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17 posts. Alias of Divinitus.


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Way of the Wicked Gameplay

Ok everyone, I have returned to the boards! So, who is still interested in this campaign? Reply in discussion if you are still interested!
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

My bad! The discussion thread has now been created.
Way of the Wicked Gameplay

Dot! First post coming up soon!
GM Dark Lord's Way of the Wicked Campaign Discussion

Not an original name for the thread, but who cares!
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

Now for what everyone has been waiting for... selections!

1. Ange de la Nuit's slotted character

2. Riuk's Baruk Taladro (Barb/Alc)

3. Oritun's Felvynius Cobblemottin (Mag/Sbklr)

4. Tenro's Varl the Deformed (Alc/Aeg)

5. Oceanshieldwolf's Hoske Barru (Ftr/Wrd)

6. Tsriel's Kumo Akimora (Nnj/Sor)

Applicants who have been selected, report to the discussion thread!

This was a really hard decision, due to how great all the applications have been. Divinitus was right when he said that these boards were great! I wish you all the best in getting into an awesome campaign!
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

Technically the deadline was a few hours ago, but I am extending it a bit further. Nothing like a migraine to screw with posting. Regardless, take this time to finish up whatever you were doing to your character, put on final touches with it, ect.
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

@Tirion: Crafting is allowed, as there will be some downtime both between and within the individual modules.
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

@Hoske: Well for one thing, to learn levels of maneuvers in a particular style, you must first has maneuvers/stances from lesser levels of that style. You may swap out those as you level, but it is a little tedious trying to balance between the two. That is the real main concern with going for dual disciplines.

@HighonHolyWater: There are ways around that, which is why I have issues with it. Not only that, but it is the unlimited use thing that makes me want to nuke Energy Drain. Consider: in a normal game, PCs already have an edge over NPCs due to the notion of action economy. Then, take into account what exactly is lost due to negative levels. You can see how it can get ridiculous, right? I know Enervation is a spell, but due to the nature of the Vancian magic system, it is harder to abuse.

@Tenro: Those make sense, so they are allowed. You can only use the feats when your evolutions are in place, of course.
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

The sword of righteousness falls tomorrow night! I'm going to tentatively say recruitment closes in 40 hours. It may be a little sooner or it may be a little later.

@Everyone interested in vampire feats: Those are as yet unavailable until you escape. You may take them later, although if you play your cards right, you MIGHT be able to get in good with a vampiric ally at some point. If you can roleplay it out later on in the campaign, you can pick up the template for free. Now, if you were wanting to playtest the Vampire racial class thing from Dreamscarred Press, which they have an open playtest HERE, I would be amenable to that early on, with the assumption that any changes made in the final version of the book be reflected on your character sheet. Sound good?

@Tenro: Your proposals make sense. They are approved for use with your character.

@Hoske: You may pick and choose between disciplines, but I will warn you that it can be extremely taxing trying to pick between maneuvers and stances while doing so while in the low to middle levels.

@Nidoran: I see no problem with the fluff you were wanting approval on.

@Cartmanbeck: I noticed you! I just try to not interact with those who are not posing questions. This helps me be a bit more fair in my selections.

@Cuan: Outsiders can impregnate lots of very ODD species, so I don't see why they couldn't with something more normal and produce an appropriately sized offspring. So I am going to rule yes on that rules allowance for your character.

HighonHolyWater: As I stated above to people wanting vampirism, it is a possibility if you play your cards right.

@Everyone looking on the idea of templates in horror: I know it is nontypical and CAN make a game unbalanced. However, one of my buddy's happens to be a professional writer of 3PP stuff and I have picked up several tricks from him. As far as inter-party balance, I intend for the 'nontemplated' to receive more gear tailored to them. This way , everyone feels relevant and on-par with their compatriots. Yeah, the bloodcrazed vampire may be powerful and all, but a nice and shiny weapon is easily the equal of that template. One thing though: ALL templates with Energy Drain will have it removed! I am not allowing any Flurry of Blows Energy Drain nonsense, even at higher levels! Unlimited Energy Drain is straight-up broken in terms of PC use and is something that WILL NOT happen!
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

@Tenro: Of course the Aberrant and 'flayerspawn' feats are allowed.
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

@Tenro: Mythos, as in relating to the Cthulhu Mythos. Mind Flayers are VERY Mythos and an individual who has been tainted by one, driven by inhuman urges to perform unspeakable deeds, is very Lovecraftian, no? Were you planning on taking the 3.X feasts for having Illithid-tainted heritage?
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

Recruitment will be open until Thursday, 6 days from the original post.

@Felvynius: You may roleplay the blade, if you so wish.

@Choant and rorek55: You may select from the list.

@Oceanshieldwolf: That is not too outlandish. The plague could even be something some insane follower of Mitra unleashed.

@Nidoran Duran: Those are acceptable.

@ScubaSteve93: Goblinoids have been pretty much run out of the inhabited reaches of Talingarde officially, along with Ogres, Bugbears, and other such 'monstrous barbarians', as the Talireans would see them. Also, expand upon your appearance.

@Cuan: So long as you are willing to incorporate any changes, good or ill, that result from the official release of the material.

@Cedric Calzir: Of course!

@Tsriel: It is an additional skill point, no more, no less.

@Shami: I have no problems with Thrallherd.

@The Flying Chicken: You may alter your character as you see fit until the day recruitment closes.

@Angelpalm: That combination is fine.

@Tenro: Are you a mindreader or something? How did you know of my Mythos fanboy-ism?! :P
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

Give me a few minutes to look over things. The internet was out at the dorms and I didn't even check earlier, since I had been gone for Easter.
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

@Felvynius: When I read that, I thought of what the Joker said on the Dark Knight. "You see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?" Is that the vibe you are going for? As for the Black Blade, I view them as 'under the character's control', but with their own goals and motiviations. The question is, do you want to roleplay the blade or do you want me to?

@Mefika: Yes, Antipaladins can be of any evil alignment.
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!

@HighonHolyWater: So long as there is no metagaming!

@madik: Kobolds are perfectly fine!

@TheDoomkitten: That is a legal combination, so why would I not allow it? What is your second class though?

@fnord72 and GM Aest: Mystic Theurge and similar prestige classes are permissable, but you can only have a caster level equal to your gestalt level. Any excess is essentially non-existent until you attain the proper gestalt level. To give an example, if you are an Oracle10/Sorceror8/Mystic Theurge2, you would only have the casting ability of an Oracle10/Sorceror10. This prevents most of the 'premature spell level' abuse.

@Cedric Calzir: There are only a few corrupt nobles in Talingard, but I can point one out to you. Why did the noble want you dead though? Send me a private message explaining this.

@Anderlorn: You may take the template, but it will also eat the second level of that half of the gestalt when you level up to 2.
Gestalt Way of the Wicked Recruitment Thread!
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You all know why you're here: you want to be the bad guy. You want to be the blackguard with as dark and cold as a chunk of coal. You want to be the person that the farmer whispers about in fearful tones, the man or woman that inspires a need for righteous vengeance in the hearts of the just. In short, you want to be WICKED! Well, here you have the chance. Play the heel instead of the hero, be the night-wrapped villain instead of the hero clad in shining armor!

Now that our little pep talk is over, let me go over a few things. To be specific, six things.

1. You must be able to ride a slightly railroad-y plot in a huge sandbox environment. That said, it is no more railroad-y than an official Paizo AP, so it should not be an issue to many people. Still felt like throwing this information out though.

2. There will be 5-6 PCs, 1-2 of which are already slotted. The for-sure slotted character is looking to be a LE Path of War Stalker/Necromancer of some sort, who is essentially an ice-cold mage-samurai attuned to the powers of death, darkness, and ice. The other character, while as of yet unconfirmed as interested, is likely going to play a Shifter Alchemist/Barbarian wereboar-esque dude.

3. Keep any graphic torture/debauched sex scenes in spoilers! This is a dark PG-13 approaching R campaign, but I would like to keep things tasteful so people from the boards can peek in without reading murderporn or something that makes an S&M orgy scene look relatively tame.

4. No inter-party conflict! You may argue if it is appropriate, but NEVER start a conflict with fellow PCs that detracts from the campaign as a whole. If you do, I will calmly ask you to stop arguing. If you refuse or do it three times in a row, I will kill off your character, delist you as a player, recruit a better-mannered player, and ban you from any and all campaigns I ever create, period.

5. No out of character wars are allowed either. If it was a misunderstanding the first time, you will get a warning. If you blatantly start something with a another player for no good reason, see number 4 for how I will deal with such a thing.

6.

Player's Guide for Way of the Wicked:
Paths to Wickedness:

How to Make a Villain
This section is intended for players. So feel free to
make a copy for personal use and distribute it.

Introduction
Guilty. You are a lawbreaker – the worst of the worst. Too dangerous to live amongst the good people of Talingarde, they dragged you in chains before a magistrate and condemned you. They sent you to the worst prison in the land and there they forever marked you. They held you down and branded you with a runic F. You are forsaken. You won’t be at Branderscar Prison for long. Branderscar is only a holding pen. In three days – justice comes. In three days – everything ends. What a pity. If only there was a way out of this stinking rat-hole. If only there was a way to escape. If only… No. No one has ever escaped from Branderscar Prison. This is where your story ends.

What is Talingarde?
Talingarde is the most virtuous, peaceful, noble nation in the world today. This land is ruled by King Markadian V called the Brave of House Darius. He has only one heir – the beautiful princess Bellinda. This benevolent monarchy is heavily intertwined with the Church of Mitra, the Shining Lord. You are from Talingarde. This is your home. You have lived here your entire life. And if they gave you half a chance, you would have your revenge on all of them.

Who is Mitra?
Mitra, the so-called Shining Lord, is the god of the sun, bravery, honor, justice, charity and other such pusillanimous rubbish. The Church of Mitra is the preeminent religion of Talingarde these days. The Knights of the Alerion, the elite warriors of Talingarde, are a Mitran order. The monks of St. Macarius, who travel the land healing the sick and the helping the needy, are also a Mitran order. The House of Darius, the royal family of Talingarde, are devout followers of Mitra. It wasn’t always this way. Before the Darians took over, Talingarde worshipped an entire pantheon of deities. Preeminent among those deities was Asmodeus, Prince of Hell, Lord of Ambition and Order. Now it is forbidden to worship Asmodeus. To do so is to be condemned. The Mitrans destroyed all the Asmodean temples and burned his books and priests. There are no followers of Asmodeus anymore in Talingarde – at least none you know of. Devout Mitrans will not say the name Asmodeus. He is simply “The Fallen” or “The Enemy”.

How did they catch me?
You tell us. You must pick a crime (there is a list provided below) that you were condemned for. They are only two requirements – you got caught and you really did it. It’s not surprising that the Talireans (the people of Talingarde) caught you, though. Talingarde is a fiercely lawful and good society. Crime (especially heinous crime like yours) is not tolerated.

Crimes of the Forsaken
Each character chooses one heinous crime that has earned them a place in Branderscar Prison. Each crime grants a different benefit, similar to a trait. You may have committed many crimes during your lifetime, but this is the crime that finally got you branded and condemned. This list of twenty crimes is not intended to be comprehensive. Feel free to invent your own crime, punishment and benefit (with the GM’s approval of course). Besides simply choosing a crime, you should also consider how the crime was done. Was this a wellplanned criminal enterprise or a crime of passion? Did you do it alone or did you have accomplices? Was this the first time you did this crime or are you a repeat offender? Answering these questions will help flesh out your character’s background. This has been said before, but it bears repeating. Your character actually perpetrated this crime. You may have done it for what seemed like noble reasons. You may have gotten entangled in this criminal enterprise unwillingly. But there is no doubt that you are guilty. You have not been sentenced to the worse prison in Talingarde unjustly. You are here because you deserve to be.

Arson
You have willfully started a fire that destroyed property.
To be sent to Branderscar, you didn’t start just a minor
little trash fire. Your act of arson threatened a major
town, city, church or castle and likely cost someone their
life. You’ll be punished for your crime by facing the fire
yourself.
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit with a fire
attack, you receive a +2 fire damage bonus to your
damage roll. This bonus is a trait bonus.

Attempted Murder
You tried to kill someone and botched the job. To be
sent to Branderscar Prison, you did not try to kill just
anyone. You likely assaulted someone of great
importance and prominence.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus to Intimidate
checks, and Intimidate is always a class
skill for you.

Blasphemy
Either you have defamed the great god Mitra or you have
been found guilty of worshipping one of the forbidden
deities (who preeminent among them is Asmodeus).
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: +2 trait bonus to Knowledge (religion) and
Knowledge (religion) is always a class skill for you.

Consorting with the Dark Powers
(Witchcraft)
You have been found guilty of summoning an evil outsider.
Likely you were captured by the famed witch hunter
Sir Balin of Karfeld. The last thing he said to you was,
“May Mitra have mercy upon your wretched, damned
soul.” If only you could get a chance at revenge!
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge
(planes) and Knowledge (arcana) checks, and one of
these skills (your choice) is always a class skill for you.

Desecration
You have violated one of the churchs, cathedrals or holy
shrines of the great god Mitra. To be sent to Branderscar
this was no minor act of vandalism. Instead you have
done something flagrant and spectacular to dishonor the
Shining Lord.
Punishment: Death by burning
Benefit: You receive +1 trait bonus on all saving
throws against divine spells.

Desertion
You have deserted from the Talirean military and been
recaptured. To get sent to Branderscar this was not some
minor or routine dereliction of duty. Instead, you abandoned
your post during a time of crisis -- perhaps battle
or while defending the Watch Wall. Regardless of the
exact circumstances, your laziness and cowardness must
have caused loss of life.
Punishment: Death by hanging
Benefit: You receive one bonus skill point per level
that must be spent on the Profession (Soldier) skill.
Profession (Soldier) is always a class skill for you.

Dueling unto Death
You have engaged in a duel to the death and mortally
wounded an opponent. The opponent was honorable
enough to say nothing before he expired. Alas that his
family or companions was nowhere near so honorable.
Dueling was once common in Talingarde before the
House of Darius came to power. The House of Barca all
but encouraged duels of honor. Now, dueling of any sort
is punished severely. Dueling to the death is a sure way
to be sent to Branderscar Prison.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus to Fortitude saves

Extortion
You have defrauded money from someone by holding
information of their wrongdoing over their heads. To
end up in Branderscar, this was no minor act of merely
threatening to expose someone. Instead you ave attempted
extortion against someone of great prominence
and for exorbitant stakes.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +2 trait bonus to Intimidate
checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you.

Forgery
You have forged documents issued either by the crown
or by the Church of Mitra. Alas, that your forgery while
competent was not entirely undetectable. To be sent to
Branderscar, this was no minor finagling of paperwork.
This forged document could have cost lives, undermined
the reputation of the Church or endangered the security
of the realm.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You gain a +3 trait bonus to Linguistics skill
checks to commit forgery and Linguistics is always a
class skill for you.

Fraud
You tried to bilk someone out of their cash. To end up
in Brandescar Prison, this was no petty con job or penny
ante racket. Instead, you brazenly tried to defraud someone
important of a huge sum of money. And it almost
worked too!
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +2 trait bonus to Bluff checks
and Bluff is always a class kill for you.

Grave Robbery
It is forbidden by sacred law to dishonor a corpse after it
is been sealed in its tomb by a clergy of the Mitran faith.
Some may not honor this ban: necromancers, golem
crafters, self-styled scientists, and alchemists delving into
the forbidden secrets of life and death. These ghouls can
expect no mercy from the Talirean Magistrates. And by
sending you to Branderscar Prison, you have received
none.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to confirm critical
hits

Heresy
You have denied the supremacy of Mitra and been condemned
for it. For this to be a crime, you were not content
to keep your heresy to yourself. You tried to sway
others. Likely you were captured by the famed witch
hunter Sir Balin of Karfeld. The last thing he said to you
was: “Mitra may forgive you yet for your lies. Talingarde
will not.” If only you could get a chance at revenge!
Punishment: Death by burning.
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus on all saving
throws against divine spells.

High Theft
You had a foolproof plan to steal some great treasure.
Alas, the scheme had a fatal flaw and went horribly awry.
To be sent to Branderscar prison, this was no ordinary
robbery attempt. You tried to steal something of great
value or religious significance.
Punishment: Life at hard labor in the salt mines
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Reflex saves.

High Treason
You have willfully worked to bring down the current
Monarch of Talingarde -- the beloved King Markadian V
called the Brave of House Darius. To be successfully tried
for High Treason you have done more than merely dislike
the king, you did something tangible to undermine his
rule. Alas, that you failed at your plot and are now headed
to Branderscar Prison. Treason is the only crime that
is still punished by the gruesome ritual of being drawn
and quartered. Your stay at Branderscar will be brief.
Punishment: Death by drawing and quartering
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Will saves.

Kidnapping
You have abducted someone perhaps to ransom them
or do unspeakable things to them. Unfortunately, you
were caught and your victim was rescued (if they weren’t
rescued -- you would be guilty of murder instead). To
be sent to Branderscar Prison, you must have abducted
someone of great importance or in a particularly gruesome
manner.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to both Disarm
and Grapple attempts.

Murder
You have killed without just cause and been condemned
for it. To be sent to Branderscar Prison, this was no typical
killing but a particularly savage and unforgiveable act.
You may also have killed someone with powerful friends.
Note: You are not allowed to have killed someone in
the royal family of Talingarde. You may have tried (his
would instead be High Treason -- see above) but ultimately
they are too well protected.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You deal 1 additional point of damage when
flanking a foe. This additional damage is a trait bonus.

Piracy
You have been caught in the act of piracy on the high
seas. This is a rare crime these days since Markadian I
called the Victorious burned the last major pirate fleet to
threaten these isles. Still the crime is punished harshly.
Likely you are the sole survivor of your ship.
Punishment: Death by hanging
Benefit: You may select either Bluff or Intimidate.
The selected skill receives a +2 trait bonus and is always
a class skill for you.

Sedition
You have attempted to covertly stir up rebellion against
your rightful sovereign. This differs from high treason
in that you attempted to convince others to make war
against Talingarde instead of taking direct action yourself.
A subtle difference to be sure. But it is the difference
between receiving the swift justice of the axe instead
of the slow suffering upon the rack.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to Bluff checks
and Bluff is always a class skill for you. Further if you
ever take the Leadership feat, you gain a +1 trait bonus
to your Leadership score.

Slave-Taking
Slavery is illegal in Talingarde and a very rare crime. Still,
once in a great while, slavers from the mainland will foolishly
make an incursion into Talirean protected territories.
When they are captured alive they are always made
an example of.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus to both Disarm
and Grapple attempts.

Slave Trading
Slavery is legal in other parts of the world and it can be
tempting to the most decadent of Talingarde’s nobility
to acquire a “souvenir” when traveling abroad or to
purchase the object of their desire from a less reputable
merchant. However you ended up trading slaves in Talingarde,
you were caught red handed and now you will
lose more than simply your freedom.
Punishment: Death by beheading
Benefit: You receive one bonus skill point per level
that must be spent on the Appraise skill. The Appraise
skill is always a class skill for you.

Now, let's get around to what you need to build a character, shall we? Thanks to my buddy known as Divinitus for the character creation template!

Character Creation Details

Starting Level: 1... WITH GESTALT, BABY!!!

HP: Max HP per HD.

Starting Gold: 1,000 GP in equipment, which is currently held by the guards.

Race: Any race is possible, but unless you have a REALLY compelling character, please do not choose something outlandish like a Lashunta!

Alignment: Any Evil.

Class: All Paizo-produced classes are legal for this AP, along with MOST archetypes. I will also allow some 3PP material, though it must be cleared before being used. To answer the likely most-asked questions about 3PP allowances, if it is a Dreamscarred Press class for Pathfinder related to the Psionics, Path of War, or Akashic Mysteries lines, it is allowed. Totally stole this verbatim from Divinitus! :P

Ability Scores: 24 point build, on a 1-1 scale, from a base of 10. To give an example of this, if you are playing a Sorceror and want an 18 CHA, you take the base of 10, spend 8 ability score points, and you're at 18. You may reduce a score by up to 3 points in order to gain a commensurate amount of points that is added to your 'point pool'. This is a fancy way of saying if you want more points, just cut them from your scores. To give an example, if you need 3 more ability score points for a M.A.D. build, you can cut one ability score by 3 points down to a 7, one ability score by 2 and another by 1, or 3 scores by a single point each. Make sense? While I am giving you a LOT of ability score points to work with, please do not go all munchkin and completely powergame. If your character is an Orc Barbarian with 24/18/18/08/08/08, you may wish to think up another character. I do not mind optimization, but blatant powergaming is something I have an issue with unless the campaign is set in Rappan Athuk or something.

Skills: You get +1 skill point per level.

Feats: You get a bonus feat at first level.

Traits: 2 standard, plus a bonus trait if you choose to take a Drawback. You also get one of the criminal background traits listed in the player's guide. You also get a Crime trait, listed in the player's guide spoiler above.

Fluff: This is what I'm looking for, so place some level of priority on making a good backstory and a well-developed persona for your character.

Posting Requirements: At least once a day, though more are preferred. I would like something around the area of 2 posts a day, but I can deal with 1 per day. Also, I am GM'ing this game with the intention to finish it, so I hope that you intend to play to its conclusion. If there is an actual reason for you to drop, let me know in advance and I will work your retirement into the story. Little annoys me more in PBP than players just poofing for 2+ weeks and they finally post saying that they choose to drop, especially if it's something where they can just post and say 'hey not interested anymore/I'm really busy please bot me/I'm in the hospital for growing a second head/whatever'.
Open Call for PC Applications for APs! GMs stop on by to find applicants!

I HAVE COME TO STEAL PLAYERS FOR MY UPCOMING WAY OF THE WICKED CAMPAIGN, SO BUMPING DAT THREAD!