Some years ago, Azrenar, a cleric of Maramaga, Scythe-mother and Queen of Rot, petitions the king of Maerh-Varza to build a great temple to the ancient goddess. In great fury, the king seeks to put the offensive cleric and his followers to the sword and nearly succeeds. His follower’s dead bodies line the roads to Maerh-Varza and the cleric Azrenar curses the king, declaring bloody vengeance.
Hi! Now that we have a common place for discussion, here are the proposed guidelines for character creation and a few of the "bigger" items that will impact gameplay.
Because I’m “efficient”, see GM Blood’s Rappan Athuk (link) application guidelines regarding races and racial/character build points. All classes are allowed, as is any alignment. I have two requirements, however:
- Standard Action summoning summons a creature that is not bound to your will and is fully independent. Commanding the creature to aid you is an Immediate action that requires a Diplomacy or Handle Animal skill check against a starting attitude of Hostile. If you succeed, the creature acts as written in existing Pathfinder rules.
- Evil/CN alignment characters need to have a reason to stick with and support the rest of the party at all times.
Other than that, the door is wide open: two traits, 1000 gp, etc. Any Pathfinder or Pathfinder-Compatible character option published to d20pfsrd.com is permitted. Hero Points will also be used; characters start with one, and may have up to two earned at times of Level Advancement. I reserve the discretion to award a bonus Hero Point for truly heroic actions. Since the "best" use of Hero Points is to avoid death, expenditure of one Point leaves the character in negative Hit Points but stable - but with a Debilitating Blow in a location to be rolled on the Called Shots variant ruleset in Ultimate Combat (lethal results will be re-rolled). Two Hero Points will avert death without permanent effects. Other than that, I’m open to suggestions for what you guys have to say. I anticipate changes will have to be made (particularly if my proposed house rules are unpopular), in which case I will use the Campaign Info tab to keep only the current information.
A paragraph or two of character background will also be ueful, if only to aid me in how the NPCs will react to your characters.
It is my intent to allow you a week to plan and synergize your characters and their class features and abilities, and hopefull begin gameplay next weekend (October 18-20). This adventure is heavy with undead with elements of exploration and investigation, so plan accordingly.
Howdy - GM Horror, if you start the gameplay thread, we can all dot it so that this shows up under the campaign thread and I do not have to find it through PM.
Trying to figure what to play. Thinking about either an Arcane Archer or a Collegiate Arcanist. Not sure how to build or what race. Trying to figure that out.
Gameplay thread created!
GM Horror, not sure what to play yet, will wait to see what ideas everyone else has before committing! (Though I do have a couple ideas brewing)
Thinking undead scourge nagaji or angelkin paladin OR elven mindchemist know it all with breadth of knowledge and tons of knowledge traits to put many knowledge skills as class skills.
As the second option covers the knowledge skills of a primary wizard, I will not go that way if someone wants to do a wizard. It does open the way for a blaster sorcerer light on skills though.
So it is just us three or is anyone else in this?
Several more invitations were issued [late] Saturday evening to such dubious characters as "Tybek Odeon" and "Kilthan Hammerstone", with no response as yet.
Campaign Info has been updated with Character Creation info, flavor text for the adventure, and basic meta-info on what to expect in terms of difficulty. Yes, I cribbed it from GM Blood's Rappan Athuk, but I've made changes to suit this game and my own opinions/preferences/GM intent. Just to reiterate, however, nothing is set in stone so if there's something you don't like please say something and we can discuss it.
Looking at a Slyph archer-arcane archer. Depending on the number of players, I will start as a ranger if we need a skill/lock picker. Fighter if no skill player needed.
Glad to be invited -- dotting for now and trying to figure out what I feel like playing.
At the moment, I think I'm being pulled toward something like an Arcane Duelist or a Magus, but we'll see how that rolls out in my head.
And I'm not sure how dubious Kilthan is -- unless you're referring to his dicerolling abilities :)
Neato, I like it. I had a Sylph sorcerer in a PbP that the GM abandoned after the first combat encounter, so I've had a bit of a soft spot for the race ever since. How do you plan on getting 1st level Arcane spells - wizard, sorcerer, or bard? Also, Aarakess died?!
That would be notorious, not dubious! At some point after you'd completed the Whispering Cairn I went through and logged every single d20 roll you had. I know this will be difficult to believe, but his rolls were fairly evenly distributed - statistically-speaking. I noted, however, a preponderance of high rolls 'achieved' in non-combat situations (skill checks) as opposed to attack rolls. I PM'ed it to GM Blood; if I get a few spare minutes I may go and try to find it.
Ok, I've got a few ideas -- which one I pick will depend on what the party needs.
One of the thoughts that I've had so far was an Undine Tempest Druid -- revel in the storms, divine caster with combat ability.... especially once wild shape becomes available.
However, if there's a need for a primarily martial sort of character, I'm thinking about a Battle Herald -- likely built from a standard-bearer cavalier (to avoid the whole underpowered mount thing due to it not gaining levels) -- and if I go that way, I was thinking an Ifrit might be fun, going with a whole hot-tempered sort of thing.
If it's about support/face, I've got an idea for a Catfolk bard, probably an arcane duelist.
I'm sure I'll have other ideas if none of those work -- but kind of where I'm at now, in any case.
Lol - Slyph Fighter/Wizard/Arcane Archer and and Ifrit Cavalier/Battle Herald or a Undine Druid. Now to see if we can get the rest of the players to play the rest of the genie folk. An Oread Cleric or Druid perhaps?
Yeh - Aarakess is currently metabolically challenged. Hoping to be reborn soon, probably as a bugbear or a pig or a tree stump or something with my luck.
I'm thinking either big ole barbarian or two weapon or mobile fighter archetype. Either way I'll stand in the line of fire.
I do admit that I sort of wanted to try out a Trap Breaker alchemist, but I've got a beastmorph alchemist in another campaign as the primary skill character for the party -- figured there's not a lot of expanding horizons in that. (Also, that seems to have a lot of overlap with the mindchemist proposed earlier..)
In terms of the planetouched races, it's just a matter of playing something a little different -- when I stick with the "core" PC races I tend to find myself (half-)human or gnome almost as a default setting.
Still, your suggestion has the wheels in my head spinning --- you see, I need to stat out a party of bounty-hunter/mercenaries to hunt down my party and now I'm thinking I might go all Captain Planet on them -- Ifrit, Undine, Sylph, Oread and a Suli to lead them.
Lol.
I would like to see two alchemists. Trapbreaker + mindchemist.
I can cover the knowledge skills. We may try to go no wizard.
or have an all alchemist party!
Everyone has more or the same amount of alchemist levels than other classes. I think you could get every role even without multi-classing
Tirion, I've seen is claimed around the message boards that you can get approximately the same functionality and additional utility if you go archery-based Eldritch Knight instead of Arcane Archer. Something to consider, at any rate. Also, it is my understanding that based on the FAQ last spring the Sylph's SLA qualifies as "1st Level Arcane spell" - so technically you wouldn't have to take any levels in a caster class and can go straight fighter or ranger into the prestige class. I could be wrong in that, however.
Tilnar, you have some great ideas, and it's a touch choice which way to go! I'm partial to the battle herald because I've always wanted play one myself, but on the other hand I think the Undine Storm Druid would be a lot of fun to play as well.
David, I know you're a dwarf fan - so dwarf barbarian in heavy armor specializing in grapples with armor spike goodness...? hehehe
The dwarf can talk to his enemies like one would to a small baby, "Does the grumpy undead need a hug. Awww poor negative energy abomination!"
My first 3rd edition character was a halfling barbarian because coming from basic D&D/1st that was the funniest thing I could think of. My friend Scott played a half-orc barbarian. They were "half brother" barbarians. He (Ker Thunk)took a feat to be proficient with throwing me (Ker Splat) into combat and I had punch daggers, armor spikes, and grappled. It was a fun time all around.
I think we need David 's full orc armored hulk in front.
We won't see the arcane part of the archer until the sequel.
Only problem with Eldritch Knight is that it requires 5 levels of wizard, 6 of sorcerer or 7 of summoner/bard to get the ability to cast 3rd level spells.
By taking Arcane Archer, I keep the BAB and pick up the casting for EK at higher levels if necessary. Also, while Slyph might qualify for AA, the problem is that I would not have an arcane class to add spellcasting levels to. I suppose that you could allow to just start casting as a wizard, but it seems a little strange.
Personally, I think that it is straight fighter for 6 levels. Grap WF and WS followed by Point Blank Master. Combine this with Snap Shot, Improved Snap Shot and possibly Greater SS, and the arcane archer becomes a great melee fighter.
I could also make an alchemist if we are all playing alchemists. Not sure what type, but I am sure that I could find something.
To be honest, an all-alchemist party could be very effective. (And not just for their ability to go nova on stuff).
A party of four could easily be:
- A "Feral" (Ragechemist, maybe) as a frontliner -- dipping into Master Chymist for the full BAB later
- A Chiurgeon as primary healer
- A Trap Breaker as scout and lock-picker
- A Mindchemist for lore and knowledge skills
All told, between bomb upgrades (dispelling, smoke, tanglefoot, etc), you've got battlefield control down pretty well and likely don't need a wizard. (Throw in a 5th member, a preservationist, and you've really got things working).
Could be fun. (Storing that away to be used against my RL party also...)
The new Snap Shot feats have *really* helped with that build approach -- but, sadly, because nobody ever goes back and makes edits to existing things, they're not available as ranger archery style feats [but they are flagged as "combat" feats] -- which means that the fighter-archer ends up being the better build (unless you know you're only facing a certain enemy types or want the skill points that ranger gets you).
Having said all of that, my biggest issue with AA [well, other than the super-focus on the bow, so despite the loss of a racial need, you can't really make a dwarven arcane crossbowman or a halfling arcane slinger...] has always been that the enhance arrow power is rather pointless (or, at least, the level 1 version is) -- by the time you qualify for AA, you most certainly have a magical (composite) longbow (with strength rating). I know that they just (more-or-less) copy-pasted the PrCs in the core rulebook, but I'm a little surprised (and disappointed, really) that the enhance power doesn't follow a paladin/magus/etc weapon-enhancement sort of mechanism.
Having said all of that, my biggest issue with AA [well, other than the super-focus on the bow, so despite the loss of a racial need, you can't really make a dwarven arcane crossbowman or a halfling arcane slinger...]
I'd be okay with house-ruling that if desired.
How about this -- four alchemists and the dwarf barbarian that always could drink any concoctions and not get sick.
Plus they needed him to lug the master alchemy lab along.
Something tells me that initially the AA was also limited to elves as elves tend to be the "arcane" race and also the "archer" race. I could have sworn that elf was a prerequisite when I first looked at the class 2 years ago or so.
I suppose the bonuses are not all that fantastic, but essentially for the loss of 5 combat feats and 1 BAB, you get distance, holy, shocking/flaming/icy/acid burst and 8 levels of spellcasting ability (1 wizard, 7 AA). For a big weapon, that is 150k worth of upgrades for a +5 to a +10. More if you actually have a weapon with +10 figures already since they do not limit the bonus to +10.
Either way, I have always wanted to play one.
It still is elf-only -- at least in my (older) printing of Core. It was errataed away (in the same way we have the "Stalwart" Defender, now).
And, sorry, to be clear in what I was saying earlier: I meant that the Fighter-Archer was a better way to get *to* AA (over Ranger) now as a result of Fighters getting more options each time new feats are dropped, where rangers combat styles don't change. It wasn't a criticism of an AA build-- being able to drop burst spells that are presently really only limited by their range at 550' or more thanks to your longbow is a pretty snazzy ability.
[Stone Call can be a good example -- it goes from medium to longbow-range, does damage with no save, and then makes difficult terrain to prevent the bad guys from rushing and getting you...]
In 3.x it was Elf only.
I could see at least taking 2 levels for imbue arrow before moving on the EK. I suppose it is if you are looking to be an archer with some spells, or a spell caster with some archery tricks.
As for an alchemist party, I'm for it if others are. I would also be ok with the Oread or Ifrit race. (Though the loss of all the spells that won't work because we are outsider might hurt!)
Otherwise an Orc (or tengu...hmmm) Barbarian may be coming your way.
Oh, and @Horror -- I also really want to play one -- which was the intent of the cavalier in the other party -- and then one of the fighters dipped bard and rather took the role away. However, once I start thinking about characters that could be fun, I usually end up with a bunch of weird ideas (like Kilthan), so I'll hold back and see what the rest of the party's doing before committing to any one of the ideas.
(I'm especially fond of characters that seem to go against type -- which is why I *love* the Orc Scarred Witch archetype -- and keep kicking around the idea of an Undine Oracle born to the Mystery of Flame (or, if you prefer, Efreet-Blood Sorcerer..)
I'm both intrigued to see and worried about what you can do with a full-orc Barbarian, Blood. I already know my poor monsters are going to get smoked by Tirion's Arcane Archer - so it'll be a race between you to see who can "party hearty"-est.
The problem with Barbarian is that the enemy gets to move in close before the damage machine starts kicking. With the distance ability and a composite longbow, I should be able to start dealing out damage at about 2000'. If I take 4 levels of Rogue(sniper), I do not lose many fighter feats (take weapon feats for rogue talents) and get to halve the distance penalties at a cost of +1BAB. This would also add evasion and 2d6 sneak damage.
Hmmm, so many options and so little time to decide. Thinking of which, I am pretty sure I am supposed to be getting ready for a meeting in 30 minutes. Later . . .
first, this is hilarious, Wil Wheaton playing a RPG-- the comic owner on Big Bang is my favorite
I vote for an orc barbarian that takes Smeller to smell things.
Though a lizardman barbarian isn't a bad way to go either.
Orc or lizardman, Smeller = Win.
Hmmm, King Shukak's lieutenant Shukak was a lizardman barbarian and he was pretty effective, maybe I could go that route ;)
I could always go with an animal lord giant porcupine. Just the thought of this race makes me smile.
Well, I do see why that would work well -- the Lizardman's natural armour helps make up for the lost AC from lighter armour and raging -- and +2 Str, +2 Con is pretty much the perfect barbarian bonus array.
And then, of course, there's the ability to drop your sword or axe and have three primary attacks (bite/claw/claw) all at full rage-enhanced strength (and with lesser fiend totem, it's 4 attacks at level 2, adding the gore) [and the spikes later are a pretty useful defensive power]
That doesn't suck in the slightest.
So, just for my own mind as I consider how to deal with things -- at the moment, we're looking at a brutish barbarian and the Arcane Archer in the party -- while Chainmail and I are still somewhat less committed as to which of our ideas to follow?
Is it just the four of us who'll be playing? If so, the druid becomes more appealing, since without it there's no divine caster and no full cater.
Not sure whether DM Harpwizard is going to join. I believe GM Horror PMed him, but I have not seen a post yet. He may be busy with work at this point as well and usually has a lot going on in RL.
Lizardman armored hulk?
Mindchemist for me now. Tweaking this alias. Might push into to 19
Think it will hold its own vs the primary arcane caster.
Is Ty in?
I sent him a PM Saturday night. I also did some profile/alias stalking yesterday and he's barely posted at all this week so I'm not too concerned about him declining so much as not having had a chance to check it out yet.
I have two competing thoughts on this: I can either run it 4-man and using the adventure's guidelines on reducing CR for smaller parties and find a 5th or 6th player later if you all want, or wait for Harpwizard/find another player and start with the larger party. The first has the advantage of beginning gameplay sooner rather than later, but the second allows you as players to better synergize classes/abilities/play-styles.
I admit to partiality towards giving Harpwizard a chance to respond either way, particularly since we're all busy adults with a lot of things going on which has certainly characterized myself these past few months - but I also want to respect all of you guys' time and not keep you waiting around with nothing fun happening.
I have not had the time to fully finish thinking about the character. I will try to start putting together an alias this evening.
If I remember, I will give DMHW a call tonight. We are supposed to be going to Carnage on the Mountain in a few weeks and need to discuss that anyway. It will be my first con, so it should be interesting.
I just got confirmation on GM'ing a couple PF Scenarios at RockCon next Saturday. Ended up being the very ones I ran at GenCon a couple years ago so I even had the scenarios!
If I remember, I will give DMHW a call tonight
Any word?
Also, Blood, per the PRD, Lizardfolk is 8 RP if you're considering that route.
So I have put a lot of thought into this, with all the wide open choices I've settled on...dun dun dun Human.
So to Start I will be a human Fighter (Unbreakable) 1/ Barbarian (Invulnerable/Urban) 1...going barbarian the rest of the way....unless I take a level of oracle at 9th for the lame curse.
Unless I change my mind again! ;)
Will work on a character sheet
Totally spaced calling him tonight. Will try to remember tomorrow. Will shoot him a PM in the meantime.
How about lvl 1 barbarian so you don't need a haircut
Lvl 2 ranger trapper to cover disable enemy=Undead
Then 4 fighter lvls
Then arcane archer
Tybek is out; he doesn't feel comfortable assuming additional posting obligations at this time. You now have several options:
-Proceed as a four-player party with reduced CR (guidelines are written into the adventure to accommodate this so I wouldn't actually be adjusting on-the-fly)
-Proceed as a four-player party with baseline CR and Gestalt characters (Gestalt=each character has two classes, using the better saves and hd from each class)
-Recruit another one or two players
-Play two characters each
-Others you can think of
Edit:
As most of you are aware, I am in an evening MBA program. I have an exam on Monday evening and anticipate spending much of my time this weekend preparing so that, combined with the ambiguity regarding starting party composition, means I'm delaying the start to sometime next week - but no later than next weekend: I'm really excited for this adventure and can't wait to get started!
Some additional information about this adventure, it was written as a prequel to The Bleeding Hollow which was a Kickstarter project last year. It will become available in the next several weeks, and it is my intent to begin that adventure following the completion of The Reaping Stone.
The Bleeding Hollow
The Bleeding Hollow is a survival-horror themed sandbox style adventure for the Pathfinder RPG by Paizo. It will contain over 100 pages of adrenaline pumping excitement for up to 6 players of 4th to 6th levels.
In this adventure, the players are drawn to the small wilderness town of Westden Falls to clear the surrounding environs of a particularly nasty group of harpies. Of course, nothing is as easy as it looks and the players soon find themselves embroiled in a plot between two ancient enemies.
Everyone becomes collateral damage, and the players must use every ounce of wit, survival instinct and tactics they possess to simply survive -- let alone helping those in need... This is not an adventure for the faint of heart, or the foolishly good. Hard moral choices will have to be made that will make your players sweat.
The adventure is written to follow the players, and not lead them. The choices they make will have great significance and possibly repercussions as the events unfold and the clock ticks down... Truly this is a fantastic sandbox style adventure.
I rather like the Gestalt option. I know that the 4 players we have are good posters and will keep the campaign moving - unlike my ToEE where I REALLY need to update right now but do not have the time.
If you were to do the Gestalt, the question is what would be the restrictions on the gestalt character? Could we use it for PrC? Only certain classes?