Strength of Thousands (PF2 AP) by DM DoctorEvil

Game Master DM DoctorEvil

Ikto grins "Excellent, thank you Haibram! " He'll wait his turn.

Za Minyahil watches the proceedings with curiosity, and noting the enthusiasm of the others nods.

"I will try as well...seeds are carried on the wind...it could be a fine source of inspiration..."

If Ikto is staying atop the spire, he can make Athletics checks, and each of the "fliers" can make Acrobatics or Athletics checks, and see the results.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Athletics: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

Athletics: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Athletics: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Ikto thinks he kind of has the swing of things atop the spire, and when Iovia makes the leap, he gives her a better boost than Haibram got but she is a novice with the glider (or to flying in general) and while she gets some air, her return to earth is perhaps sooner than she would have liked.

Others can take advantage of Ikto's help if you make your own Acrobatics checks. Will move on from this scene tomorrow.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

When it is their turn, Za Minyahil surges into the air towards Ikto!

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

First M'baba and then Za Minyahil use the well-placed Ikto to launch themselves higher into the sky than any of the others, M'Baba even loops-a-loop while aloft bring a HUZZAH from Haibram and applause from several others who have gathered to watch and cheer. Za Minyahil also has a very satisfying flight, but without, perhaps, the panache of the rogue.

Soon enough flying time is over, and Haibram is all smiles. "If I could figure out a way to power this glider, then we'd really have something. And I heard Chizire was brewing a leaping concoction in his lab. Can you imagine getting a magical leap boost from the top of the Spire? Amazing!" He slaps you all on the back laughing, and returns to his quarters.

The day ends with you winding down and reflecting on the strange insect behavior and the oddly-mannered Teacher Ulawa, and what she might discover is going on at the Magaambya.

A few days go by and you are getting back in the routine of classwork, studying, and other pursuits when you receive a handwritten note from Teacher Ot, asking you to meet him at his office in the Heron Archives (the same building Teacher Ulawa's lab is in) after classes that day.

"I have a favor to ask, and you initiates seem particularly suited to helping with unique problems. Come prepared as there may be some mild danger to my request."

Assuming you go, do you do anything special to prepare?

M'baba ends his flight with a big smile on his face. He pats Haibram on the back and says "We've actually helped him with his concoction.". Afterwards, M'baba goes to the dorm to find Chirize and request the reward they were promised.

As days go by

M'baba is quick to dive into his classes. He feels more motivated to grow in the school after having participated in Teacher Ulawa's insect experiment. He realizes that whatever must be going on is much too complex for him to understand just yet, so he continues doing careful notes of his classes.

As Teacher Ot asks him to meet at the Heron Archives, M'baba hears his proposition. The young man asks "What kind of danger? Climbing a dangerous mountain? Driving some angry bulls? Poking a nest of magical hornets?" He is genuinely curious.

Are we given lead time to prepare, or are we expected to show up the same day we get the note?

Same day but with time during that day to prepare, so depends on what you mean.

Iovia arrives at the Heron Archives not long after M'baba. She waits to hear what the favor that Teacher Ot wants to request is.

Soon enough flying time is over, and Haibram is all smiles. "If I could figure out a way to power this glider, then we'd really have something. And I heard Chizire was brewing a leaping concoction in his lab. Can you imagine getting a magical leap boost from the top of the Spire? Amazing!" He slaps you all on the back laughing, and returns to his quarters.

"Thank YOU, Haibram, I haven't had this much fun in AGES. Let's hope it all works out and let me know if you want more help with this project. We Rain Scribes need to stick together."

---
Then they get the request....

Ikto is not as comfortable with this as he would like to be. The last time they ended up being asked by Teacher Ot to show up somewhere they nearly got all killed by an ambush attack. Still, what are the odds it would happen again? Still, he reminds himself, he's grown since then and he can't be afraid of life EVERY time Teacher Ot summons him. Still, he has studied that ritual again, and gets some bells and if he can , a bit of cold iron.

Then arrives with the others.

As you wait in the antechamber outside Teacher Ot's office, you each have some trepidation of what lies in store for you. Eventually the door opens, and Teacher Ot greets you with the same clasped hand over fist bow that you saw on initiation day.

"Welcome, my friends. Enter, and make yourselves comfortable." There is a large bookcase heavily laden, a desk full of neatly stacked papers and parchment, and a sitting area with pillows of various shapes and colors on a large mat sitting on the floor. An invisible servant flits around the room offering you refreshments of tea or water and small biscuits.

When everyone is seated, Ot speaks: "As the note I sent you spells out, I have a favor to ask you." He looks at the many books on the shelf and scattered about the room with a furrow on his brow. "Some research materials I need are missing from the usual reference libraries. I've had other initiates look for them with no success, and I've spoken with the other professors to see if perhaps what I need has landed in their more private collections. Again, no success. I now know where they aren't, which tells me where they must be." He pulls out a detailed map of the Magaambya's grounds. "This building here --" he places a lens from his pocket over what appears to be a round dormitory magnifying it -- "hasn't seen use in..." He trails off and shrugs before continuing.

"It was carved from an enormous tree stump as a dormitory, but was converted to a library before the whole project was abandoned. Please, go and see of the books I need are there."

He smiles and nods as if to encourage questions.

"You mentioned the possibility of danger, Teacher Ot. What dangers did you anticipate when you wrote that? That information would give us some insight into what we might face."

Iovia asks her questions in a polte tone.

Teacher Ot nods his head with appreciation at the wise question. "Since the old library has been long abandoned, I cannot say with any certainty, but as you have been accosted by gremlins in the past, and as the strange behavior of insects on the campus of late has been noted, by you and others, then perhaps you should be prepared for either, or both, if you open the door into rooms that have not been trod in by students or faculty in some time. Maybe other danger also, but I would expect those, if any."

Za Minyahil hustles into the meeting, mud still up to their elbows and the knees of their robes.

"I'm sorry I'm late, everyone, I was helping the leshies do some planting in the Grove and got into such a meditative state that I lost track of time."

They let the others fill them in on the request and nod.

"Knowing our luck? That gremlin who attacked us will be holed up in there waiting to take her revenge," they comment.

Did we get a reward from Chizire in the end? I forget.

M'baba listens worried. He says "Professor, those gremlins have an aura that makes everything we do harder around them. We tried researching but couldn't find anything. Do you know of any way we can remedy this? Also, how many books are there, and what are their names?"

Ot has made a written list of the texts he is looking for, and he hands it to you on a folded slip of paper. They are:

• Studies in the Habits and Migration Patterns of Birds and Drakes on the Continent of Garund, recorded in a leather-bound book
• An Expanded History of the Lesser-Known Peoples of the Mwangi Expanse, recorded on vellum and bound by leather cords
• The World Between Worlds: Exploring the Planes and Demi-Planes, Volume 4, recorded in an extraordinarily large leather bound book
• Treatise on the Various Communicative Methods of Non-Vocally-Projecting Entities, recorded on a scroll that whispers when unrolled.
• Collected Field Notes of the Druid Mata Digemari, a small chest with cramped writing covering its wooden surfaces.

"I also seek any other texts that seem interesting, regardless of the condition. I am expert on magical and mundane means of restoring older tomes, so I don't mind if the books are damaged."

"It is possible your gremlin nemesis, or worse, is hold up there, but find what you can, and if it is too dangerous, return to me and report, and we will find other methods."

You have not stopped to see Chizire yet, i don't think, but you still could before you go explore the stump-turned-library

I'm ready to move to the library, and on the way, I'll cast Mystic Armor, but if people want to stop along the way, I don't see an issue there.

Za Minyahil glowers a bit at Teacher Ot's recommendation to retreat if things get too dangerous, but says nothing. Their pride still stung from their previous encounters with gremlins, and they were tired of having their betters bailing them out. They wished to prove themselves.

"I will clean myself up before we go. Retrieving the books will be worthless if I ruin them with muddy hands."

I will post the entrance to the stump-library, but LMK if you do any pre-exploration activity.

The abandoned dormitory turned library is an an overgrown section on the far north side of the Magaambya campus. You find, wrapped in vines and other overgrowth, the stump of an enormous tree, perhaps 150' in diameter. Its upper surface features several lightning scars, though it is unclear whether these strikes killed the tree or occurred later. Windows, just visible beneath the concealing vines, are covered with a thick film of dust on the inside. The vegetation around the door, which stands wide open, has recently been hacked away, providing easy entry. A chain of silver bells lies discarded on the front step.

Did the professor ignore my question about tips for the gremlins, or did the GM forget?

M'baba sees the construction and is in awe. He peeks at Za Minyahil to see their reaction to such a tree stump. He says "It's a shame it's no longer a library."

He proposes to continue carefully "There may be natural hazards as well as what the professor mentioned."

"It seems very clear someone is inside. Between the hacked away vegetation and the broken chain, someone cleared a way in. We should be careful." Iovia tells the others.

Did the professor ignore my question about tips for the gremlins, or did the GM forget?

M'baba sees the construction and is in awe. He peeks at Za Minyahil to see their reaction to such a tree stump. He says "It's a shame it's no longer a library."

He proposes to continue carefully "There may be natural hazards as well as what the professor mentioned."

Za Minyahil nods to M'baba.

"I agree. I'm a little surprised the Magaambya couldn't afford to do something with the building to keep it in use rather than just let it lie fallow. I thought it was publicly funded. Are there really so few students that they couldn't reuse it as a dormitory?"

The others can tell the wooden wheels in their head are turning as they take the building in.

flashback to with Takulu Ot:

"You may have learned that gremlins are allegedly affected by bells. Cold iron also proves effective against them as it does most fey."

If you want to make a retconned run to the Powerpile, I will allow it

Retconned Run!

Before

M'baba takes a trip to the Powerpile and buys himself a bell. He hangs the bell on his belt so as to have easier access to it, but in a position that it doesn't ring from him just walking.

Bell added to inventory. 1gp deducted.

Now

M'baba tells Za Minyahil "Maybe after we're done with the place, it'll be easier to refurbish it." with a smile.

Afterwards he says "Well, we aren't going to find the books by staring at the building. Let's go. Be wary that whoever came in first might have set some trap to alert them if someone else comes."

Exploration mode Search

As the group enters, Iovia brings up the rear of the quartet.

Ikto picks of the chain of discarded silver bells and goes in with the others.

"Mind if I borrow one of those bells, Ikto?" Za Minyahil asks. When granted one, they bind it to the hilt of their sword, giving a few test swings to make sure its jingle isn't muted by the clash of iron.

He certainly hands one over.

"Better safe than sorry." The druid nods. Deciding he may hang a bell in his room at this point.

The garland of silver bells tinkle lightly as they are picked up and tied to belts or weapons or worn like a necklace (as intended). The bells are made of silver and worth 10gp due to the valuable metal. The sound is charming, and perhaps reassuring, but it does make move silently impossible.

The door is ajar so entering the stump library is not too challenging. The interior is dark, but some light filters into the space from the filmy and vine covered windows -- enough to provide dim light throughout the space. Ceilings, unless otherwise specified are 10' tall. Any interior doors are simple lightweight wood, and any locks or latches were removed when the dormitory was transitioned to a library.

Do you get more light than the dim illumination present? What is the order you'll use to explore the area?

"We'll need to be able to see." Iovia says, and then she makes sure that we can.

I cast Light. I don't care where I am in the marching order, so work me in wherever, basically around where the others want to be.

As they enter, M'baba unsheathes his rapier and says "This is gonna be good." He closes walks next to Za Minyahil checking for traps. He casts a Light spell to help with his vision.

Also cast Light and I'm going to keep it floating 10 feet in front of me. Actively searching from traps.

We will just use the order I placed you in the map for now. I suspect it will changes as the area opens up in any event.

As the team enters the stump-library, Iovia and then M'Baba fire up light spells and the illumination goes from dim to bright in the area surrounding those spells. A quick glance around the area shows this circular room has been packed with shelves in every space that could viably fit one, and few where it can't. Books are wedged in sideways or simply thrown on the floor, their pages smeared into illegibility. Seven closed doors lead to other room around the central core of the stump structure.

Bookshelves here are 8ft tall while the ceiling is 10' high. The bookshelves are all wearing out, overladen, and badly balanced but no traps or other dangers are immediately visible.

M'baba looks around and starts looking at the books to see if any are what the professor asked, or remotely readable for that matter.

Perception bonus on header for secret check.

He says a bit sad "There are only two reasons to leave these books behind. Either the people emptying the building didn't care about the knowledge within or they were in a hurry and had to prioritize. For our sake, I hope it was the former."

"Or, at the time, they didn't consider the books needed, and could just walk over if they wanted them. Or, they were short on storage, and the shelves here worked just fine then. Or they expected work to start again here quickly, and things changed. The damage here could just be the neglect of time." Iovia throws out a few suggestions of her own for why the books were left behind.

Like M'baba, she does check shelves to see if they can find any of the books they were sent here for.

Za Minyahil follows the group in and joins in the search for the books, though they're not as invested in the search as the others, trying to keep an eye out for anything that might be lurking among the mildew-laden shelves and tomes.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Ikto admits "I do not have the power to sense magic as some of you might, perhaps seeking to ...what's the word? detect it, would lend clues?"

Perception if you need to roll is +8

Iovia's search is rather meticulous. She takes a pile of books off one shelf, looks at each book's title, and if it is not one of the ones they seek, it goes back on the shelf. When she finishes with a shelf, she marks it with a large X with chalk so that her classmates do not search the same shelf.

The initiates set to work in the stump library, looking through the myriad books, and trying to systematically mark off shelves they have already searched to prevent duplication. As Iovia, Ikto and M'baba search through the piles and piles of discarded books, they quickly see that many of the books seem ruined, all the ink in them is either partially or completely smudged to illegibility if not rubbed off the page altogether. Not every book, but many, especially those that lie open or tossed about the room more haphazardly.

Instead of focusing on the tomes in the old library, Za Minyahil keeps an eye peeled for trouble. Remembering the wide open door, he expects there could be something else in the stump room. As he peers about, he sees something flitting at the edge of his vision, just a quick movement, and then its gone. Peering more closely, he thinks he can just make out the shape and outline of a small creature of some kind, lying stock still in the small space between the top of a bookcase and the ceiling. He does not see the movement again, but can, now that he's seen it once, make out a small creature up there...

Iovia, still unaware of the spying creature, hums a little to herself as she continues to methodically search the shelves.

"Anyone find anything?" Ikto says sighing at the ruined books, "So many tomes are smudged to the point of ruin."

Let's assume ZM quietly points out the movement and creature in the space between the bookcase top and ceiling. I will add it to the map.

M'baba slowly takes a look and tries to identify the creature from the little information he has so far.

Arcana, Society and Occultism at +8 and Nature and Religion at +4 for secret Recall Knowledge checks.

Iovia continues to search the bookshelves. She feels that if the creature were hostile, it would have attacked. Since it has not, she keeps focusing on the task at hand.

Ikto looks at the creature and tries speaking to it in various languages.

"Hello, I am Ikto Banashee. Do you know what happened here?"

Anadi, Mwangi, Druidic +Sylvan, Amurran(catfolk), Kholo (Gnoll)

As the title indicates, I will be running a the Strength of Thousands Adventure Path using Pathfinder 2nd Edition rules including the Player Core updates. I will be seeking 4-6 players to join me for this adventure, which may take several years to complete. Please see several subheadings below for more information:

Setting The AP takes place in the usual Paizo setting of Golarion at the venerable Magaambya school of magic which is located in Nantambu, the Song-Wind City. This canal filled city is situated on the western edge of the Mwangi Jungle. The year the adventure begins will be 4721 AR. The PCs will start as initiates -- newcomers to the school of magic. The AP will open on the first day of classes at Magaambya, and the PCs are expected to be in class together, so prior relationships are not required, unless chosen for flavor.

Character Creation Rules Strength of Thousands Players Guide outlines a bit more about Magaambya, and the kinds of people who attend the prestigious school. It's a free PDF, and a link can also be found on the Archives of Nethys site if you prefer. Additionally, the Player's Guide discusses ancestries, classes, skills, abilities and other points that might lend a hand to character creation. Campaign specific Backgrounds are available but not required. PCs should choose a primary branch and secondary branch, as outlined in the Players Guide. If you have questions let's discuss.

Please note the part in the Player's Guide titled Magic for Everyone. In this adventure, all characters will be able to cast spells, using either the Druid or Wizard multiclass archetype. Keep it in mind as you are creating your PC.

Application Process - Successful applicants will submit a character concept (no full backstory or stat block required. No alias is needed unless selected for the game, either). This concept should spell out, at a high level, how the pending initiate came to attend the school, what their ancestry and background will be, and how they plan to progress the character given the archetypes noted above.

Further, applicants should provide some detail about their gaming and PBP experience, if any. Players with a track record of staying with games for extended periods will be given preferred status.

Full backgrounds, stat blocks, and crunches will be required if selected for the game, but they can be provided anytime. Any Paizo PF2e rulebook or Lost Omens supplement will be available to build from. Other APs, modules, 3PP, or errata not in existing rules sets will not be allowed. Though most students are natives of Mwangi, the Magaambya takes students of all ancestries so unusual or uncommon creatures are not prohibited. Note, however, that as interactions with those outside the School increase, the more monstrous in appearance a PC is, the harder it will be to fit in or get along. Proceed at your own discretion.

Ground Rules - there will be few house rules besides what is already published although the nature of this AP. This particular story requires the use of an Academia subsystem that will be described in more detail. Additionally, there will be long periods of downtime in this game, which is generally understood to be spent studying, researching, or cramming to stay current in knowledge.

Any GM rulings will be discussed in advance, and reasons for choosing presented where possible. While there may be some discussion about interpretations etc, all GM rulings will be final.

Players are expected to post a minimum of once per day (once total for the weekends usually suffices). Slower posting may result in a warning, and eventually a withdrawal from the campaign. Of course, pre-approved absences are understandable. The GM reserves the right to run a player who is absent or fails to post in the allotted time frame.

During combat or other rounds-based action, more frequent posting is preferred. We will use block initiative to resolve combats with like numbers grouped together, but action will be resolved in actual initiative order, in most cases. It may occasionally result in a "retcon" of certain actions, but generally works out.

We will use Google Draw and other Google tools for mapping, images, and other visually important tools. Someone will be tasked with charting the party's gained loot on a form that will be shared later. If it's not on the loot sheet, its not available.

About Me - I am long time DM/GM going back to AD&D 1st edition. I have many years running games on tabletop and via PBP. I live in the Mountain Time Zone (US) and typically post in the evenings between 9PM and midnight, but will occasionally pop in for other updates during key times. I travel a good deal on weekends, but will usually be able to keep up posting while on the road. I have a dry sense of humor, like a good laugh, love to tell a great story (especially collaboratively) and look forward eagerly to see what the players have left for me on a daily basis.

I realize that's a lot, and if you have made it this far, you must really be interested in talking about this game. Welcome, and thanks for your interest! I hope to have you join me in a great long-term story and see how the magical education of a few PCs turns out.

(I am sure there are things I have forgotten, so please ask any questions)

Hi Dr. Evil.

I've also been RPGing since the start. On the boards, the Sky Kings Tomb game I'm running just hit a year. I can keep to the posting guidelines you outlined.

And, as much as I feel I play too many humans, and in an AP where other ancestries work so well, my application is for a human because it fits the idea best.

Iovia, who no longer uses her last name. She is Chelaxian. Her family was one of the many Chelaxian families that held slaves and controlled part of the Expanse.

However, Iovia joined the Vidrian Revolution on the side of the rebels. Not only had she come to realize that the colonization was wrong, but because of her interactions with the locals in her household, she had come to worship Tlehar, the Rising Sun.

When the Chelaxians left Vidrian, she stayed. She helped with the initial process of starting the rebuild, giving her former home - which as the last member of her family in the country was legally hers - to the new government to use as they saw fit.

She has come to the Magambya mostly to learn about her new home, and she considers that to be the entire Expanse. She expects discrimination until she proves herself to people. She is Chelaxian after all, and she does not hide that.

Class-wise, she'll either be a Cleric (which is where I am leaning), or a Champion of Tlehar.

I'm not sure about what background I'll use yet. I'm leaning towards Acolyte or Noble. Both are recommended in the Players Guide, and none of the AP specific ones seem to fit. I am open to other ideas.

I would go with the Druid archetype, and the Branches would be Tempest Sun and Emerald Boughs. I think in that order, but I might reverse it.

Will all Paizo official content be accepted? I've got a concept I'm thinking about that would involve a character being from Tian-Xia. Non necessarily an unusual race, just a background from there. Thinking about a Monk (Zen Archer), with strong ties to nature (Druid in beginning). If this content isn't allowed, I can change the place of origin.

Tyvollus Iskandir (or Ty to his friends) is a Kyonin born elf who desperately wants to get into the Tanglebriar and help to drive out Treerazer from his people's ancestral home.

He's fairly young and inexperienced for an elf and his village and family have taken up a collection and "intervention" to send him away to learn more of the world.

He is a School of Protean Form wizard with the Familiar Mastery path of study. He'll go druid with the archetype, and follow the branches of Cascade Bearers, with a secondary branch of the Rain-Scribes.

As for me: been playing TTRPGs since about 1991, having run and played most of the popular games over the years. Re: PbP, it's been a while since I've been in one, but have plenty of experience with both short form and long form messageboard games.

Hello Dr Evil!

This is one of Talindra Ravenheart's many cousins :)

Like I said in the interest check thread, this character is actually a bard. Nyandra is an elf bard from recently-seceded Ravounel--perhaps some interesting interactions with Iovia! The latest in a line of artists (her father a sculptor and her mother an actress), it was quite natural for her to pursue a similar path in life. The arts run in her blood, though she tends more toward the performance arts. In particular, she has a hard time appreciating portraiture, to her father's dismay. "So much of portraiture is bare, colorless stone", she'd say. "Art should move", she'd say. She passed her Objects and Objectifications course in bard college, but swore never to work in still media because they don't speak to her. Their artistic disagreement aside, she's still close with her father. As adults, they've come to respect one another's opinions and learn from the perspectives.

She joined a traveling theater troupe in Kintargo, putting her skills to work providing some levity for those struggling in the world much like those in her homeland have been for many years. Often her troupe put on donation shows or had philanthropist sponsors whose views aligned with the troupe's desire to share art with those who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it. Two events in particular stood out: she performed in Absalom and heard from her cousin Halanestra about how that branch of the family isn't doing well. How was it that an enormous city like Absalom--the Jewel of the Inner Sea--couldn't provide for its citizens? It left her despondent, depressed, frustrated at the state of the world. She knew that some people just weren't able to manage financially, had just accepted it, but seeing such disparity made it ever more clear--not least of which because it was her own family suffering. Not long after, her troupe was invited to play in Nantambu. What a contrast! Seeing every citizen cared for by the city, no one homeless, no one struggling, everyone able to live their life as they want. The experience changed her life, gave her focus.

While in Nantambu, she caught the attention of Takulu Ot, a teacher at the Magaambya, and his wife Niana. Always the bookish sort, they found her after a show reading in a tavern, and offered her a sponsorship to attend. Meanwhile she had been reading some commentary on how magic can be used as a tool to provide equity for all, like those in Nantambu experience.

As for my gaming experience, I started around 2009. I'm in Lia's Sky King's Tomb game, playing the party rogue after two other rogues dropped one after the other rather early in the campaign.

Mechanically, an elf bard as mentioned, either with the enigma or maestro muse and the sponsored by teacher Ot background. I'm frankly undecided about the multiclass archetype: I started writing this from my notes thinking her bookish nature would push her to the arcane tradition, but the desire to serve and provide for others lines up better with the primal tradition. Happy to have input from people on this. :)

Hey, Doc!

I’ve loved everything I’ve heard about Strength of Thousands but never gotten to play it. So here is hoping. I’ve actually played in two of your games, you may or may not recall Hurik Frostheart but if you do it tells you abit about my playing style back in that game. I’m fortunate enough to have access to the Mwangi Expanse book and love a lot about it. Couple that with a fondness for some Anansi stories I remember as a kid, and I hope you’ll forgive me for trying for one of the rarer ancestries for my concept.

Ikto Banashee is of the Anadi, the spider folk of Southern Garund who often hide their true forms from humans (and others) for their own safety. Ikto was a runty but colorful Anadi, who despite the dangers, enjoyed dancing in the wind during storms when they stirred the webs and buildings of his village. It was not that he felt great fury, but rather his joy seemed to rise with them. He learned the ways of the Druidic Order of Storms, and it was expected he would use that knowledge to protect his community. This he did, for a time, but he grew restless and began to chase the wind further and further out. He took his human guise to talk to travelers and merchants who wandered close and learn what lay beyond. Almost everyone was fooled, save one. A stranger whose features confused him seemed to know him not just as an Anadi, but that he was restless in his heart. The stranger had many questions, and Ikto found himself answering many of them despite not knowing this fellow, which was most unlike Ikto. Then, his questions done, the Stranger told Ikto that he should consider the Magaambya Academy, that many answers lay there and he would be surprised how well it suited him. Ikto is not one for mysteries, but he is even less fond of ignorance in himself. Besides, even the Anadi had heard of the great school that accepted almost everyone; though he still thought it prudent to wear his human face when he sought it out.

To nutshell the basics: Anadi Storm Order Druid, with the Sponsored by a Stranger Background. When he gets his free archetype he’ll go wizard. His mainbranch will probably be Rain Scribes, and secondary might be the Unzunjati

If Anadi is too rare and doesn't fit, let me know and I'll happily try something/someone else

Hello! I've always been attracted to the Summoner class, but I don't want to put a strain on things if the class is too complex for a novice PF2E player.

Would it be alright if I submit a Summoner concept or are the classic classes more advisable for a newishbie?

'Sup. Already posted my tabletop credentials in your interest gauge thread.

Ruris Cervale is a human cat-beastkin fire elemental-blooded sorcerer from the town of Fusil in Andoran. When he turned thirteen, his sorcerous magic first manifested in him. Though nobody knew where exactly the magic had come from or what its nature was, Ruris shaped his new magical abilities to cast healing spells in the hopes of one day being able to aid his village. Now sixteen, he was a healer alongside the few clerics of the village. Until one day, an accident struck Fusil's mines, injuring several miners and killing a few, including his father. Nonetheless, he tried to help the living miners as best he could, but in his emotional state, his bloodline's influence grew stronger, turning what was supposed to be a healing spell into a searing orb of flame. Though just barely able to redirect the magic to avoid incinerating his patient, it created even more tension during an already trying time. The town was already suspicious of him and his family for being beastkin, this newfound fire magic of his was a direct danger. He could hurt someone. Worse, he could set the forest around them ablaze. Even if by some miracle it didn't end up hurting anyone, it could still break the pact the town had made with the forest's druids.

Fortunately for him, one of the more magically-inclined members of the village suggested sending him to the Magaambya Academy to the south. Since he was a former student of the school, he knew that the school could possibly help Ruris control his magic. Thus, Ruris was given an ultimatum: He would be banished from the village until he learned to master his magic. If he could not, he would never be able to return. Hoping to prevent any further tragedy, Ruris agreed.

Cliffnotes: Human Beastkin Sorcerer with the Sponsored by a Village background, branching into the Wizard archetype, likely as part of the Rain-Scribes.

I realized after posting that I haven't done the best job of tying Nyandra to her background; that's perhaps an indicator to reconsider it, perhaps an indicator to develop further. I'll give that some thought and get an update in soon. If folks find anything in Nyandra's story interesting, please feel free to build on it! I have pages of notes I haven't written up here, so there's probably something waiting to be explored if you're interested. :)

Ancestry: Human (Versatile)
Background: Sponsored by Teacher Ot
Class: Thaumaturge w/ Amulet Implement
Halcyon Archetipe: Druid Multiclass
Branches: Major: Rain-Scribes, Minor: Uzunjati

Born with no innate magical ability, nor from a family of mages of any stripe, Quatar came up a simple, unskilled laborer who landed a job at the Magaambya delivering produce by cart, and has spent the last few years onlooking at the goings on of the institution proper.

Spending a lot of his free time in the woods, Quatar mastered the skill of the boomerang, and carries a few around, and envying the creatures of their freedom, attempts now and again to capture the birds that roam wild in the hinterlands - a feat he has yet to accomplish. Perhaps if he can bring one home, his mother would be happy, and his father would be proud. He does enjoy watching them however, even as he actively "hunts" them.

His Mother or Father?: 1d2 ⇒ 1 Mother embodies the philosophies of Rain Scribes or Uzunjati: 1d2 ⇒ 2 Uzunjati, slowly through his life teaching him stories that were loaded with morality and purpose, serving him as a compass. His father was simply a practical man, embodying the philosophy of Rain Scribes, quick-thinking and adapting to many circumstances in which he had to move the entire family on no less than 1d12 ⇒ 12 occasions in the last few years...

It was Niana who first broached the idea to her husband Takulu that maybe the young lad had more potential than meets the eye (no doubt, something she had seen in him that were instilled into him by his parents...). Indeed, with his long legs, he was a natural runner, with an easy, almost feline agility, he was personable to boot. All qualities that, while not classically denoting of a wizard proper, might serve to compliment those of his classmates. And after talking to him time and again, discovered not only a deep reverence for his elders, but nary a "mean bone" in his body. And so, by way of ceremony, Quatar was presented with an invitation to study at the verysame college that he was a laborer for, shifting his duties to early mornings to make room for his flexible studies.

It was around this time that he found his "lucky" ruby...

Quatar's player here.

A re-imagining of an early AD&D character I had. Or really. I though the name was "cool" when I was a younger lad (and, um, still do), and instead of being a fighter (OG Quatar was a fighter), chose to play a Thaumaturge, because I like the "accidental magic" flair the class seems to have.

As a player
My longest PbP that I am currently in is Abomination Vaults with GM Kwinten, started in October of 2021, spanning character growth of 1st to 7th level. My life was admittedly less complicated then, and the raw depth of my posting has waned somewhat, oh, and I had a several month break where I inexplicably disappeared from December 2022 to February 2023, and was accepted back after writing this post.

As a GM
I think I am finally in the groove of sustaining a long-running game as a GM. I would cite recruiting "known quantities" and conducting GM-feedback as key ingredients. I currently run Season of Ghosts for a team of five lovely players whom I mostly recruited from various PFS games on board. In my opening recruitment post, I describe the lessons learned from my other two attempted-but-failed long term PbP campaigns.

As an Applicant
I apply to several PbP campaigns a year for the last couple years. Usually, they dissolve within a month. Several times, I have stepped down within the first week or two. Of those, it is most often because I do not enjoy playing with the other players involved. And of those, it has either been because I found that they didn't pay attention to the other players at their table, or they wanted to play super sexy female stereotype characters, or I found them to be needlessly combatitive in the discussion tab - sometimes all three! Other times it was because the GM was either too antagonistic, to focused on "theatre of the mind" at the expense of mechanics, or lacked tools to keep the story aspect of their game organized - sometimes all three!

Anyhow, if selected, I can't promise I'll stay, because I don't want to waste anyone's time, but, if I foresee challenges downroad, I have no problem bowing out sooner than later, and, if not, it means I am committed for the long haul. Chemistry, I have learned, you discover pretty quickly, and I think it is important that we respect eachother's time, foremost.

⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔

Question for GM
Why did you go MIA for your last round of campaigns?

=)

Been excited for this!

Za Minyahil is a ghoran who awoke to his current life in Nex's glorious capital, Quantium. His memories of his past lives steered him towards not just the study of magic, but also the need to protect himself and his fellow ghorans, drawing him down the path of the Magus. However he didn't feel a strong draw towards Nex's military applications of magic or any true desire for power the way so many other Nexians do. He began to ask himself and those around him existential questions about WHY the cyclical lifespan of the ghorans was the way it was, if maybe there were ways they could live on after reseeding, a way for new ghorans to truly be born, instead of the slow decline they currently endured as ghoran lives were snuffed out by accident or murder that couldn't be replaced. While his peers empathized with his questions, they were ones other ghorans had spent whole lifetimes puzzling over, and even some charitable non-ghoran mages had volunteered their expertise to help, but no answers had ever come. It seemed like there was no magic that could improve on Ghorus' design, and Za Minyahil began to grow frustrated.

The seed of an idea began to germinate in his mind: Perhaps the answers needed to save the ghoran people from this fate couldn't be found within Quantium's libraries and arcane laboratories. Maybe the way Nexians practiced magic, the paradigm he'd been learning from, didn't offer solutions to problems of life and renewal, only domination and destruction. He'd heard whisperings from some foreigners in the city, such as the embassy of the Mualijae elves and merchants from Kibwe, of a school for magic older than even Nex's vaunted academies; the Magaambya. Za Minyahil decided to uproot himself and make his way across the Shattered Range, across the Mwangi Jungle, and apply to the school as a student. There, he reasoned, he would learn magics he could never have found in Nex, and maybe, just maybe, he'd find other inquiring minds who would lend their knowledge and power to his own to develop a means for ghorans to truly begin growing as a people. He sent a letter with a caravan, hoping to receive a sponsorship, but months passed and he never heard back. Frustrated, he packed what few possessions he had and began to make the journey anyway, figuring if he presented his case well enough (and possibly offered the school insights into Nexian magical practices as a mutually beneficial exchange) he'd be accepted anyway.

The journey to Nantambu was an arduous, aggravating trek, as misfortune seemed to hound Za Minyahil at every step. The magical textbooks from Nex he'd hope to use as part of his offering were eaten by insects, the weather was terrible, with heat so strong he felt he would literally wilt, no merchant caravans seemed to be traveling the same way he was, and those few other lone travelers seemed unnerved by a talking flower-man asking them for aid, suspecting some trickster spirit's malice. But Za Minyahil was not a fragile blossom, that would shrivel up and die at the first frost, and he finally arrived at Nantambu, where he received a surprisingly kind and gracious welcome, even before he had said he was a prospective student. The one spot of good fortune was that he had arrived just as the school year was about to begin, so he immediately made for the campus and presented himself. The real work was soon to begin.

Za Minyahil's intended class is Sparkling Targe Magus, with his multiclass archetype being Druid (using the Cultivation Order variant of the Leaf Order introduced in Wardens of Wildwood), with the Unsponsored background. As for his intended branches, Tempest Sun Mages is recommended for Unsponsored characters, and it fits Za Minyahil's belief that Nex's paradigm and practices of magic narrowed his view of ways to solve the ghorans' problem, and another that he would definitely be interested in upon learning of them is the Cascade Bearers, since they're the ones at the Magaambya pushing the boundaries of magical study, so if anyone at the Magaambya can help him work towards his overarching goal, it's them.

Can you tell I've had this character concept rotating in my mind for a long time? :P

As I said in the previous recruitment thread, I've got extensive experience in the Pathfinder play-by-post scene here on these boards, having played through the Iron Gods and Dead Suns adventure paths to completion, as well has being in a few currently active campaigns that I've been part of for five or more years. I am aware that Ghoran is a Rare ancestry and that if accepted, Za Minyahil would likely go the whole storyline without encountering another of his kind, and that's partially by design, as I do want to work an angle of learning what "the animals" are like and working through some of the inherent fear and distrust in the collective ghoran psyche, realizing that the ghorans will never be able to solve the problems they face as an ancestry alone, and that there are people outside Nex who will view them as actual people and treat them with the respect and dignity that demands. I also don't hold any expectations of him actually achieving a breakthrough in ghoran reproductive biology mid-campaign. It's very much epilogue material, should he survive his adventures.

Hello! I've always been attracted to the Summoner class, but I don't want to put a strain on things if the class is too complex for a novice PF2E player.

Would it be alright if I submit a Summoner concept or are the classic classes more advisable for a newishbie?

Summoner is probably a bad choice for a new player. It's like playing a melee character and trying to learn the hardest variation of action economy. I've had somebody playing PF2 since the playtest who found it too much.

-----

I'm thinking of playing an ekujae Elf Magus. Still playing around with details.

I would go with the Druid archetype, and the Branches would be Tempest Sun and Emerald Boughs. I think in that order, but I might reverse it.

Don't fixate on the branches right now. Part of the early AP is working with each branch and making sure what you have selected is a good fit. There will be a time to readjust without penalty, but after that, those relationships need to become fixed.

Iovia, who no longer uses her last name. She is Chelaxian. Class-wise, she'll either be a Cleric (which is where I am leaning), or a Champion of Tlehar. I'm not sure about what background I'll use yet. I'm leaning towards Acolyte or Noble. I would go with the Druid archetype, and the Branches would be Tempest Sun and Emerald Boughs. I think in that order, but I might reverse it.

I accept Iovia, the human cleric (?) of Tlehar as the first applicant (not selected yet) to the game. Well done. A cleric at a wizard's school should be interesting.

Will all Paizo official content be accepted? I've got a concept I'm thinking about that would involve a character being from Tian-Xia. Non necessarily an unusual race, just a background from there. Thinking about a Monk (Zen Archer), with strong ties to nature (Druid in beginning). If this content isn't allowed, I can change the place of origin.

As stated above, all Paizo 2nd Edition rulebooks and Lost Omen supplement content is approved. Content for specific APs, modules, or 3PP is not approved. What background are you thinking specifically?

Tyvollus Iskandir (or Ty to his friends) is a School of Protean Form wizard with the Familiar Mastery path of study. He'll go druid with the archetype, and follow the branches of Cascade Bearers, with a secondary branch of the Rain-Scribes.

Ty is accepted as an applicant. Hopefully he will be patient enough to stand for years of study before he goes off on a mission to Tanglebriar.

Nyandra is an elf bard, either with the enigma or maestro muse and the sponsored by teacher Ot background. I'm frankly undecided about the multiclass archetype:

Welcome Nyandra. I accept your application. Knowing the multiclass archetype isn't critical now, but will need to be sorted soon. What about the branches of the school? Any thoughts?

Ikto Banashee is of the Anadi, Storm Order Druid, with the Sponsored by a Stranger Background. When he gets his free archetype he’ll go wizard. His main branch will probably be Rain Scribes, and secondary might be the Unzunjati

Thanks Ridge. Glad to have you applying. For this AP, Anadi is fine (you may not know how rare this is for me to say) but there may be some circumstances that make things more difficult for Ikto, even in human form, so be forewarned. He is accepted as an applicant. I think that makes 4 so far.

We have a druid with a wizard archetype and a wizard with a druid archetype in the mix so far. Should be interesting.

Hello! I've always been attracted to the Summoner class, but I don't want to put a strain on things if the class is too complex for a novice PF2E player.

Would it be alright if I submit a Summoner concept or are the classic classes more advisable for a newishbie?

You may subnit a Summoner if you wish, but it is complicated mechanics to know and understand and may not suit a novice PF2 player. Will try to help you as much as I can.

Ruris Cervale is a human cat-beastkin fire elemental-blooded sorcerer with the Sponsored by a Village background, branching into the Wizard archetype, likely as part of the Rain-Scribes.

This checks all the boxes and is now an accepted application. Depending on how Ruris presents, he may have a difficult time with relationships with the more human of his classmates, but that's part of the joys of being different....

Ancestry: Human (Versatile)

Background: Sponsored by Teacher Ot
Class: Thaumaturge w/ Amulet Implement
Halcyon Archetipe: Druid Multiclass
Branches: Major: Rain-Scribes, Minor: Uzunjati

Welcome Quatar. Please join the list of accepted applicants. Is the last name pronounced Lynx-Axe or some other way? Have run a game with Thaumaturge once before, so am interested to see how it plays with a different owner.

Given your similar background, is there a linkage with Nyandra for either of you? Obviously different culturally, so not likely, but possible.

Za Minyahil's intended class is Sparkling Targe Magus, with his multiclass archetype being Druid (using the Cultivation Order variant of the Leaf Order introduced in Wardens of Wildwood), with the Unsponsored background. As for his intended branches, Tempest Sun Mages is recommended for Unsponsored characters, and it fits Za Minyahil's belief that Nex's paradigm and practices of magic narrowed his view of ways to solve the ghorans' problem, and another that he would definitely be interested in upon learning of them is the Cascade Bearers,

Never seen a ghoran played before. I understand how you want to progress for Za. You will not be able to use a druid variant from Wildwood, as other AP content is not allowed here, but it can be easily changed.

Za is accepted as an applicant. Thanks for the thoughtful concept.

I'm thinking of playing an ekujae Elf Magus. Still playing around with details.

Good luck coming up with a winning concept.

Welcome Nyandra. I accept your application. Knowing the multiclass archetype isn't critical now, but will need to be sorted soon. What about the branches of the school? Any thoughts?

Ah, branches! I knew I forgot something! That's something I'm pretty clear on: Emerald Boughs as primary, as recommended for the background, and Uzunjati as secondary. Nyandra's a nerd but an extrovert, she likes books and people equally well. Books are written by people, after all! I think these make good sense for a bard. Given this, it makes most sense for her to be an enigma bard. And, yeah, she's taking the arcane archetype. She's rather younger, more or less fresh out of bard college with maybe a year of performance experience. I've got some further ideas for character development from this, can I share those now or would you prefer I wait until a later stage?

Thanks for your interest so far. There are 7 approved applicants at this point. Likely, I will keep recruitment open till there are at least 12 approved applications.

Right now, simplifying for brevity, there is a cleric, a wizard, a bard, a druid, a sorceror, a thaumaturge and a magus. A well rounded group at this point, if a little caster heavy, which is no surprise given the setting/story.

I plan on taking my favorite character ideas and rounding out a fair party, but no pre-conceived concepts about particular roles. I am unlikely to take characters whose abilities are very similar however, so keep that in mind.

I will try to check in occasionally and give updates or answers to questions. LMK if you need more info about anything at this point.

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:

Za Minyahil's intended class is Sparkling Targe Magus, with his multiclass archetype being Druid (using the Cultivation Order variant of the Leaf Order introduced in Wardens of Wildwood), with the Unsponsored background. As for his intended branches, Tempest Sun Mages is recommended for Unsponsored characters, and it fits Za Minyahil's belief that Nex's paradigm and practices of magic narrowed his view of ways to solve the ghorans' problem, and another that he would definitely be interested in upon learning of them is the Cascade Bearers,

Never seen a ghoran played before. I understand how you want to progress for Za. You will not be able to use a druid variant from Wildwood, as other AP content is not allowed here, but it can be easily changed.

Za is accepted as an applicant. Thanks for the thoughtful concept.

Regular Leaf Order's fine too, the only thing it changes is one focus spell down the line anyway.

I love the ghoran idea. It's one of my fave ancestries in the game, even though I have yet to actually play one!

All of the approved applications are solid. I think Dr. Evil will get a good group of players.

As for me, I am still leaning cleric, but if the final group is too overly caster, I'm happy to go Champion if I make it to that group.

Similarly happy to build something completely different if the group needs it. The initial idea is a human fighter, because that's as simple as you can go and I want to try my hand at making it interesting narratively :D The idea's already forming in my head, but I'll stick to one submission :)

Song Gu is from Changdo the capital of the Successor State of Po Li. The people of Changdo are devoted to faith in the reincarnation of the Eternal Emperor of Lung Wa.

As are most youths when they reach age He was presented to the Oracular Council with the usual claims of divine signs and miracles. As usual it took a bit of deliberation... but it was determined that young Song Gu didn't possess the divine spark required for the Path of Numbers.

Secretly Song Gu was glad. He had always enjoyed spending time exploring the Chang Liao jungle more than spending time on his knees hoping for the emperors return. His excursions there started with hunting for small game to provide extra food for his extensive families table, but he soon grew quite adept at hitting things with his short bow. This skill with the bow was noted, and his parents were offered an opportunity for the 14-year-old boy to begin training with The Malachite Battalion, Po Li's standing army.

He learned much in this training not only enhancing his skill with bows, but also in how to handle himself with both mundane weapons, and in unarmed combat. But he was bored. Surely their life offered more than this. He missed the freedom to roam the jungles and interact with the natural world. And he wasn't good at soldiering. Sure, the combat was easy enough, and he had a knack for it, but he often was reprimanded for his daydreaming while on the drudgery of watch duty.

Then came the Dragon Temple Festival the autumn of his 17th year. He was off duty, watching an exhibition of dancing, when a man approached him. He remembered him not for his frail body and large head, but for the questions he asked. He couldn't really remember the exact questions, or even his answers, but before the man departed, he mentioned that Song Gu might find study at the Magaambya enlightening. Though he passed this off as just a strange encounter... he couldn't stop thinking about it. In fact, it became an obsession. Perhaps this is your destiny. Perhaps this is what you have been seeking without even knowing it.

So here you are. Three and a half years later and having spent every coin to get here. Now what?

Song Gu is using the Sponsored by a Stranger Background, and plans on joining the Rain-Scribe Branch with additional interest in the Emerald Boughs. He is a human Monk with the Monastic Archer stance and a strong interest in nature.

I posted my experience on the Iron Gods thread but can repeat here is requested.

I'd like to apply with Ntuni, a taralu dwarf from a remote village in the middle of the Expanse and was sponsored by her village.

She is a fighter with a strong connection with the earth and going into druid. She uses only equipment made from stone, carries small gems instead of coins and refuses to wear boots, since (according to her) she feels bad when not in contact with the earth.

Like her kin, she dyes her hair (purple) and venerates Uvuko, a draconic deity member of the Sky Keepers who are devoted to protect the weather over the Expanse.

I'll be focusing her magic from the archetype on earth/stone spells. Since Uvuko's body forms the boundary between the earth and the sky, Ntuni's powers might also link to air, but I'm not sure yet. Thinking about only being able to cast earth/stone based spells while touching the ground and air spells only while not touching it.

Totally unsure about the branches yet.

I love the ghoran idea. It's one of my fave ancestries in the game, even though I have yet to actually play one!

All of the approved applications are solid. I think Dr. Evil will get a good group of players.

As for me, I am still leaning cleric, but if the final group is too overly caster, I'm happy to go Champion if I make it to that group.

You can decide when you see the full 12 applicants. Not sure anyone has to change anything they don't want to.

I agree that there are some great concepts so far!

Song Gu is using the Sponsored by a Stranger Background, and plans on joining the Rain-Scribe Branch with additional interest in the Emerald Boughs. He is a human Monk with the Monastic Archer stance and a strong interest in nature.

I did not see your choice of multiclass archetype between wizard and druid but guessing druid with the focus on nature. Song Gu is accepted as applicant #8.

I'd like to apply with Ntuni, a taralu dwarf from a remote village in the middle of the Expanse and was sponsored by her village. She is a fighter with a strong connection with the earth and going into druid. Totally unsure about the branches yet.

This looks like a great concept. I am intrigued how a fighter base character fares in this AP. There are some stylistic things (purple hair, earth connection, no shoes) that are very nice touches.

Ntuni is applicant #9

Ah, if we're at 9/12 of applicant slots to even apply, it doesn't look like I will make it in given I was waiting on my question to be answered. Went to a concert last night, so only just had a chance to check the thread now. As I'm working at the moment, I won't likely be able to get a solid concept together before three other people post today.

C'est la vie.

My concept is a Shulfenth, a lizardfolk magus from Jaha, a juvenile when his clan banded together with some Lirgeni humans to leave the Sodden Lands and travel to Jaha, finding it empty when they arrived. As such he remembers both the swamp home they left and the stone city they came to live in, and has learned to work alongside humans. When some of his elders and their Lirgeni allies found some concerning writings and magics deep within Jaha, they determined to send an expedition to the Magaambya to consult with the experts there. Shulfenth volunteered to travel along with them and enroll in the Magaambya, as he sees value in combining the ancestral knowledge of his people with the ancient knowledge of magic taught in the venerable school.

In a perilous journey he traveled with the expedition down the Olongo River to Lake Ocota, and from there down the Vanji to Nantambu. While his elders consulted with the scholars of the Magaambya, Shulfenth presented his application to attend as a student. Shulfenth has a great respect for the ways of his people, but his experience working alongside the Lirgeni in Jaha has left him curious to the ways of other people, a curiosity he hopes to sate in school. He already has incorporated a bit of human magic with some of the spear techniques of his clan to defend himself during the dangerous journey to Nantambu.

In terms of development, I see him picking up the Wizard archetype to reinforce his Magus spellcasting as he learns more about other magic traditions in the Magaambya, and gravitating towards the Cascade Bearers and the Rain Scribes as he comes to appreciate finding new ways to apply the teachings of old to face today's challenges.

My experience with play-by-post goes back somewhere around fifteen years at this point, though I've only been on the Paizo boards for the past eight years. Currently I'm running a Reign of Winter campaign that's in the middle of the fifth module (I took over from a previous GM during the third), in a homebrew Pathfinder 1e campaign that I've been part of for over three years, and in a homebrew Starfinder campaign that's been running since 2019.

Quatar Linxax wrote:

Ancestry: Human (Versatile)

Background: Sponsored by Teacher Ot
Class: Thaumaturge w/ Amulet Implement
Halcyon Archetipe: Druid Multiclass
Branches: Major: Rain-Scribes, Minor: Uzunjati

Welcome Quatar. Please join the list of accepted applicants. Is the last name pronounced Lynx-Axe or some other way? Have run a game with Thaumaturge once before, so am interested to see how it plays with a different owner.

Given your similar background, is there a linkage with Nyandra for either of you? Obviously different culturally, so not likely, but possible.

You got it. Like the feline and the weapon. Because tight + tight = more tight. Was the logic of my many years younger self...

I like to decide upon fundamentals, but also leave some room for development specifically to the AP. Which means by the time we would get to Thaumaturge choosing a second implement, I will likely choose an object that is somehow tied to the story.

I am unclear on the connexion with Nyandra who does not seem to have a profile yet. But is a Bard who like books and also has a secondary Branch of Uzunjati?

Is that what you meant?

=)

Iovia wrote:

I love the ghoran idea. It's one of my fave ancestries in the game, even though I have yet to actually play one!

All of the approved applications are solid. I think Dr. Evil will get a good group of players.

As for me, I am still leaning cleric, but if the final group is too overly caster, I'm happy to go Champion if I make it to that group.

You can decide when you see the full 12 applicants. Not sure anyone has to change anything they don't want to.

I agree that there are some great concepts so far!

Yes. Headed towards Druid. Should have made it clearer.

Tindertwig is a sneaky, curious, big-eared Goblin. His Lucky toad--Dirtbag--is his personal adviser as he talks to Dirtbag constantly. Tindertwig dresses in all browns and greens to help blend into his surroundings. He despises being bored and he constantly tries to entertain himself ( & Dirtbag)! He is 3'2 36 lbs with a solid, but wiry frame. He likes to sneak up on his prey and shoot them from behind--of course. He is also fond of new things and he isn't afraid of using 'experimental' gadgets.

Tindertwig recently ran afoul of some rapid dogs. He accidently dropped his flintlock pistol while attempting to hold his suddenly stuffed pants and run away at the same time!

After wandering the Expanse for a bit (soggy trousers and such), the Lost Gunslinger found himself at the entrance to some school called the Magaambya. Having nothing better to do, the Goblin signed up for some classes....Tindertwig heard that Wizards are cool!

An obvious choice for Background is Unsponsored...lol!

I find it funny that a Goblin Gunslinger would actually sign up for classes at some school he accidentally stumbled upon.

He would go Sun Mages and Uzunjati.

Thank you for running!

Kiyomi is an Ekujae elf who naturally feel into the way of the warrior mage. Several generations back, some of her family was exiled for showing draconic taint. But none have been seen for nearly a century.

Still young, some would say too young, she found herself growing scales. Draconic scales. Many saw this as a sign of a curse or a personal failure. She has travelled in hopes of learning how to rid herself of this draconic taint.

She is an Ekujae with the dragonborn heritage. She'll have the Cursed Family background.

I've been gaming for about 40 years, and gaming with PBP for longer than paizo has been a company.

Sorry team, I am unable to spend any time with the thread this evening. Just dropping to let you know I will back and posting tomorrow night instead.

Hi Dr. Here is the character I am considering. I'm spoilering it for readability.

I'd like to apply with Ntuni, a taralu dwarf from a remote village in the middle of the Expanse and was sponsored by her village.

She is a fighter with a strong connection with the earth and going into druid. She uses only equipment made from stone, carries small gems instead of coins and refuses to wear boots, since (according to her) she feels bad when not in contact with the earth.

Like her kin, she dyes her hair (purple) and venerates Uvuko, a draconic deity member of the Sky Keepers who are devoted to protect the weather over the Expanse.

I'll be focusing her magic from the archetype on earth/stone spells. Since Uvuko's body forms the boundary between the earth and the sky, Ntuni's powers might also link to air, but I'm not sure yet. Thinking about only being able to cast earth/stone based spells while touching the ground and air spells only while not touching it.

Totally unsure about the branches yet.

Have you seen this Archetype ?

Seems really solid....

Sir Longears wrote:

I'd like to apply with Ntuni, a taralu dwarf from a remote village in the middle of the Expanse and was sponsored by her village.

She is a fighter with a strong connection with the earth and going into druid. She uses only equipment made from stone, carries small gems instead of coins and refuses to wear boots, since (according to her) she feels bad when not in contact with the earth.

Like her kin, she dyes her hair (purple) and venerates Uvuko, a draconic deity member of the Sky Keepers who are devoted to protect the weather over the Expanse.

I'll be focusing her magic from the archetype on earth/stone spells. Since Uvuko's body forms the boundary between the earth and the sky, Ntuni's powers might also link to air, but I'm not sure yet. Thinking about only being able to cast earth/stone based spells while touching the ground and air spells only while not touching it.

Totally unsure about the branches yet.

Have you seen this Archetype ?

Seems really solid....

Seems interesting, but it is focused on unarmed strikes.

With the free druid archetype and the peculiarities of the taralu dwarves, I believe that would tip Ntuni into "special snowflake" territory. I prefer to keep her other aspects more clean and straightforward, thus more believable imo.

My concept is a Shulfenth, a lizardfolk magus. I see him picking up the Wizard archetype and gravitating towards the Cascade Bearers and the Rain Scribes as he comes to appreciate finding new ways to apply the teachings of old to face today's challenges.

Welcome Shulfenth. You are an accepted applicant. I don't know much about the Lirgeni so far, so we will see how that plays out at the Magaambya.

I am unclear on the connexion with Nyandra who does not seem to have a profile yet. But is a Bard who like books and also has a secondary Branch of Uzunjati?

Is that what you meant?

I meant because you are both choosing the Sponsored by Teacher Ot Background, but its certainly no requirement.

Tindertwig is Goblin. An obvious choice for Background is Unsponsored. I find it funny that a Goblin Gunslinger would actually sign up for classes at some school he accidentally stumbled upon.

He would go Sun Mages and Uzunjati.

Tindertwig is a unique concept. He is accepted as the 11th applicant to the game. Can you describe how he ended up with a gun? Also, which archetype do you plan to incorporate later, if known?

Kiyomi is an Ekujae elf who naturally feel into the way of the warrior mage. She is an Ekujae with the dragonborn heritage. She'll have the Cursed Family background.

Not sure there is enough here to fulfill the requirements, but I will allow you to build on it and still be accepted. Can I assume the class is magus? it's not clear.

What is the archetype you plan to work to, and what branches of learning would Kiyomi follow at school?

M'baba is a Human Rogue with the Sponsored by a village background. For the free archetype, he is going Wizard.

Thanks, I will allow this applicant, even thought that makes 13. What branches is M'baba likely to follow at Magaambya? It's ok not to know at this point.

At this point, Recruitment for this game is now CLOSED. All the applicants are accepted, and Philo is in the mix once a few more facts are presented for Kiyomi.

Here is my Cliff Notes version of the applicants so far. Please correct something I have wrong.

Iovia - human cleric
Ty Iskandir - elf protean wizard
Nyandra - elf bard
Ikto - anadi storm druid
Ruris - cat beastkin fire-elemental sorceror
Quatar - human thaumaturge
Za - ghoran magus
Song Gu - human monk
Ntuni - dwarf fighter
Shulfenth - lizardfolk magus
Tindertwig - goblin gunslinger
Kiyomi - elf magus(?)
M'baba - human rogue

Since this is a fairly light recruitment process, I am likely to take 5 or perhaps 6 into the game to start, expecting attrition to bring the group down to more like 4-5 fairly quickly.

Please take the next day or so to refine the concept (not necessarily the crunch, there will be time for that) and the backstory, incorporating the Background etc you selected. Inform us if there are material changes.

I expect to make final decisions on Friday.