With the heart of the Stolen Lands explored and the bandits who ruled there scattered, the long-contested realm finally lies open for pioneers and settlers to stake their claims.:
Amid the rush of opportunistic travelers, the PCs find themselves stewards over a new domain, tasked with the responsibility of guiding and guarding a fledgling nation struggling to grow upon a treacherous borderland. Yet the threats to this new nation quickly prove themselves greater than mere bandits and wild beasts, as the monstrous natives of the hills and forests rampage forth to slaughter all who have trespassed upon their territory. Can the PCs hold the land they’ve fought so hard to explore and tame? Or will their legend be just one more lost to the fangs of the Stolen Lands?
M Dwarf | AC 29, T 11, FF 28, CMD 22 | HP 67/67 | F +11 R +5 W +13 (+3 vs spells/SLA/poison) | Move 30' | Init +1 | Per +15 | Active: Barkskin, Vestment, Flight, Shield
Durgan has all the Knowledge and Professions! Knowledge (Geography):1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Durgan shares whatever he knows about the land with Zokon.
"As to any deception we might use if we meet bandit patrols, there I cannot help you."
Durgan knows a bit about the Shrike River (it averages about 300 feet wide--this being a narrow spot, and about 60 feet deep). It would make a great trade corridor if it weren't for the two or three big waterfalls along its course. Given these stats it is unlikely that you would find an easy ford along it's length. You might be able to cross over the river (or even the adjoining lake) in a boat or else might find a crossing in the highlands of the deep Narlmarches across the still broad, but much shallower Murque River.
"Maybe we could tie the birds into a raft ..." Illthir muses as she eyes the fowl creatures. She didn't usually mind off-key singing but this was too much. Zokon was right.
Can't hurt to add some more rolls!
Know Geography:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
"Might be easier to just make a normal raft though. But I'm not sure our mounts would agree."
"Could we make a raft out of the mounts? Do horses float in water?", Alia wonders, looking to the Ranger for clarification.
"Should we try making our own boat? Or try and find someone with one?
Hammer a horsepowered rivergoing Metal Raft(=ironclad) with an Anytool:1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 3 + 2 = 25 Well, that went better than expected "If the piece of metal won't float in water, we'll need to try again with a bigger piece of metal!", Alia gets to work, using raw supplies provided by Scarlet and the others, building a tiny River Warboat with horse-driven propulsion-wheels and a ramming spike.
Zokon examines the area for a crossing point Geography:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
While Alia is making a boat Zokon will patrol the riverbank with his bow out, looking for any possible threats in or around the waterway they must cross
Perception:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Survival for tracks or animal sign:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Ha! it seems to be fated.. maybe a few levels of ranger eventually, just so I can get a fancy animal mount of something.. maybe a mammoth.. ;o)
Using the pick axe, and smelting attachments on Durgan's anytool along with its convenient anvil fob Alia quickly mines some iron ore and smelts it into rivets after first erecting a mine and cart system as well as bunkhouse for the rest of the party to live in for the next few months.... ;)
"Hey Alia, could you craft us up some sheep so we can have some veal stew and wool for those cold spring nights?"
So what precisely are you attempting to build and will it accommodate a small herd of horses? The larger whatever it is is the longer it will take to construct.
While Alia is making a boat Zokon will patrol the riverbank with his bow out, looking for any possible threats in or around the waterway they must cross
Ha! it seems to be fated.. maybe a few levels of ranger eventually, just so I can get a fancy animal mount of something.. maybe a mammoth.. ;o)
Just think of everything as kobolds and you'll be fine. ;)
dice:
5d100 ⇒ (46, 32, 74, 1, 54) = 207
There don't seem to be any obvious threats (aside from low flying birds with gastrointestinal problems). Any tracks in the area are covered by muddy bird footprints.
It might be possible to use the local lake and river system to sail up to the fort (though it sits on a promontory on the edge of the Lake it abuts--so maybe land nearby).
The Candlemere Lake (to the North of your position) is known to possess a remarkably clear surface, and is surrounded by a great collection of trees, it is well known for the vibrant colors it takes on from the leaves that become trapped within it. In spring (as it is now) and summer, it becomes vibrant green, speckled with bursts of color. In autumn, it becomes orange, yellow, and fiery red, and come winter the frozen surface obscures a deep black that mirrors the inky sky above the lake.
According to local legend, drinking from the Candlemere during certain seasons has particular effects on the drinker, but there is no agreement as to the exact relationship between season and effect.
In the center of the lake stands a small mysterious island—hilly, and speckled with willows and morning and evening mists that rise off the lake itself.
Using the pick axe, and smelting attachments on Durgan's anytool along with its convenient anvil fob Alia quickly mines some iron ore and smelts it into rivets after first erecting a mine and cart system as well as bunkhouse for the rest of the party to live in for the next few months.... ;)
"Hey Alia, could you craft us up some sheep so we can have some veal stew and wool for those cold spring nights?"
So what precisely are you attempting to build and will it accommodate a small herd of horses? The larger whatever it is is the longer it will take to construct.
I could craft some electric sheep. But they would probably a.: dream of androids and b.: not help any turtles belly-side-up in the desert they run across.
That said, I do like to build elaborate complexes in the applicable games, it scratches an itch I had ever since early RTS-basebuilding (Dune 2 ++) that never allowed sufficient complexity to satisfy. That said, since we DO need to transport the horses across, and it would be desirable to potentially use it for movement, we may opt for a proper little ship rather than a makeshift raft.
So, we are going for a Team Boat looking somewhat like this
We can enhance the design later if we aquire sailcloth, but with a shallow-draft-hull it would actually allow us quite some flexibility in navigating the waterways.
Craft(Go big or go home!):1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 3 + 2 = 25
There, 2 natural 20's in a row. The dice WANT it to happen! Ramming Spike! Submersible! Nautilusbismarck!
"Hmm. Are we *sure* this is the fastest idea?" Illthir mumbles as she watched in awe as Alia built the boat. She didn't interfere of course, she quite enjoyed watching other people work! But she wasn't completely without shame; she'd help out with some refreshments and encouragement!
Gallant Inspiration and Tears to Wine enhanced refreshments!
M Dwarf | AC 29, T 11, FF 28, CMD 22 | HP 67/67 | F +11 R +5 W +13 (+3 vs spells/SLA/poison) | Move 30' | Init +1 | Per +15 | Active: Barkskin, Vestment, Flight, Shield
Durgan will do his best to help out (besides just lending the Any-Tool).
Craft Boat, Aid Another:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21 This Boat is meant to be.
Male Gnome Bard/ 3rd AC: 15 (T 12, FF 14), HP 20/20 5NL, Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +1; +2 Enchantment | CMB +1, CMD 14 | Init +3 | Perc +4
Posh gets involved because this plan is crazy enough that is might actually just work!
craft boat, aid another:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Posh seems to think that helping out involved using a tool to carve out a window. Afterall, we need holes to see out of in something that goes under water, right? However he failed to see the obvious lack of logic there, but once he does he decides to go back to helping in his normal way by singing a inspirational song.
Given the great size and the fact that so much lumber is needed to build it the party moves northward to the coast of Candelmere Lake. Even so it takes over a week to construct. Over a dozen large trees need felling some for construction and some for the rollers that will be needed drag it to the water's edge. The horses are with the exception of Illthir's horse Walker trained for riding rather than heavy labor.
While the wood is cut and shaped hundreds of yards of hemp must be hand braided for lashings. There are no nails and so pegs are needed and wedges must be cut with axes made for war. There is no metal for wheels, gears, or axles and so horse power is out of the question this time out, yet the thing must be able to safely accommodate more than half-dozen horses and even more passengers and supplies. What ends up taking shape is an outrigger raft with a lean-to and centralized horse pen. A rough rudder is built for direct steering. Since there is no sail cloth to be had, the party makes do with rough-hewn oars. The whole thing is pretty rough considering you only have one small (any-tool) plane for sanding and actual ship construction does require several specialized tools. And so most of the wood still has its bark.
Finally the job seems done and the testing begins. Without any baggage a couple of horses help drag the thing out into the water where some of the party members. Loose bindings are identified and mended and once that is done the vessel seems lake worthy.
No floor window is included in the final raft because as someone explains one can just look over the side into the lake's crystal clear waters. That night the party goes to bed (as they have since arriving at the lake) exhausted.
Posh seems to think that helping out involved using a tool to carve out a window. Afterall, we need holes to see out of in something that goes under water, right? However he failed to see the obvious lack of logic there, but once he does he decides to go back to helping in his normal way by singing a inspirational song.
In the States we have a new version of the song that probably has a line like: We all live under an orange tangerine, an orange tangerine, an orange tangerine.
The party proceeds down the river and into Candlemere Lake and along its coast, each night the party stops close to shore to allow the horses off to drag the craft as far up the rocky beaches as possible.
Looking for some profession (sailor) or (galley slave) rolls.
M Dwarf | AC 29, T 11, FF 28, CMD 22 | HP 67/67 | F +11 R +5 W +13 (+3 vs spells/SLA/poison) | Move 30' | Init +1 | Per +15 | Active: Barkskin, Vestment, Flight, Shield
As he navigates the small craft, Durgan thinks back to all the times he helped the Lodovka family on the harbor.
Profession (Sailor):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Listening to Scarlets figurings on how the geography should best be planned for Zokon chimes in with his own analysis
Kn Geography:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
"It seems to me that we can travel a bit faster and safer if we steer to the leeward side of the river to go with the current and avoid obstacles, plus it seems that side of the river has better feed for the horses."
He also hunts as he can having made a simple wooden spear to fish with, using his rope to make it easy to retrieve
Survival:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
This is all jsut stuff for Zokon to be doing as rp type.
"Now this is a way to travel! Right Hestor?" Illthir is delighted to be on the new ship and was more then happy to share that with anyone. Even if that was currently just her horse.
This wasn't a pleasure cruise though. There were plenty of work to be done. She tries her best to help, and with a bit of magic even manages to be helpful!
The party moves past the small forested island in the center of the crystal-clear lake. Amid the springtime blossoms they note the outline of ivy-covered, stone ruins deeper inland from the isle's rocky shore.
The next day the party makes it to the murky Tuskwater. The lake is rung on all sides with steep hills and cliff-faces. near midday the party can see the little ruined fort on the far side of the lake standing atop one of the highest hills.
Looking for a place to put in for the night is difficult the "ranger" of course knows from the maps he's seen that the Tuskwater is a bowl most times of year with the hills looming high on every side. But with the spring thaw (as is happening now) the water level elevates high enough that some of the lower vales flood. Two places look promising up ahead, except that Alia and Zokon both notice that the first is already occupied by something, just back from the water, in a thick stand of trees.
| Bloodrage 12/12 | Fire Strikes 3/3 | HP 43/43 | AC 18 T 14 F 14(Uncanny Dodge) | CMD 19 | Saves 6/4/0 (+1 Will vs Mind Affecting) | Init 3 | Perception 3 | 4 Female Ifrit Bloodrager (elemental, fire) | Spells 2 |
Scarlet's keeping watch, as usual. River water isn't really her forte- the former boss loved swimming. And of course her bro told her it wasn't as bad.
Whatever that thing is, Scarlet was in no mood to engage it. She motions they keep moving.
Zokon gets his bow out.. "Let's not engage if we don't have to, but we should move around it and as shallow as we can, so we can get footing if it comes for us and maybe goto option 2 or keep going to get away from this area" he says all the while eyes zeroed in on the beast
Alia ponders, seeing the creature.
"If that is what we think it is...does anybody know about those? In the stories, they don't seem particularily cunning. Maybe if we could lure it towards the Stag Lords Stronghold...how many of his peasant bandits would reconsider their employment, do you think? Could be two birds with one stone..."
| Bloodrage 12/12 | Fire Strikes 3/3 | HP 43/43 | AC 18 T 14 F 14(Uncanny Dodge) | CMD 19 | Saves 6/4/0 (+1 Will vs Mind Affecting) | Init 3 | Perception 3 | 4 Female Ifrit Bloodrager (elemental, fire) | Spells 2 |
"What? You don't run up to big scary beasts and tell them Oi, plenty of food in the Stag Lord's fort!"
K Arcana:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
"I don't even know what it is. Fine. Let's scout it out first and see what our options are. I don't want to run into this thing if we need to retreat."
"We may be able to lure it out and get it to help us.. but we need to think about how fast it can move, how does a person get it's attention and then get away, how do we lead it to the bad guys and then make it goto attack them?" he says off the top of his head
Hydra's (not T-Rex's) are magical beasts (so knowledge [arcana]) and that's what Alia knows about them aside from general info: huge size, multiple biting heads at the end of a serpentine body, and that cutting off their heads causes them to grow more of them.
Zokon could ride the horse near, but the horse doesn't do sneaky either.. maybe he could leave it 100ft away and hope it doesn't run before he gets to it?
Illthir didn't feel too confident with this plan, but it was something. And she did what she could to help! Traveling by boat had allowed her to save her magical song; which might come in handy now!
Triple Time, using it twice, to give everyone +10' movespeed for an hour.
M Dwarf | AC 29, T 11, FF 28, CMD 22 | HP 67/67 | F +11 R +5 W +13 (+3 vs spells/SLA/poison) | Move 30' | Init +1 | Per +15 | Active: Barkskin, Vestment, Flight, Shield
"Thank you Illthir, that is most helpful." Durgan has Longstrider as a possible Domain spell but wants to keep that slot filled with Shield. I guess he could use a wand of Longstrider in the future?
"Where should we position ourselves? Closer to the fort, but out of the direct path? So we can intercept Scarlet and the Hydra en route if needed?"
Meanwhile, a quarter of a mile away (more or less), Scarlet is tromping "stealthily" through the forest when she begins to wonder if perhaps she has gone too far--east that is. So far there don't seem to be any hydra tracks (whatever they look like). She begins to wish Zokon were there. A ranger would really come in handy about now.
Suddenly there is a noise and the sound of something whooshing through the air inches from the top of her head!
The foliage and ground cover in the area is thick with dead and dry plants covered over in new growth thanks to seasonal spring flooding. This makes the area difficult terrain to move through and gives everything in it concealment. The trees provide partial cover as well.
Zokon will decide to go anyway after Scarlet has left, he will try and catch up riding a bit of the way and then follow Scarlet at a distance seeing as he has faster speed for an hour.
Seeing the Owl swoop nearby he will move up to Scarlet
Illthir didn't feel too confident with this plan, but it was something. And she did what she could to help! Traveling by boat had allowed her to save her magical song; which might come in handy now!
Triple Time, using it twice, to give everyone +10' movespeed for an hour.
Sooo is Illthir are pulling out her drum set beside a big lake in the middle of nowhere and practicing for at least a solid minute?
Zokon will decide to go anyway after Scarlet has left, he will try and catch up riding a bit of the way and then follow Scarlet at a distance seeing as he has faster speed for an hour.
Seeing the Owl swoop nearby he will move up to Scarlet
dice:
1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Zokon can catch up without his horse if he likes. Scarlet has to slow when she gets close to where she thinks the creature is and then looks about for a bit unsure of her bearings. He will however require some light at the end there as it gets dark out.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
Zokon Santyev wrote:
I like Mark Talbot who has also asked to be kept in consideration for further plots of the DM.
Gideon is very muchly like me in build.
Mark Talbot is a powerful melee combatant, and that's good. With his mutagen going (in STR) he can power attack at +7 to hit and 1d12+13 damage - not bad at 1st level. But it seems like all he can do is hit things really hard; he doesn't really have any non-combat abilities (a common problem with the fighter class). Also there are a lot of math/number errors on his sheet.
There was a bit of story for his character, but it was in a forum post rather than on his sheet.
Gideon is a ranger and admittedly rangers and slayers are similar. But he is clearly focused on melee whereas Zokon is mainly an archer. I don't especially like Gideon's backstory (it's a bit simple and the one main thread is one that is also a part of mine), but then Mark's isn't very interesting either.
Well, it's all a moot point... we'll see who comes! Thanks for looking out for us KDM! I'm sure your choice will be fine with us. We were just musing among ourselves.
Forest Gnome - Male Wizard/4: HP (22/22): AC (12): Saves (Str=-1/Dex=2/Con=1/Int=6/Wis=2/Cha=1): Initiative +2: Perception +0 (15 passive)
Greetings all! I received a PM from DM asking if I was still interested in joining, since a player dropped out. Thank you very much for the opportunity.
Before I go too much further, I was wondering if I could change EVERYTHING about my charater...
little joke there. I read through the discussion already.
I would agree, that it is a bit odd to make drastic changes, such as race, class, build, ect.; after being selected based on the original character.
I look forward to contributing to the game. Numalar seems to be taking on a "party advisor" role. Did you see anything you think should be adjusted with Fronar to fill any party gaps?
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
Welcome and well met, Froanar! You should know that I am quite fond of the Knife Master archetype and I have a PFS character with that archetype.
Fronar_Gossamar wrote:
Numalar seems to be taking on a "party advisor" role. Did you see anything you think should be adjusted with Fronar to fill any party gaps?
Well, thank you for asking! I can see some ways that you might adjust Froanar based on the makeup of the party.
If you wish to change EVERYTHING may I suggest a Drow Paladin? :) Just kidding!
You are really asking for it when you ask for my opinion because I tend to write long! So I have spoilered everything to make it easy.
Background:
First of all, in the recruitment thread you posted a bit of a story about Froanar, but the story isn't on your profile. You probably should put it there. Maybe what you currently have under "background" should really be "personality."
Second, maybe you should think about your background a bit more. I notice you have a Chaotic Good alignment and in your personality it mentions that you have a "Robin Hood" mentality. This is a little bit at odds with your story, where you talk about wanting to expand your power in the thieves' guild.
By this I mean two things. First, chaotic people don't usually lust after power. They are more interested in freedom, and if they want power it is because it is a route to independence. Likewise, your typical mafioso character is probably evil, or at best neutral. They make a living by taking from others, through force, intimidation, and guile. They are also loyal, follow a strict code, and have an organized hierarchy, making them often lawful.
It would be a little weird later on in the campaign trying to form a "mafia" family. You won't need to because you are already the guy in charge.
A typical CG thief probably became a thief as a way of "fighting back" against the wealthy oppressive nobles of Brevoy. This especially works if you grew up amongst the poverty of the urban or rural poor. If you want to be CG maybe you began your career thinking that being the "underground" guild working against "the man" must be good since in your mind the upper classes are clearly bad. Your story may involve Froanar's disillusionment with the way of the thieves' guild as he realizes that they are also evil guys preying on the poor. This would also explain your suspicious trait as you no longer trust people the way you once did.
This also might put you at odds with your father which makes for good drama. Maybe you have had a falling out. Perhaps Froanar wants to earn enough that he could get his father out of the guild, but his father doesn't want to leave and wants Froanar to come back. If you are chaotic you are probably rebellious.
Thirdly, you mention in your personality that your character had a stint in the military, but you don't mention it in your back story. You should work it in somewhere. It's unlikely that you were regular infantry as you aren't proficient in martial weapons or medium armor, but you might have been a scout or archer of some kind.
Also, you have taken the background trait "Brigand" which means that you were probably a rural or country robber for a while. You might want to put that in there somewhere. It's OK if your character "drifted around" a lot before his current "job."
One last thing about background: which city is Froanar from? Maybe he should be from New Stetven as it is the Brevoy capital and probably the biggest city. Restov could be where he ended up after leaving his father's guild.
Build:
The main thing about building a rogue is figuring out how ou are going to arrange to get sneak attacks. There are a number of avenues to do this, and you probably want to focus on one or two.
If you are going to focus on flanking then you usually have to invest in Acrobatics. Since this is based off DEX it's an easy choice to make.
You could focus on feinting using bluff skill. This is a bit harder because it usually involves investing in a bunch of feats, and it rewards a high CHA.
Another one is the Shatter Defenses & Dazzling display route, using intimidate. This takes a while to come on line and requires another bunch of feats. But we don't have a good intimidator in our party, so worth thinking about.
Using concealment effects also works, but is limited. Stealth is good but only goes so far. This could work with the use of mundane things like smokesticks but probably involves magic items. You might want a decent Use Magic Device skill if you want to go this route.
Finally there is the scout archetype. They trade away Uncanny Dodge with the ability to sneak attack on a charge. If your character was really in the military this might work. Scout and Knife MAster are compatible.
You will need to concentrate on one or two of these things.
Stats:
You have a decent set of stats for a rogue. But you might want to rethink a couple of things.
First of all, there is a tendency in a Kingmaker game for everyone to try to have a good CHA. But aside from the main "faces" it is not necessary for everyone to have a high CHA. If you are not going to be using bluff or intimidate as a means of getting sneak attacks then I would drop your CHA and not bother with social skills. WIS is pretty important for most rogues as Perception and Sense Motive use it, and so do will saves. So I would be inclined to put your 14 in WIS (or even your 16 from CON and make CON 14), and put your 10 in CHA. Or even drop it below 10 for the extra points.
If you are planning on using bluff a lot then I would skip this advice. But because using CHA forces you to diversify I would personally go the acrobatics/stealth/scout route and dump CHA.
A STR of 12 will give you a +1 damage on your primary hand attacks, but not your off-hand. So if you need the points to boost something else I would drop STR to 10. STR won't do much for you, and if you get a dagger with the Agile property (which adds DEX to damage) then it won't do anything at all except improve carrying capacity.
I would probably go: STR 10, DEX 18, CON 16, INT 10, WIS 16, CHA 10
or: STR 11, DEX 19, CON 16, INT 10, WIS 16, CHA 7
or: STR 11, DEX 18, CON 16, INT 13, WIS 16, CHA 7 (you need INT 13 for Combat Expertise, if you were planning on taking that feat.)
Your Saves for any of these arrays would be F:+3 R:+6, W:+3.
Human Bonus Feat:
Okay, you've taken weapon finesse and two-weapon fighting. Both these feats are very important to your build, which is why what I am going to suggest is going to hurt a bit.
Instead of using your bonus feat on TWF, I am going to suggest that you instead (assuming the DM allows) take the Focused Study alternate race trait. Basically it gives you the Skill Focus feat now instead, but also gives you a second Skill Focus at 8th level and a third one at 16th level. In the end that's three feats for the price of one.
(Focused Study is listed in the Human section of the Advanced Race Guide)
The reason I suggest this is that while rogues get a lot of skill ranks, this means they can do a lot of things, but doesn't make them better at any one thing. You want things that give you bonuses to the skills you use a lot.
I would either put it into Perception (which is always important) or Acrobatics (if you plan on using that for flanking a lot). I would probably do perception just because nobody in the party has an especially good score and it's fairly important. If you are going into Bluff for feinting or Intimidate for Shatter defenses then you could put it there.
But what about TWF? I know losing that hurts, but you can take the Combat Trick rogue talent at 2nd level and get it again. You will find that a lot of the time you will have to move on your turn if you want to flank and doing so means that you lose your second attack. So it's not as big a loss as you might think.
The other route would be to get rid of Weapon Finesse and take the Finesse Rogue talent at 2nd level. This will hurt more as you will have a real hard time hitting at first level. But the finesse rogue talent isn't "wasted" that way.
Skills:
First of all, you have only listed 8 skill ranks - remember as a human you get an extra one.
However, I would actually recommend (again if KDM allows it) that you swap out the human extra skill rank for either the "Heart of the Streets" or "Heart of the Slums" alternate race trait (again this is from the Human section of the Advanced Race Guide).
Secondly, I would forget about diplomacy, and get rid of bluff unless you want to feint. Other party members will always be better than you at these things.
You probably want Stealth. Escape artist might be good. Knowledge:Dungeoneering might come up once in a while.
Gear:
Remember that you have an extra 100 gp from your brigand trait, so you start with 340 gp.
Daggers are cheap. Get a ton of them. Get a few cold iron ones and at least one silver one. Buy a couple of Bandoliers to put them in, but have some hidden in wrist sheaths and stuff like that. Wear a pickpocket's outfit.
Masterwork Thieves' tools.
Get a shortbow as a backup ranged weapon. Might have had it since you were in the army. Don't forget ammo.
Maybe an acid flask or two in case you need a splash weapon.
If you can afford it, maybe a chain shirt instead of the studded leather (though this will penalize stealth and acrobatics by 2 instead of 1). Or if you still have your army uniform, maybe Parade Armor - which has the same stats as studded and also makes you look more official.
Look through Ultimate Equipment. It's a great book and it's on the PRD.
Favoured Class Bonus:
Right now this bonus is in HP. That's a solid choice. But the human alternate bonus is 1/6th of an extra rogue talent (which means you get an extra talent after taking that 6 times). Talents are pretty cool. At 6th level this would mean having 51 HP and an extra talent instead of 57 HP. Something to consider.
Math:
Your Saves should currently be Fort +3, Reflex +6, Will +1. AC should be 17, Touch 14, Flat 13. The stuff under defense is right but under classes/levels that stuff is wrong.
Hope this is useful and I haven't melted your brain!
Forest Gnome - Male Wizard/4: HP (22/22): AC (12): Saves (Str=-1/Dex=2/Con=1/Int=6/Wis=2/Cha=1): Initiative +2: Perception +0 (15 passive)
I'm anxious to start building my "family" until I become "The Godfather", Don Gossamar. I'm ready to begin whenever you are.
Player info:
I live in Wisconsin (central time). You'll find me posting anytime throughout the day. I can access the board at work, although any map programs are blocked by company firewall.
About a year ago a few members, including the DM, of my IRL group split up to move in different directions. Unable to find a new group, I turned to pbp. So I've been playing pfs games via pbp since then.
I'm very easy going and if somehow I manage to offend anyone, please let me know so i can rectify the situation, since it will not have been done intentionally or maliciously. I'm here to enjoy the game, just like every other player, not to cause friction.
I've been playing D&D/Pathfinder for a combined total of approx 15 years.
I'm sure we'll get to know each other better as the game progresses, but hopefully that will give you some background about me.
Welcome Fronar .. a couple things. You might want to flesh out your background a bit and give the DM and you more to play with. Your ac on your sheet says 14 and we'll have to get you a bow so you and me can scout together more effectively.
Thanks for all the insight. Most of my stats and choices are based off of my backstory. I really enjoy the fluff and a lot of your suggestions simply tip the balance of the character towards power gaming or min/max'ing.
I can see pros and cons to most of your suggestions.
If you would like me to explain the reason for the choices I made, I would be happy to do that. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the outline I created. We'll see how he turns out.
Stats, gear, ect. have been corrected. Character had originally been planned as fighter for 1st level, then going rogue after. Therefore, I had a few redundant changes that got overlooked.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
Ah, I see. So the former soldier thing was part of the "Fighter Version." I take it then he is not so much the "Robin Hood" concept now. Do you still plan for his alignment to be CG?
Don't be afraid of min/maxing. Just because you have a well designed character doesn't mean you can't role-play. It's more important for Rogues because they are overall a weak class. A well-built Rogue can still have a hard time keeping up with a poorly-built Paladin. Besides, the 30-point buy suggests to me that the difficulty will be scaled up noticeably.
You don't need to explain your choices to me, though details like your brigand trait and suspicious trait should probably be worked in to your backstory. A part of the reason for traits is to give players a tool for creating their character story.
It would be potentially very cool if your brigand trait meant that you would be recognized by some of the bandits in the region.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
Oh, Fronar, one more math thing.
Remember your armor has an armor check penalty of 1. So your acrobatics, disable device, sleight-of-hand and stealth rolls all take -1 when you are wearing armor.
I haven't checked this yet, was just taking a break and popped over here but would all of you please make sure that your full character sheet is written out in your profile of your alias?
When I'm at work normally I won't have access to Mythweavers so I need the full sheet listed here.
Female Human (Kellid) Warpriest 1 | HP 9/9 | AC 17 T 12 FF 15 | Ft +3 Rf +2 Wi +5 | Init +2 | Perc +3 l CMD 14 l Blessing 3/3
Current Standing from Bella's Point of View:
- Numalar: No real impression yet
- Fronar: The troublemaker
- Celyne: Friendly, but not very professional
- Zokon: No real impression yet
- Valeska: Professional and dignified
Sorry for the late post. Best I can do this week being on the road and working. I promise it won't be like this when we get going. I'll generally be online during the day during the week and will post more often. Thanks for understanding.
I moved us along a bit, I hope that's ok. I won't generally do that but needed to this week.
Female Human (Kellid) Warpriest 1 | HP 9/9 | AC 17 T 12 FF 15 | Ft +3 Rf +2 Wi +5 | Init +2 | Perc +3 l CMD 14 l Blessing 3/3
I'm a little sad that we didn't get to properly introduce ourselves or establish relations with one another, but I understand. It's important to keep moving and we've already had some delay.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
KingmakerDM wrote:
You all signed the charter on the 24th day of Pharast, 4708 AR.
Okay, great. I am making a journal for my character.
BTW, is Brevoy in the same relative position on Golarion as it is in canon material? Is the layout of the area and other neigbouring countries the same? Obviously if the greenbelt turns out to be a steaming jungle that will not be the case.
If yes, I assume that there is still snow on the ground, as we are in the far north, at a decent altitude, and it is only the end of March. Is that correct?
And Spring is just beginning so there is some warmth during the day but the nights are still very cold. Whenever a north wind blows through it is cold regardless of time of day. There is still some snow on the ground and there will be more to come but you will start seeing more rain.
Forest Gnome - Male Wizard/4: HP (22/22): AC (12): Saves (Str=-1/Dex=2/Con=1/Int=6/Wis=2/Cha=1): Initiative +2: Perception +0 (15 passive)
in another pbp game, I set up a google doc link for the party to view anytime, with a list of treasure. Whatever the party decides on how to handle treasure is fine with me. To provide insight from previous games, some sort of tracking and even division will prevent unnecessary drama over fairness.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I would suggest a system similar to this, as it has worked very well in my previous groups:
1. Keep track of all treasure
2. Sell everything "not useful"
3. Divide gold evenly to players
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To add specifics that also worked out well:
1. Selling items usually provides 1/2 market value, any item a player wants to keep/use, they should pay the selling price to the party.
i.e - if an item costs 1000gp new, selling it would be worth 500gp (or 100gp ea in a 5 person party). If a player wants to keep it they pay 100gp to the rest of the party and thus keep a 1000gp item for 400gp cost to them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This brings up another issue. If a player doesn't have the 400gp, they still can take item, but will need to compensate their "I.O.U." when they are able.
2. It is also useful to create a party "bank". Perhaps putting 1/2 of gold into this party "bank" and distributing the remaining 1/2 to players for personal use.
The party "bank" can be used for things like: group lodging, rez services, gold spent for same items for entire party, bribes offered acting as a party, ect.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Players can "borrow" from bank with an "I.O.U.", but may only have 1 such "I.O.U." at anytime. This "loan" is, of course, subject to approval o the rest of the party.
Again, anything works for me. Just thought I would share systems that worked well and fairly, in past games.
Female Human (Kellid) Warpriest 1 | HP 9/9 | AC 17 T 12 FF 15 | Ft +3 Rf +2 Wi +5 | Init +2 | Perc +3 l CMD 14 l Blessing 3/3
That's a great idea, Fronar. Personally, I usually go with "take what you need", but the reason I suggested it in the first place was because Bella would want something more organized and systematic. If we can work out a system such as the one you've described, I'd be totally fine with that.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
In a home game I am in we use a similar system in that we calculate the value of everything assuming that it is all sold and then figure out what everyone's share is. If you want anything from the pile you use a portion of your share to take it from the pile, so it winds up that you are "paying" the sell price of the item instead of the buy price.
We sometimes put healing items in a separate "party" pile since you never know who you are going to use the cure scroll on.
It seems to me that a lot of people want to make sure the treasure paid out is fairly divided, and are willing to live with the bookkeeping that involves. That's fine.
However, early in the game we will probably find that individual items will often be worth more than 1/6 of the value of the pile. I don't feel we should worry too much about that at first as it should even out eventually.
If the party has 600 gp, and a single 600gp item boosts the power of one character significantly, then we should let him have/buy it and then get to the other players later. If multiple characters have ideas then we could draw lots to see who goes first. This is probably better than everyone having each player have 100 gp and not be able to afford anything important with that.
Why don't we go over what you see as your most likely first major purchases.
For Numalar:
1. Riding Dog 150 gp (or maybe combat-trained wolf) plus barding?
2. Wand of mage armor 750 gp
Here are my guesses for the other players' intentions:
Bella: Masterwork Full Plate Armor? 1650 gp
Celyne: Masterwork Chain Shirt Barding for Luna? 350 gp
Fronar: Mithril Chain Shirt or masterwork daggers? 1100 gp or 302 gp
Valeska: Masterwork Aldori Dueling Sword? 320 gp
Zokon: Masterwork STR16 Composite Longbow? 700 gp
Female Human (Kellid) Warpriest 1 | HP 9/9 | AC 17 T 12 FF 15 | Ft +3 Rf +2 Wi +5 | Init +2 | Perc +3 l CMD 14 l Blessing 3/3
I'm hoping for Mwk Full Plate, a wand of CLW, a riding horse, some scrolls, and maybe a Mwk Scimitar. Those are my prefs. Still, I'll work with what I find. I'm very much an organic leveler, same with equipment.
Gnome Sorcerer 4 | AC: 15, TAC: 13, FAC: 13, CMD: 11 | HP 7/23 | Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +5 | Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Darkvision 60' |
Resources:
Spell Slots available: 1st: 5/8 2nd: 3/4 Claws: 8/8 rounds left SLAs: Dancing Lights, Prestidigitation, Flare, Produce Flame
BTW I did plan on taking the craft wondrous item feat at 3rd level. Happy to craft things for other people. We probably should spread out the crafting feats amongst the casters if possible.
I know planning is good, just mixing it up with action.
Great. But again, I need to know what Valeska plans on doing? Just head south for 3 hours and then turn around and come back? Do some type of pattern? How long do you want to be out?
I can't post what you do or do not find without some idea of where you are going, etc.
Also, one of the things that we will be doing for combat is that when combat starts I will post the stats of the enemy in the space above the thread. Therefore, when you make your roll you can know whether you hit or not and whether you dispatched the enemy or not. So, you then can write out the results of your attack on your own and you don't have to wait for me.
This isn't ideal in terms of gameplay, what with you getting to know who is about to die and all that but it does speed up combat in PbP which can sometimes take a really long time.
For the most part, I will roll initiative for the enemy all together, with the exception of the leader or someone that has a really high initiative modifier. I will also roll the player's initiative so that you will know and can post in your turn.
Let me know if you have any questions about this as we will in all likelihood be in combat soon. :)
Good to know... I may forget about you rolling some rolls for me... if I do, as I'm simply used to some things - ignore my roll and roll it for me - a gentle reminder now and again may help, but I'm in several pbp games and it's hard to remember sometimes... not your problem but mine (i suffer from a severe case of CRS*)
