Unchained Martial Artist it is, then. Would that be theme appropriate enough, since it basically becomes all about grappling and punching people in the face and looses the mysticism aspect?
@Jesse: I dunno about ambitious - I'm just following the book. XD I've always preferred flavorful characters, though, just on general principles.
@Jon: Without the mysticism (i.e. Ki Pool) aspect, I think it'd be fine in the North. ^^ Although the overall personality would probably be less "refined martial arts" and more "just really good at fighting hand-to-hand".
@Jesse: I dunno about ambitious - I'm just following the book. XD I've always preferred flavorful characters, though, just on general principles.
I don't have the book, though I have some experience with fantasy Norse stuff. I'm curious about how the book deals with some of the mythology of various kinds of people like the alfar, the evil eye, spae-working, and trollish blood.
This is RH's second character concept. Iradyiel is a character concept I was working on that could fit in a northern game, Valda was created for a northern beginning.
She was originally a Aasimar bloodrager, I toned her down to a human. If you think an Aasimar would fit the Valkyrie vibe better I can change her back. Taking your word on the simplicity of "spheres of power" I like simple a lot.
My last character will be the one taken after the Joe Abercrombie northman theme, I would be very interested in the Bearsarker or Ulfhander cults that you mentioned in the "Classes for Northlander Humans" intro, I would contrast the barbarian skills to those of a brawler. Making a full combat class character.
Her Story:
Valda was lying in a bed, not the straw stuffed mattress that she slept on up in the loft; but her parents bed, with wood posts, rope support and the down stuffed mattress. Dawn peaked in through the slots in the shutter covering the window. Half asleep she wonders ’It’s been years since I’ve cuddled with mother and father in this bed, I wonder how many time the mattress has been restuffed.’ Unconsciously she pulls the wool blankets up around her face and flinches when the blankets touch the freshly cleaned wound. OW! Now I remember, the bear…how did I get here, how long have I been asleep?’ As if on cue her father opens the door, walking in with a tallow candle followed by her sisters; Alfreda, Bodil, Ase and Alfreda. Her mother, Asloug, standing quietly in the doorway looking at her, ”I’ve seen that look before, is there something else wrong.’
Father lets the girls greet Valda and tell her about how they found her barely alive under the huge white northern bear that had mauled her and the dogs, the dogs had not been as lucky. Each of them chaotically told a part of the details: one would stop to think and another would start where the previous one had stopped, or would start at a different part of the tale.
Valda eventually learned that she had saved all but one of the flock. That father and Bodil had found her. Father carried her back to the house while Bodil brought the sheep out of the high field to the pen. How mother had cleaned her wounds and kept an eye on her for the next three day as she teetered on the brink of death from a pitched fever. How the girls had helped father go back the next day and bury the dogs and harvest the usable parts from the bear. How each of them had helped care for her and then did their regular chores as well as part of Valda’s.
When they were each done with their part of the story, mother added ”Now that you have gotten to talk to her, we need too. Give your sister a kiss and go catch up those chores you were bragging about.” As the four girls kissed her and left the room, her mother stood there in the doorway watching Valda, Valda began to squirm under the blankets. ’I know that look, something is not right, once the girls are gone, she’s going to want to talk, what is it that has her so concerned?’ As the girls leave Valda’s mother steps out of the doorway long enough to fetch two stools from the table and set them beside the bed.
Valda’s parents sat down on the two stools, watching her closely, her mother unable to lose the look of concern, her father giving her a genuine smile. ”Valda, we need you to tell us what happened, everything you can remember. Take your time if you need to, but tell us everything you can remember, it’s important.” Valda nodded ’that’s easy enough.’
She paused a moment, making sure she had the details right. ”Bent Ear was over by the tree line and started barking, then Hammer Tail trotted around that way, nose in the air, by the time he got to where she was they both started growling and giving that low wruff they did as a warning.” Valda stopped a moment so she didn’t start crying. ’They were good sheep dogs’ wiping her eyes, she continued. ”Out of the woods, over by the creek, the bear came to the edge of the field, it looked at the two dogs then at the sheep. It started to move toward the sheep. The dogs started running at it. I grabbed the spear and began running toward it also. The sheep scattered as it snatched up one of the yearlings. It turned at the dogs, swatting Hammer Tail first, I think it broke her neck.” Valda stopped to wipe her eyes. ”Then, just as it turned I plunged the spear in its chest, just as far as I could. That’s when it swatted me here.” She pulled the blankets back pointing to the four deep cuts running from the side of her head, under her chin, across her neck and shoulder. Pulling the blanket back up, lifting her left arm out from under the blanket exposing the deep slashes there, ”I must have raised my left arm, shield-like to stop another blow, but it must have not been as strong or I think I would have lost this arm. That’s when I went unconscious, I didn’t see it kill Hammer Tail or feel it land on me. But it must have because that’s how you found me.”
Valda’s mother looked at her father, the look of concern still there, her father now had a look of concern also, he asks. ”Are you sure that’s all that happened, no other noises, lights or other languages?” Her mother rested a hand on her husband Njálls arm. ”Maybe she doesn’t remember, I didn’t always remember. Njáll looked at his daughter, his look of concern becoming a look of sympathy. ”Valda let me tell you the story of how your mother and I met; the whole story.”
”As you know we were both with jarls who responded to a request from the village of Fiskerleje, a fishing village in one of the fiords across the bay. Your mother was a greatly honored huscarl of the Jarl Eivind Ørjansson. I sailed with Jarl Henrikson, I did not go a-viking, instead keeping to the farm here, but when I heard this trip was to protect the village I knew I needed to go.” Njáll stopped speaking, placing his hand on his wife’s as it rested on his arm, smiling at her, he continued addressing his daughter. ”The village of Fiskerleje had been attacked by raiding giants and trolls, many Jarls had responded, It seemed the more northmen there were the more giants and trolls there were. The outlying farms were destroyed; however the horde did not make it past the outer defenses early on. The warriors rotated defending the wall day and night, we all became familiar with each other that is where I first met your mother, there on the wall” He smiled at his wife again and continued.
”One evening after your mother and I had been guarding all day a particularly aggressive assault was started by a group of giants near where we were stationed. They started with throwing great rocks at the wall, when there was a small gap the giants charged, using axes and clubs to widen the gap as the warriors fought them off. After bloody fighting the giants had opened a wide enough hole that several trolls ran into the village. By this time all the warriors had been alerted and they had erected a shield wall around the few houses and alleys that the trolls had gotten in to.” Njáll took a deep breath his face showing his age.
”As you know the best defense against trolls is fire, so we put the torch to the buildings that the trolls had run into. We had thought that all of the villagers had been moved closer to the docks and that only the warriors were staying that close to the walls. We were wrong. We heard the screaming of children coming from the buildings. Without thinking I broke from the shield wall and rushed into the burning building from where we heard the children. I entered the low house from one end, standing on the other end were three large trolls, I yelled to the children, drawing my axe and shield, hoping I could fight off the trolls long enough for the children to flee. Then you mother came in.” He looked at Asloug with that questioning look he had. They made eye contact; she nodded her head and then looked at her daughter.
”She had heard the screaming of the children also and followed me in. She rushed past me, screaming in a language I didn’t understand. As she moved she changed, when I had seen her fight before she was disciplined almost methodical in her approach. This was different, this was wild, she attacked with abandon. Her style of fighting changing wasn’t that big of a deal, I had seen berserkers before. But her appearance changed as well. Her iron shirt and spanglehelm turned gold, even the tip of her coldiron spear appeared golden. She literally began to glow, like in the stories you hear about Valkyrie.” Njáll stopped speaking for a moment, breathing in deeply he continued. ”Her shadow, cast by that firelight had wings, I kid you not, I saw it, her shadow had wings. I stood in amazement, mouth open. She thrust her spear into the first troll, holy fire pouring from its tip, killing it outright. She turned on the second troll, thrusting her spear at an odd angle breaking the haft, leaving the cold iron tip in the screaming troll. Drawing her ULFBERHT blade she took the head off of the third troll, kicking it into the nearing fire. As the battle ended, she returned to her normal appearance, striking the head off of the second troll and drawing out her broken spear. Turning to me she said ‘get the children out’ well, I immediately grabbed up the three crying urchins and carried them out.” Father stopped speaking for a moment, breathing a heavy sigh, as if a great burden was relieved off of his chest.
”After that we had more and more occasion to spend time together, she asked me about my dreams, my plans, my future. She told me about her experiences her adventure. As you know she is a few summers older than I. I was a young farmer happy with tilling the soil, she was a famous huscarl of a famous Jarl. Soon the battle was over, we drove the giants and trolls from the destroyed fishing village, I don’t think it ever recovered, quite a shame really. When it was time to leave and we were loading our long boats, she announced to her jarl, the famous Eivind Ørjansson in front of the gods and everyone that she was leaving his service. She returned the fancy chain armor and spanglehelm, the heavy gold chain and even the ULFBERHT blade, keeping only her mother’s coldiron spear that we had re-hafted. She told him she was going home with me.” Valda had never seen her father smile as broadly as he smiled that cold spring morning telling her the story. Mother raised her hand, looking from her husband back to her daughter. It was time for mother to speak.
Winking at her husband, Asloug took up the tale. ”I had always told old Elvind that if I found a man braver than I that I would marry him. When your father rushed into that fire: not for glory, not for honor, not for wealth; but to save the lives of children he didn’t know from a village that he did not belong to moved me. It wasn’t just what he did but why he did it, when I saw him move from the relative safety of the shield wall for the lives of those urchins I knew I had to protect the life of my future husband. As I got to know him in those following days I knew I had made the right decision. So when I told the Jarl, I gave up nothing and gained everything.” Asloug winked at her husband and then returned her attention to Valda, ”Now that brings us to you!” Her appearance again becoming very serious.
”The simplest explanation is that my mother, like her mother before her, and hers before her, had the blood of a Valkyrie running through their veins. It would normally run true, one daughter having the gift, very rarely it would skip a generation. If that happened the grandmother would watch her granddaughters and once the gifted granddaughter was identified the spear would be handed down to her. The gift manifests very much like your father has described. The increased strength, the speed, the recklessness, the physical manifestations, which can be problematic as you can suppose, even the fatigue afterwards. What he didn’t describe is the great wander lust that comes with it. I knew that one of my daughters would have the gift. A telltale sign was the birth of all girls, not that we didn’t keep trying” Asloug again winked at her husband before focusing on Valda.
”Your gifting manifested very young, you would get angry over a perceived injustice and you would start to fuss in the celestial language mixing the different words with Norsk as little kids learning two languages are apt to do. This is the reason when you were little I wouldn’t let you fight with your sisters and made you keep your composure. When I saw the damage you did to the bear I knew that your bloodline had begun to rage.” Looking gently at her daughter, ”Even then the wound the bear gave you should have killed you. That was a death wound, you should have bled out. When your father brought you home your wounds, instead of still bleeding were almost healed. You were also talking in your sleep. At first I thought they were fever dreams, but you were consistently talking to Göndul in the celestial language. Do not be afraid, tell me what she said.” Her mother looked at her expectantly.
As her mother shared, the memories welled up inside Valda. She remembered screaming at the bear in the celestial language. She remembered the power and the vitality as she struck the bear with her spear, plunging it into the beast chest, just below its neck. She remembered continuing to thrust the spear in deeper even as the bear grievously raked her head, neck, shoulder chest and arm with its massive paw. She remembered the beast giant maw preparing to clamp down on her face as it collapsed on top of her, its life blood mingling with hers. She remembered the golden glowing figure of a beautiful spearmaiden dressed in golden-steel ringmail landing beside her, kneeling down and touching her forehead.
Valda turned to her mother, beginning to speak for the first time. “I have begun to remember everything. One of the Valkyrie landed beside me and said “You are not to die today little spear sister, I, Göndul have been sent to begin your training, Wotan has chosen you to be an oracle, one who bears life for those not chosen to die.“ Since then she has come to me in my dreams and taught me about what she called “Spheres of Power.” She said I would be able to heal people, one at a time or in groups. Also that I would be able to call on celestial help.healing and summon monster? Looking at her mother ”She told me I would have your gift, even though I didn’t understand what that meant at the time. She told me that there would be those who didn’t understand so I would need to be careful. Then she told me that the gift had a price; that when I was using it I would only be able to speak with the celestial community. Lastly she told me that when I gained my strength I would need to leave home and follow the course that would be laid out.”
Valda’s mother nodded in understanding, she bent over and kissed her daughter and said ”Rest now child, when your strength has returned we will have all things ready.” As Asloug departed, Valda’s father smiled and leaning over and kissing his daughter on the cheek, he wiped away a tear, trying to smile he whispered ”I will miss my little sheepherder, but I’ve always known you are your mothers daughter, follow your fate little one, follow your fate.”
Alfar (as Nuklanders/elves) are known and generally accepted in the Northlands. The fey exist, though they basically do as they please, and wise men avoid provoking them.
The Evil Eye - besides being a Witch power - is also a power that belongs to about the only accepted Sorcerer bloodline (Cunning Woman, which offers healing, and the Northlanders like that), and it deals damage. XD
Spae is generally oracular stuff, right? Oracles are known in the North.
As for those with trollish blood...
Relations with Troll-Blooded:
Everyone hates the troll-blooded: Northlanders, Nûklanders, Seagestrelanders, everyone. Even the giant-blooded do not feel a kinship for these abominations. If not killed at birth, a troll-blooded is often hidden away in order to keep it safe and to keep a family’s shame a secret. When they are discovered and make their way into the larger world, they are often the targets of would-be heroes, local hirths, or a jarl’s huscarls. Those kept by a jarl in his household are often enslaved and treated as thralls whose only use is to be thrown into battle and expended against one’s foes.
Pathfinder has a lot of existing classes, and quite a few 3PP classes on top of it. XD It's not practical to try and discuss every single one - what they did was give a clear idea of what's generally common and acceptable, what's more of a problem, and that's enough to make a good judgment call.
Swashbucklers are an acceptable choice, though you won't have gone a-viking as part of the Jarl's household yet (if you're a younger character, you've simply never had the chance - if older, maybe you did it before, but haven't done so in the last few years).
For Spheres (and, thus, casting in general), you don't need to know the specifics right now. All you really need is a general idea of what you'd like to do.
What is the different between troll-blooded and giant-blooded? Eindrid's the latter, but both are described as being descended from Jotuns...
As for swashbucklers... maybe an axe with slashing grace, but I'm having trouble imagining a viking inspired blade, or something similarly rapier-friendly, without being an outsider of some kind.
@Eindrid: ...Giant-blooded are descended from giants. Troll-blooded are descended from trolls.
@Fury: ...Actually, you know what? I'm just going to save you all a lot of hassle, because I checked my hard copy, and the mechanics are Open Game Content.
Alchemy is unheard of in the North (no, really, that's what it actually says - check the bit on Human Classes in the first post). Investigators... complicated. There's no real nation, no universal laws to enforce, but someone COULD be a for-hire individual who works to uncover truth when there's a concern someone is lying.
What is your plan about male/female spots? Most of the Nordic tales are heavily focused in males... how do you feel about an all female party? Just asking because I intend to submit a woman!
@Sir Longears: I have no gender preference in this game (other than slightly favoring females for casters, because that is explicitly more accepted in this setting). ^^ Submit the character you WANT to submit.
Hey, I've decided to hold off on Artix and just go on with a new character. Aada Bladotter or Aada, "daughter of the blue". Ain't that a nordic name. I'll be working on her tonight.
(Although for women, the Cunning Woman bloodline is probably the best choice, as it's outright accepted. XD Though if you're Crossblooded...)
Cunning Woman Bloodline notes:
Sorcerers are not well regarded in the Northlands, nor indeed are any practitioners of arcane magic. Sorcerers get singled out for special persecution because their powers seem to erupt spontaneously and can appear in any person, anywhere. Furthermore, as there is not an established means of training young sorcerers, they often cause havoc and death with their newfound and barely controlled abilities.
One type of sorcerer common and popular among the Northlanders is the cunning woman. This bloodline is strong, and families that have one cunning woman in their midst often have several. Indeed, it is not unheard of for every woman in a lineage to express sorcerous powers. What makes cunning woman so well thought of is that their powers are generally not of the destructive kind, but instead provide a source of healing magic that is very rare in the Northlands. Young cunning woman receive training, and an honored and respected place in society, something that other sorcerers in the Northlands can only dream of.
Cunning women — and they are always women — are skilled healers with mundane and magical skills. They often live on the edge of a settlement, not because they have been banished, but due to the fact that their herbal remedies require extensive gardens and access to uncultivated lands. Those in need of the services of a cunning woman are welcome as long as they are polite, and payment is most often based on the means of their patients as opposed to the cost of the medicine or spells. Being a cunning woman has a marked downside, and it is that traditionally they do not marry. To perpetuate their bloodline, they still must build some form of sexual relationship with men, often in a long-term partnership that outwardly has all the hallmarks of marriage. This taboo is largely because folk wisdom says that cunning women are poison to their mates and cause them to die early.
Many godi have a somewhat adversarial relationship with the local cunning woman. As most godi are only part-time priests, they do not always receive spells from the gods, and thus may or may not be able to help when called (assuming they aren’t busy doing something else as their fulltime job). This means that most people go to the cunning women for their routine medical needs, and especially in emergencies, thus cutting out the godi (who would otherwise expect some form of donation or offering for their help). As a result, the godi have a financial incentive to not recognize the services provided by cunning women.
Bloodline Arcana: Whenever you cast a cure spell, you may apply the Maximize spell metamagic feat to it for free a number of times per day equal to your sorcerer level +3.
Bloodline Powers: Evil Eye (Sp): At 1st level, you can lock someone within 30 feet with a gaze that foretells their doom (ranged touch attack), causing 1d6 damage +1 per every two sorcerer levels you possess. You can use this a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier +3.
Natural Healer (Ex): At 3rd level, you may take 10 on Heal checks without increasing the time taken to perform the skill. Also, as long as you are in a natural environment, you do not need to make use of a healer’s kit to perform the Heal skill.
Creature of the Woodlands (Ex): You spend a great deal of time in the wilds, either traveling to see patients or gathering herbs and other ingredients for your cures. At 7th level, the wilds respond, gifting you with woodland stride and trackless step as the druid class features.
Blessed by Fate (Su): At 15th level, you may reroll one attack roll, ability check, skill check, saving throw, or caster level check. You must do so before the GM reveals the result of the roll, and must keep the second result, even if it is lower than the first. You may use this ability once per day.
Fey Rebirth (Su): Upon reaching 20th level, you no longer age, and become immune to poisons and diseases. When you die, you are reincarnated as a fey creature or a blood relative in your own family if one is due to be born soon. This is not as the reincarnate spell, but a total rebirth from childhood on, though in this new life you do not have the cunning woman sorcerer bloodline and are permitted to live a normal life as a just reward for a lifetime of service to your community.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm gonna go for the cross-blooded archetype. She'll be a cunning woman, but has another taint of the elements of snow. I'll start doin' all da math now. :D
While the gods do not normally interfere in the lives of mortals, save for the most heroic, there are those who have been touched by the gods and granted power through them. Most commonly, these are the godi, represented in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game by the cleric, druid, and oracle classes. However, some are not merely granted powers, but are transformed by the contact with the gods. Some of these mortals so altered are the Bearsarkers, a cult dedicated to the worship of Wotan and the glory of the spear-din.
The Bearsarker Cult is a sacred order of men and women who have dedicated their lives to Wotan. There are many reasons they choose to do so, but the most common is that they feel an intense desire to enter a savage fury and commit rampant acts of slaughter. This urge to rage is even greater during battle, and so in order to control this drive and have a place in society, the Bearsarker Cult of Wotan has formed.
Through esoteric arts, ritual drunkenness, and great personal sacrifice, the Bearsarker not only tames his inner fire, but learns to become a whirling spirit of death and destruction, when the time for such action is called for. Most do not live long, especially when one considers that their rituals are fairly violent and often result in severe injury and maiming. It is not unusual to find a Bearsarker who has plucked out one of his own eyes to gain wisdom, or who has spent time meditating while hung on a tree of woe.
Members of the cult undergo extensive training in order to learn to control their rage, as well as training in religion and the esoteric arts. Although inwardly highly meditative and thoughtful people, the outward appearance of the Bearsarkers gives others pause, considering the reputation of the cult for great savagery barely contained, as well as incredible feats of stamina and strength. As per their religious dictates, Bearsarkers do not bathe except for rare ritual purification purposes, clad themselves only in a loincloth and bear robe, and never cut their hair or beards. This shaggy, unkempt and wild appearance is the means by which the cult is known, and seeing a Bearsarker on the other side of a battlefield has been known to turn the morale of even the most hardy of warriors. Also despite, or because of, their sacred status, Bearsarkers are afforded a great deal of leeway in their actions and behavior.
Note: Bearsarkers must be good- or neutral-aligned, must maintain the unkempt appearance of their faith, worship Wotan above all other gods, remain honorable, forsake marriage, children and wealth, and live to serve the Northlander people as a whole. Breaking any of these tenets results in a loss of class abilities until the character can undergo purification through an atonement spell. Members of this archetype automatically suffer a –4 penalty to their Charisma score.
Fury of the Gods (Ex): This works the same as a barbarian’s normal rage class feature; however, the number of rounds per day a Bearsarker can rage is equal to 4 + his Wisdom modifier rather than Constitution. He gains additional rounds at the normal rate. Also, Bearsarkers gain Knowledge (religion) as a class skill. This replaces rage.
Berserk Fury (Ex): At 2nd level, a Bearsarker that enters his fury of the gods inspires fear in enemies who witness it. Any enemy who sees this display of savagery must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the Bearsarker’s level + the Bearsarker’s Wisdom modifier) or become shaken for the duration of the Bearsarker’s fury. Each additional Bearsarker in a fury at the same time adds +1 to the Will save DC to a maximum of +5, but one Bearsarker must be chosen who leads the fury to determine its duration and whose Wisdom modifier is used to determine the save DC. This ability replaces uncanny dodge.
Naked Fury (Ex): At 3rd level a Bearsarker who is not wearing armor and is lightly encumbered gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC. This bonus increases by +2 every three barbarian levels thereafter. This replaces trap sense.
Unarmed Fury (Su): At 5th level, a Bearsarker’s hands actually transform into bear claws while in a fury. The Bearsarker cannot wield any weapons but gains 2 claw attacks that deal 1d6 points of damage + both the Bearsarker’s Strength and Wisdom modifiers. The Bearsarker can suppress this transformation if he chooses to do so, but each round he does so reduces the number of rounds he can use his fury of the gods that day by 1 round. This replaces improved uncanny dodge.
Fanged Fury (Su): At 7th level, whenever a Bearsarker uses his unarmed fury ability, he gains the benefits of a greater magic fang spell (cannot be dispelled) granting him a +1 enhancement bonus to his claw attacks and any other natural attacks he may have (through the animal fury rage power, for example). This bonus increases by +1 every three barbarian levels thereafter. This replaces damage reduction.
Rage Powers: The following rage powers complement the Bearsarker archetype: come and get me*, flesh wound*, good for what ails you*, inspire ferocity*, knockback, liquid courage*, roaring drunk*, smasher*, and terrifying howl.
*See Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide
Ulfhander:
Ulfhander (Barbarian Archetype)
The feared Bearsarkers are not the only blood-mad battleragers in the Northlands. Several smaller cults dedicated to Wotan seek to harness their inner fires. Of these, the most well known are the Ulfhanders, those whom iron will not bite. Like their Bearsarker cousins, the Ulfhanders have dedicated themselves to Wotan but not just as the leader of battles. Rather, they have also embraced him as the master of beasts. In addition to their amazing fighting prowess, the Ulfhanders also have the ability to physically transform into wolves in order to carry their battle madness into enemy shieldwalls.
The key to the Ulfhanders power, other than their faith and worship of Wotan, is their divinely blessed cloaks. These cloaks, made from the whole skins of wolves that a prospective Ulfhander has killed in unarmed combat, grant them their powers. With his cloak on, the Ulfhander can ignore injury, fight with a ferocious rage, and even assume the form of a wolf. Without it, he is just a normal man, albeit one who has spent the better part of his life alternating between contemplation of the divine and training for war.
Much like their Bearsarker cousins, the Ulfhanders practice esoteric rituals and spend a great deal of time outside of combat in prayer and mediation. Whereas the Bearsarkers tend toward mediation, scarification, and personal sacrifice as routes to the divine, the Ulfhanders are more active in their approach and seek to understand the boundaries between men and beasts and men and gods by regularly blurring those lines. Vision quests, time spent living as a wolf, and other odd behaviors are common. It is not unheard of for an Ulfhander to become entranced by the beauty of the All-Father’s creation and stand still, marveling at the mysteries in new-fallen snow, sunrises, or still ponds.
Fury of the Gods (Ex): This works the same as a barbarian’s normal rage class feature; however, the number of rounds per day an Ulfhander can rage is equal to 4 + his Wisdom modifier rather than Constitution. He gains additional rounds at the normal rate. Also, Bearsarkers gain Knowledge (religion) as a class skill. This replaces rage.
Sacred Wolfskin (Su): Each Ulfhander obtains a sacred wolfskin at 1st level that he has hunted barehanded. When worn, this wolfskin grants the Ulfhander DR 1/—, which increases by +1 at 3rd level and every three levels after that (at 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th). If the Ulfhander is not wearing his sacred wolfskin, he does not have access to the fury of the gods, brother of the wolf, skin of the wolf, or rage powers class features. Ulfhanders are not proficient in any armor and may not wear armor and also wear their sacred wolfskin. This replaces the normal barbarian armor proficiencies as well as damage reduction. If the wolfskin is lost or destroyed, the Ulfhander must spend 3 months in uninterrupted contemplation while hunting a new wolf to replace it.
Brother of the Wolf (Ex): At 4th level, the Ulfhander may form a bond with a wolf. This functions as a druid’s nature bond class feature, save that the effective druid level of the character is his levels in Ulfhander archetype –3. At 8th level and every four levels after that (12th, 16th, and 20th), the Ulfhander may add an additional wolf companion to his pack, up to a maximum of his Charisma modifier.
Skin of the Wolf (Su): At 6th level, the Ulfhander may transform into a wolf as a druid’s wild shape class feature, but the Ulfhander becomes a specific individual wolf. The effect lasts a number of hours equal to the character’s levels in Ulfhander –3. The Ulfhander may use this ability once per day at 6th level, and an additional number of times per day every two levels after to a maximum of eight times a day at 18th level. This replaces trap sense, uncanny dodge, and improved uncanny dodge.
Rage Powers: The following rage powers complement the Ulfhander: animal fury, beast totem*, greater beast totem*, lesser beast totem*, night vision, raging leaper, scent, and terrifying howl.
*See Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide
Spheres replace spells (except for Bloodline spells, etc.). Instead of acquiring spells, you get Magic Talents, which are spent gaining new Spheres or acquiring new powers in Spheres you already know. You get 2 Talents just for taking a casting class, then one more each time you get a Caster Level (see the Wiki page).
So how much spheres and talents would I gain at Lvl 1 since I have cross-blooded, which subtracts one spell known each level? I'm also going to factor that in as a problem with her mental state, trying to handle the power inside of her.
@Aada: You would have the normal amount of talents for a High Caster. Magic Talents are, individually, considerably more valuable than spells because you don't get nearly as many of them. Instead, lose one spell point.
@Thunderbeard: Technically, they depend on Caster Level (which, as noted, is not the same thing as levels in a casting class). However, it's true that there is less incentive to be a High/Full/9th Level Caster, because you can be quite effective regardless of what level of caster you are. Spheres of Power is nice that way. XD And not being a full caster DOES improve your odds of getting chosen.
Yeah, if I really could I'd be using something other than Witch, or toning it down to Mid-Level, because what I'm really after is the grappling murder hair. But beggars can't be choosers.
Beggars can be beggars, though. Or at least polite askers. XD I'd probably accept voluntarily toning down your caster level ("Arcane magic just isn't as popular or as strong in the North, so I'm not a High Caster..."), especially given that Witches have a fair number of other strong abilities anyway.
Yup! But I'm getting rid of those too, and using White Haired Witch. I've always loved the idea, even if it doesn't work especially well under normal circumstances, and this character fits it. It just lurks in my brain, that long white hair...
So no Hexes either. I'll probably tone down the magic a bit, though.
...I'm playing a Monk and a toned down Witch with no Hexes and less spells. Some say I'm insane. The voices in my head agree on this.
Ok, I would get 2 talents first level. With my spells known being the individual spheres? How much sphere will I have access to 1st lvl? I would just have one less spell point each level. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
While pretty much she is a full caster, I don't feel like playing her like such. She is more or less scared of her abilities. That feeling of finding an unnerving warmth in the cold somewhat just plain freaks her out. With each level up, to feel even more less human and unnatural, while also finding some form of normality with it.
If it's okay, I changed the Knowledge Plane to Knowledge Nature for my Water (Cold) Elemental Bloodline as I fell it is out of place in the setting, if that is okay.
Check the Caster Level table. You get two talents, plus one talent at each Caster Level (starting from 1 - so High Casters start with 3). Talents can be spent to gain access to Spheres, or to gain additional talents in those Spheres once the basics are known. You do not have innate access to any Spheres. You would have one less spell point TOTAL.
This looks very fun, and I want to play it, but I don't know exactly what to play with my prefered class off the table (Vatican Wizards). I'm thinking either an Incanter//Something Martial or something similiar. Maybe Skald//Oracle?
The best idea I have so far is unavailable, which is an Investigator (Or Alchemist)//Fey Adept (Or Witch), being a Herbalist-Witch kinda woman, who you hide in the shadows from the witch hunters, because she only seems to help. Coming from far to the south, in an educated area, and coming into here for fear of a close enemy might find her one day, and claim her debt to her- Her soul. However, this requires the approval of the Alchemist class, which has no Sphere equivilent.
Alternate Idea: Skald//Brawler. Not much in way of fluff yet, but has potential.
At this point, I'd like to reiterate that there is only one slot for a High-Caster character. You are genuinely more likely to be picked if you are a Mid-Caster or lower, and due to the nature of the Spheres system, you can still compare favorably with the abilities of a High Caster.
In other words, by playing something like a 6th-Level caster, you get to have all of the fun extra abilities, and the only real loss is a few magic talents (that you might not have needed anyway, depending on your theme). XD You might actually be -stronger- if you taking a lower-level caster.
I've got another question for you, GM. Since I'm looking at going Ranger, there are a bunch of alternate Ranger Combat Styles listed here in the sidebar. How would you feel about me potentially using one of those instead of the base Combat Styles available?
I'm working on a fighter (lore warden)/bard (thundercaller). She would take the Heir campaign trait, being the daughter of a Jarl. I have doubts about her being the daughter of Olaf Henrikson himself, or of another Jarl...
About her Casting Tradition, I have taken the Divine Petitioner, flavoring the thundercaller archetype as a 'lesser cleric' of Donar (Thor). She is small and lean, being more quick then strong (she is quite jealous about other bigger girls).
I'm thinking about flavoring her 'bardic knowledge' as the education she got as a child, when her mother hoped for her to follow the arcane paths... but she had other plans.
Unable to fight effectively with a wooden shield and the warhammer (I assume this is the favorite weapon of Donar...), she instead specialized in ranged combat, favoring the longbow.
For her small size and speed, she is known as "the Fey" (actually also because she is beautiful and has a honey tongue). Because the fey are not seen with good eyes, she is not really fond of this name, even though she is widely known by it.
Actually according to this: 'The only exceptions to this general distrust of arcane spellcasters are the cunning woman lineages who are treated as honored and valuable members of the community' from your initial post.
hey GM Rednal, I'm thinking about making my third and final character submission nonarcane, very interested in the Bearsarker class. I was originally thinking of pairing brawler up with it to make my champion, but I really want the AC for wisdom, so would the monk archetype martial artist acceptable or is it to much of a stretch?
Barbarian/Brawler and Barbarian/Monk both feel extremely... melee-focused... to me. Too focused, actually. I have a genuine dislike for gestalt builds that only exist to do one thing abnormally well, and I would not pick that character.
Gah, ok said that I wouldn't apply to any more games after getting in my latest game (a Fallout-themed Savage Worlds game), and then I find this...
I'm just gonna toss my character in, and won't be upset if I don't make it. I'm thinking a fighter/SoP class, don't have my books with me, it's the low-caster martial one. He'd be either a thrall or a huscarl, going to focus on being a switch-hitter with a longbow and sword-and-board. Will make it more in-depth when I get in my laptop.
@Aada: Ability use is as described. Most Sphere powers are at-will abilities. Those that aren't generally require the use of Sphere Points (your resource pool) to use. ^^ You can cast stuff with a cost as long as you can pay the cost. Once that's out, you're stuck with no-cost abilities until you recharge.
