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Lords, ladies, and worthless peasantry, it is with great honor and gravitas that I announce, that I, DM_Scholar, will be running a campaign on this most worthy of boards.
I'll be making use of the popular pregenerated adventure, Kingmaker! But, though it strains credulity, even more rad. Because in this campaign, as opposed from most others, you are welcome to play whatever the hell you want! Have books left over from the third edition of the world's most popular RPG? You're welcome to use them. A fan of the Spheres of Power system, or Dreamscarred's Psionics? You're welcome to use those too. Have something else in mind? Run it by me first, but the likely answer is, "Why not?"
However! Using nothing but core Pathfinder rules, it is possible to create a character that can overwhelm encounters of CR +5, or higher! With all the additional material, much of which I have never read, I'm sure you could slaughter a Tarrasque at level two. This is not acceptable! If I wanted to put the effort into creating encounters specifically to challenge your PC, I'd be running a homebrew, not an adventure path. So while I won't impose (many) limits, I ask that you limit yourselves! By that same vein, if you've always wanted to play a fighter who took the feat "fleet" 10 times and has an 80 foot movespeed in full plate- this is your game! No one else will be terribly optimized either. Or if you're in love with the feel of the new shifter class . . . at least it isn't a soulknife. It's important to keep perspective!
Does this sound fun? Wonderful! But all good things come to an end. If nothing else, eventually the universe will become uniform in temperature and composition! While this is not my first time DMing, and, indeed, not even my first time DMing a play by post, I have no interest in biting off more than I can chew and disappointing the players! For this reason, I will be running the first book of the Kingmaker AP before the others! I imagine most people do! But in this case the first book will likely be the end of the campaign! I'll decide when I get there! This might not be a good game to play a mystic theurge!
Houserules! There are a lot of them, so they're in spoilers! But if you don't like them, don't use them! Most of them are buffs though, or at least increase your versatility! So I don't know why you wouldn't like them! Unless you don't like having fun!
Recruitment! The most important factor to your recruitment is your character. Is your character rad? If so, you're in! Unless someone else's character is more rad, or they have a lot of the other factors. The second factor is, are you currently in a campaign? If you aren't in a campaign, than that is just too sad and we should fix it! The third factor is, have you played in a campaign? Experienced players are more likely to get in! Even if that campaign was Kingmaker, I'm confident you can keep out of game knowledge separate! Unless you can't. In that case, don't apply! The fourth factor is, have you GMed a campaign on Paizo? If it was long and prosperous, I'll be wanting your advice! And the last factor is, do I know you personally? This factor is actually the most important one! There's slots in the party are already taken! They're a control mage, and a Flesh-Eating berserker, respectively!
I think that's all I have to say! And I'm just about out of exclamation marks! All out now. :( I'll have to ration them in the future.
I'll give you fifteen race points to build a centaur with, and then after that you can tack on whatever flavorful abilities you think you need. Unless you had a different ideas or already had a race built, in which case run it by me.
For starting wealth, take average for your class or roll, whichever you prefer.
Huh, I've been wanting to try Kingmaker again. I've tried it in the past but it always went pearshaped.
I am in (quite a few) Campaigns and run a couple myself. The longest running one, Broken Towers had its first post in November 2014. In that time we've only lost one player of the original six, I am very proud to say.
Would you allow Fat Goblin Games Pyromancer? I can share a copy with you via private message if haven't read it, but its effectively a fire based Sorcerer with some tweeks. They can even reduce some of the defences against fire, although obviously it's still gonna suck to run into things immune to flame. It can even do some healing and such with an Archetype.
Hmm... interesting. :)
What would you think about ye old 3.0 Eidolon from Ghostwalk? I always wanted to try it out. Back in the day, I had a character come back from the dead as a ghost PC, but, alas, the campaign ended right after. I'm interested in seeing if it is somewhat balanced or not. I am fine with on-the-fly nerfing of anything that is out of control. I'm mostly interested in it as an experiment rather than going for anything that might be powerful.
Also, probably having this area work like the Manifest Ward and make him fully manifested would probably work best to make it more manageable. ("Hi! I'm incorporeal, so you can't hurt me! But I also can't do much of anything but watch you and my teammates fight each other!" *waves uselessly*)
In fact, I'm tempted to recreate that PC who was an air genasi (would now be a slyph). If you have a preliminary ok or even maybe, I can stat up the details to give you an idea of what he'd be like to give an idea of the first couple levels or so.
As for other questions:
2) I am currently in a couple campaigns, so I'm fine being less priority than someone looking for one.
3) I have played in several campaigns, some of which actually lasted! (Although occasionally by me taking over as GM.)
4) Which means, yes, I am currently GMing PbP here on Paizo, but I'm still new to it and only by taking over campaigns where the original GM vanished. So I don't know how much advice I have yet, but I can try. At the very least, I can commiserate with you. *shrug*
5) And, nope, don't know ya.
@JonGarrett could you PM that to me?
@Ken Marable as long as you're corporeal, consider this my preliminary most probably. PM me with your conversions.
Ok, I am going to ask about this ahead of time before putting in the work. Can I get the same 15 race points to build an Ogerkin? Going barbarian into warhulk into hulking hurler for build. Also, vow of poverty? Notice, the whole build is so I can basically build a dummy strong hillbilly farmer that happens to be able to throw a wagon at the odd dragon or such. Way less optimized than a control mage.
This is gonna get really wacky, really fast.
I have a centaur cavalier that I've been wanting to play. For Kingmaker the character could easily be a member of the Nomen centaur tribes (that show up partway through the AP) who is looking to make some kind of peaceful connection with the human settlers that have been slowly encroaching on the southern forests and plains.
Hulaois, centaur charger (Needs updating based on your guidelines above)
Starting wealth?
I don't think that I know you personally. I do run games here on the boards, including one KM game.
Huh. I was thinking about running a centaur soon in a game too! But in this instance, so many options. I'll have to think about this for a while and actually find what I really really want to play.
Color me very interested!
Would you allow Draconic Exemplar class for the Taninim race?
Hi DM_Scholar. I don't believe we have played in any PbPs here, though with all the aliases swirling about it can be tricky to tell.
I've played in quite a few PbPs, one for at least two years. I'm not much of an optimiser, and prefer to create an interesting character that can bounce off the other characters and interact with the environment. If that means ripping creatures heads off, then so be it.
A couple of questions:
Do you envisage running the rest of the AP if you are still enjoying the experience upon concluding the first adventure?
How will you run combat?
I want to play a Woodborn that is a
Savage from the forest. Is this close at all to the flesh-eating berserker character in the party thematically? Or, mechanically? If so to either, is that too much doubling up and thus should I submit a different fave concept?
The idea is to have a "voice/ambassador of the forest" to provide a balance and foil to more humanoid desires to create Kingdoms and borders that overstep and threaten where natural systems and ecotones already are extant. And to maybe learn a little bit about how humanoids think, feel and love.
How about a Spheres of Might Technician who may or may not be Nikola Tesla?
Edit: Better yet, the misbegotten son of Tesla who was written out of reality by a disappointed father’s experiments and now masquerades as ‘The Great Wizard Tekla’ on Golarion.
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Color me very interested!
Would you allow Draconic Exemplar class for the Taninim race?
This is the first thing that occurred to me, too. :D
I've actually toyed around with the idea of an all-dragon Kingmaker game using the Taninim...
This... sounds awesome. The tone of this game alone makes me want to apply. The only question now is what on Golarion I would want to make.
Perhaps a blaster caster? Suboptimal, to be sure, but all the things I could do with it....
Or a shifter, hmmm.... could be a great chance to try out an awesome class (the SoP one, mind.)
So many options. I’ll need to figure out 3rd party stuff as well, and I haven even started brainstorming characters yet.
I’ll have more questions for sure. How long is recruitment open?
Crunch is about done. Fluff will be up soon.
Race: Taninim
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/3rd-party-races/rite-publishing/dragon-tanini m
Class: Draconic Exemplar
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/3rd-party-classes/rite-publishing/draconic- exemplar/
Can I get the same 15 race points to build an Ogerkin? Going barbarian into warhulk into hulking hurler for build.
Sure! I'm going to open that up to everyone: if there isn't a race that fits your character concept, build one.
That said, one of two people (in a party of six, ideally) who is already pre-accepted is a barbarian. I'm worried that you might step on each others toes . . . when two people do more or less the same thing, one of them will be better at it. But then, you're planning to be a ranged character eventually, so I suppose it all comes down to how well you write your backstory and such.
Would you allow a kickass dragon in your campaign?
Yes. Yes I would.
Do you envisage running the rest of the AP if you are still enjoying the experience upon concluding the first adventure? How will you run combat? I want to play a Woodborn that is a Savage from the forest. Is this close at all to the flesh-eating berserker character in the party thematically? Or, mechanically? If so to either, is that too much doubling up and thus should I submit a different fave concept?
I do envisage running the rest of the AP! In fact, I plan on it. But I don't want anyone else to plan on it, just in case I don't. I'd rather pleasantly surprise than painfully disappoint. If the game doesn't already have a map drawn up, then I plan to run combat in a theater-of-the-mind style. If it does have a map then I'll paste it on a google doc and link everyone to it so they can add their characters and move them around. I'll be rolling initiative, just to speed things up. Any other questions about combat? As for the last inquiry, I wouldn't say that it is too close to the barbarian mechanically or thematically, but it is fairly close in both. That and, there are a lot of people competing for relatively few spots as a melee meatshield. I'd say if you have a strong preference for playing your Savage over playing a different character, stay with it, but if you have a weak preference for the Savage than you'd more likely to get in with a different character.
How about a Spheres of Might Technician who may or may not be Nikola Tesla?
Probably something I should have mentioned in the OP, but I prefer medieval sword and sorcery style classes. Prefer, but don't require. If you can write up a good reason for being in the stolen lands, then I'm cool with most anything.
How long is recruitment open?
I'm thinking probably until the ninth of this month. I say probably because I might close it earlier, if I come across four applicants that I really, really like, to keep other people from getting their hopes up for nought. If I decide to do this, though, I'll give everyone at least two days warning.
I probably should have linked everyone to the players guide in the OP. Remedied! I'm thinking, everyone gets a campaign trait, and if you want another trait you can take a flaw. (It's my experience that most people turn to traits for another piddly bonus to combat, but if you really like the flavor of one, I'm sure you'll be willing to take a flaw.) But, since I do like the traits that give you skills as class skills, I'm just going to let everyone pick two skills and make them class skills. And since I love skills so much (and this is something I forgot to put in the "skills" houserule spoiler) everyone with 2+ INT skills who doesn't cast with INT can increase it to 4+ INT, if they want. Not sure why you wouldn't want, tho.
Due to above post now have 2 Traits (1 campaign) and 1 Drawback. Picked pride, as it felt like something a taninim would have.
Iorskan stood along with the gathered farmers, staring down the raiders who had come down to pillage the farms. The stolen lands were a brutal place, made all the worse by these ‘man-made-disasters.’
”We are here for the taxes. Where are they?”
Every year it was the same. The Bandits came down to the farms, took enough ‘taxes’ to keep them fed through the winter, and in return let the farmers live. It was what the bandits called a ‘mutually beneficial relationship.’
The bravest of the farmers stood forward, trying his best to not look scared. ”No! Not this year. We...we are warning you!”
The bandits broke into laughter at this. The villagers shuffled nervously. Their leader shouted over the laughter ”We will unleash the beast!”
”What? You got some dogs?” The bandit chief pulled his sword out. ”If we have to eat dog meat, then we’re going to have to raise your taxes to make up for it.”
Hearing this Iorskan growled angrily. Beast?! Beast?! How dare they? He thought as he slapped his tail on the ground.
The villagers started backing up, away from both the bandits and Iorskan. As they shuffled back, the gold-taninim was revealed. Iorskan puffed and a little cloud of smoke came out.
”That...that...that’s a dragon!” The bandits stared with incredulity at the diminutive creature. Then their leader shouted ”Double, no, triple share to whomever gets me that dragon!” The bandits surged forward, eager hands out as they raced each other.
The little dragon leapt forward, his scales glowing with unrestrained heat. His maw closed in onto a man’s leg. Bone snapped and flesh singed. The man screamed as he died, an artery well and truly ravaged. Another man didn’t get back in time, and a wild swipe of a claw caught his thigh, singing flesh and leather.
The bandits, surprised, started pulling out swords and axes. And that is when the farmers charged, their morale buoyed by their ‘beast.’ The bandits had only ever bullied the farmers because of individual fear defeating the mob bravery. Now, with an external force bringing the villagers together, the bandits had a fight they didn’t know if they could win. So...they fled. It started with the injured man, then spread to the others. The battle was over before it could even be called one.
As they left the farmers cheered. But he could already hear their voices starting to change. For looking up, he could see them looking at him. And he wondered how long until they looked at him the way the bandit leader had. For Ioskan had been born into captivity, sold from one noble to another in Brevoy. Seen as a pet, a fashion symbol, a slave...
And this was why he was in the Stolen Lands. For it was the only place he could vanish into. He wandered from place to place, always looking for the next meal. He was certain that he would eat well tonight. It was galling to have the villagers see him as their ‘beast’, but he did not want to deign to talk to them. It was beneath his dignity. Or at least, that is what he told himself.
What he wanted, more than anything else, was to be treated with the respect that he deserved. To be free from the fear of being sold back into the life that he was born into. That...and gold. He wanted gold, for it was in his blood. And, if he was honest with himself, he wanted companionship. It was why he kept coming to the isolated farms and villages, because the danger of being near men outweighed the madness of isolation.
That sounds great to me! A lot of the traits I take are to get a class skill or skill bonus, so I’m happy with those rules. Working on my details this afternoon.
I was in a Kingmaker game that fizzled ...I played a sword saint Samurai ronin Obitu. A seven foot tall seeming skeleton who doesn't get why no one gets his jokes. I'd love to play him again.
Hmmm... given that there's already a Taninim submission, maybe I'll go for something else... maybe a kitsune of some sort building up to be a Kyubi Paragon.
Hmmm... given that there's already a Taninim submission, maybe I'll go for something else... maybe a kitsune of some sort building up to be a Kyubi Paragon.
Or make another one. No guarantee I’ll get in. And if we both get it...well...two dragons!
@Digger Chandler Obitu sounds fun! Might want to put some ranks in disguise, though.
@Almonihah I don't own the kitsune book; it'd be great if you could PM me with the relevant details. You're probably right about not going Taninim; I'm unlikely to accept two dragons so submitting another to me just lowers the odds for both players.
Thanks for your open and honest answers DM_Scholar.
Plus, reading that someone throwing wagons at people is a ranged character put a big smile on my face.
Just realized that I’ve got the only submission so far...
Really looking forward to the crunch and fluff from the rest of you.
I'm unlikely to accept two dragons so submitting another to me just lowers the odds for both players.
Welp, back to the drawing board. Had work today.
Why back to the drawing board? I was fond of your dragon. I just thought that having two in one campaign would detract from the unique feel of both.
Why back to the drawing board? I was fond of your dragon. I just thought that having two in one campaign would detract from the unique feel of both.
Apologies for the confusion. I was the first to ask about the class/race, then Almonihah expressed interest in the concept, then Iorskan (Grumbaki) posted a partial build.
You told Almonihah that you were unlikely to accept two dragons, so three dragons would be right out, to paraphrase Monty Python. I could not work on a character sheet after your approval due to IRL work.
Do we have any alignment restrictions?
My apologies, I didn’t check previous submissions. Tanner can have first call on any dragon build.
Though...and I’m just saying...
5-6 dragons. All VMC with different classes. All with different ‘build paths.’ It’d make for an epic kingmaker campaign. ;)
@Tanner - seeing as you asked about that Race AND Class, I assumed Iorskan was yours.
@DM_Scholar - are you familiar with the Seer Base Class from the Thunderscape Campaign setting Or the Synergist from Liber Influxus Communis?
I plan on playing Guthruc the canabalistic orc. He's a flesh eater true primitive barbarian.
@Grumbaki - very nice story - I really liked the intro piece and the combat was a nice addition. I was ready to submit a character to be Iorskan's humanoid friend/guide in the humanoid world...
Ah, my bad. No need to apologize for the confusion, I wouldn't have been confused if I had the common sense to click on the alias.
The only alignment restriction is you have to pay nice with the party and only break laws on the down low. I've seen plenty of evil characters who were considerate of their fellow players, and plenty of "good" characters who weren't.
My apologies, I didn’t check previous submissions. Tanner can have first call on any dragon build.
Though...and I’m just saying...
5-6 dragons. All VMC with different classes. All with different ‘build paths.’ It’d make for an epic kingmaker campaign. ;)
I still have the Council of Wyrms box set in my library. :)
Please go ahead and submit your dragon. I only asked about a concept. I did not have anything built.
Wow. Lots of people posted at once.
I'd like to introduce you all to Arcane Clockwork, he's playing the berserker mentioned in the OP.
If your dragons are unique enough, and different enough from each other in build and tactics, I've no problem with more than one.
I wouldn't have been confused if I had the common sense to click on the alias.
Huh. Wish I had that excuse. I can't hover over aliases to find their user on my phone, but I even clicked on Iorskan to check the build, and STILL didn't notice!
@Tanner: A nice gesture.
Yep. I'm moving away from my Savage but still thinking Woodborn Seer or Synergist if you allow. If you don't own either of those PDFs I can PM you the class chassis when I get to a computer or if I can manage it on my phone...
Don't have those books, PM me the relevant parts.
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@GM- I have to ask, is the Rite Publishing's Luckbringer class allowed? It's for my favorite character I never get to play; an Amnesiac ex- cleric of Desna who was punished by the Desna for leading a heretical revolt insinuating that Luck was supposed to be made, not given. It's not an overpowered class by any means, and Abaos is most definely not an optimized character- but it would be really fun to play him again. Let me know and I'll get the full backstory up right away. Thank you for the consideration!
@Grumbaki - very nice story - I really liked the intro piece and the combat was a nice addition. I was ready to submit a character to be Iorskan's humanoid friend/guide in the humanoid world...
That is very kind of you. :)
And I’m always happy to do collaborative fluff.
My build path was going to be...
Regal Alignment: lawful good; Energy: fire; Breath Weapon: cone (1d6); Dragon Type: gold. Compulsion: the draconic exemplar must make a Will save to take actions he thinks are demeaning or embarrassing.
Feats:
Lvl 1: Improved Natural Armor
Lvl 3: Iron Will
Lvl 5: Lightning Reflexes
Lvl 7: Improved Initiative
Lvl 9+: Not sure yet
Draconic Weaponry:
Lvl 1: Elemental Aura
Lvl 7: Breath Weapon
Lvl 13: Roar
Lvl 19: Behometh
Draconic Gift: (may change order)
Lvl 3: Elemental Mastery (fire)
Lvl 6: Imbued Spirit (+2 Cha)
Lvl 9: +2 Wis
Lvl 12: +2 Int
Lvl 15: Scent
Lvl 18: Overland Flight
As you can see...Martial focused. Nothing magical, even though there are plenty of options.
What were you thinking?
Super interested in this!! Sounds exciting and different!
Thinking maybe a fae touched race(possibly custom) Druid.
Edit: Though the idea of an all dragon party does of course appeal to me mightily as well!!
I have to ask, is the Rite Publishing's Luckbringer class allowed?
I've always been a luckbringer fan! (Though I've never actually seen one in a campaign.) And this campaign is precisely the one you've been looking for, one to play your favorite character you never get to play. My only regret is that I can only take four players. :(
Edit: Though the idea of an all dragon party does of course appeal to me mightily as well!!
Less so to me. (Though I hate to rain on the parade.) Besides, the pre-accepted players aren't playing dragons- I'm not sure I like the idea of a party where draconic PCs are the majority but not the totality.
Firearms? Yes? No? Level of prevalence?
Firearms are only a thing if one of your PCs has one. (Paizo didn't have rules for them when they wrote Kingmaker.) I'd peg it at Early firearms.
How about a Ponykind necromancer, transitioning into the Souldrinker prestige class?
How about a Ponykind necromancer, transitioning into the Souldrinker prestige class?
xD
My problem with the "ponykind" is that it turns any campaign with one into a gag campaign. I'm fine if you want to play a comedic-relief style character, but something like that seems too silly to exist in the same world as heroic PCs who take themselves seriously.
How about a Ponykind necromancer, transitioning into the Souldrinker prestige class?xD
My problem with the "ponykind" is that it turns any campaign with one into a gag campaign. I'm fine if you want to play a comedic-relief style character, but something like that seems too silly to exist in the same world as heroic PCs who take themselves seriously.
I was thinking of a serious character, but I can see how it would strain credulity. I will keep looking. :)
Alright, a bit of brainstorming to expand on my character concept...
The Great Wizard Kos Tekla (totally not a charlatan) will be aiding the party, mostly because you have to have a wizard in this sort of thing. He speaks about arcane mathematics and physical forces well beyond mortal knowing. He heats water without flame and can make lightning dance. If all else fails, he's got a pretty fancy crossbow he's a deft hand with.