Hell Hath No Fury (Inactive)

Game Master The Morphling

Congratulations, villains! The time will soon come to unleash your wrath on an unsuspecting populace... but for now, you have each been contacted by one Cimri Staelish, who has a shady job opportunity lined up which is particularly well-suited to your individual skill sets.

Take this opportunity to introduce yourselves, discuss out-of-character considerations like "who should take ranks in Disable Device now that the rogue is gone," and make any last-minute tweaks to your characters.

My personal schedule is a bit chaotic for the next few days (starting a new job on Monday), so I'll be waiting until midweek to make the first official gameplay post.

I'm absolutely thrilled to be embarking on this journey with the six of you.

So excited to have made the cut! Hope none of you are arachnophobes.

Since there's a summoner in the party, there's no point in Amatsu taking the Spider Summoner feat; no riding a gargantuan tarantula through Longacre in her future, it seems. I'll probably switch it with a poison-related feat or go back to toughness.

Since healing is potentially difficult in an evil party, I could also switch one of her hexes to healing hex. Hedge Witch stacks with Veneficus, but that would use up a lot of her free hexes and might be overkill anyways.

You all shouldn't have to worry about healing. ;) Our mysterious sixth player will be playing a Life Oracle.

As far as Spider Summoner goes, there's no such thing as "too many" summons. It's such a cool feat - I'd love to see it in action! It's entirely up to you if you want to go for it. And if not, there's always the creepiest spell ever.

Admittedly I was not expecting a Life Oracle!

It still might be prudent to switch out a feat for Spell Focus (Conjuration) so I can pick up Augment Summoning at Level 3; don't want my poor little spiders getting squished, after all.

And I was definitely planning on taking Vomit Swarm the moment it become available, mwah ha hah ha

I was just thinking about it, and I realized - Augment Summoning would even help your vomit swarm spell. Since the spiders' distraction and poison abilities have their DC set by constitution, Augment Summoning would increase those each by 2.

[cackling intensifies]

Thanks for the selection, Game Master! I look forward to gaming with you all. I'm near the end of a long driving day, so I'll check in with you all later.

I'm interested to see an evil life Oracle in action!

Alright, I think I am going to keep my feats as-is, but since I'm not going to have to worry about being a healbot I've switched out Cure Light Wounds for Ear Piercing Scream.

Let us raise hell. Better to be evil with friends than to be evil alone, no?

Amatsu, join the Augment Summoning Club ;) . I'll be summoning dogs, ravens, and Augurs, all with a bit more bite and bark than they usually have. I think of Justimar as being more crowd-control and support than damage dealer or healer, but perhaps the Eidolon will eventually change that in terms of attack power. If anyone has preference for Summon Monster animals, tell me what you'd like to see or how you'd like them to help and I'll see what I can do.

As far as relations to Cimri, is there anything written in book about relations to Chelish nobles or is it largely still open to interpretations? I'm open to be willing to help, being blackmailed, or hired. I originally envisioned a diplomatic meeting between whatever rulership/duke Longacre has, so if it leads to an audience or favor, I am more than willing to let loose the Resolute Hounds on any foes.

I am thinking about going into a Tattoo Focused build (Inscribe Magical Tattoo, Tattoo Attunement, Tattoo Transformation) to urge on the self-mutilation/pain aspect of the Kyton. My feats are very subject to change in the future, but currently I am leaning on Superior Summons at 3rd Level, and either Evolved Summon Monster or my Tattoo Feat line.

Summon Evil Monster and Expanded Summon Monster would get you access to a few more Kyton summons, if that interests you.

In terms of build, I've been mainly thinking thematically; Amatsu will be taking a lot of spider-related spells (web, vomit swarm, swarm skin, whip of spiders), of course. She's a veneficus witch so she can pick up some alchemist discoveries as hexes--I'll probably take a few poison related feats to augment that. Prehensile hair gives her a little bit of versatility with touch spells, since she doesn't have to get into melee range to cast them with it active. I have her patron as trickery currently--though if no one is doing anything with undead it might be fun to change it to plague.

I would be interested in hearing about Cimri as well; the Player's Guide was rather vague about her, which is why I didn't write a direct connection to her and just had Amatsu posing as an apothecary. I also notice that Amatsu is the newest arrival in Cheliax, which should make for some interesting roleplay on my part.

Hey guys, glad to see the interesting lineup of villians we got!

As for what Ghivinus brings to the table.. the better thing to say is what he does not bring to the table. Ghivinus is primarily an out-of-combat person with a few in-combat tricks up his sleeves.

Out of combat, he can perform the following roles:

Bookworm: Although he only has two knowledge skills to begin with (Local and Arcana), he'll quickly drop at least one point in every knowledge skill; In addition, he's trained in Linguistics (Contracts and forgeries!) and has quite a number of languages.

Crafter: Although not much of one, he does have ranks in Craft (Alchemy) and will be more than willing to make poisons enmasse.

Dungeoneer: With ranks in Disable Device, Stealth, Use Magic Device, Perception, Sleight of Hand, and Disguise, he's quite good at performing all basic rogue functions. Probably why our 6th character went from Unchained Rogue to Oracle.

Face: With high points in Bluff and Diplomacy, he's quite good at being the face; that being said, he's very poor at intimidation, so he'll have to rely on one of you for that.

Item Identifier: He does of course have ranks in Spellcraft, and since I switched out Alchemy with Psychic magic, he has access to Detect Magic. I can identify basically anything we find as a result.

Other: Having Charm Person on his list of spells known helps for charming people that his silver tongue can't. With Sleep he can help us bypass obstacles combined with Lullaby, or at least use Lullaby to decrease perception checks.

Eventually, he's going to become an Assassin and will specialize in 1-shot blows. Intelligence will be his #1 attribute to raise in order to increase the DC of his death attack at 6th level. But, he'll eventually also have access to 3rd level psychic spells, which'll help out in various ways.

With spells, he's focusing on ways to avoid combat or end it quickly. Sleep, Deep Slumber, Vanish/Invisibility (For death attacks), and spells that will help him hide (Undetectable Alignment/Disguise Self).

One big spell I'm considering building for is Instigate Psychic Duel. This could possibly allow him to kill someone through a psychic duel of the minds. He'll have it at level 4 and due to his immense mental attributes (he'll use items to also increase wisdom and charisma), he can completely wreck physically-oriented enemies with this spell.

Meanwhile his death attack could be used for anyone else.

Still need to complete my gear, so I'll do that before the weekend is over.

As far as Cimri goes, I've put some thought into how each of you meet her.

For reference, this is what she looks like: [Image Link].

Arruk:
Cimri is the daughter of Jaks and Annari Staelish - a pair of seasonal lumber workers. Cimri spent her childhood growing up in the lumber camps of the Whisperwood and spent her winters in Longacre with her Aunt. Her parents all but abandoned their daughter in the town when they fled a personal dispute about a decade ago. They never returned - Arruk heard something about them having taken jobs farther and farther away over time. Cimri lived with her Aunt, the Sheriff of Longacre, for a few years, but was always a rebellious child. When she came of age, she left her aunt's home rather publicly. Despite her attitude, Arruk knows her to be a ruthless woman with ambition and determination, and when she contacted him with a job offer, he didn't have to think twice to know it would be profitable to accept.

Ghivinus:
Anyone who's spent much time in Longacre, such as Ghivinus, would know Cimri as the sullen and rebellious niece of the Sheriff of Longacre, Rhona Staelish. You're not sure where she's been staying these last few years, because she moved out of her aunt's home a few years back but can still be seen haunting the bars and streets of the town. Catching wind that the young woman is assembling people for a well-paying job of questionable morality, Ghivinus seeks her out and convinces her he would be an asset to her mission.

Justimar:
When Justimar arrived in Longacre to treat with Archbaron Darellus Fex, he found his way stymied by uncooperative footmen, fastidious servants, and well-mannered but obfuscating slaves, eventually coming to the realization that he is not going to get to see the town's ruler anytime soon. Frustrated and stuck in Longacre until he can get in to see the Archbaron (who he reasons must be intentionally avoiding him), Justimar is in an uncomfortable situation until he's contacted by Cimri, who implies that she works for a powerful man who can provide him with an introduction in exchange for his assistance with a job she's planning.

Amatsu:
Amatsu has been in town some months, making a steady, if not extravagant, trade as an apothecary. Something of a local oddity (and the only Tian individual person in the town), residents only go to her if being cured is worth the excruciating pain of her "treatments." However, recently a new customer has showed up more than a few times, purchasing cures which Amatsu knows can easily be adapted to serve more malicious purposes. This young woman, who goes by the name Cimri, offered Amatsu a proposition on her latest visit, explaining that she had a powerful patron with a job to do, which could use Amatsu's unique talents.

Vance:
It had been several months since Vance had received one of his assignments from the harelipped imp who had become his "handler," so he was reasonably startled when the detestable little fiend materialized right before his face as he was drifting off to sleep. Relishing the man's discomfort, the imp explained that his tenure with the imp's master was coming to its end, and that Vance should make the trek to the tired township of Longacre and present himself to a woman answering to the name of Cimri. Seeming unsurprised to see him once he arrived, this young woman explained that she had a job for him.

Arruk: Cimri is the daughter of Jaks and Annari Staelish - a pair of seasonal lumber workers. Cimri spent her childhood growing up in the lumber camps of the Whisperwood and spent her winters in Longacre with her Aunt. Her parents all but abandoned their daughter in the town when they fled a personal dispute about a decade ago. They never returned - Arruk heard something about them having taken jobs farther and farther away over time. Cimri lived with her Aunt, the Sheriff of Longacre, for a few years, but was always a rebellious child. When she came of age, she left her aunt's home rather publicly. Despite her attitude, Arruk knows her to be a ruthless woman with ambition and determination, and when she contacted him with a job offer, he didn't have to think twice to know it would be profitable to accept.

Cool! Sheriff's 'daughter' eh? That should make things interesting...

@Justimar - I'm pretty excited to see this Kyton come around. A summoner who doesn't know that he's a summoner is a pretty neat twist.

In terms of build, I've been mainly thinking thematically; Amatsu will be taking a lot of spider-related spells (web, vomit swarm, swarm skin, whip of spiders), of course. She's a veneficus witch so she can pick up some alchemist discoveries as hexes--I'll probably take a few poison related feats to augment that.

Pretty cool theme, and I'm looking forward to see the veneficus witch in a game - it is one I've never had the pleasure of playing alongside. The dirty tactics toolbox has some pretty good poison-related feats in it that could be useful to you down the line.

As for what Ghivinus brings to the table.. the better thing to say is what he does not bring to the table.

I'm playing an investigator in another game, and I absolutely love that class. Much like a bard, you'll have something to contribute to every situation. When you get sneak attack, I'll happily play flank buddy if you need to wade into combat.

As for what Arruk offers:

This PC is a little bit of a departure for me. I rarely play characters with no access to magic and small skill point totals, but I figure the brawler is kind of a martial controller/debuffer class, and martial flexibility is kind of the "spellcasting" aspect of the class, so it should be enjoyable.

I'm going to be playing up the controller/debuffer aspect of the class, using dirty tricks and maneuvers to lock down enemies, and Arruk can do some decent damage as needed as well, though he's not going to be able to pump out damage like a dedicated barbarian or fighter. If we end up needing that aspect covered more, I'll can always dip.

Arruk can also do some stuff out of combat that should be useful. With a +8 intimidate mod that can be bumped up to +12 with the use of martial flexibility, he should be able to handle that social role. He'll also be a decent lie detector with a passable sense motive score. I'll be putting a rank in knowledge local and dungeoneering to aid another 50% of the time, and acrobatics and stealth will be leveled up every level, allowing for good mobility and scouting (especially with darkvision and when I can upgrade my armor and eliminate that ACP).

Buildwise, I figure I've got some baseline feats to get out of the way: power attack (taken), dodge, dirty fighting, weapon focus, combat stamina at least. Otherwise, I'm going to focus on dirty tricks, mobility, and applying conditions when possible.

Item acquisition, in addition to the big 6, will focus on increasing out of combat utility.

I may at some point dip into another class as noted above (probably barb, ranger, U rogue, or slayer), but that most likely won't be until level 6 or so, unless the needs of the party dictate it sooner.

Hello everyone, it's an honor to get to be vicious with you :)

With Vance in mind, here are my thoughts on yours:

A life oracle eh? Well, I guess you don't really have to be a good guy to care about life. Still, an interesting choice. I look forward to seeing the character :)

The tattoo focus sounds really awesome. As a half-Varisian Vance has some tattoos of his own, but getting them enchanted? Now that would be neat. Probably something with snakes/serpents, what with his whip focus. This brings me to summons: Maybe some snakes/serpents would be a good thematical fit?

Vance:

It had been several months since Vance had received one of his assignments from the harelipped imp who had become his "handler," so he was reasonably startled when the detestable little fiend materialized right before his face as he was drifting off to sleep. Relishing the man's discomfort, the imp explained that his tenure with the imp's master was coming to its end, and that Vance should make the trek to the tired township of Longacre and present himself to a woman answering to the name of Cimri. Seeming unsurprised to see him once he arrived, this young woman explained that she had a job for him.

Roger. At the beginning of the adventure, approximately how long has Vance been in Longachre? I was thinking he pretty much only just arrived, but I can see the others have been there a while, so I want to make sure :)

I'm going to be playing up the controller/debuffer aspect of the class, using dirty tricks and maneuvers to lock down enemies, and Arruk can do some decent damage as needed as well, though he's not going to be able to pump out damage like a dedicated barbarian or fighter.....

I was actually going for some Dirty Fighting myself. Of course that can be changed, as two may be 1 too many? I don't know though, never tried it :)

I was actually going for some Dirty Fighting myself. Of course that can be changed, as two may be 1 too many? I don't know though, never tried it :)

I don't think you or I need to change anything. We can stack multiple conditions on the same big good, or each use it on other enemies. Plus, it looks like we'll have lots of summons to take advantage of AoOs and do some damage, and if we don't in a particular fight, I can put my efforts towards being DPR guy. Definitely don't change anything on my account! Part of why I wanted to play a brawler was for the flexibility, so I can adapt as needed.

A life oracle eh? Well, I guess you don't really have to be a good guy to care about life. Still, an interesting choice. I look forward to seeing the character :)

That's the thing about oracles... they don't choose their powers. Our life oracle never asked for his powers (nor his curse), and frankly despises life and has a nihilistic view of the world in general. He's going to be a necromancer, and once he's high enough level, he plans on becoming a Life Oracle LICH. How's that for an unusual combination?

Roger. At the beginning of the adventure, approximately how long has Vance been in Longachre? I was thinking he pretty much only just arrived, but I can see the others have been there a while, so I want to make sure :)

Whichever you prefer. I'd assumed he's a new arrival too. It'll be neat to have a mixture of residents and newcomers. Justimar's been in town probably a little over a week, so he's another new arrival.

Vance Magravi wrote:

I was actually going for some Dirty Fighting myself. Of course that can be changed, as two may be 1 too many? I don't know though, never tried it :)

I don't think you or I need to change anything. We can stack multiple conditions on the same big good, or each use it on other enemies. Plus, it looks like we'll have lots of summons to take advantage of AoOs and do some damage, and if we don't in a particular fight, I can put my efforts towards being DPR guy. Definitely don't change anything on my account! Part of why I wanted to play a brawler was for the flexibility, so I can adapt as needed.

You should check out this feat and its prerequisite.

The background story works wonderfully for me. As for a Life Oracle Lich, I can safely say I didn't see it coming. Currently working on future end-goals, but I noticed the last book takes place in Justimar's home city of Westcrown, so all my plans and lies may be foiled and unravel right as they reach their peak.

Summon Evil Monster and Expanded Summon Monster would get you access to a few more Kyton summons, if that interests you.

The thing about SEM is that the main benefit in my eyes, Standard to Summon Evil things, is something my Summon Monster SLA already has. I may consider it down the line as my feats start to free up, but I might just aim for a Kyton Summoning Ring to get those Augurs and other Kytons out. ESM is more worth it for me, but isn't crazy good until later on. At 9th level, I'll probably take it.

@Justimar - I'm pretty excited to see this Kyton come around. A summoner who doesn't know that he's a summoner is a pretty neat twist.

Thanks! I'll need to find the proper balance of time to wait vs. which moment to call them out. I think I'll wait until things are desperate and make a summon circle to emulate a "Gate" spell. Ideally I can wait until 4th level, use my Blood Offering ability and summon it with a +2 Str Mod. Also by then, it'll have a few "surprise" evolutions.

@DM: As for the tattoos, it somewhat qualifies as crafting wondrous items, I would like to discuss some of the feat's ruling.

There are a limited number of "tattoos" that were presented, around twelve or so if memory serves me. However, at the bottom of the feat, there is a little clause.

"Magical tattoos follow the rules for magic item creation as though they were wondrous items, except that they can use the Craft (calligraphy, paintings, tattoos) skill. New magical tattoos can be researched and designed using the guidelines for pricing new magic items. Magical tattoos are treated as slotless magical items for pricing purposes."

Am I able to create any Wondrous Item, or even design my own as a tattoo, though at 2x creation cost for being slotless?

Yes, though as with any magic item creation, the formula isn't absolute. If a particular magic tattoo is "too powerful" by virtue of being slotless, the price might increase or it might be unavailable. But as a rule of thumb, yes, you can design your own magic item or design a facsimile of a slotted magic item at double the cost.

Life Oracle Necromancer was even less expected, though I look forward to seeing that in action. Is Amatsu going to be the only woman in the party, btw?

Amatsu's plan for the future:

1. Become giant spider monster
2. ???
3. Profit!

Underhanded. So thematic! surprisingly powerful as well. I think I'm getting it rather late though, as whip use takes a surprising amount of feats.

Talking about plans/goals, Vance is not that far yet. For now he's trying to get a secure position in Cheliax, where he may be able to do some good for his family, without them having to resort to criminal activity. He hopes his father will see eye-to-eye with the government for the sake of survival.

By the way, Justimar, did you draw that portrait yourself?

Yeah, all except the frame and the plaque. I've done far too many character portraits before I finally settled on one. I have an entire Collection growing since I fell in love with the Kyton-Summoner idea.

As for the tattoos, that is only fair. I think the only ones I will put on myself will most likely relate to summoning, kytons and eventually Zon-Kuthon. Being slotless, they will allow my eidolon and I to share some more traditional wondrous item slots. That said, fifth level we can all have some sweet magic tats if we have sufficient downtime and gold.

You should consider making the tattoos take the form of ritual scarring, to go with the Kuthite theme. I like the idea of using that to get around the typical restrictions on Eidolon item slots.

Hey guys, thanks for signing up! I was a fan of all of your submissions.

So, yeah, life oracle lich. Ryde will be the healer of the team at early levels and beyond, but at around the 6th level mark, he'll be putting more emphasis on raising the undead and puppeteering some Iomedaen corpses for chuckles.

I also plan on having a high Diplomacy/Intimidate score. Ghivinus would probably make for a better face (Ryde is not a fan of people in general, and would like to avoid them if at all possible) but he's more than willing to be the party's main source for strong intimidate checks.

Ryde will also be dual-cursed, providing some misfortune when the party's in a pinch. He'll also be channelling energy at level 1.

Be sure to let me know if you all have any questions. I look forward to playing with you all.

You should consider making the tattoos take the form of ritual scarring, to go with the Kuthite theme. I like the idea of using that to get around the typical restrictions on Eidolon item slots.

It seemed a little strong when I first realized it, but for double the cost, I can see it evening out. I am looking forward to my transition into a Kuthite, luckily I already worship the Goddess of Transitions so change is inevitable.

I was going to ask you if I could do ritual scarring actually, was afraid they may be perceived as less visual and therefore not allowed. If it is fine by you, I'd love to be able to tear at my body in a lovely Zon-Kuthon/Kyton emulation.

As for diplomacy and the like, I have a +8 to Bluff and Intimidate, and as a summoner, am more Charisma focused than most others, sans an Oracle. As Ryde and Arruk seem to have intimidate covered, I'm thinking I should switch a trait over and change +8 Intimidate to Diplomacy. Perhaps take the Fashionable trait to work with Chelish Noble.

Hmm, I'm not super sure what niche Amatsu fits in; I'm definitely open to suggestions with regards to skills/spells and the like

Witches certainly lend themselves well to debuffs - whether it's evil eye, misfortune, ability damage, or nausea. With your poisons and hexes, you can tear down an enemy's stats and defenses pretty effectively.

Ghivinus is sitting at +10 to Bluff (when deceiving) and +8 to Diplomacy (When Persuading), thanks to my trait which allows me to use my intelligence instead of charisma when attempting those two. He's less skilled at feinting in combat and gathering information though.

In addition, when I eventually get a hold of Investigator Talents, I'm going to be grabbing Expanded Inspiration (Diplomacy, Heal, Perception, Profession, and Sense Motive) and Underworld Inspiration (Bluff, Disable Device, Disguise, Intimidate, and Sleight of Hand), allowing me to increase all of those by an additional 1d6 due to Inspiration (For free).

Basically the only thing I'm missing out on is nature-oriented skills, and currently, quite a few knowledge skills (but that latter part will change). So yeah, Ghivinus has most of the skills covered.. XD Of course, thats the main thing he's good at at this level. His has some minor ranged ability, poor melee, and his spells are few and far in between, though they're good ones.

I do plan eventually investing into a wide array of magical consumables (Wands and scrolls) due to his eventually-high Use Magic Device skill, though +8 at level 1 is nothing to scoff at. Most of these he'll keep on hand for emergencies. In particular, since our divine spellcaster is spontaneous, he'll try to buy scrolls that he doesn't know, ones that are generally very situational but also very needed when that situation arises.

*Edit* Also, GM, for future reference, he'll be using Inspiration on ALL of his trained knowledge checks, spellcraft, and linguistics, since he can do so without spending points. In the offchance you roll those for me, don't forget that +1d6 :D

I'd say between me and you, Amatsu, we cover the Debuff/Buff/Battlefield Control section of the game. I think that you are perfect as is, maybe a point in appraise to work off your high intelligence is all I can think of. Even then, it isn't a class skill, so it isn't necessarily getting the most bang for your buck.

I think we form a pretty strong group. At first level, we have two with a martial disposition, two capable of summons and control, a healer, and a jack of all trades. We can be an 8 person team with Spiders and Resolute Hounds. Even if our monsters just provide flanking for Arruk and Vance, we are in a good position. When the Eidolon comes into play, we have an third martial, in addition to the skill points it may provide.

I think I am going to switch Extra Hex for Poison Focus, drop Prehensile Hair, and switch Slumber for Misfortune; this will work better for when her Veneficus abilities go online next level. Since Amatsu is pretty outclassed in the social arena I'll probably end up switching the Princess trait for something else, though I haven't decided what, and I'll probably move a few of her skill points around as well.

Sounds good to me. I kinda hate the Slumber hex anyway - it has the tendency to occasionally just nullify an otherwise enjoyable encounter, and it's usable at will.

How interesting... This feat may be of use to you, Justimar. I'd say you and your Eidolon would share "piercing slots" as well as item slots... But you could make a magic item for yourself in one slot, and a piercing for your Eidolon in the same slot.

The big weakness of Slumber is that its duration is measured in rounds, not minutes. At early levels thats short enough where its allies (if any) can protect it. Secondly, it only targets a single target at a time (not including Split Hex later).

So yes, while it is certainly a powerful hex, I don't think its all powerful as people say. Against intelligent enemies, they can easily rouse their ally (or boss, as its often used against) awake.

However, against single targets (which Paizo includes faaaaaaar too often), then yes, it is Save-or-Die, effectively.

How interesting... This feat may be of use to you, Justimar. I'd say you and your Eidolon would share "piercing slots" as well as item slots... But you could make a magic item for yourself in one slot, and a piercing for your Eidolon in the same slot.

Actually, yeah, that is pretty grand for a to-be Kuthite. Cheaper than Tattoos, but it limits me to only two piercings, plus one for my Eidolon. They are also a bit easier to remove, and it sends my skin crawling to imagine someone ripping one out.

Still, the Eye Piercings might be nice, Greater Body Piercing or Head Piercings for the Chained Man. How would they interact with Inscribe Magic Tattoo? I am guessing no same slots for Eidolon and no same slots for Tattoos and a Shadow Piercing so I can't get an effective three slots per slot?

Browsing Champions of Corruption and found the Amulet of Euphoric Healing and now wish I could Healer based around that item. People would literally become addicted to my healing magic.

Game Master, how do you feel about a fairly major change to Vance in regards to his weaponry and build? I've always felt that whips are a bit cheesy, and the amount of feats I have to pick for it to function like I wish it is turning out to be a bit stiffling, so I think going with a different primary weapon would be a bit more entertaining. The talk about tattoos put me in mind to pick Varisian Tattoo as my last trait, which gives me proficiency in the bladed scarf – quite a flavorful fit, if I say so myself.

Here's what I'm thinking:
Instead of using a whip, as in the weapon, I'll get a training whip and the catch off-guard feat. Only 10 ft. long but otherwise identical to a whip, I figure it would function like a whip with 10 feet reach instead of the standard 15. Not being my primary weapon, but still combat available, will save me a number of whip related feats, and open up a very different set of doors. I think it would be more variable combat, and should turn out more entertaining.

It would change my focus from "whip use and dirty tricks" to "damage and dirty tricks", with a little more variation. What do you think?

Sure! Go for it. Bladed Scarf would be awesome (and easier to conceal, if you ever need to pretend to have no weapons on you). And I love the training whip - makes sense for someone driving horses!

I'm not particularly familiar with the rules for vehicles (but I plan to learn), but I hope we can squeeze in at least one epic carriage chase scene somewhere in the first book or two. :P

So yes, while it is certainly a powerful hex, I don't think its all powerful as people say. Against intelligent enemies, they can easily rouse their ally (or boss, as its often used against) awake.

However, against single targets (which Paizo includes faaaaaaar too often), then yes, it is Save-or-Die, effectively.

Yeah, that's why I said "occasionally," and why I didn't include it on my ban list this time (which I have done in the past). It's just a personal distaste for the hex - I've had a witch cause problems for the party before, and ended up basically skipping a final boss fight we'd been building up to for months simply because he rolled a four in the first round.

Actually, yeah, that is pretty grand for a to-be Kuthite. Cheaper than Tattoos, but it limits me to only two piercings, plus one for my Eidolon. They are also a bit easier to remove, and it sends my skin crawling to imagine someone ripping one out.

Luckily for you, you guys will be fighting a lot of good-aligned people, who wouldn't be willing to attempt such tactics.

Why is it that you'd be limited to only two piercings? I'm a little confused by what you mean there.

Still, the Eye Piercings might be nice, Greater Body Piercing or Head Piercings for the Chained Man. How would they interact with Inscribe Magic Tattoo? I am guessing no same slots for Eidolon and no same slots for Tattoos and a Shadow Piercing so I can't get an effective three slots per slot?

I'd say they have no interaction with magic tattoos - so they would effectively let you "triple up" on a slot.

Browsing Champions of Corruption and found the Amulet of Euphoric Healing and now wish I could Healer based around that item. People would literally become addicted to my healing magic.

Oh my GOD that is awesome. You could write an entire adventure around that item.

Alright, I'm going for it then :)

He is limited by the piercings, in that he can only have as many as his con mod + Wis mod. Of course this value may increase over the course of the game, but for now that would be his maximum.

Alright, I'm going for it then :)

He is limited by the piercings, in that he can only have as many as his con mod + Wis mod. Of course this value may increase over the course of the game, but for now that would be his maximum.

Oh, thanks for pointing that out! I somehow missed that on my first reading.

I think we form a pretty strong group. At first level, we have two with a martial disposition, two capable of summons and control, a healer, and a jack of all trades. We can be an 8 person team with Spiders and Resolute Hounds. Even if our monsters just provide flanking for Arruk and Vance, we are in a good position. When the Eidolon comes into play, we have an third martial, in addition to the skill points it may provide.

Agreed. There is a lot of bases covered by this group, and I think it will turn out to be very effective. The only thing we don't have is wilderness skills, unless I missed something on someone's character sheet. I can always dip a level or two of ranger if need be. It would fit Arruk's woodsman past.

I'm a big fan of redundancy in skills and roles, and we've got that in spades. There will always be a 1 rolled, a higher DC to beat, and so on, and it is nice to have more than one person that can cover each base.

Here's what I'm thinking:

Instead of using a whip, as in the weapon, I'll get a training whip and the catch off-guard feat. Only 10 ft. long but otherwise identical to a whip, I figure it would function like a whip with 10 feet reach instead of the standard 15. Not being my primary weapon, but still combat available, will save me a number of whip related feats, and open up a very different set of doors. I think it would be more variable combat, and should turn out more entertaining.

This is cool. Deadliest unassuming-looking coachman ever!

I do plan eventually investing into a wide array of magical consumables (Wands and scrolls) due to his eventually-high Use Magic Device skill, though +8 at level 1 is nothing to scoff at. Most of these he'll keep on hand for emergencies. In particular, since our divine spellcaster is spontaneous, he'll try to buy scrolls that he doesn't know, ones that are generally very situational but also very needed when that situation arises.

Me too, but mostly for combat/mobility enhancements. Mage armor, lead blades, mirror image, enlarge person, fly, etc. I foresee a large expenditure in potions in the future...

Alright, I've switched Princess for Perfectionist's Brew and Focused Mind for Scholar of the Great Beyond, both of which fit her character better anyways. I'll probably end up taking the cauldron hex at some point in the future.

On the topic of cauldrons, I think I'm going to go ahead and claim Poor Unfortunate Souls as Amatsu's theme song:

"They come flocking to my cauldron crying spells, Amatsu, please! And I help them, yes I do!"

"Poor Unfortunate Souls" works doubly for a setting that has a strong theme on signing contracts. I guess my Disney Villain Theme would be "Friends on the Other Side," there are a couple parallels with Justimar and Dr. Facilier, and the song is killer.

I am really all for theme songs. I try to give most NPC's a theme song when I introduce them or when they have their "moment." Find it can be rather defining. Am already amassing a small collection of evil tunes for the future, if only to listen to while making posts.

Was thinking over the avatar for Vivendi (Tiefling slave), and I found that I was fairly limited. I think I'll use this one ("darkborn" by search, female / half elf) if that is alright.

Is there an estimated date on the start? No rush at all, I'd just like to plan time to sit down with a coffee and post for the initial introduction . Start with a bang, as they say, and I'm rather excited to be bad for once.

On that, do we have a rough idea how or where it'll start so we can begin brainstorming our respective introductions?

I've been adjusting to my new job this week and wasn't sure of my work or my sleep schedule until now. I'm planning to begin either tonight or tomorrow - but I will be busy this weekend so I won't be able to post much after Thursday evening.

You will begin in media res, as it were; It's dark, you're armed and prepared for danger, and you've all gathered with Cimri about to undertake a questionably legal caper - Louslik Tannery outside Longacre has been brazenly withholding taxes from the Archbaron's tax collectors, and you're there to relieve them of their illegal earnings on behalf of Cimri's mysterious patron. She assures you that this 'Razelago' is a man of great influence, and he's promised to reward each of you handsomely for a successful operation. Cimri certainly seems to have detailed knowledge about many of you, information she couldn't have come by simply by chance, so whoever her patron is, he knows how to find out peoples' secrets.

Feel free to have an elaborate "flashback" introduction leading up to this moment, but plan to conclude with your character joining the others, crouched in the dark waiting to assault the tannery.

(Ghivinus, in particular, may have even worked there before - so I'll give him some advance knowledge of the place before you begin your raid.)

Not to mention Ghivinus would have done some serious scouting beforehand if he knew he was going to be robbing it.

Still working on my gear - was hit with a nasty cold and just got up after sleeping for 12 hours with a fever. Still groggy and not feeling great.

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well! I hope you recover quick.

As far as scouting, I'll have to check the AP but I believe Cimri doesn't reveal the target until the last minute. You're told you're there for a "lucrative opportunity" and told of the rewards Razelago offers (everything from gold to magical secrets to fame and power), but no details until it's too late to back out.

Do you have a preferred tense that we stick to?

I prefer past tense, but I'll be the first to admit I mix the two accidentally from time to time. Go for past tense if you remember, but don't worry about it if you forget.

I also prefer "Speech to be formatted like this," and for thoughts and internal monologue to be formatted like this. You can mix the two and play around with the "bigger" and "smaller" tags for magical speech or telepathy, if you like.

In case people want to know what inventory I got/what they might not have to buy:

Arrows (20)
Chalk (10)
Chelaxian Heritage Book
Dagger
Incense
Ink and Ink Pen
Journal
Leather Armor
Noble's Outfit
Parchment
Scholar's Uniform
Shortbow
Signet Ring
Summoner's Kit (Backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a flint and steel, an iron pot, a mess kit, soap, trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin.)
Through The Welcomer's Gates (Alseta's Holy Text)
Torches (10)

I am willing to hand out torches, I see myself using the Light spell more often than not.