GM dot.
For this campaign, I'm aiming for more organic PCs in the beginning who grow into their powers. Therefore, your attributes will start a little low, but there will be ample role play opportunities to further increase them beyond what is offered from leveling and mythic tiers. I'm also experimenting with the amount of feats a character may get to make each person's PC unique.
Attributes: 15 point buy, no stat less than 6 and no more than 20 after racial and age bonuses. You may choose to be middle or old age if you wish. - (There will be opportunities once you are mythic to gain additional stat bumps beyond what you get from leveling and mythic tiers).
Races and classes: I'd like to have at least one human in the group and one other who is from a core race. Details on who gets what race can be decided in discussion. Other than that, any combination that isn't designed to one or two shot encounters or make you head over heals the strongest character in the party is fine. Please use good judgement. I don't want to have to step in and specifically define what is allowed and what isn't.
Alignment: Any except Chaotic Evil and Neutral Evil. Keep in mind this is a Good vs. Evil campaign, so if you are playing the Lawful Evil Worshiper of Asmodeous that NPCs aren't going to look too favorably towards you (though they will likely tolerate you).
Starting Gold: Max for your class. Spend it all; you won't have a chance to spend more until 2/3 of the way into the first book once the adventure starts.
Traits: 4 traits, one which must be a unique campaign trait different than everyone else's. Campaign trait chooses your mythic path. Again, discuss who gets what mystic path in discussion.
Feats: All characters gain a bonus feat to flavor their character, either to improve a non-combat skill or gain a skill they wouldn't otherwise have due to the feat being underpowered. This feat may not be used on something that aids to hit rolls, gain an extra attack, add +1 DC to their spells, grant spell penetration, gain more uses of a class ability, etc. If it gives a significant boost in combat effectiveness, don't pick it. Examples of what is allowed: Skill focus, endurance, fey foundling, insightful gaze, spell bluff, etc. If this isn't abused I may hand out more as the game progresses.
Mythic path abilities: Once you hit mythic, you get to only choose your path abilities every odd level. Even numbered path abilities will be assigned to you. This is done to avoid excessive munchkin-ing.
Backstory: Write one up, explaining your traits and your bonus feat.
Posting guidelines:
I am aiming for players with at least 2 posts per weekday, ideally one in the morning (before 12 PM PST) and one at night. Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays are 1 post per day. More is better of course.
Combat
If there is more than one monster in an encounter, I will always use two initiatives for them, Separated by at least 2 party members.
Leadership Feat: The Leadership feat is allowed. There are lots of NPCs eager to take the fight to the demon horde. If you take this, keep in mind that they will not be mythic like your main character.
I'm going to be a druid, so the only skills I have will be wilderness ones. So go for it. I'm thinking the Guardian path.
The mod practically assumes there will be at least one paladin in the mod, as there are multiple paladin only items available.
Also lots of antipaladins that love to smite you for double damage too.
@ Hawkwen: What would you do with the ACG if it was available?
Pleased to meet you Oladon. Do me a favor and dot on the gameplay thread.
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Was considering the Investigator.
After having more time to think about it though, I would also be able to make something work with a Lorewarden/Bard multiclass, as I have done it before. That way, I have something to offer in the way of melee and skill. That is assuming we want the skill monkey role filled. If someone else has an idea in mind, I'm more than happy to build something else that is needed.
Intriguing...can an all paladin party cover everything with various archetypes...?
I don't think so. There isn't an archetype that bestows extra skills, and they don't have much in the way of battlefield control. At the very least you'd be multiclassing fairly heavily.
Also: Keep in mind that WotW goes up to level 20.
Personally, if I was playing, I'd be making an Assimar Mystic Theurge.
Well there is a feat that let's a paladin poach a few spells from the sorceror/wizard list.
Mystic theurge at level 3?
Need to have level 2 casting for both classes, so for an arcane primary build either take the incorruptable assimar trait, and go Wizard 3, Cleric 1, Mystic Theurge X, or for the cleric primary version go with one of the myrad alternate assimar subraces to get a level 2 sorcerer spell-like and go Cleric 3, Wizard or (Empyrial) Sorcerer 1, Mystic Theurge X.
In the cleric primary build, Empyrial Sorcerer has an advantage of not being MAD, but you loose out on eventually casting level 6 spells in the long run compared to a wizard.
I'd also go divine strategist cleric. My channel positive energy is going to be garbage after level 4 anyway. May as well never be surprised.
Hello, Feral said I could post, so I hope it's okay. :-)
Would it be permissible to be Hobgoblin Iron Skin Monk?
@Ixos:
Hobgoblin???
I'm not against any class or race in particular. I can see how a hobgoblin monk would be a lawful crusader in the region, either to test his mettle or fight chaos.
As long as I can get someone to represent human interests I'm ok with it, so you should ask the rest of the party for permission. Another warning: Just like worshipers of Asmodius, not a lot of human NPCs are going to be initially comfortable working with a Hobgoblin. You can expect some negative reactions in dealing with the more biased NPCs.
I think it would be fun, especially if you flesh out a good backstory. If everyone else is ok with it, go for it.
Oh, and welcome to the game. I hope you'll have fun.
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I'll take the human for sure.
I admit to becoming halfway smitten with the idea of a Kellid cavalier, taking a few levels of battle herald and maybe mammoth rider. So many choices, it can be maddening.
I have not really seen anyone mention arcane or dedicated healer. I would be willing to take that role if need be. In that case, I would probably follow Wise Fox's advice for Mystic Theurge, which means no human.
That's totally fine.
My initial story idea is that I would be from a Hobgoblin clan who has recently relocated to the lands that were Sarkoris to found a hobgoblin state after the demons are driven from the area. This would be a call out to both the crusader states the sprung up in Palestine during the crusades when low European nobility thought that setting up shop thousands of miles away from their homes was a good idea and to OoTS (Long live Gobbotoppia! :-p).
He would be LN and believe in strong centralized government.
If that doesn't interest you, I was thinking of a Monk (Ki Mystic, Sensei).
Sounds good. Maybe you'll end up with your own nation at the end. Wouldn't surprise me much.
There are regional traits that add +1 to unarmed damage. Unfortunately, they all are from the Dragon Empires. Would it be permissible to re-flavor such a trait to be about Hobgoblin martial art traditions?
I was planning on going with the Stolen Fury Trait unless somebody really wanted that. If so, I could do Touched by Awfulness instead.
@Ixos: Exposed to Awfulness is taken by Red already. No one has taken Stolen Fury yet, so it is yours if you want it.
Yay, and the reflavoring of the unarmed damage regional feats?
*Studies the regional feat in question*
I almost want to say that your hobgoblin clan emigrated from the Dragon Empires, but that's pretty far away. Instead, you could say that you were taught patience and the art from someone who hailed from Quain. Go ahead.
After talking it over with Feral, I've decided to relax the campaign mystic path requirement. Its what I get for not holding open recruitment and inviting people who I know work well together.
You may now double up on traits and mythic paths. If you do so, please follow the guidelines in the WotW Players guide for your shared backstory.
We could be emigres! I actually like that. Our clan was forced out of Quain and we made our long trek here only to discover that there were demons running amok on this side of the world. Being the lawfu sorts and tired of being pushed out, we decided to take back the night (so to speak) and found our nation state here. Since then, we have been calling to Hobgoblins from this side of the world to stand with us and push out these planar interlopers and forge a nation!
Let me know if I get carried away. :-)
@Ixos: Make sure you tell me where the rest of your clan is when you start the adventure. Also, why is your Hobgoblin PC in a human city about to celebrate a holiday?
Trying, unsuccessfully, to build a trading relationship with Kenbares under the theory of the enemy of our enemy is our friend. The local powers that be are not interested with treating with me or killing me (no need for another war).
The rest of my clan has cleared one of the ruined cities somewhere near Kenbares and is using it as the new base of operations.
How big is your clan? How many other immigrants are there in this cleared territory?
I was actually going to take stolen fury too. A lot of anger has been looted from this party.
Large.
Large enough to successfully hold an abandoned city in demon central for two years. Large enough that if the crusaders allied with us it would be useful to both parties. But not large enough, however, to do much more than hold one city even though hobgoblins are a hardy people with few dietary restrictions (agriculture is a fraught in the World Wound). Our numbers have been bolstered by what the 5th Crusade has taken to calling the Green-Backs Crusade which is the influx of other hobgoblins to this held city/military encampment.
So how many hobgoblins do you think that would take?
Thought you wanted to be a guardian Red.
@Ixos: We'll say your extended clan managed to recently gain control of city ruins about two days travel by foot north-east from Kenabres. Its entire population is around 7000 people, which is just enough to hold the entire city and man the city walls, but not enough to expand much further. Your people can maybe spare 1000 men to march elsewhere. Maybe. News of this eveloopment has only now just reached human ears, and a lot of people in Medev are uncomfortable with a large group of hobgoblins on their border, even if they are for now helping keep the worldwound demons at bay.
I'm still working on the rest but this is what I have so far. Tell me if you have any suggestions. :-)
The history of the Black Crown hobgoblin clan in Avistan is a history of forced migrations. The Black Crown clan originally cohered in Belkzen as the honor guard of the hobgoblin woman Namanda a consort of Korthog Black Crown the then Warlord of Belkzen. Namanda was favored by Korthog and with his blessing and her urging many hobgoblins emigrated to Belkzen. Fierce and disciplined warriors, these hobgoblins provided a strong backbone to the fury of the orcish horde. Korthog repaid their loyalty and mettle with land and favor. In honor of this alliance between races, these hobgoblins took up Korthog's name as their own. Relations between orcs and hobgoblins increased. Indeed, the children of Namanda and Korthog were not the only hobgoblin children born with orcish blood. These were the halcyon days for the new Black Crown clan.
These days were not to last.
Eventually, Korthog faced what all Warlords face -- death in battle. Tensions rose between hobgoblin and orc. The fully orcish children of Korthog agitated against Namanda and her children. Fearing for the lives of her people, Namanda led her people from Belkzen. She led them north. She led them across the icy wastes that are the Crown of the World. Fighting indigenous tribes and frigid monsters many Black Crown's died. Bereft of weapons the Black Crown clan honed their martial arts. While the weak died, the strong endured and grew even stronger. Such is the hobgoblin way.
After many miles and even more battles, the Black Crown clan found a new home on the borders of the kingdom of Quain. The heroes of Quain did not fear the hobgoblins, but they did both respect their strength and hunger for their martial arts. Long years past. Namanda died. Her daughter Loragog succeed her, and died in the fullness of her time. Loragog's son, Hok-Rel succeed her. The Black Crown clan became both school and clan. The Black Crowns prospered in Quain.
Their prosperity was not to last.
Burning Cloud Devil, King of Heroes, attempted to slay the Celestial Dragon. His failure brought calamity and famine to Quain. It was not a good time to be different. It was not a good time to be a hobgoblin minority surrounded by a human majority.
Hok-Rel guided the Black Crown clan out of Quain and back across the Crown of the World. This time the hobgoblins were prepared. Few died. All praised the wisdom and leadership of Hok-Rel, grandson of Namanda. The Black Crown clan was not prepared for what awaited them on their return to Avistan. When they had left, the World Wound had not existed. Hok-Rel was cautious. Although this land was unclaimed by any mortal inhabitants, it was infested with demons. Hok-Rel resolved to lead his people beyond the World Wound. There would be safer places for the Black Crowns to live.
Then Hok-Rel's son, Gorn-Rel, was kidnapped in the night. Hok-Rel and his guard discovered Gorn-Rel and several others in the midst of some demonic ceremony. In a titanic battle, the ritual was disrupted, the participants rescued, and the demons driven off. Yet this abduction was the last straw for Hok-Rel. Never again would his people be forced out of a land by their enemies. Never again. They would drive the demons from this land. They would carve a nation from this damned soil. Or they would die trying.
The Black Crown clan claimed the shattered bones of a ruined city as their new home and began the difficult process of rebuilding a city. Hok-Rel commanded his priests and wizards to contact hobgoblins across Avistan to tell them of the promise of glory in battle and the prospect of a hobgoblin nation. Hobgoblins from across the continent began to make the trek to the World Wound and the new city-state, Namaris.
The crusaders did not fail to notice the fledgling hobgoblin nation, but they lacked the resources to fight a war against the hobgoblins and demons both. In fact, the hobgoblins were a blessing from the gods. They drew off demonic pressure from the beleaguered crusader cities and even more baffling the hobgoblins seemed intent on fighting the demons. For these reasons the crusaders have taken to calling this hobgoblin migration the Green Back's Crusade.
For its part, Namaris has thrived. It has strong walls and many mighty hobgoblins defending it. Between their magic, arms, and martial arts their city has been safe and slowly rebuilt. Yet, Hok-Rel knows that Namaris alone cannot defeat all the demons and close the World Wound. For that, they need allies. In pursuit of those allies, Hok-Rel has sent his oldest son, Gorn-Rel, to treat with the rulers of the closest human city, Kenabres. Opening a trade route would enrich both cities, and build the foundation for future agreements.
Unfortunately, Gorn Rel has not found the rulers of Kenabres to be very agreeable. They have done all that they can to stone-wall and ignore the young hobgoblin monk.
This, I like. I'll figure out later if I need to brush up on kingdom building rules...
@Ixos: with this type of back-story, I recommend that you put ranks into profession soldier and perhaps take leadership feat later as well.
I was definitely thinking of Leadership or even the Crusader Mythic ability would be appropriate.
Skill points are tight. I already put one in Diplomacy to justify sending him as a diplomat. I'll guess I'll take the point of of climb and put it in profession soldier. Flavor before crunch!
Looking at future story arcs, I have to move your hobgoblin city. It is now located south of Kenabres and east of the Winged Wood along the river bank.