Going to throw my hat in the ring, I rarely play casters although I've had the itch to try an illusionist for some time. Twenty questions:
1. What is your character’s name? Call me Vi. N'tel'quess find it hard to correctly pronounce Viridiana Tal'voth Shalar, my elvish name. In case you where wondering that means she who stands between the candle and the star. 2. How old is your character?
3. What would somebody see at first glance (i.e. height, weight, skin color, eye color, hair color, physique, race, and visible equipment)? They'd see a tall elfin thin figure wrapped in a midnight blue cloak with a deep hood with, wearing a well made leather pack, out of which if they looked closely they might notice the bulge of a crossbow. If I was to take my hood off, they'd notice my plaited auburn hair and the curve of my ears. If I allowed them to get any closer they might notice the emerald green of my eyes and the freckles of my skin. Apparently I have dimples too. If the one observing me was really patient they might see Compy my pet Compsognathus sticking her head out of my pocket. I got her in a market in Waterdeep, the merchant told me she came from the jungles of Chult although I'm not entirely sure I believe that. 4. What additional attributes would be noticed upon meeting the character (i.e. Speech, mannerisms)? They'd probably mistake me for being standoffish, in truth I'm shy and slow to trust. A lot of bad things can happen to a lone female elf abroad in the realms and not everyone you meet has honourable intentions... I've been told my voice is musical although I've never had any real talent. 5. Where was your character born? Where were you raised? By who?
6. Who are your parents? Are they alive? What do they do for a living?
7. Do you have any other family or friends?
8. What is your character’s marital status? Kids?
9. What is your character’s alignment?
10. What is your character’s moral code?
11. Does your character have goals?
12. Is your character religious?
13. What are your character’s personal beliefs?
14. Does your character have any personality quirks (i.e. anti-social, arrogant, optimistic, paranoid)?
15. Why does your character adventure? Why did your character accept the job?
16. How does your character view his/her role as an adventurer?
17. Does your character have any distinguishing marks (birth-marks, scars, deformities)?
18. How does your character get along with others?
19. Is there anything that your character hates?
20. Is there anything that your character fears?
Build: Viridiana Tal'voth'shalar
Elf diviner (foresight[APG]) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 145) NG Medium humanoid (elf) Init +10; Senses low-light vision; Perception +7 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+3 Dex) hp 8 (1d6+2) Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +2; +2 vs. enchantments Immune sleep -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Ranged light crossbow +1 (1d8/19-20) Diviner Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +5) . . 1st—color spray (DC 17), enlarge person (DC 15), heightened awareness[ACG] . . 0 (at will)—detect magic, light, prestidigitation . . Opposition Schools Enchantment, Necromancy -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 10 Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 13 Feats Alertness, Greater Spell Focus (illusion), Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (illusion) Traits seeker, warrior of old Skills Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (geography) +8, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Perception +7, Sense Motive +2, Spellcraft +8 (+10 to identify magic item properties); Racial Modifiers +2 Spellcraft to identify magic item properties Languages Common, Elven, Orc SQ arcane bond (Compy, compsognatus), arcane focus[ARG], elven magic, forewarned, illustrious urbanite, prescience (7/day) Other Gear light crossbow, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, ink, inkpen, masterwork backpack[APG], mess kit[UE], pot, soap, spell component pouch, trail rations (5), waterskin, wizard starting spellbook -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Arcane Focus +2 to concentration checks to cast arcane spells defensively. Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects. Elven Magic +2 to spellcraft checks to determine the properties of a magic item. Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar. Enchantment You must spend 2 slots to cast spells from the Enchantment school. Familiar Bonus: +4 to Initiative checks You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach. Foresight Associated School: Divination Forewarned 1 (Su) Can always act in surprise rounds. Greater Spell Focus (Illusion) +1 to the Save DC of spells from one school. Illustrious Urbanite You may leave buildings & structures undamaged when casting spells of the chosen school. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail. Necromancy You must spend 2 slots to cast spells from the Necromancy school. Prescience (7/day) (Su) Roll a d20 at the beginning of the round, and use that result as the result of any other d20 roll before the next turn. Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch. Spell Focus (Illusion) Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC. -------------------- Compy CR –
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Heh that map is somewhat different from the old 2e one, what happened to Anauroch I wonder?
Ohh, I've always had a soft spot for the realms. When I was a kid I had the 2e boxset map on my wall and read most of the 80s and 90's novels. Naturally I've played BG1 & 2 many times and I'm half way through BG3 now :) GM a question about the feel of the game, are you aiming for a lighter or a darker tone? I.e. would the tone of the game better suit a happy go lucky adventurer or a grim crusader? There's a few character concepts I'm interested to explore in either direction.
Selecting the party is always the hard bit, I usually end up second guessing myself and wondering if I made the right choices. I'd recommend going with your gut instinct for selection and don't be afraid to take a risk with new players, if anyone ends up dropping out you've got a good pool of potential replacements here.
Here you go: Variant multi classing. Basically in exchange for half your feats you get to pick up some features from other classes. Some of the options are meh, some are quite strong especially at mid to high level.
Thanks GM, I'll make a profile and dot in later (it's after midnight in my time zone). Some minor build issues: The difference in ACP / AC is down to not using mithril. He's now got medium load which limits him to +3 dex and imposes a -3 ACP. Without mithril gear it would make sense to switch to studded leather and buy a handy haversack instead. With the gear stowed in the haversack he'd be lightly loaded with AC 22. I note you built that statblock with inspired blade. Since Fencing Grace is not allowed, I'd prefer to drop that archetype (which was all about using a rapier). Also to qualify for slashing grace, he needs to drop a feat (I dropped Great Fortitude). Funally if we're going to be doing a lot of riding, I think it would make sense for him to drop 1 hp and put a skill point into Ride. He's actually quite good at that with minimal investment. What do you think, does that sound OK? For your convenience I've uploaded a herolab file with my proposed changes.
Re fencing grace I guess I misinterpreted your response to my PM :) Anyway I rejigged a few things to use Slashing Grace instead. Build: 'Slim' Jim
Male human swashbuckler 6 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 56) NG Medium humanoid (human) Init +7; Senses Perception +10 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 23, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +5 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 shield) hp 60 (6d10+14) Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +7 Defensive Abilities charmed life 4/day, nimble +1 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 scimitar +14/+9 (1d6+9/15-20+6 Precision) or . . unarmed strike +6/+1 (1d3 nonlethal) Special Attacks deeds (derring-do, dodging panache, kip-up, menacing swordplay, opportune parry and riposte, precise strike, swashbuckler initiative), panache (4), swashbuckler weapon training +1 -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 11, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 16 Base Atk +6; CMB +6; CMD 22 Feats Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, Slashing Grace[ACG], Weapon Focus (scimitar), Weapon Specialization (scimitar) Traits indomitable faith, resilient Skills Acrobatics +14, Diplomacy +12, Escape Artist +10, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (local) +7, Perception +10 Languages Common SQ swashbuckler finesse Other Gear +1 mithral chain shirt, +1 mithral buckler, +1 scimitar, belt of incredible dexterity +2, cloak of resistance +1, plume of panache[ACG], swordmaster's flair (blue scarf)[ACG], bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, masterwork backpack[APG], mess kit[UE], soap, trail rations (5), waterskin -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Charmed Life +3 (4/day) (Ex) Choose to add Charisma bonus to save before roll is made. Combat Reflexes (6 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed. Deeds Nimble +1 (Ex) +1 dodge bonus to AC. Panache (Ex) Gain a pool of points that are spent to fuel deeds, regained on light/piercing crit/killing blow. Slashing Grace (Scimitar) Treat chosen weapon as 1-handed piercing weapon and can add Dex instead of Str to dam. Swashbuckler Finesse Use Dex for att with light/1-hand pierce wep. Use Cha instead of Int for combat feat pre-reqs. Swashbuckler Weapon Training +1 (Ex) +1 attack and damage with swashbuckler weapons. Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at https://www.wolflair.com
HP: 6d10 ⇒ (8, 8, 9, 3, 8, 10) = 46 Sweet! Religion: Is there a minor god that would be appropriate for a swashbuckler? 'Slim' Jim Build:
A couple of build notes: FCB: 4x -> 1/4 panache, 2x -> HP Swashbucklers have bad saves, getting a +2 resistance cloak would be a priority, as are picking up a ring of protection and an amulet of natural armor. Given his low strength I felt the handy haversack was more important than an extra +1 ac. I should give him a bow he's got a reasonable amount of spare gold, will do that later. 'Slim' Jim
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Appearance and personality:
Jim, nicknamed Slim, is a rakishly good looking man in his prime. Always clean shaven and well presented, he’s got short dark hair, piercing blue eyes and is tall at 6’ 6”. He prefers starched cotton shirts and pressed dark trousers. Underneath his shirt he wears a mithril chain shirt like a vest. His trusty rapier is always by his side.
He’s a jovial fellow who makes friends easily, with a privileged upbringing and a cup half full mentality. He’s the sort to push on, with a proper stiff upper lip no matter how hard it gets! Background: Jim is the third son of a well-to-do merchant family. As a child he was an accomplished acrobat and amateur fencer. He once considered a career in the diplomatic corps before joining the army where he served for several years before becoming something of a gentleman adventurer.
So I wouldn't normally bring a fae foundling tiefling paladin vmc order of the starts cavalier to the table (at level 7 lay on hands is healing for 5d6 +17, 8 times per day), but if we're going to be Knee-Deep in the Dead, descending through The Shores of Hell to Inferno where Thy Flesh will be consumed then it seems like game on!
I was thinking about playing a melee support cavalier (tactics!)
That said I do like the idea of a swashbuckler, although whirling Dervish is from Advanced Class Origins which I think isn't on the allowed source list? Mind you if Advanced Class Origins is allowed, that potentially opens up Daring Champion.
Submitting Lucian for your consideration. Lucian Tomescu:
My name is Lucian Tomescu and until a few weeks ago I was a member of the Korvsan Guard. It is said that Korvosa is a city of laws. This is true but more often than not it’s wielded by the bureaucrats as a weapon against the ones who need it’s protection the most. Rarely is the law applied to those who truly deserve it, as I know only too well.
My last shift on duty started like countless others, patrolling the streets after dusk. Our orders from Sergeant Niles directed my squad to a dingy riverside ally choked with trash. A young woman had been murdered, that much I knew as we marched down the street. Little did I know that the cold lifeless body was that of Angella Daroux, my betrothed. It seems she had been murdered for her engagement ring, the one I gave her… Sergeant Niles understood when I handed in my notice, this was a case that was going to take time. Time that simply wasn’t available while working in the thinly stretched guard. It took a few days but I found her ring up for sale in a pawnbroker’s. The greasy proprietor took one look at me and asked for five hundred gold! I laughed in his face, only because the alternative was to break down and cry. I do have one lead, the pawnbroker brought it from a weasel of a man called Gaedren Lamm! Build:
Lucien Tomescu
Male human (Varisian) paladin (virtuous bravo) 1 (Pathfinder Player Companion: Heroes of the High Court 12) LG Medium humanoid (human) Init +4; Senses Perception +5 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +4 Dex, +1 shield) hp 12 (1d10+2) Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +2 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee rapier +6 (1d6+4/18-20) Special Attacks smite evil 1/day (+3 attack, +0 AC, +1 damage) Paladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +4) . . At will—detect evil -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16 Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 15 Feats Fencing Grace[UI], Weapon Focus (rapier) Traits all alone, eyes and ears of the city Skills Diplomacy +7, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (nobility) +4, Knowledge (religion) +4, Perception +5, Profession (soldier) +4 Languages Common, Varisian SQ bravo's finesse Other Gear chain shirt, buckler, rapier -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Bravo's Finesse (Ex) Use Dex for att with light/1-hand pierce wep. Use Cha instead of Int for combat feat pre-reqs. Detect Evil (At will) (Sp) You can use detect evil at will (as the spell). Fencing Grace Use Dexterity on rapier damage rolls Smite Evil (1/day) (Su) +3 to hit, +1 to damage, +0 deflection bonus to AC when used. Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at https://www.wolflair.com
Description and personality: Lucian is a tall dashing Varisian man with dark hair and a crooked smile that the ladies find endearing. He’s always had an easy going nature, making friends easily, but of late there’s a sadness to his eyes that is the only outward sign of the smoldering anger within.
He favors white shirts and dark trousers along with moccasins to complement his light armor and weaponry. In combat I imagine him as a daring swashbuckler in the mold of Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone. With the death of Angela all his long term plans have been shattered, but Korvosa is the only home he’s ever known. Besides, the church of Abadar needs him, so he intends to stick around and do what he can to help.
So a character with the touch of the divine in plane hopping spy thriller of a game. There's something I've seen done before that might be appropriate here: a shaman fond of using Blood Money + Akashic Communion to learn things that by rights they have no business knowing. They'd be a methodical planner, using the lore spirit to select the 'right' spells for the day. Not much of a melee combatant, they'd have excellent knowledge and social skills with a penchant for battle field control. Of course if things don't go they way they expected they'd be the sort to get a little flustered. RP Sample: I found myself in yet another ruined town, in yet another soon to be ruined world. War seemed to be one of the constants of the multiverse, yet the devastation I witnessed here was beyond anything I'd ever seen. The city, its name had been Bel'chamir meaning beautiful spires had been levelled. Where once the grand vizier's alabaster palace had stood there was a writhing mass of worms, each well over a hundred feet long. They were undulating into and out of the earth as if they were sea serpents and it seemed to me that they were feasting upon the vitality of the world, leaving behind naught but a spent husk. Our final refuge on this world was no more, they had won. It was a bittersweet moment for at least we'd managed to herd the last of people through the portal. I remained behind to seal it, it was a small matter to disrupt the power source and I watched with satisfaction as the eldridge power winked out. I stood there for a moment contemplating, but I was putting it off, there was one last thing to do. The dagger or the poison? Bah neither! I would die the way I came into the world, kicking and screaming. I gripped my sword and walked out to face them, one last time.
I blinked as the vision faded and stammered, "Er... Wow!" My eyes adjusted to the darkness of the tent and to the customer in front of me. I needed a moment to pull myself together as the spell's after wash coursed through my system. As spells go communing with the Akashic Record remote as it is wasn't particularly advanced, but I didn't make a habit of carrying squares of polished silver and had used by blood instead to fuel the spell. "Well?" demanded my customer, "Did you witness the last moments of Prince Azzimond?" I studied him/her/it for a moment, the hooded cloak was so all concealing I couldn't tell the race let alone the gender of my client. The androgynous voice had little in the way of emption, I wondered if they might be a technological being. Taking a breath I replied, "Yes... Squished like a bug I'm afraid. He was a brave man, at least it was quick." It was hard to tell with the robed but I believe my client nodded before asking, "You saw the worm yes?" I blanched as I nodded. My customer leant forwards in an oddly deliberate motion and asked, "My question is this, how would you Azzim Bin Farouq fight such a thing?" My heart lurched and I felt prickling sensation as beads of sweat formed upon my brow, "Fight it?! Madness! I just witnessed the end of a civilisation! You might as well have asked me how to stop the tide from coming in!" I felt my voice rising, surely he/they were not serious. An uncomfortable silence filled the room as my client waited, motionless. I peered at them curiously, "Er you're not kidding are you? You actually want to fight those things... Damn." My client nodded. I ran a hand nervously through my hair and thought, fighting a thing of that size head on was suicide. Rather tentatively I replied, "Well... It uh seemed somehow biological.
I stopped with that line of thought, I was describing a lifetime's work, possibly many lifetimes. "But that's not what you asked. You asked how I would fight it. I wouldn't not head on, I'd cheat. Given how dangerous those things seem it stands to reason others, possibly entire societies of others, have devoted their lives to figuring it out. I just need to find out if any were successful, even once. Armed with that knowledge I could pay the Akashic Record a visit and find out how exactly to fight such a thing." My customer nodded once before replying in a monotone, "Very good. Proceed."
I think it's more than just gameday, pretty sure this trend has been going on for some months. I don't know why exactly although I have a probably wrong pet theory: There's less people interested generally because its really difficult to get into a game (well except for a few who always seem to get selected).
@Majub I agree CAGM is powerful, but it's small beer in comparison to what the flying improved invisibly wizard can do at this stage. How does dazing selective stone call sound for no-save aoe action denial sound? Granted that needs a trait to make it a level 5 spell. Alternatively they could have invested in dazing ball lightning and still have a standard action to cast something else each round. In the same combat the wizard probably acted first and could have summoned in CR6 monsters to divide and conquer, hasted the barbarian or cast persistent slow etc... etc... Ad nausium. Clerics with alternative channel can also do disgusting things like impose selective AOE daze or nausea and they can potentially do that multiple times as a swift action.
@Jeru If you mean Desna's shooting star, that's charisma based suggesting you want a charisma caster for the second half of the gestalt. Oracle of lore would fix the skill point issues and provide sidestep secret for cha to ac, bard would work too. If you want to keep fighter/warpriest then the champion of the faith archetype might be useful for smite which is charisma based. You could also burn a feat (fighters have loads) for Cunning which adds 1 skill point per level.
Not that many divine characters, I'll throw my hat in with a reach cleric. As is I think she'd work best with a mostly ranged party, but we can always tweak domains/tactics if needed. Tamara:
Tamara was always restless, even as a small child. She grew up in a tiny farming hamlet so small it didn’t even have a name, on a tea plantation island off the coast of Vudra. Her father Niles was a tea merchant and traveled widely, often with family in tow. He retired a decade or more ago much to Tamara’s chagrin because stuck at home, there was nothing to do. With her father’s blessing she set off to explore the vast mysterious world of Golorion. She brought a few things with her, her father’s wanderlust and her mother Sara’s faith in Valani Fireshaker,
The Father of Islands. Tamara spent most of the last decade traveling from island to island (especially the volcanic ones) before deciding it was time to explore avistan. The mighty river Sellen was one of the longest in all of Golorion so naturally this was on her bucket list. Little did she know how eventful this trip was to be!
Personality & Appearance:
Tamara is a cheery person, about six foot tall with a ready smile and a deep tan and chocolate brown eyes courtesy of her Vudrani background. Uninterested in politics, her biggest ambition is to visit every nation in the world, to talk to ordinary folk and sample the local food and wines. Her faith in Valani is more of a private thing, passed down for generations, although she’s happy to extol the virtues of The Father of Islands should anyone seem genuinely interested.
Tamara always has her trusty longspear in hand, as much walking stick as weapon. She also keeps a club handy following Valani’s teachings. She has a thick traveling cloak of midnight blue and underneath her ordinary clothes she wears a shirt of chainmail, after all you can never be too careful!
How Tamara came to be on a boat from Pitax headed south on the river sellen:
Tamara smiled, ”Okay I admit it, I hadn’t really thought this one through! I was in this bar in Cassomir and I was bored.” Smiling ruefully, she said ”Oh lordy, I'm terrible when I’m bored. I didn’t really like Cassomir and I was looking for a place to travel next. And by looking I was enjoying a dockside tavern-crawl like you do. I don’t remember the place, it was a complete dive with rats and everything, but I do remember this guy Dmitry. He was from Thrushmoore, he made it sound so depressing but the thing that excited me was stories about fishing in Lake Encarthan, and this kooky island in the middle of it. Apparently it’s called The Isle of Terror, and he had some very strange expirences there a group of his friends stayed there overnight on a lark. Wow, I’d never heard anything like that so I had to go there! Except things didn’t quite work out that way, I got utterly fleeced in Pitax and spent the near last of my coin on a barge heading south. I never even made it to Lake Encarthan, but considering what I’ve learned about the Island’s history since that was probably for the best!”
Crunch: Tamara Female human (Vudrani) cleric of Valani 1 CG Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Perception +2 Aura enlarge -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex) hp 10 (1d8+2) Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +4 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee club +3 (1d6+3) or . . longspear +3 (1d8+4/×3) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with longspear) Special Attacks channel positive energy 4/day (DC 11, 1d6) Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +3) . . 5/day—acid dart (1d6 acid) Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +3) . . 1st—bless, divine favor, longstrider[D] . . D Domain spell; Domains Earth, Plant (Growth[APG] subdomain) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 16, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 13 Base Atk +0; CMB +3; CMD 15 Feats Channeling Variance, Combat Reflexes Traits fate's favored, reckless Skills Acrobatics +5, Knowledge (nobility) +4, Knowledge (religion) +4, Linguistics +4, Sense Motive +6 Languages Common, Elven, Vudrani SQ finesse weapon attack attribute Other Gear chain shirt, club, longspear, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, candle (10), flint and steel, hemp rope (50 ft.), holy text (Valani)[UE], iron holy symbol of Valani[UE], mess kit[UE], pot, soap, spell component pouch, trail rations (5), waterskin -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Acid Dart 1d6 acid (5/day) (Sp) As a standard action, ranged touch attack deals acid dam to foe in 30 ft. Channeling Variance (Earth Variant Channeling, 3/day) Use variant channeling ability, or if already have variant channel use it without reduction. Cleric Channel Positive Energy 1d6 (4/day, DC 11) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect. Cleric Domain (Earth) Granted Powers: You have mastery over earth, metal, and stone, can fire darts of acid, and command earth creatures. Cleric Domain (Growth) Combat Reflexes (3 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed. Enlarge (5/day) (Su) Swift action: Enlarge person on yourself. Finesse Weapon Attack Attribute Finesse weapons use on attack rolls. Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at https://www.wolflair.com
Souls At War wrote:
Uhh this is Hell's Vengeance not Hell's Rebels :) From what I've read LE is the perfect alignment for this AP since you're on team Thrune.
At the Thrune recruitment office:
”Allright, so I’ve got a big mouth, what of it? Am I going to be a problem? Not sure what you mean bruv I’m a patriot, I mean I’m a patriot sir! Can I follow orders and do what I’m told? Yessir! Am I going to be happy about it? If we win sir, certainly sir! And yes Sir I do know how to fight, when you’ve got the gift of the gab like I do it's a damned necessity.” ”How’d I end up here? Well Sir, my folks had a ranch a little ways out of Longacre. I never did learn exactly what they did but it certainly wasn't farming… They uh, well there’s no easy way to say this sir but they were involved in an underground cult of the inheritor. Sir! It’s not what it sounds like, I promise sir! See I reckon my folks were on our side, best as I can tell they were working deep undercover to ferrint out all the believers. Dad always said I had to play my part even if Father Barnabas was the most unbelievable bore. I had to go learn about the inheritor, and sing all the songs even if Father Barnabas’s sense of fun had been surgically removed.” ”Father Barnabas never liked me sir, on account of my clever tongue no doubt. Nothing I did ever pleased him, nothing anyone did ever pleased him. The only thing he liked was putting us down, and rant about how we had to repent our sins or it’d be the hells for us. This went on for more than a year, then one summer it all went wrong. I uh, think what happened might have been my fault sir, at least partially. I was nine, I was bored, I carved a limerick onto my desk.” Father Barnabas, Father Sourpus, doesn’t like you, doesn’t like me
”It probably wouldn’t have been so bad, except Matilda was the name of his donkey. Barnabas hit the roof, I got whipped and was expelled. Father was really cross and was shouting when he stormed off to try and smooth things over. Hours went past, mom was going spare then some of the church enforcers burst in. Mom hid me in the closet and as I watched they denounced and smote her down in the name of Iomadae for heresy.” ”I got bundled off to distant relatives in Egorian, proper patriots sir. Can't say there was any love lost there sir but yousee there was a contract and they fulfilled it to the letter, they gave me a proper education. They also made it crystal clear I needed to find something useful to do with myself when I came of age. So that’s why I’m here sir, to do something useful with my live. None too keen on Iomadaens as you might imagine sir! Pretty damned motivated in fact to see their downfall! Where do I sign sir? Let me at em!”
Build (NB I’ve not yet spent all her starting money):
Clarissa Amadeus Female human (Chelaxian) bard (court bard) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 81) LE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Perception +0 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex) hp 9 (1d8+1) Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +2; +1 morale bonus vs. fear and charm effects -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee longspear +3 (1d8+4/×3) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with longspear) Special Attacks bardic performance 8 rounds/day (countersong, distraction, fascinate [DC 14], satire -1) Bard (Court Bard) Spells Known (CL 1st; concentration +5) . . 1st (2/day)—expeditious retreat, grease . . 0 (at will)—dancing lights, detect magic, mage hand, prestidigitation -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 18 Base Atk +0; CMB +3; CMD 14 Feats Antagonize[UM], Flagbearer[ISWG] Traits ex-iomedaean, obnoxious Skills Bluff +8, Diplomacy +9, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (religion) +5, Linguistics +5, Perform (comedy) +9, Perform (oratory) +8, Spellcraft +5, Use Magic Device +8 Languages Celestial, Common, Halfling SQ heraldic expertise +1 Other Gear chain shirt, longspear -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Antagonize Use Diplomacy or Intimidate to goad creatures Bardic Performance (standard action, 8 rounds/day) Your performances can create magical effects. Flagbearer Grant bonuses to allies who see your flag. Heraldic Expertise +1 (1/day) (Ex) You add half your bard level to Diplomacy, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks. Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at https://www.wolflair.com
Party role:
Out of combat party face and some knowledge skills.
In combat I’m thinking of playing Clarissa a little like a reach cleric, with standard actions to buff/debuff and fishing for AOOs. There’s a load of malicious bard spells/masterpieces I’ve never got to try (like unnatural lust, beguiling gift, The Dance of Kindled Desires) which I think could be great for an evil / intrigue campaign. Description: While not classically beautiful, Clarissa is certainly pretty and knows how to flaunt what she’s got. Her raven hair is shoulder length and her eyes are dark and full of promises. When dressed for combat she wears a shirt of chain and she carries a spear upon which she has attached the Cheliaxan flag.
I'm interested by anything that can increase the penalties imposed by the Satire ability of the Court Bard. I'm aware of Three Reasons to Live is there anything else? Most of the usual suspects for bard optimisation (e.g. Banner of the Ancient Kings, Master & Grand Mater Performer) only affect inspire courage.
Bruno: Background
Bruno grew up in Vidrian in Mwangi Expanse and served for a while in the Sargavan Guard where he developed certain skills. Skills that attracted the attention of an unsavory cabal who flattered and indoctrinated the young and, at the time, naive Bruno. He was to become an assassin and like everyone in the cabal he needed a legitimate cover profession to avoid suspicion. The profession chosen for Buno was that of a humble barkeep, an excellent career for a spy. The years passed and Bruno’s skills grew and inevitably there was a power struggle within the cabal. The grand master was assassinated by his protege and Bruno’s branch of the cabal found themselves out of favor. Bruno was assigned a new handler, a man he’d never liked. Bruno knew it was mutual, so he wasn’t surprised when he was thrown into increasingly dangerous missions, culminating with one that was intended to be his last. The mark was a human wizard who made his home in Alushinyrra, Bruno arrived by portal and skillfully tracked the mark down. He spent several days studying the mage’s habits, noting a fondness for drugs and whores. All he had to do was wait and he dispatched the mage when he was in a stupor. Simple, but then the contact who was supposed to send Bruno back was found dead in an alley, it was time to search for a new job… When the Tuxedo wearing Vavakia doorman says you’re not on the list Bruno felt a frisson of fear, he knew full well what a Vavakia was capable of. The only reason he hadn’t been eaten was due to Nocticula’s laws, and the fact that this Vavakia who went by the name of Var’ard’azzard had just eaten an enormous dinner. Bruno knew full well what a mistake it was for prey to show weakness in front of a predator, he was one after all. As smoothly as he could he replied to the hulking tuxedo wearing demon, ”Indeed, but perhaps I could earn my place on the list? I have certain skills that could prove useful… I am in the business of solving little problems, discreetly and permanently.” Party Role & Power Level
In terms of power level he's quite some way behind Tessa (or any full caster really) but I reckon he'd fun to play, I've always liked the slayer's toolkit from an RP point of view. HP: 8d5 ⇒ (5, 5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 5, 5) = 31 Not bad. Alternate racial abilities: Dim Dweller & Sacred Tattoo (granted this is a bit of a cliche but playing a martial with +6 will at level 8 is asking to get dominated)
Bruno
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Some updates for Tessa: Adjusting for the GM's HP rolling method. Shamans get D8's so we need to roll 8d4s and add 40 for base HP. Half HP: 8d4 + 40 + 16 ⇒ (2, 4, 1, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1) + 40 + 16 = 73 I've also given her some more gear, and statted out her familiar Shufa. Her feats and other abilities are unchanged. About Tessa
What Tessa really wanted to do in life was run an inn. In a series of unfortunate accidents her last two inns burnt down, (totally not her fault by the way) and she found that on Golorion her reputation preceded her making it almost impossible to build a third. Showing questionable sanity, Tessa reckoned Alushinyrra’s lack of regulations was just the kind of break she needed! She could see it now, the staff and perhaps even the patrons would be her adopted tribe, her flock, it would be marvelous! When the Tuxedo wearing Vavakia doorman says you’re not on the list The scarlet scream, despite its seedy reputation Tessa thought the name had a certain ring to it, besides anyone who was anyone in this district was going to be there. A golden opportunity to mingle and do business. The outfits of the other beings in the line were a teensy bit concerning however, they were dressed for battle not for a nightclub, still the beat of the drums spoke to something primal inside her, she yearned to join the dance.
Tessa
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Shortly after her second inn burned down Tessa consulted the spirits searching for an auspicious location for her third one. Following the voices in her head, she found herself in an old ruins in front of a rather disturbing statue. The spirit were adamant she had to cut herself and drip blood into the statue's outstretched palm. When the one-way portal opened naturally she stepped through into a tomb in the Abyss. The spirits instructions for what to do next to avoid the traps where rather complicated and she needed a pen to write them all down. To her surprise she found a golden fountain pen in the very next room in what might have been a wizard's laboratory built into the tomb. Much to her surprise after she finished writing the "pen" transformed into a miniature dragon called Shufa who corrected several spelling mistakes and made several suggestions to the plan which proved vital in her escape. Shufa CR –
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