Thursday (1st January) sometime I'll compile a list of PC concepts so far and group them in two piles: 'Lots of posts/interest' and 'One or two posts only' to get something for everyone to look at. (Of course I'll c!%% all the PMs too.)
Then we can get an idea on how many of this or that has shown interest thus far. It's critical to note that many posters have not been able to post during the holiday season so I have to be fair and give them time. As I've said, I wasn't planning on starting Recruitment until next Monday or Tuesday, after the holidays. But I got impatient. (I had planned on starting this in late September / early October but I joined a PbP as a PC and felt I couldn't commit to both; that campaign suffered from 'Vanishing DM')
So I jumped the gun on this. But we're getting close!
(I was a Lurker on the Campaign with 'The First Flame' from almost the very beginning of Recruitment. I Lurked every day of that game for its entirety. Mostly, I just wanted to see combat. Alas, y'all never got there.)
The first half of this game, as far as I can go until we're too high Level and too high magicked, is intended as a Horror game. A 'Low-Fantasy' exploration of one's unknown 'inner animal' works well. And the 'High-Fantasy' aspects of the game will be unavoidable when we're higher Level.
Good News: I noticed that you could have either an additional Skill point or HP from Favored Class! (Unless of course if you're doing one of those fractionals and I just don't know it.)
Your Seeker Sorcerer looks great.
Regarding your history: I don't see much of it coming into the campaign as a cameo or something I can use. I can see a customer or friend or former adventuring ally of your mother-and-father meeting you and saying, "Wow, you're alive; how are you?" And you unable to answer them. That said, there are two things that gave me a little DM-interest.
One is I think it'll be cool when you find the information early on that, while it includes your magical stuff -- the Crunch on your character sheet -- it'll also mention that you worship someone called, 'Whoever'! That can be fun to roleplay, maybe. You learn that you worship someone that not only do you not know, but neither does anyone around you.
The second is The Gray Devil. I mean, come on, what DM sees that on a PC background and isn't inspired to add a monster to the campaign called 'The Gray Devil'?!
As requested I took a good look at Ryzel Cain and, 'Yes,' there is enough there for me to understand the PC proposal. As is, I will be able to look at your PC and all the others that are being worked on and struggle against the harsh task of only choosing four.
@ Critzible,
I just looked at Lady Emilia Vosk (Profile from another PbP) and all looks A-Okay. Again, you'll have no memory of your past and, when you do learn a bit of your background, the direction of the campaign may not allow much room for it to come up. (Though I could see someone from your family meeting you in Lepidstadt or something.)
I'm willing to look at Shifter if you look at Skin-Changer first and inform me IF it's radically different. When UW was first published I had just gotten my 'New Paths Compendium' as a Patron and felt that the one new Class in UW wasn't at all worth the money especially since my Convention-Gaming-Buddy Marc Radle had just published the Skin-Changer. So I never bothered to even look at Shifter. It's the same right, just different Crunch?
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Edit: I just saw your post -- looks like we were here at the same time. I'll check for any new changes momentarily.
In the meantime -- WereBat is so much cooler and more novel than WereWolf.
An Inquisitor is a great option for this Campaign.
I always liked Sin Eater and the one time someone played one in my game she did it more like Sin 'Releaser' where the Flavor is that she "Removed" the sin from the creature through ritual more like something Mishakal (Dragonlance) or Lathander (Forgotten Realms) might do. You know, instead of the Flavor of "Consuming" the Evil as though you're a religious Ghoul.
I'd be really curious to see how a PC 'Ghoul'-like ritualistic-eater-of-sin-energy-from-the-dead plays out. How you see the PC's behavior in general. "I stand over the corpse of our enemy and suck the Sins from its Soul, feeding from it as my companions watch!"
(Or, if you want, I could totally see an Inquisitor of Pharasma performing a ritual over the dead praying to take away the Soul's Evil deeds.)
I reread Monday's posts, well, 'actually' read because I barely perused them yesterday as I was absolutely slammed at work and biologically brain dead afterward.
Everything looks good.
@Grumbaki: The changes all seem perfectly fine.
@Ability Score rebuilds: Looks good
@Dien: You are certainly free to use my interpretation of Alignment for your PC. (And it always makes one feel good when someone else adopts one's houserule). But if you have differing ideas of Alignment, don't feel obliged to take mine. Ultimately, it's how we play -- if we see Alignment X or Y in the style of play from others.
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Anyway, I'm a day behind but am catching up in the next couple hours (Tuesday late morning).
Yes, you can split the two points from Leveling-Up anyway you want, two at 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th. (So if you do end up with two odd numbered Ability Scores at 1st Level, you can make them both even at 5th.)
I briefly looked -- we're all good. I'm super busy at work Monday so it will be a little later when I can really look. But everything ought to be fine.
@ Grumbaki,
I'm having a monster of a Monday and haven't looked at the new Crunch for Khardon Dourstone. I'm confident everything is fine. But I'll look later.
@ Critzible,
Always room for a Shifter -- well kinda / sorta aka: not 'exactly': I know the Skin-Changer from 'New Paths Compendium' which came out first and I was a kick-starter to help out Marc Radle who I'd played with at Conventions.
I'm pretty sure they're very similar. If you are so inclined, a Skin-Changer could be a great PC.
I am overflowingly busy at work Monday so it will be later that I can look at Lady Emilia Vosk.
I have no issue with PCs Min-Max'ing their Ability Scores. NPC Commoners and Experts and Aristocrats and such won't be min-max'ed, but Heroes ought to be -- I could argue. Adventures are likely to be, one could posit. .... One of the reasons I offer a 26 point buy is that, for so many character designs on a 25-point chassis, one Ability Score has to end up an odd number. For half the standard builds that extra little point makes all the difference, and is still balanced with the other half of the 25-point PC chassis (who don't get any benefit at all out of an extra point).
All that said, I do know many gamers who rail at Min-Max'ing and out of principle will not do it for their characters. I respect that.
So build what You want to build!
But if you fix your stat array to even number Scores, well, you will contribute more to the group.
@ Kool Kobold,
Either Life Oracle or Fire Blaster is a good option; propose what you really WANT to play. (I guess you could make both if you like them equally and then I can pick.)
Regarding the 3rd party-publisher. Uh....
How about you just tell me the Mystery from some other Crunch that you want and I'll try to give it to you (looks like at 5th Level) -- rather than having it all open-ended and me not knowing?
@ Dreadful,
PM received and we look to be on the exact same page. (There's actually a gimmick in one of the AP inspirations for this campaign that suggests the PCs did something bad at some point. When you mentioned your design concept it immediately made me think of it. Obviously, I have to adjust this-and-that as my campaign is quite different from all the inspirations that led me to the design. Still. It works very well for one of the PCs to have this little detail.)
I'll make sure your backgrounds and such come up for the enrichment of your PCs, but alas, remember that this is a bit more linear campaign (rescue the cat from the tree, then go and save the princess rom the tower, then stop the evil wizard from whatever) -- rather than a more Sandbox where each PC really advances his and her own ambitions.
@ Dien,
Everything in your PM is 1,000% clear and I look forward to seeing your Tiefling Investigator as the design concept & Crunch continues. .... It's worth it to notice that you may never really get the chance to explore your past in Caliphas as the campaign takes off, even with the knowledge of some of your past.
I know what the evil deed is, knew immediately. Of course, it is open-ended or flexible as I may need to alter it. And you won't yet know (amnesia). And that even gives me the freedom to completely change it if the campaign veers left instead of right.
We are starting at Level One and, yes, your missing background will only have enough, uh, background for that much XP. There is a little twist I made, but don't create a missing background for a high level PC.
Desna and Pharasma are most definitely the two principle deities for this campaign. Especially the first half.
I don't have an opinion either for or against natural attacks. I don't mind. (At the outset you're not going to know that you're good at hand-to-hand combat-- like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan waking up and not knowing they're bad ass dudes, in 'The Walking Dead' show they'd still be grabbing a stick or a gun and trying to avoid the zombies.)
Regarding your Abyssal Bloodline, is it okay with you if I somewhat re-Flavor the 'origin' of the Abyssal Bloodline even though 100% of the Crunch remains? I'm thinking maybe, if it feels right for both of us, 'That' which 'stole'(?) your memories -- or whatever -- left behind those Bloodline mechanics (and it's not Abyssal.)? Of course, I have no problem if you love the idea and want to play a PC whose great-grandfather was a Glabrezu of Abraxas or whatever. 'That' which blah blah blah your memory can target a PC with an Abyssal Bloodline just as easily as 'it' can to a plain-Jane-commoner. So whatever.
Take your time. I began this Recruitment page a good ten days earlier than I should've because I was just too impatient. I know that half The Boards are not even posting right now and the rest of us who are, are nonetheless busy with the holidays. Being in a rush would be silly, as not many players could regularly post now anyway. Once the new year has started and we get back in our various regular routines, I will push things forward. Even then, because of the odd nature of the opening of this campaign, a player can easily begin with a half-incomplete PC.
Of course, I need the design concept. I need a good idea of the Crunch/build. And I'd really like to hear about how you like to play, your game style, your gaming alignment, yada yada.
@ The Waskally,
A Human Cleric of Pharasma to provide Healing is absolutely something the party could use.
But you don't need to scrap your fire-Sorcerer application if that's what you'd much rather play!
My gut tells me that we will get a few new applicants around the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of January once the holidays are over. If that comes to pass, then one of them may propose a healer (Priest from 'New Paths Compendium' maybe the best Crunch-wise for that, or Oracle of Life(!) -- as well as any Cleric with the Healing Domain!)
So whatever you want the most. (Of course, there's nothing stopping you designing two for me to look at.)
Welcome to Recruitment, Dien!
Tiefling Investigator that loves to push the flashing red button sounds awesome!
I'll send you a PM when I get a chance. Or better, you can send me a PM when you get a chance just letting me know the little bits of 'Strange Aeons' and 'Carrion Crown' -- and I'm confident it won't be even a trifle.
You begin play with Varisian -- which is the most common language in Ustalov, spoken by pretty much everyone.
And since Races get their own language and Humans are designed to be versatile, one extra language of your choice (such as Celestial (like Aasimars), Elven (like Elves) or Taldoran (like folks down in Absalom and Taldor).
Not the secret Druid language, of course.
Additionally, you get bonus languages for your INT modifier as per RAW, so 16 INT would start with 5 languages (2 + 3).
And if you then put one Rank in Linguistics, that's 2 more (such as Skald and Undercommon, a sign language).
Regarding suggestions: This campaign is less cosmopolitan than most I DM, taking place mostly in Ustalov then Varisia. But there's never any harm in the PCs getting access to the other Human languages, Taldoran, Chelaxian, Osiriani, Skald, Kelesh, whatever -- and monster languages such as Giant, Draconic, Goblinoid -- or Elemental languages such as Ignan or Auran. Yada Yada. It's also sometimes helpful when the PCs know some random language such as Celestial or Sylvan so they can talk openly among themselves without eavesdroppers rolling their Perception checks like those pesky Samwise Gamgee folks dropping over the eaves to hear.
No problem leaving it a little open-ended until we start.
Hey, thanks for posting! Yes, absolutely a Gnome Dirge Bard would make an excellent PC for this campaign. There have been probably three or four times over the years when someone 'almost' played a Dirge Bard in one of my campaigns, but then changed to Bones Oracle, or Witch, or JuJu Oracle (also 'Mummy's Mask'), or even a White Necromancer (which I swear is the weakest Class in 'New Paths Compendium.') So this could be really cool for me as a DM to finally see it. (Although at 10th Level when you can start keeping Skeletons (Ooh Ahh!) and such while doing your Artistry seems really weak for a 10th Level boon.)
The trapfinding Trait in 'Mummy's Mask' is actually less of a Trait than it should be. With a single Trait (half a Feat) one should be able to get either a +2 to a single Skill and that Skill becomes a Class Skill (that's half of Skill Focus kinda/sorta) -- or a +1 to two 'Like' Skills and one of them (your choice) becomes a Class Skill (like Alertness or Scholar, etc.). So if you want +2 to Disable Device and make it a Class Skill -- you got it!
Everything looks good, and 'Yes' -- that is the list from 'New Paths Compendium' -- your PC concept sounded quite a bit like the Warlock there, which is a Gish just like Magus (and the 3.5 Hexblade) so I figured I'd mention it.
I've thought of ways to get your Black Blade as part of your character and am pretty sure I have it. My initial thought is of something that could be interpreted as more Neutral or uncaring/unAligned -- but not necessarily "animalistic" per say. But certainly the 'added' part is what I had pictured. Parasitic wasn't my initial thought but it absolutely can be interpreted that way. .... Unless I/We think of a different idea that fits better, the 'Something 'adds' to your arm/bone covering it up' will work out just fine. And 'IS' or 'takes the form of' the Dwarven Waraxe.
There is nothing wrong with reading the 'Stolen Fate' Players' Guide, or any of the others that I have drawn inspiration from. But of course, when an event or theme or encounter pops up during our campaign from 'Stolen Fate', it will be less of a surprise, or have perhaps less of an impact. But of course, the obverse side of the coin is that sometimes it really helps to have a little information on hand so that you can really make a PC that can enjoy the campaign. So it's up to you .... Hmm, do you remember from
the beginning of 'Curse of the Crimson Throne':
when the PCs magically get a Harrow Card from the Ghost of Zellara and they follow it to her house where she provides a reading for them -- and the Harrow Reading for each PC provides some yada yada for the character throughout CotCT? The 'Stolen Fate' gimmick with the Harrow Deck is an evolution of that (which was an evolution from 1983 "Ravenloft"). And I have designed it a bit differently.
Regarding your first Feat: It likely won't matter too, too much in this crazy-opening of a campaign. A good chunk of 1st Level is effectively without a character sheet as you have no idea whether you have one or the other, whether you are a Zero-Level Commoner or an 18th Level Wizard. So you can't take advantage of any of your abilities and Class Features. The question will be, 'How fast can y'all get to the encounter/room/situation where you learn a bit about yourselves?' That's when you'll realize, 'Wow! If I rest eight hours look at all the Spells I can cast!' Or that you have Evasion. Or that you have Dodge. Or that you have a BAB of +1. Etcetera. .... Further, who knows how much XP you will have earned during the earlier encounters leading to that initial self-discovery?! You may be one encounter away from 2nd Level before you realize your 1st Level abilities. Or half way there. Or already there which will not be cool for me because it's better if I, as the DM, try to make sure you get there as quickly as possible.
But as I wrote in the beginning of Recruitment, we're starting without the character sheet and the players can wait until they fill in much of their Crunch. (Not that you have to.)
My advice, wait until Gameplay throws a handful of encounters at you to decide what's better, Augury once per day (awesome when deciding Left or Right in a 'horror' Dungeon-Crawl!) or +1 on Will Saves vs Enchantment and the variable Bonus depending on the roll (also very helpful!)
I like 'Harrow Chosen' for this character and this game. But. Well not for a Trait. A Trait is supposed to be half a Feat. Like a +2 on Initiative or a +1 on a Save. This Trait gives you +2 CL on all Divinations AND the SP Augury Twice a week. I mean, that's gotta be at least as strong as a full Feat, yes? (Can you think of a Feat that gives you a 2nd Level Spell 2/week, um, with +2 CL?)
I will allow Harrow Chosen as a Feat -- it fits the PC and this campaign very well. You may choose to take it or not during the campaign.
I am familiar with the Harrow Bloodline, as I DMed a PC with it -- albeit modified to fit in my campaign -- several years ago.
So I guess the question is,
Would you rather play a Sorcerer (Wiz/Sor Spell List) where we try to find a way to shoehorn in mechanics (nerfed or truncated) from an Oracle Mystery: Ancestor?
Or do you want to play an Oracle (Mystery) with Divine Spells where we try to find a way to shoehorn in mechanics (nerfed or truncated) from the Sorcerer Bloodline: Harrowed?
Either way, we can look at this-and-that Feature of one and find the correlating Feature on the other option, and try to work out a Homebrew Archetype. This could be tricky.
OR,...
You can choose all the Flavor and description of one, and stick to the mechanics of the other. This will be the easiest as it keeps us to RAW and we don't need to have any back-and-forth negotiating (which is easier to do if we're over-the-table than it is in play-by-post). If you choose the full mechanics of one, to combine with the Flavor of the other, that gives me the ability to really focus on Boons during the campaign where the Flavor of the second can be completely homebrewed by the DM to fit the campaign.
This campaign, as mentioned, draws some inspiration from the 'Stolen Fate' Adventure Path, which revolves around a Harrow Deck. So Harrowed Bloodline gives me the DM a ton of connection to emphasize your PC.
Also, this campaign, as mentioned, deals with the mystery of Aroden and in the long term (We start out in just a Horror story.) shifts its focus to the lost god. So a PC with an Oracle Mystery (Ancestor) who is tied specifically to Aroden also gives me the DM a ton of connection to emphasize your PC.
What do you want to play: Sorcerer Spells? Or Oracle Spells?
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Hmm,
If you aren't decided, you can also look to the other PC proposals. Are there tons of / or a shortage of PC applicants using the Sor/Wiz Spell list? Are there tons of / or a shortage of PC applicants using the Cleric Spell list.
Right now Recruitment is still early and in holiday season. I have no idea if, in the first three or four days of January I will get one or zero new interested Players, or ten!
In any case, I really like both of your concepts and would love to see either a Harrowed Sorcerer with an Oracle-like connection to Aroden, or an Oracle of Aroden with a Harrow connection. So I'm in The Catbird Seat!
A Tengu Unchained Monk would be an excellent PC proposal.
A Tengu Oracle (especially Pharasma, Desna or 'generic' Ustalov-Theme) would be an excellent PC proposal.
As we are in Ustalov and this is more Horror, and 'Western'-culture Gothic -- a Tengu that is more 'Western'ized' like an "Edgar Allan Poe" Crow / Raven would fit the Flavor better than the more accurate, original Eastern Tengu.
(But what the H do I care!)
One of the things I'd like to know: In my head I'm picturing a Light Flail (or Heavy Flail) as your eventual Intelligent Weapon. Like, in my mind's eye I see the shaft protruding from your shoulder-socket and the chain starting about where an elbow may be, and the hand being the spiked iron ball. .... If it's another weapon, let me know so I can wrap my head around how it looks. (everything else seems awkward.) .... Or, am I completely wrong in my vision? Is it your 'dead'-arm that casts spells and hexes and curses, supernaturally withering away the tissue of your limb -- and your strong arm wields the Intelligent, uh, again-- Long Sword? Morningstar? Battle Axe? .... Or, are you completely sold on the 'prosthetic arm' idea? If that's the case then you'd start with an empty shoulder-socket and almost immediately get a prosthetic you can use. In any case, let me know what you have decide (or when you do decide).
I don't know how well, if at all, you are familiar with New Paths Compendium but, like the "Hexblade" Class from the 3.5 era, the "Warlock" in 'New Paths' has several features that seem to fit very well with your character concept. I don't see any issue in adding the Warlock spell list from 'New Paths' or probably even the Dread-Bolt Transmutations to your Arcane Pool abilities. If you want to take a little time to play with your character concept. .... And, if it's not your bag, or if you decide you don't have time to look at and learn some new stuff, no problem at all. I just figured, you kno, since we have a little time--
Race 'Flavor--wise, I think your Racial +2 to Profession: Merchant could easily be a +2 to Appraise. If you want. .... In my game, in an effort to make Appraise useful, I allow it for all things the PCs find -- including Magical Items. And then, in play, when the PCs kill the Orc and steal the Pie someone can roll an Appraise check and maybe get a bit more gold for the Items when they get back to town and are ready to turn in loot for gear. In other words, we don't just grab the Core and say, okay, you get half price for this and that. I mean, half price is still the baseline -- but maybe you get a little bit more. Or if you suck, maybe a little bit less. .... If you prefer to have this +2 Racial bonus go to, um, Artistry(?) somehow, just explain your idea and we'll do that.
Don't forget that you can use that +2 from Lorekeeper on Lore of Society when appropriate (Never thought about it before, but, I think maybe Dwarves in Ustalov would be more likely to be historically and culturally enemies of Undead instead of Goblins and Orcs. Your thoughts? Do you agree?)
There's also no harm in listing Intimidate among your Skills since you use INT instead of CHA. It can be easy to forget something like that if you rearely use it and, who knows, even if you're not planning on using it, a situation may come up....
LOL Grumbaki -- just saw the edited version of the earlier post. Hey -- I read, and then I start researching/thinking -- then type my reply. If you Edit while I'm doing that, Ah Ha. (At least you know I'm taking the PC proposals seriously.)
Edit:
Grumbaki,
Am I remembering correctly from several years ago that you are also an Arsenal fan?
COYG!
Looking at just the ideas so far I am convinced that they can do well as a group in this campaign despite not yet having ye olde "Fighter, Wizard, Thief, Cleric" party balance. The specific Sorcerer / Magus ideas have some balance and diversity. Moreover, Squishy-types are better suited to low level Horror games where few HP and poor AC keeps an edge of fear in the Players as well as the PCs. And when we're higher Level, well, I don't need to tell you that a single high-level Wizard can accomplish an entire campaign all by him or her self without any PCs. Y'all will be fine!
That said,....
I started this Recruitment right before the holiday because of my selfish impatience; I've been waiting months and couldn't contain it any longer. But for serious, I am hoping for some more enthusiastic applicants in early January from dedicated gamers such as yourselves that are understandably no where near The Boards right now.
Anyway, keep you questions coming!
And please peruse my initial Recruitment Posts for more Homebrew / Hoserule Crunch that may alter your perception of my campaign. I'm on The Boards extra these days as the holiday season truncates my work schedule and I have considerably more free time and energy to spend on The Boards.
@ The Waskally,
Spending a few more minutes looking at the Crunch of the Phoenix Bloodline -- it's starting to grow on me.
But I have a thought and have no idea if my little idea is completely antithetical to what you have in mind, so I figured I'd mention it:
Your PC has amnesia but soon learns that a Ustalov/Varisia goddess, a mysterious butterfly Symbol of Luck and Travel named "Desna" has (for some reason) Touched your Soul and you are recently manifesting certain spell-like and supernatural powers: The Phoenix Bloodline and spells of a Sorcerer.
That kind of background would work really well in the atmosphere of this campaign -- and it fits the Crunch you're asking for.
It's just a thought, I'm not trying to push something on you that doesn't fit what you're looking for. But for this campaign, the "Phoenix" and 'Sarenrae'-like stuff fits less than does Desna or Pharasma. .... It's a Horror campaign! Actually, if you're a big fan of FR and like Lathander ("The Morninglord" -- Symbol of reprieve of The Dawn after a long terror-haunted Night -- Lathander is also a good choice and actually can fit in this campaign.)
@ Grumbaki,
I fall into the camp of belief that part of good DMing is to try to answer 'Yes' allowing Players to achieve the build they are excited or inspired to play -- as long as it is, 1) Balanced with the other PCs 2) Fits the particular campaign 3) Plays well with the group. But the fourth, the DM needs to be aware of what the PC is capable of doing. So I want to say "Yes."
But Armored Battlemage and Bladebound don't just share a Magus Arcana overlap. They also both alter your Arcane Pool. As you know, the Battlemage can't use Points to enhance his weapon; he enhances his Armor.
Hmm.
(DM thinks for a few minutes before continuing....)
I would have to disallow having both Archetypes. The Armored Battlemage has the ability to enhance his Armor with his Arcane Pool -- Swift Actions for +1 and up, Fortification, Energy Resistance, even Spell Storing. Plus the Armor Training, and Heavy Armor at 7th, etc. Meanwhile, the Black Blade Arcane Pool has not just the +1 and up to the weapon, but also Energy Attunement, Teleport Blade, Transfer Arcana, etc., all from Arcane Pool.
I've seen both in play and both seemed reasonably balanced. I think both together is a bit much.
Between the two -- for the atmosphere of this particular campaign -- the Black Blade fits considerably better. It's a mysterious, Intelligent weapon you find and attune with that can provide cryptic answers or puzzling dreams during the course of your PC's adventuring through his horror-filled days. The awesome Armor gives you more defense, defense, defense when I'm trying to create an air of terror, terror, terror. Of course, if you'd prefer the Armored Battlemage over the Black Blade, go for it -- you gotta propose the PC you're most enthusiastic about. (But the Black Blade just fits this game a bit better.)
@ Monkeygod,
In one of my Varisia campaigns years ago a PC played a 'Homebrew' "Harrow Bloodline" Sorcerer. It was specific to that campaign -- the design we came up with collaboratively. I don't mind if you use the Harrow Bloodline for a Sorcerer. Please Note: Because of certain elements in this Campaign inspired by the AP 'Stolen Fate' I have a different Harrow Deck, or rather, a different set of mechanics for all the various Harrow Cards. This is only a good thing for you if you embrace the, "I don't know what the various Harrow Cards are because I have amnesia" aspect. But in truth, a Harrow-inspired PC fits this campaign perfectly. Again, if the Player is amenable to unraveling the secrets bit by bit of the Harrow, throughout the campaign.
Or, your second character concept, of course you can send me a PM. In general, I do not like PCs keeping secrets from PCs. (Playing in a Greyhawk ToEE campaign a few years ago my Inquisitor PC was LE and worshipped Mephistopheles. The other PCs had Good Alignments. All the Players knew I was eeeeeevil but none of the PCs did. It's fine.) But yeah, absolutely, send me the PM and we'll go from there. I assume this Recruitment will have quite a bit more PM going on than usual as different folks have played or DMed various of the inspirations-- 'Strange Aeons,' 'Carrion Crown,' 'Gatewalkers,' 'Stolen Fate,' or maybe even tons and tons of old adventures from Dungeon and want to mention it with me.
Um. You have to put forward the PC you really want to play. And I haven't even seen the second one that you really like. But a Harrow Sorcerer who learns he or she is a Harrow Sorcerer but doesn't really know what that means -- is GREAT for this Campaign.
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@ The Waskally,
A Half-Elf is perfectly fine. I mean, Elves have been immune to Sleep in D&D since I started in 1981 and we DMs have learned to get around it. Okay, okay, IF there comes a time for some plot-gimmick that needs you to be, I dunno, comatose or something, I'll figure it out if I need to. .... Regarding Phoenix Bloodline: If there is any way you can make a Fire-based Sorcerer/Wizard/Arcanist without using Phoenix Bloodline,... I just don't know it. It's not from a source I'm familiar with. Looking at it for the past few minutes it seems okay (they always do on paper) (lol) but I just get skittish in Play-by-Post with stuff I've never seen before. Pun Pun can happen so fast. .... If you really want to submit the Phoenix Bloodline Sorcerer I will absolutely consider it for selection and learn it. But, you know, if I happen to be faced with six or eight PC applications,... I'm not trying to discourage you: I could absolutely fall in love with your character concept and see that you are really into my campaign concept. And I don't mind learning some new builds. But.... An arcane caster with lots of Fire magic, with some healing and rebirth-themes thrown in,... There's gotta be another way. Or I'll just add Phenix to my list to learn.
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@ Grumbaki,
Bladebound Magus is 100% A-Okay! Not only do I know it well, it fits perfectly with the campaign concept I'm going for. Finding an Intelligent Item (weapon) very early in the campaign works very well: A mysterious ego that attaches itself to you emotionally but has its own "goal" and history and backstory -- that slowly reveals itself to you! It works!
One of the conceits of this horror-themed intro is no real equipment. It's not just a gimmick or what have you, there is a reason you don't have anything and have to, uh, scrounge(?) around for stuff out of the gate. Starting with a Masterwork Heavy Mace grafted to your arm really goes against the grain of the opening concept. (Also, I've never seen Golemfist at higher Levels (or ever) and so it's hard for me to picture many of the potential builds. I don't know the Archetype.)
All that said. I love the idea of starting the campaign and finding something out about yourself -- even though it can't be a golem-arm -- that makes you go, 'WTF is that?,' and want to seek out the answers regarding that. Uh,.... the thing that jumps in my head is something like an Oracle Curse or a Witch's Whisperer or something. I'm certain that you can find something haunting'ish like that for a melee combat guy if melee combat is the aim (There's gotta be ghostly Barbarian stuff, twisted Warlock stuff (if you know 'New Paths Compendium') or even Shaman or Warpriest stuff where you can build a 1st Level PC with a WTF-Element already to go.
Anyway, sorry about the Golemfist. It's mostly that it starts with a Masterwork Weapon in a game where we have to begin with zero treasure. And I don't know the book it's from.
I don't know if there's an Archetype out there (maybe some Abberration themed thing) where, like a Prehensile Tail -- or Wings -- is starting to 'grow' on your body, but you don't get access to its (game) benefits for a few Levels. But if that's the kind of thing you're going for, maybe the fact that you don't have it at 1st Level but you can see that it's something there, maybe that will sufficiently scratch the itch. Of course -- if you're interested in that AND if it's in one of the listed books above, under the "PC Build" tab.
Make Backgrounds for your PCs, yes -- just leave them a little open-ended. Or even a little malleable, room-for-revision. It's a bit tricksy in Play-by-Post.
If you get stuck or aren't 100%, I can send you a PM with the tiniest of Spoilery info regarding something. But mostly I'm confident in folks' creativity in Play By Post to leave a little room for flexibility.
(Or also, leave Background completely blank and wait until after the first, um, "Session" to end before deciding what to do.) .... I mean, because it's PbP I need *something* -- but that can be mostly Crunch, or even just the STYLE of PC and Roleplay you like to play. My gut tells me that if someone were to ask, "Can I just describe my roleplay style, Alignment preferences, and general character idea?" that that would likely be enough for me to know that it fits the game!
How about class skills? Since you have a slightly altered list.
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Even without the Consolidated Skills list in 'Unchained' it ought to be pretty easy. But starting with the Consolidated Skills chart ought to help. If there's an odd-seeming question on a specific example, I'm here.
But I am very openminded regarding what is a Class Skill.
For example:
I remember wondering a bit about "Investigate" as it is just the old 3.0 Skill "Gather Information." For those newer to the game, in 3.0 Diplomacy and Gather Information were two separate Skills. (Hide and Move Silently were two Skills that combined to to make "Stealth" in 3.5; Spot and Listen were two separate Skills that combined to make "Perception" in 3.5, etc.) But I always thought Gather Info ought to not have been combined into Diplomacy. Long before WotC introduced "Investigate" as a Skill back in their game, I wanted it separate from Diplomacy in my game, even though I was still calling it 'Gather Info.' Regarding this Skill list, yeah, if Diplomacy is on your Class' list then Investigate ought to be. If you feel strongly about one way or another, mention it here in Recruitment. Again, I'm quite openminded about it.
And Lore of Arcana and Knowledge Arcana -- yeah. The Oddity: If you are especially interested in Lore of Undead, like from a Cleric (Core), Oracle (APG) or Priest (New Paths Compendium), and feel that you should have both Lore of Arcana (Undead) as well as Lore of Cosmology -- I'm not going to argue. Make both Arcana and Cosmology Class Skills. When you bump into a Zombie or Ghost or Night Wave, it'll still be a Lore of Arcana check.
I know the 'can't help designing' feeling. I finished a group through a PFS1 sanctioned module but I have ideas for beyond it.
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Oh my goodness yes!
This entire campaign is designed from one of my Players wanting something for his PC.
long'ish story about this Campaign's creative origin without spoilers / Enter if you Dare!:
I remember in 2007-2008ish discussing on The Boards that Aroden is just a gimmick-- not really a real deity -- just a Campaign Setting reason for PCs to be PCs: the god of destiny is dead so the PCs can create their own destinies! It's the same with The Lady of Pain in Planescape and The Mists of Ravenloft. The Lady of Pain isn't real, it's just a gimmick to explain why Sigil isn't a constant battlefield between all the gods. The Mists are just a cheap gimmick to explain the confinement and geography of Ravenloft as a campaign setting. Personally, I always argued that Aroden committed Ritual Suicide as that is the most obvious explanation from a Design purpose. If I'm designing a deity to be gone so the PCs and DMs can go forward, then a ritual suicide makes the most sense. .... Then I posted (maybe in '09) that it would probably be cooler "To Play" if Aroden was just missing. Check the publication date for "Tower of the Last Baron" -- I thought of it based on reading an NPC Elf Cleric of Aroden from that module. (if I remember correctly) Anyway, for years I've DMed that Aroden is missing. Gone. Vanished. Maybe Aroden is dead, maybe captured, maybe whatever. He's long gone.
And I never ever had any intention of going any further on Aroden.
And of course, about three years ago when starting a new campaign one of my Players wanted to be an Oracle of Aroden who wanted to not only proselytize for his god but also spend his 1st-20th Level time FINDING his god. Or at least his god's body. Solve the mystery. .... Well. How the F can I DM that when *I* haven't decided the mystery behind Aoden's disappearance?! But that campaign was 'That' campaign. And while DMing those PCs from 1st to 20th I had to decide -- and design -- the Aroden story. As it turned out, both 'Gatewalkers' AND 'Stolen Fate' started coming out and really helped me come up with some design. An answer for Aroden. So,.... while I was DMing that campaign I was designing This campaign!
In fact, the real title of this campaign could be "The Search for Tabor Talos"! The PC Oracle of Aroden is named Tabor Talos. (The Player, who can not remotely find time to come to The Boards to play in a Play-by-Post will Lurk on this campaign.) At 20th Level at the end of our Campaign, Tabor Talos, uh, kinda sorta somewhat yada-yada solved the Aroden mystery. And now you PCs have to have a whole campaign about it.
Yes you can absolutely submit an Arvanxi who is, uh, somehow 1st Level in Ustalov, if you can think of it. But it is a little tricky: You have Amnesia! You're not going to know that you are an Arvanxi for a while at least. Or even then, what it means to be Arvanxi. And the rest of your House, and Cheliax, aren't involved. .... That said, if your PC survives to the second half (or so) of the campaign, once we're too high Level and too high Magicked to really squeeze out Horror elements -- being an Arvanxi will be cool. I like the idea. But early on?.... Really only an Arvanxi in name.
.... Regarding a miracle: Maybe one can say my "Resolve" for the new year is to get back to Play By Post. The whole of 2025 I successfully got to The Boards most days, convincing me I can, indeed, do it. My business is thriving in such a way that I don't have many "Fires to put out" so to speak. (Being two years from retiring -- being able to retire in my early-50s -- puts things in perspective in business.)
The Advanced Race Guide and a plethora of alternate racial traits are available. A Sorcerer, especially a Seeker, with amnesia is certainly the kind of character that could thrive in this campaign. I will send you a pm regarding Carrion Crown.
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There is plenty of time. I had not even intended to start Recruitment until after New Year's since I figured so many folks may not be on The Boards right now. I just couldn't help myself. I've been designing this campaign for a long time. (I had originally set this up for early October -- but then I joined a PbP as a PC and knew I couldn't do both. That PbP suffered from a vanishing DM a couple months in, and I am past ready to get back into PbP.)
This Campaign assumes ‘Good Guy’ PCs, or at least PCs who are Pro-Aroden / Humanity, Society, Life & Law. So if you want to play an Evil Alignment (okay fine) just make sure you go out of your way to explain how you will play nice with the others and support the campaign’s goals.
* There will be NO PvP allowed.
* PCs must share all Treasure; PCs must share information gained. PCs must decide big decisions as a group. Equally
NPC ALIGNMENT:
For all of the NPCs, this is how their Alignment plays:
Good and Evil are their Morality Alignments
Lawful and Chaotic are their Personality Alignments
Neutral Alignments are for when a fundamental, *playable* character element/aspect is neither Good nor Evil, Lawful nor Chaotic, but as some other specific milieu.
Good and Evil morality is pretty easily playable in game terms, unlike in real life sometimes. I don’t foresee confusion here.
But for Personality Alignments in play:
A character who ‘In-Game’ prefers to plan things out, who weighs Pros and Cons, who thinks about long-term ramifications of decisions, who is more careful here / and more deliberate there, who likes discipline and order – these are Lawful personality elements/aspects.
…. A character who ‘In-Game’ prefers being whimsical or flighty, who is spontaneous, who likes the excitement and uncertainty of leaping before looking, or pushing the flashing-Red-button, who enjoy randomness and the sporadic, who chooses haphazardly, and plays the game ‘flying by the seat of one’s pants’ – these are Chaotic personality elements/aspects.
Neutral personality elements are for those characters who play the game neither specifically lawfully nor chaotically. Characters who are based on, …for example,… roleplaying the ideals of a specific deity, …or the pursuit of maximizing a PC-Feature such as Favored Enemy, …characters who have a specific goal for their character that determines how they respond to most situations, who have any particular drive or motivation for their character other than law or chaos – these are Neutral.
Thus, for example, a Chaotic Good Paladin of Iomedae is morally Good and Righteous, undeniably, but likes to rush forward without thinking, doesn’t want to take time to plan things out, and swings the greatsword first before asking a question. A Neutral Good Paladin of Iomedae has the same morality of Goodness, but may always internally ask “What would Iomedae do in this situation?” Or, a different NG Paladin of Iomedae, who pursued Religion / Paladinhood after his hometown was burned by Goblin pyromaniacs, may be zealous in hatred of all Goblinoids and will roleplay the character differently, lawfully in one situation / chaotically in another situation, if Goblinoids are nearby or have something to do with the situation. Any drive/purpose that determines personality neither Lawful nor Chaotic.
Morality can be Neutral if a fundamental character element is based on, for example, vengeance – something that can lead to either morally Good or morally Evil actions depending on the specific circumstance. A Neutrally moral character may be driven by a certain Ambition (which can be sometimes Good or Evil), or be driven by something like money (Ah, the mercenary PC who just wants to get paid – sometimes Evil / sometimes Good). Any morality neither fundamentally ‘Good’ nor ‘Evil.’
Anyway, this interpretation of Alignment is the core concept of ALL of the NPCs. It may or may not have anything to do with your PC; I have zero prerogative to try to tell you or anyone (other than my children) about Good and Bad, Right and Wrong, Lawful and Stupid. ….(uh, did I just say stupid is a synonym for chaotic? Hmm.) J.K.! Stupid can be really fun at the gaming table! Oops, I mean, “Chaotic.” ;)
So. …. My Chaotic Evil High Priest of Asmodeus would be brash and unpredictable, while his top Disciple may be Lawful Evil and carefully plans and plots to one day usurp his mortal master. Meanwhile, the Neutral Evil Cleric of Asmodeus in the Temple is just obsessed with being a pyromaniac.
RACE: Whatever Race you select, you must change the Ability Score adjustment to the “Standard” +2/+2/-2, and build your Ability Score array from there. Therefore, your Human will have a +2 to one Mental, +2 to one Physical, and -2 to one of the other four Ability Scores. You *may* choose your Catfolk to have a +2 WIS / +2 CON / -2 DEX. You *may* choose your Elf to have a +2 STR / +2 WIS / -2 INT. Whatever. Your Aasimar or Hobgoblin would to have a +2 / +2 / -2. (This way you can select Race based solely on Flavor, what you want, without any hindering Crunch.)
26 point buy for Abilities
CLASS: I ‘prefer’ CORE, APG, UM, ACG, Unchained, ARG, UI and ‘New Paths Compendium.’ I know those; I am comfortable with most of the material in them. If you go outside of that you *may* reduce your chances of selection, or oblige me to ask if you’re willing to make a change to your character build in order for inclusion. ‘Yes’ there is Crunch I know outside of those—Feats such as “Scholar” and “Fey Foundling” from Inner Sea Guide, the “Lore Warden” Archetype for Fighters, etc. So I’m not saying you absolutely have to stick to the books above. But for real – you include something I don’t know I’m gonna ask if you can change it with something else.
TRAITS: You may select three Traits. No Drawbacks
STARTING WEALTH: $Zero. This campaign is very odd as there is no starting wealth. In the very beginning you will look to find items to use. Soon(ish) you will find a selection of items from which to take, and it will gradually get to a point far more like a normal game. But it’s a Horror Theme and you have amnesia. You got nothing.
SKILLS:
My Skill design is much closer to the PF Unchained ‘Consolidated’ Skills, but mine is several years older than Unchained, and has developed significantly. …. It is much more balanced: The Ability Scores INT, WIS, CHA, & DEX each have seven Skills. STR has two. Moreover, the Skills have been modified when needed to add or subtract value, again, in order to try to balance them better than originally designed. When the PbP begins, in the Campaign Tab, I will put under a Spoiler Tag the Skill breakdown for ease of reference.
Acrobatics DEX ….Avoid AoO; Tumble; Jump; Balance
Appraise WIS ….Determining value of All treasure, so if the base is $1,000 your Skill check can add or subtract a little from that (making this WIS was tricky) Artistry CHA ….Performing all various artistic services or artistic endeavors (song, oratory, dance, origami, sock-puppets, etc) to influence or distract, etc.
Bluff CHA ….Plus Innuendo and Sending secret messages
Climb STR ….Including catching oneself, or another, in falling
Diplomacy CHA ….Roleplay for Attitude Modification and Persuasion (3+ rounds attempting before roll)
Disable Device DEX ….Traps, etc.
Disguise CHA ….Any willing creature (10+ rounds attempting before roll)
Escape Artist DEX ….Bindings, etc.
Fly DEX ….Flying Combat
Handle Animal WIS ….Teaching tamed or charmed Animals, Intelligent Vermin, or Magical Beasts commands
Heal WIS ….Healing wounds non-magically and determining health status of others
Intimidate CHA ….De-buffing in combat or Roleplay for 'temporary' Attitude Modification
Investigate CHA ….Social Searching, Gathering Information, whether openly or secretly (1d4 hours)
Linguistics INT ….2 Languages per Rank; Forgery attempts, etc; Language recognition; Codes
Lore of Arcana INT ….Dragons, Magical Beasts, Undead, Constructs
Lore of Cosmology INT ….Demons & Devils; Angels & Celestials; Religions & Occult; Cosmology & Souls
Lore of Humanoids INT ….Race and Class features and Ability Score knowledge
Lore of Nature INT ….Fey, Giants, Aberrations, Oozes, Plant-Monsters
Lore of Society INT ….History, Society & Culture; Norms & Taboos, Geography, Nobility, Legends & Myths
Perception WIS ….Passive cognizance and searching an area, Listening and Looking
Ride DEX ….Riding Combat
Sense Motive WIS ….Detecting Bluff and Roleplay awareness of motive / intention
Sleight of Hand DEX ….Stealing; Concealing objects on a person
Spellcraftvia spellcasting Class ….Identifying Spells; using magical devices
Stealth DEX ….Hiding, creeping & evading
Survival WIS ….Tracking, Survival skills, non-magical nature lore, wilderness & spelunking, hunting & trapping
Swim STR ….including holding breath and rescuing someone
Character Advancement:
Max HP every Level
Gain 2 Ability Score Points at 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th however you want to apply them (this replaces 1 point at 4th, 8th, 12th, etc.)
This game, most especially the first half, provides Magic Items ‘To-Be-Found' more than ‘To-Be-Purchased'
Hero Points begin at 9th Level but there is NO mechanic, no written rule for how using them works. It’s ALL Roleplay
In-Game:
Re-Roll all 1s on HP Healing
NO weapons have an intrinsic Threat Range; Nat 20 always Crits. The Feat “Improved Critical’ and the Enchantment “Keen” can stack so you can eventually get a Threat 19 and a Threat 18.
Scribe Scroll and Brew Potion are the only allowed Item Creation Feats allowed
*!* Monsters often have significantly different Stat Blocks than those from canonical Bestiaries. Don’t assume, for example, a Troll to regenerate except from fire, a Vampire to hate garlic, a Red Dragon to Breathe Fire, or a Marilith to be Immune to Electricity. If you want your PC to know – put Ranks in the appropriate Lore Skill and roll it (Monsters ARE designed ahead of time, so I will not be improvising it during play. And if you happen to guess that Iron Golems are vulnerable to Acid without rolling your Lore, lucky you – but a Bestiary ain’t gonna have the answer.) No metagame knowledge on Monsters, friends.
Languages:
Everyone starts with ‘Varisian’ plus one additional Language for free. If you want to swap out the standard Racial Language with a different one, you may. Made plainly, Your Human gets Varisian plus one other Language. Your Elf gets Varisian and Elven (standard) but can swap out Elven for such-and-such. ‘Taldoran’ and other languages can be purchased with Ranks in Linguistics.
Note that for every 1 Rank in Linguistics, your PC learns TWO Languages. …. There are a few exceptions noted on the following:
Azlanti = 4 Ranks
Thassilonian = 4 Ranks
Shory = 4 Ranks
Ancient Osiriani = 4 Ranks
Aklo = 1 full Rank (you don’t get two Languages for this 1 Rank)
--other select rare/bizarre languages = 1 full Rank
‘Thieves’ Cant’ is a choice for a standard language (0.5 Ranks)
“Undercommon” is a silent language (hand & finger gestures), (0.5 Ranks)
Yes, I am a sorta Language ‘nazi’ of a DM. I advise ‘not’ ignoring Languages as part of your PC build (at least one PC in the group).
I can make it to The Boards typically twice per day -- Monday through Thursday – and am hit-or-miss Friday, Saturday and Sunday (sometimes not at all, sometimes constantly, sometimes average). There will be times where I do get to The Boards, yet I struggle to Post (wrestling how to handle an unexpected situation, can’t figure out the techno ‘How-To’ when trying to Post a certain Image or Illustration, whatever.) I’ll mention it in Discussion.
But in general, let’s ALL try for—
Posting at least Once per day Monday through Thursday
Maybe posting Once total during Friday through Saturday
Posting Gaps: Everyone is different and we will all have gaps after the early, exciting novelty runs dry. For me personally—
I own a small business and there are times when work overwhelms my energy reserve and I’m too brain-fried to post as a DM. There could be a weekend where I am out playing and never even get to The Boards, followed by a Monday-and-Week of exhausting work and another weekend where I am just too brain-dead to DM. A busy Monday follows and then on Tuesday some time I realize for the first time I haven’t even been on The Boards in *twelve* days and didn’t even realize it. But my intention is at least to post in Discussion: “Exhausted, please be patient” or something.
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Formatting:
A) Avatar Alias: I generally don’t mind how you Format your PC Alias via an Avatar. But if you’d like my preference (and if you don’t have one of your own), after your PC name, in the “Race” box, post your Alignment, Race, Class (Archetype / Deity) -Level …. Under a Spoiler Tag in the “Classes/Levels” box, your HP and Saves and Initiative and if you think there’s something else really pertinent (use your prerogative) add that …. Under various Spoiler Tags in the “About ‘PC…”, your Background / Personality; your Crunch; your Skills (under their own Spoiler), etc., each block however you want them listed, under their own Spoilers. Obviously your ‘Background” is mostly empty or ambiguous, things in your background that you’d like, but kept open-ended. And finally a Personality chunk (how you roleplay) under Spoiler Tab.
B) Gameplay: I like to keep Gameplay as readable and story-like as possible. Let’s really, really try to keep ALL out-of-character text in Discussion rather than Gameplay. It means we have to check Discussion as often as Gameplay, but does also really make Gameplay read more like a story rather than a haphazard mix of Gameplay and Discussion. So: ALL ooc in Discussion. Please.
C) Dice Rolls: On that note, please put ALL dice rolls under Spoiler Tags. Not only does it help keep Gameplay readable, but also it really helps me determine DCs of situations I wasn’t anticipating fairly, before seeing your result.
100 years ago the god of civilization, Aroden, god of humanity and destiny and society, on the eve of his Destined Return to Mankind, disappeared utterly from existence from the Cosmos. Vanished. Terrible and tangible catastrophes wracked Golaria, not the least of which was his Divine disciples going mad and or losing their god-given powers. Some searched; some prayed. Many declared Aroden dead; some others that he was imprisoned by an Abyssal Lord or Hellish Royalty. It was even suggested Aroden committed Ritual Suicide as a sign to show Mankind it could forge his own Destiny (without the need for Aroden, god of Humanity’s Destiny). Whether Aroden departed on purpose or by force, the god of mankind has been absolutely gone for about one hundred years.
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The Search for Aroden campaign begins with a group of PCs with complete amnesia. Early in the opening adventures, the purpose and hope of merely surviving in a horror-themed, Ustalov sited-based location is equal in plot as that of trying to discover Who you are, Where you are, Why you are in this place. Yet that goal of self-discovery permeates the first half of the campaign, to varying degrees. (In the beginning you will find the answer to one or two questions, later you will learn more.)
As such, this PbP is unique in that you will not begin Gameplay using your character sheet – not even a name!
Posts below will provide creation-rules for when you build your PC – but you have some freedom in getting to know the campaign a little before fully making your PC.
*Learning Who your character is, bit by bit, begins to come with the knowledge that somehow there is a connection to You, and the long-lost god Aroden.
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You will build your PC in Recruitment, certainly – but there will be plenty of option to change or even rebuild early-on; you can leave a bit open-ended, so you can modify or fill-in-the-blanks later. (Ultimately, it’s not too different a situation as in Pathfinder Society when you can play a PC three Scenarios before finalizing your character build.) Mechanically, you will begin the PbP without any real character sheet, you can post as PC ‘A’ or PC ‘B’ or whatever. In one of the early rooms(?) in the opening dungeon-crawl(?) you will discover some documents that have your name with a description of your physical features – as well as your abilities, personality, tactics or whatever. Think of it this way, you start not knowing if your name is Joe or Nikki or Mike or Glenn and will play in that manner briefly. Then you’ll find something that says your name and description and will have whatever You had determined to be Your name, alignment, class and race. So, if you have decided that you may want to be, um, I dunno, a Half-Elf Investigator (Empiricist) named XYZ, or a Kitsune Unchained Rogue named Whatever, well then (after a few encounters) you’ll find a detailed description of such. Your character will learn his or her name – that you knew all along. And going forward you can be, like, ’Wow, it’s Uncanny how I can Dodge around at the beginning of a combat even if I’m not yet Perceptive enough to fully act.’ Or, maybe like, ’Holy Moly, I can Summon an Unchained Eidolon’ or, ’Cool, I’m a Tiefling who worships Desna and I can call on my goddess to cast Divine Spells if I have her Holy Symbols.’ Etcetera. Your Ustalov Background will still be a bit of a mystery early on in the campaign, but eventually, clues will lead to that information – and again, you will have some freedom in designing it.
*You will design a Name, Race, Class, Alignment, etc. ahead of time but there is a hanging-chad regarding PC-Death early on. If your first PC dies, but you have had in mind a Character you want to play for this campaign, *that* character can replace the deceased.
“The Search for Aroden” is a horror-themed, linear campaign that takes place mostly in Ustalov, followed by Varisia and beyond. A Homebrew campaign, it draws significant inspiration from 'Strange Aeons,' 'Gatewalkers,' 'Stolen Fate,' 'Carrion Crown,' and three adventures from the Paizo era of 'Dungeon Magazine' (volumes One of 'Strange Aeons' and 'Carrion Crown' in particular!). If you have played or DMed any of this, just let me know via Private Message to what extent so I can make sure to make this experience is as, um, ‘fresh’ and unspoilery as possible, by tweaking this or that.
As a horror themed Campaign, I’m striving for a more ’Call of Cthulhu' style or atmosphere in the early ‘sessions’ – as much of the first 2/3 of the PbP I can get before we’re so high level and high magicked that our collaborative game becomes more high fantasy Pathfinder. But in gaming-horror attempts, it is that early uncertainty, it’s some campaign ambiguity, and even PC death that are more normal. (In the case of very early PC death, I have built in a way that, if your PC dies in the opening ‘sessions’ or ‘chapter’ there is a ready-to-go, blank-slate NPC in the background that you can design and build that, as it turns out, was your real PC all along and is just now stepping into the spotlight.) But these elements can be tricky in Play-by-Post. This campaign’s gimmick: You all have full AMNESIA!(‘Gatewalkers’ AP inspired) You don’t know your name, your level, your class. You are unaware of your alignment. Frankly, even your gender or race – without looking in a mirror or under your clothes. (So,… if your first PC dies an hour into the game, the PC you intended (and half-design in Recruitment) can step forward in a daze, and join the group. Maybe by the next encounter.)
Note that this campaign takes place in “Ustalov” on the Prime Material world of “Golaria” – neither “Ustalav” nor “Golarion” exist here. I am making an effort to keep “much” of my Homebrew setting-alterations deep in the background so as not to have much an impact on our campaign. In the Campaign Setting Tabs under Spoilers, and in Gameplay or Discussion under Spoilers, there will be *Optional* reading material that illustrates both the tiny changes to canon – as well the large changes. Thus if you’re a big fan of PF canon, it shouldn’t really get in the way too much. Um. Well. Read the campaign title and first sentence of the Intro below and see if you want to read further. But except for that, I am making the effort. The unavoidable changes are more for the final 1/3 of the campaign and deal with a campaign setting change in the ‘area’ of--
Open Spoiler if you don’t mind; it’s not really specific enough to be a big Spoiler, but if you love Canon, maybe you want to check:
The Cosmology: How Souls work, The Astral and Ethereal, all of the Outer Planes – Mine is a very different Cosmology. But again, It’s close enough to PF canon to not melt your brain too, too much.
A Spelljammer of alien design from deep in The Dark Tapestry has just crashed in The Land of Black Ice. A few groups have gone to investigate/pillage -- notably Iuz as his empire is so close to the Antarctic-like wastes. None have been heard from in the past few days. Goodly Divinations to Istus, Rao, Pelor, Mayaheine and Trithereon indicate the Spelljammer is terribly dangerous to all of The Flanaess and Oerik.
Each of the players had some reason to be both in Veluna and be included in the group Veluna sends to The Land of Black Ice. A scholar/wizard from Keoland, a Wolf Nomad barbarian who has traveled south to get civilization's response regarding the Spelljammer, a goodly hero of Veluna/Furyondy with his trusted bow, an eccentric occultist and healer whose laughing and lightheartedness at the most terryfyingly ineffable moments provides relief against the most Lovecraftian encounters, even a dancing courtesan in Veluna has volunteered to help investigate -- unbeknownst to the others she investigates because she is really a Secret Agent/martial-art-combatant of The Scarlet Brotherhood and must be able to give a full report to her Suel superiors.
They are Teleported to the northern coast of the Thillonrian Peninsula where a ship of Vikings have agreed to help Veluna by sailing the freezing sea north to The Land of Black Ice. The Vatun-worshipping Vikings are goodly Frost Giants and as agreed, sail the PCs through treacherous waves bobbing with iceburgs and hurricane winds.
Upon landing on the ice-shelf of The Land of Black Ice the Viking Giants immediately bring the ship a hundred feet up on the ice lest the turbulent sea shmash her to bits. For their parts, the PCs of Veluna see in the distance a tower of jet-black smoke piercing the sky only miles away in the mountains of pure black ice.
They make a bee-line to that column of unnatural smoke, taking the Frost Giant captain with them (the first mate and crew remain behind). .... (I allowed the PCs to choose how many, if any, and who, joined them from the Viking ship. They chose just the captain.)
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Encounter 1: A giant, white Spider with red-back markings, an alien-altered Frost Worm, and a pale-white Mushroom Creature, along with a few twisted Plant Creatures, somehow exist in the altogether lifeless wasteland, too cold and too empty for anything to grow -- no soil, no minerals, no fuel, no water, no food, no respite from freezing winds and temperatures far colder than freezing.
*To the PCs' chagrin and surprise, they learn Fire actually HEALs these creatures, especially the Plants, and allows them more speed and manuverability. It is COLD damage that really hurts them. .... Also, a few PCs are polluted with Mushroom spores and Plant -sap or -thorns (my Spider failed to envenomate, damn it!)
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Encounter 2: A cadre of dead monster corpses of Iuz (Trolls, a Green Hag, Minotaur, Vrock, Hezrou) are being treated by their killers for 'something' as the PCs approach. More Plant Creatures -- but considerably alien in nature, seemingly as much Aberration as Plant.
*The PCs see evidence that the Alien-Plant Creatures are putting eggs or seed pods or pollen inside the corpses of the monsters of Iuz. The carrion seem more fit as fertilizer as the Land of Black Ice is not very suitable. .... Also, the Cleric leader of the Iuz Cultists is found, fungi and molds growing 'Out' of his body from some kind of taint or corruption from the Plants the PCs have fought.
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Getting closer to the spire of smoke reaching into the sky.
Encounter 3: An image the Ghostly figure of Istus Herself, goddess of Fate and Destiny appears before the PCs and pleads that they must succeed in stopping the threat this Spelljammer represents. She also sadly warns them that they may be on a path that has no turns.
*The PCs learn, starting with the Wolf Nomad barbarian who is more connected to mother nature and wilderness survival, notices eggs, or perhaps seed pods, in the stool from her bowel movement. On personal breaks, all the othr various PCs notice that both their urine and bowels have plant matter in them. Everyone is a carrier. Everyone is tainted.
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Encounter 4: A Treeant of Lovecraftian proportions, as well as a Wolf Nomad Giant that has been completely corrupted -- thorns, spines and vines sprouting from her body -- are in a fight against several other Wolf Nomad Giants. With the PCs, the Treeant is destroyed with Ice. The Wolf Nomads are saved, but sick.
*Studying the area the PCs see that the roots of the Treeant and the plant matter itself is such that in can go deep, deep into The Prime Material Plane. Even the Huge Plants they've faced so far are just neophytes, very immature, and would grow to Plane-Penetrating proportions in the right conditions these roots could go so deep as to reach The Prison of Tharizdun itself at the center of the world.
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Encounter 5: The PCs encounter a Gargantuan Silver Dragon, obviously here from the civilized south for the same reason as they. Tragically, the goodly Dragon is completely tainted, completely corrupted -- more Fungus and Vine than Dragon, more Alien than Draconic. Brilliantly, the PCs came up with some clever tactics that made this a much easier fight than what might have been.
*The PCs find a Book on the Dragon showing the history and nature of The Malgoth: A horror from The Far Realm nearly the dimensions of Azathoth or Yog Sothoth, more destructive than any Cthulhu, Hastur or Nyarlathotep. It details the story of how The Malgoth, ages ago, almost conquered the entire Abyss, Layer by Layer, destroying Abyssal Lords and Obyrith & Qlippoth Entities the way a Treeant could crush a Halfling child. Eventually a host of Abyssal Lords joined together to fight The Malgoth, and with Pyrrhic results, eventually defeated it.
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Climax: Approaching the torch burning into the sky the PCs see the remains of the effectively destroyed Spelljammer. It's Eldritch Reactor fueling a nuclear flame high in the atmosphere. All around the remains, feeding on the heat and light of the nuclear sustenance, dozens of Huge and Gargantuan Plants, Molds, Fungi and Vines grow big and hungry. Their roots penetrate deep into The Land of Black Ice.
Using powerful Dispelling and Abjuration magics, Conjuring Rust Monsters to eat the Spelljammer's Reactor, and other brutal means, the PCs began destroying the Fire-Breathing apparatus.
At some point I remember them trying for Divine Intervention from Istus and the PC actually rolled a nat 20 -- one of those fun moments -- also, the Wizard conjured a Wall of Fire to distract the Plants; they all followed the new source of Heat to give the PCs a way closer to the nuclear reactor. And of course they cast Fly and just flew above the area, just out of reach from the Plants.
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Conclusion: Knowing they were all completely tainted and knowing how dangerous The Malgoth seedlings/seedpods are, the PCs quite easily accepted that they were just going to have to die out in The Land of Black Ice and never go home. They actually were joking and frivoulous about who was going to eat whom first and such like that. The player I was concerned the most that would call shenanigans and not accept suicide (she played the Wolf Nomad Barbarian) was actually the first player to say out loud, 'Well I guess we have to just kill ourselves.' Though someone also suggested they cast Transmutations to turn into Ice Elementals for a Duration effectively killing all taint within their bodies. Of course, RAW, if one is Poisoned and one turns into a creature for a moment who is immune to the poison, once the duration ends one still has to deal with the Poison.
All in all, the group had fun but it was never a really 'scary' or 'disturbing' game. Mostly just jokes. I think the players all just assumed ahead of time it was going to be a TPK and were emotionally prepared (which BTW, I have never done a TPK on them in all of our years!). I even almost didn't include the Istus encounter because they seemed so comfortable with the unspoken thought that they were all going to die. Still, I'm glad I did because at the end, when they got Divine intervention from Istus by rolling that nat 20, it made it fun that she had appeared ealier.
