[PF] Hell's Rebels Table 1

Game Master Alyksandrei

So I've never DMed a PbP before, nor have I run a published module. I have played Pathfinder, but never DMed it. So please be patient with me!

That said, I believe all or at least most of you are somehow new to the Pathfinder RPG community - either you've never played a tabletop RPG before, or at least never played Pathfinder. I'd kind of like a brief introduction of ourselves as players before we get started (gives me time to study the book!). All I really want is your level of experience with RPGs in general and Pathfinder specifically, and whatever else you care to tell us about whatever playstyle you may favor or what you expect it to be like, or something. Like I said, I've never done this before.

I've been playing for a couple of years now, mostly 3.PF (3.5e D&D plus Pathfinder, often called "3.75e D&D"). I'm in a 3.5 campaign, a 5e campaign, and a number of modules and campaigns in various stages here on the boards. I've also been in an Aberrant campaign (a White Wolf system), but that recently dissolved when the GM moved away.

I've mostly played one-shots, and my DMing experience is entirely with one-shots (all of 2 games) using a rules-lite microsystem known as "Roll for Shoes". If I can find the original rules again, I might post a link.

Anyway, I'm trying something new here. Several somethings, actually. I've never been particularly vocal on messageboards or at the table, so this will be very different for me. Feel free to poke me if I don't reply to your posts quickly enough. I might forget that I'm supposed to be the DM. :)

I do check the boards frequently (perhaps obsessively), and I do expect several posts a week from each player. At least something in this discussion thread to let us know you're still around and paying attention, even if you don't feel you have anything to contribute. Again, feel free to prompt me if I return to my old lurker habits. I'll see your posts.

(Sorry for the wall of text - I get rather verbose when I'm nervous.)

Shamelessly stolen from NOTY's version of this campaign. I'm new at this.

Feel free to introduce yourselves a bit more.

Something for you all to consider before we start the campaign proper:

- Is your character a native of Kintargo? If not, how did they come to be here?
- Does your character know any of the other player characters? If so, how?
- How would you describe your character?
- How would your character describe themselves? (Remember these two things can be very different).

Hey all, I'm Caleb, otherwise known as Xcarthan12. I'm new to the forums and to Pathfinder in general, though I've been wanting to get into it for a while now. The Humble Bundle gave me a great opportunity to do so, and so I'm excited to delve into Golarion.

I'm pretty much obsessive with role-playing games. Even before I properly knew any system, back when I was like 8, I was making up my own RPGs to play with my friends, and we had many adventures that way, until I was about 13 or 14, when I actually learned the D&D 3.5 ruleset and we started using that. That's the role-playing game I'm most familiar with, so Pathfinder has been pretty intuitive for me so far.

Lately, I've been getting really heavily involved in other systems such as the 6th ed. HERO System, Fate, the Mistborn Adventure Game, and several one-shot systems such as Fiasco, A Penny For My Thoughts, and so on. And me and Gilen's player are actually in the process of designing our own role-playing game, which has been a blast.

I should probably point out that I've pretty much always been the GM of these various campaigns, except for a few minor exceptions.

I say all this to tell y'all that I'm very much not a new player when it comes to role-playing games. But I am new to Pathfinder, and though the idea has always intrigued, have never been a part of a play-by-post game of any sort. This'll be new territory for me in those ways, and I'm excited to get started.

But yes, in terms of playstyles I favor--besides being an avid role-player, I'm also a novelist and artist of anything story-related, so I tend to see everything in those terms. I am a very hardcore role-player, and though I don't often play as characters, I love when I get the opportunity to do so, and I'm really looking forward to this.

So yeah, role-playing, story focus all the way for me over here.

Haha well that's my spiel.

Hi, I am Ietsuna. I am new to Pathfinder and TRPGs in general. I have wanted to play them for ages, but never have had anyone to play with. I discovered Pathfinder when a friends of mine started playing with some friends of his. I am a father of 2 who has a full-time job and also is a partner in a martial arts club, so my wife threatened me with divorce if I disappeared one more night to play games.... the answer PbP.

Anyway, I will be playing Matsudaira the Martial Artist archetype monk. I was obviously drawn to this by my love of Japanese tings and the fact that I teach martial arts. Added to that the monk is a melee fighter so I don't have to worry about casting or preparing spells. Lets me get a handle on stuff in bite sized chunks. Maybe I play a cleric or something next time.

Here is my backstory from my alias. It may suck, I am new to this.

Matsudaira grew up the middle child in a family of artisans. His parents had a small workshop making small items from wood such as jewellery boxes, clothing chests and other items desirable to the higher end socialites of Kintargo. That was until his younger brother was summoned to the temple of Asmodeus and never returned. With the sacrifice of his brother Matsudaira turned his back on Asmodeus for good. Running away from home a 14 year old Matsudaira found a small monastery where wizened old men performed great feats, turning their very bodies into weapons. Matsudaira trained diligently and returned home 8 years later a warrior monk, although he had never been able to harness the mythical ki energy, perhaps due to his swearing to never again be bound by the "Law" and instead simply do what he feels is right. With foot and fist and strange weapons Matsudaira ventures forth into the protest to divert Kintargo from its downward spiral into Hell.

I don't think he knows any of these other players. I don't want to force a connection (not sure how that works).

Matsudaira is fairly average in appearance, except for his shaved head. He does what he feels is right without regard for how it is seen in the eyes of the law.

I think that covers everything :)

@Xcarthan12 We should get along nicely - I love to read! Go ahead and RP as much as you want. Especially if it inspires other players.

@Ietsuna Your backstory is fine, so don't worry. Actually, it's a lot like what I write - enough to give people a sense of who he is and where he came from without constraining the GM too much with specific NPCs, yet enough to use as story hooks for your character. I like it.

As for whether or not your characters know each other and not wanting to force connections, that's what the discussion thread is good for. Feel free to discuss how and if your characters may or may not know each other. Even vague suggestions like "they may have met at the tavern I frequent" or some such is fine. Of course, it's also fine if you're all total strangers who've never laid eyes on each other before. That can make for some interesting party dynamics.

Greetings, my character is Alassa Vaena but my handle is Darkfire142. I am an experienced player/GM of RPG's and currently running a Dragonlance game on the Paizo boards. I am very experienced with the Pathfinder system and should be a good addition to your group.

As for my character, she uses the name Alassa Vaenar although that is a name that she uses as she never really had a name in her youth. She was born in the city of Corentyn in Cheliax, the daughter of a Chelaxian escort. Her mother got paid by a client, pleasured him, got pregnant and later gave birth to a Sylph child as the client was a disguised djinn.

Seeing Alassa as a freak, her mother was more than willing to sell her Sylph child off to slavery. An infernal wizard named Ratarion bought her only because her planar blood was useful for various magical rituals. So Alassa was raised as a house slave for years, cared for by other slaves but occasionally bloodletted by Ratharion in order to fuel a number of esotatic conjuration rituals. Alassa being a Sylph aged slowly and was subject to the cruel treatment of slavery in the Chelaxian empire. One would think she would remain in such lot of life forever but fate would intervene.

Ratharion's reach exceeded his grasp and in order to gain his position in society had made a pact with a Contract Devil. His Contract Devil "Arranged" for one of his rivals to facilitate his assassination in order to claim his soul for hell. The assassination of course broke many of the wards on the household allowing many slaves to escape, Alassa was one who got away.

Alassa would flee from Corentyn and spend years eating scraps and living in alleyways, a scared and scarred child. However she found compassion when she encountered a priestess of the church of Sheylin who took the child under their wing. With the healing power of the Goddess, Alassa was healed of her scars and wounds and given care and love that she had never known. In time she was able to recover from the scars of her past and eventually when she became an adult she decided that she needed to make her own way in the world. Thus her journey led her to Kintargo, a progressive city where she could make a new life for herself. Having manifested some magical powers of her heritage she made her way as an armature entertainer for a while but now things in the city have become more difficult with the coming of the inquisitor. Not wanting to be a slave again she was willing to make a stand against the corruption that has come to the city.

Alassa although was not born in Kintargo she has been there for 15 years (She has a long lifespan after all being a Sylph) and has set up roots there, considering the city her new home. The crackdown of the Thune threatens once again to bring her if not others under the yoke of slavery. After finally making a life for herself in this town she has decided she is through running and will finally do her part to protest the new regime.

Some of the player characters may know my character but I'll have to figure out what people are playing to decide who might actually know Alassa considering shes worked a number of odd jobs.

As for Alassa Valnar, she is a woman of fair skin, with 1/2 white and 1/2 black hair and strange silvery coloured eyes that hint of a more outwardly heritage. She stands at a height of 5"10 and has an air of charisma and alluring attractiveness about her. She dresses in either conservative work clothes or entertainment clothes depending what role she wants to play.

He outward personalty is friendly. She is a charitable person who is willing to lay some time to help the poor, oppressed and downtrodden of the city. She dislikes authority though and despises the diabolism and lawful tyranny of the Chelaxian rule. Still her experiences with the system made her decided to stay in these lands rather than leave, for there was others that were being oppressed and thus decided to dedicate her life to helping others.

While the physical scars were healed by her time with the Sheylin church, the mental scars still run deep. In her fifteen years in Kintargo she had thought she had found peace with her past but with the Thune steeping on the rights of its people, she fears that she once again will be enslaved. This is a fate she never wants to happen again and if she can save others from this, she shall.

As for her talents, she depends much on her magical skills. In her adolescence she found she could channel arcane magical naturally and it being her niche has embraced it whole heartably.

Welcome, Darkfire! Nice backstory.

I think we're still waiting on a couple people (not including myself) before we get started. If you haven't posted yet, please do so in the next day or so. I hope to be ready to start by the end of tomorrow (I'm EST/EDT, if that helps you).

Meanwhile, a few things that I'd like changed on your profiles: In the "Classes/Levels" box, I'd like you to list your AC, HP (x/x), Initiative modifier, Perception and other important (to your character, for now) skill mods, and your saves. It would be nice (but I won't require it; it's a lot of work to type up) if you could get a full character sheet into the "About [character]" field - check out my other aliases (particularly Aleksis) for an example of what I mean. It can help a lot when a player disappears or doesn't respond and needs to be botted (I won't do that much, I promise!) in order to move things along after a few days of waiting. And having your most commonly used stats in the "Classes/Levels" box means it shows up under your name when you post - less window-switching for me when I need to, say, roll everyone's initiative.

Oh, one other thing. I'm not a big fan of tracking all the little bookkeeping and logistics details, so I plan on using the "everyone levels up when the story needs them to" method of XP distribution, and I really don't care how much your gear weighs. Just keep it reasonable and I won't have to apply encumbrance penalties.

About languages: Anything other than your basic racial languages does not need to be chosen before we start. I never know what languages to pick, so I don't plan on making you decide them without knowing what languages might be useful. Of course, if there are languages you think your character should know and you have the slots available, by all means choose your languages now.

My Profile should be updated. Did change a few things around on my sheet as well such as my feat, racial ability and spells. I Should be ready to go.

Nice, thanks. Could you add your Perception modifier to the classes/levels line please? Other than that it's exactly what I need. Thanks.

Hello everyone. This is my character Malph. My name is Dan, and my experience with RPGs is limited to some D&D v3.5 when I was younger (early high school) and video games. I'm completely new to Pathfinder (basically only jumping in due to the Humble Bundle), so I'm still learning the similarities and differences between v3.5 and Pathfinder.

Here's the backstory of Malph:

Malph is not a native of Kintargo, but moved there since he was interested in the opportunities of such a large city.

He might know Alassa in passing since he spent some time as well at various odd jobs.

However, he is very much out for himself at the moment. He came in with naive dreams about what the big city would be like, but had to resort to less than admirable means to make a living. He is generally considered likable by the thieves that taught him his trade, but they thought him too young and innocent to let him join a guild. He is very confident (though a better word might be cocky), but unfocused in his pursuits.

Now in the words of Malph:

"I came to Kintargo when I was quite young, knowing that I had the ability to make it big here. I'm very good at many things, but you really have to know the right people to get paid to do anything. Instead, I met much more clever people. They always know where you can 'borrow' some spare coins that won't be missed. I mean, the wealthy of this city definitely have more than they need. But, as I was saying, if I can get myself some coins so easily, I can spend much more time mastering my other interests, such as alchemy." Malph would then wave around a mysterious vial.

I'll have the profile header updated soon.

I'm still missing two character intros...and those two characters still need to update their Classes/Levels lines, please.

I will attempt to start the module in Gameplay tomorrow, probably in the afternoon. You are more than welcome to wander around town in the Gameplay thread before that. Maybe roleplay an encounter on the street, or a bar brawl, or something. Please try to keep the Gameplay thread for in-character posts; questions, clarifications, side conversations, etc. should be reserved for Discussion (helps immersion, which is really important to me as a player). Thanks!

Viviana is a native of Kintargo, though she has little love for the place. With martial law in place, she does feel it is her duty to free Kintargo (also, she has pretty much no money to go anywhere else).

Viviana believes herself to be an avatar of Iomedae, sent to Kintargo at this specific time to free it from oppression. She is highly delusional and often has a higher opinion of herself than is agreeable.

She came to the protest specifically to protest the government...and she has an odd feeling that something important is going to happen here. Iomedae, or herself, believes that Kintargo needs to be liberated, and is ready to do whatever it takes to free it.

Of course, she has absolutely no idea what she's gotten herself into.

Viviana doesn't know anyone else in the party.

Viviana is, as stated above, highly delusional and pretty arrogant. She does, however, consider righteousness and justice to be her primary goals in life, so though she may be a stick in the mud, she's not likely to slit your throat in the night.

She has short-cropped black hair, piercing blue eyes, and has a scar on virtually every main body part, though she is relatively attractive. Her face is often fixed into an unbreakable grimace, as if she has smelled something off, and she is always quick to stab first, though she's just as likely to do so with biting words as her sword. She's often temperamental and moody, brooding about as if she has the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Of course, she actually believes she does have the weight of the world on her shoulders. As mentioned above, she believes herself to be Iomedae herself, and so that tends to color her perception. Not only does she often get into conflict with other worshippers of Iomedae (who she often finds at fault, since if they do anything that disagrees with her mindset, she often feels they are directly disobeying her), but she tends to see everyone in terms of an enemy to be vanquished or a victim to be rescued. As a result, she doesn't have many close friends.

She is, however, naturally charismatic when she wants to be, and has a streak of cunning about her that allows her to manipulate others when she wants to. When she can control her impulses enough to not start burning bridges first thing.

Also, last thing I forgot to add: Viviana grew up in an orphanage in Kintargo, but quickly put her natural martial skills to use as a hired thug at the age of thirteen. She had the epiphany that she was Iomedae at the age of sixteen.

Very thorough backstory! Thanks.

Just waiting on Gilen...and me, of course.

@Malph You can either just narrate like you did for now, or you're welcome to make rolls. I'll either make something up or tell you nothing happens. Thanks for posting in Gameplay!

I should have an intro posted in a couple hours. Sooner if I can manage it. Down with RL! :p

Well, I just wrote that whole thing out and Paizo crashed on me so, here we go again, lol. I'm Gilen's player, David. As Xcarthan mentioned, we're good friends in real life and have shared a great many tabletop roleplaying experiences.

As a roleplayer, I feel much more comfortable engaging in a role through text than acting, so I expect Play by Post and I will get along well. I've got a number of hobbies and obligations--as I'm sure we all do--so I'll apologize now for any sluggish responses. I will do my best to post as frequently as possible.

In regards to Gilen, I looked through the Hell's Rebels primer and, while the information was useful, I couldn't find anything to substantiate my concept for Gilen as a raider who has been stranded on foreign shores. If that's compatible with the fiction, I'll delve a little deeper there. I'm hoping to have the relevant stats posted as was specified by tonight. I do apologize that I haven't done so already.

Anyway, I look forward to playing with all of you and raising some hell! (See what I did there?)

@Allivar No worries. We can be patient. Really, we can. [drifts off, muttering to herself]

Anyway, if you want some help justifying your backstory, go ahead and post here - many heads are better than one sometimes. We'll see what we can do to help.

The basic idea was that he came on a raid that was rebuffed. He was incapacitated during the fighting and the raiding party fled without him. This city was where he ended up, presumably trying to find passage home. I don't know if the military lock down has stopped shipping in the area, but if it did, he'd have to solve the little issue of an oppressive government before he could get back.

Well, the lock down has certainly made it difficult for ships to leave. Not impossible, but more difficult than normal.

Traits: just thought about this. I don't remember what NOTY originally said about the number of traits per character, but I think it would be more interesting if you have 2 traits plus a campaign trait. So...how's this sound: you must have a campaign trait, and you may have up to 2 additional traits from allowed sources using the normal trait rules.

I think NOTY originally said two traits with at least one being a campaign trait. At least, that's what I have at the moment. I'll add another trait tomorrow!

If I can figure out what I'm doing, I will post a map sometime soon...and maybe we can get pix for everyone to run combats and stuff. Otherwise we'll have to just estimate who's where.

I saw your posts, guys. Gotta get time to check the book on my computer. Most of my posts are on my phone.

Ok, putting this here. Not sure where it should go.

Kinda unsure about how to act at this moment.

Sure. Sounds good.

I realize that Alassa and I are going back and forth a bit (I am at work so have time on my hands). If this is monopolizing gameplay I apologize. Let me know if I need to dial it back. Also my first real go at RP.

I don't mind it for now, but I'm wondering where the other players are. I don't want them to feel marginalized or ignored, but they likely don't have as many posting opportunities. I hope everyone will feel comfortable speaking up if that happens. PM me if you don't want to say anything publicly.

On the other hand, I'm enjoying the RP. Nice storytelling.

Oh @Alassa, speech is typically bold , while thoughts and internal monologing is usually italics

This might be relevant, but I'm in France at the moment. (I'll be back in the US in a few weeks, I think.) I'm usually sound asleep during the American evening, which might be the most common posting time for you guys. Don't worry about me.

Ah, also, I might have misunderstood the Perception check, but isn't it the mark that has to make a check against my Sleight of Hand (DC 13)? That is, an 8 would fail to notice me.

Yeah, I'm all good with what's happening :) It's some good role-playing. My character doesn't have much to contribute at the moment anyway. She's basically decided to sit it out and wait for something to happen. Though she is amused by the woman in the mask.

I'm enjoying the RP. That's half the fun for me as a gm - seeing what crazy thing the players will come up with next. I just don't want anybody to feel left out or ignored. Too easy in PbP.

Same here. Gilen's out of his element and just waiting to see how things evlove. I don't feel excluded at all :)

Oh, good. Hopefully I'll get a chance to progress things tonight. Phones are convenient, but they are limited.

Haha I lied. Viviana decided to do something after all XD

... the mark that has to make a check against my Sleight of Hand (DC 13)? That is, an 8 would fail to notice me.

Hi Alyksandrei, can you address this? I have no problem with being caught, and I will play along in this case. I just want to make sure we have a common understanding of how pick-pocketing works. It's going to be a very important aspect of my character if I'm going to roleplay a career thief.

Normally, you are correct, but there's additional rules listed in the AP book that I'm using this time. In the future I will be using the standard rules; the protest seems to have special exceptions. Unless I'm interpreting the book incorrectly, which is entirely possible.

Apologies for the delayed response. Having trouble with RL and getting computer time.

Yeah. I think the stats page for Kintargo says -2 to sleight of hand checks for pickpocketing.

No worries :)

Just for clarification, she didn't drop a lot of grain, just a enough to fit in a belt pouch so probably enough to make maybe one loaf of breads worth. Despite her protest, she's not going to dispose of an entire sack of grain to make a point.

Haha good to know XD

there's additional rules listed in the AP book that I'm using this time

I really didn't want to read the AP, but I went ahead since I also don't want to be confused by the rules (as a new Pathfinder player). But yeah, it just gives a modifier, which is entirely within the Core Rulebook.

Ah, yeah, you didn't give the impression that it was a lot if grain. I didn't mean to make it seem like you did, lol.

@Malph - You're probably right, or at least more right than I am, but I'm too tired to try and figure it out tonight. What's done It's done, and I'll review the rules tomorrow so that in the future I can do things correctly. Sound fair?

Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm probably a little bit too excited about having just acquired the rule books and spent a lot of time going over them.

Thanks.

No problem. I come from a rules-lite background, where the GM's rulings are more common than rules lookups. So while I am familiar with the rules (or at least 3.5 and the major changes made in PF), I sometimes forget that others try to go more by-the-book. Thanks for reminding me.

Sorry for the delay. More coming this weekend.

Hey folks! I may or may not have a lot of time to post this weekend - my sister and her family are coming to town, and I will be spending a lot of time with my nephew (he's two and a half and tons of fun). But I will be checking things.

Good people. We have made our displeasure known. I see no reason for anyone to be hurt here today. Put down your rocks, mud and improvised missiles and go back about your business.

Haha loved this line XD I can just hear him saying it in my head and it's great.

How well equipped do these guards look and how many are there? I assume this situation doesn't look winnable.

Definitely doesn't look like it would be easy or anything. Doesn't look like a fair right anyway - they're well armed and rather outnumber you now.

More soonish. Seems I've caught a bad case of the sniffles, which means I barely have the energy to go to work, let alone have any fun. But I will be checking up on you - if you're waiting on me in Gameplay, chat here about whatever so I know you're still around. Thanks for your patience.

So, how about that local sports team?

On a more serious note, what drew you all to your character classes?

I actually was just drawn to the idea of a character who was delusioned into thinking they were a god, and Oracle seemed to fit well :)