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You haven't been forgotten. Had a hard time using the Paizo site lately, hopefully get the plan to you today.
The girl is reluctant to give up whatever she holds, but with a sigh opens her hand. In it is a simple gold locket, a trinket really. She opens it to show several locks of hair. Thom:
It's something my father wore. So he'd always have a piece of us with him. It's only special to my family, can I please keep it? Her eyes begin to glisten with tears. Examining it closely, you can't sense any magic. It seems to be nothing more than a sentimental token. If you insist, she'll give it to you, though very unwillingly. Beylinda:
As you scan the ground you notice a line cutting across the frozen river of stone, a road maybe? Walking to the lookout's stairs, looking down you can see the slope is less step, with trees and grass covering the hillside instead of the bare rock on the other faces. A wagon trail zigzags its way down to the hill's base. Clearly someone uses this place. The building itself is unlocked and entering you see the corpses of two young men. One appears to have been mauled by something with many small but sharp teeth. Your worm demon perhaps? The other's neck was broken. Both are clothed and equipped in much the same way. Leather pants with linen shirts and thick wool coats. Leather hats with a wide, slightly curled brim. Each is armed with a powerful crossbow of slightly unusual design and bastard sword. The building itself is mostly empty. Benches along the walls seem to double as beds, judging by the two bedrolls whose owners no longer need them. Supplies, food, rope, etc. are stored underneath. The center is dominated by a large map, perhaps some five feet across, laid horizontal on pedestal about waist-height with a glass covering. A small panel set into one corner shows your location as though flying. Though faded, it is of remarkable quality, looking more like an illusion than painting. The larger map is odd, looking almost as though it had depth while remaining flat. Taking a closer look, you notice someone has modified the map, expanding the lake by painting nearby parts blue, though you can see the original green behind them. A guard post of some kind. Lookout Map Your charges become upset at the corpses, beginning to cry. All except for Veronica and her nemesis, who continues to eye her suspiciously. Thom:
From the sounds of it, one of the young men was from the same town. Though several years older than the girls, they seem to have known him. He was recently made a deputy and sent here to gain experience. Though there should be more stationed here, half a dozen at least. One girls suggests that they should wait for the others to get back, another disagrees saying that that could take days. They should just get these strangers to take them home. The discussion turns to how to be get there. There seem to be two options they are considering: Hill Road between lake shore and ridge, or gold-digger pass between two of the ridges. At this point your spell ends. Hurray for things not getting any simpler.
The rest of you move to join Beylinda and the strange child on up above. Climbing out take a bit of effort, the rocks seem to gleefully roll and slide beneath your feet. Reaching the top, you look out on a landscape illuminated by moonlight. You stand on the top of a hill some 600 feet high that slopes steeply downwards. On the plain below, The ground slopes upwards in a gentle curve towards a mountain, more of a high-point really as the slop is so gentle there appears to be no peak. Other cone hills, like the one on which you stand, dot the landscape in the direction of the slopping mountain. Slightly to the right of this dome, you can faintly see a mountain of pure white. It must be immense, and very distant, to see only its snow-capped self. Nothing else in sight is covered in snow. Or perhaps it is a trick of the light. Slowly spinning around, the land slopes down on the right into three shelfs. Each rising slowly before dropping down to the next. At the base of the last shelf you can see the shine of a lake of considerable size, and beyond that the lights of what look likes towns or villages. Between you and the water is a dark shape, like a frozen river of stone. Behind you, the land continues in sparse trees and dark rock flows until it comes to distant hills. Now, almost full circle, more cone-like hills, spring from scrub land around you before everything is swallowed in a forest that stretches to the horizon. E-terah:
The stones of this place are different that those of your home. The blood of the earth runs close to the surface here, and once spilled forth to cover the land. You stand atop a cone of cinders. The foamy rocks making a glass-like sound are they crunch together. Looking forth across the lake, you are disheartened. It must be some five leagues to the town, and that as a crow flying across the lake. To go around, a full day's journey at least, and that if a suitable path can be found. Gethric:
This area was once highly active volcanically. You recognize the rounded mountain as an immense shield-volcano. The cone-like hills are cinder-cones, formed by secondary vents spewing gassy magma. The foamy rocks make a glass-like sound as you walk over them. The ridges to your right are uplifts though. You seem to be at the meeting of two different terrains. Beylinda:
As Thom deals with the girls, you examine the stone building perched on the crater's edge. Built on a low pedestal of local stone, the building itself is a wooden box, perhaps twenty feet in diameter with railed walkway around it. A barbed or bladed wire is wrapped around the railing to prevent intruders from simply climbing up. There seems to be a short stairway towards to back to provide access. The most remarkable thing though are the walls of hut itself. From waist to above head height, they are made of glass! Sheets wide as your arm span are joined with just small dividers between them, and there are none of the bubbles or ripples usually seen. Thomdril:
The disliked girl sneers defiantly at her would be attacker, If it weren't for us 'demon worshippers' a real demon would be raping you, eating you, or wearing you, maybe all three! My father saved your life. Stupid cow. Moving to the ragged skin suit the demon left behind, she begins searching it for something before moving to join E-terah. As she straightens you see a flash of something in her hand, a necklace or amulet perhaps? Staying close to the violent Chelaxian, she seems to know you understand her and quickly begins talking. That girl's a witch and worse, she sold her soul, and womb, to the devil! Her father is the one who made the circle and brought you here, before the demon crawled inside him. They're working with Calies, the Brotherhood you killed, probably trying to get help for a raid. She'll try to possess you, or sacrifice you. You should kill her quick. Reaching the rim, she points to, or maybe past, the ridges. That's home. Merrill. People'll want to know what happened, and they'll reward you for saving us. The other girls are mostly quiet, unnerved by the horror they saw and alien rescuers who can't speak to them. Their conversation is mainly about how to get home, how they always knew Veronica and her family were 'not right', and who you are. Several names are thrown around. Rangers are mentioned again, as well as Brotherhood, Aryans, Bearkillers, and Clan. These all seem to be groups, though you can gather little else.
DM:
The girl hesitates when Gethric brandishes his morningstar, giving Thom and Beylinda a chance to secure her. Sensing that she is biding rather than cooperating, they bind her hands. The intended victim keeps her distance from the others, and they do the same. Thom&Beylinda:
You get the feeling that the Chelaxian is not alone in her feelings. And your intervention has won you no friends. Also, there is something... off, about the girl standing apart.
Thank you all. I'm still here, should be 'til thursday/friday next week. So while I do not anticipate things changing that much until then. I wanted to let everyone know in advance just in case. Found out today, happened this morning, so it's been on the mind. Things should only get interesting after the funeral. My aunt, diagnostic schizophrenic, was/is living with her, and the terms of the trust dictate that all property must be liquidated and then evenly divided. Current speculation is on whether she'll handle losing the house like Vesuvius or Saint Helen's...
DM:
Gethric:
As you study the circle, you notice that the symbols in the circle are much the same as those on the man, with two very important differences. Instead of symbols for the Outer Planes, the symbols are for calling the Great Old Ones and beings of the Black Tapestry, and there are no symbols of binding or restraint, only calling. As Thom motions for the girl to speak, she asks in a awed voice, Why did that Brotherhood bring you here Ranger? Looking at the others, Were you in the Sunrise lands? Or Across the sea? As you free the young women, most seem relieved, frightened, and a on the verge of tears. Freeing the chelaxian, Thom senses something is off, and is able to grab hold as she does her best to attack the girl on the other end. If her words are any indication, she intends to kill her. Demon's whore! You're dead b%%#&! Her intended target takes refuge behind E-terah's armored form.
My grandmother just died, funeral is scheduled for next saturday. I have no idea how this will affect posting, but if I seem a bit slow to post, or just vanish, that is why. Oddly, yesterday's trip was totally unrelated. This is one of those times when people say, 'it's better this way' and everyone, including grandmother, is in agreement. 97 is venerable.
The gag prevents the girl from speaking, but she does nod ascent at the notion of being freed.
Just a heads up, this may be my last post until tomorrow evening. Continue amongst yourselves
Annie:
Climbing out take a bit of effort, the rocks seem to gleefully roll and slide beneath your feet. Reaching the top, you look out on a landscape illuminated by moonlight. View The ground slopes upwards in a gentle curve towards a highpoint. Slightly to the right of this dome, you can faintly see a mountain of pure white. It looks far away, but how far is hard to tell. Slowly spinning around, the land slopes down on the right into three shelfs. Each rising slowly before dropping down to the next. At the base of the last shelf you can see the shine of a lake of considerable size, and beyond that the lights of what look likes towns or villages. Between you and the water is a dark shape, like a frozen river of stone. Behind you, the land continues in sparse trees and dark rock flows until it comes to distant hills. Now, almost full circle, cone like hills, like this one, dot the land before everything is swallowed in a dense forest. Gethric, none seem to understand you.
Gethric, the maidens are all very much alive, but frightened. Thom, the girl's eyes show no comprehension, though they are alert and attentive. Gethric & Thom, the girls appear to be of mixed ancestry. One looks pure Cheliaxian, with the characteristic pale skin and black hair. Two look to have some Varisian or Kelesh heritage. The other two seem more Andoran, light, but darker than pure Chexliax, with brown hair rather than black. None appear to be younger than 12 or older than 15.
Yep, penalty to a spellcaster's stat discourages most players. Apologies to everyone, traveling from the test took longer than expected. I got distracted by a lake, mountain lakes are wonderful in June, and had to get caught up on other things at first this morning. Hopefully my future estimates will be more reliable. Feel good about how I did on the job skill and english sections of the test. Biographical, who knows. The essay is the only part I'm worried about, timer cut me off before I could finish the last sentence. Should get my score in 3-5 weeks.
Real quick everyone, probably won't be able to update until late tonight pacific time. I'm taking the Foreign Service Officer Test today!
DM:
The girl's ball of fire strikes the creature, which pays it no mind. You are quite certain that fire is not effective against these creatures. The dwarf lays a hand on Beylinda, who is surrounded by a shimmering field of light, before stepping out of the cloud. Beylinda staggers out of the cloud. Ill, but defiant. Gethric studies the tattooed corpse intently.
Thomdril moves towards the girl, trying, and failing, to overcome the noxious fumes. Seeing Beylinda surrounded by a magical glow, and remembering the fate of their companion, the outsiders shriek at the bard. Who, though feeling a magical fear attempting to overwhelm her, remains unimpressed. Perhaps if she hadn't just decapitated one it would have worked.
Gethric:
Searching the symbols for meaning, you feel certain a greater knowledge of the arcane help your understanding. However, your knowledge of faith and other realms does give you valuable insights. 1. Most of the symbols relate to the summoning and binding of outsiders, particularly daemons, though symbols used in the conjuration of demons, devils, divs, asursa, oni, and kytons are also used. This is bizarre, and insane. 2. The symbols of binding seem to be with the intent to bind the outsider to the man, though in spiritual form like a possession or some physical melding you cannot tell. Either way, dangerous magic. 3. Some of the symbols are painted on, while others are recently tattooed, some however, are noticeably older. He's had them for a long time. All symbols relating to outsiders or binding are recent.
DM:
11
It takes the dwarf a bit longer than the rest of you to orient herself, the stones of this place feel different that what she has encounter before, and it takes a few seconds to connect with their power. Shouting at Thom in language that sounds like stones cracking, thankfully he understands her words, Duck! as an explosion of stones erupts from her feet. Twisting away, Thom manages to avoid most of the blast, though an errant shard leaves a unpleasant gash along his head. The creatures take the full blast, though one is protected by its fellow acting as an unwitting shield. Though not as devastating as it could be, the rocks do substantial damage. From the back you her the child giggle, Me next! and a wave of flame washes those nearest her, includes Thom, though it does little more than singe his hair. With the dwarf as partner, Thom is able to slip his sword past the worm's defenses, once again piercing the its flesh. Shrieking the worm raises itself up, and dives into the rocky soil, disappearing from sight. The summoned beings, split to surround the fighter with the deadly sword, and the dwarf who hurt them. Claws tear at the oracle, wounding her badly. It is Thom though who suffers most, nimbly avoiding claws and teeth, you see the fighter suddenly gasp and cough a mouthful of blood. A lucky claw got underneath his armor and puntured a lung.
DM:
Beylinda's sword strikes true against the... thing., just below its jaws, but what should have decapitated it instead feels like trying to cut leather with a dull knife. The creature is wounded to be sure, but not as much as you know it should be. With a cry, Thom sinks his blade deep into the creature, causing a offended shriek. Whatever hindered Beylinda's weapon did not affect Thom's. Gethric fills the man's mind with the Maiden's haze, and he slumps to the ground twitching and muttering. ! The little girl's fire splashes off the creature, having no more effect than water. With a disgusting slurping noise, the creatures pulls itself from the corpse, leaving little more than a raggedy skin suit as the flesh seems to meld and flow into it. Healing Beylinda's wound entirely, and leaving only a small hole to indicate it was ever stabbed. Shrieking defiance, it shudders, and black smoke rises around you. Suddenly there are four new creatures! About half the height of a man, these pallid beings are somewhat like obese goblins. As the worm continues to shriek, the newcomers to begin to tear with tooth and claw, focusing their efforts on Beylinda and Thomdril. Though the one attacking the little girl seems to have the best luck. Fasting teeth and both claws on her. Thom:
Able to understand him now, you understand the tattooed man's words to Gethric to be an insult, you gather it has to do with his sexuality. As he writhes on the group, the only intelligible words, if they can be called that are, Acid! Tripping balls man! As the worm shrieks you find yourself able to understand it too, though you feel defiled simply by listening. Come to me! before the other beings appear. Once present, Kill them and the virgins are yours!
Thom, as your trick begins to manifest, you understand the last word the man said, Feed. The corpse sits upright, and with a hideous retching and tearing sound, the man’s face blooms out like a rotten flower and a pallid, five-jawed worm extrudes itself from the ragged hole in the neck where, only a moment before, a head sat. A ring of darkness emanates from worm's opening mouth.
Gethric and the little girl, who certainly wasn't with your group before, stiffen under the pain, but Beylinda is particularly affects as she feels the life pulled out of her.
Thom, your up! Then I'll post for the bad guy, and then everyone else, including Thom, post your actions. DM:
After a few seconds, the man scornfully says a single world, and from the corpse at your feet comes the sound of tearing flesh.
Beylinda&Thom:
Out of the corner of your eye, you notice that the corpse at your feet seems to be twitching and something moves beneath its skin.
Indeed. Also, if everyone could use the space currently occupied by race and class to make something along the lines of what Beylinda has, HP and frequently refereed to stats, that would be nice.
The Azlan machine is actually what I assumed for the gameplay thread. Speaking of which. Gameplay thread is up, though not entirely complete, so feel free to take a look and begin considering your actions. For combat, at least for this one, everyone's initiative will be rolled separately. Though after the first round it will essentially be players->bad guy. If character actions conflict, say both say they are moving to the same spot, I will adjudicate. @Thom, The spell choice is really up to you. If you think it fits, I'm fine with Comprehend and Share. It's quite possibly one of the reasons Beylinda hired you. If so, I would ask that you put some ranks in linguistics for additional languages.
It was all going so well. The site had been cleared, an artifact discovered, and examination was commencing. And then, like hearing darkness, or seeing a smell, you sense a door, so old it is almost new, opening, and the world disappears into madness. For a moment, an eternity, or perhaps both, there is only chaos, and a grey presence, standing at the threshold of everything. As you pass through, it takes note. Smelling candles, and hearing weeping, your senses return, to a scene from a bad Andoran opera, or terrible reality. You are in a bowl of some kind. The ground slops steeply upwards from the relatively flat center where you stand. A stone building of some kind stands on one side of the lip. Black candles burn at the points of a summoning circle which surrounds you. Five young women, girls really, lie bound at the edge, eyes wide with terror. You almost do not notice the corpse near them, throat cut and bloody knife still in hand. Behind them, perhaps twenty feet from you, stands a man, naked save for his many tattoos. Eyes wary, but without a hint of fear, he gestures at the maidens and shouts... something in a vile tongue.
Greetings one and all! Thank you for joining me on this experiment. I cannot promise perfection, only a willing heart. Now, some questions people have asked. Wealth - Use the character creation guidelines, 3000gp, for equipping your character. Use common sense and if something seems cheesy, don't take it. Also, no custom items. Although it might make sense to start with less, my experience is adventures tend to carry their entire personal fortunes on their persons at all times. Strange folk. HP - Roll or average, your choice. If you have already rolled, keep what you got. If you took average intially and would like to roll, please post here. Location - You are all arriving from Golarion to Earth. We will begin in media res. Party - I would like some of you to know each other before things start. You may decide for yourselves, but my suggestion is Beylinda, Thomdril, Gethric, and E-terah be a party to begin. Pathfinders, Beylinda, often hire local talent, Thomdril, and expertise, Gethric and E-terah, to assist in their investigations. And as we know, not all expeditions return... River will join you some time, hopefully shortly, after your arrive. Annie is near the Worldwound, and demons should learn not to play with the fabric of reality. Voice any and all questions and concerns.
Alright everyone. A decision has been reached and I ended up going to my maximum size. Beylinda
Report to the discussion thread! Everyone else, thank you. If I felt more comfortable with my available time, I'd run another group.
Okay, let's do this! @Mark, curse you! I broke down and bought the PDF, so now I understand what you're talking about. You're right. CotR is excellent. The arm makes sense now. @Edward, thanks. See my PM. @Davachido, Thanks for the links, Kevril looks good. @Nelo, you can get it to free as a musket master, rapid reload, alchemical cartridge. The trait alteration is fine. Fluff thou hast given me, with a vengeance. Took me a moment to figure out who Juria was. @Jude, why is it always the rich handsome guys? @Gobo, you're fine. @E-Terah, you posted not long after I did. Good enough. Fluff and Crunch look good. @Grayn, Pounder looks ready. @Stratos, thanks Just to make sure I've got everyone: Gregory Paxton - Half-elf Ranger/Alchemist
Now these are only the completed/mostly-complete characters. If you've mentioned a concept, but not finished it, you have until I post the final choices to get yourself considered.
Submissions are now closed. Sorry I wasn't able to get to everyone today. If your character was incomplete, don't worry. I'll be going over everyone's tomorrow, provide feedback, and, hopefully, have a decision for you all tomorrow of thursday.
@Eben, I'd rather you create Thom as you would a regular fighter, of his style. His conversion is going to take time, and be rather dramatic, and I don't want to short change that by approximating paladin abilities. As for wisdom, I've start to warm to the idea. Paladins are not Clerics, and a low wisdom could be fitting for a somewhat brash man who has never really felt connected to a deity before. *Edit, layers are good, but use moderation. @Stratos, Thanks for the complete entry. I know everything isn't there, but for admission purposes you're ready. Only thing I have questions about is the region he's from, where is it? @Imimrtl, Great, then stat him up and give me some more fluff. @Davachido, Send me a link to the relevant material so I can review it. The idea seems sound though. Thanks for being willing to create two versions. @Cuan, Good backstory, crunch seems solid. Favored class gives .25 evolutions, not .5 @Grayn, Our first monk! @Nelo, Lots of crunch, and I like crunch, but now it is time for fluff! If you are interested in moving and shooting, I'd highly recommend investing in Rapid Reload. Alas, the only anime I have seen recently were Usagi Drop and Sound of the Sky. @Edward, can you show me Tibber's evolutions, I sense some discrepancies... Do like LOA's build though. @Oberst, Good entry, now tell me what you would do on this strange new world. @Mark, Indeed I am. Only thing I'm unsure about is the arm withered from 'use'. Doesn't really seem to jive with Chucaro. Otherwise, looks good. @Algar, I haven't forgotten you. @Jude, Considerable backstory, gives me a good handle on the character. Crunch looks solid.
Warning Submission closes in 24hrs! Exercising my DM prerogatives, I'm closing the submission window much earlier than anticipated. There are already more characters I'd like to see play than spots available, and I don't want to make the problem worse. This means have at least basic crunch(class, stats, feats, and general skill distrobution) and fluff(name, brief adventuring history, and likely actions/goals in the new world) done by tomorrow night. I don't have time to respond to everyone tonight, so I'll get back to you tomorrow.
@Algar, That's just what I was looking for, thanks for the background. @Davachido, No psionics. Tell me more, fluff and crunch about the other two. @RCB, Alas, I do not know the awesomeness that is Kung-Fu. @Mark, I await with anticipation @Skorn, I shall exercise my unholy powers as DM and request that you do both. Thus far I have turned down all ideas for earth natives. Also, change happened some time, decades ago. Likely putting your character in the 30-40 ish range. If still interested, create him. To be safe, create the Golarion character. @Imimrtl, Either is fine, with some caveats. The concept of the first seems very fitting, such a person is likely to get pulled through. However, Master Summoner is a powerful class and without tact can create problems in party. For the second, I think I've seen sorcerer/evoker builds on optimization threads, and have a slightly neurotic reaction to such. No approval until full crunch. Everyone! General heads up in case it missed anyone: there will be religion in this campaign, Pathfinder and RL. If you are not okay with Catholic clerics and Wiccan witches, this is not for you. It will not be the main theme, but it will be an important one. If something's depiction bothers you, PM me. I may change it, may not. Be prepared to accept either. Also, please read my responses to other people I've probably answered some of your questions before. @Eben, The campaign starts when you arrive on earth. Check my previous posts. So, his paladin-hood is a bit premature, but does give me a good idea of where he is going. Let's replace that with fighter(?) until he has his moment. Smite Evil isn't very subtle. Don't worry about being optimized. Thom looks solid enough to hold his own. I'm not sure if 8 wisdom really fits someone who is as introspective as he sounds, but that's relatively minor. I do like the bard as base chassis, and you distribution of skills. Always maxing skills may fit some characters, but not many. Most people are more well-rounded. His fighting style should be fine, no problems there. @Severed, I've a soft-spot for that concept myself. Show me the numbers and tell me more about him. @Forthepie, Sounds good, thanks for the numbers and your posting schedule. Traits seem to fit well. What's his class?
@Edward, It's from Ultimate Campaign. trait:
Twinned Presence: Your eidolon—and your connection
to it—makes others ill at ease. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you. In addition, if your eidolon is summoned and within 30 feet, and its size exceeds your own, use its size modifier on any Intimidate checks you make. @Nelo, Good point. Deadline is Friday, but I reserve the right to move that up if I like the existing pool of applicants. There will be a minimum 24hr notice before submissions are closed. @Ben, I like the concept, now show me the character. @Cuan, Good to see you again. The first might be better. Wrong side of the Pacific for monkey gods. @Stratos, the campaign begins at the moment you arrive here/leave Golarion. Also, unless the party makes an unexpected decision, the campaign will start with a short, but deadly, dungeon crawl. @Eben, That is up to you. I'd suggest somewhere in the Inner Sea region. While having the party already formed isn't necessary, it has advantages. As for languages, see above. That's part of the reason for lvl3, access to Comprehend Languages. @Yossarin, That's unfortunate. Any other concepts rolling around you'd be interested in try?
Greetings to those who have recently posted. I believe these are the submissions so far. Gregory Paltaris - Half-elf Ranger/Alchemist, Mostly complete, final crunch needed
@Algar, That background works nicely. I was more interested in how a fairly uncommon Tian race became a devote worshipper of Sarenrae and ended up in the Inner Sea. Standard gold for 3rd level. Max HP at creation and roll there after. Please do rolls here. @Eben, Very intact. Mass attendance experienced a marked increase with the advent of Cure Light Wounds. It is a interesting, and compelling idea. I like it. Now, create him. @Edward, Paizo says... UC: What do you think?
Pick On Someone Your Own Size: When you were
young, you or others you cared for were bullied by agents of an oppressive power. At some point, you stood up against one or many of the tyrants, feeling that somehow you were bigger, stronger and more resilient than you actually were. You later realized that this support was the first trace of your eidolon trying to make contact with you. You can still draw on that power today, making your aura strong and your presence powerful. You gain access to the Twinned Presence magic trait. @Stratos, Thanks. @Mousestalker, Drow are EVIL! There are no good drow. Second Darkness saw to that, and I approve. @RCB, Nice crunch, good fluff. Now, what would she do on pseudo-earth?
@Nelo I'm familiar with D20 Modern, and will probably use those stats, perhaps with a little alternation, when the time comes for you to find those items. Remember, the setting is mostly pseudo-medieval to start, Army of Darkness comes later. For those interested in the possibly of advanced firearms, go Gunslinger. The retraining rules in Ultimate Campaign exist to used. @Gregory, I'm open to allowing discoveries being re-skinned to mechanical, though, much like prosthetic hands and shotguns, that would come later. How much later really depends the party's decisions. Where you'll be starting is reasonably similar to what your characters would be familiar with. Crossbows, swords, ox&plow, knights in armor, etc. If you move into the pre-Change wastelands, say LA or Vegas, things quickly start moving in a Eox/Dark Tapestry direction and the rules for what works, and doesn't, start changing. Why is that? You'll have to find out. @Mark, sounds good. I don't have Chronicles of the Righteous yet, so you may have to help me out on your patron, both sound quite fitting. @Algar Thanks for the work up. Grixus is correct, poisons are made with Craft(Alchemy). Now, what is a Vishkanya doing Cheliax, and what would Beylinda do if she found herself in unfamiliar place? @Eben, Looking forward to it. @Shadoven, Why is a lawful monk a devote follower of chaotic deities? @Yossarin, 'Brave New World' all the way. @Grixus, I usually don't worry about it too much, but if you're thinking of having the Dervish bard carry the 100lbs statue, then it will come into play. @Stratos Glad you are interested. The idea seems fine, though I'm not too familiar with Catfolk, where are their tribes located in Golarion?
Correct on the cartridges. Gunslingers, being natives of Golarion, are familiar with an 'emerging guns' world. You've heard rumors about revolvers and rifles, maybe seen one if you've taken a trip to the Grand Ducky, most think Alkenstar is keeping them limited to their own gun marshals, and hunts down those that try to smuggle them out. I'd say treat it like most gun-nut civilians would treat a RPG today. You've heard about them, seen pictures, but never actually had one of your own. Given a little practice though, and you'd figure it out quick. More advanced firearms, say sniper rifles, are recognizable for what they are, but you've never imagined the like. To quote, "Firearms become more common. They are mass-produced by small guilds, lone gunsmiths, dwarven clans, or maybe even a nation or two—the secret is slipping out, and the occasional rare adventurer uses guns. The baseline Gunslinger rules and the prices for ammunition given in this chapter are for this type of campaign. Early firearms are available, but are relatively rare. Adventurers who want to use guns must take the Gunsmithing feat just to make them feasible weapons. Advanced firearms may exist, but only as rare and wondrous items—the stuff of high-level treasure troves. *Edit
Guns will work, once you have the proper alchemical formula for cartridges. Regular powder on its own won't. Residents of a nearby city-state have discovered this fairly recently, it hasn't taken off because their neighbors, and most citizens of the city, regard this a tempting fate. Better to stick with bows. They've always worked. Gunslingers will be regarded as as either fellow pioneers that refuse to be held back, or dangerous madmen doing the equivalent of wearing plate on mountain during a thunderstorm while cursing Zeus. And correct, you are from Golarion and get sucked in. *Edit, so many responses already, yay! All Golarion deities will be available, and some new ones once you get there. However, there may be some 'static' if you will, particularly if you are a Golarion-centric diety like Iomedae, Milani, or the other ascended. Asmodeus, though, comes through loud and clear. Hell has great service. For the best reception, try the Outer Gods, Great Old Ones, and Qlippoth. They're very close. As for Sniper rifles, not initially. Though if you find the right mad scientist... Just remember, you're starting in/coming from Golarion, shotgun and chainsaw come later.
There is a special kind of madness, a clarity rather, so far past sanity that the presance of an in- makes little difference. My collegue Trisha agrees, though to be fair she had a turmultious relationship with a recorder, so take that how you will. I am seeking 1-6 adventurers willing to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. Why 1-6? Because I have had great experiences with all the numbers in that range, and don't know how many will be interested, as this may be a rather unusual campaign. What is the campaign? Well... Belief is a thrist, a void that wants to be filled. Our world is... thristy. We believed, and saw nothing. Perhaps plants are better. Yes. Plants in a desert, with just enough water to live. And so they adapt, learning to draw moisture from the very air, sucking in every drop of water. But now, the dam is breached, the glass is cracked and we are drowning. Neither we, nor the water knows what will happen now. This campaign is one that's been rattling around in my head for a very long time. I blame a childhood in the outdoors and a love for the game King's Bounty. Quite simply, the world is cool. It would be even cooler if you could fight monsters in it. Our heroes start off in Golarion, as ordinary as adventures ever are. In the process of doing what adventures do best, invading subterranean homes and ruthlessly slaughtering the inhabitants, they come across something... It could be an artifact, it could simply be a door an odd metaphysical attunement. Whatever it is, it actives, and our party is swept of to parts unknown. Where they are and what they intend to do about it is something they will have decide for themselves. As players though, I imagine you'd like a bit more than that. Very well, the answer is Earth, sort of. Those familiar with the books of S.M Stirling will notice my ruthless pillaging of his work. For those who aren't, don't worry, I make that disclaimer so fellow fans won't think I'm trying to hide my plagiarism. So, here we go. Several decades ago, as of the campaign's start, technology, on earth, stopped working. More specifically electronics and heat engines, like guns and explosives, stopped working for us, and magic started creeping in. Preposterous, of course, but please indulge me. Anything that turns modern North America into pseudo-medieval high fantasy is going to be, and things involving the Outer Gods tend to ignore reason. As you might imagine, the transition was rough, most everyone died, quite horrifically more often than not. Some called it the Change. Some number survived, humans really are quite good at that, and went about the business of establishing nations and discovering the true purpose of plowshares, committing genocide when your local deity isn't looking. What happened next? Well, the poor soul, from whose journal the above passages where taken, had it right, enough for us to use as analogy anyway. The glass had been cracked. Not a lot, but enough, and the things which exist in the dark corners of the material plane noticed. Why is it always the dark things that notice? Well, when your system is essentially a jar with the lid glued on, no one knows why Azathoth does these things, we don't even know if it knows, it gets shuffled to the back room for someone to look at when they have time. And there it sits, collecting dust, while the bacteria inside slowly change, and get used to thinking they've always been sealed in the dark, alone. Then the jar gets cracked, and the rats start investigating, and maybe the rats start fighting over which rat gets the jar, and maybe in their scuffle the rats knock the jar off the table, and the glass shatters. Bad luck for our poor bacteria eh? And so it was with earth. Different groups started reaching out, and things answered. At first it was small, so that you could explain it away if you wanted to. Then, one thing decided to give its group a bit more, and so to keep the balance other things started giving their their groups a bit more. Then the fighting began, and as the fighting got more intense, each side kept uping the ante until finally, the jar burst. Some call that the Awakening. I call it terrifying. I mean really, one minute you're doing your best to stick your sword through the other fellow's guts, and, fair's fair, he's trying to do the same to you. Then suddenly he's turned into some bloody demon, and the priest next to you, well enough fellow as priests go, starts glowing, speaking in tongues, and lops of the demon's head with a flaming sword. Well I tell you what, I buggered out, and buggered fast. How long has magic been fully present when our heroes arrive? Long enough for people to be familiar with it's existence, short enough for it to still be very mysterious. So, what's in it for you, and your character?
For your character? A world where magic is fresh and new! Weapons and other artifacts like you've never seen! Tales that no one at home would believe! The Crunch:
Character level: 3 20 point buy Any race (Note that many races do not exist where you are going. The farther from human you look, the stronger the reactions, for good or ill.) All classes, even the maligned summoner. Gunslingers work too, information on request. All Paizo material is fair game. 3PP on approval. Two traits. Party balance is not required. If we end up with a party of all bards, that's fine.
Witches, Wizards, and Alchemists are going to be at a disadvantage-ish. Scrolls are extremely rare, relative to Golarion standards, so learning a spell can become a not insignificant quest of it's own. Witches have it easier than wizards, as there are more of them and each one's familiar is a potential source of spells. This isn't to discourage anyone from wizards, just don't want anyone to be surprised. However, magic is new here, and some of the pre-change learning has magical applications. Don't be surprised if your wizard spells start functioning a little differently than their sorcerous counterparts. Physics + magic = Fwoosh! Chemistry + Alchemy = Mwahahaha! Typically neglected skills will be useful. Profession(Farmer), Knowledge(Engineering) and others will help gain quests and rewards you would otherwise be ignorant of. Knowledge(Nobility) is always useful for determining rank and not getting executed for a gross breach of protocol. Full character work up is not required. It's nice, as it gives me a better idea of the character, but don't feel obligated to calculate every save or slot every skill. Do give me backstory/fluff. I like reading it, and feel leery of characters without it. If you know the crunch but are having a hard time with fluff, I just purchased Ultimate Campaign, which has superb background generating tables, just ask and its power will be yours. If I like you, but feel the fluff is lacking, I will offer. (Now that I have the power to easily determine the number of siblings you had, your birth order, parent's professions and current status, as well as why you became your class and your romantic history. I fully intend to use it!) Players! In the games I play in, I typically check/post twice a day, sometimes three times. For this, my posting times will likely vary. If the posts are short and easy, combat, then I will try to keep to the 2-3. If they are longer, or more difficult, as role-playing posts often are, it may drop to 1, or even less. Though I intend to avoid that, and will use my idle time, work, to think of responses and probable next steps, to keep to the more active schedule, no guarantees though. Also, there are some days, usually not frequent, in which I may be unable to post, regardless of in game happenings, such as today. I did not expect to be posting this, as today was my family's ritual celebration of the life cycle of Gallus gallus domesticus. A most holy day in which the revered birds are turned into something resembling food. For those who have never helped this noble creature fulfill its purpose, it's messy. Also squishy. I would like the same from you. Tell me how often you are usually able to post, and how often disappearances occur. If you have never done PbP, don't worry, just give your best guess, and don't worry about being overwhelmed. I like new players. I prefer players able to post twice a day, it isn't that hard to spend 30 seconds telling me, 'Scorching ray to the thing by the closed door by the fighter.' before work, is it? If you're worried about your semi-regular days of 'Hmm, this place doesn't have internet.' Fear not, I understand and will not punish your character for player difficulties. Also, I will not let the party languish while the wizard is AFK. Once 2/3 of players have posted, I will move things forward at the next regular posting time of morning or evening. This should help us avoid the quagmire that so often dooms PbP games. Weekends are open. If we all end up posting 4 times on Saturday, great! If no one posts until Monday, that's fine too. Thank you for your time, and hopefully we get a wonderful crew together.
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