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Or you can do what I'm doing on Kosmar, and hop around in the various Spheres to pick up things that match your fluff.
Ordre des Repas Exotiques
Alignment: Any
Symbol: A pair of chef’s knives, crossed over a campfire
Disciplines: A Chef of the Ordre des Repas Exotiques may trade access to one martial discipline of their choice for access to the Steel Serpent discipline.
Oath: Joining the Ordre des Repas Exotiques is deceptively simple. A potential recruit is asked to prove their courage by hunting a mighty beast or monster, and then prove the worth of their art by cooking it. Fail to slay the beast, or please the Chefs, and the recruit is told to try again next year. Those whose dish passes muster are asked to swear the following oath to their fellow Chefs.“I swear to be a true and faithful artist - to never compromise my vision because of petty traditions or banalities, and to accept and learn from the mistakes I place on the plate. I will not waste the beasts I hunt, nor tarnish the names of my fellow Chefs without just cause, and may my faithless tongue choke my unworthy throat if I am false.”
Allegiance Benefit: In addition to access to the Steel Serpent discipline (exchanging a discipline of their choice), a Chef of the Ordre des Repas Exotiques benefits from a +2 insight bonus on Knowledge checks made to identify creatures and can make such checks untrained. Additionally, the Chef is immune to the effects of ingested poisons and cannot contract diseases by eating or drinking tainted faire (she may still contract diseases in other ways).
A Chef that violates her oath (such as by falsely slandering one of her fellows in the Ordre) loses her insight bonus to Knowledge checks, as well as her immunity to ingested poisons and diseases. She may atone by hosting a grand feast worth (character level x 500) gp for her fellow Chefs, or by hunting and cooking a creature with a CR equal to or greater than her character level.
Description: The warrior-chefs of the Ordre des Repas Exotiques consider themselves artists without peer. Ambition drives them to seek out legendary monsters and otherworldly horrors as tests of their might, and to prepare such beasts as culinary delights not known in this world or any other. Each challenges her peers to outdo their latest accomplishment, and together they spread through the world looking to immortalize their name on a plate.
The Chefs of the Ordre des Repas Exotiques work with a fervor that borders on insanity. Each looks to push the limits of cooking into new and exciting places, and to push their own personal limits against tougher challenges, mightier foes, and deadlier hunts. They join forces with adventuring parties to hone their craft and to experiment with their dishes with a live audience, and to immortalize their names as warriors. Some members are recruited as apprentice chefs (or warriors) with potential, while others are invited in recognition of their skills, but all are selected for their artistic drive.
Surprising many who hear of them, the Chefs of the Ordre des Repas Exotiques tend to approach their battles like assassins or hunters, because a quick, clean kill leaves more of the monster (be it flesh, vegetable, or something stranger) to be used in cooking. This is also the reason they have learned to favor the Steel Serpent discipline; its psuedo-poisons do not taint the meat, but provide a quick, painless kill that is merciful to the beast. It is a grave sin against the laws of the Ordre des Repas Exotiques to let a kill go to waste, and all parts of their enemies are used either in cooking or to, in some way, better the world. Indeed, it is common practice for a fallen Chef that cannot be resurrected to be buried with a fruit tree planted in their body so that they might continue to feed the world. As cooks and hosts themselves, most Chefs have a keen respect for the laws of hospitality and are quick to step up and defend their hosts, or guests, from attack or dishonor.
As may be expected, the Ordre des Repas Exotiques has a dark reputation amongst sapient monsters. While some of its Chefs would never consume a sapient being, many disagree; even good-aligned chefs might cook a naga they have slain, either to honor its valor or so that its death does not entail senseless waste. Conflicts between the Chefs of the Ordre and such monsters can be especially desperate and savage, and there is little love lost between either side. Curiously, monsters already in the habit of consuming sapient beings - such as dragons - are more sanguine about the entire affair, and are less concerned with the potential fate of their corpse. The Chefs, after all, will not defile it with undeath or other atrocities.
Common Tasks: The Ordre des Repas Exotiques may rope its Chefs into helping prepare a grand feast, agree to slay a mighty monster, or retrieve a legendary (or even magical) recipe. Additionally, a Chef may be asked to gather exotic ingredients for allied alchemists, or to test a new formula in the field. These tests do not always end well.
Available Services: The Ordre des Repas Exotiques maintains relations with cutting-edge suppliers of weapons, and equipment around. Because its members are nomadic, they often do not have their own kitchens, and the Ordre des Repas Exotiques maintains ties with inns, restaurants, and houses of hospitality the world over in order to secure facilities for its members. Thanks to advantageous contacts and lucky recruitments, a Chef can also seek advice from world-class monster hunters and alchemists, many of whom will offer discounts to the warrior-chefs.
Having him serve as the cook is a suitably demeaning task the mercenaries could have stuck him with as a child, but he soon learned to love it. I'd likely change his Profession skill to "Cook" or "Chef", and add some more to his background if it's okay with you that I use this.
Besides, you always need a cook when you go off-world! :)
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The original PoW. I'm intending to swap it out for Primal Fury. I intended to only really dip into either discipline, but I love the fluff of the martial tradition and it helps make Kosmar more than just BIG MEAN MERCENARY BASHES HEADS! Gives him a little bit more character. :)
Well, I've had a look at the vigilante class and I must say I'm decidedly underwhelmed. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised in playtest, but it seems to me that the Avenger is a second rate version of the Ranger, the stalker is a second rate version of the Rogue or Ninja and the Warlock is a second rate version of the Investigator. Haven't really looked at the Zealot, but I would guess it's a second rate version of the Inquisitor.
Anyone got any thoughts on what makes this class rock?
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Nah, I'm pretty sure it's safe to write Vigilante off as a lost cause. The whole Social Identity should be a feat chain/VMC at the absolute most.
The problem is mostly that all the classes you listed can be very effective at social encounters already, except maybe the Ranger because he's generally more focused on other things. Though I guess you can argue that a lot of classes that specialize in certain things (Ranger Favored Enemy, for example) will have limited use when we're hopping all over the universe.
There's an interest check for a Gestalt variation with the vigilante that could be good.
Honestly my whole problem with the class is that it's a concept that's best handled by a combination of items and skill checks. I'd hate to invest permanent character options into secret identities.
Ten more days. Must resist urge to make more submissions. Have an idea for a paralyzed summoner (synthesist)/alchemist who is a follower of Irori trying to perfect themselves through magic and technology. Their eidolon suit would be flavored as like summoned cybernetic bits that made them able to move and function while present. Merr....
Ten days. Well, I'll probably pull together all the bits I've done and give it a final polish in about a week.
BTW, the comments I made about the Vigilante class weren't meant for this thread, there is another where the GM is proposing a vigilante gestalt campaign (adventurers in tights is the phrase that was coined), and I meant it for that.
The more I look at it, though, the more I think it needs something; a gimmick like the Magus's spell combat or the warpriests fervour (or swashbucklers precise strike, inquisitors judgements, etc). tried making an avenger, but I can see that he is just going to look like an unarmoured fighter with more skills, no armor training, and no weapon training. The skills are simply not a good trade, and anyway I don't want him to be a wannabe fighter. I want him to be differently alternative to a fighter.
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I misread part of a discussion I had with Rednal, so I've rebuilt Kosmar the Dark Champion as a Symbiat/Zweihander Sentinel Warder.
Yes, I fully intend to throw the spiked chain at things like some kind of weird chain-helicopter-boomerang with Throwing Shell. No, I don't care how ridiculous that would look. It'll be awesome.
This is Johnnycat again with my secondary submission: Witch/Alchemist.
Feedback is appreciated if anyone has it.
Mmmm. Player's guide. Yay! :)
I present Sotharal version 2.0. The key changes are
--Key points in her story include trying and failing as a cleric, and accepting what her unknown patron says as true. To better reflect these points, I have lowered her wisdom from 10 to 9 (including racial adjustment). Her dexterity moved up from 10 to 12 to keep it at 25 point buy.
--Her Zweihander Training and Armament Shield class features (allowing the use of her axe as a shield) are now a family tradition, taught to Sotharal by her uncle.
--Sotharal's relationship to her patron has been updated and clarified based on previous comments.
While not reflected in my profile currently, I am considering altering her patron to either Ancestors or Light. If I change it to ancestors, then in her backstory when she is attacked by shadows, she would momentarily see an outline of a spirit dwarf destroying the shadows, while if I changed it to light, the shadows would be destroyed in a blinding flash of light (obviously). Aside from the minor visual change in that one scene, her patron source is not something Sotharal would be aware of at the beginning of the campaign. However, it may affect how she develops down the road, and could meaningfully change the 'tone' of the whole witch/patron relationship.
What are your thoughts, GM Rednal?
Yea, I initially planned her story with a shadow patron in mind, and wrote around that.
I am sort of considering changing it to a light patron, which would require relatively small changes to her backstory. However, such a change would require scrapping pretty much all my ideas on further development.
I suppose I could make two sort-of-similar submissions, one a warder/witch with a shadow patron, and one a warder/witch with a light patron, with somewhat similar backstories...but if I were to make two submissions, I'd want them to be really different from each other.
Ultimately I think I'll stick with keeping Sotharal the way she is now: with a shadow patron.
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Both the CG and CN deities appear to have trickery in their portfolios, and Kosmar is pretty much anything but that kind of Chaotic. I'm not sure any of the ones on this list even really speak to his character and beliefs, at all. I will wait until we get a little more info on them before I decide if I want to switch from Gorum or not.
It's not clear from what they've posted whether Golarion-natives would have heard of these gods prior to the adventure starting.
In my case, Sotharal's family has a long tradition as followers of Torag, and I doubt she would be willing to give up such a following easily. Of course there is no reason she couldn't pay reverence to another god in addition to Torag. Just from the information in the kickstarter update, Alrenjae, Idniskow, and to a lesser extent Haymot Steel-Arm appear to fit her.
I'll have to wait until I see the player's guide/other further information.
Arialora is pretty atheistic/agnostic. I mean, she believes in the gods. She just doesn't consider them any different from any other form of sentient life, or worthy of worship. She sees them more like really powerful bullies or megalomaniacs or something.
Cha'Tima is aware of the gods, but he only really reveres the spirits of his ancestors, plus others.
Rajni is aware of gods, but does not revere one in particular. He would have no qualms serving one that held tenets such as the pursuit of personal growth and betterment in high esteem, but he does not seek to live his life as a servant to or tool of a god.
Sotharal would have been a cleric if she were able to. I guess that means we'd have decent contrast in a group together (not that I expect to get in XD).
Uuuuh...I've been going back and forth on joining this recruitment or not for the past two weeks. <.<
A voice in the back of my head keep saying that I don't have time to write something decent now, but it got recently muffled by the one shouting SPAAAAAAACE.
So, if it's not too late because we're so close to the deadline, I'd like to throw my hat into the ring.
I was thinking about a Drunken Master Sensei Monk//Vitalist: I've never played Psionics before, and I'd like to try! ^^
I have a question about Gestalt, though: I know how it works, but is it possible to dip a couple of levels, or is multiclass not allowed when using it?
I'll try to write something up by this afternoon!
PS: Is the prelude Adventure being written by Neil Spicer? Prepare backup characters, folks. :P
You can multiclass in gestalt though I'd recommend against it as that makes characters very confusing after a bit.
As for gods I doubt I'll see Penance making any changes of faith unless a god directly got involved in some way.
I'll consider if I'll multiclass or not, then: I really wanted to try the Sensei+Ninja combo that lets you grant Ninja Ki tricks to allies, but I think I'll have already enough problems with doing my first psionic character, first gestalt, and not using Herolab this time. <.<
*Check ShadowChemosh*
That resolves a lot of my problems. :P
If I understand right, the problem with Multiclassing and Gestalt is that, because you pick the better BAB and Save progression each level, the order in which you take the multiclass matters, right?
With two 3/4 BAB classes I could either end up having the normal BAB, or I could get it a little higher if I delay one of the two classes by a level and retake it in a later level where the other class doesn't take a BAB increase, correct?
*Check ShadowChemosh*
That resolves a lot of my problems. :PIf I understand right, the problem with Multiclassing and Gestalt is that, because you pick the better BAB and Save progression each level, the order in which you take the multiclass matters, right?
With two 3/4 BAB classes I could either end up having the normal BAB, or I could get it a little higher if I delay one of the two classes by a level and retake it in a later level where the other class doesn't take a BAB increase, correct?
No. This is a common fallacy; you don't calculate BAB on a level-by level basis but by a grand total basis; one side has a BAB total of 3/4 BAB, the other has 1 level something else plus the rest 3/4 BAB: You take the highest. Depending on what the 1 level was, it can make little or no difference.
e.g. you choose Magus 13//Fighter1/Investigator 12. The Magus side gives Bab +9; The Fighter/Investigator side gets +10Bab; you get +10Bab.
If you'd taken a level of Wizard instead of Fighter; both sides would be +9Bab (though at level 14, one side goes to +10 while the other remains at +9). The order the classes are taken in doesn't matter, your total is still the same.
In fact the only difference class order makes is for HP because they are Max at 1st level (oh, and getting prerequisites for Feats based on class features).
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That's actually not true, Gav, at least not entirely. It's generally up to the GM, so Rednal gets the final say on it. He may agree with you, but a different GM might not. The actual gestalt rules don't actually have anything to say about that, which is why this question is still coming up.
I do, of course, still suggest against multiclassing in gestalt, but Kosmar is the only character I have any control over. ;)
Well, yes it's up to the GM, but if you use that method you can end up with 2 1/2 BaB Gestalts creating a full Bab Character (as long as they take a level of something else), which is nonsense. I don't know of a GM that would support that.
You could also get a sneak attack of a number of dice equal to your level. Nonsense. I'm sure there are other shenanigans that people can think of.
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Honestly, if you're willing to jump through the hoops for it, I don't think it'd particularly matter. You'd end up losing a bunch of caster levels anyway, which are significantly more valuable than BAB.
Sneak Attack and other class features like that specifically don't stack, though. You take the better progression.
Also, is it Friday/Saturday yet? I'm so excited for us to be able to put in our final notice. :D
I had settled for a simple Monk/Vitalist, no multiclass, but...
I think I'll have to bow out, as much as I don't want to. :(
I've been trying to write a backstory for the last couple of days, but I couldn't write anything that really satisfied me. This was also the last day I had to write something, as I'll be a little busy the next days, so I don't have enough time to write out a decent background that satisfies me. :/
Happy gaming all, and have fun! This AP looks like it's going to be super cool!
So I think I am narrowed down to two character concepts:
Warder//Blade Adept Arcanist
or
Unchained Monk//Medium
I wish I could see the full Occult Adventures book before finalizing a character though. Some of the things I've heard about from those classes sound super fun.