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My brother and I are putting together mini-quests to run for each player in our group. Each is a beginner for the most part and we want to spend time with them one on two (my brother is the GM) and plan a brief story for the specific purpose of giving them some flavor for the world and making them use their class/race skills. That way they get a feel for the setting/RP and for the mechanics.

One of our players wants to play a sorcerer. My plan for his mini-quest is to have him try to gain enrollment at the Arcanamirium in Absalom. Using magic to pass tests and RP/game knowledge to answer an oral quiz from "headmasters" and then, realizing he can't afford it, RPing to get a sponsor from a wealthier, more advanced student or senior person at the university.

This kind of hinges on one question: do sorcerers study at the Arcanamirium in Absalom? In the Guide to Absalom it doesn't really spell anything out on that subject. I know a sorcerer is more "natural" and maybe doesn't require training in a formal way you think of when you think of wizards, but the Arcanamirium does focus on "practical magic" so I figured I could shoehorn it in?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

edit: I just realized this could potentially go in the campaign setting forum... if it's in the wrong place I apologize.

My group consists of 3 beginners (Samurai, Ranger, Wizard), 2 somewhat experienced players (Cleric and Wizard) and a GM who is also somewhat experienced. We are all learning Pathfinder together and it's been going well, but I would like to give the GM a break for a weekend or two.

Can someone give me a recommendation for a good, quick campaign that could last 1 to 3 sessions (a few hours a piece)? This will likely be for characters level 2-4 of the makeup I listed above. I haven't GMed before, but I know the rules pretty well.

Thanks.

Bump for the off chance that I haven't worn out all advice givers.

Whoops, I missed INT... my array is 12, 16, 14, 10, 16, 11.

RP wise I am going for a mix of Captain Jack Sparrow and Kvothe from Name of the Wind (if you've read that). Really play up the chaotic good and be cunning with actions.

Mechanically I want to support as much as I can with group buffs because the party is lacking in that area. But I would also like to be able to be on the front lines and do some damage.

Human
Evangelist Cleric of Cayden

Str: 12, Dex, 16, Con: 14, Int: 10, Wis: 16, Cha: 11 (25 point buy)

Domain: Exploration
Feats: Armor Proficiency (Medium), Weapon Finesse
Weapon: Rapier

Questions:

- Is that my optimal array for a 25 point buy? Given my domain and going evangelist, is it the most appropriate?

- I think weapon finesse makes pretty good sense given my weapon, but could I do better than medium armor for my second feat? Perhaps skill focus: perception?

- What should my strategy on skills be? Any particular to focus on which are most helpful to an evangelist cleric given the stat array?

Thanks. I realize I've posted a few threads on this creation process, but they've all helped tremendously and I'm looking forward to playing this character.

This thread makes me sad.

Although it is informative.

And if I do the human, evangelist, exploration domain, what would be my best bet for feats and skills?

The array I have right now, including racial bonus, is 14, 12, 14, 12, 16, 12.

I'll check in with my DM and see if he is okay with me changing it up like that. Thank you very much for that advice. I'd rather not multiclass at all. It's just my personal preference. But I am open to other classes if another might fit in better for the group.

After last night's mini-session, I'm not starting to see why people aren't overly keen on channeling.

If only I could be a Paladin of Cayden Cailean I think I'd be happy, haha.

If I were to propose a comparable point buy to my DM, what would it be? Being of arguably equal "value" to the stats I rolled.

The reason I took the high charisma was for the bonus channeling and so I would have an easier time being the group face.

We rolled and my array was 18, 16, 13, 11, 10, 10 (using 2D6+6 system). So it's almost feast or famine in terms of my stats. Where would you slot those in?

I think the monk will end up being more melee and less range. He actually wanted to do a samurai at first because he wants to do an martial arts type character. So I assume he will gravitate towards the front line.

I'm going to look at the evangelist archetype now.

This is a continuation of my Cleric of Cayden advice thread...

So the group has formed up and changed now that we had our first session (more like a learn-the-game-semi-dungeon-crawl). We have a wizard, rogue, and monk as our core players outside of me. The wizard is a savvy veteran RPGer and should be good to go. The rogue and monk are new and their builds will likely not have much continuity.

I created my cleric of cayden as a half-elf with Str: 13, Dex: 11, Con: 10, Int 10, Wis: 20, Cha: 16 including the racial add. Took Explore and Liberation domains, selective channeling, and half-elf skill focus on perception. My take was that he'd be anveraser for mistakes (selective channeling) which will likely be many given the inexperience, be the face of the party, and be a perception powerhouse.

Any advice on my role within the party given the others?

If you think the role is okay, do you have any advice on the build?

I'm open to changing literally everything from feat selection to class and race (though I'd like to follow cayden because I think the RP would be fun and appropriate for me).

Thanks for any help.

Zhayne wrote:

Malcolm Bookchild wrote:

Specifically I have a player playing as a cleric of Sarenrae and I want for them to end up transported into the Forgotten Realms, but I was thinking about this and wondering, because his deity doesn't exist in the Realms would he be completely useless?

Just say that it's the faith, not the god, that matters.

As much as I would love to do that it kind of implies that an insane man that truly believes is pet Turtle is a god would be able to pray to it for clerical spells

If this was a Terry Pratchett's Small Gods reference... *high five*

I'm thinking it's not thought. :(

It's almost impossible to screw up a cleric of cayden cailean, no matter what type you are building, combat etc...he frankly has a very good list of domains.

Yeah, I am thinking about doing Freedom (assuming Liberation is a domain within Cayden's scope) and Travel. Both look really useful and fun.

Haha, awesome. I'm actually leaning toward dwarf. In other games I have played I have gravitated toward dwarves over the other races (no idea why) and I think it would make a lot of sense for what I'm going for. Kind of a Captain Jack meets Kvothe from Name of the Wind kind of thing.

I do love the Liberation domain, but I just want to make sure it is within Cayden's list of domains. It might not matter if I talked with my DM about it, but I'd rather be up front with him.

I don't really enjoy taking levels outside of the class I choose. I realize it might help with the effectiveness of the character, but it's just not as fun for me.

So, if nothing else, this thread served to help convince my DM that I should reroll. And, huzzah, I got 10, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18. He said we can use this set, but if it proves to be too good (we're all mostly new at this) then we may tweak it down a bit.

Sorry to throw a curveball in here after all the great advice based on the other set of stats. What say you now? I like the idea of casting over melee, but a balance would be okay too. The samurai looks like he knows what he is doing and should be a force in combat, and the alchemist is actually now a wizard.

And of course I am going to be acquiring that holy symbol. I'm really looking forward to the RP aspect of this character.

Also, is there a consensus on the liberation domain for CC?

Thanks again.

Just got back to this tonight, thanks for the responses! Very helpful! I am going to grab a beer and reread.

We used the 2d6 + 6 rolling system for the ability scores. I rolled 8, 9, 11, 13, 16, and 17.

I have looked at the cleric optimization guides, as someone mentioned. They have helped, but I wanted some extra thoughts with my desired deity and playing style in mind.

I also looked into evangelist and it just doesn't seem to jive well, RP-wise, with CC as a deity. Isn't his "church" generally fairly lax? One more question: is liberation actually available to me? I was looking at travel + liberation, but in many sources it doesn't seem like CC clerics get that domain, while in others they do. It seems they should, given the god, but the answer doesn't seem to clear.

I'm starting a new campaign and I'd like some advice on how to build my character so that he's most effective in combat (and hopefully also out of combat).

I have decided on a Cleric of Cayden Cailean for RP reasons. Given that as a starting point, would I be better off as a good primary/secondary caster, martial healer, or straight support? Any advice on feats, domains/subdomains, race (other than human, since I figure that's the best, but it's a bit boring to me), and skills would be much appreciated.

Also if it helps my group will consist of a alchemist, a samurai, and a rogue, but the GM is flexible so I'm not overly concerned about making up for group's weaknesses. I'd rather make sure I'm personally fun/effective in combat.

Thanks!

I feel silly having posted this in the wrong section and on a question that could be answered with, "just read the reviews."

Although the reviews seem wildly different depending on the source (amazon, goodreads, etc.), Death's Heretic seems like a solid choice, that's what I'm going with.

Wasn't sure what section to put this in but...

Is there any particular order to the Pathfinder books? Can anyone make a particular recommendation? I'm looking for a new book to read and I figure it might help with my prep for DMing. Thanks.

I feel great about playing online with more people... in fact, that's what we planned to do during this past year when everyone was all over the world, but it didn't materialize. After I get comfortable with playing (DMing), I would like to expand the game that way. It's been about 4 or so years since I played d&d, so I'm trying to ease back in with this kind of stuff.

Awesome responses, I really appreciate it.

I'm going to check out those 1v1 adventure books and will probably get one (just because I'm addicted to the books), but I wanted to try to brew my own. Maybe I'll use one as a base and just tweak it to make it "mine."

I like the idea of a class that can RP things out more than fight, but I suppose I'll give him that option and create the adventure accordingly. Seems like Summoner and Paladin are the best choices to give. I also like the idea of giving a periodic companion NPC... I'll definitely have to conjure up some interesting characters to tag along.

I've been trying to get a Pathfinder game going for a while now, but it hasn't quite worked out. My two most committed players are my two brothers (one of whom is in Thailand right now), so I've decided to just run a quest for just the one who is around.

We both used to play AD&D and tried our hand at 3.5, but we love the Pathfinder rules and want to get the hang of them even if it means running a massively short-handed game. Both of us are fairly experienced role players in one way or another, just not with this system.

Does anyone have any advice for this situation? Which class would be best suited to run solo (maybe a couple of options so I can let him pick)? I know I can probably google some 1 player adventures, but I kind of wanted to make it myself or at least make a pre-generated quest my own. Any advice at all on this would be really, really appreciated. Thanks.

(In my obsession with Pathfinder over the last year, I have most of the books if that helps change anyone's advice)

I've decided to start with the Godsmouth Heresy, but only after having my group explore the city I build and run into some not-so-random-encounters (urban). I read through some of the Coliseum Morpheuon last night and I have to say it's incredibly well-written. It's obvious you had a good time crafting it.

Two specific things I'm looking for now that I have this 3PP issue sorted for myself:

1) I want to build a city in Varisia of my own creation. Any materials to guide me or to make it easier would be much appreciated. I plan on spending a few weeks on it because it will be the most fun for me as I prep for the players.

2) New races. I am still telling the players to focus on core books, but I know each of them very well (all friends or family) and I would like to see if I can find different races for them to play based on their interests. So any resource that might provide me with well-developed non-standard races would be great.

Also, on a side note, as I get more involved with Pathfinder (on the boards and through reading), I notice that it reminds me way more of the AD&D days than anything else. More creativity and "badassness." In comparison I have found the last few editions of D&D to be bland with an attempt to sand down the edges from the game. Which is unfortunate because the edges are the best part.

Finally, reading about Slumbering Tsar reminds me of the hilarious TPK stories and crazy deadly adventures sometimes found in the Knights of the Dinner Table comic, haha.

I appreciate all the advice.

As to why I am trying to stick to "official" products... it's mostly an arbitrary line to provide clarity for the players. Right now we are all reading/learning Pathfinder and I just wanted to give some boundaries so we are all on the same page. I want to branch out myself when it comes to third-party content so that I can vet it. I can't imagine all third-party product flow with the "official" content as well as others.

I appreciate the suggestions. I will definitely be checking out the publishers mentioned and may spend tonight with 3 or 6 beers reading the 101 Not-So-Simple Templates because that sounds fun. I also think I'll throw down the cash for your Coliseum Morpheuon. I doubt my group will get there for a loooooong time, but you've been too helpful to not check out your writing. Plus it's just cool that actual authors post on the board. If you have any other writings that would apply to the lower levels let me know.

Thanks again all!

Thanks all, that really helped. And I appreciate the link, I will definitely check out the module.

I don't plan on being involved in any Society games, but I do try to stick to official content as much as possible for continuity purposes (and just to make it easier for me and clearer for my players).

If there are any particularly useful and compatible resources you like I would appreciate suggestions. If it helps, my general plan is to create my own town in Varisia and use that setting as the start to my campaign. Most players are new and I'm new to DMing and have only played Pathfinder a handful of times. Thanks again.

Thanks for the move to the right message board. Didn't see this section.

Perhaps this is a silly question, but I notice that Paizo offers a lot of non-Paizo made products, such as Book of the River Nations. What is the general consensus on these books?

I don't mean in terms of quality, but are they generally accepted as part of the general Pathfinder canon? I'm trying to decide if they would fit as seamlessly into my game as the actual Paizo products (which, I assume, are made to fit together and by at least some of the same people).

Thanks for any info.

I'm looking for as many sources of advice as I can get for starting my campaign. It's my first time DMing.

Does anyone know of any blogs that would be good for such a purpose? DM and Pathfinder related would be great, but anything you think would help is appreciated too. I have googled around, but I figure there might be some diamonds in the rough out there that aren't on that radar.

Thanks!

Thanks for the input. In terms of 3.5, I haven't played since AD&D back in high school and the most exposure I've had since then is in Knights of the Dinner Table comics, so I'm sure my memory is off anyway.

He wants to have a shop, but I don't want to just give him an array of potions assuming he did the work. But working in the time it would take is also impractical for game flow.

So maybe work out a system where he has a shop and I roll for loss/gain (a marginal amount either way) and then give him a roll for X number of potions and also roll for what type they are? That's the only way I can see working it out so he doesn't get a big edge, but he can maintain his alchemist RP.

I am working with my players (I am the DM) on the finer points of the PF system and they are coming to me with questions so we can get as much as possible straightened out before the campaign begins.

I was approached by a player who wanted to go make alchemy a big part of his character (largely from an RP perspective, but also for the mechanical advantages). It was brought to my attention that creating potions as a cleric, it will cost him hundreds of GP to make one potion (above level 1) and thousands to make any kind of supply. Having played D&D in the past, this seems like a high amount and I was asked if I would be willing to houserule it down by some percentage.

So, I yield to those with experience, are potions cost prohibitive in the PF system? Has there been any problems in your games? Has anyone ever considered lowering the cost?

Thanks.

I've actually been looking into puzzles and riddles to sprinkle throughout my game. Nothing that will be completely necessary to complete the ultimate goal, but something that will provide an advantage if solved and a disadvantage if failed.

Of the top of my head, something like:

As the party walks in the door an audible *click* is heard and strange writing on the wall opposite the door. First everyone does a check to see if they can read whatever language it is, then, if they can, they will see a riddle... like, "It's greater than gods, more evil that the devil (gotta fix that for the game), rich people want it, poor people have it, and if you eat it you will die."

If they answer the riddle correctly within a certain amount of time they get some benefit like a reduction in the enemies or an element introduced (a piece of EQ perhaps) that will aid them in vanquishing their foes in that encounter.

I don't know, I'm just spit-balling here. Something can be difficult... but the more difficult it is the more tangential the effects of success or failure should be, imo.

(The answer is "nothing" btw)

Also, if there are any old compendiums with this kind of stuff from AD&D or back in the day, I would think they'd still translate fine to PF. If anyone knows any a heads up would be awesome.

I've started to use Obsidian Portal (obsidianportal.com) and, although it doesn't have the ability to generate content for you, it is a really great organization tool. It also serves as a great reference for your players (basically gives your campaign a website) while you can keep anything "GM only" if you want in order to keep them in the dark about things you're working on but aren't ready for them to find out about.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

I am using Obsidian Portal because it's exactly what I'm looking for. I looked into the other suggestions and they are all great, but I think my players will like OP best.

I do have a question though. Since I am using the Paizo content for the majority of my campaign, am I allowed to upload the maps from publications I have purchased for my groups use? I mean on the map wiki in OP. Is it not allowed, frowned upon, or okay to do? Thanks.

Haha, I'm just messing with it now to give my players a feel for it when I send them the info. I'm reading all the tutorials.

Seriously, this is amazing. I hope the community is as extensive as it should be (given the quality of the tools and the site) so maybe I could pick up a player or two if we want to grow. I just downloaded the Inner Sea region guide PDF, I don't think I can handle being this stoked to start. I need to calm down, haha.

I... I don't even know what to say.

Based on the video I just watched, if it works how it claims to, this could be the greatest answer to any online question ever asked.

Thanks so much, amazing! My players are going to freak out about how cool this is.

I would strongly suggest Northern Andoran, Darkmoon Vale area. There are some great low level adventures set there; Hollow's Last Hope, Crown of the Kobold King, Revenge of the Kobold King and others. There is a guide to Darkmoon Vale that is awesome. The region is different than standard fantasy society politically, great fronteir feel, plagued by werewolves, crazy druids, all sorts of fey and has both great small towns to set in/is remote enough to drop a new small settlement in without much trouble.

Thanks, G. I'll definitely check it out. I'll likely be giving my players a couple of options in terms of setting flavor and something like this would be a good alternative. I think my general idea is flexible enough to drop in anywhere.

That's a great idea, HB. I may limit it to only a couple of NPCs to create for each PC, just because I can't see them doing all that work yet and they aren't experienced enough not to create a barkeeper who is somehow a god and is the secret keeper of life, or something.

Is there any place I can go to determine how many commoners, experts and aristocrats I need for an average town? I mostly need to know the nuts and bolts.

My idea (maybe I'll post this separately to get advice on it) is this:

A small town somehow near Riddleport made up of a melting pot of ambitious individuals from most of the nations around the Inner Sea region who came together for the purpose of competing for control over the not-yet-settled frontier of Varisia. Although it is struggling to compete with the main three cities of the Nation, there have been rumors that the leadership will seek to be incorporated with Riddleport if signs of improvement aren't visible soon. Most expect the motives of those seeking to join Riddleport is to wrest power of the city government.

Reasons:
- I can introduce the players to the different nations of the Inner Sea region through those who came to join the efforts of this town.
- Assuming the players will want to settle in a more developed place as a home base, the story will allow me to take the NPCs they know and love into Riddleport (or maybe another city) to maintain some continuity.

Thoughts?

My players (I expect there to be 3-4) are all going to be fairly new to the RPG (let alone Pathfinder) game, so I do plan on running them through some modules just to get the ball rolling.

I also DO want to use as much of Paizo's content as possible since I love how fleshed out everything is and I really enjoy having the players feel part of a large, complete world. One concern I have, however, is taking a city already in existence and tweaking it too much. I don't want to disrupt what could already be a vital part of the Paizo-created world by getting too creative with my alterations.

My solution, I figured, would be to make the (hopefully) home base of my group a town of my own creation on the outskirts of one of the three cities in Varisia. I wanted to make it a basic town, but fill it with unique content and characters that I know my players will like (they're all either family or close friends). I didn't think a town would be that monumental of a task, especially since we are a couple of months away from starting. If I am wrong on that then I will look in another direction.

I just figured a small town creation wouldn't be too difficult and would ensure a preservation of all future content that I haven't read and don't know the intricacies of yet.

Thanks, this will be a great help. And only $12 isn't bad. I'm pretty happy that the advice in this thread so far has been relatively cheap, haha.

Thanks for pointing me toward the Inner Sea World Guide. Just bought it as a .pdf and have been reading it for a while now. All this context is amazing.

Obviously one could just use Word to throw together campaign formation, but I have to think there is something more suitable for the task of tracking the info for an entire campaign.

Are there any DMs out there who use a specific kind of software to keep everything together? NPCs, PCs, Cities, and all the other things that make your campaign?

I'm on a Mac, so if there are any particular apps on there that would be of the best help. Thanks so much.

So I haven't consistently gamed since middle school and early high school and that was as a player, not a DM. My brothers and I are getting a group together (now we're all in our mid/late 20s) and we settled on pathfinder and have the core books. I have been selected as the DM because, well, I want to and I'm excited about it.

It's all a bit overwhelming, but I'm studying the rules and information on Golarion. I figure the best way for me to start is to build my own city as sort of a "home base" to make the setting my own while still retaining all the great content already created by Piazo. So, I have a few questions before I set out on this task of city planning.

**1) What would be the "best" place (nation or region specific) to place my city so that it allows the most flexibility and creativity for me and my players? Basically, I wouldn't want a barren wasteland or a crazy unique area like an Arabian style setting, but something more main stream with a solid mix of races/cultures/etc.

2) Where would I find a good source for making sure I include all necessary buildings/services/social structures?

3) Any other information or suggestions for city/setting building.

Thanks so much, I am stoked to be getting back into RPGing and trying my hand at DMing.

**this is the most important question and the reason for this post in the first place.