Female Elf Wizard 3, HP: 18/18, AC 17/14f/13t, Fort: +2 Ref: +6 Will +3, Init: +5, Perception: +9 (darkvision)
"I'll have a look through those things you've suggest Gorag, I first want to prepare a set of new spells I've had on my mind for a while now. Hope to see you in a few days when we're all ready!" The weasel on her shoulder gives a small squeak before she turns and heads of to the manor.
Hmm... I'm going to miss this old place, best have a good look over, take my memories with me. A whole lot of new ones to be made shortly I'm sure.
I'll spend an evening or two learning from the scrolls I have. Adding them to the spellbook.
A few days later Ameiko sends for you.
In front of her Inn Sandrus caravan has gathered, ready to bring you to brinewall and as it seems Shalelu also decided to join you.
When you arrive, Ameiko, Sandru and Koya are making last preparations while Shalelu checks with the small group of guards accompanying the caravan.
Last chance for doing anything here or asking questions of/talking to the NPC'S. Tomorrow I'll travel you to Brinewall.
Zeema arrives somewhat disheveled. She apparently has taken to sleeping in trees at night, and her cloak is covered with twigs and bits of mud. She gives a halfhearted wave to Koya.
Once everything is in order you start your journey north. The first days you follow the Lost Coast Road before Sandru changes to smaller, but still well used roads, avoiding Riddleport and making your way towards Brinewall.
On your 15th day of travel you at last leave the frequently used track behind and enter an old, overgrown road leading to an half broken stone bridge, still showing an old sign "Brinewall Border, 2 miles to village and castle".
Perception DC 15:
Ameiko seems to grow pale and restless as you draw near the town, even starting to slightly shake. But she won't hear anything about that.
Here Sandru stops the caravan, deeming the bridge not save for wagons.
Ameiko jumps down the wagon, eager to walk the last few miles and at least lay an eye on the town today. She walks toward the bridge and signs you to follow.
As she leaves the bridge on the other side she suddendly just collapses.
Current Castle Map HP 26 / 26, AC 21 (19 FF, 13 Touch) Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6
Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
At seeing the oddness in the bard Aloria keeps a watch on her and as she collapses quickly follows Sunny to Ameiko's side pulling out her healer's kit and then begins to look the woman over.
Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrappitycrap! What's wrong with her?! What's going on?!
After Aloria looks Ameiko over and finds no probable cause of unconsciousness, Zeema picks up Ameiko and sets her down atop some pillows and blankets in one of the wagons.
Current Castle Map HP 26 / 26, AC 21 (19 FF, 13 Touch) Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6
"I do not know. She was pale and even began to shake and it seemed worse as we drew closer to the town."[b/] the gnome explains, [b]"Perhaps we should check out this town? Though I do not know what would do this to a person."
Aloria looks to Hideo and mvoes closer to look the man over as she asks, "How are you feeling?"
You're right, Aloria, she looked already pale when she left the wagons. We should bring her further away from here and form a reconnaissance team to investigate the town.
M Halfling Bard 6 | HP 50 | AC 22 | T 16 | FF 17 | CMD 19 | Fort +4 | Ref +11 | Will +6 (+2 vs fear) | Init +5 | Perc +12
Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Nicat asks, "We really can't tell what's wrong with her? It definitely seemed to come on as we got closer to the town. I can't come up with a better plan than Aloria's - go check out the town and see if we can figure it out. Someone needs to stay with Ameiko - maybe Sandru or Shalelu, or can we just have the caravan guards look after her?"
Female Elf Wizard 3, HP: 18/18, AC 17/14f/13t, Fort: +2 Ref: +6 Will +3, Init: +5, Perception: +9 (darkvision)
Cerana nods at the plan to go investigate the town.
"I'm sure the caravan guards will be adequate after all we are trusting them to guard us too. Maybe she was just unwell though that might be unlikely. Are we in agreement to go investigate this town?"
Sunny listens distractedly to the others talk as she leans against the wagon's door watching Ameiko and the ministrations/attention she is receiving. She shakes herself from her thoughts and looks to the others.
"Ye think it be somat in'a town? Whut ever could'a done such a thing?" She looks anxiously to Shelalu, Sandru and the others.
"Whut if'n it does the same ta the rest of us..?" She asks quietly.
Shalelu speaks up "We'll stay here with Ameiko and Koya can look after her. If this is some sort of attack we don't want to leave the caravan too lightly protected."
Sunny nervously shifts from foot to foot, obviously still ill at ease with the malaise which has struck one of their most beloved friends low. She steps over and hugs Shalelu,
"Ye be careful now, hey?" She whispers quietly to her friend, before heading over to which ever wagon has her belongings and getting ready to go and explore the place ahead of them.
M Halfling Bard 6 | HP 50 | AC 22 | T 16 | FF 17 | CMD 19 | Fort +4 | Ref +11 | Will +6 (+2 vs fear) | Init +5 | Perc +12
Looking at the crumbling bridge and old signpost, Nicat responds, "I think that's a good idea, Shalelu. We'll take a look around and see if we can sort this out, while you all stay with Ameiko and keep an eye out."
Turning to Hideo, Nicat asks him "Are you okay with leaving your sister in this state? She'll be well looked after, and we may well have need of your sword while we see if we can figure out the cause of what's happened to her. But I'd understand if you want to stay by her side."
Male Human (Tian-Min) Samurai (Sword Saint) 3 AC 19/13/17 / HP 31/35 / F +5 R +3 W +2 / Init. +2 / Perc. +4)
Earlier as Ameiko passed out.
Perception:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Sister! Hideo cried rushing to Amieko. Ever since the Caravan got closer and closer to the Brinewall ruins Hideo had been able to tell that something had been troubling her. She had talked less then usual, and she seemed to be constantly restless. Hideo had approached her several times, but each time he was turned away from her, saying that it was nothing and she was just anxious to find out what was hidden at the castle.
Then as he watched his sister collapse. Hideo was stricken with fear and concern. She might have always been over protective but that didn't mean that he didn't love her.
Crouching by her side Hideo lifted up Ameiko and dragged over to the caravan to lay her on something soft. Hideo listened as the others discussed their actions and watched with jeliously as Sunny talked quietly with Shalelu. Finally assured that she would be alright and her friends would look over her, he turned as Nicat asked if Hideo wanted to stay.
No, Nicat, I don't know what is inside of that castle, but I think that Ameiko would want one of the Kaijitus family there when it was found. Let me just collect my things and get ready to go. Turning back to his sister, Hideo watched with concern as Koya began examining her, checking her head for bruises and looking into her half lidded eyes.
Moving to the wagon, Hideo collected his gear before he quietly approached Shalelu. As he neared her he gave her a hesitant smile and a nod as if he could handle things before he made ready to depart with the rest of the group.
CHA check for Childhood Crush trait:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Current Castle Map HP 26 / 26, AC 21 (19 FF, 13 Touch) Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6
"It would seem we are," Aloria answers the question(s) regarding investigating the town ahead.
"Keep an eye on each other, if we start showing signs similar to Ameiko, speak up. We may not realize our own condition." The gnome says to her companions.
She takes a few steps forward on the path, "Let's do this!
Shalelu just eyes Hideo funny before returning to work.
You decide it wise to move on and explore the former colony.
On the other side of the bridge the path finally almost vanishes into the undergrowth but you still manage to follow it and after a 20 more minutes of walking the forest ends.
Before your eyes a bay opens and down on the shore you see the ruins of the village, build around a small lagoon. The houses look just like you would expect them to look after being abandoned for decades. Slightly outside the village to the right you see a big graveyard, which, to your surprise, doesn't seem to show any overgrowth. Overseeing the bay stands a big, gloomy castle to the west, at least from here still looking mostly intact.
You are still outside the village on the edge of the forest. What now?
"Sunny, if you wish to stealthily approach, that's fine, but such a task is ill-suited for myself. I feel a more straightforward approach would be preferable."
Sunny smiles, skips over and gives Zeema a quick hug.
"Sneakin' in't all abouts bein' all...um...sneaky like." Sunny pauses and blinks as she seems to reply what she's just said back in her mind.
"Um....whut I be meanin' ta say is that sneakin' can be a simple as simple NOT bein' seen. Ye ken?" She grins and looks hopefully at Zeema.
"I mean. All we's gots ta do is move around all....um..." And the brown skinned Elf seems to be searching for what to say, "...bugger." She looks to Aloria, Nicat or Hideo.
"D'ye ken whut t'is I be tryin' ta say?" She asks.
"If'n Shalelu were here I could es'plain ta her whut t'is I be thinkin' in words we could un'erstand. She's jus' so much better at gabbin' than I am..." Sunny whispers to herself, frowning as she struggles to communicate her thoughts to the others.
Female Elf Wizard 3, HP: 18/18, AC 17/14f/13t, Fort: +2 Ref: +6 Will +3, Init: +5, Perception: +9 (darkvision)
"Sunny dear, I think Zeema does understand the concept though is inept at carrying it out. I am not particularly good at it either. I can make one of us invisible for a time though I doubt it will be long enough." Cerana is uncomfortable with the situation though is making do with what she can, feels as uncomfortable as when the drow attacked all those years ago.
"I suggest we stick together no telling what we might come up against, I for one am curious that this place is not overgrown. I am also wandering if the castle over yonder is Brinewall castle. I would like to visit the graveyard as much as that sounds grim but we might get an answer there. The simple thing to do would perhaps look investigate the houses for anything of note on the way to either the castle or the graveyard. I vote for going to the graveyard first then doubling back to the castle regardless of the results. What are your opinions friends?" Cerana seems somewhat tense while asking, though it might be because she doesn't want to stand around too long in such a strange place.
male Alchemist 2 / Monk 1 || HP 12/30 || AC 15, T 11, FF 14, CMD 17 || F +6, R +6, W +2 || Per. +4, Init +1 Treasure
I think, I understood Sunny. What she's trying to say is, that we should try to get some kind of sight protection between us and the most most likely positions of inhabitants of this place.
I think the most likely position of someone here is the castle. Hence we should try to find a way to enter the village without crossing too much open space.
You're right, Cerana. The castle and the graveyard seem to be the most interesting options.
"PerZACTLY!" She exclaims brightly, with a happy bounce.
"So. We move through tha' edge of th'a forest an' come out fer a look-see over there." And she again points off in the direction farthest away from the gloomy castle. (^_^)
She hugs Zeema again. "Here, I in't perzactly a sneaky type o' person m'self. But when two ship do tussle there be benefit t'learnin' how ta duck!" She confides. With that Sunny begins to move cautiously along the forests edge in direction she indicated.
Zeema is not used to interacting with people, much less being touched out of the blue. Every time that Sunny hugs her, she stiffens uncomfortably and does not return the action. A small frown touches her face. At the suggestion of action, Zeema begins to relax a little more.
She gazes back at the caravan where she placed Ameiko with Hideo's help.
We will find what did this to her. Until then...
Zeema looks towards the castle. She had a bad feeling about this. After taking a moment, she sighs and reluctantly follows Sunny.
M Halfling Bard 6 | HP 50 | AC 22 | T 16 | FF 17 | CMD 19 | Fort +4 | Ref +11 | Will +6 (+2 vs fear) | Init +5 | Perc +12
Nicat looks on in surprise as Sunny goes to hug Zeema yet again, wondering when the exuberant elfling will notice that the druid does not welcome the displays of affection.
He then says "Going to the graveyard when we're here to investigate the castle seems a bit backward to me, especially if we want to figure out what's happened to Ameiko. I sure hope whatever has knocked her out has nothing to do with the graveyard. But if the rest of you think heading by the graveyard first makes sense, I'll go along, let's just not hang out there too long, for Ameiko's sake and ours."
You circle around the village and arrive at the graveyard gate. While most of the graveyard is surrounded only by an old wooden fence, the gates are iron and flanked by beautiful statues of Desna. Behind the gate you find over two dozen graves and a small crypt standing on a hill in the center. An inscription reads "Admiral Mercatio Kiameleu, founder of Brinewall".
Standing apart from the rest of the graves you find a small, but seemingly well tended shrine consisting of a small marble statue of Desna holding a small copper bowl filled with water.
Knowledge Religion DC 25:
You know that such shrines often contain some minor blessing by the goddess, hallowing all water that is poured into the bowl and making it in effect holy.
male Alchemist 2 / Monk 1 || HP 12/30 || AC 15, T 11, FF 14, CMD 17 || F +6, R +6, W +2 || Per. +4, Init +1 Treasure
I don't know, but maybe, I can find out, what magic lies upon it.
Gorag takes out a vial and fills it with the water from the bowl. Then he takes his alchemical equipment out of his backpack and begins to make some experiments with the water.
Female Elf Wizard 3, HP: 18/18, AC 17/14f/13t, Fort: +2 Ref: +6 Will +3, Init: +5, Perception: +9 (darkvision)
"Hmm, looks like there is no clue as to why this place has gone untouched by nature here. Maybe the castle is really all there is to this place? Gorag do you think that water is worth taking at all?"
Cerana thinks on the name of the founder to see if he had any potent magic himself.
male Alchemist 2 / Monk 1 || HP 12/30 || AC 15, T 11, FF 14, CMD 17 || F +6, R +6, W +2 || Per. +4, Init +1 Treasure
It seems to be holy water. This place is deserted for some time. It's not very unlikely that some kind of unnatural inhabitants are in the castle.
We should take some flask with us. I have one in my pouch. Who wants the flask, I inspected?
Current Castle Map HP 26 / 26, AC 21 (19 FF, 13 Touch) Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6
Aloria looks to Gorag, "Do you have any flasks? We should stock up on Holy Water where you can, you never know when it will be useful."
After collecting the holy water, the gnome calls upon Desna's blessings and refill the bowl with water once again. She will then turn to the others, "Let's go see who or what is in that castle."
If Gorag has flasks, then collect some holy water, if not, Aloria will empty her waterskin to collect as much holy water as she can.
You make your way through the abandoned village to the squat castle, sitting grimly on a small hill.
The main building only seems to be 2 stories tall, barely reaching over the tall walls and smaler than the guard towers around it.
The walls seem to be still in somewhat good shape and when you arrive the gates are closed, yet they show signs of rot and are most likely not that hard to break through.
You also guess that a skilled enough character could scale the walls without to much of an problem and someone small enough might be able to squeeze through one of the many arrowslits.
So far you see no sign of any possible inhabitant.
For years the trade routes around Sandport were calm and mostly safe, even the old “goblin bounty" was discontinued. But now a group of goblins seems to have gotten their hands on firework and started to raid caravans again, disrupting trade and travel. Fearing that they'll spark a new wave of monster activity Sheriff Hemlock renewed the bounty, pledging 10 gold coins per goblins ear and an additional 500 for the eradication of this particular tribe. Determined to ensure the safety of the town and convinced the money best goes to you, you met up with some friends at the Rusty Dragon tavern to plan your foray into the marsh.
After my Carrion Crown sadly died a slow death I admittedly might not be completely faultless in, I and the remaining two players decided to start anew instead of trying to reanimate the dead.
As they'll have first dip on playing I'm right now looking for about 3 new player to join in on the Jade Regent adventure path. While I don't know yet what they want to play feel free to apply as anything. With all in all 5 players there is enough space to have a role double.
Big 16:
1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?
Pathfinder
2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?
We'll play the Pathfinder Adventure Path "Jade Regent". With some old friends you make'll the long journey from Sandpoint to the distant land of Minkai to uncover an old conspiracy and save the kingdom from the rule of evil spirits.
3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?
About 3 Players (in addition to the remainder of my Carrion Crown, should one of them decide to drop out I'll take another newcomer)
4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?
Paizo forum PbP with some added maps on googledocs.
I expect at least about one post per day on average.
5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
Start at level 2. I'm not that big a fan of level 1 and it's overly high chance of instant death. The encounters will be adjusted accordingly.
6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?
WBL = 1000 gold
7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?
All Paizo is allowed, 3.5 material requires approval (but will most likely be allowed as long as it is reasonable converted/convertible). Not a big fan of homebrew, but if you REALY want something you can ask.
Try to build well working characters without going to cheesy levels as in the end I can and will veto anything that breaks the game or the other players fun. Should someone find himself loosing to much ground towards the other characters I might give him some boon, but don't expect me to artificially fix up your brokenly weak character and better ask for advise beforehand.
8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?
Nothing to exotic please, afterall you have to be somewhat accepted into human society.
9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?
Ability Scores: Let's try a 3d6+1, if you don't like it take 25 point buy. (Yes, I know it's high, but I don't like locking people out of MAD classes)
Hitpoints: Max for the first two hitdice, afterwards the better of a diceroll and half.
10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
Basic rules on alignment, Be able to work together, Don't be a ****.
11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
Standard pathfinder multi-classing rules.
12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?
You'll make most of your rolls in your posts, I'll take some of your passive checks to speed things up. I'll usually also roll most thinks open. No fudging for or against you, if you die, you die. While I'll let initiative decide things when it matters everyone if free to post once he can to speed things up.
13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.
Traits: You get two traits. One trait must be a campaign trait from the Jade Regent player handbook.
Caravan Rules: I'm not completely sure yet in how far I'll use them as the caravan combat seems to be quite a few rounds of only one action by the group. Fornow assume that I'll use it but that I'll speed the combat up.
14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?
Something decent please, that gives me an idea of who your character is, what motivates them, and how they're connected to the world and the NPC's. You should pick one of the campaign traits and work it into your backstory or give me a good reason why you don't. It doesn't have to be long, but it should answer those general points.
15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?
A mix of all as typical for an paizo adventure path.
16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?
See Question 7.
Also, to all those applying, please read the Jade Regent Player's Handbook.
And I would prefer if no one applies only to drop out after a few days or weeks.
I am a big fan of "character growing up" within the game. Currently this guy (Haterivet) is the only character I have at lvl. 2. He was made for an arena type of game, and he was one of the rare lucky and good enough ones to survive. Sadly, the campaign died after reaching lvl. 2. He has a detailed, albeit specific background which I will try to adjust to this specific campaign - maybe I can, or maybe I can not customize it to fit, I have to check Jade Regent Player Guide.
I would appreciate if you could briefly take a look at the character and tell me if you believe he would be appropriate or not (disregard current equipment, this is from old campaign).
Looked over both your characters (mostly the fluff). While they all in all look good they both need quite a makeover to connect them to the path.
I suggest you read the players guide and look if you have any idea why they are in Sandport and know the NPC's.
But I have to admit that that, while far from impossible, might need more than some slight changes.
Nope, I put the rules in the spoiler and decided to skip the houserules for this one for now.
I would maybe be good if you edited your post to prevent confussion.
As for 'Fitting in' around Sandport? Why t'is easy! Sunny be havin' points in Profession;Sailor. Hence, she's a regular traveler whut come in't port an' bangs about when ever her ship does come in. (^_^)
Right easy enough t'git m'self tangled up with every one else. (^_~)
Why, when a bod comes a callin' in'a town, they want some wheres t'wash up, have a feed of more'n fish and listen ta any local tales people might be wantin' t'tell. An' the well regarded 'Rusty Dragon" would seem t'be quite the right place t'be doin' such.
Again, very much best wishes and cheers to every one.
Hmm, "Friend of the family" is probably the best fit for you then as far as knowing the NPC's goes, but it's your decicion. And remember that you'll be marching over land with a caravan, quite in difference to the life on see.
Hey, I done put in me startin' background that Sunny be wantin' any excuse t'not have t'keep washing her hair. (^_~)
Hey! I do like the idea of 'Best freind' and while I'm not sure as to how old Ameiko is (One should never be in'a position t'be askin' any lass her age! :P), What d'ye say t'that idea?
'Hero Worship' be another one. Sunny might be old enough t'have been a round when the giants did come a calling and Shalelu saved her scrawny hide?
Agin, bein' a Elf how about 'Survivalist'? Would also go right well with Sunny being a sailor and stuffs?
Hi Stephan, another European here ;-) Finkmilkana, thanks for the quick review, I've downloaded Player's guide, will go over through it and get back to you when/ifI have some feasible ideas. Cheers
Alas, these rolls are not fit to make a character. Point-buy it is. I was thinking about making a Menhir Savant Druid, a specialist in tapping into the nodes and ley lines of the earth, learning to harness their energies.
In that vein, I'd like to know whether or not you'd accept and Oread as an acceptable racial choice. Being part human-part outsider, an Oread could easily be part of human society while satisfying their more primal urges for seclusion.
The SRD's Description of Oread Society:
As a minor offshoot of the human race, oreads have no real established society of their own. Instead, most oreads grow up in human communities learning the customs of their parents. Adult oreads have a well-deserved reputation among other races for being hermits and loners. Few take well to the bustle of city life, preferring instead to spend their days in quiet contemplation atop some remote mountain peak or deep below the earth in a secluded cavern. Oreads with a greater tolerance for life among humans often join the city watch, or find some other way to serve their community in a position of responsibility.
I'll begin working on background and Crunch immediately. Thanks for putting on the campaign!
P.S. I was considering rescued: Koya for my campaign trait at the moment, though I'm definitely open to other options for the sake of story.
Okeys, t'is about 2:00 in'a morning in my part of the world. Am hoping every one has a great day and I look forwards to seeing/reading every one elses posts. Very much cheers to all! (^_^)
The character concept I was kicking around was an oni-blooded tiefling warrior living in hiding in Sandpoint. I'd be willing to burn one of my first feats on Pass for Human or something similar and try to make the disguise check every day. I like the idea of having a few points of contention with the party and eventually the others finding out about just what he is. I was going to use the Sword Saint samurai archetype and have his gear and weapons be gifts from his fiendish mother to his Varisian merchant father.
If this is not acceptable I'll whip up a Myrmidarch magus, some kind of interesting rogue build or maybe a fighter of some kind with the back story of laying low in Sandpoint to avoid the attentions of a Sczarni family back in Magnimar. He would be an odd mix of personality traits including a hatred of criminal organizations while still being something of a crook himself when he cannot find honest work.
While Oni-blooded in general is ok, keep in mind that the Oni are kinda the enemies here, so being faithfull to your mother would be kinda problematic.
Also remember that you are supposed to know at least one of the NPC's.
Actually, to keep more in the flavor of tieflings the Oni blood will come from a grandfather somewhere along the line. He'll have been raised in Sandpoint but his caravaneer parents were often away on business. As such he was often entrusted to the care of Niska, Koya's mother. was raised on tales of Tian Xia. Growing up he came to think of Koya as a little sister, even as she began to grow old and her hair turned grey before his eyes (Trait: Friend of the Family).
To avoid suspicion of his heritage, he periodically leaves Sandpoint and waits for people's memories of him to get fuzzy enough that a few changes to his habitual disguise allow him to return. Koya is the only one who knows about this though, although Shalelu may harbor some suspicions. He has watched most everyone else in town grow up over the years.
Keep in mind that a Tiefling is not 'mature' until around 60.
I'll put the stats together and flesh out the background for you
Nope, but you also don't get to roll for Variant Abilities (some of them are slightly unbalancing). Just take the Oni-Spawn as it is presented (+2 Str, +2 Wis,–2 Cha, Skillbonus to Disguise/Intimidate instead of Bluff/Stealth, Alter Self instead of Darkness)
Wow! I am really excited. I made Hideo about five months ago just incase I saw a Jade Regent AP show up on the boards! As the name imply's Hideo was intended to play the younger sibling of Ameiko Kaijitsu. I thought I would make him a Samuari. I'll put some more work into him, but I just wanted to tell you Finkmilkana that I'm *really* excited to apply!
Nicat is from Sandpoint, created for a Rise of the Runelords campaign that withered on the vine recently. I'd love to tweak him a bit to fit into a Jade Regent campaign - though he won't take much changing, since he's already part of a caravan traveler and loves the open road.
Just in case the dice are with me (and they rarely seem to be with the Paizo Diceatronic), I'll take a shot at the rolls:
Ay, caramba! Better than I expected! I'll take it. Will work on a revised alias.
I know one of the existing players will make an alchemist - do you know what the others will be? If there's already a rogue, with these rolls I could make all kinds of characters.
Tassadan here. Here's my Oread Menhir Savant Druid: Zeema Domh'an.
Physical description:
Zeema, like all Oreads, is rather short but very heavy. She stands at four-and-a-half feet tall but weighs almost 170 lbs. Her hair is the color and sheen of obsidian while her skin is smooth and gray like marble. Her eyes have no pupils and are instead coal black with a sapphire blue irises at their centers. She often conceals her knees and elbows, the joints of which have jagged protrusions. Zeema's face is usually adorned with one or more symbols or runes that she has drawn with clay. These are of no magical significance, but instead are usually druidic words or symbology.
Her attire is usually simple and befitting of a druid: An earth tone tunic under her dragonhide breasplate and a hooded cloak over it. She usually prefers the more utilitarian choice of trousers and boots over dresses and shoes, but has been known to wear a long skirt on more formal occasions. [/spoiler
[spoiler=Personality]
Zeema is extremely stoic, usually letting her actions speak for her. This often rubs people the wrong way, and therefore she tends to not hang around people. Koya understands her ways to a certain degree, but only Niska fully accepted them. She tends to treat individuals with general indifference unless they are shown to be otherwise interesting, but almost venerates Koya for whom she feels she owes her life. She extremely sad at Niska's recent passing but, like with most of her emotions, she is terrible at expressing this.
The backstory is a bit long, so I've included a summary below as well.
Backstory:
Zeema Domh’an was an unexpected child born to a Magnimar heiress and her supposed-to-be-one-time lover Dragan Domh’an. Draganhad lived his life as a wandering Druid, seeking the perfect synthesis of his Varisian heritage and the natural world. He often made stops in larger cities such as Magnimar to pawn his findings along the road, and then he and his faithful wolf Fenix would go along their way. Not this time.
Dragan ran afoul of the Magnimar city guard for not having a license for his “pet,” demanding a steep fee in return for violating the law. There existed no such license, and Dragan knew extortion when he saw it. Incensed, he was about to strike one of the bullies when a beautiful maiden intervened. She explained to the guards that Dragan was a guest in her household and that the tame wolf was a present for her. Dragan, calmed by the grace of her fabrication, nodded along with the lie. The guards seemed to recognize her, calling her “Ms. Valdemar” and practically bowing as they went their own way. The girl then turned around with a curtsy and a seductive smile: “How do you do, handsome stranger?”
Dragan stayed in the city for several months after that. For the first time he had found love and fulfillment outside of the wilderness to which he had become accustomed. Sneaking into the Valdemar residence in the middle of the night, healing the sick and needy, and occasionally defending bordering towns from goblin raids kept Dragan entertained and eventually fulfilled him enough that he decided to stay. This was good, as soon after he decided this it was found that Patrice Valdemar was pregnant. The two were married immediately, much to the chagrin of Patrice’s father: Ethram Valdemar. He wanted the family to move up the social ladder through marriage, not down to the level of former vagrants. Ethram denounced the marriage, but his cold heart was soon warmed when Dragan and Patrice visited him in Sandpoint.
Where once there was a somewhat soiled and hooded druid, there now stood a clean, well-groomed, and handsome aristocrat. Dragan had been recently been asked to become an officer in the Magnimar city guard, giving the Valdemar family connections in that realm. He was expected to rise quickly: through his magical and martial prowesses Dragan had exposed a racketeering ring and busted a large group of Scarzni smugglers. Dragan had taken to city life quite well, and Ethram saw in him a valuable addition to the family.
The pregnancy was another matter entirely. When the baby wasn’t born in it’s ninth month, Patrice began to worry. Many of the clerics and other specialists that were brought in were baffled, but one diviner had the answer: the child was not human.
After ten months, the baby was finally born, but at a terrible cost. Despite the best healers they could afford, Patrice died in childbirth. The child had torn her insides apart. It had been born with skin like marble and hair the color and sheen of obsidian. Her jagged arms and legs had caused incurable internal bleeding. Dragan and Ethram had no time to grieve. What was to be done with this inhuman child?
Dragan researched both his bloodline and those of the Valdemar family, but could not determine from what strain this child had come. It was in this research that he came across a religion he had never heard of before: the Cult of Soralyon. It was here that Dragan thought he found his answer. Soralyon was described as “carved of the purest marble,” and was worshipped by the Valdemar’s for centuries as their patron deity. The Valdemar family records even hinted at a divine influence in their blood. Considering the girl’s marble skin and lineage, Dragan began to truly believe that his daughter was the scion of Soralyon on Golarion.
As she grew older, Zeema began to feel drawn to certain places within Magnimar. Usually large stone monoliths. The Irespan and the Arvensoar in particular. Given the Arvensoar’s angelic ties, her father took this as a sign of true celestial connection. He redoubled his efforts to educate her, learning Celestial and then teaching it to her. Then, he brought her to the cult itself.
Dragan had been to several of the Cult of Soralyon’s meetings and masses. While he himself was not a true believer, he needed the answers that he had been looking for. Was this what his wife died for? Was there a greater purpose in her demise? There had to be. He didn’t believe in the idea of an unjust world in which such tragedy strikes without reason. Despite his experience, Dragan was still naïve.
When the cult first saw Zeema as an adolescent, their excitement was palpable. They also saw the resemblance between her and their god. People began bowing on their hands and knees before the child, exalting her as if she were a holy object. Dragan wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or worried. The two came back, mass after mass, until worshipping and venerating Zeema became part of the regular service. She was called, “Soralyon’s divine gift” and “The Empyreal Child” by the minister. Dragan never received his answers, though. Other than men worshipping her, he never received any proof that Zeema was a gift from heaven or otherwise. The Druid decided that it was time to cut back from the cult and entertain other perspectives.
From that point onward, Dragan taught everything he knew about magic and combat to his daughter, hoping that through his teachings she could one day achieve her divine purpose. She trained for years and years, becoming proficient in every weapon, in Druidic, and in divine spell-casting. She proved to be extremely versatile in combat, switching between melee weapons with relative ease and enhancing her powers with spells. She showed promise.
The two still went to masses every once in a while, but their visits became less and less frequent as time went on. This was due to the masses becoming more and more twisted and frenzied. Talk began amongst the worshippers that Soralyon’s worship superseded other tasks and pursuits. Ambition, family, friends, relationships, all were subject to criticism if they were put higher than the Angelic god. The ministers began to talk of seizing power in the city, of an overthrowing of the other established religions and putting Soralyon in their place. After all, who better to guard the people of Magnimar than the Guardian angel himself?
One night, Dragan and Fenix awoke to the screams of his daughter being carried into the street. Having no time to prepare spells or grab a weapon, Dragan immediately wildshaped into a wolf, jumped from his second-story window with his companion, and the two tore the attackers limb-from-limb. Only after he had reverted to human form did Dragan realize that he had killed two city guardsmen, both members of the Cult of Soralyon. Killing a guardsman alone was punishable by death, and Dragan knew that even if he was acquitted of the murder that Fenix would not be so luck. Animals that kill humans hardly ever receive fair treatment under the law. Dragang rabbed his valuables from his home, took Zeema and Fenix, and fled Magnimar, hoping that in the wilderness his abilities could protect himself and his daughter.
He was able to, for a time, but in one excursion to a hamlet Zeema accidentally revealed her face and was recognized from Dragan’s wanted poster. Later that night, a group of brigands found Dragan and Zeema’s camp, hoping to kill the Druid and split the substantial bounty. They got the jump on Draganby attacking him in his sleep, but he didn’t go down so easily. Dragan transformed into a massive grizzly bear, killing man after man with swipes from his mighty claws. Zeema held her own as well, but didn’t have time to don her armor. At the same time that she was slashing with her scythe, she was taking the brunt of most of the attacks aimed in her direction. Despite their best efforts, father and daughter were overwhelmed.
“Zeema, run! Get away from here as fast as you can! I can’t hold them off much longer!” Battered, bruised, and bleeding, the girl had no choice but to follow his command. She darted through the forest as fast as she could, bandits following soon in her wake. There was no reward for her, but the bandits wanted more for their troubles than just money. It was then that Zeema found a clearing. At its center was a monolith of a boulder, ten feet tall and half as wide, inscribed with runes from its top to its bottom. As Zeema drew closer, the runes began to look more and more familiar. She stopped in sheer surprise. I can read these! she thought, They’re Druidic! And indeed, after a moment of study the girl deciphered the message and read aloud:
”He who stands and reads this stone
Shall never go through life alone
The power of stone, earth, and root
Shall upon you puissance impute
Lay your hand upon the boulder
And Menhir’s power names you its holder.”
Zeema immediately reached out her hand and touched the stone surface. It was cool to the touch at first, but then grew warmer and warmer. Zeema felt suddenly hyper-aware, as though she could see and feel beyond the material realm. This wouldn’t help her, though, as five men emerged from the shrubbery behind her.
She then grew twice her size and beat the living shit out of them. Her scythe cleaved through each of them like butter, but one got in a decent shot with his longsword before she could cut him down. Bleeding profusely from her side, Zeema blundered into the road and collapsed there. After falling unconscious, she returned to her original size.
She awoke the next day to find a pair of women standing over her, one much older than the other. From the younger’s fingers there was a gentle light flowing into Zeema’s body. She passed out once more. When she awoke yet again, she was in bed at a house she did not recognize. Her wounds were healed, and the smell of hot stew wafted from under the floorboards. Zeema descended the stairs to find the two women in the kitchen, the younger cooking while the elder sat at the table with a morose look on her face.
“Sit down, child., She said, pulling out a chair. “I have something to tell you.” It was then she explained that she and her daughter were divine spellcasters as well, and had found the body of Zeema’s father shortly before they had found her. She then pointed to her father’s dragonhide breastplate that was resting on the other side of the room. “It’s yours now. Unfortunately we think that those damned scavengers took the rest.”
Zeema said nothing. Very few times in her life did she express much emotion, but tears welled in her eyes and fell down her glossy gray skin. Niska Mvati and her daughter Koya did the best they could to comfort her. Months went by, and Niska eventually offered to finish what Dragan had started: Zeema’s training as a druid. Zeema only made one request: that Koya teach her how to heal first. She had always known her father as a kind man and a healer, and above all wanted to make him proud in that regard.
Only recently has Zeema been accepted by the local Druid’s lodge, and her study there to become fully certified caused her to miss the vast majority of the “Late unpleasantness” that plagued Sandpoint a few years ago. She has, however, kept her religion, venerating Soralyon over other gods. She correctly reasons that it was not the Empyreal lord, but the worshippers who committed evil acts and that Soralyon still sets a good example for those who are willing to protect others.
As for the furthering of her Druidic studies, Zeema has taken a special interest in stones like the one that granted her exceptional perceptive abilities. She has since returned to the stone and studied it at length, finding new ways to enhance her divine magic towards herself and surrounding plant life. She has used her skills to a certain degree clearing out the occasional animal-based disturbances that tend to bother Sandpoint on a regular basis: usually wild boars, wolves, snakes, and occasionally even Goblins.
TL;DR:
Zeema was born in Magnimar to an aristocrat and a no-longer-wandering Druid. Her mother died in childbirth due to Zeema's physique coming out of the womb. Searching for answers, her father found that she bore a resemblance to a specific deity. She was taken to the cult of that deity and worshipped like she was an extension of the deity himself. Her father began to teach her the ways of Druids when she came of age. Later, the cult grew more extreme and eventually tried to kidnap Zeema as she and her father withdrew from it's ranks. Believing her in danger, her father killed the kidnappers only to find that they were city guardsmen in the service of the cult. The two fled Magnimar but were caught by a group of bounty-hunting bandits. Her father was killed and she found a giant mystical stone that enhanced her Druidic abilities. She killed the bandits that came after her, but was badly wounded.
The next day, she was saved by Koya and Niska Mvati who took her back to Sandpoint. They told Zeema of her father's fate and gave him the armor they found with his corpse. After allowing Zeema to grieve, Niska offered to complete Zeema's druid training. She has since become a full-fledged druid and has offered her services to Sandpoint on many occasions.
Crunch:
Zeema Domh’an
Female Oread Menhir Savant Druid
NG Medium Outsider (Native)
Init +1
Senses: Darkvision 60, Stonecunning
Perception +6, +8 vs. aberrant stonework
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Defense
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Defense AC 18 , flat-footed 17, Touch 11. (+6 Armor, 1 Dex, 1 Natural)
hp 21 (2d8+2 Favored Class+2 from Con)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +7
Special:
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Melee: Scythe +5 (2d4+6) or Scimitar +5 (1d6+4) or Quarterstaff +5 (1d6+6)
Ranged: Spear +2 (1d8+4) 20 ft.
Earth Insight: Oread spellcasters sometimes find that their elemental heritage makes creatures of earth more willing to serve them. Summon monster and summon nature's ally spells that such oreads cast last 2 rounds longer than normal when used to summon creatures with the earth subtype. This racial trait replaces earth affinity.
Treacherous Earth: Once per day, an Oread with this racial trait can will the earth to rumble and shift, transforming a 10-foot-radius patch of earth, unworked stone, or sand into an area of difficult terrain, centered on an area the Oread touches. This lasts for a number of minutes equal to the oread's level, after which the ground returns to normal. This racial trait replaces the spell-like ability racial trait.
Quite a few characters already.
I guess I'll leave recruitment open until tomorrow evening (Tuesday, around 4 am EST) since I'm kinda busy today and tomorrow with finals.
For my own thinking on it, I put together a list of who has proposed what, so I thought I'd share it:
Sunny – aquatic elf barbarian/magus
Haterivet – human monk
Lou Kasuri – human monk
Gorag – aasimar alchemist
Nicat – human rogue
Hideo – human samurai
Zeema – Oread menhir savant druid
Ptolmaeus – tiefling warrior
Black Thom – human ronin-summoner
TrueRepentance - human ranger
Apologies if I missed or misconstrued anyone - some of these were based on a completed alias and some just on a brief description of an idea.
And hello to you, Lou! Have you managed to ask out Ameiko yet?
@Finkmilkana:Do you want a fully detailed alias, down to AC and how many pieces of colored chalk I've got, or is concept and general crunch sufficient?
Finished crunch on the niveau if a mythweaver sheet is preffered but not required. But I don't care how many pieces of chalk or pork based travel rations you've got (as long as you don't think it is important for the character).
And if I understood it right you can add Cerana (the other remaining player of my carrion crown) with an elf wizard to your list.
A small excited Gnome walks up and starts talking very quickly, An adventuring party you say? Well sign me up! I know anything, er well, everything! If you need to know it, just ask! Go ahead and ask! My name? Well that's an easy one: Panhorn Strifelaugher! See, I told you I know everything! Ameiko can vouch for me. She is SOOO great! Someday, I'll be as great as she is! What were we talking about? Oh, yeah, adventuring! I love adventuring! I can talk to all kinds of people and creatures, and my stories will really pass the time on long trips. Plus, I know a bunch of stuff! What, I already said that? What about 'The History of Sandpoint'? Have you heard that one yet? Well... The small Gnome trails off into a long story as most people stop listening to him.
Male Gnome Archivist Bard with the gift of tongues racial trait. Knowledge and language specialist.
Looks good! (^_^) Also makes me think my second fiddle idea for a different class isn't going to cut it. What with two others putting forwards Monks....*Ponders*
Cerana here just dropping in. I've updated my character build for the game. The character background is the old one at the moment, it will be changed by the end of today (when I get back from work basically).
I was perusing through the 'Feint' and 'Sap' rules and, while I am quite understanding as to be being mistaken, it would appear that upon Feinting successfully - Then it would appear that 'Sap Adept' actually works! With the wording being in relation to the target being denied their DEX modifier, which feinting removes. (^_^)
it is only the higher level "Sap Master" that requires said target to be completely flat footed. (^_^)
So...the alternate Suny is a viable 'martial artist' style of fighter, after all. At least as far as gaining additional, blunt weapon damage.
After perusing the "Unarmed Fighter' Fighter variant, I see a lot of potential for this archetype adding more to said build than actually going with Monk. Still, something to think upon. (^_^)
