DM Carbide's Giantslayer

Game Master John Woodford

Character creation to start with here, changing over to OOC stuff once we get rolling. The usual.

Heya DM Carbide. I just wanted to say thanks for running Kingmaker, it was tons of fun and I am looking forward to enjoying Giantslayer as well. I'm hopeful we'll be able to enjoy an AP that is easier to handle in a PBP setting. To the issue of new players... I do feel that at least one more player would be welcome, it can help keep momentum going when RL concerns drive one of us away from the forums for awhile.

I've been looking at Slayers, but maybe an Inquisitor. I've never played either one for long, though I did run a pre-gen Slayer in a PFS game once. Maybe a halfling bomber Alchemist? Does anyone have a strong preference about what they want to play?

We could definitely use another new player. I could recommend someone I know would never drop out if she does join- I've been playing with her in a couple of other games for years.

If you haven't done so already, check the AP Player's Guide. A significant fraction of your fights will be against foes with relatively poor AC and lots of HP, so keep that in mind when you're building characters.

I'll second the call for one more player. It also allows us to be a bit more flexible in character creation as far as not having to worry about having optimum builds or party makeup.

20 pt buy this time? 2 traits? anything else we should consider?

Time to delve back into the players guide and figure out what I want to play...

Oh, yeah--I suppose I should tell you that.

20 point build
Background skills
Fractional BAB & save bonuses
Summoners and rogues have to be unchained
Monks and barbarians can be unchained
No 3PP material
2 traits, with one a campaign trait
No drawbacks
Some feat condensations:
Power Attack, Weapon Finesse, Piranha Strike, and Combat Expertise can be used by anyone who meets the prerequisites.
Dodge & Mobility are combined into a single feat (+1 dodge bonus to AC at all times, increasing to +4 vs. AoOs when moving).
Feat chains collapsed; e.g., Two-Weapon Fighting increases in benefit to Improved Two-Weapon Fighting when the prerequisites of the latter feat are met. Ask if you're not sure.

If there's interest, I'll run this in PFS campaign mode and distribute chronicle sheets for you to apply to existing PFS characters.

I don't have a problem with this being PFS, but if we have a choice I'd rather not have to worry about what is and is not PFS legal.

I'll let my friend know about this game and see if she's interested.

The actual game doesn't need to be PFS-legal in campaign mode. From the PFS Roleplaying Guild Guide:

Campaign Mode: For sanctioned modules and Adventure Paths, GMs are allowed to use their own rules for character creation and running the presented content (the entire book or series). Credit is applied to an appropriate Roleplaying Guild character as if the character created was a pregenerated character.

Hi there! karlprosek's friend here.

I'd be willing to give it a go if you need another player? I'd probably go in the direction of a ranger (or slayer, if karlprosek doesn't take one) or other martial, just to keep things simple.

Thanks for your interest, and you're more than welcome! More martials are not a bad thing here. (Though having a decent face will be helpful in at least the first part of the AP.)

Hmm. I haven't played a face before. I could do a loud-mouthed, swashbuckling Arcane Duelist Bard. Inspired by Madmartigan from Willow? That sounds fun.

FYI, the campaign starts with the party having to solve a murder mystery. Because of course that's how you get a group of people into a plot that'll end up with them fighting lots of giants -_^. (Granted, it's nowhere near the whiplash you get in Second Darkness, going from "we're a bunch of gambling gangsters, making our way as best we can in a wretched hive of scum and villainy!" to "we're in it to save the elves!" in the first half of the AP.)

Thanks for the welcome!

It's really tempting to play a dwarf, even if I'm being cliché. Hah, every dwarf knows that the way to solve a mystery is to HIT IT WITH A HAMMER. Or, if you're being very careful, an axe. And if the mystery isn't solved by that, you didn't hit it hard enough. /cliché

OK, enough silliness. I'll have a look at the Player's Guide and return with a concept! Huzzah!

Hello all!

I'm thinking half-orc warpriest, or if a face is still needed, maybe a swashbuckler? I'm pretty flexible. I was even considering straight up fighter or rogue for this one.

The quicker you can declare something, the less likely it is that you'll be the healer ;-).

I'm considering a Sky Stalker ranger, but I have a question: would you allow the character to gain a griffon companion instead of a hippogriff if he waited until he could qualify for the prereqs (5th level) to gain the class feature?

That sounds reasonable, though we can revisit after you've had it for a while if you seem to be too tough/not tough enough.

Fair enough! :)

rogues have to be unchained

Oh gee. That's just...terrible. Twist my arm. (Unchained rogues are fantastic!)

I still am completely blank with my character concept. Although I have to say your houserules for feats open up a lot of possibilities. Lots to consider...

I guess the reasonable thing to do would be to go ranged-ranger, cool as the image of swooping out of the sky with a zweihander would be... *g* Probably best not to get my eventual-mount killed, though.

Oh, and not my character, either.

*still planning on getting a zweihander eventually, though, if only for the look of it*

On second thought, since I don't gain anything from the archetype if I don't gain the companion at 2nd level, I'll go with a regular ranger and just take the Monstrous Mount feat as one of my regular progression feats. Thanks for considering the alternative, though. :)

Here is the leading contender of my two options. Anyone else considering the Trunau Native trait?

I don't think my character will be from Trunau, just a visitor. I'm going to take the Dwarf-Trained trait.

DM Carbide, do you allow humans to know their regional language for free together with Common, or does it have to be "bought" separately?

I'm thinking about trying out a Dazzling Display build, so I'm looking at Giantslayer Scion.

Half-orc, too, so hopefully nobody builds their PC around orc hatred.

Regional languages are free.

Half-orc, too, so hopefully nobody builds their PC around orc hatred.

Speaking of which- any chance you'd let me use the half-orc favored class bonus from the Inquisitor (+1/2 level to Intimidate checks) on the Arcane Duelist Bard instead, DM?

Thanks, DM.

Half-orc, too, so hopefully nobody builds their PC around orc hatred.

Uh oh... haha, nah, it's cool. My favored enemy is orc (due to the campaign trait, and also I figure if we're in the middle of a mystery, we're not too likely to run into giants right off), but half-orcs get a pass. Not their fault one parent is a bloodthirsty, raving, foaming-at-the-mouth monster. ;)

Once you have an alias, please dot in the Gameplay thread.

Speaking of which- any chance you'd let me use the half-orc favored class bonus from the Inquisitor (+1/2 level to Intimidate checks) on the Arcane Duelist Bard instead, DM?

Sure--that fits well with the archetype. Same with the bonus to IDing monsters, too.

I think I'm leaning towards playing a witch. I've got a pretty good idea about most of the backstory, just working out details.

So far the party is:
PbemDM - half-orc warpriest
karlprosek - half-orc arcane duelist bard
Kamaloo - dwarf (?) ranger
Count Buggula - witch
Kiradia - ??

Looks like a skill monkey would be a good fit, Kiradia. If you're not feeling that, though, I can always jigger things a bit on my end.

Hey everyone, I've been fighting off a cold since last Sunday. Barely been awake the last few days but I'm hoping I'll be better soon!

Hey guys, just a FYI: yesterday the net stopped working, and today I'm going to be AFK most of the day - catch you tomorrow.

My character will be a Kellid, though.

Revised:

So far the party is:
PbemDM - half-orc warpriest
karlprosek - half-orc arcane duelist bard
Kamaloo - Kellid ranger
Count Buggula - witch
Kiradia - ??

Get better soon, Kiradia!

Should have my profile up soon - sorry for the delay.

I almost forgot--max HP at first level, then roll (half dice + half). That is, if you're a d8 class you roll d4+4, etc.

Sorry if I missed this - do we roll for starting money, take average, take max...?

Sorry for the delay - been a busy weekend. Still working on details, hopefully will have something final soon.

I'm pretty much done except for equipment. Any answer on the starting cash, DM Carbide?

I went with max, so I hope that's the answer.

I also had a busy weekend, picking up sticks and clearing weed trees. Sure, go with maximum starting gold.

-Posted with Wayfinder

I bought a machete to chop down the sapling-sized weeds in my (very) overgrown garden a couple of weekends ago. Good times.

Ho! Svarog is finished, and awaits your word to begin!

Sorry - last minute tweak of the character. Same basic design, but a dwarf now. Dwarf fit the concept I was going for better than Half-orc.

Alright! I'm feeling a lot better now, good enough to present...

I'll create a backstory tomorrow. :)

Excellent! Roster is:

PbemDM - The Stone Fist, dwarf warpriest; campaign trait unknown
karlprosek - Jarrek Everstand, half-orc arcane duelist bard; campaign trait unknown
Kamaloo - Svarog Sky-Tamer, Kellid human ranger; dwarf-trained
Count Buggula - ??, witch; campaign trait unknown
Kiradia - human alchemist; Trunau native

Once I have some backstory info from the Count and Kiradia, and campaign traits from those of you who are missing them as yet, I'll get this rolling.

Jarrek's campaign trait is Giantslayer Scion. He needs to be able to Intimidate giants without a penalty.

Since he's half-Kellid I'm going to say mama is a spear maiden back home (Castle Everstand), Birgit One-Eye, the Ogreslayer, and told him stories about how his ancestors are famous giant killers from up in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords.

Got it now--didn't look under the Feats spoiler.

ETA:
PbemDM - The Stone Fist, dwarf warpriest; campaign trait unknown
karlprosek - Jarrek Everstand, half-orc arcane duelist bard; giantslayer scion
Kamaloo - Svarog Sky-Tamer, Kellid human ranger; dwarf-trained
Count Buggula - ??, witch; campaign trait unknown
Kiradia - human alchemist; Trunau native

I'm taking Roll With It as my campaign trait. I'll fill in my profile ASAP.

Halfling Witch. Vexing Defender campaign trait. Slightly annoyed that the Giantslayer player's guide hasn't been added to PCgen yet.

Sorry about the delay. It's been a really crazy week. Yesterday I was the victim of a hit-and-run and have been trying to catch up on work. Hope to get the rest of my backstory written up shortly - it's pretty much solid in my head, at least.

Good grief! Hope you're OK.