Even better. I have a druid/ranger idea I've been dying to play. And looking at the group either works.
I'm thinking a druid more though, either Elf or Halfing. Any certain race? I'd like to maybe syntheizergize better with yall
I can do a Half-orc ranger (fortune finder, trapper) pretty easy. Are you going to pick someone first or shall we do the full character build?
Ironperenti just so you know I do not run contests as I fully respect my players and I do not require that a player create a character prior to being accepted into my game. Further I work with all my players to help them create a character that fully meshes with the campaign I am running.
Which is to say I am currently at my cap for full time PCs but PbP often gets hit with RL and losing a PC's player happens far to often not to recognize it can be an issue.
So, if you want to be ready should an opening occur then by all means feel free to create a character and I will work with you to get them ready to join the game. If it encourages you any I started with 15 folks saying their were interested but only 7 of those created characters then after basic character creation we lost another 1 so out of the starting 15 we lost over half the potential players. And that was just in less than a month, I believe.
Then in the meantime I might have your character make a cameo appearance from time to time and/or if you are up for it, I can let you run an NPC should the need arise. The latter of course is totally up to you, not everyone is good at (or even wants to) role-play an impromtu character. Still others enjoy a night at the improv ;)
Roger, it just looked like you had an opening pop up. No worries, I'm really in enough games. I'm just addicted to character creation. Hope you guys have fun.
Yes I did have an opening pop up and it got filled just as quickly which is nice. Like I said though if you are interested in the game sometimes being a character actor can be fun.
Storyteller, I had a friend recommend hopping in line. So, if you are ok with it, I will put together said ranger. Under Kul Theraka.
You are more than welcome to submit a character and I will work with you to meld them into the game, however, I have to state that the current player roster is full. With that said I will state that I have noticed that one or two of the players have been a bit absent from posting.
Regardless, once you have a character created that makes it extremely easy to slip you into the game should the need arise.
In the meantime if you are down for it, I might present you with an NPC that could benefit from having someone else role play them besides the GM and/or maybe allow your character a brief cameo appearance.
Upon further review, i will hop on the standby list with a dwarf, Brand the Bold by name. I will slide into the discussion tab to work out particulars.
Ooo, i just saw your human variant. I think Brand will be human.
Race is your choice but yes I have balanced all the races -- so that flavor is the main reason to choose one -- and not the fact that it simply out shines all the other races.
Yeah which is to say, humans got short changed in that department as did a few other races.
Okay putting out a note that if anyone wants to join a game in progress that we have room for new players. I take all types, experienced and newbies and you will find that the story is centered on the PCs but with an active world taking place around them. Further the game is semi-sandbox which means while their are certain story arcs that could use the adventurers attention that does not mean they must attend to them, of course ignoring soem story arcs and carry nasty consequences.
Further, the story is based out of Dunwich a small town next to an ocean and a huge marsh/swamp. Still there is a couple of contingency of Dwarves nearby that have just newly arrived as well as lots of other races in the region.
The current active group consists of:
An Aquatic Elf Druid-Aquatic of Trishina
A Dwarf Cleric-Inquistor-Living Grimoire of Moradin
A Human Wizard-Evoker devoted to Heironeous
And no your character does not have to be strongly into religion it just happened that way as players chose to play the character they wanted to play and the backstory just happened to have that twist when it was merged into the world/campaign.
Still every PC lives in or very near Dunwich, and they have a vested interest in its success as they may have family or close relatives within the town as well. So keep that in mind when for character backgrounds but rest assured I will help tie you into the World/Campaign as I have with every player that has applied and completed their character creation step.
Also, no you do not have to create the character before you are accepted I do not run contests, I feel every player and the character they want to play are good enough to play in the game and it is my job as Storyteller to make sure they are included and involved but then I am not running a ridged module of any kind, I run fluid games that flow with what the PCs do and do not do.
So if you are interested we look forward to your joining us.
How serious is the tone of the game? I ask because the answer is going to affect what character I wind up going with.
Okay I am not sure how to answer that question but I will try.
It is not Scooby Doo and It is not IT but it does have elements of H.P. Lovecraft woven into it.
Does that help?
You could look at the story thus far if you want a better feel I guess.
dotting for interest.. Chellian here is a refuge from a carrion crown attempt will make the adjustments a bit later and will modify the back story some.
This definitely intrigues me. Will need to do some reading of the story to get a better idea of your setting (Greyhawk alternate universe with a veil of Cthulhu, yes?)
I'm thinking I'd be most interested in an Elven Ranger, possibly a tracker or guide through the swamps and whatnot. Devout in the ways of the wood, though not exactly religious about it. (Don't want to break your theme of diety worshiping chars. :) )
Ok, keeping 2 and adding 6, right?
= 17
= 12
= 17
= 14
= 13
= 14
HP
@DunwichStoryteller: That does help some. So maybe not Brask or Gkirkhan then.
This is Greyhawk with a homebrew spin, right? Do you have a primer or something that I can read to get some character ideas for someone from Dunwich?
If not to forward, just look at our characters in the game for a feeling.
I play a pretty nature worshipping sea druid. Not overly religious I'd say, but I mean she sees you throwing plastic she gonna have words with ya. Not nice ones.
Dain is feeling very insecure surrounded by all this water.
Hey Xynl what would you say to either being an Aquatic Elf (my tweaked version of course which is a bit more versatile) and being a friend of the other Aquatic Elf Druid of Trishina that is already in the game -- then you would both pretty much have the same deity. On the flip-side if you go normal Elf you might be a friend of Travoril (elf/human) Cleric-Scrivener of Labelas Enoreth and perhaps share the same deity or at least some close. Please let me know your thoughts.
AdamWarnock I am not sure who Brask or Gkirkhan are but yes this is mostly Greyhawk, with a small amount of homebrew. The location while not explicitly outlined in Greyhawk is not without merit. It is located southeast of Saltmarsh and south of Bale Keep both of which are part of official Greyhawk. This town and the other two towns I have included are possible based on other information within the official outlines of Greyhawk. Likewise other places denoted within official Greyhawk are here and only slightly repurposed to meld it into the overall story. Thus, much of what I am using is straight Greyhawk I am just adding a very slight twist to it and/or I am connecting the various dots and weaving that into a bigger story.
Oh and yeah Dwarves and deep water are not generally friendly to one another as in balancing the Dwarf race I added that they tend to sink like stones due to their denser body mass.
@DunwichStoryteller: Apologies, I guess I should have made it clear those are two characters of mine. Brask is a dwarf that is so drunk and fight-happy that other dwarves don't like him much and kicked him out of the stronghold. Gkirkhan is a character based off the Jaegermonsters from Girl Genius. Both are more comic relief, so that's why I said they wouldn't work in this game. They don't really match the tone you're apparently going for.
I'm going to read through the game thread to get a better feel for things, since that was suggested. Maybe something will spark. I'm still mulling things over, which is why I asked if there was a primer or something on Dunwich that I could read since I haven't seen one. I was hoping that might spark something. Given we're on the coast, I'm tempted to poke around the sea-faring archetypes.
I still want to play, just having trouble finding a concept that gels.
Got one!
How open are you to a changling daughter of a defeated Sea Prince? I was thinking she'd have been born as part of a bargain he made with a hag, and after his death, she started hearing the calling of her mother. To drown out the voice, she turned to the bottle. She washed up in Dunwich a few years ago and mostly keeps to herself, only being seen around town when she needs money and booze.
Well AdamWarnock I have no problems with the basic concept but I have to ask based on the character profile you outlined. Why would this person be at all motivated to help this town that she has nearly no involvement with beyond a source for alcohol as she could simply move on to some other town and more easily acquire that same source when the source here potentially stopped existing.
As for Brask I would say yeah that character is not very team oriented which would most likely end up being a problem. Keep in mind the games is meant to be fun for everyone. If you get one PC that is nearly tipping the boat over that ends up making it less fun for the other players.
Now I looked up these Jaegermonsters but I did not see anything overtly comical about them except for maybe in their portrayal, which I could not see, as their basic idosyncracies are not overly problematic depending on how they are played out in game.
So, thus far the basic ideas are borderline heroes at best and mostly seem so self absorbed that it makes it rather hard to integrate them into the story that is focused on fellow towns folk who care about the town and its inhabitants, for one or more reasons, and are trying to help the town survive. If I had to give these PCs an alignment I would probably deem them all Chaotic Neutral which is not an alignment I am allowing as that is an alignment that on the linear scale ends up being an evil alignment. Further, in my experience as a fellow player and GM that is how most of them end up being played. Aka I do not care about good or evil I only care about ME!
I hope that helps you with moving one of these or some other character concept in a somewhat more cohesive direction. Note I am not saying you cannot play a dysfunctional character. Just as long as they are not so dysfunctional that they destroy the party team play or be such that they would not be overly interested in lending a hand to save the town that they should care about -- for whatever reason you choose.
Note: I have updated the Campaign Information to include the Aquatic Elf. Also it should be noted that under the Campaign Tab there is other information that might prove useful during character creation.
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Just bribe a Jagermeister with a good hat and they are all in with helping.
@DunwichStoryteller: I hope that I can put you mind at ease. I've been playing TTRPGs since April of 2011. I've been playing on the boards for almost as long. I have played a lot of PBP games and characters. I write and study the craft of writing as a hobby. I tend to play good aligned characters, but that doesn't mean that I can't play characters of other alignments. If you'll let me, I'll show you how I can get all of those characters into the group and in a way that wouldn't disrupt things.
===
Brask: Brask has two loves in life. Ale and fighting. He finds out the group is busy exploring some dangerous marshes and decides that sounds like the kind of place to find some good fights and get some tales to swap for the ale. He joins up with the party, offering to be some muscle and a fighter in exchange for an equal share of the loot. He finds them interesting and, to be frank, hilarious. He sticks around with them and over time becomes friends with them. He's still the drunken, fight-craving dwarf he's always been, but these are his people and he'll die fighting at their side. Still CN, still a loud, brash, violent, ill-tempered dwarf, but one that has formed friendships and is willing to stick it out to help his friends, if not the town.
Gkirkhan: The way I tend to play Gkirkhan is as more of a loveable goofball than a self-absorbed prick, so I don't think the CN alignment fits as much as CG does. Much like Brask, he enjoys fighting. He is also a flirt, and unlike the dwarf, he also has charm and some tact on his side. He hears about the troubles going on in Dunwich and about the group trying to help the town. He offers his services, though he's more likely to go over the top if he spies Sahala among the group. After all, he's a sucker for the pretty ladies. Much the same with Brask, he forms friendships with the party members, but he also comes to know the town and begins to see it as his home, and home is worth fighting for.
Kiley (the one that I asked about. It's just easier to refer to her by this name): I'll grant you that as stated, she really wouldn't seem like a fit. I've been mulling over her background, so I think I could actually make a case for her not being CN after I flesh her out, but let's go with what I have so far. She's a drunk, and being the daughter of a pirate, though she tries her best not to advertise that fact, she's on the rowdy side. A trip into town, a drunken fight, and a night spent behind bars, she's given a choice, spend several months in jail, working off the debts she owes for repairs, or go with a group trying to help the town. Kiley takes the second option, figuring that she can always slip away in the night if she needs to. Perhaps her drinking causes problems, maybe she ticks off the party, or you decide to throw in an agent of her mother because she's being a rebellious daughter and it's time for her to learn the family trade, but something happens and party finds out underneath the wise-cracking facade, there's a young woman, barely more than a girl, who is scared to death and trying desperately to hide it. Or, the party learns she's the daughter of one of the Sea Princes and that she's been keeping it a secret for fear of what will happen to her if the townsfolk find out. Or, maybe the party just saves her butt when she gets in too deep and nearly gets herself killed. In any case, something happens that causes her to start looking at things from a new perspective. She starts looking beyond herself and her problems.
Basically, yes, she's a self-absorbed brat at the start, but you could make the same argument about Luke Skywalker. At the start of A New Hope, Luke's only concern is getting off the farm and going to the Imperial Academy. He tries to shirk his responsibilities to hang out with his friends in Tashi Station. In short, he looks less the hero than a farm boy that is more focused on getting off the farm than saving the galaxy. He doesn't stay that way, however. He learns, he grows, and that is one of the reasons he's a beloved hero to many fans of Star Wars. Kiley doesn't have a reason to help Dunwich, but that doesn't mean that will always be the case. A lot of it will depend on how things play out, how the others treat her, and what you throw our way, but that's why this is a collaborative game. We can work together to set things up to tell the story that we want to tell. You want to tell a heroic story, and that's great, but that doesn't preclude characters not having heroic aspirations at the start of their journeys, or even being good people. To use another example from Star Wars, Han Solo very much isn't a good person when he's introduced, but by the end of Return of the Jedi, he's a hero of the Rebellion and one of the key people behind its success.
But we don't have to stop there. What about an evil character?
Lutinus Velbrook (A hypothetical LE Knight): Concerned by reports from the area around Dunwich and the security of the viscounty after the fall of Numen Eor to the lizardfolk of the Hool Marshes, a questor is sent to assess the town of Dunwich and determine the state of the area and what threats there may be. Sir Lutinus, being a dutiful sort, learns of the party's quest for a cure to the disease that threatens to plague Dunwich and the wider viscounty once more. He sees this mission as vital to the security of both the viscounty and the kingdom of Keoland at large and joins the party. He is brutal in his methods, and while he won't break the law, he will go out of his way to make those that he feels have slighted him suffer, so long as doing so does not affect his greater mission. When dealing with outlaws, he leaves no technique barred, and will even practice his skills on them once he has the information he needs from them to stay sharp. The party may temper his methods, but he considers them too soft and worries that their kindness and mercy will be a crack in the foundations of the kingdom that will bring it down.
As you can see, this is not a nice man, but he is capable of working with the party and, while petty, won't disrupt things intentionally. He wants the party to succeed, as them doing so also aids in his mission.
===
I hope that I have shown that I can come up with character motivations and ways for those characters to integrate with the party, even if some require more work and finesse than others. I understand wanting to run a heroic game where the PCs are heroes. If you still aren't convinced that I am capable of running what you see as a chaotic neutral character in a manner that is conducive to the narrative you want to weave, then I will think of something else or bow out if I can't.
Anyway, I'm still reading through the gameplay thread. I'm going to finish going through that and see if there's anything else that sparks an idea before making any decisions one way or another. I may think of something I like the idea of more. Just know that it is not my intent to make a character that disrupts things for the party.
Just bribe a Jagermeister with a good hat and they are all in with helping.
And Gkirkhan does love him some nize hats!
Okay I commend you on the expansion some of those backgrounds to help tie them in, and I am okay working with you to fit the character you really want to play into the campaign. However, the overall requirement that characters be LG, NG, CG, or LN is not negotiable. I know it can be a bit restrictive for some character types but with a few minor concessions up front we generally reduces many issues later on. Remember not only must the players have fun (which I do acknowledge far out weigh the one GM) but still the GM has to have fun too and I have found I just do not have fun running borderline heroes. Now they do not have to be an over the top hero but somewhere deep in their bones it resides and guides them through their faults.
Also, the alignments to me are simply a part of a characters personality. I do not run them strictly, for instance even a Lawful Good Gold Dragon can become a Tryant due it is extremely alien outlook on things and it would still be Lawful Good but that is an extreme example that probably would not come into play with a PC. However, Lawful Good characters might do Chaotic or Neutral things now and again and maybe on rare occassions even Evil things but in the end they always gravitate back to their core. Perhaps seeking repentance had they done some Evil.
I hope that clears that up and sets the stage a bit better.
Now as for those characters (accept the evil one) if we made them CG and perhaps wove something in them that made them a bit more heroic in nature we could make one of those work. Even the hat loving Gkirkhan.
The overview points out that everyone is from Dunwich when the game begins and we are not that far in to change that, unless you want to play a Grippli. In fact of all the characters that went through character creation only two have not been directly from Dunwich for even the fFolk (elf/human) moved here and set up shop prior to things starting. The two that are not directly from Dunwich are: the Dwarf Dáin who came on his peoples behalf from one of the nearby Dwarven Enclaves (mining sites) and the Aquatic Elf Salaha who has strong family ties associated with Dunwich. Also it seems Salaha is a bit of an oddball, or social outcast, amongst her more pacifistic dolphin loving people; as she has a crocodile companion which might also hint at a streak of visciousness lying just beneath the surface. Of course William comes from the Abbey and Vilma comes from Bale Keep but those places are kind of considered parts of Dunwich as it supports both of those facilities.
Oh note some of those notes about Salaha above were mentioned for their players benefit. Something I had not noticed during character creation but things I think the player might want to consider to maybe give their character a bit more depth but again that is ultimately the player's choice, I just make suggestions when I notice things like this.
This does clear up some things. I'm afraid that from what you have said here and what I have seen in the gameplay and discussion threads that I'm not going to be a good fit for you as a player. I hope you'll understand that there's no hard feelings. Thank you for your consideration, but I'll be bowing out.
No hard feelings AdamWarnock. I know not every player's style fits with every GM's style and I like to set the proper expectations up front rather than have it come to an ugly head some where deeper into the game.
Okay that means I have 3 potential players thus far that I am hopefully moving forward with:
Albion, The Eye -- an Uriak (orc/human) strange kid from the marsh turned Investigator
Xynl Silverthorn -- an Elven (of some sort) Ranger
Chellian Oaks -- a refugee of some sort from some where
I am currently work with Albion, The Eye in PMs and looking forward to working with you other two players shortly either here or in PMs your choice.
However, I would point out if we do it here your future fellow players might chime in and help out some with possible ideas and/or in-game linkages to other PCs (aka relationships)
Just dotting in to say I am perfectly ok with discussing my possible character/participation here on the Recruitment thread.
Okay Albion here is what I am looking at for your retained Bloodline Powers which were patterned mostly off of the Aberherent Bloodline with some minor substitutions from one or two other bloodlines. Most of it is a bodily progressive change in nature and some of it is quite outwardly noticeable and all of it melds into the mutation concept of Cthulhu Chaos:
.1st Chaos Aspects (Su)
..... Darkvision 30ft
..... Fast Movement (elongated feet, larger thighs)
..... Gain 3" in height
..... Retractable Claws (1d4 natural attack with proficiency)
..... Wild Instinct
.4th Chaos Alterations (Su)
..... Blindsight 10ft (hearing, scent, tactile)
.......... Eyes become all black, nostrils retract an enlarge some,
.......... face elongates some
..... Body Morph
.......... Elongating Tentacles
............... (arm(s) transforms into a 10ft tri-hooked tentacle a
............... 1d6 natural grasping attack with proficiency or
............... +4 Bonus on Climb checks)
.......... Watersight (lose eyelids gain nictitating membrane)
.......... Long Tail (gain Swim Speed can learn tail attack with reach)
..... Damage Reduction 1/-- (more lizard/dragon like skin)
..... Darkvision 60ft
..... Predators Leap (animalistic legs -- reversed knee)
..... Poison Save +2
..... Gain 3" in height
..... Gain Alien Appearance (-4 friendly social interactions
.......... but +2 to Intimidation)
.8th Chaos Fortitude (Su)
..... Damage Reduction 2/--
..... Gain 3" in height
..... Immune to the Sickened and Nauseated Conditions
12th Chaos Anatomy (Su)
..... Blindsight 20ft
..... Darkvision 90ft
..... Damage Reduction 3/--
..... Fortitude Save vs Critical Hits and Precise Attacks (aka Sneak)
..... Gain 3" in height
..... Poison Save +4
16th Chaos Resistance (Su)
..... Damage Reduction 4/--
..... Gain 3" in height
..... Immune to Disease
..... Immune to Exhaustion
..... Immune to Fatigue
..... Immune to Poison
..... Immune to Staggered Condition
20th Chaos Form (Su)
..... Blindsith 30ft
..... Damage Reduction 6/--
..... Darkvision 120ft
..... Gain 3" in height
..... Gain the Aberration Type (Lose original Type)
..... Appear to sort of look like a cross between a dragonborn,
.......... a lizard folk, and a yuanti. Lose the -4 to friendly
.......... social interactions as you now are a new race. The
.......... long tail and nictating membrances become permanent.
..... Immune to Critical Hits and Precise Attacks (aka Sneak)
Now we have agreed that your pet looks something like THIS
And if you agree your character will eventually look something like THIS (aka at 20th-level mind you)
P.S. While your dragon/lizard dog started out small it is considered to be of medium size now -- aka a big dog.
Also I finished merging those two concepts and where is what I got:
Class Skills (5 + Int Mod)
..... Acrobatics ............... Dex
..... Animals ................... Cha
..... Bluff ......................... Cha
..... Diplomacy ............... Cha
..... Disable Device ........ Dex
..... Heal .......................... Wis
..... Legerdemain ........... Dex
..... Intimidate ................ Cha
..... Linguistics ................ Int
..... Perception ............... Wis
..... Sense Motive .......... Wis
..... Stealth ..................... Dex
..... Survival .................... Wis
..... Swim ........................ Str
..... Use Magic Device ... Cha
..... Knowledge(All) ........ Int
..... Craft( ) ...................... Wis
Class Features
..... 1st .... Bloodline/Blood Power, Familiar-Companion
..... 2nd ... Inspiration, Spagriun(magical alchemy)
..... 3rd .... Ceaseless Obvservation
..... 4th .... Bloodline Power, Investigator Talent, Keen Recollection
..... 5th .... Studied Combat, Precise Strike +1d6, Unfailing Logic
..... 6th .... Investigator Talent
..... 7th .... Precise Strike +2d6
..... 8th .... Bloodline Power, Investigator Talent
..... 9th .... Precise Strike +3d6
... 10th .... Investigator Talent
... 11th .... Precise Strike +4d6
... 12th .... Bloodline Power, Investigator Talent
... 13th .... Precise Strike +5d6
... 14th .... Investigator Talent
... 15th .... Precise Strike +6d6
... 16th .... Bloodline Power, Investigator Talent
... 17th .... Precise Strike +7d6
... 18th .... Investigator Talent
... 19th .... Precise Strike +8d6
... 20th .... Bloodline Power, Master Intellect
Okay so where did Spagriun come from. Well first Alchemy is the non-magical version so that seemed wrong for that ability. So, I decided I needed a magical version of it. I then went looking for alternate names for Alchemy and came across Spagyric (although that is more akin to Alchemic and the version of that anme more associated with Alchemy would be Spagiricus) which is made up of Spao (To draw out) and Agerio (To gather) very appropriate for Alchemy but that left a missing element the magic. So I did a bit more looking, checked into Infuse as they infuse alchemical mixtures with magic and found that word is made up of En (in or into) and Gheu- (to pour) and that seemed to cover that missing element. Then I went back to the root meanings and words as follows:
To draw out -- To gather -- To Pour - In(to)
Spao -- Agerio -- Gheu -- En
Thus was born Spagriun which is the magical version of Alchemy
Sometimes words can be so much fun.
So let me know what you think about all that Albion -- is it good -- is it all bad -- is some of it good and some not so good. Be honest and frank I promise I will not be insulted. In the end the character is yours to play. I just saw your background and thought ooo opportunity to meld a PC more into what is taking place in the area and perhaps give them something more to role play as we go along.
Also in case you all have not noticed -- my term for elf/human or human/elf is fFolk and my term for orc/human or human/orc is Uriak. This does not mean someone will not call a fFolk a half-elf or half-human nor that someone will not call an Uriak a half-orc or half-human. These are just fairly common derogatory terms for those two races. Of course, not everyone knows the proper names for them either and that includes sometimes the person themselves.
Oh and the actual official race name for halflings (a derogatory term) is Hin (its in one of the original D&D books), they just do not have problems with folks calling them halflings as it helps to make those biggies underestimate them and they like that.
@DunwichStoryteller: Thank you for such detailed and thorough work! That is most impressive. I was not aware you had planned to make such extensive work upon the concept and idea of the character, otherwise I would have stopped you :/
For me personally, I find it is a bit 'too much' as a starting character, and even as a whole. I like to start simple (both crunch and fluff wise), and add layers as I go, and usually do not have my characters planned for more than a few levels down the line, so looking at all the info you have put together feels slightly daunting to me.
I like the fact this idea has a clear theme, direction and progression, but it goes on too much of a tangent regarding what I would like to play. The lizardman theme is not very appealing to me, neither the aberration concept or the Chaos mutations vibe (even though mechanically they are amazing) . And after checking the familiar again, I don't think I like its looks.
Please keep in mind I find that all the work you have done makes sense and provides a coherent character, arguably more so than my straight up, outlander with a mysterious past half-orc collated Bloodrager/Investigator. I just do not think it is the character for me. But it may be for someone else who comes across this thread.
Okay that is fine, not every idea works with every player. So looking at perhaps what I had done. If we change the fluff (what things look like), and alter the Bloodline to something less chaotic/aberrational would that make the concept something more appealing.
Again I am perfectly fine with making adjustments to a proposed adjustment. I just need to know what you the player want to see. I mean other than the specific Bloodline you did seem to like the Bloodline idea and besides the appearance of the pet you requested the Familiar-Companion. Now grant you, if you might think you are going to multiclass after taking the refined class then I would have to put into place the Familiar increments that were included but not outlined as I had sort of hoped to make a package deal so you would not feel a need to multiclass later on.
So, please let me know where you would like to go with this. Oh and helping players realize a dream character is a lot of fun for me and generally makes the game a lot more fun for everyone. That and I have been doing this for so long that it usually does not take an overly long time to figure out a balanced version using what already exists.
So as a for instance: What if we change the bloodline to one of the other existing bloodlines?
Would you like some other semi-exotic creature as your familiar-companion of do you just want the rat (well perhaps a muskrat or water rat might be better though)? Further do you want it to always be tiny or is increasing in size something you might like? Do you want the familiar-companion to always be a basic familiar or do you want it to improve as you level up?
I mean other than cosmetics and swapping Rage for Bloodline those were the only changes I think I made to your basic concept. So, just let me know where you might like to go with your character.
@DunwichStoryteller: There are a couple of things that work for me (as I am sure everyone has their own) when creating a character - whereas in the past I would scold my fellow players for not writing down pages long stories and backgrounds, nowadays one of the things I value the most (perhaps because RL consumes my free time relentlessly) is to have a 'simple' character creation process, and even more so in PbP, after seeing so many games disappear even before they start, taking with them so many of those pages long backgrounds I pointed out, and correspondent amazing characters (it has happened to me not only as a player, but also as a DM on these boards).
So I want to get a character up with a crunch according to the DM rules, a drafted consistent background, 1, 2, 3, and go play. I really lack the stamina to dissect builds and character stories down to minutiae. Above all I want to play, and my character will grow in whatever direction it makes sense according to the story. I will take a level of Fighter if we are stuck defending a besieged town for a year, or perhaps I take a monk level if my character is secreted away into a monastery for some reason and my alignment permits. Hey, we have been underground for six months hunting troglodytes? Maybe I will take a level of Deep Walker Ranger? Or not, and the DM simply rules we have all gained Darkvision due to exposure to the Underdark Faerzress? Or maybe we gained some sort of stench resistance? Or a few skill ranks in Survival (Underground)? I like not knowing where I am going with the character - I have a rough idea in my head, but what I really want to find is a game which will open up directions, unexpected options.
What I am trying to say is that as far as character concept discussion and analysis, I am kinda done. No harm, no foul, but my dedication to the process starts to wane after a while, and that while has elapsed :)
On specifics, I like half-orcs for some reason, they always feel somewhat bestial and ferocious to me, I like the idea of having a Rat protector and don't feel the need for it to be exotic in any way, I like the visuals because they resonate with ideas in my head - cornered rats become indomitable, perhaps like my character? I like the idea of a dormant Bloodline, but I don't feel like I am tied into pursuing it. I don't know if I would like to multiclass in the future (as per the above). I like Abyssal, Infernal, Draconic, Orcish bloodlines because they feel gritty and dark (to me). I could continue enumerating the reasons why I like the character I proposed, but that is not my process. I do respect it is yours though.
Okay Albion so what if we go with the following Bloodline with the caveat that you can either gain it using the class outline I provided already or if you choose to multi-class (after taking that class I outlined) you can acquire the bloodline powers using Feats either before or after the character qualifies for them. For example one gets a Feat at 3rd-level but does not get the 2nd Bloodline Power until 4th-level. They could use their 3rd-level Feat to give them access to the 4th-level Bloodline Power whereupon when they gained 4th-level they would then acquire that Bloodline Power.
So let me know what you think and hopefully it is not too much for you to digest. However in short, it is just basically the Sorcerer Orc Bloodline with a facelift and claws added if that helps you digest it easier.
Again, this is patterned off of the Sorcerer Orc Bloodline. I have simply converted it into a Bloodrager Bloodline and given it a slight aesthetical face lift as well as spreading out each of the gained abilities into their appropriate level category.
[u]Beastial Bloodline[/u]
1st: Beastial Claws (Su)
Prerequisite: The character must be of Medium Size
The character can transform their fingers into claws. These claws are treated as natural weapons, allowing them to make two claw attacks as a Full Attack, using their full Base Attack Bonus. These attacks deal 1d6 points of damage each plus their Strength modifier. While their fingers are claws they cannot weild weapons or use somatic components.
2nd Beastial Roar (Ex)
Prerequisite: Must be at least 4th in character level.
As a Standard Action they can Roar and gain a +2 per Blood Rank on an Intimidation check affecting all creatures within 5 feet per Blood Rank area. This roar raises the roarer's ferocity granting them a Morale Bonus +1 per Blood Rank on Attack and Damage rolls and Will Saves. The ferocity lasts for 1 round per Constitution modifier plus half their Blood Rank (rounded down) and they can use this ability a number of times per day equal to their Blood Rank.
Note: Blood Rank is equal to the number of Bloodline Powers of this Bloodline that the character has obtained.
3rd Beastial Nature (Ex)
Prerequisite: Must be at least 8th in character level.
They gain a +4 bonus on Saves made against mind affecting magic, a +1 Natural Armor bonus, and their claws are considered magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
4th Power of the Beast (Ex)
Prerequisite: Must be at least 12 in character level.
They gain a +2 inherent bonus to their Strength, Immunity to Fear, and their Natural Armor bonus increases to +2.
5th Massive Beast (Su)
Prerequisite: Must be at least 16th in character level.
Their Strength Bonus increases to +4 and their Natural Armor bonus increases to +4.
Further they may grow to a Large size as a Standard Action. While Large they gain an additional +2 Size Bonus to Strength, Constitution, Combat Maneuvers, and their Natural Armor. While their Claws now do 1d8 points of damage. However, they suffer a –2 Penalty To Hit, AC, Dexterity and -4 Penalty to Hide. They may return to their normal size as a Standard Action. They may remain in this size for up to 4 minutes per Blood Rank per day; this duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be used in 1 minute increments.
6th Primal Beast (Su)
Prerequisite: Must be at least 20th in character level.
They become a true true beast of legend. They gain a DR 5/-- and Immunity to Disease and Poison.
Further, once per day, they may transform into a vertible juggernaut of devastation. They gain an Enhancement Bonus +4 to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, a +4 to their Natural Armor Bonus, a +5 Competence Bonus on Fortitude Saves, their Claws due twice their die in damage, and their Attack Bonus equals their character level (which may give them multiple attacks). However, they lose any spell casting ability, including any ability to use spell activation, spell completion, or spell-like abilities.
@DunwichStoryteller: Thanks for the reply! So if I understand correctly, I can keep my character ‘as is’, and have the option to further the Bloodline you detailled via Feats if I so decide. Is that correct?
Dotting to read more tomorrow
Btw, this is rizzenmagnus
In the meantime I have joined a Discord based OSE game, so will have to cut on my PbP bandwidth - thank you DunwichStoryteller for having considered my 'application', but I will have to step down from this one. Best of luck with the game!
Okay 2 lost and 3 potentials to go -- status folks
Xynl Silverthorn -- an Elven (of some sort) Ranger
Chellian Oaks -- a refugee of some sort from some where
Helna karnik'kri'kro -- unknown at this point
Keep in mind folks you can use me as a resource to help you tie your character more tightly into the game and the story if you want. Or if there is something you have always wanted to try but was not able to implement before, assuming it works with the current overall theme that is.
Bumping this as it appears the previous three have evaporated before they even began.
Sounds interesting. I like the idea, as described, including the home brew elements.
Will read the adventure thread and see what's what.
Do you have a wish list or preference for the class(es) that apply?
My only wish list is active players playing a heroic character that they will have fun playing -- I can alter the campaign on the fly to accomodate most characters
Hi, I'm one of the players. So far, it's been fun. I play an evoker mage who wishes to defeat evil.
We could use more players. Definitely.
Ok, since you stated above it's ok to discuss and hash things out here rather than in Messages, I'll do so.
Since this is close to Keoland, I would think that there would be a strong military-type influence, or at least sense of pride in the area. I'm thinking of playing a physical character, though I'm not sure if it would be best as a Paladin or Ranger.
Both of them have pros and cons, and could be a lot of fun. The Ranger could easily be a guide for others through the nearby swamps and wilderness, and have come across all sorts of nastiness and wierdness.
Hmmm, I think that with the Druid in the group, however, I'm leaning more towards the Paly. (Although in a momentary spark of creativity, I could also see this character as a Fighter instead, but one who grew up wanting to be a Paladin, but falling short somehow. Maybe not being disciplined enough or something.) Will have to think on that.
Thoughts?
Actually your first assumption is incorrect this is considered the hinterlands of Keoland and it has been pretty much left to its own defenses, even the family put in charge of this region are not happy about it as they see it more as a demotion but the King needed someone competent taking care of the region even though not much support was going to be given.
If you google "Greyhawk Salinmoor" you can get more information on the region in general and Dunwich (an undocumented town in Greyhawk Salinmoor) is located in the southern most area of Salinmoor so it is even more removed and thus less influenced by Keoland's military.
In fact this is the region where many spell casters who do not have or do not want government sanctions flee to not be bothered. There were even enough spell casters to cause an over throw of a region that is further west of Salinmoor, to which the Crown of Keoland ended up negotiating. They agreed (secretly) to end spell caster persecution if the spell casters would surrender the city (making it look like it was retaken by military might) so that Keoland would not lose face (note this is a very very recent happening so much so virtually no one knows about it and that has not fully come to fruition as such may or may not fully happen).
As for Ranger, Paladin, or Fighter all of those would work just fine and I could fold anyone of those into the game fairly easily.
Note we did have a Noble Paladin that you could replace with a Noble Paladin and be the child of the Lord of Bale keep if you like. Otherwise there is a Abbey of Heironious here that either a Paladin or a Paladin-wannabe Fighter could be associated with.
Lastly perhaps we could build a Fighter eventually Paladin-like character. Basically reskin the Eldritch Knight to be a Divine Caster rather than an Arcane Caster. In fact right now your options are nearly endless for creating a heroic character. So my thoughts are what would you really like to play, ever have a concept you could never realize but wanted to try, perhaps I could help you with that. Basically I am pretty could at tweaking things to keep them balanced and yet realize a concept that a player wanted to play.
As the Aquatic Elf Druid, or look what I did recently for a player that ended up not joining. So what do you feel you would have the most fun playing??
Ok, a few questions:
1. The Noble Paladin you mention: Do you mean simply replace/retrofit them or simply be another family member or...? Also, which family and what have you already established?
2. You have an evoker devoted to Heironeous, so regardless of the specifics of class and profession, perhaps my character could worship him and so have connections with the mage, perhaps?
3. I think I would probably go with Human or Elf for ancestry. Do you have a prefernce, storywise?
4. Tell me more about a reskinned Eldritch Knight. That sounds like it could be fun...though wouldn't it basically just be a battlepriest? (Which, come to think of it might be a good option as well, if I go with the "failed-paladin-applicant" idea).
1.0) Your character would (for the lack of a better term) miraculously and completely replace the previous Paladin as if they had always been that Paladin within conceptual reason.
1.1) The character is the daughter (or in your case son) of the Lord of Bale Keep who is a Landed Knight within a Viscounty (what they are in actual class and level was not fully divulged). The father is bordering on becoming a Baronet assuming he plays is political cards properly.
1.2) What has been establised, they are the child of the Lord of Bale Keep, they often subtly spar politically with their father and mother like say during dinner when the share one. The character sometimes leads patrols. Their father sent them to Dunwich as his representative most likely to keep them busy doing something fairly innocuous, perhaps. They know and have met William (a PC) and his sister the Abbot of the Abbey to Heironious. They belong to the loyalist faction within Dunwich.
2) I strongly encourage everyone to have a patron deity and potentially pay homage or appeasement to the other deities should they have any knowledge of them, as that can play into the game at times.
3) If you want to be the son of the Landed Knight you would need to be human, otherwise as someone with an Elf or fFolk (elf/human) you would you either come from the nearby Dreadwood or some place much further away. Travoril is a fFolk from Dreadwood.
4) If you chose that I would then got to the Fighter class, outline what the Fighter gets, and what the Paladin gets (confused systems on the Eldritch Knight wrong concept of PF1e) and then translate that into a Holy Knight -- basically probably it will be sort of like a lesser Paladin with a bit more fighting ability. I would guess.
That is to say, that one I have not created as of yet, as no one has come up with that concept until now. I just put it on the table as that is what came to mind when you mention your concept for the character, so that in case you felt interested in pursuing such a thing it was there.
Note I do like to encourage players to play a single class as I find the multiclass guidelines to be a bit ridiculous conceptually and/or a bit broken mechanically in how they are implemented. I can go into the reasons I feel that way if that interests you, otherwise I will leave it at that. That being said, if someone (or you) really wanted to play a multiclassing anomoly I would not stop them. However, I would again prefer to figure out a means to get something close by following a single conceptually themed class of some sort and I will do the work to bring it to life and mold it into balance.
So basically the Paladin is someone that has completed a full background that when they begin (after many years of training) they are a 1st level Paladin. Meanwhile the Holy Knight would perhaps be someone that struggled with their faith or studies and did not fully qualify to become a Paladin but are still striving to be the best holy warrior that they can be for the deity that they still serve. So they have all the basic years of training and what not that a Paladin has, they just are better at the combat than they are at the faith/religious stuff.
I hope that makes sense, as a final note your input on the making of the Holy Knight and no this is not anything like a Battlepriest (which I am assuming you meant Warpriest) as that is a cross between a Fighter + Cleric where the Holy Knight would be a cross between a Fighter + Paladin not as much Divine Magic as a Warpriest and much more of a Fighter. So on the scale of ability the Warpriest has more divine magic and less holiness stuff than the Paladin but might be on par when it comes to combat. So I would not call a Warpriest a "failed-paladin-applicant" I would call them a combat focussed Cleric. To me the "failed-paladin-applicant" concept is someone still on the road to full Paladinhood it just is going to take them longer and they will never quite be as good as full-fledge Paladin in the holiness category but will probably fight as good or better than they do.
I hope that explains that concept. Oh and do let me know if that sounds interesting and I will see what I can do to give you a peak at how it might look, then if you kind of like it -- WE can then finish building the concept.
Thanks for all that! Both options sound cool, so if it's not too inconvenient, howabout you work out some details for the Holy Knight, and I'll consider it against the wibbly-wobbly timey-whimey retrofit of the Paladin and see which "feels" more like what I want to play.
Is that cool?