Rise of the Runelords

Game Master Goblins Eighty-Five

Hello all! I noticed that my own homebrew didn't take off, and I'm keen to start DMing my first PbP game. So, I'm trying again, with something tried and true, the Rise of the Runelords. I am going to be adding stuff in between as well, so don't be surprised if the adventure takes little sidetracks if you've played before, but nothing too crazy. Some of the adventures take place in other places in Golarion, but I'm going to move them to Varisia.

My house rules:
»A +1 to one attribute at every even level, no choosing the last one you placed it into (No +1 Dex at 2nd and then 4th. You couldn't do Dex again until 6th level)
»A feat at every level. This doesn't stack with the old feat progression, it replaces it.
»Reputation Score. You don't have to worry about it, heck, I'm only telling you just in case you wanted to take one of the Reputation feats.

As far as posting, I expect you to post at least once a day on weekdays, and at least once on the whole weekend. I know that ya'll have lives, I have one as well, there are holidays, meetings, finals, funerals, etc., so I will be pretty lenient if you tell me about when you will be unavailable, if it isn't very often. Since I'm new to DMing PbP games, I will be looking to you guys to guide me on proper posting etiquette.

I'm also considering placing in three skills I have in all my games, (but if it is too much, I won't), Common Sense, Endurance, and Initiative. I am also considering allowing Contacts but I don't want a game to die once again because I have houseruled too much!
I'm big on players having fun. Make a broken character, make a useless character, I don't care! I will warn you ahead of time, intelligent enemies will be less hostile than normal, so you might be able to talk your way out of/through situations.

Dotted. I've only got a bit of time right now, but I've got a character concept for a transmutation-focused sorcerer. Will be posting more later today.

Hey;

Those creation rules look like some fun. I have played PbP before, though not in a while, and would like to give your game a shot.

I am looking @ Bard as a class, most likely a core race (even more likely Human), but may go for a non-CRB.

Questions:
Are the Domain feats in Complete Champion open?
How about Divine Meta-Magic?

Most likely Stat generation:
17, 14, 14, 12, 10, 10....not placed obviously...

I will mull over some thoughts and post more after work.

(even more likely Human)

Questions:
Are the Domain feats in Complete Champion open?
How about Divine Meta-Magic?

Ain't nothin' wrong with Humans, heck, I married one, and been pretty darn pleased since then.

As far as your questions, I've got to know, why're you asking if you are thinking of playing a bard?

Truth is, I can't seem to get players to even look through that book, so I've never seen them in play, but by looking at them, I'm not sure why I wouldn't allow them.

I will be putting forth a human Oracle of Battle for your consideration. Likely he will sympathize most with Gorum, but I see him as respecting, but disliking the gods in general. (The whole "gods cursed me" complex)

He will have mostly buff and healing spells and will fight with a greatsword and hand axes. He is an Ulfen named Höd, and he is very "viking' in personality.

Höd is heading to Sandpoint to offer himself to the guard as added security for the swallowtail fesitval.

Please let me know what you think of the concept and I'll get a build up soon.

I'd love to get involved with this PbP campaign.

1) Name: Torme the Ulfen
Race: Human (Ulfen ethnicity)
Class: Barbarian
Stats;
Str- 14 (5)
Dex- 16(10)
Con- 18(10)
Int- 10
Wis- 10
Cha- 10
Traits- Noble Savage, Dirty Fighter
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Deity: Erastil

Character Goal: Torme wants to make a name for himself before he ever returns home, and thereby bring honor to his family and clan when he finally does. I as a player want to explore his slow transition from simple 'honor and glory' mentality into a more complex morality
.
Description: Torme is, like most Ulfen, tall and broad shouldered. Standing at 6'5", Torme's ruggedly weathered features and ragged straw-colored beard mark him in a crowd. His eyes are a pale, watery blue and his teeth are crooked. The Ulfen dresses in simple boiled leathers and roughspun wool, with a travel-stained cloak lined in wolf fur. Torme's armament shares in his crude practicality; a long-hafted greataxe of beaten iron, an unadorned chain shirt layered over leather, and a dull-grey half-helm.

Personality: Torme, when he first traveled south to seek his fortune, disliked the stereotype of his people as loudmouthed braggarts and reckless drunks. His demeanor, for many years, was that of the stoic- he did not drink, did not quarrel, and did not boast. The road has softened him in that regard, and Torme is amiable and no longer so tightlipped. The rugged disposition of the lands of the Linnorm Kings, however, has still left its stamp on him. Torme is not particularly talketive, and errs on the side of practicality in most things.

Torme is heading to Sandpoint on his way home- there is no urgency to it, the Ulfen has simply considered it as good a path as any, since the conclusion of his last employment. His current plan is to spend some time in Sandpoint, and continue north only if no further opportunities for coin and notoriety present themself.

Favorite Food and Drink: Well aware of the barbarian's stereotype, Torme tries not to broadcast how much he appreciates a good hunk of mutton and a flagon of honeyed mead.

Torme, if we both get accepted, we should work something out that we know or at least recognize each other. Two Ulfen on a mission!

I'd like to submit my idea for a character. I love Varisians as a race and this seems like a good campaign to play one in. :)

Human (Varisian) Rogue
Female
Alignment CN
Deity: Desna

I'd be taking an exotic weapon feat because I'd like her to have a bladed scarf.

Favorite food and drink: Fresh baked pastries and any fruit based wines.

This does sound like fun, I'll have to think of a character as one of the non-standard races. I'll get back to you with it soon.

Yay Joy! Hello again.

Here is the character I'm submitting. Turned out less-transmutation based, but still going for a combat-heavy sorcerer, and going to to for dragon disciple eventually.

Character Description: Demaiv is 6'1", set with broad shoulders and thick arms. Despite this heavy-set appearance, Demaiv looks more akin to a scholar than a warrior, except maybe for a fierce glint in his eye. He is wearing layered cloth, with a top-layer being bronze-coloured silk patterned with dragons. Overtop of this clothing, Demaiv wears a necklace with a Bronze dragon foot charm on it (a symbol of his worship of Apsu). The ease with which Demaiv has a spear slung across belies his scholarly appearance.

Favourite food: Steak, rare. He cannot stomach blue-rare steak, or he would eat it.
Favourite drink: Ale (he prefers lighter ales)

Heya DSP. Can my little rogue flirt with your Ulfen? :)

Darksmokepuncher, I could care less if you know the whole story, as long as you think you'd have fun.

I'm more interested in character goal, description, personality, reason to go to Sandpoint, and the fun little factoid about food and drink, than character build details, although those are always interesting and welcomed as well!

Edit: I'm going to give up posting as my Alias, it seems to effect my posts.

@ Joy: As long as she like haunted/blind hairy men!

Höd's goal is to proove himself to the gods in hopes that he honors them enough that they will lift his curse. (I'm learning toward haunted or clouded vision) Of course, they won't likely lift the curse which will lead to bitterness, brokenness, and hopefull, acceptance of his state.

Höd stands 6'3" and is therefore on the shorter end of his kin. He has a light brown/dirty blond mess of hair and a matching beard. The thing most people notice about Höd is his 5 and a half foot sword. Unless provoked, Höd is, in fact, a peace-loving pushover who likes to bring happiness and joy to the lives of his friends.

With no ties left in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, Höd wanders Avistan: working where he may. The hope of mercenary work in a thriving town is what brings him to Sandpoint.

Höd loves salted pork and thick, dark beer.

Speaking of Stupid Broken characters, how easily in this setting can Archivists find/buy scrolls of divine spells from:
Non-obscure Domains (ie, of common deities)
Obscure Domains (from uncommon deities)
Of variant Clerics, like Cloistered Clerics
Of Rangers (Including maybe Mystic Rangers?)
Of Divine Bards
Of Druids
Of Paladins
Of Adepts
Of Shugenja
Of Arcane classes (Wizard, etc.) which took one or more of the feats to allow casting of an Arcane spell as a Divine spell?
I think the PF Divine classes don't have access to any spells at any earlier Spell level than the basic variants that they get their list from. If they do, I suppose we could include those too.
Thanks!

@DSP - lol

Does anything on the PFSRD count as "you having them"? I'm interested in a more light-hearted game than the ones I am playing in. (Two murder sprees, saving world from orcs, saving world from evil, saving world from more evil)

And I can vouch for Darksmokepuncher as a great roleplayer.

Hopefully recruitment will run for a few more days. I will probably write up a character tomorrow, but I have lots of stuff due on Thursday (but 4 day weekend starting on Friday), so I might be late on that.

Posting from phone, could be bad.

@FireclawDrake: Check your math again, I believe you are one point over. You could lower your character's Wisdom by one more to make it work .

@gavinfoxx: I need to double check, but if you don't have the spell, the DC to create magic items increases by 5. In some of the examples given, I world greatly increase the DC. As far as being available to purchase those as scrolls, um, we will see. Let's roleplay it. I love the Archivist, glad to see someone might play it.

@jen the GM: I will leave it open till very early Saturday morning.

Hint hint ya'll: If I get enough people to want to join that I have to decide, I will be looking for how well you post your character descriptions, as an indicator for how you will post when we play. Also, I noticed some games have many players; how many is too many? At my own table, 6, maybe 7 is the max. I thought 8-9 would be enough (buffer against people who drop) or is that too much?

I prefer a small number of dedicated posters to a large number with 'room to lose'.

That said, I understand completely wanting to include as many folks as possible. I think 6 is a perfectly reasonable and manageable number.

First of all, thank you for the kind words Jen. I think you are a terrific roleplayer as well.

My rule of thumb is to treat a PbP the same as you would run a live table when it comes to how many people are involved.

Keep in mind also that Paizo adventure paths are designed for a party of 4. That being said, have 6,7,8, or 9 players means that much more work for you, the GM, to make sure the encounters are level and CR appropriate.

That's true. Usually throwing in an extra monster or maaaybe two might do the trick, but it does mean that you'll probably have to eyeball it a bit.

And if you're okay with crazy broken characters, it might need fixing regardless. :P

@gavinfoxx: I need to double check, but if you don't have the spell, the DC to create magic items increases by 5. In some of the examples given, I world greatly increase the DC. As far as being available to purchase those as scrolls, um, we will see. Let's roleplay it. I love the Archivist, glad to see someone might play it.

So I take it finding that Cleric1/Rogue4/Trapsmith3 (From Dungeonscape) with Alternate Source Spell (Dragon Magazine 325) or Southern Magician (Races of Faerun), and convincing him to give me a scroll of a level 1 divine versions of Arcane Sight, Dispel Magic, Haste, etc. is going to be tough? I might have to do some work for him, pay for the casting, AND scribe the scrolls myself (he just casts the spell into the scroll) and THEN I get to scribe them into my prayerbook, let ALONE what I will have to do to find the Barbarian3/Runescarred Berserker1 (Unapproachable East) to get me a version of Cure Moderate Wounds at spell castable level 1, and the crazy things I am going to have to do for his berserker lodge, which will presumably collectively laugh in my face?

OilHorse wrote:

(even more likely Human)

Questions:
Are the Domain feats in Complete Champion open?
How about Divine Meta-Magic?

Ain't nothin' wrong with Humans, heck, I married one, and been pretty darn pleased since then.

As far as your questions, I've got to know, why're you asking if you are thinking of playing a bard?

Truth is, I can't seem to get players to even look through that book, so I've never seen them in play, but by looking at them, I'm not sure why I wouldn't allow them.

Humans are aiight...I am gonna try the Fetchling race...just for something completely different...

Well just curious about DMM....I am thinking of having cleric levels and would consider DMM feats if they are available.

The Domain feats are probably the best part of the Comp Champ book. Specifically Knowledge Domain. It is a fave feat of mine. Anyone can have a domain feat, and two are the max, for non clerics and they need to be connected by a theme and a portfolio of a god.

Pharasma..I choose you. lol. Seems to be a good connection with the race I am choosing.

Be back later with a few more details.

Stuff and things

I...yes? I hope you are not trying to be intentionally difficult, and I only say that because I cannot interpret your tone and demeanor through text alone. I allow multiple option to make the game fun to roleplay. I have a saying:

"Broken rules can be fun to find and exploit one time, but, especially when you are stepping on other player character's toes, it can be game breaking."

I think, in your example listed, if you find a divine spell that is already on your Cleric spell list, but at a lower level, it must be prepared at your cleric spell list level. Same goes for finding it at a higher level, cleric spell level wins out. And for any spell that you find that is not on the cleric spell list, like Arcane Sight, the standard level applies; Arcane Sight is, generally speaking, a 3rd level spell, so you couldn't prepare it any lower.

I'm glad to see you are challenging me to think.

I just wanted to step in to say that your campaign has caught my eye and that I hope to get a character together and submitted before your deadline. I'm a bit new to play by post formatting, but I find it will be an interesting new experience and hopefully give me a bit more roleplaying then my current off-the-boards campaign is giving me. I look forward to seeing what everyone builds as well.

@FireclawDrake: Check your math again, I believe you are one point over. You could lower your character's Wisdom by one more to make it work .

Ack, you're right. I redid the stats so many times (couldn't decide hah). We'll make the Wisdom 8 then. Also, since you haven't said no, I'm assuming my Asterik'd notes are completely fine.

As far as the detail on the backstory goes, I was going for a bit of brevity to allow it to be developed during the game, with lots of wiggle room for the GM to tell the story too (though I was sure to be pretty clear in my character's goal and motivation). If you'd like more detail than what is posted, please let me know and I will elaborate further.

If you'd like more detail than what is posted, please let me know and I will elaborate further.

Nope! A paragraph description, a paragraph personality, a short a sweet goal, a short and sweet reason to be in Sandpoint. And everything else looks like it works out. Thanks for asking about Jolt, btw. I will, of course, do a more close once over of character rule applications once the deadline is closed and I make my selection.

Goblins Eighty-Five -

How do you feel about us using a craft feat to create items?

For example, I'd like Höd to be an armorer. Can he have crafted his armor?

@Darksmokepuncher: Sure! You guys can say you got your starting equipment anyway you like, but he doesn't get a discount if it is the armor he is wearing at character creation, you'll have to pay for that at full price. Afterwards, should you like to make more armor, or better armor, I use streamlined rules introduced in Making craft work which greatly speeds up the crafting time. Think of starting gold as Equipment Points. It isn't actual gold you are spending, it is the value of the equipment you start with. Any leftover equipment points becomes gold at the start of the game. Starting gold is a check and balance. You don't start the game and then spend all that gold on equipment, it is the grand total value of your starting equipment.

Are we using Hero points in this game, or did Action Points replace them? (I figured it was the latter)

Action Points, no hero points.
Edit: Darksmokepuncher, I think I have a few issues with your character mechanics. I will be going over it with a fine toothed comb later on, but this is what I caught right away:

One: What Mystery are you an Oracle of?
Two: How do you know three level one spells at level one?
Three: You spent more than your average gold plus 25. I need to double check my math on this to be sure though.
Four: Saul Vankaskerkin IS hiring people to act as spotters at the golden goblin, but that's in Riddleport, not Magnimar or Sandpoint. Choose another trait.
Five: I'm not using hero points, I like Action Points more. I am assuming that this is recorded here because of Hero Lab.

Do you have draconomimimimiminom? I was thinking about dragonwrought kobold to make a mystic theurge without falling behind in spell levels.

That combined with precocious apprentice means that I can go right into: Oracle 1/Mystic Theurge X

DM Question -

DM Question - ** spoiler omitted **

Sorry, curiosity got the better of me and I read it. Just wanted to point out that, under the DM's house rules, we get 1 feat every level. So you could take exotic at level 2.

D'oh. Totally forgot about the house rule. Thanks Fireclaw. Also, I just use spoilers to save screen space, I don't care who reads mine.

One: What Mystery are you an Oracle of?

Two: How do you know three level one spells at level one?

1. I believe he said he was an Oracle of Battle in one of his earlier posts. (But obs it should be in the stat block as well.)

No problem Joy, happy to help :D

Action Points, no hero points.

Edit: Darksmokepuncher, I think I have a few issues with your character mechanics. I will be going over it with a fine toothed comb later on, but this is what I caught right away:

One: What Mystery are you an Oracle of?
Two: How do you know three level one spells at level one?
Three: You spent more than your average gold plus 25. I need to double check my math on this to be sure though.
Four: Saul Vankaskerkin IS hiring people to act as spotters at the golden goblin, but that's in Riddleport, not Magnimar or Sandpoint. Choose another trait.
Five: I'm not using hero points, I like Action Points more. I am assuming that this is recorded here because of Hero Lab.

1. Mystery of Battle

Do you like the concept OK? Any tips for me there?

Gavinfoxx wrote:

Stuff and things

I...yes? I hope you are not trying to be intentionally difficult, and I only say that because I cannot interpret your tone and demeanor through text alone.

...
I'm glad to see you are challenging me to think.

Ah, sorry. I honestly thought that I might be able to get spells at lower (spell) level if they are on a domain or other obscure list at lower level than normal; provided he goes and seeks them out! To me, 'lost' versions of spell scrolls is an interesting thing for an Archivist to go find or seek out, provided he has to jump through several hoops to do so -- how might someone having a first level cure moderate wounds impact magic-making in a city, for example? Normal clerics making magical items might either get up in arms, or perhaps just congratulate him on his work and spend money buying spellcasting services from him for their scroll/potion/wand/wondrous item-making, etc. etc. To me, going on quests for obscure prayers and obscure variants of prayers is part and parcel of what an Archivist *does*.

Filled out a bit more for my rogue.

Human (Varisian) Rogue
Female
Alignment CN
Deity: Desna

Favorite food and drink: Fresh baked pastries and any fruit
based wines.

Guys, double check what I am allowing for this game before you get your hopes up about a particular build. Also, don't worry too much about rule details yet, like purchasing items. Give me a general build, and the rest we'll worry about later on. That won't, mind you, stop me from noticing anything out of place now. I've been doing this for a long time, and even though I am very easy going, I'm not an idiot. However, I am quite forgiving.

@Jen the GM: Kobold wasn't on my list of allowed races; in my homebrew, Kobolds aren't evil humanoids, and are easily one of my favorite races. In Golarion, they are evil, and while your kobold might be the drizzt do'urden of kobolds, he'll probably still get lynched, and even though I allow evil as a viable alignment, confirming everyone's stereotypes about your race will probably only get you killed faster.

Now, that said: How the heck would you have made that work? Precocious apprentice requires you to be an Arcane Caster level 1st, and spell-like abilities, such as the one granted by Draconic Rite of passage on page 43 of Races of the Dragon, don't give you an Arcane Caster level 1st, they just give you a spell-like ability...yeah, how would you be able to go into Mystic Theurge at 2nd level? Because you need to be able to cast 2nd level Divine spells to take it. If you are looking to cast both divine and arcane right away, The Genius Guide to the Magus, a class that really has more right to be called a Magus than Paizo's Spellblade, gets both arcane and divine at 1st level.

@Joy: *Looks at Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat* *Looks at bladed-scarf* *Rolls eyes at +1 Base Attack bonus prerequisite* Sometimes, things should allowed on a case-by-case. If it is for a bladed-scarf, (and only for that) you may ignore the +1 BA prerequisite.

@Darksmokepuncher: *Reads darksmokepuncher and fireclawdrake's posts* I, uh, I knew that, yeah, and was, uh, testing you. Yeah. Testing you. And *chuckles nervously* you passed! Yippie! (I actually did know that, and now feel quite stupid for forgetting all about it)
Also, I looked pretty extensively at the rules, there isn't anything that rules that merely having ranks in Craft at 1st level gets you an automatic discount on equipment at character creation. Of course, you could not buy the armor, purchase all the equipment you want and save the gold for making the armor once the game has started...assuming you have the money to rent a space to make the armor...and assuming that you don't start the game in a dungeon...*sucks in air* is it, uh...worth the gamble? *Smiles wickedly while rubbing hands and mouthing the words 'do it, do it'* :p

@Gavinfoxx: In fact, you make an interesting point. If you quest for such a scroll, then maybe I will allow you to scribe that scroll's spell at lower levels, but of course, who knows what that spell might be? (It wouldn't suck). I was thinking that you just couldn't exploit Pathfinder's rule about not needing the spell to create the magic item, and writing Cure Moderate as a 1st level because someone else might be able to do so.

@Joy: I will need to double-check this later, I've already spent too much time as it is! Thanks for the details though.

I just read precocious apprentice and DAMN. That feat would be perfect for my character (to get Bull's Strength at level 1), I might swap Combat Casting for that, if that's alright. Quick question though, it says when I'm able to cast 2nd level spells, I can cast that spell normally. Would it then count against my Spells Known or would it be bonus?

Greater Draconic Rite gives you +1 level to sorcerer casting

I remember something else gives another +1

White dragonspawn abomination can give up to +3.

So that would actually make it viable to make a mystic theurge, instead of the current situation where it doesn't work for 7 levels and then it kinda works for ten levels, and then tapers off again.

--

I'll choose something else.

@Gavinfoxx: In fact, you make an interesting point. If you quest for such a scroll, then maybe I will allow you to scribe that scroll's spell at lower levels, but of course, who knows what that spell might be? (It wouldn't suck). I was thinking that you just couldn't exploit Pathfinder's rule about not needing the spell to create the magic item, and writing Cure Moderate as a 1st level because someone else might be able to do so.

Ahhh that. We should totally figure out to what extent an archivist CAN use the 'use Spellcraft to scribe a scroll, and then scribe that there scroll to his spellbook' trick. Perhaps only from base classes? Divine Bard, Cleric, Ranger, Druid, Paladin, Shugenja? No Prestige Classes, no 'not normally divine' classes beyond Divine Bard (ie, people with the feat), no Domain spells? And if it is on a Cleric list at ALL, that is the minimum spell level? What restrictions would you like to place on that particular activity?

To simulate the mood swings of pregnancy, I have taken the Barbarian class. I'll bring up a full character sheet if everything in there seems to be in right shape.

@Jen the GM: I'm so sorry, but no, I'm not allowing templates, I consider those to be the purview of monsters, not...well, I'm not sure what, but no. I'm actually okay with pregnancy, except that I don't like it being a rules thing. Let's roleplay it only. The game does take place over a period of several years, so, Barbarian rage = pregnant mood swings not only won't work after awhile, but also makes me, uh, I don't know, uncomfortable? Your character goal isn't a character goal I find viable either, no offense. Your reason to go to sandpoint however, is pretty fantastic, you could have been offered a job at the Pixie's Kitten. If you would like to focus on your celestial side...um, have this Aasimar Racial Paragon class! Or, a Celestial Bloodline!. And for the holy prostitute, the Qedeshot is fantastic, and if you don't own it, I'm sure we can work something out, but think 'Bard' but with less clothing and 'Perform' with less music and more belly dancing. Could be fun!

For now, can we operate under the assumption that I will deal with items more completely and in accordance with your game rules when and if I am accepted to the game?

In the meantime, The concept, personality, description, and the like remain the same.

If you'd like, I can adjust and re-post mechanics asap.

@Darksmokepuncher:
Nah, lets worry about mechanics less right now.

I might resubmit a new character a bit later if I think of something, but I'm going to withdraw that character. It doesn't really work if large parts of it are changed, so I'll probably save that one.

Sounds perfect.

I'm really excited for this opportunity! I've always wanted to play RotR and the Oracle looks like a fun/versatile class.

Can't wait for the results.