Probably won't be running this right now, but I just thought I'd see if there are any Cthulhu fans lurking out there who might be interested in this for the future.
My thoughts were for a classic-era (1920s) game in which all the players were members of or affiliated with one disgustingly wealthy, exorbitantly high class family and have to deal with their own dysfunctional family members AND the typical otherworldly Lovecraftian abominations. Sort of a Kardashians vs. Cthulhu feel or (if you've heard of the play) Hay Fever with more tentacles.
Little bit of comedy, little bit of cosmic horror, and a whole lot of drama.
Dark, ominous clouds hand low in the sky behind you and a strong, chill wind plucks at your cloaks. The muddy streets of Swallowfeld lie behind you on the tree-fringed trail. Occasionally, small flurries of sleet and strong winds swirl about you. Ahead lie hours of miserable travel.
Curiously enough however, although your reasons for traveling to the priory are yours alone, you managed to find three other companions interested in making the journey with you. Aside from the three, be they new faces or old friends, there is little else on the trail that might stave off boredom.
After browsing through all the wacky PbP guides over in General Discussion (which I'd heartily recommend to those who haven't), I've arrived here to kick off my first ever game! I have a moderate amount of real life experience (I've at least followed Pathfinder development since release) but PbP is a relatively new frontier for me.
I'm looking for 4 active posters who can commit to posting at least thrice a day (the more the merrier, weekends preferred but optional) and are willing to use Roll20 for mapping, during the span of just a single adventure. Given my credentials, I'm not demanding any sort of experience as long as you're up for some fun and engaging roleplaying. If all goes well and we've had a good time, I'll happily extend this game into a larger mini-campaign in the Lonely Coast, but neither you nor I are bound by that promise.
The adventure in question is Raging Swan's highly acclaimed Retribution, a thrillingly chilling (or was it chillingly thrilling?) tale of revenge set in a treacherously isolated priory. Check out some of the reviews below!
Praise for Retribution:
"A fantasy roleplaying campaign can always use spooky, atmospheric low-level adventures, and RETRIBUTION is a solid, useful foray. It's "old school" in the best sense of that term: the adventure, its setting, its characters, and its new elements have all been carefully and lovingly detailed and thought through. The result is truly ready-to-use, and its elements lend themselves to easy re-use in an ongoing campaign. Recommended."
—Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms
"Retribution is a wintry scenario that makes full use of the weather to create a claustrophobic and gritty introduction. This is followed by an excellent middle, with something for every party as it is full of investigation, roleplaying, and combat, before building to a worthy climax. Overall, it is an excellent scenario that can be slotted into any campaign and, with very little work, any roleplaying system."
—Dave McAlister of UK Role Players
“A gripping gothic yarn. Retribution is one part classic pulp, one part The Name of the Rose, and all around a compelling narrative with exciting encounters and absorbing NPCs. It will no doubt leave a lasting impression on every adventurer who dares winter on the Lonely Coast.”
—Stephen Radney-MacFarland
Character Creation Starting level – 1st
Starting wealth – Average starting wealth for your class.
Ability scores – 20 point buy.
Hit points – Maximized HP at 1st level.
Alignment restrictions – Non-evil characters only. You may, however, ignore those pesky alignment restrictions on classes.
Traits – Two traits, but nothing Golarion or campaign specific.
Legal sources – Anything Paizo is open game, but again I prefer (but don't require) you steer clear of Golarion specific things.
Race restrictions – Core races automatically allowed, anything else will require some persuasion on your part.
Backgrounds - No requirements other than to get me (and your fellow adventurers) excited! No need for an alias yet either - feel free to post your spoilered sheets/background directly.
Setting Information The furthest flung outpost of a mighty kingdom, turbulent waters and forbidding, trackless forests separate the folk of the Lonely Coast from the gaudy lights of civilization. Pirates and slavers ply the southern storm-tossed waters while goblins and other foul things creep through the gloom of the Tangled Wood that seemingly chokes the forgotten holds and sacred places of the Old People. Deep within the forest, a narrow, rock-choked defile piled deep with shadow cuts through a nameless range of rugged, tree-shrouded hills birthing dark, fearsome legends of terrifying monsters and glittering, doom-laden treasures. The perils of the Lonely Coast are legion and thus there is always a need for those with stout hearts and skill with blade and spell or for those merely hungry for glory to defend humanity’s most tenuous enclave.
Lonely Coast is a mini-setting created for Retribution - a fun map of which can be found here. The adventure opens with the party having just departed Swallowfield towards the Priory of Cymer (located near the bottom of the map). The adventures assumes the PCs to be Swallowfield natives as well, but I won't require this as long as you have some reason to be in Swallowfield and then the Priory (note: "In the name of ADVENTURE!" is always a perfectly good reason!). I'll provide some possible hooks below as well as this mini-guide to Swallowfield, but I'd be more than happy to work with you to develop whatever kind of hooks or background you might like. I'll be putting some Lonely Coast information in the Campaign Info over the next few days as well.
Hooks:
The Priory of Cymer is a small, backwater shrine named after a local saint. The priory was founded at the behest of Cymer (a visionary believer) who foresaw that a great evil would arise at the site. It never did and over the last few decades, the place has fallen out of favor with the populace of the nearby villages; now few worship there. You are travelling to the priory to prepare a report for your church superiors.
You are travelling to Cymer at the behest of Tahllian Liaiamne. Tahllian (a powerful elven mercenary warrior) is searching for his wayward half-elven son, Malvenos. Tahllian, recently hearing stories of a half-elven warrior watching over the priests at Cymer, has dispatched you to investigate. Your mission is simple; to determine whether the half-elf is indeed Malvenos but not to alert him to his father's interest in the priory.
Curate at the priory, Ruan is an old man and no longer instructs new acolytes. In the past though, he trained hundreds of the Brotherhood of the Unalterable Way, while others embraced the mainstream church. One of your parents, a former student of Ruan's, yet holds him in high esteem and has dispatched you to deliver a gift to the aging cleric - a finely illustrated copy of the Book of Exalted Prayers.
The merchant Tryfena of Swallowfield has hired you to recover a set of silver and jade earrings. A thief broke into Tryfena's stockade trading post several days ago, but was injured by a poison dart trap. The thief (a human female) was last seen fleeing in the direction of the priory. Tryfena does not care what happens to the thief, she just wants her earrings back.
You are a devout follower of Darlen, god of Law, Order, Justice and the Sun. You're travelling to the priory to either pray before the high altar or to gain Ruan's spiritual guidance on some important matter.
You've been infected with a disturbing disease (or perhaps some virulent poison courses through our veins). Lacking the resources to deal with the problem yourself, you're headed for the priory to seek aid.
Recruitment will stay open until Christmas, so as to avoid starting the game during the holiday lull.
