Ruins of Pathfinder: The Mysterium Compact (Mythic) (Inactive)

Game Master Robert Brookes

Welcome to The Mysterium Compact! Please take some time to go over your character sheets and double-check that you are satisfied with the mechanical choices you have made. You will have up until your first in-game post to alter any decisions you made in character creation.

While it is not yet applicable, please review the unique summoner archetypes available to players in the Mysterium Compact. If you are interested in taking one of these unique archetypes and wish to adjust your character to better suit it, please do so now and let me know what adjustments you are making.

Furthermore, head over to the Ruins of Pathfinder wiki to see the Campaign page, which will be updated with pertinent information and rules documentation as the story progresses.

Also until I have the introduction post up please refrain from posting in the gameplay thread (obviously~). I'll have the full introduction to the campaign either later tonight or sometime tomorrow.

I'd just like to say that I'm quite happy that you chose Alanar as one of your picks - I hope that I'll do him justice for you.

I'll look over his sheet, see if I want to tweak any of the mechanics or not, but I think I'll be ready to go fairly quickly.

Looked over your different summoner templates - I find them both to be fairly balanced and intriguing, but not right for Alanar.

Firstly, I think you for picking me, Robert, particularly considering the number of high quality submissions there were. I'm sure I can make that choice worthwhile.

I'm fairly sure my mechanics are about where I want them, with no real tweaking to be done. The summoner archetypes are interesting. I might look more deeply into THM a bit later, but for now I see Anlessa sticking to vanilla summoner.

Considering how tired I am, if anything goes up tonight I probably won't be inserting myself into things until sometime when I'm not dead tired tomorrow. But I look forward to when that moment comes, because I am beyond excited.

Hello everyone, thanks for the pick Rob :)

Just checking in for now, I've got two games that really need updating, then I'll come back and take a look at this in detail.

Malefactor is definitely appealing given Alyona's background.

Will we be able to retrain things later? You mentioned in recruitment that our commoner class level would get replaced. What about feats? There are feats I would much rather have at 1st level, but I can't take them because I don't meet the prerequisites as a commoner. Especially if I'm going to be getting hexes I would want to change my feats.

What types of enemies will we typically be facing? Or rather, will most of the enemies we face be immune to mind affecting effects?

Thank you for picking me. I knew that I wanted to play one of your games the first time I heard of Ruins of Pathfinder. I'm very excited.

I had one question with Shenhua. I took Heirloom Weapon to get a bow but we are not supposed to start with equipment. What would you like me to do in this instance?

I read your archtypes and I really could have made a bang up concept around the Axiom archtype. Shenhua is already set in my mind however, and I've got very definite plans for her eidolon as the expression of her ancestors.

I will be ready to go tomorrow having given Shenhua the once over before. I found some more pictures for her today online, so I will try to expand her art as we go.

Excellent! Very happy to be here, considering the extremely strong nature of all the submissions. I'm glad that Aldon stood up to such scrutiny. I'm looking forward to this hugely, so thank you.

I think Aldon's all set and finished, but I might switch some minor things around. Nothing of note at the moment, though. I was considering trying to make him combat-worthy, but with eight+ eidolons and summons and whatnot, he'd probably just take up space.

The archetypes are very flavorful, but nothing that suits Aldon. He'll probably stay straight Summoner, though I do love archetypes.

Heya all!

I want to say that I'm glad you picked me, Robert; I'm definitely excited for this campaign.

I'll go back over my profile to see if there's anything that that needs tweaking; I'm in the same boat as Alanar as far as the Summoner templates for the moment, though.

Looking forward to working with everyone!

I took Heirloom Weapon to get a bow but we are not supposed to start with equipment. What would you like me to do in this instance?

You can keep the feat, and at a point later in the story when the group is given equipment the heirloom weapon that rightly belongs to Shenhua will find its way to her. Safe to say it's in "storage" for the journey; policy not to arm the children on a long voyage, it looks suspicious.

Will we be able to retrain things later? You mentioned in recruitment that our commoner class level would get replaced. What about feats? There are feats I would much rather have at 1st level, but I can't take them because I don't meet the prerequisites as a commoner. Especially if I'm going to be getting hexes I would want to change my feats.

What types of enemies will we typically be facing? Or rather, will most of the enemies we face be immune to mind affecting effects?

The retraining rules from Ultimate Campaign will be in place for anything you would like to retrain. Your initial NPC class level will be gradually "phased out" over the course of the first book and will be done free of charge/time.

Mysterium Compact features a relatively equal split between Undead, Outsiders and Aberrations as primary encounters, though there's a smattering of unrelated creature types at the beginning in the low CR range. Other creature types are present, but those are the most prevalent three. So, about one-third of them are immune to mind affecting effects.

Hey all, really happy to have been picked and to get to play with y'all. I'll be looking things over tonight. Meanwhile -- in the spirit of a school set in a post-apocalyptic world -- I thought I'd share these (chilling, fascinating) photos of the (abandoned) Mark Twain library in my old home town of Detroit.

Most of my family is from Detroit, that place weirds me out. It's like nothing new has been build since the 1960s.

Only in Detroit have I been offered drugs for sale, WHILE DRIVING, through my open window from the car next to me.

My cousin also told me about this stipper there with several bullet scars whose thing was smoking ciggs with her hoo-ha.

Yeah...Detroit...

Cool pics though.

Robert, when Alanar does become a summoner, I'm curious if you'd allow him to pick any spells from the ifrit specific spells available to his race, found at the bottom of the page HERE.

Edit: Never been to Detroit, lived in New England all my life, but that library? That's a crying shame all those books are just neglected like that.

Are we to post now in gameplay, or are you going to post more stuff first Rob?

If we are to post now, where are our characters?

That last prologue, with the death of Aroden, was awesome man. Very intense.

@Alyona: He hasn't actually posted the introduction, just the prologue. Said to wait until the present day intro was posted up before we should start in the gameplay thread.

And yes, the whole of the prologue was quite awesome and detailed. I approve.

Read up on the archetypes. Very cool. Alyona, Malefactor seems perfect for you!

Taeo will take either the First Worlder or Wild Caller archetype. I'm leaning toward First Worlder right now based on flavor--the ability to summon fey seems too perfect for Taeo--but I'm still toying with Wild Caller too.

Also, are any of you planning a skills/stealth/noncombatant focused eidolon? I could see Taeo's going either way, but a First Worlder eidolon (since it's relatively weak HP/BAB-wise) seems a natural for a skill-focused role.

Robert, you said in the recruitment thread that you've let First Worlders keep their eidolon around when they were summoning before but weren't sure if you'd do it this time. Let me know your call on it when you decide; it might sway which way I go. Alternately, would you allow a First Worlder to also take Master Summoner? There's some overlap between what they modify so I think RAW the answer would be no...but it seems like the actual ways the two archetypes modify the eidolon and summon monster abilities don't contradict each other so applying 100% of both archetypes seems straightforward. (I threw this out in the Recruitment thread, but I don't think you answered it yet.)

Robert, when Alanar does become a summoner, I'm curious if you'd allow him to pick any spells from the ifrit specific spells available to his race, found at the bottom of the page HERE.

Edit: Never been to Detroit, lived in New England all my life, but that library? That's a crying shame all those books are just neglected like that.

Nope, none of those are on the summoner class list, so they won't be available. However, if you wanted to add some more fire-based spells to Alanar's spell list the Thaumaturge archetype offers witch patron spells, one of which is "elements" that would net you flaming sphere, fireball, and flame strike.

Robert, you said in the recruitment thread that you've let First Worlders keep their eidolon around when they were summoning before but weren't sure if you'd do it this time. Let me know your call on it when you decide; it might sway which way I go. Alternately, would you allow a First Worlder to also take Master Summoner?

I think I will wait on that and leave their fey eidolon ability functioning as standard. However, Deriku has created an expanded list of fey to add to the Fey Summons class ability (he plays a first world summoner in my home games),so if he has that list available to share I would definitely allow the expanded list for Taeo.

As for Master Summoner, I don't think I'll allow them to be taken together for now.

Also it comes to mind that three of my players here know each other from ages of Internet past but might not be aware of each other. Deriku, Anlessa and Erik (are Jacob, NS, and Dry) if you three hadn't realized that yet!

I used to go to conventions with these guys and game together on the Internet back in the day, so they're used to my GMing styles. Deriku still games with me in my home Pathfinder games.

Man, there was something else I was going to say but now I forget...

Mondayyyyyyy.

I'm going to be working on the introduction while I'm in the office today. I don't know if I'll have time to get it up before I get home, but we'll see. Inthemesntimethat gives you all a little more time to get acquainted and--

Oh I remember now!

Alanar's, you said you're from New England? I live in New Hampshire :D

--aha! I knew about NS, but I did not know that Deriku was Jacob. Been awhile, man!

Also, are any of you planning a skills/stealth/noncombatant focused eidolon? I could see Taeo's going either way, but a First Worlder eidolon (since it's relatively weak HP/BAB-wise) seems a natural for a skill-focused role.

My current line of thought for Erik's eidolon is definitely combat focused, but I'm still hammering out specifics; might go with a minor in stealth, but that's still very much up in the air.

...also, kinda glad I don't live in Detroit. I'll agree that it's a crying shame about all those books. T_T

I also agree that the prologues have been awesome so far, especially the one with the death of Aroden. I giggled maniacally upon reading that; nicely done!

One of these days I may run a campaign set during 4606 with events set both before and after his death. So much stuff happened in 4606, it's crazy.

Aw man, you didn't tell me THEY would be playing, I quit. Just funnin'. Long time no see, fellow nerds.

I appreciate being selected for this campaign, especially since I am one of the two non-good people and get to be a creepy weirdo, which is kind of my thing.

I don't think there's anything I need to buff, mechanically speaking, as I gave him a good polish late last week in anticipation of selection.

Did you check out the archetypes I put up on the ruins wiki? I wasn't sure if either of them interested you. The links are in the first post in this thread.

So since I know for some of you it's your first PbP and for others it's your first PbP with me as a GM I thought I'd take the time now to outline some of my expectations and formatting preferences!

POSTING

So that all players are on the same page, I have included a guide as to what is expected to appear in the discussion thread, and what is expected to appear in the gameplay thread. These expectations include the content of the posts, frequency of posting, and what will occur in the event of player abandonment or absences.

DISCUSSION THREAD

The discussion thread should include any and all OOC chat and conversations between players and GM that does not involve a present situation in the gameplay thread. Plans for future character builds, feat suggestions, announcement of absences, plot speculation and the like all belong here.

GAMEPLAY THREAD

The gameplay thread should include all in-character interactions, gameplay actions and questions regarding immediate situations. For example: if the party was in a desert ruin, all new ooc discussion in the gameplay thread should be pertinent to the exploration of the ruin or what has been happening in it, not previous locations/events. This is largely to keep the gameplay thread from being cluttered and making it easy for people to miss content or posts.

FORMATTING

Posts in the gameplay thread should be formatted as follows when possible:

In Character Content, descriptions of actions, dialogue, etc. Dialogue should be "formatted to be bold" because -- while it might seem weird at first, it's really easier to not miss dialogue that way.
_____________
ooc commentary
Move Action: Move to E23
Swift Action: Smite evil @ zombie kitten in square C23
Standard Action: Attack zombie kitten in square C23
Attack Roll @ C23 Zombie Kitten: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
>> Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
End Location: E23

Note that in the above, the dice rolls are clearly detailed with what you're rolling for. You can do this by typing [ dice=Description ] instead of just [ dice ]. Outlining your actions line by line makes it easy for me to see who is doing what, that way nothing gets missed or overlooked. In combat you should always be sure to include what square you are ending your turn in at the bottom of your post.

GMING STYLE
You'll be able to see from my posts that I do a lot of heavy description. Posts will err on the long-ish side and may require more than one read-through just to be sure you got all the pertinent details. This is one of the reasons why I have a 48-hour posting window, to accommodate people who may need to take time to read what's been written and consider their actions.

I will also be making some autonomous rolls for you as well. If presented with a creature/situation/etc that you could make a knowledge check for, I will make the roll automatically for you and supply you wish a spoiler-tagged block of text showing your roll and what your character would know after the check. If you have an exhaustible ability to improve rolls or otherwise modify these results, you may opt to use them even after I have automatically made the check for you. Doing these automatic rolls is designed to expedite play.

If I forget to make a knowledge check for you automatically, or if you feel you would like to make one for any reason, please feel free to make the check yourself and I will provide the result.

INITIATIVE/COMBAT
I will automatically roll initiative for the entire party at the start of combat. The same rule applies that if you have something that allows you to re-roll or otherwise modify your initiative (that isn't always active) you can use it after I make the roll for you, regardless of whether or not you'd normally be allowed to use it after a roll is made.

There is a level of GM/Player transparency that I uphold as well. Any check an NPC or creature takes in secret will be contained behind a spoiler tag marked as "private rolls." I do this in the event that something outrageous happens, like a hidden sniper gets a critical hit that kills a player. I want there to be transparency to ensure everyone that those sorts of things aren't done arbitrarily and rolls aren't fudged.

Don't worry about needing to "wait" for your turn in combat (unless there's enemies that go before you or I say only a specific block of characters may act) to make a post. At the end of every round, I write a "summary' post that describes all actions in the round in the order they happen in.

Now, that may mean you might step in to attack something that's already dead. If that's the case I'll just adjust your post/actions to target the next nearest enemy or whatever seems mose sensible. If there's a major issue I'll ask you to re-take your actions. Use common sense when you feel that you can safely take your actions without having them impacted by others too much.

I also use google drive to format combat maps. You can see one such map for another campaign here. These maps are locked and cannot be edited by anyone but me. At the end of every round I update positioning and other map-related details.

MISCELANEOUS

I ask that if you play a prepared spellcaster, you list what spells you are preparing at the start of each day (and any spell slots you are leaving open) in the discussion thread. If we're doing a long stretch of overland travel and you plan on keeping the same spells, feel free to list a range of days you have the available spells for.

Player spell research is allowed and you will have the time/availability to do such things. On the same token, player magic item creation will also be available and there will be sufficient downtime to allow for this.

We can discuss spell research/crafting as it comes up.

We are using the fast experience path, and PCs may level up their characters as soon as they gain enough experience to reach the next level. If you could make a post in the discussion thread with what class you are leveling in, your HP roll, and any elective feats taken, spells learned, etc it would be appreciated. Any other static scores (like BAB or Saves) increasing don't need to be listed.

DEATH AND DISAPPEARANCE

Bad things happen to good students. In the event of character death without feasible possibility of resurrection, you will not be given an opportunity to create a new character. If the party drops below 4 PCs, I will choose a character from the recruitment thread and see if they would like to join the campaign, already in progress.

If you go 72 hours (3 full days) without posting, I will take control of your character to keep the game moving along until you return. If you go 96 hours (4 days) I reserve the right to remove your character due to inactivity, depending. I'm generally lenient about it because, heck, life happens. But if it gets to be ridiculous that'll change. Characters removed for inactivity will be replaced in the same manner as dead characters.

Players who need to have absences (vacations, busy work, lots of life stuff happening) just need to let me know as soon as they can. Give me an estimate of how long you'll be gone for, and we'll work things out! Life happens, and as long as you aren't just bailing without any word, I'll totally do my best to accommodate as long as you need.

QUESTIONS

If at any time you ever have questions for me, don't hesitate to ask (in a thread or in a PM), I'm usually always available!

Did you check out the archetypes I put up on the ruins wiki? I wasn't sure if either of them interested you. The links are in the first post in this thread.

I did, but none of them really mesh with my concept of straight-up memitim psychopomp for an eidolon. Vanilla for me.

I like the witch/summoner for flavor though, that is pretty neat.

Nope, none of those are on the summoner class list, so they won't be available. However, if you wanted to add some more fire-based spells to Alanar's spell list the Thaumaturge archetype offers witch patron spells, one of which is "elements" that would net you flaming sphere, fireball, and flame strike.

Tempting, but I think I'll stick with plain old summoner. Not as if he doesn't have other options for setting things on fire. I'm quite satisfied that I know where I want to go with Alanar at any rate. He should be ready to play as written for now.

Also, it's a small world - I also live in NH!

Robert Brookes wrote:

Nope, none of those are on the summoner class list, so they won't be available. However, if you wanted to add some more fire-based spells to Alanar's spell list the Thaumaturge archetype offers witch patron spells, one of which is "elements" that would net you flaming sphere, fireball, and flame strike.

Tempting, but I think I'll stick with plain old summoner. Not as if he doesn't have other options for setting things on fire. I'm quite satisfied that I know where I want to go with Alanar at any rate. He should be ready to play as written for now.

Also, it's a small world - I also live in NH!

Wow, that is a heck of a coincidence @_@. I'm in southern NH near Dover.

Wow, that is a heck of a coincidence @_@. I'm in southern NH near Dover.

Very small world, then, as I live less than 10 miles south of Dover.

And we're live!

I can now reveal that you all had a hand, in part, in determining the shape of the narrative. A Harrowing is a story told by means of alignments of cards compared to their placement. I created a Harrow reading based on the alignments of the PCs (and the one NPC student) compared to the alignment of their cards. Your choices helped shape the destiny of that reading, and in a way the path of the story.

Your choices of aligned and misaligned cards informed their placements (though some of the neutral characters and their chosen cards were moved to non-neutral alignment positions by fiat to accomodate all alignment choices) and ultimately help shape specific encounters later on in the campaign.

Your choices of cards will have further mechanical impact as well, to be revealed later on.

The reading was set up as follows:

Lawful Good (Past): Aldon the Trumpet
Lawful Neutral (Past): Shenhua the Dance
Lawful Evil (Past): Deriku the Owl

Neutral Good (Present): Ilesea (NPC) the Tangled Briar <misaligned>
Neutral (Present): Anlessa the Survivor
Neutral Evil (Present): Alyonna the Betrayal

Chaotic Good (Future): Erik the Big Sky
Chaotic Neutral (Future): Alanar the Empty Throne
Chaotic Evil (Future): Taeo the Joke <misaligned>

Robert Brookes wrote:

Wow, that is a heck of a coincidence @_@. I'm in southern NH near Dover.

Very small world, then, as I live less than 10 miles south of Dover.

Straight up Twilight Zone music here.

I can now reveal that you all had a hand, in part, in determining the shape of the narrative. A Harrowing is a story told by means of alignments of cards compared to their placement. I created a Harrow reading based on the alignments of the PCs (and the one NPC student) compared to the alignment of their cards. Your choices helped shape the destiny of that reading, and in a way the path of the story.

Haha, that's awesome.

That is awesome. Catching up on Crusty's Ruins game then I'll post here.

So, based on Hokuto's path, I've thought up a reasonable order of how she probably picked everybody up. Starting in Tien:

Minkai - Shen Hua

Goka - Ilesia

Thuvia - Alanar

The River Kingdoms - Taeo

Lastwall - Aldon

Irrisen - Alyona

Varisia - Deriku

Korvosa - Anlessa

Cheliax - Erik

And then from Cheliax we've traveled across the Inner Sea into Rahadoum, where everyone is now. I figured that from Thuvia, Hakuto would travel across to Taldor before heading in a northern progression to Irrisen, before traveling back down south.

That is pretty much excellent, right there.

Just read the gameplay thread. Oh my stars and garters I love the writing so far.

Out of curiosity, before I go digging through years of forum posts and internet combing, does anyone know of a good book, thread or place for examples of Varisian and Korvosan slang? I've found a few pieces over the last few games I've been in, but I'm not the most experienced with the setting and never really found a good set of slang to use.

The best source, if I had to guess, might be in the Varisia: Birthplace of Legends book. Beyond that... I'm not sure.

That was what I used for Lyniza, yeah. Hmm. I'll have to do some digging in a bit.

Excited to make my first post...though it may not be until tonight. Taeo's a tricky character for me to embody, and I want to do the intros y'all are writing justice.

Hey Robert, any objection to Taeo having just been picked up in the last day or so? Since the First World and the Material Plane intersect in odd ways, there's no mechanical reason that Grottleburr and the nuglubs would have necessarily dumped him off in/near the River Kingdoms...but part of what I'm struggling with in my first post is that I imagine a *lot* will happen for Taeo in his first few weeks on this plane...and that I don't know exactly how his initial interactions with humans will play out. I think I'd prefer to say that he was dumped in Rahadoum yesterday (or last week) rather than try to collapse his first six+ months on this plane into a single post.

How does that sound to you?

@Taeo: I'm probably making a big assumption here, but the First World is more intrinsically connected to forests I'm guessing. Rahadoum is quite frankly more or less a big desert except for one forest going by the maps, but there's no guarantee that the caravan would pass through. If you still wanted to be the last to be picked up, I think the best bet would have to be in the Anferita Woods, a peninsular forest right at the southwestern part of Cheliax, near the Arch of Aroden. From there it's just a skip and a jump into Rahadoum.

There's actually quite a bit of overlap of ll kinds of terrains in th first world. While Rahdoum I very arid that doesn't mean that it's connection to ley lines (an oft mentioned Golarion/First Wold element) is any less profound. Given the nations magical history it is even more likely too.

So, I'd say it could've possible for Taeo to have ended up in Rahadoum in the path of the caravan, as if Hokuto knew where and when he'd emerge.

I love how Taeo's story is literally being stuffed in a sack by gremlins.

Yeah, I couldn't resist. ;-)

Total aside, but a mutual friend of Deriku and I makes those crocheted ocotopi things. It's pretty crazy to see.

I've been doing Acid/Base Pathophysiology problems for the last four hours and Opioid Pharmacokinetics and Peptic Ulcer Disease for three hours prior to that. I am now officially brain dead.

I will post something intelligent in the morning around 11 following Clinical Medicine - a giant waste of time which is, unfortunately, mandatory.

Wish I could get to it sooner, but you probably want something better than......"Uhhh, is the answer C?"

Hahaha! Take all the time you need Shen. I'm expecting a little delay since we're in college season and a lot if my players have classes to handle.

I figure I should explain my character name for sake of inclusion in other people's posts. As a "Shoanti", Deriku is his birth name, and it is unlikely he has told it to anyone. He introduces and refers to himself by his "adult name" of Stands on the Spiral.

While there could be a case made for the fact that he never properly received his adult name by Shoanti standards, it is unlikely any of you filthy outsiders would know that. And, since he believes he has in fact reached adulthood, he only uses Deriku if he likes somebody enough to trust them, which is unlikely at this point in time.

I probably should have mentioned this earlier but I'm real bad stupid.

EDIT: Also, there are around 10 of those knit squid/octopi on a bookshelf in my dining room right now (The knitter is the brother's girlfriend).