Eager Performer: Hearing that Sandpoint had a theater rivaling those found in large cities like Magnimar and Korvosa, you decided to try your luck getting stage time there. After sending a letter to Cyrdak Drokkus requesting an audition and not hearing back, you’ve taken it upon yourself to travel to Sandpoint and meet him in person, trusting your force of will and charming inf luence will get you what you want. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks for any one Perform skill. Additionally, choose any one spell of the enchantment school; its save DC increases by +1.
Family Ties: While not ethnically a Varisian, you have been raised among Varisians and they consider you one of their own. Furthermore, you managed to get in good with a group of Sczarni and consider them your new family. After being run out of the last place your Sczarni family camped, you tracked down a friend of the family in Sandpoint—a ruthless thug named Jubrayl Vhiski at the Fatman’s Feedbag. During your time with the Sczarni, you learned a few tricks of the trade. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks and Knowledge (local) is always a class skill for you. In addition, you begin play able to speak and read Varisian.
Friends and Enemies: One of your family members, perhaps a parent, cousin, aunt, or uncle, helped Daviren Hosk put down a group of goblins near Sandpoint. Since then, your family member passed away, but not before telling you about that day and the offer Daviren made her should she ever be in need. Once you make it to Sandpoint and meet up with Daviren Hosk at the Goblin Squash Stables, he gives you one of his best steeds and all the necessary accoutrements as gratitude for your family member’s help: a heavy combat trained horse, a military saddle, saddlebags, bit and bridle, a month’s worth of feed, and lifetime stabling at the Goblin Squash Stables.
Giant Slayer: Your family’s village was plundered by giants in the wilds of Varisia, leaving nothing but a smoldering ruin. After the destruction of your village, your family trained for combat against giants to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. Since hearing of giants mobilizing throughout the countryside, you ventured to Sandpoint to help the town prepare for a possible incursion. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Perception, and Sense Motive checks and +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against creatures of the giant subtype.
Goblin Watcher: You grew up in Sandpoint staring off the cliff across the Varisian Gulf. Spending so much time there at Junker’s Edge watching the goblins below as they scrounged through the discarded junk
and seeing what they made out of the garbage, you developed an eye for spotting the most useful and valuable discarded items. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception and Appraise checks, and a +5 trait bonus on
Appraise checks to determine the most valuable item visible in a treasure hoard.
Hagfish Hopeful: Ever since passing through Sandpoint when you were a child and hearing about the contest at the popular tavern known as the Hagfish, you wanted to take that coin purse as your own and carve your name on the ceiling beam above the bar. Training yourself to choke down indigestible food and drink water a pig would refuse, you’ve built up quite a strong resistance to all things putrid and gross. You
gain a +2 trait bonus on Fortitude saves against disease and poison.
Merchant Family: You are related to one of the four noble families from Magnimar who founded the Mercantile League of Sandpoint. You either grew up in Magnimar as a cousin in the Valdemar or Deverin
family or were born and raised in Sandpoint. Education in running a business and years of looking after the family enterprise have given you a knack for trade. You increase the gp limit of any settlement by 20% and can resell items at an additional 10% over the amount of gp you normally would get from selling off treasure.
Monster Hunter: Perhaps you came to the Varisian Gulf in search of the Sandpoint Devil, or maybe you followed fisherman’s tales of Old Murdermaw—regardless, you’ve ventured through Varisia to hunt down famous monsters. While they have all eluded you so far, you made it to Sandpoint to research and restock before heading back out into the wilderness. Because of your training, you gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls against aberrations and magical beasts.
Scholar of the Ancients: Growing up with your nose in books, you’ve had a great interest in past cultures and ancient history. Furthermore, having grown up in Varisia, you know the monuments dotting the landscape belong to an ancient civilization known as Thassilon. From your life of study and dogged research, you’ve pieced together the language and partial history of this once-great empire. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (history) checks, and begin play able to speak and read Thassilonian.
Student of Faith: While you have personally dedicated your life to a single deity, you study all religions and mortal faiths. Upon hearing that the town of Sandpoint recently completed a cathedral dedicated to the six deities most popular in the area, you had to see the place for yourself, and have arrived in time for the consecration of this holy edif ice. Because of your strong faith and broad range of study, you cast all cure spells at +1 caster level, and whenever you channel energy, you gain a +1 trait bonus to the save DC of your channeled energy.
Interested! Thinking something in the way of a bard; will work up something and post soon.
Thanks, that's very helpful - I'll make some tweaks given the traits, augment the backstory etc.
Obviously the characters need strong ties to Sandpoint, that drives the storyline. Is there anything else that you are looking for in particular?
I'm starting to formulate a character for this campaign - a tiefling wizard, most likely. I'll post him within the next 2 days if I don't get into the other AP I'm looking at, but I wanted to check and see if you would allow the Thassilonian Mage from Inner Sea Magic? Not certain on the specialty yet, but the character I have in mind is obsessed with the early days of Thassilon - before it and its magic was corrupted by the runelords.
@Talon - I'm honestly looking for good backgrounds. If you are able to intertwine your character with Sandpoint and to the theme of the AP, you will stand a better chance of getting in
@martinaj - Great concept for a character. please go for it. Make sure the backstory is good and be aware that corrupted magic like that might get you chased by NPC's, but good for storyline
Changed my campaign trait and altered the reason for being in Sandpoint in Zella's backstory.
Here's my background for Garrick Thorne, a Half-orc Oracle of Life. I think I tied him in and the trait will be obvious, but it's the Student of Faith campaign trait. :)
*****
Background:
Raised in the village of Abken, Garrick never truly felt like an outsider (even though, among the town some considered him such). He had arrived near to town as a young boy of 8, face covered in blood and barely alive. As the farmer who found him cleaned him up, he found two astonishing things. First, even though the boy looked human for the most part, there were a couple of indications that he had orcish blood in him. Second, the boy had been injured, not by a fall as the farmer first thought, but by an edged blade which had cut a gash from the middle of his forehead down diagonally to the side of his neck. When the boy recovered days later, he didn't speak of what had happened, but began working about the farm earning his keep. In time, the farmer began to think fondly of the boy, even considering him his own son.
As the boy grew, it became apparent that his injury had dulled his thinking processes, by he showed a well above average amount of awareness about his surroundings, intuition and willpower. He also showed a good deal of physical strength, but his hand-eye coordination seemed to suffer as well. Once in his mid teens however, Garrick's path changed dramatically.
While he and his family were always devout followers of Sarenrae, Garrick himself questioned whether being devout to only one diety was the correct thing. Was there not many different races and philosophies out there in the world? For nearly a year, he pondered this. The thing that turned his path to service instead of growing plants was when, late in the day after getting supplies from town, Garrick watched a young girl wander into the street in the path of a runaway wagon loaded with wood. Without hesitation Garrick grabbed the child and threw her clear, but himself was trampled under the horse and wagon. For the second time in his life he hovered between life and death. It was at this time, according to Garrick when he recovered, that Sarenrae herself appeared to him and told him that his destiny lie not with her, but with all life. She laid her hands on him in his fevered state and he remembered nothing more than a glow that surrounded him.
After he awoke, it became obvious to most that something had changed for the young man. While he walked with a limp that magic could not seem to cure, something about his personality seemed so much stronger than even the priests of the town. When he learned that he had injured the girl while saving her, Garrick visited with her and, somehow knowing what needed done, laid his hands upon her shoulders and spoke a prayer to the god and goddesses to heal her. To everyone's surprise, it worked and the girl and he family thanked him. Knowing that he had to learn more about his gifts, and hearing rumors of a new, grand temple being built in Sandpoint, Garrick journeyed to Windsong Abbey to study for a couple of years. While there, he was a slow study, but he learned much of the divine blessings he'd been gifted with. Once he received word of the dedication of the newly completed temple in Sandpoint, Garrick knew he had to journey there to be part of the celebration surrounding it.
Well... I can't think of a way to get Sandpoint born and bred James any of those traits. None of them really fit him at all. I guess matbe Merchant Family but I envision him a self made man and not born to money.
You can always tweek the idea behind the trait. Its a guideline, not a law
Alrighty, I think Sard is done!
Though rogue made the most sense for her background, she may later take rank in bard to reflect her growing interest in performing.
So tempted for a Trophy Hunter Ranger with the Monster Hunter archetype.
Have the feeling I am going to overload though :P
@Hairy - posts are only 3 per week, so its going to be pretty laid back
I'm in. I can definitely do three posts a week. Now I just need a character.
After giving it some thought, I changed some things around and gave Sard the deep earth bloodline after all. It just suits him better than the earth elemental bloodline.
Made a number of updates, took the Merchant Family trait with a bit of a twist, worked it into the backstory. Also described a few NPC tie-ins to cement his linkage to Sandpoint and its citizens.
For ease of reference:
Aergon always fancied Talon's mother and was 'there' for her during her time of need. Soon she was pregnant and they wed. Ultimately they would have two sons. Over time Aergon cared less and less about hiding his prejudice for elves and half-elves. Eventually tolerance turned to indifference then to abuse. Soon he was being abused routinely anytime his mother was not around. The torture was reinforced by his half brothers once they were old enough to land a punch.
Then, at 18, his mother got sick. Once she had passed there was no place for Talon. He had no share in the company and Aergon threw him out. At first, he did what he could to survive, getting by working the docks, in any way he could. While not entirely slight it is not the work he was made for. He's quicker and more agile than the others and this has saved his hide a couple of times in just the short time he has been on his own. He wants something more, he wants his birthright back, he wants to find out what happened to his father.
Fearing that Aergon was not satisfied with his exile from his family home, worried that he might turn him in to the government as some type of traitor, or worse, Talon boarded a ship as a deck hand out of Magnimar and has ended up in Sandpoint. Originally he was hopeful that his Uncle, Ethram Valdemar would hear his story and take him in, or at least would offer him the chance to prove himself, to work his way up through the family’s shipping business. Sadly, these hopes have proven no chance of being realized. When his mother took and elf as a mate most of the family shunned her, the rest disowned her. It had little chance of success, but it was one of the few opportunities he had left. He had not ever met the man but had heard many stories of that side of the family’s exploits. Mercantalism was in Talon’s blood though. His father built his own shipping business from the ground up despite the odds and the prejudice and Talon had paid keen attention, accompanying his father to negotiations and performing many tasks for him.
- He's angry, understandably so, and frustrated. He's not sure where to place his anger and that might get him into trouble
- He's young, so despite his father's teachings during his early years, he's inclined to be brash and take risks. At this point he feels he has nothing left to lose
- He feels like hes owed something, but not that the world owes him
- Having been a victim, having been bullied, he has a soft spot for others being preyed upon or whos weaknesses or vulnerabilities are being exploited. But he doesn't view himself as a victim he sees himself fully capable of defending himself and securing what is his
- Its going to be a long time before he extends his full trust to anyone
- He's been finding himslef spending more time in taverns as of late and has developed a bit of a weakness for wine, women and song
- A part of him just wants to escape, get far away and never see this place again ... he just might be at the point in his life where he gets himself into something much bigger than he is
I envision playing Talonas the ‘unexpected hero’ … he is thrown into circumstances that are beyond his control. He must summon the ability to survive, find and hone his skills and ultimately thrive.
First of all, Talon is at a crucial point in his life right now. Full of questions, doubt and anger. Ultimately he was brought up well by his father, his compass points in the right direction but it may not be a direct path. His anger may be misplaced and misdirected until he learns to channel it properly … as he moves past the selfish desire for revenge to the selfless pursuit of redemption and restoration. There is a hero and a leader lurking inside of him, one that could do great things. But first he needs to figure out where tomorrow’s work will come from, where he will be sleeping next week.
For the past several weeks Talon has been getting by scrounging up whatever work he can, most often as a dockworker or deck hand. When he’s had the gold, and hasn’t drank it away, he’s been staying at the Rusty Dragon. Its there that he met Ameiko. What for her started as the standard barkeep’s duty to listen to her patron’s sad drunken tales has evolved into genuine interest, even concern. She can’t help noticing the similarities in the circumstances between Talon and her own brother … a questionable birthright and ostracization from his family. Talon, however, seems to have it even worse. Many times, after she has closed down the tavern, they talked into the early hours of the morning. Perhaps she can help Talon where she couldn’t help her brother. Perhaps this is a second chance. His plight tugs at her instincts to protect and she can’t help but be drawn to his story.
Ties to Major NPCs:
Ethram Valdemar: Talon is his nephew, related by blood though his mother was disowned by the family when she married his Elven father in Magnimar. Talon is not viewed as part of the family, but there is a link there. Perhaps once this old, prejudiced patriarch passes, younger generations may be more tolerant.
Ameiko: For the past several months Talon has been getting by scrounging up whatever work he can, most often as a dockworker or deck hand. When he’s had the gold, and hasn’t drank it away, he’s been staying at the Rusty Dragon. Its there that he met Ameiko. What for her started as the standard barkeep’s duty to listen to her patron’s sad drunken tales has evolved into genuine interest, even concern. She can’t help noticing the similarities in the circumstances between Talon and her own brother … a questionable birthright and ostracization from his family. Talon, however, seems to have it even worse. Many times, after she has closed down the tavern, they talked into the early hours of the morning. Perhaps she can help Talon where she couldn’t help her brother. Perhaps this is a second chance. His plight tugs at her instincts to protect and she can’t help but be drawn to his story.
Cydrak Drokkus: Originally hailing from Magnimar, where Talon is also from, he snuck in several times to the theater to see him perform. Originally as a boy Talon’s father introduced him to the arts and he has had a fascination with them for many years. Talon has had a few conversations with him at the Hagfish tavern. Their bond is not great, but they would readily recognize each other. Curiously, Cydrak did not respond at all the way Talon expected when he talked of them both coming from Magnimar, and Cydrak quickly changed the subject. Talon is fascinated by him and finds him very amusing – where he finds his comfort often in the shadows, Cydrak love being out in the open, in the limelight.
Contributions to the party:
Its been a long while since Talon has felt a sense of family, of truly belonging, of the bonds where you look out for each other. He would do anything to get genuinely those feelings back again. There have been a few that have tried to tempt him with allegiances - these have been false or with ill motives, and he was quickly able to see through their webs of lies. But he is not deterred. His guard is up, but stronger is his remembrance of the family he once knew. He is looking for the right time and place and circumstance to happen upon a group that shares his sense of adventure but also his values.
But what could he offer?
Years of untying knots and working with the intricacies of rigging and sails have made his hands and senses especially capable. While shut out of the finer rooms of the home once his father passed he quickly took up and excelled at the art of picking the locks and sneaking through the house at night to explore and get at the fresh fruit and books that were off limits to him, or to be able to listen in to what his half brothers or step father had in store for him. It was these stealthy activities that became his play.
His keen reflexes and his ability to observe, to see what others failed to or were unable to notice have kept him out of trouble for some time now. And while not the mainstay of his sustenance, he has increasingly been called upon to run special errands for folks about town. A lock with a lost key, a misplaced item left at someone’s house that happened to be on a voyage …
Talon’s contributions to the party are that he can see hear and act, often before others. His reflexes and quickness can mean the difference between life and death for him and those he travels with. His knack for getting into and out of places or compartments means that there is nowhere that his party can’t go, no secret they can’t uncover, no trap that they can’t avoid.
Specifically – danger avoidance and resolution - he will be their eyes and ears, detecting and disarming traps, unlocking doors and chests, sneaking into or out of all manners of situations, acting first, being able to set the other members of the party to leverage their talents
For something different and a bit fun, if you have a completed alias with a back story, then feel free to start roleplaying. Head on over to the discussion forum and RP as much as you like. Its to give me an idea of your style. SO have some fun, go crazy (not too crazy), and enjoy!
I'm actually playing a Dwarf in a Runelords PBEM here, but I love my grubby, greedy, narrowminded Dwarves. I probably shouldn't be playing the same thing twice, though, so I've come up with a few better ideas.
There've been a lot of submissions so far. As a late entry, is there anything we're missing? I'm toying with a few ideas.
A grim-faced Shoanti or elf PC that thinks that the past should STAY buried would probably be a really interesting contrast with any "Scholar of the Ancients" flavoured PCs, but doesn't necessarily fit a cleric of Desna all-that-well. If we've a lack of serious PC's I'd likely go down this route.
An Elf or Varisian seems the best pick for a Desna-worshipper. Probably a quiet, softspoken, pious type that takes long evening walks, watches the stars and behind his carefree facade is a stalwart opponent of evil, who can put on a grim face when necessary. In a lot of her writeups, Desna is the only thing holding back forgotten horrors beyond the stars. She knows what lies between the cracks of the multiverse and struggles to hold them back. I don't know how big a role Leng plays in this path (at least the early stages, which is all I'm familiar with, but that seems the most likely canditate for "sleeping horrors", unless by chance they added the Oliphaunt of Jandelay to the Anniversary Edition... )
I also think that, especially with it being a "central theme" of this AP, greed is one of my favourite PC motivators. A golden-toothed craven of a rogue could be fun in a party of goody-two shoes, and I'd be excited to play up his wide-eyed-wonder at an entire city made of gold.
As it stands, I'll stat up a Varisian Cleric and a Shoanti ranger (of course if Noro is Shoanti I'm happy to change.
GM Tierce, may I ask how useful you'd think a straight Cavalier, Order of the Sword would be in the campaign? I've got a cool character concept lines up, but I've heard bad things about the needs of a mount in the published adventures.
@Rasputin17 - Most AP's have a lot of outdoor areas where you and your mount are able to excel. Some however have a lot more indoor type areas. This AP however has more outdoor areas then the norm, so a cavalier will work fine. But note that indoor areas still exists and your mount will not be able to follow you there.
No worries! I can write things up in no time. I can finalize them. I just can't make the bloody decision. Bah, I just made three aliases. Someone needs to teach me the meaning of the word "restraint".
As for Calaviers, no, you probably won't get to be mounted for a good 50% of the adventure, this one has quite a few dungeons from my experience, and a lot of indoor encounters. HOWEVER, Calaviers are still AWESOME without their mounts. When I build them I tend to forgo the mounted combat line entirely, opting for Power Attack, Combat Reflexes and other such feats that let me dole out the hurt and protect the squishies. The lance makes you scary enough on a mount, and doubles as a reach weapon in a pinch. Just my two cents.
D'oh. Ninja'd. Hopefully my advice is of some help though. Calaviers are ALWAYS useful, because they're one of the strongest melee classes. Full BAB is a big deal.
Okay, here's Olly, a gnome bard for you to consider. I think I've got everything in there, though obviously I'm open to suggestions!
Character #1
Male LN Fetchling Druid...
Character #2
Female CN Gnome Rogue
Character #3
Female LE Gnome Cavalier
Character #4
Male NE Goblin Fighter
Character #5
Female NG Human Rogue
Character #6
Female N Samsaran Witch
Character #7
Male CE Dwarf Inquisitor
Character #8
Male LG Dhampir Wizard
Character #9
Female N Halfling Paladin
Character #10
Male CE Half-elf Fighter
Character #9 Reroll
( 1 alignment | 2 class)
Female N Halfling Rogue
Female LE Gnome Cavalier
Well, at least I shouldn't be bored. If evil is not allowed, let me know so I can re-roll her alignment.
Anyone who's curious, the chart I made for this is here.
For your consideration - Chaldron Land, a human fighter from the Bloodsworn Vale. He might have become a bully and a thug in the Vale, but his mum raise a good lad, and there's a kernel of nobility in his heart that keeps him eager and earnest.
CHADRON LAND CR 1/2
Male Human (Varisian) Fighter 1
NG Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init +1; Senses Perception +0
AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18. . (+5 armor, +3 shield, +1 Dex)
hp 12 (1d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +0
Spd 20 ft.
Melee Heavy Shield Bash +4 (1d4+3/20/x2) and
. . Gauntlet (from Armor) +4 (1d3+3/20/x2) and
. . Longsword +4 (1d8+3/19-20/x2) and
. . Shortspear +4 (1d6+3/20/x2) and
. . Unarmed Strike +4 (1d3+3/20/x2)
Ranged Shortbow +2 (1d6/20/x3)
Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 13
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 15
Feats Defiant Luck (1/day), Power Attack -1/+2, Shield Focus
Traits Militia Veteran (any town or village): Ride, AP RoR trait - Monster Hunter
Skills Acrobatics -5, Bluff +2, Climb -3, Escape Artist -5, Fly -5, Intimidate +5, Profession (Farmer) +4, Ride +0, Stealth -5, Swim -3
Languages Common, Giant, Varisian
SQ Heart of the Fields +0: Profession (Farmer) (1/day)
Combat Gear Arrows (20), Longsword, Scale Mail, Shield, Heavy Wooden, Shortbow, Shortspear; Other Gear Backpack (empty), Bedroll, Flint and steel, Sack (empty), Torch (3), Traveler's outfit, Waterskin, Wrist sheath (empty)
Defiant Luck (1/day) Reroll a natural 1 on a save, or force a reroll of a critical hit confirmation roll.
Heart of the Fields +0: Profession (Farmer) (1/day) 1/day, ignore an effect that would make you fatigued or exhausted. +1/2 character level to the selected Craft or Profession skill.
Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Shield Focus +1 Shield AC
Chadron was raised as a dirt-scrabble farmer in the Bloodsworn Vale, on the border with Cheliax. Chadron turns out to be quite a good farmer, brawny and hardy. But throughout his life he has yearned for more. He drilled and patrolled with the local militia. He gained an opportunity to learn some real horsemanship, beyond what a down-at-heel farmer normally has opportunity for. He equipped himself. He listened, and he learned.
When he came of age, and his younger sister married another member of the militia (one from a large family), Chadron took an opportunity to cash out of the farm, finish equipping himself, and set out into the world. He has heard rumors of giants stirring in the hills, goblins and strange monsters in Sandpoint. Chadron has made his way to Sandpoint.
But don't misread. Chadron is in it for the after-adventure drinks. Magic is good. Gold is good. Glory is great. But mostly because glory makes the drinks flow, the lads tell tales, and the ladies very friendly.
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Tendal Deverin - Wastrel, fop, half-hearted mage.
As promised I am focusing Tendal on being a buffing mage and took Transmutation as his school focus.
Twigs here, reporting in with not one, but two submissions! I'm keen to play whatever fits the party best, but I shall roleplay my Shoanti barbarian in the discussion thread. If my elf cleric would be a better fit I'm just as keen to play him!
Kojan will be a barbarian adept in multiple fighting styles, wearing his klar into fiercer battles or resorting to his spear and relying on his speed in others. I plan to give him a bow of some description early on as a backup ranged weapon for when my spears run out, and I plan on taking proficiency in my bolas, then Toughness or Combat Reflexes to make a hard-hitting frontliner (though not as "tanky" as my fighters).
Seldon is an elf cleric who'll probably rely predominantly on his spell list, whether that be controller effects, battlefield support or summon spells. I plan on spending his feats on buffing his combat prowess and survivability as a crutch to fall back on, as I think the cleric lists holds up on it's own.
If anyone (particularly Tierce) prefers one over the other, let me know! :)
Edit: Hrm, I felt like I should ask about taking a hawk from the adventurer's armory, and whether I could reflavour the Friends and Enemies feat to have my warhorse be a gift from the Hawk Clan bloodriders. Would that be acceptable?
.
@Twigs - thats fine, have no problem with that
Didn't get into that Jade Reagent, so I'll be drawing up a wizard for this game. Should be up by the end of the night, maybe tomorrow around lunch.
@martinaj - no worries, didn't get into that Jade Regent either
I only ask this because you mention treantmonk, but are you looking for characters that are more or less optimized, or are we going to be safe making a few unusual sacrifices? For example, with this wizard I was thinking of sacrificing some constitution for charisma and giving him some social skills - using a trait to get diplomacy as a class skill, hopefully, and otherwise simply cross-classing it.
I'm a fan of optimization, but it's not a requirement of this campaign. This is mainly meant for story and roleplaying where as the RL game that I am running will be all about optimization
So I'm having more trouble settling on a concept than I thought, and I'm tossing a few ideas around in mah brain. I was thinking of recyclying my barbarian from Twigs's old RotRL game, but none of the traits in the campaign player's guide would really work for him without some major re-writting. Would you allow the "shadows under sandpoint traits" from the APG? I've got my eye on "exiled" in particular for this one.
@martinaj - leave that with me and I will look it up and come back with a decision
Favored Son/Daughter
You were born and raised in the town of Sandpoint or its surrounding farms. You know many of the region’s secrets, and the locals already know who you are. You are well liked in town, and you’ll have lots of friends in the region, but the town’s tougher side sees you as a snitch or a pansy. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks, and Knowledge (local) is always a class skill for you.
In addition, you can choose any one law-abiding citizen of Sandpoint from below as an ally; depending on the person you pick, you’ll get different benefits.
Ameiko Kaijitsu (local noble and owner of the Rusty Dragon Inn): Ameiko is one of Sandpoint’s most inf luential and beloved nobles. Her inn/tavern is the most popular in town, and as one of her friends, you’re guaranteed a place to eat and sleep for free. She’s got lots of great contacts with merchants as well, and she’ll sell any of your loot for you—as a result, you gain an additional 10% over the amount of gp you normally would get from selling off treasure.
Belor Hemlock (town sheriff ): Belor, Sandpoint’s no nonsense arm of the law, is like the uncle you never had. The benefits of being close friends with the town sheriff are extensive, and you can call in favors from him once per game session. A favor can either get you out of a legal jam, hook you up with a town guard for help, or give you a onetime +10 bonus on a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check made against any local person.
Black Sheep
You were born and raised in the town of Sandpoint. You know many of the region’s secrets and the locals already know who you are. You aren’t quite hated in town, but folk seem to think you’re a troublemaker and a bastard and not to be trusted. The town’s tougher folk respect you, but the law-abiding citizens don’t. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks, and Knowledge (local) is a class skill for you. In addition, you can choose any one notorious citizen of Sandpoint from below as an ally; depending on the person you pick, you’ll get different benefits.
Aliver “Pillbug” Podiker (apothecary): Everyone suspects sweaty, shifty-eyed Pillbug sells poisons from his cluttered, acrid smelling wreck of a shop. You’re one of the few in town who know this for a fact. You start the game with 400 gp worth of poison, and Pillbug will continue to sell you poison as long as you don’t spread the word.
Titus Scarnetti (bitter nobleman): Scarnetti Manor was hit hard recently, and the revelation of Scarnetti’s ties to Sczarni criminals damaged his reputation as well. He’s eager to rebuild his presence in town, and you’re one of the ones he’s selected as an agent. Choose one of the following skills: Bluff, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth. Your work for Scarnetti gives you a +1 trait bonus on that skill, and it is always a class skill for you.
Outlander
You are not from Sandpoint; you’ve recently come from somewhere else and are hoping to make your fortune here. Pick one of the following reasons to be a newcomer to Sandpoint.
Lore Seeker: The secrets of the ancient fallen civilization of Thassilon intrigue you, particularly the magical traditions of its highly mystical culture. You’ve studied magic intensely, and hope to increase that knowledge by adding Thassilonian lore. You’ve come to Varisia to pursue that study, and chose Sandpoint as your base because it was out of the way of bigger cities—meaning less competition to study the ancient monuments in the region, you hope! You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks, and Knowledge (arcana) is a class skill for you. If you cast arcane spells, pick three spells on your spell list. You are particularly adept at casting these spells, so they function at +1 caster level when you cast them, and their save DCs (if any) gain a +1 bonus.
Exile: For whatever reason, you were forced to flee your homeland. Chance or fate has brought you to Sandpoint, and it’s here that your money ran out, leaving you stranded in this small town. You are also being pursued by enemies from your homeland, and that has made you paranoid and quick to react to danger. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Missionary: You have come to Sandpoint to see about expanding the presence of your chosen faith after receiving visions that told you your faith is needed in Varisia—what that need is, though, you’re not quite sure. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks, and Knowledge (religion) is a class skill for you. If you cast divine spells, pick three spells on your spell list. You are particularly adept at casting these spells, so they function at +1 caster level when you cast them, and their save DCs (if any) gain a +1 bonus.
Thanks Blixa! And I have no problems with any of those
All right, got James finished up here, any thoughts on him Tierce?
Fallen_Mage here with my submission of Darius Valinargus.
@James - did you make Aroden your patron because of the trait? I would like to see you add the reason for it in the backstory.
I will have more point in the next following week for everyone
It seemed to fit, though I could easily fit in a sentence or two about it in the backstory if you like. It's not something he's too up front about, but he finds far more comfort and solace in the dead god's teachings than any others he's heard and believes there is no reason one should not continue to follow a god's teachings simply because he may be gone.
@Darius - I see you changed the last name as well. Is there any significant changes from the Darius from Epiphany other then different race and trait?
All right, added a little in the backstory. Essentially said he was looked into by the church, but didn't quite gel with any of their religions, instead holding with the one that claimed humanity could stand alone. He's not particularly outspoken with his beliefs, but he holds them nonetheless.
I can change this aspect if you'd like and leave him agnostic and find another trait, I just thought it would be fun to have a character who worshiped the dead god.
As it stands, I'll stat up a Varisian Cleric and a Shoanti ranger (of course if Noro is Shoanti I'm happy to change. Edit: D'oh! Varisian. I guess one shouldn't assume. Zelladania however, is a gypsy rogue so I'll try not to step on her toes! I'll have some submissions up shortly.
I'm running under the assumption that since Sandpoint is in Varisia, that any local is Varisian. The broader-world view of Varisians as gypsy-equivalents seems to be an outside perspective, while we're firmly inside. I think there are going to be a lot of Varisians, though not necessarily all gypsy-themed.
I also get the vibe that the Shoanti are 'local hill people' to Varisians. Varisian/Shoanti sort of Scots/Picts. Again, based on that impression, I'd anticipate a number of Shoanti (particularly in wildnerness-focused professions - barbarian, ranger, witch/shaman, etc.)
It could also make for some interesting character interactions... I believe Chadron may have inadvertantly kicked off some fireworks in that respect.
I think that Chelaxians are also pretty common. A lot of colonists came in from Cheliax back in the day and displaced a lot of the locals - that's where Magnimar, Riddleport, and Korvosa are all from. In fact, I think that Chelaxians are the majority ethnicity in most settled areas.
@GM - Motivations, but that is covered in the backstory. Still has the same weapon fluff, I just love the visual of how he draws his weapon.
Varisian are the descendants of one of the Thessalonian castes.
Shoanti are the descendants of the Thessalonian warrior caste.
Chelaxian are the colonists of certain coastal areas of Varisia, but they themselves are a mixture of Taldan and local (For Cheliax) human bloodlines.
There wouldn't be a whole lot different ethnically between a Varisian and a Chelaxian. Think English and French for a comparison, but the cultures share some commonalities and some differences. The Varisians range far wider and do have a wider ethnic divergence (they often have Romanian, French or Slavic surnames)
Um, GM Tierce, are you allowing evil alignments?