I applied during the previous recruitment thread for this AP, so I wanted to check back in here as well.
My original concept was a Warpriest archer, but after seeing your changes and thinking it over a bit more, I’d actually like to switch gears and submit a Swashbuckler (or something in that general style—mobile, skillful melee).
I also had a quick question regarding the World is Square feat rules you’re using. Since everyone effectively gains Weapon Finesse, how does that interact with classes that normally receive Weapon Finesse as part of their class features? Would that be replaced by something else, or would it be possible to gain something equivalent like Weapon Focus with a weapon instead?
Thanks, and I appreciate you reopening things for everyone. :-D
Really like the progress updates, and I appreciate you being upfront about how you’re approaching PvP in an evil game, because it sounds like the focus is still very much on the story and the shared objective rather than random backstabbing which I appreciate a lot.
Based on what you’ve outlined so far, do any of the character concepts people have suggested seem like they would be a poor fit for the campaign, or does it sound like most evil factions in the Realms could potentially have a stake in the superweapon race?
So my ideas and character motivations earlier were a Zhentarim agent who wants to use the weapon to impose order through fear, or a Cult of the Dragon scholar who wants to unlock its secrets and fulfill ancient prophecies, or a Iron Throne operative who sees it as the ultimate tool for economic domination, and lastly a Kraken Society spy who views it as the greatest source of secrets and leverage ever discovered.
But as an alternative to the Cult of Dragon concept, I was also thinking of a Red Wizard of Thay who sees the weapon as the ultimate arcane artifact, something to be studied, replicated, and eventually monopolized by Thay’s magical elite rather than simply used as a weapon.
Another possibility as an alternative to the Zhentarim would be an elite assassin from the Night Masks, someone whose entire career has revolved around eliminating targets from afar and who has just been sent to ensure capturing and securing the weapon without him personally having any stake in the weapons usage at all.
Either way, I’m excited to see where your ideas end up taking the story and I’ll definitely be watching for the recruitment thread when it goes live.
I especially like the idea that all these evil groups are essentially racing to get the weapon before the heroes can destroy it. That’s a much more interesting setup than just “evil party does evil things.”
Everyone has a reason to work together, but everyone also has their own agenda once the weapon is secured. That kind of tension usually makes for great roleplay.
I also think Forgotten Realms is a great choice. There are just so many factions, cults, secret societies, and power players that it feels natural for a campaign like this.
A few character ideas immediately came to mind:
1. A Zhentarim agent who genuinely believes that most of Faerûn’s problems stem from weak leadership. He’s ruthless, but not cruel for the sake of being cruel. In his mind, if a few cities have to be threatened so that hundreds can live in peace under a stable regime, that’s simply the cost of order. He’d see this weapon as the ultimate tool to bring the world under control.
2. A scholar from the Cult of the Dragon who spent years chasing obscure prophecies and forgotten lore. Most people in the cult think he’s a bit obsessed, but he’s convinced this weapon was foretold centuries ago. He isn’t really interested in ruling anyone; he wants to understand the thing and uncover its secrets. The fact that it could reshape the balance of power across the Realms is just a bonus.
3. An agent of the Iron Throne would fit the premise really well too. Not some cackling villain, but a cold businessman who sees kingdoms, wars, and economies as numbers on a ledger. If trade routes can be controlled through fear of annihilation, then profits become inevitable. He’d probably spend half the campaign trying to convince everyone else that making money is more important than blowing things up.
4. And for something more obscure, maybe a member of the Kraken Society. Someone raised among spies, smugglers, and pirates who understands that information is power. To them, the weapon itself is valuable, but the real prize is learning who built it, who can operate it, and who else is searching for it. Secrets can be sold, traded, or weaponized just as effectively as any giant metal rod falling from the sky.
~
Really looking forward to seeing where this goes. The fact that you’re taking time to think through the higher-level encounters and environments is encouraging too. High-level games can be tricky, but when they’re done well they’re some of the most memorable campaigns out there.
Thanks again for GMing this game DM Slayde. I very much appreciate it and was one of the people who voted for AoW in your interest thread.
My character is based on the concept of an Ex-Asmodean who fled Cheliax and became a Warpriest Archer of Erastil. Please find the character background below which outlines why Karda is now in Diamond Lake and does not only want to survive, but she wants act to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
She would have started to connect with the soldiers in the Chapel of Iomedae as well as Marcellus Davaulus from the church of Abadar if that is possible.
Her character sheet is in her profile.
Karda – Character Background:
I. Born into slavery and sacrifice in the church of Asmodeus in Egorian
Karda was born in the capital of Cheliax: Egorian, the City of Thorns. Her mother and many other women were used as the playthings of an Asmodean sorceress who conducted cruel experiments, crossbreeding tortured slaves with planar creatures brought into the Material Plane.
Karda and her brother were among the most unfortunate results of these rituals—children born of a slave woman forced again and again to bear offspring touched by celestial outsiders. Her mother, though broken, clung to what little humanity remained in her. In secret, she told her children stories—not of glory, but of hardship—of distant lands where people struggled but lived free. Among these was a bleak mining settlement called Diamond Lake, the place where her mother had been born, a harsh land, but one where survival came through one’s own strength, not through chains.
Her mother could not endure the torment forever. She died before she could shield her children from the indoctrination of the Church of Asmodeus. As Egorian stood at the heart of the Dark Prince’s dominion, Karda and her brother were raised in the Midnight Temple—taught obedience through pain, discipline through terror, and devotion through sacrifice.
Karda remembers the Black Altar vividly, carved in the image of a horned devil with vast wings spread wide. Though she outwardly remained a follower of Asmodeus, something inside her began to fracture. Watching fellow slaves—people she had come to see as her only family—be sacrificed or broken awakened a dangerous thought: that law, as practiced by her masters, served only those in power.
When she was forced to sacrifice something dear, the breaking point came. Instead of submission, she felt connection—to the other slaves, to their suffering, and to their wasted potential. She began to believe that while order had value, cruelty without purpose was weakness disguised as strength.
II. Freedom and joining the community of Erastil in Molthune
Whether by fate or divine will, Karda’s life changed when a coordinated strike by the Bellflower Network shattered the sorceress’s hidden enclave. Chains were broken, masters slain or scattered, and for the first time, Karda tasted freedom.
Among those who aided the freed slaves was a man named Stan Wol, a humble follower of Erastil from Molthune. He took Karda and her brother in, not as tools or experiments, but as people. Under Stan’s guidance, Karda encountered a different kind of order—one rooted not in domination, but in responsibility. In a small rural community devoted to Erastil, she learned the value of family, labor, and mutual protection. Strength was not measured by how many you could command, but by how many you could protect.
This upbringing reshaped her beliefs. She totally abandoned the rigid principles instilled by Asmodeus and became a believer in Erastil, because she wanted to support the community that she was part of —not exploit it. Leadership meant stewardship, not tyranny.
III. Soldier of Molthune and the path to Diamond Lake
When the time came, Karda and her brother left Stan’s home to forge their own path. Both sought purpose through discipline and found it in military service. Their skill and devotion earned them positions as arsenal chaplains in Molthune, and eventually, they rose to become warpriests of Erastil. Stationed in Korholm, Karda served among an elite militant order dedicated to defending and strengthening their people. Yet even as she served, a quiet restlessness grew within her.
Her mother’s distant stories of her birthplace - of hardship, of survival, of places forgotten by the powerful - never left her. Over time, one place came to dominate her thoughts: Diamond Lake. Not a place of beauty or glory—but of struggle. Of exploited laborers. Of corruption left unchecked. A place where law existed, but justice did not. Her brother chose a different path, and for the first time, they parted ways. Karda traveled north and eventually arrived in Diamond Lake.
Mine owners treated workers as disposable tools, the law was twisted by petty tyrants, and the people endured lives of quiet desperation. To Karda, there was a spark that wanted her to change the birthplace of her mother, and to give this community the chance for a better future. She is now in Diamond Lake and does not only want to survive, but she wants act to protect those who cannot protect themselves. And to prove to herself as much as to the world that strength does not lie in tyranny, but in the will to build a community that endures.
She would have started to connect with the soldiers in the Chapel of Iomedae as well as Marcellus Davaulus from the church of Abadar if that is possible.
Thanks for the confirmation about EitR GM Wulfson - I will not change anything in Karda's stats, but definitely makes an archer not totally irrelevant in melee. :-D
Thanks again for GMing this game. I very much appreciate it.
Rolls:
[Dice= point buy ] d4+ 15+ -
[Dice= average gold ] 5d6+ + - * 10 = 170 gp
My character is based on the concept of an Ex-Asmodean who fled Cheliax and became a Warpriest Archer of Erastil. Please find the character background below.
** spoiler omitted **...
No, that's fine, but if you'd rolled something that you couldn't use (see AJM4885's post above) you'd be stuck with it.
Thanks again for GMing this game. I very much appreciate it.
Rolls:
point buy :1d4 + 15 ⇒ (4) + 15 = 19
average gold :5d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 1, 6, 3) = 17 * 10 = 170 gp
My character is based on the concept of an Ex-Asmodean who fled Cheliax and became a Warpriest Archer of Erastil. Please find the character background below.
Karda - Character Background:
I. Born into slavery and sacrifice in the church of Asmodeus in Egorian
Karda was born in the capital of Cheliax: Egorian, the City of Thorns. Her mother and many other women were used as the toys of an Asmodean sorceress that regularly experimented by cross-breeding tortured slaves with the planar creatures that the sorceress brought to the material plane. Karda and her brother in particular are the unfortunate children of a slave that was forced to copulate again and again with celestial outsiders.
Karda’s mother was a broken woman and although she gave her love and tried to secretly teach her about her roots in the city of Kintargo, she was not able to endure the dark rituals and eventually died so that she could not prevent the Asmodean indoctrination that Karda and her brother faced day to day. As Egorian is the heart of the faith of Asmodeus, the allegiance of the sorceress to the church was not surprising, and thus this led to the young slaves being tortured and ‘educated’ in The Midnight Temple.
Karda can still remember the Black Altar in the Temple of Asmodeus that resembled a devil with large wings and horns. Although Karda remained a worshiper of Asmodeus, seeing her ‘family members’ die made Karda realize that sometimes rules only served those in power. Being asked to give up something dear as a sacrifice triggered something inside of her that made her emotionally connect to the community of slaves around her. She realized that while the Dark Prince demands order, the cruelty of her masters was a waste of potential and a violation of the strength a true community should possess.
II. Freedom and joining the community of Erastil in Rostland
Maybe it was fate or maybe it was Old Deadeye’s plan but one day a concerted strike on the evil sorceress’ hideout by the Bellflower Network led to the freedom of all slaves including Karda and her brother. After the liberation, it was a human follower of Erastil from Molthune, Stan Wol, who took Karda and her brother under his wing. Stan over time became almost like a father, showing them that while Karda still held to the tenets of Asmodeus, there were other deities and communities that valued the bonds of family over the chains of bondage.
In the years after her escape Karda and her brother stayed together with Stan in Molthune. Here, a small group from different races prayed to Erastil and lived off the land. This community raised Karda with the sensibilities that hard work wins well-deserved gains, and that it is important to uphold personal and familial honor. This upbringing created a perspective for Karda to become a follower of Erastil who values the stability and loyalty of a tight-knit community, believing that a true leader protects their flock rather than needlessly slaughtering them.
III. Living the life of a soldier in Molthune and choosing her own path
When Stan decided that it was time for Karda and her brother to start their own life, they complied and eventually decided that it is time for them to receive a formal training in the art of combat. Karda and her brother were lucky to be chosen as Molthuni arsenal chaplains and eventually became warpriests of Erastil. In the Arsenal District in Korholm, Karda was part of an elite force that focused on the militant aspects of the faith.
But Karda realized after some time that she had to start following her own goals. She had a heartfelt desire to return to her mother's birthplace, the city of Kintargo. She remembered her mother’s stories of the "City of Silver," a place of culture and beauty that had been stifled under the boot of House Thrune. Her brother had other plans, and thus they had to say goodbye for the first time.
Karda then arrived in Kintargo and initially was uncertain about what is going on, but she has heard of the "Night of Ashes" and the arrival of the new Lord-Mayor, Barzillai Thrune. To Karda, Barzillai’s chaotic cruelty and his corruption of the law are an insult to her faith. She has come to find her mother's legacy and to support those fighting against the local Church of Asmodeus and to prove that true life does not need the senseless tyranny currently strangling Kintargo.
The full character build is also in her profile.
Question to the GM :
My character build is based on an Aasimar and as you indicated that you allow variant abilities, I would with your permission roll d100 on the Aasimar table for Variant Aasimar Abilities
d100 roll :1d100 ⇒ 99 =>> 99 You have a natural fly speed of 20 feet (poor)
Oh, that actually fits to a Garuda-Blooded (Plumekith) Aasimar.
~
Hello GM, thanks a lot for the list of submissions!
I just wanted to point out that you listed Karda as “Divine”, although I believe that Karda is a Ranged Combatant first. She is a Warpriest who’ll take primarily Archer feats and is more Ranged Fighter than Cleric. :-D
I am submitting a Warpriest follower of Erastil that would primarily fulfill the role of an Archer with secondary support roles as a healer and buffer. Karda’s role in the campaign would be most likely a counselor and not the Baron.
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **...
Hello GM, see here for an update to the detailed background which replaced the one above.
Thanks again!
~
Karda - Character Background
I. Born into slavery and sacrifice in the church of Asmodeus in Egorian:
Karda was born in the capital of Cheliax: Egorian, the City of Thorns. Her mother and many other women were used as the toys of an Asmodean sorceress that regularly experimented by cross-breeding tortured slaves with the planar creatures that the sorceress brought to the material plane. Karda and her brother in particular are the unfortunate children of a slave that was forced to copulate again and again with celestial outsiders. During conception her mother was killed and brought back to life so often that Karda’s life force - the product of dark rituals of torture, death and rebirth - still has a link to the positive energy that carried her mother to eventually give birth.
Karda’s mother was a broken woman and although she gave her love and tried to secretly teach her about her roots in the Stolen Lands, she was not able to endure the dark rituals and eventually died so that she could not prevent the Asmodean indoctrination that Karda and her brother faced day to day. As Egorian is the heart of the faith of Asmodeus, and the largest concentration of devil worshipers can be found there, the allegiance of the sorceress to the church of Asmodeus was not surprising, and thus this led to the young slaves of the sorceress to be tortured and ‘educated’ in the The Midnight Temple in Egorian.
Karda can still remember the Black Altar in the Temple of Asmodeus that resembled a devil with large wings and horns and which was the place where many of her siblings had to prove their ultimate loyalty by volunteering! The sacrifice of nine slaves was made to the deity at midnight on the first day of every ninth week. The wings closed around the sacrifices to hide the killing blow, and no corpse remained when they opened.
Although Karda was a worshiper of Asmodeus, seeing her ‘family members’ die made Karda realize that sometimes rules only served those in power. Being asked to give up something dear as a sacrifice, the life of a newly born or older ‘sibling’, triggered something inside of her that made her emotionally connect to the community of slaves around him! She was only a girl at that time but nonetheless she started to revolt against her oppressors and the wish to gain freedom for her brother and the only family she knew grew stronger every day.
II. Freedom and joining the community of Erastil in Rostland:
Maybe it was fate or maybe it was Old Deadeye’s plan but one day a concerted strike on the evil sorceress’ hideout by the Bellflower Network and Pathfinder Society led to the freedom of all slaves including Karda and her brother. During the fight the evil sorceress and almost all those that had hurt Karda and her family were killed by the hands of the slaves and the agents that were trying to break the slaves’ chains. The satisfaction that Karda felt at that time was her first taste of the connection that can be built with others and the strength that this provides to all those that are part of a community! After that the liberated slaves were able to see the world outside of the hell that they called life for the first time.
It was initially hard for Karda, her brother and the other slaves to reclaim their new life but it was a human follower of Erastil from Brevoy, Stan Wol, who was part of the group that liberated her that really took Karda and her brother under her wing. Stan over time became almost like a father because Karda and her brother had simply never met anyone who opened their eyes and showed them the truth — that Asmodeus does not care for his followers, and that there are other deities, organizations and communities that do. This also led to Karda opening her eyes to the lessons of the Elk Father that Stan taught him.
In the years after her escape Karda and her brother stayed together with Stan in Rostland which makes up the southern half of the nation of Brevoy. Here a small group from different races prayed to Erastil and lived off the land as a strong community that raised Karda and her brother with the simple sensibilities that hard work wins well-deserved gains, and that it is important to uphold charity and compassion, and that she has to value personal and familial honor. Although there were several occasions that separated Karda and her brother from Stan, Karda was always nervous and wanted Stan to remain near her.
III. Living the life of a soldier in Molthune and choosing her own path:
So when Stan decided that it was time to move on, Karda and her brother followed. First they spent years in Qadira where Stan, Karda and her brother aided a small community of Erastil to build a future and battle the enemies of the faith. Later Stan decided to return to her his homeland in Molthune with a dream to aid this rising power on the shores of Lake Encarthan by enlisting in the national army. Here Karda and her brother received their formal training as Molthuni arsenal chaplains and became warpriests. In the Arsenal District in Korholm Stan, Karda and her brother were part of an elite force that bolstered Molthune’s military by focusing on the militant aspects of their god.
But eventually Karda realized that she had to start following her own goals! She had a heartfelt desire to return to her roots and although she did not remember much about her mother, she still remembered her stories of the Stolen Land where she grew up with her parents and siblings in a secluded farm. Her brother had other plans and thus they had to say goodbye for the first time!
Karda has now decided to move in the direction of her mother’s birthplace. She does not know why but the thought of the Stolen Lands floods her mind more and more with visions of her mother. Memories about her that she cannot associate to anything that she knows about her are somehow pushed into her consciousness by a force that she does not understand. Karda is uncertain about what is going on, but she has heard that much is about to change in the region with the focus that the Aldori Swordlords are putting on starting an expedition. And somehow something inside of her - maybe even her connection to her god - is pointing at this mission!
I am submitting a Warpriest follower of Erastil that would primarily fulfill the role of an Archer with secondary support roles as a healer and buffer. Karda’s role in the campaign would be most likely a counselor and not the Baron.
About me :
Again, thanks for starting this game - I know how much dedication a GM needs. ;-) I’ve been a tabletop gamer for most of my life, starting with AD&D back in my teens, and now in my forties I’ve settled comfortably into Pathfinder 1st Edition as my favorite system.
I really enjoy rich character immersion, moral depth, and long-form campaigns like the Adventure Paths that let stories grow over time.
I love beginning at level one and seeing both the characters and the party evolve naturally through challenges, victories, and failures alike.
For me, roleplaying is at its best when the story feels alive, and of course shaped by the people around the table.
Karda - Character Background :
Brief Summary
Karda was born from the darkness that her mother had to experience and painful experiments as a slave in Egorian by minions of Asmodeus, but through the faith of Erastil she found freedom first and later purpose and a sense of belonging.
Freed from a life of torment, she was raised among farmers and hunters who taught her that real strength lies not in domination, but in protecting and guiding others. Years of service as a Molthuni Arsenal Chaplain turned her into a disciplined archer and devout servant of the Elk Father, balancing faith with martial skill.
Now, drawn by visions of her mother’s homeland and whispers of Erastil’s call, Karda is willing to journey to the Stolen Lands for the Aldori Swordlords to help bring safety and order to this region and its people. She believes civilization and wilderness must coexist — bound together by community, law, and compassion. She is quite and steadfast, so that Karda doesn’t fight for glory, but to ensure no one else endures the suffering that she once knew.
⸻
Detailed Background
I. Born into slavery and sacrifice in the church of Asmodeus in Egorian
Karda was born in the capital of Cheliax: Egorian, the City of Thorns. Her mother and many other women were used as the toys of an Asmodean sorceress that regularly experimented by cross-breeding tortured slaves with the planar creatures that the sorceress brought to the material plane. Karda and her brother in particular are the unfortunate children of a slave that was forced to copulate again and again with celestial outsiders. During conception her mother was killed and brought back to life so often that Karda’s life force - the product of dark rituals of torture, death and rebirth - still has a link to the positive energy that carried her mother to eventually give birth.
Karda’s mother was a broken woman and although she gave him love and tried to secretly teach him about her roots in the Stolen Lands, she was not able to endure the dark rituals and eventually died so that she could not prevent the Asmodean indoctrination that Karda and her brother faced day to day. As Egorian is the heart of the faith of Asmodeus, and the largest concentration of devil worshipers can be found there, the allegiance of the sorceress to the church of Asmodeus was not surprising, and thus this led to the young slaves of the sorceress to be tortured and ‘educated’ in the The Midnight Temple in Egorian.
Karda can still remember the Black Altar in the Temple of Asmodeus that resembled a devil with large wings and horns and which was the place where many of her siblings had to prove their ultimate loyalty by volunteering! The sacrifice of nine slaves was made to the deity at midnight on the first day of every ninth week. The wings closed around the sacrifices to hide the killing blow, and no corpse remained when they opened.
Although Karda was a worshiper of Asmodeus, seeing her ‘family members’ die made Karda realize that sometimes rules only served those in power. Being asked to give up something dear as a sacrifice, the life of a newly born or older ‘sibling’, triggered something inside of him that made him emotionally connect to the community of slaves around him! She was only a boy at that time but nonetheless she started to revolt against her oppressors and the wish to gain freedom for her brother and the only family she knew grew stronger every day.
~
II. Freedom and joining the community of Erastil in Rostland
Maybe it was fate or maybe it was Old Deadeye’s plan but one day a concerted strike on the evil sorceress’ hideout by the Bellflower Network and Pathfinder Society led to the freedom of all slaves including Karda himself and her brother. During the fight the evil sorceress and almost all those that had hurt Karda and her family were killed by the hands of the slaves and the agents that were trying to break the slave’s chains. The satisfaction that Karda felt at that time was her first taste of the connection that can be built with others and the strength that this provides to all those that are part of a community! After that the liberated slaves were able to see the world outside of the hell that they called life for the first time.
It was initially hard for Karda, her brother and the other slaves to reclaim their new life but it was a human follower of Erastil from Brevoy, Stan Wol, who was part of the group that liberated him that really took Karda and her brother under her wing. Stan over time became almost like a father because Karda and her brother had simply never met anyone who opened their eyes and showed them the truth — that Asmodeus does not care for her followers, and that there are other deities, organizations and communities that do. This also led to Karda opening her eyes to the lessons of the Elk Father that Stan taught him.
In the years after her escape Karda and her brother stayed together with Stan in Rostland which makes up the southern half of the nation of Brevoy. Here a small group from different races prayed to Erastil and lived off the land as a strong community that raised Karda and her brother with the simple sensibilities that hard work wins well-deserved gains, and that it is important to uphold charity and compassion, and that she has to value personal and familial honor. Although there were several occasions that separated Karda and her brother from Stan, Karda was always nervous and wanted Stan to remain near him.
~
III. Living the life of a soldier in Molthune and choosing her own path
So when Stan decided that it was time to move on, Karda and her brother followed. First they spent years in Qadira where Stan, Karda and her brother aided a small community of Erastil to build a future and battle the enemies of the faith. Later Stan decided to return to her own homeland in Molthune with a dream to aid this rising power on the shores of Lake Encarthan by enlisting in the national army. Here Karda and her brother received their formal training as Molthuni arsenal chaplains and became warpriests. In the Arsenal District in Korholm Stan, Karda and her brother were part of an elite force that bolstered Molthune’s military by focusing on the militant aspects of their god.
But eventually Karda realized that she had to start following her own goals! She had a heartfelt desire to return to her roots and although she did not remember much about her mother, she still remembered her stories of the Stolen Land where she grew up with her parents and siblings in a secluded farm. Her brother had other plans and thus they had to say goodbye for the first time!
Karda has now decided to move in the direction of her mother’s birthplace. She does not know why but the thought of the Stolen Lands floods her mind more and more with visions of her mother. Memories about her that she cannot associate to anything that she knows about her are somehow pushed into her consciousness by a force that she does not understand. Karda is uncertain about what is going on, but she has heard that much is about to change in the region with the focus that the Aldori Swordlords are putting on starting an expedition. And somehow something inside of him - maybe even her connection to her god - is pointing at this mission!
