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On 22nd June, Murder Hobo Company #4755, Varisian Local 400, escorts Ameiko Kaijitsu Amatatsu and company in her quest to ascend her throne.
Naturally, being card-carrying murder hobos, they will do so by way of dishing out (and taking) copious quantities of foolishness, mayhem and especially gratuitously graphic violence upon the bodies of everyone and everything that gets in their way.
The PCs are 25 point buy, 2 gratis traits (or an eligible Story feat), monstrosities starting at 10th level at the beginning of Chapter 4. 62k gp for their pizza, gear and "adult novelties" collections.
No Hero Points though. ;)
Dramatis Personae
- K_GM A "Disciple of Wu" - aka "Herp Derp", trapfinder Ranger/Fighter
- Haru "Fu Manchu", Summoner (archetype YTBD) with a 'Foo Lion' eidolon
- le Artiste "Woody", hedonist ratfolk Monk (flowing monk archetype w/ janni combat style & probably some permitted 'dipping' into Monk Vows and Quingoing powers for poos and grins)
- Agent J "Blasty McBlastsalot" <-- current name is assigned, as I have no idea what the character is going to be other than a Sorcerer
- "OJ" character unknown
There is no need for a Cleric to be in situ if the PC casters can slather on sufficient buffs to let Herp Derp, Fu Manchu's 'Foo Lion' and "Woody" shred the bad guys and take their stuff. Post-combat bandaging should be easy enough.
You seem to have a lot of campaigns on the go. How often do you guys game?
You seem to have a lot of campaigns on the go. How often do you guys game?
The Carrion Crown group, for obvious reasons, is switching gears to this campaign. Same group, 1/month on a Saturday right now.
Jade Regent is scheduled when Da Fighter is tasked with mandatory all-day work stuff, making this group the easiest to schedule.
Shattered Star group is also 1/month on a Saturday. Generally I schedule this group a week or two apart from Jade Regent, usually earlier in the month due to Da Fighter's aforementioned work schedule.
Skull & Shackles group is 1 or 2/month on a Sunday. I am a player in this group, not the GM. This is the same group that was the core of the Savage Tide group, which transitioned over to being the PF Beta CotCT group and thence into being combined CoT/KM group. These same few were all together at one point "back in the day" for a Red Hand of Doom campaign that initially transitioned into K_GM's AoW, thence into the Savage Tide.
There are some players in common between them. Agent J is in the Shattered Star and Jade Regent groups that I am the GM for. He and I are the only two people 'in common' between them.
Shattered Star and Skull & Shackles share myself, Missus Turin, Da Fighter and Da Pimp. Da Pimp is the GM for Sk&Sh.
3 different games, all told three or four six-hour sessions per calendar month.
By obvious reasons are you referring to the double TPK in the first session?
By obvious reasons are you referring to the double TPK in the first session?
Correct.
That's not too crazy then. We generally game every Friday evening if possible for about 4 hours. I'd do more, but I don't really have the time.
I think we're already on a leg down in this Jade Regent campaign. Having a Summoner and a Monk on board is less than optimal. I don't know why players look at the rulebooks, and select character classes that offer less than others. The monk I understand, given the player, but the summoner... I'm trying to pursuade the other two remaining players to actually play a wizard and a cleric. Imagine that... Given my track record, I probably shouldn't be surprised if they show up with a bard and an Alchemist. Yesterday, I attempted to enlighten the player of 'Fu Manchu' that he does in fact have an almost non-existant spell list, and can basically only summon things, and hope his Eidolon Attack Doggie can keep hordes of (I am surmising) evil Samurai, Ninjas and Oni from oblitterating his character. Naturally, I was UNsuccessful in every respect...
There is no need for a Cleric to be in situ if the PC casters can slather on sufficient buffs to let Herp Derp, Fu Manchu's 'Foo Lion' and "Woody" shred the bad guys and take their stuff. Post-combat bandaging should be easy enough.
Please forgive the rant, but that's just it Turin. What Sufficient buffs from PC Casters? Haru's Summoner can add ABSOLUTELY ZERO in the way of Buff or Healing spells in that venture. He will have to purchase all of his efforts to that end (potions, scrolls & wands), as will the rest of us, because he's opted for a character class that has no spells on their list that can heal, buff, etc. All he can do is summon critters and create pits. If Agent J goes with a Sorcerer, the same will largely be true. The spells these types of casters can select are far too limited. We will all end up going bankrupt continually buying wands of Cure Serious Wounds. And that's assuming that any of the players were smart enought to select "Use Magic Device" skill ranks, to be able to use Clerical wands. Please assist me in encouraging "OJ" to create an actual cleric. Failing that, I will look to immediately secure a henchman/hireling cleric, who helps me personally. I am prepared to take the Leadership feat if needed in that venture. I regret the potential need for & presence of additional henchman/hirelings; as they further clutter the field of battle and add even more time and complications to combat encounters (as does all the Summoned minions of 'Fu Manchu'). Not what I wanted, but I've got to survive, given my fellow players rejection any notion of teamwork or sensible selections of characters. This is the end result of players who select "Flavor of the Month" character classes, as core members of the adventuring party (PCs). Summoners, Alchemists, Bards, etc. should be reserved for '5th wheel characters' (a 5th character, in support of a Cleric, Fighter, Wizard, and one other standard PC class). It's looking like an entire group of 5th wheel characters, which is more likely to end up as bankrupt and Chop Suey in short order...
Not entirely true.
The following 'buff' spells at 10th level are at least theoretically available to a 10th level Summoner just from the APG alone:
- Cantrips guidance
- 1st Level enlarge person, expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic fang, protection from C/E/G/L, shield
- 2nd Level barkskin, bear's endurance, bull's strength, cat's grace, eagle's splendor, fox's cunning, , owl's wisdom, protection from arrows, resist energy, see invisibility, slow
- 3rd Level displacement, enlarge person - mass, fly, heroism, magic fang - greater, protection from energy, rage, stoneskin, water breathing
- 4th Level bear's endurance - mass, bull's strength - mass, cat's grace - mass, eagle's splendor - mass, fox's cunning - mass, overland flight, owl's wisdom - mass
- None of this takes into account a summoner's available 'battlefield control' spells (pit and wall spells primarily), their few direct offensive spells, nor their access to the teleportation spells.
Alchemists, especially ones that select the chirurgeon archetype and/or that choose a single Discovery, make perfectly capable healers in addition to hucking hand grenades of fiery death ... and get Brew Potion for free ... and come with a rapidly accelerating Craft (alchemy) bonus that permits them to make all those yummy alchemical weapons easy peasy, at cost, and faster. They have a broader array of "buff" spells available to them - and, unlike a Summoner, they can theoretically have ALL of them in their formula book.
Alchemists prepare their "spells", the same as a Cleric, Druid and Wizard. Alchemists can leave a few "spells" unprepared - and are able to prepare such a "spell" in a minute or two, far faster than a Wizard can and something that Clerics and Druids simply cannot do. Alchemists don't get access to the raw firepower that a Wizard does, but they can provide an "arcane healer" that is quite effective.
UMD with wands of cure light wounds is well established as the most singularly cost-efficient method of between-combat hit point replenishment. At 750 gp for a fully charged CL 1 wand of cure light wounds, you simply cannot buy more cost-per-hp of effective healing than that. 50 charges cures a mathematical average of 275 hp as I figure it. That is a per-hp-cost of 2 gp, 7 sp, 3 cp (rounding up). In other words, a single charge costs 15 gp, as compared to the 50 gp for a potion of cure light wounds.
Keep in mind that because the group of PCs is 10th level, they could come into play with one or more Item Creation feats, such as Craft Wand.
Let's say that the Summoner has Craft Wand and, for some reason, Agent J's Sorcerer has access to cure light wounds via bloodline or feat or whatever. Every four days of adventuring, per RAW, the two of them can craft a fresh, fully charged CL 1 wand of cure light wounds at the out-of-pocket cost of 375 gp in materials. If the group camps for a day, they can make one of those wands a day at the low, low cost of one CLW spell cast from memory or via spell-like ability or something similar. It's best to treat these CLW wands as 'pixie sticks', simply making new ones as time and need permit.
Regarding summoned mini-onions, I have already informed Haru that he must have "stat cards" printed for anything and everything that he wishes to be able to summon so that he can simply lay out the cards for the critters as he summons them.
Since he cannot have his Foo Lion 'out' at the same time that he uses his class' spell-like summon monster ability, Haru will either be using regular summon monster spells, which is tricky to do given the limited number of known spells available to him to supplement the Foo Lion, or he will not have his Foo Lion 'out' and have one critter or set of critters out via spell-like ability and/or summon monster spells.
A Master Summoner is the only Summoner that can truly 'spam' a combat with mini-onions. Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers and Wizards can all 'spam' summoned mini-onions if they so choose. Any PC that does has to meet the same requirement as Haru's Summoner. Have stat cards ready to roll, or you don't summon.
Regarding the Leadership feat:
Your character can certainly select the feat (at 7th or 9th level). Your followers are part of the caravan that the group crossed the 'North Pole' with. Your cohort is of course the main concern.
Your base Leadership score is (10 +/- Cha modifier). You start with zero modifiers to that score excepting the -1 penalty for "moves around alot" and any modifiers that are derived from racial traits or other feats. The cohort's "level cap" is 8th - and that only if you have a Leadership score of 12 assuming that your cohort is of the same alignment as your PC. In net, your starting Leadership score is 9, +/- your PC's CHA modifier, which means that to start with an 8th level cohort your PC has to have a CHA bonus of +3 (a 16 or 17 CHA).
Cohorts are not "built" like PCs, they are Heroic NPCs, using the same rules. Presuming that you have a cohort Cleric, this results in a base ability score array of 12 Str, 8 Dex, 14 Con, 10 Int, 15 Wis, 13 Cha. Add on racial modifiers and level advancement points, which could result in your cohort Cleric starting with a Wisdom score as high as a 19 (15 +2 race +2 level advancement). Presumably, your cleric cohort is a Dwarf, putting the final ability score array (with level advancement going fully into Wisdom) of 12 Str, 8 Dex, 16 Con, 10 Int, 19 Wis, 11 Cha. If the Leadership score is less than 12 but higher than 5, the cohort's Wisdom drops to an 18 due to not having attained 8th level.
Your cohort comes equipped as a Heroic NPC of its level. IF your cohort is 8th level, this results in a gear allowance of 7,800 gp. (Cohorts of lower level have correspondingly lower starting allowances, as documented in the CRB.) All gear in excess of this amount comes out of your PC's pocket. In-game, your cohort's continued equipage is also your PC's responsibility, not the other PCs', unless they agree to something.
If your Leadership score is a 9, your cohort is 6th level, you have no followers and your cohort comes with 4,650 gp of gear.
An aasimar cohort cleric is the better choice over dwarf. The ability scores are 12 Str, 8 Dex, 14 Con, 10 Int, 17 Wis, 15 Cha before level advancement is factored in. If your Leadership score is a 12, that results in a possible 18 Wis and 16 Cha for the 8th level cleric cohort. (12th and 16th level advancement points would be the ones that go into Wisdom, permitting theoretical access to 9th level spells if your Leadership score reaches 24+ and your PC hits 19th level, allowing a 17th level cohort).
Edit: A "hireling cleric" is going to be not more than a 3rd level NPC scrub, unless you're talking about serious money. Even a 3rd level scrub is going to get expensive in a hurry...
Turin, you make numerous good points and suggestions. The main hitch however, is the most vocal player in the group "isn't interested in powergaming," (ie. also known as planning and surviving). The rest don't respond to my emails any more than yours. That said, if you're running the AP as scripted, they have no room to gripe when they get greased repeatedly. I alone will reserve that right, because I tried to prepare (them and myself) to little avail...
I will be using a Human Fighter/Ranger rather than a Dwarf. I will attempt to get a cohort of cleric pursuasion, either a human also, or an Asimar. I think the odds of having a cleric in the group are slim. And even then, it would likely be "OJ" playing the cleric, and his grasp on the mechanics of the Pathfinder system are basically ZILCH...
A human cleric loses 2 presumably from CHA as compared to the aasimar. Keep in mind the high CHA score your character will need to have an 8th level cohort ... or be prepared to accept having a lower level cohort.
The following 'buff' spells at 10th level are at least theoretically available to a 10th level Summoner just from the APG alone:
- Cantrips guidance
- 1st Level enlarge person, expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic fang, protection from C/E/G/L, shield
- 2nd Level barkskin, bear's endurance, bull's strength, cat's grace, eagle's splendor, fox's cunning, , owl's wisdom, protection from arrows, resist energy, see invisibility, slow
- 3rd Level displacement, enlarge person - mass, fly, heroism, magic fang - greater, protection from energy, rage, stoneskin, water breathing
- 4th Level bear's endurance - mass, bull's strength - mass, cat's grace - mass, eagle's splendor - mass, fox's cunning - mass, overland flight, owl's wisdom - mass
- None of this takes into account a summoner's available 'battlefield control' spells (pit and wall spells primarily), their few direct offensive spells, nor their access to the teleportation spells.
How is it possible for a Summoner to cast the spells you listed above. None of them appear on the Summoner's Spell List in the Adv. Players Guide. I'm sure the summoner could read a scroll, but he'd have to buy the scroll, or find it.
A human cleric loses 2 presumably from CHA as compared to the aasimar. Keep in mind the high CHA score your character will need to have an 8th level cohort ... or be prepared to accept having a lower level cohort.
I may try to stomach an Aasimar, but I am going to make the aasimar Neutral aligned. Never been much for Aasimars.
How is it possible for a Summoner to cast the spells you listed above. None of them appear on the Summoner's Spell List in the Adv. Players Guide. I'm sure the summoner could read a scroll, but he'd have to buy the scroll, or find it.The following 'buff' spells at 10th level are at least theoretically available to a 10th level Summoner just from the APG alone:
- Cantrips guidance
- 1st Level enlarge person, expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic fang, protection from C/E/G/L, shield
- 2nd Level barkskin, bear's endurance, bull's strength, cat's grace, eagle's splendor, fox's cunning, , owl's wisdom, protection from arrows, resist energy, see invisibility, slow
- 3rd Level displacement, enlarge person - mass, fly, heroism, magic fang - greater, protection from energy, rage, stoneskin, water breathing
- 4th Level bear's endurance - mass, bull's strength - mass, cat's grace - mass, eagle's splendor - mass, fox's cunning - mass, overland flight, owl's wisdom - mass
- None of this takes into account a summoner's available 'battlefield control' spells (pit and wall spells primarily), their few direct offensive spells, nor their access to the teleportation spells.
I was typing directly from the APG. They're there. Are you looking at just the new spells in the back instead of in the class itself?
A human cleric loses 2 presumably from CHA as compared to the aasimar. Keep in mind the high CHA score your character will need to have an 8th level cohort ... or be prepared to accept having a lower level cohort.I may try to stomach an Aasimar, but I am going to make the aasimar Neutral aligned. Never been much for Aasimars.
Aasimar look more human than not. Look 'em up in the Bestiary - the artwork is clear enough.
Neutral alignments are fine, to a point. Tread carefully if you choose CN.
Summoner Spell List, courtesy of d20pfsrd.com
Many thanks, o Sane One. ;)
You appear to be correct Sirs. Still a far cry from a wizard's list, but better than what I had assumed was the available list.
Summoners can really shine when they focus their offensive stuff through their Eidolon (or summoned critters) and allow their spells to buff them / provide easier battles for the rest of the team.
Having haste at spell level 2 is pretty key there, too.
Will they have the raw arcane power of a Wizard or Sorcerer? No. But they have other tricks up their sleeves.
Besides, a well-prepared summoner with scrolls/wands/potions and a tough eidolon is quite ahead of the game with regards to "action economy".
Finally, being able to simply feed disposable troops into the meatgrinder can take the teeth out of a LOT of harder encounters, since you can "soak" the big hits from the baddies with non-PC meatshields.
Whether Haru can put into practice what you've just stated is the twenty thousand dollar question. I hope he is as savy with his summoner as you are, cultist.
I believe I have convinced Agent J to go with a wizard rather than a Sorcerer. If so, then we've covered the arcane character class, and the summoner becomes icing on the cake.
There are nearly 3 weeks before the campaign begins
There is copious time for some legwork to go with chargen.
Le Artiste sadly will not be playing Woody, although I believe that he will be playing a flowing monk with the full janni combat style - and he is taking a Vow of Poverty, which will likely result in a ki pool pushing 20...
Whether Haru can put into practice what you've just stated is the twenty thousand dollar question. I hope he is as savy with his summoner as you are, cultist.
If expertise and savvy among your fellow field rations is your main concern, send them a link to the forums. Aside from access to some very well-done class-specific "for dummies" handbooks, the forums are teeming with people experienced with the system and eager to dispense wisdom. There's a whole section labeled "Advice" just for this sort of thing, just for these sorts of players. It doesn't even need to be time-consuming; hell, I've been visiting the forums about once a day for five minutes each for a couple weeks now. Goddamn double shifts...
And if you're trying to go for the classic party roles, KGM, it looks like you're still missing a trap-finder. ;)
Whether Haru can put into practice what you've just stated is the twenty thousand dollar question. I hope he is as savy with his summoner as you are, cultist.If expertise and savvy among your fellow field rations is your main concern, send them a link to the forums. Aside from access to some very well-done class-specific "for dummies" handbooks, the forums are teeming with people experienced with the system and eager to dispense wisdom. There's a whole section labeled "Advice" just for this sort of thing, just for these sorts of players. It doesn't even need to be time-consuming; hell, I've been visiting the forums about once a day for five minutes each for a couple weeks now. G@&&$%n double shifts...
And if you're trying to go for the classic party roles, KGM, it looks like you're still missing a trap-finder. ;)
KGM's Ranger/Fighter is, I believe, the trap-finder by way of the trapper archetype from Ultimate Magic. So the primary meat-shield is ALSO the point-snack and trap-dispatcher. ;)
I was thinking of this charming gent as the "in-camp band-aid" should this group of murder hobos not have one of their own.
An aasimar or human Oracle is my first thought. Not so sure on name or other specifics just yet.
I do have a sidekick in mind...
How about "Apache Joe"?
And his sidekick could be "Paleface"?
And then just make sure he's a murderous, cunning, conniving SOB with a knife.
Whether Haru can put into practice what you've just stated is the twenty thousand dollar question. I hope he is as savy with his summoner as you are, cultist.If expertise and savvy among your fellow field rations is your main concern, send them a link to the forums. Aside from access to some very well-done class-specific "for dummies" handbooks, the forums are teeming with people experienced with the system and eager to dispense wisdom. There's a whole section labeled "Advice" just for this sort of thing, just for these sorts of players. It doesn't even need to be time-consuming; hell, I've been visiting the forums about once a day for five minutes each for a couple weeks now. G#%!*#n double shifts...
And if you're trying to go for the classic party roles, KGM, it looks like you're still missing a trap-finder. ;)
Man, I can't even get those clowns to respond to an email half the time. If they would educate themselves on all things Pathfinder, that would be great. Then again, it would be great if the Washington Wizards basketball team won a playoff game for the first time this century. Both may be equally probable... Having "classic party roles" to me just means having the basic spells and fighter typically assumed by the designers to be present in order to overcome the objectives that many of your published adventures will assume you can do. When you've got a troupe of exotic character classes, you may not have access to some particularly necessary spell or ability, which ends up being crucial to completing some task or surviving. My comrades don't seem to grasp that concept. I'm just trying to cover the bases and cover our rear ends...
If they'd take suggestions from me, I might be able to help, but when I attempted that a few days ago, I was told to go fly a kite. Turin, in the event I need to have my character get the hell out of dodge super fast, I need a Wand of Dimension Door in the first treasure stash we find on the 22nd. Even if it only has 1 charge in it...
How about "Apache Joe"?
And his sidekick could be "Paleface"?
And then just make sure he's a murderous, cunning, conniving SOB with a knife.
'Shoanti Slim' and 'the Wolf Ulfen'? ^____^
Big knife ... one could argue that a Bowie knife straddles the fence between 'dagger' and 'shortsword'.
Hrm ... decisions, decisions ...
Man, I can't even get those clowns to respond to an email half the time. If they would educate themselves on all things Pathfinder, that would be great. Then again, it would be great if the Washington Wizards basketball team won a playoff game for the first time this century. Both may be equally probable...Having "classic party roles" to me just means having the basic spells and fighter typically assumed by the designers to be present in order to overcome the objectives that many of your published adventures will assume you can do. When you've got a troupe of exotic character classes, you may not have access to some particularly necessary spell or ability, which ends up being crucial to completing some task or surviving. My comrades don't seem to grasp that concept. I'm just trying to cover the bases and cover our rear ends...
If they'd take suggestions from me, I might be able to help, but when I attempted that a few days ago, I was told to go fly a kite.
Turin, in the event I need to have my character get the hell out of dodge super fast, I need a wand of dimension door in the first treasure stash we find on the 22nd. Even if it only has 1 charge in it...
That is why one should purchase a cape of the mountebank, just for those sorts of difficulties.
Without knowing anything about "OJ" (if he is playing, and if so, what he is playing), the group has all the combat bases covered already.
"Haggis McMutton", your Ranger (trapper) 1/ Fighter 9, is both trapfinder and primary melee guy.
"Fu Manchu", Haru's summoner, covers the arcane buffing with the added bonus of an attack dog that can attain Large size when necessary. Depending upon how the 'foo lion' is built, it can serve admirably in the scouting role if need arises, provided that it doesn't scout too far ahead.
"Blasty McBlastsalot", Agent J's sorcerer/wizard/whichever, covers the arcane artillery, presumably with some basic arcane defenses and supplemental buffing that Fu Manchu doesn't select.
"The Monk with No Name" covers the flanking buddy / 'skirmisher' for Haggis, capable of reacting to unexpected threats at the rear of the party - and probably best suited to covering Blasty and Fu Manchu 'on the march'.
The group has a rock-solid 'front line' between Haggis, TMwNM and the Foo Lion. Adding on the artillery and the buffer means that in-combat healing is pretty secondary. Having a stash of fully charged wands of cure light wounds and a couple of fully charged wands of lesser rejuvenate eidolon will keep the entire group up in hit points for a disgusting amount of game time. Barring extenuatingly vicious monsters, the group should be able to handle 3 or maybe 4 major fights - or a bucketload of lesser fights and a couple of major fights - a day before Blasty and Fu run out of their major spells.
The only "hole" I currently am aware of in the group is significant in-combat hp replenishment and/or a PC with a Craft (alchemy) fetish. Very little ruins the day of oozes, rust monsters and swarms more than unseen servants delivering fuse and/or pellet grenades by the armful.
If Sir Turin is including the as-written Jade Regent NPCs, there's plenty of "after action" healing available from some Clerics & a Bard.
That doesn't really fix the in-combat problem, but hey, if you coordinate your stealth tactics and alpha strike everything, you can pull off some amazing things.
(I know, it may be tough for this group to do so...but anything's possible, right? :) )
If Sir Turin is including the as-written Jade Regent NPCs, there's plenty of "after action" healing available from some Clerics & a Bard.
That doesn't really fix the in-combat problem, but hey, if you coordinate your stealth tactics and alpha strike everything, you can pull off some amazing things.
(I know, it may be tough for this group to do so...but anything's possible, right? :) )
'Shoanti Slim' and 'the Wolf' are subbing in for two of them. The bard ((Ameiko)) will remain as-written. Slim and the Wolf (Greta) are primarily there to protect Ameiko from unwanted advances and to pulverize/stab anyone threatening her Royal Person. Slim will also be the "camp band-aid".
If the group is clever enough to emphasize Stealth (just ranks and minimizing the armor check penalties) to a decent degree, they should be able to alpha strike readily and often. We have yet to see if they will also be wise enough to make use of message to go with it. ;)
True that.
Best time I've had as a player was with our Serpents Skull team.
My gnome illusionist, dwarf ranger/horizon walker, elf rogue, and a drug addled bard. Everyone maxed stealth, and we snuck up on almost everything, even without all the invisibility's.
Glorious.
True that.
Best time I've had as a player was with our Serpents Skull team.
My gnome illusionist, dwarf ranger/horizon walker, elf rogue, and a drug addled bard. Everyone maxed stealth, and we snuck up on almost everything, even without all the invisibility's.
Glorious.
:)
It's pretty embarrassing how bad many baddies' Perception bonuses are, especially entering the higher levels of play.
I was just at staples looking for a new folder to organize my players' character sheets and store some blank ones in. All I found that was suitable was a nice red folio. I might have to open a Toronto chapter of the Red Folio Gaming Society. Is there any sort of charter I should be aware of?
Only a willingness to disburse blank character sheets when necessary. You already meet the rest of the requirements. ;)
I recommend a personalized folder for each player. For our group, I took a label printer and put:
* the player's name or in-group nickname
* the player's most (in)famous character name
Optional is the use of any number of stickers, such as K_GM's infamous use of varicolored stars.
Most importantly, have fun with it! And of course, chime in with what you do with the folders.
Only a willingness to disburse blank character sheets when necessary. You already meet the rest of the requirements. ;)
I recommend a personalized folder for each player. For our group, I took a label printer and put:
* the player's name or in-group nickname
* the player's most (in)famous character nameOptional is the use of any number of stickers, such as K_GM's infamous use of varicolored stars.
Most importantly, have fun with it! And of course, chime in with what you do with the folders.
The Multi-colored stars are such a nice touch. It allows the players to see your system of classification for their character demises. A very moving yet organized tribute to the fallen... My players were so thrilled...
I usually just make them do a shot, but stickers is a good idea. I always wanted to get some of those skull stickers for my DM screen.
I did have a folder for each character, but they were falling apart; hence the new folder, which contains multiple sections so that I can have one section for each character.
How do the coloured stickers work?
I used Red stars to indicate that the monster/Non-Player-Character in question dealt a killing blow/spell/action to the character in question. Yellow stars were infrequently awarded for an 'assist' (meaning one monster/NPC did an action that was directly related and absolutely vital to another monster/NPC being able to grease the character in question). Green stars were awarded for Cheesy character demises (when things weren't entirely fair for the character in question), and Silver/Gold stars were usually reserved for 1-hit squishes, or other incidents of spectactular-character-annihiliation or 'Solo' kills where the monster/NPC wastes the character(s) in question without any help/assistance. (Since a lot of monsters traditionally operate without "help", I usually reserved gold/silver stars for memorable PC demises).
I would put the stars on illustrations of the monster/NPC, which one of my players ("the Resident Artist," who draws comic book quality art) produced for me. If I didn't have an artist to draw what was greasing my player's characters, I'd just put the star sticker either on the character sheet/write up of the monster/NPC, or as you mentioned, on your GM screen. If you put the star on the write up sheet, you can write the date of the event and the name of the player, to help you remember, so you can rub it in at the appropriate times...
You have finished breaking fast, the now-familiar routines of the caravanserei finishes up as the first real settlement you have seen all winter looms ahead a few miles in the distance. All of you review your journals and notes with each other to be clear on both your recent history and your bearing going forward.
Since leaving the small Varisian town of Sandpoint late last fall, your trade caravan endured a grueling trek through swamp, the Lands of the Linnorm Kings - “Vikings” in name and deed - and trekked across the Crown of the World.
The purpose of the trade caravan is to disguise the real reason why you have trekked all the way from Avistan, across ‘the North Pole’ and into the northern lands of Tian. Ameiko Kaijitsu Amatatsu, eldest surviving descendant of the Amatatsu family of the lands of Minkai, is heir and rightful Empress of Minkai.
Most of you are generations-loyal retainers of the Amatatsu family, your ancestors traveled from Minkai to the Varisian city of Magnimar a century ago. When the message came from Ameiko that your services as her loyal retainers are required to reclaim the throne from the Jade Regent that has unjustly assumed stewardship of Minkai, your spirit soared at returning to the lands of your ancestors. Some, many or all of you may be Ameiko’s younger siblings.
The rest of you signed on to a winter caravan heading from Sandpoint, loaded with fine glassware, through the Viking lands, across the Crown of the World and eventually into distant, fabled Minkai simply because it is “over there”.
For some of you, perhaps it is the desire to return to the culture, cuisine, fashions and languages of your ancestors. For others, perhaps the desire is to travel to exotic, foreign lands; meet foreign, interesting people; then kill them and take their stuff in service to liberating the people of Minkai from the yoke of the oppressive Jade Regent. For a few, leaving Varisia to travel across the world’s frozen crown and travel where few dare to tread and return is your motivation, signing onto the caravan.
Your first major stop was Brinewall Castle, wherein you massacred dire corbies, ettercaps, tamed spiders, degenerate hillbilly half-ogres, troglodytes, a pet cave lizard, evil fey, a wight, a harpy oracle of Flames, fungus critters, tamabushi tengu and laid to rest the wraith of Rokuro Kaijitsu. After all of that, you retrieved the Amatatsu Seal from its Warding Box and were marked as scions of the Amatatsu family.
Upon retreiving the Amatatsu Seal, you were made aware of the following:
- First, that Ameiko Kaijitsu Amatatsu and now you as Amatatsu scions are the sole surviving royal family, sealed to Heaven to rule the Empire of Minkai;{*]Second, that the Jade Regent seeks to finish what he started a century ago, by slaughtering you and Ameiko, ending the rightful claim of the royal families of Minkai to rule their Empire - indeed, the Jade Regent slew Emperor Shigure himself, setting the Amatatsu heirs into their century-long self-imposed exile;
- Third and lastly, the family blade Suishen was purloined to an Ulfen man (Viking) to finance the family’s flight into hidden exile.
Rokuru Kaijitsu was Ameiko’s grandfather before his shameful death.
You and the caravan journey north into the Ulfen lands of the Linnorm Kings, seeking both Suishen and a guide to take the caravan across the Crown of the World. During this leg of your trip, you massacred Vikings, survived a dastardly poisoning by hemlock and Ameiko was kidnapped, taken to a place called “Ravenscraeg”.
To retrieve Suishen, you boarded a funeral barge of the Ulfen that Rokuru Kaijitsu sold the sword to, dispatched (and subsequently ate VERY well upon) a Shark-Eating Crab as large as a wagon and smoked an undead Viking. Naturally, you “requisitioned” some nice swag from the barge before being bushwhacked by a few Frozen Shadows ninja, sworn a century ago to stop the return of any scions of Amatatsu or die trying. They all died trying, thanks to you weapons and magic.
Ravenscraeg you thusly assaulted, massacring tengu ninja, oozes, spider eaters, raven swarms, the rest of the Frozen Shadow ninja that hadn’t died gloriously before you got there, a hellwasp swarm, a werebear ranger, an awakened raven druid (with a penchant for collecting intact teeth from the jaws of those he slew), a few trolls, and an especially nasty ogre mage with a tetsubo fetish.
After Ravenscraeg was all said and done, Suishen was retrieved and your guides to cross the Crown of the World were secured.
The pair are known by the monikers of “Shoanti Slim” and Greta, “the North Wolf”.
Slim is a middle-aged man of considerable magical healing capability with a nasty hanging scar about his neck and a pronounced Eastern Varisian highlands accent. You know that his magic can return the recently deceased to life, provided that one has 5,000 gp worth of diamonds to fuel the magic. Silvery chainmail of dubious thickness is worn beneath his winter explorer’s outfit, while a magical haversack, buckler, sling and what he calls a ‘Turtleback Toothpick’, an oversized knife that could argued as to whether or not it qualifies as either a dagger or a shortsword.
Greta “the North Wolf”, Slim’s woman, is taller than he is. The statuesque Amazonian beauty with alabaster skin, platinum blond hair and piercing blue eyes is a fierce warrior favoring the use of a two-handed warhammer. Her armor and gear is ice- or winter-themed in some form or fashion. Her chainmail armor is fashioned from ice, her winter outfit is blue and white, her boots are ‘Viking’, and she is an expert with her ice axe.
Both wear a jingasa of the fortunate soldier.
Now, winter is often considered the worst time of year to cross the Crown of the World, but cross it you did. In the doing, you slaughtered foes by the score. Arctic predators mundane and magical, frozen undead corporeal and incorporeal - including a yuki-onna, frost giants, some more trolls, a Donner party, and most importantly of all you vanquished the white dragon Vegsundvaag in its glacial rift.
Afterwards, you sacked a place called the Storm Tower and laid the smacketh down most violently upon its horrid defenders, including a remorhaz, various crystalline and frozen plant monsters - including a gnome-nomming moonflower - before stomping a fishing hole into a half-fiendish sylph cleric of a demon lord with a serious fetish for all things blizzardy.
Upon reaching the Wall of Heaven Mountain range, you messily dispatched yet more frozen undead and slaughtered a small clan of yeti that would otherwise have eaten your faces.
150 miles of mountainous trails after butchering the yeti clan, you saw the caravan through the Wall of Heaven mountains, joining the Path of Aganhei. You are now entering Tian Xia proper, although you must traverse the nation of Hongal, thence the haunted Forest of Spirits as the next steps in your journey. Ahead is the sole noteworthy city of Hongal, known as Ordu-Aganhei. Once you get through Hongal and the infamous Forest of Spirits, you will finally enter Minkai, your potential birthright by blood or adoption by the Amatatsu Seal.
Ameiko carries the Amatatsu Seal in its Warding Box. Now, one may wonder why Ameiko doesn’t take advantage of the teleportation capabilities that some of you have recently come to possess. Early on you all learned that, as a measure to prevent theft, the Seal cannot be transported by teleportation magic nor by dimensional travel, nor may it depart the Material Plane. In short, you have to hoof it to Minkai. Given that the Jade Regent cut Emperor Shigure down with but a single blow, it might be wise to gather the experience and treasures to be had en route to Minkai rather that completing the journey at this early juncture in your careers by such means as wind walk or certain kinds of either planar ally or planar binding.
Unique Magic Items
During the course of your adventures you have the option to purchase the following unique magic items from your characters’ starting gp.
Whispering Shrike, a wakizashi - the hilt is assumed to have been repaired.
Dancing Wasp, a kusarigama that can summon a giant wasp.
Deadly Kiss, a Tian-style dagger with a poison fetish.
Oathtaker, an oversized tetsubo that can bond others to its wielder via blood geas.
Nine-Fold Spirit Sword, a nine-ring broadsword of noteworthy efficacy against the undead.
Ghost Mirror Armor, a suit of medium armor that is especially effective against incorporeal undead.
Shozuku of the Night Wind, a “ninja suit” that directly compliments a ninja’s or rogue’s capabilities. Worth taking in combination with Deadly Kiss, above.
Suishen, ancestral blade and guardian of the Amatatsu family. The group has slain one of the Five Storms oni, activating the blade’s first power, provided that the blade does not change ownership. To claim this weapon as one’s own, a PC must part with fully half of their gp (31,000 out of each PC’s 62,000 gp). If no PC claims this weapon as their own, Ameiko will claim the blade as hers.
As a completely off-topic consideration, I was musing about our own Gawds of healing et al from ancient Greek and Roman times when I stumbled across Asclepius.
I would surmise that, in Pathfinder terms, Asclepius has the Healing and Scalykind domains. Favored Weapon: quarterstaff. Subdomains: Restoration, Resurrection. Asclepian clerics do not have access to either of the Scalykind subdomains, and may only select a constrictor snake companions.
Coming from someone who's experienced the parts you're skipping...consider yourselves fortunate.
Turinized evil oracle bird thing....uh-uh
Update: Greta "the North Wolf" will not be a guide. It is important that the PCs be the ones that shine.
However, the guide himself is coming together quite nicely.
Coming from someone who's experienced the parts you're skipping...consider yourselves fortunate.
Turinized evil oracle bird thing....uh-uh
I have no idea what you might be talking about, oh sane one. ;)
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Update: Greta "the North Wolf" will not be a guide. It is important that the PCs be the ones that shine.
However, the guide himself is coming together quite nicely.
Follow up:
I have this idea for the guide 'Shoanti Slim' that I want to run by those who are not players in this group.
Rokuru Kaijitsu, a doomed spirit that makes a brief appearance earlier in the AP as a wraith, is repentant of what he did. After the unsealing of the warding box, the amatatsu seal, recognizing the penitent soul of Ameiko's grandfather, acted.
However, as powerful as the seal is, Rokuru's spirit remains restless. His body was too old at the moment of death to remain a suitable vessel for aiding Ameiko, his granddaughter, in reclaiming her rightful inheritance.
As fate is wont to do, strange circumstances bring together the most unlikely of bedfellows.
Five or six years ago IMC, the city-state of Korvosa was freed from beneath the yoke of being a Chelish colony, becoming a Kuthite theocracy. Needless to say, Citadel Vraid looming over Korvosa was not something to leave standing. The Kuthites ruling the city, ably aided by an army of vengeful Shoanti who had long suffered at the savage oppression by the Order of the Nail, besieged and sacked Citadel Vraid. The Hellknights and Signifiers that were not able to flee or slain, were captured, tortured and tried for 'crimes against the Shoanti and Korvosan peoples' and sentenced to death by hanging.
Enter 'Shoanti Slim', a mighty 15th level Hellknight - - was captured by the enemy. Years of torture and introspection, followed by an excommunication by the head of the Order of the Nail in absentia, saw the man regret his 30 years of service in prosecuting the Shoanti and enforcing the previous Chelish edicts of the city-state of Korvosa. The introspective penance was worse than the physical torture, as Slim purged the worst of what it was to be a Hellknight from his mind and soul, even while the Kuthites ... introduced him ... to agonizing, excruciating, pain. Over and over and over. The Kuthites exacted corporeal punishment for all of the crimes of which Slim stood accused. Slim exacted mental and spiritual punishment upon himself for these same deeds.
Slim, desiring only a chance to purge the remaining taint on his soul (the torture et al endured as a 'prisoner of war' expunged most of the rest) before he died, the man begged the heavens for a single chance to redeem his damned soul from beneath a black hood as the noose settled around his neck.
Shizuru, the Tian goddess of honor, saw the honor in both men and the need of a daughter of Tian from Her Heavenly perspective on that early winter day's moment of high noon.
The trapdoor dropped, the noose was badly set and the hemp dug into Slim's corded neck, slowly strangling the life out of him. When his feet stopped kicking, the rope was cut and his rag-clad corpse dumped atop the pile with the last of the executed war criminals.
At that very moment, the warding box is opened and both Rokuru Kaijitsu - now a ghost 9th level cleric of Shizuru - and 'Shoanti Slim' were given their second chances. Rokuru possessed Slim's much younger, stronger, tougher, faster body, Slim's spirit not yet departed to the Boneyard.
Slim/Rokuru made their way swiftly north, moving faster than any caravan can, picking up on the rumored needs of our players' trade caravan for a guide across the Crown of the World. Rokuru, having made the trek himself, saw an opportunity that he could not resist. Divinations to Shizuru sealed the deal as something that he must do.
Slim's final penance, if Rokuru is successful in putting his granddaughter Ameiko upon her throne, is paid for with the willing use of his body for Rokuru's quest. Rokuru in turn will make his due trip to the Boneyard upon witnessing his descendant become Empress of Minkai.
If Slim's body is slain, Slim's spirit likely goes on to the Boneyard, hopefully to be resurrected by an ally should Rokuru send such word. In such an event, Rokuru could, depending on the circumstances, make use of his own clerical magic to restore Slim to life.
Slim/Rokuru is an Aristocrat 1/Cleric of Shiruzu 9 (youxia archetype with katana as his wushu weapon, appropo as this is also the Shiruzu's favored weapon) (CR 10). When casting spells they speak in Rokuru's voice. Normally, they speak in Slim's eastern Varisian highland's thick drawl/twang. If Slim is asleep, Rokuru is on watch, able to perceive and speak - and awaken Slim if need be. Slim himself does not carry either holy symbol or spell component pouch - Rokuru's grave trappings takes care of those particulars. When casting spells, the pouch and symbol appear in the same luminescent blue that his eyes become when performing his magic and speaking in Rokuru's voice.
Slim's gear is fairly simple: +1 darkleaf cloth leaf armor, +1 katana, sling of magic stones, jingasa of the fortunate soldier, handy haversack and all of the money the PCs have paid for levels 7-10 for maximized hp training in diamond dust. Rokuru's other ghost trappings are +3 elven chain, +3 mithral heavy shield, +3 conductive katana, holy symbol of positive channeling. Due to the nature of [b]ghost trappings[/i] and as a spin on being a LG ghost, Rokuru's katana is an incorporeal touch weapon - which gets nasty fast in combination with his corrupting touch special attack and the Vital Strike feat...
He will advance in cleric level 1 behind APL.
What do you think?
ME LIKE. Do eet.
ME LIKE. Do eet.
^___^
Anyone else's thoughts on the spoiler that isn't a player?
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ME LIKE. Do eet.
This is now a "done deal". :)
Eeeeeeexcellent.
Dramatis Personae update
As of this post, the important persons for this campaign are as follows:
"Haru", CG male human 10th Summoner named "Ki Xing", eidolon "Goh-Xila"
"K_GM", CN male human Ranger (trapper) 1st/Fighter 9th nicknamed "Haggis McMutton". Trapfinder, switch-hitter, poor Will save. I believe that Haggis is a retrained former PC from the Red Hand of Doom campaign from near to 10 years ago.
"Agent J", CG male human Sorcerer (arcane bloodline) 10th with a faerie dragon improved familiar. Agent J's sorcerer, especially after handing over a choice blasting wand or two to his familiar, will be the artillery battery. Last I heard he knows summon monster V, giving the group access to some nasty summons.
"le Artiste", CG male human Flowing Monk 10th, Snake Style practitioner. Nasty customer this one, probably the best of the group at non-spell-based battlefield control and almost certainly packing an AC high enough to take full advantage of his class features and feats. I expect a great many mooks will be getting their asses handed to them on their own silver platters. 'Haru' is building TMwNN, although we have yet to discuss any special ki powers.
Unconfirmed: "OJ".
The only significant combat-capable NPC is "Shoanti Slim", a 9th level Cleric of Shizuru packing a mean punch with his katana and a few surprises up his sleeve. Speaks in a thick eastern Varisian highlands drawl/twang and has a nasty hanging scar about his neck. Slim is the primary guardian of Ameiko Kaijitsu. Currently, he is also the only known source for the group's restoration and raise dead spells. It's a good thing that he has previously been paid in diamonds and diamond dust for training the PCs up to maximum hit points.
You may also consider my approval for the spoilered section above. Very cool.
Also, Flowing Monk with Snake Style? That's inspired. I may just steal that idea. Give 'Haru' my compliments.