full of
patronizing advice about how you
can be more careful to avoid
injuries in the future. Because of
his collection and obsession with alchemy.
Zastoran’s Role:
Zastoran is particularly adept at avoiding combat—
but then, he’s not included in this adventure to give you
a direct hand. His role is to provide healing in the
form of spells and potions. He can cast 2 cure moderate
wounds, 3 cure light wounds, and 8 cure minor wounds in
a day, and does so at no charge as the PCs require. His
potion collection is large but limited to potions of cure light
wounds, cure moderate wounds, delay poison, lesser restoration,
and nonmagical holy water. At Almah’s urging, he only
charges the PCs half price for the potions (but does
so begrudgingly).
Caravan Guards (Human warrior):
Two categories of guards are part
of Almah’s party—loyal personal
guards assigned to protect her by
the Pactmasters themselves, and
mercenaries she hired at
Solku to bolster her group’s
strength. All of these guards
are second-level human warriors,
but the two groups are quite
different in personality.
The four personal guards are
named Fixx, Keldon, Podarn, and
Vodrave. Like Garavel, they serve the
Pactmasters of Katapesh. It just so
happens that they have been assigned to protect
Almah, but she does not have direct control over
them. The vigilant guards have little sense of humor,
are not particularly communicative, and never really
treat the player characters as anything other than a
potential threat to Almah.
There are six mercenaries—three men (Trevvis [the
nominal leader], Utarchus, and Dullen) and three women
(Kallien, Brotis, and Yesper). They are a disreputable lot,
thick with soiled armor and greasy hair, a distinct contrast
to the well-mannered, meticulously attired soldiers who
guard Almah at all times. Although they act the part, the
mercenaries are nowhere near as tough as they appear or
portray themselves to be. At the beginning of the adventure
their bluster is fairly intimidating, but as the PCs defeat
more and more monsters the mercenaries begin to appear
like the middling battlefield pawns that they are. All the
while, however, the mercenaries firmly believe themselves
to be the PCs’ superiors, treating them accordingly.
Camel Drivers human commoner :
This friendly,
late middle-aged human couple tends the dozen-or-so
animals kept by Almah’s band as food or transportation.
Camel Drivers, human commoner:
The merchant princess hired them from the nearby town
of Solku. Everyone seems to like the man, Hadrod, and
his wife, Hadrah, who also help cook the camp’s meals
and take care of many additional menial tasks. Both are
tremendous gossips and make a game of keeping tabs on
everyone in the camp. The arrival of a new group excites
both of them almost more than the recent commotion,
and Hadrod and Hadrah pepper the PCs with questions
about their backgrounds, clothes, and interests while they
attempt to conduct their interview, making it somewhat
unclear who is running the interrogation.
Almah and Garavel suggest to speak with everyone else in the party. Not only is this good advice, but it works very well to introduce the PCs to
the NPCs they’ll be spending their time with during this
adventure. Of the NPCs, only Garavel knows the PCs. The
other NPCs have starting attitudes of indifferent to the
PCs (save Dashki, who starts as unfriendly); these starting
attitudes may have been adjusted depending on the actions
the PCs took during the fire. Each NPC is willing to give
the PCs a certain amount of information, but only if they’re
made friendly do they divulge the information listed at the
end of the following sections.
Make sure to ask questions when investigating, also any checks your want to do.
