Be it so known that the bearer of this charter has been charged by the Swordlords of Restov, acting upon the greater good and authority vested within them by the office of the Regent of the Dragonscale Throne, has granted the right of exploration and travel within the wilderness region known as the Greenbelt. Exploration should be limited to an area no further than thirty-six miles east and west and sixty miles south of Oleg’s Trading Post. The carrier of this charter should also strive against banditry and other unlawful behavior to be encountered. The punishment for unrepentant banditry remains, as always, execution by sword or rope. So witnessed on this 24th day of Calistril, under watchful eye of the Lordship of Restov and authority granted by Lord Noleski Surtova, current Regent of the Dragonscale Throne.
The charter the three of you received may just be a simple piece of paper, but it still heralds a fantastic opportunity for you all. Whether it represents a chance to solidify your own reputation, to bilk some yokels out of their money, or to simply get away from civilization for a while. Regardless of the end motivations, you're now on the payroll of the Swordlords, and soon to arrive at Oleg's Trading Post.
Ey folks! To make a long story short, I'm going to be running Carnival of Tears for one of my Kingmaker games. However, I'm thinking a little practice with it would be good as well, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to have a short game here on the forums! So I'm putting out a recruitment for a total of 4 players. Recruitment will be open until the 10th of March.
Point Buy: 15 point buy.
Alignment: Welcome to Team Evil, folks. While you won't be my group exactly, you should still be able to give me an idea of how this game treats those who really don't give a rat's ass about others. Although I would like to note that even though you have to be evil doesn't mean that this isn't a team game. Be willing to work together folks, with backstabbing rising from magical compulsions or extremely good reasons only.
Race: All core races, as well as changelings, tieflings, aasimar, and ratfolk.
Class: You can be a caster only. My group is currently rocking pretty much nothing but casters, so for a better comparison for how things will go. For purposes of what a caster is, use any Paizo class with either 6th-level or 9th-level spell progression.
Skills: Background skills are in effect.
Traits: 2, with one of those being a Kingmaker campaign trait. Drawbacks are allowed.
Other sundries: Characters will be 5th level. Max HP at 1, half+1 after that. 10,500 gp worth of equipment.
Howdy folks. I'm about to run a game for some first-timers to Pathfinder, and I'm throwing in a GMPC to help them out some while they learn the rules. However, I'm having a bit of trouble actually deciding on a good class for this role. That's where you guys come in, though!
The party is currently at 3 people, two of whom have already decided what character concepts they're going with. One's a half-elf sword and board slayer, and the other is going to be a halfling monk. I have narrowed down my options somewhat for which classes I think would be the best fit. Namely I'm torn between a Witch, Life Oracle, or Abjuration School Wizard. Pretty much intend for this to be someone to hand out buffs and debuff the enemy, and not much else. Of course, any other suggestions would be quite nice as well.
A thread for the discussion of your up and coming tyrants!
Going to say outright that your characters are going to have to be evil in Alignment. You'll have a 15 point buy to work with, and any class is acceptable. Trait-wise, you must take two, one of which has to be from this list.
As a general note, Charisma is very important for most roles you could have in your future kingdom.
Hey folks! I'm trying to build an Eldritch Poisoner Alchemist, and dang it if I'm not having some trouble finding out what a good first feat for her would be. Actually, a feat list in general would be nice, as I'm not sure on how to advance with her in general. Any help you folks could give would be greatly appreciated!
Note: Yes, I do realize that Toxicant is technically better. But I like Eldritch Poisoner more flavor-wise.
Howdy folks! So, Changelings are by far one of my favorite races, mainly because I like the flavor of them. I am also quite the fan of the Annis-born trait, Hulking Changeling. For those of you who don't know it off the top of your head, Hulking Changeling gives you a +1 trait bonus to damage for all melee attacks. I know it's nothing earth-shattering, but it still seems like a nice little incentive to build a melee-based changeling.
However, there's one little problem with that: The changeling stat array. -2 constitution, along with a +2 to wisdom and charisma/intelligence make being a melee changeling... less than optimal. However, I for one merely view this as a challenge to be overcome, which led to this lovely little girl! So, in short, I'd like to see how other people have risen to the challenge, and what you guys have done to best utilize the trait.
Hey folks! So, after reading a recent thread about why all undead are evil and if they should be, I started thinking about the hoops a Lich has to leap through in order to achieve their "immortality." And, quite frankly, I'm having some trouble thinking of instances where becoming a Lich isn't something that would make a good person flinch away at least some. Here's a few examples that follow, and I'd like you guys to list yours as well in order to build up a directory of sorts.
Rise of the Runelords Example:
Vorel had to trap the souls of more than a few very long-lived things in order to just make his phylactery, some of which were evil, most of which were not. While technically neutral, I personally think that this falls into the whole "self-serving" evil thing as mentioned in the neutral evil alignment.
MAJOR CARRION CROWN SPOILERS:
The Carrion Crown formula itself requires trapping a good-aligned ghost, tearing the heart out from a potent living being, and building a skull out of the fragments of those who had been pretty much slaughtered and left as restless spirits (who were probably not wholly evil, going by the remaining haunts). Oh, and it has to be force fed to someone related to good old Tar-Baphon himself, which kills the individual and leaves them as an empty shell for the Whispering Tyrant to take over. Not much here for me to find as a good act, in all honesty.
Personal Homegame Lich Monologue!:
"I like a joke as well as the next person lass," Matt would say, his tone calm. "But I'd never joke about that. I was a scared teenager who had to confront his own mortality while being surrounded by immortal monsters. I had been taught for years that if I was to do something, then any means were acceptable to accomplish it. And so I had to perfect the formula, make sure that I would remain meself once I made the change. And that meant testing the end product on various people, to see what happened. That's why I did it.
I looked long and hard for people that met me criteria. Thieves who ruined the people they left behind, murderers, rapists, other general scum o' the earth no one would ever miss. I'd watch in between me other jobs, get to know their habits, their vices, their virtues. Then, when the time was right, I'd take 'em. Make no mistake, lass: Every person I took deserved what was comin' to them. Sure, they got a taste o' power that few others got before, but they also got a swift death to ensure complete study and a lack of loose ends.
What was harder to do was get the notes for comparison purposes. For that, I stole from me teachers. They were the ones who raised me, who taught me that anything that if I was to do something, then I was to do it with no regrets, with no hesitation. Wasn't much of a life, but it was what I had. That, and the extra notes from people who tried to hunt me down simply because of who I worked for, led to my final results. Wonderful, innit?"
In short, have any of you actually had a lich in-game that wasn't evil? And if so, what made it so?
While Cheliax is undeniably (and quite obviously) the greatest of empires in the world today, it seems that even they can't make ship travel too luxurious. While the time you spend aboard the HMS Sarglagon Mortis is certainly one that most sailors would envy, it's still a damp, cramp, and dull affair for anyone used to life on land. Thankfully the crew is perfectly respectable to all of you aboard, though whether this is due to your own reputations, that of the individual that you are escorting, or simple protocol is unclear.
For her part, Lady Dressarosa Arvanxi spent a good deal of her time leaning over the rail or lying in her cabin. Apparently, while Queen Abrogail herself had picked her out for her connection to prominent figures within Korvosa itself, she had not taken into consideration her ability to stand being out on the open ocean.
However, after many days of travel, your journey is finally over. You can finally get off the ship. Nobody seems happier about this than your charge, who seems (despite her decidedly green pallor) delighted to finally be rid of the rocking deck beneath her feet.
"Leandric," she said, pausing to supress one final attempt for her stomach to reject its contents while she did so. "Make a note that while travel by sea is safer than travel through Nidal, both have more than their fair share of unpleasantness. I hope to never be on another ship again for as long as I live. Oh, and Edmund, Tellis. Keep an eye out for Mr. Ruttle, will you? I'd like to sleep as soon as I give my sister a proper greeting."
For Mr. Ruttle:
While there are those that would slander King Eodred II as a bloodsucking stirge who was slowly draining the great city of Korvosa dry with his appetite, the man has done many great things. In fact, thanks to his ability to negotiate and cooperate with Cheliax, you can firmly say that business is better than ever. Between Ambassador Amprei and his dealings with you to claim property, the plentiful nature of trade goods related to diabolism that get sent to the Acadame and other interested parties, and other such wonderful occurrences, and it's hard to see him as anything but his preferred title of the Saffron King.
Now is not the time to focus on this, however. After all, a noble from Cheliax who has been communicating you for months is due to arrive today. She has requested that you handle the purchase of a well-to-do townhouse in the East Shore district of the city. Thankfully, you were able to find a adequate piece of property that had been in financial limbo for quite some time, and were able to negotiate a more than fair price with little hassle. She had given specific instructions to meet her at the docks as soon as she arrived, so that you could lead her servants to her new abode while she went about her own business during her arrival.
Hey folks! I recently got the privilege to apply for a campaign with a starting level of 11. It's Rise of the Runelords, and I've decided that (based on the sheer amount of magic-users present in said campaign) that I want to build something that can give casters a real headache. Enter one of my favorite classes ever: The Bloodrager.
Long story short, I'm making an Arcane Bloodrager that capitalizes on the fact that it can make casting spells a chore. I'm looking for some advice on how it's doing on feats, and what I might be able to do better. For the record, she's a Changeling, which I acknowledge is not really an optimal choice. Regardless of this fact, I am keeping her as that race, because I like the flavor.
STR 23 (19 without belt)
DEX 14
CON 12
INT 8
WIS 12
CHA 14
For those of you who already applied to the prior "For Queen and Country" campaign, you already know the spiel. For those of you who do not, here is what is going on.
Queen Abrogail II has put out a call for groups of heroes that will proudly travel to the former colony of Korvosa as a part of a ambassador's party, with the intent of helping to promote stability and address local (and greater) issues. However, as the situation in Korvosa evolves, there could be potential to gain back the capital of Cheliax's Varisian territories.
In short, this is a re-hashing of Curse of the Crimson Throne. Characters are expected to be loyal to Cheliax, if not nationalists in one form or another. This is a game about knowing what is best for others. This is a game about Chelish traits - the growing and solidifying of power, nationalism, patriotism, and peace through strength. Characters that have backgrounds in line with those themes and strong ties to the Chelish structure (anything from former slave up to aspiring noble) will be given preference. PCs do not need to know each other before the campaign begins, but some ties are certainly fine and even encouraged (read: will probably improve your chances).
Character Creation: Absolutely NO Third Party will be considered. Pathfinder already gives a plethora of options, and I see no need for me to do more work by looking more stuff up.
Attributes: 25 point buy.
Races: Any up to 15 RP.
Classes: Any except the following: Antipaladin, Summoner. Paladins, while permitted, are likely to be a hard sell.
Alignments: Any non-chaotic.
Traits: Three traits, one of which must be a Cheliax regional trait or a trait from Cheliax, Empire of Devils. Drawbacks can be taken for flavor. You will receive no mechanical benefits from taking one.
Starting Level: First.
Starting Gold: Max.
Starting HP: Max. Subsequent levels will be average.
Other Notes: I will be using a custom houserule for flanking. Namely, all that you need to get a flanking bonus is to have more than one ally threatening the same individual. This only applies to creatures (opponents) that are no more than one size category larger than you or smaller. Example: If a pair of halflings are both threatening an ogre, they will have to be in normal flanking positions to gain the benefits. Two humans, however, will be able to receive flanking benefits regardless of positioning as long as they both threaten.
Submission Deadline is December 14th. I will be taking in a grand total of 5 characters.
Hello folks. I'm looking into starting a play-by-post sometime in the eventual future, and I'm... Not the biggest fan of working with maps online. As such, I'm looking to simplify things on myself, and would like some advice on one of the major changes I'm making in this regard.
You see, I'm taking a bit of inspiration from some of the other systems I've played in, and just taking out the placement requirements for flanking. Instead of having to be directly across from another ally, I'm just going to have it so that someone engaging the same person gets the normal flanking bonus and anything else resulting from it. While I can see some of the imbalance that comes from this action, I think it serves as a slightly more accurate representation as well. What would your thoughts be on the matter, and would you have any other suggestions if you disagree with this approach?
So, I have recently completed book three of Carrion Crown, and there's been a mildly unexpected development. One of the PC's in my game has become obsessed with becoming the next packlord. Unfortunately for her, there's a major impediment in her way for this accomplishment: She's a tiefling. As such, getting afflicted by lycanthropy is literally impossible for her. However, as she explored the packs in the area, she discovered what she thinks is a way for her to get what she wants. Namely, she discovered Jezelda. As the campaign has progressed, she has slowly grown to realize that Jezelda is her best chance to get what she wants, and has actually thrown in with worshiping her after meeting with the Jezeldan pack in Feldgrau. She's since managed to take control of the tribe by dominating the Antipaladin in charge, as she found him to be somewhat incompitent in her eyes.
Now I'm trying to figure out how to reward the character and player for this move. I'm thinking of simply making her a werewolf regardless of her actual creature type. However, given how the rest of the campaign is set up, I find myself wondering if this will be too disruptive to later affairs. And so, I find myself in need of advice. Who among you have had members of your party turn into lycanthropes, and how has it turned out for you?
Ey folks. I've recently been able to step outside of my GM chair and have managed to land myself a spot in a Skulls and Shackles campaign. As I was reading through both the player's guide and Pirates of the Inner Sea, I realized that dinosaurs were actually present in the area, thus leading me to create Cristoph Pratt and Lil' Blue, a human and raptor pair from Ilizmagorti that decided to go to the Shackles in order to throw in their lot with people who weren't as close to the Red Mantis.
But I'm quickly finding that my utter lack of experience of working with animal companions myself is limiting the ideas I have for later builds for my dinosaur friend, and so I have turned to you guys for help. Cristoph has the Eye for Talent alternate racial feature, which I decided to put to use by placing that +2 into Lil' Blue's Intelligence. I also gave Lil' Blue Weapon Finesse to boost up his to hit, and he currently has his skill points in Swim and Stealth. Like I said, I'm mostly looking for ideas for the later stages. Any help would be appreciated!
So, I'm going to come right out and say that Carrion Crown is one of my favorite AP's by and large, even with its somewhat disjointed nature. Hell, the posts here in this part of the forum have done nothing but help me get ideas to make it even better.
That being said, I do dislike that the enemy flavor from book to book can be somewhat... one-note. And while I can certainly appreciate it in some ways, a part of me wonders how I could actually help to remedy that situation somewhat. And so, I hit the books. Specifically, I read up on Rule of Fear.
Now I'm trying to figure out the best ways to incorporate things like Belkazen Orcs (which seem like something the Way would like to use, due to their former connection to the Whispering Tyrant), or how to tie in Anaphexia into the plot (Like perhaps replacing the evil faction you're supposed to work with in book five with them).
So, what are your thoughts on this particular line of thinking? Have any suggestions on how to pull something like this off?
So, after about 7 years of being the DM for about every tabletop group I've been a part of, I have finally found a group where I can put up my feet and actually be a PC for a while. I have to say, it's fun to actually be on the other side of the table for a while, and to not actually pay that close of attention to every single part of combat. And I have to say, I'm more than loving the fact that I don't have to go for a serious character, and can actually make as many jokes IC as I want (Because Bards are awesome like that).
That being said, this DM I'm working with has recently asked me to tone down my "zaniness" because he likes a more serious game. And this led me to wondering: When you DM a game, what level of humor do you find acceptable IC? Do you want a completely stone-cold fantasy game, or do you not mind things devolving into Monty Python and the Holy Grail level antics?
Myself, I find that I like having characters who aren't afraid to joke. That's not to say that you can be silly all the time, but that part of me that loves Spiderman, Terry from Batman Beyond, and Harry Dresden knows that humor is a great thing to have as a hero.
