Shunsen Daigoshi's page

Cromarcky’s Gendarme: You are part of Riddleport’s Gendarmes—they’re what passes for the law in the City of Cyphers. Whether you’re one of the vanishingly rare honest officers or one of the many content to take bribes and break legs in the name of maintaining order, you’re in a better position to tip the balance of local politics than most, even if your job doesn’t pay much. You’ve developed a healthy sense of paranoia (in Riddleport, it’s not a question of if you’ll be stabbed in the back, but when) and a good feel for the city—and you’re used to striking first once it’s clear hostilities are about to happen. Attending the Gold Goblin’s gambling tournament sounds like a good way to let off some steam; if the gambling doesn’t take your mind off your troubles, the drinks certainly will. And besides, Cromarcky’s bound to have questions as to why Saul Vancaskerkin was stupid enough to return. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Sense Motive and Knowledge (Local) checks, and one of these is always a class skill for you. You also gain a +1 trait bonus to Initiative rolls.

Knocmar’s Mouse: Your childhood was spent in Riddleport’s filth-strewn alleyways and dark corners, stealing what you could and fighting or begging for what you couldn’t. It was not a dignified existence, but it was one you could claw out for yourself—and it was your tenacity that caught the attention of one of Riddleport’s crime lords, Varnal ‘Split Face’ Knocmar. The beggar king took you under his wing and taught you how to become a more successful criminal, sending you on more and more daring burglaries as you grew older and improved your skills. Now it’s time to strike out on your own before one of the jobs Knocmar sends you on gets you imprisoned or worse. The Gold Goblin’s tournament should be the perfect place to start making your name—even if you don’t strike it rich at the tables, there’s bound to be plenty of marks with purses ripe for the picking! You gain a +1 bonus to Sleight of Hand and Stealth rolls, and one of these is always a class skill for you. You also gain a +1 trait bonus to Reflex Saves.

Lantern Informant: You’re one of the rarest breed of folk in Riddleport—you’re someone respectable. The ones in charge either ignore you or otherwise don’t see you as a threat, the smallfolk don’t mind so much when you pass them by and you know what to do to get the gangs to leave you alone. By all standards, you’re no one of importance: that was why you were contacted. A stranger in a dark green, leaf-embroidered cloak and bearing a fancy lantern tracked you to your home one night and offered you gold for information regarding Riddleport’s leaders. You told him what you knew, accepted your payment and thought you’d never see him again—but he came back the next week. And the week after that, and for many weeks afterward. Now, the stranger has made a bigger request of you—he wishes for you to attend the Gold Goblin’s opening tournament and find out everything you can about Saul Vancaskerkin and why he has returned to Riddleport. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Diplomacy and Perception rolls, and one of these is always a class skill for you.

Out-of-Towner: You’re not from Riddleport originally. Whether it’s from your clothes, your mode of speech or how you carry yourself, that fact is very visible to any local who sees you. As a result, people tend to underestimate just how savvy and dangerous you can be. You’ve learned to use this tendency to your advantage, letting them think they have the upper hand until you prove otherwise in a suitably threatening display. Riddleport is said to be a city of opportunities, and you’re going to make the most of them—starting with the Gold Goblin casino’s opening gambling tournament. You gain a +1 trait bonus to one Craft or Profession skill of your choice, and a +1 trait bonus to Intimidate rolls. Intimidate is always a class skill for you.

Pamodae’s Catspaw: Passion can loosen the lips of even the most private of people, and you have firsthand experience in that. You are a worker in the House of the Silken Veil—Riddleport’s biggest brothel and temple of Calistria. Your boss, High Priestess Shorafa Pamodae, is one of the city’s foremost information brokers thanks to her extensive clientele—and the skills of her employees in pumping them for secrets. Saul Vancaskerkin’s return to Riddleport is of particular interest to Pamodae, and you were chosen to go forth, insinuate yourself into Saul’s good graces and determine just what would compel Saul to return. You gain a +2 trait bonus to Bluff checks made against people who are attracted to you, and Bluff is always a class skill for you. Also, choose one spell of the enchantment school that you know. The Saving Throw DC of that spell is increased by one against any who are attracted to you.

The darkness in the sky over Riddleport is known
locally as Blakely’s Shadow, or simply the Blot.

The Blot first appeared over Riddleport about
a month ago and has remained in the sky ever
since. It has changed size and shape and has
even disappeared intermittently, but has always
returned after several hours.

The overlord has offered a 500 gp reward to
anyone who can determine what the Blot is
and if it poses a threat to the city. Many have
undertaken the challenge but so far there have
been no results.

Riddleport has a long history of mysterious
phenomena connected to its infamous
Cyphergate Riddle—the long-sought hidden
purpose of the stone arch that rises over the
harbor. Old accounts tell of strange lights
moving in the sky and sounds issuing forth from
it without explanation. The manifestation of a
shadow in the sky is something new, though.

No known magical traditions explain the
existence of the hovering shadow, and it does
not bear the trappings of any known spell.

The wizard Argentus Blakely (a noted Cyphergate
scholar) postulated that the Blot is some sort of
convergence for focusing arcane energies. He has
yet to prove his hypothesis but is running several
experiments to test its validity.

A local cyphermage and stargazer named
Argentus Blakely first noticed the Blot before
it was visible to the naked eye. He called it an
“atmospheric shadow” and it was subsequently
named for him as it became more visible.

Blakely flew up to investigate the eerie shadowy
Blot a week after it appeared, and reported
that the interior was strangely cold but that the
blot itself seemed no different than a regular
cloud—apart from its unusual color.

Blakely’s been out of town recently, on a long
journey to Magnimar and thence to Korvosa to
research the Blot in the libraries there. In his
absence, the Order of Cyphers has been leading
the charge on additional localized investigations
of the Blot.

The Blot has no known analogy in nature.

Birds and flying creatures appear to avoid the
air space around the Blot. Although it resembles
a dark cloud, the wind seems to have no real
affect on it.

The movements of the Blot seem to be related to
the tides—it is at its largest at high tide and at its
smallest at low tide, although periodically, changes
in its size seem to occur at random as well.

The Blot changes shape and size somewhat, but
is generally ovoid in shape and hovers alternately
over the harbor and gulf just south of Riddleport.
It is dark like a shadow but does allow some
light through, albeit dimly, and flying objects
can faintly be seen through its obscuring haze.
It casts a faint shadow on the ground beneath it
depending on the angle of the sun.

The Blot hangs at a fairly constant altitude of
about 2,500 feet and appears to be roughly 250
feet long by 130 feet wide.

The Blot seems to move in a pattern that appears
erratic until studied closely. It follows an elliptical
orbit traveling north over the town and south
over the gulf, shifting north and south as the
tides shift. It is closest to Riddleport at high tide.

Class/Level: 1st
Abilities: 25 Point Buy, no more than 13 points on any one ability.
Races: Core races, other races on a case-by-case basis. I’m open to it if you have a concept that fits, but nothing too weird.
Classes: All Official Pathfinder ( Unchained Summoners only ) and fighters start with +4 skill points and Combat Stamina as a bonus feat.
Sources: All Official Pathfinder....no 3rd party, no VMC
Alignment: Any, but create characters with nuance and depth who can be team players. Any evil PCs should be written with room to grow.
Action Points: Everyone will start play with 5 Action Points (see spoiler).
Equipment: Max starting gold for class No non-Core armor, weapons, or combat items without GM approval.
Hit Points: Max for first level.
Feats: Elephant in the Room Feat Tax changes ar in effect. Helpful Link
Traits: 2 traits. One trait must be a Campaign trait—see spoilered list below. Drawbacks on a case-by-case basis.
Skills: We are using Background Skills. Knowledge Skills not changed

Each character starts with a pool of Action Points. Action Points have 5 main uses. You can only spend one AP per turn, aside from the rules for Cheating Death and Final Stands.
Modify a Roll: You may spend an AP to gain +1d6 retroactively to a d20 roll, though before the results are declared.

Complicate a Failure: You may spend an AP to turn a failed check into a success-with-complication. Purely for ease of posting, you must tell me you intend to do so before I give you the result (if you succeed on the check, the AP isn't spent).

Simplify a Complex Action: You may spend an AP to enable a complex action to be completed in one round—nothing cheesy, but things like "I grab an alchemist fire, run to the door, throw the flask and slam the door shut" that are hampered by the game's action system.

Cheat Death: Whenever a blow would otherwise kill you, you can spend half your normal maximum in Action Points to instead stabilize at negatives equal to your Con -1—basically, on the brink of death but alive.

Final Stand: Whenever knocked unconscious but not killed (or already unconscious from damage), you can spend however many APs you have left to remain conscious and fully-functional for up to double that number in rounds, after which point you die no matter what ("wounds beyond anyone's ability to heal", barring a heal spell or similar). Alternatively, you can spend 1 AP at any time to become conscious but unable to take any actions beyond speaking, which doesn't come with the "inevitable death" clause.

Claustrophobic
Either from working in the dangerous mines, time in prison, time dungeoneering, or some other experience in tight spaces, you have developed a deep, abiding fear of being put in a box—but you have learned to channel it positively.
You gain a +1 bonus to Escape Artist, and it is always a class skill for you. Additionally, once per day, you may reroll a saving throw against a paralysis effect. You must take the second result even if it is lower.
Bomber's Luck
You used to be—or still are—a demolitions expert for the mines, and you know a thing or two about not getting yourself blown to bits.
You gain a +1 bonus on Reflex saves. This increases to a +4 bonus against area effects caused by you.

Worm Chaser
Nogwier, the leader of the Bronzewood Lodge (an ancient megalithic structure three hours northeast of Diamond Lake), often says that the Old Faith is nearing its final hour. Of late, he's been talking a lot about some “Age of Worms”, and sending you and other druids out on hunt for unkillable zombies. You've never found any, but you have found strange ruins in the hills that hint Nogwier may not be just going mad in his old age.
Prerequisites: Must worship a nature god, the Old Faith, or Nerull/Groetus.
Benefit: Choose Will, Fortitude or Reflex saves. You gain a +1 bonus to this save against effects from undead, as well as to Lore (undead) checks.

Retired Goon
You used to (and may still) work for one of the mine managers as hired muscle, or for the corrupt Sheriff Cubbin. Learning that your boss's enemies could attack at any moment, you trained yourself to be ready for anything.
You gain a +1 bonus on Initiative checks, and whichever authority figure you used to work for is one level friendlier towards you than normal, as are their employees.
Sheriff Cubbin – A man so infamous for corruption, people thought it was a joke when the Governor-Mayor appointed him.
Balabar Smenk – A corrupt titan who seeks to rule the whole town.
Ellival Moonmeadow – A silver miner and elven prince who only hires other elves.
Luzarne Parrin – The sole female mine manager who struggles to hold on despite Smenk's near-monopoly on the market.
Gelch Tilgast – An old ex-behemoth who now struggles alongside Parrin to reclaim his former glory from Smenk.
Ragnolin Dourstone – A dwarf manager who is known to mistreat his workers, most of whom are criminals or debtors who can't afford to quit.

A Little Bird Told Me
The mine managers of Diamond Lake are constantly striving to one-up each other, even when they're technically allied. One of the chief weapons at their disposal is blackmail. That was your game, and you were good at it. People learned to fear you and your keen ears, but you now are desperate to get out of the business, as you simply know far too much.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to Intimidate and Perception checks, and one of these is always a class skill for you. You can add your Intelligence or Wisdom in place of your Charisma on Intimidate checks. However, Diamond Lake natives have starting attitudes one step lower than normal towards you.

Light on Your Feet
You have always felt strangely at tune with the winds.
You gain a +1 bonus on Acrobatics checks. Acrobatics is always a class skill for you, and you gain Auran as a bonus language. Additionally, you take falling damage as if falling 10 feet less than the actual distance.

Haunted by Destiny
All your life has been plagued by coincidences, quirks of fate, amazing things happening around you and to you—and not always good ones. You are destined for great things whether you like it or not.
You get +1 Action Point above normal for your level.

Ominous Patron
Be it phantom, patron, god, or something else besides, some manner of powerful entity seems to have taken interest in you. This being is mysterious and possibly quite dangerous. It often references something called the “Age of Worms” in the visions it sends you, though you can't tell if you are meant to prevent it or ensure it.
You gain a +2 bonus to Lore (the Age of Worms). This trait might have other consequences as the AP unfolds.

Allustan's Apprentice
You are the apprentice of the Mayor's brother, a powerful wizard named Allustan. Allustan is wise and cautious, and has taught you to always be on your guard.
You gain the assistance of Allustan (TN human male wizard 8). Allustan is honorable and friendly, and knows a great deal about the ancient cairns around Diamond Lake. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus on Initiative checks.

Wayward Apprentice
You come from the Mistmarshes to the south, a region of the Mushfens primarily ruled by the lizardfolk. Your mentor was wise, and knew much of the strange blight plaguing the region. Why you would have left that place for Diamond Lake is up to you—it could be related to escalating tensions between lizardfolk and humans, or the perils of the blight and the undead that carry it.
You know much of magical sickness and disease, and gain a +2 bonus on Heal checks. Heal is always a class skill for you.

This Tastes Like Rat Poison! I Love Rat Poison!
Whether you worked too often in the mines, had way too many enemies, or just drink way too much, you've grown accustomed to poisons of all kinds. In fact, they kind of have a nice kick to them.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves against inhaled and ingested poisons. Upon successfully fully resisting any poison effect, you gain 1 temporary hit point.

Old Rival
You once got in a fight with the chief goon of Balabar Smenk, a deadly half-orc barbarian named Kullen. You lost. He let you live, but you became virtually obsessed with defeating him one day and recovering your pride. This led you to ape his vicious style of fighting.
You gain a +1 bonus to confirm critical hits. Additionally, Kullen is one level friendlier toward you than normal, for some reason. Maybe it's a half-orc thing.

Child Explorers
Some years ago, it was a shibboleth for the children of Diamond Lake to have one of their number spend the night in various old picked-clean tombs—in particular, one called the Stirgenest Cairn, and another called the Whispering Cairn. You took part in that tradition. The custom ended when one girl went missing overnight in the latter dungeon and was never heard from again. However, your time “exploring” the already-looted areas did teach you a thing or two about how the mechanisms work.
You gain trapfinding, as per the rogue ability. If you already have trapfinding, you gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks to spot hidden mechanisms.

Horrible Lesson
When you were very young, perhaps on a dare, you ventured up to the Old Dead Tree—the ancient, twisted tree up the hill that has been dead and decaying for as long as anyone in the town can remember. You got as close as you could bring yourself to, and shuddered at the stench of rotting flesh, the buzzing of flies, the sight of the maggots and beetles crawling through the blackened wood. You got as close as you could before panicking and running away. This experience has left you with a deep understanding of the difference between true fear and simple cowardice. What you felt that day was true fear. That tree repulsed you to the core.
You gain a +2 bonus on saves against fear, and are never forced to cower if, while panicked, prevented from fleeing—you will always fight when cornered in such a way.

Horrible Gift
When you were very young, perhaps on a dare, you ventured up to the Old Dead Tree—the ancient, twisted tree up the hill that has been dead and decaying for as long as anyone in the town can remember. You got as close as you could bring yourself to, and shuddered at the stench of rotting flesh, the buzzing of flies, the sight of the maggots and beetles crawling through the blackened wood. Everything in your soul told you to run, but you kept walking closer and closer, until your friends stopped egging you on and started pleading for you to come back already. But you didn't. And then you saw it—hanging from a low branch, as if the tree was offering it to you. A tarnished iron medallion.
You begin play with a swarmbane clasp. You suffer a -2 penalty on all Will saves against undead effects that do not inflict damage. Whenever such an effect would drive you to flee, you are instead stunned. Something chose you that day.

Dangerous Curiosity
You really don't know when to stop looking.
You gain a +2 trait bonus to Perception checks, and Perception is always a class skill. You also gain a +4 trait bonus on Will saves to disbelieve specifically protective illusions, such as a disguise self on a medusa, and on Perception checks to spot things that will immediately hurt you, such as a well-concealed symbol of pain.

Ebon Exile
You are a heretic among heretics, cast out by a hateful three-god cult beneath Diamond Lake. You might have once worshiped Vecna/Norgorber, Erythnul/Gorum, or Hextor/Abadar, but your worship was twisted in a manner heretical even to worshipers of those gods—and some weeks ago, for some reason or another, you withdrew even from the cult of the Ebon Triad, giving you twice as many enemies. Now you really, really need to get out of town.
You know about the Ebon Triad. You gain a +1 bonus to Knowledge (religion) checks, and it is always a class skill.
Note: Most of the Vecnans of the Ebon Triad are tengu, or "kenku", as evil/exiled tengus are often called.

Big City Exile
You used to roll with some ne'er-do-wells in the city, but tough times saw you forced out—a new gang of shapeshifting doppelgangers was carving a deep hole for itself in Magnimar's criminal underworld, and you're still a little scared that your old enemies might have followed you here. You don't know who to trust.
You gain a +2 bonus on Sense Motive checks, and Sense Motive is always a class skill. You are never caught flat-footed by a trusted friend attacking you—at least, not by the betrayal itself. You'll still be flat-footed as normal if you lose initiative or didn't see them or the like.

This is straight from Dungeon Madame's post, but it perfectly sums up my thoughts , I though I'd poach it as well !

Posting Rate: I work from home so am able to post anytime. Still there are days where it's difficult to find the time. I try to keep at a 1/day post at least.
If you can, indicate a time of day to me that you’re generally able to post so we know when to expect it. If we can all try to keep at a 1/day minimum that would be
great.

How I’ll Choose Players
#1 Priority: Clear, friendly communication. We’re all here to have fun and play a game together. Be flexible, open to compromise, and respectful of other players’ comfort levels. Tell me if there’s an issue before it becomes a problem. Try not to leave people hanging on your answers.

I will be looking for players who I think will get along with each other and handle issues good-naturedly.

#2 Priority: Interesting backstories. Your backstories should have lots of hooks, as well as meat to hook into—it’ll come up in the campaign, so give me material to play with. You don’t have to write a tragic novella, but don’t just say, “He’s just a chill guy who wants to go on an adventure.” If you want a character whose adventure is only just beginning, I’ll at least want to see that they have character elements we can build on later. Maybe you want the chill guy to have a character arc where he learns to take things seriously, or where he finds out how dangerous adventuring can really be. That sort of thing.

I will be looking for PCs whose backstories complement the story and tone and offer interesting hooks.

#3 Priority: Good roleplay and characterization, and understanding of tone. This is a character-focused game, and meant to be a relatively serious one—jokes are fine, but joke characters are not. Nothing sillier than Princess Bride. The biggest running theme of this AP is slow decay. Things are getting worse, and many of the people who were supposed to fix things are either dead, have switched sides, or made fateful compromises.

I will be looking for PCs who I think would have interesting dynamics together and who can play well with the themes of this storyline.

#4 Priority: Interesting character builds. This is very, very low priority, and interesting =/= “powerful”. I don’t want an arms race. Like I said, I’m not going for PC death. Making your PCs as powerful as they can be is not appropriate, and will make me worried that you’re more concerned about your PC doing well than about telling an interesting collaborative story. On the other hand, if you create a character with dumped Wis and Con, I might worry that you’re not going to last long enough to get to that story.

I will be looking for PCs who I think will find fun ways to take on the challenges they will be facing, rather than simply steamrolling them or being steamrolled. Party balance is not my top priority, but I do care about every PC having their own niches to shine in.

Diamond Lake is nestled in the rocky crags of the Cairn Hills, three days east of the City of Magnimar, to which it is subject.
The region is extremely dangerous. Craggy hills provide shelter for all manner of foul beasts. Southward lies the nasty Mistmarsh Swamp,
populated by tribal lizardfolk with no love for outsiders. Dark woods lurk all around. In the hills surrounding the town, hundreds of laborers spend weeks
at a time underground, breathing recycled air pumped in via systems worth ten times their combined annual salary. The miners are the chattel of Diamond Lake,
its seething, tainted blood. But they are also its foundation, their weekly pay cycling back into the community via a gaggle of gambling dens, bordellos,
ale halls and temples. Because work in the mines is so dangerous, most folk come to Diamond Lake because they have nowhere else to turn, seeking an honest trade
of hard labor for sustenance-level pay simply because the system has allowed them no other option. Work in Diamond Lake, for some, is a last honest step before
utter destitution or crimes of desperation. For others, it is the first step in the opposite direction: a work assignment to ease the burden on debtor prisons,
one last chance to make it in civil society.

Most folks in Diamond Lake know little about the history of the s#+!hole they call home. Supposedly, the area near the lake used to be owned by an actual Lord a
long time ago. He built a keep, which currently houses the Garrison. There are also a lot of old fences in the cairn hills where he tried to get his farming
subjects to grow carrots and potatoes (a doomed prospect). At some point, his sons started exploring the cairns and old gravesites that litter the entire area.
Apparently they found quite a bit of loot from the olden days… and not like 50 or 100 years ago, either – the really olden days. Like, from before recorded history
when legend says fiends and other creatures from the planes walked Oerth. Soon, all that loot attracted the attention of Magnimar, and before anyone could blink,
they bought off the noble’s kids and annexed the whole area for themselves. They hired adventurers to explore it all, and sucked every last treasure dry from those
old tombs.

That would have been the end of Diamond Lake, except prospectors and surveyors came in and took measure of the land. It’s still crap for growing anything but weeds,
but they were surprised to discover a healthy cache of silver lodes and many massive veins of iron under the hills.

Now, years and years later, it’s said that that Diamond Lake is the cornerstone of Magnimar’s ore supply. It’s hard to believe, given the squalor of the place,
but folks insist it’s true. It’s not like Magnimar passes any of that wealth on to the common laborers, though. It used to be that getting a meal was as easily
as casting a line in the lake. Now, the smelting house and associated runoff has polluted the water so much, the merchants have to send off to the City just to
get weeks–old, salted flounder.

As far as recent history goes, there isn’t much to tell. Honest folk are still getting screwed and the wealthy are still getting richer off of the sweat of the
laborers. Aside from that, there’s an old ring of menhir stones outside of town. It’s visited by rangers and druids and other freeloaders. No one knows who built
it, but they say the worn stones have been there for centuries.