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Ey folks! To make a long story short, I'm going to be running Carnival of Tears for one of my Kingmaker games. However, I'm thinking a little practice with it would be good as well, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to have a short game here on the forums! So I'm putting out a recruitment for a total of 4 players. Recruitment will be open until the 10th of March.
Point Buy: 15 point buy.
Alignment: Welcome to Team Evil, folks. While you won't be my group exactly, you should still be able to give me an idea of how this game treats those who really don't give a rat's ass about others. Although I would like to note that even though you have to be evil doesn't mean that this isn't a team game. Be willing to work together folks, with backstabbing rising from magical compulsions or extremely good reasons only.
Race: All core races, as well as changelings, tieflings, aasimar, and ratfolk.
Class: You can be a caster only. My group is currently rocking pretty much nothing but casters, so for a better comparison for how things will go. For purposes of what a caster is, use any Paizo class with either 6th-level or 9th-level spell progression.
Skills: Background skills are in effect.
Traits: 2, with one of those being a Kingmaker campaign trait. Drawbacks are allowed.
Other sundries: Characters will be 5th level. Max HP at 1, half+1 after that. 10,500 gp worth of equipment.
Alignment: Welcome to Team Evil, folks. While you won't be my group exactly, you should still be able to give me an idea of how this game treats those who really don't give a rat's ass about others.
I ran this module once for some friends. I must say, I'm not sure how the alignment will work out. If I made an evil character, his/her reaction would probably be to laugh. And maybe make things worse. Although obviously, there are other ways to play evil.
dotting
From the cover blurbs, I'm feeling that occult themes would work well with this. I'm thinking spiritualist.
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One possible solution to the alignment issue is to give the players a reason to engage this. Here's a suggestion that works for both party cohesion and to ensure that people wont just stand aside and watch the world burn.
The PC's all work for the Family. This organization is looking to expand into this area and get a foothold. The PC's are scouting the competition - looking to identify anybody that will make expansion difficult. Competing criminal organizations, effective good organizations, and random problems (like the Carnival).
Our goals:
- Deal with the issues we can deal with.
- Identify the issues we can't deal with and get information and resources to help take them down.
- Don't draw too much negative attention. i.e. don't leave bodies lying all over the place. Unless you're framing somebody else.
If we do well, then we get rewarded with a piece of the action for this region. If we screw up, then they'll take us out.
I ran this module once for some friends. I must say, I'm not sure how the alignment will work out. If I made an evil character, his/her reaction would probably be to laugh. And maybe make things worse. Although obviously, there are other ways to play evil.
Well, thankfully there's an easy answer to that problem: Make an evil character who cares about what happens to the town you're going to be in. Maybe you're well established in the local criminal circles, maybe you're a priest looking to bring these people into the fold, or maybe you just have family in town. Regardless of your reasons, though, you have reasons. You could also be a more petty sort of evil as well: More Jayne than Joker, so to speak.
One possible solution to the alignment issue is to give the players a reason to engage this. Here's a suggestion that works for both party cohesion and to ensure that people wont just stand aside and watch the world burn.
The PC's all work for the Family. This organization is looking to expand into this area and get a foothold. The PC's are scouting the competition - looking to identify anybody that will make expansion difficult. Competing criminal organizations, effective good organizations, and random problems (like the Carnival).
Our goals:
- Deal with the issues we can deal with.
- Identify the issues we can't deal with and get information and resources to help take them down.
- Don't draw too much negative attention. i.e. don't leave bodies lying all over the place. Unless you're framing somebody else.
If we do well, then we get rewarded with a piece of the action for this region. If we screw up, then they'll take us out.
This is also another example of how to make evil characters care about things they normally wouldn't, though obviously a thing we'd have to form up more solidly once the game commences. However, this makes a good general guideline for how your character could operate. Feel free to make your characters more than criminals, of course.
Would you allow Anti-Paladins to be Lawful Evil?
Yes, I will. I can probably write up a code for whatever god you wind up choosing as well.
I ran this module once for some friends. I must say, I'm not sure how the alignment will work out. If I made an evil character, his/her reaction would probably be to laugh. And maybe make things worse. Although obviously, there are other ways to play evil.Well, thankfully there's an easy answer to that problem: Make an evil character who cares about what happens to the town you're going to be in. Maybe you're well established in the local criminal circles, maybe you're a priest looking to bring these people into the fold, or maybe you just have family in town. Regardless of your reasons, though, you have reasons. You could also be a more petty sort of evil as well: More Jayne than Joker, so to speak.
You could indeed. But there's a difference between "an evil character designed specifically so it would work with this module" and "an evil character (possibly designed for a different game/module)." You said you were doing this in prep for a different group of (I assume evil) characters, so I'm just pointing out that they may not have made their characters evil in a way that would play well with this. Although you said Kingmaker, which I haven't played but gather is about building a kingdom, so maybe that in itself will make them more inclined to be protective of their citizens.
Also, to be clear, I don't plan to submit a character. I just thought the idea of an evil party Carnival of Tears was interesting.
Building an Oracle Spirit Guide for it. :)
Would you allow Anti-Paladins to be Lawful Evil?
EDIT: I'm an idiot, I just saw that you want 6-9 casters, How about an enchanter, they can be hit and miss depending on the mod
And I had forgotten my own limitation as well! Yes, enchanter will be a good fit for this module. There's nothing mindless, though there are a few cases of high-ish will saves.
Here's my evil caster submission for the game ;)
This sounds awesome! I'll see what I can come up with.
An evil caster submission for the game ;)
Well, I'm going to have to be the bearer of some bad news then. First off is that you can't be Dual-Cursed and a Spirit Guide at the same time, as they both alter your mystery class skills. Namely, Spirit Guide changes them to all knowledges, and Dual-Cursed makes it so that you don't get any at all. So as per the archetype rules, you can't have them both.
Secondly, while a Lore wandering spirit is good for a Shaman, it's not so good for a Oracle, and especially you in particular. There's one major reason for this:
A spirit guide gains one hex of her choice from the list of hexes available from that spirit. She uses her oracle level as her shaman level, and she switches Wisdom for Charisma and vice versa for the purpose of determining the hex's effects.
That means for the Arcane Enlightenment hex you picked up, you're sitting at a grand total of 0 spells added to your list. -1 if we're being real technical. However, there's more than that stopping you from cherry-picking arcane spells to add to your list.
The shaman’s native intelligence grants her the ability to tap into arcane lore. The shaman can add a number of spells from the sorcerer/wizard spell list equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1) to the list of shaman spells she can prepare.
Last I checked, an oracle does not prepare spells. Again, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it'd be best for you to know now.
I've got a few concepts in mind now. A few quick questions before I build my character:
Is VMC allowed?
How many levels in casting classes are needed to qualify?
How much multiclassing is too much? I'll admit, I'm a sucker for making silly multiclass decisions.
Are there any classes that are banned, like Synthesist Summoner and Master Summoner in PFS?
Is the Words of Power system acceptable?
That's all of my questions, I think. Thank you for your time.
Thanks, Callaway! I'm stepping out of the run, then, as I clearly disagree of some of your interpretations of the Spirit Guide archetype for Oracle. Good luck you all and have fun!
I've got a few concepts in mind now. A few quick questions before I build my character:
Is VMC allowed?
How many levels in casting classes are needed to qualify?
How much multiclassing is too much? I'll admit, I'm a sucker for making silly multiclass decisions.
Are there any classes that are banned, like Synthesist Summoner and Master Summoner in PFS?
Is the Words of Power system acceptable?
That's all of my questions, I think. Thank you for your time.
In order: No, At least 4 levels in the same class, Probably won't be any real silly multi-classing with the prior answer, if it's not PFS legal, it's a no-go (barring the Vivisectionist alchemist, Blood Summoner, and a selection of other archetypes), and No.
It seems that my character concept isn't playable, so I'm going to have to bow out. Have a nice time!
Got an evil ratfolk witch concept that I've been wanting to try for a while. Since this is an evil game, I have to ask: Just how evil do you want us to be? For instance, my ratfolk witch has a fondness for eating young children, complete with the witch hex that allows them to use the scent ability to sniff out young creatures. Would that be a bit much for you?
Got an evil ratfolk witch concept that I've been wanting to try for a while. Since this is an evil game, I have to ask: Just how evil do you want us to be? For instance, my ratfolk witch has a fondness for eating young children, complete with the witch hex that allows them to use the scent ability to sniff out young creatures. Would that be a bit much for you?
Again, co-operative evil is the name of the game. Aside from that, go wild. You know, within reason.
Gonna cook up a warpriest if thats fine.. Prob gonna go with Malacoda as his diety. I have two questions, first what are background skills? And second do you allow tieflings to give up their sla for alternate abilities?
Okay, here is Jessica. She's the kind of girl who fell head over heels in love and then tortured him to death so that they could be together forever. Pretty much a sociopathic Disney princess with a ghostly prince Charming.
Some would say my story is cliché, but I prefer archetypical. A boy and a girl in love. Two families with an ancient rivalry. A tragic death. And... Well, we'll get to the ending later.
As they say, the devil's in the details. In this case literally. The animosity between our houses goes back before humankind. You see, the Syldriani clan carries the blood of angels. House Maladrian carries the blood of fallen angels. So this isn't the kind of rift that a musical number and a fancy wedding could heal.
What's more, my inconvenient love interfered with my father's plans. I was to marry Duke Bazzagnotti, become impregnated with an incubus' child and spread our influence into a higher social strata. A well-thought out and rational plan that required nothing of me but a pretty smile and a womb. A shameful waste of resources in my mind. My talents that were superfluous and would risk the whole plan.
So I rebelled against this plan and came up with my own. An elopement and secret marriage. I knew that our families would seek us out. Poor Darius was pretty, but never too bright. He thought that love would conquer hate. Sadly, I knew that love took hard work. So I had to drug him into a death-like sleep to get him into my workshop and begin to bind us together forever.
Cutting a soul away from the body is long, hard work. Bloody and painful. When the drug wore off, poor Darius recanted. He was weak in spirit, but I was strong enough for both of us. Keeping the body alive for long enough to remove the soul would have been impossible save that our family's torture chambers are enchanted to heal the dying just enough to bring them back. It also keeps the screams from being heard in the house above.
I must say, I almost lost faith. Several times I had to stop and sob over the pain to the one I held more dear than myself. Only my determination brought me back to the scalpel. This was for the best. We would always be together, in life and in death.
The enchantments to keep his body alive were strong, but once the soul was gone there was nothing for them to work with. We were truly bonded as eternal man and wife. I then brought out the body of the girl I had taken months ago. She was close enough to my looks to pass. I laid her on top of the cold husk that was Darius. A cask of alchemist's fire and a note in the next room would leave a tragedy that would either heal the rift between our families or, more likely, drive them into total war.
This was no longer my problem. I was dead and had to flee the region to be with my beloved. From there I fell in with different criminal groups. Intimidation, theft, murder. With Darius' help we could do all this. We even made some nice friends who understood that sacrifice is the ultimate expression of love.
Hooks to keep me with the others:
Personal connections to be worked out with the group
Being hired by a criminal group
Wanting something belonging to someone who went missing at the fair.
Jessica
Female devil-spawn tiefling spiritualist 5 (Pathfinder Player Companion: Blood of Fiends 21, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 264, Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures 72)
NE Medium outsider (native)
Hero Points 3
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +8
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 38 (5d8+10)
Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +9
Defensive Abilities spiritual interference; Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Special Attacks bonded manifestation (8 rounds/day)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +5)
. . At will—deathwatch
Spiritualist Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +9)
. . At will—detect undead
Spiritualist Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +9)
. . 2nd (3/day)—cure moderate wounds, detect thoughts (DC 16), spiritual weapon
. . 1st (5/day)—chill touch (DC 15), cure light wounds, expeditious retreat, mage armor
. . 0 (at will)—detect magic, guidance, mage hand, mending, message, telekinetic projectile[OA]
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Statistics
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Str 9, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 10
Base Atk +3.75; CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats Distant Delivery[OA], Phantom Fighter[OA], Stealth Synergy[UC]
Traits bandit (river kingdoms), influence
Skills Bluff +7, Climb +0, Diplomacy +12, Disguise +3, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (local) +5, Knowledge (nature) +6, Knowledge (nobility) +6, Knowledge (planes) +5, Knowledge (religion) +5, Linguistics +8, Perception +8, Sense Motive +12, Stealth +10; Racial Modifiers +2 Diplomacy, +2 Sense Motive
Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Infernal, Sylvan
SQ bonded senses (5 rounds/day), etheric tether, hero points, pass for human, phantom (Darius, fear), shared consciousness
Combat Gear cold iron sling bullets (10), silver sling bullets (10), wand of cure light wounds (2); Other Gear +1 mithral shirt, circlet of persuasion, cloak of resistance +1, sleeves of many garments[UE], spirit revivification incense[OA], bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, masterwork backpack[APG], mess kit[UE], trail rations (5), waterskin, 334 gp, 3 sp, 11 cp
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Special Abilities
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Bonded Manifestation (8 rounds/day) (Su) When phantom is in consciousness partially manifest it on self.
Bonded Senses (5 rounds/day) (Su) As a standard action, share the senses of your manifested phantom.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Distant Delivery The distance from you at which your phantom can deliver touch spells increases by 20 feet.
Energy Resistance, Cold (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Cold attacks.
Energy Resistance, Electricity (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Electricity attacks.
Energy Resistance, Fire (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Fire attacks.
Etheric Tether (Su) Lose hp to prevent dam to phantom that would banish it to ethereal. Phantom must remain close when manifested or concentration required.
Hero Points Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
Pass for Human You can pass for human, and count as a humanoid (human) for all purposes.
Phantom (Incorporeal Manifestation) Phantom can manifest as a separate creature or provide bonuses while sharing your mind.
Phantom Fighter Your phantom’s natl wep are treated as having the ghost touch property, plus spells can be Ecto.
Shared Consciousness (1/day) (Su) Gain skill focuses and +4 vs. mind-affecting when not manifesting a phantom.
Spiritual Interference (Su) In reach of ectoplasmic phantom, +2 to AC and saves or in 30 ft. of ethereal phantom +2 vs. mind-affecting.
Stealth Synergy Take the highest roll made by you and your allies on Stealth checks
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Darius
Phantom (Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures)
NE Medium outsider (incorporeal, phantom)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 14 (+4 deflection, +3 Dex)
hp 54 (4d10+8)
Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +4
Defensive Abilities incorporeal
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +7 (2d6+3) Ghost touch
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Statistics
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Str —, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 15
Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 21
Feats Improved Natural Attack (slam), Stealth Synergy[UC], Stealthy
Skills Bluff +7, Escape Artist +5, Fly +7, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (nature) +5, Knowledge (planes) +2, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +12
Languages Common
SQ horrifying strike, incorporeal, magic attacks
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Special Abilities
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Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Horrifying Strike (DC 14) (Su) Slam causes foe to be shaken 1d4 rds (Will neg).
Immunity to Critical Hits You are immune to Critical Hits
Immunity to Precision Damage You are immune to Precision Damage
Incorporeal (Ex) You aren't quite here.
Incorporeal (Su) Incorporeal, but cannot harm corporeal foes unless delivering touch spell.
Magic Attacks (Su) Slams count as magic for overcoming DR.
Stealth Synergy Take the highest roll made by you and your allies on Stealth checks
No problem, she can cooperate with others. Was really just trying to gauge how evil to go.
Gonna cook up a warpriest if thats fine.. Prob gonna go with Nightripper as his diety. I have two questions, first what are background skills? And second do you allow tieflings to give up their sla for alternate abilities?It's very cool as it gives everybody an extra pool of skill points for some of the more flavorful options.
As for giving up the SLA for special abilities, I'm interested in the answer too. I expect that it's going to be either "No" or "Yes, but you'll have to roll on the forum." Letting people pick is giving Tieflings a lot more power.
The roll was fine for me.. Adds flavor imo and you never know, might get lucky to boot..
Ok I read over the Background Skills thing and I'm kinda confused on how they work.. As a warpriest I still just get 2 skills per level right?
So basically we're using the unchained skills?
Actually, you get your 2 points +Int per level and then you get an extra 2 points per level that can only be spent on the following list:
•Appraise
•Artistry
•Craft
•Handle Animal
•Knowledge (engineering)
•Knowledge (geography)
•Knowledge (history)
•Knowledge (nobility)
•Linguistics
•Lore
•Perform
•Profession
•Sleight of Hand
Artistry is used for creating performances - writing music, etc. Int based.
Lore is like a more focused knowledge skill Like Lore (Elven Wines) or Lore (Musical Composers).
So I guess it would be a good to know where we are before selecting Lore skills then right?
GM can we get an idea of where this is going take place etc?
No background yet but here's my crunch so far.. Its more or less complete. If you see something you dont like let me know..
Deacon Slaughter
Oni-Spawn Tiefling Warpriest 5
LE Medium outsider (native)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10
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Defense
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AC 24, touch 11, flat-footed 23 (+10 armor, +1 Dex, +3 natural)
Hp 43 (5d8+15)
Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +8
Resist fire 5, cold 5
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Melee +1 Large Bastard Sword +8 (2d8+13/19-20×2)
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Statistics
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Str 20, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 7
Base Atk +3; CMB +8; CMD 19
Feats Armor of the Pit, Furious Focus, Power Attack, Weapon Focus(Bastard Sword), Weapon Specilization(Bastard Sword)
Traits Fates Favored, Indomitable Will, Rostlander
Drawback Foul Brand(hand)
Skills Perception +10, Sense Motive +8, Survival +7, +10 background skills
Languages Abyssal, Common
SQ Blessings (5/day)(Strength Blessing, War Blessing), Fervor (4/day)(1d6), Focus Weapon(Bastard Sword), Sacred Weapon(Bastard Sword), Spontaneous Casting, Strength Surge(minor), War Mind(minor)
Gear +1 Fullplate, +1 Large Bastard Sword, +2 Belt of Strength, +1 Cloak of Resistance, Holy Symbol(Malacoda)
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Special Abilities
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Damage Resistance, Fire (5) You have the specified Damage Resistance against Fire attacks.
Damage Resistance, Cold (5) You have the specified Damage Resistance against Cold attacks.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Focus Weapon Gain Weapon Focus with chosen weapon.
Foul Brand You have the symbol of an evil deity burned into your flesh. If the symbol is on your hand, you take a –1 penalty on Disable Device, Disguise, and Sleight of Hand checks.
Prehensile Tail Your tail can retrieve small objects on your person as a swift action.
Scaled Skin +1 Na, Fire Resist 5, Cold Resist 5.
Spontaneous Casting The Cleric can convert stored spells into Cure or Inflict spells.
Strength Surge (minor) +1 (Su) As a swift action, gain a +1 bonus to melee att, CMB, Str skills, and Str checks.
War Mind (minor) (Su) Touched ally can choose one each rd: +10 speed, +1 AC, +1 att, +1 save.
Thank you Philo, for answering the question about Background Skills. Now onto the matter of random Tiefling abilities, to which I answer: Yes, but I'll be rolling for them, and you get to choose whether you keep your spell-like or take my result. Since both of you expressed interest, I'll roll for you now!
= You can alter your shadow to make it appear as that of any creature or object of your size or smaller.
= Once per day, you can spend a full-round action eating from a corpse to regain 1d6+1 hit points.
The flavor is sweet but I think ill keep my 1/day alter self.. Thanks for giving us the option though.
Im gonna flesh out a backstory this morning sometime.
This is just gonna be a 1 shot right? If so is it neccessary to know alot about the place? I was thinking on Lore skills but have no clue where this will be taking place etc.. Prob doesn't matter much with my 10 int anyways..
Sure hope the recruitment post rate isn't indicative of the game post rate.. Was kinda hopin for a faster paced game.
[dice=Jessica Roll]1d100 = You can alter your shadow to make it appear as that of any creature or object of your size or smaller.
Danke, but I like Soul Seer better to give deathwatch. It fits so well with spiritualist.
Sure hope the recruitment post rate isn't indicative of the game post rate.. Was kinda hopin for a faster paced game.
As for character creation vs. posting, it all depends on what GM questions people have. I know sometimes I'll just fade away until the character is finished and then post it.
Bump.. This still happening GM?