Search Posts
@Elsine I'd actually never used any of expanded playbooks before. When I saw the Star I fell in love with it. Then I saw that great post from you and yeah I was worried. But I liked the character concept too much to abandon it. Really did love the news angle for the character intro. I see a few other super hero pbps on here so maybe we'll end up in one together at some point. hah
I have been jonesing for a PbtA system for a while now so this sounds perfect. Also my prompt ended up being a lot more rambling than I intended so sorry about that, hopefully it gives a good idea of the character I want to portray though. Hibiki Saito 'The Siren':
Playbook: The Star
Playbook Expanded: Hibiki Saito is a first generation immigrant, his parents moved when his mother was pregnant with him. He comes from a small dynasty of performers. His grandparents had been musicians, his mother was a famous singer and his father acted as her agent. Their move was planned before the pregnancy to attempt to expand into a new entertainment market. Hibiki grew up surrounded by the music industry and when his powers started to develop during his voice coaching both of his parents jumped on the unique opportunity. So now Hibiki Saito, the Siren, is a rapidly rising star in the industry who has mostly used his powers to improve his fame with his fans. But as he grows older he finds himself wanting opportunities to be more than just a showman. To actually do the amazing things that he sings about, to inspire people not just with his voice but his deeds. Look: Ambiguous, Asian, Teasing Smile, Beautiful Outfits, Focus-Tested Costume.
Abilities: Sound Manipulation
Prompt: "And what is your name handsome? Is this for you or perhaps a girlfriend?" Hibiki asks with his best teasing smile as he accepts a photo of himself from a male fan. The young man had a streak of violet in his hair, a few shades darker than the current color of Hibiki's light lilac coloration. Given that his manager had just switched him to this color palate two days ago, it was clear this was a dedicated fan. Therefore Hibiki wanted to go out of his way to make the young mans day. The young man stammer out a reply that it was just for him and his name was Alfred.
"Great name Alfred, 'To a true fan.' If you dont have a VIP pass to the next show yet why dont you hang around a little bit. I can talk to my manager and see what we can do about changing that," Hibiki mentions with a wink as he writes on the photo and then signs it. He was just about to hand it over when the explosion ripped out literally across the street from him. The signing was in front of a popular music store downtown and the explosion was coming from only a few hundred feet down the other side of the road. As rubble flew out towards him Hibiki leapt up, and opened his mouth to shout. What came out wasn't just a scream of warning or a call for help of course. Because he was Hibiki Saito, the Siren, and his voice was a beautiful weapon. Sound ripped out over the front of the music store, the windows shattered which was unfortunate, but the main force of the blast hit the rubble and reduced it to dust before it could come crashing down into the crowd that was lined up for the signing. Hibiki coughed, he hadn't really prepared for a display like that. Once he cleared his throat he spoke up, his voice easily booming out over the area, "Everyone please evacuate the area! Help will be on the way, don't try to call 911 until you have gotten yourself to safety! Let professionals handle this!" And with that in mind Hibiki sprinted off towards the building where lesser explosions still seemed to be rippling through parts of the structure. Just as he was getting through the crowd he heard his manager Elizabeth Murphy calling for him to stop. He pretended he didn't hear her and kept running. No doubt she would prefer him to be heeding his own advice and leaving this kind of thing to professionals. His manager preferred to carefully plan out any exposure he received in the news, as a performer or a super hero. Random acts of valor were too dangerous and unpredictable for her taste. But Hibiki refused to sit back when he could still possibly help. He made his way quickly into the building. He crouched next to a man crouched in a corner who appeared to be hyperventilating. He poured every ounce of calm and confidence into his voice as he said, "You're going to be okay. But you need to calmly exit the building, its not safe here. Just stand up and make your way out." The man seemed to calm noticeably as Hibiki spoke to him, taking some comfort from the calm and collected voice perhaps. He nodded slowly and made to leave but before he did he turned around and said, "There was a special meeting scheduled today. Third floor. Not many people were suppose to be at the office. Some special presentation for new investors and they didn't want anyone to get in the way. If I had to guess, I'd bet that's what all this is about." The man then quickly made his way out and Hibiki worked his way quickly up to the third floor. He had to basically clamber over rubble to get up the stairwell between the second and third floors. It was immediately clear that things were more chaotic here. He simply followed the sounds of the small scale explosions to the source quite easily. He rounded a corner that opened up into a cubicle farm and saw a grenade flying his way. A quick yelp sent the grenade bouncing back away from him and destroyed a small set of cubicles off to the side. He ducked back around the corner to not be so obvious and raised his voice so he could be heard clearly, "If you surrender now its possible you will be given some lenience. I haven't seen anyone dead yet, this doesn't have to be the end for you. Back down now!" He was still waiting for some reply when a grenade banked off the wall and rolled towards him. Diving around the corner towards the attacker he wasn't able to dodge the full force of the explosion and it sent him flying at a wall. A quick shout slowed him somewhat but he still hit hard and gritted his teeth in pain. 'Okay its gonna be like this I guess.' He stood up and spotted a man decked out in enough explosives to level most of the block who was laughing like a madman. The Mad Bomber had been hitting tech institutes all over the city for a few months now. Hibiki sucked in a deep breath and set his stance firmly, then yelled. Yelled his lungs out. The back wall of the building was blown out, the Mad Bomber, along with most of the remaining cubicles in the room, were flung violently out the back. Twenty minutes later when the police and veteran heroes had arrived to wrap up the situation Hibiki was doing his best not to rub his incredibly sore throat. Elizabeth was quietly but furiously chastising him for running off, putting himself in danger and ripping up his brand new designer outfit. When approached for an interview she promised that there would be a follow up but claimed Hibiki was too distressed with the destruction to do one now. That was mostly a lie, they just didn't want it getting out how badly he hurt himself when using his powers that aggressively. Hibiki knew that with practice he could get better but at the moment his throat was on fire and he couldn't talk above a scratchy whisper. He did his best to smile and wave the interviewers off reassuringly, presenting his best possible side as he did so. His smile was perhaps just a bit self satisfied as he considered the fact that it wasn't the police or the pro heroes who had stopped the Mad Bomber and interview now or later, the people of the city would know that the Siren wasn't just a performer, he could be a hero too.
It is clear that once the desiccated camel shambles back to a semblance of life and walks towards Sun Li Tao, anyone who hadn’t already made themselves scares finds reason to be elsewhere. Between Bilaal, Bereket and Sun Li Tao you are able to fashion some simple cloth coverings to drape over the camel that, at least from a distance, would help disguise its form somewhat. With that task done you set out into the dunes to try and lure the abomination controlling sorcerers to you. You travel for several days. It is perhaps not the most comfortable you have all been, hiding your powers so as not to warn those you seek and keep a low profile as you travel. Still the innate abilities of your group make it possible to travel without too much trouble. It is on the third night out that you hear something. It sounds as though its coming from further south, possibly just over the large set of dunes where you have currently made camp for the night. It sounds like chanting and just barely under it you can hear pained moaning.
Bilaal:
You do indeed know the Scarlet Serpents. They are a relatively large group that tends to work the area right around the Zeraf River. As far as raiders go they aren’t particularly bad. More often than not they let the merchants live, if for no other reason than dead merchants aren’t likely to bring any more supplies along possible raid routes. They’ve even been known to pass over especially small time caravans unless times are hard. A great deal of their supplies actually comes from other raiders. They are fiercely protective of their own people and when insulted or attacked they strike back ruthlessly. That combined with the fact that they rarely kill the merchants they waylay has allowed them to grow larger over the last few years without being challenged by anyone of any real authority or power. Had you not turned your back on receiving the worship of others these would likely be the kind of people you’d want to draw to your cause. As it is, to you they are likely just people getting by. Sun Li Tao:
Upon finding Baasti you see her to be a fairly well put together woman. Her robes are a little frayed around the edges and looking around her home it's clear that while she doesn’t have much she appreciates it and does her best to take care of everything. Although initially she seems somewhat confused she greets you happily enough, surprised that you can speak her language so well. It is as the mention of her younger brother that her face instantly falls, she nods slowly. Her hands clutch at her robes until her bronzed knuckles turn white and a tear streaks down her face but her expression is perhaps more muted than you may have expected. You see her cast an almost savage glance towards what you first assume is you, but when you think about it you’re standing almost exactly where the buried body you detected was. Breathing out Baasti releases her grip, “Thank you for telling me this sir. I dont claim to really understand how you know what you know, but that sounds like something that sweet fool would do. He just didn’t want to leave with them…”
Her voice chokes off for a moment and she swallows once more, “I apologize for being rude but would you mind leaving me with his remains? I will take care of them, but I find myself reliving sorrows I thought left behind and think myself rather unpresentable to guests.” You all can easily find a section of the town to start making the wagon without people paying you too much mind. If anything it seems some of the villagers are happy for an excuse to avoid your rather eclectic group. At one point while discussing things Evelyn spots the young man who had been working on the other wagon looking around a corner but then you hear a shout from the older man and he disappears. Between Bilaal and Bereket’s gifts it is relatively simple work to construct a simple wagon. As Evelyn points out you would need something to pull the wagon ideally unless one of you planned to transport it and leave it setting out as if stranded. Other than that last detail though it seems you all have a path in mind that will take you relatively close to the raider’s territory and definitely within range of where the Black Academy Sorcerers were abducting people.
Poor Liam getting overlooked. Since I'm posting this anyways Im gonna go ahead and add a bit more. I never included the Loyalties section and I like the idea of having a couple people he's close to and someone he's antagonistic towards to use as possible plot hooks. Loyalties:
First he is loyal to learning and the spirit of innovation. Always seek new knowledge and ways to utilize that knowledge to better not only your own life but the lives of others.
Second he is loyal to the idea of being economical. Don't destroy something that could be remade or reused. Don't cast aside anything, or anyone, who could still serve a purpose. Third he is loyal to the MRF Reclaimer and all other Fixer Hulks. The Fixers are in decline but he respects any who still stick it out to provide the services they have for years. Allies and Enemies: Gregor Hassan: The lead mechanic of one of the largest still operational Fixer Hulks the Forever Resplendent. The Forever Resplendent has a set path so that its easy to find when someone needs repairs done and Gregor was one of the first Fixer Captains to make a decision like that. Its clear Gregor doesnt love being tied down but the decision has helped his ship and its people stay prosperous. Liam respects him immensely for having to make that choice.
Callio Finnick: A young man whom Liam was incredibly close to from the MRF Reclaimer. Callio left the MRF Reclaimer several years ago to join up on a merchant ship and make some money to send home. He had worked as a textile designer and manufacturer on the MRF Reclaimer before that and Liam hopes to cross paths with him again some day. Quin LaFan: A grifter who passed through the MRF REclaimer at one point. She scammed Liam's mother out of a bit of money as well as some personal jewelry, playing on the woman's sympathy for someone 'down on their luck'. She was eventually chased out but she left with more than she had shown up with and Liam regretted not getting his necklace back at least.
Currently narrowed it down to either a Dwarven Blacksmith or a Human Armiger. Choices choices. Edit: Since it looks like we're going to be having a number of casters I think I might go with the Armiger. The Blacksmith really shines a lot when they can help kit out their allies equipment and Id lose some of that usefulness with so many casters around.
So looking over things it looks like we have a lot of SoP representation and not a ton of SoM? Not that its a bad thing, Sphere of Power classes are so versatile you can run a group with just them. But still for variety's sake Im gonna look into something more directly SoM martial. Ill waffle between Striker, Armiger and Blacksmith for a while and see what I come up with.
As you pursue your tasks about the city it takes some time but you are able to determine a few things after taking the time to look into the matters. The woman singing to Fidelity of her missing son is not the same woman who lost her child Sabu to the Uncreated attack on the caravan. This woman, Hekat, lives near the oasis at the base of the cliffs on the inner side of the town. Her son left to join a group of raiders known in these parts as the Scarlet Serpents, a name that may sound somewhat familiar to Bilaal from his past in these parts. After talking to her for sometime you learn that her son left because he felt that he could get more out of life as a raider than by helping Hekat and her husband Imaan weave the fronds that grow from the vegetation around the oasis. He’s a young man and she provides you with a solid description of him, she says that he is just brash and worries that he’ll end up dead following those raiders around. You also learn that Baasti does still live in the town. When directed towards her home, a small hovel near the entrance of town, Sun Li Tao realizes that it is actually the building which the Nezdovhan is buried under. You hear that she should be found in the hut and if you inquire about a younger brother you hear a few sad tales of the boy who left the town around the same time as a merchant visited. Apparently he had been recruiting mine workers for his boyar and everyone assumed that Baasti had been convinced to send young Jamir off to earn some money in the mines. A sad story to hear the family pushed to such hard times but people are rarely able to spare much extra these days. By talking a little more to Nadim al Barakaa and the repair crew of the wagon you are able to obtain a rough map of the route they had taken. Normally they would be hesitant to part with information like that, since giving it away would normally make them easier pray for raiders. But the older worker seems to be genuinely appreciative of the work you did to repair the wagon, and perhaps he is a little intimidated as well. Besides the route is not likely to be much use to them if there are worse things than bandits laying in wait along it.
Okay I wanted to get something thrown up. I will probably be expanding on the Background some and making small edits here and there. I also didn't really purchase a lot of gear yet, just a weapon, armor and a single magic tool. And I need a personality and appearance section. So Ill look into updating that as well before the close date. I sent you a message about the Suit Pilot Technician specifically but decided to drop that. This character could still make suits potentially but I think the versatility he gains by keeping Gadgets is cooler for the idea that I ended up landing on. So here is what Im currently thinking: Quick Background:
Liam Valenari was born in the Materials Recovery Frigate [MRF] Reclaimer. Growing up the son of two mechanics working on a Fixer Hulk, it wasn’t surprising that he would grow to love tinkering with machines. Every Fixer Hulk was a unique little environment of its own and the MRF Reclaimer was no exception. A relatively small permanent group of a half dozen mechanics and two dozen additional personnel and family called the Reclaimer home. Because of their relatively small community and the slow decline of people actively seeking Fixer services they were always focused on making the most out of their resources. Nothing that could be reused or recycled was tossed aside. Things were always used until they were worn down and then converted into something else to serve another task. The MRF Reclaimer was a perfect visual example of this recycling focused culture as it always looked like multiple ships had just been slammed together and welded into place with one another, even more so than a standard Fixer Hulk.
Even at a young age Liam was helping his parents with minor repairs around the Hulk. Everyone on the MRF Reclaimer was expected to provide something. Not all of them were mechanics, they had farmers, doctors, cooks, textile workers and a variety of other people, but everyone typically knew how to make something that was needed by others on the ship. Liam was an intensely curious boy and a very quick learner, he was always poking his head into things around the ship and he picked up things quite quickly. By the time he was a teenager he was respected as a mechanic in his own right, helping his parents maintain the Reclaimer as well as working on any ships that happened to cross their path and needed repair work. But over the last few years Fixer Hulks have been seeing less and less visitation. A few of the larger ones that have relatively set patrols are still utilized but the Reclaimer was never one of the big ones. Its systems were old and patched over a dozen times. The older mechanics, including Liam’s parents, were beginning to worry about how long their core systems could hold out without needing to be replaced entirely. The MRF Reclaimer was their home, but they couldn’t necessarily rely on simple passive upkeep to maintain it anymore. So it was that they decided to request that several of their younger mechanics to go and seek a way to revitalize the Reclaimer or if worse came to worse, locate a replacement ship for them. No one wanted to abandon their home but they were all beginning to see the writing on the wall. Liam decided that he would take part in this voluntary pilgrimage. He vowed he would learn whatever he could to improve his skills out in the world at large and return to repair the MRF Reclaimer as soon as possible. His parents told him that he had perhaps four years before they would start running into serious issues. It has been almost three years since he departed and although he had picked up a great deal of new knowledge he has yet to find a definitive way to save his home. He keeps searching and all the while tries not to feel guilty for how freeing it is to be traveling the skies in a realm ship rather than drifting in the MRF Reclaimer. He still loves his home and wants to see it repaired but his last few years in the world have made it clear to him that there is more to see in the world than the small confines of any single ship. Crunch: Liam Valenari
Male human technician 4 Init +2; Senses Perception +7 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +2 Dex) hp 24 (4d8+4) Fort +3, Ref +7 [+8 vs Traps], Will +5 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Ranged +1 Musket [Sky Splitter - Improved Firearm] +6 (1d12+1/×4) Special Attacks Deadly Shot (+1d10/+1d6), Pressurized Shot (+2d6) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 10, Cha 10 Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 16 Feats Extra Combat Talent Skills Appraise +9, Bluff +7, Climb +6, Craft (alchemy) +14, Craft (firearms) +14, Craft (siege engines) +14, Craft (traps) +14, Diplomacy +7, Disable Device +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +12, Knowledge (engineering) +14, Knowledge (geography) +9, Knowledge (local) +12, Linguistics +9, Perception +7, Profession (sailor) +7, Sense Motive +7, Sleight of Hand +6, Stealth +6, Swim +5, Use Magic Device +7 Languages Common, +Six Languages Other Gear mwk mithral chain shirt, mwk musket[UC], travelers any-tool[UE], 1,050 gp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Danger Sense: +1 Bonus to Relfex to avoid traps and +1 Dodge AC bonus agains them. +1 Perception to avoid surprise. Counts as trap sense. Deadly Shot: A special attack action adding one [snipe] talent known to an attack. Can expend martial focus to increase damage by 1d10 [1d6 targeting touch]. Gadgets: Can create a number of gadgets each day equal to ½ Level + Int Mod [2+5 = 7]. Gunsmithing: Can make and repair guns. Inventions: Can maintain up to [2] Inventions at a time. Martial Tradition [Mechanic]: Gains Expert Reloading [Equipment], Trap Sphere, Firearm Proficiency and Sniper Sphere at first level. Technical Insights: Gains Technical Insights every 2 Levels. Technically Minded: Bonus to all Know [Engineering] checks equal to ½ level and takes half the usual time when using Craft to repair. Reduces Disable Device skill use time by one step. Trapfinding: +½ Level on Perception checks to locate traps and on all Disable Device Checks. Can disarm magical traps with Disable Device. Trap Specialist: Gains a Talent from the Trap Sphere. -------------------- Spheres and Talents -------------------- Alchemy Sphere: Gain 5 Ranks in Craft Traps +5 per Talent in the Sphere, up to HD. Gains Formulae Package [Salve]. Expert Reloading [Equipment]: Whenever you reload a ranged weapon with which you are proficient, you may decrease the required time; hand and light crossbows become free actions, heavy crossbows and one-handed firearms become move actions, and two-handed firearms become standard actions. Firearm Proficiency [Equipment]: Proficient with firearms, except siege weapons, and gains Gunsmithing Feat. Focusing Reload [Sniper]: You may regain martial focus whenever you use a move, standard, or full-round action to reload a weapon you are wielding. Head Shot (snipe) [Sniper]: If your deadly shot deals damage equal to at least 50% of the target’s current hit points, the target must make a successful Fortitude saving throw or die. Constructs, elementals, swarms, and oozes are immune to this ability. This is a death effect. Salve: You create a poultice that can be used as a standard action to heal yourself or a target within your natural reach for 2d8+5. You can only attempt to heal a particular creature with this ability a number of times per day equal to [2+5 = 7]. You can increase the Craft DC for this item in increments of 10; each time you do so you increase the healing granted by the salve by 5. Base DC: 15. Sniper Sphere: Practitioners of the Sniper sphere can shoot or throw ranged weapons at a creature engaged in melee without taking the standard –4 penalty on their attack roll. Also gains access to the special attack action Deadly Shot. Steady Shooting [Equipment]: You have mastered techniques for making firearms more reliable and accurate at the expense of power. When firing a firearm as an attack action, you may ignore its misfire chance, but the weapon targets normal AC instead of touch AC. When firing a firearm in this manner, treat its range increment as 10 ft. longer than it actually is. Trap Sphere: Gain 5 Ranks in Craft Traps +5 per Talent in the Sphere, up to HD. Gains basic Dart and Snare traps. Warning [Alchemy]: Allies who can see and hear you never trigger your traps unless they choose to. -------------------- Technical Insights -------------------- Mechanical Insight: The technician unlocks special options for his inventions, as detailed under that section. He may also give his independent inventions the clockwork subtype by adding the following properties (a construct or independent invention cannot possess more than one subtype): Winding, Vulnerable to Electricity, Swift Reactions, Difficult to Create. Steampowered Insight: The technician unlocks special options for his inventions, as detailed under that section. He may also give his independent inventions the steampowered subtype by adding the following properties (a construct or independent invention cannot possess more than one subtype): Refill, Hydraulic Force, Vulnerable to Cold, Difficult to Create. -------------------- Inventions [1/2] -------------------- Sky Splitter [Improved Firearm]: His musket is modified with steam valves to build up pressure and increase the damage of his shots. By taking a move action the musket can store pressure. The next round, his first attack deals 1d6 + 1d6 every 2 levels past first [2d6].
Sun Li Tao:
The boy was named Jamir, a local of the town under the care of an older sister. At the time of his death his sister lived in the town but currently you would not be sure if she was still there. Their parents passed away when they were both quite young and his sister, Baasti, did her best to take care of them. He was in the well because he’d heard a rumor of treasure buried deep beneath the town and hoped to find it and help him and his sister. “Thank you both and blessings be upon you,” the older man nods overly eagerly towards the both of you as you leave. He does seem thankful and relaxes slightly when Evelyn says that she did not know anyone who took part in the damaging of the wagon but he’s still somewhat on edge. The younger man appears to be trying hard not to simply stare at you both in amazement out of fear of drawing the older man’s attention back to him. As you round the corner you can hear the older man start speaking very quickly in Menat to the younger man, it sounds like he is lecturing him.
Genesys is interesting. Are you counting this as Weird War or Steampunk? Or something else maybe? I ask because certain archtypes are informed by the setting you choose to utilize. Or are you okay with things from either as long as you can sort of rationalize it with the fallout-esque setting?
The man’s eyes widened slightly when Sun Li Tao approached. It didn’t seem as though he was offended at the man listening in, merely surprised that he had been able to understand thing thus far. Likely he’d seen few Dulimbaians at all, and fewer still who could speak Menet. He shivers as he talks of the men, who both Bilaal and Sun Li Tao could easily identify as being from the Black Academies. Though he does mention that their clothing seemed somewhat frayed, as though they had perhaps suffered some hardship lately. As for the creature it takes him a moment, “It's hard to picture even now. It simply didn’t look as though it should be able to exist. Surely no moral creature gave birth to such an abomination. It followed them at chain length, stooped but still standing taller than my wagon. Its arms were too long, clawed fingers dragging in the sand. And it was unnaturally fast for something so big. It barely seemed to cross the space between their group and my cart. And when it lay its hand against the side of my cart its claws cut into the wood like sheers going through cheap cloth. Mouths, all over its twisted body opened and snapped as it looked around, though I saw no eyes on its head you could tell when it looked at you. It was terrifying, I hope to never see its like again.” From what he’s said you can be fairly certain that the creature was an Uncreated chained to the will of several Black Academy sorcerers. What they’re doing on the other side of the mountains from where most of the Black Academies are and why exactly they took people instead of supplies you can't be sure of. But given what you know about the Black Academies it is unlikely to be good for those taken. Fidelity Tanner:
Fidelity you have no trouble finding your way to the body. Between Sun Li Tao’s directions and your own innate understanding of your surroundings and the path you should take to remain safe you are able to work your way into a tight tunnel. Once you reach the body it's clear what happened, he managed to squeeze through a set of jagged broken rocks but when he got to the other side their edges prevented him from turning around. There is blood on the rocks where it's clear the boy tried to struggle past them to no avail. All that is left is bones, this boy died years ago now. Should you wish it would be easy to transport the bones up to the surface. With your gifts there is no risk of trapping yourself underground as you retrieve them. The older man and boy look on with quizzical expressions as Bereket scoops up a handful of sand and spits in it. The younger man steps forward, almost as if to protest, when you slap it onto one of the cuts in the side of the wagon. His words seem to die in his mouth, his hand just starting to raise, as you casually rub the material in and seal the tears as if they had never happened. The boy says something in Menet pointing at Bereket and the older man immediately barks something back, cuffs the boy upside the head and bows his own head towards you, “I humbly thank you for your services. I did not realize that our village was being visited by sorcerers. Truly if I had known I never would dared to have spoken to you so informally. May the God King bless you for your kindness, I apologize and take full responsibility for my boy’s rudeness.” The mood the man was projecting has changed noticeably. He seems incredibly nervous and anxious, his eyes keep darting towards the young man as if afraid that you intend to do something to the young man, perhaps for his comment earlier. You notice the older man put himself in between you and the young man after he bowed. At Evelyn’s prompting he explained, “We work for Caravan Master Barakaa, some creature did this when it waylaid his caravan during its last trip out. I have never heard of its like before. Indeed I wasn’t sure that it wasn’t a creation of sorcerers like yourselves perhaps. Who are we to question the God King and Queens trusted Flesh Shapers after all.”
Could definitely be interested in something like this potentially. Id recommend a Powered by the Apocalypse System. Possibly just hacking in things you want to it but systems like Apocalypse World are a great start for what you want. Apocalypse World at its base doesnt offer a ton in the magic department, it focuses more on the fallout/everything is awful aspect of the world. If you dont mind focusing more on a specific setting then you could try something like Noir World or Blades in the Dark for a group of thieves kind of thing. But now Im starting to just list games that I really want to play so Ill stop. Apocalypse World really does sound like a decent starting point at least. Or just re-skinning everything from from a different system that you like more mechanically. A lot of the later PbtA systems have great systems for building factions/organizations and running them in the background.
Loving this idea, pretty much had me at Deadwood meets Alloy of Law. I have three possible characters in mind and Im just kind of constructing backstories for them to see which feels like a better fit and more interesting character to play out. I love the idea of an Asmodean Advocate Cleric for whom the letter of the law is their life. But I feel like it might not be the best solo character and Taldor isn't the most likely to accept an Asmodean Cleric as an official. So Im leaning between the Investigator or Druid I've been building. Ill definitely submit something soon though.
The man looked around as Bilaal introduced his companions and seemed mildly perplexed for a moment at the number of people listed. And then, suddenly, he sees Fidelity sitting on the edge of the well. He tilts his head and shakes it as if trying to come back to his senses. She stood out so much, clearly a foreigner like the others but he could have sworn that there were only four of them a moment ago when he walked up. When the woman he didn’t notice and the Dulimbaian man started talking amongst themselves he turned his attention back to Bilaal and his questions. At the mention of trouble his face fell somewhat, “Indeed we have had trying time as of the past several months. Normally I take a trip to the great pyramid city of Dehnet every couple of months to stock up on any supplies the town might be lacking. I also take any trade goods we have made or treasures scavenged from ruins along with me to make a profit. During our last trip we were waylaid. Not by sand raiders, that would be one thing but this was something different. No these black robed figures were something else, and the creature they had with them bound in chains… it was horrifying. Unlike anything I had ever seen before. When they did not demand our goods but three of the men helping guide the caravan, we did not know what to do. Ultimately they volunteered to go if the rest of the caravan was spared. They were led away south towards the mountains. Khufu and Nakht were older men without families, they knew the risks going out into the sands. It's been harder for Sabu’s mother. The boy was sixteen and it was his first trip outside of our city… I feel terrible that I could not bring him home. But you must understand I truly believed if we did not give them what they wanted we would all be killed and our goods taken as well. Still, as I'm sure you can understand it has made us that much more hesitant about any foreigners.” Sun Li Tao:
As you focus in on the scenes of death you see a number of different tablues of violence play out one after another. Of the violent deaths by raiders most seem to wear simple robes that would easily blend into the sands of the Oasis States. You notice some red accented patterns on the robes of a great many of the killers though that might indicate some kind of group. The body beneath the hut is a merchant from Nezdohva, a human representative of one of the boyar automatons who runs a rather prosperous mine near the western edge of Nezdovha. He was poisoned in the hut he is buried beneath. At the bottom of the well the body is that of a child, a boy who climbed down the well and into the cracks that led away from the cavern. He got turned around and when he panicked he ended up getting stuck in the tunnels underground, eventually he starved. Fidelity Tanner:
The voice is silent for a moment, but eventually you hear the song coming back to you, “Bright blue eyed like an oasis touched pool, lured away my beloved fool. Scarlet Serpents whisper in his ear, sway and convince him to return here.”
The young man doesn’t seem to understand you as you approach them asking if they would need help. He says something in Menet and the older gentleman who is supervising snaps out a reply to him before turning towards Evelyn and speaking in a heavily accented Trade Cant you can both understand, “Peace unto you for your concern misses. I would not wish to see you put yourself out on our behalf. In truth I fear it's just a matter of putting in the patches.” Now that you’re close you can see what is wrong with the caravan wagon. It has claw marks running deeply into the side of it and some of the frame is cracked as if a great weight was set upon it at some point in the near past.
What is pbta? Powered by the Apocalypse a really great system that in my opinion doesnt work super well over pbp. That said its also probably my favorite system. It encourages roleplaying over roll playing for sure. It encourages cooperative storytelling by making the GM more reactive to what the players implement. Most systems also have built in mechanics for connecting characters to one another in mechanical ways that can be beneficial or detrimental. Its not super different. There are Playbooks instead of Classes and it feels a little more creatively open to making whatever you want to make within its framework. There aren't things like feats that have to be chosen to make a "build" work. That said Id be super interested in anything PbtA essentially. Ill give a look to the Dragon Ball parallels specifically.
Never played Runelords but would love to since I believe it's a classic. So I decided to go with a new take on a classic class with the Chronomancer Wizard. I did it in Herolab as a PFS character so hopefully everything should be legal as you were looking for it. Noticably it switches Scribe Scroll for Spell Focus. Which Im kind of a fan of anyways. Ill do a personality blurb tomorrow and maybe a bit more extended version of history. Quick Background:
Faolan is a native Varisian who has traveled extensively over his homeland, seeking out the various relics hidden in the area. From a young age he was obsessed with history and the arcane and began studying it avidly. He apprenticed to an wizened man named Cailean who was focused on the location and recovery of ancient Thassilonian artifacts. Cailean was actually a Chelaxian native who had studied at the Egorian Academy in his youth and had graduated an official Infernal Binder. Over years though he saw the subjugation his people forced on others and how they did not seem to respect the history and majesty of the various cultures around them. Sometime in his fifties he left Cheliax and sought out history and artifacts that he could help recover and protect. Faolan learned a great deal from the old man, including some basics of the arcane arts and several languages. Faolan loved linguistics, languages came easily to him and he liked the inherent difficulty in learning a dead language like Thassilonian or strange otherworldly tongues like Infernal.
It was on the site of an ancient artifact Cailean believed could hold amazing implications for both the arcane and historical community that Faolan lost Cailean. Strange temporal energies ripped through the ruins when they accidentally activated the device while trying to figure out how to move it safety. Cailean was pulled away, in the years since Faolan has still been unable to determine if his master was pulled to another plane, killed or something stranger happened. And Faolan himself has found himself able to travel through time in unusual ways. Time is more fluid around him and he has found through practice that he can manipulate it to his benefit at times. Still the phenomenon disturbs him and he hopes that by continuing to explore various ruins he can find more understanding about both his power and what could have happened to his master. Crunch: Faolan Ó Cuinn
Male human conjurer (teleportation[APG]) 1 (Pathfinder Player Companion: Legacy of the First World 30, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 147) LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Perception +5 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex) hp 8 (1d6+2) Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Conjurer (Chronomancer) Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +5) . . 1st—grease, heightened awareness[ACG], mage armor . . 0 (at will)—dancing lights, detect magic, prestidigitation . . Opposition Schools Illusion, Necromancy -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 12 Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 12 Feats Orator[ACG], Skill Focus (Linguistics), Spell Focus (conjuration) Traits scholar of the ancients, seeker Skills Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (history) +9, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Linguistics +11 (+13 if consult codex when communicating in a language you do not speak), Perception +5, Spellcraft +8 Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Infernal, Sylvan, Thassilonian, Varisian SQ shift 7/day (5 feet), summoner's charm (1 round), temporal pool (4 points; forewarned, rewind) Other Gear backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, ink, inkpen, mess kit[UE], pot, soap, spell component pouch, standard linguist's codex, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, wizard starting spellbook, 79 gp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Forewarned (+1d4 initiative) (Su) 1 TP: +1d4 to initiatve Illusion You must spend 2 slots to cast spells from the Illusion school. Necromancy You must spend 2 slots to cast spells from the Necromancy school. Orator Use Ling in place of Bluff to tell falsehood, Diplo to change attitude or Intim to for cooperation. Rewind (Su) Immediately recast failed spell for 1/2 spell's level TP (min 1) Shift (5 feet, 7/day) (Sp) Short-range teleport Spell Focus (Conjuration) Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC. Summoner's Charm (+1 rds) (Su) Increase duration of summoning spells by 1/2 level (permanent at 20). Teleportation Associated School: Conjuration Temporal Pool (4/day) (Su) Gain reservoir of temporal energy used to power abilities.
Sun Li Tao:
Reaching out into the the area around you as you passed into town Keeper of Graves detected a number of bodies, twenty-six all told, at one of the corners of the town. A brief look towards the area suggests that it is a graveyard for those members of the town who have departed the mortal coil. Closer inspection of the dead reveals that to be the case, almost all the bodies were of people from this town. An unusual number of them died due to violence, mostly raider attacks on the town or in the areas immediately around it. Many of these violent deaths are far more recent than the peaceful ones, within the last couple of months. There are two more bodies that are not a part of the graveyard, one that seems to be buried under a small hut near the entrance of town and one deep underground, almost at the edge of your ability to sense it near the center of town. It’s almost worrying how close it is to the center of the well in the middle of town when you consider it. The man who Bilaal called to jumped, almost startled by having someone speak to him and then grinned sheepishly as if to hide his discomfort. It wasn’t hard to notice his eyes dart first over Bilaal’s partially bleached skin then passed over the companions who stood out far more. Still he seemed determined to put on a smile and greeted Bilaal as warmly as he himself had been greeted, “Greetings brother and friends, welcome to Horam. My name is Nadim al Barakaa, humble caravaneer, what can I do for you today?” Fidelity:
As you clamber down the well you see that it actually does open up somewhat. Although the well itself is lined with hardened clay and sandstone bricks for the first dozen feet, eventually the walls appear to be made up of solid sandstone itself, leading into a modest sized cavern. Through the center of the cavern runs a very small river. These underground rivers are rare in the Oasis States, you assume that it must be somehow connected to the pond at the far north end of the city near the hills that allow this area to prosper in their windbreak. At either end of the forty foot long cavern it tapers down to smaller passages that the stream continues on into both north and south.
After you climb your way back up and sing our your song onto the winds it takes some time but eventually you hear something coming back to you, a woman’s voice. The voice is filled with hesitation, as though they are not quite sure what compels them to answer this unearthly call, but also has a sense of fragile hopefulness as it sings back to you, “Lost to the raiders my dear son, find him and protect him oh holy one.” Thankfully Evelyn doesn't see the need to keep up Mutable Wards on side side of the sandstone cliffs that frame the Oasis. The shade provided in the area and the closeness to the pool keeps it bearable, if still much hotter than the northerners are use to. On the trip out here over the dunes and across the wide expanses of desert though the Mutable Wards proved invaluable for everyone but Fidelity and Bilaal who were immune to the heat. As Evelyn looks around and takes into account the surroundings she might notice several things. Although the town has a small sandstone wall it largely seems to serve as a marker for the borders of the town, rather than a serviceable defense. You did see a watch tower at the south end of town, opposite the tall hills surrounding the oasis that the town was built up around. It might be possible to attack by climbing the sandstone cliffs at the back of the oasis and coming down through it into the town from the north, but with so little on the south side of town any attacks would be more than likely to come from that direction. Coming through town you did pass by a group of men working on a large caravan wagon that appeared to have taken some damage. You couldn’t see just passing by exactly what had damaged it but it was clearly more than simple ware and tear from use.
Updated Iriador's Crunch to keep his Int 18 or under since it was 19 on the initial sheet. Also went ahead and just purchased some basics for him since I hadn't initially done so. Updated Crunch: Iriador Solladas
Male half-elf wizard (exploiter wizard) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 133, Ultimate Wilderness 213) LN Medium humanoid (elf, human) Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +7 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex) hp 8 (1d6+2) Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3; +2 vs. enchantments Immune sleep -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Special Attacks arcane reservoir (1/4) Wizard (Exploiter Wizard) Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +5) . . 1st—heightened awareness[ACG], mage armor . . 0 (at will)—detect magic, mage hand, prestidigitation -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10 Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 12 Feats Orator[ACG], Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Linguistics) Traits elven reflexes, noble born - lebeda, spark of creation Skills Appraise +8 (+10 on items valued by weight when using scales), Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Knowledge (religion) +8, Linguistics +14, Perception +7, Sense Motive +5, Spellcraft +8; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Skald, Sylvan, Varisian SQ able assistant, elf blood Other Gear abacus[APG], backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, ink, inkpen, journal[UE], merchant's scale, mess kit[UE], pot, silk rope (50 ft.), soap, spell component pouch, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, wizard starting spellbook, 25 gp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Able Assistant (Ex) Treat valet as it possesed Cooperative Crafting and all Craft skills and item creation feats you have. Arcane Reservoir +1 DC or CL (4/day) (Su) Pool of points fuel exploits, or can expend to add +1 CL or DC while cast spell. Elf Blood Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race. Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects. Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar. Familiar Bonus: +3 to Linguistics checks You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail. Orator Use Ling in place of Bluff to tell falsehood, Diplo to change attitude or Intim to for cooperation. Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
The last few years have been strange for all of you, stranger than everyday life in your homelands already is anyways. The divine spark awakening within each of you has gifted you with power beyond your previous imagination. Since that awakening you have all started testing the limits of your powers. You worked together to destroy a parasite god that threatened the homes you were fighting to protect. You established several small refuges of peace in decimated countries. You fought back against the monsters who sought to take the only things you ever cared about away. And you always pushed forward to try to better understand your role in the world now that you have these gifts. Some of you know each other better than others. Several of you have worked together extensively for the past several months to try and better the situations for your respective people. All of you hail from across the globe and your goals do not always align but within each of your companions you have seen that same power that is slowly growing within you. And you see that though you may not always agree with their methods, your fellows seek to make the world better in some way. Because of its centralized location to all of your homes the five of you have made your way to the Oasis States, Bilaal’s home nation. There is not a great deal of love between the once raider and his home nation. Life in the Oasis States is hard for those not specifically bred into roles of influence. Bilaal has fought to survive for years and longs to conquer the Oasis States and implement a system that is better. You may not all be convinced that his idea of better is necessarily better for all, but looking at the Oasis States as they are now it's hard to imagine something much worse. If the Oasis States were united under a leader you all knew though the benefits seem obvious. Sun Li Tao is looking to dethrone the Emperor of his home as well and both Sun Li Tao and Bilaal have set eyes upon the Raktine Confederacy. Fidelity’s fight for people’s freedoms wherever she is fills her with disgust when looking upon how easily the people of the Oasis States trade in flesh. Bereket’s homeland of Ancalia has so many issues that even simply putting a stop to the raiders coming out of the Oasis States to kidnap survivors along the borders would be a huge boon. And Evelyn is as eager to protect her new allies as she is to plumb the depths of the many ancient pyramid cities that are rumored to be full of countless treasures. You are all currently in the small town of Horam, barely more than a village build up around an Oasis in the sands between the pyramid city of Qanat and the Zeraf River. Bilaal’s knowledge of the raiding parties in the area seemed to indicate that this village was currently one of the safer places to meet up and was relatively close to the ruins of Amon, a small pyramid city said to have been overrun by all manner of foul creatures years ago. The mood in the village is tense, after all only one of you looks remotely like a local, and strange people dont often mean good things for the people of the Oasis States. Even Bilaal though is receiving some odd reception, it seems as though there is an underlying tension in the town that has nothing to do with your arrival. So it is that you gather together near the well at the center of town, about to set out all together for the first time. But with so many different goals to accomplish, where do you plan to start?
Alrighty I believe I have the first bit of info to toss up about my planned character. I haven't purchased any equipment yet since I still want to think of what exactly this character would feel the need to bring with him. But I do also have a couple question: 1. Are you planning to use the Kingmaker Kingdom Building or the Ultimate Campaign version? The Kingmaker one in my limited experience is pretty lacking. The Ultimate Campaign opens things up a bit more options wise but also just balances it a little better.
Background:
Iriador’s family have been merchants for several generations. His mother Signi claims that his ancient Ulfen ancestors were brilliant traders who used their wits to the benefits of their clan, buying and selling supplies rather than rely on infrequent raiding parties. That said his mother has never even seen the Land of the Linnorm Kings. Her parents brought her to Brevoy when she was quite young and although she traveled some in her youth she ultimately returned and sought service with House Lebeda. She was a fierce woman to bargain with and she was relatively successful during her years as a House Lebeda tradesman. She met Iriador’s father during some negotiations with a contingent of Elves from Kyonin that were meeting in Restov several years ago. Over the course of the week-long deliberations Iriador was conceived. By the time that Signi learned she was pregnant his father was well on her way back to Kyonin. Never one to back down from a challenge his mother decided that she was perfectly capable of raising Iriador on her own. When she saw his bright red hair, she decided to go with Iriador, an old elven word meaning ruby.
During his youth Iriador was relatively content. As he grew older he occasionally had awkward questions about his father, but Signi was a wonderful parent. All the fearsome energy she had devoted to working as a merchant was instead focused on raising and providing for her son. Although ultimately that overprotective nature was what would drive Iriador to set out on his own to make his own way it, he would never say that he had a bad childhood. Almost as soon as he was able to walk and waddle his mother was taking him on trips with her. A large part of his childhood was spent on boats moving around the shores of Lake Reykal to trade. It wasn’t especially surprising that over time he quickly began to learn the tricks of the merchant trade from his mother. When he was eighteen years old he was accepted by House Lebeda as an official trade representative like his mother, able to barter and negotiate on behalf of the House itself. He would always see that as one of his greatest accomplishments and fondly remember the joyful tears in his mother’s eyes at hearing the news. Although he grew occasionally aggravated at his mother’s interference in his affairs it was impossible to deny that she did so because she wanted the best for him. And the pride in her eyes at what Iriador had managed to accomplish was humbling. As a representative in his own right he was able to branch out and conduct trades on his own without Signi’s oversight. He had learned a great deal about the various people’s of Brevoy during his time studying under his mother but now he got to take what he had learned, refine it and capitalize on it. The first few years on his own were difficult, even more so when he had to insist that his mother did not throw her weight around to force deals in his favor. But he got through it and learned a great deal. His mother had always done things with a natural charm about her. Occasionally she would beat people down with that charming smile if that was what it took, but most often people ended deals with her smiling and laughing. Iriador found that his own talents lay more in proving his knowledge and understanding of what he was selling. Iriador was quick to learn things and could naturally explain them in ways that made people understand things better. He also learned that he was quite adept at talking circles around any questionable parts of a contract so that people would overlook them. As he developed his own methods and style for conducting his business he found he was increasingly successful in his business dealings. As he worked to learn more about the products he was selling and people he was selling them to it began to become clear to him that his elven ancestry had imparted some measure of magical talent onto him. Some might have seen this as a calling and focused on it, but as far as Iriador was concerned he had already found his purpose. If he had magical talents, then they were a gift meant to enhance his true passion. So, he did study what he could of his arcane talents, he found work arounds and loop holes to help him achieve things that were normally only possible with intense study. His focus was perhaps not as impressive or earth changing as some arcane practitioners, but he learned things that he saw as helpful to pursuing his own goals. Being able to charm people or increasing his awareness during a business deal, those were far more useful than hurling a ball of fire at someone’s head. His focus lay far more on what magic could do for him and in the possibility of making and selling magical items than in the use of magic for its own sake. Around a year ago, a noble made a variety of accusations against both Iriador and his mother. It was all political grandstanding to discredit them as traders, the man had heavy investments in other businesses that weren’t doing well in part because of them. That ended up hurting both Iriador and his mother considerably. His mother had a decent bit of pull at the time though and was able to keep it from bankrupting them completely. But the move infuriated Iriador. After years of faithful service one little blue blood with a grudge caused so much damage to his family’s reputation. It just didn’t seem fair. And he wasn’t entirely sure how he could make it up to his mother for interceding on his behalf. So, when the call came out for people willing to go out and help prepare for a claim on the Stolen Lands Iriador saw it as a golden opportunity. His reputation in Brevoy was will hurt somewhat but this was one way to gain some recognition. And if he was lucky it would also allow him to start planting the seeds for trade deals that he and his mother could capitalize on for any settlements that did spring up in the Stolen Lands. Role in Kingdom/Party:
I toyed around with a number of different characters before settling on this one. I know a little about Pathfinder, I've gotten through the first two books before. So I know that downtime can be a huge thing in this game and something fun to capitalize on. I figured it had been a long time since I played a crafter. As I was looking at the various classes that could make halfway decent crafts I ultimately settled on Wizard. When I thought about it I figured Magister made perfect sense for a Wizard, so I immediately knew I didn't want to do that. So I kept looking over the list and saw Treasurer can use Int. That's when the idea for this character started really coming together. As Treasurer it would have to be someone good with money, a young man from a merchant family associated with House Lebeda perhaps? Then the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea of someone crafting and selling magical items. Yes, of course he himself can do magic but that's not his real focus on life, its being knowledgeable about the things he wishes to sell. So I ended up with Iriador, the man who wishes to be Treasurer of this kingdom.
For his party role I mean he's a Wizard. Which I dont actually play all that often. Prepared spellcasters aren't as fun to me as spontaneous but I feel like this character is interesting and I can have fun with it. I plan on taking very few Evocation spells, he'll probably mostly focus on control and manipulation of the battlefield. And of course he'll help out massively when he eventually starts being able to make magical items for the party. Out of combat I took Orator, which has quickly become one of my favorite feats. It seems perfect for a merchant. If I would use Bluff to lie, Diplomacy to improve attitude or Intimidate to coerce help from someone I can instead use Linguistics. Linguistics is a much better skill for me as a Wizard and I think kind of makes sense for an intelligent person who works to talk people into buying things for a living. Fey Thoughts also gave him access to Perception and Sense Motive because I feel like those are exceptionally useful skills for someone who is making trade deals. All and all his skills are much better suited to social encounters than a bog standard wizard would be. Crunch: Iriador Solladas
Male half-elf wizard (exploiter wizard) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 133, Ultimate Wilderness 213) LN Medium humanoid (elf, human) Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +6 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex) hp 8 (1d6+2) Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2; +2 vs. enchantments Immune sleep -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Special Attacks arcane reservoir (1/4) Wizard (Exploiter Wizard) Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +5) . . 1st—charm person (DC 15), color spray (DC 15) . . 0 (at will)—detect magic, mage hand, prestidigitation -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 10, Cha 10 Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 12 Feats Orator[ACG], Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Linguistics) Traits elven reflexes, noble born - lebeda, spark of creation Skills Appraise +8, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Knowledge (religion) +8, Linguistics +14, Perception +6, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft +8; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Hallit, Skald, Sylvan SQ able assistant, elf blood Other Gear wizard starting spellbook, 70 gp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Able Assistant (Ex) Treat valet as it possesed Cooperative Crafting and all Craft skills and item creation feats you have. Arcane Reservoir +1 DC or CL (4/day) (Su) Pool of points fuel exploits, or can expend to add +1 CL or DC while cast spell. Elf Blood Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race. Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects. Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar. Familiar Bonus: +3 to Linguistics checks You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach. [Parrot Valet Familiar] Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail. Orator Use Ling in place of Bluff to tell falsehood, Diplo to change attitude or Intim to for cooperation. Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
Super interested in this concept ever since first hearing about it. In our current intrigue game I ended up submitting my Cleric whom thematically I love how he came together but for an intrigue game is painfully lacking in skills. Would definitely love to try out something a bit different from that.
@Saashaa You're welcome to keep an eye on the Gameplay thread when it goes up but it will probably be a few days at least. We're going to be doing a very extended Session Zero over Discord I believe to set up exactly how we're going to get things started. If you're really interested Id be happy to PM you when posts start going up. Again thanks for the well wishes and the applications everyone.
So this was actually incredibly hard. There were more applications than I really expected. Going into this I was honestly looking for just three decent applications to accept. Instead I ended up choosing five and I feel like I had to turn down some really great ones. If I can get this game going and it feels stable and I think I could commit to a second Ill be sure to keep in mind anyone who applied to this game but best of luck to everyone else. So without further ado here are my selections: KingHotTrash - Sun Tao
Congrats to the selected and thanks again to everyone who applied. If you were accepted you should please feel free to post in the Discussion thread and I will be PMing you a Discord link as well. The Discord is optional but I think it might ease communication moving forward.
Recruitment is closed! No more new Applicants will be considered. Anyone who posted their interest will have 24 hours to finish their application and get it posted. Then Ill go through them and make my selections. I want to thank everyone for the interest shown. This is the first recruitment I've done on this site. I always wondered how much people played it up when they said they were so sorry they couldn't accept everyone. Pretty obvious to me now that the struggle to make selections is very real. I've already decided to select five when I was started out thinking either three or four. But Im still gonna have to turn down some great applications. I will definitely keep anyone who applied in mind if there are drop-outs or complications, or if I lost my mind and end up starting up another Godbound game alongside this one. Anyways get your finishing touched on them and best of luck guys.
Really loving the back and forth between everyone talking about characters. The Google Doc is amazing and will prove very helpful. So as a reminder recruitment will close the 30th. After that I'll probably leave 24 hours for final changes or submissions, but no one who hasn't at least doted in by that point. After that I'll take a day or two to review so I'd expect to make selections around the 3rd.
So I heavily edited the background from a character I submitted to a Giantslayer game. So if something stands out as especially odd I may not have pruned it properly. But overall I think it works fairly well and I think it could be a cool character to play given the game involved. Questions:
How much experience do you have in RPG’s? Basically fifteen years of playing rpgs in one form or another. Really the last ten in terms of pen and paper style, tabletop rpgs. Started with DnD then moved onto Pathfinder. Now its Pathfinder and a decent bit of PbtA for the most part.
How many PbP games are you currently in? GMing? I am currently playing in 3 games and am recruiting as GM for a game. Have you played, GMed or read Reign of Winter? I read the first book a long time ago when trying to decide on what to GM next for my at home group. Ended up doing something else and I cant say I remember much. Can you post at least once per day M-F 90% of the time? Absolutely. There will be fringe cases where something happens and I cant but if at all possible Im generally going to try and make note of that to everyone first. Would you, if requested, provide an actual email for contact if you ghost the game? Sure thing, will do so through PM if accepted. As there any other information you would like to share? Milind Soman is my casting. And I will not be taking Slumber because while incredible I think its also sometimes just not fun. Gonna focus on debuffing in a not just "you dont get to play Pathfinder" way. Do you understand that you need to track XP and other resources for yourself? Yup. Luckily Herolab is basically cheating when it comes to things like that. Background:
Saccha’s Sweets is a well-known business in the small town of Heldren. Not an especially large building, it is run by a middle-aged Varisian man named Saccha Rine and his daughter Sapphi Rine. Several things make the Rines stand out in the community, including the simple fact that these olive-skinned Varisians have settled down in one place for over twenty years. Saccha and his family were part of a traveling Varisian caravan who happened to have made its way south and into Taldor. Unfortunately for them they managed to stumble across a group of bandits that had been plaguing the area. If it had not been for the timely arrival of a group of troops from nearby Zimar they likely would have all been killed. As it was only Saccha and his four year old daughter survived the attack. The need to protect his daughter and be strong for her was the only way he fought off the immense sorrow at the death of his wife and their friends from the caravan. The soldiers led them to the closest town to start recovering, and that was how they found themselves in Heldren.
Strangers in a strange land Saccha found the people of Heldren to be surprisingly welcoming. He had traveled rather extensively in his youth but he was finding that Taldor was remarkably tolerant of various peoples for the most part. Saccha was a talented baker and while there were a few chefs in town, like the one who worked at the only inn, there was no one who really focused on making sweets. That made sense, sweets were a luxury that could not always be afforded. But Saccha saw it as an opportunity to give something back to the community that took him in when he was at his lowest. So he asked if he could utilize the kitchen of the Silver Stoat and began making his first pastries since his cook’s wagon had been lost in the bandit attack. His treats were a hit with the townsfolk and he worked out a deal with the owner of the Silver Stoat that he would split the profits of anything he sold if he could continue to use their kitchen. After several years of hard work and careful savings he was able to build Saccha’s Sweets with the help of some of the local townsfolk who had welcomed him into their community. He was rapidly known as the man who always had a candy for a crying child on hand and a kind word for anyone in town. Any festival of note was bound to have a table filled with Saccha’s pies and pastries, where he handed out various sweets in his riotously colorful Varisian aprons. The transition to life in Heldren came with several difficulties for Saccha. Most notably was the issue of his faith. Hiding his worship from outsiders was second nature to Saccha of course. Very few places welcomed the worship of the Pallid Princess openly after all. Saccha, his wife and the rest of his caravan had been worshipers of Urgathoa in her aspect as a goddess of indulgence and vice. They were comfortable traveling on the road because it allowed them to indulge in drink, food and other vices in a city then move along before causing too much of a stir. But when Saccha’s wife and friends were killed it was obvious things would have to change. Those who worship Urgathoa don’t swear “till death do us part” when married because they believe a bond should last beyond death. Saccha had no way to save his wife’s life but he could do everything in his power to protect their daughter. Saccha knew he had to be careful, he lived by the laws of Heldren and did whatever he had to in order to make Sapphi’s life as joyous as possible. His success in town was largely because of his desire to make her want for nothing. He encouraged her to do whatever made her happy. But he never turned his back on the Pallid Princess. Indeed in his own way his business was his worship of her. Encouraging indulgence and excess, sweets for the joy of food rather than the necessity of survival was his silent homage to Urgathoa. Magic had always been in his blood as a Varisian, he knew this. But in time it became clear that his devotion to Urgathoa had gained some recognition in its own way. His daughter was the first to really notice it. As she grew older she had been instructed in the ways of worship of their Pallid Princess as well, just as Saccha and his wife had always planned for her to be. She noticed that when someone ate Saccha’s sweets they seemed to just feel better, there was something enchanting about them. Sapphi encouraged him to perform an Obedience to Urgathoa. So together they ate to the point of fullness, drinking a dark red wine between bites. But before he could eat the old, spoiled cake he had made for the purpose, it began to twitch and come to life. It contorted into the form of a snowy owl, with buttercream instead of feathers. And when it spread its wings there was the faintest impression of a death’s head moth made out across its small wingspan. The owl flew to him and settled on his shoulder, accepting him as its master and binding him to something greater. Over the next few years he began to experiment with his abilities to gain a greater understanding of the blessings that had been bestowed upon him. Keeping his religion a secret was obviously second nature to him at this point. Religion wasn’t an especially large focus for anyone in Heldren anyways. Although they had a small temple of Erastil the cleric there tended to act on the towns behalf regardless of faith, it wasn’t something that was rigidly enforced. His daughter began to take over more and more aspects of running the shop while he focused on the arcane and under her care the shop continued to prosper. With his daughter in a position of happiness and fulfillment, able to run the shop quite well on her own, Saccha found himself feeling something he had not in a very long time, wanderlust. The Varisian blood in his yearned to travel the open roads once again. He was getting on in years, almost forty-seven years old now, and he felt he did not have much more time to travel before it grew too difficult to truly enjoy. Perhaps there was a bit of adventure left in the old sweet maker’s bones before he was ready to settle down for good. Crunch: Saccha Rine
Middle-aged human witch (gingerbread witch) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 65, Pathfinder RPG Horror Adventures 72, Ultimate Wilderness 213) LE Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +0 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex) hp 8 (1d6+2) Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +2 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee dagger +0 (1d4/19-20) Special Attacks hexes (cackle[APG], cauldron[APG], child-scent[UM], evil eye[APG]) Witch (Gingerbread Witch) Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +6) . . 1st—command (DC 16), infernal healing[ISWG], mage armor . . 0 (at will)—detect magic, guidance, light . . Patron Time -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 10, Cha 12 Base Atk +0.5; CMB +0; CMD 11 Feats Brew Potion, Extra Hex[APG], Extra Hex[APG] Traits fast-talker, restless wayfarer Skills Bluff +6, Craft (alchemy) +13, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (local) +10, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (planes) +9, Profession (cook) +4, Spellcraft +9, Use Magic Device +5 Languages Aklo, Common, Gnome, Hallit, Skald, Sylvan, Varisian SQ able assistant, gingerbread familiar, witch's familiar (owl (valet) named Creme) Other Gear dagger, 168 gp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Able Assistant (Ex) Treat valet as it possesed Cooperative Crafting and all Craft skills and item creation feats you have. Cackle (Su) As a move action, extend the duration of other hexes by 1 rd. Child-Scent (Ex) The witch gains the scent ability, but only with respect to humanoid children and immature animals. Thus, she could sniff out a child's hiding place or a den of wolf pups, but not the child's parents or the den mother. Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar. Evil Eye -2 (8 rounds, DC 15) (Su) Foe in 30 ft takes penalty to your choice of AC, attacks, saves, ability or skill checks (Will part). Gingerbread Familiar (Ex) Familiar is a construct, but can be recreated in 8h at no cost Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch. Witch's Familiar (Ex) Gain the services of a special familiar that stores spells.
@Viscount K So it seems your question was essentially tackled but Ill add on a little bit as well since I think its good to get my expectations out there for everyone. My Thoughts as GM: As players it is your job to create a character that wants to be a part of the group. Mysterious loners have zero place in most roleplays as far as Im concerned. If that is what you want to do then you're best finding someone who can run a solo game for that character. You are making a member of a pantheon of gods. You have to make someone who for whatever reason is willing to work with that group. Does that mean they have to be the same alignment/morality? Abso-f!+!ing-lutely not. If you can create a character that is downright evil but is of obvious appeal to the group and wants to be a part of it, go for it. This world is incredibly dark, I can almost guarantee that unless you go for the most evil creature you can imagine there will be some horror worse than you out there to fight against as a group. Obviously Id say the wiggle room for making a character that works with others gets smaller the more you diverge from the sort of group morality. But overall Id say staying in the gray zone is a pretty good idea for everyone. Think Greek pantheon. None of those gods were really great people although they all did great and terrible things at times. You'll have that kind of power on your hands. Note About Selection: This I feel is also important to note. After I go about taking the time to select people I will probably be creating a Discord for the game. It wont be required for everyone who joins but I will have it as an option to ease simple communication between myself and players. I intend for it to be used as a bit of a faster based discussion and questioning forum for the game. Either through Discord if everyone has it, or via the Discussion page if not, the players selected and I are all going to have a rather extensive period where we just talk about expectations. Essentially Im going to ask everyone selected what they want out of the game and how important various aspects of the game are to them. Then we'll talk a little about setting, starting point and even if we want to start at level one. There's a chance Ill bump you all up to level two and give you Apotheosis if that is what the group seems to see as the best starting point. But at that point you'll be able to tweak your character and background some if you see fit to make them workable with whoever else gets selected.
Great applications keep coming in. We still have four days until I close down applications and then Ill probably need a little bit to review everything. So far there are a ton of great options. Originally I was only going to take 3-4 people but I think Im edging towards taking 4-5 because its already getting hard even considering turning down some of these awesome characters. Looking forward to seeing what else gets submitted before we close down applications. As always any questions, concerns, ideas or advice should be posted here or PMed to me and Ill tackle it as quickly as possible.
@Storm Dragon So the Strifes are definitely a mechanical part of the game. Give me a few minutes to try and figure out the best way to get the info to you but I will definitely give you access to it. I will say that Mastering a Strife from the get go would essentially eat up 4 of the 6 Gift points you start out with and likely need to be Fact as well. But if that is where you would like to start its valid. Ill send you a PM with the info as soon as I get it worked out. @ChristheClown Hey nice to see you here, welcome to the forums. I really like the idea of the character. We are definitely operating within Arcem. Ill likely end up making some changes to the setting to make it more workable for whoever ends up getting selected but the bare bones are going to be there so things like Sand Princes of the Oasis States are absolutely a brilliant starting point. I like the thematics of the character, it makes good sense to me. If you have any other questions/concerns/changes to make just let me know. If not keep an eye on the thread and good luck come selection time!
@KingHotTrash Looks great. I feel like I get a pretty good impression of the type of character and person he's going to be. Interesting choice of Words for very thematic reasons. I like it. The only thing that I can see that would need tweaking is your Facts. Largely just because you gave me a paragraph instead of essentially a sentence. Really its not a big deal though since each of those more complex thoughts can be summed up more succinctly with little difficulty. But Facts made too wordy and broad or too narrow and specific can be difficult to work with when it comes to calling on them and applying them to rolls. Overall though I like it a lot. @pauljathome Some of your questions appear to have been answered already [thanks for helping out everyone who did so] but Ill try to tackle the ones that haven't been answered. As for meeting up that will depend almost entirely on who I end up selecting. Part of the reason I want everyone to post a major, immediate goal for their character is so that I can start tying together how you all might go about accomplishing your goals as a group. Essentially what that means for you is that at this stage you dont have to generate a story that has you ending up in a specific spot or location. I will do that for you once you're selected. I want to know more about how your character grew up and what shaped them into the person they are. We'll figure out what they do with their powers and why they do it going forward together. Attacks/Combat is your second question I see which was mostly answered. Id say that there is a definite benefit to being able to do something in combat, but ultimately you dont have to make that a focus if you dont want to. Any Godbound can always expend effort to perform miracles. Every single Godbound will be able to expend effort to perform a general Smite action for instance. So its not 100% vital that every character have a lot of combat options. If thats the character you want to build, great. If you want to build a skilled, knowledgeable, social god instead then do that. Application for your character looks good. I like the idea of it a lot, I see good thematic elements and you chose one of my favorite Words [Dance~]. Dance has a lot of amazing effects and I think it works really well with the character. Seems very interesting. @Tapu Hey love seeing some stuff from the Lexicon. Artificial Intelligence was an interesting one. Dragon and Faerie Queen were my personal favorites. I like the character concept you have going though and I think that it would add an interesting dynamic to a group of more potentially emotionally driven characters. Could be some fun interplay as it sorts out if and how it feels about the goals it was programmed with versus the goals it sets for itself. @Hotaru of the Society We will absolutely be using Apotheosis. Ill also be using the expanded rules for forming cults provided by the Lexicon of the Throne which lets you sort of fine tune your cult if you're interested in doing so. You can of course also opt to be a free divinity and have no cult if that is more your style. @Keante Seems like a solid start. And there is nothing wrong with not really knowing exactly how to shape a word to the character at the start. For Earth in particular Id say it makes good solid sense for a Knight type character. Earth is not just about literal stone, it is about the enduring nature of the Earth itself. The Word evokes the hardness and durability of stone. Someone from a noble, humble background like a Pavian could appreciate the simple steadfast nature of stone and have that shape them as a Godbound. Combine that with a blacksmith appreciating metal and ore from the Earth, I see no reason that couldn't work for you. Since you're not a mortal using a fact to be a Pavian Knight means that you could be a Pavian Lord Knight, gaining the benefits of all three ranks automatically as a part of your background. Your backstory should reflect this obviously but that's great and gives you a nice starting place. Im definitely down for discussing the Knighthood more in detail. I love Ancalia and the Cousins and Fae and all that so Im happy to chat about it in more depth. Hopefully I got everyone who asked a direct question and commented on anything that seemed really relevant to an application. Great to see so much interest from people. Please keep any questions, comments or concerns flowing and Ill tackle them as I see them!
I would apply, as I showed interest in the earlier thread, but I am garbage at selling my character concepts. I will watch this with great interest though. It is of course entirely up to you but if you wanted help working things out or codifying what you want I would be happy to help either posting here or via PMs if you'd prefer. I dont want anyone to feel excluded because they cant cater to my style of application. If we can come up with that info together it works. But again, entirely up to you either way.
I have no issue with players applying together. I am only going to be accepting 3-4 people in all likelihood so both applications would have to be really well thought out and appealing. But a large part of my goal in this is to create a long-term creative game with a group of people who are going to stick with it and help create something together. So two people applying together might encourage each other to keep posting and that kind of thing, I can see the appeal to that. So by all means apply with someone and work to meld stories together if you wish to.
A thread for all manner of OOC discussions. A lot of World Building is likely to be done in this thread. Although we are using the setting presented in the Godbound PDF, things might end up getting fairly heavily modified based on what the Players want to see out of their world. Its also a great place to ask any questions that are simply too long to tack onto Gameplay posts.
"Godbound is a game of divine heroes in a broken world, men and women who have seized the tools that have slipped from an absent God's hands. Bound by seeming chance to the Words of Creation, these new-forged titans face a world ravaged by the mad ambitions of men and the cruel legacy of human folly. Their foes are many: the jealous parasite gods that suck at the wounds of the world, the furious Angelic Host that once held Heaven against the armies of men, and the endless legions of sorcerers, god-monsters, mortal tyrants, and eldritch relics that scourge the shattered realms. The Godbound stand against these horrors, determined to forge a better world from the fragments of the old. Still, not all these newborn divinities have a hero's soul, and some nurture red dreams of glory and unfettered rule. Will you be a merciful god to your people, or will you make them dread your holy name?" So I posted the Interest Check a few days ago and it got a little bit of interest, enough for me to feel it was valid to post the official recruitment. At the bottom of the post is a set of links, to the original Interest Check, the free PDF you'd need to run the system and some Google Docs that help keep track of characters. What am I joining? That is a little up in the air, if you're signing up for this campaign then you're agreeing to take a very active part in building a story with the other players and myself. Godbound is incredibly PC driven. When you wield the powers of a deity at level one, its hard to stop you from doing essentially what you want. So making goals and pursuing them is a huge part of what this game will become. It will essentially span a massive section of the world in all likelihood. This wont be like Pathfinder where the entirety of the adventure takes place within a single discrete country, you'll likely all be from very different backgrounds with different goals. Im interested! What do I do now? So basically I need you to familiarize yourself with the system via the links and submit to me a character. Building your character is super important, your character is going to be a huge part of what this entire world revolves around so I would love to see some characters that really feel alive. I don't need a 10 page backstory but I would like a bit of info about why they are the deity they are. The Words are suppose to be extensions of who they are as a person, not just a set of cool powers, tell me why those words work for you. And pay special attention to the Facts! Facts are going to see a ton of use in this campaign. A Fact is a core part of your character and will be drawn on in a variety of situations. Filling out a full character sheet is absolutely the least important part of being accepted. Below Ill give a good idea of what I want from you under the Spoiler: Application. I think I will leave this Recruitment up until 6/30/18 unless I see people making a lot of applications through that time. If I feel applications have slowed I reserve the right to simply cut it off as well. Please, if you have any questions, ideas or concerns post them here or PM me! Im happy to talk about this because its a project I've been thinking about for quite some time. Application:
Character
Origin Fact: See pg 11. Profession Fact: See pg 11. Relationship Fact: See pg 11. Background: This can be as little as a paragraph but give me a little something. Id prefer a glimpse of what they were like before they were granted these divine gifts. If you want to leave that a little vague or perhaps have some mystery as to how exactly they got their powers, talk to me, we can work with that. But unless not being connected to that mortal past is a true part of the character you want I want to see it here at least a little. 1st Word: This is the only thing I really need on the application that resembles a full character sheet. Your Words are extensions of you. So list each and explain why that word is representative of your character.
Short Term/Immediate Goal: Give me a short term simple goal your character currently has. This can be wide in scope, it just has to be their current focus. So it could be as simple as, "Master all human knowledge" or as complex as, "Free Nezdohva from the control of the Iron Tsar." Personal Motivations: What motivates your character? A sense of justice? A need for knowledge? A thirst for power unmatched? What drives them to do the things they do?
Optional: If you want to give me a traditional character sheet/google doc filled out go for it. But again its not as important as making the character feel like a character. If you want to start toying with it we are going to be using the array it provides: 16, 14, 13, 13, 10, and 8 to keep things on even footing. Important Links: Interest Check, Free Godbound PDF & Free Aids.
Artifice/Earth/Wealth could be cool, as someone who always has or can make any 'stuff' you might need. Keante: Artifice is one of my top 3 favorite words for sure. And Builder of Mountain Peaks is one of the best gifts period for a creative character. There's a ton of amazing combinations of words and gifts. Everyone: Alright since I'd likely be doing three or four people in the game it appears I have enough that I'd have to make choices as is. I'll put up the official recruitment either tonight after I get home or tomorrow. Until then feel free to ask any questions/concerns here.
Which raises my first mechanical question :-). Does "Adopt the shape of any beast or hybrid, natural or magical" include abilities (flying, breathing water, senses, combat, etc) or not? And does that cost effort when doing it on oneself? So assuming you're talking specifically about only Many Skinned Mantle, when used on yourself it allows you to assume any form without effort committed. You only commit to impose it on others. Once shifted you always have access to natural, physical abilities like flight, burrowing claws, etc. But supernatural abilities, dragons breath, etc do not transfer over normally. Your damage as a beast is non magical and based on size as detailed in the opening shapechanger paragraph (1d6 small, 1d8 medium, 1d10 large animals).
Sorry I should have gone over rolls but I didn't expect full character sheets of anything in the interest check. Ill likely give everyone the Array it suggests: 16, 14, 13, 13, 10, 8. Considering Words can often replace those stats or raise them to higher levels I think that array is a good starting point. Also if there are any thematic elements that you would like to consider for words that arent listed Im willing to work with those. You can build just about any character you imagine, its part of what I like so much about this system. The Lexicon also gives ideas for the following Words: Birds, Cities, Dance, Desert, Desire, Engineering, Entropy, Fear, Insects, Intoxication, Madness, Murder, Music, Network, Protection, Theft, Underworld, Vengeance, War and Winter. Edit: Also updated the first post with a link to the Godbound Reddit and its list of links and inspirations. As well as a googledoc link with some free play aids, including a form fillable character sheet. Most of that should be accessible through the top link I believe but its another way to get it.
The System: Godbound by Sine Nomine Publishing. "Godbound is a game of divine heroes in a broken world, men and women who have seized the tools that have slipped from an absent God's hands. Bound by seeming chance to the Words of Creation, these new-forged titans face a world ravaged by the mad ambitions of men and the cruel legacy of human folly. Their foes are many: the jealous parasite gods that suck at the wounds of the world, the furious Angelic Host that once held Heaven against the armies of men, and the endless legions of sorcerers, god-monsters, mortal tyrants, and eldritch relicts that scourge the shattered realms. The Godbound stand against these horrors, determined to forge a better world from the fragments of the old. Still, not all these newborn divinities have a hero's soul, and some nurture red dreams of glory and unfettered rule. Will you be a merciful god to your people, or will you make them dread your holy name?" Why Godbound? A few years ago I had a game that operated on the basis of the characters gaining fragments of divinity and ascending to goodhood themselves. It was sloppy and chaotic and amazingly fun. Unfortunately it also fell apart when the players moved away from one another. I've wanted to play Godbound for a long time but its not an especially common system. As I saw some recruitment for Powered by the Apocalypse games popping up I figured that these boards see enough people who might be interested in a different system than just Pathfinder, wonderful though Pathfinder is. What should I expect out of this game? Expect to be a collaborative participant in building, shaping and guiding the development of a fantasy world. We will be using the setting established in Godbound but I'm happy to open things up and developing things alongside you guys to make a world that feels interesting to everyone. Godbound is very player driven. The players have a tremendous amount of power, if they want to just murder someone they generally can. There are horrors and unique threats that can stand up to them, even destroy these fledgling gods, but normal humans are pretty insignificant to them. That kind of creative freedom in simply, "What do I do now?" might leave people feeling a little lost at times. You have to be willing to take charge and push forward your own ideas and interests. Be ready to play a character, of course we'll get into fighting and rolls and all that good stuff. But at the end of the day I want to see how the person you create, a being granted divine power, reacts to the world around them and changes it with that power. I'd love to play! What do you need from me? Great question! I need you to download that free link at the top of the post and start looking over it. In particular I'd look into Character Creation [pg 7], Words [pg 29] and Guide to the Realm [pg 95]. That link has everything you'll need to play the game. I personally have the Deluxe Edition as well as the Lexicon of the Throne, both of which add words and a few small concepts but you can play just fine with the free information. Anyone who wants to play can start talking character ideas here although this is not the recruitment. Ill only do a full recruitment if I drum up enough interest here. Id love to play but I want people who seem interested enough to stick with it for a while. But if you are interested please let me know! Toss out ideas for characters, situations, Gods, possible new Words. If you dont really know something please ask! A lot of the setting is going to get changed and built up by the players themselves whenever they're selected but we can at least go over some basics of the setting. Additional Resources: Godbound Reddit & Free Play Aids
Background:
Silas Illium was always a little different as a child. He was smart and extremely curious about everything around him. He liked seeing how things work, he liked taking them apart and seeing inside. That was fine, if aggravating, when he undid the buckles on his father’s mule’s harness. It wasn’t considered as acceptable to them when he captured and cut open a neighbor’s dog to see how it worked inside. Over the years he slowly learned to hide the things his parents wouldn’t appreciate. He didn’t exactly understand why they thought it was wrong, but he got better at predicting how they wanted him to act. But the curiosity never quite went away. The longer he suppressed the urges, the more they burned deep inside him. He took precautions, he led the boy pretty far away, but when he saw the knife the scream attracted a nearby trapper. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Silas was only fourteen, he likely would have been sent away at that point.
His parents weren’t sure what to do with him at that point. They had no idea what they could do to fix their baby boy. So they were overcome with joy when they were approached by a group that had heard of the incident. They explained that they were part of a group that helped rehabilitate troubled youth. They told his parents a half dozen amazing seeming success stories. They were friendly and charming and within a week Silas was on his way to stay with them. As soon as they were outside of town the man laughed and gave him a smile, not the friendly personable smile he had shown Silas’ father and mother. Instead there was something feral to that smile, something powerful and intoxicating. That was the first time that Silas was told the name of the group he would be staying with, the Apostles of Asmodeus. The Apostles, the shortened name they have given to Silas’ parents, were a group founded by a small number of the surviving members of the Church of Asmodeus before it had been driven out of Talingarde. They had overheard stories of a young boy who liked cutting up animals and after the barely aborted attack on another young boy. To most people that was a horror story and a cautionary tale. To the Apostles it was a calling to their newest member a tool they would hope to hone. They encouraged his interested, they taught him that his talents were something worthy of praise and practice. Over the next several years he practiced and perfected his skills with a blade. His trainers also taught him how to better blend in with society at large. They showed him how to hide those things which the fine and upstanding men and women of Talingarde found intolerable. He was being groomed to an important task. He would be the blade which was driven deep into the heart of Talingarde, directly into the chest of the King himself. The Apostles of Asmodeus sought revenge on the Kingdom that had driven them out and killed them off. So they were training Silas to be a slayer of those that would stand in their way. He was raised to be a soldier. The plan was for him to insert himself into the military and work his way closer to the King before eventually striking. Unfortunately they were discovered before they could implement their plan. They fought, because they knew what awaited them should they fail. Most of the Apostles were killed during their resistance. Silas crippled two and killed one guardsman before he was finally taken down. Since he was the only member of his enclave to survive they decided to make an example of him. He was tried for High Treason and sentenced to death by drawing and quartering. While awaiting his sentence he was sent to Branderscar. Role:
Okay so the original character I submitted was going to go the Master Spy route. This is a character I came up with for a different WotW Game with some changes. As a Slayer he's much more of a frontliner than my Investigator was. But I still think that with things like Cleaner he could potentially make a really cool Master Spy. One of his traits, Deep Cover, lets him take 10 on Bluff and Disguise to maintain the lie that he's really just a Soldier so that will help him even more when he acts as a spy/infiltrator. So I took Iron Will as one of the free feats and Cleaner gives him Deceitful the other prerequisite feat. So I might end up still going Master Spy on this new character as well depending on what the group seems to be looking like at the time. But he'll be a two-weapon wielding frontliner for the most part in terms of combat, he provides a lot more damage/melee potential than the Investigator did. Meanwhile he'll have decent skills to deceive people [bluff, disguise, stealth] and he had decent perception, sense motive and with a trait he got Disable Device as well to help out some as a scout when moving at the front of the group. All and all I think that mixing the two ideas I had for a Slayer and a Master Spy into one character to be really neat. Hope to see it play out in the game! Free Stuff:
Free Archtype: Stygian Slayer. Normally it wouldn't combine with Cleaner but I think that both fit really well for the character Im working to make. Doesn't really kick in until 4th Level anyways, but gives him a bit more stealth options.
Free Skill: Bluff I'll be leveling every level so my free point can effectively go into that. Background Skills: Appraise and Profession [Soldier] every level I believe. Free Feats: I took Iron Will & Dedicated Adversary [Humans]. Crunch: Silas Illium
Human slayer (sczarni executioner, cleaner, stygian slayer) 2 (Pathfinder Player Companion: Advanced Class Origins 21, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 53, 118) LE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Perception +6 (+8 vs. Humans) -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex) hp 20 (2d10+4) Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee kukri +4 (1d4+4/18-20) or . . kukri +4 (1d4+2/18-20) Special Attacks studied target +1 (1st, move action) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 18, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 12 Base Atk +2; CMB +6; CMD 18 Feats Deceitful, Dedicated Adversary, Iron Will, Power Attack, Two-weapon Fighting Traits deep cover, high treason, vagabond child (urban) Skills Acrobatics +6, Appraise +7, Bluff +8 (+10 vs. Humans), Diplomacy +5, Disable Device +5, Disguise +8, Escape Artist +5, Heal +5, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (local) +7 (+9 vs. Humans), Perception +6 (+8 vs. Humans), Profession (soldier) +6, Sense Motive +6 (+8 vs. Humans), Stealth +6, Survival +1 (+3 vs. Humans) Languages Celestial, Common, Infernal SQ focused killer, slayer talent (blood reader) Other Gear mwk chain shirt, kukri, kukri, 234 gp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Blood Reader (Ex) Know number of remaining hp a studied target within sight has. Dedicated Adversary (Humans) +2 to Attack and Damage vs. creature chosen, and some skills. Focused Killer (Ex) Studied target bonuses and DCs +1 vs. humanoids, -1 vs. others. Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage. Studied Target +1 (move action, 1 at a time) (Ex) Study foe as a Move action, gain +1 to att/dam & some skills vs. them.
I submitted an Investigator because it looked like you had a lot of up close damage dealers at the time [Inquisitor, Fighter, Bloodrager]. With the loss of the fighter Im probably going to submit something a bit more melee focused. Is that alright? I can use the rolls from the previous recruitment thread for the new character to keep things relatively simple.
Really loving the fact that I'm seeing PBtA games showing up on here. I rolled up an Elven Improved Fighter: Elohiir Minathas.
Silas Illium Background:
Silas Illium was always a little different as a child. He was smart and extremely curious about everything around him. He liked seeing how things work, he liked taking them apart and seeing inside. That was fine, if aggravating, when he undid the buckles on his father’s mule’s harness. It wasn’t considered as acceptable to them when he captured and cut open a neighbor’s dog to see how it worked inside. Over the years he slowly learned to hide the things his parents wouldn’t appreciate. He didn’t exactly understand why they thought it was wrong, but he got better at predicting how they wanted him to act. But the curiosity never quite went away. The longer he suppressed the urges, the more they burned deep inside him. He took precautions, he led the boy pretty far away, but when he saw the knife the scream attracted a nearby trapper. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Silas was only fourteen, he likely would have been sent away at that point.
His parents weren’t sure what to do with him at that point. They had no idea what they could do to fix their baby boy. So they were overcome with joy when they were approached by a group that had heard of the incident. They explained that they were part of a group that helped rehabilitate troubled youth. They told his parents a half dozen amazing seeming success stories. They were friendly and charming and within a week Silas was on his way to stay with them. As soon as they were outside of town the man laughed and gave him a smile, not the friendly personable smile he had shown Silas’ father and mother. Instead there was something feral to that smile, something powerful and intoxicating. That was the first time that Silas was told the name of the group he would be staying with, the Apostles of Asmodeus. The Apostles, the shortened name they have given to Silas’ parents, were a group founded by a small number of the surviving members of the Church of Asmodeus before it had been driven out of Talingarde. They had overheard stories of a young boy who liked cutting up animals and after the barely aborted attack on another young boy. To most people that was a horror story and a cautionary tale. To the Apostles it was a calling to their newest member a tool they would hope to hone. They encouraged his interested, they taught him that his talents were something worthy of praise and practice. Over the next several years he practiced and perfected his skills with a blade. His trainers also taught him how to better blend in with society at large. They showed him how to hide those things which the fine and upstanding men and women of Talingarde found intolerable. He was being groomed to an important task. He would be the blade which was driven deep into the heart of Talingarde, directly into the chest of the King himself. The Apostles of Asmodeus sought revenge on the Kingdom that had driven them out and killed them off. So they were training Silas to be a slayer of those that would stand in their way. Unfortunately they were discovered before they could implement their plan. They fought, because they knew what awaited them should they fail. Most of the Apostles were killed during their resistance. Silas crippled two and killed one guardsman before he was finally taken down. Since he was the only member of his enclave to survive they decided to make an example of him. He was tried for High Treason and sentenced to death by drawing and quartering. While awaiting his sentence he was sent to Branderscar. Crunch: Silas Illium
Human slayer (sczarni executioner, cleaner) 1 (Pathfinder Player Companion: Advanced Class Origins 21, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 53, 118) LE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Perception +5 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex) hp 11 (1d10+1) Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +2 -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee kukri +5 (1d4+4/18-20) Special Attacks studied target +1 (1st, move action) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 18, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 10 Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17 Feats Deceitful, Power Attack, Two-weapon Fighting Traits crime: high treason Skills Acrobatics +6, Appraise +5, Bluff +6, Disguise +6, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (local) +5, Perception +5, Profession (Assassin) +5, Sense Motive +5, Stealth +6 Languages Common, Infernal SQ focused killer Other Gear kukri -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Focused Killer (Ex) Studied target bonuses and DCs +1 vs. humanoids, -1 vs. others. Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage. Studied Target +1 (move action, 1 at a time) (Ex) Study foe as a Move action, gain +1 to att/dam & some skills vs. them.
Oh thanks! No I wasn't saying it was bad. Just a little funny that none of the skills were even a +3 at first. I generally like to have at least a little bit of focus. That boost helps tremendously. I believe I have a rough submission. Hopefully its something worth considering. Why was he in Branderscar?:
Finnick shook his head and laughed as they hauled him off in chains. He supposed that he deserved what was happening to him. Not for his crime, but for his failure to pull it off sufficiently. Finnick was a forger, one of the best. Being the best had gone somewhat to his head though because several months ago he had attempted to forge paperwork that would have had one of the local officials hauled off to work in the salt mines. So really it was just a hilarious and horrible irony that they had decided to sentence him to hard labour in the salt mines for life. He hadn’t expected the man to have friends in such high places. Finnick knew the lesser noble was scum, he’d personally helped the man frame people to get into a position of power. It was when he had started to threaten Finnick that the young half-elf had decided it was time to try and put the nobleman away. Obviously things hadn’t gone quite the way Finnick wanted though.
All and all it could be worse, although he was going to have to stay at Branderscar for a while life at the salt mines was better than death. And besides, he still held out hope, hope that people were ultimately foolish. He hoped that someone would be stupid enough to allow him access to some writing implements or a halfway decent uniform. Finnick could plan. He could wait for the right time. And when it came, when his patience paid off, well he was going to get his revenge on that little cockroach of a noble once and for all. He wasn’t going to settle for sending the man away this time either. Finnick had worked hard to build up the right kinds of contacts and get jobs in a place like Talingarde. And one spiteful little power grabber had cost him all of that. Finnick would ensure that he got his due. Role:
So basically he's a fairly young half-elf that found out really early on that he was pretty good at lying to and manipulating people. He spent a lot of time building up a reputation in the right circles, not easy in a place like Talingrade. He's extremely skilled at forgery and with Orator he can carefully word requests to people making aspects of his Bluff, Intimidate and Diplomacy even higher than normal. As an investigator he's quite knowledgeable, having at least a +8 to most knowledge skills with the ability to add a d6 onto them. He'll make a great skill monkey. His main purpose though would be to act as an infiltrator. With his free archtype he eliminates many penalties to disguise and can use his high bluff to get places he generally shouldn't be. Ill likely end up going Master Spy at some point but perhaps not. In combat I dont really know exactly how effective he'll be. Thats not his main focus by far. You guys have a Fighter, Inquisitor and Bloodrager so I kind of figure in your face damage was covered. Mostly he's a face/skill-monkey who will be able to provide aid in combat but not huge numbers. Free Stuff:
Free Archtype: Infiltrator. Gives me some cool Disguise stuff I can do but mechanically it wouldn't normally be possible as Empiricist replaces similar things. Since Im likely going Master Spy eventually I would love the Disguise benefits though.
Free Skill: Disguise I'll be leveling every level so my free point can effectively go into that. Background Skills: Linguistics every level. I also have 1 point in Sleight of Hand and 1 in Craft Alchemy right now. Free Feats: I took Deceitful & Iron Will. The first is helpful obviously but the second is largely just me getting rid of the Master Spy prerequisites ahead of time. Crunch: Finnick Tassos
Male half-elf investigator (empiricist, infiltrator) 2 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide 30, 100) NE Medium humanoid (elf, human) Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +11 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +2 Dex) hp 15 (2d8+2) Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +7; +2 vs. enchantments Immune sleep -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee dagger +3 (1d4+2/19-20) or . . sword cane +3 (1d6+2) Investigator (Empiricist) Extracts Prepared (CL 2nd; concentration +6) . . 1st—disguise self, heightened awareness[ACG], tears to wine (DC 15) -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 14, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 12 Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 15 Feats Deceitful, Iron Will, Orator[ACG], Skill Focus (Linguistics) Traits clever wordplay, elven reflexes, forgery Skills Acrobatics +5, Bluff +8, Craft (alchemy) +8 (+10 to create alchemical items), Diplomacy +5 (+8 to gather information (You can use your Intelligence Modifier instead of Charisma)), Disable Device +9, Disguise +11, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Knowledge (religion) +8, Linguistics +12 (+15 to create forgery), Perception +11, Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Hand +5 (+9 to hide objects on your body (doesn't stack with heavy clothing but does with bonuses for attempting to hide small objects), +7 to oppose the Perception check of someone observing or frisking you regarding items in the sheath), Spellcraft +8, Stealth +6, Use Magic Device +8; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception Languages Celestial, Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Infernal, Orc SQ alchemy (alchemy crafting +2), ceaseless observation, elf blood, inspiration (5/day), trapfinding +1 Combat Gear simple invisible ink (3); Other Gear mwk lamellar (leather) armor[UC], dagger, sword cane[APG], book of letters[UE], disguise kit, hollow-heeled boot, ink, inkpen, investigator starting formula book, masterwork backpack[APG], paper (10), pocketed scarf[UE], poison pill ring[UE], reversible cloak[UE], sealing wax, thieves' tools, wrist sheath[UE], 14 gp, 8 sp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Alchemy +2 (Su) +2 to Craft (Alchemy) to create alchemical items, can Id potions by touch. Ceaseless Observation (Ex) Use INT instead of CHA for gather information (+3) Elf Blood Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race. Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects. Inspiration (+1d6, 5/day) (Ex) Use 1 point, +1d6 to trained skill or ability check. Use 2 points, to add to attack or save. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail. Master of Disguise (Ex) When disguising himself as a different gender, race, age category, or size category, an infiltrator reduces the penalties for each by –2. Also, an infiltrator can disguise himself with 1d3 minutes of work. Mimic Mastery (Su) When an infiltrator uses disguise self or any polymorph extracts on himself, he is treated as 2 investigator levels higher for the purpose of determining the duration of that extract’s effect. He can use these extracts to take the appearance of specific individuals of the type of form he chooses, gaining a +10 to Disguise checks even if that extract does not typically grant such a bonus. Furthermore, these extracts grant the infiltrator a +10 bonus to Disguise checks made as part of his voice mimicry ability. Orator Use Ling in place of Bluff to tell falsehood, Diplo to change attitude or Intim to for cooperation. Trapfinding +1 Gain a bonus to find or disable traps, including magical ones. Voice Mimicry (Ex) Using this ability requires a special Disguise check, and creatures hearing the voice can make a Perception check to discover the ruse. An infiltrator can attempt to emulate any creature or other sound he’s heard clearly for at least 1 minute.
[12]
Not even a single 16. That's a little sad. But Ill try to roll with it. I'm thinking Unchained Rogue -> Master Spy.
Quick question. Age adjustments to stats or age as just a visual/background flavor? Considering making a middle-aged or possibly even old Dwarven Merchant.
Cowboy Bebop is one of the coolest futuristic settings that comes easily to mind. Various planets and stations have their own cultures and settings going for them and you can kind of drop into essentially another world/adventure depending on where you are going. I also like that it has this sort of old-fashioned aspect to the technology. There's some stuff that is what we would think of as high-tech but it somehow feels worn or antique. In a similar vein, for somewhat obvious reasons, is Space Dandy. Although I dont particularly like the show I like that sometimes it just had weird things. Aliens that dont really make any sense from a human perspective. I like the idea of occasional exposure to things that are just so out of our own context as to be impossible to understand.
Frankly after looking over a few systems Uncharted Worlds seems amazing. It has my favorite character building I've seen in a while. The factions system looks pretty robust as well. Impulse Drive seems pretty neat. The Veil is another one I've played but its emotional focus might be a little off base for something like this. The Sprawl is another possibility to consider. If it's not obvious I love powered by the apocalypse systems. I've only gotten to play in one once but this sounds amazing to me. Impulse Drive and Uncharted Worlds both sound wonderful for this and I'd love to help world build and create an interesting story.
So Im back with another question. I was thinking of making a Zeitgeist Binder Spiritualist for one of my characters. Because you cannot bind a Zeitgeist on a settlement without a positive modifier is there any way you could give me some idea of the modifiers for Isarn? Figure Enconomy and Lore are probably pretty badly off at this point. Corruption I figure is a decent looking one and one I might want to work off of if that is acceptable for the city. I figure a good way to stay invested in a city is to literally be channeling the unconscious emotion of the city itself. Never played this archtype before because it suffers pretty badly if it leaves its area of influence.
Actually going to withdraw and focus on a different campaign. Best of luck to everyone. One day Ill end up in a great Way of the Wicked campaign but I dont think its in the cards for me right now.
|
