In the kingdom of Talingarde, many crimes may send you to Branderscar Prison, but the sentence has but one meaning. You are wicked and irredeemable. Each of you received the same greeting when you arrived. You were held down by rough hands and branded upon the arm with a runic F. The mark signifies ‘forsaken’ and the painful scar is indelible proof that each of you has betrayed the great and eternal love of Mitra and his chosen mortal vassals.
Condemned, you face at best a life of shackles and servitude in the nearby salt mines. Others might await the “gentle” ministrations of the inquisitors so that co-conspirators may be revealed and confessions extracted. Perhaps, some of you will be spared this ordeal. Perhaps instead you have come to Branderscar to face the final judgment. In three days, the executioner arrives and the axe falls or the pyre will be lit. Through fire or steel, your crimes will be answered.
You have all been chained together in the same communal cell dressed in nothing but filthy, tattered rags. Manhandled and mistreated, any finery you once possessed is either ruined or long lost. No special treatment has been given any prisoner – male or female, commoner or noble – all of the forsaken are bound and imprisoned together. Your feet are secured by iron cuffs tethered by one long chain. Your arms are secured to the wall above by manacles. A guard is posted right outside the cell day and night. Little thought is given to long term accommodations. At Branderscar, justice comes swift and sure.
Escape seems hopeless. You have all been well searched and every attempt to conceal anything on your person has failed. And if you could somehow slip your bonds and fly out of this prison, where would you go? Who from your former life would want anything to do with the forsaken? Despised, alone and shackled – all that you can do now is await your doom.
For each of you, your old life is over. For each of you, hope is a fading memory. For each of you, justice will be fairly meted. And who can blame fair Talingarde after what each of you has done?
Cardinal Thorn will be giving 4 characters a chance to escape the prison and live to seek revenge. A minimum 2 or 3 paragraphs for a backstory is necessary, more is definitely encouraged. Part of your backstory must describe your capture and should be related to the campaign trait you take which details the main crime which you are guilty of. This game is perfect for letting out your inner murderhobo as you cause chaos throughout Talinguarde. Also, make sure that your character will be able to follow Thorn's orders as he is the mastermind of the whole plot.
Level - Gestalt 2, levels gained through story milestones.
Template - Choose 1. Benefits begin weak but scale in strength as you level. Example: Vampire - Natural Armour starts at +1 but increases each level until +6.
Class/Alignment - Paizo classes and archetypes allowed, 3rd party to be considered. No Paladin or good alignments or worshiping good deities. Asmodeus will be the main deity you will be allied with here though worship of Asmodeus is not required.
Race - Paizo races 20RP and under allowed, 3rd party to be considered. Alternate racial traits allowed.
Attributes - Focus 18 and Foible 8, roll 1d10+7 for the rest.
Traits - 2 standard traits, 1 campaign trait. 1 drawback allowed to gain 1 more trait.
Hit points - Max at every level.
Skills - Normal class skills plus 2 background skills each level.
Feats - 1 feat gained per level instead of 1 per 2 levels. Also using 'Elephant in the room' feat tax.
Additional - Automatic Bonus Progression will begin at level 3. Treasure will be reduced in accordance.
Interesting
and
very much interested
Will put something together soon.
Veeeeerrryyyy interesting. I’ve wanted to play this game since I started one a few years ago. We barely got started before it fell apart (never made it out of the prison, I think).
Let me noodle on these delicious build options!
EDIT: what’s the “elephant in the room feat tax”? And are prestige classes allowed? If so, how are they handled? Just stick that in place of one of your gestalt classes?
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https://michaeliantorno.com/feat-taxes-in-pathfinder/
It is a list of feat that you get for free instead of having to pay a feat to acquire.
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The 'elephant in the room's rules is a pdf that removes a lot of pointless feat taxes. Combined with the extra feats you'll get and other things, pretty much any build can be effective. Download the free pdf here and take a look.
Prestige classes can be taken as normal. A (sorcerer 5|bard 5) can become a (sorcerer 6|bard 5/Dragon disciple 1) for example.
Oh, gotcha! I didn’t realize that had been formalized into a doc.
I’m pretty much looking at that exact combo, actually. Some flavor of orc or half-orc (something martial) and Cross/blooded (orc/dragon) going into Dragon Disciple sounds like a blast.
Just grabbing these up so I can think mechanics...
What does "focus and foible" mean?
That you get one "free" 18 and one automatic 8? Is that before or after racial adjustments? I.e. can I make that 18 a 20?
Edit: Rough.
Hrm, I'm thinking about a Vampiric halfling slayer/summoner with a focus on mounted combat (riding the Eidolan). I'm currently thinking no archetypes. Do you have any preference for unchained vs chained summoner?
Edit: Also, are the rolled stats in order?
Dotting with great interest :)
Oh man, I love me some Way of the Wicked.
Those are some delicious rolls. I will need to think over what I'd want to play.
Dotting with interest.
So with those rolls, I am consider a somewhat sickly half-elf who discovered his tiefling ancestry and delved into dark and forbidden lore. Through blasphemous rituals, he grew more powerful and was guided by the spirit of an ancient Asmodean until he was caught by the Inquisition and sentenced to Brandenscar.
I am considering Devil-Spawned Tiefling, putting my focus into Charisma and my foible into Constitution, and going gestalt with an Antipaladin (Tyrant)/Unchained Rogue (Rake) build focusing on intimidation and breaking enemy morale.
I'd like to take the Haunted One as the template for the character. I was thinking that maybe an old, family tome he discovered was possessed by a long-since dead Asmodean in his family line and revealed his fiendish heritage to him?
Let me know what you think and if that is doable. The good rolls I got demand to be put into a usually MAD class and I think having this somewhat sickly yet terrifying half-elf tiefling would be exquisite.
Interested. One of the most interesteing games I ever joined was in an evil one-shot!
Interested. One of the most interesteing games I ever joined was in an evil one-shot!
so 18, 15,15,11,8,8.
This is very workable.
This sound interesting! I'm currently applying for another game, but I'll roll here so in case that falls through, I can have an idea going:
Woof. 18, 17, 12, 9, 8, 8. This'll be fun to build around.
Looks like I'll be working up a Titan Fighter/Gargantuan Druid Oread with the Giant template. . .?
Will makes him base Size Large using size Huge weapons and then Enlarge persons to Size Huge using size colossal weapons.
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Looks like I'll be working up a Titan Fighter/Gargantuan Druid Oread with the Giant template. . .?
Will makes him base Size Large using size Huge weapons and then Enlarge persons to Size Huge using size colossal weapons.
Only if you make use of a Colossal butchering Axe with the Impact quality and vital strike foes out of existence.
I'm going to put together a draconic sorcerer/monk of some type I think.. going into dragon disciple. That, or a an alchemist/something.
Half-Dragon template looks fun, so does the Kanabo though.
I this a homebrew world, set on Golarion, or some amalgamation? I ask because you mention Asmodeus, but you also mention Mitra and Talingarde, which I don't recognize. A Google search ties those two terms to Way of the Wicked, but I can't find either terms in Pathfinder Wiki or Archives of Nethys.
Template - Choose 1. Benefits begin weak but scale in strength as you level. Example: Vampire - Natural Armour starts at +1 but increases each level until +6.
Are the players designing how the templates scale, or is it you?
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I this a homebrew world, set on Golarion, or some amalgamation? I ask because you mention Asmodeus, but you also mention Mitra and Talingarde, which I don't recognize. A Google search ties those two terms to Way of the Wicked, but I can't find either terms in Pathfinder Wiki or Archives of Nethys.
Template - Choose 1. Benefits begin weak but scale in strength as you level. Example: Vampire - Natural Armour starts at +1 but increases each level until +6.Are the players designing how the templates scale, or is it you?
Way of the wicked is technically a 3pp AP, its set on an island in golarian, where the primary deity of worship is a good goddess named mitra. IIRC. So, yes, an amalgamation.
Also, GM, question regarding a samurai archetype-
At 3rd level, an ironbound sword becomes an expert at defeating foes without killing them. An ironbound sword can use any weapon to deal nonlethal damage without taking the normal –4 penalty on attack rolls. Additionally, the ironbound sword gains a +2 bonus on combat maneuvers against a target so long as the last successful attack she made against that target dealt nonlethal damage. Her samurai levels count as fighter levels and stack with fighter levels for the purposes of fighter and samurai prerequisites and class features
how do you read the bolded section? Do you read it as- If they took a level of fighter, they would gain fighter class features (feats, weapon training, armor training) as they leveled up in samurai levels?
Not bad.
Currently thinking of created a super-villain: a Savant half-elf cleric/Wizard gestalt, but the template may be too powerful.
So let me see here
18,17,12,17,13,8
Diabolical, lets get to your questions.
Eben TheQuiet I will allow you to change the 9s you rolled into 10s.
Oxnard Kettlebeak - One stat of your choice is a focus and gets an 18, another stat is a foible and gets the 8. They can be modified by race, so you could end up with a 20 and a 6! I will allow you to change the 10s you rolled into a 14 and 13 if you like. Do you mean Goliath Druid? I can't find what a Gargantuan Druid is.
Rikash - Unchained Summoner should be used please. The rolled stats can be ordered however you like.
KingHotTrash - That seems like an interesting combo.
NameShortage - I'm going to allow you to bump the 8 and 9 you rolled up to 10.
Andostre - This is a different world than golarion with basically the same gods except Mitra is the main LG one that most worship thanks to the efforts of the current king over the last 50 years. Talinguarde is a small continent about 350 miles east to west and 600 miles north to south. It is separated from the main continent by a large ocean. The rest of the world is not dealt with in this AP. As for templates, I will be deciding how they scale. What I am thinking for now (this could change), bonuses will start at 1 at the start of the game and increase by 1 each level until they match with the template. Special abilities will be gained by level as well, usually starting with just 1 ability available. Bonus feats will also be gained 1 at a time.
Crisischild - You can change those 8s to a 14 and 13 if you like. I'm giving everyone who rolled really low the equivalent of a 15 pt. buy on the 4 stats.
Rorek55 - That's a strange sounding line. I don't think it would be giving class features you don't have, but allowing those you do to improve, such as allowing bravery or armour training to improve and taking feats that require a specific class level.
Gotta roll....
Hmm, good at somethings, not so good at others.
Since game will be set in Talingarde...what about Golarion region/race specific feats/traits ?
Also, you should list the campaign traits for those without access to the player's guide...
I eagerly submit Bladud.
Bladud is a CE half-dragon-templated half-orc. A gestalt Invulnerable Barbarian / Cross-blooded (orc/red draconic) Sorcerer. There is nothing subtle about him. He is a blunt, if powerful, tool of rage and power, fire and fear. Where the Master (Thorn) points, Bladud brings destruction. He owes the Master for bringing clarity, and for bringing gifts of purpose and protection (Sacred Tattoos, Fates Favored).
It started almost 15 years ago.
Rumors started creeping in from one of the more rural corners of Talingarde. Starting with shepherds and farmers telling tales of a monster slaughtering their livestock in the night. And if the rumors stopped there, Talingarde could have shrugged it off as the superstitions of backwoods yokels. But the killings became more frequent. Then the fires began. Outhouses, barns, and even homes. Then one day, the victims weren’t just animals anymore, and an old man and his wife turned up murdered. And mutilated.
The violence had gotten the attention of the local authorities. The Watch was dispatched. They were dark days for the local Talingardians. They were also dark days for Bladud.
For that child ... that monster, mutt, and murderer ... those days were a mindless blur of rage and pain. Of blood and fire. Storytellers might want to learn of Bladud’s tragic beginning. Maybe of a lost child orphaned because of his hideous features, a mangle of human, orc, and dragon. But the truth both simpler and sadder: that story is lost to history. Not even Bladud himself knows how he came to be. But whomever he was – whatever he was – he was a slave to the rage and violence of his blood. He was a thing hunted and hated.
When that word spread, bringing the might of the law, it also brought someone else. An agent of a different flavor of law. Thorn, apostle of Asmodeus. Where the fearful citizens saw a predator, Thorn saw promise.
Before the Watch could close their net, Thorn found Bladud in his cave. Half beast, half man-child. A hulking thing of scales and claws and wrath and paranoia. A worthy challenge. A worthier acolyte.
Bladud doesn’t know what magics Thorn employed to sedate and transport him. He doesn’t care. When he awoke, everything had changed. Bladud had ... clarity. He also had newly-scarred tattooing on arms, chest, and head. They burned hellishLy. And they focused the power that had always consumed him.
For years, Bladud trained. Thorn taught him firsthand the nature of power and the usefulness of pain. The arcane fires of his draconic inheritance blossomed. The lessons were long and harsh, but as Thorn always said, “the hotter the fire, the purer the steel.”
Then the jobs came. Small at first. Deliver this. Send this message. Then, as successes mounted, so did their importance. Bloody up this mark. Burn down this building.
Bladud was single-minded, unrelenting. His tactics were never subtle or complicated, but he got the jobs done. He endured the tedious ones and enjoyed the bloody ones. But he always got them done.
Until that day.
The Master had a new job, a special job. A man had been meddling in the Master’s plans. A powerful man. An important man. (GM: you can make this whomever you want. Someone important to the game’s plot, or just some high-ranking Talingarde noble/official ... completely your call.) Bladud was a simple creature with simple solutions. He found the man. He waited until dark. But when he went to complete the task - to bloody his claws - the man wasn’t alone. (I need help here, too. Is there a powerful knight or paladin who might have been present, foiled the murder attempt, and apprehended Bladud?)
But for Bladud - chained in Branderscar, branded with the F, waiting for the headsman’s axe - the job is still to be accomplished. With a little patience and a lot of power, any job can be completed. This prison would see blood soon.
HeroLab is acting up, so I don’t have a formatted build, but here’s the gist.
His stats will likely be:
STR 18 (focus) DEX 9 CON 16 (14+2)
INT 8 (foible) WIS 9 CHA 16
He’ll be an HP tank, raging early and often, but mixing in explosive arcane firepower where useful. He’s more of a “hands-on” kind of fighter, generally eschewing weapons for natural attacks ... either in his native form or in powerful transmutations (dragon form, etc).
At level 6, he’ll swap Sorc levels for Dragon Disciple levels, fully embracing his mixed inheritance of power and fire.
Feats will start with Endurance (Shaman’s Apprentice; reskinned as his time under Thorn) and Die Hard, keeping him in the fight despite an abysmal AC. Then focusing on Intimidation (Intimidating Prowess, etc) and some to expand on his Rage Powers and Spellcasting.
Traits: Fate’s Favored, Reactionary, and Attempted Murder
His spells will primarily focus on exploding things with fire, but with some utility and defense spells mixed in.
Let me know if you have any thoughts, concerns, or questions. I hope you like Bladud as much as I do.
Looking forward to seeing the other submissions as well as the chosen!
Merry Christmas, everyone. :)
Let's see what I get to play with...
I assume that this is the player's guide that we're interested in.
@Cardinal-- yes, I blanked on the name Goliath Druid for the growing wild shape + titan fighter for using oversized weapons for max weapon size.
Spazmodeus - You can make that 9 a 10 if you want. Good idea about the traits. I will post them now.
Saashaa - Yes starting at level 2.
Eben TheQuiet - It sounds good but you will need to make the master of your backstory someone else. No one has met Cardinal Thorn before starting this game. Sir Balin of Karfeld could have been the knight that was there to stop the murder of the city official (you can make up the official's name if you want or leave them nameless is also fine.
Dealan - That's the one yes.
Oxnard Kettlebeak - Ok no problem. Remember that Enlarge Person won't have any effect if you are wild shaped. Multiple magical effects that increase size do not stack.
Crimes of the Forsaken
Arson
You have willfully started a fire that destroyed property. To be sent to Branderscar, you didn’t start just a minor little trash fire. Your act of arson threatened a major town, city, church or castle and likely cost someone their life. You’ll be punished for your crime by facing the fire yourself.
Punishment Death by burning
Benefit Whenever you score a critical hit with a fire attack, you receive a +2 fire damage bonus to your damage roll. This bonus is a trait bonus.
Attempted Murder
You tried to kill someone and botched the job. To be sent to Branderscar Prison, you did not try to kill just anyone. You likely assaulted someone of great importance and prominence.
Punishment Death by beheading
Benefit You gain a +2 trait bonus to Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you.
Blasphemy
Either you have defamed the great god Mitra or you have been found guilty of worshipping one of the forbidden deities (who preeminent among them is Asmodeus).
Punishment Death by burning
Benefit +2 trait bonus to Knowledge (religion) and Knowledge (religion) is always a class skill for you.
Consorting with the Dark Powers (Witchcraft)
You have been found guilty of summoning an evil outsider. Likely you were captured by the famed witch hunter Sir Balin of Karfeld. The last thing he said to you was, “May Mitra have mercy upon your wretched, damned soul.” If only you could get a chance at revenge!
Punishment Death by burning
Benefit You receive a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (planes) and Knowledge (arcana) checks, and one of these skills (your choice) is always a class skill for you.
Desecration
You have violated one of the church's, cathedrals or holy shrines of the great god Mitra. To be sent to Branderscar this was no minor act of vandalism. Instead you have done something flagrant and spectacular to dishonor the Shining Lord.
Punishment Death by burning
Benefit You receive +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against divine spells.
Desertion
You have deserted from the Talirean military and been recaptured. To get sent to Branderscar this was not some minor or routine dereliction of duty. Instead, you abandoned your post during a time of crisis -- perhaps battle or while defending the Watch Wall. Regardless of the
exact circumstances, your laziness and cowardice must have caused loss of life.
Punishment Death by hanging
Benefit You receive one bonus skill point per level that must be spent on the Profession (Soldier) skill. Profession (Soldier) is always a class skill for you.
Dueling unto Death
You have engaged in a duel to the death and mortally wounded an opponent. The opponent was honorable enough to say nothing before he expired. Alas that his family or companions was nowhere near so honorable. Dueling was once common in Talingarde before the House of Darius came to power. The House of Barca all but encouraged duels of honor. Now, dueling of any sort is punished severely. Dueling to the death is a sure way to be sent to Branderscar Prison.
Punishment Death by beheading
Benefit You gain a +1 trait bonus to Fortitude saves.
Extortion
You have defrauded money from someone by holding information of their wrongdoing over their heads. To end up in Branderscar, this was no minor act of merely threatening to expose someone. Instead you ave attempted
extortion against someone of great prominence and for exorbitant stakes.
Punishment Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit You receive a +2 trait bonus to Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you.
Forgery
You have forged documents issued either by the crown or by the Church of Mitra. Alas, that your forgery while competent was not entirely undetectable. To be sent to Branderscar, this was no minor finagling of paperwork. This forged document could have cost lives, undermined the reputation of the Church or endangered the security of the realm.
Punishment Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit You gain a +3 trait bonus to Linguistics skill checks to commit forgery and Linguistics is always a class skill for you.
Fraud
You tried to bilk someone out of their cash. To end up in Brandescar Prison, this was no petty con job or penny ante racket. Instead, you brazenly tried to defraud someone important of a huge sum of money. And it almost worked too!
Punishment Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit You receive a +2 trait bonus to Bluff checks and Bluff is always a class kill for you.
Grave Robbery
It is forbidden by sacred law to dishonor a corpse after it is been sealed in its tomb by a clergy of the Mitran faith. Some may not honor this ban: necromancers, golem crafters, self-styled scientists, and alchemists delving into the forbidden secrets of life and death. These ghouls can expect no mercy from the Talirean Magistrates. And by sending you to Branderscar Prison, you have received none.
Punishment Death by beheading
Benefit You receive a +1 trait bonus to confirm critical hits.
Heresy
You have denied the supremacy of Mitra and been condemned for it. For this to be a crime, you were not content to keep your heresy to yourself. You tried to sway others. Likely you were captured by the famed witch hunter Sir Balin of Karfeld. The last thing he said to you was: “Mitra may forgive you yet for your lies. Talingarde will not.” If only you could get a chance at revenge!
Punishment Death by burning.
Benefit You receive a +1 trait bonus on all saving throws against divine spells.
High Theft
You had a foolproof plan to steal some great treasure. Alas, the scheme had a fatal flaw and went horribly awry. To be sent to Branderscar prison, this was no ordinary robbery attempt. You tried to steal something of great value or religious significance.
Punishment Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit You receive a +1 trait bonus to Reflex saves.
High Treason
You have willfully worked to bring down the current Monarch of Talingarde -- the beloved King Markadian V called the Brave of House Darius. To be successfully tried for High Treason you have done more than merely dislike the king, you did something tangible to undermine his rule. Alas, that you failed at your plot and are now headed to Branderscar Prison. Treason is the only crime that is still punished by the gruesome ritual of being drawn and quartered. Your stay at Branderscar will be brief.
Punishment Death by drawing and quartering
Benefit You receive a +1 trait bonus to Will saves.
Kidnapping
You have abducted someone perhaps to ransom them or do unspeakable things to them. Unfortunately, you were caught and your victim was rescued (if they weren’t rescued -- you would be guilty of murder instead). To be sent to Branderscar Prison, you must have abducted someone of great importance or in a particularly gruesome manner.
Punishment Death by beheading
Benefit You receive a +1 trait bonus to both Disarm and Grapple attempts.
Murder
You have killed without just cause and been condemned for it. To be sent to Branderscar Prison, this was no typical killing but a particularly savage and unforgiveable act. You may also have killed someone with powerful friends. Note: You are not allowed to have killed someone in
the royal family of Talingarde. You may have tried (his would instead be High Treason -- see above) but ultimately they are too well protected.
Punishment Death by beheading
Benefit You deal 1 additional point of damage when flanking a foe. This additional damage is a trait bonus.
Piracy
You have been caught in the act of piracy on the high seas. This is a rare crime these days since Markadian I called the Victorious burned the last major pirate fleet to threaten these isles. Still the crime is punished harshly. Likely you are the sole survivor of your ship.
Punishment Death by hanging
Benefit You may select either Bluff or Intimidate. The selected skill receives a +2 trait bonus and is always a class skill for you.
Sedition
You have attempted to covertly stir up rebellion against your rightful sovereign. This differs from high treason in that you attempted to convince others to make war against Talingarde instead of taking direct action yourself. A subtle difference to be sure. But it is the difference between receiving the swift justice of the axe instead of the slow suffering upon the rack.
Punishment Death by beheading
Benefit You receive a +1 trait bonus to Bluff checks and Bluff is always a class skill for you. Further if you ever take the Leadership feat, you gain a +1 trait bonus to your Leadership score.
Slave-Taking
Slavery is illegal in Talingarde and a very rare crime. Still, once in a great while, slavers from the mainland will foolishly make an incursion into Talirean protected territories. When they are captured alive they are always made an example of.
Punishment Death by beheading
Benefit You receive a +1 trait bonus to both Disarm and Grapple attempts.
Slave Trading
Slavery is legal in other parts of the world and it can be tempting to the most decadent of Talingarde’s nobility to acquire a “souvenir” when traveling abroad or to purchase the object of their desire from a less reputable merchant. However you ended up trading slaves in Talingarde, you were caught red handed and now you will lose more than simply your freedom.
Punishment Death by beheading
Benefit You receive one bonus skill point per level that must be spent on the Appraise skill. The Appraise skill is always a class skill for you.
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So, if I was an iron sword samurai with 3 levels of Weapon master fighter, I would get an additional bonus feat each odd level, and weapon training equal to a fighter of my level? That is interesting.
Right now I've not much idea on how the character will work out. I've got several ideas brewing, so Just asking about potentialities.
How do you handle template that change your type? Such as the vampire template, it removes your Con IIRC, or at least, and uses charisma for HP. Would you start with that, or not count as full "undead" until later?
This is Jovich's submission.
I had adjusted this character slightly to fit this game.
I am missing a few things but will adjust again.
Let me know what you think. I understand that some of the 3pp items are going to be a no go. Just let me know what you think and I will adjust per your input.
rorek55 - You wouldn't get more bonus feats but you could take feats that require a certain amount of fighter levels such as Greater Weapon Focus. If you are thinking of Gestalt Fighter/Samurai like that it would not give you a higher effective level of fighter or samurai. At level 2, a Fighter 2|Samurai 2 wouldn't be able to take Weapon Specialisation, which requires Fighter level 4. But getting to 4th level, a Fighter 2/Samurai 2|Other 4 would be allowed to take Weapon Specialisation. It is confusing, but falls in with something like 2 classes that get sneak attack not getting to stack to 20d6. You just take the best at each level.
Jovich - A regular drow is fine for this. There is nothing in the backstory of this character that mentions Talinguarde so I'm guess you are going to update that? I'll want to know how the template is a part of the character too. I am not sure how the Physical Exemplar works, could you explain what it does to Fighters? I am ok with the War Scholar. For half-dragon: start with +1 natural armour, darkvision 60ft., low-light vision, immune to sleep, no flight(wings not strong enough yet), 2 claws and bite, breath weapon 1/day 2d6 damage in a 60ft. line of mithral shards that count as silver for DR purposes, str/con/int/cha +1.
18,17,16,10,9,8
Had worked on a fiendish vessel / summoner for another game that I was hoping to play. Will have to try to dig it up and see how well the stats work.
How long will recruitment be open?
player - name - crime - alignment - race - class 1 - class 2 - template - backstory
Jovich - Nymz Mlezziir - ? - LE - drow - fighter (physical exemplar) - monk (war scholar) - half-dragon (mithral) - ?
Eben TheQuiet - Bladud - ? - CE - half-orc - barbarian (invulnerable) - sorcerer (cross-blooded) - half-dragon (?) - ?
Oxnard Kettlebeak - ? - ? - ? - oread - fighter (titan fighter) - druid (goliath) - giant - ?
Rikash - ? - ? - ? - halfling - slayer - summoner - vampire - ?
KingHotTrash - ? - ? - ? - tiefling - antipaladin (tyrant) - rogue (rake) - haunted one - ?
Saashaa - ? - ? - ? - elf - psychic - occultist - vampire - ?
AGamer70 - ? - ? - ? - ? - cleric (fieldish vessel) - summoner - ? - ?
The Archlich - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
Fighting Chicken - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
Helikon - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
NameShortage - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
rorek55 - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
Andostre - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
Crisischild - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
TheWaskally - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
Spazmodeus - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
Dealan - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
So far I have 17 interested. No complete characters yet. To be complete you don't need to submit a full character sheet. I just need enough information to fill in all the question marks. I try to focus on backstories and character motivations far more than some stats on a character sheet.
Recruitment will cut off at midnight December 31. That's 11 or so more days. Extra time may be give if people are struggling to finish before then due to end of year, christmas, holiday, real life stuff. Hopefully we'll be starting the new year with a jailbreak!
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Crisischild - You can change those 8s to a 14 and 13 if you like. I'm giving everyone who rolled really low the equivalent of a 15 pt. buy on the 4 stats.
You will not take my 6 mental stats beauty away from me.
JK, thanks.
Goliath Druid/full martial is my dream gestalt build, but someone’s already called that so I’ll go with something else. I’m thinking about doing a brawler/white-haired witch grapple monster that uses their hair to throw people about. I normally avoid grapple builds because of how utterly broken grapple is, but this whole game sounds broken so this seems like as good a time as any to bring a grapple build.
@Cardinal A. Thorn: Something I think is pretty important for an evil campaign, especially since you haven’t forbade CE alignments: What is your policy on PvP? Full blown free for all? No rolling against other PC’s period? No combat rolls against other PC’s, but non-combat rolls are ok ie can’t attack another PC, but can attempt to steal from another PC. Also, what is the “parental advisory rating” you expect for this game? Lord of the Rings violence or Game of Thrones violence? The Dark Knight evil or Saw/Hostel evil? I’m not looking for a Game that’s just... oppressively dark and depressing.
There will not be any pvp allowed, attacking, stealing, whatever you can think of. There will be several in game reasons for this so that it will make sense to the characters too. I guess an M rating would be what I am going for. Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight, comic book style evil, getting revenge. I don't want a oppressively dark and depressing game either.
I’m interested!
Are other archdevils available in this world? Could we worship Dispater, Moloch, etc?
The pantheon of gods is the same as Golarion, just with the Addition of Mitra as the main good deity. All the archdevils and other gods, minor and major are around too so yes you could worship one of them.
In regards to the templates, would you be ok with a Worm that Walks?
The idea is for him to be a servant of the Infernal Duke Kalma and (eventually) consist of many crawling black and orange carrion beetles.
Hmm, two 8's. Let's see what I can do with that.
I'm looking to at least at one side go Oracle with the Reaper mystery and probably the Infested Curse.
His crime would, rather obviously, be Grave Robbery. The main goal he had in this was profit, selling the corpses to third parties.
I have the most ridiculous and fantastic idea for this campaign. If they're allowed, I'd like to submit a kobold Snare Setter Rogue/Vivisectionist Alchemist, who wants to become a doctor and a stop a plague from his home region... except he is not very good at the whole "bedside manner" thing... and the "healing" thing... and the "surviving patients" thing... but he wants to try, dammit!
Ouch... amazing set of rolls...
Eben TheQuiet I will allow you to change the 9s you rolled into 10s.
Oh, very cool! I’ll update that. (Dex and Wis are now 10; INT remains his foible)
Eben TheQuiet - It sounds good but you will need to make the master of your backstory someone else. No one has met Cardinal Thorn before starting this game. Sir Balin of Karfeld could have been the knight that was there to stop the murder of the city official (you can make up the official's name if you want or leave them nameless is also fine.
Can I still make the Master like an associate or acolyte of Thorn? Like maybe Bladud knows about Thorn second-hand from his Master - and recognizes the man’s authority from his Master’s teaching - but obviously hasn’t met Thorn. (At least not that he knows.)
Cool on Sir Balin. I’ll incorporate that. Let’s make the official this: High Magister Joffram Dorn. That sounds important enough to have had Sir Balin on-hand to foil the attempted murder (either by design or by chance, up to you).
Rumors started creeping in from one of the more rural corners of Talingarde. Starting with shepherds and farmers telling tales of a monster slaughtering their livestock in the night. And if the rumors stopped there, Talingarde could have shrugged it off as the superstitions of backwoods yokels. But the killings became more frequent. Then the fires began. Outhouses, barns, and even homes. Then one day, the victims weren’t just animals anymore, and an old man and his wife turned up murdered. And mutilated.
The violence had gotten the attention of the local authorities. The Watch was dispatched. They were dark days for the local Talingardians. They were also dark days for Bladud.
For that child ... that monster, mutt, and murderer ... those days were a mindless blur of rage and pain. Of blood and fire. Storytellers might want to learn of Bladud’s tragic beginning. Maybe of a lost child orphaned because of his hideous features, a mangle of human, orc, and dragon. But the truth both simpler and sadder: it’s just lost to history. Not even Bladud himself knows how he came to be. But whomever he was – whatever he was – he was a slave to the rage and violence of his blood. He was a thing hunted and hated.
When that word spread, bringing the might of the law, it also brought someone else. An agent of a darker flavor of law. Xorian, apostle of Asmodeus. Where the fearful citizens saw a predator, Xorian saw promise.
Before the Watch could close their net, Xorian found Bladud in his cave. Half beast, half man-child. A hulking thing of scales and claws and wrath and paranoia. A worthy challenge. A worthier acolyte.
Bladud doesn’t know what magics Xorian employed to sedate and transport him. He doesn’t care. When he awoke, everything had changed. Bladud had ... clarity. He also had newly-scarred tattooing on arms, chest, and head. They burned hellishly. And they focused the power that had always consumed him.
For years, Bladud trained. Xorian taught him firsthand the nature of power and the usefulness of pain. The arcane fires of his draconic inheritance blossomed. The lessons were long and harsh, but as Xorian always said, “the hotter the fire, the purer the steel.”
Then the jobs came. Small at first. Deliver this. Send this message. Then, as successes mounted, so did their importance. Bloody up this mark. Burn down this building. As he grew in experience, Bladud built a network of like-minded thugs and bandits across Talingarde. (Thus gaining ranks in Lore: Talingarde Bandits.)
Bladud was single-minded, unrelenting. His tactics were never subtle or complicated, but he got the jobs done. He endured the tedious ones and enjoyed the bloody ones. But he always got them done.
Until that day.
The Master had a new job, a special job. A man had been meddling in the Master’s plans. A powerful man: High Magister Joffram Dorn. Bladud was a simple creature with simple solutions. He didn’t question when Xorian lead the mission. They found the man. They waited until dark. But when they went to complete the task - to bloody Bladud’s claws - the man wasn’t alone. Sir Balin - either by design or chance - was with the Magister that night. Bladud remembers the heat of his rage, but he also remembers the cold of Sir Balin’s steel. When everything settled, the Magister survived. Bladud was captured. The Master was slain.
But for Bladud - chained in Branderscar, branded with the F, waiting for the headsman’s axe - the task remains. Balin thinks he’s won, but for Bladud the job is yet undone.
Unless you have further story/build changes or clarifications, that should complete Bladud's submission. Let me know if I'm locked and loaded. Thanks!
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Name: Demian Pirevam (dem-E-an, pEr-eh-vam)
Crime: Sedition
Alignment: NE (leaning toward LE)
Race: Elf
Template: Vampire
Class 1: Psychic
Class 2: Occultist (Silksworn)
Backstory:
I find the idea of easing into the bonuses for the template very cool. I do base the rp of my characters as much as possible on their mechanics so that I don't have to do mental gymnastics justify their actions. What are the mechanics of the vampire template at character creation? (i.e. what can I do? and what are my weaknesses?)
Can Aasimar/Tieflings roll on the variant table?
Cuàn There may be a way to make a Worm that Walks work. Who knows what sort of diseases and corruptions are hidden in graves. Silly, careless oracle. You wouldn't be completely a worm that walks yet, part of you is still there as the worms/beetles eat you from the inside. Something like that so that those that captured you didn't immediately destroy the undead abomination that you are. You would get: type - vermin (augmented humanoid), darkvision 60ft., cannot turn into a swarm yet, no traits except for cannot be flanked or crit. Yea that's not much, until you die and the insects take over.
Charyx That sounds quite comical. Definitely do it. The 9 and 8 you rolled can become 10's.
Eben TheQuiet - Thorn being a priest of Asmodeus is quite secret which is why he has stayed alive so long when everyone else has been flushed out. Your master won't have known of him. None of the PCs should have any connection to him actually. Your updated backstory is good though. Is attempted murder his campaign trait then? And what type of half-dragon is he? Answer those 2 questions and your submission complete.
Saashaa Vampire is another one that requires you to die first so until that happens in game there won't be many bonuses. Darkvision 60ft., natural armour +1, resist cold/electricity 5, beginning dislike of mirrors, garlic, holy symbols and running water, opposite to that, attraction to blood, blood drain ability heals you (positive energy no longer does). Once you die and fully transform it will get better.
Ouachitonian Yes if you want.
No problem on not knowing Thorn. That's excellent to know. I'll play it accordingly.
Yes, Attempted Murder (the Magister) is his campaign trait. And he's Red Dragon-blooded, for sure. :)
Alrighty, this is what I have for my guy right now...
Name: Araton Fal
Crime: Blasphemy
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Race: Tiefling (Devil-Spawn; Appears Half-Elf)
Template: Haunted One
Class #1: Antipaladin (Tyrant)
Class #2: Rogue (Rake)
Backstory:
House Fal, a cadet branch of the once illustrious lineage of House Darius, had fallen into poor times after the Mitrans had taken control. Due to their allegiance to House Darius as well as their belief in religious freedom, House Fal has slowly but surely watched as their assets are seized by more enterprising and loyal houses to the crown. After a lethal birth of a sickly child and the head of the household's suicide, this decrepit house was left in the care of Araton Fal II; a child of weak constitution who no one expected would survive.
Taken advantage of by his councilors and regents, the young lord grew up within his sickbed. Trapped physically, he instead sought after knowledge from his family's library and, when all that interested him there had been read, from his family's personal records. It was within these dusty, ancient tomes that his fate would forever change into the darkness.
Curious of his lineage and why the Fal family line had diverged from the main branch, Araton unwittingly released a spirit that was bound to the book of his family lineage. This spirit, an Asmodean who had died during the first Asmodean Purges, spoke the truth to Araton. His family line was that of devil-worshippers, those who sought power and knowledge from the fiends that inhabited the nine layers of Hell. In time, this spirit who called itself Rozas Fal and declared itself his ancestor, guided the young half-elf on his path of self-discovery. The strange colored eyes, his dark fingernails, they were not the signs of sickness but that of infernal heritage. A tiefling was what Araton was and these dark rituals would help him seize control of his life, his home, and his destiny.
The Fal Estate became a hushed and whispered place, rumors of dark rituals and disappearing villagers spread among the townsfolk. Araton beseeched dark spirits to help reshape his body; growing strong and faster. His confidence grew and he reached out quietly to those who could help him grow in power. This would be his undoing.
While Araton's means were secure, his eventual cohorts were not so subtle. The Inquisition came down harshly upon his home, killing his fellow worshippers and imprisoning the fallen lord. Unable to take part in the ritual that would grant him stamina and wholeness of body, the tiefling wept as his profane books and heritage were burned to ash. Rozas has gone silent as the last member of the noble blood of Fal was brought to Brandenscar prison, to await his day to burn on the pyre for his crimes of blasphemy.
Alternate Racial Traits: Smite Good, Pass For Human
Traits: Blasphemy (Campaign Trait), Magical Knack (Paladin), Axe To Grind, Vain
Dotting. I got a couple of ideas stewing, but I'll need to let them simmer for a while.
-One is a fallen fighter/druid turned juju zombie by an evil hag.
-Two is a ghoulish unchained rogue/cleric cursed for his gluttony and oh, cannibalism.
-Three is a giantkin human skald/cavalier from the savage frontier. Those dastardly Mitrans are awaiting a reckoning! How dare they imprison and then sentence me to death?! And for what, stealing a couple of sheep? And bashing in the skull of the farmer who dared oppose him? A man's got to eat, so of course, he did that every other month or so.
The juju sounds like great fun, but the skald/cavalier makes for a great 'big stupid' character who embodies the 'heroically stupid' trope.