Hello and welcome, Pathfinders. We'll start off once recruitment has been finalized.
Please make sure your taglines are filled out correctly and please post your background. This adventure should take us from level 1 to 4. At the end of the adventure, you can use your chronicle sheet and give it to one of your PFS characters. They'll be getting a lot of goodies out of this.
I encourage you to use the backgrounds from Fall of Plaguestone, although this isn't mandatory. You can find them here. (AoN link) The teamster background is limited to one player only, so that one be would be first come, first served.
Also, could you please give me your character's backstory, either posted here with spoiler tags or sent via PM, please so I can begin to see how I'm going to weave this into the narrative.
I'll ask for your PFS info at the end of the adventure.
Depending on how fast everyone's info comes together we could start on Monday GMT -6 or sooner.
And welcome to The Fall of Plaguestone!
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Woohoo! Thanks for choosing me!
Glad to be playing with all of you!
Pretty sure I got everything in there tagline wise. For my background, I chose Missionary. Arguably my favorite thing about the backgrounds is how they tie you into the story so well (or at least they do in Age of Ashes, I assume that's a line-wide decision).
When Razima finally passed to Pharasma's embrace, a half-orc priest named Brillek took the young orphan into his trust. Brillek's church- tiny compared to Katheer's legendary holy halls dedicated to the Dawnflower- housed the lion's share of the city's orphan population- And Brillek dedicated himself to helping them all. Brillek, a child of two worlds himself, knew what it meant to be unwelcome. He knew how it could wear on a child. And swore he would do everything in his power to help the least welcome to be cared for.
Unlike most of the kids under Brillek's patronage, Sinan had dreams- hopes for a better life, and the willingness to learn how to make them happen. In Sinan, Brillek found a boy that craved nothing more than to learn. Brillek taught him to speak Taldane, Elvish, and his own native Orcish. Brillek taught Sinan to write, to math, and to copy maps and handle a blade. Brillek taught Sinan how to act in high society, and how to take them at face value. But most importantly, Brillek taught Sinan about Sarenrae- how she teaches to help those in need, to redeem them of their mistakes and how no one is without potential. It was only as an adult that Sinan understood how Brillek- a former slave and adventurer- had emulated the goddess.
Sinan dedicated his life to the Dawnflower and tended to Brillek's church and the children he cared for until the elderly priest had passed. With Brillek gone, Sinan expected to leave Katheer to spread Sarenrae's grace wherever he could. He no longer dreamed of rising to the ranks of the great heroes of myth. He only hoped to act as his teacher would have wanted, for a greater hero Sinan could never expect to know.
Also, GM Dendeve, since Paizo's Avatars are down, do you want me to crop down the face from his background image for you to use on maps and the like?
Also, GM Dendeve, since Paizo's Avatars are down, do you want me to crop down the face from his background image for you to use on maps and the like?
Glad to have you aboard and thank you for reminding me about the avatar situation, I had forgotten about it. Please do.
Sent
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With the group's permission (the reasons which should become apparent), I'd like to play Eight and a Half, a rogue pretending to be a cleric of Iomedae. Eight has Battle Medicine, with which he uses to pretend he is magically healing; with real spellcasters in the group, his treachery should be apparent rapidly - and may cause some tension.
My hope for Eight is that over the first level, Eight evolves from N to NG and takes a cleric dedication at level 2. Mechanically, he will be initially introducing himself as Valor Holysword (I can either post as Eight and a Half or create an alias), but will come clean at some point when he "converts" and posting should be more normal.
If anyone thinks this is going to be disruptive to the game, please PM me - no explanation or apology required - and I'll use my other prepared character, a spirit barbarian.
By the by, I'll need images for your pawns, please.
Actually, I really like the idea of Eight. It works really well with my core concept for Sinan and negates the part of me that was thinking of taking Thievery as a skill
Since we appear to be arcane light, let me see if I can make something fit my concept from at least an occult if not arcane direction...
P.S. Thank you for the invite!
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There's only one thing that concerns me about Eight and a Half's concept: what reason would the rest of the party have to trust the character after the revelation of his true identity?
He's not evil at the beginning, and not working against the group at any point - he's just not who he says he is.
Presumably by the time he's forced (or convinced) to tell the truth, all the characters would have fought side by side for a while.
There's only one thing that concerns me about Eight and a Half's concept: what reason would the rest of the party have to trust the character after the revelation of his true identity? I know next to nothing about the plot of the scenario, so I don't know if it's something that's potentially addressed there.
I'll just say that I think with what you will have to deal with later on after the opening scene, you'll have to come together and depend on each other as the adventure moves forward. I'm pretty sure 8 1/2 will be discovered as soon as he "casts" his first spell. He'll be able to fool some, but either through Perception, Religion or some other check, he'll be confronted and exposed as a sham who will need to regain everyone's trust, preferably the sooner the better. It's its own story of redemption, even if some will never let go that he was a con artist.
Sinan or any other pious PC could help 8 1/2 find true faith and/or the missionary background opens up a side quest about faith that could be adapted to his character as he multiclasses into a true cleric.
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I think a brief summary of Eight's background would be helpful.
Eight and a Half was born with congenital hypodactyly (9 fingers). Never being able to fit into law-abiding society, he makes his living pretending to be a cleric, collecting donations for the poor but keeping them (or at least more than a fair share) for himself, and (over)charging people for non-magical healing.
Originally, the idea was that he was part of a gang, but that was to fit the Core background I had selected. With the missionary background, I think it's more fitting that he's less tied to an organization and more independent.
I may actually change his name to match the rounded out background.
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Deep bow - Thank you for having me! I am very happy...
And a warm hello to my fellow companions, hoping to have a thrilling and fun adventure with you, and get to knowing your characters!
• my tagline should have what you wanted (will add things as we go if needed)
Just added spells to track what I have used
• I did not find a background from Fall of Plaguestone that worked for me, so went with Herbalist.
So, with Natural Medicine that's yet another type of healing vs. 8's fake cures!
• Talking about 8, and:
There's only one thing that concerns me about Eight and a Half's concept: what reason would the rest of the party have to trust the character after the revelation of his true identity?
My personal feeling (but that's just me) is to make my RP adapt to what benefits the group.
So, I imagine that if it becomes a problem, I would see 8 as a poor delusional person trying to invent things to make himself important, rather than a traitor!• Backstory
So:
Pepper was very recently created, from a spirit of wild flowers (thus her knowledge of herbalism) and sent out with a specific mission.
For this mission, I have two ideas:
- the one I feel works w/o a problem being that she has been sent to travel to various major towns, and see how their industrialization, metal-working etc. is impacting Nature, and maybe find ideas on how to change this and preserve Nature.
If this is backstory we go with, she would have been around for some time, already seen some towns, and just now finished exploring our starting town and trying to solve some things, and is now seeking to travel to some other town (in Andoran I'd say, to see how another nation handles things).
- the other that might not fit, but I felt also worked with the fact that I am running the game and know about it, would be that she was specifically created to go investigate Nature problems, maybe even created to go check out this specific Blight.
If this could work, my idea is that she was created by a Fey Druid who only knows there is a problem of some kind of corruption in the general area of Etran's Folly, and is sending her to check out on what is happening and report about it. She has no knowledge of what it is, what created it, its scope etc..
And I imagined she would have no contact w. her creator until after the adventure, and knows she is on her own for a long time (till the next Solstice or Equinox or such) so that she does not have the possibility of getting help/information from him.
If that works, then I thought she might be very newly created (she was "born" in some cave, mainly made out of lichen) and could be found walking down the road as the caravan leaves town, and happy to "hitch a ride" since they are going in the same direction as she is (my idea being that she does not even think of Etran's Folly, just of exploring around there to try and locate the Blight).
• Rules Questions
• 1 • the first is the easiest I feel. For spells with material components, where I have to use Manipulate, the Druid"can usually hold a primal focus (such as holly and mistletoe) for spells requiring material components instead of needing to use a spell component pouch" and so I wanted to have Pepper have some holly and mistletoe growing from her, and the needs to "focus" on this, or hold this (thus a Manipulate) for such spells.
Basically: just have it as part of her rather than something she harvested.
• 2 • then: for Goodberry the spell requires a target of 1 ripe berry.
How do you handle this? Will we be in a season where there are no berries etc., or will Pepper be able to find enough berries to use the spell when she has Focus Points?
My feeling as a player is that I hope it is not really hindered--
--but, whatever the case, my RP desire would be that Pepper grow her own berries (like the holly & mistletoe growing over there, well, over here she has a little patch of brambles w. blackberries or whatever... to pluck and render magically healing).
• 3 • Finally, with Natural Medicine it says that if you’re in the wilderness, you might have easier access to fresh ingredients, allowing you to gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your check to Treat Wounds using Nature, subject to the GM’s determination.
How would you rule on that possible +2?
My feeling as a player is that going with this (rather than putting a point in Medicine and taking a background with Battle Medicine) is not overpowered at all (since I can "only" Treat Wounds, and lose out on Treat Poison, Disease etc.) and that getting a +2 often would not be unbalanced-- because, my RP idea was that Pepper could even pluck certain pieces of moss etc. from herself to use as fresh ingredients and thus get that +2 (seeing as in general we'd be in the outdoors a lot).
But no problem if this does not work for you (I could say RP-wise that the corruption spoils her own moss etc.).
---Well, sorry for the long post.
Just tell me if okay or not for 1, 2, and/or 3.
Thanks!
re. the avatar: this is the image I had for Pepper.
I'll let you take her "face" or head for her mini (if it is hard or such for you, I can do it).
re. her familiar (Beltza): she is 'built' as simply bringing Master abilities (she gives me 1 extra cantrip daily, and can replenish one of my Focus Points 1/day) thus I do not intend to have her act or move around in general, thus I have no image or mini for her (will pull one out if we ever need her to act, or if things change [s[when[/s] if (?) I level up.
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Awesome! I'll stat up and get my tagline ready. I'm fine with Eight's concept. Deerslicer isn't very judgmental.
I'm switching him over from Hermit to the Refugee background, and made some adjustments to the backstory to take that into account.
Quick question for GM: Is it okay if I start with a Dogslicer? It is an uncommon weapon and I'm not taking the Goblin Weapon Familiarity ancestry feat, so wanted to check.
Sure, just help me understand storywise how that's a possibility. I mean, how does he not know how to use one if Deerslicer was raised by goblins? Mechanically, I have no issues you having or using one, it's just that storywise I have an idea of how that's possible, but want to see if your idea is more or less aligned with mine.
I can also weave it into the story if you need one, too.
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Quick question for GM: Is it okay if I start with a Dogslicer? It is an uncommon weapon and I'm not taking the Goblin Weapon Familiarity ancestry feat, so wanted to check.Sure, just help me understand storywise how that's a possibility. I mean, how does he not know how to use one if Deerslicer was raised by goblins? Mechanically, I have no issues you having or using one, it's just that storywise I have an idea of how that's possible, but want to see if your idea is more or less aligned with mine.
The Goblin Weapon Familiarity Feat has four benefits, from how I read it:
1. You are trained in dogslicer and horsechopper2. You have access to all uncommon goblin weapons
3. Martial goblin weapons count as simple weapons for proficiency
4. Advanced goblin weapons count as martial weapons for proficiency
As a ranger, I'm trained in martial weapons, so I'm already proficient with the dogslicer (and horsechopper .. and any other uncommon martial weapon that may come along). In theory #4 might give me a benefit, if we ever ran into an advanced goblin weapon. (I don't think any exist yet.) So the only concern is #2. Since it's uncommon, I can't just assume without GM approval that I can have it.
I think the feat is intended for someone like a goblin rogue or sorcerer, who are only trained in simple weapons. The Goblin Weapon Familiarity feat would give them proficiency with those weapons (and also explicit permission to start with or acquire those uncommon weapons). Someone who is already trained in martial weapons just has to get their hands on the weapon, not take the feat.
The Goblin Weapon Familiarity Feat has four benefits, from how I read it:
1. You are trained in dogslicer and horsechopper
2. You have access to all uncommon goblin weapons
3. Martial goblin weapons count as simple weapons for proficiency
4. Advanced goblin weapons count as martial weapons for proficiencyAs a ranger, I'm trained in martial weapons, so I'm already proficient with the dogslicer (and horsechopper .. and any other uncommon martial weapon that may come along). In theory #4 might give me a benefit, if we ever ran into an advanced goblin weapon. (I don't think any exist yet.) So the only concern is #2. Since it's uncommon, I can't just assume without GM approval that I can have it.
I think the feat is intended for someone like a goblin rogue or sorcerer, who are only trained in simple weapons. The Goblin Weapon Familiarity feat would give them proficiency with those weapons (and also explicit permission to start with or acquire those uncommon weapons). Someone who is already trained in martial weapons just has to get their hands on the weapon, not take the feat.
Ah, that makes sense. Go ahead, I've no problem with your character starting off with a dogslicer.
Edit. @John (Kunsheng "Qīngwā" Xue ), could you also add your HP, gender, alignment and class to your tagline, please.
@Eric, Thank you. I've already made the pawn from the image you posted. Regarding your questions:
1) Flavor-wise, that's fine as long as the rules of the use don't change.
2) The season is summer with fall on the way. You won't have any problems finding fresh berries in the wild with a survival check. While character-wise growing berries on your body is fun, I feel it could become unbalanced later on. We could come back to this later, but for the meantime, sorry, no growing berries on your character.
3) The +2 circumstantial is fine as long as you're in wilderness. There will be some parts where you won't find ingredients because of the blight. Don't forget you'll still need healer's tools, too..
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Eight and a Half is now Simon Samarian. I've updated his background to Missionary, removed gang ties in his backstory, and left an opening for the GM to fill however best suits the campaign.
Mechanically, I've dropped his Wisdom and bumped his Charisma. This works a little better for combat (since he will use Feint) and more in-line with his personality (since he's only needs to be wise enough to take a cleric dedication, not actually wise).
I've no problem with your character starting off with a dogslicer.
So long as he has no hedge cutter, or shears, or other plant cutting devices!
2) Okay, totally fine w. no growing berries, would have been fun!
Re. "finding fresh berries in the wild with a survival check" - fine w. that too, I just hope you give some leeway and do not make it too hard to use her healing spell, because the character is already not very strong mechanically due to building it mainly via RP
(I do not how you are running this, ie. upping the difficulty, adding enemies for the party of 6 vs. 4, but the fights are tough for my group of 4 - which is fun! Though one did die so far)
3) FIne. Thanks. Yes, I forgot the healer's tools. So I got rid of two Healing Potions and took the tools, meaning I am left w. 3 gold. I week of special Leshy food (that she only needs if no sunlight etc.) is 4 gold. So--
--can I get 5 days of food for her last 3 gold (it's a little less expensive than 3 gold normally)
Backstory & Entrance: all fine w. me. I'll write her Backstory up, but thus have her sent to check towns out re. ecology etc., and then meet the caravan by chance while heading to a town... and, I imagine, hook up w. them to help them and then to fight the blight.
Pepper has been a spirit of wild flowers forever, and now, just recently, a powerful fey druid, worried about industrialization, has brought this spirit to inhabit a body made of fungus and plants.
"Born" in a cavern in the Aspodell Mountains where they border the Chitterwood, Pepper is now a leshy-- and her good friend, Beltza, who was a spirit of wildgrass, is a slightly less powerful leshy familiar.
Very excited about her mission, that she wishes to proudly carry out, Pepper spent some time creating the gear she needs, and has now set off on a long trek, to discover the world-- and reach Almas, in Taldor. There, she is tasked with analyzing the impact of urbanization on Nature, and then reporting to her creator, giving him some ideas of how to make things better.
If I'm following people's plans correctly, we have:
Ranger & Companion, Rogue, Alchemist, Plant Druid, Cloistered Cleric so far.
I've been fashioning a bard for more spell versatility, but I can stick with Champion for more damage absorption/mitigation.
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@Pepper Go ahead and proceed with the food.
@Blake It's your choice, truth be told. I try to stay out of these decisions.
It was more a question for my fellow players. :)
Bard or Champion— my feeling is that you should choose the one you will have most fun playing.
Edit. @John (Kunsheng "Qīngwā" Xue ), could you also add your HP, gender, alignment and class to your tagline, please.I think I got all that into the header. Is there anything else you'd like to see?
Thank you, that's fine.
@Blake, if it helps your decision at all, I went Warpriest instead of cloistered
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All right, I believe we're almost ready to go once Blake's ready. I'm going to start up the Gameplay thread if you want to RP for a bit. Officially, we'll be starting Monday GMT -6.
I'm also working on a travel journal for this campaign on GM Binder, so you can have easy reference to what's been seen so far in the quest. If this travel journal is too clunky or time consuming, I'll just add the info to the slides instead.
Gamble was born in Hagreach, married young, and was blessed early with a son and a few years later his wife gave birth to a girl. He told bedtime stores to his son. He loved his wife. He tended his little bit of land as best he could, and he defended it from the occasional raids from Isger somewhat better. He was Ulfen.
One night, however, he wasn't able to defend his land. He survived his injuries, waking on the back of a wagon on its way back to Isger where he was sold as a slave to a Jadwiga. He believed his family dead. He made a poor slave: too angry and stubborn for the house and not strong enough for heavy labor. After a couple of years, the Jadwiga grew tired of trying to tame the Ulfen and sold him away. He was traded down the markets until he landed in the slave pits of Absalom.
He met a dark skinned slave from Arcadia in the pits who had taken to caring for the others. The slave preached about Mother Jaguar, the importance of community, and how they, in their circumstances, were a community. It sounded not too different from how the people of the clans watched out for each other, and Gamble began to listen. When the last siege came to Absalom, Gamble signed up to fight. He protected the same people that allowed him to be a slave in exchange for his freedom.
He left Absalom with the Arcadian, traveling, working caravan protection, working whatever job he could. Eventually, he and the Arcadian parted ways, but he learned a lot from him during their travels. Gamble never became the cleric he was, but he learned more than a few tricks of the spirits.
Done.
Just wanted to say I appreciate you being aware of, and respecting, that in some cultures, peoples' first names are their family names.
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Hey all, looks like Avatars are back up! (I mean, I still like the image I sent you better, but there it is)
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I'll respect whichever any of you prefer.
@John, I forgot to ask, but what ethnicity is Kunsheng?
It's level 4--at least for druids--before a companion can take a single action without Command an Animal.
So the actions are now: Interact (Bow), Hunt Prey and Strike. Is that right?
Pepper has a face!
Shortbow's deadly on a crit, doing an extra d10 damage after doubling, so Deerslicer should have done more damage.