Alright, let's get the ball rolling!
-Select your ability scores using a 25 point buy, with maximum hit points at first level.
-Create a 1st level gestalt character, choosing your class, race, equipment, feats, skills, any archetypes, etc. from any Paizo source, using the optional Background Skills system (for 2 extra select skill ranks per level), and with maximum gold for your class to start.
-Choose 1 campaign trait and 2 other traits (following the standard rule of no more than 1 from a single category). You have the option of taking 1 additional trait if you choose a drawback, but the traits and drawbacks should all be closely tied in to your character's backstory.
For convenience, here are the campaign traits for Kingmaker.
Bastard (limited to human characters): One of your parents was a member of one of the great families of Brevoy, perhaps even of the line of Rogarvia itself. Yet you have no substantive proof of your nobility, and you’ve learned that claiming nobility without evidence makes you as good as a liar. While you might own a piece of jewelry, a scrap of once-rich fabric, or an aged confession of love, none of this directly supports your claim. Thus, you’ve lived your life in the shadow of nobility, knowing that you deserve the comforts and esteem of the elite, even though the contempt of fate brings you nothing but their scorn. Whether a recent attempt to prove your heritage has brought down the wrath of a noble family’s henchmen or you merely seek to prove the worth of the blood in your veins, you’ve joined an expedition into the Stolen Lands, hoping to make a name all your own. You take a –1 penalty on all Charisma-based skill checks made when dealing with members of Brevic nobility but gain a +1 trait bonus on Will saves as a result of your stubbornness and individuality. (The penalty aspect of this trait is removed if you ever manage to establish yourself as a true noble.)
Brigand: You hail from the River Kingdoms or the more lawless reaches of Brevoy. Life has been hard for you. Perhaps your parents and siblings were crooks and con artists, or maybe your rough, lonely life lead you to fall in with thieves and worse. You know how to ambush travelers, bully traders, avoid the law, and camp where no one might find you. Recently, you’ve run into some trouble, either with the law or with other bandits, and you’re looking to get away to somewhere no one would ever think to look for you. An expedition into the rugged wilderness seems like a perfect way to lie low until the trouble blows over. You begin the campaign with an extra 100 gp in ill-gotten gains. You also gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks when dealing with brigands, thieves, bandits, and
their ilk.
Issian: You were raised northern Brevoy, a land of misty shores and harsh hill lands, of snowy vistas and violet-hued mountains. You are descended from an able and intelligent people, and you have grand ambitions, a mind alert for opportunity, and the tenacity to fight for your goals no matter the challenge. You care for little more than achieving your aspirations and opportunities to win wealthy and grandeur, for which few costs prove too great. You see yourself as a citizen of Brevoy through and through. The call for champions willing to help take back your country’s rightful holdings in the Stolen Lands has inflamed your dreams of profit and possibilities, so you have joined an expedition to quest south. Your agile mind grants you a +1 trait bonus on all Will saves made to resist mind-affecting effects.
Noble Born: You claim a tangential but legitimate connection to one of Brevoy’s noble families. If you aren’t human, you were likely adopted by one of Brevoy’s nobles or were instead a favored servant or even a childhood friend of a noble scion. Whatever the cause, you’ve had a comfortable life, but one far from the dignity and decadence your distant cousins know. Although you are associated with an esteemed name, your immediate family is hardly well to do, and you’ve found your name to be more of a burden to you than a boon in many social situations. You’ve recently decided to test yourself, to see if you can face the world without the aegis of a name you have little real claim or care for. An expedition into the storied Stolen Lands seems like just the test to see if you really are worth the title “noble.” Choose one of the following noble families and associated benefits.
Garess: Your family’s long association with the dwarves of the Golushkin Mountains has left its mark. You ignore the movement penalty for the first 5 feet of rocky difficult terrain you move through per round. This applies only to terrain made difficult by rocks or ruins. In addition, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Appraise checks to assess the
value of natural stones or metals. Your family motto is “Strong as the Mountains.”
Lebeda: Your family’s history of trading along the shores of Lake Reykal pervades your blood. As a deft merchant of the region, you gain a bonus language: Dwarven, Elven, Hallit, Gnome, Giant, Halfling, Skald, or Sylvan. Your family motto is “Success through Grace.”
Lodovka: Your family has made a living off the coasts of the Lake of Mists and Veils since before Brevoy existed. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Swim checks, and Swim is always treated as a class skill for you. Your family motto is “The Waters, Our Fields.”
Medvyed: Your family has long a deep respect for the wilderness and is superstitious about the creatures that dwell therein. You gain a +2 trait bonus on all Diplomacy checks made to deal with fey creatures and a +1 trait bonus on Will saves made against their spells and supernatural abilities. Your family motto is “Endurance Overcomes All.”
Orlovsky: Your family has a reputation for avoiding conflicts. You gain a +1 trait bonus on your CMD. In addition, choose Acrobatics, Diplomacy, or Stealth—you gain a +1 trait bonus on this skill. Your family motto is “High Above.”
Surtova: Your family is well known for their political agility
and scheming natures. You deal +2 damage when attacking a flat-footed opponent while wielding a light or one-handed weapon. Your family motto is “Ours is the Right.”
Pioneer: You have long lived along the southern border of Brevoy, in the shadow of wilderness known as the Stolen Lands. Life has been hard, but through hunting, trapping, trading, and coaxing crops from the freezing earth, you’ve learned how to survive on the rugged frontier. With the wilderness ever at your door, you’ve also learned much about its denizens and the wild creatures that lurk in that unwholesome land. Your family might even claim holdings in the Stolen Lands, with elders telling stories of being driven from or robbed of a lost ancestral homestead, fertile farmlands, bountiful orchards, or a hidden mining claim. Whether because of your personal expertise and familiarity with the borderlands or in order to reclaim your family’s land, you’ve joined the expedition into the Stolen Lands. You begin play with a horse. Also, choose one of the following skills: Climb, Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), Perception, Ride, Survival, or Swim—you gain a +1 trait bonus on this skill.
Rostlander: You were raised in the south of Brevoy, a land of dense forests and rolling plains, of crystalline rivers and endless sapphire skies. You come from hearty stock and were raised with simple sensibilities of hard work winning well-deserved gains, the importance
of charity and compassion, and the value of personal and familial honor. Yours is the country of the Aldori swordlords and the heroes who refused to bend before the armies of a violent conqueror. You care little for matters of politics and nobles or of deception and schemes. As you are thoroughly Brevic, the call for champions willing to expand your land’s influence into the Stolen Lands has inflamed your sense of patriotism and honor, and so you have joined an expedition to quest
southward. Your hardy nature grants you a +1 trait bonus on all Fortitude saves.
Sword Scion: You have lived all your life in and around the city of Restov, growing up on tales of Baron Sirian Aldori and the exploits of your home city’s heroic and legendary swordlords. Perhaps one of your family members was an Aldori swordlord, you have a contact among their members, or you have dreamed since childhood of joining. Regardless, you idolize the heroes, styles, and philosophies of the Aldori and have sought to mimic their vaunted art. Before you can petition to join their ranks, however, you feel that you must test your mettle. Joining an expedition into the Stolen Lands seems like a perfect way to improve your skills and begin a legend comparable to that of Baron Aldori. You begin play with a longsword or Aldori dueling sword and gain a +1 trait bonus on all attacks and combat maneuvers made with such weapons.
Note that I might be open to making some more specific traits to better suit each of your characters if those don't fit.
Thanks Pendrak, both for the game and letting me bring someone else along. The same offer is open to you if you want it. :)
For Thron's sake: I'm going to build a male changeling mesmerist/? (Going more down the "your mind is putty in my hands" angle than Isabel does.) I asked for lots of fey theming so my guy will not be the child of a hag, but something else *subject to GM whims!*
Any initial ideas? Mesmerist is pretty versatile so I can run almost anything as the other half.
Campaign trait - probably Bastard, since the whole 'parents not married' angle fits in well I think. Unless a custom trait would be forthcoming?
Thanks for the tag along nod!
I am considering an Elf Druid/Barbarian combo, with the campaign trait Pioneer. Gender yet to be determined. I’m picturing someone who has had to live in the wilderness their whole life.
Changeling mesmerist will be perfect, whatever you end up choosing for the other side. Any full BAB class would complement it well and make him quite viable in combat, while you could always choose another CHA-based class such as bard, oracle, paladin, skald, sorcerer, summoner, or the like. Also, rogue is incredibly good with mesmerist as the latter receives some really cool feint-related abilities that I haven't seen elsewhere that make sneak-attacking enemies in the later game a lot easier.
Druid/barbarian will be literally beastly. Looking forward to seeing what animal of a character you come up with.
So, for your changeling, I do think a custom trait is in order. Maybe something like this:
Sylvan Heritage: Though the circumstances of your birth are unclear and you were raised by humans, you have an undeniable connection to the forest and the fey, perhaps hinting at your true birthright. Plants seem to part way for your when you walk. There is a sort of otherworldliness to your persona, that fey find intriguing and entertaining, so much that strange forest creatures and fairies have seemed to seek you out since you were a child.
You gain a +1 bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks made when dealing with creatures of the animal, fey, magical beasts, and plant types. In addition you ignore the movement penalty for the first 5 feet of difficult terrain caused by undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) that you move through per round.
I can come up with something for the elf druid/barbarian as well if you decide that Pioneer doesn't fit right.
It was the closest of the defaults. This guy (settled on male) is almost a hermit. Lives and interacts with nature and it’s denizens. Finds that interactions with fey, sylvan, animals, and other nature respecting people comes naturally.
Whatever you think would be best.
It was the closest of the defaults. This guy (settled on male) is almost a hermit. Lives and interacts with nature and it’s denizens. Finds that interactions with fey, sylvan, animals, and other nature respecting people comes naturally.
Whatever you think would be best.
Are you going to have an animal companion?
Just from what you said, something like this (basically a light version of the ranger's favored terrain) might make for a good campaign trait for your elf:
Woodcraft: You have spent your entire life among the trees. You are at one with nature, and while you are in the forest you are truly in your element, senses sharper and focus unparalleled.
You gain a +1 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when are in forest terrain. When you are traveling through forest terrain you leave no trail and cannot be tracked (though you may leave a trail if you so choose). If you have an animal companion, eidolon, familiar, or spirit animal, it also gains these benefits.
I’m planning on it. Not sure what kind yet. I plan on being flexible with my companions and swapping them around from time to time.
I’m planning on it. Not sure what kind yet. I plan on being flexible with my companions and swapping them around from time to time.
You should take a look at the pack lord archetype.
Looking at a couple of options for the other side but need to check with our almighty GM!
Water Dancer: Does a Water Dancer use their charisma to calculate their AC bonus? As far as I can see they get Cha as a dodge bonus from Nereids Grace and they still keep the 'AC bonus' class feature - what I can't tell is if they use their Cha to calculate the AC bonus or Wis? GM ruling please! :)
Other option I'm debating is: Sylvan Trickster although I lose Trapfinding, which is rather annoying.
On that note - would Wild Empathy as a trait be OP? I'm always vaguely surprised there isn't one since it strikes me as about as powerful as a trait.
Subject to GM ruling I'll probably go Water Dancer/Mesmerist :)
As I read it, he gets his CHA bonus as a dodge bonus to AC, AND gets his WIS bonus as an untyped bonus to AC. So if you are flat-footed you don't get to add CHA, like you would with the WIS part.
For all the other monk class features that would usually use WIS you would use CHA.
At least that's how I'm reading it.
And I'd be okay with you gaining wild empathy in place of a trait, but I'll add in the slight modification that it only works with woodland creatures.
My confusion is when it says 'He uses his Charisma score instead of his Wisdom score to determine the size of his ki pool and the DC and effects of monk class features.'
So there's an argument for calculating AC with Cha instead of Wis... I read it your way the first time, then I re-read it and started doubting myself... :) Your ruling is Wis then? MAD MAD MAD build coming up then!
Oh, that's a good point, I see your argument. I'm okay with both of them being derived from CHA.
So I only need 4 stats rather than 5! :D
Pack Lord is an option. But seeing as it just takes 1 day of downtime to get a brand new full level companion, I could also, just RP it as he still has multiple “companions,” but only keeps one with him at a time, letting the others run wild and free unless he needs them. At which point he begins spiritually calling them.
But Pack Lord is interesting...could get roll cumbersome though...but I’ll consider it.
Also am debating Reincarnated Druid...for those Oopsie moments.
Or, Pack Lord Druid/Beastmaster Ranger...
Yeah...take Boon Companion Feat for the Ranger side, and have an absurd army of animals. Hahahaha
Not necessarily planning this...but funny to theorize.
Edit: Ok...I think I’m gonna go Pack Lord Druid/Invulnerable Rager Barbarian. Probably won’t get too crazy with the “Pack” until level 6, when I can go full on Beastmaster and get really creative.
Thinking of using the following stat array, Elf Racials already included:
Str 14, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 12
Str: 12
Dex: 14
Con: 16
Int: 10
Wis: 8
Cha: 16
Before racials (since I can't remember exactly what they are!). I'll be relying on water blast rather than Unarmed Strike for damage I think.
Changing my plans a bit and building a mesmerist//fey-bloodline sorceror with ALL the enchantments! Trying to make the character work and still be lawful (for the monk part) was proving much too difficult!
So quick GM question: will you allow either of the 3PP favoured class bonuses that Changelings get?
Mesmerist: Choose one bold stare improvement you know. You increase the penalty it imposes by +1/3 (maximum +2). When you reach this maximum, you can choose a different bold stare improvement to which you apply this bonus.
Sorcerer: Add one spell known from the sorcerer spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the sorcerer can cast.
No worries if not :)
I should be able to post the character later today.
Depending on how busy work gets, I may be able to get mine done as well. First focus will be getting the Fluffy bits posted, then I’ll come up with an Alias and get all the crunch together.
Wish I could already shapeshift though...haha
There's always shifter... :)
So quick GM question: will you allow either of the 3PP favoured class bonuses that Changelings get?
Yes, I'll allow either of those. Yeah ,mesmerist~sorcerer is gonna have bunches and bunches of spells.
There's always shifter... :)
Well, unfortunately not even shifter can shapechange at first level. Well, only about as much as a hunter can. I actually really like the shifter class, I was just disappointed that you can't turn into animals at first level.
Current Fluff Outline:
- Initiate of a Druid Enclave based in the Narlmarches. Being trained as a protector of the Enclave, Forest, and Nature itself. Has been involved in several hostile conflicts with settlers trying to bully their way into the region by bloodshed.
- Sent on a spirit journey to complete his initiation. Is gone for a significant amount of time into the Hooktongue Slough.
- Returns to find the Enclave completely destroyed, no survivors. The only clue left behind was a lost Stag Lord Pendant.
- Vows revenge on the Stag Lord and his men.
I'm very excited about this campaign, and the various ways it can go. I could actually see some interesting conflict between the chaotic First World vision of nature embodied by the fey, versus the more harmonious connection to nature that the elves have, if that distinction makes sense. Add in clerics of Erastil, and Gozreh, the Green Faith, and others, and you have a lot of different viewpoints on how nature ought to be treated. There will be pulling from all sides in terms of how the Stolen Lands grow and change as they are settled under your direction.
Edit: Just had another thought in this regard, that maybe sums up how I see the various groups viewing nature:
Elves- nature should be protected from humanoids
The Green Faith- nature should be respected by humanoids
Erastil- humanoids should be protected from nature
Fey/First World- humanoids are just another part of nature, and a fairly new one
Gozreh- nature doesn't care one way or the other
Yeah I can go along with that outlook for Elves quite easily. And my character doesn’t see himself as a leader in any regard, but will not yield on his duties to protect the Narlmarches.
He may be open to working with people who respects them, however. But he has yet to encounter any such types.
I'll be right along the fey side of things :) even if I am technically human(-ish). Going to have quite a fey outlook on things I think.
'All things have their place in nature - for some things that place is to be eaten.'
Ok, Alias is up, but a work in progress. Still plugging away at it from work. Haha
Crunch is essentially done, just need to settle on a Feat.
DM: I took 3 traits and a drawback. Decided to go Pioneer Campaign Trait anyway. Also, I took Highlander regional Trait...can we re-skin that to apply to woods instead? Seemed fitting for the character.
Edit: Fluff added.
Much later than planned, here is Alainn. Fluff will be done later but main thing to note is that Alainn is gender fluid, but uses the male pronoun for sake of ease. I like the idea of an 'object of desire' being hard to pin down :)
@Trai'el: are you an Invulnerable Ranger or an Invulnerable Rager? :P
Fixed :-P
My autocorrect was really resisting just putting Rager in there. Also, Trai’el is likely going to be too focused on his own pursuits to concern himself with any “objects of desire,” so have fun with the NPC gallery. ;-P
Both Álainn and Trai’eltharian are looking good.
I'm fine with reskinning the Highlander trait.
I have a few more things to do preparation-wise (the beginning is going to be slightly modified), but otherwise as long as you guys are ready we can get started soon.
Soon as I can settle on a dag-nabbed feat. Can’t decide.
What is your stance on Call Animal and training it to be a buddy? I’m considering swapping a trait for:
Gifted Adept: Your interest in magic was inspired by witnessing a spell being cast in a particularly dramatic method, perhaps even one that affected you physically or spiritually. This early exposure to magic has made it easier for you to work similar magic on your own. Pick one spell when you choose this trait—from this point on, whenever you cast that spell, its effects manifest at +1 caster level.
And if your fine with it, I may take Spell Specialization as well, to allow me to call some pretty cool animals to be friends with Trai’el throughout the game.
Also, what animals are in the region, by your rulings? Are dinosaurs around?
What is your stance on Call Animal and training it to be a buddy?
Adult animals enchanted by call animal could potentially be made into friends with uses of Wild Empathy, charm animal, or the like, and given training using Handle Animal, though they'd never be domesticated, and people who aren't trained in Handle Animal would never be able to get the animal to do the tricks that you've taught them, so they could be dangerous to people other than you and other trained animal handlers. Think of a circus lion, a lion-tamer would probably be safe in a cage with it (at least relatively safe), but it would attack most people given the opportunity, if it wasn't being handled at the time at least.
Also, what animals are in the region, by your rulings? Are dinosaurs around?
From the Player's Guide: "The following animals are logical choices for druids operating in the Stolen Lands: badger (wolverine), bear, bird, boar, cat (big or small), blood caiman (crocodile), dog, horse, pony, snake (viper), and wolf. From the Bestiary, the following additional choices are logical: dire bat, dire rat, giant frog, mastodon (elephant), and narlmarch mugger (monitor lizard). Finally, two new animals are introduced in Pathfinder Adventure Path #31—the elk and the thylacine (also known in this world as the Tasmanian tiger)."
There are no dinosaurs in the River Kingdoms. The closest you could find anything like that would be, I believe, in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, hundreds of miles away, or maybe in the Darklands, though I'm unsure if there are any connections to the Darklands in the the River Kingdoms.
Gotcha. I’m fine with that. If a silly intruder decides to get too close to nature without knowing how to respect it...it’s their problem ;-P.
I’ll make the changes to my sheet soon.
Also, to sneak around as an animal in wild shape form and not be noticed, would that be more Stealth, Bluff, or Knowledge (Nature) to mimic the animals natural actions? I was kinda figuring either of the first 2, but could see cases made for any of the above, so I wanted to get your ruling on that as well.
As I understand it, you would use Stealth in such a situation. It says that Wild Shape grants you the ability to "communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping," so I would say it would also instill you with the ability to move and behave naturally as if you were the animal whose form you'd taken.
I can imagine a Sword in the Stone type scenario, where as a young druid (which for an elf was like a century) you trained under other druids who would transform you into animals so you could learn.
Excellent. Makes me a lot more streamlined in regards to Skill allocation. Thank ya sir!
Edited to include the Trait swap, and settled in Spell Focus - Conjuration for future augment summons
Everything is looking good! Do either of you have any ideas of how we are going to meet? I'm having a tough time working out my characters background, beyond the most basic ideas... anything I can cling on to would be good!
Please feel free to brainstorm! :D
Well, you may have either met or caught a glimpse of Trai’el in the Narlmarches if you have ever been there. Alternatively, it’ll rely on the altered beginning we’ve been hinted at. Heh
I've just left it open in the end, a wanderer in a world which has trouble defining him. So she might easily have met Trai'el at some point. We shall let the GM decide! :)
Álainn is a bit more 'eggs in one basket' than I usually go - hopefully we don't meet too many plants/undead before level 3. After that it gets a bit better :) At least I'll always have grease.
Added my Animal Companion, a Wolf, to the Alias. Also added the Light Horse granted by Pioneer. I labeled it as Combat Trained since I could have done that training to the animal myself. But if you aren’t fine with that, I will remove that from the listing.
So between my Wolf, my sword, and some NPC’s, you MIGHT be safe for a while. Who knows.
Hey - I have a non-combat trained pony and a small plant to protect me as well! :P
I'm still working on the intro, should be able to give you guys more information soon.
I'm fine with the horse being combat-trained.
I guess I can go ahead and give you some idea of my plans for the beginning of the campaign. Basically it is going to take place 3 months before the campaign would typically start.
There have been whisperings that the Swordlords of Restov are planning an expedition into the region to clear out the human bandits that have been plaguing the region, but that they also intend to settle the Greenbelt and claim it for their own once they've made it safe.
Of late, messengers have been traveling up and down the Greenbelt, spreading the word and organizing a resistance of some sort. Driven on by some unknown benefactor, they have been working to gather a team of willing young adventurers to preempt the Brevish invasion by establishing order in the Greenbelt before they arrive. The hope is that if migrations of humans come from Brevoy, it will be on the Greenbelt's own terms.
Among those the messengers sought were both of your characters.
Whether or not you've met before is up to you. I'm fine either way.
Well, my characters first question would be what part the Stag Lord would play in this?
The Stag Lord and his band will still be the primary antagonists of the first book. In fact, most of book one will be very similar to as written, with the exception of the beginning and a few key interactions with certain NPCs. Book 2 will involve you guys not only dealing with kingdom-building, but also with a group of chartered adventurers entering the Stolen Lands at the behest of the Swordlords.
Álainn is in. Humans coming down south and imposing their horribly strict and limited views on the Greenbelt doesn't suit her at all! He'll be ready to help as much as possible - as long as whoever is asking does so nicely.
In terms of having met before, perhaps just on nodding/first name terms. So we don't have to introduce ourselves from scratch, but there's still room for both characters to grow?
I like the sound of the changes! Much more fun than the 'bad guys' of the adventure as written! How much leeway do we have to really play up the CN angle? Álainn would quite happily dominate the Stag Lord and use him to flip the whole bandit camp - aside from Trai'el going a bit nuts would that cause problems? :)
Also GM: could you open the gameplay thread? I'd like to dot so this comes up in my campaigns page.
Trai’el is in, it was kind of his purpose for being here anyway, though his input is going to be skewed heavily in a “Benefit Nature, Elves, and Kyonin” aspect. Heh
Maybe we met in a very particular crossing of paths. Maybe both of us intercepted some of the Stag Lord’s men at the same time and took them out, camped and talked, then parted ways?
That would work. They came across me, you came across them.
Álainn always holds that he would have handled them just fine - Trai believes differently? :)
That sounds fitting for Trai’el, lol