Welcome to Alkenstar!

Game Master Violant

Welcome to Smokeside, Alkenstar, y'all! This is a recruitment for a backport into 1e of the Outlaws of Alkenstar adventure path, originally written for 2nd Edition. I will love to see what kind of builds people come up with for this unique campaign! Hoping to recruit 4 players for this, might recruit one or two more, but that isn't a guarantee.

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System - Pathfinder 1e
SRDs - Archives of Nethys, d20PFSRD
Books Allowed - All official Paizo 1e content is welcome. I will potentially a backport/something with siml
House Rules and Systems in Use - Some 2e features (to be detailed in a separate post), along with some odd bits and ends, as well as Commonplace guns, as well as the Elephant in the Room Feat Tax and Background skills, are in effect.
Banned Items, Classes, Archetypes, Etc. - None. Feel free to go hog-wild with classes and archetypes exclusive to 1e.
Races - Any reasonable race with a stat bonus spread of +2/+2/-2 , +2/+2, as well as Humans, Half-elves, Half-orcs, Goblins and Kobolds.
Level - The adventure starts at 1st level and takes us to 10th near the end of the 3rd book.
Starting Wealth - Max for your class.
Attributes - 25 point buy.
Hit Points - Max at 1st level, higher of average (rounded up) or roll from 2nd on.
Traits - 2, or 3 with drawback.
Alignment - Non-evil alignments only, please.

Submission Requirements
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Character Sheet - At a minimum, it needs to have race, class, and the attributes. However, I would prefer a complete character sheet.
Character Background - No need for a novel, just a reason why you're outlaw and all. Look at the Player's Guide for inspiration if you want some inspiration-- but keep in mind there will be some differences to how this is ran. This is Alkenstar, and this is 1st edition, so keep those things in mind!

Without further ado, here are the Alkenstar and backport-related changes .

Commonplace Guns
... Guns are commonplace in Alkenstar, per the ruleset. Advanced firearms are available, but they are treated with the same wonder and curiosity that early firearms get outside of Alkenstar. Everyone starts out with an early firearm as a gunslinger, free of charge, although they may not be proficient with it. Classes or archetypes which receive proficiency with firearms and/or receive a firearm for free can, instead of receiving an early firearm as a gunslinger, choose to receive an early or advanced firearm appropriate to the class instead, for no cost (Excluding Radium pistol, Radium Rifle, and Thark rifles, for obvious lore-wise reasons). I am up for allowing Savage Technologist Barbarian to be used, even though this isn't Numeria. There's also a new early firearm available, the arquebus!
Arquebus (Early two-handed firearm)
... Cost 7,000gp; Weight 15lbs
... Damage 1d10 (small), 2d6 (Medium); Critical x4; Range 80ft.; Type B and P
... Misfire 1-2
Non-magical Alchemy
... For the purposes of this campaign, some features of the Alchemist class, as well as related features of other classes (Mutagen Fighter being an example) are considered non-magical, similar to how 2e handles alchemical items. These include all alchemist class features, aside from most Extracts. In addition, extracts of a cure spell count as non-magical, per elixirs of life, and I'd be okay with making certain other extracts non-magical as well, provided they have a 2e equivalent elixir. These will, however, still count against your daily usage of extracts, so be warned! This includes features that mimic Alchemist bombs, such as the Bombs discovery for a rogue, Alchemical Ordnance for Gunchemist, and so on.
Smokeside and Alkenstar
... This is a campaign set in Alkenstar, and initially set in Smokeside of all places, famously known for magic being wonky and unreliable! Keep that in mind when creating your characters, though the final amount of Alkenstari magic shenanigans will depend on party composition and opinions. Essentially don't leave them completely defenseless without magic. I'll be adjusting the casters in the book to take tech appropriate to them in the case magic fails, as well.
2e Features backported
... Some features from 2e will be backported into 1e, such as a fair amount of alchemy being nonmagical like the above. If you want a specific God or Race ported, ask me as well. Languages will be backported as well, but i doubt that will come into play often, if at all.

Oh, I gotta go green on this one. Goblin Alchemist (Gunchemist, winged marauder)

Death from Above!

Ideas: Gunslinger dipping warpriest, maybe redeemed Nocticula but with 2 revolvers because "look, hand crossbows are kind of outdated".
No guided hand shenanigians sadly, because I dont think anyone has revolver as a favored weapon (i can still get the increased damage dice by picking weapon focus revolver).

Mysterious stranger-Gunslinger/Urban Bloodrager Spell cartridges for fun and profit, literally, because ammo is expensive!
YES I CAN SHOOT PEOPLE WITH WISHFULL THINKING! YOUR SCIENCE IS INVALID!

Ci Ci Ciaphas Caine, not yet hero of Alkenstar!
Bard or Skald (morale boosting) trying to go for sword and pistol.

Lyudmilla Shanina
Sniper (likely some type of slayer) using an Arquebus. Refugee from Irrisen, hates witches, especially winter witches, now lives in Alkenstar, where witches are weak and she has a gun! UP YOURS!

Dot. First thought is a gun-wielding Eldritch Archer Magus, but I might find something else that jumps out at me.

Ambitious human cook(Monk), that became a Wanted Witness for refusing to "make do" with poorly supplied facilities at a meeting they didn't realize was more important than they thought. The challenge of cooking here meant that without any magic tricks, the food has got to be good on its own. They've run into a bit of a roadblock in that no legitimate place will take them on, they've got to duck the law, and things might get downright hostile if they become too visible.

Dot.
First thought, a lying, conniving, gambling bard (with a heart of gold). Likely a smuggler background.

Sounds fun! I haven't read the player's guide (yet), but I have to ask:

Is the intent for the AP to have PCs that are all or predominantly gun-wielding strikers? Or is the AP still expecting a more traditional party setup of front-liner, skill guy, arcane caster and divine caster?

@Andostre
I don't exactly have a set party composition in mind, but ideally it'd be a party that's somewhere in-between the two extremes of the all-gun striker party and the traditional party. The original player's guide, I believe, wanted more of a traditional setup, since they don't even implement Bronzetime and Surgetime in the AP.

Also, does being outlaws mean Evil alignment, or simply criminal?

It'd mostly tend towards neutral alignments and CG, so criminal, whether truly guilty or not, would be the idea.

From the Player Guide:

• Strongly Recommended: CG, CN
• Recommended: N, NG
• Appropriate: LN
• Not appropriate: LG, LE, NE, CE

A Musket Master or a strange rat folk witch hmmm

A manipulative enchantress witch could be fun.

I also have not read the player's guide, and this pfs character would need to be reset.

Oh, oh. No, rather than the Bard, I'm going to submit a Cavalier - "Dune Drifter" archetype. Practically MADE for a game like this one.

I'm thinking of a Ratfolk Gulch Gunner Gunslinger multiclassing into Swashbuckler using a tail blade and pistol in melee.

I've had the idea brewing for a while but haven't made a build before. He will really come online as a melee tank at level 2 but be perfectly functional at first level as a striker.

Dot. First thought is a gun-wielding Eldritch Archer Magus, but I might find something else that jumps out at me.

So then maybe I can offer to be the group's Steel Hound. I've actually always wanted to put an Investigator together.

Ouachitonian wrote:

Dot. First thought is a gun-wielding Eldritch Archer Magus, but I might find something else that jumps out at me.

So then maybe I can offer to be the group's Steel Hound. I've actually always wanted to put an Investigator together.

Don’t let me stop you, I’m liable to change my mind. I was just browsing archetypes a bit ago and thinking Steel Hound might be fun. Or maybe going a completely different direction and taking something without a gun just to be different. Not *everyone* in Alkenstar packs hear, after all.

This will be Phlynn's avatar for my submission, with the CS still under construction. Definitely a Human, Cavalier (Dune Drifter). Taking the 'Ratted Out Gunrunner" background. As a member of the Order of the Land, Fhrank considered smuggling the weapons to be his way of following his edit: "The cavalier must always strive to protect the common folk from the depredations of oppressive regimes." Especially around Alkenstar...

Ouachitonian wrote:

Dot. First thought is a gun-wielding Eldritch Archer Magus, but I might find something else that jumps out at me.

So then maybe I can offer to be the group's Steel Hound. I've actually always wanted to put an Investigator together.

I looked at Steel Hound, and apparently (unless it's been fixed via an errata I don't know about) it's considered a near-broken archetype. You only have the Grit you would get from the Amateur Gunslinger feat unless you spent your own feats (or the archetype's talents) into getting more grit.

Additionally, Studied Strike and Studied Combat only work with melee attacks, and... you know... guns aren't melee.

FYI. Thematically it looks like a very fun archetype, which is why I took a closer look at it. It was just rushed through to publishing without anyone looking too closely at it, i guess.

GM Violant, is there a submission deadline?

I'd like to close submission within 2 weeks, potentially earlier if there's a very high amount of submissions.

Dotting this!
My idea is a Gnome Alchemist (Tinkerer) with the "Banished Brighite" background. Gonna fill it here later.
So, I read the AP and they do recommend the Craft skill and even some crafting feats but I do not know how it works in 2e, so considering we are playing in 1e, would they be useful?
It's also important to mention it would be my first time playing pbp in this forum.

I'll have to check to see where they would be useful to see what they'd be substituted for, but I'd imagine Craft (alchemy) and Knowledge (Engineering) wouldn't hurt. It's fine that it's your first one!

Okay, started looking at the player's guide, and I'll keep this witchy woman as my prospect, but I also love the idea of her with some technology/gun for when her "charms" don't work, lol.

Ill go a healing Witch route with an Herb/Hedge Witch Ratfolk

Erryll Reyven wrote:

Ouachitonian wrote:

Dot. First thought is a gun-wielding Eldritch Archer Magus, but I might find something else that jumps out at me.

So then maybe I can offer to be the group's Steel Hound. I've actually always wanted to put an Investigator together.

I looked at Steel Hound, and apparently (unless it's been fixed via an errata I don't know about) it's considered a near-broken archetype. You only have the Grit you would get from the Amateur Gunslinger feat unless you spent your own feats (or the archetype's talents) into getting more grit.

Additionally, Studied Strike and Studied Combat only work with melee attacks, and... you know... guns aren't melee.

FYI. Thematically it looks like a very fun archetype, which is why I took a closer look at it. It was just rushed through to publishing without anyone looking too closely at it, i guess.

Wow, thanks Ando, that is SUPER helpful.

Given that the GM said all of PF1 is on the table, I kind of want to get a little bit silly, with a gnome Synthesist. 50/50 whether he'd actually think his eidolon was some sort of construct that he had built around himself, or if he'd realize it was a summoned creature, and just think it was from the...Plane of Constructs, or something. Either way, it'd look like the proverbial Iron Man suit, he'd wear it basically any time he was awake, letting others believe he was some sort of intelligent golem/robot/clockwork/etc. Definitely not built to abuse the brokenness of that archetype, but more defensively, because I am very small and do not want to be killed by the very large things. I'd probably end up using most of my spells on healing the eidolon/buffs, so it'd play a bit like a combat-focused alchemist. With a gnome flickmace. GM, your thoughts on that idea?

I do like this version of Erryll

Only thing fun to rule on would be whether psychic magic functions any better / differently than arcane magic

I'll have to check to see where they would be useful to see what they'd be substituted for, but I'd imagine Craft (alchemy) and Knowledge (Engineering) wouldn't hurt. It's fine that it's your first one!

And that is exactly what I did! Anyways, here is Wulfrith Kreesp's sheet alongside his familiar's and his background.

EDIT: spelling

Dotting for interest. I should have a character up soon.

So many gun-toting desperados. So few melee meatshields for them to hide behind. Let's fix that.

So. If you got through the spoiler box above, thanks for reading. Another thanks to the GM for hosting a game. It's appreciated, no matter if I end up joining it in the end. Now here comes the tough part...

Behold, good people of the recruitment board. Behold this fool about to try to convince a GM to allow his character to start with not one, but two items worth 6,400 gp each. May Gorum have mercy upon my soul.

You want the GM to let you play a lv.1 character with 13,000 gp in equipment? 13,000 gp over every other PC in the game? How high are you, pray tell, and where I can I get some of that dank kush?

Madams, sirs, I am sober as the grave and the items in question are these: clockwork prostheses, one arm and one leg to be exact. For my wish is to play a monk. A cyborg monk.

A novel idea perhaps, but no sensible GM is about to shatter the recommended wealth-by-level table simply for the sake of novelty. Nor should any GM, sensible or otherwise, show such gross favoritism as to shower riches onto only one player among many.

Ah, but it is here I argue that the value of these two items, in the grand scheme of things, is effectively nil. Consider, what advantages do these clockwork limbs offer this character that flesh and blood cannot? Lethal damage via unarmed attacks? Nay, the PC in question is a Monk; she already has that capability. Situational bonuses to CMD? Houserule them away, I don't care for them. Likewise with the extra carrying capacity.

But the enchantment option, you charlatan. The prosthesis can be enchanted much like a weapon, thereby bypassing the traditional Monk's need for the ubiquitous and costly Amulet of Mighty Fists. Not only are you sneakily tricking the goodly GM into allowing you cheaper weapon enchantments down the line, you are freeing up the prized neck slot for an Amulet of Natural Armor, an item the Monk is otherwise locked out from. You are exploiting the system. Shame! Shame!

You do me a great injustice. For you see, while it is true that the Amulet of Mighty Fists is twice as costly as other weapon enchants (4000 vs 2000 gp), it is not out of a dearth of other options that the typical Monk gravitates towards it. The Unchained Monk uses the Amulet of Mighty Fists because this item, contrary to its name, enhances any body part capable of striking the enemy. This is crucial for the Unchained Monk, for this class's so called style strikes specify specific body parts. The Flying Kick style strike, for example, requires that the attack "must be a kick." Note that my proposed character is missing both an arm and a leg. Hence, I will have to enchant both of her prostheses. Two plus two equaling four, I posit that my character's equipment will be just as expensive as the average Monk's, and that I am in no way cheating the system. If anything, factoring in the price of masterworks and special materials, it will be even more expensive...

Aha, you have revealed yourself, villain! Special materials by which to bypass damage reduction, such as cold iron or silver, cannot be applied to the oft mentioned Amulet and is thusly something otherwise unavailable to the unarmed Monk. Your clockwork limbs allow you to employ these tools, giving you a minor but significant advantage. You are undone, min/maxing scum.

There was a time you would have been correct. That time has passed. I bring your attention to the obscure handwraps, a 'weapon' released at the tail end of the edition's life cycle and designed for unarmed characters. These have all the same capabilities as the proposed prostheses, including the option to incorporate special materials. Again, I hold that the prostheses offer me no advantage whatsoever.

If this is true and your PC really is no more powerful than any other lv.1 Monk, despite the extra 13,000 gps, then why do this? Why all this trouble?

Because a Monk with a literal iron fist is effin' rad. I rest my case.

Im gonna do some rework but I would love to see Lady Vosk make a fun time as a Monster am9ng men

Im gonna do some rework but I would love to see Lady Vosk make a fun time as a Monster am9ng men

Right!? Now that this has Leauge of Extraordinary Gentlemen written all over it, I just my character to be Sean Connery.

@Erryll, Primal Magic is the only thing that isn't hampered by antimagic, if I recall, I'll have to double check. Witch bonded to revolver is a cool idea.

@Red Heat, I'd be willing to treat clockwork prosthetics as handwraps with flavor, but don't forget to take off the cost of said hand/legwraps if you're going to do that. Fun fact, they're also fueled by primal magic, which I'm pretty sure is the one exception to the dead magic, so they'd still work! (And I'm also not enough of a jerk to force you to hobble on one leg)

@Lady Vosk and @Jacen and everyone else without a gun, go ahead! The "everyone gets a gun" was largely intended for the guns-- which are expensive in 1e in comparison to the about the 60~120gp equivalent in 2e-- to be able to replace your non-magical defense you give to casters if the player so wants. It wasn't intended as "your character must use a gun"! Just a bit of flavor for the setting, is all.

@Ouachitonian, I'll pre-emptively okay it, but I'll have a closer look at the class before I give you the final okay.

How are Campaign Traits being handled? At first I thought that was the purpose of the Backgrounds in the Player's Guide, but they're quite a bit more powerful than any trait ever was.

When is recruitment closing?

@Ouachitonian, I'm probably going to draft up some backported traits from the background, with the same theming, eventually; I just haven't gotten around to it. They'd be optional though, as opposed to required traits, as I believe that's how 2e traits backgrounds are typically handled?

@ PatrickTheKid, hoping to close around 2weks from now

@DM Violent So would my Shifter class would be able to have firearms I would pribably do a Musket, a pistol and a coat pistol(for fancy dress days, aka the Bodice Gun)

As for what Im going for character wise is a Noble Lady who is tentatively disgraced and lives as an adventuress. She is not formally disown3d but is cursed with a strange form of Lycanthrope. Which she has kind of undercontrol.

@Lady Vosk, I'm unsure about allowing multiple firearms for free, I'll have to get back to you in a bit concerning that. Keep in mind Shifter doesn't get automatic proficiency with Firearms, however.

Anyways, have some backported backgrounds traits! In no way are you required to use these, but they're here if you want them!

Campaign Traits!

Here are some adapted traits from 2e, I tried my best to add some variety to them, but the format of 2e backgrounds leaves no room for variation. I do not want to copy-and-paste wholesale the description for these campaign traits, so refer to the Outlaws of Alkenstar Player's Guide

Banished Brighite: +1 Knowledge (Engineering), +5 on Knowledge (Religion) checks concerning Brigh
Framed in the Ferrous Quarter: +2 to any Craft Skill
Inexplicably expelled: +1 to any one Craft skill, and treat a single Craft skill as a Class Skill
Ratted-out Gunrunner: +1 to Stealth, +1 dodge AC for attacks from a firearm
Snubbed Out Stoolie: +1 to Bluff, +5 to Sense Motive to determine a lie
Wanted Witness: +1 Knowledge (Local), gain Read Lips language, per the PFS1 ruling, even without a rank in Linguistics

@Lady Vosk, I'm unsure about allowing multiple firearms for free, I'll have to get back to you in a bit concerning that. Keep in mind Shifter doesn't get automatic proficiency with Firearms, however.

Anyways, have some backported backgrounds traits! In no way are you required to use these, but they're here if you want them!

Campaign Traits!

Here are some adapted traits from 2e, I tried my best to add some variety to them, but the format of 2e backgrounds leaves no room for variation. I do not want to copy-and-paste wholesale the description for these campaign traits, so refer to the Outlaws of Alkenstar Player's Guide

Banished Brighite: +1 Knowledge (Engineering), +5 on Knowledge (Religion) checks concerning Brigh
Framed in the Ferrous Quarter: +2 to any Craft Skill
Inexplicably expelled: +1 to any one Craft skill, and treat a single Craft skill as a Class Skill
Ratted-out Gunrunner: +1 to Stealth, +1 dodge AC for attacks from a firearm
Snubbed Out Stoolie: +1 to Bluff, +5 to Sense Motive to determine a lie
Wanted Witness: +1 Knowledge (Local), gain Read Lips language, per the PFS1 ruling, even without a rank in Linguistics

In that case, I'd change Wulfrith's sheet from my earlier post, from the Firebug trait to the Banished Brighite trait since I based his backstory on that background!

Ok, build feat question that I need some help with since this will be my first "firearm character: Dune Drifters get Rapid Reload as a free feat at level 3. BUT, considering that Pistols are single shot, and it takes a move action that provokes an AoA to reload, would it be better for me to spend a feat to get it right away?

@GM Violent Gotcha, it was more if I was profienct if I am not then will stick to what I have! Though the Brassiere gun still seems comically practical!!! Otherwise I just need to retool my background

@Lady Vosk, guns are classed as martial weapons in commonplace guns, so a Fighter gets proficiency for example, but the more nature-y shifter doesn't. Brassiere gun is hilarious and practical, not going to lie.

@Fhrank, it only applies to one firearm, and given this is Alkenstar, you can expect to find loot that contains firearms that aren't your first, I imagine, so do with that information what you will. Main reason it's only classes like Musket Master that give you a free feat if you already have it.

Also, Fhrank, you could pick up a Revolver instead of a Pistol if you so wish (courtesy of me ruling gun classes/archetypes get access to advanced firearms), but you could still go with pistol if you want to keep ammunition cheaper.

<snip>

Books Allowed - All official Paizo 1e content is welcome.
<snip>

One minor amendment to this rule I remembered while looking at the RoW campaign I'm in! I am not going to allow Trench Fighter archetype of fighter. Sorry, but that thing is meant for Guns Everywhere and grants access to DEX to firearm damage faster than a Gunslinger.

@Fhrank, it only applies to one firearm, and given this is Alkenstar, you can expect to find loot that contains firearms that aren't your first, I imagine, so do with that information what you will. Main reason it's only classes like Musket Master that give you a free feat if you already have it.

Also, Fhrank, you could pick up a Revolver instead of a Pistol if you so wish (courtesy of me ruling gun classes/archetypes get access to advanced firearms), but you could still go with pistol if you want to keep ammunition cheaper.

1. I'll hold off on picking it up, then, til the character (if chosen) settles on his "chosen weapon". :)

2. Oh, I'll definitely go with revolver to start, then. Just cooler.

Thanks!

@DM Violent Makes sense, I wasnt sure. Which honestly makes what I want to eventually launch work!!! Yay I learned something new!

@GM Violent Gotcha, it was more if I was profienct if I am not then will stick to what I have! Though the Brassiere gun still seems comically practical!!! Otherwise I just need to retool my background

The recoil, though…

If Evanora chose weapon familiarity as her adopted torven race trait, could she be proficient with the Northern scatter gun?

pf2 gun. It's the only one I could find that was dwarven.

@Ouachitonian This is 1e, we don't have kickback here ;3 (I get this is presumably a reference of some kind, though)

@Evanora I'd be down to port it, but that's a 2e weapon. I also need to remember how racial weapon familiarity works for 1e, as I haven't looked at it in a hot minute.