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Welcome to GM Barrister's recruitment for the Serpent's Skull AP. As there was a heap of interest generated with the check, I will be running this version, as well as a gestalt version, found here.
Recruitment runs until 13-Feb, and I'll pick the players on the 14th, when we'll promptly start.
I have been playing table-tops for around sixteen years, starting with 3.0 and moving through to PF. I was fairly active in PbP on the old WotC site as well as Enworld and a few others for about ten of those years, and had home games, D&D Encounters, and smattering of other d20 systems for seven years. I enjoy the mechanical aspects of gameplay, but take greater interest in the roleplay.
I know there are qualms about someone new to the boards hosting a full-length AP; two at once is just ridiculous. But if taken as individuals, removing the fluff, new monster stat blocks, and quirky other materials from the books, the adventure itself is quite small. PbP slows down the pace quite a bit, and for me, that is advantageous to running the campaign, as I have far more time to figure out what is going on than in real time at the table.
There is also the matter of commitment, but it falls on both player and GM. Having little history with the site, neither could prove themselves reliable, other than by being so. I won't be looking your profiles or post count when making my decision on who participates.
I will be accepting 4-5 PCs for this version, and 3 for the other. You are welcome to apply to both, but no one will be selected for more than one; if you choose to make a character for each, please note if you have a preference for either game. I would also prefer players who have not yet had the opportunity to run the AP, so please note if you have done it before in your application. I won't necessarily base the decision of who is accepted on this, and I appreciate honesty.
Point Buy: 20; no stats below 10 before racial mods.
Alignment: Any non-Evil. However, bear in mind that I view "Chaotic" as chafing under authority and/or generally not caring about restrictions. I do not expect a PC to behave as though he is possessed by Rovagug, so if you play Chaotic (particularly CN), be sure to tone it to this level. Likewise, you can be "evil-ish," but we won't be murdering children or otherwise vehemently evil (and inappropriate to the forum) acts.
Race: Core, Featured, and Uncommon races only, as listed on the d20PFSRD.
Class: Any Paizo. uRogue and uSummoner are the new trends, uBarbarian and uMonk are at your choice. Any archetype. Fractional Bonuses will be in effect when/if you choose to multiclass. No ABP, No Variant Multiclassing, No Words of Power or other alternate methods of casting aside from what is presented directly in a class.
Skills: Background skills are in effect, minus Lore.
Feats: No Sacred Geometry or Blood Money. This list is subject to increase if I find something I've forgotten.
Traits: 3, one of which must be from the Player's Guide. No Rich Parents; if you take the "Boarded" option that gives 200gp, this gold can only be spent on "mundane items," which do not include potions, scrolls, or weapons and armor. May take 1 drawback for an extra trait.
Max HP at 1, we'll use half+1 after that. 200 starting gold.
NO 3PP, NO Homebrew, NO Exceptions.
This is a level one start, so you likely haven't done much before now. However, I find a well-thought background makes it easier to act as the PC, and in a PbP RP, "being" your character is nearly the most important aspect. I don't have any particular requirements, other than I expect to have a good idea of who your character is from reading this. Your traits, alignment, and mechanical choices, however, should all be reflected in your history, so provide me as much as it takes.
In addition to your character, please also post a roleplay sample, either from a former/ongoing campaign or new one generated specifically for this.
You are free to make your character in whatever engine you choose, but I want your statistics to appear on-site. Take a look at one of my aliases-
-for a good idea of how I'd like yours to look. It doesn't have to be exact. Dividing individual sections into spoilers makes, for me, a much cleaner read.
I have a particular post style I like as well, and feel that if everyone posts in the same manner, there will be fewer instances of confusion. If you're accepted into the campaign, please be willing to format your posts in this fashion:
This text describes GM Barrister's actions, emotions, reactions, and quirks.
”This is GM Barrister's speech, in Common.”
”These are GM Barrister's thoughts.”
”This is GM Barrister saying Cure Light Wounds, and then saying something else.”
”This is GM Barrister using Telepathy.”
Checks/OOC:
Hiding dice rolls-
-and behind a spoiler keeps Gameplay clean and our heads in our characters.
Remember: a round does not occur in a turn order. Everything that every NPC and PC does happens simultaneously in a span of six seconds. I will roll Initiative and pre-combat checks for the PCs and NPCs in the GM post, as well as NPC actions and checks. Players will then post their actions and checks, and I'll follow up with a recap of the round and we'll go on.
As much as I like to hear myself talk, I don't like to read my own typing; in the Discussion tab, I've provided convenient links to all of the Skills. Check the common DCs, and then preview your rolls to see if you've accomplished this before you compose the actions of your posts.
Yes, I want you to preview. The Gameplay thread should read like a story, and the narrative is interrupted when checks are independent of the flavor. I realize that means people can cheat; those whose enjoyment of the game is based so narrowly on being the best will do it regardless. Please don't cheat.
Please post your entries below, along with any questions/comments/concerns.
Really like the premises, just 1 question, point buy was at normal rate or 1:1 ratio?
Normal. I also forgot to mention:
1 post per day
Might drop to 1 every other on weekends, but the group can decide.
This guy needs to be changed up a bit but should be done soon.
Dotting for interest. Let me look at the Player's Guide and I'll see what feels right for the AP.
Hey Barrister. Would you be open to someone such as myself who does not have any PBP experience? I would really like to get into PBP but dont really have any desire to do PFS. In any case, cheers!
If you're comfortable with the system as a whole, and won't have an issue following the formatting I've outlined, I have no qualms about new-to-PbP players.
I don't have problems with new-to-Pathfinder players, either, but would prefer a different, lighter campaign for those.
Definitely interested. I'll come up with something for you to look over.
Wow two games at a time, saw the interest check for the gestalt game, I really prefer normal class levels so I am tickles you are doing this game as well, definitely dotting!
Your posting preference seems doable, I will put together a melee/skill character, probably ranger or slayer, Let me think of a reason to be at sea!
I am interested. I enjoy being a cleric typically, I will look over the players guide and come up with something appropriate.
I think I'm going to go with a human psychic with the Rebirth discipline. Some of my past lives are from Sargava and I feel myself unconciously drawn to the area.
You said any Paizo, so I assume that you allow Occult classes. Otherwise I'll come up with something else.
Interested. I like your way of handling immersion, seems like a potentially cool method. *mulls over a concept*
Putting this character into the ring, but will have to tweak to your requirements. :)
You said any Paizo, so I assume that you allow Occult classes.
Occultist
occult class
Yes, Occult classes are fine; I had originally said no to them in the interest check, but I've had enough time to have some questions I had answered and I let them in for the actual recruitment here.
However, just like any other class groupings, it's not likely that I'd allow more than one into the campaign, and depending on the build you'll likely be in competition with the arcane casters as well.
Not to discourage anyone for rolling up whatever they'd like, but I did want to make a note of this, especially with a run of OA suggestions in a row. I'm not comfortable enough with the stuff to make a full party of occult classes.
Also, I do not have the Weapon Master's Handbook or the newest Arcane something (armory?) book; the WMH is largely up on the SRD by now, so I'm fine with it, but unless you can provide me with a picture of the relevant text from the new book, I can't allow any of the stuff from it. At least for now; I may grab it before we get to the next book of the AP.
I'm interested, I'll come back when I have a character ready.
This is Dien from above with an alias from an old game, but the character's new.
Crunch is in the alias but some things might get tweaked, if I'm accepted, based on other PCs' areas of interest.
Once she reached her teen years, Nthanda was apprenticed, not entirely happily to the village healer, an old man named Mgembi. Nthanda loved to run in the jungle and hated 'boring old lessons' on the stars, medicinal plants, how to bind injuries, and curative magics. All the same, she excelled at them... which only further inflated her ego. Nthanda frequently skipped her lessons to go exploring. Old Mgembi scolded and cursed, but despite her arrogance, Nthanda was well-liked in the village, for she could be charming and personable when the mood took her, and many were inclined to forgive her the self-centeredness of youth.
When Nthanda was 17, she was indulging herself on one of these unsanctioned excursions (finding that more pleasurable than assisting Mgembi in lancing boils), when her village was attacked by lizardfolk . The enemy came mostly to raid: to capture slaves rather than to wage war. But all the same, there were casualties...
When Nthanda returned to the village drawn by the smell of smoke, it was to find dozens of people wounded, and several dead. Her own younger sister, Taonga, was among those taken by the lizardfolk, and her old Mgembi was crouched by her father's lifeless body, closing his eyes.
He spat at her that she had failed her village; all the favor that had been shown her in her young life was due to the belief that she would serve the village in turn, selflessly giving for the greater good of the tribe. Instead, she had always done only what she wanted-- she had taken gifts and favor, and returned nothing! Mgembi laid her father's death at her feet; unhappy neighbors muttered agreement. A devastated Nthanda fled into the jungle with nothing more than the clothes on her back, unable to face the loss of her father and younger sister, as well as the reactions of her people.
For days she wandered, drinking from streams and eating only plants she knew to be safe. At night, she studied the stars, fervently seeking some guidance from the gods as to what path she ought to take now, to make things right.
A small bird appeared to her: one of the humble mud-daubers, brown and unremarkable. She felt a brush against her mind, and the little bird spoke to her spirit in the voice of her father and told her that the path to service was long, but she did not have to walk it alone. They would begin by finding her sister.
Nthanda turned to tracking the lizardfolk. Ultimately the trail led to a lizardfolk village, but it did not stop there: her sister had been further sold into slavery to other tribes, all the way to the coast. Grimly, Nthanda followed as best she could, even as weeks became months, and leads became dead ends. She made her way as a healer, taking payment for curing or for reading fortunes. In the port city of Kokutang, Nthanda bought passage on the Jenivere, following the word of a sailor who said he saw a young Mwangi girl of Taonga's description being sold to a southern port.
Her task may well be helpless, at this point-- how can one jungle-born girl hope to track someone in the great ocean and the cities and flesh-markets of the world? Yet Nthanda has sworn to herself not to return home until she has her sister, or proof of her sister's death. The spirit of Masozi, in the form of the little bird 'Nyuni', guides her on this path, like a bright star in the heavens.
Where Nthanda was once spoilt and entitled, she has now become someone who seeks to serve and atone for her foolishness. While the road is sometimes rocky and it is easy to slip back to old habits, her desire to help with the wounds of others is genuine.
RP sample, or feel free to check any of my other games
Other notes: I've played... portions of SS before, in a fragmented, heavily home-brewed form. It was several years ago and I've forgotten a lot of it, but just in the interests of disclosure.
Also, I'm going to be attending Dundracon on February 12-15. If accepted for the game, I'd be unlikely to post speedily the first day or two, due to playing 12+ hours of PFS a day those two days, heh.
Also, I'm going to be attending Dundracon on February 12-15. If accepted for the game, I'd be unlikely to post speedily the first day or two, due to playing 12+ hours of PFS a day those two days, heh.
Not a problem; on a much less immediate note, I'll likely be going to Gen Con in August, and with that craziness I may not even be able to post at all that weekend, or at least not much of quality.
Here's the crunch for my submission, a Dwarven Kineticist (air). My time grows short right now, but I will add backstory by tomorrow morning.
I'm very interested! What are gonna be the criteria to choose the players?
In relation to my comment on Occult entries, I'll be doing my best to select a mechanically diverse party, filling as many role gaps as possible.
That aside, I'm most interested in entrants willing to follow my posted directions, as well as being comfortable dictating many of their own actions. My personal enjoyment in running an AP will stem from the story, and I'll be choosing players who are at least as interested in participating in a well-crafted narrative as they are in being mechanically superior.
I will be submitting this concept I created for the gestalt recruitment to this recruitment as well as a CG angelkin aasimar vexing daredevil mesmerist with a planned stat array of 18, 14, 14, 8, 12, 16 and taking the Boarded in Varisia (of Kaer Magan origin) campaign trait, opting for the bluff skill increase.
The character concept is simply a woman who strives to experience new things in any capacity possible. Any new experience is positive as it broadens one's idea of what life and consciousness consist of. I may tied her to one of the factions in Kaer Maga, I'll have to look over them again. Sometimes she has to bluff her way into experiencing new things and sometimes she ends up where she's not supposed to be or her bluffs don't work out. In those instances she is forced to fight, which is represented by her vexing daredevil melee focus.
I have never in my life played a female character in a tabletop setting, but I've already got it all done in Hero Lab aside from shopping and a single unspent skill point. As a vexing daredevil mesmerist is one of the least "occult" options to come out of OA, I have no reservations in submitting this choice for your approval.
Edit: GM just a friendly reminder that the penalties from mesmerists’ stares don’t stack with penalties from witches’ evil eye hexes in case someone submits a class which utilizes that ability. ;)
Artix is done and ready for consideration. He is a Dwarven Ranger.
This is exactly what i'm after. I'll flesh out the idea I have and fling it your way.
That's assuming I would even be considered? I know my post count is negligible but I've been playing F2F for a couple of years. Just reading, not writing on the boards.
L
Morgrym opened the door to the Golden Dragon and looked in.
"Ah, a place to knock the dust out of my throat from the caravan"
spying an open seat, he makes his way across the bar, and then lowers his gear to the floor by his feet.
"Dwarven ale good lady"
Two per level.
I'm going to have to retract my submission. Good luck and game on.
I have a Human (Shoanti) Bard (Thundercaller) that I put together for another submission that actually would work better here I think:
Level 1 Bard (Thundercaller)
LN Medium Female Human (Shoanti)
Init +2; Perception +4
STATISTICS:
Str 12, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 17
Base Atk +; CMB + ; CMD
Size: 6"
Weight 175 lbs
Speed 30ft.
DEFENSE:
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
HP 9 (d8 +1 Con +0 Favored Class)
Fort +1; Ref +4; Will +3;
Immunities/resistance/etc.
OFFENSE:
Melee:
+1 Dagger (1d4+1) +1 w/Arcane Strike
-3 Shoanti Totem Spear (1d10+1) +1 w/Arcane Strike
(This weapon is a masterwork musical wind instrument)
Ranged:
+2 Dagger (1d4+1) +1 w/Arcane Strike
Special Attacks/Abilities: Spells, Bardic Performance
FEATS
Arcane Strike (1st Level)
(Bonus)Dodge (+1 AC)
-Traits-
*Boarded in Varisia: Treat your spells with the mind-affecting descriptor as being +1 caster level higher when cast against creatures and natives of the jungle.
*Auspicious Tattoo (Race):
You bear a tattoo depicting one of the totems listed for your that favors you with good fortune. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Will saving throws.
*Signature Moves (Social):
You’re known for some unique item that has become your trademark. Your starting equipment includes a single masterwork item worth less than 900 gp, and you gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff and Intimidate checks while wielding this item in one or both hands. (Shoanti Totem Spear- MW Wind Instrument)
Skills: 9 pts (+2 Background)
Adventuring Skills (x)=Class Skill
(x)Bluff +7 (+1 when carrying Totem Spear)
(x)Knowledge(Arcana) +5
(x)Knowledge(Nature) +5 (+1/2 Bard level bonus)
(x)Intimidate +7 (+1 when carrying Totem Spear)
(x)Spellcraft +5
(x)Perception +4
Survival +1 (+1/2 Bard level bonus)
Background Skills (x)=Class Skill
(x) Performance (Wind) +7 (+1 when using MW Totem Spear)
(x) Performance (Dance) +7
(x) Linguistics +5
Handle Animal +4 (+1/2 Bard level bonus)
Languages: Common, Shoanti, Draconic
SQ
Bardic Performance: (7/day)
~A bard is trained to use the Perform skill to create magical effects on those around him, including himself if desired. He can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Charisma modifier. At each level after 1st a bard can use bardic performance for 2 additional rounds per day. Each round, the bard can produce any one of the types of bardic performance that he has mastered, as indicated by his level.
~Starting a bardic performance is a standard action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Changing a bardic performance from one effect to another requires the bard to stop the previous performance and start a new one as a standard action. A bardic performance cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the bard is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round. A bard cannot have more than one bardic performance in effect at one time.
Available Performances:
*Countersong (Su)
*Distraction (Su)
Bound to the Land (Ex)
A thundercaller gains a bonus equal to 1/2 her level on Handle Animal checks, Knowledge (nature) checks, and Survival checks. This ability replaces bardic knowledge.
Spellcasting
Bard Spells Usable/Day:
0 lvl: Infinite -Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Dancing Lights, Ghost Sound
1st lvl: 3/day - Ear-Piercing Scream, Liberating Command, Cure Light Wounds
Combat Gear:
Dagger x4 (8gp)
Shoanti Totem Spear (Trait Bonus/MW Wind Instrument/Currently Non-Proficient as weapon)
Hide shirt (20gp) (+3AC +1ACP)
Other Gear:
Bard's Kit (41gp)
*Backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a common musical instrument (wooden flute), a flint and steel, ink, an inkpen, an iron pot, a journal, a mess kit, a mirror, rope, soap, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin.
Money: 131gp
Here is an example of my PbP role-playing as Karmid. Truthfully I'm still new to PbP but I am enjoying it thoroughly.
Sidewinder2k here from further up above in the thread. Please allow me to present Jun Ankhmerit, wandering priest of Irori, and adherent of the True Path.
His background and such are all spoiler'd on the profile page for easy reading.
Barrister, if you notice anything that needs fixing with him let me know and I'll take care of it. I'm fairly sure I got everything right, but I've had a hard time applying archetypes and such before.
I'll reiterate just to be clear and such. I've not run the AP before, so I hope Jun makes the cut. He should be a fun time.
I may not post all that often in the recruitment thread from here on out, but know that I'm lurking and I'll see the picks when they happen!
Here is my character concept for a Tengu Cleric of Iori
Tengu cleric of Irori 1 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 263)
LN Medium humanoid (tengu)
Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +6
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +1 Dex, +2 shield)
hp 8 (1d8)
Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +6
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee katana +0 (1d8/18-20) or
bite -5 (1d3)
Special Attacks channel positive energy 6/day (DC 13, 1d6)
Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +5)
7/day—rebuke death (1d4)
Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +5)
1st—bless, protection from chaos[D], summon monster I
0 (at will)—create water, detect magic, read magic
D Domain spell; Domains Healing, Law (Inevitable subdomain)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 10, Dex 12, Con 8, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 16
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 11
Feats Selective Channeling
Traits mwangi scholar, sacred touch, wisdom in the flesh
Skills Acrobatics -5 (-9 to jump), Diplomacy +7, Heal +8, Perception +6, Stealth -3; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +2 Stealth
Languages Common, Polyglot, Tengu
SQ command, gifted linguist, swordtrained
Other Gear scale mail, heavy wooden shield, katana[UC], backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, candle (10), flint and steel, hemp rope (50 ft.), holy text[UE], mess kit[UE], pot, soap, spell component pouch, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, wooden holy symbol of Iori, 27 gp
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Cleric Channel Positive Energy 1d6 (6/day, DC 13) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.
Cleric Domain (Healing) Granted Powers: Your touch staves off pain and death, and your healing magic is particularly vital and potent.
Cleric Domain (Inevitable)
Command (7/day) (Su) As per command spell.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Mwangi Scholar +1 Knowledge (History) regarding the Mwangi Jungle.
Rebuke Death (7/day) (Sp) As a standard action, touch heals 1d4 dam to negative HP target.
Sacred Touch You were exposed to a potent source of positive energy as a child, perhaps by being born under the right cosmic sign, or maybe because one of your parents was a gifted healer. As a standard action, you may automatically stabilize a dying creature mer
Selective Channeling Exclude targets from the area of your Channel Energy.
Wisdom in the Flesh (Climb) Climb becomes a Wisdom-based, class skill.
I'm modifying a previous story I had written for this character. Here is a snippet of what I have written so far:
Tolas’ political and social failings lead the man to develop a heavy drinking problem which sparked severe fits of rage, regularly directed at Sunetra-Mei. He wouldn’t dare raise his voice at his pure-blooded Chelaxian boys, but the bastard girl was a mistake, another mar on the legacy of their crumbling house and a readily available outlet for his rage. Her brothers felt fleeting moments of pity for her, but when it came to vying for their father’s good graces, the boys became very cold, calculating, and cut-throat. They were obviously following in the footsteps of their patriarch. Thus it fell upon Sunetra’s quick tongue to talk herself out of a violent beating at the hands of her tumultuous father. She became a proficient wordsmith at a very young age.
With her father struggling to save his crumbling legacy and her mother embroiled in the political intrigue of the various noble houses, Sunetra found herself with an abundance of free time on her hands. No one cared enough about her to notice the fact that she was gone most of the day. Sunetra spent most of her time investigating the oddities of the city. If she wasn’t watching the Lamplighter’s Union light the huge magical globes suspended above the district, she was pestering the golem-guards of the Ardoc Family. It wasn’t long before her curiosity took her beyond their district and into greater Kaer Maga. She watched the Augurs do their readings with their steaming, dripping entrails. She tried to learn the Sweettalkers language of whistles, clicks, and sign language. Or she simply marvelled at the undead servants prominent in the Ankar-Te district.
When Sunetra-Mei wasn’t venturing off to explore the wonders of the city, she was practicing in the courtyard with the family’s master armsman, Korvos. Korvos was a brutish half-orc covered in equal amounts of scars and tattoos with a demanding air and little patience for shortcomings. You either performed up to his standard, or you were punished. He was by far the largest man on the grounds, and had orders from Tolas to show no mercy when training Sunetra-Mei. His lessons were hard and his blows were meant to injure just as much as they were meant to instruct.
On the first day of his training Sunetra-Mei was instructed to go into the armory and select her weapon. As usual, her brothers got first choice and picked the armory clean, choosing exceptionally crafted longswords, scimitars, and rapiers. She sifted through the pile of unwanted weapons, pushing aside blades that were clearly bent, dull, or in some cases brittle and rusted. It was then that he found a unique blade at the bottom of the pile. It had a long blade which tapered in the middle and had faded azure lines running up the length of the blade which fanned out near the rounded tip. It had a thin crossguard which curved sharply up and a cracked garnet in the hilt (a weathered/neglected version of this sword). It was different; unlike the others. Neglected, unwanted, just like her. She took up the sword, returning to the courtyard and the cold piercing gaze of the huge half-orc.
While her days were spent training in the yard or exploring the city, her nights were spent studying in the library. She would read until her eyes burned and the candles sputtered out, leaving large pools of wax on the floor. One night she awoke, her face buried in some large tome detailing the effects of various illicit drugs found on Golarion and the library was engulfed in flame. She reacted instinctively, covering her mouth with the sleeve of one hand and leapt through the flames charging a second story window. She reached down, grabbing her sword in stride, before she burst through the window, falling to the courtyard below. She hit the cobblestones hard, shards of glass and bits of broken window frame clattering to the stones around her. Once she had her bearings she lifted her gaze to see the majority of their manor fully engulfed in flames. She tried to stand, intent on rushing back inside to check on the others, but when she put pressure on her left foot, pain shot up her leg. It was then that she realized that she had badly sprained her ankle. She let out a muffled cry, both from the physical pain of her damaged ankle and the emotional pain of realizing she may be the sole survivor of her family.
Unable to walk, she dragged herself on her stomach behind an expertly trimmed hedgerow, unsure if their assailants were still scouring their grounds, looking for survivors. It was then that she noticed the body of Davn, their groundsman, his lifeless eyes staring back at her, his throat cleanly cut, blood pooling around him. It was then that she knew this was no random act of violence, no accident. Someone wanted their family dead, and she had to escape.
Then, the voice.
<<Escape… Magnimar. The ship... Jenivere. Expand your mind... Enlightenment awaits deep within the mists of the jungle...>>
Sunetra-Mei’s head shot up from the refuse, confused as to who could’ve spotted her.
”What? Who-“
It was then that Sunetra-Mei realized no one had spoken. The voice had come from inside her head.
What is this? Wh-who are you? What do you want with me?”
There was no response. It mentioned something about a ship and… Magnimar? Enlightenment? The jungle? If there is a ship leaving Magnimar, it seems like the most sensible thing to do right now. There is nothing left for me here. Not anymore.
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Would you allow a goblin cleric of Sarenrae? It fits in your rules, but many GMs seem to very much dislike the idea. He is NG, and tries very very hard to be good. He loves The Lady, as he calls Sarenrae, both in her roles of redemption and fire.
If this concept would be allowed, I will rewrite the (previously rejected) character to fit your instructions.
I made Garri for 2 other campaigns and he was rejected from both, but unfortunately I got very excited about the little guy.
Alias for Vitranna.
Awesome submissions so far everyone; I'll go over them all individually as I get the chance, and PM you with any specific qualms I might have. Quick looks show everything's good!
@Redelia - The light of the Dawnflower shines on all who seek repentance from their evil ways, from the lowliest Goblin to the mightiest Dragon. All are welcome to be warmed by Sarenrae's magnificent light!
So in other words, I don't have a problem with him, and won't reject the concept outright because of the goblin aspect (as I gather the others have).
I'm pretty happy with how this revision of my background turned out. Unless you want me to write in some details about her time spent aboard the Jenivere, I'll consider this the final version.
Tolosivius’ political and social failings lead the man to develop a heavy drinking problem which sparked severe fits of rage, regularly directed at Novennia. He wouldn’t dare raise his voice at his pure-blooded Chelaxian boys, but the bastard girl was a mistake, another mar on the legacy of their crumbling house and a readily available outlet for his rage. Her brothers felt fleeting moments of pity for her, but when it came to vying for their father’s good graces, the boys became very cold, calculating, and cut-throat. They were obviously following in the footsteps of their patriarch. Thus, it fell upon Novennia’s quick tongue to talk herself out of violent beatings at the hands of their tumultuous father. She became a proficient wordsmith at a very young age.
With her father struggling to mend his shattered legacy and her mother embroiled in the political intrigue of the various noble houses, Novennia found herself with an abundance of free time on her hands. No one cared enough about her to notice the fact that she was out of the house most days. Novennia spent most of her time investigating the wondrous oddities of the city. If she wasn’t watching the Lamplighter’s Union light the huge magical globes suspended above the district, she was pestering the golem-guards of the Ardoc Family. It wasn’t long before her curiosity took her beyond their district and into greater Kaer Maga. She watched the Augurs do their readings with their steaming, dripping entrails. She tried to learn the Sweettalkers language of whistles, clicks, and sign language. Or she pestered the necromancers in Ankar-Te for any secrets of how they made their undead servants follow their every whim.
When Novennia wasn’t venturing off to explore the wonders of the city, she was practicing in the courtyard with the family’s master armsman, Korvos. Korvos was a brutish half-orc covered in equal amounts of scars and tattoos with a demanding air and little patience for shortcomings. You either performed up to his standard, or you were punished. He was by far the largest man on the grounds, and had orders from Tolosivius to show no mercy when training Novennia. His lessons were hard and his blows were meant to injure just as much as they were meant to instruct.
On the first day of her training Novennia was instructed to go into the armory and select a weapon. As usual, her brothers got first choice and picked the armory clean, choosing exceptionally crafted longswords, scimitars, and rapiers. She sifted through the pile of unwanted weapons, pushing aside blades that were clearly bent, dull, or in some cases brittle and rusted. It was then that he found a unique sword at the bottom of the pile. It had a long blade which tapered in the middle with faded azure lines running down it’s length which fanned out near the rounded tip. It had a thin crossguard which curved sharply up and a cracked garnet in the hilt (a weathered/worn version of this sword). It was different; unlike the others. Neglected, unwanted, just like her. She took up the sword, returning to the courtyard and the cold piercing gaze of the huge half-orc.
While her days were spent training in the yard or exploring the city, her nights were spent studying in the library. She would read until her eyes burned and the candles sputtered out, leaving large pools of wax on the floor. One night she awoke, her face buried in some large tome detailing the effects of various illicit drugs found on Golarion to find the library engulfed in flames. She reacted instinctively, covering her mouth with a sleeve of her silk blouse and leapt through the flames sprinting to a second story window. She reached down, grabbing her sword in stride, before she burst through the window, falling to the courtyard below. She hit the cobblestones hard, shards of glass and bits of broken window frame clattering to the stones around her. Once she had her bearings she lifted her gaze to see the majority of their manor fully engulfed in flames. She tried to stand, intent on rushing back inside to check on the others, but when she put pressure on her left foot, pain shot up her leg. It was then that she realized that she had badly sprained her ankle. She let out a muffled cry, both from the physical pain of her damaged ankle and the emotional pain of realizing she may be the sole survivor of her family.
Unable to walk, she dragged herself on her stomach behind an expertly trimmed hedgerow, unsure if their assailants were still scouring their grounds, looking for survivors. It was then that she noticed the body of Davn, their groundsman, his lifeless eyes staring back at her, his throat cleanly cut, blood pooling around him. It was then that she knew this was no random act of violence, no accident. Someone wanted their family dead, and she had to escape.
Then, the voice.
<<Escape… >>
Novennia’s head shot up from the hedge, confused as to who could’ve spotted her.
”What? Who-“
<<Magnimar. The ship... Jenivere. Expand your mind... Enlightenment awaits deep within the mists of the jungle...>>
It was then that Novennia realized no one had spoken. The voice had come from inside her head.
What is this? Wh-who are you? What do you want with me?”
There was no response. It mentioned something about a ship and… Magnimar? Enlightenment? The jungle? If there is a ship leaving Magnimar, it seems like the most sensible thing to do right now. There is nothing left for me here. Not anymore.
Novennia managed to fashion a makeshift splint for her ankle using strips of cloth from her skirt and some of the window frame. She rose from her place of hiding and looked back at her house a final time, the structure beginning to weaken, the roof sagging in places, before shifting into an exact replica of the dead groundsman, Davn. She stumbled away, towards the Halflight Path. With her injury it was certainly slow going, but she had no trouble boarding a river raft heading south on the Yondabakari River which would take her all the way to Magnimar. The voice seduced her with promises of enlightenment and new experiences, all she need do is make it aboard this Jenivere and the voice would take care of the rest.
She located the ship easily enough in the Dockway and found she had a few days to unwind in the city before it’s departure. She paid for a few nights stay at the Fang and did a little shopping, picking up a number of maps of the southern jungles and tomes detailing it’s native peoples, culture, and various dialects. The day of departure finally arrived and she gladly paid her fare, happy to be on board. She stowed away her gear in the hold and leaned against the rail, breathing in deep and admiring the view - she had never been on a ship, after all - silently pondering the source of the voice inside her head...
So I've just come up with a fun character concept for a Barbarian, GM. I was wondering if you would be all right with me putting both the Jungle Rager & the Primal Hunter archetypes on a character? Not trying for something overpowered, I just thought it was a cool idea. If you're not, I would make him just the Jungle Rager. I would also use the Unchained Barbarian as the base, since I like their version of Rage better (less number adjustment = more fun for me).
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My name is Stephven Burncrest, and in two weeks’ time, I shall board a sailing vessel, bound for the port you call home. As I am sure you know, my father died searching for the ruins that they say dot the jungles of Sarvaga. You may have been with him when it happened, for all I know. A scant amount of information has reached me regarding his death, beyond the simple fact that it happened. This dearth of knowledge is why I will set sail for Eleder.
I found your name amongst my late father’s effects, and I must admit I know not whether you are still at the listed address, or indeed still alive, but upon seeing the name, I felt an otherworldly compulsion to meet you. Though I remember very little from the years he was alive, your name stands amongst my memories like a shining beacon, guiding me along a path that leads into the unknown. It’s as if the whispered words of my father long passed are moving me forward.
They say that ghosts are the souls of the living who died in a way that affected them from this plane to the next. I fear my father might be one such spirit, as I have seen him out the corner of my eye, silently pushing me towards this goal. He speaks to me of lost treasures, to finds unknown, to fame and glory for the discoverer. I feel like I must fulfill this, for him.
So I set forth, into the unknown of the Lost Colony. I do not know how long the journey will take, but I pray that this letter reaches you, so you might be prepared for my arrival, and pray that I reach you, that I might finish what my father seems to have started.
Sincerely yours,
Stephven Burncrest
They say that becoming a spiritualist is an event, not a calling. Well for Stephven Burncrest, the event ended up his calling. Losing his father at the young age of six, Stephven was raised by his mother, not knowing much of his father's past, beyond that he was an explorer.
Upon the even of his 21st birthday, Stephven discovered a hitherto unknown cache of his father's belongings; trinkets from lands far and wide, dusty tomes of knowledge in languages the young Stephven was unfamiliar with, and a stack of correspondences between his father and a Mr. Barrister in the city of Eleder, the capital of the former Chelish colony of Sargava. What he also found, but did not see, was his father's spirit, long attached to his possessions, and now attached to Stephven.
Over the course of the next year, Stephven grappled with this new found roommate of the mind, learning to give his father's spirit form, insubstantial at first, but growing in strength and corporeality as Stephven's will strengthened.
Not wanting to be thought a freak, he kept his newfound powers to himself, manifesting his phantom only when he was sure he was alone. His father told him wonderful stories of ruins, lost lands, and the unexplored jungle depths of Sargava, where he had perished. Unfortunately, Gerimyah's death had robbed him of some of his memories, and unable to remember the cause, developed a zeal of discovery that flowed over into his son.
When Stephven heard tale of a chartered ship, departing in a month's time, to Eleder, he knew what he must do. Drafting the letter you see above, in hopes of finding a friendly ally in a strange world, he began preparations to venture forth, find out the cause of his father's demise, and to uncover the secrets of the realm that so tantalize them both.
So I've just come up with a fun character concept for a Barbarian, GM. I was wondering if you would be all right with me putting both the Jungle Rager & the Primal Hunter archetypes on a character? Not trying for something overpowered, I just thought it was a cool idea. If you're not, I would make him just the Jungle Rager. I would also use the Unchained Barbarian as the base, since I like their version of Rage better (less number adjustment = more fun for me).
Primal Hunter wouldn't work, as it's modifications to Rage would essentially be the same as the uBarb's Rage, and I couldn't in good conscious let them stack. I see no problems with Jungle Rager, however.
So I've just come up with a fun character concept for a Barbarian, GM. I was wondering if you would be all right with me putting both the Jungle Rager & the Primal Hunter archetypes on a character? Not trying for something overpowered, I just thought it was a cool idea. If you're not, I would make him just the Jungle Rager. I would also use the Unchained Barbarian as the base, since I like their version of Rage better (less number adjustment = more fun for me).Primal Hunter wouldn't work, as it's modifications to Rage would essentially be the same as the uBarb's Rage, and I couldn't in good conscious let them stack. I see no problems with Jungle Rager, however.
That's fair, like I said that archetype is the less essential one. Jungle Rager will be written up, then.
I would ask for Janus to be considered
He is a man on the run, a man lost.
Janus takes the backpack from the manservant and shoulders the weight
“I could never thank you for your help tonight Horace, for your help always…”
”I will never have the chance, I will never be returning”
Janus turns and slips through the small sidedoor - out into the night.
“goodbye Horace”
Janus moves off through the dark gardens, headed for the docks.
Stealth Roll:Janus: 1d20 + 6 = (17) + 6 = 23
Vestris: 1d20 + 3 = (8) + 3 = 11
Any questions please ask, I can flesh out the history if you would like a more detailed story.
Thank you.
Louxman
Bahzell wanders into the tavern.
"I really need to find work
He gives the current patrons a steely eyed grimmace, while he looks for a place to set himself down. Seeing an open chair, he makes his way over and sets his gear down.
"Ale, any type so long as it is cold