I've got a good chunk of this done, but am looking for some input on spell selection, trait/drawback, finishing gear, and any gaping oversights that I might have made.
CHARACTER:
Spoiler:
Wyrwood Summoner(Synthesist) 10/Oracle(Seeker) 1/Paladin(Sacred Shield) 2
LG S Construct
Init +8; Senses Low-light Vision; Perception +14
DEFENSE:
Spoiler:
AC 34, touch 18, flat-footed 28 (+8 armor, +6 shield, +6 Cha, +2 natural armor, +1 insight, +1 size) [protector familiar can increase this through bodyguard feat and bastion of good would increase this with a +7 deflection; tower shield trades +2 Cha for +3 shield increase and grants access to Mobile Bulwark Style tree and Tower Shield Defenses)
character hp 118 (11d8+2d10+10) [Retrained for Max HP, costing 10,110gp]
fused eidolon hp 71 (temp hp for character)
protector familiar hp 118 (shield master splits damage with the character as per shield other)
Fort +16, Ref +22, Will +23
Immune Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, Sonic; Construct Traits
Defensive Abilities Evasion, Shielded Meld, Bastion of Good 2/day
OFFENSE:
Spoiler:
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.(perfect)
Melee
Unarmed +13/+8 (1d2+5 non-lethal)
Luckblade +15/+10 (1d4+9 P) [two-handed, wielding buckler]
OR
Luckblade +15/+10 (1d4+7 P) [one-handed, wielding Heavy or Tower Shield]
I'm trying to create an NPC that illustrates to my players that the world they are entering into is as rich with magic items as the Inner Sea, but that they won't have to wait for forever to obtain them. In this world, most magic items are cursed, lowering the gp cost and bringing items into reach, but bearing a different kind of cost.
The character would be a powerful Pharasmin warrior, carrying many magic items at a level typical of 12-13th level play. I'd like some help coming up with interesting curses that match the benefits/flavor of the item and would still be balanced by the rules but, would also still be desirable.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th, concentration +11)
Detect Undead - At Will
DESCRIPTION
Created by priests in the service of their mistress Pharasma, Lady of Graves, Esobok Blades contain the bound spirits of bestial Esobok psychopomps. These weapons are carved with the letters of the long-forgotten language that grace the most ancient tombstone of the Boneyard and resemble the curved blades of adamantine scythes carried by Vanth psychopomps. This resemblence is more than superficial, as the spirits only serve those who share the philosophical views and purposes of their former Vanth masters.
Esobok Blades function as +1 Undead-bane Greatswords. These weapons are neutral intelligent weapons, but not particularly powerful ones, and most PCs who claim it as their own shouldn’t have much of a problem keeping it in line.
Unruly Nature: If the item manages to seize control through personality conflict, it directs its possessor to attack the nearest undead creature. If no such creature is present, then it directs its possessor to attack the nearest living creature. Regardless of the target, its possessor continues to fight until unconscious or dead or until no living thing remains within 30 feet, at which point the Esobok Blade relinquishes control back to the possessor.
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Cost 3,197gp; Feats Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Spells summon lesser psychopomp
The other items I'm looking to include are as follows:
Minor Head Piercings (Simple Nose Ring)
Ring of the Sublime (As a Magic Tattoo)
Boots of the Earth
Eye Patch of Infamy
Mammoth Hide
Minor Ring of Energy Resistance (Acid)
Tattoo (Periapt of Health)
Tattoo (Periapt of Proof Against Paralysis)
Belt of Giant Strength (+4)
Periapt of Proof against Poison
Ruby Skull of Chast (As a Magic Tattoo)
I've got a partial build for the end of a Carrion Crown campaign, but I'm at a loss for what direction to take the remaining resources. It's built to generate Channel Energy and Smite Evil, but I haven't figured out how best to build up its defenses and survivability or what primary form of offense the build should use.
Race- ?
(Possible ability score priorities)
Str- Last
Dex- Third
Con- Second
Int- 12+
Wis- 12+
Cha- First
What kind of creatures have you called forth and negotiated with for services? What kind of service is have you negotiated for? What kind of price did you pay? How have you treated sentient summons? How have they treated you? Do you have any stories in which a sentient summon played a major role in reaching your goal?
A player of mine has picked up the Marked by Unknown Forces trait, but, in the game we're playing, we've banned the appearences of established setting deities and references to them. I'm trying to brainstorm ways ideas for how to incorporate this trait.
As for the issue of Clerical training, Sferka's Summoning Guild is held responsible for the import of goods from beyond The Sphere and trains aspirants for the Lodge of Horizon Walkers. The group has recently joined the Guild as students and I have plenty of tasks for the Hall of Shadows(Rogue-training hall), Hall of Sages(Wizard-training hall), and Hall of Strength(Fighter-training hall), but the Hall of Service(Cleric-training hall) is giving me trouble. I need ideas for the kinds of increasingly difficult tasks the hall would give to their students to develop their abilities from 2nd level to 6th level. Anyone have any ideas?
Here's the stat blocks for the Plane and City where the game is taking place:
The Sphere:
The demiplane known as "The Sphere" is shaped as a hollow sphere with stone architecture and urban sprawl covering the entire interior surface. There are no natural sources of fresh air or water in The Sphere and the only natural sources of light are the tiny motes of twinkling light that float around the city like fireflies.
The Sphere has the following planar traits:
Gravity: Objective directional gravity. The direction of gravity within The Sphere is towards the nearest planar boundary.
Time: Flowing Time. For each hour on the Material Plane, one day passes in The Sphere.
Shape and Size: Finite, Self-Contained Shape. The Sphere is located... It has the shape of a hollow sphere made of impenetrable stone.
Mildly Law-Aligned: Chaotic creatures take a –2 circumstance penalty to all Charisma-based checks.
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities from the Summoning subschool are enhanced.
Sferka:
A small section (~3.5%) of The Sphere is inhabited by a race of native outsiders, the descendants of humans who traveled to the demiplane long ago and bonded with the demiplane's star motes. These descendants call their home, "Sferka". The dark places on the other side of the city walls are known to be dangerous and thus light is a sign of both safety and wealth. The light districts are where the former nobles reside and otherwise affluent natives live, while the dim districts hold the lower classes. The Sacred Plaza exists as a sort of religious market where the faithful and pious seek answers and community amidst the fearful dark.
LN large city
Corruption +0; Crime +0; Economy –2; Law -1; Lore +1; Society –2
Qualities deep traditions, holy site, no questions asked
Danger 30; Disadvantages heavily taxed, hunted
Demographics
Government council
Population ~17,500 (~17,448 Natives, 17 Humans, 35 Other)
Marketplace
Base Value 5,600 gp; Purchase Limit 25,000 gp; Spellcasting 7th
Minor Items 4d4; Medium Items 3d4; Major Items 1d6
I've run many campaigns and am what many consider to be a very experienced GM. However, I haven't run a lighthearted campaign in 15 years. I've just started a game that I'm aiming have as a Comedic Adventure game juxtaposed against darker elements (ala Made in Abyss).
What do you think makes for a lighthearted game without just being silly?
If you wanted to build a defensible base of operations on the cheap, what build do you think could do it best? What spells and abilities do you think are the best tips and tricks for creating a safe haven?
Perhaps you've recovered the great wondrous relic from the BBG and want to protect it from being taken back, how would you build a vault?
In the Advanced Race Guide, the rules for creating custom races presents an interesting question. The Half-Construct subtype can be applied to the Outsider (Native) creature type. However, Native Outsiders can be raised, unlike standard Outsiders, but Half-Constructs cannot. Which would take precedence and why?
If a character bearing a Lantern of Hidden Light has Hellcat Stealth and is standing in a dark room with a bunch of orcs, could the bearer still use their Hellcat Stealth to hide from the orcs?
My initial thoughts:
The Lantern creates light as an evocation(per the Construction Requirements and the item's subsequent aura). To me, this means the light is real, even if only the item's bearer can see it, and thus would allow for Hellcat Stealth to be used.
What if a Shadowdancer or a character with the Shadow Well ability was illuminated by the low-light region of a Lantern of Hidden Light in the same room as before? Could they use their ability to hide from the orcs?
My initial thoughts:
The Lantern still creates light as an evocation(per the Construction Requirements and the item's subsequent aura). To me, this still means the light is real, even if the Shadowdancer or character with the Shadow Well ability can't see the low-light region. However, I don't believe they could use their Hide in Plain Sight or Shadow Well abilities because they lack line of sight/line of effect to the light required to use their abilities.
What if the Shadowdancer or character with the Shadow Well ability was bearing an item similar to a Lantern of Hidden Light, which only produced low-light, such as a Palelight Torch? Would the hidden low-light allow them to use their Hide in Plain Sight or Shadow Well abilities?
My initial thoughts:
To me, this is effectively the same as the standard Lantern of Hidden Light and Hellcat Stealth. The light is real, having been created by evocation magic, and the character has line of sight/line of effect to the shadow within 10 ft. I believe they would be able to use their Hide in Plain Sight or Shadow Well abilities.
Suppose the Shadowdancer or character with the Shadow Well ability was in the next room instead, picking a lock using Luminous Lockpicks when the orc patrol walked by, could the bearer still use their Hide in Plain Sight or Shadow Well abilities using the light from the lockpicks to hide from the orcs?
My initial thoughts:
The Luminous Lockpicks use transmutation magic to aid their ability to pick locks, but have no Construction Requirements or explanation for how they produce the much smaller scale, hidden illumination of a Lantern of Hidden Light. Without any references to the contrary, I would guess that the characters could still use their abilities using the hidden light, particularly since there are no stipulations on the size of the shadow created.
If a creature (example: villager) is dominated by an evil creature (example: vampire), can you use detect evil to sense they are under the control of something evil? If the villager was actively doing something evil, detect evil says the villager would detect. What about otherwise?
6th—antimagic field, mass bear's endurance, sirocco
5th—communal air walk, fire snake, spell resistance (D), wall of light
4th—dispel magic (4), spell immunity (D)
3rd—communal resist energy, cure moderate wounds, greater longstrider, protection from energy (D), stone shape
2nd—barksin (2), bear's endurance, burst of radiance (2), shield other (D), summon swarm
1st—featherstep, heightened awareness, obscuring mist (2), sanctuary (DC 17)(D), tears to wine (2)
0th (at will)—create water, detect magic, mending, purify food and drink
(D) domain spell; Domain: Protection
TACTICS:
During Combat Demi remains in bat form as per wild shape, using her size as a defensive advantage while she casts buff spells on her allies and battlefield control spells when necessary. When fighting vampires, she casts aqueous orb when she believes it would destroy the target (down to a third or fewer hit points).
STATISTICS:
Str 7, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 22, Cha 14
Base Atk +8; CMB +6; CMD 17
SQ
Human- Dimdweller
Druid- Nature Sense, Venom Immunity, Wild Shape 5/day
Ancient Guardian- Ancient Arms, Ancient Ways, Community Bond (Protection), Dispel Hostility, Patience of Nature, Unimpeachable
Armor: +1 Wild Leaf Armor (NG-aligned), 11,700 gp
Belts: Belt of Mighty Constitution (+4, NG-aligned), 11,200 gp
Body:
Chest: Vestment, Druid’s (NG-aligned), 2,625 gp
Eyes: Eyes of the Eagle (NG-aligned), 1,750 gp
Feet:
Hands: Gloves, Apprentice’s Cheating (NG-aligned), 1,540 gp
Head:
Headband: Headband of Mental Prowess (+2 Int & Wis, NG-aligned), 7,000 gp
Neck: Aegis of Recovery (NG-aligned), 1,050 gp
Ring 1: Ring of Eloquence (NG-aligned), 2,450 gp
Ring 2: Ring of Invisibility (Shared), 6,000 gp
Shield:
Shoulders:
Wrists:
Slotless:
Minor Bag of Holding - 1,000 gp
Traveler’s Any-Tool - 250 GP
My brother has challenged me to a duel on Saturday. The terms of the challenge? To prove that mages beat melee monsters by 10th level. I'm pretty sure he is planning a Two-Handed Fighter kind of build. What kind of caster do you think I should use to defeat him?
Ninja Trick isn't listed in the available Slayer Talents list, but Master Ninja Tricks is. Is this a typo? Should Ninja Tricks be available to Slayers?
If a character as the TWF Ranger Combat Style, but doesn't select Two-Weapon Fighting or Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, what happens at 10th level if they select Greater Two-Weapon Fighting?
The wording, "You get a third attack with your off-hand weapon, albeit at a –10 penalty," implies that they get a second attack with their off-hand, even if they don't have Improved Two-Weapon Fighting. How should I read this?
I'm considering uses for the Noble Stipend feat. I have 100 gp/week that I can spend on services. What if I were to gather mercenaries to help me fight for 1 day? How much do you think they would cost? What would be the most effective means of deploying them? How do I measure their skill levels?
Looking over the Assassin, it looks like the Death Attack is its main feature, but the 3 rounds of study make the Death Attack a waste of time. Most Rogues can put out enough DPR against a single target over three rounds to kill it, kill it, and kill it again.
I'm creating a 10th level Rogue character with history on the Ustalav/Worldwound border and want this character to have been effective at fighting demons. Aside from a Holy weapon, what other means or tactics are useful for fighting demons?
Are these feats worth the benefits for a single adventure, 10-13th level in a major city? What interesting uses are there for the services and nonmaterial goods gained with Noble Stipend?
I'm developing a character to join a Carrion Crown game. I believe I'll be joining at the beginning of the Ashes at Dawn AP. The group is comprised of a Human Barbarian, Human Ranger, Human Cleric, and Human Sorcerer. I'll be joining the game along with a Human Druid that is my character's sister.
I'm not sure on the gear. I've got a few items in mind, but want some advice to increase this character's survivability and ability to contribute to combat. I could also use some advice for the Oracle and Bard spells, as well as combat tactics for the character's Bard abilities.
DUSAN HYSKA, PATHFINDER OF THE VODAVANI LODGE:
Male Human Oracle(Psychic Searcher) 3/Bard(Studious Librarian Negotiator) 5/Pathfinder Chronicler 1/Pathfinder Delver 1
N M Humanoid(Human)
Init +1; Perception +20
DEFENSE:
AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 (+0 Dex)
hp 58 (10d8+10)
Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +8
OFFENSE:
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Unarmed +4 (1d3–1 non-lethal/20)
Special Attacks Bardic Performance 14 rounds/day (counterargument, fascinate, fast talk -2, inspire competence +2)
During Combat In the surprise round, Dusan uses a Standard action to activate Ash Cloud, creating a 10 ft. radius area of obscuring mist that only he (and his allies with Fogcutting Lenses) can see through. In full rounds of combat, he can use a Standard action to activate Ash Cloud, creating a 10 ft. radius area of obscuring mist that only he can see through, and a Move action to move into a safer position while determining the next course of action.
STATISTICS:
Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 10, Cha 14
Base Atk +5; CMB +4; CMD 14
Armor: Comfort +5,000 GP
Belts:
Body:
Chest: Vestment, Mnemonic - 5,000 GP AND/OR Sipping Jacket - 5,000 GP
Eyes: Eyes of the Eagle - 2,500 AND/OR Fogcutting Lenses - 8,000 GP AND/OR Goggles of Minute Seeing - 2,500 GP
Feet:
Hands:
Head: Circlet of Persuasion - 4,500 GP
Headband: Headband of Vast Intelligence +2 (Not sure of skill, perhaps Spellcraft or Stealth) - 4,000 GP
Neck:
Ring (up to two):
Shield:
Shoulders:
Wrists:
Slotless:
Wayfinder (Standard) - 500 GP
Ioun Stone, Clear Spindle - 4,000 GP
Handy Haversack - 2,000 GP
Ioun Torch - 75 GP
Traveler’s Any-Tool - 250 GP
Bottle, Eversmoking - 5,400 GP
An assortment of useful scrolls and potions
In a world where necromantic magic has been empowered...:
and the strength of the sun has waned, mindless hordes of zombies, skeletons, and more malefic undead have plagued the living for the past several decades. In the face of such horrors, few settlements have survived...and one of those is the walled city of Brindinford (See the 3.0 D&D module "Speaker in Dreams").
The city and the living, in general, have adapted in several ways::
Brindinford Defenses - Long ago, Brindinford was a major trade center on a major river with no fields in the immediate vicinity and its food came from small farming villages scattered in the nearby countryside. Forestation had been cleared about a mile outside of town on the east side of the river, but much of the west bank was still heavily wooded. When the dead began to walk again, an aging Baron Euphemes II prepared the city for the horrors to come, ordering the deforestation of Brindinford’s west bank to create a stockpile of lumber and arable farmland. Since then, the survivors of those small farming villages have come to till the fields just outside the city walls and under the vigilance of the town guards, whose bell tower remains ever ready to sound in warning.
Heirs to Power - It has been 35 years since Baron Euphemes II, the noble and imposing leader of Brindinford in St. Darius’ time, would have passed away many years ago. Without a wife or any children to take his place, who took up the reins of power afterward? Thirty five years ago, Sir Balder stood as the right hand to Baron Euphemes II, executing the Baron’s will as his health declined with age. Known by few, Sir Balder was a prince, the 7th son of a kingdom far to the northwest, a land of snowy mountains, deep forests, and noble werewolves, including Sir Balder himself. After many years of service to Brindinford and his noble lineage, Sir Balder perhaps makes the most sense as an heir to Baron Euphemes II. However, his duties before the Baron’s passing may have put him in an early grave, or perhaps Sir Balder’s sense of duty to family would show itself to be greater than his duty to the city and his personal ambitions, leading him to take up the journey to return to his father’s side, alongside his brothers, and defend his homeland instead. If so, the question remains, who leads Brindinford today and how did they find themselves in such a position?
People of the Land - Using the powerful tool that magic is, a cult devoted to the restoration and maintenance of agriculture might be created from the necessity to maintain farmlands and livestock with less daylight and few defenses from the relentless undead throughout the world. While not particularly well suited to taking up the mantle of repelling the undead or defending the land, they have made great strides in enhancing nature’s bounties to support settlements of survivors.
As believers of most, if not all, gods perish in great numbers, the knowledge of such faiths may disappear along with them. Some People of the Land may choose to worship specific deities from earlier times, particularly those with the plant, earth, or water domain or the seasons subdomain, but others may not care where their power comes from, perhaps even drawing tainted strength from among Infernal Dukes, Abyssal Lords, or worse that hold sway over nature. This may lead to People of the Land with less scrupulous motivations for joining the faith. In a world of decreasing supply, the demand for food would grow high. Those with the valuable knowledge and means to farm and create a steady supply of food would become significantly more elevated in station as they could sell for higher prices or barter for more goods and services than ever before. A city on the verge of starvation may find itself held hostage by a single person, using the city’s hunger as their only leverage. For those who seeks comfort through station rather than wealth, skilled spellcasters may find themselves on a city’s retainer to provide regular enrichment of the city’s crops throughout the year. In the case of the exceptionally rapacious, they might take over a smaller settlement as their leader, extorting and effectively enslaving those beneath them.
Though druids might be thought of as more suitable for this role, their focus on preserving nature rather than supporting mankind would likely prevent them from enhancing crops from an ethical standpoint. Similarly, druidic proclivities regarding building defenses on from naturally growth wood and shaped stone might put them at a disadvantage when undead hordes pass through the area faster than those defenses can be erected.
Lead up to the quandry:
Our caravan of a dozen or so was heading north to seek out the dwarves to help us break the undead army's siege on Brindinford. on the third day of travel, we encountered a band of hooded women standing around a pyre in the midst of a ruined caravan of their own. Upon approaching, they tell us in Dwarven, as they don't seem to speak common, that they were attacked and all their men were killed before their attackers left.
The paladin detects evil on the speaker and young girl she held close, both ringing as evil. He sheathes his sword and stows his shield, walks up to the two of them, slowly reaching out a hand to pull down the young girl's hood. The mother discusses her fears with the caravan's leader, the only one who speaks Dwarven, of what the paladin might do out of ignorant hatred. The caravan leader asks the paladin to hold, and the hooded women drop their hoods...and illusions, revealing themselves as Drow.
The paladin doesn't care that they are Drow and the leader engages the Drow to join the caravan's encampment for the night. However, before night falls, one of the caravan's scouts returns with a young man, bleeding and bound by the wrists. The Drow women's leader begins screaming and cursing at the young man, attempting to draw spell components before she's grabbed by the paladin. The caravan leader tries to mediate between the two as the Drow explains that it was the bound man's group that tricked the Drow group into joining them before attacking in the middle of the night to take the Drows' few supplies. The bound man replies, claiming that it was the Drow who attacked them, killing all in his group except him. The paladin uses Detect Evil on the bound man, who also rings as evil.
At this point, the caravan leader heads off to prepare a spell, as he is a cleric of light with an open spell slot for the day. In the meantime, the paladin implores that someone in the group feed and water the bound man with the food and water the paladin has provided. Only one is willing. As he is being fed, one of the Drow children in the wagon that the bound man is sitting against attempts to hop down the man with a dagger, and as she is dragged away from him, she screams, "You killed my daddy!"
A moment later, the caravan leader returns and tells us that he has prepared a spell that would allow us to trust the man's words, Touch of Truthtelling.
However, as a compulsion, this imposes on someone's free will and violates the paladin's code. He tells the caravan leader that if the spell is cast on the bound man, he won't be able to trust anything that he says because of the enchantment, making the point of casting the spell mute. The paladin would allow it though, if the man consented, to which the bound man declined. So, the caravan leader handed the situation over the legally-appointed judge traveling with the caravan...the paladin.
The start of the trial followed promptly and the man challenged the court's authority over him outside of Brindinford's walls. However, since Brindinford is the ONLY known settlement nearby and the caravan is comprised of Brindinford citizens, the judge believes he holds authority in the situation. The man's composure degrades quickly as he becomes angry and argumentative. He demands trial by combat. The judge asks for a signet ring, or patents of nobility, or anything to back his claim to the right of trial by combat. The man is unable to.
The judge declares that, given the circumstance, he will allow the man to challenge the court's authority to hold this trial...by combat. He accepts, is released from his bindings, and the circle for combat is set. The judge fights for the court, immediately declaring the man as his smite enemy, and the bloody fight starts. By the end, the man is bleeding to death on the ground, and the judge has a broken elbow. Regardless, the judge throws down his sword and uses Lay on Hands to stabilize the man, declares him guilty of murder, puts him in manacles, and has the man thrown
in the back of the wagon as a prisoner to be transported back to Brindinford after the caravan has completed its journey to the dwarves.
In hindsight, a question arose... under what alignment(s) does the non-consensual use of mind-affecting enchantments, such as charms and compulsions, fall? Is it lawful only if state-appointed authorities decide its use, or are there others that are legally allowed to use such magics without consent? Even if it's lawful, is it moral? Is this akin to blackmail, forcing someone to act or refrain from acting? Is it an invasion of privacy? Do the ends justify the means, being moral only if used for particular purposes?
A party of 3rd level characters (Aasimar Paladin 3, Aasimar Sorcerer 3, [Custom Race] Warpriest 3, and a Half-Orc Sorcerer 1/Wizard 1/Magus 1) are in a large town in a world that had been decimated by necromantic phenomena. Scouts report to the town saying that an undead army is approaching and is roughly a week away. The town has large stone walls, but how else can the town prepare for the attack? What should the party do if the undead siege the town? What tactics are effective in fighting large numbers of undead in the field or in city streets?
In a world where necromantic magic has been empowered and the strength of the sun has waned, mindless hordes of zombies, skeletons, and more malefic undead have plagued the living for the past several decades. In the face of such horrors, few settlements have survived...and one of those is the walled city of Brindinford (See the 3.0 D&D module "Speaker in Dreams").
The city and the living in general have adapted in several ways::
Brindinford Defenses - Long ago, Brindinford was a major trade center on a major river with no fields in the immediate vicinity and its food came from small farming villages scattered in the nearby countryside. Forestation had been cleared about a mile outside of town on the east side of the river, but much of the west bank was still heavily wooded. When the dead began to walk again, an aging Baron Euphemes II prepared the city for the horrors to come, ordering the deforestation of Brindinford’s west bank to create a stockpile of lumber and arable farmland. Since then, the survivors of those small farming villages have come to till the fields just outside the city walls and under the vigilance of the town guards, whose bell tower remains ever ready to sound in warning.
Heirs to Power - It has been 35 years since Baron Euphemes II, the noble and imposing leader of Brindinford in St. Darius’ time, would have passed away many years ago. Without a wife or any children to take his place, who took up the reins of power afterward? Thirty five years ago, Sir Balder stood as the right hand to Baron Euphemes II, executing the Baron’s will as his health declined with age. Known by few, Sir Balder was a prince, the 7th son of a kingdom far to the northwest, a land of snowy mountains, deep forests, and noble werewolves, including Sir Balder himself. After many years of service to Brindinford and his noble lineage, Sir Balder perhaps makes the most sense as an heir to Baron Euphemes II. However, his duties before the Baron’s passing may have put him in an early grave, or perhaps Sir Balder’s sense of duty to family would show itself to be greater than his duty to the city and his personal ambitions, leading him to take up the journey to return to his father’s side, alongside his brothers, and defend his homeland instead. If so, the question remains, who leads Brindinford today and how did they find themselves in such a position?
People of the Land - Using the powerful tool that magic is, a cult devoted to the restoration and maintenance of agriculture might be created from the necessity to maintain farmlands and livestock with less daylight and few defenses from the relentless undead throughout the world. While not particularly well suited to taking up the mantle of repelling the undead or defending the land, they have made great strides in enhancing nature’s bounties to support settlements of survivors.
As believers of most, if not all, gods perish in great numbers, the knowledge of such faiths may disappear along with them. Some People of the Land may choose to worship specific deities from earlier times, particularly those with the plant, earth, or water domain or the seasons subdomain, but others may not care where their power comes from, perhaps even drawing tainted strength from among Infernal Dukes, Abyssal Lords, or worse that hold sway over nature. This may lead to People of the Land with less scrupulous motivations for joining the faith. In a world of decreasing supply, the demand for food would grow high. Those with the valuable knowledge and means to farm and create a steady supply of food would become significantly more elevated in station as they could sell for higher prices or barter for more goods and services than ever before. A city on the verge of starvation may find itself held hostage by a single person, using the city’s hunger as their only leverage. For those who seeks comfort through station rather than wealth, skilled spellcasters may find themselves on a city’s retainer to provide regular enrichment of the city’s crops throughout the year. In the case of the exceptionally rapacious, they might take over a smaller settlement as their leader, extorting and effectively enslaving those beneath them.
Though druids might be thought of as more suitable for this role, their focus on preserving nature rather than supporting mankind would likely prevent them from enhancing crops from an ethical standpoint. Similarly, druidic proclivities regarding building defenses on from naturally growth wood and shaped stone might put them at a disadvantage when undead hordes pass through the area faster than those defenses can be erected.
A cleric of light prepares her companions, a young gypsy woman in constant pursuit of arcane lore alongside a quiet warrior dedicated to helping humanity survive. It's this quiet warrior that I'd like advice for.
Holy Guide to Vengeance:
Angel-blooded Aasimar Paladin 3
LG Medium Outsider(Native) and Humanoid (Human)
Init +3; Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +2
Aura courage (10 ft.)
DEFENSE
AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+6 armor, +3 Dex, +1 shield)
hp 27 (3d10)
Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +9; +2 vs. death effects, energy drain, negative energy, and necromancy spells or spell-like abilities; +7 vs. charm and compulsion effects; Immune disease, fear; Resist negative energy 5
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee longsword +3 (1d8+2/19–20), quickdraw shield, light steel +3 (1d3+1/20) or longsword +5 (1d8+2/19-20)
Ranged dagger +6 (1d4+2/19–20)
Special Attacks smite evil 1/day (+7 attack and AC, +3 damage)
Paladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +10)
At will—detect evil
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 24
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 18
Feats Combat Reflexes, Two-Weapon Fighting
Skills Craft(Alchemy) +5, Diplomacy +13, Handle Animal +11, Knowledge (Geography) +5, Knowledge (Religion) +5, Perception +2, Ride +2, Sense Motive +7, Survival +3
Languages Common, Celestial
SQ aura, code of conduct, deathless spirit, divine health, favored terrain (plains +2), lay on hands (1d6, 8/day), scion of humanity, truespeaker
Combat Gear mw agile breastplate, longsword, light steel shield (quickdraw) with a mw boss, dagger, cestus, sling, various alchemical thrown weapons; Other Gear signal whistle, wayfinder with a cracked dusty rose prism (ioun stone)[resonance +4 Cha], harlot sweets, clear ear drops, magic weapon oil, enlarge person oil, protection from evil oil, lesser restoration oil
Traits Defensive Strategist, Finding Your Kin, Irrepressible
Drawback Righteous Indignation
My initial thoughts for this character are a grizzled man, apparently in his early 30's despite a century of life, missing the pinky and ring finger of his left hand, and bearing a rope-burn scar across his neck, which has damaged his vocal cords. I'm not sure how to roleplay the voice yet though.
The group won't know this at first, but the rope-burn scar is from a failed suicide attempt after his sister's death, which both he and his family blamed him for. (Haven't quite figured out the details for this yet either. I'm open to suggestions.) At some point in that part of the story, his family disowned him and he left in disgrace, perhaps due to his inexplicably slow aging by human standards. As the world falls apart, he's drafted into the militia to fight the growing number of dead rising throughout the land. Though the army unraveled in the ensuing chaos, the warrior's heart pushed him to continue defending people as they simply tried to survive. He's sees the way so many people take advantage of others' situations and weaknesses and begins to keep of list of those criminals and predators who have escaped his grasp or whose crimes have gone unpunished before his arrival. However, he eventually came to accept that the world and those in it are not as noble as his ideals, including his father who had long-abused the warrior's sister before her passing. Now, his father's name sits at the top of that list and the warrior still searches for him, fully intent on punishing his father for his past crimes.
Would anyone help me clean this up a bit and make it a bit more coherent?
If a cursed item has the drawback "Character is polymorphed into a specific creature (5% chance [01–05 on d%] each day)," how do you reverse the polymorph?
I have created a locale in a large, Ustalavic city, which is a private club for hedonists and gluttons. The club is a veil for the worship of Urgathoa's gluttonous aspect, much as some cults like those found in Curse of the Crimson Throne focus on Urgathoa's disease aspect.
I imagine a powerful(I'm thinking level 12) Osiriani-descended enchantress leading a great ceremony and feast. She dresses in elaborate and beautiful costume, enhanced by illusions to circumvent the Ustalavic prejudice against outsiders.
She has several other talented enchantresses to aid her as servers and entertainers, giving the whole feast an air of being in a bordello without the distastefulness of blatant sexual energy. The enchantress staff must each craft a magical incense stick that lets off an aromatic haze without burning away. The first one was created by the head enchantress and creates a mind fog effect for her table usable once per day. She has since made the creation of such an item a rite of passage within the cult.
However, the club is a gateway for the darker undeath aspect of the larger cult. As such, I'd like for the head enchantress to also be capable of using her enchantment magic effectively against the undead.
Would anyone be willing to build the character for provide some good advice for how to create this character?
I know Rule of Fear is a general overview book of Ustalav, but I'd like to see Caliphas covered more. Is there any way we could get some more material from Wesley?
Currently, our party in comprised of 1) an elven-descended Aasimar Synthesist summoner[LG] whose eidolon appears as a translucent overlay of a winged, angelic figure; 2) a Half-Copper Dragon human [CG] bloodrager/cleric of Sinashakti; 3) an Undine gunslinger [CN] and 4) a Sylph rogue.
The thought that crosses my mind that in Caliphas, and Ustalav in general, ~85% of people are human, ~7-8% elf, ~7-8% dwarf and 1% other. Those people also tend to be superstitious and prejudiced against foreigners, let alone "monsters." I'm not sure how I should go about having common people respond to this particular group of characters.
The group thus far has been very polite and pleasant with those people they've interacted with, having a diplomancer in the party(synthesist), but, as the GM, I had become largely accustomed to the group interacting in Absalom and had forgotten about how the people in Ustalav would tend to be more cautious and insular.
Do any GM's out there have any advice or ideas on how they would have NPC's respond to/interact with these exceptionally unusual characters?
Ustalav is a place possessed of a good deal of racism, not just against demihumans, such as dwarves, elves and stranger folk, but even to foreign humans.
If a PC Ogre wanted to follow along with the rest of the party, what is the cheapest way to disguise him as an Ustalavic human? How much do you think it would cost?
Concerns:
1) Large size limits the utility of illusions, such as disguise self, when traveling through the streets of urban areas. Any person who rubs shoulders with the ogre would get a Will save to see him.
2) Alter self-based items are excellent, but the cost of a Greater Hat of Disguise is too high. This cost accounts for the unlimited use, infinite duration and great flexibility in number of disguises available, but limiting the item to one form is an option. How would you go about calculating the cost of such an item?
Do you have another interesting item idea that fits the bill?
I'm running a Golarion campaign and currently the PC's are in Absalom. They are traveling from Absalom to Caliphas. I've read the Ashes at Dawn adventure path and am in the middle of Bloodhound, but I was wondering if anyone knew of any other sources for Caliphas. Does anyone have any advice for making Caliphas come to life for my players? The group is effectively going to be conducting a private investigation in the city. Ideas for interesting locations and/or NPC's are welcome.
I'm trying to figure out if an Oracle(Psychic Searcher) 2/Investigator 1 has two inspiration pools, separated by what they can be used on? Would any investigator talents affect both or just one or the other? Any thoughts?
I have a character that I am the GM for. He is a powerfully built LG Aasimar Synthesist 9 with the Leadership feat for a cohort (NG Halfling Archaeologist 5/Pathfinder Chronicler 1/Halfling Opportunist 1). The aasimar character also has the flaw Power-Hungry, which has yet to come up in the 31 game sessions we've had so far, other than the player generally arguing for most things to be in his favor. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can capitalize on this flaw and bring it into play?
For those that want the context of the campaign, the group has just returned to Absalom after a few months away, slaying many orcs that were fighting each other for control of Castle Scarwall. They have used their significant social skill modifiers to diplomance one of the two remaining orcs, each a leader of a different group, to take control of the castle when reinforcements from their tribe arrived. He had been slain during the final battle, but his cohort and a couple of PC allies rushed his body back to Vigil in order to hold a vigil(hehehe...) for him on holy ground and bring him back using one of his aasimar abilities. As he was returned, by Abadar's graces, a Trumpet Archon appeared and gave him a quest.
'Lithe and beautiful, with skin the color of marble and otherworldly eyes, white and pupilless, a being hovered upon powerful, white wings, bearing a gleaming, silver trumpet adorned with golden keys. She radiated a sense of tranquility as she spoke, her voice clear and musical, "Calundan Narmir, the Master of the First Vault has use for you still. A great threat will soon rise, and the chaos of war that ensues will despoil this place and other great cities. Far beneath your last glimpse of the night sky, there lies an ancient text known as the Kardosian Codex. As recompense for receiving Abadar's kindness and favor, you are commissioned to take possession of the Codex and place it into a secure repository that such dire events never take place." As a warm glow enveloped the angelic figure, her final words echoed, "This is your mandate," and she was gone.'
Two days into the return journey to Castle Scarwall to rejoin the remainder of their company, this happens.
'Calundan had returned from the Great Beyond, accompanied by a celestial herald to give a dire warning and set a great task before him. Quickly, Vren, Gram, Calundan and Flynn set themselves on the return journey to Castle Scarwall, where Corvax and Roy awaited their return, the messenger's words echoing in their minds.
In the late hours of the night, Vren stood watch. There was little cover in the low, rolling hills in the expanse between Vigil and their destination. The Hold of Belkzen was a desolate place filled with little more than dry grasses and sparse scrubland, fit more for beasts than men. No wonder the orcs thrived in such a place. The half-moon cast dim light down on their encampment. Gram had dug a small cooking fire into the ground, giving off enough heat to cook with, but little smoke or light. In any case, it had died down to embers before Gram had woken Vren for his turn on watch.
Sitting on a large, weathered boulder that they decided to set camp next to, Vren looked outward for any sign of danger. Calundan had set a ward around the encampment before going to sleep, standing atop the rock as a center point and dangling a tiny bell from a piece of very fine silver wire as he spoke some arcane words. Vren recognized the spell, hearing the sounds, yet being unable to keep the words from slipping away from his mind as Calundan spoke. If anyone or anything entered the area, at least Calundan would know.
Vren thought he heard the shuffling of someone rolling over in their tent. It wasn't until he heard the clank of metal on metal, the familiar sound of armor, that he stood and looked over. Gram stirred to the sound as well, opening an eye to see Vren's hand move to his swordhandle, ready to draw and fight, if need be. The sound was coming from his tent, and as Vren took a step closer, the flap opened and a figure emerged.
It stood at least a head taller than Vren, a hulking figure within regally imposing, black armor, great horns sweeping back from its helm and massive, and metallic wings that seemed to grow from its armor, feathers glinting in the moonlight. Two eyes glowed visibly beneath it's helm. Its gaze, twin points of light burning bright with flames, pierced through from behind its closed visor.
Vren and Gram felt wave of terror wash over them and a soul-rending sensation of isolation and loss, as if the gods themselves had suddenly turned away from them. Even Calundan and Flynn could feel the sense of abandonment as their dreams turned into an overwhelming expanse of sterile and desolate gulfs of nothingness, a dark, empty place, an eternal and terrifying pit where they were falling until it stole away all light and life.
It looked at Vren...and in a moment as fleeting as the blink of an eye, it was gone.'
The group recognized the armor as a suit of armor they had recovered in the dark temple beneath Castle Scarwall. In the place where they had had their final showdown with the Orc curate of the Star Tower, there had been a flayed and desiccated humanoid man with skinless remnants of birdlike wings protruding from it's back. It was suspended in the air by several spiked chains from the ceiling ceiling and floor. Beneath the figure was a statue of a Legion Archon, it's black armor being the only thing not made of stone. The statue was imprisoned inside a large, wrought iron cage with bars like thick, barbed wire crisscrossing around it, it's only access point being a single locked door at the back of the cage. Inside the cage engulfing the statue and armor was a gelatinous cube. After the battle with the curate and his minions, they killed the gelatinous cube and retrieved the armor off of the statue as well as the flayed body of the Legion Archon. In any case, they recognized the suit of fullplate armor was made of adamantine, attributed by its color and density, but was otherwise non-magical and stowed it into a bag of holding.
After the encounter on the way back to Castle Scarwall the group has begun to called the creature "the Dark Archon". By the time they returned to Castle Scarwall, they were told by the remainder of their party that the same figure had appeared at the castle and killed several of the orc reinforcements and scared away the remaining party members as it descended into the Star Tower and returned to the surface before disappearing once again. The group explored a large door beyond the dark temple below that they had elected to keep closed until the Pathfinder expedition they were waiting for had arrived to the castle. They discovered a passage to the Darklands that had been blocked off with stone debris and a large statue of Zon-Kuthon standing on a tiny island in the middle of a very still underground lake. At the base of the statue was a stone throne, the seat of which concealed a storage space large enough to hold the components of a primitive alchemist's lab and an opened canvas cloth. The clothe obviously had been protecting something, something that was now missing.
During the first week of being back in Absalom, the group went into research and shopping mode, or we call it "Mathfinder, the follow up edition to Dungeons and Merchants". In any case, they have come to the conclusion that the Archon is a Graveknight and had taken the Kardosian Codex. Based on a Church of Sarenrae text about the undead, meeting with several historical experts at the Grand Lodge and Absalom at large, and bardic tales from the past few years concerning the Gluttonous Tome and its components, the group is still in the midst of debate about what to do and how to go about locating the archon or the text, as well as what the possible motive of the archon is and whether or not he, or his possible master, are intending to use it to re-awaken Zutha, the Runelord of Gluttony, or use the Codex's power directly for their own ends.
If anyone has any thoughts or ideas for plotlines and twists, I'm certainly open to hearing those as well.
If a synthesist archetype summoner picks up the Leadership feat, should his Leadership score for cohorts suffer the "Has a familiar, special mount, or animal companion" penalty of -2?
I'm creating a character with a couple Binder levels from Tome of Magic. I'm curious if anyone knows of a way to ensure a way to consistently hit a DC 15 Binding check, such as a way to take a 10 on the roll each day or at least a way to reroll a failed check.
Looking at the rules in the core book and Ultimate Magic, the only requirements for spell research/creation are Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft along with gp costs for research materials and equipment.
If this is so, would that mean that any character with these skills, including non-spellcasters, could become a theoretical magician, capable of translating and transcribing spells from one spellbook to another or creating spells he/she is incapable of casting, much like a wizard researching a spell he has not yet acquired the skill to cast?
