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Well, the thread I started and flagged in General Discussion hasn't been relocated yet, so I'm going to throw this out there anyway.
I am wondering if any forum PbPers would be interested in a gritty, grimdark-esque campaign that someone else would like to GM (or we could rotate stints as GM among the participants). I've had no luck selling the idea at my live table on Saturdays, so I want to find the lay of the land here. I've got some "far out" ideas about some mechanics that I'm interested in using, and they might not be too appealing for many or most gamers. Here's a rough breakdown:
1) Ability scores would be generated via six 3d6 rolls in order.
2) Characters would begin the story at 0th level with a rolled hit point value from a 1d4.
3) Since the previous two elements are so brutal, players would create three or four starting characters and the field of PCs would naturally narrow over the course of trying to survive to level one.
4) Generated characters whose HP results are negative would die in the opening scenes of the campaign. Generated characters whose HP results equaled zero would be incapacitated by injury, illness, curse, or some other misfortune, but could be awarded an HP reroll if some story award is unlocked. These ideas are intended to help drive an engaging narrative, rather than be arbitrarily punitive.
5) Upon reaching first level, all surviving PCs would be allowed to generate additional HP determined by the difference between the new class HD and the original d4 HD. So wizards would add 1d2, rogues 1d4, paladins 1d6, and barbarians 1d8 -- just laying out the pattern I've envisioned.
6) I would like to step away from Vancian spellcasting if at all possible. So much so, in fact, that I would like to see die rolls to determine success or failure for spellcasting. I know -- it's crazy. (As a mitigating factor, perhaps spell points could be used to grant "advantage" for spellcasting rolls, but after those are exhausted for the day, spells get much more risky!)
If you've watched the Dungeoncraft channel on YouTube, this will all sound very familiar to you.
Thoughts?
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I genuinely hope your meaning is: one character per player. Because the idea of one meat puppet manipulated by myriad wills has never struck me as fun.
Just saying.
EDIT: But, give it a whirl with some dice and paper in some spare moments. Roll those stats and d4 HP, and see how many characters out of four are conscious in the end.
But, I get it. It's not for everyone.
Well, the thread I started and flagged in General Discussion hasn't been relocated yet, so I'm going to throw this out there anyway.
Linkified here for discussion's sake. ;)
Since you're asking. Running several character sheets does not sound like fun. However, multiple Players with one character could be fun.I genuinely hope your meaning is: one character per player. Because the idea of one meat puppet manipulated by myriad wills has never struck me as fun.
Had me this weird brain-thought onnit...
Look, down by the dungeons...
Is it some transients?
Are they all murderous?
No, it's "Party of Adventurers" Man!
Basically, it's this lone wandering adventurer who goes entering into inhabited dungeons; whenever he encounters danger, multiple adventures "pop" outta him to deal with said danger. When the danger is all dealt with, they all merge back into a single form and go on their/his merry way. ;)
It could work in a pbp format with whomever posting making the decisions by being the one to post first; probably by dotting a post to establish posting order and editing said post [about an hour limit on the Paizo message boards] into something intelligible/actionable. Yeah, I know... it's pretty way out there. ;)
1) Ability scores would be generated via six 3d6 rolls in order.
2) Characters would begin the story at 0th level with a rolled hit point value from a 1d4.
3) Since the previous two elements are so brutal, players would create three or four starting characters and the field of PCs would naturally narrow over the course of trying to survive to level one.
4) Generated characters whose HP results are negative would die in the opening scenes of the campaign. Generated characters whose HP results equaled zero would be incapacitated by injury, illness, curse, or some other misfortune, but could be awarded an HP reroll if some story award is unlocked. These ideas are intended to help drive an engaging narrative, rather than be arbitrarily punitive.
For 1., I've seen others mention how they're worried about the rolled results compared to others. Would it be too far outta line to have a collective contribution of all the highest rolls between all the players as a 6 chosen score "template" array that everyone could choose from?
For 2-4., one down-side I could see would be the time it takes to create and outfit each character. Possibly opening up class [within parameters established] and race choices [especially the odder ones] might help mitigate this [ie. getting others onboard with the concept]? Also, there does remain the possibility of a TPK... although it could then be framed as the fate of the ancestors of the new characters to be created [with choice of some of the higher scores from the deceased group]?
PS. for 6., mebbe concentration rolls can be used as attack rolls?
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RE: One-Form Adventurers --
In the context of the Final Fantasy games (and others like them), this is fine. However, within the framework of a TTRPG, it limits the breadth of narrative just because having one player tell the stories of that many characters is so time-consuming. I think the greatest reason why it works so well in the FF franchise is because the stories of the characters are already scripted.
It could work in a game more about combat/tactics than story, but that isn't quite the playstyle I'm seeking. More on that ahead.
RE: Community Stats --
It seems to me that trying to pool the best rolls into a universal template for all PCs is a metaphorical "step backwards". I'm chasing the ideas of: fragile people trying to survive (and then later thrive) overwhelming circumstances, and life being cheap and brutal. The payoff for these things is that any character that survives is going to have an amazing story to tell.
This is a significant departure from the Pathfinder gameplay we know so well. So here's what I'll do in a follow-up post later tonight: I'll run a mock-up set of 0th-level characters according to the guidelines I've put forward, craft some initial baseline stories, and we'll see if that makes things any more appealing.
RE: Threat of TPK --
Yes, character mortality will be high in such a scenario. In a way, that is entirely the point! The 'character funnel' idea is intended to reduce the pool of PCs each player has from whatever the starting number is to a final result of one PC per player.
As for the selection of races, I'm not too keen on the prospect of leshies, and shoonies, and wayangs, and samsarans. Humans, halflings, dwarves, and elves are certainly options; personally, I prefer human stories -- humans are awesome!! But that aspect of the game is certainly up for grabs.
Class selection would take place as soon as level one is attained. Until that time, most actions and checks a character will make will simply be ability checks.
RE: Spellcasting Checks --
Yes, Concentration checks could be used for successful spellcasting. This is an aspect of the mechanics on which I haven't fully made up my mind about its implementation.
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A Test Drive
Uno
Zwei
Treis
Quad
Okay! Let's see what happens!!
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So, here we go:
Uno
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 9
Charisma:10
HP: 3
Silver: 1
----------
Zwei
Str: 11
Dex: 9
Con: 10
Int: 10
Wis: 7
Cha: 17
HP: 4
sp: 1
--------------------
Treis
Str: 10
Dex: 9
Con: 9
Int: 3
Wis: 7
Cha: 9
HP: 0 (incapacitated)
sp: 1
----------------
Quad
Str: 11
Dex: 8
Con: 8
Int: 8
Wis: 12
Cha: 7
HP: 3
sp: 1
--------------------
Sibling brothers of the village woodcutter/carpenter, "Zwei" and "Treis" are accustomed to long days cutting timber in the hills northwest of their village. But on the day of the 'Event', "Zwei" is horrified to watch the chains securing a load of logs behind their mules snap, and a rolling wall of lumber crashes down and over his brother, watering the lawn just a little way downhill. As quickly as he can, through tears and trembling hands, he constructs a travois to carry his brother's prostrate form. As the mules break through the treeline and the village comes into view nestled beside a river a few miles distant, "Zwei" notices that things are terribly amiss back home . . . .
And we can fabricate similar tales for Uno and Quad. You get the point.
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I'm interested! I like your ideas although I think a hight mortality rate means using a single alias and running each of your PCs from that alias. I especially like your idead of "rotating" GM stints and would be interested in taking it even fruther. Have you read this artilce? It talks about every player being a PC *and* every player being the DM, basically sharing the narration of what happens. It makes somet things like murder mysteries or puzzles more difficult but I gotta be honest, I don't remember the last time an AP covered a puzzle or mystery.
I also like doing away with Vancian magic. Why not have a system where you tell the group what you're trying to do (blast/battlefiedl control/utility (hide, fly, etc)) and make a Spellcraft roll and have one of the other players tell you what happened? The highr level you get, the more you can accomplish but you aren't having to worry about spell slots, 15-minute adventuring days or other things.
Anyway, character geneartion. how many will survive?
ALICE
1
Alice is a foundling at the local temple. She is in religious training, but favours the sword over the sermon. She could end up as a cleric, but is more likely to end up as a paladin. She only has 1 hitpoint though so she'll probably end up a corpse.
BEA
1
Bea is smart, but clumsy: she had a difficult birth and her legs and arms dont alwasy do what she tells them to do. She was sickly as a kid, and spend most of her days indoors reading rather than playing with the other children. She lacks social skills but the local wizard has taken an interest in training her.
CELIA
3 hp! Celia is a tough cookie!
Celia isn't the smartest, but she's quick and she's tough. She likes knives and pickpocketing. If she survives she'll probably be a rogue.
DAWN
-1 hp
Dawn grew up as the oldedst daughter of the village mayor, horribly spoled but well-educated - and rich. Unfortunately she's never suffered more than a stubbed toe, and when the goblins riaeded she was one of the first to fall to their dog-slicers.
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Ah-hah!! Chum the water, and the sharks will show!!
Yes, this brainchild is heavily inspired by the Dungeoncraft channel on YouTube. I started out listening to Matt Colville and then stumbled onto Professor DM a while later. My initial reaction to PDM's gamestyle showcase was something like: "What the hell does he think he's doing??!!" . . . . But then I started paying more attention, and I realized that I wanted to try that style of game. And since I haven't been able to shake my Saturday table away from PF2, I knew I would need the forums' help to satisfy this impulse.
I'm delighted that you've come here and tackled the first draft of character generation, Sarah and Helaman! To be forthright, though, I must confess that GMing wasn't my primary objective -- I really just wanted to find a group interested in this type of game. However, I *do* have the beginnings of a small campaign setting and "adventure pool" rattling around in my head and scribbled on some paper here and there. I'd like to find one or two more people interested in participating, but I certainly think we can make a go of it even if only we three take the plunge!
And I definitely agree that running the character funnel through a single alias at first will work best. For instance, I would probably brand my group as "Sy's Survivors", and narrate each character in turn.
Once I get my new Chromebook sorted out and logged in (been using only the phone here on the boards since the beginning), I'll post some more thoughts and maybe even take a few liberties with the initial backstories posted so far in order to set the stage more thoroughly.
If y'all are willing to let me get this zany ball-o'-game rolling, I'll do it!!
So glad to see some positive interest!
EDIT: I had not read that article before, but its content was very familiar territory. Thanks for sharing it, Sarah!
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Glad you liked it! As someone who's only ever played under the system that has a GM, it was a bit mind-blowing, but I'd love to try some "D&D improv" and see how it goes :)
I'm very happy for you to do the hard work of establishing the setting and rearrrange the backstories as you need to!
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Success! Now with a laptop, I'm only 20 years behind the times!
A Piece of Character Generation
One thing that I forgot to mention, but that is only relevant if I GM first, is that I was interested in the characters' starting ages. Regardless of the starting age modifiers provided per class in Pathfinder, I wanted the bulk of the characters to start between the ages of 15 and 20 (for story!). Blizzard is obviously an exception to this, being retired (in a way), and other characters can start at ages beyond 20, but a starting age of 1d6+14 will fit perfectly with my nefarious plans.
Welcome to Gladden Vale!
A quiet, fertile river valley emerging from a westward spur of the Barrier Peaks, Gladden Vale is home to industrious, self-reliant, hospitable folk. Count Ferren holds court in the town of Three Waters, where the River Gladden, the Godswell, and the Loggerfall conjoin near the mouth of the vale. Two separate baronies compose Ferren's domain, demarcated by the Gladden's winding path out of the mountains. The major communities of North Gladden are Ravenlock, Cutter's Wash, and Northferry; South Gladden's primary population centers are Southferry (inconceivable!), Bear's Den, and Last Rest. Logging, trapping, and agriculture are strong industries in the Vale, with smaller operations in mining, masonry, and other business interests.
The spring thaw has finally arrived, and in a Naming Year the normal bustle has redoubled. The logging camps have stacked their logs at the riverbanks, waiting for the snowmelt rush to float them downstream, where the roads are better. The trappers are rambling through the wooded hills and rocky defiles, laying snares about as they look toward the year's catch. Farmers are checking shoes, plows, and team animals while bringing out seed saved from last year's harvest. And overrunning all of this, the young folk from around the Vale eagerly await the announcement of the Trial -- a tradition dating back long beyond the Gladdenfolk's becoming part of the kingdom --, and the beginning of their lives as full citizens, their chosen names in the Rolls as peers throughout the Gladden.
Yet with the hope of new spring, grim happenings have cast a pall over valley life, as well. Word of the death of the Count's eldest daughter has spread like wildfire -- the young woman and her entire escort slaughtered on the road between Last Rest and Bear's Den (not just a mayor's daughter was Dawn, but a countess-to-be!). Rumor of strange comings and goings in the mountain passes has begun to trickle from remote parts of the vale. And from Greenstone, capital of the Duchy of the Eastern Reaches, it is being bandied about that Duke Wikark may call his banners to go to war.
---------------------
Keeping it Going
Zwei and Treis are from Cutter's Wash. Dawn was from Three Waters. In the spirit of variance breeding narrative, here's a random table for finding out where your characters call home:
Roll 3d6!
3 - Rural hills (North Gladden)
4 - Ravenlock
5 - Rural mountains (South Gladden)
6 - Southferry
7 - Count's peasantry
8 - Last Rest
9 - Rural plains (North Gladden)
10 - Cutter's Wash
11 - Rural hills (South Gladden)
12 - Northferry
13 - Rural mountains (North Gladden)
14 - Bear's Den
15 - Rural hills (South Gladden)
16 - Three Waters
17 - Non-Valer
18 - GM's option
Go figure: average results! Cutter's Wash for all of my group!
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Phntm --
Welcome to the party!
Races/Ancestries
I will always unabashedly push for a human-majority game, but other races are certainly available. If you truly want to play a character of more exotic ancestry, I ask that you sell the idea. I can provide some points of origin appropriate to the world I've conceived on an as-needed basis.
Let's not get too exotic . . . .
Racial Ability Modifiers/Traits
If you choose a race that has positive ability bonuses, DO NOT add those to your beginning ability scores. On the other hand, any ability penalties MUST be applied from the beginning. Once a survivor attains the lofty goal of 1st level, then the ability boosts will be levied. Humans' bonus feat and extra skill training will not be selected until 1st level. Racial abilities like darkvision and the like will function in a reduced capacity, determined through collaboration.
I don't want to deny people their 'toys', but I also don't want the overwhelming adventuring advantages of nonhumans to eliminate humans from consideration.
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The age range rolls I posted will really only be appropriate for human characters from Gladden Vale. If you want a different race, use the standard starting age range. Again, sell me the idea of one of these strange foreigners! :)
And, yes -- two background skills are completely appropriate. Note, however, that while those skills gain the +3 proficiency bonus like class skills, no ranks are awarded at this time.
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I can see Blizzard as being a semi-retired hunter who leveraged some scandalous information against one of the landed gentry in South Gladden to score an assignment to the King's Rangers outpost in the Vale. He figured the duty would be light, given the sleepy nature of life there, and knew that the salary was enough to keep him in cheap drink for as long as he wanted it.
Though intoxicated and in the temporary "care" of Albion, Blizzard is due for a dressing-down in his first scene, and being given the unwelcome assignment of investigating the death of young Lady Ferren.
And I think it only reasonable to declare that if Blizzard survives and sobers up (a great story arc!), he would get some stat adjustment opportunities!
Whatcha think?
The Initial Hooks
I apologize for neglecting to reply specifically to Phntm's question about what thing or things would launch our story. Let me address that now.
I plan to take whatever plot hooks you each weave into your generated characters and mix those with the assorted plotline options I've seeded throughout Gladden Vale. Each character's starting point will be tailored specifically. I like this part of character-building to be very cooperative.
Part of the reason why I called for starting human ages of 15 - 20 revolves around the Naming Year and its associated Trial (additional note -- if you want a nonhuman ancestry and get approval for running one, just be sure to put that starting age within 5 - 10 years of achieving the age of majority for that ancestry). Whether our younger characters choose to undertake the Trial or not, the observance of the special event helps establish some context and verisimilitude for the world. It also serves as a significant source of social/cultural motivation for characters to seek recognition as a citizen and adult -- something that nearly every young person desires.
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Just a field test for my "survivors" alias.
EDIT: Derp. I totally forgot that the tagline won't show in the Recruitment thread . . . . And we're not ready to migrate over, yet.
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ALICE
Rurual Hills (South Gladden)
BEA
Count's peasantry
CELIA
Rural Hills (North Gladden)
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Since this game is going to have a more open format for GM-swapping and collaborative efforts, I wanted to get some input on what we should name our campaign. While I may be kicking things off, and may have a solid idea of the geopolitical layout of a whole continent, I don't think that I should "brand" everything my way. Especially so if we hold to our "Eastern Marches" style of campaign. So post any ideas you might have!
Once we get a 'brand name' for the game, I'll open up the Discussion thread for the three of us who have already committed. Then I'll try to clean up the character generation material and compile it into a single post here in recruitment, as well as in the campaign information tab.
We'll get this party started in Gameplay no later than 27 March, 2021.
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I missed the post about skills, I will think about those and add them later. As for a title, I agree with Phntm888 that "Adventures in Gladden Vale" or suchlike wokrs for me. Perhaps "Short-lived Aventures in Gladden Vale" would be more appropriate given that most of my characters onyl have 1 hitpoint!
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"Mortal Tales of the Gladden Vale"!!
"We're delighted to host you while we watch to see how you get to die!"
"Delighted to make your acquaintance! If you don't mind, I'll just take those measurements now . . . mmmhhmmmmm . . . yes . . . so I can set aside wood for the coffin."
"Yes, the food is excellent, and the rooms are comfortable! You'll have to pay in advance for your expected stay, and I'll need a deposit to pay a restocking fee to the general store if I wind up with any of your belongings on-hand. Anyway -- ale, or whiskey?"
"Oh, you're such a dear, darling youth! Sweetling, will you carry this bucket for me a short way? I'd just love to hear about all your exciting plans for after your Naming!"
-------------------
Tongue-in-cheek, that, but quite enjoyable. :D
Now we are four! I hope we can find a fifth player to really round out the team, but this is great, so far!
Back to our campaign title: when we rotate over to let someone else run the majority of the events, I'd like to make sure there's room for any of you to move the narrative to anywhere you like. Whether that means staying in the Vale, or going over the mountains eastward, off to the war front, or through a portal to another plane or planet altogether is entirely at the next GM's discretion! "Adventurers of the Gladden Vale" might be totally appropriate, as every story has a beginning, but I want to make sure that everyone feels the title is open-ended enough that it doesn't feel constraining down the road. Just want to double-check before I set anything into digital stone.
I'm going to go back through all our die rolls and story seeds for each character so far, and start weaving those stories together into something cohesive. When we launch Gameplay, I'll post a massive wall of text that outlines how it all fits together. Be sure to check that 'cold open' for changes to your characters.
I also want to be clear about more details/concepts that may be important to each of you as players. First, I'm going to run this as a very low-magic campaign -- there will be priests and abbots at shrines and temples, but the faithful that can call upon the power of their deity are few and *far* between, as a for-instance. Second, level advancement is going to be slow -- and I'm not referring to the "Slow" XP progression given in the Core Rulebook; it will be more arbitrary, but driven by clear narrative developments and characters' experiences. So I ask for what may be a bit more trust than you're accustomed to giving a GM. Third, I do not intend to keep the ability scores of characters that do survive so agonizingly low forever. The trial-by-fire nature of events is intended to serve as a catalyst for each survivor to realize fundamental characteristics of their individuality, and to be empowered by it. But to be very clear: don't hope for an 18 score; a +2 modifier is a rare and powerful thing, here.
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Nonmagical healing will definitely receive a boost in its utility. I like the modified Heal check you've put forward; I'll probably try to blend your idea here with PF2's Treat Wounds Medicine check and Spheres of Might's healing options. More details on this will be forthcoming in the Discussion thread.
As for the non-Vancian spellcasting:
Hoo, boy, is this a tough one! One of the things I like about the Spheres of Power magic system is that it totally eliminates Vancian casting considerations while still providing some resource management mechanics and all-day magic. In short, SoP takes our familiar Pathfinder spellcasting and turns it into 20+ base 'cantrips' that can be modified by taking feat-equivalent "talents", and then a character has a pool of "spell points" that can be spent to produce greater effects from sphere abilities known.
But nearly every single magical effect a spherecaster can produce scales by level. Caster level, to be more precise. So a 3rd-level sphere wizard can use the basic Destruction sphere to make a Close-range touch attack that deals 2d6 points of magical bludgeoning damage . . . at will. And the spell-point-fueled version would deal 3d6 damage. And so on.
Obviously, this system makes spellcasting abilities quite a bit stronger in that casting characters can basically adventure all day. There are limits in the system, but you're far less likely to hear the wizard's player say "We need a full night's rest RIGHT NOW!" after two combat encounters.
So we won't be using Spheres of Power.
But I think we can take some inspiration from it to inform this quest to give wizards the chance to melt their brains out their own ears when they nat 1 a Spellcraft check to cast fireball.
So here is my tentative notion:
Characters that gain the ability to use magic will gain a pool of spell points. These spell points can be spent to allow the player to roll a "spell check" twice and take the better result. We can drum up tables for spell fumbles and critical castings as we go.
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But, sir! I do protest!! Cheapskate, I am!!!
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It shall be consulted!
Also:
We're good with the campaign name, then? "Adventurers of Gladden Vale"?
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I've opened up the Discussion thread, so let's move our dialogue over there, for the most part. I'm going to compress the character generation data in a new post here before too long today, and we'll keep looking for at least one more player.
I've got to say this: I haven't been this excited about a campaign in a long, long time. The most important thing is to make sure that we're all having fun; if it ever becomes the case that one of us is not having fun, let's make sure that we talk it through and strive to resolve any issues.
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Here is a cleaned-up posting of character generation rules and gameplay expectations. If I need to clarify or edit anything, give me a yell, please!
> All ability scores will be generated with a 3d6 roll in order (Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha).
> Starting HP will be determined via a 1d4 roll adjusted by the character’s Constitution modifier. Any cumulative results of negative HP totals indicate that the character in question, no matter how mighty or brilliant, has died through some misfortune. Any cumulative results of exactly 0 HP indicate that something terrible has happened, incapacitating that character until such time that the narrative provides some chance at healing or restoration. But even those opportunities are not without risk.
> The most common, classic fantasy races/ancestries are acceptable options for characters, but PCs of human descent are heavily preferred. If you desire to play a more exotic character, I will need some persuasion; if I still say “No”, respect that decision, please, and reformulate your idea!
> Racial ability bonuses are not used to adjust ability score rolls until the character attains level one. Racial ability penalties are applied at the beginning of character creation. All other customary traits of the Pathfinder races will be addressed on an at-need, case-by-case basis. Humans do not receive the benefits of their bonus feat, nor of their “skilled” racial trait, at level 0.
> You may choose any starting age you desire for your characters, but do know that the primary hook for our opening adventure is age-dependent, consisting of a rite of passage from youth to adulthood (and legal recognition). It is recommended that human characters start the game with an age of 1d6+14 years. Nonhuman characters could start the game with an age of up to 20 years beyond that race’s age of majority (the longer the appropriate lifespan, the greater passage of years beyond majority is reasonable).
> Characters may have two background skills at 0th-level, but will not possess any skill ranks in them. So you will have the +3 class skill proficiency bonus, and then modify it by the appropriate ability modifier.
> This campaign is initially taking place in a homebrew campaign setting of my own creation, and the story impetus will revolve around the Gladden Vale. As such, I have created a random table for generating characters’ points of origin. This feature is entirely optional. You may choose a location within the Vale at will; origins beyond the Gladden must be GM-reviewed.
Roll 3d6!
3 - Rural hills (North Gladden)
4 - Ravenlock
5 - Rural mountains (South Gladden)
6 - Southferry
7 - Count's peasantry
8 - Last Rest
9 - Rural plains (North Gladden)
10 - Cutter's Wash
11 - Rural hills (South Gladden)
12 - Northferry
13 - Rural mountains (North Gladden)
14 - Bear's Den
15 - Rural hills (South Gladden)
16 - Three Waters
17 - Non-Valer
18 - GM's option
> Starting equipment will be issued by the GM. Each character will begin play with 1d4 silver pieces.
As such, let me brief you on things you can expect of me, and that I’ll expect of you as players.
> Participants should post at least one message per day in either the Gameplay or Discussion thread. This is a built-in allowance for those days that Life Decides to Bite You. After a two-day silence, I will take the liberty of advancing the narrative as best I can. Should a player go silent for three consecutive two-day cycles, any associated characters will be written out of the game in an “on pause” fashion, unless the characters are in imminent danger. In which case their fates will be somewhat . . . messier.
> As is customary for most live tables these days (outside the realm of PFS play and the like), if I make a call that runs counter to the rules or seems to be unwieldy/imbalanced, roll with the decision for its results in Gameplay, and then we’ll address and revise it afterward in Discussion. I’m not going to go for a heavy rules focus, and will run fast and loose with action resolutions through checks, saves, and defensive statistics. I’m asking for a great deal of trust from all of you; I mean to see that trust rewarded with a fun, engaging world for all of us.
> As much as I wish to avoid any rules-heavy components in this campaign, trying to eliminate Vancian spellcasting from its proceedings is a daunting task. I do not wish to stray so far from the customary Pathfinder spell system that we are forced to learn a complete, unfamiliar system in a trial by fire, but I want to step away from the greater portions of daily resource management as a limitation to daily progress. (This will also be true of other classes with daily allotments of features.) Part of this effort to move away from Vancian casting will involve spellcasting checks, where natural 1s are catastrophic (and often self-immolating) failures and natural 20s are successes of legendary proportion (so to speak).
> All of these components are intended to allow for an up-tempo game that will not inherently feel punitive for characters’ use of their abilities. Perhaps moreso than is typical, time will be a constant factor in the degree of PCs’ success.
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Correct -- no class selected until level 1; nonhuman races screened thoroughly
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This is just a bump to try to draw the interest of at least one more player! Recruitment for this game will close on Wednesday, 24 March 2021.
> All ability scores will be generated with a 3d6 roll in order (Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha).
> Starting HP will be determined via a 1d4 roll adjusted by the character’s Constitution modifier. Any cumulative results of negative HP totals indicate that the character in question, no matter how mighty or brilliant, has died through some misfortune. Any cumulative results of exactly 0 HP indicate that something terrible has happened, incapacitating that character until such time that the narrative provides some chance at healing or restoration. But even those opportunities are not without risk.
> The most common, classic fantasy races/ancestries are acceptable options for characters, but PCs of human descent are heavily preferred. If you desire to play a more exotic character, I will need some persuasion; if I still say “No”, respect that decision, please, and reformulate your idea!
> Racial ability bonuses are not used to adjust ability score rolls until the character attains level one. Racial ability penalties are applied at the beginning of character creation. All other customary traits of the Pathfinder races will be addressed on an at-need, case-by-case basis. Humans do not receive the benefits of their bonus feat, nor of their “skilled” racial trait, at level 0.
> You may choose any starting age you desire for your characters, but do know that the primary hook for our opening adventure is age-dependent, consisting of a rite of passage from youth to adulthood (and legal recognition). It is recommended that human characters start the game with an age of 1d6+14 years. Nonhuman characters could start the game with an age of up to 20 years beyond that race’s age of majority (the longer the appropriate lifespan, the greater passage of years beyond majority is reasonable).
> Characters may have two background skills at 0th-level, but will not possess any skill ranks in them. So you will have the +3 class skill proficiency bonus, and then modify it by the appropriate ability modifier.
> This campaign is initially taking place in a homebrew campaign setting of my own creation, and the story impetus will revolve around the Gladden Vale. As such, I have created a random table for generating characters’ points of origin. This feature is entirely optional. You may choose a location within the Vale at will; origins beyond the Gladden must be GM-reviewed.
Roll 3d6!
3 - Rural hills (North Gladden)
4 - Ravenlock
5 - Rural mountains (South Gladden)
6 - Southferry
7 - Count's peasantry
8 - Last Rest
9 - Rural plains (North Gladden)
10 - Cutter's Wash
11 - Rural hills (South Gladden)
12 - Northferry
13 - Rural mountains (North Gladden)
14 - Bear's Den
15 - Rural hills (South Gladden)
16 - Three Waters
17 - Non-Valer
18 - GM's option
> Starting equipment will be issued by the GM. Each character will begin play with 1d4 silver pieces.
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One last bump!
See the previous message!!
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Alrighty! We have our participants!
Recruitment for Adventurers of Gladden Vale is now closed.
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Recruitment is now reopened for this campaign (already in progress). One of our four members has had to withdraw because of life and work, so we'd like to round out our group as we carry on with the game.
We have two openings available, but one player is sufficient for our purposes, I believe.
If you have an interest in a more "hardcore" style game that is strongly connected to the 3.x/PF1 mechanical system, are willing to consider handing off GM responsibilities among the party members, and have little fear of critically fumbled spellcasting attempts, then you likely have a home in this game.
The Campaign Info tab contains the character generation guidelines and basic participation expectations -- consult that information before deciding to join us!
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omg yes. I'm not too sure about some of it, namely dangerous fumbled casting, but the rest I love! I can't wait to see what terrible stats I start with! Honestly do I like how 5E handled preparing spells all things considered.
Sven the lumberjack, one hit from death! For the love of the gods keep those cats away from him!
Thats, surprisingly not as bad as I thought they would be! A farmer or lumberman seems a good match for this. haha.
Ah yes! There it is!
Hmmm... If that isn't a potentially portly sorcerer who never worked a hard day in his life I don't know what is! Or.. a paladin!
Aha! And so we have our wizard candidate!
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Now make three more statblocks, and don't forget the 1d4 hp for a level-0 "survivor"!!
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As in the mesmerist/medium/etc. classes?
I can be . . . but magic is magic, no matter the flavor, so . . . .
Perhaps a little more specificity on your part would help me out. I've never delved into the psionic/psychic side of Pathfinder before, having been content to run clerics and rogue-ish types, mostly.
But the single greatest advantage I have as the GM for our first forays into adventuring is this: it really doesn't matter what ability/power you use -- I'm going to call for a 1d20 roll (with modifiers as deemed appropriate) to determine success or failure.
Fumble a read thoughts attempt? --> You might just end up swapping brainpans with your target!!
Dangerous, but fun!!!
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the psychic, mesmerist, or spiritualist classes. I'm not really sure atm, and, in all likely hood I think the martially inclined character I rolled will be more likely to survive to get that level. It was more of a "if" question.
For what its worth, as to the rules for psychic spellcasters,
psychic and arcane magic are similar. The difference being psychic spells use thought and emotion components instead of verbal/somatic. Which means a psychic can wear armor without incurring spell failure.
A psychic caster can cast when pinned/restrained/silenced etc, but cannot cast spells with emotion components if under magical malign emotion effects (fear, as example), and unless they take a move action to center themselves all concentration checks for spells with thought components have the DC increased by 10.
In all other regards, I think, psychic spells are just like arcane/divine spells.
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I gotcha.
I am all in favor of players running the characters they'd like, so, yes -- the psychic classes are up for grabs.
But the die rolls might rule out a particular build. I'm going for organically-discovered characters. If we wind up with four warrior-type heroes surviving to level one, then that's where we'll begin; going from there will require good story.
How does that sound to you, rorek?
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Got room for one more? I’d be interested in joining.