Aerick-Order of the Amber Die's page

As I said before, you map is amazing. I'm glad you didn't have t erase it.l

As are we! We often refer to these maps as works of art, but our GM shakes his head and reminds us that they're not original creations. But to us that doesn't matter, because we've seen first-hand that it can take just as much time, effort, and passion rendering replicas the way he does. I believe I speak for all of us in the Order when I say that we're totally spoiled because we get to play on them on a regular basis, and I'm happy that their appreciation isn't exclusive to our gaming table anymore. Thanks for the comments everyone!

Wes, we hope that one day you'll get the chance to GM your people on this too. It won't really matter if they know the spoilers, because they'll still need to be at their best to beat you!

Nah they are 15 point buys.

For Erasmus he was done : Str 13 (+2 Race, +1 level), Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12 (+2 Race)
Alhazra was done : Str 12 (+2 Race), Dex 12, Con 14, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 15 (+1 level, +2 race)
It's fun trying to decipher point buys, especially when they don't use the typical 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 array. They like to give up the feat and skill rank for the extra +2 to an ability score by using Dual Talent.
Dual Talent: Some humans are uniquely skilled at maximizing their natural gifts. These humans pick two ability scores and gain a +2 racial bonus in each of those scores. This racial trait replaces the +2 bonus to any one ability score, the bonus feat, and the skilled traits.

Hey, I’m glad you enjoyed that! I like to do the same thing, trying to extrapolate bonuses out of stat blocks. Actually, I thought about including the alt racial traits in the these, but I left them out on purpose to see if anyone would catch them. I figured someone would notice the missing feat or skill ranks, but you picked up on it the harder way.

But let me add another layer to why we all went with Dual Talent. It wasn’t entirely to give us a boost from the 15-point build, because another +2 to an ability score is really just a +1 modifier in the end. Although that can surely help a lot in many areas, the other purpose was to have them be closer to the original stat blocks that use the 20-point build seen in many modules, as they certain aren't fragile--they are iconics after all.

Also, even though we do implement some rules and restrictions when we develop iconics, they only encourage us to be more creative with our character concepts. Starting age, for example: According to his backstory, Quinn is middle-aged. So right there, that was a must. Sure this makes it more of a challenge to take on the combat-oriented role that we envisioned him playing in this campaign, but it’ll also make his victories that much sweeter. Now, on the other hand, Feiya could also be middle-aged. Her backstory mentions that she spent twelve years under the tutelage of the hags, which would put her at a minimum of 28 years of age if she started at 1st-level at that point, but the rest of her history is relatively vague as far as length of time is concerned. Therefore, it’s conceivable that another decade had passed (especially given what happened to her in the fugue state) so we decided it was fine to make her middle-aged too, and--unlike Quinn--it helped instead of hindered her stat block.

The bottom line is there are different ways to approach building iconic characters. There may or may not be a decent amount flexibility in certain aspects, but we think we’ve made some tasteful decisions with them thus far, while trying our best to live up to their names in the process.

Maintaining one PC is enough work as it is... 6 related PCs, though? Ooof. I can see why you wanted to go with the relic archetype that let you stick with whichever spirit you wanted (Champion, presumably, given Erasmus' Spirit Focus feat).

There were several ways that I thought about handling his spirit selection, which I recently added more details to in the Player Perspectives chapter of our "living document", but my instincts told me the champion spirit was the right choice to start with. It definitely helped us get through the first few levels when we had to be effective just to survive.

The spirit-switching seems even more burdensome since some give weapon and armor proficiencies that the character doesn't normally have - is the Medium supposed to carry around a suit of plate for when there's a Guardian spirit and a greatsword when there's a Champion?

Yes! This was exactly why I drafted an additional stat block for each spirit; each one affects the base stat block in a variety of ways, so putting in the work was crucial to preventing errors in game play.

So, which spirits did you have access to during play? Was there ever a point where you couldn't get a spirit that you wanted? Did you switch much, or stick with one spirit throughout?

I believe I had access to most of the spirits, depending on what area of the asylum we were in, but since we were surrounded by "places of violence" I could channel the champion spirit whenever I wanted to, which I did. All the time. So the answer is - no - I didn't switch from the champion spirit at all. The seance boon alone won several battles for us.

In hindsight, it would've been helpful to channel the archmage in the library, but that's all I can muster about that subject. (It's still too soon...the library burned...it hurts too much)

The complete stat block(s) for Erasmus after the completion of In Search of Sanity are now available for viewing in our Dropbox, check him out!

Yup Minor Shape Change. :-3 and will do, maybe I'll even attempt another Character journal here on the boards for him

Apparently we are now working with 15-pt character builds and no starting gear.

** spoiler omitted **...

Ah, 15-points...it sure does make it feel like a survival horror game.

I'm really looking forward to this adventure path (especially since it will be one I wont be running [hopefully] with another still fairly new storyteller) He is letting me try out an experiment with a 'custom built' race that was really just translated from Eberron (the changeling) but to have real fun I went with the Shattered Psyche Curse as an Oracle and Drawback trait Dependent to make a character that would want to be with the group and try to fit in every chance they had since the players guide for the game hinted at such weaknesses would be more fun and so far. Just the character alone in my head seems to be fun.

I assume your custom race has the ability to shapechange into other humanoid forms? If so, then you should have a VERY interesting experience with this module. (I'd say more, but I'd hate to spoil it for you.)

Let us know how it goes!

Are these characters 15 or 20 point Builds?

I'm going to run this one so loving this, fantastic read

We're playing the iconics with 15-point builds instead of their normal 20-point builds, but after playing the first module it still would've been really challenging with 25-point builds!

So the PCs don't take all the credit here, I'd like to acknowledge one of our members who waited patiently to play the main NPC in this module.

Thank you Sean!

Playing with live NPCs has been one of my favorite things about the game since we started the practice. Although scheduling tends to get in the way for repeat performances, we're fortunate to have many members who are ready and willing to take on these roles and join in the action. This also adds a social dynamic to the group that usually doesn't exist among the PCs since they're usually working together towards the same goals. With live NPCs, sometimes it can be hard to tell if they're really our allies or secretly our enemies, which can cause additional tension at the table. From my experience, players tend to distrust NPCs played by GMs and become overly suspicious because it's natural to see them as adversaries, but live NPCs can blur this line and mitigate any meta-gaming that might occur otherwise.

On the other side of the screen, this also frees up GMs to concentrate on preparing other parts of the module since the stat blocks are in someone else's hands, interact with other NPCs without having to talk to themselves, and focus more on the other demands of the game.

For GMs or players who haven't tried this yet and think it might be a fun addition to their game--we strongly recommend it!

I think it's fine. It's just that so many see Pathfinder as a tactical strategy game, rather than a role playing game. If a PC isn't optimized to the hilt, they don't want to play it. If a class can't put out the numbers they want, it's a worthless class.

That's a great point, I totally agree. We've all played with people like that, and if that's how they need to play to have fun, to each their own. Many of our current members were like that at one time too, but it took years of playing optimized characters to realize that even though it made our PCs better--it didn't make our game better. The main thing we care about now is the overall experience, and we're willing to do whatever it takes to optimize THAT instead.

It IS rough. But it's right, according to the developers who have said on several threads that the AP encounters are scaled to a party of 4 characters with 15-point builds. We play to the author's intent, so the same goes for the developers' intent. Your reaction is spot on--fear of death is quite prevalent for us, just like a horror game should be!

One thing I am curious about and a poster in another thread has asked is just what concepts do you think should be ruled out as a PC?

In Strange Aeons, I'm inclined to say almost anything goes. Because of the freaky nature of the first module alone, even the more outlandish PCs could find themselves not entirely out of place. That being said, I would still recommend adhering to the Strange Aeons Player's Guide to better embed characters in the setting, as PCs who more closely fit the theme will likely find it more rewarding.

The ideal character for this campaign should be well-rounded, although that doesn’t necessarily mean multi-classed because we all know what happens to base attack and saves when progressions are stretched too thin. To reinforce that point, a PC will greatly benefit from a sense of identity, especially when sanity is concerned. Otherwise the resulting role-playing could be awkward, digressive, confusing, or any combination of the three. Just remember that PCs are not just stat blocks, they're "characters" in every sense of the word, so the more you develop them the more you'll feel like they're really a part of the game. The best example of this is the fugue state, which is a unique aspect of this adventure path, so if you want the complete experience, be bold, trust your GM, and commit your PC to the process.

The other area I am curious about is after reading a thread about will saves and how important they are in a Horror campaign just how do you feel about it after running the adventures?

Saving throws will be crucial, especially if you’re playing with the new “granular” rules for escalating fear in Horror Adventures. In fact, at the next level when our group can select a new feat, we’re all taking the Shake it Off teamwork feat to mitigate catastrophic failures. We play in tight formation anyway, so a varying +1 to +3 bonus to all saves will surely go a long way in our success. The featured iconics in Strange Aeons may lack a high BAB character, but as we played them we quickly realized that even if we had one it wouldn’t do us any good while running away in fear or - worse - turning against us after succumbing to one of many charm or compulsion effects. What these iconics do have, however, is good Will saves, which I can honestly believe is one of the main reasons we'll be successful.

Is it ok to use willpower as a dump stat?

I guess I just answered this question too. Further, I don't think there really is a dump stat when it comes to this style of game. Obviously you need decent physical attributes for combat, but you also need INT for Knowledge skills to figure out what’s going on, WIS for Perception and Sense Motive checks to thwart people (and creatures – not sure which is worse in this module) who are trying to kill you, and CHA to be able to interact with the multitude of NPCs to gain as many allies as possible, because you’ll need all the help you can get to survive. Trust me.

Erasmus's campaign trait:

Sensitive Mind: You awake in the asylum horribly aware of dangers lurking nearby. While your memories are hazy and indistinct, everything around you looks vibrant and clear. You have an inkling that you have always been perceptive and can tell a lot about a person even in a quick meeting. This sensitivity can overwhelm you at times, especially in your current situation. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Appraise, Perception, and Sense Motive checks, and one of these (your choice) is a class skill for you. In addition, once per week you can use the psychometry occult skill unlock even if you are not capable of casting psychic spells or have the Psychic Sensitivity feat. See Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures for more information on psychometry and other relevant occult skill unlocks.

I selected this trait because it fits Erasmus's disposition as well as his abilities. A medium should be able to read people easily, and his connection with the spirit realm should make him even more supernaturally observant, so this seemed the clear choice compared to the other traits. Also, I have a feeling that the psychometry skill unlock will be useful throughout this adventure path, so adding Appraise to his class skills with this trait should help him succeed the check more often. The additional bonuses to Perception and Sense Motive should come in handy with the read aura and prognostication skill unlocks too.

Well, I'd be interested to hear about failure OR success. That's the nature of using dice in this game, after all, and an epic loss can sometimes be a more amazing story than a white knuckled win :). But hey, that's just one bard's opinion.

An opinion well-founded. The dice play a part in the story as much as anything else, sometimes more so in the case of our namesake. In the Giantslayer Endeavor, the Amber Die killed Oloch in the middle of module one, and I can only hope it shows me mercy this time around. So go ahead and do what bards do best: inspire courage in us, because we'll certainly need it!

Can you post updates here? I've never heard of you before, but this looks interesting!

Especially curious to see how you make use of the Medium. :)

Glad you're interested! I'm definitely nervous, there's a lot of pressure to succeed in these projects, and our GM pulls no punches.

We'll be posting all of our characters here, as well as responding to anything people ask about the project or the path. All of the updates will primarily be on the Paizo Blog, much as they were for Giantslayer, so I'd start by checking out that project to see a similar format to what this one will look like.

As far as the medium, I'm going to do my best to showcase him for the community in the same way that I did with Oloch the warpriest. Our full stat blocks will eventually be placed in our Dropbox, and I can definitely chat on this thread about what it's like to play a single-classed medium to very high levels!

The best way to keep updated would also be to like our Facebook page, as we'll have tons of content on there all year for Strange Aeons.

I intend to play Erasmus closely to his backstory, channeling the spirits of his deceased family members according to the situations where each of them would be advantageous. That being said, I'd like to focus mainly on the Champion spirit, his older sister Nissa, but I selected the Varisian Tattoo race trait so he's proficient in starknife even when he doesn't channel her.

As he progresses in levels, I'm open to selecting feats according to whatever feels right or seems necessary at the time, but ideally I'd like to take Empath, Eerie Sense, and Harrowed if he ever comes into possession of a Harrow Deck, which I'm really hoping for since I've been looking forward to playing with one of those for some time. As for his skills, I'm going with what I think will be appropriate for his class, but I'd like to concentrate on the ones with occult skill unlocks, which should prove an interesting new addition to our game.

ERASMUS
Varisian human medium 1
N Medium humanoid (human)

AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 10 (1d8+2)
Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3; +1 against charm and compulsion effects

Melee starknife +3 (1d4+3/x3)
Ranged starknife +2 (1d4+3/x3)
Medium spells known (CL 1st; concentration +2)
0 (at will)—grave words, read magic

Feats Spirit Focus (Champion)
Skills Appraise, Diplomacy, Linguistics, Sense Motive

Str 16, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 13

Traits Strange Aeons campaign trait [TBA]; Varisian Tattoo
Alternate Racial Traits Dual Talent

Soundtrack Song: "Eon" by Celldweller (Drop Remix)

For the complete stat block, see our Dropbox shortly after the first Paizo Blog report comes out.

See Erasmus's stunning miniature here!