Mr Crowley's page

I am planning on starting a pirate themed campaign and have been mining ideas all over the place from different sources. I remember reading a very awesome campaign journal on here at one point by Richard Moore. His ideas are brilliant and I really love how Razor Coast and Savage Tide tie in together well in his campaign.

I hope he does not mind if I borrow some of his ideas for my own campaign. I am starting the campaign with Wormwood Mutiny as it is a great launching point for any pirate campaign. Gives PCs a fast track course in how rough pirate life is and if they survive they end up with a ship of their own.

After this I am uncertain how to go about bridging that campaign into the full blown Razor Coast campaign. I was thinking of having Razor coast set across the Arcadian Sea on the Eastern coast of Arcadia.

Anyone have any good ideas or adventure hooks that I can use to get my players to want to leave the Shackles and dare the dangerous crossing of the island ruins of Azlant to reach the Razor Coast?

I was thinking of letting the players toy around in the Shackles for a little bit gain a bit of plunder and experience but having Harrigan drive them out of Port Peril before they are able to present themselves to the Hurricaine King and become Free Captains. Perhaps a full blown Chalish Armada arrives attempting to bring law to the Shackles once and for all and the players hear wind of Freeport as a port of call that may be friendly towards people of piratical leanings.

I was definitely thinking of placing Freeport and the Serpent's teeth on the Arcadian side of Azlant. Perhaps it is a trade hub between colonies of Cheliax, Andoran, and the Linnorm Kings. Acting as a mid point between Inner Sea nations and the New World.

Freeport also makes a much more reliable place to sell plunder than Port Shaw once the players start pillaging the Razor Sea. Any one have any adventure ideas for Freeport that might lead to the players heading to Port Shaw?

I am planning on running a slow track experience progression as there are lots of side quests and ideas I want to throw into this and I do not want my players to be higher than 7th level when they reach Port Shaw.

Any ideas, plot hooks, advice as to better locations for Freeport and Port Shaw or better story reasons for leaving the Shackles behind shortly after Wormwood Mutiny would be greatly appreciated.

I am in the process of creating a Samsaran Gravewalker Witch/Ju Ju Oracle gestalt character that has 18 in both Int and Cha. Rest of ability scores kind of blow but that is the way things go. What spells should i select for the Samsaran Past life spells. Should they be divine or arcane? What would be the best selection of spells to add to this already formidable dual caster?

I think an item made with Arcane sight might be better but would be far more expensive to craft and would be unlikely that any organization would give away a 30000gp item to newly trained recruits.

Personally, I think porting a witcher into a Pathfinder setting any martial class multiclassed with alchemist would fit. In the games, novels, and graphic novels, the witchers had several different schools. Geralt was from the Wolf school of witchers. Other schools are the Cat, the Griffon, and the Snake (Letho was from this school). Most of the schools trained their witchers in two handed fighting style aside from the snake school which specialized in short swords.

The Fighter/Alchemist is just as viable as a Ranger/Alchemist and even a Rogue(Ninja)/Alchemist would fit as in the novels Geralt underwent challenging acrobatic training. Personally, I think I would lean heavier towards the martial class with fewer levels in Alchemist to reflect the emphasis on physical combat but a full alchemist with the right weapon proficiency feats could pull it off as more of a scholastic type witcher who focused more on potions than combat training.

Another thing is in the witcher series the witchers where not just a profession they where mutated humans. In the books it does say they successfully mutated dogs also during experiments so perhaps other races could apply that would be a DM call.

My suggestion to make a witcher it would be a combination of a race or template in addition to the classes. I made a homebrew race that could also be used as a template slapped on a human in another thread.

New Race/Template Witcher by Mr Crowley

All Witchers that complete their training are given a magical amulet that vibrates and tugs on its chain in the presence of magic.

Witcher's Medallion
Aura: faint Divination CL:3
Slot: neck Price: 3000gp Weight: -
Description:
This wolf head pendant is given as a gift to witchers who complete their training. When in the presence of magic be it spells, spell-like abilities, magic items, etc. the amulet begins to vibrate and tug gently on its chain. This effect is equivalent to a constant detect magic spell with a 30' radius.
Construction:
Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, Detect Magic,Cost:1500gp

Champion Witcher's Medallion
Aura: faint Divination CL:5
Slot:neck Price: 6000gp Weight: -
Description:
This wolf head pendant has precious stones for eyes. These amulets are given only to those witchers who show the most promise out of those who pass their trials. In the presence of magic and magical beasts these amulets vibrate and tug gently on their chains. These function otherwise like the regular witchers medallions with the addition of sensing magical beasts within 30'. This does not reveal the location of such beasts merely that they are present.
Construction
Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, Detect Magic, Alarm, Cost: 3000gp

Metalline Silver Swordmaster edit
Prerequisites: Witcher, Weapon Focus (any sword), Silver Slayer

The Swordtrained trait could also be swapped out for Weapon Familiarity (long sword, short sword, bastard sword, Elven Curve Blade)1pt

Battering Blast could be toned down to magic missile 1pt

that would drop the race down to a 15 RP and make it more accessible to players considering most DMs would consider it overpowered. Ultimately as a DM I would make this race a LA+1 if the rest of the party was using base races at lower levels. Either that or the whole race build could be applied as an acquired template to a human with a LA+2 as is or LA+1 with the alterations I mentioned above.

I have been curious of what kinds of races people have been spinning up with the Race Builder rules in the Advanced Race Guide. Im also curious what kinds things people have had to alter and add to these rules to fit concepts they where going for.

I recently bought The Witcher 2 video game and have been enjoying it thoroughly. In one campaign im playing I am also playing an alchemist and I have to say I just love that class. The race below I put together with inspiration from the video game and I even drafted up a few racial feats that fit the flavour of the race well.

Witcher

Witchers are human beings who are taken at a young age and altered through magic and alchemy to enhance their senses and reflexes. This process renders them resistant to diseases and poisons and attunes them to a limited number of magical abilities known as signs. In The Witcher video games the witchers are trained in the use of swords and alchemy. They use these skills in combination with their imbued talents to become formidable monster hunters. Most often Witchers take levels in martial classes such as Ranger or Fighter as well as levels in the alchemist class in the Pathfinder RPG.

Witcher

Type:
Humanoid (Human & Mutant) Subtypes 0pt

Size:
Medium 0pt

Base Speed:
30ft 0pt

Ability Score Modifiers:
Standard (+2 Dex, +2 Int, -2Cha) 0pt

Languages:
Standard 0pt

Racial Traits:

Skilled +2 Perception 2pt

Plagueborn +2 saves vs injested poison and diseases 1pt

Spell like ability, Lesser 2pt
Signs: Igni: Burning Hands 1/day(1), Quen: Mage Armor 1/day(1),

Spell Like Ability, Greater 10pt
Signs: Axii: Charm Monster 1/day(4),Yrden: Hold Person 1/day (3), Aard: Battering Blast 1/day(3)

Swordtrained: Proficient with all sword like weapons 4pt

Total: 19 RP

I took liberties with some of the abilities for the sake of flavour and the fact that some of the paizo created races do not abide by the same restrictions that the RP build system states in the trait descriptions. To replicate the signs I used Battering Blast(Dungeons of Golarion) and burning hands which represent the Aard and Igni Signs although the Spell like ability trait states that spells cannot cause damage or attack enemies. The Ifrit gains burning hands as a spell like ability which is a spell that causes damage and it is paizo built so I see no problem using damaging spells in this build, it is not as though they are earth shattering.

Racial Feats:

Augment Signs

Your affinity for the magical powers of Signs grows stronger.
Prerequisites: Able to use Signs spell-like abilities, Witcher
Benefit: You may use your sign spell like abilities 2/per day instead of once per day. The caster level for your spell like abilities is equal to your character level.

Improved Augment Signs

The power of your signs resonates in your genetics stronger than most witchers.
Prerequisites: 13 Cha, Augment Signs, Able to use Signs spell-like abilities, Witcher
Benefit: You may now choose one sign from either Igni: Burning Hands or Quen: Mage Armor and that ability may be used at will. Your other signs gain an additional use per day, bringing them up to 3/day.

Greater Augment Signs

Your mastery of the primary witcher signs has reached near perfection.
Prerequisites: 13 Cha, Augment Signs, Improved Augment Signs, Able to use Signs spell-like abilities, Witcher
Benefit: You may choose an additional sign from any of your signs and that may be used at will. The rest of your signs remain at 3/day uses.

Sign Master

Your study of the magic of signs has further empowered you and lead to the discovery of a sixth sign Heliotrope.
Prerequisites: 13 Cha, 13 Int, Augment Signs, Improved Augment Signs, Greater Augment Signs, Able to use Signs spell-like abilities, Witcher
Benefit: You have learned a new sign Heliotrope: Slow 1/day. The caster level is equal to your character level. Additionally, you may choose another one of your signs and make it at will or give an additional use per day of Heliotrope: Slow.

Silver Slayer

In your hands a silver sword becomes more deadly against creatures vulnerable to silver.
Prerequisite: Witcher
Benefit: In your hands a silver sword (alchemical silver, silversheen, or Mithral) grants you a +1 to attack and damage against creatures with a DR/silver.

Metalline Silver Swordmaster

Silver Swords in your hand are deadly against creatures not normally vulnerable to silver.
Prerequisite: Witcher, Weapon Focus(any sword)
Benefit: Your silver sword now is also considered cold iron for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

My Tiefling alchemist is beast and yes the level of barbarian does seem contradictory to a scientist's normal rigid way of thinking. He is Neutral Evil shifting towards Chaotic Evil due to in game madness. He is obsessed with becoming the best doctor in the world and finding a cure to all disease. Ironically, his father was a minion of the Horseman of Pestilence. His shift into barbarian is due to studying another member in the party who is a barbarian alien race (Used Advanced Race Guide RP system). He is obsessed with animals being able to resist diseases that kill most humanoids and believes it is in the glands and thus he removes organs from all of the creatures he kills for analysis later. It is in this that he will discover how to unlock his rage.(Which is not what he thinks it is, it is really part of his Daemonic heritage) Which is also why i chose the Urban Barbarian Archetype as it is more controlled rage rather than primitive instinctual rage. Later when I get Master Chymist(DM allowed sneak attack in place of bomb thrower) the alternative personality will be a manifestation of his Daemonic heritage in full working to spread plague disease while his normal personality works to find a cure.

This is a Melee Alchemist build I am using I am only lvl 4 at the moment and the stats are actually rolled so better than what I have posted here but this is what it would look like if I used a 25 point buy and once I have reached lvl 7. My character concept is that he is a tiefling of Daemon origins who was raised by a pair of half-elf doctors and he is also a doctor by profession wearing the plague doctor outfit minus the mask when he is using his mutagen. Tieflings kick ass as alchemists.

5 Alchemist(Vivisectionist/Beastmorph)/ 2 Barbarian(Urban Barbarian)
Tiefling 25 point buy with racial mods and level factored in
Str 19
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 15
Wis 8
Cha 8

Tiefling abilities +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Cha
Claw 1d4 instead of spell-like ability (ARG), Prehensile tail instead of fiendish sorcery (ARG)

Traits: Accelerated Drinker, Adopted: Ancestral Arms (Exotic Weapon Proficiency :Syringe Dagger) 3.5 weapon DM allowed.
Favored Class Bonus: ½ lev bonus in damage to sneak attack (DM allowed as sneak attack replaced bombs for same damage output and only on a single target when denied dex bonus to AC)

Feats: Throw Anything (Bonus)
Brew Potion (Bonus)
Power Attack
Skill Focus (Knowledge Arcana) DM quest reward
Weapon Focus (claws)
Iron Will

Discoveries: Feral Mutagen
Extend Potion

Class Abilities: Alchemy
Sneak Attack +3d6
Poison Use
Mutagen +4 Physical ability -2 mental 10min/Alchemist level

Torturer’s Eye: Add Deathwatch to extract list
Cruel Anatomist: Use knowledge (nature) in place of Heal skill
Beastmorph Mutagen: Choose 1 Ability from Alter Self spell during mutagen (usually scent as Tieflings have darkvision 60’

Crowd Control: +1 to Attack and AC if two or more adjacent foes

Controlled Rage: +4 morale bonus to Str, Dex, or Con, no will save bonus and no AC penalty and can use skills and other things that require concentration while in rage 8rds/day

Rage Power: Lesser Fiendish Totem: gain gore attack 1d8 as primary attack if not used conjunction with weapons.

Extracts commonly prepared:1st Lev Cure Light wounds*2, Enlarge Person*3, 2nd Lev Alchemical Allocation*2, Bull’s Strength

AC is kind of shite but DM allowed a Reinforced Greatcoat out of Iron Kingdoms and found +1 leather armour

AC:17 normally, 19 (+2 nat when mutagen is running)

Attack bonus: +10*2 claws(1d4+4) or +10 Masterwork Syringe Dagger (1d4+4+ poison)(Normally),
+12*2 Claws( 1d6+6) +11 Bite (1d8+6)(With mutagen),+14*2 Claws (1d6+8) +13 Bite (1d8+8)(Mutagen and Rage),
+ 12*2 Claws (1d6+12) + 11 Bite (1d8+12) +11 Gore (1d8+12)(Mutagen, Rage and Power Attack)

Throw in Enlarge person and the claws become d8s the bite becomes 2d6s as does the gore with an additional +1 to dmg not to mention the +3d6 for sneak attack damage when flanking or otherwise denying a foe its Dex bonus to AC.

At Level 7 I plan to take the Additional Traits feat and take the Berserker of the Society trait +3 rnds of rage/day, and the Magical Knack trait to negate the dip into barb when it comes to extract progression.

The worst part of this build is the saves although Improved Iron Will and a Wisdom boosting item purchase in the near future will help with that a little.

I recently began running Knot of Thorns for my game group a couple weeks ago and will be continuing this Sunday. This is the synopsis of our session as follows.

I don't understand why DMs should fear a Synthesist even if the player is a power gamer. Banishment is a hell of a spell. Also, if you want to be really cruel you could use the true naming binding concept. What would happen if a villian discovered an Eidolon's true name? Would that make the summoner his puppet?

This entire AP is perhaps one of the best campaigns I have ever seen. It is definitely on par in quality to any of the APs that Paizo has published. Gary your writing style is fantastic and fits my GMing style wonderfully. I cant wait to purchase the next two books in the series.

As far as the new character options they can always be implemented on back up characters because if you run some of the antagonists properly it is possible that a PC or two will kick the bucket.

I hope you guys will attempt a Chaotic Evil AP. This will be more challenging in keeping the players from PvP but perhaps that kind of thing can be encouraged at the end of the campaign when the story has been resolved and it is now a matter of deciding who gets to be the boss.

I remember the old 2nd Edition AD&D Menzo boxed set. A drow city rife with power struggles. I must say the drow thing has been over done. Don't get me wrong I used to love Salvatore's novels. However, the whole evil society thing might be an interesting campaign seed. If worst comes to worst fear of an even worse NPC is always a good way of keeping evil PCs from killing each other.