I'll keep this brief - there are some things I want to test, and I need another GM's help to do it.
In return for helping me:
I will run a solo game for you, based on your preferences. Do you want to solo an Adventure Path? I can run it for you. Do you want to run a string of modules instead? I can do that for you. Want me to make an original adventure? I can do that, too. I've also got some nice 3PP adventures, including lots of stuff by Frog God Games if you're feeling up for a challenge.
In fact, I'm already doing a number of games like this, and some of my games have gone on for quite some time now, so you can be as confident as we'll ever be that I'm the kind of GM who will stick around.
In other words, is there something you've wanted to do, but have never been able to? Let's make it happen. And I'm willing to be very flexible with the kind of character you can have.
What do I want?
I want to test out a couple of 3PP classes, and I want to use an advanced mythic tristalt character build to do it. Before you run for the hills, let me explain a bit more. First, as this is a solo game, I won't have the action economy of a full party. Even if I'm waaaaay stronger than a normal character, it'll actually balance out. You should also know about the classes I plan to take:
Armorist (A Full BaB, low Spherecasting class)
Pactmaker (A Mid BaB from the Grimoire of Lost Souls, the full version of which is about to come out, and which revolves around studying and then making pacts with various kinds of spirits)
Incanter (A Low BaB, high Spherecasting class)
I'm actually not trying to hyper-specialize and do something so well I break the system - I'm a GM myself, and I know how much trouble that can be to run. One of my goals is to avoid min-maxing so GM'ing this for me will actually be pretty easy. Accordingly, I'm following my own rule of not having classes with the same BaB or Spellcasting, and trying to avoid having too many things that would stack. So... strong, which is necessary for solo games, but not overwhelming.
As you've probably noticed, all of these are third-party classes, and that's part of what I want to test. Spheres of Power, for those who don't know, is a popular replacement for Vancian casting - and it's significantly more linear in terms of power growth. At higher levels, a full Spherecaster is flexible and fun, but definitely weaker than a Wizard or Sorcerer could be. If you don't have access to the rules in question, I can help with that.
I am willing to be very flexible in terms of what game is run, although I'd like to start at Level 2 or 3, at least - I've done enough Level 1 for awhile. XD The point is, though, I'm aiming long-term. I want to go to high levels, and I'll take you there as well.
What else am I looking for?
Before I agree to this sort of trade - you run a game for me and I run a game for you in return - I want to know that you're the sort of person who will stick with it. Accordingly, I will be looking at your posting history here on Paizo's forum, and you're certainly free to check mine in return.
Unfortunately, I've had both GMs and players abandon my games before, simply no longer posting - and I really, really don't want that to happen again. I apologize to the quality GMs who are new to Paizo here, but please, save us both some work and only reply if you have an established history on this (or another) forum and are confident of your ability to be present and post consistently for the next several years.
I tend to post at least daily in my games, so you can be assured of regular updates and advancement.
You've piqued my interest. I don't have access to Spheres of Power, but we'll ignore that for the time being.
I notice that you haven't indicated preference for the kind of game you want to play this character in. Do you want to hear pitches from prospective partners, or do you have something in mind that you didn't mention? Are there any adventures you're looking to play this character in, or are you looking for a GM to throw you into a homebrew world? At first blush, I'd be interested in running a game set in Golarion focusing on the in-world discovery of Spherecasting with your character getting in on the ground floor of what appears to be a major paradigm shift.
I agree with you about level one, especially for solo games. As far as things I'd be looking for, I've always got plenty of games I'd love to play in. I've always wanted to try RotRL with Ameiko and Shalelu as the main PCs. A sandbox gothic horror investigation game set in Caliphas would be excellent, and if you can accommodate a duo I've got a whole 'nother set of items on the wishlist involving a friend I've got.
1) There's a wiki for Spheres of Power. (The short version is "Pick spells a lot like you pick feats. You have to learn the basics of a type of magic, such as damage-dealing Destruction, before you can learn advanced stuff like dealing elemental damage or changing the shape of your attacks. Weaker powers are at-will, stronger powers require you to spend points from your daily resource pool. Most powers advance linearly." XD It's nice and straightforward.)
2) As I mentioned above, I'm willing to be pretty flexible in terms of what game is played. Rather than saying "It definitely must be this AP that you might not own!", I'd rather make it easy to get involved by saying you can use the stuff you already have - say, an adventure you've bought but haven't had the chance to run for anyone. XD You'll notice I also haven't said much about the character other than their class... although they'll probably end up being Neutral Good. That's to help make them easy to fit into whatever game they'd be in.
3) I can indeed accommodate a duo if that's what you really want to do. ^^ Running Runelords would be easy enough - sandbox investigation would definitely take some adaptation, but I have a number of modules I could mix together to make it work. All of those are do-able.
Yeah, it can get pretty crazy, depending on the build. XD That's why I work to cap it and make sure it doesn't get too out-of-hand. I'd rather have a character with a lot of different skills, rather than being incredibly good at one thing.
(So, for example, I'm going to avoid powerful combos like lots of invisibility, Mythic Vital Strike, et cetera. To put it another way, I plan for my character to be weak enough that they can still be challenged by stuff close to their CR, rather than stomping everything in their way. XD)
Pactmaker is an updated version of this class. The full book is finishing up the edits now, and should be out pretty soon. XD It was the original Occultist, but after Occult Adventures, they decided to change the name.
Thanks! I deleted my post so I would not derail anything or plant untrue thoughts into someone's psyche because you are right! Spheres of Power isn't more powerful, it is more flexible and the more you can adapt to each situation, the more powerful you are! I think that is where I get the feeling of power but Spell Pool Points vs Spell slots, a wizard can cast more than an average Incanter.
That, and Spheres currently doesn't have anything like Wish or Miracle. XD Any powers that are genuinely game-changing are locked as Advanced talents, which I am not looking to use for this game. That generally keeps power progression linear.
As for flexibility... yeah, quite honestly, having a lot of options is often better than having one option. You could be the greatest swordsman in the world, but if your opponent has flight and you don't, you're in trouble. XD That's one of the many reasons why my intended character is built for flexibility, not raw power - so they can handle the many situations that come up in a game, and not frustrate the GM by being too strong for any given encounter.
What are you going to do about traps? Summon a Roguish Form or use Divination and/or Telekinesis? Or can binding with a Spirit, give you temp access to Rogue abilities?
Depends on the trap. XD Pact Magic does, in fact, have options for dealing with traps... or I can look for ways around them, ways through them, et cetera.
In fairness, that's been changed. XD You don't get the Trapfinding power, but you can disarm magical traps.
(The info on d20pfsrd.com is not actually accurate for the specifics anymore, given all the updates. XD It is, however, a good source for seeing how the system itself works.)
I see one of the reasons why you chose it. Because of the flexibility it can give you by binding with the various spirits, and it is not Spheres of Power for all (3) classes adding in a different flavor.
Yup. XD Well, that, and I just want to play with my new toys. It seemed like it'd be a good balance, though, and I figured that Armorist could help match the flavor (with some 'contract' providing all the weapons and such).
That was my hope, yeah. XD I haven't decided on the exact flavor - that's going to end up being influenced by the game itself - but they might lean celestial somehow (part of an organization that contracts with angels and friendly spirits, maybe? I'm thinking someone who prefers celestial spirits and uses neutral ones, but staunchly avoids evil spirits).
I'm not intimidated by a solo tristalt character. With only one character, it should be trivially easy to create appropriate challenges. Are there any moving parts to your build that you wish interlocked better? I'm open to patches for the sake of quality of life.
I'm primarily interested in running something set in Golarion. I have access to more Paizo-published adventure material than I'll ever be able to run. I'm also more than capable of running a custom adventure or campaign; currently I'm GMing a game set in Sanctuary after the events of Diablo II.
Just to get the ball rolling, here's a pitch: a tomb raiding campaign focused on researching and discovering a lost form of magic. Taking place in northern Garund, you'll have to navigate Osirian tombs, ruins in the Mana Wastes, forgotten temples in Katapesh, and the libraries and politics of Nexian academies, all for the sake of resurrecting the forgotten art of spherecasting. I'd be piecing together material from basically any and all adventures set in northern Garund, including the Mummy's Mask AP, the classic modules Entombed With The Pharaohs and The Pact Stone Pyramid, some PFS Scenarios, and possibly some older, even more classic D&D material as necessary.
Armorist and Incanter work pretty well together, actually. XD Armorists are natively casters to begin with, and Incanter is Spheres of Power's "build it yourself" full caster class that's basically just a ton of talents and no mandatory class powers to push you in a certain direction, so it naturally adds on to anything. The Pactmaker is definitely the odd component out, but I'm not too worried about that. Even if it's useless on a given day - which is unlikely - I have two other classes to fall back on.
Of course, it's possible some rough spots will appear later. o_O The Pactmaker is a newly refined class (so new it literally hasn't been released to the public yet), so all I ask is being open to retraining later on. What I usually do is allow a free retraining in these kinds of games the first time a character levels up, just in case the player finds that something doesn't work in practice as well as they thought it was going to. That sometimes happens with the complex builds. XD Afterwards, stuff can be retrained like normal. I'm not anticipating too much of a problem in that regard, actually - the Pactmaker can simply pick different spirits if one doesn't work out for them.
*Rubs chin* For that plot, hmm... shall we say the character first discovered spherecasting by conversing with some spirits, and the talents she learns as she goes along are the secrets she's uncovered in the places she's explored? Depending on when she levels, she's just 'figuring them out' from what's been found before?
*Rubs chin* For that plot, hmm... shall we say the character first discovered spherecasting by conversing with some spirits, and the talents she learns as she goes along are the secrets she's uncovered in the places she's explored? Depending on when she levels, she's just 'figuring them out' from what's been found before?
That is a perfectly viable way of handling that. Would you be open to leveling by fiat, or do you prefer strict level-by-XP progression? Decoupling progression from an XP chart will make it significantly easier to create appropriate challenges, and doesn't penalize you for making healthy decisions.
Oh, I prefer leveling by fiat. XD In fact, I do that in most of my own games - and discouraging players from wanting to murder everything so they don't "get weaker" definitely has its upsides.
Interesting... I'll probably watch this rather than participate, though, as I don't really have the time to learn Spheres of Power (in spite of how long the PDF has been sitting on my hard drive) and come up with a campaign right now.
Honestly, Spheres doesn't take very long to learn - the basic rules are only two pages long, and it's all pretty straightforward from there.
(Plus, I have exactly zero expectations for something like "Convert all monsters to Spherecasting". XD As far as I'm concerned, 99% of enemies can probably be run as-is.)
That's the reason I'm going with the "uncover forgotten magic" route, so I'm not tied to using Spherecasting for the enemies. Of course, that's not to say there won't be any Spherecasting opponents...
Since this game will feature some heavy dungeon-crawling, I'm hoping to experiment with some format and style elements to find a better way to facilitate those types of scenes via PbP. How much do you like maps? I tend to de-emphasize the tactical wargame side of combat by default, but your preferences override. I'm considering doing Kingmaker-style "overworld hexploration" for the dungeons, zooming in on the typical square-grid for combat encounters. I'm also more than happy to dispense with combat maps entirely if you're interested in purely narrative combat.
I have some questions about your character in the interest of finding our starting point. The game, as conceived, will take place largely in northern Garund. Is your character native to the region, or does she hail from elsewhere, having come all this way with her hopes pinned on a few clues that promise something bigger? Is she acting on her own, or is she sponsored by a larger organization (university, guild, wealthy patron)? She first discovered Spherecasting from conversing with some spirits, but that could have been anywhere in any context.
One more thing, I should at least mention that I'm applying for the Peace Corps. I won't know if I'm accepted until December, and if so I'd be leaving in March. I should still have internet access even if I'm overseas.
Honestly, Spheres doesn't take very long to learn - the basic rules are only two pages long, and it's all pretty straightforward from there.
(Plus, I have exactly zero expectations for something like "Convert all monsters to Spherecasting". XD As far as I'm concerned, 99% of enemies can probably be run as-is.)
Ah, good to know. Maybe I'll have to take a look at the PDF sometime soon...
Honestly, the time to create a decent solo campaign is more of an issue, though the idea of modifying some pre-made adventures would certainly ease that (it's what I'm doing for my hydra game). Hmmm... maybe I'll have to dig through my pile of modules and see if something strikes me as an interesting possibility for solo play.
@Almonihah: You should! ^^ It's a fun system, and quite intuitive.
@Hurley: Phrases like "should" have internet access are very awkward. XD; Especially for PbP. If you don't definitely know for sure, it's something I would want you to find out. I've, uh, had a number of GMs disappear on me in the past, usually right after starting games where I put a bunch of effort into character creation. It's awkward. XD; If something might be a problem, it's better to find out beforehand.
On Maps: Whatever works. I usually end up taking snapshots of PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Reader, then pasting stuff into Paint.net for some quick editing (say, blacking out the parts of maps that don't need to be seen). From there, I upload it to Imgur, then copy into Google Drawings (for some reason, direct uploads generally fail for me - heck if I know why) if we wanna move tokens around, or just link the image URL directly if it's a reference map. It's worked out pretty well, actually. It's not quite a VTT, but it's fast and easy once you get the hang of it. XD I usually do a mix, though. Relatively simple combats tend to be narrative only, but if it's actually a tactical fight, I tend to throw up a map for it.
On the character: My character could probably be from anywhere. I was thinking she might've been natively from Andoran, but if she's part of an organization, that could be all the excuse needed to bring her anywhere needed. I've actually been writing up some background stuff, and I figured that having some group sponsoring her would make it easier to create NPCs and tie in some plots. XD That's not an absolute requirement, though - different GMs have different styles for that sort of thing, and I'm trying to be as flexible as possible.
Possible Group?:
The Order of the Secret Flame was established 3204 A.R. as an offshoot of Sarenrae's church devoted to acquiring knowledge and using it to redeem those who could be saved... and punish those who could not be. Order houses were quietly built across the Inner Sea to help keep the fires of knowledge alive, and while they never even approached the power or influence of illustrious groups like the Pathfinder Society, they managed to make their own way.
However, as many of its chapters lacked robust contact with the church of the Dawnflower, the organization as a whole eventually separated from the church (although it remained on friendly terms), devoting itself ever more to the pursuit of knowledge. It was here that they ultimately found their calling when one of their members stumbled across an old journal in Ustalav... and uncovered the powers of pact magic.
The ancient arts they uncovered were a power focused on making contracts with spirits - contracts that could provide knowledge, power, and guidance for an organization scattered across the land. The order's masters wasted no time in expunging all information on making pacts with evil spirits, decreeing that only those of good or neutral personalities would be a part of the society. They cared for knowledge, but not to the exclusion of morality, and quietly continued on their way.
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And from there, we can make it anything that works. Maybe there was a tragedy and they took her in, or she was born into it and had talent... mythic characters tend to have dramatic lives, though, so there's that. XD
@Hurley: Phrases like "should" have internet access are very awkward. XD; Especially for PbP. If you don't definitely know for sure, it's something I would want you to find out. I've, uh, had a number of GMs disappear on me in the past, usually right after starting games where I put a bunch of effort into character creation. It's awkward. XD; If something might be a problem, it's better to find out beforehand.
That's entirely understandable, which is why I bring it up now rather than in 7 months. That said, I won't even know if I've been selected for at least 4 months, and only then would I even know where I'll be going. If, in light of this, you'd prefer to hold off entirely, I understand. However, I'm willing to go forward if you are.
Is it possible to ask the Peace Corps what deployment is like? Organizations are usually willing to provide that sort of information on request.
They're happy to provide that information. Unfortunately, in this instance they can't provide any certainty. Upon application, they request that you select three different positions to apply for. I've applied for positions in three different parts of the world, and it's possible that I might be offered something I didn't apply for but have skills that match. In many service areas, internet is readily available. In others, the only place where I'd be guaranteed access is in the regional office, which could be a fair distance away and I might not have cause to visit more than once or twice in a month, if at all.
*Rubs chin* I like what you've said so far, Hurley, it's just... y'know, history, games dropped, awkwardness, so... how about this?
I do have more than one character idea. As I said above, it's not like I *have* to restrict myself to just one choice here. ^^ We can use one of those instead. If things don't work out for you with the Peace Corps, that'll be fine. If it all does work out for you somehow, then we've got a game going. Either way, it's fine. XD
That sounds fine to me. If you're looking at using a different character, then it sounds like I'll have to throw out a new pitch ;) Tell me about the next character and I'll start brainstorming.
I have SoP and am quite intrigued by it, in fact I am running a PbP now that has a level 2 Hedgewitch (Covenant) as a character.
I have a 6-high teens Underdark campaign that also has a 1-6 prequel and a high teens-20 sequel that I could run. Your choice whether to start at level 1 or level 6.
Check out my campaign history and let me know what you think.
@Hurley: I have... a fair number of ideas. XD Many of these are ones I've had GM's disappear for, so... *Coughs* You can actually find these in my Alias list to get a better sense for what they're like, although they'd almost certainly end up changed for any new games.
1) Camiel. This character uses the 3PP Godling classes, and would probably need to be adjusted somewhat. Their story would probably be about outright ascension. Notably, the character's personality and powers shift somewhat based on the time of day (I thought having a character who represented both Purity and Lust would be an interesting challenge, and had fun with the concept). Deeeeefinitely a High Fantasy sort of character.
2) Rose. I banged some things together to make a Magic Gunner concept. Think, like, super freedom-loving Chaotic Good follower of Cayden Cailean, who goes around to cause problems for evildoers, prank people who are too serious, and donates to orphanages a lot. XD Also used as a test of the Recharge Magic rules.
3) Selene. She was for a Zeitgeist AP that didn't get going. She's definitely a bit darker than the previous characters, themed as a latent vampire slowly growing into her powers (although she's still Good-aligned, which is a personal preference in most cases). Originally, she was a bit of a psionic character, but I'd probably update her to Spheres' Eliciter (among other things). Probably a good choice for an urban campaign, or at least for one that's not, like, Optimistic Fantasy. XD Maybe Vigilante/Eliciter/Something? Not sure on Vigilante, by the way. I'd need to hammer on the idea for a bit.
@DM Papa.DRB: As a general rule, I'd rather start above Level 1. I've... played in quite a few PbP games that never got past that point, and would like to be at least a LITTLE stronger for awhile.
@DM Papa.DRB: Would that happen to be Rise of the Drow? I always thought that one looked awesome!
@GM Rednal: I've got a personal dislike of ascension-oriented games. Rose sounds like she'd get along great with Johannes Appleseed, my halfling cleric of Cayden Cailean. Right now I'm liking Selene best. I've got a lot of notes on an expanded version of Caliphas, which definitely fits urban non-Optimistic Fantasy. It's a little more gothic noir and leans toward sandboxy. If you wanted to convert her into an out-and-out dhampir or vampire, that would work too.
Let's roll with Selene for now, then. At the moment, her concept was based around a homebrewed feat - basically, granting a weakened version of the Vampire template (no weaknesses, 'cuz those are horribly impractical for PCs, but also lacking a number of its powers in order to balance it out). I'll get started and see what I can come up with.
Maybe a modified version of the Liber Vampyr stuff would work...
Even in the best of times, the Immortal Principality of Ustalav is a dark place. For some... it's a little darker than others. Selene is a member of the Caliphas Constabulary, tasked with keeping order in a city that... well... doesn't have a whole lot of it to be kept. Even as one of its most upstanding officers, Selene is more the type to uphold the spirit of the law, more than its exact letter... although she's not above being legalistic when it serves her needs.
Being an officer in a city like Caliphas isn't easy, but Selene has managed it mainly by virtue of being even more frightening than most of the criminals she chases after. Selene is a kind of latent vampire - a being that's not quite undead yet, but is certainly rather close. These powers have manifested in a number of ways.
Most notable to some are her abilities as a Revenant Bloodletter. The most dangerous of these are her fangs - which she can use to drain blood from others, weakening them and empowering her abilities as a Cruomancer, a blood-mage. She also seems to have an uncanny knack for detecting the presence of living beings, which has been of no small help in tracking down suspects. She tries to stay full up on blood when she can, since it powers her abilities, but can use some of it to enhance her senses... again useful for tracking others, as well as spotting lies and trouble.
Her abilities manifest in other ways, too. As a Shifter, Selene can transform into a number of forms suitable for a vampire, and uses these augments in combat to make herself significantly more deadly... and adaptable. As if that weren't enough, her powers as an Incanter are varied, covering everything from hurling deadly blasts to restoring life. That one is particularly important to her, since while she's not totally dependent on blood, she does need it for some of her abilities... and she can use magic to restore those who allow her to feed from them. She usually feeds from those in the constabulary who are aware of her nature - most simply think she's an excellent officer, if a bit strange sometimes.
Her life would be a lot easier if Caliphas actually supported the work of the Constabulary for anything other than gathering taxes to fatten the coffers of the wealthy... but Selene wants to make the city a better place, and that's why she stays. In a city of shadows, the scariest thing may not be what causes terror in the night... but the one who hunts the terror down.
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Other Notes: For ease of managing stuff, I went for Background Skills and Automatic Bonus Progression. Either can be taken off, but I figured it'd be easier on you if you didn't have to worry too much about loot and items, even if she DOES know how to craft stuff. XD That's what I've got so far, though.
Selene looks fine. I've got a couple of notes for backstory. Ustalav is an insular, fearful place, and though Caliphas is a relatively cosmopolitan city, people still have good reason to fear monsters. In Caliphas, ordinary folk know very little of what truly hides beneath the city's blanket of fog. Even among people who do encounter such things, like your fellow constables, many would rather not believe the truth.
You may have one friend in the Constabulary that knows your secret. You may choose who they are; it can be anyone up to and including the captain. You may have other allies as well, but nobody that you're likely to trust with your secret. As you have fangs, there may be some who have suspicions of your true nature, though they have no way to prove it. It certainly won't stop them from holding it against you.
Aside from your donor friend, there will be other sources of blood available. You may create one or two if you wish; I have a few already in place.
I had the fangs as retractable (since she's not a full vampire, they're not as prominent), so... that wasn't a big worry for me. XD *Goes to update the background a bit, though*
I forgot to include it earlier, but yes, level 3 is fine. I'll get to work on setting up the campaign thread, and I'll post the link here for you and the readers, since it looks like we might have a couple.
@Anderlorn: She might be. XD I've never actually learned much about Ravenloft. (Another character of mine, Valissa, might also be a good candidate. She's basically a soldier, but with extensive knowledge about the weirder, creepier stuff... and she's not nice, despite her Good alignment. Like, at all. XD If a village was under a zombie attack, for example, she'd be the one shouting at people and telling them to get the defenses built job done if they didn't want to die.)
@Hurley: Got it! I've been pulling together Selene's full profile, along with the most relevant notes.
