School conjuration (creation) [disease];witch 4; Casting Time 1 standard action; Components V, S, M (a drop of acid and a black glass sphere); EFFECT: Target living creature touched; Duration instantaneous; Saving Throw Fortitude negates; Spell Resistance yes; DESCRIPTION: You create a coating of slime on your hand. When you make a successful melee touch attack with the slime, it pulls free of you and sticks to the target, at which point it acts like green slime (Core Rulebook 416), dealing 1d3 points of Constitution damage per round. Anything that destroys green slime (scraping, freezing, burning, cutting, sunlight, or remove disease) destroys this slime. If the slime kills a creature, it consumes the body and then dies. It cannot transfer to a creature other than the original target, and dies if separated from the original target.
Spell Resistance?:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16 Yeah I probably didn't get it there...
Con Damage/Round?:1d3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Round 3! Trial of Fire and Acid! Damage(Fire/Acid, for 8 rounds!):1d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + (6) = 7 Fort DC17 to reduce the damage by half!
Niklos leaps to one side, rolling on the floor to avoid the dragon's thunderous breath—more out of instinct than actual need. Shielded by Marinda's magic, he turns his roll into a running somersault, vaulting over the dragon's tail and diving under its legs to get into position. He waits just long enough for Hrain to catch Zassrion's attention before he strikes, attempting to find a weak spot in its armour of azure scales.
Niklos moves behind the dragon and attacks, with the assumption Hrain will have moved into flanking position by the time I'm there—I'll delay, ready an action, or whatever it takes to make that happen. I really want to get that bleed going.
Hrain charges into a flanking position with Niklos, attempting to bring the beast down, disheartened that his attempt to rally Sir Algon was unsuccessful.
Back from holidays! Business should resume shortly.
Sir Algon does indeed seem to be unconscious, bleeding ink on the ground.
As Edda's spell shatters again the dragon's resistance, Zassrion seems to realize something. With a voice that is fury and storm, he addresses the flying witch. "You would use the Harrow deck against ME? The Lord of this Realm? Well then, I shall eat your heart for this-"
He doesn't finish, as Niklos and Hrain pierce his flesh at the same time. Oak gall ink spills from his wounds, and for a moment you are treated to the sight of a blue dragon looking baffled at his own wounds. Then, he flails in pain for long seconds before the color is drained from him and his death throes stop. His flesh turns into wax, the wax melts through the floor, and the Patchwork Lord is defeated.
Soon Marzalee will mold him again into shape, but without the tokens he has no way of ever finding the Fortress again. His reign is finished. The only thing that marks the point where he fell is an ink stain and a human brain, lying on the ground and looking wildly out of place.
With the dragon dead, you can look around the room. The tokens are gently tugging towards the tapestry decorating the golden telescope, and there is a door you still haven't explored.
Male Human (Varisian) Sczarni Swindler 8 | AC 22 | HP 75/75 | Fort +5, Ref +13, Will +7 | CMB +5, CMD 21 | Init +9 | Perception +12
Niklos rolls backwards, dodging the sprays of ink and the odd glob of wax. He comes to a stop, breathing heavily. Having made sure he is still in one piece, he lets out a loud cheer, leaping back on his feet and kicking the brain clean across the room. "Yeah, f*ck you! Go to hell, you overgrown newt!"
The scoundrel hurries across the room, tossing the pouch with the tokens up to Edda. "Good job with the, uh... magic, cousin! Made a real mess of that scaly bastard. Since you're already floatin' up there, you might want to see 'bout that rag over yonder—see if that's our ticket outta here..."
With that done, he walks over to the last remaining door, pushing it open with shaking hands.
"Come on, Bernie! You told me there'd be gold. Well, heavily implied, at least..."
Back from holidays! Business should resume shortly.
It seems that, for once, Bernaditi wasn't lying. The last room must have been Sonnorae's bedchamber when she was alive: statues flank the walls, interspersed with ancient portraits. The large bed in the room’s center long ago collapsed under the weight of the coins and gems heaped upon it.
Items in the hoard:
- Each of the 10 art pieces in the room is worth 150 gp
- 348 pp, 2,872 gp, 10,132 sp, and 5,023 cp
- 50 pounds of vanilla beans (worth 15 gp per pound)
- a rug worth 350 gp
- a +2 kukri
- a +2 slick breastplate
- 4 +3 flaming arrows
- bracers of armor +2
- boots of teleportation
- a folding boat
- a javelin of lightning
- 6 potions of cure serious wounds
- a ring of wizardry I
- scrolls of blade barrier, elemental body IV, illusory wall
- a divine wand of dismissal with 12 charges
- a wand of blur
The silk tapestry ripples as Edda approaches, and the tokens pull towards it. An aura of illusion magic surrounds the cloth, although an incomplete one; it cannot function without the parts that are missing. Whichever the properties of this rag are, it seems obvious that you are looking at the fabric the tokens were cut from: the tattered remains of Sonnorae's kapenia.
Male Human (Varisian) Sczarni Swindler 8 | AC 22 | HP 75/75 | Fort +5, Ref +13, Will +7 | CMB +5, CMD 21 | Init +9 | Perception +12
Niklos stares in awe at the dragon's hoard, only barely restraining himself from flinging himself onto the doubtlessly rock-hard mound of riches. He allows himself a moment to grasp a handful of coins, letting them fall through his fingers back into the pile. The rogue then produces a burlap sack from the haversack on his shoulder, and starts filling both with treasures—after which he proceeds to stuff valuables into all of his various pockets.
"Oi, I might need a hand!" he calls through the door. "Reckon this'll be enough to buy us a ship, cousin?"
L8 Female Varisian shaman (witch doctor) 8 | hp 52/67 | F+6, R +5, W +13 (+1 vs Enchant) AC 19, T 11, FF 18 | Init + 1 | Per +6, Sense Motive +9
"Do we have EVERYBODY who is not storykin here? We need to make sure that (or at least do our best to ensure it) EVERYBODY who wants to leave gets to leave.
Very little of that haul really interests me. Perhaps I can take the wand of dismissal? And some spending money. Oh, and a few pounds of those beans. But I really don't need much"
Male Human (Varisian) Sczarni Swindler 8 | AC 22 | HP 75/75 | Fort +5, Ref +13, Will +7 | CMB +5, CMD 21 | Init +9 | Perception +12
Niklos shrugs. "We've been everywhere there is to be in here, Edda and myself, and I'm pretty damn sure we're the only flesh-and-blood folks 'round. Well, save for Garracy. Speakin' of which... Garracy, get in here! We're 'bout to leave, and we need some help carryin' all this booty..."
The swindler turns and bows to Marinda, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, no need to be so modest. Feel free to take as many beans as you fancy! Far be it from me to dishonour a Reader with anythin' less than their fair share."
Back from holidays! Business should resume shortly.
The tokens weave themselves into the silk fabric of the kapenia, infusing the old threads with sparks of rainbow. Within seconds, the tattered scarf is whole and new again, light dancing off it in kaleidoscopic patterns. The moment that the scarf is whole again, the cards of the Deck of Harrowed Tales fly away from your pockets, recomposing themselves as a full deck next to the golden telescope, which is slightly glowing with the return of old magic.
Through the lenses of the telescope, you can see the Korvosa outskirts, now deep in the night, the carnival Niklos and Edda departed from. And you have little doubt that the jeweled scarf is able to let you pass through, back to Golarion, just as the deck brought you here. With both of the artifacts, and Zassrion locked out of his fortress, you are now masters of this piece of the Harrowed Realm.
You hear the patter of feet clad in old shoes as Garracy climbs the staircase, out of breath after so little an exertion. "Is it... did you actually vanquish the dragon? Or is this yet another dream that Essessol is forcing on me? Out of my head, dream, if you are such!"
Sonnorae's kapenia can act as a robe of scintillating colors.
Female Half-elf Ranger 2 w/VMC Sorcerer (Oni Bloodline) | HP 18/18| Speed 30ft | AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (CMD 16) | Fort +4: Ref +5 : Will +2 | | Init +2, Perception +7| Active:
GM? What about the brain the dragon dropped? Marinda...the Kapenia is YOURS if you want it. We would never have survived this game without your healing abilities.
L8 Female Varisian shaman (witch doctor) 8 | hp 52/67 | F+6, R +5, W +13 (+1 vs Enchant) AC 19, T 11, FF 18 | Init + 1 | Per +6, Sense Motive +9
"What do we do with the Harrow Deck? I won't deny that I'd like to study it far more, to examine it, perhaps even to revisit this realm.
I'd also like to see if it is possible to resurrect Sonnorae. I can't help but feel that, if that is possible at all, her deck and possibly her Kapenia would be crucial."
Male Human (Varisian) Sczarni Swindler 8 | AC 22 | HP 75/75 | Fort +5, Ref +13, Will +7 | CMB +5, CMD 21 | Init +9 | Perception +12
Niklos corrals Garracy towards the telescope, looking just as anxious to leave as Edda. At the mention of the deck, he grows unusually serious. "You should have it, Reader—make sure it doesn't fall in the wrong hands. Frankly, I wouldn't wish this place on my worst enemy... and I can be plenty imaginative when dealin' with those who've crossed me, believe you me."
The scoundrel looks askance at the kapenia. "So, uh... what do we do, touch it? Does someone need to wear it?"
Back from holidays! Business should resume shortly.
The kapenia turns for a moment into a dazzling pattern of shimmering colors, enveloping you in the rainbow. Turned into pure light for an instant, you and the sacks full of draconic supplies travel through the golden telescope.
The air of Golarion is fresh and damp, and the colors seem muted after the time spent in the overly colorful realm. Korvosa welcomes you with a gentle mist in the incipient sunrise, and the festival is getting ready for a new day.
"Not a dream! Not a dream!" shouts Garracy, kissing the earth. "You saved me, thank you! We are free from that land of tales!"
--- Epilogues ---
Meloigne Garracy had slightly exaggerated the means and riches of his family, but nevertheless his gratitude was tangible. What he knew about Niklos' sister wasn't much, but it was a clue, leading to certain collectors in the small port of Roderic's Cove. Asking pointed questions and snooping around, sadly, didn't reveal much for the moment: apparently, whoever was behind the theft appears to have gone underground. A short time after, the two of you head to Riddleport, where part of the dragon hoard goes towards hiring a crew and nautical supplies. The folding boat served you properly until you manage to acquire a lavish galleon, and even then it was an excellent backup ship, allowing the two pirates to outflank and outrun their quarries. Soon, the seafarers learn to fear the twin vessels, Harrow's Wrath and Kapenia Dancer, as they fend the waves in a never-ending hunting for plunder, and every gambler in the Shackles is painfully aware of the two fearsome marauders whose luck with the cards always seems supernatural.
Marinda had little need for the material riches of the Harrowed Realm, but the Deck of Harrowed Tales was a treasure beyond measure, as the very first Harrow deck to ever grace Golarion. She kept it, just as well as she kept the secret of its magic. The souls trapped inside had been freed when they opened the way back, and perhaps some work and care could restore the ruined land to its old splendor. Or perhaps it was a dangerous trap, to be kept away from those careless enough to fall for it. The stories don't tell what the Reader did with the Deck, but only that she soon found a new caravan to call her own, her large, road-travelling family accepting her without a moment of doubt. And those who accosted her to have their future read found that her predictions were not only correct, but also spun the most enticing stories.
Hrain explored Golarion, this world so unlike his own, for a while. For years he wandered, taking in the sights and stories of different people, championing for the weak where his assistance was required. After many travels, his home-sickness grew steadily, however strange and marvelous this world was. In the end, he found himself in the Absalom Arcanamirium, where a Conjuration researcher took it upon themselves to bring him back. It took two semesters, a cycle of concerences and a rooftop chase, but in the end the way to his far-away world was opened. His confrontation with the treacherous elders, uniting his people against the tyrant, was made into tales and stories, and in the years to come he was a wise and respected ruler, combining his illuminated leadership with the wisdom of the Harrow.
And through the stories they had lived, new stories were created, for such is the nature of mortals, to create eternities through fascinating words.
Greetings, everyone. I have come to see who of you would be interested in running the traditional and well-loved The Harrowing module, with a twist. The twist being that ONLY characters with Harrow-centric archetypes will be accepted. I have looked on the SRD and I have been able to find three: the Suit Seeker Inquisitor, the Card Caster Magus and the Cartomancer Witch. There is also the Harrow Warden Monk, but, weirdly, it looks completely unrelated to the harrow decks. Of course feel free to inform me about any I may have missed.
EDIT: Burnscar pointed out the Haarrow Bloodline for Sorcerers, the Story Summoner and the Tarroh Student Arcanist. These are all available.
About me: I am a 23-years old Computer Science and Engineering student and a roleplayer since I was 14. I have mastered a campaign and a few modules in real life and I would like to try my hand at PBP mastering, starting with a module.
About the module: As said above, harrow-centric archetypes will be necessary, although if you want to mix them with others, you are free to do so. If you want to express interest, just post a brief concept of your character: they can come from anywhere on Golarion, be of any core, featured or uncommon race (up to 17 RP) and the backstory will be rather secondary.
Please note: I will allow all non-evil alignments and Lawful Evil, but only if it's a team-player kind of LE, not a back-stabbing one.
I am thinking of taking five players of level 7, even if the campaign is recommended for level 9, because I'm giving out a plethora of freebies: for example, any character would receive these abilities:
Deck Connection: The character starts the game with a masterwork harrow deck, which works as the wizard's arcane bond item. Any number of times per day, the character can spend 10 minutes to attune with his deck. Doing so replenishes any card that has been destroyed. In case the whole deck has been destroyed, this attunement requires 8 hours and 200 gp per character level and generates a new masterwork harrow deck, without any magic enhancements that may have been placed on it.
Expert Harrower: The character gains Harrowed as a bonus feat at level 1. They can also use the Harrow Casting ability as per the Harrower prestige class, with access to all of the six towers.
I hope that I can run a fun game with you. See you soon!
There's also the Harrow Bloodline, Story Summoner & the Tarroh Student.
Finally, there's the Varisian Pilgrim cleric, although it doesn't get harrowing until level 8.
You could also easily put together a Swindler rogue with the Card Sharp and Papercraft tools talent.
There's also Harrow Strike, but it's only for post-10th rogues.
Personally, I'm inclined to go with Story Summoner, if that's allowed.
Thanks, I edited the post. I'd allow the casting classes, who would all benefit from Harrow Casting, except the Varisian PIlgrim, which is connected to the harrow only marginally.
I have to choose whether the Summoner should be Unchained, but one way or another it will be among the choices.
I never played a summoner, but I saw almost any recruitment threads requirind the unchained version. From what I'm seeing from the modifications and online threads, I would probably go with a compromise: non-unchained but with the unchained spell list. I didn't like the flavor shackles applied at the eidolon, but I believe that the spellcasting was overwhelming.
This way the eidolon, the most flavorful class feature, remains strong and versatile (especially in a high-casting module such as this), as long as there is a covenant to avoid the most flagrant abuses (like early multiattack pounce monstrosity).
I have a card caster magus i'm currently playing in a live Jade Regent game and loving her. I've always wanted to run or play the Harrow module, so would definately be up for it. I'd love to try an alternate magus. I have played alot of varisians, be fun to find a harrower called from another region or race.
EDIT: The Foreign Trader card would be her personal representation.
I'm interested. The Harrow Warden Monk is themed on the harrow from more of a lore perspective than any mechanics that outright say/use harrow in it.
Oh! There's the Varisian Pilgrim Cleric. They get a harrowing ability at level 8.
That said, I would like to play the Suit Seeker Inquisitor. I really wish that you would let me play a Lagos Oh, and Zolexa13 is talking about one of my games. Her magus is awesome.
I'm afraid I can't find it, is it somewhere 3PP? The Order of the Hammer is for strength. Still, it would probably be alright, except that non-casters would not take great advantage of the free Harrow Casting. I could easily refluff Flaming Crab Games' Order of Luck, though.
He'sDeadJim wrote:
Wayfinder #13 has a Harrow patron for witches too.
Don't have Wayfinder, but I suppose it would be alright.
He'sDeadJim wrote:
Edit: I'm thinking a Half-Orc..would you allow a Cavalier from the Order of Hammers?
Do you allow a VMC? (Varient Multiclass?)
Probably (see above). VMC is fine.
Misroi wrote:
What about playing a medium using the original playtest rules? Those were Harrow based.
I'm looking at the playtest document and I don't see anything wrong with it, so I'd say yes. I'll dive into the discussion thread, though, to check why it was changed this much.
rungok wrote:
I'm interested. The Harrow Warden Monk is themed on the harrow from more of a lore perspective than any mechanics that outright say/use harrow in it.
Yeah, it's just that a HWM would probably spend the whole module without ever drawing a card, and it didn't strike me as particularly fun to play.
rungok wrote:
Oh! There's the Varisian Pilgrim Cleric. They get a harrowing ability at level 8.
Yes, but it's quite minor. I feel that they added it as an afterthought, like they wanted to add the harrowing for the Varisian flavor, not change anything. That said, the archetypes are quite heavily arcane, therefore I might change something about it to make it a possibility. For example, (speaking off the top of my head) forcing the Fate subdomain, moving the harrow ability and allowing to channel energy through cards.
rungok wrote:
That said, I would like to play the Suit Seeker Inquisitor. I really wish that you would let me play a Lagos
I don't have the 3PP you're referring to (although I might buy it in case, if you could give me a quick overview I would think about it. That said, if you just want to play a rabbit person, I can easily refluff catfolk or ratfolk.
RELATED: Rules are important, but Rule of Cool and Rule of Fun are paramount. If you want to play a race for its flavor but the racial modifiers are all wrong (I don't mean suboptimal, I'm talking dwarf sorcerer wrong), if you would like to take an archetype that would not be compatible with the harrowed one for just one feature(like Spirit Summoner and Story Summoner), ask away! My objective is to create something cool and enjoyable for everyone, not to be a stickler for the rules.
That said, I would like to play the Suit Seeker Inquisitor. I really wish that you would let me play a Lagos
I don't have the 3PP you're referring to (although I might buy it in case, if you just want to play a rabbit person, I can easily refluff catfolk or ratfolk.
Funny you mention that. I actually CAN get you a copy of the pdf.
small disclosure: I own Golden Glyph. I am not trying to cheese anything, actually. I had published this race a while ago and while I'm still waiting to get it added to the SRD (or I would have just linked that instead) I can give you the info. Statistically, they're close to catfolk in scope, but are not just recolors.
Funny you mention that. I actually CAN get you a copy of the pdf.
small disclosure: I own Golden Glyph. I am not trying to cheese anything, actually. I had published this race a while ago and while I'm still waiting to get it added to the SRD (or I would have just linked that instead) I can give you the info. Statistically, they're close to catfolk in scope, but are not just recolors.
Aaaah, you are straddling the fine line between adaptation and homebrew ;) anyway, I have nothing against it, as long as it's balanced and can fit in a disparate groupt of adventurers.
Thanks, I edited the post. I'd allow the casting classes, who would all benefit from Harrow Casting, except the Varisian PIlgrim, which is connected to the harrow only marginally.
I have to choose whether the Summoner should be Unchained, but one way or another it will be among the choices.
I would have to double check, but I'm fairly sure that archetype won't work with Unchained Summoner.
I would have to double check, but I'm fairly sure that archetype won't work with Unchained Summoner.
You're correct, it wouldn't work, but after spending a couple hours deep in discussions about the Unchained Summoner, I've decided that, as long as people do not abuse it, I would allow an APG Summoner with the Unchained spell list. Of course, should someone want to play full Unchained, that would be alright with me. As far as I understand, the Eidolon Subtypes are loved by some and hated by others.
Cavaliers of the order of the hammer respect might over all, and believe that those who prove their strength have earned the right to make decisions for the weak. When the cavalier’s own goals conflict with those of a mighty ruler, the cavalier must prove that her own strength and ideals are superior.
Edicts: The cavalier must continually strive to prove her own strength as well as the strength of those she is allied with, especially when faced with adversity or by those who would seek to best the cavalier’s brawn.
Challenge: An order of the hammer cavalier can attempt a free grapple check or free sunder combat maneuver check anytime she takes the full-attack action against the target of her challenge. This free combat maneuver does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Skills: An order of the hammer cavalier adds Acrobatics (Dex) and Knowledge (local) (Int) to her list of class skills. In addition, whenever the cavalier uses Acrobatics to jump, she can add her Strength bonus to the check in addition to her Dexterity modifier, and she receives a bonus on Acrobatics checks to jump equal to 1/2 her cavalier level (minimum +1).
Order Abilities: A cavalier belonging to the order of the hammer gains the following abilities as she increases in level.
Mighty Bash (Ex): At 2nd level, the cavalier does not provoke attacks of opportunity when she attacks foes while unarmed so long as she is dealing nonlethal damage. In addition, the cavalier’s unarmed strikes deal more nonlethal damage than usual; she is treated as having a number of monk levels equal to her cavalier level for the purpose of determining how much nonlethal damage her unarmed strikes deal. For example, a 12th-level cavalier of the order of the hammer would deal 2d6 points of nonlethal damage with her unarmed strike. The cavalier must still select the Improved Unarmed Strike feat if she wants to deal lethal damage with her unarmed strike, and lethal damage dealt with her unarmed strike is not increased by this ability.
Crushing Grapple (Ex): At 8th level, the cavalier gains Chokehold (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 92) as a bonus feat, even if she does not meet the prerequisites. She does not take the –5 penalty on grapple checks to put an opponent in a chokehold.
Inspiring Flex (Ex): At 15th level, the cavalier can display her own brawn to inspire greater strength in his allies. As a standard action, she can grant herself and any allies within 30 feet a +4 morale bonus on melee attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, Fortitude saves, and Strength checks. The cavalier can maintain her inspiring f lex as a free action, and she can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal 1/2 her cavalier level; this duration need not be continuous.
Wayfinder is a free PDF magazine written by Paizo fans and published here:Wayfinder #13
Wayfinder is a free PDF magazine written by Paizo fans and published here:Wayfinder #13
GM Sappy's eye widens in a terrible flashback of the horridly powerful Dragon Magazine classes for 3.5.
Jokes aside, that patron looks perfectly fine: I'd say you're free to select it, but the Cartomancer archetype is still enforced.
As for the Order of the Hammer Cavalier, it seems to have the same problem as the Harrow Warden Monk: it's flavorfully linked to the harrow, but it has no tied mechanics. It would be boring, I believe, to have all the casters draw cards to enhance their powers while you still play as a vanilla Cavalier.
That said, if you wish to play a Cavalier, it can be arranged. Refluffing the 3PP Order of Luck would be easy, since it is already thematically linked, and I could swap the free Harrow Casting feature for either a Blessings of the Harrow or a spell-like harrowing.
ALSO RELEVANT: reading more carefully the scenario, I saw that all the conjuration(summoning) spells are hampered. It's nothing crippling, but something to keep in mind.
So, this would be my spin on a Harrow-based cleric. If you would give me some feedback, it could be a possibility.
Cleric of Fate:
This is mostly homebrew, although it is based on the Varisian Pilgrim archetype.
- Armor Proficiency: A Cleric of Fate is proficient with light armor and shields. This alters Armor Proficiency.
- Devout of Fickle Fate: A Cleric of Fate needs not choose a deity. If they choose a deity, their alignment is restricted as usual. They must select their domains among Chaos, Liberation, Luck and Travel, and the Revelry, Whimsy, Freedom, Fate, Imagination or Exploration subdomains. They gain access to these domains. A Cleric of Fate uses their bonded Harrow Deck as a divine focus. This ability alters domains and the usual alignment restrictions.
- Cartomancy: At 3rd level, a Cleric of Fate adds harrowing and greater harrowing to their spell list. In addition, they cast all divination spells at +1 caster level. This ability replaces the increase in channel energy normally gained at 3rd level.
- Fortune Teller: At 7th level, once per day, a Cleric of Fate can spend 10 minutes reading the cards to either get a +10 bonus on a skill roll, or to add their Charisma bonus to an initiative check. The choice must be made when performing the harrowing. This roll must be used in the next 24 hours. This ability replaces the increase in channel energy normally gained at 7th level.
Oh, I planned on making the full-fledged recruitment thread sometime in the next week, so right now I just need the concept.
Right now I have:
Burnscar - Story Summoner
zolexa13 - Card Caster Magus
rungok - Rabbitfolk Suit Seeker Inquisitor
He'sDeadJim - Cartomancer Witch [Harrow Patron]
And dots (think they are dots) from Misroi, The Chess and Irnk, Dead-Eye's Prodigal
Did someone look at the Cleric of Fate? Any suggestions? Too strong, too weak?
(The Harrow Handbook pg. 15: The witch can curse a target creature by touching it with a card randomly drawn from a harrow deck she owns. The target is affected as if by the spell bestow curse using the witch’s caster level, except that the witch can decrease only the ability score that corresponds to the suit of the card drawn. Whether or not the save is successful, a creature cannot be targeted by this hex more than once in 24 hours. At 15th level, this hex acts as a major curse spell (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 215). A witch with the cartomancer archetype can combine this hex with her spell deck’s deliver touch spell ability.
Not sure I'd actually want to play another Arcanist (I'm playing one in an Iron Gods game on these boards) but if somebody was feeling inspired you could make something quite interesting.
@FangDragon: Thanks a lot for the resources! You don't have to play an Arcanist, if you wish to participate in the module, you can also be a Cartomancer Witch, Card Caster Magus, Harrow Bloodline Sorcerer, Suit Seeker Inquisitor, Order of Luck Cavalier or Cleric of Fate.
I'm thinking on going with an Order of Luck Cavalier. Probably Half-Orc... Will, however, I have a way to have my mount around? Without it, it severely cripples my build :) Focusing on Charisma and Strength or Dexterity, I'm thinking of multiclassing with paladin, monk or something like that, and ride some really mean beast!
@The Chess: About half the game areas are indoor, so I would personally recommend being Small. Having a big mount has its pros and cons, but I'm not averse to letting you take weird creatures throught the Monstrous Companion feat.
Also, if you multiclass I'd expect you to give a flavorful reason. All of the characters in the module will need to have a deep connection to the Harrow deck, that's why I limited the choice to those classes. A 1-level dip I can understand easily, but if you made a Cavalier 2/Monk 5, you would need an exceptionally good background motivation.
I would be interested in submitting a character, though it seems that most bases have already been covered. Would the Sczarni Swindler archetype be in line with your concept?
@Neirikr: Oh, right, I had forgotten about it. It would be appropriate, however you can select anything you wish. I have nothing against a team of six witches, for example.
@The Chess: Sorry to see you go, best of luck in your future games!
For all of you, I had been thinking about making a separate recruitment thread, but I guess that this one could do as well. I'll post crunch and fluff rules in the next days.
Hey, don't get me wrong. I love playing rogues, and I see no reason to step on anyone's toes if I don't have to. While I have nothing against having a less traditional party composition, I find that it's a bit hard to stand out from the crowd with too many multiples of the same class. Especially so in this instance, since the number of archetypes is so limited.
If we can double the classes already existing, then I wonder if I can make a half-magus (card caster), half-witch (cartomancer). Mostly magus, though :)
If we can double the classes already existing, then I wonder if I can make a half-magus (card caster), half-witch (cartomancer). Mostly magus, though :)
Isn't there a Magus archtype that can Hexes like a witch?
If we can double the classes already existing, then I wonder if I can make a half-magus (card caster), half-witch (cartomancer). Mostly magus, though :)
Isn't there a Magus archtype that can Hexes like a witch?
Yes, and if I recall it stacks with Card-Caster, the Hexcrafter.
@Neirikr: Well, then, Swindler is alright. You can be unchained, if you want, and you don't need to be a Sczarni if you'd prefer a different flavor.
@The Chess: Sounds excellent: as said above, Hexcrafter stacks with Card Caster, else you can do VMC or standard multiclass, as you prefer.
Well, well, well, well, well, well, well.
Counting Burnscar, zolexa13, rungok, He'sDeadJim, Neirikr and The Chess, six players have expressed interest, one for each suit of the harrow deck (no coincidence). I'll accept new applications until next Sunday, approximately midnight GMT, but I'd say that you can go ahead and create your characters. Here are the rules.
Varisian folk tale wrote:
…And so the charming Sonnorae braved crumbling towers in this age of endless night, gobbling up tales and tomes lest they be forever lost. Then into her secret hold she’d wend, to keep them safe forever more. But careless was charming Sonnorae, and once behind her, the door did close. Trapped forever and a day, she stumbled into the darkness of madness and genius and back again, finally taking her beloved tales and whittling mouths so they might speak and legs that they might walk. But beings of ink, not flesh, were they, half-formed and filled with hate…
Welcome, one and all, to my weird, houseruly and, hopefully, fun game of The Harrowing! The whole module (as the name suggests) is heavily Harrow-based, so I went all-out and chose to make it an adventure for Harrow-based classes only. This means that some archetypes will be enforced, and I'll be expecting a backstory where the cards are relevant.
Starting level: 7. It's two levels under the recommended starting level, but I plan on taking six players and you'll have some bonus abilities.
Abilities: 20 point buy, no ability over 18 or under 8 before racial modifiers, standard stuff. Avoid shameless minmaxing but I won't blame you for dumping a couple of stats.
Race: Any core, featured or uncommon up to 17 RP. Third party will be evaluated on a case-by case basis. The adventure will start in Varisia, but you don't need to be Varisian-born.
Classes: Harrow-based archetypes are enforced: Cartomancer Witch, Card Caster Magus, Suit Seeker Inquisitor, Harrow Bloodline Sorcerer, Tarroh Student Arcanist, Swindler Rogue, Story Summoner and Order of Luck Cavalier. The Summoner will use the unchained spell list. Furthermore, my personal modification on the Varisian Pilgrim (or Devout Pilgrim) Cleric will be available. Party balance will be irrelevant, so you can go wild.
Traits: Two, and they must be flavorwise appropriate to you. If you take Reactionary, I expect you to play a reactionary character, claiming that things were better in the "old days" and yelling at whippersnappers.
Hit Points: Max at first level, half+1 later. This means 30+7*Con for a d6, 38+7*Con for a d8, 46+7*Con for a d10.
Additional rules: VMC is allowed, Automatic Bonus Progression and Background Skills are in effect. Among other things, this means that your starting WBL is 11.750 gp. Crafting beforehand is not allowed, sorry, but I can anticipate that you may want to have a Magic Item Creation feat or two in your party, shops will be few and far between. I won't track XP, you'll gain a level when I feel it's appropriate. you may expect to be level 9/10 by the end of the module, but I'm not sure, especially since it's highly non-linear.
Bonus stuff: Your character is an expert harrower. You all get these abilities for free:
- Deck Connection: You starts the game with a masterwork harrow deck, which works as the wizard's arcane bond item (or the equivalent Arcane Bloodline feature if you are a spontaneous caster, Arcanists use the wizard-like rule). Any number of times per day, you can spend 10 minutes to attune with your deck. Doing so replenishes any card that has been destroyed. In case the whole deck has been destroyed, this attunement requires 8 hours and 200 gp per character level and generates a new masterwork harrow deck, without any magic enhancements that may have been placed on it. In case you are not a spellcaster, the deck allows you to prepare and cast a single 1st-level spell from the wizard/sorcerer or witch spell list once per day. The save DC of that spell is based on your highest mental score.
- Expert Harrower: You gain Harrowed as a bonus feat.
- Heart of the Cards: Choose one: you can use Harrow Casting as per the Harrower prestige class a number of day equal to half your character level, with access to all of the six Tower abilities, or you can cast a greater harrowing spell as a spell-like ability once per day.
Alignment: All and any, with some caveats. Lawful characters should know that the module takes place far from organized society and that the Harrow deck is bound to the powers of luck and randomness. Be mindful of this. Evil characters WILL be allowed, but take note: should you harm the party, murdering you in retaliation would not only be allowed, it would be thematically appropriate for the scenario. If you want to be evil, keep it tasteful. All in all, play alignments responsibly. These threads might give you useful advice.
Player expectations: I'm going to take a page from Painlord and say "I'm going to hold you to the same standard as I hold myself: I expect you to post as often as is needed, adjusting to the pace of the group, as set by me. I plan to post at least once per day. When you do post, I expect you to push the action/story/RP or leave/pick up RP hooks. If our pacing changes to the point of negatively impacting your ability to keep up, I hope and expect that you will talk to me earlier rather than later. I promise to do the same if our positions are reversed." People who disappear without explanation will be botted for a week, then fed to the ravens.
About me: I'm not a native speaker, so I hope that you will forgive me if I make the occasional blunder. This would be my first PBP mastering, and I'm relatively new to PBP in general, but I've been playing RPGs for the last 9 years. I sometimes make mistakes, but I'm trying to learn. I am usually not far from a computer, so I can post frequently.
IMPORTANT: I want to make a fun game. If you want to play a race for its flavor but the racial modifiers are all wrong (I don't mean suboptimal, I'm talking dwarf sorcerer wrong), if you would like to take an archetype that would not be compatible with the harrowed one for just one feature(like Spirit Summoner and Story Summoner), ask away! I don't guarantee that I'll agree to everything, but I'll do my best to keep an open mind.
What to submit:
- Crunch. There will be time to collaboratively tweak your builds, but I want the complete character. You don't need to make an alias right away but keep fluff and crunch together.
- A backstory. There won't be a connection to the backstory during the module, so you can keep it short, but I'd like a paragraph on what made you go adventuring and another on what you did during your first six levels.
- A description of your personality, with a couple of quirks. Tell me if your character dislikes boiled vegetables, has a secret love for romantic literature and an irrational fear of chickens, stuff like this.
- A roleplaying sample. Tell me a scene from your past, or how you found yourself in the Korvosa Umbral Carnival, anything you like. Does not need to be extra-long.
Cleric of Fate:
This is mostly homebrew, although it is based on the Varisian Pilgrim archetype.
- Armor Proficiency: A Cleric of Fate is proficient with light armor and shields. This alters Armor Proficiency.
- Devout of Fickle Fate: A Cleric of Fate needs not choose a deity. If they choose a deity, their alignment is restricted as usual. They must select their domains among Chaos, Liberation, Luck and Travel, and the Revelry, Whimsy, Freedom, Fate, Imagination or Exploration subdomains. They gain access to these domains. A Cleric of Fate uses their bonded Harrow Deck as a divine focus. This ability alters domains and the usual alignment restrictions.
- Cartomancy: At 3rd level, a Cleric of Fate adds harrowing and greater harrowing to their spell list. In addition, they cast all divination spells at +1 caster level. This ability replaces the increase in channel energy normally gained at 3rd level.
- Fortune Teller: At 7th level, once per day, a Cleric of Fate can spend 10 minutes reading the cards to either get a +10 bonus on a skill roll, or to add their Charisma bonus to an initiative check. The choice must be made when performing the harrowing. This roll must be used in the next 24 hours. This ability replaces the increase in channel energy normally gained at 7th level.
So erm, thing is.... I was kind of hoping to make a knight-type eidolon. With a sword?
Since eidolons and summoners are supposed to share item slots, is there any chance I could apply the benefits of ABP to the eidolon instead of myself? So like, I could take the armor bonus, it gets the weapon bonus, I get the resistance bonus, it gets the deflection bonus and so on?
I swear, I have never gone manual-diving this much, the SRD jumped to the top of my most visited sites.
The way you suggest seems appropriate, since usually you would share slots but not effects, on the condition that switching the bonuses from you to the eidolon and vice versa takes a minute, so that it would be impractical (but not impossible) to do so in combat.
- Heart of the Cards: Choose one: you can use Harrow Casting as per the Harrower prestige class a number of day equal to half your character level, with access to all of the six Tower abilities, or you can cast a greater harrowing spell as a spell-like ability once per day.
Would it be possible to get, say, the Harrow Strike advanced rogue talent instead? I don't benefit much from the first option, and there's not much sense in having more than a couple people capable of the second.
GM Sappy wrote:
I'm not a native speaker, so I hope that you will forgive me if I make the occasional blunder.
Would it be possible to get, say, the Harrow Strike advanced rogue talent instead? I don't benefit much from the first option, and there's not much sense in having more than a couple people capable of the second.
Excellent thinking. Since it's only 1/day, I'd also give you Card Sharp and Papercraft Tools for free, talents that are flavorful but not really strong.
Yay! I'm adjusting the character now. I'm not used to automatic bonus progressions, so please correct me if I got it wrong. At level 7, we have 1 armor attunement, 1 weapon attunement, 1 physical and 1 mental attunement, yes?
Basil Stormtail:
Basil Stormtail
Male lagos inquisitor (suit seeker) of Desna 7 (Pathfinder Player Companion: The Harrow Handbook, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 38)
CN Medium Humanoid (lagos)
Init +10; Senses low-light vision; Perception +16
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Defense
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AC 22, touch 17, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +1 deflection, +6 Dex, +1 shield)
hp 45 (7d8+7)
Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +10 (+1 vs. enchantment effects)
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Offense
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Speed 40 ft.; jumper, sprinter
Melee +1 starknife +13 (1d4+7/×3) or
. . cold iron dagger +11 (1d4/19-20) or
. . unarmed strike +11 (1d3 nonlethal)
Special Attacks bane (7 rounds/day), judgment 3/day
Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +11)
. . 7/day—bit of luck
Inquisitor Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +11)
. . At will—discern lies (7 rounds/day)
Inquisitor (Suit Seeker) Spells Known (CL 7th; concentration +11)
. . 3rd (2/day)—deadly juggernaut[UC], heroism
. . 2nd (4/day)—discovery torch[UC], holy ice weapon[ACG], knock, resist energy
. . 1st (5/day)—cure light wounds, divine favor, inflict light wounds (DC 15), lucky number, true strike
. . 0 (at will)—acid splash, create water, detect magic, light, resistance, stabilize
. . Domain Luck
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 22, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 10
Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 22
Feats - Custom Feat -, Harrowed[ISWG], Outflank[APG], Piranha Strike, Precise Strike[APG], Starry Grace, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (starknife)
Traits fate's favored, winner's luck (riddleport)
Skills Acrobatics +13 (+17 to jump), Climb +4, Diplomacy +6, Heal +11, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Knowledge (history) +10, Knowledge (nature) +4, Knowledge (planes) +4, Knowledge (religion) +4, Linguistics +3, Perception +16, Profession (fortune-teller) +11, Sense Motive +19, Spellcraft +4, Stealth +13, Swim +4, Use Magic Device +4
Languages Celestial, Common, Custom Language, Sylvan, Varisian
SQ eye of the harrow, good fortune (1/day), improvised array, monster lore +4, solo tactics, stern gaze +3, track +3
Combat Gear holy water (7), holy water; Other Gear +1 darkleaf cloth studded leather, buckler, +1 starknife, cold iron dagger, handy haversack, medium's harrow mat, traveler's grandiose carrying case, bedroll, belt pouch, candle (10), flint and steel, harrow deck[UE], hemp rope (50 ft.), holy text[UE], manacles, mess kit[UE], pot, soap, spell component pouch, trail rations (5), waterskin, wooden holy symbol of Desna, 100 gp, 1 sp
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Special Abilities
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Bane (+2 / 2d6, 7 rounds/day) (Su) Make the weapon you are holding a bane weapon.
Bit of Luck (7/day) (Sp) Target takes the higher of 2d20 for a d20 roll.
Discern Lies (7 rounds/day) (Sp) Discern Lies at will
Eye of the Harrow (Su) If improvised array has 1 ali match of foe in 30 ft +1 att, if 2 in 60 ft then +1 dam as well.
Good Fortune (1/day) (Ex) As an immediate action, reroll a die before result is known. Must take 2nd roll.
Harrowed +1 on saves vs. enchantment; can draw Harrow cards for bonuses.
Improvised Array (Su) Use harrow deck to choose judgment/bolster effectiveness with chosen judgment.
Inquisitor (Suit Seeker) Domain (Luck) Granted Powers: You are infused with luck, and your mere presence can spread good fortune.
Judgment (3/day) (Su) Variable bonuses increase as the combat continues.
Jumper (Ex) You always are considered to have a running start when jumping.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Monster Lore +4 (Ex) +4 to Knowledge checks when identifying the weaknessess of creatures.
Outflank Increase flank bonus by +2 if flanking ally has same feat. If you crit, ally gets an AoO.
Piranha Strike -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage with light weapons.
Precise Strike +1d6 precision damage for melee attacks if you and an ally with this feat flank the same target.
Solo Tactics (Ex) Count Teamwork feats as if your allies had the same ones.
Sprinter (Ex) +10 ft to speed when charge, run, or withdraw.
Starry Grace Use Dexterity on starknife damage rolls
Stern Gaze +3 (Ex) +3 to Sense Motive and Intimidate.
Track +3 Add the listed bonus to survival checks made to track.
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Basil Stormtail is a Desnan Inquisitor. He was once just a member of a lagos drove when he got separated from the group while fleeing from a pack of gnolls in northern Varisia. He ended up spending time in Riddleport, where he realized that he was pretty lucky, at least until his winning streak got some particularly criminal types wanting to take their frustrations out on him. He fled (again) and was eventually picked up by a caravan heading down towards Magnimar. Many of the caravan travelers were Varisian, and taught him not only about the Harrow, but about the goddess Desna. Enamored by the concept of the Rabbit Prince and the goddess, he found what temples he could and eventually was accepted as a member. His curiosity and luck that aided his search for information had pegged him to the clerics as an odd, but effective inquisitor.
Basil is a gray rabbitfolk with a white tail, long ears, and blue eyes. He wears Darkleaf studded armor and carries a starknife on his belt.
His goal is to find the real Rabbit Prince, the being whom the Harrow card is based on. He hasn't really decided what to do when he actually FINDS the being, but he hopes that Desna will bless his attempts to find what might have been the ancestor of his race.
Yay! I'm adjusting the character now. I'm not used to automatic bonus progressions, so please correct me if I got it wrong. At level 7, we have 1 armor attunement, 1 weapon attunement, 1 physical and 1 mental attunement, yes?
You also have a +1 deflection bonus to AC, which you seem to have counted, and a +1 resistance bonus to saves.
Hi, Neirikr here. Meet Niklos Voski. Out of all the cards, he best embodies the Crows. As would be expected, this means that he is not a very nice person. I do promise he'll play nice with the rest of the group, though. Like I usually do with morally dubious characters, I left him in an uncertain mental space, so that he can easily be influenced by his comrades, one way or another.
All the relevant information should be in the profile. Let me know if I need to add or tweak anything.
I'm not used to automatic bonus progressions, so please correct me if I got it wrong. At level 7, we have 1 armor attunement, 1 weapon attunement, 1 physical and 1 mental attunement, yes?
Automatic Progression is new to me too.
Can someone post or send me a quick link to the rules?
=)
I'm not used to automatic bonus progressions, so please correct me if I got it wrong. At level 7, we have 1 armor attunement, 1 weapon attunement, 1 physical and 1 mental attunement, yes?
Automatic Progression is new to me too.
Can someone post or send me a quick link to the rules?
=)
@Niklos: Alright, I like the conflicted relationship with the deck. I'll have to recheck a few crunchy bits but for the most part it looks ok. One thing that catches my eye, Card Sharp gives you Deadly Dealer, but not Arcane Strike, you need to be a spellcaster to use that.
@He'sDeadJim: Sure, go ahead. Let me guess, you'll be connected to The Bear card ;)
@Everyone: Remember to write a brief RP sample. If you prefer, I'm opening the Discussion threadas a temporary tavern.
One thing that catches my eye, Card Sharp gives you Deadly Dealer, but not Arcane Strike, you need to be a spellcaster to use that.
Arcane Strike requires the "ability to cast arcane spells," which I think I get from the Deck Connection special ability. Or would that be considered a spell-like ability? I can certainly swap the feat out for something else, if that is the case.
GM Sappy wrote:
@Everyone: Remember to write a brief RP sample. If you prefer, I'm opening the Discussion threadas a temporary tavern.
Those tend to get a bit messy, in my experience. Some sort of an example of what you're looking for would be nice, if it's not too much trouble.
Arcane Strike requires the "ability to cast arcane spells," which I think I get from the Deck Connection special ability. Or would that be considered a spell-like ability? I can certainly swap the feat out for something else, if that is the case.
Oh, yeah, that's reasonable, you can take it.
Niklos Voski wrote:
Those tend to get a bit messy, in my experience. Some sort of an example of what you're looking for would be nice, if it's not too much trouble.
You can go with moment with her twin sister, a clever scam he ran, flirting with a girl, the moment he arrived at the Korvosa Umbral Carnival, any moment of your past, written in the style of a campaign post. I'd just like to get a feel of your character moving in the world, so to craft some story hooks.
One nit to pick, then I believe you're good to go, assuming you started with Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14, then added racial bonus to Dex, prowess to Dex and Int, you are missing the +1 ability increase you got at level 4.
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