Deguís, human inquisitor of Torag, has a surprisingly sunny disposition for an inquisitor. He is quick to praise a well-made piece of workmanship. He's also quick to condemn and even destroy an item of shoddy construction being sold as though it weren't, which has gotten him into a few arguments in marketplaces around the continent. It's also given him a reputation for spotting excellence and gotten him invited to adjudicate competitions and approval the work of those hoping for acceptance into craftspersons' guilds, not because he's particularly mindful of rules, which should be bent when needed, but because he knows that things well done lead to contentment, satisfaction and general well-being.
While he prides himself on his attention to detail--which includes his personal grooming--he's by no means a 'lone wolf'. He sees himself as more of a Westfall army knife, with a tool for every occasion and makes lasting contacts and friends in each community he visits. He's happy to let others take the spotlight, but he has no fear of rolling up his well-made sleeves and getting his manicured hands dirty.
I've put together Deguís, a human inquisitor of Torag.
Stat Block:
Rajo Coybalt
Male human inquisitor of Torag 9 ( Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 38)
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +6; Senses Perception +14
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Defense
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AC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 20 (+6 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dex, +1 natural, +2 shield)
hp 86 (9d8+14)
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +10
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Offense
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Speed 40 ft.
Melee +2 warhammer +12/+7 (1d8+6/×3)
Ranged mwk composite longbow +10/+5 (1d8+2/×3)
Special Attacks bane (9 rounds/day), dancing weapons (4 rounds, 1/day), judgment 3/day (2
simultaneous)
Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +11)
At will— mending
5/day—artificer's touch (1d6+4 , bypasses DR and hardness 9)
Inquisitor Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +11)
At will—detect alignment, discern lies (9 rounds/day)
Inquisitor Spells Known (CL 9th; concentration +11)
3rd (3/day)— burst of speed UC, cast out APG (DC 15), cure serious wounds , fabricate
2nd (5/day)— bestow insightARG, calm emotions (DC 14), instant weapon , resist energy
1st (6/day)— divine favor , expeditious retreat , fabricate disguise UI, funereal weapon , protection from evil
0 (at will)— acid splash , brandAPG (DC 12), create water , detect magic , light, mending
Domain Artifice
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Statistics
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Str 18, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +6; CMB +10 (+12 disarm); CMD 24 (26 vs. disarm)
Feats Collective Recollection, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Coordinated Maneuvers APG, Improved
Disarm, OutflankAPG, Point-Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot
Traits dangerously curious, tactician
Skills Acrobatics +3 (+7 to jump), Bluff +11, Climb +13, Craft (bows) +9, Craft (jewelry) +9, Diplomacy +4,
Disguise +12, Heal +6, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7,
Knowledge (nature) +11, Knowledge (planes) +11, Knowledge (religion) +11, Linguistics +11, Perception
+14, Ride +7, Sense Motive +18, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +15, Survival +6, Swim +10, Use Magic Device
+13
Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Orc
SQ monster lore +2, solo tactics, stern gaze +4, track +4
Combat Gear potion of fly , potion of tongues ; Other Gear mwk mithral chain shirt, mwk warhammer,
arrows (40), mwk composite longbow (+2 Str), boots of striding and springing , handy haversack , knightinheritor’s
ring , ring of force shield , bandolier UE, bedroll, belt pouch, candle (10), flint and steel, golden
holy symbol of Torag UE, hemp rope (50 ft.), manacles, mess kit UE, pot, soap, spell component pouch,
torch, trail rations (5), waterskin, 358 gp, 5 sp, 9 cp
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Special Abilities
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Artificer's Touch 1d6+4 (5/day) (Sp) Melee touch attack deals 1d6+4 damage to objects or constructs,
p1
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bypassing 9 hardness.
Bane (+2 / 2d6, 9 rounds/day) (Su) Make the weapon you are holding a bane weapon.
Collective Recollection As a free action, aid another on knowledge check in 30 ft grants you same info
as aided ally.
Combat Expertise +/-2 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Combat Reflexes (4 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Coordinated Maneuvers +2 to CMB if adj ally with same feat. +4 if trying to break free of a grapple.
Dancing Weapons (4 rounds, 1/day) (Su) Touched weapon temporarily becomes dancing.
Detect Alignment (At will) (Sp) Detect chaos, evil, good, or law at will.
Discern Lies (9 rounds/day) (Sp) Discern Lies at will
Improved Disarm You don't provoke attacks of opportunity when disarming.
Inquisitor Domain (Artifice) Granted Powers: You can repair damage to objects, animate objects with
life, and create objects from nothing.
Monster Lore +2 (Ex) +2 to Knowledge checks when identifying the weaknesses of creatures.
Outflank Increase flank bonus by +2 if flanking ally has same feat. If you crit, ally gets an AoO.
Point-Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Precise Shot You don't get -4 to hit when shooting or throwing into melee.
Second Judgment (3/day) (Su) Variable bonuses increase as the combat continues.
Solo Tactics (Ex) Count Teamwork feats as if your allies had the same ones.
Stern Gaze +4 (Ex) +4 to Sense Motive and Intimidate.
Track +4 Add the listed bonus to Survival checks made to track.
Deguís is a traveler from Westfall. He began as a journeyman, working his bowmaking trade (and jewelry-making hobby) across the continent, meeting people, picking up customs and languages. The conversations inevitably come to the Tower at some point and he's developed a fascination, even an obsession, with finding out what's inside the damn thing! They say that only a chosen few can get inside but no one knows anyone who's ever done it.
Deguís makes a good companion because he's so versatile, with a few utility spells, the ability to stand up in a melee or ranged fight, and a number of skills for avoiding a fight when he can.
I used the campaign rules for hexes, but I also moved the encounters around to avoid too many pillar encounters in a row. When the party had to backtrack, I just threw in a few 'avoided encounters' with jungle creatures: apes, dire tiger, pteradons, herd of elephants.
There's a lot of interesting background and new mechanics involved; well, new for me! I'm interested!
I'm toying with the idea of an inquisitor of your world's version of Torag. He/she/they can handle melee and ranged combat (I imagine your pair of casters hate having allies get in the way of juicy damage spells). They have a few utility spells at their disposal. They can employ various teamwork feats even when their allies don't have them.
I'm really just curious if and how other GMs explained to their players that the inanimate wooden posts of the dragon towers were so hard to hit, and then had hardness on top of that. As a default, I'll just say that "some magical effect wards off your attack", but perhaps others were more inspired than that.
By the way, the highlights so far have been the Ekujae stuff, Alak the wannabe HK, and the goblin-god. The surprise in the gate was a hit, too.
If my players wanted to do something like that, I would allow them a Sleight of Hand check opposed by the targets' Perception to pull off the material component trick. [If I did it to my players, the rolls would be done in secret.] If the Perception beats SoH, then a Spellcraft check is allowed. [Again, secret if I did it to my players.]
As the posters above me have said in different words, the illusion interacts with the players in this case, and not the other way around, so there is an automatic Will save.
This is where it gets tricky. I would not allow the fireball itself to do any damage, because there are other illusion spells for that. However, the illusionist could concentrate to make it appear that the players avoided damage but are surrounded by burning whatever... walls, grass, trees, etc. I would require a concentration check for each mentioned "interaction" with the illusion: attempt to stomp or bat out a flame, attempt to injure a foe with a burning plank, etc. Failure on the caster's part to make the check or even do the check would expose the illusion for that target. If a player wanted, I would also consider a knowledge (nature) or other check (if the player can justify it) to see if the fire burns as it normally (or magically, or alchemically, or elementally) would. Again, this depends mainly on the circumstances.
I would also require the casters' allies to make the checks as appropriate unless they are aware of the casters' plans (told ahead of time, or if that's his/her usual modus operandi).
Thanks David. That part has already been done. Our GM has become pretty slow about posting (I'm talking one-to-two weeks without explanation) and although we've talked about it the situation hasn't improved since the start of the year. But now that I know the GM has to tick a box, I can just wait until he turns up again. I thought maybe I had to do something. I'm a GM myself (table top games) and I wouldn't just stop turning up without explanation.
Help friends; I'm completely lost here. I thought there would be plenty of threads explaining this, but I can't find one. After you've decided for whatever reason to part ways with an online campaign, how do you go about it mechanically?
I liked Dungeon Siege. Jason Statham made a pretty good hero for me.
Has anyone seen Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God? I haven't and I sort of dread it but a friend left me the DVD and I feel like I ought to watch it out of loyalty.
I'm toying with the idea of a paladin, or perhaps a warpriest, with a thirst for evil outsider blood, as in the Scouting for Fiends campaign trait. I might be persuaded to go the cleric route again, but more of a harda** than Juid was.
My secondary idea is a dwarven ranger... basically Harsk. The more I think about it, the more this appeals to me.
(Juid)
Unless I miss my guess, that orb allows someone like us to store spells in it. However, the spells Gorrim describes are considerably different in power.
Hmm, I can't seem to change the map, but Blue is on the larger part of the wooden platform where I placed him last. It's okay if Rohan isn't next to him; Blue wants to survey the area from above. Natalia, then, is in the square behind me.
I depends on my players' skills. Sometimes a good perception check can sense "the power emanating off of the opponent". At other times a good sense motive check indicates that the creature is "not bluffing but is extremely sure of its own ability to own you".
Jebrothane is quite possibly the world's biggest chicken-s***. If he had his way, this gnome would spend the rest of his inglorious life tending his garden, smoking flayleaf and playing with his raccoon, Mr. Dodgery. He has a pretty remarkable green thumb, if he may say so himself, and he was even asked to give a few lectures at the human's forestry school, which he eventually turned down because... well... it meant standing in front of an audience, which was just unthinkable. My, his palms start to sweat just imagining the horror.
As much as Jebrothane hates the idea of leaving his cozy den and garden, however, he does love his life, so when his neighbor, the rather long-winded Mrs. Deakumboodle, pointed out in concern that he was looking a little plain around the edges, he was shaken to the core. The Bleaching? Impossible, he was far too young. And it wasn't as though his life was boring; there were always weeds to transplant, tomatoes to tend, new ways to rake the sand in his rock garden. He looked around at the small world he loved and his heart broke at the idea that it might all be over in only a few years. Unless... unless he were to do the very thing he feared most of all. That dreadful, loathsome word. An adventure.
So it came that Jebrothane found himself and his faithful companion Mr. Dodgery leaving behind their den to face the great unknown.
* * * * * * * * *
As conceived here, Jebrothane is a gnome druid with a raccoon companion (I figure to just use the badger stats).
I would like to document his journey to rediscovering (or perhaps just discovering) his innate gnome curiosity and his ties to the greater world around him.
His initial goals are modest; just speaking with strangers fills him with dread. The one thing that brings him out of his shell is nature. He can chat about it for hours and any threat to it is enough to make him forget his own discomfort... momentarily.
In the medium term, Jebrothane discovers that the world is full of natural wonders he never would have seen had he stayed home. His curiosity grows and he becomes a champion for the natural world. He and his companions put an end to a major threat, be it a city trying to root out a fey community so they can log with impunity or saving an endangered species.
Depending on the world, he might eventually find that the humans require a show of force to teach them humility and put them in their place. He'll lead or organize a resistance movement to force a kingdom to its knees before negotiating a more lasting peace.
Well, I'm on a roll tonight and the ideas just keep flying in, so here goes.
Juid lan Déguîs Introduction:
When Juid first joined the caravan to Korvosa, he was seen as an odd bird. Something between hermit and beggar, the unpretentious acolyte wasn’t exactly welcome among the merchant families, whose lives revolved around calculating their costs to the nearest quarter penny, especially as the old man didn’t look like he’d bring much in the way of protection, either. In the five weeks it took to move the cargo through the rough terrain and narrow passes, however, he had won them over with his gentle, good-humored nature, patient ear, and sound advice. The fear of bandits also seemed less threatening, and the one time bandits did arrive, they seemed to have more fear of him than vice versa. The old man even had a way with young children, entertaining them for an hour with funny stories and giving their parents opportunity to take care of other tasks. In exchange, most families of means were only too glad to share the small portion of food the ascetic humbly requested. They even pressed the extra coin into his hands now and then in appreciation, surprised at their own generosity and not fully comprehending that the way of the ascetic was chosen willingly and that the coin would only be passed on to someone more needy.
This captures his personality, his Wisdom and Charisma, his traits and his Persuasive feat.
Juid's Faith:
But Juid’s charm seemed different than the quick-witted, smooth-talking, slippery-fingered, often strikingly handsome minnesingers that they occasionally watched in Korvosa. One would have said that his charisma had an almost earthy quality, because of his calm in emergencies and his ability to be a rock in the storm. However, those who were open to learning more about this curious man could see that his inner glow came from the ember of faith that burned within him, and was the object and symbol of his adoration. Juid espoused the faith of Sarenrae's fire, its ability to burn away evil and cleanse the soul. Unlike many of his brethren in the faith, however, Juid did not focus on the destructive/regenerative aspect of fire, enabling new life to spring from the ashes of destruction like a phoenix. Rather, his was The Path of the Healing Flame.
The Path of the Healing Flame rejoices in heat’s ability to cauterize the wound and drive out the chill. Followers of Sarenrae's Path have a three-fingered flame branded on their arm, and often bear a holy symbol of Sarenrae whereby the wings and body look like stylized flames. Wounds healed by followers of the Path of the Healing Flame often leave a scar like a single finger of flame. Followers of the Path see it as their duty to heal the wounds of the world, whether that means actually healing wounded creatures or removing some festering problem, like unseating a corrupt leader or rooting out the mole in an organization. It is not unusual to find followers of the path manning clinics for humanoids or those specialized in animals. A warming fire is always burning in the fireplace at these clinics. Given the flame-shaped scars, it doesn’t take long to see whether the Path has a presence in a certain community. Followers tend to urge their ‘patients’ to become “part of the solution and not the problem”.
This captures his deity and domains.
Cyamalaera and the hyanda:
Had an elven family been in the group of travelers, they would likely have seen that Juid’s elemental quality came from more than his faith. There is something of the ancient people about him, the supernatural ones, the fey. He doesn’t seem to be part fey himself, no slightly pointed ears or elemental taint to his skin. But his eyes tell the story of one familiar with the Others and their changeable nature. Indeed, Juid spends one month every solar orbit with Cyamalaera, the nymph of the Capalinda Vale, and Nerneht, her latest satyr lover.
Juid first met Cyamalaera more than fifteen years ago, when, as a younger man, he chose to follow in the footsteps of the great Neafar and wander the wilderness, meditating and searching within for the cosmic balance. At one point, he wandered unknowingly into Cyamalaera’s revere to bathe himself and the nymph, normally shy of contact with humans, was curious about his aura of calm. Upon beholding the nymph, Juid was more than curious, he was fascinated and every further insight into the world of the fey only pulled his attention further. The same cannot be said for the quixotic fey, who normally tire of human contact after hours or days at the most. In this remarkably rare instance, however, the less than ordinary human had met a less than ordinary fey. Cyamalaera, the dark beauty, was curious of the world beyond her vale, especially as seen through the eyes of this optimistic, good-natured man. Her occasional satyr mate also welcomed the interruption, as unthreatening yet charismatic as the visitor was. The pact was made, and every year Juid returns to Capalinda Vale to spend one month. The month can best be described as a sharing in every way, as Juid, Cyamalaera and her occasional mates exchange learning and insight, and give of their bodies and minds. Indeed, the month has come to be known by the participants as hyanda, the sharing. It comes during the month when the sun is furthest from the continent. It goes without saying that, if anything were to threaten Cyamalaera’s spring or Capalinda Vale around it, Juid would come to her aid.
Juid's Beginning:
Of Juid’s early life, he speaks little. Both of his parents died with many other villagers during a random forest fire presumably caused by lightning striking at the end of a drought. Juid inexplicably survived without a burn. After that, he grew up in an orphanage run by the acolytes of the Order of the Chivalrous Sun.
One day, when Juid was in his thirties, the Order was attacked by followers of the Path of the Healing Flame, who believed they were carrying out a sacred mission to cleanse the region of false preaching. Several believers on both sides fell before the acolyte, Juid, stepped forward to do the unthinkable or sacrifice himself in the attempt. With his powerful voice, Juid was able to pierce the confusion, summon the attention of the combatants and break off the fighting, before he shocked his superiors by offering to convert if the attackers called off their assault. More astonishing to everyone, including the followers of the Healing Flame, was that they agreed.
For the following four years, Juid studied with headmaster Aryadnä, learning the precepts and tenets of the Flame. His former brothers tried on several occasions to ‘save’ him, but they were always sent back with a polite word of thanks and some doubt about who was ‘saving’ whom. On one occasion, his former superior, Brother Piordan Mischel, was so frustrated at his inability to persuade Juid and enraged at the latter’s hubris to try to convert him that he delivered a fell blow that knocked Juid down the stairs and broke his back, causing Mischel to panic and flee from his loss of control. It took months for Juid’s spine to heal, but he was otherwise hale and eventually regained most of his strength and dexterity, though not all.
At one point, Mischel, overcome with guilt at what he had done, managed to speak with Juid during one of the latter’s wanderings, and offered to use his budding divine magic to cure the acolyte’s damaged spine. To his dismay, Juid declined, feeling that he was partially responsible for the accident by handling the situation badly and indelicately declaring that, if the Path of the Flame felt he needed his full abilities back, it would surely see it done. The double rejection – of his offer of aid and his faith – was the last straw for Piordan. Sensing that Juid was not just his personal failure but a threat to his order as well, he vowed that one day Juid would beg for Piordan’s forgiveness of his sins and his pride, and Piordan would see that it was sooner rather than later.
From that day on, Brother Mischel has been a formidable foe of the Path of the Healing Flame and a considerable threat to Juid himself. In their last encounter, Brother Mischel’s obsession with Juid showed signs of escalating madness and he placed a vile curse upon him – a curse that caused him to wake up the next morning in the body of someone fifteen years his senior. The effect on Piordan of casting a vile curse is unknown, though his order will likely force him to atone or leave if it comes to light.
Juid is not actively seeking a cure for his curse, but he does keep his eyes, ears, and heart open for signs that it might be possible.
This explains his age and introduces a villain in his life. It also gives a plot hook about how he might get the curse reversed.
Male Tiefling Ranger (Deep Walker) 1/Rogue 4/Sorcerer (Wildblooded) 2
LE Medium outsider (native)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10
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Defense
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AC 22, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+6 armor, +4 Dex, +1 deflection, +1 dodge)
hp 46 (1d10+4d8+2d6+8)
Fort +5, Ref +11 (+1 bonus vs. traps), Will +5
Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge; Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 cold iron gladius +10 (1d6+2/19-20) and
+1 silversheen jutte +10 (1d6+2) and
unarmed strike +9 (1d3+1 nonlethal)
Special Attacks favored enemy (undead +2), sneak attack +2d6
Tiefling Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +5)
1/day—darkness
Sorcerer (Wildblooded) Spells Known (CL 4th; concentration +8):
1st (5/day)— magic missile, shield
0 (at will)— detect magic, disrupt undead, drenchUM (DC 14), mage hand, open/close (DC 14)
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Statistics
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Str 12, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 7
Base Atk +5; CMB +6; CMD 22
Feats Deft Hands, Dodge, Eschew Materials, Mobility, Point-Blank Shot, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse
Traits magical knack, reactionary
Skills
Acrobatics +14,
Appraise +8,
Bluff +4,
Climb +10,
Disable Device +18 (+14 to checks if more than five feet away from device),
Escape Artist +19,
Heal +5,
Knowledge (arcana) +10,
Knowledge (dungeoneering) +10,
Knowledge (geography) +8,
Knowledge (religion) +5,
Linguistics +8,
Perception +10 (+14 to hear the details of a conversation or to find concealed or secret objects (including doors and traps)),
Ride +8,
Sense Motive +7,
Sleight of Hand +16 (+18 to conceal the ring in a search),
Spellcraft +10,
Stealth +16,
Survival +10,
Swim +5;
Racial Modifiers +2 Bluff, +2 Stealth, rogue talents (canny observer, finesse rogue)
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Infernal, Orc
SQ arcane bolt, mutated bloodlines (sage), prehensile tail, track +1, trapfinding +2, wild empathy -1
Gear +2 slick mithral chain shirt, +1 cold iron gladius, +1 silversheen jutte, cloak of resistance +1, handy haversack, ring of protection +1, periscope, thieves' ring, thieves' tool extenders, mithral, thieves' tools, masterwork, 1,322 gp
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Special Abilities
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Arcane Bolt (1d4+1, 7/day) Unleash a ray of magic force as a standard action, targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. This ray deals 1d4 points of damage +1 for every two sorcerer levels you possess. This damage is treated as 1st-level spell and force effect.
Canny Observer (Ex) +4 Perception to overhear conversations or find concealed or secret objects.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Energy Resistance, Cold (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Cold attacks.
Energy Resistance, Electricity (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Electricity attacks.
Energy Resistance, Fire (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Fire attacks.
Eschew Materials Cast spells without materials, if component cost is 1 gp or less.
Evasion (Ex) If you succeed at a Reflex save for half damage, you take none instead.
Favored Enemy (Undead +2) (Ex) +2 to rolls vs Favored Enemy (Undead).
Magical Knack (Sorcerer [Wildblooded]) +2 CL for a specific class, to a max of your HD.
Mobility +4 to AC vs. AoO provoked by moving out of or through a threatened area.
Point-Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Prehensile Tail Your tail can retrieve small objects on your person as a swift action.
Sage When a spell level is increased by a metamagic feat, it gains +1 DC.
Sneak Attack +2d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
Track +1 Add the listed bonus to survival checks made to track.
Trap Sense +1 (Ex) +1 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps.
Trapfinding +2 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex) Retain Dex bonus to AC when flat-footed.
Wild Empathy -1 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.
Wow, I have absolutely no idea what this adventure or module is about, but it's such an iconic name that I feel compelled to throw my hat into the ring.
I envision a master trap finder and disabler who has been drawn to the challenge of the famous tomb, because the bragging rights are worth the risk of demise. He considers himself the best at what he does and needs an appropriate challenge to prove it.
I could even imagine him teaming up with DFang's gadget-maker to test a few of his inventions out, relying on his skill and reflexes to get him out of trouble if DFang has overreached.
Perhaps he even lost a former colleague or mentor to the horrors of the tomb and wants to retrieve something his mentor owned, both to honor the person and to prove he's done it.
Good concept. Camel mount is great. You will like Lucerne hammer.
Thanks! Nearly done with the crunch thanks to HeroLab. Should I PM you the statblock? How are other people doing it? I just realized Thane is an oracle, too.
EDIT. It's after midnight here. I'll check back first thing in the morning.
At the moment, my concept is very by-the-book: TN half-orc BBN1/ORA1, lame with the Spellscar mystery. One trait is spirit sense, so he's very in tune with the unseen beings around us. One of them is his guide (though that won't provide any in-game benefit until he gains the PrC). His abilities range from 11 to 16. He'll fight with a mwk lucerne hammer (because I've never ever seen one used in 20 years of game play and because it looks like a badass weapon!) but he has weapons for ranged and when reach won't work. I've planned him with a camel mount unless you'd prefer us not to have mounts. Given that he's lame, I figure he'd find ways to take a load off his bad leg.
He doesn't care about the caravan per se, but he feels called to be in this region and he hasn't figured out why, so he keeps accepting these jobs to have a safe way of traveling around waiting for inspiration or guidance to strike.
@Lillyanna, I think we'll be fine. It seems that a) I'll need five levels of BBN and one level of ORA to meet the PrC prereqs, and b) the rage prophet also tends to use its spells to boost its own combat prowess, so if anything, we might have to make sure that, between us, we still manage to cover all the divine magic needed! :-)
@Thane, I'll have the crunch down soon.
Khartelosch is a BBN1/ORA1 who sees people.
Holy cow! Just discovered there's even an oracle mystery designed for the Mana Wastes (Spellscarred) that might fit your campaign idea well. Thank you, Hero Lab.
I've never actually considered building a rage prophet from the APG before, but this seems like the perfect environment for one: a barbarian/oracle whose savage seer has led him to the wasteland where his destiny awaits. The more I think about it, the more I like it. I see plot hooks aplenty. And I think there's plenty of room to not step on Lillyanna's own idea.
I would also remind you that picking a lock is a full-round action and disabling a device can be anywhere from 1 round to 2d4 rounds. Those can really eat up the rounds offered by vanish. And a barred door is especially hard to get through silently.
I actually made a change in my newest campaign, ruling that locks and traps take longer to pick and disable (at least the first time they encounter that kind of trap or lock).
Note, Hallow has whatever duration you want it to have. If you don't like tweaking the published stuff, you could create a 'Lesser Hallow' that has a shorter duration. Say it's more affordable and therefore more likely to be used.
Unless your heroes are especially pungent, dogs don't need to be a nuisance until they get very close to the PC. As long as the dogs are not 'on alert', they will likely walk by a silently standing hero holding her breath. There isn't really any 'downwind' indoors.
Also, I bet there are (or you could create some) alchemical solutions for defeating an animal's scent.
I feel for you, Lucanus. My mind is spinning but I can't imagine how to fix that situation except to avoid the published adventures and fly solo.
Kolokotroni brought up some great options but the truth is, if you're single player is as slow to make decisions as you say, a gestalt character is going to be just as complicated and time-consuming. They have even MORE options for each turn.
I think it would be wise to have your player create the melee PC he loves and just send him off into the wilderness to tackle monsters, find rumored treasure, rescue maidens, foil the evil designs of mad wizards and whatnot.
If you create his side-kick and run him/her as an NPC it could be a blast.
You could plan mini-adventures for those days when the others show up. As long as there is no time pressure on the main 'storyline', your hero could put it on hold and tackle a bigger challenge on these days when he has more firepower.
Those are my two cents.
Other consideration: Is the absence of the other players due to time commitment, distance to travel or something else? Would trying to incorporate them by computer be an option? I haven't done it myself, but I know others who are experimenting with it.
Before collecting Withers and loading up The Baron, Lord Zohan spends the afternoon doing research on two topics: How can he make normal bolts into fire bolts and how can he ride a horse? He'll consult knowledgeable people in the fields.
He imagines they must make saddles for inept riders and breed horses that are especially easy to handle, even if it costs him a little more.
He learns of master craftspeople who make permanently enchanted weapons and ammunition but are fewer options for temporary enchantments. Perhaps an alchemical solution?
@DireMerc. How do you feel about the 3P spells temporary enchantment i, ii and iii on the PFSRD?
I would love to join. My first idea is:
Lord Zohan: I'm not really a lord. I'm a wizard who believes my destiny is to take over the world. I was a bullied scholar whose passion for history has awakened my memory of a past life (or so I believe).
Do I hire the party to get me to my destiny? Does my pride or my greed threaten to overtake me during the adventure?
I'm not familiar with the publisher or the series. Is it right to assume that much of the time the characters will be away from civilization, that is, in the wilderness, open sea, underground? I ask so I can eliminate or focus on character ideas.
Get the others involved as much as possible. For example, let one of the players track who has the initiative now. Or make the players remember who acts just before them, so they will know their turn is about to come up. That moves things forward more quickly.
I have a sheet where I write down the player's Will saves and AC. This way I don't have to ask the players if an attack hits or reveal that a spell was attempted (sometimes I do it anyway to make it clear what kind of foe they're up against, but I think it's more fun in game if not every player knows that player X has just failed a Will save so that means... (she's charmed, compelled, enchanted, etc.)
It's ALWAYS better to keep things moving forward than too drag it down while you look something up. Not sure what the benefit or penalty is off the top of your head. Give it a blanket +/-1 or +/-2 and keep going. AFTER the game you can look up the rule again and you'll probably be able to remember it better for next time.
Will the characters meet this NPC more than once? Give that NPC one quirk that will help them remember her. She brushes her hair out of her face a lot. One of his legs is shorter than the other. She's wearing two different colored socks. Doesn't matter... they'll remember.
Blue
Male Half-Elf Ranger (Wild Shadow) 1
N Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
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Defense
--------------------
AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +4 Dex)
hp 11 (1d10+1)
Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +0; +2 vs. enchantments
Immune sleep
Weakness light sensitivity
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee longsword +2 (1d8+1/19-20)
Ranged longbow +5 (1d8/×3)
Special Attacks favored enemy (goblinoids +2)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 12, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 16
Feats Point-Blank Shot, Skill Focus (Survival)
Traits bloodthirsty, elven reflexes, friends and enemies
Skills Craft (bows) +5, Handle Animal +5, Knowledge (geography) +5, Perception +6, Profession (trapper)+4, Ride +7, Stealth +7, Survival +7 (+8 to track); Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Common, Elven, Goblin
SQ merchant, elf blood, paranoid, track, wild at heart, wild empathy +4
Combat Gear trip arrow; Other Gear studded leather, arrows (20), longbow, longsword, backpack, belt pouch, charcoal stick (2), earplugs, fishhook, flask, flint and steel, grappling arrow, parchment, sack,
waterskin, light horse (combat trained), arrows, bedroll, bit and bridle, blanket, winter, blunt arrows,crowbar, feed (per day), feed (per day), fishing net, military saddle, rope, saddlebags, whetstone, 39 gp, 9 sp, 2 cp
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TRACKED RESOURCES
--------------------
Arrow, trip - 0/1
Arrows - 0/20
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Special Abilities
--------------------
Bloodthirsty +1 damage when an attack reduces a foe to 0 HP or fewer or you confirm a crit.
Darkvision (60 feet) (Darkvision) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Daviren Hosk A merchant owns or operates some sort of shop. As a contact, the merchant might impart tidbits of information about other customers and minimal town gossip. She might also give you a discount
on goods or services, or extend you a line of credit.
Earplugs +2 save vs. hearing effects, -5 hearing-based Perception.
Elf Blood Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Favored Enemy (Goblinoids +2) (Ex) +2 to rolls vs Favored Enemy (Goblinoids).
Light Sensitivity (Ex) Dazzled as long as remain in bright light.
Paranoid Aid Another DC 15 for attempts to help you.
Point-Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Track +1 Add the listed bonus to survival checks made to track.
Wild at Heart (Ex) Only add 1/2 your class level to wild empathy checks and 1/4 to follow or identify tracks in urban areas.
Wild Empathy +4 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.
--------------------
Nu
Male Horse
N Large animal
Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +6
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Defense
--------------------
AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 9 (+2 Dex, -1 size)
hp 15 (2d8+6)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +1
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Offense
--------------------
Speed 50 ft.
Melee 2 hooves +3 (1d4+3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17 (21 vs. trip)
Feats Endurance, Run
Tricks Attack, Combat Riding, Come, Defend, Down, Guard, Heel
Skills Perception +6
SQ combat riding
Other Gear arrows (40), blunt arrows (20), bedroll, bit and bridle, blanket, winter, crowbar, feed (per day)(7), feed (per day) (23), fishing net, military saddle, rope, saddlebags, whetstone
--------------------
TRACKED RESOURCES
--------------------
Arrows - 0/40
Blunt arrows - 0/20
Feed (per day) - 0/7
Feed (per day) - 0/23
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Special Abilities
--------------------
Combat Riding [Trick] The animal has been trained to bear a rider into combat.
Endurance +4 to a variety of fort saves, skill and ability checks. Sleep in L/M armor with no fatigue.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Run Run 5x your speed in light/medium armor or 4x speed in heavy armor and keep Dex when running.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.
Male Half-Elf Ranger (Wild Shadow) 1
N Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +4 Dex)
hp 11 (1d10+1)
Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +0; +2 vs. enchantments
Immune sleep
Weakness light sensitivity
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30ft.
Melee longsword +2 (1d8+1/19-20)
Ranged longbow +5 (1d8/×3)
Special Attacks favored enemy (goblinoids +2)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 12, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 16
Languages Common, Elven, Goblin
SQ merchant, elf blood, paranoid, track, wild at heart, wild empathy +4
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Darkvision (60 feet) (Darkvision) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Earplugs +2 save vs. hearing effects, -5 hearing-based Perception.
Elf Blood Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Favored Enemy (Goblinoids +2) (Ex) +2 to rolls vs Favored Enemy (Goblinoids).
Light Sensitivity (Ex) Dazzled as long as remain in bright light.
Track +1 Add the listed bonus to survival checks made to track.
Wild at Heart (Ex) Only add 1/2 your class level to wild empathy checks and 1/4 to follow or identify tracks in urban areas.
Wild Empathy +4 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.
Feats:
Point-Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Skill Focus (Survival) +3 on Survival checks
Traits and Drawbacks:
Bloodthirsty +1 damage when an attack reduces a foe to 0 HP or fewer or you confirm a crit.
Elven Reflexes +2 on initiative checks.
Friends and Enemies Daviren Hosk A merchant owns or operates some sort of shop. As a contact, the merchant might impart tidbits of information about other customers and minimal town gossip. He might also give you a discount on goods or services, or extend you a line of credit.
Pride -2 penalty to Diplomancy and Sense Motive checks involving anyone who threatens, accuses or challenges me until that person apologizes.
Male Horse
N Large animal
Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +6
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 9 (+2 Dex, -1 size)
hp 15 (2d8+6)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +1
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 50 ft.
Melee 2 hooves +3 (1d4+3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17 (21 vs. trip)
Feats Endurance, Run
Tricks Attack, Combat Riding, Come, Defend, Down, Guard, Heel
Skills Perception +6
SQ combat riding
Other Gear arrows (40), blunt arrows (20), bedroll, bit and bridle, blanket, winter, crowbar, feed (per day)(7), feed (per day) (23) (kept at Sandpoint stable), fishing net, military saddle, rope, saddlebags, whetstone
--------------------
TRACKED RESOURCES
--------------------
Arrows - 0/40
Blunt arrows - 0/20
Feed (per day) - 0/7
Feed (per day) - 0/23
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Combat Riding [Trick] The animal has been trained to bear a rider into combat.
Endurance +4 to a variety of fort saves, skill and ability checks. Sleep in L/M armor with no fatigue.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Run Run 5x your speed in light/medium armor or 4x speed in heavy armor and keep Dex when running.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.
Background:
Blue (a nickname he uses to keep his own name private) is used to spending a lot of time alone and controlling the interaction he has with other humanoids. He isn't anti-social by any means, but he is rather sensitive to insult and offense on account of his difficult childhood. His extremely dark skin and ability to see in the dark suggest that his elven parent was either a drow or dusk elf, but since he didn't his parents, he has no way to confirm it. He spent much of his childhood near Nybor learning to use the shadow of the forest to his advantage as a hunter and trapper and feels he knows the environs around Sandpoint fairly well. He tends toward false bravado to overcompensate his prickly nature.
Blue has been interacting with the townsfolk of Sandpoint for some time and has earned the deep trust of the local stablekeeper, Hosk, who has given him Nu - a short form for the local term for deep black-coated horses. He often comes to town to sell his wares and trade for supplies to pursue his hobbies. Like many elves, he has a knack for magic and will eventually add spellcasting levels and pursue the Arcane Archer prestige class.
What does Blue bring to a party? In addition to feeling protective of these environs, he is a very talented tracker, he knows several tricks for dealing with one of the local menaces - goblins (at least based on the "Goblin Watcher" campaign trait; if this isn't the case, he can switch it to giants, since the traits suggest these are also a menace), his ranged attacks can soften up the enemy before the fighter and barbarian engage (and later he'll add precise shot, so he can keep on firing), and once he gets attached to people, he will risk his life to protect them, too.
Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_the_German_Empire to see how the former, former, former German empire was divided. If you remove the various provinces of Prussian and Alsace-Lorraine from the map, you get a close approximation of how the current boundaries of Germany were then divided into 25 different political regions, including enormous ones like Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, which are easily larger than many modern European countries.
I'd use Switzerland as a closer example. 16,000 sq miles. 126 miles to a side. 26 cantons that could easily represent kingdoms. That makes it perhaps 3 times larger than you need.
How much of your GM's intentions behind the combat are your suppositions and how much did he actually clarify at the table?
As a GM myself, I try to make sure that - all other things being equal - particularly challenging monsters lay their destruction on the PCs that can take a few hits, i.e. the ones who are buffed to the gills. Normally, one might think that would be the 'front liners'. If you've made it clear through your choices and your buffing that you're a front liner, too, then naturally you would get a good taste of the foe's savagery.
Now your GM said he was targeting power gamers. I don't know what that means in his opinion but again, if you were in my game and you enhanced your Constitution so that your hit points rivaled our front liners and your Strength so that your attacks and damage rivaled our front liners and perhaps your AC so that you're defenses rivaled our front liners, my monster would treat you like a front liner. Most of my monsters pick one target for various reasons and stick with it - unless they have low-ish Wisdom, in which case I let them be easily distracted and change targets, especially if other players taunt it or try to get its attention. If the target wisely moves out of hitting range, some monsters will follow and others will pick a different target. That variety is what keeps things interesting.
That's all combat-design related. Taking a step backward, there might be a clear disjunction between your style of play and your GM's style, or at least his expectations. In my own experience, no one likes to change their style of play, except for a few beginners who can be guided in one direction or another through steady, encouraging feedback. You've clearly already talked with your GM about style of play and you still don't agree, so I'd look for another game if I was in your place.
I think the retraining idea is your best bet, so that you don't have to ruin the surprise but the ranger can still adapt and remain effective.
Another option is some sort of "divine clue" like having the PCs subjected to a Harrow reading or having a seer catch a glimpse of the PC's or PCs' future(s).
