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I'm planning a campaign using the modules set in Falcon's Hollow (D0, D1, D1.5, E1 & possibly D4 when it comes out), and I love the trait system from the APs! I'd like to include some campaign traits for the PCs to choose from. Has anyone done this or have any suggestions?
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8
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I haven't done this personally, as traits weren't out yet when I ran D0 for my PCs, but I'd suggest looking at the various plot hooks for D0 and basing traits off those.
Basically, come up with a list of ways your PCs could end up in Laurel's shop asking about the disease, pick the top 6 or so you like, and come up with a game mechanics boost that they might conceivably receive from it. Paizo guys have consistently referred to traits as being half as powerful as a feat, to give you an idea of how good to make them.
Beyond actually helping you come up with them though, thats all I can suggest, hopefully I haven't been wasting your time telling you stuff you already know.
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So, has anybody actually come up with any Campaign Traits for this that you'd like to share? I'm supposed to be starting my wife and father-in-law into these modules tomorrow afternoon, and having some Campaign Traits to tie the characters in would be nice. I'm sure I can come up with something, but I'd like to see if anyone has already done it.
Anybody? 8^)
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So, has anybody actually come up with any Campaign Traits for this that you'd like to share? I'm supposed to be starting my wife and father-in-law into these modules tomorrow afternoon, and having some Campaign Traits to tie the characters in would be nice. I'm sure I can come up with something, but I'd like to see if anyone has already done it.
Anybody? 8^)
I ended up coming up with a handful that I created specifically for the characters my players were running. They may or may not fit other PCs, many of them I stole from other Paizo traits, and I make no claim of them being balanced (I think they may be a bit more powerful than official traits -- but I only gave one, not two), but here they are:
for a half-orc fighter: Hard Hitter: Your one great talent it knowing how to hit someone in just the right way to cause the maximum amount of pain; the fact that others recognize this talent means you don't always have to use it. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate checks, and you deal additional damage equal to your weapon's critical hit modifier when you score a critical hit with a weapon; this extra damage is added to the final total, and is not multiplied by the critical hit multiple itself. This extra damage is a trait bonus.
for a human sorceror (aberrant): Alien Mind: There is a taint in your blood, one that is alien and bizarre. You tend to think in odd ways, approaching life from an angle most do not expect. As a result, you are more difficult to trick or frighten than others. You gain a +1 trait bonus to saves against enchantment spells or effects, illusion spells or effects, and fear effects.
for a cleric of Iomedae: The Courage of Your Convictions: You are completely convinced of the righteousness of your cause and the purity of your motivations. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Will saves and do an additional 1 point of damage per die against undead when you channel positive energy.
for the son of an escaped halfling slave working at the Sitting Duck: The Walls Have Ears: You keep your mouth closed and your ears open. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (local) checks, and Gather Information is always a class skill for you.
for a dwarf ranger investigating Drokar's Crucible: Secrets of Your Ancestors: You have a special interest in the history of your people. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (history) as it pertains to dwarves, and Knowledge (history) is always a class skill for you.
So, has anybody actually come up with any Campaign Traits for this that you'd like to share? I'm supposed to be starting my wife and father-in-law into these modules tomorrow afternoon, and having some Campaign Traits to tie the characters in would be nice. I'm sure I can come up with something, but I'd like to see if anyone has already done it.
Anybody? 8^)
I created a Character Traits PDF for my Darkmoon Vale campaign, and it has a list of campaign traits. I didn't create regional traits though, since none of the PCs will be from the Vale.
You may recognize many of the traits as borrowed and modified from some of the PF adventure paths. I've modified them heavily though, so the material might be a bit too "homebrewy" for you.
If you're interested, the PDF is on my website.
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I ended up coming up with a handful that I created specifically for the characters my players were running. They may or may not fit other PCs, many of them I stole from other Paizo traits, and I make no claim of them being balanced (I think they may be a bit more powerful than official traits -- but I only gave one, not two), but here they are:
for a half-orc fighter: Hard Hitter: Your one great talent it knowing how to hit someone in just the right way to cause the maximum amount of pain; the fact that others recognize this talent means you don't always have to use it. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate checks, and you deal additional damage equal to your weapon's critical hit modifier when you score a critical hit with a weapon; this extra damage is added to the final total, and is not multiplied by the critical hit multiple itself. This extra damage is a trait bonus.
for a human sorceror (aberrant): Alien Mind: There is a taint in your blood, one that is alien and bizarre. You tend to think in odd ways, approaching life from an angle most do not expect. As a result, you are more difficult to trick or frighten than others. You gain a +1 trait bonus to saves against enchantment spells or effects, illusion spells or effects, and fear effects.
for a cleric of Iomedae: The Courage of Your Convictions: You are completely convinced of the righteousness of your cause and the purity of your motivations. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Will saves and do an additional 1 point of damage per die against undead when you channel positive energy.
for the son...
really cool Joanna :)
I will have to take them for my personal use...s pecially the oen for Iomedian Cleric is pretty cool :)|
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Joana, Tom: Thanks for your posts! Interesting stuff. I didn't actually use any of your traits, but I did use some of them for inspiration... (I've been meaning to come back and post mine here for some time, but kept forgetting.)
Here are the ones I came up with:
- Company Lumberjack: You've been logging in the Darkmoon Wood for a few years now and, whether you were born there or not, Falcon's Hollow has become as close to "home" as any place you could name. You frequently come into town for supplies, but this time there's something different. The town has never been what you'd describe as friendly, but people are even less outgoing than normal. You've heard some rumors about people getting sick lately, but the coughing is more widespread than you would have expected. Your years as a lumberjack may not help with what's going around, but it has given you a great deal of experience with an axe. You deal an extra 1 point of damage when you hit a target with any sort of axe.
- Infected Family Member: You've always been very hardy, but one or more members of your family have recently fallen ill. You've seen -- and heard -- a number of other people around town with similar symptoms; hacking coughs that eventually cough up blood if not treated. No real cure has been found, but most of the people in town have been turning to Laurel, proprietor of Roots and Remedies, for poultices and spiced teas that they say seem to help. Fortunately, you have always been very healthy; you get a +1 trait bonus to Fortitude saving throws.
- Ancestral Homeland: (Dwarf only) You have traced your ancestry along a winding path across Avistan to one of the ancient dwarven kingdoms of the Five Kings Mountains, just north of Darkmoon Wood. You have arrived in Falcon's Hollow, the closest settlement to the mountains, just as some sort of outbreak has taken hold. The journey has been long, but it has taught you a great deal about the past, and how to research. You get a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (history) and that skill is always considered a class skill for you.
- Pathfinder Recruit: You were discovered at an early age by an agent of the Pathfinder Society due to your natural talent with a critical adventuring skill. You have been sent by the local Pathfinder Venture Captain to investigate rumors of a disease outbreak in Falcon's Hollow. Pick one of the following skills: Disable Device, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Perception, Spellcraft, or Stealth. You gain a +1 trait bonus in that skill, and that skill is always considered a class skill for you.
- Werewolf Hunter: You have spent a great deal of your life hunting lycanthropes. You may have lost a loved one to a werewolf attack, or you may have survived an attack by one yourself, and you have sworn to prevent this from happening to anyone else. To that end, you have procured a silvered weapon. You have come to Falcon's Hollow to pick up this weapon from a local armorer, just as the town seems to be coming down with some sort of plague. Choose one weapon (not a double weapon) with which you are proficient; you start play with a free masterwork, alchemically silvered version of this weapon.
- Bad Day in Town: You live somewhere in Darkmoon Vale, and had to come in to Falcon's Hollow recently to purchase supplies, sell goods, hire some help, or some other mundane reason. You'd been in town for a couple of days before you heard about the sickness going around, and have found yourself beginning to cough. Catching this disease has steeled your resolve. You begin play infected with blackscour taint; assume you have only had to make one saving throw so far and failed, thus beginning with 1 point of Constitution damage. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Will saving throws, which rises to +3 as long as you are infected by blackscour taint.
There are some great ideas in this thread. I love the 'Falcon's Hollow' series of modules and it's great to see other folks coming up with some support for them.
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I don't know how useful this will be, but I'm going to cast Raise Dead on this topic so that I can share the top 10 traits I've created for this game. You'll see that they build upon what has already been posted. Also, note that I'm only giving one big trait to each PC, so my traits do more than a normal trait would do. I hope these traits tell the background about Falcon's Hollow. If I do it correctly, just reading through these should give the players a very good feel for what the town is like.
Also, before I list the traits, a word about Huck (an NPC mentioned below). Huck is originally called Thelgrin in the module Revenge of the Kobold King. I changed Thelgrin's name because it sounds too close to Thuldrin, the big bad boss. My players would quickly confuse the names, so a good & drastic change was necessary.
Also, all bonuses are competence bonuses unless noted otherwise. So they shouldn't stack with spells such as Guidance.
Prerequisites: non-druid, non-ranger
Though you came to Falcon's Hollow as an adventurer, the adventures never materialized. Soon you found yourself employed as a lumberjack by Thuldrin Kreed, a leader of the Lumber Consortium. You have been logging in the Darkmoon Wood for a while now, though you are restocking in town at the start of the campaign. Gain a +1 bonus to damage when using any sort of axe, and a +2 to diplomacy checks vs. lumberjacks. Unlocks: a map of lumber camps, and dossiers on Thuldrin, Payden, Milon, Jarlben, and Huck.
Prerequisites: non-good, non-druid, non-ranger
Though you came to Falcon's Hollow as an adventurer, the adventures never materialized. Soon you found yourself employed as a mercenary by Thuldrin Kreed, a leader of the Lumber Consortium. Thankfully, you have finally saved up enough to strike out on your own again. Gain a +1 bonus to all social skill checks (bluff, diplomacy, intimidate) with all employees of the Lumber Consortium (lumberjacks, mercenaries, and leadership). Unlocks: a map of lumber camps, and dossiers on Thuldrin, Payden, Milon, Jarlben, Mutters, Vamros, and Deldrin.
Prerequisites (D&D 3.5): does not worship Heironeous, CON 13+ or INT 13+
Prerequisites (Pathfinder): does not worship Iomedae, CON 13+ or INT 13+
Life in the Darkmoon Vale is often brutal and desperate. Though the town of Falcon's Hollow has a healer named Lady Cirthana, her religious proselytizing and open hostility toward Thuldrin has made everyone wary, and most are too poor to afford her spells anyway. You have learned to manage your wounds without holy aid, though this has left you with at least 1 visible scar. When you take a full night's rest, you recover an additional number of hit points equal to your Constitution bonus, or your Intelligence bonus, whichever you prefer. This reflects either your hardiness, or your skill at cleaning and stitching wounds. The bonus doubles with a full day's rest (24 hours), or if someone provides you with long term care (as per the heal skill), or if you expend a use of a Healer's Kit and make a DC 5 heal check before your night's rest. This bonus may never increase beyond a doubling.
Prerequisites (D&D 3.5): CON 13+ or worship Kord, Pelor, or Istus
Prerequisites (Pathfinder): CON 13+ or worship Kurgess, Marishi, or Pharasma
You have always been very hardy, but a loved one recently fell ill. You have seen and heard a number of other people around town with similar symptoms—hacking coughs that eventually produce blood if not treated. Your focus on health and fitness may save you; gain a +1 bonus to all Fortitude saving throws and an additional +1 circumstance bonus vs. poison or disease (you must declare the choice when you take this, and the option cannot be revised). If you meet the prerequisite by worshipping Istus (or Pharasma in Pathfinder), you may not have always been a health nut, but received a vision inciting you to become one.
Prerequisites: ranks in alchemy or healing skills, or a class that offers alchemical or healing features at 1st level
You've befriended Laurel, the local apothecary. Recently, a mysterious coughing sickness has spread through the populace. The two of you have experimented with various solutions for the townsfolk, but no luck thus far. However, Laurel has a failsafe: an extremely expensive concoction that delivers a powerful health boost in all areas. Unfortunately, no one in town would be able to afford it, and likely they would do terrible things to obtain it. Laurel herself sold a family heirloom to cover the crafting costs. With your help, she has secretly brewed a dose for the both of you. If you vow to keep this secret, you may begin the game with one dose of Laurel's hardy brew. Unlocks: dossier on Laurel.
(Note: my intention here is that the dose grants immunity to disease for a week and a +1 to all other fort saves during that same time, but I do not wish the players to know beforehand if it is disease or poison or a curse that is affecting the town, so I cannot state clearly in the text that it is an anti-disease boost. They get to know this only once the game starts and they drink the potion.)
Prerequisites: non-lawful, any class that confers stealth as a class skill, and a rank in bluff, sleight of hand, profession (con artist), or profession (gambling)
You have spent some time preying upon the citizens of Falcon's Hollow, not always successfully. If you are evil, you have scammed the common citizens, earning a -1 to social interactions (bluff, diplomacy, intimidate) with them. If you are neutral or good, you have stolen from the wealthy & corrupt residents of The Perch, earning a -1 to social interactions with them. The payoff for all this lying and thievery is that you begin the game with 5x the average starting gold for your class (minimum 200). Unlocks: dossier on Kabran.
Prerequisites: none
You are a wealthy resident of The Perch -- a hill upon which the best homes have been built. Though it's good to come from money, you may or may not be aware that the whistles and bird calls you hear in town are a subtle jab at your fortunate upbringing. You have a -1 to social interactions (bluff, diplomacy, intimidate) with the commoners and low-born of Falcon's Hollow. However, your family has insisted that you strike out on your own, giving you 5x the average starting gold for your class (minimum 200) to become a "self-made man." Unlocks: dossier on Thuldrin.
Prerequisites: non-evil, starting age 24 or lower
As a race that isn't long-lived, your youth is quite recent in memory. In fact, many of the younger kids in town are known to you, and either look up to you or enjoy joking around with you. Gain a +3 bonus to diplomacy checks vs. kids, and +1 to gather information checks made using the help of kids in town. Note: these two bonuses do not stack; the former relies upon your good interactions with the kids, while the latter relies upon the kids' good interactions with others. Unlocks: dossiers on Kimi, Hollin, Mikra, Jurin, and Savram, as well as some information on each child's parent/caretaker.
Prerequisites: none
Family members (which you may name) are alive & well in Falcon's Hollow. Disadvantage: if things go wrong in town, your family may be part of it. Advantage: free room & board while in town, unlike those stuck paying for rooms at Jak’a’Napes (or worse, paying for a room + prostitute at the Rouge Lady). Your family is not offering to house/feed your allies. Though this may seem a minor boon, do not forget that there are many months of down time between modules, and I will be tracking cost of living. Unlocks: any one town NPC dossier of your choosing, as a family friend or enemy, selected at any time, including long after the start of the campaign.
Prerequisites: none
Your parents died while you were young. Because of this, you have spent time at Elara's orphanage outside of town. If you are a member of a short-lived race, then you likely were there as an orphan who needed shelter. If you are a member of a long-lived race, then you may have lost family before the orphanage existed, but you nonetheless spent time there, perhaps due to empathy and a wish to aid those of a similar background. In addition, your family's grave site holds deeply personal, almost religious meaning. Take a -1 to all skill checks any time a month passes without you visiting the graves, but gain a +2 circumstance bonus to all rolls should anyone ever threaten the memory of your family. Unlocks: dossiers on Elara, Sharvaros, Jak.
(Note: there is a bit of managing expectations that needs to happen with this last one. People will take it expecting to role play every social interaction into an argument about his/her family, so as to get the +2. Unfortunately, the more clear the text becomes, the more it will give away. So when they try to take advantage, let them know that it will be very obvious if it triggers. And then, when they must battle their own zombie parents in Hungry are the Dead and they are screaming "OH MY GOD" you get to say, "That +2 you took way back at the start? Yeah, now." My intention is to let them have the +2 for the entire module once their dead family is put into the mix, though you may wish to be more parsimonious. Also, I do not provide a dossier on Jeva, as she is a recent addition to the orphanage. The PC should have long moved on for training/apprenticeship in his/her selected class.)
I wish I had an 11th trait that tied into the fey somehow, but my creative energies dried up....