Trumpets

DM Barcas's page

5,346 posts. Alias of Isaac Duplechain (RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32).




2 people marked this as a favorite.

IRON GODS: UNITY'S PROMISE

25 Sarenith 4714

"All within Unity, nothing outside Unity, nothing against Unity, nothing higher than Unity." Thousands of voices speak in unison across the great city of Promise as the afternoon pledge to the Unity Doctrine rings out into the public agoras. Every Citizen in Hermea has spoken those words thousands of times in their lives from the time they could speak as children being raised by the experts of the Hypatia tribe. Twice a day - at the start and end of every day's work duties - the usual fanfare plays on the speakers attached to the sightwindows right as the images of the thirteen tribes and of Mengkare begin to show.

Every Citizen is expected to assemble in one of the thirteen agoras of Promise several minutes before the pledge. The city is built in a way so that every building worked in by Citizens is a close walking distance to one of the circular agoras, each of which is named for the tribe that uses it during formal assemblies. The city itself is built as a circle around the Palace of Humanity on a central hill, where Mengkare and the Council of Enlightenment reside. Great red sandstone walls encircle the city, keeping envious eyes from seeing the marvels inside. Inside Promise, great spires of metal and crystal rise up from the streets. The Citizens live, work, and socialize in these extraordinary buildings, carried up their heights in incredible technological lifts and carried from one spire to the next on raised rails that connect them. Thousands of technological automatons keep the city clean, cook for the population, wait on them in restaurants and in social halls, and complete all the mundane chores that would otherwise unfairly burden them.

Six-thousand, five-hundred and seventy-eight men and women call Promise their home. Thousands more await anxiously for a coveted spot in that number, biding their time as Residents of Hermea in the lands outside Promise. They are the Citizens of Hermea, the vanguard of humanity's progress. Mengkare's vision saw that humanity could be more if they were freed from want and freed from the burden of making difficult decisions with no correct answers. The Citizens are the result of generations of planning, generations of trust in one another and in the Unity Doctrine. Compared to the rest of the world, Hermeans are more intelligent, faster, stronger, healthier, wiser. The pledge is a reminder of how and why they enjoy the advantages that they have now.

In the light of the summer afternoon, the assembled Citizens complete their pledge, speaking in one voice. On some occasions, the Council will make announcements of interests, but no such announcement comes up on the sightwindows. The closing fanfare plays, letting the Citizens know that they are released from their work duties for the day. A few of the Citizens have modified work schedules, but the vast majority of them are free to do whatever pleases them in the afternoon and evening. They slowly disperse from the agoras, with many taking time to chat with one another and plan out their free time. Those who leave patiently wait in queues to take the lift platforms up to the sleek rail carriages, where they will ride to their destination. Some Citizens walk instead, taking in the beautiful day as they meander down the wide streets and through lush parks.

Take an opportunity to describe your character's thoughts and their appearance. We'll get to the action soon enough. Please remember that they (generally) don't have weapons and probably only have the sort of gear that they'd have on their person daily. What does he do at the end of his work day? Who does he speak to?


I have begun a PBP game in which Iron Gods is set in Hermea rather than Numeria. (If you're in my game, I suggest not reading this thread at all.) Obviously, I have to move around some stuff and add a lot of details to Hermea, which is very underdeveloped. My additions are below.

Setting:
Hermea's Founding and the Glorious Endeavor
More than 150 years ago, the gold dragon Mengkare grew fed up with humanity. For generations, he had watched members of squabbling nations and religions swarm over each other like ants, fighting and loving and dying in an endless series of poor decisions, always refusing to realize their natural potential. Yet even as he deplored their lack of foresight, he was fascinated by their dogged resilience—he saw how easily, with a little guidance, they could be prodded and shaped into something truly worthwhile. A magnanimous, high-minded creature by nature, he decided to make the perfection of the human race his personal mission. Mengkare immediately relocated to an uninhabited island in the southern Steaming Sea, where his experiment could go forward without fear of contamination. He then began soliciting volunteers from among humanity’s best and brightest to participate in what he dubbed “the Glorious Endeavor,” a utopian dream that began with the founding of the island’s only city, Promise. Here, safe from warfare and ideological struggle, these paragons of the human race could perfect their arts and bodies, making each successive generation healthier, smarter, and more talented than the one before it. Under the dragon’s careful (and unchallenged) guidance, the small population has grown and thrived. Life is easy and fulfilling in Hermea— or so its ambassadors claim.

Life in Hermea

Here, the government is a massive, sprawling meritocracy, with practically every Citizen wielding some sort of official power depending on her area of expertise. While Mengkare alone has final say over every decision made within his nation’s borders, the dragon is wise enough to allow his subjects to govern themselves in all but the most crucial matters, and to this end he formed the Council of Enlightenment. The 13 members of the Council handle most of the day-to-day duties of governance, gathering information and advising the dragon on important matters.

The shores of Hermea are heavily defended, and outsiders are only rarely allowed access beyond the carefully regulated trading docks. Immigration is strictly controlled by Mengkare himself, and the only way for an outsider to become a Citizen is to be recruited by one of the nation’s traveling undercover scouts, who follow the exploits of every nation’s heroes and report back to the Council of Enlightenment, delivering invitations to those foreign notables deemed worthy. These invitees are granted a one-time offer to join the nation’s slow march toward perfection and live a life of comfort and security. All that’s required in return is for the applicant to cede all personal authority to Mengkare, agreeing to abide by the dragon’s considerable wisdom in all matters.

Nearly all aspects of life in Hermea are decided by a set of rules and regulations sent down from Mengkare. New rules are announced in the Great Square at the base of the capitol’s hill by the gold dragon. Each of these regulations is written down by scribes; each Citizen has a copy of every current order and rule given by Mengkare, and is expected to follow these general policies and procedures. In many ways, society is similar to a military organization in its design. Each individual reports to another (with promotions made by decision of Mengkare by recommendation of the Council) in a strict hierarchy. Violations of these directives are to be corrected by a rule-breaker’s overseer as compassionately and professionally as possible, but repeated or flagrant violations are not tolerated.

Citizenship

Children born in Hermea are given every advantage—educated in magic, art, science, and the martial disciplines according to their interests—until they are 16 years of age. At that point, they are tested by the Council and frequently offered the chance to become Citizens. Children who refuse or are deemed unworthy are sent away and never permitted to make contact with Hermea again. Mating and partnering among Citizens is encouraged, but the courtship process is long and frequently guided by government officials in charge of helping to naturally breed beneficial traits. While the island is primarily populated by humans, Mengkare occasionally allows in members of other humanoid races if they distinguish themselves adequately in a given field if he feels they could be an asset to the community’s genetic pool. Adding the occasional elf, for instance, tends to ensure a long-lived and physically attractive population.

There are thirteen tribes that a Citizen of Hermea might be sorted into upon Citizenship. These tribes give each Citizen his or her surname: Alkaeus, Diocles, Epaphras, Hagne, Hypatia, Lucarus, Nikephoros, Origines, Pelagio, Rhodean, Themostila, Xanthip, and Zyphros. Each of these tribes has a general focus, such as the Lucarus specialty of military tactics and leadership or the Rhodean specialty of child-raising and education. Each of the thirteen tribes has 500 members, divided into five centuries, and is represented at the Council by a consul – the tribe’s most prominent Citizen (as determined by Mengkare). Each of the five centuries is led by a tribune that reports to the consul, and each tribune has ten legates that manage a family of ten. New Citizens are selected from prospective Citizens and placed into the tribe to fill any vacancies immediately after they occur. Once assigned to a tribe, a Citizen cannot switch to another one; asking for a transfer is seen as doubting the wisdom of Mengkara. The Citizen receives a prefix denoting his or her place in the tribe: ex- for Citizens, tal- for legates, et- for the tribunes, and sun- for the consuls. (For example, a Citizen of the Lucarus tribe named Pytros would bear the full name of Pytros ex-Lucarus, while the legate of his family would have the surname tal-Lucarus.)

Those who are not assigned to a tribe, but still deemed fit for Citizenship, are sent to the farms of rural Hermea to await their selection. They are expected to live their lives in the same fashion as Citizens, and those who do so are sometimes rewarded to fill a needed vacancy in Promise. Citizens from the Zyphros tribe watch over the Residents (who are prospective Citizens) as they work in the farms and select their mates for breeding (much as the Rhodean Citizens chart and plan bloodlines to assign romantic mates). Long-term romantic relationships are not allowed; if a romantic partnership does not result in the conception of a child within the first year, it is to be terminated. Romantic relationships that are not the result of assignment must be approved by Mengkare, and are subject to the same guidelines. Once a child is born, it is separated from its parents and placed with the Rhodean tribe for raising and education; it is prohibited to query the identity of one's parents without the express permission of Mengkare.

Generally, a female citizen is expected to have two to three children over adulthood. Most citizens receive their first such assignment before the age of 20. When assigned to mate, the prospective parents will live together in a double-size apartment to aid in conception. Each citizen has a fair amount of space and lives alone (generally) in an apartment. Apartments are assigned by tribe, generally with a century all living in a given building. Legates, tribunes, and consuls receive larger residences with more amenities as a reward for their service.

Recreational sexual behavior is fairly regulated but not prohibited. Unless attempting to conceive a child as assigned or allowed, contraceptive methods are expected. Conceiving a child without permission is absolutely prohibited. No given pair can engage in an active sexual relationship for a period longer than two days unless they are in the process of conceiving. They must petition Mengkare for permission to continue the relationship beyond that point for the purpose of bearing children (up to the one-year limit). These self-originated relationships are heavily scrutinized for appropriate suitability (both in terms of producing children that will benefit the genetic pool and in terms of not being a disruptive development) before approval. Occasionally, the Rhodeans will secretly manipulate a situation to organically introduce a pair in the hopes that they will select each other as mates willingly; this is done as an experiment to see if it produces superior specimens. Homosexuality is not prohibited, but these Citizens are not exempt from being assigned to have children. While Hermean society has a tolerant, progressive worldview, a sense of decorum is expected as far as sexual behavior is concerned.

The Unity Doctrine

While Hermea’s few dealings with the outside world are always fair and polite, if standoffish, not everyone agrees with the country’s goals. To many, the idea of breeding humans like horses or dogs is inherently distasteful, and several major religions (particularly the faiths of Desna, Erastil, Sarenrae, and Shelyn) have condemned the nation’s mission, though their ire may be more inflamed by Mengkare’s staunch refusal to allow any form of organized religion on the island.

Religious beliefs are entirely prohibited, as Mengkare feels that they distract Citizens from their duty to improve themselves and the human condition. In addition to following Mengkare’s commands and rules, Citizens are expected to follow a humanist philosophy that they call the Unity Doctrine. The Unity Doctrine has the following principles: that the desires of the individual are secondary to the needs of the collective, and any individual who believes otherwise is a danger to the community; that science and reason are the key to solving all programs, and belief in the gods are superstitious fealty to powerful, uncaring beings; while all Citizens are to be trained in defense of Hermea, private ownership of weaponry is forbidden and violence against other Citizens is prohibited; and that all of an individual’s needs should be met so that there is no need for greed or selfish desires.

For Hermea’s Residents, the nation remains a shining bastion of virtue, humanity’s best hope of transcending its petty conflicts and achieving lasting greatness. Every decision in the country is made for the greater good, as determined by Mengkare, who genuinely believes in his goal and therefore remains righteous and pure, even when forced to order distasteful actions such as the termination of Citizens who prove disappointing or threaten to disrupt the system. The dragon strives to give his subjects as much free will as he feels they can handle— after all, he’s picked the best and brightest, and believes they ought to be allowed to follow their passions toward greatness—but he has no problem enforcing absolute law when the need arises. What’s more, since all who accept an invitation to join Hermea are required to sign a contract ceding all free will to him before they’re allowed to enter, Mengkare knows his authority is just and legal, and any subjects unwilling to lay down their lives for the cause should have read the invitation more closely.

Enlightenment

With its lofty goals and comfortable, progressive society, Hermean Citizenship is coveted the world over, and many are the disappointed applicants who sail far across the ocean only to be politely but firmly turned away at Promise’s sandstone walls. (Occasionally, the disenfranchised try to land elsewhere on the island and infiltrate the community via stealth, but these hopeful souls are rarely heard from again.) Invitations to join the community are not issued lightly, and each year only a few men and women from across Golarion are welcomed to Hermea’s shores. Each of these is the result of careful study by agents of the Council of Enlightenment, who sometimes follow a prospective Citizen for years before finally revealing themselves, often posing as cohorts, advisors, or bards seeking to chronicle a hero’s deeds. Once an invitation is issued, the recipient has as long as he or she desires to respond, but all decisions are final once made. Once an invitation is accepted, the new Citizen is showered with gifts and transported at the nation’s expense to her new home, where she signs the infamous Contract of Citizenship in the presence of Mengkare himself, and is then set up in the city with everything she needs to begin her new life of enlightenment.

Occasionally, for whatever reason, a Citizen falls from grace or a child born on Hermea fails to pass the tests required to prove his exemplary status. When this happens, the Council does its best to work with the Citizen to resolve any problems that might be leading to disenfranchisement or sub-par performance. If its efforts are not successful, the offending party is quietly sent away in disgrace, and the community does its best to move forward. Hermean society’s understanding in these cases is that the undesirables are returned to mainland Avistan with enough supplies to make their way in the world, and any charred corpses that wash up on the island’s shores are generally believed to be the work of pirates.

Promise

Promise, the only large settlement of note on Hermea (population 6,578) is surrounded by red sandstone walls so high as to make its buildings invisible from the sea, with only the extensive docks in its harbor offering sanctuary to brave, blue-water sailors. Inside, its spires and domes are marvels of modern architecture, and its streets and arching skybridges are kept meticulously clean. Commerce is virtually nonexistent, as Citizens are encouraged to take whatever they need and give freely to others, with those who abuse the system regulated by their neighbors and the Council. Atop a low hill rests the palatial capitol building, its walls gleaming with gold, which houses the Council of Enlightenment and Mengkare himself.

Life in Hermea, whether in Promise proper or on one of the farms that support it (for agriculture has its innovators as well), is just as wonderful as the stories tell. And if those few sailors allowed to trade there whisper of an undercurrent of fear, of rebels hiding in the forests on the far side of the island or infiltrating the Council of Enlightenment itself, then they must surely be mistaken.

Technology in Hermea

Promise is a true technological marvel, boasting a fusion of magic and science that is not seen anywhere else on Golarion. The soldiers who defend the island are armed with incredible weaponry: firearms that are easier to use than wands yet produce incredible flames, blades that can cut through any metal, and shields of force produced by technology rather than magic. Citizens are assisted by simple mechanical servants who aid them with any household tasks they might need. Doctors treat injuries with alchemical remedies rather than banned divine magic, and technological limbs are standard for those grievously injured. Those Citizens who arrive in Promise after living elsewhere in Golarion are amazed by the technology, which far surpasses even that of Alkenstar, but it is simply a fact of life for Hermeans.

No one can explain its source, only that Mengkare gifted it to humanity upon the beginnings of the Glorious Endeavor. The technological wonders of Hermea cannot be sold or brought outside the borders of the island; the penalty for spreading the gifted technology to non-Hermeans is immediate execution. This policy has kept the technology from spreading. Most scholars outside the country have no idea that the hermetic kingdom hoards such extraordinary devices.

Use of technology is widespread. Most citizens take it all for granted. Inside Promise, transit trains connect the different parts of the city on raised rails that jump from spire to spire. Citizens can communicate with one another by whisperlines, small handheld devices that can carry messages to one another. Any number of convenience devices exist, brought on by the urge to innovate and to make human life easier. Cybernetics replace missing or injured limbs and organs, with doctors and surgeons capable of treating disease and injury far more effectively than even most magic. Even the doors of the island are opened by key cards, distributed based on need (for one's personal quarters, for instance) or by role. Recording devices that capture images and sounds can be played back on sightwindow devices. Several of these devices have been placed in the public squares to pass along messages and transmit instructions to the population.

Some have rumored that Mengkare holds still more gifts for humanity, and that he is waiting until they are ready to use them properly and appropriately. The devices are all powered by a pollution-free electricity generation plant in the center of Promise. Items are generally powered by batteries called silverdisks.

If you read all of that, what do you think? Read below for my thoughts on the backstory. (If you're in my game, please don't read it unless you want to ruin the fun.)

Secrets:
The Divinity crashed on the largely uninhabited island of Hermea rather than Numeria. Promise is built atop the Divinity, which is the source of the technology that fills Promise. Mengkare happened to pick this place for his experiment, landing on the island and making contact with Unity inside the ship. Unity entrapped and enslaved Mengkare, giving him plenty of cybernetics to control him. Unity has been trying unsuccessfully to gain full godhood through the androids on the ship, but has been unable to cross the final threshold. Mengkare gave Unity the idea to breed humanity to achieve its goal, and Unity one-upped him by experimenting on the first generation of humans to create human-android hybrids. These hybrids are essentially indistinguishable from humans (other than being smarter, stronger, and faster), but Unity is using them as a massive neural network to increase his divine power. Unity has the same ultimate goal, which is to enslave the entire world.

The PCs will uncover this conspiracy quickly, discovering that they are essentially advanced androids and that they are being used by an evil AI intent on attaining godhood and enslaving everyone in the world.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

    The party members:
  • Simeon ex-Themostila
  • Artemios ex-Lucarus
  • Archelaos ex-Nikephoros
  • Valarius ex-Epaphras
  • Soractus ex-Alkaeus
  • Dryth ex-Themostila


Welcome, players! I am recruiting for an Iron Gods Adventure Path! This game has a significant twist, however: the setting with be in Hermea, rather than Numeria. Please read the rather lengthy introduction in the following spoiler for information about this setting.

Setting Information:

INTRODUCTION

Much of what follows is directly from the Inner Sea World Guide, with the necessary adaptations for this heavily-modified Adventure Path.

More than 150 years ago, the gold dragon Mengkare grew fed up with humanity. For generations, he had watched members of squabbling nations and religions swarm over each other like ants, fighting and loving and dying in an endless series of poor decisions, always refusing to realize their natural potential. Yet even as he deplored their lack of foresight, he was fascinated by their dogged resilience—he saw how easily, with a little guidance, they could be prodded and shaped into something truly worthwhile. A magnanimous, high-minded creature by nature, he decided to make the perfection of the human race his personal mission. Mengkare immediately relocated to an uninhabited island in the southern Steaming Sea, where his experiment could go forward without fear of contamination. He then began soliciting volunteers from among humanity’s best and brightest to participate in what he dubbed “the Glorious Endeavor,” a utopian dream that began with the founding of the island’s only city, Promise. Here, safe from warfare and ideological struggle, these paragons of the human race could perfect their arts and bodies, making each successive generation healthier, smarter, and more talented than the one before it. Under the dragon’s careful (and unchallenged) guidance, the small population has grown and thrived. Life is easy and fulfilling in Hermea— or so its ambassadors claim.

Here, the government is a massive, sprawling meritocracy, with practically every citizen wielding some sort of official power depending on her area of expertise. While Mengkare alone has final say over every decision made within his nation’s borders, the dragon is wise enough to allow his subjects to govern themselves in all but the most crucial matters, and to this end he formed the Council of Enlightenment. The 13 members of the Council handle most of the day-to-day duties of governance, gathering information and advising the dragon on important matters.

The shores of Hermea are heavily defended, and outsiders are only rarely allowed access beyond the carefully regulated trading docks. Immigration is strictly controlled by Mengkare himself, and the only way for an outsider to become a citizen is to be recruited by one of the nation’s traveling undercover scouts, who follow the exploits of every nation’s heroes and report back to the Council of Enlightenment, delivering invitations to those foreign notables deemed worthy. These invitees are granted a one-time offer to join the nation’s slow march toward perfection and live a life of comfort and security. All that’s required in return is for the applicant to cede all personal authority to Mengkare, agreeing to abide by the dragon’s considerable wisdom in all matters.

Nearly all aspects of life in Hermea are decided by a set of rules and regulations sent down from Mengkare. New rules are announced in the Great Square at the base of the capitol’s hill by the gold dragon. Each of these regulations is written down by scribes; each citizen has a copy of every current order and rule given by Mengkare, and is expected to follow these general policies and procedures. In many ways, society is similar to a military organization in its design. Each individual reports to another (with promotions made by decision of Mengkare by recommendation of the Council) in a strict hierarchy. Violations of these directives are to be corrected by a rule-breaker’s overseer as compassionately and professionally as possible, but repeated or flagrant violations are not tolerated.

Children born in Hermea are given every advantage—educated in magic, art, science, and the martial disciplines according to their interests—until they are 16 years of age. At that point, they are tested by the Council and frequently offered the chance to become citizens. Children who refuse or are deemed unworthy are sent away and never permitted to make contact with Hermea again. Mating and partnering among citizens is encouraged, but the courtship process is long and frequently guided by government officials in charge of helping to naturally breed beneficial traits. While the island is primarily populated by humans, Mengkare occasionally allows in members of other humanoid races if they distinguish themselves adequately in a given field if he feels they could be an asset to the community’s genetic pool. Adding the occasional elf, for instance, tends to ensure a long-lived and physically attractive population.

There are thirteen tribes that a citizen of Hermea might be sorted into upon citizenship. These tribes give each citizen his or her surname: Alkaeus, Diocles, Epaphras, Hagne, Hypatia, Lucarus, Nikephoros, Origines, Pelagio, Rhodean, Themostila, Xanthip, and Zyphros. Each of these tribes has a general focus, such as the Lucarus specialty of military tactics and leadership or the Rhodean specialty of child-raising and education. Each of the thirteen tribes has 500 members, divided into five centuries, and is represented at the Council by a consul – the tribe’s most prominent citizen (as determined by Mengkare). Each of the five centuries is led by a tribune that reports to the consul, and each tribune has ten legates that manage a family of ten. New citizens are selected from prospective citizens and placed into the tribe to fill any vacancies immediately after they occur. Once assigned to a tribe, a citizen cannot switch to another one; asking for a transfer is seen as doubting the wisdom of Mengkara. The citizen receives a prefix denoting his or her place in the tribe: ex- for citizens, tal- for legates, et- for the tribunes, and sun- for the consuls. (For example, a citizen of the Lucarus tribe named Pytros would bear the full name of Pytros ex-Lucarus, while the legate of his family would have the surname tal-Lucarus.)

Those who are not assigned to a tribe, but still deemed fit for citizenship, are sent to the farms of rural Hermea to await their selection. They are expected to live their lives in the same fashion as citizens, and those who do so are sometimes rewarded to fill a needed vacancy in Promise. Citizens from the Zyphros tribe watch over the prospective citizens as they work in the farms and select their mates for breeding (much as the Rhodean citizens chart and plan bloodlines to assign romantic mates). Long-term romantic relationships are not allowed; if a romantic partnership does not result in the conception of a child within the first year, it is to be terminated. Romantic relationships that are not the result of assignment must be approved by Mengkare, and are subject to the same guidelines. Once a child is born, it is separated from its parents and placed with the Rhodean tribe for raising and education; it is prohibited to query the identity of one's parents without the express permission of Mengkare.

While Hermea’s few dealings with the outside world are always fair and polite, if standoffish, not everyone agrees with the country’s goals. To many, the idea of breeding humans like horses or dogs is inherently distasteful, and several major religions (particularly the faiths of Desna, Erastil, Sarenrae, and Shelyn) have condemned the nation’s mission, though their ire may be more inflamed by Mengkare’s staunch refusal to allow any form of organized religion on the island.

Religious beliefs are entirely prohibited, as Mengkare feels that they distract citizens from their duty to improve themselves and the human condition. In addition to following Mengkare’s commands and rules, citizens are expected to follow a humanist philosophy that they call the Unity Doctrine. The Unity Doctrine has the following principles: that the desires of the individual are secondary to the needs of the collective, and any individual who believes otherwise is a danger to the community; that science and reason are the key to solving all programs, and belief in the gods are superstitious fealty to powerful, uncaring beings; while all citizens are to be trained in defense of Hermea, private ownership of weaponry is forbidden and violence against other citizens is prohibited; and that all of an individual’s needs should be met so that there is no need for greed or selfish desires.

Yet for Hermea’s residents, the nation remains a shining bastion of virtue, humanity’s best hope of transcending its petty conflicts and achieving lasting greatness. Every decision in the country is made for the greater good, as determined by Mengkare, who genuinely believes in his goal and therefore remains righteous and pure, even when forced to order distasteful actions such as the termination of citizens who prove disappointing or threaten to disrupt the system. The dragon strives to give his subjects as much free will as he feels they can handle— after all, he’s picked the best and brightest, and believes they ought to be allowed to follow their passions toward greatness—but he has no problem enforcing absolute law when the need arises. What’s more, since all who accept an invitation to join Hermea are required to sign a contract ceding all free will to him before they’re allowed to enter, Mengkare knows his authority is just and legal, and any subjects unwilling to lay down their lives for the cause should have read the invitation more closely.

With its lofty goals and comfortable, progressive society, Hermean citizenship is coveted the world over, and many are the disappointed applicants who sail far across the ocean only to be politely but firmly turned away at Promise’s sandstone walls. (Occasionally, the disenfranchised try to land elsewhere on the island and infiltrate the community via stealth, but these hopeful souls are rarely heard from again.) Invitations to join the community are not issued lightly, and each year only a few men and women from across Golarion are welcomed to Hermea’s shores. Each of these is the result of careful study by agents of the Council of Enlightenment, who sometimes follow a prospective citizen for years before finally revealing themselves, often posing as cohorts, advisors, or bards seeking to chronicle a hero’s deeds. Once an invitation is issued, the recipient has as long as he or she desires to respond, but all decisions are final once made. Once an invitation is accepted, the new citizen is showered with gifts and transported at the nation’s expense to her new home, where she signs the infamous Contract of Citizenship in the presence of Mengkare himself, and is then set up in the city with everything she needs to begin her new life of enlightenment.

Promise is a true technological marvel, boasting a fusion of magic and science that is not seen anywhere else on Golarion. The soldiers who defend the island are armed with incredible weaponry: firearms that are easier to use than wands yet produce incredible flames, blades that can cut through any metal, and shields of force produced by technology rather than magic. Citizens are assisted by simple mechanical servants who aid them with any household tasks they might need. Doctors treat injuries with alchemical remedies rather than banned divine magic, and technological limbs are standard for those grievously injured. Those citizens who arrive in Promise after living elsewhere in Golarion are amazed by the technology, which far surpasses even that of Alkenstar, but it is simply a fact of life for Hermeans.

Occasionally, for whatever reason, a citizen falls from grace or a child born on Hermea fails to pass the tests required to prove his exemplary status. When this happens, the Council does its best to work with the citizen to resolve any problems that might be leading to disenfranchisement or sub-par performance. If its efforts are not successful, the offending party is quietly sent away in disgrace, and the community does its best to move forward. Hermean society’s understanding in these cases is that the undesirables are returned to mainland Avistan with enough supplies to make their way in the world, and any charred corpses that wash up on the island’s shores are generally believed to be the work of pirates.

Promise, the only large settlement of note on Hermea (population 6,578) is surrounded by red sandstone walls so high as to make its buildings invisible from the sea, with only the extensive docks in its harbor offering sanctuary to brave, blue-water sailors. Inside, its spires and domes are marvels of modern architecture, and its streets and arching skybridges are kept meticulously clean. Commerce is virtually nonexistent, as citizens are encouraged to take whatever they need and give freely to others, with those who abuse the system regulated by their neighbors and the Council. Atop a low hill rests the palatial capitol building, its walls gleaming with gold, which houses the Council of Enlightenment and Mengkare himself.

Life in Hermea, whether in Promise proper or on one of the farms that support it (for agriculture has its innovators as well), is just as wonderful as the stories tell. And if those few sailors allowed to trade there whisper of an undercurrent of fear, of rebels hiding in the forests on the far side of the island or infiltrating the Council of Enlightenment itself, then they must surely be mistaken.

Themes

I hope the above setting interests you. It will allow us to explore some very interesting concepts. Philosophical inspirations for this game will be dystopian novels such as Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World, as well as science fiction stories that question reality and go into questions about technology, such as The Matrix and Battlestar Galactica. You will eventually (spoiler alert) have to rebel against the Hermean order, so the game will have a subversive espionage/social aspect as well. Technology will be prominent. Reading the Technology Guide is recommended. Not all of the technology is available, but it is good to know about.

Expectations

I am looking for six players to join me in this story. I have high expectations for my games. I currently run two games on this forum: a Kingmaker game that I have run for four years (currently in Book 3) and a Skull and Shackles game that I have run for two years (currently in Book 2). Both are fairly heavily modified to meet my stories' needs. The players that I select will be expected to post high-quality posts. Quality is more important than quantity. I generally post every 2 to 3 days (though I will speed up if I can get everyone on at the same time), and I would much rather have one excellent post every few days over a daily post that is barely more than one line of dialogue. Here is a sample from my Skull and Shackles campaign, so that you understand the sort of game that I have to offer. You will be able (and expected) to explore your character's motivations, interests, fears, insecurities, and triumphs. Play-by-post is the single best vehicle to have a heavily-roleplayed game.

Character Generation

As a Hermean character, you will be expected to be human (though you may have some other heritage). However, you will be a 20-point-buy character with a starting value of 12 in each statistic. No statistic can go below 12 or above 20 (after racial modifiers). This allows, for instance, a 20-16-16-12-12-12, 19-16-14-14-14-14, or 20-18-12-12-12-12. You will also receive an extra feat and skill rank of your choice. You must be trained in at least one Knowledge and one Profession/Craft skill.

Divine characters are initially not allowed. As you discover the dark secrets of Hermea, you may be exposed to religious beliefs and be able to take levels in divine classes. Thus, the following classes are not allowed in character creation: cleric, druid, paladin, oracle, witch (as a patron is similar in role), shaman, and warpriest.

When creating a character, please include a 1-2 line elevator pitch, and a Ten Minute Background. (If you are unfamiliar with this fantastic character-building tool, check this character's "Background" tab for an example.) A further narrative history is good if you want to flesh things out, but it's not necessary. A stat-block or a completed character profile isn't necessary, but I won't stop you from making one. If you do make a stat block for your character, please use the standard Hero Lab format.

An important aspect of your character's background should be a time in which his or her faith in Hermea, Mengkare, Promise, or the Unity Principle has been shaken. Also, I've only assigned two of the tribes to their roles. The rest of the tribe names are first-come, first-serve. If you like a tribe name and choose it for your character, please define what a particular tribe's role in Promise is. (Presumably your character's presence in the tribe will make sense.)

Timeline

I will leave this recruitment open for one week, closing it on February 1st at 6:00 am (Central Time). I may or may not select some of the players before then if an entry is particularly compelling. I will probably ask follow-up questions to flesh out characters or get more information.


This will be the OOC thread for the third chapter of our Kingmaker game.


Welcome to the third chapter of Kingmaker.


I am about to start running an in-person Kingmaker game. My potential players and I are thinking of running it as an exile-type game; they would all be half-elves, half-orcs, aasimar, and tieflings, who feel like they have no home of their own.

Now, to differentiate it from my play-by-post game, I am thinking of different villains and story arcs. I've narrowed it down to two ideas. Both of them assume the deletion of the fey aspect, including Nyrissa.

First: Change the order so that Varnhold Vanishing is the climax of the book. Vordekai would be a very high-level lich, a bit lower than the Whispering Tyrant (CR 26). He would likely take Restov in addition to Brevoy, giving him armies upon armies of undead.

Second: Have Numeria turn Pitax into a puppet state, and invade Brevoy from the west with ever-evolving gear-men and androids. Pitax, if it still stands, could simultaneously attack the PCs' kingdom. They would have to fight them back and eventually lead armies into battle to seize Starfall to kill the Black Sovereign.


Welcome to the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path!

PLAYER CHARACTERS
Iokab Steele, Human Male Gunslinger (25)
John Rawkins, Human Male Ranger (23)
Beshra Bleak, Tiefling Female Oracle (21)
Ollivor Myles, Human Male Sorcerer (19)
Doran Tidewrack, Halfling Male Rogue (21)
Vrunyar Magmabeard, Dwarf Male Alchemist (57)
Synthia Candle, Human Female Rogue (22)

24 Abadius 2413

The Empty Lighthouse sits at the dock in Souston, a small fishing town on the Andoran coast on the edge of Star Bay. The town is a beautiful little fishing village a few hundred miles from the capital, though it looks like it has seen more prosperous days. As the small crew of the small two-masted corvette moves cargo off of the boat and onto the wooden dock, the ship's captain steps onto the swaying slats. The boat itself is a beauty - if one can appreciate a rickety piece of flotsam with sails and not enough sense to sink. Fading blue paint peels off the hull as the waves quietly crash against the name emblazoned on the side of the rocking ship, which appears to lack any sort of weaponry entirely. The square and triangular sails flap in the wind, which also threatens to pull off the captain's tricorn hat.

The captain looks around at the assembled citizens at the dock. A few dozen people stand there, some more cautious than others. Souston is a more common target for piracy and raids, leaving the citizenry with the ability to quickly seek shelter. The captain, an older human with a trim goatee flecked with gray and bright green eyes, takes his hat off and presses it against his chest with a slight bow. "Good morning! I am Captain Henray Morgan Jonas , and I appreciate your town's hospitality. I've got goods to sell - from Absalom and further away - should any of your merchants wish to take a look." He calls out to the nearest crew member, a halfling barely taller than most children. "Doran! Would you open up that crate and show off our wares?" The halfling pries open the wooden crate and pulls out a roll of fine Osirian linen. The citizens nod appreciatively at the high-quality items for trade, apparently pleased with the possibility of barter or purchase.

The crew brings the crates out and has them opened up, taking coin and trade under the watchful eye of Jonas. He smiles and jokes with the crew, something they reciprocate. The crew is clearly happy despite being vastly understaffed. Captain Jonas stands atop one of the crates and shouts for the attention of the now-swelling crowd. "We will be continuing on to Sargava, with stops in some of the major ports along the waey - except for Cheliax." A small cheer goes up through the crowd at the dig against their former colonial masters. "I'll be taking on both passengers and crew members. For the former, I don't charge much, and for the latter, I pay well. The ship might not look like much, but I guarantee that I can outrun any pirate who might want the valuable goods on board. We leave at dawn tomorrow. Come talk to me if you wish to sail aboard the Empty Lighthouse."

Vrunyar booked passage in Absalom, whereas Doran has been given work there as a crew member. Ollivor, John, and Iakob are all at the port looking for work and/or passage. (Beshra and Synthia are starting elsewhere.)


Let's start assembling, crew!


It seems a fine day for piracy, my friends.

I am starting a new campaign - the Skull and Shackles Adventure Path!

I have DMed Kingmaker (now mid-way through Book 2) since January 2011. We have posted over 4000 in-game posts. Having lost three of our original players, we have replaced them and continued along. We've survived a handful of occasional hiatuses, but I am of the belief that it is amongst the best PBPs on this forum. Have a read of it. (Part I Link). (Part 1.5 Link). (Part 2 Link). Please take a look, because this is the quality of writing that I expect from my players.

I've had a few other games that let momentum and player loss snare them down - Kingmaker of Korvosa, one of my most ambitious games, fell prey to this along with my schedule. However, I've remained committed to my Kingmaker game, and I will remain committed to this game in the same fashion so long as the players do. I have one caveat, however - I am a police detective assigned to the Houston Police Department's Homicide Division. My schedule can be extremely variable. There are periods where I can be on a case non-stop for days, and other periods in which I have as much free time as I can handle.

Okay, if you're not scared off yet, let's talk about the game.

Here is what I envision: minimal plunder, looting, and pillaging. I am looking for a Chaotic Good motley crew of Firefly-types with an appreciation for the freedom of the water and the willingness to fight for it. Think smugglers and privateers rather than pirates. What I am not looking for is a bunch of rape-and-murder types looking to indulge dark fantasies. I am looking for characters with interesting backstories, who would mesh well together. Characters should be three-dimensional with personality, desires, and flaws. Disagreement between characters should be a natural occurrence based on strongly-held beliefs, although they shouldn't derail the game. Knowledge of the Golarion setting is assumed and should be worked into the character.

Mechanically, this will be point-buy with 20 points. I strongly disfavor stat dumps, especially Charisma, without appropriate story justification. I also disfavor gimmicky characters. Two traits are allowed, and neither is required to be from the S&S Player's Guide. Considerably more effort should be on the personality, and a character sheet is merely encouraged. Anything legal in Pathfinder Society is allowed. All races are allowed, but I have a bit of a bias towards humans and will likely pick only a few non-humans.

One question that must be answered is why your character would be on a trip from Absalom to Eledar in Sargava, or to/from any port along the way. (Unlike the Player's Guide, you will not start in Port Peril. You will also not start as a pirate, but merely crew or passenger in a passenger ship.)

I will be taking applications until Wednesday, 1/23/13. I haven't decided how many people I will take. It will be between 4 and 7, depending on the exact needs of the party.

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. If you don't have a posting history, I'm still happy to consider you but may ask for a writing sample.


Cool! Sounds like a few subsystems will be included. Any idea if they'll be reprinted as-is from their sources (such as Kingmaker's kingdom rules), or will they be tweaked?


Absalom is the City at the Center of the World. Founded and created thousands of years ago when Aroden, the now-dead god of humanity, raised the Starstone from the depths of the Inner Sea. Hundreds of thousands of souls, of all races and religions, call it their home. Hundreds of thousands more pass through it constantly, with ships sailing from every place in the world to trade their wares. It is a place where anyone can find anything, if they know where to look.

The Pathfinder Society's reach extends throughout Golarion, and no place is it stronger than its headquarters in Absolom. The Society is a loose-knit group of explorers, scholars, and adventurers who seek lost knowledge and ancient treasure. The Grand Lodge is where many of the Pathfinders present themselves for consideration. An immense walled fortress in the heart of Absalom's Foreign Quarter, the Grand Lodge is a network of seven stone fortresses where agents are trained and dispatched. The largest of these fortresses is Skyreach, an enormous five-towered palace that sweeps high above the district. It is a place of wonder and a testament to the power and prestige of the Pathfinder Society, a bastion of knowledge designed to inspire the ideals of the Society in its agents.

A Pathfinder Society has no restrictions on accepting new applicants, though only those who do well enough on the initial tests are allowed to take the oath of the Society and become initiates. Initiates train under the Masters of Swords, Spells, and Lore, until they are deemed ready for their final test to become full field agents. Once successful, the new field agents receive their first assignments from Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin, and begin their careers as Pathfinders.

Six of these newly commissioned field agents sit at a circular table in the Venture-Captain's antechamber waiting for him. The table is a heavy oaken table with the three duties of the Pathfinder carved into its surface in every language imaginable: 'The first duty is to explore mysteries of the world. The second duty is to report the findings uncovered in pursuit of the first duty. The third duty is to assist and cooperate with other agents to ensure the success of the first and second duties.' These six Pathfinders know each other by sight, having gone through training around the same time, but do not know each other particularly well.

Please introduce yourself to the others, including a visual description. Once everyone has done so, we can move on to the mission proper.


Okay! Chapter 2! Trolls and civil war in Brevoy! Let's do this!


Welcome to Chapter 2 of DM Barcas's Kingmaker. Here are a few useful links.

Kingmaker: New Beginnings (Chapter 1)
Kingmaker: Interregnum (Between Chapters 1 & 2)
Politics of Brevoy
Brevoy
Northern Brevoy
Southern Brevoy
Map & Rules Collection


Okay, everyone! Let's finalize your characters. Post your PFS number here as well.

Your characters technically have not chosen factions yet. First Steps will introduce you to all the factions. If you have a faction-specific trait, just hang onto it. It won't be applied until you actually pick after the third scenario.

Email me your character sheet at ijduplechain@yahoo.com. Feel free to add me on Facebook as well. I don't think you'll find another Isaac Duplechain anywhere.

Anyone have any questions?


I am going to run the First Steps series here on the boards, coming off this thread. I am an experienced, established DM who usually runs APs. I had to drop two of them for time constraints, but that was largely because of how heavily I modified them. For these adventures, I will be playing them exactly as presented. Take a look at my Kingmaker thread for my style of DMing.

I will expect a few things from my players:
1. A promise to post at least once per day.
2. To email me a copy of the character sheet (or HeroLab file), or the information that I need to produce one or both of those.
3. No one-line or one-roll posts. If all you are doing is responding to a request for a roll, at least put in a few sentences about how your character responds to it. PBP is a great way to get some good solid roleplaying in, and I expect no less from anyone.
4. To follow the basic outline for character sheets, dialogue, internal thoughts, combat, skill rolls, and such things that I will supply. (Bold dialogue, for instance). I expect uniformity, as much as is practical.

In return, I will give you a well-written, well-run experience, and will run all three adventures if the first one goes well.

If you have a character already generated, that's cool. If not, that's cool too. But you will definitely need it to be an official registered PFS character. That means that I will need your PFS number. (If you don't have a PFS character but wish to get one, ask and I'll walk you through the process.)

Who wants in? I will take six players. I have two already from the other thread: Zavac and Dasiki. I will accept on a first-come first-serve basis, but I expect those who wish to play to read the above rules and follow them. I run a fairly tight ship on PBP, since you have a lot of time to actually consider your posts and really create a story. Please, if you only want to roll a few dice and don't like writing flowing descriptions or dialogue, I would appreciate it if you let someone who wants to play in this style of game have the spot.


1 Erastus 4708

Berrin Myrdal is miserable. He finds himself cursing Tandlara's idle suggestion that he act as Regent until they are able to secure a resurrection for Jemini. He had laughed it off at first, but the idea somehow got a hold of the others. One by one, they began to pressure him to accept the role. He sits in the chair in the center of the small wooden building they are using as a keep, which itself sits in the center of the small village that remains the unnamed capital of Newhaven. He is sore and tired of sitting. He would much rather be with the laborers, building the keep, or with the new soldiers that Akiros is training in the town square. The responsibility of being responsible is too much for him. He realizes that he has not been paying attention to the irritating envoy from Pitax currently addressing their makeshift court.

"As I was saying, King Irovetti would like to remind you of his claim to everything west of the East Sellen River. He wishes nothing but peace and prosperity between our realms, and pledges respect and friendship. Thank you." The envoy, a petty-looking man of little stature and even less charisma, enjoys a smattering of half-hearted clapping from the collected council.

Kesten Garess thanks him politely and ushers him out of the keep, with practiced words assuring him that Newhaven intends to respect Pitax's claims on that area. He returns a few moments later with a grave look upon his face. He sits back at his seat at the council table, a large plain wooden thing borrowed from Oleg's. "Pitax overestimates its claim to territory. Ever since Irovetti seized control of the kingdom, their lands have slowly grown after shrinking drastically in the fallout. Even at its apex, Pitax would be hard-pressed to claim land all the way out to the East Sellen. Now, their practical territory ends a hundred miles away! I fear that Irovetti is testing us, or at least predicting that we cannot expand as fast as he can."

Oleg and Svetlana Leveton sit next to each other. Svetlana idly rubs her husband's remaining hand, looking concerned at this. "We are getting settlers coming from all over the region, and some from as far as Galt to the south. If they think that Pitax might offer a better deal, they might just keep heading that way." She has taken to her new role fairly easily and with her usual cheerfulness. She listens to the people who come to Newhaven, tempted by the promise of land to call their own and the freedom to live in it as they see fit, and reports it back to the rest of their council. Oleg is quiet as he always is, looking over ledgers. His quietness is a good sign, as he would likely speak up if there was something amiss with the kingdom's finances.

If you want to be at the meeting, feel free to chime in. If not, it's up to you where you are and what you're up to. (Except Jemini, who is still dead.


Here is the OOC thread for the in-between time for Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

Interregnum, derived from Latin, literally means "between kings".

This will likely be a short thread, more a series of short vignettes than anything. I predict it will last about 500 posts until we are ready to move fully into Chapter 2.

We are going to start with Desnus 4708, at Step #5: Choose your leadership!

From there, Step #6 is to claim new hexes, Step #7 is to develop them, Step #8 is to establish or improve cities. You're going to start with 50 BP (as agreed upon in the charter from the swordlords of Restov).

So pick your first hex. The book suggests one of three spots:
1. Oleg's Trading Post: If you choose Oleg's, you can add Oleg's as a free Shop, Stable, or Watchtower.
2. Temple of the Elk: If you choose the Temple, you can halve the cost of a Temple of Erastil.
3. Stag Lord's Fort: If you choose the fort, you halve the cost of a Castle and give a +1 bonus to Economy, Loyalty, and Stability.


4 people marked this as a favorite.

My group is coming up soon on Chapter 2, so I took a look at the kingdom building rules. I didn't like the emphasis on a magic item economy, so I changed things around. While I modified it, I also found that I wasn't wild about Unrest as something directly affected by buildings, and more or less lumped it into Stability. Here are the rules that I came up with. At the bottom of the page, I included a modified version of one of the Excel kingdom spreadsheets that you may find useful. I've playtested it to an extent and am pretty satisfied with what I've got, but I'd like some input and feedback. I used the utterly fantastic Jon Brazer Enterprises version of the rules as my starting point.

MAJOR CHANGES:
1. No more magic item sales; Economy check eventually gets a lower coefficient to compensate
2. Different turn order
3. More buildings and development choices for hexes
4. More emphasis on edicts
5. Higher Consumption for cities; buildings can reduce Consumption to compensate

=====================================================================
Definitions, Leadership, Kingdom Turn

Definitions:
Alignment: Lawful kingdoms gain a +2 bonus on Economy checks. Chaotic kingdoms gain a +2 bonus on Loyalty checks. Good kingdoms gain a +2 bonus on Loyalty checks. Evil kingdoms gain a +2 bonus on Economy checks. Neutral kingdoms gain a +2 bonus on Stability checks. A truly neutral kingdom gains this bonus twice.

Size: Your size is equal to the number of claimed hexes, whether developed or not.

Control DC: The Control DC is equal to 20 + size.

Population: The population is equal to 250 per non-city hex plus 250 per city block.

Stability, Economy, and Loyalty: A kingdom’s initial scores in all three is 0 + the kingdom’s alignment modifiers. A natural 1 is always a failure for these checks, and a natural 20 is always a success. The score is affected by alignment, leadership, buildings, developments, edicts, and temporary bonuses/penalties from events.

Unrest: A kingdom’s Unrest score is applied as a penalty on all Stability, Economy, and Loyalty checks. If a kingdom’s Unrest is above 10, you begin to lose control of hexes you have claimed. If a kingdom’s Unrest

score ever reaches 20, it falls into anarchy. Unrest can never go below 0.

Treasury: The kingdom produces Build Points (BP) that it can spend to explore and develop.

Consumption: The kingdom must pay its Consumption cost every turn or increase Unrest by 2. The kingdom's Consumption is equal to its size plus its City Consumption, which is equal to the number of city squares. These numbers can be reduced by developments and buildings, though the reduction is halved in the winter months. (The winter months are Neth (November), Kuthona (December), Abadius (January), and Calistril (February).)

Cities: Cities are the primary living areas for the population, and the primary drivers of Economy, Loyalty, and Stability scores.

City Block: Every building takes up at least 1 city block. Some take up to a 2x2 section, which must be contiguous (but can be in different city squares). Blocks within the same city square are separated by alleys.

City Square: There are 4 city blocks in a city square, and 9 city squares in a district. Squares are separated by roads.

City District: There are 36 city blocks in a city district. Several buildings only effect the same district, or have limitations based on number of city districts. Districts are separated by major avenues, and can be bordered by waterways or other natural features.

Leadership:
Leadership: There are 11 roles that can be filled in the kingdom.

1. Ruler: Add Charisma to 1 score of your choice. (Add to 2 scores of your choice at a size of 21-80, and to 3 scores at a size of 81+.) If vacant, decrease Stability by 8. Two characters can share this role if married or related; add both Charisma to same score.

2. Councilor: Add Wisdom or Charisma to Loyalty. If vacant, decrease Loyalty by 4 and Stability by 2.

3. General: Add Strength or Charisma to Stability. If vacant, decrease Stability by 4.

4. Grand Diplomat: Add Intelligence or Charisma to Stability. If vacant, decrease Stability by 2.

5. High Priest: Add Wisdom or Charisma to Stability. If vacant, decrease Stability by 4 and Loyalty by 2.

6. Magister: Add Intelligence or Charisma to Economy. If vacant, decrease Economy by 4.

7. Marshal: Add Strength or Constitution to Loyalty. If vacant, decrease Loyalty by 4 and Stability by 2.

8. Royal Assassin: Add Strength or Dexterity to Loyalty, and decrease Unrest by 1 each turn.

9. Spymaster: Add Dexterity or Intelligence to one score of your choice. If vacant, decrease Economy by 4 and Stability by 2.

10. Treasurer: Add Intelligence or Wisdom to Economy. If vacant, decrease Economy by 4.

11. Warden: Add Dexterity or Wisdom to Economy. If vacant, decrease Economy by 4.

Kingdom Turn:
Kingdom Turn:

1. Stability Check: Make a Stability check against the Control DC. If you succeed, reduce Unrest by 1, or gain 1 BP if Unrest is already at 0. If you fail, increase Unrest by 1; if you fail by 5 or more, increase Unrest by 2.

2. Pay Consumption: Pay the Consumption cost in BP from the treasury, after reductions from developments and buildings. You gain no benefit if your Consumption score is negative. If you cannot pay your Consumption cost, increase Unrest by 2.

3. Economy Check: Make an Economy check against the Control DC. If you succeed, divide the total result by 5 and add that amount (rounded down) in BP to your treasury. If your Kingdom is between 21-40 hexes in size, divide by 4 instead. If it is between 41-80 hexes, divide by 3 instead. If it is 81+ hexes, divide by 2 instead.

4. Unrest Effects:If your Unrest is 11 or higher, the kingdom loses a hex of your choice (destroying any

developments in the process). If your kingdom has a Royal Assassin, reduce Unrest by 1. You may reduce Unrest by 1 by paying the current Unrest value, as many times per turn as you wish.

5. Leadership Changes: You may change leaders at this point, including replacements of vacancies. You may also change the scores affected by the Ruler and Spymaster.

6. Claim Hexes: Pay 1 BP to explore and claim any hex adjacent to your kingdom, increasing its size by 1. You may claim 1 hex per turn at size 1-10, 2 per turn at 11-25, 3 per turn at 26-50, 4 per turn at 51-100, 8 per turn at 101-200, and 12 per turn at 201+.

7. Develop Hexes: You may build 1 road per turn at size 1-10, 2 per turn at 11-25, 3 per turn at 26-50, 4 at 51-100, 6 per turn at 101-200, and 8 per turn at 201+. You may build 1 development per turn at size 1-25, 2 per turn at 26-100, 3 per turn at 101-200, and 4 per turn at 201+. See Chart 1 for their effects.

8. Establish/Improve Cities: You may build 1 new city per turn on an explored hex by paying 1 BP. You may improve any city, including one built this turn, by paying the BP cost of the desired building. You are limited to 1 new building per city each turn; each city can build an additional number of buildings per turn equal to the number of Mills in that city. See Chart 2 for their effects.

9. Set Edicts: Adjust the edict levels of Taxation, Festivals, and Promotion to the desired levels.

10. Kingdom Events: There is a 25% chance that a notable random event occurs during this phase, which increases to 75% if there was no random event in the previous turn.


=====================================================================
Buildings and Developments

Commercial Buildings:

1. Shop: 6 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy, Limit 1 per House
2. Tradesman: 6 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy, Limit 1 per 2 Houses
3. Exotic Craftsman: 10 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy, +1 Loyalty, Limit 1 per Mansion
4. Inn Commercial: 10 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy, +1 Stability, Requires Market in same district; Special: Increase a Market's Economy bonus by 1, Limit 1 per Market
5. Piers: 12 BP, 1x1, +2 Economy, Must be adjacent to Water
6. Market: 12 BP, 1x1, +2 Economy, Limit 1 per 3 Houses
7. Luxury Store: 21 BP, 1x1, +3 Economy, Limit 1 per Mansion
8. Guild Hall: 24 BP, 1x2, +2 Economy, Requires Tradesman in same district; Special: Halves cost of Pier, Stable, Tradesman in district
9. Magic Shop: 32 BP, 1x1, +4 Economy, Limit 1 per Noble Villa
10. Waterfront: 90 BP, 2x2, +5 Economy, Must be adjacent to Water; Special: Halves cost of Guild Hall, Market in district, Taxation Edict has double effect; Limit 1 per City

Defense Buildings:

11. City Guard: 6 BP, 1x1, +1 Stability
12. Watchtower: 8 BP, 1x1, +1 Stability; City Defense +2, Limit 1 per District
13. Barracks: 12 BP, 1x1, +1 Stability; Special: Allows Infantry Units; City Defense +2, Limit 1 per District
14. City Wall: 12 BP, 1x1, City Defense +4, Limit 4 per City
15. Jail: 14 BP, 1x1, +2 Stability, +1 Loyalty
16. Garrison: 28 BP, 1x2, +2 Stability, +2 Loyalty; Special: Halves cost of City Wall, Granary, Jail in same district
17. Keep: 30 BP, 1x1, +1 Stability, +1 Loyalty, City Defense +4, Limit 1 per District
18. Castle: 54 BP, 2x2, +2 Economy, +4 Stability, +2 Loyalty; Special: Halves costs of Keep, Noble Villa in district, Halves cost of Promotion Edict; City Defense +8; Limit 1 per City

Food Buildings:

19. Baker: 6 BP, 1x1, Reduces City Consumption by 1, Limit 2 per Farm
20. Tavern: 12 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy, -1 Stability, +2 Loyalty
21. Butcher: 12 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy, Reduces City Consumption by 1, Limit 1 per Farm
22. Granary: 12 BP, 1x1, +1 Stability, +1 Loyalty, Special: Can carry over 1 negative Consumption per turn
23. Brewery: 4 BP, 1x1, +1 Loyalty

Industrial Buildings:

24. Fletcher: 10 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy; Special: Allows Archery Units
25. Mill: 10 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy; Special: Increase Buildings per Turn by 1
26. Smith: 10 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy; Special: Allows Heavy Armor Units
27. Stable: 10 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy; Special: Allows Horseback Units
28. Tannery: 10 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy; Special: Allows Light Armor Units
29. Carpenter: 30 BP, 1x2, +2 Economy, Requires, Mill in same district; Special: Reduces cost of all buildings by 1 in district, Limit 1 per District

Knowledge Buildings:

30. Library: 6 BP, 1x1, +1 Stability
31. Caster Tower: 30 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy, +1 Loyalty, Requires Library in same district; Special: Allows Magical Units
32. Academy: 52 BP, 1x2, +2 Economy, +2 Loyalty, Requires Library in same district; Special: Halves cost of Caster's Tower, Library, Magic Shop in district

Knowledge Buildings:

33. Graveyard: 4 BP, 1x1, +1 Loyalty
34. Town Commons: 4 BP, 1x1, +1 Stability
35. Monument: 10 BP, 1x1, +2 Loyalty
36. Shrine: 10 BP, 1x1, +1 Stability, +1 Loyalty
37. Park: 16 BP, 1x2, +3 Loyalty
38. Meeting Hall: 22 BP, 1x2, +1 Economy, +2 Stability, +1 Loyalty; Special: Halves cost of Town Commons in district
39. Temple: 32 BP, 1x2, +2 Stability, +2 Loyalty; Special: Halves cost of Graveyard, Shrine, Monument in district
40. Arena: 40 BP, 2x2, +2 Economy, +4 Loyalty; Requires Meeting Hall in same district; Special: Halves cost of Garrison, Theater in district, Festival Edict has double effect/cost; Limit 1 per City
41. Theater: 44 BP, 1x2 +2 Economy, +3 Loyalty, Requires Meeting Hall in same district; Special: Halves cost of Festival Edict; Limit 1 per City
42. Cathedral: 58 BP, 2x2, +1 Economy, +4 Stability, +3 Loyalty; Special: Halves cost of Temple, Academy in district, Promotion Edict has double effect/cost; Limit 1 per City

Residential Buildings:

43. Tenement: 1 BP, 1x1, -1 Stability, Counts as 1 House
44. House: 3 BP, 1x1
45. Mansion: 10 BP, 1x1, Counts as 2 Houses
46. Noble Villa: 24 BP, 1x2, Counts as 3 Houses, 2 Mansions

Underground Buildings:

47. Brothel: 6 BP, 1x1, +1 Economy, -2 Stability, +1 Loyalty, Must be adjacent to 1 Tenement
48. Gambling House: 10 BP, 1x1, +2 Economy, -2 Stability, +2 Loyalty, Must be adjacent to 1 Tenement
49. Black Market: 24 BP, 1x1, +4 Economy, -3 Stability, +1 Loyalty, Must be adjacent to 2 Tenements

Hex Developments:

1. Farm: -2 to Consumption (-3 if adjacent to water); Costs 2 in Plains, 4 in Hills
2. Mine: +1 to Economy (+2/+3/+4 for silver/gold/mithril); Costs 4 in Hills, 8 in Mountain
3. Camp: +1 to Economy (+2 if valuable resource); Costs 4 in Forest, 8 in Swamps
4. Fishery: -2 to Consumption, +1 to Economy, must be adjacent to water; Costs 4 in Plains
5. Fort: +1 to Stability, half upkeep cost for nearby armies; Costs 12 in all terrains
6. Signal Tower: +1 to Stability; Costs 6 in Plains, 4 in Hills, 2 in Mountains

=====================================================================
Kingdom Sheet


16 people marked this as a favorite.

I've decided to stat out all 6 of the Houses, plus Restov and the former holdings of Rogvaria. I predict that my PCs will find themselves amidst a Brevoy civil war and will have to be part of it. This project may take a while, but I'll add what I develop when I develop it. I constructed a map via Civ5 that is to scale from the Brevoy map, which is how I determined the number of hexes.

House Surtova 202 hexes: 159 plains, 14 forest, 6 mountains, 17 hills, 6 swamps

House Lodovka 106 hexes: 77 plains, 15 mountains, 13 hills

House Medyved 157 hexes: 13 plains, 108 forests, 10 mountains, 26 hills

House Orlovsky 256 hexes: 120 plains, 61 forests, 9 mountains, 26 hills

House Lebeda 136 hexes: 133 plains, 3 forests

House Garess 148 hexes: 94 plains, 24 mountains, 30 hills


Korvosa, 4th Erastus 4711

This is the story of a city, collapsing under its own weight as it marches to the edge of anarchy, and the revolution that may yet save it. A disparate band of revolutionaries, brought together by fate and a destiny that none of them yet understand, might not only save the city, but redeem its soul as well. None of them (save one) set out to start a revolution, but their actions will change the city forever.

Korvosa is the greatest city of Varisia, the wild frontier on the northern shores of the Inner Sea. While the citizens of Absolom view it as a relative oasis of civilization in an uncivilized land and the citizens of Cheliax view their former holding as a backwater colony, the citizens of Korvosa view it as the greatest city of Golorian. The City of Black Marble, located at the mouth of the Jeggare River and Conquerer's Bay, is home to tens of thousands of proud citizens. Hidden behind this patriotism is a growing sense that the city is changing, and not for the better. Tensions between rich and poor have grown for decades. A life in the Heights is one of privilege, even decadence, while a life in Old Korvosa is one of crippling poverty. Few of the noble houses notice or care that many of Korvosa's citizens struggle to survive, engaging in their internal struggles for power and prestige. Nonhumans, especially tieflings, are treated with open disdain by the populace, while Varisians and Shoanti are viewed by the descendants of the Chelaxian conquerers as dangerous criminals. The citizens of the Heights look down upon the poor minorities as criminal and lazy, while the citizens of the slums look back at the nobility as exploitative and cruel. The city's tensions threaten to tear it into pieces. All the volatile tinder needs is a small flame to burn the entirety of Korvosa to the ground.

That flame is King Eodred II, or rather his imminent death. The aged monarch is respected by both the nobility and commoners, his just and fair rule long the only thing that keeps the city together. However, his age has shown for several years now. His obsession in recent years has been breaking the Curse of the Crimson Throne. No sitting monarch has conceived an heir while ruler of Korvosa, and Eodred has been no exception thus far. The last decade has seen him with younger and younger mistresses, each failing to give him an heir. The latest, the only one he married, is an ambitious and petty heiress from Cheliax. Queen Ileosa, widely unpopular with both the nobility and the masses, threatens to drain the coffers with her taste for the extravagant. Fortunately, much of the money goes towards improvements in the city, which keeps the distaste for her at a minimum. As Eodred withdraws deeper into age and his quest for an heir, the winds of discontent blow through the city. The nobles position themselves to use Ileosa as a puppet, or replace her altogether by challenging the legitimacy of her rule. The impoverished masses, struggling for survival and upset at the growing divide between the classes, engage in more criminal activity and unrest. The city's law enforcement, the Korvosan Guard and the Sable Company, crack down in response, further deepening the rift, while many in power advocate a harsh incursion by the Hellknights of the Order of the Nail to force submission from the poor.

Every Korvosan knows that Eodred's death, whenever it occurs, is something that will rock the city to its core. No one knows what will emerge from the city, not even the six revolutionaries who will be instrumental in determining its future course. From all different parts of the great city, they awaken to a bright shining morning, one that holds so much more possibility than they can imagine...


Welcome to the following players:
1. Lucando Jeggare (vagrant-poet)
2. Alejandro Endrin (DarkestHeart)
3. Alistair Corinth (DukeRuckley)
4. Elrithathiel (Nazard)
5. Rica Hismar (adrica)
6. Senjin (Meowzebub)

Let's check in and get things fully nailed down so we can get started on this exciting experiment!


Okay, I'm re-titling my recruitment thread for the Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign that I have envisioned. This recruitment thread replaces the previous one.

INTRODUCTION

It is a dark time for Korvosa. King Eodred II, the venerable monarch of the largest city-state in Varisia, is dying. His health has been waning for years, but his time is running short. As he has no heirs and the rule of his young, vain wife is easily challenged with enough popular support, no one knows what the city will look like after the chaos subsides. Will Queen Ileosa hang onto power and continue to bleed the city dry with her tastes for luxury? Will the five noble houses band together to set up some sort of council, or will they fall to infighting? Will the so-called Council of Thieves, the shadowy organized crime syndicate, seize control of more than the lucrative trade of illicit goods and services? Will Cheliax, long-absent former colonial masters, try to reassert control of the city? Who will the Korvosan Guard, the Sable Company, and the Hellknights throw their support behind? Whoever gains the support of the people of Korvosa, whether through loyalty or fear, can potentially gain the throne. There is much to take into account. Long-standing racial tensions simmer in the city, with Varisians and Shoanti treated as second-class citizens and tieflings blamed for most of the city's ills. Class warfare looks ready to erupt, especially in the Shingles and Old Korvosa, where the inequality between rich and poor has reached staggering levels. The Academae, long renowned as the greatest arcane school in Varisia, shudders under the internal debate as to how much of a focus it should have on the summoning of malicious beings from the Outer Planes. The holders of power in the current status quo are girding for the coming conflict, with greater and greater repression of dissent as they attempt to quell a rebellion before it happens.

Picture Link: Korvosa

It is a time of challenge and chaos for Korvosa, but it is also a time of opportunity. Who will rise to the leadership of the city, and can they avoid the Curse of the Crimson Throne?

STYLE

This will be a sandbox style game. While it takes place in Korvosa and nominally follows parts of the Curse of the Crimson Throne AP, it has a lot more in common philosophically with Kingmaker. (There will be parts of Council of Thieves thrown in as well.) The game will be almost entirely urban, taking place almost entirely in Korvosa and its nearby holdings. The game will have a focus on devils and demons in the same manner that Kingmaker has regarding the fey and Carrion Crown has towards undead.

The PCs will start the campaign when they are contacted by a mysterious figure who invites them to a gathering of like-minded individuals who want better for the city. All the PCs should have some sort of motivation to go, preferably something specific that they seek to change in the city or some other reason for wanting to take part in what is only a few steps from open treason. From here, it's up to you. You will seek out allies and make enemies, all to develop your own idea of what a new Korvosa will look like.

Campaign Link: Kingmaker
Campaign Link: Carrion Crown

I have a very narrative style, and I expect players to respond in kind. The resulting collaboration is a very rewarding style for both myself and my players. Take a look at the above links to see the sort of quality that it produces. It does require effort, though. There is often a lot of conversation, both between party members and with NPCs. Seeing as I give out ample RP experience, combat only constitutes 50% of the experience! I will make every effort to tailor the storyline to give each individual PC a story to tell, a story that we all will create together.

CHARACTER CREATION

I will be using 20 point buy, with a bonus of 2 points for having one non-neutral alignment axis and 3 points for having two. (Thus, N gets 20; LN, NE, CN, NG get 22, LG, LE, CE, CG get 23.) I do not like dump stats; any dump stat will have to include in-game justification for why this is the case. Anything from the Core Rulebook, Advanced Player's Guide, and Ultimate Magic are fair game. Other Paizo sources may be included with approval. We'll start at level 1. I don't necessarily need statblocks if you don't want to create one, but I won't object of you make one. (In some cases, I may ask some questions about what your build may look like.) I don't mind a well-designed character, but I don't care for ridiculous optimization. (Don't take ranks in Profession: Basket-Weaving just to show how unoptimized you are.) You can have two traits, as per normal characters, but don't pick anything from the Council of Thieves or Curse of the Crimson Throne Player's Guides. (Namely because you are not in Westcrown, and Gaedren Lamm is a rather flimsy motivation, in my opinion.)

The party will have 6 members. I will select them based on potential for interesting dynamics and diversity. I will hopefully select each individual both on how interesting their story is and how they will contribute to the party as a whole. Keep that in mind as you design your characters. If you overlap too much with another player, you are probably in direct competition. (I may suggest that one of you change something, as what happened when two players in Kingmaker both wanted to play human male clerics of Abadar. One of them went Inquisitor, and his character is now staggeringly complex. And probably a sociopath, but you'll have to read the Kingmaker thread for that.)

If you have no prior posting experience, that's fine. Everyone started like that at some point. I may ask for a writing sample. One of my best players in my Kingmaker campaign (the one who stayed as a Cleric) had no posts when he applied, and I don't regret for a second giving him the spot. Take your time to craft a really good application! The more you immerse your character in Golarion, the better. I'll be sure to ask a large number of questions to make sure that your character gets the best opportunity to get chosen that I can give you. Good luck, everybody!


INTRODUCTION

With my Star Wars game winding down, I've decided to start a Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign. However, as I do with all my campaigns, I will likely heavily change it to suit my particular needs. The biggest change is that I want the entire campaign to be urban and set in Korvosa. (As printed, about a third of the AP takes place in a non-urban setting far removed from Korvosa.) I will incorporate several elements from Council of Thrones in their place. As a result, there will be more devils and demons in this campaign (sort of how Kingmaker has a heavy fey focus and Carrion Crown has lots of undead).

STYLE

Please take the time to review my current campaigns and see if they are a match for your style. I am a fairly demanding DM, expecting quite a bit from my players but giving just as much in return. My Carrion Crown campaign is a dark and atmospheric story, suffocating the players with a sense of dread and unease. My Kingmaker campaign is one of gritty day-to-day struggle and epic grandeur. As you can see, both are fairly lengthy so far (649 and 2326 posts, respectively). My campaigns tend to be heavy with dialogue, disagreement, and debate. If you can spend a few hundred posts arguing about the nature of good and evil, the existence and source of the gods, and other such heady topics, this may by the campaign for you!

Please also take a moment to review my previous recruitments: Here and here. These threads will shed some light onto my recruitment style and what sort of characters might get the spot. One thing that I can promise is that I will give every person who applies a fair shake. I will ask a lot of questions and try to help develop your ideas.

I tend not to level up remarkably quickly. My goal is to level up every 1000 posts or so, which has worked out remarkably well in both those campaigns. I give out experience based on combat and roleplaying, working out to about half-and-half. I award experience individually, though there is also a shared pool of roleplaying experience that gets distributed amongst all the players. I have a big spreadsheet for my campaigns.

CAMPAIGN DETAILS

As for the campaign itself: unlike the AP as written, I plan on a more sandbox, Kingmaker-esque style with the PCs involved in a secret rebellion against the slow corruption that seems to be taking over Korvosa. In the last few years, as the aged King Eodred II's health has waned, things have gotten worse in the city. The government is far more repressive than it used to be, though there is some debate as to the reason for this. Eodred's young wife, Queen Ileosa, has an appetite for luxury that is slowly draining the city dry. The criminal underworld preys on the city's populace while engaging in internal power struggles. When designing your character submission, try to include a reason that your PC would want to join a rebellion or is dissatisfied with the status quo.

One of the primary drivers of this campaign is going to be issues of class and race. Inequality and discrimination will be talked about. There won't be easy answers or simple solutions, but I do expect these issues to play a big role in tensions in the city.

CHARACTER CREATION

I will be using 20 point buy, with a bonus of 2 points for having one non-neutral alignment axis and 3 points for having two. (Thus, N gets 20; LN, NE, CN, NG get 22, LG, LE, CE, CG get 23.) I do not like dump stats; any dump stat will have to include in-game justification for why this is the case. Anything from the Core Rulebook, Advanced Player's Guide, and Ultimate Magic are fair game. Other Paizo sources may be included with approval. We'll start at level 1. I don't necessarily need statblocks if you don't want to create one, but I won't object of you make one. (In some cases, I may ask some questions about what your build may look like.) I don't mind a well-designed character, but I don't care for ridiculous optimization. (Don't take ranks in Profession: Basket-Weaving just to show how unoptimized you are.) You can have two traits, as per normal characters, but don't pick anything from the Council of Thieves or Curse of the Crimson Throne Player's Guides. (Namely because you are not in Westcrown, and Gaedren Lamm is a rather flimsy motivation, in my opinion.)

The party will have 6 members. I will select them based on potential for interesting dynamics and diversity. I will hopefully select each individual both on how interesting their story is and how they will contribute to the party as a whole. Keep that in mind as you design your characters. If you overlap too much with another player, you are probably in direct competition. (I may suggest that one of you change something, as what happened when two players in Kingmaker both wanted to play human male clerics of Abadar. One of them went Inquisitor, and his character is now staggeringly complex. And probably a sociopath, but you'll have to read the Kingmaker thread for that.)

If you have no prior posting experience, that's fine. Everyone started like that at some point. I may ask for a writing sample. One of my best players in my Kingmaker campaign had no posts when he applied, and I don't regret for a second giving him the spot. Unlike my Carrion Crown game, I'm actually going to focus on finding new players. As Alexander Kilcoyne mentioned in another recruitment, there are so many talented posters that it isn't fair to only ever cater to the same group of players. Thus bring on the applications. I tend to get a whole flood for three days, then almost nothing afterwards, so I'll open this recruitment up until June 30th. Take your time to craft a really good application! The more you immerse your character in Golarion, the better. I'll be sure to ask a large number of questions to make sure that your character gets the best opportunity to get chosen that I can give you. Good luck, everybody!


I'm considering running Curse of the Crimson Throne starting at the end of July, but I've heard that leaving Korvosa rather muddies the later books. Council of Thieves, on the other hand, has ample opportunity for urban adventure, but is less favored as an Adventure Path. Thus, I'm considering taking pieces from each and combining them into a single urban adventure path set in Korvasa. What can I incorporate from Council of Thieves, specifically to fill more of the parts that bring the PCs out of Korvosa?

I haven't read most of them, but I have an idea of what happens in each. I'm far more familiar with Curse of the Crimson Throne, having played through the first two books as a player.

Ileosa's quest for power could certainly include bringing Korvosa under Cheliaxan rule in order to challenge Abrogail for the throne of Cheliax. This would allow for quite a bit of devil-related shenanigans.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32

4 people marked this as a favorite.

My name is Isaac Duplechain. I am a police officer with the Houston Police Department. I'd like to turn your attention to a member of my department who was tragically killed last Saturday night. I just returned from his funeral, and I'd like to share the story of his heroism.

Link

Officer Kevin Will, age 37, was working a hit-and-run accident involving two motorcycles on the 610 Loop around 2:00 am. Along with several other officers, he blocked the highway with police vehicles for safety and to protect the integrity of the scene of the major accident. As he interviewed one of the witnesses, a drunk driver drove around the flashing lights of the barricade and drove straight towards Officer Will. In a moment, he reacted by instinct and pushed the citizen out of the way while shouting a warning. He could have simply jumped over the wall to safety, but that would have left the citizen in the way of the vehicle. The drunk driver hit him going 80 miles per hour, killing him instantly.

We talk a lot about heroes in this world, but it is all too rare to see a true hero. Officer Will was a hero down to the very fiber of his being. We should celebrate his life, his service, and the heroism displayed in his death.


Hey, guys. Two of my players have disappeared from my Kingmaker and Carrion Crown games. We have decided to accept 2 new characters for Kingmaker and 1 for Carrion Crown. Just like for my Kingmaker game, I'm going to ask that interested players post their characters and answer questions about them. I will select the new players based on how well they will contribute to the current party. You don't have to read the entire thread of either game, but at least check to see if they are the kind of style that you want to play in.

Both games are roleplaying-heavy. If you can't go a few hundred posts between combats, this won't be the game for you. If you don't feel that you can contribute to a conversation about the nature of good and evil, this won't be the game for you. If your idea of a good post is two lines, this won't be the game for you. If you can only post once every few days, unfortunately, this might not be for you.

If you want to make a character, that's fine. It's 20 to 23 point buy, depending on alignment (TN is 20, LN/NE/CN/NG is 22, LG/CG/CE/LE is 23). If you dump a statistic, you'd better be willing to explain it and play it. Make sure that you say which campaign you want your character to be a part of. You can apply to both, though not with the same character. I'll leave submissions open until Saturday night (Central US time). Anything from Core, APG, and UM are acceptable, but try not to overlap with what we currently have. The parties are good and neutral, but an evil character could possibly make it in if the story is good enough.

Kingmaker:
KINGMAKER
Kingmaker Thread
We are currently level 3, with over 2100 posts since January. This is a political game, with a number of running conspiracies ongoing in Brevoy to the north. Familiarity with Brevoy's politics is pretty much a must. So far, the PCs have uncovered a major conspiracy by the Lord Mayor of Restov to have them killed, have come into conflict with a local bandit named the Stag Lord, witnessed a procession of powerful winter fey, and explored much of the region. They are currently headed back to Oleg's Trading Post to celebrate Taxfest, which would be a good time to insert a new character.

CURRENT CHARACTERS
* Berrin Myrdal - Human Male Fighter. Accidentally killed a minor noble a few years back, joined a mercenary group afterwards.
* Jemini of Lebeda - Human Female Paladin. The party's unofficial leader and a daughter of nobility. Strongly believes in the mission as sent by her patron goddesses. Has an almost preternatural lucky streak.
* Taisper Stozs - Human Male Inquisitor (Abadar). Utterly lacking in an understanding of morality. Values family, including his cousin Verik, and law. Believes strongly in the infallibility of his divine mission.
* Tandlara - Elf Female Witch. Very strange and alien woman, having gone through a previous adventuring career (losing her human lover in the process) and retiring to the woods. Currently has an unknown patron from the First World who gave her a vision to return to adventuring.
* (NPC) Verik Jarrow - Human Male Cleric (Abadar). Slightly awkward but well-intentioned cleric. Has taken it on himself to rein in his strange cousin. Often curses his relative inexperience in combat, relative to the martial abilities of the rest of the expedition. Sees himself as the accountant of the group.
* (NPC) Zander Orlovsky - Human Male Fighter/Archer. Badly burned as a child and secretly the heir of House Orlovsky. Bitter and anti-noble as a result. Has recently obtained a hat of disguise created by Verik, and thus has obtained some semblance of normalcy in his appearance.

Carrion Crown:
CARRION CROWN
Carrion Crown Thread
We are currently level 1, with almost 500 posts since March. (This game is a tad bit slower, but I'm hoping that it picks up as we enter the main plot hooks.) It's more of a mystery and horror game, with a brewing battle between a secret society and a mysterious undeath-worshiping cult, a malicious ghost apparently intent on killing the party, and a serial killer on the loose in the small town.

CURRENT CHARACTERS
* Aydan Mishnok - Human Male Barbarian. Pathfinder Initiate who was shipped to Ustalav after causing the death of another Initiate. Gets lost in his battle-rage, but is otherwise the voice of reason.
* Azuk'ai - Half-Orc Male Ranger. Half-orc masquerading as a half-elf.
* (NPC) Duron - Elf Male Wizard. Secretly an elvish archmage, imprisoned by Tar-Baphon at the height of the war. Memories long-lost after awakening.
* Melk Besonders - Human Male Monk. Perpetually smiling. Born to a prison, much like Harrowstone.
* Runyon - Elf Female Alchemist. A very strange and awkward elven girl. Doesn't believe that the gods are anything but powerful mortals. Extremely intelligent, but inherently unusual. Tends to not have social skills, but knowledgeable about many fields.
* (NPC) Wesh Theron - Human Male Druid. Angry teenager whose mother was turned into a werewolf to survive the pregnancy.


My players came across Bokken's hut recently. On a whim, I changed him into a dwarf. A drunk, crazy dwarf. I've been playing him as constantly alluding to various exploits and adventures, much like the Most Interesting Man in the World from the Dos Equis commercials. He also believes that one character is royalty, and another is a former lover.

It's been a lot of fun so far. He's showing up for (and now helping plan, it seems) their Taxfest game-time a week game-time. I can't wait for him to interact with Kesten. Svetlana is quite fond of him, but Oleg doesn't have any patience for him whatsoever.


It is a dark and stormy night.

Nights in Ustalav are a gloomy affair. Raging storms, much like this one, are very common. Nights without rain are replaced by a thick, persistent fog. People go missing in the fog, never to be seen or heard from again. The entire country seems covered in a terrible pall, a grim reminder to the citizens that they will never truly be free of their legacy. Most citizens of Ustalav stay inside at night if they can help it, huddling in safety until the morning sun reappears to protect them from the horrors of the night.

It takes something unusual to spur anyone familiar with Ustalav to stay outside during the night.

Eight people stand in the rain quietly, looking down at the fresh grave of Professor Petros Lorrimor. The old man's death was a surprise despite his advanced age, as was its violent nature. When his daughter Kendra sent the tear-stained letters of his murder to his many admirers and students, only six were brave or foolish enough to come this deep into a land many considered cursed. Kendra Lorrimor, a local priest by the name of Father Harking, and the six stand in the muddy ground of the Restlands, the only cemetery in the small town of Ravengro.

Ravengro sits near Lake Lias, less than a day's ride from the western border of Ustalav. Hardly more than a village, its population of just over 300 people do not look kindly upon strangers. The Restlands Cemetery is just north of town, an ancient burial ground that the town has been burying its dead in for hundreds of years. Hundreds of tombstones, crypts, and angelic figures line the graveyard, for the dead outnumber the living in this town. If the citizens of Ravengro were to disappear into the mists, as occurred in the villages of Colofan and Tavilav five years ago, the graves and statues of the cemetery would be the only reminder that anyone ever lived here.

Kendra looks at the six of them and smiles just a little, though her sadness shows through. An attractive young woman, if a little plain in her mourning black, with brown hair in a tight bun, she sadly addresses them. "Thank you for coming so far to pay your respects to my father. He was a great man, a truly great man. While his studies took him all over the world, his heart was in this town. He was born here and grew up in this very town, so it's only fitting... It's fitting that he's buried here." The speech is obviously very difficult on her. Father Harking, a handsome young man, puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Harking is a cleric of Pharasma, if his holy symbol is any clue. He says to the assembled group, "Perhaps you have something to say about the Professor. I know he would have liked that."


Well, my friends, it's high time we started planning out what we want from Carrion Crown. The PDF likely will be out in about a week, along with the Player's Guide. With that in mind, don't get 100% attached to something, as the specifics might have to change to fit to the setting. We'll probably start in the second week of March, after I've fully digested the PDF.

CHARACTER CREATION

We are going to follow similar rules as we use in Kingmaker. IE 20 point buy as the base, +2 points for being Chaotic/Lawful or Good/Evil, +1 if both. This way LN/NE/CN/NG are 22 points, while LG/CG/CE/LE are 23 points. This way gives a bit more flexibility, I think. (The story will come first, so we'll have to figure out how to make a CN/CE/NE/LE/NN character work, both individually and in the party.)

STORYLINE

Since no one (presumably) has played Carrion Crown, we'll probably play a pretty similar story to the printed AP rather than the modified version of Kingmaker that we are currently playing. What kind of campaign do you guys want? Gritty, morally gray expedition with horrible no-win choices? Heroic, kick-in-the-door-and-stake-everyone type adventures?

PARTY CREATION

If anyone wants to play a magus, samurai, or ninja, that's fine. (We may have to adjust the fluff. We may not. We'll see.) The gunslinger, in my opinion, is too far from finished, as is Words of Power. Carrion Crown probably has a lot of crypt-delving, so you'll probably want a trap-spotter. You almost certainly want an undead/demon/devil/werewolf/etc expert. Let's see if we can make a party as good as our Kingmaker party!

TENTATIVE IDEAS

LoreKeeper: You've talked to me about a LG male dwarf monk, probably of one or more archetypes.
smashthedean: You've developed a really great NG Elf Wizard. I think he's great.
Rellen: You've poked the idea of a wizard, possibly with a tie to Duron. You also looked at an emo druid.
Sigz: You suggested a bard or inquisitor, the detective-type with a longcoat.
vagrant-poet: You put in a phalanx-type fighter, possibly a former mercenary. He may be an alcoholic.
downrightamazed: You floated an academic who is heading out into the real world for the first time.

Okay, let's brainstorm and get our creativity on!

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8 aka Isaac Duplechain

Frenzied Protector (Barbarian)
To the savage warrior, there is nothing more primal than the bond between those who battle together. Some barbarians channel their furious attacks into a storm of strikes that allies can take refuge in. A frenzied protector has the following class features.
Fierce Protectiveness (Ex): A frenzied protector's primal instincts are brought to the surface when his allies are in danger. Whenever an enemy successfully hits any ally adjacent to a frenzied protector with a melee or ranged attack, the frenzied protector adds 1 to the total number of rounds that he can rage that day. This ability replaces fast movement.
Swordwall (Ex): At 2nd level, a frenzied protector's attacks cause enemies to falter in their own. Whenever a frenzied protector successfully hits an enemy with a melee attack, he may provide DR/- equal to half his barbarian level to all adjacent allies. This effect lasts until the beginning of the frenzied protector's next turn and ends if the frenzied protector is unable to take actions. This ability replaces uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge.
Imposing Presence (Ex): At 3rd level, the very threat of a frenzied protector's presence causes foes to act with caution. Enemies treat the squares in a frenzied protector's threatened area as difficult terrain. This ability replaces trap sense.
Furious Maelstrom (Ex): At 7th level, a frenzied protector’s swings are so frenetic that attackers can barely get their own in. Whenever a frenzied protector successfully hits an enemy with a melee attack, he may provide concealment to all adjacent allies. This effect lasts until the beginning of the frenzied protector's next turn and ends if the frenzied protector is unable to take actions. This ability replaces damage reduction.
Tempest of Steel (Ex): At 14th level, whenever any enemy enters a frenzied protector's threatened area, the frenzied protector may make a special CMB check against the opponent's CMD. If the frenzied protector succeeds on this check, the opponent gains the entangled condition. This condition lasts for 1 round or until the opponent leaves the frenzied protector's threatened area. This ability replaces indomitable will.
Eye of the Steel Storm (Ex): At 17th level, whenever a frenzied protector successfully hits an enemy with a melee attack, he may grant total cover from that enemy to all adjacent allies for 1 round as an swift action. This effect ends if the frenzied protector is unable to take actions. Whenever the frenzied protector uses this ability, he subtracts 1 from the total number of rounds he can rage that day. The frenzied protector cannot use this ability if he has no remaining rounds he can rage that day. This ability replaces tireless rage.


The air is still brisk, but the first signs of spring are beginning to emerge as the group arrives at the trading post. Oleg's Trading Post is technically part of Brevoy, but enjoys little of its protection. It is situated at the edge of the border along the little-used South Rostland Road. An abandoned border fort refitted into a trading post, it is set inside a wooden palisade that appears unlikely to be capable of holding back a determined kobold. It does, however, appear invited and homey, a peal of smoke emerging from a chimney in the main building.

Welcome to Oleg's. Please post how you got the commission, how you make the journey to Oleg's, which is about 100 miles west of Rostov and 200 miles southeast of New Stetven, the capital of Brevoy.

Charter:
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 14th day of January, under watchful eye of the Lordship of Restov and authority granted by Lord Noleski Surtova, current Regent of the Dragonscale Throne.


1. downrightamazed as Taisper Stosz, Human Inquisitor of Abadar
2. Sigz as Berrin Myrdal, Human Fighter
3. smashthedean as Zander Orlovsky, Human Archer
4. vagrant-poet as Tandlara Esirrian, Elf Witch
5. Rellen as Verik Jarrow, Human Cleric of Abadar
6. ___________________________________________________________

Okay, what does the party still need? Anyone have any strong feelings?

Let's get everybody checked in and character sheets all done.


I've decided to run a Kingmaker game. I'll have between four and six players. The game will be 20 to 23 point buy (more on that later). My games are a mix of both combat and roleplaying, with a more or less equal emphasis on both. For those who have played Kingmaker already, I plan on changing a few things around to keep them exciting and to tailor it to my tastes and the tastes of the players.

For an example of my DM style (and the style I expect from players), see my Star Wars game.

In order to submit for consideration, I don't necessarily need a full character sheet (although it may help). I just need your character concept and some history. I'll leave recruitment open for a week to get a good mix of applicants, until 1/18/2011 at 2300 CST.

I will make the decisions based on having a decent diversity in party design, as well as posting style and history. (If you are new to the boards, we can come up with something so I can see if your style is compatible with mine.) Players who I have had good experiences with will obviously have an edge.


Welcome, one and all, to the Grand Arena of Ridonport. Gladiators fight for glory, money, and prestige in the arena. If you care to sign up, you may do so at Recruitment. There's always room for more in the eternal quest for glory.

The trumpets blow in the Grand Arena. The magical torches dim for a moment, then flare in expectation of battle. The image of a half-elf bard, Count Agaman's personal herald, appears in the center of the arena. Every detail, from the fine stitching of his clothing to the perfectly manicured nails and hair, is on display in the 20 foot illusion. His voice carries through the arena, over the excited crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen of the court, Count Agaman is delighted to have you as a guest for today's entertainment. The next match is one that will be written about in song and legend, for the four brave gladiators are honorable and courageous."

A new illusion appears next to him, the participants in today's battle. He gestures to the pair on his right. "The winner of their last three matches, the defending team has proven themselves in this very arena. Tyrus Green, a man so charismatic that even his enemies cannot resist his favor, stands tall with Beckett the Wolf Lord, who is a testament to the power of Erastil."[b] He gestures to his left to introduce the second team. [b]"The challengers today are accomplished and fearsome additions to the Arena. Johnny Red is truly a beast in his heart, exploring the dark heart that beats within each of us. Cornelius is a mysterious figure who never errs once he chooses a mark. Which team shall overcome the other? Which team shall win the glory? Which team will prove themselves the victor in the arena?" As he reaches his crescendo of introduction, the crowd goes wild with applause and begin chanting the names of the gladiators.

Today's match is not a death match, meaning that kills are frowned upon. (There is a degree of latitude, as this is an arena with sharp weapons and fiery spells.) Each of the four participants may roll initiative and use one round to prepare for battle. Please don't use spoilers, and don't metagame.

DM/Audience View

Blue Team (Tyrus/Beckett) View

Red Team (Cornelius/Johnny Red) View

Once the teams meet in battle, as long as no one is using Stealth, we'll merge to one map.


Arena Map (Spectators/DM)

Arena Map (Team One)

Arena Map (Team Two)

The arena is a well-built, large structure in the finest tradition of Taldan excess. The main battling area is 100 feet wide and 100 feet long, allowing for a wide range of activity. The ceiling is 40 feet high with painted with a very elaborate fresco showing Taldor at war.

The battle arena has seen extremely varied environments, depending on the needs of a particular fight. Count Agaman employs several mages and druids to quickly and efficiently sculpt the battlefield to his liking. He considers himself a man of honor, as all Taldans do, and attempts to create a battlefield that is fair to all participants while providing adequate opportunity for creative use of terrain.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8 aka Isaac Duplechain

Alchemist's Viper
moderate transmutation; CL 13th
Slot wrists; Price 27,500 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description
This emerald-adorned, serpentine bracelet slowly moves around the wearer's wrist and allows the wearer to quickly inject a potion or an alchemist's extract into his bloodstream, bypassing the imbibing process. At will as a swift action, the wearer may activate a prepared extract or potion as if he had drank it. The fangs of the serpent bite down on the wearer's wrist to make the injection, dealing 1d6 damage per formula level of the extract or spell level of the potion to the wearer (a DC 18 Fortitude save reduces the damage by half). Preparing an extract or potion for injection is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The extract or potion is poured into the mouth of the serpent, which can hold one extract or potion at a time. The wearer can use the alchemist's viper with any potion, an extract created with the infusion class feature, or his own extracts if the wearer is an alchemist.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, delayed consumption, animate objects; Cost 13,750 gp


Whoops, reduce the numbers by 5% across the board. I blame my inability to understand basic math concepts.


Just my opinion, but I think this should be removed from the Arcana list and placed as a standard class feature. The class has a dearth (at the time of this posting) of touch spells at its higher spell levels, making this almost a necessity for making good use of Spellstrike.


Intro Crawl

Text::

Civil war again consumes the galaxy.
The Rebellion's fleet has gathered
near Tatooine, preparing to go on the
offensive against the Empire.

The Emperor has sent the Imperial
Navy to head the Rebels off.
During the initial skirmish, agents of
the Empire intercepted a message
about the plans for a secret weapon.

The Crown Prince Luke Skywalker
races to board the starship that
received the message, hoping to save
countless lives by stealing the plans
before the Rebels can unleash their
ultimate weapon...


This is my DM alias.

Our party consists of the following members. Please check in and introduce yourself to our vast audience of lurkers. When everyone says that they have finalized their characters, we will begin. Please send your email to jaran625@yahoo.com so I can have it on file.

Loreck Durgen, Human Kensae
Dak Calgar, Human Scout
Urirawa, Wookiee Soldier
Sho Larn, Kel Dor Kensae
Call Krassus, Human [Half-Clone] Soldier
Raal, Chiss Noble/Kensae

A few housekeeping notes that most of you will not need since you are also DMs:
1. Please use proper grammer, punctuation, and capitalization. Thank you.
2. If you say you're going to do something, make whatever rolls necessary in spoiler tags. It'll cut down on time. Read the thread in Kalderaan's PBP.
3. "What you say is in bold," said the DM. But thoughts are in italics, he thought to himself.
4. If you decide to use Force Points to augment a roll, put it in a new post with some flavor text. Please say how many you have used this level and how many you have left.

House Rules
1. Skill Focus (Use the Force), being the most powerful feat in the game, will only give +1 at 1st level, +2 at 2nd level, +3 at 3rd level, and so on until it becomes as-normal at 5th level. No one has it in their initial build, so it hasn't come up yet.
2. +10 XP per post that is well-written. "I attack, roll d20." will not get it, but "DM Barcas, sweat dripping from exhaustion, makes a single desperate blow with his lightsaber. It arcs low and catches the trooper just below the ankle." will probably get it.
3. You all have individual Destinies. You just don't know what they are yet.


I have decided that I want to run a campaign that I GMed for back in college using the Star Wars Saga Edition system. I'm looking to play with 4 players, although 5 is a possibility.

I wanted to play in the Rebellion Era, but I didn't want to be shackled by the existing story. I decided on an alternate universe as the best way to do this. The story follows the general storyline of A New Hope, but throws a curveball: the protagonists are Imperial while the antagonists are Rebels. To show how that came to be, please read the backstory.

End of the Rebublic, Rise of the Sith:
The galaxy was saved at its darkest hour. Senator Palpatine of Naboo, secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, had manipulated events for decades in order to execute his master stroke. After making the galaxy hunger for peace through the Clone Wars, Order 66 all but annihilated the Jedi Order. His secret apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, took the mantle of Darth Vader and led the assault on the Jedi Temple. Vader ended the Clone Wars by slaughtering the Separatist Council on Mustafar, then fought his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Their duel ended when Kenobi hesitated to take the final blow against Vader. Vader took advantage of Kenobi's hesitation and struck him down.

Vader rushed his gravely injured wife back to Coruscant, having Force choked her in a rage when confronted by both her and Kenobi. She gave birth to a twin boy and girl, then died from her injuries. In her final breath, she named them Luke and Leia Skywalker. Vader saw his new master, Darth Sidious, looking at the twins with a naked desire for the power of their bloodline, and knew he had made a mistake.

Declaring that he would make the Skywalker name worthy for his children, he threw off the mantle of Darth Vader and reclaimed the name of Anakin Skywalker. He engaged Sidious in a duel above the streets of Coruscant. Skywalker was nearly beaten when the spirit of Qui-Gon Jinn appeared to him. Qui-Gon, the Jedi who had freed him from a life of slavery on Tatooine, told him to accept the will of the Force. With Skywalker disarmed and lying on his back, Sidious prepared to finish him off in a terrible rage. Skywalker called his lightsaber back to him and plunged it into the dark heart of Darth Sidious.

Emergence of the Empire:
Skywalker went before the Galactic Senate and informed them of Palpatine's true nature. He explained that the Jedi had discovered Palpatine's identity, which is why he ordered them executed. Skywalker made no mention of his involvement, saying only that he discovered the plot and was able to beat Sidious. With the Republic in tatters and almost no Jedi remaining, the Senate voted to transfer the newly-granted powers given to Palpatine over to Skywalker. They hoped that Skywalker, whose popularity was now at near-universal heights after saving the galaxy from the Sith menace, would be able to rebuild it.

Skywalker was reluctant to accept at first, until Qui-Gon appeared to him and advised him that he could do great things with the power granted to him. He announced the creation of the Galactic Empire, free of the bureaucracy and internal politics that had choked the Republic for centuries. It would be a constitutional monarchy, maintaining the Senate as a partner in passing legislation. Skywalker quickly expanded the rights and liberties of the galaxy's sentient beings. The Empire outlawed slavery and made a priority in suppressing organized crime.

Despite the freedom afforded to the citizens of the Empire, Skywalker expected obedience from the worlds of the Empire. Verbal dissent was allowed as part of the political process, but overt acts of insurrection were met quickly with overwhelming force. Remnants of the Confederacy remained, as did groups who wanted the return of the Republic. About a dozen small revolts occurred in the first few years of the Empire; they ended as quickly as they began when Emperor Skywalker dispatched massive fleets to the system. The Empire only fought small skirmishes, and the galaxy knew peace and prosperity for the first time in a generation. This golden age of peace ushered in the anno Imperium, a new calendar free of the Republic's tarnished history.

Kensae, Jedi, & Sith:
Emperor Skywalker considered reforming the Jedi Order, but decided that too much of the Order was tied to rigid, outdated dogma. He banned the Jedi Order as an organization, but invited the surviving Jedi to live in peace. Likewise, he banned the Sith Order as an enemy to peace and justice despite there being no known Sith remaining in the galaxy. Some of the remaining Jedi went into hiding, continuing the Jedi Order in secret. The others were invited to join a new Force tradition, created and practiced by Emperor Skywalker: the Kensae Corps.

The Kensae Corps was created in the 5th anno Imperium as a quasi-military force, free of the corruption of the Sith and the rigidity of the Jedi. The Kensae were to be trained in the military as officers, much as the Jedi had been in the Clone Wars. This time, however, they would be prepared for it through their training. They could, however, live in the galaxy as citizens instead of being cloistered. Many Kensae took spouses and had families, although Skywalker never remarried. His twin children, Luke and Leia Skywalker, were trained in the ways of the Force as Kensae.

The Kensae recruited Force-sensitive children as the Jedi had, but did not remove their attachment to their families. They also trained at a later age than the Jedi. At the age of 10, candidates for the Kensae Corps were offered a spot at the Kensae Academy on Coruscant or any number of satellite academies. They continued the education given to all children, but also learned the ways of the Force and the discipline of the military. By the 10th anno Imperium, the Kensae Corps numbered 10,000, which was as many as the Jedi ever did. With so few former Jedi as teachers, few Kensae were able to become Kensae Masters in the first years of the Corps.

The Jedi Order quietly began to recreate itself. The only known surviving member of the Jedi Council, Shaak Ti, publicly declared that the Order would survive. Skywalker had several opportunities to strike at the Jedi and wipe them out, but he chose not to do so. The Jedi Order grew to about 1000 members, a fraction of their number before the Clone Wars. The Jedi did not engage in galactic politics. The public perception of them was mixed at best, especially after a group calling themselves the Jedi Sentinels began to use guerilla tactics to damage Imperial holdings.

The Sith died with Darth Sidious, but a number of dark side cults surfaced over the years. The Kensae generally dealt with them swiftly and mercilessly. One cult that managed to thrive (relatively speaking) was the Blackguard, based in Mustafar. Skywalker declared that no Kensae would step foot on the planet, and thus the Blackguard were able to quietly build their forces. Imperial warships have shoot-on-sight orders for any ships leaving Mustafar.

In the 15th anno Imperium, a group calling themselves the Prophets of the Dark Side surfaced, claiming that it was right and proper for the Dark Side to rule the galaxy. Prophet Valin, leader of the cult, proclaimed that a true Emperor would one day rule the galaxy as a Sith Lord. The Prophets use terrorism and propaganda to further their cause of a galaxy ruled by the Sith, who they claimed had returned. Several teams of Kensae were dispatched to follow up on these rumors. Contact with each of these teams were lost within days of arriving at the location of a rumored sighting. Only one sent back any status report at all, referring cryptically to a “Darth Starkiller” whose path they were following. The Empire declined to confirm any link to a new group of Sith, but the rumors continued to spread as the specter of the Sith's return loomed over the galaxy. Tensions ran high as various groups and factions began publicly doubting the ability of the Empire, Emperor Skywalker, and the Kensae to defend the galaxy from a resurgence of the Sith.

Rebellion:
In the 17th anno Imperium, a group of Senators declared their worlds in rebellion and demanded a return to the Republic. Individual worlds had rebelled, but never as a group. This Rebel Alliance was led by Bail Organa of Alderaan, Garm Bel Iblis of Corellia, Baron Orman Tagge of Tapasi, and Mon Mothma of Chandrila. Emperor Skywalker initially tried to use diplomacy to return the Rebel systems to the Imperial fold, but this only gave the Rebellion more time to gather more worlds. The scales tipped to war when the Rebellion brought in the resurgent Mandalorians as an independent partner, which brought other factions to the Rebel cause like dominoes. The Hutts declared their independence and allied with the Rebellion. They were quickly followed by the Black Sun, which declared its support for the Rebel cause. The Jedi apprehensively joined with the stated intent to restore the Republic. The Order created a new Jedi Academy on Corellia, the unofficial capital of the Rebellion. Grand Master Shaak Ti hoped to return galactic affairs to what they were prior to the Clone Wars. Jedi General Rahm Kota and his anti-Imperial militia gladly joined, although the Rebel leaders have found them difficult to control.

The Empire's allies included the Chiss Ascendancy, an isolationist empire located in the Unknown Regions, and the Hapes Consortium, whose powerful warships and defensible position had proven an unknown factor since its reintegration to galactic politics. The Hapans were rather reluctant to engage in what they saw as the civil war of a separate state, but were convinced to join when Emperor Skywalker convinced them that the Rebellion would allow the Mandalorians to advance into Hapan space. The Chiss joined the fight when several Rebel warships entered Chiss space in an attempt to attack the Empire from behind their lines. The Chiss defended their territory from the incursion, destroying the Rebel fleet utterly. Grand Admiral Thrawn, a Chiss exile and the Empire's top military leader, helped bridge the gap between the Empire and the Ascendancy.

The Rebellion was widespread outside the Core Worlds. Except for the founding worlds of the Rebellion, most of the Rebel worlds were in the Expansion Region, Mid Rim, and Outer Rim. Most of the systems of the Galactic North were in Rebellion, with other large expanses in the Galactic Southeast and Galactic Southwest. Once the Empire officially recognized the Rebellion and declared war on the Rebels, the Imperial Navy blockaded all of the Rebellion's founding worlds except Corellia. While the Empire's military was vastly more powerful, the area it had to defend was much larger. The Rebels built their strength and avoided direct military conflicts as the Imperials tried to hold onto what they had and tried to draw the Rebel ships into battle. The Empire and the Rebellion each try to outmaneuver the other into a mistake that can end the civil war, but neither have the means to deploy overwhelming force without allowing the potential for a devastating counterattack. However, there are rumors that the Rebellion has a secret weapon, one with enough power to put the Rebels on an even footing with the Empire...

Character creation will follow the following rules:
1. Standard Point Buy
2. No Droids (Every Star Wars droid PC invariably becomes HK-47. Invariably.)
3. Anything from the Core Rulebook, Jedi Academy Training Guide, Force Unleashed Campaign Guide, or Galaxy at War is good for use without approval. Anything else is case-by-case.
4. All characters are members of the Imperial Navy. Make no mistake that this is a military campaign. We will begin in the middle of the Battle of Tattooine.

I'll open up recruitment from now until 9/22/2010 at 1200 hrs (CST). I work the evening shift and don't have a computer in my mobile office, but I do have my phone to post. Therefore, non-combat situations can likely be played out without issue anytime that I'm awake, but combat situations will have a bit of a different method. What I envision for combat is that I will post the state of affairs for the round before going on-duty (including 3D pictures with SketchUp); the players would submit their "Plan A" action and "Plan B" action (if "Plan A" is not available because of changes during the round) including rolls and narration. When I come back off-duty, I will adjudicate and narrate everyone's actions by initiative order (hence the need for Plan B actions). This will probably be a little chaotic and trigger more attacks of opportunity than normal.

I hope to get a lot of feedback and entries. Please submit backstories and general character concepts. Keep in mind that I've ran this before and have most of my original notes, so it's a bit like an AP. The party will almost certainly be at least half Kensae, if not more. (BTW, if you have an unorthodox character concept, like a Kensae who uses blaster pistols and cortosis bracers instead of a lightsaber, I can work with you to create the rules for it.)


3 people marked this as FAQ candidate.

Gravity Bow:
Gravity bow significantly increases the weight and density of arrows or bolts fired from your bow or crossbow the instant before they strike their target and then return them to normal a few moments later. Any arrow fired from a bow or crossbow you are carrying when the spell is cast deals damage as if one size larger than it actually is. For instance, an arrow fired from a Medium longbow normally deals 1d8 points of damage, but it would instead deal 2d6 points of damage if fired from a gravity bow (see table on this page for associated increase/decrease in damage due to size change). Only you can benefit from this spell. If anyone else uses your bow to make an attack the arrows deal damage as normal for their size.

Lead Blades:
Lead blades increases the momentum and density of your melee weapons just as they strike a foe. All melee weapons you are carrying when the spell is cast deal damage as if one size category larger than they actually are. For instance, a Medium longsword normally deals 1d8 points of damage, but it would instead deal 2d6 points of damage if benefiting from lead blades (see page 145 of the Core Rulebook for more information). Only you can benefit from this spell. If anyone else uses one of your weapons to make an attack it deals damage as normal for its size.

Why is Gravity Bow available to both Rangers and Wizards/Sorcerers while Lead Blades is available only to Rangers? My Eldritch Knight would love to have Lead Blades. Seeing as they do just about the same thing, why the difference in allowing Wizard/Sorcerer?


In the last session of my campaign, my players failed to stop a drow plot to poison the water supply with a potent mixture of alchemy ingredients that had previously been used to turn centaur into scorpion-like beasts. As a consequence, I'll have them go back to the town they were in previously and find the inhabitants turned into zombie-like infected. I was hoping to get feedback on them. Should they be a higher CR? Should they be modified to be (alone) CR 1 so I can more easily swarm them? I plan on making a few animals who have also been infected.

INFECTED HUMANS / CR 2 / XP 600
N Aberration
Initiative +1 Perception +3
-------------
AC 15 (1 Dex, 4 Natural) Flat-footed 15, Touch 11
HP 22 (3d8+9)
Fort +4 Ref +2 Will +5
-------------
Speed 40 ft, Move Up
Melee - Slam +6 (1d6 + 4 plus grab), Bite +6 (1d4 + 4 plus poison and disease)
-------------
Str 18 Dex 12 Con 16 Int 5 Wis 10 Cha 5
BAB +2 CMB +6 (+10 Grapple) CMD 17
-------------
Feats
Step Up
Iron Will
-------------
- Madness: Infected see all living non-infected beings as threats and attack.
- Group Tactics: Infected deal +1 damage for each infected adjacent to both them and the target, plus 1d6 sneak attack damage when flanking or the target is denied a Dexterity bonus.
- Poison: Injury, immediate onset, DC 14, frequency 1/rd for 3 rounds, cure 1 save, effect 1d2 Con damage + 1d2 Str damage
- Disease: Injury, 1d4 hour onset, DC 14, frequency 1/day, cure 2 saves. First failed save confuses target (as the spell), second failed save turns the target into an infected
- Diseased: Remove Disease cures the infected. DC to remove increased by 2 for each week since infection.
-------------
Tactics
- Alone: Grab & Bite, No regard for safety
- Groups: Surround, grab, pin, bite
- Infected will leave any foe that is unconscious and bitten


One of my players is an illusionist. I'm brushing up on illusion spells and their limitations. However, I have been completely unable to locate an answer to one question, which is why I come to you.

Do you have complete illusory control of the 10-foot cubes that you choose your spells to affect? (I am using Silent Image as the base spell.) Let's say that you've created the illusion of a boulder in one cube. After continuing the spell for several rounds, can you suddenly have a figure (previously non-existent) pop out from behind the boulder? Can you make the boulder disappear and a chair appear in its place?

Here's my initial take: you can create a single illusion in each of the cubes. (This can be a single creature, object, etc.) This illusion cannot change as long as the spell continues and cannot leave the cube.

What is your opinion?