Almas, capital city of Andoran. The first truly democratic city in Avistan, Almas is a truly bustling cityscape, with variegated inhabitants, some seeking true peace and freedom others seeking easy marks and some just to see the grand experiment. In many ways, Almas delivers to all of these. The vast, bustling metropolis is really run by elected citizens, a stark contrast to the other Inner Sea cities run by this petty noble or that twisted tyrant. Compared to the rough 'justice' of the Linnorm Kingdoms, the decaying corruption of Taldor, let alone the horrors of Cheliax or Nidal, Andoran stands as a bulwark for human decency and citizenship.
But even this sterling example of responsibility, justice and personal freedom has it's dark side. Enemies circle at the gates, imperial powers looking to reclaim old glory, rapacious business consortiums looking for markets and. More insidiously however is the corruption from inside Andoran itself. Power hungry men, looking to climb the rungs of power, nobles seeking to reclaim old rights and secret societies plotting their own ends.
Despite these circling shadows, the complicated politics of Almas go on. At the top rests the Supreme Elect, who for the last 11 years has been Codwin I, a canny hard man who has helped birth the world's first democracy. Under him is the People's Council, 350 elected officials who aim to give voice to their voters. A den of power-plays and backroom deals the Councilors are some of the most powerful people in Andoran. Below the Councilors are the Ministers, chosen Civil Servants who personally help the Supreme Elect in a Cabinet. And the lowest level are the Commissioners, randomly selected civil servants who actually runt he government day to day.
A new lottery has just been held and a number of new faces have been chosen, called to the Citadel of the Supreme Elect to receive their new jobs. A naive man might look forward to getting close to the levers of power, but a cynical person would know new Commissioners (without connections) are often given the unpleasant, unsavory tasks that are required but unwanted. Still, who knows what opportunists, dangers and prizes glitter in the future for these new Commissioners?
This is a homebrew game set in the Andoren city of Almas. It will follow the PC as they deal with the complicated politics and social settings of this vast and interesting city. There is a strong sandbox quality as the game will mostly be decided by your actions. You can rise in the ranks of the political hierarchy (starting as a lowly Commissioner), milk the system for personal gain or purpose any other goal you want, all the while gaining allies and making enemies. It is all up to the player, how they choose to interact with this dynamic environment.
I hope this game will bring out the best in Solo PBP games, the speed, the high quality of Role-playing, the varied interactions with NPCS and the best of all, truly meaningful consequences of your actions. Player Agency is key.
Levels: Starting level is 3, and you will level fairly regularly
Stats: 20 point buy, no stat can be lower than 8 before racial modifications.
Classes: The first note is remember, you will be on your own in a urban, social environment required to do social now and then...Core, Base and Hybrid classes are all allowed.
Races: All Core races are allowed without restriction, along with tiefling, hobgoblin and gillmen.
Alignment: Being flexible with alignment here. Everything but CE is allowed. Remember though, you are serving in a public office so public relations do matter!
Traits: Two traits of your choice, which must come from sources other than Adventure Paths.
Hit Points: Hit points will be gained at each level equal to ½ class HD +1. You will receive maximum HP for first level.
Starting Gold: 1,000 with plenty of ways to earn money in the city. Just recall, having money is more useful in a city then in a dungeon crawl. Keeping some liquid assets is useful!
Skills: We will be using the Background skills system. You will be on your own so use these extra skills wisely!
Character Background: Due to the nature of this game (Solo and Political), I have a few 'required' background features.
1. You are starting out as a newly minted Commissioner in the city of Almas. These are randomly chosen by lottery so that puts no limitation on the character. The only restriction is you must have lived in Andoran (not Almas) for at least 6 months prior to the start of the game.
2. For the game, you will have a connection to one of the (also new) Councilors. I would like you to build a close and personal connection with one of the Councilors somewhere in your back-story. They can be family, a deep friend, someone who saved your life anything that would anchor you to them on a personal level.
3. Along with this, please create a common agenda between you and the Councilor. Almas is wracked by many political, economic and social issues, any of which could easily be your PCs driving motive.
Examples include: The divide between big government and little, the odd role of religion in Almas, anger at the long-reigning Supreme Elect, feelings against and for large outside businesses, the growing Bellflower Network, attempts by the old Nobles to reinstate feudalism (The Seven Houses), racial equality, foreign influence (mainly Taldor and Cheliax).
This agenda can also be deeply personal such as simple greed for personal gain, a particular issue or grievance, or even personal vengeance on a particular figure. The sky is the limit, just show me what motivates your PC!
Convince me of that and you are well on your way to joining this game!
What I expect:
-A fully finished statblock (you can hold off on minor gear if you wish). An alias is not required but if you want to make one, it won't hurt your chances.
-Some backstory, with the caveats mentioned above. I look forward to hearing about some cool characters.
-A sentence on your views of a solo game would be very interesting.
These are some optional rules this campaign will be using!
Background Skills Link to Rules
Automatic Bonus Progression Link to rules
Skill Unlocks, from Unchained Putting this in. Really great for a solo game. The unlocks are listed for each skill on the SRD.
This is a solo game, so just you and me. That means the pace should be easy to maintain, and avoid the major pitfall of PBPs. I plan on posting at least once a day, probably more, so I hope you are too!
I am a librarian from PA (which is EST timezone). I have GM'd a few PBP games (on private forums) and a few live games. This my first GM attempt on Pazio however (although I am playing a number of games right now, and really enjoying it!) and looking forward to it.
I am big on communication both IC and OOC so expect lots of posts in Discussion and Gameplay!
I'll be answering any questions you have, so feel free to throw ideas out there.
Dotting for interest.
This sounds like a lovely concept! I'm going to be recording any ideas that hit me in the next few days for this character sheet...
Wow this actually looks really cool. I've flipped through a few one on one adventures before, but this looks to be the most intriguing one yet!
Before I take a crack at creating a character, let me ask a few questions:
~ How much combat, if any, will there be in the campaign? Just wondering how much I need to consider my combat vs. social balance.
~ Will there be ways for character who doesn't have a focus on Charisma to make their way through these rough political waters? For example, would an Intelligence based class be at a disadvantage compared to something like a bard?
As soon as I read the campaign info, I had an image of a wizardly type buried in books of laws and rubbing her temples in exasperation as a messenger comes in giving her less-than-good news. I love finding a good campaign that inspires a personality at first read.
We're just making up a councilor? I think I have a great character for this. An academic wizard who's apprentice may be a councilor's child. No offense Mimesyne, I've had this character on the backburner for a couple of weeks since it was originally thought up for a crimson throne game I didn't get into.
Dotting for interest.
Hope to see you back.
This sounds like a lovely concept! I'm going to be recording any ideas that hit me in the next few days for this character sheet...
Cool, hope something comes to you!
Wow this actually looks really cool. I've flipped through a few one on one adventures before, but this looks to be the most intriguing one yet!
Before I take a crack at creating a character, let me ask a few questions:
~ How much combat, if any, will there be in the campaign? Just wondering how much I need to consider my combat vs. social balance.
~ Will there be ways for character who doesn't have a focus on Charisma to make their way through these rough political waters? For example, would an Intelligence based class be at a disadvantage compared to something like a bard?As soon as I read the campaign info, I had an image of a wizardly type buried in books of laws and rubbing her temples in exasperation as a messenger comes in giving her less-than-good news. I love finding a good campaign that inspires a personality at first read.
Lots of good questions...
1. Glad you like the idea! I've always liked solo gaming and PBP works quite well with it.
2. Combat- I imagine there will be combat in this game but generally on 'your terms'. Ie, you generally chose to it do it for some reason (or backed yourself into a corner). Does that make sense? I would make sure you have a few tricks up your sleeve if some unsavory thug is hired to rough you up, but that is just me!
3. Charisma- I don't think so. I am leaving it pretty open for any build. Having good diplomacy is always a plus but actually knowing things is a huge help in politics (or any goal in life). I think a Int. based character would do quite well.
I hope I answered your questions and you submit something. Love to see builds.
We're just making up a councilor? I think I have a great character for this. An academic wizard who's apprentice may be a councilor's child. No offense Mimesyne, I've had this character on the backburner for a couple of weeks since it was originally thought up for a crimson throne game I didn't get into.
I will play the Councilor, and have some general 'roles' I want him to play, but you can build as much as your shared agenda and
anchor' demand. I'm happy to work with you on it. Family is perfectly fine. The Councilor is also new to the job.Seems like a neat archetype.
Agreed, I love the idea of a middle aged academic going adventuring, but it would work well here too. What should we know about the councilor to build with?
Hah, I've got a great idea twisting the gears in my brain right now, and thought that I might ask if you think that the tone of this character would fit the campaign. Seeing hobgoblin as an available race on your list, I realized that I'd never really looked into them before. Here I am now, though, with a critter that I'm beginning to grow quite attached to.
This hobgoblin grew up in a small colony in the slum-like outskirts of Almas, made up of fourty or so members living in ramshackle shacks. When thievery was the only way to make a living (hobgoblins aren't exactly the most employable of races), the hobgoblin knew that he was clinging onto the lowest rung of his family's hierarchy. Hobgoblins have always valued strength, and always will, making the character realize that his weak stature made him a natural target for his clan's abuse. It took several years for the young hobgoblin to understand that he could leave his clan, and during this harsh, negative time, he grew craven and developed a loathing for every last member of his group.
It was then that he decided to practice the most atrocious act that a hobgoblin could commit- he dedicated himself to arcane magics.
He was visited one night by a crow that pulsed with an eerie light; and the crow told the hobgoblin of witchcraft, hexes, and the revenge that he desperately craved to bring upon his clan. He practiced the magic in secret for months, months that continued to fuel his ire for his family. Finally, one moonless night, the hobgoblin unleashed horrible curses and sheer terror upon his clan, then ran away once he was satisfied that he had left his abusers with enough mental scars to last them a lifetime.
After spending several nights in the extremely uncomfortable situation of a loner (hobgoblins, as social creatures, hate being alone), the hobgoblin met a young man who took pity on him, giving the hobgoblin ample food and water to feed the starving character for a full day. Though he was thoroughly humiliated with the situation, the hobgoblin realized that accepting the stranger's kindness was better than starving to death or feeding upon food tainted with rat feces and the city's garbage, and he visited the man's house again the next day.
Over the next several weeks, the two grew closer and developed a true, yet odd, sort of friendship, that mostly consisted of consuming a stale breakfast while watching the other chew.
The hobgoblin began to accompany the human other places as well, and tried to help him in any way that he could, carrying objects for him over long distances and sometimes just listening; the man seemed to talk to himself a lot, and felt much less awkward when he could direct his tangents toward a friend, instead. The hobgoblin learned much of politics from the man's ranting, as the human was a commissioner professionally.
Later, the young man suggested that the hobgoblin find a job as a guard, as he seemed to have an uncanny knack for sensing dager. (In all actuality because the strange, talking crow followed him everywhere, updating him constantly as to his surroundings. For some reason, the crow never talked when other people were around.) The hobgoblin, very trusting of the young man at this point, was able to find a night job as a guard for keeping intruders out of government owned buildings. He developed his "fighting" style from the job, typically simply scaring any potential trouble makers away with ghost sounds, the ventriloquism spell, and using his feral speech hex to lure animals into doing his bidding, which typically involved attacking the intruder and running into the shadows, waiting a few moments, and then attacking again. The animals cooperated simply because the hobgoblin offered them a generous amount of food for their services.
Years later, the hobgoblin was informed by his now Councilman friend that he was selected to be a commissioner as his friend had been all of those years ago. With his newfound power, the hobgoblin decided that he wished to improve conditions for the severely impoverished, and to break up what he now viewed as the "savage gangs" of the city, which included the one in which he grew up.
This character's largest flaw is his desire for revenge. Being double crossed infuriates him, and he will stop at nothing to plot out a dastardly end to those who treat him like dirt. Considering that he's unusually bright, especially for a creature having grown up in an abusive gang-like familial clan, these plots tend to be well thought out and downright creative at times, and his friend worries about him going too far one day, and severely maiming or killing someone.
So... How do you like the concept?
This is a male hobgoblin witch with a crow (well, raven) familiar, who has high intelligence and dexterity but low strength for a hobgoblin. (Speculation here. I'm leaving the stat at ten, but I'm guessing that most hobgoblins have bonuses to the stat.) He may have a slight boost to the charisma score, if only because of his endless conversations with his eloquent friend.
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I am definitely interested. Here are my ideas thus far:
Andes, Human Bard
Backstory: Andes was born into a small town, to poor-but-not-too-poor parents. His father was a relatively petty laborer. His mother was a mildly accomplished dancer. She was not anything extraordinary in the broader scope of the Inner Sea, or even Andoran, but this town was small enough that she faced relatively little competition and got by with her mere above-average skill.
That was until the raid.
Orcs came. Dozens of them. They destroyed everything.
When Andes was ten, a large orcish warband attacked the town he lived in. The attack was unforeseen. By the time anyone knew to evacuate, the orcs were already in town. Andes and his family dropped everything and ran, like anyone would, but the orcs were in town before they'd even crossed the boarder.
The "evacuation" was a chaotic nightmare, wherein various civilians attempted to evade the raiders and find a path out of town. In the confusion, Andes' five year old sister Aria was separated from the evacuating family. She has not been seen or heard from since.
The first evacuating carriage they encountered was full of rich and powerful (by small town standards) men and their families. There was no admission on board, even for Andes' infant brother. The second means of escape, a ferrying boat, was better for them. Because he could work, Andes' father was allowed on, and he was permitted to take Andes' brother with him. Andes and his mother were left behind while the ferry departed, Andes' father promising to meet them in Almas, the largest city close enough for them to reach.
Andes and his mother had no choice but to search after another transport. Before they found any such thing, however, the orcs found them. They smiled and taunted him as they prepared to kill them, one of the orcs expressing delight at the sight of Andes' mother.
While Andes did not at the time understand the full implications of the orc's comments concerning her, he knew that she was in danger. In a desperate attempt to save her, and himself, he made a deal with the orcs: they would allow him and his mother to leave if he would tell them the trajectory of the transport which had rejected him, effectively dooming that transport's occupants, not that they were likely to survive in any case. They accepted. Once he had told them, one orc immediately proceeded to shove a spear through his mother's stomach, while the other grabbed him and described at length the succulent stew he would be made into.
The next thing Andes knew, he was in Almas, and nine days had passed since the attack. Andes knows nothing of how this happened, but the event led him to be deeply religious. He believes he was saved by the direct intervention of a deity. He would love nothing more than to devote his life to the service and study of this deity. Unfortunately, two factors prevented this.
First, if it was in fact a god that saved Andes, they seem entirely uninterested in taking any sort of credit. Andes has spend numerous nights praying for his savior to reveal their identity, but nothing has come of it.
Second, while Andes' mother was alive when he regained his senses, the spear had severed her spinal cord, leaving her unable to dance. Andes did manage to re-unite with his father, quite quickly in fact, but he was now the only one who could support their family until, as soon as he was old enough, Andes took up the entertainment trade himself to make money.
Andes did not have the dancing talent of his mother, but found himself in his element when he read poetry. He was illiterate when he began, reciting poems and narratives from memory. However, he was eventually able to learn to read when his talent for telling and composing poems was noticed by a local elf.
This elf, Galador, (the connected councilor), saw potential in the boy after he encountered him at a performance when Andes was 17. Galador took Andes under his wing. Galador was not particularly powerful for an elf, but had the connections and interest to raise Andes to relative prominence, (those in the area interested in poetry or oratory are likely at least vaguely aware of him), and teach him to be literate, allowing him to begin committing his original poetry to paper. Over time, a romantic connection developed between the two, though it has been necessary to keep this hidden.
Andes' poetry reflects his religious passion, as well as his struggles and the tragedies he has endured. His two most popular poems are "The Dancing Woman," which recounts the story of his mother's wounding, (omitting Andes' informing on the fleeing carriage), and "Aria," a poem in which a streetside singer laments the fate of his sister.
(I have deliberately left the exact nature of Andes' rescue ambiguous for you to use as you please if you choose to have him play in your campaign. I have also left enough leeway for Aria to turn up, or seem to turn up, if you wish.)
Skills: Can Craft (Poetry) be a skill, (or is it already), representing one's ability to compose compelling original poetry? He'd also have ranks in Perform Oratory, Knowledge Local, Nobility and Religion. I'll come back to this thread tomorrow with a character sheet for him.
Items: Just a preliminary idea of what he'd have.
Shortbow: In case of combat.
Bard's Kit: For several of the things in there.
Loads of Paper: Some with poetry on it, some to put poetry on in the future.
Holy Texts: He has many. He has read about many gods in his quest to figure out which one saved him.
Board Games: Something he does when he's relaxing. Three possible games for him to possess are "Siege," which is mentioned in Ultimate Equipment, "Tian Checkers," which would basically be Chinese Checkers, and "Cards Against Humanoids," a comedy game.
What do you think?
More questions!
~ What level do you foresee this campaign going to? Or how long do you see it running for?
~ Assuming we go to at least level 7 (and beyond!), then my next question would be how do you feel about reflavoring/reskinning familiars' appearances and fluff?
As I started to pick out some crunch to fit with my developing fluff, I decided an improved familiar would be an excellent addition, especially for roleplay purposes.
I have every intention on picking up Improved Familiar as a feat and snagging myself an Imp (to reflect her time at the Acadamae in Korvosa). Now, where I hiccup is I hate the idea of giving up one familiar for another. It makes me feel like a bad person IRL; I get attached to these little guys! To top it all off, it would make more sense with the fluff I've started stirring up to start with one. I thought the solution to that might be to reflavor/reskin a raven familiar (with the resolute template) as a less experienced/powerful Imp. Then of course at level 7 it'd upgrade to it's proper form, showing growth for the Imp.
Sorry for all the questions, but I'm so very interested in the campaign and I want to make sure my character shines!
Hah, I've got a great idea twisting the gears in my brain right now, and thought that I might ask if you think that the tone of this character would fit the campaign. Seeing hobgoblin as an available race on your list, I realized that I'd never really looked into them before. Here I am now, though, with a critter that I'm beginning to grow quite attached to.
What an awesome character! I think he would be a very interesting contender. One thing, Andoran just finished a fairly large war with Hobgoblins (out in the frontier), so you'll be facing lots of blowback from that. Would be fun to RP, no?
I think this guy is really neat, personally and fits the campaign.
I had never heard of (or thunk of) a 1 on 1 game, but now that the idea is there, I really like it!
I'm a little tired now, but I will defently have to do some reading/thinking ^-^
I am definitely interested. Here are my ideas thus far:
Andes, Human Bard
I think there is alot of good stuff here but what is his political agenda and aim in life? I really like the lover backstory with the Elf, but what politically, do they have in common. Did I just miss it?
I like the details you already have though!
More questions!
1. Levels: Not sure, really. I am trying not to plan it out so much as to give the player room to build their own world. But we are starting at lvl. 3, and I can see us reaching 10 or so? I, personally, like to level a good bit for my PCs.
2. If the low level imp has no special qualities beyond what a raven would have, I see no downside and the upside is it would be cool. I personally love familiars myself and in a solo game, it is a good angle to pursue.
Questions are great, no harm in asking.
I had never heard of (or thunk of) a 1 on 1 game, but now that the idea is there, I really like it!
I'm a little tired now, but I will defently have to do some reading/thinking ^-^
I have found solo games to be better then you'd think (considering Pathfinder was NOT designed for them).
I hope to see you back with a submission!
Well I've gotten my idea down, now to continuously work on it :)
At its basic, he is an older war veteran who was with a small group of people, their "leader" was discontent with the current political world, and the world in general, and so he plans to rise to the absolute peak of the political world, only there can be inact the changes he deems necessary to change history for the better, and to fit his vision.
My character was an older solder who was loyal to this leader. Utterly convinced and swept up in this man's dream, however I am too old and unsuited to climb up the military ranks, instead, I am going to devote myself to climbing up the political ranks so that I can best serve "my Liege."
Have you ever read the manga Kingdom? it is a VERY good read about ancient china, and about its king as he attempts to unite china under 1 rule. (Historically accurate, but it does have mature themes)
Shin aims to become a Great General, the most powerful military figure under the heavens. He is blessed with an incredible body and fights his way up the ranks, following his dream. Along the way he befriends Sei, the king, and decides to become his sword.
Sei, the king, sets his sights on uniting all of china, despite being currently powerless, next he reclaims his kingdom, but is still only a puppet king. His story is about the political intrigues inside the palace.
Shoubunkun is an older warrior and Sei's only loyal retainer. Initially he fights for Sei, but he soon realizes that there is little he can do for him in that position. So he changes, instead he decides to climb to the peak of the political scene, and eventually becomes Minister of the West, the second highest Minister in the kingdom, all so that he can support Sei.
I seriously urge you to read it :)
Anyways, my character would be similar to Shoubunkun, an aging warrior with a trick leg who instead gives up his military path so that he can peruse a political career in the attempt to support his Liege as he rises to the pinnical of politics. However, others might underestimate his strength and martial prowess as he does have that background.
Mechanically he would have a level or two in fighter or something, to represent his military background, and then the last level in something like rogue, representing him learning as much about the political scene as he can, but still very new within it. After that he will level up solely as that class.
Also his human racial bonus will have "moved" from Str to Int or Cha, representing his age and his diminishing physical ability but his sharpening mind (instead of age penalties/bonuses, mechanically no difference as it happens in his background).
A few questions/ideas.
1: Can I have a "Shin" of my own (npc), a man climbing the military but instead of me being able to call on him for favors and such, he calls on me, and I must then use what I have at my disposal to try and help him? Basically he occasionally calls upon me and I must oblige to try and help him :)
2: the Counciler I have connections to is the leader who's dream I have been swallowed up in, and his goals is to climb to the peak of the government becoming the Supreme Edict, and I am a tool he can use to get there. I would like this game to have a fair bit of focus on this character, instead of me. He is the "main character" and I take on a supporting role, he may pass down tasks to me that I feel obligated to follow, and may struggle to decide how dirty I get my hands trying to achieve his goals. I don't know how well this style of play would pan out, with the focus not being on the parties desires, but I think it could be quite interesting :) I will still be trying my hardest to climb the ranks myself, the better to support my Liege, so I also have my own agenda and can drive my own story further along, just with more "orders" that I have to go out of my way to fulfill more often :) who knows, I might even outstrip my own Liege, then I would really have to reexamine my own goals!
3: I am going to be a mixed fighter/rogue with a fair bit of MAD (Str, Con for military and Cha, Int for political) so I won't be particularly strong in a focused area, more of an average man, at least initially. However I'm fairly certain I can still make that work well :)
4: is there a recent/ongoing war or campaign that I, and my fighter friend, can be a part of? Something that can tie us all together that we all fought in/took part in. Just realized, I'm a retired adventurer!
Anyways, that's enough for a start now. I am actually getting quite excited with this idea! I'm going to think on it more :)
Also dotting for interest. Provisionally considering submitting a halfling cleric of Abadar.
Did I miss seeing the closing date, or was it posted?
Oh, that is great! *wrings hands menacingly*
Racial controversy can be one of the most interesting scenarios to play through; I am now even more interested in this campaign.
I'm going to start hammering out this character's actual stats tonight.
Well I've gotten my idea down, now to continuously work on it :)
An older character would be interesting. I often feel that all PCs tend to be young types.
On your questions...
1. I don't mind your creating friends and such, but I would hope they would be a minor role. The main focus is your player, not your cast of friends. That said, no man is an island.
2. I will play the Councillor, so make sure you are an independent figure enough to stand without them. Again, you are the focus...
3. Nothing wrong with a jack of all trades...
4. Andoran recently finished up a war against hobgoblins.
Also dotting for interest. Provisionally considering submitting a halfling cleric of Abadar.
Did I miss seeing the closing date, or was it posted?
I look forward to your submission. I didn't supply a date since I'm not sure how many people will be interested in a solo game. Might take longer to fill up then a AP, but then again, I only need ONE PC, so it might fill faster. I'll just judge them as they come but it'll be at least a week or more to submit.
I'm going to start hammering out this character's actual stats tonight.
I look forward to seeing your application!
Very interested, I always enjoy urban/social games. I think I'll end up submitting an Inquisitor, should be a fun class to play.
So how long until characters are required?
Well I've gotten my idea down, now to continuously work on it :)An older character would be interesting. I often feel that all PCs tend to be young types.
On your questions...
1. I don't mind your creating friends and such, but I would hope they would be a minor role. The main focus is your player, not your cast of friends. That said, no man is an island.
2. I will play the Councillor, so make sure you are an independent figure enough to stand without them. Again, you are the focus...
3. Nothing wrong with a jack of all trades...
4. Andoran recently finished up a war against hobgoblins.
Well the idea was, I would create the basic bones of 2 extra characters, and a chunk of backstory for them, then give them entirely to you to use, abuse, and utterly kill off, if you so desired. I did figure that it would make you more interested in how my character fits within the world as well as how he is connected to the world around him.
However, Im thinking that I will make my character less altruistic towards the other characters and more self serving, and have a stronger personal agenda. Maybe outwardly he supports his Liege, but inwardly he figures that he can do just as good of a job as them, and maybe he should be the one doing that job!
4. Does this war have a name or title? Ill go with "The War with the Hobgoblins in the North" for now :p
Edit: Oh ya, that was my other question. I have 6 extra languages (+ Common) that I get, mostly from linguistics. Any advice on what languages I should choose?
Very interested, I always enjoy urban/social games. I think I'll end up submitting an Inquisitor, should be a fun class to play.
Always have a soft spot for Inquistors, a very versatile class. What religion are you thinking?
So how long until characters are required?
Earlier is better then later!
4. Does this war have a name or title? Ill go with "The War with the Hobgoblins in the North" for now :p
Edit: Oh ya, that was my other question. I have 6 extra languages (+ Common) that I get, mostly from linguistics. Any advice on what languages I should choose?
4. Not that I know of. I'll research it but that name is fine for now!
Languages: Lots of great choices out there. Halfings are a big population, dwarves have historically long had whole districts (although they are dwindling), Elves are more common then most areas since Elves actually respect this 'democracy' idea, and the usual fringe of gnomes.
Hope that helps.
Great, I imagine if I just take the core race languages that should fill it up quite well, then fill it out with some of the more exotic languages.
Can you throw a random Noble family name at me? Not for my character, but for my characters Liege, as he is a part of the Noble cast looking to return the government to a feudal style :)
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I am definitely interested. Here are my ideas thus far:
Andes, Human Bard
I think there is a lot of good stuff here but what is his political agenda and aim in life? I really like the lover backstory with the Elf, but what politically, do they have in common. Did I just miss it?
I like the details you already have though!
Right, sorry. Andes tends to favor and relate to the impoverished due to his background, along with a large amount of contempt for many of the rich and powerful due to his experiences during the evacuation. At the same time, this contempt is tempered by his guilt over his actions regarding them.
He is extremely pro-religion. He believes strongly in spirituality and devotion to the gods, and defers to a strong extent to religious teachings.
The elf leans toward ideals like these as well, but their main joint political agenda is promoting the acceptance of the communion between different humanoids. He would stand as a strong advocate of half-elves, and despises views which seek to harm other non-monsterous humanoids on racial grounds. The two are also (obviously) in agreement where gay rights are concerned. They would seek to make such relationships less scandalous if they could.
Where monsters, and by that I mean races like Orcs, Lizardfolk, Goblinoids, and the like, are concerned, his mind is clouded by his traumatic past and he is significantly less egalitarian. He is mildly prejudiced against half-orcs, and severely prejudiced against anything more monstrous than that. He is not insane or a moron about this. He knows it is technically possible for such persons to be redeemed. However, they will usually have a significantly harder time gaining his trust.
He strongly believes in the use of the state's resources to protect the people. He believes the raid on his town could have been prevented if the state had expended more resources to do so.
He would also be strongly interested in setting up a state-sponsored adventuring program to encourage potential heroes to go out and fight monstrous threats. In a world where there is typically about one such threat in any given town whenever a traveling adventurer wanders in, does it not make sense to have a state-sponsored force of well-armed and competent fighters and spellcasters so that such towns are not simply left to hope some Pathfinders show up or an independent adventuring group wanders into town? In addition to allowing such persons to be sent to where they are needed, such an order would be able to arm them more aptly, provide them with needed equipment and resources, and give them more substantial training. It would also allow their efforts to be more organized and more effective. On top of all of that, putting it under the control of a democratic government makes the organization ultimately accountable to the people it was set up to protect.
I imagine this would be his most important policy goal. Perhaps the elf would agree with him on this point because (apart from how much sense it makes) his family would stand to benefit from such an arrangement. If their primary trade is the manufacture of something adventurers frequently use, they have financial reasons to support such a thing. Perhaps his family business in the manufacture of bows, arrows, and archery equipment?
I hope all of that answers your question.
Other Idea: The raid on his town should have some iconic name. It could just be "The [Town Name] Raid," but something creative could be more fun. I'll think on it while I make his statblock for you.
Here is the .pdf I use (but it is not mandatory).
I think, if you don't want to use the standard post template most people on this forum use, you can upload it to a mediafire and I can download it.
This goes for everyone, if you choose that route.
Very interested, I always enjoy urban/social games. I think I'll end up submitting an Inquisitor, should be a fun class to play.Always have a soft spot for Inquistors, a very versatile class. What religion are you thinking?
I was hesitantly considering a Calistrian Inquisitor with the Conversion Domain, aiming to move up the political ranks and thereby further the religion by day. By night, she moves around, achieving her vengeance goals, or helping other people achieve theirs.
Should we be considering homes or such from Ultimate Campaign, or is that something it's assumed we have?
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Alright then, here is the link: The Link
For the items with variable prices: The "Siege" and "Tian Checkers" sets are treated as costing 10 gp, (the maximum), meaning they are well-made. "Cards Against Humanoids" is a card game with no other components, and is, shall we say, unsophisticated, so i treated it as worth 5.
Each of the holy texts is treated as costing 25 gp.
Additional Notes: The artisan's outfit is the outfit I started play with, so I did not subtract its price.
I did not add up the weights as I bought these items, because I am assuming Andes has an apartment or house and keeps most of his possessions there most of the time. The Huge Chest in particular is at his living place basically always, and it's where he keeps most of his possessions most of the time. The Good Lock is on it.
By default, he keeps the backpack, the shortbow, the hip flask, the belt pouch, the bottle of antitoxen and some of the arrows on his person.
While I did spend starting gold on it, I like to imagine the bow was a gift from his boyfriend. If his family makes archery stuff, it would only make sense for him to get a masterwork shortbow from there.
He keeps the antitoxen on his person 24/7. Now that he is a figure in politics, he needs it to guard against assassination attempts, or at least that is his thought process.
He often casts Alarm on his homebase whenever he leaves it. He also regularly uses Erase to empty his journal of poems he's composed once he's committed them to memory. He primarily uses Dancing Lights to enhance his performances when he is, for example, putting on a show for a crowd.
I was hesitantly considering a Calistrian Inquisitor with the Conversion Domain, aiming to move up the political ranks and thereby further the religion by day. By night, she moves around, achieving her vengeance goals, or helping other people achieve theirs.
Very neat idea! Different motives then your usual adventurer.
Should we be considering homes or such from Ultimate Campaign, or is that something it's assumed we have?
For now, don't worry about it. I personally detest the downtime rules and such, so we won't be using it.
Alright then, here is the link: The Link
Will review and get back to you.
Angelique Rousseau was born to a to a small family in north-western Andoran . Spending much of her early childhood on the flat plains in the area, and mingling with the loggers, Angelique ended up adopting the virtues of freedom at a very young age. Knowing that his daughter as a fairly religious sort, her father naturally assumed that this love of freedom might translate into the worship of Desna, or perhaps Cayden Cailean, unfortunately, Angelique preferred the freedom offered by Calistria, which only served to sour the relationship between the two of them.
As soon as she grew old enough, Angelique left her family, adopting more of a roaming style. Free to do whatever she liked, Angelique fell in with a group of lumberjacks. The nature of their work meant that they roamed to various different parts of Andoran, stopping in at various cities, or heading into forests, and so Angelique joined them, although she was never someone that was very skilled at logging. She did, however, rescue a small snake from the logger’s axes, which she named Samael. Angelique knew that the wasp was the favoured symbol of Calistria, but she felt that Samael supported the trickery aspect of her patron, and as such decided to keep it has a pet. Eventually, the lumberjacks reached Triela, and it was there that Angelique put down roots for a small time, happily working in a brothel, and continuing her religious studies. Drunken revelry was common in the town, but Angelique was always quick to step in if a fellow worker was treated poorly. Occasionally, someone would come to her for advice on how to deal with someone who had wronged them, and Angelique was happy to assist. She began to indulge a passion for secrets, and was perfectly happy to use these secrets to hunt down anyone she felt was violating the core beliefs of her patron. These situations rarely turned violent, the inquisitor preferring humiliation in teaching someone a lesson, rather than a more permanent punishment.
Eventually however, Angelique grew bored in Triela, the town was small, and Angelique was nothing if not restless. Furthermore, she really wanted to find a more direct way to increase the popularity of Calistrian worship, as the deity was not a particular common one to worship within the region. Deciding that the best way to change this would be to fix it from inside the political system, rather than the outside, Angelique moved to Almas, a much larger city, a place awash with secrets politics, and goodness knows everything else, and Angelique loved it there. Keen to turn any situation into her advantage, Angelique eventually managed to successfully win the lottery, becoming elected a Councillor, granting her small political power, although power she nevertheless was determined to use as a stepping stone to her rising throughout the ranks. Knowing that friends were always important in a personal quest such as this, Angelique formed a close bond with another Councillor, also newly elected, who did not share her zeal for Calistrian faith, but was happy to support her drive to grant other religions more recognition that they would usually get. Angelique’s newfound friend was perfectly happy to teach her about the political system in Andoran, something that Angelique might have an attraction for, but was inexperienced at handling. During their long discussions, Angelique discovered that her friend had a particular dislike towards foreigners from Taldor, after a prominent family from Taldor managed his connections to take over her friends business. In order to repay her friend for teaching her more about life in such a large city, as well as giving her pointers on handling the political system, Angelique began to investigate the influence of foreign powers in Almas, something she was rather good at, having a talent for investigation and for locating the truth. In addition, she also kept a small file on the Taldor family, keeping the option open to help her fellow Councillor achieve his personal vengeance should the opportunity arise…
Angelique Rousseau
Human inquisitor (sacred huntmaster) of Calistria 3 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 99, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 38)
CN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +6; Senses Perception +10
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Defense
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AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
hp 18 (3d8)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +7
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee whip +5 (1d3-1 nonlethal)
Inquisitor Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +7)
At will—detect alignment
Inquisitor (Sacred Huntmaster) Spells Known (CL 3rd; concentration +7)
1st (4/day)—divine favor, heightened awareness[ACG], litany of sloth[UC], wrath[APG]
0 (at will)—acid splash, create water, guidance, light, read magic, stabilize
Domain Conversion inquisition
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Statistics
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Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 19, Cha 9
Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 13
Feats Lookout[APG], Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (whip)
Traits affable, savannah child
Skills Bluff +10, Diplomacy +10 (+12 to gather information.), Handle Animal +6, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Knowledge (religion) +8, Perception +10, Profession (courtesan) +10, Sense Motive +13; Racial Modifiers +2 Sense Motive
Languages Common, Halfling, Undercommon
SQ animal companion (snake, constrictor named Samael ), hunter tactics, monster lore +4, solo tactics, stern gaze +1, track +1
Other Gear whip, training harness, 139 gp
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Special Abilities
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Affable +2 on Diplomacy to gather information and do so in half time.
Animal Companion (animal companion (snake, constrictor named Samael )) (Ex) If no current companion, summon nature's ally spells last 1 min/level but only 1 at a time.
Detect Alignment (At will) (Sp) Detect chaos, evil, good, or law at will.
Hunter Tactics (Ex) Animal companion also gains the bonus teamwork feats, but doesn't need to meet pre-reqs.
Inquisitor (Sacred Huntmaster) Domain (Conversion Inquisition) Deities: Any deity.
Granted Powers: You are a powerful persuader. A honeyed tongue empowered by divine argumentation sways the indifferent and adversarial to your side.
Lookout Not surprised if adj ally with same feat isn't surprised. Extra actions if both are aware.
Monster Lore +4 (Ex) +4 to Knowledge checks when identifying the weaknessess of creatures.
Solo Tactics (Ex) Count Teamwork feats as if your allies had the same ones.
Track +1 Add the listed bonus to survival checks made to track.
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Samael
Constrictor snake
N Medium animal
Init +4; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +7
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Defense
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AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 21 (+6)
Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +4
Defensive Abilities evasion
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee bite +5 (1d3+4 plus grab)
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Statistics
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Str 16, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 2
Base Atk +2; CMB +5 (+9 grapple); CMD 19 (can't be tripped)
Feats Iron Will, Lookout[APG], Toughness
Skills Acrobatics +4 (+0 to jump), Climb +11, Perception +7, Swim +11
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Special Abilities
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Climbing (20 feet) You have a Climb speed.
Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save.
Grab: Bite (Medium) (Ex) You can start a grapple as a free action if you hit with the designated weapon.
Lookout Not surprised if adj ally with same feat isn't surprised. Extra actions if both are aware.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.
Swimming (20 feet) You have a Swim speed.
[ooc]I added two background skills as per creation guidelines, which are Handle Animal, and Profession (Courtesan) (or similar), as I feel both these skills are apparent in her backstory.
I think these are great in Play By Post, because you don't end up on waiting for anyone, so there isn't a fear of racing ahead with a personal goal without anyone else in the party being left behind. I'm a pretty active poster, so activity really shouldn't be an issue, and I'm looking forward to such a politically and social rich game such as this.
Just wanted to give you an update on the hobgoblin.
I may be able to post the stats tonight!
In the meantime, I want to give you a few extra tidbits on Stig's (he has a name now!) character. Firstly, I'm defining him as neutral. Good vs Evil wise, he holds a few issues close to him that he hopes to resolve, (extreme poverty and abuse) but is more interested in survival than making a difference. Law vs Chaos wise, he simply doesn't want to get involved in the spectrum. He grew up with horribly strict rules, but his familiar has slowly pulled him out of his lawful rut.
Oh yeah; the familiar...
Havoc the crow is a familiar that was a beast bonded witch's soul jar. The crow that originally provided the body for the witch was simply a puppet of a familiar, wanting power and seeking out a soul who was destined to attain it. And the witch did attain power- over a cult.
Whoever the witch was, she had somehow been driven mad with the incredible amount of arcane energy that she learned to control. Combined with the fact that she'd begun to develop a dedicated following of fanatic worshipers, most of whom she'd attacked at some point in order to test her power over others, she lost it. Thinking that she was a god, she attacked an ancient dragon to prove that no mortal being could kill her.
Needless to say, she was destined to die before the battle had even started.
All that was left of her was her soul, nestled in the body of her familiar. And there it stayed. For years. Disintegrating, flaking away, until it was nothing more than an animalistic desire to cause chaos.
When she found Stig, a young, impressionable hobgoblin wanting nothing but to drive his clanmates mad, Havoc's spirit clung onto him like a trembling leaf in the wind, begging not to be blown away into a void of nothingness. She remains there to this day, trying to drive Stig to join her spirit in the body of the crow when he finally passes on.
Stig is going to be a beast bonded witch. Havoc would have it no other way.
Alright! I probably have more questions, that seems to be the trend, but I can't think of any at the moment so here! Instead you get my character proposal.
Now as far as one on one campaigns and PBPs go, my opinion is that I want to try one. I haven't actually had a chance to run one on one before. I have a hunch it's got some serious potential for character development and interactions that are normally skimmed over in a typical campaign. I love being able to explore environments as well as really get dialogue going with NPCs without feeling like I'm hogging the spotlight or holding things up. Plus, I feel like it might let the GM get more involved on a personal level which is always nice on both ends. To top it all off, I bet it keeps up a decent pace.
I'm interested in this campaign specifically because I love politics. LOVE politics. So much that I actually vote in every election and watch the debates. Mash that up with Pathfinder? I'm sold.
(I turned the feats and traits into links for easy reference! And I included skill point math for easy error perusing. Everything else should hopefully be pretty straight forward bestiary style!)
Female Chelaxian arcanist(spell specialist) 3
LN Medium humanoid(human)
Initiative +2; Senses Perception +0
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AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex)
hp 17 (3d6+3)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3
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Speed 30ft
Melee quarterstaff +0(1d-1/) or dagger +0(1d4-1/19-20)
Ranged dagger +3(1d4-1/19-20/10ft)
Special Attacks arcane reservoir (4/day, max 6), consume spells,
Arcanist Spells Prepared (CL 3rd; concentration +7)
1st (5/day) — hold portal,
0 (at will) — dancing lights, detect magic, detect poison,
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Strength 8 (-1), Dexterity 14 (+2), Constitution 12 (+1), Intelligence 19 (+4), Wisdom 10 (+0), Charisma 12 (+1)
Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 12
Feats Improved Familiar, Magical Epiphany, Additional Traits
Skills
Diplomacy +11
Knowledge(arcana) +10
Knowledge(local) +10
Knowledge(planes) +10
Knowledge(religion) +10
Sense Motive +7
Spellcraft +10
Stealth +9
Background Skills
Appraise +9
Knowledge(history) +9
Knowledge(nobility) +8
Linguistics +8
Traits Clever Wordplay(Diplomacy), Honest, Outcast's Intuition, Slippery
Languages Azlanti, Common, Draconic, Dwarf, Elven, Halfling
SQ arcane exploits (familiar [resolute raven; flavored as imp]), signature spells (memory lapse)
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Carried Weapons dagger, quarterstaff (with wooden holy symbol of Nethys attached)
Worn Armor and Clothing scholar's outfit, eyeglasses, signet ring
Belt Pouch spell component pouch, flint and steel, 76pp 9gp 6sp
Small Chest average lock (DC25), ink, inkpen, sealing wax, parchment (20 sheets)
Large Chest simple lock (DC20), courtier's outfit, jewelry worth 50gp, traveler's outfit, cleric's vestments, holy text (The Book of Magic), abacus, hourglass (1 hour), merchant's scale
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Carrying 17lb (assuming I'm not lugging around the small and large chests with all their contents :P)
Carrying Capacity 26lb/53lb/80lb
Favored Class Bonuses
1st — skill point
2nd — skill point
3rd — skill point
Ability Score Increases
4th —
1st (prepare 2/day) — alarm, feather fall, hold portal, invisibility alarm, peacebond, mage armor, magic missile, memory lapse (DC16), memorize page, summon monster I, vanish
0 (prepare 4/day) — acid splash, arcane mark, bleed, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sounds, haunted fey aspect, light, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, resistance, spark, touch of fatigue
Imperia had always had magic in her blood. That and a bit of Cheliax, but she didn’t talk much about that in Andoran. She had been schooled at the prestigious Acadamae in Korvosa and magic touched every aspect of her life, including her faith. The Book of Magic was the only holy text more frequently read in the Acadamae than The Asmodean Monograph and its various supplemental volumes. Nethys, fortunately, was not a god who demanded much from his followers but ample use of magic in whatever form they could provide. It worked out well, because one could generally pick and choose what parts of his holy text to abide by and still be generally in the right. It had been a clear and simple choice for Imperia when she became a priest of Nethys, though how the people (especially the Hellknights) of Cheliax would respond to a follower of such an unpredictable god threw a wrench in her plans of going home.
Of course, if freedom of religion was what she was looking for, there was no freer place in the world than Andoran. And it would keep her close enough to home that she could visit family at least once a year without too much difficulty. Rather than take the most direct route to her intended destination, she spent some time not so much preaching, but teaching the ways of magic and the benefits it had on communities who used it responsibly. By the time she made it to Piren’s Bluff, a small town that acted as a first defense at the only pass through the Aspodell Mountains, she had collected enough arcane tomes to build herself quite a library. Rather than keep such a fine collection of knowledge to herself, she elected to establish her own small church dedicated to Nethys. The place was well received by the locals if for no other reason there was something comforting about having a place to help young magic users get a reign on their own abilities and perhaps learn some restraint.
But her life was uprooted when a summons came. The democratic process was something she was still uncertain of and she rarely participated, but when her name was drawn as a new Commissioner, she could hardly say no. She wasn’t entirely sure she was allowed to say no, but either way, democracy was the law of the land and she was not about to spit in the face of government and legal process. The Chelaxian in her forbids it! She left most of her belongings behind as a donation to the church, including her apprentice who was to take over the place in her stead. At the very least, the good news of an old friend becoming a Councilor had reached her ears. She’d hopefully have an ally to help her navigate Andoran's political waters. It had actually been him who had suggested she try out Andoran when she had graduated from the Acadamae in the first place.
So here she is in Almas. Capitol of the Birthplace of Freedom! If she’s here to be a representative of the people, than the people she shall represent! Maybe push for funding for a right and proper school of magic while she’s at it. Now if only someone would show her where the loo is...
You make some strong bonds in your ten years at the Acadamae. You have to if you plan on surviving to see graduation. ‘Survive’ being used in the most literal sense of the word. Once you entered that school, suddenly nationality and race didn’t matter much. You befriended whoever you figured could help watch your back while you watched theirs. Things were no different for Imperia. She had found a friend with a rather talented and opinionated young fellow from Andoran. He had a passion for politics, especially when it came to personal freedoms. They had had more than one or two falling outs over the Halfling slaves of Cheliax, but usually a close scrape with a deadly devil summoned in secret or some other near-death experience reforged the bond.
Their friendship survived the decade they spent together in school. In that time he had opened her eyes to new ways of thinking that would have been near blasphemous in Cheliax. She had even come to admit that perhaps enslaving a race entirely based on the fact that they were good slaves was probably not the most correct way of going about things. When she had made her decision to become a Priest of Nethys, it was no wonder she sought his counsel on the matter. How could she go home when she wasn’t sure she’d be lynched on the spot? “Come to Andoran,” he had said. “Practice freely, teach others, and live without fear.” Well, wasn’t that just like him to give her a logical solution. Sure, just don’t go home. It was just sensical enough to make a girl mad! What happened to the days of meaningless, sympathetic clichés?!
But, like always, he was right.
Despite their difference in upbringing and initial arguments on the matter, Imperia now sees eye to eye with the Councilor on the issue of racial equality. Though that doesn't stop her from playing the devil's advocate when they discuss such matters. She's even become supporter of the efforts of organizations such as the Bellflower Network (something she'd never have thought possible even just five years ago).
Some Possible Goals:
~ create a binding legal document that secures the rights and freedoms of all racial communities within Andoran, with none having more or less rights than the others (including humans)
~ to encourage the government to openly declare support for the Bellflower Network's efforts in Cheliax and other slaving nations
Of course, Imperia has some of her own ideas and goals as well. Some of them serve as a reminder that her roots ran deep in Cheliax.
~ establish a firmer hand in regards to law enforcement
~ heavily tax big foreign business
~ impose strict immigration policies (ironic, seeing as she's foreign)
Mmm, yep. I'm gonna back out, there are a lot of good characters here and I haven't even started.Good luck Y'all!
** spoiler omitted **...
A very interesting character, for sure. A political character whose religion is literally vengeance is a very interesting twist.
Alright! I probably have more questions, that seems to be the trend, but I can't think of any at the moment so here! Instead you get my character proposal.
A really strong, well-laid out entry. I apperictae the links and simple math (If I had a dollar for every GM who found an error in my calculations..). I also like the character!
Mmm, yep. I'm gonna back out, there are a lot of good characters here and I haven't even started.Good luck Y'all!
Sorry you feel that way but we have had some really excellent applications....I'm not sure I'd want to compete with them.
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Finished Applications
Thepuppyturtle- Andes (Human Bard)
gingerninja- Angelique Rousseau (Human Inquisitor)
Mimesyne- Imperia Voralius (Human Arcanist)
Works in progress
Gobo Horde- Human Fighter (No stats submitted)
The Dread Pirate Hurely- halfling cleric (nothing else posted)
Sunstonephoenix- Stig (hobgoblin witch) (No stats posted)
There is still time to submit a new character or finish up an application!
Hobgoblin Witch (Beast-bonded) with a Patron of Deception
N Medium humanoid (goblinoid)
Init +3
Age: 21; Height: 4 1/2 ft; Weight: 175 lbs; Eyes: Red
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Defense
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AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+3 Dex)
hp 22
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +4
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee: Light Mace; +1 (1d6)
Ranged: Light Crossbow; +4 (1d8)
Hexes: Cauldron (ex), Flight (su), Feral Speech (su)
Spells Known by Familiar:
All Lv. 0 Witch Spells
Lv 1: Air Bubble, Beguiling Gift, Bungle, Burning Hands, Cure Light Wounds, Mage Armor, Ray of Enfeeblement, Summon Monster 1, Ventriloquism
Lv 2: Cure Moderate Wounds, Glitterdust
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 13
Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 14
Feats: Brew Potion, Flyby Attack (given to Havoc), Extra Hex
Traits: Beast Bond, Deft Dodger
Skills: Acrobatics +3, Appraise +6, Bluff +2, Craft (Alchemy) +11, Diplomacy +2, Disguise +1, Escape Artist +3, Fly +7, Handle Animal +8, Heal +4, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (history) +7, Knowledge (nature) +7, Knowledge (planes) +7, Perform (Wind Instruments) +1, Profession (Guard) +4, Ride +4, Sense Motive +2, Sleight of Hand +4, Spellcraft +9, Stealth +3, Use Magic Device +7
Languages: Common, Goblin
SQ: Familiar, Raven named Havoc
Gear: Wrist Sheath (2), Masterwork Backpack, Waterskin, Falconry Gauntlet, Spell Component Pouch, Cauldron, Light Mace, Light Crossbow, Bolts (30), Fur Clothing, 898 gp
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Special Abilities
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Dark Vision 60 ft
Transfer Feats
Alternate Racial Trait: Unfit (+1 to diplomacy and bluff)
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Havoc
Crow (use raven stats)
CN Tiny Magical Beast
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +6
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Defense
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AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 11
Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +2
Defensive Abilities:
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Offense
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Speed: 10 ft., fly 40 ft (average)
Melee: Bite +4 (1d3-4)
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Statistics
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Str 2, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 7
Base Atk +2; CMB +5 (+9 grapple); CMD 19 (can't be tripped)
Feats: Flyby Attack, Skill Focus (perception), Weapon Finesse
Skills: Fly +6, Perception +6
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Special Abilities:
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Alertness: While a familiar is within arm's reach, the master gains the Alertness feat.
Deliver Touch Spells: If a witch is 3rd level or higher, her familiar can deliver touch spells or hexes for her. If the witch and the familiar are in contact at the time the witch casts a touch spell, she can designate her familiar as the “toucher.” The familiar can then deliver the touch spell just as the witch would. As usual, if the witch casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell dissipates. If the witch activates a hex, her familiar can be used to make the touch. She does not have to be in contact with the familiar to use this ability.
Empathetic Link: The master has an empathic link with her familiar to a 1 mile distance. The master can communicate emphatically with the familiar, but cannot see through its eyes. Because of the link's limited nature, only general emotions can be shared. The master has the same connection to an item or place that her familiar does.
Improved Evasion: When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a familiar takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells: The witch may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on herself. A witch may cast spells on her familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).
Store Spells: Starting at 1st level, a witch’s familiar stores all of the spells that the witch knows. This does not allow the familiar to cast these spells or use spell-trigger or spell completion magic items. Starting at 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, a witch’s familiar adds new bonus spells to the witch’s spell list based on her patron. These spells are automatically stored by the familiar and can be prepared as normal once they are gained.
Low-Light Vision: See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Gobo Horde here and warning: Massive post ahead, if you read it all ^-^
So I have gotten my guy significantly farther along and enough for you to get a good idea about him, he does need a bit more done to actually finalize him (such as narrowing down his feats) but I did manage to impress myself as i wrote a lot more then I was anticipating! :)
Backstory
First up is the backstory. To get around the inevitable hump I always get when I write characters, I first wrote the backstory for the 2 other "companions" for Midioto.
However, I want to make something clear here. I wrote these two backstories and character sheets to help me develop my own character. After creation, they are entirely in your hands, you can alter them, change them, kill them, or ignore/discard them as you want. They are yours. Also, if you want to change their names, go ahead, I hate naming characters >:P
Glaniss is the Councilor you had asked us to create. He is a Human Sorcerer with the Imperious Bloodline and the Surge of Success feat. He is a bit melodramatic with a superiority complex and a strong belief in his own manifest destiny. He is generally good but not above using dirty methods to achieve his goals.
Glaniss is the son of one of the old Noble houses, that of House Darven, and even if Andoran remained a Feudalistic Nation Glaniss would have been far from the ruling elite. But Andoran is not a Feudalism, and Glaniss is not yet very high in this political world yet he craves that power.
The reason that Glaniss craves this power seems simple at first glance, he seeks to right the many injustices that he sees within this country, the injustice towards the lesser races, inequality between the rich and the poor, highborn and low. And especially the slave trade from Cheliax. If given the chance Glaniss would seize the power to make his dreams, no, his visions a reality.
However the means he takes to those ends are less sparkling white and Glaniss is not above using the tools at his disposal to further his goals, tools such as Midioto are readily available for him to further his goals, and discarded if needed. He is also not afraid to get his tools dirty, as long as it doesnt link back to himself...
One thing most people dont know about Glaniss is the sheer scope of his ambition. Sure he is ambitious and sure he desires power, everyone knows that, just as they know of his righteous ideals. However few truly grasp the magnitude of his dreams. Glaniss holds within his mind a path to controlling not only Andoran but all of Avistan. He can see the way of achieving what no one else has before, absolute sovereignty over the continent itself, but the next step is from Councilor to Head Councilor, then to Supreme Edict. After that reinstating the Noble Houses and returning the governing power to a Feudalism. The rest? The rest is his destiny.
Political Agenda
1: Become Supreme Edict
2: Reinstate the Noble Families
3: Hidden desire and plan to eventually rule over all of Andoran
a: Inequality among the rich and poor
b: Slavery in Cheliax
c: Injustice to the lesser races
Cannan is an extra character I created. He is a young youth in the military who is doing his best to climb fast. I created him as a tie to something outside of the politial aspect of the game, if ever you want to explore somewhere else, or use something tied to the military, he can be a good connection to do that :)
Cannan is a simple young man, not very bright but very strong and a hard worker.
He is a Gestalt Human Fighter/Cavalier with the Inexplicable Luck feat and wielding a glave from horseback. He is a Gestalt character but he is intended to be extra powerful. again, change him or discard him as you see fit :)
Cannan was a war orphan. One of the wars plaguing Golarion over the last decade claimed his father and plague claimed his mother. Cannan was aware from an early age that there was no future for him, a war orphan, that was greater then a slave or peasant. While Cannan was neither smart or clever, he did have a strong body from his early years working in the fields. Cannan figured that his only chance in this life was to become as strong as possible and climb his way up the military, where the only status is the rule of the strong.
From a young age Cannan would often fantasize about becoming the greatest general there ever was, and while this dream of his was often laughed at by his peers and the other villagers, it is what allowed him to keep at his self imposed training and through the harshest of times. Indeed his dream remains strong even today and it continues to drive him to ever greater heights.
On one of his military campaigns Cannan, a squad leader and directly under Midioto, was tasked with protecting one of the old noble houses and it was here that the two of them first met with the enigmatic Glaniss. One night assassins made an attempt on Glaniss's life and the trio ended up fighting desperately through the night just to survive and the unlikely group became bonded through the ordeal. It was then that Cannan and Midioto became swept up in Glaniss's dreams. Cannan, being strong and capable of combat vowed to climb to the pinnacle of the military command and to become Glaniss's sword. Cannan has since thrown himself into his military career with even more drive and determination.
Cannan is a simple man, strong of body but thick of head, still those under his command seem genuinely committed to serving under him, most likely due to his simple but honest personality, if not his sword arm. Cannan also seems to be blessed with the luck of the gods, seemingly able to get out of even the worst of conflicts or botched assassination attempts, and while you might think it due to some divine blessing, it is simply Cannans sheer determination that paves his success for him even in the most unlikely of situations.
Political Agenda
He doesnt have one. The closest he has to one is that he aims to support Glaniss, and anything that Glaniss wants politically, then so does Cannan, he guesses.
However, he has a strong Military Agenda.
1: Become the greatest General in history!
2: Rise through the ranks as fast as he can
3: Become Glaniss's sword, his military arm
4: He sees a lot of Atrocities of War, and he greatly dislikes that. If he can eliminate the Atrocities of War he would be happy.
5: Gain an army under his command
6: Get a girlfriend!
This is me, a Human Fighter 2, Rogue 1 and an older, retired solder. I have spent most of the last few years under the tutelage of Glaniss and have learnt a great deal about the political world around me.
As I level up, I will level in rogue, and when I get lvl 5 I gain access to the Rumormonger talent, meaning I can create grand hoaxes, and I think that could be lots of fun ^-^
Midiotoziggeroto, or Midioto as he is called by almost everyone (they say his name is "too dam long to remember!") is an older solder is Andorans militia. Midioto made for himself a career in the military and while he originally climbed up the ranks he seemed to falter once he was given actual command. Maybe it was due to Midioto not having the heart to send his men into their deaths but Midioto stagnated in his career, no longer making any achievements but also not quite failing hard enough to get demoted or given Mandatory Retirement. Then time went on and Midioto became old. Nearing his early 40s, Midioto was given one last order before his military career would be over. Protect house Darven, one of the old Noble houses and Midioto seethed. No longer did he have any respect as a Commander, now he was simply a bodyguard for hire and it troubled him deeply. Yet fate was none too kind to the aged Commander as 3 nights into his new position, assassins came and attacked. They succeeded in killing the head of House Darven before anyone even realized what had happened, a true failure on Midiotos part. However, undaunted Midioto steeled himself to protect the mans son, Glaniss, from suffering the same fate, along with his most promising solder under his command, Cannan. They fought long into the night, protecting each others backs and through it all, and in no small part due to Cannans extraordinary luck, came out the other side alive, and bonded more closely together then family. It was then that Glaniss shared his dream with his two companions, and Cannan rejoiced, for he had decided to become his sword. In contrast, Midioto despaired. He was an older man, into his 40s and on his way out from his military career. He could see little future for himself and felt but a shadow next to these 2 bright young youths beside him.
Yet Glaniss would not allow it. Taking Midioto by the shoulder, he encouraged him, telling him not to give up but to take heart, for Glaniss had connections. It was then that Midioto first got taken into the light of Glaniss.
Midioto could not have been less prepared for the "connections" that Glaniss had nor the plans he had in store for him. After Midiotos formal retirement, Glaniss came knocking and invited him over to his place. Glaniss's place was closer to a palace or a small villa then anything Midioto had seen before and it was there that he found his new position. Glaniss had arranged for many tutors and teachers to come over and school Midioto on a wide variety of subjects, from mathematics to languages to politics and to even a bit of spellcraft. The reason why was lost on the old solder, for you sent young boys to school, not old men! Glaniss simply said Learn. Learn and adapt. And when your chance comes, seize it.
So Midioto applied himself to his studies, and continued to do so for the next few years. It was here that Midiotos tenacity that he had learnt from his years as a career solder came and benefited him greatly for he would spend long hours reading his scrolls and books and longer hours still practicing different languages or mathematics. He especially found out that after some practice he had a knack for the gift of gab, and when that failed, coaxing others to his viewpoints and to agree with his opinions with his words.
After a time, Midioto was with Glaniss and Cannan celebrating Glaniss's new promotion to the position of Councilor when Glaniss pulled him aside. He told him that his chance had come, he had won the lottery and was to become a Commissioner, if he chose to accept it. What would he do? It was then that Midioto realized why Glaniss had given him that tutelage those few years ago, he had been grooming him to become a political power for Glaniss to rely upon in the coming future, and this was his chance, so seize it he did and Midioto accepted his new position.
Political Agenda
1: Become Glaniss's right hand man
2: Turn the nation into a Military nation
2b: Increase the power of the military and further the interests of the military
3: Injustice to the lesser races
a: Pay off his debt to Glaniss
b: Slavery in Cheliax
c: Reinstate the Noble Houses
MY Agenda for Midioto
1: Move away from Glaniss's camp, possibly have Glaniss have him do too much dirty work and he refuses, or he gets discarded, or he starts to differ in their goals
2: Develop his own agenda, focused more on military
3: become power hungry. I want Midioto to get (at least somewhat) corrupted with the newfound power. He will start to really enjoy having the extra luxuries and benefits that comes with power
4: Develop his own following. Midioto used to have a small troop of solders under his command, I would like to reinstate some form of that, tho probably more politically focused instead of actual solders.
Here is my Crunch, it is not quite finished as I still need:
1: narrow down my feats by 2
2: traits
3: equipment
4: doublecheck and fix up skills
6: encumbrance
Also, I am using the Unchained Rogue, which I assume is ok since we are using unchained skills.
You can also view my crunch in this profile. it has been commandeered for this character :)
Midiotoziggeroto
Midiotoziggeroto
Fighter 2 (Unbreakable), Rogue (Charlatan) 1
LG Medium Humanoid (Human) Initiative +0 Senses, Perception +6
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AC 10, Touch 10, Flat Footed 10 (+0 dex, +0 armor)
hp 21/21 (2d10+1d8+6)
Fort +5 Ref +3 Will +1
(+1 against Mind-affecting effects)
Special Defenses Diehard, Endurance, Unbreakable
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Speed 30ft
Melee Mwk Longsword +6 (1d6+3 19-20/x2) +1d6 Sneak Attack
Ranged
Modifiers +2/+0 BAB, +2/+3 Str, +1/+0 Weapon Focus, +1/+0 Mwk, +1d6 Sneak Attack
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Current Magical Effects
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Str 14, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 16
BAB +2 CMB +4 CMD +14
Feats Endurance (bonus), Diehard (bonus), Weapon Finesse (bonus), Weapon Focus (Longsword), +2
(either Antagonize, Combat Advice, Iron Will or Step Up)
Traits +2
Racial Traits Dual Talent
Skills
Fighter 5x (10), Rogue 12x (12), +2x background (6)
Appraise +7
Bluff +8
Diplomacy +8
Intimidate +8
K: Local +7
K: Nobility +8 *
K: Religion +7 *
Linguistics +11
Lore: Military Strategy +10
Perception +6
Profession: Solder +5
Sense Motive +6
Spellcraft +4
Stealth +4
UMD +7
+1
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Infernal
Other Gear
Mwk Longsword
Mwk tools (Linguistics, Lore: Military Strategy)
635gp
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TRACKED RESOURCES
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Antagonize as a standard action, make a diplomacy or intimidate check against a DC of 10+HD+Wis of a creature to antagonize them. You can make a DC 20 sense motive check as a swift action before hand to gain a +3 insight bonus to these checks.
Diplomacy: the target takes -2 to attack and 10% ASF unless the attack or spell targets you.
Intimidate: on the next turn the target must make a melee or ranged attack or target you with a spell. The effect ends if the target is prevented from taking the action or the action would harm it. In this case you can spend an immediate action to extend the effect for 1 more round by making the check again. A creature can only be targeted with this ability 1 per day.
Bonus Feats Fighters get +1 Bonus Feat.
Combat Advice as a move action, grant 1 ally a +2 competence bonus to hit against 1 other enemy. You must be able to see the enemy and your ally, and your ally must be able to hear you.
Diehard when you drop to -hps you are staggered instead of dying, automatically stabilize and can take a standard action at the cost of -1 hp. Death threshold (-14)
Dual Talent +2 to Int and Cha.
Endurance gain +4 vs most non-lethal effects and damage.
FCB +1 Skill Point.
Iron Will +2 to will saves.
Natural Born Liar when someone fails a save vs your bluff checks, they take a -2 penalty vs your bluff checks for the next 24 hours.
Resistance +1 to all saves
Sneak Attack deal +1d6 precision damage against flat-footed opponets or those denied their dex bonus to AC.
Tough as Nails gain Endurance and Diehard as bonus feats.
Unflinching +1 Will vs mind-affecting effects.
Weapon Finesse can use Dex mod to hit with light weapons.
Weapon Focus (Longsword) +1 to hit with longswords.
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Encumbrance 0lb
Light 58lb, Medium 116lb, Heavy 175lb
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I have also written up bits and pieces of crunch for both Glaniss and Cannan in the profile, if you want to read/use/whatever them. It helped me visualize them better.
I can usually, and quite easily post 1/day. I often post more, and I absolutely surf the site a significant amount more. However, I do get the occasional bout of depression, during that time, my posting does drop.
Also, I am a returning gamer here, i had used this site a significant amount more back in the day, but I am only in 1 other game now.
I have actually never heard of a solo game until this one. I actually think it would be an amazing experience. I think this because with just you vs me, I can play the game at a greater pace, one of my main irks about online pathfinder is its slow pace, especially when each player in a larger game is waiting for the player before, it can take significant time...
I also dont have to worry about "leading other players." One of the things I greatly try to avoid in this game is taking away the fun from someone else, such as making decisions for him. This leads me to be indecisive and unable to lead (so I dont steal that aspect of fun from you). No worry for that in a Solo game!
Honestly, I just think it will be a really neat experience, and worth putting in this extra effort!
I dont actually work, so I got ample time at this point in my life. I am huge on character design and programming so doing stuff like this is just fun :) It may not lead anywhere productive but I figure that it at least hones my writing skills for the future if I ever make a career involving character design.
I have never GM'd but I always thought it would be great fun, just never have. However I have played on a number of campaigns, but none that really stuck around :(
I am very "good" at pathfinder and navigating these forums. I can quite easily create powerful characters or do fun things like mess with the dice roller or nest spoilers (like above ^-^), however I find that uber powerful characters are less enjoyable, so I always try and build weaknesses into my characters, or take ideas that are less powerful and work with them. One area I do struggle with tho, is I can easily create flat characters. They have a good idea, good theme, well built, aaaaannnndd... thats it :( Although I think I avoided it with this one :)
I am very literate, so most of my stuff should be spelled well, well punctuated and well formatted. I think its important.
I Have A Tendency To Over-Capitalize Words. I Will Try To Avoid It As Much As I Can :(
Well hopefully I didnt burn your eyes out reading all of that, the reason I haven't posted much recently is because I was writing all of that down :(
Normally my posts will be in significantly smaller chunks and bites!
Due to the strength of the applications (and the inherent limited spots), I will be closing recruitment and announcing my choice tomorrow morning (9 AM, EST).
So if you have something, you have 12 hours!
As I explained my character's story earlier, I didn't include it in the post. Is this okay with you?
...Help me, my excitement is building to concerning levels
Phew! Well good thing I got mine done today :)
Have an enjoyable read!
Oh I'm so excited!
If I've missed or overlooked something, let me know. Otherwise, I accept silence as confirmation that I'm golden :D
As I explained my character's story earlier, I didn't include it in the post. Is this okay with you?
...Help me, my excitement is building to concerning levels
That is perfectly fine. Don't worry about it.
Phew! Well good thing I got mine done today :)
Have an enjoyable read!
You were one of the strong applications mentioned above!
Oh I'm so excited!
If I've missed or overlooked something, let me know. Otherwise, I accept silence as confirmation that I'm golden :D
I'm glad you are excited. You have overlooked nothing, it is all there!
I just want to say, as someone who has been a player more then a GM, I know your pain. I really do.
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Alrighty then. Just to make sure I get this in, here are my views on a solo game:
I think it's a great way to make PbP campaigns more viable and not a pain. I know from web role-playing I've done elsewhere that you can never, ever rely on a stranger to be online at the same time as you. While PbP games do not make it impossible for flakes to wreck the game or slow it to a crawl, reducing the number of people greatly reduces the risks of such a thing.
It's also a great format for games which focus on things not typically the focus of campaigns. Low-combat campaigns, especially those dealing with delicate social situations that can be totally wrecked by that one person who just insists on stirring crap, take fewer risks by having only one person. It is also very liberating not to have to worry about how other people want to approach a situation. It can be nice to just be able to think for yourself about how to solve some problem and not have to convince the rest of your team that your solution is a good idea. You just do it, and if it is a bad idea, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Some of that is true for any kind of campaign of course, but the benefits of running combat-heavy or dungeon-heavy campaigns solo are often offset by draw-backs, most especially the need to make the combat very easy and the fact that any single character has a limited skill-set for such an undertaking. A more political campaign can take advantage of the benefits without being effected by those drawbacks, as it can simply be arranged that things which the one PC can't do simply don't come up.
I want to say that I had a ton of fun making a character for this. It was so liberating to not have to worry about combat and be able to delve into other aspects of the game which, were I playing PFS, I would have to dump to make sure my character is viable for a dungeon crawl. It was so amazing to look at an AC of 11 and not even care about it. It was so awesome to be able to buy flavorful spells which are useless in combat but potentially really fun to play with in a city when politicking, performing, or the like, and it was amazing to put what are usually flavor items in my bag and actually have a potential use in mind for them.
That's another benefit to a solo campaign: if one person really wants to do something, there's no one else to not want to do it. Well, there's the GM, but in a normal group, I'd basically have to win a debate if I wanted to establish that the party was going to be playing Cards Against Humanoids when the GM asks "what are you doing." He's only asking that because something is about to stop us, probably a combat, but it's still nice.
...Help me, my excitement is building to concerning levels
Know the feels. Know the feels...
I want to say that I had a ton of fun making a character for this.It was so liberating to not have to worry about combat andbe able to delve into other aspects of the game which, were I playing PFS, I would have to dump to make sure my character is viable for a dungeon crawl. It was so amazing to look at an AC of 11 and not even care about it. It was so awesome to be able to buy flavorful spells which are useless in combat but...
Again, I agree :)
However in my case, I am an ex-solder so I am quite capable in combat, I DO have an ac of 10... and I also dont care about it ^-^ Midioto leaves his armor at home and it sits on one of those fancy armor stands at home, collecting dust :'(and I get to focus on non-combat stuffs like antagonize and skills!
but, lastly...
The feels........
Wow, with so many good submissions here, I don't envy the GM at all in picking just 1 person. Silver lining though, whoever he does pick is almost guaranteed to be an outstanding choice, so at the end of the day, two people will enjoying the adventure.
Best of luck to all applicants, its been great reading everyones characters, they are all great =]
It is 9 AM and Recruitment is Closed! I have made my choice and they are listed below (in bold, if you want to skim down to see it first!)
First off, I want to thank everyone for submitting a character. I know it is a non-trivial amount of time and effort, doubly so for a game you knows the odds are low on getting into. I really appreciate you giving me that energy on the hope I am a GM. We had a lot of great entries too, more then I expected for a solo game. Not just amazingly well-laid out posts either but some really neat character ideas and in-depth backgrounds. In only three days I had many real stronger contenders.
The downside with a solo game is I am locked into how many PCs I can take. We have all seen Gms, after recruiting, end up taking 5 PCs instead of 4 or some similar thing because the entries were just SO GOOD. Unfortunately I can't do that. A solo game doesn't really give me much wiggle room. So again, lots of great characters, and I am sorry about all the games I'll never play with all those un-selected characters. It would have been a hell of a ride.
But all that aside my choice is...
Imperia Voralius (human Arcanist) -Mimesyne
It really wasn't an easy choice with so many strong applicants. Mimesyne, go ahead and post in the discussion thread! Everyone else, I hope to see you around the forums and (if this goes well) in future games!