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Shattered Star Recruitment
I intend to run this recruitment with submissions open through the 21st of February with the plan being to select players and start the game by March 1st.
My goal is for the campaign to move at a fairly rapid pace. I would like to finish the first book in six months of playing time.
Posting Expectations: target frequency of 1/weekday. I’ll probably update the game on most weekends as well. Things come up and real life takes precedence, I have no issues with either myself or another player botting a character if a player needs a break. Given some of the dungeon crawl aspects of parts of the AP, I’d really like designated scout/perception/trap-monkey to be someone who posts frequently.
I am looking to strike a good balance between roleplaying and roll playing in the game. I know that different people enjoy their games for different reasons. I’d like to create a good story and create fun tactical problems to keep everyone happy.
The party I select won’t look like a traveling zoo. There’s room for some uniqueness, but standard fantasy tropes will be appreciated as well. Having said that, make a character that you’ll be interested in devoting the time and energy it takes to play through an adventure path.
As per the AP, the characters will start as novice members of the Pathfinder Society.
Please download and read the Shattered Star Players Guide
Backgrounds: you don’t have to write a novel, but I’d like to have some idea of how you envision your character. Your background should tie in with your AP trait and explain how you became a novice member of the Pathfinder Society. Your background can evolve some in the early days of the game as you figure out a better idea of who your character is.
Description: Give me and your fellow players an idea of what your character looks like and how they’re dressed. Remind people of your appearance/description in flavor text as you post. Stealing/linking some art from somewhere to give everyone an idea of what you look like is a good idea.
Character build: Give me a brief summary of what you’re planning with the character. I don’t need a road map for your entire build, but if you’re doing something that wouldn’t be obvious from looking at a first level character sheet, I’d like a heads up.
Party size: I will be selecting 5 characters that will need to form a well-balanced team
Build Rules:
* 1st level
* All pathfinder 1E official sources
* No 3rd party sources
* Classes: any 1st party, unchained Rogue/Barbarian/Summoner/Monk, probably not Vigilantes (I don’t see the secret identity working into the story)
* Races: Core, Featured - if you’re aiming for a unique concept, you’ll need a good backstory.
* Stat Buy: 15 point (nothing below 8 or above 18 before racials) (any harsh dump stats are expected to be roleplayed and apparent in game)
* Skills: Background skills rules
* Traits: 1 campaign, 1 other, + 1 additional in exchange for a meaningful drawback
* Wealth: max starting for your class
* Hit points: Max at first level, average rounded up thereafter.
* Encumbrance: I don’t want to (and won’t) track how much weight each party member is carrying, but I do believe that limited carrying capacity and encumbrance penalties are part of dumping strength.
* Alignment: I won’t place any restrictions on builds, but I have no interest in overseeing PvP conflicts so I will try to select a party that will work together.
* Hero Points: I intend to use the hero points system from the APG.
* Crafting: I’ll allow pre-game crafting, but work it into your backstory and post any necessary rolls in this thread along with your build. I will try to pace the adventures in a way that allows for crafting in-game if players show an interest.
* Magic Items: there won’t be a magic store that can sell your character whatever they want in the quantity they desire on a moment's notice. The adventures take place in/near large cities and items will be available but extremely specialized items might not be instantly available. (If the bad guys sunder your +3 agile, keen kukri you might need a backup plan for the next book while you commission a new one)
There’s no need to create a forum alias prior to selection.
Please format any submissions in this thread into spoilers to avoid things getting messy.
Any questions, please ask.
I think I’ll throw in for this. Not sure what...
dotting for interest, well actually going to be entering this fellow in, just need to adjust him.
Also asking right of the get go. I took the rich parents trait that gives you 900 gp to start with... and invested it in non essential items, like a carraige horses, elaborate clothing and a paid manservant for oh 9 months, plus a flat in the city. Is that okay with you? Really its all just fluff for his background and story. But if you are not okay with that i can adjust it to being completely disowned :)
Trendon is a bard/sorceror (starting bard, leveling sorceror every other one) So really just a buffer for the group.
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@Trendon: the combination of rich parents and squandered resources sounds like the makings of a good backstory.
Dotting for interest.
Here are three options for me. I can work with any of them, expanding or moving the story. Let me know if you have any questions, or don't approve of a build or something.
Most recently she delivered a shipment of hand cannons to a rather large, grey-skinned merchant in Magnimar, who was taking them to somewhere in the Iron Peaks. She doesn't ask questions.
She stopped by the village of Sandpoint to visit her aunt Amele, Uncle Alergast and little Aeren and Verah, whom she has never met.
She is from Corentyn, Cheliax, called Port Indomitable, or the City of Nine Forts.
Ceilidh is a hard woman to love. She's brilliant, and believes she is on a mission to civilize the world, one person at a time. She believes that society is doomed because of the way people treat each other, and the way the species treat each other. She believes that there is a problem with the rich crushing the poor, even though she doesn't believe that there is something inherently wrong with being rich.
She distrusts magic, feeling it is only abused, and dislikes religion, feeling it is a big con. The conundrum of her life lies in the fact that she seems to seep magic from every pore. She would prefer to just read a book, cook an extravagant meal, enjoy an expensive scotch and cigar, and live out her life in a warm place overlooking the sea.
Calculating and thoughtful in her planning, she often doesn't think about what she is going to say before she says it in conversation. She believes in the best of mankind, but also believes that most people are idiots; sheep, with no willpower to make an informed choice for themselves, bent on treating each other poorly simply for a lack of understanding, or because they want a cookie.
She was born to the north of Corentyn in Cheliax, in the small village of Little Mingin, a dirty fishing village on the Arcadian Ocean. Her family sent her away to school in West Crown because "weird things always happened around her", the final straw being when she gave the mayor's daughter's a purple beard.
At fifteen her tattoo appeared, growing steadily down her back. She was afraid it was a disease, or infection of some sort. Her fears, it seems to her, were confirmed. She is infected with magical energy. It took the form of a slowly growing upside down tree, made of of thousands of tiny arcane symbols, one by one appearing on her skin, bleeding down her back, slowly over the years. Every time something strange happened around her, the tattoo grew a little more.
At the age of 21, she awoke in an inn she was staying at in the city of Manaket in Rahadoum, while working as a freelance researcher for Venture Captain Obo...or what remained of the inn. Her bed alone stood unharmed, on an untouched rise in a crater where the 'Three Barmaids' once stood. She believes she destroyed it with her magic. That was when her Mark changed from a tiny shoot to a tiny sapling on her back.
She wants nothing more than to control this magic, so it can't hurt anyone else. She can't let this thing inside her destroy everything around her.
Unbeknownst to her, her family's home was destroyed in the same fashion, at that same moment, back in Little Mingin.
Fleeing, she jumped a ship heading up the Uta river, up over the pass and down into the Sodden Lands. Over the next year, driven by fear of hurting anyone, she made her way to The Shackles, where the amount of alcohol they served seemed to match her thirst well. Fleeing a misunderstanding and a debt, she boarded a ship bound for Absalom.
She is a human, and rumor had it her grandmother was a tiefling, being from Cheliax, but she honestly considers herself human (no matter what those kids said). She cannot stand racism, and will quickly lose her cool if she see's it in practice.
She is not a hero, and has done nothing she considers special.
Ceilidh is very against inequality. She has been an outcast, and homeless, for good portions of her life, so she feels for the underdog, the marginalized. But she feels she's been "accused" of attacks against people and places, with her magic. She worries she's a bit of an unintended terrorist. So she has latched onto a few incidences she's read about that involved real terrorists...elves. Because of her frustration over her own situation, she tends to read the worst in elves, and comes across as mildly racist.
She's brilliant, but a bit of an alcoholic. She can't sleep without a drink. She loves a good cigar, but will complain about someone tracking in dirt, or not washing their face. Calculating and thoughtful in her planning, she often doesn't think about what she is going to say before she says it in conversation.
Asher likes the comforts in life. Not necessarily money, he believes a lot of wealth comes from corruption. For him, being true to one's self is the most important. Being genuine. "I don't care what you believe, believe in something. I don't care what you stand for, stand for something. I don't care what you vote for - vote." He is a true believer in Breland's power of democracy. He does not like roughing it, or towns that lack certain amenities. He can be quite rude.
Asher has dark brown straight hair, shaved on the sides, and his eyes are like green moss. He has scars running across his face from an encounter with his uncle. His body is lean and strong. He sports a stylish short beard.
Asher grew up a bastard of a noble in Breland - a well to do bastard, but a bastard nonetheless. His family's sigil was a valknut, two triangles in a knot, meant to signify freedom, family and glory. His father's family was an ancient Elder tree, signifying the roots and the pedigree of the house. Asher took these and combined them with an ouroboros, hand-painted over the top of the tree turned upside-down, growing out of the stone valknut. The tree is upside down to represent the fact the family is old and "dead" in this new world, and that he is a bastard of it. A part unseen.
Throwing in a dot, thinking of a Runesage wizard, eventually going into the Runeguard prestige class.
@mittean: Ceilidh sounds so well thought out. I fell in love with that text. Ty for it.
I'll submit a character later. Thinking of a rogue with low Cha, but will need to read the player's guide before committing to a concept.
@Mittean: I like the stories behind all three of the characters. Specializing in a rare or exotic weapon could make things more difficult. There won't be an 'off-the-rack' +3 katana or pistol for sale in Magnimar, for example, but that'll just mean more in-character work for you to acquire the gear you want at higher levels.
I've got no problems with any of the character ideas.
I would suggest taking the idea you like best and running with it.
Dotting for interest.
Looking at a Rogue(Eldritch Scoundrel) build.
Trap expert, some knowledge, and backup arcane caster.
If I may present a character that was in a Shattered Star campaign that died...
I'll re-adjust back to 1st level...
<wave> at Mittean!!
dot
Here is a link to the character that I am tweaking if chosen for this AP. Unchained Rogue and using the Alabaster Outcast campaign trait. I have not purchased the equipment yet, but I figured I would have time. Here is the background, let me know what you think.
The name is Andreas… that’s it. Well I do have a last name, but I don’t go by it unless I need it to pull some weight. Alright, alright… I’ll tell ya. Andreas Mindurian. Yeah I know, I don’t look like a Mindurian. I’m not one of those hoity toity, stuck up, noble types. Heck they don’t even know where they came from. We were originally stonemasons for gods sake… They don’t even know how to work with their hands.
How did I get the boot? Well if you ask my b%$$& of an aunt, Filuvia, she will tell you how I disgraced the family name and only deserve to be in Underbridge, if even alive at that. Ya know… get caught one… two… three… ok, ok fine… Maybe five times trying to lift a few things from the other noble houses and bam, they throw you out like some kind of rat… A RAT!!! I am a damn Mindurian for cryin out loud!
Anyway, I’ve been trying to use my skills that I favor to show them snobs up. I know I don’t usually walk the straight and narrow, but using these Pathfinders to my advantage will show Filuvia and all the other Mindurians who I am. I will make a new name for myself.
I am a daily checker of the boards. I run a Reign of Winter AP that has been fun. I have been playing Pathfinder since its beta birth. Due to family growth, I no longer am able to attend a in person game so this is my form of gaming fun.
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Male Ratfolk Alchemist 1
CN Small humanoid (ratfolk)
Init: +3; Senses: Perception +7
Speed: 20, Languages: Common, Goblin, Aklo, Undercommon
Defense
AC 17 (+3 Dex, +1 Size, +3 armor) Touch 14 FF 14
HP 9 (1d8+1)
Fort +3 Ref +5 Will +1
Offense
Ranged: Crossbow +4 (1d6 19-20/x2) Range: 80; Ammo 20
Melee: Morningstar +0 (1d6) or Dagger +0 (1d3 19-20/x2)
BAB 0 CMB -2 CMD 11
Statistics
Abilities: Str 8 Dex 16 Con 12 Int 17 Wis 12 Cha 9
SQ: Favored Class (Alchemist; ⅙ discovery), Tinker, Rodent Empathy, Alchemy, Brew Potion, Mutagen (10 min; +2/-2, +2 AC)
SA: Bombs (4/day, 1d6+3, DC 14)
Traits: Ruin Raider, Pragmatic Activator
Feats: Brew PotionB, Throw AnythingB, Point Blank Shot
Skills: Appraise +8, Craft (Alchemy) +10, Disable Device +7, Heal +5, Knowledge (Arcana) +7, Knowledge (Nature) +7, Perception +7, Sleight of Hand +7, Spellcraft +7, Survival +5, Use Magic Device +9
Combat Gear: alchemist fire
Equipment: studded leather armor, light crossbow, 20 bolts, morningstar, dagger, alchemy crafting kit, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint & steel, int, inkpen, iron pot, mess kit, soap, trail rations (5), torches (10), waterskin, thieves’ tools
Coin 38 gp
Extracts Prepared: CL 1, DC 13+Spell Level
1st:CLW, Shield
Formula Book
1st: Ant Haul, Cure Light Wounds, Disguise Self, Expeditious Retreat, Shield
@JoshB: One of the biggest challenges with running Shattered Star is its rich dungeon-crawly nature. In PbPs, dungeon crawls tend to bog down play due to the need for frequent back and forth information between the GM and players (ie. checking each door for traps, sounds on the other side, detecting magic, etc. Then repeat that for 100x rooms in a big dungeon). What's your plan for keeping things running at a good clip?
Also, Shattered Star is somewhat infamous for its old-school lack of narrative-integrated roleplay opportunities. Are you planning on customizing the AP to have more NPC interactions and roleplay, or are you planning to run the AP as written?
dotting
Dotting. Got a Varisian Bard idea brewing.
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@Cellion: a couple of good points
(1) like I called out in my initial post, I’ll be interviewing trap monkeys about their posting habits to make sure we don’t bog down. I tend to always play that character in my pbp games because I don’t want to wait on perception/trap checks.
(2) I’m planning on using some of the suggested side quests in the ap to enhance the RP opportunities. I also want to encourage better intraparty RP than typical in PBP. I’d like to finish book one with all the players knowing each others’ backstories and being invested in one another.
@Pad300: I’d rather stick to SS campaign traits and no issue with occult
Thanks for the answers JoshB! I'll be mulling over an entry for this one over the next few days.
I never played Shattered Star before, but I GM’d a campaign beginning to end. Would it be an issue?
Decided my build, he's an Arcane archer build, starting as an archer fighter, moving to wizard. With a primary focus on Conjuration and creative arrow use
Ciro Aldrich Kaddren. He now goes almost solely by Ciro Aldrich and really doesn't tell people about his noble heritage, though there are a few people who know it's not exactly something that can easily be seen. That's generally due to his nature as a ruins explorer, nature lover and free spirit
Race : Human
because Campaign trait: Alabaster Outcast
He's from house Kaddren, had a falling out with the family for his refusal to go to a magical school, preferring instead to learn magic at his own pace.
15 pt buy is a bit rough but i should be able to make it work. I'll probably have an official consolidated post together in a day or so. This is just a summary idea
I'm interested. I'll probably try to stick to something SAD, given the point buy. I'm thinking something Rogue-y, but maybe a bit nontraditional. IE, I may find my way back to unRogue, but I'm looking at maybe an Inspired Blade Swashbuckler too.
What about VMC?
I haven't run a scout type in quite a while. I think I want some sort of scout with a familiar. Several options. Let me consider for a bit.
Alright here we go.
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.
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Presenting
Male human (Ulfen) wizard 1
N Medium humanoid (human)
Hero Points 1
Init +3; Senses Perception +0
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Defense
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AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 10 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 10 (1d6+4)
Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +2; +4 trait bonus to resist cold conditions, +1 trait bonus vs. cold effects
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +0 (1d4/19-20) or
. . quarterstaff +0 (1d6)
Special Attacks hand of the apprentice (6/day)
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +4)
. . 1st—ear-piercing scream[UM] (DC 14), mage armor
. . 0 (at will)—acid splash, dancing lights, detect magic
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 14
Feats Dodge, Scribe Scroll, Toughness
Traits ruin raider, tundra child (tundra or cold regions)
Skills Appraise +8, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7, Knowledge (planes) +7, Linguistics +7, Spellcraft +7, Survival +1, Swim +1
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Skald, Varisian
SQ arcane bond (ring), hero points
Combat Gear acid; Other Gear dagger (3), quarterstaff, arcane bond ring, belt pouch, blanket[APG], candle (3), chalk, charcoal, fishhook (3), flint and steel, hat[UE], ink, inkpen, masterwork backpack[APG], parchment (10), scroll case, signal whistle, silk rope (50 ft.), soap, spell component pouch, string or twine[APG], tindertwig (5), trail rations (3), vial, waterskin, wizard starting spellbook, 15 gp, 4 cp
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Bond (Ring) (1/day) (Sp) Use object to cast any spell in your spellbook. Without it, Concentration required to cast spells (DC20 + spell level).
Hand of the Apprentice (6/day) (Su) As a standard action, throw melee weapon (use Int instead of Dex) and instantly returns.
Hero Points Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
Ivarr Arkinsheld is 6' tall and weighs 170 lbs. So he's tall and lean. He has dark blue eyes. His dark-blond hair is shoulder length and drawn back in a
ponytail. He has a neatly trimmed goatee that is darker, almost brown in color. He wears a wide brimmed, black hat, a dark grey coat, and black trousers. His shirt is white, and he wears tall black boots, each with a dagger hilt jutting from the top.
Ivarr was lucky enough to gain an apprenticeship with one of the rare Ulfen wizards of the North. A year ago, his luck turned sour, however. Finding himself accused of a murder he didn't commit, he fled south to Magnimar. The Pathfinder Society seemed an obvious choice for a person of his skill set. Certainly a place to hone his skills. Perhaps someday he can return north and prove his innocence. In the meantime, working for the Society is pretty satisfactory.
Anthorg, thank you so much for the kind words! That means a lot to me.
Spazmodeus, PsionicHamster! Cannot tell you how excited I am to see you gents again, and potentially game with you some more!
JoshB, I like them all, lol. Really it may come down to if you like one, and would like to invite them into your story, I can then work with you to massage them in.
What is the next step you would like from me, to be able to give you the information you need before you make your choices?
I have gamed (it may be apparent) with both Spazmodeus and PsionicHamster, in several campaigns in the past, and can speak to their superb skills at the table. They are both gamers who are always welcome at my tables. :)
I am considering applying for the scout position. But I want to check if you are open to it before I devote too much effort into a build/background.
I am in the US eastern time zone. I check the forums several times a day. At least just before I get too work, lunch, and just after I get home from work. Sometimes mid morning, early afternoon, and late evening. Any of those times, I can make a short post to answer/ask a question. Longer posts will usually have to be at lunch or after I get home. Can't spend a noticeable amount of time on the phone during work hours.
If the above seems sufficient for you, I will start working on a scout build/background.
If it does not, I will work on something else. Probably some sort of primary caster.
@Waterhammer - solid character. How does ruin raider tie into his background?
@ElterAgo - VMC: is fine. On posting rate: that's the kind of posting that I'd like to see out of the scout/trap monkey character. I don't need someone posting nine times a day, but I want to make sure we don't bog down exploring.
@Archlich: as long as you keep player knowledge separate from PC knowledge, I don't mind you having run the game.
@Everyone: I am heavily considering implementing the Contacts system from Ultimate Campaign (in some form) as an extra wrinkle for the game. There will be a significant amount of time spent in Magnimar both in and between adventures. It will serve as a de-facto home base through the campaign. There's no real action required right now except to consider it while developing your character and background. Everyone will have a use for some level of diplomacy to influence potential contacts.
I like some of the ideas that are coming in and I'm watching the choices in campaign traits.
I am thinking about buffing a couple of the traits to make them more interesting:
Ex-Sczarni: the +2 bluff bonus applies to all use of the skill
Nontraditional Native:
Varisian: the trait bonus to damage applies all the time, not just the surprise round.
Shoanti: the bonus to confirm crits increases to +2
Exchange Agent:+1 trait bonus on Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Knowledge (geography), Linguistics, and Survival. One of these skills becomes a class skill for you.
I am not submitting the Eldritch Scoundrel character that I mention above. While I can post regularly, there will be times (especially during the summer months) that I will miss a few days here and there and don't want to be the hold up. As well as my wife and I (and daughter, her hubby, their daughter and his parents) have scheduled a Mediterranean cruise in July as a "family" vacation, so I will miss about 10 days then.
I will be submitting another character, probably a cleric of some sort.
-- david
@Waterhammer - solid character. How does ruin raider tie into his background?
I had trouble picking a campaign trait. That one came closest to a fit. I didn’t do a great job of tying it in to the background. I’ll see if I can do better.
@Waterhammer: I understand. It's not a hard requirement, just something I'd like to understand about character's and their backgrounds.
@Papa-DRB: understood. Like Celion called out above, there are significant portions of the AP that are dungeon crawls. Hopefully, we can get a good rhythm of exploration for the party without feeling like I just railroaded the group through decisions about which direction to explore.
With some of the worry about perceptions/traps/locks you could always roll them for us... as a person who put forward an unchained rogue I would totally be ok with the DM rolling that aspect of the game to help things from stalling out each room.
Just my 2 cents.
I’m definitely leaning toward some sort of martial/backup rogue, like the aforementioned Inspired Blade Swashbuckler, a Slayer, maaaybe an unRogue built primarily for combat. Something that could cover either slot but perhaps isn’t the party’s first choice in either. A bit of an antihero who’s lived on both side of the law, knows how to sneak around and pick locks but would rather duel than knife a guy in the back, etc.
I'd be interested in this as well.
I'm looking at a Wild Effigy Shifter and follower of the angel Soralyon.
The idea is that my character's aspects and wild shape look like white marble versions of the creatures they emulate.
Won't be much of a trapper but it seems that part is covered anyway.
Are the Pathfinder Society traits listed in the Shattered Star Players Guide allowed?
-- david
I think I'm leaning toward an investigator. Probably with the psychic detective archetype. I still need to figure out which method I will use to gain him a familiar. Are the ratfolk, fetchling, or wayang races too 'out there' for you?
The personality I'm working on definitely is outside the regular society type. People don't trust him. But they sometimes find him useful, so put up with him. So those races work toward that.
@Alterego: those races aren't too far out there, but you could expect to be treated unfairly and experience some racism and negative reactions from npcs. It could make for good roleplaying.
@Papa-DRB: the pathfinder traits are allowed as your second trait (and would be appropriate), but they don't take the place of the required campaign trait.
@Cuan: Interesting concept.
@Ouachitonian: there will definitely be a need for someone who can knife an enemy in the back
Papa-DRB here. Re-using an alias from a previous defunct campaign.
I may change a feat, but it is essentially set. I have the background / description in my head right now. I'll add it over the next few days to the alias.
-- david
Are you planning on just hero points or are you also allowing the hero point feats and spells?
If so, will the bad guys ever have hero points? Anti-hero points? If they do, is there any way for a character to tell that someone has hero points?
The reason I ask is that there are a few spells that do something to someone that has hero points. If no one but PC's will ever have hero points or if there is no way to tell, it would be a waste to take those spells. If there is, it might be fun to try them out.
@Alterego: those races aren't too far out there, but you could expect to be treated unfairly and experience some racism and negative reactions from npcs. It could make for good roleplaying.
...
That's exactly what I'm looking for. ;)