The Custodians

Game Master DreamAtelier

Aasimar are water downed celestial blood, they can be generations apart from the celestial parent.

As for all this crafting talk, why would the guy with access to all the spells not be a crafter. ;)

My submission for the other epic thread currently on the boards. Would have to be bumped up five levels, but the background wouldn't change much. She's a planar traveler, ostensibly in service of Desna, but no reason why that couldn't change to be in service to these guardians.

With Trig...

If i am selected, i will be draing up a crafting wizard, most likely, since i like that it kinda balances the extra value for crafting from the lack of combat feats.

Having never been in a group with two crafters, I don't know if this will be redundant or awesome. I suppose that we could get twice the work done in the same amount of time. Of course, I suppose I'm being a bit presumptuous, seeing as how nobody's been picked yet. I'm just jazzed about this campaign.

It would be pretty sweet if Xara and Akor got picked, reunited(so to speak) after a long absence!

Working on a Human Ranger 20/Fighter 5 that flys around on her roc and blasts people on the ground with energized arrows. But sCoreForge is pissing up right now, so I'm going to have to hand bomb the feats, traits and class abilities out. So it'll be a bit longer before any sheet comes up.

Any room for a lawful evil bastard? I was thinking some combination of Cavalier/Oracle with the Grave Knight template. If you don't want evil, I have a few other ideas to toss out there. Maybe an Unbreakable Fighter or some sort of druid...

I have decided on an Advanced Half-Celestial Norn Monk 1. (This is DM Jelani)

Background:
Skulda is an ancient being. Born to a Norn mother and a Draconal father she is the result of prophecy. Her mother was alive on Golarion (or some equivalent planet) when the last of the Worldweavers walked into the Maelstrom and the tomb was formed. Her mother and her aunts' visions of possible futures convinced them that the only way for time to play out its proper course was for the Custodians to succeed in their task. They approached a Draconal and sometime ally, and asked him to help them make a child that they might leave with the Custodians as an addition to the ranks. The Norns shared with him their visions of possible disastrous futures and he, seeing the wisdom in their actions agreed. Due to Norns always coming in threes, her mother had to sacrifice herself to give life to Skulda. Her aunts and father left her with the Custodians under instructions that she should be told the truth about who she was when they felt she was ready. All that she has left of her mother is a spool of golden Norn thread, and her shears.

Personality:
Never having spent time with her real family, who were always too busy protecting fate and the multiverse, she has come to see the Custodians as a surrogate family. She believes in wholeheartedly their mandate, and follows the orders of her superiors without question. Due to ages of fighting existential threats and the ability to see the ever shifting threads of fate she has come to be very laid back. What will come will come, and we can only do our best to work with it. Her only real friends are in the Custodians. As an immortal being of immense power she has trouble relating to the less powerful beings that inhabit the multiverse, often seeing them as self absorbed and petty. As parts of a whole, rather than individuals in their own right. The most important thing to her is allowing the multiverse to run its course through time, for which balance is essential.

Dwelling:
When she's not combating some threat to planar equilibrium, she spends her time in Astrarium in her grove. It rests upon an low hill, the grove itself a cluster of massive old gnarled oak, yew and ash trees. The largest tree rests in the center of the grove, spreading its boughs out over all the others. Her hall is built in and around this ancient tree, a relatively simple wooden affair in the Ulfen/Norse style.

Appearance:
Outside battle, Skulda takes the form of a beautiful red haired Ulfen woman. Her emerald green eyes and freckles give her beauty a 'girl next door' appeal. Standing an impressive 5'11" in human form, she's a bit of an amazon. Despite her warrior's body she tends to wear finely made, if plain, dresses. The most inconspicuous thing about her is the pair of massive shears she wears strapped to her back like a sword.

When she needs to, she can grow to be as large as a giant. In her true form, her hair falls down to her ankles and flickers with the light of a roaring fire. Her eyes glow a neon green, and her skin is the color of ivory. It is covered in fine, almost invisible scales from head to toe, and she sports a long serpentine tale.

Oh, and anyone who hasn't given up a level for the Advanced template should probably consider it. +2 NA and +4 to all ability scores? Yes please.

My submission, me being Cuàn

Hanaar is ancient by the standards of his kind and still has many years to go as he is born not only as a Lizard King but also as one with Draconic blood flowing through his veins. Though his mother, the brine dragon that once ruled his clan, has been slain by the amassed army of a nation for the toll she enacted on a nearby sea route Hanaar's clan still held strong as he succeeded her as it's ruler. Under his rule the tribe's power grew and their village slowly turned into a town where they were joined by a Grippli tribe and a rather old Vodyanoi scholar who claimed to be part of an eclectic organisation known as the Custodians.

Together with his extended tribe Hanaar managed to turn their town into a sprawling port city, which they named Monsoon Port, taking vengeance on his mother's killers by taking away their trade as the new port was located at a more beneficial locations. Under Hanaar's long rule the city flourished and in return so did he. Over the years he had 28 children with 5 wives, taking a new mate only after his old partner had passed away. From those children, some of them Lizard Kings and Queens in their own right, came 127 grand children and even more great-grandchildren. Eventually nearby countries, a sahuagin empire and even his draconic uncle came to try and take over Monsoon Port, but all were beaten back by Haraan's tribe and the Grippli tribe, which now numbered more than a thousand individuals.

Eventually though Haraan got bored and left the city in the hands of a council consisting of his own Lizard Queen granddaughter, the current Grippli chieftain and the leader of the trader's union that had arisen. Alone he took off for the horizon not to return for half a century. When he did return he found his town larger but also a lot more chaotic than he had left it. The council was still in place, though the names and faces had changed, except for his granddaughter's, and there had been a seat added for the fisher's union. His first instinct upon arrival was to bring it all under his rule again and restore order, but as he walked around the city he came to realise the natural balance of the city. While it was chaotic, it held together and almost organised itself. Law enforcement was still strict, enforced his granddaughter, and crime was relatively low. The people were happy. He truly was no longer needed. As if awaiting for him to reach this state of mind, the Vodyanoi scholar, who had lived peacefully in the city since the start, approached him. Together they talked about the state of the city and the world beyond. Eventually the scholar brought up the Custodians. He told Hanaar that his entire reason for staying with the city was to see him develop and grow until he reached the point where he was now, the point where he could became one of the Custodians.

Hanaar wasn't entirely sure at first. Becoming a Custodian, a function he didn't even know all the details about, meant leaving behind his city. It took him months to reach a decision, but eventually Hanaar agreed. Immediately the scholar opened a portal to what Hanaar learned to be Astrarium, the center of the Custodian organisation. Once there he was sent to find a house, or better let a house find him and so he did. A full day Hanaar spent, wandering this alien place in search of a home that called to him and eventually found it at the edge of the city. Hanaar was amazed at what he found inside: The first thing he noticed was that it smelled of the sea. As he wandered the halls made of what looked like light blue shell he found the source, a basin of sea water that held a connection to the elemental plane of water. The rest of the shell house was elegant in it's simplicity, tables looking as if they had been grown from the shell that covered not only the walls but also floors and ceilings. Water flowed along the walls in several rooms keeping the temperature cool and the air moist. Hanaar felt right at home, as if the place was built due to the designs in his head he didn't even know where there.

Since that day he has done the work of the Custodians, his job mainly consisting of keeping an eye on the elemental plane of water, though he doubts he's alone in that.

Ok, this campaign has piqued my interrest so dot.

I'm thinking of submitting an advanced awakened dire ape barbarian/ranger. I'll get back to you with it.

So does the Advanced template let me still be Orread Monk/20 and just let me take Fighter/4 instead of Fighter/5? If so, that would definitely be worth it. If not, i'm not complaining, I didn't even realize there was something like that. I'm perfectly fine with my current character.

I'd forgotten it existed myself... but yes, it is viable, for this level.

When gear starts to become important (ie, after I've figured out who is in the game), folks will have to keep in mind that templates, lacking racial hit dice or class levels, do not count towards wealth at all.

DM Jelani you star you preempted my post question,
thanks, GM Spuglyfuglet/GM The Drow.

Sol-Alar De Xin Min is
Drow Noble (dropped Half-elf to dull and this fits better)
Summoner Synthases 20th level, shadow Dancer 4 (1Advanced template)
as shes TN and not on heaven or hells side but the side of the Great Pattan (Balance) I think it works well. Mind you she she a hard lady, very close to evil.

Change of her home to

A underground Palace of opulent spaces and elegance halls and rich residence, all in compelat darkness.

Do you have any problem with using the Leadership feat to gain a cohort, and if so, how much higher would you be willing to extend the maximum cohort level?

I think I will take advanced too, wont really effect anything for my guy.

As I planned on taking leadership myself, the rules for cohorts is they have to be two lvls lower then your own. So if your going monster its not really going to be worth it but if your going class lvls heavy then it is. The trick is keeping a cohort happy ;)

Edit-Btw natural armor does not stack with items like amulet of natural armor. Save some money there.

Thanks for the catch on the natural armour. The evolutions was an after thought. Dud we get an answer on how much we have to spend? Xara will take the advanced template as well, giving her 24 class levels, so four of horizon walker with some planar favorite terrains. Any hints, GM, on which planes would be good to favourite?

Spend is odd as you lose levels for CR and other such. but its around 2.5mill if your all 25 levels I think. But its a GM call

Edit-Btw natural armor does not stack with items like amulet of natural armor. Save some money there.

Yes it does. Amulet of Natural Armor gives you an enhancement bonus to your natural armor, not overlapping it.

Why would you say it doesn't stack?

Looking at the horizon walker ability itself, I think Astral is a good choice with its regular bonuses against all outsiders (with dominance). Then she'll pick two elemental planes for the other two (probably fire and water).

Opps read it wrong, your right sense its an enhancement bonus it does stack. Natural armor from multiple sources dont stack.

Spend is odd as you lose levels for CR and other such. but its around 2.5mill if your all 25 levels I think. But its a GM call

Closer to 1.25 million if you took 25 class levels. the 2.5 million was meant to illustrate why I wasn't allowing crafters to get gear at 50% of cost. The post regarding it is copied below.

Someone else brought up wealth, and after some thought, I've determined that will be calculated based partially on race, and partially on class levels:

-Class Levels shall provide GP as normal for the chart, with an additional 125,000 gp gained for each level beyond 20.
-Racial Hit dice shall provide 1/2 their number in class levels with regards to the chart (So a 24 hit die Pleroma with one class level will have gp equivalent to a 13th level character).

In game the rational for this is that adventuring is where most things amass wealth, and a monster with few or no class levels has spent most of their life doing other things than adventuring, and perhaps being preyed on by adventurers, preventing them from accumulating any great deal of wealth. Out of game, this should help to keep a sufficiently even power curve between the PCs, regardless of whether their concept is a 0 hit die race who's managed to reach that level of ability, or a massively powerful entity that relies on its racial abilities rather than experience it has acquired.

Remember that there are no epic level items in the game world: magic items should be constructed on the standard +5/+10 model (appropriate banes and/or the alignment enchantments will allow you to bypass epic DR, when it is encountered). Characters who possess crafting feats may reduce the cost of any item they can craft by 10% when buying it at creation (this allows them to receive a benefit for their feat investment, while not running away with the show by doubling their wealth). In play crafting will be done at the book rates of time and cost.

As I recently clarified, templates, not providing either racial hit dice or class levels, will not result in any wealth gained for the levels that are lost when taking them.

Opps read it wrong, your right sense its an enchancement bonus it does stack. Natural armor from multiple sources dont stack.

ummm... yes they do. Different enhancement, luck or morale bonuses don't stack but different sources like templates and level advancements do stack as they are unnamed bonuses.

Sol-Alar De Xin Min wrote:

Spend is odd as you lose levels for CR and other such. but its around 2.5mill if your all 25 levels I think. But its a GM call

Closer to 1.25 million if you took 25 class levels. the 2.5 million was meant to illustrate why I wasn't allowing crafters to get gear at 50% of cost. The post regarding it is copied below.

To be exact it's 1505000 gp total if you have all 25 class levels

So an extra 500,000. Cool.

Thanks for the info on natural armour guys, but with the cash, I may lose the natural armour amulet to pick up a hand of glory for a third ring slot. Ring of air elemental command and telekinesis, here we come.

Leadership is a fine feat for folks to take, but I will be instituting another limit on it... Cohorts max out at 20th level. The necessary mindset to go beyond normal human limitations and advance into the epic levels at which we're playing requires a degree of independence of thought, strength of will, and self-motivation which would preclude an individual possessing them from being in the subservient position a cohort occupies in relation to a PC.

Cohorts are NPCs, and may be controlled by the GM at any time without warning, but will not refuse any reasonable request from the PC they are attached to (unless under an effect which would cause them to do refuse such requests). They come with an amount of gear that is appropriate for a Heroic NPC of their level. Followers come with an appropriate amount of gear for a basic NPC of their level. Neither receives a reduction in the cost of gear based on crafting feats they possess. Additional equipment may be purchased for them out of the PCs gear allotment, and qualifies for cost reduction as normal.

ummm... yes they do. Different enhancement, luck or morale bonuses don't stack but different sources like templates and level advancements do stack as they are unnamed bonuses.

From the pfsrd-

Hope thats clear enough.

How long is the recruitment going to last? Sorry if it was mentioned already.

The evolution natural armour is an addition to natural armour, not a bonus, while the amulet is an enhancement bonus, so they should stack. For Xara, however, it won't matter, as she's not keeping the natural armour amulet.

For cohort, would you allow a star archon with the advanced template? It's a 19 HD "monster".

A natural armor bonus improves Armor Class resulting from a creature's naturally tough hide. Natural armor bonuses stack with all other bonuses to Armor Class (even with armor bonuses) except other natural armor bonuses.Some magical effects (such as the barkskin spell) grant an enhancement bonus to the creature's existing natural armor bonus, which has the effect of increasing the natural armor's overall bonus to Armor Class.

Ok, I see where your coming from but here are the the examples I'm thing of;

Dragon Resistances (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain resist 5 against your energy type and a +1 natural armor bonus. At 9th level, your energy resistance increases to 10 and natural armor bonus increases to +2. At 15th level, your natural armor bonus increases to +4.

Rebuild Rules: AC increase natural armor by +2; Ability Scores +4 to all ability scores (except Int scores of 2 or less).

So I guess were thinking about two different things; Your thinking about the base natural armor bonus while I'm thinking of increases to it.

Edit; What Xara said ;P

So for some reason, all of the monsters that have been mentioned on here have the implosion spell prepared at ninth level. I finally asked myself why and looked at it. It's pretty much Kakashi's Mangekyo Sharingan ability from Naruto Shippuden.

@GM Thanks GM Dream for the clear up of the gold, 1.25 million at 25 seems at lot but 3 or 4 +8s and its going to go down fast.

What its your call in combined crafted objects can PCs with skills make there own Combined items or can we get them made etc or are all combined Items off limits? Like a Ring of Sustenance+Amor say in one item.

With The natural armor bonus I would like a GM call on this, as a Synthesist 20L my Synthesist gets +2NA +12 from Evolutions
With an Amulet of natural armor +8 say dos that stack or not?
From reading the posts it says note. Its ok as Braces of Armor work just as well just cost more.

Also I want to take the

Two feats.
Eldritch Heritage ->BloodLine ->Arcane ->Arcane Bond ->familiar
The improved-familiar.

chain giving an improved-familiar (at PC Level -2) would that be Level 25-2 or Level 24-2
If you see where I am comming from.

Regarding Xara's question: No. Cohorts are members of 0 hit die races with class levels, not monsters. That's what animal companions, familiars, eidolons, and conjuration spec'd wizards are for.

With The natural armor bonus I would like a GM call on this, as a Synthesist 20L my Synthesist gets +2NA +12 from Evolutions

With an Amulet of natural armor +8 say dos that stack or not?
From reading the posts it says note. Its ok as Braces of Armor work just as well just cost more.

Also I want to take the

Two feats.
Eldritch Heritage ->BloodLine ->Arcane ->Arcane Bond ->familiar
The improved-familiar.

chain giving an improved-familiar (at PC Level -2) would that be Level 25-2 or Level 24-2
If you see where I am comming from.

If you have given up a class level for some reason (by taking a race with racial hit dice, or by taking a template), any discussion of character level in the rules is determined using the actual number of class levels you have. So, for your question, it would be 24-2.

As far as the amulet of natural armor: first, amulets of natural armor are rated from +1 to +5, so you can't have an amulet of natural armor +8. Caps like this fall under the "no such thing as epic items" rule (this would also apply for stat boosting items, etc). However, it is an enhancement bonus, and people are correct in stating that it would stack with actual natural armor, such as that provided by an evolution.

Interesting. I could have sworn that there used to be language in the Leadership feat that allowed monstrous cohorts. I had a character once with a gryphon cohort tat was his mount, and it wasn't house-ruled. Maybe it was 3.5, but it's clearly not there now.

That's fine, though. There are so many good options for a cohort for a master summoner. A bard with inspire courage would be really nasty, for example, while a cleric would help keep the critters around longer and give Xara the protective spells she desperately needs.

Cool thanks for the clear up on that.

one more for you Gm Dream - Hero points. yes/no some items and feats would be useful.

How long is the recruitment going to last? Sorry if it was mentioned already.

bump

As far as templates and advanced races go, I assume you add it all together (template CR and racial CR and HD) to determine the impact on how many class levels you can take?

Hanaaar would have 5 racial HD and CR 6 before taking any classes if adding all templates first, so 19 class levels. As for the money, do I get gold for level 21.5?

I'm liking the natural armor thing, at AC 23 atm without dex modifier, items or magic.

I think I'll change my class a bit though as I'll scrap the Urban archetype and stick with just Invulnerable Rager for the Barbarian part. I'll stick with the Horizon Walker prc as well, though Hanaar won't be focusing on planes with the exception of the Elemental Plane of Water.

My concept would be a Human Fighter 20 (not sure about archetype yet) / Armored Hulk Barbarian 3 with the Grave Knight template. He seeks to impose law on the abyss.

Alright my Advanced Human Ranger 20/Fighter 4 can be found here

Answering some of the questions about her:

She feels like the mandate of the Custodians is important to uphold, and will attempt to follow it all all times.

She considers the preservation of nature to be inviolate, she doesn't mind the harvesting of plants/animals/etc. but hates overharvesting that oh so many humans participate in.

She's fairly non-talkative, and when she does talk she is usually as blunt as a titan's hammer. Aria is very dedicated to the idea of balance and harmony, and will attempt to stave off those who wish to disturb that ideal, who usually happen to be demons and devils.

The woman herself is a tallish (5'11" or so), lithe figure. Her hair, if let down, would hang to just below her shoulderblades. However, she keeps it tied up in a ponytail. Her green eyes are very perceptive, and she is always scanning around, looking for potential threats.

Aria's dwelling in the Astrarium would be a tallish building, the ground floor containing where she sleeps/spends time, and a set of stairs leading up to an Aerie where her Roc, Sigurd, can come and go as he pleases.

@Hanaar The DM will corect me if I have this wrong, from what he posted perviously, if your base monster race has HD and CR, you take the higher of the two of them. Add the CR for any templates you add on. Take that number and subtract from 25. That is the number of class levels you get. For example, a Peri has 19 HD but is CR 14. I decide to play a Peri and I wnat to add the Advanced template (+1 CR), I would take the HD of 19, add 1 for the template for 20, subtract from 25, allowing me 5 class levels. My money would be based on 5 class levels plus half the HD (probably rounded down) for 19x.5=9. My starting gold would be equal to a 14th level character.

Yes, I know you take the highest of racial HD and CR, but it isn't actually clear whether you add templates to this CR, since that's what they change, in order to determine the total adjustment or if you add it to the highest of the two.

As for the money, that's what I said, with the exception of the rounding down (which I didn't do since the half level is in epic and each epic level adds a static amount so that could be halved)

So you're hoping the DM is going to let you stack the templates onto the CR before taking the higher of CR or HD? Which would let one add +5 CR in templates to my example of a Peri and then just count the 19 HD...

Good luck with that.

@Dream - sent you a PM (I know a lot of people overlook them all lonely up at the top of the screen)

So you're hoping the DM is going to let you stack the templates onto the CR before taking the higher of CR or HD? Which would let one add +5 CR in templates to my example of a Peri and then just count the 19 HD...

Good luck with that.

It's more complicated than that I think. In your example it clearly is quite silly, but if you take my case, a Lizard King lizardfolk with CR 3 and HD 5 it's a lot less ridiculous. Not ridiculous at all if you ask me (Or at least nothing compared to playing a Peri to begin with). I think it depends on the creature more than anything.

I am looking at a bard15-paladin10 or a barbarian(invurbable rager) 15ish.ranger(guide) 10.

I will come up with flavor once I decide what to play.

I have never played a paladin before since I have a natural urge to want to stab NPC's in the face, but I have never done so. The desire is still there however, but that may be due to GM's running annoying NPC's. :)

If you think playing a Peri is ridiculous, then you obviously haven't read some of the other posts.

If you think playing a Peri is ridiculous, then you obviously haven't read some of the other posts.

I was comparing it to a Lizard King, in which case it is, though others might be more so.

August 15th is the latest that I'll make the first cut and ask for mechanics from anyone who makes it through.

And Fnord is right... to determine number of class levels, apply all modifiers in sequence. So take 25 possible levels and first subtract the higher of hit dice or class for a monsterous race, then subtract the CR adjustment of any templates from what is left, and the final number is your class levels. While there are some monster types that this may seem an excessive burden for, there are just as many that doing it any other way would be too great a benefit to. Rather than trying to come up with a list of each and get bogged down into different folks' opinions on the relative value of their chosen race, we're simply going to go with a singular rule.

And yes, round down for the racial hit dice conversion when it comes to wealth.

Awakened intelligence; 3d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 4) = 12
Awakened Charisma +1d3 ⇒ 3

Kiku is a large (9ft, 1200lbs), black and silver dire ape clad in plate armor that was awakened by a Mwangi druid in dire need of help to battle the demon lord Angazhan and his minion Ruthazek, the Silverback King, who threatened to trow the entire Mwangi Expanse into chaos with their evil ways. Angered by the wanton destruction and lack of regard for natural life and order Kiku became an enraged hunter of monsters and men in the expanse, battling both the expansion of human dominance as well as Angazhan's agents of destruction he eventually killed both Ruthazek himself, drowning his ruined city along with Angazhan's totem by releasing a reservoir from a dormant volcano which the ruins from which the city rose were built under, and the leader of the human order that sought to colonize and tame the expanse.

But though he struck the stone that stemmed the tide and battered the steel-shelled human to a pulp, he did not do so lightly. Kiku knew that releasing the flood would drown and kill many inhabitants of the jungle, birds, small animals and even members of his own tribe, his own females and young. He knew that burning the human settlement would result in brush fire. But Kiku was willing to pay the price for the natural balance. He knew nature would reclaim the ruin that would follow in his cleansing path, trees would re-grow, the undergrowth sprout anew and more young would be born as the animals flocked back to the area. That bluntly brutal mentality is what got him chosen by the Custodians and the one he carries till this day from his jungle-esq dwellings on Astrarium.

Kiku's dwellings on Astrarium is an open aired vault set high in a spike of calcified bone overlooking much of the city. The vault is overgrown with trees and plants with streams of fresh water, a large waterfall sprouting out of the bone and the humid jungle air is teeming with small animals and wildlife.

Though he loves his dwellings with the Custodians he feels an even deeper commitment to it's parent; the Mwangi Expanse. With the Gorilla King dead, the human threat dwindled and the looming presence of Angazhan banished the cycle of nature resumed in peace, predators hunted, small animals thrived, trees bore fruit and young were born. Over all this Kiku reigned as Silverback King, his tribe had grown to encompass all the expanse with the various Silverbacks acknowledging his dominance Kiku sits and watches.