Hey GM of the Mines, first of all thanks for running the game!
I'd started reading along with the recruitment considering a paladin/bard. When I saw that Giant Halfling had proposed the same idea I didn't want to 'step on his toes' so I stopped following along. I happened to look at the recruitment today and saw that GH is changing his concept. So, I will Get Ala’Ihys the Archer up to snuff and present a finished character by Monday.
I played him in PFS as a human divine hunter of Sarenrae. I had wanted him to be a switch hitter; he was great with the bow but awful with the scimitar. I eventually stopped putting him in PFS games. I realized that if I added the Dervish of Dawn bard archetype it would fix that issue, so I started keeping an eye out for gestalt games, but none of them were in Katapesh. That is where Ala'Ihys is from, and I just don't see him riding Khamsin to the 'world wound.'
As I said, I need to get his crunch to third level gestalt and will also need to officially answer the 20 questions, though most of that information is in his fluff, which I have copied here for your convenience.
The black stallion hammered across the grassy Plains of Paresh; Ala’Ihys, mounted on his back, glued to the racing saddle. Shamshūn mother had named him, for his size as much as for his strength. He was huge for the breed, sixteen hands, his large nostrils flaring on his wedge-shaped head: his breathing like a blacksmiths forge. Ala’Ihys dreamed of riding this colt in the Histaqen. They followed a dry riverbed, in a couple of miles he planned on turning off the bed and cross the bare plain back to the oasis where the tribe was camped for the night.
As they rounded a bend in the ravine Ala’Ihys heard an arrow whiz past his head, as two others hit the neck and ribcage of the beautiful beast he was riding; he heard and felt the sickening thumps, as the horse screamed in pain and threw Ala’Ihys from his back. Later Ala’Ihys remembered seeing the beautiful black beast bloodied and staggering as a pack of Gnolls creased the lip of the ravine; a split second before his head exploded into unconsciousness from hitting a large rock in the dusty river bed.
Ala’Ihys awoke there in the ravine, blood pouring from his head and several smaller abrasions. As he gained consciousness, his head spinning, he tried to focus on the sights and sounds and smells that assailed him. The stench of blood and offal and fetid sweat invaded his olfactory senses, almost causing him to vomit. The sound of flies buzzing around his head, drawn to the blood there; the sound of insane laughter and guttural speech interrupted by the crunching and slurping sounds of wild carnivores eating. The sight of the remains of that beautiful black stallion, purchased to bring glory in to his mother’s people in the Histaqen, lying in a pool of its own blood and entrails; the pack of molted brown and black knolls squatting over the remains the stallion, large chunks torn off and the pack fighting over the raw pieces, gnawing on bones; cracking them open and sucking the morrow out.
He tried to stand, but too dizzy from concussion and loss of blood he dropped back to the sand, stunned preventing his motor skills from working. His attempt to stand caught the attention of the hyena-like fiends. His head spinning, time seeming to slow down as he slipped into unconsciousness. He dreamed he saw the first Gnoll; crouched-over mouth frothing, mace raised to strike, drop as two arrows sprouted from its maw through the back of its head. The second demon-spawn, seeing its fellow pack member fall, beginnings to turn, also drops in its tracks with two arrows in its spine and ribcage.
The last part of the dream was the most magnificent, rising out of the west, surrounded by light; the gold and blue and white archer dropping his great recurve bow, drawing two scimitars and charging into the Gnoll pack. Ala’Ihys remembered thinking Mother will be so proud, the Sunlord Thalachos himself has come to fetch me into the arms of The Dawn Flower.
Ala’Ihys awoke realizing he was not in Nirvana, no one felt like this in Heaven. His head still throbbed even with the wound mystically healed, his body ached, cuts and abrasions gone, but the soreness of being thrown from the horse remained and the memory of that beautiful racer ruined by scavengers. No Ala’Ihys was not in Nirvana but in his mother’s tent. It had been years since he had been inside, since his coming of age ceremony, It hadn’t changed any; the pillows, curtains and carpets all in the same spots, the small table moved out of the way, he was taller now. As he rose up to speak, his mother, reading his thoughts, pressed her hand against his shoulder and said ”No, he is no longer here, he said he had other prey do deal with.”.
As Ala’Ihys laid back down he said ” I thought it had been a dream.” Laughter came from the door of tent. ”He said you spoke of Nirvana in your fever-dreams and he left this to prove it was real.” Ala’Ihys father, Ahmad Fadlān al-Abbās Merchant prince of their people. held up the mace that the knoll was preparing to strike him with. ”I am indebted to this man.”. Turning first to his mother then his father asking; ”What is this warriors name? I have a debt to pay.” His mother’s smile turned forlorn but his father laughed and answered: ”that is the best part, he said he is a ‘humble servant’ and your debt is to the ‘Dawn Flower.’ I have already decided that all the money we would have wagered on the black stallion in the Histaqen will be offered up to Sarenrae at the Sun wrought Festival.”
Ala’Ihys’ mother silently shook her head, as he stared at his father. ”It is not enough father, money cannot answer everything, ‘an eye for an eye’ right, father? ‘A life for a life,’ you taught me a debt must be paid. As a merchant prince that is why you serve Abadar ? I owe her my life father, I have a debt.” Ala’Ihys mother sobbed silently, but when he looked in her eyes she smiled through her tears and leaning down and she whispered Ala’Ihys, I named you for her father, go with her my son with my blessing.” Hearing the blessing of Amatullah al-Rashid, Princess and ruler of the Nabataean tribe, Ala’Ihys slipped back into sleep in his mother’s tent for the last time; his father, knowing better than to argue with his wife and liege lord, dropped the mace and left the tent.
Ala’Ihys had much in common with all Keleshite boys who are raised in the tribes of the Plains of Paresh; they all revered Sarenrae, they all honored their mother and father, they all learned the bow and scimitar, they all learned to ride before they could walk and they all dreamed of racing in the Histagen . What was different is that Ala’Ihys was able to ride in the ancient annual horse race due to his parents great wealth.
He was the result of an arranged marriage. Two great houses coming together to create unfathomable wealth. From the al-Abbās clan a renown shipping family, known the world over, his father, Ahmad Fadlān was married to Amatullah the oldest daughter of the al-Rashid family and therefore heir apparent of the Nabataean tribe. Due to their extravagant wealth they purchases and raised fine enough horses to run the Histagen and Ala’Ihys had raced in several, finishing but not winning, yet.
It was while Ala’Ihys was training for the great race that he had his encounter with Sarenrae and swore to serve her. His mother, a devout follower of the ‘Dawn Flower’ was very proud of his decision and felt since his birth that he would serve her; thus the reason she named him Ala’ (nobility of) Ihys (an ancient dead god who is considered the father of both Sarenrae and humanity), to honor her goddess and her people. His father, a follower of Abadar, had planned for Ala’Ihys to follow in his footsteps and become a great merchant. After Ala’Ihys recovered from his wounds he armed and dressed himself with the humblest equipment possible and left.
A prime example of his Keleshite heritage, black hair and beard both simply cropped short, yellow eyes, and bow legged. He stands 18 hands and weighs 14 stone. Having the thick chest and arms of an archer and humbly dressed in undyed cotton pants, shirt and jacket. The baggy pants tucked in simple unworked leather riding boots. The armor, simple chain mail held by a plain leather belt.
His most decorative item is the white scarf around his helmet bound with a blue and gold cord to honor the Dawn Flower. He also carries two weapons to honor her: a scimitar, the gift she gave his people at the dawn of time and the mace the gnoll carried, which would have killed him if she had not intervened on his behalf. His bow, arrows and buckler are the simplest that his mother’s people crafted, made by apprentices, functional, but a far cry from the fine craftsmanship the Nabataeans were known for.
Ala’ Ihys’ mother insisted he take one gift representing the pride of her people; a horse, a fine horse, one to represent the people he came from. He selected a strong grey gelding named Khamsin or ‘the wind’ From the Keleshite word for "fifty", these windstorms often blow for over fifty days, hence the name. The gelding was aptly named because this sturdy little grey could run for days.
Ala’ihys was born with a fiery competitive personality that was inflamed by his parent’s wealth into self-absorbed arrogance: an arrogant prince of an arrogant people. Realizing that serving Sarenrae would demand first and foremost humility he attempts to exemplify in all aspects of his life; his appearance, his language, his thoughts and his deeds. He attempts to mix truth with grace, though not always succeeding.
Guidelines he follows:
Awaken with the dawn and give thanks and praise to the rising sun.
Be willing to offer mercy to those enemies who seek absolution and renounce evil.
Be ready at all times to destroy irredeemable corruption.
Be willing to solve feuds and disputes among neighbors and family.
Speak the truth with grace.
Late to the party but I'm interested! Some questions:
1. The inspired weapon ability can only be placed on simple weapons and a few others. Unarmed strikes are listed as simple weapons so do you accept that inspired affects them? What about natural weapons, which are usually affected by things the same way was unarmed strikes? In particular, I'm wondering if the inspired special weapon ability can be placed on an amulet of mighty fists, which says "Alternatively, this amulet can grant melee weapon special abilities, so long as they can be applied to unarmed attacks." I ask because I've had a GM say no to this line of reasoning before.
2. Do you allow PCs to use crafting feats before game start to make their equipment at a discount? What about the equipment of other PCs with whom they share a backstory (if any)?
I'm sure I'm probably just overlooking it somewhere but I just read through the whole thread again and couldn't find any mention of how we're doing hit points after 1st level... could someone point me to it, please?
Also, here is the alias for GH's tomb raider. I haven't had time to update his fluff (which is left over from a previous use of this alias) but all of his crunch should be set (unless I need to change his hp).
The tl;dr version of his background is that he grew up in Taldor (where his father was a teacher of history and engineering), but he was always very interested in his Kelish heritage. He got to explore some ruins with his dad when he was a kid and got a taste for it that only grew over time. He became an explorer of ancient places (and procurer of ancient relics) and moved to Katapesh for the career opportunities, and to connect with his heritage.
I'm sure I'm probably just overlooking it somewhere but I just read through the whole thread again and couldn't find any mention of how we're doing hit points after 1st level... could someone point me to it, please?
Yeah, I just took half+1 too. That is a good question. I never even thought about that.
I'm pretty certain the DM is probably going to go with MAX hit points all around. And the Toughness feat is free for all too. Call me crazy. ;)
Lol- you should always be suspicious when any GM gives you max hp!
Lol- you should always be suspicious when any GM gives you max hp!
Naaaaaaaah. Nothing bad happens when the GM allows max HP on character creation.....
Lol!
GM, are you around? You haven't posted in seven days. Hope everything is all right.
Here's an updated list:
Geometer: Ulam Cragson - an aasimar monk/sorcerer
BerryBunch: Samira Jubadai - a human slayer/cavalier
Michael_Hopkins: I'llrith - an ifrit sorcerer/wizard
Dorian Gray: Jaidu - a ratfolk gunslinger/ranger
Tazo: Yasmin Al Akbar - a hafling hunter/swashbuckler
Javell DeLeon: Emmercy Hammertime - a dwarven fighter/cleric of Torag
Andostre: Anovat - an oread shifter/shaman
Robert Henry: Ala’Ihys the Archer - a human paladin/bard (background questions)
Giant Halfling: Azadi Freeman - a tiefling fighter/investigator
Quite a few that can face folks in melee too. I think I may have to adjust my spells as so I can handle that issue.
Yes, I am around! Just been busy with work and then a weekend vacation out of town. So sorry about that.
HP is full for each level, I like the survivability that gives. And the opportunity to have…’fun’ encounters!
@caster4life: 1. That seems perfectly fine to me, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work that way. It doesn’t seem problematic, and if it does I can just fix it afterwards.
2. Yes, you can use crafting feats to reduce cost, as well as craft during the campaign should you (and your party) wish to wait the time needed. No reason to not let you use resources you spent feats on.
Also, how is everyone coming along in finishing characters? We have anyone still working on things, or close to being done?
I know I said it’d close tomorrow but I want to give everyone plenty of time to make sure everything is to their liking.
My crunch is finished but I’m still working on my fluff (should have it finished tonight, I hope).
Yes, I am around! Just been busy with work and then a weekend vacation out of town. So sorry about that.
No worries!
Jaidu is ready to go 'ploring!
Great! I'll finish up today, then!
Hope you had a nice weekend getaway! Updated HP, all set with the fluff and crunch for Yasmin.
Got a fighter alchemist I'm hoping to slide in under the wire.
Finished my background questions. They're in my profile, but I'll include it here too in case that's easier or whatever.
1. What is your character’s name?
Azadi Freeman (Azadi means 'liberty' in Kellish)
2. How old is your character?
27
3. What would somebody see at first glance?
Nearly 6' tall with a trim build. Black hair; ruddy, tanned skin; and eyes that look like gold. Dresses in traditional Keleshite linen turban and robes, with a chainshirt over top. A smooth, hairless tail occasionally emerges from beneath his robe.
4. What additional attributes would be noticed upon meeting the character (i.e. Speech, mannerisms)?
Has a slightly strange manner of walking: on the balls of his feet such that his heels rarely touch the ground when he's moving. Speaks Taldane/common with no accent.
5. Where was your character born? Where were you raised? By who?
Born and raised in Augustana (in Andoran). Split time between a large apartment in the city and a modest country estate northeast of the city. Mother did most of the hands-on parenting during childhood but father was present too.
6. Who are your parents? Are they alive? What do they do for a living?
Mother, Ariana, was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. She managed the household until she died (16 years ago). Father, Professor Nadir Freeman, is the son of a freed slave. He teaches at the university in Augustana and has been a private tutor for several wealthy and influential families. The couple moved to Andoran after marrying to ensure that their children would never be slaves.
7. Do you have any other family or friends?
Two brothers, Kareem and Hassan, and a sister, Farah, back in Andoran. Since moving to Katapesh, he's made many acquaintances but few friends. Only three, really: Pelius Crispin, a Cheliaxian antiquities broker; Selah, a jovial strongman with whom he frequents the same tavern and has gone on a few explorations; and, Zahra, a wild, passionate ifrit woman who is sometimes his lover, sometimes his business partner, and sometimes his rival.
8. What is your character’s marital status? Kids?
Single, with no children that he knows about.
9. What is your character’s alignment?
True Neutral
10. What is your character’s moral code?
Laws are guidelines, open to interpretation and expected to include some flexibility, but contracts are a covenant between two people and should be honored. History matters and shouldn't be lost or destroyed when it can be preserved and brought into the light (especially if doing so puts some coin in my pocket).
11. Does your character have goals?
Fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory.
12. Is your character religious?
No.
13. What are your character’s personal beliefs?
Obviously the gods are real, but they've got bigger things to worry about than me. We make our own destiny in this world, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something.
14. Does your character have any personality quirks (i.e. anti-social, arrogant, optimistic, paranoid)?
He's a bit cynical, maybe even slightly fatalistic, in his worldview, but has a great deal of confidence in himself.
15. Why does your character adventure?
To discover hidden places, to uncover forgotten knowledge, to recover lost artifacts (and attain fortune and glory along the way).
16. How does your character view his/her role as an adventurer?
He's the leader, obviously; he's the one who knows what's going and how to avoid getting killed by every damm thing.
17. Does your character have any distinguishing marks (birth-marks, scars, deformities)?
His (golden) eyes and tail are pretty distinctive but, less obviously, his feet are deformed to resemble the paws of a hairless big cat.
18. How does your character get along with others?
He gets along fantastically with anyone who recognizes his expertise/leadership, and he gets along well with anyone who proves themself useful. He doesn't get along well with people who disrespect him, or can't carry their own weight (unless they recognize they can't and look to him for help), but he'll tolerate people if he has a contractual obligation to do so.
19. Is there anything that your character hates?
Snakes.
20. Is there anything that your character fears?
To be trapped in a classroom lecturing about history that he never sees or touches.
Most of what I would put in his description and background are already in here, but I'll try to put something in those spoilers tonight anyway.
Edit: I got his appearance spoiler done. I'll try to add some background story later tonight.
I just need to fix my HP, but I am good to go otherwise!
And cool! Max hit points. :)
All good to go. Emercy
Yup, nothing bad will happen.....
Phew! I've finished my crunch but not the fluff bc my toddler is freaking out. Will finish tomorrow morning!
My concept is an investigator/barbarian. He switches between very cerebral and smashing enemies, depending on the circumstances.
I finally finish my fighter/investigator and the next 2 submissions are a barbarian/investigator and a (theoretical) fighter/alchemist? I see how it is, lol.
Yup, nothing bad will happen.....
See? Nothing to worry about at all. I mean, seriously, what could possibly go wrong? ;)
Yup, nothing bad will happen.....See? Nothing to worry about at all. I mean, seriously, what could possibly go wrong? ;)
Nothing a bit of POCKETSAND!!!* can't handle!
*Glitterdust..... Glitterdust is the pocket sand.
Nothing a bit of POCKETSAND!!!* can't handle!
*Glitterdust..... Glitterdust is the pocket sand.
Absolutely nothing, Especially since Ala'Ihys is an archer first and plans on shooting over the head of the dwarf he's following...
Lol!
Alright, I got my background up and I'm fully done and ready. Best of luck, all!
caster4life here with my finished submission (barbarian+investigator). He's got a bit of a professor Hulk thing going on and is very much a young idealist with his own quirky, firmly held philosophy who's just one year out of university. Depending on the party composition, I'm happy to respec a little, e.g., to handle traps.
In terms of party contribution, he has some ok utility skills given that he's an investigator with a bunch of skill ranks and can freely use inspiration on a good number of skills. He also has some extracts to help with utility, healing himself, etc, and can pick up scent if necessary. In combat, he'll typically be doing a gore, bite, claw, claw, hoof, hoof at +11 to hit and damage for all but the hooves, which are secondary so not quite as strong. He can buff up a bit stronger too but won't be able to do that for all the combats likely to happen in a given adventuring day, at least not at this level.
Final list?
Geometer: Ulam Cragson - an aasimar monk/sorcerer
BerryBunch: Samira Jubadai - a human slayer/cavalier
Michael_Hopkins: I'llrith - an ifrit sorcerer/wizard
Dorian Gray: Jaidu - a ratfolk gunslinger/ranger
Tazo: Yasmin Al Akbar - a hafling hunter/swashbuckler
Javell DeLeon: Emmercy Hammertime - a dwarven fighter/cleric of Torag
Andostre: Anovat - an oread shifter/shaman
Robert Henry: Ala’Ihys the Archer - a human paladin/bard (background questions)
Giant Halfling: Azadi Freeman - a tiefling fighter/investigator
caster4life: - Lysander Higgins - a skinwalker barbarian/investigator
Hey guys, just checking in. Anyone need more time to finish before I make my selections?
I know I am good to go! Best of luck everyone!
All good here.
Hey guys, just checking in. Anyone need more time to finish before I make my selections?
LOL, I thought the recruitment was going to end Wednesday, so totally good to go.
Having said that, good luck everyone and thanks for running the game GM of the Mines. Selected or not we appreciate you running the game.
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Yeah it was supposed to, but I just wanted to make sure everyone got everything to their liking. Should have my three picked out by tomorrow evening.
Gonna bow out of this one, can’t put my character together to my liking. Have fun y’all!
Yep! Submitted and ready.
Hey GMotM,
Now that I'm Looking at Ala'Iys crunch I'm starting to waffle on it. I figure if I'm not happy with it now, I won't be happy with it in a game. You've got several quality players and characters to choose from, so I'm going to remove myself from the recruitment,
Thanks for running the game, we players appreciate it,
Good luck and good gaming all.
I'm sorry to hear that, but I understand.
With that said, my selections for the expedition into the Zolurket Mines are:
Samira Jubadai
I'llrith
Yasmin al Akbar
Report to the discussion thread, and we'll get this started shortly! Thank you to all who applied, was a tough decision.
Thanks for the consideration, GM! Have fun and good luck to those selected.
Happy gaming!