I meant to ask in my previous post but realized it just a bit too late to get the edit in: are you restricting alignments/classes at all? Anti-paladin would be a ton of fun if the party ends up being fairly evil, but I completely understand if that's not what you're looking for. And it doesn't fit at all if it's not an evil party, of course. So, tough to choose.
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This looks neat. Always wanted to play in a self-aware PFO type game. Just curious, why are we using the antihero option? It seems a little odd for a game about a game.
Not sure if I'm going to join, but I just felt like it was a little funny that that was the singular variant rule you chose to use. Nothing wrong with it, just wanted to know the reasoning.
Turt Snacko; Yes, there are NPCs. Usually quest-givers and shopkeepers, and bandits. And usually as a sort of 'placeholder' for all the other PCs until they begin taking a more active role in their new home (where the downtime system takes effect).
LAB Rat; You're absolutely right, it was only a matter of time before someone woke up in the dark room with a hangover. Also, so far, most of the characters are good-aligned, with a neutral or two. I have played an evil character in a good-alligned party before, and he managed to singlehandedly completely change the plot of Rise of the Runelords by the end of the third chapter, and now he's the villain of another campaign by my old GM (and his name was Jaster Kite). So you could if you wanted to, as long as everyone else is cool with it.
Azten; I'm just here to make stories me and my players can have fun with. Got three members of the Earth gand here, cool. Glad you could make it.
Kubular; I've always been fond of the Antihero option because it allowed me further customization of my character. I use it in all of my campaigns (also, the afforementioned original Jaster Kite was not allowed Hero Points, on the case of him being NE).
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I'm a bit iffy on evil characters in good aligned parties. I've seen one too many campaigns completely derailed when the evil character decides to screw over the party on a whim or, even barring that, when the evil character is noticed to be evil and the rest of the party doesn't want to be associated with this.
On the other hand, I've seen it done right a few times, with Lawful Evil characters whose interest naturally aligned with the party, and who understood that they needed to keep to the party's morals.
I'm of two minds of this. Hm...
EDIT: It appears I wasn't fast enough in editing this post. See below for my original statements.
I'm a bit iffy on evil characters in good aligned parties. I've seen one too many campaigns completely derailed when the evil character decides to screw over the party on a whim.
I'd allow it, but on the condition that there be an OOC agreement to avoid this kind of problem derailment. Also, don't steal from the party, even if "it's what my character would do."
I'm sure a certain halfling cleric I once tied to a post as bullete bait would agree with you :)
Anyways, yeah. There should be some sort of agreement to keep things fair for everyone.
I'm a bit iffy on evil characters in good aligned parties. I've seen one too many campaigns completely derailed when the evil character decides to screw over the party on a whim or, even barring that, when the evil character is noticed to be evil and the rest of the party doesn't want to be associated with this.
On the other hand, I've seen it done right a few times, with Lawful Evil characters whose interest naturally aligned with the party, and who understood that they needed to keep to the party's morals.
I'm of two minds of this. Hm...
I'm feeling similarly to it. If the evil character is will to play nice [or at least play cooperatively] with the party there really isn't any issue with having them in the party - at that point it's mostly the difference between Diplomacy Vs. Intimidate on a larger scale.
I wouldn't mind a counter-point to a mostly good/neutral aligned party.
I'm up for either a LE or NE in the party as long as they are willing to work with others. Not too big on CE in a party like what it seems we're making.
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Out of curiosity, how much does alignment matter in Golarion Online? Is there a morality system, or could a high level paladin go to a low level area and slaughter hundreds without losing thier powers like in real world MMOs?
Because unless there is a moral system, then our alignment choices are more reflective of the human players than the character they create.
I second Xynen's sentiment.
Alignment is already an afterthought for most characters, more so in this case because it comes into conflict with real world morality.
I think it'd be best for everyone if we didn't give it too much thought either way. LE could be just as harmful as CE, and CE could easily be justified in most of their actions.
It'd be best to just go with whatever and let your actions in-game speak for you.
'Sides, I'd like to see a Lawful Good paladin player who constantly had to remind himself to play nice.
Yeah, Xynon might be right here. Golarion Online doesn't seem to be the kind of game that would let players engage in wanton slaughter amongst each other without some massive penalty.
Because unless there is a moral system, then our alignment choices are more reflective of the human players than the character they create
Just curious, but wouldn't that imply that alignment locked classes aren't actually alignment locked in Golarion Online? :o Just a thought.
Said said, Johnnycat's idea of a paladin who has to work to actually be Lawful Good sounds hysterical. I may just run with that idea.
Because unless there is a moral system, then our alignment choices are more reflective of the human players than the character they createJust curious, but wouldn't that imply that alignment locked classes aren't actually alignment locked in Golarion Online? :o Just a thought.
Said said, Johnnycat's idea of a paladin who has to work to actually be Lawful Good sounds hysterical. I may just run with that idea.
The presence of human 'players' does present a conundrum there, doesn't it? :) Perhaps there are alignment algorithms, akin to Fable and Kotor, that monitor your actions.
That does sound fun. I mean, imagine being the guy who picked the paladin without realizing the alignment restriction in the first place.
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Considering Neros Hemming dead and barely, even if it wasn't necessarily true, Balthus used new found skills and power to be the one passing out punishment. He serves as a mercenary and calls on either his lupine ferocity to tear people apart or his connection to the moon and tides to bring geysers of water to blast away his prey.
It's rare to see him out of his dark studded leather armor, but he seems almost annoyed by it. In truth it feels too constricting to him, and he can't wait to shed it like a wolf's winter coat.
Balthus the Sea Wolf, a Kineticist starting out with Water that can mix melee and ranged combat as needed.
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Because unless there is a moral system, then our alignment choices are more reflective of the human players than the character they createJust curious, but wouldn't that imply that alignment locked classes aren't actually alignment locked in Golarion Online? :o Just a thought.
Said said, Johnnycat's idea of a paladin who has to work to actually be Lawful Good sounds hysterical. I may just run with that idea.
The presence of human 'players' does present a conundrum there, doesn't it? :) Perhaps there are alignment algorithms, akin to Fable and Kotor, that monitor your actions.
That does sound fun. I mean, imagine being the guy who picked the paladin without realizing the alignment restriction in the first place.
That's basically what I was thinking wheb I said morale mechanic, could be cool if implemented right.
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You know, more and more game and anime influenced ideas are forming. I might make a second submission at this rate. >.>
You know, more and more game and anime influenced ideas are forming. I might make a second submission at this rate. >.>
See, this guy gets it :)
I thought about doing something like that, but this is a character concept I originally made for 4E, a guy who believed that he and the Raven Queen were meant to be together, so he set out on a journey to discover her true name.
Never got to play him, but this is a good way to honor the concept.
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It really makes a lot of sense. After all, it's human players making characters for themselves in an online game. Especially if the "player" isn't a huge RPGer, I imagine a lot of folks would make characters based on their favorite characters from shows, movies, other video games, and so on--or else self-inserts (in more ways than one, in this case!).
After all, try thinking back to your own first character. How nuanced and unique were they really? I'd guess most of us took a bit to create totally unique characters for ourselves, and a lot of non-heavy RPGers are the same if not more so.
Even the best gamers draw influences from other media. Imagine a world filled with amateur gamers' characters! The Shackles is going to be NOTHING but Jack Sparrows.
...We probably shouldn't go there if we can help it.
When are you planning to end recruitment, by the way?
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It really makes a lot of sense. After all, it's human players making characters for themselves in an online game. Especially if the "player" isn't a huge RPGer, I imagine a lot of folks would make characters based on their favorite characters from shows, movies, other video games, and so on--or else self-inserts (in more ways than one, in this case!).
See, I knew I should have submitted my first concept,
XxXLe-golasXxX the elven ranger.
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Stile was a human paladin and my first character ever. He wore scale mail(it sounded really cool to me), and had a short sword as his backup, a glaive as his main, and a warhammer if he had to break something open.
He lost some of his appeal to my 15 year old self when that dang squirrel attacked him for no reason...
When are you planning to end recruitment, by the way?
I'm going to give a day or two. Three or four tops. That way when I make cuts, it won't just be one or two players not making it.
My first character was actually...Deko! He was a barbarian half-orc who preferred to use his hands instead of a weapon after seeing a monk fight and worshiped Konkresh.
Ooooh, maybe I should submit the character I adapted into Rameil. He's got... issues..
If it's okay, I think I may also build a Warlord version of Taran/Jingles for this, just to see how it goes. It'll be a little more focused on offensive output and party support than the current build, so it could work better depending on the other composition. Let me know if it's okay and I'll post in with whatever I end up with!
If it's okay, I think I may also build a Warlord version of Taran/Jingles for this, just to see how it goes. It'll be a little more focused on offensive output and party support than the current build, so it could work better depending on the other composition. Let me know if it's okay and I'll post in with whatever I end up with!
Sure, fell free to throw it out there.
Definitely dotting this. Reminds me of a book series the name of which escapes me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Makes me think of the Guardians of the Flame series with the college students magically thrown into their game world by their GM. :)
As a fan of such a game, I'm interested. :)
I'm thinking formmerly a rich-kid computer geek with brittle-bone syndrome who by necessity wasn't allowed to do much physical. Now, he's a Kellid Barbarian (or Magus, not sure net) out for adventure.
Aegis and Armiger, both 3rd party, work well for that idea too.
This is Roycilo's submission.
Baelfor Brightwulf
"Player" Background:
James, while quick on his feet, has lately turned into That Guy. The guy who always plays Asian-themed characters, regardless of if they makes sense. It's something he says his working on, but the truth is, he's so smitten with old episodes of Kung Fu that he may never change.
Character Background:
Baelfor is a bit of a showman, and is largely considered a competent merchant. He moonlights as an architect, as he loves the idea of puzzling out how to make buildings better, or unique.
loc: Using evil-ish magic is often frowned upon in Good-aligned parties, so it might be an issue if the party ends up being that way.
Also, if you're planning to have undead walking around with you, that's definitely bound to cause some issues.
That said, I'm not the GM here.
I'd recommend either Monster Tactician or Master Summoner
Or Spiritualist, if you really want to control the undead.
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Alright, counting... I have about twelve submissions. I'm going to choose about half, give or take one. Anyone want to submit their characters better do it now. Auditions are coming to a close. Should have team ready by end of my day, and story at same time.
Submission updated with more complete background.
Janice Leigh was born in Augusta, Georgia in the late 60's. She had always been a little bookish, a big disappointment to her father. She grew up on Fort Gordon army base. Her father was an instructor there. She had a fairly normal childhood. Unfortunately she was never able to be the tomboy that her father wanted, nor the beauty queen that her mother dreamed of. She was short, nearsighted, slightly overweight, and just all around mousy. Her greatest achievement before graduating high school was earning her first class award.
Eventually she went away to university, studying library sciences. One of her boyfriends while at college was a big war gamer. He was just just getting into a new variant of one of his games. This one included more adventuring and a little less straight fighting. She sat in on a few games before they broke up. While bored there she would read through the manuals. In her head she would make characters out of some of her favorite literary figures. After they broke up, she never really thought about it again.
After graduation, she got a job at the university library. She worked there for about 30 years until one morning she woke up in a pitch black room with the words Please select race and class hanging in the air. She asked for a manual and the system gave her enough information to put together the sort of thing she wanted.
Ok, this character is basically done.
I expanded the background a bit, and the character sheet itself is 99% complete.
Background:
James Arlen Stewart was born in a small town in northeastern Maine, in 1979. He grew up the child of a military man, and his stenographer wife. Due to his father's work, he was away frequently. Thankfully, the family was able to settle in Chicago, upon an early medical retirement for his father. James' aunt Marie lived in Chicago, and so it was closer to being home than most places they had lived. Upon James' fourteenth birthday, he received his first dice set, and a new TSR board game, Dragon Strike. He fell in love with the game, and was constantly trying to get kids at his after-school program to play it with him. Eventually, a few of the older kids took him under their wing and taught him Dungeons and Dragons. He fell for the game, hard. As he grew, he grew to be obsessed with Asian culture, primarily Japanese and Chinese. It affected his gaming, and he quickly earned a reputation as the guy who always plays Asian characters. His roleplaying style, of near-immersion, broken up with out of character humor, made his friends always be willing to look past it.
At the age of 17, his parents were killed by a drunk driver. He was taken in by his aunt, who promptly emancipated him. He had been set loose upon the world, with little direction. After being arrested for trying to solicit an undercover police officer, he was given a second chance. The woman started using him in underage alcohol sales stings, and he exceled at staying in character. He loved being able to use his roleplaying experience professionally, and his supervisor recognized that too. Susan Brightwell, an undercover officer for the Chicago police, urged him to go into the police academy, assuring him she would hire him into her unit upon graduation.
True to her word, she snatched James up within hour of graduating. He has been working undercover for the last several years. His youthful face has allowed him to pass for someone still in his late teens. Lately he has been working undercover with a low-level street gang who act as hired protection for a large drug supplier in Chicago.
The gang, the Skeletons, is comprised mostly of disillusioned youth. James is a fervent believer in their future, and sincerely hopes to reform as many of them as possible. He was turned on to World of Warcraft by one of the young delinquents he associates with. James is talented at living a double-, or even triple-life, and as such smoothly glides between maintaining his personal relationships, regular tabletop game, his undercover identity of Earle Nelson, and his online identity that "Earle" plays on WoW with his "work friends".
Introduction
James blinked his eyes, slowly taking in his surroundings. He felt exhausted, like another long night of gaming. Perhaps he had awoken in the middle of REM? He was in a dark room, and the only visible light was from a screen that was somehow suspended in front of him.
It read Please select class and race.
He scrolled through the options, smiling when he found his selection.
The screen flashed a new message, Select Archetype, distribute skill points, input name.
He did so, his gentle wonderment turning to concern and confusion.
There was a bright flash, and he was laying on his back. He was in a bed, in what looked what could pass as a medieval inn. Another screen was visible. It read Welcome to Golarion.
What is really going to freak him out later, is when he realizes he will have gone missing. The gang members will freak out, the cops will think he's dead, and everything will fall apart.
Alright, counting... I have about twelve submissions. I'm going to choose about half, give or take one. Anyone want to submit their characters better do it now. Auditions are coming to a close. Should have team ready by end of my day, and story at same time.
Very exciting! The competition has been fierce, so good luck to all and I hope we all get to play together soon - if not this game then the next!
Alright, counting... I have about twelve submissions. I'm going to choose about half, give or take one. Anyone want to submit their characters better do it now. Auditions are coming to a close. Should have team ready by end of my day, and story at same time.Very exciting! The competition has been fierce, so good luck to all and I hope we all get to play together soon - if not this game then the next!
I agree! Some great submissions. I don't envy Jaster Kite this character selection, to be sure. I had tons of fun reading some of the creative ideas people came up with.
Me and another GM could always colaberate and run a paralel campaign with anyone who I don't choose. :)
I mean seriously, some of these ideas are too good to give up, and what video game would be without some crossover action.
Alright, Now's as good as ever. The results are in;
Elsie
Gabriel Christopher
Tin_Man
Florentine
Janice Kavos
Mister Jingles
I'm sorry to anyone who didn't make the cut (my offer still stands on any GM willing to take up a paralel campaign) Willl keep the rest of you in mind for future campaigns.
The story will be posted shortly. All chosen will be able to post.
Thank you all for the submissions, these were some of the best character's I've seen in all my time as a Roleplayer.
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Congratulations to my fellow players, and best of luck next time for those who didn't make the cut this time.
Seconded
Sweet, I got in! Also, her last name is with a C not a K. Will have the alias up and running soon.