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This thread will be for OOC discussion and announcements.
Okay, now that that's out of the way, here are the rules for character creation. The existing characters are a Human Occultist, Dak's Goblin Unchained Rogue (currently GMPC'd until he returns), and a Tiefling Slayer with a Greatsword: Character Creation:
Starting Level: 3 Ability Scores: We will use a 20 point buy to generate ability scores. No stat above 18 after racial modifiers, and no stat below 8 before racial modifiers. I value a well-rounded build over a min-maxed build when choosing characters. Race: Any Paizo 15 RP or below. No custom races. Variant Aasimar and Tiefling heritages are allowed, no special feat required. You may roll once on the variant special ability table, but you must keep the result. This does replace the standard spell-like ability. You may roll up to three times on the physical features table, as well. Variants of other races under 15 RP, such as Dhampir or Changelings, are allowed as well. Class: Any Paizo. Summoner must be Unchained. Monk, Barbarian, and Rogue can be either regular or Unchained. I will not be allowing third-party material for this campaign. Any Paizo archetype is allowed, but try not to have more than two. I use Emerging Firearms, allowing Gunslingers and archetypes that use firearms. Vigilante is allowed, although I’d like you to tell me how you want to handle the dual identity in-game, since the adventure doesn’t really apply secret identities in any capacity. Skills: We will be using the Background Skills system, Skill Unlocks, and Occult Skill Unlocks. Feats: All Paizo feats allowed except Leadership. There will be time for Item Crafting, although I find that crafting big, expensive items can take a very long time. Combat Stamina is free for Fighters, and a feat for everyone else. Traits: 3 traits, one of which must be a campaign trait. Only one trait from any single category, no drawbacks. Some notes on some of the Campaign Traits:
Alignment: Any alignment is allowed, with the following conditions:
Deities: The Player’s Guide has several good recommendations, and I encourage you to heed them. I am also going to add that deities who tend to seek the destruction of things like civilization and mortal life are in general going to be poor fits, and I am less likely to consider PCs who worship them. You do not need to worship a deity unless your class calls for one. Gear: Standard Wealth By Level for Level 3. You may self-craft up to 5 items before the game at standard crafting costs, but only if you can succeed on the crafting roll by taking 10. One bundle of ammunition counts as one item. Miscellaneous: No mechanically Young or Middle Aged+ characters. If you want to be older or younger than the typical starting adventurer age, you can, and ignore the mechanical adjustments. Please list your Favored Class Bonus somewhere in the stat block. When choosing traits, feats, and such, try to consider the flavor of the ability, not just the mechanics. I only ask about encumbrance if you're trying to carry what seems an absurd amount of equipment or something particularly large and awkward/heavy. Oracle substitutes Charisma for Wisdom on spells like Spiritual Weapon. If there’s anything else I haven’t thought of, I’ll answer questions about it.
Backstory:
This doesn’t have to be long - a paragraph or two will suffice. I do read longer backstories, so don’t feel like you have to limit the length. Try to work your traits and your background skills into the backstory. The more interesting or entertaining, the better. Remember, length does not always equal interesting or entertaining. The AP assumes the characters have been in Roderic’s Cove for a few weeks. Please tell me why you’re in Roderic’s Cove, and why you’ve been there this long. Being a resident of the Cove is fine, as well.
Appearance & Personality:
What does your character look like? Is their face scarred, do they have tattoos of mystic glyphs on their arms? Are they short, tall, fat, skinny, athletic? Do they have a beard? By the same token, what are they like? Do they play practical jokes, or are they very stoic, rarely laughing? Do they trust others easily, or are they hesitant to rely on strangers?
Sihedron Heroes:
Part of this Adventure Path involves the Sihedron Heroes, a group of heroes who completed prior Adventure Paths, specifically Rise of the Runelords or Shattered Star, although other Varisian-centric APs are acceptable. The Sihedron Heroes aren’t particularly important for the first adventure, but I’d like to have an idea of who they are. If you have a PC from one of those APs, or any other AP set in Varisia that you would like to be one of the Sihedron Heroes, simply list that PC’s name, race, and class(es). Otherwise, you have two options. First, you can create a character for the purpose of being the Sihedron Hero. For this option, you should list their name, race, class(es), and which Varisia-set AP they would have completed in your submission. The second option is you can choose one of the iconics from either Rise of the Runelords or Shattered Star: Amiri (Barbarian, Shattered Star), Damiel (Alchemist, Shattered Star), Harsk (Ranger, Shattered Star), Kyra (Cleric, Rise of the Runelords & Shattered Star), Merisiel (Rogue, Rise of the Runelords), Seoni (Sorcerer, Rise of the Runelords), Valeros (Fighter, Rise of the Runelords). We may eventually need full stats for the Sihedron Heroes, but we can work on that once the game is underway. I may ask questions about your character - possibly backstory elements or mechanical elements. Questions asked are not a guarantee of acceptance or rejection - I may just need to better understand how the math works on certain numbers or think there's an unexpanded element of your backstory that could be interesting. I'll give everyone until Monday 10/26/2020 to figure things out at least, and if anyone needs more time, I can extend it a couple days. 
Good day, fellow gamers! I am posting here because we need a new GM for a Wrath of the Righteous Play-by-Post we're doing. Real life medical issues have unfortunately forced our GM to step away from the game, and we are looking to continue the campaign! We just finished Book 1 of the AP, and leveled up to 6 with our first Mythic Tier. The Gameplay thread can be found here. The current cast of characters is: Balthasar Heimrin, Human Cavalier (Standard Bearer) 4/Paladin (Holy Tactician) 2//Marshal 1, wielder of Radiance
Please feel free to check out the Gameplay thread, and decide if we're the right group for you to run through this AP!
Hello! Due to player attrition, I find myself in need of a few more souls for my Rise of the Runelords campaign. I have two players still active, and they are: 1. A Half-Elf Unchained Rogue
The party has finished the initial encounter, the Glassworks, the Catacombs, and are currently exploring Thistletop (they just defeated Ripnugget). I am looking for 2 - 4 players to round out their numbers. Details on character creation and submission are below: Submission Requirements
An alias is not required for submission (because they accumulate so quickly), but will be required for the game itself. It will also make it easier for me to find your character, although I will Favorite posts that do not have an alias. One submission per player, please. Character Creation:
Ability Scores: 20 Point Buy. No stat above 18 (before racial modifiers). Can only drop one stat below 10, and only to 8 (again, before racial modifiers). Race: Any Paizo, 15 Race Points or less, except Goblins (for AP reasons). For Tiefling and Aasimar variant abilities, you may choose one. Please note that it replaces your SLA, and is not in addition to. You may choose up to 3 variant physical features, as well. I will have people treat odd races as the oddity they are, and accordingly. So, people may fawn over an Aasimar or make signs to ward off Evil at a Tiefling. It all depends on the person and the location. Class: Any Paizo except for Antipaladin (see Alignment below) and Vigilante, because I don’t feel this is the appropriate type of campaign for a Vigilante. Must use Unchained Summoner and Unchained Rogue. Third Party material will be allowed on a case by case basis, after I have evaluated it. I use the Emerging Firearms rules in my games, so Gunslinger is allowed, but since this AP was written before the Gunslinger was, you will find gunslinger-specific loot very hard to find as you adventure in Varisia. Level: The party is level 3, therefore you are level 3. Skills: We will be using the Background Skills system presented in Pathfinder Unchained. Feats: Any Paizo except for Leadership and similar feats. Item Crafting feats will be allowed, but I would not suggest making them your primary focus. Traits: 3 Traits, one of which must be a campaign trait. Only one trait per category. No drawbacks. Alignment: Chaotic Evil is a no-go for any PC. This AP assumes the players tend towards the heroic, or are at least interested in helping others and have concern for their well-being, especially in the first couple of books, so I would encourage you not to pick an evil alignment, but I will not automatically discount you if you do. Gear: Wealth-by-level for a 3rd level PC.
Backstory:
This doesn’t need to be super long, just a paragraph or two. If you write more, that’s fine. Try to work your Traits and Background Skills into your backstory (that’s what I view them as being for, helping shape your character’s backstory). Newly introduced characters will be in Sandpoint. If you choose a particularly exotic race or your class isn’t one necessarily local to Avistan (Samurai, Ninja, etc.), how you justify your character being in Sandpoint will factor significantly into my decision of whether or not you are in the game. Also, one of the main motivations for PCs in this AP is their connection to Sandpoint. Therefore, I would like you to come up with a reason why your PC cares about the fate of Sandpoint. This is required, regardless of alignment. Even evil characters can have family they care about.
Appearance & Personality:
What does your character look like? Is their face scarred, do they have tattoos of mystic glyphs on their arms? Are they short, tall, fat, skinny, athletic? Do they have a beard? By the same token, what are they like? Do they play practical jokes, or are they very stoic, rarely laughing? Do they trust others easily, or are they hesitant to rely on strangers?
Recruitment will be kept open for ONE (1) week, ending Monday, July 1st, 2019, at 11:59 PM EDT. I will consult the two remaining PCs, and then notify those of their selection. I did see that someone was recruiting for a new Rise of the Runelords campaign as well, so feel free to submit to mine in addition to that one if you are interested.
The late summer day dawned bright and cheerful, yet slightly cooler than normal - an excellent day to be at the Circle Market, where you never know what kind of deal you might find. Most people in Roderic's Cove grow their own food, but on the day of the Circle Market, dozens of people gather in the Circle in town to buy and sell items they don't normally have access to. Farmers from the surrounding hinterlands make their way into town, and traveling merchants often stop to set up shot. The Circle Market is as much a social occasion as it is a mercantile one, as those in town can visit with friends and family who don't. The Circle itself is a large, round, ancient stone foundation that the original settlers decided to build their town around. It has served as the town square for the entirety of Roderic's Cove's existence, and likely will as long as Roderic's Cove still stands.
Everyone who made it, congratulations! Welcome to the Discussion thread. Let's try to keep most OOC conversation here so we don't clutter up the Gameplay thread. A few housekeeping things to take care of before we get started: 1) The Circle Market is a weekly market that occurs in the town center, in a plaza known as the Circle. Each of you should roll a d20 and choose an item from the category. There is a typo on the table - it should be 10% OFF its normal price, or 90% of the total price, per James Jacobs. The item you roll will remain available at the Circle Market until after you or another PC buys it. Once the item is bought, you can roll for another item. 2) Please create your alias and make sure your Stat Line is available for me to easily reference. It should look something like this: Race Class | HP | AC | Saves | CMD | Init | Perception | Limited Use abilites (e.g. bardic performance or school powers). If you have them, you can also include spells. Some variety is allowed, but it should include that specific information. 3) I will take care of rolling Initiative to start combats, as well as passive Perception checks (e.g. to spot ambush or spot something as you walk by). If you have Immediate actions or think you'll have the opportunity to make an attack of opportunity, please include the action in a spoiler when you make an in-combat post, and I'll resolve the action accordingly. 4) It doesn't have to be done before the game start, but I'd like you guys to discuss both a standard marching order and a standard door opening procedure. There are enough dungeon-like environs in this AP that having that worked out in advance would be highly beneficial. I'll open Gameplay tomorrow so everyone can dot in. I look forward to gaming with all of you!
The Return of the Runelords Adventure Path begins here. One month ago, several members of a gang called the Horned Fangs were found dead in the Circle Market in the town of Roderic’s Cove. The cause of death for one was obvious - he had clearly been pierced through the throat by a weapon. For the others, however, it was not so simple. Found with a look of pure terror upon their faces, it was as though they had been frightened to death. On the lips of everyone is rumor of the restless spirit of Sir Roderic, the town’s founder. Life continues as always, but for how long? I am looking for a group of 4 - 6 players to take through the Return of the Runelords Adventure Path. The adventure will generally be as written, although I will try to incorporate bits of people’s backstory, and modify encounters to account for a higher number of players (if I have 6). I don’t promise to be the best GM ever (because I’m not), but I promise to put my best effort forward. Ideally, I would like everyone to post at least once per day during the week, and maybe once on weekends, although I understand that real life can sometimes make that difficult (for me as well). I will try to do the same, although there may be periods of time where it’s difficult for me, too. Alternatively, if you guys are having a good RP session amongst yourselves, I’ll keep quiet so as not to interfere. If you’re still interested, I need the following for your Submission to be considered complete:
Please do read the Player’s Guide. It’s free, and it gives a lot of good advice. You do not have to create an alias, as I have several unused aliases sitting around, and they accumulate very quickly. However, I do ask that you have all this information in one place so that it’s easy to find. If that means you have to re-post something, so be it. This adventure path is a little different than previous adventures, as it tends to be a little sandboxy, allowing you to handle some challenges in whatever order you see fit. At times, there will be no true primary “quest giver”, leaving you to your own devices. This could sometimes bog down in a Play-by-Post format, so I may be more free in my use of NPCs to tell you where to go than the AP strictly spells out in order to keep things moving. This is 1st edition Pathfinder, as I realize I should specify that now. Please keep all opinions about 2nd edition to yourself, as this really isn't the place for it. Character Creation:
Ability Scores: We will use a 20 point buy to generate ability scores. No stat above 18 after racial modifiers, and no stat below 8 before racial modifiers. I value a well-rounded build over a min-maxed build when choosing characters. Race: Any Paizo 15 RP or below. No custom races. Variant Aasimar and Tiefling heritages are allowed, no special feat required. You may roll once on the variant special ability table, but you must keep the result. This does replace the standard spell-like ability. You may roll up to three times on the physical features table, as well. Variants of other races under 15 RP, such as Dhampir or Changelings, are allowed as well. Class: Any Paizo. Summoner must be Unchained. Monk, Barbarian, and Rogue can be either regular or Unchained. I will not be allowing third-party material for this campaign. Any Paizo archetype is allowed, but try not to have more than two. I use Emerging Firearms, allowing Gunslingers and archetypes that use firearms. Vigilante is allowed, although I’d like you to tell me how you want to handle the dual identity in-game, since the adventure doesn’t really apply secret identities in any capacity. Skills: We will be using the Background Skills system, Skill Unlocks, and Occult Skill Unlocks. Feats: All Paizo feats allowed except Leadership. There will be time for Item Crafting, although I find that crafting big, expensive items can take a very long time. Combat Stamina is free for Fighters, and a feat for everyone else. Traits: 3 traits, one of which must be a campaign trait. Only one trait from any single category, no drawbacks. Some notes on some of the Campaign Traits:
Alignment: Any alignment is allowed, with the following conditions:
Deities: The Player’s Guide has several good recommendations, and I encourage you to heed them. I am also going to add that deities who tend to seek the destruction of things like civilization and mortal life are in general going to be poor fits, and I am less likely to consider PCs who worship them. You do not need to worship a deity unless your class calls for one. Gear: Maximum starting gold for your class. You may self-craft up to 3 items before the game at standard crafting costs, but only if you can succeed on the crafting roll by taking 10. One bundle of ammunition counts as one item. Miscellaneous: No Young characters, Automatic Bonus Progression, or Feat Tax rules. If there’s anything else I haven’t thought of, I’ll answer questions about it. As mentioned above, there will be time for Magic Item Crafting, although mundane crafting may be harder, as you move around a lot in this AP. I’ve also noticed that creating more powerful magic items can take a long time, so the usefulness of magic item crafting may drop off at higher levels.
Backstory:
This doesn’t have to be long - a paragraph or two will suffice. I do read longer backstories, so don’t feel like you have to limit the length. Try to work your traits and your background skills into the backstory. The more interesting or entertaining, the better. Remember, length does not always equal interesting or entertaining. The AP assumes the characters have been in Roderic’s Cove for a few weeks. Please tell me why you’re in Roderic’s Cove, and why you’ve been there this long. Being a resident of the Cove is fine, as well.
Appearance & Personality:
What does your character look like? Is their face scarred, do they have tattoos of mystic glyphs on their arms? Are they short, tall, fat, skinny, athletic? Do they have a beard? By the same token, what are they like? Do they play practical jokes, or are they very stoic, rarely laughing? Do they trust others easily, or are they hesitant to rely on strangers?
Sihedron Heroes:
Part of this Adventure Path involves the Sihedron Heroes, a group of heroes who completed prior Adventure Paths, specifically Rise of the Runelords or Shattered Star, although other Varisian-centric APs are acceptable. The Sihedron Heroes aren’t particularly important for the first adventure, but I’d like to have an idea of who they are. If you have a PC from one of those APs, or any other AP set in Varisia that you would like to be one of the Sihedron Heroes, simply list that PC’s name, race, and class(es). Otherwise, you have two options. First, you can create a character for the purpose of being the Sihedron Hero. For this option, you should list their name, race, class(es), and which Varisia-set AP they would have completed in your submission. The second option is you can choose one of the iconics from either Rise of the Runelords or Shattered Star: Amiri (Barbarian, Shattered Star), Damiel (Alchemist, Shattered Star), Harsk (Ranger, Shattered Star), Kyra (Cleric, Rise of the Runelords & Shattered Star), Merisiel (Rogue, Rise of the Runelords), Seoni (Sorcerer, Rise of the Runelords), Valeros (Fighter, Rise of the Runelords). We may eventually need full stats for the Sihedron Heroes, but we can work on that once the game is underway. How I Make My Decision:
I will choose players based largely on the strength of your backstory and how it interacts with your stats. If I have two characters I like equally and can’t fit both, I will consider party balance in making my decision. If that doesn’t help, I’ll consider your posting history, but I don’t like to use that as a primary decider. Having played in a game with me before does not guarantee you a spot. Being new to Pathfinder or PbP is not an obstacle. If you need help, I will be happy to assist you, and I’m certain other players will be willing to help as well. As stated above, I am a strict no PVP GM. To go along with that, while I don’t mind some naturally occurring party tension, I also won’t go out of my way to create it through character selection. I will consider possible conflicts between characters carefully, and choose accordingly. The better your character is at getting along with others, the more likely I am to choose you.
Recruitment will run until 11:59 PM EST on March 22, 2019. I will make my decision by March 25, 2019, with Gameplay officially starting on March 26, 20a9. I want to give people time to see the recruitment and submit their characters, as well as have time to make a character they are happy with. I may close Recruitment to new submissions early if I see overwhelming interest or if I experience a 5-day lull in submissions, but will give until the original date for everyone who has already expressed interest to finish up their characters.
Welcome to the Discussion thread for the campaign! Let's try to limit OOC chatter to this thread as much as possible, to avoid cluttering up Gameplay. Now that you're here, there is one last thing we need to discuss, and that is the power of the Dark Side. I will be sticking the Core Rulebook's rules on the Dark Side, which means if your total number of Dark Side Points ever equal your Wisdom score, your character falls and becomes an NPC. The question is how readily I will award DSPs. This is where you get to have input, and will mostly affect how I adjudicate assigning DSPs for the use of Force Powers and Force Points. You have 2 options: 1. The Dark Side is Strong: Any Force Power that causes damage against a living creature earns a DSP. If you use a Force Point to augment an attack roll, you gain a DSP. If you instigate an attack without attempting to negotiate first, you gain a DSP. In short, it is easy to get Dark Side Points, and you will be hard-pressed to avoid them. 2. The Dark Side is Present: Force Points used to augment attack rolls do NOT gain DSPs. If you use a Force Power to cause damage to a living creature, you only gain a DSP if you sustain the use of that power. You do not have to attempt to negotiate before attacking. This is a more normal criteria, which will still allow for the occasional DSP, but makes it much less likely you will accumulate a lot of them. Regardless of which option you choose, some things (executing enemies who have surrendered, torture, intentionally harming civilians in a fight, etc) will still result in DSPs. There may also be actions where doing it once or twice isn't an issue, but doing it repeatedly will start to earn you DSPs. Those will be adjudicated on a case by case basis. Once we have a majority opinion on this question, we'll get underway.
It was thought to be the beginning of a new era for the galaxy. The Clone Wars that had caused so much bloodshed and strife ended a year ago, following three momentous events: first, the defeat of the Separatist General Grievous on Utapau; second, the failed Jedi coup against Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine; and third, the birth of the New Order, with the Supreme Chancellor now the Emperor. Peace was brought to the galaxy at last, and all beings would flourish under Imperial Rule. The Jedi had been destroyed for their treachery, and safety and security would be assured for all. And yet, something feels off about this new government. The Republic now Imperial war machine has shown no signs of being disbanded - indeed, it seems to be increasing, as Imperial shipyards churn out more ships and weapons. Clone troopers, renamed to stormtroopers, are found on even more worlds than before. What were once planetary defense fleets are integrated into the new Imperial Military. Those who speak out against the Empire seem to meet with strange accidents, or disappear. There is a certain feel in the galaxy - “oppressive” seems to be the best word to describe it, although few are willing to use the term. It is into this climate that you have arrived at Sel Zonn station, an orbiting space platform above the Core World of Brentaal. Is this but another stop on your journey? Or is Sel Zonn station where you will meet your destiny… Welcome to my recruitment for Dawn of Defiance, a Star Wars: Saga Edition Adventure Path that will take the players from level 1 to level 20 upon completion. I will be selecting 4-6 players for this campaign. Below, you will find the character creation guidelines, as well as my personal house rules for the campaign. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. As of now, recruitment will be open until 11:59 PM EST, December 27, 2017 (2 weeks from today). We will probably not get fully underway until after January 1, 2018, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to let everyone start getting a feel for their characters. Posting Expectations: I’d like everyone to try and get 1 post a day in during the week, and one on the weekends. Life happens, so if you won’t be able to post for an extended period of time, please try to let me know. Character Formatting: As long as the information is easily located, I do not have a preference for whether you free-hand create a stat block or use a character sheet generator. Due to the number of options out there, please include the name of the book and page number for any Talents, Feats, Species, or Equipment from outside of the Core Rulebook. I do own all the books. Ability Scores: We will be using the Star Wars: Saga edition Point Buy with a couple of differences. First, instead of all ability scores starting at 8, five ability scores will start at 10, with the sixth starting at 8. You can choose which ability score starts at what. You will then have 28 points to spend increasing your ability scores. Droid characters will receive only 24 points, due the lack of a Constitution score, and only four of their five ability scores will start at 10, with the fifth starting at 8. Species: Due to the time period, the Ewok, Rakata, Kissai, and Massassi species should be considered off-limits (Ewoks have not yet been discovered, Kissai, Massassi, and Rakata are extinct). Most other species should be considered in play, although any whose homeworlds are considered to be in the Unknown Regions or who rarely leave their homeworld will require a bit more effort in backstory to be chosen. Droids are acceptable. If you would like to play a Clone, I will also allow that, but I will set your ability score distribution. House Rule: Humans (including Clones) get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice. Classes: All base classes are options, including Jedi. Please note, I do not necessarily consider your character class to be your in-universe profession. Don’t, for example, feel that by choosing Scoundrel you are locked into a smuggler-type character. You could just as easily be a former spy, or perhaps the troublemaking child from an aristocratic family. Don’t feel that you need to constrain yourself to certain character types just because of the name of your class. Starting Wealth/Equipment: You start with the maximum amount of credits for your class. You must pay the licensing costs for all equipment that requires it. All equipment with Availability of Licensed and below can be acquired without issue, and you automatically pass the Licensing Roll. Anything with a Restricted Availability requires you to make the licensing roll or you cannot purchase it. You may make this check twice for any given piece of equipment. Anything with Availability Military or above can only be acquired via the Black Market, and you must pay the Black Market cost in addition to the licensing cost, and making the necessary check. NB: Since the Jedi Class gives the Jedi their starting lightsaber as a class feature, this is exempt from the above Equipment rules. Destiny/Background: We will be using the Destiny mechanic in this campaign, but we will not be using the Background mechanic from the Rebellion Era Guide. Destinies which see the most use (per the AP) are Destruction, Discovery, and Rescue, but these should not be considered the only options. We are not using the Unleashed options in the Force Unleashed Campaign Guide. Backstory/Description: Everyone’s character should have a reason to dislike the Empire. The campaign really doesn’t work if anyone is an Imperial loyalist. Otherwise, the only limit is your creativity. Tell me about your character. How old are they, what have they seen in their life to this point? How did they come to Sel Zonn Station? Why are they here? What do they look like? Any defining features? Feel free to use Wookiepedia to help write your backstory - there’s a lot of good information on there. If you are playing a Jedi, tell me how you survived Order 66, as well as how you’ve avoided capture and detection while on the run for the past year. It’s okay to collaborate with other players on backstory, but know there’s a chance that everyone you collaborate with may not get in. Recommended Sources: Core Rulebook, Starships of the Galaxy, Scum and Villainy, Force Unleashed Campaign Guide. This is by no means a limit to which books you can use, but they are the ones that I feel contain material that is most thematic to the AP. House Rules:
1. Multiclassing: When you multiclass base classes, instead of taking one of the new class's starting feats, you can choose to take the Skill Training feat in one of the new class's starting skills instead. That way, if you either already have all of that class's starting feats, or none of them fit your concept, you still get something you actually want out of doing so. 2. Skill Focus: Skill Focus now only gives a +3 bonus when you first take it. When you hit level 10, the bonus increases to +6. This is to balance out Skill Focus in lower level play. 3. Force Sensitive feat: I strongly prefer to limit this to only being able to be taken at character creation, since it makes sense to me that someone is Force Sensitive their entire life, and should really only develop it mid-story for plot reasons. However, if there is sufficient player objection, I am willing to waive this one. 4. Feat progression: You get a feat every odd-numbered level instead of every 3, like in Pathfinder. Tips to getting selected: Your backstory will be more important than the actual mechanics of your character. I also prefer well-rounded characters to those who do one thing super well at level 1. You’ll have plenty of time to specialize in your preferred option, but try to make sure you can bring more than one trick to the table at the start. If I’ve missed anything above or if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Remember, you have until 11:59 PM EST, December 27, 2017 to submit your character.
Okay, I have a few ideas for different Star Wars games I'm thinking about running here on the boards, and I'm having trouble deciding which one to run. So, I thought that first I'd see how the interest was looking for them, and which idea seemed the most popular. The spoilers below each contain a brief synopsis of each option, as well as starting level for the campaign, and if there are any possible house rules that will be used for it. Dawn of Defiance:
This is the only "Adventure Path" Wizards of the Coast published for Star Wars Saga Edition. This takes the characters all the way from level 1 to level 20 as the PCs help lay the foundations for the beginning of the Rebellion. It begins roughly 1 year after the end of the Clone Wars, leaving almost all character options open. There are a few standard house rules I have, but otherwise rules will be as written. Starting Level: 1. Knights of the Old Republic:
So, while not actually the plot of the wonderful BioWare PC game, this game is inspired by it, and takes place during the timeframe of BioWare's Star Wars MMO. The PCs are a Jedi Operations team tasked to search for a missing Jedi Master, and then the adventures which derive from there. PCs for this campaign do not have to be Jedi, but they have to have a favorable enough opinion of the Jedi Order - or a specific Jedi - to be willing to work for them. This campaign will have my standard house rules, as well as special Force Power-related house rules if a majority of people are okay with them. Starting Level: 3. Rebel Alliance:
This game focuses on the PCs as members of a new Rebel cell based on the planet Taris. The first few levels will feature missions solely on the planet, before eventually engaging in missions off-planet as well. It is set 2 years before the Battle of Yavin. Jedi characters will not be outright disallowed, but will need a convincing backstory to explain how they are still alive from Order 66, as well as what they've been doing in the intervening years - especially considering the starting level. My standard house rules will be used in this. Starting Level: 1. The Clone Wars:
As the name suggests, this game will feature the PCs as fighting for the Republic during the Clone Wars. You will be members of a strike team, undertaking special missions within the larger context of a raging battle on various worlds. There will be some contact with established, well-known characters, although mainly in passing or communications. There will also be special rules for playing a Clone Trooper, should you desire to do so. Starting Level: 3. If you are interested, please let me know and rank these 4 ideas in order from most interested to least interested. Once I've seen what the interest is and which one is the favorite, I'll post up a Recruitment for that game. The game itself will probably not start until January, to give the chaos of the holiday season time to settle.
You have all been chained together in the same communal cell dressed in nothing but filthy, tattered rags. Manhandled and mistreated, any finery you once possessed is either ruined or long lost. No special reatment has been given any prisoner – male or female, commoner or noble – all of the forsaken are bound and imprisoned together. Your feet are secured by iron cuffs tethered by one long chain. Your arms are secured to the wall above by manacles. A guard is posted right outside the cell day and night. Little thought is given to long term accommodations. At Branderscar, justice comes swift and sure. Escape seems hopeless. You have all been well searched and every attempt to conceal anything on your person has failed. And if you could somehow slip your bonds and fly out of this prison, where would you go? Who from your former life would want anything to do with the forsaken? Despised, alone and shackled – all that you can do now is await your doom. For each of you, your old life is over. For each of you, hope is a fading memory. For each of you, justice will be fairly meted. And who can blame fair Talingarde after what each of you has done? Perception DC 20:
You can hear faint noises from the large, stone-enclosed cell next to you. There is someone or something in there.
You have all been chained together in the same communal cell dressed in nothing but filthy, tattered rags. Manhandled and mistreated, any finery you once possessed is either ruined or long lost. No special reatment has been given any prisoner – male or female, commoner or noble – all of the forsaken are bound and imprisoned together. Your feet are secured by iron cuffs tethered by one long chain. Your arms are secured to the wall above by manacles. A guard is posted right outside the cell day and night. Little thought is given to long term accommodations. At Branderscar, justice comes swift and sure. Escape seems hopeless. You have all been well searched and every attempt to conceal anything on your person has failed. And if you could somehow slip your bonds and fly out of this prison, where would you go? Who from your former life would want anything to do with the forsaken? Despised, alone and shackled – all that you can do now is await your doom. For each of you, your old life is over. For each of you, hope is a fading memory. For each of you, justice will be fairly meted. And who can blame fair Talingarde after what each of you has done? Perception DC 20:
You can hear faint noises from the large, stone-enclosed cell next to you. There is someone or something in there.
Welcome to the discussion thread for group 2! Now is the time for you to get your aliases taken care of, while I get the first gameplay post ready to go. I'd also like to get an idea of everyone's time zones, so I know roughly when to expect posts from you guys. It helps me maintain realistic expectations on pacing. Oh, and someone will have to hold Balam Kael's leash - he's a vicious brute that way. >:)
Welcome to the discussion thread for group 1! Now is the time for you to get your aliases taken care of, while I get the first gameplay post ready to go. I'd also like to get an idea of everyone's time zones, so I know roughly when to expect posts from you guys. It helps me maintain realistic expectations on pacing.
In the kingdom of Talingarde, many crimes may send you to Branderscar Prison, but the sentence has but one meaning: you are wicked and irredeemable. Each of you received the same greeting when you arrived. You were held down by rough hands and branded upon the arm with a runic F. The mark signifies ‘forsaken’ and the painful scar is indelible proof that each of you has betrayed the great and eternal love of Mitra and his chosen mortal vassals. Condemned, you face at best a life of shackles and servitude in the nearby salt mines. Others might await the “gentle” ministrations of the inquisitors so that co-conspirators may be revealed and confessions extracted. Perhaps some of you will be spared this ordeal. Perhaps instead you have come to Branderscar to face the final judgment. In three days, the executioner arrives and the axe falls or the pyre will be lit. Through fire or steel, your crimes will be answered. This campaign is a run-through of the Way of the Wicked Adventure Path from Fire Mountain Games that will hopefully go fully from levels 1-20. Every one of the PCs is a criminal, the worst of the worst. You’ve all been caught, and you’ve all been sentenced for your crimes. Your only hope is to escape from a prison no one has ever escaped from before. Who knows? Perhaps you will be the first - or perhaps you will fail and meet naught but a just and righteous punishment for your crimes - after all, what else could you possibly deserve? You definitely committed the crime you are charged with - there are no innocents here. I will be accepting 4-6 PCs for this campaign. I’m looking for minimum 1 post a day on weekdays. Weekends are optional, but it’s always nice to see when you do. Recruitment will be open until 11:59 pm EST October 31st, and I will make decisions a day or two later. We’ll hopefully be under way by the first weekend of November - unless you all make it hard for me to choose. Character Creation details are below. Note this is an EVIL campaign, and plan accordingly. The Makings of a A Villain:
Ability Scores: 25 Point Buy, no score above 18 after racial modifiers. No score below 8 before racial modifiers, and try to limit yourself to only 1 such score. Races: Any Paizo 15 RP or below, however, part of this campaign involves moving discretely and without drawing attention to yourselves. The more monstrous races might have a hard time doing so, which could result in certain difficulties during portions of the campaign, so choose carefully. Aasimar and Tieflings can roll once each on their respective Variant Ability tables (Tieflings do not need the Fiendish Heritage feat) and choose between the result of the roll and keeping their SLA. Alternatively, they may roll twice, but must choose the results of one of the two rolls. Variant heritages are allowed. They may roll as many times as they wish on their respective alternate physical features charts Classes: Any Paizo except Paladins and Gunslingers (Bolt Ace is okay). Unchained Summoner must be used, Unchained Barbarian, Monk, and Rogue may be used. Antipaladins may be played, with their alignment changed to Any Evil (Fire Mountain Games has an antipaladin archetype specifically for this campaign). I will consider third party content on a case-by-case basis, but since I am unfamiliar with much of it, I will have to review it before coming to a decision. Archetypes by Fire Mountain Games specifically for this campaign are automatically approved. Maximum possible Hit Points at 1st level. Please note that classes with animal companions will not have their companions available to them at the start of the campaign. If your class has a familiar, you don’t have that either. Divine casters start with no holy symbol, wizards no spell books or bonded item. No one has any spell component pouches, either. Prepared casters start with their spells prepared, but nothing else. The campaign assumes that firearms have not reached Talingarde, so no archetypes that replace class features with firearms, please. Skills: Background Skills will be used. In addition, every class gets an extra 2 skill ranks per level. You will be lacking a lot of the support that a traditional adventuring party would have access to, so you’ll need a few extra tricks. Regular Skill unlocks and Occult Skill unlocks are both okay as well. Feats: We will be using feat taxes, as described here. Combat Stamina is free for Fighters, and everyone can spend a feat for it. Traits: Any two traits, plus one of the Crime traits below. This serves as your campaign trait. Alignment: Your only alignment choices are lawful neutral, neutral, lawful evil, and neutral evil. Good alignments will not work with the campaign (since you are supposed to be the villains), and chaotic alignments tend to be poor choices as well. This is not the campaign for rebellious loners. If there is a class you want to play that requires a chaotic alignment, you may consider that requirement waived. Lawful Evil is STRONGLY encouraged. Deities: Worshipping Asmodeus is STRONGLY encouraged for everyone, especially divine casters. I will not make it mandatory, but it is important enough that if I have two similar characters I like equally, one who worships Asmodeus and one who worships another deity, that may end up being the tiebreaker between them. The only other deity that figures into the adventure is Mitra, who is Lawful Good. Obviously, all good-aligned deities are inappropriate for this campaign. If you want to worship a deity who isn’t Asmodeus, any non-good Golarion deity is acceptable, although some may be harder to justify than others. Starting Gold: 0 gp. Zip, nada, nothing. You’re prisoners. You don’t get nice things. You only have the ragged remnants of whatever clothing you were wearing when you were arrested. Villain Points: At certain points, I will award the players Villain Points. These function similarly to Hero points, and have similar uses. Everyone can start with 1. Background: Tell me who you were, what your crime was, and how you were caught. How did your family and friends react? Did they spurn you? Cast you aside? Did they plead with the magistrate who handled your trial - if it could be called such - to grant you leniency? What does your character look like? What sort of personality do they have? 1 - 3 paragraphs is perfectly acceptable, but more will not hurt your case, and I will read it. If you have a class that has an animal companion, bonded mount, or familiar, tell me if they were killed in your arrest, taken from you, or if they escaped and may be waiting nearby. If your companion has been killed, you may consider the appropriate mourning period to have passed by the start of the game. Though it doesn’t need to be included in your background, make sure your character is the kind of person who would be willing to sign an Infernal contract and join an evil organization bent on bringing the Kingdom of Talingarde to its knees. This aspect of your character is 100% non-negotiable. Other Rules: We will not be using Automatic Bonus Progression. There are rules sub-systems specific to the AP we will use, which I will explain when we reach that point. This campaign also offers the ability to become a vampire or a lich, and has created feat chains and methods for you to do so. The first feat in the Vampire chain is below. If there is another template’s abilities you would like to possibly replicate, we’ll see if we can create feats that will allow you to either replicate that template’s abilities or take the template. Evil loves power, and these characters should be quite powerful. What’s that? You want a bit more power? Or perhaps a little extra versatility? Well then, my potential villains, make your character with a free Virtual Multi-Class. If we need to create one for a class that doesn’t have one yet, I’ll work with you to do that, using existing VMCs as a base. This means you cannot choose a VMC through the standard means (sacrificing feats).
Crime Traits:
These 20 traits are meant to provide sufficient variety in crimes committed that there are plenty of options, but are not meant to be an exhaustive list. If there is another you would like to add, I am willing to work with you to see if we can create an appropriate Crime trait. 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.
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.
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).
Consorting with 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!
Desecration: You have violated one of the churches, 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.
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.
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 were 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.
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 have attempted extortion against someone of great prominence and for exorbitant stakes.
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.
Fraud: You tried to bilk someone out of their cash. To end up in Branderscar 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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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 unforgivable act. You may also have killed someone with powerful friends.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Bitten:
Prerequisites: You must be bitten by a vampire. You have been bitten by a vampire and infected with the curse of undeath. As you sicken, your senses heighten and you become profoundly aware that every day, you are changing into something both more and less than mortal. You have only begun your transformation into the living dead. Benefits: You gain darkvision 30 ft. and the Alertness feat, however, your Constitution score is lowered by two permanently.
In order to be considered for selection, you must have both a completed character and backstory when recruitment closes. They do not need to be in an alias, although if they are not, please post them together in the same post so I don’t have to find two different posts to review them. I will consider the strength of your backstory first, party balance second. If there is anything not mentioned that you would like to ask about, feel free to do so. If there is a possibility of variation in the interpretation of feat or class feature interactions, please ask me about it so you can know how I will interpret that case. Prior knowledge of the AP (especially the first part) is okay, so long as you can keep player and character knowledge separate. After I initially look over your character, I will post a spoiler here in the thread with any questions I have or any errors I noticed. I may also ask you to expand on a point or two in your backstory if I notice something I think could use expansion. Please don’t get the impression that my asking you a bunch of questions means you have less of a chance of getting chosen, or that not asking you any questions means you have less of a chance of getting chosen. Nothing is final until recruitment closes and I can consider everyone’s submissions.
Rova 1, 4704 AR A stage has been set up in front of the cathedral and a woman with short auburn hair stands in the center. Behind her sit four wooden chairs, three of them occupied. As the crowd notices her, a hush descends and all eyes turn to the stage. She smiles and begins to speak, "Welcome! As many of your know, my name is Kendra Deverin and I am proud to serve as mayor of this fine town. It's wonderful to see so many of you here to join us on this proud day. I'd like to extend my welcome to the many new faces I see in the crowd. I hope you all are enjoying your stay here in Sandpoint and, especially if it is your first visit here, I sincerely hope that you're having a wonderful time! And to all of the old faces I see today, thank you for coming and thank you for everything that each of you has done to keep this town strong in recent years. I see that even Larz Rovanky has torn himself away from work to join us today! It is truly a miracle from Desna herself!" There is quite a bit of laughter and many eyes are turned to a serious looking man dressed in all leather and wearing a sour expression on his face. Kendra waves to him and continues. "Without further ado, let me introduce your Sheriff, Belor Hemlock!" A dour looking Shoanti man wearing a worn breastplate and a longsword belted at his waist stands and walks to the center of the stage. His head is shaved and he his eyes are constantly moving about the crowd. He shakes the Mayor's hand and turns to the crowd, saying, "Thank you Mayor. Even in the heat of celebration, let us not forget the sad events that brought us to this day. And also let us not forget the souls that were lost five years ago. I would like you to all join me in a moment of silence to remember the lives that were lost in the fire that claimed our previous chapel on that fateful night." The Sheriff lowers his head and the crowd joins him, many of them quite awkwardly as the silence persists. The mood of the crowd definitely feels less excited. After the moment is over, the Sheriff raises his head and begins to speak again. "In remembering let us also not allow these events to repeat themselves. I am of the understanding that a bonfire is planned for tonight. I urge you all to observe caution during this event," he clears his throat and smiles awkwardly, as though realizing he's been a bit of a downer, "And, ummm... Enjoy yourselves." Kendra comes forward and shakes the Sheriff's hand as he returns to his seat, before turning to the audience and saying, "Our next speaker was supposed to be the esteemed owner of the Sandpoint Glassworks, Lonjiku Kaijitsu, but unfortunately he has taken ill and cannot be here today. Therefore, let me introduce our next speaker; Cyrdak Drokkus, proprieter of the local theatre." She shakes hands with the man who comes up from his chair as he moves to take center-stage. This man is quite a contrast to the Sheriff; he is brightly dressed, sports a well-groomed goatee, and seems to be thoroughly enjoying the day. As he reaches the center stage he loosens his collar a bit, winks into the crowd and starts to talk, "Well, thank you, Mayor, for that wonderful introduction, and thank you, Sheriff, for that uplifting oratory. Now I know this town has been through some hard times, but look at what we've accomplished." He motions towards the church. "And I'm telling you, they spared no expense with this place. Father Zantus' chamber pot? Solid gold." The crowd laughs a bit at that. "I kid you not, our generous nobles put a pretty copper into the construction of this joint. I think the Churches even chipped in a silver or two! I even heard a rumor that all of the Gods got together and scrounged up four gold pieces to help get this thing built! But don't take it from me, the Padre over here is the one with the direct line, he's the one you want to hear from! But before I let him get things going I'd like to take this opportunity to extend my personal invitation to each and every one of you to come see the new production of "The Harpy's Curse" starring the world-famous Magnimarian diva Allishanda as Avisera the harpy queen! It's all premiering tomorrow evening at the Sandpoint Theatre and it is going to be fab-u-lous! I hope everyone enjoys this beautiful day!" He moves back to his seat, shaking Kendra's hand as he does so. Kendra once again steps up and says, "Thank you, Crydak, for those warm words. And now, I present Father Abstalar Zantus, head priest of the Sandpoint Cathedral!" The crowd cheers as Kendra motions Zantus to the center stage. The young priest looks noticedly abashed at the reception set up for him. He wears the traditional ceremonial robes of a priest of Desna and a shiny silver holy symbol about his neck. He smiles and tries to calm the crowd down, eventually speaking when the applause has subsided, "Ahem, thank you. Thank you, Kendra. And thank all of you for coming to join us on this most Holy day. Today is a day of new beginnings so without boring you with long speeches, I declare the Swallowtail Festival officially underway!"
Here is the Discussion thread for the campaign. Let's try to keep all OOC discussions and rules questions here, so we don't get too cluttered in the campaign thread. We'll make sure we have everything sorted out, and then I'll post the Gameplay thread either tomorrow or later today.
Okay, so I have read this FAQ that pertains to Slashing Grace, and since Fencing Grace has the same wording, I'm applying the FAQ to Fencing Grace as well. My question is does holding something in the other hand, like a torch or a rope, negate the benefits of Fencing Grace? Does Fencing Grace require the other hand to be empty, or can you hold something as long as you aren't either attacking with it or using it for defense? This is for non-PFS play.
The Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path begins here, in the small coastal town of Sandpoint. Five years after a tragic fire and spate of brutal murders, the people of Sandpoint eagerly anticipate the Swallowtail Festival to commemorate the consecration of the town’s new temple... I am looking for 4-6 players to participate in the Rise of the Runelords AP. I will be using the Anniversary Edition, with some modifications based on material that has come out since the release in 2012 (re-statting NPCs and such). I ran this previously in a face to face game up through the end of book 5, and the changes all seemed to work very nicely. I don’t promise to be the best GM ever (because I’m not), but I promise to put my best effort forward. Ideally, I would like everyone to post at least once per day, although I understand that real life can sometimes make that difficult (for me as well). I will try to do the same, although there may be periods of where it’s difficult for me too. Alternatively, if you guys are having a good RP session amongst yourselves, I’ll keep quiet so as not to interfere. Submission Requirements
An alias is not required for submission (because they accumulate so quickly), but will be required for the game itself. It will also make it easier for me to find your character, although I will Favorite posts that do not have an alias. One submission per player, please. Character Creation:
Ability Scores: 20 Point Buy. No stat above 18 (before racial modifiers). Can only drop one stat below 10, and only to 8 (again, before racial modifiers). Race: Any Paizo, 15 Race Points or less, except Goblins (for AP reasons). For Tiefling and Aasimar variant abilities, you may choose one. Please note that it replaces your SLA, and is not in addition to. You may choose up to 3 variant physical features, as well. I will have people treat odd races as the oddity they are, and accordingly. So, people may fawn over an Aasimar or make signs to ward off Evil at a Tiefling. It all depends on the person and the location. Class: Any Paizo except for Antipaladin (see Alignment below) and Vigilante, because I don’t feel this is the appropriate type of campaign for a Vigilante. Must use Unchained Summoner and Unchained Rogue. Third Party material will be allowed on a case by case basis, after I have evaluated it. I use the Emerging Firearms rules in my games, so Gunslinger is allowed, but since this AP was written before the Gunslinger was, you will find gunslinger-specific loot very hard to find as you adventure in Varisia. Skills: We will be using the Background Skills system presented in Pathfinder Unchained. Feats: Any Paizo except for Leadership and similar feats. Item Crafting feats will be allowed, but I would not suggest making them your primary focus. Traits: 3 Traits, one of which must be a campaign trait. Only one trait per category. No drawbacks. Alignment: Chaotic Evil is a no-go for any PC. This AP assumes the players tend towards the heroic, or are at least interested in helping others and have concern for their well-being, especially in the first couple of books, so I would encourage you not to pick an evil alignment, but I will not automatically discount you if you do. Gear: Maximum starting gold for your class. You can self-craft items before the game starts. Assume all rolls are successful.
Backstory:
This doesn’t need to be super long, just a paragraph or two. If you write more, that’s fine. Try to work your Traits and Background Skills into your backstory (that’s what I view them as being for, helping shape your character’s backstory), and make sure to include why your character is in Sandpoint during the Swallowtail Festival. If you choose a particularly exotic race or your class isn’t one necessarily local to Avistan (Samurai, Ninja, etc.), how you justify your character being in Sandpoint will factor significantly into my decision of whether or not you are in the game. Appearance & Personality:
What does your character look like? Is their face scarred, do they have tattoos of mystic glyphs on their arms? Are they short, tall, fat, skinny, athletic? Do they have a beard? By the same token, what are they like? Do they play practical jokes, or are they very stoic, rarely laughing? Do they trust others easily, or are they hesitant to rely on strangers?
How I Make My Decision:
I will choose players based largely on the strength of your backstory and how it interacts with the crunch. If I have two characters I like equally and can’t fit both, I will consider party balance in making my decision. If that doesn’t help, I’ll consider your posting history, but I don’t like to use that as a primary decider. Having played in a game with me before does not guarantee you a spot. Being new to Pathfinder or PbP is not an obstacle. If you need help, I will be happy to assist you, and I’m certain other players will be willing to help as well. IMPORTANT: If you choose to play an evil character or worship an evil deity, and someone submits a Paladin that they’ve done a really good job on and I pick that Paladin, it will GREATLY reduce your chances of getting in. I don’t mind a little bit of naturally developing party tension, but I do not go out of my way to create it. I am also a no PVP GM. While the party may not always do a good job of working together, I expect them to not backstab each other. Remember, you’re supposed to at least have heroic inclinations, if not be heroes.
A bit about my style:
I try not to force the game along too much. If you guys are in the middle of a great RP moment, I will happily let you spend some time on it without shoving plot or monsters in your face. This isn’t me telling a story - it’s you helping me craft a narrative. For combat, I’ll handle rolling Initiative. I try to play my enemies smartly, unless they’re the sort of creature that isn’t particularly smart. I will try to be as narrative as I can be when describing the effects of combat. I like an inclusive game, so please speak to each other respectfully and politely. If you disagree with another player about something, please talk it out in a courteous manner. If there’s something you really have a problem with, you can PM me and I’ll try to resolve it.
Recruitment will run until 11:59 PM EST on September 30. I will make my decision by October 3, with Gameplay officially starting on the 4th. I want to give people time to see the recruitment and submit their characters, as well as have time to make a character they are happy with.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
It is a time of great conflict and war. The Sith Emperor has finally led his armies out of the Unknown Regions to destroy the hated Jedi and Republic fools who serve them. Many Sith lay claim to new positions, and the power of the Dark Side grows. Victory after victory is claimed by the Sith. From the opening blows at Sernpidal, to the reclaiming of the Sith tomb world of Korriban, the Sith have proven their true superiority in the galaxy. All is not well, though. For the past few months, the Sith have been unable to take new ground. The Jedi have managed to stall the mighty Imperial War Machine. In order to reclaim momentum, the Emperor ordered Imperial Intelligence to conduct a high-risk operation, one which should see great return on investment... Before you lies a gorgeous nebula, as well as several rocky fragments. This system, M3473, has no value to anyone, and is insufficient even for a settlement. It is out of the way and remote. Through space, against the backdrop, floats a Sith Battlecruiser, as a CEC YS-205 drops out of hyperspace. Venaris & Kordin:
Zilar's ship, the Renegade, has just come out of hyperspace in M3473, and you see a Sith Battlecruiser floating before you. Hopefully, it's the Inexorable, the ship you are supposed to meet. You have a special broadcast code that will allow you to dock - if this is the correct ship. C-17:
You have been furnished with special guest quarters aboard the Inexorable, and are awaiting the arrival of the bounty hunter Zilar Fran and his crew aboard their ship, the Renegade. Trevan, Iliquoi, and Koro Tass: You are on the bridge of the Inexorable. Lord Kyrak has chosen to keep you close, so that he can send you to oversee the transfer of cargo for whatever operation Imperial Intelligence is running.
Here is the discussion thread. You can brainstorm character ideas here and vote on whether the party serves the Republic or the Sith. All players should abide by the results of the vote. If you don't feel you can play in the resulting game, you are under no obligation to do so, and there are no hard feelings. Character creation rules to follow after the vote is decided.
Despite its location in the Outer Ring of Krai Ven Station, the Star’s Rest is well-lit and well-maintained. Serving droids whirr between the tables and the bar, delivering drinks and food to its patrons. Though not crowded, the bar is still lively, with conversations in a dozen languages occurring throughout. Contri Moor, the cantina’s Sullustan proprietress, is well-known for both the quality of her drink and the quality of her conversation, and many spacers make a habit of stopping in, if only to hear the latest news and gossip to have come through the Star’s Rest. In one corner booth sits Fialla Starr, the youngest and newest member of the Merchant Council. She has recently acquired a new ship, and is interviewing candidates for its crew. Her protocol droid, an older 2PO unit, stands nearby to assist with translation as necessary, and Gord, her Houk bodyguard, stands ready to remove any threats as necessary. The inside is an “L” shape, and behind a rope blocking off the short end of the “L” sits the gaming area. With 3 sabaac tables, 2 jubilee wheels, a pazaak table, as well as assorted slots, the Star’s Rest is nearly its own small casino, though Contri would never have her establishment called such. In the corner of the “L” is a stage, on which is currently a projector showing the shockball semi-finals on Commenor, courtesy of the Imperial HoloNet, with some beings sitting nearby, eyes glued to the holo, cheering for their respective teams – and occasionally eyeing each other with the dislike of rival sports fans. Clearly, the Star’s Rest is the place to come to drink, relax, and take your mind off of the galaxy for a little while. Perception (DC 20):
You notice a table of 3 men between the stage and the gaming room. They seem to be completely ignoring everything going on around them, and discussing something quite urgently. Jarl & NT-2B:
Looking over you credentials, Fialla says, "You've got a lot of good qualifications on paper, but why don't you tell me a bit about your experience and what makes you a good fit for my business?"
Hello, all, and welcome to the campaign! I’m looking forward to getting this going. First of all, I’ve got some final procedural stuff to post up. Quick reference: In the Race/Class area of your alias, I would like you to include the following information: Race, Class, Level, HP, Defenses, Force Points, Initiative, and Perception, as well as any special senses (e.g. low-light vision). This is for my ease of reference. Combat: When we get into combat, I’ll handle rolling Initiative and posting the order. You do NOT have to post in the Initiative order. I will do a summary post at the end of each round, showing the order of events in which things happen. If your target is no longer standing when your turn comes around in the summary, I will either let you modify your action or, if you tell me in advance, I will automatically target another opponent for you. Given that some enemies will have rather low hit points compared to how much damage you can do, I would suggest giving me an “order of targeting” in your post, so I can just automatically switch your action to a different target. Each round will last 24 hours from when I post (e.g. if I post at 6:00 PM EST, the round ends the next day at 6:00 PM EST). If you haven’t posted by then, I will NPC your action (most likely that will mean moving you to cover and cowering). If there is a surprise round, I will note who can act and who cannot in the Initiative post. Bounties: It is possible, at some point, you will manage to get a bounty placed on your head. The value of the bounty will be equal to your current level times a credit value of the severity of your crime, plus extra depending on how spiteful the person you upset is. These bounties could be either Imperial bounties or underworld bounties. Multiple bounties do stack to determine the total value (although some may be mutually exclusive). Character death: Although I rarely kill someone, it can happen, especially if the dice decide it’s your time to die. If you die, you can choose to either step out of the game or roll a new character. Your new character must use the same guidelines as previously, with the following exception: you cannot be a member of the Jedi Order. Other Force traditions are okay, but the Jedi Order is out. The Empire has been systematically exterminating or capturing them as they encounter them, and this is a reflection of that. Level Up: When you level up for new HP, you can choose to either roll or take half your hit die+1 (e.g. d10 hit die is 6 new HP). If you choose to roll, you must accept the result of the roll. Please remember to double-check the prerequisites for your talents and feats, as well. Knowledge checks: Remember, you can always make a Knowledge check untrained, but can only get DC 10 information.
Intro It has been 5 years since the Clone Wars came to an end, bringing peace to a galaxy torn by war. The people celebrate both the cessation of violence, and the simultaneous end of the corrupt bureaucracy that had brought the machinery of the Republic to a halt. The mysterious, corrupt Jedi Order has been eliminated, and every being in the galaxy can rise to a position of greatness. However, not all is as glorious as it appears. While the Jedi Order is considered no great loss, the Imperial war machine yet churns. Every day, new Star Destroyers come out of the Kuat Drive Yards and the shipyards at Fondor and Bilbringi. New star fighters designed by Sienar Fleet Systems, known as Twin Ion Engine Fighters, or TIE Fighters, have replaced the Y-Wings and ARC-170s of the Clone Wars. If there is peace, some whisper, why do we still need such weapons? Is it not time to put them aside, to turn the money and materiel to other things? There are other changes, as well, some more worrisome. The noble Wookies of Kaashyyyk have been enslaved by the Empire, as have the peaceful Mon Calamari. For rebellion, it is said, yet why does the Empire engage in actions suitable for Hutts? Everywhere, there are rumors that non-humans are viewed as second-class citizens. In the Imperial military, they often find themselves given the worst assignments, and are barred from entry into the elite Stormtrooper Corps. They report harassment and persecution, yet nothing is done. Women, too, have begun to feel marginalized. Surely the Empire isn’t actively pursuing such policies. It’s just a few bad jogan fruit, right? The greatest fear, though, comes from what happens to those who speak out against the Empire. Sometimes they are arrested for crimes – murder, treason, sedition. Some meet with unfortunate accidents. And some simply vanish in the middle of the night – gone and never to be seen again. What has happened to them? Surely the Empire – which brought peace to a galaxy torn by war – couldn’t be involved? It must be the work of criminals, musn’t it? Across the known galaxy, these questions and more are asked, including on Krai Ven Station, where our story begins…
This is a Star Wars Saga Edition campaign, and as such will use the rules for Star Wars Saga Edition. Character Creation guidelines are defined below. Characters will start at level 1. I will be accepting 4-6 players. This mostly going to be a fringe-style campaign, with a possible buildup into rebellion against the Empire if the plot goes that way, so build characters with that in mind. No Dark Side or Imperial sympathizer characters, please. They don’t particularly fit with the theme of the campaign. I will keep recruitment open for one week, unless there are people who have expressed interest and maybe need a day or two to finish their character, or if I’ve only gotten a couple submissions. Submission requirements: Character and backstory. If you can tell me about their appearance and personality, that would be nice as well. Character Creation Rules
Stats:
Roll 4d6 here in the thread,and drop the lowest. If your total modifiers are less than 4, or your highest ability score is 13 or lower, you may reroll. Both of these conditions are before racial modifiers. Races:
Barred: Rakata, Kissai, and Massassi. These races are considered extinct at the time of this game, and as such are rather difficult to work in. If you really want to play one of them, message me, and I’ll see if we can work something out. Modified: Humans will receive a +2 to any one stat of their choice. Special: I will likely not pick more than one, maybe two Wookies or Mon Calamari, due to the nature of their species’ current situation. Wookies especially, as while one Wookie can make for an occasional comic situation of “Lost in Translation,” a party full of them becomes something of a headache. Classes:
Any. I do not always consider your starting class to equal your profession, so if you like the look of the Soldier class but want to call your character a smuggler, that’s perfectly fine. Modified: Jedi start with Use the Force trained, in addition to their standard starting class skills. House Rule:
If you want your character to be Force-sensitive, you MUST take the feat at 1st level. Otherwise, your character is not Force-sensitive and can not develop it later. Starting credits/equipment: You get the maximum starting credits for your class, but must pay all required licensing fees. Any equipment with the availability of “Military” or above you must pay the black market cost. You may assume that you have passed all of the necessary skill checks. Destiny and Background: I will not be using the Destiny mechanic, but I will use the Background Mechanic in the Rebellion Era Camapaign Guide. If you aren’t a fan of any of the printed backgrounds, I’ll work with you to come up with one that fits your character better. It’s mainly to serve as a guide for writing your backstory. Backstory: I don’t need a novel or an essay, but I want to see you put some thought into it, as well as how your character has come to Krai Ven Station. If you are playing a Jedi, you MUST include what your character did during the Clone Wars, how you survived Order 66, and how you’ve stayed away from the Empire for the past five years. Krai Ven Station:
Krai Ven Station is considered to be a crossroads of the Outer Rim. Located in an otherwise uninhabited system known as Vertigo, it serves a waypoint for people travelling all over the Outer Rim. It has a thriving merchant and trading community, along with an equally thriving underworld. Krai Ven Station also hosts an Imperial garrison in the upper levels of the station, who are there primarily to support the nearby penal colony on Salora. Posting Requirements: I would appreciate being able to post once a day. If for some reason you cannot post for a prolonged period of time, please either message me or post in the Discussion thread to let me know. If I hear nothing from you and you do not post for 7 days straight, I reserve the right to remove you from the game. |