"Do not let the lush islands of my homeland fool you, traveler. These lands are full of more danger than you can ever know. From this seeming paradise was born the medusae and the minotaurs, the harpies and the scylla, all of which have wreaked untold havoc across Golarion. Ancient, crumbling temples and long-forgotten cities hold treasures beyond imagining that lure the weak and foolhardy to their doom and the mighty waves of the Obari Ocean have swallowed a thousand ships, a watery graveyard filled with wooden tombs.
And yet, despite all the dangers, there is nowhere I would rather live. Iblydos is a land of wonder as well. The bustling trade city of Aelyosos is a place of knowledge and philosophy and it's people are well-known for both their hospitality and honor. The Koloran, or cyclops as you call them, read the fraying strands of fate and guide our nation through their cryptic prophecies. Our gods walk among us, ancient heroes blessed with immortal power who bestow their generous bounty upon us. And from the depths, our merfolk friends bring us the treasures of civilizations long since thought lost to Golarion.
In Iblydos, there is no meter by which a man is judged but that which he makes for himself. Be one human, elf, or beast-kin, all are welcome. When you step from this ship onto the marble docks of Aelyosos, breathe in the air and know that there is a place for you here."
-Kalleiope of Aelyosos, to the exiled Jalmerayan merchant-prince Reymuul as they sailed through the archipelago of Iblydos
Hello and welcome one and all to 'Heroes of Iblydos: A Tale of Men and Gods'. In this campaign, you will play as heroes based in the city of Aelyosos. As a member of the Pharossi, or Guiding Lights, your character will be part of a loose coalition of soldiers, mages, and others who wish to protect the nation of Iblydos from threats. From humble beginnings, PCs will grow into mighty heroes as they combat ever-growing threats and uncover the trail of a dark conspiracy that threatens not only the archipelago, but all of Golarion. Along the way, they will clash with monsters spoken of only in legends, explore forgotten ruins lost to man for eons, interact with Hero-Gods, and undertake a quest to transcend their mortal beginnings.
If you are unfamiliar with Iblydos or Aelyosos, here are a few links that will help you get an idea of the area. I plan on adding more information on the area in the campaign information tab later tonight or early tomorrow.
I plan on keeping recruitment open for roughly three weeks. That should give people ample time to get everything squared away with their characters and should account for any emergencies that may occur that would cause people to lose a few days of work. I will close the recruitment on October 9th and post the finalized character roster for the game.
-Ability Scores- 30 points. The usual floors and ceilings after racial modifiers for ability scores apply (07 and 20). In addition to this, your normal level-up ability score bonuses are doubled, giving you a +2 to a single ability score every four levels. There are no age-related bonuses or penalties apart from dying of old age or magical aging effects that carry penalties.
-HP- Treat your HP as if you rolled the maximum for your class each level.
-Races- All Paizo races, the Satyxis race by Purple Duck Games, Dreamscarred Press's Elan race, and the Jotun, Medusa, and Minotaur races from Rite Publishing are allowed. Anyone playing as a Jotun must flavor their character as a Cyclops.
-Classes- All Paizo classes are allowed, as well as DSP's Akhashic, Path of War, and Psionics classes; Rite Publishing's Jotun, Medusa, and Minotaur paragon classes for members of those races; and the Spheres of Combat and Spheres of Magic classes. I will allow requests for other classes but promise nothing.
-Variant Multiclassing- You may Variant Multiclass.
-Traits- You gain two Traits. You can take a Drawback for a third.
-Background Skills- PCs have background skills.
-Feats- Instead of the normal feat progression from leveling up, you gain a feat per level. Leadership is not allowed.
-Starting Gold- 33,000 GP. You may not pre-game craft.
-Alignment- Any non-evil. Lawful Evil might be permissible for people who can roleplay it well, but I will need to vet the character beforehand with a battery of sample roleplays to see how well they would fit into the game.
-Improved Familiars- Those with access to a Familiar instead gain an Improved Familiar of their choice.
-Animal Companions- Animal Companions get maximum HP per HD and gain a bonus of +6 to one ability score, +4 to another ability score, and +2 to a final ability score. These may even apply to mental scores.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Title: The Greenwarden
Domains: Community, Good, Healing, Plant
Favored Weapon: Sickle
Symbol: A terraced building overflowing with greenery and grape vines
Kelksiomedes was once a simple farmer and vintner before bandits burned his home to ashes. After he rounded them up, he forswore vengeance, opting instead for forgiveness and healing. From his family's burnt home grew a tree that produced a single golden apple that would serve as his passage to godhood. He is one of the two Hero-Gods who rule over Aelyosos and is the voice of reason and peace among the gods.
Psomeira
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Title: The Divine General
Domains: Law, Protection, War, Weather
Favored Weapon: Doru
Symbol: Three crossed spears bound by a ring of lightning
Psomeira was once a powerful general in service to the city-state of Liachora. While her destiny as a Hero-God was foretold by the cyclops seers, she cared nothing for godhood and chose to shirk her destiny in favor of defending her homeland. When the great leviathan Ousmariku destroyed her home, taking her life and the lives of most of the city's hero-gods, it was thought her prophecy was thwarted. She reappeared ten years later in Aelyosos as a hero-god and, after speaking with Kelksiomedes and his advisors, became one of the patron hero-gods of Aelyosos, adopting it as her new home and swearing to defend it from any force that seeks to destroy it.
Spalkis
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Title: He Who Takes
Domains: Chaos, Liberation, Trickery, Vermin
Favored Weapon: Waveblade
A black locust sitting atop a coin purse
Spalkis was once the rival to Psomeira and ascended several years before she did. He arose to divinity after (literally) stealing the heart from a sphinx by the name of Lakhessia and forcing her to reveal the secrets of ascension to him. She cursed him as he ascended, causing his form to be devoured by swarms of insects. Those insects would later form his divine body. Spalkis was a devious god of thieves, raiders, and any who would take what they want from those around them. Despite his selfishness, he harbored a love for his home nation of Liachora and defended it against the ruinous Ousmariku, falling along with several other gods. He is presumed dead, but those in service to him seem to still be able to draw power from him and some even whisper of black locusts speaking to them in the darkness of the night.
Diaphorae
Alignment: Lawful Good
Title: The Alabaster Empress
Domains: Good, Law, Nobility, Protection
Favored Weapon: Dwarven War-Shield
Symbol: A shield emblazoned with the face of an owl
Sister to Aelyake, she and her sister ascended millennia ago. Whereas Aelyake was a mighty huntress, Diaphorae's own talents leaned more towards rulership. She ruled the city-state of Liachora fairly and justly until Ousmariku destroyed it. She died expending her divine essence protecting citizens from the devastating waves the leviathan unleashed. Though she is gone, it is said that her spirit still lingers in her shattered shards of her divine aegis and she still grants power to her followers somehow.
Aelyake
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Title: The Slayer of Syggasis
Domains: Chaos, Good, Glory, Water
Favored Weapon: Falcata
Symbol: Seven rising fountains of water arrayed in an arrow shape
Aelyake arose to divinity alongside her sister millenia ago. Whereas her sister stayed behind to grow and strengthen their homeland of Liachora, she combed the wilderness and set about eliminating all threats she could find. She slew the immortal hydra Syggasis and built the city of Aelyosos on the spot, using her divine power to cause the hydra's petrifying corpse to sprout fountains of crystal clear water where each severed neck lie. When her sister fell in battle protecting the citizens of Liachora, Aelyake threw all of her divine essence into a single strike against Ousmariku, breaking the beast's invulnerable hide and sending it into retreat. Although not enough to prevent the destruction of her home, her blow severely weakened the godslaying monstrosity. Like her sister, her power yet lingers in her divine weapon, a sword made of solidified water that is reputed to be carried by a mysterious wanderer.
Thonis of Thirty Columns
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Title: The Shining One
Domains: Evil, Knowledge, Law, Sun
Favored Weapon: Greataxe
Symbol: A stylized half-sun emblazoned with an eye
Thonis of the Thirty Columns was once a mortal man from the city of Hoimpeira, one of the city-states of Iblydos. What triggered his ascension is unknown to all but he and the seers, but what is known is that he grew in power very quickly in the time thereafter. It is said that his gaze falls upon anything the light touches and that he knows all from his celestial throne. While the latter is unlikely to be true, Thonis of the Thirty Columns certainly knows more than most beings on Golarion. He preaches that self-discipline, obedience to one's betters, purification of the unclean, and the pursuit of knowledge are the worthiest of pursuits. His teachings are summed up into the philosophy known as the Path of Thirty Columns, where each of his sacred aphorisms forms one of the pillars that support his city-state and it's people. He is known as a harsh but fair Hero-God.
Zdokirae
Alignment: True Neutral
Title: The Harbinger
Domains: Destruction, Prophecy, Retribution, Ruins
Favored Weapon: Greatsword
Symbol: None
Zdokirae was once one of Aelyosos' greatest Hero-Gods, a mighty prophet who frequently gazed into the past and future alike. He fell during the battle against the leviathan Oumarikos and his corpse was interred with the highest of honors. Three years ago, however, he appeared at the Shrine to the Founders in the form of an angelic being that radiated power. He spoke a cryptic prophecy that promised divine retribution for an ancient sin that would lay the land low. He stated that these things would come to pass when he next appeared in the mortal world and vanished shortly afterwards. No one knows what happened to the wise and kind Zdokirae after his death, but his cryptic prophecy looms like a stormcloud on the horizon and many fear him.
Thorough and interesting.
That sounds like a really fun game setting you don't see much of in Pathfinder. I love it, will definitely give some ideas a spin.
This one is a doozy, but I'm intrigued by the setting. I'll definitely throw together a submission in the next few days.
Sounds super interesting! Are any of the Godling classes allowed? They seem like a perfect fit for this type of game.
Also, under Mythic, you mention a sort of gestalting of two paths, allowing us to pick tween two sets of path abilities.
Is that not just the Dual Path feat? So, we just get that for free?
@Everyone: I forgot to add that we will be using Michael Torno's Feat Tax rules! You can find the latest version of those here on his website. This should help martials stay relevant and have some variety.
@Slyness: That's what I was aiming for. I was hoping I did not miss any facet of character creation and it seems I did at least a decent job despite forgetting the Feat Tax rules.
@Cry for Absolution: I have definitely never seen a single campaign, whether online or in person, that has ever taken advantage of the compelling nation of Iblydos. Grecian mythology tends to be a rich source for material and yet, mostly what you see is the more typical European mythology being used. Sure, most fantasy campaigns have Greek monsters, but they don't properly convey that very distinct vibe of Greek fantasy because they focus more on Tolkien-esque tropes.
@Apoc Golem: Most of my campaigns use complex and/or high-powered character creation rules. If you look back in my post history since I joined about a week ago, you will see my proposed homebrew game that I was considering running a game for (and decided against since it was such an ambitious idea and I am new here). I changed and added so many things for Arrune, my homebrew campaign setting, that I may as well have written Pathfinder 1.5. Mana instead of Vancian spellcasting, innate elements, the removal of the alignment system, several class changes, and more, all in one setting.
@Monkeygod: Godling classes are allowed, but you have to be descended from one of the Hero-Gods. Kelksiomedes lost his family before his ascension and took no other afterwards, so he is not an option. Diaphorae was a virgin-queen and forswore worldly pleasures as part of her sacred vows. Spalkis was basically a divine Worm That Walks, so it is extremely unlikely he had any children. That leaves four potential candidates from the official Hero-Gods. There have been more over the millenia and I would be fine with you creating one, but I would need to look the Hero-God over to make sure it would have fit the setting.
As for Mythic, yes, PCs would basically be granted the Dual Path feat. I just wanted to streamline feats.
@Swordwhale: You may multiclass freely within gestalt. In fact, it's one of the few viable ways to multiclass or prestige class and still be relevant in the endgame, given how incentivized PCs usually are to acquire capstones.
So basically a Sploradin?
Ghorans are definitely a possibility. I am sure they would find quite a bit of support from Kelksiomedes and his followers, who believe in oneness with nature.
Oh man... I love a good, powerful game... so many options....
I'm interested, I've already started working up a Tiefling kensai Magus/SoM URogue who flits around with a fauchard for dexy reach goodness.
Currently eyeing a very vengeance-driven kind of figure, since that comes up a lot in the mythology. Possibly a Harbinger/Slayer who narrowly survived their family's murder by Baphomet cultists, leaving them with a very distinct hatred of monsters. Not enough to completely s%*+ the bed on existing in a party with one, but definitely something where it might be some friction.
Hmm, I'll have to get something together. This sounds amusing and actually uses an area of Golarion I was not familiar with. I thought I knew Golarion pretty well.
Color me curious. A very enticing setting and one that I would be thrilled to explore.
I echo Swordwhale's inquiry about character creation.
Also, my google-fu is failing me as I can't seem to be able to find anything about the Satyxis race. Any guidance would be much appreciated.
Would you consider allowing the dragonrider class from rogue genius games? It's definitely an unbalancing class in any typical setting, but with the high-powered character creation rules going on I thought it might be reasonable. And it's a really interesting class I've been dying to try out, and I think it might be interesting in the setting. I'm thinking of playing a "dragon champion" style character, a human who seems small and meek compared to the grandiose figures around him, but has the might of dragons at his disposal. With most dragons in greek mythology being evil monsters to be slain or outwitted, I thought it would be interesting to have a more benevolent dragon. Let me know if this is allowed and/or sounds like it might be interesting.
Oh, I'm no stranger to extra crunch. My own homebrew uses VP/WP, amor as DR, and no alignment. It's also got over half a dozen custom prestige classes that have been sitting on the back burner forever because we've only had the chance to test-run one of them.
Mostly I was referring to gestalt on top of that stuff. My old group in NY was occasionally short-staffed, so we'd run gestalt games to help our survival rates. Then it kind of grew to infect *all* our games, and none of us handled rebalancing enemies to the new power level very well, so players kind of just steamrolled everything in our games. That was more an onus on our GM'ing than on the gestalt system per se. It'd be like making players mythic and never throwing mythic enemies at them.
At any rate, I'm totally down to make a submission. I've had lots of experience building gestalt characters, and while the math can be very daunting - especially starting at 8th! Whew! - it is also super fun. This isn't a chore for me, I'm totally stoked to do it. Just gotta take a deep breath first lol.
Absolutely dotting! Not sure what I’ll end up making but Iblydos is an awesome place for a setting, especially for a sucker for Greek mythology like me.
@Everyone Asking About Recruitment: I expect complete, or mostly-complete, characters by October 9th. That includes both background and statistics. Knowing how well or how poor a party will be able to work together based on their builds is often just as important as the characters themselves. While I might be a bit lenient on how much of your statblock is done, you must have a functional background and character concept posted by then.
@Daedalus: I am definitely a fan of higher-powered games. Two of my alternate game ideas before deciding on this one just so happened to be a pentastalt game where PCs basically played as precursors to existing fantasy races from the First Age and a tristalt game where PCs played as monsters in a manner similar to Overlord, but with none of the Sword Art Online tropes.
@Swordwhale: I recall a PC of mine using that very same build with a Dwarven White Witch. Admittedly, we set it in the Munchkinverse and I was throwing things like Stoned Golems and the almighty Cathulhu at them, but it was still fun.
@Zefig: A fauchard? Now that's something you don't see used every day.
@Cry for Absolution: That's an interesting backstory considering that it is canon that Baphomet was born as a mortal in Iblydos. It's even more interesting considering the fact that I created a certain area known as the Maze-City of Karnossa for Iblydos.
@Drbuzzard: Did you also know there is a city in Mwangi basically run by heaven-empowered magical girls? The world of Golarion is full of some really cool ideas, but some of those are hidden in one or two relatively obscure books. Distant Shores is one of my favorite supplements because it explores some of those weird ideas.
@CampinCarl9127: The Satyxis are basically a tall, statuesque female-only feyblooded race of Satyr women with an Amazon warrior culture and shamanistic blood magic. I intend for them to occupy the same role as the Maenads and Amazons from Greek legend.
I would consider the Dragonrider class, depending on how you plan on building it. Up until a few levels into this campaign, unlimited flight might be an issue, especially if you intend on having an aerial charge fly-by-attack build.
@Apoc Golem: Glad to see you stoked about the idea and it's always great to see other people with similar ideas on alternate rules.
@Simeon: Iblydos is one of the underused jewels of Golarion. It has so much potential for high fantasy and so few are willing to take that extra step in fleshing it out to turn it into something amazing.
Can you tell me a little more about how you envision submitted characters fitting into the world? How experienced/famous should they be?
I'm considering a kind of master of the elements - a Shifter/Incanter, perhaps, that can basically turn into the elements, or into just about any other creature they want, as well as manipulating Nature and Weather.
Hmmm... tempting, tempting... am I in the mood for creating another character?
Hmmmm.... I like the idea of an Athena-inspired character, and considering the staggering amount of feats we have/come free, even the most feat-intensive builds should be possible. I've frequently noted just how many of the greek gods have powers akin to that of a wizard, so probably going with some kind of dex/int caster/warrior.
@Rednal: Characters can range from obscure to mildly famous. Nothing like the adopted son of Asmodeus, an actual Hero-God (that comes later), or one of the established major figures in Golarion, but something like the descendant of a Hero-God, a fairly big local hero who slew a small hydra single-handedly, or something to that effect is fine. What did you have in mind?
@Almonihah: I should hope so. Is there anything I can clarify about the setting that would tip that interest?
@Daedalus: Gish characters tend to be a popular option in gestalt games. Being able to build a straight sword mage Fighter/Wizard is almost always more rewarding than just being able to play a Magus, even if the two overlap and fill in the same conceptual roles.
I didn't have anything specific in mind - I just want to try and match your expectations as best I can. XD Let's see what I can come up with now...
The prevalence of Baphomet cultists is definitely an interesting hook. So far I've put together my Tiefling for 5th level (based on your previous posting actually), and had noticed a few rogue and Tiefling resources that would more easily let one convincingly either join or infiltrate cults to take them down from the inside. It makes a lot of sense for a Tiefling in the area to have at least some connection to Baphomet, so that could be fun if the campaign ends up going in that direction. Maybe a secret identity a la vigilante even? And that could make for some good character interaction (either bonding or butting heads) if Cry for Absolution has a grudge against the cults.
@Everyone Asking About Recruitment: I expect complete, or mostly-complete, characters by October 9th. That includes both background and statistics. Knowing how well or how poor a party will be able to work together based on their builds is often just as important as the characters themselves. While I might be a bit lenient on how much of your statblock is done, you must have a functional background and character concept posted by then.
@CampinCarl9127: The Satyxis are basically a tall, statuesque female-only feyblooded race of Satyr women with an Amazon warrior culture and shamanistic blood magic. I intend for them to occupy the same role as the Maenads and Amazons from Greek legend.
Understood. Thank you for the quick response :D
I would consider the Dragonrider class, depending on how you plan on building it. Up until a few levels into this campaign, unlimited flight might be an issue, especially if you intend on having an aerial charge fly-by-attack build.
Hmm, I see. The build I was considering was dragonrider/arcane spellcaster, probably sorcerer or wizard. Would end up functioning as a kind of eldritch knight, using magic to augment his martial prowess.
As for the dragon's build, I hadn't really considered what feats to take. But I understand your concern about unlimited flight. That can indeed be unbalancing, especially at lower levels. I propose a solution if you do decide you're comfortable with allowing a dragonrider: The dragon begins the game crippled, either by a physical injury or a terrible curse. This could have numerous effects, one of which would be preventing (or at least severely hampering) its ability to fly. Or perhaps his dragon was born this way, stunted or malformed since its very creation angered a supreme being. It could even be a plot hook for my character. He is on the search for a cure to his dragon's plight, and his quest has brought him to Iblydos to seek the help of the cyclops and/or Hero-Gods.
Thematically I think it would be a great hook to get my character's story started.
Mechanically this would prevent any infinite flight abuse and would allow you to decide when and how would be appropriate for the dragon to gain its full power.
Oh man, that reminds me. Poor Randall, my tiefling uRogue/flowing monk, has recently become orphaned. Maybe I could just build him up to 8th. Something to consider anyway. Would probably update him to uMonk for more frontline viability. Best part of gestalt is the ability to fill more than one role!
Tiefling buddies, zefig? :D
Or if that would step on your toes, I have an idea for a character from one of my stories that might work, sorc/monk. Breath, what are your feelings on Leadership? If you allow it, how do you handle running cohorts?
Oh, it's just a question of having the mental energy for a complex build. I *want* to, I've just been kind of tired in general of late.
Hmmmm...
I already have three or four ideas, though. XD
*A Tengu Monk/Oracle, descended from seafaring Tengu who made their home in the archipelago. He's created an unusual fighting style by merging Minkaian weapon training (he uses an ancestral katana) with Iblydan philosophy, seasoned with his unusual oracular powers.
*A Catfolk Bloodrager (Prowler at World's End)/(Spheres of Power)Shifter. Wearing the forms of mythical cat-beasts as easily as his own and haunted by their spirits, he seems as likely to become one of the monsters heroes fight as a hero himself.
*A (Pathfinder)Shifter/(Spheres of Power) Shifter, because it amuses me to have two classes with the same name and because I love shapeshifting. Also I think I could pull off having this character be of indeterminite racial origin (possibly something non-humanoid), which is something I've wanted to do for a while. Likely to often be in the form of an annoying talking cat.
*I've also been wanting to do something with the Kyubi Paragon class from Rogue Genius Games, but I have enough ideas already and it's not on your list of approved classes so I'm not sure why I'm bringing it up. XD
Tiefling buddies, zefig? :D
Hey, works for me! Flanking buddies are always great. My 5th level build has my Tiefling doing dexy reach-weapon debuffing with enforcer rime-frostbites, debilitating strikes, and the rogue deny-aoo abilities. For 8th, I'll probably start going down the dimensional steps route and maybe pick up the Tiefling blinding sneak attack feat for even more debuffing. I have an absurd number of skill points from high int, background skills, sphere skills, and rogue skills but I've gone more towards sneaking and stealing than trapping and socializing. Also looking at a pilferer familiar.
I could see some overlap with the dex/int Daedalus's Athena build but I think the rogue and debuff focus on my Tiefling should help set them apart.
Oh jeez then I totally would be stepping on your toes. Randall is also a Nightcrawler build lol. I'll find something else but I appreciate the willingness to work together!
I'd probably be going with a fairly straightforward fighter-type build, with spells mainly used for buffing and out-of-combat utility (probably Transmuter), and possibly even getting an animal companion at some point.
So I can build the Fighter/Inquisitor Gestalt I've been wanting to, have the feat tax rules in place and get extra feats? And then I can run him as a Minotaur? That's fabulous. I'll get to work!
Anything important to know about Paladins?
Otherwise expect an Aasimar Paladin / Rogue (Hidden Blade) build in the near future. Because the party will also need a healer and face.
Waaait, Magus doesn't even get dimension door until 9th level. So don't expect any BAMFing here anytime soon.
However, I might skip out on two levels of rogue to go two levels of investigator and add int to even more the things.
Thinking of being a descendant of Aelyake, whose family hailed from Liachora prior to it's destruction.
Alright, I've solidified on an idea. ^^ I'm working on a Shifter/Incanter who was found in the wilds. In combat, they're a front-line combatant who can deal pretty heavy damage to foes, but they also have a few esoteric abilities - including some potent healing options, a bit of Nature and Warp, and a lot of movement options through their transformations.
Socially speaking, they're good at dancing and amazing at singing, but the lack of a formal education means they're not quite as good in high society as some people (<- those who want to take advantage of her naive personality) would prefer. She's more comfortable running on four legs to hunt food than enjoying a refined ten-course meal at a mansion. Between annihilating objects, healing groups, shapeshifting, and teleporting, people are pretty sure she's got some kind of divine blood in her... but nobody knows exactly who her ancestor is, and it's a little worrying.
Mythologically speaking, it's sort of like Hercules before people were all "Wait, he's totally the son of Zeus". She's heading in the direction of hero-god-ness, but isn't quite there.
I just want to confirm that the feats from Path of War, Spheres of Might, and similar are allowed for taking (you specified the classes, though not the other options). I figure they probably are, but I figured it would be best to check on the off chance they aren't before I go too far in any direction that may or may not work.
Currently leaning towards something PoW/SoM-y, or a combination of both, crossed with Wizard.
Zefig, Randall would only get it one level prior (uMonk gets Abundant Step at 8th) and wouldn't get his first Dimensional feat until 9th so you're not really far behind the uMonk. Only wizards can start earlier (D.door is a 4th level spell I believe, so 7th level for them), so a gestalt wizard with fighter or rogue levels can be a nasty combo. Out of my old group, 3 of us built separate Nightcrawler builds: one made a 3.5e warlock/fighter, one made... I wanna say sorcerer/inquisitor? It was weird. And then I made Randall, a uRogue/monk (now uRogue/uMonk). I think Randall won for damage output, but not until he hit Dimensional Savant at like 19th (now 13th-ish). No flank buddies? No problem!
If Leadership is allowed, I'll go with the monk/sorc. If not, I have a couple ideas I'm knocking around in my head.
Love the idea of gestalt, unfortunately the only gestalt game I have been in died early, so would like another go. And with a love of the Greek myths and a wife who grew up in Greece, the idea of iblydos sounds great.
Concepts are pretty rough at the moment, but I am thinking a face type character, probably:
A bard/cleric of Spalkis or Zdokirae
A cleric of Aelyake or Psomeira/ranger sea captain
Or possibly to change it up a sorcerer/barbarian for a face with an anger management problem!
Hmmmm.... An idea is taking form.... A Coiled Blade Fighter//Transmuter seems pretty close to ideal for my idea, especially with some of the SoM abilities. One question, though: the Finesse Fighting Equipment Sphere has two "ranks," one of which essentially gives just Weapon Finesse. I just want to confirm that I wouldn't need to take it twice to get the second-tier bonus (+1/2 level to damage when using STR for damage), as that would be more than a little annoying.
Then, as more of an actual question rather than just a clarification: to avoid being a straight rip-of of Athena, I think I might go with a glaive instead of a spear. However, the only way to make a dex-based glaive build involves Bladed Brush, which requires worship of Shelyn, which doesn't quite mesh with the idea I have for my character at the moment. Would that be possible to waive the requirement, or should I just use a different weapon/tweak my character's story a bit? EDIT: I have found the Spear Dancer Talent, so this actually doesn't matter at this point.
I'm super interested in this. I got several ideas. One of them is a gunslinger//magus... Are there guns in this setting? If not I'll just have to put that on the shelf and find something else... EDIT: After further thought, I do not want to be the one to introduce guns here...
I'm considering going Rage Prophet on one side of the gestalt, however that class is written with barbarian in mind. However Bloodrager is much more friendly for combination with other classes. Would you allow the Rage Prophet to work with bloodrager? I would prefer if I could just use Mad Magic instead of Momet of Clarity, though I understand if you want to keep that requirement. Also where it says Barbarian I would like if I could add in bloodrager instead.
Given the buffs to animal companions, going for a Harbringer (Ravenlord) // Wizard or something of that nature could work out quite well. I might ending up liking this idea more. Perhaps Eldritch Godling or witch instead of Wizard, for eldritch godling being a descendant of Zdokirae might be fitting.
As per spheres of might we can pick a martial tradition instead of proficiency with all martial weapons (or a single exotic weapon), correct?
These are just my initial thoughts. I could completely change direction. There are a couple other things I've been thinking to try out.
However, the only way to make a dex-based glaive build involves Bladed Brush, which requires worship of Shelyn, which doesn't quite mesh with the idea I have for my character at the moment. Would that be possible to waive the requirement, or should I just use a different weapon/tweak my character's story a bit?
The Spear Dancing talent in the equipment sphere allows you to use polearms as a 1-handed finesse weapon, that's what I'm doing to take a fauchard as my Kensai/URogue's finesse weapon. (Not trying to "claim it" for myself, just sharing the love!)
Edit: ninja'd.
Woop, re-read character creation rules and saw no Leadership. That will definitely inform my decision.
I might make a brawler/ bacchanal skald, a little Dionysus-like in his temprament though more focused on drunken brawling versus the curses and illusion that Dionysus uses. I’ve also been thinking of a minotaur mindblade/aegis, going into metaforge as soon as I’m able.
Couple more character creation questions and a suggestion:
Skill Unlocks? Stamina? Unchained classes? Templates?
I feel like this game would benefit from ABP, perhaps at a couple levels higher than our actual level(so maybe 10?), to help make us feel more epicly heroic.
If you ask the cyclops, there are certain signs that point to someone who has the potential to become a hero. They tend to be stronger, or faster, or wiser, or perhaps just more charismatic than you'd really expect from a normal person. Or maybe they just turn into a thirty-foot-tall giant made of fire and smash a minotaur flat into the ground with a few quick pounds right in front of your survey crew before waving a hand and healing all the injuries your small landing team sustained during the bovine creature's attack. Nerita is many things, but subtle is not among them.
Nobody knows who her ancestors are, and divinations on the topic have universally failed. Some people believe a power of some kind (a forgotten hero-god trapped underground, or perhaps one of the full deities watching from above) is shielding that information. Others think she may not have ancestors - in which case of course divinations would fail. You're asking the wrong questions. Nerita doesn't know any more about herself than the people of Aelyosos do.
What they do know is that she fits the mold of someone the cyclops will probably do a reading for. In the few years since Nerita was discovered, she has consistently surprised people with the variety of things she can do. Socially, the most notable of these are her talents with the performing arts - she's a good dancer and a great singer, and more than once she's performed at festivals and celebrations in Aelyosos.
Her abilities are something else entirely. Nerita is not a particularly elegant fighter, despite the attempts of several people within the city who've tried to tame her wild instincts and - not to put too fine of a point on it - 'civilize' her. While she behaves most of the time, those who set her off never know if she's going to set them on fire or set herself on fire before she goes on a rampage. Neither seems to trouble her much.
Of course, fire is far from the only thing she can do. Nerita has been observed taking a wide variety of elemental, animal, avian, and aquatic forms - and, in one of her more memorable events in the city, turning into some kind of celestial dragon. Not all of the forms are large or frightening, however - sometimes she shrinks into something small and furry to snuggle with someone she likes. She's even been seen talking to animals like she was some sort of druid - and she's gotten more than a few of them to do her bidding.
While transformations are easily her most noticeable acts in combat, they're far from all she can do. Nerita often channels magical power into her strikes, and these incandescent bursts have been known to daze people and weaken their willpower for a little while. When truly angry, she's been known to outright disintegrate enemies or even objects.
Her talents with healing get more notice. Nerita's been seen healing herself out of unconsciousness, restoring groups of people, and gifting powerful ongoing healing to those in need. On several occasions, she's even brought back someone who just died - though even she can't bring back people who have been dead for too long.
While those three categories get the most notice, they're not her only talents. Nerita has occasionally manipulated nature (ranging from causing plants to sprout enough food to feed a large group to outright manipulation of the weather), conjured magical to protect herself in combat, and even made objects disappear into thin air.
The general consensus is that while Nerita may not actually be divine - probably - she's pretty darn close. With the need for new heroes, more than a few of Aelyosos' elite have expressed interest in sponsoring someone they expect to be a hero. Unfortunately for them, there are two problems.
First, Nerita is quite independent-minded. While she usually listens to her friends, she doesn't seem to care what anyone else thinks about her and she's occasionally gone on rampages more reminiscent of a natural disaster than an angry young woman. (These, incidentally, are the main reason people haven't quite agreed to let her get a reading from the Cyclopes yet.) Fortunately for everyone around her, Nerita's basic personality is friendly and welcoming, and she never attacks people who don't deserve it. Those who try to control and manipulate her tend to regret it at the end of the day, though, and that includes the social figures who'd otherwise love to have a hero at their beck and call.
Second, Nerita enjoys the wilderness more than cities. Repeated attempts to 'civilize' her with the obviously-superior culture of Iblydos have never succeeded for more than a time. One moment she'll be sitting at a table, eating with a knife and fork, and the next she'll be shapeshifting into a bear and biting into a boar she stole from the cooking fire. This is rarely harmful, per se, but hosts who still invite her to parties have learned to tolerate a certain amount of liveliness. As near as they can tell, she's simply determined to be herself. Interestingly, this has actually raised some of the public's opinion of her. Many people believe that a hero should hold fast to their beliefs, and the decadence of the surviving nobility certainly hasn't helped the rest of Aelyosos. The times she's exterminated attacking monsters haven't hurt the public's perception of her, either.
In the end, the people of the city expect great things from Nerita. They aren't entirely sure if that greatness will be good or bad, but either way, she's not the kind of person who's going to hole up in a corner of the town and live a quiet life... one way or another, things are going to happen and she's probably going to be involved.
@GM: Thoughts?
Which (if any) Legendary Talents are available to take?
Also echoing the question of Combat Stamina, as I currently have it as a feat taken. I wouldn't say no to fighters getting it for free, but we already have so many feats that it really doesn't make that much of a difference.
My character is starting to take shape, a Sphere Fighter//Transmuter with Magus VMC. I have so many class feature/feat options it's absurd.
For my 2cp, I would kind of prefer if we could avoid templates (though wouldn't mind ABP, if just for gear streamlining) as my experience is that there tends to be something of an inverse relationship between game power and game longevity, with templates tipping the scales in favor of game power. I mean, all the (Awesome) houserules are insane enough. Templates just lead to absurdity.
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Sounds super interesting! Are any of the Godling classes allowed? They seem like a perfect fit for this type of game.
@Monkeygod: Godling classes are allowed, but you have to be descended from one of the Hero-Gods. Kelksiomedes lost his family before his ascension and took no other afterwards, so he is not an option. Diaphorae was a virgin-queen and forswore worldly pleasures as part of her sacred vows. Spalkis was basically a divine Worm That Walks, so it is extremely unlikely he had any children. That leaves four potential candidates from...
Monkeygod! You magnificent bastard!! Thank you for beating me to the punch of the godling question!
So, Breath, I will be submitting a human godling/paladin gestalt son of Psomeira in a few days. Thanks in advance! I can't wait to get started!!
let's make an all-groot, aehm, all-ghoran party
I'm Zorblag's minotaur (I assume you meant the Rite Publishing taurian race when you said minotaur,) who also uses a Fauchard. It seems like they should be a more common weapon as they rock. I hunt monsters (I also trip and scare them, it's kind of my thing.) I need to add a backstory, but for now does the crunch there look about right?
I used the bestial racial trait for minotaurs to add an additional +2 str and -2 int. If that's not reasonable do let me know. Everything else is pretty standard and shouldn't be too questionable I think.
I do have a question about spells (which I haven't picked out) though. Would Magic Vestment work on Air Barrier (the Oracle Revelation) as an armor?