I've been wondering if it would possible to build a character that forms a self-contained coven independent of other PCs and NPCs. From what I can tell, the most effective way to achieve this goal would be to pick up multiple companions and give each the Coven-Touched feat, then take the form a changeling coven. However, the only way to give a companion a racial feat that I could find would be to build a Half-Orc Unchained Summoner with an Ancestor Eidolon; while the Ancestor subtype prohibits the eidolon from taking feats from its Summoner's race, the eidolon would also share the Orc Blood racial trait, which should technically allow it and the Summoner to take Racial Heritage (Changeling) and access Coven-Touched. I would prefer a solution that doesn't require borderline-abusive rules interpretations, though, and this still leaves the coven short one member. Is there any better, more widely applicable way to put a PC race's feats on a companion?
I might be late here, but this has been very informative. With a universe of aliens ready for description, I didn't expect Paizo would spend any time on sub-races for the Core options. I also didn't know that Ysoki was a collective name, but that makes sense given their relationship with Golarion ratfolk; the fact that there were two races on separate planets in the same solar system that nevertheless evolved identically was my favorite thing about ysoki in PF1E, as it it called to mind the theory (whose name unfortunately escapes me) that life across our universe would always evolve along certain optimal pathways, producing highly similar organisms on every planet capable of supporting life.
Also, that is a great point, Metaphysician. I didn't consider using human morphology for context in this situation, but that makes my issues much easier to resolve..
I haven't kept up with Starfinder since before it launched, but I was wondering if the physical details of some of the core races were ever definitively explained. To me, the art direction for these races seemed contradictory and confusing, as significant aspects of their descriptions were rendered inconsistently in promotional pieces.
-Ysoki: Ysoki were frequently depicted in the fashion of the traditional D&D / Pathfinder ratfolk, but they also appeared as humanoids with the body proportions of halflings and the oversized heads and tails of cartoonish mice. I believe both versions were shown at an approximately equal rate. Do we have any in-universe explanation for these physical differences? If not, which is the ysokis' canonical appearance?
-Vesk: Most pre-release art showed this race as a fairly standard lizardfolk-style creature. However, I distinctly remember one piece of art in a blog post featuring a bust of a male vesk that looked like a muscular human with pastel green skin and a darker, scaled, reptilian head. Has this drastic change in appearance appeared in any Starfinder releases since then, or was it just the work of a misguided artist?
-Shirren: As I recall, shirren displayed some sort of sexual trimorphism, yet all shirren in the pre-release art looked almost identical. Have we seen all three sexes together? Are they physically distinct, or did Paizo invoke the Sci-if trope of "humans being unable to distinguish between alien sexes?"
Dhampirs have no ability to create spawn. It looks like you're talking about the Proud Progenitor trait, which seems to be intended for NPC dhampirs who acquire the Vampire template.
I think I have to bow out, here; I've been busier since recruitment opened than I expected, and I'm nowhere close to finishing my submission. If the party ever needs a replacement, though, let me know.
Here's the mechanical side of my submission. I'll return to this thread in a few hours; if recruitment hasn't closed, I'll compile this sheet and an updated backstory into a new alias.
Spoiler:
Ranton Edser
Male Human Shifter 1
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NG M Humanoid (Human) Shifter (Feyform Shifter) 1
Initiative: +1; Senses: lowlight vision; Perception: +5
I'm back with a concept update. I've been looking for an excuse to test out the Shifter class, and this AP looks like a prime opportunity for such a character. I'll probably skim the newer archetypes to see if I can add any extra utility to the class / party, but a human Feyform Shifter currently stands out on a thematic level.
Here's what the character's (nameless) background is looking to be:
At a Glance:
Backstory:
This character was born in Phaendar in a farmhouse built where the barrier between the Material Plane and the First World began to thin. The building was shared by house spirits, while the effects of wilder fey could be found rarely around the property. This concentration of fey activity lead to the character being touched by the subjective reality of the faerie realm.
The character initially looked for his niche in the community through labor, using some "tricks" he picked up from to earn a reputation for efficiency and reliability, but grew dissatisfied when he began to see vulnerability in his town's guard. Looking to assist in Phaendar's defense , the character managed to find his way into the Foxclaw organization; he assumed he would act against the Molthuni, but he was instead assigned to ward off dangerous animals from the town, a task he found no less agreeable.
The character has recently spent an extended period of time in the wilderness, and has returned to Phaendar to trade for supplies.
Personality:
This character is marked by determination and a strong work ethic. Community is rparamount to him, and he is ready to protect his in any way necessary. He has a high natural curiosity, and can be prone to mood swings, but he usually tries to act stoic and suppress these traits, as he knows they could lead to trouble. He also distrusts animals.
This character was born in Phaendar, to a family living in a dwelling that stood as a hotspot for fey; several house spirits occupied the building, while the work wilder fey could occasionally be found around the property. The character was fascinated by these inhabitants, and, after numerous failures, mangled to earn the capricious beings' interest.
I'll work on fleshing out the above background before submissions end.
I'm mindful of the recruitment's deadline, but I have a couple of questions for the GM before I come back with the mechanics for my submission: would you allow a Shifter to take the Shaping Focus feat? The Shifter is intended to be able to take Druid-exclusive feats, but this one was never future-proofed for another class gaining Wild Shape.
Alternatively, would dipping into the Druid class allow the character to advance Shifter Wild Shape with Shaping Focus? RAW, it looks like it should work, but that seems kind of cheesy, so I thought I'd ask.
I'd appreciate a summary of some kind. Your pitch was intriguing, but my browser was hit with pop-ups and redirections when I tried to navigate the linked site.
I'm a little disappointed by this redesign. Paizo has already filled the design space of "cloaked, staff-wielding Mage" with their Iconic Wizard, Oracle, Arcanist, and Summoner, so I liked that Seoni's design took a separate approach; given Paizo's efforts to establish clear differences between the mechanics and flavor of the Sorcerer and Wizard classes, it was nice to see that the Iconic Sorcerer was also significantly different from the Wizard on an aesthetic level. Moreover, I preferred Seoni's old hair color and style, as the long braids helped further distinguish Seoni's silhouette from those of other spellcasting Iconics.
I do like the idea of Seoni's tattoos changing color when she casts a spell, though. It further emphasizes a salient aspect of her design by linking it to the Sorcerer's most important class feature, which is a cool touch.
At 10th level, the Chameleon Adept archetype's Improved Shifting Companion ability grants the hunter's animal companion the ability to "use wild shape as a druid of half the hunter's level." Would this ability allow the hunter's companion to use feats, magic items, traits, or other such options that modify the wild shape ability or list said ability as a prerequisite, such as Aspect of the Beast, Druid's Vestment, or Beast of the Society; or would the fact that the the companion's wild shape comes from one of the hunter's abilities pose a problem?
So, the rough concept I'm currently kicking around is that of a well-regarded ghostwriter who awakens in this new realm to find that he has lost most of his ability to directly interact with his surroundings; objects pass through his grip, pedestrians pass him oblivious to his presence, and the scents of the world are barely perceptible. However, in exchange, the man finds that he has he can impose his will upon reality as if the world itself were a story he was penning.
Personality-wise, the character would be a gentle, somewhat shy man who is reluctant to take control of a situation or take credit for his achievements. He would be somewhat uncomfortable in violent situations, and would generally prefer to work behind the scenes and solve problems subtly.
In life, the character remained active in his career until his last breath, dying of old age alone in the cabin in which he sequestered himself while writing.
Mechanically, the character probably would be a human expert 7 with the ghost template minus the rejuvenation and corrupting touch abilities; constant invisibility as the spell; and the ability to cast Wish at-will as a SLA with a caster level of 18.
Well, this seems very interesting; I'll probably post a build or two within the next few days. I have a question, though: can I make a character whose fantastical abilities are derived from a negative aspect of their former life rather than from the fulfillment a wish or desire?
If you play a human, you might consider taking Racial Heritage(Storm Giant). The feat alone provides decent flavor for a Thor analogue, but the main draw is access to the Storm Soul and Storm Warrior feats, which work excellently with your concept.
What are the brawler archetypes like? What are role and heritage archetypes?
Bumping this for attention (excluding the part that was already answered). Also, do any archetypes or feats allow PCs to count as an animal for beneficial purposes, like how the pre-errata Animal Soul feat worked?
Sort of. Wildling lets you take animal soul and aspect of the beast feats but also comes with harmful mental spell animal targeting.
role and heritage archetypes: I'm not sure what this is in reference to. Where was it mentioned?
Role and heritage archetypes were mentioned earlier in the thread. They refer to animal companion archetypes.
What are the brawler archetypes like? What are role and heritage archetypes?
Bumping this for attention (excluding the part that was already answered). Also, do any archetypes or feats allow PCs to count as an animal for beneficial purposes, like how the pre-errata Animal Soul feat worked?
This was a pretty interesting read. The gradual reveal that Zova is something more than an ordinary person was a nice way to introduce the shifter's abilities, and it's always refreshing to see a character motivated by something other than tragedy. I'm not sure how to feel about her relationship with the Loper, though. I understand that heroes of fantasy often have something that marks them as special, but I find such a close tie to such a high-ranking entity a little off-putting in an iconic, as I always thought they were supposed to represent the average adventurer. However, it did stimulate my interest in learning more about her, so I can't say the hook failed entirely.
On a different note, I'm curious about something (and I do not mean to offend anyone by asking this): why has everyone assumed that Zova is asexual? Sure, romance isn't important to her, but it isn't uncommon for people to prioritize other interests during periods of their lives, just as Zova currently prioritizes her wanderlust and her adventures. Also, given her higher comfort around animals and in the wilderness than around other people, I'm getting more of a misanthrope/wild woman vibe from her story. Am I missing something here?
Hey, GM, before I finalize my build, I have a few questions:
Would you count improvised weapons as "weapon" implements for an occultist's transmutation school powers?
Would you allow an occultist to enhance an improvised weapon with the Legacy Weapon focus power?
May I start play with a tool worth less than 20 GP and suitable for use as an improvised weapon, such as a shovel, instead of a simple weapon of the same value?
Given the information they posted in the OP, I'd guess that the GM is just busy, so I doubt that they'll leave us in the dark for long. I still hope they're all right, though.
It might be a bit early, but I'd like to wish everyone good luck with their submissions! Also, I'd like to thank JAF0 and Ancient Dragon Master for pointing out and correcting an error in my last post; I certainly wouldn't want my submission to be inaccessible. :)
Hey, GM. Below is my character for this campaign; it is complete, but I'll probably go over the backstory once more before submissions close, so it might be a little different from this version.
Also, depending on the answer to my most recent question, I might give the character the Spirit Summoner archetype.
Hey, GM, I have a question (albeit one with an answer that is likely obvious): would you consider the aquatic base form (and, by extension, the gills and swim evolutions) to be prohibited for an eidolon whose summoner possesses the Spirit Summoner archetype keyed to the flame spirit? I guess that it would be easy to say yes, but I would think that such eidolons could be connected to natural phenomena such as submarine volcanoes or hydrothermal vents; or to one of Pathfinder's aquatic, fire-using monsters such as the gold and sea dragons, the vouivre, or the gare linnorm. As a result, I would like to get your opinion on this matter.
Hey, GM. I've thought it over a bit, and I have decided that I won't be going with a deep one hybrid, after all. Sorry about the time I made you spend on the topic.
I'm currently planning to roll up a gillman summoner. I'll be using the chained version; if this is a problem, let me know and I'll switch to the unchained summoner.
I am tentatively interested. Would you allow me to play a deep one hybrid? I know wanted to put restrictions on the available races, but deep one hybrids don't seem to have that much of an advantage over many of the cleared races, and they have a nice aquatic theme that fits well with the AP.
I'd like to make sure you don't miss this. I have other concepts I would equally like to try, but I would like to know my options first.
I am tentatively interested. Would you allow me to play a deep one hybrid? I know wanted to put restrictions on the available races, but deep one hybrids don't seem to have that much of an advantage over many of the cleared races, and they have a nice aquatic theme that fits well with the AP.
Hey, GM, I have a bit of an odd question that came up while pondering some potential changes to my build. Could I take the feat "Fleet" to give an animal companion that lacks a land speed (such as a fish or dolphin) a base speed of 5 ft? If so, could I boost that amount further with the Racer companion archetype?
I would expect it's starting with a racial fly speed at level 1 that's a cause for concern.
None, apparently; I can never remember that gathlain aren't plants. >.> The fly speed does seem like the real issue; I'm guessing its use will be limited to (1 * character level) minutes/day, similarly to 3.5e's raptorans.
Gathlains are currently an illegal race, but, IIRC, Ultimate Wilderness will include an update to the race, and I think nerfs to their racial immunities were mentioned. Perhaps Campaign Leadership thinks that these changes would make gathlains a suitable boon race.
I might try to modify and resubmit my character from DM Brainiac's recruitment, but I would like to know if you would allow me to keep the character's race, Deep One Hybrid, which was essential to the concept I had in mind.
Here is my late submission. If possible, could I start without the animal companion? I feel it could be fun to roleplay the process of obtaining it.
Personal Details:
Description:
Shesikor is a veritable mountain of a man, standing about 6'8". His dark skin has an odd, gray tint, and his short, wiry hair sparsely covers his head. The man is dressed in simple clothing fit for a fisherman, over which he wears a heavy-looking breastplate, and he walks in an odd fashion similar to a limp.
Background:
Born in a Bekyar tribe in Central Garund to a Dagonist slaver and one of her favored "personal" slaves, name never experienced the evils for which his people are notorious. Following his mother's death during childbirth, Shesikor's father—and, as the son of a slave, name himself—were gathered with their fellow slaves and prepared for sacrifice or sale, a fate that varied by individual. Luckily, though, before Shesikor's tribe was happened upon by a group of Andoren relic hunters, who managed to fight off the defending warriors and liberate the oppressed people, then cutting their journey short to bring the former slaves aboard their ship and transport them to a new home of their choosing; Shesikor's father requested that the Andorens bring him and his child to Andoran to start anew, settling in the fishing village of Chimera Cove.
As he grew up, Shesikor flourished in this new environment, developing into a hale and intelligent man with a strong faith in Gozreh. He faced occasional prejudice from those familiar with the Bekyar people, but Shesikor could often change their minds through his strong work ethic and eagerness to help out in any way he could; this behavior was inspired by his father's account of the encounter that gave them their freedom, always dreaming that he could one day be just as great a hero as those who helped his family. Although he was glad to offer assistance out any who needed it, Shesikor was secretly relieved whenever his services weren't needed, as he greatly preferred to spend his time on Apso Bay, as he felt an almost mystic connection to the water and its inhabitants, whose company he though better than that of his fellow villagers. Ultimately, these feelings would influence Shesikor to set aside his heroic aspirations and pursue a quiet life as a fisherman.
During his third decade of life, though, Shesikor began to experience a series of odd events. His once-long stride began to stiffen; his hair began to thin; and he began to notice a subtle, yet noticeable change in his skin's hue. At first, Shesikor dismissed these minor problems as mere signs of aging, but, following his father's death the next month, Shesikor became aware of a more frightening possibility. While sifting through his late father's belongings, Shesikor discovered a hidden diary the man had kept during his time as a slave; in addition to a wide array of injustices, the book detailed the final hours of Shesikor's mother. His interest piqued, Shesikor eagerly read on, learning of his father's assertion that Shesikor's mother's death was caused by a mysterious illness; to Shesikor's horror, the symptoms his father recorded were identical to the unexplained changes Shesikor himself was now dealing with.
Concluding that he would soon succumb to some fatal hereditary condition, Shesikor realized that this grim revelation actually provided him with a solid excuse to finally attempt to fulfill his long-held aspirations and make a name for himself as a force for good; conveniently, it was around this time that Shesikor heard of the Bountiful Venture Company and its expedition, which he viewed as a perfect opportunity to achieve his goal. Name traveled to Almas that week and applied for a spot on the crew of the Peregrine; after a tense waiting period, Shesikor was informed that he had secured the position, and he now eagerly awaits the ship's arrival at its destination.
Statistics:
Sheskor Udanembe
Male Deep One Hybrid Hunter 1
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NG Medium Humanoid (Human, Deep One) Hunter (Pelagic Hunter) 1
Initiative: +0 (+2 underwater); Senses: Low-light Vision; Perception: +6
@DM Brainiac: well, this is kind of funny; I don't own Bestiary 5 and I somehow missed that race on D20SRD's race listing, so I didn't even know that deep one hybrids existed in Pathfinder. This option seems like it would work just as well as the corruption; thanks!
I hadn't planned on applying for any more PbP's, but this AP is just too enticing. >.>
Odd question: would you allow a PC who is affected by the Deep Onecorruption? I had been kicking around an idea for a character whose backstory was, roughly, an aspiring hero/heroine with a dormant corruption who realizes their time is limited once said corruption manifests and decides to make a name for themselves by joining the Bountiful Venture Company.
Tieflings with the Fiendish Sprinter racial trait or Catfolk can net a +10 racial speed bonus when running, and being adopted by sylphs lets you grab the Following Breeze trait for an extra 5 feet.
