The Winter of Discontent

Game Master Cardboard Tube Knight

A strange new cult has sprung up in the land with mysterious fiendish ties and with it, children have started to disappear from small settlements around the City of Cyphers, Riddleport. Our adventure starts with travelers seeking shelter from the rain in a Temple of Callistra…

Finally decided to try my hand at running something on the boards here. Since this place is like the Pathfinder Nexus. I’m Cardboard Tube Knight and I’ve been role playing since 2008, playing Pathfinder since 2009 and DMing since 2009 also. I need a team of dedicated players, four or five to take on a Homebrew adventure and loosely adapted from the first game I ever played in only this time set in Golarion.

I’d like to ask that people be able to post once per day and if there’s need for you to be away please tell me so that we can DMNPC your character or, if the absence is more permanent, find a suitable replacement.

I’m a storyteller at heart and love roleplaying and writing. But I don’t want to put you all on the rails nor am I the perfect DM. So if you see something wrong or have a dispute, just tell me.

Character creation rules are as follows

-Characters Start at Level 1
-25 Point Buy
-Two traits (one of which must be from the campaign traits provided), drawbacks are allowed, but subject to approval.
-Max starting gold for your chosen class
-Allowed races: Core, Aasimar, Tiefling and Kitsune.
-Any non-evil alignment.
-Allowed classes: Core, Base and at later levels Prestige.
-I don’t like the encumbrance rules, so you’re allowed some leeway with carried items. Just don’t have a water clock or something else ridiculous on your person.
-Not going to count mundane ammunition. It's assumed that an archer has arrows or bolts for their crossbow unless those arrows or bolts are something magic or special in some other way (ie, silver arrows).
-No high tech weapons or advanced firearms.
-Either a short backstory or write up of the characters past and concept are required. But I would like that part turned in through PM.

I’d like the party to be a balanced skill set of different types, so the roles I’m looking to fill are:

-Melee
-Skilled
-Arcane Caster
-Divine Caster/Healer
-Tank

If it comes down to it and someone has a really good character that doesn’t fit into this, I might let them slide by.

Homebrew Campaign Traits

Former Slave: You were sold into slavery at a young age in one of the many secret auctions around Golarion, as such you came to know a mysterious benefactor that helped you to earn your freedom. Perhaps she paid your way or perhaps she got you on your feet after you escaped. Regardless, your time in servitude taught you much about the nobility of the land and their history through overheard conversations. You gain a +3 on Knowledge Nobility and this is always a class skill for you.

Finding Father: Maybe your father is all you have left in this world or maybe you’ve got little siblings and an ill mother at home, but your father’s mysterious disappearance and the hole it left in his wake has caused you to set out in search of him. From a young age he taught you to be wary of others, thus Sense Motive is a class skill for you and you gain a +3 bonus to discern the motives of others.

Born Under A Bad Moon: There was a comet in the sky on the day of your birth and the moon was painted blood red as it passed. You’ve had visions all your life of a great calamity to come and you feel called to the road as there’s something inside of you telling you that the time is near. You know not of the hoard of tragedies to befall the land, but your resolve is steeled against hardship. You gain a +2 to WILL saves.

Scholar of the Ancients: Growing up with your nose in books, you’ve had a great interest in past cultures and ancient history. Furthermore, having grown up in Varisia, you know the monuments dotting the landscape belong to an ancient civilization known as Thassilon. From your life of study and dogged research, you’ve pieced together the language and partial history of this once-great empire. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (history) checks, and begin play able to speak and read Thassilonian.

Fiendish Taint: Somewhere along you bloodline there was a person who dabbled in dark magics as a play for strength and wellbeing. Great tragedy was cast upon them and they were cursed, but in some form their dabbling garnered results. You begin play with one extra hit point and +1 on FORT saves.

This isn’t first come first serve. Characters converted from other games are welcome and you have until October the thirteenth to get something in for me to review.

any restriction on archetypes?

There's so many of the things I would have to look over what you've got cooking there. I would say mostly, no.

Added a bit about mundane ammunition, too.

I also presume no third party? My particular interest would be Deep Magic.

Sorry, no third party sources. Trying to keep the game as simple as possible

I'm interested. Couple of unrelated questions. First, Gunslinger is okay, correct? Second, how about the archetype Kitsune Trickster from the Advanced Race Guide?

Yeah, the gunslinger is fine as is the Kitsune Trickster (had one of those in my game before, actually).

I've never really understood the gunslinger hatred.

Color me interested. I think I want to try my hand at a wizard.

No archetypes? Or you would want to approve an archetype before it's selected?

@Adam Warnock: Awesome, you'll hear no complaints from me for that!

@The Morphling: I'm allowing most archetypes, the ones that would probably get disallowed are like the Synthesist Summoner. It almost makes it stupid not to min/max and I just don't want to give people that temptation.

I know this is a longshot but would you be willing to allow Tome of Battle? specifically the Warblade, Bloodclaw Master PrC, and maybe some feats? I have had this idea for a strength rather than dex-based two-weapon fighter for a while but never get the okay. This avatar is the basic setup. Also are there any restrictions on books we can pull from?

dotting for interest, probably on the melee tip

Added a bit about mundane ammunition, too.

Since you allow early firearms does this exclude or include bullets for guns?

DM CTK wrote:

Added a bit about mundane ammunition, too.

Since you allow early firearms does this exclude or include bullets for guns?

(This one is relevant because firearm bullets are very expensive.)

I know this is a longshot but would you be willing to allow Tome of Battle? specifically the Warblade, Bloodclaw Master PrC, and maybe some feats? I have had this idea for a strength rather than dex-based two-weapon fighter for a while but never get the okay. This avatar is the basic setup. Also are there any restrictions on books we can pull from?

The write up you have is great, but I'm going to have to go no on Tome. If you could make it work in Pathfinder somehow then I'll allow it.

The books being allowed depend on what we're allowing. I'm not allowing some of the classes, like the alternate and hybrid. But I would allow feats from that book you were still eligible for or spells. Same thing goes for races, I have Core and three others down, but if there's a feat from Advanced Races that might still be in if it applies to the race or class you've selected.

DM CTK wrote:

Added a bit about mundane ammunition, too.

Since you allow early firearms does this exclude or include bullets for guns?

It excludes them. I'm not considering them mundane ammunition. It will include arrows, bolts and whatever it is slings fire (because in the years I've been playing no one has bothered to use the sling).

I think I'm going to submit a cleric or possibly an oracle. Thinking of an older man who's in his late forties or early fifties and who's spent most of his life as a first level serving the needs of a small community. Something propels him into adventuring late in life. I'll submit something in a few days. I've roleplayed since the 70s and have been a Pathfinder GM and am a member of the Pathfinder society. Can you give any indication of the general nature of the adventure? Dungeon crawl, mystery solving, social situations, wilderness? Thanks.

I think I might have kept things a little too mysterious.

There won't be much dungeon crawling unless the party looks for it. Instead this game is going to start out as social situations, a little over-world travel and will later morph into race to stop an army of undead for claiming more souls for their lord.

We should be looking at a good mix of many different styles of play, though.

Missed the part about only core and base classes. Was looking to play a specific character and that rule excludes him, so I'll withdraw.

Happy gaming to all!

Are magi off the table?

I'm going to be withdrawing as well. Good luck.

Are magi off the table?

Magus is allowed. Here are a list of the classes allowed.

-Barbarian
-Bard
-Cleric
-Druid
-Fighter
-Monk
-Paladin
-Ranger
-Rogue
-Sorcerer
-Wizard
-Alchemist
-Cavalier
-Gunslinger
-Inquisitor
-Magus
-Oracle
-Summoner
-Witch

I would love to play one of the characters I have built. I can fill pretty much any role. If you'd like to pencil me in as "Willing to play just about anything", I'll fill whatever role you have trouble finding.

Example Characters I have togethert:

Tiefling Arcane Trickster(Ninja/Sorcerer) Magical Sniper
Tiefling "Jungle Guardian"(Druid/Monk) Cat Form Shifter Melee Damage
Half-Elf(Drow) Mystic Theurge(Cleric/Sorcerer) Healer/Full Caster
Dwarf Polearm Fighter(Fighter/Paladin) Tank

Alright, I've got the crunch figured out for Koayi. She's a Kitsune Trickster rogue and a devotee of Calistria from Riddleport. You said you wanted the backstory PM'd to you. Do you also want personality and appearance PM'd, or can that be posted?

I kind of want to take the paranoid drawback so I can pick up the anatomist combat trait.If that's a problem, I don't need them.
Paranoid: You believe that someone or something is always out to get you, so you have a hard time truly trusting anyone. Anyone who attempts an aid another action of any type to assist you must succeed at a DC 15 check instead of the normal DC 10 check.
Anatomist: You have studied the workings of anatomy, either as a student at university or as an apprentice mortician or necromancer (I'm going to justify it a bit differently). You know where to aim your blows to strike vital organs. You gain a +1 trait bonus on all rolls made to confirm critical hits.

Here is my submission for melee/tank. Note that unlike traditional tanks I use the finesse style to be able to be less of a drain on healing support. I also will be using demoralize a lot to help debuff opponents. In addition I plan to use Antagonize and Stand Still to prevent the famed "I ignore the hard to hit guy and go after the squishies" :)

Will send you my background by PM as requested in a little bit.

Here is a cleric submitted for your approval for this campaign. Background is on the profile. Pretty much a simple LG cleric of Erastil, but with a potential hook to the adventure.

Looking good everyone and I will look out for that PM from Galahad0430.

It seems the restrictions on the character creation have thinned things out a little more than I expected, but we'll still keep this going until the thirteen just because I want to give others a chance to see the thread.

I want to be a Dhampir Monk of Calastria, I don't how that would work be its something I have been looking forward to doing. Reply if you think this could work or if it would be allowed.

@DM - Are you allowing the subraces for Aasimar and Tieflings?

If so, I have an Aasimar (Musetouched) Archaeologist Bard that I could adapt to this (going for the skill role).

If not, I have a Half-Orc Hateful Rager I was supposed to play in a pen and paper game that fell through that could work as a tank -- or I could build a Hedge Witch to fill the arcane role and to help with some additional healing. (Again, I have a pen and paper one, but not an allowed race -- but would be happy to adapt).

I have a submission, a halfling druid.

If possible, I would like to take the drawback Naive and the extra trait Reactionary.

I will be sending a backstory hopefully sometime tomorrow.

@Tilnar: I'm allowing them.

It makes sense that different types of celestial and fiend with garner differences in offspring.

Here's a brief layout of my Monk/Druid character. He'd most likely be considered Melee Damage/Tank.

DM CTK,

You got my PM?

Interest!

DM CTK,

You got my PM?

I did indeed get it.

I also sent you backstory. Not sure if you got it.

Lanton Wiskers IV

Str 14
Dex 16 + 2 = 18
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 10
Cha 14 + 2 = 16

Race: Human

Alternative Race Trait: Dual Talent +2 Dex +2 Cha

Class: Oracle - Heal

Mystery: Lunar

A brooding muscular spiritually oriented male about 5' 11" and hairy. Grew up the son of a librarian in Sandpoint. Pressured into academia by his father he often escaped the his endless reading assignment by going out and staring at the night sky.

Note: somewhat of a noob to rpg in general and have never played pbp.

(Formerly Avoron)

I edited my character slightly and created an alias. Also, I just sent in my backstory.

I updated the character slightly. Given his animal affinity feat and Animal Domain, I thought he would likely have a number of animals as pets. These are not animal companions or familiars, just domesticated animals. They are not intended to give him any special advantage. They are just an element of his life that he did not want to give up when he began adventuring.

I made further updates to Emil. I added the drawback Provincial (seemed appropriate for a 50 year old country dweller and priest of Erastil) and added the trait Scholar of Ruins (which complements his Scholar of the Ancients and may make him more effective contributor to the group goals).

He will not be the most effective diplomat, so if that's an important role in the adventure, someone else will need to step up. He's not a particularly potent fighter, with Str and Dex of 10. But he is reasonably well armored and will not mind stepping up and getting into melee if needed.

His strongest contributions will be in the area of healing and divine magic, as well as knowledge skills of Arcana, History, Geography, Religion, and Dungeoneering, although some of those will have to wait until 2nd level when he'll have more skill points to distribute.

I also updated his background a little (see profile).

Decided to go with the hateful rager -- playing a skill character in a few other campaigns and figured being a meat-shield would be a good change (taking on the melee or tank role).

I've put the character crunch in my "catch all" alias for now (will build a real alias if selected) -- and I'll be PMing the history this weekend (just need to hammer down the changes -- originanly the idea was to have him from the north, but I'm thinking I'll shift him to having started in Urglin instead of Wyvernsting.

hi , can I bring Kol , Halfling Investigator to the table?

I am waiting for a reactivation of my HL license to come through , so no stats at the moment , but uses the Investigator Archetype of the rogue , and later on (if possible) will branch out.

Updates to Koayi's statblock. I added the Anatomist combat trait and Paranoid drawback. The background/appearance/personality should still be okay.

@JamesF: You're welcome to put him or her in the running.

@Koayi Aimaina: I did receive it. If I don't get one and I go to look through the thread and I have stats for a character that's not in there I will find the person and see what's going on.

@CTK -- I'll send you the backstory PM tomorrow most likely. Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and about to head to the in-laws for dinner. What time were you planning for the cut-off (eg - tomorrow the 13th?)

Hmm, didn't know that Canadians had a different Thanksgiving. I guess this isn't a coincidence it's on Columbus Day?

I am proposing a human Paladin (Shining Knight).

I have a Kitsune in my pocket that I'd like to put forth. She was originally designed as a finesse brawler, but if that is unacceptable as you seem to only want core stuff, I can re-purpose her as a monk. She'll be a fun True Neutral with a good nature an a mixed morality (meaning that she generally does good, but justifies many means to do so), likely on the Father campaign trait unless it is taken and sealed.

Getting a full write up by tomorrow will be quite impossible with midterms and all, but I will respond to as much feedback as I can, Thanks for the look!

I am interested

It would be that people would show up on the last day of recruitment lol.

Does everyone think they can get their stuff in by tomorrow night?