Gungnir073's page

I just hope those holy and unholy weapons aren't powerful enough to be sentient, or else the poor hero's going to have TWO separate egos tugging at him all day long, like he's some kind of bungee cord.

I'm not fully sure, but I think only a True Neutral character could wield both holy and unholy weapons at the same time. I could be mistaken, though.

As for backstory, it could be that his family, hometown, or something else of great personal value was destroyed in the war between angels and devils, and that's why he hunts both. Because neither side could put aside their wrath long enough to show a care for nearby innocents. Goals? Perhaps he's after the generals of the two armies, to make them answer for their deeds. Of course, it could be a long road to get to them, through all of the others that were involved. There's a lot of storytelling potential here.

An air battle, huh? Well, everything that flies needs to be able to see to steer safely. Come up with a way to blind the dragon, and it'll almost surely look like an accident. Especially since in a large air battle, everyone else will be more focused on their own foes rather than every single partner. A lot can happen very quickly in a big fight, and it's often not till the smoke clears that folks start to talk and sort out the details.

I'm not sure if it's been said already, but I have one three-word suggestion that would make me smile so big.

Giant. Space. Hamsters.

In all kinds of wondrous variety, with a myriad of different abilities. From the seemingly normal Miniature Giant Space Hamster to the fearsome Tyrannohamsterus Rex. :D

Be flexible. A wise military man once said 'The first casualty in any engagement is always the same: the plan.' Your players may come up with solutions to problems that you hadn't expected, and if you're used to a one-problem, one-solution mindset, it can throw you off. Keep a variety of possibilities in mind for all of your encounters, and when in doubt, don't be afraid to just wing it. Do it smoothly enough, and the players won't notice or mind it at all.

Oops! My mistake. Sorry about that. Never mind me, then.

Jiggy, check out the Player's Guide, and look under the classes. You'll find the Bladebound type for Sorcerers. I'm not sure if it's what you're after, but it is an option for you.

If you want to play a mix of magic and melee, you might consider the Bladebound Sorcerer type. Maybe mix in a dash of Rogue for sneakiness and extra skills.

Not to stir up a hornet's nest, but I don't see a need for hating on Salvatore and his books. I've enjoyed many of them. I feel he does a great job at making the Forgotten Realms a vivid, living place. Can't we all just get along?

Aside from that, I think the variation is a very interesting idea. I'd definitely throw some Rogue levels into the mix, personally.

Two words: Sky Swim. :)

Just the same, a lot of creeches aren't super-intelligent, especially about magic. And why would a goblin ignore the barbarian who's about to slice him in two with a greataxe just to whip a dagger at a spellcaster? There's a little thing called self-preservation. If the party uses good teamwork, enemies can be kept plenty busy while a caster does his thing.

Difficult terrain is a good idea, as are reinforcements. Since the group seems pretty spell-heavy, may I also recommend anti-magic zones? Also, you can never underestimate the value of traps. If you need help, I fondly recall a series of books called Grimtooth's Traps. They had all kinds of wild, imaginative, and brutal ways to slice, dice, crush, eviscerate, and humiliate even the toughest of dungeon delvers.

Also, maybe you can appeal to their nostalgia for the days when they used to be excited to be near third level, and able to get some more of those life-saving hit points, better gear, increases to skills...sometimes, it's the journey that's the worthier part, not the destination.

Another good thing to do is use a bit of lateral thinking before the game starts. If there are some key encounters where the PC's are supposed to do this or that in just such a way, consider what will happen if they think up different solutions and decide to use them.

As one example, I had some players in a game of Star Wars RPG that encountered a couple of bounty hunters who'd been set on their tails by an enemy. One of them backstabbed the other so as not to have to split the reward. But it was up to the players what to do with the injured bounty hunter after the other one made a hasty escape. They could have killed her, and had a vengeful brother pursuing them. But instead, they took her aboard their ship and healed her, then tried to get to know what the whole deal was about. Because they treated her with decency and kindness and not like a Gitmo prisoner, she actually joined the party as an NPC.

So, keeping variable outcomes to encounters and decisions in mind can really enrich your game.

Mistaken identity is always fun. Have a PC get mistaken for a celebrity bard, a famous philosopher, a renowned sorcerer, or even a feared member of the local thieves' guild.

Characters of different races, classes, and faiths could also show a wide range of reactions to being called to from the front of the local brothel, a variety of lads and ladies inviting them to come in and put their feet up for just a little bit. If everyone can handle it with some maturity, that should make for some interesting interactions, and maybe the learning of some surprising facts about one's travelling companions.

I don't think anyone should leave home without the basics, many of which have been covered already. Backpack, bedroll, tent, flint & steel, a whetstone, writing supplies and paper/parchment, a couple of waterskins, rations, rope, hammer & pitons, chalk, alchemist's fire...all good ideas. Myself, I always ensure that my characters have a tankard handy as well. More than once, I've found barrels or kegs in a variety of places, and it's a little tough to discern what's in them if you haven't got something to pour a bit of the contents into. a good drinking mug is just the thing.

It's too bad he's not an Inquisitor. You could have fun with him referring to himself in the third person if he was calling himself The Reverend. But give him a German accent, and you have Doktor Haxxenslash, freelance amputator! That no-dachi is just his preferred medical instrument. ;)

One of the best pieces of advice I can offer is to stay alert, relaxed, and flexible. Your players may do things you don't expect, and that may require you to think on your feet. A great man once said 'The first casualty in any engagement is always the same: the plan.' It may very well turn out to be so as you RP. When in doubt, improvise. Stay relaxed, have fun, and try to work with the others to make it fun. After all, playing a tabletop RPG isn't like an online PvP game, where everyone's out to slaughter everyone else.

From a Golarion perspective the Drow have been presented as a secretive race who are hunted mercilessly by an entire secret society of Elves. Signs of Weakness (i.e good or neutral behavoir) are expunged immediately by having the perpetrator sacrificed to their demon lord masters.

Thus there are huge barriers to playing a Drow in PFS. Having a Goblin PC is a bit of a stretch but it's positively easy next to the prospect of a Drow PC.

I was always under the impression that in a fantasy RPG, the PC's were meant to be exceptions to the usual rules regarding race, class, alignment, and other things that get them stereotyped, i.e. all Drow being evil. In my opinion, it's a loss to ban all these races, not a benefit. I don't even know why the Catfolk have been banned from playable status...seriously, they're only about as unbalanced as elves. Maybe they don't have their own society per se, but they do what they can to fit in wherever they end up. And that sounds like a lot of missed opportunities for good storytelling to me.

Just my two coppers...
Gungnir