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I am planning to run a group through the Rise of the Runelords AP as PbP for level 1 Characters. Before we delve into the nitty gritty let me tell you about myself, how I run things and my expectations.
As to my style I enjoy in-depth roleplay but I am not the kind of guy to write a 1000 word description about the scene or a 500 word monologue about the NPCs thoughts on your actions of killing some goblins. The one exception is the first game post. I usually make these long and in depth. In other words, if you expect all my posts to be a novella I’m probably not the right GM for you. On the contrary, I welcome my players to write walls of text, I enjoy reading them. Just remember depending on the pacing, you might get ninjaed by other players or myself while you are writing that wall of text. Regarding walls of text, or posting in general, be sure to copy it into an external program before you post it just to make sure all the effort you spent doesn’t get lost! Good times for wall of texts are over the weekend. On the other side of things if you only like to post during combat or your post only ever consists of a one sentence action followed by a dice roll then I am definitely not the right GM for you. I do not like to rail road, I greatly prefer a collaborative experience with my players. I want you to be invested in advancing the story. I like to see roleplay in between combat and more details about your action then “I move and attack with a 18”.
I am not a rules lawyer, per say, and there may be times I even consult the group on rulings if it is something extremely technical. Conversely, if it is something trivial I may simply gloss over the RAW and make my own ruling. I generally will not do this in situations where it gives either party a serious advantage over the other. I am definitely ok with RAI, in some cases, over RAW. With all that said Pathfinder’s supposed to be fun, and I’ll do my best to keep it that way.
=Dice Rolls=
Any rolls that are automatic, or pseudo automatic, such as Initiative, or if you say something like "every time we enter a room, I give it a quick scan", I make the rolls, so we don't have to wait. Likewise, I may make save rolls. I may also roll Perception, Sense Motive, and Knowledge checks as appropriate. All the rolls are above board, in spoilers to keep clutter to a minimum. I roll in either: (1) Alphabetic Order or (2) Initiative Order, as appropriate for the situation. If the Rolls are in a spoiler for GM they are meant for me. If they are spoilered with anything else like Initiative or Perception feel free to take a peek.
Any save whose result may result in very bad things for your character, I leave to you whenever possible. If you face a Save or Suck for instance, I don't like to roll the save for you. Your character, your karma, your luck . . .
If you plan to do something go ahead and throw out a roll to keep things moving. I can look at your character and adjust as necessary. For example, if you want to try and convince someone to do something roll a diplomacy check when you post what you are saying. If I feel what you said is really a bluff I will adjust the roll as necessary keeping your stats in mind. In combat, please account for everything relevant to your attack. For example, if you are an alchemist throwing a bomb, roll the attack, the direct damage, the splash damage and the misdirection if it misses. This is especially important as we get into higher levels to keep combat from bogging down.
=Game Flow=
One post per day minimum, excluding weekends. If you can post more often that is great and preferred. I encourage you to RP with each other and not just wait for me to make a post. I will always do my best to get in one post each weekday and one on the weekend. I generally check for posts around 7am Eastern and 2pm Eastern. However, I can often check multiple times between 7am eastern and 10pm Eastern, especially if people are posting frequently. During roleplay/story points I will advance the game as long as I have at least one person posting, unless there is a response needed from a specific character. For combat, I will wait 1 day before advancing the combat, unless you tell me ahead of time that you will be away and want me to play your character for you. In the event I skip your character, he/she will simply go on the defensive while he/she considers their next action.
I completely understand that RL events happen and can pull you away. The same will likely occur with me. In these cases, if you know in advance you will be away please let us know ahead of time so that we can set our expectations accordingly. If you do not post in over a week without prior notice I will PM you. If I do not receive a response to the PM in a weeks’ time I will consider you to have left the game and we may find a replacement for you. If you do reply to the PM, but it occurs frequently we may still find a replacement for you.
=Combat=
I will provide maps for combat situations via Roll20. There will be a link at the top of the page to the appropriate Roll20 campaign. You will need to login so I can create a token for you and give you access to move it around the board. I also, generally track HP on Roll20. All rolls however, are done here on the boards using the [ dice ] mechanics. When combat starts I will provide a listing of Init order. All players can go in any order within their grouping.
For example the Init order might look like this:
Round 1
>Player 1/Player5, Enemy 1/Enemy3, Player 4/Player 2/Player 3, Enemy 2
Player 1 & 5 can post their actions in any order and I will resolve them as appropriate. Then after Enemy 1 & 3 go Players 2-4 can post their actions in any order. If you post and someone’s earlier action effects your action I will take creative liberties. For example, if you magic missile a baddie that the Rogue just eviscerated, I’ll redirect your spell to a still-living target. This isn’t how I run things in a live game, but in a PbP, block initiative saves time and speeds up combat significantly.
=Player Discussion=
For any questions and concerns - please address these in the Discussion thread. That way everyone has the advantage of learning the answer to a specific question or ruling and we keep the gameplay thread less cluttered. When I post a ruling or what have you, I try to post a link to an appropriate reference document.
Note: I can be wrong, I'm not a perfect GM. When I am wrong, tell me and provide references. It is how we all learn.
=House Rules=
Actions: I'm a GM that does not punish the character for trying something new or cool, or even strange. Visually appealing actions are encouraged, the dc will of course depend on what are you trying, but you can try! I still try and follow the rules as appropriate, but I enjoy creative solutions.
Level up: I don’t level up based on XP. I level up based on your progression in the overarching story.
Sandbox vs Rail Road: This is not a very heavy Sandbox style type of game. As such, there is obviously heavy pre-defined story elements. However, I like players to help me drive the game, so I’m not opposed to throwing some Sandbox in there if it makes sense. As long as it does not completely derail the story I am open to creative avenues. If you do go someplace or attempt to do something beyond your skill I will attempt to warn you of the dangers, but I will not outright stop you.
Now with all that out of the way, if you are still interested, then please read on. First off, I already have 3 players for this game. The current party consists of the following:
Elf Sorcerer
Aasimar Evangelist Cleric of Netyhs
Half-Orc Goliath Druid
As such, I will only be recruiting for two more players. These two players will need to fit the following roles:
1) Front Line / Tank
2) Ranged / Skills
Below are the character creation guidelines and what is necessary for an application to be considered complete. I will say, I am going to prioritize players that have a demonstrated posting history over people new to play by post. Normally for my RotRL games I don't care as much and like to try and give new players a chance, but since this group has already experienced issues with players leaving I want to avoid that as much as possible this time around.
I will keep applications open until, Dec. 7 at 10pm Eastern. As such, I am looking to start the game by at least Dec 10. However, if there is an overwhelming amount of interest, I reserve the right to cut off the application window early. If you are really interested in playing this AP, I recommend you get in your application sooner rather than later. I will give notice if I do decide to cut off the application window early. Once the application window has closed I will only be reviewing completed applications. NOTE – You do not need to create an alias yet, but you are welcome to if you want.
If you have questions after all this, please let me know!
- Starting Level: 1
- Wealth: Average for Class
- Classes: Core, APG, ACG allowed. Will use unchained for Barb, Monk, Rogue, Summoner.
- Races: Core, Aasimer, Tiefling or Tengu preferred. Will consider others with exceptional background.
- Alignment: No evil.
- HP: Max at 1st, half + 1 after
- Attributes: 20 point buy, no stat below 10 before racial adjustments.
- Traits: 2, 1 must be a campaign trait.
- Drawbacks: 1 drawback is allowed for 1 additional trait. Be sure to incorporate your drawback in your character. WARNING: I will do my best to make sure your drawback does come into play at some point if you do take one. Restricted drawbacks: Attached, Envy, Forgetful, Umbral Unmasking, Warded Against Nature.
- Background skills will be in use.
- No 3rd Party content (including the no feat tax rules)
0) Download & read the Players Guide. NOTE - The original guide may provide additional useful information on the races/classes
1) Develop character concept. Crunch does not need to be complete but it can be. Character concept should include the following:
- Class
- Alignment
- Characters link to Sandpoint: How long have you been in Sandpoint? Are you a resident? If not, why are you there?
- Livelihood: How does your character make a living?
- Rollplay vs Roleplay: How will your character contribute to the group in combat? What about out of combat?
- Progression: How do you plan to mechanically develop the character (ie dips, multiclassing, PrCs, etc)? If you don't have a plan yet, that is ok.
- Background: What is the characters backstory? Doesn't need to be a novel, but at least 1-3 paragraphs of an overview. (IE what is your history, what are you doing now and what are you trying to achieve in the future)
2) Let me know your time zone and the time(s) of day you will most likely be able to post.
3) What is your experience with PbP? How many PbP games are you currently participating in?
I am very interested. I have a brawler I had been designing for Jade Regent so he already has some connections to Sandpoint, but he's more a glass cannon than a tank. I'll try to either fix him or put together something new today or tomorrow.
I'm in EST. As a stay-at-home dad I have some leeway during the day during naps, lunch, and TV time, but my main posting time would probably be evening. Between 6 and 9 I can post sporadically, but my main time is after everyone is in bed (9-12 or 1).
Experience and Active Games: Though I was introduced awhile ago, I've only been playing 3.5 and PF intensely for the last 3 years. I'm pretty new to PbP. My first game has been a Kingmaker campaign with some friends. Between book 1 and 2 though we've hit a snag with the change of pace and the postings have gone from once daily to twice a week.
I was just accepted to a campaign, but it is a high mortality campaign where death is permanent (there are more than 8 of us that are to be whittled down to 3 or 4) so I don't know how long I will be part of that game.
'Dada would like to put his hat back into this ring. I'll have to verify if he is still built to your specifications or needs to be returned to them. I"ve lost track of where he applied last.
Edit: Nope. He's tweaked for a Jade Regent game. Will need to do some minor tweaking to get him back to his original intent. Shouldn't take long once I get home and started.
@Jagael Don't see an issue with the Archetype right off the bat.
I'm definitely interested, and will come up with and submit something in the next couple of days.
EDIT: Does the skills character have to be ranged?
20 point build, average starting gold, background skills . . .. Looks like the only change to restore him is swapping back to a RotRL trait. Might need to touch up his story a bit, but the tweaks to hook him into Jade Regent really just increase his ties to Sandpoint, so most of those should probably stay firmly in place.
And . . . done.
0 - Done
1 - Most is CLEARLY in the profile. For clarity's sake, his role is intended to primarily be skill-monkey/trap guy. If the group needs him to spend feats on being more combat focused, I can make the adjustment or he can develop into the role the group needs instead of altering the role he's filled in life to this point.
2 - Central US. Generally weeknights. I have a chat game Monday nights and a BSA meeting Tuesday nights, so I post later on those evenings.
3 - Fairly extensive. My current campaigns tab shows 13 entries. 1 is actually a recruitment thread. 1 I left over a year ago (family medical issue) and they replaced me before I could return, but they haven't marked my character as inactive. <shrug> 4 are one-shots. 1 more that is so slow, nearly inactive, that the judge has posted only 27 times during the last 4 months, including trying to prompt other players (and we just lost a player who said they were unable to keep up with the pace). So, that would leave 6 active, current, campaign games.
I think this guy is ready for review. Ended up staying Brawler, but completely changed race and backstory. If anybody else wants to play a shoanti, there's a possibility for joined backstories.
Probably will stay with the shield-trained trait for story reasons (and to finesse the shield bash), but I am thinking of trading it for veteran of battle.
1a)Sgaithan, CG Shoanti Shield Champion Brawler
1b) Sgaithan and his brothers are giant slayers. Sgaithan is following up a lead in Sandpoint. (See backstory for more information)
1c) Livelihood: Sgaithan is an armorer.
1d) Rollplay vs Roleplay: In combat Sgaithan tries to protect the others. I chose to focus on dexterity rather than strength, so he's not going to be laying out a ton of damage in one hit, but he will focus on hitting consistently and being missed often.
Out of combat, Sgaithan faces more trouble. If the party has to travel to the Shoanti lands he would be invaluable as a translator and ambassador. With a decent perception and some important knowledge skills, he may also be able to help the party avoid danger.
1e) Progression: I really want to blend this character with the far strike monk, but realistically he'll never be close to lawful. I've thought about taking some levels of barbarian with either the urban or savage technologist archetype, but the flavor doesn't feel right at this point.
1f) Background-See Alias profile
2) I'm in EST. As a stay-at-home dad I have some leeway during the day during naps, lunch, and TV time, but my main posting time would probably be evening. Between 6 and 9 I can post sporadically, but my main time is after everyone is in bed (9-12 or 1).
3) Though I was introduced awhile ago, I've only been playing 3.5 and PF intensely for the last 3 years. I'm pretty new to PbP. My first game has been a Kingmaker campaign with some friends. Between book 1 and 2 though we've hit a snag with the change of pace and the postings have gone from once daily to twice a week.
I was just accepted to a campaign, but it is a high mortality campaign where death is permanent (there are more than 8 of us that are to be whittled down to 3 or 4) so I don't know how long I will be part of that game.
@PatheticWretch No if you can pull of a skilled character that can also function as a front line.
Apologies for hijacking your thread, but this was something I was interested in, and it fits the mould of the rest of the threads I looked through.
Where would new members like myself go to find a play-by-post? Several search results pointed to the Paizo site here, but nearly all of these threads state something along the lines of "experience required." It's like the internet memes of finding a job out of college - entry level positions require experience, but you can't get the experience because you won't be hired without the experience. I have to say, with so many table top gamers moving to the "simplified" editions, a community such as this being closed off to newcomers is wholly disappointing.
Edit: I'll be putting in an application anyway, despite the lacking the required experience - it just doesn't seem right that I should have to trawl through here for potentially months before someone opens a campaign to new-to-the-site players.
Mystic Ankh - Don't confuse the question of "what's your experience with PBP?" with a statement that experience is required.
That question and the answer helps a GM know what to expect, what kind of guidance a player might need. It doesn't inherently mean they only want players with a solid track record.
And the old players can trawl through this site for weeks trying to get into a long-term game that appeals to them. There are a great many PFS and SFS campaign modules offered on the site on a first-come-first-served basis, and near continuous offerings of scenarios designed for players new to the PFS campaign.
Edit: Check the threads "stickied" to the top of the recruitment forum.
Mystic Ankh - Don't confuse the question of "what's your experience with PBP?" with a statement that experience is required.
That question and the answer helps a GM know what to expect, what kind of guidance a player might need. It doesn't inherently mean they only want players with a solid track record.
And the old players can trawl through this site for weeks trying to get into a long-term game that appeals to them. There are a great many PFS and SFS campaign modules offered on the site on a first-come-first-served basis, and near continuous offerings of scenarios designed for players new to the PFS campaign.
Edit: Check the threads "stickied" to the top of the recruitment forum.
"I will say, I am going to prioritize players that have a demonstrated posting history over people new to play by post."
While I also read the following sentences and checked the veracity on Dak's profile, this shows up in the majority of the recruitment threads I've spent the past 4 hours scrolling through to make sure this was something I am interested in doing - and having had terrible experiences with PFS in real life, I have no interest in dealing with someone I can not confront by face (I made it to 9.2 locally, but some table variance led to the character being unable to play at a convention, completely turning me off the system forever; playing with her was the entire reason I attended.).
But when I see the accepted players from other recruitments being in a dozen active games and 30 inactive, and GMs choosing players they are playing with in other games who presented barebones concepts over players with detailed and fleshed character presentations, I can't help but wonder if this entire thing will turn into a waste of time for the aforementioned reasons.
I’ve got two submissions one from my wife and one from me.
I think part of what you are missing, Mystic Ankh, is that those shorter PFS/SFS games provide an opportunity for you to try PBP gaming on this forum at the minimum risk to not only your time investment, but also to the time investment of the other people at the table. An Adventure Path advertisement is asking for people to commit to playing for well over a year. Maybe 6 or 7. The campaign scenarios can be completed in a couple fo months over PBP.
You seem pretty adamant right now that this is going to be a bad experience. If you are right, and you get into a game and walk away after 4 or 5 weeks, then not only do you prevent somebody else from starting that game, but you create a problem for the people who want to keep playing the game. Their continuity is shot, and unless it was a large group, they may not have enough players to continue reasonably. Yes, replacement players can be picked up, but their introduction is always a patch onto the game.
In this particular advertisement for replacement players, the game started in June, and the players voted to seek out replacement players and START OVER in order to build and maintain that consistency. Amazing what you can find out if you spend a little time looking for information.
My odds of being selected with this character don't seem so good to me after I found that info, BTW. 'Dada's a HEAVY skill build, but the party really is looking for more combat capability. I could build that, but it wouldn't still be Gudada. <shrug> Normally, you build a concept to a game. Sometimes you try to find a good fit for an existing concept.
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I had the same feeling Mystic, I was accepted into the first game I applied to, then very few for a few months, and it took me a while to find a runelords game that would work.
I think posting history is less important than a positive attitude, but a lot of GMs are worried about attrition from players which can disrupt the flow of the game. People with no history are more likely to just disappear without warning, in my experience. I was able to get into a few games by being honest (new to pbp, but have been playing and running pf for years) and putting thought into characters to make them match the AP or setting.
I think part of what you are missing, Mystic Ankh, is that those shorter PFS/SFS games provide an opportunity for you to try PBP gaming on this forum at the minimum risk to not only your time investment, but also to the time investment of the other people at the table. An Adventure Path advertisement is asking for people to commit to playing for well over a year. Maybe 6 or 7. The campaign scenarios can be completed in a couple fo months over PBP
That I had not considered, you are correct - I had read that as an advertisement for PFS; the conclusion to my story earlier was my local GM was stripped of two stars and had to basically be supervised from here on. The convention would have taken me to 12, but because he had been making decisions not in-line with Society guidelines, my character was effectively barred from official play - meaning I'll never get to play a retirement scenario and essentially wasted two RL years. Trying to get there again on this medium, as you implied, might just take a decade - and while this might be a safe place to do so, being the official forums, the anonymity of the internet means I couldn't even yell at the GM for ruining a large investment of my time (and money - can't use the SRDs in PFS play after all).
I have no qualms with this format in-and-of itself - I have been in a dedicated WoW free-form RP on a forum for almost eight years now. It is simply the preference for experience and seemingly clique-esque nature of 9/10 recruitment posts (for Pathfinder - there are a surprising number of non-PF recruitments on here) which, as I mentioned, I spent several hours looking through that was dissuading me - my options appear to be apply anyway with the assumption that I'm probably not getting selected, or phone in two years of evergreen scenarios just to "pad my resume," as it were.
I will certainly try for a time, and lurk for "newbie-friendly" threads like many of Dak's, but I also have no interest in doing the latter - that's honestly meaningless, as I would not care at all about those characters and indeed would only run them until 2 at most before popping out another meaningless reference.
Good luck to you, though! Both here and in your other games.
Please accept this submission in applications for the tank/front line spot advertised.
Khalbar was created sometime back for a different Runelords game that went off the rails into some very sandboxy territory before ending with GM withdrawal. His build and background are included below. I think I covered the build requirements, but please LMK if I need to tweak.
Khalbar Bloodsong
Male human (Shoanti) unchained barbarian (scarred rager) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 29, Pathfinder Unchained 8)
CG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +0
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 15 (1d12+3)
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +0
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee dagger +5 (1d4+4/19-20) or
greataxe +6 (1d12+6/×3)
Ranged javelin +3 (1d6+4)
Special Attacks rage (6 rounds/day)
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Statistics
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Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greataxe)
Traits friends and enemies, resilient
Skills Acrobatics -1 (-5 to jump), Climb +5, Craft (tattoo) +2, Handle Animal +4, Intimidate +4 (+4 vs. non-barbarian humanoids), Knowledge (nature) +4, Ride +3, Survival +4
Languages Shoanti
SQ terrifying visage, tribalistic
Combat Gear alchemist's fire, barbarian chew; Other Gear hide armor, dagger, greataxe, javelin (2), backpack, belt pouch, blanket[APG], flint and steel, hemp rope (50 ft.), pot, soap, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, 12 gp
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Special Abilities
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Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Rage (Unchained, 6 rounds/day) (Ex) As a free action, gain temp hp, bonus to melee att/dam, thrown dam, will saves, but AC penalty and limited actions. 1 min fatigue when ended.
Terrifying Visage (Ex) Add to intimidate vs. civilized/diplomacy vs. tribal humanoids. +1 to fear DCs.
Tribalistic +2 to attack rolls and skill checks to aid another of your ethnicity.
He single-handedly laid waste to the competing tribal camp--his singing rage a terrible thing to behold, only to find that his family had been sold the previous day to traders bound for Magnimar on the Lost Coast.
Since then Khalbar has been chasing that caravan and searching high and low. He comes to Sandpoint with hope draining him, but a fire burning deep within. This is only a way station to rest and recuperate before resuming the hunt down the coast.
Appearance: Large, brawny Shoanti. Heavily tattooed. Nearly bald head with long queue ponytail in the back. Deep-set eyes, hard features, deep voice, humorless, and driven.
Livelihood: How does your character make a living? Khalbar is traveling currently, looking out for his missing wife and child. In the tribe, he was a hunter and tattoo artist (see background skill).
Rollplay vs Roleplay: How will your character contribute to the group in combat? What about out of combat? In Combat, Khalbar will be a classic heavy hitting/damage absorbing front line player. Out of combat, he will have outdoors and wilderness skills. He will be a stoic, strong silent type, but will lean towards doing good. He will have a tribal mistrust of civilization and magic.
Progression: How do you plan to mechanically develop the character (ie dips, multiclassing, PrCs, etc)? I plan to progress him as straight barbarian, taking the feats that will maximize his rage powers, his damage dealing, and his toughness.
Let me know your time zone and the time(s) of day you will most likely be able to post. US Central time zone. Most of my posting will be 8pm to midnight. I run several games and therefore posting daily is usually not an issues for me, including on the weekends.
What is your experience with PbP? How many PbP games are you currently participating in? I am running 3 games (including ROTRL) and playing in 3 others currently. I have done PBP mainly as a GM, for more than 5 years.
Thanks for the consideration. Khalbar is available to start immediately, should you wish to speed up the timeline to re-start this game.
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@Mystic Ankh You forgot an important piece while quoting me, below:
Normally for my RotRL games I don't care as much and like to try and give new players a chance, but since this group has already experienced issues with players leaving I want to avoid that as much as possible this time around.
I generally don't have an issue with new players. I try and give at least 1-2 spots to new players because everyone has to start somewhere. Even in my most recent recruitments for my War for the Crown games, I noted I put priority on experience but accepted a number of new to the forums players based on the quality and completeness of their applications compared to others. However, as mentioned, this group has lost almost more players than it started with (yes, I re-recruited and lost one of those players too). This was all before we were even half-way through book 1. So to be fair to them, I'm doing my best to avoid that this time around. That's not to say don't submit an application, you should, to any game that interests you. Just be up front about your experience both in and out of PbP.
To clarify though, as others have mentioned, it is generally a concern of attrition and having to find replacements. It can be very disruptive to a game (some AP's are easier to handle this with than others or definitely if you are further along in an AP it can be easier to handle as opposed to going through several people within the span of in-game days). Also, as others noted if you can get into shorter games that is definitely a good way to get started. Doesn't necessarily have to be PFS/SFS as sometimes GMs run modules and the like instead of just APs. From personal experience I started PbP with GMing and playing PFS games.
If you are still taking applications, I have an idea for a front-line character.
CG Gnome Bloodrager (Bloodrider archetype, Celestial bloodline) - eventual goal to ride a pig animal companion into battle wielding a large hammer and a maniacal grin. Full character build can be found here.
Reckum wants to get up close and personal with opponents during combat. He's most comfortable outside and (hopefully) won't get lost in the woods easily (this gets better at higher levels).
Ideally, the pig in question would be rescued or found early and be a relative of Squeely Nord.
Background
Reckum hails from the Solos Forest. A reckless thrillseeker even by gnome standards, Reckum’s family tried to calm him as a small child by asking an angel to bless him. The angel took one look at the rapidly-crawling baby, looked back at the parents, and said “I’ll do what I can, but don’t expect any miracles.” It’s difficult to say for certain, but the angel’s blessing does not seem to have done much to curb the gnome’s excitability - perhaps it has yet to manifest itself.
Reckum grew up tracking various animals - first through the village, then through the neighboring woods - and occasionally bringing them back to the village, where the panicked creatures would wreak havoc before escaping back into the woods, the tiny form of Reckum in hot pursuit. As he grew bigger, so did the creatures he rode. Realizing they needed to channel his energy before it flattened the village, the elders gave Reckum the job of patrolling the village perimeter and chasing off hostile creatures. This suited the young gnome well, and he still proudly carries his “wallop-hammer” everywhere he goes - “To protect my friends,” he says when asked.
It was a dark and stormy night when Reckum came to Sandpoint on the back of a particularly energetic buck. To say he was riding it would be generous - travelers still tell stories about hearing maniacal laughter through the mists one night and seeing a wide-eyed gnome clutching the neck of an equally wide-eyed deer careening out of the sleet before vanishing as quickly as they appeared. Reckum doesn’t remember how the ride ended - only that he woke up to the sun in his eyes on the road outside Sandpoint.
Reckum’s been in Sandpoint for a bit less than a month now and keeps himself busy by bringing in food from the forest and keeping predators and aggressive neighbors away - Mayor Kendra having reached the same conclusion about channeling his enthusiasm as the elders of Sanos. He is cheerful and welcoming to everyone not openly aggressive, which has only bitten him once when he let a horse thief leave town unchallenged with a herd of Daverin Hosk’s best horses. Since arriving, he’s become obsessed with stories of the Sandpoint Devil and has been trying every method he can come up with to lure the beast out (currently he’s trying various scents rubbed on trees outside of town). When asked why, he simply grins and says, “Why, to ride it, of course! Well, or wallop it. Basically the same thing!”
Questions
- Would you be open to letting him use the Primalist archetype to trade his lvl 12 bloodline power for two rage powers (Ferocious Mount and Greater Ferocious Mount)? If so, we should discuss how that would translate from rage to bloodrage.
- With the Boon Companion feat, his boar mount will be large enough for him to ride when he gets the class ability at lvl 5. Would you be willing to ignore the restrictions on waiting until lvl 8 for such a companion?
- How high of a level is this campaign expected to reach (aka, how far out should I plan his build)?
I started playing PFS in August 2017 and started using PbP in June 2018 (GameDay VII) as a way to continue playing with friends. I am currently playing in 12 PFS scenarios (with 4 near or at the final encounter) and running 3 PFS scenarios (with 1 on the final encounter). I am having a blast with the PbP format and really enjoying the ability to flesh-out a character beyond modifiers on dice rolls.
Also, question: What do you mean by “background skills”?
@Mystic Ankh You forgot an important piece while quoting me
Not so, I brought it up several times - I've just been posting from mobile and it isn't the easiest to insert quote boxes. My hesitations have largely been assuaged, it was just worrisome to see such a vast number of threads with similar requirements - though it does make a bit more sense as I sat and put it into perspective of 6-7 years for an AP vs a few months (or just one, if you're dedicated and linear...and in person).
And to show I'm not simply complaining, I'll edit this post with a character application shortly - I've already discovered the timeout errors, so I want to make sure I have a hearty connection first! And to save long posts somewhere else in the future...
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And to save long posts somewhere else in the future...
I highly recommend Google Docs!
@Hawthwile See Background Skills. It splits the skills into Adventuring and Background skills and essentially gives you 2 extra skill points to apply to your background skills every level.
And now I learn of the edit time limit about 5 minutes too late.
Race - Human (Varisian), Alt. Racial: Heart of the Fey
Class - Swarm Monger Druid 1/Legate Gray Paladin of Abadar X
Alignment - LN
Stats - 14, 10, 15, 10, 14, 15
Traits - Reactionary, Beast Bond, Friends and Enemies(C), Misbegotten(D)
Progression - The Druid level is my dip - the remainder shall go into Paladin. Will take a bond other than Mount.
Planned Feats - 1) Nature Bond, Fey Foundling; 3) Boon Companion - Familiar; 5) Animal Ally; 7) Boon Companion - Animal Companion
History - I will need to flesh this out with exact details. The character was found roaming the wilderness at a young age, born from parents unknown with a similarly surprising ability to have survived alone. Feral for several years, her adopted parents worked hard to integrate her into society. While successful, she still felt more at ease among animals than humanoids, but took to enforcing civility on them rather than reverting to her wild ways. She now resides just outside of the North gate, where she breeds and trains serviceable animals for general use by the citizens of Sandpoint - from donkeys and mules for pack animals to cats and birds used for pest control. "A goat in every pen" is the motto of her makeshift ranch, and indeed her trained and well-behaved livestock are growing in popularity. Recently, she has felt stirrings of some unknown power within her, and two nannies have given birth to kids bearing a key-shaped marking on their hindquarters. She is constantly accompanied by a raven perched on her shoulder, and she walks with a staff, keeping her weight off her left leg, which has been misshapen and mangled since she was discovered - though this does not impede her normal movement, she finds complex full-body actions such as swimming or acrobatics difficult.
Roles - With a Sorcerer and a Druid, many of the out of combat roles she would otherwise bring are likely covered. Her raven can serve as an effective scout, as could her future animal companion (which will likely be a giant raven). Depending on the skills of the rest of the party, she could serve as a moderately decent face, but it's likely that the wisdom of the Druid and the charisma of the Sorcerer will both be higher than hers. In combat, beyond level 1, she will function as the self-healing tankadin, drawing enemies in with her apparent lack of armor and crippled state. The raven will be able to deliver touch heals at 3, drawn from both the Druid and Paladin slots, as well as disrupting casters and causing minor inconveniences in Swarm form. The companion will add an extra set of dps to the group, which may make up for my lack of Power Attack until and if I take it in the future.
Times - I am EST, and work varying hours, in addition to having full custody of a 5 year old - as such the best I can estimate posting times would be "morning" and then "later evening."
I should be able to have a full sheet up by this evening.
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Here is my submission.
Nar Rock-Turner
- Class: Slayer
- Alignment: LN
-Party Role: Ranged Combat/Skills
Traits:
Oral Historian
Scholar of the Ancients
As a member of the Shundar-Quah, Nar grew up in the shadow of the Spindlehorn learning the lore and oral traditions of the Shoanti people. Even more than most, Nar was fascinated by legends of the Azghat (the Shoanti term for the Runelords). Even as a child, he could be found prying into any ruin that the clan traveled near. (In fact, this led to his current sobriquet, which he finds fitting but a bit embarrassing.) When not wandering through a ruin, he spend time at the feet of the clan's shaman, committing the oral hsitory of the Seven Klars to memory.
Nar is in the midst of his Journey--the three-year rite of passage that youths of the Shundar-Quah undertake before earning their permanent adult name. He has visited 3 of the seven clans (The Skull, Moon, and Hawk clans), and is in the midst of completing a quest for a Hawk Clan elder. The Journey has been the highlight of Nar's life so far, as it has given him the opportunity to learn more about the Shoanti lands and his heritage. He aspires to be a shaman himself, one day, and hopes to help the clans remember the proud legacy of the Azghast that chose the Shoanti as their warriors so long ago.
As a player, I'm interested in Nar really exploring what the legacy of the Runelords is for the Shoanti. It's interesting for me to see how the character will act when he learns more accurate information about the Runelords and Thassilon beyond what he has been taught by his tribe. I think it would lead to character development when he needs to reconcile these two--likely conflicting--sources of information.
I'm a recent convert to PBP. I started playing this summer and I love the format. I'm currently playing in 4 games and running 2.
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Sarai Shae, Rogue 1, at your service (filling ranged/skills category).
The answers to many of the questions are in the Background section of my character sheet. I'll answer those that aren't below:
- Rollplay vs Roleplay: How will your character contribute to the group in combat? What about out of combat? In combat, Sarai will deal damage primarily at range with her bow (and eventually add some damage-dealing ranged spells and utility spells). Out of combat, she will have a lot of face skills (primarily bluff, though some diplomacy) as well as loads of other skills like stealth, disable device, etc.
2) Let me know your time zone and the time(s) of day you will most likely be able to post. Mountain Time Zone. I am self-employed and usually mix posting in during work hours, so I can usually post multiple times during the day.
3) What is your experience with PbP? How many PbP games are you currently participating in? I have been on these boards for about 5 years and have over 18,000 posts. I would be a very consistent player, if selected. I usually try to play in about 5-6 games (a couple of longer-term games recently ended with the GM leaving, so I'm looking to add another).
@GM Dak Thanks for the explanation about background skills!
I've also got this character for a ranged skill-heavy alchemist:
Neutral Tiefling Trap-breaker Alchemist, focused on debuffing enemies (though sometimes the most effective debuff is a swift demise).
Outside of combat, he is a very knowledgeable (if somewhat clinical) resource of the best ways to bypass locks (usually with explosives), disarm traps (with explosives), and create alchemical tools (such as explosives) to make the adventuring life easier. He will also be an excellent linguist and spellcrafter, as well as using things that are clearly not for him (Use Magic Device).
More detailed breakdown of the build can be found here.
Background
Bartholomew Valdimar II, youngest scion of the Valdimar family, was born on a starless night in the middle of winter to a housemaid who was paid a hefty sum for her child and her silence. Raised by a family that never quite accepted him, the young Bartholomew threw himself into his studies and impressed all his tutors with his love of learning - if not with his rather chill demeanor. Unfortunately, he also made quite an impression on them with his love of explosions, fires, and strong-smelling chemicals. After burning through every potential instructor in Magnimar, the family finally sent the young man to his elderly relative in the small town of Sandpoint. “At least he can’t burn down Magnimar from there,” they whispered as he left.
Bartholomew has been living in Sandpoint for a little over two months now, and has taken to life in Sandpoint quite well. He splits his time between working at the general store with Ven Vinder, creating alchemical tools and tricks for Ven to sell, and experimenting with anything he can get his hands on to create more powerful explosives. His caretaker, Ethram Valdemar, tends to stay out of the boy’s affairs - interfering only when Bartholomew almost burned down the Hagfish tavern to confiscate the lad’s alchemy kit for a week. Bartholomew never acknowledged the kit’s disappearance or reappearance, but he tends nowadays to keep his most explosive work to the outskirts of town near Junker’s Beach.
Bartholomew has recently grown bored from the lack of new materials for his experiments in Sandpoint. Having found his true calling in the science of explosives, he longs to travel to unexplored locales filled with untapped and uncatalogued reagents and ingredients and begin contributing to the knowledge and understanding of the next generation. He’s not foolish enough to strike out on his own, but should the opportunity arise to travel with companions he would leap at the chance.
I would like to submit Ashius Casca, Lizardfolk Barbarian, for the front-line/tank role. The base overview is in the spoiler, with the crunch following over the next few days.
- Class: Barbarian
- Alignment: NG
- Character's link to Sandpoint: Moved to Sandpoint only a few months ago, currently working out of the Cathedral under the watchful eye of Father Zantus.
- Livelihood: Formerly, he worked as an acolyte in the Magnimarian temple of Sarenrae, occasionally lending his aid at other temples whenever he had the time. After having moved, however, he now spends most of his time working to care for and maintain the Sandpoint Cathedral (and keeping a watchful eye on any Sczarni who stop by).
- Rollplay vs Roleplay: In combat, Ashius will function as something of a living wall standing between his foes and his allies, soaking damage, and punishing his foes for attacking those under his protection. Out of combat, he'll seek to provide religious guidance and a moral compass to his allies, whilst attempting to further the will of the Dawnflower. In addition, due to a firm dislike of his 'battle haze' (and association with unpleasant memories), he will often seek to avoid conflict, and attempt to resolve matters peacefully, when possible.
- Progression: While the specifics are currently a bit loose (as is much of the crunch), I plan to develop Ashius as a pure Barbarian, with focus on feats and abilities that allow him to withstand as many hits as possible, especially ones that redirect attacks to himself.
- Background: For months Wartle had been under siege by the lizardfolk. Whatever their reasons, valid or not, they were causing death and mayhem in quantities too large to be excused, for any reason. Thankfully, before things became truly dire, the paladin Varus 'Dawnmark' Casca led a group of mercenaries in a surprise attack on their camp, with great success. only a pair of the mercenaries had been lost, and the entire lizardfolk camp had been slain or routed.
While they gathered up the spoils of war, however, they found one thing the paladin had not planned for; a newly hatched lizardfolk child, no more than a week old. Unable to bring himself to slay an innocent child, no matter the race, Varus prayed to his god for guidance, and was given a flash of divine insight in return. He was reminded that Sarenrae is the Goddess of Redemption, after all.
And so, he brought the lizard babe back home to Magnimar, where he gave him a proper name, and raised him as a child on the Dawnflower ought to be. To his credit, the young Ashius took to his adopted father's teachings like a duck to holy water.
In fact, he took to it so much, that only a day after his sixteenth birthday, he applied to become a paladin just like his father. Tragically, the lizard lad was deemed to have a temperment 'unbefitting of a member of the order'. It seems that the stark contrast of a lizardfolk's alien mind and instincts, with a human upbringing and culture, had created something of a rift in his mind. One that manifested itself through a fierce temper, and righteous anger when Ashius's life is endangered. Though his father was dissapointed that his son could not follow in his footsteps, he showed nothing but compassion towards Ashius, who was even more heartbroken than he.
Three years later, with Ashius still seeming as lost, and directionless as the day of his examination, Varus made a decision. It was time for a change of scenery, a new environment, and he certainly wasn't getting any younger. And so, after some small amount of debate, Ashius and his father packed up their belongings, and moved into a small home in the coastal city of Sandpoint. Varus settled into a peaceful life of retirement, and Ashius found work helping Father Zantus in the Sandpoint Cathedral. They've adapted to this peaceful life fairly well over the past months, and even Ashius's mood has perked up, now that he's no longer surrounded by reminders of his failings.
Apologies for the double-post, but the full crunch of Ashius is now done. (Less anything I might have missed, misunderstood, or miscalculated.)
Just a few questions as I flesh out my background.
Are you using the anniversary edition for gameplay, or just the player's guide? They changed a few things like Ameiko's age in there.
What year is it?
Have any of the other APs happened in your continuity? Particularly, Second Darkness or Jade Regent.
Thanks!
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@Mystic Using the AE version. Game starts Toilday, 23rd of Rova, 4707. No other APs have taken place before the start or RotRL in my continuity.
Character will be a Front line warrior/Tank. Decent (though not great) AC with a large HP pool, and ready to do a lot of damage. Out of combat, Ferretal will be pretty bad at it. Most of his interactions with people who are not the Ekujae have been bad (master/slave). He has only a little loyalty to Gallma as the master that treated him best (still not great). His best out of combat contributions will be in tracking and survival type things, though he can help with a few (really low) knowledge skills (Dungeoneering, Local, History). His character arc will definitely be learning to trust his new companions and getting to actually be a part of the group. I don't have a specific plan yet for him mechanically as we move along.
2) GMT -7, I usually post more in the mornings, before noon my time. Though, I will sometimes post later in the day depending on schedule.
3) I've played several PBP games. I did have to drop out due to a major life change a few years back, but I'm finding time for it again and excited to come back. I am currently in 1 game, a Legacy of Fire game.
Name: Ferretal
Race: Elf
Class: Unchained Barbarian
Gender: Male
Size: 5' 7" 130 lbs
Age: 134
Alignment: CG
Deity: None
Language: Common, Elven, Sylvan
Str: 16
Dex: 14
Con: 12
Int: 12
Wis: 13
Cha: 10
Init +4;
Senses Perception +6; Low-light Vision
Speed 31/41 ft; HP 13/13 (15/15 While Raging)
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +5 Armor) (15/10/15 While Raging)
CMD 16
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1 (+3 while Raging)
Melee Warhammer +4 (1d8+3/x3) [+6 (1d8+5/x3) While Raging];
Ranged +3
Special Attacks Power Attack
CMB +4
•(B)Run
•Power Attack
•Monster Hunter
•Life of Toil
•Frontier-Forged
Drawback: Xenophobic
•Fleet-Footed
•Low-light Vision
•Desert Runner
•Diplomacy (-2 against creatures of a different race or culture)
•Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +2 (1 Rank, +1 Int)
•Knowledge (Local) +2 (1 Rank, +1 Int)
•Perception +6 (1 Rank, +1 Wis, +3 Class, +1 Trait)
•Sense Motive (-2 against creatures of a different race or culture)
•Stealth -2 (1 Rank, +2 Dex, -5 ACP)
•Survival +5 (1 Rank, +1 Wis, +3 Class)(+1 to get along in the Wild)
Background Skills
•Handle Animal +4 (1 Rank, +0 Cha, +3 Class)
•Knowledge (History) +2 (1 Rank, +1 Int)
-5 ACP
Combat Gear
•Scale Mail (30 lbs)
•Buckler (5 lbs)
•Warhammer (5 lbs)
Other Gear
•
Wealth: 38 gp
Fast Movement A barbarian’s base speed is faster than the norm for her race by 10 feet. This benefit applies only when she is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor, and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the barbarian’s speed because of any load carried or armor worn. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses to the barbarian’s base speed.
Rage (5 Rounds/Day) A barbarian can enter a rage as a free action. While in a rage, a barbarian gains a +2 bonus on melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, thrown weapon damage rolls, and Will saving throws. In addition, she takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class. She also gains 2 temporary hit points per Hit Die. These temporary hit points are lost first when a character takes damage, disappear when the rage ends, and are not replenished if the barbarian enters a rage again within 1 minute of her previous rage. While in a rage, a barbarian cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skill (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration (such as spellcasting).
A barbarian can end her rage as a free action, and is fatigued for 1 minute after a rage ends. A barbarian can’t enter a new rage while fatigued or exhausted, but can otherwise enter a rage multiple times per day. If a barbarian falls unconscious, her rage immediately ends.
Ferratal looked across the bare patch of earth from the edge of the jungle, where he lay hidden, towards the solid white constructions of the Aspis Consortium. On other days, he'd wondered long on why these men would build ovens to live in, but today there were no thoughts beyond the raid. The first he'd been aloud to accompany. He noted two guards leaning against one of the buildings and two others walking through the center. Ferratal stepped back. He crawled through the brush, making only a few rustlings. When he was far enough back, he stood and run the remaining quarter mile to where Marenya stood.
"Four visible. Two patroling, two stationary."
Marenya nodded at the report. She quickly pointed and motioned to several of the other elves. They split off and disappeared into the thick growth of the jungle. Six remained, including Ferratal and Marenya. Marenya looked at each of the others in turn. They each responded to the wordless question with a bare nod. Finally Marenya turned to Ferratal, "Stay hidden. Watch." Ferratal nodded. He had been lectured long on this and knew how important Marenya found it. Ekujae began their training as scouts. If he did well, he may be alowed to progress to warrior, but seeing comes first.
They slowly crept back to the edge of the cleared area. Ferratal stayed and watched as the others slowly made their way into the compound as previously planned. Things seemed fine at first. Ferratal watched in awe as one guard then another fell with no alert being called. That was when he saw the troop sneaking out a door and around one of the buildings behind Marenya's group. To Ferratal's growing horror, Marenya did not see the guards.
Ferratal stood and yelled, "Behind you!" He had not realized he'd decided to join the fight until he was halfway across the field with a branch in hand. Ferratal threw the stick aside and pulled his belt knife out.
He yelled, and let that yell propel him forward. He could see other Ekujae charging towards him, though in this battle haze he couldn't distinguish who. Ferratal was faster. He clashed with the men of the Aspis Consortium and found himself quickly outmatched. A sharp pain in his wrist. A dagger thudding to the dirt. More yelling. More men. Ferratal felt his mind grow dim as he swung out wildly.
Though he could not follow how it had all happened, Ferratal found himslef shepherded into one of the buildings, bruised, bleeding and confused. The heat that assaulted Ferratal did not help and he nearly passed out--he guessed it would probably be the second or third time. The men carried him a little farther then threw him to the ground. Ferratal heard a clang and snap. He tried to stand up, but hit his head on the cold iron bars above him. The sounds of fighting and the light through the windows began to swirl and fade again. One thought swirled with his head, A cage. . . .
**********
So, just to list out what I have seen so far:
Gudada - Human Rogue (Melee/Skills)
Sgaithan - Human Brawler (Melee/Front Line)
Khalbar - Human Barbarian (Melee/Front Line)
Reckum - Gnome Bloodrager (Melee/Front Line)
*Mystic* - Human Druid/Paladin (Melee/Front Line)
Nar - Human Slayer (Ranged/Skills)
Sarai - Tiefling Rogue (Ranged/Skills)
Bartholomew - Tiefling Alchemist (Ranged/Skills)
Ashius - Lizardfolk Barbarian (Melee/Front Line)
Ferretal - Elf Barbarian (Melee/Front Line)
If I'm missing anyone or have an error please let me know.
Mystic Ankh here, posting as the character Eswain. Everything should be up in her profile but the fluff bits - I had it all up at one point, but it was super ugly looking; I found a guide on here that showed me a nice way of doing formatting so hopefully she looks okay.
First, I applied three familiar archetypes to it - Ambassador, Animal Exemplar, and Sage. The first two can stack as per normal, but Sage breaks the rules. Allow me to attempt to justify this.
Ambassador and Sage both modify the familiar's Intelligence progression - the Ambassador stops it at 6, and advances its Charisma instead at the normal rate. Sage increases the Intelligence progression to 5+Effective Druid Level, but halves the normal natural armor bonus. My personal reason for arguing for this is that, by EDL-5 (the cap), it will have an Int 10, Cha 8 and NA+1. As a Swarm, this particular familiar would keep the natural armor bonus, so by cutting it like this I'm hindering its use in combat - it is unlikely higher-level enemies would even be distracted by the swarm, and its damage will never increase beyond 1d6/round. It's weak and ineffective as a combat partner, something I swapped the Druid's Nature Bond feature for (and then will be replicating at the cost of three feats, one of which is my Human bonus. Mechanically that's a bad decision, but it fits her theme, and I'll offset her weakness by...well, by being a Paladin. However, I've even weakened that slightly by going Gray Paladin - I hate to use this as a justification, but the pally that is focused and optimized is a mean class in Runelords, and not as situational as usual.
Ambassador and Sage also replace Alertness - this is easy to justify for me, as Ambassador simply gives a different feat in exchange (one that isn't shared with the master like Alertness anyway), and Sage takes it away in exchange for 2sp/EDL and the ability to make Knowledge checks untrained with a +0.5/EDL bonus to them, while also losing the ability to share the master's skill ranks. This means that the familiar will be limited to 10 skill points in total, whereas normally it would still gain my skill ranks despite its personal level being capped at 5.
I will elaborate much further re: flavor once my kid goes to bed tonight, but for now, I view Malthus as an emissary of Abadar - its purpose in existing is to teach Eswain to be a Paladin. I will not lie, I do intend to use the Animal Exemplar abilities to have the familiar build an "army of ravens," but I do not forsee more than one or two instances in the entire campaign where that could even be useful, and one is before those abilities will even kick in.
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Next, for the same reasons as above, I swapped the base raven Weapon Finesse feat for Master of Your Kind - while Ambassador lets this kick in at level 3 instead, it is still unusable before then. However, Weapon Finesse is redundant on Familiars, so an advantage early is neither gained nor lost.
I did the same for the horse granted by the Friends and Enemies trait, replacing Run and Endurance with Narrow Frame and Well-Trained. As a lifetime native of Sandpoint and an animal breeder/trainer, I'm also reflavoring the lore of the trait that Eswain was given the "best foal of his stock" rather than a trained adult horse - wouldn't make sense that she would take one like that anyway.
I like the paladin class for this campaign, but I was not inspired by the traditional Golarion pally orders. Additionally, the Fey Foundling trait implies something is decidedly off about a character, and I wanted to highlight that with Eswain. She is a literal wild child from the wilderness - in a homebrew, sandbox-ier style, I'd argue for the GM to reveal that she's not actually human sometime later in the game - and was forced into civility and order by "normal" humanoids in a community. I tried to imagine the psychological effect of this on a person, while not being as Jodi Foster about it as the movies. My conclusion was that she would become obsessed with order and structure, seeing it as the hallmark of rightness. However, her nature is to not be so ordered - to that end, I have her dedicating herself to imposing order upon nature.
Lore-wise, Abadar is the God of Cities - but cities are not self-sustaining, and the larger and more ordered a civilization is, the more outlying support is required. Farmers for food, cloths and leathers; fishers; loggers and miners for building materials - these are all vital in the functioning of a city, so why would Abadar not support these as well?
The raven fixation is admittedly modeled after the League of Legends character Swain - but the choices for Swarm Monger are limited, so when raven was an option it's clear why my mind took me there. And while many farmers consider birds to be pests on their crops, they also prevent crippling insect infestations - thus, trained birds would be nothing but a boon to farmers, and indeed the interior of the cities as well.
With the Nature Soul/Animal Ally feats, plus a second Boon Companion, I get a true Nature Bond as well, though limited to yet another small list. This isn't an issue, as Abadar is fond of golden eagles - but even a full-level eagle is low down on the combat spectrum of companions. I have not gone about seeing how I'll develop that one yet, but I'm sure it will be similar to the raven - a beacon of Abadar's faith to show Eswain the way, and mechanically scout and get help over acting in combat itself.
There are a lot of extra animals - a monkey, 3 ravens, 5 thrush, 2 mongooses, 2 goats, and 10 common cats. I have their tricks listed, but the only ones trained in Attack are the cats, and only the simple version. However, I do not plan to take them into combat - it is another part of the theme. At her farm, she keeps upwards of 100 cats. While they're "common," she has bred them to behave more akin with wild species - in addition to vermin control, their primary purpose is to guard her livestock. Many farmers keep a few donkey with their cattle, as a donkey will fight a coyote and serve almost like a guard dog in that respect. For Eswain, these are her cats (one of Abadar's favored animals, as well) - they guard and protect her herds, and woe to the dozen coyotes who think they can fight ten cats each.
For our campaign, the cats will likely disperse after we leave Sandpoint - she brings them with her into town to set loose and find any vermin that are around as a service to the people (and free food for the cats). They monkey (Abadar's main favored animal) will stick around but is strictly non-combat - his main use is as an aid for daily chores, and he knows Break Out should that ever come into play. The ravens and thrush are scouts and watch guards, also trained to seek out the familiar, Ameiko, and/or Ilsoari Gandethus - the usefulness of which is up to you, as they'd all just fly back to Sandpoint. The mongooses are the trackers, like dogs would be in these scenarios. The two goats are the nannies who bore the marked kids, freshened and producting milk but also ready to be shorn, so she brought them to sell the angora and milk them. I will probably drag them along for most of the campaign until they're impractical, but they're just for the milk at that point, as well as the bearers of omens or what have you that's indicating Eswain's about to be a Paladin.
Lastly, I will opt for Gray Paladin in order to have the Neutral requirement from Druid, as well as Legate to remove the need for metal armor or the crazy-priced replacements that're offered. I may or may not take Mount, depending on the flow of the campaign, but I do not want to throw yet another combat animal onto the field, and the skillset I have is built is not optimized for riding. If it is an alternate, it will likely be the Archon Bond, as having debilitating, glowing red eyes also fits with the swarm of ravens and general impending doom vibe - however if my dips have hindered my self-healing (which is the primary "tank" mechanism here), I'll pick Agathion Bond.
And here is a brief backstory. I expect to have the complete one finished in the next day, but certainly before the 7th.
She left Sandpoint proper in 4694, where she established a small ranch near Weasel Creek, raising mostly chickens, goats, and pigs. She developed a fondness for stray cats, and soon large numbers flocked to her land, where she integrated them into the herd as protectors and guardians of her livestock.
Her well-behaved and markedly trained animals grew popular among Sandpoints more self-sufficient residents, and it wasn't long before she was sought out as a trainer and supplier of "city chickens" and other farm animals typically too obtrusive to be kept within the walls. In 4699, Lonjiku Kaijitsu acquired her services for a centipede infestation in his glassworks, and Eswain bred a small army of geckos for the nobleman, trained to exit their enclosure to hunt at night and return during the day.
She gained some small noteriety in 4700 when a minor swarm of locusts moved down the Lost Coast and over Sandpoint - a raven, which no one who knew her had seen her without since she was a teenager (though none could say for sure that it was the same bird) flew from her shoulder and burst forth into a swarm of its own, making quick work of devouring the pests - and she was rewarded by an extension of her property by the mayor.
In 4702, Lonjiku approached Eswain again, but this time with a new problem - his daughter had run away a few hours prior, and he wished for the Druid to find her and keep her safe. Eswain met with Ameiko on the road to Magnimar, using birds to pinpoint her location. Under the guise of acquiring a new breed of goat from Janderhoff, Eswain escorted the young woman to the city, where she regularly reported her status to Lonjiku.
News of Ameiko's mother's death sent the girl home, and Eswain (who had indeed found goats reknowned for their coats during her stint in the city) returned with her. Lonjiku rewarded her with a hefty sum, which Eswain used to expand her ranch once more, leading nearly to the boundries of Biston's Pond.
During her frequent visits to the city, Eswain became acquainted with Sabyl Sorn - the monk was intrigued by her large stature, and pestered the druid into a wrestling match. Though Eswain was always at the disadvantage, both from her misshapen leg and her lack of martial training, she enjoyed the bouts, and they became regular occurrences.
One such visit is today - with the Swallowtail Festival kicking off the dedication to the new cathedral, Eswain and her troop of animals has arrived in the city. She hopes to sell the coats of two goats during the festivities, as well as celebrate the accomplishments of Kendra Deverin and the rest of the townsfolk.
This is also on her profile, and to avoid spamming (in the event I get it up earlier than I expect), so will her full background.
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I'm going to go ahead and wrap this up early as there hasn't been any new interest in awhile.
There are a lot of great characters, but having to consider all things I had to narrow it down. However, I did decide to pick up a third spot. As such, if the following players will please report to the discussion thread, we will get things started once everyone has checked in.
Gudada Purrun
Bartholomew Valdimar II
Khalbar Bloodsong
Best of luck to y'all with your game!
Congratulations and good luck all.
Congrats, folks, and here's hoping you have a good game!