I would say I am more of a Scout than a Heavy Hitter... at least until next level...
Well, I meant Heavy Hitter as in Full BAB :P
So trained combatants. Got it.
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Hmmm, maybe I'll make an alternate here...but I don't feel the inspiration really flowing for some reason, despite the setting and scenario. Long winter, apocalyptic landscape, evil everywhere...weird. Why am I not getting tons of ideas here? this should be a playground for me...
Hmm, not a lot of arcane on the list, mostly magus, and a couple wizards. Maybe I need to fill in the arcane slot with a concept I have brewing...more of a build, really. no concept attached just yet. 2 days left. Only one way to know for sure how it'll work out.
I know Daynen... I should be having hundreds of Ideas. Especially Clerics, Oracles, Paladins, Rangers, Druids, Wizards, & Sorcerers.
OH! Got an idea for a Shortspear wielding Sorcerer/Wizard! I shall call him Odin! (JK) though a Shortspear Magus would be fun...
Hmmm I don't think a Leeching Kit would survive the cold would it? :( I'm making sure that my cleric has at least a Healer's Kit and Surgeon's Tools, and while I would buy a Leeching Kit.. the little buggers would probably freeze.
Actually if they are certain species of Leeches the could survive. (Sea Leeches in Salt Water.)
I had a few ideas, but the avenue involving Karzoug and Thassilon's rebirth really screamed at me.
Hmmm that might work Aeryn, thanks!
Also Kagehiro, I really like your Necromancer as well.. not only the amazing drawing, but his overall backstory. The Runelords in general are quite interesting.. Karzoug included. Nothing speaks awesome like an empire with a powerful wizard at its head! I love wizards, though not as much as I love Dwarves. Now Dwarven Wizards.. totally different story! I think my first D&D Character was a Dwarf wizard back in 3.5... good times, good times.
I honestly despise the Tolkien Dwarves in Historical Campaigns (like a Homebrewed IRL campaign I am playing in).
Especially one based on Nordic Myths (using 3.5 Deities & Demigods Asgardian Pantheon breakdown).
Dwarves weren't warriors! They were Casters!
My first character was a Fighter named John. I was 9 at the time, though! 'Twas 2nd edition. Honestly, I liked your Cheliax mariner-type guy. Gave me a very 7th Sea vibe when I was reading over it. But... dwarves, man. If there's a race I have a soft spot for, it's the bearded folk. Although I've come to find I'm incapable of playing them without a healthy does of insanity sprinkled in.
My dwarf is a priest, a warrior, a caster, a missionary, and a chef! I like to take Dwarf Fortress as an example of a Dwarf. I honestly don't know much about Tolkien Dwarves except that Gimli was fairly comical.
In Dwarf Fortress, not all Dwarves are warriors - in fact, most are coward s and will run away from anything, be it a bunny or an undead giant badger. Unless there are socks involved. Pig Tail Socks = bravery like you wouldn't believe, with stupidity to match it. They'll brave a siege to get a sock outside. XD
I love Dwarf Fortress..
My first character was a Fighter named John. I was 9 at the time, though! 'Twas 2nd edition. Honestly, I liked your Cheliax mariner-type guy. Gave me a very 7th Sea vibe when I was reading over it. But... dwarves, man. If there's a race I have a soft spot for, it's the bearded folk. Although I've come to find I'm incapable of playing them without a healthy does of insanity sprinkled in.
Insanity is what they do best! Especially if they're from DF :P And I like my Marine as well, but I'm also loving this Dwarf so far. I'm probably going to be 10 pounds under max load by the time I'm done buying gear for him. I mean I have a Waffle Iron that makes waffles in the shape of Torag's Holy Symbol even. Hehehe
My First RPG character that I actually Played was a Pathfinder Ranger.
Then I built a 3.5 Fighter for a Badly ran 3.5 Campaign.
That made me think of gully dwarves from Dragonlance, for some reason.
Well with 5 charisma, he's certainly as well-kept as them, but he has a 12 Intelligence so he's not that bad at least. Also I'm carrying 20 lbs worth of Travel Cake Mix for waffles! Muahahahahaha.
Waffles!
You know Travel Cake Mix never does say how much it can make or feed...
It does say it can make 12 biscuits or one cake. And since you add water, perhaps one pound of Cake Mix can feed two people for a day? Not sure. Trail Rations feed one person at 1 lb, but you don't add water to those.
But how much does 12 Biscuits feed? I am asking in all seriousness.
Honestly I don't know.. but I'm going to stick with my previous guess until Lucent says otherwise. Mainly though, I'm bringing waffles for background and flavor reasons more than actual survival reasons. Ah that reminds me, I need to bring Syrup!
I am just curious. I do know 2 Biscuits (Half-Pound of the Mix they used at this time) was expected to feed one Soldier for a day during the Civil War. But those Biscuits were probably closer to Wandermeal than Travel Mix.
Yeah that sounds like Wandermeal.. as it weighs that much. Perhaps then that one pound of the Cake Mix feeds 4-5 a day? That would be awesome, actually. If not, then at least it would probably suffice as a Wandermeal without the poor nutritional value.. especially when maple syrup is added (and drank with coffee, which I have too!)
Well the Civil War Mix was "Fortified" with crap that made it more nutritious than normal.
Woo finally done with gear! I'm 13.5 pounds from my max load at 246.5 pounds. I'm glad that not only am I a dwarf, but the Max Dex of +1 due to Heavy Load (And Heavy Armor) doesn't bother me as I only have +1 Dex!
Now its time to write up my char on here then work on the description, personality, and background.
Wait you are a Cleric who spent a Feat and Gold on Heavy Armour?
...Yup. :D It fits with my character concept, even if its not the smartest thing I could do. I wear my family's Great Helm with iconography as a Boulder Helmet, and due to that trait (Steel Skin), I feel that having Heavy Armor fits my character. He's a Priest who enjoys combat, and wears the heaviest of armors like his family, many of whom are Fighters.
I plan on eventually getting Full Plate.. he's going to be in melee often. The other feat I was going to choose is Steel Soul, which increases my racial bonus vs Spells and Spell-like abilities to +4 instead of +2. I'll probably get that at level 3.
Going Crusader? To bad we can't use Piecemeal Armour... I have a Suit of Heavy Armour equivalent to Full Plate but is Cheaper in exchange for a Higher ASF.
He's somewhat of a crusader of Torag, aye. He's also a missionary (He has the Conversion Inquisition) of him as well, spreading the faith. He prefers talk over violence, but will not back down from a fight. I'm still working on his personality atm though, so that'll be up soon.
For now, here's what I have so far (His stats are done):
I meant the Crusader Arcchetype...
Oh, no, just a normal cleric in that regard. Its an interesting archetype, but I didn't want to diminish my casting capabilities, and I wanted two domains, even if one is an Inquisition.
Alright, this character is darkwhisper's submission.
Lucent, thanks for responding to my questions. I really appreciate it! In the end I didn't take Rugged Northerner as it's largely superceded by the 4th level ability of Arctic Druids that gives Endure Elements in cold environments.
Posting the background for convenience. I'm still working on little bits of it, including "Secrets", "Enemies", and "Mannerisms".
Important Background Notes
1) Talavuc was the daughter of a Miusunnit hunter, Huikvii. She grew up initially learning the trades often taught to the girls and women of the erutaki, of basket weaving, leatherworking, and homemaking. Her restless nature quickly became evident, as she often skipped her lessons to go and explore the nearby marshes. When times became hard during her early childhood, her mother, Saalit, relented and she joined her father on his hunting expeditions. As she hunted, the urges for freedom took another twist, and she began to enjoy the hunt itself. Tracking, stalking, and killing her prey, the rush of the sudden strike, the smell of blood, she loved it. Huikvii began to suspect something was wrong with his daughter, so he took her to the wise elders of the Miusunnit to hear their wisdom. They spoke of a great and powerful animal spirit that had taken a hold of his daughter. She could become a medium for the erutaki, a spirit-talker, with training. Her father consented.
2) She spent the rest of her adolescent years largely separated from her family. The sporadic visits were not enough to assuage the loneliness that she felt, but she repressed it and delved into her training with a ferocious abandon. Years to learning to hunt and stalk now became lessons on how to commune with nature, to understand the relationship between predator and prey, and sometimes think like the elusive prey animals, who frequently outwitted their would-be killers. Magic became an expression of that, both a tool and a spiritual representation of the hunt. There was a cycle to it, and in the harsh lands of the Crown, those who would live and thrive must understand that. She loved every moment of it, even as the repressed loneliness drew her further away from the people who taught her.
3) Only elders of the clan serve as spirit-talkers, so it is common that the young leave to learn more about the world around them, sometimes following visions in one of the spirit-lodges. Talavuc had never received a vision, something she was deeply disappointed in, but as she came of age, decisions where suddenly thrust upon her. How would she serve her community? Would she leave to gain further understanding and knowledge or stay and commune with the spirits of the land in hopes that they would speak to her. Frustration welling up and the seeming lack of communication from the spirits deepening her feelings of loneliness and inadequacy, she packed up her meager belongings and left Aaminiut with one of the caravans heading south along the Path of Aganhei and into the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.
4) She spent nearly five years in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings and beyond, traveling their length and learning the different ideas of the world that their shamans held. Talavuc had heard of the religions and faiths of the southern lands from the tales told by travelers and those occasional “missionaries” that traveled and preached their strange faiths, but to see them first-hand was a surprise. It was her first real change to her world view.
5) Talavuc fell in with a Pathfinder by the name of Pavius Ravion. Pavius urged her to explore more and more, and the time to return to her home came and went. Her view of the world widened and even as she came to dislike or even hate some parts, such as Pavius’ home country of Cheliax, there was so much more wonder to discover and so much more to love, include Pavius. She found herself halfway across Avistan before the message found her. Her father had perished in a terrible storm on the High Ice. She rushed back across Avistan, braving many dangers, making many foolish decisions, and earning many scars, all with Pavius in tow.
6) She returned home to find her mother still in grieving. She had not gotten the full story until then. Huikvii had been chosen by one of the elders to take part in a great hunt, attempting to slay a white dragon that was menacing merchants along the Path of Aganhei. They had tracked the beast to its temporary lair along the Path, but it quickly retreated after slaying a couple of the younger hunters. They followed the beast over a great distance, past the village of Iqaliat and onto the High Ice. One of their number had been left in Iqaliat due to a malady that had come over him and was treated by their spirit-talker. The hunters never returned, unknown as to whether the ice or the dragon had taken them. Her mother grew increasingly ill as she refused to take care of herself in her grief. Only through Talavuc’s constant care did her health improve.
7) A few months later, she was engaged to be married to Pavius. He received a message of his own. Something had emerged in the south and he was needed. Talavuc and Pavius spent their last night together and the next morning she said her goodbyes. Runelord Karzoug had returned and the Pathfinders were concerned. She worried that Pavius would never return to her.
8) The news of the terrible events befalling the world was slow to reach the isolated communities of the Crown. Each time one of them reached Aaminiut, Talavuc would worry about her beloved to the south. She sought the spirits guidance regularly, but they still did not speak to her. The elders began to doubt their choice and she increasingly indulged her bestial urges, slowly unbinding what she had learned to bind tight during her adolescence. Then, four and a half years ago, Pavius returned, bringing dire news of the state of the world. He had returned for two reasons, to see his beloved and possibly spend what time he could with her and to catalogue more of the erutaki, to keep it safe for future generations should something unspeakable happen. She taught him as much as she could and spent as much time as she could spare with Pavius, finally marrying him in a quiet ceremony. They were oblivious to the worsening conditions in the Crown. The dooms that had visited the southern lands were preparing to visit the Crown.
9) The winter that year was the worst that any could recall, and the elders had encountered dire winters before. Tales of the restless dead spread, as did those of lost villages. Aaminiut was spared a great deal of the worsening weather, due mainly to the hot springs of the marshes. Tragedy came to her family’s door one night that winter. As she lay in bed with Pavius, a knocking was heard at the house’s door. Her mother, staying up late again went to the door. Talavuc remembers hearing her mother’s response, “Oh dear! You’ve finally returned!” She and Pavius crept out of bed, curious as to the meaning of that exclamation. What they found was the frozen corpse of her father, embracing the body of her mother, Huikvii having already torn out Saalit’s throat. The screams of others in Aaminiut could be heard as returned fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters slew their loved ones while dire spirits of frozen death danced in the streets. Talavuc and Pavius fled the home and fought her undead father while the rest of the town rose to the screams of the dying and the laughter of the dead. The roused forces of the clans fought off the dead, bolstered as such by the elders, but in the fighting, Pavius was slain. She cradled her beloved’s body in the walkways of Aaminiut, her wails of sorrow joining the many of those that had lost their loved ones at the cold hands of family.
10) Talavuc fled. She fled from duty. She fled from sanity. She fled from the pain. For the next two years, she lived in the wilds, acting as a beast. Living from moment to moment, focusing on nothing but survival, it kept the pain away. Her spells flowed from her lips as one might release and arrow from a bow or a cat might swipe with its claws. She would still be there if not for the first time that the spirits spoke to her directly, rather than through the magic they granted. The reindeer she was stalking had led her on a great chase, giving her more trouble than it could possibly be worth, but always just tantalizingly within reach. She found herself in the marshes again, but rather than wonder why it would travel in such a place with so many hidden dangers, she kept following. The chase ended in a small grotto, nestled up against a short cliff, with a hot spring that shot water high into the air just as she entered. The rainbow of colors that played across the mist in the sunlight drew her attention and she stood there in rapture. While she stood there senseless, she saw the storms reaching wide, encompassing Golarion. The lands she had traveled were bathed in snow, but rather than the natural dying of winter and the revivification of spring, these endless snows brought nothing but unending death. Trees withered and died, but did not spring to life again, even those that never retreated in the winter months. Animals froze to death, as did people, and in their place rose the death and cavorted dark fairy creatures. She mindlessly touched the tip of her ear at the sight of the wintry fey. Her reverie was broken by the sudden tackle of a baby giant mink, the black ball of fur bowling her over. The two wrestled for a while before she fed it a bit of meat from an earlier kill she had made that week. This giant mink, who she named Naasvit, helped to draw her out of her predatory mindset.
11) After weeks of hunting to feed the Naasvit, she was discovered by a group of hunters from Aaminiut. One in their number recognized her, and after a long conversation, she followed them back to the town she once called home. The mink followed her, much to her surprise, but even more so to that of the hunters. She entered Aaminiut to find it diminished, but still holding against the storms and the walking dead. The place had changed in her time in the wilds and fortifications had been built to protect against the horrors that stalked the Crown. She visited the elders, who greeted her gladly and spoke with them at length.
12) After several months of relearning and remembering how to interact with people, she entered one of the spirit-lodges, much changed by her experiences. She sat and waited, Naasvit waiting curled up nearby. Loss and joy faded away as she concentrated on the experience she had months ago in the grotto, seeing the simple beauty of the mist in the spirit-lodge, the patience she had learned through her ordeals becoming an asset. The spirits spoke to her in time, when she was ready, so she would wait for them. Two days passed in the lodge, Naasvit leaving to hunt and returning to rejoin her reverie. The vision came as her sight focused on a particular curl of smoke, continuing the one she had before. She saw the winter encroaching upon Avistan and her vision passed over the land, still vital to a shining city still standing against the destruction that crept upon it from all sides. The eagle shone brightest of all and the snow began to fall. It would dull, but the vision ended and she awoke, startled by the sudden ending of the vision. She knew what she had to do. She must find that city. When she told them of her vision they gifted her something that she had not even realized she missed, Pavius’ Wayfinder. The elders held onto the item and when no one came for it, they put it away. Seeing the transformation in Talavuc, they gave it back to her, although bereft of Pavius’ ioun stone, not as a reminder of his loss, but rather the joy that she had experienced both as his lover and as his traveling companion.
13) A year and a half ago, Talavuc left behind Aaminiut and traveled again into the world. No longer was she the wide-eyed explorer, now she had a purpose, a goal. Pavius had spoken of preparing for the worst. She would seek to prevent it, or die in the attempt. She traveled down the Path of Aganhei to find the Land of the Linnorm Kings lost in the grip of the eternal winter and entrenched a seemingly ceaseless war with the forces of Runelord Karzoug to the south. Her inquiries about the shining eagle she had seen in her vision were to go unanswered, but for a chance encounter with another Pathfinder, Storjek Cloven-Horn. He recognized the wayfinder and spoke with her at length about their respective stories. As she shared her vision with him, he told her of the Andorans and their summit. Storjek helped her find a ship to take her Almas, the capital of Andoran, where she hoped to find the shining eagle.
Haterivet - Because I missed you! Sorry.
Updated the list again.
===============================================================
Cuàn - Yanta Singh - Half-Elf Alchemist (Bramble Brewer, Oenopian Researcher) 2
Byden - Thorgar the Childeater Human Barbarian (Invulnerale Rager) 2
Jubal Breabottle - Ordrud Half-Orc Fighter 1/Barbarian 1
Mark Thomas 66 - Sigrun Jagrdottir Human Barbarian (Invulnerable Rager) 2
Javell DeLeon - Droguk Many Stars Human Barbarian (Invulnerable Rager 2)
Pezmerga - Alexander Edwin LaCroix Human Bard (Dawnflower Dervish) 2
Patrick McDade - Bjorn Thunderrath Human Druid 2
DancingShadow - Talavuc Human Druid (Arctic) 2
Ashe - Tyrnvald Olafson Human Fighter (Weapon Master) 1/Alchemist (Beastmorph) 1
Crustypeanut - Marcellano Kain Human Fighter (Unbreakable) 2
bi0philia - Styvanus Rozier Human Fighter (Brawler) 2
Lucendar - Selina Aldaeth Half-Elf Inquisitor 2
Khelreddin - Terrill Mayern Human Inquisitor 2
BinkyBo - Rovil Fenning Human Magus (Sirnir) 2
Mihajlo Velicovic - Haterivet Human Monk 2
Celeador - Teladon Azuth Elf Magus 2
Pezmerga - Katerina Anchova Changeling Ninja 2
Doomed Hero - Ragnar Deathspeaker Half Ogre Oracle 2
Daynen - Albrecht Paladin (WotHL) 2
TrueRepentance - Eiron Lothl Aasimar (Angel Blooded) Paladin 2 (Deity?)
Cori Marie - Allayna Reinesherz Human Paladin 2
Chainmail - Gaandi Fatebound Human Paladin (Tactician, WoL?) 2
Pezmerga - Asmar Eriksson Human Ranger (Guide, Trapper) 2
JTM93 - Aerŷn Blȧkkrrǫnd Human Ranger (Guide, Skirmisher) 2
Michael Sumrall - Gundahar Brandt Human Wizard 2
Michael Sumrall - Gundahar Brandt Human Wizard 2
Kagehiro - Fenyx Dagannauth Human Necromancer 2
@Celeador - out of curiosity, I have to ask... is Teladon's name a nod to Forgotten Realms at all? Azuth was one of my favorite deities in that setting (just after Velsharoon and Helm).
So we've got waffles and Yanta actually brings coffee (No other way to survive long nights of lab work, believe me).
In fact the one thing I'm struggling with is carrying capacity as Yanta has so many fun things to carry around. It limits my supply of coffee and blackfire clay (perfect for making coffee in a lab where open fire is an explosion hazard).
As for Dwarves, while I love them I always have problems playing one. The "standard" fantasy dwarves are dour zealots and that just isn't my thing. I tend to prefer the Gnomish brand of crazy.
Sorry for the quiet day everyone, had a long and busy day at work so I pretty much needed to decompress most of last night. I'm still working on the timeline, but there's a lot of information to go in there and I want to make sure it all lines up properly. I'm trying to cover as much ground as possible with that.
Also, as for the regional requests I have:
Five Kings Mountains
Druma
Janderhoff (in Varisia)
I can say a little about Janderhoff based on some expansion of details I'm putting into the timeline:
Varisia is officially divided into the Hegemony of Korvosa which claims all land from the Mindspin mountains in the east to the Fenwall mountains to the west, and as far north as the Storval rise, with the skull river and lake Syrantula serving as its northwestern border. All other land in what was once Varisia becomes the Kingdom of Shalast.
So, by that, Janderhoff was spared the full brunt of Karzoug's forces by merit of Ileosa and Kazavon (which is admittedly trading one crazy evil for another). That's about all I have to say for Janderhoff right now, so if there's anything anyone would want to expand on that there's room.
@crustypeanut: I'm fine with a ring bayonet, just increase the price to 10gp since it's a slightly more advanced mechanism in need of better crafting.
If I missed any questions going through the conversations from last night please ask them again. I'll make sure to get to them today.
@Talavuc: That background <3
I had a question about the highest rank for non commissioned officers in the Andoran navy. I'm working on the second vignette and I'd like Rasso to be a low ranking officer by the end of it.
Faction Guide doesn't go into that much detail, so I think I'd be comfortable with you eyeballing a correct rank by wikipedia trolling for... probably British or American military ranks, given what I've already seen in their unit structure. They just don't go into the granularity about NCOs, so we can make whatever work there.
Lucent - since you asked us to repeat any questions we had, I just wanted to make sure you saw my submission under this alias.
I'd appreciate any feedback.
@Terrill: Two inquisitors of Desna, I never thought I'd see the day!
As for your background, it is really terrific. There's one small bit that has me confused, and I think it's just a name transposition, but I want to check:
Just as Terrill began to think about travelling to see the world beyond Nirmathas, Karzoug the Claimer rose in Varisia, and havoc was unleashed on the world. As much as he dreamed of expanding his pleasant pilgrimage to other lands, Terrill was too timid to visit countries gripped by war. He blithely continued his roaming around Varisia, scarcely affected by the fortunes of the outside world;
Did you mean to say "continued his roaming around Nirmathas"? It seemed to indicate in the beginning of the paragraph that he stayed out of Varisia.
IIRC: Sergeant is the highest NCO in the American Armed forces. Certain Branches might have exceptions but it generally is Sergeant.
British I think it is a low Rank of Lieutenant...
Ok, I think I finally settled on my character :)
Joran is a Half-elf cleric of Sheyln (?) with the Luck and Protection domains from Arkenstar. He uses a Glaive as a primary weapon, and I'm considering having him use a Revolver as his ranged weapon :)
I've got to wait until I get home this evening to post some of the details, but that will give me a chance to get the background and such ready :)
Five Kings section added to campaign tab. Druma in progress. Timeline still a work in progress too.
Druma added to the campaign tab.
Lucent, I'd like to officially add Bærn Steelskull as my primary entry to the campaign. I'll keep Marcellano as my secondary, of course.
I'm still working on his backstory, but anything with Dwarves generally comes easy for me and I'll certainly have it done before tomorrow.
@Terrill: Two inquisitors of Desna, I never thought I'd see the day!
You and me both. One of the least likely gods to have inquisitors, and she sends you two! I guess she really wants to be sure she's represented on this mission.
As for your background, it is really terrific. There's one small bit that has me confused, and I think it's just a name transposition, but I want to check:
Did you mean to say "continued his roaming around Nirmathas"? It seemed to indicate in the beginning of the paragraph that he stayed out of Varisia.
Just as Terrill began to think about travelling to see the world beyond Nirmathas, Karzoug the Claimer rose in Varisia, and havoc was unleashed on the world. As much as he dreamed of expanding his pleasant pilgrimage to other lands, Terrill was too timid to visit countries gripped by war. He blithely continued his roaming around Varisia, scarcely affected by the fortunes of the outside world;
Glad you liked the background, it was fun to write. Yes, I meant Nirmathas, not Varisia, and I've changed it. That was an artifact from an earlier draft.
I have to say, the amount of history you've written for how the apocalypse has affected different parts of the world is really amazing - the detail and interaction among all the parts, especially. It made it fun to see what I could draw on from the nations around Nirmathas and how they'd affect Terrill's story.
Great background, Terrill. Very cool to see how 2 characters found Desna in different ways, mine from a life of abuse and cruelty and your character from a life of privilege. Hope one of us makes the final cut so the Goddess is well represented.
For those interested:
MotG's Rise of the Runelords Recruiting.
I am probably gonna drop out of this...
MotG's Rise of the Runelords Recruiting.
Nice! I'll see if I can get a character made for it in a few days. I need to get Bærn finished for this campaign, and I have a RL group I need to finish my ranger for. At least for that group, the background and lore is n't really that important, so I'm mostly done with that one.
Will probably be making an arcane caster for yours, Aeryn.
Edit: Sad to see you drop out if you do :(
Meh, It means you will see more time dedicated to RotRL, a Vikings & Valkyrie Campaign I wanna build and run, and a Homebrew I am working on.
Sorry to see you go, Aeryn. You might see me pop in to your RotRL recruitment thread, though ;)