Elven Cleric 1/Arcanist (School Savant [Abjuration]) 14/Hellknight Signifier 10
This is the one I got in my sights at the moment : )
Why would taking the Aligned class in sorcerer OR oracle break your build and make it unplayable?
Mechanically it wouldn't.... In my mind though his power has a common source and it feels awkward for them to develop unevenly/separately. Well, I guess mechanically it would be rough too... He'd be giving up a lot (ie epic casting) for very little return... 2-3 9th level spells in one class and 2-3 7th spells in another is no substitute for 6 9th, 2 10th, 2 11th, and 1 12th level spell as a straight sorcerer.
Under these restrictions, for him to be functional I'd have to focus on one class and invest as little as possible in the other... Then he ends up really feeling like just arcane or just divine instead of a mix (plus he starts to feel a lot more like the existing full casters in the party already).
It's not a big deal- like I said, I have plenty of ideas, I'll just start looking at other ones.
I am trying to decide between an aasimar demonslayer ranger 10/ paladian oaths against fiends 15 (possibly 5 levels of horizon walker or planes walker) or a minotaur cavalier 19 with a kobold squire.
Straight cavalier? Because if so, I'm wondering if your mount should be a centaur.
Also, Lessah, you figure what you think your second opposition school would be?
I'm thinking of ditching Illusion. There aren't that many spells per level - and as long as I only memorize one Illusion spell I'll break even anyhow. Not a 100% however.
Been pondering what to multiclass into
Lol! I think you should definitely go with the Minotaur with the kobold squire!
Yeah straight cavalier, not sure a centaur would work, because them and minotaurs are both large. A minotaur would need a huge mount.
There is a feat called Undersized Mount that allows one to mount creatures of equal size. If you really want to!
...I had a vision of a centaur riding a centaur riding a centaur ect ect with what feat :P
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I'd think we'd need a level of maturity we don't quite possess for allowing centaurs to openly ride centaurs.
To be honest I am not that concerned with a mount, I choose cavalier because it has the feel for what I am going for a nonpaladin knight, almost could do a samurai also. I liked the 3.5 knights and the Cavaliers are pretty close.
I will burn a feat on undersized mount. Go with a large mount.
I don't know if you guys are actually interested in one more, but I thought I'd answer a bit just in case. I'm having trouble scratching that RPG itch, and this is the most promising epic level game I've seen in a really long time (because the players / GM actually seem to understand some of the issues these games run into, and are interested in a storytelling game rather than in playing mechanical mash-up.
For your first post we would like to see your viewpoint on how a character would successfully exist in Golarion at 15th level. With this kind of power a character is probably one of less than half a dozen in an entire country. We are not looking for how the specific character you may eventually build would have lived, but how 'a' character would fit into the world.
Generally speaking a 15th level character in Golarion is a major local power, on the cusp of or in the process of becoming a regional power. She's someone capable of challenging all but the worst threats of the world on a heads up basis, and who with time and effort can bring enough power to bear that even the mightiest 'conventional' (e.g. monster manual) foes should account for them in their planning. She is tremendously accomplished in her area of specialization (e.g. spellcaster, warrior, rogue), but also capable of performing in most other areas outside of their specialization so such an extent that the average individual might consider them superhuman. Whether it's a 15th level fighter with access to an array of magical effects from his equipment that makes him far more than the equal of any adept wizard or a 15th level wizard who deprived of their magic can still beat an ogre to death (often with their bare hands), these characters are all but superhuman in their capabilities. They haven't seen everything, they haven't done everything, but their experience is such that they are able to respond even to completely unexpected or unknown crisis and foes with speed and competence. In a group (e.g. a party) 15th level characters are capable of almost anything given enough time and effort. That said, these characters are not invincible. They are much tougher than the average individual, resistant to harm, and capable of recovering from any non-lethal attack given time, but alone are vulnerable to assassination or defeat by specific means. While they can dominate monstrous foes that can slaughter platoons of average individuals (trolls, wrights, shadows, lower end demons and devils), they are still potentially vulnerable to those same foes if caught by surprise.
What all of that means in terms of the character interactions with the world at large is that they cannot ignore their region, because other forces in the region will not ignore them. A character with that much power has gained fame or noterity whether they want to or not, they are known locally if not regionally whether they want to be or not, and everyone in the region who is anyone and has plans for the region is going to pay attention to them and account for them in their planning. Whether they are the most powerful person in a city or one of the most important individuals in a national capital, these characters are extremely likely to be active in politics, back alley dealings, and local organizations. Perhaps they lead guilds, perhaps they are close to the crown, or perhaps they secretly control a huge portion of the criminal underworld. These characters have networks of contacts, allies, and dependents regardless of their orientation as a result of their experience and wealth. Most of them have households or personal sanctums of some kind. Those not actively adventuring almost certainly have families, and all of these things create not only a part of the character's power, but also a source of vulnerability for them.
From the perspective of the average NPC / farmer a 15th level character is almost godlike. They seem to have an answer to any possible problem. At the same time, that can be a liability. This person has faced down terrors the average person can't imagine, but they've made enemies that could squash a commoner like a bug, and many people are going to be wise enough to realize that. What this creates is something of a bubble of awe / fear that surrounds them and isolates them from the common rabble for good or ill. Think of the response of most people as more akin to that which important political figures receive, rather than the adoration of many celebrities. These people play on a level that the average person doesn't really understand or want to understand, unless they are truly desperate, foolish, or ambitious.
As a little added bit of perspective, my long running 15th level character is a high ranking member of a major arcane guild (tentatively next in line to rule it), a member of the nobility in her city, and a recently reached out to several other high ranking characters to establish alliances with them (beyond the party). She's a major charitable sponsor in her home city and is spearheading an urban renewal effort in the worst slums trying to drag them out of hideous poverty and crime (after the party slaughtered the local slum lords as part of a recent adventure). She's investing in shipyards to further her interest in naval matters, building a tower, and recently took on two apprentices. She's got contacts throughout a city, more in a colony, and some in the planes as well (as a conjurer). She's helping lead a reform effort in the city government, and is in the process of issuing terms to the remaining criminal gangs in the city with regard to what kind of criminal behavior is likely to bring the party down on them like they came down on the last group. In many ways, she's sort of indicative of what I imagine a 15th level character to be. A mover and shaker locally, and known beyond to other powerful figures. She's also picked up some long term enemies (several powerful fiends, a major criminal organization, rival nobles that are less combat and more social foes), favors owed (a powerful devil, an azata, NPcs), and owes favors (to an angel, a mummy, and a couple others). In other words, shes a major part of the world, beyond simply being an adventurer.
We would also like your post to provide some of your history with RPGs in general. Which ones are your favorites? what is the longest table top you have played in? Your longest pbp/pbem? From the viewpoint of a townsfolk, describe one of your favorite characters.
I started playing right after D&D 3.0 was released, so much so that many helpful friends and family members actually bought me some AD&D materials because they were still on shelves (as it turned out these mistake purchases were to prove extremely valuable as I grew as a player and came to appreciate them far more). With that in mind I grew up with the D20 system, and I'm not particularly comfortable with any other. I experimented with some alternatives to D&D (D20 Modern, Mutants and Masterminds the True 20 stuff, especially True Sorcery), but almost all were built around the D20.
I swapped to 3.5 when it was released, and continued to play through the announcement of 4E, when pathfinder split off. I'd had an interest in Pathfinder, but didn't really jump on board until I joined an online table (played on IRC) during the Alpha playtest, which I've played with ever since (5 years? 6 years?). I've played Pathfinder almost exclusively ever since.
In all I've got ~14 years in the hobby at various tables. Most of my early years (throughout 3.0, most of 3.5) was spent at tables in FLGS, which were a mixed but mostly negative bag. I saw the gamut of awful stereotypes within the player community, and even was a stereotype for a while (Powergamer / rules lawyer). While the players in most of these games remained relatively consistent, the campaigns could hardly be called that, with poor Gms resetting games repeatedly and played mostly in the 1-6 level range due to their discomfort with letting players have much autonomy / power.
Around that same time I got involved in the online community, first latching on to Dicefreaks. I was sucked in by the ideas surrounding epic levels, epic characters, and the cosmology writ large. Most of my own efforts during this time are difficult to look at, but I gained a lot of working knowledge about epic levels in 3.0/3.5, and made my first few dips into PBP gaming on Dicefreaks. I had the benefit of seeing the work of a lot of really talented designers, writers, and game runners during that time within the epic spectrum. During the life cycle of 3.5 I probably played in six or eight PBPs, largely focused on higher levels. Most of these games died off within months when Gms abandoned them (for good and poor reasons). These included games as high as 40th level, though my experience was the higher the level the more the mechanics broke down between players and between players and the GM. It was that experience that shifted me away from powergaming, as it became more and more obvious that more important than trying to cram in power was making sure that everyone was more or less on the same playing field so games could actually function - I'd seen too many games melt down because one player stole the show or the GM was unable to deal with the ridiculous capabilities of many characters brought to the table. Unfortunately, records of most of these games are long gone, as Dicefreaks has gone through five or six different websites over the years. The longest running of these games was probably a ~12th level hybrid Modern / M&M / True Sorcery game that sort of blended together lots of different genres in a setting that featured organizations and characters from a variety different series in a modern mashup game that in many ways that resembled Shadowrun. It ran for ~8 months or so, until the combination of player attrition, GM workload, and a site change finally brought it down. Good times though. Several other games ran in the 5-6 month range.
In Pathfinder I've played in one long running (6 year) online campaign that recently hit 15th level. Information on that can be found Here. It's featured a combination of mIRC play and play by post, with something on the order of 350 sessions, and an added ~5,000 PBP posts. I've played in another IRC game that ran ~6 months and is about to pick up again part time, and a series of play-by-posts starting at 16th level and ranging to 22nd level. The longest ran ~6 months or so, until the GM was forced to put it on hiatus as a result of family obligations.
None of these games were hosted here on the Paizo forums, but if you want confirmation of my bona fides I could probably get a couple Gms to chime in here or privately for you. I'm usually kind of squeamish about jumping into PBPs, because the vast majority are set at lower levels (which I don't particularly enjoy in general, much less in PBP), and because those few that are set at higher levels tend to either die out because of GM workload, or bog down because a sizable number of the players are more interested in the mechanics of their character than in the actual character. When a player in a 30th level game has a background a paragraph long and came into the game talking about how he's been so eager to try out X mechanical combination of Y abilities it really chases me away awfully quickly. My interest in the hobby as a whole, but especially in higher level and PBP games, is in the massive scale of the storytelling available between the GM and players. Combat is kind of a side show to the plots, characters, and relationships between them for me.
As for a description of a character.... hum. Kyle Drake, a ~14th level pirate mage I played for a while.
"Drake?" The man looks around for a moment, "Eh, Captain Drake that is. He fit his name he did, slippery as that snake he kept wrapped around his arm and up his sleeve. All kinds of gossip about them if you're keen to hear it, but I'll stick to what I actually know. Came in off Rats End, was one of those pirates, only he and the others had some kind of disagreement. Somehow Lady Vanderboren convinced him to throw in with us instead, and I'm glad he did."
He pauses for a moment to drink, "I reckon he might have turned the tide when the armada attacked, and not just because he was lobbing fireballs at the ships when they came into the harbor. Man was just scary. Vicious, a killer at heart I say. The traps he helped us set were really nasty pieces of work and gave a look into how he thought. Man liked to hurt. Wasn't afraid of getting hurt either. I saw with my own eyes him slashing open his own hands, using his blood in his sorcery. Also saw him plummet sixty feet by choice after he teleported Einar up into the air to get the jump on a fiend. One tough mother - he walked it off."
Another pause, "Yeah, he was close with Torya. I guess the beautiful ones always go for the bad boys, right?" A nudge in the ribs. "Why she put up with the way he carried on with Mari though right under her nose I'll never understand. I guess some men are just never satisfied. Probably why he became a pirate in the first place."
"Trust him?" A pause. "That's a hard one. He didn't do no wrong while he was here, not to any of our folk. There was a nasty story that he murdered some prisoners, but I don't know nothing about that, and frankly they probably deserved it. I guess I'd trust him enough?"
The top two posts Here also provide a bit of the other end of the spectrum. Lady Katrina / Great and Powerful Archmagus is a long running character of mine (recently 15th level), with the two writers in this case being low level NPCs.
Couple other notes. I'm big on back story, which has been a mark against me before. Looks unlikely to be an issue (I see 22 page character sheet for someone), but thought I'd mention it. I'd also be happy to link existing characters or anything else of interest to you guys from outside sources.
Can't the Blade Adept make his Black Blade scale on Caster Level? That is a tad easier to boost : )!
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I've been thinking about a name for the Order - is there any synonym with veil/weave/fabric that isn't in use already and doesn't sound too corny ?
Pattern is always popular, though it may be in use.
(I see 22 page character sheet for someone)
WIZARDS
Though to be fair, with all those contingencies, of course you're going to bloat a sheet. Not like I aught to talk with two full pages on the price and weight of mundane items.
I assume your tentative archmage is based in Absalom?
@david- the daring champion cavalier archetype gives up their mount entirely, you could look at that (it would be a very interesting/unusual flavor for a minotaur). or you could go the other way and take the mammoth rider prestige class, they get a huge mount (you could go beast rider archetype as the base, that would allow you to take a combat 'mount' like a big cat to explain why you had a companion that you couldn't ride).
Couple other notes. I'm big on back story, which has been a mark against me before. Looks unlikely to be an issue (I see 22 page character sheet for someone), but thought I'd mention it.
I'm just curious, how was it a negative mark? I much prefer quality stories with a solid build over min/maxing with a token reason to adventure.
-Posted with Wayfinder
I assume your tentative archmage is based in Absalom?
I can see how it might look that way, but she was actually a character that evolved a great deal in the course of playing her. She started out as sort of a scrappy noble (a bastard daughter) that grew up on the streets poor until she was recognized and adopted. She was Lawful Neutral and putting on a sort of brave face of clinging to law and order as an absolute after particular traumatic experiences during her education (if you've read The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy you have an idea of what I'm speaking of). I'd originally intended to go kind of an arcane trickster direction, but the other party arcane caster vanished and she ended up going more on the arcane track. I also found myself playing her as more and more altruistic until the GM finally suggested that perhaps her listed alignment should be changed. She got interested in ships after seeing a cannon armed ship in action, and became more interested in helping the local populace of the slums after seeing how awful it was first hand (and hearing worse tales from her lover, who grew up in those slums).
Anyway though, that's in another game.
If there was any interest in my joining this game I'd probably go more in the direction of a former war mage, a sort of war hero who's become an old lion. I'll wait to see what the GM / players say though before I flesh out too much. I understand recruitment has been open for a while, and my post history here at Paizo isn't a great resume relative to many.
Couple other notes. I'm big on back story, which has been a mark against me before. Looks unlikely to be an issue (I see 22 page character sheet for someone), but thought I'd mention it.I'm just curious, how was it a negative mark? I much prefer quality stories with a solid build over min/maxing with a token reason to adventure.
I guess it speaks more to the quality of most of the PBPs I've seen, but too many GMs want a couple paragraphs and nothing more, regardless of level. I once turned in a 20 page background on a character and was basically laughed off of the thread by the GM.
I'm just curious, how was it a negative mark? I much prefer quality stories with a solid build over min/maxing with a token reason to adventure.
You are in a minority (in my experience). I wouldn't say its ever been held against me, but I like to have well developed background that explains how I got to where I am, where my powers/abilities came from, and some of the major factors that shaped his personality/outlook and often times even the GM doesn't really even bother reading it... they may give it quick once over, maybe even pick out 1 or 2 potential hooks, and then promptly forget it. There are obviously exceptions but it seems like a lot of the time people only care about what's coming up with no consideration for the background. Personally I don't know how you could really roleplay a character well without some sense of what led them to where they are now.
Before I go further, is it too late to chime in with a concept or two to audition for the campaign? 30+ year grognard here would love to try and get in on a real epic campaign, if you'll allow it.
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I'm just curious, how was it a negative mark? I much prefer quality stories with a solid build over min/maxing with a token reason to adventure.You are in a minority (in my experience). I wouldn't say its ever been held against me, but I like to have well developed background that explains how I got to where I am, where my powers/abilities came from, and some of the major factors that shaped his personality/outlook and often times even the GM doesn't really even bother reading it... they may give it quick once over, maybe even pick out 1 or 2 potential hooks, and then promptly forget it. There are obviously exceptions but it seems like a lot of the time people only care about what's coming up with no consideration for the background. Personally I don't know how you could really roleplay a character well without some sense of what led them to where they are now.
Well, yeah. And this is especially important in an epic game. To a very real extent with any higher level character, but especially with an epic level character, character creation is a process of give and take with a GM to make them fit within the world. I can't stand campaigns in which epic level characters simply pop into being in the campaign world with no ties, no allies, no connections, and no past - those games typically have no future.
Grand Moff Vixen wrote: I'm just curious, how was it a negative mark? I much prefer quality stories with a solid build over min/maxing with a token reason to adventure. You are in a minority (in my experience). I wouldn't say its ever been held against me, but I like to have well developed background that explains how I got to where I am, where my powers/abilities came from, and some of the major factors that shaped his personality/outlook and often times even the GM doesn't really even bother reading it... they may give it quick once over, maybe even pick out 1 or 2 potential hooks, and then promptly forget it. There are obviously exceptions but it seems like a lot of the time people only care about what's coming up with no consideration for the background. Personally I don't know how you could really roleplay a character well without some sense of what led them to where they are now.
This is why I am most selective about the games I submit to. I look for campaigns that are of high quality so that my story efforts are not wasted. Many games look promising but end up devolving into chaos rather quickly. Usually it is a combination of both GM and applicants that contribute versus one side or the other. I must say that I enjoy this game a lot. I have always wanted to play a true dragon but never had the chance till this game came about.
-Posted with Wayfinder
I like the daring champion archetype.
Thanks Fnord. I try to make a good impression.
As to concept ideas and base of operations, I have a few questions, and a few sort of outlined concepts I could pitch. First, to questions.
First, and most obviously, are we starting in 4606, before the events of most APs, or on the PF current date (several years out) after many APs have resolved? I ask because obviously a few APs have large effects on various regions (Wrath of the Righteous most obviously).
Second, if we are starting after various APs (regardless of dates) are you ok with playing with the resolution of some or all?
To (very rough) concepts (and the above questions make more sense):
Sasha Vorkon (NG Male Human) - In his youth Sasha Vorkon developed the beginnings of sorcerous powers, the birthright of his ancestry, but was gelded by his family in the hopes that it would prevent his full blossoming into a sorcerer. The event drove him into a mad rage and set the young man on a course of violence and death. Lashing out at everyone and everything after the destruction of his future and his manhood (in the literal and figurative sense) Sasha's powers allowed him to become a mercenary killer for hire that developed a fearsome reputation for his sheer ruthlessness and blood lust. That reputation grew, as did his power, throughout his adulthood, but as he began to grow old Sasha mellowed. Decades of bloodshed and aimlessness had quelled the rage that once drove him, and as old men are prone to do, he began to examine what would remain of him when he was gone. In time Sasha's new found contemplation growing respect for life led to his retirement, until he was swept up in the revolutions of Andoran. In the fledgling democracy Sasha found ideas of self-determination and respect for life that led him to support it. Now residing in Andoran, he is one of the pillars that stands against aggression by Cheliax against its neighbor. Though like most old lions Sasha relies more upon his reputation and roar than his bite, he is far from toothless. The grizzled old mage may be ugly as sin and covered in scars, but he is also among the mightiest living spellweavers and a veteran of half a hundred campaigns. He oversees the mainstay of the arcane wing of the Eagle Knights and is the presumptive choice as field commander for the armies of Andoran, should the need arise. Conceptually you could probably use Sasha to replace Reginald Cormoth as well if you wanted to go further in his place in Andoran. I picture Sasha as this sort of near legendary living figure who's motives are not particularly well understood.
Sandrine (LG Female [Likely Human]) - More than 800 years ago arguably the greatest crusade in the history of mankind was launched against the mightiest terror humanity had ever produced. For 26 years the crusade fought its way through the unending undead armies of Tar-Baphon - and Sandrine was there for all of it. In the centuries since she has remained in Ustalav as a bulwark against the return of that monster. Sandrine can go a couple different routes here. She could be a relative of Tar-Barphon (he's noted as having descendents in the Ustalav ruling class even today during Carrion Crawl) or she could be (more atypically) a relative of Arazni. In either case she's from a ancient, storied, and powerful bloodline that gave her tremendous potential. Again, there are two routes she could go down - she could have once served the Whispering Tyrant against her will, or she could have fought him with the Shining Crusade. In either case, after the defeat of the Whispering Tyrant she remained behind to help watch over his resting place out of duty, anger, and / or desire. My preferred background would cast her as a granddaughter or great-granddaughter of Baphon himself that was turned into a vampire decades after his initial defeat. She grew in power and might as a vampire until his return, at which point he became another of his many slaves / servants. During the Shining Crusade she was returned to life as one of the living. In any case, she's likely to be an arcane caster (perhaps sorcerer or wizard, in either case likely snagging immortality). I know this sounds a little thin, but it's mostly because I don't want to throw too much at the wall here and skew the pitch. I know many GMs will be scared off by the link to such an important set of historical events and characters. I'm open to a fair bit of development with this character's backstory, and there's a lot of potential I think to work her into Ustalav over the years. Conceptually she's an ancient, powerful, and somewhat aloof figure that in many ways quietly embodies the great potential of humanity. She can have ties to the worldly and otherworldly courts of Ustalav and live as sort of a shadow figure that pulls a lot of strings. I picture her as more subtle in her actions and plots, trying to resist the urge to become the next Tar-Bapon like figure trying to impose (her) physical will upon the region. The dynamic between power to change the world and self-determination for everyone else would be a big part of the ideology of the character.
Unnamed Ruler of Korvosa - The loose concept here would be someone who took over and cleaned up after the defeat of Ileosa. There's a lot that needs to be down to reform the city, and I feel like an epic character stepping in to take over wouldn't be out there. This, and the last concept, are both less about having a concrete idea (though I can flesh one out) and more about poking around the setting for places where you can squeeze in an epic character without too much disruption to the established order.
Unnamed - The last concept, less concrete than others, is for some sort of power player in Nex. There seems to be a fair bit of room to fit in a power behind the throne as it were for the 3 in Nex.
I've also always had this morbid desire to play a Medusa of some kind, but that's sort of a peripheral thing that is neither here nor there really. I think conceptually playing a heroic character that can sort of pass for human but cannot effectively interact with the vast majority of the population is an interesting one.
The pattern is really cool, it just that (among other names^^) the Illusion school nic'd it and gave it a meaning :P
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I think, on the topic of long backgrounds, that it can be very stressful as a GM if you are going to pick 4-5 members out of 25 applicants and all has given you a small essay to read.
However, that still doesn't excuse poor behaviour or "laughing out".
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I'll think I'll start putting together a rundown similar to Peter Stewart on my concept, just to have it all in one place and gather my thoughts!
Every AP or just one? I remember seeing something about how the last chapter of WotR has an epilogue replaced with an "If evil wins" section.
Also, I'm curious of what everybody's thinking on ages? One of the things about the game I had Way in before this was that he was the youngest of the group, and I'm thinking I might want similar here. How old should epic, mythic characters be in your opinions, and why do you think so?
I am torn on what ag to make my minotaur, they are normally a short lived race but I believe thats because of their lifestyle. Mine was raised by dwarves so I am looking at making him have a slightly longer lifespan.
It depends your spellcasters, mainly arcane should be old because of the eminence power and time it takes to get it. While martial characters don't have to spend the time learning to master the mysteries of the universe. Yes they have to hone their skills but it isn't such an intense process.
When I moved back to the states, I played Shadowrun, Rifts, and 3rd ed. DnD. Since 2001, I have mostly run various campaigns in the above mentioned, plus 3.5 and Pathfinder. My playstyle is mostly as a storyteller, using different voices to differentiate NPC's to my players. I have run 3 PbP campaigns on Paizo; the first was a Slumbering Tsar campaign, which was going pretty well (~4,500 posts), but I had to leave it due to some family issues. I am currently running two campaigns; one is Stoneheart Valley/Slumbering Tsar, and the other is the Wrath of the Righteous AP.
I was born in 4536 in the underground city of Holoth, into House Telvanni. At the time we were just another House, trying to compete for trade routes and other things. Growing up, I was taught that drow in general were the 'chosen' race, that the other major races (i.e. humans and dwarves) were 'out to get us,' that 'normal' elves were to dainty and stupid to survive, and that women were the surperior; men were good for little more than fighting and sex. To be fair, I've not seen too many arguments against that last point, at least so far. I, however, was always the one who questioned. Just why were we, among all other races, considered 'special,' and if we were so special, why weren't we ruling over all of the other races? Why were we stuck down here, instead of being up on the surface? At first, my instructors came up with logical reasons for some of the questions; 'we would be blind if we went up to the surface; we can easily rule from down here; don't you like the cool air?' After a while, however, I was kind of written off as a troublemaker and left alone.
I spent much of the 46th century just learning how to be a drow. My heritage is such that we are essentially beaten over the head 24/7 on how special we are, how unworthy the 'lowborn' and elves are, and how it's only a matter of time before we either take over the surface, or the surface attempts to take over us. I also learned some basics on which end of a longsword and rapier to be pointed at the big, bad, humans, as well as how to hit the mark with a longbow. I wasn't exactly a one-woman kill squad in those days, but I could at least defend myself in a fight.
It was in 4604 that my life had begun to change. For the past several years, House Telvanni had become more and more influential in the under world; picking up trade routes all over the place. Rumors had persisted since the turn of the century that the demon lord that we were a patron of, Deskari, was planning a full out assault on the surface. At first, it was ignored; demon lords are nothing if not scheming and hearing rumors like this were not as uncommon as one might think. By then, I was 68, ancient in human years, but barely out of my soiled loin cloth by drow standards. My mother was assigned to be a wagon master on one of the new trade routes and I was assigned to be her apprentice. It would be at least a decade before I would be given any real responsibility (when your lifespan is measured in centuries, you really have to pace yourself), but at least it got me out of the instructors hairs.
As we were heading north towards our destination, the events that opened the Worldwound upon the surface world happened. We reached what is (on the surface) the border of Ustalov about 3 days after the opening happened; we had felt a few tremors as we moved north, but that to is not uncommon in the underworld. Through a series of unfortunate events, we ended up on the wrong side of the border, above ground, as troops amassed along the border to keep out the northern barbarians. In broad daylight, no less. Most of those on the caravan, my mother included, were immediately blinded by the burning orb in the sky. For my part, I was not; I of course squinted my eyes, having never seen a sun before. But I was okay, where every drow around me screamed in agony from the lack of sight. Between myself and three others who were not afflicted, we were able to steer the caravan to a safe, 'dark' shelter. By some miracle, we had not been spotted.
After setting camp, the clerics set about healing those who had truly been blinded by the sun, versus merely being dazzled by the sight, while several of us broke out maps to determine how to get back underground, fast. We discovered that were a little more than a day's ride from the barbarian town of Gundrun, but even better, that there was an long unused entrance back into the underground, a few miles west of the town. That was probably why the entrance had gone unused; drow and other underground species did as much as possible to discourage surface dwellers to explore below. It was decided that we would head to the entrance after the sun set below the horizon; if we pushed the horses, we could just make it to the entrance and get under just as the sun would begin to rise again.
We did not make it far. It was only an hour after we started for the entrance when we were attacked, by our own kind, in a way. A group of druids and their pack animals were fleeing from their lands; several demons and other monsters were right on their tail. Not caring that we were (theoretically) on their side, the demon spawn decided that our caravan would make a great bonus and midnight snack. We fought back as well we could. However, caravans are rarely attacked underground and we were little prepared for a foray onto the surface. That is when I saw that the druids were also attacking, but not us. They were throwing spellfire and lightning at the demons! They might not have known who we were, but it did not seem to matter. All my teachings about how the 'lowborn' were nothing more than cowards that would flee at the first sign of trouble went right out the window that day.
The end of the battle was more or less a no win for everyone involved. The demons had been either destroyed or forced back by the strength of the druid's magics. However, most of them were dead as well, only four had survived overall. The surprising thing was that they were trying to save us! I saw one of the druids waving his hands in a certain way over our caravan leader, magic flowing from his hands to the wounds. Then I looked around and saw my mother, she was severely wounded, her ribs crushed. I crawled over to her, and for whatever reason, I tried to emulate the hand gestures that I witnessed the druid performing. To my astonishment, I saw a blue glow reaching from my hand to her left forearm, healing some of the wound there. My mother looked up at me, being too weak to do much else, and told me how proud she was of me. She said that clerics are well regarded in the House hierarchy. Then she died, in my arms. I frantically thrust my arms out as before, trying to will and force the magic out of me to save her. The last thing I remembered was seeing something, a wooden beam, flying towards me.
When I came to, the dark horizon was just beginning to lighten in the east. I had a nasty lump on my forehead, and there was a man, a human man, kneeling beside me, checking my forehead. He told me that I was just about the only one left from my caravan who had survived, and that there were more demons in the area. He wanted to know if there was a way to salvage some of the wagons so that they could continue fleeing. I nodded, likely still in shock. Within moments, the druids had managed to upright three of the wagons, placed as much foodstuff in them as possible, loaded what few animals were left, and we were off, with me driving the rear wagon. As I came to my senses, I assumed that I had become a prisoner and that I was being carted off to somewhere. It turns out that I was completely wrong. After reaching the Ustalov border and being forcibly turned away, we made for the Sellen River. We had no boats and no way to secure one, but we followed the path and eventually, after a fortnight and several nasty encounters, found ourselves on the outskirts of Mendev. In that time, the druids taught me a basic (to them, anyway) healing spell, and found a longsword for me to defend myself with. At no point did any of the druids say anything about my heritage, they were quite friendly, in that sort of 'nature first' thing that most druids have as an attitude.
I 'knew' from my teachings that I would likely be killed, maimed, tortured, and even worse, upon entering 'human' territory. However, almost nothing could have been further from the truth. Most humans had never even heard of a drow, let alone seen one before, and were fascinated by my stories. I was even deflowered by a human, although that is a story for another time (after many mugs of mead). Several dwarves that I met were at first rude to me, but I found out after that they were rude and surly to all 'elves' that they came across, along with humans, orcs, trees, and air, I believe. It was only the elves themselves that gave me a hard time; it was assumed that, because I was a drow, I had been sent up here to spy on everyone and everything. I still get that occasionally, but only from them.
The First Crusade was forming, as a response to the demon threat. Despite some elven resistance and sabotage, my abilities were found to be quite useful to the cause. By then, I had no love for demons at all, and my teachings were become more and more shredded by the hour practically. Too much of what I had been taught were disproved to easily, and I no longer believed in the rest. I was given a position as a scout and battlefield healer (a 'hospitaler,' I was called), and began to explore what is now the desolation that was laid out. Soon after the first battles had taken place, I was given a battlefield commission and found myself with a score of men (and a couple of women) to task in battle.
I've spent the last century of my life defending my adopted peoples. I can tell you more, but I'm going to need something stronger than this short ale to tell it.
Interesting story so far, gotta say.
It depends your spellcasters, mainly arcane should be old because of the eminence power and time it takes to get it. While martial characters don't have to spend the time learning to master the mysteries of the universe. Yes they have to hone their skills but it isn't such an intense process.
Makes sense. Not that a Mantle of Immortality is a terrible investment. I'm just wondering how young I should push a highly martial bloodrager before things get silly.
I honestly think any character could become epic at any age just depends on luck and what happened.
No need to roll, you can pick. But the noble is a +3 cr creature.
I saw that earlier, but I wanted to see if you would be okay with a random roll. Having survived so many 'planned encounters' with my players over the years, I've become a bit of a fan of random chaos.
So, my next question is, how will the character creation work? You had mentioned early on that you would bring it up at some point, but I don't think that I've seen it. I am interested in seeing your views on going past lvl 20 on a single class.
Interesting story so far, gotta say.
Thank you very much. I had started to type it up earlier this morning, but I lost all of it when the servers crashed. The backstory is currently sitting in a OneNote 'binder' I am hoping the OneDrive cloud does not go down anytime soon. :)
As of now, I'm planning to my character as just short of middle aged. Given her background, she'll probably look older (given that she's elf (drow), that's going to pretty impressive).
Seems like that's a reasonable answer, but wanted to run it by everyone so far. I've got him currently sitting at 25, but I was willing to knock it to middle-aged if it broke anyone's suspension of disbelief.
As for post-20 levels, there are guidelines at the bottom of this page that we've been using.
I think great age tends to allow more time for a character to grow into epic, but a character who spends his entire life engaged in outright combat has the potential to reach epic levels at a young(er) age. You can see some of the dynamic at work above in my submissions.
Sandrine would be centuries old, but has been less actively engaged. She's fought, faced threats, and so forth, but isn't actively looking for trouble.
Sasha, in contrast, is right around the century mark, but has spent most of his life actively seeking out conflict and bloodshed.
It's the sort of thing you have to wrestle with when designing a character.
Seems like that's a reasonable answer, but wanted to run it by everyone so far. I've got him currently sitting at 25, but I was willing to knock it to middle-aged if it broke anyone's suspension of disbelief.
As for post-20 levels, there are guidelines at the bottom of this page that we've been using.
Yes, I have seen those, and it seems like ELH in a peanut shell, minus all the crap that made ELH such a hassle. I was just curious how everyone felt about having a 25th level 'X,' instead of 20 X/5 Y, or some other combination. I'm debating on whether to go all the way up to 25, or to take a dip in something else.
EDIT:I'm also not sure (yet) if I want to give up 3 CL for right to be a noble.
I'm going to peg my Arcanist at about 300 I think. I thought elves lasted longer, but venerable is at 350 and I feel that he is not quite there yet.
I shall also type up that summary soon, I got sidetracked earlier . )
Edit: I'm not very familiar with any of the APs (I haven't finished anyone), so if they are included and would result in major upheavals of the cosmic order of Golarion - feel free to warn me :)
Seems like that's a reasonable answer, but wanted to run it by everyone so far. I've got him currently sitting at 25, but I was willing to knock it to middle-aged if it broke anyone's suspension of disbelief.
As for post-20 levels, there are guidelines at the bottom of this page that we've been using.
25 seems to be a bit on the young side to have faced down dozens of epic level threats - if only because I can't see that many events occurring in rapid succession. I think inner sea magic provided a list of, for instance, all high / epic level spellcasters in the region. Those that were epic were few and far between - truly legendary beings who are known world wide and in legend. The greatest of the Runelords, the children of Baba Yaga, the greatest heroes of various traditions (the Old Mage for instance), and so forth. Geb and Nex, legendary figures that ruled for centuries.
There are maybe a dozen living beings in the entire world I can think of that are epic or even nearly so. To my way of thinking, if you want to go with a younger epic martial character you need to be looking at beings like Krieg the Witch King as inspiration.
Seems like that's a reasonable answer, but wanted to run it by everyone so far. I've got him currently sitting at 25, but I was willing to knock it to middle-aged if it broke anyone's suspension of disbelief.
As for post-20 levels, there are guidelines at the bottom of this page that we've been using.
25 seems to be a bit on the young side to have faced down dozens of epic level threats - if only because I can't see that many events occurring in rapid succession. I think inner sea magic provided a list of, for instance, all high / epic level spellcasters in the region. Those that were epic were few and far between - truly legendary beings who are known world wide and in legend. The greatest of the Runelords, the children of Baba Yaga, the greatest heroes of various traditions (the Old Mage for instance), and so forth. Geb and Nex, legendary figures that ruled for centuries.
There are maybe a dozen living beings in the entire world I can think of that are epic or even nearly so. To my way of thinking, if you want to go with a younger epic martial character you need to be looking at beings like Krieg the Witch King as inspiration.
...unless you're one of the long lived races. 'Young' is a relative term. I am sure that, all throughout history, there are many examples of those who faced a number of challenges before the age of 30 and lived to tell the tale. Also, remember, it doesn't matter if you win or lose, so long as you are at the table when the history books are written. :)
As for Tessara, I am making her 174 years 'young,' 1 year shy of middle age. Despite her 'relative' youth, she feels much older than her years, having spent a century in armed combat. I would like to play her as someone who, externally, looks lean and mean, ready to fight. On the inside, however, she is going to feel all of the years weighing on her, yet she'll still feel resigned to fight for those who need saving.
Nope. Human. Through and through no frills. Ulfen, if that matters any. From the Land of the Mammoth Lords. But still human.
Here's a brief overview of the ideas I'm weighing right now :
Theldrassil Halfelven- CG elf. This is the guy I've mentioned before- sword and spell old school elf. Calls himself 'halfelven' despite an impressive pedigree because he feels all modern elves have blood largely polluted by humans and other lesser races. He has far too much respect for tradition to usurp authority but his views have made him somewhat unpopular with the queen and other elite of his native Kyonin (where he still mostly dwells). Despite his unpopularity, his power is well known and he serves as both an advisor to the queen and the realm's highest protector/champion.
Morgan Longstrider- NG human, wizard/magaambyan arcanist. A human who has walked the length and breadth of Golarion. Even now he has no home base but continues to explore and offer protection/assistance wherever he sees a need. He has no aspirations of political power but does desire knowledge and experience. He has a reputation throughout the whole world for showing up when there is trouble (and as a result his presence is not always welcome). He might be found one day advising the queen of Cheliax on avoiding a bloodily rebellion, summoning a party of Devas to destroy a marauding beast near the worldwound the next, and relaxing in a forgotten hot spring in some far flung wilderness the next.
Areniel- aka Aaron White, a trumpet archon cleric. Areniel was part of an army that marched against a demon prince who was causing an unusual amount of trouble on one of the upper layers of the abyss. During the great battle ancient and terrible magics were brought to bear and many of the angelic host were destroyed in an unimaginable blast. He was very nearly one of them but as his unconscious body hurtled through the abyss it happened to slip into one of its cracks and was ejected into Golarion through the worldwound. There it was discovered by a band of crusaders and brought to safety. Through no small amount of time and magic he was restored to health by a priest of Iomedae. When he saw the needs there and the dangers of the worldwound he decided to stay on Golarion and fight the infestation rather than return to Celestia. He fears that his presence might attract interest/retaliation from greater demons, so he has been careful to try to hide his true nature and very intentional about avoiding politics or positions of authority.
One thing that I have noticed is that, other than GMV's dragon, we don't have a lot of healers onboard. That is why I am hoping that my oracle will hit it out of the ballpark on the first try.