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I'm thinking of the following but wanted to make sure that I'm staying within the "not too powerful" limits (its really hard to tell as different players evaluate things very differently)
Varisian Dirge Thundercaller Bard (yeah, its a legal combination) worshipping Desna
If allowed, would also take the Desnan Divine Fighting Technique so she can throw her starknife fairly well.
Here's Crisischild's submission. A Hospitaler paladin of the Radiant Prism VMC Cavalier Order of the Star. Plan is to go into the Holy Vindicator prestige class and make use of Channel Smite, Flame Blade, and Flame Blade Dervish. She's a paladin, but she's a fun paladin, not like those Ragathiel paladins! Sorry her background is a little long.
==========Description==========
Picture of Lizbit.
Height: 5'3" | Weight: 145 lbs. | Hair: Red | Eyes: Light Brown
Lizbit is on the short side for a human, with an athletic build. Her eyes are dark brown and her red hair hangs nearly to her waist, her face heart-shaped with an angular jaw and small, pointed nose. Her complexion is tanned.
She usually dresses in loose-fitting brown or black cotton trousers and brightly colored, loose-fitting, sleeveless silk blouses. The sleeveless tops not only display her impressive musculature but also the tattoos – songbirds all colors of the rainbow are tattooed from the tips of both her fingers and running the lengths of her arms up to her shoulders. The birds turn to kaleidoscopic leaves near her shoulder blades, forming the canopy of an oak tree that covers most of her upper back. The trunk of the oak tree runs down the center of her back where it meets a pool of water at her lower back; Lizbit’s nymph mother lounges in the pool. The tree’s roots plunge below the surface of the water, down her buttocks and snaking down her legs, turning into multicolored ribbons, tapering off and ending at her toes. This large tattoo is not visible under her normal clothing, but she dresses to show it off when she can. She carries herself with confidence and moves in a way that suggests both grace and power.
==========Personality==========
Lizbit is confident, patient, and kind. Outgoing and extroverted, she has a huge circle of friends and acquaintances. She quickly flits from one group of friends to the next, not favoring any groups or individuals over any others. She takes the tenets of her faith seriously, promoting ideals of peace, forgiveness, love, and acceptance to those she meets. She can often be found counseling quarreling couples or business partners. While she often comes off as naïve due to her insistence that all conflicts can be solved peacefully, she was raised in circles of duplicitous nobility and is more than capable of sussing out those with ulterior motives.
Lizbit adores all forms of artistic expression. Very often she is late to appointments because she stops to enjoy any street performance she comes across. She spends a probably foolish amount of coin attending theater and the opera. Never one to take things too seriously, Lizbit is quick to laugh. Free-spirited and bubbling with positivity, she always offers a bright spark of hope in dark times. She has a burning passion for all forms of art and loves to sing and dance, even if she is not very skilled at either.
==========Story==========
Dandelion Honeywood, nymph of the Sanos Forest in central Varisia, was used to the little gnomes of the forest bringing her petitions from outsiders. Most of the petitions implored her to save failing crops or relocate dangerous magical beasts. Lord Cornelis Lukas Applestar of Magnimar’s request was unique: sit for a year as a model for a marble sculpture. Magnimar was far further afield than she had ever been and the idea of leaving her secluded spring for a whole year frankly terrified her, but the flowery prose of lord Applestar’s petition and the rough sketch of the finished sculpture, as well as the adventure of traveling to and from the city, convinced her.
Lord Cornelis Lukas Applestar of Magnimar was the youngest son of lord and lady Applestar. With many older brothers and sisters to fulfil the families’ noble obligations, Cornelis was free to pursue his own desires in life. His passions turned out to be the arts, primarily painting and sculptures. In a vivid dream one night he was inspired to create a sculpture of a nymph standing in her pond. Cornelis decided to pursue the dream and create the statue. It was to be the largest sculpture he had ever produced and, in keeping with his dream, he sought out an appropriate nymph to be his muse, and a muse he found.
Dandelion Honeywood was the most beautiful being Cornelis had ever seen or could even imagine. It took him some time to acclimatize to working with such a stunning subject, but eventually work on the sculpture began in earnest. Despite having no other obligations to distract him from his work, the sculpture, made to be twice as large as Dandelion was, took over a year to complete. The artistic duo got to know and enjoy each other’s company over the months and were sorry to part ways as the project was finished. The pair were not romantically inclined towards each other but, perhaps with their passions fired by the long-awaited completion of the sculpture, they spent Dandelion’s last night in Magnimar together. Dandelion returned to her spring and Cornelis returned to smaller artistic projects.
Some months later, Dandelion surprised Cornelis at the family manor. She had not written that she would be visiting and, even more surprising, she carried an infant swaddled in oversized leaves in her arms. Their one night together had been more productive than they had planned. Dandelion, a flighty fey who lived in the woods and oft fought with owlbears and werewolves, had no desire to raise a child and she left their daughter with her father.
Elizabeth, who went by Lizbit, had a typical childhood for the daughter of a noble artist. Her education was focused more on the arts than practical knowledge and her father, who absolutely adored her, gave her free run of the manor and grounds. It was clear from early on that the girl was favored by the Radiant Prism; songbirds flocked to the half-nymph, announcing her presence wherever she went. Lizbit spent much of her time traipsing through the expansive yards of the noble district of Magnimar, drawn to nature by her fey ancestry. Her skill with traditional arts surpassed most children her age, but there was one art she excelled at: martial arts. Her family was not entirely pleased that Lizbit was traveling the path of a warrior, but it was obvious Sarenrae was calling her to something bigger than sculptures and paintings.
As an adolescent, Lizbit was sent to the far side of the Inner Sea region to Oppara, the capital of Taldor, to be trained at the Golden Rose and House of Dawn's Redemption, the oldest and largest known temples to Shelyn and Sarenrae. Her father traveled with her to experience to art scene of the Taldane. It took much grooming and gentle but firm guidance from the priests, but Lizbit learned to tame her wild, fey nature; she was molded into a warrior of strong morals, reflecting the virtues of the Radiant Prism. She was no stick in the mud, though, and enjoyed the city life.
Years passed and Lizbit entered adulthood and completed her training. She was finally ready to set out on the missions Shelyn intended for her. Guided by her Muse and the scholars of Shelyn and Sarenrae's temples, Lizbit was to delve in to forgotten crypts and temples and recover lost artworks to be catalogued and displayed as they were intended. Before leaving on her first mission, Lizbit took the name “Freewind” to represent her free-spirited nature.
After many successful missions for Shelyn, Sarenrae called Lizbit far to the north, to the haunted lands of Ustalav. Fragments of a powerful artifact, posited to be related to the Whispering Tyrant, had been uncovered deep in an old salt mine in the county of Barstoi, on the northeastern edge of Ustalav. The artifact was too powerful to be destroyed by the three temples of Pharasma the small county boasts, and needed to be transported to the Grand Cathedral of Pharasma in Korvosa to be properly disposed of. Many paladins and clerics of Sarenrae and Iomedae, led by a rather unpleasant paladin of Ragathiel were drafted into the important move, and Lizbit was included. The Sarenties were to meet the procession of Iomedaean in Caliphas to aid in moving the artifact through the treacherous Gravelands and then on through Varisia to Korvosa.
On her way to Caliphas, somewhere betwixt Grayce and the capital at a long forgotten and grown over cemetery, Lizbit met professor Lorrimor, his scream through the fog drawing the young woman's attention. Using the haft of her glaive, she vaulted over the rotten wrought iron fence that bordered the lost collection of graves, sprinting over fallen headstones and cracked sarcophagi exposed by erosion or something more sinister. The sight of the two ghouls circling the scholar, hopelessly throwing various instruments of archeology and surveying at the undead, may have been enough to halt most people, but not Lizbit. She had spent plenty of time in old necropoli searching for lost artwork and she was familiar with the monsters that haunt dark tombs and, being part fey, she was not threatened by the terrible diseases ghouls and their ilk carry. She quickly cut down one of the monsters, her polearm keeping her safe from its reaching claws, but lost her glaive when she struck an overhead tree branch. Quickly shifting to her shield and scimitar, she called upon the purifying holy flame of Sarenrae and cut down the second ghoul.
As it happened, professor Lorrimor was also headed to Caliphas once his research in the graveyard was finished. Lizbit helped him, then the two made their way to Caliphas. the professor promised he would never forget what she had done for him. True to his word, months later, long after she had left Ustalav behind, a courier found her at a roadside chapel. He bore a letter sealed with wax—the crest of Petros Lorrimor. A summons from beyond the grave.
Lizbit Freewind
Female human (Varisian) paladin (hospitaler) 1/cavalier*
LG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +4
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor)
hp 13 (1d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +3; +2 vs. death
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee dagger +4 (1d4+3/19-20) or
. . glaive +4 (1d10+4/×3) or
. . scimitar +4 (1d6+3/18-20)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with glaive)
Special Attacks smite evil 1/day (+2 attack and AC, +1 damage)
Paladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +3)
. . At will—detect evil
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Statistics
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Str 17, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 14
Feats Fey Foundling, Power Attack
Traits chance savior, sacred conduit
Skills Acrobatics -5 (-9 to jump), Diplomacy +6, Knowledge (religion) +5, Linguistics +2, Lore (Art) +5, Perception +4
Languages Common, First Speech, Necril, Varisian
SQ calling 4/day (+2), order (order of the star)
Combat Gear four-mirror armor, heavy wooden shield, dagger, glaive, scimitar, holy text (Radiant Prism), wooden holy symbol of Radiant Prism
Other Gear oil (3); backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, hooded lantern, mess kit, soap, trail rations (5), waterskin, 1 gp, 6 sp
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Special Abilities
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Bonus Feat Humans receive a bonus feat at level 1.
Detect Evil (At will) (Sp) You can use detect evil at will (as the spell).
Fey Foundling +2 healing per die rolled for magic healing
Heart of the Fey +1 Ref and Will Saves, Low-Light Vision, Nature and Perception as class skills. Replaces Skilled.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Smite Evil (1/day) (Su) +2 to hit, +1 to damage, +2 deflection bonus to AC when used.
Trait: Sacred Conduit - +1 Channel DCs.
Trait: Chance Savior - +2 Init.
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Paladin Code
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The paladins of the Dawnflower are fierce warriors, like their goddess. They provide hope to the weak and support to the righteous. Their tenets include the following adages.
- I will protect my allies with my life. They are my light and my strength, as I am their light and their strength. We rise together.
- I will seek out and destroy the spawn of the Rough Beast. If I cannot defeat them, I will give my life trying. If my life would be wasted in the attempt, I will find allies. If any fall because of my inaction, their deaths lie upon my soul, and I will atone for each.
- I am fair to others. I expect nothing for myself but that which I need to survive.
- The best battle is a battle I win. If I die, I can no longer fight. I will fight fairly when the fight is fair, and I will strike quickly and without mercy when it is not.
- I will redeem the ignorant with my words and my actions. If they will not turn toward the light, I will redeem them by the sword.
- I will not abide evil, and will combat it with steel when words are not enough. I do not flinch from my faith, and do not fear embarrassment. My soul cannot be bought for all the stars in the sky.
- I will show the less fortunate the light of the Dawnflower. I will live my life as her mortal blade, shining with the light of truth.
- Each day is another step toward perfection. I will not turn back into the dark.
The paladins of Shelyn are peaceable promoters of art and beauty. They see the ugliness in evil, even when cloaked in the form of beauty, and their mission is to defend those who devote their lives to the creation of beauty, bring it forth themselves, and prevent the weak and foolish from being seduced by false promises. Their tenets include the following adages.
- I see beauty in others. As a rough stone hides a diamond, a drab face may hide the heart of a saint.
- I am peaceful. I come first with a rose rather than a weapon, and act to prevent conflict before it blossoms. I never strike first, unless it is the only way to protect the innocent.
- I accept surrender if my opponent can be redeemed—and I never assume that they cannot be. All things that live love beauty, and - I will show beauty’s answer to them.
- I live my life as art. I will choose an art and perfect it. When I have mastered it, I will choose another. The works I leave behind make life richer for those who follow.
- I will never destroy a work of art, nor allow one to come to harm, unless greater art arises from its loss. I will only sacrifice art if doing so allows me to save a life, for untold beauty can arise from an awakened soul.
- I lead by example, not with my blade. Where my blade passes, a life is cut short, and the world’s potential for beauty is lessened.
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Order of the Star
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Cavaliers who join the order of the star dedicate themselves to the protection and service of a faith and its members. Cavaliers belonging to this order tend to follow many of the tenets and guides of the religion that they serve. When a cavalier joins this order, he should select a single religion to serve.
Edicts: The cavalier must strive to protect the faith and all those who follow its teachings, from priest to common man. He must adhere to the strictures of the faith, promote its cause whenever possible, and serve the agents of the divine.
I'm thinking of the following but wanted to make sure that I'm staying within the "not too powerful" limits (its really hard to tell as different players evaluate things very differently)
Varisian Dirge Thundercaller Bard (yeah, its a legal combination) worshipping Desna
If allowed, would also take the Desnan Divine Fighting Technique so she can throw her starknife fairly well.
As to power level, it really comes down to the in-game experience that everybody has. Early levels tend to be tough in APs regardless of your build. But once builds start coming together and parties start developing teamwork, even a moderately optimized party can start steamrolling boss fights and the GM can feel compelled to increase the difficulty. And then players feel pressured to increase their power level. I really, really don't want to do that. I think that treadmill is terrible for the hobby.
I am hoping to get a party that is tough enough to (mostly?) survive the AP as written, but struggles a bit and needs to use good tactics and teamwork. It's a horror AP.
You are the only applicant so far who has offered to take a GM role in one of the other two games so I'm inclined to be as lenient as I can. But do you think that with a party of 5 PCs at a similar level to yours, this AP run as written would be "challenging but doable"?
Thundercaller looks like an extremely strong archetype. The number of uses of Thunder Call per day is wild. It's sonic damage so very little resists it; it's (Su) so there's no SR. It's not a lot of damage, but there's a stun, and I infer from your mention of the Desna technique that you plan to have a very high Cha. Now, Stun won't affect undead, so that's a mitigating factor, but not every encounter is undead, and when they appear, you have Dirge Bard options. It's, on paper anyway, a very powerful combination.
I will say that defensive optimization is much, much less of a problem than offense. "I make my save thanks to Dirge Bard bonuses" does not suck the drama out of a game the way that "I win initiative and kill everything" does (that's how the Carrion Crown campaign that I played in died), nor "I stun-lock the boss for the CdG" (which is what I would worry about). I have no or little experience with Thundercaller, so I don't know that it is as powerful as it looks, but it seems up there with Slumber Hex Witch. Huge number of uses of a (basically) save-or-die option at low levels. Am I wrong about that?
Sorry for the wall of text. I am trying to make my reasoning clear.
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Here's Crisischild's submission. A Hospitaler paladin of the Radiant Prism VMC Cavalier Order of the Star. Plan is to go into the Holy Vindicator prestige class and make use of Channel Smite, Flame Blade, and Flame Blade Dervish. She's a paladin, but she's a fun paladin, not like those Ragathiel paladins! Sorry her background is a little long.
** spoiler omitted **...
1) Just the one Campaign trait, no other traits.
2) You are aware that VMC Cavalier will not increase your Channel/LoH, correct? "Variant Multiclassing is allowed, but abilities do not stack beyond what a single-classed PC would get." - I added that clause specifically with this combo in mind.3) Radiant Prism seems some PF2 concept. Let me think about it.
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Thundercaller looks like an extremely strong archetype.
You should see it when combined with one particular magic item (Three Reasons to Live :-) :-). Did that in PFS and it was on the high end of the power curve for sure.
Ok, definitely dropping Thundercaller.
I presume that you're ok with Dirge Bard (its very thematic for this campaign). Which leaves Desna's Fighting Style. I'm honestly not sure if that counts as overpowered. For the cost of a single feat it lets me do a bit of damage either ranged or thrown (d4+4 at level 1) which is more than a bard would do without significant investment but that is not a huge amount of damage and it won't be what I'm doing in combat most of the time. Its basically back up for those times when I want to preserve spells and daze isn't an option :-).
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1) Just the one Campaign trait, no other traits.
Woops.
2) You are aware that VMC Cavalier will not increase your Channel/LoH, correct? "Variant Multiclassing is allowed, but abilities do not stack beyond what a single-classed PC would get." - I added that clause specifically with this combo in mind.
I thought this was referring to something like Arsenal Chaplain Warpriest VMC Fighter getting a higher Weapon Training Bonus than could normally be achieved, especially since you explicitly okayed Mortal Usher, which advances previous class features outside the PrC. No problem. Extra feats never hurt anyone.
3) Radiant Prism seems some PF2 concept. Let me think about it.
I believe it is Pf2e. Mechanically her deity is just Sarenrae. Cuz I'm fond of paladins of Sarenrae.
I'm submitting Eszter here as my application for the campaign. She's a Pharasman Inquisitor (Royal Accuser archetype). The mechanical parts are finished, but still need a second run through to find mistakes and such. I'm still working on the BAP sections.
1. I've gone with a strength build for melee combat and plan to dip 1 level in Fighter. However, if Eszter is selected and there's nobody to cover disable device and trap stuff, I'd be happy to dip Trapper Ranger instead to cover it.
2.Depending on what character submissions are looking like as they come in, I might switch to archery instead. But, I'm going with melee first because I'd rather spend feats on more interesting things than just archery.
3. I'm planning on keeping combat simple for Eszter, mostly Power =Attack and Furious Focus to deal straightforward damage. If I did pick up a second combat specialty beyond that, I'd probably add Dirty Trick.
4. I gave Eszter the Reformation Inquisition based on the following snippet from the Player's Guide: "An ever-growing sect of Pharasmin inquisitors maintain the puritanical belief that suffering is a punishment for the people’s misdeeds. These zealots frequently instigate witch burnings and are very suspicious of the arcane arts". Eszter is a dyed in the wool rationalist and would absolutely hate that direction for the Church. That's just sinking into ignorance and fanaticism as far as she's concerned. So she is potentially at odds with some significant portion of the Church whom she sees as having lost its way. But, if that seems a thin basis for choosing the Reformation Inquisition, I'm happy to switch to the Repose domain instead.
I have meticulously rebuilt Lizbit from the ground up. Actually I just changed archetype, deleted the unwanted trait, and dropped VMC.
I presume that you're ok with Dirge Bard (its very thematic for this campaign). Which leaves Desna's Fighting Style. I'm honestly not sure if that counts as overpowered. For the cost of a single feat it lets me do a bit of damage either ranged or thrown (d4+4 at level 1) which is more than a bard would do without significant investment but that is not a huge amount of damage and it won't be what I'm doing in combat most of the time. Its basically back up for those times when I want to preserve spells and daze isn't an option :-).
Dirge Bard and Desna's Fighting Style are fine.
Swashbuckler input for AGM Lemming. Still need history. Let me know if there are any errors. I'm only human!
1) Just the Campaign trait, no other trait.
2) What are your druid SLAs from Fey Magic?
Carrion Crown is a horror game, so part of me thinks maybe playing something that doesn't lean into undead slaying (e.g. a simple fighter) is on point for maximum immersion. Or on the flip side I could always roll an inquisitor of pharasma.
GM do you have any preference here? Do you want to lean into the horror atmosphere or is it time for us to slay the undead?
Carrion Crown is a horror game, so part of me thinks maybe playing something that doesn't lean into undead slaying (e.g. a simple fighter) is on point for maximum immersion. Or on the flip side I could always roll an inquisitor of pharasma.
GM do you have any preference here? Do you want to lean into the horror atmosphere or is it time for us to slay the undead?
Dracula has Van Helsing, but it is Jonathan Harker and Quincy Morris who actually destroy the Count. Story-wise, either option works. You can be a novice hunter of the dead that Professor Lorrimor decided to keep close, or someone not so specialized. A horror story can have a mix of experts and "everyman" types.
Mechanically, I am quite certain that a character that is not specifically focused on battling undead (like a fighter) would still be able to pull their weight.
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Carrion Crown is a horror game, so part of me thinks maybe playing something that doesn't lean into undead slaying (e.g. a simple fighter) is on point for maximum immersion. Or on the flip side I could always roll an inquisitor of pharasma.
GM do you have any preference here? Do you want to lean into the horror atmosphere or is it time for us to slay the undead?
I thought about a Lovecraft inspired occult class character that would struggle to comprehend the horrors of the unnatural world and was rather fearful of everything... but then I thought about how draining rping that could be, given how long PBP takes.
I entered a carrion crown with a bloodrager (who got a single fractured mind/exciter dip after getting dominated/possessed, the plan was to have him be unaware of having a phantom, but the phantom kind of was amusing to other players, so there she is.), and would like to play him from the start, more or less.
Victor is an Demonspawn tiefling Abyssal Rageshaper Bloodrager, one whose transformation is some ways more *efficient* then that of many other of his kind. Perhaps because his abyssal taint itself stems from a shapechanging demon?
having been hired as muscle by the professor Lorrimor, the professor was able to uncover the specific name and type of the demoness from whom victor descends. And they, promptly, both decided to not continue further, for the nobility of the midnight isles is... not someone who should be trifled with unwisely, and it would be best if she did not know of Victor. Nothing good can come from having a Lilitus attention.
Victor is quite coherent and not unintelligent, and is surprisingly capable at lies and misdirections, as well as intimidation. In battle, he is at the frontline, striking with claws and fangs when a trusty Bardiche does not suffice.
He knows little of lore, and while not actively unstealthy, reconaissance is not his strong suit either.
His demon great grand mother as well aware of him, and as the party gets onto the trail of the BBEG, she credibly bluffs some Pharasmin Psychopomps into believing she sent her descendends to redeadify the undead. And then she demands appropriate mercenary wages and owed, as well as impressing onto poor old Victor the dire consequences of failure.
The aid she would offer could well be "Oh, you got possessed? There is an easy fix for that! Come hither, I wont hurt you more then neccessary!"
a bit later
"Tada, now you have 2 minds! Much harder to control for a hostile outsider! And dont speak to anyone about how your soul was fractured! It will make it easier for you to forget!"
The idea behind this is that he is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
And has to constantly weigh who the lesser evil is, as iirc the bbeg of carrion crown does not come accross as a completely horrible monstrosity.
Unfortunately, I am struggling to keep my currently GMed game regularly updated, and have failed to run 2 games at the same time before (even though they were both wrath of the righteous, and I could reuse notes and ideas), as such I can not in good faith offer GM duties.
1) Just the Campaign trait, no other trait.
2) What are your druid SLAs from Fey Magic?
1) Saw that mentioned and I'll remove it. I saw the Campaign trait but didn't understand that the second open trait wasn't OK.
2) Thanks for catching that. I totally missed it and will get it fixed today.I got my history on the CS. Should be good once I get these fixes on it. Thanks again!
Looking at the thought going into the other submissions, I hesitate to even bother, but I offer a white mage arcanist, previously a student of the good professor and lately studying with the elves of Kyonin. More of a scholar than a warmage, to be honest.
I can share particulars if there's any possibility of his inclusion in the party.
I've settled on Ranger Divine Tracker/Infiltrator. I haven't decided on Deity or Warpriest domains, but one of the two blessings will be Good.
Concept: This is a character who is emotionally damaged by the loss of his wife and daughter. There will be a plot twist about their fates. He does not hate the undead, but he feels pity for them and is driven to end their existence on the mortal plane and send them for the judgement they have been denied. He has absolute contempt for the necromancers and creators of undead. In his bones he understands the world is the way it is and he can't change it, but he is compelled to try.
The build will emphasize flavor and a character who has emotional depth and a purpose. He will have the typical Ranger role in the party a combination of support and combat effectiveness. Not looking to optimize.
Here's delmoth's submission. I'm still noodling the backstory. But her blood type is definitely B.
Looking at the thought going into the other submissions, I hesitate to even bother, but I offer a white mage arcanist, previously a student of the good professor and lately studying with the elves of Kyonin. More of a scholar than a warmage, to be honest.
I can share particulars if there's any possibility of his inclusion in the party.
Here's my simple scholar.
Male human arcanist (white mage) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 8, 79)
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +1
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Defense
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AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
hp 6 (1d6)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +3
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee dagger +0 (1d4/19-20)
Ranged sling +2 (1d4) or
. . stonebow +2 (1d6)
Special Attacks arcane reservoir (1/4), consume spells
Arcanist (White Mage) Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +4)
. . 1st (3/day)—abundant ammunition[UC], mage armor
. . 0 (at will)—acid splash, dancing lights, prestidigitation, ray of frost
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Statistics
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Str 11, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 15
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 12
Feats Arcane Strike, Martial Weapon Proficiency (longbow)
Traits magical knack, teacher's pet
Skills Acrobatics -1 (-5 to jump), Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7 (+9 to navigate underground), Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (history) +7, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (religion) +7, Spellcraft +7, Survival +1 (+3 to avoid becoming lost), Use Magic Device +6
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan
SQ spontaneous healing
Other Gear dagger, sling, sling bullets (20), stonebow, arcanist starting spellbook, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, compass[APG], flint and steel, ink, inkpen, mess kit[UE], spell component pouch, trail rations (5), waterskin, 2 gp, 7 sp, 1 cp
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Reservoir +1 DC or CL (4/day) (Su) Pool of points fuel exploits, or can expend to add +1 CL or DC while cast spell.
Arcane Strike As a swift action, add +1 damage, +1 per 5 caster levels and your weapons are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Consume Spells (2/day) (Su) As a move action, expend a spell slot to add its spell levels to arcane reservoir.
Spontaneous Healing (Cure Spells) (Su) Spend reservoir points & slot to cast any cleric cure spell.
This is Dorian Grey's submission. He is definitely a work in progress.
Having a tough time choosing between Nethys and Pharasma (and, therefore, between Domains).
His Backstory is also in progress (although it seems to have gotten away from me a bit...).
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I might be able to take on the Skulls and Shackles game. I have a soft spot for orphaned campaigns.
With no magical mini-marts or crafting allowed, any chance you'd drop a hint on good weapon or armor types to focus on?
Will you utilize the Harrow Points system mentioned in the Players Guide? Any nice synergy with the setting for the Harrow based archetypes from The Harrow Handbook?
And will Alchemy still work to craft alchemical goodies like smokesticks, tanglefoot bags, acid flasks, etc?
I might be able to take on the Skulls and Shackles game. I have a soft spot for orphaned campaigns.
That would be awesome. Having gotten all the way to the middle of Book 4, it would be a shame for it to drop.
With no magical mini-marts or crafting allowed, any chance you'd drop a hint on good weapon or armor types to focus on?
Not really an issue for the most part due to Automatic Bonus Progression. You get the same bonuses as you would get from the "Big Six" categories of items, so magic items are just neat things you find that have some special utility. You can pick any weapon or armor you like and it will progress according to ABP (as mentioned, as if your level were 1 higher). If there is a special weapon that has unique properties, retraining is always a possibility.
Will you utilize the Harrow Points system mentioned in the Players Guide? Any nice synergy with the setting for the Harrow based archetypes from The Harrow Handbook?
I am intending to use the Harrow Points system, but I don't know much about the Harrow based archetypes. They do seem thematically fitting.
And will Alchemy still work to craft alchemical goodies like smokesticks, tanglefoot bags, acid flasks, etc?
Yes, within reason. There are a few PFS characters I've run across who are perpetually on "blood-boiling pills" and "clear ear" and just "Alchemical +2 to All the Things All the Time." The designers got a bit carried away with fiddly little bonuses. But within reason, yes.
This is the submission for pauljathome's bard.
My characters personalities grow and gell with play. Hopefully that is enough to be starting with.
Work-in-Progress on zefig's submission. The crunch is mostly there except for gear, the story will be forthcoming, and the name is possibly a placeholder - might be a little too on the nose, but I do kinda like it.
If you don't mind an eidolon-as-a-rogue and a summoner whose main fighting power comes from the infamous standard action SLA, I have a character that I could rebuild for this...
Would ruining traps and/or ambushes hurt the theme you're aiming for?
If you don't mind an eidolon-as-a-rogue and a summoner whose main fighting power comes from the infamous standard action SLA, I have a character that I could rebuild for this...
Would ruining traps and/or ambushes hurt the theme you're aiming for?
Summoner is not one of the classes in this game. Sorry.
By the by, what do you mean by this? Does this campaign force the PC's to take two non-caster class levels?Traits: One campaign trait, no drawbacks, no Additional Traits. However, as it is a necessary rules patch, all casters gain the effect of Magical Knack for all casting classes they may have.
I mean that Practiced Spellcaster should have been a core feat in 3.5 or simply how multiclassing worked, but because it came out in a splatbook, Paizo couldn't use it and couldn't make a feat that does the same thing. So Paizo snuck in a similar but weaker effect as a trait. Magical Knack is a rules patch.
I remember you... We dragged Anthys through many teamwork based stomps years ago. I'm back on the boards after 4 or 5 years, and Barek here is the character that managed to find a table for a few months. I'll retool him shortly. Good to see you again.
dotting
Thinking of a;
Bard (either normal or Archaeologist)
or a Fighter of some kind.
Maybe even a sorcerer....
Question: are human alternate racial traits on the table?
Settled on Nethys. His Backstory seemed to take him there.
Magic or Rune domain... probably....
Settled on Ranger Divine Tracker/Urban Ranger. Infiltrator is perhaps more on-theme but adding to the toolbox with Rogue skills is more useful. Going with Shelyn for warpriest blessing when it comes to that point. I'll work on crunch and story the next couple days. Knowing how lean this AP is for treasure I'm leaning toward On The Payroll, which is something I normally wouldn't even consider. Darn longbows are expensive.
Thanks for running!
Question: are human alternate racial traits on the table?
Yes.
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Looking at the submissions coming in, I think I will close Recruitment on Thursday, February 13. Think I will have plenty to choose from by then.
I was reflecting on my prior experience with this AP. I think I mentioned that was not pbp so obviously different. You mentioned, GM, that this is your first time starting an AP on pbp but you did not say if it was your first time running CC although your wish is to run it as written. My experience as a player was that the horror theme tends to lose its bite. The opening is very engaging - nice setup, and the first crawl is fantastic.
Here's a good Reddit thread from some time back that speaks to some strategies for maintaining the unique flavor of CC. I think a few of the suggestions are drastic, but some good commentary overall.
Walking Dead, if I may, had that epic pilot episode where Rick is confronted with the zombie child at the end. Then the show steers clear of zombie children for a long time. Zombie children are a plot device to bring the audience back to the horror after we lose interest in the monotony of it all. We probably all lost interest before or soon after Negan anyway and if you endured the Scavengers then you were a bigger fan then I ever was. But I digress.
When I say I wish to run it as written, I am referring to the encounters and the difficulty. Plot may or may not change.
It had been my hope that, knowing the GM is not going to scale up the encounters, some players might have submitted lower-optimization options that are often overlooked so that they might have a challenge. Chained Rogue, even! Adept! Who knows?
But I have enough quirks in this recruitment that I'm not going to try to push that idea.
My first playthrough was vanilla rogue. I didn't know what I didn't know. Lots of things immune to precision damage...
When I say I wish to run it as written, I am referring to the encounters and the difficulty. Plot may or may not change.
It had been my hope that, knowing the GM is not going to scale up the encounters, some players might have submitted lower-optimization options that are often overlooked so that they might have a challenge. Chained Rogue, even! Adept! Who knows?
But I have enough quirks in this recruitment that I'm not going to try to push that idea.
Some players did hint at ‘mechanically simple builds’. Maybe they did not feel ‘acknowledged’?
Some players did hint at ‘mechanically simple builds’. Maybe they did not feel ‘acknowledged’?
It's generally my habit to respond to specific questions from potential players but not to offer feedback on every submission or post.
I'm also in touch with various prospective players on Discord or PM, so I know I have responded to some questions in those ways as well. If anybody really wants feedback on a submission, they can PM me, but basically I'd want people to make characters they would want to play, and then I'll pick the ones I want to run a game for. I've been prescriptive enough in the parameters, I don't really want to offer further guidance.
Some players did hint at ‘mechanically simple builds’. Maybe they did not feel ‘acknowledged’?It's generally my habit to respond to specific questions from potential players but not to offer feedback on every submission or post.
I'm also in touch with various prospective players on Discord or PM, so I know I have responded to some questions in those ways as well.
More than fair obviously.
I am just highlighting the fact that if only the more 'convoluted' ideas/suggestions get feedback (because they are naturally asking questions about combining this and that, or if XYZ is accepted), it might feel to others with less 'complex' builds this might not be the Recruitment for them.
Not a GM Aldizog issue, just my two cents on why you might be getting more multiple archetype, alternative race traits, obscure combos thingamajigs, than vanilla rogues.
I am just highlighting the fact that if only the more 'convoluted' ideas/suggestions get feedback (because they are naturally asking questions about combining this and that, or if XYZ is accepted), it might feel to others with less 'complex' builds this might not be the Recruitment for them.
Ah. Then let me make clear that is not the case. Simple characters are welcome.
Good to hear! :)
Therenger's Submission: Kael Theren, humble servant of Shelyn. Jack of many trades, master of none. Crunch mostly complete in profile. Will continue to flesh this out over the coming days.
But the malevolent forces that lurk in the shadowy corners of our reality took notice of our happiness. One fateful night, while I was away guiding a group of hunters through the forest, an unspeakable horror descended upon our home. A necromancer, a servant of the abhorrent Whispering Way, unleashed a blasphemous terror that defiled the sanctity of our existence. Esgean and Nura were savagely murdered and transformed into grotesque abominations, their once-beautiful forms twisted by an eldritch curse.
When I returned, the scene that assaulted me defied the bounds of sanity. Our home, once a haven of love and light, had become a nightmarish tableau of despair. The air was thick with the stench of decay and the echoes of dark incantations. My heart, shattered by grief and rage, drove me to the precipice of madness. With trembling hands, I was forced to end the tortured existence of my beloved wife and daughter, their eyes, void of life, haunted my every moment.
A specter of my former self, I wandered the accursed land of Ustalav. My purpose, a grim resolve, was to cleanse the world of those who defile the dead and deny them their rightful passage to the beyond. My grief was transformed into a righteous fury, a burning desire to eradicate the agents of the Whispering Way and any other necromantic scourges that dared to cross my path.
One dreary evening, seeking respite from the torment that gnawed at my soul, I found myself in a desolate tavern on the outskirts of Ravengro. There, amidst the flickering shadows, I encountered an old man with eyes that seemed to pierce through the veil of reality. Introducing himself as Professor Lorrimor, he sensed the weight of my burden and offered a sympathetic ear. Over tankards of ale, I recounted my tale of woe, the words spilling forth like a dam long broken. The old man listened, his silence a balm to my anguished spirit.
Through our melancholic communion, I found a glimmer of hope. Lorrimor's words, heavy with the wisdom of ages, reminded me of the love and joy that once defined my existence. I resolved to honor the memory of Esgean and Nura, not solely with anger, but with the love we had shared, a love that no dark magic could ever truly extinguish.
Thus, I continue my journey, now in Lorrimor's employ, my heart a vessel of both sorrow and unyielding determination. The melodies of my wife's songs and the laughter of my daughter remain with me, a testament to the beauty that once was and the light that I strive to protect from the encroaching darkness.
However, as I wander deeper into the shadowed realms of Ustalav, I have begun to sense an ancient and malevolent presence—an entity whose power eclipses that of the Whispering Way. Whispers of a being of unspeakable horror that slumbers beneath the earth have reached my ears. This abomination, a remnant of forgotten eons, threatens to awaken and feast upon the souls of the living.
In the dead of night, I have felt its presence, an oppressive force that suffocates the very air around me. The ground trembles with its stirrings, and the shadows twist and writhe as if alive with malevolence. I have seen glimpses of its nightmarish form in my dreams - tentacles that defy reason, eyes that pierce through the fabric of reality, and a maw that hungers for the essence of life itself.
I fear that the Whispering Way's necromancers are but pawns in a grander, more sinister scheme to awaken this eldritch terror. My resolve is unwavering, yet the weight of this revelation presses heavily upon my soul. I know that to confront this newfound menace is to stare into the abyss itself, but I cannot falter. The memory of Esgean and Nura drives me onward, a beacon of light in the encroaching darkness.
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It had been my hope that, knowing the GM is not going to scale up the encounters, some players might have submitted lower-optimization options that are often overlooked so that they might have a challenge. Chained Rogue, even! Adept! Who knows?
I have zero doubt you would have more than enough submissions to run an npc class only table if you were so inclined, but I think a lot of people would find it unfun to play an Adept in a party with a Wizard. Same goes for chained rogue. Unoptimized is probably fine for the difficulty of the game, but the chained rogue barely functions and actively makes the party weaker and really just kind of doesn't do anything cool.
It had been my hope that, knowing the GM is not going to scale up the encounters, some players might have submitted lower-optimization options that are often overlooked so that they might have a challenge. Chained Rogue, even! Adept! Who knows?I have zero doubt you would have more than enough submissions to run an npc class only table if you were so inclined, but I think a lot of people would find it unfun to play an Adept in a party with a Wizard. Same goes for chained rogue. Unoptimized is probably fine for the difficulty of the game, but the chained rogue barely functions and actively makes the party weaker and really just kind of doesn't do anything cool.
Yeah, I wouldn't take both an Adept and a Wizard. As I said, I'm in an all-Fighter Ironfang Invasion game, and one of my ideas had been to broaden it out from that but still keep it "All Tier 4-ish" with no 9-level casters. It would be a very stupid or cruel GM who would select both a Wizard and an Adept, and I am neither. Obviously, as I said, I am not pushing for that concept in this recruitment.
And as to the Chained Rogue, my experience is vastly different than yours. I have a PFS Seeker Core Rogue (not just Chained, but Core) who has more than pulled his weight, including through all 3 Bonekeep scenarios (killing the BBEG in one). In my experience the class absolutely functions and the party was stronger for his presence. I believe that we strongly disagree on what constitutes a reasonable level of PC power. So be it.
bluedove's submission here. She's a bit light on fluff atm, but mostly wanted to get her posted since the timeline was accelerated.
Too poor to buy a portable alchemy lab to begin, hopefully those will be available to buy once we get our hands on some funds! XD
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The Man known as Digger worked a long time with the professor, doing simple jobs often collecting samples or disposing of things. Also he would grab names and dates off tombstones and delve into barrows for the good professor.
Digger often will eulogize for the recently departed. Devoted to Pharasma Digger keeps a polished silver holy symbol and a weathered holy text which he often gives sermons from for the departed. this adds to him blessing the cemeteries and burial mounds he passes. Digger does this so to see that any restless spirits can find the Peace and comfort in the Lady of Graves.
The pallid man has however returned from his self-emposed quest, as the letter of his departed friend has come and he needs to see him. So the man who smells of earth has returned ready to properly send off his Old friend and Employer.
A rough Spoiler of the Mysterious Man known as Digger. Need to add his Necromancy Implement.
What I dislike about figther is having 2 skill points per level, background skills help of course, but the out of combat utility is to limited for my tastes.
Eventually you get some armor training options that give you options outside of combat, but one of the major draw of Bloodragers for me is that a) you are inherently talky and can be a face with relatively limited investment (it is typically one trait and one alternative racial trait to be suddenly good at all 3 face skills) and b)you can pull rabits out of your hat that save the party (for example being an Abyssal Bloodrager, telling the party to hold on to you for dear live, Bloodrageing, enlarging, swift action casting cheetah sprint and running 300 feet in one turn to get everyone out of dodge, which was one of my funniest gameplay experiences).
What I dislike about chained rouge is not that it is a "bad class" it is that unchained rouge/slayer/some other combinations overshadow it, to an arguably greater degree then primalist bloodragers overhshadows most barbarian builds.
I'll stand up for chained rogue. As someone who used to love playing Thieves in AD&D thirty and forty years ago, I'll suggest that Pathfinder has, well, Pathfindered it. To this game I offer a Ranger with Stealth and Disable Device to rival almost any vanilla rogue, and why not? Can't a person be good at more than one thing? Yes, of course, but that's not how it used to be. Variety is not the spice of life, specialization is. A chained rogue can still be the best in the party at a few things; that combination of sneak attack, trap disabling, skill monkey, and odd bits of skullduggery. I wouldn't choose to play one in this AP (not again, anyway), but the class still has merit and moreover it has a wealth of rp potential if in sufficiently mischievous hands.