"You are cordially invited, as the best of your class, to be appointed as a member of the Jade Regent Court in our Glorious and Mythical Capital of Xin-Shalast."
All that you've broken yourself for- perhaps late nights burning your fingers on failed creations of scrolls of scorching ray; the bruises you gathered fighting an ogre in a tournament; your nearly unbearable devotion to the god/goddess of your choice; it has finally become worth it.
As a resident of millions upon millions of Varisia you have been chosen to sit at one of the highest rungs of authority in the city. Knowing of the other invitees vaguely from the Jade Spire University and Academy from which you have now graduated, the four of you decide to vacation royally and regally in The Shackles as tourists of Port Peril.
The journey to the Shackles is rather fast given your various powers and wealth, however the journey back proves to be a rather difficult and painful thing...
As you load yourselves onto your privately hired boat and begin, begrudgingly, the journey back to Varisia to return to your new found duties, the Captain looks up at you with a slight wink in his eye "We've got a problem."
Looking for 4 players to run a little homebrew module with :)
Actual Game Mechanics:
As you can assume from the name this will be a relatively relaxed puzzle / escape based scenario. I am not going to tell you any information other than what is written above in order to preserve the fun and unexpected challenges.
This is a higher level short and sweet module. I'd be surprised if the game goes longer than two months. I've designed it to be short as I have an itch to GM a little homebrew segment now that I'm working from home, but don't want to take on a completely new adventure path or work on a more serious homebrew.
I also want to practice writing more, and, well, that requires more gm'ing and writing :P
Character Creation:
Race: I'm not too worried about this, as there is far more than mere combat to tax a player with. Nothing above advanced, and nothing as ridiculous as a gargoyle, and we should be fine!
Class: NO 3PP / Path of War, Spheres of Power, etc. For something like this it is just not necessary. I'm fine with occult, but no Psionics.
Point-Buy: 25, feel free to min / max as the calculator on this very site allows, after all, you aren't playing some PFS 3+ year long campaign. We want the RP to be fun, ridiculous, and something you'll enjoy for the short term.
Level: 7
Traits: You will get the "Rich Family Trait" as a bonus trait. 2 other traits, no draw backs for a "fourth." Unlike what is stated in the trait, feel free to say that that extra 900 GP was earned however you like within reason to your level.
Background Skills: Feel free to pick 2, this 3pp matches the setting of this game pretty well.
Starting Wealth / Starting Items: Uh oh! You spent QUITE a bit during your lengthy celebration in the Shackles. Though you come from money (or will very shortly), you only have 12000 gp in items, total, that you could have.
What you studied / are studying at the Academy What are you? Why would the Jade Regent want you? Are you superior in intellect to anyone else? Perhaps faster? Stronger? Are you overly wise, or would you be more than a mere asset as a diplomat for the Regent Court? Give me some backstory, what you are doing at a higher place of learning / betterment and what you wanted to achieve from it.
What did you do in the Shackles? What happens in the Shackles stays in the Shackles, unless your GM asks. Then you should give him a sentence or two as to what your character would have done to spend 12k + in coins over the course of a 2 week break in the Shackles before your initiation.
Characters / Player's will not be picked on a few criteria;
1) Compatibility with the other players RP wise
2) Survivability to the unknown challenges ahead
As you create your characters there is one thing to remember for this one- what can go wrong, will go wrong.
Enjoy, and if I missed anything, please ask!!!
Oh, right. We'll have recruitment open until 03/27/2017. I've got a seriously bad itch to just have some fun. Hopefully this sounds like something others could have fun with too. IF so, I'll plan on making more of these in the future :P
Posting rate expected is once a day or so, but again, this is more a suggestion than a demand. Just looking for some fun GM writing, RP, and new ways to challenge players.
As the gates open, you find yourself cheered on as Gladiators of Aetherius while the crowd, unruly and blood thirsty, calls out for your death against The Nightmare.
Perhaps you had been drinking with friends in the tavern.
Perhaps you had been watching the streets for an opportunity of fame.
Perhaps you had simply been minding your own business, just about to sleep.
But that is not the case now. No, as you all stumble awake, you find yourselves weighted down to a soaking wet wood with heavy manacles on your arms, legs, torso, and neck. Each one of you is in an individual cell with steel bars, deceptively close to one another, and all of it freezing.
You feel waves crash into the boat, throwing you forward, and putting the reality into focus. You've been kidnapped, in one form or another. All of your items are missing- basic cloths replace them where your old clothes were. A disgusting taste is at the back of your tongue that you can't quite get out.
Finally, looking up, you see a man of a powerful presence before you with a line of humans behind him. Each of their faces were chiseled, proud, and noble- Chelish.
Dead in front of you stands a man you've at least heard of, an infamous and well beyond reason feared Captain of the Shackles- Captain Harrigan.
Watching each of you awaken, he grins "It's a bit late to be wakin' up, now, dontchya think? Look at 'em, scouring port peril, and they don't even know what time it 'tis that they need to wake up and start the day. Mere. Children." The men behind Harrigan laugh in chorus before stifling themselves at the clearing of the Captain's throat.
"You'll be good crew on the Wormwood. My ship. My ship. There's a few rules, though I kind of hope some of you don't follow 'em." More laughter at a bit of a lower volume.
"The main rule is you don't talk to me. You do not address me. You do not say yes-sir, or no-sir, or even scoff." Harrigan pauses for a second as a hand disappears under his cloak towards his hip for a second. A click can be heard throughout the air that makes all the men behind him instantly straighten up.
"Yar... They know the drill. And you will too, soon. Next up- you were press ganged here for two reasons. One- Mr. Plugg here has been followin' yeh, watchin' yeh. You're all quite... unique. And we like that.
And we want to keep that. So you won't be killin' anyone on this ship, lest you want a pretty scar on your face to be punished with....
Have I made meself clear?"
Harrigan nods to a man holding a nine-tails that then walks forward himself. he gives a nod to Harrigan, who steps back with a smile on his face, arms crossed.
15 Point Buy (you can dump 1 stat to 8 before racial modifiers.)
All races open, but all are on case by case basis to the GM
200 GP Starting Wealth + Class Kit for free
(or individual items chosen from class kit)
In addition to standard play rules, we will have-
1) Weather rolls
2) Equipment / Carrying Capacity
3) Food and Supplies (you must eat, drink, sleep, or feel the fatigue <3 )
These are open to further additions and revisions by the GM.
New to Play by Post?:
1) Feel free to check out the campaigns I'm hosting now, how other recruitment threads go, and my own posts (particularly on Yuria or Davian Grallus) to see how other players like to play the game in text.
2) Doomed Hero's post is also an excellent choice for newbies to PbP style, linked here.
The Overhaul:
Most, if not all of us, have played at least the start of Shackles, and some lucky enough to at least see it to the end.
Because of this, and not wanting a dull repeat game, I'm going to overhaul a few things in a delicious fashion. Think the 90's versus the 2000's difference in Willy Wonka. Some things are the same, others different enough to make it a still interesting and fresh campaign.
NPCs *will* be changed. Attitudes will be rearranged for a more dirty, intense, gritty pirate setting.
And you are not guaranteed to survive on the first character you make. :P
Any other questions, please, post them here. Ah! I forgot one other thing-
Excel spreadsheets and mythweaver is totally fine to have, but you must link to it on your alias in some form or fashion.
Jazzai and I are also able to show you how to do it by hand, inside your character sheet. (look to Davian Grallus for best reference on how to do it- Yuria's is a bit of a mess from when I did it first starting out.)
It's just past nightfall as the Moon hangs in the sky, beaming down on the quiet town of Sandpoint. It wasn't always so quiet, of course. Only a year ago it was a host of the public execution of Tsuto Kaijitsu. He had gone mad, murdering his father, kidnapping his sister- whispers of "bastard" and "demon worshipper" can still be found out and about today, though not as dripping with interest as they were a year ago.
Another series of Skinsaw Murders had occurred as well. The confusion it had caused at this second occurrence left Sandpoint in the hanging balance act of peace, and war, for the better part of two months- possibly more.
But now that same Moon sees peace reclaimed by heroes for the city of Sandpoint...and with peace comes new challengers to the old way of keeping it.....
You find yourself in "The Rusty Dragon", a drink in your hand, laugh on your lips, or simply heavy feelings in your heart. Despite this, the Tavern is quite active tonight.
Shalelu plays with her friendly beast that one, perhaps two of you, have definitely seen before- Roku, the Black Bear. She dances this bears paws to the beat of Ameiko's singing and dancing while she quickly whips about the Tavern.
She serves drinks of all sorts and sizes to the few lingering customers. At the sound of the Sheriff Hemlocke walking in, Ikoma at his side, she gives a wink and wave to Hemlocke,"Oooh, hey Sheriff! Taken care of the guard on Sanduru's Caravan?"
Hemlocke nods with a neck flexing with an intensity more than most would think impossible and points to the bar stools he always claimed as his "Two drinks, Ameiko, if you wouldn't mind."
Ameiko nods, returning behind the bar "Anything to keep you here instead of with that dirty Sandpoint Theater!"
Meanwhile a older woman with a tough and currently serious expression scolds a much younger man in the back with a frown, "What did I tell you about being carful on the roads, Sanduru? Hm??? And now you tell me there's goblins, with fireworks? What sort of ridiculousness!" This woman is the well known Koya, unfortunately grown less and less optimistic in her age.
Feel free to socialize and place yourselves as you see fit.
So then, you've been picked to play! Excellent. Now it is time to get into the meat of my rules that I have as a GM. I hope all those picked find them fair.
Passive Rolls / 'ROLL PERCEPTION!':
1) I very rarely *ask* for rolls. If you approach a forest I will not ask you to roll survival. I prefer everyone act on their character's instinct instead of what I *think* you should roll. Keep in mind, however, that not rolling does not make you exempt to the consequences.
For example if you wander through a swamp for 3 hours without ever rolling for survival, you are probably going to be lost.
2) I also very rarely ask for perception checks. As a benefit to you, I do use passive perception. Passive perception cannot detect something well hidden, like traps, but it can detect that you hear something rushing right behind you.....
This makes the game go MUCH smoother, and, less rolls I have to ask for.
3) Knowledge rolls may be made on demand, 1x per turn, in combat. They do not count as a standard action. Why?
Because you are already penalized from ever making that roll again. With Pathfinder, knowledge is either you know it, or you don't, with very rare and exclusive exceptions. As such, I'd like to let the Kn. Nature peeps actually roll to discover what it is they are fighting, without spending an entire turn doing nothing else.
4) As such, if I suspect cheating, I reserve the right to have you re-roll. Never had to use it, don't plan on it, but it's there.
HP, Wealth By Level, CR Encounters, Etc.!:
1) CR is determined by the individual group- your coordination, your teamwork, how well you do with the "vanilla" encounters, etc. The CR is flexible, not static, and will always change to the group. I do *not* follow linear CR based on character advancement.
2) WBL, to me, is a joke. The most I will say on this for now is to expect you will most likely earn double the WBL by various parts, if not more.
3) You will always take max HP. I hate the idea that a fighter could ever possibly roll and end up having the same HP at level 10 as a cleric or sorcerer.
4) No hero points or the like are planned for this campaign. I am open to awarding them, but that's on a case by case basis.
Other!:
1) As always, I reserve the right to change AP encounters to match the party.
2) Do not assume that because a beast looks like something, that it is. Kn. Nature rolls and others are very important, and should not be made underrated because experienced players know a vast majority of dangerous beasts.
3) The story, for an authentic Jade Regent Experience, will be wildly left alone, aside from the caravan system. Simulated combat will replace the caravan system, though it will be RP'd as the "caravan" vs. the attackers.
4) I love downtime! If you need it for something, ever plan to buy a business, invest in Sandpoint or anywhere else, please let me know! I enjoy giving profits and rewards to players who invest in the story, and downtime can be a fun big part of that.
5) I will roll group initiative when needed to increase the flow / speed of the game.
6) The sleeping pick rule- we will be playing with food and drink rules, slightly modified. Weather will also be rolled on a "daily" basis in game to fully round out the world you live in. Carrying capacity will also be in use.
Now, that's quite a bit of spotty and splotchy rules, so we are going to take it easy on all of it, and increase from there.
For now, the following is necessary;
1) Magic excluded, if you don't sleep in a bedroll you will probably be fatigued when waking up.
2) RP eating once a day will satisfy the food requirement.
3) RP drinking throughout the day will satisfy the drink requirement.
4) In city / downtime I am not worried about carrying capacity. In travel / combat I am, but we're going to wait on this. For now, just *list* what your total weight is. We'll worry about capacity later on in the adventure path.
I'm new to the boards, and only been GM'ing for a year or so, probably a tad under. In that time I've played Living Campaigns, Rise of the Runelords (GM, Homebrew'd to be more intense) and play in 1 Shackles game already, hopefully a second one here soon ;).
I also play in the GM_Spooks Homebrew "Age of the Deep" if you want to check out some of my light RP.
The important things to know about me before we start;
1) If you post with a Bladebound Kensai Magus, I love you, but I will throw up. This goes for the Summoner, as well. (One day I'll make a campaign where a Summoner can be played!)
2) If I suspect someone is cheating, with bounds of evidence (i.e. you ALWAYS make your rolls, and just happen to roll a random second or third roll) I always reserve the right to make you re-roll. I've yet to actually ever have to do this, but I warn peeps anyways.
3) I love players who think outside of the box, and remember that this game is about fun first, rp second, and "winning" third (kind of.)
4) I do not shy away from "weeabo" things, or really, anything. If your character can do it, wants to do it, and accepts the consequences then do it. This is a RPG, my job is to deliver a realistic fun interpretation of the AP, not to ride you on every decision. I am the referee, not the dictator. (for the most part ;) ) There is one caveat to this, one exception; Do not CHA rape the party to make them always do what you want to do.
A rogue searching through an inventory is one thing, and a Paladin declaring to please kill the necromancer lord is another, but doing it for every direction of the party is a no-no for me.
5) If you have questions or want to try something, please just ask! I'm somewhat loose with the rules, and if it isn't something ridiculous, I'm happy to work on making whatever it is you'd like to make with you.
Character Creation:
Point Buy
15 Point buy or Roll for Stats.
Stat rolling is 7 rolls of a 4d6. You get to take away the lowest roll of each roll, and take the 6 "best" rolls of the 7 total.
Race
Often times, just playing core races is boring. So I'm going to open this up to 14 RP races, however, every race presented is on a case by case basis. (looking at you, Mr. Level 1 Goblin with +30 to sneak!)
Classes
Core, Hybrid, Base, and Alternate. Please no Occult, 3PP (such as the dreaded spheres of power or path of war), etc. etc.
If you have a 3PP archetype of a Paizo class, we can absolutely discuss it!
As far as wealth goes, you can take average, or you can chance a roll! I am fine with either.
Other
Do not expect magic shop, please plan / re-work your characters accordingly. I am not a complete hard-ass about this, you will have access to magic items, but just because you have $50k does not mean you will get that Cloak of Major Concealment at level 7.
For backstory, I do not care if it is long, or short, but do have it show me where your character came from, who they are, what their personality is, etc.
Once submissions are done, we will spend a few posts reasoning as to why you all are somehow in the know of the others, and what would bring you all to this land of the AP.
Party Size
I am accepting 5 applications, +1 from a friend of mine who wants to join. I wish I could accept everyone who applies, but I cannot. People from the interest thread get first dibs. If there are not enough applications, I will open this thread up from there!
Second to this, because of the party size, please do not expect everything to be the exact same as written in the books. Things will be modified / changed as needed to give the party a proper challenge.
Rules etc. etc.:
1) With the exception of Sat. and Sun., 24 hours after my last post (with exceptions to me RP'ing with those who post more frequently through NPC's) we will move on. This includes combat, journeying, saves, travel, etc. After 3 week days of this, your character will be moved to the side.
2) As previously stated, please no cheese builds. I know you can write the RP and backstory to defend it, so can I. I will ask as politely and sadly as I can that you not do a naked cheese build.
3) I'll expand this as questions etc. are posted. I'm sure I've missed only a bajillion things!
Application process will end on October 5th. Please take your time.
