These final minutes go by without a hitch, and other than a few bouts of spontaneous, off-key, uncoordinated singing of the royal anthem, there is little to worry about. Once the crowd is let through to Fleet Square, one of the policemen pulls you aside. "We've managed to question the criminals thoroughly, and it appears they were just here to shout insults and heckle the nobility. That one who escaped however - Dafton, I believed he is called - may have had plans to assault Governor Stanfield. With the way you roughed him up, I highly doubt he'll be back, but it'd be good to be on the alert. I've dispatched a man to notify your superiors as well."
By now the first of the noble carriages have begun to approach the royal shipyard, and already the crowd on the bridge is doing its job: cheering, throwing flowers, and performing folk songs and dances to show their support.
Before things get too busy, your direct superior — Assistant Chief Inspector Stover Delft — asked you to come to a last-minute meeting to give you your marching orders. You find him chewing a bit of tobacco and eying a halfling chef who is carrying a tray of chocolate confections toward the docked Coaltongue. His attention turns to you, and he smiles.
“Only the finest for our king, right? Now then,” he says, “we’re about to earn our pay. Lots of nobles about, so first, don’t make a scene, and definitely don’t talk to any of the nobility unless they address you first. Second, if something does go wrong, try to handle it yourselves, would you? I’m going to be busy applying my not-inconsiderable charms to very important people. The Constabulary doesn’t get by with just good will and pretty faces, you know."
“And third, I heard about the little stunt down on the bridge. I would've prefered if you could've detained those men a little more quietly, but a fight back there is much better than one at the launch party. Speaking of parties, soaking wet is no way to represent the RHC at an event like this Constable Minerva. The only change of clothes I could find for you was this," Delft produces a modest but elegant red dress, "Apparently the wait staff is better prepared than we are, as they keep some extra clothes for the nobles. In light of this I may have you pose as a disposed Danorian of minor noble status - do a little undercover work."
After handing Lynn the dress, Delft once again addresses the group. "Really though, you did good work, so I’ve got a surprise for you.” He grabs his cane and leads you to the gangplank of the Coaltongue. But he’s not pursuing the halfling chef. Rather, ahead of you waits Principal Minister Harkover Lee, the king’s chief adviser and personal bodyguard.
"Constables, meet the old man himself," Delft says cheerily, "the one and only, Minister Lee." The Principal Minister turns to you with a warm smile. "I've only just finished checking the warship for any magical threats - and I'm confident that security is in order. Nevertheless, I am more than pleased to have some RHC representatives on board this evening to act as extra eyes and ears. I'd very much like to get a gauge of how the various individuals in tonight's crowd should react. Not to mention there are a few recalcitrant guests who may need some corralling." Minister Lee looks over towards a carriage where one of the guests and her elven handmaiden are disembarking. You easily recognize the woman who has drawn such distaste from the Minister as Duchess Ethelyn of Shale, the king's sister. "In any event," Lee continues, "I must prepare for the king's arrival. I'd advise you to direct any questions to your boss, and remember - best behavior." With a twinkle in his eye, the Minister Lee departs up the gangplank, now guarded by sailors under orders not to let anyone in.
Anyone who hasn't should check out the dramatis personae section on the campaign info tab, it'll have some background information on the people you are meeting as well as some nice portraits. Get ready for a party in Fleet Square!
I just realized that putting all of my dice rolls hidden at the bottom messes things up if I later add rolls to the top. From now on I'll put all of my rolls in the post, but won't display any unknown modifiers, to keep the element of mystery.
Isabel lands a devastating blow on Dafton, causing him to stagger back enough for Allan to charge in. Dafton takes a last minute swing at Allan, but his fist only finds air as he finds himself sailing off the bridge and into the water below.
Dafton AOO:1d20 ⇒ 2 Fall Damage:1d6 ⇒ 1
Miraculously, Dafton manages to miss most of the large pieces of rubble, and despite some horrendous injuries, he begins swimming back towards the mainland. Even in his injured state, Dafton is the stronger swimmer by a long shot as Lynn struggles with her restrictive uniform. I rolled some swim checks for you two (DC 10); feel free to look at them. Lynn failed two and Dafton beat Lynn on every roll (after modifiers).
As Dafton crawls ashore, another docker comes running for him - the man with the scar across his eye who was demanding to be let in at the checkpoint earlier. With all of the police tied up trying to reach the fight up on the bridge, the two men slip away easily, and are long gone by the time Lynn reaches the shore.
With their leader gone, the two dockers remaining on the bridge share a glance and decide to make a break for it, attempting to push back into the crowd towards the mainland. Not a second after they reach the crowds however, a mob of policemen push through, having finally reached the middle of the bridge, and quickly overwhelm and detain the troublemakers. As the dockers are lead away, one of the policemen informs you that they'll hold the two conscious ones at the first checkpoint for a few minutes in case anyone wants to question them.
Lynn's standing on the banks soaking wet, everyone else is up top. You've got your last 10 minute block before the crowd gets let through.
Gah, I keep confusing you two!
The book is adamant about characters falling off the bridge taking 1d6 points of damage regardless. I believe this is supposed to be from all the large pieces of debris floating around what with all the industry.
Lynn's bottle crashing over Dafton's head seems to only further enrage him, and he maneuvers himself to try and knock Lynn off the bridge once again. This time however, Lynn is unable to fend off Dafton assault and the bulk of his body sends her careening off the bridge and into the water 20 feet below!
Lynn AOO:1d20 ⇒ 6 Fall damage for Lynn:1d6 ⇒ 4 The fall damage is lethal, however Lynn will be able to easily swim to either shore as there isn't much of a current.
Meanwhile, Mercliffe finally makes himself useful as he drives his fist into the side of Lynn's neck. Crit for 8 points nonlethal! Isabel AOO:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Finally, Allan and the short docker finally make it into the fray.
Yikes! That was not a great round for the constables to say the least. Isabel and Allan are up.
Damage Totals/Status:
Lynn (in the water): 4 lethal, 5 nonlethal
Isabel: 8 nonlethal
Allan:
Dafton (unarmed): 7 lethal, 4 nonlethal
Mercliffe (unarmed):
Short Docker (unarmed):
As soon as Dafton is cut by Isabel's blade, he whirls around and attempts to wrestle the sword from her hands. Although he is successful in dodging past the sword, he doesn't manage to get a firm grip on the hilt and Isabel pulls away.
Isabel AOO:1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 = 7
Mercliffe then attempts to take advantage of the situation, moving to attack Isabel from behind, although he misses her by a large margin.
The crowd slowly backs up as the fight unfolds in front of them.
Isabel, you're most likely going to end up with choices as to who you want to take your AOO on with Dafton trying to disarm you and Mercliffe fighting unarmed. Please specify in your next post who your preferred AOO target is (remember that if you hit Dafton on the AOO he takes a penalty to his combat maneuver checks).
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Allan: Straight charisma checks are generally very rare, instead you be rolling either persuasion or intimidate. I know that when you use those skills it end up being straight charisma for you, but it helps if you list one in your roll so I can get a better idea of the tone you're using.
The short docker surrenders his weapon to Allan, but continues towards the center of the bridge.
Coulton ignores Isabel's threat and chooses to lunge at her instead of Lynn. He finds himself unable to complete his attack however, as Isabel drives her blade into his shoulder. As he stares at the wound in horror, Lynn's bottle comes crashing into his temple, and Coulton slumps to the floor, unconscious.
Seeing his companion downed, Dafton lets out a roar and charges Lynn without drawing any weapon, intending to knock her off the bridge. Lynn manages to reposition herself however, and keeps her footing.
Lynn AOO:1d20 ⇒ 2 "Nice of you to join us Mercliffe," Dafton shouts as the lanky docker emerges from the crowd.
The fat docker appears to be considering Isabel's words until something catches his eye over by the other side of the crowd.
"You weren't seriously considering surrender now, were you Coulton?" A new docker pushes his way through the crowd, larger and far more athletic looking than the other three. As he steps out, he finishes wrapping his heavily calloused hands in bandages. "We're havin' pork for dinner boys!"
"Right you are Dafton!" Coulton replies as he twists his knife towards Lynn, thankfully missing.
The two dockers who have yet to enter the fray begin moving towards the center of the bridge.
Meanwhile, at checkpoint 1, the scarred docker continues to argue with the police, yelling at them now with a sense of drama almost, as if he's a struggling actor or orator who's decided now would be the best time to practice his craft.
I know that we didn't really roll initiative, but the current order is:
-PCs (only Isabel and Lynn at this point, Isabel's turn to act)
-all enemies (or in this case enemy)
Anyone not in the brawl can act out of initiative, but they won't be able to reach the brawl until the round after they declare they'd like to do so.
As Lynn lands her second blow, Isabel finally manages to push her way through the crowd. Realizing he'll soon be outnumbered, the fat docker takes a step back and draws his knife. He calls out towards no direction in particular, "Where's my backup! Dafton, get the men over here!"
Lynn stands in the middle, the docker took a 5 foot step away from her towards the edge of the bridge (another five feet away from him). And Isabel has just arrived, 15 feet away from both if them.
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The docker grunts as the bottle collides with his ribs, but when he makes his counterattack his luck appears to have run out, for he misses by a wide margin. Another AOO for Lynn. Also, he's obviously wearing leather armor, although this isn't unusual for working men and women desiring a little extra protection from the regular perils of their jobs.
Lazarus Perception:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
From his vantage point, Lazarus notices nothing out of the ordinary happening during the brawl.
The lanky docker looks at Isabel nervously and quickly surrenders the dagger. "No problem miss. This was really just for cutting fruit anyways. Honest." He seems to be purposely ignoring the fight that has broken out and just stands sheepishly about.
The fat docker takes Lynn's blow, and continues his assault. In spite of Lynn's obvious speed advantage, he manages to land another lucky strike. 3 more points of nonlethal, for a cumulative total of 5. Lynn get's another AOO in addition to her regular attack.
The fat docker notices Lynn moving towards her and easily sidesteps her assault having predicted the attack. He does not draw his knife, but rather retaliates with a wild swing of his arm, just barely managing to catch Lynn in the shoulder, even with her increased speed.
Docker hits for 2 points of nonlethal assuming an AC of 20 for Lynn. Lynn has the option of taking an attack of opportunity. We'll use d4 for the bottle damage and assume that on a connecting damage roll of 4 the bottle breaks.
In an instant, the surrounding crowd realizes that a fight has broken out, and screams are heard as citizens push back in every direction to clear the way. Lynn and the fat docker now stand in the middle of a 30 by 30 foot clearing in the middle of the bridge. The densely packed crowds on either side of them will make it difficult difficult to enter the fight quickly and there are no policemen in the immediate vicinity.
Lynn should now be acting in round timing, everyone else can act freely, unless they wish to enter the fight, in which case it may take a round or two before the clearing can be reached.
Anyone near the far checkpoint that connects the bridge to the mainland notices a some commotion as a grizzled-looking docker with an ugly scar across his face demands to be let through. He keeps shouting about how there's trouble brewing which he must put a stop to, but the police are of course under orders not to let anyone in.
Diagram Time!
#1#===S==-LF-==L===#2#
1 is the first checkpoint where the docker is trying to enter.
2 is the checkpoint that you all started at.
S is the short docker
IF is the Lynn/fat docker brawl.
L is the lanky docker.
Everyone should specify at this time what side of the brawl they'd be on, as crossing over to the other side is now considerably more difficult. Also, are there any preferences for mapping software so I can stop using these stupid diagrams? I was thinking either spreadsheets in google drive or Roll20.
A bottle would be fairly easy to find but of course you'd have to deal with it breaking eventually. Whatever you choose you can go ahead and give me an attack and damage roll if you're ready to carry on with the beating,
Lazarus is right Lynn, the bridge was swept spotless before you arrived. Maybe you could find something like discarded and heavy, but it would require searching for a little while. The best you could do right now is confiscate a walking cane from one of the guests and hope that it's a fashion accessory and not a necessity. Or of course ask to borrow a club from a nearby the policemen.
As you finish up the sweep of the crowd, messengers move throughout, passing out sheets of music containing the royal anthem, and the excitement level grows considerably.
Isabel's warning that the dockers might be planning trouble seems like it might have some bit of truth to it - three men are quickly identified as potential problems. Standing in separate parts of the bridge, these three men in docker garb seem particularly jumpy the whenever the law enforcement passes by and don't converse with any of the other celebrants. Even more unnerving is the fact that each one has a dagger just barely hidden in his belt.
By way of differentiating the men, one is fat, one is quite lanky, and the last is short and shifty looking.
We're still in Round 2, but we've sort of paused the round timing so that you can get more specific with how you'll deal with the three suspects. If Drake Morrell is still around, he can just jump into the action as it stands, but he'd better have a good excuse when his superiors found out how late he was to one of his first assignments.
Allan - Sense Motive would be appropriate to your action, so I'll let you use that.
Lynn - Yes, the bridge, shipyard, and Royal Square have all been extensively swept.
As Lazarus briefs and directs the guards, the rest of your head out to scour the crowd via your separate methods. Allan and Lynn both make some headway and the both begin to pick out suspects who match fit the profiles of possible suspects. Now it's time to separate the innocent parade goers from the actual threats.
For Isabel:
Although you find yourself a bit distracted and don't make much progress, you do recall catching word among the dockers that there were plans laid by a few men to cause some trouble. Sharing this knowledge with your fellow constables might be useful if it turns out to be true, but it might shift the focus too much onto the dockers. Regardless you receive a +2 bonus on your next check to search the crowd.
Roughly half the crowd has been swept - two more successes are needed to cover everyone. Allan and Lynn now have lists of suspects, so they can now choose to focus on figuring out if any of these are any real threats (via whatever method they choose) instead of doing general searches. Once we get two more successes on the search (DC 15 by the way), everyone can begin going after specific suspects. 10 minutes have passed and we're now on Round 2 (except for Drake, I'll need both his 1st and 2nd round actions when he posts).
Correct. The 700 on the bridge right now were selected randomly by the police to be let in and cheer/sing/throw flowers/etc. A sizable police force at checkpoint 1 will keep out any unwanted guests, while a much smaller group of police holds checkpoint 2 until it's time to cross.
I feel horrible raining on your very first gameplay post, but the dignitaries (tiefling include) haven't arrived - the current plan is to root out any threats they have a chance to strike. Right now the two big tasks are briefing the police/party and searching the crowd. I'll let you redact and revise Lynn's actions to account for this. The options you mention later on are all solid choices for what Lynn could be doing. I'll also give you a reroll on the skill checks so that you're chosen plan of action isn't biased by the higher perception check.
It is spring of the year 500 A.O.V. (After Our Victory). Seven years after the end of the Fourth Yerasol War, the shipyards in Flint have completed the first Risuri warship powered solely by steam engine, not sail. Your monarch, King Aodhan, has come to Flint to witness the official launch of this mighty vessel. Wooden-hulled but with a heart and skin of iron, the Royal Naval Ship Coaltongue will act as a deterrent against future aggression from Risur’s enemy across the sea, the nation of Danor.
The Royal Homeland Constabulary has been called upon to provide security, and you have spent your first few days on the job working to make sure this event goes off without a hitch — canvassing the docks, performing background checks on the guest list, coordinating with the local police to set up a perimeter around the royal docks, and following various directives of your superiors.
Now, as a warm breeze off the sea mingles the scents of elaborate floral decorations with the pervasive coal soot that always hovers over Flint, you’re at one of two security checkpoints, working with Flint police to let in a crowd of hundreds of local citizens who just want to line the streets and cheer their king.
Somewhere, a man who should be dead is smiling.
+++
ACT I: The Island at the Axis of the World
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Exactly 700 cheering visitors stand before you on the bridge linking the mainland to the island containing the Royal Shipyard. In 30 minutes the crowd is scheduled to be released into Fleet Square in the shipyard and to line the sides of the bridge to cheer on the carriages of the arriving dignitaries. Groups of police on both sides of the bridge will prevent the crowd from growing any larger or moving into the shipyard prematurely - you've been tasked with removing any threats that might be hiding among the crowd. During your briefing at the RHC headquarters, four groups were identified who could potentially complicate the celebration:
Dockers - angry over how the city has been treating them lately.
Primalists - believers in the old druidic faith - angry at all the new industry.
Terrorists - agents for the fey terrorist known as "Gale," who might try to sabotage the ship.
War Veterans - who might target the ship's tiefling designer.
Due to the size of the crowd, a group of city policemen have been been detached from their normal duties and sent to help you.
You'll have plenty of time to get to know each other very shortly, but for now you'd better get to work on that crowd! Go ahead and hit me with your strategies for canvassing the crowd along with any relevant skill checks. Assume that these skills checks take roughly 10 minutes. If you're unsure what skill you'd be using, I'll roll for you. In addition, someone will need to take some time to create a threat profile and brief both the the party and the rest of the police (don't make any other rolls to search the crowd yet if you do so). This can be done with any of the following skills: Knowledge(history or local), Profession(soldier). Anyone making this check receives a +4 bonus due to the fact that the party includes two Dockers and Yerasol Veteran. Success on the check reveals the following information.
Threat Profile DC 13:
Dockers are usually burly working men with eclectic fashion. Primalists have particular hairstyles, wear sandals, and adorn themselves with druidic religious icons. Fey saboteurs are typically elves or half-elves with impeccable grooming from their rituals, though they may often try to hide this by dressing in soot-stained clothes. War veterans will usually be either in the mid- to late-twenties, or late-fifties/early-sixties, usually in better fighting shape than common citizens.
First off, I'd like to give a big thank you to everyone who applied for showing interest in the campaign. The choice was tough, but the following five applicants have been approved to join the ranks of the Royal Homeland Constabulary:
Drake Morell
Isabel Flynn
Lazarus Cain
Lynn Minerva
Allan Daxton
Get over to Gameplay and get in on the action! Note that because you're not on an official 'mission' you won't receive any stipend yet, only the equipment listed in your profile. Interestingly enough, the party zero magical support aside from the alchemist, so get ready for some creative problem solving!
As always, best of luck to those whom I regrettably couldn't accept.
1 day left before go time! It looks like everyone who's submitted an alias has their character complete except for Caelholdt Luperin (missing background) and Enleharial the Shaper (needs info in profile).
Please see my profile for revised version of Arthur, decided against Steel Hound in the end and planning on Empiricist (which makes no difference until level 2 anyway)
caveat: background is kinda rough at the moment, needs another pass to get things tied together neatly, as is he's a noble bastard, whether you'd want to pursue his family ties is left fairly open either way.
Haven't done gear, but it'll be fairly standard stuff, I don't suppose it's possible to swap the standard billy club for a light mace version so he can use with weapon finesse, if not I'll hardly quibble over the 5gp required for one and just leave the heavy version in his locker.
Also have a feat left to pick, what are your feelings with Weapon Finesse applying to combat manoeuvres? Mostly thinking Dirty Trick & disarm, if you're against it I'll probably get Agile Manouvres, if you'll let it slide most of the time then I'll probably go with Improved Dirty Trick.
Happy to hear any thoughts, comments, errors, etc.
As a note I am UK-based, if it matters at all.
According to the the errata from on the PFSRD page for Agile Maneuvers, Weapon Finesse only applies to weapon-based maneuvers (disarm, trip, and sunder). All the others (dirty trick included) need Agile Maneuvers.
Unfortunately for your five gold pieces, the RHC doesn't make any special concessions on the gear they give to new recruits (too much paperwork).
Finally got around to that review I promised - let me know if I missed anyone.
Allan Daxton: I like that you've given me a hook that I might add to the story as I see fit with Raina's kidnappers. I'm curious as to where or how he decided to become a monk. Qinggong monk's especially seem to have that mystical martial artist feel - is he self trained or was there a wise mentor somewhere?
Caelholdt Lupheriden: Aside from needing a background of course, the only issue I can see is that his race is listed once as Eladrin and once as elf. See my post earlier about how Eladrin have separate stats than elves, contrary to the old Player's Guide.
Drake Morrell: I originally read Mr. Millerton as an old man and sort of a retired constable, however I just noticed that he's described as middle aged at one point in your background. I'm still vague on whether you intended him to be an active constable however.
Enletharial the Shaper: Yes, the switch to deva would be fine, although it would change up the whole "growing up in an Eladrin enclave" part of your backstory. Also, throw your information into your alias when you get the time.
Isaac Kgmperss: I'd like to see a little bit more background so I can get a feel for Isaac a little better.
Isabel Flynn: Nicely formatted profile, but I'd like just a little more background - does she know who killed Flynn? How did Isabel come to join the constables?
Lazarus Cain: Background looks great, although if selected I'd ask that you copy you character stats into your profile.
Lynn Minerva: Got your pm, her true origins definitely fit with the overal plot, but keep them hidden, as I might tie them in to something larger. You can keep the prosthetic arm - due to reasons unknown to Lynn yet it would be unusually advanced technologically and serve you just as well as a regular arm.
Some connectivity issues coupled with a dead phone knocked me out of the internet this weekend and I didn't have time to go over backgrounds as promised. All is resolved however, and I'll be cranking something out later tonight.
Just took a look at the old Player's Guide which I accidentally posted and notice a glaring discrepancy with regards to the new Player's Guide.
Note to everyone making High Elves (Eladrin). The old player's guide says that they are mechanically identical to regular elves - this is not true, they have their own racial traits. REFER TO THE EXTENDED PLAYER'S GUIDE HOTARU POSTED OR USE THIS LINK TO THE GUIDE ON ENWORLD.
@Hotaru: Very nicely formatted profile - I'd love to see the real background - send me a pm.
The Player's Guide in the original post is shorter and the pages don't align. Use the link to the Extended Player's Guide provided by Hotaru immediately above this post.
And much thanks to Pathfinder Zoey, I didn't quite realize how many people had express interest so far. Looks like its going to be a tough pick at this rate.
I understand that Josiah is a possible fit based on the background. The reason I made a mentor is that it gives me a clean slate to work with. Also, it gives me an NPC that doesn't alter any of the main NPCs.
I also envision the mentor not fitting the profile of Josiah. Mr. Millerton is older and has a different mindset. Knowledge tempered by experience is how I view him.
Would you rather I use a NPC from the book instead?
Hmmm. Mr. Millerton's fine then, but if he's an older guy who's not one of the higher ups then perhaps he's a retired constable. Regardless, to my knowledge the guys like Josiah in the book don't play to big a role from what I've read so far, so whatever you go with will probably be alright.
1) Who will we mostly be fighting? I was planning on taking disarm but if we're fighting monsters without weapons its a bit useless
2) How fast do you expect to level?
3) Does this world have steampunk Airships?
1) Plenty of humanoid enemies in the beginning, if you feel the feat getting useless later, I'd let you use the retraining rules. Disarming enemies would also help in detaining criminals without actually killing them - the RHC is big on that.
2) Leveling will occur at set points in the campaign; this depends entirely on how fast we move through.
3) Bane's right about this one - magical propulsions just flat out doesn't work and nobody to your knowledge has the tech for nonmagical flight. Boats and navies are all the rage at this point.
1) By "the fall" are you referring the manifestation and death of Srasama? If so, that event occurred roughly 500 years before the start of the campaign, so no worries there.
2) Eladrin are sort of pariahs (a half elf with eladrin ancestry would most likely try to conceal their high elf blood) but again, considering that the last major conflict was 500 years ago, the racial tensions have lessened, although more so for the humans than the long-lived eladrin. Not to mention, that the tieflings tend to draw more ire over the much more recent conflicts with Danor. Even just living in Flint long enough, for example, would probably get you connected well enough to Risur.
@Grand Moff Vixen: Check out page 52 for a list of some other constables in Flint that could become Mr. Millerton. Josiah "a human sniper [who's] constantly fiddling with his rifle when he’s not on mission seducing people of interest," sounds like he might make a good fit.
@Hotaru: Technically anyone can become a Vekeshi Mystic, although it is extremely rare to find them outside the Eladrin. Perhaps a half-elf with some (whether known or unknown) Eladrin blood somewhere in their family tree?
@Olmek: Honestly I'd somewhat prefer a fresh set of players who don't know the major plot points of the campaign, so any fresh faces would have a slight edge over you in the application process. That being said, you are by no means out of the running, and I'd still love to see what you come up with.
@Ixos: I'm aiming for 5 players.
@Sir Awesomesauce: Unless your DM decided to reveal all of the campaign secrets during the 1st scene for some bizarre reason, don't worry about it!
The entrance examinations for the Royal Homeland Constabulary have been grueling so far, but you've finally received a much needed break. Your examiner, who previously introduced himself as Assistant Chief Inspector Stover Delft squints at you as you make yourself comfortable. "Ten minutes," he says, swishing an ever present bit of tobacco around his mouth. He turns and exits with the aid of his cane - rumor has it that a mimic tore a chunk out of his leg a few years back - leaving you alone with your fellow examinees.
DANGER --- MYSTERY --- PHILOSOPHY
EXPERIENCE ALL THESE AND MORE IN
------------ Z E I T G E I S T ------------
----- THE GEARS OF REVOLUTION -----
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Only in the Flint Tribune!
Seven years after the end of the Fourth Yerasol War, the shipyards in Flint have completed the first Risuri warship powered solely by steam engine, not sail. King Aodhan has come to witness the official launch of this mighty vessel. Woodenhulled but with a heart and skin of iron, the Royal Navy Ship Coaltongue will act as a deterrent against future aggression from Risur's enemy across the sea, the nation of Danor. The Royal Homeland Constabulary will be providing security for the event, at which thousands of visitors are expected. Sightseers will gather in Royal Square, although only 700 will be permitted to cross the bridge to Fleet Square.
The Flint Tribune has acquired a copy of the VIP guestlist for the launch of the RNS Coaltongue. We can exclusively reveal that important guests include the Danoran tiefling engineer Geoff Massarde, Captain Rutger Smith of the RNS Impossible, the king's sister, Duchess Ethelyn of Shale, Flint Governor Roland Stanfield, and Flint's Principal Minister Harkover Lee. Security is said to be tight, especially considering the King's own attendance, but reports indicate that a specialized dedicated team of Royal Homeland Constables has been assigned to the event. RHC Inspector Stover Delft has been quoted as saying, "We do not anticipate trouble, but current dissatisfaction in the Docker community means that we will be on our guard."
Growing dissatisfaction amongst the underclass is of course related to this rise of steam and steel, which has caused small riots and demonstrations to break out across the city of Flint and across Risur at large. Indeed, this trend towards firearms and cannons rather than druidic and shaman based units has been blamed by higher-ups in the military for recent defeats in the Yerasol Archipelago. Skyseers continue to warn against offending the Unseen Court, pleas which go unheard by King Aodhan in his mission to speed up Risur's industrial revolution.
+++
Welcome to recruitment for Zeitgeist, a steampunk-esque adventure path taking players all the way to level 20. Characters will be fresh recruits to the Royal Homeland Constabulary, the elite peacekeeping force of Risur invested with authority by the king himself. At the campaign's opening, you will have been tasked with overseeing the launch party of the afformentioned RNS Coaltongue. I'm looking for 5 players with the following qualities:
Consistency: I'll try to move the campaign along as fast as possible by checking in a couple times a day and want other players who can do the same. The very minimum you should be able to commit to is one post per day on weekdays, which is my guarantee to you as well.
Commitment: In an ideal world, I'd like to take my players all the way to the end of the adventure path, but this is of course quite an undertaking considering the format and everchanging real-life commitments. That being said, I'm sure as hell going to give it the old college try, and want players willing to stick around and do the same.
Cool Cats?: I couldn't think a of a another quality that began with a 'C' so cool cats it is. Cool cats are people who know that Pathfinder is much more than a combat simulator with occasional skill checks and are really willing to get into character and into the story. The plot behind Zeitgeist is absolutely epic and full of juicy secrets - I can guarantee it'll be extremely rewarding to those who really invest themselves in it.
If you can meet those three qualifications, I'd advise you to check out the Player's Guide and get to work on a character. The player's guide for this AP is awesomely massive (73 pages!) so I don't expect you to read the whole thing right away. The introduction contains a primer with the bare minimum you need to know, which I'll reproduce here for your convenience. After that I'd recommend reading a bit of Section One: Characters to help with character creation as well as the first two pages (51-52) of Section Four: Royal Homeland Constabulary to get a feel for the kind of authority you'll have. Recruitment will be open until Monday the 16th by which point I'd like all interested persons to have an alias with all pertinent information in the profile, similar to this one. In the meantime feel free to introduce your characters and get in some preliminary roleplaying (for your entertainment and mine) over in the breakroom at the RHC examinations (the discussion thread).
Campaign Primer:
Humans and the Great Nations
Humans rule three of the five great nations of the continent Lanjyr. Their ascendance in the past two thousand years toppled a mighty eladrin empire and has provoked belief in doomsday millennialism among many dwarves. The campaign begins in Risur (page 29), and every PC should have a strong loyalty to the nation, even if the character does not hail from there.
Eladrin, Devas, and the Great Malice
Long ago elves known as the eladrin built an empire of magical wonders. Then five hundred years ago the death of the eladrin goddess Srasama caused nearly every eladrin woman to perish. Those few who survived were often claimed as trophies by human conquerors, though a handful of free matriarchs head their own family lines in the ruins of the old empire. Those interested in the eladrin should look at their racial abilities (page 5) and read the section on Elfaivar (page 40).
Mortals present at the death of the eladrin goddess have continually reincarnated in the following centuries as devas, as if a sliver of Srasama’s divine spark has granted them a semblance of immortality. Those interested in devas should look at their racial abilities (page 5) and read the section on Crisillyir (page 36).
Tieflings, Technology, and Dead Magic
When the eladrin goddess died, an entire other nation became a dead magic zone, and some in that land were marked by a curse, turning them into tieflings. In the centuries since, however, the tieflings have come to rule that nation, and in the last few decades they have begun a revolution of industry and mighty science almost as powerful as the magic they lack. Those interested in tieflings should read the section on Danor (page 37).
If you are interested in utilizing some of the new revolution’s technology for your character, particularly firearms, see the section on Equipment (page 15).
Dwarves, Doomsday, and Nihilism
The major dwarven nation is bleakly resigned to an imminent doomsday, when ancient horrors will claw free from glaciers and engulf the world in a frigid death. Adherence to duty is so ingrained in their culture, however, that the dwarves continue to toil in their forges even as they prepare for the world’s end. Those interested in dwarves should read the section on Drakr (page 39).
Savages, Primitives, and Peace
Freed from the yoke of toppled dragon tyrants, the youngest of the great nations formed from an alliance of several monstrous races which now live in an uneasy peace as their rulers seek to force the disparate peoples into the modern age. Those interested in half-dragons, gnolls, half-giants, minotaurs, and orcs should read the section on Ber (page 34).
Piety and the Planes
The heavens possess an undeniable hold on the world’s religions, its people, and its very structure. In Risur, skyseers believe that the movements of the night stars foretell the future and direct the fate of the world. More enlightened scholars study distant planes of elemental and temporal power to understand how the flow of their energies affects the fundamental nature of reality. The eladrin people have begun to withdraw into the Dreaming, and the bishops of the high church of the Clergy invoke condemned spirits from the Bleak Gate to frighten sinners into worship. The Astral Plane, the Elemental Planes, and the Far Realm exist only as postulations, and there are countless other theories on the nature of reality. No one in this world has ever traveled to these planes, and even travel between the known worlds of the night sky is brief, with summoned beings never remaining more than a few minutes. Those interested in the setting’s metaphysics should read the section on The World (page 41).
Heroic Themes
The Zeitgeist campaign setting presents nine character themes that reinforce the heroic archetypes of the world, such as eschatologists, gunsmiths, and technologists. Each player should choose one Theme for his or her character, preferably one unique to the world of Zeitgeist (page 6).
An Exceedingly Brief Timeline 1200 B.O.V. (Before Our Victory): King Kelland defeats the fey titans and founds Risur, the first mortal nation on the continent of Lanjyr. In the following centuries, other nations rise up throughout Lanjyr.
1117 B.O.V.: The demonocracy arises, its monstrous rulers enslaving the primitive nations of the north. Risur keeps it from expanding south, and Elfaivar blocks its eastward growth.
500 B.O.V.: Triegenes the fisherman founds the Clergy in what is modern-day Danor, overthrows the demonocracy, then dies and ascends to godhood.
50 B.O.V.: The First Victory, a holy war between humans and eladrin, ends with the eladrin losing much territory.
1 A.O.V. (After Our Victory): The Second Victory begins as an eladrin effort to reclaim lost lands, but ends in their decisive defeat when the eladrin goddess Srasama manifests physically, and is slain. Danor collapses into chaos as the nation becomes a dead magic zone. The seat of the Clergy moves to Crisillyir, which begins to colonize the devastated lands of Elfaivar. Dwarves seize control of their own nation in Drakr.
300 A.O.V.: King Boyle of Risur slays the last dragon tyrant of Ber. The nation of Danor, resurgent with industry and technology, begins to contest Risur for control of the lush Yerasol Archipelago.
460 A.O.V.: King Aodhan is crowned in Risur. He encourages his people to pursue industry so they can fight back against Danor. Meanwhile in Ber, Bruse Le Roye unites tribes of monstrous races into a new nation.
493 A.O.V.: The Fourth Yerasol War ends, with Risur having lost many islands.
500 A.O.V.: Present day.
Character Creation Parameters:
Starting Level: 1st
Alignment: Non-evil. All alignment restrictions on classes are lifted.
Ability Scores: 20 point buy.
Classes: All Core, Base, Hybrid, and Psionic (Dreamscarred Press) classes are available. Psionic classes are extremely rare within the setting and their powers are interchangable with regular magic spells for the purposes of detecting, dispelling, etc.
Races: Core + Tiefling(no heritages)/Eladrin/Deva. Monstrous races are very uncommon in the RHC but will be allowed pending sufficient background. Allowable monstrous races include orcs, gnolls, goblins, minotaurs, kobolds, half-giants, and half-dragons.
HP: Max HP.
Traits: In lieu of traits, all characters recieve one free Theme Feat (Themes begin on page 6 of the Player's Guide).
Languages: The primary language spoken in this setting is Primordial which replaces Common as the free language that all players recieve. Common is still a language however, and is selectable as a bonus language for every race. See the sidebar on page 30 of the Player's Guide for more information on language.
Deities: Religion works a little differently in this setting due to the lack of planar travel and the fact that the gods aren't quite proven to exist. There are four main religions (the Clergy, Guerro, the Old Faith, and Seedism) and clerics and paladins who need to worship a specific deity could fit almost any Golarion or Forgotten Realms deity into one of these groups. Clerics/paladins can also choose to draw their power from one of the four philosophies (Heid Eschatol, Panoply, Pragati, and Vekesh). More info on the religions and philosophies can be found on Player's Guide pages 43 and 44 respectively.
Starting Wealth: Average for class.
Firearms: Firearms operate under the "commonplace guns" rule - considered martial weapons, cost 25% of list price - with the caveat that advanced firearms are unavailable.
RHC Benefits: As members of the Royal Homeland Constabulary, all characters will have recieved training in nonlethal methods for detaining suspects and begin with the Bludgeoner feat. In addition, you will be outfitted with the following equipment for free: billy club (functions as heavy mace), uniform (same stats as parade armor), handcuffs, and gold ring. Note that RHC operatives are not required to wear their uniform during duties and characters may freely equip themselves with their personal equipment at the start of the adventure.
Background: Appearance - Personality - Background - use your theme feat to help you here. Remember that the RHC has an extremely rigorous application proccess and their use of magical detection in performing background checks and questioning has kept traitors and double agents out of their midst for over 30 years. Characters must have been residents of Risur and be strongly loyal to Risur in order to join the RHC. Opinions may change over the course of the campaign, but characters should be highly dedicated to Risur and the RHC at the current moment.
Availability:Somewhere in your application I'd like an indication of your timezone and what hours of the day you are available to post.
New Races:
Deva and Eladrin
Information and statistics on Deva and Eladrin can be found on page 5 of the Player's Guide.
Minotaur Type: Monstrous Humanoid
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 ft.
Ability Scores: +2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Int
Languages: Giant (Common, Draconic, Goblin, Primordial)
Racial Traits:
Darkvision 60 ft.
+2 racial bonus to Survival/Perception
Natural Cunning (ex) - Although minotaurs are not especially intelligent, they possess innate cunning and logical ability. This gives them immunity to maze spells. Further, they are never caught flat-footed.
Half-Dragon Type: Humanoid(reptilian)
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 ft.
Ability Scores: +2 Str, +2 Int, -2 Wis
Languages: Primordial, Draconic (Any)
Racial Traits:
Darkvision 60 ft.
Low-Light vision
+2 racial bonus on saves vs. sleep and paralysis
+1 Natural Armor bonus
1 bite attack dealing 1d3 damage and 2 claw attacks dealing 1d4 damage
Half-Giant
Half-giants use the stats from Dreamscarred Psionics. However, half-giants in this setting possess no inborn psionic abilites and do not recieve the Naturally Psionic, Half-giant Psionics, or Psionic Aptitude traits.
Thanks goes out to Wilmannator, Painlord, and Doomed Hero for their Recruitment and PBP guides, which I highly recommend to anyone who hasn't checked them out.
