So lets get talking! We've got a few big decisions ahead of us.
First item on the list. What do we want to play?
- Do we want to choose/create our favorite characters and then decide on the setting?
- Or just choose the setting and then create our characters?
Some brainstorming:
Pirates - always fun and seems people get more creative in a pirate setting.
Evil - Like a would be elite team of assassins traveling all over for contracts, or a new gang formed in an urban setting trying to rise to the top.
Classic - Rescue the Kings daughter from the wicked witch of the west... or something classicy like that.
Fun Race - Maybe a group of a flying/rare race in the APG wants to go see the world and experience life 'on the outside' perhaps?
What do you think and what other ideas does anyone have?
Choose the Setting and then the Chars. I am open for almost anyhting that is 3.5 or pathfinder. Not really intrested in learning a new system right now, I do now L5R and any d10 system. I can do but other then that it doesn't bother me at all.
Let me say, I ONLY know Pathfinder, and have done some 3.5 but not going to do it here. So, to be clear, this will be Pathfinder rules, doesn't have to be Golarion though.
More Brainstorming:
Friends - Your a group of pals and your town gets attacked, or some catastrophe strikes, or maybe you decide to go seek adventure in the great wide, somewhere. You want much more than the provincial life, perhaps?
Bounty Hunters (good) - Sort of the opposite of my Evil suggestion, you're out trying to take down baddies.
I know a few systems, but Pathfinder is my favorite. =D
As for setting, I don't know a ton about Golarion, but it would be fine if people prefer. A complete homebrew would be better for me.
Campaign style I think I'd prefer either something more classic, or an evil campaign. I thought about joining a skulls and shackles game but realized I wasn't thrilled about pirates. As for weird race, I think that could be fun if we were all different races, but all the same race might be a bit stale.
I agree with Krumthi: Settings and theme come first, and characters are developed to fit these elements.
And I am particularly fond of Golarion as a setting.
There is only one climate/terrain I wouldn't care to play in: I've been playing in a long-term Legacy of Fire PbP, running over two years now and going strong, and though it's a blast I'm tired of deserts. I would go for pirates, and I'm definitely a fan of the classic elements as well. I will say I'd have difficulty with an evil campaign; I don't think I have it in me to play an evil character.
Some other areas that I'd like an opportunity to explore are the northern regions of Avistan, particularly Irrisen (evil fae, winter witches, and Baba Yaga), the Realm of the Mammoth Lords (Kellid barbarians, megafauna and dinosaurs, and giants), or the Lands of the Linnorm Kings (viking-like Ulfen raiders, ancient dragons, evil fae, and more giants). Region and content type is largely going to be dependant on what Mug is familiar with and has available, though. I'd also love an opportunity to explore Magnimar, the City of Monuments.
Here's a few other brief ideas:
Pathfinders Forget the infighting and politics of Society play. True Pathfinders explore Golarion in search of forgotten secrets and the unknown, all in the hopes of being included in the Pathfinder Chronicles. A great concept to launch an exploration-based game: ruined cities, fantastic locations, and similar themes.
Missionaries of the Church Golarion is a setting rich in deities and lore surrounding them, with an abundance of options for creating characters with either a divine focus or at least a divine link. Whether laying ground for a new temple in forgotten lands or reestablishing footholds lost to time, a group united by a single divine cause can boast incredible synergy.
Champions of the Hoarde A play off the 'fun race' concept Mug mentioned in the initial post. A party untrusted by civilized society must somehow work with the goodly races for the benefit of their tribe/clan/in-laws/etc. TRhe goodly races might benefit. Maybe ...
Sleep gets the creative juices flowing.
Journey to the Antarkos Explorers make frequent trips to the Crown of the World. Lets take a liesurely stroll to Golarion's nether regions; not much is known about the Antarkos Ocean. It's perpetually cold, its waters are treacherous, and a permanent ice shelf serves to anchor the creatures that call this region home. Ghosts are mysteriously drawn to the Antarkos, degenerate trolls and other humanoids roam the frozen ice shelf, and psychic, aquatic giants live beneath the frigid waters. It make you wonder what secrets this inhospitable region holds.
Thieves' Guild Based in a single location or mobile (ship or caravan), we seek challenge and coin. Maybe some heroics from time to time, but only if the reward is worth the effort. We operate under the guise of performers, traders, missionaries, or some other harmless group to hide our illicit activities. Scams offer a particular challenge, especially if orchestrated against members of the upper crust.
I've always thought a group made entirely of stealthy characters could be interesting. This might be a chance to try such a campaign out.
Living in Pineapples Under the Sea An entire world exists beneath Golarion's oceans and seas, with many civilizations competing in a environment rich in life and resources. We are members of aquatic, or perhaps amphibious, races. We can breathe underwater, allowing us to face challenges and discover wonders that surface dwellers only dream of. We are tied to the elemental plane of water, and perhaps even have means to travel to this embodiment of primal elemental power. The surface is largely alien to us, though we may journey to coastal communities and up larger waterways to learn, to trade, and/or to loot.
Secrets Beneath Our Feet Just as an entire world can be found beneath Golarion's waters, another world exists in its deepest bowels. The Darklands are filled with primordial and otherworldly terrors, long-forgotten civilizations and threats, and thriving communities with their own agendas. We come from one such community, or perhaps a group of allied cultures. Threats to our way of life are constant and ever-changing, and it falls to us to ensure our peoples' survival in these inhospitable lands.
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First off, happy to be here!! And I too prefer setting then characters, and Pathfinder works well for me.
I know a decent amount of Golarion since I play PFS, but I'd be good with anything for the most part - I'd prefer to stray from any heavy change; i.e. I'd like to stay in a relatively high-fantasy setting.
Looking at the ideas presented so far, I would be most interested in the following ideas:
- The League of Evil Assassins
- Classic fantasy sword and board high magic rescue
- Friends - sounds like a fun way to begin things, kind of a neat modification on the "you all meet in a bar..."
- Bounty Hunters of the Bad
- Running Man/Battle Royale/Hunger Games idea of forcibly pitting a whole bunch of teams against nature and others for some ultimate goal
- Big ol' dungeon crawl to find the Widget of Doom before Doctor Evil does, with puzzles and interactions within
Setting-wise:
- Linnorm/Mammoth Lords areas are always fun
- Irrisen could be fun
- Worldwound always sounds interesting - demons and devils are always a blast and challenging
- Sargava, Geb, Darklands, Sodden Lands
And if none of these get chosen...meh, I'm totally flexible...though the Pineapple Under the Sea idea doesn't do anything for me. ;)
Very happy to be here, posting from a tablet so will be briefer. Prefer Golarion, setting the characters. A lot of great ideas here, I am open for anything, like the thieves guild, missionaries, journey and of course the crawl. I think a highly urban adventure with a bunch of thrives would be cool. Some odd or unique character creation rules may also be good, a foibles approach resulting in some key weaknesses.
And if none of these get chosen...meh, I'm totally flexible...though the Pineapple Under the Sea idea doesn't do anything for me. ;)
Aw, but This Guy could be the BBEG.
Oh Oh! I've got it! We can mix the 'friends' idea and the weird races idea by going for the genie races: oread, sylph, suli, ifrit, and undine. We have five people, it's perfect.
GOOOOOOOOO PLANET!
Oh Oh! I've got it! We can mix the 'friends' idea and the weird races idea by going for the genie races: oread, sylph, suli, ifrit, and undine. We have five people, it's perfect.
GOOOOOOOOO PLANET!
This setting would require a Captain Golarion and a Gaia, is everyone ok with that? ;)
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@agent - Wow, that deviant art pic of Spongebob is almost more frightening than the regular one!! :)
@hgsolo - Hahahaha - So is Mug Captain Oerth?? I do kinda like that idea though - I call Suli!! And shotgun!! And first dibs!! lol
That idea isn't bad though - whether it's with elementals, or maybe other 'similar' races - like Tiefling, Aasimar, Damphir, something, something...
RB's mention of Geb got me thinking. In that nation intelligent undead have rights that are equal to, or even greater than, the living. This alone is enough to cause friction among other nations and factions throughout the Inner Sea, but it's only compounded by several other factors such as the breeding of a human chattel caste and a law that all who die within Geb's borders are to be raised as mindless undead to serve the state.
We know there are those within Geb's borders that actively oppose Geb and his undead government, most notably the Knights of Ozem, who seek to destroy their brothers that were raised by Geb as well as Arazni, former herald of Aroden now corrupted to become the Harlot Queen. I find it hard to believe there are not other groups working illegally within Geb's borders. This leads me to the following concept:
Underground Railroad
Not all living in Geb desire the embrace of undeath at the end of their life. An underground railroad of sorts has been established to smuggle the dying and recently dead from Geb's borders, in violation of royal decree. We are a part of that movement, protecting our charges, both living and dead, as we move them to safe haven in the Mwangi Expanse, the Mana Wastes, or to vessels on the Obari Ocean. From these havens our charges can be sent elsewhere in the Inner Sea region in the hopes of a restful and undisturbed afterlife.
This concept has a lot of opportunity for intrigue, stealth, and some old-fashioned undead smacking. There are any number of legitimate reasons for living beings to be found in this undead nation, and performing our duties in some way without being discovered would be part of the challenge. It would also easily allow access to several non-standard character options, including dhampir, orcs, hobgoblins, fletchlings, tieflings, etc. And of course, the basic functions of our role in this railroad could end up leading us in entirely different and unexpected campaign directions.
So, really great ideas thus far. I say we let others add any they'd like today, or state their preference on the ideas provided thus far. Then we can make an official decision tonight. Sound ok?
In the interests of the group I'd like to exclude things people do not want to do.
Ideas people do not want:
System other than Pathfinder
Pirates
Under the Sea
Evil (we could still do just rough around the edges chaotic good, ie Han Solo/Robin Hood types.
Deserts
Pathfinder Society (This is my preference)
As far as choosing the adventure;
A) Would you like me to make the ultimate choice based on your stated preferences, or -
B) Shall we make it a more formal vote? You can choose your top 1 and 2 choices and then I'll choose the most preferred, or my own choice if there is no clear winner?
I'll say the top two I'm most excited about thus far have been The League of (good) Assassins/Bounty Hunters or the Underground Railroad, in that order. Also, the setting I'm finding is less important to me, and whenever we talk about one I feel a little skittish about stating "This is our setting" because a more broad idea like friends adventuring together could sweep across many different settings. However, I do recognize that nailing it down to one place, at least initially, will allow greater detail and hopefully add depth, which would be fun.
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GM Mug!
I like that your ideas so lets go with that I know we can have a great time doing he league of good assassins I would like to play that one. I am thinking that I would some brute this time with a thief maybe with an archetype of some sort or maybe even a bard. Who knows I do want to say that I wod love to wait to see why the rest of the party chooses first before I decide so I can pick up the slack on the classes
you all need to have profession weaving ....
When it becomes relevant, and so you can start thinking about it;
I will say I am OK with allowing most races, but I'll reserve the right to veto a race choice. Classes.... I feel less worry about. I have a feeling people will want to get creative with their characters, which I love, but the complexity of the race/class will add an increasing degree of difficulty to the GMing. So shoot for the stars in your ideas, but be aware I may ask for some reworking/tweaking.
you all need to have profession weaving ....
I have a strict house rule which only allows Profession: under-water basket weaving.
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I have a strict house rule which only allows Profession: under-water basket weaving.
Well, there goes my idea of a Working-man Ifrit....
I too like the idea of the League of Assassins - I'll be Black Mamba....... (reference anyone???)
Any chance we can get the character dev rules so we can start working on that? And any chance you'd want to start at 3? I really don't care, just thought I would ask since level 3 is more interesting to me than 2. :)
And if you say no??? Well then....I'll...just...say....OK then! ;)
Kill Bill! and although we won't start anything till we have a group consensus go ahead and make it 25 point buy, level 2 - to get the concept going in your head. If that changes I'll inform you. Ok then? ;)
you all need to have profession weaving ....I have a strict house rule which only allows Profession: under-water basket weaving.
I believe Lurch was trying to reference that movie with the bending of bullets paths and such.
But back to the discussion of the game, good/neutral assassins or underground railroad work for me. I am thinking I want to play something other than my usual skilled role, as I have an arcane trickster in another PbP. Maybe a cleric that serves as support/secondary damage dealer.
Ooooooh yeah! what was that called? WANTED. I enjoyed that one quite a bit.
It seems the general opinion favors the League of Non-Evil Assassins/Bounty Hunters. This seems fine to me; it may not have been my first choice, but it is a good one nonetheless. A lot of different archetypes and concepts to play with.
I'm thinking about a LN hobgoblin world walker druid with a giant scorpion companion. Probably take a dip into either rogue or alchemist to pick up poison use. That said, as I indicated in the recruitment thread I would be willing to fill gaps in the group as needed.
I think it's important we select a specific nation or region of Golarion in which to operate in, which would allow us to better adapt our concepts to the specifics of the regional setting. I'd also like to recommend we operate under the guise of performers, traders, missionaries, or some other harmless group, as I described in the thieves' guild concept. We're going to have to be somewhat mobile, and a cover story would allow us additional freedom to operate in the open.
So let me run this by you, please tell me what you think.
I've been thinking about the concept and it's sort of expanded to include more than a simple hit squad, more like a force for change. This won't always require a death or capture, or violence at all. The task might be to change a politicians mind about a slavery law, or to turn an attacking army aside peacefully, or find a way to encourage an Ogre clan the village in their sights isn't worth their while.
This group you belong to, The Twisting Tree, is secret and powerful. It manipulates these shifts in power and balance through small groups, or Thorns, such as yours. The Twisting Tree will send one of it's Pruners to a town or region, to find and build such a group and begin taking steps to put the area back on track. The leader, or leaders, of The Twisting Tree do not share the overarching plans with it's more 'basic' members, but they do not allow evil into the Tree.
It's newest members are carefully watched and screened long before being approached by a Pruner, and you five were no exception. Your Pruner, who goes by the name Rue or the title Pruner (although you doubt that's his real name) has been working with you for over a year (Thus you're starting at Level 2). You've undergone tests and training, while maintaining a public life as partners in a Transport company (or some other business of your choosing, like Agent suggested).
Keep in mind Pruner finds you in a certain region, but you expect your work to take you elsewhere after a time. As for which region specifically, I'm open to suggestions. I am thinking our story will begin with you're training period nearly complete. There are only a few more tasks between you and becoming a full-fledged Thorn.
Is everyone OK with the direction I'm wanting to take this? Thoughts?
- To Agents rough concept, you may be in a situation where a party is where the target is, or in a generals tent, or underground in a Drow's hideout. So a range of skills will be needed. Or you can just wait till the parties over and ambush the guy on the way home. Or cause a cave-in which kills all the Drow in the tunnels. There will be multiple ways to skin these cats.
you all need to have profession weaving ....I have a strict house rule which only allows Profession: under-water basket weaving.
But you have to have weaving for the secret society of assassins. you know, the ones who have a front as a textiles group, and who get their assignments off of the loom of destiny which weaves "accidental" errors into the cloth to be decoded like binary?
Indeed. :)
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Wow, I'm totally digging this idea Mug - since we all pretty much have to have 'dayjobs' though, and since some classes get so few skill points, any chance you could houserule us a skill point or two, or one a level, something like that, that HAS to be put in a profession/craft/perform?
Just a thought...again, I'm not the kinda guy that gets all hurt by a 'no', but it can't hurt to ask, right?
Well the day job would be a front, but I can houserule a campaign trait called:
"Twisted Disguise" which gives a +2 bonus to either Profession/Craft/Perform/Disguise, and an addition +1 every 4th level after that.
Now the question is do I allow 2 or 3 traits at startup... hmm. My default is 2 but I'm open to arguments.
I might consider an alternate concept then, Mug; a hobgoblin with a giant scorpion following him around may raise a few eyebrows.
I do like the direction your going with this. If possible, could we have a little background on the Twisting Tree? Maybe some idea of the operations its carried out in the past? Some of the less secretive objectives? I can't imagine joining a secret organization without a general idea of its ethical purpose and goals; we have to have a reason for throwing our lot in with the group, after all.
As to the region, there are many areas of the Inner Sea going through political and social strife, and it seems like one of these areas would be of particular interest to any secret society wishing to influence the flow of events. Here are a couple off the top of my head, and there are many more as well:
Lake Encarthan The situation on the western shores of Lake Encarthan are a literal powder keg as the nation of Nirmathas fights for its continued independence from Molthune. On the lake's eastern shore lies the sorcerer-state of Razmiran and the elven homeland of Kyonin, both isolated and insular countries with varied secrets and problems. Druma is located on the lake's southern shore, and were there's wealth there's power to manipulate. Superstitious Ustalav can be found on the lake's northern banks, and the Isle of Terror can be found at its center.
The lake is one of the most highly-traveled bodies of water on Golarion, its water crossed by travelers, merchants, and pirates. With easy access to areas of trade and commerce, as well as numerous centers of political power, the region surrounding Lake Encarthan is an ideal location for a secretive society to carve a niche for itself.
Galt If there were ever a nation ripe for exploiting, it would be Galt. The country's near-constant revolutions, sometimes with multiple revolutionary movements occurring simultaneously, has resulting in an unstable populace. A knife in the right place can launch an all-out civil war, a truth the land is very familiar with.
If we're OK with the direction I can come up with some claimed background... not that anyone would be able to prove their involvement in past acts. Ethics and goals would be more forthcoming/accessible. I'm not opposed to a hobgoblin or other races of that ilk, in the immediate area you dwell we can handwave that first year of shock and overcoming distrust (I'm thinking a bonus to diplomacy checks in the town the Thorn resides in -for typically evil races).
This is starting to sound pretty good. It sounds like this group (the tree) is probably leaning towards LN or NG.
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I'll post an idea or two for a character tomorrow, as I'm falling asleep at my keyboard - in the mean time, I'll throw my vote in for three traits.
That's not me trying to be greedy...honestly I wish it was more common to be allowed more, as I think they can add a little flavor or flair to a background.
For instance - one character I submitted to a different game was an orc who I had grow up as a slave in a neighboring orc tribe, and learned to fight and kill early on, blah blah blah -- so when I picked traits, I ended up going with Killer and Poverty Stricken, as they fit the character and were decent mechanically speaking...but I had to choose these two from a pot of about 6 or 7, so, yeah.
Anyway, that's my vote for three, with some reason why.
Assuming Budfox is OK with the campaign setting as defined thus far, lets proceed into Character Creation mode. Here's some additional information about The Twisted Tree, as requested.
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The Twisting Tree
A secret and powerful group. It manipulates shifts in power and balance throughout all the known world, acting through small groups, or Thorns. Little is known about how this group decides to further it's goals, the only rare evidence indicating their involvement (or existence) is a small metal disk engraved with the image of a tree -twisting and tossing in the wind. These disks have been found on the persons of men and women of all ages, vocations, races, religions, social-status, and positions of power, but typically only after said person is deceased. Those deceased persons suspected of being a part of The Twisted Tree are generally well-liked, or at least not hated, often acknowledged for the good they've done in the world, measured in works both large and small, obvious and subtle. The groups agenda is a mystery, but it is almost a certainty that they have one.
Occasionally a young person will boast of being approached, and even recruited, by the Twisted Tree, and what little information we have about their operations come from these 'Seedlings' or 'Saps' as they call themselves. However, without fail, within a short span of time those who are vocal about being a 'Seedling' either recant on statements made previous, forget entirely what they said, or disappear as if they never were.
This is what we've pieced together from the bits and pieces provided by these apparent washouts; The Twisting Tree will send one of it's Pruners to a town or region, to find and build such a group and begin taking steps to put the area back on track. The leader, or leaders, of The Twisting Tree do not share the overarching plans with it's more 'basic' members, but they do not allow evil into the Tree. It's newest members are carefully watched and screened long before being approached by a Pruner. A Pruner is a training and adviser of a local Thorn. The Thorn is a small group of these Seedlings who have passed some kind of test or initiation, we aren't sure how this process works. It is believed that the Thorns do not hide completely, but maintain public lives among the citizens of the city or region under their influence. No Thorn or Pruner has ever been found alive, presumably they will choose death over capture. If you believe the reports, they call themselves The Twisted Tree because the chaos and uncertainty of life is similar to a great tree in the face of fierce winds, and without care, guidance, and pruning, the tree will eventually crack and fall. So branches and twigs must be removed, insect infestations burned away, the ground cultivated and fed, and all in the name of sustaining the trunk which brings life to the tiniest leaf-bud. This 'philosophy' may well embody the essence of The Twisted Tree's purpose, but know this information is unconfirmed.
Since no office above a Pruner has ever been heard of, the supposed goals and acts of The Twisted Tree can only be considered wild speculation. Purportedly they consider themselves agents of change, for the good if you believe the tales. There is some mild evidence to support this given some of the public figures who have been found with the engraved disk in their possession. However it's also speculated that these individuals who have disks were only pawns or puppets of The Twisted Tree, and were given the disk as a reminder or warning. Some acts they are generally credited with include; the disgrace and imprisonment of a sadistic Viscount in Westcrown, the disappearance of an abusive husband in a small village of Zi Han in Tian Xia, preventing an uprising of Bonuwat in Senghor, and turning aside an attack by one of the umbral dragons of Nidal.
Whether you gives these claims any credibility is up to you, but many do believe and look for the sign of The Twisted Tree in hopes of confirming this secretive groups existence. What do you believe?
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If this isn't enough to get started let me know. Oh I think the setting will be the city of Eranmas, the second largest city of the nation Molthune. Any questions please let me know.
EDIT: Regarding Traits... I'll say three, but one must be the homebrew trait of Twisted Disguise. Beware I may reduce this to two, depending on how fancy shmacy some of you get. I've got my eye on you... O.<
This looks awesome, is it a Homebrew or the first draft of a new Paizo AP? :)
I will be putting together ideas and traveling most of the day Wednesday, will put pen to paper in earnest for a full first draft Thursday.
This looks to be a really great adventure, it's got my creative juices flowing.
Maybe a LN rogue (knife master) follower of Alseta the Welcomer; a two-weapon mobile combatant working to facilitate change in the name of the goddess of transitions. Maybe pick of a few level of inquisitor. Maybe go into the Shadowdancer PRC.
Not sure what race would go best with the concept though. Any ideas?
I did read that Molthune has hobgoblins, lycanthropes... and something else I can't check right now because I'm at work are allowed and used in the army of Molthune. Your hobgolbin idea could still be viable, fyi.
I did read that Molthune has hobgoblins, lycanthropes... and something else I can't check right now because I'm at work are allowed and used in the army of Molthune. Your hobgolbin idea could still be viable, fyi.
It accepts hobgoblins, centaurs, lycanthropes, and even some nagas into its military, where they serve in specialized units. It's an arrangement that's not very popular, though, and such a creatures is likely to be viewed with suspicion. This distrust combined with the requisite ties to Molthune's military are not ideal for a secret society of assassins.
I'll keep the concept in mind, but it doesn't sound very feasible to the setting; such a character is likely to draw too much attention to himself. When a local lord mayor ends up dead, the hobgoblin working at the traveling circus would probably be a primary suspect.
EDIT Though maybe the knife fighter could be a hobgoblin; disguised as a member of Molthune's military, he might be able to hide in plain sight. People that would blame a crime on a goblinoid due to his race are also unlikely to take the time to differentiate one hobgoblin in the military from another.
*places finger on nose*
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Loving this all so far!
Mug, how much gold do we get to spend? Just want to know if my two-handed oversized gold-plated adamantine +5 epic weapons I want to wield while wearing over-fortified +8 mithral full plate of doom is doable at level 2, or if I'm wielding a chair leg while wearing a loincloth instead....
=)
Who would want all that expensive stuff when the alternative is a chair and loincloth? The latter option is far superior in any number of situations.
What do we want our cover to be? Eranmas' industrial focus is its shipyards, and the city is also the home port of Molthune's navy.
Loving this all so far!
Mug, how much gold do we get to spend? Just want to know if my two-handed oversized gold-plated adamantine +5 epic weapons I want to wield while wearing over-fortified +8 mithral full plate of doom is doable at level 2, or if I'm wielding a chair leg while wearing a loincloth instead....
Actually you're wearing the chair leg, and wielding the loin cloth... and yes it is as painful as it sounds. Let me get back to you on that number.
EDIT: Your starting gold is 800 gp. It's less than the standard level 2 starting gold of 1000gp, but you haven't been adventuring that entire 1st level, you've been training. True you have employment, but it's not a full time job, as it only hides your true purpose. So, 800gp.
It is on the table, but must make sense for your character, as you said.