After sleeping on it, I think I'm going to go with human instead of sylph. Starting at 1st level is always rough for full arcane spellcasters and I think I'm going to need that extra feat.
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Ayelesh Tafari, Sylph Conjuration Wizard: Background:Ayelesh is a fifth generation wizard of Quantium, the capital of Nex. She comes from a long and proud line of spellcasters on both sides of the family, and her parents are among the wealthy elite of Quantium. There was never any question about whether Ayelesh and her brother would be spellcasters, only of what kind. Fortunately, both of them showed both an aptitude and an interest in wizardry early on, and were duly enrolled in one of Quantium's most prestigious magical academies.
Such privilege comes with a price. Namely, the fact that their loving but overbearing parents are both willing and able to scry and teleport. No matter where she goes or what she does, Ayelesh's parents can see what she's doing and teleport to her if they feel like it. There is no better recipe for making one's children flee as far away as possible the minute they've graduated magical university. Ayelesh's older brother tried moving to Oenopion. He thought the infamous stench of the city's alchemical industry would keep their comfort-loving parents away. Nope. He currently hosts them at least once a month, and they complain of the smell the entire time. So when Ayelesh's graduation was coming up, she knew she had to leave the country to have some semblance of a life outside her parents. Around that time, word came in that Osirion was opening their ancient tombs to treasure hunters. A perfect opportunity! Maybe Osirion's lack of modern Nexian amenities such as indoor plumbing and temperature-controlled bedrooms can keep Ayelesh's parents away where the stink of Oenopion failed. She is a devout Nethysian (as devout as Nethysians get, anyway) and would very much like to see the land where her god once walked. Ancient magical secrets, religious history, pyramids where scrying spells often don't work... a perfect place for a young wizard to stretch her wings. Like many sylphs, Ayelesh can easily pass for human by covering most of her skin. None of her markings are on her face, so the only obvious signs of her extraplanar ancestry are the winds that tend to follow her and the fact that she's on the pale side for a Garundi. Planetouched are extremely common in Quantium thanks to the city's many portals to the elemental planes, and one encounters much stranger folk every day, so racial prejudice was never an issue for Ayelesh growing up. She is aware that people in other countries don't feel the same way and thus keeps her ancestry under wraps until she can get an idea for how a given person will react. Build Ideas: That depends on you to an extent. Will you hate me if I go the summoning specialist route? I know some GMs dislike running combat with a bunch of summons on the field. Can I take the Acadamae Graduate trait and refluff it as Quantium Graduate? If the summoning route doesn't work for whatever reason, that's totally fine, wizards can always find a use for their feats. I definitely plan to take a couple item creation feats as well as the usual Spell Focus, Spell Penetration, and metamagic. Ayelesh's spell selection will be geared toward battlefield control with a secondary focus on debuffs and damage.
After taking another look at the Mummy's Mask Player Guide, I think I'll go with a conjuration wizard instead of the undead bloodline sorcerer. It looks like we're going to be up against constructs at some point, and necromancy isn't that great against enemies that were never alive. Undead, constructs, humans, elementals, magical beasts... I want more flexibility in my choice of spells in order to deal with all that. Still a Nexian though. I find the whole concept of a country built by, destroyed by, and run by magic to be fascinating. What kind of culture would that produce? I'll be back with more details!
I'm not a fan of the Lovecraftian themes, so I'll be submitting a character concept for Mummy's Mask. Any chance I could get the Soul Warden PrC ported over to your system? It's a full caster class, and the fluff is that they're the remnants of an elite Nexian anti-undead force. I've had an idea for a Nexian undead bloodline sorcerer dedicated to using the necromantic powers she's been cursed/blessed with to fight the undead. I imagine Nex has quite a few undead bloodline sorcerers from people being exposed to powerful necromancy during the war with Geb. And I imagine that said sorcerers are not exactly popular in their home country, which would lead them to seek their fortune elsewhere. If the Osirians are being stupid enough to crack open ancient tombs that could have mummies and ghosts and Ashava knows what in them, clearly they need someone competent on hand for when this inevitably blows up in their faces. If not, no worry! I've also wanted to play an investigator for a while.
It occurred to me that maybe you’re looking for more information about us outside the game. Thing is, I come here to get away from real life. :/ I hope that’s okay.
Hey, another Coloradan! I've thought about trying to find a local Pathfinder group, but most people seem to be playing 2E these days and I'm a 1E fan. Also, I have issues with transportation. I'd be down for either Reign of Winter or Mummy's Mask. If you're taking requests, though, I've always wanted to play Hell's Rebels. I have a couple character ideas for that one that I'd really like to play. An undead-centric campaign like Carrion Crown or Tyrant's Grasp would be fun too, and I have a wizard character I like from a very short-lived Shattered Star game. About Me: I've been playing since the glory days of 3.5, but I've had terrible luck with the longevity of my games. A group forms, everyone else wants to start at 1st level, we get to 4th or 5th, life happens and the group falls apart. Rinse and repeat. For that reason I'm not very experienced at mid to high level play. Right now I'm in three long running PbP games, two of which are at 6th level and one of which is at 5th level (plus mythic because WotR).
I'm much better at writing and roleplay than game mechanics. Anyone remember the days of MUSHes and MUCKs? That's where I honed my text-based RP skills. I spent hours upon hours on those as a teenager. I also enjoy non-RPG creative writing and plan a character based on the overarching narrative I want to write. Current characters and their stories: Merixia Pentarian, hellspawn tiefling cleric of Ragathiel/hierophant (WotR): A former Chelaxian slave rescued by the Gray Corsairs of Andoran, Merixia has a good heart and a genuine desire to be the hero she needed as a child. Unfortunately, she also struggles with anger issues and insecurity. She worships Ragathiel because wow, here's a god who actually knows what it's like to struggle with the impulses of fiendish ancestry! He knows what it's like to be judged for how he was born! If Ragathiel could ascend to Heaven despite being Dispater's actual son, Merixia can overcome her touch of infernal blood and be a force for good. She joined the Mendevian Crusade because she craves battle and wants to take her anger out on deserving targets. (And just maybe prove to herself and the rest of the world that she can be more than what other people expect her to be.) Katrine Thalian, green-born changeling ranger of the Green Faith (Kingmaker): Katrine was one of the lucky few changelings to be raised by loving parents in the full knowledge of what she is. Her parents decided that the best revenge on the hag who took advantage of her father would be to raise her daughter to side with humanity over the hag. And hey, they wanted a kid anyway. Katrine abhors hags in general and her birth mother in particular (favored enemy monstrous humanoids). She's a bit awkward around strangers, preferring the company of her wolfdog, but knows she'll need allies to take on a hag coven. Recently the ruling council of Tamlyn invited her to join after she helped them in several tough fights. Their acceptance and kindness is going a long way to bringing her out of her shell, and being Marshal will make her learn more people skills whether she likes it or not. Zenaida Radulescu, Varisian human warpriest of Falayna (RotR): Zenaida's family has worshiped the empyreal lord Falayna for three generations, but only in her more peaceful aspect as patron of jewelers. Zenaida is the first to venerate Falayna's martial aspect. Given the lack of martial Falayna worshipers in Magnimar, she trained with the local church of Iomedae. On one troubleshooting mission outside the city, she met an outcast kobold sorcerer named Tarphrex, saving him from bandits before she could really see what he was. Zenaida was a bit taken aback at the identity of her rescuee, but the plucky kobold had been casting spells into battle with admirable valor, and he was very grateful to his new human friend. (An excellent friend for a kobold to have, with heavy armor and lots of muscle!) She decided to give him a chance and let him tag along with her, so when Sandpoint called for aid, the odd pair answered. These days Zenaida is very fond of her quirky little buddy and acts as his guide to the mysteries of human society. They're now part of a motley team investigating a cult of Norgorber in Magnimar. Zenaida is eager to track down the leader and give them a good smiting for daring to endanger her home and family, although there is a bit of friction between her and some members of the team. (What do you mean, ask the Hellknights for help?!)
...Intelligent winged cats... Behold, the tressym! They are made of 100% pure concentrated adorableness. And yes, if I get in and if the GM lets me have a tressym, I will make sure he lets Mia pet him.
Ooh, this looks great, but there are already so many submissions... not sure if I have much of a chance at this point. Wonder if a tressym familiar would be an option? Intelligent winged cats are one of my favorite things about the Realms.
Pre-Spellplague Forgotten Realms? I'm definitely down for that! I loved FR back in the day and a chance to revisit it would be great.
RUINS OF AZLANT! I've wanted to play this AP forever. Thinking an undine druid of Gozreh with the Undine Adept archetype. To point buy or not... Undines get +2 Wis, hopefully I'll be able to get a halfway decent caster stat even if I roll poorly. -1 = 8
Two dump stats, great. I got a 17 though, so I think I can make this work.
It's interesting how few people have played Paizo's old non-Golarion APs. I got a fair way into Savage Tide once and it was a good time! I hear Age of Worms is a little grimdark for my taste, but I'd be down to try Shackled City. Or another trip into Savage Tide, it's been years since that campaign and I'd like to see how it ends.
Hmm, this sounds like fun! As it happens, I have an Andoren starsoul sorceress from a campaign that didn't get very far. Jenise made it out of the oppressive company town of Falcon's Hollow by means of her magic, and is now trying to support herself with mercenary work. Someday she plans to go back and pay off her mother's debts so that she can move somewhere better. Given that Jenise is barely scraping by right now, though, that day is still far away. Her sheet will need some minor tweaks, so I'll have it ready in a bit.
How much gold and how many HP do we start with?
Another question, are you using Background Skills? Many of those would be useful on the frontier.
*bursts in through the door* Did somebody say EBERRON?! Hell yeah, I love this setting and you hardly ever see it anymore. You said it'll be a Wild West sort of feel. Does that mean mounted classes are viable? I'm debating between a cavalier and a Greensinger druid or shaman. If I go the Greensinger route, can I take the Greensinger Initiate feat? Also, what's our deadline for character submission and how are we determining HP?
How are we calculating hit points?
Sweet! Thank you, soul reaper here I come. :D
@Dungeon Master of Graves: Can I play a duskwalker, aiming for the Mortal Usher prestige class? These are pretty obscure options, so I figured I'd ask. I think both would work well for an inquisitor of Pharasma, and I've got a backstory mostly figured out. I like the concept of psychopomps and you don't see them much.
Ooh, sweet! Think I’ll go with an inquisitor of Pharasma. Melee fighter, some skills, and backup healer. Paladin gets a flanking buddy, everyone gets teamwork feats. @Robert Henry, I’ll be going the kick-down-the-door route rather than the stealthy route, so the sneaky skill monkey position is wide open for you. :) Or maybe a sorcerer… decisions, decisions.
Sorry folks, I have to bow out as well. This week has been so busy, I just haven't had time to put together a good submission.
Woo, Giantslayer! I'm down for it. Always wanted to try a cavalier, and according to the player's guide this is a good AP for mounted combat.
Okay, I have a mechanical question. I'm debating between the Glory domain with Heroism subdomain or the Valor inquisition. Do I actually have to touch someone to use Valor's Touch of Resolve? Touch of Resolve (Sp): You may use remove fear on a single creature a number of times per day equal to your 3 + your Wisdom bonus. As written, it looks like remove fear as a class ability, and remove fear is a close range spell, not a touch spell. Also, can I take the Blade of Mercy trait? It seems very thematic for an inquisitor, since part of their theme is to get information out of enemies. Kind of hard to do that when they're dead.
There may have been something that led such an inquisitor to Brinewall because of how (and why) the castle fell - she would not know why Shizuru tugged her there, but the Empress of Heaven would surely be invested in it. Works for me! I'll get to work on a sheet today or tomorrow. Thanks for allowing Tian Xia races, samsarans are an interesting race and I always wanted to play one.
I’m thinking a samsaran inquisitor of Shizuru, probably with the Good domain or Truth inquisition. She either pursued an enemy of the faith to Avistan or is investigating something that ties in with Zi Ha or the church of Shizuru… any ideas that would fit in with the campaign?
Yes! (And hi again, Sensen!) I've wanted to play this AP for a while. Last time I tried, the group got to Brinewall before the GM vanished, so I'm not missing much. I'll think about possible character concepts. Looks like you can use a skill monkey, and as it happens I enjoy that type of character.
For some reason the creative juices just aren't flowing for this game. :( I'm afraid that I'll have to withdraw.
Still planning to submit, I just haven't felt well today. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and I can work on a character.
I'm going with a gnomish bard. Still working on her, but she'll be a native of Whistledown wandering Varisia in search of adventure and material for new songs. Sivi fancies herself a heroine and protector of the weak, so if Sandpoint asks for help she'll eagerly answer the call. Plenty of illusion and enchantment spells to use against weak-willed giants! And Death From Below is a pretty great racial spell for a giant-hunting game.
Ooh, I like this approach. Looks like there will be plenty of RP to be had! Let me read the materials you provided and think about it.
15 point buy? Hardcore indeed! Let's do this. Where in Golarion is this game set? Same place as Giantslayer?
Oops, djinni is from Ultimate Magic. Stormborn or starsoul, then. Still waiting to hear which region of Golarion the Sunless Citadel is in. Maybe Varisia or the River Kingdoms? Those have a similar vibe to the FR Dalelands. If you want something more like Greyhawk's Furyondy, probably Andoran or Taldor. Definitely going with human as far as race goes. The favored class bonus is pretty great for sorcerers.
I do want an arcane caster though! I've had terrible luck with those, any time I get into a game with a wizard or sorcerer the game dies a quick death. I want to get my lightning bolt on.
So far we have a cleric, fighter, and bard. I'm thinking sorcerer, either stormborn or djinni bloodline. Pretty straightforward blaster build. Which one, and which race, depends on where in Golarion we are.
Which world is this set in?
I'll make a profile for my character if I get selected. Same with buying all her gear, right now she just has weapons, clothes, and a backpack. Rissa Whitfield, halfling sorcerer (rakshasa bloodline) Answers to Rebels Questions 1. What drove you against the current rulership of Kintargo?
2. What stops you from simply leaving for a better nation like Absalom, Andoran or Varisia?
3. A loved one has been captured. You were promised their safe return in exchange for betraying your comrades. What form will your betrayal take?
4. You are transporting a cartload of contraband in a public street when a pair of bored guards stop you talking about passage fees, potential fines and a requirement to search your cart. What do you do?
5. Someone you fancy has finally agreed on a day out on the town just you and them. However an important meeting in your organization is being held at the same time and you found out after the date was set. What do you do?
6. Your life's nemesis is at your mercy. But his close family nearby begs for his life. Do you spare him? Or is some other outcome more favorable?
7. Without describing their job, name, or appearance tell me who you're character is. A mostly cheerful person who enjoys telling stories, playing tricks on big folk, and a halfling abolitionist. DOWN WITH THE OPPRESSORS! RP Sample #1, Kingmaker. In Which Katrine the Changeling Ranger Reveals A Dark Secret.
Whoops, sorry. I'm used to applying for APs. Pulp module!
Forgotten Realms, now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time! Let's see what stats I get before I decide on a race and class. There are all kinds of characters that would be fun in a jungle pulp fantasy game.
So that would be 17, 16, 16, 12, 17, 12. Pretty nice. I'll have to give this some thought. EDIT: You know what, this is a pulp campaign. It's time to buckle my swash! One swashbuckler coming up.
Not going for a tiefling, just a sorcerer bloodline. There isn’t a physical manifestation of the Rakshasa bloodline until level 20.
I'm thinking a halfling sorceress with the Rakshasa bloodline, aiming for Veiled Illusionist later on. Heavy use of illusions and enchantments, since it looks like I can use those on most of the enemies in this AP. @TarkXT, is Rakshasa all right? I have a backstory in mind (most of which Rissa herself wouldn't know) to explain it. I could probably make Maestro work if I had to, but given that this is primarily an urban adventure, I'm pretty sure there will be a lot of bard submissions. Plus Bad Powers, Good People is always a fun dynamic to roleplay. Can I take the alternate racial trait Shadowplay?
Shadowplay (1 RP): Characters with this trait cast spells with the darkness, light, or shadow descriptor at +1 caster level. Halflings can take this trait in place of weapon familiarity.
Definitely interested in Rebels. I'll have to think about what kind of character I want to play, though.
Ooh, I'd love to play Hell's Rebels!
Sounds like fun! I'm usually able to post every day, and I'll let you know when I can't. I enjoy roleplay and the fluff side of making a character. Will I need a character that's fully optimized for this, or can I get away with a build that's fun but maybe not the hardest hitter? What classes do you already have? Any skill gaps that need filling?
Darn it, I was looking forward to playing bear cavalry. Hit me up if you ever need a replacement player!
Thanks, GMMichael! And thanks for introducing yourself to us upthread, I enjoyed reading about your RPG experience and DMing style. In most PbP games you go in blind when it comes to a DM's style and preferences.
Please put an X by my character under Race and Class, I did answer your questions. :) Although I got to them later than everyone else.
Answers:
1. I'm new to the Paizo forums, but I've been playing by post for years. Figured I would be more likely to find Pathfinder games here.
2. N/A 3. The only time I've quit a game was for health reasons. I actually took a break from PbP for a couple years while I sorted that and other RL issues out. Fortunately I'm doing better these days! Still disabled and unemployed, which sucks financially but at least I have plenty of time to post. My longest game to date was an Exalted game that ran for about four years, first PbP and then on IRC. We switched because Exalted combat takes forever and everyone wanted to speed things up. Pathfinder 1e combat is a lot faster and more streamlined. (I love Exalted, but the system is a beautiful disaster. All three editions.) 4. I've joined two games that failed here on the Paizo boards. The DM just vanished for the first one. For the second one, the DM got extremely ill for several weeks. He recently popped back up again and said he'll be back in action May 1st, so here's hoping! As for games elsewhere, it's usually due to the DM quitting. Players do quit, but there's almost always a ready supply of replacements when that happens. Now for some fluff about Vriska Galerider, half-orc cavalier! Background:
Vriska Galerider is a second generation half-orc, the daughter of two half-orcs who were born of orc raids in northern Nirmathas. Kordun and Mara decided to move south as young adults, tired of the prejudice they faced on the northern border. The militias of the Nesmian Plains were always looking for recruits in the war against Molthune, and nobody in the south had suffered orc raids, so perhaps the half-orcs' strength and willingness to fight would earn them acceptance.
As it turned out, they were correct. The couple fought the Molthuni for nearly ten years, then retired to Phaendar when Kordun lost an eye. Mara became a fletcher to supply the Chernasardo Rangers with arrows, and Kordun apprenticed to a blacksmith, eventually opening his own smithy. They had three children, of which Vriska is the second. Her elder sister Kori is a Chernasardo Ranger and her younger brother Gurdun is apprenticed to their father. Vriska loved horses from a young age. She spent every possible moment with any horse whose owner would allow her to do so. She was also a rowdy child who enjoyed play-fighting, climbing trees, and generally getting into trouble. Eventually her parents bowed to the inevitable and apprenticed her to a horse breeder and trainer just outside Phaendar. Vriska was happy there, but just riding and training horses wasn't enough. She wanted to fight on horseback. Two years into her apprenticeship, word reached the ranch of a new unit in the Chernasardo Rangers. A Shoanti exile, Ahdak Wind-Rider, was training interested parties in mounted combat. His people didn't just ride horses, they tamed and rode all manner of beasts. Vriska knew then that she had found her calling in life. She got a Ranger to guide her from Phaendar to Fort Ristin, where Ahdak was training Chernasardo Riders. The Shoanti turned out to be brusque and a hard taskmaster, but fair and caring in his own way. Not only did his trainees learn to fight on horseback, he also taught survival skills, strategy, tactics, and leadership. The Riders were expected to swear an oath to protect nature from civilization and those who would despoil it. Many of the Rangers were skeptical of this new idea. Horses aren't exactly stealthy, after all. But the Riders' mobility allowed them to conduct lightning raids on Molthuni camps faster than the Rangers, and their visibility made them the perfect bait for ambushes. Many a Molthuni infantry unit followed "retreating" Riders straight into a hailstorm of arrows from the trees. Ahdak deemed Vriska fully trained a year and a half ago, and she's been fighting ever since. She loves the thrill of combat, the rush of galloping toward the enemy. Her comrades were standoffish at first due to her race, but the half-orc's boisterous good cheer and skill at arms has won most of them over. She's stopped in Phaendar for a few days to visit her family and resupply. Personality: Vriska fights hard, works hard, and plays hard. She's loud, energetic, and cheerful. She can keep quiet when necessary, but she sees no reason to do so if she's not trying to sneak up on someone. The cavalier isn't stupid; she knows when people are put off by her race or demeanor. In most cases she simply ignores that fact and bowls them over with sheer force of personality. She does have the infamous orcish temper, but she's usually able to keep it under control. Vriska is a devotee of Milani and often incorporates rose motifs into her clothing. Given that Milani was a half-elf in life, her faith is more welcoming of half-humans than most.
Hmm, looking at the favored terrain suggestions in the Player's Guide, we'll be spending time underground. Would I be better off with a gnome or halfling cavalier? But a half-orc charging into battle on bison-back would be so awesome... what to do, what to do...
A. Name: Vriska Galerider
Mechanically, I'm going full on mounted combat. Going by the Player's Guide, we'll be spending more time outdoors than dungeon delving. I look forward to riding increasingly fearsome animals into battle! As a cavalier, Vriska can provide good damage, mobility, group buffs, and the skills for party face. With Order of the Beast, she has a couple skills that should come in handy for this campaign.
Ooh, I always wanted to play Legacy of Fire! That part of Golarion doesn’t get enough love.
Okay, a couple more questions. One, living arrangements. Since this is an urban adventure a tent and bedroll won’t cut it. Do we need to buy or rent something out of our starting gold, or can we just say “I have an apartment in this area.”? Two, can you wear a mithral shirt under normal clothes, Frodo style? To my knowledge Paizo has never ruled one way or the other.
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