DM Jelani |
Hi guys, I am creating this thread to start discussing my next PBP campaign because Absalom is coming to an end soon. If I PMed you a link to this thread, I am hoping that you can join me. The basic skeleton of the campaign is going to be taken from the Serpent's Skull adventure path, but set in a homebrew campaign world and with modifications along the way as I see fit. Once I hear from everyone about interest (or lack thereof) I will post more info. I have a enough information about the world and character creation put together for you guys to get started on making characters.
Stalwart |
Thanks for the invite!
Here's a character I've created for a Serpent's Skull game -- assuming it's still starting out on Smuggler's Shiv.
Not that I'm super eager to play another druid, but this one is *very* different from Ryli, if you can't tell immediately from glancing at him.
Quick backstory is that he was raised by his father's old awakened animal companion after his parents died. Graylock, the alpha, had ordered him to go to the human lands. Ferrell did, and ended up being captured and put into a sort of traveling curiosity show -- think of old timey circuses and freak show acts. He was toured about in Cheliax and then put on a ship for Sargava, where the ship got wrecked and he ended up on the island a few weeks before the one carrying the rest of the crew does the same.
Let me know if Ferrell (feral -- get it??) is too off-the-wall for you, and I can certainly start thinking in a different direction.
DM Jelani |
I will have details on the world and character creation as soon as I hear from CDL and Gyrfalcon. I want to know whether I need to open this up to partial public recruitment before I post anything specific. If I'm going to have to do a public recruitment I need to polish my fluff more, and I'd rather only have to post it all once.
Stal - It's going to still start on Smuggler's Shiv in a way, but it's probably not going to be called that and there is no Cheliax or Sargava (though there are equivalents). The game won't be starting with a ship wreck though. Also, a decent chunk of your character background is going to be decided by a random roll with the character creation rules I have set up. That being said, you could definitely play a druid who was "raised by his father's old awakened animal companion after his parents died. Graylock, the alpha, had ordered him to go to the human lands. Ferrell did, and ended up being captured and put into a sort of traveling curiosity show -- think of old timey circuses and freak show acts."
Thron - I guess it's no spoiler to tell you level 3, but probably not in the way you are thinking. There are somewhat restrictive rules for character creation, so hold off on doing any crunch yet.
Stalwart |
Well, I figured there'd be a Jelani twist to the game. I'll stay in a holding pattern until I learn more about the character creation.
This mystery background roll, do we make it after our characters are created, or do we get to know what it is before deciding on race and class?
Also, I gotta ask since it's a character concept I've been wanting to play for so long -- could I be a medusa pirate?
DM Jelani |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
World Notes
In the distant past there were uncountable gods, who created many worlds and races of beings. After some time there was a war between the great elemental gods who together represent order and the god of chaos, The Serpent. Many gods allied with each side, and the conflict lasted for millennia. Myriad gods died, and uncountable worlds and races were destroyed in the process. The five Elemental Lords could not kill the Serpent, so instead they formed one final world designed to entrap and imprison the lord of chaos. In a climactic battle the forces of the Serpent and the Elemental Lords faced off on the planet Gaia. The five Elemental Lords sacrificed their physical forms in order to provide power for the prison. The Serpent was decapitated by Savith, a champion of the god of life, Naranari. Its body was imprisoned in the bowels of the planet. Savith threw its severed head into a live volcano, which the Elemental Lords sealed with their sacrifice. Thus ended the War of the Gods. Gaia was shattered. Where before there had been vast continents, only scattered islands and the Grave of the Serpent remained. In the decades after the Serpent's imprisonment, the Abyss (Darklands) began to fill with serpentine monsters and races.
The Empire consists of the five island nations formed after the War of the Gods thousands of years in the distant past. There is one nation for each of the Elemental Lords, and the races that they created as servants during the war. The nations are all small island city states. Each is ruled independently with their own local laws under a federal umbrella, but all pay tribute in taxes and soldiers to the imperial capital - Vita. Imperial society is divided into five castes: Rulers, Priests, Warriors, Craftsmen, and Serfs. The only place in society where a person’s caste doesn’t matter (in theory) is in the imperial legions. The Empire was originally a republic, but it has existed as an autocratic empire for several centuries. Flavor wise, it is a combination of Greco-Roman and ancient Indian styles and culture.
One hundred years ago the Empire established a small colony on the shattered jungle continent known as the Grave of the Serpent. The Grave is home to sinkholes which lead down into the Abyss surrounding the Serpent’s prison. The colony is called Apollonia, and is manned by military forces designed to watch over the Grave of the Serpent and to keep serpentspawn from spilling forth and causing problems for the main archipelago of the Empire. This special military force is an oversize legion, known as the Apollonian Guard. Any physically fit adult of any caste or sex may join the Guard for a four year term of service, after which the soldier is elevated to Warrior caste. Over the years Apollonia has grown into a small nation in its own right, with as many merchants and hangers on as soldiers. The Grave is also populated by native 'savages', the descendants of people who were living on the Grave during the apocalyptic end of the War of the Gods. The native Suli tribesmen have largely been exploited by their imperial overlords in Apollonia, and relations between colonials and natives are always tense.
Over the decades, the lack of serious threat from the children of the Serpent has allowed the Apollonian Guard to become largely ceremonial. It is a vehicle of social mobility for the lower classes, and a proving ground for the scions of noble houses to show off their valor in an Empire long since a stranger to open war. The Apollonian Guard enforces federal laws in the colony and protects Apollonia from outside threats. Though the legion hasn't seen heavy combat in years, patrols do frequently clash with hostile native tribes, serpentspawn and monsters.
Gods
Mazda - God of Fire
Neptuna - Goddess of Water
Vayu - God of Wind
Tudi - God of Earth
Naranari - Goddess of Life
The Serpent - God of Chaos
Character Creation
You are to play a soldier newly recruited into the Apollonian Guard. You have completed your basic training, and traveled to the colony by ship. All five of you have been assigned to a unit under the command of Centurion Rotilius Havelar. You are sworn to a four year term of service, and must carry out whatever orders issued by legion command, or face execution as a traitor to the Empire. So far all you’ve seen of Apollonia is the inside of your spartan barracks.
Caste (Roll 1d5)
Gain one level in the following NPC class, and the associated background trait.
1) Aristocrat - Comprehensive Education: Aristocrats raised with skilled teachers draw upon vast swathes of knowledge gained over centuries of civilization. They gain all Knowledge skills as class skills, and they gain a +1 racial bonus on skill checks for each Knowledge skill that they gain as a class skill from their class levels.
2) Adept - Piety: Priest caste members place great trust in the gods to protect them. Characters with this trait receive a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks and Knowledge (religion) is always a class skill for them. In addition, once per day before attempting an attack roll, saving throw, ability check, or skill check, such a character can call out to his deity in order to receive a +2 racial bonus on that roll; he can use this ability only if he is able to speak.
3) Warrior - Military Tradition: Warrior caste members raise all children to serve in the military or defend themselves with force of arms. They gain proficiency with up to two martial or exotic weapons appropriate to their culture:
Fire - Fauchard & Greatsword
Earth - dwarven war axe & dwarven war shield
Air - longbow & elven curve blade
Water - net & cutlass
Life - falcata & heavy repeating crossbow
4) Expert - Specialists: All people are skillful, but Craftsmen, rather than being generalists, tend to specialize in a handful of skills. At 1st, 8th, and 16th level, such characters gain Skill Focus in a skill of their choice as a bonus feat.
5) Commoner - Tough as Rocks: Serfs are expected to be hardy laborers. They gain a +1 racial bonus to Fortitude saves, and the Endurance feat. In addition, serfs heal hit point and ability damage at double the normal natural healing rate (2 hp/character level per day, and 2 points to all damaged ability scores per day).
Races:
Ifrit (Fire Nation)
Oread (Earth Nation)
Sylph (Air Nation)
Undine (Water Nation)
Suli (Bi-racial)
Narinar (Life nation)
(Outsider) Native
Medium
Normal Speed (30 ft.)
Flexible ability scores (+2 con, +2 cha)
Deathless
Members of this race gain resistance 5 against negative energy damage. They do not lose hit points when they gain a negative level, and they gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against death effects, energy drain, negative energy, spells or spell-like abilities of the necromancy school, Fortitude saves made to remove negative levels, and Constitution checks made to stabilize if reduced to negative hit points.
Object of Desire
Members of this race add +1 to their caster level when casting charm person and charm monster.
Seducer
Members of this race add +1 to the saving throw DCs for their spells and spell-like abilities of the enchantment school. In addition, members of this race with a Charisma score of 15 or higher gain the following spell-like ability (the caster level is equal to the user’s character level):
1/day—charm person
All of the above races gain the following racial trait:
Bonus Feat: Select one extra feat at 2nd level.
Nationality (Choose One)
Fire - http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/desert-nomad-regional-thuvia /
Earth - http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/heart-of-clay-lingshen/
Air - http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/cliff-jumper/
Water - http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/sea-souled/
Life - http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/regional-traits/enemy-of-the-dead-regional/
(Note, that while the nations are largely monoracial, they are not racially homogenous. An ifrit can be a citizen of the water nation, or vice versa, they would just be in the minority.)
Ability Scores
17 point buy. After assigning scores, roll 1d3. The result of your roll may be added to any one ability score, or split up between multiple scores in 1 point increments. No starting score may exceed 19, or be below 8.
Traits
In addition to the above, your character may choose one additional, non-regional, non-campaign trait.
Available Adventuring Classes
-Barbarian
-Bloodrager
-Brawler
-Cleric (Air Domain, Animal Domain, Earth Domain, Fire Domain, Healing Domain, Plant Domain, Sun Domain, Water Domain, Weather Domain only). Clerics are dedicated to the entire pantheon rather than a single deity.
-Druid
-Fighter
-Hunter
-Kineticist
-Unchained Monk
-Oracle (Ancestor, Battle, Bones, Elemental, Flame, Life, Nature, Stone, Volcano, Waves, Wind, Winter, Wood mysteries only)
-Ranger
-Unchained Rogue
-Shaman
-Shifter
-Skald
-Slayer
-Sorcerer (Aquatic Bloodline, Elemental Bloodline, Fey Bloodline, Solar Bloodline, Starsoul Bloodline, Verdant Bloodline only)
-Witch (animals, autumn, elements, entropy, healing, light, moon, plant, space, spring, stars, storms, summer, thorns, water, winter woodlands patrons only. No slumber or ice tomb hexes.)
Starting Level & Wealth
Characters will start with one level in an NPC class from their caste background. In addition they will have two levels from the adventuring classes listed above (for a total starting character level of 3). Starting HP will be maximum for the first two hit dice, and then 1/2 HD+1+con modifier for all later hit dice.
The game will be using Automatic Bonus Progression, therefore some of the more common magic items don’t exist: “Items that only grant bonuses to AC, saving throws, and ability scores don’t exist in this variant, and wish and similar spells never grant inherent bonuses to ability scores. Magic weapons and armor do exist, but grant only special abilities, not enhancement bonuses...” Magic weapons are armor are rare and typically unique named objects in this setting. PCs may not start play with any magic weapons or armor. You may buy other kinds of magic items, given the auto-bonus progression restrictions.
Players will start with 1000gp in equipment as well as an additional amount of gold based on their caste. Rulers, priests and craftsmen start with an additional 10d100 gold pieces. Warrior caste starts with an additional 5d100 gold pieces. Serfs start with only the basic 1000gp.
Tips
Parts of the adventure will be railroady, and others will be more of a sandbox. In both cases, much of the adventure will take place in jungle terrain, ruins, or underground, all far from civilization. There will be very little sailing, or other watery adventuring.
The player characters will frequently encounter undead, humanoids, and monstrous humanoids among other threats.
DM Jelani |
Aye, no humans.
So, a ruler, a priest and a serf walk into a bar...
@CDL - That makes sense in the setting. The Narinar city-state is Vita, the capital of the Empire. The narinar tend to be the defacto leaders in a lot of situations.
@Thron - Keep in mind that you don't have to play a divine oriented character. You can buck your caste role as much or as little as you like.
Also I just realized I forgot to put warpriest on the list of available classes.
DM Jelani |
Gyr - No. Edit: Actually, it seems legit. Let's try it.
Everyone - I was just chatting with Thron, and decided to remove the metal prohibition from the druid class. If anyone wants to take druid levels, you don't have to worry about "Druids are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. A druid may also wear wooden armor that has been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as though it were steel. Druids are proficient with shields (except tower shields) but must use only wooden ones."
Just change it to druids are proficient with light armor, medium armor, and shields.
DM Jelani |
They are native outsiders, so I think it's included in that.
Outsider (native) (3 RP)
A native outsider is at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the matter) of some plane other than the Material Plane. Some creatures start out as some other type and become outsiders when they attain a higher (or lower) state of spiritual existence. When making a native outsider race, it is sometimes important to pick a single Outer Planes that race is tied to. For example, tieflings are tied to Abaddon, the Abyss, or Hell. Such ties can be important for qualifying for other racial abilities, but it’s not required that a native outsider be tied to another plane. A native outsider race has the followings features.
Native outsiders have the darkvision 60 feet racial trait.
Native outsiders breathe, eat, and sleep.
gyrfalcon |
Thoughts shared so far:
Stalwart - TBD commoner / kineticist
CDL - Narinar aristocrat / oracle
Thron - Narinar adept / druid
Is that still what yall are thinking? How close/far from the front lines do yall plan to be?
My first thought was a Bard or Mesmerist...but then I noticed neither are on the approved list. Whoops!
Then I started thinking about a Suli Skald (who would be more melee than caster focused)...but I realize:
a) I don't know how many of you would even *want* to accept Raging Song, and
b) I wonder if we need someone tankier than I was planning up front?
DM Jelani |
I know people are still working on characters, but I just want to let everyone know that this game doesn't need to wait for Absalom to finish before getting started. I have the bandwidth at the moment to both start this and finish Absalom at the same time. So whenever everyone is done with their characters we can get things kicked off.
If you have any world/lore questions feel free to PM me. A lot of stuff isn't set in stone, so I'm willing to work with you guys if you want to contribute to world building a bit.
DM Jelani |
Yes, however I'd suggest that three levels of unchained rogue would be more beneficial.
At 1st level, a rogue gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat. In addition, starting at 3rd level, she can select any one type of weapon that can be used with Weapon Finesse (such as rapiers or daggers). Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed. Whenever she makes a successful melee attack with the selected weapon, she adds her Dexterity modifier instead of her Strength modifier to the damage roll. If any effect would prevent the rogue from adding her Strength modifier to the damage roll, she does not add her Dexterity modifier. The rogue can select a second weapon at 11th level and a third at 19th level.
Another option is this feat:
Your dashing style and fluid rapier forms allow you to use agility rather than brute force to fell your foes.
Prerequisite(s): Dex 13, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (rapier).
Benefit(s): When wielding a rapier one-handed, you can add your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to that weapon’s damage. The rapier must be one appropriate for your size. You do not gain this benefit while fighting with two weapons or using flurry of blows, or anytime another hand is otherwise occupied.
In addition, if you have the panache class feature, you gain a +2 bonus to your CMD against attempts to disarm you of your rapier while you have at least 1 panache point.
Or
Your quick and free starknife motions allow you to make deadly dexterous attacks.
Prerequisite(s): Dex 13, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (starknife).
Benefit(s): When wielding a starknife, you can add your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to that weapon’s damage. The starknife must be one appropriate for your size. You do not gain this benefit while fighting with two weapons or using flurry of blows, or any time another hand is otherwise occupied.
In addition, if you have the panache class feature, as long as you have at least 1 panache point, you gain a +5 bonus to your movement speed on your move action after taking an attack action with a starknife or on your Spring Attack or charge with a starknife.
Or
You can stab your enemies with your sword or another slashing weapon.
Prerequisite(s): Dex 13, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus with chosen weapon.
Benefit: Choose one kind of light or one-handed slashing weapon (such as the longsword). When wielding your chosen weapon one-handed, you can treat it as a one-handed piercing melee weapon for all feats and class abilities that require such a weapon (such as a swashbuckler’s or a duelist’s precise strike) and you can add your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to that weapon’s damage. The weapon must be one appropriate for your size.
You do not gain this benefit while fighting with two weapons or using flurry of blows, or any time another hand is otherwise occupied.
There may be other ways to dex to damage that I'm not thinking of off the top of my head.
DM Jelani |
@ CDL - Narinar = Common. Those other languages would be mutually unintelligible dialects of narinar, but they all use the same alphabet (like Spanish, French and Italian in the 7th-8th centuries or something).
By this time, and possibly as early as the 6th century....the Romance lects had split apart enough to be able to speak of separate Gallo-Romance, Ibero-Romance, Italo-Romance and Eastern Romance languages.
from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_languages
Serpentspawn have a language, and the native suli tribespeople of the Grave speak a polygot. Other than that there are no other living languages (as far as you know).
Physically, Narinar look like models in a Dolce & Gabanna ad. Mediterranean skin tones, tall, sexy humans. Very physically fit looking (even the weak ones), and the exude virility and health.
Obviously they don't wear modern clothes. Some of them are darker skinned as well.
gyrfalcon |
Hey all, at this point I think I'm thinking of a switch-hitting ranger-type, skilled at exploring the jungle. Class(es) might be a Ranger, Slayer, Hunter, or a mix of the three. A few Qs:
1) Do you expect that we might someday have the opportunity to retrain our NPC level? Or should we expect to keep those as a permanent reflection of our roots?
2) I have a question (or suggestion?) for the Hunter's Forester archetype. I just posted it in the hopes of an official errata here...but wonder if you'd be interested in house ruling that way at any rate? (As written, it replaces the Hunter's animal companion (granted at 1st level) with Favored Terrain...but then doesn't grant that first favored terrain until 5th level.
(I'm going back and forth about whether to have a companion or not, but either way I might take a level or two of Hunter.)
3) When do you want us to roll 1d3 for our stat bonus? In the post wherein we commit to how we want to use our 17 pt buy? Or do you want to roll for each of us? (Just want to do it on the up-and-up.)
EDITED
4) CDL's Q reminds me: Do Oreads, Slyphs, and Undine look the same in this world as they're written in the ARG (i.e. like half-Outsiders)? Or do they look more human in this world?
Thanks!
Also, in case anyone else had missed it, I just discovered there are now alternate heritages for Undines, Oreads, and Slyphs that give different ability bonuses & SLAs.
DM Jelani |
Hey all, at this point I think I'm thinking of a switch-hitting ranger-type, skilled at exploring the jungle. Class(es) might be a Ranger, Slayer, Hunter, or a mix of the three. A few Qs:
1) Do you expect that we might someday have the opportunity to retrain our NPC level? Or should we expect to keep those as a permanent reflection of our roots?
2) I have a question (or suggestion?) for the Hunter's Forester archetype. I just posted it in the hopes of an official errata here...but wonder if you'd be interested in house ruling that way at any rate? (As written, it replaces the Hunter's animal companion (granted at 1st level) with Favored Terrain...but then doesn't grant that first favored terrain until 5th level.
(I'm going back and forth about whether to have a companion or not, but either way I might take a level or two of Hunter.)
3) When do you want us to roll 1d3 for our stat bonus? In the post wherein we commit to how we want to use our 17 pt buy? Or do you want to roll for each of us? (Just want to do it on the up-and-up.)
EDITED
4) CDL's Q reminds me: Do Oreads, Slyphs, and Undine look the same in this world as they're written in the ARG (i.e. like half-Outsiders)? Or do they look more human in this world?
Thanks!
Also, in case anyone else had missed it, I just discovered there are now alternate heritages for Undines, Oreads, and Slyphs that give different ability bonuses & SLAs.
1) It will remain. Its entire point is to represent your background, and to give you guys a little extra HP and skill points at low level.
2) If you want to take forester, I'm fine with that change.
3) Post your 17 point buy and then you can roll it. That's basically how I had Thron do it.
4) They look basically the same as described, but not as extreme. They have same sorts of characteristics that they are described as having in the ARG, but just turned down a few notches.
gyrfalcon |
The Craftsmen caste don't get access to special materials to craft with? Alas! :(
OK, I think I'm ready to commit and try my luck. I'll go with the following point buy (with Oread racial mods):
STR: 14(16) DEX: 14 CON: 13 INT: 12 WIS: 12(14) CHA: 10(8)
BTW, we've been recently conscripted, but we've gained 3 PC class levels, so we must've been doing something between starting as an Expert (or whatever) and now, yes? I want to figure out where/how I spent enough time in the jungle to get my favored terrain, and to learn my favored enemy...which I assume will be either Outsider(native) (which is the equiv of human here, yes?), Monstrous Humanoid, or Undead. If the latter two, how would you imagine I'd have plausibly fought them (or at least studied their ways? Are they present on the other islands as well?)
Also, I just re-read and noticed that we're not allowed magic weapons at the start of the game. Any chance you'd allow Adaptive (either as normal, or refluffed as a non-magical exceptional weapon quality), to be able to do more damage with my composite bow when my STR is buffed (and not have to drop it when my STR is damaged)?
Rolls forthcoming in my next post!
DM Jelani |
You may have worked special materials before, but certainly not for yourself. Some craftsmen are rich enough to afford such things, but actually buying them would be frowned on in the extreme by higher caste people. It would be seen as acting above your station. Of course these kind of restrictions don't apply once in the legions, only during normal civilian life.
You've gone through standard legion training back in the imperial archipelago. I imagine it lasting probably six months of various physical training and learning the standard way of doing things. There are probably jungles back home too, just not very large or extensive.
Outsider (Native) are the equivalent of humans, yes. The other two would certainly be known in the mainland, but it is unlikely that he would have encountered them. Studying them, sure.
Adaptive...I guess I can make an exception for since it's kind of an odd man out when it comes to weapon enchantments. Go ahead and get it, and we'll just say it's made from some special wood. Which it is now your job to name and define since you invented it (subject to my approval).
Drawbacks, no. Background skills....let's have a vote. What do the rest of you say to using background skills rules?
gyrfalcon |
Sounds good. I vote for background skills, obvs. ;-)
Gaviv Wood - The wood of the Gaviv tree is highly sought for composite bows, as bows crafted from it gain Adaptive as an extraordinary quality. Gaviv Wood Bows must be of masterwork quality, and in addition to the masterwork cost, enough of this rare wood to craft a bow costs 1000 GP.
...so to craft a composite bow of Gaviv would take a DC 20 craft check, and the (non-crafted) cost would be 100 (bow) + 300 (mwk) + 1000 (material) = 1400 GP. Can be crafted by a sufficiently talented bowyer, as per normal crafting rules, for 1/3 market rate.
Also (with permission) if there's someone I make sense to know from before, I'm happy to have done some crafting for them.
I know Thron's a tricksey thief, and am pretty sure CDL is an Oracle.
Stalwart, you settle on a concept yet?