And discuss away.
Reposting this question here-
While the Technic League does control Numeria, it doesn't directly control Torch, but is instead happy to simply accept it's tax each year. They don't have a (known) representative there, and wouldn't be able to use the orphans of Torch for labour.Alright. Is there any other ethically-challenged company or organization in the area that would? The Aspis Consortium maybe? Or any other organization that is ties to the story as villains?
Ok so I've had a bit of a think, and we can make it work with a couple of changes.
You grew up on the streets/in a workhouse in Starfall (capital of Numeria) when you were snatched up to be in an experiment by a crazy Evil alchemist, who also has ties to the Technic League. Val was also destined to be a part of the experimentation before Khonnir rescued you both, and after wandering around as basically vagrants for some time the three of you settled in Torch.
The remaining issue is your young adult life. Now as you are starting at level 1 I would prefer you not to have too much experience under your belt (at least of the adventuring type) to maintain verisimilitude, but a small amount of mercenary-ing either among the Kellids or Pathfinder Society would be acceptable.
To maintain the jail angle, perhaps you are prone to getting into brawls or are a kleptomaniac? There just isn't that much/any tech stuff lying around Torch itself to steal.
Sure, that sounds fine to me.
I realized I didn't need the Technic League angle to have an unethical orphanage funneling kids into factories as child labor so I just dropped that angle.
Darian is definitely a kleptomaniac, but he tries his best to avoid getting into fights. He attracts trouble like crazy though, so even though he tries not to throw the first punch he often ends up having to throw the last one.
I'm basing the character's flavor heavily off of Dwayne Johnson in The Rundown, so that should give you an idea of his personality and approach to things.
Those cold steel knives are rather impressive and that dude is amazingly accurate with them.
I was leaning towards an Android soul Weaver but the more I learn about spheres the more I feel like a kid in a candy store.
I'll be taking a look at spheres tonight to make the beefiest chainsaw wielding guy that I can. I tend to do work in ridiculous spurts.
...My first plan was to make an Armiger named Donte from Devil May Cry (which would be a small town that he ran from because I don't know shut up) so that he could switch weapons and use a scythe called Nuvan, a chainsaw as a main weapon, and either twin guns or thrown weapons depending on what I wanted for the third, but I see we have an Armiger already so I'll figure out another way to go all in on smashy with a chainsaw.
...and upon looking at it again, I think I will go with a Conscript specializing in the Berserker sphere who gets Spell Sunder asap.
I'm taking a sphere specialization (berserker), indomitable will, and maneuver training (sunder). For a martial tradition, Heavy Armsman is definitely the way to go to maximize my smash.
I guess I found a way to make a barbarian after all. Now I just have to finish statting the thing, and soon I'll be cleaving through spell effects with a chainsaw.
..argh, just outside the edit timeline. I have a question.
@Aipaca, you mentioned that we get 3 talents every level as a conscript. Is that instead of the 'bonus talent' ability they get, or in addition to it? Since currently they get 30 talents over 20 levels and it works out to 1.5/level, I think it's instead of it, but I want to be sure.
@DH Will check out The Rundown so I have some idea what I'm in for :P
@Nickodemous I have yet to have someone geniunely look into Spheres and be disappointed, it is such a fantastic system.
@Trinam My bad, I forgot they made that formatting change between Incanter and Conscript but yes it is instead of those "bonus talents".
...Now I'm imagining a guy using a big twohanded weapon and the secret is that if you take away the weapon he just starts tearing you apart with his bare hands.
This is amazing and I know exactly what my plan is now. I'm literally playing a wrestling guy, and I'm 100% picking abilities based entirely on 'Is this awesome, yes/no?'
One of the things I love about Spheres is that it makes fighting styles (especially guns and unarmed) distinct from classes, so you don't feel super gimped for trying to make a heavily armoured pugilist or a non-Gunslinger who uses guns.
You totally feel super gimped, you can't take Dragon Tattoo until 5th if you pick anything other than Tattoo warrior, and if you're taking TW you have no reason to ever use armor.
And since DT is that good for giving you bonuses to your punchings and ZT is great for letting you armor up your bare skin and stacks well with the free unarmored training, you have little reason to ever pick much else unless you really want the spheres for the bonus damage. But since I'm married to Berserker sphere as one of mine, my other two go elsewhere and that means I'm stuck at a d4 until at least level 2 anyways.
At least Bonus Talent and Vital Strike are no-brainer 1st level feats here.
...Now I'm imagining a guy using a big twohanded weapon and the secret is that if you take away the weapon he just starts tearing you apart with his bare hands.
This is amazing and I know exactly what my plan is now. I'm literally playing a wrestling guy, and I'm 100% picking abilities based entirely on 'Is this awesome, yes/no?'
It sounds like we have very similar concepts (I'm subbing the chainsaw for guns).
Instead of thinking about it like we are overlapping, what do you think about a tag-team? There's some fun potential there. We might even be able to tie our backstories together.
At least Bonus Talent and Vital Strike are no-brainer 1st level feats here.
Doesn't Vital Strike have a +6 BaB requirement?
At least Bonus Talent and Vital Strike are no-brainer 1st level feats here.Doesn't Vital Strike have a +6 BaB requirement?
Yes.
Yes it does. WEAPON FOCUS, I guess.
As for backstory, I really don't know. Like, my backstory plan was 'nobody knows where he comes from, he just tends to show up to tear robots to pieces and be a showman about it because he's probably a little crazy.' I was planning on going for some unarmed spheres (particularly Empty Hand to negate hardness) and then also getting berserker, with an eventual move into gladiator so that I could start throwing around fear effects.
My eventual goal is to be able to grapple a guy and immediately piledriver him into the ground so hard that it shatters the ground and raises all the ground around it by 5 feet. Through hardness. On top of being able to do a lot of other things.
I have an idea for eventually using a reach weapon with the Lancer sphere and Hamatula Strike to range-grapple people and yank them over to me.
If I take Hard Whip I'll be able to yank them to me and then toss them to you, all as an AoO.
Scorpion tag-teamed with Zangief. :)
Ooh, I'll have to take that thing that lets me make Strength Score # of aoo's a round. That way I can capitalize on it better.
GET OVER HERE!
Now get over THERE!
*Spinning Piledriver*
*High Five*
I finished making said character.
I have absolutely no idea why he's there, and assume he just showed up because he heard robots were found and he really likes punching robots.
Alright so Shiras is still a work in progress. An incanter rat folk with the Nature and Life spheres. Drawing from Aesop's fables, I picked up a lion animal companion. I need the Additional Traits feat to mostly add skills as class skills to be able to ride and handle animal, and what self respecting ratfolk doesn't know how to disable device?
Are drawbacks for traits allowed?
With two beaters/tanks, figured I'd go the magic route and cover healing and utility. I'm sure I'll grab the Destruction sphere to do some ranged damage but I'm still working through boons and drawbacks and traditions and what not. Any thoughts/suggestions/feedback would be helpful.
Will it just be the three of us?
Alrighty team, uni is getting a bit hectic over the next couple of weeks so I'll hold off starting anything until then.
Additionally, I should be receiving a kickstarter I backed containing a ton of one-shots. I am thinking that I will run the three of you through one of these both as a trial run for me as a GM and to explain the reason you three are working together. While that is going on I'll run a recruitment for a fourth player to join when we start on the actual Iron Gods AP.
I'm currently looking over your builds, will get back to you soon with some responses.
Checking in.
Still here.
I'm around.
Checking in here again. Is there anything we can do to help build some momentum?
Sorry team, my reply to the previous check-ins must have been eaten by Paizo. I am still waiting on the Kickstarter which should be in any day now. I don't want to start you guys on an AP if I'm not capable of running it, so if it's ok with you I'll run the one shot first. It'll also give you guys a chance to play with your Spheres abilities before the AP.
Will let you know when I get the one-shots as we should be good to go then.
Sounds good.
I'm back! I have converted a one-shot to flavour and spheres, and I'm ready to give this DMing thing a whirl.
I have one last question for you guys before we start, how do the three of you know each other? For our pre-adventure, you will have picked up a contract to go and investigate some cultists in a ruin a few days hike from Torch.
SO this one shot is happening before the beginning of the Iron Gods AP? A prequel?
Darian and Fritz might be hired muscle. Shiras could be the one with the contract and is looking for some sub-contractors.
I can't speak for Fritz, but Darian wouldn't care that Shiras is a ratfolk.
Yup it's a prequel, a taste of one of the themes of the adventure and a chance for me to test my skills and you to test your characters' skills.
It's likely we met in jail as well.
Oh, good call. :)
Jail talk, someone mentions a big score, plans are hatched. Darian says "I know a guy on the outside who's crazy enough to go with us."
Cut to while later, the three of us in a tavern...
Sounds like a good chance to bust out some pop-up powerbombs on some robots.
Alrighty, I'm thinking you two start in the lock-up in Hajoth Hakados, where you meet, both having been thrown in there for petty misdemeanors.
From there you can collect Fritz and we will go from there.
I've messaged Shiras, who will fill you in on the quest.
Going to be in another state in a place with no wifi for a week after I wake up. Might be slow, might be able to post my usual rate, depends largely on cell reception. I'll let you guys know when I get back. Bot as needed.
Thanks Trinam, have a good trip.
Trinam and DH your builds look nice, Nickadeamous you need to pick some talents so that we know what you can actually do with your magic! Thank you all for your patience, I know that it's been quite a wait to actually get into this but I am quite excited.
So Nature is a definite. Life and Destruction are almost as well. Protection, maybe Creation, probably War for buffs.
One thing I'd really like to be able to do is basically mimic the Bestow Weapon Proficiency spell. As DH said, there's always a lot of new and different weapons to use, and most of those are ranged based but I haven't been able to find a sphere effect that really allows me to gain a weapon proficiency for a limited time. Know of any?
I'll have more time this weekend to finish up the character in detail. To be honest I'm still exploring the sphere caster class options. Symbiot and Hedge Witch are both very interesting as well.
There are definitely a lots of awesome options in the Spheres system. Part of the reason that I am running this prequel is to give you guys a chance to play around with Spheres, and consequently I'll give you all a chance to re-spec your characters before we start on the AP.
As for Bestow Weapon Proficiency, I think an Enhancement talent could be brewed up that you place on a weapon which removes the non-proficiency penalty for people wielding it? I'll have a think on some other options but that seems like a good way to go.
Or possibly an War talent that give your allies in range proficiency with more weapons? Hmmm... Will continue to think on it.