GM Arkwright's Rise of the Badger Lord


Recruitment


Wotcher,

I'm on break for awhile, and have decided to run another PBP with some of my free time. I will be recruiting four players. I will be running a homebrew adventure, designed to be finished in a single IRL session, which I came up with for my home game awhile ago. I will be requiring at least half of my players to use my homebrew archetypes. I will be only a tiny bit fussy about role-coverage; play what you want to play. I will be recruiting until I have four good applications. I will require one post per week-day and one post per weekend. Looking forward to having some fun. If (and hopefully when) we complete this adventure, I have three more in this questline to follow if everybody would like to continue.

Campaign Intro:
It has been six months since you and the rest of your adventuring party captured a prisoner, knocked her unconscious and threw her atop a badger warren to be devoured as a sacrifice to the mighty Badger Lords on a whim. Five months since a strange, stocky man with white-and-black hair approached you with a small and a written message, the letter saying that the Badger Lord himself saw your sacrifice and is willing to accept your service. Four months since you joined the Pathfinder Society. Now, another message- different from the ones which so often precede your Pathfinder missions with small requests and quests- has arrived under your door. The Badger Lord calls you to a tavern with the sign of the Dancing Devil in the Chelish city of Egorian, promising a reward for a deed well-done. With your fellow disciples, you ready yourself for travel.

Character Creation:
Level 3
Any alignment
Max HD at first level, half rounded up therafter
Any core races + Aasimar and Tiefling
Standard WBL
Any paizo except Occult, Technology and Unchained, plus my homebrew
Two traits, one can be any campaign trait, no drawbacks
No crafting
I may be ignoring a few erratas; off the top of my head, Crane Wing works as it did previously.
All PCs will be Badger Lord disciples and so will receive a potion each mission granting them the Ferocity monster ability

Application:
I need Character Name, Race, Class, Alignment, three lines of backstory, one line of personality and one line of description. No need to create a new alias or sheet at this point. I have no issue with alias recycling.


I realize it's an odd mission, and odd to insist on use of my homebrew, so I fully expect some questions.


Dotting for interest


You forgot stat generation rules.


Dear me.
20 pb.


Dot


Question: What are the Badger Lords? presumably some kind of deity? surely leaving a prisoner to be devoured by them constitutes an Evil act, yet you have no alignment restrictions, how does a Good character reconcile this? (For that matter, it seems an unlawful act, I imagine a Lawful character would have problems, too). Is there some cultural background that makes this an acceptable act?


Dotting this, hoping to get back into pbp and this seems fun.


Interesting. Dotting for later.


@Gavmania- Badger Lords are something that should probably be explained in discussion if you are accepted to the game. As for the sacrifice; prisoner was a bandit who attacked the party hoping to kill andd loot them, and was committed at level one so can be regarded as a youthful indiscretion, admittedly of the highest order. Absolutely still a somewhat evil and chaotic act, I'm leaving alignment options open as an RP challenge.


Aww. Was really hoping for a Redwall campaign.


GM Arkwright wrote:
@Gavmania- Badger Lords are something that should probably be explained in discussion if you are accepted to the game. As for the sacrifice; prisoner was a bandit who attacked the party hoping to kill andd loot them, and was committed at level one so can be regarded as a youthful indiscretion, admittedly of the highest order. Absolutely still a somewhat evil and chaotic act, I'm leaving alignment options open as an RP challenge.

Hmm. So possibly a Lawful/Good character didn't really want to do it but was swept up into the party's decision and now regrets not being more forceful in their opposition. Either they are ashamed of it and are worried that word will get out about what they have done or the are worried about the consequences of going it alone - perhaps they are a half elf or tiefling with no real family of their own; the party has become their family and that's where their loyalty lies for better or worse.

I see some possibilities there. Obviously this is no place for a Paladin who has violated their code, but someone who regrets the decision and wants no further part in it, but doesn't want to leave the group and will tag along regardless might work out.


Exactly.


Very interesting Homebrew! I'm looking forward to seeing what the Badger Lords are all about. Here's my application,

Character Name: Hames
Race: Human
Class: Cleric (Mystic Sage)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Backstory: Six months ago, a recent convert to Apsu worship, Hames was zealous in his war against the "Minions of Dahak" and all blasphemers. Unfortunately, this devotion played a part in his agreement to the sacrifice of the bandit which they had taken prisoner; a decision he now regrets.
Personality: Unintelligent and somewhat of a fanatic, Hames holds many erroneous opinions about other deities and their worshipers. He is quick to denounce others and has more in common with a snake than the metallic dragons whom he practically worships.
Description: A black-haired, 30 year old man with a long beard, Hames wears a decorative cloak with a golden brooch in the shape of a dragon's foot.


I like it. Until now I'd never had occasion to look up Apsu or Dahak. Add a last name and a reason why you joined the Pathfinder Society and approved.


Awesome! Here's the fixes,

Character Name: Hames Theothelm
Race: Human
Class: Cleric (Mystic Sage)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Backstory: Six months ago, a recent convert to Apsu worship, Hames was zealous in his war against the "Minions of Dahak" and all blasphemers. Unfortunately, this devotion played a part in his agreement to the sacrifice of the bandit which they had taken prisoner; a decision he now regrets. Two months afterwards he joined the Pathfinder Society with the rest of the party, which he claims is for spreading the name of Apsu, but his true motive is a little more selfish, seeking glory and power for both himself and the party.
Personality: Unintelligent and somewhat of a fanatic, Hames holds many erroneous opinions about other deities and their worshipers. He is quick to denounce others and has more in common with a snake than the metallic dragons whom he practically worships.
Description: A black-haired, 30 year old man with a long beard, Hames wears a decorative cloak with a golden brooch in the shape of a dragon's foot.


Name: Renald Vasidius
Race: Tiefling
Class: Wizard/Druid (Wild Whisperer)
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Backstory: An odd, nature-loving wizard, Renald adopted the party as his "pack" some time ago. His lack of care for human life, mixed with his fascination for animals, led him to wholeheartedly approve of the badger sacrifice. He eventually joined the other party members in joining the Pathfinder society, out of a desire to roam far and study exotic animals along the way. The opportunity to assist his pack and watch things die were just added bonuses.
Personality: A strange and slightly feral man, Renald has dedicated his life to the dual goals of obtaining arcane power and studying every animal he comes across. His loyalty to his adopted pack helps balance out his sociopathic tendencies.
Description: A pale, gaunt tiefling with a hunched back, Renald usually wears a brown, ratty cloak and a tan skullcap.


Druid/Wizard, interesting. What are the proportions in that multiclass? Otherwise, approved.


Wizard 2/Druid 1, with a focus on support.


Dawn Dancer's Battle Dance ability wrote:
This works like bardic performance, except that the performances grant double their normal bonuses, but these bonuses only affect him [the Dawn Dancer].

&

Dawn Dancer's Battle Dance ability wrote:
When a Dawn Dancer uses the inspire courage, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics bardic performance types as battle dances, these performance types only provide benefit to the Dancer himself. All other types of bardic performance work normally (affecting the bard and his allies, or the bard’s enemies, as appropriate).

Please clarify this.

Is it saying that Battle Dance acts as bardic performance, except it provides double the normal bonuses for the Dawn Dancer himself, while providing regular bonuses for everyone else, except with those bardic performances listed (which only affect the Dancer)?

Also,

Sound Striker's Wordstrike ability wrote:
[Wordstrike] also deals damage to constructs and creatures made of solid materials (rock, metal) and double damage to crystalline or glass creatures.

I'm guessing it's meant to affect creatures made of "natural" materials? Everything on the material plane is made of solid materials, whether it be fur, scales, or feathers - you only get the distinction of something being "solid" in Pathfinder as compared to being "incorporeal," as with ethereal creatures, etc. Flesh is solid (technically natural, as well, but natural seems more like the word you're looking for there).

Otherwise, this is a very intriguing concept.


Yes, bardic performance only affecting the dancer with double the bonuses. That language is lifted from paizo bars archetypes.

How about by solid it means creatures made entirely out of one non liquid material? Elementals are entirely of rock, humans are flesh and bone and blood.


Thank you. Again this looks pretty interesting, although I still think that wording could be cleared up a bit.

Huh... I see the original ability uses the same inane wording (rather, you used the inane wording they came up with). I suggest you rectify the foolishness of whoever wrote that ability in your own homebrewed archetype.

Easier to read than a whole paragraph of strike-throughs:
The original Dervish Dancer ability does not affect anyone except the bard. You use the same language from that, but then add that the bonuses are doubled for the bard only, and indicate that the doubled bonuses only apply to the bard, while the usual bonuses still apply to everyone else, in the same phrase, without distinguishing between the two subjects. I just think you should modify the language from the original ability to make those points clearer. It appears as if you're saying the ability only works for the bard in first paragraph, and if not for the oddity of specifying additional performances that do only work for the bard, I would have continued with my misinterpretation and never sought clarification.

Character: Gabriella Calideon
Race: Human
Class: Swashbuckler 1/Bard 2 (Dawn Dancer)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral (deity: Sarenrae)
Backstory: Hailing from a coastal region, where she did piratey stuff, Gabriella was originally in it just for the money, and her chaotic impulses helped urge the group to make that vengeful sacrifice 6 months ago. She since regrets the decision, having recently devoted her blade to Sarenrae, finding her own redemption in the Dawnflower's glorious light, which she hopes to spread as a Pathfinder (& of course getting more booty).
Personality: Gabriella is clever & charismatically daring, but rather brash & undisciplined. She relishes a challenge, and throws herself headfirst into most situations. She has a recent devotion to Sarenrae & the goddess' teachings on redemption.
Description: Her deadly grace only adds to the woman's dashing charm. She is just below average height, lithe, with dark skin, striking eyes & long, beautiful, black curls.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16

Character: Simeon Cobblethatch
Race: Human
Class: Rogue 3 (Thug)
Alignment: Neutral
Backstory: Even at a young age Simeon stood out from the other street waifs due to his size and blithe willingness to ease his passage through life with his fists. In time he rose to the position of gang enforcer, and would have eventually died an ignominious death in some back alley if he hadn't brutalized a young noble with martial connections. Forced to flee his home city, he fell in with the group and surprised himself by how quickly he adapted to life on the road. Sacrificing the bandit troubled Simeon not at all, though he didn't quite understand the rationale behind the elaborate sacrifice. Still, doing so seems to have led them to joining the PFS, something of which Simeon is proud, so surely it wasn't a bad idea to begin with?
Personality: Simeon doesn't relish inflicting pain, but accepts that doing so is often the most pragmatic way to achieve his goals. Calm, content, and at times surprisingly gentle, he cares little for society's strictures, focusing instead on pleasing his friends and himself.
Description: Scars mark his ascension through the ranks of his former gang, and his lack of vanity means he makes no attempt to hide nor display them. Powerfully built, dressed like a peasant, with a shovel face and an untroubled smile, Simeon often makes no impression on others until his fists start swinging.


I'll look into the wording. Character approved.

We need one more player, doesn't have to use my homebrew.

Edit: well, hello there. Add a line about joining the pathfinders and a line about the sacrifice/working with the badger lord and approved.


Name: Dieuwer Eleazar
Race: Half-Elf
Class: Inquisitor (Mystic Warrior)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Backstory: While Dieuwer went along with the sacrifice without protesting, soon afterwards he started feeling an inexplicable sense of dread that someone would find out what they did. Eager to avoid any kind of repercussions (however deserved) he turned to the worship of Sivanah, hoping to hide his guilt with the goddess' power over illusions. Not feeling safe staying in one place for too long, he happily joined the Pathfinder Society alongside the rest of the group.
Personality: Utterly paranoid, Dieuwer finds it difficult to trust anyone outside his group. (They are just as guilty as he is, after all) However, he can also be suprisingly insightful, and is remarkably hard to fool or mislead.
Description: A tall half-elf dressed in gray or dull-colored clothes chosen specifically for their inconspicuousness, nervous but keen green eyes constantly surveying his surroundings.

Edit: Man, just a tiny bit too slow. :P I'll leave this here just in case anyway, if someone has to drop or something.


I'll be nice and accept five. Recruitment is now closed. Looking forward to this. I'll get things set up and start explaining the badger plot soon.


Thanks a lot! :D I look forward to trying out the Mystic Warrior archetype, it's a very interesting one.

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Great. Background updated.


Discussion is open!

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