Beginner Box: Black Fang's Lair (Inactive)

Game Master Something Wicked

Welcome to the discussion thread. Please introduce yourself and start talking about character ideas.

Hi everyone. I bicycled across the US two years ago from PAX East to PAX Prime. One of my downtime things to do was create different characters on Hero Labs. I have several I'd like to try out and I'll post some later when I'm not typing on a phone.

Alright! New alias for a new campaign!

Some preliminary build rules. If you don't know what any of this means, don't hesitate to ask. One of my goals for this campaign was bringing in players who may not be experts at the game. A great place to learn about classes and rules is d20pfsrd.com.

• Races: Core only. I am a purist :).
• Classes: Summoners must select the Unchained version. No Occult classes.
• Build Rules: 25 point buy. Your lowest stat, after racial modifiers, cannot be below 8.
• HP: Max at first level, ½ + 1 thereafter.
• Starting Wealth: Maximum gold for your class.
• Alignments: Any non-evil.
• Feats: No Leadership
• Traits: Two
• Healing: All out-of-combat healing heals for its maximum value.
  

That's very impressive Garfrum. It's nice to learn about what players like to do outside the gaming circle.

If you are completely new to building characters in Pathfinder that's A-okay. The above info assumes that you know what you're doing, but I'm happy to take things from step 1. Like Garfrum, I also use Hero Labs and would be happy to build a character for you. I have a pretty busy day today but I'll try to check in.

Hi guys! It's quite late where I am and I have a test tomorrow, so I'll post a character sketch tomorrow.

And yes, Garfrum, really impressive. It's from Boston to Seattle, right? Can't imagine 3000 miles on a bicycle (if I haven't misunderstood you).

It was actually 4k. We stopped at 24 childrens hospitals to raise awareness and money for Child's Play. Did it in honor of a friend I served with.

Very impressive. Good job.

I'll have to think about a character sketch.

I am thinking about using a dwarven cleric, but I form their personality usually when I am building the character.

Unless someone else wants to run a cleric, I am going to start building one.

Wow, sorry I keep using all my different forum names. I sometimes forget that function exists.

Here's Lugert.

Lugert was enslaved by a bandit camp high in the mountains in his pre-teen after his tribe was scattered by Taldon mercenaries clearing land for nobles. He was chained and marched into the cold mountains to mine iron and precious metals for the bandits' coming efforts to establish their own hold at the base of the mountain. Lugert was kept well fed during the warmer months but gruel was all he could have during the winter, and he soon learned to shrug off the hunger pangs and weariness, as well as the cold temperatures he worked in.

One evening, as he laid down for the night, his feet chained to the wall, the bandit foreman decided it was time to show all the half-orc slaves a lesson. He grabbed a heavy mining pick from the wall locker and walked towards the wall the slaves were chained to. With one drunken swing the foreman brought the pick down onto an orc laying next to Lugert. It made contact with his leg, the snapping of bone and howling from pain filled the air. Lugert pulled at his ankle manacles and jangled his chains.

"Oh, ya wants some too, do ya?" The foreman sneered.

The man brought the pick back above his head and drove it down towards Lugert's head. Lugert rolled to the right away from the blow as rock splintered and hit the side of his face. He reached up a wrapped his wrist-cuffs around the other end of the pick and yanked it towards him. The handle wretched free of the foreman's grip and jerked up hitting the man under his chin, sending him backwards onto the floor. Using what leverage he could get from his cramped bonds, Lugert sat up and positioned the pick's head underneath the wall plate holding him in place. He leaned back with all his might and ripped the metal from its bonds.

The young half-orc stumbled as he gained his footing, his vision clear in the darkness fill room. He looked over to his fellow slave who had been impaled. A pool of blood had expanded from his wound, his breathing light. He would not survive his injury. Silently seething with rage Lugert brought the pick up with his bound hands and sent the pointed head down into the skull of his foreman captor. Bits of skull and brain splattered as the swing brought the pick down in the rocky floor.

"Howell, are you up there?" Came a voice from outside, coming from the barracks.

Lugert's heart raced. He only had time to break his leg chains, enabling him to take a full gait. Taking his chance he ran out into the moonless night, sticking to crevices and shadows of giant conifers until finally a safe distance from the slave camp.

The following two years would see Lugert learning to survive in the wild and hunting the bandits when one wandered to far from their logistics routes. Eventually the camp is abandoned and Lugert becomes a mountain nomad, wandering the wilderness and hunting for his own food. Eventually he finds a small town growing around a popular Inn and finds it a suitable place to start over. He keeps his distance from the center of town but works with some of the merchants selling skins and weapons he takes from bandits. He deals with many different traders and has picked up different languages from his time in town. He has made enough coin to afford a small tent, a climbing kit, and winter clothing and blankets which he considers great luxuries. His most prized possession is his Heavy Pick, the same one that gave him his freedom.

Lugert
Half-orc ranger 1
CN Medium humanoid (human, orc)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
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Defense
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AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 16 (1d10+6)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +2
Defensive Abilities orc ferocity
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee heavy pick +5 (1d6+4/×4)
Ranged longbow +3 (1d8/×3)
Special Attacks favored enemy (humans +2)
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Statistics
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Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Toughness
Traits highlander (hills or mountains), reactionary
Skills Acrobatics +2, Climb +8, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Perception +6, Stealth +6 (+8 in hilly or rocky areas), Survival +6; Racial Modifiers +1 Acrobatics, +1 Climb, highlander (hills or mountains)
Languages Common, Goblin, Orc
SQ orc blood, track +1, wild empathy +0
Combat Gear caltrops; Other Gear studded leather, arrows (20), heavy pick, longbow, backpack, belt pouch, flask, flask, flint and steel, grappling hook, hemp rope (50 ft.), piton (5), waterskin (2), 31 gp, 4 sp, 4 cp
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Special Abilities
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Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Favored Enemy (Humans +2) (Ex) +2 to rolls vs. Favored Enemy (Humans) foes.
Highlander (hills or mountains) +1 to Stealth checks, Stealth is always a class skill for you. Double this in hilly or rocky areas.
Orc Blood Half-orcs count as both humans and orcs for any effect related to race.
Orc Ferocity (1/day) If brought below 0 Hp, can act as though disabled for 1 rd.
Track +1 Add the listed bonus to survival checks made to track.
Wild Empathy +0 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.

@ GM Wicked:

Hello there!

I'm in the process of trying to make a new character; Gôlgast.

Just made the alias and threw together a HL POR file for him.
Haven't had a chance yet to put anything in with his alias.
Still need to do a backstory and all that fun stuff.

He's an half-orc Eldritch Scion magus archetype (from ACG), if that's okay.

Although for some strange reason, HL isn't working quite right with that particular archetype.
It won't show the bonus spells for the Elemental bloodline (the one I chose, of course).
The folks at Lone Wolf know about the problems with that one archetype in HL.

Anyway, here's a HL print out of Gôlgast for a Critique:

Anyway, let me know what you think of him thus far.

Couple quick things:

1. Wow Lugert looks great. I love a complicated character. I'll hook you up with some NPCs in town when I sit down later. Love that he's been a permanent resident of Sandpoint!

2. Christiaan don't feel that there needs to be "the cleric.". Support characters are needed, but there's more than one way to fill that role. Cleric, paladin, bard, Oracle, witch, inquisitor, druid, shaman, and and more can all do this job. Unless you want to play a cleric, then knock yourself out. Personally I really like them.

3. Xunal I'll have to check you out later, but concept sounds solid!

Golgast looks good, too! I haven't seen the Eldritch Scion in play before, so I'm interested. Are the bonus bloodrager spells not showing up because bloodragers don't get access to spell casting until level 4?

@ GM Wicked:

HL is just a bit wonky with that one archetype.

The Eldritch Scions get bonus bloodrager bloodline spells starting at level 7.
HL does that properly with all the bloodlines except the Elemental bloodline.
The Magus tab display is wonky with that one archetype too.
I've already talked to the folks at Wolf Lair and they know about those problems.

Anyway, I thought it was an interesting archetype worth a go.

I'll just have to pick my moments carefully because of the limited uses of the Eldritch Pool.

Sure, just remember the beginner box keeps us at level 1, so many class features won't come into play, unfortunately. I'm open to continuing on after this adventure, but that's something we can discuss later on.

So right now it looks like we have a Ranger and a Magus (Eldritch Scion).

Here is the character sheet of Kandor Abolitor, dwarven cleric of Desna.

As the son of a dwarven trader, Kandor enjoyed traveling and seeing the world. After his father stopped traveling and opened his own shop, Kandor kept traveling and exploring the world.

One day, on a lonely and nearly abandoned road he was attacked by slavers, who managed to capture him and were going to sell him as a slave.

During the night Kandor did the only thing he could while being tied up. Praying to any god who was willing to listen.

At least one god was listening, as a small blue and white butterfly landed on him. When that happened, somehow his bonds became loose. Kandor took his chances and fled from the slavers as fast as he could, guided by the butterfly to the nearest town.

When he told the his story, the local priest immediately recognised that Desna watched over the young dwarf.
Hearing that, Kandor swore an oath to serve her for the rest of his life, and since that day he still enjoys traveling the world, but now he has a sense of purpose. Everywhere he goes, he tries to liberate slaves and other innocent people held against their will.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzIaO_ZeK8tlb0FlOEd4SFJ1OTA

Kandor looks great. Desna is a great choice for this setting. And the liberation and travel domains are among the best in the game.

Everyone, consider this: What has brought you to Sandpoint? How long have you been here? And what are your plans after you collect the reward? This afternoon I will try to put up some info about the town and surrounding region.

The thing about operating at lower levels of the Maslow Hierarchy is that you don't take much time to reflect on things. Now that Lugert is a part of a community, albeit on the fringe of Sandpoint, he is starting to feel differently about his life. First, he feels responsibility for the community in which he has joined. Hunting bandits for revenge and animals for nutrition has now become protecting Sandpoint from bandits and providing food and furs for trade. Secondly, he feels a duty to shut down the mining camp he escaped from for good. According to traveling caravans It's developed into it's own shanty town, a self-sufficient mercenary camp built on the backs of slaves. Even with his Orc blood flowing through his veins he knows he cannot dismantle the mining operation alone.

Every now and then he finds his way into the local tavern for a heartier meal, feeling more comfortable with the locals who regard him with indifference. For now, he waits to see what opportunity tomorrow brings.

It seems, we'll have two Desna worshippers.
I was too lazy to count the money correctly, so it might be wrong. Everything else seems fine.

Never been to Sandpoint but hearing a lot of rumours about the city, including ones telling about slaves being held in the area, Kandor decided to check Sandpoint out.

Excellent, a connection between Kandor and Lugert! FYI the Cathedral in Sandpoint officially welcomes six faiths: Sarenrae, Desna, Abadar, Erastil, Gozreh, and Shelyn. It's quite likely Kandor and Magwyn have found their way to the Sandpoint Cathedral and been introduced to Father Zantus, himself a devout cleric of Desna.

Didn't you say we start out with max gold? I assumed it meant that a warpriest would start with 300 gold (5d6 x 10), and a cleric with 240 gold (4d6 x 10)

There, fixed my avatar. No more techno-gnomes.

Will fix tomorrow. One question though - max gold for warpriest is 300 (5d6 x 10), why do you say 175?

I took the average for my class. I'll have to add some gold.

Oh my fault, I was calculating avg. You're correct. Sorry for the confusion.

My wifi has been down all day. I'll let you know when it's back up and we can get this ball rolling..

@ GM Wicked:

I've been out and about all day. My connection speed hasn't been the best the last couple of days either. I will work on a bit of a back story later today.

Probably something along the lines of an orphaned wanderer who has usually been unwelcome most places for being a half-orc. He likes both magic and fighting and just can't bring himself to specialize.

I've tweaked Gôlgast's stats slightly.
Boosted Charisma at the expense of Constitution.

So the router is dead. Ill have to get a new one tomorrow.

Golgast, sounds good, but remember that your lowest ability score can't be below 8.

@ GM Wicked: OOPSIES!

I'll tweak those stats … again!

Thanks for reminding me about that.

I'm playing in character (inattentive); that's my excuse! :O

I also needed my own real life "Elixir of Perception" (read: 'coffee').

I'll post backstory and all that a bit later tonight.

I also adjusted starting cash to average (140 GP). Still had cash to splash after that.

Okay, got the profile all done here.

The backstory may not sparkle, but I've tried to make it short (for me), plausible, and readable:

Gôlgast was raised in the slums of Magnimar by his mother, Shardoca, a hardened mercenary. Audacious and brash, she fled slavery while carrying Gôlgast. The only work Shardoca found in Magnimar was being a criminal enforcer. Ironically, she took ill and died suddenly, leaving Gôlgast on his own.

Gôlgast is less sturdy and robust than his half-orc mother was. Although his is much more dexterous and has a much stronger ego. He also inherited his mother's audacity, which borders on recklessness at times. His mother's death also made him prone to angry outbursts if pestered.

He worked in the Magnimar underworld out of necessity. But he was more interested in trying to learn fencing and magic. His lack of darkvision and ferocity, typical of other half-orcs, further limited his usefulness to criminal networks in Magnimar.

One day, Gôlgast was accosted by a cleric of Abadar who wanted to convert all he met. Gôlgast, though, was having none of that. Gôlgast pulled out his rapier to chase off the cleric. But it burst into flame momentarily.

Gôlgast was aghast that he accidentally came close to killing the cleric. Despite his remorse, this outburst did not sit well with other local Abadarans. In an atypical display of discretion, he left Magnimar.

This incident did make him aware of is own arcane talents. Which reflect his sometimes fiery temper.

He has recently found his way to Sandpoint. More by accident than design. He heard there are goblins causing trouble there. He hopes to test his mettle there against those destructive midgets.

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Appearance: because of the Sacred Tattoo tattoo thing, I kind of picture him having tattoos on his face, much like the brothers Harald "Fine Hair" and Halfdan "The Black" from the History TV show, Vikings.

Alright! It looks like things are coming together nicely. Golgast sounds neat. I wonder how the others would feel if they knew you'd killed a cleric of one of Sandpoint's patron deities...

Lugert, Half-Orc Ranger, former slave turned hunter and trapper, determined to exact vengeance on his oppressors.
Kandor, Dwarven Cleric of Desna, former slave turned abolitionist, drawn to Sandpoint by rumors of a slave encampment nearby.
Gôlgast, Magus (Eldritch Scion), Magnimaran street urchin and ruffian turned adventurer
Magwyn, Warpriest of Desna, (insert background)

This is a good looking group!

Check out the Campaign tab, where I've included a map of the town of Sandpoint and a -lot- of information about it. That's for your own enjoyment and not required knowledge, but I encourage you to consider a connection with at least one NPC, especially if you've been in Sandpoint for some time. A couple that spring to mind (personal favorites) are Daviren Hosk (#38), a goblin-hating stableman, and Father Abstalar Zantus (cleric of Desna) of the Sandpoint Cathedral (#1).

If you haven't already, please make an alias for your character and place their statblock in it so I can pull it up easily. Also please use a tagline (the line of info that appears beside your profile in posts, like Golgast). I have a template you can use to help with that, found here.

I'll start preparing the first post! If there are any oustanding issues or questions just let me know.

Magwyn is a young man, with short brown hair and green eyes, he doesn't really stand out from the ordinary men. Around the neck, there is a small silver butterfly - a symbol of Desna. It is not surprising that he worships Desna, as his parents were quite a devout clerics. Well, they probably still are, but Magwyn haven't spoken with them for several years, after he left his house. They didn't quarrel a lot, but when they did, it wasn't some small argument, that can be forgotten in an hour. And the last one was the fiercest arguements they had in years.
And that is when he got kicked out of the house.
But past is past, and Magwyn prefers not to think too much about it. Instead, he enjoys what life he has and helps people who are more unfortunate than he.
A few days ago, his wandering brought him to Sandpoint. He planned to stay for Swallowtail festival, but with some monster roaming around, the festival was under threat. Magwyn decided to help the city in eliminating the menace.

I am new to this, so were do I exactly post that tagline?

I think I got it, nevermind

@ GM Wicked:

I could've worded that a bit better. Gôlgast didn't actually kill the cleric. He only intended to scare off the cleric, but almost killed him by accident.

I changed the wording slightly in the backstory in my profile. So he was kind of sorry he hurt the cleric. But still thinks the cleric started it.

Note to self, do not try to convert Gôlgast

I added the gold I missed out on (150gp). I switched out some gear and my character info reflect the change.

It was a bad day!

Got a low-ish wisdom.

So he's impulsive.

A bit. :o

Here's the link to our Roll20 gameplay. You'll need to create an account to log in, but it's easy and free. Click "Join Game" to access the maps. If you've never used roll20 before, don't worry, it's very easy. I basically just use it to keep track of location and hp. Almost everything will occur in the gameplay thread.

@Golgast - oooooooh okay, so it was only assault and battery ;).

@All - nice roleplay so far! This looks like it will be a good time.

I logged on to the Roll20 site.

The background sound is kind of cool.

I need to throw up some house rules in my profile. Here's two:

Ignore encumbrance within reason (most times we can assume someone can carry the loot).

Healing outside of combat is maximum.

I'll update later today or tonight. Bon weekend!

Magwyn, Kandor, please import your profile Statblocks into your aliases so I can just click your avatar to access your stats. Look at golgast and Lugert for examples. If you need help with his let me know.

I usually do a cut and paste with a blank text file for that sort of thing, if any of you want to look at it.

My keyboard is broken, will do that when the replacement has arrived.

I posted some house rules on my profile page. Nothing surprising here, really, but I do have an explanation of how I handle combat, which is something we're quickly approaching! I'll explain it further when it occurs :).

Update coming tomorrow. I need to fall into bed :/.

updated my character profile, and re-uploaded my character sheet, found some small mistakes, and added 2 javelins to my inventory.

When I view my profile certain text blocks seem to overlap, how did you guys fix that?

I was roleplaying moving the moss aside. My next swing will be with two hands.

I'll update tonight. Can you guys see see everything okay on roll20? I'm relatively inexperienced with their interface, but hopefully things are working okay.

Nice work so far!

The Roll20 display has looked fine at my end so far.

Indeed, looks good, and I enjoy the background sounds/music.

Yep, all good with the interface. It works well!