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Just before the moment of death a creature is perhaps at its most dangerous. So it is too with the death of a century.
1898.
Though the pre-dawn light of the Twentieth Century can be seen peeking over the horizon, the dying night of the Nineteenth still carries with it the myths and fears of the age before Industry. The acrid smoke and clanging sounds of factories do little to dispel the horrors that have for millennia haunted the shadows. Instead, those horrors work to make the coming era their own. Nowhere is this eery symbiosis more present then in the largest city in the world, London.
True, it has been ten years since the Whitechapel Murderer cut his last girl, but the city is no safer. Far from it. Strange things stalk the fog-filled alleys, with lives lost on a nightly basis. Secret societies plot the direction of the Empire while the scions of nobility lounge in opium dens. Explorers bring back treasures from Egypt and the Orient, along with the curses bound to them. Practitioners of beliefs long thought forgotten gather in basements and barns alike, offering worship to their unspoken masters. And a precious few reach forward to part the veil to the other side.
Welcome to Victorian Age Pathfinder. I propose a game of adventure, intrigue, and gothic horror for those daring enough to apply. We will be using the 1st edition Pathfinder rules, adjusted as laid out below in ‘Character Creation & Rules’. I am looking for 4 to 6 compelling character concepts that will fit in a mystical gothic setting. While the supernatural does in fact exist, most people think it is a thing of myth and legend. They are terrified by it, to be sure, but their rational mind tells them it is not real. Something in your life has given you a glimpse of that reality, something you can never truly deny again.
I plan on accepting applications through Friday, May 22nd.
While I include a lot below detailing the mechanical needs of your character, I encourage you to focus on your character as a concept, building a story and personality that truly defines them. You can write in freeform, use the “10 Minute Background”, the classic “Appearance / Personality / History”, or any other format, as you so choose.
Source Materials Paizo published Pathfinder material, no 3PP at this time.
Level 3. You have had some significant life experiences, including the moment you were exposed to the ‘world beyond the veil’.
Ability Scores 2d6+6, roll two sets.
Races Human only. The setting is late 19th century Earth, and players will be human. That said, you will get a chance to choose a Background (a sort of variant racial package, based on the Backgrounds in Pathfinder 2e) that will help to flesh out your character. You gain the standard human package (+2 to an ability score of your choice, a bonus feat, one bonus skill point per level), plus the benefits of the Background (detailed below in spoiler).
Classes In some games, GMs expect a good character backstory to justify playing an Advanced or Featured race over the core races – in this game I will be looking for a similarly dynamic backstory for any applicants applying with classes beyond the ‘common’ label below.
*** Common: barbarian, brawler, cavalier, fighter, gunslinger, ranger (archetypes which give up spells), rogue (unc), slayer, swashbuckler
*** Uncommon: alchemist, bard, investigator, medium, mesmerist, occultist, oracle, ranger (archetypes with spells), vigilante, witch
*** Rare: cleric, druid, hunter, inquisitor, monk (unc), psychic, shaman, sorcerer
*** Unique arcanist, bloodrager, kineticist, magus, paladin, summoner (unc), warpriest, wizard
Equipment I am still working out the details on equipment and wealth. I would like to discuss with those chosen the option of using a typical money/coin system versus an abstract wealth rule.
Summary of Variant Rules
*** Athletics Climb and Swim skills have been combined into Athletics.
*** Background Skills are in effect.
*** Skill Unlocks Everyone can use Skill Unlocks once they reach the required skill rank, no feat required. Unchained Rogues now gain access to unlocks at 4, 8, 12, and 16 ranks respectively.
*** Elephant in the Room feat tax rules are in effect.
*** Guns Everywhere rules are in effect.
*** Defense Bonus in the 19th century, armor was rarely worn. In its place, characters will get a defense bonus to AC based on your class’s armor proficiencies and level (will link in campaign notes). When armor is worn, it will not increase AC but will instead grant DR equal to its AC bonus.
*** Automatic Bonus Progression will be in effect. To balance the near total lack of magic items, it will be applied at one level higher than normal.
Your Background will grant a +2 to one ability score, a -2 to another ability, and two class skills. Note that you cannot pair your racial +2 from being a Human with your +2 from your Background, but you can pair it with your -2 from your Background to in effect cancel it out.
Acolyte
Ability Scores Wisdom or Charisma (+), Strength or Intelligence (-)
Skills Diplomacy, Knowledge (Religion)
You spent your early days in a religious monastery or cloister. You may have traveled out into the world to spread the message of your religion or because you cast away the teachings of your faith, but deep down you’ll always carry within you the lessons you learned.
Acrobat
Ability Scores Strength or Dexterity (+), Intelligence or Wisdom (-)
Skills Acrobatics, Athletics
In a circus or on the streets, you earned your pay by performing as an acrobat. You might have turned to crime when the money dried up, or simply decided to put your skills to better use.
Apothecary
Ability Scores Constitution or Intelligence (+), Strength or Wisdom (-)
Skills Craft (alchemy), Know (nature)
As a formally trained apothecary or a rural practitioner of folk medicine, you learned the properties of various herbs. You’re adept at collecting the right natural cures in all sorts of environments and preparing them properly.
Barkeep
Ability Scores Constitution or Charisma (+), Dexterity or Intelligence (-)
Skills Craft (brewing), Diplomacy
You have five specialties: hefting barrels, drinking, polishing steins, drinking, and drinking. You worked in a bar, where you learned how to hold your liquor and rowdily socialize.
Barrister
Ability Scores Intelligence or Charisma (+), Strength or Constitution (-)
Skills Diplomacy, Profession (barrister)
Piles of legal manuals, stern teachers, and experience in the courtroom have instructed you in legal matters. You’re capable of mounting a prosecution or defense in court, and you tend to keep abreast of local laws, as you never can tell when you might need to know them on short notice.
Bounty Hunter
Ability Scores Strength or Wisdom (+), Intelligence or Charisma (-)
Skills Intimidate, Survival
Bringing in lawbreakers lines your pockets. Maybe you had an altruistic motive and sought to bring in criminals to make the streets safer, or maybe the coin was motivation enough.
Charlatan
Ability Scores Intelligence or Charisma (+), Strength or Wisdom (-)
Skills Bluff, Sleight of Hand
You travel from place to place, peddling false fortunes and snake oil in one town, pretending to be royalty in exile to seduce a wealthy heir in the next. Becoming an adventurer might be your next big scam or an attempt to put your talents to use for a greater cause. Perhaps it’s a bit of both, as you realize that after pretending to be a hero, you’ve become the mask.
Constable
Ability Scores Strength or Charisma (+), Dexterity or Intelligence (-)
Skills Intimidate, Perception
You serve in the constabulary, out of either patriotism or the need for coin. Either way, you know how to get a difficult suspect to talk. You may still be an active officer, or perhaps you’ve left your role, drawn to some other path.
Craftsman
Ability Scores Constitution or Intelligence (+), Wisdom or Charisma (-)
Skills Appraise, Craft (Any One)
As an apprentice, you practiced a particular form of building or crafting, developing specialized skills. You might have been a blacksmith’s apprentice toiling over the forge for countless hours, a young tailor sewing garments of all kinds, or a shipwright shaping the hulls of ships.
Criminal
Ability Scores Dexterity or Intelligence (+), Strength or Charisma (-)
Skills Disable Device, Stealth
As an unscrupulous independent or as a member of an underworld organization, you live a life of crime. Perhaps you’ve turned over a new leaf and are trying to go straight. But more likely, you’re still in the thick of it.
Emissary
Ability Scores Intelligence or Charisma (+), Strength or Constitution (-)
Skills Diplomacy, Sense Motive
As a diplomat or messenger, you travel to lands far and wide. Communicating with new people and forming alliances are your stock and trade.
Entertainer
Ability Scores Dexterity or Charisma (+), Intelligence or Wisdom (-)
Skills Bluff, Perform (any one)
Your art is your greatest passion, whatever form it takes. Adventuring might help you find inspiration, or simply be a way to survive until you become a world-famous artist.
Farmhand
Ability Scores Constitution or Wisdom (+), Intelligence or Charisma (-)
Skills Athletics, Handle Animal
With a strong back and an understanding of seasonal cycles, you tilled the land and tended crops. Your farm could still be your driving force, or you might have simply tired of the drudgery, and found your way to London for a new opportunity.
Fortune Teller
Ability Scores Intelligence or Charisma (+), Strength or Constitution (-)
Skills Know (arcana), Sense Motive
The strands of fate are clear to you, as you have learned many traditional forms by which laypeople can divine the future. You might have used these skills to guide your community, or simply to make money. But even the slightest peek into these practices connects you to the occult mysteries of the universe.
Gambler
Ability Scores Dexterity or Charisma (+), Strength or Wisdom (-)
Skills Bluff, Sense Motive
The thrill of the win drew you into games of chance. This might have been a lucrative sideline that paled in comparison to the real risks of adventuring, or you might have fallen on hard times due to your gambling and pursued adventuring as a way out of a spiral.
Groom
Ability Scores Wisdom or Charisma (+), Constitution or Intelligence (-)
Skills Handle Animal, Ride
You have always felt a connection to animals, and it was only a small leap to learn to train them. As you travel, you continuously encounter different creatures, befriending them along the way.
Guide
Ability Scores Constitution or Wisdom (+), Strength or Charisma (-)
Skills Know (geography), Survival
You called the wilderness home as you found trails and guided travelers. Your wanderlust could have called you to the adventuring life, or perhaps you served as a scout for soldiers and found you liked battle.
Hermit
Ability Scores Constitution or Intelligence (+), Dexterity or Charisma (-)
Skills Know (arcana, nature, occult, religion),
In an isolated place—like a cave, remote oasis, or secluded mansion—you lived a life of solitude. Adventuring might represent your first foray out among other people in some time. This might be a welcome reprieve from solitude or an unwanted change, but in either case, you’re likely still rough around the edges.
Hunter
Ability Scores Dexterity or Wisdom(+), Intelligence or Charisma (-)
Skills Stealth, Survival
You stalked and took down animals and other creatures of the wild. Skinning animals, harvesting their flesh, and cooking them were also part of your training, all of which can give you useful resources while you adventure.
Investigator
Ability Scores Intelligence or Wisdom (+), Dexterity or Constitution (-)
Skills Perception, Sense Motive
You solved crimes as a police inspector or took jobs for wealthy clients as a private investigator. You might have become an adventurer as part of your next big mystery, but likely it was due to the consequences or aftermath of a prior case.
Laborer
Ability Scores Strength or Constitution (+), Intelligence or Wisdom (-)
Skills Athletics, Know (local)
You’ve spent years performing arduous physical labor. It was a difficult life, but you somehow survived. You may have embraced adventuring as an easier method to make your way in the world, or you might adventure under someone else’s command.
Merchant
Ability Scores Intelligence or Charisma (+), Strength or Constitution (-)
Skills Appraise, Diplomacy
In a dusty shop, market stall, or merchant caravan, you bartered wares for coin and trade goods. The skills you picked up still apply in the adventuring life, in which a good deal on a suit of armor could prevent your death.
Miner
Ability Scores Strength or Constitution (+), Intelligence or Charisma (-)
Skills Athletics, Profession (miner)
You earned a living wrenching precious minerals from the lightless depths of the earth. Adventuring might have seemed lucrative or glamorous compared to this backbreaking labor— and if you have to head back underground, this time you plan to do so armed with a real weapon instead of a miner’s pick.
Noble, Dilettante
Ability Scores Constitution or Charisma (+), Strength or Wisdom (-)
Skills Bluff, Perform (any one)
To the common folk, the life of a noble seems one of idyllic luxury, and you have embraced this lifestyle to the fullest. Growing up with barely a care, you have experienced and indulged, seeking whatever passion moves your heart. Now, it has brought you into a world of danger.
Noble, Military
Ability Scores Strength or Dexterity (+), Intelligence or Charisma (-)
Skills Athletics, Ride
Your family holds a strong military tradition, and from an early age you dedicated yourself to intense training and rigorous study to become a great soldier. They may have attended an elite military academy, been trained by private tutors, or even served in a prestigious military unit.
Noble, Political
Ability Scores Intelligence or Wisdom (+), Dexterity or Constitution (-)
Skills Diplomacy, Know (nobility)
To the common folk, the life of a noble seems one of idyllic luxury, but growing up as a noble or member of the aspiring gentry, you know the reality: a noble’s lot is obligation and intrigue. Whether you seek to escape your duties by adventuring or to better your station, you have traded silks and pageantry for an adventurer’s life.
Sailor
Ability Scores Strength or Dexterity (+), Wisdom or Charisma (-)
Skills Athletics, Profession (sailor)
You heard the call of the sea from a young age. Perhaps you signed onto a merchant’s vessel, joined the navy, or even fell in with a crew of pirates and scalawags.
Street Urchin
Ability Scores Dexterity or Constitution (+), Strength or Wisdom (-)
Skills Bluff, Sleight of Hand
You eked out a living by picking pockets on the streets of a major city, never knowing where you’d find your next meal. While some folk adventure for glory, you do so to survive.
Surgeon
Ability Scores Dexterity or Wisdom (+), Strength or Charisma (-)
Skills Medicine, Perception
In the chaotic rush of battle, you learned to adapt to rapidly changing conditions as you administered to battle casualties. You patched up soldiers, guards, or other combatants, and learned a fair amount about the logistics of war.
Thug
Ability Scores Strength or Charisma (+), Intelligence or Wisdom (-)
Skills Athletics, Intimidate
The tough life has taught you the value of your muscle. The strong get what they want. Before you attained true fame, you departed—or escaped—the arena to explore the world. Your skill at drawing both blood and a crowd’s attention pay off in a new adventuring life.
Tinkerer
Ability Scores Dexterity or Intelligence (+), Strength or Wisdom (-)
Skills Craft (any), Knowledge (Engineering)
Creating all sorts of minor inventions scratches your itch for problem-solving. Your engineering skills take a particularly creative bent, and no one knows what you’ll come up with next. It might be a genius device with tremendous potential... or it might explode.
Scholar
Ability Scores Intelligence or Wisdom (+), Strength or Constitution (-)
Skills Know (any two)
In an isolated place—like a cave, remote oasis, or secluded mansion—you lived a life of solitude. Adventuring might represent your first foray out among other people in some time. This might be a welcome reprieve from solitude or an unwanted change, but in either case, you’re likely still rough around the edges.
Soldier
Ability Scores Strength or Constitution (+), Intelligence or Charisma (-)
Skills Athletics, Profession (soldier)
In your younger days, you waded into battle as a mercenary, a warrior defending a nomadic people, or a member of a militia or army. You might have wanted to break out from the regimented structure of these forces, or you could have always been as independent a warrior as you are now.
When you say you 'cannot' pair it with your +2 ability of your Background, does that mean you could add it to any other ability score outside of that one? Or does it mean you can ONLY add it to the -2 ability of the Background?
Sorry for the confusion. I mean you cannot stack the two +2's on the same ability score for a total of a +4 to one ability score. Great question.
This looks fantastically cool.
Set #1
Set #2
Cool. Thanks! That's what I was wondering.
13 17 15 13 17 12
15 15 16 16 10 15
Lot of options there
I forgot a few things:
Alignment For the setting, alignment likely is a bit archaic. Please include in your description of your character something regarding their moral compass.
Traits You gain two traits, but must take one drawback.
Favored Class Bonus If there is a nonhuman FCB that you would like, list it, and I will consider on a case by case basis.
GM, quick question - I don't see the spiritualist on your class list. Is the class allowed? If so, would it be unique?
Dot! Sounds like the perfect opportunity for an investigator. Went to Eton naturally and matriculated Natural Sciences at Cambridge. Probably sports a deerstalker.
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The spiritualist falls under 'Rare'. Had that on one version of the lists, damn.
Sounds interesting. The dice bot and I have not been on speaking terms later...but I'll give it a chance to apologize.
SET #1
SET #2
That first set looks super-good for a bard!
This looks really exciting, I'll see how lucky the dice are today. GM, just out of curiosity, where does the Skald sit on the list? Also, if we pick up things like Animal Companions (eg Ranger) is there a specific list to pick options from?
Interesting Idea for a game. As the man said, dang it I'm in.
12, 15, 11, 13, 14, 12
12, 10, 14, 12, 12, 15
Looks like 12, 15, 11, 13, 14, 12 but the narrowest of margins lol.
I think I'm going to make a gunslinger style character, like Ethan from Penny Dreadful.
A mysterious stranger who is in London looking for something and gets caught up in events.
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The child was given the name Hermana Maria by the nuns and raised in the convent. Though devout in her faith, Maria felt a wanderlust, and yearned to see the world beyond the walls of her cloister. The Mother Superior tried to warn Maria that the world of men was a wicked, evil world, and that her salvation would come from her devotion to God.
By the time Maria was 16, she had already taken to periodically sneaking away from the convent to visit the small western village of Sunset nearby. She especially liked watching the trains come through town, and the people coming and going on those mechanical behemoths. She was fascinated by everything modern in this seemingly bustling town — and in comparison to the slow, studied life at the convent, Sunset may as well have been Boston, from her heritage. Maria saw her first bicycle and her first gunfight on the same day, during one of these excursions.
That was also the day that she returned to the convent to find it burned to the ground, and all of the nuns murdered. While she had been away in Sunset, gawking at the trains, a group of armed bandits came through and pillaged the nunnery.
It was that day that she ceased to be Hermana Maria. She became Sierra Sunset, and she took a silent vow to bring justice to right the wickedness of the world.
Sierra bought a pair of six-shooters, and boarded a train east. She has been on that road toward justice ever since....
CHARACTER CONCEPT
I would like Sierra to be a Gunslinger (Mysterious Stranger) / Paladin, with most levels primarily being in Paladin. (I realize that Paladin was listed as a unique class, so I'm hopeful that Sierra is a sufficiently cool character to meet the GM's expectations.)
My initial dice rolls (Set 1) were:
15, 14, 12, 12, 11, 10
I am arranging them thusly:
STR 10
DEX 14
CON 12
INT 12
WIS 11
CHA 15
I am using my +2 human racial bonus on DEX, and I am taking the Acolyte background, giving CHA +2 and STR –2.
My final ability scores are:
STR 8
DEX 16
CON 12
INT 12
WIS 11
CHA 17
Thanks for your consideration!
Intriguing....
Can't resist the roll of the dice...
Set 1
Set 2
Some questions, GM:
- You talk about Egypt, so I guess the setting is in Earth? How do we go about the feats or traits or archetypes etc. that are location-specific in Golarion? Do we "adapt and suggest"?
- Are the deities the Earth-ones or Golarion-ones? Similar to question 1, do we adapt accordingly? How do divine "casters" and spells work in this setting?
- You talk about armor... I guess the same apply for shields?
- Are VMC in play?
- I realize the PCs are all Human, but are there any other races around? Or were at any moment? What is considered mythology and what's considered history?
Dotting!
Set 1
18, 15, 13, 12, 12, 8
Set 2
15, 13, 13, 13, 12, 10
Very interested! Victorian gothic england sounds like it’s just my speed.
Viviana
* Mechanically, the Skald is pretty darn close to the Bard, and so should sit at 'Uncommon'. Yet it also speaks to a specific subset in history, which might push it to 'Rare'. Write a good backstory, and it will get considered.
* As for Animal Companions, it is 1898 in the 'real world', plan accordingly (that means most certainly no dinosaurs, and if you have a giant panther walking the streets of London, that animal might get shot real fast).
The Archlich
* My apologies for tucking the actual setting into the Race category. The game is set on Earth in 1898, specifically London, in 'our reality'. There are no other races, and never have been - there are only humans. The breakdown of history versus mythology is simple - for all intent and purpose, imagine you are creating a character for a historical fiction game, but with the caveat that you have had some experience in your life that can only be described as supernatural. Some sources of inspiration might include the Cthulhu mythos, Heart of Darkness, Dracula, the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and as Vrog mentioned, Penny Dreadful.
* Feats and Traits can be reskinned, but should match context appropriately.
* Religions are the religions of our world (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc). Is it possible you are part of a sect that practices an 'old faith' (worshipping the gods of celtic or norse mythology perhaps)? Sure. Are you the Egyptologist who was touched by Anubis while exploring a tomb? Perhaps. Write a noteworthy background, and it is possible.
* Shields continue to benefit AC as per normal, they do not provide DR. Do realize that shields pretty much had no role in the 'modern world' in 1898.
* I will cautiously say yes to Variant Multi-Class. I have no experience interacting with the ruleset and will watch it carefully. If I find it creates problems, I may require changes at a later date.
Swordwhale
* Congratulations on your new addition! As with most games, I am looking for a post a day. I do realize life gets in the way, and we are in the midst of a very strange time right now (some people are at home 24/7, while others are working overtime). But I hope to be able to maintain a steady pace with the game.
A word on my class frequency concept. Most humans are NPC class characters. Roughly 1% of the population is exceptional enough to get a PC class, the vast majority of which are the 'Common' classes i delineated. Of the PC class individuals, 5% are 'Uncommon' classes, 1% are 'Rare' classes. Unique classes are so marginal as to not be quantified. So, in a town of 10,000, that means 94 Common class, 5 Uncommon, 1 Rare, and no unique. Luckily the Greater London area in 1900 had a population of over 6 million people (60,000 common, 3000 uncommon, 600 rare, and a fistful of unique). Develop concepts accordingly.
While I mention historical fiction above, this game will not be a work of exacting historical detail. You need not have any strong knowledge of the Victorian Era, and for those that do, I am sure I will get things wrong. For any applicants from Great Britain, I apologize in advance, I am neither a historian nor a master of geography - creative license will be used in both regards, I want to be clear I mean no offense.
Nor will this be like the d20 Modern setting 'Urban Arcana', where every seedy businessman is a drow or mindflayer, and street toughs are actually orcs. You will encounter creatures of lore, many of them horrifying, as the game progresses, but it will not be classic medieval fantasy dressed up in bowler hats and tweed suits.
Sounds fun, will give a go at a character.
Looks like 2nd set is better.
Swordwhale
* I am going to have to say no on the Hunter rebuild. If I allow a total overhaul of a class in one instance, I would have to allow it for every other applicant as well. That would open a rather large can of worms. There are quite a few ways to get an animal companion via archetypes and different class combinations. I encourage you to look to some of those.
Set 1:
Set 2:
I am interested! I do have some questions though.
You say this game is starting in London? In real world history, London during this period was a center of world travel. Is it possible to be from one of the British Territories or from across the sea from somewhere or even the orient? I am primarily asking for other people as my concept comes from Britain.
Upon her reviewing his body, she was determined that it was not caused by anything explainable, however, evidence suggests that humans were involved to some degree--humans tied to a cult back in London who likely killed her father for his past allegiances to their secret society. She was hot on their trail for many months and then the leads went cold. After must struggle, she found the cult and had them arrested, but it opened her up to a world of clues and strange oddities that she had never seen before, and would drive lesser women mad. That is where I would start in.
I am considering playing a fighter with perhaps some multiclass dips as my first few levels. The flavor of her class build will be an investigator with some fighting capability.
Well that set stank.
Hm. That second set isn't much better. Not sure which one I'll pick, I'll have to do a bit of looking at my options.
Another question, concerning Inspired Blade Swashbuckler. If feat taxes from Elephant are on, would the Inspired Penache apply to Light weapons? Could I potentially use daggers instead of a rapier?
I am most certainly curious! I will roll and see if inspiration (and time) strike by the weekend.
Set 1
Set 2
wow...
GM I appreciate your planning on a low magic campaign but I assume there is some magic. I wonder how do you plan to deal the fact ordinary folks probably assume it doesn't exist? Urban fantasy books (Dresden, Alex Versus, Rivers of London) have a few ideas that might be interesting. Perhaps it's super rare or maybe there's a Whitehall department devoted to covering it up?
What about alchemy? In the Rivers of London books there was an Oxford university social club called The Little Crocodiles and some of the members were taught magic rsthy unofficially. Could similar exist for alchemy?
Oh I am so down for this. I love me some Gothic Horror. Let's see what the dice bring!
I'll have to consider what character I want to bring into this dark and dreary world. It's a good thing I just started watching Penny Dreadful again with the missus.
Thinking a Medium with these rolls with a focus on actually using all the spirits, some sort of ex-sailor because Obra Dinn is on the mind still or even some flim-flamming mesmerist. I don't get a lot of 1P only games nowadays so its a good excuse to do something occultish for me.
Understandable.
How about just removing spellcasting without adding anything in return?
I really like the combination of teamwork feats and animal companion the hunter gets and know of nothing else that goes the same route - unless for maybe that paladin archetype (sacred huntsmen I think).
But that is a paladin and they are unique in this setting and does not fit my concept anyway.Otherwise, I'll probably settle for an UC rogue
Just chiming in to say that Sacred Huntsmaster does go that route, but is Inquisitor, not Paladin, so it is rare rather than unique. (And Inquisitors are certainly a bit easier to get to be rogue-adjacent than Paladins.)
I'd also say that Cavalier might be worth considering, depending on what kind of companion you're looking to go with. There's also a Brawler archetype called "Wild Child" that could be fitting, though it's less attuned to teamwork feats. Both Cavalier and Brawler are common in this setting.
I'm intrigued by Oracle being uncommon. it's my favourite class. And your intro screemed oracle, when you said, explorers bring back curses.
PS: Your fluff text of the scholar is a copy&paste of the the hermit
Submitting Doctor Rupert Locke, a somnologist and mesmerist who is haunted by creatures in his dreams after failing to save a patient under such circumstances. With nowhere left to turn, the good doctor has begun his descent into the occult and has found that the world is not nearly as simple as we make it out to be.
Profile obviously isn't done but that's probably the concept I'd like to run with.
Here is my submission for your campaign. Let me know if there are changes you desire me to make. I've kept it mostly natural.
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So far we have:
Hubaris - Doctor Rupert Locke - Dreamstalker Mesmerist (mentioned he is mostly complete except profile)
Smooshiebanana - Scarlet Grey - Inspired Swashbuckler/Tactician Fighter
The Fox - Sierra Sunset - Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger/Paladin
FangDragon - Inquisitor? Alchemist?
Profession Smith 6 ranks - Bard
Swordwhale - Possibly UC Rogue?
Vrog Skyreaver - Gunslinger (Ethan from Penny Dreadful type)
Decimus Observet
Ellioti - oracle perhaps?
Fighting Chicken
Harakani
Helaman - Many, many options, no decision yet :P
Ozyar
Simeon
Spazmodeus
The Lobster
The Archlich
trawets71
William Westford
YoricksRequiem
Zero
SmooshieBanana: Women in real history were looked at more like property and were fighting for their rights in those days. Women with unique passions and personalities had begun to pop up in a more common sense. Do you want this element in play, or have women already become equals with men? I'm just trying to get a viewpoint of my background and her personality.
You say this game is starting in London? In real-world history, London during this period was a center of world travel. Is it possible to be from one of the British Territories or from across the sea from somewhere or even the orient? I am primarily asking for other people as my concept comes from Britain.
Swordwhale: How about just removing spellcasting without adding anything in return? (concerning hunter class)
Fangdragon: GM I appreciate your planning on a low magic campaign but I assume there is some magic. I wonder how do you plan to deal the fact ordinary folks probably assume it doesn't exist? Urban fantasy books (Dresden, Alex Versus, Rivers of London) have a few ideas that might be interesting. Perhaps it's super rare or maybe there's a Whitehall department devoted to covering it up?
What about alchemy? In the Rivers of London books there was an Oxford university social club called The Little Crocodiles and some of the members were taught magic rsthy unofficially. Could similar exist for alchemy?
Helaman How 'ethnic' is appropriate? (ties into my question)
Well the dice bot is not happy with me for something...
Dotting for interest (waves to some familiar sparring partners)
Unlike Nik, I conducted my sacrifice to appease the fickle dice gods :)
Mulling a Brawler (Mutagenic Mauler) - a (figurative) progeny of Edward Hyde's perhaps...
Quick general question with the Feat Tax rules:
Does anyone find it weird that in a document about Feat taxes they added a Feat tax of Weapon Focus to Rapid Reload?
It's not gamebreaking or anything, I just found it interesting.
@Smooshie: Thanks for the list! I did complete my profile this morning to a minimum (playable) extent. Minor details can be worked on if I'm selected. Getting that voice is important.
@GM Oblivion: I'm assuming that Medicine in the background sections refers to Heal correct?
Frontline Occultist utilizing Abjuration, Transmutation, and Trappings of the Warrior
1. Eldest son of a prominent physician, William disgraced his father by becoming a school teacher.
2. Though described as rugged, William would much rather be sitting by the fire with a book than traipsing through the countryside on a fox hunt.
3. While working at Martin's Preperatory School, William picked up a letter opener belonging to a former headmaster and had a vision of the man killing a student.
4. Other items at the school began to have similar effects on William, seeing the terrible history of the school one item at a time.
5. William was terrified after his abilities appeared and hid himself away from the rest of society at his family's ancestral mansion after his parent's deaths.
6. A gregarious man by nature, William's time in seclusion has left him unsure in social situations.
7. William was not safe in his own home. After seeing many horrible deeds from his extended family, he came across his father's old medical bag. The horrifying visions that followed have led him to believe his father was Jack the Ripper and his own supernatural connections.
1. Discover definitive evidence of his father's guilt.
2. Turn his curse into a gift, hunting down criminals and murderers.
3. Find enough peace in his soul to return to teaching.
1. Whether through genetics or the supernatural power that flows through him, William is tempted with the violent tendencies he's observed in his ancestors. Setting out to put an end to criminals is really a way to sate these feelings.
2. William's father faked his own death and lurks in the dark underbelly of London.
3. William's father performed a dark ritual at William's birth to gain power. This connected both father and son to a malevolent supernatural force.
1. Charles Grey Westford, father. A cold, calculating man, Charles pushed William to excel at every task he encountered, taunting or beating him when he failed. William believes his father was Jack the Ripper.
2. Olivia Preston, ex-fiance. Before the manifestation of his powers, William was engaged to Olivia. When William put himself in seclusion the relationship withered and Olivia moved on, marrying barrister Thomas Preston. Despite their estrangement, Olivia still loves William and corresponds with him. She is one of the only people who know of his affliction.
3. Rochester Blake, former headmaster. The head of school for the initial two years of William's employment. William's first vision showed a student's murder by Blake's hand. Though Blake is retired, William worries that he viewed only one of many murders and wants to see the villain behind bars.
4. Kennedy Thompson, butler and friend. Kennedy, son of the old butler, grew up with William and the two were friends despite the difference in their class status. When William returned to the family estate, Kennedy came on as a confidant and help. The relationship is more brotherly than employer/employee, but Kennedy is all too aware that he is still hired help.
1. William remembers hiding in the attic when he was caught snooping in his father's study; he still has a scar from the following beating.
2. William vividly recalls his first scandalous kiss with Olivia outside Royal Albert Hall.
3. William remembers playing coppers in the woods on the estate with Kennedy.
4. William dreams every night of seeing his father murder a woman in the streets and wakes up shaking and covered in sweat.
I've only been involved in tabletop (PF, 3.5, and now Shadowrun 5e) for the last 5 or so years, but 3+ of that has incorporated PbP (mostly on Myth Weavers).