Gimble

Jazz Rozer's page

115 posts. Alias of garabbott.




Male Wandering Nomad 3

Hey all and welcome to the game!! Please post and check in, and once we're ready I'll give you all a bit of personal information about your character getting involved with the case, and we'll be off!


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When Darkness Falls

"The most merciful thing in the world, I think is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age." - H.P. Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"

Hi everyone, welcome to the recruitment thread for When Darkness Falls.

This campaign is sort of an experimental project I've mulled over for years, so be warned it might be a bit unorthodox. First of all: this is a Lovecraft-inspired campaign, and for much of the prep work I've done for it I've been reading/referencing the Call of Cthulhu RPG, a d20 source book that is 3.5 compatible. If you're not familiar with the game, it is designed to be a brutal and horrifying experience in which the PCs not only face death and excruciating bodily harm, but their characters also run the risk of losing their very sanity as they confront terror after terror in the world of Cthulhu Mythos. This campaign will be no different. (Hint: mature themes abound).

The game begins in the city of Salem, the capitol of Oregon State on the U.S's western coastline. The year is 1951, and the country still celebrates and prospers from its glorious victory at the end WWII. Each investigator (PC) will be commissioned by a powerful private interest, the K. West Fund, to join a team of highly-trained and highly-qualified specialists. The investigators should come from a variety of backgrounds (we'll talk about character creation in a second), but suffice it to say that private detectives, criminal investigators, military personnel, doctors and even professors will be considered for the job.

All hopeful investigators should have a full portfolio turned in by the 29th of September, or next Sunday. For instructions on how to create a portfolio, see the campaign info (which I have copy+pasted here for your ease).

Character Creation Step 1:
Choose a Base Save and Base Attack Bonus Progression & then roll for your ability scores. This choice is made once at the beginning of the game, and cannot be altered.

Defensive Option:
......Base Save 1.....Base Save 2.....Base Save 3.....Base Attack Bonus
1st......+0..............+2..............+2.................+0
2nd......+0..............+3..............+3.................+1
3rd......+1..............+3..............+3.................+1
4th......+1..............+4..............+4.................+2
5th......+1..............+4..............+4.................+2
6th......+2..............+5..............+5.................+3
7th......+2..............+5..............+5.................+3
8th......+2..............+6..............+6.................+4
9th......+3..............+6..............+6.................+4
10th.....+3..............+7..............+7.................+5

Offensive Option:
......Base Save 1.....Base Save 2.....Base Save 3.....Base Attack Bonus
1st......+0..............+0..............+2.................+1
2nd......+0..............+0..............+3.................+2
3rd......+1..............+1..............+3.................+3
4th......+1..............+1..............+4.................+4
5th......+1..............+1..............+4.................+5
6th......+2..............+2..............+5.................+6
7th......+2..............+2..............+5.................+7
8th......+2..............+2..............+6.................+8
9th......+3..............+3..............+6.................+9
10th.....+3..............+3..............+7.................+10

Ability Scores:
As every member of the group being assembled will be considered a specialist at the top of their field, we will be rolling at 3d6+6, dropping the lowest roll, for each ability score -- that's six times only, not allowing a 7th to drop the lowest -- I may choose to change the specifics here based on the results of character creation and how quickly/effectively the group moves through the game.

Character Creation Step 2:
Choose a Profession from the following list (their class skills are listed next to them). Each option comes with a bonus feat, in addition to your 1st level feat.

Agent: Bluff, Disable Device, Drive, Forgery, Intimidate, Sense Motive, Stealth, +3 more of the player's choice. FEAT: Improved Initiative.
Detective: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Forgery, Perception, Sense Motive, +3 more of the player's choice. FEAT: Dodge.
Doctor: Appraise, Heal, Knowledge (biology), Knowledge (medicine), Knowledge (any), Perception, Research, +3 more of the player's choice. FEAT: Skill Focus (Heal) or (Knowledge (any)).
Professor: Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (occult), Knowledge (any 1), Perception, Research, Sense Motive +3 more of the player's choice. FEAT: Skill Focus (Diplomacy), (Bluff), or (Knowledge (any)).
Soldier: Acrobatics, Climb, Heal, Perception, Stealth, Survival, Swim, +3 more of the player's choice. FEAT: Weapon Focus.

This is a list of all skills available to players:
Acrobatics
Appraise
Bluff
Climb
Craft
Demolitions
Diplomacy
Disable Device
Disguise
Drive
Escape Artist
Forgery
Handle Animal
Heal
Intimidate
Knowledge (archaeology)
Knowledge (art)
Knowledge (astronomy)
Knowledge (biology)
Knowledge (chemistry)
Knowledge (history)
Knowledge (local)*
Knowledge (medicine)
Knowledge (nature)
Knowledge (occult)
Knowledge (religion)
Performance
Pilot
Research
Ride
Sense Motive
Sleight of Hand
Speak Other Language
Spellcraft UNAVAILABLE AS CLASS SKILL
Swim

*Choose any one city for Knowledge (local)

Character Creation Step 3:
Pick your feats. I am going to be open with this one, and allow you to choose from any feat in any d20 sourcebook, so long as you can provide me with a description (or tell me where to find one) and I think it's not overpowered or doesn't contextually fit in the setting or game style. Also note that every investigator is granted 1 free Weapon Proficiency feat to represent time spent fighting in WWII, which we will assume most every investigator did.

Character Creation Step 4:
Read about and determine your Sanity.

Character Creation Step 5:
Equipment! Use the following adjustments to discern your Profession's salary:

Agent: +0
Detective:-1
Doctor: +2
Professor: +1
Soldier: +0

Now, roll 1d6 and add your Profession's salary adjustment, multiply the result by 1,000 and you have your current life's savings. A final result of 0 is $500.00. Keep in mind, however, that your characters' lives are not yet focused on survival, and therefore it would be unrealistic to simply buy an arsenal of weaponry during character creation. I have provided only a list of weaponry (because of their key role in the game) and their prices, but feel free to flesh out your investigator's possessions with whatever creative and realistic items you wish.

Melee Weapons
Tiny Melee Weapons:
Brass Knuckles: 1d3; x2 crit; bludgeoning; $1.00
Switchblade: 1d3; 19-20/x2 crit; piercing; $3.00

Small Melee Weapons:
Hunting Knife: 1d4; 19-20/x2 crit; 10' range; piercing; $5.00
Combat Knife: 1d4; 19-20/x2 crit; 10' range; slashing; $5.00
Cleaver/Butcher Knife: 1d4; x3 crit; 10' range; slashing; $2.00
Gun butt, Pistol: 1d4; x2 crit; bludgeoning
Hatchet: 1d6; x3 crit; slashing; $3.00

Medium Melee Weapons:
Nightstick/Billy Culb: 1d4; x2 crit; bludgeoning; $1.00
Crowbar: 1d6; x2 crit; bludgeoning; $3.00
Pick/Pickaxe: 1d6; x4 crit; piercing; $5.00
Machete: 1d6; 19-20/x2 crit; slashing; $3.00
Rapier: 1d8; 18-20/x2 crit; piercing; $15.00

Large Melee Weapons:
Baseball Bat: 1d6; x2 crit; bludgeoning; $2.00
Bayonet, fixed to rifle: 1d6; 19-20/x2 crit; piercing and slashing; $5.00
Gun butt, rifle or shotgun: 1d6; x2 crit; bludgeoning
Shovel: 1d6; x2 crit; bludgeoning; $4.00
Axe: 1d8; x3 crit; slashing; $5.00

Guns:
Pistols
Colt Single Action Revolver (M1873): 1d10; x3 crit; 6 bullet revolver; side loading; 20' range; standard fire; $30.00
Colt M1911: 2d6; x3 crit; 7 bullet mag; 20' range; semiautomatic; $40.00
Colt M1917: 2d8; x3 crit; 6 bullet revolver; side loading; 20' range; semiautomatic; $50.00
Smith & Wesson M1917 Revolver: 2d8; 6 bullet revolver; side loading; 20' range; semiautomatic; $40.00

Rifles
Winchester M1894 Sporting Rifle: 2d6; x3 crit; lever action; side loading; 200' range; $28.00
Lee-Enfield Mark I Rifle: 2d10; x3 crit; bolt action; 6 bullet mags; 175' range; $55.00
Springfield M1903: 2d10; x3 crit; bolt action; 5 bullet clip; 175' range; $45.00
Lee-Enfield Mark III Rifle: 2d10; x3 crit; bolt action; 10 bullet mags; 200' range; $60.00

Shotguns
Winchester M1897 Shotgun (12 gauge): 3d6/2d6/1d6* or 2d10 slug; x3 crit; 5 shell cap; 50' range; pump action; $60.00
Winchester M1897 Riot Shotgun (10 gauge): 3d8/2d8/1d8* or 2d10 slug; x3 crit; 4 shell cap; 50' range; lever; $75.00
Winchester M1912 Shotgun (12 gauge): 3d6/2d6/1d6* or 2d10 slug; x3 crit; 5 shell cap; 50' range; pump action; $60.00
Winchester M1912 Shotgun (16 gauge): 3d4/2d4/1d4* or 2d8 slug; x3 crit; 5 shell cap; 50' range; pump action; $45.00

*Use the 1st damage listing for whenever the target is within the weapon's 1st range increment, the 2nd damage listing for a target within the weapon's 2nd range increment, and the 3rd damage listing for anything beyond that.

Submachine Guns
Thompson Submachine Gun: 2d8; x3 crit; 30' range; autofire; $225.00

Character Advancement:
Investigators' HD are always d8, and assume that each class normally gains 6 + Int skills per level. Additionally, feats are normally gained at every odd level.

Skill ranks and even Feats may be rewarded for specific actions or accomplishments throughout the game.

Sample Character Sheet:
Charlie Poolsworth, Offensive Detective 1 (Fort)

DEFENSE
HP: 9/9 // Sanity points: 50/50
AC: 14 // CMD: 14
Will: +0 // Fort: +2 // Reflex: +3

OFFENSE
Shotgun +4 (3d6/2d6/1d6, x3)
Switchblade +1 (1d3, 19-20/x2)

ABILITY SCORES
STR 11
DEX 16
CON 11
INT 10
WIS 10
CHA 11

SKILLS (CORE)
Acrobatics
Bluff
Diplomacy
Disable Device
Disguise
Drive
Forgery
Perception
Sense Motive
Stealth

FEATS
Dodge
Weapon Proficiency (shotgun)

POSSESSIONS
Winchester 1897 Pump Action, 20 shells
Switchblade
Large dark sunglasses
White undershirt, stained
Button-up shirt, light blue
Grey 3-buttoned vest, very classy
- Pack of cigarettes, 3/4 full
Brown slacks
- Zippo cigarette lighter
Leather shoes, slightly scuffed
Black leather wallet
- 2.75$

NOTES
In Portland for an extended stay while investigating the disappearance of a beautiful girl from Oregon's countryside that was caught up in the bad business of Portland's underbelly, Charlie keeps his switchblade in his pocket at all times but generally chooses to leave his shotgun at home. He relies on some wit and some luck to get to the bottom of his cases, and so far things have been paying off.

Posting requirements are ideally once a day, but I definitely can slack on even that from time to time, so we'll say that 4 posts a week should be the minimum. I don't know how many players I'll be running this with, so just assume for now there'll be 3-5.

Thanks for reading! I'll let Mr. Lovecraft have the final word....

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."
- H.P. Lovecraft, "Supernatural Horror in Literature"


Hi everyone. First of all, if you are currently playing in my Chronicles of Biston PbP campaign, please read no further!

Okay. I'm GMing a homebrew set in Varisia and I'm looking for the smallest boat possible big enough for river and lake sailing at a reasonable rate. I want something that only requires a few people as its crew and yet can travel ~100 miles across a large lake in a few days. Is there such a boat by RAW? I've been looking and the closest thing I can find is likely a Cutter or a Sloop Sailing Ship, but the rules are pretty stingy on what the actual difference is between those models and the described "Sailing Ship."

Some more information:
- The PCs are 4 2nd level characters and they will likely be assaulting the boat while it is docked in a small fishing/trading village.
- I'm planning the Captain to be a 5th level Expert.
- They will be attacking the boat to bring a thief from their local town into custody. The thief will be a 3rd level Cad Fighter with a 2nd level Goblin Witch lackey.
- It's okay for the boat to have a small crew beyond these three characters, but I don't want anything that will overwhelm the party.

EDIT: If there is no RAW boats that are applicable but you know of any 3rd party or homebrewed options, I'd be curious to hear about them as well!


I tried looking for an answer to this question on the forums, but couldn't find one, so here goes -- I hope this doesn't come up all the time and I'm just blind or something.

For the purposes of Shield Slam, is another character (PC, NPC, or some other creature) considered a "surface" in the same way a wall is? If not, what's the procedure for bull rushing a character into another character -- are they then occupying the same space, or is the targeted character simply pushed into a different square nearby?

Shield Slam's benefit, quoted from the SRD:

"Any opponents hit by your shield bash are also hit with a free bull rush attack, substituting your attack roll for the combat maneuver check (see Combat). This bull rush does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Opponents who cannot move back due to a wall or other surface are knocked prone after moving the maximum possible distance. You may choose to move with your target if you are able to take a 5-foot step or to spend an action to move this turn."

Thanks!


Hello everybody, after a slow start this campaign has recently ground to a stop due to two players dropping out and myself disappearing from internet access for a few weeks. I'm hoping to get it started up again, now that I'm back in semi-regular internet access, and I hope we can find 2 or 3 replacements!

My posting rate is a little sporadic at best right now so it could be a few days before I respond, maybe even a few more before we get started again, and the game itself is not always a 1-post-a-day type game (usually more like 2-4 a week).

The best characters (and players) will find opportunities to develop themselves during lots of in-game down time -- I plan on having stretches of several weeks at a time (in game) with little development from myself, so crafting and sandbox-style adventuring is encouraged.

Right now the party is an Elven Wizard Transmuter and a Catfolk Barbarian with a Greatsword. The campaign is still very short despite being around for a few months, so if you could read through the game thread that'd be great. Check it out and see if you're interested in picking up where we've left off, when replacements have been figured out I'll introduce you to the game thread and everyone can rush off together to investigate the new problem facing Biston.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Copied from the original Recruitment thread:

Character Creation:
Your character should be living in Briston, whether you are a local by birth or not is up to you, but backstory will be important. Backstory is far more important to me than any sort of optimization.
- All Paizo races are allowed, but I should warn you that, without a good and convincing backstory, you may find that your Drow/Aasimar/Dhampir or what have you will be near the bottom of my list.
- Good characters recommended. If you want to play an evil character, it may be difficult depending on the party’s makeup, and I expect party cohesion to be at the top of everyone’s list. An evil character won’t be easily accepted.
- 15 point buy
- 2 traits
- Roll for starting gold
- If you have an idea that you like but need to bend some rules to make it happen, feel free to talk to me about it and we can try to figure something out.

Feel free to use any official Paizo sources; 3rd party material will have to be double checked by me and I’m usually a little hesitant to use it. With the official Paizo books you should have plenty of options. Also, because I am living out of a backpack with nothing more than a laptop and some clothes, I am using www.d20pfsrd.com and the Pathfinder Wikia as all of my sources, and the rest (mostly campaign setting) I am homebrewing completely. Therefore, whatever you use should be referenced on SRD for my viewing.

Basic Biston Information:
The growing village of Biston is divided into two sections: the Tunnels District and the Lakeside. The Tunnels District, excavated into some cliffs that overlook Lake Syrantula, is rumored to have been created by a long-extinct tribe of harpies. Now, it is inhabited by Biston’s oldest families. A few shops are in the area, but for the most part the Tunnels District is residential. The Lakeside is the flat, grassy area spread out at the base of the cliffs. It lies between the rocky landscape and the lake’s shore. This section of the village has been steadily growing since martial law ended ten years ago, and new families arrive every year, building new houses and slowly expanding the village.
Fishermen generally work close to the shore, and many of them live in the Lakeside -- immigrants to the area often come to find work fishing in the bountiful lake. Farmers often live just outside the village among their fields, but some live in town and make the trip out to their lands in the surrounding area when they go to work. Traders swing through the town on a regular basis, but the village has grown large enough that most mundane objects one could ever desire can be found there. Magic is a rare and expensive commodity in Biston--sometimes gypies pass through the town with minor magic items, but only the most accomplished Biston citizens can actually afford anything magical.

The town’s blacksmith, a talented young prodigy named Selyna Duntherhall, has her business in the tunnels. The best and most popular general store is owned by Sryan Farristil; he is the head of the Farristil family, and though they live in the Tunnels District, Syran has recently moved his store down to the Lakeside to appeal to newer citizens. There are three taverns in Biston. The oldest, Hunter’s Cove, is in the Tunnels District; they have very few beds and rooms for lodging, but it is higher quality than the other inns in town, and has become much more expensive. The most popular tavern by far is the Stomping Squat, run by the aging and charismatic Danny Nemuria; it is set up on a hill next to the cliffs near the Tunnels District, slightly away from the downtown Lakeside because of how rowdy it often gets each night. Finally, the shadier spot in Biston is Crossroads. The drinks are cheap and bad, the service is questionable, but everyone knows that you mind your own business while you’re there, unless you want trouble. There is one church in BIston, in the center of Lakeside, and it is dedicated to Abadar (the primary deity of Korvosa). However, the majority of the townsfolk worship Old Deadeye, thus there are a few shrines to Erastil scattered about the village, each one maintained by a communal effort of his most faithful worshipers.

You can check the campaign thread's information tab for even more information.


Hi everyone, I'm going to be applying to a Skull and Shackles PbP game soon, and I'm very interested in playing a Cad archetype for the Fighter. However, my current plan is to stick with Fighter for probably only 3 or 4 levels, and then multiclass into something different, and that's where I'm looking for advice: where to go next?

My ability scores, a 20 point buy, are looking like this:

Str: 16
Dex: 14
Con: 12
Wis: 10
Int: 13
Cha: 14

I am choosing Human, and my starting feats will likely be Improved Unarmed Strike, Combat Expertise, and Improved Dirty Trick or Disarm (haven't made up my mind). Anyway, I'm looking for a character who will be unpredictable, charismatic, likeable, and brave. I want him to be able to slip among enemies, socialize and make them like him, and then randomly start smashing chairs over people's heads in a hectic outburst of violence.

Anybody ever had experience with the Cad archetype, or a character similarly styled?


Male Wandering Nomad 3

Abadius 1st, 4700

Our adventure begins in the Stomping Squat’s afternoon crowd -- the townsfolk are celebrating the first day of the new year, the turning of the century, and another year of opportunity for the growing town. The sun is hovering just barely over the treeline, but Danny has been giving discounts on drinks all day. Sounds of cheering and merriment can be heard at the Stomping Squat from across town.

You have only just arrived and the scene is a drunken spectacle. Selyna Duntherhall, the town’s youngest and most respected blacksmith, has been arm wrestling some of the fishermen in one corner of the room for some time, as evident by the heap of empty glasses forming a makeshift arena. Even a group of elder Farristil widows, who rarely get seen smiling since the rebellion, are loudly chatting and laughing about the good old days, while one of the few Farristil men left, Syran, is ordering another round for the family.

You can decide if you've come alone, in pairs, or even as a group if you'd like. Instead of forcing this, I'm hoping it will just come naturally as we begin :). Welcome to the game thread, by the way!


Male Wandering Nomad 3

This is the discussion thread!


The year is 4700 AR. The small Varisian village of Briston has celebrated its freedom from Korvosan martial law for exactly a decade, and things finally seem to have returned to normal. Only a few locals remain who remember the ill-fated rebellion of Briston, and the village has striven to move past its darkened history. However--caught between the infamously dangerous Ashwood forest, the distant shadows of the mysterious Fenwood mountains, and the ever-scrutinous eye of Korvosan political intrigues--Briston’s days of peace are soon coming to an end.

This is a homebrew Pathfinder campaign based, at least to begin with, out of the small village of Briston, Varisia. I’ll be honest: I have an overall idea of where this campaign should be going, but a lot of the story will be reactionary based on your backstories and roleplaying, and things may become pretty improvised. Therefore, most of what I’ll be looking at will be your character backstory and roleplaying opportunities.

Now, I’ll tell you a little bit about your potential GM before you consider submitting a character: in my real life I am currently in a strange state of living. I have been traveling around Europe for 3 and a half months now, and I move from place to place usually every week or so--sometimes I stay more and sometimes less time, but internet is not 100% guaranteed on a day-by-day basis. I will try to warn players when I might disappear for a day or two or even more, but this campaign will probably be slightly slower than most other PbPs because of my current nomadic lifestyle. Before I started traveling, I was very active as a player in several PbPs, but I dropped them because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep up. Now, I am playing in one slow-paced PbP and I decided that, instead of trying to find another one that would tolerate my occasional disappearances, I would just begin my own and dedicate most of my PF time to that.

Character Creation:
Your character should be living in Briston, whether you are a local by birth or not is up to you, but backstory will be important. Backstory is far more important to me than any sort of optimization.

- All Paizo races are allowed, but I should warn you that, without a good and convincing backstory, you may find that your Drow/Aasimar/Dhampir or what have you will be near the bottom of my list.
- Good characters recommended. If you want to play an evil character, it may be difficult depending on the party’s makeup, and I expect party cohesion to be at the top of everyone’s list. An evil character won’t be easily accepted.
- 15 point buy
- 2 traits
- Roll for starting gold
- If you have an idea that you like but need to bend some rules to make it happen, feel free to talk to me about it and we can try to figure something out.

Feel free to use any official Paizo sources; 3rd party material will have to be double checked by me and I’m usually a little hesitant to use it. With the official Paizo books you should have plenty of options. Also, because I am living out of a backpack with nothing more than a laptop and some clothes, I am using www.d20pfsrd.com and the Pathfinder Wikia as all of my sources, and the rest (mostly campaign setting) I am homebrewing completely. Therefore, whatever you use should be referenced on SRD for my viewing.

Basic Biston Information:
The growing village of Biston is divided into two sections: the Tunnels District and the Lakeside. The Tunnels District, excavated into some cliffs that overlook Lake Syrantula, is rumored to have been created by a long-extinct tribe of harpies. Now, it is inhabited by Biston’s oldest families. A few shops are in the area, but for the most part the Tunnels District is residential. The Lakeside is the flat, grassy area spread out at the base of the cliffs. It lies between the rocky landscape and the lake’s shore. This section of the village has been steadily growing since martial law ended ten years ago, and new families arrive every year, building new houses and slowly expanding the village.

Fishermen generally work close to the shore, and many of them live in the Lakeside -- immigrants to the area often come to find work fishing in the bountiful lake. Farmers often live just outside the village among their fields, but some live in town and make the trip out to their lands in the surrounding area when they go to work. Traders swing through the town on a regular basis, but the village has grown large enough that most mundane objects one could ever desire can be found there. Magic is a rare and expensive commodity in Biston--sometimes gypies pass through the town with minor magic items, but only the most accomplished Biston citizens can actually afford anything magical.

The town’s blacksmith, a talented young prodigy named Selyna Duntherhall, has her business in the tunnels. The best and most popular general store is owned by Sryan Farristil; he is the head of the Farristil family, and though they live in the Tunnels District, Syran has recently moved his store down to the Lakeside to appeal to newer citizens. There are three taverns in Biston. The oldest, Hunter’s Cove, is in the Tunnels District; they have very few beds and rooms for lodging, but it is higher quality than the other inns in town, and has become much more expensive. The most popular tavern by far is the Stomping Squat, run by the aging and charismatic Danny Nemuria; it is set up on a hill next to the cliffs near the Tunnels District, slightly away from the downtown Lakeside because of how rowdy it often gets each night. Finally, the shadier spot in Biston is Crossroads. The drinks are cheap and bad, the service is questionable, but everyone knows that you mind your own business while you’re there, unless you want trouble. There is one church in BIston, in the center of Lakeside, and it is dedicated to Abadar (the primary deity of Korvosa). However, the majority of the townsfolk worship Old Deadeye, thus there are a few shrines to Erastil scattered about the village, each one maintained by a communal effort of his most faithful worshipers.

And so, goodluck to everybody who applies, and I hope that we can all have a fun time gaming together in the near future. I look forward to reading your submissions, and please please please feel free to ask me any questions you may have!


Hi everyone, I'm planning on starting a homebrew PF PbP here on the Paizo forums. The campaign will start off in the small village of Briston in Varisia, and the PCs will likely be village locals. I want to generate a feeling that, before the adventure begins, the PCs were considered relatively average (maybe slightly above-average) citizens of the town, and within a few encounters will rise to become local heroes.

I've been debating between using the 15 or 20 point buy options. The truth is I've never even played a 15 point buy game, so I have no actual experience with it, but I've been leaning toward using it for the PCs of this campaign. I feel like it would, at least for the early part of the campaign, keep the PCs from feeling like they were born the heroes of Briston, but rather they had to earn the title.

So I guess my question is: what are other GMs experiences on the difference between GMing for 15 and 20 point buy games? And even 25 point buy games, for that matter? How much do the PCs varying ability scores actually affect the game?


Male Wandering Nomad 3

Welcome! I'm just setting up campaign notes for now.


Anyone around with a spot open in a game? I just moved here for the summer from Salem, where I attend Willamette University, and I was hoping I could find a gaming group in Portland for the summer because I could never get one going in Salem.


Hi everyone. I'm making a character with some interesting rolls, and I'm looking for advice based on the character concept I give you. First off, a little bit of raw information:

Ability Scores
Str: 18
Dex: 13
Con: 16
Int: 12
Wis: 18
Cha: 5

As you can see, I have a pretty intense dump charisma, but absurdly high other abilities--that was the way it rolled out for me, not planned, but oh well. For my first level I'm going Fighter for the heavy armor and weapon proficiencies, and then at 2nd level going into Cleric with Gorum as my deity. My backstory is that I am a blacksmith, who would rather spend more time with his weapons and armor than other people (hence the 5 Cha), because he can feel his patron deity's presence more in every piece of weaponry or armor that he's ever made than any person he's ever met.

The question I have for you, is whether I should be a Human or Half Elf? The differences between them are obnoxiously negligible for this build (my bonus feat as Human would just go into Skill Focus (Craft) anyway): I could get the extra skill points at every level from being Human, or I could have both Fighter and Cleric be my favored class from Half Elf (and get those other few bonuses to Perception and saves vs Enchantment).

For a crafting build with good enough ability scores to wreak havoc in combat, what race would you choose? Also if you have any comments or suggestions on the build itself, feel free to give 'em to me. The current build is this character's alias.


Hi, I'm playing this character in a PbP right now and having a blast. We're at 3rd level, probably hitting 4th soon, and so far I've got 3 levels of Rogue under my belt. I currently dual wield a shortsword and a dagger, but my current plan is to go my 4th and 5th levels as a Ranger (picking up medium armor proficiency and shield proficiency) and eventually end up a stealthy, deadly, sword and board styled Assassin.

We'll be hitting 4th level soon, so I get my first attribute bonus and I don't know where it should go. I'm torn between strength and intelligence, because both of them will prove very useful and grant me a better attribute bonus (15 to 16): strength for damage output is obviously nice, but because I'll be prestige classing into Assassin after 5th level and their Death Attack ability's DC depends on their intelligence bonus, I'm torn. The truth is, I've never played an Assassin before, so I don't know how useful the death attack ability is--though my DM seems excited in my choice of Assassin, and so I hope be giving a fair amount of encounters that would lend themselves to the style.

I just thought I'd throw it up to the boards and see what comes back, so thanks ahead of time for anyone taking the time of reading and responding :)


Ok, so, I'm about to play in a RotRL PbP in a few weeks, and I'm mulling over some character ideas right now. I've never played or read RotRL before, but I know a little bit about it: mainly that there are a lot of dungeon crawls and epic fights. My DM had me roll some stats, and here is what I got--brace yourselves.

18, 18, 16, 12, 11, 5

Help? I'm open to just about anything but a rogue or a summoner (I am already playing both these classes in other PbP's), and I think as long as it's paizo material the DM is fine with it.


Ok, so, I'm about to play in a RotRL PbP in a few weeks, and I'm mulling over some character ideas right now. I've never played or read RotRL before, but I know a little bit about it: mainly that there are a lot of dungeon crawls and epic fights. My DM had me roll some stats, and here is what I got--brace yourselves.

18, 18, 16, 12, 11, 5

Help? I'm open to just about anything but a rogue or a summoner (I am already playing both these classes in other PbP's), and I think as long as it's paizo material the DM is fine with.


I am designing a homebrew campaign that revolves around the actions of an army of revolutionaries and how they fight against evil and oppression to retake their homelands from the grasp of a manipulative, power-hungry lord (Lord Darodek) who has abruptly risen from power over the last generation and enslaved the good people of Gaeron (the PCs' homeland, also the smallish island-continent that the campaign takes place on). Obviously, the setting is outside of Golarion, but I plan on using the Pathfinder pantheon of deities, etc. The campaign will be a low-magic campaign, with no full-blown caster classes available to the PC's (no Wizards, Clerics, etc, but Bards, Rangers, Paladins, and etc are allowed), and to make up for this handicap they will be rewarded with a powerful arsenal of magic weapons and gear. Anyway, here is what I have for a story arch, and I'm wondering if anyone here has any suggestions or comments to make. I only have a real structure laid out for the first chapter, and vague ideas for the 2nd and 3rd chapters. I'd really like to get more into writing my own homebrews, so any advice from veterans is much appreciated.

Chapter 1: Freedom (On the Run) Levels 1-3?:

Part 1, Escape from Darodek Castle. At the beginning of the campaign, the PC's are all prisoners in the dreaded Darodek Dungeon--they were recently caught by the Darodek armies and were declared revolutionaries: sentenced to the Darodek Dungeon until starvation or violence brings death. The Darodek Dungeon is a widely-dreaded place, and people sentenced there only expect to live a few weeks. It is a maze of dark cells in various conditions of functionality, where the guards are viciously cruel and the food is moldy, and there is little hope for prolonged survival. Despite this, there is one man, a true Gaeron rebel named Horatio (also potentially a cleric of Cayden Cailean?), who has been held captive in the Darodek Dungeon for many, many months. He has been biding his time, and with the arrival of the PC's, he's finally found the right group of people to help him enact an escape plan that he's been molding for weeks. In this section, the PC's work with this influential individual to execute a mass prison-break, where the prisoners rise up from the Dungeon (attacking isolated guards using ambushes and some special gear appropriated by Horatio and a few of his prison contacts over the past months--I'm thinking, a few potions of CLW and various other potion buffs that would help the PC's with their inferior weapons and "soldiers" successfully overrun the prison guard and, eventually, raid the castle grounds by surprise and escape over the walls into the wilderness). During the final battle of this section, where the prisoners escape the castle, Horatio takes half of the prisoners over one wall, while the PC's lead another group over a different wall, the two groups planning on reuniting outside of a small town far to the south, away from Darodek Castle.
Part 2, Into the Wilderness. Darodek Castle is situated on the edge of a cliff, the cliff marking the edge of a massive plateau. When the escaped prisoners go over the castle walls, they land on the plateau, which is covered in a dark, dense jungle of unwelcoming shrubbery and rocky ground. Little do they know, these parts are infested with armies of the undead (the byproduct of Lord Darodek's recent alliance with a cult of necromancers), and before long they are happened upon by a small mob of skeletons and zombies. At this point, the PC's are probably accompanied by 10-15 other escaped prisoners, everyone armed with weapons and gear stolen from the prison's guardhouse. Several of these scenarios might occur during their search for a way down the cliffs, which eventually leads them into the temperate land of continental Gaeron.
Part 3, Reuniting with Horatio. Eventually they escape down from the top of the plateau, and return to continental Gaeron, only to find that they still haven't escaped the grasp of Lord Darodek. Furious with the humiliation of the prison break from inside his own castle's dungeon, he's dumped tons of resources into recapturing the escaped prisoners by hiring all of the local goblin and hobgoblin clans to his service. These goblinoid hunting parties are scouring the forest and roads at the base of the plateau, rounding up anyone who might fit the description of the escaped prisoners. Persistence perseveres for the PC's, and eventually they make it to Horatio's meeting place: a small town far to the south, where the towering plateau is just barely visible on the horizon. Oak Haven is officially loyal to Darodek, but the seeds of revolution have taken hold in nearly all parts of Gaeron, and the revolutionary process will take the PC's and Horatio down a fateful path of rebuilding the great legacy of Gaeron, using their soon-to-be stronghold outside of Oak Haven as their base of operations.

Chapter 2: Responsibility (Reclaiming the Past) Levels 3-6?:

This Chapter will focus on the revolution gaining steam. They build a temporary stronghold, recruit new rebels, and overcome smaller obstacles leading to the overall goal of revolution. I imagine them working to eliminate the new goblinoid presence (who have infested the area and multiplied many times over using Darodek's payments as fuel to buy the service of other monstrous humanoids, as well). This section and the next is mostly where I'm looking for advice/help/brainstorming.

Chapter 3: Action (Revolution in Motion) Levels 6-10?:

This chapter will focus on the actual war between the Gaeron rebels and Darodek himself. I imagine several large battles, needing to secure resources and outside aid, that sort of thing. Culminates with a final assault on Darodek Castle, returning to the origins of the campaign and the PCs' role in the revolution.


Male Wandering Nomad 3

Raucous laughter fills the cool night air as several merry patrons of a popular tavern exit their building, allowing the noise and light and heat to escape into the otherwise calm air lingering over the fishing town of Jelkala. Inside the tavern, a rundown but successful place that was properly dubbed Kegs'n'Barrels, the bar's regulars enjoy yet another end to yet another long day working in the shops, shipyards, or fields of their hometown. There are a dozen tables, most of them full with tankards of the local brew, and the dice and cards of several different gambling games.

The tavern's owner, one Glunmar Doldrik, is a stout dwarf with a gruff voice but friendly words. His laughs are especially louder than those around him, but he of course started his day of drinking in the early afternoon, as usual. His nightly antics have gained him a loyal base of customers: they all love the bar, but their love for the friendly alcoholic owner is far more substantial and visible. He wanders from table to table, adding a slurred comment to nearly every conversation he encounters.

Thus far, the day and evening have been of little significance, but the night is still young.

I am assuming that each of you are in the bar or at least on your way to the bar, doing your job or your typical nighttime rituals. Please provide a description of your character: both physical aspects, but also what you are wearing, etc. If you are carrying weapons, please include them. Feel free to assume you at least know each other by name, unless you'd rather do introductions (personally, as a player I hate character introductions, but I'll leave that up to you, hehe)


Male Wandering Nomad 3

Hi and welcome to my first go at DMing a PbP. Hope it doesn't go to hell too fast.

Please create aliases and post them here for my review, and feel free to talk about game-related things here. Your characters are all currently staying in Jelkala, but some of them have been there longer than others and you may know each other by now (it is a fairly small village). Ask me any questions you might have, game will be going up in a few days most likely.


I'm looking to start DMing my first PbP. I would like to do a homebrew campaign I've been mulling over that completely ignores XP progression. The way I plan on doing things is more or less granting levels instead of XP. Basically, you level up at the end of every chapter in the story. I haven't decided how I will handle the gaining of wealth, but that'll probably come as it goes (we can't have the group being underpowered).

The campaign takes place in Golarion, and starts the characters in a small coastal village named _________ in the land of Andoren. Expect a very swashbuckler-themed campaign, and you should probably prepare characters with this in mind. Profession (sailor) might be handy, but really any profession usable on a boat or a craft skill to keep you occupied for a few weeks, that sort of thing.

I will choose characters based on character background and party cohesiveness. Start at 1st level, anything in the Core and APG rules is fine, 20 point-buy, and average character wealth. Post here with the character ideas, I'll choose probably on Monday or Tuesday, but we'll see.

One last thing: I'm a new DM to PbP, and I'm wondering if someone could give me some advice about setting up maps and things of this sort? I especially need to know best how to handle a battle mat for combat: it's the one thing I'm a little worried about.

Thanks.


Okay, I'm beginning to sketch out a concept for a swashbuckler-themed homebrew to be played as a PbP on these boards. What I'm looking for is any interesting encounter ideas anyone may have involving port towns, ships, docks, underwater, and anything aquatic and piratey. I've got some ideas of my own, but don't want to spill anything due to the high chances of somebody reading this who might end up playing in the actual game.

I'm looking for inspiration from other successful encounters you may have had, that kind of thing. The campaign will probably be open to any alignment, so something for a CN party would be best. I'm just assuming that the party will be working on a CN privateer ship, so a job is a job.

Thanks in advance for whatever you give me :)


Aaaaanyone?


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Specifically I'm thinking of a Mirthil Chain Shirt (probably magical) hidden underneath a normal set of clothes (yes, like Frodo). The purpose of this would be to avoid buying the Glamoured armor enhancement, and to still have the fact that my character is dressed for combat (he is also wielding a cane sword) hidden.

Are there specific rules related to this concept, or would there be a Disguise check necessary, or just a straight-up penalty to some actions, or is it perfectly acceptable and someone simply must make a Perception check to notice it? What say ya'll?