The former Chelaxian city-state of Korvosa has always had a cursed rulership. Not a single one of its rulers has survived to a ripe old age - each of them, going back as far as memory goes, has died a horrible or tragic death.
The latest one, Eodred Arabasti II, is no exception. The Stirge King was killed, the town criers announce, by poisoning. In fact, he was killed yesterday. In a matter of hours, the news had escaped the castle and it spread like wildfire through the city. The streets filled with sign-bearing protesters who resented the ascension of Eodred's teenage wife Ileosa, a young and spoiled noble from Cheliax.
The Campaign
Curse of the Crimson Throne is one of my favorite Paizo APs. It is a story of political intrigue, hidden danger, corruption, dedadence, and tension. Over the course of the campaign, the players will face street rioters, vampires, a plague, underground abominations, criminal gangs, racial tensions, undead legions, and a powerful threat from the ancient past.
The PCs of this adventure will begin the game as agents of the Korvosan Guard, the city's militia. Led by an Abadaran paladin named Cressida Kroft, the Korvosan Guard is responsible for peace and safety on the city streets. The day after Korvosa's King dies, riots and protests threaten to tear the city apart, and your group is put together to help quell the riots and solve a variety of problems caused by the chaos. As you delve into what happened to the city, your group will become one of heroes who transcend their job titles.
Player Guidelines; How to get Chosen
The first thing that you should do is to download the Curse of the Crimson Throne players' guide. Please read it!
You will be chosen based off of how well your character fits into the setting. You will be chosen based off of the plot hooks that they drop for me, the GM, to use, and for your fellow players to pick up on. You will be chosen based on the integration between your character's story and their abilities. If you pick the "rich parents" trait, your parents should be rich. If you pick a "rivethun" archetype, you should be a dwarven spiritual animist. If you pick a gunslinger, you should be connected somehow to Alkenstar. Please don't ignore the fluff aspect of choices.
Posting Expectations
Except when the group is involved in some interpersonal RP, I intend to post with the intent of moving the plot forward three times each week. If you want your character's personal arc addressed, you will need to keep up and show me what you're interested in pursuing by being an active participant in the game. I want to see about 30 posts per week from the cumulative group.
Fluff Requirements
Please, your crunch and your fluff should match. I should be able to look at which skills you've chosen, and understand why you've chosen them after I read your character's backstory and personality. Other than than, I would like:
1. A description of what your character looks like. What clothes do they wear? What do they do with their hair? Are they clean or dirty? Do they accessorize?
2. An explanation for why the Korvosan Guard would call on them for help. Are they a local mercenary with a good reputation? Are they a community leader with public goodwill on their side? Are they a guardsman themselves? Are they an informant in the criminal underworld of the city? It's your call!
3. Tell me where your character from. Are they a Korvosan native? Are they from Kaer Maga? Are they a Shoanti, or a Chelaxian?
4. How did your character become whatever character class they are, or learn whatever abilities they have?
5. What does your character do for a living? When and why did they start doing that?
6. Is your character religious? Why? What does faith mean for your character?
7. Your character must in some way care about Korvosa. For some, this is because it's their home and the place where their family is from. For others, it's because it's a place of opportunity where you can make a good buck if you're lucky and ready for it. Why does your character care about being a city hero?
8. What are your character's moral lines? What would they never do? What can they not stand by and watch? What will they always take advantage of?
9. If you have a character who has sworn a code (such as a Paladin or Cavalier, for example) be explicit in what that code entails.
10. What's your characters economic situation, and the economic situation of their family? A desperately poor character with a rich family tells a very different story than a desperately poor character with a poor family.
Mechanics Requirements
- Classes: All Paizo material is allowed, but I reserve the right to nerf or ban specific things if you choose to be unfairly cheesy about them. Any characters whose choices are nerfed will be allowed free re-trains. In addition to Paizo material, you can choose Path of War, Spheres of Power, and Ultimate Psionics material.
The unchained barbarian, summoner, rogue, and monk are required.
- Races: You may choose a Core race. In addition, you may choose changeling, tiefling, orc, ratfolk, and skinwalker. The nearby Storval Rise and city of Kaer Maga disgorge quite a few of monstrous origin.
- Ability Scores: Ability scores are generated with a simple 20-point buy.
- Level: This campaign starts at level 2.
- Wealth: You may start with 500gp worth of equipment. If you have a Craft skill or a magical crafting feat, you can purchase starting equipment for reduced price, as long as you can create the indicated item on a roll of 10.
- Traits: Take two traits. You may take a third trait if you take two drawbacks. You may use the campaign traits, but it is not required. The importance of any future Gaedren encounter depends on how many PCs care about including him.
- Other Rules: We will be using fractional advancement, automatic bonus progression, and background skills. There will be no alignment restriction. Hit points are maximized for every Hit Dice.
Decimus Observet here, with Iocundius Paulum. A guard, a widower, and more recently, signatory of a dark pact in order to get vengeance for his wife's murder.
If you believe the character can work in this campaign, I'll adjust. Otherwise, I'll work on a second character idea.
Ooooooh, I do enjoy this AP... count me interested, I'll have to come up with something good!
I know you don't have aasimars listed as an approved race, but would you consider a player playing one please?
I have this character right here.
I just have to boost to a level 2 and I think she's good to go.
I’m definitely interested. I’ll probably go with either a Ranger who’s a member of the Sable Company, or a Vigilante. Haven’t decided yet. Then again, psionics is an option I don’t get often. Hmmm....
100% interested, and Spheres of Power are in! My dreams come true, will roll up a character ASAP.
Edit: your thoughts on Spheres of Might/Champions of the Spheres?
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I'm not really willing to budge on the character guidelines. Frankly, I don't like aasimars as PCs, and I'm not familiar enough with Spheres of Might to allow it as a GM.
However, perhaps SCKnightHero's character is good fuel for a human chosen one paladin?
@ Iocundius - My main worry with him as-is is that he's not likely to see much use for Smite Good, because most of the AP's villains are predictably Evil-aligned.
What would happen if his vengeance was satisfied? Would he go back to being whatever class he was before?
What entity (if you know or care) did he pledge himself to? What's the entity's motivation?
Fair enough, will play around with some ideas, thanks for getting back so quickly!
I've always wanted to play this adventure path! I've got a character built out, a human sorcerer aimed at Dragon Disciple with an oracle dip. She has noble blood, and is secretly a member of the exiled House Porphyria, come to Korvosa with the crazy idea that she might one day reclaim the throne. Thus, it is her city, and she will fight tooth and nail to protect it. I'll get to work on her profile right away.
Interested and will adjust soon.
Dotting in. I will be utilizing path of war and should have something together either tomorrow or the next day
Can I invest money into an estate at the beginning?
With what goal?
If you want, and you're a Korvosan local, you're assumed to have a home in the city without needing to actually spend char-gen money on it.
I want to have a nice estate and a verdant garden that I can tend to in my free time.
Assuming it makes sense for your character, you can have that without having to draw from the money set aside for your adventuring.
@ Iocundius - My main worry with him as-is is that he's not likely to see much use for Smite Good, because most of the AP's villains are predictably Evil-aligned.
What would happen if his vengeance was satisfied? Would he go back to being whatever class he was before?
What entity (if you know or care) did he pledge himself to? What's the entity's motivation?
I see. Fighter would be the most appropriate PC class for Iocundius as he was, and I'm now tempted to respec him as one, while trying to keep the background. I had a notion that he had aligned himself to a fairly minor devil, one focused on enabling retribution for the simple price of a soul and some deeds, thus shaping Iocundius into a reluctant anti-paladin with damnation feats. But the devil screwed up and left loopholes.
It might actually work better if Iocundius is a fighter with damnation feats, to represent that while he on a dark path, he still has a chance of coming back off it. At least unless he dies with damnation feats still intact.
Because you told me that I don't play in enough games:
Portia Ciliathis/"The Silver Ghost"
Human (Taldan) vigilante 2 (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Intrigue 9)
CN (social)/CG (vigilante) Medium humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +5
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +3 Dex, +1 shield)
hp 25 (2d8+9)
Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +4
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk rapier +4 (1d6+2/18-20) or
. . sap +3 (1d6+2 nonlethal)
Ranged shortbow +4 (1d6/×3)
Special Attacks hidden strike +1d8/+1d4
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Statistics
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Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 14
Base Atk +1.5; CMB +2; CMD 15 (13 vs. dirty trick)
Feats Point-Blank Shot, Toughness, Weapon Finesse
Traits missing son or daughter, possessed, rich parents, naive, sheltered
Skills Acrobatics +7, Bluff +6, Diplomacy +7 (+11 when in your social identity), Disable Device +9, Disguise +7 (+27 to appear as part of polite society while in your social identity), Intimidate +7, Knowledge (local) +5, Knowledge (nobility) +6, Perception +5, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7
Languages Common, Varisian
SQ dual identity, naive, sheltered, social grace, social talent (social grace[UI]), vigilante specialization (stalker[UI]), vigilante talent (lethal grace[UI])
Combat Gear elixir of hiding, silver arrows (5), smokestick (2) silk rope; Other Gear studded leather, buckler, arrows (20), mwk rapier, sap, shortbow, masterwork backpack[APG], masterwork thieves' tools, trail rations (2), waterskin, whetstone, 35 gp, 7 sp, 3 cp
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Special Abilities
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Hidden Strike +1d8/+1d4 Extra damage vs. unaware/startled foes, less vs. flat-footed/flanked foes.
Naive -2 to AC vs. improvised weapons.
Point-Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Sheltered You become shaken when you have less than half your maximum hit points.
Social Grace (Diplomacy) +4 circumstance bonus to selected skill while in your social identity.
Portia Cillathis has always felt a closeness to Korvosa, as if she walks in attunmenet with all of the cultures living there, as well as the spirits of those who have passed on. As a high-born daughter of House Cillathis, she always frequents the grandest social events and interacts with the city's greatest powerbrokers. By tapping into the mystical knowledge of the spirits that guide her, she also dons a variety of disguises to learn about -- and participate in -- the lives of even the lowest born citizens.
Portia's mystical connection to the ghosts of Korvosa's past first manifested as a young girl through a series of horrific nightmares. Her parents were afraid she suffered from a terrible curse, and they hired many clerics from different faiths to try and cure her. While none of them were able to eliminate this otherworldly influence, Portia did learn a trick from a priestess of Pharasma, giving her the ability to commune with one spirit at a time and focus on its memories and any messages it sought to convey from beyond the grave. These experiences gave her greater insight into the city's history and the machinations of the living, serving as the basis for a renewed sense of purpose when she came of age.
Her ability to commune with spirits made Portia far more sensitive to lives of the working class in Korvosa - she's heard many stories, and seen the world through many sets of eyes. This made her anxious to do what she can to help those in need.
Determined to make a difference in the lives of the living while also honoring the dead, she took up the mantle of a vigilante, applying her considerable wealth to invent a new hero of the people - the Silver Ghost. She has gained some fame and notoriety in Korvosa during her nightly excursions, and her alternate identity allows her to shape current events and bring hope to the desperate. And recently, no one has proven more desperate than her own sister, Katherine, who lost her son Markus one day in the marketplace. While the old man has yet to request a ransom, Portia holds out hope that, at the very least, she hasn't heard from the child's spirit, and is working feverishly to reclaim him before he is truly lost.
Portia is a rebel who feels a great responsibility to protect her family and fellow citizens. Defending the innocent in the darkest alleyways, she attuned herself long ago to the city's ebb and flow, tapping into the restless spirits of those seeking vengeance against evil-doers and lawbreakers. A strong believer in vigilante justice, she fights corruption wherever she finds it, setting aside the law and social hierarchy to punish her enemies as she deems fit. Publicly, she feigns a life of ease, spoiling herself with the same decadent luxuries alongside the nobles she sometimes secretly opposes. In private, she supports many charities in the poorest districts, often working through intermediaries to make a positive impact with her accumulated wealth.
1. A description of what your character looks like. What clothes do they wear? What do they do with their hair? Are they clean or dirty? Do they accessorize?
- Portia is a noblewoman born into high society. She has good posture, lean athleticism from a lifetime of classes in fencing, horseback riding, and dancing, and beautiful, well-maintained long platinum-blonde hair. She's rather beautiful, leaving an impression whether dancing around a ballroom or during her nightly forays. Likewise, her expressive blue eyes belie a sharp mind, missing little while socializing among her peers or facing down an enemy. She is 22 years old, and stands 5'10", weighing 165 lbs (all muscle). In her social persona, Portia wears the latest fashions to keep up appearances at court, donning elaborate gowns, though she prefers the colors red or blue. She often wears silver jewelry, and maintains tasteful make-up, wearing her long hair in elaborate up-dos or in long waves or ringlets. In her vigilante persona she takes on a more masculine presence, to further distract others from connecting the dots between her two egos. She pins her long hair up underneath a short blonde wig in a pixie cut, and wears a white tuxedo over a white set of studded leather armor with grey gloves. Over this she wears a hooded grey cloak to help conceal her presence when she is sneaking around in the shadows, and a white mask that goes around her eyes.
2. An explanation for why the Korvosan Guard would call on them for help. Are they a local mercenary with a good reputation? Are they a community leader with public goodwill on their side? Are they a guardsman themselves? Are they an informant in the criminal underworld of the city? It's your call!
- Portia has a good reputation as the "Silver Ghost" - while she is definitely a vigilante, she still avoids killing if she can help it, leaving most criminals she finds tied up at the doorstep of the Korvosan Guard. After a year of building good rapport, this time she has taken the initiative to come to them, for the first time. Spurred by the desire to help find Markus, she is mostly working with them to find a lead to his kidnapper.
3. Tell me where your character from. Are they a Korvosan native? Are they from Kaer Maga? Are they a Shoanti, or a Chelaxian?
- She is a Korvosan native of a Taldan noble house. Her family maintains their wealth mostly through venture capitalism.
4. How did your character become whatever character class they are, or learn whatever abilities they have?
- Portia has always been attuned to the spiritual world, even since she was a young girl. She doesn't know how or why she has this gift, but she has come to accept it. She became a vigilante by leveraging the athletic skills she learned from her noble upbringing and her considerable wealth, out of a desire to do good for the city. In essence, she is Batman, without the tragic past, mashed with the kid from the Sixth Sense.
5. What does your character do for a living? When and why did they start doing that?
- Portia is a trust-fund kid. Her parents are still alive so they handle managing their family's funds. She is expected to either eventually help with her family's investments (she is a clever girl, so she is certainly capable) or marry wealthy.
6. Is your character religious? Why? What does faith mean for your character?
- Portia pays her dues to a variety of gods, particularly Shelyn, Desna, and Abadar, due to her upbringing, but she has a special reverence for Pharasma. A Pharasman was able to help cure her of her nightmares, so she makes sure she attends Pharasman services from time to time, and also makes occasional donations to the local church. However she is not a very spiritual character, preferring to focus on what she can do for others as she is, rather than asking for help from deities.
7. Your character must in some way care about Korvosa. For some, this is because it's their home and the place where their family is from. For others, it's because it's a place of opportunity where you can make a good buck if you're lucky and ready for it. Why does your character care about being a city hero?
- Portia is already a city hero! The ghosts that come to her whisper to her of wrongs that need righted, or, in lieu of that, she goes around town helping the underprivileged. She grew up in Korvosa, she loves this city, and she wants the best for it.
- It is meant to be ironic that Portia could technically do more good for the poor and for the city, by focusing on using her resources and contacts as a rich woman and enacting social reform, rather than going around the city and individually righting petty wrongs as a superhero. This is a consequence of her being young and naive more than anything else. Hopefully if she is chosen she will be forced to face this inconsistency in her thinking at some point.
8. What are your character's moral lines? What would they never do? What can they not stand by and watch? What will they always take advantage of?
- Portia is CN in her social guise and CG in her vigilante guise... this is meant to reflect that in her social guise, she maintains the airs of a detached, over-privileged rich white girl than anything else, and that she is very capable of fooling others of this.
- Portia has a strong sense of morality - she cannot handle seeing someone suffer, and will do anything she can to help them out.
9. If you have a character who has sworn a code (such as a Paladin or Cavalier, for example) be explicit in what that code entails.
10. What's your characters economic situation, and the economic situation of their family? A desperately poor character with a rich family tells a very different story than a desperately poor character with a poor family.
- Portia is very, very wealthy. Her entire family is rich and influential. Like most rich young adults, she is often unaware of the privileges this brings, but she is honestly trying to do what she can to help those who did not win the birth lottery she did.
- Portia functions as a party face well-suited to intrigue in her social persona, and as a skill-monkey/rogue type in her vigilante persona. She will be built to switch-hit, using her bow and rapier equally.
- Her "possessed" trait is a core function of her character. I intend to use it to literally channel the voices of the dead, perhaps even allowing someone who lost a loved one to hear their voice again. When she uses it, her hands, eyes and face glow in an ethereal, otherworldly manner, and she speaks in another's voice, which is quite helpful for building on her vigilante persona. My intention is to allow the GM to take over to use it for whatever you need plot-wise or RP-wise. Although it is a 1/day resource, I am comfortable with the GM using it to "take over" my character if that would be interesting for the overall story, though I would ask to be at least allowed a will save if such a thing would blow her cover.
- She will eventually multi-class to spiritualist (fractured mind) starting at level 5 to further build on her ability to channel ghosts and gain mechanical benefits from them.
- If chosen, I would want to designate at least one NPC (or a PC, preferably) who is familiar with both her social and vigilante personas, but doesn't know that both women are in fact the same person, for roleplaying interest.
- While Portia has not met the Korovosan hero "Blackjack" before, she leaves specially stamped silver coins or silver-tipped arrows as her calling card as the Silver Ghost. These trinkets could lead her into contact with him, and I believe they could then build a supportive working relationship together, or perhaps even a capes-n'-masks superhero romance. :)
I am currently working on a character for this, mostly just need to work on fluff! Should have it all squared away by tomorrow.
For your consideration: Nicolai Fortescu, Human (Varisian) Wizard (Foresight sub-school), an Acadamae dropout who specializes in telling the future through his Harrow deck.
Eventually going to take the Harrower prestige class.
Working on a Ratfolk Tactician, hope to be able to post it soon.
For your consideration: Nicolai Fortescu, Human (Varisian) Wizard (Foresight sub-school), an Acadamae dropout who specializes in telling the future through his Harrow deck.
Eventually going to take the Harrower prestige class.
Nicolai - looks mostly good. The game is starting at level 2, and your character is level 1. In addition, I see no list of what spells you have in your spellbook.
In addition, I'd like him to answer:
1. A description of what your character looks like. What clothes do they wear? What do they do with their hair? Are they clean or dirty? Do they accessorize?
2. An explanation for why the Korvosan Guard would call on them for help. Are they a local mercenary with a good reputation? Are they a community leader with public goodwill on their side? Are they a guardsman themselves? Are they an informant in the criminal underworld of the city? It's your call!
8. What are your character's moral lines? What would they never do? What can they not stand by and watch? What will they always take advantage of?
- - -
For Iocundius, you might also want to look at the Insinuator antipaladin archetype. I'd also like you to answer:
1. A description of what your character looks like. What clothes do they wear? What do they do with their hair? Are they clean or dirty? Do they accessorize?
9. If you have a character who has sworn a code (such as a Paladin or Cavalier, for example) be explicit in what that code entails.
"I signed a pact, but it has some loopholes" isn't quite enough for me. What was the wording of the pact?
- - -
@ Portia - good to see you, Kiora! Thank you, you've answered my questions to my satisfaction. However, I have some curiosity about her double life. Was there any particular event which galvanized her to seek a life of daring and danger? Is there any particular brand of crime or wrongdoing which she is particularly opposed to? Has her vigilante life impacted her life as a noblewoman at all?
@ Portia - good to see you, Kiora! Thank you, you've answered my questions to my satisfaction. However, I have some curiosity about her double life. Was there any particular event which galvanized her to seek a life of daring and danger? Is there any particular brand of crime or wrongdoing which she is particularly opposed to? Has her vigilante life impacted her life as a...
Holla, holla, friend.
Sure -
1. When she was younger, the ghost of a young child came to her, pleading that her adoptive family (another noble family) had abused her and her adopted siblings behind closed doors, while feigning a life of philanthropy to other nobles. Portia felt bad for her, but she wasn't sure what to do about it, or even if she should believe the spirits (perhaps they were in truth demons or devils?). But then a few weeks later the nobles were caught trying to dispose of the dead body of a child (not the body of the little girl who came to her) and she felt terribly guilty. She had an opportunity to help someone and she let it slip by her. After that, she decided to take on the role of a vigilante, partially inspired by the legend of Blackjack. But it still took about a year before she was brave enough and secure enough in her physical abilities to actually go out and do it.
1a. So in general her adventuring life has worked one of two ways so far - either she goes out in the middle of night and looks for trouble (with varying degrees of success) or a restless spirit comes to her seeking some sort of aid, and she does what she can to help out. Her vigilante persona gained some local notoriety for exposing a local rapist and murderer (he ended up being a local barber, well-liked and painfully average), but she pulled this off mostly through the aid of his dead victims. She's also committed some minor acts of heroism (breaking up small gangs, drug dealers, pickpockets etc), which have given her a generally positive reputation amongst Korvosans. Though, as a level 2 adventurer, she is definitely not a spiderman/batman/daredevil... yet ;) This adventure would actually constitute her first time going out in the daylight as her vigilante identity, which makes her nervous, but she thinks the risk is worth it if she can save her nephew.
2. She is specifically a champion for the poor and the oppressed - those without the power or social clout to help themselves. As someone with the privilege of listening to the conversations that the upper class have behind closed doors, she is concerned that there is something inherently corrupt in how Korvosa is being run, and she doesn't feel like any other nobles feel the same way as she does. How else would there be so much injustice in what is one of the finest metropolises in the inner sea? Why is there such a huge gap between justice served for the poor, and justice served for the rich? So far she has been very focused on petty crimes (because that befits a character of her level) but my goal with her is that she will become a powerful voice for social reform. In a sense, her social identity can be just as much of a hero as her vigilante identity, she just doesn't realize that yet.
3. She's a 20-something wealthy socialite, so it isn't hard for her to maintain her cover as "I'm off traveling" or "I'm off at the ____ estate" (her family owns multiple places of residence across Varisia). Her parents for their part are often away for business, and learned long ago it is hopeless to keep too close tabs on her. Her staff knows she comes and goes as she pleases - she doesn't have an "Alfred" on her side in that sense. Her vigilante-ism mostly means she's well known amongst her family and housestaff for sleeping in a lot, but she plays it off as having partied too hard the night before. She's also gained a reputation of being rather flaky (leaving parties early, or not showing up at all). She tries to maintain some sort of balance between her two lives to keep her cover going, but honestly the life of a socialite bores her to tears now, so it is hard for her to get motivated to do so.
While not completely ready for consideration, I'm going ahead and getting Ariana's name in the pot. I have her down mechanically I think, unless I decide while fleshing her story out to change something, I've I've briefly answered the questions. I plan to have everything fully written by tomorrow.
I may have missed it, but how long are you planning on letting recruiting go for?
I don't know! Two weeks is usually a pretty safe choice, but it's actually probably something more like "until I have a party".
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Definitely interested.
I have both played and run this Adventure Path (ran the old 3.5 version, played the hardcover version). While I believe that I'm reasonably good at separating player and character knowledge I KNOW that I'm not perfect (nobody is). Would that knowledge disqualify me? I've no problem if you'd prefer people new to the adventure
Nah. At this point, I assume that everyone's played the first chapter of every AP like 30 times before their PBPs fizzled out. Plus, I'm not planning on running it exactly as-written.
This is my submission. All information should be within the profile. I will repost background here for simplicity.
Atticus comes from a long line of household knights - retainers held separate from the military by the Korvosan royalty specifically to serve within the courts. Most, like Atticus, are Korvosan born. The deGreys in particular enroll their youth in a Scarlet Sentinel fortress school in northern Varisia, just east of the Lurkwood. He, along with sixteen of his cousins, spent a good portion of their adolescence in the wilderness learning the tenants of that ancient warrior tradition.
Before this, however, Atticus had always been an unusual boy. Some saw him as eccentric as even from a young age he had an unusual interest in aesthetics - poetry and art to be sure, though he always showed greatest interest in the serene beauty of the natural world. Often he would be found lost among the sculpted topiary of his families many gardens, having become distracted by the wonderful flowers that blossomed there. His parents and mentors waved this aside as little more than a strong sense of empathy - the sign of a kind heart in the boy.
His interest bloomed into a true passion at the fortress school. Surrounded by the pristine wilderness there, mixed with the lurid draw of the Lurkwood, Atticus became fully engrossed in the beauty of the world at hand. Though he proved a capable duelist, he truly began to excel in his classes that dealt with ideology, theology, and philosophy, leading eloquent speeches on the nature of duty and honor to his peers. As his time in the school drew to a close some saw the young man become increasingly reclusive - going on days long expeditions to the wilderness without warning or explanation to his mentors or companions. Yet he remained the image of a perfect knight errant, always returning before his absence interfered with his obligations to the Sentinels. Such a thing would besmirch his own name and that of his lineage.
The blood oath ceremony was held towards the end of his time at the fortress school. Atticus and four others swore their oath together, one of whom was a young Cressida Kroft who would go on to become Field Marshal of the Korvosan Guard. Atticus, on the other hand, returned to his family estate following his graduation. While others from his class entered the merciless world of the courts where they would inevitably be pitted against each other for titles, honor, and wealth, he withdrew into his passions. High society had no need of his ideologies and he hand no need of theirs - he devoted himself instead to the cultivation of what he found most beautiful, most worthwhile in the entire world. Soon his family estate bloomed with the most magnificent flowers, rivaling even those found in Castle Korvosa itself, all tended to personally by the eccentric knight.
He knew even then that this was only the beginning. As a man of both means and knowledge he knew it was his calling, his duty to spread the serene truth he had found wherever it could find purchase. His gardens sprang to life in nooks and crannies across the city. He submitted dozens of essays to the royal courts for review, among the were titles such as "Life Cycles of the Tri-Fold Found" and "Domestication of the Sleeping Willow", each one the culmination of hundreds of hours of research and done with painstaking detail.
This continued into his thirties until he began to feel a disconnect with the root of his ideals. Though he cared deeply for Korvosa and it's people as a matter of principle he found himself wondering if staying in the city was robbing him off the beauty of the world beyond. He resolved to devout himself to the life of the ascetic, denying himself the joy of the city and it's peoples so that he may find greater clarity in beauty. He set out onto a journey alone, without the support of his household, travelling northwest past the borders of Varisia and into the lands beyond.
Two factors combined to end his self-imposed exile. Firstly the death of his great uncle that left Atticus the inheritor of the deGrey estate. This is what led him to return in the first place, so that he may pay his respects and tend to his responsibilities as the caretaker of the deGrey household. Yet it was the death of King Eodred Arabast II that cemented his return. In the termoil that followed the city became consumed by the ugliness of its people that boiled to its surface. The Field Marshall Cressida Kroft, the woman he had sworn a blood oath with those many years ago, sent for him at his home. The meaning was clear - Korvosa would need every sword arm it had in the coming days, even one ruled by the strange passions of the Knight of Flowers. This duty to his blood-sister would come above all others, and so Atticus returned.
============
Atticus is a kind soul at heart though much of that is ruled by a mixture of lofty ideology and iron discipline. His demeanor is distant as he is often consumed by his own musings, yet beneath this lies a well-honed oratory ability. He is a devout worshiper of Erastil (a trait he picked up while at the fortress school), though in absence of any particular church he holds prayer at his family estate. It is likely that he has never truly hated anyone. Rather, he is disgusted at the sight of mans inherent ugliness - that of the killer, the traitor, and the vagrant. Yet the potential for great beauty lies with those who can conquer these parts of themselves so it could be said that his ideology is inclusive of even the most unsavory individuals. Only those who refuse to find this beauty are worth of being his enemies.
He wears fine clothes with simple, yet practical designs. His armor and weapons are the same, though both are embossed with images of blooming flowers.
Questions/Comments/Criticism is welcome and appreciated.
Here is Aipaca's submission, complete with backstory:
1. Luca has a rakish, devil-may-care look about him. He is young, good looking, and he knows it. With a stylish mop of brown hair and piercing blue eyes, he walks with a certain grace. His body is slim but in a lean, somewhat muscular way - although his strength wouldn't hold a candle to that of the dockyard bruisers or tavern bouncers around him. He makes sure to keep himself clean and presentable at all times, and wears clothes which aren't exactly subtle, but aren't ridiculously overstated. Of course, this appearance is only when he is himself. When he becomes Teo Costin, his swagger becomes a more measured, careful walk. He changes into plain leathers, and removes all hints of ostentaciousness. His eyes, instead of playful, become calculating. He almost appears a different person, and if you didn't know him well you would probably think he was. And then there are the times when he is calm and at rest. Not Luca Tismaneanu, rakish ex-noble, but simply Luc. Still well dressed, but relaxed, calm and confidently tough. Luca and Luc are clearly the same person, but the way they present themselves are very different. If you know Luc, then you are truly a friend of the man the world knows as Luca.
2. The Korvosan Guard would call on Teo Constin for help. Teo has helped them out a few times recently, using his canny insight to solve a couple of riddles and unwind some tangled threads for the Guard. The Guard Captain knows that Luca and Teo are the same person, but the rest of the guard aren't aware of this.
3. and 4. While Luc spent his childhood in Korvosa, this didn't last long. At the age of 10 he was put into the care of a guardian, Teodore Vasili (whom Luc named the persona of Teo after). Luc's father believed that his son and heir could best lead their family with the wealth of knowledge the world had to offer, and possibly help the city of Korvosa. Together the Luc and his guardian travelled the world, educating Luc in the ways of a wide variety of peoples and ways of life. They travelled to Absolom and learned of cosmopolitan politics. They travelled to Alkenstar and learned of the might of the firearm. They travelled to Cheliax to learn of the strength of rigid law - although this rubbed Luc quite the wrong way. He managed to remember all of the skills he had learnt by consolidating complementary skills into certain frames of mind. After some time, there frames of mind became their own personalities - still Luc, but also not Luc. He also learned how to use some magic, but never gain full control over it, and it still sometimes manifests in unpredictable ways - possibly as a result of cramming so much into that head of his. After many years of travel and study across the Inner Sea, Teodore was stricken down with a deadly illness, and died on the side of the road, Luc weaping by his side. Unable to save his friend and mentor, Luc returned to Korvosa, the face of Luca Tismaneanu, heir to the Tismaneanu family, firmly in place. Upon his return however, he learnt that his family had been dragged down, destroyed by politics and then a fire ripping through their mansion. All were killed, and the family fortune lost to the circling debtors. Broke, and broken-hearted, Luca learned that his family had been implicated in a massive fraud before the fire. Knowing that his father could never do such a thing, but unable to unearth any more of the conspiracy, Luca vowed to do the one thing he could - break the crime lords of the city, and raise up the poor and oppressed who were forced into such a life. Of course, having never been poor and oppressed, he didn't really know where to start, but he was sure it couldn't be that hard, right?
5. Luca spent most of his life living on the stipend sent to him by his family. Luckily the fund supplying this was kept seperately from the family fortune, and so enough coin to live still trickles into his hands. Additionally, as Teo he freelances for the Guard, making a bit of extra coin with which to drink and woo.
6. Luc is religious, and believes that all of the gods have their place, even if some of those places are somewhat distasteful, or even abhorrent. He does have his favourites however, and will often say a quick prayer to Cayden Cailean, Desna, Sheyln or Calistra depending on the situation.
7. Luca is optimistic that he can help the city of his birth, and wants to restore both it, and his family name.
8. Luca wants to help the poor, and will not harm innocents. He would struggle to stand aside when witnessing oppression. He would quickly take advantage of an opening, when the individual leaving it is deserving.
9. N/A
10. Luc is a dispossesed noble, used to living comfortably, if not richly, on his travels. The relative poverty he is now living in is quite foreign to him, but he doesn't yet see how much more fortunate he still is compared to those at the bottom of the social heap.
Edit: apologies, I didn't realise how long it had gotten!
Alright, officially presenting Ariana Sibylla, half-Osirion half-elf Alchemist born and raised in Korvosa. If anything changes at all, it'll be minor. Questions or feedback welcome!
Ariana stands 5'3" and weighs about 125 lbs. She's considered somewhat attractive with dark skin, black hair, and deep blue eyes. Her elven heritage is very apparent because, despite her dark skin, she otherwise favors her elven heritage.
She dresses fairly well. Not enough to stand out unless she's in the company of the desperately poor, however. She wears dark vests, pants, and sometimes overcoats as well. She wears minimalist jewelry but it's definitely something she puts meticulously thought into.
Ariana was born 26 years ago. The daughter of an Osirion man named Khazad Sibylla and an elven woman from the heart of Kyonin itself named Lili Yinthage, she was immediately born into a situation that would have her thinking about things from a different angle than most. Her father fled Osirion for a reason that was never made very clear to Ariana aside from he was likely in hiding. Her mother was the daughter of two elven human-hating nobles who restricted her behaviors and desires enough to force her to run away and see the world.
For the next 18 years, they found what odd jobs they could to keep themselves and their daughter afloat, sometimes including simple tasks with the thieves guild. It was obvious from a young age that Ariana was very curious about the world and how everything worked. Instead of her "why" stage ending when she was was a child, her ability to ask why simply evolved into adulthood. [Meticulous] Her parents were spiritual people who revered all gods and they tried to impart that worldview on their daughter but her interest in knowledge and morality turned more philosophical as she became a teenager and her desire to know outweighed her desire to have spirituality. [Skill Focus (Knowledge (Nature))] Although they had the occasional disagreement on the subject, her parents were mostly supportive.
Ariana was pretty socially awkward as a child. Despite her outgoing and sociable nature, she had a hard time making friends. As she grew, however, she took on talking to others like any other subject she tackled. It was all a matter of how you think about it and it could come down to what works and what doesn't and that can be measured and tested. As she got older, she was able to mask her awkwardness with confidence and knowledge of social interaction [Student of Philosophy]. She has since always been pretty popular with her peers, garnering a decent number of friends and acquaintances but always being careful not to get too close to others primarily due to her half-elven heritage [Cosmopolitan, Wary]
Growing up outside the Academae in the Midlands without full ability to see the inside was hard on Ariana, she wanted so badly to be surrounded by those like her and have her own knowledge and views challenged. She had decided from a fairly young age that she'd do whatever she needed to do to attend. She finally was able to see the inside and formally apply when she was a teenager by showing that you can alchemically produce magical energy in the form of a liquid on the fly that could be imbibed by someone who is not the source of the magic safely [Infusion]. While not a completely new discovery, people did take note of the practical child who was able to make this discovery on her own without formal education.
A few months before orientation, Ariana's parents decided she was ready to be an adult and take on the city and the Academae herself. They decided to leave the city and travel as well as search for a better life elsewhere. They left her their small cottage and left with most of their supplies. With no family then, she just waited to begin Academae.
During orientation, one of Ariana's childhood friends named John Seamus murdered an older homeless man and pinned the murder on Ariana, intimidating a local fisherman into testifying as an eyewitness. Ariana's alibi of being at orientation was enough to delay trial precedings long enough for Ariana to convince the fisherman to do the right thing and retract his testimony. In immediate backlash of the fisherman's decision to retract his statement, he was killed that night. When it came to trial, the lack of witness allowed Ariana to be acquitted but by then, the Academae had reversed its decision to accept Ariana which doomed her to forever s tr and outside its walls. Determined not to let this stop her, she began studying harder than before. [Framed, Betrayed]
In need of a way to make money and most of her skills revolving around making things and knowing things, both of which being difficult career choices for someone with no hope of attending the Academae and residing in a town where worker guilds were completely banned, she turned to the one guild who has helped her family up until that point; the thieves guild. While the thieves guid was sought out for work by shadier types with different skillsets than the ones Ariana possesses, she knew they would be in the market for someone whose expertise was research and making things. It wasn't difficult for Ariana and the guild to come to an agreement. They would fund her research and projects if she will design and create things for them as well. Over time, she also became very adept and both identifying and categorizing magic items as well as learning their properties enough to use them in situations they may otherwise be unable to be used [Pragmatic Activator].
For the last few years, this is what she has been doing hoping one day to use her knowledge, resources, and connections to help the people of Korvosa and correct the imbalance that exists therein.
I think this character is good to go. I have the background almost finished and will add it once I am done.
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Kipply Nettles here, Going for a Ratfolk Alchemist, my idea being he is a local surgeon hoping to expand his field of knowledge.
He'd be brought in by the Gaurd for his experience in working with poisons as well as his skill as a surgeon.
I'm working on him now, so not much to show as of this post, but more to come!
@Atticus - Looks pretty good - a detailed background, a solid connection to the Guard. I wonder what he might do if he faced somebody that he would deem "unworthy" of being an enemy, or where exactly those lines are, because it doesn't seem like he has any ways of resolving an encounter other than to fight.
Does he have any kind of job, or does he just live off of his family's savings? Does he have any surviving family members, or does he live alone?
Also, he has Combat Reflexes but only has 10 Dexterity, which means he gets 0 additional attacks of opportunity... is that right?
@Luca - So, Luca is a vigilante hero? Does he have any particular brand of crime that he focuses specifically on?
How did he learn magic?
How would he introduce himself to a stranger?
@Ariana - I'm not understanding the connection between "she works for the thieves' guild" and "the Korvosan Guard would hire her".
Her alchemy is completely self-taught, is that right?
@Alistair - As far as I can read, his family has died and scattered. Does that mean that he runs his family's horse-breeding business?
Is Alistair's father landed nobility?
Also, not a note on your backstory but I just wanted to mention that Field Marshal Cressida Kroft is a woman.
Why would Alistair get involved with the riots and the guard's task force if the Field Marshall hasn't heard of him and only wants his father's horses?
@ GM
Sorry for the incomplete background. I had a storm hit our area and I decided to post what I had on the character instead of trying to finish it up. We lost power for some time and I am glad I did not lose all my work. I will continue to work on the back ground and hopefully your questions will be answered.
Don't worry about it! I just figured I'd take a look since you said it was ready to go.
Yeah. She's almost entirely self taught. She could have picked up tidbits from others around the city but the idea is that she's done the research primarily herself. She has no access to the Academae after all.
@Atticus - Looks pretty good - a detailed background, a solid connection to the Guard. I wonder what he might do if he faced somebody that he would deem "unworthy" of being an enemy, or where exactly those lines are, because it doesn't seem like he has any ways of resolving an encounter other than to fight.
Does he have any kind of job, or does he just live off of his family's savings? Does he have any surviving family members, or does he live alone?
Also, he has Combat Reflexes but only has 10 Dexterity, which means he gets 0 additional attacks of opportunity... is that right?
He has decent Diplomacy along with Silver Tongued and could always take the -4 to hit for non-lethal damage (or otherwise stop short of killing them). Beyond that, his ideology is pretty subjective. I would imagine that it is not common to to have someone who who would be trying to kill him in a totally justified way. Also, his obligation to the guard and his blood oath is above even his ideology which can push him into situations he would not normally be a part of in the first place. Should sword and speech both fail then he would definitely be in a tight spot.
His "job" was the life of the ascetic/eccentric - filing essays with the royal courts, going on expeditions, applying his knowledge in his own gardens and creating gardens in the community. He doesn't really get paid for any of that so he doesn't have a job in that sense, save for his role as the current caretaker of the deGrey estate.
His father is alive, but no longer active in public or family affairs. Beyond that the deGreys are still alive in Korvosa (just not really all that relevant to Atticus in his adult life so I didn't mention them in detail). Of his sixteen cousins that joined the Scarlet sentinels seven are still alive, three have gone abroad for various reasons, and the remaining four serve as retainers to the royal family at various levels. Beyond already existing titles and holdings, these are the individuals whose exploits currently support the deGrey household as a whole. The most recent generation of students from the family are still at the fortress school and will be for some time (likely longer than the scope of this game unless something weere to happen).
His combat reflexes feat comes from his Conviction class feature "Impulsive Reactions". It allows him to use his Charisma modifier to determine the bonus AoOs, so in this case Atticus while have two additional AoOs a round. It's also a prereq for a prestige class I am aiming towards down the line.
Hi GM leinathan! I've finished writing up Anguela's background/description/stats on her profile page (http://paizo.com/people/AnguelaNoctis) and done my best to answer your fluff questions. What do you think? Anything you'd like me to change or develop further?
@Ariana - Thank you for the answer. I figured it was something like that, but it wasn't stated explicitly anywhere.
@Atticus - Thank you for answering. So, just to clarify - his family has no income at the moment? Is that something that you would want to address in-game, or would you prefer his nobility simply being background fluff?
@Anguela - was Anguela bullied as a child?
Oracles are not hereditary like sorcerers are. Oracles are the result of gods directly imposing their will (or hopes) on mortals. That means that Anguela likely has some predestined divine purpose. Do you have any predisposition towards what this is, or would you be comfortable giving me full control over that?
Anguela believes that she is destined to rule Korvosa. Assuming that this did come to pass, it would be after a long and arduous adventure alongside adventuring companions. How would she treat them if she became Queen? How would she treat them if she had party members that disagreed with her becoming Queen?
How open is she about her birthright?
Finally, her Will save should be +3 (+3 base, +1 Wisdom, -2 crossblooded). I know it wasn't stated explicitly, but please use fractional advancement.
@Atticus - Thank you for answering. So, just to clarify - his family has no income at the moment? Is that something that you would want to address in-game, or would you prefer his nobility simply being background fluff?
Atticus is only concerned with managing the estate; ensuring that the house does not fall to ruin and that the garden is well maintained, the families collective holdings as well as those who serve in the courts or abroad as mercenaries, bodyguards, or adventurers are who bring in the money. It is more accurate to say that he has no personal income at the moment - a consequence of his lack of pragmatism. I don't expect to be getting a stipend or some other mechanical benefit from his household. Like I said upthread, I just wanted a house and garden I could tend too in my free time.
I do want clarify that I hadn't intended the deGreys to be nobility in the sense that they hold significant political influence within Korvosa. Rather, they are a lineage that acts as retainers to whatever nobility stands at the times. What deeds and titles they may gain comes at the behest of the actual nobility, and can ebb and flow with the changing times. One day a party we ally with are in favor and exiled the next. Unlike Atticus, those Sentinels that joined the courts did so with the ultimate goal of strengthening their personal positions and reputations and thus those of the families by extension. So even though Atticus watches over the family estate he is not particularly close with any of his more traditionally minded relatives. Until now his self-exile has left him somewhat estranged and though his skill as a duelist is well known, he never forced himself through the gambit of political maneuvers and warring factions that has honed his cousins. In short: he may be a caretaker, but he does not have the capacity to give orders or lead his peers by station alone. Not yet, at least.
I missed that we are using Background Skills along with the other Unchained Rules. I will be applying them shortly.
@Anguela - was Anguela bullied as a child?
Whoops, I hadn’t realized Reactionary specified that! No, I really don’t think she would have been bullied. How about Irrepressible instead? That description seems like it could apply; she believes the gods favor her because of her grandfather’s vision.
Oracles are not hereditary like sorcerers are. Oracles are the result of gods directly imposing their will (or hopes) on mortals. That means that Anguela likely has some predestined divine purpose. Do you have any predisposition towards what this is, or would you be comfortable giving me full control over that?
I am totally cool with you deciding what purpose the gods intend for her. I find that idea much more enjoyable than me coming up with what I think I want to happen!
Anguela believes that she is destined to rule Korvosa. Assuming that this did come to pass, it would be after a long and arduous adventure alongside adventuring companions. How would she treat them if she became Queen? How would she treat them if she had party members that disagreed with her becoming Queen?
That makes perfect sense that if she were to succeed it wouldn’t be until after the adventure path was completed. :) I think how she treats her adventuring companions would depend a great deal on how they treated her. I don’t think she thinks that becoming Queen will change how she treats those she thinks of as her subjects. Respectful disagreements between Korvosans who think differently about how the city should be run are perfectly fine. I imagine everyone will have the best interests of their city at heart. If members of her party actively work against her and oppose her claim, they could have a problem of course. But who knows what the gods intend?
How open is she about her birthright?
Well, not at all at the start, since the current regime would probably have her killed as soon as they found out, but as she learns to trust her companions, she will quickly open up to them. To succeed in her goal she needs allies, and a willing and grateful populace. She will need all the friends she can get!
Finally, her Will save should be +3 (+3 base, +1 Wisdom, -2 crossblooded). I know it wasn't stated explicitly, but please use fractional advancement.
Whoops again! I saw that you specified Franctional Advancement in your mechanics section, but I didn’t realize that’s how they work. I’ll update her score right away! Thanks!
There's also Paragon of Speed or Spirits in the Stone
Applying with this character (details in the profile). I think the background and description answer the various questions you've posed, but let me know if you need more detail.
I've also included some NPCs as potential adversaries or plot hooks, feel free to adapt or disregard.
No worries, I should have been more explicit in that explanation. I'll update accordingly!
Edit: I updated question 2 to be a bit more clear.
Ariana is employed with the thieves guild where she has a reputation as someone who deals with information and as someone who can find things out. She's a perfectionist and, if there's a way to make something work, she'll know it. She also has a reputation as an impartial party toward the thieves guild. She works for them but is uninterested in crime or being considered a member. She would gladly become an informant for the city guard if it meant the city would see less wrongdoing and an informant within the guild could report as much back to the city guard.
Haha, I just realized: I don't know how to do arithmetic! 3 + 1 -2 = 2!
That should be Anguela's Will save. Y'all must be polite f~~@ers indeed, not to correct me.
@Atticus, Anguela, Ariana (the A team?) - Your submissions are considered complete. Thank you!
@Gus - Thank you for the application! Looks good, very readable background and description. However, I'm not getting an "adventurer" vibe from him. It seems that he has a fairly comfortable life... why would he undertake death-defying heroics?
Below are rosters. Italicized statements in the "interested dots" section are what incomplete characters currently need to do before they're considered complete. Only completed applications will be considered. Looks like classic beef is out of style nowadays.
Anguela Noctis (LN human oracle/sorcerer (cross-blooded)) ; scion of a lost noble house [eriktd]
Atticus deGrey (LN human zealot) ; the Flower Knight [Johnnycat93]
Portia Cillanthis (CN/CG human vigilante) ; wealthy socialite // city hero [Kiora Atua]
Decimus Observet - Iocundius Paulum (LE human antipaladin) (confirm what you want to do mechanically!)
Vanulf Wulfson - Nicolai Fortescu (CG human diviner wizard) (answer my questions!)
Aipaca - Luca Tismaneanu (CG human troubadour) (answer my questions!)
Jovich - Alistair Wellington (CG human swashbuckler (inspired blade)) (answer my questions, confirm that you're finished!)
william Nightmoon - Kipply Nettles (N ratfolk alchemist) (confirm that you're finished!)
CaptainFord
SCKnightHero
Ouachitonian
PixelsAreGod
pauljathome
Also, I have decided on an official end day for the recruitment: I'll be closing recruitment and choosing players on Saturday, May 19th. You officially have until then to finish, unless I decide on an extension.
I do have just one more question that I'd like everyone to answer, please:
What excites you the most about your character?
My apologies if this gets a touch lengthy, I'm particularly excited about this concept.
For the past while I've been really interested in making a character that approaches a fantasy world in a somewhat unorthodox way. In short; like a scientist. That would be a bit of an oversimplification, however, since alchemists are a base class and using science to achieve magic is kinda in their theme.
I wanted to play a methodological naturalist who is in full recognition of the supernatural in a world teeming with magic. Someone who philosophically approached the world, magic and all, as something that could be tested. I also wanted someone who approached ethics in a similar manner. Ethics in a fantasy world is typically dogmatic and follows codes and laws. I wanted a philosophically chaotic hero.
So you could say that my starting point was creating a chaotic good alchemist with the Student of Philosophy trait.
Since building her and creating her story, the thing that excites me most about playing her is roleplaying her utilitarianism against the codes of paladins, the rituals of druids, the tenets of monks, etc in the interest of the greater good. She has the Meticulous drawback so I foresee her presenting unusual scenarios in dialogue and often playing party Devil's Advocate just to make sure that people have thought things through.
As an aside, though, I don't plan to waste time needlessly with this aspect of her. She's an agreeable person. With an intimidate skill bonus of -4, she isn't used to being able to push people to get what she wants anyway.
Edit: I also reorganized my stat block a bit but I haven't actually changed anything mechanically. Just to make it easier to read and know what situational bonuses I get. Glad to be a part of the A-Team! Ha
@leinathan - those are good questions!
And you're right: Gus isn't a 'typical' adventurer, in that he'd never decide that exploring (say) Rappan Athuk or the Emerald Spire Superdungeon, or going out and mapping the Greenbelt, would be a fun thing to do for the hell of it. But he does like to be helpful (the Affable trait), and he has a particular set of skills, both martial and mystical, that mean he's well placed to assist people with difficult/unusual problems.
And to answer your second question, what excites me about this character is playing someone who isn't a 'natural' adventurer but who is willing to make a difference - and has the skillset to do so - when the adventure comes to his hometown and menaces people he cares about. If he thinks the cause is right, he won't back down no matter how deep the rabbit hole goes.
What interests you about your character?
Primarily: I'm a big superhero nerd, so playing a superhero would be awesome. Specifically teenage superheroes, with their spunk, naivety and optimism... though Portia's a bit old to be a teenager. Might de-age her a bit. Dunno.
Secondary: Portia also is pretty open-ended, and I have no idea where she'd end up by the end of the campaign, so that's exciting.
Tertiary: She's a character centered around 'I see dead people.', and I have confidence you're a good enough GM to make that fun and cool.
Working on putting something together for this now.
@leinathan:
1) Is there any issue with a character being a close personal friend of Cressida Kroft?
2) When purchasing additional formulas for an investigator at creation, do you pay just ink, ink + rented book (50% above ink cost), or scroll + ink cost?
3) Will retraining be feasible/allowed? I'd like to pick up Combat Advice early on and "upgrade" it to Studied Expertise later (after taking the appropriate talent pre-req, of course).