SYKOJAK's page

How about a Necromancer that saves his "scrolls" on the dead flesh of his enemies?

Oh, I am all for compatibility with the first deck.

Is there any chance, that Paizo can put out a Deck of Many Worlds 2, which would include the Alien Archives 3 & 4, along with stuff from more recent supplements such as Galaxy Exploration Manual?

I am certainly ready to throw money at a second deck.

I am ready to throw money at it, just saying.

I had the Players start on Absolom station and choose one of the Beginner box premade characters to start the campaign. The box set was enough to whet their appetite for adventure since we were all new to the game, myself as GM.

Once they finished the starter adventure, it was enough XP to almost take a couple of the characters to 2nd level. Meanwhile, I would drop hints, via news broadcasts, that the Swarm was moving to invade the Suskillon system out in the Vast.

They finally defeated the Robot Dragon on Absolom, then 2 of the players were recalled back to duty. The Vesk Soldier and the Android Operative in question received inactive reserve orders to report to 5th Battalion.

I made it a point that the Lashunta Technomancer was called to assist her former Alma-mater University of Brinnoa, to aid in the research of ways to defeat the Swarm. Getting there the fastest way was to enlist into the SDF via an military transport.

The Ysoki Mechanic had heard rumors of the SDF offering bounties to collect from skip-tracing deserters. So he also enlisted to get there in the fastest manner possible.

I tied the Human Envoy into the plot by telling her the best way to grow her online following, was to go to Suskillon as a Combat Journalist to cover the war with boots on the ground. So she also too enlisted to get there in the most expeditious manner.

Next I told the Shirren Mystic that Combat Medics would be needed to treat the wounded, while in the combat zone. He also enlisted to get there in the quickest manner possible.

So that included all 6 characters from the beginner box and provided the back stories as to why and how they all got to Suskillon. Since they were flush with victory as a team from the encounters on Absolom station, it was easy to get them all to go.

From the point of their transport reaching Suskillon, I slowed the time table down somewhat. I had them all go through Basic Training, (8 weeks long). Of which I broke down each week as follows. Along those lines, they also picked another member to join Midnight Squad. This being a Kasatha Solarian.

Week#1 was an inoculations and paperwork week with the characters doing vital yet menial tasks of the sort.

Week# 2 was Strength Training week. The characters were Physical Trained with Calisthenics, Weight Training, Circuit Training, and various other physical activities. It culminated with a Modified Strength Check. And the players were scored within thier recruitment class as to how well their Strength score roll went.

Week#3 was training based off of Dexterity. So the Obstacle Course and Known Distance shooting range was in order. Once again having the players making a modified Dexterity role at the end of the week to score them as recruits.

Week#4 was Constitution based training. It was all out in the field as they preformed daily hikes/ forced marches with issued military gear. At the end of week 4 they preformed a 25 mile forced hike, (Constitution check,) and were scored again per their class.

Week#5 they hit the classrooms, to determine their Technical know-how when it came with dealing with technologies from the military.
And again at the end of the week they had a test based off of Intelligence to score them within their class.

Week#6 they were thrown back in the field to test their Survival skills. It included Orientation and Map Reading, patrolling, stealth, camouflage, cover, and concealment. That concluded with a Wisdom modified check. Then of course they were scored within the class.

Week#7 was to be a Charisma based test. The party learned Customs, Courtesies, and Close Order Drill. I used real military examples of what to do in certain situations. Such when to salute and not to salute a Superior Commissioned Officer. Flag Etiquette. So on and so forth.

Week#8 was remedial, Military Occupation Specialty Selection, and Class Graduation. Through this whole 8 week period of "Boot Camp" I gave them all just a little taste of what it is like to actually join a real military. I played their Drill Sergeant in the best Lee Ermry Jr. Impersonation that I could muster. And for being such good sports, I guided them to pick an MOS that would provide either an extra Skill or Feat depending on how they placed within their class.

I also had all of them make a Culture roll based on the Attribute of their choice to determine what their military rank would be coming out of boot camp. A chance to shine and show their character's forte to the higher chain of command.

That final 8th week the Swarm actually hit planetside and it was then that the Fighting 5th Battalion held off components of the Swarm at the battle of the Stone Sea. The players spent the next 2 months learning their MOS.
Only to be all sent to 5th Battalion as new replacements for the Fighting 5th Battalion losses.

And so the story began in that manner. They each had a job and assigned role within the squad. They had a hierarchy within their squad and as well throughout the military structure in general. They each had their personal reasons for being there. They had their shared military experience via boot camp to bind them as an organization. And they also knew who was to be their featured enemy.

So that is how I chose to start off this Adventure Path. What do you all think about that?

I would totally buy one.

As a GM with new players, I just use the Flip mats and approximate the closest flipmat to what I need at the time. The players will not know the difference. Unless they have ran that adventure path before.