I actually had the same complaint the moment I read the player's guide.
I understand the need to set the scene somewhere, but it's a major disappointment to me to see it start so far from the north, especially with People of the North being released. Fact is, justifying a tribal Kellid or a Snowcaster Elf in southern Taldor is...well, hard.
There is the consideration that not every PC that begins the AP survives to see the last part of Chapter 1. This is where the snowcaster elves and Kellid/Ulfen types are more likely to be introduced. The People of the North dovetails very well into late Chapter 1 and early Chapter 2 very nicely.
Hmm, that's good to hear. But then there's the issue that, inevitably, the PCs that don't survive are those who WANT to play cold races, while those who die are indifferent as players. Murphy's laws.
Otherwise, it seems like the options are sitting out or playing a character you have absolutely no attachment to up to that point, neither one of which seems like fun.
I actually had the same complaint the moment I read the player's guide.
I understand the need to set the scene somewhere, but it's a major disappointment to me to see it start so far from the north, especially with People of the North being release. Fact is, justifying a tribal Kellid or a Snowcaster Elf in southern Taldor is...well, hard.
See, my summoner holds his own, but he doesn't really bring anything special to the table. Yeah, the eidolon is sometimes a pain in the butt to deal with, but in the end it's no worse than the fighter with an absurdly high AC or the Gorum cleric with the devastating damage, and he's certainly not nearly as valuable of an asset to the party as the rogue who trivializes ship-to-ship, weather, and other encounters. In the end, I wouldn't place it as any better or any worse than any other class, from a base perspective.
Now, I know that any class can be tailored to the campaign, but the topic was which classes fit best, so reviewed them as the most commonly conceived versions of their class. The fact of the matter is that without his mount the cavalier is losing a fair amount of his abilities. It'd be like a rogue (with no archtypes) without thieves tools. Anything you could do with a standard cavalier could be done better as other classes (My friend played a cavalier through PFS to retirement. While it was fun and useful, my friend will be the first to admit that the character would have been much better off as a fighter). Your sample cavalier can be done as a tactician fighter, for example. No matter how you slice it, he's going to be down potential resources more often than not.
The ranger, on the other hand, will be making use of his abilities more often than not. Shipboard IS classified as Water terrain (it specifies both above and below the surface, and unless the ship is truly massive, no other terrain type fits). While he does at times have is abilities rendered useless (as pointed out), it is far less often than the cavalier.
However, I will concede that a crafter is quite the benefit to the party, given the amount of time going from point A to point B.
Cavalier-2/5- A poor choice. Due to the nature of the AP, the Cavalier's mount will almost never see play. Players who want to play a cavalier should consider playing a fighter instead. Those who insist on playing a cavalier should talk to their DM about possible aquatic and/or amphibious mounts.
I'd massively disagree.. once I'have stopped being too amused.
Go Half-Orc, take the Beast Master Feat (Feat, not class), pick a Pteranodon. Kill charge the oppositions's poop deck or lance archers out of their masttops. Drop a barrel or two of alchemical fire smack on those warmachines.... Invest some feats and skill points into Intimidate and scare enemy crew out of their wits. You are often enough fighting numerous crews of low-level mooks manning the warmachines. Or manning the ropes.
Do a quick strike on the steering wheel, cut apart the steerage crew and wreck the wheel.
I'd really like to see an Anti-Paladin do that... except for posing meanly^^
In an emergency, drop of small sized wizards/casters onto enemy ships (invisible^^). Also, a pteranodon may make a pretty good spotter of enemy ships, coming with an initial bonus of Per +10. Soar up to 500' and take a good long look for sails.... or to 1000'.... Oh, and the mount eats the local food.
Aquatic mounts ? Bad trouble to get them back aboard
Nevermind 4+ skillpoints, tactician and strategist abilities. Standard Bearer anyone ?
Nevermind that...** spoiler omitted **.
Yeah don't play a knight in Heavy Armour, with a high and mighty charger "Lord Stupid"... but take a good look at the knights of St. John or the other medieveal-maritime orders.
I'd say : 4/5; a good heavy replacement for a conventional bard (or a smart addition to it)
While that's absolutely hilarious imagery, that's the exception, not the rule. Unless someone's going to steal you idea verbatim, their cavalier is going to be losing out on all of their mounted abilities.
As to the portions of the AP that are on land, these sites are roughly 75% very poorly suited to mounted combat. They consist of dungeons, buildings, and rough terrain; all things that bog down mounts.
The Magus is a solid choice, but it's not particularly suited nor ill suited to the AP. Perhaps the best thing it has going for him is his ability to nova freely, a side effect of the short adventuring days. Otherwise, he's pretty middle of the road for the AP; as good as a Magus gets, but not it's not like this AP is screaming "PLAY A MAGUS IN ME!"
Depending on how strict your DM is, travel through water can play hell with anyone reliant on a spellbook (ever wonder why the loot tables say "Watertight scroll tube containing...?")
Over all, a magus built right fits right into the campaign (using cutlasses, rapiers, and whatnot), but I wouldn't say it really brings anything to the table special for S&S.
Besides, those are just my opinions on the classes fit into S&S. These are by no means rules or even guidelines. Play whatever you want, really.
Well, I'm running this currently, in book 4. Here are my personal takes on the various classes. Mind you, these are just my opinions.
Alchemist-3/5-A very rough start due to the interactions of water hazards and both throwing bombs and imbibing extracts. However, also a very potent class, due to the ability to make alchemical items to mitigate difficult low level encounters (such as air crystals and alchemist fire). As mentioned above, watch for discoveries that help with water combat, and invest in potion sponges.
Barbarian-4/5- A solid class for the AP, unhindered by the alignment restrictions placed on the class. A strong martial option.
Bard-5/5- A party face such as a bard can work wonders in this AP. The ability to influence crew members, sell loot, and earn reputation are thing that make the Bard shine. Add to this his plethora of skills, both in and out of combat, and the Bard comes across a true hero.
Cavalier-2/5- A poor choice. Due to the nature of the AP, the Cavalier's mount will almost never see play. Players who want to play a cavalier should consider playing a fighter instead. Those who insist on playing a cavalier should talk to their DM about possible aquatic and/or amphibious mounts.
Cleric-Varies- A cleric is often a staple in an adventuring group, and S&S is no different. The big issue here is what god you follow. The obvious good choice is Besmara, though Norberger, Claistria, Cayden, and Gozreh all also work. Try to avoid lawful deities, and especially avoid Asmodeus, as Cheliax plays a role as enemies of the Shackles.
Druid-5/5- An incredibly well suited class to the AP, any druid with a connection to water, air, or coastal environments should do fine. Aquatic, amphibious, and flying companions work well.
Fighter-3/5- A solid choice, neither particularly adept nor a ends with the AP. Consider archetypes that trade heavy armor proficiency, or be prepared to mitigate armor checks.
Gunslinger-2/5- While flavorful and fitting to the setting, Gunslingers are going to have a very difficult time with water combats. Additionally, while guns *DO* appear in the AP, they do not show until the later books. Going against touch AC will not be as large of a boon against most NPCs, as light armor is he norm, though you may benefit from this against some monsters.
Inquisitor-Varies- As clerics, the Inquisitor's deity will determine how well he fits into the campaign. His various bow proficiencies will help in ship to ship combat, and the plethora of times-per-day abilities he has will shine in the short adventuring days on open water (considering that most days while sailing will only have one encounter, if any)
Magus-3/5-In addition to the normal difficulties of spell casting under water, the Magus will be hampered slightly by the interactions of water and scrolls/spellbooks, though his martial prowess makes up for this.
Monk-3/5- The alignment restriction on Monks will mean that most have a hard time, though their skill set is surprisingly appropriate for adventures on the high seas. Consider playing a Martial Artist archetype to circumvent the lawful alignment. Additionally, monks should either have a piercing weapon or some method of making their unarmed strikes piercing for underwater combat.
Oracle-4/5- With all the spells of a cleric but without ties to a deity, oracles fit right in as the healer on any pirate ship.
Paladin-1/5- Between the alignment restriction and the Paladin Code, Paladins are all but unplayable. If you insist on playing one, make sure you have a very good reason for why you are allying with known pirates (at least two other threads cover this concept).
Ranger-5/5- Possibly the best martial class option for the AP. His skill set is perfect for life at sea, favored enemy humanoid(Human) will serve him well from start to end, and favored terrain(aquatic) is all but omnipresent.
Rogue-5/5- While not as quite as adept as the Ranger, the Rogue fits right in in Skull and Shackles. Most NPCs you run across will have at least some levels in Rogue. Capable of being a party face, a pilot, or an excellent combatant, the Rogue shines.
Sorcerer-3/5- Sorcerers are solid choices for Arcane roles in this AP, though they don't particularly shine. Specific bloodlines focusing on storms, water, and nature will be beneficial, though fire bloodlines flounder.
Summoner-3/5- So long as the Summoner spends evolution points on a swim speed and either breath holding or gills, the Summoner is a solid, if lackluster, class. I haven't seen anything out of the summoner at my table that stands out above the other PCs.
Witch-4/5- Probably the best Arcane role for the AP (due in large part to their skill set), witches with patrons based on the aforementioned nautical themes will do fine.
Wizard-3/5- Wizards have to contend with the various hazards of casting in the water, and like Magi will have to contend with limitations on scroll use. That said, their relatively small number of spells per day will be mitigated by short adventuring days throughout the AP.
Samurai-2/5- Like the cavalier it is an alternative class to, the Samurai's lack of mount and reliance on heavier armor will hurt him in this AP.
Ninja-4/5- Ninja is the perfect alternative to Rogue (since it IS an alternate class of Rogue) for those who wish to place a little Tien flavor in their boat. Poisonous creatures are abundant, and poison is easy to obtain in the Shackles. Infiltration will be limited, as you typically see boats coming from miles away. However, it will have its place.
Antipaladin-4/5- If your DM allows evil characters (and this is the AP for it), the Antipaladin fits almost as well as the Paladin does not. The only downside is the wasted potential on heavy armor and shield proficiency.
I think the hardest part of playing the paladin in S&S is not the LG alignment, but the Code. Not being able to associate with evil characters is going to be...rough... in the Shackles.
That said, they CAN ally for the purpose of defeating a greater evil. The paladin who rallies the pirates of the Shackles to deliver a deadly blow to the Devil-sworn nation of Cheliax would be a sight to see.
"A young woman born to a fallen noble house of Cheliax which still clung to the old words of Aroden. She leaves her homeland to study the path of the Inheritor in Absolom. While there, Thrune roots out her family and brands them dissidents, putting them to the stake. The young woman is brought to realize that Thrune's diabolic rule of Cheliax must be brought to an end.
Having studied military theory in the temple, she realizes that Andoran's navy, while formidable, is not enough in its own to take on the giant nation's armada, and that the Chelish marines would quickly be able to launch a devastating counter attack by land. He eyes then turn towards the nation's second greatest enemy: the Shackles.
Hoping that her gilded tongue can sway the Hurricane King towards an alliance against Thrune, she sails to Port Peril, only to find that she lacks the status to even gain audience with him. She goes to a bar to figure out her next course of action, wen fate decides it for her.
Shortly after her abduction, she comes to realize one particular truth about the Shackles: they don't respect you unless you prove your worth. She sets out to win the respect of the Hurricane King, to force him to listen to her, to oppose Cheliax with her. Only time would tell if, Goddess willing, she can."
I'm having a REALLY hard time figuring out how you lose that many people in that time span, particularly before islandfall. It sounds almost like noone was lvl 2 by the time you hit the island, whereas you should be part way into it. If you built *pirates* of any salt, the events leading up to island shouldn't present too much of a hazard (barring poorly written rum-ration rules).
My analysis would give you the opposite answer: Trip should be as useful as it ever is throughout the AP.
To not spoil anything, let's look at the Ranger suggested favored enemies in the Player's Guide to the AP:
Aberrations: The PC will have to accept that most of what he faces in this category will be either hard to trip or downright immune.
Humanoid (Giant): Again, trip-able, but difficult.
Monstrous Humanoid: No more difficult to trip than a humanoid.
"and in particular, Humanoid (Human):" Humans are, by the player's guide, going to be abundant. How trip-able they will be depends on their individual builds, but they are all viable targets for a trip maneuver.
Solved the issue of Heave killing everyone in my game by modding the rules:
Modified Heave Rules:
First, determine the number of opponents by rolling a die (1d6 on most nights).
The PCs participating place their bets, the competitors match.
All competitors "Heave!" at once.
Each competitor makes a Fortitude Save against DC 15.
Failure deals the character 1d6 points of non-lethal damage.
For each following round, the DC increases by 3.
Competitors knocked unconscious are eliminated from competition.
In the event of a tie (multiple players falling unconscious simultaneously in the final round), those competitors split the pot.
It ended up being a fun mini game that my players regularly enjoyed, hinging on as much luck as it did stout drinkers. The final hoorah on the Wormwood included a MASSIVE game of Heave with a 500g pot. Humorously, the PCs didn't win it.
My player's are pitching the idea of "She's One of Ours, Sir" hoping to buy a few moments of confusion prior to battle, though they all seem to agree that the captain will have the final say...once a captain is determined.
They also tossed around "The SS F&@# You Leeches," a callback to hyjinks that unfolded in Carrion Crown, but I told them that the former "Man's Promise" is not a large wooden chest barely capable of holding three people.
I'm tempted to bring my PFS character out of retirement and have Ridgar Redhammer and "The Busty Barmaid" pay them a visit.
I personally avoid Second Darkness because, as I understand it, if the PCs fail, the world ends.
I'm none too keen on the whole "the only thing standing between us and the end of the world are these few heroes noone's heard about until now" idea. yes, he PCs might be the deciding factor between whither or not an event happens, and this event might be bigger or smaller, but in a land where deities have direct influence on the world, it's hard for me to imagine EVERYTHING going F.U.B.A.R.
Give them the Player's Guide for Skull and Shackles and let them go from there.
If they want to have characters native to the setting that feel right at home on the ship, the guide will steer them in the right direction. If they feel like making characters from other walks of life that are forced into piracy, let them do so. My party has a little bit of both in it, and it plays out wonderfully organically.
As to the concepts of rape, i will refer to some of the above posts. Some tables are not mature enough to handle such concepts, some players are offended by them. It's up to the DM to change things to meet those players' needs.
As to everyone else, rape exists. It is not a pretty thing, it is not something to be taken lightly, but it exists. Consider the Half-Orc dilemma.
Some half-orcs are descendant from true breeding half-orcs. The rest are from Human/Orc couplings. Yes, it is possible for the couples to have a mutual attraction; she sees a big, strong man, he sees an image of beauty type thing. However, orcs are typically brutal and many humans find them repulsive. This results in couplings often being forced or accidental.
Thus your human raised half-orc character has one of three possible pasts:
1) Mom and dad were that one in a million outlier couple.
2) Mom/Dad was raped by mom/dad.
3) Mom/Dad got REEEEEEAAAALLLLY drunk that one night....
Now take these options and spread them across every human raised half-orc.
Again, not to quash your creativity. This is YOUR game.
There are just certain things that each AP assumes. Kingmaker assumes that the players want to be colonists. Carrion Crown assumes that the players want to stop a cult. Curse of the Crimson Thrown assumes that the players want to help Korvosa.
Skull and Shackles assumes that the PCs want to be pirates.
Yes, at any time the players can say "screw this!" and go off on some other tangent, but that is beyond the scope of the AP.
Yes, there can be side quests. Again, these should be at least in proximity to the AP and should at least relate to the AP. If they have absolutely nothing to do with the AP, they are out of the scope of the AP.
Once you go beyond the scope of the AP, it is a home-brew. There is NOTHING wrong with home-brews, but they have their own forums.
Council of Thieves- Book one, then players stop caring for the DM (who rewrote some things to death)
Curse of the Crimson Throne-Completed. Lvl 1 to finish, one group, adding a single player at lvl4~
Kingmaker- Book three, then party falls apart due to internal conflict.
Kingmaker take 2- Book 2, then game disbands due to player apathy after several weeks of hiatis due to schedual conflicts
Carrion Crown- Book three, then one play grows apathetic, splits the party, wrecks the AP. DM tries to get the AP back on track, but to no avail
Skull and Shackles- Ongoing. Currently 3 weeks in, in Book 1.
In Golarion, things such as rape seem to be universal and gender free.
Yes, there are women being the victim. There are also men. Rape typically happens among the lawless and the barbaric. This includes, but is not limited to, the Shackles, the River Kingdoms, and the Hoards of Belkzen. The more civilized areas have more civil forms of the same principle, be it Paracountes Zarta Draleen coming on to a Pathfinder, or Baron Jacquo seducing a maiden.
Take Skull and Shackles to mind. There is at least one female NPC who was a victim of sexual abuse, at least one who is targeted but avoids it, and at least one who sees men as play things, and numerous ones with no sexual implications whatsoever in their back-story.
I'd say all-in-all, it's realistic, gender neutral, and well done.
Travel to Osirion will take months, even by boat. Not saying that you cannot, as this is your game, but it kinda defeats the purpose of playing Skull and Shackles if you aren't, you know, in the Shackles. At that point, it's just one big homebrew, no longer the AP. The AP assumes that the players WANT to be pirates. If they don't, then after book 1 the AP is over.
Again, transport of Osirion relics THROUGH the shackles is possible, but it is much more plausible to put Mwangi relics. Consider the make up of Golarion. Osirion is leterally on the other side of the continent. What are the motives for transporting something this way? The major buyers have closer bases of opperation.
For a real world tie in, consider the Aztec, Mayan, and Inca empires of South America, as these fit in better with the tropical jungle of the Mwangi Expanse. Alternatively, look at southern and western Africa for inspiration (Garund is practically the same thing).
As to the Pathfinder, the Pathfinders have a deep interest in the explorations of the cyclopean ruins in scattered throughout the shackles.
The don't NEED to be 1), 2, or even 3) to be a captain. They need to be in charge, able to call the shots, and, most of all, have the drive to be the captain. A navigator can be anyone, not just the captain, and a pilot can be any individual as well. Only those who WANT to be the captain can actually BE the captain.
In my S&S game, the man who WILL be the pilot (+15 Prof sailor, more for driving ships) will NOT be captain. He has no desire to be one. The best survival skill might be navigator, but doesn't care about captaining the ship. The highest social character has drive to help people, but not to command. Instead, the two characters with the biggest drive to be captains are just average sailors.
Besmara favors those with the drive to chase their ambitions, after all.
My PCs broke the "true pirate" theme with their healer.
May, the oracle of life, was press ganged while she was running errands for her father, a lay healer in Port Peril. While the 16 year old had no skills that made her a pirate, she did (fortunately) know how to cook, and was drummed up as the cook's mate. While originally naive and thinking she could "reform" the crew, rum-rations got the better of her in two day's time, and now she's a raging alcoholic.
Hey buddy, Osirion is that-away *motions into the distance*
In all seriousness, don't try to force things. Osirion has NOTHING to do with this AP, and there are plenty of other nearby viable options for ancient cultures.
There are a plethora of cycopian ruins in the Shackles, the PCs can ambush Aspis ships out of Bloodcove laden with Mwangi treasures, and any number of artifacts can be pulled up from the Sodden Lands just north of the Shackles. Osirion is just too far away and is too ethnocentric to be involved.
That said, there are plenty of fun fun undead things to put into these situations. Juju zombies and voidstick zombies come to mind immediately..
Don't worry about aquatic races "getting away" in book one. As has been mentioned on other threads, the true threat of the Shackles is not of drowning, but of the nasties in the water. If the PC is an aquatic race, then you should remind them what they know: Yes, you can swim away from the boat on your own. No, you can't handle the smallest of encounters that you'll meet before reaching a safehaven. To put it in prospective: one shark is a CR2...
As to crew composition, the Shackles is the second most diverse region, only after Katapesh. Look at the crews from the books themselves. many are normal, but there are some pretty wild races mixed in.
Why are we arguing genetics when there is magic in the freakin world? I mean, look at The Demon Mother's Mask(Gods and Magic). I KNOW the things that it lets you interbreed with do NOT have the same number of chromosomes.
Scion of Humanity (you are right, Gwen) causes you to count as an outsider(native) and a humanoid(human) for all purposes related to race, and allows for you to pass as a human without using the Disguise skill. It replaces the Celestial language and alters the native subtype.
How it interacts with the feat Angelic Flesh (which causes your skin to be a metallic color) is anyone's guess.
Energy resistance is nothing to complain about if you're picking it up "along the way." While Energy resistance 5 might not seem like much, 5 is still better than 0 and will sometimes be the difference between lying on the ground or one more round fighting. Often? Most likely not. But sometimes.
Energy res fire and cold have the added benefit of negating hot and cold weather effects. Might not seem like much, but that can translate to valuable resources in the long run. Not needing to make the saves vs exhaustion is better than almost always making the saves, since a natural 1 is a natural 1.
What's the best energy type to resist? Obviously it depends on the campaign, but in general it is fire. Fire is just the most common form of energy damage, coming from mundane sources to low level spells to high level spells to high CR demons, devils, and dragons. Cold is probably second, followed by electricity, then acid, then sonic. While there are sonic attacks out there, they're just so few and far between.
Why are we arguing genetics when there is magic in the freakin world? I mean, look at The Demon Mother's Mask(Gods and Magic). I KNOW the things that it lets you interbreed with do NOT have the same number of chromosomes.
To address the actual question:
Assuming that you approve of this character concept and are ok with a half-orc-elf-thing, chapter 4 of the Advanced Race Guide is where you want to start.
Attitude varies from pirate to pirate. We already have werewolves, rashakas, tengu, and other exotics written into the campain setting and AP. If anything, Shackles is the one AP that I think ANY race is valid in; so long as they have reason for wanting to be a pirate. The bigger concern would be how a LE character (the Mantis assassin prestige class) fit in to a predominately CN campaign.
As far as insults/nicknames (with pirates, that line's blurred)
Catfolk: Fuzzbutt, Furmonger, Darling Kitty, Cub, Cat
Tengu: Crow, Fish-breath, Rat-with-wings, Buzzard breath, Bird-boy
Vanara: Flea-eater, Banana-breath, Tree-sleeper, Ape
Vishkanya: Forked-tongue, Lizard-breath, Fangs, Scales
Half-Elf: I avoid insulting Red Mantis, as a rule. However, any of the typical half-blood insults work.
The question of why an Aquatic PC wouldn't just bail on the Wormwood at the first opportunity came up in my game (I have an Undine and an Aquatic Sorcerer), and the answer is actually the environment. There is no reason why somebody couldn't just jump ship and swim away, except that drowning is the least of your worries in the Fever Sea. Check out the low-level encounter table in the back of The Wormwood Mutiny- basically anything on there will annihilate a single 1st-2nd level PC in under twenty seconds. The ocean is just swimming with monsters, and the only safety for all those 1HD swabs and riggers is being on the same boat as the likes of a CR10 Sorcerer.
Islands aren't safe either, by the way. Bonewrack Island is pretty tame for the Shackles, all things considered.
Edit: Also, I realize the idea is to provide a substantial in-world reason why the player won't bail on the AP. The problem with stopping the Undine from breathing water is that with a Swim Speed (so, something like a +8 Racial Bonus to Swim and the ability to take 10) the Undine doesn't have to go underwater for very long at all to get away, he can just swim off.
+1 Ninten. The idea of allowing the player to play an Undine in the first place is to allow him/her to utilize the abilities of the race. Otherwise, all you have is bleh.
The "Logic says that you will die" rational is probably the best to use. The PCs will be away from any hospitable port up until the Wormwood Mutiny, so the Undine escaping will only be an issue for book 1. Up until the mutiny, the undine's chance at solo survival is laughably small, no greater than any terrestrial PC. Any PC could jump ship, aquatic or not. A single cask or barrel will mitigate any difficulty due to swim checks. But, as Ninten said, the true threat is not of the sea, but what's within it.
At low levels, magics SHOULD trump ships if used right. Higher levels, expect the NPCs to do something about it. If you KNOW that your greatest weakness is fire, you're damn sure going to to something about it.
Magically reinforced hulls and rudders, fireproofed sails, and other anti-bombardment tactics should be used by higher level NPCs. If the PCs are preying on the weak, well, they SHOULD be easy to take out.
Also remember that turnabout is fair play; The PCs should be on the receiving end of such tactics too. They aren't the only raiders in the Fever Sea, after all!
Funny thing is, I opened up all races other than Drow and Dreguar to my PCs, and it looks like I'm going to have a core race party anyways. Haven't gotten started yet, but the tentative PCs are
Human Driver Rogue (18 prof sailor at lvl1!)
Human Storm Druid
Dwarven Gunslinger or Human Duelist or Unknown Barbarian
Half-elf Alchemist
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown Spell Slinger
There was a bid in for a strix, but the player decided on the driver instead. Goes to show that sometimes the more choices you have, the less variability you get.
I'd like to dedicate a thread for GMs to share their original ideas for unique encounters to add to the Skulls and Shackles campaign. Feel free to add your own!
The Isle of One Eyed Sheep:
This adventure takes place some time after the PCs acquire their own boat, and can be scaled for higher levels.
Some time while the PCs are scouring the seas for plunder and disrepute, they stumble across a small, lush, unassuming island; a small, smoldering peak, dense jungles around its base, and large, open fields from jungle's edge to beachfront. Through the spyglass, the lookout can tell that this uncharted island is home to a great flock of sheep. Upon nearing the island, it becomes apparent that these are not normal sheep; they are nearly the size of a cow! Should the PCs land, they find that these sheep have another distinguishing feature; they have one single, massive eye in the center of their forehead. As they investigate the flock, the first encounter happens: the territorial alpha ram.
Use the stats for a bison for the ram, the sheep have stats for aurochs. The sheep flock together as the ram charges the trespassers, and do not fight unless attacked themselves. The ram fights until at 1/6th hp (7 for a standard bison), at which point it submits, or flees if still attacked.
When the PCs return to the flock, they will notice that some of the flock have been sheered. These are obviously attended to by someone, or something. Searching he island, they will come across a large, rudimentary hut, currently unoccupied. Inside the hut they find crude and simple items; a large size pile of wool bedding, a crudely spun blanket, jars of lamb organs, and the like. A perceptive PC will notice that there is no water being held here, though there is what appears to be a wash basin. The hut's resident is currently out gathering water from a spring in the forest, and he returns just as the PCs are about to leave.
The owner of the hut is a cyclopes, but PCs may only guess as to the singularity of his eyes due to the mask he wears. The giant eclipses the door, casting shadow over the room. He wears a mask of a hideous three-eyed hagfish. A DC 30 Knowledge(Religion) reveals this to be a very uncommon depiction of Lamashtu, the Mother of Monsters. The cyclops is a hermit, and as such only knows Giant and Cyclops, not common, wields a greatclub as oppose to the standard greataxe, and has Profession(farmer) as oppose to Profession(seer). He starts by dropping the water jugs he was carrying and yelling at the PCs in Cyclops.
The cyclopes begins the encounter as unfriendly. If he is made indifferent, he tells the PCs that he wishes to be left alone and tells them to leave. Failure to do so makes him immediately hostile. If made friendly, the cyclopes allows the PCs to stay for a time, offering them food and water. If made helpful, he gives the PCs his mask as a token of friendship and agrees to allow the PCs to his herd's wool.
If combat begins (either through failed diplomacy, the PCs wearing out their welcome, or the PCs attacking), the cyclops attacks the nearest PC first. If hard pressed, he uses his Flash of Insight to threaten a critical on a PC, hoping to thin their ranks.
Treasure:
The cyclops has his standard equipment: Large hide armor, Large greatclub, and Large heavy crossbow. His mask magically sizes when removed to the size of the one removing it, and appears to be a Goz Mask (Inner Sea World Guide). In actuality, it is a cursed Demon Mother's Mask (Gods and Magic).
The one eyed sheep are a variable source of plunder; they are worth one point of plunder if slaughtered, two points if taken alive and sold, or one point per four months if allowed to live on the island. Note that the sheep's wool is unusable if they are not properly tended to, so the PCs must revisit every month or leave a dedicated farmhand (a person with at least one rank in Profession(farmer) or be denied the plunder point until four months after the conditions are met.
Cursed Mask:
CL8
The mask does not interfere with spell casting or daily activities, and occupies the Head slot.
This mask appears to be a Goz Mask, a mask useful to sailors. Goz Masks allow you to see through rain, fog, and silt, give you a bonus on resisting wind effects, and allows the wearer to breath water for one hour a day.
Instead, this mask grants a +2 on Handle Animal and Heal, and allows the wearer to smell when an animal is in heat. The mask treats the wearer as if his patron was Lamashtu, allowing him to cast Summon Monster II to summon a fiendish squid once per day. It also allows the wearing to interbreed with any animal within one size category of themselves, often resulting in monstrous offspring, such as gnolls, lizardfolk, and natural lycanthopes in hybrid form.
The mask targets the wearer with suggestion whenever he detects an animal in heat, causing them to desire to breed with the target (DC 15 negates). The mask cannot be removed without a remove curse being cast.
That said, Skulls and Shackles uses a plethora of not-so-often rules. Be sure to read up on the following rules:
-Ship to ship combat
-Underwater combat
-Siege engines
-Firearms (they don't show up until book six, but your players may be drawn to them earlier).
-Vehicle driving
-Weather effects
-Starvation/hunger effects
A few good RP elements to read up on:
-Isles of the Shackles
-Pirates of the Inner Sea
-Nautical slang
-Any pirates material you can come across, historic or fantasy. This IS a fantasy game, after all
If you like using minis in naval combat, there is a game Pirates (Pirates of the Spanish Main, etc.) out there with some good card-stock assemble-able modules sized decently for your standard 1" grid. They should work well for ship combats and encounters with the truly massive denizens of the deep.
I found, in reading only (haven't run this yet) the Player's Handbook for Skulls and Shackles to sum up what skills the PCs should look into quite nicely.
Darkness envelopes the portion of the room around J'han and Ridgar. The sounds of a scuffle break out within.
Darkvision:
J'han enters a low stance, arms outstretched. Charging across the room, he connects solidly with Ridgar's jaw. The dwarf's head doesn't even reel. A heavy dwarven hand clasps down on J'han's shoulder. The grappled tiefling let's loose a barrage of punches into the dwarf's stomache, which only seems to make him angrier. Moments later, Ridgar has J'han by the throat, pinning him to the ground while smacking him in the sides with fist and knee. J'han fights valiantly to escape, nearly succeeding at one point, but to no avail. When the body goes limp, the dwarf releases his hold and regains some of his composure.
As the darkness disipates, a slightly more disheveled Ridgar is force-feeding a potion to an unconcious J'han.
It's the Aesop fable of the Man, the Boy, and the Donkey. No matter what you do, someone will not be pleased. We'll complain and whine, but in the end it's your call that matters.
Personally, I like having things open. It's a bit of a bummer to play a scenerio and find either a really awesome boon or "build around me" item (I'm looking at you, Quest for Perfection) and realize that your character has no use for it or is simply already too dedicated to a build to use it effectively.
I think Chris's idea of making these "build around me" boons to be Quest rewards is an ideal middle ground. It makes a player do a little something extra, but in return they get a little something more. It also allows the player to know what he/she's getting into, so the chance of the "aw man, this would be perfect on my OTHER character" is kept to a minimum.
On a personal note, I'd say whole heartedly that I trust you to get the job done, and get it done well. I may not always agree with your calls, but I believe you make the right ones.
So, despite Hellknights paladins in the books on Golarion, PFS does not allow you to be a Hellknight paladin?
The Hellknight prestigue class, in The Inner Sea World Guide, requires a BAB +5, Intimidate 5, Knowledge (planes) 2, Heavy Armor proficiency, any Lawful alighnment, and a special RP clause that is waived for PFS.
You can be a paladin and be a Hellknight, as there is no conflict. However, some orders, such as the Order of the Gate, may conflict with your paladin code.
Being a Hellknight is independant from following any religeon.
To put it simply, those items are there because they have to be.
If it's not listed as "always available," then it has to show on a chronicle sheet. Yeah, a character shouldn't be able to get that far without earning enough Fame. Fact of the matter is that it is possible, wheither or not it should be.
Take the cloak of resistance +1. That baby shows up on so many chronicles it's an inside joke amongst my friends.
If Oregon Trail taught me anything, you always need 99lbs of bacon.
But seriously, +1 to BNW above me, as well as the following.
paper
charcoal
knife (or a dagger generally works)
Holy Water
Wand of Cure Light Wounds to hand to the cleric (if there is one) to keep him from using all of his spells on you.
Weather appropriate clothing or potion/wand/scroll of endure elements.
For senerios above Teir 1-5
an emergency scroll/potion kit for dealing with darkness, flying opponents, invisible opponents, disease, poison, and ability damage.
Weapons, ammo, or weapon blanches for overcoming DR silver, adamantine, and cold iron.
Two things to keep in mind as you chose what to play are
1. Why is your character in the society?
2.What faction is your character?
You seem to have a pretty good grasp on the world of Golarion, so I could see you having fun playing any of these characters.
As to what's best....Who knows!?! The ten send us out is such mismatched groups, the chance of any given party covering all its bases is slim to none. An individual party may be lacking arcane support, vital healing magics, front line fighters, or handy skills. Pick what you want and go for it!
Also, I believe that Racial Heritage does open up feats in PFS, just not ARG feats, as detailed here. So a humanoid(human)/humanoid (dwarf) would still be able to take dwarf feats, provided he met the other prereqs.
and here, you're just purposefully ignoring mike's ruling in the very thread that you linked to in the original post. emphasis mine.
Thing is, Mike said:
Quote:
Alternate racial traits, racial archetypes, racial feats, and racial spells are only available for characters of the associated race. Racial equipment and magic items can be purchased and used by any race as long as the specific item permits it (for example, only halflings can purchase and use solidsmoke pipeweed).
So, no, a half-orc or half-elf may not take a human-only feat.
and
Quote:
It does not apply to all previous rulings in other books. This applies to the Advanced Race Guide. You can find my official ruling in the Additional Resources.
So yes, this ruling only applied to the ARG. The humanoid (dwarf)/ humanoid(human) can still take dwarf feats. Just not from the ARG. There are APG feats that are race specific.
I understand the lack of clarity in my previous post, and will edit it to reduce that.
Rage effects - unless it actually says the barbarian takes on aspects of a beast, etc. there would be no similar physical changes.
Fiend Totem and Beast Totem both provide pretty big obvious changes (horns, spikes, claws, and the whatnot.) As I said, there are things that open up debate.
And as I said, I don't care about the debate; I just want it defined officially so that there won't be the arguement in the future. I've seen the arguement for both sides from players, venture captains, and everyone in between.
Mike and Mark at at GenCon (lucky dogs!), so here's my take.
Imagine if you're facing a ranger with favored enemy (human), and the GM rules he decides not to shoot at you because you don't look as "human" as the next guy.
However, the same can be said for the druid using totemic transformation, the barbarian using various rage powers, and so on. This is where the debate really opens up (I am not here for the debate, I just would like the official ruling).
Also, I believe that Racial Heritage does open up feats in PFS, just not ARG feats, as detailed here. So a humanoid(human)/humanoid (dwarf) would still be able to take dwarf feats, provided he met the other prereqs.
Hey, I've tried to put this thread down a couple times now (See above), but have failed. If I could axe the entire thing now, I would.
I've gotten my answers and am content, if not overly-pleased.
The one lingering question I have dedicated another thread to as it is another rules question entirely that I would like Mike or Mark to answer.
All said and done, the rules are as they are, and while I may not agree with them, they were significantly justified by their supporters, and I'll play by them.
To quote myself...
Quote:
1. No Reskinning A to look like B. No pig/dogs, no cleaver/axes, ect ect.
2.Boon race feats are not available to those with Racial Heritage.
3. As far as description shy of reskinning; There is no good answer here. Too arguable. What defines a longsword, shortsword, gladius, scimitar ect is all open to debate. Best solution? Case by case? Not ideal, but the best we got.
4. Racial Heritage for races outside of core. No consensus. By raw they are legal, some argue they are not, but there is no word from the devs one way or the other. Until Mike or Mark gets back to me on this, I'm personally going to allow my local PFS player his technically legal feat. If they say otherwise, I will deal with it accordingly. He has no plans on attending any cons, so for now the issue is moot.
Alright, as I mentioned in another thread, I have a player in my local PFS who has taken Racial Heritage (Kitsune).
I understand that by Mike Brock's ruling on this thread, the player is unable to make use of options available to that race from ARG.
The questions come down to this:
1: Can he still have Racial Heritage (Non-core race)? By raw, at this moment, he can, although I understand that PFS uses a different set of regulations at times.
2: How does Racial Heritage manifest? The player took it only because he wanted his character to have fox ears and a tail. Some say this is fine, others say that racial heritage only manifests in the blood. For PFS, which is it?
Again, in this other thread I have seen arguments for both sides. Neither the FAQ nor additional rules page address this topic, and I would like to have my questions answered officially by top brass if possible.
