As the Swallowtail festival is about to begin in the quaint coastal town of Sandpoint, something stirs in the deeps - something that has lain dormant and undisturbed for millennia. With revenge, greed, and evil intent as the catalysts for events about to unfold, shadows gather over Varisia.
Player Count: 4
Starting Level: 1st.
Starting Gold: average or roll for your class. If you roll, you're stuck with the result.
Statistics: Use a 25 value point buy.
Allowed Races: I greatly prefer core races, and those applicants will have an easier time of getting in.
Allowed Material: Anything published for pathfinder by paizo. No third party material.
Banned Starting Classes: Any classes which do not cast spells or use an equivalent, like the alchemist or the Kineticist does. Note that you may multiclass into these classes at after level 1, should you want to.
House Rules: Background Skills from unchained are in use, you recieve two traits, one of which must be a campaign trait, and 4th level casters start off with 0th level spells - See below.
So I had an idea. This will be a game set in an alternate version of Golarion, where magic is really common. The vast, vast majority of people and vaguely people-shaped creatures can cast spells, at least in a minor way. Animals often have minor, innate magical talents that helps them survive.
There's not much in the way of houserules in play to facilitate the setting change, just an adjustment of expectations. The majority of people change from being 1st level commoners, to being 1st level adepts. A city guard might be an Adept 1/warrior 1 instead of the warrior 2s you usually see in golarion, etc. Conceptually, this is because becoming an adept is easy: either you pray to your deity of choice, and observe their holidays, or you forge small pacts with minor spirits, who lend you their power in exchange for minor sacrifices. A spirit of a nearby creek might let you cast Obscuring Mist or Cure Light Wounds in exchange for a biweekly offering of bread crumbs spread over the water in a ritual that takes a minute to do, stuff like that.
There aren't any single-class rogues, instead you get Vivisectionists, bards, investigators or arcane tricksters. Barbarians don't exist, instead there's bloodragers or skalds.
Fighters are the odd man out here, in that his conceptual role is pretty much scrapped. The closest we get is magi and warpriests.
One houserule though, is that 4th level casters(paladins etc.) start off at caster level 1, and recieves 0th level spells off of the list of a related class. The paladin can cast cleric 0th level spells, and can prepare a number equal to that of a cleric of his level, -1. The ranger can do the same thing with the druid list, and the bloodrager can do it with the sorcerer list. (knowing 1 fewer spell than a sorcer of his level would have.)
Sounds interesting?
For those familiar with the AP, there won't be much of a change to the story. The changes might make it more difficult, since spellcasting on the enemy side often makes for more unpredictable encounters, so I won't discourage optimizing as much as I normally would in a game like this. It's probably not going to be enough of a change froom a prior playthrough, so it might not be much fun to do the same thing again this time around.
How long are you planning to let recruitment run for?
How long are you planning to let recruitment run for?
Don't know yet. Is it important? I'm not closing right this moment, if that's what you're asking.
Very interested in this. I'm thinking a gnome heavens oracle with the seeker archtype.
Would you permit crafting before the game starts and can we please use the unchained rules for crafting? There is an alternate gnome racial trait that is very fitting for this character, Master Tinker, that is a lot more useful if I could already have crafted things.
Very interested in this. I'm thinking a gnome heavens oracle with the seeker archtype.
Would you permit crafting before the game starts and can we please use the unchained rules for crafting? There is an alternate gnome racial trait that is very fitting for this character, Master Tinker, that is a lot more useful if I could already have crafted things.
You may count as having crafted any items you would normally be able to craft. Mechanically, you still have to pay full price out of your starting wealth at character creation though.
We're using the standard crafting system.
I think I'm going to submit a half-elf magus for this. :)
I'm leaning toward Eldritch Scion for it because of how high-magic your proposed campaign is...
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Bleh, Server maintenance hit when I was trying to post.
Thinking on a Human Bloodrager. Would the Id Rager Archetype from Occult Origins be acceptable?
An id rager lacks a supernatural taint to his blood, instead drawing power from pure emotion.
Atavistic Avatar (Su): An id rager chooses one emotional focus to define his core: anger, dedication, despair, fear, hatred, jealousy, remorse (see page 19), or zeal. At 1st level, he gains Skill Focus as a bonus feat in one skill associated with his atavistic focus.
Anger: Intimidate or Survival.
Dedication: Diplomacy or Sense Motive.
Despair: Intimidate or Stealth.
Fear: Intimidate or Stealth.
Hatred: Acrobatics or Perception.
Jealousy: Appraise or Bluff.
Remorse: Perception or Sense Motive.
Zeal: Acrobatics or Survival.
When the id rager enters a bloodrage, he gains additional powers as if he were a phantom (Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures 78) with the emotional focus he selected as his atavistic focus. He is considered to be both a phantom and a spiritualist for the purposes of abilitie whose effect references both a phantom and a spiritualist, such as a dedication phantom’s dutiful strike, and treats his bloodrager level as both his spiritualist level and his phantom Hit Dice when determining abilities and save DCs. This ability does not allow the id rager to become incorporeal.
At 4th level, the id rager gains Lightning Reflexes, Great Fortitude, or Iron Will as a bonus feat.
At 8th level, the id rager can meditate for 1 hour to change his atavistic focus for 24 hours or until he decides to return to his permanent atavistic focus as a free action. When he changes his focus, he loses access to his Skill Focus feat and the feat he gained at 4th level, and he wields emotional focus powers as if his spiritualist level and phantom Hit Dice were 3 lower.
At 12th level, the id rager gains Skill Focus in both of the skills associated with his atavistic focus. If circumstances cause him to lose one Skill Focus feat, he loses both.
This ability replaces bloodline, all bloodline spells, and all bloodline powers.
Atavistic Caster: At 4th level, a id rager’s bloodrager spells are treated as psychic magic (Occult Adventures 144). The bloodrager’s bloodrage does not prevent him from casting spells with emotional components, and he is considered to be a psychic spellcaster for the purposes of prerequisites (such as for the prerequisites of psychic duels and occult skill unlocks). This ability alters the bloodrager’s spellcasting and replaces eschew materials.
Bonus Feats: At 6th level and every 3 bloodrager levels thereafter, an id rager can select one of the following feats as a bonus feat: Combat Casting, EmpathOA, Extra Rage, Intuitive SpellOA, Logical SpellOA, Psychic CombatantOA, Psychic DefenderOA, Psychic HealingOA, Psychic MaestroOA, Psychic VirtuosoOA, Raging ConcentrationACG, Spell Focus, or Spell Penetration. This ability replaces all bloodline feats.
@Dragoncat, sounds like a good time.
@Rysky, and it was a long-ass maintenance too, at that.
I see no issue with the occult origins archetype. I am not, however, terribly familiar with the occult material. I intend to read up on it at some point, I'll need it for a face-to-face scenario I'm going to be running some months up, but for now you might have to explain to me when you do something, how it works.
You get Atavistic Caster at 4th level, along with your cantrips.
@Pip, if it helps, so far we have 1 main divine guy, two fighty gals, no main arcane guys, and no tricksy gals.
@Everyone, I'm going to be allowing the Spellthief, from the 3.5e book Complete Adventurer, if anyone has that. This is the only homebrew or third party stuff that's going to be allowed, it's just such a nice class, which usually have no opportunity to show off its strength, and it fits a little too well here not to allow.
I think I'll make a houserules section.
Well, it could be an interesting challenge, going through the AP without any full arcane casters. :)
There, now there's a list of houserules. The rules for rangers and paladins are laid out a little clearer in there as well.
Oh... ooooooooh, this is tempting.
I actually have two concepts that I would love to have a go at - one is for a kobold blight druid who focuses on debuffing, support and uses the Radiation subdomain his race provides him since it plays to his theme of being a walking plague. He's come because the "earth" has told him that something dark is approaching and will lay everything to waste; he is all for wastelands and ruined places, but he is more interested in maintaining balance - just as the creatures who call the blighted lands home need love and care, so too do the creatures who can't live there. Everyone needs a home... and this coming darkness threatens the homes of many.
The other is a kobold sorcerer with the racial bloodline, because heaven help me, I just can't seem to app one of those little guys successfully. Not really exciting theme-wise, but he's arrogant, smart and sneaky, plus he can double as the party rogue thanks to his bloodline.
I know they aren't core races... but I find more exotic races more engaging and fun. They demand out of the box thinking, which is what I love most about them.
@Cpt.Ford Not really that into kobold characters for this one, I'm sorry to say.
Mainly because Azzerix Wyrmclaw is the one and only Rise of the Runelords kobold.
Just for backstory concerns, do you have a "hook" for how the characters end up entering the scenario that we should be writing towards, or is it just a random band of adventurers happen to end up here together?
Take a gander at the Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide, and write something that seems to interact with that. The only hard requirements are that you're at the swallowtail festival and you either have ties to Sandpoint, or you're willing to help some strangers in a tight spot without much in the way of compensation.
@Cpt.Ford Not really that into kobold characters for this one, I'm sorry to say.
Mainly because Azzerix Wyrmclaw is the one and only Rise of the Runelords kobold.
...fair enough. I yield, good sir. :P
Then, perhaps, a gnome cleric of Nethys, who is obsessed with turning everything he can get his gubby little hands on into a magical object of some sort... usually the explosive kind of magical.
Still a few final touches to tweak, but here's my character. Rakshasa spawn sorcerer (and wannabe bard) Talathel Wyndle. After being raised by elves, the Calistria-worshipping demonspawn finds himself heading for the big stage of Sandpoint.
Interesting...
A couple issues though. Rakshasa-bloodline isn't actually either the of the fiendish or abyssal bloodlines - which is what Fiendish Sorcery requires. Also, the penalty from your Bloodline Arcana is -0(not a typo, it's equal to ½*sorc lvl) at first level.
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Still a few final touches to tweak, but here's my character. Rakshasa spawn sorcerer (and wannabe bard) Talathel Wyndle. After being raised by elves, the Calistria-worshipping demonspawn finds himself heading for the big stage of Sandpoint.Interesting...
A couple issues though. Rakshasa-bloodline isn't actually either the of the fiendish or abyssal bloodlines - which is what Fiendish Sorcery requires. Also, the penalty from your Bloodline Arcana is -0(not a typo, it's equal to ½*sorc lvl) at first level.
Ooo, good catch. Since tieflings are fiends, I was just lumping the bloodlines together, but I guess that is absolutely not how fiendish sorcery is written. Thanks for the proofreading and feedback. I'll fix those things.
@general announcement:
We're using feat tax fixes.
You can find my version in the houserules, in the campaign info tab. Credit to whoever thought up the initial document - I've stolen a lot of that.
Color me seriously interested.
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@general announcement:
We're using feat tax fixes.
You can find my version in the houserules, in the campaign info tab. Credit to whoever thought up the initial document - I've stolen a lot of that.
Regarding the Feat taxes, does this mean anyone who has +1 BaB already has Power Attack or they can take PA without needing the STR requirement?
Regarding the Feat taxes, does this mean anyone who has +1 BaB already has Power Attack or they can take PA without needing the STR requirement?@general announcement:
We're using feat tax fixes.
You can find my version in the houserules, in the campaign info tab. Credit to whoever thought up the initial document - I've stolen a lot of that.
It's effectively free power attack for everyone at level 2.
I'm thinking about some form of sorcerer, probably of the half-elven variety
Color me seriously interested.
Welcome aboard. :)
Hatred sounds like it'd synergize with the AP in an interesting way.
Id like to make a wizard, ill work on up today. Will me being absent 10/29-11/02 be a factor?
I'd say there's pretty good chances it will be, yes. Not an insurmountable obstacle though. We probably won't start up before the 2nd of november... But then again, we might, if I get a rush of really good complete applications before then.
You'd probably have to finish up either before you leave on the 29th, or really quickly after you get back.
I made this character for another ROTRL game that sadly died shortly after we reached level two. I'd love to give it another shot. I'll continue to work on her background, and rebuild her to meet with your requirements.
Basics are:
Bard.
Dawnflower Dervish archetype so she's more of a self-buffing melee duelist type instead of your standard stand-in-the-back-and-buff-everyone bard.
As far as a magic-heavy world, she'd be fairly "mundane", mostly just self-buffs and cure spells.
She's got some pretty deep set emotional issues and is pretty willful/annoying with a skewed view of the world so that could cause some inter-party conflict or with NPCs.
Interested. Not sure yet what I want to make.
Should we assume that archetypes like the Untouchable Rager Bloodrager are off limits?
Is this the feat tax document you were referring to?
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Hum, need your opinions on something: Spellthief (from 3.5) or bard (Sandman)?
Spellthief:
Good
-Sneak Attack from level 1st
-No saves to spellsteal
-Spellsteal up to 9th level
-'unlimited' number of stolen spells (since he steals and casts)
Bad
-less spellcasting (up to 4th level)
-Each steal is a 'one shot'
Bard (Sandman)
Good
-bardic performances
-bard spells
-moderate spellcasting (up to 6th level)
-can cast the stolen spell more then once
-spell returns to the caster after the effect ends (positive for casting friendly spells)
Bad
-spellsteal caped at 6th level spells
-Spellsteal requires save (Will)
-Uses spell slots to cast the stolen spell
I am currently tending to spellthief
Interested. Not sure yet what I want to make.
Should we assume that archetypes like the Untouchable Rager Bloodrager are off limits?
Is this the feat tax document you were referring to?
Untouchable Rager is interesting - I might entertain the notion of having one in the party, with the right backstory.
Setting wise, using flint & tinder to start fires, using torches for light, and running out of drinking water from time to time are all going to garner you strange looks, and if people find out that you can't use magic, they might worry about your disease catching.
Yes, that document. We're not using those in particular, but they're where the inspiration came from.
What about 4th level casters who never get 0 level spells? Like paladins for example?
That's the point - 4th level casters don't usually have cantrips/orizons, but they will in this game. See the houserules in the campaign description for particulars.
Turt Snacko here. Here it is, fully complete and raring to go!
Tony Sinclair
Animal domain Inquisitor of Erastil/1
Int +4 Senses perception +7
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Defense
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AC 18 touch 14 flat-footed 14 (+4 dex, +4 armor)
hp 10
Fort +3 Ref +4 Will +5
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Offense
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Speed 30ft
Melee longbow +5(1d8)
Melee knife +0
Melee
Ranged
Special Attacks judgement/1day
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Statistics
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Str 10 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 10 Wis 16 Cha 13
Base Atk +0
CMB +0
CMD 14
Feats weapons focus(bow), precise shot,
Skills perception +7, spellcraft +4, sense motive +8, swim +4, deplomacy +6, knowledge nature +4, survival +7
Traits hard to kill, monster hunter,
Racial Traits talented
Languages common
Combat Gear trail rations 10 days
Other Gear chain armor, dagger, longbow,
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Special Abilities
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Domain
Like a cleric's deity, an inquisitor's deity influences her alignment, what magic she can perform, and her values. Although not as tied to the tenets of the deity as a cleric, an inquisitor must still hold such guidelines in high regard, despite that fact she can go against them if it serves the greater good of the faith. An inquisitor can select one domain from among those belonging to her deity. She can select an alignment domain only if her alignment matches that domain. With the GM's approval, an inquisitor can be devoted to an ideal instead of a deity, selecting one domain to represent her personal inclination and abilities. The restriction on alignment domains still applies.
Each domain grants a number of domain powers, depending on the level of the inquisitor. An inquisitor does not gain the bonus spells listed for each domain, nor does she gain bonus spell slots. The inquisitor uses her level as her effective cleric level when determining the power and effect of her domain powers. If the inquisitor has cleric levels, one of her two domain selections must be the same domain selected as an inquisitor. Levels of cleric and inquisitor stack for the purpose of determining domain powers and abilities, but not for bonus spells.
Speak with Animals (Sp)
You can speak with animals, as per the spell, for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your cleric level.
Judgment (Su)
Starting at 1st level, an inquisitor can pronounce judgment upon her foes as a swift action. Starting when the judgment is made, the inquisitor receives a bonus or special ability based on the type of judgment made.
At 1st level, an inquisitor can use this ability once per day. At 4th level and every three levels thereafter, the inquisitor can use this ability one additional time per day. Once activated, this ability lasts until the combat ends, at which point all of the bonuses immediately end. The inquisitor must participate in the combat to gain these bonuses. If she is frightened, panicked, paralyzed, stunned, unconscious, or otherwise prevented from participating in the combat, the ability does not end, but the bonuses do not resume until she can participate in the combat again.
When the inquisitor uses this ability, she must select one type of judgment to make. As a swift action, she can change this judgment to another type. If the inquisitor is evil, she receives profane bonuses instead of sacred, as appropriate. Neutral inquisitors must select profane or sacred bonuses. Once made, this choice cannot be changed
Monster Lore (Ex)
The inquisitor adds her Wisdom modifier on Knowledge skill checks in addition to her Intelligence modifier, when making skill checks to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures
Stern Gaze (Ex)
Inquisitors are skilled at sensing deception and intimidating their foes. An inquisitor receives a morale bonus on all Intimidate and Sense Motive checks equal to 1/2 her inquisitor level (minimum +1).
0-level
Detect Magic
Read magic
Mending
Create water
1 -level 2/day
Wrath
Shield of faith
Born into riches and nobility, Tony Sinclair had a pretty sheltered life. Anything he could ever want was handed to him on a silver platter, litteraly. His family loved him, he had a beautiful fiancé, life was good. The Sinclair family was a noble house which rised through the ranks of power through trade, particularly lumber.
They lived in a particularly heavy forested area of Varisia and used the bounty of nature to fund there rise to power. The family had repeatedly come to blows with druids many times in there history and did not have a good relationship with the church of Erastil, in fact Tony's father openly mock them on several occasions, unknowingly gaining the ire of Erastil himself.
on the night before his wedding, Tony decided to go on a hunt. He wasn't able to find anything and quickly through in the towel. But on his way back, he ran into a pure white stag trapped in a bear trap. It's antlers were large and resembled branches and vines wrapped themselves around the stags legs, the only thing that ran through Tony's mind was how majestic and beautiful this creature was. So he freed the stag and watch contently as it ran away, completely in awe of the beast. He had no idea that he had just saved a Herald of Erastil.
When he went to bed, he was taken to the plane of nature, where to his surprise, the stag he save was in front of him. After some minor panicking, it explained that it was actually the Herald of Erastil himself and that Tony had passed the test. He told him that if Tony could convince his family to officially apologize to Erastil, then Erastil will spare his family of the destruction he is going to bring onto them.
When Tony woke up, he had thought it was all a dream. Until he saw the same white stag staring at him through his window. Tony quickly ran to his wedding ceremony, underdressed, Uncleaned, and desperate.
Tony pleaded with his family to apologize to the god, but his father would have none of it and, furious at his sons weakness of will, disowned him in front of everyone in the family
Heart broken at his fathers reaction to him trying to save them, he ran away from the compound. As soon as his feet touched the earth outside, the foundation of the compound shattered, bringing the whole thing down upon the entirety of the Sinclair line, killing everyone.
Tony sat there, in front of his destroyed home, he sat there for three days and three nights, not moving, only able to survive because of the animals which would bring him food. He could have easily blamed Erastil, could have chose to follow his family into death.
But he didnt, after quite a bit of soul searching, Tony understood that Erastil was not a bully that killed his family, he understood that his family, while he loved them. We're a proud noble house full of hubris which was the worse offence to the gods there was. He understood the Erastil was a king protecting his subjects from a group that constantly attacked his home and beat his people. Tony understood all of that, he respected that,...he could follow that.
Which is why when he saw the white stag once more he prostrated himself and proclaimed Erastil his God.
Afterwhich the stag granted Tony Divine power and the mission to go and stop others from falling like his family had done.
After travaling around Varisia doing this and that, Tony needed money, and took jobs hunting unnatural beings and beast across the nation and now at age 19 he has gotten word of the beast known as Murdermaw and wishes to speak with it. Currently he is in the town of sandpoint, stocking up for supplies and wanting to see the festival.
his look
Tony is a man who tries to be humble in everything he does, he is a lover of animals and nature. Though he has been known to go a bit gung-ho at times.
He dislikes fire for obvious reasons.
He Hates arrogant people with superiority complexes and hates when he fails at anything, not because of any belief that he is perfect, but because he believes that if he fails enough that what happened to his family, Will happen again to someone else.
Submitting Ixian Axolotl, dual cursed time oracle and prophet of doom.
Gonna roll for golds.
I think I'm gonna start work on an Arcane Bloodrager.
I have a Spellscar Oracle in the works for this, hopefully I'll have it finished up tonight.
Dragoncat here. Finally finished up the background & crunch for my character.
Meet Lia Vantas: a prospective Monster Hunter, for all of Sandpoint's magical beast-hunting needs. :)
Ok, I'm seeing a limited number of skilled characters. I've been thinking about trying an Investigator, do here's my chance.
Well color me intrigued. I would like to submit my newest creation(s), Mr. Brooks and Ham. Please note the archetype requests at the bottom. Also, the whole "amnesia" thing isn't just a way to cop-out of making a background. I originally had a whole story about being raised in a minor noble family (the nation would have depended on what campaign I was accepted into) before an attack in which Ham made himself known, and Mr. Brooks was disowned. I just liked the idea of Mr. Brooks not knowing anything about his past, and the potential for him to run into people who recognize him. If selected, I will happily adjust him to your guidelines.
dot