Hi all, I am searching for 4-6 players for a Carrion Crown PbP. Please make your applications below.
- 25 point buy. No restrictions on dump stats.
- Any 0HD race is viable, but tell me how you fit into the setting. Humans must choose an ethnicity.
- No Chaotic Evil please.
- Any class is fair game, but again—I want to know how you fit into the setting. If you’re a ninja in Ustalav, for example, tell me how you got there.
- Any archetype is fine.
- Two traits, one of which must be a campaign trait from the Carrion Crown Player's Guide. The other trait can be from any published source.
- We are playing at the Emerging Guns level, but guns are only made in Alkenstar. If you have one you will need to explain how it got from there to here.
- Roll your starting gold and if you don't like what you get, take the average.
- Max hp for first level, rolled thereafter with a single re-roll on a roll of a 1. Animal companions, eidolons etc roll hp at first level, but if you don't like what you get, take the average.
- The AP is scheduled to go to level 15, but whatever level we reach at the end, I will bring your level 20 capstone ability forward to that level.
- Any Paizo published material is fine. If I don’t own a copy of the rules to which you refer, I will ask that you please quote me the text so I can read it for myself. No third party stuff please.
- In your backstory, tell me about how, when and where you met Professor Lorrimor (read the Player's Guide for more details).
- You may submit more than one character—if you submit a non-standard race character, for instance, it’s probably a good idea to submit a standard race character as a backup. But please, keep it to a maximum of three.
- Please state your time zone on your alias background.
- The Appraise skill will only be used to give you the chance to sell items for more than 50% of their book value. You won't need it to ascertain item book values.
- You won't need to make Spellcraft checks to identify magic items created by someone with a Caster Level equal to or less than your ranks (ranks, not total bonus) in Spellcraft. For example, a 5th level wizard with 5 ranks in Spellcraft could automatically identify a potion of cure light wounds (CL 3rd) but not a belt of giant strength (CL 8th).
- A bard gaining Versatile Performance can retask skill ranks away from the skills affected. Same applies to headbands of vast intelligence.
- No crafting of mundane items. It just takes too long! I promise to make mundane crafters/merchants readily available where it is sensible to do so. In other words, no, there's not a fletcher at the bottom of Gallowspire waiting for heroes to show up.
- Where an untrained skill roll is being made on behalf of the party as a whole (e.g. Sense Motive, Survival), those without ranks can only aid another; they don't make rolls independently.
- Massive damage will apply.
- Characters will gain a bonus Teamwork Feat at 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter—but a character has to have been a member of the party for the last three levels to qualify. Classes that gain bonus teamwork feats (e.g. the cavalier) may instead choose to gain bonus combat feats whenever they would gain a bonus teamwork feat, at the player's discretion.
- Interesting characters that will work well together.
- Characters that have been created as believable individuals rather than a collection of numbers and rules with an appended personality. I want to see the numbers and traits and feats you choose come to life in your background.
- Players with a decent command of grammar and spelling. We all make mistakes and typos, but I won’t be able to GM effectively if I have to work to decipher every post.
- Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Evil and Neutral Evil will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but I don't want to turn this into an Evil campaign. Good or Good tendencies are preferred.
As a consequence, while Carrion Crown is a horror Adventure Path, under my aegis you can expect it to look more like Van Helsing, the Blade films, or Dracula 2000 than a traditional ‘scary’ horror movie.
That being said, there will be consequences to your actions. I don’t like adventurers who do nothing but kill things and take their stuff. I will change your alignment—forcibly, if I have to—and make you pay for your actions if I think they warrant it. For example, if a first-level party spends time openly antagonising an obviously hostile, well-connected and shady noble, they can quite possibly expect a high-level assassin to show up that night. Take your cues from the setting and the NPCs’ admonishments and warnings. I thoroughly eschew the Sorting Algorithm of Evil.
In the same vein, if you take a dump stat you can expect it to affect you. If you have the Charisma of a doorknob and you try to sweet talk the wait staff at a bar, I will make you roll a Diplomacy check in conjunction with your roleplaying.
I am also a storyteller before I am a combat simulator. I won’t be using maps, but I will be providing an overview at the beginning of each round of combat that describes the disposition of your characters and their opponents. In addition, I believe PbP lends itself far more to roleplaying and plot than it does to combat, so you can expect encounters to be simplified if they would otherwise bog down in posts like In general, my philosophy on combat tactics will be along the lines of “if you want to be in charge range, you are unless I specifically say otherwise”.
Combats will tick over at a rate of one round per day. If you're unable to post that day, I will adjudicate your character's actions.
Lastly, I am Australian and use British English conventions. For example:
I theorise that if I practise often, I might be licensed to colour. And my practice is what gets me that colouring licence.
You may, of course, use whatever form of English you like. : )
I want you to be engaged with the story and with the characters (both PCs and NPCs), so it would be good if you were willing to dig around and find stuff out, and invest yourself in the setting and the story.
Otherwise, the chief requirement is the standard Paizo forum rule: don't be a jerk.
Recruitment closes at 6am AEDT on Friday February 17. Successful applicants will be announced at 8am AEDT on Monday February 20. Look forward to reading your submissions!
Would dot, but...
- Players with a decent command of grammar and spelling. We all make mistakes and typos, but I won’t be able to GM effectively if I have to work to decipher every post.
.
This might be a problem.
That's up to you, but having read through your previous posts, I can't find a problem with your spelling and grammar.
And I did say 'decent', not 'all-encompassing' or 'brilliant'.
The kinds of things I want to stay away from are text-message-speak, overuse of shorthand, unnecessary random capitalisation, repeatedly writing 'rouge' instead of 'rogue' and so on, and sheer unintelligibility. If everyone previewed their post and re-read it to make sure it made sense, I'd be over the moon.
To be clear, I don't need people to understand the technical elements of grammar or spell everything correctly every time. You won't need to know what the nominative case is, or to be able to decline verbs. That's not helpful.
But like I said in the original stipulation, I don't want to have to work to decipher your posts. If I have to repeatedly ask you about what you actually meant, it's going to bog things down. I'd simply rather not have to do so is all. Plus I don't expect this to be the gamebreaker anyway. Just wanted people to be aware of what I was looking for. : )
I will be applying for this game. I have been very interested in checking out Carrion Crown. In all truth, I almost bought the AP to run myself, but I am running Kingmaker at the moment, and two games of such scope seemed like overreaching.
I am online almost all the time, so posting will not be hard for me. Also, I own every Paizo core book minus the Beastiary 2. That said, I have no problem digging for that extra bit of detail to make post and interactions more memorable.
I do have a few questions with your permission.
Do you tend to lean toward martial or caster characters when you play?
Do you, as a GM, prefer detailed backstories, complete with personal nemesis and so on. Or would you rather have a solid backstory with some blanks for you to fill in as the character grows?
I tend to make well-rounded characters that excell in one or two areas and are middling in many others with as few glaring weaknesses as possible. Now, they all have soft-spots of course, but you'll not see a fighter with a 8 wisdom from me if I have any say about it.
Would your opinion of adventuring heroes differ? Should I create a less balanced character for your game?
Thank you for the time and energy you will dedicate to this game. No one could play if someone didn't fill that GM role. Also, please feel free to disregard this post if it's too much to deal with. I'll create a character either way.
DSP.
Hi, sweetie! I'm Flori, the most fabulous sorceress you'll ever want to meet!
GM:
I GM Goblins 2: The Wreckin'ing, (KenderKin is one of the goblins) and Black Talons of Absalom. Honestly, though, I sometimes prefer to just play! Starting gold:
I do have a few questions with your permission.
Do you tend to lean toward martial or caster characters when you play?
My favourite classes are the monk and magus. I don't like playing rogues, sorcerers, or oracles. Not sure what you'll get out of that, but there you have it. : ) To actually answer your question, I probably favour martial classes, but that's quite possibly because our games don't go to very high level most of the time, and casters only start overtaking their martial friends around those mid-levels (in my experience).
Do you, as a GM, prefer detailed backstories, complete with personal nemesis and so on. Or would you rather have a solid backstory with some blanks for you to fill in as the character grows?
I'm usually happy with either, but in the context of a Play-by-Post campaign, I think the latter is more useful for me. To be frank, the attraction of PbP is that relative to face-to-face play, it won't take much of my time; if I have to customise the AP to take personal nemeses and such into account, it doesn't fit that bill any more.
Which is not to say "don't include things like personal nemeses in your background", but if you're going to do it, you'll need to let me work with it as best I can.
In essence, what I'm after from your backstories is a grounding for your character and an opportunity for me to understand their motivations. I don't need family histories or blow-by-blow accounts of their life, I'm just after the highs (and lows) of their life and what has made them into the people they are today.
I tend to make well-rounded characters that excell in one or two areas and are middling in many others with as few glaring weaknesses as possible. Now, they all have soft-spots of course, but you'll not see a fighter with a 8 wisdom from me if I have any say about it.
Would your opinion of adventuring heroes differ? Should I create a less balanced character for your game?
Hopefully this doesn't sound like a cop-out, but you should play the kind of character that you want to play. When I said I don't mind dump stats, I meant just that--one of my favourite PCs of all time was a dwarf barbarian with a Charisma of 6 and an Intelligence of 8. But I played him that way--he spent a lot of his time drunk and/or naked.
So I don't mind dump stats, but I want to see them taken into account by the way the PC is roleplayed.
Thank you for the time and energy you will dedicate to this game. No one could play if someone didn't fill that GM role. Also, please feel free to disregard this post if it's too much to deal with. I'll create a character either way.
Thanks for the thanks! I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Dotting Interest for a Human (Varisian) Internal Alchemist Vivisectionist Alchemist
quick question would you allow the Master Chymist bomb progression be replaced by the sneak attack vivisectionist get instead?
My short answer is yes, we could find a way to do that.
My long answer is that I am unconvinced that the master chymist prestige class grants a bomb-throwing capacity if one doesn't exist already; the text says:
Bomb-Thrower (Ex): The destructive power of bombs appeals to the violent urges of a master chymist. Add the character’s alchemist and master chymist levels together to determine the damage done by her bombs.
It doesn't say anything about granting the ability to make and throw bombs, so if you want to increase your sneak attack ability, you might need to give something else up if you stick with the vivisectionist (who loses the bomb class feature).
I will have a think and get back to you.
###
I think the bigger challenge for creating such a character will be reconciling the measured, clear-headed nature of the internal alchemist archetype with the brutal nature of the vivisectionist archetype and the bestiality expressed by the master chymist prestige class. Just taking a look a the divergent natures of the recommended discoveries for the two archetypes makes me wonder how they'd work together. I would want to see that addressed in backstory and then in characterisation as the AP continued.
In other words, if I felt the PC was taking the internal alchemist archetype solely to access the bonus feats rather than because it made for a characterful choice, I would be less inclined to bring the character on board. Does that make sense?
Thanks for your interest, look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Hello there!
I must first express my repeated excitement and fascination with a good scene for role-playing, and all the fun it can be.
Having expressed that heart-felt statement, I have to offer an equally heart-felt thank you for running a game with such enthusiasm, grammar, and detailed responses to the questions already asked of you. I certainly hope that I'll get to be one of the 4-6 players in this adventure path, and may take the time to write up an additional character if my niche is filled. (I love monks in pathfinder even more than in 3.5) That being said, I'd like to introduce Walthus, who is an orphan from a barely began Carrion Crown game that was run by GM Todd, who sadly disappeared after the winter holidays. I believe he was put together for a 20 point buy, and his back story was rather open ended and was left more in the recruitment page than on his character sheet. I will do my best to fix him up tomorrow or over the weekend, and scribe out a little more of the character that I found in his brilliant red locks of hair, warm and knowing smile, smoking pipe, and constantly cheery personality. Mechanically Walthus is a Dawnflower Dervish Bard archetype, a capable front liner, with a plethora of skills one could only expect from a halfling.
I will fix his character sheet up with back story, 25 point buy, and flavor sometime in the morning as I am actually under the weather and in much need of some rest. Please let me know your thoughts or any questions for me that you might have regarding Walthus, or myself as a player.
Here's my submission.
The background and character are still a work in progress, any feedback would be appreciated. Also you might notice I'm playing a similar character in another adventure. I realized the character had some great potential, and the other adventure is an 11th level module, so was hoping to get a chance to expand on it in an AP style setting.
In her last life, Chunhua had visited Ustalav in her travels to explore all that the world had to offer. During her travels, she came to be bitten by a creature of the night, a vampire. Fearing what may become of her if she turned, she sought aid. This led her to find Professor Lorrimar.
The Professor was intrigued by Chunhua's situation. What would happen if she did indeed turn into a vampire herself? And would the curse be lifted if she herself was reincarnated? While Chunhua was afraid of what may come of her, she had to admit a certain degree of curiousity for the matter. So the two came to an agreement. Since they were unable to find the vampire who had bitten Chunhua, it was decided they would wait it out and see if she would turn. If it became apparent that she was going to , Professor Lorrimar would stake her himself.
During the wait, Chunhua practiced exercises taught her as a child so that she might remember Professor Lorrimar during her next life, if needed. He also taught her several techniques for dealing with such creatures, more to keep her mind off the impending change than anything else.
Alas, the change was inevitable. It started small, an aversion to sunlight, prefering meat cooked a little less done. But they both soon realized that soon she would fall to the vampiric kiss that she had been given. At first, Lorrimar didn't want to do it, but Chunhua convinced him. Not only did she not want to die a vampire, for her people death was but a stage, and she would return. She promised that as soon as she was able, she would come visit him upon her reincarnation. So it was a month after being bitten, Professor Lorrimar staked Chunhua.
Her reincarnation took place a few days later, but a good while passed before she was able to recall more than Professor Lorrimar's name. After several months she was finally able to figure out he lived in Ustalav, which is where she was now heading...
x10 = 140gp
I will make something more serious later, if the party isn't already filled.
Eh, don't be so hasty to dismiss Anna. I love the idea of a changeling aristocrat. Give her an extra NPC class level and she'll be good to go as a CR 1/2 character...
If someone can point out why this might be a problem, be my guest, but on a cursory glance I can't see why a 2nd level NPC-classed character (who'd presumably begin taking PC class levels during the AP) would break the game. We'd have to work something out on wealth and XP, but I'm not averse to the idea.
###
For others who've submitted already, thank you. I'm enjoying the breadth of ideas!
Perhaps I should also add that this isn't first-come first-served. The party won't be filled until I make my final decisions on Feb 20. : )
Hello there!
I must first express my repeated excitement with...a game with such enthusiasm, grammar, and detailed responses to the questions already asked of you....
Please let me know your thoughts or any questions for me that you might have regarding Walthus, or myself as a player.
Err...this isn't precisely a direct response to Walthus, but maybe folks are getting the wrong idea about my desire for correct spelling and grammar--you don't need to write essays full of long words to impress me.
I work for a consulting company, and there's a guy who works for us who loves putting precisely the right long word into his reports, because the word means exactly what he's trying to say. Only problem is, nobody understands the word because it's ludicrously obscure. He has an enormous vocabulary, but very few people understand him all the time.
Just be yourself. No need to strain a vocab muscle! Anyhoo, onward...
###
As for questions, the only one I have about Walthus (bearing in mind you're not done with his background yet) is the way in which he learned his dervish dancing ways. It doesn't seem like the sort of thing a halfling would usually learn--unless he's from further afield like Qadira. Ustalav is a long way from there, though, so some kind of acknowledgement of how that all fits together would be good. Or perhaps there's some more local tradition I'm unaware of?
I have to admit I am completely bamboozled by the concept of a pipe-smoking halfling--in my mind almost the epitome of an easygoing character--matching up with the concept a dervish dancer, which is usually attached to some sort of intense, serious and introspective character. I look forward to seeing your take on it and how it works together. : )
Hope you feel better soon!
Hey there!
I have a character to submit for your game, cynarion. I am new to the PbP system, Although, I am familiar with Pathfinder as a whole. And I've even lurked in some other In-game threads to see what's up.
As far as posting, I'm capable of posting anyday at least once (Most likely much more :p )
The character I've drawn up here is a Half-elf Ranger. I was planning to take Favored-Enemy(Undead). But from what I've seen Undead seems to be a central focus of this campaign. So I'm not sure if you would be okay with that. If not, I can fit somehting else easy enough. (Any reccomendations?)
Please let me know what you think :)
Physical.)
Willhelm stands at about 6"0 and weighs aprroximatley 215 pounds. His height is mostly dictated by his legs, and also has long arms. His lankey Elven frame rests in contrast to his wide shoulders. However, this lean and lanky build, coupled with his natural strength and agility. Lead to an unnerving gracefulness in his movements. Having a slender face with bright-blue eyes. Accentuated with his rounded elven ears, topped with a fair brown hair that goes down to his neck. Willhelm also looks like, and acts like, a person in his late teens. However, this is mostly attributed to his elven hertiage; He is actually in his late 20's.
Personality.)
Willhelm is a kid at heart. Enjoying the simple things, and always tries to take time and smell the roses; so to speak. He is Light hearted and always tries to see the brighter side of things. He treats life as a game to be played -- and enjoyed. Taking pride in the things he does, and takes the extra effort to do the things he chooses to do well. Willhelm is also fiercely independent, always prefering to get things done under his own merit. Although he does enjoy company of most sorts. He never gets too attatched to any one person, and most people mesh well with Willy's easy-going attitude. These people readily calling Willy their friend, and is almost oblivious to any of Willy's past, or anything about his current goals. Let alone the fact that he's part elf. This is unintentional from willy for the most part. He has always been trying to find the next thing to put his mind on, even if it requires him to move on to other parts of the world... He enjoys people who have a clear focus on their goals and standards, who are driven. And who understand that there is always something greater to look forward too. Willy dislikes monotonous tedium. And people who would use status or rank to gain pull to threaten others with their apparent political power. Also, having delved in the work recently. Willhelm has developed a distaste for most mercenaries. Considering the 'Anything for gold" mentality as ultimatley pointless, and a forfeit of ones life to whomever has the biggest gold-sack.
History)
Willy was born into a family of minor nobles. he was a bastard son born from his Fathers mistress, he was raised to obey rules and follow decorum, however that didn't take. Willy resisted the confines of noble life, and took every opportunity to leave his home, and travel throughout Ustalav. The one thing Willy had appreciated about his family name, was his ready acceptance at Lepidstadt University. This is where Willy had met Professor Lorrimor. Lorrimor had instantly seen Willy's fondess of the outdoor regions, and lands beyond, and nurtured that interest in him. The years had passed, and Willy had kept Lorrimor in high regard.
As time had passed, Willy had grown into an adult and began his life on his own terms, he shrugged off the 'fine' things in life. He lived on his own, always staying close to the wilds and eventually found work as a Guide, hunter and protection for travelers along the roads. To his surprise, a correspondance from Lorrimor asking for his services filled him with Joy. Lorrimor requested Willy to escort him to a long forgotten ruins. With Lorrimors maps and descriptions, Willy had quickly pointed out the best paths and trails to take.
The travel to the ruins was more eventful than Willy had anticipated, he had never seen so many free roaming undead in the forests. During rests at camp, Lorrimor would explain that this increase in Undead activity was the reason for his quest towards the ruins. Lorrimor taught Willy about the unnatural things that reside in the forests, and Willy gladly accepted his lectures.
The trek was harrowing, however their travels were a success. Willy left with a new appreciation for the dangers the more esoteric locales could posess. Willy knew he was a capable combatant, being trained formally when he was young, and his experiences thus far. Willy had made it a point afterwards to investigate and track down these threats. After this decision, Willy had felt a contentment he hadn't felt before, he helped people while still living the free life he longed for. And he owes that life to the teachings of Professor Lorrimor...
I am thinking of taking the Weapon and shield combat mastery. What do you think?
Chaotic Good Half-elf Ranger 1
STR 18 (16+2 bonus)
DEX 14
CON 14
INT 10
WIS 14
CHA 10
BaB +1
Fort +4
Ref +4
Will +2
Initiative +4
Speed 20ft
HP - 16 (10+Con+ Favored Class +feat)
AC - 18 , Flat-Footed 16, Touch 12.
Skills - Know(Religion), Know(Nature), Perception, Survival, Stealth, Handle Animal,
Traits and Abilities
Teacher's Pet (Religion)
Elven Reflexes
Favored Enemy (Undead) +2
Track
Wild Empathy
Feats -
Skill Focus (Perception) (Racial)
Toughness
Equipment(200gp)
LongSword 15
Heavy Wooden shield 7gp
Dagger 5
Heavy Mace 12
Hide Armor 15
Longbow 75gp
Blunt Arrows 2
Arrows 1
BackPack 2
Bedroll 1sp
Chalk 1cp
flint and steel 1gp
5 days Trail rations 20 sp
Hooded Lantern 7gp
2 pints of oil 2sp
50ft of hemp rope 1gp
Waterskin 1gp
Here's my submission.
...any feedback would be appreciated.
I am a big fan of the ideas you express in your character background, so don't let any of the following make you think otherwise.
First, a simple question of clarification; you mention the name 'Chunhua' in the background but the character's name appears to be 'Rose Springdawn'. Am I missing something obvious...? Or did she just change names when she reincarnated? Or is 'Rose' her name in Taldane?
I probably have two big questions, one easy to resolve and one more difficult. The easy one is Rose's age. The Dragon Empires Gazetteer mentions that samsarans reincarnate as 'samsaran children'. Based on aging profiles, that means Rose should be somewhere short of sixty when she reincarnates. You have her at 62; would you be willing to drop her age so she's a 'teenager' by samsaran standards? You are welcome to roleplay her maturity level however you like, it's just that numerically she should be a lot younger, and if she reincarnated in her 30s-50s I think that would be more consistent with the established canon.
The more difficult one is how Rose got to Ustalav as a first level character. Presuming she reincarnated in Zi Ha, it's a long and dangerous trip over the Crown of the World, and an even more dangerous journey via ship. A first level character just isn't going to believably survive that journey alone.
So if you can come up with a way for her to make her way from the Dragon Empires to the Inner Sea, I'll be a happy camper. Alternatively, perhaps she reincarnated somewhere closer to Ustalav, having been placed on some kind of path after her fateful meeting with the Professor? I imagine that a samsaran reincarnating away from their usual support networks would find themselves confused rather quickly about who they were and what they were doing...not to mention the locals would wonder what was going on with this white-skinned child with no pupils suddenly popping into existence in their village. ; )
I present these as suggestions only--in the end, I want you to play the character you want to play.
Mechanically speaking, she appears to be missing two languages and a hit point/skill point from her favoured class bonus (presuming magus is her favoured class). Also, by RAW she doesn't have the proficiency to use a katana without spending a feat. Happy for you to spend the feat if you feel it's part of your character, but I'm equally happy to rule that as a native of the Dragon Empires, she's familiar with eastern weapons (as defined on Ultimate Combat p. 130), but not with western ones. That would make the katana a martial weapon for her. The precise effect on other weapon categories I have yet to figure.
I do, however, get the feeling I'm overlooking some rule somewhere relating to this topic...if anyone can tell me what it is I'd appreciate it!
Sorry, I had to get both the race and the class out of my mind.
** spoiler omitted **
Just adding that after a further review of the power level and implications of a 2nd level NPC-classed PC, I'm quite happy for you to create Anna as a 2nd level aristocrat. If you want to proceed with Anna, the standard PC creation rules would change as follows:
- No max hp at first level for you; roll 1st level hp, re-rolling a single roll of a 1.
- Starting cash (before Rich Parents kicks in) for an aristocrat is 6d6×10--unless someone can show me where the starting wealth table is for NPCs? Yes, you'll have a ludicrous amount of gear, but that's all right. You are, after all, a noble. : )
- Being a changeling I'd like to see your backstory address whether others are aware of your true nature. Heterochromia isn't unknown in the human population, so that (and possible magical or mundane disguises) could serve to keep Anna's true nature a secret.
- I'd also like to see something in your backstory to address your own family's attitudes toward you. I can't imagine a noble family would miss all the cues that something was amiss with their child.
Other than that, Anna's welcome to apply. : )
Hey there!
Howdy!
The character I've drawn up here is a Half-elf Ranger. I was planning to take Favored-Enemy(Undead). But from what I've seen Undead seems to be a central focus of this campaign. So I'm not sure if you would be okay with that. If not, I can fit somehting else easy enough. (Any reccomendations?)
Nup, Undead is fine. After all, they're fairly common in Ustalav. They're one of the recommended favoured enemies, after all.
Willhelm's story and crunch
Only a few queries, namely:
- In a realm where name and prestige mean an awful lot, how did Willhelm find acceptance as a bastard? It would be unusual for a bastard to take his father's name (see Jon Snow for comparison), and almost as rare for him to find acceptance amongst the aristocracy.
- Have you considered taking the guide archetype?
- My experience with the sword & shield type of martial character is limited, but the one successful version I've seen did require a whole bunch of feats--and his shield bash wound up dealing more damage than his weapon. It's effective, but needs to be planned well.
That's about it from me for today. Bed time!
Your points are all examples of somoene excited about the characater they wanted to play but not doing a proper review before making it. I'd try to respond, but to be honest, I'm not prepared as of present. I'm going to take a day to look it over first and make any changes necessary.
And yea, Rose is the name she took as some find it difficult to pronounce her Samsaran name.
Here's my submission.
...any feedback would be appreciated.
I am a big fan of the ideas you express in your character background, so don't let any of the following make you think otherwise.
First, a simple question of clarification; you mention the name 'Chunhua' in the background but the character's name appears to be 'Rose Springdawn'. Am I missing something obvious...? Or did she just change names when she reincarnated? Or is 'Rose' her name in Taldane?
I probably have two big questions, one easy to resolve and one more difficult. The easy one is Rose's age. The Dragon Empires Gazetteer mentions that samsarans reincarnate as 'samsaran children'. Based on aging profiles, that means Rose should be somewhere short of sixty when she reincarnates. You have her at 62; would you be willing to drop her age so she's a 'teenager' by samsaran standards? You are welcome to roleplay her maturity level however you like, it's just that numerically she should be a lot younger, and if she reincarnated in her 30s-50s I think that would be more consistent with the established canon.
The more difficult one is how Rose got to Ustalav as a first level character. Presuming she reincarnated in Zi Ha, it's a long and dangerous trip over the Crown of the World, and an even more dangerous journey via ship. A first level character just isn't going to believably survive that journey alone.
So if you can come up with a way for her to make her way from the Dragon Empires to the Inner Sea, I'll be a happy camper. Alternatively, perhaps she reincarnated somewhere closer to Ustalav, having been placed on some kind of path after her fateful meeting with the Professor? I imagine that a samsaran reincarnating away from their usual support networks would find themselves confused rather quickly about who they were and what they were doing...not to mention the locals would wonder what was going on with this white-skinned child with no pupils suddenly popping into existence in their village. ; ) ...
I've been wanting to play Carrion Crown for a while and it looks like this game will be a lot of fun. I'll see if I can come up with a good character. :D
I'm leaning towards an Inquisitor at the moment, but I'll see what happens. If I do play an inquisitor, I think I'll use the option for switching out my teamwork feats for combat feats (since I would be getting them at roughly the same rate anyway).
This is Darksmokepuncher and it looks like I've changed my mind and here present Braeden Alucard: Fetchling Bard (Archivist). You can find a tentative build in Braeden's profile. Your thoughts and advice are greatly appreciated.
Braeden didn't have many friends as a child. That's understandable though as most human children don't seek out ashen skinned, yellow eyed freaks as playmates.
The lonely little Fetchling never knew his parents nor indeed any family of any kind. As a child, Braeden was sold in Cheliax to a Caliphite noble who liked his "creepy countenance." Braeden has no memory of the trip from Egorian to Caliphas as he spent his days locked in the wagon and his nights chained to the fire pit while serving as watchman.
Upon arrival in Ustalav, the boy was given to the lore master to serve as a librarian.
Braeden took to his duties with alacrity. He loved the dark corridors and the musty smell of ancient parchment. Before long he had read much of the bibliotech's extensive collection.
One day, the library was visited by Professor Petros Lorrimar. He was seeking information about the Great Beyond, a subject which highly interested young Braeden. When he heard the professor was looking for an assistant to aid his research, Braeden diguised himself as the Lore Master and ordered the head librarian to appoint Braeden as Professor Lorrimar's aid.
In the years that followed, The professor called often on Braeden's research abilities and paid him well for his troubles. However, it has been sometime since the now adult Braeden has heard from his favorite patron.
Now he stalks the shelves, reading whatever he can, and occasionally diguises himself as a superior to get himself a little favor. But is all of this to change? Word has come from Ravengro that the professor has passed on and Braeden has been named in the will.
"With or without your permission Lore Master, I am leaving tomorrow for Ravengro."
Flori's updated. I had one question.
Penumbra
School evocation [darkness]; Level sorcerer/wizard 0
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a bit of soot)
EFFECT
Range touch
Target creature or object touched
Duration 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes
This spell keeps the creature or object touched slightly in shadow. The target of this spell does not suffer any penalties or blindness caused by bright light, such as those from light sensitivity or light blindness.
It's perfect for a character like her, so if you think it's a little too good, no problem. It's a rare cantrip you normally can't start with.
Only a few queries, namely:
- In a realm where name and prestige mean an awful lot, how did Willhelm find acceptance as a bastard? It would be unusual for a bastard to take his father's name (see Jon Snow for comparison), and almost as rare for him to find acceptance amongst the aristocracy.
- Have you considered taking the guide archetype?
- My experience with the sword & shield type of martial character is limited, but the one successful version I've seen did require a whole bunch of feats--and his shield bash wound up dealing more damage than his weapon. It's effective, but needs to be planned well.
- Willy never really tried to work his way up the political ladder. His father was a good man, and cared for him as a father should despite cultural reasons to abandon him. Willy loves and respects his Father, but the life style Willy wanted clashed with his Fathers.
Despite his heritage and status in the family, Willy's father (through charisma and Gold) got Willy into a University. Afterwards, Willy set out on his own, living the way he feels best suits him. He introduces himself as Willy, without the family name on purpose. Willy wants to befriend others on his merit, and not because of whatever his families name has attached to it.
Also, Willy strongly dislikes seeing people use their political power to bully others.
Edit- If I had to comapre Willy, to Jon Snow (Whose character I know only from the Game of Thrones TV series ;p) Is that Willy isn't preoccupied with having to prove his worth to the scores of Nobles, he's proud to live the life he makes for himself. Willy considers worth (or Value) as directly tied to actions, not on the happenstance of birth. However, he is his Father's son. And is not ashamed of it. And if he thinks tossing his family name around would get him an advantage of a sort, he would only do it under emergency conditions, or for the sake of someone elses well-being.
- I looked at it. But I want to keep the Hunter's bond (I'm planning on taking a companion. Also, I'd rather keep Favored Enemy.
- I was looking at it more closely today, it does seem Like a lot of feats, I think I might go for the Archery mastery, and use my general feats for more flavorful things. Perhaps go for the switch-hitter I've seen on these forums. (However, if you have sugestions to make Willy a better fit in the world itself, then by all means.
Dotting for interest as a CN dhampir sorcerer of the undead bloodline. Sanguine would probably fit a little better, but drinking blood might be a little too extreme, especially if a Pharasma worshiper happens to be in the party.
Speaking of whom, I'm thinking that I could take the Making Good on Promises trait. Lorrimor might've done something along the lines of getting some overzealous paladins/inquisitors of Pharasma off my guy's back.
This strokes my interest. This is a character I built before to play in a campaign in Ustalav that never made it off the ground. I realize the current racial features wouldn't work, and would adjust them back to normal for the race I end up with (strix had been one I was interested in too). My thought is to rearrange the background to have the professor be the one that took him out of Ramizra.
I will of course take him back down to level 1 and align the stats to match the correct point buy.
If this specific character won't work out I am still interested and am willing to play something else instead.
@Macavas: Just a thought on going switch-hitter. There is this feat: Point Blank Master, that allows you to fire your bow in melee.
Which would actually do away with having to fight with a melee weapon. The only issue is, you have to have Weapon Focus in preferred range weapon and you wouldn't be able to take said feat until 6th level as a combat style feat.
Just thought I'd throw that your way. Of course, if you're build is going to be more of a melee guy and the Archery combat style is just to take care of ranged issues, then just ignore this in its entirety. :)
Hmm, it always seems like people make priests of Pharasma for CC, but the wiki says Desna is also worshipped in Ustalav. I think I'll make a cleric of Desna.
@Macavas: Just a thought on going switch-hitter. There is this feat: Point Blank Master, that allows you to fire your bow in melee.
Which would actually do away with having to fight with a melee weapon. The only issue is, you have to have Weapon Focus in preferred range weapon and you wouldn't be able to take said feat until 6th level as a combat style feat.
Just thought I'd throw that your way. Of course, if you're build is going to be more of a melee guy and the Archery combat style is just to take care of ranged issues, then just ignore this in its entirety. :)
Thanks, Javell. But as far as combat is concerned, I see the character as more of a swiss army knife. Switch-Hitter seems to grasp that well enough.
I was going through the archetypes again, and skirmisher seems rather interesting. Channeling divine magic doesn't seem to fit in with the concept.
Wealth roll x10=210
LN Medium humanoid
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft. ; Perception +1
DEFENSE
AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+0 armor)
hp 14 (1d10+4)
Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +4 (+6vs fear )
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee
Ranged
STATISTICS
Str 17, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 15
Feats Endurance, Diehard, Iron Will
Traits Making good on Promises, Dominator
Skills Survival +5, Intimidate +6 (+8 to demoralize)
Languages Common, Orc
SQ weapon familiarity, sacred tattoos,
Equipment 210 gp
Hx
Dreygard was born to a human woman kidnapped by his tribe in Belkzen, who were hoping to breed a more intelligent leader. Instead, they got a him.
Here is my Aasimar Paladin for your review. She is pretty much complete. A buddy of mine may be submitting a character. If so, I'll add to UU's story to weave their tales together.
In answer to some of your questions/statements:
I'm on the US West Coast - so PST (GMT-8) - and often post several times a day during the weekdays. My post rates tends to drop a bit on the weekends.
I review my posts before I send them - for concision, clarity, and the errant typo. :) I'm a DM, so I understand your frustration with illegible posts.
I like a shifting mix of RP and combat and enjoy investing heavily in a compelling game.
And, perhaps most importantly, I'm a team player and don't generally fall into the 'jerk' or 'showboat' categories. :)
Hey all. Here to answer a few quick questions before I get back to work. More detailed responses to submissions to come later.
If I do play an inquisitor, I think I'll use the option for switching out my teamwork feats for combat feats (since I would be getting them at roughly the same rate anyway).
To clarify, you can choose each time you get access to a bonus feat, so if one level you want a combat feat instead of the normally-gained teamwork feat, you can. Then next time you would gain a teamwork feat, you can do so normally.
So the short answer is no, you can't take penumbra as a spell known from 1st level, but you will be able to find it, and in fairly short order too. Hope that helps!
Now I can't decide if I should roll my vodoo witch or my Belmont-esque inquisitor. :\
Both! I'm allowing up to three applications per player. : )
Are lycanthropes allowed? Mute characters? Childs/kids?
In order, 'no', 'no', and 'convince me'. I'll allow characters to be below their normal starting ages, but I won't allow five-year-olds--I would be more likely to consider characters in their early teens and onwards.
A buddy of mine may be submitting a character. If so, I'll add to UU's story to weave their tales together.
To be honest, I'd prefer if you didn't connect characters' stories before I make my final decisions. It makes it harder to consider each character on his/her own merits. And what happens if one gets in and the other doesn't? Do we unravel the backstory? Let's keep it all clean if we can. We can spend time connecting everyone in the discussion thread when the game gets going. : )
Err...this isn't precisely a direct response to Walthus....
Just be yourself. No need to strain a vocab muscle! Anyhoo, onward...As for questions, the only one I have about Walthus... Or perhaps there's some more local tradition I'm unaware of?
Hope you feel better soon!
Thank you for the well wishes! I am indeed feeling quite a bit further down the road to recovery this morning, so life is good!
Also, as far as writing essay's go, I apologize for being a little wordy. I am very much being myself by writing with both a large and colorful vocabulary as well as a great deal of enthusiasm for writing, especially about any RPG. By way of explanation, ever since I began college, my professors have shunned my rather loquacious writing style (as well as my awful chicken stretch I try and pass off for hand-writing) and encouraged me in adopting a short, brief, and to the point writing style. Play by posts and role playing games happen to be my creative outlet, in lieu of writing and acting, and finding a new one that I was previously excited about, coupled with my rather feverish state, probably results in my language being a little over zealous. Long story short, I don't mean to impress, and I am (perhaps a little sadly) being myself. However, I promise to calm down and not write you essay's unless the story calls for it. *smiles* Besides, Walthus is a good deal less wordy than I!Walthus was born 32 years ago to Drogo and Lily Ostgood, two indentured slaves who had served on the halfling crew of The Silver Arrow. The ship and crew were owned by the Chelish noble House Leroung, and flew under the banner of the house and also of the Cheliaxian empire. Lily and Drogo had a good life under their captain, who protected the rights and lives of his crew and only asked for honest work in return. Had the captain lived to a ripe old age instead of being struck down by disease, then the two halfings might have raised Walthus as a sailor, and lived peaceful happy lives. However, when the old halfling finally did pass, the new captain assigned to the craft by it's Chelish family was cruel, efficient, and vicious. Lily and Drogo kept their heads down, but when one of their close friends was tortured and sacrificed to Asmodeus, the couple decided to flee when the ship docked at Korvosa for trade. They were determined to make a good life for their child, and themselves, if they could. They fled out of the city, and against all odds, evaded capture. They decided to head west, keeping close to the Jeggare River where they could find food and fetch water to boil, using all of the tools they had learned at sea over many years, and every ounce of luck they had in them. It was the luck that saved both Lilly and the unborn Walthus. For along the road, as night fell, the halfling maiden collapsed, and would have died along with her unborn child to labor complications beside the river if it weren't for the panicked Drogo's encounter with the esteemed and knowledgeable albeit much younger professor Lorrimer. The man was able to pull enough medical knowledge from within him to deliver the child and save Lily. The child was born with flaming red hair and possessed a strange birthmark over his heart in the shape of a sun. He would later be named after the captain that had given his mother and father everything he could in life, Walthus. The professor recognized the red hair and birthmark as the blessings of Sarenrae, and quickly sent word to the closent agent of the Dawnflower he could, a shadowy figure that was rumored to wander the wilds of Varisia and have connections to the Cult of the Dawnflower. The rumors were very much true, and the ranger and professor decided to do their best to aid the family and new born child, who was very likely to be destined for greatness. The adventures that followed would perhaps someday become the stuff of legends, as the company of Sarenrae grew to include a varied group and culture of people who put their lives on the line for the fleeing Lily and Drogo and fought against the infernal forces that pursued them. Many years later, the company successfully arrived in Ustalav, free of their pursuers, at least for now. The professor met them in the small town of Ardis, having parted company and rejoined the haflings several times over the years of their escape. Lily and Drogo had most recently taken the surname of Harrow, and seemed to have finally escaped the notice of the slaver's and other enemies that had sought them for many years. It was possible that they might be one day called to arms again, but the family decided to find a nice piece of land in the Palatinates, where the people truly seemed to believe in freedom, and began to farm the land. Many of the company left over the years, called to adventure, but Lily and Drogo were aging, and desired nothing more than peace. The elven ranger decided to stay with the family, and continue the education of the young Walthus. Time passed peacefully since then, and the crops were plentiful and fair. The ranger and farm-hands were more than capable of protecting the farmland from the threats of the wild, and the blessings of Sarenrae always seemed to be over the land. Now many of the original company have grown old and settled all over Golarian, while some of the more long lived adventure's have continued their journey's. And so it was when Walthus and his family had received the summons to the funeral of the late professor to whom they owed everything. After great debate, it was decided that Walthus would go, after Lily convinced Drogo that he was far to old to be traveling, and the sun-touched halfling strode off towards the city of Ravengro.
I took the chance savior trait for Walthus, the idea being that he happened to save the professor from an untimely demise when he was much younger, with his sharp eyes and minor knack for magic.
Wealth:
As far as the mix of the dervish dancer and easy-going personality, Walthus is a very internally peaceful person. He believes that he is guided by his faith, and fate itself has always seemed to watch out for him. His personality is mashup of all the adventures that have had a hand in raising him. The dour and introspective elvish ranger taught him how to fight, a bright and cheery gnomish sorcerer taught him more about magic, and his family taught him about the radiance and peace of Sarenrae's guidance and redemption. Walthus is slow to judge, and believes in the power of words and healing before the power of the blade. That being said, when something is determined to be irredeemable, Walthus's years of martial training bestowed upon him from the Cult of the Dawnflower comes into play, and he acts as if the fiery wrath of his god was his own to deliver. Please let me know if you have any comments or questions as I put the finishing touches together!
A buddy of mine may be submitting a character. If so, I'll add to UU's story to weave their tales together.To be honest, I'd prefer if you didn't connect characters' stories before I make my final decisions. It makes it harder to consider each character on his/her own merits. And what happens if one gets in and the other doesn't? Do we unravel the backstory? Let's keep it all clean if we can.
As you wish. :)
Here is my submission, I hope you like her....
Str - 16 (+3)
Dex - 14 (+2)
Con - 14 (+2)
Int - 12 (+1)
Wis - 12 (+1)
Chr - 13 (+1)
Lang: Common, Orc, Draconic
Favored Enemy: Orcs
Skills: Climb, Handle Animals, Dungeoneering, Proff. (Scribe), Ride, Linguistics, Perform (Oratory)
Feats: Point Blank Shot
Traits: On the Payroll, Armor Expert.
Armor: Leather (AC 14)
Weapons: Primary: Long Composite Bow Secondary: Long Sword Back up: Dagger
Money: 65gp