I recently started The Bestiary Blog, a resource that might be particularly useful to Starfinder GMs because so far Starfinder has been its focus. I've been adapting a lot of creatures from Pathfinder to Starfinder, as well as making some original monsters, for one of my homebrew games, and I decided to share this with the community. One of my goals for the blog is to convert a lot of the classic D&D monsters to Starfinder. The chimera (and its cousin the mecha-chimera) was my first posted conversion, but I've since done manticores, kobolds, ape-men (my only "original" monster so far, that is to say my only monster that I don't think has a direct analogue in Pathfinder), and dire rats. I have a lot to come, and I hope you guys check it out. Feel free to give feedback on any aspect of the project, as well as suggestions for conversions or original monsters.
I should also note, and this is the part that I'm perhaps most happy with, that I have also created sorted lists of all of the monsters already available in Starfinder, along with links, typically to the Starjammer SRD listing for the monster. The best part of this is that I made a list of monsters sorted by CR along with links, which I don't think exists anywhere else online (though I could be wrong). The list of monsters sorted by CR on starjammersrd.com doesn't have links. I've already been using this resource in my own games, and I hope you find use for it as well.
How is a monster's breath weapon calculated in Starfinder?
The only place I can find any discussion of DCs for breath weapons is in the write-up for the dragon gland, where the DC is equal to 10 + half your level + your Constitution modifier. I thought perhaps that for monsters it would be a DC equal to 10 + half the monster's CR + the monster's Constitution modifier, but that doesn't jive with the blue dragon entry.
If you are interested in playing in this game, please post in this thread using the alias for the character you will be playing, and provide the following information:
I require all players to have their character sheet available in their Paizo profile, and their basic statistics available next to their name in their posts.
Preference will be given to players who have played PFS # 5-19: The Horn of Aroden, especially those who played my recent table of that game, but it will otherwise be first come, first served.
This will be the recruitment and discussion thread for PFS # 9-16: Fallen Family, Broken Name, a series of five Pathfinder Quests designed for levels 1-5.
This game will be part of Game Day VII, Session I, and will begin on August 13th.
If you are interested in playing in this game, please post in this thread using the alias for the character you will be playing, and provide the following information:
I require all players to have their character sheet available in their Paizo profile, and their basic statistics available next to their name in their posts.
The sun bears down oppressively through the jungle’s humidity, causing the air to shimmer and lending an even greater feeling of otherworldliness to the Mwangi city of Nantambu, the Song-Wind City. You can hear the tinkling song of the many-colored glass wind-chimes which hang from many buildings in this city of 15,000 souls.
You sit in a sweltering room in the basement of Sharrowsmith's Exports, the business that serves as a front for the Pathfinder Society here. Crates of fruit, sacks of grain, bundles of sugarcane, and stacks of hardwood are piled throughout the room.
It had been a long journey to get here, and now the six Pathfinders await the arrival of their contact.
This will be the discussion thread for my table of PFS # 6-09: By Way of Bloodcove, which will be played in the 3-4 subtier of this tier 3-7 adventure.
If you are interested in playing in this game, please post in this thread using the alias for the character you will be playing, and provide the following information:
Forum Name Pendrak
PFS # 75956
Day Job Roll1d20 + 36 ⇒ (18) + 36 = 54
Faction Aspis Consortium
XP 0
I prefer players to have their character sheet neatly formatted in the profile of their alias (no external links), and I require at minimum Perception, AC, and Initiative to be posted in the Classes/Levels area of your profile such that it can be seen with each of your posts on that alias. I will be selecting six players on a primarily first come, first served basis, but may hand-pick depending on a number of factors.
And so you traveled to the town of Silverhall in Brevoy, the fortified capitol of the Lebeda family’s territory, on a diplomatic mission for Lady Gloriana Morilla.
A fire burns merrily in the large hearth of the audience chamber, casting warm light over the long wooden table and high-backed chairs. A pair of guards opens the engraved wooden doors, and a regal woman enters, her hair tied into a tight bun. The guards stay by her side as she scans the room and then takes a seat at the head of the table.
“You must be Lady Morilla’s Pathfinders. I am Dame Sarrona Lebeda, and I am well aware of your desire for the Horn of Aroden. I am sympathetic to the cause of the crusade, and am curious to learn whether the Horn’s magic can be returned; however, the horn has already been pledged to King Noleski Surtova as a fitting part of the dowry for my daughter’s hand in marriage, and such promises cannot be overturned lightly. Nonetheless, I am willing to find a replacement gift in exchange for one kindness on your part: bring my son back home."
“As of late, my son Lander has been neglecting his duties in favor of playing the part of an adventurer. His swordplay admittedly shows promise, but wielding a weapon is only one facet of being a proper lord. Worse, the style and legacy that he has become obsessed with is that of Baron Aldori, which many houses perceive as a sign that we are not as committed to a unified Brevoy as we may appear. The truancy of a second child may not seem much of a threat, but with his older sister spending her days in the capitol negotiating the web of Surtova politics, the increase of bandit activity and wolf attacks in our lands, and Lander neglecting his responsibilities within our holdings, I am concerned that he is as much a liability to our family as an asset. You are adventurous types yourselves, and understand the hazards and difficulties of the lifestyle. Perhaps you could find Lander and convince him that the way of the sword is not the life he romantically envisions?”
And so you traveled to the town of Silverhall in Brevoy, the fortified capitol of the Lebeda family’s territory, on a diplomatic mission for Lady Gloriana Morilla.
A fire burns merrily in the large hearth of the audience chamber, casting warm light over the long wooden table and high-backed chairs. A pair of guards opens the engraved wooden doors, and a regal woman enters, her hair tied into a tight bun. The guards stay by her side as she scans the room and then takes a seat at the head of the table.
“You must be Lady Morilla’s Pathfinders. I am Dame Sarrona Lebeda, and I am well aware of your desire for the Horn of Aroden. I am sympathetic to the cause of the crusade, and am curious to learn whether the Horn’s magic can be returned; however, the horn has already been pledged to King Noleski Surtova as a fitting part of the dowry for my daughter’s hand in marriage, and such promises cannot be overturned lightly. Nonetheless, I am willing to find a replacement gift in exchange for one kindness on your part: bring my son back home."
“As of late, my son Lander has been neglecting his duties in favor of playing the part of an adventurer. His swordplay admittedly shows promise, but wielding a weapon is only one facet of being a proper lord. Worse, the style and legacy that he has become obsessed with is that of Baron Aldori, which many houses perceive as a sign that we are not as committed to a unified Brevoy as we may appear. The truancy of a second child may not seem much of a threat, but with his older sister spending her days in the capitol negotiating the web of Surtova politics, the increase of bandit activity and wolf attacks in our lands, and Lander neglecting his responsibilities within our holdings, I am concerned that he is as much a liability to our family as an asset. You are adventurous types yourselves, and understand the hazards and difficulties of the lifestyle. Perhaps you could find Lander and convince him that the way of the sword is not the life he romantically envisions?”
This will be the discussion thread for my table of PFS # 5-19: The Horn of Aroden, which will be played in the 4-5 subtier of this tier 1-5 adventure.
Remember, we will be following this up with the 5-6 subtier of PFS # 9-03: On the Border of War, so your character must be either 4th or 5th level, with preference given to players with characters whose characters have accrued between 11 and 13 XP. If we cannot find enough players with characters in that range, we will open it to characters with 9 or 10 XP, in which case we will be adding one or two scenarios that take place in the nearby River Kingdoms (likely PFS #17: Perils of the Pirate Pact, and/or PFS #5-06: You Have What You Hold) in order to get everyone up to the correct level before playing.
If you are interested in playing in this game, please post in this thread using the alias for the character you will be playing, and provide the following information:
Forum Name Pendrak
PFS # 75956
Day Job RollGMing:1d20 + 36 ⇒ (6) + 36 = 42
Faction Aspis Consortium
XP 0
I prefer players to have their character sheet neatly formatted in the profile of their alias (no external links), and I require at minimum Perception, AC, and Initiative to be posted in the Classes/Levels area of your profile such that it can be seen with each of your posts on that alias. I will be selecting six players on a primarily first come, first served basis, but may hand-pick depending on a number of factors.
It had been several weeks since the messengers had visited Álainn and Trai’eltharian. Both of our heroes had been visited by animal messengers during their journeys, screech owls who each bore rolled up notes, tied closed with animal sinew. The messages are addressed to Álainn and Trai’eltharian respectively, and read as follows:
The Stolen Lands are in danger. Strange winds are blowing, and the barriers between Golarion and the First World are growing thin and gauzy. I believe that you are somehow connected, though I know not how.
What's more, the humans to the north in Brevoy are planning something in the Stolen Lands. I believe that they will soon make a move. If a new power is to rise in the Stolen Lands, I believe that it would be better if it were led by those who revere nature, rather than plan to exploit it. At the same time, some aspects of nature are crueler than others. A balance must be struck.
I cannot help you more than suggest that you meet at the ruined dwarf fortress where the South Rostland road turns east. There is another like you who will meet you there, and I am gathering the aid of others as well to send to join you.
I understand that you may not trust me, the writer of this message, but I am forbidden to tell you more. Just know that great things are expected from you, and I believe that your destiny begins now.
And so the two traveled, and as fate would have it the two arrived at the ruined fort within minutes of one another.
The place appears to be long-abandoned, but there are foundations in place that form a rectangle 140 feet by 110 feet, with earthworks in place such that it would be perfect for constructing a wooden palisade, which must have once been here. Four watchtowers are still partially standing, and rusty, broken old ballistas sit in each. But for now, tall grass and weeds grow throughout.
Trai’eltharian arrived first, but he didn't have to wait long before he saw another figure coming down the road.
You find yourselves lost in a city you faintly recognize. Your pulse pounds as you look around you, and find yourself among five other figures whose faces you know but cannot place.
All around is a wall of sickly yellow fog, tumbling through the alley’s canyon of crumbling, gray brick walls like some jaundiced flash flood. Ahead, the unfamiliar alley splits, curving to the left and right. Behind, from the silent swell of mist, emanates the sound of footsteps—slow, but somehow keeping pace with the careening, hungry wave.
-Select your ability scores using a 25 point buy, with maximum hit points at first level.
-Create a 1st level gestalt character, choosing your class, race, equipment, feats, skills, any archetypes, etc. from any Paizo source, using the optional Background Skills system (for 2 extra select skill ranks per level), and with maximum gold for your class to start.
-Choose 1 campaign trait and 2 other traits (following the standard rule of no more than 1 from a single category). You have the option of taking 1 additional trait if you choose a drawback, but the traits and drawbacks should all be closely tied in to your character's backstory.
For convenience, here are the campaign traits for Kingmaker.
Campaign traits:
Bastard (limited to human characters): One of your parents was a member of one of the great families of Brevoy, perhaps even of the line of Rogarvia itself. Yet you have no substantive proof of your nobility, and you’ve learned that claiming nobility without evidence makes you as good as a liar. While you might own a piece of jewelry, a scrap of once-rich fabric, or an aged confession of love, none of this directly supports your claim. Thus, you’ve lived your life in the shadow of nobility, knowing that you deserve the comforts and esteem of the elite, even though the contempt of fate brings you nothing but their scorn. Whether a recent attempt to prove your heritage has brought down the wrath of a noble family’s henchmen or you merely seek to prove the worth of the blood in your veins, you’ve joined an expedition into the Stolen Lands, hoping to make a name all your own. You take a –1 penalty on all Charisma-based skill checks made when dealing with members of Brevic nobility but gain a +1 trait bonus on Will saves as a result of your stubbornness and individuality. (The penalty aspect of this trait is removed if you ever manage to establish yourself as a true noble.)
Brigand: You hail from the River Kingdoms or the more lawless reaches of Brevoy. Life has been hard for you. Perhaps your parents and siblings were crooks and con artists, or maybe your rough, lonely life lead you to fall in with thieves and worse. You know how to ambush travelers, bully traders, avoid the law, and camp where no one might find you. Recently, you’ve run into some trouble, either with the law or with other bandits, and you’re looking to get away to somewhere no one would ever think to look for you. An expedition into the rugged wilderness seems like a perfect way to lie low until the trouble blows over. You begin the campaign with an extra 100 gp in ill-gotten gains. You also gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks when dealing with brigands, thieves, bandits, and
their ilk.
Issian: You were raised northern Brevoy, a land of misty shores and harsh hill lands, of snowy vistas and violet-hued mountains. You are descended from an able and intelligent people, and you have grand ambitions, a mind alert for opportunity, and the tenacity to fight for your goals no matter the challenge. You care for little more than achieving your aspirations and opportunities to win wealthy and grandeur, for which few costs prove too great. You see yourself as a citizen of Brevoy through and through. The call for champions willing to help take back your country’s rightful holdings in the Stolen Lands has inflamed your dreams of profit and possibilities, so you have joined an expedition to quest south. Your agile mind grants you a +1 trait bonus on all Will saves made to resist mind-affecting effects.
Noble Born: You claim a tangential but legitimate connection to one of Brevoy’s noble families. If you aren’t human, you were likely adopted by one of Brevoy’s nobles or were instead a favored servant or even a childhood friend of a noble scion. Whatever the cause, you’ve had a comfortable life, but one far from the dignity and decadence your distant cousins know. Although you are associated with an esteemed name, your immediate family is hardly well to do, and you’ve found your name to be more of a burden to you than a boon in many social situations. You’ve recently decided to test yourself, to see if you can face the world without the aegis of a name you have little real claim or care for. An expedition into the storied Stolen Lands seems like just the test to see if you really are worth the title “noble.” Choose one of the following noble families and associated benefits.
Garess: Your family’s long association with the dwarves of the Golushkin Mountains has left its mark. You ignore the movement penalty for the first 5 feet of rocky difficult terrain you move through per round. This applies only to terrain made difficult by rocks or ruins. In addition, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Appraise checks to assess the
value of natural stones or metals. Your family motto is “Strong as the Mountains.”
Lebeda: Your family’s history of trading along the shores of Lake Reykal pervades your blood. As a deft merchant of the region, you gain a bonus language: Dwarven, Elven, Hallit, Gnome, Giant, Halfling, Skald, or Sylvan. Your family motto is “Success through Grace.”
Lodovka: Your family has made a living off the coasts of the Lake of Mists and Veils since before Brevoy existed. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Swim checks, and Swim is always treated as a class skill for you. Your family motto is “The Waters, Our Fields.”
Medvyed: Your family has long a deep respect for the wilderness and is superstitious about the creatures that dwell therein. You gain a +2 trait bonus on all Diplomacy checks made to deal with fey creatures and a +1 trait bonus on Will saves made against their spells and supernatural abilities. Your family motto is “Endurance Overcomes All.”
Orlovsky: Your family has a reputation for avoiding conflicts. You gain a +1 trait bonus on your CMD. In addition, choose Acrobatics, Diplomacy, or Stealth—you gain a +1 trait bonus on this skill. Your family motto is “High Above.”
Surtova: Your family is well known for their political agility
and scheming natures. You deal +2 damage when attacking a flat-footed opponent while wielding a light or one-handed weapon. Your family motto is “Ours is the Right.”
Pioneer: You have long lived along the southern border of Brevoy, in the shadow of wilderness known as the Stolen Lands. Life has been hard, but through hunting, trapping, trading, and coaxing crops from the freezing earth, you’ve learned how to survive on the rugged frontier. With the wilderness ever at your door, you’ve also learned much about its denizens and the wild creatures that lurk in that unwholesome land. Your family might even claim holdings in the Stolen Lands, with elders telling stories of being driven from or robbed of a lost ancestral homestead, fertile farmlands, bountiful orchards, or a hidden mining claim. Whether because of your personal expertise and familiarity with the borderlands or in order to reclaim your family’s land, you’ve joined the expedition into the Stolen Lands. You begin play with a horse. Also, choose one of the following skills: Climb, Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), Perception, Ride, Survival, or Swim—you gain a +1 trait bonus on this skill.
Rostlander: You were raised in the south of Brevoy, a land of dense forests and rolling plains, of crystalline rivers and endless sapphire skies. You come from hearty stock and were raised with simple sensibilities of hard work winning well-deserved gains, the importance
of charity and compassion, and the value of personal and familial honor. Yours is the country of the Aldori swordlords and the heroes who refused to bend before the armies of a violent conqueror. You care little for matters of politics and nobles or of deception and schemes. As you are thoroughly Brevic, the call for champions willing to expand your land’s influence into the Stolen Lands has inflamed your sense of patriotism and honor, and so you have joined an expedition to quest
southward. Your hardy nature grants you a +1 trait bonus on all Fortitude saves.
Sword Scion: You have lived all your life in and around the city of Restov, growing up on tales of Baron Sirian Aldori and the exploits of your home city’s heroic and legendary swordlords. Perhaps one of your family members was an Aldori swordlord, you have a contact among their members, or you have dreamed since childhood of joining. Regardless, you idolize the heroes, styles, and philosophies of the Aldori and have sought to mimic their vaunted art. Before you can petition to join their ranks, however, you feel that you must test your mettle. Joining an expedition into the Stolen Lands seems like a perfect way to improve your skills and begin a legend comparable to that of Baron Aldori. You begin play with a longsword or Aldori dueling sword and gain a +1 trait bonus on all attacks and combat maneuvers made with such weapons.
Note that I might be open to making some more specific traits to better suit each of your characters if those don't fit.
Ladies, gentlemen, sentient beings of all kinds, come to Briarstone Asylum, and prepare to lose your minds.
I will be running the Strange Aeons Adventure Path, and I am looking for 5 more players with 1st level characters to join us. Based on an agreement with another GM, the 6th seat is already filled, by a character yet to be determined.
Rules:
-Post once per day, or give instructions for botting your character if you require an extended absence.
-Bold your speech.
-Don't be a jerk.
Character Creation Guidelines:
-Select your ability scores using a 20 point buy, with maximum hit points at first level.
-Choose your race from among the following: aasamir, changeling, dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, halfling, half-orc, human, suli, or tiefling.
-Choose your class, equipment, feats, skills, any archetypes, etc. from any Paizo source, using the optional Background Skills system (for 2 extra select skill ranks per level), and with maximum gold for your class to start.
-Choose 1 campaign trait and 2 other traits (following the standard rule of no more than 1 from a single category). You have the option of taking 1 additional trait if you choose a drawback, but the traits and drawbacks should all be closely tied in to your character's backstory. The campaign traits are particularly important in this campaign.
-Provide a written backstory (it can be as short or as long as you find necessary, but this will be the primary standard by which each potential player is judged) and a character sheet that is readily available online.
What I'll be doing:
I will primarily be providing maps and pictures using links to Google Drive when appropriate.
I will try to post multiple times a day, and to run this campaign until I die or it dies.
I try to stay as close to the rules as possible, please correct me if I am ever wrong.
I would like to briefly provide a little bit of information about what I roll and what you roll. Keep in mind that these rules aren't hard and fast, and I try to give players the benefit of the doubt in all cases.
I typically will roll what might be called "passive" perception checks for all characters upon entering a room or scene, and for what in some previous editions would be called Spot or Listen checks. When you walk into a cave, everyone automatically gets a Perception check to be attentive to what might be in the room (to notice a goblin hiding behind a rock whose foot is sticking out, or to hear the sounds of wailing from deeper in the caves).
What I usually do not roll for is what would have been called in previous editions a Search check. You walk into a room, and with the "passive" Perception I tell you the detailed description of the room, including the fact that you find a chest. It is up to you now to say that you carefully examine the chest for traps.
Another thing I almost always will roll for would be things like Knowledge checks, Heal checks, Craft checks, and so forth, specifically when they are used to know things. You find a corpse; I'm not going to ask you to make a Heal check to determine cause of death, I'm just going to roll it for you. These sort of things seem to speed up the rate of play. I don't want to take away the thrill of rolling from players, but there is still plenty of opportunity for that.
Initiative is the other big one. I see no reason to wait around for six people to get around to rolling for it, when I can just get it done all at once.
The salty air of Aspenthar’s port yields to delicate perfumes and incense as a servant leads the way into an elegant townhouse. Another servant serves tea in Tian porcelain, offering the first cup to Lady Gloriana Morilla and the second to a regal woman wearing a colorful headscarf and a striking gold necklace.
“At last, our team has arrived!” Lady Gloriana announces, gesturing to the other teacups. “Please help yourselves. Allow me to introduce Lady Ziralia, eldest daughter of Aspenthar’s liege, Prince Zinlo. She has requested the Society’s services for a rather intriguing project.”
Lady Ziralia nods. “Thank you for the introduction, Lady Morilla. As it happens, I am here today on behalf of Pashow, not Aspenthar. Like Thuvia’s other cities, Pashow relies on the sale of sun orchid elixir to fuel its economy. Unfortunately, the last two batches destined for Pashow’s auction house were lost to mishaps with teleportation magic. Emir Guldis has borrowed money to keep the city afloat, but Pashow cannot afford to lose another shipment. Magic failed the last two times, so I’ve petitioned Guldis to transport the vials in person, as my father does. I rallied enough public support that the Emir was forced to see reason, and he began building some armored convoys and training guards to escort them.”
“Guldis has entrusted me with looking into his transport’s total security. Our interactions have been somewhat tense of late, and his full motives for choosing me for such a sensitive task are not yet clear. Nonetheless, the task at hand takes precedence over idle speculation. If this shipment is lost, Pashow will suffer greatly, and I respect the weight of my responsibly in preventing that fate.”
“The Emir plans to send the transport on a practice run from the Citadel of the Alchemist to Pashow with a decoy elixir. Your job is to perform reconnaissance, plan an ambush, and raid the transport. To best assess the transport’s vulnerabilities, we are treating this exercise as a genuine heist. The guards don’t know they are being tested, so they will respond to you as they would respond to a real thief trying to infiltrate their operation. They do know that Guldis appointed me as his auditor, however, so my direct involvement will be limited. I am here to offer advice, monitor your strategies, note any security flaws you manage to exploit, and report back to the Emir. I will counsel you as best I can, but you should approach this heist however you see fit. I understand that this is an unusual mission, but Pathfinder agents are well known for their resourcefulness.”
KNOWLEDGE (GEOGRAPHY) OR KNOWLEDGE (HISTORY) Based on the results of a Knowledge (geography) or Knowledge (history) check, the PCs might know more about the nation of Thuvia. Each PC recalls all of the information whose DC is less than or equal to the result of her check.
10+:
Much of Thuvia’s land is desert. Its civilization revolves around the five allied city-states that control the sale of sun orchid elixir.
15+:
Pashow is the smallest of Thuvia’s city-states, and its people rely on their magical aptitude to compensate for the barren environment.
20+:
Those who live outside Thuvia’s main settlements cluster around the desert’s scarce oases. Local warlords called Water Lords control most bodies of fresh water. Although most consider Water Lords little more than bandits, those who secure an alliance with a Water Lord can operate outside of the city-states’ influence.
KNOWLEDGE (LOCAL) OR KNOWLEDGE (NOBILITY) Based on the results of a Knowledge (local) or Knowledge (nobility) check, the PCs might know more about Thuvia’s leaders and the importance of the sun orchid elixir in the nation’s identity. Each PC recalls all of the information whose DC is less than or equal to the result of her check. Members of the Sovereign Court faction have sufficient understanding of the political climate that they can attempt this check as if they were trained in the skill and gain a +2 circumstance bonus.
10+:
The nation of Thuvia consists of five independent city-states, each with its own interests. Every year, one city receives exclusive right to auction off six vials of sun orchid elixir, which fuels the local economy for the next five years while the elixir cycles among the other four city-states.
15+:
Pashow has been suffering from intense financial turmoil after its last two batches of sun orchid elixir were lost. Though no one knows exactly what caused the teleportation accidents that compromised the shipments, locals hold Emir Guldis responsible, sullying his reputation as a leader.
20+:
Many of Pashow’s citizens believe Ziralia singlehandedly salvaged the city’s economic infrastructure, and a group of agitators seek to overthrow Guldis in favor of Prince Zinlo’s daughter. Rumors hold that Guldis sees Ziralia as a threat, but cannot openly act against her without drawing her supporters’ ire and risking a coup.
25+:
Some believe that Pince Zinlo subtly supported Ziralia’s rise in popularity, hoping to bring Pashow under his daughter’s control. The ambitious prince has been building his military strength, and many fear that putting Ziralia on Pashow’s throne is just his first step toward conquering the rest of Thuvia. Ziralia, however, is a vocal advocate of city-state independence, which makes her true position concerning Zinlo’s political maneuvering unclear.
Go ahead and make any appropriate Knowledge checks, and feel free to ask any questions of either Gloriana or Ziralia.
This will serve as the sign-up and discussion thread for PFS #7-21: The Sun Orchid Scheme, with GM Pendrak. Players with new or existing standard Pathfinder Society characters ranging from level 1 to level 5 are welcome to sign up.
I will be accepting anyone with a qualified character who is interested, and the first table will begin when we have six players. If there are at least twelve interested on a first come, first served basis. I will run a second table, and so on (to a reasonable limit). In the event that there are at least four but fewer than six interested players, I will proceed with the game on 4-27-18.
Please provide your information in the following format, using the alias for the character you will be playing:
Forum Name Pendrak
Character name, alignment, race, class, and level Daryus al-Kabib, NG Keleshite magus 5
PFS # 75956-1
Day job (if any) Perform (dance)
“The fighting on the border between Molthune and Nirmathas has lasted for generations. Officially the war ended in '55, but that was just a paper peace. The fighting has never stopped – it just holds its breath every once in a while.
Every bleedin' acre south of the Marideth has been fought over so many times that the people who live there hardly care who's in charge anymore. Lucky for them, most of the borderlands that haven't already been razed to the ground are too heavily wooded to be of much use to either side. Still, even small companies of soldiers with nothing to lose can cause plenty of trouble...”
-Aris Reloni, Molthuni sergeant, to a barmaid at the Gorged Gorgon
This will be the gameplay thread for Pendrak's Treachery at Fangwood Keep.
As I am enjoying my foray into gamemastering for play-by-post with my Mummy's Mask game, and I find that I have a lot of spare time still, I have decided to start up another game. I intend to use the unique nature of PbP gaming to run a two-party adventure, a situation that could be a race, or end in PvP, or even end in two parties working together toward a common goal depending on the way things go. To make things even more interesting, each party will have one player with ulterior motives – that is, each group will have a traitor in their midst, who is reporting to the opposing side.
My idea, inspired by the upcoming Ironfang Invasion, will be running the adventure module Fangwood Keep (likely with some modifications) for two parties of four 4th level characters. Here is the blurb on this module:
“Fangwood Keep has changed hands innumerable times since its founding decades ago on the border between the warring nations of Molthune and Nirmathas. Over the years, both countries have sacrificed money and soldiers in an effort to control the fortress along the Marideth River valley, both for its tactical location and for its secure defenses. Recently, however, the battles around Fangwood Keep have dwindled to a trickle as Nirmathas has firmly rooted itself in the surrounding valley, allowing the tide of war to shift elsewhere and peace to settle at last over Fangwood Keep.
This respite was shattered by the arrival of a renegade Molthuni commander named Pavo Vos. Obsessed with capturing Fangwood Keep and unraveling the fortress’s mysteries, the defecting lieutenant unlawfully used his platoon to secure the castle, much to the ire of both the Molthuni and Nirmathi governments. Now the task of bringing Vos to justice and reclaiming Fangwood Keep for Nirmathas or Molthune lies solely in the PCs’ able hands.”
I will be allowing (but not requiring) anyone who applies for this game to make two characters, one that would potentially be in the Molthune group, and another that would be in the Nirmathas group. Each character should have spent the majority of their first 4 character levels adventuring in either Nirmathas or Molthune (or possibly surrounding areas), potentially in the employ of either government for some or part of that time. I would like each character to create a background that reflects their seeming loyalty to one nation or the other, but with a twist. Each player should add a write up of an “alternative background” explaining how they are secretly a traitor working for the opposite government. Once I choose the 8 players, I will pick one from each group that is secretly the traitor, and their “alternative background” will come into play.
Character Creation and Recruitment
- Ability scores: 20 point-buy
- HP: Max at 1st level, average rounded up for succeeding levels
-Starting Level: 4th
- Starting Gold: 6000 gp
- Races: All core, hobgoblins, orcs, and tieflings.
- Allowed Material: All Paizo, no 3rd party published materials, and no optional systems
-Suggestions: Make a solid backstory, with ties to Molthune or Nirmathas. I am much more concerned with getting 8 players with interesting backstories than I am with party balance or mechanical aspects of characters, but I also do want the two parties to ultimately be fairly balanced at least in regard to one another, since there is a chance you'll be fighting each other. You don't have to be a hardcore loyalist to either nation necessarily, but you might be. This is a stealth and infiltration mission, so being skilled in those regards is also a plus. After the players are chosen, we can do some discussion about any past connections between your characters.
I am still fleshing this out, and likely would not start the game until the first of the year at the earliest. I will definitely leave recruitment going until then. Let me know if anyone has any questions or suggestions.
The Half-Dead City---Introduction “Wati endures, or so the local saying goes. The people of Wati, known for their even tempers and shrewd wit, prefer understatement. They have known war and peace, poverty and prosperity, and survived decimation at the hands of a mad god's cult. But Wati's people answer each challenge with innovation, tenacity, and the deep bonds of community. They do not endure their hardships so much as grasp them, white-knuckled and screaming, until the world permits them to return to their quiet lives, surrounded by their honored dead.”
-Priestess Ankhtah Shepses, personal writings, 3076 AR
In Wati, the Half-Dead City, there stands a tavern called the Tooth and Hookah. Ask any local where a thirsty foreigner might find refreshment and she will send you here. Canvas awnings stretch over its doorways, mercifully casting pools of shade on the sand-strewn avenue. A flag hangs from one of the awnings, painted with a grinning green crocodile, dressed in the striped scarf of a pharaoh, sinking its teeth into the hose of a golden hookah.
Today, the 26th of Pharast in the year 4714 Absalom Reckoning, the day of the Great Lottery of Wati, the founding of an adventuring group is taking place at the Tooth and Hookah. Seated upon crescent moon-shaped pillows at a low, round table, are six adventurers, in the midst of a seemingly important debate. Water pipes of dinged and dented brass with painted enamel bases sit in the center of each table. Clay bowls filled with the stubs of unlit candles hang from the ceiling. Filtered light from the curtained doorway leaves the room dim.
The Tooth and Hookah seems more a miniature market than a tavern. Old books overflow on a table next to a counter covered with cheap-looking necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Wispy scarves embellished with tiny shining coins hang on a rack in a corner. The bar is a tall, narrow table, its legs hidden by a cotton skirt patterned with faded yellow palm fronds, its surface covered with colored glass cups, bronze decanters, and an assortment of liquor bottles. Behind it stands the bartender Farhaan, a Keleshite with closely cropped, curly hair and an intimidating look to him thanks to the scars on his face. A low stone ring at the end of the bar marks an indoor well, the home of the Tooth and Hookah's mascot, the tiny crocodile called Toothy. A haze of smoke fills the air with the smell of shisha tobacco.
Each of you arrived in Wati sometime yesterday, and met up with the rest of the party at the Tooth and Hookah (with the exception of Selassie, who nonetheless acquainted herself with the group the previous night and slept at the inn). You each have beds in the second floor suite that have already been paid for for the next six nights. As specified, at least some of you know one another, you have already agreed to form an adventuring party, and you have registered for the lottery being held today at 12:00 noon in front of the Grand Mausoleum of Wati, which will assign your group a tomb to explore. It is currently 8:00 AM, so you have four hours until the ceremony. You should come up with a name for your adventuring party, as well as introduce yourselves to any party members you do not know. Finally, you should decide on a leader for the adventuring party, at the very least to serve as representative at the lottery. I would recommend choosing at least a 2nd in command and a quartermaster (to keep track of loot) as well, and any other positions you would want to assign.
I will also allow each player at some point before the lottery to make a single skill check of her choosing from the following:
Diplomacy, to gather information
Knowledge (history, local, religion), concerning Wati, Osirion, or another similar subject
Or any other skill, with player justification for how you would like to use it.
This will be the OOC discussion thread for Pendrak's The Half-Dead City.
I assume that most of you have at least read through parts of the Player's Guide, so you have an idea of what this campaign will be about. For starters, this adventure assumes that the PCs have already formed an adventuring party. To that end, gameplay will begin at the Tooth and Hookah, a local inn and tavern, rather than at the lottery where your group is assigned a tomb as the adventure normally would.
I would like to start off discussion in this thread about how your characters might be connected or how they might know one another. Feel free to read through the other players' character backgrounds and propose any connections you might have with another character.
Here is a list of the players who have been invited to play, with some very basic info about where they are from etc.:
Irakesh (LN male Keleshite investigator 1)- studied at universities in Katheer, Qadira, parents served at the palace of Satrap Xerbystes II
Aliva Kulthane (CG female human inquisitor of Milani 1)- from Taldor, studied to be a bard
Fitliss Phitzinger (LG male gnome oracle 1)- Iomedaen, fey foundling
Selassie Radwan (NG female Garundi cleric of Pharasma 1)- born in Wati, part Keleshite
Madame Laroisael Chrixmar (LG female elf bard [archaeologist] 1)- born Cheliax, grew up with aunt in Osirion
A'isha (NG female human bard [dervish of dawn] 1)- likely of Ulfen blood, from Qadira
Edit: At a glance, it looks like A'isha and Irakesh could easily be connected. I'm not sure where Fitliss is actually from unless I missed it.
By the way, I don't want every character to necessarily know every other character at the start, but each character should know or have a past with at least one other character.
So, I've decided to give play-by-post another try. Years ago I frequented another board as a player, and I'd like to try my hand now at GMing for a play-by-post group.
I am looking for players that can generally post at least once a day. Please do not apply if you cannot do so. I will be trying to post several times a day if possible. I do reserve the right to place the game on "vacation," especially around the holidays, but it is unlikely that such a hiatus will extend more than 3 days at any time, and would most often probably involve a one day hiatus on the weekends if I happen to be busier than normal. If special circumstances arise a player can let me know and I can make exceptions or additional hiatuses.
Now, to the Adventure Path. I can offer multiple options in that regard, some of which I prefer more than others. I have hard copies of at least the first book for Rise of the Runelords, Kingmaker, Skull and Shackles, Shattered Star, Reign of Winter, Mummy's Mask, Iron Gods, Giantslayer, and Strange Aeons. I have other options in PDF form, but unless none of the aforementioned adventures interest anyone, I would prefer to play one of them.
Additionally, I have ran Rise of the Runelords, Kingmaker, Mummy's Mask, Iron Gods, Giantslayer, and Strange Aeons at least partway through, and in the case of RotRL and KM, partyway through multiple times. I am currently running Kingmaker and Strange Aeons at my face to face games.
So, with all of that said, I would like some input on which one people would prefer. I am personally leaning toward Shattered Star primarily, with Iron Gods, Giantslayer, or Mummy's Mask as my secondary choices, unless someone can make a really good argument for something else.
Just a little information in regard to what I will require of players in this game:
-Written backstory (it can be as short or as long as you find necessary, but this will be the primary standard by which each potential player is judged)
-15 PB
-All classes, feats, etc. from Paizo products (no 3rd party)
-Core Races (others may be allowed with a good enough backstory)
-1 campaign trait and 2 other traits, and please make an effort to work these into your backstory)
-ability to post once every 24 hours, minimum
Let me know if you have any questions, and if you are interested in playing, any suggestions on the Adventure Path choice. Feel free to submit characters, and once we decide on the book you are free to edit or create the backstory to more closely fit the path.
