Hey, everyone. Once everyone finishes their crunch, we'll discuss how our backgrounds connect to each other briefly and decide when to start Gameplay.
I'm planning to buy a deck of GameMastery Plot Twist Cards at my friendly local gaming store. Would you guys be interested in using them?
Sounds interesting. How would we use them here, on the forum?
Still waiting on Burnscar for some of that. I wouldn't mind since the game will be free form but yes, how do we implement it?
Dot!
It looks like each plot twist card has a name, four brief story ideas, and one alternate mechanical effect. I figured I would make a numbered table on Google Sheets and roll a d51 for everyone. Otherwise, we'll use the instruction card. You should play a plot twist card and explain the in-game event or development in this thread first, even for the mechanical effect ("I play the Sanity Check card. This enemy is confused for 3 rounds because...").
Can you open Gameplay too so it will show up in the campaigns tab? So we are waiting for Burnscar and Pheonix?
Here, still trying to think up the particulars of his backstory, but damn if I don't have problems fitting the elements I want together.
Sorry Zayne in particular, that this is taking so long.
On the subject of Boats:
@Rribak: I haven't found sampans or coracles on d20pfsrd per se, but if you're okay with a reflavored rowboat (the Skulls and Shackles version), I'm on board with the idea.
This is pretty close to what a sampan would be like, though maybe a bit bigger. A normal sampan is probably closer to 15-20 feet long, and often has a shelter which people can sleep in - many people live in the things. Hong Kong harbor is full of them.
They are normally operated by an oarsman using a sculling oar at the back. The advantage is the oarsman can face forward (and therefore can steer more easily) and also since his oar doesn't have to go over the sides a sampan can maneuver in tighter spaces and easily dock with other boats, though I expect a more conventional rowboat could reach a higher speed. A sampan could probably hold up to 8 people though that would be pretty tight. They do occasionally use sails but mostly not.
A grippli sampan would of course be sized for small creatures instead of medium.
Here's some pictures of sampans:
http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/sijpkes/arch303/fall2002/sampan.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/YangtzeSampan.jpg /250px-YangtzeSampan.jpg
However...
Not only can Rribak not afford the 50 gp for a rowboat, but also if he actually had one he would probably be an occasional visitor (as a trader) and not a resident. So I figured the sampan he was serving on (and probably didn't belong to him) got wrecked, and for the past several months he has been stuck in Moorside, earning a living as a fisherman.
So a coracle is basically a really cheap small boat, suitable for one. Imagine a salad bowl big enough to sit in - that's what a coracle is like. They can only carry a single person. They are slow and a pain in the butt to maneuver (because they are round) but they would be easy for a "woodsy" character to make.
Here are some coracles:
http://www.ancientcraft.co.uk/Projects/coracle/Coracle%20(3).JPG
http://www.marinefilm.co.uk/PageImages/DeeCoracleVW.jpg
Because coracles are nearly useless in an adventuring capacity, I figured I could talk you into letting me have one for nothing - or if you like, I have an extra 5 gp that I haven't spent.
General request to players:
Hey guys.
We have a lot of characters using either 3.5 or 3pp classes instead of Paizo character classes.
I wonder if those of you who do could do me a favor and give me a quick explanation of how your character works?
For the record, Rribak is a fairly typical TWF rogue. He uses daggers pretty much exclusively; he can throw them but mostly uses them in melee. As he is fairly squishy he will mainly concentrate on defense, but when he has the chance to do a full sneak attack he can do decent damage. If he doesn't have the chance to sneak attack he will probably aid a stronger character.
It looks like each plot twist card has a name, four brief story ideas, and one alternate mechanical effect.
I'll go along with it if we are using them, but I'd rather not. It seems a little gimmicky to me.
@Rribak Bonerattle:
Wyrmer has breath weapon usable at-will and dragon arts. Dragon arts are SLA, Ex and Su things usable at-will or . Mine for example are some healing (once per day for one person), constant darkvision and additional effects for breath weapon. Breathwright in particular specializes in breath weapon, he gets both line and cone effects, and later he could combine both of them.
|
General request to players:
Hey guys.
We have a lot of characters using either 3.5 or 3pp classes instead of Paizo character classes.
I wonder if those of you who do could do me a favor and give me a quick explanation of how your character works?
Warlocks are alot like mages, only instead of spells we use invocations, and a Eldrich blast, like a constantly useable energy attack. It deals just damage to enemies as a ranges touch attack. I can augment it with invocations, which raise the effective spell level of the blast. Or I can have invocations that are basically spells.
Path of War is the Pathfinder version of the tome of battle. Each class of the book comes with several disciplines one can draw maneuvers from. These maneuvers come in 4 flavors, counters (immediate actions against certain effects like being hit), strikes (standard or full round special attacks), Boosts (swift actions that augment the next attack usually), and stances (constant effect with varying offensive, defensive, or utility buffs). I have chosen a Warlord. They are fighters with a slight focus on charisma. An assualt leader normally. But I chose the hussar archetype which is focused on mounted combat.
So instead of just getting into range and swinging, a warlord can initiate maneuvers which have different effects. These can only be used once in a battle and refresh at the end. But Each class also has a way for regain maneuvers in combat. For the hussar, I eiether have to successfully defend my mount with Mounted Combat or use a gambit, a basic attack with some risk or reward. Clear as mud?
@Ribrak, Kravar is a stalker.
The stalker's main thing is maneuvers, which are sort of like spells, except for weapons.
He knows a number, can prepare a smaller number, and once he's spent something he's prepared, he needs to spend a round to recover 3(equal to his Wis modifer) of them.
His maneuvers include such effects as healing an ally 1d6 when he hits with an attack, attacking twice at -2 with a specific list of weapons, adding 1d6 damage to a ranged attack, and making an acrobatics check to jump and moving the resulting distance as a swift action.
Maneuvers also include permanent stances, only one of which he can have active at the time. The stance he currently knows gives him +2 AC & reflex saves, and +4 initiative.
Their secondary thing is their Ki pool and stalker arts. Stalker Arts can do a number of things, relating to Deadly Strike, maneuver recovery, the ki pool, and proficiencies. They're sort of like rogue talents, but mostly better. Kravar's current stalker art allows him to spend a ki point as a swift action to make all attackers roll twice and take the lower d20 result when making attacks against him. It lasts for 1+wis mod rounds.
The Ki pool does very little on its own - it can be used to add +4 to perception and sense motive checks.
Their tertiary thing is Deadly Strike, which is like sneak attack, only it activates when you score a critical hit, stays active on that target for wis mod rounds. Kravar has 1 die of deadly strike, and will have 2 dice when he hits level 5.
Eugh. Not really happy with this, but I think I know how to play him, and I gotta have something, so here goes.
- Kravar was given to the Rook, one of a number of monasteries, at an early age. There was lessons. Ettiquette, philosophy, the barest foundations of knowledge. Menial tasks too, routine, to learn focus.
Time passed, and Kravar grew up. For all that courtesey was encouraged, Kravar got into petty squabbles. One of his peers in particular, a brown-feathered girl, Serela, had a mean streak, well concealed, but nonetheless present. She'd retaliate against those she felt had wronged her, always in ways that would not, had she been fully part of the Covenant, affect Balance to her detriment. It could be leaving tools on a dark floor, where she knew a yearmate would trip over it, or leaving a window open where rain would find a treasured letter. Kravar got angry with her, and they fought openly, always he the instigator. The masters held him up as an example of those heedless of the Balance, and he struggled with the disrepancy between the Balance, and good and evil. Good was not Right, and Wrong was not Evil.
Yet more time passed. He was Bound, and like many other young Bundna before him, new to the weight of their word, swore oaths. Some large, some small, nearly all of them foolish.
Most disastrous of all, he and three of his yearmates swore to leave the world better than they'd found it. That's what drove him to leave the monastery, and it's why he's in Moorside. He's walknig the world, trying to find places that he can improve on.
Many small creeks make a river, maybe.
Honestly, he's young and out of his depth.
So he's young and out to prove something. They should get along famously.
The only other person she'd likely have a connection with is whoever submitted a blacksmith...I think. Someone did make a blacksmith right?
That reminds me, are we doing background skills? I think they were also discussed but not sure. DM, can you post the complete build rules in the Campaign Info tab?
That reminds me, are we doing background skills? I think they were also discussed but not sure. DM, can you post the complete build rules in the Campaign Info tab?
Yeah, I had noticed you guys didn't seem to have used them.
Background Skills are from Pathfinder Unchained. They are online on the PRD, here:
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/unchained/skillsAndOptions/backgroundSki lls.html
Considering that we're supposed to be ordinary villagers this will allow you to put points in craft or profession skills of your choice. There are others too. Lucatiel: you will probably be happy to note that Handle Animal is a background skill.
Obviously as a character that depends on flanking, I am interested to know who my flanking buddies will be. :)
But here's what I am getting so far (correct me if I don't understand):
Geoffrey:
In Combat: Probably uses his breath weapon whenever possible, and has a crossbow when enemies are out of range. With two breath shapes he can probably get into position most of the time if he is smart. He will have to be fairly close to the action though, and probably wants other characters to screen him. His HP are good, but his AC is not that great, nor are his melee attacks.
Out of Combat: Not much... has a few half-decent social skills, but his skills are hampered by the fact that this is a CON-based class. Can heal everyone once per day though, which is very good since I don't see any clerics here.
Build Comments: I might give him a longspear, so he could use reach to keep enemies from closing to within 5'.
Vizper:
In Combat: I'm guessing she intends to use Eldritch Blast as much as possible, and she has a very long range with it. She will probably hang back most of the time. However, she doesn't have Precise Shot, so I envision some difficulty once the party gets in melee.
Out of Combat: Vizper has only assigned 1 skill rank so far, so I'm not sure, unless she only gets the one rank (which I doubt). If she puts a rank into Bluff or intimidate it will probably be the best in the party.
Build Comments: I'm surprised she didn't go for Div-Spawn instead of Demon Spawn, since Div-Spawn get a DEX bonus instead of STR (STR doesn't seem that important to Vizper). If Eldritch blast is going to be her main thing, she will need the Precise Shot feat sooner or later; hopefully GM will be lenient about feat taxes. I also have to wonder how Warlock compares to Kineticist, since they seem to have a similar schtick.
Lucatiel:
In Combat: I'm guessing Lucatiel will be on horseback as much as possible. She has Ride-by-Attack, and some maneuvers that help with charge attacks. I don't see any ranged weapons on her sheet. Her AC is quite good and HP are decent.
Out of Combat: She has decent Diplomacy and Handle Animal. When she gets her background skills I'm betting she will take Knowledge: Nobility.
Build Comments: I'm surprised she went for a DEX build instead of STR. DEX gives her a bonus to ride skill and AC but forces her to waste a feat on Weapon Finesse, which could have gone to Power Attack. Also surprised she doesn't use a lance, which inherently does double damage on a mounted charge. She has a shortsword, which uses weapon finesse. She also has a shortspear, which doesn't (since it is not a light weapon) unless there is some class feature or GM boon involved. So I'm not sure how she gets +5 to hit with it.
Kravar:
In Combat: Kravar looks like a melee fighter, and though I don't know what his maneuvers do, I suspect he will have kind of a monk-ish feel. Main weapon is probably hook spear, which has reach. I am guessing Kravar will be my main flanking buddy most of the time. His AC and HP are decent. His chance to hit is not great but I'm guessing the maneuvers will help there.
Out of Combat: Kravar has a lot of the "sneaky" skills that I also have like stealth, perception, acrobatics, etc. If stealthy scouting is required, we can probably work together. Also has Heal and Kn: religion.
Build Comments: I'm not sure I know enough about the class to comment. He went with rolled stats, and his distribution is good, but if he had gone point buy he could have dumped a score, and wouldn't have "wasted" all those points on odd numbers.
Shortspears are light weapons, so they're finesseable.
And yes, I can quite see being a flanking partner.
By the way, where did we land on those feat tax rules? I've written kravar's sheet with them in mind, although the only thing from it he really uses is weapon finesse. And that only gives +1 relative to hit, so I might still go dodge if they aren't in place.
I'll add links to automatic bonus progression and background skills in the Campaign Info tab. I've given the idea of removing feat taxes some more thought, and I see no reason to implement them. Caster-martial disparity isn't much of an issue in this party, and feats are in no short supply after 6th level. Please assume feats work as normal Pathfinder except Path of War feats; the wyrmer class-specific feats for Geoffrey; and Ability Focus for Vizper, since the warlock class specifically calls it out.
@Lucatiel: Burnscar's initial character concept was a blacksmith, but he made Kravar instead.
@Rribak: Have a free coracle. I suggested using a rowboat's statistics for sampan should naval exploration or combat come up, but I think I can write up a unique ship statblock if that happens. I'm not going to ask you to pay for a pre-adventuring home, in the same way that aven and grippli stay at Nearheath Hall for free, and other human residents have homes.
Has anyone heard from SunstonePheonix, by the way?
Build Comments: I'm surprised she went for a DEX build instead of STR. DEX gives her a bonus to ride skill and AC but forces her to waste a feat on Weapon Finesse, which could have gone to Power Attack. Also surprised she doesn't use a lance, which inherently does double damage on a mounted charge. She has a shortsword, which uses weapon finesse. She also has a shortspear, which doesn't (since it is not a light weapon) unless there is some class feature or GM boon involved. So I'm not sure how she gets +5 to hit with it.
Shortspears are not light weapons normally but they are in the hands of a Hussar because of this:
As long as she's in that stance it's a light weapon and thus finesse-able. She will never not be in this stance until level 2 and off the horse when I can get a different stance for defense. That's when she'll be using the shortsword. Shortspear is also a ranged weapon, though very short.
As for Dex over Str, short answer is I wanted to play a cavalier differently. She didn't start training until later in life after the terrible news that most of the males in her family were now gone. She doesn't have the muscles her male cousins have built up since youth. It was a decision I based on the backstory but there is some mechanical benefits.
Normal build is as you mentioned. High str, lance, power attack, and spirited charge. At level 3 that's like +12 to hit and 3d8+27 on a charge. If she hits, combat over. Where's the fun in that. For now I can somewhat match the double damage on a single charge. With the stance, a boost, and a strike I can do 4d6+2. Eventually the cavalier will outclass her in mounted damage but she has a lot more versatility. She can fight on and off the horse just fine and switch between mobile harrier and tank.
Sent Sunstone a PM. He seems to be around but might not have read the post that transfers us over here.
although the only thing from it he really uses is weapon finesse. And that only gives +1 relative to hit, so I might still go dodge if they aren't in place.
Tough call, but here's a question: can you wear more armor? Or do you have some kind of monk restriction against it? If you can, I might be inclined to use that for AC and get Weapon Finesse for now. Not sure how much cash you have but you might be able to pick up something soon if you can't afford it now. Light armor is cheap.
At level 4 I'm guessing your DEX goes to 18 and then maybe to 20 at level 6 (from automatic bonus progression). So you probably want Weapon Finesse sooner or later.
As long as she's in that stance it's a light weapon and thus finesse-able.
Ah, I see! I figured it might be a class ability. Can you use this stance while mounted or only on foot? The bonus die of damage from the stance makes me think that TWF and Improved Shield Bash might be good for you this way.
It does seem strange that we have no STR-based characters in the party though.
Oh, well thanks i didn't notice my lack of skill ranks... so busy lately i haven't been able to get things done!
No worries.
i think I'll quickly change my eldritch blast weapon focus into point blank shot.
Since PBS can give you +1 to hit *and* damage, it could potentially be as good or better. Depends how often you are within 30 feet of your target. But Precise Shot is a definite must.
But it's worth pointing out that if you are maneuvering to get a clear line of fire (to avoid that -4 penalty for cover) it is easier to do this if you are closer to the target. The cover rules are a pain in the butt. If your teammates are coordinating with you to leave lines of fire open it can work much better.
|
|
Oh, a thing about Vizper's stats... I chose demon spawn because it fit more with what I wanted
I don't like optimizing everything with my characters, so where I lack in one area I excell in others. I may actually get proficiency with a weapon I can use to channel my blasts through.... but to be honest, I mostly envisioned her taking out archers or mages. Most spellcasters can't take one or two hits from the Eldrich blast.
Hey, guys.
FYI I am heading out of town in a few hours and won't be back until Monday night. I doubt there is internet access where I am going, so I probably won't be able to post for the next few days.
Peet (Rribak).
What do we need to do before we can get started?
I haven't started Gameplay mostly due to time constraints. I work overtime on weekends (at least until next weekend), so I can't write quality posts. I'm covering for someone else's shift tonight as well, so the earliest I can launch Gameplay is tomorrow. The least I can do for you is make this announcement look more official:
Meanwhile, let's keep the discussion going. What are your characters' short-term or long-term goals? Do your characters know what they want?
|
|
well, even though i have yet to create a detailed background, I will say my idea is to have Vizper embrace her powers... so I may switch her to chaotic evil, but don't be worried, I am not the type to play an alignment for all it is. In fact, if I do play her as CE, I will play more along the lines as a sadistic person rather than a complete and utter maniac. she revels in pain and desires only power. her short term goals are to have fun, and her form of fun usually involves using her powers.
long-term is to gain as much power as possible, she wants to become so powerful that she can become the main villain to some other party of adventurers ;P
But in all seriousness, she is just a sadistic. her main goal is to enjoy herself in anyway, she cares not for the pain of others nor does she care for anyone close to her.
I sent Kenneth a message explaining the situation. I will not be joining this campaign.
They saw her easily enough from the top of the last hill but they still came on until they reached the bottom of the hill she waited on. Her father's voice appeared in her head with the advice he had repeated that morning. "Hopefully you won't even have to fight. You wear the armor I once wore and ride my horse. If they recognize it then you may be able to dissuade them."
"Who the f%#% are you?" said one of the mounted men.
Well so much for that, she thought. "I am James Hawthorn. Defender of Moorshire. Leave the wagon and no harm shall come to you," she said in the manliness voice she could muster. Even to her ears it sounded fake. Something to work on if she survived.
"Yeah?" the same man asked. He pretended to mull it over as he looked over at his companions and smiled. "Think I'll take my chances against a wannabe knight," he said turning back to her.
Her mind conjured her father's advice again. "Take out the leader first if you can. It will demoralize the rest and maybe end the fight before it even begins. He'll usually be the one giving orders or talking the most."
"You have been warned," she said in return. She reached down and stroked the mane of the horse beneath her. "Alright Aeolian. Let's do this," she whispered. The horse tossed its mane and snorted in acknowledgement. The name seemed to be some kind of trigger. The beast tossed it head and snorted. It's stance shifted from relaxed farm animal o proud war horse. The horse began to prance in anticipation of what was about to come. It danced back and forth with barely controlled excitement. So when she urged the horse forward, it was off in a flash, charging down the hill like a gust of wind. Lucatiel barely stayed in the saddle. Thankfully the men below were slow to react, not realizing the threat was real. By the time they got their weapons out, the thundering duo were already upon them. Again, her uncles words rang in her mind as she charged forward. "Remember, Lance up and stay balanced until just before the strike. Drop, aim, and lean into it at the last second. Just let Aeolian do the work. And for the love of the gods do not drop the lance."
Lucatiel and Aeolian made impact with tremendous force. And to everyone's surprise, the hit was mostly on the mark. The lance hit the supposed leader low on his breastplate, deflecting the tip down into his side. It was a mortal wound if not treated and sent him flying off his own horse. He landed with a crunch and lay still. Only a light groan indicated that he survived. Aeolian's momentum carried them past the wagon before they slowed enough to spin around and charge again.
"Wait! Wait! We'll give it back." One man cried as jumped down to help the wounded man. Lucatiel reigned in her mount just before dropping her lance for another strike on the other mounted man. Aeolian continued to dance, obviously wanting to race some more.
"Leave the wagon and go!" she said and they complied. They patched up their companion as best they could and rode off. After they were over the next rise an excruciating pain tore through her arm. She dropped the lance and cried out so loudly in pain her mount went into a panicked trot, which just made the pain worse. "Stop Abigail." On the name Abigail, the horse stopped and immediately dropped its head to graze lazily at the grass at the side of the rode. Lucatiel spent a few moments just trying to fight off the black spots in her vision that threatened to coalesce in an all consuming darkness. She took deep breaths in time with the now docile Abigail to keep a steady rhythm. Eventually the pain dulled to something manageable and she looked to see what the problem was.
"Yep. Dislocated." She dismounted gently, only hissing a few hims at the spikes of hot iron in her shoulder. The armor weighed heavy on the wound. She grabbed the lance and then the reigns of the donkey pulling the wagon of goods. She guided the stubborn animal over to Abigail and tethered them together. Then, very slowly, guided them all back to the village. As she went she wondered if her father would be proud she won or disappointed that she barely did more damage to the thieves than she did to herself. Probably both. At least she didn't drop the lance until they were gone.
@Kravar: How would Kravar react to the above situation? I figure this is a good place to start their connection but I still know little about him.
@Vizper: Is there a chance of moving her toward Neutral? I won't have any problems with a CE character but is there a chance we can change her over the course of the game? The evil character finding redemption or the evil character who isn't really evil are always favorite themes of mine.
Well now I want to read how that happens.
And the warning, that was Fair, establishing rules of engagement. She seemed careful enough in her actions, and brave.
He winced as she held the lance swerved in order to hit her target, the force of it running up her arm. Oh well. That was why he was here, after all.
It would be a gamble, but he wouldn't be initiating her into the Covenant, so his responsibility would be limited, really. Not so great a risk.
Besides, he liked her already. He would not judge all on balance; he'd met a few monks who did, and they were... cold. One of his yearmates had called them the Stonebeaks, and that description seemed apt enough.
Who was he kidding? He'd decided before he followed her here, in truth. Swinging one leg over the branch, he hopped down to the ground, approaching the knight as she was gathering up the liberated goods.
He couldn't smile in the fashion of humans, but he could move without signalling threat, and he did so now, arms swinging casually and shoulders low, relaxed.
"Greetings! May I help you with your arm? I know enough to pull it into place." He announced himself, as he passed into her field of view.
------------
"Place your hand like so," he indicated, "This will hurt." He gripped his talons tight around the arm, pulling it into place with his upper body muscles.
"That was a brave thing, what you did with the spear and the thieves. It is seldom you see bravery aligned so closely with the will to help; I am impressed."
"As I know something of the bones and the healing, I also know the muscles and the fighting. And it seems to me that this steel of yours does perhaps not fit your balance well? You are quick, yet with the weight of your steel, it slows you. If you would, I, Kravar, would teach you the staff and the quick feet. It will help with your spearfighting, I think. And your beast, I think he is an old hand - he does not so need teaching, yes?"
|
|
Now, the demon's deal is simple, power for favors. Essentially, every time Vizper levels up she preforms a small task for her patrion. The higher the level, the greater the task.
I sent Kenneth a message explaining the situation. I will not be joining this campaign.
That's too bad. He was going to play the druid, right?
Do we want to try to recruit one more player for a divine caster? Or leave things as is?
I haven't really figured out a way to tie myself to any of the other players yet. I was going to work in something with Kvoak, but he has dropped out. So this is what I have so far.
Life on a sampan was simple. All "crew" would participate in the daily life of the boat; navigating the waterways, fishing, trading, honoring the dead, and fighting off threats to the sampan. The sampan was home.
Not all the crew would learn all duties of the Sampan, however.
* The stronger grippli would man the steering oar and propel the ship.
* The wiser grippli would preside over the ceremonies involved in transporting the dead, and in bargaining with those they traded with.
* The quicker grippli would act as scouts, watching for danger.
Rribak was not strong enough to work the main oar (though when more oarsmen were needed he would join the others). Nor was he charming enough to be allowed to negotiate with outsiders for commerce. But Rribak took quickly to the way of the scout, and learned to use stealth and agility to protect himself and his sampan. He learned to wear armor and ignore the weight of it when he moved. He did what he could to master the knife, the favored weapon of the Great Mother.
Rribak grew from a child to a young man. Overall he was content with his life. He knew that when he was old enough to take a wife, he would eventually have his own sampan for his family.
Then disaster struck. The day before his coming-of-age ceremony (which falls on a grippli's 15th birthday), the sampan was passing through a remote swamp when it was attacked by a Kashrababak a large reptilian predator. The creature struck from surprise, and smashed the sampan in half. In the ensuing combat Rribak managed to escape, but the other four members of the crew were all killed.
Alone, and with nothing but whatever gear he was wearing, Rribak made his way alone through the swamp, until he found a human settlement - Moorside. Not wanting to owe anyone favors, he has been able to earn a living catching fish and collecting other types of food in the swamps. He thinks the locals don't think much of him, so he made himself a small den by the river, and doesn't have a lot to do with the townspeople.
But what keeps him awake at night is the fact that his family from the sampan have died and have gone unburied. He wants to return to the swamp, and track down and kill the Kashrababak, and then search its lair for remains. He knows that he cannot do this alone, and ideally he will have a grippli cleric along who can track down what fragments of bones remain. Something of their bodies must be returned to the Isle of Mists for his friends to have proper rest.
What Rribak doesn't realize that embarking on such a quest would make him a retriever, one of the solitary grippli adventurers dedicated to restoring the lost dead to their rightful place. This life of adventure now awaits him.
1: The "Kashrababak" could be any sort of reptilian monster that lives in a swamp. I had pictured something like a crocodile, but it could be anything really. I'm leaving it up to the GM.
2: Because of Rribak's lack of social skills, the villagers don't think much of him, but they know he has useful skills. Rribak tries to be useful to the village to make up for his lack of charm. Rribak might be "recommended" by villagers if a quest comes up. If approached, he would be willing to join in on something like that in the hopes that he could also convince the party to help him with the Kashrababak.
3: Rribak has only been in Moorside for perhaps three months. So unless someone met him before as he travelled on a Sampan, his connections with other characters would have to be established in that time.
4: I checked the aging rates for Grippli and changed Rribak's age accordingly. Grippli rogues start at 13-16 years of age so I made him 15. Equivalent to about an 18 year old human. He's pretty young and somewhat naive.
5: My assumption is that when trying to "retrieve" remains of lost grippli, grippli clerics use a type of locate object spell that specifically works on remains (probably a custom spell). Obviously Rribak will not be able to cast this, but perhaps later in life he might get UMD and use scrolls or wands of it. Or maybe they will find an NPC cleric who can.
I'm not sure on the background, but Geoffrey's goals are pretty obvious - to find treasures his parents couldn't find, to have a great time while doing it, to explore the world.
He is an easy-going guy, who lives in the moment. He may have some plan for tomorrow, or the next week, but nothing more long-term. Do first, think later, within reasonable limits.
That's divine magic, more or less.
Warlocks were always a little wierd. I really like the idea of Vizper, by the way, even though I'm put off by the CE thing.
|
|
hey, i know the difference between evil and stupid.
Ie. enemy begs for surrender: Evil= Kills them after extracting everything they can from them.
Stupid= kills them for no reason, gaining nothing from the event.
kill an Important NPC: Evil= poison his drink, hire assassins, or kill him when no-one is around
Stupid= walks up to the person in the middle of town and stabs him right in front of everyone.
help your allies: Evil= help only if it would benefit you and/or you have a good chance of doing it, or you have no other choice.
stupid= ignore your allies because you think you would never help them even if the danger in helping them was low, or you could not continue without them...
I play evil smarter, not just for the sake of being evil.
I'm evil, but I'm not complete scum.
** spoiler omitted **
This raises a lot of questions. First and foremost is how did farmer's daughter get apprenticed to a conjurer? Which brings up another larger question? What is Eventyr's stance on magic? I either see it as something only the nobles have access to far off in the capital. Maybe a place of learning to try to counter and learn from the magic that ripped the country apart. That or any magic user is hunted down like the Salem Witch Trials.
Also why so hell bent on power? Pun intended. What's the motivation?
|
|
Well, the desire for power comes mostly from the corruption that the demon's magic created. as for why she was chosen as an apprentice, i was thinking that she already had some skill with magic, like a sorcerer before she actually unlocks her power. the Conjurer saw this and thought he'd better help that person learn to use that magic properly before she accidentally destroys something.
initially the thrill for her desire of magic was purely curiosity, then the succubus came along and used that to control Vizper. she corrupted Vizper's curiosity and turned it into a craving desire.
as i said in recruitment, the Demons/devils of Eventyr work more in the background than standard demons/devils. they make "deals" with mortals. power or riches in exchange for... tasks. but the "deals" always have some fine text no-one ever reads. they get treasure, but they desire more and more, they get power, but that power is completely reliant on the demon. they basically make it easier for the demon to gain complete control over the mortal. eventually the demon is the real one in charge. however, the "deals can never be broken, not even by the demon/devil. they have to follow the pact or suffer some downside effect, most of the time for mortals it's loss of their soul to the outsider, but for the outsider, it is much worse. the details for the outsider aren't specific, all that is known is that it's so bad that the outsiders are so afraid of it they won't break a pact unless there is no other choice.
going off of this, one or two seemingly normal officials could only have their position because an outsider has put them there.
Lucatiel drops the reins and draws steel with her non-dominate hand. The long sword felt very heavy. When she realized the...thing approaching meant no harm she sighed in relief. She wasn't going to be able to put up much of a fight anyway. The weight of the blade as she let it sink to a neutral position nearly toppled her. She'd never seen an Aven before but had heard of them. She'd never heard of them leaving the high monasteries.
"Oh I know its gonna hurt. Not the first time." And hurt it did. Even knowing it was coming didn't stop her from crying out in pain and nearly passing out. If it wasn't for his hold she'd sink to her knees. "I'd say thanks but the blinding pain is a little distracting." It takes her a minute of deep steady breaths to gather her composure enough to speak.
"That felt more stupid than brave," she says, rotating the arm to make sure she still had full range. "Unfortunately, if I don't do it, they'd be back and take a lot more." There was a lot more to the story but she didn't think sharing with a stranger was good idea.
"As I know something of the bones and the healing, I also know the muscles and the fighting. And it seems to me that this steel of yours does perhaps not fit your balance well? You are quick, yet with the weight of your steel, it slows you. If you would, I, Kravar, would teach you the staff and the quick feet. It will help with your spearfighting, I think. And your beast, I think he is an old hand - he does not so need teaching, yes?"
Lucatiel looks confused. "Uh. I didn't understand most of that but if you want to help, here. You can walk Maggy. She's nice." Lucatiel hands over the reins to the donkey pulling the wagon while she gets back on Abigail. Lucatiel would come to understand the Aven's words later when he showed her what he meant by staff and quick step and of balance. The armor was too heavy and weapons too large. Giving them up was difficult. But when her practice showed progress, she found talent she never knew she had.
I think she'll call him Master Kravar sometimes just to annoy him.
@ GM:
OK, I have implemented the Grippli changes, but there's one more I'd like you to consider:
(Quote From http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tu5p&page=3?Interest-for-a-homebrew-Pathfi nder-game#115)
As for the grippli ideas:
...
(3) For the sake of keeping the number of class skills changed equal, I think that it'd be better if you replaced Appraise and Linguistics with Knowledge (nature) and Survival.
I don't think it makes sense for a grippli rogue to have Knowledge (Dungeoneering). They don't explore dungeons, sewers, or caves. An urban grippli might but one that grows up in the wild probably wouldn't.
How do you feel about removing Knowledge (Dungeoneering) from class and exchanging it with Knowledge (Religion) on account of the religious and anti-undead focus that Rribak's tribe has?
Instead of homebrewing the class to that extent, why not play a Slayer. Its the ranger/rogue hybrid which is what you seem to be building. Then take either Devotee of the Green or Know the Land for Knowledge (Nature) and Spirit Guide for Knowledge (Religion).