Recently, three games I was trying to manage all came to a sudden end, rather heartbreaking for me actually.
Here I go again.
I would like to see if there is sufficient interest for a new campaign.
The campaign will be called,
“Beyond Fort Horizon”
Fort Horizon is modeled after “The Keep on the Borderlands” and resembles it in general layout and atmosphere, but its construction is slightly different to reflect my own ideas about how a frontier “boarder” keep might be constructed if it were built upon the foundation (and ruins) of an older, stone, castle-style, “keep”.
I have an idea about how this game should work and I’d like to share it with interested players.
First, I do not imagine an upper limit to the number of players that can participate (much like the “Woodbridge Campaign” that I am running, which is currently in need of new players as well).
Second, unlike the “Woodbridge” campaign, this campaign will not have an overarching plot, and instead will be centered on a location (Fort Horizon) and numerous opportunities for short “Dungeon” Adventures.
Third, there will be a unique experience point earning aspect to the game. In addition to earning experience points for defeating monsters or overcoming obstacles, players will also earn experience points for recovering treasures, and most importantly this new “house rule”;
Every character will receive 10 (x their level) in experience points (up to a maximum of 5 times per day) every time the character is addressed, by name, by another character. This is meant to encourage and reward player character interaction.
In addition to this house rule, I will also be asking players to accept my traditional House Rule #1, a rule that changes the Perception skill to be an Intelligence based Skill, and replaces “Sense Motive” with a Wisdom based skill called “Intuition”
Details of House Rule #1 will be posted in the Campaign Info section of the game, should there be a number of interested players sufficient to launch!
Preliminary Character Creation details are as follows:
Ability Scores
Use the “Heroic” Method; roll 2d6 +6, six times and arrange the numbers as you like
Races
All core races are automatically allowed, other races (such as those mentioned in supplements and “created races”) can be approved with review.
My understanding of the core races would be Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Halfling, and Human.
Classes
All core and base classes, as identified in the PRD are allowed.
Skills and Feats
All Skills and Feats as identified in the PRD are permitted
Equipment
Each character can begin the game with 200 gold pieces to spend on equipment and all equipment listed in the PRD is allowed. However, once you travel to Fort Horizon the availability of certain items may become questionable. You will have to wait until the game is begun to find out what is available in the Fort.
Level, hit points, and traits
Characters will begin at first level with maximum hit points and one “Basic” trait of their choice. Leveling will be along the “Fast” experience track.
Posting conventions
My expectation is that I will be able to post at least once per day (and may post more frequently than that if there is more than one adventuring party active. I would hope that players would be able to post at least with the same frequency, but will not discourage more postings if you want to talk to other Player Characters. I would like to see Players take full advantage of the site’s formatting options, such as using italics for internal dialog, bold for speaking and out of character tags for questions about the game as it is being played. I would also like to see organized and easy to read information in the “Alias” profile for the character you want to create.
Pace
I would like to see this recruitment effort wrapping up in seven to fourteen days. After that the game thread will be opened, the setting explained, and a complete environment ready for players to interact with will be ready to go. Player Characters will need to “search out” adventure opportunities from the inhabitants of Fort Horizon, and if done timely, can expect to be fighting monsters very soon.
Battles
I will make e very effort to provide simple battle maps for the players to readily identify where their characters are and what movement options are available to them. I expect players to roll their own initiative, and follow the battle as closely as they can (given the requirements of our “real lives” I understand when the playing of games must be put on the back burner, but it is always nice to have a note, in the discussion thread, from a player if they have to be away from the game during a critical time for any period of a few days or more).
Most importantly, to me anyway
I want to encourage player interaction, really, that’s all I wanted to say here (see the special experience point award system above)
Well, that is all, for now.
Finally
I hope to recruit experienced players, but beginners are always welcome. I intend to set this campaign in my “World of Hamth” campaign setting, but I hope that does not dissuade anyone from participating, basically because I hope to keep the emphasis away from the character’s “knowing everything there is to know” about the setting and fostering a sense of wonder as the characters explore a new frontier.
Question! I'd like to submit a Gunslinger, but I am wondering if you might allow the Mechanist Archetype, despite it being 3rd party, on the grounds that I really want to play an intelligence and tinkering-based gunslinger.
I would like to sign up to do this too. I am, however, new with the PbP mechanics on Paizo's forums and I don't know how to do rolls within the system.
I would like to sign up to do this too. I am, however, new with the PbP mechanics on Paizo's forums and I don't know how to do rolls within the system.
Take a look at the button named [show] where it says "How to format your text" at the bottom of the box you are typing your messages into. :)
Hunter: type [.dice=???]1d6[/dice] without the first . This is how you format dice rolls on this board. You can replace the ??? with what you're rolling like this, where "Will Save DC 16 replaces the ??? above.
Hello, Terquem! Don't know if you remember me, but I've always felt bad about having to drop from the great dungeon game... Anyway, I'll see what I roll here and I'll see if I come up with a good plan to join you again!
Alright, stats in the profile here. No real fluff as of yet, but the idea is that he was trained by a great swordsman from "the East" (or wherever is appropriate).
I'm making him (his name's Teekmorg) a Cavalier (specifically, the Beast Rider Archtype) w/ a Boar mount name Gor (named after Gorum, Teekmorg's deity of worship). Is this okay? Cause if it is, I'll get to work on it.
I think that it is interesting that players imagine they need to "roll" before considering a character because with the Heroic method, I think< you are almost guaranteed to have an array of stats that will work for a lot of character ideas (after all no score will be below 8, and the average will be 13, right?).
"How does a campaign with an unlimited number of characters work?"
Well, actually, I'm not sure but let's look at a couple of things.
First. it's not like it is a table and I'm asking twenty people to sit down and each of them has to wait while I deal with every player one at a time. This "forum" environment means, to me, two things. You can ask the GM a question or make a post, or say something to an NPC or other player, and WALK AWAY from the game and come back later to see if you got a response. That is the best part. The other thing is a bit more complicated, something I've alwasy wanted to try, but I'm really not sure it's going to work. See, I always wanted to try to have a game where the players decide who the adventuring party will be, not the GM. So we have a tavern in Fort Horizon (I'm going to use my old Basic D&D favorite product, The Shady Dragon Inn) several players are in the tavern, getting to know each other and learning about what's going on around the area, and they decide who to join up with and what adventure they want to go on, while other players make different choices.
One of my favorite characters from the Woodbridge Campaign is Marcus Dale, a character that is a "Craftsman" and the player is setting goals for this character of making armor for the adventurers, interacting with the towns other NPC's and becoming an important part of the village of Woodbridge, while still having the ability to run out of the village, with the other characters, to try and help, when he can.
So I have this idea that the "game" will have several characters but they all will not be involved in the same adventures at the same time (and could, even wind up competing, as there is going to be a "Treasure recovery" aspect to this setting).
I suggest that Vyranos look at this game as a possible place to play a Goblin Character, and I'm glad he is interested!
But this means I will need to rethink the setting a little bit. I was going to use Goblins as 100% bad guys in this setting, and now it seems that there will need to be a few different Goblin tribes with some tribes less hostile to the people of Fort Horizon that others.
(By the way, in my regular campaign setting, Hamth, Goblins are called Yradurluns, and they only live below ground - hmmm this gives me an idea. I'm going to go ahead an introduce Pathfinder Goblins as a new race to Hamth, and keep Yradurluns as a major bad guy race.)
Yes I'd like to see the alias. By the way, take a look around at the way other people fill out the alias profile for ideas on how to make sure you have all the information you need captured.
But please don't be discouraged if the game doesn't start right away. I am still working on some details and want to give many people an opportunity to see this recruitment thread and get characters created.
Sup Terq, is it okay if I roll a character up for your new adventure? I am in your Woodbridge game, didn't know if I was allowed to play in multiple of your campaigns or not :)
To the applicants, I can honestly say, that the Woodbridge game is one of the funnest I have been in, in a while. It is detailed and thought out. I feel as if my character isn't out of place, and has a purpose. Even as a NPC/PC, I am not left behind or placed on the back burner. I strongly encourage many to apply because I think it will be a blast.
Since this is such a large group of players, I am sure a swap from a Cleric to a Fighter isn't going to be a problem. I have worked up a character though and he's ready to go!
Terquem, I'm intrigued by the idea for the setting and the focus on pc interactions.
Thought about this a bit more.
Am thinking a cleric of Abadar (or similar) who is
(A) attempting to set up a trade network
(B) acquire a congregation
(C) get people to help set up a temple and fortifications
(D) have the surrounding lands made "productive"
(E) acting as healer for the area.
and eventually (F) become 'mayor'
1) In terms of traits would you find Jade Regent Campaign traits acceptable? Student survivalist specifically?
Trait Text:
Although she is seen as something of a mystery to most of Sandpoint’s citizens, Shalelu has never really seemed all that mysterious to you. Of course, that’s probably because she helped raise you. You have never quite figured out why Shalelu decided to treat you as a younger sibling, but you certainly appreciated it—and you eagerly absorbed all of the survivalist tricks that she showed you over the years.
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on all Survival checks, and Survival is a class skill for you. In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus on all attack rolls against foes that threaten your mentor.
It fits background and gives a nice bonus to survival checks, but if not its not a big deal.
2) I know you said we had 200 gp, but do we spend that before we get to Fort Horizon? If so, do you allow us to use Craft skills to help create items with starting gold?
3) Last one, is religion in this setting the same as Golarian? For example, Erastil still a LG god of home, family, land, nature, etc.?
Almost finished up with this character, he is a Human Zen Archer monk. Will post him tonight.
4) So edit, forgot one more question, languages. Unique languages to the area? Just doing the non-golarian languages?
Here is my Human Monk (Zen Archer) Brutus Tarsi. I assumed some things, and still have to finish up but most of it is depending on the answer from the GM. But until then, here he is lol.
Hakari – all of those things are reasonable. It will, of course, be up to you to make them happen
KDinIN – that trait seems reasonable, only there are a couple of things I would have a problem with A0 what does it mean when your mentor is “threatened”, and B) who is your mentor (would you want your mentor to be someone who already lives in Fort Horizon, because I did not anticipate letting players begin the game with any familiarity with the location).
You can use Craft Skills and your starting gold to make what you can, but you will not be able to pool resources with other characters, so you may want to save some of the starting gold you begin with to spend once you get there and find out who you meet
I’d prefer to use my own setting (I’ve been using it for 36 years) or one that is vaguely defined, rather than use Golarion only because I do not know Golarion well enough to ensure the players who might know the setting better will get the most out of that knowledge.
Common is the language spoken by Eshians (Halflings) if we use my setting, and other languages available to the players would be, Drasbian (Elven), Volognan (Human), Anthandran (a different Human Language), Holdandun (Dwarven), Eysturlun (A different kind of Elven), and Goblin (which will be a new race to my campaign setting and be modeled on Golarion Goblins and not the typical “Goblin” of Hamth, my setting).
Having said this, if the majority of players prefer the Golarion setting I will do my best to set the game in a location on Golarion that will work with the campaign theme, and we can use all Golarion campaign religions, and languages, it is just that I will be less informed of the setting than most of you.
Also, if you are creating a character for this game (and I rarely turn players away) please keep in mind that the Skill Perception will be an Intelligence based Skill, and that Sense Motive goes away (as a skill) and is replaced by "Intuition" a new Wisdom based Skill of which Sense Motive is only one of many things you can do using this new skill
Also this changes the way each of these skills are assigned to different classes as "Class Skills"
All Arcane casters and Rogues, have Perception as a class skill
All Divine casters and Fighters (including Barbarians), have Intuition as a class skill
Intuition and Perception are both class skills for Monks, Oracles, and Witches
15,15,13,10,8,8 - A 6 point build focused on 2 stats. Let me consider what I might want to do with that. Nothing MAD, obviously.
First thoughts are a barbarian meat-shield, focused on having hit points more than having Strength. Maybe a double archetype: Invulnerable (because that's pretty much the I have more hit points build in Pathfinder) and Urban (to set up a non-tribal background).
Still just thinking out loud, though. Not my normal style of character.
I think that it is interesting that players imagine they need to "roll" before considering a character because with the Heroic method, I think< you are almost guaranteed to have an array of stats that will work for a lot of character ideas (after all no score will be below 8, and the average will be 13, right?).
While you might be able to expect certain "norms", if you are used to working with dice then you know that below average dice rolls are exactly as common as above average dice rolls. Until you know what resources you have, it is difficult to KNOW what you will do with those resources. Certainly, you can have an object in mind, but the resources will tell you whether that object is going to be reasonable or not.
The set of stats that I rolled pretty much requires a frail character, either mentally or physically, or split between the two. Aggressive MAD builds tend to do very poorly without 4 or more positive attribute modifiers. I'm willing to play such a character, but I didn't know that is what I would get until after I saw the dice results. Now I need to decide where and how I want the character to be frail.
Until I read the post I m replying to right now, playing an internal fort support character hadn't occurred to me. Gives me more options to think about.
For those people who have expressed a strong interest in this game, can I get a quick response on if you would prefer to have this game set in the Golarion Setting or if you would be okay with a homebrew setting?
These are the characters I am seeing so far
Ginger Phuke – aasimar, inquisitor
Derrick Tramsen – Human Samuri
Brutus Tarsi – Human Monk
I see a lot of player’s rolling stats and I look forward to see what kind of characters you come up with
I have my crunch done but I'm still working on my background and will have something pretty soon. I don't mind what the setting is either way. I'll try to write simply enough to accommodate both options.
So, I'm thinking a dwarven barbarian (invulnerable rager) with a POWERFUL focus on both having lots of hit points and on crafting weaponry. Here are my thoughts for this concept (and that set of dice rolls).
Dolin Smith, dwarven weaponsmith
Background:
The enclave where Dolin grew up and apprenticed was filled with hard-working, mundane dwarves. They prided themselves, as a group, on their ability to conquer the world around them using their hands and hearts. They felt magical assistance would weaken their right to the things that they claimed, built, grew, made and traded to get. As such, their skill and knowledge about many of their labors is perceived by outsiders as being magical. Great skill is frequently mistaken for magic by those who do not possess that skill.
Dolin learned three primary things during his apprenticeship. The first was how to make weapons. He still has the skill of a beginning smith, but he has the foundation upon which to build great things. The second was how to fight, how to use the weapons that he can make. The third was how to channel his ancestral anger. How to use it to withstand more of a beating than he should be able to take. How to use it to deal more of a beating than he should be able to give. All of these abilities are learned skills, and application of the power that lies within all sentient beings. None are even remotely magical.
He's come to Fort Horizon to expand his experience as a weaponsmith, to learn what people outside of the enclave can teach him of weaponsmithing, and to begin building his own reputation as a smith.
Description:
One of the first things that most people ask themselves when they see this young dwarf is whether he's actually an adult, yet, or not. He's a little short, the deep brown hair on his head is shorn far too short for typical dwarven fashion and his beard is not only short, but patchy. A closer look reveals that the issues with his beard seem to be the result of singing and burning the beard, not with him being too young to grow a proper beard. His leather smith's apron also bears marks from exposure to high heat, one or two of which seem to match up with holes in the beard when he turns his head to just the right position. He seems to exaggerate the typical barrel-chested appearance of most dwarves, with his chest seemingly sized more commonly for a large half-orc than for a dwarf.
Combat Stats:
Init -1
Speed 30'
BAB +1; Melee +3; Ranged +0
Bec de Corbin +3 for 1d10+3 @ x3, Brace, Reach, +2 to sunder medium/heavy armor
Greataxe +3 for 1d12+3 @ x3
Kukri +3 for 1d4+2 @ 18+
CMB: +3
+1 vs Humanoid (goblin/orc)
+2 Melee/CMB when Raging
AC 11; T 9; F12 (+2 Armor, -1 Dex)
CMD: 12
+4 Dodge vs Giant subtype
+4 Racial vs Bull Rush while standing on ground
HP 19 (+Level Toughness [3 min], [+3 Con, +1 Favored Class] per level)
+2 per level when Raging
Fort +5 (+3 Con)
Ref -1 (-1 Dex)
Will +1 (+1 Wis)
+2 Fort & Will when Raging
+2 Racial vs Poisons, Spells, & Spell-Like Effects
200 GP
005.0.0 Self-crafted Bec de Corbin 12# 1d10/x3/B or P/Brace, Reach, +2 CMB to Sunder medium/heavy armor
006.6.7 Self-crafted Greataxe 12# 1d12/x3/S
002.6.7 Self-crafted Kukri 2# 1d4/18+/S
FREE... Explorer's Outfit 8# (sturdy boots, cloth breeches, a belt, a shirt, gloves, a cloak, and a leather overtunic/apron)
055.0.0 MW Artisan's Tools 5# (Weaponsmithing)
005.0.0 Anvil (large) 100#
009.0.0 Barbarian's Kit 26# (a backpack, a belt pouch, a blanket, a flint and steel, an iron pot, rope, soap, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin)
000.0.2 Whetstone 1#
080.0.0 Climber's Kit 5#
010.0.0 Leather Armor 15# +2/+6/+0/10%
173.3.6 spent, 187# total (82# carried normally)
Medium Load normally Carried (Light when raging)
Heavy Load when carrying the anvil and tools (raging or not)
27.3.6 GP on hand (Add 7 Silver and 2 Copper back as change - 5% reduction in crafting costs from Eldritch Smith not figured into costs above)
Rest of character generation notes:
Dwarf
+2C, +2W, -2H
Medium
Slow and Steady 20' Move
Darkvision 60'
Defensive Training +4 Dodge vs Giant subtype
Craftsman +2 Racial on Craft/Profession relating to metal or stone (replaces Greed)
Hatred +1 Racial on Attack vs humanoid (orc) and humanois (goblin)
Hardy +2 Racial on saves vs Poisons, Spells & Spell-Like Effects
Stability +4 Racial to CMD vs Bull Rush while standing on the ground
Rockstepper 5' Step over rubble, broken ground or steep stairs (replaces stonecunning)
Weapon Familiarity Weapons with "dwarven" in the name are Martial Weapons
Languages Common, Dwarven; Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Terran, Undercommon
Favored Class: Barbarian, +1 HP
Fast Movement +10'
Rage 4+Con Mod rounds/day; +4 Morale to S & C; +2 Morale Will saves; -2 to AC; Cannot use D/I/H-based skills (Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, Ride exceptions); Fatigued for 2 rounds per Round of Rage once ends.
Attributes
Rolled, Race
S 15 15 +2
D 8 8 -1
C 15 17 +3
I 13 13 +1
W 10 12 +1
H 8 6 -2
Edit: The setting is not as important in my mind, as long as you point out things our characters should know that we will have no way of knowing.
Either way is fine, I was just asking for finishing up his gear and stuff. Will you be compiling a players guide type document or post to clarify the differences between settings, or to introduce us to yours?
I'm ready to make up a human cleric, just need to know about deities. Is it possible to get trade and rune, or trade and leadership? That seems most thematic
The link above is to a PDF file showing the basic layout of Fort Horizon and as you can see it is similar to the Keep on the Borderlands, but is of different construction.
I will begin putting up details of the setting tomorrow, in this thread and try to give brief answers to as many questions as I can that will help players finish their characters.
Oh hey here's my submission. Would love some feedback.
The Kid:
Background
As a child of about 8, Finn and some of his friends were out frolicking through fields, as Halflings are wont to do. A band of nomadic humans captured them, intending to use them as slaves when they grew up. The Halflings of course did not grow very much or very quickly, infuriating their new owners. Eventually deciding they were worthless runts, they were left behind to die. The small group traveled for months to find civilization, dropping off one by one until only Finn was left.
The town that Finn wandered into had limited interaction with others and most of the people there hadn’t seen a halfling before. With his dark curly hair, bright blue eyes, and cherub face, he was often mistaken for a child and earned the nickname “The Kid”, which he absolutely hated.
Finn was brought under the wing of the local lawman, but never really had a taste for it himself, often getting into more trouble than he was helping to solve. If one knew his past and what he had done to get there, they would probably say that he was simply bored with the small town. After becoming something of a petty thief for a few years, he was eventually asked by his adopted father to leave the town. The man had tears in his eyes, but Finn merely spit on the ground and walked off.
His attitude has somewhat mellowed over the years, but he still has a tendency to be difficult and sneaky, and is as likely to break the law as to follow it. Despite being in his mid 20’s, he’s grown accustomed to the nickname “The Kid”, finding that being thought of as younger has opened several doors and left others underestimating him.
Halfling Gunslinger (Mechanist)
STR 9
DEX 16
CON 12
INT 16
WIS 11
CHA 12
Skills (4 Base + 3 Int = 7)
Acrobatics +7 (+1 Rank +3 Class Skill +3 Dex +2 Racial)
Bluff +5 (+1 Rank +3 Class Skill +1 Cha)
Climb +1 (+0 Ranks +2 Racial -1 Str)
Craft (Alchemy) +7 (+1 Rank +3 Class Skill +3 Int)
Disable Device +8 (+1 Rank +3 Class Skill +1 Mechanist Level +3 Dex)
Knowledge Engineering +7 (+1 Rank +3 Class Skill +3 Int)
Perception +9 (+1 Rank +3 Class Skill +2 Racial +3 Int (House Rule))
Sleight of Hand +7 (+1 Rank +3 Class Skill +3 Dex)
Stealth +8 (+0 Ranks +4 Size +1 Trait +3 Dex)
Feats
Gunsmith (Bonus Feat): If you have access to a gunsmith’s kit, you can create and restore firearms, craft bullets, and mix black powder for all types of firearms.
Point Blank Shot: +1 Range Attacks and Damage within 30 feet.
Traits
Successful Shirker. +3 to Bluff and Diplomacy to avoid punishment by the law. +1 Stealth.
Special Abilities
Proficiencies: Light Armour, simple and martial weapons, firearms.
Gunsmith: The gunslinger begins with a firearm of their choice (blunderbuss, musket, or pistol). It is battered and only the gunslinger can use it properly. All other creatures treat it as being broken.
Mechanical Aptitude: The mechanist adds Disable Device to his list of class skills, and gains the Trapfinding ability, with her his effective rogue level equal to his mechanist level. He can disable mechanical traps and gains a bonus to half his mechanist levels (Min +1) to Perception checks to notice traps and to Disable Device checks.
Engineering Knowledge is Power: The mechanist can spend a swift action to increase the damage done by his firearms by +1 for one round. By spending a grit point as part of the swift action, he can double the bonus for one round.
Grits: Gunslinger gains a number of grit points equal to his Intelligence modifier. It goes up or down through the day but cannot go higher than the modifier, though some feats or magic items may affect this maximum. Grit is regained by getting critical hits with firearms, or killing blows with firearms.
Deeds: Grit is used to accomplish deeds. Current deeds are Deadeye, Quick Clear, Matter Over Mind.
That looks good to me, are you going to create an Alias?
Yes sir. I try not to create aliases before the game is actually, you know, kicking off because I don't want to end up with a ton of unused ones in my profile.
