Hi all! I've been writing an adventure lately because I had an idea, and I've been wanting to try it out.
Don't let the title fool you; there's nothing that's going to force you into creating a farmer. That being said, of course, the characters that are going to participate in this aren't going to begin the game as adventurers. They're going to be perfectly simple city folk.
The premise is this: Each of the PCs lives in or near Diobel, on the Isle of Kortos. Very recently, the Pathfinder Society discovered a section of tunnels underneath the Underdocks in the city, one that emanates very powerful magic, and a representative of the Society was sent into the tunnels to investigate.
It's been two days, and there's been no word from the halfling Cruril Andraks. In response, Lord Avid asked the Pathfinders to send a second investigation, but they have so far avoided sending another team, citing that the Pathfinders lack the resources to go in after such a minor member. Lord Avid has, thus, asked for volunteers to go into the tunnels and rescue Cruril.
The interdimensional part will come in quite soon, but suffice it to say that I will be sending PCs away from Golarion, to another world. Another dimension.
Is anybody interested in such a tale? Character creation possibilities will be broad, due to the proximity with the city of Absalom, but PCs will begin as NPC classes, due to the fact that they are not quite adventurers.
What do you guys think?
Interested in hearing more about this, particularly character creation rules. Any Race/Class restrictions? How soon do characters begin taking levels in "Adventurer" classes? Etc.
I was thinking of allowing core races, plus drow, duergar, catfolk, goblin, hobgoblin, kobold, orc, ratfolk, as well as the genasi races. Genasi are, of course, the half genie/half human races. I do have proposed changes to each of the genie races, as well, which are 100% mechanical, which I will explain if somebody wishes to play one.
I also wish to allow, using monster-creation rules, gnolls (CR 1), lizardfolk (CR 1), nixies (CR 1), blink dogs (CR 2), bugbears (CR 2), soulbound dolls (CR 2), and worgs (CR 2).
Non-monster PCs will begin with two NPC class levels and one PC class level. Eastern classes will not be allowed (Ninja, Samurai), nor will Gunslinger, and re-training will begin after the dimensional change.
Any alignment will be allowed.
Genasi are listed on the PRD as ifrit, oread, undine, and sylph. I'm making small mechanical adjustments based off of my personal preferences but they're the same races.
I was planning on using the statistics that lizardfolk get as monsters. They are CR 1.
Monster-creation rules states that you substitute a monster's CR for levels. Thus, a lizardfolk would begin the game with two class levels instead of three. The CR 1 monsters begin with 1 PC/1 NPC level, and the CR 2 monsters begin with one NPC class level. Ability score benefits for monsters are their ability scores -10, rounded down to even numbers. Thus, monsters have +2 Str, +2 Con, and -2 Int. Other than that, you use the monster's statblock. Feats and ability scores advance by HD, not by class or character level.
All races are as advertised except for the following changes:
Oreads ability score bonuses are changed to: +2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Int
They gain "meld with stone" instead of "magic stone" as a spell-like ability.
Ifrits' base speed is 40ft. They gain "produce flame" as a spell-like ability instead of "burning hands".
Undines' ability score increases are changed to: +2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Str. Undines gain "aqueous orb" instead of "hydraulic push" as a spell-like ability.
Sylphs' spell-like ability is "levitate" instead of "feather fall".
All planetouched gain +2 to saves vs. effects that involve their element. For example, ifrits gain bonuses on saves vs. burning hands or fireball.
Unfortunately I'm not allowing suli. They're just kind of awkward to me. And their abilities don't make any sense.
I am making one other major houserule change. Prepared casters expend 0-level spells when cast. Spontaneous casters do not. For this purpose, arcanists count as spontaneous casters.
I am planning for only one dimensional change, followed by a period of acclimation, followed by a period of worldbuilding.
Because suli are supposed to be the children of jann, and none of their abilities are abilities that jann also have. Their ability score penalty is Int, and a jann's Int is higher than both its Cha and its Con. Jann only have fire resistance, while suli somehow also have acid, cold, and electricity resistance. They're the only planetouched without darkvision, and they have low-light vision even though jann have darkvision but don't have low-light vision.
It's just weird. Does that make sense?
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I was planning on using the statistics that lizardfolk get as monsters. They are CR 1.
Monster-creation rules states that you substitute a monster's CR for levels. Thus, a lizardfolk would begin the game with two class levels instead of three. The CR 1 monsters begin with 1 PC/1 NPC level, and the CR 2 monsters begin with one NPC class level. Ability score benefits for monsters are their ability scores -10, rounded down to even numbers. Thus, monsters have +2 Str, +2 Con, and -2 Int. Other than that, you use the monster's statblock. Feats and ability scores advance by HD, not by class or character level.
I am planning for only one dimensional change, followed by a period of acclimation, followed by a period of worldbuilding.
I understand the level-swapping, but the actual implementation of what that one CR level entails is still nebulous to me. For example, the stat page you linked has STR-CHA of 13/10/13/9/10/10. Does this mean these characters, with the adjustments you listed, automatically begin play with 14/10/14/6/10/10? That seems a very restrictive stat page not simply in terms of optimization but in actual class choice terms: One must simply forgo casting of any sort, and lack of access to combat expertise would make many physical characters void.
How would you account for players who acquired the ability to planeshift/dimension walk later? Would there be a built-in fence for them?
I was planning on using the statistics that lizardfolk get as monsters. They are CR 1.
Monster-creation rules states that you substitute a monster's CR for levels. Thus, a lizardfolk would begin the game with two class levels instead of three. The CR 1 monsters begin with 1 PC/1 NPC level, and the CR 2 monsters begin with one NPC class level. Ability score benefits for monsters are their ability scores -10, rounded down to even numbers. Thus, monsters have +2 Str, +2 Con, and -2 Int. Other than that, you use the monster's statblock. Feats and ability scores advance by HD, not by class or character level.
I am planning for only one dimensional change, followed by a period of acclimation, followed by a period of worldbuilding.
I understand the level-swapping, but the actual implementation of what that one CR level entails is still nebulous to me. For example, the stat page you linked has STR-CHA of 13/10/13/9/10/10. Does this mean these characters, with the adjustments you listed, automatically begin play with 14/10/14/6/10/10? That seems a very restrictive stat page not simply in terms of optimization but in actual class choice terms: One must simply forgo casting of any sort, and lack of access to combat expertise would make many physical characters void.
How would you account for players who acquired the ability to planeshift/dimension walk later? Would there be a built-in fence for them?
No, you just exchange one level for the racial HD and abilities of a lizardfolk. And you don't re-apply the racial modifiers, they are the racial modifiers.
The players will be provided with 15-point buy, so let's say you go with the following ability score set:
14 Str (5 points)
12 Dex (2 points)
13 Con (3 points)
10 Int (0 points)
15 Wis (7 points)
8 Cha (-2 points)
Thus, your final set is Str 16, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 8
and you have one additional increase to spend, because you have four HD (two racial HD and two HD from class levels.) Say you're a warrior 1/druid 1, so you apply the increase to Wis.
Anyway. I didn't need to take the example to that extreme, but I hope you understand?
Oh! Right, sorry I forgot to answer that. I don't think that I'm going to allow third-party material at the moment. There's a wealth of paizo material, and I don't want to have to pick through each person's requests to see if it's balanced or not.
15-point buy, please.
Ah, so a Human would be 3rd level, but require 2 NPC classes? My only question would be, is are we able to sub out said NPC levels for class levels in the future?
Interested.
So as a warg, I would just get the one class level?
I'm gonna compile everything I've said about character generation into one post that's a little more clear.
Character Generation!
Allowed Races: core races, plus drow, duergar, catfolk, goblin, hobgoblin, kobold, orc, ratfolk, sylph, ifrit, oread, undine
Monster races: gnolls (CR 1), lizardfolk (CR 1), nixies (CR 1), blink dogs (CR 2), bugbears (CR 2), soulbound dolls (CR 2), and worgs (CR 2).
Starting level: 3rd effective character level. Only one level is allowed to be of a PC class. CR 1 monsters begin with two class levels, one NPC and one PC, and CR 2 monsters begin with one NPC-classed level.
Starting Wealth: 3rd-level Heroic NPC wealth - 1,650gp
Allowed Classes: All Paizo, including the Advanced Class Guide classes, except for Ninja, Samurai, and Gunslinger.
Alignment, any
Stat Generation, 15-point buy. As a monster, your racial ability score modifiers are the base stats of the monster -10, rounded down to an even number. So, a worg, whose stats are Str 17, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 10, would have mods (Str +6, Dex +4, Con +2, Int -4, Wis +4) on top of 15-point buy.
See above for changes to the planetouched races. Prepared casters expend 0-level spells when cast.
@Stratos, shifting dimensions is not quite as easy as plane-shifting. It won't be available as a spell or other ability easily acquirable to escape from the situation that I have in mind. I won't be preventing people from teleporting, indeed, that's why I included the blink dog (Because I think they're super cool).
@Bane88, Yes. As a worg you would have one class level, and are restricted to NPC classes for your first level.
@Duboris, I'm actually re-considering allowing the re-training. My original thought is yes, but we'll just have to see.
blink dogs (CR 2) and worgs (CR 2).
ROGUE DOG, CHAMPION OF THE NORTH.
I'm tentatively interested in playing either a Worg or Blink Dog, but I'm curious as hell how it would actually work, mechanically, to play a creature that isn't bipedal. I'd be looking to do, idk, probably something in the vein of Slayer or Ranger. Someone play a Goblin and I'll be their vicious mount.
Also, are there caps on stats? Something like the Worg having +6 Strength seems like things could get absurd fast.
Male worg warrior 1 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 280)
CN Medium magical beast
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +15
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Defense
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AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 39 (5d10+11)
Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +3
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Offense
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Speed 50 ft.
Melee bite +8 (1d6+13)
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Statistics
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Str 20, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +5; CMB +8; CMD 23 (27 vs. trip)
Feats Power Attack, Run, Skill Focus (Perception)
Traits reactionary, savage
Skills Acrobatics +2 (+6 to jump with a running start), Climb +8, Perception +15, Stealth +9, Survival +5 (+6 to get along in the wild), Swim +8; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +2 Stealth, +2 Survival
Languages Common, Goblin
Other Gear mwk chain shirt, 1,300 gp
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Special Abilities
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Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Run Run 5x your speed in light/medium armor or 4x speed in heavy armor and keep Dex when running.
Savage +1 to Survival checks to get along in the wild.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.
Trip (Ex) You can make a trip attempt on a successful attack.
I actually would really like to play this. I'm not sure if you're going the Dystopian Cyberpunk route, but I could quite easily see a Ranger or Rogue becoming a Railgun wielding Sniper.
Regardless, have you got any ideas you can throw my way (everyones way for that matter) with regards to what kind of back story we should have?
I'm not playing any other games so am more than happy to put the time in for this also. I'm pretty forgiving with house rules and homebrew, having already created 47 pages for my own tabletop game of Gantz (which I'll get back to adding to soon).
As for spell limitations with casters, I'd say have you ever thought that Lein might have made his own list of spells up for this new world? :p
i really want to be excited for this... i really liked the title, but i just can't seem to get into the actual concept. why NPC classes? it feels like an awkward attempt to balance the monster race options with the other PCs, but i'm not sure how well its really gonna work... as someone else already pointed out, forced multiclassing screws casters a lot more than other classes, and frankly the rules that suggest that each point of CR is equal to a level are assuming a level of a PC class, so people are really better off with at least CR1 (especially if it means 2+ racial hit dice, which will be equal to or better than the 1 NPC level they give up even without crazy racial modifiers/abilities).
i don't know... i hope you find people excited to help you playtest it, but i think you might be making a mistake in how your executing your desire for monster PCs. (you'd probably be better off building custom races with the ARG guide, and assigning them a level adjustment if necessary but letting everyone use PC classes.)
edit: sorry for being negative... i debated just deleting this post (and I hope it won't derail you) but i decided to leave it up because i thought it was worth considering now instead of two or three months from now when some of the characters maybe aren't working out very well.
I don't mind the Multiclassing so much, though I also wasn't planning to play a Caster. Unless you're taking the Warrior NPC class, I'm not sure that it puts Martial characters much better off. Perhaps it should be houseruled that a) NPC Casting Levels stack, and/or b) there is a Divine NPC class? I don't know, just throwing ideas out there.
Regardless, I do think that Monster Races can pose some issues.
I had a bit of free time and enjoy this kind of thing, so I did a quick attempt at using the Race Guide to make the Monster Races into races without having Hit Dice. Feel free to use them or not, Leinathan, it was fun to do either way.
Worg
Attributes: +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Int
Senses: Darkvision 60 Ft.
Skills: +2 Stealth, +2 Survival
Stability: +4 CMD against Bullrush or Trip attempts while on Solid Ground.
Scent: Can detect enemies within 15 feet by using nose.
Natural Weapon: Bite 1d6
Gnoll
Attributes: +2 Str, +2 Con
Senses: Darkvision 60 Ft.
Skills: +2 Appraise and Perception to find hidden objects (including traps and secret doors), determined if food is spoiled, or identify a potion by taste.
Heavy Hide: +2 Natural Armour
Lizardfolk
Attributes: +2 Str, +2 Con
Amphibious: Can breathe both air and water, have a swim speed of 30, +8 Swim.
Natural Attacks: Bite 1d3, two Claws 1d4 each.
Heavy Hide: +2 Natural Armour
Nixie
Attributes: +2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Str
Size: Small
Senses: Low-Light Vision
Amphibious: Can breathe both air and water, have a swim speed of 30, +8 Swim.
Spell Resistance: 6 + Class Levels
Empathy: +4 Racial Bonus on Handle Animal / Wild Empathy checks made to influence Fey Creatures
Spell-like Ability: Charm Person 1 / Day
Blink Dog
Attributes: +2 Dex, +2 Con
Senses: Low-Light Vision, Darkvision
Quick-Moving: +10 Base Land Speed
Heavy Hide: +2 Natural Armour
Spell-Like Ability: Dimension Door 1 / Day
Bugbear
Attributes: +2 Str, +2 Con
Senses: Darkvision
Skills: +2 Intimidate, +2 Stealth
Heavy Hide: +2 Natural Armour
Accustomed to Filth: +2 Racial bonus on saving throws to resist nausea, the sickened condition, and disease.
Soulbound Doll
Size: Tiny (Maybe Small?)
Senses: Low-Light Vision and Darkvision
Spell-Like Ability: Levitate 1 / Day
Type: Construct. You count as both Humanoid and Construct. You gain a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, and stun effects, are not subject to fatigue or exhaustion, and are immune to disease and sleep effects. Constructs can never gain morale bonuses, and are immune to fear effects and all emotion-based effects.
Alright, I'm here to offer a couple of explanations and include another couple of things that I'd forgotten.
As for the NPC class thing, I didn't want the PCs to be adventurers at the start. In general, I wanted them to be regular people, or at least not exactly the type to go delving into ruins in search of fame and fortune. The expedition to rescue the halfling Pathfinder is because he's a beloved member of the community.
I don't think of it as forced multiclassing. I like to think of it like this: Y'all are 1st-level characters...with some free extra perks. Martial characters are always stronger at low levels, and I am planning on letting you re-train those NPC class levels into PC class levels, so it really won't be long that you're missing those beloved flaming spheres and webs.
There are not caps on stats. The higher ability scores for strong/smart/tough monsters are the benefits they get in exchange for missing class levels. Also, I'm not really worried about wargs being overpowered in combat...
...because they don't have hands.
Okay, about the cantrips/orisons. First of all, wizards clerics and druids are the most overpowered classes in the game. They can do anything. Clerics can heal the entire party. Wizards can decimate nations solo at higher levels. And my plan with this game IS to get to the higher levels. The loss of a few iterations of detect magic or create water per day is not that serious of a nerf. That besides, I believe that there is very little motivation to play a spontaneous caster. Why play a sorcerer, who spends two levels with only two first-level spells, when you can begin with eight by maxing out your Int as a wizard? You only lose one spell/day as a wizard anyway.
The NPC class forcing wasn't an attempt to balance out the monster PCs. I don't believe those need to be balanced. They were an attempt to sell the PCs as "regular people" at the beginning of the game, and to enforce that. You're not really selling that random shopkeeper that's never left his home town to me as a 3rd-level wizard. On the other hand, a 1st-level wizard, with only generally minor magical tricks, with two levels of expert...that's a little more plausible to me.
All of my houserule and world-building choices are to make the characters more plausible to me as people, rather than as epic heroes. I wanted to run a campaign that isn't solely about the PCs, where the PCs are the center of everything happening, but rather a campaign where weird stuff is happening to (relatively) regular people.
With regards to Apollo's suggestion...I am planning on implementing some non-Pathfinder materials. Some homebrew, some 3.5. I am not, however, intending on sending fantasy PCs to a cyberpunk world. If anything, it's going to be more hardcore fantasy.
Also, two more houserule-things. First of all is that I dislike taking 10/taking 20, and this won't be allowed unless you have a class feature that allows it (like a bard's loremaster ability, for example). In addition, I am removing Common as a language. I have long seen that language is relegated to one of those character stats that just doesn't matter, so I wanted to see what happens when I make it matter.
I won't hold it against any of you if you're disinterested, though XD I understand I'm being a little unusual. That's why it's a playtest, after all. I want to see if it works. I want to see if my preferences are...practical for an actual game.
Finally, regarding applications:
This is likely to be a longer than usual character-creation process, even for me. So, I don't expect to have selected anybody for at least a week and a half.
I'm looking for four to six people for this adventure, and I'm much more interested in a character profile than a character's crunch. All I really need, for a submission, is a character's story, position in society, their job, etc., as well as your planned progression. For example, "I'm planning on being a tank! I want to go into fighter and max out Constitution and absorb tons of damage!"
Don't let that stop you from building characters if you like it. I know I do.
Interested, but having trouble reconciling the "humble shopkeeper" origin stories with the inclusion of monstrous races, drow, and creatures that one would expect to see in Sigil, not so much in a mid-size port city.
Is there an in-universe reason we can use to help justify all these wild creatures volunteering for a rescue mission?
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I'm going for an arcane caster of some kind,
Since you nerfed the magus it'll be between alchemist, bard or sorcerer (I don't ever play wizards, not since 2e anyway, I find sorcerers more fun)
If I play a sorcerer he'll be a blaster caster
If I play a bard or alchemist they'll be secondary melee support casters
Which of the three I'll build will depend on party needs
As for a backstory.
[incert name here] enjoyed his life. He had a job that payed better than working on his parents farm, and that allowed him to show off with basic magical tricks.
He was a magician, he healed the injured, recherched various arcane things that wealthier members of the town wanted to know, and he got to live in relative comfort with little risk. Now he knew that his magical tallent was nothing special, but the average townsfolk didn't, which means he could bask in their awe.
All in all life is good.
Or at least it was, before the idiot got lost, and the pathfinder society wouldn't do their f$&@£ing jobs
Now the townies think that he's obligated to go in and save the fool,
He isn't an adventurer! And for good reason, that's a job where people died, like every day!
Uugh but if he doesn't go he'll be outed as a fraud, uugh,
Uugh, least with the others he'll be less likely to die, and is just the one mission....
Interested, but having trouble reconciling the "humble shopkeeper" origin stories with the inclusion of monstrous races, drow, and creatures that one would expect to see in Sigil, not so much in a mid-size port city.
Is there an in-universe reason we can use to help justify all these wild creatures volunteering for a rescue mission?
I am in this same boat, especially given that I am looking to roll a Worg.
He stayed. Venturing into the city at night, hunting rats, and eating garbage when he couldn't find fresh prey. In the darkest hours of the night, when mists rolled through the city or the moon was high in the night, Old Grey would Howl a long and haunting note to get the townsfolk to shutter up their windows.
He had scars on his face and neck, his black and grey fur torn in patches. Run ins with stray dogs usually, they were ok to eat. He was careful not to attack humans in the town, maybe if one was off in the hills, he would follow, but if people started dying, the town would start paying attention to him, and that meant hunters and traps.
Male worg warrior 1 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 280)
NE Medium magical beast
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +12
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Defense
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AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +4 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 48 (5d10+20)
Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +3
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Offense
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Speed 50 ft.
Melee bite +9 (1d6+15)
--------------------
Statistics
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Str 22, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +5; CMB +9; CMD 25 (29 vs. trip)
Feats Power Attack, Run, Skill Focus (Perception)
Traits poverty-stricken, reactionary
Skills Acrobatics +3 (+7 to jump with a running start), Perception +12, Stealth +10, Survival +10; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +2 Stealth, +2 Survival
Languages Common, Goblin
Other Gear +1 chain shirt, 300 gp
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Special Abilities
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Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Run Run 5x your speed in light/medium armor or 4x speed in heavy armor and keep Dex when running.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.
Trip (Ex) You can make a trip attempt on a successful attack.
I plan to be a natural attack barbarian. I would also like to discuss the possiblity of gaining a boost at 7th level as per most animals or the improved familiar feat. It would be really cool to become a winter worg or at least get large size.
I merely wanted to offer, as options, the most plausible monsters that I could think of. If you're having trouble reconciling them in your mind, I'm not forcing you to play anything. The Isle of Kortos is full of monsters, and monsters come in all colors just like humans and gnomes and half-orcs do, so it's very plausible to me that a nixie that likes to live in the bay wants to go down with the chivalrous blacksmith and the town guard captain to see whatever magical thing it is that the Pathfinders are interested in, or a worg that's been promised the most juicy hunting grounds by the Mayor in exchange for the return of this halfling.
Diobel is also within a horse-ride of Absalom, the largest city in Golarion, and big metropolises attract all sorts, but...not everybody would want to live just there.
You have creative license. I've allowed monster characters and underground characters in the past and been rewarded with well-written, well-played consistent characters. I am inclined to do so again because of it. Do what you want with it, or not.
I'm currently thinking of a Sylph (one with the Sylph Druid Archetype) but really want to go Rogue as well, so I'm a little split at the minute, but I'm thinking possibly a girl who lives on the edge of society, is curious about a lot of things and likes to frolic around in the woods a lot, possibly disguising herself as a lowly goods handler to make a living, transporting goods and crates to people around the local Town or transporting good sfrom ships at the port to local businesses.
She usually keeps her hood up so is unlikely to be seen as strange or even remain recognisable to most.
There's a 3.5 prestige class that you might want to look at, called Twinblade Shaper. Obviously we'd talk about it if you got accepted, and convert it and such, (and I'd need to find the stats again) but as I remember the prereqs included Two-Weapon Fighting, wild shape, and 2d6 sneak attack. It advanced divine spellcasting, wild shape progression, sneak attack, and allowed special abilities while wild-shaped that were very rogue-flavored.
I found it! Daggerspell Shaper.
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Extreme interest. I love your concept, and as a homebrew GM myself, I'm amped by the potential storyline.
I'd like to play as one the little sister of Cruril, motivated into action by his disappearance. This would of course require a few details on the halfling's past and family life, but here's the gist:
Once her brother became a Pathfinder, Dwynra felt alone at home. This feeling quickly led to her getting married to Hoyton Naad, a daring travelling entertainer. Dwynra used her natural bend toward sleight of hand and affinity for the shadows to add a prestidigitation arm to the Naad act.
However, when word reached that not only had her brother disappeared on a mission for the Society, but that the Pathfinders weren't going to send a team in to search for him, she dropped everything to return and how. Normally a jovial trickster, her fury at the Society for their negligence, and her love for her older brother give her a powerful if unwelcome new purpose.
I definitely have arcane trickster on the horizon for her. Starting with expert 2/sorcerer 1, shadow bloodline (if it's allowed, fey if it's not).
Shadow bloodline is fine - it's paizo, after all.
He visited hoe while he was a Pathfinder-in-training, of course, the first time you'd seem him in years - and he regaled the family with tales of his arcane training and the amazing magical things they have around the city of thieves.
He just recently finished with his training, and every Pathfinder is given one important mission at the end of their training before they can become a full Pathfinder. Given his knowledge of runic magic, they sent Cruril into the tunnels beneath Diobel with instructions to bring back anything he'd found to the Grand Lodge in Absalom. His congratulations party for what was thought to be an easy mission was the last time you saw him, three days ago.
Cruril's family lives on a farm near the core of the Isle of Kortos. The only excitement that the family gets is having to content with a territorial, hungry, or angry centaur every couple of days. They help to supply food for the urban centers of the city, owning rather large tracts of land on which they grow grain.
Cruril has alchemical talent, great academic and practical knowledge of many useful things (chiefly magic, though), a good sword-hand and a few minor magical tricks.
I am very much interested in the idea, though I'm torn between two concepts.
I have an idea of making either a Hobgoblin Hunter with a Giant Weasel as a companion, primarily a hunter by trade near the town and a good tracker to boot to aid in the search for the halfling.
The other concept is a Sylph Investigator, a regular know-it-all who loves a good puzzle and mystery, usually from the well-protected confines of his own home in the town, though also quite inquisitive which leads to interesting conflicts in his own personality.
Dot, Thinking. :)
I found it! Daggerspell Shaper.
Thanks for finding this. It's pretty great!
It looks like a good choice for me. The only two things I'm still considering now are:
1. Seeing if we can make that class work with Kukri's instead of Daggers (if this is too much work for you, no problem), where I'd then take my level 3 feat as Martial Weapon Proficiency for Kukri's and later follow the Rogue's Knife Master Archetype.
2. It's likely I won't be using Wild Shape at all to turn into an animal, as for this character concept, the only thing that interests me is the Elemental Body Wild Shape option, which I can do at level 6, so it doesn't bother me not being able to use it for two levels.
Lastly, how many traits are we allowed, have you made any specific to your homebrew campaign and will we be selecting a feat at every other level (inclusive of our NPC levels?), meaning I'd have two at level 3 from classes alone?
Thanks a lot!
She embraces her air elemental heritage and finds fun in her own abilities, dispersing herself into wind and phasing in and out of her natural form, flying around and doing what makes her happy. She's essentially a free spirit but one who doesn't mingle with the public very often and is usually in her own little world often grabbing pencil and paper to draw that of which she finds interesting around her.
In the public eye, she keeps her head down and is somewhat mysterious. She likes to keep out of trouble and away from those who may harm her. She doesn't want to be a victim to people or malicious beings/entities and so in public spotlight, she happily shrouds herself under a hooded cloak, getting on with her job and passing by unnoticed.
NPC Class wise - I'm fairly certain I'll be starting off as an Adept as they also cast Divine Spells with Wisdom as their main stat, though I'd quite like to not have Summon Familiar as per the Adept level 2 ability and instead perhaps just have a bonded amulet that allows me to speak with animals/other creatures or cast cure light wounds instead (as per the bonded object rules, which summon familiar links to on the prd).
I'll be looking to blend Knife Master Rogue and Sky Druid together, going down the route of the Daggerspell Shaper as you suggested, as this looks like a really fun way to go about things, especially for someone who's afraid of harm coming to her!
Domain would be air of course though. :)
Story:
(unnamed) was born a Sylph. Her mother being a Sylph herself, looked as close to a human as possible, while her father was but a simple Blacksmith.
Her parents didn't particularly love their child, leaving her mostly to her own devices. Her interests were usually of an artful and creative origin, though sometimes she'd go out and have stick fights with the local children, preferring the smaller and lighter sticks over the bigger branches some of the more burly kids played with.
When (unnamed) was mature and old enough to get by in life herself (her father nearing 85 years of age by this point), both her Mother and Father told her she'd be staying with a friend of the family (a human woman of around 65 years of age by the name of Betsy) before waving her off and sending her packing to Diobel.
Once there, she tracked down old Betsy who welcomed her with open arms.
"So your parents sent you here..." she aired, wondering what to do with the girl of 68 years of age (17 in human looks and terms). "They didn't notify me of your arrival, but no matter, you're here now so let's get you something to eat and drink and then I'll prepare a room for you!"
Old Betsy seemed a little eccentric but pleasantly friendly, charming and had a good sense of humour. She felt (unnamed's) parents were selfish but didn't believe in blaming the young and so as time went on, (unnamed) and old Betsy felt a strong bond for one another, though Betsy herself never really went into great detail about her past line of work, so there has always been a side of mystery about her that has always kept (unnamed) curious.
It was old Betsy who convinced (unnamed) to apply for the job she's in now and when the young girl isn't down at the woods, tending to animals, experimenting with her unusual abilities and enjoying long walks through her tree'd and streamed surroundings, (unnamed) is often at home spending time with the old lady, helping out around the house and sharing interests, like any young girl would do when in the company of someone she admires and someone who although not of blood relation, has become her adoptive mother and friend.
Position in society: Commoner, though she seems to be an Adept when it comes to things relating to the wilderness, in addition to controlling her own unnatural abilities.
Job: A goods transporter - She carries goods mostly from the docks to places of business around Diobel to make a living.
Function in combat: To be able to move about the battlefield with relative ease while providing enough support to aid the possible stronger folk she travels with and escaping any dangerous situations herself (when necessary).
Is there anything else you'd like from me or is this giving you a good enough idea of my character?
I left Betsy's past open to you, so if you want her to be a retired Pathfinder or local hero, you have free reign to help pull this character into your homebrew story. :)
I assumed when the class says "daggers" it means daggers in the same way that the knife master rogue archetype means daggers - all dagger like weapons. This includes punching daggers and kukris and star knives and the like.
Last thing I'm interested in is alignment, just to make sure that it's been stated, really. I'm gonna guess something like NG, though. Or just N? And I assume you're starting adept 2/druid 1?
Yeah, feat progression is by HD, and being Pathfinder rules it's every odd-numbered level for all characters. Thus, all characters ought to have at least two feats (unless they're templated or for some other reason have fewer than 3 HD).
She won't even be using Wild Shape to turn into a bird? It's the earliest that she'll be capable of flight.
Traits! Two traits please, any paizo traits.
Well I wanted her to be simply "good", but with the alignment restrictions, she'll be Neutral Good. She's aloof and kind of an "air head".
As for Wild Shape, nah, I have no interest in that. Why become an animal when you can be surrounded by them and love them that way? Yea, the concept I'm going for is purely with the manifestation of her Elemental bloodline because I haven't done something like that before, having taken no interest to elemental types before hand.
Sylph was something out of my usual area and I'm happy with the concept I have, so all I need are the feats to go the Kukri route (not yet mind, as nothing in the story has prompted her into purchasing such weapons - though if you want to work that out with me, I'm game) and then her build is as follows:
Adept 2/Druid 1
I wanted to go Adept 1/Aristocrat 1/Druid 1, but that was just so I could gain martial weapon proficiency, so I decided against it because I don't want to over-optimise when our characters are all merely commoners/adventure-less humans.
@fnord72 get over yourself, if you don't like what lein is doing you don't have to submit a character. He said multiple times that he is testing some things and also that this is homebrew he is going to be the dm and this is his campaign he can run it however he wants. I don't know how you got that stick up your ass but you don't have to be here.
Extremely interested, going to go for a blink dog I'm interested to see what can be done with a character without hands
I will post the stats at a later point in time, im going for a focused damage dealer probably slayer i still need to read up on the class abilities
and here is my back story
Favoured Class
HP: 15 (16 if we take max at level 1)
I've just looked into Wild Shape and it doesn't state that you have to look identical to the animals chosen, so to me, even if I don't do it, being able to just extend your finger nails or grow fangs could be kind of fun. It might happen even if it's outside of my character concept, but fits in well with her relationship to animals.
The one thing that concerns me is that I could use my fly skill instead of acrobatics when jumping....which is really cool, but then the traits I pick to increase my acrobatics with wind abilities for jumping only apply to acrobatics, so would you carry this over to flight instead?
Actually, it says it replaces acrobatics, so I guess that means you use it instead of, so any bonuses to acrobatics still apply as it's still an acrobatics move but you're using fly instead.