Welcome to my Kingmaker PbP game! If you haven’t done so already, please familiarize yourself with the Kingmaker Player’s Guide.
Here are several notes on character creation, gameplay, etc.:
In general I would like to resist the temptation to power creep. The APs are designed for four players using the standard point buy. Increasing the player power beyond this point then requires that the AP encounters be modified. I would prefer to keep the AP as written with minimal modification. This will ensure balanced gameplay that is both challenging and fair.
I would like to place more emphasis on roleplaying and storytelling versus the mechanics of gameplay. This requires well thought out characters with established backgrounds, personalities, motivations, etc. The better you flesh out your character, the more fun the roleplaying will be. Also, I will try to connect the story to hooks in your background for deeper story immersion.
Guidelines:
- Standard 15 point buy
- Please no stats below 7
- All races and classes
- In general, any Paizo reference material is fair game
- I would prefer not to use third party material
- Average starting wealth
- Two traits (one should be a campaign trait)
- Please include a stat block, background, description and personality in your character’s profile
- Please connect your background to your trait and provide a rationale for why you've been trusted by Restov with the charter
We will use Roll20 for the battle maps.
I will roll initiative for the group, but in general I will ask you to make most other rolls. To facilitate combat, I will have everyone post your actions for each round. I will then sort and arbitrate actions during the end-of-round narration. If there is a possibility that someone else’s actions may affect your move, please try to include contingencies.
For each post in battle, please try to post the round number and any effects that may be present for your character (e.g. bless, haste, etc.). Please try to include common information in the “class line” of your profile such that it is displayed for all your posts. This allows easy reference of your key information. Here is an example of what I typically include for my PCs:
Paladin (Oath Against Fiends) 10; AC 21, HP116/116, Fort +17, Ref +11, Will +14, Perception+10, Init +1, Greatsword +16/+1(2d6+7/19-20x2) [ spoiler=Tracked Resources]Spells 2/3 1/3 1/2; 1/4 smite evils (+7/+8/+7); 12/18 LoH(5d6), 1/2 DB (+2)[ /spoiler]
To be as fair as possible, I will attempt to strictly follow the rules as written. I don’t plan to use any house rules, but I reserve the right to do so if the need arises. I will admit that I am not as strong on the rules as I could be. When I make mistakes (there will be plenty), let me know, and I will try to correct things as necessary.
I will make every effort to post at least once per day - please try to do likewise. As we’ve all experienced, slow posting kills PbP games. In general I will wait for a majority of the characters to weigh in on a decision before moving the game along.
In general, try to follow the usual PbP conventions (bold text for dialogue, italics for thought, etc.). Please try to move the story along with every post. Please consider using dialogue, versus exposition, where possible. Please avoid meta-game comments in the game play thread (please keep those to the discussion tab where possible).
A unique aspect of the Kingmaker AP is the kingdom building portion of the game. Per recommendations in the forums, I will likely set up a separate campaign page for the kingdom game play, versus the normal adventuring game play. We will use the Ultimate Campaign rules, since they are more recent than the AP rules.
Please go ahead and begin the discussion on what characters you plan to create, party roles, etc. Once your profile is ready, go ahead and post in game play. You will find the wilderness map on the Roll20 site.
Thanks again for joining the game. I'm excited to run one of the best APs created to date. I'm looking forward to playing this AP to completion.
Fflash here. Aka Tike for those that know me.
Excited about wehrpig's game. I know zero about Kingmaker so this will be a truly new experience.
I've built a gnome wolf rider. Melee, nature, tracking. Light spell ability once he hits third. Brawler/cavalier/hunter. The bad side is its low Charisma so if we find ourselves lacking, I will be willing to transition to a noble born cavalier type.
I'm struggling with the campaign trait. Thinking of the "friend of a noble" idea with the fey-fearing folks. Working out some fey/nature motivation.
Hi there everyone. :)
I'm very much looking forward to playing Kingmaker once more. This AP is one of my favorites. I previously played my character Aldarion the Sage in two PbP attempts on this forum, though both ended well before the first chapter was completed. I also played once in a real-life game shortly after the AP was published, but that too ended very prematurely.
Fourth time's the charm, I hope. :)
Aldarion was just a simple gardener and herbalist. Now, this middle-aged hermit was a charming fellow, though he preferred the company of trees to people. He desired only to be left to his secluded life of meditation and simplicity at his humble woodland hermitage.
Yet Aldarion's growing reputation as a miracle healer and wise man have conspired to spite his loner's spirit. At first, visitors seeking aid from "the Sage" trickled in to his woodland home on the border of Rostland and the River Kingdoms. But over the years, they gathered in increasing numbers.
A good-hearted man, Aldarion is nonetheless very pleased to help others to heal both in body and in mind. If only he had more quiet time to himself in his garden, though.
More recently, his reputation led him to a meeting with one of Rostland's lofty swordlords...
I've got a very rich back story for him already developed from my previous playthroughs. But I'd be happy to consider adapting it a bit to include one or more of the other characters, with wehrpig's approval.
Statwise, Aldarion is a half-elven druid of the treesinger archetype. I'll start posting via his profile once I have completed adapting him to wehrpig's specs.
Btw, any chance you might wish to use the optional Background Skills rules, as described in Pathfinder Unchained? In a nutshell, it grants everyone two additional skill ranks per level, but those ranks must be invested in a subset of skills related to your character's background. It also adds a couple of new skills (Artistry and Lore), though I think these could be skipped without consequence, if desired.
No worries if not, I just thought I'd ask. :)
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Hi all. I too have played part of this AP 3 other times and am hopeful/expecting that this game will be a lasting game.
Previously I played an elven archer ranger and a gnome fire oracle. But if we have a druid and a hunter then a ranger is likely redundant, especially if we only have 4 players.
I could play an arcane type and could go sorcerer if we need a face. Thoughts?
I think the fourth was looking at either a sorcerer or blaster oracle. Once nomadicc signs in, I'm sure he'll let us know. I'm not hard over on the gnome if it doesn't fit the group.
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Great concepts so far everyone!
Kartari, I like the background skill rules. Let's go with it.
Depends on how healy the treesinger is but I'd say scout-like. Your archer may be a good fit if there's some high stealth and perception.
I'm going to switch to the cavalier, human with the bastard trait. Beast rider / emissary type. Try for a flying mount later in the game if the GM allows it. Fill the mobile tank and maintain some face skills. Human and likely go bastard trait. Thinking the quick to be offended, chip on the shoulder, but always wanting to do the right thing.
Well Aldarion's no cleric or paladin, but he'll be prepping spells to restore hit points and remove conditions (disease, poison, ability damage) as they become available. He also has a very high Heal bonus, so he can perform mundane disease and poison control and so forth when the spells run dry.
Edit: That said, I have always been a fan of having multiple healers in a party. :)
Btw, if anyone wants inspiration for a character concept, I created a human swordlord a while back. He's designed with Kingmaker in mind (indeed, this AP is perfect for playing a swordlord, and the natural-born leader trait makes him very effective at the role of King later in the game). I've never played him though, nor have I given him much of a back story yet.
My idea was to make a jovial yet sardonic sellsword with a Russian accent, interested in what's in it for him, inspired in part by Bronn from Game of Thrones. But feel free to steal the idea and make your own back story, if interested.
I think a mix of fighter (swordlord archetype) and swashbuckler works best for a swordlord, though there are quirks in Paizo's rules that make it difficult to play a swordlord effectively until 3rd level (specifically, the piercing qualifier on swashbuckler abilities and the slashing nature of the dueling sword).
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OK. I still will want to hear from our 4th before final decision. I think I'll go archer/ranger with good perception and survival. But if we lack a face or arcane caster I can go sorcerer. I already have the ranger pretty much built so can post the ranger quickly. Likely just strait ranger but maybe infiltrator.
The truth is that rangers are powerful but quite linear to play and can get boring...Or that is my experience at least.
Aldarion has Perception and Survival well covered. Though we could always use a second set of good eyes, I don't think you have to play a ranger if you'd rather not.
Looks like we could use an arcane caster though. I might possibly take a Wizard level. But I think I'd prefer to stick mostly with Druid levels, even though the Mystic Theurge route is tempting.
Here's my cavalier ... reading up on Brevoy in the Inner Sea World Guide and building the bastard noble background story, but wanted to get this up for discussion. Some of the glaring weak spots are intentional.
GM wehrpig: Took Beast Rider & Emissary archtypes for Connor & took the Charger archetype for Cinder. Also bought Cinder leather armor. Let me know if anything looks awry. Took max HPs for 1st level / HD, took average for Cinder's 2nd HD.
Will likely add a short Cinder stat block to my profile for easy reference for you/me.
Everything look's good Connor!
Checking in... will start working on my character. Going sorc or oracle - blaster either way.
Oh! Did we start? Lol, I just noticed the gameplay thread.
Leaning towards elf fey-blooded sorcerer... will mix up direct damage, a handful of charms, and archery.
Or stormborn. Any opinions?
Leaves a gap in the healer slot, though.
Though I'm a fan of playing whatever you like, a sorcerer would better compliment the group imo. My druid will be a good healer (and I intend to take Brew Potion by 3rd level), but we have no other arcane casters.
Gameplay thread is there for dotting, I believe. Helps it show up in the Campaign tab.
We need the sorc.
Wand of CLW ... let's just commit now to getting one as soon as we have 750gp and a place to buy it.
I like the stormborn a lot for the damage dealing part of it, but I think the fey-blood would have more utility in and out of combat. The compulsion DC bump is really nice.
Okay, will spec out the sorc...
Wow, the selection of male elf avatars is really lame.
Elf sorcerer 1
CG Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +3
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Defense
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AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
hp 7 (1d6+1)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +3; +2 vs. enchantments
Immune sleep
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Ranged shortbow +2 (1d6/×3)
Bloodline Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +4)
. . 6/day—laughing touch
Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 1st; concentration +4)
. . 1st (4/day)—gravity bow[APG], sleep (DC 16)
. . 0 (at will)—haunted fey aspect[UC], jolt[UM], message, read magic
. . Bloodline Fey
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Statistics
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Str 12, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 16
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 13
Feats Arcane Strike, Eschew Materials
Traits mediator, pioneer
Skills Diplomacy +4, Perception +3, Ride +3, Spellcraft +3 (+5 to identify magic item properties); Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +2 Spellcraft to identify magic item properties
Languages Common, Elven
SQ elven magic
Other Gear shortbow, belt pouch, flint and steel, signal whistle, light horse, bedroll, bit and bridle, blanket, feed (per day), riding saddle, saddlebags, tent, small, trail rations, waterskin, 8 gp, 9 sp, 5 cp
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Special Abilities
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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.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Elven Magic +2 to spellcraft checks to determine the properties of a magic item.
Eschew Materials Cast spells without materials, if component cost is 1 gp or less.
Laughing Touch (6/day) (Sp) As a standard action, if melee touch hits, foe can take only move actions for 1 rd.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Mediator +1 DC for [charm/compulsion] effects that result in peaceful acts & don't give ongoing control.
Let me know if you find anything. I was hit hard by the starting 70 gp, and had to buy gear for the horse.
Thanks Seres - looks good. All, please log onto Roll20 when you get a chance. Go ahead and post into gameplay once you've selected your avatar.
Wehrpig, are you including drawbacks (and the associated additional trait) as background options?
Serea, did you buy your horse stuff via kit? I bought the cavaliers kit for 23 gp, iirc.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Yes, taking a drawback is ok for the third trait.
Connor's fluff (warning, may put you to sleep, proceed with caution)
Connor's eldest brother Gayle left to join the Worldwound Crusade in Mendev to the west when Connor was around 10. Shortly thereafter his other brother, Zwain, was hit in the head by a falling crate and was committed to a hospital for the brain addling that happened from it.
Connor never knew his father and when he neared his teen years, became aware that he may have had a different father than his brothers. His mother mentioned their "father" having gone off on an ill advised excursion into the Gronzi forest that was never heard from again. However, his mother let slip a couple times that Connor's father was a different man.
Several years after his brothers had left, perhaps a little over 10 years ago, a man started to visit and spend considerable time in the town. He was often over for dinner. He'd spend his days tending to horses in the stable and seeing to the logging operations, but developed a friendship with Connor and over a summer, secretly taught him the basics of riding and tending to horses along with allowing him to spar here and there. He with his strange sword, and Connor with a woodcutter's axe, bldaes wrapped in leather. His mother claimed he was a friend of their father's, but Connor didn't think that was true. The man called him self Treyvor, but Connor also got the sense that wasn't his real name. He noted the man wore fine jewelry and clothing when he arrived and left from town, although he wore more roughspun woodsman's outfits when he stayed with them.
Treyvor would visit monthly after that first summer but near mid winter he showed up in a rush, panicked and fearful claiming he's Connor's father, and leaving a ring with a house seal, a silk scarf along with a piece of paper sealed in wax. He departs just as quickly, and astunned Connor runs into the forest to process what he heard, hunting rabbits. When Connor returned home, he found the village burned to the ground Rushing home, he found his mother burned to death and only finds a shred of the scarf and the slag of the ring The parchment was burned to nothingness, the seal gone.
With no home, no family, and no friends, Connor fled into the woods, but his ability to fend for himself long term was limited and he was eventually discovered by a group of bandits. After initially becoming a pet and joke, the bandits kept the kid for his mettle and eventually armed him and took them along with him on raids. Over time, Connor came to find that the bandits were mostly displaced villagers fallen upon hard times like himself, but he came to be appalled with their tactics and fled at the first opportunity
Moving to the capital of New Stetven, the resilient teenager found a way to survive in the urban jungle and eventually found his way into honest mercenary and then guard work for several years, later even swearing to a knightly order's edicts, although he was not formally recognized. Once he had a steady income and home, he turned his efforts to trying to research and prove his patent of nobility, but ultimately the fire had robbed him of anything conclusive. All his research into nobility couldnt trigger the memory of which house's seal he saw on that ring in a fleeting moment so many years ago, no did anyone seem to recognize his description of the man "Treyvor."
Worse, his repeated efforts to claim nobility eventually earned him the scorn and ire of the the actual nobility and when he took the bastard name "Lake" as a surname, he was outwardly rebuffed from civil offices and any royal houses.
His frustration and lack of proof eventually drive him to hear of Restov's go more loose affiliation with the houses and he heads south to make a name for himself and perhaps gain some standing and respect before he returns to reclaim his birthright.
He dresses for the cold and cares for his horse with the skill of an accomplished hand. Cinder, herself, is a dark chestnut mare with a orange and blonde mane and tail reminiscent of flame.
Connor wears worn scale armor and carries a well used shield and oiled battle axe with throwing axes at hisbelt. When mounted he carries a lance, but generally leaves the long weapon with Cinder when on foot.
Connor has grown with a preconceived idea about other races, having been surrounded by humans most of his life and often makes racial generalities out of ignorance, not malice. Perhaps maturity and experience will educate him better in those areas.
Connor attracts the attention of eligible women but is easily beguiled by them. While sharp witted when it comes to blatant lies, he tends to fall for a pretty face and a nice word fairly quickly as the naivete of his upbringing and his lack of experience with women come to light.
Seres, did you buy your horse stuff via kit? I bought the cavaliers kit for 23 gp, iirc.
No, I got the horse free from the trait, but just paid for the saddle, bit/bridle, saddlebags and feed separately. I don't think i cost more than 15-17 gp.
I wanted to start with a longbow, but that costs 75 gp. I'll need to save up for a composite strength longbow.
Trying new avatars to see if one agrees with me.
Seres, did you buy your horse stuff via kit? I bought the cavaliers kit for 23 gp, iirc.No, I got the horse free from the trait, but just paid for the saddle, bit/bridle, saddlebags and feed separately. I don't think i cost more than 15-17 gp.
I wanted to start with a longbow, but that costs 75 gp. I'll need to save up for a composite strength longbow.
Alright, cool. FYSA a riding kit, which includes those things a above plus a saddle blanket and a second day of feed runs 16gp.
Check some of the outsider images as well. Some of them can be elf like.
Wehrpig, Connor took the Headstrong drawback and the Oathbound trait. Both work together and fit in nicely with the background.
The only issue with headstrong is that I'm not sure it works well with NG. I interpret NG as being indifferent to law/chaos, which doesn't square well with a trait that requires a strong opinion. I guess you could take exception to both lawful and chaotic actions/arguments, but that may be a challenge to role play. Possibly go LG or CG?
I think one can have a strong dedication to goodness and chivalry without being beholden to anarchy or the rule of law.
Connor is neutral good given his short time as a bandit, but his alignment wouldn't prevent him from having an opinion that he's vehement about. Hell, there's an entire plane dedicated to neutral good. Should we tell the agathions that they don't have opinions?
That said, I can look at other drawbacks as well. I'd rather not change his alignment.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Help me out here. We have a druid, Cavalier, and sorcerer. How about I go unchained rogue? Thoughts? I could go strength build or full dex build and two weapon fight.
I can't comment on the unchained bit since I have yet to sit down and read about that. But rogue sounds good to me. That would round out the party nicely. Either the scout or bandit archetype might fit nicely in this AP as well.
I present Aldarion the Sage.
I can never quite find the right picture of him for some reason. This avatar is okay. I like the linked picture in my profile better, but it lacks a fine goatee (like this avatar has). Also, imagine him closer to middle-age (the linked image might be Aldarion when he was younger).
Will post shortly...
Great work on the background Aldarion! He looks good to go.
Connor, I guess I can see being headstrong about good/evil but being indifferent to law/chaos. Let's go with it.
Thanks! :)
I think of being neutral on the law-chaos axis as having a general pull towards social cooperation. Being lawful to me implies a more rigid and uncompromising adherence to one's discipline or practice and to the letter of the law. Chaos, actually, is what to me reflects an indifference to cooperativeness; a strongly chaotic individual is entirely unpredictable and wild, someone who follows their own whims and impulses as if their actions and behavior were determined by a random table.
So although I made my point, making me consider the roleplaying aspect makes me think that while I want him headstrong towards certain things (his belief that hrs noble), I want him malleable in other areas since I'm intentionally building in other personality flaws.
How about Attached? Options for you to choose could be the ring or Cinder or even his pair of throwing axes, maybe having belonged to his brothers.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Attached works. Your call on the item. Cinder would be interesting, but you will eventually be upgrading your mount. Probably best to use the ring or axes.
Just read through everyone's characters. All look very different. Minimal overlap.
2 Charisma characters which is good but only 1 set of face skills. We have a few knowledges: nobility, local, geo, and nature. Could use a couple more but our group is lacking intelligence (Ezekials 110 in his profile notwithstanding). I'll be taking a rank in religion at some point.
I like the mix, pretty good coverage for 4 guys. Melee tank, ranged striker, mobile melee striker, and a support/healer. Other than being thin in a couple areas and missing a couple knowledge skills (arcana, dungeonering, planes, religion), I think we did alright.
Languages may be weak, too. Did everyone use the Unchained background skills.option?
-Posted with Wayfinder
Oh, also. Reading Aldarions profile made me think.
I know nothing about kingdom building rules. Is everything in Ultimate Campaign?
-Posted with Wayfinder
Execellent background and personality write up Ezekial. You'll need a drawback for three traits.
Connor, the kingdom building rules are completely contained in Ultimate Campaign. They won't come into play until the second chapter.
Diplomacy and Linguistics are areas I definitely intend to invest in as I level up. Possibly Arcane Knowledge too, if I do decide to take a level in Wizard (or possibly Alchemist). So many skills, too few ranks... thankfully our generous GM has allowed the unchained background skills. :)
Sounds good. That should make for interesting role playing. I think you're ready to post in gameplay.
Yes, we are.
Kartari, I like the background skill rules. Let's go with it.
Yes, Connor has them built in as well (Handle Animal and Knowledge Nobility)
-Posted with Wayfinder
Btw, I am using Brevian currency terms for added flavor, if anyone is interested in doing likewise.