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Welcome one and all! My default nomme de guerre here on Paizo is Pasha of the Nightsands and I bid you welcome to the recruitment for my second game here on the forums. There are quite a few absolute gems out there when it comes to third-party APs that GMs, for one reason or another, shy away from running. Chief among those is Zeitgeist: The Gears of Revolution, a massive thirteen adventure campaign that has received pretty much universal acclaim by those lucky enough to experience it for themselves. It is a truly grand experience and has everything an RPG player could want: compelling roleplay opportunities, fun and dynamic combat encounters that break the mold in many ways, and hard moral choices galore, all wrapped up in an intricate setting that the players will get to explore a huge vertical slice of.
If you haven't read it yet, I'd recommend looking into the free Zeitgeist Extended Player's Guide here on either Paizo or Drivethrurpg. It's 73 pages covers just about everything you would want to know: a full and player-friendly look at the setting, rundowns on races and religions/philosophies, thematic character backgrounds that we will be using for campaign traits, and more! The only thing I don't consider recommended reading is the section on naval combat at the end since it doesn't come up a lot in the AP and I'm thinking of handling it a different way.
There are some expectations you should keep in mind for this game.
- The PCs are official members of Risur's peacekeeping force known as the Risur Homeland Constabulary or R.H.C. That means everyone should try and figure out how to incorporate that into their background alongside their campaign trait. More information on the R.H.C. can be found within the Zeitgeist Extended Player's Guide.
- This is a campaign that has a healthy dose of both combat, social, and investigative situations. If I were forced to eyeball it and give a breakdown based on what the percentages look like, I'd say it's probably 55-45 on non-combat and combat, respectively. The earlier game is a little heavier on non-combat situations while the late game is a little more combat heavy.
- There's quite a few hard moral choices that pop up over the course of the AP's thirteen adventures and few of them are clear black-and-white. These choices can have substantial impacts on NPCs and the sociopolitical sphere. Later choices can impact entire nations or even the world itself on a fundamentally massive scale. People like myself love that sort of thing, but I just wanted to make it clear for those who hate agonizing over complex moral dilemmas.
- Combat encounters are very unique and I mean that in the most literal sense. This isn't a game where 'unique combat encounters' just means putting together innovative combinations of bog-standard monsters or NPCs that elevate them, I mean that many of the encounters actually ARE unique. There are, if I counted correctly, 156 completely unique monsters in the AP that can't be found anywhere else: constructs powered by necromantic witch-oil, planar mandala beasts that continually reincarnate into ever more deadly forms, and aberrant thoughtwave entities whose presence twists minds and warps natural law are just a few of the unique monsters you'll encounter over the course of the AP. Not only that, but many NPCs come with unique combat abilities that can't be found anywhere else; one NPC, for example, has ferrokinetic powers that fans of Magneto from X-Men will no doubt fangirl over. So prepare to be amazed, astounded, and possibly horrified at some of the awesome combat encounters in store for the party.
- Zeitgeist explores a nice vertical slice of the setting. Players can expect to visit every major nation outlined in the Extended Player's Guide, meet NPCs of every race and creed, interact with every major faction in the setting, and even jaunt to a few planes during the later parts of the game. The thirteen adventures of the AP do an amazing job at allowing players to experience the wider setting in an organic way.
- Campaign Traits/Character Themes will continue to have an impact late into the game. Every adventure except for the twelfth one has ways to include these in meaningful ways. Some offer story beats that ties into a character's background, while others others give them ins with NPCs that would otherwise be difficult to approach, offer unique and innovative alternative solutions to the problem at hand, or offer more concrete benefits such as a Skyseer receiving a cryptic vision of the future or a Martial Scientist being able to learn new techniques from foes or tomes, for example.
- Many NPCs pop back up in later adventures if they are not dead by the end of the adventure they were introduced. This means that players will be able to build true friendships- or perhaps even relationships, should they be so inclined- with inhabitants of the setting. Not only that, but antagonists may pop up multiple times if they escape to become one of several things: thorns in the party's side, strained 'frenemies' who help or hinder as their goals and personalities dictate, or even potential allies with a redemption arc in a rare few cases. I'm going to be hard at working making notes of interactions players have with NPCs and doing my best to craft a living, breathing world that truly remembers and responds to PC actions.
For those who would like a bit more information on the setting than what the Extended Player's Guide offers, here's a few spoiler tabs with some random bits of information.
- There are two major crime families in Risur. One is a Flint-based street gang known as Kell's Boys who are notoriously cruel, slippery, and love to incorporate theatrics into their crimes. These knife-wielding ruffians, pimps, thieves, and hitmen are behind some of the most vicious and needlessly sadistic shakedowns and murders in Flint, but evidence and witnesses often seem to disappear when it seems the R.H.C. has them dead to rights. The other is the mafia style crime syndicate known as The Family whose roots are in Crissilyir. While they are brutal and unforgiving to those that cross them and their interests, The Family's members believe that honesty and loyalty are paramount and that the citizens of Flint deserves a better class of criminal that actually tries to help the commonfolk instead of preying on them. If you're looking for your character to have ties to crime syndicates, those two are great options: Kell's Boys provide an easy write-in for a criminal nemesis, while The Family gives a relatively sensible and morally-gray organization that players can have family members, or secret membership, in.
- The jagged peak of Cauldron Hill near Flint is an accursed place that was once home to witches who sought to emulate the ways of the long-destroyed Demonocracy. Horrifying atrocities were performed here- black magic rituals, depraved ceremonies devoted to fiendish lords, and mass human sacrifices just to name a few- and the veil between worlds is worryingly thin and stained with evil. Terrifying apparitions, unquiet spirits, and worse emerge from the forested shadows during the midnight witching hour on Cauldron Hill and roam the bounds of the cursed land until burned away by the light of dawn. Many unholy figures feature prominently in the chilling ghost stories and fell myths of Cauldron Hill: the Cackling Crawler, the Serpent-Maned Lion, the Abyssal Revelers, the Faceless Man, the Hanged Maiden, and Death's Shadow to name but a few. If you're looking for a spooky place to incorporate into your character's background, especially for those with the Spirit Medium campaign trait, it's hard to find something more appropriate than Cauldron Hill.
- Heward Sechim's Alkahest Factory is widely regarded as one of the better places of employment for the common folk despite the noxious fumes of the place since employees get to enjoy stable work hours, good pay, and a friendly boss who gets to know his employees. The factory is owned by Heward Sechim, who originally funded the factory's construction with a donation from his famous Skyseer uncle, Nevard Sechim, and views his lower profit margins as a small sacrifice to ensure his employees are treated with dignity. Those with backgrounds as common working folk, alchemists, or those with the Docker campaign trait looking for a decent place of past employment can use this establishment in their background if they're so inclined.
- Mitchell University, located in the Risur city of Slate, is the most prestigious school of higher learning in the nation. Curriculums cover everything from the arts and what we here on Earth would call STEM to archaeology, anthropology, philosophy, theology, and even martial sciences. Magic itself is not taught at the university, but arcane theorum- the study of theories concerning how magic works- and planar geometry- concerning the study of the planes visible through telescopes, the effects that occur when they become coterminous, and theories about the possibility of planar travel- are. There's also a field of study concerning the Ancients, the people of long ago- who were said to to wield great magics, walk the planes with ease, and call forth world-altering miracles- that is taught by the brilliant and beautiful Dr. Xambria Meredith, who is the university's youngest professor at the tender age of 28 and an avid scholar of the ancient world. Mitchell University's sister school, Pardwight University, is devoted solely to history, anthropology, and archaeology, and is joined by the Pardwight Museum of Natural History, which holds ancient relics and historical records of the world's past. These are good options for those looking to incorporate higher education and academics into their background, seeing as how they are the most prestigious institutions of learning in Risur.
- The Avery Coast Railroad is perhaps the most famous railroad in the world and was built by Danor. It travels through multiple countries along the Avery Coast and is popular with well-to-do patrons who enjoy looking at the pastoral countryside. Not really a massive piece of setting lore or anything, but it's relevant later and could be used as a classic and fun setpiece for a murder mystery in an investigative character's backstory.
- Nalaam is a city of extravagant decadence built in the mountains of Crissilyir. The decadent city's enormous wealth is fed by great mines filled with veins of gold and gemstones. Glittering casinos, lavish brothels, and even an arena, all unchecked by the conspicuously absent members of the Clergy, dot a cityscape of grandiose buildings- some built to resemble broad-topped trees, dragons, and other fantastical shapes- fashioned out of gleaming marble. This is the Las Vegas of Zeitgeist's world and those looking to incorporate elements of unchecked decadence, ritz, the rising and falling of fortune, and such into their backstories would be well-suited to looking here. I've also made this the place where Card Casting was created if you're one of the people who planned on using such a thing.
- Pemberton Industries was founded by the eccentric tech mogul Benedict Pemberton and is at the forefront of nearly all major technological development outside of Danor. Whether industrial machines built for factories, trains of black iron that run on coal, deadly firearms, clockwork constructs powered by magic and steam, or the artificial humanoids known as androids crafted through strange alchemy and and technology, Pemberton Industries sells nearly anything imaginable to clients from all across the world. Whether your character has the Gunsmith or Technologist campaign traits, one of the androids crafted by the corporation in the last two years that they have been manufactured in strictly limited quantities, or your character is just interested in technology and industry, it's easy to write Pemberton Industries into your background.
The Clergy, located in Crissilyir, worship four categories of gods and loathe a fifth category of archfiends that were worshipped by the ancient Demonocracy. The first group are known as the Old Gods, primordial deities worshipped since the time of the Ancients by the world's inhabitants and whom the planes were named after. The second group are the New Gods, who were worshipped in regional faiths and were later incorporated into the Clergy pantheon. The third group are the Four Archangels who serve the gods and are venerated as lesser gods in their own right. And the final group is actually a single god, the mortal who defeated the demonocracy and was said to ascend to become head of the gods. I'll detail all of these below.
THE ASCENDED GOD
-Triegenes the Fisher: A humble mortal fisherman who ascended to godhood and defeated the Demonocracy that ruled over the known world over a millennia ago before rising to his heavenly domain. He is worshipped as head of the Clergy pantheon and his teachings emphasize humility, bettering oneself, charity, and martyrdom.
THE NEW GODS
- Velkali the Weeping Lady of Oases: A sorrowful goddess of a long-dead culture of nomadic desert worshippers who provided succor to travelers by forming oases with her tears. She serves as a goddess of deserts, oases, and travelers.
- Erevus the Shadow King: An imposing god of the night sky, regal authority, and death who commands the turning of day to night so that mortals may have reprieve from the sun's burning gaze and rules as the fair and impartial judge of the dead. The sole recipients of his love are his gentle wife Lirana and their precocious daughter who was born from the blood that emerged when they cut their palms and bound their hands with ceremonial wedding ribbons.
- Lirana the Lady of Magnolias A gentle goddess of flowers (particularly magnolias) and beasts who cares deeply for all things that live and grow. She is the sister of Irisa and Illira, the bride of Erevus, and it was she who sowed the seeds of the ever-blooming paradise promised to the faithful in place of the Bleak Gate.
- Tunaht'ravi the Sun-Shrouded Destroyer: A fierce and destructive god of the sun, war, and destruction whose bow of burning light is said to have destroyed the world's second moon in a single shot. He is a wrathful god with no patience for the corrupt and wicked and he is said to serve as the destroyer of the pantheon's enemies.
- Zerona the Stoneshaper: An quiet and introverted, yet artistic goddess of earth, protection, and architecture who serves as a patron to artists and craftsmen, particularly those who craft pottery. She is said to have crafted the earthen jug that originally held the world's seas before Riyusuiken convinced her to pour out its bounty into the world so that life may take purchase there.
- Kolak the Worldforger: The inventive and orderly husband of Zerona whose portfolio of metal, lava, and the forge makes him the the pre-eminent blacksmith of the gods. Legends say that it was his hammer that beat the world into it's current form from the primordial chaos.
- Ryuuon the Tsunami King: The honorable and wise dragon god of the water (particularly the seas and violent formations such as whirlpools and tsumamis), dragons, and wealth. His undersea palace is said to be formed of glittering coral the size of a nation and house many lost civilizations and cultures that the dragon god felt deserved preservation.
- Irisa the Bride of Storms: The honorable and graceful warrior goddess of storms, honor, and the hearth (particularly when it relates to marriage) who began as a deadly rival to the Ryuuon the Tsunami King before finding common ground and settling down with him in loving marriage. Storms on the eve of a great battle are said to be indicative of the goddess's interest and her holy texts say that the souls of faithful warriors do not pass into the Bleak Gate, but ascend to the heavens with the rays of light that pierce the clouds after a battle's end.
- Illira the Eternal Heart: The passionate, loving, and innocently fickle goddess of love, life, and luck whose gifts are given freely to all- but without any promise of keeping them- and she is said to visit the mortal world to spread gifts of romance (sometimes personally, texts say!), healing, and good fortune as suits her whims. More than a few ancient orders of knights pledged themselves wholly to her and designated mortal noblewomen as surrogates for their service to the goddess, although those old ways of chivalry are largely out of fashion in this new age of innovation and industry.
THE FOUR HEAVENLY ARCHANGELS
- Hezophiel the Reaper: The Archangel of Death who serves Erevus the Shadow King. The archangel wears different faces to different beings based on their view of death: to some, he wears the face of an old friend and gently coaxes their souls out with a smile, to others he is a stern and black-winged angel who emotionlessly reaps with neither mercy nor malice, and to others he is a grotesque gargoyle with eyes that flash with hellfire that rips souls from the hearts of the wicked and faithless.
- Aezusat of the Heavenly Word: The Archangel of Revelation who carries the words and will of the gods to the mortal world. Like his fellow archangel Hezophiel, he has three depictions: to some he is a glorious archangel who announces the will of heaven with a sacred trumpet and a voice like melodic thunder, to others he wears the guise of a bearded old man who offers words of wisdom to those seeking guidance, and to others who is a grim angel whose wings are covered in blood and whose trumpet turns into a sword to deliver an altogether different kind of message.
- Advorel the Glorious One: The Archangel of Justice with a centaur-like form covered head to toe in shining silver armor whose joints and grooves glow with the radiant energy of his concealed body. He alone among the archangels does not appear differently to observers since there is but justice in the eyes of the gods and he burns both literally and figuratively with the serene blue and white flames of Heaven's will.
- Linia the Voice of Truth: The Archangel of Truth is the sole female among her lofty brethren and it is she, whose beautiful eyes of glittering frost see the truth in all things, that served as the wise and impartial mediator for the heavens. She is said to have been slain during the war against the Demonocracy in the ancient past and is honored as a martyr by the Church.
THE OLD GODS
- Vona the Lady of Radiance: The goddess of the sun, arcane magic, and prophetic divinations. It is said that her light obscures truths that could lead mortals lacking in wisdom to ruin.
- Av the Slumbering Maiden: The goddess of the moon, fey, dreams, mirrors, and desire. She was once queen of the fey and ruler of all archfey along with her sister Srasama, but her soul was captured in the reflection of a beautiful moonlit lake and she slumbers there still awaiting rescue by a knight of purest heart.
- Avilona the Stormchaser Eagle: An avian goddess of primordial air who also had authority over the weather, notable deaths, and freedom. She was said to have been pursued- and in some apocryphal texts, slain by- Jiese the Flamebringer Dragon.
- Jiese the Flamebringer Dragon: A draconic god of primordial flame who also had authority over notable births, war, and strife. Was said to have mercilessly pursued Avilona the Stormchaser Eagle after the goddess spurned his claims of almighty power and authority.
- Mavisha the Tidebreaker Kraken: A kraken-like goddess of primordial water who also had authority over love, change, and sorrowful destinies. Was said to have changed into the form of a beautiful human woman in search of love, but was returned to her kraken form at inopportune times by the ebb and flow of the tides, cursed to eventually be hunted as a monster by every man she loved.
- Urim the Worldshaper Worm: The worm-like god of primordial earth who also had authority over wealth, luck, and auspicious meetings. Its alien songs were said to lure monsters and coax the earth's mana to condense into veins of valuable minerals.
- Apet the Distant One: The aloof, alien, and genderless god of time, fate, the cosmos, and unification is said to be an echo of the first word spoken by the multiverse's Lost Creator at the dawn of creation. It was said that all-seeing Apet bound the past, present, and future into the planar disc known as Reidra, the Arc of History, and that the deity awaits at the end of time for all things to become one in perfect unity as it was in the time before times.
- Nem the Desolate One: A primordial god of destruction, secrets, silence, and the dead into whose ebon maw all creation must fall. The Bleak Gate is sometimes referred to as "Nem's Maw" by the Clergy and often used in doomsday prophecies.
- Padyer the Immaculate: A vain minor goddess of scalding hot water and bodily cleansings.
- Caeloon of the Four Paper Winds: A minor monastic god of the four winds, calligraphy, and worldly wisdom sometimes worshipped by ascetics.
- Shabboath of the Severed Deeps: An alien god of sea monsters, lurking terrors, and maddening secrets who is more propitiated than legitimately worshipped.
- Bhoior the World-Turtle: An immense and ancient turtle god said have carried the world across its back on a journey through the cosmos, becoming a minor god of travel, pilgrimages, and eternity.
- Thralia and Ragosani the Bride of Rebirth and the Groom of Endings: A minor goddess of rebirth and plants and a minor god of death and beasts worshipped as keepers of the cycle of life and death.
- Amrou the Enbalmer: A minor god of funerary rites, salt, and and spiritual purification whose original worshippers were halflings.
- Wilanir the Guilty One: An ancient god whose back is bent and broken under the weight of sins and remorse- both his own and that of mortals- and serves as the patron of guilt, penance, and pain. Particularly popular among the Clergy's most brutal inquisitors.
- King Ron of Dunkelweiss: A minor dwarven god of breweries and vineyards who dwarven folklore claims ruled a great kingdom under the mountains in the ancient past.
- Etheax the Flamegiver: A minor fire god who first bestowed fire and patience- and thus civilization- to primitive mortals in the early days of the world.
- Drozani the Steward of Paradise: A minor goddess of the sky who is said to lead the faithful to an otherworldly paradise.
- Ascetia the Observer: A goddess of knowledge who is said to watch all history and governs the concepts of self-reflection and personal change.
- Elofasp the Hivemother: An alien goddess of insects, community, and obedience.
- Obliatas the Devouring Light: A sentient sun who is said to hunt down the wicked undead and erase them from existence.
-Iratha Ket the Deathly Reveler: A minor goddess of death, festivals, and music who takes the form of a graceful skeletal dancer decked in colorful flowers.
- Apo the Trapper: An eccentric and extremely minor god of traps, snares, and the void who is largely unknown to all but the most dedicated scholars.
- Guay the Dreamer: A god of dreams, art, and romance who is said to have brought his beloved bride into his dreams so that she would remain eternally beautiful and vibrant.
- Bonalithe the Stormclaw: An ancient god of lightning whose bolts were said to have formed the first dinosaurs from the primordial mud.
FORBIDDEN GODS OF THE DEMONOCRACY
Egal the Shimmering: The devil queen of slavery, conquest, and unquestionable authority who enslaves souls with great chains of gold that drag them down to the hells.
Ashima-Shimtu the Lady of the Forked Tongue: A demon princess whose purview is lies, spiritual corruption, and forbidden secrets and was once the prime patron of the Demonocracy.
Maensa'il the Wind of Torment: An elemental div pasha of tempestuous winds who enjoys sowing misery, mayhem, and suffering.
Honlow the Blood Sea: The demon god of blood, pirates, slaughter, and the seas who adores nothing more than witnessing acts of inhuman savagery.
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SEEDISM
Seedism, the traditional faith of the eladrin and drow, is also a faith of many gods, but it does not separate deities into neat categories. Although there untold thousands of gods in the faith, only a few of the major ones will be mentioned here. Archfey are also venerated as servants of the gods and Av, the fey goddess discussed in The Clergy Section, is considered the sister of Srasama.
- Srasama the Goddess of Three Faces: Before her death at the hands of the Crisillyan Church five hundred years ago, Srasama was the triple-aspected goddess who wore the masks of the Warrior-Maiden, the Mother of Life, and the Vengeful Crone-Queen. Her faith was an esoteric one of balance and harmony between conflicting forces and her followers strove to maintain that balance, wearing each 'mask' in their life as best suited the situation: a brave warrior who stood for what they believed in, a compassionate and merciful caregiver, and, when necessary, a vengeful agent of retribution.
- The Ten-Headed Lion, Guardian of Sacred Places: The Lion was a sacred guardian beast and loyal protector of holy places in the pantheon who valued its service and loyalty to the pantheon and its people above all else. Many sacred places of the eladrin people were guarded by eidolons of the Ten-Headed Lion shaped from raw dreamstuff and brought to life with sacred rituals.
- Hewanharimau the Betrayer: The former eladrin god of beasts who created the curse of lycanthropy and was cursed to become the first rakshasa and cast out of the pantheon into the Dark Beyond. He was feared by the eladrin as a sort of devil figure in their mythology and was considered a god of savagery, slaughter, betrayal, and curses who was not to be worshipped as a god, but propitiated to avoid ill-fortune.
- Dhebisu the Justicar of the Star-lit Wilds: The mischevous eladrin paladin goddess of justice, the stars, and plants who wore verdent armor grown from vines and flowers by the world itself, a cloak spun from the tapestry of night that she could use to hide in plain sight, and a hair ornament made of a fallen star that infused any weapon she carried with radiant starlight. She believed in standing against evil no matter the form it took and it was she who slew Hewanharimau's godly form by driving a crossbow bolt into his heart.
- Ingatan the Trickster: An unpredictable god of trickery, fire, and knowledge who helped the eladrin people as much as he hindered them. His ways were inscrutable, but was said to always have a long-term goal in mind that guided his decisions; in one myth, he traded mortals knowledge and the secrets of fire in exchange for stories of the mortal world, but let that same flame he gifted them burn their homes down as a lesson to never seek that which is beyond their ability to handle.
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The Old Faith of Risur is the folk religion of ancient Risur and is still practiced by royalty and more rural regions. The Archfey and Fey Titans venerated and propitiated in equal turn. The simplest way to categorize these being is the Archfey of the Unseen Court (more civilized and prone to interact with mortals), the Archfey of the Hedgehog Court (wilder and more likely to oppose the ways of civilization), and the Fey Titans, who are essentially intelligent fey kaiju bound to the mortal world who made pacts with ancient Risuri kings.
THE UNSEEN COURT (the reigning archfey court)
- Thisraldon the Mirror-Monarch, Ruler of the Unseen Court: Thisraldon is the leader of the Unseen Court and is an elegant, witty, and thoroughly fey ruler by all accounts. Their gender shifts to match the preferences of those viewing them and they both wield the original Vorpal Blade that slew the Primal Jabberwocky and possess an unrivaled mastery over lost dweomers, illusions, dream magics, and mirror-based sorceries.
- Astla the Snow Princess, Archfey of Winter: The graceful and achingly beautiful archfey of winter whose moods shift from faerie passions and flights of romance to emptiness and deep depression. Many of her worshippers are male and also see themselves as her prospective suitors, serving her needs for just a glimpse of her wintry perfection.
- Karrast the Flameblade, Archfey of Summer: The haughty gloryhound and warmonger of the Unseen Court who desires nothing but battle and glory. His nature makes him a close friend of Olazdor and the two regularly engage in friendly duels despite being in opposing courts.
- Furg the Toadstool Sage, Archfey of Knowledge: The sagacious and tricksy archfey of knowledge wears the form of a giant toad and loves to pit his wits against mortals. He is a consummate schemer whose antics provide much amusement to the Mirror-Monarch.
- Sallin the Dryad Queen, Archfey of the Forests: For all her power, the Dryad Queen is surprisingly demure and gentle and is known to appear to adherents of the old ways in Risur on occasion to bless their festivals and use her life-giving magics to grace their lands with a bountiful harvest. Despite her relative pacifism and gentle nature, she loathes the fey titan known as the Voice of Rot and works to undermine his schemes every time he awakens from his slumber.
THE HEDGEHOG COURT (the rival fey court; has no official ruler)
- Beshela of the Melodious Waves, Archfey of the Sea: The ever-charming, but mercurial archfey of the seas who holds dominion over the seas near Risur. She considers the fey titan She Who Writhes to be her dearest friend and sometimes the seas echo with the melodic songs she composes for the fey titan.
- Olazdor the Unyielding Storm, Archfey of the Winds: The brash and straightforward archfey of the wind and skies who spurns the trickery and decadence of the fey for the straightforward pleasures and thrills of the hunt. He once led led great hunts against mythical beasts in Risur's ancient past as part of his pact with the nation.
- Lavac the Almighty Herald of Ill-Fortune and King of All Gremlins, Archfey of Misfortune: The small, hyperactive, and thoroughly malicious archfey of gremlins born of the fey titan Granny Allswell loves nothing more than spreading ill-fortune, misery, and cruel pranks. It's said that he often appeared to witches in the ancient past in the form of a bipedal black goat to bestow them with the power to spread misfortune and engaged in debauched rituals with attendees.
- Lerina the Reseen Marauder, Archfey of Fury: A former elf risen to the status of a fey demigod, she is the very embodiment of rage and vengeance whose weapons crackle with thunder and lightning. Legends say that an ancient wrong visited upon her by the Unseen Court is the reason for her wrath and that she will stop at nothing to see Thisraldon destroyed forever; the Mirror-Monarch, of course, views this with amusement and secretly indulges her revenge fantasies.
- Darbony the Satyr Prince, Archfey of Revelry: The first satyr ever created, this easygoing archfey cares little for anything beyond celebrating life and indulging in hedonism. He sometimes joins Sallin the Dryad Queen during choice mortal festivals to indulge himself.
FEY TITANS (currently slumbering archfey kaiju gods even older than the Courts)
- The Ash Wolf: The fey titan of fire whose grief over his mate's death in ages past fuels a burning desire for vengeance against those that wrong him and a desperate desire to protect those he still cherishes. Was once revered for his ability to help mortals find their true love and for helping those lost in the wilderness find their way back home.
- The Father of Thunder: This wild and gregarious fey titan of storms loves nothing more than running wild and free across storm-lashed planes, downing alcohol by the brewery, and rutting with anything that falls for his charms (only USUALLY while in the form of a mortal). Was once revered for his ability to bless both the soil and wombs with an unnatural fertility that ensured plentiful crops and the birth of strong, healthy babies.
- She Who Writhes: The incomprehensible fey titan of water in the form of a monstrous kraken of unimaginable size whose moods change with the tides. Was once revered by sailors for her ability to calm the seas to ensure a smooth journey and her bringing the bounty of the seas to mortals in the form of fish and washed up treasures of the deep.
- Granny Allswell: The mad fey titan of the earth who sees herself as the grandmother to all children, is the actual mother of all gremlins (who were naughty children she twisted into sinister fey), and taught many traditions of witchcraft that have been passed down through the ages. Was once revered by parents who sought to teach their children right from wrong (and avoid Granny's witchcraft and kidnappings) and miners, who sang songs praising her to prevent cave-ins.
- The Voice of Rot: This is the fey titan of death and the end of all things who takes the form of a rotting serpent with a single milky white eye. Few sane beings worship the Voice of Rot since it is known to patiently set in motion schemes that bring the world closer to the end times, but it used to be propitiated with the sacrifice of humans and animals to sate its hunger for death and lull it back into a deep sleep.
- Adam Vistahl "The Thunderblade": Adam Vistahl is one of the most famous war heroes of the Fourth Yerasol War and was instrumental in many of Risur's key victories. Legends of his selfless bravery and heroism are darkened by rumors of vengeful and uncompromisingly brutal massacres of Danorans, but few who know him after his stint in the military believe the darker rumors since he comes off as one of the most easy-going and friendly people you'd ever meet, if a little unserious and lacking in adherence to rules and protocol. He turned down a top position in Risur's military after the war to work at the R.H.C. since he considers himself a man of action, not a glorified politician draped in war medals purchased in blood. He pioneered the use of gunblades and fights with blitzkrieg tactics designed to end a battle as soon as possible. He has been assigned to King Aodhan's personal guard during the maiden voyage of The Coaltongue as extra security at the start of the game.
- Lady Veronique "The Blue Rose": Lady Veronique is a halfling woman whose noble family moved from Danor to Risur in the wake of the Great Malice. Although she has a caustic tongue, a deeply eccentric personality that runs hot and cold, and is notoriously fussy and demanding, she is undeniably brilliant and renowned as one of the most skilled detectives in the world. Even her fierce rival, the uptight and self-interested Inspector Margaret Saxby of the R.H.C., begrudgingly recognizes her talents and occasionally retains Lady Veronique's services for particularly difficult cases. She is the owner and sole field agent of the Blue Rose Detective Agency and generally only takes cases that either appeal to her fixation on unraveling complex mysteries, have a huge payday, or someone manages to appeal to her vanity or vaunted sense of noblesse oblige. It's not a well-known fact, but rumors circulate that Lady Veronique secretly funnels the majority of her profits to charity programs. She is currently 'on vacation' and is busy investigating a string of bizarre ritualistic murders near The Nettles.
- Chloé: One of the androids manufactured by Pemberton Industries using alchemy and teslapunk technology, Chloé was requisitioned by the R.H.C. to serve as a secretary and maid for HQ, as well as a handler for field agents who can contact them via magical messages in the event of emergencies. Although she is emotionally-stunted like most androids and has trouble logically processing human behavior at times, she is soft-spoken, polite, graceful, and seems to have a soft spot for small animals and children. A small contingent among the R.H.C. have started treating her like a living being instead of a simple construct despite Inspector Saxby's orders to the contrary. She will be the party's handler from the latter half of book one onwards and will contact them via magic any time HQ needs to get in touch with them.
- Francesco Armani Salviato da Vendricce: Franceso is a man whose family's roots stretch back deep into Crissilyir and he is proud of both his heritage and accent. He's a massive extrovert with both a gregarious, fun-loving personality and a fiery temper, and opinions of him in the R.H.C. are split down the middle. No matter what others think of him though, he performs his duty admirably and without complaint, and has a particular fixation on getting gang members from Kell's Boys off the streets and into a cell. He is known to have clear-cut tastes in attire and coffee and makes frequent trips to the Signora del Luna Cafe, Dozy Miccini's Cobbler Shop, and the bimonthly Brave Hall Fashion Expo in the city of Flint.
Now it's time for character creation guidelines!
Additionally, any class with a Spheres archetype is allowed so long as you take one of those archetypes and have no Vancian spells, psionic manifesting, veilweaving, etc once everything is said and done. Again, I'd like to keep this game purely Spheres.
- All the core races, which are more or less as depicted in the ZGPG.
- Eladrins, also pretty much as-written in the ZGPG.
- Deva from the ZGPG are mechanically Samsarans now, but the lore hasn't changed.
- Tieflings are largely unchanged from the ZGPG depiction of them.
- Aasimar were canonically the Deva in the original version of Zeitgeist, but since I changed Deva to be the more logical Samsarans, I've changed Aasimar as well. In this, they are rare individuals born blessed to human families of strong faith in Crissilyir where they are hailed as living saints. It's a VERY rare occurrence, so probably only a few thousand exist in a continent filled with millions of people, but they're an option nonetheless. Aasimar are largely indistinguishable from normal humans save that they are transcendently attractive, their skin has no imperfections and can neither scar nor blemish, and their irises are rich and vibrant colors that you would see in the richest of gemstones.
- Androids are an experimental creation of the famous tech mogul and inventor Benedict Pemberton that he based on his new steel duplicant technology. That last bit about steel duplicants existing IS canon, so I have some ground to stand on lore-wise when it comes to justifying androids. These are, thematically-speaking at least, similar to Pinocchio from Lies of P: nearly-imperceptible from humans on the surface, but with clockwork bodies under their synthetic flesh and an alche-magical core formed by condensing leftover spiritual residues into a solid magical stone that houses their 'soul'. As of the start of this AP, only high-priority clients like the R.H.C. and nobility have access to androids and the race is still considered little more than intelligent property by most of the known world, although there's something of an underground movement that feels they are 'human' in every respect that matters and have been staging protests to have androids recognized as free citizens.
- My version of Drow in this game is that they are fey-touched elves like their Eladrin cousins, but their ancestors pledged themselves to the fey goddess of the moon and dreams Av rather than the Srasama and the rest of the Seedism pantheon. This is why their flesh is grey like lunar shadows and their hair is the color of spun moonlight. Also, unlike Golarion's drow, THESE have actual pupils and irises and are NOT evil, but they are generally well-educated, curious, and somewhat elitist and snooty. Many of them left the forests of Elfaivar and have come to the increasingly industrialized nations of Risur and Danor in search of stimulating diversions.
- Changelings are something I added as well and are referred to as 'Witch-Kissed'. Legends can't really agree on whether they are children of hags or were touched in the womb by the magics of the fey titan Granny Allswell, but they have a dark reputation in Crisillyir because of the church's stance on anything 'fey-shot'. Most nations aren't as hostile to changelings though, even if they can sometimes come off as strange.
Now, I'm willing to hear out requests for weirder races, but there are three caveats here. First, they must be easily rationalized within the setting itself- Gnolls, Kobolds, Minotaurs, and Orcs all exist as civilized races in Ber, so they're pretty easy to accept, for example- and not too far outside the bounds of what is 'normal' for Zeitgeist's world. Second, they must be cleared with me. And third, I'm only allowing a hard maximum of two party slots for these 'weird races' out of the six that will be available.
Well, those are basically your super-powered campaign traits and you get both the associated feat and the abilities and features- but not BAB, HD, saves, etc.- of the first level of the associated three-level prestige class for free. You also gain the remaining two levels of abilities for the associated prestige class at 7th level (when you would normally qualify for one of the PrCs) and 10th level (the earliest you could max out the PrC).
There's one last thing I want people to bear in mind, although it doesn't have any real bearing on character creation itself: every adventure has cool inclusions for every background, so don't treat it as something to ignore past character creation. Skyseers, for example, have cryptic visions of the future in every adventure, while Martial Scientists learn new martial techniques from various sources and Yerasol Veterans are minor celebrities and war heroes that open up new roleplay avenues and social solutions to potential problems. Your background/campaign trait is something that will follow you for the rest of the game and will provide you with far more benefits than are immediately apparent.
You also gain the ability score point from leveling and an additional +2 to any ability score you wish.
You may precraft up to one third of your GP, but only for yourself.
You may not under any circumstances purchase or craft magic items like the ability score boosters, tomes, rings of protection, cloaks of resistance, etc. The ABP-lite system we're using was intended to cover those.
Finally, everyone can pick up to three traits. Not interested in including drawbacks, so there's no need to ask about those.
Custom Traditions (try to make them make sense within the setting)
Elephant in the Room
Firearm Rarity: Guns Everywhere when buying from the R.H.C., variable elsewhere
Free Combat Stamina and Skill Unlocks for everyone
- Any cheesable meta-modifiers such as Sacred Geometry are banned.
- Anything that grants access to Vancian magic or other systems of casting outside of Spheres is banned. Akashic Mysteries and Path of War content are included in this ban.
- The Sage class is not banned, but I do have some mandatory adjustments that must be made to certain abilities. More details on those if anyone expresses interest in playing the Sage.
I think that's everything! If I've goofed up and missed a core component of character creation or there's some obscure optional rule or interaction you need ruling on, just let me know here in the forums. Which reminds me: unless there's something that you deliberately want to keep hidden from the other players- secret membership in The Family, a dark secret that you want to reveal later, etc.- then I'd prefer you post any questions here in the thread. It's easier and lets my answers be visible to everyone.
Gestalt! Spheres!
Grumbaki here. I’ll be making a gun using dwarf, who enchants his weapon. This should be a lot of fun. :D
Ignore what’s currently in the profile. Will be thinking of what combination to use.
Well, those are basically your super-powered campaign traits and you get both the associated feat and first level of the associated three-level PrC for free. You also get the remaining two levels of the associated PrC at 7th level (when you would normally qualify for one of the PrCs) and 10th level (the earliest you could max out the PrC).
Is this one level on one side of the gestalt? Or is it a sixth non-gestalt level? Or do we just get the class features without the traditional level-based stuff like BAB, HP and saves?
My concept is an academic Deva skyseer focusing on divination, light, and a touch of destruction.
And of course this lands shortly before I go watch Thunderbolts*
@Kardin Shieldshatter: I'm sure that it will be fun indeed! Zeitgeist offers such a different world, tone, and technology level that building characters for it is extremely novel compared to more 'normal' APs.
@Philo Pharynx: Ah, I should probably clarify that the 'free PrCs' just give abilities. Going to edit now!
Oho, going with your original concept? I dig the idea based on what you've revealed so far.
... Leadership sphere and gestalt on the table.
I might have to bring out the truest abomination of a character concept I have ever toyed with. Is there a faction that might lose track of something produced by hideously unethical science?
Oh, can we use the Autohypnosis skill from psionics? It makes sense for my background.
I’m working on a tiefling soul weaver // technician Spirit Medium! I have it mostly done (here) but I’ve been waiting to see the rules before finalizing things. :)
@Master Han Del of the Web: There are a few factions that might fit that description to varying degrees.
The "Conspiracy", as I'll be naming it to avoid story spoilers, isn't adverse to grotesque and unethical experiments in the pursuit of their goals.
Danor's leader Han Jierre publically espouses a fiercely atheistic doctrine and believes that few things should stand in the way of progress, so it's likely that there would be inventors and scientists in Danor who flout natural laws as antiquated and unnecessary. Danor is on largely unfriendly terms with Risur despite overtures of peace though, so an escaped lab experiment of some kind is likely going to be viewed with even more suspicion than normal by the R.H.C.
Pemberton Industries, while mostly aboveboard, has secrets of its own.
Other than those, there are certainly individuals who will cross the lines of ethics and human(oid) decency in the pursuit of scientific progress.
@Philo Pharynx: I'll allow Autohypnosis, but I don't want any actual psionics in the game outside of some monsters that will be using them later in the AP.
Hmm, tempting options. For a bit more clarity, I'm considering putting in the effort needed to make a Collective Wraith gestalted with Conscript for simplicity's sake. The character concept is best described as 'What if the Replica soldiers from F.E.A.R. were nominally the good guys?'
IE, a squad of psychically hiveminded and singularly focused super-soldiers able to act in perfect concert and supported by a larger network of non-combat assets. Once all of their abilities come online, they will essentially serve as a really effective mook squad for the rest of the party and be able to swap in more situationally useful troopers for specific mission profiles.
Hmmm... what's the status on the Kineticist here? It does have a Sphere Archetype, but that's very limited in what it can work with, basically no synergy with any other 3rd Party Content (and a Kineticist without its 3rd Party Content is, much sadder), and even if you play a Scion... it still gets its own wild talents and stuff?
So, yeah. What's the thoughts on potentially playing a Kineticist in this game? Still toying around with what I will play, but knowing where my favourite class stands would be nice.
Also, about Races. Did you know Diamond Recreational Studio, basically Drop Dead Studo 2.0 have a Free Book focused on Racial Parity/Balance? Though admittedly, the main way is basically saying 'Every race can chose their ability score modifiers and gets a bonus feat & weapon discipline' which does take away some of the specialness of it the races.
Aside from that... are Kitsunes a potential fit for the game, or don't really fit the fluff/vibe?
I know I said I probably wouldn't join, but I got really inspired with a great character idea and wrote most of a background already, so let's go, I guess.
Based on that background, a quick question - if my character was raised by druids, is a druid by profession but doesn't have druid as a class, can I take Druidic as a language option?
@Master Han Del of the Web: That actually sounds really damn cool! I'd have to see how you were planning on flavoring it and all before I could say whether it would fit or not, but it sounds awesome as a concept and it could have some, shall we say, interesting repercussions somewhere down the line. Care to go into a little more detail? Technology levels are generally at the teslapunk level, with some things having weird magical science thrown in the mix, so it may or may not jive with the setting based on how you plan on flavoring it.
@Fury of the Tempest: Yeah, Scion is one of the few Spheres archetypes that feels... overcooked, I guess is the word? It definitely guts the core class of way too much of its identity and makes it kinda lame in my book. Give me up to two days to tinker and you should have a shiny archetype in your hands that is a far more loyal translation of the Kineticist to spheres. I already have ideas that can fix that the concept.
Yeah, those racial balance options you mentioned don't really jive with me, honestly.
Kitsune are something I can imagine, yes, but only from Risur, Elfaivar, Ber, or parts of the Yerasol Archipelago.
@ChrisAsmadi: I'd rule yes, but you definitely need to support it with your mechanics and background.
@Master Han Del of the Web: That actually sounds really damn cool! I'd have to see how you were planning on flavoring it and all before I could say whether it would fit or not, but it sounds awesome as a concept and it could have some, shall we say, interesting repercussions somewhere down the line. Care to go into a little more detail? Technology levels are generally at the teslapunk level, with some things having weird magical science thrown in the mix, so it may or may not jive with the setting based on how you plan on flavoring it.
Still messing with the exact flavoring. The original version of this character was described as a product of a more supernatural Cold War where MK Ultra accidentally turned the entire world into what amounted to a planet-sized haunted house... something that doesn't feel quite right for this particular setting.
What I'm thinking here is much more akin militarized possession with the creation of an artificial soul through thoroughly esoteric means. The first bodies fed into this entity's network were likely criminals and a handful of military veterans in order to establish a baseline of competence as it absorbed their skills. That was before the first necromantic flesh cultures were developed to create bodies with only fragmentary souls for integration. The entity functionally fills in the gaps were a normal person's soul would be and imprints a sort of entangling effect onto the body, making it fully animate and part of the network.
Unfortunately for its creators, once the entity had a method of replenishing its ranks, it proceeded to steal all relevant materials and stage a massive breakout attempt. When your horrifying abomination is trained for violent infiltration and exfiltration, it really pays to quadruple down on the security. It did not make it out with all of its bodies but enough got away with relevant equipment and it has sought out amnesty from the nearest and most powerful political group it could find.
@Fury of the Tempest: Yeah, Scion is one of the few Spheres archetypes that feels... overcooked, I guess is the word? It definitely guts the core class of way too much of its identity and makes it kinda lame in my book. Give me up to two days to tinker and you should have a shiny archetype in your hands that is a far more loyal translation of the Kineticist to spheres. I already have ideas that can fix that the concept.
Hmmm, fair enough. Here's hoping the new Archetype works with Legendary Kineticist, or some of the 3PP elements, but I'll look forward to seeing what you make regardless!
Yeah, those racial balance options you mentioned don't really jive with me, honestly.
Kitsune are something I can imagine, yes, but only from Risur, Elfaivar, Ber, or parts of the Yerasol Archipelago.
Understandable, I'll poke around the Adventure Past Guide some more to help get better ideas of what I might end up making.
Here is my submission Tavius. His primary function in the group will be investigation. Divination is his primary sphere of magic, and he have several benefits to knowledge and perception. When it is a detective mission, he will shine. He is decent as a face character and won't hold the party back for stealth. (besides not having darkvision yet)
In combat, he has a few types of destructive blast to help out. He can also provide some rerolls to help others, and channel energy for healing afterwards (though he doesn't have the other effects of a primary healer). He has 30' celestial auras that boost allies. Normally he will use the stars aura which provides +2 initiative and perception. After combat starts, he'll generally switch to the moon aura, which gives +2 fort and 5 temporary hit points that refresh at the start of his turn.
Tavius is a Deva, with mostly light mauve skin with a darker oval looking to be a third eye. If he were human, he would appear in his mid-forties. That would be closer to twenty-five, as Devas are reborn as adults. He wears fine clothes in whatever style is fashionable at the moment. He wouldn't be out of place with the upper crust of society. With the tight cut on his slim frame, there is no armor underneath his outfit. The more martial types will notice that his cane is solid enough to be used as a cudgel, and he wears a mithral blade. But they will also notice that he carries and wears these more as a last resort than as a primary defense.
Observers will notice that his eyes are constantly scanning, taking in everything, including your observation. What's more, he always seems to be in the right place and angle to observe interesting events. He never seems surprised by them.
His magic tradition is based on channeling the energy of the planets and stars. It involves being aware of the exact configuration of the heavens and gesturing to draw power from the appropriate celestial bodies.
Consciousness linked
Skilled casting: Kn:planes
Somatic casting x2
Easy Focus
Ah, Inspector Delft, pleased to meet you. I am Doctor Tavius Vincelli, and I feel myself called to serve Risur. I have lived here for over a century, spread among a few lifetimes.
I see your look, a mixture of curiosity, confusion, and perhaps a bit of suspicion. I'll admit that my curriculum vitae may make it look like I am an odd fit for the Royal Homeland Constabulary. Few people give up over two decades in Academia and a professorship at Pardwight University to go into law enforcement. I am fluent in ten languages, have a doctorate in Astronomy from Mitchell University, and degrees in law, history, magical and natural sciences. It seems that I have a knack for recalling knowledge from previous lifetimes. I posit that there will be some crimes where having such an intellectual background will help find clues that others miss. Likewise, my studies in divination are not purely theoretical and this magic enhances my perception. Very little gets past me.
Of course being a constable is rather more dangerous than spending time in a library. While divination is useful for defense, sometimes one must subdue criminals. So I have spent the last few months being tutored in combat magic. I project various elements as weapons. Both against individuals and small groups. Thus giving me the capability to defend myself or others.
But I have been circling around my motivations. I am a skyseer, though with a more logical bent than some of my druidic peers. The heavens have been presenting troubling portents for the last few years. All of my fellow brethren have been trying to figure out what the skies are trying to tell us. While I have no more insight into that than the others do, I have been guided to the RHC. I feel very strongly that I have some part to play in what is coming, and that joining the RHC will help deal with the events coming up. I realize that this may sound a bit excessive, but it is what I see in the heavens.
@johnsedwa: Advanced Talents and equivalents are allowed, but Deific Talents are not.
@Master Han Del of the Web: That idea is so damn cool that I hate to say this, but I don't think it would quite work for this game as-is.
@Fury of the Tempest: Oh you don't need to worry about that, it's going to be specifically for the Legendary Kineticist and will be compatible with many- although not ALL- third-party elements.
@Tavius: Oho, so that's the character you mentioned? Have you got any fun mysteries in mind that the good detective ended up solving? Not necessary, of course, just curious if you have any in mind.
@Fury of the Tempest: Oh you don't need to worry about that, it's going to be specifically for the Legendary Kineticist and will be compatible with many- although not ALL- third-party elements.
Perfect, sounds like it will fit my needs exactly!
Still a WIP. But Kardin is coming along. A Dwarven gunsmith whose family bloodline dates back to the warlords of old Drakr.
Focusing on enhancement sphere (make his pistol better), dabbling in creation so he can make ammunition if needed and he lacks the time and materials.
So what races are on the table, exactly? I'm having trouble finding the correct document.
So what races are on the table, exactly? I'm having trouble finding the correct document.
There's a races tab above, but in case you also need it(and any one else), this is the free Player's Guide
Unsure what exactly I'll be playing, but I am currently leaning towards either drow or changeling as my race.
Could you provide more details on them? Are the drow still matriarchal, what's the society of drow and changelings like, etc. Anything and everything you can give me about them would be super useful!
Edit: How long will recruitment be open for?
So if I'm not mistaken, Tinker sphere is available? Oh this is going to be fun to draft up.
I was under the impression that “drow” were in this Zeitgeist campaign reflavoured to be “Moon Elves”, not known to be evil, but often haughty and superior. [EDIT - the OP has those details. Apologies if you’ve already seen that, and are asking for *more* details…]
@Fury of the Tempest: I'm almost done tinkering with that archetype I was telling you about.
@Kardin Shieldshatter: Kardin's looking pretty solid so far!
@Violant: There's a race spoiler in the OP that details everything that's preapproved. I'm willing to hear out requests, but can't promise I'll grant anything outside of what I've mentioned.
And yep, the Tinker Sphere is allowed! Technomancy also is. Pretty much the only tech-related sphere that isn't allowed is Tech, seeing as how it is the inferior predecessor to Tinker.
@Monkeygod: Traditional drow society is matriarchal in structure, but males who participated in the Quest for the Moon- the great crusade to free the goddess Av's soul- were considered on par with the priestess caste. The Quest for the Moon is a largely defunct practice, and certainly not viable for PCs because of how much investment it requires. Drow society has largely dispersed into a sort of diaspora over the years as many members of the race have begun seeking novelty and stimulation in other societies in the aftermath of the nearly race-wide disillusionment with the Quest for the Moon.
Changeling society is largely based on what society they were born into since they're basically just fey or hag touched humans. Those in rural Risur tend to view them with equal parts fascination and apprehension, especially those belonging to the Old Faith. Crissilyir, on the other hand, tends to view them in an overwhelmingly negative light since they view the fey as almost earthbound devils due to fey being associated with Seedism. Changeling's ALWAYS have heterochromia and sometimes have a few additional quirks in their appearance: strangely-shaped birthmarks that resemble runes, highlighted locks of hair that are of an unnatural color, long and sharp nails that are naturally of a vivid shade or black, etc.
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@Fury of the Tempest: I'm almost done tinkering with that archetype I was telling you about.
Quick work, looking forward to seeing it tomorrow or later today!
@Violant: There's a race spoiler in the OP that details everything that's preapproved. I'm willing to hear out requests, but can't promise I'll grant anything outside of what I've mentioned.
And yep, the Tinker Sphere is allowed! Technomancy also is. Pretty much the only tech-related sphere that isn't allowed is Tech, seeing as how it is the inferior predecessor to Tinker.
I figured tech wasn't allowed because it was too high-tech for industrial-era stuff.
So I do have a question, is a catfolk from neighboring Ber on the table? I do have a half-elf concept as well -- I'm trying to reuse aliases --I'm just also currently submitting a variation of her in a different recruitment, on the more crazy end. Either way, the character would be as manic as a Golarion gnome with all the tech present in Zeitgeist.
Rules question.
“ Energy Strike (blast shape) [strike]
As a standard action, you may make a single weapon attack in conjunction with making a destructive blast. This casting cannot be reduced below a standard action, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity, unless as usual if making a ranged attack. If the target is struck by the attack, it is also struck by the destructive blast. If using a scatter weapon, the blast only applies to a single target, chosen at the time of attack.”
With this…let’s say it gets added to an unarmed strike. The unarmed strike is 1d4+5 normally and the blast is 3d6. Would this together be 1d4+3d6+5?
——
Secondly, is this allowed?
Precise Marksmanship (snipe) [EO3]
Prerequisites: Sniper sphere, base attack bonus +5.
Whenever you perform a deadly shot special attack action, you may choose to make a called shot. If you do, you reduce the penalty associated with the called shot by 2 (minimum 0). Associated Feat: Improved Called Shot.
Note: This talent requires the called shot optional rule from Ultimate Combat.
——-
Third:
“ Enhance Equipment
You may enhance a weapon, suit of armor, shield, or as many as 50 pieces of ammunition grouped together (in the same container or quiver), granting it a +1 enhancement bonus. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 caster levels possessed (maximum +5). This does not stack with any enhancement bonus already possessed by the item.”
ABP gives +1 enchantment. Would this allow the placement of enhancements like shock (+1) and flaming (+1?).
Because if so, dual energy enhancement does more damage (2d6+6) but greater enhance equipment lasts longer (6 hours instead of 1 hour).
Thank you in advance :)
A few quick questions:
Is the change to feat progression only for PCs, or does it apply to companions (animal companions, ect) too?
Is the optional (but recommended) rule Tinker Tradition Bonus Talents in effect?
@Master Han Del of the Web: That idea is so damn cool that I hate to say this, but I don't think it would quite work for this game as-is.
Alright, changing angles, how about a supernatural contagion that created the conditions for the collective forming with its passing? For most it was only a minor fever and some confusion for a few days but some people were hit harder and dropped into heavy comas. A few months later and the entity began forming out of the fractured remains of these worse hit victims and occupying their bodies.
As a side note, I would like to have a way to replenish numbers without pulling normal people into the collective as that strikes me as a bit ethically sticky.
@Tavius: Oho, so that's the character you mentioned? Have you got any fun mysteries in mind that the good detective ended up solving? Not necessary, of course, just curious if you have any in mind.
Well, there are any number of minor thefts and cheating around both universities. When he thought that they might change their behavior, he wouldn't report some infractions.
Some of the artifacts in Pardwight's collection ended up being quietly taken off display for being forgeries.
But the most significant case was involved with some alchemical drugs appearing across the city. It was set up by a crafty character who used several magical and mundane techniques for avoiding detection. He started with the distribution networks and over about a year eventually tracked down the alchemist. He was using a cart with an extradimensional space that he kept in the nettles close to the wards of Cauldron Hill The wards and restless spirits made it hard to track, as well as contributing to the contamination of the final product. Tavius found him, but he notified the RHC to take the bald alchemist down.
With this…let’s say it gets added to an unarmed strike. The unarmed strike is 1d4+5 normally and the blast is 3d6. Would this together be 1d4+3d6+5?
Yes. That is how Destructive Strike works.
Third:
ABP gives +1 enchantment.
You failed to read the rules.
You gain all the benefits of Automatic Bonus Progression except for the following: Armor Attunement, Legendary Gifts, and Weapon Attunement.
No Weapon Enhancements, so the Enhancement Sphere functions as normal.
Reading comprehension! My only one of my many weaknesses!
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I'm not super experienced with Spheres, but I've built a couple Spheres characters for games that never got off the ground. Alas, a shame airships don't exist in this world.
{WIP}
Zephyr Aetherlock - Charming Temporarily Embarassed Airship Captain
Ancestry: Human
Class: Armorist//Striker
Character Theme: Martial Scientist
Party Roll: Crafting, Int Skills, Social Skills, Bruiser, Steam Expert
@Fury of the Tempest: Almost finished cleaning up the archetype. To give a quick rundown of what the archetype's all about: Destructive Blast/Kinetic Blast are homogenized, your choice of Elemental Focus gives extra Wild Talent options taken from associated spheres, and the various Metakinesis features are replaced by extra Wild Talents (although the Metakinesis options ARE folded in to Utility Talent Talent options in case you want to take them!) and the standard pool of Spell Points that you can use to either spend with Sphere Talents OR to mitigate Burn point-for-point. That brings my take on Spheres Kineticist to a rough parity with other Spheres classes since Kineticist was already a little underpowered even in a first-party comparison.
@Violant: I would rule Catfolk from Ber would make sense.
@Kardin Shieldshatter: That is how Destructive Strike works, yes. Planning on blasty butt-strokes/muzzle-thumps/pistol whips with your firearms by pairing it with the feat that lets you make unarmed attacks with by smacking a foe with your firearm?
Precise Marksmanship is allowed, as is just flat-out making Called Shots in general.
As Fury mentioned, we're using ABP-lite, so Enhancement works as normal.
@ChrisAsmadi: The altered feat progression only applies to the characters themselves.
Tinker Tradition Bonus Talents are in play, yes. I thought I included it under houserules, but apparently forgot to add it in before posting.
@Master Han Del of the Web: The problem isn't so much justifying a gestalt thoughtwave entity in the game, it's that gestalt thoughtwave entities don't canonically come into play until near the end of book three.
@Tavius: This bald alchemist wouldn't happen to have been a science professor named Walter White, would he? Sorry, had to make a Breaking Bad reference when I saw a bald alchemist dealing drugs mentioned!
@Crisischild: Correction: airships don't exist YET! Not until much later in the AP anyway.
One extremely manic technologist Gunfighter // Technician coming up!
One small question: is extremely early electricity on the table, mostly to supplement a mainly blackpowder, clockwork, and steam arsenal? Things like voltaic piles of copper and zinc, very early crappy motors with mercury, and arc lamps which are literally just electric arcs making light.
@Master Han Del of the Web: The problem isn't so much justifying a gestalt thoughtwave entity in the game, it's that gestalt thoughtwave entities don't canonically come into play until near the end of book three.
Okay, there is not much I can do to address that on my end. If the character concept doesn't work, it doesn't work.
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@Gearmaster How would a large creature play in this adventure? Armorist//Striker gives a reasonable approximation of the steam powered power armor fantasy I'm going for, but Tinker would let me build a straight to mech, and is - while more complicated - viscerally closer to what I was going for. So I'm trying to decide if I want to go for a large size mech, which is cooler, or a more practical medium size mech. Or just stick with my original heavy armor idea.
Edit: Looks like the Transportation: Scalability talent solves that problem, so now I just need to figure out... how the rest of the sphere works...
Precise Marksmanship is allowed, as is just flat-out making Called Shots in general.
Okay, everybody needs to be aware of this. When we have a fight with a sniper or specialist, it is going to be Brutal.
Look at ways to get fortification, cover or concealment.
@Tavius: This bald alchemist wouldn't happen to have been a science professor named Walter White, would he? Sorry, had to make a Breaking Bad reference when I saw a bald alchemist dealing drugs mentioned.
I have no idea what Emmy-winning television show you are referencing. This is a completely original creation. *Whistles innocently*
Solution: Be the sniper.
Anyways, are we playing with Guns Everywhere, as stated in the recruitment, or are we playing with Commonplace Guns, as stated in the setting guides? I figure I should ask because losing out on gunsmith when you might not have access to ammunition is a big deal.
Alright, here's the crunch for Violant's character, your stereotypical panoply proponent from Ber, with a very strong obsession with technology of all sorts. Technologist theme, naturally.
I don't think I screwed anything up? I don't know whether improvements are PER invention or whether you only have a total number though, so that may be horribly long. This was by far one of the longest character creation sessions I had in a while, but I didn't cheap out on her implementation since I have access to so. much. tech.
I'll probably switch her to a proper rifle once confirmed that this is a Guns Everywhere campaign for the extra range on a sniper. I will be the one to do the Called Shots cruelty, ehehe.
I've written a background and done some more tinkering (ha!) with Detective-Chirurgeon Lacrimadia, my tiefling Spirit Guide (soul warden//technician//Urban Empath) submission. There's a few kind of tricky things I'm doing that I've outlined in notes on her profile for you to consider if you have a chance. :)
@Fury of the Tempest: Almost finished cleaning up the archetype. To give a quick rundown of what the archetype's all about: Destructive Blast/Kinetic Blast are homogenized, your choice of Elemental Focus gives extra Wild Talent options taken from associated spheres, and the various Metakinesis features are replaced by extra Wild Talents (although the Metakinesis options ARE folded in to Utility Talent Talent options in case you want to take them!) and the standard pool of Spell Points that you can use to either spend with Sphere Talents OR to mitigate Burn point-for-point. That brings my take on Spheres Kineticist to a rough parity with other Spheres classes since Kineticist was already a little underpowered even in a first-party comparison.
Sounds fun, very fun! Yes, I think a Kineticist will be a perfect fit for this game with this new archetye, thank you very much for putting in the extra work for me!
“ Kardin Shieldshatter: That is how Destructive Strike works, yes. Planning on blasty butt-strokes/muzzle-thumps/pistol whips with your firearms by pairing it with the feat that lets you make unarmed attacks with by smacking a foe with your firearm?”
Exactly that. Profile is pretty much done, with background and descriptions added. Crunch should all be there as well. Any changes from here on out will probably be minor in nature.
Surely nothing can go wrong putting a Jierre next to someone who almost moved to Danor, right?
Updated to include a third trait, and assuming early early electricity is available for invention, some shoddy light source since I managed to forget to buy torches :P
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I'd have gone with spellcasting as well, but this is my first time doing spheres so I'd rather have basically-a-gunslinger with Technician.
That's a lot of incanting.