Crunch complete. I decided to make a druid. I'm fleshing out his personality and backstory now. I had no idea just how much research into druid stuff I was going to have to do to make informed decisions about feats, statistics, and animal companions. What a hassle! Hopefully he doesn't end up sucking. xD
Or dead in the first fight...ah, the dangers of Rappan Athuk.
Sorry for the delay! I was really inspired when I wrote his backstory and I'll admit I got a little carried away. Game on!
Lets GO!
I like the picture already. Don't disappoint me. ;)
Oooh I love Zahar's backstory. Awesome writing there, dude.
Thank you so much. :) And yes... yes he would. xD
Note to self: kill the cat.
;)
Rofl
Meh, don't needlessly antagonize the druid.
For that matter, don't needlessly antagonize Ras either. Ulfen have a history with witches, and the Whitescales are a little...twitchy when it comes to them.
@Olo - Bro, do you even lift? That cat would tear you apart! xD
Now, now boys... Lets behave, its the snake I want to see tore apart :D
Do Zahar and Zeltor have new rumors?
Yeeeees... *totally forgot*
*The monks of the small shrine along the Lake Road are helpful to passersby.
* A magical pool leads to a wishing well. If one casts a magic item into it, he would get a wish.
Arggg. I'm itching to start a new game - like Legacy of Fire or something. Or maybe Rise of the Runelords. Or a homebrew adventure. But I shouldn't. But I want to! :(
#firstworldGMproblems
Hehe, well... Count me IN! :D
And sorry, only noticed the rumors after I had posted in Gameplay.
Arggg. I'm itching to start a new game - like Legacy of Fire or something. Or maybe Rise of the Runelords. Or a homebrew adventure. But I shouldn't. But I want to! :(
#firstworldGMproblems
Start a RotRL campaign, and I'll be the first one to sign away my free time. I want to play through the first two parts so bad it's not funny.
@Alice - seriously? Seriously?! Do it, do it, do it! I would love to play in both of those (though maybe I shouldn't be presumptuous).
RotRL I actually played in until 8th level with my real life gaming group. Then I moved away so that was the end of that. I would love to get another chance at it and see where it eventually leads. Legacy of Fire sounds great as well. Count me in, please count me in!
Also, if you need electronic copies of either/both I can get them to you.
Now my dreams will be filled with this....
Also, wanted to let everyone know I am going out of town for a work conference tomorrow morning. I will have internet access but likely won't be able to post until tomorrow afternoon/evening when I land. Friday/Saturday I should be good, but Sunday I have work meetings from morning until noon, then go to the airport to fly home. I will try my best to catch up on Sunday posts that evening, but at the latest it will be Monday morning.
I've got the RotRL:AE and the first three Legacy of Fire books. I like RotRL better, but that may be because I like Paizo's goblins a heck of a lot more than Paizo's gnolls (Not to say that their bad, just not as memorable as goblins.)
If Alice said she'd run RotRL, I'd buy her the book if she didn't have it.
I've got both LoF and RotRL :) Realistically I really shouldn't though, not unless a couple of the games I play in here drop. (One looks like it might, but the others are going pretty strong...) Oh, and Savage Tide would be fun as well. I love that one so much.
I'm just itching to run a more story-driven game again... LOL. I have GM-ADHD.
Welcome to my world. I have four failed games over my head as a reminder that I need to not repeat my mistakes.
I would totally join RotRL. I am cursed in that game. Every time I join one it dies.
I've had similar poor luck with Legacy of Fire although I'm in one now that might work out. I do have a gnoll spell-less ranger and a vishkanya version of Haleen from one of those failed opportunities that I would love to bring out to play someday.
I'm in a pretty amazing Savage Tide game that went through a long break but is back with a vengeance. We just had two characters killed in a brutal fight. My character is probably my all-time favorite PbP character. The GM has it set in Eleder and my character is a Bonuwat fisherman/inquisitor of Shimye-Magalla (the combined Gozreh-Desna deity) who speaks with thick Jamaican slang thanks to this site
I've never played any of those AP's! If it turns out that you do want to run one, I'll be the first in line. :)
I have to say that I am already running RotRL on another PbP, so I would vote on anything but that one.
What I REALLY vote for though... is Rappan Athuk :D
As far as marching order goes, Zeltor's stealth is really nothing compared to Ninivic (about half?), and may compromise his scouting - but I'll go along with what we decide.
I am fortunate to be participating in several PbPs on these boards, including a RotRL game. So I wouldn't try to take a place in that someone else could enjoy. I have always been curious about Savage Tide; I love the idea of an AP that runs levels 1 through 20 and I've heard good things about it. But, as I said, I am lucky to have several games that I am playing in now, so certainly don't make a decision with me as a factor! :)
Alice - is it bad I want to take advantage of your mental illness. ;)
I've only played in RotRL, but both of the others sound great (and I actually love gnolls! ha). Not to pressure you, but if you do take it on, would love to join any of them.
I would make a note from the outset that, if I ran any of the above APs, it would probably be somewhat different to Rappan Athuk, which might turn some of you off...
- I tend to prefer long narratives (as you may have noticed by my often-times rambling posts!) and would want strong, well-developed characters
- I tend to look harshly on too much min-maxing and may use either a lower point buy or some kind of extra limit on stats (e.g., only 1 stat below 10 and no stats above 17 before racials - not sure offhand)
- I much prefer *heroic* characters in story-driven games (or at least good-leaning) because I fundamentally view D&D/Pathfinder (and especially the APs) as a game about being heroes... although that partially depends on the setting (I'm much more lax about alignment in Eberron, for example)
- I'd consider using a modified set of the Kirthfinder houserules, which I'm a super huge fan of, but it might take some getting used to for everyone else :)
Basically: Rappan Athuk is a very, very different game to what I normally run!
I'm actually really interested in a more story-driven game. I come from a long role-playing background, a good deal of which was freeform. I think I feel most comfortable when I'm playing characters that are really fleshed out and detailed. I like to get into it, but sometimes that's a little hard depending on the group/setting/DM/etc. That's probably the reason why I spent so much time on Zahar's backstory, even though it will probably never come up in Rappan Athuk. I just like being creative!
Heroic characters are great because they've all got a tie that binds them: Doing the right thing. When you get a lot of neutral/indifferent people together, you get a lot of inaction, arguments, and lack of true character investment. That's not always the case, but a lot of times it is. Heroes don't really have a problem choosing to act -- they save the f*!#in' day because that's what heroes do!
Sounds good to me. I try to avoid dumping stats too much, unless I can justify it.
While I certainly don't want to play a weak character I don't think I'm a crazy min-maxer (in this and Raseri's game, for example I have no dump stat). One of the characters that I've always wanted to play was either an animal companion-type character (using the rules from the Noble Wild supplement which I think has all been uploaded to pfsrd) or some type of familiar-type character. Both of these characters would likely eventually be underpowered (can't really use many magic items, for example) but I thought would be very fun and put an interesting dynamic/relationship in the game. Random thought...
I just started looking at the Kirthfinder thread. Is there one list/document of the rules/changes?
Also, will there be pretty maps? ;)
Wow.... I have to say that the Kirthfinder houserules seem like someone REALLY put some hard work into them...
Kirthfinder! Although Kirth is soon mailing around a final, single-document copy of them with various changes.
I have my own (as yet unfinished) Google pages version of them with various changes to suit my own preferences... such as a modified Skill list for example.
Not sure if I'd be using the Kirthfinder rules or not though. :) I loveeeee them but it increases rules complexity for everyone by quite a lot! Still - it makes so many disparate character concepts so much more viable, especially Dex-based characters or other "non-standard" builds.
@Olo, there will always be pretty maps. Although if I ran a pre-made campaign I wouldn't have to make my own ones. :P
There is a lot of good stuff in those, but you're right about the complexity. I played in Nightflier's Midnight campaign which used a homebrewed version of the Kirthfinder homebrew. Awesome for concepts. Took me forever to work up my character. I was playing a goblin rogue so definitely handy for exactly what you describe.
I'm game for Kirthfinder. I've seen a little of it, and I like it.
Man, I love kobolds. I think they are my favourite humanoid in the game. :D They are just so pathetic and cool at the same time.
Personally, I have a soft spot for gnomes.
I was never a kobold person until I read Races of the Dragon (3.5) and particularly the stuff about dragonwrought kobolds. Very cool stuff. I am completely dating myself here, but does anyone remember how in 1e kobolds were dog-faced?
Also, I read the background of Legacy of Fire - very cool! I'm impressed with my experience with Adventure Paths. Have other people found that the more recent ones are better than older ones? My experience is somewhat limited...
I think the quality has been pretty even. RotRL and CotCT are really good, as is Jade Regent. Kingmaker is interesting. Second Darkness and LoF are both pretty good. I have bits of a couple other APs, and they are all some where in between the others in how good they are.
I would agree with Raseri. I've really enjoyed what I've read of Reign of Winter so far too. I'd put it up among the best first volumes and the second volume was a solid follow-up.
A lot of people don't seem to like Second Darkness very much. I've never played it, myself, but I see more complaints about it on the boards than praise.
Yeah, I had heard complaints about it as well. But isn't it set in the darklands? (Maybe I just love the underdark too much from previous editions). I think I have heard the most excitement for RotRL (based on how everyone seems to go crazy whenever someone starts a PbP).
I have all of Second Darkness, and it's not exactly Paizo's finest work, but I think most of the complaints come from the experimentation that they did. I don't know because I tend to stay in the PBP section of the forum.
I was never a kobold person until I read Races of the Dragon (3.5) and particularly the stuff about dragonwrought kobolds. Very cool stuff. I am completely dating myself here, but does anyone remember how in 1e kobolds were dog-faced?
Also, I read the background of Legacy of Fire - very cool! I'm impressed with my experience with Adventure Paths. Have other people found that the more recent ones are better than older ones? My experience is somewhat limited...
As far as dating oneself, put me up there cause I remember DMing kobolds "yapping" like dogs ;)
Funny you guys should mention preferred races since I am a sucker for ogres for some reason, I give them classes, make them warlords and kings.. Dunno why, but I just do :D
As far as APs go, being focused in PFS at the moment, I actually avoid reading anything I don't really have to GM - who knows when I will be playing it, but it is not easy, since I positively go nuts by reading adventure backgrounds, plots, and everything that constitutes the foundation for APs and/or scenarios and modules.
I had to force myself to stop reading Rise of the Runelords about the end of the second book ;)
Take a look at the CotCT game I'm running. I have a habit of coming up with backgrounds and characters. I was planning on giving something brief, wrote something that was worthy of a sidebar, or article.
Just realized we are both fighting the Cult of the Reptile God together Raseri. And taking regular beatings :D
Yep. Always fun to play multiple games with people. At least this time your still in the black. Me, I think Ras is about to be taking a nap.
Second Darkness is problematic for 3 reasons imo:
1. It's a bait-and-switch for thematics. Your characters start off as kinda below-the-law bandit/rogue types who are making a somewhat-legal gambling institution. And then you go off hunting for drow. Characters who care about the situation in Riddleport in chapter 1 are probably not going to care about stopping the drow.
2. The "good guys" are all really arrogant elves that are likely to rub the PCs the wrong way and wonder why the hell they should go after the drow in the first place.
3. Golarion's drow are somewhat different to "traditional" drow, and that rubs people the wrong way.
Apart from that one and maybe the very first one (Shackled City), I've found that all the APs are pretty awesome and would be happy to play/run them. Depends on your personal preferences for adventure though - for example I've got little interest in Skulls & Shackles because I don't care for the pirate angle (also I think the first adventure starts you off on the wrong foot totally).
Yeah, I'm not that keen on being a pirate. Anything that isn't Serpent's Skull would be good for me since I'm already in that AP. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet (9 months in and we're still on the island). I like that my rogue has had a lot to do, but the story is still as much a mystery to me as it was when we first started.
Thanks for the explanation of Second Darkness without ruining it. That does not sound very fun to me at all....
I have only read the background intro info on the PF page about the adventure paths for games I am considering playing in. Reign of Winter and Shattered Star both sound fun so I've generally kept away from them. I think maybe I should just download all the player's guides - just enough info to whet my appetite without ruining anything. I have no interest in playing Kingmaker so I have actually been reading through that path. Skull & Shackles also doesn't interest me (I am totally on the Ninja side of the aisle!) to the point I haven't even read the general background.
Like Zeltor, I try to not read ahead of anything I might want to play which has thankfully paid off. I have a copy of Rappan and keep saying I should just read it because I'll never have a chance to play. And then there was Alice.... ;)
Reign of Winter sounds SO AWESOME. That and Jade Regent (which I am lucky enough to be in an incredibly fabulous PbP of) are my favourites theme-wise I think. Like JR, I'm avoiding reading much of anything about it just yet on the off chance I can sneak into a game of it. Although I might give up and run it for my IRL friends because hoooly crap dat chapter 5.
I'm playing in a weekly Shattered Star game over Roll20. We're just about finished the first module. It's been really fun so far. Lots of dungeon crawlin' and treasure huntin' and ancient empires and so forth. :) I'd totally run it here, but I don't want to spoil myself! Maybe in a year or so when we finish playing through it.
I was going to run S&S for a group (they voted on it) but it fell apart very quickly because of how incredibly disillusioned I became about the first chapter. Pirates just aren't my thing in the end. Nor are explicitly non-heroic adventures.
I really love Kingmaker, though I can see why it might turn people off--the Sandbox style is very different to normal! I'm playing in a great Kingmaker PbP and I'm really hamming up the fey angle with my character, which has been fun.
I really really REALLY like the sound of the upcoming AP, Wrath of the Righteous. Super heroism! Super demon killing! Mythic rules! Yeahh! Sounds awesome!
I've been in a couple of Second Darkness pbps that fell about in the first book. The idea always intrigued me though.
Shattered Star sounds like fun; a throwback to the old style gaming.
I'm in a Serpents Skull game now with a 4th level wizard and it is going well; I think we're about to wrap up the first module. The only thing that sucked was having a wizard with a 12 constitution on a disease filled island.
I am enjoying Kingmaker. It is a little tougher to do over pbp though. I love the mechanics of building a kingdom from scratch, which is something I've felt has been missing from strong role playing games.
I am in an amazing Age or Worms game here as well. Way of the Wicked, Runelords, Fellnight Queen and now Iron Medusa. Yeah, I have a problem. :p