More Jade Regent Romances

Thursday, September 29, 2011

The relationship and romance rules presented in the Jade Regent Player’s Guide have proven to be a popular addition to the Jade Regent Adventure Path—so much so that people have been clamoring for relationship rules for other characters in the Adventure Path beyond the four main NPCs presented in Pathfinder #49.

Although you can always come up with your own romance and relationship statistics for any NPC in any adventure, we’ve taken two characters from Pathfinder Adventure Path #49: The Brinewall Legacy and Pathfinder Adventure Path #50: Night of Frozen Shadows—Kelda Oxgutter and Ulf Gormundr—and are presenting their official relationship info here. As usual, relationships with these characters can be either friendly or competitive, and can lead to gaining an NPC’s devotion, or their enmity. See pages 13–15 of the Jade Regent Player’s Guide for a full explanation of these rules and their use in the Jade Regent Adventure Path.

Kelda Oxgutter

Although Kelda is scheduled to take her leave of the PCs once they reach Kalsgard, if they work hard at building relationships with her, she may stay on indefinitely.

Preferred Gifts: armor, shields, or weapons, fine furs, epic sagas of heroism and battle
Hated Insults: questioning her prowess in battle, joking about her capture, sexist comments
Devotion Boon: Kelda’s fast footwork and speed in battle has inspired you to quickness in combat as well. Once per game session, you may gain a 5-foot enhancement bonus to your speed as a swift action, regardless of the distance between you and Kelda. Once activated, this bonus persists for a number of rounds equal to your Relationship Score with Kelda divided by 10 (rounded down).
Enmity Boon: Kelda can be close-lipped and somewhat stiff, but you have to admit that she is strong-willed, and held up surprisingly well in captivity. You’re determined to prove that you’re just as stubborn as she is, and gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against fear and enchantment effects.
Romance Score: 36


Illustration by Wayne Reynolds

Ulf Gormundr

Ulf is strictly professional, and usually avoids relationships with his employers, but it is possible that Ulf might warm to someone who truly puts time and effort into building a friendship with the surly and notoriously difficult Ulfen guide.

Preferred Gifts: scrimshaw artworks, strong liquor, survival gear
Hated Insults: abuse of authority, questioning his guidance or his survival skills, racist comments about the Varki or about half-breeds in general
Devotion Boon: Ulf’s devotion to his friends, even in the face of overwhelming adversity, is truly an inspiration. You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls and weapon damage rolls against an opponent that has just successfully attacked one of your allies in combat. This bonus lasts for 1 round after the opponent’s attack.
Enmity Boon: It’s easy to push Ulf’s buttons and make him mad, and there’s nothing that angers him more than someone who doesn’t follow his advice on surviving in harsh environments. Of course, to know what not to do, you’ve had to listen attentively to his lectures, and have picked up more than a few pointers as a result. Choose one terrain type from the list of ranger favored terrains. You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks when you are in that terrain, regardless of the distance between you and Ulf.
Romance Score: 42

Rob McCreary
Developer

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Tags: Jade Regent Pathfinder Adventure Path Wayne Reynolds

Oh! Cool! This is the kind of AP supporting material that is great for GMs and players. I approve!

Dark Archive

These boons are pretty cool. This is my first time seeing these. Is there a PC version of this, like team work feats but use role playing?


Yay for extra support! Always appreciated.


Super sweet, support for an excellent subsystem.
Keep it coming Paizo.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Souphin wrote:
These boons are pretty cool. This is my first time seeing these. Is there a PC version of this, like team work feats but use role playing?

Not really; they were first introduced in the Jade Regent Player's Guide, but the boons and rules for the significant NPCs themselves appeared in Pathfinder #49.

Liberty's Edge

Great stuff! Very happy to see more of this guys.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Thanks, those will be quite helpful. :)


I don't get why something that clearly is a rules extension (not all to different from the rules for cities as presented in GMG) is buried deep in an adventure path where people like myself will not have access to.

Here's the hope that the rules will be published in a campaign neutral document someday.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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arioreo wrote:

I don't get why something that clearly is a rules extension (not all to different from the rules for cities as presented in GMG) is buried deep in an adventure path where people like myself will not have access to.

Here's the hope that the rules will be published in a campaign neutral document someday.

We've been "burying rules extensions in Adventure Paths" since day one. Chases, haunts, and several other rules elements that are now part of the RPG were first introduced and "tried out" in Adventure Paths.

Why do we do this? Because often we want to do adventures that we don't yet have rules for. Adventures that feature things like mass combat, kingdom building, caravan management, romances & relationships, and so on. And trying them out in a self-contained environment like an Adventure Path is a great way to see how the rules work in action before we strip them down to their bare essentials for inclusion in a world-neutral rulebook.


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It's nice to see this!

I also appreciate Paizo's seeing an adventure goal or campaign idea, and then tweaking some game mechanics in a self-contained environment (like an Adventure Path) before rolling them out and offerring new rules elements as part of the Core System / larger game ecosystem.

Regards,

-- Andy

Liberty's Edge

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arioreo wrote:

I don't get why something that clearly is a rules extension (not all to different from the rules for cities as presented in GMG) is buried deep in an adventure path where people like myself will not have access to.

Here's the hope that the rules will be published in a campaign neutral document someday.

The rules for Romance appear are not "buried" in an AP. They are in the Jade Regent Player's Guide. It's a 28 page document avialable as a FREE download on this website.

You have more access to them in the Jade Regent Player's Guide (and on a blog) than you would if they were in some new but-not-as-yet- available hardcover.

How do you out more about them? Well, download there here for one, read this blog above for two, and read a review of it here for three.

(You're Welcome).

Contributor

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Nice Steel Wind! Thanks for being so Johnny-on-the-Spot with the links!

Grand Lodge

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I think RPG videogame developers such as Bioware and Atlus have managed to inject an enormous amount of interest in their role-playing videogames by including complex and tricky rules for the player’s character to initiate and maintain romantic relationships. Go look at the internet response to relationship building in Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2 and Persona 3 and 4. People love this stuff when it’s done realistically and leaves the creepiness out. It generates a lot of buzz.

It’s great that Paizo is noting this interest and shooting little cupid arrows into the game rules. Even Conan took the time out from giant-slaying to get cozy with the ladies!


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

Thank you for the additional content!


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Very cool indeed. Jade Regent is shaping up to be one of my favorites among Adventure Paths.

I liked Kelda from my first read through about her in "Brinewall Legacy". Glad there is some additional support for keeping her around.

Ulf is certainly interesting too. What (almost) interests me more though is this "Varki" ethnicity. I'm hoping that the upcoming "Lands of the Linnorm Kings" supplement has more about them within its pages.

Thanks a bunch.

~Dean


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Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
The_Minstrel_Wyrm wrote:


Ulf is certainly interesting too. What (almost) interests me more though is this "Varki" ethnicity. I'm hoping that the upcoming "Lands of the Linnorm Kings" supplement has more about them within its pages.

From what I understand, I think they're an ethnic minority that dwells somewhere in the Land of the Linnorm Kings, but yes, I would definitely like to see the obscure Varki ethnicity expanded upon.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I'm guessing the Varki would be culturally equivalent to the Inuit or native tribes of the Arctic Circle?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Revan wrote:
I'm guessing the Varki would be culturally equivalent to the Inuit or native tribes of the Arctic Circle?

No... there's another ethnicity (the Erutaki) who are more of an Inuit analog for Golarion'; we'll be talking about them more in the next Jade Regent installment.

Dark Archive

Are the Varki an analog for the Sami peoples of Northern Scandinavia?

Sovereign Court

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Atrocious wrote:
Are the Varki an analog for the Sami peoples of Northern Scandinavia?

Yes, the Varki draw a lot of inspiration from the Sami.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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Thanks for the romance scores and relationship rewards! I think this is one of the cooler sub-rule sets I've seen. Think we might be getting a few more pieces like this for filling out JR as it comes out?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Grendel Todd wrote:
Thanks for the romance scores and relationship rewards! I think this is one of the cooler sub-rule sets I've seen. Think we might be getting a few more pieces like this for filling out JR as it comes out?

It's possible... as the campaign progresses, new NPCs have less screen time to hang out with the PCs, so that gives them less time to build relationships, but we'll see what we can do.

Scarab Sages

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Well done! Though I was surprised not to see some boons for Spirvy. What would you do if a character wanted to romance her?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Matthew Trent wrote:
Well done! Though I was surprised not to see some boons for Spirvy. What would you do if a character wanted to romance her?

I'd make up rules for her on the spot, based on the rules we've provided already.

We can't provide romance rules for every NPC. Where would it end? Buttersnips?

Scarab Sages

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James Jacobs wrote:
Matthew Trent wrote:
Well done! Though I was surprised not to see some boons for Spirvy. What would you do if a character wanted to romance her?

I'd make up rules for her on the spot, based on the rules we've provided already.

This is in fact my plan. 8)

I like the girl myself and have observed that DM enthusiasm often encourages PCs. Most of my wondering was if good outsiders had rules against such things (though being CG she might easily break them if they did).


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James Jacobs wrote:
We can't provide romance rules for every NPC. Where would it end? Buttersnips?

Well, you mentioned in another thread the idea of the caravan as a character, so...


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Love the illustration!

I <3 Wayne Reynolds :)

Liberty's Edge

I have never seen a rule that punishes long game sessions instead of short ones before. This is a first.

Player: "I use my 5-foot bonus movement!"
(fight continues, players win)
Player: "This gaming session is over. I'm outta here. Although if the rest of you hold on, I'll be back in 14 seconds for our next session."

DM: *facedesk*


James Jacobs wrote:
Matthew Trent wrote:
Well done! Though I was surprised not to see some boons for Spirvy. What would you do if a character wanted to romance her?

I'd make up rules for her on the spot, based on the rules we've provided already.

We can't provide romance rules for every NPC. Where would it end? Buttersnips?

It would never end, so let's do this. What are the romance rules for the Decapus?

Frog God Games

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Devastation Bob wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Matthew Trent wrote:
Well done! Though I was surprised not to see some boons for Spirvy. What would you do if a character wanted to romance her?

I'd make up rules for her on the spot, based on the rules we've provided already.

We can't provide romance rules for every NPC. Where would it end? Buttersnips?

It would never end, so let's do this. What are the romance rules for the Decapus?

That's a great question. Let's find out.

::Types "tentacle romance" into Google::

Wait...no, what the... MY EYES! MY EYES!

The world may never know.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 8

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Greg A. Vaughan wrote:
Devastation Bob wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Matthew Trent wrote:
Well done! Though I was surprised not to see some boons for Spirvy. What would you do if a character wanted to romance her?

I'd make up rules for her on the spot, based on the rules we've provided already.

We can't provide romance rules for every NPC. Where would it end? Buttersnips?

It would never end, so let's do this. What are the romance rules for the Decapus?

That's a great question. Let's find out.

::Types "tentacle romance" into Google::

Wait...no, what the... MY EYES! MY EYES!

The world may never know.

Great, now Greg will culminate Slumbering Tsar with an epic battle with Orcus where the players have to take him on long watches on the beach, dinner at his favorite restaurant, and if they "win", they get a good night kiss. Word of warning- when romancing Orcus, do not tell him he looks like a fat, bloated undead corpse. Grazzt has given him some image issues...

Dark Archive

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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
John Benbo wrote:
Greg A. Vaughan wrote:
Devastation Bob wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Matthew Trent wrote:
Well done! Though I was surprised not to see some boons for Spirvy. What would you do if a character wanted to romance her?

I'd make up rules for her on the spot, based on the rules we've provided already.

We can't provide romance rules for every NPC. Where would it end? Buttersnips?

It would never end, so let's do this. What are the romance rules for the Decapus?

That's a great question. Let's find out.

::Types "tentacle romance" into Google::

Wait...no, what the... MY EYES! MY EYES!

The world may never know.

Great, now Greg will culminate Slumbering Tsar with an epic battle with Orcus where the players have to take him on long watches on the beach, dinner at his favorite restaurant, and if they "win", they get a good night kiss. Word of warning- when romancing Orcus, do not tell him he looks like a fat, bloated undead corpse. Grazzt has given him some image issues...

Tip - He likes being called Big Daddy Orcus. :)

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 8

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Dark_Mistress wrote:
John Benbo wrote:
Greg A. Vaughan wrote:
Devastation Bob wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Matthew Trent wrote:
Well done! Though I was surprised not to see some boons for Spirvy. What would you do if a character wanted to romance her?

I'd make up rules for her on the spot, based on the rules we've provided already.

We can't provide romance rules for every NPC. Where would it end? Buttersnips?

It would never end, so let's do this. What are the romance rules for the Decapus?

That's a great question. Let's find out.

::Types "tentacle romance" into Google::

Wait...no, what the... MY EYES! MY EYES!

The world may never know.

Great, now Greg will culminate Slumbering Tsar with an epic battle with Orcus where the players have to take him on long watches on the beach, dinner at his favorite restaurant, and if they "win", they get a good night kiss. Word of warning- when romancing Orcus, do not tell him he looks like a fat, bloated undead corpse. Grazzt has given him some image issues...
Tip - He likes being called Big Daddy Orcus. :)

So many possible replies, none of them appropriate for a public forum :)


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Rob McCreary wrote:
Atrocious wrote:
Are the Varki an analog for the Sami peoples of Northern Scandinavia?
Yes, the Varki draw a lot of inspiration from the Sami.

Hmm, my first thought was "Inuit" (or "Eskimos", this is how they are more known in my native tongue.)

By the way, Kelga looked awesome (and would probably be fun to have, who doesn't like having a blonde and oh so Nordic barbarian around), but I'm a little underwhelmed by her friendship boon. 5 foot as an enhancement bonus - shouldn't near everyone in the party who cares for such things already have this bonus by the time they can reach such a high score with her? That sounds a bit underwhelming compared to a +4 to saves vs. either fear OR enchantment :) .

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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The Shaman wrote:
Rob McCreary wrote:
Atrocious wrote:
Are the Varki an analog for the Sami peoples of Northern Scandinavia?
Yes, the Varki draw a lot of inspiration from the Sami.

Hmm, my first thought was "Inuit" (or "Eskimos", this is how they are more known in my native tongue.)

By the way, Kelga looked awesome (and would probably be fun to have, who doesn't like having a blonde and oh so Nordic barbarian around), but I'm a little underwhelmed by her friendship boon. 5 foot as an enhancement bonus - shouldn't near everyone in the party who cares for such things already have this bonus by the time they can reach such a high score with her?

Our Inuit analoge ethnicity are the Erutaki—they play a pretty big role in Part 3 of Jade Regent.


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Damn you, Mr. Jacobs! This is a part of your devilish plot to make us give you our money for the next adventure, isn't it? That's a fiendish Tyrannosaurus there, I'd wager ;) !

By the way, Ulf's (half-)sister is kind of cute. If she stays around for Round 3, I wouldn't be surprised if a few PCs here and there become interested in their companion. Marry band of misfits murders and mauls many monsters, meandering into Minkai!

Silver Crusade

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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I would like to see a "Building Your Own Relationship Scores and Boons" article for GMs, perhaps on the blog or in a future article. This is something that would be very useful for my Kingmaker game, as characters seek to start families and political marriages (and perhaps find love in the process).
Or start rivalries with council members of their own kingdom or rival states.

Grand Lodge

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I used to enjoy those types of articles on the WOTC website back in 3.5e. I second that it would be neat to read articles that give insight into the Developers' method for coming up with this sort of thing. If not, I can always try to reverse engineer it, but I must admit, I am less than adept at doing so.


Are there been any official listings of appropriate gifts, insults and romance scores for the iconics? I want to incorporate a few iconics into the APs I run and would prefer to use officially released listings if they exist.

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