I've been thinking about answers for these over the last few days, but I finally got enough time to organize them all in one place today. I'll go through and answer other player questions in a bit.
I love the collaborative storytelling aspect of it - I love making characters and pride myself to a degree on my character writing, but I find it kind of difficult and tedious to make a full plot and map out a story on my own, but as soon as I've got other people involved helping to shape it, it becomes so much easier and more fun. Adding in the game mechanics aspect of it takes it to a different level, too, both from the unpredictability of the dice, and the almost puzzle element of trying to build what I want out of the existing game mechanics.
I've been playing TTRPGs in some form or another for almost 25 years, starting with a significantly pared-down and simplified AD&D with my family when I was a kid. I played some 3/3.5 later on in high school, but always kind of struggled with understanding the rules until things finally clicked for me with 4e in 2008. I started playing Pathfinder in 2013, and my group has stuck with that since then.
2) Why do you want to join a long-term PBP game that may take several years to complete? Don't you have better things to do?
That time's going to pass anyways, I might as well spend it making an exciting story. Between my schedule and my energy levels, I kind of struggle with hobbies that take up long blocks of time at once. I also know that I start climbing the walls a little bit if I don't have something creative going on, so PBP-style RP hits that creative need without demanding I be able to block hours at a time where I will need to be able to promise that I will have both the time and the energy to go and do a thing.
Also worth noting that the group I've been playing pf1e with since 2013 has been a single, continuous campaign, and that one's done in real-time, with sessions that take up most of the day. Several years at PBP pacing is Fine.
3) Who is your favorite fictional character? Why? (Doesn't have to be fantasy gaming related at all)
Every time someone asks me what my favorite [insert thing here] is, I feel like I forget everything I've ever experienced in my life. If you ask me again later I'll probably have a different answer, but because I've been thinking about this show and this character a lot lately, right now I'm going to say Parker from the TV show Leverage. She hits a lot of my favorite character tropes and archetypes, which mostly can be summed up by "hyper-competent, incredible in their field, flounders a little when asked to do something else" combined with "loner learning how to be a person who exists around other people" and a little bit of having something deeply, deeply wrong with them. She also has, I think, the most complete and compelling character arc in the show, going from an absolute loner who other characters think of as "the best at what she does, but also completely insane" to being a genuinely compassionate person with a close group of friends who care about her, as well as being the leader of an organization based around helping people she wouldn't have thought twice about at the beginning of the show.
4) How many PBP games are you playing now? How many do you apply to in a year?
I am currently in one game, and I'm still kind of new to the boards, so I don't have much of a concept for how many I apply to over the course of a year. I'd like to keep the active number of games fairly low, maybe 3 or 4 depending on the speed of those games, and I'm only applying for games if I feel like I have an open space for one.
5) What is the best game you ever played? Why? (Can be any kind of game, not just TTRPG etc).
I think that 11-years-and-counting pf1e game I mentioned, and I'm only somewhat biased by virtue of being married to the GM. But, the GM has put so much work into the game, and has been putting work into the game for so long that their enthusiasm for it has kind of infected each of the players. We're all genuinely invested in the world, the NPCs, and each other's characters. The world is huge and feels fleshed out, and everywhere we go there's something interesting to uncover or some kind of plot thread to pull, and there's always some hint of something that traces back into an overarching storyline somewhere along the way.
6) What are the characteristics you think make a good PBP partner, whether DM/GM or PC? What do you do to encourage these characteristics in others?
Just being excited about the game. I want to be a fan of all the other PCs and be excited about the things they do, and I'd like to feel like the other people involved are enjoying the things I bring to the table as much as I am with them. I think that excitement about the game leads naturally to a lot of the other things that are necessary for a game working out, like engaging with the material given and writing responses that prompt further engagement.
7) How can I make a good decision about PCs without seeing a crunch and full background? Do you think this is an effective method of finding story-telling partners?
I actually really like this method, it makes a lot of sense to me to find players who you think are going to mesh before thinking too much about the characters and the crunch. Trying to build a functional team composition from people who seem like they'll mesh and characters that seem like they'll be interesting and fun feels like it can be a really impossible logic puzzle sometimes.
8) What one question would you ask me, or other players to determine if they were a good fit with you?
Hmm... since I mentioned how important I think being excited about each other's characters is, I'd like to know if you have a favorite character you've seen someone else play in a game, either as a player or a GM? What made them so great, or so fun to play alongside/GM for? This is to see if I think the things I'd be bringing to the table are a good fit for the things you and the other players enjoy being around.
To answer my own question, one of the most recent characters added to my real-time pf1e game is an elven Samurai named Arsa, a retired general and war hero that has taken up adventuring after retiring and realizing that she doesn't really know how to be a civillian. She loves katanas and bugs and romance novels and hates having to speak out loud. She also has a character quirk that I enjoy so much I've wanted to put it on every character I make, which is keeping an in-depth character journal. Arsa logs her perspective on everything that happens to her, but she also keeps notes on how often the other party members smile, laugh, frown, cry, or swear, and the player doesn't share the journal with us, but we do check in sometimes to see what our stats are. From an OOC perspective, too, this player joined very late into a VERY long-running game with a lot of history, and they knew that they weren't going to have a lot of plot ties right off the bat, and would probably spend a lot of time needing to be caught up on the things that were happening. They were immediately ready to put in work to still be engaged and find ways for their character to be invested in what was happening, and it's led to this player always being one of the most active voices when it comes time to make plans. They really showed up with this socially awkward little shut-in and immediately became completely integral to the party dynamic, it's great.
As for Iron Gods vs Strength of Thousands, those were both the options I voted for, so I really can't pick a preference between one or the other. They both sound really fun, I'd be just as happy with either.
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I'd like to know if you have a favorite character you've seen someone else play in a game, either as a player or a GM? What made them so great, or so fun to play alongside/GM for?
His grandmother was a legendary hero who stopped helped to seal away a corrupt and maddened Solar angel bent on becoming the new god of death. The plot revolved heavily around these artifacts that all held pieces of the Solar's spirit. Before the start of the game, his wizard's home was attacked by an Orc warlord who had stolen his grandmother's circlet which hid one of these pieces of the Solar and laid a curse on his childhood friend. Part way through that game they discovered a piece of a lost piece of elven high magic that could cure any affliction but required the help of every member of the elven high shaman council to complete, one of which was the childhood friend's little sister.
Unfortunately, the spell was missing a piece and they tried it anyway. The friend was cured of this curse which had placed her in a coma and was slowly turning her into a plant, except it only cured her soul and caused her body to fade away as her soul and body were no longer the same. Now, an important piece of this is that before the game even started my friend and I had discussed what he wanted out of this plot thread, and he wanted it to be a bittersweet ending. So, he was able to save her, but in the end he still lost her. What I did not know until AFTER we played this out in-character was that this friend was inspired by a real-life friend that he lost to cancer. For him it was cathartic and helped him to process what had happened while also helping him feel that he honored his friend to the best of his ability. It was the first time I ever made a player actively cry.
Gonna throw another long post behind a spoiler, but I did go through to answer the other players' questions, too! I skipped a few that I didn't have good answers for or didn't seem like I was able to answer, but I've hit most of them.
How thick is your skin and if you are overly sensitive about real life matters.
To be perfectly honest, this depends a little bit. Yeah, we all come from different places and backgrounds and political beliefs and you're right in that this doesn't need to stand in the way of playing a game together and having fun. But, "overly sensitive" isn't exactly an objective metric, and if someone says something that seems hurtful, I am going to want to push back on that. In a respectful way, of course, and with the goal of reaching a mutual understanding, but still pushing back.
I also agree that, for the most part, real-world political topics don't really have a place at the table, but what counts as "political" is also kind of up for debate. There are people who think my existence as a transgender person is inherently political, and would think that my characters almost all falling under the LGBT+ umbrella is bringing unnecessary politics to the table. Given Paizo's history of including lore and characters that also fall under this umbrella, I'd hope that this being fine goes without saying and doesn't qualify for this conversation, but I've been blindsided enough times on this topic that I don't want to leave it unsaid.(It's also worth noting because the mention of exploring darker topics in-character and having characters say things that would be harmful out of character came up elsewhere in the conversation around this question, that's a completely different case. We aren't our characters, and sometimes they say things that we don't believe and would never say ourselves. If something ever comes up IC that makes me uncomfortable OOC I'll bring it up, but IC statements alone will never effect my opinion of the other players negatively.)
@Players : Will you be making characters that help tell the story and not work against it to further own personal agenda on how the story ‘should’ be told?
I try not to some into games with preconceived notions about how things 'should' go, beyond maybe a vague idea of what I'd like my own character's narrative arc to accomplish.
Are you okay with with characters "wasting turns" or otherwise performing unoptimally due to character backstory? As in, a low-level character spending their first turn in combat panicking because they're not used to fighting yet.
Yes, absolutely. Self-inflicted "flaws" like that are a fun time, I might say to be careful about 'wasting turns' during extremely challenging situations, but for the most part yeah, I love that.
Is your involvement with the game to develop a character to star, or to be a part of a team interacting with not only themselves, but the setting and success of the group?
Absolutely the group. I've played with some people who really wanted their PC to be the Main Character, and it was just the worst experience. Ideally, everyone can get their moments where they get to have the spotlight for a bit, but I want to uplift the group for their moments as much as I want to get them myself.
What can we do together to make this play experience more enjoyable for you and I?
For me, I think one of the big things is talking casually OOC. I like to get to know the other players, but I think keeping discussions happening outside of the game as well as in is big for maintaining momentum and excitement, as well as all the usual planning.
Do you approach a game with a character idea in mind no matter what, or do you tailor your character to the campaign premise?
A little of column A, but mostly column B. I like making characters, so I do have a small collection of ones that don't have active games or settings that I'll leaf through and see if one of them might fit in with a given game, but I'll always tailor them for the premise. If none of them do, then I'll make something up from scratch!
Will you control your disappointments with other players, and continue playing without rancor?
Like I said somewhere up above, if something comes up that upsets me OOC, I'll always make an attempt to bring it up and try to get it resolved in an OOC conversation, but I don't want to let something like that ever bleed into the game. On the reverse side of that, if my character is ever upset with anyone else's, that in no way reflects how I feel out of character.
how can we encourage each other to interact not just with the plot but with each other's characters?
I think this format of recruitment will help go a ways towards that, if we're building our characters together as well, since that'll give us a little time to talk about what kind of interactions we're excited about and what kind of characters we'd like to RP off of. Otherwise, I think the best one person can do to encourage that behavior is model it. If one character is always starting interactions and being interested in the other party members, I think it's easier for other people who might be hesitant to do that to join in.
I am happy to complete these questions if that would be helpful in making an apples to apples comparison with the players who have already applied here :)
The Interview Questions are required for those moving on to the Phase 2 of Iron Gods recruitment, so up to you if want to formally apply for this game. You are more than welcome here at SoT eventually, or just to lurk.
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I got your interview questions Ollie Twist. Glad you are here and applying. A 13 year campaign is most impressive. It usually takes me that long to get a IRL game scheduled, let alone played.
You asked about favorite characters, and I have seen many but don't have one that stands out to me especially. My first PBP game, I had a great group of PCs running through Runelords, and it was so much fun! But like many PBP games, attrition and inattention happened and it slowly fell apart.
If you expressed a strong preference to run SoT over IG, I respectfully ask that you bow out of the running here -- this thread is for IG only, and there will be a separate one for SoT. This leaves time and consideration for those players who have a stronger preference for this game. If you have no preference, then feel free to stick around.
I will be driving 6+ hours tomorrow to visit my elderly parents. I will likely have a chance to update the thread with the Phase 2 requirements around character sharing, but may not. It'll happen this weekend regardless.
If you are still working on Interview Questions, you have a little time to submit, but likely only until the long weekend is over, so wave your hand or get something up soon (no wrong answers).
I have a strong preference for SoT, so bowing out.
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Gonna throw another long post behind a spoiler, but I did go through to answer the other players' questions, too! I skipped a few that I didn't have good answers for or didn't seem like I was able to answer, but I've hit most of them.
I'm not talking about someone actively and openly disrespecting another, but more in line of people reading too much in a given situation with the intent of finding some offense. An example would be (without further context) person A not wanting to have lunch with person B and people start calling A names because of B's skin color, age, appearance, religion, wealth, identity, etc.
I have a personal belief that each person's rights end where the next person's rights begin. No one is more important than anyone else no matter what, and we all should be respectful to each other, even when we don't agree with them on a given subject.
There are people who think my existence as a transgender person is inherently political, and would think that my characters almost all falling under the LGBT+ umbrella is bringing unnecessary politics to the table.
Hey, I am not transgender but I am also under that colorful umbrella as are many of my characters, even if it doesn't come up in game (usually reserved for gaming with close friends when we want to explore those stories). You've got a friend in me regardless.
Also agree that out of character conversations can be very important in helping to make a group more cooperative and friendly with each other, which is why I think this is an effective recruiting method!
Phase 2 is now open
For Phase 2, remaining applicants should begin to discuss their character concepts. A stat block is not needed or really wanted that this time, except to the extent it helps you tell who your character is (not just what they do) and informs the backstory or party dynamics.
All PF2 Lost Omen or Rulebooks are available to chose from, but we should be looking at Remastered options for this game. LMK if you need help in that vein.
Recall that I said, while you could pick a very esoteric ancestry/class/archetype combination, it will likely get little love from me. Standard characters who have a story behind them, an arc to follow, a flaw that makes them tragic (or at least sympathetic) or some other way to make the character more important than the mechanics. That's how you impress me. And they have to work with others not just be an interesting individual. Monstrous races, fey, or other exotic ancestries are going to have a harder time be accepted or worked with in polite society.
Through this process, players may have to scrap or modify original ideas about class/race/genre to make a cohesive group. There are no real preconceived notions about what a "cohesive group" looks like, but it should be enough to fill the main adventuring roles in order to overcome challenges you are likely to come across. 6 kobold wizards might be a fun group in theory, but they are unlikely to disarm traps, tank a tough combat, or heal the party very far. They are also quite unlikely to get an help or acceptance from local townsfolk. It may be that there are several iterations or mutations as you go. That's part of the fun.
I am not asking you to create a bunch of little cliques of parties, but instead think about how backgrounds mesh, how classes line up, how teams might form naturally, but probably most importantly, how you can be flexible enough to make it work with others in varying ways. Again, I am look at players more than characters, and those who can tell a compelling story, even if its Plan B.
Ideally, the characters will be from or have recently arrived in the village of Torch in Numeria. The AP opening assumes the group already knows each other and has agreed to work together. That means backstories need to leave room/space/hooks for others to make a cohesive core. I can help with facts about Torch, NPCs, or making up something that doesn't exist in the Player's Guide primer. Just ask. But the responsibility to build a team is upon you.
Ultimately I will chose individuals who tell a compelling backstory that meshes with other compelling backstories so the team sort of builds itself. I don't' really know what the end product will be or what I am expecting, but I will know it when I see it (and I think you will too). If this feels very sandbox-y and open ended, that's because it is. You have some responsibility in telling the the shared story too, and at this point the canvas is pretty blank.
I would like to begin to narrow down selections by the end of this week (think Friday/Saturday) but may work through them sooner if great ideas present themselves early. Best of the best good luck! We are all counting on you....
PS: If you are still interested in applying, I will leave the Interview Questions open through Monday night but the others will be working together without you meantime, and may have an early advantage.
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I think, in the interest of making room for others, I'll bow out of the recruitment for Iron Gods (especially as the concept I had in mind for a "rerun" character would have required some homebrew anyway), but will keep my eyes open for the Strength of Thousands recruitment!
Thanks APZ. Very magnanimous of you, and will be appreciated by the others who are keen on Iron Gods. Will get to the SoT recruitment after exploring some things over here. Please stay tuned!
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My concept is for a female elf barbarian, amnesiac, wielding a large axe and with some lingering magical abilities.
The history being her is she was one an apprentice wizard traveling up the Sellen River and going towards Mendev to join the crusade. She did not really wanted to go, but her family forced her, wanting her to study there in order to then return to Kyonin and help with Treerazer. Truth being told, she wasn't very promising as a wizard, something her disappointed mentor/mother made clear countless times, so this was also some petty punishment.
When close to Scrapwall, her boat was attacked, her people robbed and murdered. She got a hit in her head that should have killed her, but luckily didn't. She was found later by Ghost Wolf (or Black Horse) barbarians and healed. It took a while for her to wake up and when she did, she had no memory whatsoever of what happened or who she was.
She stayed with them for a while. Weeks turned to months and years, but still no memory. She learned their beliefs, customs and even how to fight. Strangely, she was quite happy there, as if a shadow over her shoulder have disappeared.
Then, her memory started to return, even if just flashes. Many of her new friends rejoiced and keept urging her to go search for her lost memory back in elven lands. An argument with a friend (or lover) pushed her to leave. She packed a horse and headed towards Torch, planning to take a boat there to Hajoth Hakados and then south...
But in truth, she did not wanted to go back home. She feared it deeply, as if going back home was to face something terrible... So she delayed her trip a bit, staying in Torch for a couple weeks, then months...
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Mechanically, she'll be a barbarian. Plan to have that heritage that gives me a multiclasse feat for Wizard and then that feat that gives me a variable skill each day. Think this would represent this background quite well. If allowed, there is a rare background named Amnesiac that obviously fit perfectly. Also planning for the Superstition Rage to represent her traumatic experience with magic.
She won't be optimized thought and will be a pretty intelligent barbarian. Elves aren't great barbarians thanks to low racial HP and Constitution flaw.
Mechanically I do not know if it's possible. So for now I hope the concept is possible
A lawman that has a bond to the wild in some way that can use those bond(S) to help him enhance his abilities in certain ways. He has a mechanical companion that in times of need can transform into a combat ally that also uses something akin to a blunderbuss
He travels from place to place to help with the troubles the town or areas has. As I said. Quite a vague idea still. But for now I hope that works
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I have a character I've wanted to play / explore for many years now. I fear it isn't an uncommon or unique experience, but its a journey I've wanted the chance to explore.
I would submit an Android Cleric of Brigh. They're on a journey of faith, and hoping to discover an answer to the question? Do Androids have souls, and does the fact that they receive divine power mean an afterlife exists for them.
Similarly her faith in Brigh compounds her search. Brigh is noted to have a deep love for her creations, and unlike automatons experience deep, rich emotions. Androids however experience something in between, they are only half way human in that regard, being emotionally stunted. Is this something that be overcome or are they limited by the creation.
Inspiration for this character has come from many different sources over the years; Cyborg from Teen Titans/Justice League, the Geth from Mass Effect, HAL 9000 from Space Odyssey 2001, Bicentennial Man with Robin Williams. A.I from 2001. iRobot with Will Smith, Blade Runner. Tons of media explore this concept, I've enjoyed all of them, and also want to partake in my own exploration of the subject.
I know Androids are considered rare, hopefully my submission can still make it through. My character would be bringing a lot of knowledges, skills, divine support and healing.
Thank you for considering my application.
Ditto on waiting for SoT.
I'll see you on that thread when it pops up.
Thanks, GM & all
Thank you PH. We all owe you one
I have a character I've wanted to play / explore for many years now. I fear it isn't an uncommon or unique experience, but its a journey I've wanted the chance to explore.
I would submit an Android Cleric of Brigh.
I am interested in this concept, and yes, Androids will be quite rare. So you need to help describe where they come from, how did they know Brigh, how did they study enough to be a faithful dedicated follower of hers? Etc. And how does that creation fit with the rest of a party.
I'm pretty open to the idea of helping to fill in to make a well-rounded party, so I have two character ideas but one is a better fit lore-wise I think.
Anri Cahir is a human Liberation Champion of Iomedae with the Insurgent background. The background comes from the fact he has been fighting back against the Technic League. I think he is an escaped slave who also lost someone close to him which pushed him to try and escape. Somehow he managed to successfully break free but Numeria isn't the most hospitable place. Thankfully, a group travelling knights found him and took him in.
It was here that he learned of Iomedae and took to her worship. He spent a few years under the tutelage of a specific knight and learned how to fight and channel the power of their goddess. Eventually, Anri knew he would one day return to Numeria to try and take down the Technic League. He has not managed to accomplish much since his return, but he has been laying low I'm Torch for a few months now since the League has no full-time presence here after he drew too much attention to himself in an attack on one of their supply trains bringing back their "taxes" from the surrounding areas.
The small group he was working with had to break up to avoid attention, and Anri has been hanging around Torch looking for a new way to fight back against the League. In the meantime, he has been earning coin by doing odd jobs and helping to train others as a sparring partner.
As for how he and the party got together? I'm open to ideas, but could be anything from drinking buddies to having done small jobs together.
Mechanically I do not know if it's possible. So for now I hope the concept is possible
A lawman that has a bond to the wild in some way that can use those bond(S) to help him enhance his abilities in certain ways. He has a mechanical companion that in times of need can transform into a combat ally that also uses something akin to a blunderbuss
He travels from place to place to help with the troubles the town or areas has. As I said. Quite a vague idea still. But for now I hope that works
I like the lawman concept, but you lose me a bit with a mechanical companion with a gun. Seems pretty contrived to me given the state of technology in this setting. Tell me more about how that works mechanically and also how the companion was found/built/activated. Also, will need some hooks help to the party members about how they may have built a group together.
Limited time this AM, so if I don't comment on your early ideas, not to worry. I appreciate the work being done so far, but make sure you think about how interactions with others will go, and how this group found each other.
I like the lawman concept, but you lose me a bit with a mechanical companion with a gun. Seems pretty contrived to me given the state of technology in this setting. Tell me more about how that works mechanically and also how the companion was found/built/activated. Also, will need some hooks help to the party members about how they may have built a group together.Mechanically I do not know if it's possible. So for now I hope the concept is possible
A lawman that has a bond to the wild in some way that can use those bond(S) to help him enhance his abilities in certain ways. He has a mechanical companion that in times of need can transform into a combat ally that also uses something akin to a blunderbuss
He travels from place to place to help with the troubles the town or areas has. As I said. Quite a vague idea still. But for now I hope that works
This is who i had in mind Bravestarr
And why i had the companion idea, so Inventor/Gunslinger type deal
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For the lawman with the construct, I believe the only way of doing it without resorting to homebrew would be the inventor class, which is Legacy content. While it is an uncommon class, characters from Ustalav should* have access to it.
When I say should with an asterisk because this AP happens in 4714 and the rules of PF2e Guns and Gears are at least from 4721 onwards. Up to the GM if Ustalav is already advanced enough to have inventors around. The same is true about gunslingers.
Numeria shares borders with Ustalav, so it isn't a stretch to have a character from there, even if between Ustalav and Torch we have Numerian Felldales, which I think is a fairly dangerous place. IMO, a construct from Ustalav would have an early steampunk vibe, while Numerian one would be more like something cobbled together with scrap parts.
From the setting, building constructs should not be trivial, otherwise we'd have them everywhere. Seems to me something that requires a lot of dedication and study. I'm having some trouble seeing such a smart inventor also being a lawman roaming around.
There is also the angle that in Numeria, the "law" comes from the Black Sovereign and the Technic League. For the lawman to have some legitimacy, I think they'd have to be connected to them, no? Otherwise they'd be more in line with a vigilante applying their own version of law.
There's also Construct Eidolons, for the record: also Legacy content... but I'd at least hope the GM would let us use classes that haven't been updated to Remaster.
And for tech level in Ustalav, I think the impetus is Stasian (i.e. 1918 Earth) tech being smuggled? But also, good point about the lawman. Imagine you'd be connected to the League or the Sovereign.
Considering a Witch exiled from Ustalav for being, well, a Witch. Unsure of which patron, but one of the Occult ones for sure to let them hide as a Bard. Will have more concrete ideas the more info given.
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I am interested in this concept, and yes, Androids will be quite rare. So you need to help describe where they come from, how did they know Brigh, how did they study enough to be a faithful dedicated follower of hers? Etc. And how does that creation fit with the rest of a party.I have a character I've wanted to play / explore for many years now. I fear it isn't an uncommon or unique experience, but its a journey I've wanted the chance to explore.
I would submit an Android Cleric of Brigh.
Absolutely understandable, I wasn't sure if you were wanting fleshed out back stories yet or just broad strokes of the character.
Thanks for the input so far. I know it's a bit wierd but making a character like that seemed like fun. If you didn't check the intro :P it's a show I loved when I was still very young
Inventor with gunslinger dedication was the plan. Trying to make 30-30 on top will be a bit difficult. But having the inventions does sound like it may be doable
But as Longears mentioned. He would probably be seen as a vigilante of the sorts.
I think being a vigilante would definitely be necessary. Just reading through the player's guide the Technic League seem to be antagonistic, so being associated with them isn't encouraged by the guide. And if my Champion were to be chosen it wouldn't work well either given he is against the Technic League.
If the Champion doesn't end up being a good fit overall I do have a rogue that I can pitch, but I feel the Champion would be a better fit for the story between the two.
Android Cleric of Brigh
This sounds like it could be fun to explore given the context of the adventure.
My concept is a young kitsune (or if that's not allowed, human) woman from Goka in the western reaches of Tian Xia who prefers to fight with martial arts.
The daughter of former adventurers who have opened an inn in the capitol after retiring from their journeying days. She was raised working in the inn and her monk-scholar mother tried training her in the art of fighting unarmed, but her lack of discipline prevented her learning everything she should have. Life in Tian Xia bored her.
Her parents would often regale her with stories about their adventuring exploits, learning of places far beyond Tian Xia. Of the eerie, death-filled lands within the Eye of Dread. Of the Shining Kingdoms just across the sea. But what stood out to her among the lands she heard about was that of the Broken Lands. In particular, Numeria, filled with strange, massive wonders wrought from unknown metals.
Inspired by their tales, she wished to set out for an adventure of her own. Though her mother warned her of the dangers of Numeria and the Broken Lands in general, this just further kindled her adventurous spirit. Thus, when she became of age, she ran away from home and purchased a ferry to Avistan with what little money she had in the hopes of finding excitement on a foreign continent.
She would take on small jobs here and there during her journey through the Shining Kingdoms to fund her for her true destination: Torch.
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From a crunch perspective, I'd likely make her either a Monk or a Fighter with Martial Artist Dedication, with either the Barkeep or Servant backgrounds.
If this doesn't fit, I have another idea in mind that I can flesh out later on.
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I've just learned of a place in the Felldales of Numeria known as Castle Urion which is the first stop of many crusaders on their way to Mendev. The castle has an order of knights dedicated to Iomedae, so it is likely with what I mentioned prior that Anri was taken in and trained by the knights there. There is also an active Pathfinder lodge which, depending on other backstories, could be a way he gets connected with others in the party as well.
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I've got two character ideas I'm kind of tooling with at the moment. Neither of them are super fleshed out yet, but I figure it's worth getting feedback om them anyways, see if either concept is really jumping out at anyone. They're both using one of the player's guide campaign traits as a jumping-off point.
Using the "Against the Technic League" trait: An escaped Technic League android, new to the world outside their designated duties but determined to share their newfound freedom with as many slaves and other androids still held captive as possible. I like the idea of them starting the campaign with a serial number/code in place of a name and without much of a personal sense of identity, with a personal goal of building one over the course of the game. For class, I like the 'science vs nature' juxtaposition of making this character a druid, but I'm struggling to think of the how and why for that set of abilities, so I think most likely they would wind up either a magus or a wizard that had been studying whatever Technic League scraps they could get their hands on in secret. This character could definitely run the risk of feeling a bit on the "edgy" or overly dark side of things, but I'd want to focus much more on their joy in experiencing new things for the first time and their excitement to bring that joy to other people than on any desire for vengeance they might feel. If anyone else in the party has dealings with the League, maybe they met in the process of this character's escape and have stuck together, or might have been pointed towards each other by a third party.
Using the "Skymetal Smith" trait: A human metal kineticist, native to Torch, who has finished his apprenticeship at one of the many blacksmiths in town and started out on his own just in time for the fires to go out on Torch Hill. He's much more interested in being able to get back to his forge and his work than he is in being any kind of fancy adventurer or hero or anything, but someone has to solve this, and he's definitely not interested in sitting around and waiting for someone else to do it. I don't say that to mean that he'll actually object to continuing on in the campaign once that issue is resolved, at worst he might grumble a little, but that sense of "someone has to do it, and I sure am here" will carry him a long way. A pretty straightforward, salt-of-the-earth kind of guy without much patience for subtleties, subterfuge, or nuance. I'm fuzzy on the details of what caused/awakened his kineticist abilities, I think some kind of traumatic accident in the forge early on in his apprenticeship that he might not have survived if not for his gate opening. If he has any conflicting kind of feelings about that, they've got to be buried somewhere pretty deep, because if anything, gaining these powers have made him more attached to the forge than he was before his accident. If the campaign doesn't have more set-up for how the group is getting together and deciding to investigate the fires, maybe he put out word that he wanted people to come investigate with him?
Entirely possible that Anri could have helped break the android in your first example free given his entire thing is he is an escaped slave wanting to help take down the League. Could also be connections with other party members of course, just a thought based off of what else I've seen
Without going too much into the mechanics. His construct can possible start out as the equine form and as he learns and advances it becomes more advanced and eventually can change form
As to links with this character in mind, he could easily have befriended the Champion. The android can also be a good link as he is an inventor and they could both learn from each other and he could even have inspired my character to work even harder to enhance and improve his creation
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1: It seems to me that there are a few issues running against each other here.
First, no direction has been given by DM Doctor Evil on who out of Phase 1 is “successful” and so all of the conversations here attempting to build “a team” are essentially tilting at windmills - lots of “if my character and yours” and “possibly also because” where folks are struggling to build cohesive motes that connect to other discrete motes, none of whom might possibly be picked making all the “joining of narrative tentacles” kinda wasted.
Now it may be the DMDE isn’t making any “cuts” and is taking into account both Phases and possibly another as yet undetermined Phase 3 (or 4 or 5 etc). All of which is to say that this seems at least to me to add *more* confusion to attempts to “achieve cohesion” rather than less.
I would suggest you a) Pick the players. Then, b) work in the Discussion thread to form a party. Otherwise there is going to be a lot of discussion about things that can never be. Now some of you may be fine with theoretical narrative crafting…personally I think you should all be playing by now and getting ready to recruit a new player or two to replace the always one or two who are huge in Recruitment, and then mysteriously disappear before the end of page 1 of Gameplay. And if and when that does happen, even if you stick to this plan, the re-recruitment of said replacement can’t, by its very nature, replicate the Phases the original applicants went through. Which means….stuff about the initial phases.
2: As for “traditional characters” I always get weirded out in Iron Gods when people want to play androids, inventors and aliens. Sure, Numeria is impacted by…things, but personally, my Kellid Barbarian was having a lot of fun investigating…things right up until the tech-heads
in the party kept harshing her lotek buzz “explaining” what….things “really were”. There’s a certain loss to/of “strangers in a strange land” when half the strangers aren’t in a strange
land and want to tell you all about it. I get it, some people want to lean in on the sci-fi, as do I, but I kinda like the “what the hell is all this” from a primitive point of view.
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From what I understood, everyone who answered the questions were moved to "Phase 2".
I believe that this current phase is for us to work our characters and help each other in a way that all characters fit the campaign.
I do agree, though, that trying to make connections right now is basically pointless. We are just pitching ideas. DMDE has a very good idea of what characters he wants for the game. Some concepts will need to be altered or discarded before the green light is given. Then we could look for connections, but to be honest I'd prefer to do it only when the characters/players were chosen.
Androids, to be fair, don't have to know jack about their origins. But yeah waiting until DM DoctorEvil gives us more information to try collaborating with anyone.
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Totally get wanting to wait for more information before trying to build connections with the party.
Regarding "traditional" characters, I feel like that tends to be what I gravitate toward anyway; at least, for the most part. Even in the two Starfinder games I've played in the past my characters were an android and then a human. Many of my fantasy characters end up being humans too, albeit not all. I just like playing a "regular guy" who gets to experience the grand story. My current wizard in my IRL game was just an artist who happened to have been taught magic by his grandmother. Largely I designed the Champion's backstory based off what I read in the Iron Gods player's guide. The rogue character who I also have in pocket was just... a thief who decided to try and turn his life around and make his fortune adventuring rather than through petty larceny. I like my character's to feel as real as possible and for anything unique about them to stem from who they are and what they are doing rather than what they are.
I did not read through the entire thread before answering the questions. I thought the recruitment would go on for a week. Apologies if I am submitting too late. [/b]
Interview Questions - please provide some insightful honest answers that will help determine how compatible we are with each other as we embark on a long mission together. If you have limited to no PBP or TTRPG experience, that's fine, just say so it won't count against you.
2) Why do you want to join a long-term PBP game that may take several years to complete? Don't you have better things to do? I have a desk job, and a family. PbP allows me to enjoy campaigns that I could not hope to play at a real table. Numeria is one of those I would most like to explore.
3) Who is your favorite fictional character? Why? That is a hard question to answer as there are so many. I could narrow it down by genre and by medium and it will still come to too many. Right now, I am enjoying the four characters from Thursday Murder Club (Richard Osman), but Harry Bosche, Hercule Poirot, Gamash, have been friends for a long time. Peter Grant, Mercy Thomas & Harry Dresden in urban fantasy. Bilbo Baggins and Drizzt DoUrdon are the leads in the only two books I have read more than once. I might say R2-D2 because so much character comes from so little dialogue. Daffy Duck was my first ‘favorite’ character. Even though he often plays a supporting role, he gives it his all. He often gets things wrong, and to a comedic effect. Most importantly even with his bill bent, blown off or spinning around his head, he’d learn from the experience and try again.
4) How many PBP games are you playing now? How many do you apply to in a year? None, and I have not done PbP for five years or so. I can comfortably run two and play in a third & played in up to five at once though that was too much.
5) What is the best game you ever played? Why? A friend in undergrad ran a fantasy CHAMPS campaign. He worked graveyards, so we could game all night long. I am still friends with them and whenever I make it back we work in a night of gaming. I also ran the Savage Tide AP. I took us five years with weddings, graduations, children, but we kept enough of a core group, that when folks rotated back to town, they would look us up.
6) What are the characteristics you think make a good PBP partner, whether DM/GM or PC? What do you do to encourage these characteristics in others? The hardest part of PbP is keeping things moving so regularly posts with liberal use of if/then statements. But that is only mechanics, the hardest part is actually missing all the non-verbal cues one might get at a table. A minute of silence at the table is enough to know something is not clicking with the rest of the table. 48 hours of silence in PbP means life happened and someone was just away from the keyboard—or is it that something is not clicking with the rest of the table? I make sure to post a random observation, a glimpse at backstory, or just a catchphrase daily.
7) How can I make a good decision about PCs without seeing a crunch and full background? Do you think this is an effective method of finding story-telling partners? It is the same meeting a group of players at any other table. We first see the players, not the characters they may bring. The players are a more important part of the story than the potential characters. Yes.
8) What one question would you ask me, or other players to determine if they were a good fit with you? Hi, how are you this afternoon?
[ooc] I almost led with “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”
I've liked all of the submissions so far. A couple of them have even crossed-streams with some ideas of mine. I should have a submission of my own up soon.
I don't think anything suggested has been overly crazy, and I like the fact that people are suggesting ideas for how characters may be linked if chosen. It shows a willingness, IMO, to work with other people.
While I do see where the others are coming from, I agree Lia Wynn. I think being able to know who might be a good fit for the table is certainly good, but seeing how players work together on building characters and interconnected backstories also plays a role in how effectively a party can communicate and act as a team. I've had games almost ruined by players who refused to work with the others on their character backstory (I've got a story about a player and their assassin almost ruining the game in session one and handwavium had to be applied). We may be working on characters and connections here, but it is still another piece of seeing how well the players work with each other, in my opinion.
I'm thinking a very traditional (almost stereotypical) halfling bard.
Mostly support for others, and occasional direct intervention (attack spells, picking locks, etc.)
Background:
Originally a slave in Cheliax. Was freed through the Emancipation in 4722. Now looking to free others -- or at least help them. Looking for a sibling who was sold by slavers and rumored to be in Numeria. A very excitable, distractible hafling. And, even for a bard, very absent-minded.
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I'm thinking a very traditional (almost stereotypical) halfling bard.
Mostly support for others, and occasional direct intervention (attack spells, picking locks, etc.)
Background:
Originally a slave in Cheliax. Was freed through the Emancipation in 4722. Now looking to free others -- or at least help them. Looking for a sibling who was sold by slavers and rumored to be in Numeria. A very excitable, distractible hafling. And, even for a bard, very absent-minded.
Unless the GM decides to alter things, the Iron Gods AP takes place in 4714. Not sure how easy it would be to alter the timeline.
The Interview Questions are required for those moving on to the Phase 2 of Iron Gods recruitment, so up to you if want to formally apply for this game. You are more than welcome here at SoT eventually, or just to lurk.I am happy to complete these questions if that would be helpful in making an apples to apples comparison with the players who have already applied here :)
I think it would be inappropriate for me to take up cycles of the decision making process when I don't want to be considered - the questions will be here for me to refer to when SoT gets rolling, just in case I think they would supplement what you ask there :)
Unless the GM decides to alter things, the Iron Gods AP takes place in 4714. Not sure how easy it would be to alter the timeline.I'm thinking a very traditional (almost stereotypical) halfling bard.
Mostly support for others, and occasional direct intervention (attack spells, picking locks, etc.)
Background:
Originally a slave in Cheliax. Was freed through the Emancipation in 4722. Now looking to free others -- or at least help them. Looking for a sibling who was sold by slavers and rumored to be in Numeria. A very excitable, distractible hafling. And, even for a bard, very absent-minded.
I'll tell you, Ira is a heck of a story teller, I'm sure it can work one way or the other. Rome wasn't built in a day, Emancipation probably wasn't either. Like there was probably some badass abolitionist in 4714 who freed Linzi ... oh sorry, who freed the "very traditional halfling bard" and maybe even gave them clues to help find their sibling.
Fast forward to the end of Iron Gods, and it's actually 20th Level Linzi Kroll who comes back and frees all the slaves!!! I love this!
Another hero fighting to free the slaves? You have Anri's blade!
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...Considering a Witch exiled from Ustalav for being, well, a Witch. Unsure of which patron, but one of the Occult ones for sure to let them hide as a Bard. Will have more concrete ideas the more info given.
A witch does not have to know their patron, so you (player) do not even need to define it. Resentment could be anyone/anything ready to feed of the Torch/Technic League animosity. Spinner of threads could be an entity from the stars drawn here 9000 years ago. Pacts could be a near-sentient AI crashed in Numeria trying to get the world it finds itself in to follow it's programming. Baba Yaga could be... well Baba Yaga she already has a presence on Golarian :)
...A lawman that has a bond to the wild in some way that can use those bond(S) to help him enhance his abilities in certain ways. He has a mechanical companion that in times of need can transform into a combat ally that also uses something akin to a blunderbuss....
Hehe, I totally thought 'Bravestar when I read that (& saw the confirmation later :). They could be a lawman from another country (with no legal standing). Nearly any class works but summoner & inventor are the most obvious for the mount aspect. Champion, druid, and the beast master archetype can also provide this. If the GM allowed it an animal companion could have a disability that is compensated with tech. (mechanically -/+ no benefit-just flavored as a mechanically augmented legs or something.) Bounty hunter might be a good background.
... For class, I like the 'science vs nature' juxtaposition of making this character a druid, but I'm struggling to think of the how and why for that set of abilities, so I think most likely they would wind up either a magus or a wizard that had been studying whatever Technic League scraps they could get their hands on in secret. ...
Perhaps before escaping he/she/they were a weather system analyst (storm) or a greenhouse management system (leaf) or forge fueling technician (fire) or maybe while hiding from the TL they befriended an animal (animals don't judge!) (animal) or observed the natural camouflage of critters and sought to mimic it (wild shape) powered by desperation to avoid the TL!
Just brainstorming of course :)
Sorry all. I have not had much time to read or review the thread this weekend. I will be home tomorrow evening, and will get some comments made then.
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Welcome Curaigh. You are in under the wire for Phase 1. Appreciate your answers. That said:
Phase 1 is now closed. No new applications will be taken for this game. Only those who have posted interview questions (and not withdrawn) will be considered going forward.