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Looking for some play-by-post superhero action? Why not play some Mutants and Masterminds on Reckless's Gaming Den Discord Channel?

This is a (free) Reckless play-by-post playthrough of an alternate world New Mutants campaign.

It's 1982 and the X-Men are dead. Lost to the Brood in the cold, dark depths of space.

As a student of the institute, you'll face a world that hates and fears you just for being different while you try to save it.

Mutants and Masterminds! New Mutant Style.

Expect......
Teen drama
️ Mutant battles with X-Men style foes
Traumatic events and their fallout
Dealing with prejudice against mutants
An alien invasion from within?????!

Setting Notes
This is a version of the Marvel Universe where the X-Men died in their initial battle with the Brood, with only one surviving member who managed to avenge them. The team is a group of new mutant students at the Xavier Institute (custom created during by you) who were recruited by Professor X. He has declared the school will be a place of learning, not combat training, unwilling to "repeat the mistakes of the past".

Fate may have other plans. The professor's motives are not entirely his own, and the horrid consequences will shape the destinies of these teens forever.

Essentials include....
Emphasis on character development and making this campaign truly yours.
Time management keeping things moving forward at an enjoyable pace.
Dramatic Personae who will have you bringing your own characters' emotions to life.
Support for new players, everyone is welcome and learn together.

You must be able to join my Discord channel for gameplay, and may submit characters either here or there as you see fit. (I will PM invitations to my Discord Channel to those who request it.)

Start working on your character concept and post it here or on the Discord.

Character concepts should include a few paragraphs of background, a power summary, your level of experience with the New Mutants/X-Men and with Mutants and Masterminds, and anything else you want to say to help me decide who should be in the group. Players are welcome and encouraged to collaborate, help each other out, etc.

Based on interest levels, recruiting should take a few weeks.

Actual character creation/finalization/tweaking will take place following the recruiting phase.

For sake of people who build as part of their conceptualization, Power Level will be 8 with a maximum non-enhanced stat of 4, and 18 power points per PL instead of 15. Since these are teens, maximum skill bonus is +6 without mutant power enhancement and +12 with enhancements.

Power Ranks are capped at 10 with the following exceptions: Immunity, Impervious Defense (capped at 16), and Senses; the normal power trade-off rules apply. No one should build a character with Immunity to Will or Mental Effects, although Impervious Will Defense is fine.

Some Questions to answer in your background:

How old is your character (age range 13-17 is typical)?

How did your mutant powers manifest? What do the powers look like when they are used?

Does your family know about your powers? How did they react to finding out you're a mutant, or your powers specifically?

How does your character feel about being a mutant?

When contacted by the Xavier Institute about recruitment, how did your character react?

Who was your character before they gained mutant powers and how has developing their mutant abilities altered that, if at all?

What is your character's greatest fear? What is it they hope for?

Welcome one and all.

The sleepy village of Heldren has rarely seen so much excitement or concern. Hunters from the nearby Border Wood speak of unnaturally cold weather at the height of summer that descended on the forest just days ago. Heavy snow followed, and those who returned spoke of an uneasy presence in the woods, as well as new, dangerous predators. No one knows what this event means, but the town’s soothsayer, Old Mother Theodora, claims dark times lie ahead.

As if in proof of that dire prophecy, a badly wounded mercenary arrived in town yesterday, claiming to be a bodyguard of Lady Argentea Malassene. He told the village council that the noblewoman’s escort came under attack by bandits and strange, wintry creatures near the edge of the Border Wood.

He alone escaped, and Lady Argentea was dragged away into the forest. Now the townsfolk cast fearful eyes toward the snowy forest, worried what else might emerge to threaten their peaceful village.

Map of Heldren

Some additional things you may know or have heard as rumors. You are allowed on Society or Diplomacy check, and reveal everything with a DC under your check.

Entering the village from any direction, the village square is visible at the crossroads. The most notable feature of Heldren’s town square is the large statue of a beautiful woman right in the center of the town. Usually just called “the Lady,” the statue has been here for as long as anyone can remember, and no one knows who it actually represents. Some believe the Lady was the founder of Heldren or some ancient, forgotten Taldan noblewoman or even a mysterious fey forest goddess. Others have more sinister theories—an evil witch turned to stone for her wickedness or a magical statue through which the satrap of Qadira can spy on Taldor. On any given day, a few entrepreneurs selling goods or produce can be found on the square, and a market is held on the last Fireday of every month. Elder Natharen Safander also hosts the annual Harvest Feast in the town square, during which the people of Heldren erect a giant bonfire in the square and bedeck the Lady in garlands of flowers.

Today, however, you witness a different offering for the lady, for, as you approach the square on your way to find out what all these rumors are about, you witness the fluttering of a single snowflake, too large to be natural, almost the size of a blacksmith's fist, ripping through the air like an enchanted weapon seeking a target on a wind from the southwest, cutting back and forth until it lands at the lady's feet just after colliding with her cheek, leaving a chunk of its ice under her eye, which melts in the summer sun, forming a teardrop. The snowflake also melts rapidly after it lands, leaving scant trace except a patch of mud in the square's dirt.

Perhaps it's coincidence that all of you witness this upon your arrival at the square. Perhaps, it is fate being born.

There was some interest posted to the other thread looking for GMs and Players for Reign of Winter, and most of it indicated a preference for pbp vs. VTT, which read as the original intent of that post.

So as not to hijack that post, I am posting this recruitment instead.

❄️ 1) This is a PBP here on the Paizo Boards

❄️ 2) There is an expectation of at least once a weekday post rate, with once a weekend also encouraged.

❄️ 3) This will be for Second Edition (soon remastered) Pathfinder, not first.

❄️ 4) In addition to converting the module's key encounters and set pieces to 2E, I will be editing it for play by post format, meaning I will be eliminating and/or summarizing some of the "padding" encounters designed to merely get you enough XP to be appropriate level. We will instead be using milestone leveling and keeping the story beats with a pace designed to keep this from taking four or more years to complete.

❄️ 5) This adventure features depictions of witches as evil, child endangerment, kidnapping, freezing dangers, real world politics (albeit Russian and a few centuries old), guns, and a number of scenes that require subterfuge to survive. Some of this can be edited out, I fully intend to run lines and veils with those finally selected and I am already planning on editing the material to some degree. Some of it is intrinsic to the plot, so if I mentioned anything you have a strong objection to having in the game, please PM me with your concerns and I will see how best to proceed regarding submission.

❄️ 6) I run some pro/paid VTT games, and will not be available during the times those games are going on. Should this game kick off, I will include updated times in the campaign thread.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

The sleepy southern town of Heldrin boasts a community barely toppling 150 souls, mostly humans, halflings, half-elves, elves, and gnomes. You know your neighbors and they know you. You've dwelt here long enough to feel at home.

So when snowflakes start falling one summer day, you know something is wrong. Something unnatural. The beginning of something.... chilling.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️
The original Reign of Winter Path was made for Pathfinder 1st edition and took the characters on a journey northward and beyond to face a variety of dangers featuring a plot to throw the whole of Golarion into the icy depths of winter.

I've updated the adventure path to second edition, enhanced and expanded the story line, created new wintery opponents, and added even more chilling details to the witch queen behind the threat, and, of course, Baba Yaga.

This adventure path starts in a southern town, but moves beyond to the frozen north and even on to other planets- including a pocket dimension on Earth- so strap in and get ready to fly the original tardis, Baba Yaga's Hut, and stop the Reign of Winter from overtaking Golarion.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️

This Adventure Path will take PCs from level 1-20
We will use the ancestry paragon and gradual ability boosts options.

Hi everyone. I've got a few online games of Pathfinder getting off the ground for my paid/pro-gm running on Foundry VTT and Discord, and each of them could use some more payers if you'd be interested.

Both games I'm seeking players for are Isekai games. Isekai is a sub-genre of anime and manga wherein the protagonist(s) is transported to a different world, often gifted with amazing powers or extraordinary abilities, and/or able to use their knowledge from their old world in new and exciting ways. These particular settings utilize many of the tropes from this style, including the reincarnation sub-genre wherein a modern earthling is reincarnated into a "world-appropriate" body of another ancestry and given additional abilities that break the norms of the world they're inserted into.

Game One: Fists of the Ruby Phoenix
Level 11-20 Free Archetype Ancestry Paragon
This one only has 2 seats left

It's not every day you get hit in the face with a truck. Only the last day of your life on Earth, as it happens. It was over quick. Then came the darkness. Some time later, the light came. You know, that tunnel of light you always hear about?

Turns out, you weren't even supposed to be hit by that truck, can you believe it?

The Fists of the Ruby Phoenix Adventure Path for characters level 11-20 is a high octane ride through a fighting tournament with plenty of surprises along the way. Compete in a contest that usually only happens once in a lifetime, against foes whose mettle has been proven across Golarion for the grandest prize of all: your choice of the Ruby Phoenix's collected treasures. Oh, and something maybe slightly more valuable, a new life.

But, why stop there? The adventure is ripe with video-game and movie-like scenes straight out of Mortal Combat and similar action-packed fighting club culture. So I thought, why not make it an Isekai game? Isekai is the genre where modern people are transported into a world not their own and given tremendous game-like powers and skills. Often, they include a super-power or tool that other "residents" of the game world don't have.

I've incorporated this idea into the campaign, and players get their choice from among over 30 super powers.

Game Two: Isekai Deadly Dungeon Crawl
Level 5-? Free Archetype Ancestry Paragon
This one has 3 seats left

It's finally come out! The hottest 3-D Virtual ARPG console game ever made by Sonari! The Deadliest Dungeon-- the toughest, meanest old-school dungeon crawl ever updated to the newest graphics, systems, and rules.

And, man, these graphics don't disappoint! The beginning sequence, some poor sap going down into the first level and... ugh, turns your stomach just thinking about it. But it's time to create your avatar, select your stats and class, and fire this thing up. You hear your mom's voice calling, but it seems faint and far away. You reach up to take off the 3D goggles, but they're.... gone.... what is....

If you're new to Start Playing Games, you can follow this link to get a $10 credit for signing up.

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[Insert Obligatory Hazzah]

Welcome to the ‘Verse. Arinolus, your creator-god has a need of your service. There are artifacts which must be gathered so that Arinolus may defeat his nemesis Sporaxus. These artifacts have been spread throughout the Realms of the ‘Verse. You must travel to these Realms, discover the location of the artifacts, and secure them from their guardians.

This is a campaign for 2-5 people willing to put the effort into creating and running some Epic beings.

Character Creation

All Stats start at 18. Borrowing slightly from 2E, four different Attribute Scores are boosted by 1 every 4 levels, for a total of seven sets of boosts, in place of any other Attribute progression systems. No ability may be raised higher than 50 by any means.

You must create a 30 RP custom monstrous race using the Advanced Race Guide.

Characters will be Gestalt level 30. If you wish to multiclass on either side of the Gestalt, you must take at least 10 levels in each class you have. Archetypes follow normal rules.

Because we will be using Jesse’s Epic Pathfinder Rules, these are the class options able to be used without additional work: Alchemist, Barbarian, Bard, Cavalier, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Gunslinger, Inquisitor, Magus, Monk, Oracle, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Summoner, Witch, Wizard. If you want to play something else, you’ll need to develop the class’s Epic structure and submit it along with the character. That said, I will allow other pathfinder and third party classes if you’re willing to put in that work for them.

We will use elephant in the room feat system.

We will use Background Skills. Additionally, the minimum Skill per level for all classes is raised to 6 + Int modifier. Classes that already have 6/level or higher add +3 skill points/level.

Characters get one feat per level instead of the usual progression, for a total of 30 (regular) feats plus bonus feats from races/classes/etc.

After 20th level, characters get 1 Epic feat per level, for a total of 10 Epic Feats.

Templates? No, although the specific epic magic items in Jesse’s guide that provide templates are allowed to be purchased and used to gain one template that way.

Starting Wealth: 8.5 Million gold

Characters are Mythic Tier 1 with two bonus Mythic Path Abilities: Interversal Traveller and Opponent Reading. Progression in the campaign will be handled through additional Mythic Tiers, not levels. Mythic Tiers will come with 1 Mythic Feat and one Mythic Path Ability each sprinkled with some bonus Mythic Path Abilities.

This campaign will be goal-focused on collecting the artifact-components needed to destroy a rival god by travelling to different Realms within a Multiverse—these realms are only traversable via Interversal Portals, magic alone simply cannot travel from Realm to Realm, although it can be used to travel the different dimensions and worlds within a given Realm.

One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach. All the damn vampires.-- Grampa

Interest check/recruitment for a high power martial-focused game of Pathfinder 2E set in an old west world where vampires have taken over the world and the people are merely cattle for them to feed on. Against this bleak landscape, the PCs have been imbued with superhuman powers, armor, and weapons by the dying wish of the world's last god. Will it be enough to fight back against the hordes of vampires coming to feast on their blood? Will they be able to win back the night and destroy the Progenitor, the Vampire Queen Isildae?

Level 13 Characters

GMG optional rules used: Dual Class*, Free Archetype (no Multiclass Dedications used as part of the free Archetype- you can substitute them for regular class feats though), Automatic Bonus Progression (plus 500 gp worth of consumables/non-magical gear, 2 weapons with up to two runes of level 11 or lower each, one and armor with up to two runes of level 11 or lower), Ancestry Paragon**, Proficiency Without Level

*Class Limitations: Alchemist, Barbarian, Champion, Fighter, Gunslinger, Inventor, Investigator, Monk, Ranger, Rogue, Swashbuckler, Thaumaturge; any other classes may only have the features gained through multiclass dedications and feats being substituted for class feats.

** Human Ancestry Only; your Heritage must be one of the following: Aasimar, Aphorite, Changeling, Dhampir, Duskwalker, Ganzi, Ifrit, Oread, Suli, Sylph, Tiefling, Undine

Recommended resources: Pathbuilder 2E, Dusk Veil Modern Firearms --> No access to machine pistols/guns

Gameplay will last probably four to six months and take the characters to level 17.

Coming soon to a venue near you.....

Congratulations on your selections.

We have a bit of cleaning up to do before getting started in regards to backstories, complications, and finalizing character builds.

If anyone would like suggestions on tweeks of their character builds, I'll be happy to take a closer look and offer suggestions for changes.

We need to decide the nature of the group's relationship, maybe work out a "group origin story".... also part of the needed finishing of the backstories.

I'm thinking of having the campaign start it focus on Starling City, which,as I mentioned, is located in place of Atlantic City and the former home of the vigilantes known as the Hood and the Punisher.

I'd like to get people to have finalized backstories, builds, and a group consensus on team origin and name by the end of the week. Once we've gotten there, we'll start up gameplay thread in earnest.

Feel free to "dot and delete" in the gameplay thread.

The Hybrid World is a mix of some DC and some Marvel content, but without mysticism, magic, extreme levels of high tech, gods, cosmic entities, or an overwhelming amount of super-powered beings.

While there are alien races out there, so far, a lone Kryptonian, several Kree, and Martians in Exile are the only known visitors to Earth.

See the Campaign tab for a timeline.

Looking for mutants, inhumans, deviants, super soldiers, mutates, and other freaks to form the world's greatest heroes.

Looking to do a PL 12 campaign.

Something is coming from the stars and Earth will need defenders.

As requested, discussion thred.

Dot.

Despite all we know, now in early 2371, and with all the areas of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants we have surveyed and mapped, there are still huge swaths of space still unknown to us. Even with the looming Dominion threat and the potential for another Borg incursion, exploration remains Starfleet’s primary mission. We look toward the uncharted regions of space and investigate them to push the boundaries of our knowledge, one sector at a time.

The Shackleton Expanse, located far beyond the outer edges of Federation space and the Klingon sphere of influence, is one such region full of mystery and potential. The Federation, along with our firm allies the Klingon Empire, look toward exploring the Expanse together. To that end, we are launching a coordinated venture into the Expanse in order to gain knowledge, to seek out new allies, and to scout out candidate planets for colonization.

Captain, your ship and crew have been assigned to Starbase 364, also known as Narendra Station, as part of that coordinated expedition. Like pioneers of old, you and your crew will boldly venture forth into the unknown reaches of the Expanse, with little more to rely on than your fellow crewmates, your wits, and your starship. Fair winds and following seas to you and your crew.

.

Starship Creation

Dot.

Please cancel my subscriptions to Pathfinder Rules, Lost Omens, Adventure, and Pathfinder Society lines.

I wish to keep my Adventure Path subscription only. If I missed any others, please cancel them as well.

Thank you.

Heya,

Instead of 5 copies of Pathfinder 2E Pocket Edition, I was shipped 5 copies of Starfinder Pocket Edition.

-Stratton L.

How about a 3 action activity that allows you to prep a specific 2 action activity, such as a spell, with a set trigger.

Anyone see this as broken/exploitable?

Whoa!! Say what??!! Awesome!

Trying to apply credit did not work.

In before concurrently with the Huzzah?!

I seem to have been shipped a gamesmastery npc pawn collection instead of pocket edition crimson throne.

Talk about above extreme challenge encounters!

This is better than the Fearsome Four!

Oh Yeah! (aka Huzzah!)

Testing ability to link to campaign.

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Recruiting four players for a homebrew adventure for 2E using some variants from the Gamemastery Guide. Recruitment will end March 27th. Group selection will be made by March 29th with the game starting shortly thereafter.

Play will take place in the newly formed Kingdom of Yggsdreth, ruled by Linnorm King Freidold Jyadson and Queen Kessa Surtova. Founded in the Stolen Lands when Freidold managed to single-handedly defeat a Craig Linnorm and take its head to Baroness Kessa Surtova in the burgeoning capital of Stagfall a year ago, Yggsdreth faces pressures from all sides as bandits, trolls, and rival nations seek to tear it apart from within and without.

A mix of river freedoms and Viking-esque glory await those brave enough to enter into the King’s service as explorers, monster hunters, and potentially even advisors to the new King and Queen, where the dangerous and ugly world of politics will reveal even greater dangers. PCs are attracted to the new Kingdom out of a sense of adventure and glory.

From variant rules we will be using a modified version of Deep Backgrounds, and we will be using Ancestry Paragon.

Deep Backgrounds

With Deep Backgrounds, you will roll on each table in order. After rolling, you may take any one roll you don’t like and choose any other result from that table. In general, the deep Backgrounds are designed to give you a choice between three boosts, three lores, and three skill feats. Sometimes a general skill is substituted for a skill feat.

With this campaign's modification to Deep Backgrounds, you may choose 2 boosts (as is the general rule, you cannot choose to boost the same stat twice during background generation), two lores, and two feats available to your Deep Background. If you choose skill feats, you become trained in the two skills related to these feats, or expert if they are both for the same skill. If you choose a general feat, you do not become trained in any skill for that choice, unless the background roll indicates otherwise. Finally, add in one free boost to any attribute not chosen as the two boosts above.

Sample Deep Background Generation:
Pick Ancestry: Let’s say dwarf
Family Size 1d100 ⇒ 26 No siblings
Homeland 1d20 ⇒ 1 Underground
Major Childhood Event 1d20 ⇒ 11 Had your first kill
Influential Associate 1d20 ⇒ 4 The Confidant
Inspiring Relationship 1d12 ⇒ 7 Magician
Challenging Relationship 1d12 ⇒ 8 Rival Trackers

With these rolls, our dwarf has a choice between Strength, Con, and Intelligence to boost; Engineering, Labor, and Mining Lore; and Subtle Theft (Trickery), Experienced Tracker (Survival) and a common weapon worth up to 15go and training in Athletics. The player decides that the Magician doesn't really fit as an Inspirational Relationship, and chooses Timely Cure instead, replacing Subtle Theft (Trickery) with Alchemical Crafting (Craft).

The player chooses STR and INT as his background Boosts, with DEX for his free boost, Engineering and Mining Lore, Alchemical Crafting (Craft), and the free weapon and training in Athletics.

Background Relic
PCs will start with a Background Relic. This relic will have two Aspects randomly determined by rolling twice on the following table. In the case of a repeated Aspect, roll again until you get a second Aspect.

The player will determine the form the relic takes and its first Gift. Additional Gifts will be determined through play and reflect the campaign and character as determined by the GM. The Relic was a gift from the Influential Associate in the Deep Background.

D12….Aspect
01….. AIR
02….. BEAST
03….. CELESTIAL
04….. DEATH
05….. EARTH
06….. FIEND
07….. FIRE
08….. LIFE
09….. MIND
10….. PLANT
11….. SHADOW
12….. WATER

Submissions

Submissions should include all rolls above, the PC’s Ancestry and Class, and a backstory that ties all the elements together and explains how you’ve come into the employ of the King and Queen of Yggsdreth. Actual build beyond this can be fluid until shortly after the PCs are chosen.

For the Inspiring and Challenging Relationships, we will be going in order of posting to this thread, sort of. The first-posting chosen PC will have the last-posting Chosen PC as their Inspirational Relationship and the second-posting Chosen PC as their Challenging Relationship, and the rest will go one up and one down.

Explaining example:
Bob submits Gregor first
Joan submits Ezerec second
Susan submits Raquel third
Derek submits Anya fourth
Tiffany submits Fredrich fifth
Jakob submits Yvette sixth
Stan submits Drakos seventh

Ezere, Anya, Fredrich, and Yvette are chosen.

Ezere has Yvette as Inspirational and Anya as Challenging Relationships
Anya has Ezere as Inspirational and Frederich as Challenging Relationships
Frederich has Anya as Inspirational and Yvette as Challenging Relationships
Yvette has Frederich as Inspirational and Ezere as Challenging Relationships

We will have a period of time dedicated for a “Session Zero” style shaking out of all the details of character Relationships and finalizing crunch.

Play Expectations

I expect players to post with a relevant post daily on weekdays and once over the weekend. For the most part, play will be Theater of the Mind, although there will be some hexploration and potential dungeon crawl style events that may necessitate maps. There will be a dedicated site for these, although I am still working out the options.

I will post the most relevant stats for encountered monsters and spoiler-based recall knowledge results, including results for critical failures. If you roll a critical failure on recall knowledge, I expect you to act on the misinformation until it is proven otherwise (I promise not to make up ridiculously illogical false knowledge.)

I want the players to describe their attacks and the results thereof, so I will be posting things like AC, Saves, and HP. If you use a spell against a creature with a saving throw, for example, roll the creature’s save and describe the effects the spell has on it. If you attack a creature and take out most of its hit points, describe the viciousness of the wound inflicted. I will describe the creatures’ reactions and actions, as well as rolling any saving throws they may cause you to make, unless an effect requires or allows a save on your turn, in which case you will roll it.

The design here is to speed up combat posts, as they can be the slowest part of play by post. With the three action economy, most creatures' actions should be self-contained.

Initiative, Reactions

Initiative will be divided between groups of PCs and Creatures. For example, say there are four wolves, and initiative ran something like:
Red Wolf 17
Blue Wolf 16
Grey Wolf 24
Yellow Wolf 6
Ezere 15
Anya 18
Frederich 12
Yvette 22
Initiative order would be
Grey Wolf
Anya and Yvette
Red and Blue Wolf
Ezere and Frederich
Yellow Wolf

Once grey wolf goes, Anya and Yvette go in order of first post first acting, then red and blue, then Ezere and Frederich (whoever posts first goes first), and finally yellow.

Once again, the goal is to speed up play.

On Reactions

Due to the nature of play-by-post, reactions can be a little tricky. Fortunately, they can also be resolved-sometimes retroactively (in the case of preventing damage), sometimes after the fact. If something triggers a reaction, you have until your next turn to post that reaction. If it is simple to do so, we will backtrack and adjust. If too many other actions take place after the reaction would have been enacted, we will use a delayed reaction rule, which will still allow the reaction, but it will have been done after all the intervening actions.

For example, after Anya (a Paladin Champion with Retributive Strike) has her turn, red wolf attacks Ezere. Ezere and Frederich post their turns, and then yellow and grey go. Derek hadn’t checked the boards, but now his turn has come up, he posts “I should have been able to Retributive Strike red This would have prevented X Damage on Ezere and here’s my attack….. “(resulting in striking red down). Ezere and Frederich both attacked red during their turns, and math math math maybe if Anya had done her strike Frederich could have spent his last action on something else…… nope. Damage is prevented on Anya and the red wolf takes the strike damage now, taking it down now, and play can continue. If Derek had posted between Ezere and Frederich, the damage to red could have been resolved then.

Bestiary Battle Cards and Pocket Edition Curse of the Crimson Throne were moved to my sidecart from two of these orders. I had attempted to get the Bestiary Battle Cards shipped earlier, but changed my mind looking at shipping costs. It looks to me like both items were removed from my sidecart.

If you would, please cancel the bestiary battle cards and return the CoTCT pocket edition to my sidecart so it can spawn once it's available.

Thanks in advance, know you guys are swamped right now.

I was really hoping that Paizo would avoid these rediculous Level-based DCs for things that should be easy. Why should putting out a fire or convincing a crowd to help be that much harder at level 17 than it is at level 1- especially when it's essentially the same exact people and the same exact tasks.

I will be using the DCs from book one.

Here for questions and answers.

The soft candlelight flickers over Imesah's face as she faces the group assembled before her. In it's waning glow, both kindness and concern reveal their presence on you're mentor's features. While some of you have met, and even worked together in the past, this is the first time the entirety of her menagerie has been gathered in one place. The weight of that fact weighs thickly in the air.

Imesah lets out a low, soft breath. "My friends, you have all proven yourself capable of more than I've dreamed. But I fear the time we've had for quiet contemplation and private studies is rapidly drawing to an end. I've no doubt you're up to the tasks ahead, yet readily admit my trepidation at putting you in such risk."

She pulls out a map of Magnimar. Laying down colored ribbons at various points, she continues. "The way I see it, the biggest threats to Magnimar are threefold. The Sczarni, The Nightscales, and the Skinsaw Men. The Gallowed are among the most violent of the Sczarni gangs, and they've a new leader pushing them to even more extreme means. The Nightscales have been stable for so long complacency with their presence is the biggest danger they present. The bloody Skinsaws are the deadliest, but also the best hidden threat."

Aroden was only the first god to die….. Thus began the Age of Lost Magic.”

After the death of Aroden (and some say others), more than prophesy was lost to this World of Golarion. In 4625 AR, the gods sealed away the world from other planes, and left it adrift and abandoned, and bereft of the magic that helped define it. The elves, either sensing the impending doom, or perhaps tipped off in advance, fled once again to their own world. The gnomes, cut off from the leylines and any hope of the first world, almost entirely succumbed to despair and the bleaching. Worldwide panic, death, and disaster followed. The world became grimmer, darker.

This campaign is set in Magnimar, a darker, grittier Magnimar, where gangs vie for control of the Districts and a greedy mayor does his best to maintain profit and power while the city’s people suffer. It’s a city in need of heroes, even if they dare not show their faces.

This is a PF 2e Superhero campaign. While the world at large has little to no access to magic (No Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, or Wizard classes or dedications allowed, no Ancestral or dedication abilities that give access to spellcasting or innate spellcasting or cantrips), the PCs will have been endowed with gifts from one of Magnimar’s 12 Monuments, These powers work essentially the same as spellcasting except where noted. Much like focus spells, Monument Powers are powered by a pool of points, automatically heightened, and recover over time. See Campaign tab for more details.

Characters will be created at 7th level, with the following restrictions:

Ancestry: Any, but may not gain access to any spells or cantrips through Ancestries or Ancestry Feats.
Background: Any not involving magic or magic academies
Class: Alchemist, Barbarian, Champion (see campaign tab for restrictions), Fighter, Monk (ki powers ok), Ranger, Rogue (no Minor Magic allowed)
Monument: see campaign tab

Wealth/Equipment: 720gp lump sum

Potency Runes are subsumed back into item quality; an expert crafter can make +1, master +2, and legendary +3 quality weapons or armor- cost remains same, and PCs may purchase whatever they can afford from “quality” Potency items.

Striking/Resilient: using a kind of Automatic Bonus Progression, PCs begin able to invest some of their personal power into a weapon to make it a striking weapon. Once PCs make 8th level, they will be able to do the same to make a set of armor resilient. Changing which weapon or armor gains this benefit is a 2 action activity.

Each Monument has an affiliated Property Rune and a PC can spend a Power Point to emblazon this Rune on an appropriate weapon or armor as a 3 action activity. Emblazoning the rune on a different item causes the rune to disappear from the previously imbued armor or weapon.

Other than that, no magic items, so Batman it up on alchemical and standard gear.

Campaign Assumptions

This is a “super-heroic” game, in which the PCs belongs to a secret society which has discovered that not all magic has left Golarion, and that somehow Magnimar’s Monuments seem to have become a storehouse for whatever magic remains in the city. The campaign features gang warfare, mystery cults, and overarching plots of protecting Magnimar’s Citizens and discovering the secrets of the monuments and their potential. This campaign will feature enemies that are mostly humanoid and mostly larger groups of lower level threats, with appropriately harder boss fights. Combat will be used to show the “badassery” of the PCs and push the storyline forward. Boss fights should require an additional push of teamwork and chutzpah. It will take place entirely in and around Magnimar.
I will be looking for at least one significant post per weekday, with notification of absences in advance as per standard courtesy. I would prefer players who are strongly motivated to explore their characters as we go, and be involved in the campaign’s mysteries.

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Ironbriar looked over the potential recruits. Most of his kindred had fled through the aiudara almost a century ago. Living without access to his dark lord’s whispers, without the certainty they provided was almost as painful as living without the blessings they once bestowed. Still, without the risk of some errant diviner seeing into his soul, he had need only rely on the carefully crafted persona of the right honorable iron fisted judge to disguise his nocturnal ambitions. Tonight, one of these recruits would become one of the Skinsaw. The others would perish, a thought that filled the forlorn elf’s heart with warmth.

Hello,
I have not been receiving the PFS scenarios as I should be since the start of P2.
Thank you for looking into this.
-Stratton

CAUTION SPOILERS FOR EARLY FALCON’S HOLLOW MODULES AHEAD

Twelve years ago, five children were kidnapped by the Truescale Kobold Tribe of Droskar’s Keep. They were….

Now, over a decade later, these five children have grown into full adults, and find themselves reunited once again, this time for the funeral of Thuldrin and Tessa Kreed- murdered at long last by Namdrin Quin, whose life was taken in turn by Payden “Pay Day" Teedum. There to support their childhood friend much more than any sense of personal loss at the death of the evil town leaders, the band is about to find some horrors refuse to stay buried in the past….

This PF2E recruitment has a bit of a twist: potential players will pick one of the five children and create a first level PF2 character as an adult version of that person. Candidates should post their character submissions with all crunch laid out and a bit of story as to how the character was affected and what they have been up to lately.

Additionally, each of the former children gain bonus Feats as follows. They do not need to meet the requirements for the bonus Dedication feats gained at first level.

Kimi: may select from the Barbarian or Champion Dedication Feats.
Hollin: may select from the Rogue or Sorcerer Dedication Feats. Hollin starts with 10gp instead of 15.
Mikra: may select from the Druid or Ranger Dedication Feats. Mikra must use the voluntary flaws option to reduce Int and Wis although he can use other boosts to raise them after this to represent his growth with his friends' help; if he takes the Druid dedication, he gains a free boost to his Wisdom.
Jurin: may select from the Fighter or Monk Dedication Feats. Jurin starts with 30gp instead of 15.
Savram: may select from the Alchemist or Wizard Dedication Feats.

At fourth level and every even level thereafter, they gain an additional bonus Archetype feat, subject to the normal restrictions and prerequisites.

This is expected to be a pretty roleplay-heavy game, probably a 60/70-40/30 RP/Combat mix.

Player posting expected once or more per weekday and GM posting at a similar clip.

Hi.

Now that my late Aug package has been processed, I need to cancel some of my subscriptions starting next month.

Please Cancel:

Starfinder Roleplaying Game
Starfinder Adventure Path
Starfinder Maps
Starfinder Accessories
Starfinder Society
Pathfinder Accessories

Thank you.

-Stratton

Welcome to this thread, intended to be a happy place to come when all the negativity in other threads has got you down.

Please only post happy thoughts about 2E here. You have the rest of these boards to air your complaints/suggestions/contrary positions.

My happy thought of the day.

My wife has said and I quote "This is the first time in over 20 years of gaming that I have enjoyed making a character."

Drink, carous, brag, and find partners here.

Alrighty, time to see how ast this dune buggy can go.

What you give: A fully statted 20th level 2E character, using the format on the campaign tab. A backstory including the elements of your ABCs. At least one significant post every weekday(M-F).

What you get: A GM who will make at least one significant post every weekday and most often more than one. A challenging encounter in a party-selected arena.

Where you start: Once you have a completed character, drop on by in alias to The Champion's Alehouse where you'll meet like-minded allies who just want to fight for glory in the arena.

What you do: Role-Play with the other Champions in the Alehouse and see if you can't parley your way into a group. Once you've got a four-member group, pick your arena and get ready for battle.

What the heck????!?? Ok, so, the idea here is that you will make 20th level 2E characters, role-play them in the Champion's Alehouse thread (available by invite once your character is done to my specifications and reviewed), and try to find other people who want to face the arena with your PC. At the very least, you'll have some chances to RP high level PCs.
If we can get 4 people who agree to play together there, they can pick out one of the available arenas to face their encounter in. PCs will be facing an Extreme Threat Encounter with all their resources available in a challenging environment.

I will either run this for the first three groups to get together or run an arena for the first two groups and then run a third one for PvP action if we have less recruits. I will likely stagger the start of each arena by a week to make sure we have things rolling in one before starting another. If we do the PvP, it will be after the other arena runs and people will have the opportunity to visit the Alehouse and retrain and also possibly switch partners among the other team.

I will be adding stuff to the campaign tab today and maybe tomorrow.

Lucas Yew wrote:

Yes, judging by the Athletics sample, the DC problem was quite well salvaged! (dances)

Is it though? Proficiency incrementing by two for each tier while DC increments by 5 twice and 10 twice seems... mathematically problematic.

Especially when you consider if the stat involved is or isn't maxed out (for example, sorcerers will *never* have their arcane/divine/primal skill maxed out, so will always effectively be at -1 or higher on any check), and that at the level you get to the proficiency tier, each party member will have exactly one skill of that tier.

----

But let's show some work and look at the level you get each tier, assuming a maxed stat (level+ proficiency bonus + stat) (using the playtest numbers for when you get access to proficiency tiers)

Trained, level 1: (1+2+4)=+7 vs a DC of 15. 8+, or 65% chance of success. Fine.
And as you level this DC is completely irrelevant shockingly fast.

Expert, level 3: (3+4+4)=+11 vs a DC of 20. 9+, of 60% chance of success. Not bad...
But you're going to start seeing non-specialized characters at this level, as people go for locked skill feats or skills they feel are appropriate to their character. In particular sorcerers, rangers (survival and athletics come to mind) and others who want skills that don't match their class bonus are going to struggle a bit more.

Master, level 7: (7+6+4)=+17 vs a DC of 30. 13+, or 40% chance of success. Ouch.
That took a sudden turn, didn't it? Not even coin flip territory anymore, and non-specialists can drop down to 30% or even below!

Legendary, level 15: (15+8+5!)=+28 vs DC 40. 12+, or 45% chance.

The stat bump back at level 10 (or 15) really helped, as did the level requirement, and a stat item is also possible at this level, so you can drag your specialist up to 50% chance at a tier appropriate challenge. Non specialists will fall off, however, as dragging off-stats beyond 18 is questionable.

Master ironically seems like the real problem level, where you're significantly losing ground for gaining skill- it will take you three levels (to 10th, +3 and a stat bump) to get back the chance of success you had as a newly minted expert. Against tier appropriate challenges, I mean- obviously expert checks will now be completely, utterly trivial (3+).
The big problem with Master proficiency is its so close to expert (4 levels) and you still haven't gotten to the point where you can get a stat to 20. Attaining legendary requires 8 levels, adds the +2 and gets the stat bonus. So legend is adding +11 vs a DC increase of 10, rather than Master's +6 (4 levels and 2 from proficiency). There just aren't any optimization tricks you can apply: you've gained 4 points less than the DC increase, the end.
Not having the relevant stat maxed is a big deal in all cases.
---
So it isn't terrible, except for mastery. And the only solution is to grind out more levels with the knowledge that any Master based skill challenges put you at a significant disadvantage until level 10. And the DM will _want_ to throw Master checks at you- you'll be passing Expert checks on a 3+. 3+ vs 13+ is a big gap.

Part of the formulae for DCs, however is that you're adding your level, so yes, the first level where you gain access to doing Master level stuff is 7th, but it goes all the way to 14th before you're getting regular access to Legendary difficulties.

At level 14, with your math and not including any additional bonuses, you have 14+6+4 or +24 succeeding on a 6 or better (likely even better with your attribute bump at 10th.

With the increase of 5% chance per level, I'd say it looks like a pretty sweet spot of challenging across multiple levels. I'd expect during these levels, you'd be facing maybe 10% expert DCs, maybe 80% Master and 10% Legendary.

I think we may need to take a look at how a mid-way through the expected levels at a given proficiency expectation do vs. these numbers.

Apply this resin to my wagon.

Paint this fence.

How'd you get Keanu Reeves to be in your commercial?

Recruiting for Converted “The Whispering Cairn”, potentially leading into the rest of the Age of Worms Adventure Path

Seeking 3-6 Players

The Whispering Cairn, written by Erik Mona, kicked off the Age of Worms in Dungeon Magazine #124. Along with its accompanying article on Diamond Lake in the same issue, this amazing adventure sends a group of novice explorers into a trap and monster filled crypt built by an ancient society and continues with a local mystery, thus involving the core high fantasy concepts of Combat-, Magic-, Prowess-, and Social -based encounters.

This adventure has been converted and altered for play with the Factor12 High Fantasy Role-Playing Game utilizing Fantasy Grounds VTT and Discord.

Factor12 is a High Fantasy Role-Playing Game currently in an early playtest phase. Converting the Whispering Cairn gives me an opportunity to illustrate and hone differences between the game and other Fantasy RPGS that have come before while testing mathematical, social, and gameplay experience expectations.

The Factor12 ruleset playtest version1.1 is available for free here.

I have the ultimate license for Fantasy Grounds, so players need only the demo version.

The Discord channel for both playtest feedback and (with separate sub-channel) the game is linked here.

I will be utilizing the MoreCore ruleset for Fantasy Grounds, utilizing the information I’ve loaded into the module here for character sheet and ability management. Note this module includes story templates designed for quick generation of semi-randomized characters. I’d prefer people make characters of their own, but this tool is there to help with inspiration.

Game will be run weekly from 7pm to 10 pm EST on a night determined by best availability of players. The initial game should take 4-6 sessions and may be expanded into a full run of the Age of Worms adventure path depending on interest and availability.

Factor12 is homebrew high fantasy RPG currently in the playtest phase. Set in the world of Aerde, where an omnipresent energy source called the Nexus flows, Factor12 brings new twists to the fantasy genre of games.

Some of the game’s highlights:

1) Competency & Competency Dice: Most actions in Factor12 are resolved by a Skill Roll utilizing one of twelve Skills. Each Skill is assigned a Competency, which gives a static bonus as well as assigning a Competency Die. Whenever you roll a Skill Roll in Factor12, you roll 2d12 plus your Skill Total against a Difficulty Rating (DR). Competency Dice some in under four circumstances: (a) the acting creature spends a Nexus Point to roll it, (b) the acting creature has an ability to roll it without spending a Nexus Point under the circumstances of the Skill Roll, (c) in the case of a possible Deuce (fumble), or (d) when scoring an Ace (2 12’s on the 2d12). In the case of (a) or (b), the Competency Die may be substituted for one of the 2d12; the roller takes the highest two dice. In the case of a potential Deuce, the roller rolls the Competency Die and only fumbles if the die also rolls a 1. In the final case, an Ace, the Competency Die is added to the 24 and Skill Total. The result is that a creature with a higher Competency in a Skill fumbles less, gets better criticals, and can keep his dice rolls more consistent when it matters most.

2) Choices: Just in building a PC, players choose Species, Culture, Traits, Archetypes, Talents, Competencies, Skill Ranks, Signs, and Loci. With millions of possible combinations, building a character that piques your interests and is different from others you’ve played is easy and fun. More than that, however, the game attempt to avoid trap choices by making Talents and Loci scale up with your character; there are no “trees” of choices pigeonholing your choices. Factor12 wants players to make choices after the characters are created too, offering a variety of tactical options that matter.

3) Modularity: In making the choices during character creation, you are able to pull together a number of different resources in building your character without sacrificing usefulness in a variety of roles. Anyone can be the group’s healer, regardless of Archetype choice, for example. Any PC can be decent at fighting, talking, exploring, or using Nexus for magic. What if I want to suck at something? Yeah, that concept is possible too, even at high levels. Advancements also take place modularly, with new abilities coming in bite sized pieces and Levels coming every few Advancements. Adding a new Locus or Talent brings that ability in at a Level-appropriate version that allows you to be awesome at what you want to be awesome doing. Loci scale in cost with power level and Talents which allow you to make Loci more useful or powerful scale both in cost and power level with the character’s growth.

4) Universality and Consistency: Nexus Points universally power abilities requiring tracking. They’re designed to recover at a decent enough rate to avoid the 10 minute workday but limited enough to avoid the Nova every fight syndrome. Competencies, Talents, Skills, and Loci are designed to scale at appropriate times during character progression on a consistent and balanced basis. Attack and Defense scale with Skill level, and Damage never gets too far out of hand.

5) Taking the magic out of shops and putting it back into the hands of the adventurers. With the Nexus prevailing in different ways in different creatures, skilled adventurers are able to recover components of the creatures they face to create their own unique magic items. Gold, gems, and other treasures are there to hire your followers, invest in new gear, spread your fame, and build your strongholds.

Link to playtest version 1.1

Discord discussion link

I have heard there was an issue getting set up for selling product at Origins, but didn't get any details. Looking at my account, I see I have not received any store credit for the sessions I ran. I can see how if this was all tech issues how the two might be related. If so, or if there is another issue causing widespread delay of the store credit which hasn't been sent out in an email to the Origins DM Team, could someone with knowledge of ETA on a fix please respond here.

If this is a "just me" issue, could someone move this thread to Customer Service and I'll wait there for a response.

Thanks.

-Stratton Liberty

PS-I had a blast running demos all weekend(even if it wiped me out), and received tons of positive feedback from my players, I hope I made a few converts (pretty sure I did.) If any of my new players are out there, welcome abaord!