The Heart of Darkness

Game Master Torvald Torvaldson

Adventures in the lost continent of Urath



Playable races-All core except Aasimar and Tiefling; those exist but only with the physical looks of their parentage, not the powers of the heavens and hells. Elves are very rare as most of their kind were slaughtered or enslaved during the fall of Urath. Elves were not native to the remaining known continent of Elap. They are also very respected and wealthy having carried vast knowledge and treasures when they fled the continent. Elves get a few extra starting bonuses and penalties should you select that race. Half-elves are more and less respected; more if they are raised by their elven parent, less if raised by their human parent. Hill dwarves are abundant and native to the known continent of Elap. Deep dwarves are extremely rare on the surface and are rumored to have maintained well-guarded and secret tunnels to Urath, providing much of their wealth which they fence/trade through the agency of their hill-dwarf cousins. Halflings and gnomes lived on both sides of the great sea and are not uncommon in Elap, although the fate of those in Urath is unkown. Humans are by far the most common race on the continent of Elap and comprise the vast majority of major lands and kingdoms. There are a few half-orcs with now thin (recessive) orcish blood. No pureblood orcs are known to exist on Elap.

2 traits, but no “second chance”; can be taken as a feat instead.
Healing will be provided via deus ex machina if needed.

Start at 3d level with corresponding GP; 25 point buy; no score under 8 and an explanation of how you will roll-play that deficiency. HP=full/half/roll. Choose your backstory and become an agent for one of the adventuring/mercenary groups, mercantile guilds, sovereign nations, or something ~darker~.

Ask what questions you have and prepare to enter the Heart of Darkness.


Got it, now to think of a character


You will not be in Elap after the very start of the campaign unless the story draws you back for some reason.

Most of your time will probably be spent in Urath. There are no major cities there, just several outposts that various factions have built hoping to expand their power and presence on the continent. You might work for or against them depending on the faction you align with.

Fairly sandbox environment that will likely take you to dungeons, ruins, jungle, wilderness, etc. However, you will have a large say in where the story takes you. No railroading as I don't have anything hard scripted.

Lots and LOTS of orcs. Did I say lots of orcs? LOTS of orcs.

The orcs of Urath don't have any access or current knowledge of wizardly or priestly magic, relying solely on witches, skalds, bards, and a very few sorcerers. Part of the elvish curse/magic was to deny them access to the gods and the weave of magic necessary to conduct serious spellcraft and/or allow them access to Elap. Little is known of any other surviving races in Urath, but it is assumed that the orcs either enslaved or slaughtered any goodly inclined races and they are largely terrified by magic and anyone that can wield it. Thusly, rumor has it, that the largest hordes of orcs are ruled over by savage barbarian sorcerers or skalds that cow their underlings with violence and magic. These hordes wander about the land, consuming other lesser groups, and squeezing spoils out of slaves and tributaries.


Not leaning elf but what are the bonuses/penalties? Are these in addition to standard elf racials?

5 hours of chemo yesterday afternoon/evening, my body doesn’t want to sleep right now


Elf starts with all standard racials,+5000 GP, and the following:

Feats-
Breadth of Experience
Ancestral Weapon Mastery or Arcane Talent

Additional alternative racial traits-
Devoted Companion
Disinterested Observer
Eternal Grudge
Loremasters

5 hours of chemo sounds like trash; maybe you can get a cool hat and sunglasses and we will start calling you Heisenberg


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3

Here is my shell for my character. Can you post in gameplay? I just tried twice and nothing happened.


6'4" 157 lbs. Did you already fail your FORT save for aids?


Also can't post in gameplay, not sure why.


I think it has to do with how I first posted in gameplay?

Reboot PBP here:

https://paizo.com/campaigns/v5748p75j0ejp/gameplay#2


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3
Savage Horde wrote:
6'4" 157 lbs. Did you already fail your FORT save for aids?

Heaviest weight for an elf is 158, so he is quite the specimen.


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3

Made progress last night, hope to finish today.


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3

hp roll: 1d8 ⇒ 6


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3

“Choose your backstory and become an agent for one of the adventuring/mercenary groups, mercantile guilds, sovereign nations, or something ~darker~.”

Any additional data on any of these groups?

I’m imagining something along the lines that Curumir is an independent contractor of sorts working for the Elves, Temple of Ketephys (or some other group) to procure particular items from within Urath or to perform particular missions there.

https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Ketephys

Edicts
Hunt and kill demons and undead, support a forest's health, provide for your community
Anathema
Take more than needed from wilderness, hunt an animal for sport, aid Treerazer and his minions


The adventuring groups are just that: people paying their way over to Urath to try their hand at earning money by taking on jobs or exploring the lands of Urath for lost treasures.

Mercenaries are very similar with the difference that they have an employer and contract with some more specific role objectives to be achieved.

The mercantile guilds have agents in Urath trying to better their position in both supplying the outposts there as well as finding things of value to bring back to Elap. Although the orcs of Urath are still very much orcs, they do understand the value of trade. Some outposts are actually founded and run by a few of the larger merchant houses.

Several sovereign nations have established outposts with the intention of either adding to their lands or extracting resources to enrich and improve their position in Elap.

There are rumored to be several diabolical groups with their own nefarious agendas with agents already imbedded in Urath. Probably not for you given your alignment, deity, build, etc.

I can absolutely work with "I’m imagining something along the lines that Curumir is an independent contractor of sorts working for the Elves, Temple of Ketephys (or some other group) to procure particular items from within Urath or to perform particular missions there."

Unless you want to go in a different direction. Let me know.


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3

OK. Let’s go with that.


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3

How do you come up with this stuff?!?!
Is this the plot to some book I’ve missed?


I aim to please. It's good to release some of the things that rattle around my head from time-to-time.

Also one of the reasons I get so frustrated with the other campaign largely getting the most traction from the battle scenes.

It's a labor of love.

Enjoy! :-D


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3

Well, someone in the other campaign who shall remain nameless tends to only show up for the battle scenes. Frustrating at times for both DM and the other players.


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3

Quit your day job and start writing books!


"There seem to be a lot of increasingly forceful hints that the humans are, let’s say, overly harsh with the orcs. In this campaign, are all orcs evil, generally evil with a few outliers being non-evil, or a total variety of alignments."

All you know, and anyone knows for that matter, is that the orcs nearly exterminated the elven race from the world and drove them from the face of Urath. They might have overwhelmed Elap as well if it were not for the brave sacrifice of your ancestors that closed the way across the seas and largely denied the orcs access to divine and arcane magics. They are demon-worshipping, savage, creatures, violent and aggressive, with the strongest ruling the rest through fear and brutality.

The humans from Bestrar are doing their best to pacify a dangerous and hostile land with limited chance for reinforcement and supply. Imagine the men of Gondor dealing with the orcs of Mordor or the Conquistadors figuring out the Aztecs (but not human). Are they going to allow the orcs to rebuild their numbers locally when they still have an entire untold land of foes to face? In this context they are doing, at minimum, what they feel is necessary, pleasing the King, and extracting wealth from this dark continent.

Curumir can feel how he will, but in the context of the story (so far) everything would make very clear sense to him. If he is unsettled by the savagery that would make some sense (maybe), but he has seen a fair amount of hardness over 130 years and he comes from the remnants of a people largely erased by orcs, now with a chance to restore them to their rightful homeland.

It's a dark campaign for sure with NA-17 content in full effect.


You could have just asked the man who he was...


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3

LOL. He figured they would introduce him. Since they didn’t maybe they chose not to for some reason.


I was going with the Baron has a lot on his mind, the Major doesn't care for you, and the mysterious stranger is...mysterious


"Would like a ruling on whether lesser restoration potions exist, technically I don’t think they exist in RAW as the spell takes 3 rounds to cast. If they do exist then will likely purchase some for future use."

In order to be made into a potion or oil, a spell must meet all of the following criteria.

It must be a spell of 3rd level or lower.
It must have a casting time of less than 1 minute.
It must target one or more creatures or objects.
It must not have a range of personal.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/potions/
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/r/restoration/

Seems like they would/could exist?


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3
Savage Horde wrote:

"Would like a ruling on whether lesser restoration potions exist, technically I don’t think they exist in RAW as the spell takes 3 rounds to cast. If they do exist then will likely purchase some for future use."

In order to be made into a potion or oil, a spell must meet all of the following criteria.

It must be a spell of 3rd level or lower.
It must have a casting time of less than 1 minute.
It must target one or more creatures or objects.
It must not have a range of personal.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/potions/
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/r/restoration/

Seems like they would/could exist?

Think you are correct, I was reading 1 minute as 1 round for some reason.


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3

Thinking of retconning Curumir to use a one handed weapon with a shield, an AC boost might make him more survivable. Though if you roll 20’s all the time it might not matter.


Too bad you don't have an awesome cleric around to make the DM re-roll crits!

These are tough battles and why I have you as part of the overall action so far. I am using your outcomes to determine how well/poorly the ancillary characters do (with some RNG help).

TPK is easy when it's just one guy!


AC:22/FF18/T15 HP:41 Init:+4 Ki:6 Waki: +9/1d6+5(18-20) [+2d6sneak] Longbow: +8/1d8
Skills:
Disable:+11+2(tools); Perception:+12(+2find traps); Stealth:+14
Saves:
Fort+5/Ref+11/Will+7
spells:
Detect Magicx3
heals:
CLWx3,CMWx2,CSWx1;3d6x3

So it’s cool if I change up his weapon/shield?


If you like.

I am usually uber flexible.

Community / Forums / Online Campaigns / Play-by-Post Discussion / Heart of Darkness Discussion All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.