Faerie Dreams Reboot

Game Master Seer of Shadows

I’ve been thinking the last couple of days about how a lot of old royalty traced their lineage to deities; all of the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms traced their royal houses’s lineage to Odin, for example, and as societies became Christian they often began to trace ancestry from Israelite kings (especially David), and thereby to Adam & Eve (not deities, but you get the picture). Many Greco-Roman families likewise traced their ancestries to their Gods; the kings of Sparta were reputably descended from Hercules, Julius Caesar claimed descent (through Aeneas) from Venus. The Victorians were actually really into these historical fiction genealogies. Seriously considering submitting a character who is conscious and proud of his descent from Odin (or Zeus, or whoever). Of course, the story would’ve gotten a bit twisted in the telling, the “deity” having been some powerful Fey entity, who perhaps was using the human stories as a guise. But that feels like a good way for a character to suddenly develop 8 levels of magic, without having attended wizard college or whatever. I just need to figure out which deity/deities I want to focus on and which classes best represent that. And what kind of Fey was doing the pretending.

Rajah is basically tailor-made for that.

May I request the following martial tradition? My character is very much not a "I pick up a sword and stab someone" type, but more the supportive active type:

> Words break bones This tradition is basically a modified scholar tradition
Equipment Sphere: Unarmored Training Either this or switching it back to staff training
Gladiator Sphere Something for the offensive mix, allowing her to do similar things, similar to alchemy sphere
Warleader Sphere something supportive, similar to the scout sphere
Variable: 1 talent from either Gladiator or Warleader sphere.

That martial tradition is fine with me.

Secondly, this one focused on vancian to magic transperancy- Do racial CL boosts from vancian casting schools apply to their directly corresponding sphere's caster level (Divination to Divination and Enchantment to Mind?) What about racial DC boosts?

Racial boosts to Vancian school CLs or spell DCs do not apply to their corresponding Spheres. I'm fairly certain that was an official ruling from the publisher, but I don't have the reference on hand.

Can we select alternate racial traits if the base trait is priced in the RP system?

I will allow that.

I've got an idea brewing for a Japanese immigrant- an immediate relation of Saigo Takamori, gone overseas to duck the consequences of losing the Satsuma Rebellion. The time is right for a general surge in interest in Japanese culture- this is the period of The Mikado and Japnonisme. Powerwise, her Othersoul would be a Jorogumo and she would be an Incanter | Hedgewitch (Martial Hedgewitch, Charlatanism)/Hive with the magical end of things heavily focused on a subtle, flexible and dangerous Conjuration-sphere Swarm Companion, with a side order of being a social skill monkey and a Fencing-sphere swordswoman.

Ah, so she's a relative of the 'Last Samurai'? Very interesting!

Given that the pool of possibles already includes an Arab and a Pole, though, I'm a little worried that you'll be reluctant to consider more than one or two world travelers in sleepy Waldenshire. Are you OK with the Ainsworths being super-cosmopolitan types with a circle of friends which would probably see them shunned in even a pretty damn tolerant 1870s English hamlet?

The Ainsworths are very cosmopolitan in attitude and associate freely with anyone so long as they are not of a particularly villainous disposition. And in Waldenshire, where the Ainsworths are adored, anyone who is their guest will be treated with respect. That's not to say that everyone in Waldenshire is as open and accepting as the Ainsworths, because a few certainly aren't, but they're willing to at least give the PCs due respect as one of their lord and lady's guests.

I’ve been thinking the last couple of days about how a lot of old royalty traced their lineage to deities; all of the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms traced their royal houses’s lineage to Odin, for example, and as societies became Christian they often began to trace ancestry from Israelite kings (especially David), and thereby to Adam & Eve (not deities, but you get the picture). Many Greco-Roman families likewise traced their ancestries to their Gods; the kings of Sparta were reputably descended from Hercules, Julius Caesar claimed descent (through Aeneas) from Venus. The Victorians were actually really into these historical fiction genealogies. Seriously considering submitting a character who is conscious and proud of his descent from Odin (or Zeus, or whoever). Of course, the story would’ve gotten a bit twisted in the telling, the “deity” having been some powerful Fey entity, who perhaps was using the human stories as a guise. But that feels like a good way for a character to suddenly develop 8 levels of magic, without having attended wizard college or whatever. I just need to figure out which deity/deities I want to focus on and which classes best represent that. And what kind of Fey was doing the pretending.

All powers initially come from the PC's status as Dreamwalkers- although their own capabilities and proclivities may have had some bearing on which ones they gain once Awakened- so there is no need to justify any abilities they may have. At a basic level it's no different than what happens in isekai stories, where an Earthling gets transported to another world and gains powers by virtue of something other than hard work. Refining those powers and gaining existing ones is another story.

That said, "divine" ancestry is fine from a flavor perspective, emphasis on the quotations since there are no perceivable gods as people might recognize them in this setting. There are certainly many options out there that I could suggest for said fey ancestry though.

All right, I have a background now:

Born to John Stephens in 1855, Alexander Stephens grew up in Tregenna Castle in the Cornish countryside. He proved to be an eager student from a young age, and when his family finally sold the castle in 1871, part of the proceeds went to funding young Alexander’s studies at the University of Cambridge. He took to his studies with considerable energy and great success, particularly in mathematics and physics. He attended all of James Clerk Maxwell’s lectures he could, and spent a great deal of time in the Cavendish Laboratory when it was complete, participating in experiments dealing with electromagnetism.

It was while he was here that he made two acquaintances that would alter the course of his life. First, he ran across a mention of a Joseph Swan experimenting with electric lightbulbs, and wrote to him in regards to how results from the latest experiments Alexander had been involved in might be applied to such a purpose. While at first the older Mr. Swan took little interest in a young student’s thoughts, Alexander later attended one of his lectures and made an impression on him with his enthusiasm and insight. Second, indulging in a ‘fancy’ for mythology, Alexander made the acquaintance of a certain Mr. Ainsworth, corresponding with him about the stories and mythology of Alexander’s homeland of Cornwall.

He stayed as long as he could at Cambridge, dragging out his degree as long as he could afford, enjoying the opportunity to study and experiment without other responsibilities, but eventually Alexander had to finish his studies. And with that came the need to support himself in some way, for the money he’d been given for school was nearly exhausted. It was here that his relationship with Mr. Swan came into play, for he offered Alexander a position in his new Swan United Electric Company. Needing the money and thinking it would offer opportunity to continue to experiment with electricity and light, Alexander accepted.

Unfortunately, it turned out not to be the job of his dreams. Mr. Swan used Alexander more or less as his personal assistant, and while that did mean helping with some experimentation, more often it involved aiding with the administration of the new business. He learned far more about tax and patent laws than he ever wanted in that time, especially as challenges to the business came from across the ocean in the form of Thomas Edison’s competing patents. It was a relief to him when the decision was finally made to merge into the Edison & Swan United Electric Light Company.

Not that the merger freed him up for more experimentation time. Instead he just ended up deeper in administration. In growing frustration, he started looking into the American part of the company (or more accurately, at what Thomas Edison was doing in America), noting how many new things were coming out of Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory. Joseph Swan was, of course, displeased when Alexander resigned from his position to go work for Edison, but he was determined to go through with the change in 1884.

But working for Edison, while it did get his hands on some interesting things, soon proved to be no better suited for Alexander. Where he wished to push the boundaries of knowledge about electricity, light, and so forth, working in Menlo Park forced him to focus on applications, which he found much less interesting. Still, he needed something to pay the bills, and by now Alexander was convinced that the sort of theoretical work he truly wished to do could not do so.

He had two consolations in these years of frustration. First was his continued correspondence with Duncan Ainsworth. While Alexander had no belief in the mythology and folklore they discussed, that very disbelief made their continued discussions a matter of entertainment rather than work, for which he was grateful. The second was a stray black cat that he took in shortly after arriving in America, which he named Midnight (which he freely admitted was not very original of him). The cat quickly became a source of companionship in this strange country for the very much introverted Alexander.

The time came that Edison decided to close his Menlo Park laboratory and move to another location. Alexander took this as a sign that it was time to end his American adventure and return to England in 1887. Disillusioned with working in any sort of ‘inventing’, once back on British soil he resorted to doing various odd jobs to supplement what he’d been able to save over the past years, while trying to fit in some of his own experimentation outside of his working hours. He found he had a lot to catch up on, however, and has mostly spent the past year reading and replicating the experiments of others.

Thus, when the Ainsworth’s invitation to visit Waldenshire came, Alexander found himself quite eager for the change of pace. Little did he know just how much of a change it would be…

***********************

Now I just have to work on things like stats. :D

Two more questions:

A) Suppose you've got something like the Elemental bloodline, which allows you to change a spell from one element to another. For example, Acid Splash turned into cold. Now we've got an alchemical reagent, an acid vial, which allows Acid Splash to do +1 damage. Would it still work? Would it rather be wiser to assume the reagent should change, maybe using Liquid Ice?

B) So we get our regalia when we dreamwalk. Do we have to pay for it? What if I want a mithral armour, e.g.?

I am withdrawing, too much on my plate as I may take over a game as GM.

All right, I have a background now:

I think Alexander could turn out to be quite fun. His first interactions with the supernatural should prove priceless.

A) Suppose you've got something like the Elemental bloodline, which allows you to change a spell from one element to another. For example, Acid Splash turned into cold. Now we've got an alchemical reagent, an acid vial, which allows Acid Splash to do +1 damage. Would it still work? Would it rather be wiser to assume the reagent should change, maybe using Liquid Ice?

I think it would depend on the specific interactions. In the example that you mentioned, I believe the acid vial counts as a Focus for the spell if I remember the official ruling correctly. That means the damage boost it provides is made part and parcel to the spell itself, so it gets transmuted into cold when the overall damage is converted. There are some other interactions I can think of where this might not be the case, so I believe my ruling is going to be 'ask and see beforehand on each new interaction so I can rule on them individually'.

B) So we get our regalia when we dreamwalk. Do we have to pay for it? What if I want a mithral armour, e.g.?

You do not have to pay for weapons and armor granted via Faerie Regalia. As for special materials, that is covered in part by Wyrdstones in-game as some of them can change your weapon and armor's fundamental nature when fused, although you will need to wait until you have access to those.

I am withdrawing, too much on my plate as I may take over a game as GM.

That is understandable. If you change your mind before the recruitment ends, feel free to make a submission.

Speaking of the recruitment end date, what date did you have in mind? I have the pieces for my witch shifter, just pulling them all together.

Ah yes, the ancient order of witch shifters. Organized to fight the plague of magical people who were always positioned inconveniently. When there's an old hag taking up two seats on a crowded train, we have the witch Shifters to get them to move over.

I guess I have Terry Pratchett on the brain.

Finally I've reached the last step: equipment.

What is your approach on fixed price properties like Adaptive? Do you consider it a fixed price payed with the Curio budget, or do you turn it into a +1 property?

Or, simply because we can generate a different Regalia weapon everytime and even shift it, are we able to virtually ignore a Str penalty for archery?

Couple of questions(I actually had a third, but I can't remember it right now):

1) Should we include the ABP increases in our stats now, or only once we 'awaken' ?

2) Do you have an outline for the GP increase of our Curio? It would be helpful to have an idea how much to roughly expect each level, so we can sort of plan ahead.

Ie, should I grab X item now to add my Curio, since we have 25k, or can I wait a level or two?

That reminds of a different 3rd question:

Can we either save some of our Curio fund for later levels(either the starting 25k or whatever we get each level thereafter) or could we buy off part of a more expensive item over a few levels?

Eg, if I wanted to add a 40k item to my Curio, could I spent 10k out of my fund over the next 4 levels?

Speaking of the recruitment end date, what date did you have in mind? I have the pieces for my witch shifter, just pulling them all together.

Since there are still many people working on characters at the moment, I was considering August 5th as the deadline. That's not set in stone at the moment, however, and is just a guideline to give people a rough estimate of how long recruitment will stay open.

Ah yes, the ancient order of witch shifters. Organized to fight the plague of magical people who were always positioned inconveniently. When there's an old hag taking up two seats on a crowded train, we have the witch Shifters to get them to move over.

I guess I have Terry Pratchett on the brain.

I'm not going to lie, the idea of grim-looking inquisitor types going up to an old, grandmotherly witch taking up two seats on a train and doing the whole "Oi witch, you got a loicense fer those seats?!" bit and forcibly moving her a few inches over to one seat or the other made me chuckle more than I probably should have. Thanks for that!

What is your approach on fixed price properties like Adaptive? Do you consider it a fixed price payed with the Curio budget, or do you turn it into a +1 property?

Or, simply because we can generate a different Regalia weapon everytime and even shift it, are we able to virtually ignore a Str penalty for archery?

There are two answers to this question and I will detail them both below.

I will rule that general set-cost enhancements instead become cost-appropriate +x properties; special materials, however, are tied to Wyrdstones and they're currently unavailable.

As for Adaptive itself, there is no need for it since compound bow strength ratings can be shifted whenever you decide to change the weapon.

1) Should we include the ABP increases in our stats now, or only once we 'awaken' ?

Since the first really short section is completely narrative in nature and the first real encounter doesn't truly begin in earnest until you Awaken, you can go ahead and include ABP bonuses in your statblock. These will be, as with nearly everything statblock-related, completely out-of-character and meta-level since your characters do not possess any of those powers at the start of the game.

2) Do you have an outline for the GP increase of our Curio? It would be helpful to have an idea how much to roughly expect each level, so we can sort of plan ahead.

Ie, should I grab X item now to add my Curio, since we have 25k, or can I wait a level or two?

So the scaling is as follows:

Some levels may seem like the usual exponential increase rates are squashed and that is by design.

Can we either save some of our Curio fund for later levels(either the starting 25k or whatever we get each level thereafter) or could we buy off part of a more expensive item over a few levels?

Eg, if I wanted to add a 40k item to my Curio, could I spent 10k out of my fund over the next 4 levels?

You can save money from your Curio's current pool for later acquisitions. Unless the item in question is a scaling item, you cannot pay for part of an item's abilities in multiple installments; you can note that you are setting aside X amount for so many levels until you pay off a certain ability, but you do not actually gain any of that item's power until you pay the full amount unless, of course, the item in question is a scaling magic item.

Dumb question, how are you handling material components? In addition, how are you pricing spells added through a spellbook? If you made the curio essentially a blessed book, would you price it at .5 the cost to scribe as accessing another spell book, as per the Arcane Magical Writing rules? Or would you rather be like "F$$! it, you can trade the weapon enhancement bonus for full spell book," just to make life easier.

In addition, how would we handle material components? I presume making your curio disposable would be out of the question, so would spending 5x the cost of the component on the curio qualify? Or would you price it through something like Blood Money, where it drains a stat instead?

All right, starting to work on stats, so of course I have questions.

* Are animal companion hit points the usual 1/2 (i.e. 5) per HD?
* I'd been kind of assuming that it would be fine for Alexander's housecat to transform into his tiger animal companion while in the Dreaming, is that fine?
* I'm using the Scholar class with Small + Large Animal Training, so Midnight (his cat) will have aspects of both familiars and animal companions. Could she swap the usual cat familiar stealth bonus for a raven familiar's ability to speak one language? (Yes this is mostly so she can be snarky to *everyone* not just Alexander)
* Speaking of the Scholar class, it uses both alchemical creations (flashbangs, Alchemy sphere stuff--I'm staying away from the banned abilities) and a healer's kit. Would I make an alchemy kit and a healer's kit part of my curio or regalia somehow?

I've given up doing a second character, couldn't get anything that feels right. I'll stick with Lysander.

I've given up doing a second character, couldn't get anything that feels right. I'll stick with Lysander.

I did some work on a kineticist/bard, but it wasn't nearly as interesting as Oswynn.

If I wanted to buy the samsaran racial trait Mystic Past Life with our bonus RP to get some more ice spells on my witch list, how much would that cost me? If you even allow it, that is.

Source Advanced Race Guide pg. 198

You can add spells from another spellcasting class to the spell list of your current spellcasting class. You add a number of spells equal to 1 + your spellcasting class’s key ability score bonus (Wisdom for clerics, and so on). The spells must be the same type (arcane or divine) as the spellcasting class you’re adding them to. For example, you could add divine power to your druid class spell list, but not to your wizard class spell list because divine power is a divine spell. These spells do not have to be spells you can cast as a 1st-level character. The number of spells granted by this ability is set at 1st level. Changes to your ability score do not change the number of spells gained. This racial trait replaces shards of the past.

It seems as if there are a few things I need to add to the campaign info tab. I would suggest people read my replies in this post, as there is some fairly important information to be gleaned from them.

Dumb question, how are you handling material components? In addition, how are you pricing spells added through a spellbook? If you made the curio essentially a blessed book, would you price it at .5 the cost to scribe as accessing another spell book, as per the Arcane Magical Writing rules? Or would you rather be like "F#@$ it, you can trade the weapon enhancement bonus for full spell book," just to make life easier.

In addition, how would we handle material components? I presume making your curio disposable would be out of the question, so would spending 5x the cost of the component on the curio qualify? Or would you price it through something like Blood Money, where it drains a stat instead?

I thought I had material components covered under Curios, but it seems that was not transplanted into the final draft of the recruitment, my apologies. The way it will be handled is thusly: you may pay any amount from your Curio's GP pool and that will permanently cover the cost of any material components and casting foci of that value or less unless I rule them to be a special case, such as with the diamonds for a Wish spell.

As for extra spells, you can either pay for them out of the Curio's GP pool or you can use your suggestion of trading a weapon enhancement bonus (+1) for a full book's worth. I am fine with either.

* Are animal companion hit points the usual 1/2 (i.e. 5) per HD?

They will need to be a little sturdier in this game, so assume they have maximum HP per HD.

* I'd been kind of assuming that it would be fine for Alexander's housecat to transform into his tiger animal companion while in the Dreaming, is that fine?

That would be fine. Of course, it would be somewhat amusing if his housecat just grew to the size of a tiger and counted as one mechanically while it was in the Twilight Worlds as opposed to actually turning into one. It's ultimately up to you which direction you want to take it in though.

* I'm using the Scholar class with Small + Large Animal Training, so Midnight (his cat) will have aspects of both familiars and animal companions. Could she swap the usual cat familiar stealth bonus for a raven familiar's ability to speak one language? (Yes this is mostly so she can be snarky to *everyone* not just Alexander)

I would be willing to allow that, but the Mascot Familiar Archetype is able to do so as well, if you want to go that route.

* Speaking of the Scholar class, it uses both alchemical creations (flashbangs, Alchemy sphere stuff--I'm staying away from the banned abilities) and a healer's kit. Would I make an alchemy kit and a healer's kit part of my curio or regalia somehow?

I would rule that any class feature or skill that requires a kit, like the two you mentioned, enables you to magically create the requisite tools you need. Said tools disappear when they leave your close proximity just like your Faerie Regalia.

If I wanted to buy the samsaran racial trait Mystic Past Life with our bonus RP to get some more ice spells on my witch list, how much would that cost me? If you even allow it, that is.

Shards of the Past, which Mystic Past Life replace, is 4 RP if I recall. As with any other racial ability replacements, it will use the RP cost of the ability it replaces.

For those of us who are using SoP, can we use the weapon enchantment bonuses from ABP for implements instead? Ala the Enhances Armaments boon ?

They come under Legendary Fighter but they seem somewhat optional. Are Minor Gloves of Dueling allowed?

Okay, I keep my question about the gloves but for the future - I can't afford them now because I've just realised I have to pay for runestones of power instead of pearls.

What do you expect us to tell about our Othersoul? Physical description? Personality? Does the character and the Othersoul get to meet each other? Do they even know the other one exists? What kind of benefit/penalty, if any, does the Othersoul get from their connection?

I had the idea that the character's Othersouls was a Svartalfar while the character, in his Dreamwalk, resembled an EladrinAzata. Both sides of a mirror, both hunters but one for the common good and survival while the other for blood and personal gain. Could that work?

For those of us who are using SoP, can we use the weapon enchantment bonuses from ABP for implements instead? Ala the Enhances Armaments boon ?

It seems that a similar precedent has already been set based on what you linked, so I will allow it.

They come under Legendary Fighter but they seem somewhat optional. Are Minor Gloves of Dueling allowed?

Minor Gloves of Dueling are hereby cleared as legal Curio options.

What do you expect us to tell about our Othersoul? Physical description? Personality? Does the character and the Othersoul get to meet each other? Do they even know the other one exists? What kind of benefit/penalty, if any, does the Othersoul get from their connection?

All I really require is information on which type of being your Othersoul is, as I am perfectly fine with filling in the finer details myself at a later date. That said, if you plan on having it influence your character's personality in certain ways via potential personality bleed later on, more detail on the being's personality would be appreciated. If you want to draft up a small concept for the Othersoul and/or a role you may like to see it play in the future- ally, enemy, foil that undergoes a heel-face or face-heel turn, etc.- I am not opposed to that either, but just know that the concept may receive some creative input from myself.

Characters will have opportunities to meet their Othersouls later in the campaign and will recognize them on the spot when they do even though they do not really know anything about them, thanks to the connection they share. What form that meeting will take and what may happen as a result of it are things that will just have to play out later on. Some PCs may have an amicable encounter with their othersoul. Others may discover that their othersoul is antagonistic towards them for a number of different reasons. Yet others may find out that their othersoul is imprisoned or imperiled by some force and in potential need of rescue. In the rarest cases, an othersoul might even deceased, with the PC's connection to them still being intact because of the fact that fey who "die" to anything but cold iron or the most powerful of magics will eventually be reborn as a new fey, meaning their soul and the connection they have to their dreamwalker still survive in some form, even if they fey's former self doesn't.

Othersouls do not really know their Dreamwalkers exist until they meet them and that ignorance goes the other way around as well. When the two actually do meet, the realization dawns on both of them and their connection becomes immediately clear, as it will feel to both of them like looking into a mirror and each will feel a sense of nostalgia tied to something they came to possess as a result of their connection.

Speaking of which, Othersouls do get something from their connection with a Dreamwalker, although it is much less tangible: they become more "human", for better or worse. For most, this is nearly imperceptible and simply colors their fey nature by giving it more human elements. In a rare few though, the change is profound and they begin to behave more like humans as their soul cultivates that distinct and nebulous quality that only a human can possess, all as a result of their connection changing them on a fundamental level.

Alright, now I get a bigger glimpse of the whole picture. Thank you.

Hmmm, my my, don't we have quite a few characters already... and aren't they all so OLD hmmm? 30 years of age seems to be the minimum, but it looks lost most of our people seem to be 40 or 50s, maybe even older. My my, and we are going to leave all the fun to such oldies with their bad backs, fading vision and forgetful minds? That simply won't do.

We need someone young, someone fresh, someone passionate! We need someone say... 14-15 years of age to give this group of oldies that all too necessary drive, hmmm? A son of a house servant, someone that isn't so much as part of the ball, and simply helping out. Perhaps someone who likes listening to the stories of the adventures and journies the fine Ainsworths go on?

And we have quite a mix of classes as well. Monks and Barbarians for melee, rangers and Vigilantes for the gunplay, Fey Adepts and Alchemists for utility... but nothing quite to bring the bang to the table, so lets bring some firepower hmmm? Quite litterally~

Legendary Kineticist Scion (hopefully without giving up the Wild Talents?) on one side, Elementalist on the other side. Focusing on the Fire Element.

Because giving a young, hormonal, impulsive teenager the ability to set things on fire or create minor explosions with his mind at will, is not going to cause any troubles or issues whatsoever.

Just to be sure, is there anything more that you need for Lysander? Don’t want to think I’m done then miss out because you thought I had never finished.

I'm maybe 75% through my build, but I can't decide what I want to include in my curio. XD

Maybe I'll skip that for now and circle back when I've finished the rest.

I was playing with the idea of some kind of fey raven being Alexander's Othersoul--perhaps an ancient and powerful raven that's been around long enough to inspire some legends. Perhaps its name would be Huginn. :D (If so its response to finding it had an Othersoul could be "Oh, not again")

would it be ok if i had a go at this

Hmmm, my my, don't we have quite a few characters already... and aren't they all so OLD hmmm? 30 years of age seems to be the minimum, but it looks lost most of our people seem to be 40 or 50s, maybe even older. My my, and we are going to leave all the fun to such oldies with their bad backs, fading vision and forgetful minds? That simply won't do.

We need someone young, someone fresh, someone passionate! We need someone say... 14-15 years of age to give this group of oldies that all too necessary drive, hmmm? A son of a house servant, someone that isn't so much as part of the ball, and simply helping out. Perhaps someone who likes listening to the stories of the adventures and journies the fine Ainsworths go on?

And we have quite a mix of classes as well. Monks and Barbarians for melee, rangers and Vigilantes for the gunplay, Fey Adepts and Alchemists for utility... but nothing quite to bring the bang to the table, so lets bring some firepower hmmm? Quite litterally~

Legendary Kineticist Scion (hopefully without giving up the Wild Talents?) on one side, Elementalist on the other side. Focusing on the Fire Element.

Because giving a young, hormonal, impulsive teenager the ability to set things on fire or create minor explosions with his mind at will, is not going to cause any troubles or issues whatsoever.

So I take it that your character would be an inhabitant of Waldenshire? If so, let me know if you have any questions about the village, the Ainsworth estate, etc.

Just to be sure, is there anything more that you need for Lysander? Don’t want to think I’m done then miss out because you thought I had never finished.

Unless I am mistaken, I don't believe you have definitively decided on an Othersoul- you were discussing an Ankou or Svartalfar last I recall- and I would like one 'feylike' addition to your code of conduct. To give an example of what I mean by the latter, some fey are unable to cross a line of salt, others might be unable to take hostile action against someone wearing a red ribbon, while others might be magically bound by their word and are cursed if they ever break it. It just needs to be something appropriately strange and feylike.

I will go over Lysander's statblock sometime later tonight or earlier tomorrow morning to make sure there are no omissions or glaring errors there, but right now it seems like the only two things you really need are a concrete Othersoul and that one addition to your code.

I was playing with the idea of some kind of fey raven being Alexander's Othersoul--perhaps an ancient and powerful raven that's been around long enough to inspire some legends. Perhaps its name would be Huginn. :D (If so its response to finding it had an Othersoul could be "Oh, not again")

There are quite a few options on the table there, as I can recall no less than three raven-like fey. Do you have any idea what you're looking for specifically in terms of powers or fluff?

would it be ok if i had a go at this

Feel free to create a submission for the game. There are still a few weeks remaining until the recruitment closes thanks to the extension I included a week or so ago.

Ouachitonian wrote:

Just to be sure, is there anything more that you need for Lysander? Don’t want to think I’m done then miss out because you thought I had never finished.

Unless I am mistaken, I don't believe you have definitively decided on an Othersoul- you were discussing an Ankou or Svartalfar last I recall- and I would like one 'feylike' addition to your code of conduct. To give an example of what I mean by the latter, some fey are unable to cross a line of salt, others might be unable to take hostile action against someone wearing a red ribbon, while others might be magically bound by their word and are cursed if they ever break it. It just needs to be something appropriately strange and feylike.

Let's go with Svartalfar for the othersoul. I imagine them as being not exactly friendly rivals, but at least rivals who respect each other's abilities; Lysander the honorable duelist, and the svartalfar an honorless assassin for hire.

As for his code, let's say that he may never consume mustard, and that he must always be kind to dogs (this does not preclude him from defending himself against a dog which is actively attacking him).

I think I’ve settled on a giant owl as Lionel’s othersoul. A patient and extremely knowledgeable hunter that tries to learn all it can about it’s prey before atriking with stealth and precision is an extremely apt descriptor for both Lionel and the giant owl.

Hi again:

Is this magus arcana allowed?

Everything else is done, I'll link the character later today.

There are quite a few options on the table there, as I can recall no less than three raven-like fey. Do you have any idea what you're looking for specifically in terms of powers or fluff?

I suppose what I'm looking for is a being who values learning and knowledge, but (being fey) whose focus and methodology differ from the scientifically-minded Alexander's.

So I take it that your character would be an inhabitant of Waldenshire? If so, let me know if you have any questions about the village, the Ainsworth estate, etc.

Will do. But first, the Scion archetype of the Kineticist gives up several wild talents in order to become a Spherecaster. Can I give up some of my feats in order to keep the wild talents I would otherwise be giving up? Say, 2 feats? Seems reasonable, as diminished spellcasting only costs 1 feat and you lose quite a few spells with that feature.

Also, is there any Fire or Volcanic-themed Fey that could be my Othersoul?

Let's go with Svartalfar for the othersoul. I imagine them as being not exactly friendly rivals, but at least rivals who respect each other's abilities; Lysander the honorable duelist, and the svartalfar an honorless assassin for hire.

As for his code, let's say that he may never consume mustard, and that he must always be kind to dogs (this does not preclude him from defending himself against a dog which is actively attacking him).

Understood. The being kind to dogs portion of his code may prove interesting, depending on how far one can stretch the concept of a dog in this game.

I think I’ve settled on a giant owl as Lionel’s othersoul. A patient and extremely knowledgeable hunter that tries to learn all it can about it’s prey before atriking with stealth and precision is an extremely apt descriptor for both Lionel and the giant owl.

Giant Owls are magical beasts, are they not? Only fey, which include those on the extended list, can be up for consideration as Oversouls. Granted, you could easily give it the one of the various templates that change it's type to a fey, but I just wanted to point that out.

Hi again:

Is this magus arcana allowed?

Everything else is done, I'll link the character later today.

Song of Arcane Triumph is cleared for use.

I suppose what I'm looking for is a being who values learning and knowledge, but (being fey) whose focus and methodology differ from the scientifically-minded Alexander's.

I can look into some options for you, but it may take a day or so to trawl through my entire library and the various monster entries on the SRDs. Does that sound amenable to you?

Will do. But first, the Scion archetype of the Kineticist gives up several wild talents in order to become a Spherecaster. Can I give up some of my feats in order to keep the wild talents I would otherwise be giving up? Say, 2 feats? Seems reasonable, as diminished spellcasting only costs 1 feat and you lose quite a few spells with that feature.

No, I would rule that you only need to give up one.

Also, is there any Fire or Volcanic-themed Fey that could be my Othersoul?

There are quite a few fire themed fey and a few niche ones tied to volcanos. These include the Elanax, Fairymaid, and the Fire Nymph, among many others. There is a huge swathe of first and third party monsters that can match this description on d20pfsrd, so more information on what you are looking for could help narrow down a list of about 20-30 potential monsters.

Sounds great to me! I'm kind of tempted to say you don't even have to tell me what you pick, so it's as much a surprise to me as it will be to Alexander when it's revealed. :D

Hi! I'd initially had too much on my plate, but some have fallen off recently, and I just had a glad of inspiration: I realized this takes place during the height of Gilbert & Sullivan's career. Thinking maybe I'd play as a lead actor/singer from some of their recent shows at The Opera Comique in London. (Pirates of Penzance debuted in 1880, and The Mikado in 1885).

I haven't given too much thought to how to build such a troubadour, but I think there would be some delightful aspects of the Spheres of Guile Performance Sphere to play with...if it were allowed. I saw you said at the beginning it was banned and I'll happily respect that if you prefer, but figured I'd ask since it feels natural to the concept. I think at this point it's largely settled and the Spheres wiki is up to date with the latest errata, but if you'd still rather not I'm sure I can find other ways to build them.

- - -

By the way, how many completed (or nearly complete) submissions do you have so far? I'd love to look then over as I noodle on my build.

- - EDIT - -

One more Q: "The form of any piece of Faerie Regalia may be changed at will, enabling a knight to change their greatsword into a longbow to target a fey dragon flying beyond the reach of their blade or to morph their full-plate into padded armor when they need to swim across a raging river."

^
Apologies if I missed it, but what kind of action is it to change the form of the weapon and/or armor?

Ah, didn't catch that about othersouls needing to be fey. I'd probably add the fey creature template then.

Paddy O'Sullivan ready for inspection (mostly).

I've made a few minor changes to Mary Adamson Anderson over the past few weeks, including a brief section about her Othersoul and her equipment. I'm hoping I've correctly interpreted the rules about material components as I applied them to poisons that she would like to synthesize with her alchemy tools once she gains the Regalia.

Also, I have to share: since I was recently in Edinburgh, I spent a delightful couple of hours in the university library researching the Edinburgh Seven and Mary in particular. I was unable to find a photograph or portrait, but the staff was extremely helpful and promised me that if I wrote to them once I got home they would continue my search much more thoroughly and scan and send to me anything they find. Something to look forward to if she is invited to join the game!

Hi! I'd initially had too much on my plate, but some have fallen off recently, and I just had a glad of inspiration: I realized this takes place during the height of Gilbert & Sullivan's career. Thinking maybe I'd play as a lead actor/singer from some of their recent shows at The Opera Comique in London. (Pirates of Penzance debuted in 1880, and The Mikado in 1885).

HO, MIKADO!

Going back through the thread, here are all the completed applications (so far) that I could find.

It looks like there's a lot of submissions that are close to being done, but I didn't see any posts that said they were ready. Apologies if I missed anyone!

• Oswynn (Philo Pharynx), fey adept (Unseelie Disciple) // symbiat (Operative)

• Lionel Ravenstone (Simeon), investigator (Cryptid Scholar/Natural Philosopher) // ranger (Trapper/Trophy Hunter)

• C. Lysander Fitzroy, esq. (Ouachitonian), monk (Scaled Fist/Weapon Adept) // paladin (Virtuous Bravo)

• Mary Adamson Anderson (eriktd), alchemist (Physician) // vigilante (Hidden Master)

• Paddy O'Sullivan (Jereru), magus (Cabalist/Eldritch Archer/Hexcrafter) // legendary fighter (Runesinger)

I have my HeroLab output up in this profile, just need to add template changes and other tweaks that HeroLab doesn't get right/make easy.

I didn’t think to add the template. Might as well go back and add that. I also haven’t taken ABP into account either, since the GM said we could I suppose I should go ahead and add that in.

Edit: Done. Made a couple of other minor changes (changed a trait, altered my point buy distribution slightly after ABP to keep within the max of 24 on any one score.).

I'll repost the explanation for my nigh-on-weeklong absence that I had posted in my Kisarta game. Because everyone is now several days behind thanks to my situation impeding the process of answering questions, the closing date is now a bit more flexible.

My apologies for the extensive delay. My router was having issues loading websites- it eventually reached the point of falling into loading loops for indefinite periods of time- and I had to take it back to the store to get it fixed; that process was complicated by the only person who could do advanced troubleshooting, the manager, was out of town. After nearly a week, he finally arrived back in town and it took all of ten minutes for him to get the router working again. All the manager told me after fixing the router was that it was a software glitch that occurred and was interfering with the process of sending and receiving data packets. So the situation has been resolved and posting should normalize once more to the usual five or so posts a week.

Now that I've explained why I've been absent and that I haven't been spirited away to the Twilight Worlds, it's time to answer questions.

Sounds great to me! I'm kind of tempted to say you don't even have to tell me what you pick, so it's as much a surprise to me as it will be to Alexander when it's revealed. :D

Since it has been a few days since our discussion on this, I was wondering if your stance was still the same? If so, I certainly have an idea in mind. If not, that's perfectly fine as well and I would love to see what you had in mind.

Hi! I'd initially had too much on my plate, but some have fallen off recently, and I just had a glad of inspiration: I realized this takes place during the height of Gilbert & Sullivan's career. Thinking maybe I'd play as a lead actor/singer from some of their recent shows at The Opera Comique in London. (Pirates of Penzance debuted in 1880, and The Mikado in 1885).

An interesting concept! I am actually somewhat familiar with Pirates of Penzance thanks to friend of mine, although it has been nigh-on a decade since then.

I haven't given too much thought to how to build such a troubadour, but I think there would be some delightful aspects of the Spheres of Guile Performance Sphere to play with...if it were allowed. I saw you said at the beginning it was banned and I'll happily respect that if you prefer, but figured I'd ask since it feels natural to the concept. I think at this point it's largely settled and the Spheres wiki is up to date with the latest errata, but if you'd still rather not I'm sure I can find other ways to build them.

My initial reason for banning Spheres of Guile was twofold: on the one hand, large swathes of the material seemed ill-suited to the campaign and, on the other, there were a few issues that cropped up during playtesting and I wanted errata to be released. As I haven't gone over any errata that has been released, I can't confirm whether or not the issues have been addressed.

I would like to pose two questions to you. First, what were you planning on doing with the Performance sphere? And second, has there been any major errata regarding it?

One more Q: "The form of any piece of Faerie Regalia may be changed at will, enabling a knight to change their greatsword into a longbow to target a fey dragon flying beyond the reach of their blade or to morph their full-plate into padded armor when they need to swim across a raging river."

^
Apologies if I missed it, but what kind of action is it to change the form of the weapon and/or armor?

I thought I had posted it, but apparently not based on my own search a moment ago. Changing the form of weapons and armor from the Faerie Regalia is a full-round action and both can be changed simultaneously.

Paddy O'Sullivan ready for inspection (mostly).

What remains that would qualify it as fully ready for inspection? Just wondering in case it is something major that would make a lookover less productive until finished.

I gave it a quick lookover and it's interesting that Paddy's Wyld Shape would invoke the imagery of the babd, as that's a fairly obscure bit of folklore. Props to you for including that neat detail.

I've made a few minor changes to Mary Adamson Anderson over the past few weeks, including a brief section about her Othersoul and her equipment. I'm hoping I've correctly interpreted the rules about material components as I applied them to poisons that she would like to synthesize with her alchemy tools once she gains the Regalia.

Also, I have to share: since I was recently in Edinburgh, I spent a delightful couple of hours in the university library researching the Edinburgh Seven and Mary in particular. I was unable to find a photograph or portrait, but the staff was extremely helpful and promised me that if I wrote to them once I got home they would continue my search much more thoroughly and scan and send to me anything they find. Something to look forward to if she is invited to join the game!

I'm sure that trip to Edinburgh was informative! It certainly sounds like you had a great time there.

I looked over Mary Adam Anderson and there are a few things I would like to touch on.

The ankou othersoul losing its taste for death and then playing 'games' with its targets that seem oddly reminiscent of old tales of the Grim Reaper is certainly ripe for exploitation down the line. Do you have any particular angles in mind with how you would like to see that played out?

Poisons are not material components and, as such, are not covered under the material component clause. That said, I might be willing to work with you on a way to incorporate some those into your Curio since poisons are integral to your character and it might not always be practical to visit the Goblin Markets or go out of your way to find and harvest appropriate monsters.

I'm quite interested in learning more about Mary's trips to that cabin, as that could provide a few interesting angles depending on the finer details of what went on there.

Going back through the thread, here are all the completed applications (so far) that I could find.

It looks like there's a lot of submissions that are close to being done, but I didn't see any posts that said they were ready. Apologies if I missed anyone!

Thanks for putting that list together!

Edit: Done. Made a couple of other minor changes (changed a trait, altered my point buy distribution slightly after ABP to keep within the max of 24 on any one score.).

Which ones were changed? The question is purely academic at this point since I have yet to do final reviews, so it's more to satisfy my curiosity than anything else.

Wish I'd seen this sooner; haven't checked the Recruitment forum in months since I was happy with the games I did have, but one of mine just ended. Is there still time for me to whip up a character for this or is the party pretty much locked in? The premise sounds super cool.

Oohhh, Suddenly my mind is thinking of somebody who starts out as a stage magician performing for the group. I'm assuming we don't have magic in the "real world", but will suddenly discover it when we are reborn into a new jellicle life.

I played a character like this once, it was mad fun. It was for a similar campaign (funnily enough even with a similar name, Fevered Dreams) wher emagic existed but you needed to keep it secret. Fantasmo! being a bit of a boundary-pusher, used real magic in his magic shows and used sleight of hand to hide it.

Which ones were changed? The question is purely academic at this point since I have yet to do final reviews, so it's more to satisfy my curiosity than anything else.

The mental and physical +2s from ABP went into Cha and Dex, respectively. That would’ve put Dex over 24, so I dropped it back and bumped up my Int.

I can't get over the idea of just like...a middle-aged goodwife with a brownie Othersoul that works at the estate. Or alternately her Othersoul could be something a bit more vicious so the "bleed" better justifies the violence inherent in a PC's lifestyle, but it just gets constantly more and more domestic over time.

What remains that would qualify it as fully ready for inspection?

Na, mostly details that might haunt my fractured mind... Nothing major.

My initial reason for banning Spheres of Guile was twofold: on the one hand, large swathes of the material seemed ill-suited to the campaign and, on the other, there were a few issues that cropped up during playtesting and I wanted errata to be released. As I haven't gone over any errata that has been released, I can't confirm whether or not the issues have been addressed.

I would like to pose two questions to you. First, what were you planning on doing with the Performance sphere? And second, has there been any major errata regarding it?

Honestly, if you're at all leaning toward banning it, I don't know if I want to dissuade you.

I think there's a bunch of vey fun stuff. And there ARE several published errata now. I think it's pretty stable/final...but there's a LOT to learn. If you're not thinking "Cool! Lemme learn this interesting new skills-based system!" you should prolly keep banning it.

That said, since you asked, I'd assume I'd lean heavily into the Performance sphere (especially, acting, but likely singing and dancing too...seeing as I'd be an actor from a comedic opera). My first thought was to do Bard (maybe Minstrel SOM archetype) + Professional (with Performance as my main Professional Method). I'd probably also take some Body Control, Bluster and Communication talents.

I'd still be learning the system at the same time as you were, and I'd be perfectly happy to make changes/corrections/house-rules as needed. I doubt it would be OP compared to the other builds around...but it *WOULD* involve a gob of new rules, which could be a burden on you if you're not excited to learn the new system.

100% your call. I haven't given thought to if/how I'd build the concept without SoG...but I can think about it, if that's better for you.

----EDIT Pirates of Penzance content----

Kevin Kline playing the Pirate King in the 1983 movie version. My initial image for my character is based on Kline (who my dad knew in college), and his performance here.

And Modern Major General (from the same film adapation) which is likely the most well known song from the show.