For Sandpoint, Tara might have just come, or tried to already do some odd jobs to get enough money to get a business running, with little luck.
Tara, Cash's cousin, Andrezi (while in control of Cash's body during his weekly evening to spend with his parents) could have persuaded Drezi's father, Maver Kesk, the local jewelsmith, to hire you as a guard for his store. Andrezi was the one that used to make sure the doors and vaults were locked before he left town a decade ago when he was 16. Since then his father, Maver, has a habit to forget to lock the doors and vaults, something his wife, Pennae berates him for publicly, and has taken it upon herself to have a few of the boys that work for Jubrayl Vhiski to work as guards for her husband's shop. Cash and Drezi would have conveyed to Tara that Andrezi suspects the boys his mother hire steal some of the contents of the store for Jubrayl - and that Andrezi would prefer a fellow Abadarian keeping his father's honest-earned wealth safe instead of the Sczarni lads his mother hires.
Does the above sound good to you for work Tara has found? You could still have been doing some odd jobs when you first came to town, before 'meeting' Andrezi.
So if I understand correctly, the second class starting at level two, then advancing on a slow track, +1 at every even level, puts a character at 10th level in the secondary class when they reach 20th level in the primary class. It's a 1.5 gestalt more or less.
It that's right, it's best to think of secondary casting classes as providing mostly buffing and utility spells since the spells are gained far behind the curve. That's cool, a player would just want to be sure to take a caster character with casting in the primary class rather than the secondary so they get standard casting advancement.
So to run through a few quick combos for Chiyo...
Swashbuckler / Alchemist: works well because I can bump INT most easily due to the +2 from Sylph and alchemists can get by without a particularly high INT unless they care a lot about bombs. Gives a really nice self-buffing package added to Swash.
Swashbuckler / Oracle: Doesn't require anything new from ability scores since Swash already requires CHA. Not a lot of feats to work with so probably no more than one feat can go to extra revelation. 3 to 4 of the lower level revelations then and spell casting going up to 5th level spells. There are some mysteries that only have a small number of good revelations though or have a two or three really good revelations to help out a martial character. Wind and Dragon come to mind. Nice collection of utility and buffing spells.
Swashbuckler / Bard: Works well, but the party already has a Bard. However the Archaeologist archetype doesn't overlap standard Bard, it actually complementary. Bard has so many good spells that coordination by 2 Bards on spell selection nets great results. Archaeologist can self-buff with luck and still benefit from inspire courage. Covers Rogue needs well enough.
Swashbuckler / Rogue: An easy match, but maybe not that good actually. Aside from sneak attack Rogue doesn't offer much to Swashbuckler. Expanded list of skills in class, but no extra skill points to cover them.
Also, since being reminded that there are a couple of really cool Samurai archetypes, I've started eying them with some envy.
Warrior Poet Samurai / Swashbuckler: This might solve potential problems with damage output for both classes. I think warrior poet becomes main to maximize on Samurai's durability. Also Swash is rather front-loaded so it's easier to mine for it best parts. Swash brings extra damage for going all in on dex. Could also pair with Archaeologist in the same way using luck for the extra boost, but with spells added.
Warrior Poet Samurai / Oracle: Buffing spells and revelations to help out in case the Warrior Poet's mobility-spring attack-vital strike shtick turns out to be weak.
Brawling Blademaster Samurai / Unchained Monk(?): If Chiyo wants to really throw down, Brawling Blademaster is a TWF option using a wakizashi and unarmed strike. Monk could offer a lot I think. But, I don't know the class well so which Monk I'm not sure yet. It did occur to me though that since BAB comes from the primary class, any of the old Chained Monk archetypes could be on the table as well. Even Zen Archer could work maybe for a weird switch-hitter.
Brawling Blademaster Samurai / Fighter or Slayer: The draw here is the extra feats. More of those from Fighter, but Slayer has good class features that could be worth as much or more.
Brawling Blademaster / Inquisitor: Bane would be great for the two-weapon fighting. Good buffing spells and added utility.
If you've actually read this far, my apologies for boring you. But there is a point to it, which is I don't think the secondary class can be treated like a pure gestalt, slow progression and 1/2 total levels mean the secondary class can't stand alone. It better to find a secondary class that makes the primary class better at what it does, or can add a secondary role or utility to the primary class.
Like on mine going perhaps rogue for the benefits, or maybe even alchemist for the boost on int.
Quick response:
Those ideas actually fit quite nicely on what I was thinking about. Guard duty is what she's good at. But it probably would have taken a while to get accepted to that, so she would have done whatever she found before. Especially short tasks like "Need 10 people to move my things to a new house" would have been her bread. So, many people in Sandpoint would know her for "that one job she did for me".
I was thinking about not locking Julia's father, my idea was that Tara just remembered some drinking challenge in a pub and then waking up some days later without a slightest memory of the time between. So, your idea works well. Julia can grow to an adventurer herself and be in the later campaigns.
About the secondary class, wearing armor cuts out some choices, like sorcerer, but there are still many that use charisma and would work well. Also, fighter, bloodrager or other martials work. But if I don't have to decide now, it's fine, I'll check them through.
@Chiyo You've definitely got the right idea with things.
I've run an Archaeologist before and Archaeologist’s Luck combined with the fate's favored trait and the lingering performance feat makes for a very powerful self buff that will last all day. Even at 1/2 progression.
Like on mine going perhaps rogue for the benefits, or maybe even alchemist for the boost on int.
Alchemist would get you a lot of nice toys. I think the biggest downside is decision paralysis of which toys you'll pick.
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I'll probably pick sorcerer for mine. It fits mechanically and thematically without having to change to much up.
The fire and celestial bloodlines feel a bit redundant given how much of that I get from the Oracle side. I'm leaning towards arcane to pick up a familiar.
So if I understand correctly, the second class starting at level two, then advancing on a slow track, +1 at every even level, puts a character at 10th level in the secondary class when they reach 20th level in the primary class. It's a 1.5 gestalt more or less.
That is correct.
The four levels of mythic levels would be the even-numbered levels not already covered in the God-Chosen template: Levels 6, 10, 14 and 18.
Aside from your mythic source and mythic path being GM-chosen, your mythic path abilities would probably not be GM-chosen and be yours to choose from ones you qualify for. - That is after I read through them all to make sure there are not any I would put on a ban list (it has been years since I played/ran mythic characters so do not recall off-hand if there are possible path abilities I would restrict from selecting. I might restrict you to only choosing path abilities from Mythic Adventures (which I have the dead-tree for), so the first list of restricted myth path abilities (if any) will be for only checking the ones in Mythic Adventures. I would work with reading through the additional ones on AoN to see 1) which ones I add to the valid mythic path choices or 2) which ones are restricted.
Same applies to mythic feats, that I will also go through the lists to see if any are ones I would restrict from selecting.
But it probably would have taken a while to get accepted to that, so she would have done whatever she found before. Especially short tasks like "Need 10 people to move my things to a new house" would have been her bread. So, many people in Sandpoint would know her for "that one job she did for me".
That works nicely, and since Andrezi and each of the other spirits are only channeled one day/week (with which one is channeled twice/week fluctuating) it could take a few weeks (at least) before he notices a new Abadarian is living in town (since he would be limited to only seeing/hearing what Cash does (including the 'rumour mill' that is far-faster the smaller the town is) and upon hearing about a new Abadaran doing some jobs would have Cash seek out the new arrival to assess, with Drezi's desires regarding wanting to protect his father's honest-earned wealth safe already detailed more above).
I would suggest keeping in mind what the other characters primary classes are when selecting your secondary class.
It sounds like Chiyo migjht decide on changing her primary class (not sure about Tara), but based on the character concepts I am thinking it is safe to say that Jenni, Marha and Ntisi are keeping their primary classes as is (silver balladeer bard, runesage wizard and molten-cursed life mystery ("Magaambyan Medic") oracle.
Like on mine going perhaps rogue for the benefits, or maybe even alchemist for the boost on int.
Throwing electricity (mini 'storms' of Gozreh) and cold (the coldness of the deep oceans) bombs. Tanglefoot bombs (the snagging tree roots of untamed wilderness), etc.
A kineticist starting with either aerokinesis (air) or hydrokinesis (water) and gaining the one not chosen at 1st level (2nd character level) at 7th level (14th character level) to emulate the elemental powers of her deity, Gozreh. should you want to lean into being more of a 'living embodiment' of Gozreh.
I have always wanted to do kineticist, but never submitted one or found a gm willing. That may be the play, but alchemist also works with the backstory as well. Gozreh also making weird powers show up also makes sense
Agagaha. So many choices.
I have always wanted to do kineticist, but never submitted one or found a gm willing. That may be the play, but alchemist also works with the backstory as well. Gozreh also making weird powers show up also makes sense
Agagaha. So many choices.
As I would be okay with the thematic of air and water element kineticist because it ties in with Father Tobyn telling you that it was Gozreh's blessing that saved you from the fire that took your parents away from you, (and that made you choose Gozreh as your deity - or rather that Gozreh chose you), so those would be the two elements you would gain access to. So if you are okay with that, it sounds likes kineticist breaks the tie for the following reasons:
That you have never found a GM willing to let you play one.
That the kineticist would not require you to rely on materials to be able to use their class features, and would not take up one of your gear encumbrance slots like alchemist would.
Using the alchemist extracts would trigger attacks of opportunity like drinking potions do, so the kineticist would give you some abilities that are more reliable (do not trigger AoO).
Using the alchemist's bombs also trigger AoO.
The kineticist gives you at-will abilities as opposed to the daily limited uses for the alchemist.
As for the initial element you would gain:
As the fire resistance you gain from having ifrit blood protected you from the fire and the water defense does not grant fire resistance, looking at the two defenses between air and water, air makes more sense for both thematics and the crunch - (you would gain the elemental defense at 4th character level) whereas the water defense gives you a bonus to your amor or shield bonus, the air defense gives you 20% protection from ranged (non-massive) physical attacks, which increases to 25% at 14th character level. By accepting 1 point of burn, you can increase the miss chance by 5% until the next time your burn is removed. You can continue to accept points of burn to increase the miss chance further, up to a maximum of 75%. Whenever you accept burn while using an air wild talent, the energy surging through you causes your enveloping winds to also affect non-physical ranged attacks such as ray attacks for 1 round. You can dismiss or restore this effect as an immediate action.
--> The above protection for spellcasters from ranged attacks is very useful.
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The following lists work with you taking air as your initial element (at 2nd character level) and water as the element you gain at 14th character level. You could take water as the initial and gain air at 14th character level instead. Infusions with asterisks you would only need to take once, but have blasts that they would also affect other blasts once you have both elements at 14th character level. They do not include ones that have kinetic blade or kinetic fist as a prerequisite (working with you not being a melee combatant). I might have missed prerequisites that you would not have (so if any such options appear on the lists below then they would not be an option) - I was mostly looking for which element qualified and that kinetic blade/kinetic fist was not a prerequisite when I compiled the following lists.
Air would give you your choice of Air Blast (bludgeoning damage) or Electric Blast when you gain the secondary class.
At 14th level, when you gain Expanded Element (water) you would gain basic hyrdrokinessis, your choice of cold blast or water blast (bludgeoning damage) as well as all the following composite blasts: blizzard blast, charged water blast, ice blast and thunderstorm blast.
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The air infusion wild talents you could take at character levels 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th and 18th are:
2nd: Energize Weapon* (electric), Extended Range* (universal), Gusting* (air), Pushing* (air), Thundering* (air)
6th: Elemental Trap* (universal), Extreme Range* (universal), Flurry of Blasts* (universal), Focused Blast* (universal), Magnetic* (electric), Mobile* (universal), Penetrating* (electric), Snake* (universal), Spindle* (universal), Synaptic* (electric), Torrent* (air, electric)
10th: Chain (electric), Cyclone* (air), Grappling* (universal), Wall* (universal)
The water infusion wild talents and composite infusion wild talents you could take at character levels 14th and 18th instead of an air infusion wild talent are as follows (some have ultily wild talent prerequisites you must have to select them), as well as air infusion wild talents that require 14th or 18th level:
14th:chilling (blizzard, cold, ice), cloud (blizzard, thunderstorm), cyclone* (blizzard, thunderstorm), energize weapon* (cold), entangling (blizzard, cold, ice), Gusting* (blizzard, thunderstorm), Impale (ice), Magnetic* (charged water, thunderstorm), Penetrating* (cold), Pushing* (blizzard, charged water, water), Quenching (charged water, water), Shepherd of Souls (universal), Slick (blizarrd, charged water, cold, ice, water), Spray (charged water, water), Synaptic* (charged water, thunderstorm), Thundering* (thunderstorm), Torrent* (blizzard, charged water, thunderstorm, water)
18th: Maelstrom (charged water, water)
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The air utility wild talents you could take at character levels 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th are as follows:
4th level: Aerial Adaptation, Air Cushion, Air Shroud, Air's Leap, Air's Reach, Elemental Whispers, Kinetic Awe, Living Capacitor, Magnetism, Skilled Kineticist, Greater Skilled Kineticist, Venom Speaker, Voice of the Wind, Greater Voice of the Wind
8th level: Aerial Evasion, Body of Air, Celerity, Elemental Grip, Greater Elemental Whispers, Engulfing Winds, Kinetic Restoration, Windsight, Wings of Air
12th level: Greater Air Shroud, Kinetic Form, Ride the Blast, Spark of Life, Suffocate*, Wind Manipulator, Greater Windsight
The water utility wild talents you could take instead of an air wild talent at character levels 16th and 20th level are as follows, as well as air utility talents that require 16th or 20th character level:
16th level: Cold Adaptation, Cold Snap, Cyrokinetic Stasis, Elemental Exile, Elemental Transmission (water), Expanded Defense, Healing Burst, Heat Adaptation, Ice Sculptor, Ice Walker, Kinetic Cover, Kinetic Healer, Kinetic Revivification, Pillar, Reverse Shift, Shimmering Mirage, Sky Walk, Slick, Veil of Mists, Water Alteration, Water Manipulator, Waterdancer, Greater Waterdancer, Watersense, Greater Watersense, Weather Master
20th level: Greater Magnetism, Hurricane Queen, Tidal Wave
Quick response:
Those ideas actually fit quite nicely on what I was thinking about. Guard duty is what she's good at. But it probably would have taken a while to get accepted to that, so she would have done whatever she found before. Especially short tasks like "Need 10 people to move my things to a new house" would have been her bread. So, many people in Sandpoint would know her for "that one job she did for me".
The first encounter Tara has with Cashmeric will be different than the first encounters with Cash the other characters had (darn, his cousin, Andrezi, the trickster, not just staying at home with his family when Cash gives over control of his body so he can spend the evening with his parents)...
While Andrezi (in control of Cash's body) was having dinner with his parents, his father told Andrezi there was a new Abadarian living in town doing odd jobs. Andrezi suggested to his father that the new Abadarian in town might make an ideal security guard for the store to cut down on theft (he did not infer WHO was doing the theft), to which his mother 'pish-poshed' the idea, "We have security covered already, Andrezi. No need to hire someone new." Andrezi talked to his father privately afterward (while they were in the work area crafting some jewelry items) and told his father that he has been doing his own inventory stock of the past several weeks to see if any items are unaccounted for, and like clockwork it seems, every week at least three small jewelry items (rings and earrings) are no longer part of the inventory and there are no records of sale for the items.
"That can't be right, your mother's got two boys watching the customers to make sure no one shoplifts."
"You know my inventory tracking skills are impeccable, father."
"Yes, they are, death has not dulled your mind at all, my boy."
"So you can appreciate the benefit of having an Abadarian ensuring no one shoplifts from us, right, Dad?"
"I am curious, son. I know you prefer to give vague answers that prevent people from knowing the true answer, except for when it comes to your faith in Abadar. Why is that?"
Andrezi remains quiet for a half a minute while still maintaining eye contact with his father before replying, "Why would someone want others to know their true intentions when they do not know if others would use that knowledge that might negatively affect them?"
Maver Kesk shakes his head, flakes of precious metal flying from his typical unkempt hair, "Would it kill you to give your father a straight answer just once, Drezi?"
"How do you kill something that is already dead?"
"You know what I meant, my boy."
"Did I?"
"Are you even capable of giving a clear answer anymore?"
"Maybe," Andrezi smiles crookedly, which Casmeric has never made that particual facial expresson in his life, "So, is it okay if I find the new Abadarian in town to assess them and if they seem like a good fit, do I have your blessing to offer them a job as security for the store, Dad?"
"I already told you that you did, did I not?"
Andrezi, knowing his father's absent-mindness has been becoming worse (except for when he is focused on his craft) and not wanting to cause his father any worry that his short-term memory has been diminishing for the past few years, replies, "I think you might have, Dad. I will head out and find her now. I take it you can handle telling mother the lads services will no longer be needed."
"You do not know if she will even accept the job offer."
"Dad, she's an Abadarian. She has been doing odd jobs, which is honest work and pleases our god. But honest work and ensuring that honest wealth is not stolen, and no one is cheated, both merchants by customers and customers by merchants are Abadarians preferred work. Besides, who can say no to my charming words? That is not even taking into account she will be seeing Cash's calming soulful eyes when I talk to her. She's going to say yes just as sure as mother is going to have a fit when you tell her that she has to fire the boys."
"Maybe you should wait until next week, and find the woman before Cashmeric gives you control of his body, son."
"Cash would appreciate that, I am sure," Andrezi tells his father, "I will be back soon with her answer," as he gently removes some of the silver shavings from his father's hair and heads out to find the new Abadarian in town.
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It sounds like Chiyo might decide on changing her primary class
I'm kicking the tires on those two Samurai archetypes and I suppose I'd never completely rule out Slayer, but I'm very probably sticking with Swashbuckler. Since we have the time for it, why not play around with builds to see what works and what I like?
Regardless, the fundamental Chiyo isn't going to change, it's just a matter of which set of mechanics best represents it. Chiyo is less a "samurai" than Jin, and more a "samurai" than Mugen if you're familiar with Samurai Champloo (and if you're not, you should be!). The classes and archetypes are just the means to capture what I'm going for in a mechanically viable way.
Chiyo is less a "samurai" than Jin, and more a "samurai" than Mugen if you're familiar with Samurai Champloo (and if you're not, you should be!).
I am not familiar with that series. After checking IMDb, I see there are only 26 episodes of 24 minute duration. I have added it to my potential future watch list.
I have updated the God-Chosen template, which is detailed in the rules tab.
I am not familiar with that series. After checking IMDb, I see there are only 26 episodes of 24 minute duration. I have added it to my potential future watch list.Chiyo is less a "samurai" than Jin, and more a "samurai" than Mugen if you're familiar with Samurai Champloo (and if you're not, you should be!).
Ah, it does my heart good just to watch the opening credits.
And while I'm dropping references I guess I'll add Chiyo is WAY less samurai than Mizu from Blue Eye Samurai
While I love the kineticist, the only issue is I have a neg con, and that is the area it draws its casting from. Unless it's some form of infusion? It looks like a challenge that seems great. I look forward to it.
I wonder how much Marha would know Cash. Did she ever speak to him or just spy on his cousin from afar? Did Cash even know she had a crush on Andrezi?
I wonder how much Marha would know Cash. Did she ever speak to him or just spy on his cousin from afar? Did Cash even know she had a crush on Andrezi?
How your and Cash's friendship developed.
You were in 10 & 11 year olds class when Cash was in the the 8 & 9 year olds class; Cash was in the 10 & 11 years old class during the first two years you were in the 12, 13 & 14 years old class, and you were both in the 12, 13 & 14 years old class during your last school year.
During lunch hour Cash would tag along with his older siblings and their group of friends to Junker's Edge to lounge (with Cash sitting with Kali as she enjoyed the breeze coming from the sea as Cash watched the goblins below, with Drezi practicing 'yarns' to them, while the other four were coupled up a little further away (so each group could see each other but not hear the conversations of the other group) - so you might have befriended Cash while you were in the 10 & 11 years old class and Cash was in the 8 & 9 years old class, and tagged along with him to Junker's Edge - and you had a built-in reason to be there as well - to enjoy Gozreh's winds like Kali does at Junker's Edge) and that is where and when you started to develop your crush on Drezi.
Mia and Vel would tell Drezi various students in class who were interested in him, but he never showed reciprocal interest, though Mia and Vel would arrange 'triple dates' they would not tell Drezi ahead of time about - such triple dates consisted of Kaz, Mia, Vel, Ragnar, Drezi and a boy or girl from school in which they would watch one of the afternoon plays at the Sandpoint Theatre on Starday afternoons. The five friends would show up in front of the theatre with the 'surprise date' Mia and Vel had selected for Drezi for that Starday.
Kaz and Ragnar were in the 12, 13 & 14 years old class for both years you were in the 8 and 9 years old class.
Drezi, Kali, Mia and Vel were in the class above you for your first year of the 8 & 9 years old class, then were in the 12, 13 & 14 years old class during your second year in the 8 & 9 years old class and both years you were in the 10 & 11 years old class.
Tsuto (a Tian half-elf) is one year younger than Kaz and Ragnar and 1 year older than Drezi, Kali, Mia and Vel. Tsuto was a bully who bullied Drezi and the other younger boys when he was in the same class as the younger boys and Kaz and Ragnar were in the class above them. Tsuto got detention a lot because of his bullying ways. The presence of Kaz and Ragnar in class with him during Kaz & Ragnar's final year was enough to prevent Tsuto from attempting to bully Drezi and the other 12 year olds in the class that year, but returned to his bullying ways during his next and final school year.
The average number of Varisians, Taldans, etc. for each age of students at Turandarok Academy.
The orphanage, nursery and daycare are on the upper floor, the school is on the ground floor with the basement the headmaster's private living quarters.
8 & 9 year old children are in one classroom, the 10 & 11 year old children are in another classroom of the same size and the 12, 13 & 14 year old children are in the larger classroom.
The average number of students per age (not class) are as follows:
8 Varisians, 4 Taldans (includes Chelaxians), 2 Shoanti, 1 human of a different ethnicity (Garundi, Kellid, Kelishite, Mwangi, Tian, Ulfen, Vudrani) with 1 halfling per class and 1 half-breed (half-elf or half-orc) in one of the three classes.
The average number of Varisians, Taldans, etc. for each age of students at Turandarok Academy.
Spoiler:
The orphanage, nursery and daycare are on the upper floor, the school is on the ground floor with the basement the headmaster's private living quarters.8 & 9 year old children are in one classroom, the 10 & 11 year old children are in another classroom of the same size and the 12, 13 & 14 year old children are in the larger classroom.
The average number of students per age (not class) are as follows:
8 Varisians, 4 Taldans (includes Chelaxians), 2 Shoanti, 1 human of a different ethnicity (Garundi, Kellid, Kelishite, Mwangi, Tian, Ulfen, Vudrani) with 1 halfling per class and 1 half-breed (half-elf or half-orc) in one of the three classes.
I don't want to be the constant fly in the ointment, but why do we need to bother with this? How does it improve the game?
We're talking about a start date in, what was it, January 25? Granted it can take a while to prepare to start a new game, and you hadn't had a chance to do that before announcing you'd be running one. But it seems to me at this point we're either starting in January or whenever because you're just rewriting or adding to stuff that doesn't need to be messed with at all, or it we're not actually starting as soon as January because it really does take that long and you're fiddling around with trivialities that are adding to the load.
What I would love to see is a comprehensive list of off the stuff we need to account for just to build our characters. All of it in one place and done. Like, most all the characters were built for the other game, which included automatic bonus progression. Are we using it too? It makes a difference (or would to me) and I haven't seen it mentioned.
I mean honestly we've accepted a lot of constraints on our characters outside the typical "these things are in, these other things are out" decisions GMs make when they post games. I have to be human, and I have to take and elemental add on. I have to take a specific deity because only a certain small subset can be used and there can be no overlap. There will now be mythic (which is a disastrous set of rules almost nobody seems to like), and those mythic abilities will be chosen by you. It's reaching the point where you seem to be wanting us to play semi-pregens.
Again I will make the plea. Can't we just keep this simple? I'm not saying this just because it's my preference. I've been playing PbP here for 8, almost 9, years now. I've been in a lot of games. A fundamental common denominator of the ones that turned out to be very successful is they did not add bunches of extra pieces and subsystems to track and account for. Those games could move forward and make appreciable progress because everyone could spend their time posting in gameplay moving the plot forward rather than trying to keep track of their characters and bookkeeping. If you keeping loading stuff into this game it will fail. You will either burn yourself out, or drown us all in the infinite extras.
My very first game ever here was RotRL with exactly the same basic concept as this. All the characters were "chosen" and each represented one deity in the Sandpoint pantheon. The only character modifications were 1. Everyone has the Birthmark trait. 2. Everyone gets a single domain, regardless of class, of their deity. That was it, it was great. We didn't finish RotRL (about 98% of all the games started here don't make it to the end, it takes years) but we went for 7 years and I still count it as one of the best two or three games I've ever play in here.
If you give us less, you won't bog us down and we can do more actual playing.
Some of the stuff I am working on is so that I have a consistent 'refer-to' GM section, so that the consistency in-game stays that way - consistent, as well as 'sculpting' certain significant NPCs (such as Tsuto), as opposed to "That doesn't match up with what you established before, GM."
Regarding the variant rules - I am not a GM that fills in for another GM and uses their set of rules.
One of the golden rules of rpgs is that if the GM is not having fun it is difficult for the players to have fun. This is the main reason for the set of variant rules I am compiling. Same as with the in-game consistency stuff referred to above, the same principle covers that I have established up-front how I am handling different aspects of the game, as opposed to potentially slowing down the game mid-campaign while I decide how I am going to adjudicate something that happens in-game, whereas the chosen set of variant/home-brewed rules already might cover such a situation arising in-game, so that the flow of the game is not slowed down.
One of my personal pet peeves as a GM is regarding a certain type of player: those who like to make use of new player options from a new rule book but think that the GM should not be allowed to make use of any of the new rules options that are from the same book.
The answer to your question of "How does this improve the game?" is by increasing the enjoyment the GM has running the campaign, it usually results in a direct increase of the enjoyment the players have playing in the GM's campaign. A campaign being run by a GM that is not enjoying running the game is a campaign that is not going to last long.
As this campaign (and the two subsequent campaigns) are a huge amount of invested time to complete, I am creating a set of rules that I (and my players) will enjoy across the full range of character levels.
As for 'stuff that doesn't need to be messed with' - my previous post was an elaboration of coming up with something for an idea one of my players had about their character. The same as I have done for other players for their characters as well, that they liked.
During the time I am taking to compile the rules set is also added time the players have to 'sculpt' their characters more pre-campaign start, including GM-player collaboration regarding their characters.
Marha: With the bit of work I did typing up in my previous post, did it make you better able to envision some of Marha's childhood growing up in Sandpoint? Do you like how I worked in an in-game explanation for the where/when/why of Marha developing feelings for Andrezi?
I promise no player is ever going to challenge an inconsistency in the numbers, ages, and ethnic origins of the orphans at Turandarok Academy if there is variation between a couple of posts. Nobody cares. The subject never has to be addressed in the first place.
Another golden rule of rpgs is a GM takes feedback from players into serious consideration. No players wanted a wounds and vigor system yet it's still in there for example.
I think I'm going to bow out. I appreciate the opportunity, but I think I'm not philosophically compatible with the directions this project is going in. I just don't feel confident in it.
I wish you all the best of luck, and hope you have a great time.
Thank you, rdknight. Best of luck to you as well.
Hi, everyone.
I am still in the process of deciding the campaign full rules set. I will not be posting each one in the recruiting tab as I complete them. I will let you know when the campaign rules set is completed so that you can view it in its entirety on the campaign info tab.
Here is the modified version of hit points that sort of mimics the wounds and vigor and wound thresholds variant rules, but is a more simplified homebrewed rule that does not require needing to track two (or more) sets of 'life points', as the absolute value of your negative hit points total is how many wound points you have lost.
The full write-up for this homebrewed rule:
Hit Points (modified)
Hit Points above 0 hit points work the same as they do in the default rules.
The number of wound points you have lost is the absolute value of your negative hit points total.
Below 0 hit points you have a number of wound points (aka negative hit points) equal to twice your Constitution score. You have a wound threshold at the half-way point (the typical 'death' total of negative hit points in the default system). For example, a PC with a 13 Consitution would have 26 wound points with a wound threshold of 13.
While you have less than 1 hit point and you are below your wound threshold you are fatigued and staggered. Aside from gaining these two conditions while below your wound threshold, you function normally (you are treated as if you had 1 hit point for effects that look at your current hit points to determine effects).
While you have less than 1 hit point and you are at or above your wound threshold (and have at least 1 wound point you have not lost) you are disabled, exhuasted and staggered.
You die when you have lost all your wound points.
Any action that results in you being be at or above your wound threshold (or remaining at or above your wound threshold) requires you to make a Constitution check with a DC equal to how many wound points you have lost. Succeeding at the Constitution check allows the character to remain conscious. A conscious character with the Diehard feat can choose to automatically succeeed at the Constitution check to remain concscious instead of rolling.
Wound points are treated like hit points for all other purposes. For example, when a PC (with a 10 Constitution score) that has 5 current hit points (and maximum hit points of 12) takes 8 damage from an attack they would be at -3 hit points, which is 3 wound points (which is below their wound threshold) and would become fatigued and staggered. If that PC then received healing magic that restored 10 hit points, the PC would regain the 3 lost wound points and gain 7 hit points back, and would no longer be fatigued or staggered.
If that same PC then took 20 points of damage, it would reduce their hit points to -13 hit points (aka 13 wound points), which is above their wound threshold of 10, the PC would need to make a DC 13 Constitution check - succeeding means they remain conscious and are disabled, exhausted and staggered for being above their wound threshold, and failing the Constitution check means they fall unconscious and are dying.
As the number of wound points you have taken is the absolute value of your negative hit points, you do not need to track two separate set of 'life points' and simply compare your negative hit point total to your constitution score (like you do in the the default rules) to see if you are below your wound threshold (fatigued and staggered), at or above your wound threshold (disabled, exhausted and staggered and roll to see if you remain conscious) or dead.
In essence what this home-brewed rule does is give the PCs a bit of additional staying power and does so with dramatic effect. Hit point damage represents 'flesh wounds' while wound point damage represents 'mortal wounds'.
I'm going to bow out.
With the results of the US election, my partner and I have decided to move out of the state as quickly as we can. My life is going to be very crazy for I don't know how long and I simply won't have the capacity for another game.
Best of luck.
Best of luck to you and your partner, Corrik.
I'm still here! Though I dunno if that counts for much
There is such a massive amount here that I am starting to lose track of it all. The main question I think I need to cehck on is, are we all humans? That part has me confused (and maybe I missed it since some of it was in the other recruitment thread.
I have no real issue with doing the combined AP idea you are talking about so no problem there.
I do tend to think we may be getting a bit bloated with variant rules and such as well as maybe going into too much detail on some aspects of the setting. but if it works I won't complain.
Sorry to see you go Chiyo and Ntisi but I can understand. Take care of yourselves until we meet again.
I am still working on the campaign rules set, which also include how the mythic rules work in the initial camapaign as well as the future campaigns (Shattered Star and Return of the Runelords).
Yes, all the PCs for the Rise campaign are both human (of different ethnicities) as well as being the aasimar, the tiefling or one each of the four tweaked 'pass for human' elemental races.
The full character creation rules will also be collected on the campaign info tab as well, so you do not need to scan through the posts on this tab or the recruitment tab of GM Mokmurian's campaign.
I have extended an invitation to Ntisi to keep her spot in the campaign so Ntisi can rejoin at some point. In-campaign after the Swallowtail Festival, she accompanies her parents while they investigate rumours of Thassilonian sites throughout Varisia, until she is able to rejoin the campaign as an active player.
As for some things I post that might appear to not have an impact on the campaign, such as the typical student ethnicity breakdown of the three classes at the school - that serves multiple purpses: it gives me to a better picture of the overall ethnicity percentages of Sandpoint (the lone locale that is significant to half the books in the AP), the relationship dynamic for characters that grew up in Sandpoint together; the relationship dynamic they have with a critical NPC that is introduced in the first book of the AP, as well helping to get an idea of the potential childhood friendships Tara's daughter, Julia, might develop during the first two campaigns, before she becomes a full-fledged PC herself.
Things that make it easier for me to get a more detailed mental imagery of Sandpoint's residents means it is easier for me to give my players a more immersive rp campaign.
That extra detail I give has already made one of my players want to shape their relationship dynamic with one of the significant NPCs of the campaign as well as giving more 'shaping' of one of my other player's character's campaign background.
Both the compiled rules set and select Sandpoint NPC stories are things that will be done before the campaign 'begins' on the day of the Swallowtail Festival.
Tara: Does having Tara arrive in town during the first month of spring sound good to you, with her doing odd jobs for the spring and most of the summer, and 'met' Andrezi a month before the Swallowtail Festival and accepted the job offer - so she has about 4 1/2 months of working odd jobs and one month of full-time work at Maver Kesk's jewerly shop?
That sounds good.
I do appreciate your work in building the world. It does feel a bit overwhelming this far, especially when reading from separate posts with time between them and some things changed over time. I have to do a personal map of all these soon.
I will also make a copy of the relevant story, characters and NPC posts (up to pre-Swallowtail Festival) in a spoiler on the campaign info tab as well, so they are all collected in one spot.
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I had more stuff to do this week than expected, so I will not have the full rules set done by this weekend like I had planned.
When the campaign starts I am going to shoot for not letting more than three days go by without posting.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend if you're able to.