The real kicker was they gutted the summoner but left the druid unchanged. I'd have quit, too.
Pathfinder Druid is a far cry from 3.5 Druid... unless you've got a player who's been using the old rules by mistake. I've never heard any of the complaints about the Pathfinder Druid that I got from his original 3.5 incarnation, or of the APG Summoner. And I know the APG Summoner's complaints were deserved, because I played one to retirement.
Not a cry far enough, though. I saw many more scenarios broken by animal companions than eidolons. Maybe it's a statistics thing, or maybe the summoners aren't putting a lot of effort into the eidolons.
The real kicker was they gutted the summoner but left the druid unchanged. I'd have quit, too.
Pathfinder Druid is a far cry from 3.5 Druid... unless you've got a player who's been using the old rules by mistake. I've never heard any of the complaints about the Pathfinder Druid that I got from his original 3.5 incarnation, or of the APG Summoner. And I know the APG Summoner's complaints were deserved, because I played one to retirement.
His issue with Druids is actually an issue with animal companions, an issue he has expressed in many threads. In fact, it's been so prevalent that I mentally associated him with the gripe, which is impressive given how little attention I pay to who people online are.
On topic: I regret my bloodrager and brawler. They're fun personality wise, but by the hammer do I hate the mechanics behind them. Just a pair of wind up large katana wielding bashers. Rocket tag. Boring and not much fun for everyone else at the table. Haven't played them in a year and a half.
I'll take that as a compliment. And, yes, animal companions are now completely more broken than Eidolons, assuming they weren't before.
My summoner. Couldn't settle on a good theme for her and only got her to 2XP before the switch over to unchained, which I despise (not that I don't agree with the balancing of the class, I just feel like it takes a chunk of the creativity out of the eidolon).
I'll probably use lvl1 rebuild rules to completely remake her as a different class entirely if I ever play PFS again...
Please come back.
I'm completely with you with the dislike of the unsummoner.
But what I see is a person who has put in the time to become a 2 star gm and in doing so probably gave a lot of others joy and entertainment. That should be valued. Don't let one thing rob you of the good times you've had in the past and can have in the future.
Spontanous suggestion:In the future, let gm stars count toward meeting grandfathering requirements. In case above, two stars and 2 games played would be enough to grandfather in a Summoner. This would be a good (and rare) benefit to give gms.
The real kicker was they gutted the summoner but left the druid unchanged. I'd have quit, too.
For the most part, I really like the ACG classes. The warpriest is something that just couldn't be built right with fighter/cleric levels, just like the magus couldn't be build with fighter/wizard levels. For this reason, I'm not participating in CORE, as none of the classes I'm interested in are available in that mode.
I still don't see how running CORE is any different than running regular mode, since they aren't changing the scenarios. I'll run it, but I don't see why I'd ever play it. I looking forward to the TPKs in season 4+, personally. I'm not giving people a "CORE break" on enemy tactics. All hail the King of Storval Stairs.
The purpose of most laws seems to be stability rather than mortality.
What is the purpose of morality?
Stability.
I'd argue that while stability is definitely a positive result of morality (generally), I think it's a bit too cynical to think that's its purpose.
After all - many wars etc have been fought for reasons of morality. And wars are hardly the same as stability. (I'm not going to weigh in on which ones etc here - too controversial for a Pathfinder message board.)
Call me cynical, then. I don't believe any of the morality peddlers actually believe it themselves.
There are many things I'm reading in this thread, but I'd like to briefly touch on one related point.
Undone wrote:
Sebastian Hirsch wrote:
depending on how the dm does the skill checks, being the second best at a skill often amounts to you being no more useful than a plus two aid another bonus. The more useful and more often a skill comes up, the more likely it is that someone else has a higher mod than a gneralist. The generalist also doesn't hit the dc they need to as often.
This is why if it's not your primary stat and can be aided it's unlikely that investing more than 1 point does anything significant. For example diplomacy if you can aid on a low number but you've got a 10 cha it's pretty pointless to raise it because someone else will have it or you'll get +6-10 in aids for the roll. Perception, acrobatics, exct things you can't assist for in a pinch but effect your character are the best options.
Is this to say that challenges such as those in The Blakros Matrimony and Library of the Lion, which call on all of the PCs to attempt skill checks, are well received? I ask this regarding the structure of the challenges and not quite so much the particular blend of skills involved.
Yes, those scenarios are great. Personally, I like the ones that are almost 50% skill/RP and then 50% brutal combat the best, because then everyone gets to shine. I'm talking combats with a non-trivial TPK chance. That tests out if the skill monkeys can hold up their end in a fight. Library of the Lion needed one more solid fight for the fighty types. Push-over fights aren't fun for anyone.
In PFS to be completely honest they should call those suited to the job. In story it's mindbogglingly stupid that venture captains keep their jobs sending 4 barbarians to a wedding to represent the society or sending 4 paladins to infiltrate a cult. In real life the VC's would have been outed for such behavior in an instant.
You see the problem, but you place the blame in the wrong place.
It's not the Society's fault that 4 agents are all carbon copies of an overspecialized build.
That goes for both OOC and IC. ICly, Agents are supposed to be well rounded generalists. OOCly, the encounters are balanced with the assumption that characters are not optimized.
You want to optimize anyway, and roflstomp the encounters? That's your kind of fun? Ok, but don't say it makes no sense when ROFLSTOMPERS get put on missions they can't handle.
And since writers are assuming a non-optimized stance for characters, making wider and better use of skills is the point of the thread.
Most game systems punish generalists pretty heavily. I don't think Pathfinder is an exception. A strong archery build can do the combat works of 3-4 generalists and/or pregens. I've been asked twice to not use my magus at a table because he's not a burst damage crit fisher and they wanted high DPR at the table.
In a society like Cheliax, I'd say that chaos is more easily conflated with good. It all depends on how much an individual likes their system. Which is why I very much do not like DnD's alignment system.
You can thank GW for conflating chaos with evil. In my anecdotal experience, CN is pretty much a train wreck. GMs allow torture, bullying, and murder of NPCs under the auspices of CN.
Wait. Using the Intimidate skill is an evil act?
I meant physically bullying, not intimidate skill. But I agree that's different than torture or murder.
Babylon 5 didn't really help any either as the Shadows were supposed to be the champions of Chaos but usually came off more as Evil. Ironically, the Vorlons who were the champions of Law could come off as being either Good or Evil depending on which Kosh you are talking about.
The Vorlons started blowing up planets first. Just sayin'.
My primary hobby is wargaming, so I do have a tendency to view everything through that lens. Probably why I'm one of the more tactically challenging GMs that my local players sit with.
You can thank GW for conflating chaos with evil. In my anecdotal experience, CN is pretty much a train wreck. GMs allow torture, bullying, and murder of NPCs under the auspices of CN.
Wait. Using the Intimidate skill is an evil act?
I meant physically bullying, not intimidate skill. But I agree that's different than torture or murder.
You can thank GW for conflating chaos with evil. In my anecdotal experience, CN is pretty much a train wreck. GMs allow torture, bullying, and murder of NPCs under the auspices of CN.
First: if a player or GM has a bunch of additional restrictions on themselves like "won't play core classes" or "won't start a PC with GM credit", blaming core for their inability to play is silly. Self-limitation is, well, limiting.
Second: if your GMs only GM to get player Chronicles, try expanding your player base. We have a bunch of people who prefer to GM, and even run a scenario more than once - with NO CHRONICLE (GASP!) - because it's fun and they get good at it and every experience is different and...
Seriously. If credit is all that drives your local Lodge, it is doomed. Even with Core Campaign, you will eventually run out of scenarios unless you play less than twice a month.
"
I don't GM just to get chronicle sheets. So I don't have a problem with that. However, I think it's fair for players like myself to claim burnout on core classes. Some of us have been playing them since 2000.
Your local GMs' arguments don't hold water. GMing a Core Mode game earns them Core GM credits, that's correct, but any Core Mode character can be converted immediately into a Standard Mode character, just by sitting at a Standard Mode table or taking any non-Core elements.
So they can GM Core Mode, apply all that GM credit to a Core PC, and immediately play it as a Standard Mode character.
Their disinterest in playing a Core Mode PC is groundless.
I don't want any new PCs really at the moment, I'd rather add sheets on to my existing non-CORE PCs. That's why I'd decline a CORE sheet as a GM at this time. And if I did want to make a new PC, it probably wouldn't be a CORE class anyway. Useless.
Clearly you just need to run some tables of Core and show them how fun it can be Silhren! Once you've given your GMs a taste of it, then they'll be itching to play more.
I think it sounds like the opposite of fun, but I'll still run it because others might love it.
The GM's refuse to run CORE? That's kind of a strange situation, I think.
Not really. If they don't want to play core, they aren't going to bother running a scenario to get credit for a character who could only be used in core. *shrug*
I plan on doing exactly that. I'll run it, and just not keep any sheets for myself because I'll never play it. I think they are being rather selfish. It's no different than GMing a game more than once.
" CN should not be seen as an excuse to do anything."
But in practice, it is. I know many people who have selected CN for this explicit purpose.
While it is true there are some people out there that do this, I find the majority of CN characters are played by people who just don't want to be hassled about alignment. (This was especially true back when we had individual faction missions as some were very questionable.)
*****
GM: That sounds questionable. What is your alignment?
Player: (Responds with a alignment that contains Good or sometimes Lawful)
GM: That doesn't sound like an act that fits your alignment.
Player: I think it does because of X.
GM: Well I am the GM and I don't. So if you do it you will be punished.
(Argument ensues.)
*****
GM: That sounds questionable. What is your alignment?
Player: Chaotic Neutral
GM: Oh, okay.
(Game continues on without any further delays or disruptions)
"I agree that this is not what chaotic Neutral is. Too many people think that it is an excuse to be evil and vile and detrimental to group cohesion and put it under the catchall of 'I'm WACKY!"
I don't like DnD alignment system in general, and the CN "do whatever I want clause" just makes it worse. Some GMs talk tough on here, but I've never seen a PC marked evil; not even for killing NPCs who wanted to surrender.
Chaotic neutral in practice is EXACTLY being evil without being evil.
Huh? What? Do you really think that, or are you being sarcastic here?
If you really think that: then you're one of the problem players that makes GMs not want to have CN players in a game.
CN is not evil. If it were, it would be called CE. But there already is a thing called CE. So, presumably, CN, is supposed to be something different.
Go and read everything that's written in the CRB, the GameMastery Guide, Ultimate Campaign, and Champions of Balance about Chaotic Neutral, and then compare it to what's written about Chaotic Good and Chaotic Evil.
They're not the same thing. Players that start with your attitude, and who actually follow up on that attitude, should have their PFS CN characters marked as having their alignments shifted to evil, and should be marked as unplayable in PFS.
I'm talking about how other people use CN as an excuse to do ANYTHING. I don't have any CN PCs, but I sure have to sit with them often enough.
I was pretty excited for this. It would solve a lot of issues between what some players can still play and also each time we get someone new, someone either just cant play their character or someone just cant play. Sadly, everyone has declined based on how limited options are. Maybe the next solution, though. It kind of dawned on me that I think this option will be a lot more popular among the DMs than the players, but we will see.
:)
Remember you can only apply GM credit to core only characters. One of the selling points of GMing in PFS for many players is that they can rotate but still level up their guys. If the first adventure is core only you're limited to core only race/class/feats/traits.
z
All my chronicle sheets from GMing core are going in the recycle bin after the table credit posts on Paizo.com.
Initial reactions in my local area brought forth a few people who had interest of GMing come to light, but didn't want to be overwhelmed by the massive amount of resources currently available to players. As a result, it's likely I'll see some core only tables pop up in my local area but I definitely don't see it completely dividing the club's player base as there are still alot of us that are comfortable in the standard campaign. That includes many of the people in my area already GMing (myself included).
A general consensus see it more as a challenge from a few different aspects but wonder if character fatalities will become more common-stance since the modules and scenarios themselves will not be held to the "core only" restriction.
Personally, I will not be GMing any core games unless I am requested to do so. I certainly do not know nor always comprehend every available option out there, but I know a wide margin to be comfortable to make spot calls to keep the game moving. My concern from a GM standpoint is that certain adventures just might be suicidal to play in, or simply just boring since every character will be "old hat" to my standards. (Sometimes I like surprises.)
I would be more inclined to be involved as a player moreso than a GM since I could provide a veteran's experience at the table while still enjoying the challenge that comes from being so restricted on options.
Still, if there is just one more book I could add to the core only campaign, it would be the APG. Yes, it does add a few more classes and archtypes. I personally think however that this is the point of Pathfinder that things were fairly solid as far as power creep is concerned without there being too many options that could break things. As someone pointed out last night, $20 for two .pdfs can give a new player more than enough options to contribute even in the main campaign and still feel effective.
Why do GMs care what is available to the players? It's not their job to provide those rules.
Disruptive people will be disruptive no matter the means.
Allowing any kind of evil is enabling that disruptiveness, because disruptive people often use tags, labels, and titles as excuses for why the are allowed to be disruptive.
These disruptive people are often not mature enough in their interpretation or definition of what it means to be evil to be discerning enough on how to play a non-disruptive form of evil. They often play a caricature of evil rather than a personality that just happens to be evil. In other words, evil defines the personality, instead of being a part of it.
While those types of evil beings exist, they are often the most heinous of psychotic anti-social serial killers or Demons/Devils.
I'm reminded of Cyric of the Time of Troubles trilogy in the late 1980's/ early 1990's of the Forgotten Realms of 2nd edition AD&D. He often did things to sabotage or betray his friends, he did not do them because he was evil. He had a personality, motivations, likes, dislikes, feelings, etc. And his way of acting out on those things is what defined him as evil.
But often as not, when you have folks playing evil, they purposefully make sabotaging or betraying actions and then say, "why? that's what my character would do, he's evil." Ok, why did he make that choice? What motivated him to do that? "He's Evil."
Allowing any kind of evil is a real good way to cause disruption in any game group let alone in an organized play environment. Look at how much disruption gets discussed just because of a neutral Cleric of Pharasma and a Neutral Necromancer having to find a way to interact that isn't adversarial.
Chaotic Neutral is also misunderstood. But regardless of how the alignment is interpreted (correctly or not), a GM can say, "If you do that, that is an evil act and I'll have to mark it on your character chronicle sheet." Or, "If you keep doing evil things like that, your character will become evil and I have no option but to mark them as dead." [NOTE: of course within the rules of the...
Chaotic neutral in practice is EXACTLY being evil without being evil.
"So being able to play Chaotic Neutral is not just another way (or shouldn't be) to play evil."
But it is. Whether that reality gets acknowledged or not. As echoed above, I'd much rather be with a LE party member than a CN one. Every day and twice on Wednesdays.
Sometimes it's worth slowing down the game. There is no PFS police that are going to haul you away for slowing the game down. More to the point, you'll never learn any non-core material just running CORE. If you think a PC build is dubious, make them explain to you for 5 min. 5 min that can save 30 min is time well spent.
If ONLY it only took 5 minutes and didn't totally derail the flow/momentum of the game.
You see, what I've found is that not only are certain type of players very good at pouring through the various available sources to find synergistic combinations that can be extremely powerful, a good portion of the same group often has different interpretations of how some of the feats/class abilities/etc work.
I found after the Ultimate series was published, I'd encounter issues with players' rules interpretations, where I, as table GM, ended up saying, "Well, I know that is how you would LIKE it to work, but that's not my interpretation. You can appeal to the gameday coordinator/convention coordinator or we can just go on with my interpretation, since I'm GMing this particular table."
As time went on, I resorted to this 'solution' less and less. I just hated the way it ground table momentum to an absolute standstill.
Anyway, with even more materials becoming available, my knowledge has lagged further behind all the possible combinations of what might require rules interpretation -- so the amount of times I would just hand wave and tell the player, "Whatever you say" increased. I hate doing this, but I'd rather just go that direction than bring the game to a grinding halt while we have a discussion that often ends up with a disagreement of the interpretation of the rules. My point is that this has increasingly led me to feel that I'm doing a 'bad job' at GMing (I know, I know, it's all relative).
My current 'solution' is to limit my GMing to low tier (1-5, occasionally 3 to 7) tables. While this satisfied my desire to GM, it just meant...
If a combo can't be explained in 5 min, then there's probably something fishy going on. I use the boards the keep up on which combos are truly YMMV and which ones have been ruled on. I find this makes this process go much faster.
They claim to be paying attention, so that should theoretically do something.
They are paying attention, David, and the implication that they aren't (which is what this statement is), or the subtle suggestion that such a statement may be doubtful or questionable, is really unnecessary. Can we please avoid these types of statements? It's this sort of thing that can inflame this conversation, and we should avoid doing so, if we can.
I'm not saying they aren't. I'm not implying that they aren't. I'm saying that they ARE, and so something should theoretically happen if that's true.
Really, for all of us, the issue is just one of choice. Some people will choose to play regular PFS because it has all (or most or many) of the options they want. Some will play regular PFS because they have invested a lot of money in books and supplements and want to make use of them so they get some return on their investment. Some will choose to play CORE because they don't want all of those options in the game they play, or they can't afford all the books and so don't want to feel left behind. In my own case, I prefer CORE because I am something of a "teaching GM" and get low-tier tables and new...
I agree that the Core sounds like it could be a great way to bring more people into the game, whether it be player or dm. I said it previously ={Doing this to introduce new players/dm's is understandable and great.}.
I really hope it does bring more players, who then end up getting into the rest of the Society stuff.
My apprehensiveness comes from past experience with other game systems that tried to get more players but instead drove off their key customers and ultimately killed the game.
Now some of you are going to say this isn't going to happen, I really hope doesn't, because I'd like nothing more than to play for many many years, but I've got shelves and shelves of rpg games as far back as the late 70's that say something else.
If this Core thing had happened just a few weeks earlier, I wouldn't have even bothered buying all the Pathfinder books I have now.
All I can do is wait and see.
If you like the material in the new books, don't play CORE. Tell your VOs you won't be playing CORE because you just bought all these new books. Paizo needs this input, even though it's indirect. They claim to be paying attention, so that should theoretically do something.
Your post about not buying their books because of this should raise red flags in and of itself, though.
I think this will really help those who want to or at least may be willing to try GMing.
Not really.
Speaking for yourself, I hope. For me: yes really. I've run 9 PFS games in Normal mode, and I'm dying to run in Core mode. I have the Core classes mostly memorized and understood. I know nothing from Advanced Class Guide, and I'm dreading the Occult book classes. I simply feel out of control when I have 5 out of 6 players using classes I've never heard of, and abilities that I don't understand and cannot double-check easily without slowing down the game. That is just my personal brain at work. We can all be derogatory of people like me and suggest that slow people shouldn't GM or something, but until they actually bar me from GMing, I will GM, and I will extremely value a Core game that sets my mind at ease.
Even if you think my mind being set at ease in a Core game is irrational, it doesn't change the fact that that's how my brain works and I'm fine with it, and I want to embrace the Core game. It's delightful to me. So I'm thankful to management for creating it, and I hope my Core games pull in a new player or two (or three).
(I think the concept of a Core game has merits and is easily defensible, but my point here is that there is no need to defend it with merits -- entirely subjective comments such as "I like it for no legitimate reason and irrationally feel good when I do it" is a 100% good enough reason for a person, since each person is fully entitled to decide for themselves. They don't even have to defend it or assert the good qualities of a Core game. They can simply say, "But I want it" and that's legitimate. If the detractors are right and the idea is terrible and yet people still respond to it anyway, then we have still met the target of pulling people in. So that's how I'm going to handle people telling me that I'm wrong to like this or that it will ruin PFS: I'll say, "OK, but I'm having...
Sometimes it's worth slowing down the game. There is no PFS police that are going to haul you away for slowing the game down. More to the point, you'll never learn any non-core material just running CORE. If you think a PC build is dubious, make them explain to you for 5 min. 5 min that can save 30 min is time well spent.
I'm not afraid to massively modify fights in APs, though. I'll be as violent as the PCs demand of me. My usual MO is to add class levels, rather than numbers.
"The things I once imagined would be my greatest achievements were only the first steps toward a future I can only begin to fathom."
Adventurers bold. Fearsome and valiant heroes. Or perhaps tyrannical villains. Each and every one of you is a mortal paragon. But now, you have gathered your forces to assault a legendary dungeon... the fabled Vaults of Time and Space.
Within lie countless challenges and dangers, each one more fearsome than the last. From across the infinite expanse of worlds and the breadth of all epochs, the foes within will test you like never before.
Do not expect rooms and chambers... the Vaults are demiplane realms each connected by portals. Fifteen Avatars lie within and each one must be defeated.
However, the very first step is to enter the Vaults themselves.
The first encounter... the Astral Gates.
===
You also have been given the following cache of supplies each.
Celestial Amber Fragments x5
(Single use activated item, casts heal on the user. Takes a standard action to break. Heals 150 hp)
Maelstrom Spell-Crystal x5
(Single use activated item. Takes a standard action to use.)
Choose a 6th level spell or lower for each crystal. The chosen spell is immediately cast upon activation. The spell uses Caster Level 20
I apologize for this smaller cache, I originally had much more planned but realized that piles of potions were rather useless. If you need any clarifications, please ask.
Alright to start us off here's what I need. I apologize in advance for the length but this is important to having a balanced game state.
Each player makes a 25th level character.
Templates reduce that level by 1 for each CR adjustment. (CR+2 means you'd only get 23 levels)
20 point buy for your characters
1,000,000 gp to spend on all total equipment. No crafting feats permitted.
2 traits and up to one drawkback (to get an additional 3rd trait)
Golarion gods for divine spellcasters
No Leadership feat
Use the core rulebook rules for going beyond 20th level
===
Now, when building your character you MUST do it level by level and show each choice made at each level. What feat did you take, how many skill ranks and what did you put them in, what did you do with your favored class bonus, how much did you roll for hp, etc. Everything needs to be verifiable.
You're welcome to do this how you want as long as I can verify everything simply and quickly.
Each player will also receive a substantial supply of curatives such as potions/oils and one shot magic items. This will be given at the start of the adventure.
A last important reminder... this is a one shot. You will NOT be able to rest. The stash of healing and restorative items are there to lessen this penalty but be mindful of blowing all your abilities and spells on the first enemy you see.
The Deep-Marshall finishes writing the last of the six new Charters. He hands one to each of you.
"Now don't lose these. You come back out of there without this paper, we ain't lettin' you town-side. We've had shapeshifters and undead try this stunt before."
He gives each of you a cursory look.
"You all did fine on the training course but remember, this isn't straw dummies and targets. We have a good enough idea of what's in the top levels but deeper down it's anyone's guess."
"Now you all know, the Great Lift goes down... but through dimensions keyed to your group. So every time you go down, you'll always be going through untouched and unexplored regions. It's weird, I know, but that's how the Deep works and that's why we're so persistent on finding new recruits."
"Now the Great Lift can only come up every so often so be mindful. Learn to take rests down below, scavenge for food and be self-sufficient. When you find enough treasures and salvage, bring them up and we'll buy them all off of you."
He checks the lift and sees the light turn green.
"Alright then, your ride is charged. Make sure you have all your gear and good luck. The Wellgabber isn't a pleasure cruise."
Welcome to Lost Tavalan ladies and gentlemen, the only settlement on this whole world. And there's not much of the world to begin with in the first place.
We've got your taverns, your shops, your dour captain of the guard and of course, the Wellgabber Deep. Because no town is complete without an unexplored descent stretching infinitely beneath its sewers, eh friend?
Don't forget the rules, whatever you bring back from below is yours to keep. And in a place this small, that's a lot to be dreaming about. So grab your gear, lighten your load of useless junk and get ready to jump down into the Wellgabber Deep.
===
Lost Tavalan is a microcosm so to speak. The entire world takes no more than two days to travel in any direction. The world is composed of:
The Town of Lost Tavalan: A town of 200 inhabitants, either human or halfling.
Image
The Waterdowns: The rural backwater of this world, the marshland/farmlands hold another 50 or so inhabitants spread across the surrounding area.
Image
The Cog-Wood: A large forest cluttered with broken machinery and massive devices.
Image
It is within this small world that our adventure takes place.
===
Rules for character creation are as follows:
Player Characters begin at 1st level
Core Races except half-orc
20 Point Buy
Average starting gold
Disallowed Classes: Ninja, Samurai, any class that produces an excessive amount of allies. One eidolon/mount/animal companion is fine. (On that note, mounts will be sorely lackluster in Wellgabber Deep)
1 Trait from any source
Each character also has the "Lost Tavalan Explorer" Feat (see below)
1 Drawback maximum
Domain spellcasters can choose any domains.
No 3PP, Paizo content only.
===
Lost Tavalan Explorer
Feat
Prerequisities: character creation only
Benefits: You have joined the foolhardy ranks of those delving the Wellgabber Deep. Something in you's not quite right the local folks will say. In any case, with this comes a few benefits.
First of all, you sold off your old belongings meaning you get an additional 50 gp to spend at character creation.
Second, you can choose one of the following to be a class skill for your character: Climb, Perception, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (engineering) or Survival.
Third, but not least, you get an additional health point at each level.
===
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here.
The world of Cassiri is recovering economically and physically from the wounds leftover from the First Great War.
To the west, the island nation Maligun (North America) has all but removed itself from the politics of the eastern continental nations and has devoted its time in advancing its own agendas.
Meanwhile, the nations of Damyrca (Western Europe) and Valros (United Kingdom), having emerged as victors against the forces of Arcova, have claimed much of that nation's territory.
Arcova (Eastern Europe), having lost the First Great War sees itself reduced to but a fragment of its former power. Seething with anger and harboring a sense of injustice, plans for a hopefully different future.
To the south of Arcova, the nation of Darbeid (Middle East) advances more and more in technology and discovering large resource stockpiles beneath its deserts, begins to emerge as a serious power.
After the First Great War, Utumbe (South Africa) shakes off the last of its colonial roots and begins a road to becoming its own master after years of being a Valrosian and Damyrcan colony.
To the eastern north, the winterbound nation of Galloveer (Russia) also recovers, but its scientists and engineers have begun funding large experiments into the strange metallic chasms carved into its northern shores. What lingers within is anybody's guess.
Finally, Tokushima (Asia) slowly reclaims the Lost Isles from the deeps and seeks to harness the resources within to advance its own imperialistic agenda.
The Summer of 1934 however, everything changed. Under the militaristic reign of Lord Dreven Naedenbaerg, Arcova rises from its wounded knees and along with the aid of the imperialistic Tokushima, begins a struggle for dominance of the world.
Friend and foe alike will become embroiled in the Second Great War. Will your characters be strong enough to survive, yet alone end what could very well lead to a Cassiri changed beyond all recognition.
---
Players will join Shadowgate, a multi-national military society whose job is to enforce peace throughout the Second Great War. The nations of Arcova and Tokushima form the Pact while Valros and Damyrca reform the old Union. For now, Maligun, Galloveer, Darbeid and Utumbe remain neutral.
---
Character Creation
- 1st level
- 20 point buy
- Class Restrictions: None
- Race Restrictions: Human (choose a nationality below)
- Average starting wealth
- Domain spellcasters select any two domains.
- Firearms are commonplace. Advanced firearms are not available.
- 2 Traits, no campaign/region specific traits
- 1 Drawback maximum
WARNING: I AM NOT READY TO FULLY RECRUIT FOR THE ACTUAL CAMPAIGN. I DO NEED SOME PEOPLE WILLING TO PLAYTEST BITS AND PIECES OF IT FIRST AS I WRITE IT, HELP OUT WITH THE STORY/FLESH OUT THE SETTING, ETC.
Before delving into the details, here's the concise rundown of what this is all about.
This is not a Recruitment post for playing in an adventure. Within the Gameplay section of this Campaign I will be writing and creating a continuous adventure that you are all welcome to read and comment on (within the Discussion page).
Imagine this as a free subscription more than anything else. From the adventure to additional details on the campaign setting, NPC statblocks and more, everything will be accessible here free of charge.
However, I commit myself to no deadlines or schedule. I write in bursts and when the mood takes me, but I do try and be consistent.
So, dot in the discussion and relax, comment and enjoy.
Spicy Dragon
Campaign Design
I set out writing this campaign with only an inkling of the complete storyline. Where and how far it will lead is a mystery to even me.
But for now, four brave adventurers are about to step into an interplanar war between the legacies of two warring siblings. Will the PCs succeed in saving both worlds from annihilation or will the forces of an unseen enemy succeed.
Join us on the very first Spicy Dragon adventure, Twin Rifts.
What Can We Expect?
The first few updates will include Campaign Traits and advice for players as well as the new races of the Twin Rifts adventure. Immediately following this the adventure will begin being published, encounter by encounter.
The adventure begins at 1st level.
To navigate the hopefully numerous pages this will have, I will be using the Campaign Info tab to bookmark all updates.
I will be making frequent use of d20pfsrd and will link to resources on their pages.
What Can We Do?
You are free to use the Discussion Page to comment, discuss and chat among yourselves. Feel free to share this campaign to friends and players, and I'd be very interested in hearing from any GM who wishes to one day run one of the adventures I plan to write.
Please do NOT post in Gameplay however, I would like to keep it reserved for the adventure itself.
I am also very open to the idea of collaboration and guest writers if ever this interests you.
All in all, thank you to any and all who join in and show interest.
Light. A sight you hadn't seen for over three centuries.
You slowly awaken within a large garden. Tall, emerald trees envelop you, the sound of a river rushes behind you, the scent of a multitude of flowers surrounds you.
When a storm wrecked the indomitable galleon Salvation off the coast of Kotei, Ancient Lands of the East, your stories came to an end. Your corpses were gathered up however by an esoteric order of monks known as the Path of Seiki.
Entombing you all within enchanted tombs that would forever preserve your bodies, you gaijin (strangers) to this land have been at rest for over three centuries.
Now, it is time you rise from your slumber. Your life will be given back, and you will be expected to repay your debtors.
Kotei faces a new darkness and it has need of your services... blank slates devoid of any living sense of allegiance or bias. You will cast aside your distant paths and become the Dragons of the West
===
CHARACTER CREATION RULES
- 1st level
- 25 point buy
- average starting gold. You do not begin with your purchased equipment but you shall receive it not long after the campaign begins
- only human races, however you qualify for any feat/traits/archetypes that require different races.
- 2 traits, you may take regional traits regardless of origin since all of you no longer have a "homeland"
- 1 drawback maximum
- Divine domain spellcasters may select any two domains, since as per my norm, there are no deities.
- All Paizo published material is allowed, 3PP material on a case by case basis.
- This takes place in a land very similar to Tian Xia. As such, Samurai and Ninja are available classes as are Gunslingers, with firearms being emerging.
Any further questions can be asked below. I will be taking a maximum of four PCs and I will be choosing the final crew on June 8th.
As the title says, I am seeking a GM. I am already currently running two/three games and already am having some trouble keeping a high level of posting but I have had quite a few adventure ideas I'd love to see played.
Therefore, I'm looking for a GM who'd be willing to play my adventure as I write it. The adventure that will be played will be decided together.
I will share the adventure path details with the GM after recruitment and I will leave the actual recruitment of players up to him or her.
The details on how the adventure will be shared will be up to the GM's discretion as well.
I'm really sorry about the delays, it's study week for exams and I don't have much free time. I'll post tomorrow but it might be intermittent for this week.
There are two kinds of dreams. There are dreams that we have while asleep and dreams that we have while we are awake. What is the connection between the two types? Both kinds of dreams are about the yearnings that are held deep inside us. Some of these desires are so secret that we dare not share them even with our closest friends. Those of us that dare to put our dreams down on paper are showing the courage and faith that they will come true.
Guardian, you have awoken.
You stand in a white room. There are four walls, a floor and a ceiling. The only other object in the room is a small potted bonsai tree resting on a white wood table.
A warning to the both of you, this adventure is going to be slightly more bizarre than most campaigns.
Welcome to Spellbound Deep. In this role-play heavy dungeon crawl, two players will need to survive a treacherous and bewitching locale fraught with danger.
The restrictions? There are only two characters; the Guardian and the Dreamer.
The Guardian's job is to protect the Dreamer for as long as he or she can.
The Dreamer needs to defeat the Ley-Walkers, a series of entities composed of the different holy domains roaming the Spellbound Deep. Only damage caused by the Dreamer or his Reverie can damage Ley-Walkers.
===
CHARACTER CREATION
===
See below for more details.
-Maximum health points for both level 1 classes.
-2 Traits, cannot be chosen from campaign specific traits.
-Human (Guardian) but the Dreamer can opt to be Half-Elf or Human.
-One drawback can be chosen.
-25 point buy.
-Average starting wealth. Purchase only weapons, armor and obligatory class related items. Nothing else. No saving gold.
-Domain spellcasters can select any two domains.
===
UNIQUE CLASSES
===
The Guardian and the Dreamer both begin at 2nd level essentially and must be cross-classed.
The Guardian gets one level of fighter and can select another class for his second level. This class cannot be a spellcasting class. Also, the Guardian can take the Archer, Armor Expert, Tactician or Weapon Expert if he or she so wishes.
Since the Dreamer gets more action economy, the Guardian is essentially an advanced human. He uses the Human race but gets an additional five Race Points to spend on racial traits.
The Dreamer gets one level of summoner and can select another spellcasting class for his second level. This class must be one of the following: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard, Oracle or Witch. Also, the Dreamer can take the Evolutionist archetype if he or she so wishes.
The Dreamer's Eidolon is called the Reverie and functions as a normal Eidolon except for the following abilities.
Light in the Dark (Su): The Reverie glows as if under the effects of a permanent light spell. As a standard action, the Dreamer can will the Reverie to cease glowing.
Drifting Dream: The Reverie must take the Flight evolution. However, this only costs 1 evolution point instead of 2.
===
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
===
The group fails if the Dreamer dies and cannot be brought back to life within a day of game time.
There will be roleplay between the Guardian and Dreamer of course, as well as NPCs but this is not a political/diplomatic mission. Survival type skills are much more important.
There will not be any shops so being able to craft your own items will be quite useful.
===
SELECTING PLAYERS
===
You may only apply to one of the two adventurer positions and must provide a finished character sheet in a spoiler. No alias need be made immediately.
The Reverie must also be statted out in its own spoiler.
The easiest format would be to use standard monster stat block.
I will also be keeping an eye on applicants who seem to get along well. Cooperation is key, and both players should be able to play their roles.
As far as I know, I have yet to see this kind of recruitment done recently, nor done successfully.
I'm looking for a few other interested individuals to collaborate on the creation of a small homebrew setting and adventures set within.
Setting
World building is a heavy handed task so I suggest aiming for a smaller setting, like the Red Hand of Doom's Elsir Vale, Kingmaker's Stolen Lands or even Darkmoon Vale. (Seems like Vale's are appropriately sized...)
Adventure
We can decide on what we want to build later. Module sized, adventure length or even longer. This all depends on how things go after all.
Theme
We can all decide on this. I have no objections to any theme, but anything that requires a ton of adaptation (science fiction for example) may be too complex to do.
Collaboration
Social media such as FB/Skype and Google Drive to share work would be fine, as could emails/word documents. We just want to make sure our work is easy to share, work on and private.
Distribution
Nonprofit, profit... I really don't mind, but profit means we need to do more than just write. It'll require quite a bit more effort, but it might be worth it. Therefore, I highly recommend we focus on the writing and once that's done we can see if we want to make something off of this.
- 25 point buy
- 2nd level
- 2 traits (or 3 with 1 drawback)
- no backstory but character description needed
- No Master Summoner or Broodmaster
- Neutral campaign setting but using Golarion fluff for simplicity
The dungeon is very tomb raider/indiana jones flavored so get ready for everything from pirates to aztec and mayan mythos.
Any questions can be asked below as usual.
I'll be choosing in 24 hours. No need for aliases, just character descriptions (not even statblocks) are fine. I want you to design a fun four man team.
This serves as this dungeon's playtest essentially and I only want a single PC running all four characters for speed and simplicity.
You stand on the deck of a mighty ship of the line. For three weeks you’ve been at sea, caught in the grip of an endless expanse of ice and water. Your journey finally looms through the mist rising up above you. Ahead, you can spy the very first glimpses of land. Tall, imposing stone cliffs topped with small copses of pine and fir trees. To the northwest, a column of smoke rises in the distance.
“That’d be the Rangvir village I’d wager.” The captain of the Winter’s Morn, the grizzled Shane Sharray speaks up from prow of the ship.
Stepping down from his wooden perch he walks towards the lot of you.
“I hope y’all are prepared for what Skorderang has in store for you. You knew as well as I that the Winter’s Morn can only drop you off at the mouth of the fjord. Any further and we might never survive.. As much as I wish you luck, you know as well as I do that Skorderang pisses on such nonsense. Keep your eyes wide open and your bodies warm, which be the best I can say.”
He gazes thoughtfully at the landscape fast approaching, lets out a deep sigh and heads off, bellowing orders to the crew.
Less than an hour later, the Winter’s Morn sails between two arches of stone and finally enters the Harfjord, only known entrance to Skorderang’s frozen lands.
A cold wind blows as you gather on the deck of the Winter's Morn. The distant shape of Skolderang's shores loom in the far off fog. Sailors lumber around the ship while the eight of you gaze on. Now, the question as to how the groups would set off had come into question... it seemed appropriate to make two teams of four. There had been some time to get to know each other during the trip over but now it was decision time. The ship would land in a few hours.
Wanted: Explorers! Are you brave and true? Does the prospect of exploring a far off frozen frontier intrigue you? Do you wish to leave your mark in the annals of history?
Northwind Trading Co. is recruiting brave adventurers to embark upon the Winter Morn on Saturday, the 23rd of Firstmonth. (Saturday for you real-lifers) The ship departs in the evening.
Prospective adventurers should bring a resume of their current exploits. (completed stat block)
Cold weather gear will be provided. Treasure aplenty to be had.
---
Ability Scores - 25 point buy. Nothing lower than an 8.
Races - The following races are not allowed: Aasimar, Catfolk, Drow, Fetchling, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Kobold, Orc, Tiefling, Gillmen, Gipli, Kitsune, Merfolk, Nagaji, Samsaran, Strix and Wayang.
Classes - Any Paizo (including ACG) except for ninja and samurai. Master Archetypes that produce a large amount of creatures are also not permitted for ease of game play.
Level - 1
Wealth - Average for starting character and you get a free cold weather outfit.
Traits - Two, you may take one drawback. Only one from each category.
Domain Spellcasters - There are no gods. Select two domains instead.
---
Rules from the Ultimate Campaign (exploration) are being used, as is Mythic Adventures but only in the late game.
Questions can be asked below.
The campaign begins hours before landing in Skolderang, your destination. The Winter Morn is scheduled to arrive in a region known as the Geisar Breach, a coast within a series of fjords sheltered from the harsh climate.
Humanoid
Medium
Standard Speed (30 ft.)
Flexible (+2 Str, +2 Wis)
Xenophobic (Skoldric)
Fearless (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear effects. Special: This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by the lucky (greater or lesser) racial trait.
Hardened Skin (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +1 natural armor bonus to their Armor Class.
Skill Training (1 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Pick up to two skills. These skills are always considered class skills for members of this race. (Survival and Perception)
Brand of the Undying (2 RP) Members of this race can use false life as a spell-like ability once per day. The caster level of the spell is equal to the user’s character level.
Blood-Brothers (2 RP): Members of this race are used to living and fighting communally with other members of their race. Up to two members of this race can share the same square at the same time. If two members of this race that are occupying the same square attack the same foe, they are considered to be flanking that foe as if they were in two opposite squares.
EXAMPLE NPC
Rangvir Northlander (CR 1/2)
Rangvir warrior 2
N Medium humanoid (Rangvir)
Init +5; Senses Perception +4
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+5 Armor, +1 Dex, +1 Natural)
hp 11 (2d10)
Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +0; +2 vs. fear effects
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +3 Rangvir Axe (2d6 +2/x3)
Spell-like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +0)
1/day – false life
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8
Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 15
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Climb +6, Profession (varies) +4, Survival +4, Perception +4
Languages Skoldric
SQ Blood-Brothers, Brand of the Undying, Fearless, Hardened Skin
Combat Gear Rangvir axe, scale mail
Other Gear cold-weather outfit, snowshoes, waterproof bag
Blood-Brothers: Members of this race are used to living and fighting communally with other members of their race. Up to two members of this race can share the same square at the same time. If two members of this race that are occupying the same square attack the same foe, they are considered to be flanking that foe as if they were in two opposite squares.
Variable Profession: Usually chosen between brewer, butcher, farmer, fisherman, miner, sailor, tanner, trapper or woodcutter depending on the region and the rangvir’s occupation.
Dragesjael Northlander (CR 1)
Advanced rangvir warrior 2
N Medium humanoid (Rangvir)
Init +7; Senses Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+5 Armor, +3 Dex, +3 Natural)
hp 15 (2d10 +4)
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +2; +2 vs. fear effects
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +6 Rangvir Axe (2d6 +4/x3)
Spell-like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +0)
1/day – false life
STATISTICS
Str 19, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 12
Base Atk +2; CMB +6; CMD 19
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Climb +8, Profession (varies) +6, Survival +6, Perception +6
Languages Skoldric
SQ Blood-Brothers, Brand of the Undying, Fearless, Hardened Skin
Combat Gear Rangvir axe, scale mail
Other Gear cold-weather outfit, snowshoes, waterproof bag
Blood-Brothers: Members of this race are used to living and fighting communally with other members of their race. Up to two members of this race can share the same square at the same time. If two members of this race that are occupying the same square attack the same foe, they are considered to be flanking that foe as if they were in two opposite squares.
Variable Profession: Usually chosen between brewer, butcher, farmer, fisherman, miner, sailor, tanner, trapper or woodcutter depending on the region and the rangvir’s occupation.
Me and my friends are about to start Skull & Shackles but a few of them had also shown interest in the Serpent Skull.
I'm thinking that a mix between the two is certainly feasible.
Essentially, what I've got so far is the following:
PART I: The Wormwood Mutinty & Souls for Smuggler's Shiv
- Aerys Mavato, Gelik Aberwhinge, Ishirou, Jask Derindi and Sasha Nevah will have been prisoners aboard The Wormwood. When the transfer to the Man's Promise will occur, the prisoners will be moved there as well.
- The events leading up to Bonewrack Isle will remain relatively the same. From there, the players will instead wash up on Smuggler's Shiv. From there, the adventure will follow Souls for Smuggler's Shiv. I may add the grindylow caves and the rescuing of certain characters to the adventure, but the purpose will still be to send a signal. Doing so will bring help that will be able to finish repairing their ship.
PART II: Raiders of the Fever Sea & Racing to Ruin
- The adventure will begin with Raiders of the Fever Sea and continue until they crack Tidewater Rock. During this time, when they make port, I'll run some of the earlier encounters from Racing to Ruin, showcasing the preparations to find Saventh-Yhi. They'll have to join the Free Pirate faction however.
- The journey to Saventh-Yhi will need to be heavily modified however, and will consist of both ocean route, but will require overland travel to essentially unlock the giant Sea-Gates that will block the ships from sailing in. I'll be interspacing the events from The Race Begins with some more events from Raiders of the Fever Sea.
- The culmination of the adventure will be the Ruins of Tazion and Event 14: For Whom the Bell Tolls. Saventh-Yhi will then be found, a short walk away from the shores.
PART III: City of Seven Spears & Tempest Rising
- I'll be removing the Free Captain's Regatta, but keeping the search for the spy. Essentially, the search for Saventh-Yhi continues with the City of Seven Spears sandbox but interspaced with the threat of Cheliax attempting to take it as their own, and end piracy once and for all.
- Saventh-Yhi will essentially be "expanded", adding an entire new section slightly off the main map composed of islands and inlets called Hell's Maw, where pirates have always gathered, clueless as to the city that lay beyond the cliffs.
PART IV: Island of Empty Eyes & Vaults of Madness
- Continuing seamlessly and interchangeably from Part III, the players will first need to cement their role midst the Pirate Council by clearing the nearby Island of Empty Eyes (an isle in Hell's Maw). This will be a shortened encounter. After clearing the isle, and before the feast, the players discover the Vaults of Madness and complete that segment of the adventure. The camp ambush scene will be by Cheliax troops. The end of this adventure will be a culmination of Umaro's visit and the Pirate Feast.
PART V: Price of Infamy & The Thousand Fangs Below
- Enraged at the PCs, Harrigan assails them from above while the horrors begin stirring down below. The focus of the adventure will start with defeating Harrigan's naval forces then heading down.
- Most likely, I'll have Cheliax and pirate troops infiltrating Saventh-Yhi and also fighting the players below, merging some dungeons together.
PART VI: From Hell's Heart & Sanctum of the Serpent God
- The final adventure will focus on the players having to fight through Fort Hazard and the Sea Caves of Lucrehold with Ilmurea existing beneath those two complexes.
- So essentially, Kerdak's fortress lies amidst Hell's Maw and is connected by passageways to reach beneath Saventh-Yhi as well. The end then arrives when the players need to delve beneath and stop the rise of Ydersius.
So... in the end, I need advice on my plan and on other ways to combine the adventures and get both dungeon delving goodness and piratical epicness...
Here is a new archetype, currently finished except for a few last abilities, notably the Living Brew Table and Abilities as well as the Lingering Alcohol ability (which is essentially persistent mutagen.)
The brewing academy of Casker Hill is the home of these strange alchemists and are part of a very fun and interesting storyline. Let's just hope someone on your team has a taste for fine brews and the constitution to survive them!
The fogs of the coastline you find yourself on forecast a rough future ahead. Shattered ships and wounded minions litter the coastline. Ahead, a great forest stretches one into the gloom. Your few remaining minions manage to drag corpses and supplies out of the water onto dry land. While largely undead, your kind still requires food and sustenance and the days ahead will be harsh. The eastern spit of the continent you've landed on will soon feel your wrath.
In your first post, please put copy your character sheet in spoilers. This will be useful for me to have them all on the front page.
September 22nd Objectives:
- Finishing your base of operations is crucial to your survival here. Anyone with any skill that can be used to harvest wood, stone or other construction materials from the local region should do so. Each building below costs the following amount of Construction Materials.
Palisade Walls: 100 CM [+1 Defense]
Docks: 100 CM [Required if you ever want ships]
Houses: 50 CM [+1 Morale]
Graveyard: 50 CM [+1 Health, used to store corpses and raise soldiers.]
Dark Halls: 200 CM [+1 Morale, +1 Defense]
- The immediate vicinity should mostly likely be explored. Each DC 30 Survival check (requiring one action) explore 1/3 of the region. Once explored, the region will be much safer, granting a +1 Defense bonus to any settlement of locale in the region.
- Not all of your undead minions made it here, and the ones that did are relatively weak. A little necromancy could go a long way. Anyone with any skill that deals with graveyards or necromancy spells can help. If you succeed at a DC 30 check or spend at least 3 Actions casting necromancy spells you manage to form enough undead to create a Rotten Horde.
- Of course, anyone with any other ideas is free to write them and I will determine their validity.
- Other Actions, for example, are:
Defend (You maintain a defensive position within the current region, and are alerted if your Perception check beats out enemy Stealth checks)
Gather <X> (You harvest the region's natural resources, adding to your faction's resource pool.)
Practice Profession (You practice a profession, using resources to craft items for your faction)
Travel (You travel towards a set destination)
Remember, 1 Day is made up of 3 Actions. One of these should probably be Resting. Monster encounters are played by yourself and the monster should be played as per its tactics or GM notes. Any questions should now be asked in Discussion of this thread.
The glorious morning sun rises above distant mountains, lighting the remains of your shattered warships and galleons. The journey from the Homelands have left your expedition weary and in desperate need of supplies and rest. From what your cartographer's can tell you, you have landed on the western edge of a large landmass. The immediate coastline is a large vast open field, with small copses of wood and rolling hills. The men manage to salvage a bare minimum of supplies and ready themselves to begin construction of a base of operations.
In your first post, please put copy your character sheet in spoilers. This will be useful for me to have them all on the front page.
September 22nd Objectives:
- Finishing your base of operations is crucial to your survival here. Anyone with any skill that can be used to harvest wood, stone or other construction materials from the local region should do so. Each building below costs the following amount of Construction Materials.
Palisade Walls: 100 CM [+1 Defense]
Docks: 100 CM [Required if you ever want ships]
Houses: 50 CM [+1 Morale]
Graveyard: 50 CM [+1 Health]
Town Hall: 200 CM [+1 Morale, +1 Defense]
Barracks: 100 CM [Shelters your future army]
- The immediate vicinity should mostly likely be explored. Each DC 30 Survival check (requiring one action) explore 1/3 of the region. Once explored, the region will be much safer, granting a +1 Defense bonus to any settlement of locale in the region.
- Not all of your soldiers made it here, and the ones that did are relatively weak. A good training session could get them back in shape. Anyone with any skill that can motivate or train soldiers can help out here. If you succeed at a DC 30 check you manage to form enough soldiers to create a Standard Troop. (This requires one Action as always).
- Of course, anyone with any other ideas is free to write them and I will determine their validity.
- Other Actions, for example, are:
Defend (You maintain a defensive position within the current region, and are alerted if your Perception check beats out enemy Stealth checks)
Gather <X> (You harvest the region's natural resources, adding to your faction's resource pool.)
Practice Profession (You practice a profession, using resources to craft items for your faction)
Remember, 1 Day is made up of 3 Actions. One of these should probably be Resting. Monster encounters are played by yourself and the monster should be played as per its tactics or GM notes. Any questions should now be asked in Discussion of this thread.
While we have finished writing our general outline of the campaign, we've decided to go ahead and ask the community for some good old friendly input.
As we've mentioned before, our campaign will feature a lot of travelling and exploration and we are slowly building a list of travelers and passengers that can accompany your players on their journey.
These travelers can range from anything to anyone.
In short, we're looking to make a good collection of NPC personalities that can serve to provide social interactions and good roleplay opportunities.
These travelers may stay anywhere from a day or two to months at a time depending on how the players go about the campaign.
So, that's where you can help. With a list traversing every kind of country, region and culture you can imagine, we hope to give players a chance to have some rather fun times.
For thousands of years I have slept beneath the earth, my mind confined to this hellish prison and my body shaped into this immobile form. Meanwhile, the world above me carries on and history comes and goes. But I sense them... the restless... the angry... the embittered... I share in their suffering and they partake of my own. Soon... soon, I will be free.
Night Upon the Realms
Night Upon the Realms is a Player versus Player Campaign, involving two teams. One side is composed of the Heroes of the Realm, and they are the devout defenders of the Realm. The other side plays the Fallen. These players form a dark army of risen undead intent on claiming the Realm for their own.
Both sides will fight to complete their own chosen objectives.
That's right. This entire campaign bases itself off your own choices. You are in charge of these two forces, and it is through your actions that we will see one side emerge victorious.
Character Submission
10th level characters
20 point buy
Cleric's can choose any 2 Domains.
Material may be taken from any official Paizo published book.
EDIT: Assume ordinary WBL. You may NOT craft items before character creation to keep it fair. Once the game begins, everything's fair game.
Each character must choose whether they will be part of the Heroes or the Fallen.
Heroes must be good, Fallen must be evil
Heroes can be Human, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, Halfling or Half-Elf
Fallen can any of the above races but your type changes to Undead.
What Will This Campaign Entail?
The Heroes will first be allowed to construct their own settlements, as they are the ones in control of the regions of the Realm. As well, they will need to defend their lands from the Fallen onslaught.
Both teams will be able to design NPCs that battle for them on the frontlines of battle.
The Fallen will be able to perform assaults on the Heroes' settlements, create devastating weapons, perform dark rituals and plan the massacre of all living things.
Questions?
Please post them below or PM me.
Total # of Characters
We go until recruitment slows down. If the Teams are unequal, we'll have to either make switches or I'll need to make a selection. Feel free to make a Hero/Fallen character if you want more chances.
Feel free to post questions here and ooc discussion.
As well, as an introductory campaign, feel free to post things you'd like to see explained/explored. For example, say you're interested in seeing how certain combat options, spells, abilities, classes work etc let me know.
"Greetings adventurers, my name is Ken Devendell. You're all here in Crow's Hook because of my wanted poster I imagine? Very well then, I guess you do deserve some more explanations. What's that? How much are we getting paid? Well that depends on how far you make it my friend."
"A long time ago, I lived in a glorious mansion up in the mountains. No longer. A foul curse fell upon my home one day as I was abroad and upon returning found my home to be impenetrable and cursed with foul monsters. So in short, my plight and quest is the following:
I require the aid of adventurers such as yourself to delve deep into my ancestral home and see to finding the cause and full extent of this curse. While the mansion itself is quite immense, I reason that the job is sufficiently done if the first few floors are covered."
"You are free to take as much time as needed, Crow's Hook has plenty of supplies to sell."
"But first, I'd like to hear about yourself. Some of you don't seem to know each other very much yet either."
As we continue writing the first adventure of our campaign, we figured, while we still finalize the drafts of the subsequent adventures, there's room for a lot of monsters, characters, items, spells, etc, etc, etc.
In short, and of course with no obligations, we offer you the chance to include your own material within our adventure.
As to not spoiler the entire campaign until Adventure #1 comes out, we won't currently provide a detailed list of things we are looking for.
If you decide to contribute anything, please just let us know in your post or by Private Message the proper way to credit you.
Credit is given in any of the published products we use your idea in.
Ideas can be either rough unfinished or completed.
Everything submitted WILL BE INCLUDED in an adventure. If it really doesn't fit we'll PM you. But it shouldn't happen.
Currently Working On and Looking For:
Adventure #1: An Overture of Night Part I of the Clockspinnings Campaign
Giving The Community a Chance to Choose What They Want To See: Things You've Always Wanted in an Adventure Warning: This may be a long post
Prelude: Feel Free to Skip
As of today, I have officially begun the steps to write a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible Adventure.
It has been a long term goal of mine and of some of my fellow friends to give back to the community who gave us so much. Growing up with Dungeons and Dragons and now having made the move to Pathfinder as soon as Rise of the Runelords: Burnt Offerings (in no small part thanks to their amazing work in both the DUNGEON and DRAGON magazines) I feel that we should give a little something back.
In other words, me, my gaming group and a handful of others I know who have joined me in adventuring over the years have decided to sit ourselves down and contribute to building an adventure just for you, the community.
What Can You Do?
We made the decision very early to allow community input. What's an adventure for you guys without your input?
However, this in no way means you are in ANY obligation to propose ideas of course, we've got the adventure slowly getting written as we speak.
What we'd like from you is your ideas, your propositions, anything you've wanted to see in an adventure.
As well, feel free to recommend good Open Content, from both Paizo or 3rd Party Publishers that you think has some merit and warrants some recognition in an adventure.
Some of you may be wondering, is there a range of setting? A level range? Anything?
Well yes and no. We are trying a rather unique adventure here, one that hopefully you'll enjoy and that will cover a broad range of your preferences. Without spoiling the entirety, you can expect a lot of high fantasy adventure set in a wide range of locales. This isn't an adventure where you stay in one place, your Player Characters will have EARNED their frequent traveler badges by the end.
What We DON'T Want
While your own ideas and propositions are fine, we really hope no one tries to slip in easter eggs to franchises or already made materials which are not covered by the OGL.
We are trying to make something fun and exciting here, not plagiarize the works of others.
Just How Long IS This Adventure
Long.
For those of you who prefer quick adventures, never fear. Despite being what we hope is an exhaustive adventure, the structure itself allows the quest to be separated into smaller parts, much like segments of an adventure path.
As well, some of our group (myself included when I have the time) have a deep love of Stat Blocks. And that means we like making new NPCs. As well, we got some people who seem pretty keen on making everything from new archetypes and spells to prestige classes and equipment, without forgetting feats, traits, etc. Really, we do. So if you don't even plan on playing through it, at least the wealth of new options we plan on including should be enough for you to enjoy.
A Few Last Questions
We've considered having the following in the adventure. Simply answering a Want/Do Not Want to these would be helpful.
- War (Mass Battles)
- Post - 20th Level Content (Not necessarily 21st level)
- Some Science-Fiction Elements
- Diplomacy and Intrigue (More Roleplay than Rollplay)
- Modified Profession/Craft Skills (Opening up new options)
- A World With More Races (More than just the core races appearing prominently)
- Time Travel (Only to a specific event in time)
- Less Good vs Evil and more Lesser of Two Evils.
- Factions (Earn reputation and rewards)
- Optional Objectives and Locations (Small side-quests and locales for players to explore.)
EDIT: Bonus Questions
These are more for formatting arrangements and miscellaneous.
Do you prefer Monsters and NPCs to have their stablocks at the end of the adventure, at the moment in the adventure when you need them or in a separate document?
Does artwork contribute highly to whether or not you will USE a product?
Do maps contribute highly to whether or not you will USE a product?
Would you prefer having the Player's Guide released BEFORE the adventure is finished being written?
Are there any subjects you feel should not be breached or touched upon in an adventure?
What do you NOT want to see?
Thanks
I thank anyone who had the courage to read this wall of text, and a special thank you to those who decide to contribute their ideas and opinions. The very first thing we are making is the Player's Guide and we hope we can include some of your ideas before we finish it up.
As stated on a previous thread, I will be running a short, one-shot dungeon crawl to get new players used to Pathfinder.
I will accept ONLY 4 Players. When this module is finished, I will recruit a new team to run another module, and so on and so forth.
This module will take Player Characters from 1st to 2nd level and will run them through a multitude of events and encounters to teach them everything from combat to skill uses.
Again, this is to players who are new to Pathfinder or who haven't played long.
===
To Apply please submit an application below by following this template.
Name: Your character's name
Gaming Experience: Previous gaming (of the Pen and Paper genre)
Character Sheet: Your character sheet for your character.
Please abide by the following rules for character creation.
#1: Only material from the Core Rulebook, except for Archetypes. These can be from any other sourcebook. This will help us move much faster and simplify characters.
#2: This module is made to teach players how to play, please do not join/apply if you have a large experience playing.
#3: Character Creation will be done using the Point Buy System and using a 20 point buy.
Is any material in these magazines available as Open Gaming Licences material?
That is to say, is any of the material in these magazines available for use in our own products?
If not, can they be converted to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and then used?
And finally, if none of the above is correct, say a magical item or character option interested me, can I simply create a new option in Pathfinder that uses the same rules?
