Female (she/her) Anthropomorphic Dire Chipmunk Caffeine Addict 9
Greetings, and well met adventurers. Apologies for the delayed response, I was involved in a charity event over the past two days that took up considerably longer than anticipated (16 hours on Tuesday alone!). But enough of that - I am excited as we prepare to embark on this Grand journey together! I want to thank you all for submitting amazing characters - we are already starting with a number of fun and unique hooks from many of your backgrounds, which I will try to work into the game in the coming months.
Before we launch off into the great unknown, I suppose it's important to share a little bit about my thoughts on gaming itself. I grew up playing sports and doing theater, and I feel the common factor there was the sense of camaraderie. I draw much of the same enjoyment from role playing games. We are crafting a story together, we are two sides of the same coin, rather than adversaries. I never much enjoyed playing with DMs who viewed it in a “me versus them” approach, trying to beat the players.
The game will be hard and challenging at times, which is what will inspire the great moments to feel far more heroic. But in order to have heroes, there needs to be evil, and there will be bad people doing bad things. This will be kept more to the pulp, fantasy side, with a relative rating of PG-13. If there are any topics that are sensitive to you, please share anything you would like us to be considerate of.
On the much discussed topic of ability scores, we do have in this party players ranging from the highest rolls to the lowest rolls. For those with an ability score point buy total below “48”, you may spend points to get you to that level (Trawets 17 pt, Mark Thomas 12 pt, Ridge 8 pt). These points may be spent per normal point buy, according to the rules below:
- If you did not roll an 18, you can increase one score to 18.
- No other scores can be increased above 17.
- Two scores may be increased by up to three, the rest by no more than two.
- These changes should all be based on the original ability scores rolled, prior to modifiers for race or level.
At this time, if everyone could take a few moments to give a quick short synopsis of their character, including any significant aspects and stand out abilities, it would help to begin introductions. Perhaps even include a few sentences about yourself. The party will be starting not knowing each other, unless anyone wants to tie their backstories together (which is absolutely permitted).
Looking over profiles, I'm still seeing a few updates that were discussed in PMs not listed, please make those adjustments as appropriate.
thank you all again for all the hard work out in to creating all these amazing characters. It has been incredibly difficult, but I have composed a party of six for the upcoming adventure.
Rdknight: Joska (human fighter)
Mark Thomas 66: Lythrana (half-elf/drow magus)
Ridge: Ezmelda (half-elf bard)
Trawets71: Trawets (human wizard)
Wanderer82: Friar Gabe (halfling cleric)
Slowdrifter: Aelanurel (moon elf witch)
To those not selected, I will you the best of luck with Slowdrifter's consideration. I will also mention that I considered at length starting two games, but ultimately decided to focus on one at this time. Assuming things go well, I hope to perhaps start a second table in 4-6 months. But for now, those selected please report to the discuss board.
Good morning one and all, and thank you for your continued patience. I appreciate everyone replying to the many messages that I have sent. I am still reviewing through all the responses, and making my final decisions.
I am sorry some people feel discouraged by their ability score rolls. As I have said multiple times, I am making decisions on which characters to select based on the composition of the character (fluff and crunch), and am taking into consideration the player's history in PbPs. The sum of your ability scores will not dictate whether you are selected, and I will make efforts to shorten the range of any major power discrepancies.
Similarly, the grouping of characters on the applicant list was simply a means of being able to process them. Many character fall into more than one category, and there will undoubtedly be some level of overlap between the PCs with a party of 6. As this is not a class/organization thematic game I am looking for a "well balanced" party, but my goal to to assemble a group that will have fun together.
Assuming I hear back on my last couple messages, I will hopefully be announcing my party tomorrow night.
I am honored and humbled to have both inspired slowdrifter to start her own game and be included in it. Now I have to come up with an idea for a character to rival all of yours.
Thank you everyone, for all your hard work in creating an overwhelming lineup of amazing characters. I will be spending the next few days working through everyone's submissions, and putting together a solid party. I may send you a message asking for clarifications, and would appreciate your response. To be clear though, just because you do not receive a message in the next couple days, it does not mean you are out of the running. I may simply not have a question for you.
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CAST OF CHARACTERS
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COMBAT - PRIMARY
TheWaskally - Jored Huntsilver - Human Paladin (Lathander) (Empyreal Knight)
Zahir ibn Mahmoud - Norde - Human Barbarian (u) (Invulnerable Rager)
Ironperenti - Marcus Nocturnus - Half-Elf Paladin 4 (Milil) / Swashbuckler 1 (Virtuous Bravo / Tempered Champion)
FangDragon - Sir Adrith Foehammer - Human Paladin (Oath of Vengeance, Shining Knight)
Rdknight - Joska Ibarguren - Human Fighter (Brawler)
Hahaha, now I feel like I should run the Coven game! Of course, in addition to witches it could include: shamans, cleric (divine scourge), inquisitor (hexenhammer), rogue (Sylvan trickster), magus (hexcrafter), oracle (spirit guide), summoner (spirit), and probably a few more I have missed.....
Flaws I would say people are more or less in the realm of what I am looking for with regards to 'Flaws'.
Recruitment Timeline Yes, I am still planning to wrap up recruitment on Tuesday, September 10th at 11:59 pm EST. That gives everyone a little over 5 days to finish up their applications.
There are a bunch of excellent submissions thus far, it is going to be challenging to put together a party of only 6!
Wow, I'm loving all the PMs I'm getting regarding character concepts and questions. Getting back to here. I also want to say it's great to see so many people helping each other with character builds.
To answer some more general/board questions:
To Those Who Have Departed I am sorry to see any of you go, you're more than welcome if you get a good concept to come back and apply.
Domain Substitutions or Conversions (@DeathQuaker) thank you for putting together a list of suitable domain substitutions. If anyone has any specific requests beyond this, or feels there is one they would like to see converted, please let me know.
Recommendations & Assistance (@Kaliban) I am more than happy to assist with a trait conversion or terrain recommendation. The Eastern Heartlands are a mix of forest, plains, mountains, and city. There is a giant desert to the West, but I do not intend for extended play in that area (though, organically, that may change). Is there a specific trait, or a couple traits you are interested in me taking a look at?
Paladins & Religion (@Kaliban) back in 3rd edition in forgotten realms, paladins did need to worship a deity. That said, worshiping a deity and being a soldier of the church are two very different things. A paladin does not have to constantly be under orders, nor does every priest have control over them. It is a broad and wide world, and many paladin/knights would be trusted to act in accordance with their teachings on their own. And there are quite a few gods that have lawful good alignment within their range, allowing for multiple options for your character.
Character Status, (@Eriktd, and anyone else with a ‘completed’ character) If you have posted a completed character in the thread, you are currently good. I am hoping to start going through completed applications this weekend, and sending out messages regarding any questions or concerns.
Ongoing Applications (@Violant, and others) for those who have still not submitted, please continue working and getting concepts posted.
Harper prestige class (@Dorian Grey) as I recall from back in the day, the Harper prestige classes were rather underwhelming. You can certainly be a Harper agent without having a prestige class,
Unique Races (@Almonihah) I would say those all sound like appropriate replacements. As I mentioned in the recruitment, I am not looking for a party of entirely exotics, so keep that in mind. I am also hesitant to have players that have natural flying ability from first level.
Thoughts on Alignment (@Kaliban, @Ouachitonian) This could be a very long reply - I have pages of notes and communications with my GM from when I played a paladin for 14 levels across almost 4 years in a Wrath of the Righteous campaign.
I will start by saying “Lawful Good is NOT Lawful Stupid”. Alignment is a guideline to help form a character’s background and motivations, and provide parameters for roleplaying. It should not be a tool a GM uses to punish a player, not a justification for a player to be mean/cruel to other players. I actually think the website TV Tropes does a great job with its
Look at Lawful Good.
Here is a simple synopsis. A Lawful Good character follows a strong moral code based on good and justice. He will follow orders and rules of a just society or organization, but not blindly so. The key there is just, so if in an evil or unjust land, a Lawful Good character would not have to follow unjust laws - for instance, if a demon was disguised as their superior officer and ordered them to murder a child, they would know that is wrong and not do it.
I think a great moment showing the flexibility of a Lawful Good character was in Avengers: Endgame, when Captain America goes to the alternate timeline to get Loki’s scepter, and knowing they are all secretly Hydra agents, deceives them by saying “Hail Hydra”. A GM who embraces Lawful Stupid would say he violated his lawful nature by lying, but as a Lawful Good character he
Unchained Classes (@Stormraven) I knew I was forgetting something when I did the “Classes” section. Yes, you may choose between Unchained for Barbarian, Monk, and Rogue. I would prefer Unchained for Summoner, though if there is a specific build that cannot be achieved, we can discuss.
Fetchling (@Marcus Nocturnus) The fetchling is a pathfinder specific race. That being said, I think they could fit into a interesting role, especially with the recent arrival of the City of Shade. PM me what you are thinking for a concept and we can try to flesh it out.
3.5 Faerun Material and Feats (@RHMG Animator, @DeathQuaker) Interesting question. I will cautiously say yes, if both thematic and not being used in a broken manner. If someone really wants an FR prestige class, PM me and we can discuss.
Familiars, roleplay & control (@Almonihah) I default to allowing players to control their familiars and animal companions.
Ability Scores & Power Level (@MonkeyGod, @EVERYONE)
MonkeyGod, you can certainly use the average hit die and the point buy listedin recruitment, but it's probably worth it for you to roll…
Okay, so I have previously used this rolling method, and even did a test batch of 20 sets to get an idea. Most sets fell between being a 35 and 45 pt buy, with one “terrible” set at a 26, and the best at a 53. I never imagined having so many sets roll 60 plus and even 70- point buy range.
I want everyone to know I will be doing some Power balancing for the group that is selected. So if you rolled a 30ish point buy, do not be dejected, and unfortunately, if you are on the higher end, there will likely be some reduction, though kept on the soft side (and with some boons to counterbalance the loss).
There are a lot of great concepts floating around, I am looking forward to seeing what characters get submitted once fleshed out. I do ask that everyone having breakdown by level of what feats, skills, and ability advances they gain, to make it easier to review each applicant. Let’s keep it going.
Faerun is beset by enemies, new and old. The past two years has seen untold danger - The Lord of Tyranny, Bane, has been reborn, the Phaerimm have emerged from beneath Anauroch, the City of Shade has returned to claim Netheril’s lost glory, raiders beseige the isle of Evermeet, King Obould has united the humanoid tribes into the Kingdom of Dark Arrows, the Zhentarim gather power in the Moonsea, and the Wailing Death devastates the people of Neverwinter. All the while the simple folk of the land cry out for heroes. Who will defend them from these untold threats? Who will rise up and fight back the darkness? Who will bring peace to the Heartlands?
The Forgotten Realms were where I enjoyed many adventures in my youth. In the 3rd edition days I came into DMing, and ran many a game across the continent of Faerun. I have enjoyed playing in Golarion for years, but a nostalgic part of me misses the “good olde days”. To that end I offer you this - a game of high fantasy, set in Ed Greenwood’s own creation. This game will start in the spring of 1373 DR, in the era during which 3rd edition FR was set, and more than 100 years prior to the 5th edition setting. Who is ready to delve back into the Realms we explored in days long past?
Recruitment I am tentatively going to set a cutoff date for recruitment of 11:59 pm EST on September 10th.
Applicant Chart I will be tracking applicants using this Spreadsheet
Party Size I intend to take 6 players for this AP.
Posting Expectations 1/day during the week, 1/weekend. Please include some content and flavor in your posts. They don’t need to be novels, but more than a single sentence would be nice.
Regarding Character Creation I like gaming for the chance to play someone different, someone unique, someone heroic. This will be a game of epic fantasy, with high ability scores, extra skills/traits/feats, and magic items a plenty. To that end I am very generous with character creation - please don’t turn it into a power gamer. I ask that you create characters that are dynamic and feel real (in a fantasy sense), and aren’t min/maxed to the utmost. If I am concerned that is the direction of a build, it will probably not be selected.
Character Creation Crunch:
Source Material We will be playing using the Pathfinder 1st Edition rule set, using only Paizo published content. No 3rd party options, rules, classes, etc.
Ability Scores roll 3d6 (drop the lowest) then add 6, repeat six times and assign to your preference. If you are not satisfied with your rolled scores, you are welcome to use the 25 Point Buy method as an alternative.
Race Core races are welcome. I will consider applications that include Featured and Uncommon races, but will not have a party made entirely of them, so please keep that in mind. Races will be slightly reskinned to fit their FR form (elemental planetouched are “genasi”, etc). If there is a 3rd edition FR race that you feel needs a little more modification to match, please message me and we can discuss. I am also open to altering Racial Ability Score modifiers as has become common in newer game editions.
Class Core / Base / Hybrid. I am not familiar with the Occult classes, and would prefer not to deal with them.
Archetype You may select one archetype without losing the abilities it normally replaces. There are at least a handful of archetypes that could make this utterly broken, so please use discretion with your selection.
Level Your characters are established adventurers, and will be starting at 5th level.
Alignment No evil.
Hit Die max at first level, roll at successive levels. If below average, you may opt to roll again (keeping whatever you roll the 2nd time) OR take the average, your choice.
Skills 2+int increases to 4+int, all others increase by +1. We are also using Background Skills.
Traits 3, or 4 with a drawback. You may select one Campaign Trait from an Adventure Path as one of your three.
FeatsElephant in the Room feat tax rules are in effect.
Each character will start with 2 feats at 1st level, and then gain one feat at each level (as opposed to one every other level). I highly encourage applicants to use these additional feats to create flavorful characters. And yes, they can be used for Variant Multiclass.
Favored Class Bonus you are not restricted by race when selecting your FCB.
Equipment 12000 gp (no items worth more than 5500 gp).
Character Creation Fluff:
FLAW The characters built through this recruitment are going to be highly impressive specimens. When you look at fantasy/sci-fi/pulp/hero literature and film, such characters generally have a flaw. It could be the righteous hero’s pride, a romantic character’s jealousy, perhaps an aging injury that flares up on occasion, a rare case of seizures, or something completely different. I would like you to create a flaw for your character. Don’t worry about the mechanics of it, we will handle that together. I want you to come up with the concept.
Example Sir Reginald the Brave fought valiantly in one of the last battles of the Third Crusade. Suffering a mortal wound to his abdomen far from the hands of a healer, Sir Reginald’s squire bandaged him, hoisted him onto a mount, and brought him back to his allies. Reginald’s body was cold, and his skin had taken on the pallor of death. They swore the man was dead, but the cleric could barely make out the faintest of breaths. Seeking his god’s blessing, he healed Reginald’s grievous wound. Regionald walks again, but strangely his skin still bares the pale, deathly cast of the grave, making him an unnerving sight to see.
Beyond the establishment of a “Flaw”, how you develop your character’s fluff is up to you. The Ten Minute Background is favored by some. Others like to write their background solely from their character’s perspective. I have listed below a simple format that I use with my TTRPG group.
Appearance What does your character look like? What kind of gear do they wear or carry? Do they have any remarkable features?
Personality & Motivation who is your character and what makes them tick? Do they have any interests or quirks?
History what was your character’s life like before today? What adventures/challenges have they encountered?
Allies & Associations who is your character connected to (friends, mentors, loved ones)? Are they a part of an organization or order?
Additional Rules:
Below are a few optional and house rules that we will be using (many that I have gathered from other GMs over the years).
Hero Points we will be using Hero Points to start the game, with each PC beginning with 1.
Grouped Initiative This seems to be a common tool in PbP. After initiative is rolled, we will act in clusters of PC or NPCs that have close initiatives. This will allow game play to not be slowed by waiting for a single player to post.
Okay, I am working on a concept based off this image:
halfling barbarian
It has this "witty-disney-viking" vibe that I feel would totally fit a halfling barbarian. Only, she's not quite a halfling after all... but rather a halfling-blooded angelkin aasimar, standing a might 3'9" tall! Still working through the details and formulating her backstory. As you said the PCs are not yet Gestalt, but could be soon, should I have a plan for the character's 2nd class? If so, should it also be a part of her backstory?
For those in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving! Yes, I am a day late, some of us were working yesterday...
I am thankful for a great group of players who are invested in a shared storytelling experience. It's been a blast so far on this great adventure with you all!
In other news, we also owe thanks to Smooshie/Nicolette, who started a group inventory file, which is now linked up top by the Battle Map.
Nicolette rushes in, surrounding the underfolk traitor towering over Missy. With Kevin at it's back, the creature is ill-prepared to be surrounded, and fails to get it's guard up in time to defend the thin elven blade pierces his lung, stealing his last vestiges of life after Missy's earlier wound. Hit + sneak attack from flanking, Dead
Callen's arrow strikes the underfolk nearest the wall square in the chest. Meraati's whip crack then draws his attention away as he recovers from the wound, leaving Missy, now freed by Nicolette's action, to defeat the traitor with her righteous words! Aid Another to Missy, Callen and Missy Both Hit, Dead
Kevin, you had a critical threat, but didn't roll a confirmation Kevin (critical confirmation):1d20 + 6 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 6 - 1 + 1 = 20 Crit Dmg:1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 2 = 9
Joska had turned expecting the traitor at her rear but found him already incapacitated. Looking up, she sees the hulking robed Warlord trading blows with Kevin. Moving up, she thrusts out into the feral warrior's kidney, even as Kevin cleaves down from the front into his shoulder and neck. With a howl, he collapses in a gory heap!Both Critical - DEAD!!
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END OF COMBAT
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You each take a deep breath and check as you find yourselves standing at the end of the furious conflict, with the two templars, a host of underfolk traitors, and one of their elite, all defeated!
Varvara I know, right? It's a comically badass character, has a late 90s almost disney-esque feel to it. But so many characters already have a form of rage, how many can honestly be let in?
Rdknight yea, that is one Trope-y picture! I also found a good one for Joska, I will send it to you later.
...and says, "I must be drunk, I can't find the harbor outside!" The barkeep, puzzled, replies, "Your done for tonight. There isn't a ocean, sea, or lake for 300 miles..."
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Damnit, I went and looked for character art for my concepts to help me narrow down my ideas... but instead I ended up with more?!
With so much energy for the above options I had considered dropping both "A Girl and her Pet" and "Angsty Dark Elf Dual-Wielding Ranger", until I found one avatar, that may just be the Queen of Tropes!!!
- Dual Wielding Swords
- Giant Swords
- Glamazon
- Evil is Sexy
- Female Armor / Battle Bikini
- Combat High Heels
- A Girl and Her Pet
Okay, let's be serious, that is too much trope (especially bad, outdated tropes). I do hope I can narrow down an idea soon! Everyone is submitting awesome characters!
Nicolette, thank you, I totally blanked on reach as I was moving their tokens. They are now correctly positioned. Meraati, I am redirecting your intimidate to the visible cultist, as Nicolette's needle will kill the mongrel wounded by Callen in the surprise round.
Nicolette's needle strikes the mongrel traitor behind the table, coming in a few inches above Callen's arrow and catching it square in the throat. With a gurgle it stumbles back even as it tries to stand and falls dead.
Meraati leans forward even as she lends her voice to the ballad. Altering her tone and volume, she locks eyes with the templar bearing down on Joska, whose will is clearly shaken by the bold songstress.
Callen, Kevin, Joska, & Missy, you are all up! You currently have Inspire Courage from Meraati, and Bless from Missy!
Wow, there are some awesome characters submitted thus far. I am still playing around with a few ideas, trying to see which really tickles my fancy. Right now, in the running are:
"Quirky Problem-Solving Bookworm Wizard" (Human Wizard / DG Bard or Investigator, Spellcasting or Skill Advance; straight trope) Many "Heroes" are accompanied by a bright, sophisticated but naive female character whose superior intellect and abilities gets the macho hero out of trouble again and again...
"Angsty Dark Elf Dual-Wielding Ranger" (Elf Ranger / DG Fighter or Barbarian, Combat Advance; trope flipped - female and bubbly) What if that drow ranger were female... and friendly.. .like middle school overly talkative girl friendly?
"Love-Redeemed Daughter of Evil Cultist" (Human or Tiefling Warpriest [cult leader] / DG Paladin, Combat Advance; straight trope) Oh, his manliness and goodness were too much for her evil heart... so she gave up her wicked ways to love the hero, betraying all she knew... then he died, being a hero, of course.(think Sorsha in the film Willow)
"A Girl and her Pet" (Gnome Druid / DG Hunter, ?? Advance; straight trope... mostly) Why is there always a little girl with some cute, cuddle animal tagging along on a dangerous adventure... By all that is holy, that bear is HUGE!?!? Dear GOD, NOOO!
"The Amnesiac / Unknown Stranger" (Halfing Inquisitor / DG Unchained Monk, Combat Advance; remixed trope) What if Jason Bourne were female... 3 feet tall... and an agent of the church????
Like I said, trying to narrow down to one and then build. Hopefully I will have something up soon!
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to take a moment to say thank you to all of you. Our gameplay thread has hit its first milestone, 500 posts! Thank you all for your commitment to this game, I can't wait to see where things go in the coming days.
Wow, had a little fun with this. I hope I did not get too carried away!
Game Concept R.E.D.
Character Themes secret society, old guard, rivals
Campaign Arcs on the run, marked for death
Some heroes meet their end gloriously, dying in battle defending their realm. Other rise to the ranks of monarch or archmage and serve until their last days. But for many, it is simply retirement to a quiet life in some forgotten town. When word reaches you that several of your former compatriots who served the last monarch with you have recently died under questionable circumstances, you know it's time to find what allies you have left so you can stop this evil plan.(literally, a medieval version of the movie R.E.D.)
Game Concept Another Night at the Befuddled Bugbear
Character Themes tavern regulars, misfits
Campaign Arcs literally any of these...
The Befuddled Bugbear is a rundown, ramshackle tavern and flophouse that has been repaired and rebuilt so many times, a first time visitor might wonder how it even stands. Smelling constantly of stale beer and body odor, it is nevertheless the fabled watering hole of countless heroes throughout the ages. On any night you can find a rogues' gallery of characters awaiting the next bit of trouble - a hooded man stumbles out of the rain and with his dying breath drops a relic from a forgotten ruin, a demonic fiend is accidentally summoned by a drunken warlock, pirates storm in and press gang the passed out guests into a crew, the King's chamberlain sneaks in seeking volunteers to rescue a missing royal child, a pickpocket opens a seized scrollcase and discovers the legend of a mystical artefact, praetorian city guard come in to arrest the entire house, hordes of zombies come marching out of a nearby crypt seeking on of the Bugbear's guests - it all could happen on any night!
Game Concept ...And You Get a Kingdom of Your Own!
Character Themes bastard children of monarch(s)
Campaign Arcs frontier, castle owners
The King of (insert setting appropriate realm here) has always been known for his womanizing ways. Given that the kingdom has a history of internal fighting because of its inheritance laws, the king is keen to maintain stability. He obviously can't openly acknowledge his many illegitimate offspring, yet wants to provide for them as well. The discovery of a distant island, complete with an aged, not-quite-ruined castle, has prompted his high counselor to come up with a solution: grant the bastard children the island, with responsibility to rebuild the castle and explore and defend the land! Surely his offspring will all get along, right?
The nobleman, still partly hidden behind Nicolette as she tends to his minor wounds, draws a dumbfounded look as Kevin bursts outing laughter. His mouth slowly closes as the horned warrior deftly and directly lays clear his lack of malicious intent. Indeed, the man begins to straighten his doublet and step toward Kevin when Meraati steps out of the shadows and offers further dialogue against his reaction. He briefly draws back from her, but then can help but listen to her words as his eyes take in both her bearing and appearance.
Clearing his throat, he steps toward Kevin. "Ah, yes, well, of course. Thank you sir knight, for your assistance. I will see that you are handsomely rewarded for your goodly work. It's just, well, given today’s events... and not too many of your ilk take up the crusade... on this side... my apologies." The man still seems rather caught off guard and ill at ease, but honest in his words.
Turning to Nicolette, he offers a respectful nod. "Lady chirurgeon, why yes, of course I have the constitution of a mighty warrior, though my profession lies elsewhere. Your skills are most greatly appreciated. Surely after this mess is sorted, I can find employ for you with House Gwerm."
Finally coming full circle to Meraati, his eyes dart up to her horns before looking at her regal bearing, striking features, and noble garb. With a quick shake of his head, he runs his hand through his hair before speaking. ”Lady, you have me at a loss. I did not expect to find another of culture so entombed down here with me. I will ensure these warriors guard your safety and virtue as they escort us safely out of this situation.”
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The elf leans on Joska for support, though his light frame is little trouble for her to bear. He is shaky at first as he stands, but becomes more secure on his feet with the strength of the woman to brace against. He also seems to note both her posture and heavy armor as he begins to walk. Looking down toward the voice coming from his waist’s height, he offers a soft smile. ”Thank you. The pain is manageable now.”
Turning his blind face back to the woman hoisting him, ”Joska, Stormcaller Brigade… hmm, yes, one of the mercenary companies. Good, good. I am Aravashniel. Yes, we will need to set everyone in order. You are a military type, you can help organize all these people. I can direct you on how best to move forth once we are organized. Now, let us be on to the others.”
My next lengthy update will be delayed, as power (andthus wifi) is out in my neighborhood thanks to a wonderful thunderstorm (power company is estimating 4 hours). I'm still able to post using data on my phone, but not going to try to rewrite my whole post on a mobile device. Details coming shortly.
Meraati You rolled it twice? Damn! If you'd like to replace Shatter with something more appropriate, how about Hideous Laughter or Oppressive Boredom? My other thought was there is an alternate ability that is a bonus to diplomacy, would that be appropriate? As for the Devilbane to Demonbane, low tier Devils have DR "silver or good", mid tier have DR "good", and high tier have DR "silver AND good". Demons are built out the same way, but substitute cold iron for silver (to name a few: dretch, bremorak, incubus, shadow demon, succubus). So the cold iron option will definitely benefit you. And we can consider further options for evolving your bardic music if you are selected.
Oblivion Yes, you can take Trap Finder if you would like.
Zahir The short answer? No, there is no true way to know if I am in this for the long haul. Hell, I could be an agent of WotC sent to sow discord among Paizo's community. Corporate espionage!
I am excited about the possibility of embarking on running an AP on this board, with the knowledge that it will take several years. I cannot guarantee what will transpire in that time, but I am committed to trying to make it happen. You understand that, I mean, you ran a campaign that spanned 3 years and surpassed 4500 posts, but in the end you ended it because of life getting in the way. None of us know what the future holds, but I can promise a good faith intent with this AP.
Now, if you'd like to know a little about my gaming background and my short experience on these boards, read on.
a brief background of me:
I have been gaming for a little over 20 years. My first introduction came in the form of the board game HeroQuest. We were away for summer vacation in the mountains, and my older brother and his friend had this exciting new game they wanted to play, but there was only two of them. So I got roped in. I was already involved in youth theater and like any child had grown up playing make-believe with my toys. HeroQuest wasn't much different. When my brother and I were younger, my princesses and fairies would go on adventures with his GI Joes. In HeroQuest we had a mechanic for how they accomplished their deeds.
Very soon my brother and his friends got involved in D&D, and little sis got brought along for the ride. They were definitely boys only games that I was left out of, but as I went from being a kid to a teen, I was less little sister and more part of the group. Sure I was relegated to being the healer most of the time, but I didn't mind that. And as we got to know third edition more, my clerics became pretty darn powerful.
My older brother and his friends all went off to college, but by that time I had also pulled some of my other theater friends into gaming. Around this point we discovered Vampire, the Masquerade, and being angsty teen goth kids (I grew up on Anne Rice’s vampires, not those shiny Twilight things), we dove right in. I got my first experience storytelling then, and even though in the years since most of my GM experience has been in 3.5 or Pathfinder, I still view the role as more a storyteller than a Game Master. Throughout high school we explored a lot of systems, but focused mostly on 3.5 edition and vampire.
At 18, off to college I went, and so began the task of finding a new gaming community. I unfortunately ran into my first case of gamer trolls in the setting, where being a female meant either I had to constantly defend my place there as a ‘real gamer’, or I was simply there to be eye candy and the butt of lewd sexual comments and actions in game. Luckily I found other friends, again through theater, who were also into gaming, and abandoned that scene fast.
In the decade plus since college, I have gamed with a mix of friends spanning across all three of those groups, plus a few additions we've met along the way. In that time, I would say a third of my time has been spent as a GM, with the other two thirds as a player. I enjoy crafting a story and empowering my party to explore, challenge themselves, and be creative. Not everything has to be a slaughterfest (though those can be fun too).
After relocating for work in 2015 and having limited access to my past gaming groups (only one able to play via skype at the time), I made a foray into the play-by-post scene on paizo.com. I had known of its existence for some time, and figured it would be an easy way to play. Sadly, that was one of the periods when the website was auto-logging people out and going down frequently. So one of the games we exchanged email addresses for. One of my fellow players took it upon himself to make the gaming experience very uncomfortable for me, then pushed it further in emails. I requested he stop, he refused, so I blocked his email. He simply started bombarding me from other accounts, and doing the same to my mailbox on Paizo. So I closed that email and left the paizo boards, having been active for less than 3 months time.
In 2019 I tried to make a return to the boards, and within days, he popped back up in my direct messages. Sure enough, I turned away again.
Before returning this time, I tracked down his account and saw that he has not posted in over a year. Given that timeline, I have decided it may be safe for me to re-enter the water. Seeing that there weren’t many recruiting games, I figured I would throw my hat into the ring. So here we are.
We have hit the 24 hour mark, thank you all for your input. I ranked everyone's preferred method as worth 2 votes, and their alternate as 1. We ended up with the following ranking.
Fantasy (4d6 drop lowest) - 0 votes
Focus & Double (18, 8, 1d10+7 @4) - 2 votes
Heroic (2d6+6) - 10 votes
High Fantasy (5d6 drop 2 lowest) - 14 votes
Champion (3d6+6 drop lowest) - 21 votes
So, it looks like we have a clear winner. I may have opened a can of worms when I included that last option, But the people have spoken, and so it shall be! I will post a separate Recruitment thread in the next 24 hours.
***DO NOT START ROLLING ABILITY SCORES HERE***
Please wait for the recruitment thread.
Wow, with the number of PMs I have received since yesterday afternoon, you would think I had just joined a dating site. Thank you all so much for the interest in this game, I think I have gotten back to all of the direct messages. I have been playing with some more numbers, and still haven't made a decision, but will write up my thoughts later this evening. I want to note Shadow Dragon's rolled stat set is a 50 point buy in the standard system. So even if I used a 25 point buy as the fallback, anyone who had to use it would be woefully underpowered compared to that character...
On the note of MAD characters, not every stat has to be a 16 or 18. When I played through this AP, I played a small angel-born aasimar (halfling) paladin, who used long sword and shield to two-weapon fight - definitely not an optimized paladin. We used 20 pt buy, and I needed strength, dexterity, and charisma, with a dose of constitution for hit points, and so took an average intelligence and a hit on wisdom, making her a brash, emotional, somewhat reckless paladin.
(14, 15, 13, 12, 8, 14 before +2 str, +2 cha). She was a blast to play, and became a beast in combat.
Wow, @Smooshie, quite the list of questions to wake up to! Let's see if my coffee will clear the morning fog enough to hit all of these.
1. How long would your recruitment be?
This is not a recruitment yet, but I would expect to offer a 2 week window. That said, if we end up with a truly exhaustive number of applicants, I might end it early. Were that the case, I would give at least 24 hours notice of a shortened window.
2. Are you going to closely follow the AP, or add your own splash as indicated more frequently? Or a balance? What does that look like in your mind percentage-wise?
In my 20ish years of gaming, I have split my time pretty fairly between player and gm. The games I have enjoyed the most are the ones that connect players with the storyline itself. It goes without saying that a published AP is written to be character neutral, and this AP is mostly a straight shot on a railroad at that. The Campaign Traits are a way to try and tie PCs in, and to a degree succeed at it. But I like to tailor a game to the party I have and work in connections to characters' backstories.
When my TT party played through this AP we felt that the Mythic rules made many encounters too easy. So I will be addressing that from two directions:
- I will be toning down some of the mythic rules. I still like the concept of the mythic rules, but some are definitely more unbalanced than others.
- Encounters will be adjusted to appropriately challenge the players and give the 'fight to save the world' feel this AP is supposed to impart.
3. What post rate would you expect of us as players? Yourself?
I would ask that players achieve the standard PbP rate of 1 post per weekday, 1 post on the weekend. As a GM sets the pace for a game, I plan to match the player, with a hope to more commonly get 2 posts when possible each day (one morning, one evening). This will be especially critical during combat encounters.
4. Have you thought of character creation rules that you want? Stats? Point-buy? Rolls? Starting level? Starting HP? Starting Gold? Classes? Restrictions? Unchained? Race-restrictions?
- Ability Scores I think this is my biggest point of internal debate. I am a big fan of rolled stats, but I know some people prefer using a level playing field with point buy. If doing a set number, I would be more apt to use a 1-to-1 system rather than the Paizo point buy. I feel it benefits some builds and penalizes others. So, this is a topic I still need to decide.
- Level I would normally say level 1 (it is a 1-20 AP), but also like the idea of level 2, to allow for a bit more of a character's past, and to skip a couple needless XP farming encounters early on.
- Races Core are all welcome. I am open to Featured and Uncommon as well, assuming an appropriate backstory (why is your Orc joining the Crusade?). Outlandish/untrusted races will be met with skepticism (and in some cases prejudice). This is a topic I will discuss with individual players prior to acceptance into the game to ensure a mutually enjoyable and positive gaming experience. Also, if you have a great concept that is hamstringed by a Race's ability score modifiers, I am open to alternate mods (for example, a dwarven sorcerer or cavalier that does not suffer from a charisma penalty).
- Class all Core, Base, and Hybrid. Summoner must use Unchained, Barbarian, Monk and Rogue, it is up to the applicant whether to use classic or Unchained. No Occult classes (my apologies, I am simply not familiar enough with them). Please don't pursue a purposely broken build, there will be plenty of power to go around.
- Starting Gold & Equipment dependent upon the level decision. I do feel like this AP misses out on a bit of the 'survivor' vibe I would expect in the earlier books.
5. Are you allowing 3rd-party materials? Solid Yes? No? At your discretion?
There is a library's worth of options released by Paizo and we will already be dealing with a great deal extra with mythic rules, so the answer is a solid NO. The one exception might be a pdf I saw a while back that attempted to balance the mythic rules better.
6. Elephant in the Room feat taxes? Background Skills? Spheres of power? Variant Multiclassing? Automatic Bonus Progression?
- Elephant in the Room feat tax rules Yes, per the most up-to-date PDF they have published.
- Background Skills Yes
- Spheres of power No (see 3rd party above)
- Variant Multiclassing Yes, with caution
- Automatic Bonus Progression No. I am normally of fan of these rules, but with the amount of magical items flying around in this AP, I think I will keep it normal.
7. What requirements for background? Simple blurb? Detailed? 10-minute background?
I will leave that up to each applicant to decide. That said, please understand that I a looking for living characters to embark on a 20 level adventure. The more that is provided, the more I can see your character idea.
8. How many traits did you want to allow? Drawbacks for traits?
I like traits, and feel they are a great way to flesh out a character. I will allow 2, a third with a drawback. Please note that I will NOT be including your Campaign Trait in this total. Please still select a campaign trait, but if you don't find one that appeals to you, feel free to request something different (I suggest you request the theme, I can provide the bonus).
9. How many players are you accepting?
I am thinking a party of 5 or 6 players.
Well, that was a lot to respond to, and it leaves me with two decisions to make: starting ability scores, and starting level. Everyone feel free to sound off on these two topics.
Heading into work now, will update again in a bit.
The shovel bit down into the barrel of coal. Rising up, a few pieces fell astray, but as the young woman turned a majority were tossed onto the remnant embers from the previous day. She stepped to the billows, pressing down hard. The embers burned bright, and slowly the flames leapt across the newly added coal. The new day's work had begun, and dawn was still an hour away.
Salyne had arrived at the Halls of Silver a few months past and, after the rescue of her mother, had begun her training under her uncle, but had not seen an opportunity to truly test her mettle in combat. Still, she was happy to be a part of something greater, and her skill as a smith had found her a useful role as a junior member of the Shields. She liked to get to work early, to have a purpose for the day, yet she yearned for something more.
After a couple hours progress, she took a break, cleaned up, and headed to the great hall to have a bit of breakfast. Walking in she takes note of the commotion. "Mornin' all, what's the buzz?"
