|
| 6 people marked this as a favorite. |
There was some interest posted to the other thread looking for GMs and Players for Reign of Winter, and most of it indicated a preference for pbp vs. VTT, which read as the original intent of that post.
So as not to hijack that post, I am posting this recruitment instead.
❄️ 1) This is a PBP here on the Paizo Boards
❄️ 2) There is an expectation of at least once a weekday post rate, with once a weekend also encouraged.
❄️ 3) This will be for Second Edition (soon remastered) Pathfinder, not first.
❄️ 4) In addition to converting the module's key encounters and set pieces to 2E, I will be editing it for play by post format, meaning I will be eliminating and/or summarizing some of the "padding" encounters designed to merely get you enough XP to be appropriate level. We will instead be using milestone leveling and keeping the story beats with a pace designed to keep this from taking four or more years to complete.
❄️ 5) This adventure features depictions of witches as evil, child endangerment, kidnapping, freezing dangers, real world politics (albeit Russian and a few centuries old), guns, and a number of scenes that require subterfuge to survive. Some of this can be edited out, I fully intend to run lines and veils with those finally selected and I am already planning on editing the material to some degree. Some of it is intrinsic to the plot, so if I mentioned anything you have a strong objection to having in the game, please PM me with your concerns and I will see how best to proceed regarding submission.
❄️ 6) I run some pro/paid VTT games, and will not be available during the times those games are going on. Should this game kick off, I will include updated times in the campaign thread.
❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️
The sleepy southern town of Heldrin boasts a community barely toppling 150 souls, mostly humans, halflings, half-elves, elves, and gnomes. You know your neighbors and they know you. You've dwelt here long enough to feel at home.
So when snowflakes start falling one summer day, you know something is wrong. Something unnatural. The beginning of something.... chilling.
❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️
The original Reign of Winter Path was made for Pathfinder 1st edition and took the characters on a journey northward and beyond to face a variety of dangers featuring a plot to throw the whole of Golarion into the icy depths of winter.
I've updated the adventure path to second edition, enhanced and expanded the story line, created new wintery opponents, and added even more chilling details to the witch queen behind the threat, and, of course, Baba Yaga.
This adventure path starts in a southern town, but moves beyond to the frozen north and even on to other planets- including a pocket dimension on Earth- so strap in and get ready to fly the original tardis, Baba Yaga's Hut, and stop the Reign of Winter from overtaking Golarion.
❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️
This Adventure Path will take PCs from level 1-20
We will use the ancestry paragon and gradual ability boosts options.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Oh, I am so in for this.
Love 2e count me in..
Any adapted backgrounds from the original?
Haven't actually played 2E yet. Would that be an issue?
I've always wanted to play through Reign of Winter, and I have a number of 2E characters I feared would never see the light of day. I am certainly interested, and will be watching with anticipation.
|
|
Haven't actually played 2E yet. Would that be an issue?
Not at all. It runs pretty similarly at it's core. Getting used to the major strokes (three action and 4 levels of success) doesn't take long. I'm pretty good about teaching the game via voice, we can see how good I am at doing it play by post.
Dotting, this'd be my first 2e character. Full disclosure I've had a look at the first few books before. How will you be handling the special rules that I know are coming, in 2e (russian guns!).
Also an interest dot. Never read or played any of Reign of Winter, but Irrisen is one of my favorite parts of Golarian! So, I am very very interested!
There are also seven backgrounds for the region, as well as 1 spell (snowball), and one archetype (rune scarred), in the Lost Omens World Guide.
|
|
Interest dot. Never played 1e RoW, and wanted to. With 2e, even better.
Will you be running with remastered rules, or current 2e?
Both. We'll start with current rules. Once remastered is out, it will be up to each individual whether or not they want to switch out any class structure, etc or keep the current ones.
Some rules changes and terminology changes will be implemented (such as "Off Guard" instead of "Flat-Footed"), but I believe they have mostly already been given to us.
If there's a question of conflicting rules, we'll decide together which version applies to this game.
|
|
Dotting, this'd be my first 2e character. Full disclosure I've had a look at the first few books before. How will you be handling the special rules that I know are coming, in 2e (russian guns!).
The modern firearms will essentially be simple firearms implementing the existing cartridge rules, probably slightly higher in damage and maybe with a "high technology" trait that mimics and replaces some basic runes since we'll be high enough level by then the NPCs will being multiple dice of damage anyway.
Yeah, modern firearms are by far easier than say, tech weapons in IG.
Am looking forwards to how you implement some of the weapons.
I've got a concept I've been working on of a Gnoll or Human/Beastman Swashbuckler who specializes in daggers and throwing knives. He collects them and names them all. He also plans on becoming an expert in Talismans, trinkets, and runes to make each weapon do its own special job.
"There...there... now Bessie It will be your turn next time we come up against incorporeal undead".
|
|
Players may freely choose from among any common Backgrounds that would make sense for a resident of Southern Taldor or visitor to the town of Heldron. In addition, you gain access to the following campaign specific rare Backgrounds:
Adaptive Magic
Rare
The wonders of magic have always fascinated you, and you find the urge to tinker and experiment with magic almost irresistible. You could be the child of an alchemist, wizard, or witch; a member of the Pathfinder Society; or maybe someone with a touch of fey or dragon blood. You may not be trained in magic, and you’ve had your share of accidental mishaps, but you possess a natural knack for activating magic items. You’ve always been intrigued by the cold magic of the winter witches and ice mages of the North, and would love to get your hands on some of their magic items.
Choose two ability boosts. One must be Intelligence or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.
You’re trained in the Arcana skill, and the Witch Lore skill. You gain the Trick Magic Item skill feat.
Blood of Giants
Rare
You’re a big person, and people have always said you’ve got some giant blood in you. Even as a child, you towered over your friends, and as you grew older, you grew even taller and stronger. Maybe your hair has a tint of blue as well, or your skin is as pale as snow. Perhaps someday you’ll get the opportunity to travel to the North and meet some real giants, and see whether the rumors about you are true.
Choose two ability boosts. One must be Strength or Constitution, and one is a free ability boost.
You’re trained in the Athletics skill, and the Giant Lore skill. You gain the Titan Wrestler skill feat.
Not of This World
Rare
Your ancestors came from a world other that Golarion. For generations, they have adapted to this world, but passed on tales of their homeworld to their kin. Your parents settled in Heldron, but your ancestral spirit longs for a taste of the home from their stories. Choose one of the following planets appropriate for this campaign:
Choose two ability boosts. One must be Dexterity or Strength, and one is a free ability boost.
You’re trained in the Society skill, and the a Lore skill involving the planet your ancestors came from. You gain the Multilingual skill feat, but one of the languages you gain must be from your ancestor’s original planet.
Northern Ancestry
Rare
One of your parents came from the North, and the tales of the frozen lands at the top of the world that you grew up listening to excited your imagination. You feel most alive during the chill of winter, and as a child, you spent hours playing in the snow. You rarely feel the cold, and you’ve always had a restless longing to travel north.
Choose two ability boosts. One must be Constitution or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost.
You’re trained in the Society skill, and the Irrisen Lore skill. You gain the Multilingual skill feat, but one of the languages gained must be either Hallit or Skald.
Restless Wayfarer
Rare
You have long led a nomadic life— perhaps because your parents were travelers (whether roaming Varisian caravaneers or traveling merchants who traded far and wide), you belonged to a nomadic tribe, or you ran away from home to discover the world at a young age. Some call it wanderlust, but to you the thought of new places and experiences is truly what makes life worth living, and no region catches your imagination like the windswept wilderness of the North.
Choose two ability boosts. One must be Dexterity or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost.
You’re trained in the Survival skill, and a Lore skill for a specific terrain. You gain the Terrain Expertise skill feat for the terrain you chose for your lore.
Summer Twin
Rare
Born in summer and raised in Heldron, in Southern Taldor, you’ve always felt out of place. Your dreams were always of a Heldron that wasn’t the Heldron you know. Rather than bright and sunny, the hometown of your dreams was filled with clouds and snow, a grey and white landscape of the bitterest cold. Yet, whenever you woke, you would be covered with sweat, almost too hot to breathe. You learned to hide the dreams and act “normal” around the rest of Heldron. You pushed these dreams out of your mind as you grew up, or so you thought, but they have returned lately, stronger and more vivid than ever.
Choose two ability boosts. One must be Dexterity or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.
You’re trained in the Deception skill, and the Waldsby Lore skill. You gain the Secret Speech skill feat, with the Irrisen Underground secret society’s cant.
Ward Against Witchery
Rare
Sometime in your youth, you encountered a location, object, or being steeped in the power of evil witchcraft. Whether you were the victim of this force, were a conduit for it, or merely witnessed its effects, the event changed your life. You have tried to put the strange incident behind you and forget it, but nebulous premonitions of danger and eerie feelings of deja vu have dogged your steps ever since. For some inexplicable reason, you feel drawn to the lands of the North, though you fear another encounter with the evil witchcraft that touched you once before.
Choose two ability boosts. One must be Charisma or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost.
You’re trained in the Occultism skill, and the Witch Lore skill. You gain the Root Magic skill feat. The circumstance bonus granted by your root ward increases by 1 against spells cast by witches. You may keep the ward you prepare instead of having to give it to an ally.
Are you ready for character concepts to be submitted? If so what are your thoughts towards the Gnoll ancestry, or the Human/beastkin heritage? I see you mentioned ancestral Paragon what is your stance on Free archetype?
|
|
The following choices are approved for this campaign. Any other options require GM approval and will likely harm your chances of being accepted.
Ancestries: Android, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Halfling, Human, Orc, Poppet, Ratfolk
Heritages: Any Common or Uncommon
Backgrounds: see message above
Classes: All except Champion and Inventor
Standard starting wealth, all characters should begin in Heldron and have a reason to want to help the town when the snow starts falling.
Make a character who wants to interact with the party and with whom the party will want to interact. Play by posts live or die by interactions between the PCs.
|
|
Are you ready for character concepts to be submitted? If so what are your thoughts towards the Gnoll ancestry, or the Human/beastkin heritage? I see you mentioned ancestral Paragon what is your stance on Free archetype?
I mostly answered that just in the crossposted post, but I am ok with the Beastkin heritage as well, despite it being rare.
Free Archetype will be used for a very specific homebrew Archetype unique for this campaign based on [spoilers]. So, don't plan on using Free Archetype for anything else. You will be able to use your class feats for other archetypes if you wish.
I'll be applying with a human sorceress. I hope to have her submitted in the next day or so, but I'm working on the back story before the crunch.
Will submit later today or tomorrow, need to acquaint myself with 2e a bit beforehand. Presumably going to go with a Gunslinger for this one, seeing as you haven't banned it. Unsure of ancestry, though.
Here is a rough start on Galan Bjornkin, Human Swashbuckler.
Galan Bjornkin
Swashbuckler 1
NMedium Human Beastkin Humanoid
Perception +5; Low-Light Vision
Languages Common, Jotun, Skald, Sylvan
Skills: Acrobatics +7, Athletics +2, Crafting +3, Deception +5, Lore: Irrisen Lore +3, Medicine +3, Society +3, Stealth +7, Thievery +7
Str +2, Dex +4, Con +1, Int +0, Wis +0, Cha +2
Items: Leather, Backpack, Bedroll, Chalk (10), Flint and Steel, Rope, Rations (2), Torch (5), Waterskin, Soap, Owlbear Claw, Klar (Hardness 3, HP 10, BT 5)
AC 18 (+19 with shield raised);
Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +5
HP 19
Speed 25 feet
Nimble Dodge Requirements You are not encumbered. Trigger A creature targets you with an attack and you can see the attacker. You deftly dodge out of the way, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering attack.
Melee Dagger (x3) +7 (Agile, Finesse, Thrown 10 ft., Versatile S), Damage 1d4+2 P
Melee Throwing Knife (x6) +7 (Agile, Finesse, Thrown 20 ft.), Damage 1d4+2 P
Melee Dagger +7 (Agile, Finesse, Thrown 10 ft., Versatile S), Damage 1d4+2 P +2d6Precision +2Precision
Melee Throwing Knife +7 (Agile, Finesse, Thrown 20 ft.), Damage 1d4+2 P +2d6Precision +2Precision
Melee Klar Shield +5 (Versatile P), Damage 1d6+2 S
Confident Finisher (Finisher, Swashbuckler) You make an incredibly graceful attack, piercing your foe's defenses. Make a Strike with a weapon or unarmed attack that would apply your precise strike damage, with the following failure effect. Failure You deal half your precise strike damage to the target. This damage type is that of the weapon or unarmed attack you used for the Strike.
Change Shape (Beastkin) (Concentrate, Polymorph, Primal, Transmutation) You change into your humanoid or hybrid shape. Each shape has a specific, persistent appearance, and most beastkin remain in their hybrid shapes by default. In hybrid shape, you appear as a mix between your ancestry and your inherent animal. While in hybrid shape, you gain a jaws unarmed Strike resembling the features of your inherent animal (fangs for bats, beaks for eagles, mandibles for wasps, and so on). Your jaws deal 1d4 piercing damage, have the agile, finesse, and unarmed traits, and are in the brawling weapon group. In your humanoid shape, you retain the appearance of your original ancestry.
Precision Damage Precise Strike Finisher 2d6
Additional Feats: Beastkin, Flying Blade, Gloomseer, Multilingual
Additional Specials: Panache, Precise Strike, Swashbuckler's Style (Fencer)
Born in the Irrisen, his mother wanted an easier life for him, so she sent him off to Heldran to live with his uncle when he was but 8-years old. His Uncle (Howell Bjornkin) was a retired adventurer who lost an eye in a battle and moved to Heldran to make his living as a trader and trapper in the surrounding countryside. He taught young Galan much of what he knows about how to survive in the wild, and the uses of talismans, and trinkets to enhance weaponry. Galan was a late bloomer, so his uncle taught him to use small blades to defend himself. He found that he had a natural ability and love of them and began to collect them. He would spend hours honing and oiling the blades and keeping them in great shape. Every summer the two of them would journey to a special moot, where young Galan would visit relatives, including his parents, and learn much of his birth culture.
Things changed when Galan was an older teenager. He had finally grown into his body, and was now a strapping lad a little over 6-foot tall and keen with sinewy muscle. While hunting in the woods his uncle and he separated to surround a buck they intended to kill. Howell carried the bow, and Galan's job was to flush the elk towards where his uncle waited. Then things took a turn for the worse. His uncle stepped into an old bear trap, and his cries of pain scared off the prey. Galan ran to his trapped uncle and began trying to pry open the jaws of the ancient trap, but the mechanism had been damaged, and he found it impossible to open... then things got worse. From out of the underbrush another hunter who had been stalking the dear appeared... a hulky, hungry grizzly. The bow had been broken in the fall so all Galan was left with was his brace of hunting daggers. He tried to fight the bear, but it gathered him up in a crushing embrace determined to squeeze the life from him before leisurely snacking on his uncle.
Galan began to scream in rage as the bear applied pressure... then his head began to hurt. His eyes blurred and he felt his bones begin to move and reset, and his jaws extend. With a roar he bit into the bear’s snout causing it to roar in pain and drop him to the ground. The bear turned to attack again and stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed the boy standing before him with bestial bearlike features now showing on his face, and thick hair on his exposed arms. The bear eyed him for a moment, then turned and disappeared into the surrounding forest.
Finally, after finding a springy sapling to use as a lever, Galan was able to free his uncle, who had seen the whole drama develop. His uncle finally spoke to him. "You have been granted a gift Galan Bjornkin, but it is a gift that few would understand. For now, keep this between you and I. I have much I must find out".
Life returned to normal for a while, but Galan began to grow disenchanted with the boring life in Heldran. He now had a collection of knives and daggers that he practiced with often and had even picked up a traditional Klar on the last visit to the tribal moot. He also learned how to better control his shift into his hybrid Bear form, though he took care to keep his changes hidden from the town at large. Then it began to snow... before it was time...
Here is my application. I still have to do gear and add 2 more languages. Other than that, I don't think I missed anything.
For her combat role, I intend for her to be support/debuff. She also has quite a few skills. Should I make the game, I'd love to figure out her relationships with the other characters.
Here is Mokmurian's submission - a whipstaff-wielding swashbuckler. I had initially planned to submit an exiled hobgoblin magus, but given the submission guidelines, I feel that this is the strongest character I have written up within the given parameters. His background is Restless Wanderer, largely because I wrote him up with the Free Spirit background from Firebrands, and in addition to the comparable fluff, the change is a matter of swapping out one feat. For social interactions, I have boosted his Cha, and he is trained in the major influence skills, and in combat he is a Dex-focused melee combatant.
As for his reason to help Heldren, he idolizes the Eagle Knights and wishes to emulate their heroic deeds, so he would gladly join in any endeavor so long as it helps people. If I missed something, I would be happy to make changes, and I will gladly work with other characters to establish a tie in their backstories if they so wish.
IC, he has not named his staff, but OOC, I am calling it the descriptive if unimaginative "Rotating Death Stick."
Thanks, Vhekk for reminding me, by you mentioning it in your post, to note why she'd help Heldren. She's lived there all her life, so she'd want to help her community and friends. I've added gear, and I also wanted to note I'm OK with exploring all the themes mentioned in Section 5 of the OP.
Ooh, quite interested in this one, particularly as a P2E adaptation. I've heard the original had some very cool themes and story, but was bogged down with excessively grueling encounters. Seems like what you're planning to do in terms of adapting the AP would be just what it needs.
I'll look to put together a character shortly.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ooh, quite interested in this one, particularly as a P2E adaptation. I've heard the original had some very cool themes and story, but was bogged down with excessively grueling encounters. Seems like what you're planning to do in terms of adapting the AP would be just what it needs.
I'll look to put together a character shortly.
Yeah can confirm from what little experience I've had with the first book, the encounters are plentiful.
I have my crunch largely done and a good handle on my backstory/etc so I should have it finished today or sometime tomorrow. I am looking at a kinteicist (water/wood to start with, maybe pick up fire down the road but I didn't want to cheese the element choice).
She will be capable of some healing on each PC every 10 minutes so that should help with that aspect of things. Beyond that she will be support/damage.
Hi there! I'm starting to dream up an orc PC. She'll probably go barbarian (with an instinctual link to artic elk), and an unusual blue-grey tinge to her skin and hair.(Reference Image)
Reckless, can you say a bit more about how you understand orc culture (in Taldor, since that's where we start, or in general)? How they're seen in Haldren? I know that Paizo is working to eliminate the notion of "evil races", and that they aim to make orcs a standard ancestry in the Remaster...but I'd love to know a bit more about how you picture orc culture, and how it's seen/integrated into the cultures around them, to help me in dreaming up the right backstory.
(Aside: I love that you've included Poppet on the list, and I totally hope we end up with a poppet PC in the party. Heck, I may yet change my mind and make one...)
|
Dotting this thread. I'm working on a kobold themed off of white dragons. Bouncing between dragon totem barbarian and draconic bloodline sorcerer. Honestly I could go either way, based on the needs of the party. Maybe dragon disciple?
There's one super important aspect to the character that would be no fun to spoil in this thread. I would love to discuss with you, Reckless. Would a private message be alright, or would you just prefer a spoiler tag in this thread?
Dotting for interest, I will put together an oracle.
I may still do some tweaking on the background but here is drogeney's submission.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Reckless, can you say a bit more about how you understand orc culture (in Taldor, since that's where we start, or in general)? How they're seen in Haldren? I know that Paizo is working to eliminate the notion of "evil races", and that they aim to make orcs a standard ancestry in the Remaster...but I'd love to know a bit more about how you picture orc culture, and how it's seen/integrated into the cultures around them, to help me in dreaming up the right backstory.
In general, I tend to picture orcs as fantasy Next Gen Klingons- valuing strength and honor, loud, boisterous, and full of life. They view political maneuverings as a form of cowardice. This puts them a bit on the outside in Taldor, where politicking is a bit of a way of life. However, their usefulness for the crusades and general efficiency at soldiering have made them much more accepted in Taldor's militaristic enclaves.
For Haldren in particular, being so close to the border of Qadira means having a competent militia near enough that orcs and half orcs would be a fairly common sight, commanding the respect any military officer would receive from civilians. Heldren isn't particularly political or militaristic, but it does have an armory specifically for arming and sheltering its people in case of a Qadiran invasion.
I love that, and it gives me just what I need. Thanks!
GM, I’m considering creating a poppet oracle with either the flames or lore mystery. Would this concept be too out there for the game? I can create something more grounded if you prefer. :)
My backup plan would likely be a half elf oracle or Investigator.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Alright, this is Cellion's entry to the mix.
I'm bringing a tiny, needle-wielding poppet barbarian to the table, based on and inspired by a classic slavic fairy tale, with a new unpleasant twist that opens things up for future adventuring. Noemy has lost the girl she was charged to protect to the predations of a greedy, vain witch. Now, she's filled with a wariness against witches and their dark magic, as well as a rather reckless and aggressively positive approach to life.
Noemy is a classic str-based melee frontliner, except she's also tiny and can also run about underfoot and share squares with others. I'm curious to see if it ends up more of an advantage or disadvantage, but either way I kinda just love the image of a one-and-a-half foot tall doll scurrying about and taking things ten times its size down.
I still have a few things to fill in, but will have them done in the next couple of days.
All the submissions have seemed cool to me, but I have to say Neomy may be the most amazing character concept I've seen.
All the submissions have seemed cool to me, but I have to say Neomy may be the most amazing character concept I've seen.
Thanks! I saw poppet as an option and the sort of fairy tale inspired adventure and knew I had to give it a try.
Yeah, amazing! Going to refrain from making a poppet now since I don't want to directly compete with you, Noemy! I'll work on that half-elf instead. :D
Submitting Anabel Imvara, half-elf investigator.
Noemy, I love the concept and I think it's great. However...
I know it won't come up a lot, but please let me help you with what I assume is a machine translation of "Rivertown". I can't help but giggle every time I read what you had written down.
What were you going for? What's the town like? Is it next to a large river, or just a smaller stream? Frozen over a lot? Shallow waters that are used to cross often?
I have some familiarity with a Slavic language, so I got a good giggle out of it too! So awkward sounding, isn't it? It's actually straight out of the Irrisen campaign guide book, as is a character I drew into the backstory that I thought was particularly fitting.
I listened for a while to a "Live Play" Youtube video that had a player playing a poppet Barbarian as well... but he took it a step further in that he only did Unarmed attacks. Flying Barbarian Ninja Doll.