Recently I got into an argument with another player via PM and they said some some stuff that really stuck my craw. S/He said "It is a game." "It is not real." "Move on." I get that some people can think that way. And I know its fantasy and imagination. I just wasn't expecting that from a fairly active player. For me and most of my friends this is not the case. It has long since become something more than a game. I was wondering if others felt the same way or if we are outliers.
I don't know if there is way to collaborate with other players on the forums without cluttering a recruitment thread so I have made this thread. I also want to keep things anonymous so no emailing. The recruitment requires three characters with a shared background so PM is out. If I can't do this here just say so and I will delete it.
This is for Raltus and The Pale King but if anyone want to through in some ideas, feel free.
The Game:
The Lost Voice wrote:
Hello all, I desire to run another game. My previous game has concluded and I am looking to run another.
Now, that said, what I am looking for is that those that are interested work together with two other individuals that are interested to come up with a good backstory for the three of you. I will only be taking trio submissions, and for the initial accepting I will only be accepting one trio.
For the submissions, the setting is pretty malleable. I'm adaptable, and have the time to make at least a post a day, and manage maybe one or two more, depending on the urgency, though a post a day is what I will strive for. In the event something delays me, I'll at least post in the discussion thread.
There is some game information below, but please, post your interest, and start the search for other partners. If you intend to converse at length, please PM each other. Players of all shades of experience are welcome. If you are paired, please mention it so that others do not spend more time looking than they need. I look forward to seeing what comes, so please, show me your fluff!
...That declaration still sounds a bit silly, but I like it.
The current idea:
Zayne Iwatani wrote:
Had an idea for a new character that would mesh well and maybe the beginning of the group. I was thinking of going the exact opposite direction of the confirmed group but using Pale King's original idea. We could still be from opposing mercenary groups but either adding or replacing it with being from different Martial Traditions. There is one for each main discipline. This works well for a character I forgot about. He's a two-weapon crit fisher. I think Harbinger and Dragon Fury would suit him well and will be from the Crashing Tempest Academy. Being from different schools would give is something to clash on. It also might give us some overlapping disciplines in which to bond over. For instance, Harbinger could possibly share Riven Hourglass and Veiled Moon with a Stalker.
Raltus wrote:
Since we are starting at level 1 we are new recruits of rival merc bands, and they are sending us out for blooding. We are told to protect the others who go but not to become friends since (insert x reason here)
No rules? What does that mean? Good question hypothetical person.
What I mean is exactly that. No crunch, no classes, no feats, nothing. Too often I see build, abilities, items and what not getting too much focus. I see people scrabbling to get every +1 they can get. I see question upon question about what books to use, 3pp or not, supplemental rules, and everything else. And yet, as expansive as Pathfinder is, sometimes there isn't enough to do what you want. You can't get the image in your head to work without stretching the rules. And then theirs the moments when all your hard work falls to pieces because of crap luck. A group beating on an enemy they should be running from because of good optimization and lucky rolls. Or the reverse and a weak enemy murdering the party because of some lucky crits.
Don't get me wrong, its still a lot of fun. Discovering new combinations to make the image in your head work on paper or seeing the DM get frustrated as his carefully thought out encounter doesn't go as envisioned. But it used to be that the DM would roll the dice and tell you how things turned out (Wish I had started in the era of AD&D). There was a lot more imagination and a lot less fact checking. So I think I want to give that a try and see what happens.
So hears the idea:
1) Characters - The only thing on the character sheet would be a backstory, personality, and description. This should be enough to glean what the character can do. If they were a soldier they should be comfortable with most weapons, hold their own in a fight and think tactically. If they are lightly armed and armored it is likely they rely on mobility and flexibility to dodge attacks and use the terrain to move around while aiming for vital points. If they are talkative and charismatic they should be able to gather information easily or talk their were out of fight. A lot of what a character can do will be left to the player's discretion but I'll give you a power level to aim for like 1st-3rd. Or if you just want to say what they can do that'd be fine too.
2) Combat - This will be a learning experience for sure but I think it will benefit the most. I really like it when people describe what their actions are before rolling and even more so when the DM tells you how well that worked. I will be doing that but without the stats behind it. This opens up more opportunities for different tactics, different styles, and different attacks. Each round you will say what you intend to do and roll a d20. This roll is like a luck/effectiveness factor. It is not an absolute measure but I will compare it to the enemies rolls to dictate the flow of combat. High rolls will mean things will go in your favor while low ones will mean difficult times. The strength of the enemy will also factor in. Tough ones will take longer to beat and have more chances for things to turn around while weak ones could be ended in a single action. Never assume you will win though. I will force you to retreat if things are going poorly long enough.
Mock Battle:
Let's say you're a fighter with a sword and shield. You are up against a group of three goblins in a line who aren't aware of you yet. You say something like:
"John charges the center goblin, shield leading the way, intending to bowl him over while he works on the others. He shifts the shield to block his left flank while his sword swipes at the one on his right to end hoping to end him quickly."
I'll counter with: "The right goblin sees the charge coming and cries out a warning in its guttural language. But its warning merely distracts the other two from what is happening. They turn to look at their companion and miss the large human hurtling their way. The middle goblin is launched several feet as the shield crashes into it. The left one swings feebly at the humans flank but his shield appears and in the way. The right one manages not only to dodge the decapitating swing but also stabs his rusty dagger in the humans thigh."
Then John would go again. Two of the goblins rolled lower but as a group, they average better with a really nice roll on the right goblin. So none of them are dead and John has been hit. One human of about level 1 is going to have a tough fight against three goblins. So things are going in their favor.
But again, the rolls are not absolute. If John does something different that sounds a lot cooler then I may just give it to him.
3) Items - This one will be tricky and I imagine they aren't going to play a big part except for story items. Sorry about that. But again, it will be up to player discretion mostly, to decide if they are fully equipped. If you are heading into the wilderness, better tell me you are going to a general goods story to load up on camping gear. I think I'll use Automatic Bonus Progression and Wealth By Level as a guide for the magical gear your likely to have. Or if you want to make up your own stuff, go for it, just keep the power level of your characters in mind. This one will have to be played by ear.
4) Leveling - At certain points I will up the power level of the group as a whole. I'll move the range higher to like 3rd - 5th level. You'll then use that as a basis for what you are capable of and how others see you. Hopefully this will seem more subtle than a magical jump.
The idea is for you to create a character you wouldn't normally be able to in pathfinder or play a favorite class without the rules getting in the way. Might even use the classes as a basis for your description. "He's a sword and board fighter". "She's a magus but more focus on transferring different elements through the blade". I imagine I'd start with a module to test how things go and move to an AP if things work out.
This weekend I will start my first session of Kingmaker with some friends. I have done a lot of research into the campaign setting and book 1 so far and have started branching out into the forum for ideas and suggestions. The problem is, there is A LOT of information. Too much for me to sift through even if I moved it back a month.
So I am asking for help. Anyone got any suggestions on where to look first. And mean specific things, not general ideas to keep in mind when running it. I get that Nyrissa needs to be foreshadowed, that NPC's need to be fleshed out. I want to know how some of you have done that.
For reference I am relatively new to DMing but have been a player for a while. I know this is one of the worst AP's to try and start with but it is just so interesting I wanted to give it a shot. I also recently discovered the usefulness of OneNote in keeping campaign notes organized so that has increased my confidence. The players are all experienced as well. We could only find 3 people who could show up consistently so I allowed them to use gestalt rules to increase versatility and power.
Also the stickied threads at the top of the kingmaker forum by tdewitt274...all the links appear to be broken. I get the error message: "You have made too many requests for the same page too quickly. Please wait a minute before trying again."
The Bronze Lion Tavern was chosen to be the meeting point for the adventurers headed for the Greenbelt. Located in a city on the edge of Lake Rykal made transportation to it easy for both the adventurers and Lord Alystair, representative of the swordlords. It was his duty here to collect the letters of recommendation from those chosen to tame the Stolen Lands and make sure the paperwork for the charter was correct. A thoroughly boring job but important. He collects letters, writes down names, asks for signatures and then shoo's most away to a room in the back. It was specially reserved for this occasion so people could get to know each other. They were going to spend a long time together after this so might as well make a good first impression. A buffet of food is set out on the back table with smaller tables spread around to sit and converse. There are sliced meats, cheese, bread, fruit, and various other foods to snack on. Near the food stand two women ready to pour the drinks available. The acoustics in the room are also good enough that the band sounded like they were in the room without being oppressive.
Only change is that the trade caravan is starting in your home of Dagh Boramm. You know the caravan leader, Thorum Hammerhand, a cousin of Tyr's. Jorn should also have dungeoneering based on your backstory. Dungeoneering is used to find underground hazards and determine depth.
Liath:
Instead of Arma the Lion you met Leon Stroud, one of the Dragonborn and blessed with the dragon's heart. He is also the Leader of the Silver Order and the reason a stranger like you could walk into the order, even with that nice show of skill. You don't know it but he told them of your possible arrival. You can see more about him in the Campaign tab.
Tiasar:
I was a little vague about when the "accident" was that caused the wards to fail. I intended it to be much earlier but I think it will work if it was a few years ago. But not in recent history. An not all of them failed. Just the ones that go across the mountains. Also, Kathar would not have met a Great Wyrm but Obnikjun, the first Dragonborn and the only human to receive a dragon name. You can see him in the Campaign tab. And most of the forces of both armies where killed in the Great Intervention which is why there are so many undead.
Barbie:
Short but simple. I like it. So Hugo is in Bastion as a guard. And the noble lady you worked for lived in a manor just outside the capital.
Stalkid:
The Black Forest is now northeast of Bastion in the foothills of the mountains that go up the eastern side of Ouros. No changes, just a point of reference.
Juskar:
I was thinking Juskar could be from Bastion. The necromancer was a teacher at the school there, taking advantage of the loose discipline and the abundant research material nearby.
Seeing as I got enough interest here is the official recruitment.
The Story:
1048 years.
That is how long its been since the end of the war. And though only the oldest of elves even remember the conflict, all know how it ended. For they are reminded every time they look at the border of their nations and see the soaring peaks of mountain range formed in the span of a single day.
--The story--
The nations of Ouros and Boros were, up until the Great Intervention, at war with each other. This was a war the likes of which no other land could even comprehend. It didn't just last for decades or centuries...but millennium. Thousands of years the two nations had been at odds. Sometimes the two clashed on the border endlessly for years. Other times there was peace to allow the two to recuperate. And just when peace might have actually settled, a spark would ignite the two nations yet again. The war is so old that only the most ancient of dragons even know how it started. And they are as tight lipped as ever. So what could possible put an end aggression built over thousands of years?
The Gods themselves.
Specifically Tiamat and Bahamut. The two great dragon gods of good and evil. And why are these two involved. Again, only the dragons know the whole story. But part of it might be because the Metallic dragons and worshippers of Bahamut controlled the northern Ouros and the Chromatic dragons, worshippers of Tiamat, controlled southern Boros. And because of this schism of beliefs, neither could suffer the other to live peacefully. For in the north, the Metallic's and indeed most of the kingdom of Ouros, believed in the tenets of Bahamut. Honor. Justice. Loyalty. Wisdom. These are the virtues the Metallic dragons try to uphold but without being tyrannical. They prefer to guide the kingdom of Ouros by example. Whereas in Boros, the Chromatic's lead with an iron claw. They beat into the people the virtues of power, strength and greed by any means necessary. And they don't bother hiding their chains of control. Everyone in Boros knows the king is a puppet to an ancient and powerful red dragon that few have ever seen. Volthuryol.
But that is neither here nor there for the current situation. A strange grouping of people, who have yet to discover the power within, have found themselves together and bound for the city of Bastion in southern Ouros. When the gods rent the ground and formed the mountains that now separate the two nations, they created a very dangerous area. The mountain range used to be the front lines of the war where countless soldiers and creatures lost their lives. Now those lost souls wander the mountains as undead, making it all but impassable. And if the undead didn't deter you the forbidding cliffs would. Only one valley through the mountain range was discovered and that is where Bastion began. Great mages from all over flocked to the sight and began work setting up wards along the mountain range and the valley. They joined fellow scholars from Boros in the middle and set up, after many long years, the first land route between the two now peaceful countries. Both nations are bordered on one side by mountains and the other by ocean so this route was much appreciated. Unfortunately it wasn't too long before an "accident" occurred and the wards failed. The valley was abandoned as undead flooded in and since neither side knew what happened, the route was closed. The two nations still distrusted each other but the gods pretty much forbade them from acting against each other.
So Bastion was mostly abandoned and soon fell into disrepair. The walled city still maintains a skeleton crew and the mage college still retains some loyal scholars trying to figure out what happened but the city has significantly fallen in grandeur. It still maintains a decent number of devoutly loyal citizens and it lies on a trade route from the mines to the east and ocean ports to the west. In recent years though it has been the target of bandits who attack the traders headed to and from the city. Many essential goods have been stolen or burned before reaching the city and the small guard left over doesn't have the man power to fight them off. Only time will tell if the city survives.
Crunch:
-22 point buy because I can. None below 10 before racial and none above 18 at all.
-No evil.
-Level 1
-Core races. Anything else, ask. 3pp, no.
-All classes except psionics and summoner. No 3pp.
-Full HP first level and PFS standard after
-average wealth for class
-PFS standard for traits 2 or 3+drawback.
-Backstory. You can take some artistic freedom in this area as the world is still in development. If I like it I will include it or change it to fit what I envision. Must be from Ouros and include a reason to join a trade caravan heading to Bastion or likely to see it on the way. If you want to be from somewhere else, even Boros, know that I will only take one such Foreigner.
-Likely to pick only 5. Would rather take 4 to keep things moving quickly but experience has taught me that someone always bails early.
-1/day post rate minimum but would prefer more.
This is an idea that has been bouncing in my head for a while now and wanted to finally see what I could do with it. I have a beginning, end and much of the in between but I want the world and story to be a joint effort between me and the PC's.
Here is the original interest thread. If you have questions they may have already been answered there.
You are this world's greatest heroes. Your exploits are known far and wide. Your power is both respected and coveted. Your story may even be sung in taverns or transcribed in tomes for others to use as an example. Both for good and bad. You have all triumphed over great odds and attained even greater glory. But you are not done yet. Far from it. Your greatest challenge lies ahead.
And that challenge comes in the form of nondescript letter. It is plain white paper with no seal or signature and appears before you as if out of thin air. When you open it you find a card that merely says "You. Are. Needed." in plain black letters. It is sufficiently cryptic enough to make you wonder and when you flip it over there is a string of numbers and symbols. The first part is easy enough to determine. A Date and Time two months from now. The rest is a little harder to decipher but you eventually determine it to be coordinates. But to where? The middle of a large forest apparently. And a very dangerous one at that. Travelling there, you get plenty of warnings from those nearby of how the place is connected to the fey and has many strange and powerful creatures. Your curiosity continues to rise as well as your determination. At this point their is little in the world that can challenge you let alone harm you so you enter and arrive at the indicated coordinates.
They lead you to a clearing in the immense forest to the ruins of a fort. Only its walls still stand though not for much longer. It is about 40x40 and the forest comes up almost right to the walls. It his here your challenge begins. And you are not alone.
First to post is first to arrive. Second is second to arrive and so on. I will let you guys RP for a bit before starting into he fighting. Let me know if you want anymore info and remember: when in doubt, roll it.
That's right. Do you have a character thought out in your head that would be awesome at level 20 but never got the chance to get there. Well here it is. I know I am asking for a lot of work but the PFSRD has so many CR Holy S$$* What Is That, that I can't resist. I am going to pick 13 engines of the apocalypse to throw at a group of 4-6 PC's and see how they fair. The creatures that is. I have no doubt you will survive. Maybe. I don't yet know what they are or how they will appear (thinking about a Chinese zodiac theme). I want to first see if I can even get people to commit to the work necessary to create an epic character with backstory.
--Rules--
1) Level 20 obviously. But there is a catch. One class. No prestige. No multiclass. One class that your character has dedicated their life to perfecting. Also no psionics or 3pp.
2) Core Races
3) Health is average + whatever else OR if you feel lucky you can roll it. No take backsies.
4) Normal 2 Traits or 3 with drawback.
5) Wealth by level for level 20 PLUS one free magic item of Greater Medium or lower on the tables in the PFSRD.
6) The backstory can be as epic as you want it to be because the world is your oyster. You could even have saved it once before. I don't care. Have fun you cooky kids.
That is how long its been since the end of the war. And though only the oldest of elves even remember the conflict, all know how it ended. For they are reminded every time they look at the border of their nations and see the soaring peaks of mountain range formed in the span of a single day.
--The story--
The nations of Ouros and Boros were, up until the Great Intervention, at war with each other. This was a war the likes of which no other land could even comprehend. It didn't just last for decades or centuries...but millennium. Thousands of years the two nations had been at odds. Sometimes the two clashed on the border endlessly for years. Other times there was peace to allow the two to recuperate. And just when peace might have actually settled, a spark would ignite the two nations yet again. The war is so old that only the most ancient of dragons even know how it started. And they are as tight lipped as ever. So what could possible put an end aggression built over thousands of years?
The Gods themselves.
Specifically Tiamat and Bahamut. The two great dragon gods of good and evil. And why are these two involved. Again, only the dragons know the whole story. But part of it might be because the Metallic dragons and worshippers of Bahamut controlled the northern Ouros and the Chromatic dragons, worshippers of Tiamat, controlled southern Boros. And because of this schism of beliefs, neither could suffer the other to live peacefully. For in the north, the Metallic's and indeed most of the kingdom of Ouros, believed in the tenets of Bahamut. Honor. Justice. Loyalty. Wisdom. These are the virtues the Metallic dragons try to uphold but without being tyrannical. They prefer to guide the kingdom of Ouros by example. Whereas in Boros, the Chromatic's lead with an iron claw. They beat into the people the virtues of power, strength and greed by any means necessary. And they don't bother hiding their chains of control. Everyone in Boros knows the king is a puppet to an ancient and powerful red dragon that few have ever seen. Volthuryol.
But that is neither here nor there for the current situation. A strange grouping of people, who have yet to discover the power within, have found themselves together and bound for the city of Bastion in southern Ouros. When the gods rent the ground and formed the mountains that now separate the two nations, they created a very dangerous area. The mountain range used to be the front lines of the war where countless soldiers and creatures lost their lives. Now those lost souls wander the mountains as undead, making it all but impassable. And if the undead didn't deter you the forbidding cliffs would. Only one valley through the mountain range was discovered and that is where Bastion began. Great mages from all over flocked to the sight and began work setting up wards along the mountain range and the valley. They joined fellow scholars from Boros in the middle and set up, after many long years, the first land route between the two now peaceful countries. Both nations are bordered on one side by mountains and the other by ocean so this route was much appreciated. Unfortunately it wasn't too long before an "accident" occurred and the wards failed. The valley was abandoned as undead flooded in and since neither side knew what happened, the route was closed. The two nations still distrusted each other but the gods pretty much forbade them from acting against each other.
So Bastion was mostly abandoned and soon fell into disrepair. The walled city still maintains a skeleton crew and the mage college still retains some loyal scholars trying to figure out what happened but the city has significantly fallen in grandeur. It still maintains a decent number of devoutly loyal citizens and it lies on a trade route from the mines to the east and ocean ports to the west. In recent years though it has been the target of bandits who attack the traders headed to and from the city. Many essential goods have been stolen or burned before reaching the city and the small guard left over doesn't have the man power to fight them off. Only time will tell if the city survives.
--About the DM--
Hey everyone! This is an interest check for a campaign that has been bouncing around in my head for a while. I have not DM'd on this sight yet but I have been in a number of games and have seen many do's and don't's. I think I could run this efficiently but there will be a learning curve for me and mistakes in the beginning. I also don't have the full story fleshed out completely but I do have the beginning, the end and a lot of the in between. Probably going to be a long one and high level at the end. No req's for the PC's just yet until I see enough interest, don't want to get ahead of myself.
--What I need from you--
I really only need a sign of interest and once I have enough I might open up recruitment. Some other things would be appreciated though such as:
-What interests you specifically? Why does this catch your eye?
-What character do you have in mind? (Note: Dragons play an important role but you will not be involved with many early on. You will be level 1.)
-Suggestions for easy map tools. I am a novice at encounter maps and limited at what I can do. I usually post from work and very few sites work here (No google docs which sucks). Only one really seems to be Roll20 which is probably what I will end up using.
-Post rate. I intend to move fast so I would prefer those that could post more than 1/day. I know that is like the bare minimum for most games but I want to move faster than that. The only time I am lenient is on weekends.
-Anything else you want to add:)
