[Farol / PF2] Prey for death

Game Master Farol

This is a discussion thread for the ones that are chosen, more information to come, so far I have made a presentation That is also linked at the top It includes couple of information
1. Some background information about Red Mantis Assassins, the organization etc
2. Some rules for creating your PCs
3. There are still some pieces missing:
3.1 Players are not chosen yet - to come
3.2 I will add to the presentation some background information about the island and the citadel, to allow you to position your pcs
3.3 We haven't discussed the 'evil' aspect of this adventure, what we feel comfortable and what we feel not comfortable
3.4 We haven't discussed if we want to use some other way for discussion for this adventure (discord/slack/other?)
3.5 There is still no gameplay created to dot in - a bit on purpose

Ok folks, let me write some house rules:
- Be nice, be friendly, don't be a jerk - that goes all the time, you are all old-timers on the boards, but I will repeat it, when someone comes across as mean, rude etc, it might be just coming across, they may have bad day or there could be billion of reasons, give people benefit of a doubt
- If all goes well, we will wrap it up within 18 months ;) So prepare for a long game, from my end I Gm'ed Troubles in Otari, and I did not like how I did it ;) But I gm'ed the game to completion. This story resonated with me way more, and I enjoy small team of PCs (next point)
- This adventure is written for 4 players, and we will run it for 4 players ;) It gives less room for redundancy, and it leaves almost 0 room for drop outs.
- 4 players mean that you should agree who play whom, at level 14 the characters should be well rounded but you know
- I am 'hoping' to post at least once per workday, but my current occupation may make it hard, I experimented twice with GM'ing during that job and I was able to post at least 4 times a week and mostly 5 times a week. I may post during weekend which I always treat as 'nice to have'
- English is not my native language, and I will do typos, spelling errors and some grammatical ones ;) (I also use some tools to correct them, but nothing and no one is perfect). So please bare with me ;)

=========================

Above all, welcome all at Farol's interpretation of Prey for Death.

Hey WaterySoup! It is good to have you at my table, you were the most frequent Gm for my games, and I had some of my best games with you. Also you were one of the reasons why I decided to Gm, as I felt moral obligation to stop leaching on the society ;) Start giving and not just taking. Good to have you!

PirateRob, you have picked me for your Abomination Vault game and despite on how it ended I have very fond memories of that. You are a great GM and I loved how you run it, one day I hope to run games at similar level, I am also very glad that you signed up for this, despite playing at some of my society games ;) Super happy to have you!

Warah, we have been playing at starfinder and pathfinder games, I really liked your characters and how you played them, I did not play with you as a GM (which I hope to change), I liked how you perform at tables and how you act and respond.

Rainzax, we played couple of times together, you found your place to some of the games when I GM'ed, I really valued that few times when I asked players to fill some paper work, you helped out and filled it in. There are some paper works that I see necessary but I hate doing, so anyone who helps in that have a massive plus on my balance sheet. I also enjoyed your characters and how much RP you put into them. At the same time I appreciated when you invite me to your Fists of Ruby Phoenix, that you also slaughtered 3 weeks after I joined ;) So if a massive stone falls from the sky on your PC there will be a Ruby Phoenix fist on it ;) (joking)

It is pleasure to have you all at my table.

AFAIK all of you are in big country on the other side of the pond, and some of you are even on the same coast (I am not sure about Rainzax... ahh ok Midcoast, Maine, USA). I am located in Europe, and I post either during my morning, or early afternoon (which will mostly be during your night time)

Yarr.

Glad you had such a good time in Abomination Vaults, you were an absolute pleasure to have in that game. I feel like your recruitment questions are similar to mine. I always want to see that players are actually paying attention and not just applying because its there, seeing a little bit of creativity and getting an idea of their character idea, but not requiring actually built things.

I should have some time my afternoon today to start slowly working on transferring a vague character idea. Am most likely using bard or Marshal or something similar. Is there any info/advice in the adventure about character building other than Lvl 14/Red Mantis?

I just saw the link in the campaign header with the exact kind of info I was looking for.

Yes!

This is my fist foray past level 10 in PF2. Please bear with.

GM Farol
I apologize that I invited you to a doomed game. It was my first attempt at an AP, and I was unable to get the chemistry to click. Taking you was a bit of a Hail Mary, but ultimately I fumbled the ball.

My lesson learned is to work with known quantities day one. The AP I'm running now - shared with two of the applicants you chose (and who I can vouch for with full confidence!) - is going a lot better, I think, because I recruited specifically from people who I have enjoyed playing various PFS games with. I know you agree with me because you chose them too.

And too, I have always appreciated sitting at a PbP table with you, and am very excited to be accepted into this game. I love the "assassin" trope with unreasonable guilty pleasure, and have inured myself against any spoilers that this game might entail. I will try and read the player's guide you linked by the end of tonight to get more acquainted with the scope and sequence.

I strongly dislike using off-forum apps for player communication. If this is a dealbreaker for you, please let me know, and I will quietly bow out.

Fellow Players
I will be playing an evil character, but one who will work together as a team. Moonlight will be your healer (plus TBD), and although I may write his character motives as selfish, as a player, I will play him to compliment the party dynamic as best I can. Unless I read something else in the Player's Guide that advises a different approach!?

That said, about 33% of his character has room for malleability. Here are some party roles the remainder of him can be built to cover:

Debuffer
Trapfinder
Precision Striker
Knowledge Recaller

Once I see what you all have cooking up, I will finish him off complimentarily.

Let me know if you have any questions?

=)

Edit: Little Gem I found

Here is my build skeleton so far.

A combination of Red Mantis Assassin stabby powers and tricksy/sneaky bard powers with a focus on teamwork with with things like Quiet Allies and Gang Up. (Can take other options if somebody particularly wants to cover either of those.)

Yarr.

Still working on this but Ketsu-kiba grew up in a small village in Tian Xia. Her family was quite insular but Ketsu-kiba was always curious about the distant/outside world and always acquired and read whatever books they could about the outside world. For whatever reasons they found the stories of Achaekek particularly enticing. Never happy with their surroundings and finding their "friends" and neighbors nothing more than rubes to be taken advantage Ketsu-kiba, despite her cruelness and cunning she could never manage to truly get ahead or escape her surroundings. Until one day she met a fugitive on the run from the Red Mantis assassins. Totally unexpecting to find a follower of Achaekek in distant Tian Xia, they were an easy kill despite being Ketsu-kiba's first. After completing the murder Ketsu-kiba finally found the wealth and opportunity to travel to Mediogalti island...

Still in progress, Going with Just Lucky, still have buy equipment, make the actual character sheet and continue to polish. Certainty things can change for party makeup, like if somebody else wants particular niche bits or to say go Revenant for negative healing across the board or something else similar.

Hello! Thanks for including me! This'll be my first character of any system above level 9, so I'm excited to explore and experiment.

Warah, we have been playing at starfinder and pathfinder games, I really liked your characters and how you played them, I did not play with you as a GM (which I hope to change), I liked how you perform at tables and how you act and respond.

That's because I've only dipped my toes in to GM one PF1 game and one PF2 Quest or Bounty for GM School last year. Neither were particularly positive experiences for me, so I've been hesitant to give it another go.

She was raised in a secretive cult that believes that (TBD) is/are a danger to the world and must be eliminated/assassinated. They breed and train with this sole purpose in mind. Several generations ago, all of their senior leadership and many of their texts were lost in a catastrophe. Today, they are a shadow of what they once were. My PC was the best of their best, sent out to begin their work, and immediately found out that her training was next to worthless. Since then, she's chosen to do whatever it takes to learn the skills necessary to achieve the goals she was given, no matter who she learns from or what she has to do to get there. Perhaps, along the way, her allegiance to the cult may falter.

For "Favored by the Blood Mistress", I think Excellent Assassin works best with her backstory. (Impressive Student would be my second choice, if needed.)

I'm leaning towards a human strength-based monk, but am open to input regarding party gaps/coverage.

For guidance on player creating, check the slides linked on top. There are few 'extras'
1. Favored by the bloody Mistress
2. Free archetype - red mantis assassin
3. Access to new wizardry school (I find it a bit meh to be honest), but it is there
4. Some extra items that are available

For Proficiency with sawtooth saber, I am inclined to just say that you are proficient with it, and free archetype red mantis assassin handles its progression

Whenever your proficiency in any weapon increases to expert or beyond, you also gain that new proficiency with sawtooth sabers.

========================

'I strongly dislike using off-forum apps for player communication. If this is a dealbreaker for you, please let me know, and I will quietly bow out.'

It is not a dealbreaker, I know that some (PirateRob) likes it, I probed to hear your opinion, I am fine with using forum for all communication. If other players votes for it, we will consider using it.

========================

Lvl 14 PC creation on a start:
1. It is not easy to do it right ;) so take your time, we are still days away from starting
2. I could consider giving you options to retrain some of the choices if the game proves that they were inefficient, or a sweet trap that lured you with the right words, and then proved to be pile of cow dung.
3. When you are ready, there will be an extra choice about your last job together, I will present couple of options and that jobs will give you extra item/boon/access to uncommon items.
4. Uncommon/Rare itesm/options/feats are on the table, following the rule: 1 Rare or 2 Uncommon items per player, please inform me of those choices explicitly. Keep in mind that rare/uncommon options from the Archetype are available for you per book writing.

========================
'Am I evil' - text from the book

Playing Evil Characters (( added also to the slides ))

The Red Mantis assassins are killers for hire who worship a cruel deity and rule over the city of Ilizmagorti. This adventure assumes that the PCs are part of this society, and as long as all of the players agree to this core assumption, the fewer personality clashes they’ll have with this adventure’s story. The core events that play out in Prey for Death don’t require the PCs to assassinate anyone that isn’t already of a villainous nature, and the plot doesn’t require them to pursue particularly vile or cruel activities in order to achieve their goals and survive. Still, you should work with your players to make sure they understand the kind of story they’re getting into. While Prey for Death is written with the assumption that the PCs are working for the Red Mantis assassins, and thus are likely to be evil in temperament, this should not be taken as an excuse by players to make the game uncomfortable for anyone—be they fellow players, the GM, or observers of your game. Before you run Prey for Death, have a talk with your players to make sure they’re comfortable with the idea of playing evil characters—or at the very least, characters who won’t have an issue allying with evil organizations.

A Shared Goal: This adventure assumes that the PCs are on the same side, and presents them with challenges that assume they work together. Inter-party strife is a surefire way to bring about the early end of a game session, and care has been taken in this adventure to avoid tropes where the PCs are expected to keep secrets from each other, work at odds from one another, or otherwise set up situations where working together isn’t the best option. Part of this requires that the PCs themselves build characters that not only work well together, but are, as a group, comfortable with tasks involving assassinations and other activities typically reserved for the villains in a campaign.

Safety Tools: Evil PCs often do evil things, and it’s important to consider your and your players’ comfort level performing in-game crimes. Chat with your players about what to expect, where their boundaries are, and whether to include safety tools like those described on pages 6–8 of Pathfinder GM Core. This adventure features violence against combatants, but the PCs might also decide to endanger noncombatants, interrogate captives with the use of fear or threat, destroy property, or just generally terrorize onlookers. Remind the PCs that while Achaekek encourages the use of fear as a tool and condones the act of assassination, his faith (and thus the precepts of the Red Mantis assassins) don’t encourage acts of wanton sadism, and neither does this adventure.

This is text from the book as written, and i am fully in agreement with it.

When I read this Adventure, it does not look any different than any other society scenario dripping with blood ;) The whole difference is the assassin vibe, but for me it means more: Assassination in style of infiltration + killing and not biblical apocalypse, where 4 horseman goes through establishment and leave no one alive.

I don't have a strong opinion on using outside communication. DougH felt strongly about it for Abomination Vaults, and it generally worked out. Doesn't seem vital as long as people are on top of things etc.

I totally missed the free archetype note, reading is hard. Will go back and read again more thoroughly.

Auto trained in Sawtooth Saber certainty opens up more choices and eliminates some awkwardness otherwise needed to build the characters.

'Auto trained in Sawtooth Saber certainty opens up more choices and eliminates some awkwardness otherwise needed to build the characters.' - exactly my way of thinking, deity ask you to carry the blade, in book it is mentioned that for characters not using it, they should at least carry it while performing assassination ;)

For me the weapon is uncommon and not exceptional, so I want to make it more available to encourage you to use it, as if not here then where ;)

Warah's PC here.

For Proficiency with sawtooth saber, I am inclined to just say that you are proficient with it, and free archetype red mantis assassin handles its progression

Thanks! Reducing the feat tax makes it more enjoyable to build a character.

Regarding Discord: I only check it when I'm doing my PbP posting anyway, so there would be no practical benefit to me using it.

Just read the Red Mantis Free Archetype. Holy kidding, that puts a lot of power onto the table!

I'm leaning into the spellslots, shroud ability, and poison with:

2: Red Mantis Assassin
4: Basic Red Mantis Magic
6: Poison Weapon
8: Crimson Shroud
10: Fading
12: Expert Red Mantis Magic
14: Vernai Training

Looking forward to analyzing what you all come up with. Going to pick my spells next, then skills finalized last.

I may or may not keep the Poisoner (native) archetype, given that RMA has me thematically covered...

Is anyone going hard on Knowledge skills (4 traditions, etc)?

Watery Soup here. Sorry I'm late - the holidays have been busy. This is a placeholder character name. I'm going to post in Discussion with my main, but wanted to tap in with this name for future purposes.

1. Communication outside Paizo forums.

I generally disfavor this for the same reason as Warah - I check Paizo more often than anything else (including E-mail and Discord).

2. Geography

I don't think being in a different continent is a big deal. It's probably better for PbP games since nobody will be tripping over one another to post.

3. My build

I see a bard, a healer, and a STR-based monk. I'm eager to try out some of the options from the Tian Xia Character Guide (I bought it for "my sons" for Christmas) so I'll go aloof firmament magus (DEX/INT).

I started sketching a character out before realizing there was Free Archetype. But here's what I have:

Level 2: Spirit Sheath, Poisoner, or Alchemist
Level 4: Distant Waterbird's Poise
Level 6: Poisoner or Alchemist (Advanced Alchemy)
Level 8: Standby Spell
Level 9: Multitalented / Alchemist, if not above (or if not human)
Level 10: Advanced Alchemy
Level 12: Alchemical Power
Level 14: Magus feat (Arcane Shroud?)

Rank 7 Spell: haste (7th)
Rank 6 Spell: wall of force

Alchemical formulae: cave worm venom, nethershade

My character is going to lean into the infiltration bit. The concept is that they won't look like an assassin. I'm not 100% sure how that's going to work mechanically because I might need more CHA than I can afford.

I'll try to get a firmer idea tomorrow evening.

That is a cool avatar!

Ok, so Paizo for the win, the assassins have spoken.

When are you done-ish with your character take a look at the last slide in the presentation, you (as a group) would have to select what was your previous assignment, since they give you extra character build options think about which one would be cool, needed or useless, so that you can incorporate the benefit into your character (one of the options gives extra access to uncommon item/ancestry etc.)

For what last mission was we will create it like in 'One Word Story' exercise but it will be one paragraph per player with themes for each one of you:

Player 1. Description of a task - what is the job, how and why and where
Player 2. Preparation for the job, scouting, getting disguises etc
Player 3. Executing the task
Player 4. Leaving the place and escaping potential consequences

Ooh fun!

1d4 ⇒ 4 I rolled Player Four.

I’ll describe our clean or messy exit!

I’m going to add the following wrinkle: our Mark went down easy, but had extraordinary means, a contingency plan for in the event he/she was assassinated! But, due to our magic, we became aware that he/she had to be put down a second time, which made for a doozy of a second assassination, which is the “real story” being told…

Edit: I see our options are Assassination Completed (Moderate Divine Boon), Favor Performed (Uncommon Character Option), or Treasure Recovered (3000 gold each). I had assumed we were doing the first. I can adjust my story based upon what we decide. I do not feel strongly about one option over the other.

But will say that we should quickly decide on whether Favor Performed is up or down, because it has larger implications for character building than an extra boon or gold.

Does anyone’s character “crux” on an Uncommon option?