Mechanically I know my character is going to be a Spellscar Drift Cavalier with the Order of the Lion and Thrune Informant or Cheliax Noble traits. I am thinking I might be interested in starting him out as Lawful Neutral and in his absolute loyalty to Queen and Country he becomes Evil. I am guessing that wouldn't take long since it is an evil campaign, but the player's guide mentions such a fall as an interesting option if the GM is willing to play it out. I still haven't linked his loyalty to actual life events though, I am not sure yet the motivations that made him what he is at the beginning of the adventure.
Voted most likely to look back on the events of the campaign and say "It was all for Cheliax, but what have I become?"
That's an excellent motivation. The campaign can accommodate full-on evil-at-first-level parties, but I think the most interesting party will be one with a few morally ambiguous characters who get corrupted over time.
Oooh, I just noticed this thread. Are you still recruiting through March 1st?
I'm gonna be taking even more time, actually. I want to make sure everyone gets their Players Guide and has time to review it.
Actually, having played a Psychic caster who did this, this actually kind of requires a feat. I don't remember the name, but it essentially lets you roll a Bluff check to act like you're not casting. It is really good on psychic casters though because the feat imposes penalties to your Bluff if the spell has verbal, somatic or material components, which, except for expensive components, psychic spells don't have.
I'm aware of that, but I'm allowing that without any need for a feat in this particular game. Casters with traditional components can take that feat (I forget its name) to conceal their casting, though.
Well, assuming recruitment is ongoing at least until the first , here is my submission:
He is a human Asmodean warpriest. Everything should be completed other than the roleplaying sample, which I will write soon.
You wanted examples of long lasting PBPs we've participated in:
KC's Age of Worms 16,482 posts (player)
My Carrion Crown game 6,760 posts (GM, 3 years 4 months)
Absalom Abberations 4,164 posts (GM)
The Emerald Spire Superdungeon 3,575 posts (player)
Thron's Rise of the Runelords 3,254 posts (player)
The 5th Mendevian Crusade 2,785 posts (GM)
1) Hmm where does it say that spells can be noticed automatically? I'm just curious (for my own future reference, not that I'm doubting you). I'm fine with having to make a stealth or bluff check - my guy is pretty good at both heh!
It was a forum post by a dev relatively recently. I'll try to find it.
Well, assuming recruitment is ongoing at least until the first, here is my submission
Thrilled to have yet another excellent submission!
Jelaniiii! Good to see you're applying as well.
Actually, having played a Psychic caster who did this, this actually kind of requires a feat. I don't remember the name, but it essentially lets you roll a Bluff check to act like you're not casting. It is really good on psychic casters though because the feat imposes penalties to your Bluff if the spell has verbal, somatic or material components, which, except for expensive components, psychic spells don't have.
Ok so what I've been reading up on the matter is this:
It appears that, despite having no obvious components (such as Somatic/Verbal), Psychic spells (and spell-like abilities!) can be identified at no penalty. As a result, even the simplest of spells probably has some sort of unique effect that allows someone to identify it.
That being said, if one is stealthed or invisible, it would be all but impossible to identify the spell as it is being cast, no? UNLESS the spell has obvious effects, such as a fireball or black inky tentacles coming out of the ground to reenact some Japanese hentai. Lets look at this example:
Ghivinus, my character, is hiding in an alleyway and has rolled a 20 (after bonuses) on his stealth check. Across the street is his mark - a fat merchant that he wants to scam. Hiding in the alleyway would have given the merchant a chance to spot him, but because he's talking with another person, (is distracted), he easily fails the perception check.
Ghivinus, as a result, takes a standard action to cast Charm Person on the merchant. Because he's taking an action while stealthed, he would have to make another stealth check to see if the merchant - or say, his bodyguard, or some random passerby - sees him sulking there, focusing intently on the merchant, maybe with his eyes glowing. If he wasn't stealthed, it would be obvious that he's casting a spell - and anyone with Spellcraft could make an attempt to identify it and warn his target, while those without spellcraft would still know he's casting a spell. However, since he he has taken pains to remain out of sight, only those who beat his new stealth check (lets say a 15) would see him casting said spell.
Lets say in this example the merchant fails to notice him but the man's bodyguard spots him, and the merchant fails his will save - he's now charmed. The Bodyguard, meanwhile, sees Ghivinus casting some sort of spell, his eyes glowing as he stares at the merchant. The bodyguard, however, doesn't have ranks in spellcraft, so he has no way of knowing what kind of spell was cast. That being said, he could warn his charge (who would possibly wave him off now that he's friendly to Ghivinus) or call the guards, etc etc.
Now casting it IN PUBLIC while not stealthed or invisible would most certainly require a feat or class ability to hide the fact that you're casting a spell (or casting an arcane spell while pretending to cast a divine one, etc).
Thats how I'd figure it would work from a DM's perspective - what do you think?
*Edit*: I'd like to apologize if I'm coming off as annoying when it comes to these kinds of things. I just want to clarify with the GM when it comes to these so we don't have any confusion about what kinda sneaky-sneaky things I (and the rest of my group) can do in his games. Thanks to my old RL players, I tend to think outside of the box and come up with wierd things that aren't RAW anywhere and require a GM's judgement, just like my players always did to me. Ah the pain of DMing for a bunch of smart turds..
No issue at all. In fact, I love this kind of discussion - I'm glad to see you're putting the same amount of thought into the mechanics of this that I am. (You and I seem to approach the rules in a very similar way, and I like that.)
Your example scenario is perfectly in line with how I'd view the rules. With that said, I personally dislike the "an untrained viewer automatically knows you're using magic" rule. I'll allow an opposed skill check would let you hide your magic from a casual observer - if someone's actively looking at you, you're not going to get away with casting a spell without their notice. If you're in a crowded tavern, though, and nobody's really paying attention to you, you won't set off alarm bells if you pull off a decent Stealth check to cast a componentless spell.
Here's a quick and dirty profile for Ghivinus Varth, DM Crustypeanut's submission. Still working on fluff and gear.
As far as his (currently meagre) equipment selection goes, he uses his bag of marbles for Telekinetic Projectile. I probably could get away without needing that buuuut I like to be prepared. Going to carry numerous daggers hidden around his person as well. For things he can hide in his scarf, he'll have a +6 to his sleight of hand check; for other things, he'll have a +4, both of which are on top of his skill bonus itself, and not including a +2 from hiding a dagger or +4 from a particularly tiny object. Wish I could afford a Thieves' Ring for hiding in his boot, but alas.. that'll come later.
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'Nother question I just thought of: How do you run Appraise checks to guess the value items? So often it's rendered useless by DMs (me included, hah) but I'd like to know if I need to invest a rank in it or not.
In my Hell's Rebels campaign, I decided to simply allow groups who have at least one rank in it to be able to identify the price of an art object without issue; I have one player who's playing a Negotiator Bard who loses Bardic Performance for an ability that, among other things, gives a penalty to appraise checks to those who can hear him - although he doesn't need to roll Appraise to price-check items, I do roll for Merchants if he tries to swindle them (although being good-aligned I doubt he'll do that.. unless of course they're Thrune Loyalists!)
At one point I tried to make it work RAW, but it became a hassle real fast, as the person who identified a ring mis-identified it as more expensive and often we just sell things all at once.. so it was a PITA for play-by-posts.
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Second question that just popped into my head. Teams from Ultimate Campaign - are you allowing them? If so, I might look into a team for purely non-combat purposes, possibly to hold his gear, keep watch for him, or possibly even pickpocket people and gather information.
*Edit*: Nevermind, saw the answer earlier in the thread upon searching for it. Ghivinus wouldn't trust a slave one bit for something as delicate as carrying his gear, so he'll pass on that opportunity.
Here is my roleplaying sample.
The dark-haired Armiger nodded, his armor clanking. ”Yes, I will have the pamphlets sent to your cell in the Qatada Nessudidia immediately.”
”Well enough. First it’s the damned Iomedeans and now we have trouble with the slips too. Why can’t they see that resisting the government only leads to chaos and pain?” Ursion sighed and picked up his glass, gulping down a mouthful of Andoran whiskey. It’s because they are weak. They fear being strong. They fear it will change them, so they give in to the fear, let it rule them. They let it turn them into lawless, wild beasts. Well, Lord, that’s what I’m here for isn’t it?
”If I knew the answer to that don’t you think I’d be more than an Armiger by now?” The half-elf laughed, taking a drink from his own cup. ”Just wait until you read the heresy this ‘Bellflower Network’ is printing. We’re going to have to come down hard this time, I can feel it. A lot of blood will flow before there is order in the Empire again.”
Ursion closed his eyes for a moment. Flashes of memory washed over him. He could feel hot, slick fluid splashing onto his face, and dripping slowly down under his armor. He could hear the screams of the weak, begging for mercy as he cut away bits of them while seeking the truth. He could feel the power of the Lord of Darkness, the Dark Prince, the Master of Law, blazing through his hand as he clenched down on the windpipe of a traitor. He smiled as he opened his eyes once again. ”Is that such a bad thing? Without weakness to stamp out we’d be out of a job, eh?”
”I’ll toast to that, Brother.” The Armiger raises the remains of his cup. ”To the glory of our Lord, the Prince of Devils, Ruler of Hell, and his loyal servants the glorious House of Thrune! Long live Infernal Majestrix Abrogail II! Long live Cheliax!” Ursion smiles and knocks his cup against the half-elf’s.
”Long live Infernal Majestrix Abrogail II! Long live Cheliax!” he replies. Both men drain their drinks. "I'll make sure that them worthlesss slips are reminded of the penalty for helpin' the escape of a slave. With the 'Glorious Reclamation' going on we can't tolerate any law breakin', no matter how small. The fall of Thrune would be the same as the fall of the greatest nation in the history of Golarion."
"I couldn't agree more, Brother Gallonica. Well, thank you for the drink, but I have other pressing business to attend to for my Maralictor." The half-elf slides back in his chair and stands up, bowing his head and offering a hand.
Ursion stands as well, gripping the smaller man's hand in his crushing grip. "Of course, Armiger. Thanks for your tip. Hopefully it will lead to the capture of some o' them slave thievin' slip bastards." The Armiger nods and leaves the tavern. Ursion grabs his pack and sword, flipping a coin onto the table to cover their tab. He leaves the tavern with a smile on his face, whistling a cheerful tune, thoughts of torturing halflings on his mind.
'Nother question I just thought of: How do you run Appraise checks to guess the value items? So often it's rendered useless by DMs (me included, hah) but I'd like to know if I need to invest a rank in it or not.
I actually had the same question! I don't really incorporate appraise very much even in the games I run, but I gave it to Enrico because he's a mercenary and it made sense. But I could always put that rank somewhere else if we're going to handwave Appraise like most other games. :-)
Along the same lines--GM, how frequently do you use combat maneuvers with your npcs? I'm investing some of my build in CMD (human FC bonus, for example). I've done so in the past and I've seen that some GMs don't make use of maneuvers very often. I generally do from both a player and GM perspective.
Almost forgot about my roleplaying sample. Sorry about that GM. Also, did you see anything wrong with my character submission?
Also I apologize if I went overboard with the roleplaying. :(
Novennia Galonnica sat in the corner of the inn, listening to the chatter of the patrons, hearing word of the recent troubles being caused by the Glorious Reclamation.
"Ha! The Glorious Reclamation is a bunch of weak-minded fools. Their goddess, Iomedae, is nothing but a goody-two-shoes b%~+!. Ymeri and Ardad Lili are much more powerful. Oh, yes, she may have paladins at her beck and call, but even the righteous can be burned," the tattooed sorceress thought to herself as she sipped her red wine a bit. She had been eyeing one of the serving girls for a while now.
Novennia continued to watch the wench for a while longer, but after several more minutes of observation, the Chelaxian noblewoman went to the innkeeper and paid for the best room in the inn. The innkeeper, a woman who was good looking herself, had caught Novennia's eye, but she would save her for later...maybe.
After paying the innkeeper, Novennia asked, "That serving girl right over there? The one with the amber eyes? What is her name?"
The innkeeper was a bit puzzled, but then recalled her servant's name, "Oh her? She's Pontia. Sweet girl. Has a lot of men chasing after her skirt. Keeps out of trouble mostly."
"I see..." Novennia grinned a bit, and passed two gold coins to the innkeeper, whispering, "Send her to my room as soon as possible, and you'll receive three more of these."
The innkeeper blinked in surprise, but then nodded, a knowing smile on her face as she took the 'gift' and handed the noblewoman a key, saying, "Best room in the house, milady."
As soon as Novennia entered her room and placed her backpack on the floor there was a knock.
Smiling, Novennia told the expected person to enter. The serving girl was shy, stuttering as she politely asked for the reason she was called for.
"Lock the door behind you, and take off your clothes. You and I are going to have some fun together," Novennia said seductively as she swayed her hips, smirking as she saw the servant blush a deep red. The noblewoman decided that maybe she would invite the innkeeper after all...
Three days later, a pompous nobleman from House Sarini passed by and tried to make a pass at the sorceress. Novennia grinned as she toyed with his emotions, before breaking his heart, while also lighting his coin purse by making him to spend so much money buying her expensive gifts, that he had to sleep with peasants! Chuckling to herself she said goodbye to the innkeeper and servant girl who were saddened to see her go, while the Sarini nobleman cried in his beer.
Novennia smirked as she walked towards a sign that said this way to Longacre...
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Allllrighty then. Hourai here, apologies for the delay; this little missy did not want her history condensing, but I've given it a shot (though I still feel it needs more than a little work...)
Anyway, consider this my hat in the ring: Salem Kastelios. Former Factotum of Citadel Dinyar.
For your further convenience:
Salem Kastelios
Race: Tiefling (Pass for Human [Chelaxian])
Alternative Racial Traits: Pass for Human, Smite Good
Birthplace/Age: Born in Senara, Rova 4690 / 25 Years Old (assuming an AR 4716 start)
Occupation: Former Factotum of Citadel Dinyar; currently a homeless hirling
Class: Bladebound / Kensai Magus (Bastard Sword)
Alignment: Lawful Evil (with Neutral Tendencies)
Faith: Ex-Iomedaean; Outspoken Diabolist
She has never overtly identified with Asmodeus, despite his status as Cheliax's most immediate patron, but is a wholehearted Diabolist, insofar that she believes a proper structure and system to which other people can be held accountable is a necessity for order and security. Salem's feelings on the Infernal Magistrix are as you might expect for a blatant loyalist: she's a fan of Abrogail at the very least, and does occasionally wonder how that Barzillai chap is doing out in Ravounel.
Traits
Arcane Temper (Magic)
Highlander (Regional)
Ex-Iomedaean (Campaign)
Having lived in Citadel Dinyar for the better part of a decade, Salem is still rather acclimatized to more mountainous regions, and a determination to appear unobtrusive to her peers within the Order has led to a knack for simply not appearing at all. Unfortunately recent events have led to her possessing an outright loathing for the church of Iomedae, the effect of which has had no small impact upon her arcane abilities overall.
1st Level Feat: Arcane Strike
Magus (Kensai) Bonus Feat: Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword)
Salem's always known a little magic; enough to clean and polish a sword, to clear a room, light a candle...but a hard trip back to Cheliax, mixed with certain poverty and a healthy vat of anger, have led her to channeling her gifts towards increasingly violent ends. Her talent in wielding her sword is one of necessity. The journey from Isger to the Chelish Heartlands proved as long as it was unpleasant, and she's had no small amount of time to devote her focus to the unusual blade in her possession.
Had you met her in better spirits, Salem would stand before you at a formidable 5'11", her spine flat as pressed iron, with rust coloured eyes and a frame fit for the stout armour and uniform of a Hellknight squire. Now she is dark and hunched, her once pristine hair messily tied to reveal still-new scars across her eye, lip and cheek. Peasant clothes and an old, strong bag of goods are oddly lacking in the stains you might expect from one who regularly sleeps rough along Longacre's fringes, but the strangest, most out-of-place object in her possession is that of a large, dark, acid-etched blade wrapped tight in a blanket sheath, belted firm against her back.
Clavisatrox
Taken from the body of a Hellknight Signifier during the raid of Citadel Dinyar, Clavisatrox (The Fierce Key; presumably the sword's name, as etched in Infernal down the flat of the blade) hasn't so much as left Salem's reach since their departure from the fortress, and she clings to the weapon like a boat does its anchor. Made of a dull black steel that seems to consume light, the blade maintains the unique property of somehow making an area seem dimmer simply by its appearance, shining only along the edges and where its title rests. A solid bar of black iron draped in unusually durable crimson cloth serves as a handle, while the square hilt (on very close inspection) is inlaid with all manner of infernal engravings, the most predominant of which depict two-headed snakes.
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Tall, lithe, and purposefully attractive, this dark robed figure appears human except for his snakelike eyes, a pair of devilish horns, and the occasional dart of a forked tongue...
As might be implied, Clavisatrox isn't precisely the weapon's name, but rather a title given to the creature entombed within it. Clavisatrox himself (or simply Clavis, whichever you'd prefer) is a Hespierian, better known as an Accomplice Devil, and so far has spent the majority of his time on Golarion enamored with the thought of being eternally sealed inside a block of steel. Contractually bound to a pro-Thrune knight during the height of the Chelish Civil War, Clavis was slated for release once his wielder's soul had successfully taken its one-way-direct trip into Hell following Abrogail Thrune I's coronation, as per the specific wording of a poorly written agreement.
Needless to say this clause doesn't seem to have ever been triggered. Whether the warrior's soul was ultimately claimed by some other realm, outright destroyed, or if his spirit still wanders the world is anyone's guess; Clavis is ignorant, having apparently passed from one set of hands to the next before Salem's claim to ownership. As an entity Clavis is swave, well-spoken, and incredibly ruthless, to the point that it's a matter of debate as to whom between the two of them is more deserving the title of "Master".
Salem doesn't need a name to tell her what she is, but it's often the only indicator others ever possess. The Kastelios of Senara have known Tieflings in their blood since long before the Age of Lost Omens, though there are none alive today that know why. Some claim ancient pacts and the tampering of dark magic, but Salem knows little of the specifics; only that the Kastelios are sons and daughters of service, damned to wait upon their clean-blooded betters till the debts of their forbearers is paid in full. Call their name in any Chelish circle north of the Inner Sea and before long you'll find fiendish retainers and chamberlains aplenty; well aware of their place in the world, but determined, and even glad to see it through, loyally following their charges to wherever their duties demand. For some, this is as far as Pezzack, Corentyn, even Egorian—but to Salem, human-skinned and free of the discrimination her family had so long endured, this place was much further than most; across the border to Isger, nestled atop the Aspodell Mountains, entombed within the iron-clad walls of Citadel Dinyar.
Indentured to a young Armiger at seventeen, Salem was as perfect and poised an assistant as you could ever ask for; proud and strong and eager to please, with a self-nurtured gift for the arcane that set her apart from her peers. With her childhood lost to her father's persistent criticism and demands for excellence, Salem found solace in emulating the only picture of Chelish perfection she had ever known: that of a young and battle-ready Iomedae, though her campaigns were set against stained armour and unsharpened blades, not the killing fields of Tar-Baphon. The work proved long and weary, and her chores increasingly demanding as the seasons drove on, but she knew of the horrors the Godclaw contested; knew the malice and chaos, the disorder loose upon the world…but Salem knew her place, and while she felt she would never quite run about in all that armour as they did, nor swing a mace with such force, the Hellknights of Dinyar were as much a family to her as anything, and their cause as honourable to her as Iomedae's own crusades could ever be.
Seven highland winters had come and gone before the Glorious Reclamation laid siege to the Order of the Godclaw. Salem remembers little of the affair but the sound of arrow rain and the corpses of those she had once honoured as lords and kinsmen. At first the Factotum had taken up her own sword, mistaking the assault for some attack by lesser men, but when the gates fell and its assailants arrived clad in Swords of Valor and banners of the Inheritor, wielding powers that could only be divine, she found herself at a loss, the blade slipping clean from her fingers. How could Iomedae sanction such needless violence? What right did they have, what need to murder her comrades could Aroden's successor possibly possess? As the Godclaw sounded their retreat, Dinyar all but lost, Salem scoured the fallen citadel for her master and found him dead, slumped aside the bodies of his charter with a lone, bloodied crusader praying by their side, barking that the people of Cheliax were ignorant, answering to a whore queen, and declaring that an end by Her sword was a better death than none at all. Stricken with grief and a rare, unchecked bout of black, blinding anger, the Tiefling plucked from the hands of a fallen Signifier a cold and wicked sword, calling upon every inch of her fiendish heritage to smite the soldier down before hastily making her escape, abandoning Dinyar, her post, and her faith in Iomedae's church all at once.
Armed with nothing but a stolen blade and the clothes on her back, Salem's journey back into the arms of Cheliax has not been a wholly pleasant affair. With no credibility and an increasingly violent disposition, she today finds herself on the streets of Longacre, the backwater hovel of retirement appearing something of a just reward for her misplaced faith in the Heavens. She would volunteer for the military, give her all to Cheliax and the Infernal Throne, but the Kastelios do not breed soldiers, and instead she serves as something of an everyman for hire, willing to undertake all manner of work so long as her efforts are properly appreciated in kind. Within Longacre itself, Cimiri Staelish does not often find need of Salem's services, but the two are well-acquainted enough to have a mediocre rapport.
Salem Kastelios
Female tiefling magus (bladebound, kensai) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 264, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 55, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 9, 47)
LE Medium outsider (native)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +1
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 15, flat-footed 11 (+1 armor, +4 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 9 (1d8+1)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +2
Defensive Abilities canny defense +1; Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee bastard sword +3 (1d10+2/19-20) or
. . dagger +2 (1d4+2/19-20)
Special Attacks arcane pool (+1, 4 points), smite good, spell combat
Magus (Bladebound, Kensai) Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +5)
. . 1st—shield
. . 0 (at will)—acid splash, detect magic
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Statistics
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Str 14, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 17
Feats Arcane Strike, Weapon Focus (bastard sword)
Traits arcane temper, ex-iomedaean, highlander (hills or mountains)
Skills Bluff +1, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (local) +4, Perception +1, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +11 (+12 in hilly or rocky areas); Racial Modifiers +2 Bluff, +2 Stealth, highlander (hills or mountains)
Languages Common, Draconic, Halfling, Infernal
SQ chosen weapon, pass for human
Other Gear silken ceremonial armor[UC], bastard sword, dagger, bedroll, blanket[APG], candle (5), canteen[UE], chewing stick, comb (0.2 lb), hairbrush (0.3 lb), hemp rope (50 ft.), ink, inkpen, journal[UE], masterwork backpack[APG], mirror, nail file (0.1 lb), peasant's outfit, piton, scissors (0.3 lb), soap, spell component pouch, sponge, tooth powder (0.1 lb), spellbook, whetstone, whiskey (per cup)[UE] (2), 4 gp, 8 sp, 3 cp
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Pool +1 (4/day) (Su) Infuse own power into a held weapon, granting enhancement bonus or selected item powers.
Arcane Strike As a swift action, add +1 damage, +1 per 5 caster levels and your weapons are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Canny Defense +1 (Ex) +INT bonus to AC (max Kensai level).
Chosen Weapon (Bastard sword) Kensai abilities only function when wielding a weapon of this type.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Energy Resistance, Cold (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Cold attacks.
Energy Resistance, Electricity (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Electricity attacks.
Energy Resistance, Fire (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Fire attacks.
Pass for Human You can pass for human, and count as a humanoid (human) for all purposes.
Smite Good (1/day) +0 to hit, +1 to damage when used.
Spell Combat (Ex) Use a weapon with one hand at -2 and cast a spell with the other.
I'll get to providing a proper roleplay snippet over the course of the next day or so, but here's more or less what I've got in mind. Critique is welcome from all sources, as I'd rather nip any problems in the bud sooner than later.
All-in-all, thanks to our prospective GM for the opportunity and, no matter who gets chosen, I wish you all the best of luck with the game. Really the applicant standard has so far been truly incredible. I suspect there's going to be quite a lot of high-quality Hells Vengeance PbPs going forward.
'Nother question I just thought of: How do you run Appraise checks to guess the value items? So often it's rendered useless by DMs (me included, hah) but I'd like to know if I need to invest a rank in it or not.
I typically just handwave it for run-of-the-mill loot. It's not a particularly important skill in my games.
Along the same lines--GM, how frequently do you use combat maneuvers with your npcs? I'm investing some of my build in CMD (human FC bonus, for example). I've done so in the past and I've seen that some GMs don't make use of maneuvers very often. I generally do from both a player and GM perspective.
That is for me to know and you to find out! (Enough that you won't regret having a good CMD.)
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Still working on the class for my character.
Right now I narrowed it down to a few options.
Bard (Arcane Duelist): Won't really fit the image I have until 5th level but is mighty fun. Best buffing but least subtle.
Mesmerist (Vexing Daredevil): Love this one. Would be a follower of Calcabrina, a Malebranche. Most control but probably least physically capable.
Rogue (Unchained): Not sure on archetypes yet. Knifemaster would be fun, as would Eldritch Scoundrel or Rake. Probably highest damage potential but less utility.
Another option is mixing either of the first two with 3 levels of Unchained Rogue to up the damage. The delay on class abilities and spells is rather nasty though.
In general, I'm looking at using either pata or kukri as my main weapons. Kukris are probably better but I just like the image of the pata. As for how she'd get her hands on such an exotic weapon: The Henderthanes are arms dealers and her father is a collector of swords and other blades, it's how her wayward sister ended up with an estoc.
I have the story and personality of my character done, it's just the mechanics (and the influence that would have on narrative) that I need to decide on now.
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I've added a brief section describing what Amatsu is doing in Longacre to her background, and I've (probably) finalized her stats.
I shall be withdrawing from this, as I don't feel sufficiently evil at the moment. Best of luck!
Archlich here! Here's my submission, after aligning with the GM via PM :)
Hey GM, I just wanted to know when you might close this and if i have time to post something for tomorrow. I really like the submissions and it's really wanting me to get in on this.
Mesmerist (Vexing Daredevil): Love this one. Would be a follower of Calcabrina, a Malebranche. Most control but probably least physically capable.
Rogue (Unchained): Not sure on archetypes yet. Knifemaster would be fun, as would Eldritch Scoundrel or Rake. Probably highest damage potential but less utility.
I'd say that the Mesmerist or the Eldritch Scoundrel would be the most interesting. We do already have an Unchained Rogue with a spot reserved, but an Eldritch Scoundrel would play very differently than her build. I'd love to see a Vexing Daredevil, though - and Calcabrina would be an excellent deity. (Arcane Duelists are really cool too, though... any of the three would work.)
Hey GM, I just wanted to know when you might close this and if i have time to post something for tomorrow. I really like the submissions and it's really wanting me to get in on this.
You've got plenty of time. I'll announce that I'm closing recruitment a few days in advance (we're getting there, but not quite there yet).
This is Geshko with my submission!
The problem with elves is that they live so dang long! Gotta account for that century!
So with both my Eidolon and slave, do I have direct control over them? Just my Eidolon? My Eidolon so long as our interests align?
Do I have the freedom (no pun) to choose the details of my slave? Am I able to choose their gender or race? Description? Disposition? General actions? Do they have an NPC class of my choice, and if so, can I choose their specialization with their skills and/or feats/spells? Should I create an alias for them, or provide the details or general details and hand that to you?
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So with both my Eidolon and slave, do I have direct control over them? Just my Eidolon? My Eidolon so long as our interests align?
Do I have the freedom (no pun) to choose the details of my slave? Am I able to choose their gender or race? Description? Disposition? General actions? Do they have an NPC class of my choice, and if so, can I choose their specialization with their skills and/or feats/spells? Should I create an alias for them, or provide the details or general details and hand that to you?
You have a very high degree of control over your Eidolon, though he is his own person and it's possible there will be times he disagrees with you. You're still his master, however, and he'll do your bidding except in the absolutely strangest of situations.
As for your slave, you can control the appearance, general description (including race and gender), and outlook of your slave, but I'll generate their statistics and character class. A 200 gp slave will likely be a 1st-level expert (I'm not going to allow spellcaster slaves). You have somewhat less control over their actions (from an RPG standpoint) than your Eidolon, and you won't be able to pick all their skills, feats, and class levels, but if there's one or two specific skills you'd like them to be trained in, you can let me know.
Does that sound good to you?
Creating a human musket master sniper once I can get at the players guide. I will be going as a mercenary/assassin.
'Nother question I just thought of: How do you run Appraise checks to guess the value items? So often it's rendered useless by DMs (me included, hah) but I'd like to know if I need to invest a rank in it or not.I typically just handwave it for run-of-the-mill loot. It's not a particularly important skill in my games.
Along the same lines--GM, how frequently do you use combat maneuvers with your npcs? I'm investing some of my build in CMD (human FC bonus, for example). I've done so in the past and I've seen that some GMs don't make use of maneuvers very often. I generally do from both a player and GM perspective.That is for me to know and you to find out! (Enough that you won't regret having a good CMD.)
Good to know! I swapped out Appraise for Knowledge (Nobility)--I figure a mercenary would want to know a little about their employers.
Just realized I didn't really have much of a connection to Longacre, so I edited the RP sample to create one by having him leaving the Asmodean temple with the express intention of meeting up with Cimri for this gig as a means of going outside the normal channels to achieve more power faster than he could through the normal methods.
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Tiefling slaves are common, and seem to be popular characters that players are submitting. What could go wrong? While the heritage isn't explicit, even known, let is be said that my head-canon Vivendi is Kyton-Blooded. I don't want to say that she will be sacrificed to the Eidolon at some point, but it is an option I am considering for the first ritual summoning.
In the right lighting, Vivendi appears almost like a human. She has short black hair, cut and maintained by herself. Under her robes, she is marked with the scars from previous masters. She wears a scholar’s outfit, dark navy and brass like that of her master, with white accents that trail the hem of her robes. A crest is marked on the back of her robes, a shield divided into black and white quadrants, with a brass, standing lion in the bottom right corner. She holds little contempt for the family, seeing them as one of the few ways to freedom within Cheliax, but harbors no kind thoughts for them either.
Looking over the Leroung children, Vivendi had ample opportunities to study the grand libraries maintained and run by the family. While without any ability to cast the magic she read about and helped the younger children study countless times, she is knowledgeable in the art of spellcraft, magic and creatures from far off planes. Vivendi has been the personal servant to Justimar over the past three years, and puts up with his ambition, mock advances, and pride solely as he does not act malicious or act out on her. Justimar is quick to defend his servant, often threatening those who flirt with her or endanger her. Justimar claims that it is a matter of “respect for property,” but she suspects (though would never say) that he may actually have a soft spot for her.
Justimar attempts to teach her the intricacies of Chelish nobility that she has known far longer than him. While she cannot cast spells, Justimar is adamant that he can teach her how, and often allows her to answer questions on magic to assess if she is retaining what he teaches her. In reality, she may know more than Justimar does, though plays the curious, student-type to appeal to what Justimar is looking for: someone to tell him he is right.
"Why am in Longacre? Well, you see, when I set out from Senara after deserting the Mercenary League -- long story, what can I say -- I chanced to see a cloud of wasps flying in the morning air along one particular trail. It was a sign from Her, of course, and so I heeded it, and went down that path, and down various other paths that branched from it, and along various ways dark and deep, and so here I am. This is where it's going to happen, whatever it is. Why wouldn't I be here?"
So I'm gonna be withdrawing Caleb in favor of a necromancing occultist.
Sorry for my absenteeism. I was out of town at a wild wedding. Downloading the pdf ...I think I'm taking the one, forgot the name ...it had a bonus to intimidate I think.
Local Tough. This inbred Lovecraftian mortician/cleaner is ready to do work.
"Why am in Longacre? Well, you see, when I set out from Senara after deserting the Mercenary League -- long story, what can I say -- I chanced to see a cloud of wasps flying in the morning air along one particular trail. It was a sign from Her, of course, and so I heeded it, and went down that path, and down various other paths that branched from it, and along various ways dark and deep, and so here I am. This is where it's going to happen, whatever it is. Why wouldn't I be here?"
"Born here. Daddy an' his daddy an' his an' so on. We take care a th' bodies. Always gonna be bodies. Good line a work, I reckon."
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Alright, it's definitely looking like we've got an excellent group of characters either submitted or planned out, so I'm going to go ahead and announce the closing of submissions.
That'll give everyone about a week to finish any last details, complete their characters, and get them submitted here. Thanks for all the interest, everyone! It'll be hard to deny any of you the chance to play, but alas, the party can only be so big.
Juli Henderthane, who can be found here, will be a Mesmerist. I'm just not yet sure whether or not I will go for the Vexing Daredevil archetype. The thematics of the archetype are a great fit but losing Bold Stare is nothing to sneeze at, especially with access to the Devilbane Gazes as they also work perfectly against angels.
I do have a question on it though: How would you rule on the Greater Mesmerising Feint feat for the Vexing Daredevil? They get it as a bonus feat at lvl 10 and it allows you to feint against mindless opponents at a -4 and with 50% success rate.
The issue comes from the part where you can only use it against targets of your Hypnotic Stare, which is itself a mind affecting effect. In a normal scenario this isn't an issue as the feat has the Psychic Inception bold stare as a requirement, which allows you to use Hypnotic Stare on creatures that are normally immune to mind affecting effects. The Vexing Daredevil however can't get any Bold Stare and as such it's Hypnotic Stare does not work on those immune to mind affecting meaning that by RAW it can't use Greater Mesmerising Feint.
How would you handle this? Allow Hypnotic Stare to target something immune to mind affecting effects but simply not giving them the penalties? How would this then work with the Painful Stare ability which itself is not mind affecting but does only affect those under Hypnotic Stare.
For an unrelated question: Would you be ok with my character having a handmaiden? Said character would not be present at the start but would be my character's direct link home. I'd see them exchange send letters to each other for instance.
The idea is that my character will actually seek to promote her handmaiden at a later point to a lady in waiting of sorts and then make her a cohort via Leadership.
The connection between the two will be further elaborated in the background, but it basically comes down to them growing up together and said servant being the one of two people Juli truly trusts (the other being her twin brother).
How would you handle this? Allow Hypnotic Stare to target something immune to mind affecting effects but simply not giving them the penalties?
That's exactly how I would handle it. You can stare at anyone you want, even if they're immune to it, and it would enable Greater Mesmerizing Feint.
How would this then work with the Painful Stare ability which itself is not mind affecting but does only affect those under Hypnotic Stare.
I would allow Painful Stare to deal its damage to any creature, even ones immune to mind-affecting effects. Having played a mesmerist extensively, this would allow you to get some extra utility against such foes without breaking the class's balance.
For an unrelated question: Would you be ok with my character having a handmaiden? Said character would not be present at the start but would be my character's direct link home. I'd see them exchange send letters to each other for instance.
I like that. Supporting cast NPCs make for rich character backstories, so I like the idea of a handmaiden.
Hey GM. So, I took your original post about character creation and the race information in the PG into further consideration and decided that there was nothing about Boaz that really required him to be Vishkanya. As a result, I switched him to human. He will be a Chelish criminal-turned-Thrune informant.
There are a couple slight changes to the RP sample as well that help build the connection to the beginning of the adventure.
I also added some detail to the background that better explains Boaz's current "employment." He is under the employment of a lesser noble house that serves House Thrune as informants. I still need to decide what house that would be, but it might actually serve as an opportunity to build character connections with another PC if one of them is from a noble house (as I can see many of the applicants are).
Looking forward to D-Day on Monday!
And now I submit Dascius.
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Here is Elirac Sett for your consideration. A human Pyromancer, happy to set the place on fire to get what he needs.
I just need to finish up the in character roleplaying and that will be posted tomorrow.
I’d like to offer Molasbar for your consideration. He’s a tiefling wizard (infernal binder), and his background and description are in his profile. For an example of long-term play, I’d love for you to look at this Age of Worms game. We’ve been at it for four years and are closing on 12th level.
When the food is placed before them, he bows his head and murmurs quietly. Not a prayer to any god; Molasbar wouldn’t bother with that. Instead, it is a minor incantation checking the food for poison. Once cleared, he enjoys. Between bites, he asks his companions about the next day. ”Do you suppose there is time to scout? No? Fair enough. I’d prefer a chance to prepare and plan, but I agree we don’t have that luxury now. Very well.” He nods to the warrior and adds ”I’ll stay a few paces back and help where I can. Exactly what…” He shrugs. ”It is hard to say. Whatever I think will be most helpful.”
He smiles as the server puts the wine in front of him, ignoring her reaction to his skin and eyes. With barely a thought, he checks the wine for poison before sipping the drink. ”Remember the objective. Nothing is more important, and there will be little tolerance and no forgiveness for failure.”
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Alas, though I do really want to play in this campaign, various things are forcing me to bow out of the recruitment. It looks like its going to be an awesome campaign though!
I lied. I'm gonna work on my character after all, as it looks to be too good of a campaign to pass up.
Everything is now updated on my profile! (Example of role-playing is updated)
Very excited for this now there's a very good bunch of players here and I enjoyed reading through all your profiles. I can't wait to see who gets in.
Not too long now, folks! I'll give you until midnight on the 7th (eastern time) to get any last-minute submissions updated/sent in, then close submissions so I can make the final decision!
Alas, though I do really want to play in this campaign, various things are forcing me to bow out of the recruitment. It looks like its going to be an awesome campaign though!I lied. I'm gonna work on my character after all, as it looks to be too good of a campaign to pass up.
I'm glad. I really like your ideas. :)
Alrighty, everything is done with Ghivinus Varth (DM Crustypeanut) except his roleplaying example and his gear. I'm too tired tonight to do that so I'll try to get it done tomorrow (eeeh later today technically).
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Guru of the Sands here with a last minute submission!
As an example of Roleplay credentials I would direct you to ClebschGM's Wrath of the Righteous campaign where I play Karas Argentus.
Good Luck Everyone!
Juli is finished and found here. The background ended up being a bit longer than 2-3 paragraphs. The basic idea for her is that she is a product of her upbringing and while truly lawful evil she is not heartless.
As for long term games I've been in, most of those actually haven't been on this site but on another forum.
On Paizo I'm in Here be Tyrants which is a variant Kingmaker that has run for almost a year now and is nearing the end of book one.
I'm also in a Hell's Rebels game that houses Juli's wayward sister Melia but that has only been running for a month.
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Good luck everyone!
And thank you again GM for this wonderful opportunity!
Even if I'm not picked, I had a lot of fun creating this character!
Yes, good luck to all, I hope I get to play this with you guys.
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I wish you all terrible luck! May the most diabolical among us weed out the weak and useless! Mwa! Mwa! MWAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAhahaaa
J/K
Good luck y'all. :P