Redemption of Shadows

Game Master Shady_Motives

A darkness grows in the north. A reaching, greedy corruption that yearns for the souls of all mortals. Will you raise the standard of light or will you consign the world to the cancer of the abyss?

Since the death of Aroden the demons have assaulted the bones of old Sakoris without mercy or rest. Though their initial onslaught was checked by the First Crusade and sealed behind a line of Ward stones, once again the abyssal horde stirs. Will the demons finally destroy the last of the Crusade or will the dwindling defenders shore up their walls once more and throw back evil?

Let's kill us some demons!!

House Rules:

Mythic Rule Changes: All players gain the Dual Path mythic feat as a bonus feat. You can use feats gained after mythic ascension to gain mythic feats in addition to the mythic feats granted at every odd tier. You can also use mythic feats to choose a path ability from any path.

You can cast the mythic version of any spell you know by spending a mythic point. You need to know the mythic version of the spell beforehand to cast it but there is no limit to how many mythic spells you know and you do not need the Mythic Spellcasting universal path ability or Mythic Spell Lore feat.

The Trickster ability Path Dabbling can be taken more then once.

Alterations to Heal and Knowledge Religion: All heal spells/channel energy/lay on hands are modified by half the casters total Heal skill (min. of 0). This represents the casters knowledge of the healing and how to properly channel the healing energy to maximum effect. If used offensively, for example channel energy to damage undead, you instead use half the bonus from Knowledge Religion. If you have feats that allow your channel to effect outsiders it would be Knowledge Planar.

The bonuses to healing do NOT apply to effects such as fast healing or regeneration.

Nat 20's and 1's: In my games there is a chance for even a 1st level character to impale a dragon through the heart against impossible odds as well as a 20th level rogue tripping and landing flat on his face. Roll a nat 20 and the accomplishment will go above and beyond whatever you are trying to attempt. Roll a nat 1 and it's an automatic failure, regardless of your base attack or skill ranks. Even gods can screw up.

Spells: Spells do not require a spell-book to replenish your daily use, thats accomplished with an hour of meditation. Spell-books are only required to change your daily spells or learn new spells. 0 level spells take only a move action to cast. When your caster level reaches 10, 0 level spells can be cast as a free action.

I consider Heighten Spell to be the same BS tax feat as Point Blank Shot or Combat Expertise. Now any spell modified by metamagic sets its DC by it's new spell level. Also if you simply want to prepare a lower level spell in a higher spell slot, you use the proper DC for the higher level.

Counterspell:Dispelling no longer requires the use of Dispel Magic or similar affects. Any class with magic can dispel by sacrificing a spell with the same level as the spell being dispelled. Preparing and using the Dispel Magic spell or similar affects grants a +10 on the spell caster check and does not require sacrificing any other spell. This stacks with any other bonuses. Use all the other rules for dispelling as normal.

Summoning Spells: Summoned creatures can have any of the following templates applied; celestial, entropic, fiendish, or resolute. With sufficient K. Planar rolls of DC 15+ the following templates will become available on a 1 by 1 basis; aerial, aqueous, chthonic, dark, fiery, or primordial. A good character summoning a creature that is ALWAYS evil (such as a devil or demon) risks alignment shift and vice/versa for evil characters. All creatures that can be called from the Summon Monster spells and the Expanded Summon Monster, Summon Neutral Monster feats are combined into 1 list. All creatures that can be added to Summon Nature's Ally from feats or Archetypes are also combined into 1 list. This also applies to the fiendish and celestial templates.

Also summoning spells used during Downtime, like for the purpose of aiding in building/rebuilding, don't have a time limit. As in they last as long as are needed for that specific event. Summoning spells use for adventuring/combat follow the normal rules.

Wild Shape: At 4th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any small or Medium animal and back again a number of hours per day equal to her druid level + her WIS modifier. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here. The druid may split the duration of this ability however she wants however each use of this ability uses up at least an hour of its duration, regardless of how long she stays in it. At 20th level the druid can wild shape at will. As a druid gains in levels, this ability allows the druid to take on the form of larger and smaller animals, elementals, and plants.

A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

Traits: 4 to start, 1 must be Wrath of the Righteous trait. Additional traits are earn via playing the campaign. These are rewards or affects your characters will gain depending on their actions in the campaign. You also have to choose 1 Drawback.

Skills: Each character will receive 2 extra skill points per level. They will also receive 1 bonus skill of their choice that will be considered a class skill.

PC vs PC Diplomacy Checks: This will not be allowed to force players to think or behave a specific way. You must convince them with traditional means of roleplay.

Feats: Feats are gained as normal, but additional feats may be awarded by group/character play. Bonus feat awarded at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level.

Gaining Feats:For the most part gaining feats will remain the same however there must be an in-game reason why your character suddenly has a feat. For example a spellcaster gaining a metamagic feat will have done so through training by a higher level caster or through practice during downtime, similar to crafting except without skill checks. I do this not to punish the players but to gain a more thematic sense of your character progression.

Feat Tax: I will be using the system suggested here.

Crafting: A slightly altered system will be replacing Pathfinders crafting rule set to accommodate the campaign.

Combat: Players will be given one day to post their turn in combat. By the end of day if a player has not taken their turn, they will be put on delay and combat will proceed normally. GM will roll all initiative rolls to keep from breaking the flow of the PbP.

Player Death: In the event of a players death, that is the end of their journey (If there is no chance to get a revival/reincarnation). This also means your participation in the campaign is done. No re-rolling of characters will be permitted. This is to allow other outside players a chance to participate in the campaign.

Party Wipe: In the event of the death of the entire party, a new recruitment will be held. You will be allowed to submit a new character then, but only then.

Magic Item Creation: Characters do not need to take item creation feats to craft magic items, you simply need to have a CL and fulfill the other requirements per the regular item creation rules. Now the item creation feats instead grant a +5 bonus to all rolls associated with making items of that crafting category. Furthermore there are 4 new feats used to increase the maximum spell level of potions and wands.

--->Craft Scepter: Requires CL 10 and increases the maximum spell-level of wands you can craft up to 6th level.
--->Craft Caduceus: Requires CL 13 and Craft Scepter and increases the maximum spell-level of wands you can craft up to 9th level.
--->Journeyman Alchemy: Requires CL 8 and increases the maximum spell-level of potion you can craft up to 6th level.
--->Master of the Transmundane: Requires CL 13 and Journeyman Alchemy and increases the maximum spell-level of potion you can craft up to 9th level.

Alchemists receive Journeyman Alchemy as a bonus feat at 10th level. This requires them to not have traded out brew potion via an archetype. If they have then they do not get this feat at 10th level.

Magic Armor: Each +1 added to armor enchantment also increases Max Dex by 1, reduces armor check penalty by 1 and spell failure chance by 5%. Medium and Heavy magic armor whose armor check penalty reaches 0 are no longer slowed by it.

Start of Game: Everyone will receive a MW cold iron melee weapon or 50 cold iron ammunition of their choice.

Character Creation:

-->Attributes: I like high powered games so start off thus; start off with 1 auto 18. Roll 3d6, reroll 1's, drop the lowest dice and add 6. Do that 5 times and you have a set. Do that as many times as you want until you arrive at a set that you like (max of 5 times). You must accept stats as a set, no mixing and matching from individual rolls.

Also there is a 7th stat in my game that represents your characters 'looks'. 9-12 is average, <8 is ugly, 13-16 is very pretty/extremely handsome. 17< is supermodel/actor. Roll 3d6 and that represents your comeliness, no rerolls. You cannot increase/decrease the beauty stat through normal means. The following table illustrates the bonuses and penalties to social scores.

Beauty/Intimidate
3/+6
4/+5
5/+4
6/+3
7/+2
8/+1

Beauty/Diplomacy
13/+1
14/+2
15/+3
16/+4
17/+5
18/+6

If you have a beauty stat of 16 or higher a number of times per day equal to 1/4 HD you can attempt to charm someone who might be sexually attracted to your character as a move action. The willsave DC for this is equal to 10+1/2 HD+Beauty modifier. The charm is equal to Charm Person spell that lasts for 1 rd/HD.

Conversely if you have a beauty stat of 5 or lower you can attempt to frighten someone. A number of times per day equal to 1/4 HD you can attempt to scare someone as a move action. The willsave DC for this equal to 10+1/2 HD+Intimidate modifier from beauty. This ability is equal to the Fear Spell and lasts for 1 rd/HD.

-->Starting Level: 1st

-->HP: Max.

-->Alignment: No evil but if you aren't good there had better be a very good reason why you chose to fight the demons.

-->Choose a background from the Occupation and Backgrounds system. The gold you get from that system is your starting gold, maxed.

-->All archetypes allowed.

-->Books allowed: All Pathfinder, WotC 3.5, Tome of Secrets, Mythic Options: The Missing Core Feats and Mythic Hero's Handbook. Dreamscarred Press Ultimate Psionics. Backgrounds and Occupations from Adamant Entertainment. No Occult or other 3PP.

-->Background Skills: Yes.

-->Variant Multiclassing: Special: Everyone will receive 1 free VMC of their choice. This means you do not have to sacrifice all of your feats for the VMC.

Also I do not agree with the incredibly slow rate at which the characters receive the abilities of their VMC. So the level 3 ability is granted at level 1, level 7 granted at level 5, level 11 granted at level 7, level 15 granted at level 11 and level 19 abilities granted at level 15. This means in many cases you will get the ability at roughly the same time as the donor class.

-->Firearms: Guns Everywhere: Guns are commonplace. Early firearms are seen as antiques, and advanced firearms are widespread. Firearms are simple weapons, and early firearms, advanced guns, and their ammunition are bought or crafted for 10% of the cost listed in this chapter. The gunslinger loses the gunsmith class feature and instead gains the gun training class feature at 1st level.

Guns also have been changed. Multiply the ranges of Advanced Firearms by 5. Shotguns and rifles now do 2d6 damage. Revolver attacks now resolve against touch AC within the first range band only. Shotguns no longer spread but now have a capacity of 7.

-->Forbidden Classes: Any from Occult Adventurers.

-->Races allowed: All from core and advanced race guide. Can modify races up to 17 RP as long as the abilities fall within the theme of the race you are modifying. Races who have RP above 17 cannot be modified.

Alternatively can apply a +1 template at the cost of not being able to modify any races, you would have to apply the template on top of the race as they are presented in the source material. Any template that would increase in CR as the HD go up are also prohibited such as half-celestial or fey creature.

Combat:

During small(few to one monsters) combat:
Standard book combat rules apply.

During large(many monsters) combat:
Players Initiatives will be averaged, so players may take their turn at any time during the players group turn.

Enemy initiatives will be grouped together as well in the initiative order. They will be placed in respect to the averaged players initiative.

During Combat. Due to its lengthy nature, I will speed up posts to once a day. At the end of each day, the monsters will always take their turn. This is to prevent a month long combat sequence.

Ex.
Combat 1:
Players have an average initiative roll of 8. Monsters average initiative rolls is a 4. In this event, the Players take their turn first, then the monsters will after.

Crafting System:

You can craft many items in the campaign, from armor and weapons, but you must have skill points allocated to Craft: [Category] in order to do so. You must obtain raw materials and/or schematics to do. The system is explained in more detail below:

Crafting Revisions:
-->Craft Armor and Craft Weapons have been combined into 1, Craft Blacksmith.
-->Forge Ring has been rolled into Craft Wonderous.

Will also be using the alternate crafting system detailed in the description of the Craft Skill, Making Craft Work [Alternative Crafting Rules].

Posting: I expect a certain level of skill with the English language from my players. One sentence responses will usually not be sufficient. Repeated 1 sentence responses will result in the player being removed from my game. There is a built in spell check on the site but I would suggest writing your lengthy responses in a writing program. Blatant poor grammar (with the exception of idiotic character speech) will not be accepted and repeated grammatically incorrect posts can lead to removal. All this means is read over what you write BEFORE posting and spell check. It only takes a minute or two and saves everyone a headache.

At the beginning I will not be militant about grammar or post length as all of the players (myself included) will be getting used to the other players' writing styles. As time progresses however posts should become more fluid and well written as we get more experience as a group. If a character is saying something posting just the speech in bold font is unacceptable. Write your posts as if you are taking part in writing a book.

Major Events:

Spoiler:

I've created these rules based off of several games as both a GM and player so please don't bother trying to suggest an alternative to what is already stated. Any situations not covered by these rules will be decided on a case by case basis.

New and Revised Feats, Mythic Abilities:

Extra Discovery (Ex): Requires Bomb Class Feature. Allows you take 1 alchemist discovery that you qualify for.

Journeyman Alchemy: Requires CL 8 and allows the crafting of potions with spells up to 6th level.

Master of the Transmundane: Requires CL 13 and Journeyman Alchemy and allows the crafting of potions with spells up to 9th level.

Mythic Powerful Shape (Su): Requires Powerful Shape. Whenever you wild shape your size increases by 1 step, the size bonus to strength and constitution granted by wild shape increase by a further +4, the dexterity penalty increases to -2 and any bonuses granted to natural AC increase by a further +3. If the wild shape does not grant bonuses or penalties normally, now it does.

Aspect of the Titan (Su)(Mythic Feat): Requires Mythic Powerful Shape, Druid 12 and mythic 5. Whenever you wild shape using Mythic Powerful Shape your size increases by another step to a maximum of colossal. While in colossal form the bonuses to strength, constitution and natural armor granted by Mythic Powerful Shape are doubled.

Mythic Quick Wild Shape (Su): Requires Quick Wild Shape and allows you wild shape as a move or swift action.

Ascendant Element (Su)(Mythic Ability, Arcmage/Hierophant 1st tier): Choose one energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, sonic, or negative). The damage of that energy type you deal through spells, abilities or attacks can no longer be prevented or reduced by resistances or immunities.

Impossible Domain (Su)(Mythic Ability, 1st tier): Choose a single domain. You can now use the domain powers with your cleric level equal to your character level. If you have a spellcasting class you gain a single spell slot per spell level that can be used for your domain spells. This ability is identical to and stacks with the domain powers that a cleric receives. The number of domain spells you can access is limited to your maximum spell level.

Legendary Item (Ex)(Mythic Ability):You gain a legendary item. This item grants a number of abilities equal to your tier and grants another ability each time you gain a Mythic tier. At 3rd tier the item becomes a lesser artifact and at 6th tier the item becomes a greater artifact.

Pure Body, Destiny, Senses(Su)(Mythic Ability): If you take any of these twice, they now make you immune even vs mythic creatures/effects. If you already have immunity to something like disease or poison from your class abilities, you only have to take this ability once to get full immunity vs Mythic.

Magic Trait; Wiseman's Instinct: You can use your Wisdom modifier for UMD instead of Charisma.