I remember Azul Aros, and actually advocated for Azul to be included in that campaign once we had another drop out (it's actually the campaign both I and OceanShieldWolf are in), but glad I get you now! Yes, by all means, Shabti is approved and so is Azul, once adjustments are made.
Was it "Ozzy" that dropped out? She dropped out of another game I was in too. I figured that space would come available.
I'll adjust Azul tomorrow. Stats won't be as good as in the previous recruitment; STR goes from 16 to 15 and CHA from 18 to 17.
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Yea, I think perhaps that may have been an issue they addressed given that otherwise based on lore backstories surrounding Thundercallers would have to be very similar and narrow.
Here is what UW ended up with as their describing feature.
"Thundercallers bear the knowledge of the ancients, wielding
it like a weapon to protect the land for which they care so
deeply. Their voices ring like thunder, calling the sky’s wrath
down upon their enemies and summoning furious rage to
bolster their allies"
Alignment:
Personally, I agree that the concept of Kingmaker is the idea that you will be Some kind of Lawful to Neutral Good character. I'd only change from the expectation of LG, NG, CG, LN, N characters IF all other players and the GM agreed to an evil campaign. (That's not to say if someone else wishes to play evil along side a bunch of Goodie Goodies that I have an objection, I'm more saying I personally don't lean evil unless everyone else is because I'll lean hard.)
Kingmaker is the kind of campaign though where it doesn't pay to be too good. A Chaotic Neutral "Vlad the Impaler" type guy who will crush all resistance can actually do quite well in a game like this.
I have seen parties agonize over how to handle prisoners - whether or not to show them mercy and if so how to keep them from going back to banditry and hurting others again. Traditionally D&D uses monsters like orcs and skeletons so you have an unambiguous enemy that it is okay to just kill. Make them human and it becomes a problem. But it really isn't meant to be that complicated.
So it is good to have that discussion ahead of time and understand how any given position will affect the game.
Roles:
When in terms of Roles you wish to play come into aspect, the current idea I have for the backstory of this character leans towards the following: Ruler, Councilor, Spymaster as my HIGH interests, then Grand Diplomat, Magister.
For roles Azul's main score is CHA so Ruler, Grand Diplomat, and Councilor all fit. Magister, General, and High Priest are technically possible but are not a very good fit RP wise.
Yea, I think perhaps that may have been an issue they addressed given that otherwise based on lore backstories surrounding Thundercallers would have to be very similar and narrow....
I suspect the main reason they didn't mention it is that it is not a Pathfinder Campaign Setting book and they didn't want to include any product identity.
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Traits: Two traits, or one Drawback for a third trait.
Does one of the traits have to be a campaign trait?
If so, would I be allowed to take the sword scion feat and have it apply to the Falcata (due to my knowledge of the Rondelero style)? Since my character is not originally from the region his background doesn't fit very well into most of those traits.
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Alright so I think we've got our concepts down. I'm looking at this all and I may change class just cause I see some heavy imbalance to the primary stat/role aspect of things.
How are we deciding who is gonna be ruler? That is probably the absolute needs to be decided before we play. I know we can have that hold off but Honestly, for long term it's pretty important to the campaign.
That said, Group Leader and Ruler can be completely different. Honestly if we have a General and a Ruler in the traveling party, the General would be the likely candidate to lead the troops.
Edit: Keep in mind that the GM wants to begin in 3 days.
I'm game for any way of choosing Ruler, We could throw a dice, we could vote based on the type of kingdom each person wants to rule, we can play musical chairs. Personally if it is a must for a player to be Ruler, I'll step down.
Btw if I'm not going for King, I will either go Councilor (Cause someone needs to be able to keep the rabble in line) or possibly change up my class. I honestly wrote none of my current Backstory information based on Class, so I can easily switch it up.
How are we deciding who is gonna be ruler? That is probably the absolute needs to be decided before we play. I know we can have that hold off but Honestly, for long term it's pretty important to the campaign.
Draw straws? :)
Even in a fast-paced campaign, the kingdom-building step is at least several months away. To be practical, you must recognize that there is a good chance not everyone will still be here by that point.
One game I am in is a slower-paced one that has been going for a couple years. We haven't quite got to the kingdom-building part yet and only two of the original characters are still in the game.
That said, Group Leader and Ruler can be completely different. Honestly if we have a General and a Ruler in the traveling party, the General would be the likely candidate to lead the troops.
I envision that Ruler as the "Face" of the kingdom. He need not be the one addressing the public all the time but he is the image of the kingdom and the government.
Obviously in a game like this there is a group of us and no one player should have the right to overrule the others. This is a team game. The ruler should not be trying to boss other people around.
Whoever the ruler is, that character ought to be committed to maximizing their Charisma as the ruler's Kingdom Role Bonus is more important than any other, since it will eventually be applied to all three kingdom scores. Charisma should be a key ability score for that character.
I often forget just how slow PbP generally rolls. >.> Fair point!
Your two traits do not have to include a campaign trait, but I do ask that they fit your background. If you do want Sword Scion, yes, that would be fine, but just make certain it fits.
Azul Aros' "builder," Alcmenio Saro, was a Rondelero master, and Alcmenio's soul is linked with Azul's. So I hope that would count, in the sense that he was "born" with this knowledge.
I think I would go this route since my falcata attack bonus is only +2. Any extra bit helps.
For feats, how do you feel about Fey Foundling? Azul was never a child, but spent time in the First World before arriving on the Material Plane, which he was able to access because there are "weak points" between the First World and the Material Plane in the stolen lands.
On second (third?) thoughts, I'm not going to have time for this game after all. Sorry if this leaves you guys short. Have fun!
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Hey guys,
On second and third considerations of this, I think I'm going to have to postpone this adventure indefinetly. Between work, school, and the campaigns I'm already in, I'm beginning to question if I could really do a good job when it got busy- and I'd rather tell ya'll now, rather than halfway through the campaign when you're already invested.
My sincerest apologies for getting your hopes up and I do hope you all find a good DM to run a game for you.
nod. it happens, GM.
Better now than later! I do not know of any GM's. Before I played PFS on PbP, I spent a lot of time trying to enter AP's. I learned two things: there are a lot of really good players on these boards and that there is a huge shortage of AP GM's.
*Sigh.*
Believe me, I understand. I've been wanting to open more games but I don't have the energy right now. And I agree with Gummy Bear; better now than in the middle of an encounter.
I mean, I'm still willing to give it a go. You might have to pm people as I don't know if people dotted it.
Just for the record, I'm more than willing to adjust my character to fit another GM's specifications. I don't expect one GM to adhere to another's standards.
here's the guy I'm working on
I'd still be interested. If the GM doesn't like Azul Aros I could play something else easily enough.
cool. keep me in the loop. I'm still interested.
Per the new DM
25 point buy
NO 3rd PP
2 traits, I am rather flexible about which ones people take but we can discuss that.
As an incentive to encourage more common race/class combos, you get a bonus trait if you pick a basic race and class, for a total of 3 traits possible.
I'm not against advanced character types, but it makes my job easier if everyone is not a robot or a were-beast.
I have changed my character since this is a new game and will be playing this more charismatic character. Still pushing on the leader role. Can be seen as a general as well.
Just dropping into the thread to say hello and that I'm present.
I am hoping we can get this game going on or around the end of the school year for me -- which is in about 4 weeks, give or take a bit. That should give us plenty of time to hash out characters and the kind of adventure we have... you will doubtless have questions and I will most assuredly as well.
I am THINKING of letting the party start at 2nd level and just cranking up the difficulty on the initial encounters, that way you don't feel like you've entirely lost your progress. XP will cap at level 4 for chapter 1 of the adventure path, however!
Besides that, thank you for welcoming me!
Since I was the only player from that game, it would be fine to do as you wanted to and start over from the beginning.
Terrific!
Quick question since it's been a while since using THIS forum to RP... Is there an easy way to attach PDFs to posts here? if not we can always made a discord server to use occasionally to hang pictures and files.
Hello Vicon! Are you our new GM?
Quick question since it's been a while since using THIS forum to RP... Is there an easy way to attach PDFs to posts here?
The way I do that is to save the files on Google Docs and then just post links.
A few questions about builds:
* Are Drawbacks allowed for a 3rd trait?
* Must one of the traits be a campaign trait?
* Starting Gold? (Assuming 1st level)
* Background Skills Variant?
* Alignments?
This is the character I had settled on for this thread. Whether I play this character or not is up for negotiation and if it doesn't work out I could switch to something else.
1. The character is a Shabti. This race appears in Bestiary 5 and was originally from the Mummy's Mask AP.
2. Shabti normally get suggestion as a SLA once per day. I am a bit uncomfortable with mind control abilities and the spell is kind of high level to start with, so the previous GM allowed me to replace the 3RP ability with 1 point of natural armor (2RP, on the grounds that Shabti are originally constructed of materials like wood and gold) and proficiency in one exotic weapon (1RP, in this case the Falcata since Azul's creator was a master of Rondelero).
3. If campaign traits are required the previous GM was going to allow me to take sword scion but switch the weapon from Aldori Dueling Sword to Falcata (for the same reasons as above).
4. I hadn't selected a 1st level feat yet but I was thinking of either Noble Scion (war) or Fey Foundling. They are both Paizo but non-core. I wanted to make sure they were all right.
If this character is too weird I don't mind switching to something else.
I am still here too! I was thinking an elven ranger, however I've been toying with some other stuff lately. What is the current party layout looking like? Might move to something more castery.
* Are Drawbacks allowed for a 3rd trait?
Why would you want a drawback when you could have a positive trait instead?
* Must one of the traits be a campaign trait?
I would strongly prefer this, but if your backstory ties you to the Adventure Path sufficiently then I don't mind 3 non campaign traits.
If your character doesn't seem to gel with the scenario, I'll make you take a campaign trait.
* Starting Gold? (Assuming 1st level)
First level gold MAX -- I think that's fair.
This is the character I had settled on for this thread. Whether I play this character or not is up for negotiation and if it doesn't work out I could switch to something else.
** spoiler omitted **
If this character is too weird I don't mind switching to something else.
I'd need you to really have a compelling reason for why such a strange character concept would be a part of the adventure path before considering it.
How is it that an egyptian-style construct is so "far from home"? How is it motivated to rule (or help rule) a kingdom?
Re: Background skills -- I don't consider many of these skills unuseful, though they may not be as useful as say, perception or stealth to some -- knowledge skills can be very valuable and so can craft and others in the right circumstances. So no bonus skill points!
I'm open to any alignment as long as it:
A) is additive and not subtractive to the story. we can discuss this on a case by case basis.
B) No "Lawful Stupid" -- If your alignment interferes with the agency/freedom of other players (Ie, my paladin forbids your rogue from stealing/poison/assassination, even against bad guys) I'm not going to be happy. Sometimes good people need bad people to do the dirty work for the greater good... sometimes "morally flexible" characters can make very compelling heroes. You can have a good settlement that depends on an evil vizier for guidance.
So we can discuss why somebody wants the alignment they want and make sure it makes the game better, and not worse.
PS -- the game isn't "TYRANT-MAKER" -- so an all evil or evilly motivated party would probably be more trouble than it is worth. Ruling with an iron fist is fine. Treating your town like a treasure chest is not.
Re: Noble Scion and Fey foundling... they'd have to make sense as part of your backstory.
They sound pretty crazy to me in the context of a strange gold/wood construct from a faraway land... but not completely unjustifiable.
If a strange character is just a weird square peg in a round hole, I'd say pick something more vanilla. If you can come up with a background that makes the game more interesting or exciting or at least richer for party composition, not just special/strange -- I'm receptive. We'll talk.
* Are Drawbacks allowed for a 3rd trait?
Why would you want a drawback when you could have a positive trait instead?
The rule for drawbacks is that if you take one this allows you to also take a third positive trait as well.
Some GMs don't like them though.
Re: Background skills -- I don't consider many of these skills unuseful, though they may not be as useful as say, perception or stealth to some -- knowledge skills can be very valuable and so can craft and others in the right circumstances. So no bonus skill points!
The main point about Background skills is that they give you an excuse to put skill ranks into skills that don't help you survive encounters. They do provide a bit of a boost to a few classes, namely bards and classes that have animal companions, but these boosts are pretty small.
Of all the variant rules Paizo has produced, it's the only one I actually like.
How is it that an egyptian-style construct is so "far from home"? How is it motivated to rule (or help rule) a kingdom?
This was all already explained in the character's backstory, but the short version is that he was created by a former ruler in the River Kingdoms (~500 years ago) who felt great guilt over the amount of bloodshed he caused during his rule, and found a way to avoid punishment in the afterlife. Once Azul finished his term of service in the afterlife, he returned to the region where he was created.
See the profile: http://paizo.com/people/AzulAros
I don't want to post again with that profile until he is confirmed in the game as one more post and I can't change the name.
Re: Noble Scion and Fey foundling... they'd have to make sense as part of your backstory.
Again, already explained within the existing backstory. Both feats fit. It's mainly a question of whether the feats would be allowed as they are non-core. I believe both are from the INNER SEA WORLD GUIDE.
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Alright, I'm back. Apologies, I was at a convention for the weekend working so I wasn't able to check things till I got home like 30 minutes ago.
This is the character, all relevant information in the spoilers in the profile.
Long story short, I talked to the other GM about it. Roughly 100 years ago, House Medvyed had a Half Elf as head of one of the branch families. He took Ilamin's mother (A full elf) as his wife, Ilamin came out a true elf. One of the other houses, fearing any dilution of human supremacy in their noble lines, came and murdered the crap out the entire estate and set everything ablaze.
The young Varisian unoffical Consort that had been Ilamin's wet nurse, saved wee little Ilamin and herself by slipping into a hidden alcove in the cellar that connected to the well. They slipped away when they could, the main family helped smuggle them the rest of the way back to the Elven village from whence his mother hailed from. He was raised there for the last hundred years, working with the druids and communing with nature's spirits in a way unique from the druids.
Hearing the plague upon the stolen lands, he set forth to see if he could perhaps reclaim the honor of his being born a noble from the old "wives" tales he was told by his wet nurse as he grew up.
ok, will get this character finished up asap. Does magus count as a basic class type or do you mean CORE (in terms of the bonus trait)?
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Honestly, I just liked em cause you can put it into nonsense skills like professions and to help give your character....well character. Cause assuming they have only done bardly things, or adventurer things and having no profession outside that seems silly to me.
I forgot to ask one question. GM Bards have Versatile Performance. I hate this, because everyone rules on this differently.
Do I just put points into Performs from early on and SUDDENLY get good at a rather...sorta...shadily related skills or do you prefer perhaps choosing one skill attached to each perform and get the "Half benefit" till you can take Versatile Performance "Oratory, Dance, Whatever" to get the other skill?
Or do you allow retraining of skills so that say you take a Rank in Perform Oratory and a rank in Diplomacy. At second level BING Oratory gives you Sense Motive and Diplomacy...and now my waited skill points in Diplomacy need to be retrained to something else?
I thought about it and I like the BACKGROUND SKILLS VARIANT. I always thought some classes have to be too stingy on the points anyway.
I'll have to revisit versatile performance, when I played a bard it seemed pretty straightforward to me, I'll tell you my interpretation.
I'll read the Shabti Backstory today and decide if it covers the bases, if not maybe we can revamp it until it does.
This is the character I had settled on for this thread. Whether I play this character or not is up for negotiation and if it doesn't work out I could switch to something else.
** spoiler omitted **
If this character is too weird I don't mind switching to something else.
Read your background and I don't see anything relating specifically to the fey or how you would be a noble scion of war (though this is substantiatable) Lets talk about tweaking your backstory -- how are the fey involved? How are you a manifestation of war and leadership given your strange heritage?
Honestly, I just liked em cause you can put it into nonsense skills like professions and to help give your character....well character. Cause assuming they have only done bardly things, or adventurer things and having no profession outside that seems silly to me.
I forgot to ask one question. GM Bards have Versatile Performance. I hate this, because everyone rules on this differently.
Do I just put points into Performs from early on and SUDDENLY get good at a rather...sorta...shadily related skills or do you prefer perhaps choosing one skill attached to each perform and get the "Half benefit" till you can take Versatile Performance "Oratory, Dance, Whatever" to get the other skill?
Or do you allow retraining of skills so that say you take a Rank in Perform Oratory and a rank in Diplomacy. At second level BING Oratory gives you Sense Motive and Diplomacy...and now my waited skill points in Diplomacy need to be retrained to something else?
You suddenly get better at the related skill, being able to work it into a performance. I believe this is the most literal interpretation of the RAW.
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~throws up a big old thumbs up~
Alright, I'll have to adjust some things perhaps.
Did we fall back to yes on the Background skills?
I'll have to adjust some minor skill stuff but not much I don't think.
Also, I said this before, but I won't be using my Background Skills to cover my Performance. It's unfair to every other class that my Background Skills are so useful while theirs are niche. (I know rangers and druids can get some use out of them too but Bards get the absolute best bang for buck in this one.)