Welcome, to meta-Westcrown.
This game will be played using Pathfinder rules. I've got to wait til September to buy it, so we've got a short time to just chat before starting.
Play: Daily posts recommended during the week, weekends optional. I generally try to post as DM 2-3 times day but am not perfect. If you won't be able to post for a few days please let us know in advance. I will try to do the same.
Character generation: 4d6 take best 3, arrange as you like. Max hp at first level. Roll hp on later levels. You may take a free profession or craft at first level. Roll starting cash, minimum of 1/3 max cash.
I don't own any splat books so I prefer to stick to core. However, if there is something you want to try, we can talk about it. If we try something out of core, I reserve the right to withdraw permission if it seems broken to me during play.
The Council of Thieves Player's Guide is required reading. If I can find it again, I'll post a link.
Finally as part of your character, can you include at least one reason why your PC is devoted to the city, one reason why he is dis-satisfied with the status quo, and short descriptions of 3 common people you would know in town. Said desriptions being at least a name, profession , and relationship to you.
Hogarth, Wellard, welcome aboard. Waiting to hear from Xaaon.
Wellard, if you vouch for Dabbler, he's in.
Thank you therealthom, Wellard, I'd love to join you! I don't know much about the background, where can I swat up on it?
EDIT: OK, I have the palyers guide ... this looks really interesting!
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wow good stats for me...
STR 16, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 13, WIS 11, CHA 13
with a +2 to strength for an 18 I know what I want to do.. two weapon fighter but not a finesse one..battle axe and short sword
OK, I have a basic set of stats rolled here. Obviously no racial adjustment yet, and no name ...
Therealthom, I had an idea that worked in a character concept and would suit this, but that character was a human wilder (from Expanded Psionics). How do you feel about using a class from that, adapted slightly for Pathfinder? essentially she'll be a Blaster, a street waif who has developed a wild psychic power that helps her survive and later thrive. She has started to view the strays and underclass of the city as 'her people' and is something of an iconoclast, she wants change for the better. She may have received some kind of training at your option (I would like to use the 'Trained' variant of the wilder, which replaces the Volatile Mind feature with the Expanded Knowledge feat at each increment), but she could just be a one off 'wild talent' in the world. Race I'd prefer to be human, with the +2 to charisma (of course). There's a lot of raw emotion in her, and something in the past has hurt her ... and something has inspired her also.
Edit: name of Waifrin Goddon, cousin to Marius Goddon (Wellard), when we were both children our family 'fell from grace'. Waifrin was enslaved for a while ... and doesn't talk about what happened before she escaped when her power started to emerge.
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Actually had a rethink on Marius TWF after reading the threads on the subject that have appeared over the last few days..I think I'll go for paired short swords instead..the over all damage goes down a bit but then again it saves a feat(I'm keeping the axe and the Morning star as backup..meaning I can cover all the weapon damage groups.. paranoid..me??..well...yes actually, I've been caught out too many times with the wrong weapon for an encounter at low levels)
Ooh...good rolls! I want my character to be a grappler of some kind. I'm thinking of a ranger with a couple of levels of fighter, maybe.
My idea is a farmer's wife whose children are all grown up and who's now looking for big game to hunt, namely the shadow beasts that haunt Westcrown at night. I hope that's not too far out. :-)
Guys, the concepts look great. Hogarth, go for it. I always the dig the average joe as hero. Dabbler, funny you should mention the underground railroad. I grew up in a town where a stop was a prominent part of local history. That's a really cool idea.
We'll give Xaaon a couple days to respond, then recruit a couple more people.
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We'll give Xaaon a couple days to respond, then recruit a couple more people.
I've got a couple of Westcrown Clerics written up, if you end up with room for another.
They are 20 pt. buy and average starting wealth, but I could probably tweak them quickly enough.
Albina Mariposa, Cleric of Asmodeus
Female human Cleric of Asmodeus 1
LN Medium humanoid
Init +1; Senses Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 15
(+3 armor, +2 shield, +1 Dex)
hp 9 (1d8+1)
Saves Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +4
OFFENSE
Spd 20 ft.
Melee mace +1 (1d8+1 B/P / x2)
Ranged fire bolt +1 ranged touch (1d6/x2)
Special Attacks channel energy (DC 14)
Spells CL 1st (-/2+1)
Spells Prepared
1st- cure light wounds x2, burning hands (DC 13)
0- detect magic, guidance, stabilize
STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 16
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 12
Traits Diabolist Raised (+1 to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate & Sense Motive checks against Westcrown nobility and +1 to saves vs. mind-affecting attacks from devils), Sacred Conduit (+1 save DC on channeled energy attacks)
Feats Command Undead (human Bonus, Will DC 14), Selective Channel
Skills (2 +1 (int bonus), +1 (human), +1 (favored class)) Appraise 0 (+1), Bluff 0 (+3), Craft (alchemy) 0 (-), Diplomacy 1 (+7) , Disguise 0 (+3), Heal 1 (+6), Knowledge (arcana) 0 (-), Knowledge (history) 0 (-), Knowledge (nobility) 0 (-), Knowledge (religion) 1 (+5), Knowledge (planes) 0 (-), Linguistics 0 (-), Profession (-) 0 (-), Sense Motive 1 (+6), Spellcraft 1 (+5), Stealth 0 (+1); armor check penalty 0
Languages Common (Taldane), Infernal
SQ orisons, channel negative energy (1d6, Will DC 14 for ½ damage) 6/day, spontaneous inflict spells, 30 ft. fire bolt for 1d6 damage 5/day, move action to create 1 mirror image that lasts 1 round / level 5 / day, bluff, disguise and stealth are cleric class skills
Load 48.5 lbs; Lt 0-43 lbs., Med 44-86 lbs, Hvy 87-130 lbs.
Combat Gear
Other Gear studded leather (25 gp, 20 lbs, -1 ACP), heavy wooden shield (7 gp, 10 lbs, -2 ACP), morning star (8 gp, 6 lbs), clerics vestments (0 gp, 6 lbs), silver holy symbol (25 gp, 1 lb), spell component pouch (5 gp, 2 lbs), healer's kit (50 gp, 1 lb), backpack (2 gp, 2 lbs), belt pouch (1 gp, ½ lb), 16 gp, 9 sp and 10 cp
Out of 140 gp
Racial +2 Charisma, +1 Feat, +1 skill point / level, Favored Class: Cleric (bonus taken for skill points)
Appearance
Born pale and near death, her mother nearly bled out during the difficult birth, Albina (and her mother) only survived through clerical intervention. The cleric of Asmodeus attending the birth claimed that he had never felt such dark delight brining a newborn into the world, and that the child was special, blessed by hell itself, with the difficulty of the birth being an omen, that the enemies of the infernal masters did not want this child to enter the world, and were fighting to keep her away. Rubbish, for the most part, but her family had skirted the line during the ‘Thrune business’ and chose to keep up their fragile position with the clergy by handing over this ‘blessed child’ to the Iron Fane at the first opportunity, happy to peddle the flesh of their firstborn to cement their ‘enthusiastic support of the church of Asmodeus.’
For her part, Albina took the change without complaint, as her parents had always been standoffish (and were very obviously not at all interested in the House of Thrune or the church of Asmodeus, merely wanting to curry favor with rulers they feared, instead of loved). The priest who officiated at her birth was long-gone, and apparently not so well-connected as he had proclaimed, for she was given no special treatment or favor as an acolyte, and indeed found the children of more ‘reputable’ houses to be given leave to treat ‘lessers’ such as herself as their personal drudges and whipping dogs.
Over the years, her pallor faded to a more normal hue, although she tends to accentuate it with powders, to better suit the ivory flesh she was named for. Her hair is a light brown, which she finds an utterly boring color, and dyes with henna to make it a striking shade of almost metallic red. Naturally straight and lacking curve, Albina takes the opportunity afforded by the stiff treatment to sculpt and curl her hair, often setting her bangs up in curling ‘horns’ in the fashion that is so popular among her peers. (It’s trendy to look like a tiefling. It’s completely unacceptable to *be* a tiefling…) With a slender build, and a studded leather breastplate pulled so tight as to require the assistance of someone stronger than herself to fasten the straps in the morning, Albina cuts quite the lithe and fiendish figure, despite her lack of infernal heritage.
In the temple, brutality was balanced by order, and she found it child’s play to outmaneuver some of the more base scions of houses greater than her own, as there were rules that simply were not to be broken, and with a little cunning, she could ensnare this arrogant whelps into getting caught sneaking out after curfew, or harboring proscribed substances. Keeping anyone who tormented her in a perpetual state of ill-favor with their clerical tutors became something of a game for her, and she loves nothing more than how the rules can be bent, broken and turned against the truly base. Indeed, as a result of this behavior, she came to find that the more venal evils encouraged by some of her tutors led to, in her opinion, sloppy and arrogant thinking. Of her peers, it seemed that the most vulgar and ignorant eagerly embraced the tenets of brutality and excess, while the truly clever, such as herself, focused on mastering the law, and, more importantly, mastering themselves. Instead of surrendering to a false sense of superiority and entitlement, those who learned to ‘work the system’ were, like her, less likely to embrace the selfish and rapacious aspects of their faith.
And so this young woman, who decorates herself to present a fiendish front to the world, whose birth was heralded in darkness, and whose childhood was filled with duplicity and scheming in a temple full of devil-worshippers, finds that she has no stomach for evil. She finds it banal, and suspects that the true challenge is to skirt the lines and stay one step ahead of a charge of heresy, flirting with a much more dangerous and thrilling game than any other.
In truth, she’s quite a bit like her parents, in that respect, never quite accepting the ascension of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune and attempting to juggle the appearance of obedience with private apostasy, but pointing that out would be a great way to piss her off…
Marius Metellus, Cleric of Shelyn
Marius Metellus
Male human Cleric of Shelyn 1
NG Medium humanoid
Init +1; Senses Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13
(+3 armor, +1 Dex)
hp 9 (1d8+1)
Saves Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +5
OFFENSE
Spd 20 ft.
Melee mw glaive +2 (1d10+1 S/x3)
Ranged thrown dagger +1 (1d4+1/19-20)
Special Attacks channel energy (DC 12)
Spells CL 1st (-/2+1)
Spells Prepared
1st- command (DC 13 or 14) x2, true strike
0- detect magic, guidance, stabilize
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 16
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 12
Traits Child of Infamy (+1 Perform (act) and always a class skill, +300 gp), Charming (+1 Bluff or Diplomacy checks vs. someone who might find you attractive, +1 save DC on language-dependent spells you cast on those who might find you attractive)
Feats Selective Channeling (B), Weapon Focus (glaive)
Skills (2 +1 (human), +1 (favored class)) Appraise 0 (+1), Bluff (CC) 0 (+4, +5 vs. those who find you attractive), Craft (alchemy) 0 (-), Diplomacy 1 (+7, +8 vs. those who find you attractive), Disguise (CC) 0 (+3), Heal 1 (+6), Knowledge (arcana) 0 (-), Knowledge (history) 0 (-), Knowledge (nobility) 0 (-), Knowledge (religion) 1 (+4), Knowledge (planes) 0 (-), Linguistics 0 (-), Profession (-) 0 (-), Sense Motive 1 (+6), Spellcraft 0 (-); armor check penalty -1
Languages Common (Taldane)
SQ orisons, channel positive energy (1d6, Will DC 13) 6/day, spontaneous cure spells, standard action to grant luck to another by touch, they can reroll all d20s in the next round and take best result usable 5/day, +1 resistance bonus to all saves, can grant to another by touch for 1 minute 5/day but loses own bonus while doing so.
Load 49.5 lbs; Lt 0-50 lbs., Med 51-100 lbs, Hvy 101-150 lbs.
Combat Gear
Other Gear studded leather (25 gp, 20 lbs, -1 ACP), mw glaive (1d10 S/x3, reach, 308 gp, 10 lbs), dagger (1d4 P/19-20, 2 gp, 1 lb), clerics vestments (0 gp, 6 lbs), silver holy symbol (25 gp, 1 lb), spell component pouch (5 gp, 2 lbs), healer's kit (50 gp, 1 lb), backpack (2 gp, 2 lbs), belt pouch (1 gp, ½ lb), 21 gp, 9 sp and 10 cp
Out of 440 gp
Racial +2 Charisma, +1 Feat, +1 skill point / level, Favored Class: Cleric (bonus taken for skill points)
Appearance
One of a half-dozen illegitimate children of a famed opera singer (birthed during her marriage to her third husband, but acknowledged to have been sired by one of her many extra-marital lovers), Marius got used to being called ‘you’ and ‘that one’ by the diverse recognized children of her current husband. Some called him Malleus. Some called him moron. Some simply yelled at him for not cleaning their room.
Much to his delight, while the devil-spawn (as he called them) who ordered him about grew up to be gangly, wispy-haired and chinless, like their father, he grew tall, thick of limb and fair of face. His mother even commented once that he resembled his father, although he has no idea who that man might be, and, given his step-fathers tendency to duel (or have murdered) those he suspected of cuckolding him, he hopes the man left town soon after meeting his mother.
Lacking a talent for the performing arts, and the sort of financial backing that his step-father was showering on his ‘real children,’ Marius found his calling at the temple of Shelyn, which, not at all surprisingly, first drew his attention soon after puberty, when the many lovely and graceful ladies of the church, practicing in the morning light with their decorative glaives, began to inspire his body in more adult ways. He was hardly the first teenaged boy to watch the dances and exercises of the Shelyn clergy with prurient interest, but he was one of a select few who worked up the nerve to talk to them, and, impulsively, to take up a laughing maidens offer to join them in their morning celebrations.
A strange and exciting journey it has been, and the boy is long since a man, a man sworn to defend the temple with the signature weapon of the faith and the surging energies of life that build and flow within him, contained by his will and certain ascetic practices. The ladies of the temple are now his sisters, and he regards them as such, but his nature has not become that of a monk, and he spends a fair amount of his off-time enjoying the company of ladies whom he does not regard as sisters…
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Thanks therealthom, I'm glad you like the concept, please check over my 'character sheet' to see what you think as I develop it (I've put my translation of the Wilder in a spoiler at the end - not many changes, mainly just skills and upping the hit dice to d8s). The underground rail-road seemed logical to me - wherever you have slaves, you have this kind of arrangement, and where skilled people are being reduced to slaves, it's practically a foregone conclusion. However to flourish in Cheliax, whoever runs it would have to have some means of detecting infiltrators ...
Made my role for starting cash here for 100 gp. I'd like to have Waifrin have hold of an old family heirloom - nothing vastly valuable, but something that can identify her. I was thinking maybe a 10gp value ring she has kept hidden? It may be useful as a plot device at some time.
Edit:
Set, I really don't think a priest of Asmodeus would be a good idea. Really. The Goddon cousins have bad associations ...
Here's the character I'm working on. I haven't put the background information up yet, though.
Wrath, thanks for the info. That's good to know. Under the one good turn rule, and assuming you're lurking because you're intrigued by Council of Thieves, would you like a spot at the table?
Set, nice clerics. If you'd like a seat you're in. Given some of the other characters' back story, I might shy away from the Azmodean. (although I like a little intraparty tension to liven things up. )
We'll wait a bit on Xaaon and give him a decent period to reply.
For those of you who are not reading the adventure a little spoiler to make my life easier. The adventure more or less revolves around you joining a rebel group, though they might describe themselves as community activists or civic boosters. So your characters should be open to that idea and at least willing to tag along.
Payday is coming soon, and with it the new rules. Then I can vet your PCs properly. Also, I'm taking a long weekend Labor Day. (September 4-9) I will be out of touch for the duration. It might be best if we plan on starting after that so as not to immediately interrupt the narrative.
Hey, Thom. I just noticed you're prepping a Council of Thieves game. And I recently dropped out of one that was getting started but fell through when the DM disappeared for a week while we were all still generating characters. I'd like to join your mix if there's room...as I know your style and you're a very dependable GM.
My character for the other game was going to be a Cleric of Milani (CG goddess of hope, devotion, and uprisings), which I thought would be a perfect fit for the adventure path. But I see Set is contemplating running a Cleric. So, if necessary, I could put together something different. I don't see a Rogue or arcane caster in the mix quite yet. So I could take one of those roles. Or, if Set is willing to relinquish the Cleric role, I could run mine.
--Neil
P.S. You should be able to get a sense for the Cleric of Milani by checking out Akorian's profile.
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My character for the other game was going to be a Cleric of Milani (CG goddess of hope, devotion, and uprisings), which I thought would be a perfect fit for the adventure path. But I see Set is contemplating running a Cleric. So, if necessary, I could put together something different. I don't see a Rogue or arcane caster in the mix quite yet. So I could take one of those roles. Or, if Set is willing to relinquish the Cleric role, I could run mine.
I'd be willing to leave the Cleric-ing to you, if he's got room for another player.
After designing the two characters, I kind of fell in love with Albina, while Marius just leaves me cold. While Albina, by Asmodean standards, is a troublemaker extraordinaire, I suspect that the 'of Asmodeus' bit would cause all sorts of distracting social barriers that would chew up time and complicate otherwise straightforward scenes and negotiations with NPCs. No reason to slow down the game with a difficult character choice.
I'd be willing to leave the Cleric-ing to you, if he's got room for another player.
Very cool. I'd love to play alongside you guys, as this has the indications of a devoted group that should hopefully last through the AP.
...I suspect that the 'of Asmodeus' bit would cause all sorts of distracting social barriers that would chew up time and complicate otherwise straightforward scenes and negotiations with NPCs.
Probably so. The Player's Guide has good suggestions for which characters are most ideal for the Council of Thieves. One class that could really shine is a Bard. Maybe you could give that one a try? Lots of interaction and roleplay opportunities for a guy with those kind of skills. Plus, the whole second adventure supposedly entails a live on-stage performance for a bunch of nobles, according to the info shared by Paizo so far.
--Neil
Let's close the door on more PCs.
Roster:
Hogarth fighter
Wellard fighter
Dabbler wilder?
Neil cleric?
Set ???
possibly Wrath and Xaaon.
We're a little fighter heavy but the first adventure plays into that well.
Dabbler, I missed the Wilder class the first time I read over your character. I'll have to take a longer look at what you've got there. Thanks for including the supporting rules. I'm sure we can work something out.
Would the location of the Pathfinder SRD help at all in checking out our characters? Also the Pathfinder Conversion Guide is what I used to run across the Wilder from the XPH.
I put the Wilder in a spoiler at the end, but here is what I wrote anyway:
The Pathfinder Wilder
Hit Dice: d8
Class Skills: Autohypnosis*(Wis), Acrobatics (dex), Bluff (cha), Climb (str), Craft (int), Escape Artist (dex), Fly (dex), Intimidate (cha), Knowledge (psionics)(int), Perception (wis), Profession (wis), Psicraft (int), Sense Motive (wis), Swim (dex).
* Autohypnosis – this skill is fully described in the Expanded Psionics Handbook. In addition to it’s listed uses, it also takes on the additional uses of the Concentration check listed in the XPH.
Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int Modifier
Weapon & Armour Proficiency: Wilders are proficient with light armour and simple weapons, and all shields but tower shields. This remains unchanged.
No other changes are necessary for the wilder, however it may be appropriate to add a ‘free use’ power to the class at first level to bring up to the level of other spell-asters, used 3 times plus charisma bonus per day. Suggestions might include one of:
Hard to Hold: Wilders are difficult to pin down, they can use the force of their will to make them harder to grapple or imprison. They can add their Charisma bonus to their CMD, or to an Escape Artist check.
Psychic Influence: The wilder taps into their forceful personality for a +4 bonus on any social interaction check (Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Gather Information, Sense Motive).
See-me-Not: While wilders can be flashy, some prefer to avoid attention. A number of times a day, the wilder can add their Charisma bonus to their chances to avoid attention – effectively a stealth check.
Tantrum: The uncontrolled psychic power of the wilder manifests in a poltergeist-like frenzy. A target five-foot square is saturated with telekinetic force – this inflicts 1d4 force damage, +1 per two class levels.
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Tentative Wizard notion.
It's rough, since I just kind of coughed it up.
Zarabeta, Spell-for-Hire
Human female Wizard 1, N, Irori (formerly Sarenrae)
Str 10 (+0), Dex 14 (+2), Con 14 (+2), Int 17 (+3), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 13 (+1)
(0 + 5 + 5 + 0 + 7 + 3 = 20, +2 racial bonus to Int)
HP: 8 (1d6+2), AC: 12 (+2 Dex), Spd 30 ft., Init +2, Saves: Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +2, BAB +0, CMB: +0, CMD: 12, Atk: +0 Dagger (1d4 P/19-20), +2 thrown Dagger (1d4 P/19-20, 10' range increment)
Class Abilities: Scribe Scroll, Arcane Bond (familiar), specialist Conjuror (opposed to necromancy and evocation), +1/2 level rounds to duration of summoning spells (minimum 1), acid dart 1d6 acid damage as ranged touch 30 ft. 6 / day (ignores spell resistance).
Racial Abilities: bonus feat, +1 skill point / level, +2 Int, Favored Class: Wizard
Feats: Spell Focus (conjuration, B), Augment Summoning
Traits: Conspiracy Hunter (+1 Diplomacy checks, always a class skill), Genie-Caller (Qadira Companion p 25, +2 caster level to one conjuration / summoning spell per day)
Languages: Kelish, Common (Taldane), Osirioni, Draconic
Skills (2 + 3 (Int) + 1 (human) +1 (favored class) = 7):
Appraise 1 (Int, +10, includes +3 bonus from familiar),
Craft (alchemy) 1 (Int, +7),
Diplomacy 1 (Cha, +5, includes +1 bonus from conspiracy hunter),
Fly 0 (Dex, +2),
Knowledge (arcana) 1 (Int, +7),
Knowledge (local) 1 (Int, +7),
Knowledge (the planes) 0 (Int, -),
Linguistics 1 (add Infernal, Int, +7),
Profession 0 (Wis, -),
Spellcraft 1 (Int, +7)
Spells:
0 (3) - Detect Magic, Mending, Prestidigitation
1st (2+1) - Color Spray, Mage Armor, Summon Monster I (B)
Equipment;
Always worn/carried – 2 Daggers (4 gp, 2 lbs), Backpack (2 gp, 2 lbs), Waterskin (1 gp, 4 lbs), Flint & Steel (1 gp, -), Signal Whistle (8 sp, -), Belt Pouch (1 gp, ½ lb), 1 flasks Alchemist's Fire (20 gp, 1 lb), Familiar (0 gp, 2 lbs), Spellbook (0 gp, 3 lbs), Traveler’s Outfit (0 gp, 5 lbs)
Not usually carried – Bedroll (1 sp, 5 lbs), Rations x5 (2.5 gp, 5 lbs)
Encumbrance (Lt 33 lbs, Med 34-66 lbs, Hvy 67-100 lbs): 19.5 lbs carried normally, 29.5 with bedroll and rations
Starting Wealth: 2d6 x10 (70 gp)
Cash Spent: 32.9 gp, Cash Remaining: 66 gp, 10 sp, 10 cp
'Day Job check': Craft (alchemy) +7
Favored Class: Wizard
Familiar - Uqabi, Raven (speaks Kelish fluently, sometimes makes one word comments in Common…))
Spellbook: All cantrips, Charm Person, Color Spray, Endure Elements, Mage Armor, Mount, Summon Monster I
Zarabeta is a seller of things, her services as a translator, or rented mount spells (she never pretends that they are real horses or attempts to swindle them, always making it very clear that the mount is a temporary effect) or 'desert blessings' of endure elements, or crafted alchemical reagents or sending her familiar out to deliver messages across town. She sets a price that she thinks is fair, and then sticks to it, rarely showing any interest in haggling and sometimes losing customers with her stubbornness. She has been known to 'troll' the marketplace, using detect magic and her appraise skill to hunt for bargain items that possess ancient magics their sellers seem unaware of, or damaged goods that she can repair with a simple mending and then resell at a great value.
She works hard to cultivate the impression of being coldly mercenary and practical in all things, but she works out of Westcrown for a very specific reason. As a girl, her merchant father came to Westcrown to deliver a shipment of spices that was to seal the families fortunes for once and for all, only to never return home, with the captain of his merchant ship returning home empty-handed, with the sad news that her father’s shipment of spices had been seized for failure to present the proper trading documentation. Her father had been accused of smuggling and was hauled away to be executed. Her family’s fortunes were dashed, and her mother was forced to sell off their home to pay the debts her father had accrued in gathering the spice shipment in the first place. Allowed to dwell within the humbler home of the apologetic ship captain, who had been one of her fathers’ must trusted employees, she turned from writing poetry and dreaming of boys to the study of the arcane arts. Those Chelaxian monsters bound devils to their will, and so she would tap into the mysteries of her homeland, and entreat with genies to foil their schemes.
It was almost ten years to the day when the strong-willed young woman, fresh out of tutelage at the hands of a disreputable binder of genies (the only sort of tutor she could afford), stepped off of a ship onto the docks of the city that stole her father away and set her onto this uncertain path. Will Westcrown burn for the insult to her family, or will Zarabeta just be another person swallowed up by the city?
She has become a familiar sight in certain districts, although she scrupulously avoids interacting with the local authorities, functioning as a ‘sellspell,’ often for less than reputable interests, although she diligently honors the wording of any deal into which she enters, and has not accepted any tasks involving violence. Yet.
While raised to the worship of Sarenrae, Zarabeta has little time for such thoughts these days, and, when disposed to prayerful thought, is more likely to say a word to Irori (or, even more rarely, Nethys), whose tenets she find more compatible with her own nature. Zarabeta is a relatively short woman, slim and rarely moving with any feminine grace. Her choppy movements are perhaps indicative of the deep and abiding anger that lurks beneath her stoic face. She keeps her dark hair cut short, usually kept more-or-less trimmed with her own dagger, and wears a minimum of makeup, keeping to her ascetic habit of spending a bare minimum on her own luxuries (something she affects as part of her money-grubbing miserly persona, but is an ingrained habit, from her childhood of luxury lost, growing up on the handouts and generosity of a man who used to be in her family’s employ). Thanks to daily use of mending and prestidigitation none of her gear shows much sign of its extended wear, and she will absolutely use an item until it falls apart and can no longer be repaired, at which point, she’s as likely to tear it up for scraps or sell it to a junk dealer for a few copper coins! It remains to be seen if her copper-pinching nature will prove to be her downfall…
Zarabeta, Spell-for-Hire...
She doesn't seem all that "rough" of a concept to me. And I like her background reason for being in Westcrown. Setting up one type of conjurer (genie-kind) vs. the Chelaxian conjurers (devil-binders) has a nice feel to it.
Before going with Akorian as a rebellious cleric of Milani, I had contemplated playing an abjurer in my previous CoT game, because I was planning on going toe-to-toe with the Chelaxian conjurers and their extraplanar allies, as well. I've sort of achieved the same "game plan" with my cleric by choosing the Protection domain, though. So I could see Akorian and Zarabeta getting along quite well. Just call them A-to-Z. :-D
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Hey, thank for the offer guys, but I was actually just lurking because some of the names cropping up here caught my interest. I like the characters these guys put together and thought I'd have a little look at what this one's going to turn out like. When I saw you waiting for Xaaon I'd thought I'd try and help speed your progress is all.
Would love to play but I already have too many game commitments at the moment. Thanks anyway and good luck. I'll be lurking your game thread when it fires up. Cheers
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Zarabeta, Spell-for-Hire...She doesn't seem all that "rough" of a concept to me. And I like her background reason for being in Westcrown. Setting up one type of conjurer (genie-kind) vs. the Chelaxian conjurers (devil-binders) has a nice feel to it.
Yeah, that sort of wrote itself, which is nice. Her original backstory was 'sells spells for money.' Kinda one-dimensional, so it was nice that tying her into Westcrown (and particularly into wanting to see Westcrown punished) ended up playing into what I was doing. I picked Conjuror for purely mechanical reasons, so the whole 'my summon-fu beats your summon-fu' notion could be interpreted as last-minute justification. :)
I had the numbers jotted down for possible Pathfinder Society play, but that was 3.5, so I had to make some tweaks (which, being me, takes about as long as it would have taken me to make it from scratch, since I'm constantly adjusting a number here, and then forgetting to change the derivative values in other places).
I so need an editor. (I *am* an editor, but editing one's own work is about as advisable as trying to perform your own vasectomy...)
Before going with Akorian as a rebellious cleric of Milani, I had contemplated playing an abjurer in my previous CoT game, because I was planning on going toe-to-toe with the Chelaxian conjurers and their extraplanar allies, as well. I've sort of achieved the same "game plan" with my cleric by choosing the Protection domain, though. So I could see Akorian and Zarabeta getting along quite well. Just call them A-to-Z. :-D
If there was ever a viable counterspelling mechanic in this game, I would *so* play an Abjurer. I love the idea of playing a character who is all about saying, 'No.' to the enemy spellcaster.
I cast...
Denied!
Flaming...
Nope.
Holy...
Zip it!
Wall of...
Talk to the hand.
Zerabata complements the rest of the group nicely - Waifrin is essentially a blaster. We then have two solid fighters, and hopefully a cleric. We could use a rogue at some point but we'll have to see what happens ...
... ouch, Set, mine was bad enough with somebody else doing it!
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Zerabata complements the rest of the group nicely - Waifrin is essentially a blaster.
That should be neat to see. I've got zero experience with 3rd edition psionics (I played a few Dark Suns Psionicists back in 2nd edition, after The Will & The Way came out, though), so I'm looking forward to seeing what sorts of stuff they bring to the table.
The closest I've come to 3.X psionics was playing an arcane Soulknife (all powers based on magic, tapping into innate racial, class feature or feat-derived spell-like abilities, prepared spells or spell slots, instead of power points). I liked the Soulknife because I could play it without really having to learn the psionics rules. :)
We could use a rogue at some point but we'll have to see what happens ...
I'm going to be taking mostly ranger levels, so I should have plenty of skill ranks to invest in Disable Device (if necessary).
The 3.5 system is better than 3.0 (which I concede I never bought, and was renowned for being unbalanced), the major differences between it and magic are that the powers are often broader in scope, but you have less of them. They do not automatically scale, but require additional power points to enhance them.
The Wilder is the psionic equivalent of a sorcerer; rather than intellect or insight they use sheer force of personality and raw emotion to generate effects. They get very few powers, but they have the ability to 'surge' in order to punch above their weight. For example, Waifrin's energy ray is her only power at first level. She can manifest it as fire, electric, cold or sonic energy, and for one power point (all she can use at first level) it inflicts around 1d6 damage. At second level she could expend two power points and do 2d6 damage. However, she can also 'wild surge' - at first level, this increases her effective level by one and automatically augments her power by the same amount, so she could inflict 2d6 damage at first level by surging. However, surging has a price: however much you surge by, you do a d20 check and if you roll equal or lower than the amount by which you wild surge, you are dazed for one round and lose power points equal to your level.
This makes Wilders good blasters, but poor utility casters.
If there was ever a viable counterspelling mechanic in this game, I would *so* play an Abjurer. I love the idea of playing a character who is all about saying, 'No.' to the enemy spellcaster.
I cast...
Denied!Flaming...
Nope.Holy...
Zip it!Wall of...
Talk to the hand.
Chelaxian Overlord: "What's happening? Why's nothing working?!"
Chelaxian Minion: "It's nega-mage, sir! She's gone from suck to blow."
:-D
...We could use a rogue at some point but we'll have to see what happens...
If Mother Vangelis picks up ranks in Disable Device, she should also have enough Stealth and other skills to cover us in that regard. I still say the better "rogue" complement right now would be a Bard. That should really round things out. Such a character could mix freely with Akorian's noble background...sing or chronicle the accomplishments of Marius the pit-fighter...know Waifrin the wilder from the streets...and still rub arcane "elbows" and barter with Zarabeta the exotic wizard.
Hey Neil..hope this cleric isn't as intense as Istas..I don't think I could cope with two of them.
Hah! No worries, Wellard! The intensity for Istas comes from a combination of her Shoanti heritage and utter faith that fate is always on her side as a result of worshipping Pharasma.
I plan to go a different direction with Akorian. He'll still be a man of action...after all, anyone wielding a morningstar is going to be pretty intent on doing some damage in battle. But he has a much softer concern for the everyday folk, hoping to inspire hope in them through a combination of benevolence and leading by example.
I see Milani's priesthood as a collection of normally unassuming priests devoted to healing and uplifting others through acts of kindness. It's only when governments get out of hand and lose sight of the greater good for the people that they start advocating for a revolution and get rebellious. Akorian's headed that way, of course, but I'll try and show him as a bit less agitated and more secretive in his efforts to change the world in the early going.
If there was ever a viable counterspelling mechanic in this game, I would *so* play an Abjurer. I love the idea of playing a character who is all about saying, 'No.' to the enemy spellcaster.Chelaxian Overlord: "What's happening? Why's nothing working?!"
Chelaxian Minion: "It's nega-mage, sir! She's gone from suck to blow."
:-D
Don't mock. the party wizard in the group I DM for loaded up on dispel magics for taking on the leader of the cult that they were fighting ... damn him! Damn him all to heck!
Don't mock.
Oh, that wasn't mocking. That was just an attempt at offering up some geek humor from Space Balls.
...the party wizard in the group I DM for loaded up on dispel magics for taking on the leader of the cult that they were fighting ... damn him! Damn him all to heck!
My personal GM motto: Never penalize a player for devising a workable strategy within his PC's capabilities. I would've loved to roleplay my GM frustration with that outcome by channeling it through the NPC villain's frustration. ;-D
Hey, thank for the offer guys, but I was actually just lurking because some of the names cropping up here caught my interest. I like the characters these guys put together and thought I'd have a little look at what this one's going to turn out like. When I saw you waiting for Xaaon I'd thought I'd try and help speed your progress is all.
Would love to play but I already have too many game commitments at the moment. Thanks anyway and good luck. I'll be lurking your game thread when it fires up. Cheers
Cool.
Dabbler, any possibility of scanning and e-mailing me the 3.5 wilder base class info or typing it up here? I haven't had time to read the pathfinder conversion yet (assuming there's more to it than what you've posted here), but what you've posted here only gives me deltas from a baseline, not the baseline itself. I'd like a chance to look over the class and see what features the future holds and make sure I'm good with them.
Dabbler, any possibility of scanning and e-mailing me the 3.5 wilder base class info or typing it up here?
You can see it here:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/wilder.htm
WILDER
The psion draws his psionic ability from strict mental discipline and intellectual development. Not so the wilder—for her, raw emotion is the source of psionic power. Emotion-triggered psionic ability is not a science, but a passion. The zeal with which the wilder pursues the use of her psionic ability is so extreme that she can occasionally trigger a surge of power far beyond her normal capabilities. But with this ability comes a price: By exceeding her limits, the wilder may injure herself with psychic feedback.
Adventures: Wilders see dangerous quests as further opportunities to use their emotion-triggered psionic abilities. Eager to show what they can do, wilders use their psionic abilities against whatever obstacles confront them. Wilders are concerned first of all with the anifestation of their powers, but do not shy away from wealth or items that can further upgrade their abilities.
Characteristics: Wilders are passionate about their powers, often pushing themselves to their utter limits with their wild surges. However, they are not blind to the risks of the wild surge and the limited number of powers they can call upon. Thus, they develop their skills and fighting ability as best they can, honing themselves to be useful in all situations.
Alignment: Wilders are capable of adopting any of the alignment viewpoints, none of which are at odds with personal psionic development.
Religion: A wilder is too self-centered to desire or seek after the philosophy of deities.
Background: A wilder is typically self-taught. Most wilders were left too long on their own as children, sometimes forced by cruel circumstance to live alone in the wild. Life in the wild doesn’t usually forge many bonds, so when most wilders are eventually found, they return to civilization. By that point, however, their mental development is set. When they take up residence in larger cities, wilders try to make up for their years of solitude by impressing others
with their abilities.
Wilders recognize each other as fellow voyagers on the journey of personal discovery. They may feel kinship with others of their kind, but they are just as likely to throw down a challenge.
Races: Wilders are more likely to spring up among maenads than in any other race. Humans are a close second. Dromites, elves, halflings, gnomes, and xephs are usually incapable of putting themselves in the emotional moment required to trigger psionic ability—they prefer the more disciplined approaches of other classes. The wilder tradition
is more akin to half-giant culture, and some few wilders are thus half-giants. Surprisingly enough, a small number of dwarves, rebelling against their society, find the abilities of the wilder quite appealing and fall into the class by accident. Other creatures with psionic ability are somewhat more likely to become wilders than to take up any other psionic class.
Other Classes: While wilders are, on the one hand, turbulent individuals, on the other hand they enjoy dealing with others because they are happy to showcase their own prowess—through action or just through talk.
Role: A wilder is sometimes a front-line combatant, using her powers to boost her raw fighting ability. Other wilders prefer second-line positions, relying wholly on powers to contribute to a group’s offensive capabilities.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Wilders have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma determines how powerful a power a wilder can manifest and how hard those powers are to resist. Dexterity provides a wilder with a better defense and with bonuses on some class skills. Strength helps a wilder’s combat ability.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The wilder’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis* (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration* (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (psionics)* (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Psicraft* (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
*See new skills and expanded uses of existing skills in Chapter 3 of this book. See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for other skill descriptions.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifi er) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All the following are class features of the wilder.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Wilders are proficient with all simple weapons, with light armor, and with shields (except tower shields).
Power Points/Day: A wilder’s ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points she has available. Her base daily allotment of power points is given on Table 2–6: The Wilder. In addition, she receives bonus power points per day if she has a high Charisma score (see Table 2–1: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Power Points). Her race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items.
Powers Known: A wilder begins play knowing one wilder power of your
choice. At every even-numbered class level after 1st, she unlocks the knowledge of new powers. Choose the powers known from the wilder
power list. (Exception: The feats Expanded Knowledge, page 46, and Epic Expanded Knowledge, page 34, do allow a wilder to learn powers from the lists of other classes.) A wilder can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than her manifester level.
The total number of powers a wilder can manifest in a day is limited only by her daily power points. In other words, a 9th-level wilder (with a total of 72 power points) could manifest a power costing 1
power point seventy-two times in one day, or a power costing 9 power
points eight times in one day, or any combination of power point costs that does not exceed 72 power points in total.
A wilder simply knows her powers; they are ingrained in her mind. She does not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells), though she must get a good night’s sleep each day
to regain all her spent power points.
The Difficulty Class for saving throws against wilder powers is 10 + the power’s level + the wilder’s Charisma modifier. For example, the saving throw against a 6th-level power has a DC of 16 + Cha modifier.
Maximum Power Level Known: A wilder begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As she attains higher levels, she may gain the ability to master more complex powers—for example, a 4th-level wilder can learn powers of 2nd level or lower, a 6th-level wilder can learn powers of 3rd level or lower, and so on. To learn or manifest a power, a wilder must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the power’s level. For example, a wilder with a 16 Charisma can manifest powers of 6th level or lower.
Wild Surge (Su): A wilder can let her passion and emotion rise to the surface in a wild surge when she manifests a power. During a wild surge, a wilder gains phenomenal psionic strength, but may harm herself by the reckless use of her power (see Psychic Enervation, below). A wilder can choose to invoke a wild surge whenever she manifests a power. When she does so, she gains +1 to her manifester level with that manifestation of the power. The manifester level boost gives her the ability to augment her powers to a higher degree than she otherwise could; however, she pays no extra power point for this wild surge. Instead, the additional 1 power point that would normally be required to
augment the power is effectively supplied by the wild surge. Level-dependent power effects are also improved, depending on the power a wilder manifests with her wild surge. This improvement in manifester level does not grant her any other benefits (psicrystal abilities do not advance, she does not gain higher-level class abilities, and so on). She cannot use the Overchannel psionic feat (see page 49) and invoke her wild surge at the same time. For example, Leila is a 3rd-level wilder who knows the power mind thrust (see page 120). She can normally spend a maximum of 3 power points to deal 3d10 points of damage with this power. If she invokes her wild surge when she manifests the power, she spends 3 power points to deal 4d10 points of damage (as if she were a 4thlevel manifester, and thus able to spend up to 4 points on manifesting the power). At 3rd level, a wilder can choose to boost her manifester level by two instead of one. At 7th level, she can boost her manifester level by up to three; at 11th level, by up to four; at 15th level, by up to five; and at 19th level, by up to six. In all cases, the wild surge effectively pays the extra power point cost that is normally required to augment the power; only the unaugmented power point cost is subtracted from the wilder’s power point reserve.
Psychic Enervation (Ex): Pushing oneself by invoking a wild surge is dangerous. Immediately following each wild surge, a wilder may be overcome by the strain of her effort. The chance of suffering psychic enervation is equal to 5% per manifester level added with the wild surge. For example, if, at 11th level, Leila uses wild surge to boost her manifester level by four, she has a 20% chance of suffering psychic enervation as a result. A wilder who is overcome by psychic enervation is dazed until the end of her next turn and loses a number of power points equal to her wilder level.
Elude Touch (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a wilder’s intuition supersedes her intellect, alerting her to danger from touch attacks (including rays). She gains a bonus to Armor Class against all touch attacks equal to her Charisma bonus; however, her touch AC can never exceed her Armor Class against normal attacks.
Surging Euphoria (Ex): Starting at 4th level, when a wilder uses her wild surge ability, she gains a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws for a number of rounds equal to the intensity of her wild surge. For example, if Leila uses wild surge to boost her manifester level by two, her morale bonus would last for 2 rounds. (Even if she had the wild surge +4 ability, the fact that she boosted her manifester level by only two restricts the duration to 2 rounds.)
If a wilder is overcome by psychic enervation following her wild surge, she does not gain the morale bonus for this use of her wild surge ability. At 12th level, the morale bonus on a wilder’s attack rolls,
damage rolls, and saving throws increases to +2. At 20th level, the bonus increases to +3.
Volatile Mind (Ex): A wilder’s temperamental mind is hard to encompass with the discipline of telepathy. When any telepathy power is manifested on a wilder of 5th level or higher, the manifester of the power must pay 1 power point more than he otherwise would have spent. The extra cost is not a natural part of that power’s cost. It does not augment the power; it is simply a wasted power point. The wilder’s volatile mind can force the manifester of the telepathy power to exceed the normal power point limit of 1 point per manifester level. If the extra cost raises the telepathy power’s cost to more points than the manifester has remaining in his reserve, the power simply fails, and the
manifester exhausts the rest of his power points. At 9th level, the penalty assessed against telepathy powers manifested on a wilder is increased to 2 power points. At 13th level, the penalty increases to 3 power points, and at 17th level it increases to 4 power points. As a standard action, a wilder can choose to lower this effect for 1 round (in the event, for instance, that a friend attempts to manifest a beneficial telepathy power on her).
Table 2–6: The Wilder
Base Power
Attack Fort Ref Will Points/ Maximum Power
Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Day Powers Known Level Known
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Wild surge +1, psychic enervation 2 1 1st
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Elude touch 6 2 1st
3rd +2 +1 +1 +3 Wild surge +2 11 2 1st
4th +3 +1 +1 +4 Surging euphoria +1 17 3 2nd
5th +3 +1 +1 +4 Volatile mind (1 power point) 25 3 2nd
6th +4 +2 +2 +5 35 4 3rd
7th +5 +2 +2 +5 Wild surge +3 46 4 3rd
8th +6/+1 +2 +2 +6 58 5 4th
9th +6/+1 +3 +3 +6 Volatile mind (2 power points) 72 5 4th
10th +7/+2 +3 +3 +7 88 6 5th
11th +8/+3 +3 +3 +7 Wild surge +4 106 6 5th
12th +9/+4 +4 +4 +8 Surging euphoria +2 126 7 6th
13th +9/+4 +4 +4 +8 Volatile mind (3 power points) 147 7 6th
14th +10/+5 +4 +4 +9 170 8 7th
15th +11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +9 Wild surge +5 195 8 7th
16th +12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 221 9 8th
17th +12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 Volatile mind (4 power points) 250 9 8th
18th +13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 280 10 9th
19th +14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Wild surge +6 311 10 9th
20th +15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Surging euphoria +3 343 11 9th
Hello there! Out of curiosity, is there still room?
Hogarth, thanks for the wilder link.
Dabbler, sorry to be making you jump through hoops. I'm just nervous when adding something unfamiliar to the game. I haven't used psionics since AD&D where I had some bad experiences. It'll take me a day or two to leaf through all the d20 SRD material. (I still need to keep my job and family happy too.)
Hello there! Out of curiosity, is there still room?
I think we have a full roster, but I'll put you at the top of the alternates list in case anyone drops out.
Fair enough mate.
Have fun guys! Will most probably be checking out your adventures once they begin.
Hogarth, thanks for the wilder link.
Dabbler, sorry to be making you jump through hoops. I'm just nervous when adding something unfamiliar to the game. I haven't used psionics since AD&D where I had some bad experiences. It'll take me a day or two to leaf through all the d20 SRD material. (I still need to keep my job and family happy too.)
That's quite OK, I would do the same! If you need any other info, please don't hesitate to ask. For the record, the 3.5 psionics system is pretty well balanced with conventional casters by most accounts. If you do decide that it's too much/too difficult, let me know and I can always rework Waifrin in some way.
If you do decide that it's too much/too difficult, let me know and I can always rework Waifrin in some way.
If you reworked her, I assume you'd keep her street savvy background. In which case, you could make her a Rogue and use some of your rogue talents to pick up a bit of arcane magic (i.e., 0-level cantrips or 1st level spells) to maintain some "spark" of unexplained ability.
Or, you could make her a Sorcerer or Bard and just say her innate arcane power is "psionic-like" in execution. It might give you more range than the psionic powers, as well, because of the greater variety of spells available to Sorcerers and Bards. Also, maybe there's a sorcerer bloodline that would help duplicate a wilder? You could even work up a new bloodline and base it on extreme emotion or psychic powers somewhere in your family's geneaology.
I would keep her as street-savy yes, but I would prefer to keep her as a wilder - that class says clearest what I want her to be and how I want her to work - in fact I may take a level or two of rogue at some point anyway, as it works well with her background. If I can't have the wilder, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
O.K., I think I'm about done my character for now. Do we have a projected date for when the game will start?
I'm still gunning for the 9th or 10th of September. I'll be out of touch for labor day weekend. I heard from Xaaon. He's definitely out. That still leaves five. So we're in good shape.
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O.K., I think I'm about done my character for now. Do we have a projected date for when the game will start?
That's a pretty awesome concept there. You kind of lose me around the wrasslin' farm-mom bit, but I have always had a notion to make a character that was a parent who had gotten their kids out of the house and now wanted to make a name for himself/herself. I'd have probably gone with a different class (former farm-wife, not taken the vows of a Druid, or now finally exploring that knack for Sorcerery that haunted her as a child and gave her that 'touched' reputation), but the basic concept is awesome.
Far too many of my own characters end up with no real family ties (one distant parent, at most) just because I don't want to deal with it, and it is neat to see the opposite in play, a character who has a passle of family!
And oh look, Zarabeta, no father. Qu'elle surprise. :)