"Good evening, welcome, and thank you for joining us. I'm Jerry Woodrow, and this is Cape Watch!"
"And I'm Gail Weatherby. Follow our Infini-cast and share your thoughts with us as we talk about the latest developments in the super powered community. Just go to Infini-gram and search, 'Cape Watch.'"
"That's right, Gail, it's that easy. We've got a crazy amount to talk about tonight, too, so let's get right into it: Are we seeing the beginnings of a new super team?"
"It sure seems that way, Jerry. There's been no official statement from the Alliance of Heroes as of yet, but let's take a look at what we know. What you're seeing is footage from two days ago, at Hyperion Elementary, shortly before its total destruction."
"No one was seriously hurt, were they, Gail?"
"That's right. But released hospital records indicated all the children had shown elevated glucose levels. That can only mean one thing, right Jerry?"
"You know it: The Confectionist. The sweet-toothed villain's culinary crime wave appears to have been halted before tooth decay could set in, thank goodness. But the question is, who are these young heroes who stopped him?"
"One thing's for certain, that's Horizon there with the strange black-looking energy. The former Sentinel is back on the horse, and this time with new teammates?"
"There's another one we here at Cape Watch were able to recognize, Gail. That one in the power armor calls himself the Steel Guardian. He was seen fighting Magmordius the Magma Menace in Toho Park six days ago."
"Hot stuff, right Jerry?"
"Indeed. And speaking of hot, what about this... devil girl?"
"Easy there, Jerr. She might be a succubus, known for stealing men's souls."
"Well, who needs to steal men's souls when you can just pound them into pulp! Look at that beating she put on the Confectionist!"
"That's right, Jerry. I like her pose right there. She's not trying to be sexy, she just opened a can of whoop ass. She's no sweet princess; she's a diva!"
"A 'Devil Diva,' Gail?"
"You don't get to pick out names. Let's move on. Who's that she's with? He fights like an animal. Took a bon-bomb to the face, too, and kept on going! What do you think, are those tats part of what's giving him his power?"
"Could be. Though, I got this one tattoo of Ultra-Star on my arm one time when I was drunk, and it never gave me any powers."
"TMI, Jerry. So the Tattooed Terror and Devil Diva finished off the Confectionist, but let's take a look at why there weren't any major injuries -- this young man in the hood. That's a very flashy form of levitation. All the sigils and spinning symbols. Not your typical TK, is it?"
"Most certainly not, Gail. In fact, our experts here at Cape Watch are pretty sure that's not telekinesis at all -- that's magic!"
"Quite right, Jerry. We might be seeing our first bona-fide magic hero since Doctor Infinity!"
"You heard it first here on Cape Watch, folks. We've got some more footage of these heroes to get through, so let's push forward. We've got a pair of colorful characters. One glowing bright, and the other bright pink!"
"It's always exciting to see heroes embracing color in their costume choices. And these two have it in spades!"
"What costume, Gail? The pink girl's skin is pink, and the yellow girl's hair is glowing!"
"It's still a great look for them, Jerry."
"All right, all right. I defer to your fashion acumen. So, is that it?"
"No, there was one more! A gadgeteer, by the looks of her. Always seemed to have what she needed in a pinch!"
"Those sugar-rushed kids were going to do more than pinch!"
"Quite right, Jerry. So, how many was that? Eight? Wow!"
"I know what you're all thinking: could this be the start of something big? Just when the Sentinels disband, we've got a new group of heroes teaming up and saving the day? Let us know your thoughts on Infini-gram!"
"Coming up next: what did happen to the Sentinels? No one's talking, so everyone's guessing. Hear what these cape-watchers believe, right after this!"
Very excited about continuing the story of Halcyon City, the crazy place where all the super hero shenanigans happen!
We're very close to a full roster, though I won't begrudge someone having a last-minute epiphany and wanting to change their character to another Playbook. Pop in, let us see your avatar, and get to know each other if you haven't gamed with each other before.
One of the neat things in Masks is the "Origin Issue" that is created by all the players, based on answering the questions in your playbooks under "When our team first came together..."
The preferred order that these questions should be answered is:
Bull:We defeated a dangerous enemy. Who or what was it? Nova: We destroyed our surroundings in the fight. What did we destroy? Outsider: We didn't trust each other at first, but that changed. How? Why? Janus: We saved the life of someone important, either to the city or to us. Who was it? Why are they important? Transformed: We drew attention and ire from plenty during the fight. One important person in particular now hates and fears us. Who is it? Newborn: The team discovered you during the incident; thanks to them, you reached the outside world and helped in the fight. Where and how did they find you? Who gave you your first nickname? Brain:I created something lasting and beneficial for the whole team. What was it?
(Protégé:We stuck together after all was said and done. Why? How'd we keep in contact?
Riddleport! Located in a secluded, rocky harbor situated at the easternmost reaches of the Calphiak Mountains, where the meandering Velashu River meets the sea. It's most prominent landmark is an ancient Thassilonian monument that arches across the harbor covered in runes: the Cyphergate.
Though well-known as a notorious pirate harbor, the city gained a greater air of legitimacy when the Heroes of Varisia deposed the pirate lord of the city, Gaston Cromarchy and left the city in the control of the head of the Order of Cyphers, Elas Tammerhawk and Calistrian priestess Shorafa Pamodae. Despite the change in leadership, the city hasn't been able to fully throw off its past, and there are still several powerful crime lords vying for control and influence.
However, people in the city still strive to overcome its seedy past and reputation. Scholars still visit to explore and study the mysterious Cyphergate. The city has become a major port and trade hub, thanks to the general pacification of the wilds of Varisia by the Rangers. There are fortunes to be won in Riddleport, if the person is canny, lucky, or brave enough.
Word has spread about the opening of a new gambling hall. An old, run-down establishment abandoned when Cromarchy and his cronies were ousted had been mysteriously purchased and renovated. Now the Gold Goblin Gaming Hall was officially opening with a grand tournament called, "Cheat the Devil and Take His Gold."
Intrigued -- or perhaps dragged there by other acquaintances -- you all arrive with the gold coin entrance fee to participate in the grand opening. The Hall's exterior has been cleaned up, and the establishment's namesake -- a statue of a grinning goblin plated to look like gold -- gleams in the late-morning sun.
Just inside the main doors, two sultry beauties scantily clad and wearing faux bat wings, devil horns, and tails play the part of alluring succubi. Both are employees of the Gold Goblin, and they cheerfully register contestants for the tournament and process entry fees. Armed guards stand nearby to either side of an immense treasure chest into which each patron's entry fee is added. The guards are on hand to not only protect the money, but to prevent any overzealous admirers from trying to dare the infamous touch of the succubus.
Beyond the registration table is the hall's game floor. Dozens of gamblers, waitresses dressed as succubi, and bouncers mill about the room, wandering amid tables offering various games while dealers shuffle cards, roll dice, and spin wheels. Moving through this throng are a dozen more of the barely clad, bat-winged vixens serving drinks and batting coal-black eyelashes flirtatiously for tips. In the center of the chamber is a short podium atop which sits a massive gold chest affixed to the floor by similarly gaudy chains. On either side of it stands a bare-chested bouncer in the exotic garb of some foreign sultan's court. Each stands with muscled arms crossed over his chest and with a naked scimitar of prodigious size tucked through his waistband. High above them, from the hall's cloth-draped ceiling, hangs a brass birdcage within which crouches a small, bat-winged, pointy-tailed devilish creature that sulks as it gazes over the room and occasionally rattles the bars threateningly.
Welcome to Halcyon City! Shining beacon of heroism and progress! The city of tomorrow!
From the glittering skyline to the bustling streets, there's nothing Halcyon City doesn't have, except for a dull moment. From the top of the world-renowned Kirby Tower, you can see the panoply that is the home of over ten million people. Thrill as the Shuster Skyrail zips you to every major location in the city, from Ditko Park to Stanlee Field, and from the Kane Waterfront to Marston Plaza. Enrich yourself by visiting one of the world-renowned art and cultural centers, such as the Romita Museum of Natural History, the Byrne Auditorium, the Finger Conservatory, and the Siegel Center for the Arts.
Truly, there is no place in the world like Halcyon City! Please enjoy your stay!*
*The Halcyon City Tourist Bureau does not provide refunds in the event of supervillain attacks, alien invasions, dimensional incursions, temporal shifts, or other unexplained phenomenon.
Welcome everyone! Let's get started on finishing your characters!
I've got a few specific questions for each of you, that'll be spoilered below. But what I need from everyone is:
* New profile with your completed character (naturally).
* Spoilers in your profile header where so I can keep track of your Labels and Conditions.
* All the questions in your Backstory (in your Playbook) answered.
We all then get to work out:
When Our Team First Came Together
Innocent: My future self was involved, and I tried
to stop them. It took the rest of the team
to help me succeed. How did we stymie my future
self ’s plans?
Nova: We destroyed our surroundings
in the fight. Where was it? What did we destroy?
Outsider: We didn’t trust each other at
first, but that changed. How? Why?
Joined:The connection between our two halves
was threatened by the crisis. How? By what?
Legacy: All things considered, we did well
and impressed an established hero. Who was it?
Star: We, as a team, attracted the attention
of a major media outlet within the city, thanks to
our efforts. Who are they? Why do they support us?
Protégé: We stuck together after all was
said and done. Why? How’d we keep in
contact?
Beacon: We found signs that this incident
was just the start of something bigger.
What were the signs?
When we get this mostly worked out, you should be ready to decide whom to give Influence, based on your Playbooks. You can start that early if you'd like.
Individual questions:
ElbowtotheFace:
How do you envision you (and your sister) getting your powers?
Why was Silver Shield involved in corporate espionage?
What powers does your villain have?
Why is she so concerned with beating you? How does your sister work into her feelings? If it's mostly directed at you, why?
Hymenopterix:
You didn't come up with a villain for your Joined. Maybe a nemesis of Silver Shield's?
You can peek at ElbowtotheFace's spoiler, and maybe work together to answer several of the questions I've put to him.
Razzocnor:
You called your villain the "Rouge Shard", but did you mean "Rogue Shard"?
How far away is the Iron Federation? Another galaxy? Same galaxy, different region?
Azrael Dukshi:
I really like your concept but part of the Innocent is that there wasn't one moment where your older self just "snapped," but a long, gradual fall from grace. There's a lot of injustice over the years you could mine in order to show that -- maybe being turned away by the other heroes of the Golden Age when they go off to fight the Axis Powers... even imprisoned in a Japanese Internment Camp due to your heritage! Or, maybe being asked to star in propaganda films as the evil bad guy? I think that could be the start of a gradual disillusionment and radicalization that would lead your older self to be more of a mastermind than a one-note serial killer. Thoughts?
Elsine:
I'm getting a real "It's Patsy!" vibe from Mosaic -- it's not just me, right? Since Holly was sort of a child star in film, how was her powers used? Did she play a Jem/Hannah Montana character, playing a "double life" on her show? Was she also a singer?
Your villain was a former teammate. What sort of team, or did you mean co-star? Does she have powers too?
After two years of playing a Masks game here on these boards and absolutely loving it, I've been suddenly inspired to try running my own.
What is Masks?
Masks is a rules-light RPG based on the Powered by the Apocalypse system, designed by Magpie Games. Player characters are teenaged superheroes in the vein of Young Justice, Teen Titans, X-Men (the early years), New Mutants, Runaways, etc. The action is simple, the relationships are complex -- 'cause growing up is tough enough. Then you add super powers to the mix!
More on the system:
There are no hit points or Armor Class. If you have a power, you usually don't even need to roll to see if you use it. (But you might, if you need to wield your power effectively.)
The basic mechanic (called a "Move") is rolling 2d6 plus your Label. A "hit" is rolling a 7 or higher. Rolling a 10 or better means you did something awesome. A 7-9 usually means there's some sort of complication or the success came at a cost. A 6 or less means you missed. But, you get to mark Potential for each miss -- which is the tracker for experience. You learn through failure.
Labels are how your character sees himself or herself -- and they fluctuate throughout the game. Sometimes he'll see himself as a monstrous Freak, and sometimes she'll think she's Superior to everyone. Then on other days (and after various wins, losses, and tender scenes), those Labels will be very different.
The Labels are:
Freak, which is all about being strange, unusual, unknown, different, unique, powerful, weird, and special.
Danger, which is all about being strong, threatening, violent, destructive, badass, frightening, reckless, and mighty.
Savior, which is all about being defensive, protective, overbearing, moralistic, guarding, patronizing, and classically heroic.
Superior, which is all about being clever, faster, better, arrogant, dismissive, commanding, egotistical, and smart
Mundane, which is all about being normal, empathetic, understanding, kind, boring, simple, uninteresting, and human.
The Playbooks
Playbooks are the starting point of your character. It's sort of like your character class. You have to choose one of the Playbooks, and no two players can have the same Playbook.
The Playbooks:
THE BEACON The heart of the team. Low powered, low angst. They’re a hero because they want to be, and they’re driven always upward. Important Labels: Mundane, Savior
THE BULL The bruiser with a heart of gold. Created to be a weapon. Caught between being a cold, gruff fighter and caring deeply about teammates. Important Label: Danger
THE DELINQUENT The troublemaker and attention-seeker, rabblerouser and rebel. Tricks, deception, and provocation are their hallmarks. Important Label: Superior
THE DOOMED The dramatic martyr. Cursed to ultimately lose their self to some terrible fate, and up against a terrible nemesis. Important Labels: Freak, Danger, Savior
THE JANUS The hero with a dual life. Required to have a secret identity; they struggle to manage two lives at once. Important Label: Mundane
THE LEGACY The latest in a family of heroes. Part of a larger tradition of heroism with its own enemies, rules, and obligations. Important Label: Savior
THE NOVA The overpowered conflagration. They can reshape the world—but it’s hard to control so much power, and if they fail, others get hurt. Important Label: Freak
THE OUTSIDER The alien with strange powers. They’re from somewhere else. And they’re trying to decide between staying here or going home. Important Labels: Superior, Freak
THE PROTÉGÉ The extremely well-trained understudy. Defined by a strong relationship with one adult figure—their mentor. Important Label: Superior
THE TRANSFORMED The monstrous appearance and human mind. They used to be a regular person, but they were changed forever. Important Labels: Freak, Danger
THE REFORMED Villainy used to be a way of life for you. Then you saw just what your selfishness and hate created. The supervillain life is a hard one to quit, but you know this best: Sometimes the villain needs saving too. Important Label: Danger
THE NEWBORN You're a barnad new being, created though scientific inquiry, a feat of engineering, or random chance, this world is all new to you, full of wonder and adventure it's not easy though- everyone has an opinion about who you are and what you should do. it's time to find out for yourself who you really are. Important Label: Freak
THE INNOCENT Time travel is great! or so you thought, until you landed in a strange new world with a dark, broken, damaged, dangerous adult version of yourself, not what you had wanted to become. the question is, now, what are you gonna do about it? Important Label: Mundane
THE STAR Being a hero isn't about doing right, it's about being seen doing right.let them think you're shallow for loving the spotlight, and the cameras, and for smiling so much. You'll be a hero in all the ways that matter. Important Label: Superior
THE JOINED You'd be nothing without them- your partner, your sibling, your rival, your other half. You're tied to their powers and to them, through and through. the rest of the world only sees you two as halves of a whole, not as two separate people, and the two of you aren't sure if they're right. Important Label: Depends on your other half's playbook
The Setting
The game of Masks is set in the fictional Halcyon City, a sprawling metropolis where all sorts of heroes and villains congregate. Three generations of heroes have risen and faded here, from the Golden Age, to the Silver, to the Bronze, and now a fourth generation is rising -- the young teens of Masks. No one quite knows why Halcyon is such a hotbed of superheroics and supervillainy, nor why the city is ground zero to alien invasions, planar incursions, temporal disturbances, magical conflagrations, and all other manner of incredible phenomena, but the good news is -- this is where the action is!
How to Apply
Interested? I hope!
Here's the thing about Masks: the character creation is not done in a vacuum. Everyone at the table gets at least a little bit of input, especially when we get to the, "When Our Team First Came Together" part. So, to apply, go through the playbooks, pick the one or two that you most would like to play, then give a basic synopsis of your concept. Name, powers, look, and the start of his or her (or its) personality, and some background. You don't need to flesh everything out quite yet.
Then (And here's the twist), I need you to create a villain. Someone linked to your character in some way, and why that villain is especially dangerous to your character (and not just dangerous = deadly, though that works too. But the villain should be some kind of foil to your hero. It doesn't have to be a single character, either. An alien race. A gang of thugs. An evil corporation. Go wild.) If there's so many applicants that I'll have to make some tough choices about whom to invite, this is probably what will sway me one way or the other. (Also, some of the Playbooks actually require a villain to be created alongside the hero. So if you choose one of those, then you're that much further along!)
I'll probably leave the recruitment up for at least a week (longer if there's some issues with the message boards again), depending on how many applicants I receive. I'll extend the deadline for actual submissions if you can at least throw in a post expressing interest in the game and a particular playbook.
How to Apply (TL;DR)
Choose a Playbook
Come up with a basic backstory/character concept
Create a Villain -- someone/something linked to your hero
No duplicate playbooks (if there's two or more applying with the same Playbook, I'll have to choose)
Apply or express interest within one week (before Sept. 12)
Have fun!
Hello, everybody. I'm checking out the possible interest in a space opera game on these boards. I'm hoping to find a handful of creative souls who love the wild and unfettered possibilities of space adventure, who will want to help create aliens, factions, and worlds along with me.
I'm hoping to create a mash-up of all the sci-fi that I've loved over the years. Stuff like Farscape, Mass Effect, Star Wars, Babylon-5, Star Trek, Firefly, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Aliens. I want planet-hopping, ray gun-shooting, exploring, crashing, wild technology, wilder aliens, and real human emotions.
What do I mean, High-concept?
See the above paragraph. It'll be home-brew, so all bets are off.
What do I mean, collaborative?
I don't want to create everything in the Galaxy/Universe. I plan on relying on the players' input and saying "yes" to wild concepts that they'd like to see added. From backstories that include entire space empires or regions of space to crazy anomalies and bizarre alien devices. It's a big universe, there will be room for just about everything.
Will there be anything off limits?
Well, maybe. One thing I don't want is a singular, monolithic Empire or Conglomerate that is the bad guy. I want factions, federations and empires that are always jockeying for advantage. Also, while space opera leaves room for mystical forces, god-like aliens, and weird psionics, I don't plan to introduce a Galaxy-wide Force. I also don't want something as plain and universal as "magic." Which leads me to...
What system will you be using?
It's NOT going to be Starfinder. I'm sorry, but while I love the world of Golarion, I don't care for the setting of Starfinder. I don't want goblins in space. I don't want magic classes. Heck, I don't even want a level-based system. I'm open to any rules-lite suggestions, but I'll probably use either a Powered by the Apocalypse version like Impulse Drive, or a retooled version of the old West End Games D6 Star Wars game. Force powers can be called Biotics or Psionics or something.
How can I show interest?
Post something! A question, an idea for a race, planet, faction, ship or corporation. Ask me if you can run something like ____. Steer me to the perfect system that meets all of these needs. After a while, I'll either know that there's enough interest out there that will let me choose a small crew of a hyper-capable spaceship ready for adventure and I'll put up the true recruitment thread. Or, it'll fizzle and be consigned to the scrapheap. We'll see.
I'm planning to run this AP in the near future, so I'm reading up and noticed that there's a startling lack of infants and children among the refugees of Phaendar. It seems like the AP expects a number of refugees of around 10 to 20 to be rescued from the town, but all are adults. That's either tragic, or a result of a deliberate attempt to avoid the complexity of dealing with the very young. However, I find that to be rather unrealistic.
I plan to make it so that every group of refugees include at least half as many infants and children. I think it will intensify the desire of the PCs to continue to protect the group, but also give additional complications.
I post this to ask if anyone else has noticed this, plans to do this, and if they have any ideas on how this may impact the AP going forward?
Anna Dunsany here. I'm one of the adventurers on an epic quest to stop some evil necromancers from... doing something bad. I'm still not sure what their endgame is. They've already kidnapped a ghost from a prison, framed an innocent beast, and stirred up a bunch of werewolves in a creepy forest.
But just as we're about to take the fight to these guys and maybe get some real answers, things stalled. It's like we're all in some sort of weird limbo, and nothing's happening. But my friends and I, we're determined. We're dedicated to seeing this thing through to the end.
Yeah, we've been at it for a while. Four-and-a-half years, by my count, although I could swear it's actually been a few months. Time gets weird, sometimes. And yeah, there's been a different voice that's been narrating what I'm seeing from before. But that's not a bad thing, is it? I think that means we're a great bunch of heroes that would welcome someone else to pull us out of this limbo and get things moving again.
Check us out. My friends and I would love to help catch up anyone willing to take on this task. Ease the transition, as it were. I can understand 7,700+ posts being a lot to read through, but we can show you the highlights, the key scenes and the little moments that make our story something truly special.
So, is there anyone out there willing to pick up our story from where our last narrator left us off?
This is a search for a replacement or two for my Red Mantis assassin game.
Here is the original recruiting thread. The basic character build is the same, except that everyone is now 5th level, with a corresponding increase in wealth.
The basic gist of the game in a nutshell is that the players are all members of a specialized team of assassins for the Red Mantis, performing the special type of jobs that the others can't do. It's globe-hopping, occasionally free-form, and occasionally sandboxy (you get to choose how best to get close to the target and take him out).
The current team is:
Halfling Rogue
Human Slayer
Kitsune Sorcerer
Human Cleric
The team lost its Investigator, who had huge knowledge checks. I think the stated preference would be someone who can again fill that role of support and skills. Further back the team lost its Magus.
FYI, I had a lot of applicants when I first posted this game, so any who submitted earlier will get a strong consideration. Of course, strong backgrounds, interesting personalities and fun concepts will also be more likely selected (I chose a halfling mama-bear "den mother" to the team, for example!)
Also, the team is currently in Riddleport on an assignment. If you want to create a character that has a reason to be in Varisia, I'll link you in there if selected. Otherwise, it might have to wait until after the Riddleport job is done. Not sure how long it'll take, and how long I leave this recruiting open, which will completely depend on the attention this thread receives. I don't need to fill the spot(s) immediately, so you have some time to work on your submissions.
The villa sits high on the rocky cliffs of the Cape of Erebus, overlooking the shimmering blue expanse of the Inner Sea. To the north, the sprawling docks of Ostenso is just visible and its massive naval shipyards, ever feeding the mighty Chelish navy. Ostenso is a city of opportunity -- where fortunes rise and fall with the waves and the greatest maritime innovators are able to outfit the mightiest warships with the latest weaponry.
But while the docks of Ostenso is crowded and every view of the glittering Inner Sea is obscured by a forest of masts draped with canvas, the villa is tranquil far away upon its high perch. The view from such a summit is astounding, married to the distant roar of the surf upon the rocks far below.
The villa's owner, Gaspar DuRayne, chose the bluff because it could give him refuge and peace as he designed his mighty weapons of naval warfare, then infused them with potent magics to further extend the infernal arm of Cheliax upon the waters of Golarion.
But sometimes peace and refuge can make a man believe he is truly untouchable. For Gaspar, he believed he could make some extra coin on the side by providing some designs to other interests. He was far away from the admirals and captains and bickering nobles in Ostenso. How would they possibly know?
Alas, know they did. And they responded swiftly, mercilessly. For few sins rises the ire of Hell more than betrayal.
...
The villa sits behind a wall, ringing it upon all sides except for the cliffs that plunge two hundred feet to the sea. Only a small, narrow staircase cut into the rock leads from the strip of sandy beach and modest pier up to the villa itself. Guards armed with crossbows patrol the walls and walk the grounds. Only one gate allows visitors, wagons and carts through, but only after a thorough inspection at the gatehouse.
Numerous elegant statuary, fountains, and well-tended decorative plants provide pleasant sights and sounds in the garden within the walls and inside the numerous open-air courtyards of the villa. Servants hustle about, making sure the grounds are tended and the master's every need is seen to. But even though the tranquil house may seem pleasant and inviting, cunning traps are set and hidden threats are placed to deal with invaders or alert the villa's defenders.
While it is often said -- with a nervous smile and a glance over one's shoulder -- that the paranoid may yet have someone after them, truer words have never been spoken in the case of Gaspar DuRayne.
I'd like to run a campaign with every player a member of the notorious Red Mantis assassin order. This will be a intrigue-heavy, high-travel, Golarion-based campaign. I plan to draw a lot of inspiration from the Assassin's Creed games (at least, the ones I have played), as well as the rich lore of Golarion provided to us by the creative minds of Paizo. Read about the Red Mantis assassins here. From the start, you will be playing Red Mantis assassins who go on sacred missions to assassinate a variety of targets in a number of locales throughout Golarion, and work your way up the ranks of the mysterious order of assassins.
As you can guess, a campaign centered around a bunch of murderers-for-hire who have a monstrous red mantis as a patron deity whose portfolio is assassination, this is not going to be a good campaign. However, I plan to select players who bring subtlety and nuance to their characters, and aren't just out to be evil for evil's sake. The Red Mantis assassins are, if nothing else, professional.
Still interested? Here's the rundown on character creation:
Start at Level 4
20-point buy
6,000 gp starting gold
Max HP for the first level, average +1 each additional level
Everyone begins play with a red mantis mask
Everyone begins play with a pair of masterwork sawtooth sabres (you can enchant them with your gold if you wish)
Pick one trait and one campaign trait from the list below. Drawbacks are allowed, but I'll be watching and taking notes.
Available races: Any core, featured or uncommon race
Available classes: Any published Paizo class or archetype (nothing from the current playtest, however).
Going into the Red Mantis Assassin prestige class is absolutely an option if you qualify at later levels.
Fair warning: I'm leaving it pretty open race- and class-wise for submissions, but I've gotta warn you that I'll be looking for a background that makes sense. Also, keep in mind the theme of the game is infiltration, intrigue, and assassination. Wild and crazy-looking folk will stand out, which can make certain scenarios more difficult. I'll be looking for three to four solid character concepts with strong backgrounds and a personality that goes beyond "I'm evil," or "I like to kill, so I signed up."
Here's the Traits:
Tith'Kali This is a SPECIAL TRAIT that takes the place of both traits, plus a drawback, plus your starting feat. I will limit the campaign to ONLY ONE character with the Tith'Kali trait. Aasimars do not qualify for this trait.
You are a special child of the Red Mantis assassins, conceived while your mother was conducting an assassination of your father (think about how mantises mate, minus the cannibalism. Hopefully you know what I'm talking about so I don't have to go into more detail). You are favored of the god Achaekek and the Red Mantis assassins. You have been raised on the island of Mediogalti in the Crimson Citadel and given the best training and education. If your race has a floating +2 ability score bonus, that bonus is +3. Alternatively, if your race has a negative ability score modifier, that penalty is negated (if you have more than one, choose one, and the rest apply). The Red Mantis prestige class is a favored class for you. You gain the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (sawtooth sabre) feat. Each time you take a rank in a favored class, you receive both a hit point and a skill point. Stealth, Intimidate, and Perception are always class skills for you. You have a tattoo/birthmark of the unholy symbol of Achaekek, which may be used as a focus for divine spells. Your indoctrination into the Red Mantis assassins is complete. You receive a -2 penalty on all saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities from those Red Mantises with a higher ranking than you. You are shaken for 24 hours if you fail or stray from a task that a higher-ranking assassin gives you. You have some feature (hair, eyes, teeth, etc) that is crimson and imparts a -4 penalty on all Disguise checks.
Offered as Payment The Red Mantis sometimes demand something other than gold for payment for their services. Someone in your family had desired the services of Those Who Walk in Blood, and you were their price. You went willingly, for to refuse would have spelled the same doom for your family as their target. Rather than enslave you, they trained you as a Red Mantis assassin and you embraced the teaching of the god Achaekek. You receive a +1 trait bonus on Will saves and that bonus becomes a +2 against charm and compulsion spells and effects.
Vengeance Was Mine You wanted someone dead, and sought out the Red Mantis to do the deed, but you couldn't find them. After months of searching, you took matters into your own hands, training and readying yourself for the act. When you finally committed yourself, the Red Mantis appeared and assisted you. When you saw the lifeless eyes of your target, dead by your own hand, you realized why you couldn't find the Red Mantis; they were watching you to see if you were worthy. You didn't know until that moment yourself, but now you have joined their ranks. You gain a +2 trait bonus on attack rolls you make during the surprise round.
Azir Native You were fascinated when you learned that the godless city of Azir in Rahadoum was the Golarion birthplace of the cult of Red Mantis assassins before they moved to Mediogalti Island. After years of persistence, you were able to find signs of the cult in your hometown and made contact with the mysterious order. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (history) and Diplomacy for gather information checks.
Ilizmagorti Native You once were just a lowlife pirate of the Shackles, a seedy deckhand who would trade your mother for a few silver. That reputation drew the attention of the Red Mantis, who first started using you as a courier of messages, and a source for those looking for the Red Mantis's services. Eventually, your usefulness turned into true devotion, and the Red Mantis accepted you as one of their instruments of assassination. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sense Motive, Profession (sailor) checks and a +3 trait bonus on Bluff checks to relay secret messages.
Raised in Secrecy You had a typical life, in a mundane part of the world doing mundane things. Except that one or both of your parents were Red Mantis assassins and you were trained to follow in their footsteps. One of these days, you hope to see the island of Mediogalti and visit the Crimson Citadel, but for now, you need to prove yourself. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Disguise, and either Knowledge (local) or Knowledge (nobility) and one of these skills is always a class skill for you.
I'll keep the recruitment open for a week or so -- depending on how many submissions I get. Let me know if you have any questions; I'll do my best to answer them. Let's see what you got!
The woods were vast and confusing. After fleeing deep into the forest away from the iron and torches of the villagers he once knew, he wandered over bole and under bough directionless. His hope of finding himself faded quickly as he became impossibly lost, his new fey nature not granting him any special knowhow to navigate the endless tracks of forest or get a bearing on where he was to go.
He first stumbled upon a mite's lair, but he quickly departed from the corrupt and degenerate fey. A small tribe of spriggans also drove him from their territory into which he had unfortunately wandered. Grigs and sprites cavorted in flowered meadows, but gave him no direction.
He lost track of the days, and time grew unfocused as despair threatened to overwhelm him. Eventually pent up rage and confusion caused him to cry out to his faerie mother, asking her what he was to do; where was he to go?
I'm sorry, came the reply, an echo through the winds, a small voice half remembered. The First World's anchors to this world have been attacked, Sweetling. This is a new state of affairs, and alas I cannot ease your transition.
A pause, and the wind eased, and the babbling brook hushed. Then the leaves in the canopy shook, and the voice could be heard again. With the diminished influence of the Nighted Realms, you cannot draw upon the Thistlefeather Court. Your time as a human has anchored you to that world, and you remain a part of it. You must find your way. Though you need not do so alone. I know of one coming into this world who will be just as confused as you are. My agents were tasked to steal her away from the mortal cities and bring her to safety. You can be there as she emerges.
Peacock is lifted up by swirling motes of light. He travels, though he cannot say quite how far, nor does it seem that he crosses the distance instantly. A dryad waves to him under a silver moon. A unicorn looks up in a brightly lit field of wildflowers. A nixie splashes beneath sparkling starlight. A redcap sneers during the fading light of the sunset.
Suddenly, he is placed upon a rocky hill, overlooking a vast, rugged plain overshadowed by six vast mountains. The sun is high in the sky. Directly below him is a hollow of rock; a small cave by the looks of it. Peacock's attention is drawn to the sound of muffled scratching. He sees a curious object, a smooth stone nearly the size of a bale of hay with graceful knobs that reflect golden in the sunlight. The sound seems to come from that stone, and then suddenly Peacock realizes it is no stone at all, but an egg, as small cracks appear across its surface. It bursts open, and a form pours out, gasping and unsteady.
Peacock watches as the confused creature resolves itself into a dragon -- fresh golden scales glinting in the midday sun.
Pop in and say hi, for right now. I'm going to work on getting the character build rules together tomorrow, since I think there's going to be different ways for different characters. Let me know if you want to go in some other direction:
Lilin: I see you mainly as going Oracle, and we'll build the harpy stuff with the Advanced Race Guide mainly.
Kane: Same as Lilin, except for Paladin/Gargoyle.
Peacock: I think the Eidolon build might be the best way to go, although there is also a Rite Publishing pdf called In the Company of Fey that has a full fey creature base class that I haven't looked at yet, but it might be something to consider. I'm not going to make you buy something for the game, so don't worry if you're not interested in going that route.
Sphene: I think you're going with the Pathfinder Savage Species Gold Dragon class, right?
Jazzai: Your character broke the rules, but in such an interesting way I'm excited to try her in this campaign. I figure we'll go with Eidolon rules. Is that what you were thinking?
A lot of life is dealing with your curse, dealing with the cards you were given that aren't so nice. Does it make you into a monster, or can you temper it in some way, or accept it and go in some other direction? -- Wes Craven, director
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. -- obligatory Nietzsche quote
The monster was the best friend I ever had. -- Boris Karloff, actor
So, who wants to be a monster?
This will be a mostly-homebrewed campaign. I plan on using a conglomeration of rules from the Advanced Race Guide and the Eidolon building rules from the Summoner to allow players to create and advance their very own monstrous PCs. Players can either advance as monsters entirely, or use a base class with monstrous "build points" collected at each level to continue becoming the monster of their choice.
Interested? Then click here for the
twist:
You started out as human. Yes, you've become a monster. Why? How? Well, that's up to you. Have you fallen under a curse? Did you run afoul of a deity or demon lord? Was it self-inflicted through a strange magical effect, either on purpose or by accident? I want to hear your idea on how your ordinary (or extraordinary) human became a monstrous creature. Then, let me know if you think your character will embrace his/her new monstrous nature, or fight it and try to retain his/her humanity.
Pick your type:
What monster are you? I strongly encourage you to choose an inspiration from one of the Bestiaries; a strange amalgamation of abilities is less likely to be chosen, unless I can easily picture the monster you're creating.
Choose from: Magical Beast, Monstrous Humanoid, Outsider, Aberration, Dragon, Fey, or (maybe) Plant.
Use the baseline from the Eidolon creation rules to pick your form -- Biped (humanoid), Quadruped, or Serpentine. (Pick Aquatic if you dare.)
The only other requirement is a level of intelligence and a method of communicating with the rest of the party. Do you want to work toward a marilith? Go for it. How about a medusa or gargoyle? I'm game. Of course, I'll be looking for a good mix of creatures and abilities to fill out the "adventuring party".
Pick your origin:
How did you get turned into a monster? As mentioned earlier, you started off human. How did this happen? Feel free to tie your origin in with one or more of the other submissions, since I'll have to figure out a way to throw everyone together anyway. Might as well get that out of the way at character creation, huh? Regardless, I'm looking for interesting tales, so knock yourselves out.
Pick your motivation:
How do you see your character reacting? Basically, this has the potential to be an evil campaign. Will you embrace your monstrousness, or will you try to hold onto something akin to humanity? If I get enough submissions, I might split this campaign into two: one with players hoping to transcend their situation, and one with players reveling in casting off all precepts of humanity. You may note that I've called this the Way of the Monstrous, hearkening to the (extremely popular) Way of the Wicked adventure path by Fire Mountain Games. If the submissions dictate, I'll probably use that adventure as a loose framework for the campaign. If the best submissions seem to be good-aligned, I'll take a different route.
The crunch:
Here's where things get tricky: Your characters will be monsters. This is an experiment. You will advance through a combination of hit dice, ability score increases, new abilities, and (perhaps) in some cases, class levels. I'm not going to demand stat blocks at the outset. What I want first is a compelling story, background, and motivation, along with a character willing to work with other monstrous characters (that part's as important as an interesting story -- your story's no good if you won't play nice with other PCs).
I'll work with each player selected so he or she builds a character balanced with the others, and so that each character's progression is balanced as the game goes on. My initial idea is to grant build points per level, which can be spent on class levels, racial/monstrous abilities, or attribute increases. That will come after the party(s) is(are) selected from the submissions. I reserve the right to adjust build points, costs of certain abilities, and classes to make sure no one outshines the other players.
I'm also well aware that there are numerous third-party publishers who have created monster class progressions. If you want to point me toward one of those for your monster PC, I will certainly give it a look.
Prohibited class: Summoner (the monster you're creating is yourself)
Prohibited type: Undead. Too cliche. Really. It's my campaign, don't try.
Strongly discouraged class: Anything with a companion. Has the same problem as the Summoner. Familiars shouldn't be a problem.
Starting Gold: (really? You didn't give yourself a natural attack?) It depends on the initial submission, but it (probably) won't be a whole lot.
Traits: Hmm. Pick one. After picking the submissions, and knowing which way this campaign is headed, I might offer a selection of campaign-specific traits from which to choose.
Why are you doing it this way?:
Well, that's a good question. Basically, by starting players as humans transformed into monsters, they're starting at a baseline to which we can all relate. Then, free will comes into play. Monsters born and bred have nothing in common with humanity, so if they choose to leave it behind, there's no loss. In this campaign, clinging to what they had been will be a prime theme for all the characters. Or, if the players decide to abandon their last vestiges of humanity, it's a conscious choice -- and the consequences of that may just be felt.
What's going to be the plot?:
Well, that's another good question. As you'll note, I'm interested in the story of how your character became a monster. That's precisely the kind of springboard I plan on using to formulate the plot. This isn't just some kind of plug-n-play AP (though I may mine any number of adventures for story ideas or set pieces), this is a character-driven piece where the players react to the world which reacts to the players who react to the world and so on. The meta-plot will be character-driven. Finding a cure? Destroying a country? Forging a monster nation? What motivates the players will have me crafting the adventures as they progress.
I'll keep this open for submissions for at least a week, maybe longer, to give folks time to add a bit of polish to their submissions. I'll be checking in to read up on your monsters and to answer questions (no doubt there will be questions that I don't have answers for -- yet. So hit me with them!)
Wormwood Mutiny spoiler!!!
I had to share this tale about my players dealing with the aftermath of the fight with the two pirates jumping the one player in the bilges.
The player handled himself rather well, and I allowed some Sense Motive checks by the other players so they could get a sense of what was up. So, long story short, there were two dead NPCs in the bilges, and more than one PC was responsible. I was prepared to have some severe repercussions for them, as soon as Plugg and his cronies found out.
However, one of the players had chosen a very obscure spell for his Sorcerer: Sculpt Corpse. A couple castings later, and suddenly there were two dead reefclaws in the bilges, and two missing sailors.
Basically, I have to applaud a player taking an unconventional spell and getting a great use out of it.
This is something I heard about at last year's Gen Con, since I wasn't able to attend. I had talked up Paizo's adventures to a friend of mine. Since he was attending Gen Con, he decided to drop by their booth to check out some of the APs I had mentioned that impressed me.
This was during, of course, the big unveiling of the Advanced Player's Guide. Instead of a regular booth which would have allowed him to browse, there was a huge line of people waiting for the APG. No one was allowed past the sentries to look at the other products.
Unsurprisingly, he felt rather disgusted and walked away.
Now, I completely understand that buzz for the APG was HUGE, and Paizo probably made a killing by selling the book at Paizo. But I remember a few years ago leisurely strolling through the Paizo booth, checking out the various modules and Game Mastery goodies that I rarely saw in stores.
I'm hoping to make it to Gen Con this year, and I'm planning to stop by the Paizo booth. I'm sure I'd be disappointed if I'm not allowed to peruse the booth, and can only stand in line for the Ultimate Combat.
Granted, this might just be a symptom of Paizo's success, and it's possible my friend's experience wasn't typical, but I think there might be a balance you can strike between the dedicated fans there to pick up the big event book, and others curious about what else Paizo has to offer.
I am (as evidenced by the bold text beside my handle) an Adventure Path subscriber, and I like to occasionally take advantage of the discount I get from Paizo.com.
However, I like to support local, non-chain stores where possible. It so happens that my FLGS carries a number of Paizo products, but never in great quantities. Not counting the Pathfinder RPG hardcovers, there's usually only one or two copies of the guides, flip maps, and chronicles in stock. I also notice that my FLGS rarely, if ever, replaces the Paizo products I purchase, which are usually on impulse.
I am a great fan of Paizo, and hope to see the company thrive to continue to produce great product. So I want to support it in the best way possible.
The thing that I feel I do, though, when I buy something from the brick-and-mortar store, is that I deprive another potential Paizo customer from that very same product I could have bought from the online store.
Yet, when Paizo products sell out at the brick-and-mortar stores, that's gotta be good for their sales figures, right?
So, my question is, to the marketing and sales folks at Paizo, would you like to keep me buying regularly online, leaving the product on a shelf for another potential customer, or is a sale a sale?
I also realize that I, being one single customer in a vast economy, have a nearly negligible impact. But I like to feel important.
This is the write-up of the Skinsaw Murders, but if you're familiar with the adventure, you'll see I departed from the original story, to tie the events more closely with what I had planned in Ravenloft. I'll post more of these old write-ups if folks are interested.
Part Two:
The Skinsaw Murders
After a few weeks, the party begins to feel it is time to move on. Little happens from day to day, with the one exception of a night shortly after the Glassworks incident, a strange black carriage rides through town. A storm whips up just as it arrives, lingers only as the carriage bolts through the streets, then quickly fades after the carriage races away.
As the party starts to go their separate ways, Sheriff Hemlock asks them to check out the Sandpoint Sawmill before they go. There had been a grisly murder the night before. The two victims, the sawmill operator Banny Harker and his mistress Katrine Vinder, were both horribly disfigured, but Harker had a strange rune carved into his chest. Furthermore, Twila was able to detect a horrible, rotten meat smell that was picked up across the river, though the trail again went cold.
Sheriff Hemlock points the party to another murder scene from a few nights before outside of town wherein more bodies showed up with the rune. A survivor of that attack had been taken to the sanitarium. When he sees Twila, he tells her he has a message from His Lordship, but babbles insanely after that. The survivor is cured of his ghoul fever which he had contracted, but not of his insanity.
Back in town, the party learns of a farmer that wandered in from his fields, raving about living scarecrows. The party investigates, and encounters a bunch of farmers transformed into ghouls. More messages from His Lordship to Twila point to the Misgivings, the local name for Foxglove Manor.
As the party prepares to pay a visit to Aldern Foxglove, they meet a Vistani by the name of Lonah who is looking for his sister. She had married Aldern some few months ago and he had not heard from her recently. The party agrees to let him come along.
The party enters the manor and explore it, room by room. They encounter many hauntings -- manifestations of the horrible things that have happened in the manor. These also (rather dangerously) tell the story of Vorel Foxglove, the builder of the manor house who dabbled in necromancy and attempted to become a lich. The learn his son Traver Foxglove went mad and slew his wife, then killed himself. They also learn that Aldern Foxglove strangled his wife Iesha in a fit of jealous rage. Diseased rats plague the lower levels.
The party finds caverns below the basement and there encounter a ghoulish dire bat, which they fight off barely. The party weakened by the undead monstrosity, they were then taken captive by a pack of ghouls.
In the caverns beneath the manor which was Vorel's true laboratory, Aldern tries a twisted mockery of a wedding ritual to transfer Iesha's love to Twila, with whom he has become infatuated. The paralyzed party and the remaining ghouls stand in as the wedding "guests" and the Skinsaw Man, a ruthless ghast as the "officiant." The ritual is botched, and Iesha rises as a revenant to kill Aldern. Aldern flees as the party's paralysis wears off and defeat the remaining ghouls and the Skinsaw Man. Iesha pursues Aldern into the night.
Before leaving the accursed manor, they discover that Vorel's attempt to become a lich ended in failure, and Aldern seemed to have been involved in some secret society in Magnimar. They also discover the book that was used in the ritual to be an ancient text of the Vistani.
Eager to see Aldern dead and Iesha finally receive rest, the party quickly head south toward Magnimar. Lonah convinces the party to first stop at an encampment of his people, the Vistani.
Lonah sought the counsel of his elder, as he conveyed the tragedy of his sister's fate to the rest of his family. Twila, however, was still suffering from some effects of the botched ritual. Surrounded by Iesha's people and her old life, Twila began to lose herself and take on some mannerisms of Iesha, knowing traditional Vistani dances and songs. She also dreamt of seeing through Iesha's eyes, as she hunted Aldern all the way to Magnimar, followed him to the streets of Whitechapel, and was captured.
The party resolves to go to Magnimar.
My wife is jumping back into gaming after a long time away from the table. I've gotten her interested in the the world of Pathfinder and Golarion specifically.
She's chosen to play a gnome rogue (angling for the Spymaster role in the Kingmaker AP), and her choice for her character's gnomish obsession is conspiracy theories. She wants to play a full-bore conspiracy theorist full of wild and rampant speculations -- but she wants there to be a grain of truth to them.
Now, I've already given her a few of the meta-plots of other Adventure Paths to start with (Drow, Runelords, etc.).
I'm having trouble thinking of others, especially others that might spoof some of the better-known conspiracy theories of our time. Any ideas?
I'm thinking of a houserule for the largest (and most costly) buildings that will allow the players to buy them in stages. I've divided them up into four stages, or levels, that these buildings take as they are improved and upgraded. Some have a fifth stage that would add to the benefits of the building beyond what's listed in the Kingmaker rules.
They can only be upgraded once a year. This, to me, eliminates the "overnight" construction of a large, elaborate structure and its attendant structures that fill up the city blocks. The first stage follows the rule of placing buildings just like normal, and the rest of the stages follow the rule of replacing buildings, like the tenement to house upgrade.
For example: the players want a castle right away for their capital city. They can't obviously afford the 54 BPs that it'll cost. Under these rules, they first buy a Keep (level 1) for 15 BPs and get some of its benefits. Then, sometime later (as long as a year has passed), they upgrade their Keep to a Fort (level 2) for 13 BPs. In another year, they can continue upgrading it to a Fortress (level 3), then a Castle (level 4) the year after that. Then, as a "capstone", so to speak, they can make it a Citadel (level 5) and get even greater bonuses for their grand and prestigious home. Essentially, the players took four to five years (minimum) to build their Citadel, though they got to benefit from it as it is built.
These are the buildings that cry out for stages, as I see them:
Academy: (12 BPs per stage); School (level 1), Academy (2), College (3), University (4)
Black Market (14 BPs for level 1, 12 BPs per upgrade); Fence (level 1), Informant (2), Black Market (3), Underworld (4)
The benefits to the kingdom each of these buildings and their upgrades would need to be divided up amongst the different stages, which is a step I haven't taken yet. Furthermore, I haven't made any calls about what the "capstone" levels should be for those buildings that reach Level 5. I'm just throwing this out there to see if anyone likes the idea. Feel free to shamelessly steal this and apply it to your own campaigns! Let me know how it works. And, if you improve on it, let me know that, too!
I've read through the kingdom building information a couple times now, and while I'm excited about putting them into practice, I've noticed something I had been excited about was completely missing from the rules thus far.
I was expecting the various leadership roles to have a broader impact on the player's experience within the adventure path. As of right now, the player picks a role, designates which ability score adds to the kingdom, and maybe makes one of the different command checks if it seems appropriate (otherwise the ruler makes them).
This concerns me in two ways: First, players excited about this aspect of the adventure path may have chosen skills and feats that they perceive to be helpful to their future role. Thus, skill points spent on "Profession: Accountant" or "Craft: Legal Codes" will see limited use and a game master will have to deal with players wondering why such skills can't be subbed for their base ability scores.
Second, the abstraction can take away the feel that the character is really doing his or her job. Roll the die, add up the modifiers, and you've either succeeded or you didn't. And since multiple roles provide bonuses to the check, they may begin to feel like just some cog in a machine rather than a vital part of the kingdom. The players should be PLAYERS, not just modifiers.
My suggestion is occasionally during the Kingdom Events phase, instead make individual Leadership Events that gives each player a problem unique to their Leadership Role.
Since this could bog things down, I'm not suggesting Leadership Events happen as frequently as Kingdom Events unless your particular group is enjoying them. Also, your campaign only need concern itself with Leadership events that apples to roles filled with actual PCs. NPCs will be dealing with these on a constant basis, though it might be feasible that they could ask the PCs for some assistance. They are the heroes, after all.
They can be as elaborate or as mundane as fits the needs of the individual campaign, and can range from a single skill-based die roll to a whole side quest taken apart from the main group, if you've got that kind of time and wherewithal. I'm seriously thinking of doing this in my campaign, and since I likely will have 6 players, I'm well aware that this could take up gobs of time unless I do these things over email or just say, "this past month, you as Magister have been dealing with <roll> a tournament at the wizard college. And you as Treasurer have been dealing with <roll>..."
Examples that I've brainstormed so far include:
Ruler:
A suitor is angling for the empty chair beside the throne. (roleplaying)
A noble estate requests your presence at their gala. (Kno. Nobility)
A holiday requires you to make a speech to the masses. (Diplomacy or Perform: Oratory)
A legal dispute appeals to your authority (Wisdom check or Profession: Lawyer)
Counselor
There is a class dispute between nobles and peasants. (Diplomacy)
Small races petition to have construction facilitate their stature. (Kno. Local or Diplomacy)
Different merchant guilds are jockeying for official sanction. (Profession or Craft)
General
You are asked to put on a jousting tournament. (Kno. Nobility or Ride)
You wish to recruit a seasoned adventurer to be one of your captains. (roleplaying)
The fledgling army participates in wargames. (multiple skill checks)
Grand Diplomat
An ambassador is flaunting his diplomatic immunity. (roleplaying)
An envoy is sabre rattling. (Intimidate or Will Save)
A small community is resisting annexation. (Diplomacy, Intimidate or roleplaying)
High Priest
Two important festivals for two different religions are on the same day. (roleplaying or Diplomacy)
A prominent religion is suffering a schism. (Kno. Religion)
A religion counter to the alignment of the kingdom is growing a following. (roleplaying)
Magister
A botched summoning at one of the colleges has run amok. (Kno. Planes)
A strange relic has been found in a field and brought to you. (Kno. History or Spellcraft)
A teacher is teaching his students from questionable texts. (roleplaying)
Marshal
A patrol has been abusing its power and shaking down citizens. (Intimidate)
Fishing/hunting/trapping has decimated the wildlife in a hex. (Kno. Nature or Survival)
A Robin Hood-type bandit has the support of the locals in a hex. (Diplomacy or roleplaying)
Etc., etc,
Whew. I've got more, but I'll leave it at that to see what kind of response this generates. I'm hoping this generates some interest and board members post plenty of ideas that can make nicely diverse lists for each leadership role.
Final caveat before I close: Obviously, this is completely without knowing what the next four Kingmaker installments will add to the kingdom-ruling process. If I've stepped on some toes and jumped the gun for future official Kingmaker goodness, I do apologize.
I'm running Second Darkness AP using Pathfinder rules, and have been converting from 3.5 as we go. When prepping the Teeth of Araska set piece from Children of the Void (#14), it seemed like Ishana would be a good witch, rather than cleric of Calistria.
I can't say this will provide a tremendous amount of insight, since I left her at 3rd level and she's a small part of this set piece. But here's what I can offer:
I gave her a raven familiar, and the slumber and evil eye hexes. For spells, she had web, glitterdust, burning hands, chill touch, and obscuring mist. She kept her gear from the set piece, which included the wand of cure light wounds.
For those unfamiliar with the set piece, the Teeth of Araska is a statted-out pirate crew and mapped-out pirate ship. For my campaign, I sprang the encounter as they were on a ship heading to the island where most of the adventure takes place. I figure this was an EL 7 encounter against four 4th-level players.
As part of a pirate crew, Ishana probably contributed more as a witch than she would have as a cleric. She cast web into the party's ship's rigging, and glitterdusted the paladin and barbarian. The barbarian was blinded for the full three rounds, limiting her involvement until it wore off. The raven familiar tried delivering the chill touch spell, but I rolled poorly during its attempts.
When the heavily-armored fighter tried balance checks to cross the planks separating the two ships, her evil eye hex made the prospect that much more dangerous.
She met her demise when the raging barbarian finally crossed to her ship, withstood the sleep hex and a burning hands spell, and dropped her with a great axe.
My impressions:
The players didn't know they were facing a witch. (None of the players had read the playtest.) Most just rolled with it, assuming she was a wizard/cleric or wizard/druid. I don't know if that matters to the designers, but nobody reacted to her unusual class abilities (the hex powers) with shock or awe. But my group's like that.
As part of the encounter, she played her role well -- delaying the big hitters who have poor will saves. She didn't dominate the encounter, or appear especially unbalanced. Hexing the fighter to give him a -2 on his skill checks as he tried to balance his way across a plank made for a tense moment.
I'm liking the class so far, but of course, this was a limited demonstration of its abilities.
