Razor Coast

Game Master martinaj

Well gentlemen, I know that given my poor track record of sustaining campaigns on these forums probably means my name as a GM is worth roughly mud right now, but what the hell. It's that time of year when I have enough free time and enough unsated Pathfinder cravings that I start up a recruitment thread and pray that there are enough players willing to give me a fifth(?) chance, or enough that are just desperate enough to apply.

In all seriousness, though, I'm really hankering for some Razor Coast, and I've been taking my tabletops a bit more seriously lately. I've just started running an RL Razor Coast campaign, but I've got two problems.
1) I'm out of this area in about 6 months, and I'm worried we might not get to finish it. I'm rushing it and would love a chance to see the whole thing played through naturally.
2) I want to see how another group moves through the game. Replay value ftw, right?

Anyways, this here is the recruitment thread for such a game. I'm looking for 5-6 players, and recruitment will be open for 3 days to 1 week, depending on how many applicants we get (I usually see these fill up fast these days) I'll let everyone know 24 hours in advance when recruitment is closing, though.

So, character creation guidelines....

20 point buy with two traits. All classes from the Core Rulebook are allowed, as are all classes from the APG and the Gunslinger. No ninjas or samurai, please. Classes from the Advanced Classes Guide Playtest are fair game, but you . Clerics and Inquisitors MUwill have to update your character when the actual thing comes outST follow a deity.

PCs begin at 5th level and with 10,500gp to spend on gear. No single item can be worth more than 4,000gp

Allowed sourcebooks are the Core Rulebook, the Advanced Player's Guide, Advanced Races Guide (for feats, archtypes, and alternative race traits only), Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, and the Freebooter's Guide (the player companion to Razor Coast)

I have a few house rules, which I am putting up in Campaign Info, along with essential info for the setting (human ethnicities, gods, altered prices on firearms)

I'd like to get players that can commit to one post per day. Combat will NOT use maps, since I'm in china and can't access most of the popular sites and apps for mapping, so be prepared for some visualization. I will roll initiatives for people when combat breaks out, and if your turn is up and you go more than 16 hours without posting, I will probably co-opt your character for that round in what I deem to be the most effective or realistic way I can.

I'd like to see some cool backstories for characters (you should decide whether you are native to razor coast - see campaign info for help on this) or if you're coming in from elsewhere in the world (in which case most of your backstory will stay in the past, but we get to do some pretty fun exposition). If you want to add in a paragraph or two of in-game text to give me an idea of how you act in game, that's awesome, but please DO NOT clutter the thread by roleplaying amongst yourselves. I feel it creates an unnecessarily competitive atmosphere that quickly degenerates into exclusive cliques.

As far as BASIC campaign info goes, this is a swashbuckling campaign of high fantasy set in what's basically Polynesia with colonialist and Carribean flavor. It's also highly sandboxy. There are several plots you may follow, and you definitely won't be able to take advantage of all of them, so react to what interests you, and dismiss what doesn't. Do it early. It gives me an idea of which arcs and NPCs to include later in the game. Because the campaign is highly site-based (you are coming into Port Shaw and spend basically the whole campaign there) pretty much everyone you meet is going to be recurring unless you or someone else kills them, so if you take an interest in the people that populate the Razor Coast, there will be consequences, some good, some bad.

Magus (Bladebound, Kensai Archetype) ok with you?

I quite fancy playing a Tulita Druid. I'll cook one up tomorrow when I get home and can look at my Freebooter's Guide.

Would an aquatic animal companion be okay or should I get one who can adventure on land? Or maybe a bird to cover both?

@Radavel: That should be fine. Be interested to see how you fit it into the setting. Obviously, being 5th level, you would already have your blackblade, though I reserve the right to do twisted things if it's ego take over. >:D

@Geraint: Yeah! I'd love to get at least one Tullita in the party. There will definitely be opportunities to use an aquatic companion - far moresoe than in most other campaigns. That being said, there will be many times where it wouldn't be feasible or even possible to have a purely aquatic creature tag along. I don't have the right sourcebooks in front of me now to see what all the options are, but an amphibious companion might be ideal. The alligator has a special, if dark place in the Tullita's history.

Interested. Thinking Dwarven Ranger with the Freebooter Archetype. Name's Capt. Redbeard.

Very interested. I'll cook up a Gunslinger (pistolero) who is a hard drinking sea captain.

I'll cook up a Tulita Hunter. Just have to figure out what to do for Animal Companion.

Sounds fun!

Was thinking of a Faë touched troublemaker (or trouble solver, if one can stand unorthodox methods and shenanigans). Are you okay with Summoners, more specifically of the First Worlder archetype? (They are in APG, but I thought I'd check since some dislike the class)

Dotting for interest, would like to bring a half-orc barbarian.

What about traits? Two per character, one from the Freebooter's Guide?

I do have one question won't effect my build a whole lot, but can we do half elf Tulita?

After some tinkering around I've come up with a few details, but also some questions.

The basics is a gnome summoner with a "fairy dragon" eidolon. Together they came to Port Shaw a couple of weeks/months/years (as appropriate) ago as stowaways on a merchant vessel. Since then they have made a living solving all sorts of mundane troubles - finding missing stuff, collecting rare herbs etc. Now - they are about to get into more trouble (I assume)!

Both the gnome and the 'dragon' has a carefree curious nature, with the dragon being a bit more careful. Out of combat I envisioned them fulfilling the roles of scouts and skill monkey. In battle the gnome can use her magic to empower allies and SNA to create more of them. The 'dragon' in turn will mostly serve as a mobility tool.

1) Does your weapon finesse house rules include Natural Weaponry? Since I am probably going for the serpentine base form, it would provide much needed improved accuracy (they have bad bab progression instead of full).

2) This is a high magic setting - and as such, would a Medium sized 'dragon' be totally out of place on the streets? I mean, it would probably not blend in - but hopefully it wouldn't be the happening of the century either.

3) I do not own the Freebooter's Guide (hence I thought it would be easier if my character was from out of town, helping to explain the lack of knowledge). Will this be a problem ?

Traits: Two per character. They CAN come from the freebooter's guide, but since it costs, y'know, money, I can't expect everyone to have it, so they don't HAVE to come from it.

@ Lessah: First world summoner should be alright. A medium sized dragon will certainly turn some heads, but this is a city where minotaurs are sought after as laborers and wizards roam the streets at night trying to be batman. You won't get grief for it just on account of it being weird (expect many establishments to make it wait outside, though, and the municipal dragoons might try to shake you down because they're unbelievably corrupt and it's an easy excuse). And yes, the rules for Weapon Finesse do apply to natural weapons. And unarmed strikes. And touch attacks.

And yes, a half-elf half-Tullita is fine. They've got elves in Port Shaw, after all.

If you do not have the Freebooter's guide, then yes, I would suggest coming in from elsewhere. We can have a mix of locals and outsiders, but if you're local, make sure your character has an excuse to go to the docks now and again. That's where the adventure will open, and I want to try to bring the party together ASAP.

Also, on the topic of outsiders, given the vaguely defined nature of the setting, if you want to "import" a god from Golarion or even another setting, it should be okay - just be aware that they won't come up at all in play. I know that the deities of the Razor Coast aren't exactly numerous.

Interested. :) I'm thinking of a Human Investigator, raised on the streets of Port Shaw, and an experienced Sailor as well as privy to many secrets of Alchemy (Skill Focus (Craft (Alchemy)). His upbringing leads him to consider declaring himself Sheriff of Shaw (considering taking the Shaw Sheriff PrC).

Also, what about taking a Drawback from the Ultimate Campaign for an additional trait?

Would that work?

Here is GM Niles' character,

Uriah has been in Port Shaw going on 3 years. He spent time as a freebooter, smuggler, sailor and captain. He last venture was an ill fated affair in which he tangled with a nasty group of pirates while captaining a ship that he only partially owned. His boat and fortunes sank to the bottom of the sea that night and since then he has been a regular on the Port Shaw dockside taverns, drinking his problems away. In this time he has tangled regularly with the corrupt Municipal Dragoons and has even made a few of them....disappear.

Uriah is now down to his last few gold and facing having to sell his most prized possessions, a matched Rapier and Pistol he calls Jess and Andie, after his sisters who he hasn't seen in many years.

Uriah is a sarcastic grim faced optimist. His struggles with alcohol dependency and against the powers that be of Port Shaw will define his character.

For the crunch and party info, Uriah is a dual wielding gunslinger. He uses his Pistol in combat as much as possible but he isn't afraid to mix it up in melee at all. I took the deft shooter deed to be able to reload and fire in melee without provoking so I'll be able to full attack with the pistol when its loaded. Uriah also possesses a nice complement of skills such as bluff, intimidate, Profession Sailor with which to help the party complete social tasks.

Note: Uriah will be heading for the Shaw Sheriff PrC. Currently he is missing only the Alertness feat. Level 6 he will take a level of fighter and gain the Point Blank shot feat, Level 7 another Gunslinger level and the Alertness feat and then Level 8 and on the Shaw Sheriff PrC.

Saltbeard Dwarven Drunken Master Jasper Mac'Olaf came to the Razor Coast to free the slaves and the Tullita. He was sober as a judge and keen on the law. Then he realized the "law" in the Razor Coast didn't amount to much, and the judges were drunker than the bums passed out at the dock. Now he just tries to fight injustice and a more-or-less permanent hangover. By this point he's been in Port Shaw for around a decade (he's lost track), and answers to "hey you" "ya drunk dwarf" and "Mack."

Arknight, taking a Drawback would be fine. In fact any traits from ultimate campaign are fair game, if you have the book.

Also, I forgot to mention in my house rules that I have slightly relaxed alignment restrictions on a few classes and PrCs in the Core Rulebook. Monks can be any lawful or neutral alignment (including chaotic neutral), and those aiming for the assassin PrC just has to be non-good.

I have a Paladin in mind, a tiefling (spitespawn) looking to serve penance for his nature, Charles Krupt.

He washed ashore on the Razor Coast adorned in the battle raiment of Ragathiel, but bears pale markings of waves and horses. Every time there is a death in the Razor Coast Charles finds himself waking half submerged in water (bathtub, ponds, ocean).

is it possible to retrain feats by spending the appropriate amount of starting gold? (ultimate campaign)

This looks really cool and flavorful! I'm going to draw up an elf investigator, I've been dying to try out the class. I'll be back later with the crunch.

I don't know that you will have time to retrain. The campaign unfolds over the course of not more than a couple months. Also, tie flings and aasimars are allowed, but I don't use the heritage variants from their respective books.

I have returned with the crunch done. I have quite an intriguing character concept in mind, but it is very late here and I must retire for the night. Feel free to peruse the crunch and give my any feedback!

Sauriv Halitrad

All right then! I'll see if I can't make a solid character out of this : )

Working on a Cannibal King (barbarian archetype) right now, but I have a two questions:

• Vigor Points: how many do VP we get after the 1st level? 1/2 HD +1? Or do we roll?
  
• Favored Class Bonus: how does this work now, +1 Skill rank or +1 Wound Point? Or Vigor Point?
  

Dotting! I enjoyed our few games together when I was just starting out on the boards, and based on my Runelords game that went belly up I'm in no place to judge if we can't see this through.

Starting out at a higher level will also be pretty great, breaking the monotony of all of these level one pbp games, and the houserules look pretty great. I'll read up on the setting and check back in if I can come up with something.

GM, do the PCs start out with a ship or are they beached?

You do not have access to a ship when the campaign starts, though if you play your cards right you can get access to one fairly early. That access will be unreliable, though, until you actual scrape together enough to own your own ship, which won't be until the second half of the campaign. Basically, the campaign starts out on land and on the shore, and becomes more naval at it progresses.

Ah, good question on VIgor Points. You get max at first level. After that, you get 50% +1. You may choose 1 skill point or 1 VP for you favored class bonus

Illorian Darlock

Half elf Ranger

Ex- Military scout from the mainland.

Illorian spent most his life in the military, always on the move, living in tents and the mud. He had heard stories of The Razor Coast, the sun, the water, the rum, it had always sounded like paradise to the half elf.
So, he did his hitch and left it all behind. Time for drinks with little umbrellas and beutiful scantly clad women!

I bought a little outrigger canoe for Mack. If that's not okay, I can ditch it, but I figured it wouldn't be too much of a big deal since he would never go into deeper waters with it (alone). Having a "home" that can move is useful when your hobby is pissing off slavers.

I would prefer it if no one bought a sea-worthy vessels at the outside. Something you can use to travel along the coast, like a canoe or raft, would be fine, but a big part of the game assumes the characters don't have at-will access to the islands near the coast early one.

DudeMan, can you please put up a character sheet?

Also, a lot of the posted characters seem to have ability scores alternatively a little over or well-beyond what is possible with a 20 point buy. Can you please double-check those if you've posted a character

Hmm - my summoner's dragon can fly (but not that fast, and can probably only carry the summoner herself). Will that be a problem ?

Will try to have her up by tomorrow evening (GMT+1)

My guess for their arrays:

15 (+2 racial, +1 lvl 4) 14 13 10 14 10 (7p 5p 3p 0p 5p 0p)

and

12 15 (+2 racial) 12 (-2 racial) 15 (+2 racial, +1 lvl 4) 12 10 (2p 7p 2p 7p 2p 0p)

I double checked Sauriv's point buy and it's a 20. Still working on the fluff, but do you have any thought on the crunch GM?

Here for DM Audit

10
15 7 +2 human +1 4th level giving him 18 total
13 3 +1 @ level 8 would go here.
14 5
14 5
10

Uriah should be correct with 20 point buy.

Nearly done, got one more question however:

The summoner has Produce Flame as an SLA (from racial trait). Would you be okay with her casting it on the 'dragon' trough share spells? (ie - the dragon can breathe fire :D)

Edit:
The sheet with all the crunch, basically done. Sorry about the horrible formatting - will probably look better in an alias (since I can't nest spoiler).

Interest!

We need a band aid box.

We need a band aid box.

Cleric*

Bucketloads of CLW wands work too (until we get poisoned or something, but hey!)

I'd love to play in this setting. Just saw the recruitment and will read up on the setting.

How well would a waves oracle fit in? I'll level this character and see if you like her.

You don't think a high Charisma paladin can cut it?

Depends - hp is easy to deal with. It is the conditions that Clerics might be helpful with. On the other hand, I've been in several games without 'healer' that has worked just fine.

I usually try to build my character so they can be of some assistance on the health front, a clw wand and some potions is usually sufficient, and if others take similar precautions things tend to work out =)

Nini the Summoner swooping by for review!

Her description is a bit thin, I'll try and flesh it out some more tomorrow : )

Just dotting this one.

@Diana, a wave Oracle would fit in perfectly! Just remember that Razor Coast is NOT in Golarion. Just tweak the backstory a bit to include how and why she's in Port Shaw.

Lessah, I'd have to double check, but I don't think that would work since it's a spell-like-ability and not a spell.

Roger that. Her story will be similar, but I know it must be changed. I did level her up to 5 and purchased her gear, so the crunch is pretty much done. Still need to do some creative writing for her background. Looking forward to that and hope to do it tomorrow.

I love the wave oracle, even though the powers are well below the normal oracle power curve. I suspect the coast setting will help make her unique set of revelations more useful.

Oh, about needing a cleric. Diana can serve as a healer since she can spontaneous cast a healing spell at each level she has access to. While she cannot channel, she could cast 8 cure lights and 5 cure mods a day - not too shabby. I have built her more as a caster that melee fighter and see her role as face, healer, buffer and de-buffer.

I currently have Spell Focus Knowledge Nature, but am thinking about changing it to Skill focus Diplomacy, further cementing that face roll.

Share Spells does not work with Produce Flame, both because it is a SLA and because it doesn't target "you". That is why I asked if you were okay with an exception :)

But I'll manage without too (I'll just have to wait a while for the Breath Weapon evolution instead^^)

Well, it looks like we have several applicants, but some haven't put up characters yet. That being said, I'm pretty eager to get this thang started, so I'll close recruiting in 48 hours and post my decisions within 12 hours after that. Hopefully we can get rolling by friday or saturday.

Looking forward to it Sirrah!

Since I got accepted in two other games and also currently run my own PbP, I'll step down and make room for the others. Maybe another time.
I am looking forward to tales of piracy and rum as a reader, though :)