You have been travelling for the better part of a fortnight, from the interior of Numeria to Kenabres. The road has been kind to your musculature, but the weather has not been kind, with the spring showers following you all the way up the path. Fortunately, your wagon, a gift from your creator to be used on this ride, is a magical one. Each night, the driver, a man who simply perfers to be called Miles, transformed the wagon into a small house, big enough to offer shelter to all of you, and provide the necessary food and drink each time. You've been delayed by about two days, but no one complains. The 'wagon' sure beats roughing it in a tent in the middle of a storm.
You reach the outer gate to the Old Kenabres district about an hour before the midday. Miles is able to get the cart into the inner city, but not much further. Getting out of the back of the wagon, Miles hitches the horses and walks back to you. "I'm afraid this is as far as I can get you. If you follow the crowds, you'll make it to Clydwell Plaza before the fastivities begin. Don't forget to try out the food here." WIth that, Miles walks off to one of the vendor kiosks and you see him a minute later chewing on a turkey (or is that goat?) leg.
Your internal chronometers indicate that you have about 15 minutes before the main festivities begin. It is only about 1200' to the pavillion that Miles mentioned; however, there are many people between you and the pavillion. What you do to get to the plaza is up to you.
I have been itching to run this campaign since I bought Book 1 (The Worldwound incursion) a few months back. I now have all the books, and I'm liking the concepts quite a bit. However, I didn't want to just run a bog standard AP; there are already several groups playing that on the forums. I'm not knocking any of them, I think that, from what I've seen so far of the threads, they all look great. I just want my campaign to stand out a bit, give it a bit of a challenge, so to speak.
The spoiler tags below will explain what I have in mind, as well as setting up character creation rules and whatnot. In short, I am looking for 4 players to start, plus 1 NPC that I will be running to be the 'face' of the group. He may or may not make it through to the end of the campaign, but he will not draw from the XP pool. I plan to keep this open at least through the weekend, possibly to a full week (that is, though the 19th) depending on strength of submissions and overall interest.
Campaign Context:
Numeria is infamous for its 'strange' workings, much of which has not been seen outside of its borders in centuries. However, a group within the leadership of the Technic League is debating on whether or not to introduce the world to those advanced technologies that it has available. They have also decided that the best place to do a 'trial run,' as they are calling it, is in the campaign centered around the Worldwound. If this experiment works out, then they can expand out into global operations. However, many are still cautious about the endeavor and wish to remain secretive. A compromise has been reached: a 'scouting' unit of androids will be sent to observe the crusaders to see what, if anything, the Technic League can offer. It's been decided to build 4 androids, with a human control to help integrate the unit into the crusaders' army (and keep an eye on them).
'Your' Role in the Campaign:
You (whoever you might be) are one of the andorids built by the Technic League. Your mission is to infiltrate into the crusader ranks, integrate with them, observe for a few weeks to 2 months, then come back to Numeria for a final report and shutdown. Once in Kenabres, you and the other units in your group are to separate and find pockets of military units to join. You will be telepathically linked to a control; a human magic user who can extract you in case of an emergency. His code name is 'Archimedes.' It has been indicated in your programming that this is not locked, and the mission parameters may change over time, depending on your group's situation. Your group has reached Kenabres during some kind of holiday when the campaign begins.
Character Creation:
*25 point buy, no stats below 10 (or 8 for Charisma): you have been built with endurance in mind and superior parts. This is more of a 'max/max' style campaign. To offset this 'penalty,' no stat will cost more than 5 points (i.e. to go from 16 to 17 costs only 5 points; same for 17 to 18).
*2 Traits, plus 1 campaign. The campaign traits are designed to be part of your background. In this case, we can state that the 'event' that grants you the campaign trait is an implanted memory. This will, however, be used as a plot hook for your character later on.
*This will use the Mythic Adventures ruleset, plus the Mythic Mania rules as they become available. In the short run, if it is on the pathfinder srd website (yes, including Mythic Leadership!), then it will be valid here. Expect to reach your 1st Tier around level 6.
*Race Available: Android, that's it. If your character dies during the campaign, you can at that time, create a 'normal' character, with one of the races from the Core Rulebook.
*Classes NOT Available: Gunslinger, any gestalt 'hybrid' character from the ACG playtest or book, Godlings.
*3rd Party Addendum: Most classes from 3rd party sources are allowed, including the steampunky 'Technomancer' types. Keeping in mind the limitations in place from your Charisma penalty as an android, some classes will work better than others. I reserve the right to say no to a 3rd party class (if it just doesn't make sense in the given campaign, i.e. the Godling, then don't expect me to say yes to the idea)
*Max hp at 1st level, roll (in the discussion thread) for every level beyond 1.
*Max wealth at 1st level (the leadership has no idea what a low level 'flunkie' would need to survive, so there are no 'standard' packout lists available from the League).
*As androids, some believe that you may be called upon to stay out in the field for longer than originally expected. As such, you are designed to grow and 'evolve' over time. The next spoiler will explain the 'advanced android' template, specifically designed for this AP by myself.
Advanced Android template:
These are the bullet points for your character as you advance in levels (NOT tiers):
*At 2nd level, and every even level beyond, you gain 1 evolution point (as per the summoner class) that you may apply to your character as you wish. If you decide to take a body part or some equivalent (i.e. claws, wings, etc.), the body part in question will glow in a similar manner to your body and look semi-metallic (think organic metal).
*At levels in which you normally gain a stat point (i.e. 4th, 8th, etc), you also gain an additional evolution point.
*To reflect your anticipated growth over time, at levels 8, 15, and 20, you gain an additional stat point to use as you wish. You do not, however, gain an evolution point at these times.
*You gain an additional use of your nanite surge ability every 4 levels. At 12 level, your skin glows as if daylight was cast on your skin. This effect lasts for 1 round.
*As a racial bonus option when you level, you may add an additional 1/3 evolution point, rather than a skill or hit point. In this fashion, you will have, at most, 21 evolution points to use at 20th level, if you take advantage of this, along with the points already allocated.
*As you gain experience, it is expected that you will learn how human(oids) work and behave. Advanced processors can take this 'wisdom' into account. At 7th level, and every 4 levels beyond, your penalty to Sense Motive drops by 1 point. At 19th level, your penalty will be eliminated.
House Rules/Expectations:
*Rolls of nat 1 are NOT automatic failures; your just having a bad day.
*Please do not metagame. I am aware enough to know that I'm not the only one who bought the books, and I suspect that many to apply will have read up on the AP and are likely to plan out their characters. I am fine with that, just don't make it obvious in my campaign.
*Maps - I like them, but my iPad Mini, where I do the bulk of my posting and gaming these days, does not. I am open to ideas (no, Google Drive/Draw is not a big fan of my mini computer either, I've already tried), and even to people who want to draw out the maps for us. Until we get a good permanent solution, we'll be doing combat in a cinematic style; I'll explain everything with enough detail that no one is likely to get confused.
Leveling Up Characters - I ask that hit points be rolled in the discussion thread, mainly to keep it separate from the campaign, but also to see how good (or bad) your rolls are. If you're rolling a 1 and I can see that you can't seem to roll above a 5, I'm likely to cut you a little break. Also, I ask that you post a minimum of HP, AC, CMD, and saves on the toolbar below your character's name. Anything extra I leave up to you.
Overall - I am not a rules lawyer by trade, but I do have a fair understanding of the rules of play. I don't like to argue over minutiae about obscure rules in the European version of PF, posted on a BBS forum back in 1982. IF you have made it this far, and can figure out what my inspiration was for that last statement, the first person who posts it will get a +1 stat bonus. I prefer to have fun in my games, as you might be able to tell.
Plans Beyond WotR - IF this group stays together long enough to finish the campaign, I have a few ideas for continuing play beyond Book 6. Perhaps a siege on a not so slumbering city called Tsar, per chance...or terraforming the Sarkosis plains...or just taking over the planet. But I do believe that there will be plenty of playing opportunities beyond reaching 20th level.
Posting Times:
My present job affords me the normal opportunity to post 2-3 times per day during the week, mainly in the morning. This won't be a 'fast' campaign; I learned my lesson from the last time (it was nice having ~4500 posts in 4 months, but an abrupt change to my life killed it, and several dropped out from the game moving too fast), but I can respond fairly quickly during the day as needed. At night and on weekends, I do some side consulting work, and my wife keeps me 'distracted,' respectively. Weekends in particular, I can average maybe 1 post between both days. I don't expect people to really move heaven and earth to put in a bunch of posts at 2am local time (I'm CST for the record) on a Sunday morning. Go pass out like the rest of us from alcohol poisoning, for crap's sake.
As for combat, I'd like to keep it to 1 round per day, tops. If you can't post during that time, then the assumption (unless told otherwise) is that your character is holding action. If you are being attacked, and you're unable to post, I'll DMPC your character until you are out of immediate danger. If you have issues that will keep you from posting for a few days (for example, I will be out of the country in early August, and unless I want to pay 20 bucks per day for internet access, I won't be online), then just give enough advanced notice (if you can) and we can work something out.
I believe that I have covered the highlights, although I'll always remember something just after the 1 hour mark on a post, so if you think I've missed anything, please just ask. I'd like to see some kind of background for your character, i.e. what made your AI decide you wanted to be class X for example. That being said, I'm not looking for dissertations on War and Peace, you've only been around for about a month, afterall. I look forward to seeing all of your entries.
*First off, I am very flexible in how you build your characters. If you're unsure about something, just ask here or via PM.
*A nat 1 on a skill check is NOT an automatic failure. However, I do reserve the right to poke a little fun in your character's direction when you do so.
*Speaking of, nat 1s in combat, whether by you or one of my NPC's/enemies, will feel the blow of my Fumble Deck! On the flip side, Crits will also take a visit to my Critical Deck. I use them both pretty regularly (but not all the time).
*Perception is considered a class skill in my campaigns: If you have taken the skill and did not apply the +3 modifier, do so to your character. Logically, it ought to be a class skill for everyone; you perceive the universe. About the only way to not take this as a class skill would be for me to lob off your tongue, nose, ears, and hands. Not much fun to play after that, in my opinion.
*Max hit points at every level beyond 1.
*Anything else, we will cover as we go.
I know that DM Grimmy is running his own Lost Lands recruitment and I wish him all the luck in running that campaign. For me, I'm going to try to be a little more specific. I would like to start a Lost Lands campaign, starting with Stoneheart Valley, and working our way north from Bard's Gate to the city of Tsar. My last campaign worked specifically in and around Tsar, and went through 5k posts in 8 months before I had to quit, because of health and family issues. I state this because I know there are some discerning players out there that would like to know one's DM'ing credentials before signing up.
As stated, my plan is to start in Stoneheart Valley, end up in Bard's Gate (briefly) before heading back into the valley and, based on information gathered from the latter quest, head up immediately into the Desolation, Tsar, and quite possibly beyond, in order to stop a maniacal threat to the planet, and quite possibly the universe. The PC's will find themselves to become legendary people as they help the Gawds Thyr, Muir, and others in stopping Orcus from gaining a foothold on their world (i.e. welcome to Mythic Adventures!!)
Currently, I have the Stoneheart Valley supplement, along with Tsar, plus all the stuff we need to run PF. What I am currently missing are the Tome of Horrors books, which I will be finally picking up on my next paycheck. On the mythic side, I have Mythic Adventures and Mythic Origins, and have recently KS-backed the Mythic Mania sourcebooks that were funded just this morning. Those three books will be integrated as we go along (hopefully starting in early March of next year).
So with all that wall above me, let me give you some specifics that I am looking at:
Campaign Needs - People wise:
* No more than 5 people/characters in the threads. I will be playing a pre-genned 1st level sorcerer to get the group started. I'm not married to him, however; if he dies after the first couple of adventures, I'm not going to be completely upset about it.
* I would like to request that 1 person be willing to play a LG cleric or paladin of Thyr or Muir. Although the party could get by without one, it will make things a LOT easier at certain points.
Character Creation:
Stat Points: 20 point buy. IF you really want to play the stat drop game to min/max your character, I will want a good reason as to why, and I will be expecting you to play that disability in character throughout the campaign.
Traits: 2 as per any readily available sourcebook, with the exception of Campaign specific.
Starting Level: 1
Classes: Paizo + PFSRD. I like some steampunk dunked into my fantasy, so to get the questions out of the way: Yes, Machinesmith and Tinkerers are allowed. So will anything from the Numeria sourcebooks be allowed as they become available. If I can find it on the PFSRD website, then it will be allowed. That means that the Theurge class from the New Paths Compendium is unfortunately out, but everything else from that book is okay.
Archetypes: Any normal (standard rules apply).
Races: Core + ARG + Android from Bestiary 2 (I believe). Yes, drow are allowed, but only the standard model, the luxury "noble" line is currently out of stock. :)
What is NOT allowed from above: Gunslingers are out (too broken IMHO). Psionists need not apply (old school Grognard here; never was impressed with the PP system from 1st Ed. Please save your arguments about how great UP from Dreamscarred Press is. I am aware that it is a better effort than what has come before, still not changing my mind). Any non-specified race not previously mentioned. There are just too many to choose from and I would like to KISS on this one. Also, on Traits, no Rich Parents (if you come from a rich background, you have no business trying to be an adventurer, just so you can lord over all your 'friends' who had to start out with 40-50 gp).
Character Background:Yes, please. Bear in mind that you just starting out as 1st level characters, so I really don't think that there should be a WoT for your background.
Words of Warning/Expectations:
* I will be able to post on average 1-2 per day. I am okay if you can do the same. I won't be able to keep up the pace that I had with my last campaign, because...
* During the day, at least, I will be posting from my iPad mini, while I am at work. The bosses get fussy when I use their bandwidth to make personal posts. :P
* I still have not mastered the art of making maps (especially combat maps) accessible online. Now that I am starting this campaign, I am hoping that I can slowly change that, but don't expect it to happen overnight.
* In return, I will try to be as descriptive as I can, while also giving game mechanic stuff, like room dimensions as an example, in ooc format.
I will leave this thread active for the next week or so, and can answer questions pretty quickly, as my workload is rather light this week. If your building a character, I would like to see it in your post as you can; it is easier for me to look at upfront, rather then tapping back and forth across several tabs on this little tablet o'mine.
One last thing: if anyone from my previous campaign wants to get in on this, you will have priority, as long as you can prove to me your credentials: Send me a PM telling me your character's name and what your interactions were with Lucky. Also, tell me in the PM who I am referring to and a good description thereof. I can verify it rather easily as needed.
See you all in the funnies!
EDIT: For those wanting to make casters, the spell lists from the Deep Magic sourcebook are available, minus the ley line magic.
The building itself looks as if it has been rebuilt at least several times over the years. Built more like a mostly-enclosed open pit of some measure, the bottom third of the building is covered by fieldstones all the way around. The rest of the building is covered in pitch, wood, and mud, with several chinks in the structure, each letting steam and smoke out into the night sky. Walking in, you get hit with a combination of wood smoke, a little coal, and the smell of stew over an open fire in the middle of the large room.
The inside of the tavern, other than the aforementioned camp pit, is an L-shaped room, selling most manners of alcohol and some field dinners (i.e. venison, rabbit, etc.)
"Well I must say that it was more by accident than anything. For you see, in my younger years, I was a bit of a...shall we say, unfocused. I had been drinking my way steady for several days and I ended up in this harbor town. I don't even know which one it was now, that is how bad I was then. When I began to sober, against my will, I might..."
Nguyen was interrupted by a knock on the hidden door. "Who the devils could that be," he replied. Opening the door
Raelc was standing there with another person. The cook said "I'm sorry about this," in Common, "but the courier says it is important. He wishes to see your friend about a note from an important person." It takes a second for the tone to sink in, but then Nguyen realized it. Perhaps it is time already? he thought. The courier came forward and passed along a note to Nguyen, mistaking him for the true receiver of the message. He turned around and left before Nguyen could say anything. Nguyen nodded to the cook and shut the
DO NOT DISTURB:
door. Nguyen looks at you and says, "I believe it is a note from the Society. I shall read it to you." He then opens the missive and reads the following out loud:
Greetings, Young Adventurer:
I am writing this to invite you to have a conversation with some esteemed persons about an expedition into the wilds of the Worldwound, to be more specific could be harmful to those entrusted with this letter. The gentleman in questions wishes to speak to you and several others in one hour's time about this potential arrangement. To meet with him, please walk four blocks to the South of this establishment that you are presently in, and then wait to hear the following phrase: 'I though' I saw A puddy tat.' It may sound crude, but several of us this far North do speak with a bit of a broguish accent. Please respond with the following phrase: 'I did in fact see such a cat." You will then be led to a Respectable establishment and we will have our meeting in peace. Please be prompt as we do not have time to dally.
"One of the worst places to get drunk in all of Nerosyan!" - "Queen" Gallifrey
"How did I end in up in this unhappy place?" - Doctor Who-something (I dunno, he just kept calling himself the Doctor)
"Where are all the little duckies?" - Bonar the Barbarian
Welcome to our little hole in the ground, where the food is served up proper on sticks of bread, the ale is made from the finest rice, and the service is to die for (or maybe just died, who knows).
Come on in and sit for a spell, or cast a spell and sit on a hand!! We are not picky :)
As the subject line implies, I am looking to start an ST campaign, with the city sitting on the edge of the Worldwound, as opposed to somewhere else. I can handle up to 8 players/characters at once and, given the harsh nature of this campaign, I will likely re-open the recruitment thread on a semi-regular basis to bring in new blood. Let me give you some of the particulars of what I am proposing before we get to the crunchy stuff:
About Myself:
I am 5’9, a Capricorn (on the cusp) and I like long walks on the beach. OK seriously. I am an accountant by day and a gamer/lover by night. :P I am also a 1st edition grognard, Blue Box bandit. That’s right, I said blue. An extra point towards your buy if you can tell me what was so great about the blue box. I have been playing for over a quarter of a century; if the company made more than two books, I have probably played it at some point (hmm, Car Wars….). I have also been a DM for the last fifteen years or so, spliced evenly between Rifts, 3.0/3.5, and Pathfinder. While I have played in a few PbP campaigns over the years, this is the first time that I have actually run one.
What I Expect From My Players:
Posting – I would like to see at least one post/day during the week, and another post on the weekends. As always, more posts are always welcome. In order to avoid walls of text, I ask that everyone uses spoilers where necessary. I'll do the same on my end.
Grammar – I am not a grammar nazi, but if English is not your favorite language, then please let me know. If you have read this far, let me know what your favorite color is. Also, if you are familiar with drunkenese, then let me know that as well so that I can read your posts accordingly. :p
Role v. Roll – This will primarily be a role-playing game, with lots of dialogue. Because this is PbP, I would like to try and not get bogged down by week long combats, but it will occasionally happen. That being said, if you are looking for a hack and slash campaign, this might not be the thread for you.
There are a number of threads that talk about how to post “properly” in a PbP thread. While I will not strictly enforce it, I would like to know when a person is posting “in character,” v. random sayings.
Dice roles in the open.
What I Will give Back In Return:
Posting – I will post at least once per day and often more. As I stated, I work as an accountant, so the first few days of the month, I am working closing the books for the group that I work for, so once a day is probably all I’ll have time for during that time of the month, but I will answer pm’s as quickly as possible regardless.
Grammar – I will do my best to minimize de grammer, bud I cn make mistakes two. I’ll keep the errors to a minimum, although my tablet does not have spell check.
Dice rolls in the open. Yes, even the ones that say “should be rolled secretly by the DM.”
Maptools – I know that a lot of PbP campaigns use this software to create maps, and I would like to do that as well. That being said, I have not had much time to use MT, so my first few maps will likely look a little amateurish. Any positive feedback or advice on this will be well received.
NPC’s – There are a lot of characters in ST and I plan to use them to the best of my ability. I will also be adding some NPC’s to the campaign to liven things up a bit. If you have been paying attention, then tell me who you would rather see in the White House: Tim Tebow or Peyton Manning. Some of these characters will be mercenaries, others will be more direct competition.
Skype – I do use the service to talk to my daughter who is currently living overseas, but due to my work schedule, I don’t have a lot of time to setup a 4-8 hour gaming session as some others have done. That being said, we can chat here and there on Skype if needed. Just send me a pm and we can setup a chat session.
Now to the good parts!
Character Creation:
25 point buy. If you are going to drop a stat below 10, just to get that extra point in Dex, then I will be expecting you to play your character as such. For example, if you have a Wisdom of 8, you might be the world’s best artist, drunk or sober, but if someone asks for volunteers to do a backflip off of a third story balcony, while not spilling a single drop of that fourth stein of ale in your hand, I’ll be expecting you to be the first volunteer.
Allowed Sources – Anything from the PFS is allowed with minor exceptions (see below). Also any 3rd party stuff, so long as I can get a link to it or I already own it. I am a big fan of Super Genius Games (and no, you cannot play a Godling) and have a fair amount of their stuff. 3.5 is out for the most part, conversions can be a pain, particularly as part of a PbP campaign.
Races – ARG is fine. Let me answer the questions now: Drow=yes, Drow Noble=No (I’m a little goofy, not crazy); anything that has to be built is No, 3.5=I will consider on a case by case basis. The more complex the race, the less likely I am to approve it. Finally, if it requires XP debt, then the answer is no.
Classes – Anything “Core” or “Base” (plus 3rd party) is ok, with the exception of Gunslingers, and all skills/feats/weapons/whathaveyou that the class entails. I like guns (I live in Texas for cryin’ out loud) but the rules from PFS are not exactly to my tastes. Easier to not deal with it.
Alignment – Good or neutral characters. For those not familiar with ST, let’s just say that there are plenty of opportunities to become evil. To play one from the start, however, is something that most players (in my experience) just do not have the temperament for.
Hit Points – Max @ level 1, ½ HD plus 1 for every level afterwards.
If you have made it this far without falling asleep, congratulations!
Starting Gold – 23,500 gp, plus a wayfinder, and 4,000 gp to use towards purchasing a ioun stone. If you are paying attention to everything, you’ll tell me what you bought with that bonus as part of your crunch write-up.
Skills – House rule: Perception is always a class skill, regardless of class.
Traits – You may select two traits, plus one from the Pathfinder Society.
Background – I would like to see a basic setup for your character. If I choose your character for the campaign, I would like to see additional information, including the items that I will mention further on.
Other Stuff – No hero points, no guns, no piecemeal armor, and no words of power. Those sound nice on paper, but it takes a lot of additional crunching to deal with, and I am already asking for a fair amount.
The Twist:
As ST is setup in a generic world, it makes things relatively easy to convert over to PFS. In this case, Tsar has been around for centuries, but it is perched on the edge of the Worldwound itself, separated from the hole only by some mountains that were formed as part of the rupture. Also, I would like to run this using the Pathfinder Society Field Guide as the entire group will be part of the group. Here are the additional rules/guides from that source:
Each person must pick a second faction that they belong to as part of the Pathfinder Society (PS), such as the Silver Crusade. Each member is considered to belong to the Grand Lodge faction (mostly to have access to that part of the prestige rewards) as their secondary faction.
Because you are starting out at 7th level, your characters will have had time to accrue some prestige. Each character may roll 1d10 to determine the number of Prestige Points your character has earned. If your character has used any PP, then that should be part of the initial crunch/background to determine how much Fame you have.
As mentioned previously, each character gets a wayfinder as part of their starting equipment. If you wish to trade the basic model in for another wayfinder (i.e. the Wayfinder of Shining), then your trade-in value is 500 gp.
The campaign will be starting in Nerosym, along the border of the Worldwound (to receive your final briefing and get a little role-playing in from the get go). It is expected that you will have all of your starting gear at that point, as you will not likely have a chance to buy anything before you leave the city.
Finally, the group as a whole will receive a few items to help them survive (at least initially) in the Worldwound as they make their way towards Tsar (via The Camp).
I am recruiting as of this posting (assuming Paizo’s servers don’t glitch again :( ) and will continue to recruit for the first batch of people until the end of the day on Halloween. I expect we will begin play the following week, as we get some loose ends (i.e. additional background, tie-ins to your faction, etc.) taken care of. I hope that everyone pays attention to everything as details are almost a must for a PbP campaign. If you have any questions...well, as Jesse Jackson always says "The question is moot!" 2 points towards your buy in if you can name the reference, and a bonus 2 points to the first person who can tell me the name of the actor that said it. Otherwise, I’ll try to answer questions to the best of my ability.
So here are my thoughts on this: I have been a DM irl for almost 20 years, and have played long before that, going all the way back to the original Red Box. My experience in running PbP however is pretty light, but I am eager to do this, and a campaign like Slumbering Tsar would definitely provide months, if not years, of fun. That being said, my current gaming group is not exactly what you would call "serious" about gaming...in a 5 hour session, we usually get maybe an hour or so of actual gaming done. That's why I'm looking to do this campaign as a PbP.
I have some ideas on how I want to run the campaign (i.e. starting level=6, etc), but I am not actually recruiting yet. That's why the thread is in Advice and not over on the Online Campaign forums. I am looking to get some real advice on this one.
Maps:
Here is my big one. I've never been big on using minis in my rl campaigns, which is part of the reason that PbP appeals to me. That being said, a lot of people prefer to see maps and play tactically. I'm not good at making maps, and I have seen a variety of them here in terms of quality. I could use some good advice on how to create/manipulate maps online. Any advice in this department would be handy.
General:
I've read several boards now and have started to read Aubrey's Eberron campaign. My goal of course would be to have a campaign thread that could be rationed out in volumes, but I do know how the average PbP thread goes. I'm looking for anything of interest that I should be looking out for from other characters, particularly in the recruitment category. Any other advice would be welcome as well.
I have some ideas about how the campaign itself should look (i.e. Core races plus...) and I can post them in down the line if anyone thinks that's important, but at the moment, I am mostly looking for advice. I can recruit later once I have everything in place.
Thanks in advance to everyone who send me some constructive, informative advice.
Apologies for the confusion, Djedefre. Every group only gets three sites. The in-universe reason for rushing is to have more chances for profitable sites by beating others to the lottery. There will be sites untouched due to the sheer number of potential sites with some too dangerous for "low-level" adventurers.
"Well, he's rather infamous, I suppose, this wizard." Marwanun gives Amal a coy look. "Perhaps the locals among you have heard of him. Hafiz el-Irfan? I'll get you a writ to explain the Church will cover the cost of the scrolls." I was going to just invent a low/mid level wizard, but Amal had to dread meeting his family, lol
When the handler returned, she handed Amal a scroll with the seal of the Grand Mausoleum. "Your father should be amenable to this. He's done arcane scroll work for the church before, I understand." To the party she asks: "Would you like to draw your next location now or wait till tomorrow?"
I didn't think anyone had claimed the official documents, so thank you Djehuti for taking responsibility.
The Voice leader takes the offered tile and map, glances them over, and hands them back. "The Vulture Court? Good name. The tomb is clear? Then we shall move on. The Lady keep you."
The Voices depart, the one that you first met offering a wave as they go. It takes an hour or two to fish up the loot-laden chests up the vertical passage by rope and arm, making it early afternoon by the time the party is ready to walk out of the Necropolis. While there had been a crowd at the gates in the morning as the groups had rushed in, only one other group was seen as the Vulture Court headed south.
They were led by a woman with an absurdly large purple hat and matching duster. A look of permanent disdain seemed etched on her severely beautiful face, almost pouting. She led a group similarly dour. The two Garundi men were casters, both bearing a wooden symbol of a mask painted half white and half black, one wearing armor while the other sported a green scorpion on his shoulder. The other woman was a tall dark-skinned half-elf armed with a khopesh, along with a few other weapons.
The half-elf's eyes were not downcast, taking in her party's surroundings, and when her eyes fell on the Vulture Court she smirked, giving someone among you a wink.
Djejuti's deft elven fingers work smoothly, slicing into the dry, ancient linens to eventually unwrap nine charms, each a different semiprecious or unusual stone carved into a figurine or hieroglyph. Some are recognized from AOP and Osiriani culture, others are obscure arcane runes. Despite Senemheb's recollection of their purpose they do not possess any detectable magical auras.
Appraise DC 20:
The Church of Pharasma, any devotees of Anubis or the other four funerary gods of the AOP, or collectors of Ancient Osiriani cultural artifacts would pay upwards of 300 gp for the set of nine or 30 gp apiece.
The final charm is above the folded hands of Akhentepi's corpse, exposing his dried carcass to the stale air of the tomb. Fortunately, the dead doesn't rise as Djehuti claims the ninth charm.
Congratulations, the Vulture Court is now Level 2!
I posted a floor plan of Briarstone up with the Sanity and Research Rules, Nyarai. I hope that is adequate. I attempted to sketch one but I was reminded why I'm a writer not an artist, lol.
Ah, also, GM - did I miss the possibility of getting/buying a crossbow from the guards, or did that request get lost in the posts? ... Looking at my money, I may not actually be able to afford one...
My bad, no you did not miss an opportunity. Winter insists and one of the guards gives you a light crossbow with 10 bolts for free.
Also, tried to have Brenton blend Miss and Mister when addressing Alvar. He did mean to call you a devil, though.
@Everyone else, we can move to the next day at your leisure.
As Luke, Djehuti, and Djedefre step up to the offending coffin, Amal neared the northern doors. The Taldan's boots clacked on the raised stone, echoed by something mechanical clicking beyond the northern doors. Amal, perhaps due to his heritage, felt something was amiss mere moments before the northern doors swung open, the heavy stone pushed in by a sudden torrent of water. Amal, you need to make a Reflex save DC 15 to avoid being knocked prone.
The roar of the flooding trap drew all eyes, even Luke's, who barely caught the sarcophagus rise to tower over him and open its lid. While nothing lay inside, the box hopped forward as if to swallow the Taldan whole. Djedefre didn't have time to notice, nor Djehuti to disarm, the trap on the platform as Luke - crowbar in hand - came at the sarcophagus. At the same time, electricity arcs between the pillars yellow lines on Roll20 to strike anyone who was on the platform.
Electrical Trap:2d6 ⇒ (2, 3) = 5 Djehuti, Djedefre, and Luke need Reflex DC 15 to half the damage to 2.
Searching the rest of the chests and the spilled contents, the party finds a purse with 100 gold coins and 42 silver coins - both ancient circulations of currency - and a small library of records, private memos and correspondence, expense ledgers, and speeches both military and civilian in nature. Luke, having grown up in a noble household, realizes that while to most these hold no monetary value, to Orisionologists and/or historians these records and papers would be worth at least 250 gp, being a direct window into the mind of a small-time but nonetheless brilliant military commander of ancient Osirion.
The nard because I forgot to value it before like a dingus is worth 75 gp.
Can't solicit me if I'm in the same reed boat. If the character put a rank into Ancient Osiriani, is a local of Osirion, or is a devotee of one of the AOP gods, I'm willing to let weapons like khopeshs be treated as martial.
As for turn order, I'm sorry for letting it become confusing. I forgot to write who was up next at the end of my posts. Are you all okay with the block method or should we use the traditional method?
Enoch, I think you'd gain hemophobia after that. Whenever a creature in sight is dealt bleed damage you need to roll a Will DC 14 save to avoid becoming shaken.
Following the flow of blood into the Dayroom, Alvar and Ethyl find the Dayroom. Worn old chairs and tables, many holding the scattered pieces of simple games lay scattered around the room. A serving hatch in the north wall opens into a darkened space beyond. Vast glass windows dominate the eastern walls, a jaundiced kaleidoscope swirling hypnotically outside. The excessive blood casts a coppery smell throughout the room.
Alvar realizes this is a haunt, and the source is seated in a wheelchair facing the amber-tinted windows. Approaching, you see an ancient woman with a crater in her chest, a horrified expression on her face, and the banner of blood rising from her chest wound into the air to flow now into the records' hallway. The amount of blood exceeds what a woman of her frail size should have conjured, and it shows no sign of slowing or stopping.
The serving hatch is large enough for a medium creature to crawl through as a full round action, or a small creature as a move action and is labeled as 5 on Roll20.
The smell of blood fills Nyarai’s nostrils, and in a blink she is no longer in a dark hallway. She is in an alley, wiping blood from her hands with an equally stained cloth. The clear Qadiran sky glitters overhead. The sound of a baby’s crying is muffled inside the hovel, and adult voices attempt to console someone. It was normal for the witch to receive no thanks from those she attempted to aid, she was just glad both mother and child survived.
A youth ran past the alley opening, but a moment later he stepped back into view, looking nervously at Nyarai. “Veiled One!”
The sylph nodded, absently fidgeting with the cloth before approaching. “What is it, Ajer?”
“A Taldan has been asking for you! Some fat cat from way up north. Gives me the shivers.”
“Is he alone?”
“He has companions. A devil, a doctor, a man with an Alkenstar tool, and an angel. He is asking for you by name.”
“Take me to him.”
A scream from inside the hovel pierces the air, and blood begins to pool out of the door into the alley.
As the door opens surprisingly without resistance, the five of you are faced for a sickening moment with a wall of blood. It shivers in place, before rushing out in a crimson wave, accompanied by an elderly woman’s dying scream.
Sanity dmg:1d6 ⇒ 6
Hemorrhage Road:2d6 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4
Sanity check DC 15. Success is 1 point of Sanity damage, failure is 1d6. Also, everyone in the hall needs to roll a DC 16 Reflex save to avoid being knocked prone, back 20 feet, and taking the Hemorrhage Road damage. If they would be pushed back into the far wall in those 20 feet they also take an additional 3 points of damage. Success you are only pushed back 10 feet and take no damage.
As the blood pools on the floor, making it slick but not quite difficult terrain you all see a floating ribbon of blood meandering out of the Dayroom. Unless you crouch or attempt to otherwise avoid the flowing crimson river, the blood will attempt to push you like hydraulic push.
@Djefedre: I'd allow either, and the pedestals and mummified felines do not appear to be trapped. Also, he'd know of the ancient practice of either poisoning or strangling beloved pets to accompany the deceased on their journey down the Duat - or River of Souls.
@Luke: the collars would probably fetch 5 gold pieces each, maybe 10 to devotees of said deities.
@Jolánka: sketching the mummies, the Bastet mummy is "loafing" while the Anubis mummy is sitting up, almost at attention.
As the party renews its moral discourse, you'll find yourselves in the midst of some ruins. In the center of which stands a box-like structure, weathered by centuries enduring the elements. It stands 12ft high, 20ft wide, and 35ft long. Facing you are a set of stone doors, half covered by a small dune of sand. The doors appear to open outwards, so it will be necessary to clear the sand from the threshold.
If the party has at least two shovels, this task takes 10 minutes tops. One shovel and Aid Another increase this time to 30. If no shovels are present, then it takes an hour by hand or impromptu tool.
There isn't a cloud in the sky, but the dead trees provide minimal shade. It is still early morning, but Ra unveiled is still a cruel aspect of nature and it will only get worse.
Perception 22:
There are marks of forced entry along the inner edges of the doors, and the wax seal usually used to ensure the sanctity of the tomb is missing. Someone might have been here before, but a Survival check of 10 or higher shows that this intrusion was maybe a few centuries ago and not at all recent.
Please refer to Roll20 and confirm if you can move your tokens.
Marwanun pursed her lips at Luke’s suggestion, tapping her chin with a finger. “The Vulture Court?” A sly smile played across her face. “That’ll do, friends.”
She rushed over to the tables, speaking animatedly with another priest, who wrote down the group on a papyrus. Marwanun then ducked through the crowds to speak to a young but severe-looking woman wearing more green than blue or white. Amal and Djedefre know her to be the high priestess of the Grand Mausoleum, Sebti the Crocodile. She cocks an ear to listen to Marwanun, nods once, and then rises to stand before the gathered crowds. The sun had just fully crested the horizon as the woman’s words ring out.
“Welcome, friends, family, and foreigners.” Her words carry over the Sunburst Market and silence the masses. She speaks each sentence first in Osiriani, then in stiff Taldane. “Let the Lottery commence. Although many of you have requested specific sites to explore, we must leave these matters to fate. The Lady of Graves is a far better judge of destiny than we of this mortal sphere. Your Handlers have ensured you are prepared, and once every party has been assigned a site the gates to the Necropolis will open.”
“Let these rules guide you in your endeavors in this holy place: Remember How This Came To Pass, Every Slave’s Hut Is A Memorial, Honor The Departed. May you go with the Lady’s blessing.”
Sebti bows and returns to her seat as two acolytes step forward, carrying an urn. The Handlers form a line and begin to draw tiles from the urn. The Handlers are then given maps with the locations marked on them and then sent to their groups. Marwanun is fourth in line and after collecting her assignment she returns to you.
“Alright, friends. Turns out you have a legitimate tomb, one that predates the Necropolis’ founding: the Tomb of Akhentepi. Unfortunately, all we know is he was interred a decade or so before the Plague of Madness tore old Wati apart, so any historical information you can recover will be a boon. It’s located in the original cemetery of Wati in the eastern section, here.” She points to the marked location on the map of the necropolis, just east of Bargetown. “You have your location and the gates are open. Again, there isn’t a real time limit, but the faster you are the more options you’ll have to draw from. Unless you have any questions, good luck!”
Just making sure on the light source. My other game of Strange Aeons had two humans, a dwarf paladin, and a sylph rogue who insisted on darkness during this leg of the adventure.
I get IRL being hectic, I'm just trying to do my due diligence as a PbP GM for y'all.
Ah crap, I thought you had a higher threshold, lol.
Yes, I'm going to give you a phobia. Any time your vision becomes obscured - either due to darkness or due to effects of obscuring mist or similar spells Ethyl must make a DC 14 Will save (fear effect) or become shaken for the duration her vision is obscured. See text for other details.
The afternoon sun beats down on the plaza before the Grand Mausoleum, the Wati temple to Pharasma. A crowd of locals has gathered to catch a glimpse of the “adventurers” entering the lottery to see who gets to explore – or defile – the tombs and ruins of the necropolis. Most are innocently excited to see folk from across the Inner Sea region and beyond. Some are here to silently judge those who think they can profit from their history, from the memorial of horror.
No one is audibly protesting. The policy of Ruby Prince Khemet III was law. As such, the voices of the common folk were forced to hold their tongues.
In this excited but tense atmosphere you have come to Wati and entered the lottery. Your reasons are your own, as are your methods. Having come alone, you were entered into a secondary lottery designed to form parties from those without established groups. The ruins of the necropolis were too dangerous to risk adventurers going solo. The idea was to ensure these individuals were grouped into balanced parties. Each party was assigned a Handler, a Pharasmin priest who ensured the lottery applicants understood the rules of the lottery.
The six of you were called out by a Garundi woman. Her dark hair is braided into a short thick cord, ending in a silver ornament shaped like a bird’s skull. Her holy symbol, a spiral comet, is also silver and hangs on a simple leather cord around her neck over her white and pale blue priestly robes. She looked down at a scroll and gave it a look over before clapping her hands for attention.
“Excuse me, hi, I’m Marwanun, one of the Handlers.” She spoke fluent Taldane. “I’m going to call out a few names, if you hear yours please step forward and I can get you all set up.”
She glanced down once more. “Djedefre ibn al Qadir. Djehuti of El-Shelad. Amal el-Irfan. Jolánka Graydon. Luke Caradoc. And Senemheb. Alright, if you folks could follow me into my office we will get you familiarized with how this is going to go.”
Following the Garundi woman into the Grand Mausoleum, the six of you are led to a quiet corner in the shade as other Handlers collect their groups. She leans against the stone wall and smiles, looking each of you over with gently crossed arms.
“Well, quite the assembly. I knew this lottery was going to get attention, but gods! So, my name is Marwanun, and I’ll be your group’s Handler. Consider me a surrogate big sister, keeping you out of trouble and on task. Before we get into the grit of the matter, I believe none of you know each other. I’d take a moment to introduce yourself and your skill set. Once that awkwardness is passed, I’ll start explaining why and how the lottery is going to work.
DC 15 Sense Motive:
Marwanun is giving off friendly vibes, genuinely trying to make you all feel welcome. Despite being Pharasmin she has approached this divisive lottery with a smile on her face. Her Taldane (or Common) is surprisingly unaccented, she must have quite the tutor.
Marwanun yawned as she stood in the shadows of the Grand Mausoleum’s gates. The priestess of Pharasma regretted getting up early for this. Had she known she wouldn’t be assigned a party till this late she would have slept in. Then again, prophecy wasn’t a thing for a century, she thought wryly.
Finally, she heard her name called and crossed the threshold. There were two long tables set out flanking the Mausoleum’s gates, each under a white awning. Beyond that was the small crowd of lottery hopefuls, mostly foreigners but there was a surprising amount of locals. Surrounding the proceedings hundreds of Wati citizens had gathered to catch a glimpse of those brave or foolish enough to unearth the dead half of their city.
Trying not to look too bored, Marwanun approached the left table and was handed a list. The applicants had been sorted into two categories: established parties and individuals who had to be grouped together based on their skills. This was an additional part of the lottery that had to be quickly put together, since many who traveled here came alone. Seeing no “adventuring group” title on her list, she knew she had a randomly assembled party.
Six names were scrawled in Osiriani with Taldane translations, along with brief descriptions so she could find her people. Marwanun took a moment to try and pronounce the names in Taldane before looking into the gathered adventurers. She cleared her throat and smiled, clapping her hands for attention.
“Excuse me, hi, I’m Marwanun, one of the Handlers.” She spoke better Taldane than she read. “I’m going to call out a few names, if you hear yours please step forward and I can get you all set up.”
She glanced down once more. “Djedefre ibn al Qadir. Djehuti of El-Shelad. Amal el-Irfan. Jolánka Graydon. Luke Caradoc. And Senemheb. Alright, if you folks could follow me into my office we will get you familiarized with how this is going to go.”
----------
Shadow Dragon Djedefre ibn al Qadir
karlprosek Djehuti of El-Shelad
Ythiel Amal el-Irfan
Archpaladin Zousha Dame Jolánka Graydon
Red Heat Lucilianus “Luke” Caradoc
and -Karma- Senemheb
Congratulations are in order, this was even harder than my Strange Aeons recruitment some months ago. Those who have been chosen can post in the Discussion thread and prepare first posts for the opening in Gameplay. To everyone else, thank you all for your interest. I do plan on running at least one more AP this year, so if you didn’t get picked this time around... keep a weather eye on the horizon...
BLOOD OF THE PHARAOHS Selqet CG Human (Garundi) Warpriest (Divine Commander) of Selket
Ivar Stonewrought LN Oread Unchained Monk
Tanesh Sundancer NG Ifrit Bard (Dawnflower Dervish)
INQUISITIVE ARCHEOLOGIST Dame Jolánka Graydon LG Human (Varisian) Shaman (True Silvered Throne)
Samma-Sia NG Half-orc Magus (Bladebound)
MUMMY-CURSED Senemheb LN Human (Garundi) Occultist (Necroccultist)
“Alicia” LG Tiefling (Pitborn) Paladin (Hospitaller)
RESURRECTED Yobiaz LG Human (Garundi) Paladin
Ozain Brimstone LG Ifrit Paladin (Undead Scourge) of Ra
Nahgul NG Half-orc (Keleshite) Alchemist (Crypt Breaker)
Imhotep LN Human (Garundi) Kineticist (Psammokineticist)
Made a mistake, the doctor's body parts in the closet was Vudran, not Kelesh. Not that it really matters, lol.
Ethyl approaches the door to Losandro's office, inspecting the finely made portal. She too hears the muffled breathing from within, and those standing around glimpse a shadow move across the western window. It rises from below, gnarled branch-like fingers flexing as it reaches up before swiftly withdrawing from whence it came.
The door is closed and at first doesn't seem to want to open. However, another try of the knob proves it was just stuck - slightly swollen - rather than locked or trapped. Opening it, the group enters the long awaited administrator's office.
This office is massive, cathedral-like in its construction. A second floor comprising of a five-foot walkway hugging shelves and shelves of books and scrolls is veiled by that same acrid yellow fog that the party saw in their dreams. 50% miss chance within the mist A delicate metal staircase spirals tightly up to the private library of the administrator. Three mundane wooden desks stand in opposite sides of the room, the closer one resembling a secretary's station, the other two holding books and a collection of trinkets and memorabilia. Directly across from the door stands a dark marble desk, thick and elaborate like an altar.
In the middle of the room sits the source of the indoor mist. A woman of Taldan ethnicity rests on her knees in a pool of blood, sourced from slowly but constantly flowing but unseen wounds. Her head is thrown back and her mouth agape as mists of blues, greens, and purples rise steadily from her throat. This vibrant hues fade to that sickly yellow five feet from her mouth as they rise to join the curtain gathering below the ceiling.
Entering the room one would see another door leading to the south across the office. The stain glass windows lining the northern wall of the office each feature a slowly twisting shadow writhing in inhuman and unnatural shapes, fading away as one tries to focus on them and redefining themselves in the peripheral.
Perception DC 16:
There is a set of six framed charcoal sketches on the wall behind the marble desk. They feature bizarre cityscapes and urban monuments, and looking closely one realizes that they are representations of the alien city you found yourselves in before waking in this nightmare. One even features five humanoids running through a street as a tattered figure pursues them.
4 more days before your Handler will call up the lottery winners. I recommend finishing up any crunch/fluff left over. Only fully submitted applications will be considered. You don't need a separate alias if you don't want to make one, just a stat block, a background, and a motivation for going into the ruins/tombs/dungeons.
If I missed an update/profile/PM let me know and I'll keep the list updated. Unless expressed I defaulted human to Taldan or Garundi and unaligned to N.
You are all allowed to adjust character submissions before the deadline, just let me know that you did so I can review. If you are picked and want to make minor adjustments that will also be permitted before we officially start.
Could some kind person compile a list of characters submitted/players interested? That would help a lot.
Organized by Campaign Traits:
BLOOD OF THE PHARAOHS Selqet CG Human (Garundi) Warpriest (Divine Commander) of Selket
DEVOTEE OF THE OLD GODS Ananet Bast CN Catfolk Alchemist (Gunchemist/Chiurgeon) of Bastet
Mansoor Farazm Yousef Tarabin CG Human (Keleshite) Ranger (Skirmisher)
RESURRECTED Yobiaz LG Human (Garundi) Paladin
Ozain Brimstone LG Ifrit Paladin (undead scourge) of Ra
Those'd be acceptable for a gnoll character. I double-checked the source for the gnoll stats and they are approved. Also the archetype works well for working with others and for some of the themes of the adventure. You may continue with that submission, just be aware if you're picked you may have some difficult Cha checks early on.
Since we are delightfully embracing the old gods, here's a snippet from my notes on the matter...
"Wati is the seat of the Ancient Osiriani renaissance of the “old gods” and their worship. This is a young endeavor - only officially recognized in the past 20 years - and no grand temples remain to the old gods. Instead, repurposed homes, hospitals, and abandoned structures are being renovated to provide sanctioned shrines for the new devotees. A brothel has become a temple to Bastet. Several mortuaries house shrines to Anubis and the four funerary gods. The dawn sees gatherings beyond the eastern walls of Wati greeting Horus and Ra with reverence.
The official churches of Pharasma and Nethys see this renewal as a passing fad at worst and an appreciation for the nation’s rich history at best. As such, they allow even their own to partake in the rituals. Historians and scholars use Wati as a hub from which they dig up the past to learn more about these ancient gods and their cults. More than the popularized twenty deities have been discovered in this manner, leading some to think there are dozens of forgotten sources of divine power buried in Osirion’s sands."
Y'all can use this context for developing your faith/practice of the Ancient Osiriani Pantheon in Wati or wherever your character picked up their worship.
Question: Will you consider adding/changing features for followers of the Ancient Osirion deities? For example the Core deities have obediences, fighting styles, etc. but the Ancient Osirion deities have no such options.
Absolutely. I plan on having the Ancient Osirion pantheon being far more fleshed out in this playthrough and will be looking into already established work or doing it myself. If anyone has suggestions I will consider them, maybe make a Google Doc/Spreadsheet for future usage.
Ptah is the only one I'm seeing with the Earth domain. Is there another, in your telling? Or maybe one particularly closely connected to Sphinxes? Someone an oread wannabe Living Monolith would be particularly drawn too? Nothing against Ptah, just doesn't really seem to be his bag. Beyond "earthquakes are a sign of his displeasure" I'm not really seeing much that connects him to the earth. (Not that I'm opposed to picking him, necessarily, just wondering if there's a better choice.)
A peek behind the GM screen, I will be using this document by Morhek for inspiration. I'd suggest Amun, Meretseger, or Tutu for sphinxes, and Geb or Aker as alternatives for the Earth domain. I'll gladly dedicate time to flesh out certain gods from this expanded pantheon that pique the interest of selected players.
Due to the shifting nature of mythology, I'm going to portray these other gods as either weakened true gods or demigods like empyreal lords or archdevils based on them falling in and out of popularity between Osiriani dynasties. The "canon" 20 are the most popular or infamous throughout Osiriani history and thus won't have high DC's to identify.
@GM Knightmare Night: Would you allow a Bloodrager to use the Unchained Rage (flat bonuses and penalties instead of modifying Ability Scores) where relevant? That would make things a lot easier...
Welcome scholars, delvers, and collectors, to the Half-Dead City of Wati and the chance of a lifetime! Our Ruby Prince, Khemet III, has seen fit to allow groups of adventurers access to the tombs of Wati’s necropolis for the purpose of finding, recovering, and documenting its treasures. With permission and sanction from the esteemed Church of Pharasma, you all must clear a screening of your character and a testing of your abilities. As such, to be entered into the lottery you must fill out these forms to prove your worth and be assigned a Handler.
QUALIFICATIONS Races: Our Ruby Prince is not a closed minded man, and he recognizes such discoveries as might be discovered may be valuable to all. As such, any of the seven core races and more exotic races – such as those with genie, celestial, or elemental blood – may be permitted into the sacred tombs. Monstrous races like kobolds and goblinoids might be permitted should they be submit to a watchful eye and behave in a civilized manner.
Classes: Knowledge and treasure draw all walks of life, as such any class found in the Archives of Nethys may be permitted, with preference held for Unchained versions. However, our Handlers do not validate or recognize any third-party classes and as such will not permit them. Classes should be considered based on their abilities to survive in harsh and dangerous environs, including unforgiving deserts, trapped and haunted tombs, and places were magic of all kinds festers unchecked. Reference the Mummy’s Mask Player’s Guide and suggested reading materials located on page 4 for suggestions.
Alignment: Adventure calls to all in one way or another. Any Good or Neutral alignments are permitted, with Lawful Evil considered should the applicants sign contracts to cooperate with the group they are assigned.
Stats: The purpose of forming a team is to cover as many bases as possible while having experts in certain fields. Before racial modifiers, applicants begin with an 8 and an 18, then will roll 1d4+10 for the remaining four and array as desired.
Traits: Applicants will begin play with three traits, one of which must include a campaign trait – reference the Player’s Guide or the Archive of Nethys for this list. A fourth trait may be selected, but only if a drawback is selected and worked into the character’s backstory and personality.
Health: We’d prefer applicants who will not die immediately upon entering the ruins and tombs, and so applicants will begin play with maximum hit points for their class. Every level after they will roll for their health, rerolling 1’s.
Wealth and Gear: Applicants will being their adventures with maximum wealth for their classes, recommending they prepare as best they can for the dangers ahead.
Hero Points: Applicants begin play with 1 hero point, and gain more through through the normal avenues listed in the Advanced Player’s Guide and for correctly calling out your Handler for misreading a rule, missing an effect, etc.
BACKGROUND CHECKS Background: Applicants may come from anywhere on Golarion, but note that they must have a reason to delve into these tombs, ruins, and dungeons and be willing to work with others. Conflict within groups is to be expected but is not recommended. These dungeons will be claustrophobic, trapped, even haunted and warded. Cohesive teamwork will be paramount to survival and success.
We also request applicants provide a reason they are seeking to delve into the tombs and ruins. Does he owe money? Does she wish to achieve scholastic fame? Does he seek to recover a family heirloom before another steals it? Does she desire to overcome fear of the undead?
Additional Rules: Background Skills, Occult Adventures, Research rules from Ultimate Intrigue, Elephant in the Room feat rulings, Variant Multiclassing, and Ultimate Campaign will be utilized. While this is an Adventure Path, your Handler plans on allowing downtime for character goals and personal objectives.
House Rules: Current House Rules from your Handler, these may be added onto as expeditions progress.
a) Knowledge checks and Perception checks can be made as free actions during combat.
b) When resting, characters restore 1 hp + Con modifier. If Con bonus is negative, treat it as zero when determining regained hp during rest.
c) If a creature is unconscious and/or dying and receives magical healing – even if this does not bring the creature to positive hp – that creature stabilizes.
d) An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If you are unarmed, you only threaten surrounding squares if you have at least a +1 BAB or the improved unarmed strike feat, and thus, can only make attacks of opportunity in those cases. An attack of opportunity “interrupts” the normal flow of actions in the round. An attack of opportunity also never triggers an attack of opportunity, as the sudden nature of the attack means that it doesn't give opponents an opportunity to punish your opening, even if something about the attack would normally provoke (such as making it unarmed.) If an attack of opportunity is provoked, immediately resolve the attack of opportunity, then continue with the next character’s turn (or complete the current turn, if the attack of opportunity was provoked in the midst of a character’s turn).
e) Projectiles such as arrows can be recovered if the player rolls above 25% on a percentile dice (ie 26% or higher).
f) Religious devotion may be rewarded with slight buffs, such as hero points, extra healing, divine inspiration, etc.
Leveling Up: Applicants will advance in level via milestones rather than xp grinding.
CLOSING STATEMENTS
Your Handler has been inspired by The Mummy (1999), Strange Brigade, the Egyptian campaign of Age of Mythology, Amenti, Nephren-Ka, and The Jewel of Seven Stars to craft this experience for applicants.
Posting will be expected to 1/day at minimum, with weekends being looser. Your Handler will proceed with posts when at least 4 players posted. If selected, please provide a guide for botting should IRL keep that player from posting. Romancing NPCs or consenting PCs is permissible, but ERP is strictly forbidden as it is unprofessional and the sweat and other residues might ruin the artifacts or ruins. The Handlers will not tolerate indecency or immature behavior between characters or players either.
Your Handler is looking for 6 applicants, preferably arranged into a decently balanced party. Recruitment will remain open till April 19, 11:59pm EST, with winners announced April 20. Feel free to contact your Handler with questions or concerns. The city of Wati, our Ruby Prince, and our Handlers once again thank and welcome you to this experience.
Yes, she is. I thought about using her as an NPC for a bit I'm doing. If that isn't kosher with the group I'll redact it.
Elyssa as a PC left as attention was brought to Enoch's introduction. Perhaps she was slain, or vanished in the madness of the asylum. I thought about leaving her concept tied into the narrative for a little while longer.
Iosif is correct in most cases. However, I'm planning on letting the shrine of Setrakian house a selection of material components for both divine and arcane casters so the party can have a fuller array of spells. So to answer your question Nyarai, there are no conditions yet.
For Alvar, Nyarai, and maybe a couple others, the shrine also holds seven days worth of components for prepping spells (through lvl 3).
