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A yellow grin. Time is strange. Where are you?
Summary: Looking for 1-2 new players for my homebrew campaign. See link directly below to see my writing style ***
Truly, the natives have no reason to even name this sprawling continent where there is no Sky and no horizon - only darkness. It is simply the land, or perhaps Volcano's Land, depending on who is speaking. Volcano's will is never directly given to mortals. All through the capital city of Hearth, the rumbling prayers of priests and commonfolk can be heard at each tolling of the great brass bells from high atop the stepped obsidian Temple. The worshipers of the 'lesser' gods can be found close to their masters. The undine travel endlessly up and down the thousands of meandering miles of River. The oread live off the bounty of herds of small earth elementals that roam through Great Forest. But even the bounty of River and Great Forest cannot always hold sway over Volcano - many of their followers feel the call of the great cities and their splendor. The war against the Dark and its spawn is unending. The innumerable armies of the ifrit defend the east and west, the undine's ice fortress defends the south, and the orean graywoods protect the northern border of Forest. Volcano holds back the Dark. And the Moon smiles down upon all. --------
Specifically, this will be a recruitment for 9th level characters, who need to fit naturally into the world, and within the current adventure (see "Story Stuff" tab). I have 3 players currently at the table, and I'm opening this thread to hopefully find 1 or 2 more. Recruitment will be open about a week or two. Give me character concepts sooner than later to prevent getting shut out. Questions are welcome. I'm looking forward to this! About Me: :
Look at my campaigns to see if you like my writing style.
Character Creation: :
9th level 20 point buy Alignment: no evil 2 traits, no flaws HP: Max at 1st level, average (round up) after that Starting wealth: 23,000 gp, which should cover your essentials Leveling: No XP, you will level as appropriate to the story and the challenges you face, Source material: Core is fine, 3rd party is not, check with me about other PF material (not just the book, but specifically what you want from it) Background: 10 minute background, be sure to include appearance and personality. The city of Hearth (the ifrit capital) is a good place to hail from, if you are not sure where to have a hometown. Races: Big change here. ifrit, oread, undine, and sylph only. See RACES for more info. Also, I am intentionally not capitalizing these – we don't capitalize the word Humans, right? http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-oread
Classes: Big change here: No full casters (wizards, sorcerors, clerics, etc, etc) In addition, no gunslingers (or guns at all), no summoners, no vigilante, no ninja, no samurai, no occult classes. Hybrid classes and base classes are fine. Archetypes on a case-by-case basis. Divine Classes: Divine casters are different. Talk to me about alignment, spell selection, and channeling, as well as archetypes. Skills: Every character gets one extra skill point per level in a Craft, Profession, or Perform skill of their choice. I want you to have some kind of flavorful/cool background skill, but I don't want it to come at the cost of a better skill. Story Stuff: :
You are a 9th level character, and the world has recently been through: --The rise of a Mad Trickster god named Moon --The overthrow of the scientfic city of Light by moon-maddened sylphs --And possibly being one of the many who fled from Light
--We have a Sky Druid , an ifrit Ranger, and an undine Magus. Play by Post Stuff: :
Frequency: I will post every weekday (we tend to take weekends off, with this group), even just to acknowledge that IC RPing is still going on. This will almost always be around 9 or 10 PM Eastern time. I will always let you know if there will be a temporary hiatus. I expect players to post as often as they need to in order to keep the story moving. A pattern of unexplained absences or long periods between posts will be grounds for ejection, but I will always talk to a player first. Moving forward: typically, if an action is suggested by one character and seconded by another, then I will move forward as if the entire party had agreed. If one character has a strong and rational reason to move backward, that may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. Race/Languages (mechanics) : :
Yes, there is a considerable restriction here, because I have a very specific not-the-kitchen-sink setting. That being said, I know you will all be trading out Elemental Affinity (which is completely worthless in this setting), and I am open to exchanging it for cool abilities that are not directly listed as being tradeable for Elemental Affinity (like Treacherous Earth for oreads, usually only traded for Spell-Like Ability)
--Undines get a swim speed, so to make all the races roughly equal RP:
--Elens do interbreed, but the offspring will be one or the other, with subtle hints of the other parent's heritage LANGUAGES (11 total) All of the "elemental" tongues (Ignan, etc) are simply called Ifrit, Oread, etc.
-High Ifrit (mostly used by the Church)
There are two 'outsider' tongues: Geni (roughly equivalent to Abyssal) and Eleme (roughly equivalent to Celestial). However, neither of these languages is available to starting characters. All races start with Common and (native language) for free, then bonus languages for high Int. Low int loses race language (common is much easier to learn, and universal) Races (fluff, you do not need to read 100% of these: A note on "Humans"
I refuse to awkwardly dance around the words "human" and "humanoid", so a generic term: elen. "I am an elen being, not an animal!"
Singular is elen. Plural is elens. Male singular is el. Female singular is ele.
Ifrit: :
(fritan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Ifrits
Ifrit society, especially the town of Forge, revolves around the war against the Dark. They have the largest population in the land, and they proudly send their holy warriors to the battleground. Many do not return, but it is not uncommon for a soldier to complete their two years and come home. No draft; voluntary with good compensation. Alignment tends toward LG (military discipline, no tolerance for state corruption). City-bred Ifrits have permanent buildings, feather beds, and other comforts that oreads and undines from the country aren’t used to. Anatomy: Tough, light bones, similar to raw lumber that has been charred to a dry toughness. Blood is flammable in air, but burns too briefly to cause damage to anything (burning lint) Common Classes: Skald, Paladin, Barbarian (marching to war) Oread: :
Oreads
All Oreads are lithovores - that is, they eat rocks and similar non-organic material (and water, of course). They are nomads, following herds of earth elementals (that have the shape of what we would call deer, elk, moose, etc) Oreads move in large nomadic tribes across Great Forest. All the tribes meet twice a year - at the height of summer, and the depth of winter. Within their tribes, oreads are boisterous and can usually be found playing music on their wooden panpipes or watching an orean wrestling match (think Greco-Roman wrestling). If outsiders are currently visiting however, they are mostly withdrawn and quiet. Tends toward CG (belief in family and tribe over outsiders, or even other tribes) They use stone shape to make temporary shelter while they roam through Great Forest. Anatomy: Bones are dense and resemble granite. Blood is thick, like tree sap. Common Classes: Ranger, to hunt the herds or dangerous predators in Forest. Hunter, with special earth elemental animal companion. Monk, for the three major monasteries. [spoiler=Undine: ] Undines
The slow, patient ways of River have been ingrained into undine society - even undine children are thoughtful and slow to anger. That is not to say they are slow in all they do - there are countless water-based sports and games the undine play that require speed and quick thinking. Undines swim similarly to dolphins, using their sleek, lithe bodies to their advantage. Bulky or muscular undines are rare. The devout spend their lives traversing River's twists and turns, never coming out of the water voluntarily. Many of the devout go all the way to the end of River, to fight the never-ending battle to keep the Dark at bay. Undines sleep half-submerged in water, on the shore. However, many have abandoned River's ways to move to one of the great cities, though undines are the smallest percentage of Volcano's followers. Oddly enough, Volcano's undine worshipers are often his most fanatical, and many end up working for the Inquisitors. Tendency toward NG (strong belief in doing what is right; undines can be found working together at IceFall or alone all along River) Anatomy: bones are bluish, light and rubbery, and blood is significantly more watery than other races Common Classes: Inquisitor, Bard (Watersinger), Bard (Dervish Dancer) Sylph: : Sylphs
With no patron god to give them guidance (Fallen Sky has been gone for at least 5,000 years), sylphs tend to be dispersed almost everywhere, especially in the great cities. They create medicines and help support the industry of the war, but few sylphs see the front lines of battle. Tendency towards neutrality (lack of unifying god and guidance; objectivity of science) Sylphs are city-dwellers, unless circumstances find them traveling or in the army. Anatomy: Brittle-looking, hollow bones, like a bird. They disintegrate into powder within 48 hours. Thin, clear blood evaporates immediately, leaving a chill behind. Common classes: Magus, Alchemist, and Fighter (specifically Mutation Warrior) 
Discussion thread.
Hi All, There is a Volcano, an island in the Dark. Mighty Volcano, god and landscape to the ifrit, is all that protects the land from the Dark that surrounds on all sides. Truly, the natives have no reason to even name this sprawling continent where there is no Sky and no horizon - only darkness. It is simply the land, or perhaps Volcano's Land, depending on who is speaking. Volcano's will is never directly given to mortals. All through the capital city of Hearth, the rumbling prayers of priests and commonfolk can be heard at each tolling of the great brass bells from high atop the stepped obsidian Temple. The worshipers of the 'lesser' gods can be found close to their masters. The undine travel endlessly up and down the thousands of meandering miles of River. The oread live off the bounty of herds of small earth elementals that roam through Great Forest. But even the bounty of River and Great Forest cannot always hold sway over Volcano - many of their followers feel the call of the great cities and their splendor. The war against the Dark and its spawn is unending. The innumerable armies of the ifrit defend the east and west, the undine's ice fortress defends the south, and the orean graywoods protect the northern border of Forest. Volcano holds back the Dark.
--------
Specifically, this will be a recruitment for 9th level characters, who need to fit naturally into the world, and within the current adventure (see "Story Stuff" tab). I have 3 players currently at the table, and I'm opening this thread to hopefully find 1 or 2 more. Recruitment will be open about a week or two. Give me character concepts sooner than later to prevent getting shut out. Questions are welcome. I'm looking forward to this! About Me:
Look at my campaigns to see if you like my writing style. I've done 4 campaigns, all of which have run for at least a year (and some 3+ years) Character Creation:
9th level
Alignment: no evil 2 traits, no flaws HP: Max at 1st level, average (round up) after that Starting wealth: 23,000 gp, which should cover your essentials Leveling: No XP, you will level as appropriate to the story and the challenges you face, Source material: Core is fine, 3rd party is not, check with me about other PF material (not just the book, but specifically what you want from it) Background: 10 minute background, be sure to include appearance and personality. The city of Hearth (the ifrit capital) is a good place to hail from, if you are not sure where to have a hometown. Races: Big change here. ifrit, oread, undine, and sylph only. See RACES for more info. Also, I am intentionally not capitalizing these – we don't capitalize the word Humans, right? http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-oread
Classes: Big change here: No full casters (wizards, sorcerors, clerics, etc, etc) In addition, no gunslingers (or guns at all), no summoners, no vigilante, no ninja, no samurai, no occult classes. Hybrid classes and base classes are fine. Archetypes on a case-by-case basis. Divine Classes: Divine casters are different. Talk to me about alignment, spell selection, and channeling, as well as archetypes. Skills: Every character gets one extra skill point per level in a Craft, Profession, or Perform skill of their choice. I want you to have some kind of flavorful/cool background skill, but I don't want it to come at the cost of a better skill. Story Stuff:
As a 9th level character, you should already be a heroic figure reacting to the events of: 1) A new trickster god (Moon) of madness, smiling, and mind control overthrows the scientific city of Light. 2) Moon nearly destroys the capital city of Hearth (the power of the Temple protects much of the land from the Dark) 3) An invasion of parasitic gems (Fey creatures) from the plane of earth/forest (roughly) This doesn't have to be lengthy, but please ask questions as you go so your characters fits into the story. Play by Post Stuff:
Frequency: I will post every weekday (we tend to take weekends off, with this group), even just to acknowledge that IC RPing is still going on. This will almost always be around 9 or 10 PM Eastern time. I will always let you know if there will be a temporary hiatus. I expect players to post as often as they need to in order to keep the story moving. A pattern of unexplained absences or long periods between posts will be grounds for ejection, but I will always talk to a player first. Moving forward: typically, if an action is suggested by one character and seconded by another, then I will move forward as if the entire party had agreed. If one character has a strong and rational reason to move backward, that may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. Race/Languages (mechanics) :
Yes, there is a considerable restriction here, because I have a very specific not-the-kitchen-sink setting. That being said, I know you will all be trading out Elemental Affinity (which is completely worthless in this setting), and I am open to exchanging it for cool abilities that are not directly listed as being tradeable for Elemental Affinity (like Treacherous Earth for oreads, usually only traded for Spell-Like Ability) Other minor tweaks: --Oreads are not Slow.
--Undines get a swim speed, so to make all the races roughly equal RP:
--Elens do interbreed, but the offspring will be one or the other, with subtle hints of the other parent's heritage LANGUAGES (11 total) All of the "elemental" tongues (Ignan, etc) are simply called Ifrit, Oread, etc.
-High Ifrit (mostly used by the Church)
There are two 'outsider' tongues: Geni (roughly equivalent to Abyssal) and Eleme (roughly equivalent to Celestial). However, neither of these languages is available to starting characters. All races start with Common and (native language) for free, then bonus languages for high Int. Low int loses race language (common is much easier to learn, and universal) Races (fluff, you do not need to read 100% of these:
A note on "Humans" If any race is dominant or considered the norm, it is ifrits. Correspondingly, ifrits show different cultural characteristics, depending on many factors (city vs town, which city-state you are from, North (cooler) vs South (hot)), whereas sylphs, undines and oreads are slightly more uniform in manner (like we imagine dwarves, orcs, gnomes, etc) The following spells affect native outsiders (since there are no humanoids) in this setting:
I refuse to awkwardly dance around the words "human" and "humanoid", so a generic term: elen. "I am an elen being, not an animal!"
Singular is elen. Plural is elens. Male singular is el. Female singular is ele. Ifrit:
Ifrits (a conflagration of ifrits) (fritan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Medieval Italy Males tend towards dark red and charcoal black, sometimes ash gray. Females are lighter red, orange, sometimes ash gray. Eyes follow a roughly similar pattern, with yellow and the rare blue. Average in height and weight, and their skin is lightly scaled (such as a lizard of one kind or another might have) Ifrit society, especially the town of Forge, revolves around the war against the Dark. They have the largest population in the land, and they proudly send their holy warriors to the battleground. Many do not return, but it is not uncommon for a soldier to complete their two years and come home. No draft; voluntary with good compensation. Alignment tends toward LG (military discipline, no tolerance for state corruption). City-bred Ifrits have permanent buildings, feather beds, and other comforts that oreads and undines from the country aren’t used to. Anatomy: Tough, light bones, similar to raw lumber that has been charred to a dry toughness. Blood is flammable in air, but burns too briefly to cause damage to anything (burning lint) Common Classes: Skald, Paladin, Barbarian (marching to war) Oread:
Oreads (an avalanche of oreads) (orean) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: nomadic Native Americans Males are various shades of brown, with pine needles of either green or brown/orange for hair and beards. Females are light brown and off-white (birch) and have moss-like hair with colorful flowers. Both can have skin ranging from smooth but tough (birch) to thick and heavy (oak). Oreads are solidly-built. All Oreads are lithovores - that is, they eat rocks and similar non-organic material (and water, of course). They are nomads, following herds of earth elementals (that have the shape of what we would call deer, elk, moose, etc) Oreads move in large nomadic tribes across Great Forest. All the tribes meet twice a year - at the height of summer, and the depth of winter. Within their tribes, oreads are boisterous and can usually be found playing music on their wooden panpipes or watching an orean wrestling match (think Greco-Roman wrestling). If outsiders are currently visiting however, they are mostly withdrawn and quiet. Tends toward CG (belief in family and tribe over outsiders, or even other tribes) They use stone shape to make temporary shelter while they roam through Great Forest. Anatomy: Bones are dense and resemble granite. Blood is thick, like tree sap. Common Classes: Ranger, to hunt the herds or dangerous predators in Forest. Hunter, with special earth elemental animal companion. Monk, for the three major monasteries. Undine:
Undines (a flood of undines) (undan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Vietnamese (tone language) Males are lighter blue and white tones mostly. Their skin is slightly reflective and faceted, giving the appearance of ice. The females are darker blues and sea greens, and have a more uniform sheen, like a fish or a lake. Hair and eye color for both tend towards blue, pastel green, purple, and the occasional white/off-white. Silver hair for elders. Undines are built for swimming - lithe, skinny, and streamlined. The slow, patient ways of River have been ingrained into undine society - even undine children are thoughtful and slow to anger. That is not to say they are slow in all they do - there are countless water-based sports and games the undine play that require speed and quick thinking. Undines swim similarly to dolphins, using their sleek, lithe bodies to their advantage. Bulky or muscular undines are rare. The devout spend their lives traversing River's twists and turns, never coming out of the water voluntarily. Many of the devout go all the way to the end of River, to fight the never-ending battle to keep the Dark at bay. Undines sleep half-submerged in water, on the shore. However, many have abandoned River's ways to move to one of the great cities, though undines are the smallest percentage of Volcano's followers. Oddly enough, Volcano's undine worshipers are often his most fanatical, and many end up working for the Inquisitors. Tendency toward NG (strong belief in doing what is right; undines can be found working together at IceFall or alone all along River) Anatomy: bones are bluish, light and rubbery, and blood is significantly more watery than other races Common Classes: Inquisitor, Bard (Watersinger), Bard (Dervish Dancer) Sylph: Sylphs (a scattering of sylphs) (sylphan) Rough societal analog and naming convention: Industrial Revolution Britain, typically have vocational-based last names (like Chemic or Cheme for alchemists) Male and females both pale (pearl, tan, gold) with the large, dark, unblinking eyes of a predatory bird. Thin-boned Sylphs are tall but strangely light. Curiosity is said to be the curse of extremely intelligent sylphs, but with a dead god all sylphs seem a little cursed at times. With no patron god to give them guidance (Fallen Sky has been gone for at least 5,000 years), sylphs tend to be dispersed almost everywhere, especially in the great cities. They create medicines and help support the industry of the war, but few sylphs see the front lines of battle. Tendency towards neutrality (lack of unifying god and guidance; objectivity of science) Sylphs are city-dwellers, unless circumstances find them traveling or in the army. Anatomy: Brittle-looking, hollow bones, like a bird. They disintegrate into powder within 48 hours. Thin, clear blood evaporates immediately, leaving a chill behind. Common classes: Magus, Alchemist, and Fighter (specifically Mutation Warrior) 
There is a Volcano, an island in the Dark. Mighty Volcano, god and landscape to the ifrit, is all that protects the land from the Dark that surrounds on all sides. Truly, the natives have no reason to even name this sprawling continent where there is no Sky and no horizon - only darkness. It is simply the land, or perhaps Volcano's Land, depending on who is speaking. Volcano's will is never directly given to mortals. All through the capital city of Hearth, the rumbling prayers of priests and commonfolk can be heard at each tolling of the great brass bells from high atop the stepped obsidian Temple. The worshipers of the 'lesser' gods can be found close to their masters. The undine travel endlessly up and down the thousands of meandering miles of River. The oread live off the bounty of herds of small earth elementals that roam through Great Forest. But even the bounty of River and Great Forest cannot always hold sway over Volcano - many of their followers feel the call of the great cities and their splendor. The war against the Dark and its spawn is unending. The innumerable armies of the ifrit defend the east and west, the undine's ice fortress defends the south, and the orean graywoods protect the northern border of Forest. Volcano holds back the Dark. --------
Recruitment will be open about a week, but possibly less depending on how many responses I get. Give me character concepts sooner than later to prevent getting shut out. Questions are welcome. I'm looking forward to this! About Me:
Look at my campaigns to see if you like my writing style.
I've done 4 campaigns, all of which have run for at least a year (and some 3+ years) Character Creation:
7th level
20 point buy Alignment: no evil 2 traits, no flaws HP: Max at 1st level, average (round up) after that Starting wealth: 23,000 gp, which should cover your essentials Leveling: No XP, you will level as appropriate to the story and the challenges you face, Source material: Core is fine, 3rd party is not, check with me about other PF material (not just the book, but specifically what you want from it) Background: 10 minute background, be sure to include appearance and personality. Note that you will all be starting in the ifrit capital of Hearth, so make sure you either live there, or have a reason to be visiting at the open of the campaign. Once the characters are chosen, I'd also like some (not necessarily all) of you to form previous relationships with each other. Races: Big change here. ifrit, oread, undine, and sylph only. See RACES for more info. Also, I am intentionally not capitalizing these – we don't capitalize the word Humans, right? http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-oread
Classes: Big change here: No full casters (wizards, sorcerors, clerics, etc, etc) In addition, no gunslingers (or guns at all), no summoners, no vigilante, no ninja, no samurai, no occult classes. Hybrid classes and base classes are fine. Archetypes on a case-by-case basis. Divine Classes: Divine casters are different. Talk to me about alignment, spell selection, and channeling, as well as archetypes. Skills: Every character gets one extra skill point per level in a Craft, Profession, or Perform skill of their choice. I want you to have some kind of flavorful/cool background skill, but I don't want it to come at the cost of a better skill. Story Stuff:
Characters: As befits the play-by-post medium, this is going to be much more story- and character-driven than combat- and stat-driven. By all means make a character that will be fun to run in combat, but I'm looking for personality more than punching.
Railroading vs Sandbox: This is not a purely sandbox game. I like giving characters a good deal of choice, but there are other forces in the world besides the players. Ultimately, where the story will go is up to us, not just me. Tone: I'm not going for “grimdark” here, but things are not happy-go-lucky, either. I like characters that act like real people, instead of using stilted “thees” and “thous”. Play-by-Post Stuff:
Guides: If you have not already, then seriously read these. They are well worth reading.
Frequency: I will post every day, even just to acknowledge that IC RPing is still going on. This will almost always be around 9 or 10 PM Eastern time. I will always let you know if there will be a temporary hiatus. I expect players to post as often as they need to in order to keep the story moving. A pattern of unexplained absences or long periods between posts will be grounds for ejection, but I will always talk to a player first. Moving forward: typically, if an action is suggested by one character and seconded by another, then I will move forward as if the entire party had agreed. If one character has a strong and rational reason to move backward, that may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. Races and Languages (mechanics):
Yes, there is a considerable restriction here, because I have a very specific not-the-kitchen-sink setting. That being said, I know you will all be trading out Elemental Affinity (which is completely worthless in this setting), and I am open to exchanging it for cool abilities that are not directly listed as being tradeable for Elemental Affinity (like Treacherous Earth for oreads, usually only traded for Spell-Like Ability)
Other minor tweaks: --Oreads are not Slow.
--Undines get a swim speed, so to make all the races roughly equal RP:
--Elens do interbreed, but the offspring will be one or the other, with subtle hints of the other parent's heritage LANGUAGES (11 total) All of the "elemental" tongues (Ignan, etc) are simply called Ifrit, Oread, etc.
-High Ifrit (mostly used by the Church)
There are two 'outsider' tongues: Geni (roughly equivalent to Abyssal) and Eleme (roughly equivalent to Celestial). However, neither of these languages is available to starting characters. All races start with Common and (native language) for free, then bonus languages for high Int. Low int loses race language (common is much easier to learn, and universal) Races (fluff, you don't have to read all this):
A note on "Humans"
If any race is dominant or considered the norm, it is ifrits. Correspondingly, ifrits show different cultural characteristics, depending on many factors (city vs town, which city-state you are from, North (cooler) vs South (hot)), whereas sylphs, undines and oreads are slightly more uniform in manner (like we imagine dwarves, orcs, gnomes, etc) The following spells affect native outsiders (since there are no humanoids) in this setting:
I refuse to awkwardly dance around the words "human" and "humanoid", so a generic term: elen. "I am an elen being, not an animal!"
Singular is elen. Plural is elens. Male singular is el. Female singular is ele. Ifrit:
Ifrits
(a conflagration of ifrits) (fritan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Medieval Italy Males tend towards dark red and charcoal black, sometimes ash gray. Females are lighter red, orange, sometimes ash gray. Eyes follow a roughly similar pattern, with yellow and the rare blue. Average in height and weight, and their skin is lightly scaled (such as a lizard of one kind or another might have) Ifrit society, especially the town of Forge, revolves around the war against the Dark. They have the largest population in the land, and they proudly send their holy warriors to the battleground. Many do not return, but it is not uncommon for a soldier to complete their two years and come home. No draft; voluntary with good compensation. Alignment tends toward LG (military discipline, no tolerance for state corruption). City-bred Ifrits have permanent buildings, feather beds, and other comforts that oreads and undines from the country aren’t used to. Anatomy: Tough, light bones, similar to raw lumber that has been charred to a dry toughness. Blood is flammable in air, but burns too briefly to cause damage to anything (burning lint) Common Classes: Skald, Paladin, Barbarian (marching to war) Oread:
Oreads
(an avalanche of oreads) (orean) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: nomadic Native Americans Males are various shades of brown, with pine needles of either green or brown/orange for hair and beards. Females are light brown and off-white (birch) and have moss-like hair with colorful flowers. Both can have skin ranging from smooth but tough (birch) to thick and heavy (oak). Oreads are solidly-built. All Oreads are lithovores - that is, they eat rocks and similar non-organic material (and water, of course). They are nomads, following herds of earth elementals (that have the shape of what we would call deer, elk, moose, etc) Oreads move in large nomadic tribes across Great Forest. All the tribes meet twice a year - at the height of summer, and the depth of winter. Within their tribes, oreads are boisterous and can usually be found playing music on their wooden panpipes or watching an orean wrestling match (think Greco-Roman wrestling). If outsiders are currently visiting however, they are mostly withdrawn and quiet. Tends toward CG (belief in family and tribe over outsiders, or even other tribes) They use stone shape to make temporary shelter while they roam through Great Forest. Anatomy: Bones are dense and resemble granite. Blood is thick, like tree sap. Common Classes: Ranger, to hunt the herds or dangerous predators in Forest. Hunter, with special earth elemental animal companion. Monk, for the three major monasteries. Undine:
Undines
(a flood of undines) (undan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Vietnamese (tone language) Males are lighter blue and white tones mostly. Their skin is slightly reflective and faceted, giving the appearance of ice. The females are darker blues and sea greens, and have a more uniform sheen, like a fish or a lake. Hair and eye color for both tend towards blue, pastel green, purple, and the occasional white/off-white. Silver hair for elders. Undines are built for swimming - lithe, skinny, and streamlined. The slow, patient ways of River have been ingrained into undine society - even undine children are thoughtful and slow to anger. That is not to say they are slow in all they do - there are countless water-based sports and games the undine play that require speed and quick thinking. Undines swim similarly to dolphins, using their sleek, lithe bodies to their advantage. Bulky or muscular undines are rare. The devout spend their lives traversing River's twists and turns, never coming out of the water voluntarily. Many of the devout go all the way to the end of River, to fight the never-ending battle to keep the Dark at bay. Undines sleep half-submerged in water, on the shore. However, many have abandoned River's ways to move to one of the great cities, though undines are the smallest percentage of Volcano's followers. Oddly enough, Volcano's undine worshipers are often his most fanatical, and many end up working for the Inquisitors. Tendency toward NG (strong belief in doing what is right; undines can be found working together at IceFall or alone all along River) Anatomy: bones are bluish, light and rubbery, and blood is significantly more watery than other races Common Classes: Inquisitor, Bard (Watersinger), Bard (Dervish Dancer) Sylph: Sylphs
(a scattering of sylphs) (sylphan) Rough societal analog and naming convention: Industrial Revolution Britain, typically have vocational-based last names (like Chemic or Cheme for alchemists) Male and females both pale (pearl, tan, gold) with the large, dark, unblinking eyes of a predatory bird. Thin-boned Sylphs are tall but strangely light. Curiosity is said to be the curse of extremely intelligent sylphs, but with a dead god all sylphs seem a little cursed at times. With no patron god to give them guidance (Fallen Sky has been gone for at least 5,000 years), sylphs tend to be dispersed almost everywhere, especially in the great cities. They create medicines and help support the industry of the war, but few sylphs see the front lines of battle. Tendency towards neutrality (lack of unifying god and guidance; objectivity of science) Sylphs are city-dwellers, unless circumstances find them traveling or in the army. Anatomy: Brittle-looking, hollow bones, like a bird. They disintegrate into powder within 48 hours. Thin, clear blood evaporates immediately, leaving a chill behind. Common classes: Magus, Alchemist, and Fighter (specifically Mutation Warrior)
It is a time of omens and portents. A time of change, and more than a dab of chaos. When the Blessed--those four Champions of the gods, immune to all darkspawn--arrived in Hearth and upturned the Inquisition, it was considered the greatest social upheaval in centuries. The Temple Council now rules the city, and priests are all that remain in the Great Temple itself. In the confusion, many minor inquisitors were sacrificed to a profane symbol - a Smiling crescent of filth and blood upon the Temple walls. The Smiler. And now just in the last few weeks, the famous steams of Hearth have disappeared, a Quiet Elder has sprung up in the middle of town, and... a Moon has appeared in the dead Sky. Some call it Smiling Sky. Some wonder if it is a new kind of Volcano. Among the thousands that call Hearth a home, there are those who call Moon their master...
Hi All! Please introduce your character briefly :) We've got 3 players from the "Forged in Blood" table, and now 2 new players that have just joined. This will be the spot to talk about characters a little bit, and work out a little shared backstory (I think the idea of Osna and Phon Vo being mercenaries will work well -- having you two be friends/allies would be good ;; and I think having Iniga as a shared contact would be good. She has been to many places in the Land and has spoken to Army, Temple, and mercenary alike, so it is plausible you've all crossed paths) Just ideas for now -- we can iron it out here.
There is a Volcano, an island in the Dark. Mighty Volcano, god and landscape to the ifrit, is all that protects the land from the Dark that surrounds on all sides. Truly, the natives have no reason to even name this sprawling continent where there is no Sky and no horizon - only darkness. It is simply the land, or perhaps Volcano's Land, depending on who is speaking. Volcano's will is never directly given to mortals. In any of the three great cities, the rumbling prayers of oracles and priests can be heard at any time of day. The worshipers of the 'lesser' gods can be found close to their masters. The undine travel endlessly up and down the thousands of meandering miles of River. The oread live off the bounty of herds of small earth elementals that roam through Great Forest. But even the bounty of River and Great Forest cannot hold sway over Volcano - many of their followers feel the call of the great cities and their splendor. The war against the Dark and its spawn is unending. The innumerable armies of the ifrit defend the east and west, the undine hold the south, and the oread protect the northern Forest. Volcano holds back the Dark. --------
Recruitment will be open about a week, but possibly less depending on how many responses I get. Give me character concepts sooner than later to prevent getting shut out. Questions are welcome. I'm looking forward to this! About Me:
Look at my campaigns to see if you like my writing style.
I've done 4 campaigns, all of which have run for at least a year (and some 3+ years) Character Creation:
7th level
20 point buy Alignment: no evil 2 traits, no flaws HP: Max at 1st level, average (round up) after that Starting wealth: 23,000 gp, which should cover your essentials Leveling: No XP, you will level as appropriate to the story and the challenges you face, Source material: Core is fine, 3rd party is not, check with me about other PF material (not just the book, but specifically what you want from it) Background: 10 minute background, be sure to include appearance and personality. Note that you will all be starting in the ifrit capital of Hearth, so make sure you either live there, or have a reason to be visiting at the open of the campaign. Once the characters are chosen, I'd also like some (not necessarily all) of you to form previous relationships with each other. Races: Big change here. ifrit, oread, undine, and sylph only. See RACES for more info. Also, I am intentionally not capitalizing these – we don't capitalize the word Humans, right? http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-oread
Classes: Big change here: No full casters (wizards, sorcerors, clerics, etc, etc) In addition, no gunslingers (or guns at all), no summoners, no vigilante, no ninja, no samurai, no occult classes. Hybrid classes and base classes are fine. Archetypes on a case-by-case basis. Divine Classes: Divine casters are different. Talk to me about alignment, spell selection, and channeling, as well as archetypes. Skills: Every character gets one extra skill point per level in a Craft, Profession, or Perform skill of their choice. I want you to have some kind of flavorful/cool background skill, but I don't want it to come at the cost of a better skill. Story Stuff:
Characters: As befits the play-by-post medium, this is going to be much more story- and character-driven than combat- and stat-driven. By all means make a character that will be fun to run in combat, but I'm looking for personality more than punching.
Railroading vs Sandbox: This is not a purely sandbox game. I like giving characters a good deal of choice, but there are other forces in the world besides the players. Ultimately, where the story will go is up to us, not just me. Tone: I'm not going for “grimdark” here, but things are not happy-go-lucky, either. I like characters that act like real people, instead of using stilted “thees” and “thous”. Play-by-Post Stuff:
Guides: If you have not already, then seriously read these. They are well worth reading.
Frequency: I will post every day, even just to acknowledge that IC RPing is still going on. This will almost always be around 9 or 10 PM Eastern time. I will always let you know if there will be a temporary hiatus. I expect players to post as often as they need to in order to keep the story moving. A pattern of unexplained absences or long periods between posts will be grounds for ejection, but I will always talk to a player first. Moving forward: typically, if an action is suggested by one character and seconded by another, then I will move forward as if the entire party had agreed. If one character has a strong and rational reason to move backward, that may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. Races and Languages (mechanics):
Yes, there is a considerable restriction here, because I have a very specific not-the-kitchen-sink setting. That being said, I know you will all be trading out Elemental Affinity (which is completely worthless in this setting), and I am open to exchanging it for cool abilities that are not directly listed as being tradeable for Elemental Affinity (like Treacherous Earth for oreads, usually only traded for Spell-Like Ability)
Other minor tweaks: --Oreads are not Slow.
--Undines get a swim speed, so to make all the races roughly equal RP:
--Elens do interbreed, but the offspring will be one or the other, with subtle hints of the other parent's heritage LANGUAGES (11 total) All of the "elemental" tongues (Ignan, etc) are simply called Ifrit, Oread, etc.
-High Ifrit (mostly used by the Church)
There are two 'outsider' tongues: Geni (roughly equivalent to Abyssal) and Eleme (roughly equivalent to Celestial). However, neither of these languages is available to starting characters. All races start with Common and (native language) for free, then bonus languages for high Int. Low int loses race language (common is much easier to learn, and universal) Races (fluff, you don't have to read all this):
A note on "Humans"
If any race is dominant or considered the norm, it is ifrits. Correspondingly, ifrits show different cultural characteristics, depending on many factors (city vs town, which city-state you are from, North (cooler) vs South (hot)), whereas sylphs, undines and oreads are slightly more uniform in manner (like we imagine dwarves, orcs, gnomes, etc) The following spells affect native outsiders (since there are no humanoids) in this setting:
I refuse to awkwardly dance around the words "human" and "humanoid", so a generic term: elen. "I am an elen being, not an animal!"
Singular is elen. Plural is elens. Male singular is el. Female singular is ele. Ifrit:
Ifrits
(a conflagration of ifrits) (fritan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Medieval Italy Males tend towards dark red and charcoal black, sometimes ash gray. Females are lighter red, orange, sometimes ash gray. Eyes follow a roughly similar pattern, with yellow and the rare blue. Average in height and weight, and their skin is lightly scaled (such as a lizard of one kind or another might have) Ifrit society, especially the town of Forge, revolves around the war against the Dark. They have the largest population in the land, and they proudly send their holy warriors to the battleground. Many do not return, but it is not uncommon for a soldier to complete their two years and come home. No draft; voluntary with good compensation. Alignment tends toward LG (military discipline, no tolerance for state corruption). City-bred Ifrits have permanent buildings, feather beds, and other comforts that oreads and undines from the country aren’t used to. Anatomy: Tough, light bones, similar to raw lumber that has been charred to a dry toughness. Blood is flammable in air, but burns too briefly to cause damage to anything (burning lint) Common Classes: Skald, Paladin, Barbarian (marching to war) Oread:
Oreads
(an avalanche of oreads) (orean) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: nomadic Native Americans Males are various shades of brown, with pine needles of either green or brown/orange for hair and beards. Females are light brown and off-white (birch) and have moss-like hair with colorful flowers. Both can have skin ranging from smooth but tough (birch) to thick and heavy (oak). Oreads are solidly-built. All Oreads are lithovores - that is, they eat rocks and similar non-organic material (and water, of course). They are nomads, following herds of earth elementals (that have the shape of what we would call deer, elk, moose, etc) Oreads move in large nomadic tribes across Great Forest. All the tribes meet twice a year - at the height of summer, and the depth of winter. Within their tribes, oreads are boisterous and can usually be found playing music on their wooden panpipes or watching an orean wrestling match (think Greco-Roman wrestling). If outsiders are currently visiting however, they are mostly withdrawn and quiet. Tends toward CG (belief in family and tribe over outsiders, or even other tribes) They use stone shape to make temporary shelter while they roam through Great Forest. Anatomy: Bones are dense and resemble granite. Blood is thick, like tree sap. Common Classes: Ranger, to hunt the herds or dangerous predators in Forest. Hunter, with special earth elemental animal companion. Monk, for the three major monasteries. Undine:
Undines
(a flood of undines) (undan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Vietnamese (tone language) Males are lighter blue and white tones mostly. Their skin is slightly reflective and faceted, giving the appearance of ice. The females are darker blues and sea greens, and have a more uniform sheen, like a fish or a lake. Hair and eye color for both tend towards blue, pastel green, purple, and the occasional white/off-white. Silver hair for elders. Undines are built for swimming - lithe, skinny, and streamlined. The slow, patient ways of River have been ingrained into undine society - even undine children are thoughtful and slow to anger. That is not to say they are slow in all they do - there are countless water-based sports and games the undine play that require speed and quick thinking. Undines swim similarly to dolphins, using their sleek, lithe bodies to their advantage. Bulky or muscular undines are rare. The devout spend their lives traversing River's twists and turns, never coming out of the water voluntarily. Many of the devout go all the way to the end of River, to fight the never-ending battle to keep the Dark at bay. Undines sleep half-submerged in water, on the shore. However, many have abandoned River's ways to move to one of the great cities, though undines are the smallest percentage of Volcano's followers. Oddly enough, Volcano's undine worshipers are often his most fanatical, and many end up working for the Inquisitors. Tendency toward NG (strong belief in doing what is right; undines can be found working together at IceFall or alone all along River) Anatomy: bones are bluish, light and rubbery, and blood is significantly more watery than other races Common Classes: Inquisitor, Bard (Watersinger), Bard (Dervish Dancer) Sylph:
Sylphs
(a scattering of sylphs) (sylphan) Rough societal analog and naming convention: Industrial Revolution Britain, typically have vocational-based last names (like Chemic or Cheme for alchemists) Male and females both pale (pearl, tan, gold) with the large, dark, unblinking eyes of a predatory bird. Thin-boned Sylphs are tall but strangely light. Curiosity is said to be the curse of extremely intelligent sylphs, but with a dead god all sylphs seem a little cursed at times. With no patron god to give them guidance (Fallen Sky has been gone for at least 5,000 years), sylphs tend to be dispersed almost everywhere, especially in the great cities. They create medicines and help support the industry of the war, but few sylphs see the front lines of battle. Tendency towards neutrality (lack of unifying god and guidance; objectivity of science) Sylphs are city-dwellers, unless circumstances find them traveling or in the army. Anatomy: Brittle-looking, hollow bones, like a bird. They disintegrate into powder within 48 hours. Thin, clear blood evaporates immediately, leaving a chill behind. Common classes: Magus, Alchemist, and Fighter (specifically Mutation Warrior) ---- tl;dr: Only four elemental races to choose from; and no full casters. Volcano holds back the Dark.
Hello, (See HERE for original recruitment page. You will be starting second level, all else the same) We had a player leave in a relatively new campaign, looking for one, maybe two players. 1) This is a specific homebrew campaign, so please read and make a character that matches the world. 2) I'd also prefer you to be a character that has a reason to be in a far southern undine village 3) There is an NPC that just met the party that is an ifrit swashbuckler who hates the religion of his own people (Volcano). If that interests you, say so in your post and I'll PM you. 
The portal to the Discussion opens!
There is a Volcano, an island in the Dark. Mighty Volcano, god and landscape to the ifrit, is all that protects the land from the Dark that surrounds on all sides. Truly, the natives have no reason to even name this sprawling continent where there is no Sky and no horizon - only darkness. It is simply the land, or perhaps Volcano's Land, depending on who is speaking. Volcano's will is never directly given to mortals. In any of the three great cities, the rumbling prayers of oracles and priests can be heard at any time of day. The worshipers of the 'lesser' gods can be found close to their masters. The undine travel endlessly up and down the thousands of meandering miles of River. The oread live off the bounty of herds of small earth elementals that roam through Great Forest. But even the bounty of River and Great Forest cannot hold sway over Volcano - many of their followers feel the call of the great cities and their splendor. The war against the Dark and its spawn is unending. The innumerable armies of the ifrit defend the east and west, the undine hold the south, and the oread protect the northern Forest. Volcano holds back the Dark. --------
Recruitment will be open about a week, but possibly less depending on how many responses I get. Give me character concepts sooner than later to prevent getting shut out. Questions are welcome. I'm looking forward to this! About Me:
Character Creation:
1st level
20 point buy Alignment: no evil 2 traits, no flaws HP: Max at 1st level, average (round up) after that Starting wealth: 150 gp Leveling: No XP, you will level as appropriate to the story and the challenges you face, Source material: Core is fine, 3rd party is not, check with me about other PF material (not just the book, but specifically what you want from it) Background: 10 minute background, be sure to include appearance and personality. Note that you will all be starting in the ifrit capital of Hearth, so make sure you either live there, or have a reason to be visiting at the open of the campaign. Once the characters are chosen, I'd also like some (not necessarily all) of you to form previous relationships with each other. Races: Big change here. ifrit, oread, undine, and sylph only. See RACES for more info. Also, I am intentionally not capitalizing these – we don't capitalize the word Humans, right? http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-oread
Classes: Big change here: No full casters (wizards, sorcerors, clerics, etc, etc) In addition, no gunslingers (or guns at all), no summoners, no vigilante, no ninja, no samurai, no occult classes. Hybrid classes and base classes are fine. Archetypes on a case-by-case basis. Divine Classes: Divine casters are different. Talk to me about alignment, spell selection, and channeling, as well as archetypes. Skills: Every character gets one extra skill point per level in a Craft, Profession, or Perform skill of their choice. I want you to have some kind of flavorful/cool background skill, but I don't want it to come at the cost of a better skill. Story Stuff:
Characters: As befits the play-by-post medium, this is going to be much more story- and character-driven than combat- and stat-driven. By all means make a character that will be fun to run in combat, but I'm looking for personality more than punching.
Railroading vs Sandbox: This is not a purely sandbox game. I like giving characters a good deal of choice, but there are other forces in the world besides the players. Ultimately, where the story will go is up to us, not just me. Tone: I'm not going for “grimdark” here, but things are not happy-go-lucky, either. I like characters that act like real people, instead of using stilted “thees” and “thous”. Play-by-Post Stuff:
Guides: If you have not already, then seriously read these. They are well worth reading.
Frequency: I will post every day, even just to acknowledge that IC RPing is still going on. This will almost always be around 9 or 10 PM Eastern time. I will always let you know if there will be a temporary hiatus. I expect players to post as often as they need to in order to keep the story moving. A pattern of unexplained absences or long periods between posts will be grounds for ejection, but I will always talk to a player first. Moving forward: typically, if an action is suggested by one character and seconded by another, then I will move forward as if the entire party had agreed. If one character has a strong and rational reason to move backward, that may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. Races and Languages (mechanics):
Yes, there is a considerable restriction here, because I have a very specific not-the-kitchen-sink setting. That being said, I know you will all be trading out Elemental Affinity (which is completely worthless in this setting), and I am open to exchanging it for cool abilities that are not directly listed as being tradeable for Elemental Affinity (like Treacherous Earth for oreads, usually only traded for Spell-Like Ability)
Other minor tweaks: --Oreads are not Slow. --Undines get a swim speed, so to make all the races roughly equal RP:
--Elens do interbreed, but the offspring will be one or the other, with subtle hints of the other parent's heritage LANGUAGES (11 total) All of the "elemental" tongues (Ignan, etc) are simply called Ifrit, Oread, etc.
-High Ifrit (mostly used by the Church)
There are two 'outsider' tongues: Geni (roughly equivalent to Abyssal) and Eleme (roughly equivalent to Celestial). However, neither of these languages is available to starting characters. All races start with Common and (native language) for free, then bonus languages for high Int. Low int loses race language (common is much easier to learn, and universal) Races (fluff, you don't have to read all this):
A note on "Humans"
If any race is dominant or considered the norm, it is ifrits. Correspondingly, ifrits show different cultural characteristics, depending on many factors (city vs town, which city-state you are from, North (cooler) vs South (hot)), whereas sylphs, undines and oreads are slightly more uniform in manner (like we imagine dwarves, orcs, gnomes, etc) The following spells affect native outsiders (since there are no humanoids) in this setting:
I refuse to awkwardly dance around the words "human" and "humanoid", so a generic term: elen. "I am an elen being, not an animal!"
Singular is eleni. Plural is elen. Male singular is el. Female singular is ele. Ifrit:
Ifrits
(a conflagration of ifrits) (fritan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Medieval Italy Males tend towards dark red and charcoal black, sometimes ash gray. Females are lighter red, orange, sometimes ash gray. Eyes follow a roughly similar pattern, with yellow and the rare blue. Average in height and weight, and their skin is lightly scaled (such as a lizard of one kind or another might have) Ifrit society, especially the town of Forge, revolves around the war against the Dark. They have the largest population in the land, and they proudly send their holy warriors to the battleground. Many do not return, but it is not uncommon for a soldier to complete their two years and come home. No draft; voluntary with good compensation. Alignment tends toward LG (military discipline, no tolerance for state corruption). City-bred Ifrits have permanent buildings, feather beds, and other comforts that oreads and undines from the country aren’t used to. Anatomy: Tough, light bones, similar to raw lumber that has been charred to a dry toughness. Blood is flammable in air, but burns too briefly to cause damage to anything (burning lint) Common Classes: Skald, Paladin, Barbarian (marching to war) Oread:
Oreads
(an avalanche of oreads) (orean) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: nomadic Native Americans Males are various shades of brown, with pine needles of either green or brown/orange for hair and beards. Females are light brown and off-white (birch) and have moss-like hair with colorful flowers. Both can have skin ranging from smooth but tough (birch) to thick and heavy (oak). Oreads are solidly-built. All Oreads are lithovores - that is, they eat rocks and similar non-organic material (and water, of course). They are nomads, following herds of earth elementals (that have the shape of what we would call deer, elk, moose, etc) Oreads move in large nomadic tribes across Great Forest. All the tribes meet twice a year - at the height of summer, and the depth of winter. Within their tribes, oreads are boisterous and can usually be found playing music on their wooden panpipes or watching an orean wrestling match (think Greco-Roman wrestling). If outsiders are currently visiting however, they are mostly withdrawn and quiet. Tends toward CG (belief in family and tribe over outsiders, or even other tribes) They use stone shape to make temporary shelter while they roam through Great Forest. Anatomy: Bones are dense and resemble granite. Blood is thick, like tree sap. Common Classes: Ranger, to hunt the herds or dangerous predators in Forest. Hunter, with special earth elemental animal companion. Monk, for the three major monasteries. Undine:
Undines
(a flood of undines) (undan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Vietnamese (tone language) Males are lighter blue and white tones mostly. Their skin is slightly reflective and faceted, giving the appearance of ice. The females are darker blues and sea greens, and have a more uniform sheen, like a fish or a lake. Hair and eye color for both tend towards blue, pastel green, purple, and the occasional white/off-white. Silver hair for elders. Undines are built for swimming - lithe, skinny, and streamlined. The slow, patient ways of River have been ingrained into undine society - even undine children are thoughtful and slow to anger. That is not to say they are slow in all they do - there are countless water-based sports and games the undine play that require speed and quick thinking. Undines swim similarly to dolphins, using their sleek, lithe bodies to their advantage. Bulky or muscular undines are rare. The devout spend their lives traversing River's twists and turns, never coming out of the water voluntarily. Many of the devout go all the way to the end of River, to fight the never-ending battle to keep the Dark at bay. Undines sleep half-submerged in water, on the shore. However, many have abandoned River's ways to move to one of the great cities, though undines are the smallest percentage of Volcano's followers. Oddly enough, Volcano's undine worshipers are often his most fanatical, and many end up working for the Inquisitors. Tendency toward NG (strong belief in doing what is right; undines can be found working together at IceFall or alone all along River) Anatomy: bones are bluish, light and rubbery, and blood is significantly more watery than other races Common Classes: Inquisitor, Bard (Watersinger), Bard (Dervish Dancer) Sylph:
Sylphs
(a scattering of sylphs) (sylphan) Rough societal analog and naming convention: Industrial Revolution Britain, typically have vocational-based last names (like Chemic or Cheme for alchemists) Male and females both pale (pearl, tan, gold) with the large, dark, unblinking eyes of a predatory bird. Thin-boned Sylphs are tall but strangely light. Curiosity is said to be the curse of extremely intelligent sylphs, but with a dead god all sylphs seem a little cursed at times. With no patron god to give them guidance (Fallen Sky has been gone for at least 5,000 years), sylphs tend to be dispersed almost everywhere, especially in the great cities. They create medicines and help support the industry of the war, but few sylphs see the front lines of battle. Tendency towards neutrality (lack of unifying god and guidance; objectivity of science) Sylphs are city-dwellers, unless circumstances find them traveling or in the army. Anatomy: Brittle-looking, hollow bones, like a bird. They disintegrate into powder within 48 hours. Thin, clear blood evaporates immediately, leaving a chill behind. Common classes: Magus, Alchemist, and Fighter (specifically Mutation Warrior) Big Ideas to end with: 1) Check out Character Creation 2) I know this is a crazy amount of information - just stick with the stuff that interests you for now, and ask questions! 3) Big change #1 = restricted races 4) Big change #2 = restricted classes 5) See next post for where the story is taking place. 6) There is also a ton of information in the Campaign Info tab, if you are looking for more inspiration.
Hello! We are looking for 1 player to join a party of 3 PCs and 1 NPC - two sylphs and two oreads (all siblings, more on that later) 1) This is a world of 4 races: sylphs, oreads, ifrits, and undines. The gods of the four races live in elemental planes that also serve as heavens and hells. 2) This is lore intensive. I'm happy to help with background stuff, but I'm definitely not going to accept submissions that has a race of "human" for example. This is the original recruiting post, and it pretty much holds true except for: --You would likely start 4th level --You would have to be a distant cousin or similar relationship to the family. --We currently have: an oread magus, an oread monk, a sylph ranger, and a sylph alchemist --You cannot be an undine- there's no ancestry of undines in the family. Ifrit, oread, and sylph could all potentially work. --Note: elen can interbreed, but the children are only one type (ex: sylph + oread might have a sylph son, an oread son, an sylph daughter, etc) --You will likely be meeting the party at Winter Meet, which is a large annual celebration held in the great northern forest. All oread tribes send representatives, and many ifrits, sylphs, and undines show up to trade and gossip as well. That is a lot to take in - I know! Let me know if you have any questions!
There is a Volcano, an island in the Dark. Mighty Volcano, god and landscape to the ifrit, is all that protects the land from the Dark that surrounds on all sides. Truly, the natives have no reason to even name this sprawling continent where there is no Sky and no horizon - only darkness. It is simply the land, or perhaps Volcano's Land, depending on who is speaking. Volcano's will is never directly given to mortals. In any of the three great cities, the rumbling prayers of priests can be heard at any time of day. The worshipers of the 'lesser' gods can be found close to their masters. The undine travel endlessly up and down the thousands of meandering miles of River. The oread live off the bounty of herds of small earth elementals that roam through Great Forest. But even the bounty of River and Great Forest cannot hold sway over Volcano - many of their followers feel the call of the great cities and their splendor. The war against the Dark and its spawn is unending. The innumerable armies of the ifrit defend the east and west, the undine hold the icy south, and the oread protect the tracts of northern Forest. Volcano holds back the Dark. --------
Recruitment will be open about a week, but possibly less depending on how many responses I get. Give me character concepts sooner than later to prevent getting shut out. Questions are welcome. I'm looking forward to this! About Me:
Character Creation:
1st level
20 point buy Alignment: no evil 2 traits, no flaws HP: Max at 1st level, average (round up) after that Starting wealth: 150 gp Leveling: No XP, you will level as appropriate to the story and the challenges you face, Source material: Core is fine, 3rd party is not, check with me about other PF material (not just the book, but specifically what you want from it) Background: 10 minute background, be sure to include appearance and personality Races: Big change here. ifrit, oread, undine, and sylph only. See RACES for more info. Also, I am intentionally not capitalizing these – we don't capitalize the word Humans, right? http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-oread
Classes: Big change here: No full casters (wizards, sorcerors, clerics, etc, etc) In addition, no gunslingers (or guns at all), no summoners, no vigilante, no ninja, no samurai, no occult classes. Hybrid classes and base classes are fine. Archetypes on a case-by-case basis. Divine Classes: Divine casters are different. Talk to me about alignment, spell selection, and channeling, as well as archetypes. Skills: Every character gets one extra skill point per level in a Craft, Profession, or Perform skill of their choice. I want you to have some kind of flavorful/cool background skill, but I don't want it to come at the cost of a better skill. Story Stuff:
Characters: As befits the play-by-post medium, this is going to be much more story- and character-driven than combat- and stat-driven. By all means make a character that will be fun to run in combat, but I'm looking for personality more than punching.
Railroading vs Sandbox: This is not a purely sandbox game. I like giving characters a good deal of choice, but there are other forces in the world besides the players. Ultimately, where the story will go is up to us, not just me. Tone: I'm not going for “grimdark” here, but things are not happy-go-lucky, either. I like characters that act like real people, instead of using stilted “thees” and “thous”. Play-by-Post Stuff:
Guides: If you have not already, then seriously read these. They are well worth reading.
Frequency: I will post every day, even just to acknowledge that IC RPing is still going on. This will almost always be around 9 or 10 PM Eastern time. I will always let you know if there will be a temporary hiatus. I expect players to post as often as they need to in order to keep the story moving. A pattern of unexplained absences or long periods between posts will be grounds for ejection, but I will always talk to a player first. Moving forward: typically, if an action is suggested by one character and seconded by another, then I will move forward as if the entire party had agreed. If one character has a strong and rational reason to move backward, that may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. Races and Languages (mechanics):
Yes, there is a considerable restriction here, because I have a very specific not-the-kitchen-sink setting. That being said, I know you will all be trading out Elemental Affinity (which is completely worthless in this setting), and I am open to exchanging it for cool abilities that are not directly listed as being tradeable for Elemental Affinity (like Treacherous Earth for oreads, usually only traded for Spell-Like Ability)
Other minor tweaks: --Oreads are not Slow. --Undines get a swim speed, so to make all the races roughly equal RP:
--Elens do interbreed, but the offspring will be one or the other, with subtle hints of the other parent's heritage LANGUAGES (11 total) All of the "elemental" tongues (Ignan, etc) are simply called Ifrit, Oread, etc.
-High Ifrit (mostly used by the Church)
There are two 'outsider' tongues: Geni (roughly equivalent to Abyssal) and Eleme (roughly equivalent to Celestial). However, neither of these languages is available to starting characters. All races start with Common and (native language) for free, then bonus languages for high Int. Low int loses race language (common is much easier to learn, and universal) Races (fluff, you don't have to read all this):
A note on "Humans"
If any race is dominant or considered the norm, it is ifrits. Correspondingly, ifrits show different cultural characteristics, depending on many factors (city vs town, which city-state you are from, North (cooler) vs South (hot)), whereas sylphs, undines and oreads are slightly more uniform in manner (like we imagine dwarves, orcs, gnomes, etc) The following spells affect native outsiders (since there are no humanoids) in this setting:
I refuse to awkwardly dance around the words "human" and "humanoid", so a generic term: elen. "I am an elen being, not an animal!"
Singular is eleni. Plural is elen. Male singular is el. Female singular is ele. Ifrit:
Ifrits
(a conflagration of ifrits) (fritan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Medieval Italy Males tend towards dark red and charcoal black, sometimes ash gray. Females are lighter red, orange, sometimes ash gray. Eyes follow a roughly similar pattern, with yellow and the rare blue. Average in height and weight, and their skin is lightly scaled (such as a lizard of one kind or another might have) Ifrit society, especially the town of Forge, revolves around the war against the Dark. They have the largest population in the land, and they proudly send their holy warriors to the battleground. Many do not return, but it is not uncommon for a soldier to complete their two years and come home. No draft; voluntary with good compensation. Alignment tends toward LG (military discipline, no tolerance for state corruption). City-bred Ifrits have permanent buildings, feather beds, and other comforts that oreads and undines from the country aren’t used to. Anatomy: Tough, light bones, similar to raw lumber that has been charred to a dry toughness. Blood is flammable in air, but burns too briefly to cause damage to anything (burning lint) Common Classes: Skald, Paladin, Barbarian (marching to war) Oread:
Oreads
(an avalanche of oreads) (orean) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: nomadic Native Americans Males are various shades of brown, with pine needles of either green or brown/orange for hair and beards. Females are light brown and off-white (birch) and have moss-like hair with colorful flowers. Both can have skin ranging from smooth but tough (birch) to thick and heavy (oak). Oreads are solidly-built. All Oreads are lithovores - that is, they eat rocks and similar non-organic material (and water, of course). They are nomads, following herds of earth elementals (that have the shape of what we would call deer, elk, moose, etc) Oreads move in large nomadic tribes across Great Forest. All the tribes meet twice a year - at the height of summer, and the depth of winter. Within their tribes, oreads are boisterous and can usually be found playing music on their wooden panpipes or watching an orean wrestling match (think Greco-Roman wrestling). If outsiders are currently visiting however, they are mostly withdrawn and quiet. Tends toward CG (belief in family and tribe over outsiders, or even other tribes) They use stone shape to make temporary shelter while they roam through Great Forest. Anatomy: Bones are dense and resemble granite. Blood is thick, like tree sap. Common Classes: Ranger, to hunt the herds or dangerous predators in Forest. Hunter, with special earth elemental animal companion. Monk, for the three major monasteries. Undine:
Undines
(a flood of undines) (undan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Vietnamese (tone language) Males are lighter blue and white tones mostly. Their skin is slightly reflective and faceted, giving the appearance of ice. The females are darker blues and sea greens, and have a more uniform sheen, like a fish or a lake. Hair and eye color for both tend towards blue, pastel green, purple, and the occasional white/off-white. Silver hair for elders. Undines are built for swimming - lithe, skinny, and streamlined. The slow, patient ways of River have been ingrained into undine society - even undine children are thoughtful and slow to anger. That is not to say they are slow in all they do - there are countless water-based sports and games the undine play that require speed and quick thinking. Undines swim similarly to dolphins, using their sleek, lithe bodies to their advantage. Bulky or muscular undines are rare. The devout spend their lives traversing River's twists and turns, never coming out of the water voluntarily. Many of the devout go all the way to the end of River, to fight the never-ending battle to keep the Dark at bay. Undines sleep half-submerged in water, on the shore. However, many have abandoned River's ways to move to one of the great cities, though undines are the smallest percentage of Volcano's followers. Oddly enough, Volcano's undine worshipers are often his most fanatical, and many end up working for the Inquisitors. Tendency toward NG (strong belief in doing what is right; undines can be found working together at IceFall or alone all along River) Anatomy: bones are bluish, light and rubbery, and blood is significantly more watery than other races Common Classes: Inquisitor, Bard (Watersinger), Bard (Dervish Dancer) Sylph:
Sylphs
(a scattering of sylphs) (sylphan) Rough societal analog and naming convention: Industrial Revolution Britain, typically have vocational-based last names (like Chemic or Cheme for alchemists) Male and females both pale (pearl, tan, gold) with the large, dark, unblinking eyes of a predatory bird. Thin-boned Sylphs are tall but strangely light. Curiosity is said to be the curse of extremely intelligent sylphs, but with a dead god all sylphs seem a little cursed at times. With no patron god to give them guidance (Fallen Sky has been gone for at least 5,000 years), sylphs tend to be dispersed almost everywhere, especially in the great cities. They create medicines and help support the industry of the war, but few sylphs see the front lines of battle. Tendency towards neutrality (lack of unifying god and guidance; objectivity of science) Sylphs are city-dwellers, unless circumstances find them traveling or in the army. Anatomy: Brittle-looking, hollow bones, like a bird. They disintegrate into powder within 48 hours. Thin, clear blood evaporates immediately, leaving a chill behind. Common classes: Magus, Alchemist, and Fighter (specifically Mutation Warrior) Big Ideas to end with: 1) Check out Character Creation 2) I know this is a crazy amount of information - just stick with the stuff that interests you for now, and ask questions! 3) Big change #1 = restricted races 4) Big change #2 = restricted classes 5) See next post for where the story is taking place. 6) There is also a ton of information in the Campaign Info tab, if you are looking for more inspiration.
Hello! I have 2 PCs that have been unresponsive for a few weeks, and I'm looking to replace them. We've been playing for about 3 months, and having a great time. This campaign is much more RP-based than combat-based.
Be forewarned that this is a fairly detailed world. 1) See this post for initial campaign info. 2) Check out the "Campaign Info" tab on that page for more details.
I'm looking to replace 2 PCs total, 1 from each of my 2 tables that I am currently running. --Home and Hearth - PCs born and raised in the capital city of Hearth are currently involved in a crime/mystery campaign dealing with drug dealers. Party includes an Ifrit Skald, an Oread Stonelord Paladin, and a Sylph Alchemist. --A New Beginning - PCs completely new to the city of Hearth become embroiled in the Great Temple's fight against the Dark, the malignant force that destroyed Sky millennia ago. Party includes a Sylph Chosen One Paladin, an Oread Bloodrager, and a Sylph Barbarian.
1) Let me know which table you are interested in, and an initial race/class/personality concept. 2) After I give the OK, submit a full character alias.
Thread will stay open about a week. The sooner I get an initial concept, the better - I may close submissions early if I think there are enough potentially good candidates. Let me know if you have any questions.
Please direct character's previous history here. 
Please direct discussion on character's previous histories here.
This is a blank recruitment thread for the second table of the Volcano campaign.
There is a Volcano, an island in the Dark. Mighty Volcano, god and landscape to the ifrit, is all that protects the land from the Dark that surrounds on all sides. Truly, the natives have no reason to even name this sprawling continent where there is no Sky and no horizon - only darkness. It is simply the land, or perhaps Volcano's Land, depending on who is speaking. Volcano's will is never directly given to mortals. In any of the three great cities, the rumbling prayers of oracles and priests can be heard at any time of day. The worshipers of the 'lesser' gods can be found close to their masters. The undine travel endlessly up and down the thousands of meandering miles of River. The oread live off the bounty of herds of small earth elementals that roam through Great Forest. But even the bounty of River and Great Forest cannot hold sway over Volcano - many of their followers feel the call of the great cities and their splendor. The war against the Dark and its spawn is unending. The innumerable armies of the ifrit defend the east and west, the undine hold the south, and the oread protect the northern Forest. Volcano holds back the Dark. --------
Recruitment will be open about a week, but possibly less depending on how many responses I get. Give me character concepts sooner than later to prevent getting shut out. Questions are welcome. I'm looking forward to this! About Me:
Yes, this is my first post on the boards. Long-time lurker. As for my experience, I have been DM'ing for over a decade. Most importantly, I know what successful play-by-post takes.
I recently finished a play-by-email I had been running for the last two years. It would have gone for longer, but my friends were kind enough to let me know well ahead of time of life changes that would take them out of the game, so I was able to end it in a satisfying manner. Taking me at my word requires a leap of faith, but then so does any PbP at the end of the day. I believe we can make an awesome collaborative story here, and I want to share a setting I love. Character Creation:
1st level
20 point buy Alignment: no evil 2 traits, no flaws HP: Max at 1st level, average (round up) after that Starting wealth: 150 gp Leveling: No XP, you will level as appropriate to the story and the challenges you face, Source material: Core is fine, 3rd party is not, check with me about other PF material (not just the book, but specifically what you want from it) Background: 10 minute background, be sure to include appearance and personality. Note that you will all be starting in the ifrit capital of Hearth, so make sure you either live there, or have a reason to be visiting at the open of the campaign. Once the characters are chosen, I'd also like some (not necessarily all) of you to form previous relationships with each other. Races: Big change here. ifrit, oread, undine, and sylph only. See RACES for more info. Also, I am intentionally not capitalizing these – we don't capitalize the word Humans, right? http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-oread
Classes: Big change here: No full casters (wizards, sorcerors, clerics, etc, etc) In addition, no gunslingers (or guns at all), no summoners, no vigilante, no ninja, no samurai, no occult classes. Hybrid classes and base classes are fine. Archetypes on a case-by-case basis. Divine Classes: Divine casters are different. Talk to me about alignment, spell selection, and channeling, as well as archetypes. Skills: Every character gets one extra skill point per level in a Craft, Profession, or Perform skill of their choice. I want you to have some kind of flavorful/cool background skill, but I don't want it to come at the cost of a better skill. Story Stuff:
Characters: As befits the play-by-post medium, this is going to be much more story- and character-driven than combat- and stat-driven. By all means make a character that will be fun to run in combat, but I'm looking for personality more than punching.
Railroading vs Sandbox: This is not a purely sandbox game. I like giving characters a good deal of choice, but there are other forces in the world besides the players. Ultimately, where the story will go is up to us, not just me. Tone: I'm not going for “grimdark” here, but things are not happy-go-lucky, either. I like characters that act like real people, instead of using stilted “thees” and “thous”. Play-by-Post Stuff:
Guides: If you have not already, then seriously read these. They are well worth reading.
Frequency: I will post every day, even just to acknowledge that IC RPing is still going on. This will almost always be around 9 or 10 PM Eastern time. I will always let you know if there will be a temporary hiatus. I expect players to post as often as they need to in order to keep the story moving. A pattern of unexplained absences or long periods between posts will be grounds for ejection, but I will always talk to a player first. Moving forward: typically, if an action is suggested by one character and seconded by another, then I will move forward as if the entire party had agreed. If one character has a strong and rational reason to move backward, that may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. Races and Languages (mechanics):
Yes, there is a considerable restriction here, because I have a very specific not-the-kitchen-sink setting. That being said, I know you will all be trading out Elemental Affinity (which is completely worthless in this setting), and I am open to exchanging it for cool abilities that are not directly listed as being tradeable for Elemental Affinity (like Treacherous Earth for oreads, usually only traded for Spell-Like Ability)
Other minor tweaks: --Oreads are not Slow. --Undines get a swim speed, so to make all the races roughly equal RP:
LANGUAGES All of the "elemental" tongues (Ignan, etc) are simply called Ifrit, Oread, etc.
-High Ifrit (mostly used by the Church)
There are two 'outsider' tongues: Geni (roughly equivalent to Abyssal) and Eleme (roughly equivalent to Celestial). However, neither of these languages is available to starting characters. All races start with Common and (native language) for free, then bonus languages for high Int. Low int loses race language (common is much easier to learn, and universal) Races (fluff, you don't have to read all this):
A note on "Humans"
If any race is dominant or considered the norm, it is ifrits. Correspondingly, ifrits show different cultural characteristics, depending on many factors (city vs town, which city-state you are from, North (cooler) vs South (hot)), whereas sylphs, undines and oreads are slightly more uniform in manner (like we imagine dwarves, orcs, gnomes, etc) The following spells affect native outsiders (since there are no humanoids) in this setting:
I refuse to awkwardly dance around the words "human" and "humanoid", so a generic term: elen. "I am an elen being, not an animal!"
Yes, I'm still using man and woman as terms. Ifrit:
Ifrits
(a conflagration of ifrits) (fritan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Medieval Italy Males tend towards dark red and charcoal black, sometimes ash gray. Females are lighter red, orange, sometimes ash gray. Eyes follow a roughly similar pattern, with yellow and the rare blue. Average in height and weight, and their skin is lightly scaled (such as a lizard of one kind or another might have) Ifrit society, especially the town of Forge, revolves around the war against the Dark. They have the largest population in the land, and they proudly send their holy warriors to the battleground. Many do not return, but it is not uncommon for a soldier to complete their two years and come home. No draft; voluntary with good compensation. Alignment tends toward LG (military discipline, no tolerance for state corruption). City-bred Ifrits have permanent buildings, feather beds, and other comforts that oreads and undines from the country aren’t used to. Anatomy: Tough, light bones, similar to raw lumber that has been charred to a dry toughness. Blood is flammable in air, but burns too briefly to cause damage to anything (burning lint) Common Classes: Skald, Paladin, Barbarian (marching to war) Oread:
Oreads
(an avalanche of oreads) (orean) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: nomadic Native Americans Males are various shades of brown, with pine needles of either green or brown/orange for hair and beards. Females are light brown and off-white (birch) and have moss-like hair with colorful flowers. Both can have skin ranging from smooth but tough (birch) to thick and heavy (oak). Oreads are solidly-built. All Oreads are lithovores - that is, they eat rocks and similar non-organic material (and water, of course). They are nomads, following herds of earth elementals (that have the shape of what we would call deer, elk, moose, etc) Oreads move in large nomadic tribes across Great Forest. All the tribes meet twice a year - at the height of summer, and the depth of winter. Within their tribes, oreads are boisterous and can usually be found playing music on their wooden panpipes or watching an orean wrestling match (think Greco-Roman wrestling). If outsiders are currently visiting however, they are mostly withdrawn and quiet. Tends toward CG (belief in family and tribe over outsiders, or even other tribes) They use stone shape to make temporary shelter while they roam through Great Forest. Anatomy: Bones are dense and resemble granite. Blood is thick, like tree sap. Common Classes: Ranger, to hunt the herds or dangerous predators in Forest. Hunter, with special earth elemental animal companion. Monk, for the three major monasteries. Undine:
Undines
(a flood of undines) (undan) Rough societal analog and naming conventions: Vietnamese (tone language) Males are lighter blue and white tones mostly. Their skin is slightly reflective and faceted, giving the appearance of ice. The females are darker blues and sea greens, and have a more uniform sheen, like a fish or a lake. Hair and eye color for both tend towards blue, pastel green, purple, and the occasional white/off-white. Silver hair for elders. Undines are built for swimming - lithe, skinny, and streamlined. The slow, patient ways of River have been ingrained into undine society - even undine children are thoughtful and slow to anger. That is not to say they are slow in all they do - there are countless water-based sports and games the undine play that require speed and quick thinking. Undines swim similarly to dolphins, using their sleek, lithe bodies to their advantage. Bulky or muscular undines are rare. The devout spend their lives traversing River's twists and turns, never coming out of the water voluntarily. Many of the devout go all the way to the end of River, to fight the never-ending battle to keep the Dark at bay. Undines sleep half-submerged in water, on the shore. However, many have abandoned River's ways to move to one of the great cities, though undines are the smallest percentage of Volcano's followers. Oddly enough, Volcano's undine worshipers are often his most fanatical, and many end up working for the Inquisitors. Tendency toward NG (strong belief in doing what is right; undines can be found working together at IceFall or alone all along River) Anatomy: bones are bluish, light and rubbery, and blood is significantly more watery than other races Common Classes: Inquisitor, Bard (Watersinger), Bard (Dervish Dancer) Sylph: Sylphs
(a scattering of sylphs) (sylphan) Rough societal analog and naming convention: Industrial Revolution Britain, typically have vocational-based last names (like Chemic or Cheme for alchemists) Male and females both pale (pearl, tan, gold) with the large, dark, unblinking eyes of a predatory bird. Thin-boned Sylphs are tall but strangely light. Curiosity is said to be the curse of extremely intelligent sylphs, but with a dead god all sylphs seem a little cursed at times. With no patron god to give them guidance (Fallen Sky has been gone for at least 5,000 years), sylphs tend to be dispersed almost everywhere, especially in the great cities. They create medicines and help support the industry of the war, but few sylphs see the front lines of battle. Tendency towards neutrality (lack of unifying god and guidance; objectivity of science) Sylphs are city-dwellers, unless circumstances find them traveling or in the army. Anatomy: Brittle-looking, hollow bones, like a bird. They disintegrate into powder within 48 hours. Thin, clear blood evaporates immediately, leaving a chill behind. Common classes: Magus, Alchemist, and Fighter (specifically Mutation Warrior) |